De : Beau Ty beau2000000@gmail.com Envoye le : Sa, 3 Mar 2018 16:56 Sujet : Hello, can you please help me, darling ? Hi, Nice to hear from you once again, I like to ask how are you and how is your weekend ? I hope it is fine. Back to your question, I am not working at the moment, I lost my job 2 months ago, I have been in search of job, things hasn't been going well in here with me, like to seek for financial help from you,can you please help me, darling ? Beau. Beau. De : Beau Ty beau2000000@gmail.com Envoye le : Lu, 5 Mar 2018 1:07 Sujet : What is the nearest airport to you ? Thanks for keeping in touch, I really appreciate, how are you and how was your weekend ? well the weekend has come and gone, I really hope that you enjoy it, behold it's a brand new week, how is the weather like in your country this Sunday? What is the nearest airport to you ? Kiss and have a nice day. Beau. Hello, De : Beau Ty beau2000000@gmail.com Envoye le : Di, 11 Mar 2018 11:43 Sujet : Hello, can you please support me with to buy my air ticket ? Thanks for keeping in touch, How are you and how have you been doing and how is everything in general, I hope things are going smoothly with you, how was your weekend ? I hope it was a lovely one and you enjoy every bit of it. The weekend has come and gone, behold it is a brand new week. I hope it is was smooth and beautiful, I like to ask if you believe in online dating ? I have witness it several times working for others, that's why I am here to find my soulmate, I believe it will work for me, do you also believe ? I am not working at the moment, I lost my job 2 months ago, I have been in search of job, things hasn't been going well in here with me, like to seek for financial help from you, can you please help me ? I am very happy, told my grandma about visiting youin few days, and she was totally surprise, how much money can you support me with to buy my air ticket ? Where do you stay, what is the nearest airport to you ? I have to check it on line, have a beautiful week. Kiss. Hello, Beau De : Beau Ty beau2000000@gmail.com Envoye le : Me, 14 Mar 2018 22:59 Sujet : Hello, the weekend is few days ahead, remember. . Hi Darling, My greetings to you this beautiful day, like always I like to ask how are you and how was your day? I hope it was smooth and beautiful. Back to your question when I am visiting you, possible I like it to happen next week weekend, I already discussed about my visit to you with grandma and she is very excited and she is in support of this. 200$ wouldn't be enough to support me, you know how costly is everything, you can make it 500/400$ please, that can be manageable for me. Have yourself a beautiful day, the weekend is few days ahead, remember. . Beau. De : Beau Ty beau2000000@gmail.com Envoye le : Me, 21 Mar 2018 7:51 Sujet : Hello, what do you think ? Hi dear, I am very sorry sweetie for the late reply, I have been busy in here, fly down to Lagos (Nigeria) for my mom's 50 birthday, mom just clock 50 yrs yesterday, I have no idea if I share with you about my mom, dad is from California US while mom is Lagos Nigeria, lol, I feel very blessed to see mom after like 10 yrs. She is so healthy and strong, while I was in the US, we only communicate on the telephones, I was thinking of flying from here to meet you, what do you think ? I was thinking this gonna be a good idea, what do you think ? Kiss. Beau. De : Beau Ty beau2000000@gmail.com Envoye le : Ve, 23 Mar 2018 5:22 Sujet : Hello, enjoy your weekend ! Good to hear from you once again, how are you? how is the weather like over there ? hope it cool. Can't wait to visit you in there. I will get you mom info to send the money I'll be adding to pay my way down there through Western union, just take it to near by Western union and send it and mom will help get me the money. Name. . Dare Moses Country. . Nigeria State. . . Lagos Zipe code. .+234 You gonna choose question and answer after sending the money, let me know what's you just as question and answer as well, you will send me the MTCN digits after sending. Have yourself lot of kiss and hugs, enjoy your weekend. Beau. Beau. Hi dear, De : Beau Ty beau2000000@gmail.com Envoye le : Lu, 27 Mar 2018 22:16 Sujet : How long it will take you to send the money ? Hi love, My greetings to you as usual,the weekend has already came and gone swiftly like the ghost in the middle of the night, I hope you have a beautiful one. Now back your questions who is Dare Moses, I guess I told you that's my mother's name, I explain that she will be the one to help to get the money in the bank for me once you sent, this is her country so she knew in and out of it that's why I want things to be easier for us once you send the money, I hope you understand. I am expecting to leave here by Thursday or Friday, it just depend on you how long it will take you to send the money to get things done here on time. Have yourself a beautiful week. Beau. beau2000000@gmail.com Name. . Dare Moses Country. . Nigeria State. . . Lagos Zip code. .+234 You gonna choose question and answer after sending the money, let me know what's you just as question and answer as well, you will send me the MTCN digits after sending. De : Beau Ty beau2000000@gmail.com Envoye le : Ma, 3 Avr 2018 8:34 Sujet : Hello, sending money is very cheap and simple. . Hello, How are you and how was your days and nights as well ? many days and nights were came and gone, how is the weatheras well ? I hope everything is going smoothly and nice. How was your Easter celebration like ? how does it celebrate over there dear ? I like to know, I really hope it beautiful and excited one and you really enjoy it. Good, to know that you makes some requirement with WUMT, listen, I have already given you all the necessary information which you will be using in sending the money, it's very simple, sending money through western union money transfer isn't that expensive, it's very cheap, I don't know why you were told that it's very expensive when it isn't. After sending the money you will get back to me with the MTCN number, it is just 10 digit and the question and answer as well, it's very simple, you told me last week, but last week already came and gone, have you been playing with my feelings because I don't understand. I have been thinking, anyway have a beautiful day, I already given you all the necessary info needed in WUMT. Hugs and kisses. beau2000000@gmail.com Name. . Dare Moses Country. . Nigeria State. . . Lagos Zipe code. .+234 If you received a similar letter, please ignore it. Do not answer it. If you do, you will end up on more of the mailing lists used by the criminals behind this fraud. Read more.... Simon Dawson - WPA Pool/Getty Images(LONDON) -- The Royal Family joined Queen Elizabeth for Easter Sunday at St. Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle, the same location where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be married in less than 50 days. A very pregnant Princess Kate, who is just weeks away from giving birth to her third child, arrived via car instead of walking down the hill like other members of the Royal Family. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were several minutes late, arriving after the monarch. They were stuck in traffic from Bucklebury, where they have been spending Easter with Kates parents and their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Thrifty Kate dressed in a recycled chocolate brown collared Catherine Walker coat, a favorite of Princess Diana, and pillbox hat. Kate last wore the coat just before she gave birth to Princess Charlotte. Prince Philip, who has missed several events in the last two weeks due to a hip problem, did not accompany Queen Elizabeth to the Easter Service. Also missing was Prince Charles, who is about to embark on a tour of Australia this week. On Friday he released his first Easter message, calling for an end to religious persecution. Princess Eugenie -- Prince Andrew and Sarah Fergusons youngest daughter -- brought her fiance, Jack Brooksbank, to Easter Service for the first time with the Royal Family. The couple will also be marrying at Windsor castle next fall. Meghan and Harry missed the service, taking some time privately ahead of a visit to Bath later this week. That's where they will watch the UK Invictus Team trials ahead of the Sydney Invictus Games this fall. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. *Patna (IANS): *Thousands of Dalit members on Monday staged protests across Bihar on Monday against the dilution of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, disrupting rail and road traffic, police said. With posters, banners, and flags, supporters of the Bhim Army and other Dalit organizations, halted over a dozen long-distance trains, and as a result, passengers were stranded at Patna, Gaya, Jehanabad, Bhagalpur, Ara, Darbhanga, Araria, Nalanda and Hajipur railway stations. Train services have been badly disrupted due to the protest, leaving hundreds stranded at railway stations, an East Central Railway official told IANS over the phone from Hajipur, the zonal headquarters. Support TwoCircles At some places, the protesters have also blocked national and state highways. In Patna, hundreds of Bhim Army workers took to the streets to protest and enforce a shutdown. In several localities in Patna, supporters of the Bhim Army forced shops to close and blocked roads by burning tires, a district police official said. According to reports, the protests were supported by the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal and left parties. Of Bihars total 10.5 crore population, scheduled castes account for 15.5 lakhs. Fuze Given 5-Star Rating in CRN's 2018 Partner Program Guide Fuze, the leading cloud-based communications platform provider for the modern global enterprise, announced today that CRN , a brand of The Channel Company, has given Fuze a 5-Star rating in its 2018 Partner Program Guide. This annual guide is the definitive listing of partner programs from technology vendors that provide products and services through the IT channel. The 5-Star Partner Program Guide rating recognizes an elite subset of companies that offer solution providers the best partnering elements in their channel programs. To determine the 2018 5-Star ratings, The Channel Company's research team assessed each vendor's partner program based on investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support and communication. This recognition comes on the heels of several pieces of partnership news that enhance the Fuze ecosystem and ensure a unified, personalized communications experience for its enterprise users. The latest developments in the Fuze partner ecosystem include: "We're thrilled to be recognized by CRN for the strength of our partner program. Our program includes partner relationships that enable customers to use the Fuze platform to transform how their organizations collaborate and communicate," said Chris Doggett, Chief Sales Officer, Fuze. "The modern mobile workforce demands digital tools that work seamlessly together to communicate and collaborate and need a high-quality experience, whether they are in the office or working remote. Today's solution providers are in the best position to recommend how their customers can achieve this with Fuze, and we're investing in key partners to build our business together." "Finding the right technology vendor to partner with can be a daunting task, given the vast array of choices now available to solution providers," said Robert Faletra, Executive Chairman of The Channel Company. "CRN's Partner Program Guide and 5-Star ratings help them narrow the field and find the best fit, identifying the most rewarding partner programs and providing crucial insight into their strengths and benefits. We are pleased to present our 2018 PPG list, recognizing the strongest and most successful partner programs in the channel today." The 2018 Partner Program Guide will be featured in the April issue of CRN and online at www.CRN.com/ppg. Tweet This: @Fuze receives 5-star rating in @CRN 2018 Partner Program Guide #CRNPPG www.CRN.com/ppg @TheChannelCo About the Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelco.com. Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. About Fuze Fuze is a global, cloud-based unified communications platform that empowers productivity and delivers insights across the enterprise by enabling simplified business voice communications, flexible video conferencing, and always-on collaboration. Formerly ThinkingPhones, Fuze allows the modern, mobile workforce to seamlessly communicate anytime, anywhere, across any device. Headquartered in Boston, MA, Fuze has additional locations including New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Ottawa, London, Amsterdam, Aveiro (Portugal), Madrid, Paris, Munich, Zurich, Copenhagen, and Sydney. For more information, visit www.fuze.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180402005566/en/ Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Recently several analysts from Armenia tried to make society believe that competition between Russian and Iranian gas in the Armenian market will happen, and that Iran can drive out Gazprom-Armenia from the market. One of the evidences of that, as they noted, are statements of Iranian officials about possible increase in volumes gas, supplied to Armenia, as well as price that's acceptable for Yerevan. Experts consider these statements of Iranian side to be vague, devoid of specifics. They also stress that forecasts of competition in gas supplies to Armenia between Russia and Iran are far from real. Several media outlets also reported about reduction of the cost of Iranian gas, supplied to Armenia. However, even these expectations are excessively positive, considering the fact that Iranian side refrains from publicly naming any favorable price. "The problem is that Iranian side didn't state its final proposal, and it's wrong to view the statements of Iranian ambassador as business proposal," expert on energy issues Vahe Davtyan said. According to Hayk Harutyunyan, Deputy Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of Armenia, Iranian side indeed voiced a number of proposals during private conversations. But there were no offers as favorable as the price of Russian gas. Russia annually exports about 2.5 billion cubic meters of gas to Armenia at a price of 150 dollars per thousand cubic meters. Russia sells gas at such a low price only to Armenia and Belarus. The entire gas transportation system of Armenia is also operated by the Gazprom-Armenia company. As for Iranian gas, the "Gas in exchange for electricity" program still exists. Iranian gas is used by the Yerevan thermoelectric plant and in small volumes by fifth bloc of the Hrazdan TPP. Some of the electricity produced at TPPs is exported back to Iran, while the other part is used by Armenia. It's a barter - in exchange for a cubic meter of gas from Iran, Armenia supplies three kWh of electricity. The total volume of supplies of Iranian gas to Armenia is about 400 million cubic meters per year. Energy experts consider talks about possible purchase of a cheaper in comparison to Russian Iranian gas by Armenia purely theoretical. The problem is that Iran lacks volumes of gas necessary for export. Even such strategically important country for the future Iranian transit like Turkey pays about 400 dollars per thousand cubic meters of gas. Although Iranians want to double gas production by 2020, experts believe that it's unrealistic. "In my opinion, Gazprom can use Iranian-Armenian gas pipeline and it will be profitable, since Russian gas sold to Armenia can be sold in international markets at much higher price. With the appearance of a real prospect of low price, Iranian gas can replace Russia's gas at the initiative of Russian side itself. If this doesn't happen, then there are no prospects," Iranian expert Sevak Sarukhanyan noted. According to experts, technically, Armenia doesn't need large volumes of Iranian gas as long as gas pipeline from Russia functions. When it comes to Yerevan's energy policy in the field of gas supplies and their diversification, it makes decision based on all factors that were mentioned above, and, most importantly, based on the price of Russian gas supplied to the country. China has increased tariffs by up to 25% on 128 US products including frozen pork, wine and certain fruits and nuts, escalating a spat between the worlds biggest economies in response to US duties on imports of aluminum and steel. The tariffs, to take effect on April 2, were announced by Chinas finance ministry and matched a list of potential tariffs on up to $3 billion in US goods published by China on March 23. Chinas Ministry of Commerce said it was suspending its obligations to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to reduce tariffs on 120 US goods, including fruit and ethanol. The tariffs on those products will be raised by an extra 15%. Eight other products, including pork and scrap aluminum, will now be subject to additional tariffs of 25%, Reuters reported. In a statement published on Monday morning, the Chinese commerce ministry said the United States had seriously violated the principles of non-discrimination enshrined in World Trade Organization rules, and had also damaged Chinas interests. The arrest of Russian tycoon Ziyavudin Magomedov and his brother Magomed is not a single action, but part of focused and systematic fight against embezzlement of state funds, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "No, this is not a kind of a single action," Peskov said. According to him, a very tough and focused policy is underway on monitoring the use of state funds. Peskov refused to comment on the Magomedov case, other than that the investigation is continuing. "There will be a trial that will define if those detained are guilty or not," he said. The Kremlin believes that speculations about some link between the arrest of the Magomedov brothers and the current political processes, including the formation of a new government are "political gossip." "Lets leave it for political scientists to discuss. We cannot take part in such debate," TASS cited Peskov as saying. A preliminary agreement on the withdrawal of Jaysh al-Islam militants from Syria's Eastern Ghouta was reached, chief of the Russian center for reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria Yuri Yevtushenko said. "The activities aimed at prompting the Jaysh al-Islam radical movement to end hostilities and to disarm continue As of today a preliminary agreement on withdrawal of extremists of the Jaysh al-Islam group from Eastern Ghouta has been reached," Sputnik cited Yevtushenko as saying. The official noted that the militants in Douma must show minefield and tunnel maps and voluntarily clear buildings and transport routes of mines before withdrawing. The Russian officer added that starting from Sunday the humanitarian corridor was opened for militants and their families. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at Turkey in response to its president Recep Tayyip Erdogan's claim that Israel mounted an "inhumane attack" on Palestinians during Fridays mass protests on the border with Israel. "The most moral army in the world will not accept moral preaching from someone who for years has been bombing a civilian population indiscriminately," he said, in apparent reference to Ankaras ongoing battle against the Kurds. "Thats apparently how Ankara marks [April Fools Day]," Times of Israel cited Netanyahu as saying. On Saturday, Erdogan said during a speech in Istanbul, "I strongly condemn the Israeli government over its inhumane attack." Russian President Vladimir Putin, his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will discuss possible additional measures to strengthen the ceasefire regime in Syria and ensure the operation of the de-escalation zones. Vladimir Putin will visit Ankara on April 3-4, 2018 at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans invitation. The seventh meeting of the High-Level Russian-Turkish Cooperation Council will take place in the Turkish capital. The state and development prospects of bilateral trade-economic cooperation and the implementation of joint strategic projects, in particular in the energy sector, will be discussed. It is planned to touch on the current regional and international issues, including the joint fight against terrorism and the situation in Syria. The leaders are expected to launch the construction of the first power unit for the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant through a teleconference. During the second trilateral meeting of the Astana process guarantors Vladimir Putin will discuss with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the implementation of the agreements reached at the first trilateral summit in Sochi on November 22, 2017. The parties will share opinions on possible additional measures to consolidate the ceasefire regime in Syria, secure the operation of the de-escalation zones, address humanitarian problems and promote political settlement, the presidents press service said. Putin will also hold talks with Rouhani, which will focus on issues of Russian-Iranian relations and the regional and international agenda. The chairman of the Senate's Homeland Security Committee Republican Sen. Ron Johnson urged Washington to cooperate with Russia to have better relations "I wish Russia were no more than a friendly rival. But unfortunately, they're an unfriendly adversary. And it's been their aggression, their provocations, that have really resulted in a relationship that is not healthy for the world, for world peace," NBC cited the senator as saying. "Long-term, we have got to have better relations with Russia. We just do. We, as a world, as the western democracies, have got to show greater strength and resolve," he added in an exclusive interview on "Meet The Press." Russia has referred to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) a list of 13 questions concerning the so-called Skripal case. The list has such questions as what kind of data and materials were provided by the United Kingdom and whether the organization plans to share the British sides information with Russia. The Russian side also wants to know what kind of assistance from the OPCW technical secretariat was asked by London, whether it requests to verify the very fact of the use of a nerve agent or to conform that it was a Novichok-class substance. Apart from that, Russia asks the OPCW who led its expert team that visited the United Kingdom, how long they worked in the UK and whom they contacted with. The Russian foreign ministry asks to explain the procedure of sample collecting and whether the OPCWs basic probe principle, the so-called chain of custody, was observed. "Which certified laboratories will analyze the samples collected by the OPCW technical secretariat during the visit of its experts to the United Kingdom," the ministry asks. The Russian side wants to know whether the OPCW technical secretariat gave its consent to the disclosure of the British sides investigation data to the European Union countries and whether France notified it about its joining the technical assistance requested by the United Kingdom. "Did France share materials of its own investigation (if any) with the OPCW technical secretariat and can it share the materials of the French investigation (if any) with Russia? If not, then why," the ministry said. On March 4, former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, 66, who had been earlier sentenced in Russia for spying for the UK, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found unconscious on a bench near the Maltings shopping center in Salisbury, UK. Police said they had been exposed to a nerve agent. Russias Central Bank will provide Trust Bank with a combined 1.1 trillion rubles ($19.17 billion), Central Bank Deputy Governor Vasily Pozdyshev said. The banks problematic assets could be united under Trust Bank, undergoing financial rehabilitation by the Bank of Russia through the banking sector consolidation fund, The regulator will complete all structural decisions to create a problematic assets bank during the quarter. "At first, it will function with a bank license," the deputy chairman of the Central Bank said. "We propose to make a small change in the law so that the bank of bad debts could surrender its license, because the Central Bank will be its only creditor," Pozdyshev added. The advisor on macroeconomics to the CEO of the 'Opening-Broker' brokerage house, economist Sergey Hestanov, speaking to a correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, explained that the creation of such a "bank of bad assets" is a common practice. "This is a typical way of working with bad assets, when they are united and a specialized structure is created for their sale or another type of their utilization. The concentration of all problem assets in one fund allows more flexibility in chosing options for their implementation, often they even merge with each other inside the fund. This is a fairly popular world practice," he said. At the same time, the efficiency of the return of funds through such a fund is not guaranteed. "This will depend on two factors: first, the professionalism of those people who will manage this process, and second, the quality of the assets. The second factor raises big questions, since it is impossible to assess the quality of problematic assets in advance," Sergey Hestanov pointed out. The professor at the department of the stock market and investments at the Higher School of Economics, Alexander Abramov, noted that transfer of all bad assets into a single structure, first of all, will improve the banks undergoing financial rehabilitation. "The thing is that one puts bad assets in one place, clearing the balance sheets of banks, which dramatically improves their situation. The bank of "bad assets" undergoes a long and slow work, because these assets are often bad simply because they require considerable labor costs - lawsuits, asset restructuring, waiting for a more favorable market situation," he expects. As for the effectiveness of the refund of funds spent on rehabilitation, it is not at the forefront when creating such a bank of "bad" assets. "A full reimbursement of funds is not a matter of life and death for the Central Bank of Russia, because the rehabilitation was paid by state money. The central bank took 2.5 trillion rubles out of its pocket, and the losses of the banks were covered. If such procedures were conducted within the framework of a private business, then, probably, getting this money back would be really decisive issue," Alexander Abramov concluded. Serbia has suggested hosting a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said. "As for a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Serbia, it depends on the current diplomatic situation," Dacic told Pink TV. "Serbia would probably make the best place for such a meeting. We have passed our proposal to both sides, they will now decide if a meeting takes place at all. Many countries have been taking advantage of Serbias position and holding dialogue on our territory," TASS cited the Serbian top diplomat as saying. Dacic also said that a while ago, Serbia hosted confidential peace talks "aimed at resolving problems facing a county, which surprised global powers." However, he declined to say which country he was referring to, noting that it would reveal itself if considered it appropriate. Today marks 25 years since the day of the occupation of Kalbajar by Armenia. On this day, the Armenian Armed Forces, after carrying out a large-scale military operation on March 27th, 1993, occupied Kalbajar. Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement on the occupation of Azerbaijans Kalbajar region and the anniversary of the 2016 April escalation. "As part of war unleashed by Armenia against Azerbaijan and Armenias systematic policy of aggression and occupation against Azerbaijan on April 2, 1993 Kalbajar region of Azerbaijan was occupied by armed forces of Armenia. Kalbajar is located beyond administrative boundaries of Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and offensive operation to occupy Kalbajar was mainly carried out from the territory of Armenia by use of heavy weaponry, Mi-24 helicopter gunships and advanced fixed wing aircraft," the statement says. As a result of occupation, 511 innocent civilians were killed, 321 people were taken hostage or missing. During the hostilities, 55 soldiers were killed. The Armenian side took control of 132 settlements, more than 500 industrial, construction and trade objects, catering and consumer service companies, 97 schools, 76 health facilities were destroyed. 53,340 residents of Kalbajar became internally displaced persons. Presently, more than 70,000 Kalbajar residents are living in many different districts of Azerbaijan as internally displaced people. Armenian occupation inflicted a damage to the Kalbajar region in the volume of $761 million. Predatory exploitation of natural mineral resources of Kalbajar is also being carried out. Base Metals CJSC, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Armenia's Vallex Group CJSC, registered in Liechtenstein, since 2000 has been exploiting Gyzylbulag underground copper-gold mine near Heyvaly village in the occupied Kalbajar district of Azerbaijan. Predatory exploitation of that mine led to its almost complete depletion. Since 2007, GPM Gold, a subsidiary of GeoProMining Ltd., has been extracting ore in Soyudlu gold mine in the occupied Kalbajar district. The construction of the Vardenis-Aghdara highway through the occupied Kalbajar district of Azerbaijan, is directly linked to gaining access to the areas in the occupied territories rich in natural resources and to facilitate exporting goods and minerals out of the occupied territories to Armenia and international markets. As a result of predatory and illegal exploitation of mineral resources of Kalbajar serious damage has been inflicted on the environment. Following the statement of United Nations Security Council President on April 6, 1993 UNSC adopted resolution of 822 with regard to the occupation of Kalbajar region of Azerbaijan. UN Security Council Resolution 822 reaffirmed the principle of "the inadmissibility of the use of force for the acquisition of territory" and demanded immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from the Kalbadjar district and other recently occupied lands of Azerbaijan. US President Donald Trump proposed meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Washington when they spoke by phone on March 20, presidential aide Yury Ushakov said. "If everything goes well, I hope that Americans will not change their mind about their proposal to discuss the possibility of holding a meeting. When our presidents spoke on the phone, Trump suggested having the meeting in Washington at the White House. This is quite an interesting, positive idea," Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters. The Kremlin official mentioned the recent expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats from the United States, which led to a setback in US-Russian bilateral relations. "I hope that circumstances will allow us to discuss this topic [the meeting]. We believe that it is rather important, it is necessary not only for our countries but for the international community as a whole," Ushakov added. Commenting on the expulsion of Russian diplomats over the Skripal case, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow does not want to play childish games with Western countries. We dont want to follow suit by playing such childish games, but right now our partners are engaging specifically in this, the top Russian diplomat said. "It does not depend on us how far we could go. The diplomacy exploits the principle of reciprocity and it is still in force. This principle will be exploited coherently," TASS cited Lavrov as saying. "Now our Western partners, I mean primarily the United Kingdom, the United States and several countries that have blindly followed them, have run out of niceties, resorting to open lies, to outright misinformation. We will respond to this fairly calmly, coolly, and insist that any accusations, any allegations must be justified by facts," he added. The senior research fellow at the European Research Centre of the International Relations Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladimir Olenchenko, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that the expression "childish games" aptly describes the Western countries' current actions. "It's important that it wasn't us who started these "childish games". It was started by the US, then the UK joined it, as a result, the "game" has reached a peak. Some Western countries even say now that they cannot consider the response measures to be mirror images - but we did not start this exchange of expulsions, and there are no rules in this this "childish game". Russia has always preserved its dignity, defending its national interests, and the West's expectation that we will somehow adapt are unfounded," he stressed. Vladimir Olenchenko drew attention to the fact that the reduction of diplomatic missions within the framework of the West's "childish games" has an extremely negative impact on ordinary citizens of both countries in the first place. "The staff of the diplomatic missions work to make daily contact with the citizens of their countries abroad and interact with diplomats of the host country. And against this background there are statements from the West on the interest in developing bilateral relations with Russia, which, of course, is a typical hypocrisy," the senior research fellow at the European Research Centre of the International Relations Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences said. The head of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations at the Academy of Sciences of Russia, Sergei Oznobishchev, noted that the number of Russian diplomatic representatives in the US may be restored in the future. "The exchange of deportations of diplomatic representatives may go too far, because the flow of diplomats is high. However, diplomats tend to recover quickly. There was the US official statement that all the shortened diplomatic positions can be filled again, which is quite normal practice," he said. "Why did the West agree with the UK's completely unproven claims about our involvement in the Skripal case? Because of Russia's vivid negative image. The accusations are unsubstantiated, but they create a persistent suspicion that Russia is involved. But I am sure that official Russia is not involved in the Skripal case, and it was made by those who are not interested in normalizing our relations with the UK, and perhaps with the West as a whole. We are interested in an objective investigation, but we are not allowed to investigate this, because, in my opinion, we did not completely finish the previous episodes that are connected with the accusations of Russia," Sergei Oznobishchev pointed out. HCM CITY Sony Vietnam has unveiled the 7 III, a full-frame mirrorless camera. The company said in a release that its innovation within the image sensor space is at the forefront of the 7 III, which features a brand new 24.2MP back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS image sensor with increased sensitivity, outstanding resolution and 15 stops of dynamic range at low sensitivities. By combining this sensor with features like extreme AF coverage of 93 per cent, fast shooting at up to 10 fps with either mechanical shutter or silent shooting and diverse 4K video capabilities, it said has created a new tool that gives all types of creators from enthusiast to professional the ability to capture content in new and different ways. The new camera has 425 contrast AF points that work with a 693-point focal-plane phase-detection AF system inherited from the popular 9 model. The new camera is expected to be marketed in Viet Nam from the middle of this month. - VNS HA NOI The General Statistics Office of Viet Nam (GSO) estimated that imports of completely built-up cars in April will likely jump in both volume and value compared to the previous month. Imports have increased again after several months of dropping as the Vietnamese Government issued Decree 116 in October last year, stipulating the conditions for production, assembly, import and business of automobile warranty and maintenance services, which auto importers in Viet Nam deem as obstacles, especially regulation required the Vehicle Type Approval (VTA) Certificate to be issued by the exporting country. The jump in imports indicates that importers have found ways to fully meet the requirements of Decree 116. Under the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement commitments, the import tax rate of cars from ASEAN countries became zero per cent in January this year. Under this policy, at least 40 per cent of the parts used in each vehicle must be made in the country of origin. After the approval by the Viet Nams Ministry of Transport of the VTA certified by the governments of Thailand and Indonesia , businesses have started importing the first batches of cars with the tax rate of zero per cent. Insiders anticipated that Thai and Indonesian cars would enter the Vietnamese market on a large scale beginning in this April, triggering a surge in imported cars in the coming time. This month witnessed the import of around 2,000 vehicles of Honda Motors from Thailand after the company stopped car exports to Viet Nam for more than a month. Car from other countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia are also expected to soon come to Viet Nam . Global automakers have been predicting that imports from Thailand and Indonesia would flood the Vietnamese market after the tax fell to zero, taking some of the wind out of the sails of domestic manufacturing and assembly, said auto expert Nguyen Minh ong to Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper. The GSO reported that about 5,000 cars worth US$115 million were imported to Viet Nam in March, marking an increase of 25 per cent in volume and 8.2 per cent in value as compared with February. Loss of local budget The 2017 budget revenue in the northern province of Vinh Phuc, a hub of automobile manufacturing and assembly in Viet Nam, fell by VN5 trillion (US$218.8 million), mainly from the auto sector due to the impact of reducing tariffs on ASEAN car imports to zero. The information was released by Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee Nguyen Van Tri at the conference on 2018 production and economic growth held in Ha Noi on March 30. In 2016, the domestic revenue of Vinh Phuc Province reached VN29.15 trillion, of which about 80 per cent was contributed by FDI enterprises. Especially, foreign-invested auto- and motorbike makers such as Toyota Motor Vietnam (TMV), Honda Vietnam and Piaggio Vietnam accounted for 80 per cent of the contribution of FDI enterprises. Policies to develop the domestic automobile industry are necessary to encourage businesses such as TMV to develop manufacturing, said Tri. HA NOI Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk) aims to increase its total revenue by 8.5 per cent and its post-tax profit by 4.6 per cent in 2018. The earnings figures for 2018 will be VN55.5 trillion (US$2.46 billion) in revenue and VN10.75 trillion in post-tax profit, the companys management board announced at its annual general shareholder meeting on Saturday. This is a modest target considering Vinamilks average annual growth of around 10 per cent in the previous five years. The company also plans to raise its market share by 1 per cent each year, reaching at least 60 per cent in the next five years in Viet Nam . Its current market share is 58 per cent. Based on such earnings targets, Vinamilk proposed a dividend payout that would be equal to 50 per cent of the companys post-tax profit in 2018. The first payment would be made in the third quarter of this year, worth VN2,000 (8.9 US cents) per share and the second payment would be scheduled for May-June 2019. The companys board of managers also proposed a plan to issue bonus shares for current shareholders on a 20 per cent ratio in the third quarter of the year, meaning each shareholder would receive one additional share for every five shares he owns. The total amount of bonus shares to be issued would be nearly 290.3 million shares, and the companys charter capital would increase by VN2.9 trillion. Vinamilk is listing more than 1.45 billion shares on the HCM Stock Exchange and its shares had lost a total of 4.7 per cent in the last three sessions, closing Friday at VN203,000 per share. Regarding shareholders concerns over Vinamilks modest targeted earnings for 2018, chairwoman Mai Kieu Lien said that the average growth rate for the dairy sector is a maximum of 7 per cent per year and a minimum of 5 per cent per year. If Vinamilk wants its market share to grow, its annual growth rate would have to be more than 7 per cent. But that will take a long time, she said, adding the company still has room for further development in the next five to 10 years. Moreover, the company is uncertain whether its exports will reach the target as total exports in 2017 and the first quarter of this year showed signs of declining, Lien said. Therefore, the targeted earnings for 2018 represents the minimum numbers that Vinamilk promises shareholders, she added. Higher-than-expected organic sales The organic segment has progressed better than the expectation of the companys management board as Vinamilk has explored these products for a year and total production has not met the market demand. Therefore, the company in the short term will expand its existing milk farms such as the one in a Lat City of the central highlands province of Lam o ng and the one in the central province of Thanh Hoa, and seek to establish a new milk farm in the central region of Viet Nam . At its annual shareholders meeting, Vinamilk proposed shareholders approve its plan to raise the number of management board members to 11 for the period 2017-20 from current nine. Candidates for the additional position include Alain Xavier Cany, who is the Chief Representative and Chairman of the Jardine Matheson Limited (Viet Nam) and Nguyen Chi Thanh, deputy general director of the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) the Governments unit controlling 36 per cent of the companys charter capital. VNS HA NOI The State Bank of Viet Nam has tightened lending regulations, prohibiting credit institutions and foreign bank branches from disbursing loans in cash, effective from April 2, according to a new circular. Under Circular No. 21/2017/TT-NHNN, which stipulates the mode of disbursement of loans by credit institutions and foreign bank branches to customers, lenders will have to provide loans to bank accounts of beneficiaries via non-cash payment instruments. According to the central bank, the new circular is aimed to better supervise loans, seeking to have them comply with the stated purposes for requested loans. The disbursement of loans through bank accounts will help commercial banks supervise the use of borrowers loans from the beginning to avoid funds being used for incorrect purposes, such as rollovers, resulting in an increase of non-performing loans. Under the new circular, lenders must disburse loans to a borrowers bank account if it is required by law that money is to be transferred from the borrowers bank account, and only in compliance with the purpose of the loans. The disbursement through bank accounts is also required if the borrower has made payments in connection with business plans approved by the lenders; or the borrower directly pays individuals or households for agricultural products, in compliance with the purpose of a loan. However, lenders may consider disbursing loans to the borrower in cash if the beneficiary does not have a bank account at any bank; or the borrower does not have a bank account at any bank and has made payments in connection with business plans approved by lenders. The new circular also regulates that the lenders may consider disbursing loans, either in cash or via non-cash instruments, if the amount to be paid to the beneficiary, who has a bank account, does not exceed VN100 million (US$4,400); or the borrower will make payments to the beneficiary, who is a State-owned organisation and allowed to use cash in payments. VNS HA NOI The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has granted certification of intellectual protection to two models of sedan and SUV cars produced by VinFast Manufacturing and Trading Company Limited (VinFast). The initial term of protection is five years and can be extended four times. This means during the total protection period of up to 25 years, other automakers will not be able to produce or distribute models with designs identical or similar to the VinFast models in the EU (European Union) market. EUIPO is responsible for managing the EU trademark and the registered Community design. An EU trademark is valid in all 28 countries of the European Union. VinFast has also applied for the registration of industrial designs of the two models in other countries, including the United States, Russia, Ukraine, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia. VinFasts initiative to register for design protection in many countries is seen as an important and professional step to enter the global automobile market as well as affirm its positioning strategy as an international-level carmaker. The two models are being developed based on the designs voted for by the Vietnamese customers in the contest, Choosing lovely car with VinFast-1, which took place in October last year. Conquering the essence of Italian design and European technology, VinFast cars are manufactured on a par with international standards, ensuring passenger safety as well as quality, reliability and modern style. In January this year, VinFast signed a contract with Italian designer Pininfarina to make model cars. The company has also co-operated with leading automakers and automobile technology consultants in the world, such as BMW, Magna Steyr, AVL, Durr AG, Schuler AG and Eisenmann, to manufacture its first products by the end of 2019. As planned, the two models of Sedan and SUV with the VinFast trademark will take part in the Paris Motorshow in France in October this year and in Viet Nam later in December. The European Union has 28 members, which include the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Romania, Netherlands, Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Ireland, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Belgium, Denmark, Cyprus, Portugal, Estonia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Latvia, Italy, France and Spain. The European Union is the worlds second-largest auto consumption market, after China, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the global auto market. According to a report by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, vehicle sales in the European Union reached 15.1 million units in 2017, up 3.4 per cent from the previous year. Italy and Spain had the largest increase in sales, followed by France and Germany. VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has given the green light for infrastructure development worth up to VN21 trillion (US$921 million) for economic zones and industrial parks in the 2016-2020 period. The programme aims to develop comprehensive technical and social infrastructure for these areas, which will lay the foundation and create favourable conditions for calling and promoting large-scale investment projects. The plan comprises five components, including infrastructure investment for coastal economic zones, border gate economic zones, industrial parks and industrial clusters, hi-tech parks, and hi-tech agriculture zones. The total cost is estimated to be some VN21 trillion, of which the State budget will fund VN16.68 trillion (may increase when the capital source is available), while the capital from local budgets and other lawful sources will be more than VN4.2 trillion. By 2020, some 200km to 250km of main roads, drainage works, and concentrated waste water treatment with a capacity of 13,000m3/day to 14,000 m3/day, and other technical and social infrastructure for resettlement sites will be built in 16 coastal economic zones. The large-scale projects will focus on eight zones. Investments will be made in some 21 border economic zones to construct 200km to 220km of roads, concentrated water waste treatment with the capacity of 300m3/day to 400 m3/day, 8km to 10km of power lines and 8,000m2 to 10,000m2 area of specialised work, checkpoints, warehouses and yards, focusing on nine key border gates having large import-export volumes. To encourage the development and application of hi-tech in production, heavy investment will also be made to build roads, drainage and water waste treatment facilities, as well as power infrastructure for industrial parks and clusters, hi-tech parks and hi-tech agricultural zones. The Ministry of Planning and Investment, in coordination with the relevant agencies, is tasked to appraise projects and make capital allocation for medium-term State budget-funded projects under the programme. Along with the Ministry of Finance, they will review target projects in the programme and report annually to the Prime Minister. VNS HA NOI The decade-high GDP growth of 7.38 per cent achieved in the first quarter may not be easy to replicate for the rest of the year. The government, however, will strive towards a year-on-year growth rate of 6.7 per cent. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said this during the monthly government meeting on Monday in Ha Noi. He asked the Cabinet to contribute constructively to the 2018 economic growth scenario to achieve this target, which is higher than the 6.5 per cent growth rate set by the National Assembly last year. The morning session was also amongst the rare ones, with socio-economic affairs, especially the development of growth scenarios, were discussed first instead of the usual law issues. In his opening speech, Phuc also lauded the growth of several sectors in the first quarter. For example, agriculture and fisheries grew by 4.05 per cent, while construction and industry expanded by 9.77 per cent, nearly double the figures achieved last year. During the period, total retail and consumption services increased by 9.9 per cent year-on-year. Foreign tourist arrivals in Viet Nam were estimated at 4.2 million, up 30.9 per cent annually. Total exports surged 22 per cent to US$54.3 billion while social investment soared by 10.4 per cent. PM Phuc pointed to Nikkeis report on Monday, evaluating Viet Nams Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) at 51.6 in March. Viet Nam is one of the two countries in Southeast Asia boasting a reading of over 50, albeit a slight drop compared to PMI 53.5 in February. He also expressed satisfaction with local governments for their efforts in improving business conditions, with the Provincial Competitiveness Index hitting the highest average score since 2005, marking a widespread enthusiasm in investment and business climate across all localities. Phuc said just in the first few months of 2018, Viet Nam officially joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP-11), successfully held the sixth Greater Mekong Sub-region Summit as well as the Cambodia-Laos-Viet Nam (CLV) Development Triangle Area meeting on Saturday, where Viet Nams ideas and agenda were highly appreciated by the participating countries, showcasing the countrys international integration efforts and its elevated position in the world. However, the Prime Minister also drew attention to the weaknesses of the economy, including the fact that newly established enterprises grew by a mere 1.2 per cent in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period last year, accompanied by a number of struggling enterprises and bankrupt or dissolved enterprises. Despite the low increase of CPI in March and the first quarter in general, PM Phuc urged caution against potential disruptive elements, including increased prices of oil, basic goods and annual wage increase. He also warned of the adverse impacts of the ever-prevalent protectionist moves by many countries. According to a report of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, by the end of March 2018, the Governments total revenue reached over VN308 trillion (US$13.49 billion), up 5.3 per cent compared to the first quarter last year, but barely one fourth of the planned revenue. At the meeting, natural disaster was also in focus as economic damages in the first quarter reached VN178 billion ($7.8 million), thrice the figure from last year. VNS GIA LAI For students at Nguyen Ba Ngoc Primary School in Central Highland province of ak Laks Krong Pac District where 90 per cent of students are ethnic, Ee language lessons are always the ones they love most. The lessons always take place in excited atmosphere. Students are shy and lack confidence in other subjects, but during Ee language lessons, they become enthusiastic. Many of them volunteer to voice their opinions in their mother tongue. I really like these lessons. My parents do not know how to read and write in Ee language so they encouraged me to learn, HPhai Krieng, a fourth grade student, told the ak Lak newspaper. HNher Ayun, Kriengs teacher, said by reading and writing in their mother tongue fluently, it was easy for them to learn other subjects, improving the overall quality of education. It is a similar story in Kon Tum, another Central Highland province. Most of provincial schools include ethnic language in their curricula and it received positive feedback from parents and students. inh Thi Lan, deputy director of Kon Tum Provinces Department of Education and Training, said the demand to learn ethnic minority languages in the province was quite high. More than a thousand students enrolled in the course in the 2015-16 academic year, compared with 599 in 2009-10. In the past, most of parents can speak Bahnar but they cant read or write. The fact that their children can do it very well make everyone happy and proud, said Y Luu, a teacher at Nguyen Thai Binh Primary School in Kon Tum City. While teaching ethnic languages at primary schools is considered a good way to preserve ethnic traditions and their special culture characteristics, there were a lot challenges setting it up. Due to shortage of classrooms, a number of primary schools in the province have to use nha rong (communal house) or nha cong vu (houses that are allotted to Government staff) as classes, according to Lan. The biggest difficulty was a lack of professional teachers and textbooks as well as proper facilities, she said. Most of teachers teaching ethnic minority languages have not been trained properly in teaching skills, Lan said. Teacher Y Luu said text books for ethnic languages which were previously handed out to students were very old and were wearing out. She told the Nhan Dan (People) newspaper that schools had to use photo-copied books without coloured pages for teaching which affects students learning ability and little teaching equipment or visual-aids were available. As a result, she had to set up teaching aids by herself and collect pictures to attract students attention. Huynh Minh Thuan, from Gia Lai Provinces Department of Education and Training Department, agreed that schools were experiencing a serious lack of text books which had hindered the quality of education. He said text books for ethnic languages havent been loaned to students from 2015-16 academic year and they were not available on the market. In the meantime, most of ethnic students are from disadvantaged families so schools have to use their funding to make copies of old textbooks. There had been a constant lack of experienced and qualified teachers for ethnic minority languages at primary schools and secondary schools, Thuan told the Vietnam News Agency. As many as 100,000 enrolled in Gia Rai course but there are only 244 teachers. To meet the demand, there should be twice as many. And the same story goes for the Bahnar course. Apart from lack of books and unqualified teachers, schools in the province found that it was difficult for them to arrange time for ethnic language classes, Thuan said. In accordance with the project on strengthening the teaching of Vietnamese for kindergartens and primary schools during 2016-20 with a vision to 2025 approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the content and time duration for other subjects will be reduced to intensify Vietnamese language lessons for ethnic students. Thus, a number of schools had to lessen ethnic language lessons to two lessons per week or even skip them, he said. Thuan also blamed the above-mentioned reasons for a drop in student enrolments. Statistics from Gia Lai Provinces Department of Education and Training revealed the number of students taking part in ethnic language lessons reduced remarkably over the past three years. In 2014-15 academic year, there were 7,117 students joining Jarai language classes and 1,101 students studying Bahnar but in 2017-18, their numbers dropped to 1,271 and 741 students, respectively. To cope with the situation, Thuan said, priority should be given to ethnic language among optional subjects. If a student chooses English as an optional subject, he or she will have to learn two languages at the same time, he explained. Meanwhile, Lan from Kon Tum Provinces Department of Education and Training proposed the Ministry of Education and Training revised the textbook of ethnic language to make it more relevant to local residents. She also suggested that the ministry facilitate the opening of ethnic-language training classes for teachers where there is a shortage, allowing people to maintain their mother tongue and preserve their cultural identities. VNS NINH THUAN Water and agricultural land in Nhon Hai Commune, Ninh Hai District of the south central province of Ninh Thuan has been contaminated with high saline levels, affecting local production and livelihoods. Nearly 400 aquatic production bases of the commune covering an area of some 100ha have recently released untreated sea water. The sea water absorbed in the soil has contaminated 30ha of agricultural land with salt. Aquatic production bases are located in centralised area of Ninh Thuan Province but the water treatment system has not been completed. Tran Kim Mien, a farmer of My Tuong 2 Village, said in the past two years, due to the saline intrusion, ground water is contaminated with salt and cannot be used to water plants. He has to stop production on several areas of land. Farmers in the commune have also been forced to purchase land in neighbouring villages where they can dig wells for non-saline water. Others mix tap water with ground water to dissolve salinity. Some farmers have even switched from growing garlic and onions to coriander and other types of vegetables that need less water. Tran ong Linh, chairman of Nhon Hai Communes Peoples Committee, said local authorities has ordered the construction and expansion of aquatic production bases, which are located in the north and adjacent to locals agricultural land, to be halted. Farmers are allowed to expand the aquatic production area to the south which faces the sea. The communal committee also proposed local authorities finish setting up infrastructure for the centralised aquatic production area, harmonise benefits of agricultural development and environmental protection. The communes authorities will install standardised waste water treatment system and impose strict fines on those who release untreated waste to the environment, the chairman said. He also asked local authorities would assess salinity level in the water and soil to have solutions and help farmers. In Hoai My and Hoai Hai communes of Binh inh Provinces Hoai Nhon District, untreated waste water released from shrimp breeding areas pollutes canals, ponds and rivers making the water saline. Nguyen Chi Cong, vice chairman of Hoai Nhon Districts Peoples Committee, said local authorities have instructed farmers with techniques and breeding schedules to ensure hygiene and food safety, and protect environment. VNS Thu Ha Mai Hien HA NOI A controversial rule requiring foreign workers in Viet Nam to make social insurance payments is likely to be put into practice soon, several months after the Governments issuance of a decree to implement the new provision of the Law on Social Insurance 2014, which came into effect on January 1 this year. The chorus of varied and strong opinions from the business community and related ministries and sectors has delayed the issuance. However, Tran Hai Nam , deputy head of the Department for Social Insurance under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), said a draft decree had been sent to the Government, after getting the nod from the National Assembly Standing Committee in mid-March. Nam said the draft is expected to be ratified in about a month. The draft decree is expected to narrow the number of foreigners affected by the compulsory social insurance policy, which according to the Law on Social Insurance 2014 includes foreign workers in Viet Nam who possess work permits, practice certificates or practice licences issued by competent Vietnamese authorities. Under the upcoming draft decree, only foreign workers working in Viet Nam under labour contracts of at least one year are entitled to the compulsory social insurance scheme, Nam told Viet Nam News. According to the MoLISA, expats who fit this description numbered about 62,000 in 2016, accounting for 95.6 per cent of all expats working in Viet Nam . This group, however, excludes foreign workers who are temporarily transferred to work in Viet Nam from mother companies abroad, regardless of whether they have labour contracts or not, Nam said, adding this would be clearly stated in the draft decree. This exclusion is one difference between the current draft and a draft decree released last year. Nam said the additional detail was aimed at addressing the concern of foreign enterprises, especially South Korean and Japanese firms, regarding the duplication of social insurance payments. According to current labour law, foreign workers under temporary work transfer from mother companies abroad are not required to sign labour contracts with subsidiary companies in Viet Nam . However, in reality, many have to do so at the request of local competent authorities and to tackle tax issues, according to the Japan Business Association in Viet Nam . Meanwhile, all of them already pay social insurance in their home country. Implementation roadmap The social insurance package for foreign workers, which covers sickness, maternity leave, occupational diseases and accidents, retirement and death, will not be implemented all at once but will follow a roadmap, Nam said. In the initial phase, which is expected to end at the beginning of 2022, the package will only cover sickness, maternity leave and occupational disease and accidents. Employers would pay an amount equivalent to 3.5 per cent of an employees monthly salary or of the capped salary for contributions to social insurance regulated by the State, currently VN26 million or US$1140, in case the former exceeds the latter. Employees, meanwhile, do not have to pay anything. At the beginning of 2022, the social insurance scheme will be expanded to cover retirement and death, which will require employers to pay an extra 14 per cent while employees must pay 8 per cent of their monthly salary, including wages, allowances and supplements. The delay in implementing long-term social insurance regimes is aimed at providing enough time for the Government to sign bilateral agreements with other countries to avoid duplication of social insurance contributions and to guarantee the benefits of insured foreigners when they finish working in Viet Nam , Nam said. Cost increase Many foreign enterprises, however, have complained that compulsory social insurance for foreign workers will increase employment costs for enterprises, especially those who have a large number of foreign workers. We have researched and made a comparison of the social security contribution in seven Asian countries. Accordingly, the rate of contribution and the contributed amount of Viet Nam is highest among others, Mai Lan Anh, chairwoman of HR and Training Sector Committee, the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, told Viet Nam News. Though unusually high, the contribution is typically paid by Vietnamese labourers and not foreign workersafter the policy is implemented, all will pay the same high rate. She added that apart from the social insurance premiums that both employers and employees have to pay, the administrative cost related to the procedure is also a matter of concern especially when foreign workers generally cannot speak Vietnamese. Keisuke Taniguchi of the Labour Department, Japan Business Association in Viet Nam , worries that the new regulation would have a negative impact on supporting industries, especially as labour costs in Viet Nam are already on the rise. Small- and medium-sized enterprises which contribute to the development of supporting industry are sensitive to labour costs. They may hold down investment in Viet Nam or reduce the number of foreign experts who transfer technical skill to Vietnamese employees, he told Viet Nam News through email. Nam from MoLISA plays down these concerns. Under the current labour law, even for the employees who are not subject to compulsory social insurance, employers are still required to pay them an amount equivalent to the social insurance premium in their monthly salary so that they can join social insurance scheme by themselves. Nam said the new rule therefore would not increase costs for enterprises, but admitted that in reality, many enterprises have failed to practise according to law. Although sharing the business communitys concerns, Bui Sy Loi, vice chairman of the National Assemblys Social Affairs Committee, said compulsory social insurance for foreign workers was necessary to ensure fairness between Vietnamese and foreign workers and between enterprises which only use domestic workers and those that employ foreigners. Until now, enterprises using foreign workers have already enjoyed certain preferential policies in terms of tax and social insurance, he said. The implementation of regulation, however, faces a tough road ahead, given the fact that a large number of enterprises have already evaded paying social insurance for their Vietnamese employees, leaving a social insurance debt of trillions of ong. An HR consultant of a big company providing advisory services to businesses told Viet Nam News on condition of anonymity that many of her business clients were waiting for the detailed guidelines in the Governments decree to decide their next step. Some businesses have no problem with the new regulation, while some are more sceptical, saying they would comply with it only if they find it reasonable, she said. VNS QUANG NAM Two illegal logging cases were discovered in the central provinces ong Giang and Nam Giang districts in March, with 77 big trees chopped down. Local rangers and the two protective forest management boards of Song Kon and Nam Song Bung claimed they were unaware of the cases until the public security agency began investigations. The cases are part of a series of illegal logging violations in the province since last September, when 110ha of protected forest was illegally cut down in Tien Phuoc Districts Tien Lanh Commune. The provincial investigation teams said they found a path had been cleared for transporting logs from the forest and the illegal logging had been ongoing for months. A field examination found more than 126cu.m of log were left by loggers, while more than 70 per cent of the chopped timber had been transported from the forest. Vice Chairman of the province Le Tri Thanh admitted that insufficient administration and poor management in forest protection and patrol had resulted in forest devastations. Thanh was blamed by the provincial Party Inspection Committee for his negligence on illegal logging cases in recent years. The director of the protective forest management board of Song Kon, Ho Van Minh, confessed that irresponsibility in management and patrol was major reason that illegal loggers axed 33 big ironwood trees a timber that loggers are banned from exploiting. Thanh said the province will investigate the illegal logging cases and uncover suspected collusion among local rangers and illegal loggers, timber traders and buyers. Head of the provincial forest protection sub-department Phan Tuan said local rangers have carried out 210 patrol trips in the forest, discovering 242 illegal logging cases and seizing 306cu.m of timber and 246kg of wild animal meat since early 2018. Tuan said six illegal logging cases were prosecuted, while 20 other cases have been under investigation. He said poor management of forest rangers and weak punishment were the main reasons for a series of forest clearings. In an illegal logging case in Tien Phuoc last year, three loggers, who were arrested for felling 3ha of forest, were only fined VN700,000 (US$30) each. Quang Nam Province has 425,000ha of forest, of which 388,000ha were primary forest, with an estimated 30 million cubic metres of timber. In 2016, 60 rare and endangered Po Mu trees, a threatened species on the International Union of Conservation of Natures Red List in 2006, were illegally cut for timber in Nam Giang District. Several officials in the district were punished for those illegal logging operations. VNS Chi Lan HA NOI The 89-year-old scientist ang Huy Huynh does not need a cape to save lives. To millions of silent trees and flowers in the middle of Ha Noi or deep in Viet Nam s tropical forests, he is already a hero. Dr Huynhs lifetime dedication to protecting biodiversity in the countrys ecosystems was born during his youth when he served in the military and was dispatched to several battlefields, most of them in the forest. When he was in his 20s, the young soldier left his poor hometown in the central province of Quang Nam to fight in the south and then in Laos, witnessing the tragedy of the war but also the beauty of Viet Nams never-ending forest. Our forest was so beautiful and there were so many kinds of animals. Day after day, months after months, the forest protected us, giving us food and water, Huynh remembered. My love for the trees came naturally. They were like flesh and blood, like breathing to me. After peace finally arrived, Huynh was discharged from the military. He started making trips to the forest in a different role ecology researcher. He usually spent two or three months in the forest on each research trip, investigating the plants in the daylight and tracking the animals at night. He made countless trips like that for the following 60 years. Dr Huynhs most notable works, and also the ones in which he takes the greatest pride, were his Checklist of Mammals and Fauna of Viet Nam and the Viet Nam Red Data Book. His contribution to the national red book was invaluable given that it made Viet Nam one of only three countries in Southeast Asia, along with Thailand and Indonesia , to issue an official comprehensive red book on their plants and animals. Dr Huynh also wrote several guide books on how to raise farm animals with high economic values to help lift poor communities out of poverty. They would learn what animals to raise and what plants to grow, raise their income and no longer come into the forest to cut the trees, he said. Aging could never stop him from working. At the age of 81, he set up the Heritage Tree Council to identify and recognise nearly 3,000 trees of over 100 species as pieces of natural heritage to be protected from urbanisation and deforestation. I think that any trees that are between 100 and 2,000 years old should be considered a heritage, Huynh said. The scientist travelled with his colleagues to all 63 provinces and municipalities across the country to find the right trees, sometimes by motorbike to save money. Among those recognised was a 60-year-old dracontomelon tree in Cao Bang Province , which was planted just five metres from the Chinese border. Some bang vuong and mu u (trees grown on the Song Tu Tay island in the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago) also made it to the list. Those trees were severely battled by strong wind and overwhelming sunshine, which prevented them from growing big. They might not meet the requirements to become heritage trees but were still selected due to their value to the countrys sovereignty, Huynh said. With his passion and dedication to Viet Nam s biodiversity and environment, Dr Huynh was well regarded as the leading expert in the field as he became the director of the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources. His reputation then spread beyond the countrys borders. In August 2017, the Association of Southeast Asia Nations Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) in co-operation with the European Union honoured ten prominent scientists in the region as the ASEAN Biodiversity Heroes for their tireless efforts in biodiversity conservation. Dr ang Huy Huynh was the hero of Viet Nam . ASEAN is very rich in biodiversity. We only occupy 3 per cent of global land surface but 20 per cent of flora and faura species, one third of coral reefs and one third of mangrove forests. We have to protect it, said ACB director Roberto Oliva. The work of Dr Huynh is very important. He made this lifetime commitment and contribution to Viet Nam s biodiversity. For younger generation Huynh spent a huge sum of money collecting a library of rare books and documents on biodiversity during his decades of working. But he decided it was time to let them go. He gave away more than 4,000 books to Tay Bac University and another 4,000 documents to the Cultural Heritage Bureau. I just kept a little for myself. Im so old now and it would only be me who could use all the documents if they were still at my house, Huynh said. Huynh also gave away all of his ASEAN Hero reward to his former workplace, the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, as a research prize for the students. The prize is a lifetime honour for me but its physical reward should go to the community. It might be nothing compared to the Governments budget [on biodiversity] but it was given with the heart of an old scientist, he said. VNS AK LAK Police in this Central Highland province are urgently seeking a group of vandals suspected of throwing rocks into a car on National Highway 27. Col Ha Cong Thuong, head of police in Lak District, made the announcement regarding the incident, which occurred at 10pm on Sunday. A group of six young people, riding on three motorbikes, had crossed in front of the victims car before throwing rocks into the vehicle. After creating a panic among the 20 passengers in the car, they drove away. Police were immediately dispatched to the scene to inspect and trace the objects used in the crime. The incident is one of a series of attacks on passengers of vehicles plying this highway in recent time. VNS It appears that you are currently using Ad Blocking software. Please consider turning it off to support us. Hawker Restorations Two-Seater Hurricane by Paul Middleton Vintage aviation enthusiasts will soon be able to take a passenger flight in a Hawker Hurricane for the first time ever after UK restoration company Hawker Restorations Limited unveiled its plans to carry out a unique, two-seat conversion. The company, based at Elmsett Airfield in Suffolk, is a world-class restoration company, and renowned for their almost single-handed efforts to resurrect the Hurricane as a breed, having restored nine of them to flight. Now the company has bought Hurricane Mk.IIB G-HHII, from Peter Teichmans Hangar 11 Collection in the UK. Interestingly, HRL originally rebuilt this same aircraft for Peter Teichman back in 2009. Hawker Restorations will convert the fighter into a two-seater over the next 12 to 15 months; ground-breaking work that will first require formal certification of the engineering modifications to add the rear passenger seat. The ultimate aim would be to make it dual-control. The aircraft will then be offered for sale in time for the 2019 season. The aircraft, which is based upon the remains of a Canadian-built, former Royal Canadian Air Force machine, serial 1374, is currently the only Hurri-bomber flying, and features two underwing ordinance pylons. It will retain its current identity BE505, name Pegs and 174 (Mauritius) Squadron markings after the conversion, which will see minimal changes to the aircrafts distinctive outline. Hawker Restorations Andrew Wenman explained, The conversion has to be sympathetic to the Hurricane shape; we have been quite clear about that. It should just look as if it has a longer canopy. We first had to look into the centre of gravity issues that arose from adding another seat with the extra weight of the second person. Weve found this isnt an issue as the fact that we are using a Mark II means that it has a larger and heavier engine and a heavier prop, so this moves the centre of gravity forwards. Wenman added, We now have to be sure there is room for a second seat and leg room for the passenger, and that they can get in and out under the longer canopy. To that end, HRL is using the centre section from another two-seater currently in progress to work out the interior space for the passenger seating area. The company originally planned to rebuild that Hurricane, based on Battle of Britain veteran Mark I L2005, as its first two-seater (as revealed in Warbird Digest in 2016). However, basing the first conversion on a current flyer rather than needing to rebuild the complete airframe will cut the timeline from three years to one. The second machine will then follow, making use of the experience gained from the first. When BE505 carries its first passenger aloft following her completion, it will be the first such occurrence since the Second World War, when rudimentary conversions were carried out on cannibalised machines in the North African Campaign for transporting aircrew from base to base. The Russians are also known to have modified at least one Hurricane with a second seat. Hawker also built a brace of two-seaters for the Shah of Persia, though sadly none of the factory modification drawings remain. While the first flight of this aircraft may be some time away, HRL is very close to finishing another Hurricane currently sharing space with BE505 at present. This is Hurricane Mk.I V7497/G-HRLI, under restoration for the neurosurgeon Peter Kirkpatrick. It is due to fly in the spring. On September 28th, 1940, Pilot Officer Everett Bryan Rogers was flying this 501 Squadron machine from his home field at RAF Kenley on patrol over Kent, when a flight of Luftwaffe Bf 109s shot him down. The aircraft was on only its seventh sortie since delivery the same month. Rogers successfully bailed out and the aircraft came down near East Sutton in Kent. The remains were later excavated and then stored in a barn for several decades before HRL acquired them for restoration. When airworthy, V7497 will be based at Duxford Airfield, near Cambridge. When not flying, she will be kept on public view in the Imperial War Museums Battle of Britain display hangar. Hawker Restorations is now actively looking for a buyer for the two-seater Hurricane BE505. For more information including the price contact Andrew Wenman at andrew@hawkerrestorations.co.uk WarbirdsNews would like to offer our gratitude to Paul Middleton for his reporting and images, and to Andrew Wenman at Hawker Restorations Ltd. for taking the time to talk to us about their work on the two-seater Hurricane. By Apr. 01, 2018 Fantastic Fibers is an international juried exhibition that seeks to showcase a wide range of outstanding works related to the fiber medium. One of Yeiser Art Centers most engaging, innovative & colorful international exhibits, Fantastic Fibers is an inspirational must see for fine artists, quilters and textile art enthusiasts across the globe. The Yeiser Art Center (YAC) will host the annual juried fiber art exhibition: Fantastic Fibers, on view from April 14 - June 9. Submissions from artists creating art in a variety of fiber media or creating work about fiber, its historical relevance in a variety of contexts, were abundant for the 2018 edition of this show. The call for entry opens every November and submissions are accepted until February. This year, YAC received 364 submissions from 11 Nations and 35 US States. From those, 42 works of art were selected as part of the exhibition. Almost $2000 in cash awards selected by the juror will be presented to artists at the opening reception. This year's juror is Arturo Alonzo Sandoval, a fiber artist and instructor whose experimental techniques and expressive interpretations have earned him an international reputation. Arturo is one of Kentucky's most original, influential and significant artists. He has created an extensive body of work, which can be found in collections such as the Museum of Modern Art's Architecture and Design Collection, as well as public and private collections throughout the world. "It was a pleasure to be part of this prestigious art exhibition," says Sandoval about the jury process. "The current use of traditional fiber and its many processes inform many ideas by artists of contemporary 21st Century art. However, the difference that exists in the Fantastic Fibers exhibitions of this genre is that it brings it all together right here in the Commonwealth of Kentucky." There is a $5 admission fee for viewing this exhibition, however current YAC Members are allowed free access with a guest. Located in Downtown Paducah, the Yeiser Art Center is a non-profit visual arts organization celebrating over sixty years (1957 - 2018) of serving the community through exhibitions and education to the Tri-State Region. The Yeiser Art Center is wheelchair accessible. Both the gallery and the gift shop are open Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am - 5 pm. Membership to Yeiser Art Center starts as low as $5/month and enrollment is now available online through the website at theyeier.org/memberships. Members receive many benefits including free admission to paid exhibitions, discounts in the Gift Shop, and access to over 800 museums participating in the North American Museum Reciprocal Program and the Southeastern Museum Reciprocal Program that honor the YAC membership, from the Frist in Nashville to the de Young in San Francisco. Being a YAC member not only gets you tons of benefits and insider-access to YAC happenings, it is also a way to show your support of the arts community in Paduach and beyond. YAC offers programming that brings art from outside of Paducah into the area, and promotes our local arts community to the world. Your membership is a way to help ensure we can continue our hard work at bringing you quality exhibitions, diverse workshops, and other cultural events. Our membership base aids us in receiving support from individuals, businesses, and government entities. Memberships start as low as $5/month and enrollment is now available online at theyeiser.org/memberships! For more information on upcoming events, visit www.theyeiser.org or email office@theyeiser.org or phone 270-442-2453. 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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. by Michael Liss History is fractal. Zoom out, and you see grand themes, mass movements, stirring oratory, and profound ideas. Zoom in, and it is countless individual acts and choices, smaller moments that often seem to be just footnotes, but are, on closer inspection, immensely revealing. On May 22, 1856, South Carolina Congressman Preston Brooks entered the Senate Chamber, strode purposefully over to the desk of Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner, and beat him senseless with a gold-headed, gutta-percha walking stick. So forceful, and so numerous were his blows, that Brooks shattered his weapon. And so much the damage done to his victim, both physical and psychological, that Sumner was unable to resume his Senatorial duties for nearly three years. Matter of honor for Brooks. Sumner had just delivered a two-day jeremiad, The Crime Against Kansas, which was laced with insults against Brooks home state and his kin, South Carolina Senator Andrew Butler. As for the need for 30 swings of the cane on a bloodied, helpless victim, anyone who understood the profound passion of offended dignity of the Southern Gentleman could explain it. Who, of Brooks stature, wouldnt have acted the same way when faced with the same provocation? Brooks choice of a weapon said as much as his words. It was not an accident, not something grabbed in impulse. In the Southern Code, you dueled with an equal, but thrashed an inferior. Sumner, for all his refined manners, Harvard education, and the classical allusions in his speeches, was clearly a social inferiora Black Republican of the worst type. Once Brooks settled on a course of action, he grappled with the choice of cane or bullwhip, but he never, ever, considered pistols. Most of the South cheered. Fire-Eaters made similar threats against other Northern leaders, and Brooks mused, It would not take much to have the throats of every Abolitionist cut. He became a sort of a pop hero, the very exemplar of chivalrous Southern manliness. Among his adoring acolytes were students from the University of Virginia, who sent him a golden-headed cane, inscribed, and etched with the image of a cracked human skull. Many in the North were appalled; there was editorial thundering and mass meetings. Sumner was not only a martyr, but the act demonstrated, again, the lawlessness to which the South was willing to stoop to protect its barbarous Peculiar Institution. What Brooks did was merely an extension of a pattern of slave-state violence in support of depravity. Such was the rhetoric, but its important to put the speech and the caning in proper perspective. This is 1856. The Whig Party is fading into irrelevance, and the Democrats are fragmenting into sections. The Republican Party is barely two years old, made up of disaffected Northern and Free-Soil Democrats repelled by the Kansas-Nebraska Act, Conscience Whigs, and odds and ends from the fringes. Lincoln, although he will be put forward and get a handful of votes for the Vice-Presidential nomination, is a regional figure. The debates with Stephen Douglas, and Lincolns seminal speech at Cooper Union, which introduced him to influential New York and Northeast audiences, are still in the future. It is also before Dred Scott and before the feckless appeasement of the Buchanan Administration. It is a time of general discontent, when the proponents of compromise are struggling to find any solution sufficiently palatable to North and South to stave off disunion. The caning is symbolic of the abyss between the sides, with radicals being permitted to define their respective regions. If Brooks was a caricature of offended Southern Honor, Sumner was a certifiably insufferable Northern elitist. He was pompous, condescending, morally superior, and hectoring. He happened to be right, both on Kansas, and the larger issue, as all the Abolitionists were rightslavery was an abomination that corrupted everyone who touched it. But his propensity for personal invective showed in The Crime Against Kansas, and he paid for it. Sumner lacked something essential in his nature that would have made him far more effective as a legislator and a leadera fuse. He was incapable of the smooth tact that William Seward could apply when he wanted to, or Daniel Websters ability to seek common ground, or the detached empathy and remarkable tolerance of Lincoln. Sumner was a well-groomed bomb-throwerin Carl Sandburgs words, perhaps the most perfect impersonation of what the South wanted to secede from. What the entire episode and the reactions that followed really demonstrated was the very same thing articulated later that year by Seward in his controversial Irrepressible Conflict speech. The forces of Union were weakening. There were two systems, slave and free, that had coexisted for decades, but, because of the Souths expansionist desires, the country had reached the point where, as Seward put it: It is an irrepressible conflict between opposing and enduring forces, and it means that the United States must and will, sooner or later, become either entirely a slaveholding nation, or entirely a free-labor nation. Either the cotton and rice fields of South Carolina and the sugar plantations of Louisiana will ultimately be tilled by free labor, and Charleston and New Orleans become marts of legitimate merchandise alone, or else the rye-fields and wheat-fields of Massachusetts and New York must again be surrendered by their farmers to slave culture and to the production of slaves, and Boston and New York become once more markets for trade in the bodies and souls of men. Seward was sharply criticized at the time for his all-or-nothing construct, but he was largely right. Demographics and geography were conspiring to force a decisive confrontation over the fate of the Territories, and the Territories were the future of the country. The South needed the land. Its economy was largely agricultural, but generations of farming nutrient-sucking crops like tobacco had sapped many Virginia and North Carolina plantations of their vitality. To make money, big money, the type of money that Southern Aristocrats deemed crucial to a lifestyle of grace and comfort, they had to shift to a more industrial-farm, labor-intensive approach, in areas that were more fertile, but less hospitable. That meant the rich swamps of South Carolina and Louisiana, where rice, cotton, and sugar could be grown in abundance, and anywhere else where plow could be profitably put to soil. Unfortunately, the swamps were also killing fields. The heat and humidity, malaria, yellow fever, cholera, and other tropical diseases, required a steady stream of replacement field-hands. Since slave importation had been barred in 1807, they had to be obtained from older, less profitable plantations whose owners saw a race of humans as capital to be liquidated when cash was needed. For a slave who lived his entire life in less challenging circumstances in Virginia, being sold down the river to pay a vendor or satisfy a mortgage was both a betrayal and often a death sentence. There was another truth that Northerners had difficulty grasping. Southerners feared their slaves. Every slaveholder knew about the violent uprising in Haiti and the Denmark Vesey conspiracy. Concern was especially intense in places that had extraordinarily high ratios of slaves to whites (the toxic, often brutal plantations of the Deep South where a 20-1 or greater margin was not uncommon). But it also tugged at them in more traditional settings. Wild stories made the rounds about the faithful Cuffie slitting the throats of his kindly master, beautiful wife, and their angelic children. This led to the enactment of ever-harsher Slave-Codes, and a growing conviction among even the most humane (if you can use that word) that too much leniency was dangerousspare the lash, and spoil the slave. This anxiety, reasonable or not, also led Southerners to fear even the written word. Educated slaves (or Freedmen, like Vesey) who might read Northern newspapers or Abolitionist tracts were also able to more effectively communicate and recruit, so literacy became a target. Even Bibles were suspectespecially because many of the early Abolitionists were clergy or religiously motivated. Slave owners pointed to Englands William Wilberforce, who began with a fringe idea, and, with dogged persistence, led the successful Parliamentary campaign to ban British slave trade. For Southerners, that type of passion, tethered to a moral imperative and unconnected to politics, was a continuous threat because they knew it couldnt be compromised away. In hindsight, its easy to see how, by 1856, the two regions had reached an impasse. The status quo could not be maintainedthe South couldnt permit it. It needed new terms: guarantees that the Peculiar Institution would never be interfered with where it existed, and unfettered access to new territory. With that, the debate should come to an end, and the South expected the North to stop talking about itliterally to suppress speech. In response, the North had to acknowledge a moral failureit, too, had been complicit in slavery, from the New England sea captains, who had plied the slave trade, to Northern businesses and bankers, who had no problem conducting commerce with plantation owners. But there were political realities that limited what it could give. Even if it were willing to concede on protective legislation for Slavery where it currently existed, it couldnt really accept the idea of more and more Territories being admitted as Slave States without additional Free States to balance them in Congress. That would ultimately place the Free States in a position of being a permanent minority. As for a Gag Rule, as much as Southern-sympathizing Northern Democrats would have liked people such as Sumner, Seward, and William Lloyd Garrison to just shut the heck up, they also knew that insisting on it would be both ineffectual and political suicide. Which Northern politician would openly admit he was willing to be that subservient to the slave power? Perhaps it all was as simple as the observation of John A. Campbell, a Unionist, but loyal Southerner who resigned from the Supreme Court to return home after the Civil War began. Allan Nevins notes that Campbell was right when he wrote that the grievances of which the South complained were either not material, or not remediable. The basic questions of land and language could only be resolved by the impossibleone side capitulating. Disunion doesnt just happen. It is the product of the failure of compromise, a failure of vision, a failure of empathy and a failure to acknowledge the consequences of ones own actions. By 1856, these elements were already in place when Sumner launched into his tirade and then Brooks grabbed his cane. As David Donald wrote, When the two sections no longer spoke the same language, shared the same moral code, or obeyed the same law, when their representatives clashed in bloody conflict in the halls of Congress, thinking men North and South began to wonder how the Union could longer endure. Not long, but its violent end still came as a surprise to many. When the exhausted, bloodied Sumner was finally brought back to his bed, he said, I did not believe a thing like this was possible. Sumner was wrong. And the war came. It's part activist march, part humanitarian mission. The images are striking: throngs of Central American migrants crossing Mexico during Holy Week as they make their way north to the US border. It's become an annual tradition, and getting publicity has always been a goal for this and other so-called "caravans" that periodically make their way through Mexico. This year's journey is getting even more attention than usual after a series of tweets on Sunday and Monday from US President Donald Trump. Trump's tweets place the caravan at the center of the US immigration debate, suggesting that the latest waves of people are coming to the United States because of lax laws that don't do enough to crack down on illegal immigration. But immigrants in the caravan have said their reasons for heading north have more to do with conditions in their home countries than with any US immigration policies. Here's a look at the caravan and the issues at play: 'Running away from crime' Guided by an organization known as "Pueblo Sin Fronteras," or People Without Borders, the annual journey is made up of migrants who say they plan to seek asylum in the United States. This year marks the fifth Pueblo Sin Fronteras caravan. The migrants began crossing into Mexico last Sunday. This year's group is the largest yet, numbering more than 1,000 people, according to organizers. A large number are from Honduras, where organized crime fuels widespread violence and protesters recently took to the streets after a contested election. In recent interviews with CNN en Espa-ol, migrants in the caravan said violence, poverty and political unrest in their home countries forced them to make the journey. What happens if they make it to the US? Alex Mensing of Pueblo Sin Fronteras told CNN that the migrants plan to turn themselves in and request asylum once they make it to the US border. This is a common practice for Central Americans coming to the United States, who often present themselves at ports of entry and then are taken into custody. Those who make it to the United States rarely succeed in winning asylum. But their cases can take years to make their way through the backlogged system. What happens to immigrants after they're taken into custody at the border is a matter of longstanding debate. The Trump administration has slammed the practice of what it calls "catch and release," arguing that loopholes require officials to release many families and unaccompanied minors from custody while their cases make their way through the system. The administration says this encourages more illegal immigration. Immigrants rights organizations have argued it's unnecessary and immoral to detain families seeking asylum. Mexico's foreign minister fires back "Fox & Friends" reports on the caravan Sunday morning described the group as a "small army of migrants marching toward the United States." The network featured an interview with National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd, who accused Mexican officials of helping the migrants get to the US border and called for activists helping the migrants to face prosecution in the United States. Trump's first tweet about the caravan came later Sunday morning. Mexico's foreign minister swiftly fired back with tweets in English and Spanish. "Every day Mexico and the US work together on migration throughout the region," Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray Caso wrote. "Facts clearly reflect this. An inaccurate news report should not serve to question this strong cooperation." Mexico's relationship to Central American immigrants is complicated. Historically, on the often-dangerous journey through Mexico, migrants from Central America have fallen prey to cartel violence and faced harsh criticism from locals. Last year, a growing number of migrants from Central America said they were seeking refuge in Mexico as word of toughening US immigration policies spread. About 1,300 Central Americans obtained permanent residency as refugees last year, according to Mexican government statistics. But when she visited Mexico's southern border earlier this year, CNN's Leyla Santiago found that Trump's tough talk on immigration wasn't scaring people away from journeying to the United States the way it once did. Mexico deported more than 76,000 Central Americans last year, according to government statistics. The majority -- more than 35,000 -- were returned to Guatemala. Bahrain has struck black gold. The country, which sits between energy titans Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the Persian Gulf, has announced its biggest oil discovery since 1932. Bahrain's official news agency reported on Sunday the discovery of a new oil field off the country's western coast that is forecast to contain "highly significant quantities of oil and gas." The news agency did not provide an estimate of how much oil and gas had been discovered, but it said the field is "understood to dwarf Bahrain's current reserves." "Initial analysis demonstrates the find is at substantial levels, capable of supporting the long-term extraction of tight oil and deep gas," oil minister Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa told the news agency. Bahrain is the smallest oil producer in the Gulf. It was pumping roughly 50,000 barrels of crude a day in 2014, according to the most recent government statistics. It has proven oil reserves of just 125 million barrels. Its neighbor Saudi Arabia has 266 billion barrels in reserves, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Related: Saudi Arabia's oil shipments to America have plunged Bahrain currently has one oil field under its full control. Revenue from another offshore field, the Abu Sa'fah, is split with Saudi Arabia under the terms of a 1958 agreement. Although it's not a member of OPEC, Bahrain has joined the cartel and other major producers in an agreement designed to limit oil production and support prices. The agreement runs through the end of 2018. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he was suspending a plan to send thousands of migrants to three Western countries, putting the brakes on a decision he had announced only hours earlier. Netanyahu said on his Facebook page that the deal would be re-examined. He had come under heavy criticism for the agreement by members of his coalition and citizens of a south Tel Aviv community where a large migrant community lives. Under the plan, made with the United Nations Refugee Agency, Israel was to send at least 16,250 African migrants to Canada, Italy and Germany. Netanyahu had said earlier Monday that the agreement was the result of an "unprecedented understanding" with the UNHCR. The plan allowed for thousands of other African migrants to stay in Israel. There are approximately 37,000 illegal immigrants in Israel, the majority from Eritrea or Sudan, according to the Population and Immigration Authority. The agreement with the UNHCR had been an attempt to address criticism of an even earlier plan, in which migrants would be offered $3,500 and an airplane ticket to leave for a sub-Saharan African country. Uganda and Rwanda were widely reported by the Israeli media as potential host countries. That plan was successfully challenged by human rights groups at Israel's High Court on March 15, where a temporary order blocked its implementation. Many of the migrants from Sudan fled from war and poverty. In Eritrea, they escaped a brutal dictatorship that conscripts men and women into the military for life. Many of those seeking refuge made their way to Israel. But in 2013, Israel completed a fence running the length of the Sinai border, halting the flow of illegal migrants there almost immediately. At its highest point, there were some 65,000 illegal immigrants in Israel. Over the past decade, the Population and Immigration Authority says it has received 54,600 requests for asylum. Only 33 have been accepted. Tens of thousands remain mired in the bureaucratic process, though Israeli leaders say they have added staff to clear the backlog. That makes Israel's rate of granting asylum among the lowest in the Western world. In comparison, through the first three quarters of 2017, nearly 90% of asylum seekers in the European Union were granted refugee status, according to a compilation of data from Eurostat, the EU's data compilation site. More than 60% of asylum seekers from Sudan were granted similar status. This story has been updated to correct the timeline around the departure of the first 6,000 migrants. Whether you like it or not -- and LOTS of people HATE it -- politics is a lot like high school. For all the pledges of doing what's in the best interest of the American people or engaging in a high-minded conversation about policy, what motivates politicians is often petty grievances. Which brings me to the showdown over the omnibus spending bill late last month. Idaho's Republican Sen. Jim Risch blocked the bill -- which funded the entire federal government through the fall -- because it contained a provision to rename a wilderness preserve in his state after a (deceased) political rival. (Spoiler alert: The government stayed open.) I wanted to know more. So, I reached out to Melissa Davlin, the host of Idaho Reports, for more background on the strange twists and turns of Risch's relationship with the late Gov. Cecil Andrus, a Democrat. Our conversation -- conducted via email and lightly edited for flow -- is below. Cillizza: Let's start at the beginning. Explain when and how Risch and Andrus met. Davlin: Jim Risch was the Senate President Pro Tempore when Andrus was sworn in as governor his second time around. (Andrus was elected twice in the '70s, then made his return to Idaho politics during the 1986 election after serving as Secretary of the Interior under President Jimmy Carter.) Andrus and Risch were both known for being tough cookies. Risch had fought with the previous governor, Democrat John Evans, over education funding, and that fight carried over into Andrus' third term. Cillizza: Was their seemingly contentious relationship something everyone in Idaho politics - or in Idaho generally - knew about? Davlin: It certainly wasn't a secret. Idaho is known as a red state now, but that wasn't always the case. At the time, there were more Democrats in the Idaho state Senate, blocking Risch and the Republicans from overriding vetoes. Andrus and Risch both made the rounds on television making their case on the education funding fight. Andrus mentioned the feud as late as March 2017, when he stated on a panel that he blamed Risch for the reduced size of the Boulder-White Cloud wilderness area. And to be clear, that animosity went both ways. Both Andrus and Risch are known for their grudges (and tempers) in Idaho political circles. Cillizza: Was there one big blowup between them? Slow simmer? Davlin: Their long-simmering feud had more than one highlight. In 1988, Andrus endorsed a Democratic challenger for Risch's state Senate seat, and that challenger won, handing Risch the first defeat of his political career. Risch lost a subsequent attempt to win his seat back in 1992, and ended up back in the Senate when appointed to fill an empty seat by Republican Gov. Phil Batt. They had plenty to fight about over the years: Forestry, public lands, education funding, staffing of state agencies. Cillizza: Rep. Mike Simpson, a Republican like Risch, put this naming provision in the House bill. Did Risch not know what Simpson had planned? Why? Davlin: Simpson has been open about his plans to rename the wilderness area, but I'd be surprised if Risch knew it was in the omnibus spending bill. I can't imagine Risch waiting to object until the last minute had he known. Simpson served as House Speaker under Andrus, and while that relationship was often testy, they became close friends after Andrus left office. Simpson even spoke at the memorial service for Andrus in August. I'm curious to see how this dynamic will play out in coming years. Idaho has a small congressional delegation, with only two representatives in the House. With Rep. Raul Labrador leaving Congress to run for governor, Simpson's relationship with Risch and Sen. Mike Crapo is arguably more important than before. Cillizza: Finish this sentence: "People in Idaho will think _________" when they learn about Risch holding up the omnibus spending bill over this." Now, explain. Davlin: "Really?!" Risch is popular in Idaho, but even Republicans I've spoken to wish he hadn't picked this fight. They rather he had gone the Rand Paul route and pointed out issues they have with the bill itself, as opposed to resurrecting a fight with Andrus less than a year after he passed away. While they're not necessarily fans of Andrus, they don't want pettiness to draw the spotlight to Idaho. (Whether they're happy with Simpson for putting this in the bill is another story.) Assyrians Celebrate 6768th New Year in North Iraq Hundreds of people joined the Assyrian community in Duhok in celebration of the Assyrian New Year on Sunday with live musical performances and traditional dance. Rudaw's Peshawa Pahlavi said Christians across the Kurdistan Region and Iraq travelled to Duhok for the Aketo festival, marking the 6768th Assyrian New Year. "We have a great feeling and we hope our Iraqi and Kurdish nation lives a happy life every year," said one attendee, wearing their traditional Assyrian clothing. He said his traditional clothes, which date back to more than 600 hundred years, shows the rich history of Iraq. The Aketo festival marks the rebirth of nature in the spring, securing the life and future of the people for the coming year. Traditionally a twelve-day festival, it begins on the first new moon after the spring equinox and is celebrated by Assyrians worldwide by holding festivals, parties, parades and other cultural activities. In ancient Assyria, the Medes (Kurds), Arabs and Persians would come from all over the empire to either the religious capital of Babylon or the political capital of Nineveh in modern day Iraq to participate in the celebrations. Aketo is one of the oldest and most important recorded religious festivals in the world. The Alabama Brewers Guild is publicly urging Gov. Kay Ivey to sign a bill which would exempt tasting rooms from Saturday night sales prohibitions. HB 303 sponsored by State Rep. Anthony Daniels,D-Huntsville. It would exempt brewery, distillery, and winery tasting rooms from a statewide law preventing alcohol manufacturers from selling alcohol between 9 p.m. Saturday and 2 a.m. the following Monday. Dan Roberts, executive director of the guild, said the existing decades-old law was designed to regulate business-to-business transactions between alcohol manufacturers and wholesalers. What the Guild is worried about, however, is that the existing law could be interpreted to prevent tasting rooms from operating during the prohibited times, he said. The conflict was spotted by workers with the Alabama ABC Board. Roberts said if the time restrictions did affect tasting rooms, it could result in lost revenue for breweries and distilleries and layoffs for retail staff in tasting rooms. HB303 would exempt tasting room sales and allow them to operate during the prohibited hours in the same manner as bars and restaurants. Roberts said the Guild has worked on the bill since December, with its language developed with input from ABC and other industry members, such as wholesalers. HB303 passed the State House on March 8 by a vote of 74-8, and cleared the State Senate unanimously on March 27 by a vote of 29-0. Ivey has not yet signed it, which means it could fall victim to a pocket veto, he said. Birmingham's Capstone Building Corp. is getting started on three major construction projects in two southern states. The company is beginning work on: The Villas at Mallard Creek in Charlotte, N.C., described as an eight-acre, $21 million luxury apartment home development with five buildings and ten different types of units. There will be 179 units total, along with a clubhouse, leasing house, fitness center and pool area with a cabana and grill. Village at Westland Cove on Fort Loudoun Lake in Knoxville, Tenn., a water front project. Included will be nine buildings and 240 units, with a clubhouse, pool, mail kiosk, six garage buildings with 48 garages. South City CNI Phase 1 in Memphis, Tenn., a redevelopment of the old Foote Homes site. The $23 million project located will consist of 114 units and 31 buildings, spanning more than 126,000 square feet. President and CEO Jay Chapman said the company is "very excited" to get started. "Each of these projects have very different layouts and plans but they will all be great establishments that we look forward to bringing to the residents in these three cities," Chapman said. Alabama native and Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook will be among the honorees at the 10th annual Keeper of the Dream awards banquet hosted by the Birmingham Metro Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The awards banquet, which is being called "A Golden Halo Fit for a King," will honor individuals who have continued the legacy of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This year's event is being held at 7 p.m. on April 4 at Sheraton Civic Center Grand Ballroom in Birmingham. The event is being held on the 50th anniversary of King's assassination in 1968 and will honor King's ultimate sacrifice for equal justice and human rights. Cook, a native of Robertsdale, will be in attendance to receive the 2018 Human Rights Award, according to the Birmingham Metro SCLC. Apple has yet to confirm to AL.com that Cook will be in Birmingham on Wednesday. According to the Birmingham Metro SCLC, the Human Rights Award recognizes individuals who have continued the legacy of King, SCLC's founding president, who worked tirelessly to advance human and civil rights. Cook, a graduate of Auburn University, has led Apple since 2011 and is a prominent advocate for equality, including safe and fair conditions in the workplace. He has frequently cited King as a major influence on his life and beliefs. SCLC is also hosting a "Dream Keeper" student symposium at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church in Birmingham on Wednesday where students will have the opportunity to hear from local and national voices in order to inspire and educate the next generation of leaders and innovators. Cook will participate in the student symposium, where he will address local high school and college students about human and civil rights, education, and innovation, according to the SCLC. The conversation will be moderated by Anthony Hood, associate professor of management in the Collat School of Business at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "Dr. King made the ultimate sacrifice for equal justice and human rights, and Tim Cook is among the leaders carrying on his legacy in the 21st century," said Bishop Calvin Woods, Birmingham Metro SCLC president. "We are thrilled to welcome Tim Cook back home to Alabama and know it will be a meaningful opportunity for the young people in our community to hear from an Alabamian who is using his voice on the national stage to advocate for civil and human rights." 2018 award recipients also include: * Woke Vote Founder, DeJuana Thompson * Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama President, Isabel Rubio * Birmingham Business Resource Center President, Robert Dickerson Alabama CEO Mark Crosswhite and Pearl Bridge Principal Martha Bozeman are serving as the Keeper of the Dream Awards banquet committee co-chairs, along with Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and Sen. Doug Jones, D-Alabama, as the honorary co-chairs. The SCLC is one of the nation's most respected civil rights organizations since its inception in 1957. Click here to buy tickets to Wednesday's banquet. The U.S. Supreme Court won't review the cases of two men on Alabama's Death Row. The court announced in its weekly order list issued Monday that they have denied writs of certiorari--or requests to review--filed in the cases of Jeffrey Lee and Ryan Gerald Russell. Russell was convicted and sentenced to death for the 2008 slaying of his 11-year-old distant cousin, Katherine Helen Gillespie. Katherine had lived with Russell in an Inverness rental home for nearly a year before the slaying. Russell was trying to adopt Katherine, who came to live with him after her mother died and her grandmother she had been living with began suffering from dementia. Prosecutors said Katherine was trying to hide in a small space between a wall and a dryer in a laundry room when Russell chased her down, pressed a gun to the back of her head, and killed her. He then stuffed her body head-first in a plastic trash can, and put the trash can in the backseat of his Cadillac Escalade, testimony showed. After an affirmation by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, the U.S. Supreme Court asked the appeals court to review the case further. The appeals court again affirmed Russell's sentence and conviction. SCOTUS announced April 2 they will not review the case of Jeffrey Lee (ADOC) Lee was convicted of two counts of capital murder in the Dec. 12, 1998 shooting deaths of Jimmy Ellis and Elaine Thompson during a robbery of Jimmy's Pawn Shop in Orrville. The jury recommended a sentence of life without the possibility of parole by a vote of seven to five, but the judge overrode that reccomendation and sentenced Lee to death. The crime was caught on surveillance tape by a store camera. Lee claimed the first shot was fired accidentally, and made a series of claims to set aside his conviction. The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the trial court's decision in 2009. In April 2017, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law a bill that banned judges from overriding a jury's recommendation on a sentence of life without parole or death. Alabama was the last state that allowed judicial override. The nation's highest court did not issue opinions in either of the cases. There is a plan to reform Alabama's unique budget process. There is a plan to upgrade interstate projects, particularly in north Alabama. There is a plan to make improvements in education. And all those plans, expressed in a Monday speech by Gov. Kay Ivey, will occur as she continues to oversee the state as its top elected official. Speaking to more than 700 business and community leaders at a luncheon organized by the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce, Ivey outlined an array of initiatives she plans to shepherd without regard to the 2018 election. "Today, and in years ahead, I will lead Alabama and govern guided by our vision and continues our legacy to be uniquely at the forefront of ideas," Ivey said. Ivey, who became governor almost a year ago when scandal-plagued Robert Bentley was forced to resign, faces challenges in the June 5 Republican Primary from three opponents - including Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, who was seated about 15 feet to Ivey's left at the head table during her speech -- as well as evangelist Scott Dawson and state Sen. Bill Hightower. As Ivey listed off her plans for the state, one in particular resonated with her audience: The widening of I-565 in Huntsville. State officials have estimated the cost of widening the highway - which is four lanes between Madison and I-65 - at about $100 million. That stretch of road is a daily bottleneck during morning and evening commutes. U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, sent a letter to Ivey last week urging her to expedite the project in his Congressional district. Ivey said Monday that the stretch of I-565 is being studied by consultants. Battle said following Ivey's speech that even if everything was immediately in place for the project, it wouldn't be completed until 2028. "It is a big task," Ivey said. "It will not be completed over night and it must be studied and plans must be made so we can expand and build it in the most cost-effective manner. But I assure you, improving your commute on I-565 is important and is a priority of this governor and I will see it through. You have my commitment on that." The audience responded with its only in-speech applause. Playing to her north Alabama audience, Ivey also signed into law a legislative bill that created the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering, which will be built in Huntsville. Ivey first introduced the concept for the school in her State of the State speech earlier this year. "This really is a significant step forward," Ivey said as she signed the bill. "In addition to this being a high school that will attract some of the brightest and best Alabama students, it will also serve as a center for professional development for our teachers." The governor took no questions from the audience, which is uncommon for politicians when addressing Huntsville chamber events, but her speech that stretch beyond a half-hour touched on a variety of issues. Ivey said she looked forward to reforming Alabama's budgeting process, saying the state is one of only three across the country that has a separate budget for schools. She also reminded her audience that 92 percent of state budget funds are earmarked, leaving little room for lawmakers to shift money for priorities that don't fall within those earmarks. Ivey also offered to surrender her authority to appoint members to the Alabama Ethics Commission and called on the legislature to do the same - instead giving that task to the chief justice of the state Supreme Court as well as the presiding judges of the state criminal and civil appeals courts. The ethics commission members are currently appointed by the governor, the lieutenant governor (which is currently vacant) and Speaker of the House, which is state Rep. Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia. "Making this change, seems to be, is the best way to remove political pressure from the ethics commission as much as possible," Ivey said. The sprawling speech also touched on prison reform as Ivey said she was awaiting a report in late June on how best to implement improvements such as revamping health care for inmates, add more staffing and eventually replace crumbling prison facilities - possibly in public/private partnerships. And in signing the Education Trust Fund bill prior to her speech, Ivey touted her plans to enhance education throughout the state. "Together," Ivey said in conclusion, "we will make this vision a reality and we will position our state for the greatness it deserves." Two people who died after their car struck a train in Huntsville have been identified. Around 6 a.m. Sunday, a man now identified as 34-year-old Derek Joshua Collier was driving his 2016 Chevrolet Camaro on U.S. Highway 72 eastbound at a high rate of speed, Lt. Michael Johnson of Huntsville police said. The front-seat passenger has been identified as 26-year-old Sarah Kathleen McCallum. Witnesses told police that Collier was driving erratically and almost hit a motorcycle as he approached the intersection of Highway 72 and Moores Mill Road. Collier did stop at the intersection, but stopped in the middle of the roadway. Johnson said when the light turned green, Collier accelerated and headed northbound. Norfolk Southern had a train traveling west into Huntsville at the time. According to police, Collier did not slow down or attempt to stop when he approached the train. He struck the lead locomotive near the front stairwell, and the collision caused the car to be pushed off the roadway and then catch fire. Police found both victims inside the car, and Johnson said both Collier and McCallum were killed upon impact of hitting the train. Both victims were from Huntsville. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Norfolk Southern Rail Road Police, and Huntsville police are continuing to investigate the crash. It can be a lifesaving test, yet more than a third of patients recommended for it fail to follow up. But the test called a colonoscopy may become history thanks to research by Alabama scientists. Researchers at Huntsville's HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology announced today they've found measurable indicators in blood plasma that could identify patients with colon polyps. Left unremoved, polyps can develop into colon cancer, one of most common and potentially deadliest forms of cancer. Today, the accepted test for polyps is a colonoscopy, an expensive procedure where a specialist examines the colon with a camera. Cleaning out the bowels at home the night before the procedure is also one of the lesser pleasures of modern medicine. But colonoscopies that lead to removed polyps do save lives. "A blood test that fulfills the role currently played by colonoscopies would have major positive impacts," Brian Roberts, a senior scientist in the Myers Lab at HudsonAlpha and lead study author, said today. "A lot of people joke about how they'd love to avoid the discomfort of colonoscopies," he said, "but there's a serious issue with people not actually getting screened." According to the American Cancer Society, only about 65 percent of adults 50 or older get colonoscopies when recommended by their doctors. The study that found the polyps indicator was published online last week in Clinical Cancer Research, a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research. HudsonAlpha researchers teamed with the University of Alabama in Birmingham School of Medicine to study a diverse group of men and women mostly over 50 years old. About 30 percent were African American, indicating the test works as well for men and women of African and European descent. In the test, the researchers studied blood plasma collected at UAB. The team focused on RNA found in the plasma and found that differences in some RNA molecules identified patients with colon polyps that could turn cancerous. 'More work to do' "There's a lot more work to do before patients might see a test like this at the clinic, but we're optimistic that with more research and after clinical trials, eventually, we will see blood-based screening for colon polyps and colon cancer itself offered routinely to patients," Dr. Rick Myers said. Myers is president and science director at HudsonAlpha as well as a researcher. In addition to Roberts and Myers, HudsonAlpha researchers who worked on the study include Andrew Hardigan, Dianna Moore, Ryne Ramaker, Angela Jones, and Dr. Greg Cooper. The researchers collaborated with Dr. Robert Kimberly and Meredith Fitz-Gerald at the Center for Clinical and Translational Science at UAB; and Dr. C. Mel Wilcox, director of the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division in the Department of Medicine at UAB. The research was funded by the State of Alabama, the Center for Clinical and Translational Science NIH grant at UAB, and an anonymous private donor. (Headline updated on April 3 to reflect that the blood test could lead to the end of routine colonoscopies.) A Morgan County man and woman died this morning in what authorities are calling an apparent murder-suicide. Debbie Cox was fatally shot this morning by her husband, who also killed himself, authorities said. Debbie Turner Cox, 54, was killed by her husband before he turned a gun on himself, according to authorities. The husband, 61-year-old Dale Cox, died after being taken by helicopter to Huntsville Hospital. The couple's names were released by Morgan County Coroner Jeff Chunn. Morgan County sheriff's deputies were dispatched around 9:30 a.m. to the couple's home on the 4300 block of Alabama 36 East, near the intersection of Alabama 67. Chief Deputy Mike Corley said the victims' son called 911. "He received a text and went to check on his parents," Corley told AL.com. The chief deputy said he couldn't comment on the nature of the text message. Sheriff Ana Franklin said the husband left a suicide note. "They were having some financial hardships, but nobody thought there was anything that would cause this," the sheriff said. "Everybody was absolutely shocked." On Sunday, the Cox family gathered for an Easter celebration. "Then this morning the wife went to work and when she came home, this happened," Franklin said. "It didn't appear that there was a struggle or a fight." Deborah Cox was a Morgan County school bus driver and former first responder. The couple had three adult children, as well as one child who attends school, the sheriff said. The youngest child was at school when the shootings happened. Chunn said both bodies will be taken for autopsy at the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. Updated at 3:24 p.m. to identify the victims and add new information throughout. The jet that Airbus and Bombardier plan to build in coastal Alabama isn't a fighter. But to hear some industry sources tell it, it'll be at the center of a coming battle royal. Airbus and Boeing are so dominant in the commercial jetliner market that they're often referred to as a duopoly. Theirs is a clash of titans, and Mobile stands to be in the thick of it as a new front takes shape over the next few years. It may involve smaller jets, but there's nothing small about the stakes. The playing field is the market for single-aisle jets that seat from 100 to 150 passengers. Lots of knowledgeable people think the demand is there to make it a lucrative segment. But airlines don't seem to want stubby versions of bigger jets. They're kind of like the car shopper who doesn't want to pay for the light-duty version of a big truck when all he really needs is a small truck. Continuing that metaphor, the C Series jets that Airbus and Bombardier say they want to build in Mobile could be comparable to the Toyota Tacoma, the best-selling midsize pickup in the country last year, and one of the best-selling pickups overall. Or it could turn out to be more like the truckish Honda Ridgeline, generating a fraction as many sales despite some positive reviews. Airbus and Boeing have had a healthy sales battle going for years in the category of midsize single-aisle jets, where the state of the art is Airbus' A320 family and Boeing's 737 MAX series. Each airframe comes in a variety of lengths with different capacities, and seating capacity also varies for any specific model, depending on what the customer wants. But in general, the sweet spot for these jets ranges from 150 to a little over 200 passengers. A lot of developmental effort seems to be going into the biggest versions, the Airbus A321 and the Boeing 737 MAX 10. Meanwhile, the market for the smallest versions seems to be soft. Airbus figures show no demand for the A318 and relatively little for the A319. A variety of reports suggest that Boeing's forthcoming 737 MAX 7 isn't getting a warm reception, either. Back in January, Bloomberg reported that key customer Southwest Airlines was postponing delivery some orders and changing others to the bigger MAX 8. "When your most important customer, and the one you probably built the airplane for, doesn't want it anymore, it's a bad day," industry analyst George Ferguson told Bloomberg. "When they defer the 7 ... it means they are trying to figure out if they ever want the 7." Enter two smaller players. Canada-based Bombardier and Brazil-based Embraer are big companies but lack the sheer global might of the big two when it comes to manufacturing and marketing their products. They've both got potentially hot new products aimed right at that 100- to 150-seat segment. Bombardier's C Series was a moon shot for the company, with development costs that reportedly soared far over $5 billion and strained the company's finances. With the CS finally ready to come to market, it faced a fresh challenge: After Delta placed a big order for C Series jets in 2016, Boeing filed a 2017 trade complaint alleging that Canadian government support amounted to an unfair subsidy, allowing Bombardier to drop its prices. Bombardier ultimately prevailed. Meanwhile, Airbus and Bombardier struck a deal: Airbus would take a majority stake in a new joint venture, the C Series Limited Aircraft Partnership (CSALP). It would throw its muscle behind the production and marketing of the new jet. The two pledged to build a new Final Assembly Line in Mobile, where Airbus already assembles A320-family jets. Earlier this year, Bombardier and Airbus brought a CS 300 to Mobile. They companies say they will soon build a plant in Mobile to assemble the jetliners, bringing 400 new aerospace jobs to the area. (Lawrence Specker/LSpecker@AL.com) Some in the industry theorized that Boeing's strategy with its trade suit was simply to capitalize on the idea that Bombardier was on the ropes after struggling to give birth to the C Series. Any more adversity, be it in the courtroom or in the skies, might have left Bombardier unable to market or produce its new product. In a September 2017 story, The Economist quoted an unnamed "adviser close to Boeing" as saying that "Strangling the baby in the pram may prove rather convenient" -- in other words, that Boeing might use legal and political means to prevent a competitive product from coming to market. It was a single comment from an anonymous source, but Airbus-Bombardier partisans seized on it as gospel. Being adopted by Airbus made that child a lot harder to strangle, regardless of who might or might not have been inclined to do so. And talk erupted that Boeing was looking to adopt a youngster of its own: Embraer's E2 family. Three models range in capacity from about 80 seats up to about 150. A Boeing-Embraer partnership hasn't come to fruition yet. But the E190-E2, seating 97 to 114, received certification in February and is due to enter service this month. A March 29 Bloomberg report declared the E190-E2's arrival to be "just a prelude to the bigger battle emerging between heavyweights Boeing Co. and Airbus SE." "At stake: possible orders from Air France-KLM, United Continental Holdings Inc., and JetBlue Airways Corp.," said the Bloomberg report, which described Boeing as "deep into talks" with Embraer. Bloomberg intelligence analyst Ferguson said the E2 jets might have a price advantage, since they're an update of an older family and development costs were far higher for the clean-sheet C Series. The report said several airlines were "kicking the tires" on the C Series and E2, prior to possible orders. To a casual observer, Airbus and Boeing might both look like well-fed animals competing for a snack. But don't be surprised if both fight like they're starving. Overall, commercial aircraft demand is high: Both Boeing and Airbus have orders in hand for thousands of planes, enough to keep them busy for many years. But that doesn't mean business is good across the board. For example, in early March the Guardian reported that Airbus production cuts were putting 3,700 jobs at risk in France, Germany, Spain and England. Those cuts were related to the A380 superjumbo, which has found few customers, and the A400M military transport aircraft, and according to the Defense News website, Airbus said it planned to offer other jobs to most of the affected employees. Though the cuts have nothing to do with the single-aisle market, they do help illustrate why aircraft makers remain keenly competitive despite having so many orders in hand. And both are looking hard at ramping up production for their most popular products, which is a very complex challenge in and of itself. Airbus has said that a possible increase in production at its Mobile FAL could bring 200 more jobs to the area. (The CSALP plant could bring 400.) Reuters reported in March that also sees increased C Series production as a key part of that line's success. More production means lower costs, and more availability to customers considering orders. "First we're going to have to sell the aircraft, in order to then work with suppliers on costs of the program, because at the moment there is a gap," Airbus procurement chief Klauss Richter said in the Reuters story. "An increase in productivity rate will help," he said. Boeing likewise wants to ramp up 737 production. But the Seattle Times reported in recent days that it's hampered by supply problems. Another company, Spirit AeroSystems, is having trouble delivering enough fuselage sections, and its problems aren't easily fixed. Boeing said its deliveries haven't been delayed so far. The bottom line is that the Big Two are energetically trying to make the most of their current successes, while trying not to miss out on emerging markets. Demand for jets in the 100- to 150-seat range hasn't historically been strong. If it was, A318s and & 737 MAX 7's might be selling like hotcakes. Yet the C Series and the E2 jets exist because smart people think that the market is just waiting for the right product to arrive. They estimate that airlines could ultimately buy thousands of jets in the range. Who gets the biggest slice of that pie, Airbus or Boeing, comes down in part to who does the best job of selling their jet and who can build them the fastest to fill the orders. Against that backdrop, the plan to build C Series jets in Mobile isn't merely a business venture. It's likely part of a high-stakes battle in which two global heavyweights will go toe to toe. A Louisiana man's spring break underage drinking arrest turned into a cocaine bust Saturday, according to a Florida Panhandle sheriff's office. The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, which serves an area including Destin and Fort Walton Beach, reported that deputies originally arrested 20-year-old Joel Landon Kinabrew of Gonzalez, La., for being a minor in possession of alcohol. The sheriff's office initially identified him as a student at Louisiana State University; however, on Tuesday a spokesman for the university said that Kinabrew hadn't been enrolled since Fall 2016. However, the OKSO reports, a search found that the sunglass case in Kinabrew's pocket held 19 individual baggies of cocaine. "Kinabrew tried to take off running," according to the OKSO, "but was quickly recaptured." Okaloosa County Department of Corrections records indicated that Kinabrew remained in jail on Sunday, with bond set at $500 on a charge of alcohol possession, $500 for a charge of resisting an officer and $10,000 for possession of cocaine with intent to sell. Note: This story was updated at 8:45 a.m. Tuesday with information from Louisiana State University. A former corrections officer at the St. Clair Correctional Facility was jailed on multiple charges related to an alleged sexual assault that happened more than two years ago in Fulton County, Georgia, the Alabama Department of Corrections announced Monday. Matthew Lee Moore, 48, of Springville, was arrested Friday and charged with aggravated sodomy, false imprisonment and assault with the intent to commit rape of a female victim in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Corrections officials said Moore surrendered without incident and was taken to St. Clair County Jail pending extradition to Georgia. ADOC officials said Moore was working in his capacity as a corrections officer when the alleged assault occurred. The alleged assault happened at a hotel in Sandy Springs and has been under investigation since the incident was reported in November 2015, officials said. Moore immediately resigned his position at the time of his arrest, officials said. He had been employed by the ADOC since 2001. Additional details about the case are being released due to the ongoing investigation. A man who transported inmates is suspected of sexually assaulting 100 or more female inmates while transporting them to different prisons across the county faces federal charges in Arkansas. Eric Scott Kindley faces federal charges alleging that he sexually assaulted a woman along a deserted road in January 2017 while transporting her from a jail in Shelby County, Alabama to Arizona, where there was a warrant for her arrest. Kindley faced similar charges in Arizona involving other female inmates he transported, but a judge dismissed those charges last week at the request of prosecutors, leaving just the Arkansas case. During a hearing earlier this month, Special Agent Kyle Roberts testified that he has found evidence of attacks on at least 13 other women who were transported alone in Kindley's Dodge Grand Caravan. He said he believes "there could be 100, maybe more" victims spanning Kindley's 15 years transporting inmates across the country, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. Kindley has pleaded not guilty to charges of deprivation of rights and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. His federal public defender, Christophe Tarver, didn't immediately reply to a phone message left after working hours by The Associated Press. Marty Connors, the former head of the Alabama Republican Party, was arrested today on federal bribery charges. Also arrested in connection to the charges were state Rep. Jack Williams and G. Ford Gilbert, a health insurance executive from California. Williams and Connors appeared in court Monday afternoon in Montgomery. Judge Charles Cody set bond at $25,000 for each and indicated they would be released later today. Their arraignment is set for April 18 at 1:30 p.m. Connors, 61, has been a fixture - though often behind the scenes - in Alabama politics for decades. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Connors chaired the Alabama Republican Party from 2001 to 2005, leading the GOP during the election Gov. Bob Riley. He was replaced by Twinkle Cavanaugh. Connors served as executive director of the Alabama Republican Party from 1985-88. He went on to work in the 2008 presidential campaign of Mitt Romney. Connors also served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1992 and 2004. Connors, who now lives in Alabaster, operates M.J. Connors Consulting. According to the Alabama Ethics Commission list of registered lobbyists, Connors Consulting listed only itself and Motorola as clients. In 2017, Connors Consulting clients were listed as Alabama Independent Insurance Agents Inc., American Blast and Bullet Resistance and CP Homes. Connors has also been active in St. Patrick's Day events around Birmingham. In recent years, Connors has appeared as a guest on news shows discussing Alabama politics. In late 2017, he appeared on CNN to defend failed GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore against allegations he had improper sexual contact with teenage girls in the 1970s. After Moore lost, however, Connors called on the former State Supreme Court Chief Justice to step aside. "My general thoughts -- and I've been to the wall for Roy Moore in this election -- is sit down and shut up. Just take it," Connors said. "Sometimes you win by being gracious." Today's charges against Connors and the others stem from an effort by Gilbert, owner of Trina Healthcare, to push a bill through the Alabama Legislature that would have required Blue Cross and Blue Shield to cover diabetes treatments. Prosecutors contend Gilbert paid Alabama House Majority Leader Micky Hammon in exchange for his work on the bill and that Connors, who allegedly knew of the payments, recruited Williams for his help. Hammon later pled guilty to mail fraud for using campaign contributions for personal gain and is serving three months in prison. AL.com's Mike Cason contributed to this story. Clara Ester's eyes were fixed on the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as he stood on the concrete balcony of the Lorraine Motel. King was in Memphis to support a sanitation workers' strike, and Ester, a college student, had been marching alongside the strikers as they sought better pay and working conditions. She and some friends had gone to the motel for a catfish dinner when she saw King chatting happily, not far from where she stood. Then Ester heard the shot. It was 6:01 p.m. on April 4, 1968. "I'm still looking at him," Ester recalled. "He looked like he was lifted up and thrown back on the pavement. Next thing I remember, I was stepping over his body, and I'm noticing that he's struggling for air." King's death changed the world and altered the lives of those who lived through it. Some would spend the rest of their lives fighting for racial equality and economic justice. Others, including Ester, would struggle to come to terms with what they saw. ___ King had won victories on desegregation and voting rights and had been planning his Poor People's Campaign when he turned his attention to Memphis, the gritty city by the Mississippi River. On Feb. 1, 1968, two sanitation workers were crushed when a garbage truck compactor malfunctioned, sparking a strike by about 1,300 black sanitation workers weary of horrible working conditions and racist treatment in the dirtiest of municipal jobs. The words that would come to signify their protest -- "I Am a Man" -- were not a given with everyone in Memphis at that time. "We didn't have a place to shower, wash our hands, nothing," said Elmore Nickleberry, who at 86 still drives a truck for the department. King tried to lead a peaceful march on March 28, but it turned violent. Storefront windows were smashed, and police wielded clubs and tear gas. King went back to Atlanta but vowed to return to show that non-violent protest still worked. Criticism mounted in the press. He was suffering headaches and feeling depressed. He met with his advisers, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said, and "talked himself out of the depression." He flew back to Memphis on the morning of April 3. Mike Cody was among the lawyers working to persuade a judge to lift an injunction against a new march who met with King in his motel room. "King felt strongly that unless he could get a success here in Memphis, with these workers using nonviolent, civil disobedience, then he would never get the Poor People's March in Washington that summer," said Cody, 82. Cody was in the crowd later that evening at the Mason Temple. Though King was ill, the Rev. Ralph Abernathy asked him to address the thousands who turned out despite a thunderstorm. "It's a tin roof, so that's banging. There's rafters up there above us, and the rafters are blowing with the wind and hitting each other and hitting the walls from the fierceness of the wind and the rain," said the Rev. James Lawson, a prominent civil rights activist. With little preparation, King delivered a speech that, in retrospect, seemed to foretell his death: "Well, I don't know what will happen now; we've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter to me now, because I've been to the mountaintop." When he finished, King slumped into a chair. He looked to Cody like a "toy that had the air taken out of it." "Ministers, men were crying," Jackson said. Cody went to court the next day with King aide Andrew Young, then dropped Young back at the Lorraine Motel in the late afternoon. King had spent most of the day in meetings. He asked Young where he'd been and then threw a pillow at him. "Then everybody picked up pillows and beat me up," Young said. "All of us were in our 30s, and we were acting like 10-, 12-year-olds. But it was the happiest I had seen him in a long time." As dinner approached, King and his friends moved to the motel balcony. King turned to a bandleader who was standing nearby and made a request: Later, could he play his favorite song, "Take My Hand, Precious Lord"? Then: "Pow! A bullet," recalled Jackson, pointing to the right side of his own face. "At first I thought it was a firecracker or car backfiring," Young said. Jackson ran toward the balcony steps. "Someone said, 'Doc has been shot,' and 'Get low,'" Jackson said. Earl Caldwell, a New York Times reporter who had interviewed King on the balcony the previous day, ran out of his motel room in his boxer shorts. "I was thinking, 'It was a bomb. It was a bomb.' Because the noise was greater than a gun," he said. A photo shows Jackson, Young and others pointing across the street, where the shot came from. "I remember Rev. Abernathy saying, 'Back up, back up, this is my dearest friend. Martin you can't give up, don't leave us,'" Jackson said. Ester said she noticed King's tie had been blown off. His eyes were open "with almost a pleasant expression on his face," she said. Sirens blared. People screamed. Police rushed to the motel. King was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where college student John Billings worked as a surgical assistant on the night shift. "Three doctors came over and walked to where I was standing. They said, 'OK Billings, go find somebody in charge and tell them that Dr. King has expired,'" he said. Billings was then ordered to stay with King's body until someone could come get him. "I walked over, pulled the sheet back, and there he was," Billings said. "His eyes were closed. I thought, 'How strange this is.'" Security was heavy when Dr. Jerry Francisco, the Shelby County medical examiner, arrived. Men holding shotguns stood inside and outside the room. After the 11/2 hour autopsy, Francisco drove home through a city that had been placed under curfew, for fear of rioting. "The streets were just virtually empty. I was the only car moving on the street," he said. It was eerie, he recalled. Coby Smith, a leader of the Invaders organization, which had a militant reputation, vividly remembers the aftermath, when tanks rolled into neighborhoods, the National Guard was called in, and police began arresting blacks in the streets. "(Police) had put tape over their badges," Smith said. "This was like a war." ___ Fifty years after King's assassination, Ester has trouble talking about the months that followed. Haunted by her memories, she left her hometown. Billings, who is white, came to a new understanding of the struggle Southern blacks faced. He became a private investigator, met James Earl Ray, who pleaded guilty to killing King, and explored the notion that someone else had been involved. Young became a congressman, ambassador to the United Nations and Atlanta's mayor. Jackson ran for president twice, then stood in Grant Park in Chicago with tears streaming down his face after a black man was elected president in 2008. Cody continued working in civil rights law in Memphis, eventually serving as a U.S. Attorney and Tennessee attorney general. If King were alive today, "he'd be in people's face" about issues relating to race, poverty and inequality, Cody says. "We're not past all of that history." A north Alabama woman is jailed on a felony arson charge for setting fire to a package of ham and tossing it into the garbage can at an Athens motel, police say. Beverly Harrison is jailed in Limestone County on an arson charge. Beverly Harrison, 62, is accused of setting the fire that caused at explosion at the Bomar Inn last month, according to Athens police. Officers were called to assist firefighters at the 1101 U.S. 31 motel on Feb. 12 around 9 a.m. No injuries were reported in the fire, though Harrison's room was significantly damaged. "Investigators learned family had brought Harrison a pack of ham to eat and she didn't want the ham," police Chief Floyd Johnson said today. "After (the family) left, she set the ham on fire and put it in the garbage can." When smoke started filling Harrison's room, she grabbed her dog and left. "At no time did she alert anyone to the fire," Johnson said. The fire also caused a can of butane fuel to explode, according to police. Harrison, who was living in the motel, is now held in the Limestone County Jail. If convicted, she could face up to life in prison. Former Congressional candidate and Roy Moore's longtime supporter, Dean Young, is back in the public arena to campaign in support of a constitutional amendment allowing for public displays of the Ten Commandments. Young, an Orange Beach resident and developer, was interviewed by a Breitbart News Network reporter on Sunday and touted the amendment as "a day of reckoning in Alabama." "We'll have an opportunity to show the state of Alabama, the nation and the world that we do want to acknowledge the Christian God this nation was founded upon," said Young, during an interview which was streamed online. "We'll find out if Alabama is really the Bible Belt, the belt buckle or not. I will push for this as hard as I can." The interview was the first time Young has publicly spoken since he served as a chief campaign strategist for Moore's Senate candidacy. Moore, a Republican, lost the high-profile special Senate election to Democrat Doug Jones on Dec. 12. Moore, a former Alabama State Supreme Court chief justice, became nationally known in the 1990s and early 2000s for his attempts to get the Ten Commandments displayed on public property. His first attempt occurred in the mid-90s, when he was an Etowah County circuit judge and had a homemade Ten Commandments plaque hung on his courtroom wall. In 2001, after he was elected the state Supreme Court chief justice, Moore had a 5,200-pound Ten Commandments monument installed inside the Heflin-Torbert Judicial Building in Montgomery. It was removed in 2004, following a federal lawsuit. Young, meanwhile, has long backed state efforts to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot and allow voters to decide if the Ten Commandments should be displayed on state property and in schools. "Once (Moore) was elected (to the Supreme Court), I said that we needed to move this further and not put it just in Judge Moore's courtroom, but in courtrooms across the state and, more importantly, in front of our children so they can some kind of knowledge about God and the rules he sets forth in society," said Young. The Alabama Senate backed legislation calling for the amendment with a 23-3 vote on Feb. 27. The House, on March 22, voted 66-19 to approve the same proposal. Voters will get to decide on its fate during the Nov. 6 general election. Young credited state Sen. Gerald Dial, R-Lineville, for pushing the amendment. During legislative debate on the proposal, some Democrats questioned whether it was a ploy to lure Republicans to the polls in November. Young, during the Breitbart interview, said he believes the amendment will generate interest among Christian conservatives. National political pundits have referred to the November election as a "blue wave," and are predicting high turnout among Democrats during congressional elections. Said Young: "This will wake them up. These opportunities, for evangelical voters, is what they live for. They want to know if they can make a difference and take this country back. We got to go back to what made this nation great again." The ballot question also specifies that taxpayer money will not be used to defend the constitutionality of the amendment. A man was arrested Sunday afternoon after police responded to a domestic violence and possible hostage situation, Gainesville Police said. An 18-year-old woman called 911 and told police in Spanish her husband struck her with a handgun at an apartment at 3717 SW 28th Terrace, GPD spokesperson Officer Ben Tobias said. As University Police interpreters helped translate, she told police the violence had started Saturday and she fled while her husband was still inside the apartment with a handgun and possibly a 6-year-old child. Police officers responded to the apartment around 11:30 a.m. Sunday and found the child unharmed in the crowd that formed outside, according to a press release. Negotiators were able to call the suspect, who initially said he was inside the apartment but later said he was not, Tobias said. Police found him half a mile away and detained him. The identities of the suspect and victim have not been verified by police, but the suspect is believed to be a Guatemalan national, Tobias said. Police closed Southwest 28th Terrace and Southwest 31st Drive and evacuated nearby homes for about four hours, Tobias said. Additional weapons are believed to be inside the apartment, and police are waiting to secure a search warrant, said GPD Lt. Dan Stout. The suspect is expected to face aggravated assault, domestic battery and false imprisonment charges, according to a news release. Contact Amanda Rosa at arosa@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter at @AmandaNicRosa. Gainesville Police officers are investigating a domestic violence situation at 3717 SW 28th Terrace on Sunday afternoon. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now A UF student was charged with drunk driving early Friday after she was accused of driving in the wrong direction, Gainesville Police said. Hannah Choi, 29, drove a black 2014 Mini Cooper north in the southbound lane of Northeast Waldo Road near Northeast 16th Avenue when an officer noticed her and pulled her over, an arrest report said. The officer smelled alcohol and told Choi to park, but Choi reversed and began driving away. When two officers yelled at Choi to stop, she exited the car, the report said. Officers handcuffed her and placed her in a patrol car, where she was able to squeeze a hand out of the handcuffs, the report said. She told police she had two drinks at a pub called Munegins On 13th, the report said. She initially agreed to sobriety tests but then told the officer he was drunk and coked out and put her hands on his chest. Her blood alcohol content measured by a breathalyzer was 0.198, more than twice the legal amount to drive, the report said. (Choi) made statements of Try me! as she looked at me with the meanest expression she could muster, an officer wrote in the report. Choi is a UF student, according to a UF directory. Choi was charged with driving under the influence and resisting arrest without violence. She was released from the Alachua County Jail on Friday afternoon on a $20,000 bond. Choi did not respond to a request for comment. Contact Meryl Kornfield at mkornfield@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter at @MerylKornfield. Hannah Choi Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Earlier this month, the head of the Smithsonian Institute announced the museum complex will launch a Womens History Initiative to highlight womens achievements throughout history. Unfortunately, according to The Washington Post, Smithsonian Secretary David J. Skorton said he does not support the idea of creating a stand-alone museum to honor this initiative at least not right now, anyway. Skorton pledged the Smithsonian would hire curators and create programs that would focus on women and their contribution to history but said the museum is in no position to initiate any new museums in the near future. In support of the initiative, Congress passed a $2 million spending plan. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), the author of the bill that would establish a stand-alone museum, believes the initiative will prove crucial in achieving this goal. But she told the Post she remains frustrated at the lack of support she has seen for the project from the Smithsonian. This Smithsonians American Womens History Initiative is certainly admirable and long overdue; however, so is a museum dedicated solely to women and their accomplishments. As a country, America has been guilty of neglecting women when it comes to recognition for their accomplishments. Not only have women been consistently left out of historical narratives but are often times overshadowed by their male counterparts. Think of Frida Kahlo, who, in her obituary, was described first as the wife of Diego Rivera, before she was dubbed a noted painter. Or consider the life of Ida B. Wells. Wells wasnt even originally given an obituary in The New York Times after devoting her life to fighting racism in the deep South. Look at Abigail Adams, who proved to the nation that women had the ability to be more than just the silent and poised wives of statesmen. Nonetheless, she is still most commonly referred to as the wife of the second president of the U.S. rather than a political trailblazer of her own accord. In recent years, weve seen some of these snubbed women start to get the acknowledgement they deserve. The film Hidden Figures, which came out in 2016, highlights the achievements of three African American women at NASA. Without these women, astronaut John Glenn may have never made it into orbit. Sadly, few people knew they ever existed until their story became an item of popular culture. But, as a result, most of America knows the important role these women played in American history. Since 1851, obituaries in The New York Times have glossed over impressive females and instead allowed the pages to be disproportionately saturated with the life stories of white men. In 2018, after nearly 170 years of disregard, the paper is rectifying their mistake and publishing obituaries of the women who should have been honored years before. In 2017, three women enlisted as the U.S. Marine Corps first female infantrymen. That same year, ImeIme Umana was elected as the first African American woman to serve as president of the Harvard Law Review, and in 2016, Carla Hayden became the first female Librarian of Congress. Women have made great strides, thats for sure, but they certainly arent done yet. And although as a nation we have started to improve when it comes to recognizing women and their accomplishments, there is much room for improvement. We need a place that is devoted just to women a place that will hold their accomplishments throughout time and protect their legacies. Its time we give women the museum and the honor they deserve. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now That night was the most horrible that any member of the motor launch crews ever experienced. The scattered rifle shots in the pitch black swamp punctured by the screams of wounded men crushed in the jaws of huge reptiles, and the blurred worrying sound of spinning crocodiles made a cacophony of hell that has rarely been duplicated on earth. At dawn the vultures arrived to clean up what the crocodiles had left.... Of about one thousand Japanese soldiers that entered the swamps of Ramree, only about twenty were found alive. The above extract, describing the horrific events of the night of February 19, 1945, is taken from the 1962 book Wildlife Sketches Near and Far by eyewitness Bruce Stanley Wright, who was one of the participating soldier of the British army in the Battle of Ramree Island, that took place during the waning days of the Second World War. Allied troops run ashore after the amphibious assault on Japanese-held Ramree Island. January 21, 1945 In early 1945, Allied forces started pushing back against Japanese aggression in the British colony of Burma. An important objective of the Burma campaign was the capture of Ramree Island and Cheduba Island that would allow the allies to have a strong foothold in the region. The island of Ramree, located just off the coast of Burma, was a large swampy island that was occupied at that time by the Imperial Japanese Army. In January 1945, a force consisting of British Royal Marines and their Indian allies landed on the island in an attempt to take it back from the Japanese. With the Navy blocking any possible escape routes by sea, the army and the Royal Air Force drove about a thousand Japanese defenders off the Island and into the treacherous mangrove swamps. Captain Eric Bush of the Royal Navy describes the hazardous condition in the mangroves in a report submitted to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty on the 2nd May, 1945: Disadvantages to the Japanese lay in the indescribable horrors of the mangrove swamps. Dark during the day as well as during the night, acres of thick impenetrable forest; miles of deep black mud, mosquitoes, scorpions, flies and weird insects by the billion andworst of allcrocodiles. No food, no drinking water to be obtained anywhere. It can hardly be possible that in their decision to quit the Island the Japanese could have been fully aware of the appalling conditions which prevailed. It proved to be beyond even their endurance to exist for more than a few days. Prisoners taken out of the mangroves during the operations were found to be semi-dehydrated and in a very low physical condition. Of the thousand or so Japanese soldiers in occupation on the island, only about twenty were taken as prisoners. The rest were either killed in battle or drowned in the mangrove swamps and eaten by crocodiles. Some sources suggest that as many as 500 soldiers could have escaped the island. While the crocodile attack is well documented, the actual number of deaths attributed to the reptilian attack is impossible to know and is a matter of debate. A figure thats frequently cited is 400, but many scientist and historians dismiss it as improbable. Despite the accuracy of Wrights reported figure, the statistic has earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Record as the worst crocodile disaster in the world and the most number of fatalities in a crocodile attack. A saltwater crocodile. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. I wrote here about the recording session we had in February with the Attacca String Quartet. We had another this past month, this time with soprano Lindsay Kesselman and pianist Daniel Pesca collaborating on four student songs: Kyrie Antoinette: Old News Derek Wesley Arnold: The Song of the Shirt Alicia Bachorik: How Do I Love Thee? Jessica Buford: They Were Miners Jessicas song references her upbringing in West Virginia, where her grandfather gave a lifetime to the mines in order to support his family. The lyrics, which she wrote, capture his plight in brief, suggestive lines: Three long months laid off bread-stretched supper a scary cough As the piece progresses, the vocal line becomes increasingly choked off until, in the final phrases, audible inhalations gasps create a powerful image of a miners broken-down lungs. The piano part is appropriately sparse and dark, and Pesca made the most of it, providing just the right balance with the low tessitura of the vocal line. Alicia Bachoriks pair of love songs, Anticipation and Action, inhabit a very different realm. The poems, by Marion Strobel and Helen Hoyt, trace complementary scenarios: Anticipation is about unrequited (but ever-hopeful) love; Action presents a quiet scene of domestic joy, that of awaking a lover with kisses. Each song has a natural though complex flow, with constantly shifting metrical groupings that reflect the intricate rhythms of the text. Lindsay Kesselman not only nailed the asymmetrical rhythms, she made them sound effortless and beautiful. The Song of the Shirt is an 1840 poem by Thomas Hood decrying the wretched conditions of Englands working poor. Derek Arnold brings their plight to the present in his setting, with crunchy harmonies and a tightly pensive vocal line. The word stitch is whispered repeatedly, capturing the sharp drudgery of the labor. Kyrie Antoinettes Old News, with her own lyrics, was an unusual blend: I think of it as Blues Meets Zen: Dont be open Dont be closed Sow all the seeds But dont let them grow In response to the composers request to make the vocals breathy, Lindsay adopted a more intimate vocal style that took advantage of the microphones ability to project sound. The result was like a confidential conversation, or an interior monologue. When they finished recording, Kesselman and Pesca gathered the composers and other attendees around to share their thoughts about composition, interpretation, and the new-music community. Their insights were upbeat but grounded in reality. The new music community is a generous one, said Lindsay. A lot of people sharing a vision and working together to make it happen. 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They squirm to tell their story, but theyre struggling. One clutches a cherished volume Howards End by EM Forster. Speaking in the third person, he announces, he opens his favourite novel, hoping to find inspiration in its first familiar sentence. That sentence, which well hear more than once in The Inheritance: One may as well begin with Helens letters to her sister. Its updated early in Matthew Lopezs searching, rapturously involving two-part epic The Inheritance, which resettles Forsters narrative in present-day gay New York. A selfish, damaged young writer called Toby leaves sozzled voicemails for his lover, Eric. The lovers succeed Forsters liberal Schlegel sisters, whose efforts to make meaning involve the well-defended wealthy, the aspirant poor, death and renewal. Eric and Toby too, during the plays seven hours, are enmeshed in love and lovelessness, in an unwitting bequest of a totemic house they make their own way towards. Same story, different world. It feels important that we dont just intuit the book behind the play were watching. In Stephen Daldys spare, resolute production, we actually see it from where I sat, it seemed a pale blue hardback, perhaps the elegant Hodder edition. Theres a lot going on in the play that follows the conflicted legacy of the Aids crisis, the ways in which unloved gay men can find ways to love and be loved, the search for a place and emotion that feels like home. Howards End walks beside it, holding out a hand from the past. Read the past to find a present The Jews are historically the people of the book, but the gays arent far behind. The Inheritance charts the way queer people read their way into identity. You read the past to find a present you can live with, a person you can become. Milestone novels arent just fictions, theyre maps pointing to paths along which your own liveable identity might emerge. Two questing young men (both played by Samuel H Levine, preening or abashed as necessary) hit the Strand Bookstore looking for the great and gay. Baldwin, Cavafy, Hollinghurst. Call Me By Your Name, obvs. And tweedy, timid Edward Morgan Forster: not just his gay-themed Maurice but Howards End, even though it pivots around womens choices in straight relationships. Lopez finds a play through Howards End, and his characters find themselves through Forster. Morgan himself (a brilliantly impulsive and prissy Paul Hilton) is the animating spirit of the first play, standing admiringly, admonishingly in his charcoal suit among these enviably slouchy, barefoot modern men. The book does a lot of work here. Its a great enabler for Lopez. He doesnt have to justify his unusually polished, literary register (As a kid, I used to think America was shaped like an animal, charging in an easterly direction toward the sunrise). Novelistic conventions a will consigned to flames, a polite marriage of convenience, the eruption of a hooker at a society wedding pique the story (and provoke gratifyingly audible responses in the audience). Forster pulls characters into usefully coincidental encounters or catalytic courses of action. Without him to tug the threads, a play built around the fitful bonds of modern city life might barely make it through the first hour, let alone into the seventh. As the play develops, Eric stands at the centre of the connections. Hes sublimely played by Kyle Soller, often a firecracker actor who here damps down the confidence, dials up the kindness, stands blinking under a trollish scrunch of hair as he works out what to do. Forsters plots test unassuming decency and trip up his characters settled identities. The Inheritance in some ways occupies a more slender social palate almost all male, almost all white, almost all middle class. It revists Americas plague years, but the crises it faces are less stark. Yet Sollers Eric holds tight to kindness, has to grow, makes his choices matter. At the time he wrote Howards End, Forster hadnt had sex. He admits as much here: his only appearance in the second part recounts with rue and rapture his sexual awakening a casual buttocky caress that travelled up his spine and into his psyche with an electric crackle. If he did act on the revelation physically, he didnt publicly Maurice remained under wraps until after the authors death. Making maps Productions based on novels often seem longer and talkier than strictly necessary, but Lopez doesnt apologise for his plays length. Following Forster lets him delay to repay. He makes a virtue of discursive disputes over brunch, of anecdotes (about a house, a bathhouse, a house again) that unobtrusively swell into troubled arias. He daringly delays understanding for Tobys monstrous behaviour until deep into the second play. However neat and rosy his sense of an ending, he lets us invest in the characters his narrative eventually blesses. Shared narration has rippled through stage adaptations of novels since the RSCs Nicholas Nickleby and the early work of Shared Experience. Here it doesnt narrate the characters so much as offer them options, sifting choices that will shape them. For much of the play, the cast sits around Bob Crowleys platform stage like diners at a Japanese table (the discussions about how to live a decent life have a Symposium-style mealtime formality). They chip in lines, they listen intently (Luke Thallon engages so exquisitely, its almost upsetting). The problem for rootless men isnt so much the anxiety of influence as the sense of being born into bereavement. Previous queer generations were silenced by secrecy, or illness. Where are the markers mapping out the road they came in on? Holding high a novel that frets over Edwardian mores wont liberate them, exactly, but can remind them that others have faced the struggle to live with integrity in a culture that doesnt quite fit. Follow David on Twitter: @mrdavidjays by I spent the last two days repeatedly viewing and (as the orchestras pianist) participating in screenings of the 1929 Soviet silent film The New Babylon, with Dmitri Shostakovichs score performed by PostClassical Ensemble led by Angel Gil-Ordonez. Every aspect of this astonishing movie has surged in my comprehension and estimation to the point, for instance, that I have no doubt that Shostakovichs score, however little known (there is no suite by the composer), is one of the most formidable ever composed for film. Anton Fedyashin, who took part in an eventful hour-long post-screening conversation Friday night, began with a comment I found instantly revelatory that The New Babylon differs from other Russian silent films, also products of the feverish experimentalism of the Soviet 1920s, for combining social context and ideology with individualized human drama. That is: this polemical celebration of the Paris Commune of 1871 is infiltrated by a gritty love story, mating a fiery Communard with a hapless, placeless soldier. This is no sentimental diversion (like, say, the gratuitous love story inflicted on James Camerons Titanic). Rather, its shattering hopelessness meshes brilliantly with the films fierce depiction of class warfare and political betrayal. The New Babylon marks the first collaboration of Shostakovich and the master director Grigory Kozintsev initiating a historic forty-year relationship ending with the greatest of all cinematic Shakespeare adaptations: their epic King Lear. The latter 1971 film is enriched by the same double aspect: added to Shakespeares human drama is a social dimension inspired, in part, by the oppressed multitudes inhabiting Mussorgskys Boris Godunov (cf my previous blog: Shostakovich and the Fool). As with Mussorgsky, as with the Soviet King Lear, The New Babylon miraculously intermingles the personal and with the epic. In fact, the lead actors Yelena Kuzmina as the shopgirl and Andrei Kostrichkin as the soldier deliver two of the most riveting cinematic performances I have ever encountered. The seething discontent and confusion of Kostrichkins soldier contradict the stylized eccentricity of the films general aesthetic. I should also mention, as one of the films many seductions, the poetic homages to Daumier and Degas which, however, co-exist with biting lampoons whenever bourgeois Paris is on display. How Kozintsev and Shostakovich get away with such a plethora of stylistic and thematic ingredients I do not know. As I learned from Anna Lawton, who guided our post-screening discussion Saturday afternoon, the Factory of the Eccentric Actor created by Kozintsev and Leonid Trauberg (who co-directed The New Babylon) promulgated a manic aesthetic predilection for the circus, Charlie Chaplin, and other antidotes to pompous high culture; Eccentric antipathy to linear narrative was compatible with the signature montage effects of Soviet silent film. The young Shostakovich feasts on cinematic montage. In 1929, he was all of 23 years old. Five years previous, he completed a First Symphony more impressive than anything by the young Mozart; it already encapsulates the irony and (incredibly enough) the pathos of his mature voice. In The New Babylon, his debut film score, he flaunts his enfant terrible energies. But as the film moves from satire to tragedy, Shostakovichs emotional range proves limitless. And he is already a master of shaping a cinematic trajectory. Check out, for instance, the crescendo of imagery and music of dissolute revelry in the sequence directly preceding the percussive tramp of the invading Prussian army that lays siege to Paris and precipitates the Commune: the pertinent musical coda begins at 15:50 of this youtube link. (The frisson of this passage last weekend, in the 400-seat AFI Silver Spring Theater with a 17-member pit orchestra including a hard-driving string quintet, was electrifying; the invaluable DVD version of this film, with a larger band, is not comparably impactful.) Montage is omnipresent in The New Babylon, typically juxtaposing decadence with travail. Shostakovich adds a third plane of expression. E.g.: here is Preparations, a sequence shifting between preparations for a musicale and for a bloody military encounter, at 33:00 of the film. Such jolting contradictions in content and tone engender an active response. The film jostles feeling and thought. Notwithstanding its ideological message, it doesnt spoon-feed the masses as would Steven Spielberg and John Williams decades later. Here are a couple of further examples: The Commune has been toppled. The revolutionary shopgirl has been arrested. The soldier is trying to find her. Paris is now repopulated by the bourgeoisie. Shostakovich (for once) ignores this decadent spectacle and scores the Soldier: 1:18:00 of the film. Earlier on, the bourgeoisie sing the Marseilles while French soldiers prepare to attack French citizens. Shostakovich responds with feigned relish, then decomposes their song via the intervention of an Offenbach can-can: 54:40 of the film. This compositional tour de force subverts a visceral response with a political critique. Our shifting perspective on the goings-on keeps us alert. Meanwhile, the soldier himself cant decide which side hes on. The New Babylon is art, it is propaganda, its a political tract, its an aesthetic anthem. For the young Shostakovich, it was doubtless a heady learning experience. Its impact on his future development is more than ponderable. Samal is currently responsible for regional marketing, international communications at Volkswagen AG, Germany. German car major Volkswagen (VW) today said it has appointed Bishwajeet Samal as marketing head for India operations with effect from June this year. New Delhi: German car major Volkswagen (VW) today said it has appointed Bishwajeet Samal as marketing head for India operations with effect from June this year. Samal is currently responsible for regional marketing, international communications at Volkswagen AG, Germany. He had joined Volkswagen India in 2008. "At Volkswagen, nurturing in-house talent and offering a diverse platform of enhanced learning is at the core of our brand philosophy," Volkswagen Group Sales India Director VW Passenger Cars Steffen Knapp said in a statement. The company is confident that Samal's extensive experience in marketing shall contribute to growth in India, he added. Recall will cover units of the three models manufactured from February 7, 2018, to March 16, 2018. HMSI through its dealers will directly notify affected customers via call or e-mail or SMS for inspection of their vehicle. New Delhi: Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) is recalling 56,194 units of its three scooter models -- Aviator, Activa 125 and Grazia -- to rectify issue of excessive hardness in a bolt mounted in the front fork. The recall will cover units of the three models manufactured from February 7, 2018, to March 16, 2018, the company said in a statement. The company has identified a suspected quality issue of excessive hardness in Bolt flange 10X42 mounted in the front fork of 56,194 units of these models, HMSI said. "Honda, as a precautionary measure, will voluntarily inspect these models the company will replace the suspected part, if required, on free of cost basis irrespective to the affected vehicles warranty status," it added. HMSI through its dealers will directly notify affected customers via call or e-mail or SMS for inspection of their vehicle, the company said. Ajay, who turned 48 today, is one of the most underrated, younger superstars among the Khans and Akshay. Mumbai: Ajay Devgn turned 49 today, and the actor is one of the most underrated, younger superstars among the Khans and Akshay Kumar. The actor, in spite of his controversies with Karan Johar (over Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Shivaay clash) or Shah Rukh Khan (over Son Of Sardaar and Jab Tak Hai Jaan clash), is also the first to have franchises under his banner, which mainly include Golmaal and Singham. In fact Ajays character in Singham was so loved that he was ended up being called Bajirao Singham even in real life. The actor, who is an achiever in all sense, has performed his roles with excellence and heres looking at a few of them: The first action hero (with his entry scene in Phool Aur Kaante) When Akshay Kumar was just budding as an action hero with his Khiladi series, Ajay took up action right in his entry scene in Phool Aur Kaante which is still to make your eyes pop. Fun fact: He repeated the pose in Golmaal series The versatile actor He performed on distinct characters in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Pyar To Hona Hi Tha, Zakhm, Omkara and Company with the same conviction, thus proving hes a versatile actor. The actors director Be it U, Me Aur Hum or Shivaay, Ajay saw a vision in both the movies and decided to take up the projects, also ensuring his team has time for enough fun. One of the early producers He started his career in 1991 with Phool Aur Kaante and in 2000, he already became a producer with Raju Chacha. He has now gone on to produce Marathi films (Vitti Dandu and Nana Patekar starrer Aapla Maanus) as well as his wife Kajols upcoming movie Eela. A loving husband Kajol can often be seen boasting about Ajay Devgn. They are actually one of the power couples who stand by each other at every time. During Shivaay clash, Kajol also supported her husband despite of being great friends with Karan Johar. The doting father Both Kajol and especially Ajay are protective about their kids. Kajol even claims that Ajay is a doting father to their kids, which can be seen the way he treats them and speaks about them. Katrina Kaif is a glamourous and one of the top-most actresses who any person would like to be with. Mumbai: Katrina Kaif is a glamourous and one of the top-most actresses who any person would like to be with. Salman Khan gave her a launch in Bollywood, but her chemistry with Shah Rukh Khan on the screen is also unmissable. It now appears that both the Khan superstars will fight the actress in Aanand L. Rais upcoming movie Zero. A source informed DNA, Ever since the dance number was filmed, speculations have been rife that Salman and SRK will be joined by Katrina in it. However, thats not true. It features just the two actors. Adds the source, In the film, Shah Rukh is shown as a big admirer of Katrinas work, while Salman plays the superstar who is also one of her heroes. The whole sequence is choreographed in such a way that it shows Salman and SRK up against each other on stage. The team has seen the final results and is extremely happy with the track. Speaking about shooting Shah Rukh in the film, the source adds, SRKs character has a certain height throughout the film. To make him look smaller, the team has shot from different angles. Along with them, there were holes drilled into the platform where the actor would fit in while shooting his scenes. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud said the petition will be heard in due course of time. Dalit organisations across the country have called a 'Bharat Bandh' today to protest a recent Supreme Court ruling over SC/ST Act. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Dalit organisations across the country have called a 'Bharat Bandh' today to protest a recent Supreme Court ruling diluting the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. Following the bandh call, Punjab government has ordered suspension of public transport services across the state. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has also postponed the Class 10 and 12 board examinations in the state today. Punjab, which has the highest number of Dalit population, is on high alert. Internet services in the state have been clamped down since 5 pm on Sunday and will remain suspended till 11 pm today. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has appealed for calm and has requested the Army and paramilitary forces to be on stand-by. The Bharat Bandh has already affected states of Bihar and Odisha, where protesters have blocked railway tracks. Meanwhile, the Centre has filed a review petition on the matter in the Supreme Court, challenging its order banning automatic arrest and registration of cases for alleged harassment of SCs and STs. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, I wish to convey that today (Monday) we've filed a petition on the judgement by Supreme Court on the SC/ST act. We have filed a comprehensive review petition which will be presented before the court by the senior lawyers of the government. The Supreme Court will later in the day hear the review plea filed by the government. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court today declined an urgent hearing on a plea which sought a stay and review of verdict putting safeguards in the SC/ST Act. All India Federation of SC/ST organisations, a conglomerate of nearly 150 employees groups, said large-scale nationwide violence has taken place in which several people have lost their lives and therefore the petition should be heard urgently. However, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud said that the petition will be heard in due course of time. On March 20, the apex court had introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the Act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law. The court held that there is a need to provide for safeguards against registration of FIRs and arrests under the SC/ST Act in view of instances of misuse, as observed in the last three decades. Also read: Top court on SC/ST Act: Accused arrest not a must Meanwhile, Union Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot had on Friday appealed to organisations and individuals opposing the Supreme Court's verdict on the SC/ST Act to withdraw their protests in the wake of the government's decision to file a review petition challenging the order. Here are the live updates from 'Bharat Bandh' protest till 4:30 pm: 04:15 pm: Manzil Saini, SSP Meerut, said, More than 200 people have been detained and we are getting cases registered against them. All conspirators and hooligans involved in anti-social activities will be booked under NSA. There have been no casualties so far. 04:02 pm: Condemning the ongoing violence during the Bharat Bandh, BSP Chief Mayawati said, I support the protest against the SC/ST Act. I have got to know that some people spread violence during the protests, I strongly condemn it. Our party is not behind the violence during the protests. She added, Strict action should be taken against those who spread violence during the protests. 02:49 pm: Bus vandalized and set ablaze during protest in UP's Azamgarh (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 02:20 pm: In Uttar Pradesh, vehicles were set ablaze during protest in Muzaffarnagar (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 02:25 pm: IG Law and Order Makrand Deuskar says that four people have died in protests in Gwalior and Morena, ANI reported 02:10 pm: News agency ANI reported that 19 people have been injured in Gwalior of which 2 are in critical condition. Internet service have been blocked in Gwalior district till 6 am on Tuesday 01:14 pm: In Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior, shots were fired during protests 01:05 pm: In Gujarat, protestors stage demonstrations in Kutch's Gandhidham (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 12:50 pm: Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan said, One can understand if people protest, but why is opposition playing politics? Parties like Congress who did not give Bharat Ratna to BR Ambedkar are now acting like his followers. 12:48 pm: Protests turn violent in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur, vehicles were set on fire (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 12:39 pm: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, We have filed the review petition in Supreme Court. I appeal to all political parties & groups to maintain peace and not incite violence. 12:32 pm: Protestors block railway track in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 12:28 pm: In Uttarakhand, protestors forcibly shut down shops in Dehradun (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 12:25 am: One dead in Morena, curfew imposed in the area 12:20 pm: In Madhya Pradesh, curfew has been imposed in parts of Gwalior and Section 144 (prohibits assembly of more than 4 people in the area) imposed in Sagar 12:10 pm: Protesters resort to stone pelting in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district WATCH: Protesters resort to stone pelting in Bhind during #BharatBandh over the SC/ST Protection Act. #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/40KmhV3Ckm ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 12:05 pm: Protestors vandalised an apparel showroom in Rajasthan's Jaipur (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 11:58 am: Protesters block a railway track in Madhya Pradesh's Morena (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 11:55 am: Protesters stop a train in Jaipur (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 11:50 am: Protesters were thrashed by police personnel in UP's Meerut #WATCH #BharatBandh over SC/ST protection act: Protesters thrashed by Police personnel in Meerut pic.twitter.com/yQfaJBDbBD ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 2, 2018 11:45 am: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, "The central & state govts are dedicated towards the welfare of backward castes, SC and ST. I appeal to all to not disturb the law and order. If at all there are any issues you can bring them to government's notice." 11:32 am: Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "I wish to convey that today we've filed a petition on the judgement by Supreme Court on the SC/ST act. We have filed a comprehensive review petition which will be presented before the court by the senior lawyers of the government." 11:20 am: Several people have been injured in Ranchi in Jharkhand after a clash between protesters and police (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 11:08 am: Protest turns violent in Rajasthan's Barmer, cars and property damaged (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 11:04 am: Visuals of protest from Mandi House in Delhi (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 10:50 am: Protest takes violent turn in Uttar Pradesh. Protestors damaged cars in Meerut (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 10:25 am: Protesters stop train in Punjab's Patiala (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 10:15 am: Visuals of protest from Rajasthan's Bharatpur (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 10:00 am: The protests are spreading to other cities. Visuals of protest from Agra (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 09:25 am: Protesters stop train at Forbesganj Junction in Bihar (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 09:03 am: Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "Of course, a review petition of (SC/ST protection act) should be filed and its the right of the Government, its a legal procedure. The basic question is to why they were unable to present the case properly before SC and lost, inquiry is needed." 08: 52 am: Different groups, including CPI-ML activists, protest in Bihar's Arrah, block a train (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 07:48 am: Heavy security deployed in Amritsar, Punjab. According to estimates, the state has 32 percent SC/ST people and is becoming the epicentre of protest (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 06:52 am: Movement of train in Odisha's Sambalpur blocked by protesters (Photo: ANI/Twitter) Both the governments had moved the Supreme Court on Saturday on the issue of constitution and composition of the water board. Meanwhile, the AIADMK announced that it would consider moving a no-trust motion in Parliament against the NDA government on the Cauvery issue if the Congress supports it. (Photo: PTI) Chennai: Resolving to wave black flags at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers during their Chennai visit later this month, Opposition parties led by the DMK on Sunday called for a statewide bandh on April 5 to demand constitution of the Cauvery Water Management Board in compliance with the February 16 verdict of the Supreme Court. Just after giving a call for the bandh, which will be followed by the launch of a Cauvery Rights Retrieval Yatra, DMK working president M.K. Stalin arrived at Valluvar Kottam here and led a demonstration. Donning a green shawl as a mark of solidarity with farmers, he told the gathering, Our protest will continue till the Cauvery board is constituted. On behalf of all (friendly) parties, we have planned to continue with our protest. Meanwhile, the AIADMK announced that it would consider moving a no-trust motion in Parliament against the NDA government on the Cauvery issue if the Congress supports it. Stalin says the AIADMK should bring a no-trust motion (on Cauvery issue). We are ready to bring it, AIADMK leader M. Thambidurai said, in a bid to shift the political onus on DMK on the matter. After the meeting with friendly Opposition parties earlier in the day, Mr Stalin accused the Centre of deceiving Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery issue and charged that the AIADMK government has not taken appropriate action to secure the states rights. He sought the support of all sections of society, including farmers and traders, for the bandh. TNCC chief Thirunavukkarasar, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi chief Thol Thirumavalavan, state secretaries of the CPI (M) and the CPI K. Balakrishnan and R. Mutharasan, respectively, were among the leaders who participated in the meeting. Mr Stalin said that the protest rally on April 5 will begin from the Cauvery delta region and details of the long journey will be announced after consulting leaders of other parties. Tamil Nadu parties have been pushed to hold protest demonstrations for seeking implementation of the top courts order on the Cauvery issue due to the collective negligence of the Central and state governments, a resolution adopted at the meeting said. The resolution, which condemned the state and the Centre, said the AIADMK regime, a partner of the Central government has bowed before it. Both the governments had moved the Supreme Court on Saturday on the issue of constitution and composition of the water board. In its February verdict, the top court had raised the 270 tmcft share of Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadus share of Cauvery river water. It had granted six weeks to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance with its 465-page judgment, which modified the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal Award. The six-week period ended on March 29. J&K DGP said that at nearby Dragad, the owner of the house in which seven militants had been trapped too was killed. Srinagar: At least 12 terrorists, three Army jawans and a civilian were killed in three separate encounters in Jammu and Kashmirs southern Shopian and Anantnag districts on Sunday. Three more civilians were killed and scores of others were injured in security forces actions in the subsequent clashes. An unidentified body was also found late Sunday night at the encounter site at Kachdoora in Shopian district. That takes the overall toll to 20. J&K director-general of police Shesh Paul Vaid said the killing of 12 Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists was one of the biggest successful counter-offensives against terror groups in the Kashmir Valley in recent times. Mr Vaid told this newspaper that three Army jawans lost their lives and four others were injured fighting a group of terrorists holed up in a cluster of private houses at Kachdoora in Shopian. He said that at nearby Dragad, the owner of the house in which seven militants had been trapped too was killed. He was identified as Mushtaq Ahmed Padroo. All seven militants were killed in the Dragad encounter. There has been heavy stone-pelting near the encounter sites. There was no option but to use force, the state police chief said, adding one civilian was killed and six others were injured, three of them seriously, in security forces firing. While a protester, Zubair Ahmed Bhat, was killed on the spot in the security forces firing, two critically-injured civilians Iqbal Manzoor Bhat and Mehrajuddin Bhat succumbed in hospitals, the police and hospital sources said. Mr Vaid also said: Pellet shotguns too have been used, resulting into injuries to about 25 people, but all of them are stable. A number of J&K police and CRPF personnel too were injured in stone-pelting. Other reports put the number of the injured in clashes at between 90 and 100. Reporters covering the clash at Kachdoora said two houses had caught fire in the fighting and with that the exchanges intensified. Later, the corpses of three militants were found lying under the debris. The officials said the operation was called off at twilight but the search of the debris will resume on Monday morning. We had inputs about the presence of four to five militants in the area. We will search the debris again tomorrow and see if any more bodies are lying there, said an Army official. Youth throw stones at security personnel during clashes in Srinagar on Sunday following the killing of 12 militants and four civilians in statewide encounters. (Photo: PTI) The militants killed at Dragad have been identified as Adil Ahmed Thoker, Nazim Dar, Ubaid Shafi Malla, Yawar Itoo, Rayees Ahmed Thoker, Zubair Turay and Ashfaq Malik of Pinjura all residents of Shopian district. Lt. Gen. A.K. Bhatt, commander of the Armys Srinagar-based 15 (Chinar) Corps, said at a hurriedly-called press conference at the headquarters of the counter-insurgency Victor Force at Awantipora, 33 km south of here, that two of the slain terrorists, Ishfaq Malik and Rayees Thokar, were behind the murder of Lieutenant Umar Fayyaz Parray. The young Muslim Kashmiri Army officer of 2 Rajputana Rifles was kidnapped and subsequently brutally killed by militants in Shopian in March 2017. The gory incident had evoked nationwide outrage and a pledge from the Central government that terrorism will be eradicated from the Valley at any cost. 22-year-old Lt. Parray, posted in the Akhnoor border area of Jammu region, was on leave to be part of the marriage celebrations of his cousin in Batpora village of neighbouring Kulgam district when he was kidnapped by masked gunmen. The killing of militants and civilians set off protests and clashes at places in the twin districts of southern Kashmir, neighbouring Pulwama and Kulgam districts, the summer capital Srinagar and some other parts of the Valley. At places, the security forces fired teargas canisters to quell protesters and stone-pelting mobs at places, witnesses said. DGP Vaid said: We caught one militant alive and one was killed in Anantnag encounter. Elaborating, he said: I would like to make a special mention about the Peth Dialgam encounter, where our SSP Altaf Khan made a special effort, which is unheard of in any part of the world. He called the family members of one of the militants. They spoke with him for 30 minutes to convince him to surrender. Khan himself tried to persuade the militant that he was not fighting jihad. He added: But he (militant) did not heed the advice of his family or the police officer and instead he fired on the security forces. Ultimately, they (security forces) were left with no option but to shoot him down. A statement by the police here added that the searches at Peth Dialgam started and the location of militants was zeroed in, the security forces made repeated requests on the loudspeaker asking them (militants) to surrender, as per the SOP (standard operating procedure). It added: On this, one of the terrorists (name withheld) came out of the house and surrendered before the forces. He has been taken into custody. It is pertinent to mention that the family of the militant who surrendered at the encounter site also helped the police in motivating him to come out of the house and surrender. Life came to a standstill in most parts of the Valley after an alliance of key separatist leaders issued a shutdown call for two days from Sunday. The authorities have suspended train services in the Valley and asked mobile phone service providers to snap Internet services on these days as a precautionary measure. Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed grief over the death of the civilians. She has also sympathised with those injured in these operations, an official release said. It said the CM, who is in New Delhi, also paid tribute to the three Army jawans killed during these operations. She has conveyed her sympathies with the bereaved families and has prayed for peace, the release added. One more body found, toll is 20 The police late Sunday night said that four persons killed in the fire fight at Kachdoora in Shopian were militants whereas the identity of the fifth person whose body was found at the site is being ascertained. It said in a statement here, " The total number of militants killed in Kachdoora encounter have found to be four whereas about the fifth one person the police os ascertaining facts (sic)." The CBI has so far registered total three FIRs pertaining to the PNB fraud case. The CBI is preparing to send judicial requests to five countries to seek more information about the overseas business activities of Nirav Modi and Choksi as part of its investigation into the multi-crore PNB fraud case. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is all set to approach authorities concerned in Hong Kong, London, the UAE and certain tax haven countries to get details about at least 25 overseas bank accounts of diamantaire Nirav Modi and owner of Gitanjali Gems Mehul Choksi. Sources in the agency said around 25 overseas accounts are being secretly managed by Nirav Modi and Choksi. The ED will also request the concerned authorities in these countries to freeze these accounts of the duo, they added. Investigation by the agency has revealed that Modi and Choksi allegedly created several bank accounts to divert loan amount which they had taken from several banks. These accounts, managed by the duo, were allegedly opened in the name of shell companies, sources said. The CBI is preparing to send judicial requests to five countries to seek more information about the overseas business activities of Nirav Modi and Choksi as part of its investigation into the multi-crore PNB fraud case. The CBI will soon approach a competent court for sending judicial requests or letters rogatory (LRs) to the authorities concerned in six countries. The agency may send LRs to the USA, Hong Kong, the UAE, South Africa and Singapore, they added. The LR request is for the purpose of identification and seizures of proceeds of crime and collecting documents, which are required in connection with the investigations. A letter rogatory is a formal request from a court to a foreign court for judicial assistance. The duo have spread their business operations in various countries. They had got issued multiple high value Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) in favour of their firms from PNB, which resulted in disbursement of funds as per the SWIFT messages sent by PNB, sources said. The CBI has so far registered total three FIRs pertaining to the PNB fraud case. ISRO lost communication with the satellite when it tried to ignite engine in final move to its desired location after its March 29 launch. The 2,140-kg GSAT-6A rode piggyback on ISRO's powerful geosynchronous rocket fitted with indigenous cryogenic engine at the third stage and was put into orbit successfully after the launch. (Photo: ANI/File) Bengaluru: Two days after India's latest communication satellite with military applications GSAT-6A was launched, ISRO on Sunday said it had lost contact with it and was making efforts to establish a link, with preliminary data showing there are chances of recovery. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) lost communication with the satellite when it attempted to ignite the engine in a third and final move to its desired location after its March 29 textbook launch from the space port of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The second orbit raising operation of GSAT-6A was successfully carried out on Saturday, but when it was on course to normal operating configuration for the third and final firing scheduled for April 1, communication with the satellite was lost, the space agency said after maintaining unusual silence on the health of the satellite. Also read: ISRO loses contact with GSAT-6A communication satellite A satellite is placed in orbit in three phases. "Efforts are underway to establish link with the satellite," Bengaluru-headquartered ISRO said on its website. Speaking to news agency PTI, ISRO Chairman K Sivan said preliminary data shows that there are chances of recovery, but establishing link with the satellite was the key. "After the second manoeuvre when the satellite was in the normal mode, suddenly the link was cut....now we are trying to establish the link. Mission Control is on the job continuously," he said. The ISRO chief also pointed out that whenever there is disturbance, the satellite goes into "safe mode" and gets back immediately; however, it has not happened this time. "Usually when these types of disturbances come, satellite will go into safe mode, then we establish the link and put the satellite back, but now we are not able to link, and that process is going on," he said. "Once we are able to contact, then we will be able to do the further function," he added. To a question on chances of recovery, Shivan said "right now the preliminary data shows we have chance, we keep trying. First we have to get the link, that is the most important. Once it is there, we will be able to do the job." The 2,140-kg GSAT-6A rode piggyback on ISRO's powerful geosynchronous rocket (GSLV-F08) fitted with indigenous cryogenic engine at the third stage and was put into orbit successfully after the launch in what was described by a senior ISRO official as a "magnificent mission". GSAT-6A is aimed at helping in mobile communication even from very remote locations through hand-held ground terminals and is considered a shot in the arm for the armed forces. The space agency's unusual silence regarding the satellite had set off speculation about its health. ISRO, which normally communicates on its website about the orbit raising operations like it did on March 30, following the success of the first orbit raising operation, had not released any update since then. The last update was on March 30, where it said, "The first orbit raising operation of GSAT-6A Satellite has been successfully carried out by Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) Engine firing for 2188 sec from 09:22hr IST on March 30, 2018." "Orbit Determination results from this LAM firing are: apogee X perigee height was changed to 36412 km X 5054 km. Inclination is 11.93 deg. Orbital period is 12hr 45min," it had said. ISRO did not spell out what went wrong. Reports, however, suggest that the glitch was related to the satellite's power system after the second orbit-raising exercise yesterday, following which ISRO's top brass have reportedly gone into a huddle towards setting things right. The orbit raising operation is carried out to hurl the satellite to its space home. GSAT-6A, with a mission life of about 10 years, is designed to provide thrust to mobile communication through multi-beam coverage facility. The satellite is also aimed at providing a platform for developing technologies such as demonstration of 6 m S-Band Unfurlable Antenna, hand-held ground terminals and network management techniques that could be useful in satellite-based mobile communication applications. "GSAT-6A is a complement to GSAT6, already in orbit. These two satellites combined will provide a platform for development of advanced technologies," ISRO Chairman K Sivan had said post the launch. This was the first mission for Sivan, who assumed charge of the space agency in January. In August 2017, India's mission to launch its backup navigation satellite IRNSS-1H on board PSLV-C39 ended in a failure after a technical fault on the final leg following a perfect launch. ISRO then said the heat shield had not separated on the final leg of the launch sequence and as a result, IRNSS-1H had got stuck in the fourth stage of the rocket. At least eight people were killed and many injured in violence as protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set vehicles on fire. New Delhi/Bhopal: At least eight people were killed and many injured in violence on Monday as protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set vehicles on fire across several states during a nationwide bandh against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, officials said. While five were killed in cross-firing in Madhya Pradesh alone, one each died in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, according to officials there. However, the Supreme Court on Monday declined an urgent hearing on the Centre's plea which sought a stay and review of verdict putting safeguards in the SC/ST Act. Curfew was imposed in several places and hundreds were detained. The Army and paramilitary forces were also put on standby in Punjab. The Union Home Ministry, which rushed 800 anti-riot policemen to MP and UP, asked all states to take preventive steps and maintain public order to ensure safety of lives and property. Transport, mobile and internet services were hit in many states with over 100 trains getting affected due to protests, even as the Centre moved the Supreme Court seeking review of its recent judgement on the SC/ST Act, maintaining that the verdict will violate constitutional rights of these communities. While some states had ordered closure of educational institutions as a precautionary measure, incidents of arson, firing and vandalism were reported from MP, UP, Rajasthan, Bihar and Punjab, among other places. In MP, two died in Gwalior, two in Bhind and one in Morena. In UP, two were killed in Muzaffarnagar and nearly 75 people including 40 policemen were injured in violent protests in various parts of the state. Police has detained nearly 450 people there. Read: Delhi: Train services disrupted, protesters block railway tracks All schools in Agra has suspended classes on Tuesday, except for those conducting board examinations in lieu of protests over SC/ST Protection Act on Monday. In Rajasthan, one person was killed and 26 others, including nine policemen, were injured in Alwar. Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed for peace, while Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government was not a party to the Supreme Court decision on the SC/ST Act and "respectfully" did not agree with its reasoning behind the verdict. Prasad also said the government has filed a very comprehensive review petition in the matter. Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, a prominent Dalit leader and head of NDA constituent LJP, appreciated the government's quick decision. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that incidents of atrocities on Dalits and minorities have increased in the country since the NDA came to power in 2014, while AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal extended his support to the protesting groups. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed for peace and urged the people not to vitiate law and order, as violence was reported from many districts including Azamgarh where protesters torched two state-run buses, injuring several passengers. As protests turned violent in Agra, Hapur, Meerut in western UP, Director General of Police (DGP), O P Singh, said, "We have sought more force from the Centre that will be deployed there." Many trains, including premier Rajdhani and Shatabdi expresses, were stopped by protestors while some were short-terminated. A group of about 2,000 people disrupted trains at the Hapur station as well, disrupting the movement of many goods trains, railway officials added. Also Read: SC/ST Act: Govt files review plea against 'dilution', HM appeals for peace The CBSE has already postponed Class 12 and Class 10 examinations scheduled to be held on Monday in Punjab at the request of the state government in view of the 'Bharat Bandh'. In the national capital region, protesters squatted on tracks at several places, stopping trains, including the Dehradun Express and the Ranchi Rajdhani, while a Northern Railway official said services were also disrupted by a mob in Ghaziabad. Shouting slogans of 'Jai Bhim', the protesters also blocked roads affecting traffic movement, police said. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. In Patna, protesters stormed the railway station, forced closure of ticket counters and squatted on tracks disrupting movement of a number of trains. Also Read: 4 dead in Dalit protests in MP; SC declines urgent hearing to review SC/ST Act Normal life was also affected in several parts of Odisha where activists of different Dalit groups put up road blockades. Major towns and cities of Gujarat also witnessed protests while civic-run transport services were halted after some of the buses were targeted by agitators. The local administration has begun a drive to demolish dilapidated buildings in the city following the incident. Rescuers clear debris after a hotel building collapsed in Indore on Saturday. The death toll mounted to 10 with the recovery of one more body from the rubble early on Sunday morning. (Photo: AP) Bhopal: The death toll in Saturday nights hotel building collapse in the city of Indore mounted to ten with recovery of one more body from the rubble early on Sunday morning. The deceased included two women. The search and rescue operations, which began nearly half-an-hour after the dilapidated 4-storey building housing a hotel and lodge crashed down after being hit by a speeding car, were called off on Sunday morning. Chances of any more persons being trapped under the debris of collapsed structure are very remote, a member of the state disaster response force (SDRF) deployed in search and rescue operations told this newspaper on Sunday. Around two dozen people have been rescued alive from the debris. Six of them have suffered injuries. They have been admitted in the local hospital. A car, several auto rickshaws, bikes and cycles were found buried under the rubble. In a related development, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to the injured. The hotel owner, Dinesh Parwani, is absconding along with his family since the incident, the police said. The building located close to Sarawate bus stand in the city had also hosted four shops and an ATM in the ground floor. The mangled ATM was removed from the debris and handed over the bank concerned. The local administration has begun a drive to demolish dilapidated buildings in the city following the incident. Supreme Court will hear contempt petition filed by Tamil Nadu Government on Cauvery river water sharing dispute April 9. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said that it will hear Tamil Nadu's contempt petition against the Centre for not forming the Cauvery Water Management Board on April 9. "We understand Tamil Nadu's problem. We will see that Tamil Nadu gets water, and will solve the issue," a bench headed by Chief Justice Deepak Mishra said after Advocate G Umapathy, appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, mentioned the matter for an early hearing. "We will hear it on Monday (April 9) and resolve the issue," the Chief Justice said. The Tamil Nadu government had asked the Chief Justice to take its petition on Tuesday (April 3) as the Centre has not implemented the apex court's order on the Cauvery water dispute, though the deadline to set up the Cauvery Board has lapsed. Citing assembly elections in Karnataka, which are scheduled for May 12, the Centre had moved the Supreme Court on March 31 on the Cauvery river water dispute, seeking three months' time to implement the court's order and has also sought clarification on the constitution of Cauvery Management Board. In its petition, the Centre has said immediate implementation of the Supreme Court's order will have law and order implications in Karnataka as Cauvery is an emotive issue. Chennai Weekend Artists is a group of people who meet to sketch, draw and paint together. Chennai Weekend Artists the name says it all. Artists, all of them amateurs, coming together on weekends to draw, paint, learn and share knowledge; everyone connected by the common passion of artistic talent. What started as a seven-member Facebook group by techie Muralidharan Alagar in 2012 has grown into a community of over 17,900 virtual members nearly a hundred of them super active, who, during weekends, gather at spots in and around Chennai to sketch and paint. Every Sunday, 20-30 persons gather by 10 am, roaming around, settling down with their canvases, palette or drawing books and copy what they see. It might be sketches or paintings or portraits. By 1 pm, they assemble at a spot where they exhibit their works, talk about the techniques and share their ideas. At times, they get a prominent artist to speak to them. By evening, the artworks and photographs are shared on the Facebook page. Explaining how it all began, Muralidharan says, I came to Chennai in 2012 from Bengaluru, where I was associated with the groups Urban Sketchers and Pencil Jammers, who meet every weekend for sketching. Chennai lacked such a group and thats how I started Chennai Weekend Artists, says Muralidharan, who quit his software job to pursue art full time. Hunting for interesting places and subjects, the team has covered almost every park, beach, temple, museum and mall in the city Nageswara Rao Park, Anna Nagar Tower Park, Madava Perumal Koil, Egmore Museum, Kalakshetra, Kapaleeswarar Temple, Natesan Park, etc. Now they are exploring places like Thanjavur, Darasuram, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Kanchipuram, Pulicate Lake and Pondicherry. The latest visit has been to the IIT-M campus where they interacted with noted graffiti artist from Denmark, Frida Stiil Vium. We invite artists like Trotsky Marudhu and Maruthi for interactive sessions, he adds. Every year, they hold exhibitions and last year, they collaborated with the art show AIM for Seva Krupa Homes to support an institution. The group has no specific age group from 10-year-old Akhil and 12-year-old Manav to sexagenarians Aleem and Balaji, its a big family of three generations. Alok Kumar, a techie who has been part of the group since 2013, admits to have never given any weekend camp a miss. All of us have been into drawing and painting since childhood, but somewhere down the lane, as career and responsibilities took over, we had to bury it all. Being part of the group is the happiest thing that has happened to people like me, says the Bihar native, who has been a Chennaiite for over a decade. The aim of CWA is to appreciate art works and provide guidance to each other, which, we believe, is being carried out wonderfully, says Murali, who believes that art is a tool to bring together people, like his little idea did, and help prevail harmony, peace and greater communication where words fail. Bookies hot favourite is stars best friend, Canadian stylist Jessica Mulroney, and shes not the only one in running. While Pippa Middleton had stolen the show when she was the maid of honour for Kate Middletons wedding to Prince William in 2011, it remains to be seen who Meghan Markle chooses for her wedding to Prince Harry. The bookies hot favourite has been announced as the stars best friend, Canadian stylist Jessica Mulroney, and shes not the only one in the running. While Meghan is said to have already chosen her maid of honour ahead of her May 19 wedding, she had, so far, remained tight-lipped about who has been officially asked. From her actress pals to her long-time best friends, Meghan has a long list of people she could have chosen from. Here are the possible choices: Jessica Mulroney: The 37-year old, sources say is one of Meghans closest friends, who has stood by her for many years before meeting Harry. When Meghan was active on Instagram, her page was full of snaps of the pair of them looking like two peas in a pod. The pals grew close in Toronto when Meghan was filming Suits, and the pair even went on holiday to Italy together in 2016. Jessica is believed to have been employed by Meghan three years ago, and has also styled the likes of Canadian PM Justin Trudeaus wife Sophie. Jessicas daughter Ivy, four, is also thought to have been picked for a flower girl role. Priyanka Chopra: Another of Meghans close allies is Indian actress Priyanka Chopra. In an interview, Chopra had revealed that they had bonded as actors and became friends. The two first met at a dinner celebrating women in television, and often share snaps of their evenings out together on Instagram. In fact, Priyanka has also hit out at Meghan becoming known solely as Harrys girlfriend. Sarah Rafferty: Fans of Suits will be delighted that Meghans co-star Sarah Rafferty, 45, who plays Donna Paulsen in the US legal drama, could be up for prestigious honour. In the past, Sarah has been described by Meghan as "not just my Suits sister wife, but my sister". Sounds very close! Janina Gavankar: Another actress Meghan has a strong bond with is Janina Gavankar, 37. She is popular as the brunette beauty from teen hits True Blood and Vampire Diaries. Kate Middleton: Future sister-in-law Kate Middleton is also in the running, although some people have cast double over whether she will take chief bridesmaid role. However, Kate's status as a married woman also rules her out of being both a bridesmaid and a maid of honour. This is because both roles that are traditionally reserved for single ladies. The cruel procedures were originally banned by the Veterinary Council of India in 201l following an advisory. PETA India urges people across India to refuse to take blades, knives, or scissors to dogs ears and tails for cosmetic purposes. New Delhi: This week, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India fired off letters to numerous Indian veterinary regulatory bodies, including the Veterinary Council of India, state veterinary councils, central and state animal-husbandry departments, veterinary colleges and universities, and veterinarians associations, as well as the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), urging them to implement and enforce the ban on cosmetic tail-docking and ear-cropping of dogs under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017. Performing traumatising, acutely painful procedures on puppies just to satisfy the arbitrary whims of humans regarding how they should look goes against veterinary ethics and, importantly, is also illegal, says PETA India CEO and veterinarian Dr Manilal Valliyate. PETA India is calling on veterinarians across India to refuse to take blades, knives, or scissors to dogs ears and tails for cosmetic purposes and is urging authorities to prosecute breeders found performing these mutilations themselves," he adds. The cruel procedures were originally banned by the Veterinary Council of India in 201l following an advisory issued by AWBI which explained that non-therapeutic tail-docking and ear-cropping mutilations amount to cruelty to animals under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and that performing these procedures is therefore a punishable offence. Maiming dogs also violates Sections 429 of the Indian Penal Code. Nevertheless, the Madras High Court overturned the ban in 2013. AWBI filed an appeal against the order that is still pending, and PETA India has filed an intervention application in the matter. Although this 2017 Rule has been challenged before the High Court of Delhi, the Rajasthan High Court, and the Madras High Court, no interim stay has been granted to the petitioners, and the provisions of the Rules remain in force. Their visit came a day after West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi visited the violence-affected areas. Kolkata: A four-member BJP delegation has hit out at West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her government for failing to tackle the violence during the Ram Navami celebrations in Asansol and Raniganj in Burdwan West after taking stock of the ground situation in the riot-hit areas on Sunday by defying the district administrations prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code. They will submit their report to BJP president Amit Shah, who sent them on the fact-finding mission, in New Delhi on Monday. The BJP team members were national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain, two Rajya Sabha MPs Roopa Ganguly and Om Prakash Mathur and Palamu MP Vishnu Dayal Ram. Their visit came a day after West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi visited the violence-affected areas. Lashing out at the Trinamul Congress supremo, Mr Hussain accused her of meeting UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and NCP leader Sharad Pawar in New Delhi while the clashes erupted in the two industrial towns last week. Comparing Ms Banerjee with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, he argued that while Mr Kumar succeeded in controlling the trouble in his state, the West Bengal CM had failed in her duty. In the evening, Mr Hussain said at the state BJP office: We wiped the tears of pain we found rolling down the eyes of the affected people during our visit. Mamataji inflicted pain upon them. But we tried to give them medicines. She cheated the people. But we stood by the people. With Trinamul and the police being hand in glove, it was a government-sponsored riot, not a mere communal clash. He went on: Several poor people were targeted by the combine of Trinamul, government and coal mafia. The administration remained mute spectators for a long time. Mamataji was busy having chai and papad in Delhi then. She held meetings with Soniaji and Sharadji. While visiting the riot-hit areas, Mr Hussain had earlier said: We came to Bengal to know about her pain. Our visit was for peace. Mr Hussain added: The state government is not devoting its attention to the injustice happening here. Mamataji remains busy in Delhi over lunch and dinner. And here the children are suffering. Is not it the job of the government to look into it? How did Nitish Kumar control the situation in Bihar where trouble broke out there? Why is the situation not being controlled here? He underlined: The difference is that there is a gap in the governments intention here. We have seen the sufferings of the affected people and we will submit our report about it to Amit Shahji. In the morning the BJP team, accompanied by state leaders, left for Asansol from Kolkata. While leaving, Ms Ganguly said: We will travel to Asansol to take stock of the ground realities. If the district administration tries to stop us, we also have our ways to reach there. They need to explain why we would not be allowed to go there. They were, however, stopped near Banshra More and Kalipahari by police personnel, accompanied by a magistrate-level official, who informed them that Section 144 CrPC had been enforced in the area. But the BJP team members ignored them and got down from their cars. They walked ahead to relief camps and took stock. They also spoke to the affected villagers, who narrated their troubles to them. They would replace goods in parcels with washing soap. Mumbai: The Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) police has arrested two persons for allegedly replacing goods from the parcels of e-commerce company Amazon with soap bars. Both the accused had been arrested in the past for similar offences. The police found that one of the accused, Vinay Ruke, was earlier attached with the company that delivers goods on the behalf of e-commerce firms. The other accused, Farid Shaikh, was instrumental in arranging for people to work as delivery boys. The accused would later ask the delivery boys to bring parcels to him and would replace the goods with washing soap bars. The BKC police received a complaint pertaining to the fraud from Vaishali Trans Carrier Pvt Ltd on Thursday. The company is a service partner of Amazon and delivers the goods to customers, the police said. The complainant stated that it had hired 12 persons as delivery boys from Prince HR Pvt Ltd who were suspected to have tampered with the parcels between March 20 and 22. Investigations later revealed that the tampered parcels were those that were returned to the Amazons office as they could not be delivered owing to customers unavailability at their residence. These parcels were again sent for delivery when their contents, mobile phones, were replaced with washing soap bars, the police said. Those not delivered even on the second attempt and returned to the office were also found to be containing soap bars, which prompted the need for a police case, complainant told police. The BKC police team laid trap and apprehended Shaikh from CST Road in Santacruz. Revealing his modus operandi, Shaikh told the police that he would rope in young boys in the e-commerce company as delivery boys. He would contact the hired persons and would ask them to bring the parcels to him before delivering it to customers. He would replace the product with soap bars and repack it like original, said an officer from BKC police station. In January a similar case was seen when a female PR consultant registered a case with the Bandra police station after receiving a packet with four soaps instead of the smart phone she had ordered via Amazon. The accused was in a relationship with the victim's father and wanted to teach him a lesson. Palghar: A four-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped in Palghar district by a woman, who later abandoned the child in Mumbai, a police official said on Monday. The girl was rescued by the Mumbai police and reunited with her parents, he said. The 22-year-old woman kidnapped the girl from her school at Virar in Palghar on March 31, Arnala Sagri police station's inspector Keshav Naik said. She then abandoned the girl in the city where a policeman spotted the child crying and wandering alone in Mahalakshmi. The policeman took the girl to the Gaondevi police station where the security personnel made enquiries to search for her parents, Naik said. The police managed to reunite the child with her parents on Sunday, he said. During the probe, which was later transferred to the Arnala Sagri police, it was found that the woman had kidnapped the girl to take revenge from the child's father, with whom she was in a relationship, Naik said. The woman, a resident of Virar, was arrested on Sunday and booked under relevant sections, he added. In a similar incident, a five-year-old girl was kidnapped from outside her house in Nallasopara area of Palghar on March 24. The child was later found dead in the ladies' toilet of Navsari railway station in Gujarat. On March 28, the police arrested the accused 22-year-old woman, who was reportedly in a relationship with the victim's father and wanted to marry him. However, he was dilly-dallying on marriage and this enraged her. To teach him a lesson, the woman kidnapped and killed his daughter, the police said. The Vasai police registered three cases, while the other was registered by the Valiv police station. Mumbai: The police in Palghar district on Saturday registered four cases of alleged extortion against a few local workers and office-bearers of the Shiv Sena and NCP for allegedly extorting money from builders. The Vasai police registered three cases, while the other was registered by the Valiv police station. The police have so far booked thirteen accused in the case. Police sources said that five persons have already been arrested in the case and further investigation is underway. The persons who are arrested have been include Vasai-Virar NCP chief Govind Gunjalkar, Nitin Patil, Ramesh More, Uday Jadhav and Kalpesh Rathod (manager of Hotel Radhakrishna) in connection with the cases registered against them for extortion. The police are on the lookout for Dhananjay Gawde, who is Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) corporator as he is untraceable. According to a senior police officer, Gawde allegedly made a fresh demand for extortion while he was on the run. The fresh offences of extortion have been registered against Gunjalkar, Gawde and other accused. Palghar (Rural) SP Manjunath Singe said, The accused persons, including two women, have been booked under sections 384 (extortion) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC besides under provisions of the Arms Act. He further added, Dhananjay Gawde has been named in all four FIRs and the total amount of extortion goes upto `83 lakh. A police source said that there are several other cases of extortion registered against these accused in Tulinj, Bolinj and Virar police stations. Shiv Sena will be contesting 50 to 55 seats in the Karnataka polls. MUMBAI: After making its entry into national politics by contesting for seats in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Goa polls independently, the Shiv Sena will contest the Karnataka assembly polls scheduled for May 12. The party leaders said that it was an effort to expand the party base across India. Sources said that this could become problematic for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its ally partner, as it may divide the Hindutva votes. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday said that the party would be contesting 50 to 55 seats in the Karnataka polls. We will be contesting Karnataka polls. But we will not field candidates in the Maharashtra-Karnataka border areas where Maharashtra Ekikaran Samitee is contesting, he said. The Sena has many supporters among the Marathi speaking population in the area.. The party has been very vocal about including the Marathi speaking population in Maharashtra. Taking a dig at chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Mr Raut said that he should campaign for the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samitee. There is mention of Maharashtra-Karnataka border area in every speech by the governor. Therefore it is a moral responsibility of the CM to come for the campaign of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samitee candidates, he said. The Sena MP also appealed to other parties not to contest in the area against Maharashtra Ekikaran Samitee. Mr Raut criticised the BJP national president Amit Shah for creating confusion among the party with his statements. It is difficult to predict who will win the Karnataka polls. But at present, the Congress is leading. The actual picture will be clear when PM Narendra Modi will go for campaigning, he said. This is not the first time that the Sena is contesting polls against the BJP. It has remained the policy of the party that it would contest polls independently in other states. Last year, the Sena even passed a resolution that it would contest the next Lok Sabha polls alone, indicating a parting of ways from the National Democratic Alliance. Loosen the dominance of the CJP in the appointment process and give a joint parliamentary committee a role in the selection. At least once upon a time, the problem was known and the solution apparent. This time, whatever this is and wherever it ends, its already obvious some things will need to be changed around. But where? And how? When it was the troika, 58(2)b had to be got rid of simple. It was eventually got rid of and a problem was solved: the civilian presidency ceased to be a source of constitutional instability. Sure, the preferred method for removing a PM has moved on to 62/63, but thats a different kind of problem: 58(2)b got rid of entire Parliaments and forced fresh elections; 62/63 sends home one chap. It matters more when that chap is Nawaz, the actual source of power in his eponymously named party, than a Gilani or Raja Pervez, selected for the job by a party boss, but its still a different problem. And maybe not a problem rooted in direct constitutional imbalances. If the civilians fix the honest and trustworthy stuff, adjust 62(1)f and clean up a bunch of the other clauses, that would still leave a trial-court conviction as an ouster route. To block that route, the PM would have to get immunity from prosecution while in office, along the lines of what the President has, but that would be massively controversial and an endless rabbit hole. History suggests that when the system wants its man, the system gets its man. The cost to the democratic system of granting sweeping immunity to the PM could be higher than the cost of losing a PM every little while in an era of continuity. But there are also over-corrections that can be found in attempting to fix the problems of the past; over-corrections that now are threatening to create massive distortions of their own. Take this business of a crusading court. Right at the top, a balance of sorts was originally struck: mandatory retirement versus job security. If youre a politician, youre terrified of a judge for life. But if youre a judge, the last thing you want is a politician who controls your fate. So a system of automatic elevation to the top job was enforced: the senior-most justice becomes CJP. The balance between mandatory retirement and automatic elevation creates enough regular turnover to, theoretically, help mitigate the disruption that any given judge can cause. But that balance, never very reliable to begin with, is significantly out of whack now. And what, really, can be done? The card the politicians had has already been played once. It makes sense to give Parliament a role in the appointment of superior court judges. They tried it in the 18th and it was a fairly reasonable effort: Loosen the dominance of the CJP in the appointment process and give a joint parliamentary committee a role in the selection. But while a reasonable effort, the timing was wrong and the consequences disastrous. Iftikhar Chaudhry was presiding in Courtroom No 1 and he, slayer of Musharraf, wasnt going to let a few politicians reduce his power. The new judges appointment process in the 18th was thundered against and Parliament bullied into transferring to the CJP virtually all power in the superior judiciary appointment process. It was a disaster because to overrule Parliament, the court had to suggest it believed it has the power to judge the constitutionality of constitutional amendments effectively, a judicial veto. That belief was eventually and spectacularly confirmed with military courts and the 21st Amendment. So even if the politicians try again to shape the future of the court by amending the appointment process, they probably wont get very far. The other route, reducing the courts powers, is also now a non-starter. Stripping the court of its suo motu powers or attempting to constitutionally narrow its scope could quickly be struck down by the court. So, make it easier for the Supreme Judicial Council to act? That would be playing with fire. Create a constitutional court? Thats the nuclear option and could draw a nuclear response. At least once upon a time, the problem was known and the solution apparent. Now itll probably require a bunch of small tweaks across the board. The Senate? Ugly as the chairman vote was, its not a pivotal post. The bigger problem apparent is in the election of senators themselves. So maybe its time to switch to direct elections or ditch the secret ballot. This recurring nightmare with the PM? Maybe its time to go back to term limits and switch Parliament to a four-year term. A maximum of two terms and the Nawaz problem of sticking around forever would disappear. And if a four-year parliamentary term, by last July, the country would have been heading into a general election instead of a fifth parliamentary year. The system will have to be rejigged if it is to deliver anything more than bare continuity, if that. So as the up, down, up, down, round and round the merry-go-round goes on, it could be time to think about the things that may have to be changed around. And how. By arrangement with Dawn Mamata Banerjees approach seems to accept rather than ignore some basic political realities. With their very survival at stake before the formidable election machine of the ruling BJP, the Opposition is trying to forge unity with remarkable political intelligence. By meeting top Opposition leaders, including former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in New Delhi recently, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee seems to have scuttled attempts that could have divided the Opposition and helped the BJP. Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao (or KCR) of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had earlier tried to get her support for a united front of regional parties, fuelling speculation about a non-Congress, non-BJP Federal Front. However, by approaching the Congress, Ms Banerjee has demonstrated that her focus is on an inclusive front. In New Delhi she not only met the Opposition leaders, she also invited disgruntled BJP leaders Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and Shatrughan Sinha who are openly critical of the leadership and governance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah. Ms Banerjees carefully orchestrated approach towards Opposition unity to ensure a direct contest between the BJP and the Opposition seems to square with what Mr Shourie described in an interview to NDTV as the Yashwant Sinha formula. Ms Banerjees approach seems to accept rather than ignore some basic political realities. It recognises that the Congress alone can mount a direct challenge to the BJP in some states for example, in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Punjab and Karnataka. It also recognises that the party has a pan-Indian organisational network. Therefore, it accepts the necessity of including it in the bid to challenge the BJP across the country. However, it also recognises that the dominant parties in several other states are regional, and not national. Because they alone are in a position to take on the BJP in their respective states, they too must be brought onto a common national platform. However, not many of them will accept an Opposition front centred on the Congress. Therefore, a two-stage orchestration of Opposition unity is proposed. First, getting the regional parties together, and in the second stage, forging a pre-electoral alliance between the front of regional parties and the Congress. A likely sticking point in bringing the regional parties together is who would be its leader say, KCR, Ms Banerjee, Naveen Patnaik or N. Chandrababu Naidu. To overcome this problem, the Opposition is likely to follow what Yashwant Sinha has called the collegium approach. The suggestion is that parties in the Federal Front meet by rotation in the different states. The leader of the dominant party in the state can be the convenor of the Federal Front meeting in his or her state. After a series of such meetings as a confidence-building measure, the front can elect a convenor through consensus to run its secretariat. This could be an elder statesman, someone who is not a contender for any post after the election. In this manner, ego-clashes or one-upmanship could be avoided. In the second stage, the Federal Front will have to forge a pre-electoral understanding with the Congress. Wherever the Congress is the dominant party of challenge to the BJP, it would have to accommodate the relevant regional parties through seat adjustments. Equally, wherever the Congress is not in a strong position but has a significant presence, the Federal Front would give it a due share of seats. This approach to Opposition unity is significantly different from the 1977 model, in the aftermath of the Emergency. Then a large number of non-Left Opposition parties had merged their identities into the Janata Party. Since the new party could not be registered in time, the merging parties contested on the symbol of the Bharatiya Lok Dal of Charan Singh. In the current experiment, no party will give up its identity or election symbol. They would contest individually but in a concerted manner. In 1977, the candidates for most of the North Indian seats were believed to have been selected under the leadership of Charan Singh and the rest by Morarji Desai. This time around, the dominant party in a particular state could play that role. This will not be an easy task in states where there is more than one major challenger to the BJP such as in Delhi (Aam Aadmi Party and Congress), Haryana and Punjab (Congress and AAP), Uttar Pradesh (Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress) and Odisha (Biju Janata Dal and Congress). However, while the operationalisation of Opposition unity may be difficult, the arithmetic is simple. In the 2014 general election, the BJP got 31 per cent of the votes while 69 per cent were divided amongst the rest. Even if half of the latter can be consolidated through direct contests, an effective challenge can be mounted against the BJP. The biggest pitfall for Opposition unity would be an attempt to declare a prime ministerial candidate in advance. The BJP would have a field day claiming that it was a Modi versus a Nobody contest. The Opposition leaders seem to have decided not to fall into this trap. The leadership issue, after all, needs to be addressed only after securing a majority in the next Lok Sabha. The programme of the Opposition would have to be enunciated in broad terms, avoiding jumlas or meaningless sloganeering. Some Opposition leaders have suggested that their agenda could focus on the issues agitating the public mind protecting the Constitution and safeguarding democratic institutions, addressing agrarian distress, employment generation, ensuring womens safety and security and protecting the rights of minorities and dalits. This would help not getting bogged down in details and promises that cannot be kept as in the case of Candidate Modi. At this stage it is too early to join the disparate dots to create a neat picture. It is difficult to predict, for example, how many regional parties would join the Federal Front and what the attitude of the Congress to such a formation might be. However, what cannot be doubted is that the West Bengal chief minister has taken a cautious but a sure-footed step in the direction of ensuring Opposition unity. Report suggests the revival of the 1994 classic mobile phone with modern touches. Under HMD Globals leadership, Nokia has been doing generously good with its mixed portfolio of well-built smartphones and revival of classic legacy models. While they started off with the Nokia 3310 last year, the company had unveiled a revamped version of the Nokia 8110 banana phone at this years MWC 2018. However, it seems that Nokia will keep on the tradition of unveiling new classic phones every year as reports have been suggesting that the next phone to get the rebirth will be classic Nokia 2010 from 1994. An Android Authority report suggests that the Nokia 2010 is currently in works and could be unveiled early next year, which coincidentally happens to the 25th anniversary of the 2010 model. As with all the classic models, the revamped 2010 could sport colourful body shells with a slightly modifies design to sit flush with feature phones of the modern age. While the buttons could be redesigned, Nokia could eliminate the extended antenna like it did with 3310 of 2017. As for the operating system, Nokia could use the same one as it did in the 3310 or use the modern Internet-apps ready Kai OS-based OS. The report mentions that it will run a watered-down version of Facebook and WhatsApp, which could make it logical to buy in 2019. Nokia is also expected to infuse it with 4G LTE connectivity and a moderately big colour screen. It is still too early to believe blindly on this report. However, going by Nokias trend of releasing modern classics every year, the possibility of the 2010 becoming a reality is believable. And if this is to continue in the future, what are the other Nokia classics you want to see? (source) Donald Trump also threatened to pull out of a free trade pact with Mexico unless it does more to stop people from crossing into the US. US President Donald Trump has declared 'No More' to a deal to help 'Dreamer' immigrants and threatened to pull out of a free trade agreement with Mexico. (Photo: File) Palm Beach: President Donald Trump has declared "No More" to a deal to help "Dreamer" immigrants and threatened to pull out of a free trade agreement with Mexico unless it does more to stop people from crossing into the US. He claimed they're coming to take advantage of protections granted certain immigrants. "NO MORE DACA DEAL!" Trump tweeted Sunday, one hour after he began the day by wishing his followers a "HAPPY EASTER!" He said Mexico must "stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL!" The US, Canada and Mexico are participating in tense negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement at Trump's insistence. Trump says NAFTA is bad for the US. "Mexico has got to help us at the border," Trump, holding his wife's hand, told reporters before the couple attended Easter services at an Episcopal church near his Palm Beach home. "If they're not going to help us at the border, it's a very sad thing between our two countries." "A lot of people are coming in because they want to take advantage of DACA," he added. Former President Barack Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to provide temporary protection and work permits to hundreds of thousands of immigrants who are living in the US illegally after being brought here as children. Trump ended the programme in 2017, but gave Congress six months to pass legislation enshrining it. A deal has so far proved elusive and Trump has blamed Democrats. It was not immediately clear what Trump was referring to when he said people are coming to take advantage of the programme. The Department of Homeland Security is not issuing new permits, though existing ones can be renewed. The Obama administration allowed signups during a set period of time, and the program is closed to new entrants. Proposed DACA deals crafted by lawmakers and rejected by Trump also were not open to new participants. Trump did not explain what he meant when questioned by reporters as he entered the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea with the first lady and his daughter Tiffany. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for clarification. Trump, when addressing reporters briefly before entering the church, again blamed Democrats for failing to protect the "Dreamers." "They had a great chance. The Democrats blew it. They had a great, great chance, but we'll have to take a look because Mexico has got to help us at the border. They flow right through Mexico. They send them into the United States. It can't happen that way anymore." Trump promised during the 2016 presidential campaign to build a Southern border wall to stop illegal immigration and drugs from Mexico, but Congress has frustrated him by not moving as quickly as he wants to provide money for construction. The president also complained on Twitter that border patrol agents can't do their jobs properly because of "ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws" that allow people caught for being in the country illegally to be released while they await a hearing before a federal immigration judge. Trump tweeted that the situation is "Getting more dangerous" and "Caravans" are coming. He did not offer details to back his comment. The president's tweets came after Fox News' "Fox & Friends" reported early Sunday on what it said is a group of 1,200 immigrants, mostly from Honduras, headed to the US. The segment was a follow-up to a report by Buzzfeed News on hundreds of Central Americans making their way through Mexico in hopes that American authorities will grant them asylum or be absent when they attempt to cross the border. The Fox headline was "Caravan of illegal immigrants headed to U.S." The president is known to watch the cable TV program in the morning. Brandon Judd, leader of the union representing border patrol agents, predicted on "Fox & Friends" that those in the caravan would create havoc and chaos in the US as they wait for what he described as immigration reform. Judd also said Congress needs to pass tougher laws, an idea Trump appeared to echo, and create more bed space for immigration authorities to house people. Ohio Governor John Kasich, a Republican, chided Trump over the tone of the tweets. "A true leader preserves & offers hope, doesn't take hope from innocent children who call America home. Remember, today is Easter Sunday," tweeted Kasich. John Kasich, a Trump critic, challenged him for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake, another Trump foe, urged Congress to take up the fight for Dreamers. "There are plenty of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who stand ready to work with the administration on legislation to protect DACA kids who call America home," he tweeted. "Let's do it." Sunday's church visit was Trump's first public appearance with his wife since CBS' "60 Minutes" aired an interview the previous Sunday with Stormy Daniels, the adult-film star who says she had sex with Trump in 2006, early in his marriage and a few months after Melania Trump gave birth to their son. The White House says Trump denies the affair. Asif said Pakistan could never be developed without the promotion of quality education. Islamabad: Pakistan foreign minister Khawaja Mohammed Asif Sunday said that Malala Yousafzai was a daughter of Pakistan, who had earned good name for herself and upheld the prestige of the country around the globe by waging a struggle for promotion of education. Addressing the gathering in Sialkot, he said now the whole world saluted Malala Yousafzai for her courage, dedication, great struggle for girls education and determination. He said she had become a symbol of peace and respect for humanity in the world. The minister said the young generation should seek inspiration from Pakistans great daughter. He said the whole nation had warmly welcomed Malala Yousafzai upon her arrival in Pakistan after a span of five years, as she was the pride for Pakistan globally. Mr Asif urged students to get education for promotion of national interests. He said the government was striving to curb the menace of ignorance by spreading the light of knowledge and education as per vision of the government to promote quality education. He stressed the need for promotion of knowledge-based education and personality building of students for making the country developed and forward-looking. Mr Asif said Pakistan could never be developed without the promotion of quality education. He revealed students were future of the country and the government was providing them maximum facilities, enabling them to serve the nation and the country in a better way in future. Backed by Russia, Assads forces have scor-ed a series of victories over rebel forces in recent years. Syrian Christians stand outside the Mariamite Cathedral of Damascus, one of the oldest Greek Orthodox churches in the Syrian capital, after attending a mass to celebrate Palm. (Photo: AFP) Douma (Syria): A final deal appeared to have been reached on Sunday for fighters and civilians to leave the last opposition-held area of Eastern Ghouta, paving the way for Syrias regime to retake all of the one-time rebel enclave near Damascus. The agreement brokered by government ally Russia would see fighters with the Jaish al-Islam rebel faction leave Ghoutas main town of Douma for opposition territory in northern Syria, state media and a monitoring group said. There was no immediate confirmation from the rebels, but state news agency Sana reported that a deal had been reached for the groups fighters to head to rebel-controlled town of Jarabulus in the northern province of Aleppo. The retaking of Eastern Ghouta would mark a major milestone in Presi-dent Bashar al-Assads efforts to regain control of territory seized by rebel factions during Syrias seven-year civil war. Backed by Russia, Mr Assads forces have scor-ed a series of victories over rebel forces in recent years, often through aerial bombardment and gro-und offensives that have drawn widespread international condemnation. During the Regina Caeli, Pope Francis said that "to communicate a reality so shocking like the resurrection of Jesus an intelligence superior to human intelligence" was required. Jesus tore down the wall of division among men and restored peace, beginning to weave the web of a new [sense of] brotherhood. The pontiff urged the crowd to repeat, "The Lord has truly risen!" and mentioned that today is World Awareness Day on Autism. Vatican City (AsiaNews) To pronounce "for the first time . . . the words: 'He is risen' . . . a human word was not enough". This is why the first announcement of the resurrection was entrusted to an angel, said Pope Francis as he spoke before the Regina Caeli to the pilgrims in St Peter's Square and explained to them the tradition of calling Easter Monday, the Monday of the Angel. Immediately afterwards he focused on brotherhood as one of the most precious fruits of Christ's resurrection. "The evangelists, Francis said, tell us that this first announcement [of the Risen] came from the angels, that is, the messengers of God. There is meaning in this angelic presence: Since it was an angel, Gabriel, who announced the Incarnation of the Word, so to announce the Resurrection for the first time, a human word was not enough. For this, a superior being was needed to communicate a reality so shocking, so incredible, that perhaps no man would dare pronounce it. After this first announcement, the community of disciples began to repeat: 'The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon! (Lk 24:34), but the first announcement required an intelligence superior to human intelligence." "Today, the pontiff noted, is a day of celebration and conviviality usually experienced in the family. After celebrating Easter, we feel the need to meet with our loved ones and with friends to celebrate. Because brotherhood is the fruit of the Passover of Christ who, with his death and resurrection, defeated the sin that separated man from God, man from himself, man from his brothers and sisters. Jesus tore down the wall of division among men and restored peace, beginning to weave the web of a new [sense of] brotherhood. It is so important in our time to rediscover brotherhood, just as it was experienced in the early Christian communities. There can be a no true communion nor commitment to the common good and social justice without brotherhood and sharing. Without brotherly sharing, an authentic ecclesial or civil community cannot be created: Only a group of individuals motivated by their own interests can exist. The Passover of Christ has made the novelty of dialogue and relationship explode in the world, a novelty that has become a responsibility for Christians. In fact, Jesus said: 'This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another' (Jn 13:35). This is why we cannot confine ourselves in our private world, in our group, but are called to take care of the common good, to take care for our brothers and sisters, especially the weakest and most marginalised. Only brotherhood can guarantee lasting peace, can defeat poverty, can extinguish tensions and wars, can eradicate corruption and crime." During his address, the pontiff often stopped to urge the crowd to repeat the words: "The Lord has truly risen!" After the Marian prayer of Easter time, the pontiff asked all those present to seize "every good opportunity to witness the peace of the Risen Lord, especially with respect to the most fragile and disadvantaged. [. . .] In this regard, he added, I wish to offer a special prayer for World Autism Awareness Day, which is celebrated today." The pope then called for "the gift of peace for the whole world, especially for the populations who are suffering the most from ongoing conflicts". He also issued an appeal "so that those abducted or unjustly deprived of liberty can be released and go home." Hello Everyone. I am looking for the best furniture shop to buy teak wood furniture for my home. If anybody knows please suggest me. I was recently asked to give a speech on the future of mobility by the NAFA Philadelphia Chapter. I welcome these opportunities because it forces me to focus beyond my near-term deadlines and conceptualize an emerging future by projecting forward current trend lines. My assessment is that for the foreseeable future there will be no one-size-fits-all mobility model and the ongoing proliferation of competing mobility services will continue to be aggregated under the generic Mobility as a Service (MaaS) umbrella. In addition, the disruption caused by the introduction of new mobility options is only one of three megatrends that will simultaneously sweep through the global fleet market, triggering change to our traditional business model. The three megatrends that will disrupt and reshape fleet management in the next decade are: Expansion of the traditional fleet model into a broader multi-modal mobility management for employees. The merger of in-house fleet management and corporate travel services into a single corporate entity. The integration of fleet/mobility management into the emerging connected vehicle ecosystem. One potential to the convergence of these three megatrends is that fleet operations may evolve to become only one facet of a larger corporate mobility management function that has multi-level responsibilities for asset lifecycle management, administration of multi-modal mobility services, and deployment of productivity and safety tools to support the mobile workforce in the field. Paradigm Shift to Multi-Modal Mobility Mobility management is not a threat to the fleet profession, but it will alter it, most likely for the better. Ultimately, todays consumer mobility options will be blended into a menu of hybrid fleet services offered as employee mobility choices by corporations. These services will be new tools in the fleet managers toolbox. One way mobility management will alter fleet management is that it expands the services offered beyond the finite number of employees who qualify for a company-provided vehicle, which represents only 10-20% of the employee population. Management of mobility services will allow fleet services companies to serve the other 80-90% of the workforce who do not qualify for company vehicles, but have their own mobility needs. However, in order for mobility management to succeed, there must be viable alternatives to company-provided vehicles, such as a well-connected public transportation network seamlessly interconnected with last mile mobility solutions. The fleet management profession of the future will be far more complex by having to manage a number of different mobility suppliers covering the different categories of travel versus todays traditional focus on managing the vehicle asset and driver. An important caveat is that mobility services are not applicable to all fleet segments. For example, the majority of companies are truck-based vocational fleets geared to specialized mission requirements that necessitates operating expensive job-specific equipment, which doesnt lend itself to a mobility offering. While sales fleets are the better candidates to adopt mobility solutions, some sales reps require secure storage that is offered by a locked vehicle trunk. For instance, pharma reps need secure storage when transporting drug samples. Similarly, merchandise salespeople often carry expensive or bulky point-of-sales displays that favor an employee-assigned vehicles versus a mobility program. Convergence of Fleet & Corporate Travel For decades, management has recognized the similarities between fleet and travel management. For instance, a growing number of managers have dual responsibility of managing both fleet and travel, since they are viewed as complementary functions. The boundaries between fleet and travel management will further converge as the travel functionality and fleet functionality become simply different manifestations of the same mobility options. This will provide the business case to realign fleet and travel management into a single corporate function to control spend, improve operational efficiency, reduce CO2 emissions, and increase employee satisfaction. These potential cost savings will incentivize corporations to invest in new integrated IT functionality to realign their fleet and travel processes into a single mobility platform. Supporting Field Workforce Productivity Connectivity allows vehicles to wirelessly transmit and receive data between themselves, the surrounding infrastructure, and other proprietary systems, which is generically called the connected vehicle ecosystem. This connected vehicle system will be based on an open platform to allow third-party companies to develop new products and applications that will work in this space. What will emerge is a connected commercial vehicle ecosystem, which will encompass not only the vehicle, but also the mobile workers and the opportunity to digitize many of the off-line analog work functions that exist in todays mobile work environment. Increasingly, corporations are looking for solutions that will increase field workplace productivity and efficiency to drive a much stronger growth curve in their businesses. As a result, fleet service companies have the opportunity to expand beyond the vehicle to support the mobile worker and their work application. Global Mobility Management Deep Dive The latest trends in mobility management will be featured at the 2018 Global Fleet Conference in Rome, Italy, which will be held May 29-30, 2018. The session will examine the latest mobility initiatives occurring at the local level, driven by smart cities and local government initiatives. A panel discussion of subject-matter experts will examine mobility management across the globe. There will also be a case study by Alexandra Melville, global category expert for car fleet and mobility, Accenture, along with a follow-up executive fleet and mobility panel that will answer global mobility needs of tomorrow. For more information on the 2018 Global Fleet Conference can be found on the conference website. Let me know what you think. [email protected] 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. Gov. Rick Scott was in Tampa Monday to sign legislation to benefit military members, veterans and their families. Gov. Scott in Tampa Monday to highlight veterans funding Gov. Scott visited USAA headquarters in Tampa RELATED: See what's in the $89 billion budget (.pdf) | See the veto list (.pdf) Scott visited the USAA headquarters in Tampa to highlight funding for current military and veterans in the new budget. Surrounded by veterans, he signed the two bills, then awarded service medals and thanked the veterans for their service. "This needs to be the most military-friendly state in the nation," Scott said."I remember when i got off active duty in the '70s, you couldn't tell people you were in the service, it would actually hurt you. Today that's not true in Florida." According to the governor's office, $180 million in funding in the budget will go toward the state military members and veterans. Scott signed the $89 billion budget on March 16. The governor signed House Bill 29 into law. HB 29, known as the "Don Hahnfeldt Veteran and Family Opportunity Act," expands legislation signed into law by Governor Scott in 2014 by reducing professional licensing fees and requirements for certain military members, veterans, and their spouses. The bill also designates March 25 every year as "Medal of Honor Day" to honor individuals recognized with valor during the course of duty. The governor also signed HB 75, which will allow state colleges and universities to waive fees for active members of the military. The "Don Hahnfeldt Veteran and Family Opportunity Act" was named after State Representative Don Hahnfeldt, a veteran and a member of the Florida House of Representatives who died in 2017. The wife of Rep. Darren Soto was arrested on disorderly intoxication charges at Disney Springs on Sunday night. Wife of Rep. Darren Soto arrested, charged with disorderly intoxication Amanda Soto, 33, arrested Sunday night at Disney Springs Rep. Soto said his wife has battled depression for years According to authorities, Amanda Louise Soto, 33, was taken into custody at after some type of argument with her mother. Soto bonded out of Orange County Jail early Monday. The charge is a second-degree misdemeanor. According to an arrest affidavit, deputies say she and her mother were in a "physical struggle" near Disney Springs' Westside bus loop. A responding deputy said and her mom appeared to be intoxicated. After the deputy helped the pair call an Uber, Soto screamed profanities at the Uber driver, who refused to drive them. The screaming and crying escalated, and Soto was placed in the back of a patrol car "for her safety," where she banged her head on the window, the deputy reported. Democrat Rep. Darren Soto represents Florida's 9th district, which covers parts of Orlando, Kissimmee, St. Cloud and parts of Polk County. Rep. Soto released the following statement on his wife's arrest: "My wife, Amanda, has for years suffered from depression and been under medical care. In accordance with her treatment plan and under her doctors supervision, she recently stopped using her medications. "Yesterday, she drank too much and reached an argumentative state with a family member, which led to arrest. She deeply regrets her actions and takes full responsibility for them. Amanda and her physician will be reviewing her mental health treatment, immediately." A 41-year-old man was shot and killed by officers in Tampa on Sunday, according to the police department. Police shoot, kill man wanted out of Georgia 41-year-old suspect fled from officers and fired shots He led police, FHP on a brief chase The man, later identified by Georgia investigators as Timothy O. Wyatt, 41, was wanted out of Fulton County for the murder of his girlfriend. Officers were alerted that a fugitive was possibly hiding out in the Tampa area. The suspect was spotted in a Chevy Impala and police followed him. As the suspect fled from police on Interstate 275 and several Tampa streets, he fired shots at officers. The Florida Highway Patrol joined the pursuit to help Tampa officers. The brief chase ended in the area of E 28th Avenue and N 15th Street, where the suspect abandoned the car. He then tried to carjack someone and continued to shoot at officers. Officers returned gunfire, killing the suspect, authorities said. No officers were injured, according to Tampa police. "At some point he realized police officers were behind him," Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan said of the chase and eventual shooting of the suspect. "He started shooting at the cops as he was driving. The pursuit ended at 28th Ave and 15th Street where he attempted to carjack someone, engaged in another round of gunfire with the police officers and he was taken down." Carjacking victim speaks out Left: Timothy Wyatt was wanted for the murder of his girlfriend in Fulton County, Georgia, according to Georgia law enforcement. Right: Katrina Majurie was in the car Wyatt tried to carjack prior to Tampa Police shooting and killing him Sunday, April 1, 2018. The woman whose car Wyatt tried to take, Katrina Majurie, said she was driving down 15th Street in Tampa heading to the grocery store when she saw a police car driving in the wrong direction. "I saw they were getting ready to block off the street, so I turned," Majurie said. "I was going to turn right down 28th." As she was attempting to do that, another officer's car blocked her path and shots rang out. "I stopped and put my hands up, and as I put my hands up, I heard gunfire coming from behind me," she said. "So when I looked over, thats when I saw the suspect shooting at us." Majurie quickly crept down under the drivers seat away from the flying bullets, which at this point, shattered the back window of her rental car. Authorities say Wyatt then attempted to carjack Majurie after ditching his Chevy Impala, but officers returned fire, killing him. When the smoke cleared, Majurie was able to leave her car unharmed. "The Chief came down, he introduced himself to me, he made sure I was ok and they kept me pretty calm," said Majurie. "I'm thankful. I'm just happy I was able to make it home to my kids." GET OUR NEW APP Our new Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here. 12 Days of Earth Day Returns to Cannon Beach, N. Oregon Coast Published 04/01/2018 at 4:05 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff (Cannon Beach, Oregon) Once again, the north Oregon coast holds a big party to celebrate the planet we live on. It's the 9th annual 12 Days of Earth Day in Cannon Beach, happening April 11 22, all over town. (Above: the tufted puffin is a major part of the celebration. Photo courtesy Tiffany Boothe, Seaside Aquarium). This multi-faceted celebration will offer numerous environmentally-focused opportunities for community members and visitors. One of the highlights is the festivities in honor of tufted puffins returning to Haystack Rock. Visitors and residents alike can learn about these special birds from Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP) staff and volunteers, who will provide environmental interpretation and create puffin viewing stations on the beach as conditions allow throughout the festival days. One kick-off event is a Friends of Haystack Rock talk on April 11 at 7 p.m. There will be tree plantings, a beach clean-up coordinated by the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce, and a free Cannon Beach Arts Association and HRAP marine debris jewelry making class. Dig deeper into this part of the north Oregon coast with guided tours and hikes around Cannon Beach, a shred event, a community potluck on April 20, a Pets and People Walking Parade, and a Street Fair where numerous different environmental groups will share ideas. For the full schedule of events visit the 12 Days of Earth Day webpage at: www.TwelveDaysofEarthDay.com. The Twelve Days of Earth Day Committee is a dedicated group of volunteers whose mission is to provide a platform the education and celebration of the Earth, the waters around the planet and the air, with a special emphasis on the yearly celebration of Earth Day. The group is a subcommittee of the City of Cannon Beach Parks and Community Services Committee. Their goal is to be an inclusive community group, working to ensure and provide access to current environmental information and educational opportunities to our residents and visitors alike. The group also announces the return of an arty favorite: the third annual Twelve Days of Earth Day Marine Debris Art Contest, which takes on a new look this year as a collaborative project. The art endeavour will take place during the Twelve Days celebration with the assistance of Cannon Beach Arts Association and HRAP. Participants who love beachcombing, creativity and stewardship are encouraged to participate in this special project beginning on April 11. This year's theme is A Collaboration for our Earth, where participants will be building pieces of art in teams, in a 12-inc by 12-inc square. The finale happens at the potluck on April 20 when each of the squares will then be pieced together to create a larger piece of 6-foot by 6-foot art. The larger art piece has been conceptualized by local artist Joe Adams, and its final incarnation will be a surprise. This artful object will then be donated to the community for all on the north Oregon coast to enjoy. All participants will be recognized in this year's Steve McLeod award. For more information on materials, times, teams and participating in this year's Marine Debris Art Project, see to the Twelve Days of Earth Day website. For more information contact Barb Knop at bknop@pacifier.com or Melissa Keyser, Haystack Rock Awareness Program Coordinator at 503-436-8060, email hrap@ci.cannonbeach.or.us. Cannon Beach Hotels / Lodging for this event - Where to eat - Map and Virtual Tour More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted For Immediate Release, April 2, 2018 Contact: Dr. Robin Silver, (602) 799-3275, rsilver@biologicaldiversity.org Tierra Curry, (928) 522-3681, tcurry@biologicaldiversity.org Endangered Species Protection Sought for Rare Arizona Wildflower TUCSON, Ariz. The Center for Biological Diversity and Maricopa Audubon Society filed a petition today with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeking Endangered Species Act protection for Arizona eryngo, a critically imperiled wetland plant from southern Arizona. There are only three confirmed surviving populations of the flower, which is at risk of extinction in the United States and Mexico because of groundwater overuse and climate change. The two U.S. populations are found in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area and at the La Cebadilla wetland in Pima County. Arizona eryngo and other irreplaceable parts of our natural heritage will be lost if excessive local groundwater pumping isnt controlled, so we urge the Fish and Wildlife Service to immediately protect this imperiled flower, said Robin Silver, a Center cofounder and board member. The rare flower grows only in a specific type of permanently wet spring habitat called a cienega. Cienegas are a special type of wetland unique to the Southwest that provide crucial homes for fish, amphibians, invertebrates and migratory birds within otherwise arid landscapes. More than 95 percent of cienega habitats have been lost. Both sites where this flower survives are threatened by overuse of groundwater to support sprawling human populations. The plant has been wiped out in New Mexico and from the Agua Caliente Regional Park in Tucson. Arizona eryngo is imperiled along the San Pedro River as pumping lowers the groundwater table connected to the plants wetland habitat. The groundwater pumping overdraft in the Fort Huachuca-Sierra Vista area is more than minus 5,000 acre-feet per year, with all recent hydrology studies predicting the demise of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area if the unsustainable pumping continues. Saving Arizona eryngo is important because its an indicator plant for the health of imperiled desert wetland habitats that many plants and animals rely on, said Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center. The eryngos conspicuous flowers are of high value for many pollinators, including hummingbirds. The Fish and Wildlife Service must evaluate todays petition and publish a finding within one year on whether protection for the plant may be warranted. If the initial finding is positive, the flower will receive a status review that will result in either a proposal for listing or a finding that listing is not warranted. Arizona eryngo is in the carrot family and can grow to be more than 5 feet tall, with large, cream-colored spherical flowers. It is also called ribbonleaf button snakeroot, and its scientific name is Eryngium sparganophyllum. The Arizona Native Plant Advisory Group ranks Arizona eryngo as one of the most endangered plants in the state. For Immediate Release, April 2, 2018 Contact: Hollin Kretzmann, Center for Biological Diversity, (510) 844-7133, hkretzmann@biologicaldiversity.org Dr. Laura Solorio, Protect Monterey County, (831) 229-5284, lmsolorio9@gmail.com Andy Hsia-Coron, Protect Monterey County, (831) 726-3350, andyhc7@gmail.com Monterey County Supervisors to Decide on Hames Valley Oil Drilling Permit to Drill Wells in New Area up for Review After Measure Z Passage SALINAS, Calif. The Monterey County Board of Supervisors will determine whether to allow a new multi-well oil and gas project to move forward at its meeting on Tuesday, April 3. Trio Petroleum is appealing the planning commissions denial of a permit that would have allowed the Bakersfield-based company to drill new wells in an undeveloped oil field in Monterey County. It would be the first major oil and gas project since voters passed Measure Z, a land-use law banning new wells in the county. The voters were loud and clear that we dont want expanded oil development in our community, said Dr. Laura Solorio, a member of Protect Monterey County, Measure Zs official sponsor. The planning commission made the right call. We just cant keep drilling new wells forever. Its time to move away from fossil fuels and toward a safer, healthier future. Trio proposes drilling four new oil wells in Hames Valley. The company says it would potentially lead to dozens more production wells and millions of barrels of oil. On Jan. 31 the planning commission rejected the application by a 6-3 vote, citing concerns about the projects harm to air, water and the climate. Some also noted that Measure Zs passage indicates county residents are opposed to new oil and gas projects. We risk losing a beautiful part of Monterey County to dangerous oil-industry pollution if these wells are approved, said Hollin Kretzmann, a staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. We hope county supervisors listen to the planning commission and the voters and deny this oil companys desperate appeal. Oil companies sued Monterey County after Measure Z passed to halt its implementation. A Superior Court judge upheld parts of Measure Z, but invalidated the provision that would have prohibited drilling new wells like the ones Trio is proposing. Both the county and Protect Monterey County have filed appeals to reinstate the law. For Immediate Release, April 2, 2018 Contact: Vera Pardee, (858) 717-1448, vpardee@biologicaldiversity.org Trump Administration Plans to Weaken Tailpipe Pollution Standards WASHINGTON The EPA announced plans today to roll back greenhouse gas standards for cars and light-duty trucks for model years 2022 through 2025. Loosening limits on dirty tailpipe pollution spells disaster for our health and planet, said Vera Pardee, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversitys Climate Law Institute. Cleaning up our vehicle fleet is urgent and easily achievable, but Trump and Administrator Pruitt refuse to pick even this low-hanging fruit in the fight against climate change. Automakers have lobbied the EPA to weaken the standards, arguing in part that they are harder to meet since consumers are opting for larger, less fuel-efficient vehicles. The industry did not address how that trend may be influenced by the outsized marketing budgets for trucks and SUVs, the vehicles that are the industrys best money-makers. Anyone whos ever watched the Super Bowl knows the auto industry tries to gin up consumer preference for gas guzzlers, Pardee said. Automakers are using the very trends they spend billions of dollars creating to weasel out of these critical protections. Background In 2012 the EPA set greenhouse gas emission standards for passenger cars and light-duty trucks for model years 2017-2025. The standards aimed to halve carbon dioxide emissions from tailpipes and boost average fleet-wide fuel efficiency to over 50 mpg by 2025. The agency allowed for a midterm evaluation of the 2022-2025 guidelines to be completed no later than April 2018. In January 2017 the EPA completed the midterm evaluation, concluding that the standards were readily achievable, created overwhelming benefits for the public, and, if anything, could be strengthened. The evaluation noted that since the rules were established in 2012, the technology has become cheaper and improved even more rapidly than anticipated. In March 2017, following automaker complaints, Trump announced his administration would reconsider the standards and gather more data about consumer behavior, costs, technology and impacts. Fossil-fuel vehicles are currently the nations largest source of greenhouse gas pollution. They also emit pollutants that cause ground-level ozone and lead to asthma and other serious health problems. For Immediate Release, April 2, 2018 Contact: Tanya Sanerib, (206) 379-7363, tsanerib@biologicaldiversity.org Court Orders Trump Administration to Release Public Records on Wildlife Imports TUCSON, Ariz. A federal court in Arizona has ordered the Trump administration to release public records about how much wildlife is being imported into the United States, including live animals for the pet trade and dead animals destined for clothing and biomedical research. The court found the data, which includes the species names, quantity imported, and importing and exporting companies names, must be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act. The ruling stems from a 2016 FOIA request filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, followed by litigation after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refused to provide all the data. The United States is a huge hub for the wildlife trade, including trade in imperiled animals and plants, said Tanya Sanerib, a senior attorney with the Centers international program. The public has every right to know what wildlife is coming across our borders. Given the enormous threats from wildlife trafficking, were glad to know these records will see the light of day. The United States imports millions of wildlife and plant parts each year from around the globe. Imported products include: birds, fish and turtles destined for the pet trade; python-skin boots and fur coats for the fashion industry; corals, orchids and shells used for home decor; lions and other animals killed as hunting trophies; and primates destined for medical research. For decades the Fish and Wildlife Service has tracked wildlife import and export data and freely provided that data to conservation groups and the public. Beginning in 2016, however, the agency refused to release data from certain companies. Without the data, the public cannot track or evaluate whether U.S. trade is endangering wildlife at home or abroad and thus seek protections for those animals domestically or internationally. The new court order directs the Service to release the disputed wildlife data within 14 days, finding the release of this basic import information would not disadvantage importing companies competitively. For Immediate Release, April 2, 2018 Contact: Tierra Curry, (928) 522-3681, tcurry@biologicaldiversity.org Yellow Lance Mussel Gains Endangered Species Act Protection in Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia RALEIGH, N.C. In response to a legal victory by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today gave Endangered Species Act protection to a freshwater mussel that lives in Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia. The yellow lance is threatened by pollution from agriculture, logging and urban development, as well as by climate change. There are only seven remaining populations, none of which are considered highly resilient because 86 percent of the streams in the mussels current range have low, or very low, water quality. Freshwater mussels are North Americas most endangered group of animals, which tells us we have to take better care of our streams and rivers, said Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center. Because the yellow lance is an indicator of water quality, protecting its habitat will directly benefit people, as well as other wildlife that rely on clean rivers. The yellow lance was first identified as needing federal protection in 1991. The Center petitioned for its protection in 2010 and filed a lawsuit in 2015 to compel the agency to make a decision on the imperiled mussels protection. Its disappointing the Service didnt designate critical habitat to help protect the yellow lance, and we urge the agency to do so, said Curry. Freshwater mussels are fascinating and important, and we owe it to future generations to protect them. In North Carolina the yellow lance is found in the Chowan, Neuse and Tar River watersheds. The population in the Tar River in North Carolina is the healthiest remaining population and is estimated to have moderate resiliency. In Virginia the yellow lance is found in the James and Rappahannock River basins, and in Maryland its found in the Chesapeake River Basin. When viewed geographically, the species has declined by 70 percent in the Coastal Plain region and by approximately 50 percent in both the Piedmont and the Mountain regions. The yellow lance grows to be around 3.5 inches in length, with a shell thats more than twice as long as it is tall. Lance-shaped when viewed from the side, juveniles have bright-yellow shells that darken to brown or black with age, and the inside of the shell is iridescent white, salmon or blue. More species of freshwater mussels are found in the southeastern United States than anywhere else in the world, but 75 percent of the region's freshwater mussels are now imperiled. Thirty-six species have already been lost to extinction. Once widely used to make buttons and jewelry, mussel shells, like trees, accumulate growth rings that can be used to determine their age. Freshwater mussels can live for 100 years, making them among the longest-lived invertebrates. Mussels improve water quality by filtering small particles from the water as they eat. They reproduce by making lures that looks like fish, crayfish, or worms; when their host fishes attempt to prey upon the lures, the mussels release their fertilized eggs onto the fish's gills, sometimes clamping the fish's face inside their shell. Juvenile mussels develop as parasites on the gills before dropping off to begin life on their own. In dirty water the fish cannot see the mussel's lure, so the mussel cannot reproduce. Dams can also separate mussels from their specific host fishes. In today's world, the girl child is the most vulnerable, and female genital mutilation (FGM) is one of the cruellest practices and forms of discrimination against girls and women. There are 200-million women in the world that have been victims of FGM, of which 92-million are in Africa. Each year three million girls are at risk on the continent. Every 11 seconds a girl will be cut. Leyla Hussein is a Somali psychotherapist, writer, specialist on female genital mutilation (FGM) and gender rights, and lead campaigner working to end violence against women and girls. Breaking the cycle Cupcake campaign Truly humbled by @LeylaHussein... What an amazing woman fighting #FGM with incredible energy and attitude. Thank You #OFFinJoburg pic.twitter.com/QS01aWre9u Wayne Habig (@Pencilgraffiti) March 26, 2018 Global problem Herself a victim of the practice, gender rights activist Leyla Hussein believes it's time to call it what it is. Hussein was one of the speakers at the recent Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) in Johannesburg.I thought I had escaped the wort trauma of FGM but, after a routine examination, I blacked out. It was only then that I understood that I had blocked out the trauma of what had happened to me. I was cut with 200 million other women, purely because we are women. We need to call it for what it is.She took on the role of breaking the cycle and to protect girls from this practice. FGM is an attack on female sexuality and part of a war on female sexuality that also includes other forms of discrimination against women, such as child marriages and unequal pay for men and women.For her, language is very important in this work. FGM is not a cultural or religious practice, it is child abuse. A cultural practice is the food we eat and music we listen to. Harming or abusing a human being is not cultural and we need to speak about it not as cultural but as abuse.If you pinned a seven-year-old down on a table and touched her genitals in the UK, you would be arrested because that is sexual assault. Touching a childs genitals is abuse, and I am calling FGM the worst type of sexual abuse, she added.Education is the key for her in the battle against FGM. My focus is educating the next generation as they are the decision makers of the future.Hussein comes from Somalia, but lives in the United Kingdom from where she conducts her fight. I thought the British love baking and people are scared of the vagina, so why not? One also needs to have a sense of humour. The result is vaginal cupcakes and the outcome has been amazing.The cupcakes campaign has gained momentum and allowed me into places to talk to people I would otherwise not have gained access to. For example, 10 Downing Street.She emphasised the need to speak and engage with politicians and not religious and community leaders. They do not change anything, but politicians can. They are the ones who must do something, so I am going after them.If policies can be changed, it will help. Some policies have been changed, so baking a cupcake has helped.FGM is a global problem, it is not just an African one. It is practiced in the United States ... where half a million women live with FGM. In the UK, 137,000 women live with FGM and 66,000 under the age of 15 are at risk.Raising awareness has opened the door for girls and women to come forward. It has allowed us to create safe places, she added.A global counselling programme has been set up and the Dahlia Project works with survivors. A woman cannot heal from this, but we can learn how to deal with it and reclaim our sexuality. We need to stop tiptoeing around the subject. Women do not need to alter their bodies to be beautiful and lead great lives. We should not be ashamed of our body and sexuality and thats why we need to invest in our girls. The GSLV -F08 / GSAT-6A mission was launched on Thursday, March 29, 2018. An ISRO photo BENGALURU (PTI): Two days after India's latest communication satellite with military applications GSAT-6A was launched, ISRO on Sunday said it had lost contact with it and was making efforts to establish a link, with preliminary data showing there are chances of recovery. The Indian Space Research Organisation lost communication with the satellite when it attempted to ignite the engine in a third and final move to its desired location after its March 29 textbook launch from the space port of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The second orbit raising operation of GSAT-6A was successfully carried out on Saturday, but when it was on course to normal operating configuration for the third and final firing scheduled for April 1, communication with the satellite was lost, the space agency said after maintaining unusual silence on the health of the satellite. A satellite is placed in orbit in three phases. "Efforts are underway to establish link with the satellite," Bengaluru-headquartered ISRO said on its website. Speaking to PTI, ISRO Chairman K Sivan said preliminary data shows that there are chances of recovery, but establishing link with the satellite was the key. "After the second manoeuvre when the satellite was in the normal mode, suddenly the link was cut....now we are trying to establish the link. Mission Control is on the job continuously," he said. The ISRO Chief also pointed out that whenever there is disturbance, the satellite goes into "safe mode" and gets back immediately; however, it has not happened this time. "Usually when these type of disturbances come, satellite will go into safe mode, then we establish the link and put the satellite back, but now we are not able to link, and that process is going on," he said. "Once we are able to contact, then we will be able to do the further function," he added. To a question on chances of recovery, Shivan said "right now the preliminary data shows we have chance, we keep trying. First we have to get the link, that is the most important. Once it is there, we will be able to do the job." The 2,140-kg GSAT-6A rode piggyback on ISRO's powerful geosynchronous rocket (GSLV-F08) fitted with indigenous cryogenic engine at the third stage and was put into orbit successfully after the launch in what was described by a senior ISRO official as a "magnificent mission". GSAT-6A is aimed at helping in mobile communication even from very remote locations through hand-held ground terminals and is considered a shot in the arm for the armed forces. The space agency's unusual silence regarding the satellite had set off speculation about its health. ISRO, which normally communicates on its website about the orbit raising operations like it did on March 30, following the success of the first orbit raising operation, had not released any update since then. The last update was on March 30, where it said, "The first orbit raising operation of GSAT-6A Satellite has been successfully carried out by Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) Engine firing for 2188 sec from 09:22hr IST on March 30, 2018." "Orbit Determination results from this LAM firing are: apogee X perigee height was changed to 36412 km X 5054 km. Inclination is 11.93 deg. Orbital period is 12hr 45min," it had said. ISRO did not spell out what went wrong. Reports, however, suggest that the glitch was related to the satellite's power system after the second orbit-raising exercise on Saturday, following which ISRO's top brass have reportedly gone into a huddle towards setting things right. The orbit raising operation is carried out to hurl the satellite to its space home. GSAT-6A, with a mission life of about 10 years, is designed to provide thrust to mobile communication through multi-beam coverage facility. The satellite is also aimed at providing a platform for developing technologies such as demonstration of 6 m S-Band Unfurlable Antenna, hand-held ground terminals and network management techniques that could be useful in satellite-based mobile communication applications. "GSAT-6A is a complement to GSAT6, already in orbit. These two satellites combined will provide a platform for development of advanced technologies," ISRO Chairman K Sivan had said post the launch. This was the first mission for Sivan, who assumed charge of the space agency in January. In August last year, India's mission to launch its backup navigation satellite IRNSS-1H on board PSLV-C39 ended in a failure after a technical fault on the final leg following a perfect launch. ISRO then said the heat shield had not separated on the final leg of the launch sequence and as a result, IRNSS-1H had got stuck in the fourth stage of the rocket. Russia's new ICBM during its test firing last week. An internet image MOSCOW (AP): The Russian military says it has successfully tested its latest intercontinental ballistic missile. The Defence Ministry said the launch from Plesetsk in northwestern Russia on 30th March tested the Sarmat missile's performance in the early stage of its flight. Sarmat is intended to replace the Soviet-designed Voyevoda, the world's heaviest ICBM known as "Satan" in the West. President Vladimir Putin said earlier this month that Sarmat weighs 200 metric tons and has a higher range than Satan, allowing it to fly over the North or the South Poles and strike targets anywhere in the world. He added that Sarmat also carries a bigger number of nuclear warheads, which are more powerful than the ones on Satan. Putin also said Sarmat could carry an array of warheads capable of dodging missile defenses. App for early autism detection launched on World Autism Awareness Day, April 2 The app tracks behavioral information such as facial expression and gaze attention to infer the neurocognitive responses of children looking at picture. The QR Code in the upper left corner links to the app website. Credit: Wenyao Xu, University at Buffalo. EarlySee addresses the diagnosis delay by giving parents a widely accessible and quantitative tool they can use in their homes to help spot autism earlier. BUFFALO, N.Y. Its a difficult decision that many parents face: Should my child be screened for autism spectrum disorder (ASD)? Starting today, that decision will be much easier due to a new smartphone app developed by a University at Buffalo-led research team designed to help detect ASD in children as young as 12 months old. Called EarlySee, the app is now available for free on this website (under the Updates & News section) to any android smartphone user. Its launch, which coincides with World Autism Awareness Day, gives parents an easy-to-use tool to help identify ASD earlier. The decision whether or not to screen for autism is often based on subjective observations made by parents or primary care doctors, says Wenyao Xu, a computer scientist at UB and the projects lead investigator. This often leads to delays for the actual diagnosis, which can be devastating to children and their parents. EarlySee addresses the diagnosis delay by giving parents a widely accessible and quantitative tool they can use in their homes to help spot autism earlier. This is critical because the earlier autism is identified, the more effective the benefits of treatment will be, says Xu, PhD, assistant professor in the UB Department of Computer Science and Engineering. The app tracks behavioral information such as facial expression and gaze attention to infer the neurocognitive responses of children looking at pictures of social scenes for example, a conversation among multiple people. The behavioral responses of someone at high risk of ASD are often different from those of a person without autism. Based on the results of the test, parents will know whether they should seek further medical attention for a conventional diagnosis. EarlySee is an advanced version of a previous app developed by UB, the John R. Oishei Childrens Hospital of Buffalo and SUNY Buffalo State. The latest version was developed by Xu and PhD students in his lab, along with the SennoTech Group in China. Dog owners in Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge have been issued with a safety warning by a local vet amid concern that the deadly dog disease Alabama Rot could be in the area. Bridge Vets, based in Highbridge, has issued the warning following social media posts at the weekend indicating the disease could have affected a dog in the area. The vet issued a statement saying: We are aware of unconfirmed reports of Alabama Rot in the Highbridge area. We have no official confirmation of this and seek to reassure concerned pet owners that this is still a rare disease. However, we do recommend if you have walked your dog in muddy areas to wash their legs when you return home for up to date information see here. The fatal condition first appeared in the UK six years ago and has claimed the lives of over 120 dogs since then across the country. Although the cause of the disease is unknown and there is no vaccine, there are symptoms to look out for and advice is available if needed. What is Alabama Rot? Alabama rot is a disease that damages blood vessels in the skin and kidney. It causes blood to clot in the vessels which damages the lining and the delicate tissues of the kidneys. This causes ulcers on a dogs skin, but sadly it causes kidney failure in the kidneys, which can be fatal. Alabama rots full, scientific name is cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV). What causes Alabama Rot? The actual cause of Alabama rot is not known. Some reports in the US suggest it is linked to the bacteria E.coli, but there is no evidence for this in cases seen in the UK. It can affect any dog of any breed, age, or size. The majority of dogs who have been treated for Alabama rot in the UK have been walked in muddy and/or woodland areas. More cases are reported between November and May than between June and October, which suggests the dogs are more likely to be affected in winter and spring. What are the symptoms of Alabama Rot? The first signs you may notice if your dog has contracted Alabama Rot are lesions or ulcers on the skin. These could appear as a patch of red skin, or as an open ulcer or sore. In many cases, the lesions will look out of the ordinary to vets. These sores are most commonly found on a dogs paws or lower legs, but they can also be found on a dogs face, mouth or tongue, or on their lower body. Signs of kidney failure include loss of appetite, tiredness and vomiting. If your dog is showing signs of sore skin or ulcers on an area of their body that is close to the floor (and you know these have not been caused by an injury) its a good idea to contact your vet. On average, dogs suffer from kidney failure about three days after lesions begin to show on the skin, however the time between sores appearing and kidney failure can be between one and 10 days. The earlier this disease is caught and treated by a vet, the higher the chances of recovery. How to stop dogs getting Alabama rot As the source of Alabama rot is unknown, there is no way of making sure you stay away from the cause but there are things you can do to prevent your dog from being affected. Checking your dogs body once a day for lumps and bumps is a good habit for all dog owners to get in to, and checking them regularly for the signs listed above will help lower the risk of your dog dying from Alabama rot. Thankfully, the disease is not always fatal and the earlier it is caught, the greater your dogs chances of survival. Dogs cannot be vaccinated against Alabama rot. If you are in doubt, give your vet a call. Its better to be safe than sorry. 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. 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Digital Editor As Dalmia Bharat and UltraTech Cement continue to battle for Binani Cement in the Kolkata Bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Dalmia Bharat group CEO Mahendra Singhi speaks to Avishek Rakshit about the importance of Binani Cement in his companys scheme of things. Edited excerpts. With 14 ligations in the Kolkata Bench of the NCLT, the Binani Cement takeover plan is turning out to be a long-drawn affair. Do you think the matter will reach the Supreme Court? The next date of hearing in the NCLT is April 2 and it will take a week or more for the resolution plan to be ... If FY18 was a forgettable year for the pharma sector, FY19 might not be any better. This is on account of improved pace of approvals from April 1, 2018 as well as competition even for drugs, which are difficult to make. New guidelines from the US Food and Drug Administration had led to the slowing down in drug approvals over the last couple of months as companies took time to adjust. However, as companies comply with the new guidelines, the approval time for drugs from April is expected to come down further increasing competitive pressures. Anubhav Aggarwal and Chunky Shah of Credit ... The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a contempt plea of the Tamil Nadu government against the Centre for not constituting the Cauvery Management Board (CMB). A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud posted the matter for April 9. "We understand Tamil Nadu's difficulty of not getting water. We will resolve the issue. List the matter for April 9," the bench said. Tamil Nadu had sought contempt action against the Centre for "failure" to frame the scheme for constitution of the Cauvery Management Board and the Regulation Committee within six weeks, as directed by the apex court on February 16. Tamil Nadu, in its contempt plea, said the Centre was bound to give effect to the judgement by framing a scheme so that the authorities of -- Cauvery Management Board and Regulation Committee -- were put in place within six weeks. It said the authorities needed to be in place so that the decisions of the tribunal as modified by the apex court were implemented in accordance with the time schedule prescribed therein. The Centre, meanwhile, in its petition had said that since there were divergent views between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka on the constitution of the CMB, the apex court should clarify whether "it is open to the central government to frame the scheme under 6A at variance with the recommendations contained in the report of the Dispute Tribunal (CWDT) regarding the Cauvery Management Board". Karnataka has opposed the constitution of the CMB and sought some alternative mechanism to implement the verdict. The Union government also said that considering the overall sensitivity of the issues involved, the apex court may also clarify whether it had any flexibility in modifying the composition of the CMB to "a mixture of administrative and technical body" and "not purely a technical body" as recommended by the CWDT for effective conduct of the business of the board. The apex court had on February 16 raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's share, while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin, saying "the issue of drinking water has to be placed on a higher pedestal". With the apex court's verdict, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry would be annually entitled to 404.25 tmcft, 284.75 tmcft, 30 tmcft and 7 tmcft of Cauvery water, respectively out of the total of 740 tmcft of water. It had granted six weeks time to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its 465-page judgement on the decades-old Cauvery dispute, and made it clear that it will no longer be extending time on the matter. The Supreme Court had also ruled that its verdict on the Cauvery water allocation will continue for the next 15 years. The Supreme Court will on Monday hear the plea filed by Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Karti Chidambaram, in the INX media money laundering case. In a March 26 hearing, the apex court extended the interim protection of Karti from March 26 to April 2. Earlier, the apex court granted interim protection to Karti from arrest by the ED in connection with the case. On February 28, Karti was arrested at the Chennai airport on his return from the UK for his alleged role in facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance for INX Media Ltd and its directors, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea. Karti allegedly took service charges for getting the clearance to INX Media for receiving funds from abroad worth Rs 3.05 billion in 2007 when his father P Chidambaram was the Union finance minister in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Sunday slammed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government for the recent communal violence that has hit certain parts of the country. Speaking to ANI, CPI Secretary Atul Kumar Anjan said, " One by one, the communal violence has been started from Bengal in the name of Ram Navami and it splits in almost all BJP-ruled states. Modi Government has failed to fulfil the expectation of the people ." On March 25, the Ram Navami celebrations turned sour after clashes erupted in various parts of Bengal leaving three dead and several injured. Similar incidents took place in various parts of Bihar, mainly Bhagalpur and Aurangabad, on the occasion, which continued to grip the state in the following days. Minor clashes were also reported from other parts of the state, including Gaya, Siwan and Kaimur. Revenue collection under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) increased by Rs 12.17 billion in February to Rs 892.64 billion as per the month-end figures, Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said on Monday. Last week, the Finance Ministry released initial figures of the GST collection for February which showed a decline in revenue by Rs 11.44 billion compared to January. The data then showed that February collection was Rs 851.74 billion. Adhia said the figures are usually released between the 24th and 26th of every month, but the end-month figures end up a few thousand crore rupees higher than the initial figures. "GST collection for February (collected in March) stand at Rs 892.64 billion showing an upswing in revenue collection trends. Now we are approaching the Rs 900 billion mark," he said. As per the figures released by the government, the GST collection for January stood at Rs 880.47 billion. In December, it was Rs 889.29 billion. Noting that February was a 28-day month, Adhia attributed the upswing in collections to increased compliance and the end of the financial year when people like to clear their dues. "GST collections will pick up further as compliance requirements are enforced like the rollout of the e-way bill from this month." He added that even though "it was a year of uncertainty in terms of revenue, the government broadly managed to achieve both direct and indirect tax targets" for the fiscal. "We are also confident about meeting the fiscal deficit target," Adhia said. Calling the rollout of e-way bill "very successful and with no glitches", the Finance Secretary said at this rate, the government will soon launch the same for intra-state movement of goods as well. "We plan to launch the intra-state e-way bill for the first group of states from April 15 after which another group of states will be added each week," he said. GSTN chairman A.B. Pandey said while 259,000 lakh e-way bills were generated on Sunday, over 289,000 lakh bills were generated till 4 p.m. on Monday. "This means that around 60,000 e-way bills are being generated every hour. We expect this number to rise further. We are prepared for even higher traffic." He said while over 11 lakh dealers had registered for the e-way system, over 20,000 transporters had also registered. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The CBI has questioned senior officials of the Bank of India, Axis Bank and Allahabad Bank in connection with its probe in the over Rs 130 billion PNB scam case involving billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi. Agency sources said about five officers, in the ranks of general manager and above, have been grilled by the agency in the last few days to understand how the Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) and Foreign Letters of Credit issued by the Punjab National Bank (PNB) in this case were executed vis-a-vis Modi's businesses. These officers, they said, were responsible for the operations of the Bank of India's Antwerp branch in Belgium and the Axis Bank and Allahabad Bank branches in Hong Kong. The officials are based in India. They said more such officials could be summoned by the agency. The CBI has alleged that firms controlled by Nirav Modi and Choksi obtained fraudulent LoUs and letters of credit (LCs), worth over Rs 130 billion, from PNB in connivance with some officials of the bank. Modi's firms allegedly defrauded PNB of over Rs 60 billion, while Choksi's firms over Rs 70 billion. China's prototype space station Tiangong-1 crashed in the Pacific Ocean, acbcording to the country's space agency. The spacecraft re-entered the earth's atmosphere at 00:15 GMT (0545 hrs IST) on Monday over the South Pacific and mostly burnt up on re-entry, China's state-run news agency Xinhua confirmed. The US military too confirmed the re-entry of Tiangong-1 with a statement from its Joint Force Space Component Command (JFSCC). "UPDATE: #JFSCC confirmed #Tiangong1 reentered the atmosphere over the southern Pacific Ocean at ~5:16 p.m. (PST) April 1. For details see http://www.space-track.org @US_Stratcom @usairforce @AFSpaceCC @30thSpaceWing @PeteAFB @SpaceTrackOrg," a tweet from 18 Space Control Squadron (18SPCS) said. The 10.4-metre-long (34.1-foot) Tiangong-1, or Heavenly Palace 1, was launched in 2011 to carry out docking and orbit experiments as part of China's ambitious space programme, which aims to place a permanent station in orbit by 2023, The Guardian reported. It was originally planned to be decommissioned in 2013 but its mission was repeatedly extended. However, China told the United Nations last year that the space lab "ceased functioning" in March 2016, without giving any reasons. In September 2016, the country successfully launched Tiangong-2 space lab, which was put into orbit. In 1979, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) first space station, Skylab fell to Earth during its re-entry to the atmosphere, burning up harmlessly in the process. The last space lab to fall to Earth was Russia's 135-ton Mir space lab in 2001. The Palestinian death toll in last week's mass protest on the Gaza-Israel border rose to 18 on Monday, officials said, as Israel rejected allegations of unlawful use of lethal force against unarmed demonstrators. More than 750 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire in Friday's protest, according to Gaza health officials, making it the bloodiest day in Gaza since the 2014 Israel-Hamas war. Gaza's Hamas rulers have not said if the final aim of protests, which are to continue off-and-on for six weeks, is an attempted mass breach of the border fence. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh yesterday hinted at an escalation, saying last Friday's protests had a "limit," but that "next time, we won't know where that line would be." Israel accused Gaza's Islamic militant rulers Hamas of trying to attack its border under the guise of protests. Officials said Israel has a right to defend its border, and that troops were instructed to target what the army described as the "main instigators." However, the military's open-fire policies came under more scrutiny as two amateur videos emerged purportedly showing two Palestinians being shot, one killed and one wounded, while not posing any apparent threat to soldiers. In one video, a man later identified as Ibrahim Abu Shanab is seen kneeling on the ground in the first of two rows of worshippers Friday, facing the border fence at a distance of 150 to 200 meters (yards). Suddenly, he stands up, limps a few meters (yards), collapses and his carried away by young man who shout "Allahu Akbar," or "God is Great." Adli Abu Taha, who filmed the scene on his mobile phone, told The Associated Press that Abu Shanab had thrown stones close to the fence before joining the group for Friday prayers. The incident took place east of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, and medics said Abu Shanab was shot in the leg. In another video that spread on social media, a young man is seen being fatally shot from behind while running away from the border area carrying a tire. The Israeli military accused Hamas yesterday of releasing videos that were incomplete, edited or "completely fabricated," but did not elaborate. The military said troops followed strict rules of engagement, and that protesters were putting themselves in "harm's way" by operating in a dangerous area. Israeli military officials have said troops would not allow protesters to cross or damage the border fence, and that protesters would not be permitted to get closer than 100 meters to the fence. The officials did not say how troops would respond if "red lines" were crossed. An Associated Press reporter saw two young men getting shot in the legs Saturday, in incidents about 15 minutes apart, as they stepped away from a group of dozens of people standing about 200 meters (yards) from the border and walked closer to the fence. In Friday's protests, thousands gathered near the border in several locations. Smaller groups moved closer to the fence, throwing stones or burning tires. The military said that in one incident, two armed men opened fire near the fence. Rights groups said it's unlawful to use lethal force when Palestinian protesters don't pose an imminent threat to the lives of Israeli soldiers. "An army can use reasonable force to defend a border," said Omar Shakir of the group Human Rights Watch. "This was an incident where soldiers were firing from behind the fence, separated by buffer zones and other objects, firing on individuals well behind the fence, in some cases retreating, not moving forward, or advancing without posing imminent threat." Israel's Defense Minister Avigor Lieberman has rejected calls for an investigation. A large crack, stretching several kilometres, made a sudden appearance recently in south-western Kenya. The tear, which continues to grow, caused part of the Nairobi-Narok highway to collapse and was accompanied by seismic activity in the area. The Earth is an ever-changing planet, even though in some respects change might be almost unnoticeable to us. Plate tectonics is a good example of this. But every now and again something dramatic happens and leads to renewed questions about the African continent splitting in two. The Earths lithosphere (formed by the crust and the ... Nobel Laureate and her family on Monday morning left for Britain following the young Pakistani icon's return to the country after more than five years. The youngest Nobel Laureate and her family, who spent four days in Pakistan, left for Britain from Benazir Bhutto Airport here, Express Tribune reported. The advocate for women empowerment visited Swat Valley, her native place where she lived and studied before shifting to Britain, following an attack by the Taliban militants. Malala also met Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi amid strict security in view of her homecoming. Her arrival was kept secret due to security reasons. The Pakistani laureate was teary-eyed as she landed here with her family on Thursday. Malala and her classmate were in 2011 shot while on their way back to home from school in Swat. She was hit in the head, but survived the Taliban attack. Her father, who accompanied Malala to Pakistan, said she was striving for her goal of female empowerment and that criticism could not stop her from achieving her aim. Father Ziauddin Yousufzai, the United Nations Special Advisor on Global Education, also said his daughter had no aspiration of becoming the Prime Minister of Pakistan. "Malala made the decision to return to Pakistan as she thought the time was right. The government has facilitated us in every possible way up till now," the diplomat said. US President proposed a White House summit when he called Russian President Vladimir Putin last month, prior to the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats from the US, a top Kremlin aide said on Monday. "Trump proposed holding a meeting at the White House in Washington," Putin's top foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, told reporters. On March 20, Trump called Putin to congratulate him on his re-election, and the US leader told reporters afterwards that the two would "probably get together in the not-too-distant future." In calling Putin, Trump ignored explicit advice from his national security advisers not to do so, The Washington Post has reported, quoting officials familiar with the call. Ushakov said on Monday, however, that the two sides have not had any "concrete discussions" about the summit since that rare Trump-Putin phone conversation. "It was Trump himself who proposed holding the meeting," Ushakov said. "But after that a new breakdown in our bilateral ties has taken place, the diplomats have been expelled." He expressed the hope that Russia and the United States could return to "constructive and serious dialogue."After the call, Washington expelled 60 Russian diplomats and shut down a Russian consulate in Seattle, joining Britain's allies in responding to the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. Moscow responded by sending home 60 US diplomats and closing Washington's consulate in Saint Petersburg. Washington has, however, said Russia is free to apply to accredit more diplomats to replace those expelled. Abiy Ahmed on Monday took an oath as Ethiopia's Prime Minister shortly after being elected to become the 16th Prime Minister of the state. Ahmed the first Oromo Prime Minister of Ethiopia called for unity in the country and urged the Ethiopians to forgive the wrongdoers during his inaugural address to the Ethiopian lawmakers as told by the Al Jazeera. "Ethiopians living abroad and Ethiopians living here, we need to forgive each other from the bottom of our hearts," Ahmed said. Abiy, 41, a former Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army and head of Ethiopia's science and technology ministry, has a reputation as an effective orator and reformer. Ahmed will succeed incumbent Hailemariam Desalegn who resigned in February following anti-government protests demanding economic reforms and an end to corruption. Further Merara Gudina, a prominent opposition leader, expressed cautious optimism over Abiy's election. "What he aims to achieve depends on what his party allows him to do," Merara said, adding that Abiy was elected by Ethiopia's ruling party instead of the common people. "But still it goes without saying that a change in personalities within the leadership may bring changes in terms of bringing better ideas that may ultimately lead to national reconciliation.", Merara added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An anchor of a news channel allegedly committed suicide on late Sunday night, by jumping off fifth floor of her residence, at Hyderabad's Moosapet. As per the suicide note, depression drove her to take the step, police said. The Kukatpally Police Station Sub-Inspector, Majid informed that the anchor committed suicide shortly after coming back from work. She died on the spot from head injury, leg fracture and multiple blunt injuries, he added. The deceased divorced her husband six months ago and had been staying with her parents and a 14-year-old son. A case has been registered in the matter and further probe is on. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bhartiya Janata Party worker Anil Singh, who was earlier booked for communal clashes in Aurangabad district, has surrendered before the court. According to the police, Singh had fled from their custody when he was taken to the local court. However, Singh quashed the claims, saying that the police never arrested him. Recently, communal clashes, which broke out between two groups in Bhagalpur and Aurangabad on the occasion of Ram Navami, spilled over to other parts of the state after miscreants vandalised a Hanuman idol in Nawada. However, the situation had come under control after the security personnel were deployed in the city. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar on Monday held the Central Government and the Supreme Court responsible for the violent protests that erupted during the nationwide Bandh. "What we believe is that people do not resort to violence in the beginning. Violence erupted because the government does not take action against those who want to bring religious power in the country. So, people are now of the thought that they have to take steps in their own way if they want to protect their rights, and today the people showed their way," Ambedkar told ANI. "The responsibility of the violence, I believe, lies on the government and the Supreme Court," the Dalit leader added. Bharat Bandh was called by Dalit outfits on Monday against the Supreme Court's ruling that allegedly diluted the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The protests turned violent in many states, and six people were killed in Madhya Pradesh, two in Uttar Pradesh and one in Rajasthan. The apex court had, on March 20, introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the SC/ST Act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law. The Centre on Monday filed a review petition in the apex court to reconsider its order. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the wake of nationwide bandh against the alleged dilution of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) Protection Act, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has appealed all political parties and groups to maintain peace and shun violence. Informing that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has filed a review petition in Supreme Court for reconsidering of the verdict on the act, he urged the protesters on Monday to refrain from imposing blockades and committing violent acts. Talking to the media, Rajnath said, "We have filed the review petition in Supreme Court. I appeal to all political parties and groups to maintain peace and not incite violence." Several Dalit organisations have called for 'Bharat Bandh' today against the Supreme Court's decision to amend the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste Act. The protests today have hit life in several states. The opposition has been pressing the Centre to file a review petition against the recent top court's ruling that allegedly diluted the provisions for immediate arrest of government servants under the SC/ST Act. On March 20, the apex court, in a bid to check misuse of the SC/ST Act, ruled that a government official cannot be prosecuted on a mere allegation of committing an offence under the Act without the sanction of the appointing authority. It also ruled that a preliminary enquiry in a case under the Atrocities Act would be done by the Deputy Superintendent of Police to ensure the allegations are not frivolous, and to avoid the false implication of an innocent. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madhya Pradesh Police on Monday affirmed that at least four people have been killed in the state due to the ongoing nationwide shutdown called by several Dalit organisations to protest against the alleged dilution of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by the Supreme Court. Violence and arson were witnessed in various states including Punjab, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. "Four people have died; we cannot confirm the number of people injured as yet. Police officials have also got injured," Inspector General (IG) Law and Order Makrand Deuskar told media here. "Police is still on the field and are trying to restore peace. Once that's done we will file cases and begin inquiry on people who have caused disruption," Deuskar added. Meanwhile, one protester has been killed in Madhya Pradesh's Morena town during the clashes on the same issue. The identity is yet to be ascertained. Earlier in the day, protesters in Morena blocked a railway track, curfew was imposed after one person died in the agitations, while section 144 (prohibits assembly of more than four people in the area) was imposed in Gwalior and Sagar, respectively. Protests were also seen in the state's Bhind area, where protesters took to pelting stones. According to media reports, Rahul Pathak was reportedly standing on the balcony of his house in an area where demonstrators clashed with police personnel. During the unrest, a bullet was fired - hitting Rahul who died en route to the hospital. Also, Bhind-based Mahavir Rajawat died of gunshot wounds during the clash. Similar instances of violence have been reported from other parts of the country. The apex court had, on March 20, introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Law and Order Uttar Pradesh Praveen Kumar on Monday informed that one person was killed and 448 people were detained in Uttar Pradesh amid the nationwide bandh called by the several Dalits outfits over the dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by the Supreme Court. Apart from this, three others have got seriously injured and 35 other have suffered minor injuries, the DIG said. He further informed that some police personnel were also injured. "There will be an inquiry on people spreading rumours on Social Media. We have detained 448 people for legal action. Only 10 percent of the state was disrupted, there was peace in 90 percent of the area," he said. DIG Kumar further asserted that the situation is under control in the state and assured that people abating violence will be not spared. "Situation is under control now, however, all districts are still on high alert. We have lathicharged and used water cannon wherever it was needed. No culprit will be spared and strict action will be taken," the DIG said. Meanwhile, five people were killed in Madhya Pradesh and one in Rajasthan during the agitation. Earlier in the day, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad confirmed that the government filed a comprehensive petition in the apex court which would be presented before the top court by senior lawyers. He said that the government didn't agree with the SC's ruling and that there was no intention of changing provision of reservation for minorities. Even after the Centre's review petition in the matter, a storm of outrage has seized many parts of the country, including Bihar, Punjab, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, which even saw angry protestors resorting to the destruction of private and public property to send their message of disapproval to legislature and judiciary. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After violent protests erupted during a nationwide bandh called by Dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said his ministry was closely monitoring the situation and was in constant touch with the affected state. The minister also advised the states to maintain law and order and assured to provide assistance to ensure the same. Taking to his Twitter handle, the Home Minister said that the Centre is committed to work for the welfare of the people of the SC/ST community and guaranteed complete protection of their law. "The Government of India has advised all states to maintain law and order and we are ready to provide assistance to any state that may require so," Rajnath Tweeted. "The Govt. of India is committed to ensuring welfare of SC/STs and other weaker sections and also guaranteeing them full protection of law. The Govt. has already filed a review petition in the Supreme Court to maintain the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act in its presents form," he added. He further appealed the political parties to assist in maintaining harmony and asked people to not to fall prey to any kind of rumours. "I appeal to all political parties to help in maintaining harmony among different sections of the society. I also appeal to the people, not to fall prey to rumours and false propaganda unleashed by mischievous elements," Rajnath Tweeted. Till now Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab have so far requested for Central Forces from the Centre. The Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have also been made available to them. The Home Ministry have also asked the states to take all preventive measures and maintain public order and ensure the safety of lives of people and property. Meanwhile, 763 people were detained in Ranchi and 850 in east Singhbhum district of Jharkhand during bandh protests. One person was killed and 448 people were detained in Uttar Pradesh during the nationwide bandh. While, five people died in Madhya Pradesh and one in Rajasthan during the agitation. Even as the Centre has filed a review petition in the top court, outrage over the review in the Act made by the Supreme Court has engulfed many parts of the country, as various states, including Punjab, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, are witnessing border-line riots with protesters taking to destruction of private and public property to send their message of disapproval to legislature and judiciary. Various Dalit organisations had called for a nationwide shutdown or a 'Bharat Bandh' to protest against the ruling. The apex court had, on March 20, introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue and DU professor Rakesh Sinha on Monday said that he was detained by the Noida Police after being mistaken for Dalit protestor during Bharat Bandh protest. "I was going to take part in a panel discussion at a media house in Noida when I was pulled inside a police jeep. There were eight policemen led by SHO Noida who were using abusive language. When I asked them why I was detained, they simply said I was free to go now," Sinha told ANI. "The police later said that they suspected me to be a Dalit protester. I appeal to the police that basic human rights and dignity of a person should be kept in mind," he added. The nationwide bandh was called by Dalit outfits on Monday against the Supreme Court's ruling that allegedly diluted the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The protests turned violent in many states, and six people were killed in Madhya Pradesh, two in Uttar Pradesh and one in Rajasthan. The apex court had, on March 20, introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law. The Centre on Monday filed a review petition in apex court to reconsider its order. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In wake of the violent protests against Supreme Court's ruling on SC/ST Act, during the nationwide Bandh on Monday, Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) has been imposed in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. Imposition of Section 144 prohibits assembly of more than four people in an area. The Bharat Bandh called by Dalit outfits turned violent in many states on Monday, including Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand. During the violent protest, six people were killed in Madhya Pradesh, two in Uttar Pradesh and one in Rajasthan. The apex court had, on March 20, introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law. The Centre on Monday filed a review petition in the apex court to reconsider its order. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has alleged that the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) were never involved in the nation-building process and didn't believe in the idea of a developed Bangladesh. They (BNP) never believed in development of the country, they were never involved in development and will never be in the future. They have 'rewarded' the killers of Bangabandhu (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) and handed over the national flag to war criminals," said Hasina. Criticising the BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami ring for arson attacks in the past, Hasina termed the attacks as "terrorist acts" and asserted that she did not want to see their recurrence anymore in Bangladesh. "These are absolutely terrorist acts. We don't want such terrorist acts to occur again. We want peace in the country. Destruction is the character of BNP-Jamaat nexus," The Dhaka Tribune quoted Hasina as saying. She further said that her ruling Awami League party wanted peace and were in favour of development of the country. Continuing her tirade against her arch-rival and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's recent court ruling in the Zia Orphanage Trust case, Hasina alleged that "embezzlement" was BNP's character to loot other people's money. "They're involved in money laundering, terrorism, militancy and bombing attacks. Their characters have been unmasked through these evil activities," she claimed. Wishing to see Bangladesh in a 'dignified position' by 2021, the Bangladesh Prime Minister said that her government will ensure that there will be no hunger and poverty, adding that she would continue the development of the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The mortal remains of 38 out of 39 Indians, who were killed in Iraq, are due to reach India by late Monday. Minister of State for External Affairs V. K. Singh, who left for Mosul on Sunday, informed that one man's remains would not be brought as his case was still pending. On returning, Singh will travel to Amritsar and Patna to hand over the mortal remains to the respective families of the victims. On March 20, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj informed the Rajya Sabha members in the Parliament that the 39 Indian nationals, who went missing in Mosul in 2014, were killed by the terror outfit Islamic State (IS). The 39 persons, most of whom hailed from Punjab, were working on projects near Mosul when they got kidnapped. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The body of one Indian will be brought back from Iraq as soon as DNA testing is completed, Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs General (retired) VK Singh said on Tuesday. "Only one Raju Yadav's remains are left to be brought back from Iraq. His DNA matched only 70 percent. We had again sent his sample for DNA testing, a few days back. We will bring back his body as soon as testing is completed," he told ANI after returning to Delhi from Bihar, where he handed over the bodies of five people to their families. On Monday, General Singh brought back the mortal remains of 38 out of 39 Indians, who were killed in Iraq's Mosul. He then traveled to Punjab and Bihar to hand over the mortal remains to the respective families of the victims. On March 20, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj informed the Rajya Sabha members in the Parliament that the 39 Indian nationals, who went missing in Mosul in 2014, were killed by the terror outfit Islamic State (IS). Of those killed by the terrorist outfit, 27 belonged to Punjab, four from Himachal Pradesh, five from Bihar and two from West Bengal. General Singh further hit out at the Opposition for politicising the issue and said, "Opposition, particularly Congress, played a negative role. They tried to find fault in everything. It was a very petty act to do on a matter related to the poor and the nation." Following the revelation by EAM Swaraj, the Congress and other Opposition parties accused Centre of delaying the information. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Monday extended support to the protest against the dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by the Supreme Court. She, however, condemned the violence taking place during the protest and said that strict action should be taken against the one indulged in it. "I support the protest against the SC/ST Act. I have got to know that some people are spreading violence during the protests, I strongly condemn it. Our party is not behind the violence during the protests," She said while interacting with media. "Strict action should be taken against those who spread violence during the protests," she added. Even as the Centre has filed a review petition in the top court, outrage over the review in the Act made by the Supreme Court has engulfed numerous parts of the country, as various states, including Punjab, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, are witnessing border-line riots with protesters taking to destruction of private and public property to send their message of disapproval to legislature and judiciary. Various Dalit organisations had called for a nationwide shutdown or a 'Bharat Bandh' to protest against the ruling. The apex court had, on March 20, introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Monday sought the Congress Party's support for moving the no-confidence motion in the Parliament against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government over the formation of Cauvery Management Board (CMB). "Let Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi issue a statement (expressing support). They (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) are in alliance with the Congress. It is only if they (Congress) support, we will get the needed numbers and move the no-confidence motion," AIADMK leader M Thambidurai told media. Meanwhile, the AIADMK MPs continued their protest in the Parliament premises over the issue and the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha have been adjourned till tommorow and till 12 pm respectively. While the AIADMK announced a hunger strike across the state on April 3 to urge the central government to form the management board, the DMK announced a shutdown across Tamil Nadu on April 5 to press for the same. Earlier, DMK working president MK Stalin demanded that the ruling AIADMK support the no-trust move of the Telugu Desam Party to create pressure on the Centre in connection with the matter. On February 16, the Supreme Court had pronounced its verdict on the vexed dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The apex court had directed Karnataka to release 177.25 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of water to Tamil Nadu. This reduced Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water by 14.75 tmcft from the 192 tmcft allocated by a tribunal in 2007. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China's hydro ambitions are on the verge of killing Mekong River, says a report. A report published by the Lowy Institute says that biodiversity and precious resources of the Mekong are increasingly under danger because of the rush to construct dams on one of the world's great rivers. The Mekong River is the lifeblood of Southeast Asia and offers a glimpse into the long history and diverse cultures of the region. The 12th longest river in the and the 7th longest in Asia, it flows through six countries: China, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. "A total of 11 mainstream dams and 120 dams on tributaries are planned, which scientists warn will imperil the already fragile river system. Recent studies call for a suspension and review of future projects," says the report authored by Tom Fawthrop. It also cites a joint report by UNESCO and the Stockholm Institute as saying that if all the dams proposed for the Lower Mekong Basin are developed, including the planned or ongoing 11 mainstream dams, it could prevent up to 94 percent of the river's sediment load from being transported further downstream. Sediment is critical to the health of the river and essential for replenishing fish life. The Mekong ranks as one of the world's most productive inland fisheries. Its basin banks support a population of 60 million Thai, Laotians, Cambodians, and Vietnamese. Fawthrop in his report titled 'Mekong: more dams, more damage' says that "the UNESCO report has warned that Chinese dams built on the upper sections, known as Lancang, have caused a 70 percent reduction in sediment, which will adversely impact fisheries and rice production in Cambodia and Vietnam". Few countries in the are more dependent on fish consumption than Cambodia, where fish provide 80 percent of the population's annual protein intake and account for approximately 12 percent of GDP. The Lowy Institute article says that scientific reports warning about the Mekong crisis have had little impact so far on regional policymakers, energy ministers, economists, and Chinese hydropower companies. "These powers are so totally immersed in infrastructure development, energy supply, and GDP growth that they appear scarcely aware of (or perhaps just don't care about) the other side of the growth equation. There is no social audit for the economic value of the erosion and loss of precious natural resources," says the article. A study "Economic Evaluation of Hydropower Projects in the Lower Mekong Basin" says that if all 11 dams go ahead, the economy of the lower Mekong will be set back a staggering 7.3 billion US dollars over the next fifty years. Fawthrop concludes his article by saying that since the alternative sources of energy are readily available, the call for a moratorium on dam-building is clearly the least risky policy option and the only way to protect both the fisheries and the riparian peoples of the Mekong. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Putting an end to month-long speculations, Google on Monday announced that its Google Home and Google Home Mini speakers will soon be available in India. While reports hint at April 10 as the launch date, the company, in its tweet, confirmed the arrival of the two products, but did not mention a date. "Get ready to #MakeGoogleDoIt, at home too. Coming soon," Google India tweeted. Google Home, which is already available to American users, was launched in May 2016 at the company's annual developer conference I/O, while Google Home mini was launched alongside the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones in October last year. While Google Home is priced at USD 129 in the US, the smaller speaker is available at a price of USD 49. Further details are awaited. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Evosys, a Global Oracle Cloud Premier Partner, announced to acquire Massachusetts-based Newbury Taleo Group, a premier CEI certified Oracle Gold partner specializing in Oracle Cloud talent acquisition solutions at the Oracle HCM World conference today. The acquisition will strengthen the Evosys' footprints and ability to provide efficient Oracle Cloud based Solutions in North America. Newbury Taleo Group firm has strong hold on Healthcare, Higher Education, Public Sector, Financial Services, Professional Services and other Commercial markets. The superior reputation of the company for customer service and value-based pricing comprehends with the Evosys excellent track record of proven expertise as an Oracle Cloud Solution Provider. "The acquisition underlines our strategic commitment to North America and our customers across all the regions for an advanced and expanded set of Oracle Cloud Solutions. By bringing in Newbury to Evosys, we are confident that this acquisition will help us develop our long-term growth and enhance presence in North America," said Umang Nahata, CEO, Evosys. After the acquisition, Newbury Taleo Group will be rebranded as "Newbury Cloud powered by Evosys" to reach to a larger segment of customers with proven methods and deep expertise. "We have helped hundreds of organizations optimize their use of Oracle talent acquisition solutions to recruit and on board the best talent at the lowest cost possible," said John Weston, CEO, Newbury Taleo Group. "In merging with Evosys, we gain the opportunity to build one of the industry's best Oracle Cloud HCM practices". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Guatemalan military dictator Efrain Rios Montt, who was convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity, died on Sunday in Guatemala City aged 91. The former General died of the heart attack, the New York Times, reported, quoting his lawyers Jaime Hernandez and Luis Rosales as saying. Rios Montt was convicted in 2013 of genocide and crimes against humanity for the killing of over 1,700 ethnic Mayans by security forces under his command during a civil war. The former General, who was then 86, maintained his innocence and said at his trial, "I never did it. Of everything that has been said here, there has never been any evidence of my participation." Judge Yasmin Barrios said she was "completely convinced" of General Rios Montt's guilt and had sentenced him to 80 years of imprisonment but the ruling was swiftly set aside and a new trial ordered. He is survived by his wife, Maria Teresa; a son, Enrique, who served as army chief of staff but resigned after being charged with embezzlement; and a daughter, Zury, a former member of Congress who is married to a Republican former member of the United States Congress, Gerald C. Weller, the report said. His trial eventually resumed in October last year behind closed doors and in special conditions because of his deteriorating mental health. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday confirmed that the main conspirator behind the Bharat Bandh violence is former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Yogesh Verma. Various Dalit organisations had called for a nationwide shutdown or a 'Bharat Bandh' to protest against the alleged dilution of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by the Supreme Court. "He is the main conspirator of this violence (Bharat Bandh) and we have detained him," Meerut's Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manzil Saini told reporters here. "More than 200 people have been detained and we are getting cases registered against them. All conspirators and hooligans involved in anti-social activities will be booked under Security Agency (NSA). There have been no casualties so far," Saini added. Earlier in the day, in response to the ongoing nationwide shutdown, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed citizens to "not disturb law and order". "The central and state governments are dedicated towards the welfare of backward castes, Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes. I appeal to all not to disturb the law and order. If at all there are any issues you can bring them to government's notice," said Adityanath. Even as the Centre has filed a review petition in the top court, outrage over the review in the Act made by the Apex Court has engulfed numerous parts of the country, as various states, including Punjab, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, are witnessing border-line riots with protesters taking to destruction of private and public property to send their message of disapproval to legislature and judiciary. The apex court had, on March 20, introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Foreign Secretary Vijay K. Gokhale, who was on a two-day official visit to Bhutan from April 1, has underlined the strengthening of bilateral relations between New Delhi and Thimphu. According to an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Gokhale met his Bhutanese counterpart, Dasho Sonam Tshong, during his visit. He also called on the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay. The Foreign Secretary had an audience with Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. The talks were held in a cordial atmosphere in keeping with the unique and exemplary bonds of friendship and cooperation that existed between India and Bhutan. The visit was in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and provided an opportunity to the two sides to discuss matters concerning the bilateral partnership, including the commemorative activities planned in 2018 to mark the golden jubilee of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gurpinder Kaur, the sister of Majinder Singh, one of the 39 Indians who were killed in Iraq, said the Government of India must provide jobs to the families of the deceased so that they can manage their survival. Speaking to ANI, Kaur said the government should also provide employment opportunities in Punjab so that people do not have to go to foreign nations. "Initially, we were waiting for them but for the past 10 days, we have been waiting for their mortal remains. All we now hope and expect the government to do is give employment to the families of the deceased so that they can manage their survival," she said. Her remarks come as the families in Bhoewal village of Punjab await mortal remains of the killed persons, who went to work in Iraq. The mortal remains of the 39 Indians will on Monday reach Amritsar in Punjab through a special aircraft. Kaur also said tough action must be taken against unregistered agents who cheat people and send them wrongly to such nations. Singh's father, Hardeep Singh, praised Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and said the Union Minister had assured all help. The families will reach Amritsar airport in the morning as the aircraft expected to return with the mortal remains will land around 1.30 p. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A girl student in Jind district of Haryana on Sunday committed suicide over not being able to score good marks in exams, police said on Monday. The Class 11 student from Siwah village shot herself with her father's revolver because she was not able to top her class exams, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sunil Kumar said. Her father, Vedpal, found her dead in the washroom along with his revolver, the DSP said. Anjali, who got her exam result on Saturday, was studying in Indus Public School. Eldest of her three siblings, Anjali was the daughter of the village head. She had two sisters and a brother at home. The police have handed over the girl's body to her parents after conducting the post-mortem, the DSP said. An investigation into the matter has been initiated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hollywood is mourning the death of Steven Bochco, the prolific showrunner of American sitcoms. The 10-time Primetime Emmy Award winner, who died on Sunday after a long battle with a rare form of cancer, created several hit television shows including 'Hill Street Blues', 'NYPD Blue', 'L.A. Law', 'Doogie Howser, M.D.', 'Commander in Chief', 'Raising the Bar' among others. People from all the aspects of the industry have paid tribute to the legendary artist. Disney CEO Bob Iger, who was ABC Network president when 'NYPD Blue' launched, wrote, " Steven Bochco: Today, our industry lost a visionary, a creative force, a risk taker, a witty, urbane story teller with an uncanny ability to know what the world wanted. We were long-term colleagues, and longer term friends, and I am deeply saddened". American actress, Sharon Lawrence, who worked with Bochco in 'NYPD Blue,' wrote, "It was his vision, style, taste and tenacity that made me love watching TV. It was being on #NYPDBlue that made me love working on TV. Thank you and rest well Steven Bochco. You were one of a kind". Debra Messing of 'Will & Grace' fame shared, "So sad to hear of Steven Bochco's passing. He was a pioneer, a gentleman, and gave me my first job in prime time tv. Rest well, sir. You will be missed. #RIP". The creator of 'House of Cards', Beau Willimon, tweeted, "As a kid, "Hill Street Blues" and "L.A. Law" were rituals in my house. All of us who grew up watching great TV and have benefited from the ground he broke owe pioneer Steven Bochco a debt of gratitude. RIP". Mark A. Altman of 'House of the Dead' series said, " Heartbroken over the death of the great #StevenBochco. He was an amazing talent. His autobiography is a must-read. He changed television forever". Bochco's colleague Blair Underwood from 'L.A. Law' shared a picture of the industry veteran and wrote a heartfelt message, "VERY SAD to hear that Steven Bochco passed away on Sunday. Steven hired me on LA LAW and changed the trajectory of my life and career. There are opportunities available to me today because he took a chance on a kid like me, long ago. I'll forever be grateful to him. RIP Steven". Judd Apatow of 'Wanderlust' wrote, "Steven Bochco sat with Jake Kasdan and myself before we started Freaks and Geeks and let us grill him for advice. We used all of it. He was a great man and will forever be an inspiration". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An FIR has been lodged against the owner of a hotel building that collapsed in Indore, claiming 10 lives. The Gwaltoli Police registered a case against Shankar Pariyani, under Sections 304 (culpable homicide) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), after family of deceased hotel manager Harish Soni said that he had warned Pariyani of the building's collapse, which was over 50 years old. Disregarding Soni's advice, the hotel owner continued the construction work to add two more floors to the two-storey building, City Superintendent of Police BS Parihar told ANI. Police have also sent a team to search possible locations of the hotel owner. Ten people died while two sustained serious injuries on Saturday after the building collapsed, soon after a car rammed into it. Prominent Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston has lately returned from a trip to Tahiti, an island in French Polynesia where the "FRIENDS" star was vacationing with her celebrity pals. Aniston vacationed in Tahiti alongside pals Courteney Cox, Jimmy Kimmel, and his wife Molly McNearney. The trip was in honor of McNearney's recent birthday, reported People magazine. Molly's birthday celebrations began earlier this month during a star-studded bash with her closest friends. Sources claimed the group was spotted catching a plane at the main Tahiti airport, heading to Tetiarao, with Jason Bateman and wife Amanda Anka joining along. Tetiarao is an atoll in French Polynesia and is Marlon Brando's private island, where The Brando resort is located.A three-bedroom villa at the swanky, mostly-inclusive resort can reportedly run upwards of $15,000 per night. The 49-year-old has recently announced her split from husband Justin Theroux, after two years of marriage. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday announced ex-gratia of Rs five lakh for the next kin of the 27 Indians belonging from Punjab, who was killed in Iraq's Mosul. Apart from this, he assured job for a person from the family of victims and said that the pension of Rs 20, 000 which currently being provided to the kin's will continue. Meanwhile, the mortal remains of 38 out of 39 Indians have reached Amritsar. Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh, who brought the remains from Iraq, will hand it over to the family later in the day. The remains of one man were not brought as his case was still pending. Singh will later travel to Amritsar and Patna to hand over the remains to the respective families of the victims. It was on March 20, when External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj in the Rajya Sabha informed the Parliament that 39 Indian nationals, who went missing in Mosul in 2014, were killed by the terror outfit Islamic State (IS). The 39 persons, most of whom hailed from Punjab, were working on projects near Mosul when they got kidnapped. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai, also known as the financial capital of India, has added another feather to its cap, becoming the first city of the country to have as many as eight women police station in-charges. Mumbai police is quite enthusiastic about these ladies heading their respective police stations and they expect that soon the number of stations led by women officers will be more. Taking to Twitter, Mumbai Police wrote, "Eight women police station in-charges a first in any city in the country, protecting the good and destroying the evil, with a smile each day." While in the present scenario when cases of violence against women are on the rise, Mumbai Police has ensured that women are the helm guarding the city. The names of the eight women police station in-charges are--Alka Mandave (Airport Police Station), Rashmi Jadhav (Cuffe Parade Police Station), Mrudula Lad (Sion Police Station), Lata Shirsat (Sahar Police Station), Jyotsna Rasam (Vanrai Police Station), Rohini Kale (Pantnagar Police Station), Vidhyalaxmi Hiremath (Aarey Police Station) and Kalpana Gadekar (BKC Police Station). Rashmi Jadhav, in charge of Cuffe Parade Police Station said that being female in charge of a police station, will help women and it will be more comfortable for girls and women to come and report crimes against them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Denis Waitley, the award-winning author of books such as "Seeds of Greatness" and "The Winner's Edge" said, "The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence." How about children having the responsibility of making decisions on global issues that can impact the future of humanity? How about children being in positions of power while role-playing as leaders of our nations? It is with this tremendous responsibility and opportunity that a delegation of students from NSS Hill Spring International School in Mumbai embarked on a journey to Beijing, China to participate in the Harvard Model United Nations China conference as part of the Worldview Future Leaders Program. The delegation consisting of students who are in their early to mid-teens however seemed to have a bigger mission as they didn't just participate in the conference but left an indelible mark on it with a winning performance where they got individual awards in 12 out of the 14 committees that were simulated at this prestigious conference. To top it off, the school delegation was recognised with the Outstanding Large Delegation award! Over 1200 students from across China, South Asia, Southeast Asia and parts of Europe participated in the Harvard MUN China 2018. The 14 committees that the students were divided into simulated various organs and bodies of the United Nations. Each committee addressed an important issue that is highlighted under the UN Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030. Over the four days of the conference, the delegates in each committee engaged in multiple rounds of speeches, debates, negotiations and discussions before coming up with resolutions to solve pressing issues such as water scarcity, poverty and inequality, weaponisation of natural resources, terrorism among others. Sampreeth Reddy, CEO of Worldview (co-hosts and partners of the Harvard MUN in India) said, "This award is a testament to the investment that the management, teachers and parents of NSS Hill Spring International School have put in over the years. The school has taken a meaningful and long-term approach to developing global citizenship and building skills such as public speaking, negotiation, the art of compromise, debating in their students. This recognition is thoroughly deserved." NSS Hill Spring International School has been participating in the Harvard MUN conferences in India and China consistently for the past eight years. The school also has an active MUN club and hosts their own MUN conference every year. The Harvard MUN is a conference hosted by the International Relations Council at Harvard University every year in Boston, Beijing and Hyderabad. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israel has suspended the agreement with the United Nations which allowed the deportation of African migrants in Germany, Canada, and Italy on Tuesday. In a Facebook post, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will discuss the (deportation) deal with Israeli residents of south Tel Aviv. He added, "In the meantime, I am suspending the implementation of the agreement, and after meeting with the representatives I will re-examine the agreement again". Netanyahu has taken a U-turn from his Monday's statement to a presser at the Prime Minister's office where he noted that for one or every migrant deported from Israel, one will be allowed to stay, according to The Jerusalem Post. Later an agreement was signed between the Prime Minister's Office and the UN High Commission as per which Israel may deport around 16,250 migrants and grant temporary residency to an additional 16,000 who fulfil certain criteria to be ascertained through cooperation between Israel and the Commission. In January, the Prime Minister had ordered thousands of African refugees to leave the country by April or face imprisonment. Following this, the United Nations had called on Israel to halt its policy of deporting over 33,000 Eritreans and Sudanese people. According to a UN estimate, there are nearly 27,000 Eritreans and 7,700 Sudanese people residing in Israel. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four people were killed and a girl was injured on Monday in an incident of firing at Quetta city in Pakistan. The deceased belonging to the Christian community were travelling in a rickshaw when a pair of motorbike-borne unidentified attackers fired upon them, as reported by the Dawn. A police official Muhammad Anwar Khokhar confirmed the incident while a police team was dispatched to the location of the incident for conducting an investigation. No terror group has claimed the responsibility for the attack. In a separate firing incident in Quetta on Monday, three people were killed and four were injured. Police said the deceased belong to Bangulzai tribe, adding that the incident appears to be the result of a tribal enmity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Pakistani delegation led by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and other senior-level officials on Monday arrived here to hold talks on the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) in the war-torn country. The visit of the delegation comprising senior civil and military officials, including Director General Military Operations Major General Shamshad Mirza, precedes Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's visit to Afghanistan on April 6. The arrival of the delegation was confirmed on Twitter by Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal. Earlier on March 17 and 18, Pakistan's National Security Advisor (NSA) Nasser Janjua had visited Kabul and met Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah in separate meetings. Ghani had during Janjua's trip extended an invitation to Abbasi to "initiate state to state comprehensive dialogue". Monday's visit comes as the latest round of the bilateral talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan ended without any major breakthrough to establish an environment of cooperation and attract Islamabad's cooperation, Khaama Press reported. According to Afghan officials, fight against terrorism, reduction in violence, peace efforts were on top of Afghanistan's agenda in bilateral talks but no breakthrough was made during the negotiations last month. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has constituted a two-member committee to probe the alleged mistreatment of two patients at its medical college. The committee will submit its report on the incident within 72 hours. In the incident, which took place on March 31, two patients were seen with their hands and legs tied to their respective beds at the emergency ward of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC). Later, one of them succumbed to injuries on the same day. AMU Public Relation Officer (PRO) Zeeshan Ahmed said, "A committee has been formed by the University Vice Chancellor Tariq Mansoor. It has been asked to submit a report within 72 hours." A separate committee has also been formed to probe the conflict that took place between the doctors and AMU's student leader after which resident doctors went on strike soon after the incident. The two patients, who got injured in a railway accident, were seen seeking help at the hospital, as the staff remained missing from the emergency ward. However, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Chief Medical Officer S.A.H. Zaidi later clarified that the patients were tied to the bed as they did not have side guards. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday confirmed that the Supreme Court's ratification to make amends to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) {Prevention of Atrocities} Act (1989) will not go unchallenged and a petition has already been filed to try and convince the apex court to reconsider its decision. "I wish to convey that today we have filed a petition on the judgment by Supreme Court on the SC/ST act. We have filed a comprehensive review petition which will be presented before the court by the senior lawyers of the government," said Prasad. Outrage over the review in the Act made by the Supreme Court has engulfed numerous parts of the country in a cloud of violence, as various parts of Bihar, Punjab, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, etc. have seen border-line riots, as protesters have taken to destruction of private and public property to send their message of disapproval to legislature and judiciary. Various Dalit organisations have also called for a nationwide shutdown or a 'Bharat Bandh' to protest against the ruling. The apex court had, on March 20, introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Policybazaar.com, India's largest insurance website and comparison portal, is planning to foray into the healthcare technology and services space. The new platform will provide consumers with easy, online and free access to PolicyBazaar's empanelled top-notch doctors and medical consultants. To begin with, the company intends to partner with 100 hospitals and 20,000 doctors, diagnostic centres, and clinics by the end of March 2019. The healthcare vertical also plans to offer a huge array of healthcare services, which includes in-hospital concierge services for its health insurance customers. By doing this, Policybazaar.com wants to be with its customers at the moment of truth, which is at the time of claims. "Our foray into the healthcare services space is in sync with the vision of expanding the social security net of India. With this venture, we seek to fulfill the need of providing quality and affordable healthcare of the burgeoning population at large by connecting the consumers with our in-house medical practitioners. The new portal will facilitate the creation of an inclusive healthcare system, which will eventually offer customised options for in-patient department insurance based on detailed analysis undertaken after studying consumer healthcare habits and patient's interactions with the doctors," said Yashish Dahiya, co-founder and CEO, Policybazaar.com. In the long run, PolicyBazaar.com wants to offer its customers a better and personalised claim and in-hospital experience. Policybazaar is also going to work with insurers to create a new category of health insurance for Out-patient expenses (OPD) and provide free online medical consultation to consumers over phone and chat. Policybazaar.com is in discussions with insurance companies to offer a first of its kind OPD insurance product. The company aims to offer 5 million OPD consultations by next FY. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russia on Monday said that the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal could have been in Britain's interests. In a news conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov blamed the western countries for "playing children's games" and pointed out UK's hand for the poisoning incident. "There are other explanations besides those put forward by our Western colleagues who declare that it can only be the Russians who are responsible," he said. Lavrov asserted that the UK was blaming Russia for the poisoning case as the former failed to fulfill the promises to the voters over Brexit, Sky News reported. Accusing London and Washington D.C. of orchestrating the "drama", Lavrov added, "In times of Cold War there were some rules, but now Britain and the United States had dropped all propriety." According to the British government, Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia were on March 4 exposed to a military-grade nerve agent at their home the British city of Salisbury. Moscow has requested London that it "insists" on seeing Yulia after her condition dramatically improved last week. She is now said to be conscious and talking. Her father still remains in a critical condition. Meanwhile, the UK said that it is looking into the "legality" of the request and is considering the "rights and wishes" of Yulia. Last month, the UK suspended 23 Russian diplomats back to Moscow claiming that Russia was "highly responsible" for the poisoning attack. In a tit-for-tat move, Russia also expelled the same number of British diplomats. However, Moscow denied any wrongdoing, while Russian President Vladimir Putin described the accusations as "delirium". On Saturday, Russia ordered 50 more British diplomats to leave the country, further escalating a diplomatic crisis between the two countries. British Prime Minister Theresa May also called the incident "a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil" and accused Russia of carrying out the attack. UK ambassador Laurie Bristow was summoned by the Russian Foreign Ministry for the second time over the poisoning attack on Skripal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the wake of violent protests erupted during a nationwide bandh, 16 additional companies of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), four companies of Royal Air Force (RAF), two companies to Special Task Force (STF) and 3000 trainee constables are to be deployed across Madhya Pradesh. Violent protests erupted on Monday in many states including Madhya Pradesh during a nationwide bandh called by Dalit outfits against the Supreme Court's ruling that allegedly diluted the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. At least six people were killed in Madhya Pradesh following which Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan assured strict action against the perpetrators. The apex court had, on March 20, introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the SC/ST while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law. The Centre on Monday filed a review petition in apex court to reconsider its order. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs on Monday staged a protest in the Parliament premises against the disinvestment of carrier Air India (AI). Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, who was also the Union Minister of State for Urban Development in the Manmohan Singh government, said Air India is the asset and disinvestment shows that there is possibly a scam going on. "The Parliamentary Standing Committee is discussing this matter and judging the issue in the house. Disinvestment is wrong and illegal and we are protesting against it, as they should do everything will full transparency but they are not doing it so," he said. Earlier last week, TMC spokesperson Derek O' Brien had said the government went ahead and announced the "privatisation plan" of Air India while the Parliament's Standing Committee was busy discussing it. "One by one, every institution is being compromised and subverted. Now even standing committee of Parliament not spared. While it is discussing Air India, government goes ahead and announces privatisation plan and minister gives details today. Democracy hijacked by executive class?" he asked on Twitter. One by one, every institution is being compromised and subverted. Now even Standing Committee of Parliament not spared. While it's discussing Air India, govt goes ahead and announces privatisation plan & Minister gives details today. Democracy hijacked by executive class? Derek O'Brien (@derekobrienmp) March 29, 2018 On March 28, the government appointed Ernst & Young LLP India (EY) as its transaction advisor for advising and managing the proposed strategic disinvestment of Air India. This includes transfer of management control and sale of 76 percent equity share capital of the airlines held by the government. The disinvestment proposal also includes AI's shareholding interest in the Air India Express Limited (AIXL) and Air India SATS Airport Services Private Limited (AISATS). Air India inter alia holds 100 percent equity share capital of AIXL and 50 percent equity share capital of AISATS. As on December 31 2017, AI's authorised capital is Rs 300 billion divided into 30,00,00,00,000 equity shares of Rs. 10 each and its paid up share capital is Rs. 267 billion divided into 26,75,30,00,000 equity shares held by the President of India. Air India has an operating fleet of 115 aircraft as on 31st December 2017, mainly comprising Airbus and Boeing aircraft such as A-319, A-320, A-321, B-747, B-777 and B-787 out of which 69 are owned / on finance lease, 24 are on sale and lease back model and balance are on operating lease. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The process of filing petitions for H-1B visa has begun amidst unprecedented scrutiny by United States President Donald Trump's administration. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which is the federal agency responsible to process the visas, has indicated that there will be zero tolerance for even minor errors. H-1B is considered as the most sought-after work visa among highly-skilled Indian professionals. It is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Earlier in March, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services had announced that it will temporarily suspended the premium processing for the H-1B visa. "The USCIS will begin accepting applications for the fiscal year 2019 (October 2018 to September 2019) from April 2. The suspension will last until September 10," the body had said. "This temporary suspension will help us reduce overall H-1B processing times. By temporarily suspending premium processing, we will be able to.process long-pending petitions, which we have currently been unable to process due to the high volume of incoming petitions and the significant surge in premium processing requests over the past few years," the USCIS added. The Donald Trump administration recently announced a new measure, making the approval of H-1B visa more tougher. As per the new policy, any company will have to make one more clarification to prove that its H-1B employee at a third-party worksite has specific and non-qualifying speculative assignments in a speciality occupation. The updated policy is a part of Trump's "Buy American and Hire American" Executive Order, which directs to protect the interests of US workers. According to the US administration officials, the scrutiny is needed to ensure the integrity of the controversial visa programme, which according to critics has cost American jobs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) United States President Donald Trump will host Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from April 17 to 18 at Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, the White House said on Monday, Both the leaders are expected to discuss on trade negotiations and relations with North Korea, which also includes President Trump's proposed meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in May, The Hill reported. "The two leaders will discuss the international campaign to maintain maximum pressure on North Korea in advance of President Trump's planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. "President Trump and Prime Minister Abe will explore ways to expand fair and reciprocal trade and investment ties between the United States and Japan, two of the world's wealthiest and most innovative economies," she added. The US President also hosted Abe at the Florida resort in February last year. Calling the resort as "the winter White House," President Trump has also hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping. Abe's visit to the US comes when the two Koreas are scheduled to hold a summit on April 27, in an endeavour to improve bilateral ties between them. There has been a pressing need for the denuclearisation of North Korea by Japan, the US, China and South Korea. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) United States President Donald Trump on Monday congratulated his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on his re-election. As per a statement by The White House the two leaders Trump and Sisi "affirmed the strategic partnership between the United States and Egypt". They further noted that they look forward to advancing this partnership and addressing common challenges between the two countries. Further, China's President Xi Jinping also sent a congratulatory message to Sisi on Monday. "Jinping has kept close contacts with Sisi in recent years, and that he is pleased to see that mutual political trust between the two countries (China and Egypt) has kept deepening, bilateral pragmatic cooperation has kept advancing, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges have become more active" as reported by China's state-owned organisation Xinhua News Agency. Jinping further said that he values China-Egypt bilateral relations and willing to enhance cooperative strategic partnership by bringing benefits to the people. Incumbent Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was re-elected to the post for the second time on Monday after winning a massive 92 percent vote share on March 29. Sisi's only challenger and al-Ghad Party chief Moussa Mostafa Moussa were able to get only three percent of vote share. The official results, confirming the victory of Sisi were announced on April 2. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two men were shot dead by unidentified persons, on Sunday night in Daman. The deceased, identified as Ajay Manjra and Dheeraj Patel, were returning from Gujarat's Vapi when some people intercepted their car and opened fire. Both the victims were residents of Daman's Bhimpore area. Further probe in the matter is on to nab the culprits. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States Embassy has cautioned Indian aspirants to be fully aware of bogus visa rules while applying for a student visa to the country. At a session titled, "Open House at the Consular Section - The right way to apply for a US Visa", Elizabeth Lawrence, Fraud Prevention Manager at the US Embassy, said," A lot of students approach bogus visa agents in order to help them to obtain visas. We caution the students to use the right sources with EducationUSA, where they can conduct research with all programmes and courses they want to apply in the US universities and make sure that they make the best of their future goals." She also warned aspirants to be wary of agents who provide false information to guarantee them a student visa. Lawrence further said, "We also request individuals to not to lie during a visa interview. We do not have a set of rules of what documents to bring during the interview. However, if an individual wishes to bring their own documents such as educational certificates, bank accounts, it should be made sure that it should be 100 percent real and not counterfeit. However, fraud cases are very negligible." She asserted that if an applicant had brought forged documents, then they would be permanently ineligible for applying for a visa to the US. George Hogeman, Consul General at the US Embassy, said that student visas act as a bedrock of US-India relations, which helps to facilitate people-to-people relationship. Revealing the facts, he said, "One out of six international students in the US are from India. According to an open door report, at least 186,000 people have applied for student visas in the US, which is the highest ever." Hogeman added that on June 6, all US missions in India would observe Student Visa Day, wherein aspirants would apply for student visas only on that day. He also requested aspirants not to prepare for the interview, as only relevant questions would be asked. "A lot of applicants, including some students, come with a prepared speech. The best advice for anyone applying for a visa is to listen carefully to what the officer asks during the interview and answer that question. We then base our visa decisions on the interview. We also know that students are nervous during the interview, which is okay. If they are able to answer the questions correctly, then the visa is issued to them." On being asked about the status of H-1B visas, which has been in the news lately, over the Trump administration's decision to further toughen its rules, Hogeman said 'no changes' had been made as of now. The US on March 31 decided to block the filing of multiple applications of H-1B visas by 'related entities' for the same visa-seeker, for the same job. According to media reports, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will file petitions to H-1B visa applications for the 2018- 2019 season. Successful applicants who are allotted the visa will be able to work in the US from October 1, 2018 during the tenure of the visa, which may be for an initial maximum period of three years. H-1B is considered as the most sought-after work visa among highly-skilled Indian professionals. It is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Earlier in March, the USCIS had announced that it will temporarily suspended the premium processing for the H-1B visa till September 10. Aastha Virk Singh, an advisor at EducationUSA, said that students need to be aware of the rules of applying for visas. "We provide free information to the students. We also conduct student visa sessions which are chaired by the US consuls. Our objective is to make the students aware on how to find the right sources for applying for a visa and our advisers also counsel them on what websites they can refer to," said Singh. EducationUSA is a US Department of State network of over 400 international student advising centers in more than 170 countries. It promotes US higher to millions of students around the by offering accurate, comprehensive and current information about opportunities to study at accredited post-secondary institutions in the United States. The organisation also provides services to the US higher community to help students meet their recruitment and campus internationalisation goals. She added that visa sessions were free of cost and students were welcome to visit their educational centres spread across India to clarify their doubts about applying for a US visa. Singh further said that students could apply for visas from this month till June or July, when they would apply for seats at the US universities, at least 120 days before the programme or the session begins. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Violence and arson were witnessed on Monday in Darbhanga district of Bihar, during Bharat Bandh called by the Bhim Sena and various other SC/ST organisations. The protests were called against the Supreme Court ruling, against the dilution of the SC/ST Act. The Bhim Sena and their supporters blocked railway tracks and roads at several places in the district and indulged in violence. Trains were prevented from entering or leaving the Darbhanga railway station, forcing many them to make unscheduled stops. The Swatantra Senani Express coming from Delhi was pelted with stones near Museum Gomti and forced to stop. The agitators climbed onto the train and shouted slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government. Markets in Darbhanga were also forced to close by the agitators, who blocked roads at several places, throwing life out of gear. At Hirdaysthali Tower in the city, a scuffle broke out between the agitators and the shopkeepers. The two groups' pelted stones at each other, leaving many injured. The police intervened and managed to bring the situation under control. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Violent protests have marred the nationwide bandh called by various Dalit organisations against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by the Supreme Court. Even as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has filed a review petition against the verdict, the burning of vehicles, rail roko agitations and various other blockades continue to be in place across various parts of the country. Punjab, which has the highest number of Dalit population in the country, is practically at the forefront of the agitations. Mobile internet services and public transport have been suspended in the state for the time being. Police forces were deployed in Amritsar to help control the angry mob. Also, class X and XII examinations that were scheduled to be held today have been postponed for later and all educational institutions have been directed to stay closed. Elsewhere, in Uttar Pradesh's Agra, Meerut, Ghaziabad, and Hapur, protesters took to the streets, rampantly damaging all sorts of public and private properties to express their disapproval of SC's ruling. In Madhya Pradesh's Morena, where protesters blocked a railway track, curfew was imposed after one person died in the agitations, while section 144 (prohibits assembly of more than four people in the area) was imposed in Gwalior and Sagar, respectively. Protests were also seen in the state's Bhind area, where protesters took to pelting stones. The situation was equally bad in Rajasthan's Jaipur, Bharatpur and Barmer, where protesters stopped trains and vandalised shops among other violent approaches. In Bihar and Jharkhand, angry protesters were involved in clashes with police personnel and were also involved in the stopping of numerous trains. People in Uttrakhand also took part in the protests, with shops being forced to shut down in various parts of its capital, Dehradun. Protesters in Gujarat's Kutch set ablaze various vehicles, while in Mandi House in the capital, a mob gathered with 'Jai Bhim' flags, shouting slogans. Earlier today, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad confirmed the filing of a petition to try and convince the apex court to reconsider its decision. To check the misuse of the SC/ST act, the Supreme Court, on March 20, laid down some provisions before implicating someone under the said law. The top court directed that a preliminary inquiry would be conducted by the Deputy Superintendent of Police to ensure that allegations were not frivolous and to avoid the false implication of an innocent. The court, while introducing a provision for anticipatory bail in the act, also held that a government official cannot be prosecuted on a mere allegation of committing an offence under the Act, without the sanction of an appointing authority. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As violence continued unabated in Asansol-Raniganj area of West Bengal, the Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday issued a notice to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government. NHRC has also asked its Director General (Investigation) to depute a team for spot inquiry and called for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks. Following the violence in the Asansol-Raniganj area many people have been forced to leave their houses. Several people have died; a police officer has also sustained grievous injuries and the situation is reported to be still out of control. Expressing serious concern over the situation, the Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and Director General of Police, West Bengal in connection with the matter. According to the media reports, the people, who dialed No. 100 to seek police assistance, have stated that no police personnel came to help them. The unruly mob has destroyed the public and private properties. There are many families from different communities, as mentioned in the news report, who have lost everything in the ongoing violence. It is also stated in the news reports that according to many victims, the police just stood there for a while and then vanished when the crowd attacked the victims. However, reportedly, the Commissioner of Police of Asansol has stated that the situation is under control and loudspeakers are being used to spread awareness against the rumours and in the sensitive areas, large number of police personnel have been deployed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress Party on Monday reiterated that the Centre did not present the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Protection Act properly before the Supreme Court. "Of course a review petition on SC/ST protection act should be filed and its the right of the Government, it's a legal procedure. The basic question is as to why they were unable to present the case properly before Supreme Court and lost, inquiry needed," Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi told ANI. The Congress leader further said that there has been an increase in atrocities against Dalits in last three years. "In last three years, we have witnessed unprecedented atrocities and inactions against Dalits. Two days ago I came across the astonishing news of Baba Saheb Ambedkar's statue being damaged. Every other day we come across such news, I think this an ambience for which the government has to answer," Singhvi added. Meanwhile, several parts of the country are witnessing a shutdown and protests against the Supreme Court's ruling on the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Protection Act. The apex court on March 20 had introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India today signed a $80 million loan to help modernize technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions and improve the skills ecosystem in the state of Himachal Pradesh to boost employability of the state's youth. Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary (Multilateral Institutions), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, signed the loan agreement for the Government of India, and Kenichi Yokoyama, ADB Country Director in India, signed on behalf of ADB. The project will support the government of Himachal's skills policy to guide the reform and scale-up skills development efforts in the state, said Mr. Khare. It will fund short-term and long-term training programs in growth areas including cars, electronics, pharmaceutical, tourism and hospitality, banking and financial services, health care, etc., to help state youth enhance their skills set and get better paying jobs. The state will need more than 500,000 skilled workers by 2022 across various trades. The Himachal Pradesh Skills Development Project will help seize this opportunity by providing support in developing relevant and good quality TVET programs, thereby improving job prospects of nearly 65,000 youths from 2017 to 2022. After achieving impressive enrollment rates for higher education, the state of Himachal Pradesh faces "second-generation" challenge of preparing its youth for the challenging market, said Mr. Yokoyama. The project will help in equipping the youth with market-relevant technical and vocational skills." The project will establish a polytechnic for women, 6 city livelihood centers and 7 rural livelihood centers, and upgrade 11 employment exchanges into model career centers. These efforts will result in improved TVET awareness among youth, modernizing training equipment, implementing a training information system, forging partnerships with private sector, and creating better access to quality market-relevant TVET and livelihood development opportunities for youth in Himachal Pradesh. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Key benchmark indices hovered near day's high in early afternoon trade on steady buying in index pivotals. At 12:18 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 152.19 points or 0.46% at 33,120.87. The Nifty 50 index was up 51.55 points or 0.51% at 10,165.25. The Sensex was trading above the psychological 33,000 mark after gyrating above and below that level in intraday trade. Pharma shares gained. Auto stocks advanced after declaring good monthly sales volume data for March 2018. The market sentiment was boosted by positive Asian stocks. Trading for the first day of the week, month and financial year 2019 began on a buoyant note as domestic stocks edged higher in early trade on positive Asian stocks. A bout of volatility was seen in morning trade as the key benchmark indices regained strength soon after trimming early gains. Stocks extended gains and hit fresh intraday high in mid-morning trade. Trading resumed after a long weekend. The stock market had remained shut on Thursday, 29 March 2018 for Mahavir Jayanti and also on Friday, 30 March 2018 on the eve of Good Friday. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.67%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was up 1.68%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex. The broad market depicted strength. There were more than three gainers against every loser on BSE. 1,830 shares rose and 545 shares fell. A total of 116 shares were unchanged. Pharma shares gained. Cipla (up 3.72%), Dr Reddy's Laboratories (up 2.14%), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals (up 1.3%), Cadila Healthcare (up 2.01%), Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (up 1.97%), GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals (up 1.56%), Aurobindo Pharma (up 3.04%) and Wockhardt (up 1.89%) rose. Alkem Laboratories (down 1.43%) fell. Lupin surged 3.48% after the company announced the successful facility review carried out by Health Canada for its Pithampur Unit 2, Indore manufacturing facility. Following the review, Health Canada has maintained the compliant rating for Unit 2 at Pithampur, Indore and has issued a revised 'Establishment License'. The sales volumes were announced during market hours today, 2 April 2018. NTPC shed 0.68%. The company informed that first unit of 660 megawatts (MW) of Meja Thermal Power Project (2x660 MW) of Meja Urja Nigam, a joint venture company of NTPC has been commissioned on 31 March 2018. With this, the total commissioned capacity of NTPC group has become 53,651 MW. The announcement was made during market hours today, 2 April 2018. Auto stocks gained after declaring good monthly sales volume data for March 2018. Ashok Leyland (up 1.27%), Escorts (up 4.25%), Hero MotoCorp (up 0.3%) and TVS Motor Company (up 3.01%) rose. Eicher Motors rose 0.64% after the company said its total motorcycle sales rose 27% to 76,087 units in March 2018 over March 2017. The announcement was made on Sunday, 1 April 2018. Maruti Suzuki India gained 1.82% after the company said that its total sales rose 14.9% to 1.60 lakh units in March 2018 over March 2017. The announcement was made on Sunday, 1 April 2018. Tata Motors advanced 2.67% after the company registered a growth of 35% at 69,440 units in March 2018 as against 51,309 units in March 2017 due to the continued strong sales performance of its commercial and passenger vehicles business in the domestic market. The announcement was made on Sunday, 1 April 2018. Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) rose 1.19% after the company reported strong growth in tractor sales and a decent rise in its auto sales in March 2018 over March 2017. The sales volumes were announced during market hours today, 2 April 2018. M&M's total auto sales rose 10% to 62,077 units in March 2018 over March 2017. Total domestic sales grew by 10% and total exports surged 26%. The company's total tractor sales surged 46% to 28,277 units in March 2018 over March 2017. Domestic tractor sales jumped 50% while exports fell 3%. Bajaj Auto rose 1.58% after the company said that its total sales rose 23% to 3.34 lakh units in March 2018 over March 2017. The announcement was made during market hours today, 2 April 2018. Shares of Karda Construction were trading at Rs 141.10, a discount of 21.61% over the initial public offer price of Rs 180. The stock debuted at Rs 136, a discount of 24.44% to the initial public offer (IPO) price. So far the stock hit a high of Rs 142.80 and low of Rs 136. On BSE, so far 95,000 shares were traded on the counter. Karda Constructions is engaged in the business of real estate development in the city of Nashik, Maharashtra. Overseas, most Asian shares were trading higher, shrugging off fears that US President Donald Trump's tariff programs could set off a trade war. Stock markets in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong remain closed for the Easter holiday. A Bank of Japan survey showed the first softening of business sentiment among Japan's big manufacturers in two years, with the materials sector most directly affected by US trade tariffs showing the sharpest declines. China's manufacturing activity expanded at its weakest pace in four months in March, a private survey showed today, 2 April 2018. The Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' index (PMI) dropped to 51 in March from 51.6 in February. The weaker reading follows official data released Saturday, 31 March 2018 showing a rebound to 51.5 from February's holiday-affected 50.3. Meanwhile, China imposed tariffs on a range of US goods, to retaliate against the Trump administration's penalties on imports of Chinese steel and aluminum. The Chinese Finance Ministry said on Sunday, 1 April 2018 that the previously announced tariffs on the imports of American goods would take effect from today, 2 April 2018. Penalties range from 25% on American pork and eight other kinds of goods to 15% on fruit and 120 types of commodities, the ministry said. US stocks rose on Thursday, 29 March 2018 with tech shares leading the way, as equity markets ended a tumultuous quarter on a high note. The US and European markets were closed on Friday, 30 March 2018 for the Good Friday holiday. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stocks extended gains and hit fresh intraday high in mid-morning trade. At 11:28 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 157.87 points or 0.48% at 33,126.55. The Nifty 50 index was up 52.45 points or 0.52% at 10,166.15. The Sensex was trading above the psychological 33,000 mark after gyrating above and below that level in intraday trade. Telecom stocks gained. The market sentiment was boosted by positive Asian stocks. Trading for the first day of the week, month and financial year 2019 began on a buoyant note as domestic stocks edged higher in early trade on positive Asian stocks. A bout of volatility was seen in morning trade as the key benchmark indices regained strength soon after trimming early gains. Trading resumed after a long weekend. The stock market had remained shut on Thursday, 29 March 2018 for Mahavir Jayanti and also on Friday, 30 March 2018 on the eve of Good Friday. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.58%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was up 1.58%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex. The broad market depicted strength. There were more than three gainers against every loser on BSE. 1,751 shares rose and 506 shares fell. A total of 84 shares were unchanged. Overseas, most Asian shares were trading higher, shrugging off fears that US President Donald Trump's tariff programs could set off a trade war. Stock markets in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong remain closed for the Easter holiday. A Bank of Japan survey showed the first softening of business sentiment among Japan's big manufacturers in two years, with the materials sector most directly affected by US trade tariffs showing the sharpest declines. China's manufacturing activity expanded at its weakest pace in four months in March, a private survey showed today, 2 April 2018. The Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' index (PMI) dropped to 51 in March from 51.6 in February. The weaker reading follows official data released Saturday, 31 March 2018 showing a rebound to 51.5 from February's holiday-affected 50.3. Meanwhile, China imposed tariffs on a range of US goods, to retaliate against the Trump administration's penalties on imports of Chinese steel and aluminum. The Chinese Finance Ministry said on Sunday, 1 April 2018 that the previously announced tariffs on the imports of American goods would take effect from today, 2 April 2018. Penalties range from 25% on American pork and eight other kinds of goods to 15% on fruit and 120 types of commodities, the ministry said. US stocks rose on Thursday, 29 March 2018 with tech shares leading the way, as equity markets ended a tumultuous quarter on a high note. The US and European markets were closed on Friday, 30 March 2018 for the Good Friday holiday. Back home, telecom stocks gained. Idea Cellular (up 1.65%), MTNL (up 1.33%), Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) (up 0.73%) and Reliance Communications (up 3.22%) advanced. Bharti Airtel (down 1.2%) declined. Shares of Bharti Infratel rose 2.13%. Bharti Infratel is a provider of tower and related infrastructure and is a unit of Bharti Airtel. Shares of Sandhar Technologies were trading at Rs 345.10, a premium of 3.94% over the initial public offer price of Rs 332. The stock debuted at Rs 345, a premium of 3.92% to the initial public offer (IPO) price. So far the stock hit a high of Rs 351.45 and low of Rs 338.05. On BSE, so far 7.51 lakh shares were traded on the counter. Sandhar Technologies is a component supplier primarily catering to automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Navkar Corporation surged 7.56% after the company said that the National Company Law Tribunal, Mumbai Bench, has sanctioned the scheme of amalgamation of Navkar Terminals into Navkar Corporation. The announcement was made after market hours on Wednesday, 28 March 2018. The stock market remained closed on Thursday, 29 March and Friday, 30 March 2018 for holidays. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A bout of volatility was seen in morning trade as the key benchmark indices regained strength soon after trimming early gains. At 10:23 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 100.10 points or 0.3% at 33,068.78. The Nifty 50 index was up 36.15 points or 0.36% at 10,149.85. The Sensex regained the psychological 33,000 mark in volatile trade after hitting an intraday low below that level in morning trade. Capital goods stocks gained. The market sentiment was boosted by positive Asian stocks. Trading for the first day of the week, month and financial year 2019 began on a buoyant note as domestic stocks edged higher in early trade on positive Asian stocks. Trading resumed after a long weekend. The stock market had remained shut on Thursday, 29 March 2018 for Mahavir Jayanti and also on Friday, 30 March 2018 on the eve of Good Friday. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.43%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was up 1.29%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex. The broad market depicted strength. There were more than three gainers against every loser on BSE. 1,602 shares rose and 462 shares fell. A total of 78 shares were unchanged. Overseas, most Asian shares were trading higher shrugging off fears that US President Donald Trump's tariff programs could set off a trade war. Stock markets in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong remain closed for the Easter holiday. A Bank of Japan survey showed the first softening of business sentiment among Japan's big manufacturers in two years, with the materials sector most directly affected by US trade tariffs showing the sharpest declines. Meanwhile, China imposed tariffs on a range of US goods, to retaliate against the Trump administration's penalties on imports of Chinese steel and aluminum. The Chinese Finance Ministry said on Sunday, 1 April 2018 that the previously announced tariffs on the imports of American goods would take effect from today, 2 April 2018. Penalties range from 25% on American pork and eight other kinds of goods to 15% on fruit and 120 types of commodities, the ministry said. US stocks rose on Thursday, 29 March 2018 with tech shares leading the way, as equity markets ended a tumultuous quarter on a high note. The US and European markets were closed on Friday, 30 March 2018 for the Good Friday holiday. Back home, ICICI Bank (down 5.71%), Axis Bank (down 1.93%) and Bharti Airtel (down 1.4%) edged lower from the Sensex pack. Capital goods stocks gained. L&T (up 1.42%), ABB India (up 0.88%), Bharat Heavy Electricals (Bhel) (up 0.61%), BEML (up 1.08%), Bharat Electronics (up 1.9%) and Punj Lloyd (up 2.64%) rose. Siemens (down 0.08%) and Thermax (down 0.51%) fell. Cement stocks rose. Ambuja Cements (up 0.69%), ACC (up 0.72%) and Shree Cement (up 0.11%) rose. UltraTech Cement (down 0.21%) fell. Grasim Industries was off 0.17%. Grasim has exposure to the cement sector through its holding in UltraTech Cement. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Key benchmark indices extended gains in afternoon trade to hit fresh intraday highs as market sentiment remained strong after a long holiday weekend. At 13:22 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 196.84 points or 0.6% at 33,165.52. The Nifty 50 index advanced 65.15 points or 0.64% at 10,178.85. The Sensex was trading above the psychological 33,000 mark after gyrating above and below that level in intraday trade. IT stocks advanced. Realty stocks also gained. Trading for the first day of the week, month and financial year 2019 began on a buoyant note as domestic stocks edged higher in early trade on positive Asian stocks. A bout of volatility was seen in morning trade as the key benchmark indices regained strength soon after trimming early gains. Indices extended gains to hit fresh intraday highs in afternoon trade. Trading resumed after a long weekend. The stock market had remained shut on Thursday, 29 March 2018 for Mahavir Jayanti and also on Friday, 30 March 2018 on the eve of Good Friday. Among secondary indices, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index advanced 0.86%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index surged 1.82%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex. The broad market depicted strength. There were more than three gainers against every loser on BSE. 1,917 shares advanced and 561 shares fell. A total of 134 shares were unchanged. IT stocks advanced. Infosys (up 0.15%), Wipro (up 1.72%), TCS (up 1.43%) and Oracle Financial Services Software (up 1.99%) gained. Tech Mahindra (down 0.55%) edged lower. Realty stocks also gained. Unitech (up 3.06%), Prestige Estates Projects (up 1.72%), HDIL (up 1.42%), Sobha (up 0.68%), Godrej Properties (up 0.43%) and Indiabulls Real Estate (up 0.22%) advanced. DLF (down 0.42%) edged lower. Dr Reddy's Laboratories was up 2.28% at Rs 2,129.85 after the company announced the filing of New Drug Application (NDA) for its migraine candidate DFN-02 with the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). The announcement was made during market hours today, 2 April 2018. Among other news on the domestic front, as per decision of the GST Council, e-Way Bill system became mandatory from 1 April 2018 for all inter-state movement of goods. Overseas, Asian shares edged lower amid fears that US President Donald Trump's tariff programs could set off a trade war. Stock markets in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong remain closed for the Easter holiday. A Bank of Japan survey showed the first softening of business sentiment among Japan's big manufacturers in two years, with the materials sector most directly affected by US trade tariffs showing the sharpest declines. China's manufacturing activity expanded at its weakest pace in four months in March, a private survey showed today, 2 April 2018. The Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' index (PMI) dropped to 51 in March from 51.6 in February. The weaker reading follows official data released Saturday, 31 March 2018 showing a rebound to 51.5 from February's holiday-affected 50.3. Meanwhile, China imposed tariffs on a range of US goods, to retaliate against the Trump administration's penalties on imports of Chinese steel and aluminum. The Chinese Finance Ministry said on Sunday, 1 April 2018 that the previously announced tariffs on the imports of American goods would take effect from today, 2 April 2018. Penalties range from 25% on American pork and eight other kinds of goods to 15% on fruit and 120 types of commodities, the ministry said. US stocks rose on Thursday, 29 March 2018 with tech shares leading the way, as equity markets ended a tumultuous quarter on a high note. The US and European markets were closed on Friday, 30 March 2018 for the Good Friday holiday. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Most cyber frauds in India's booming business process outsourcing (BPO) sector occur due to lack of strict implementation of existing information security protocols together with poor employee awareness, noted a recent survey jointly conducted by apex industry body ASSOCHAM and global software giant Microsoft. The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) along with Microsoft conducted a survey titled, 'Understanding the perceptions and awareness around cyber security among employees working in BPOs,' in Delhi-NCR and Kolkata to ascertain the level of awareness regarding cyber frauds among people employed in the sector. The survey sample design comprised of four focus group discussions (FGDs) and 20 in-depth interviews (IDIs) held across Delhi-NCR and Kolkata. It was noted that awareness about cyber frauds was low amid freshers and job applicants, but it was relatively higher in experienced employees. Both employees and customers are to be blamed for cyber frauds as employees lack ethics and customers for being careless about security and privacy, admitted experienced BPO professionals while acknowledging that computer hacking, credit card/bank frauds, malware/virus, tech support scams are most prevalent. Highlighting the poor levels of awareness among freshers and job applicants, the survey noted that perceptions about cyber frauds are mostly driven by word of mouth and media. Besides, the predominant perception for causes of cyber frauds is the growing shift of online transactions - from shopping to banking and consumers' growing trust on internet and its safety nets. While enough measures exist in the BPO sector to keep a check on cyber frauds, it is the lack of seriousness at the organisational level towards the issue which is the root cause to the problem as casual attitude is often passed down to employees, according to the ASSOCHAM-Microsoft survey. Basic protocols like frisking/checking before entry/exit, no mobile phones on floor, no pen and paper and others are frequently overlooked, thereby exposing gaps. It was also revealed that there is certain casualness, as the general feeling is that most cyber frauds occur on a larger scale, and the security staff is not aware of implications of not following proper protocols. There is also little awareness on importance of protecting data of clients leading to casual attitude of employees towards data. While seriousness of implications and fear of repercussions is not deeply instilled in the employees' minds, they can also get trapped or perpetrate those frauds unknowingly. The survey also suggested immediate steps to drive home seriousness about cyber frauds - include comprehensive session on cyber fraud in induction programme, implement stringent security measures, install strong antivirus systems, organise sessions on ethical practices, implement training and development programmes. ASSOCHAM in collaboration with Microsoft has launched 'Cybersuraksha Youth Awareness Campaign,' wherein series of workshops are being organised in various states with an aim to promote awareness about cyber security threats among citizens and provide up-to-date security information through education and sharing of good practices. 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 2.93% to Rs 439.25 at 12:55 IST on BSE after the company said it won an EPC contract worth Rs 441 crore from Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. The announcement was made during trading hours today, 2 April 2018. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 168.92 points, or 0.51% to 33,137.60. On the BSE, 1.04 lakh shares were traded in the counter so far compared with average daily volumes of 3.34 lakh shares in the past two weeks. The stock had hit a high of Rs 439.40 and a low of Rs 424.35 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. Reliance Infrastructure has won an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for Rs 441 crore from Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for the rehabilitation and upgrading of National Highway - 66 (formerly, National Highway - 17) in the Kashedi Ghat section which includes execution of three by three lane twin tunnels of total length 3.44 km. Reliance Infrastructure had bid for the project in joint venture with CAI, Ukraine, globally renowned for tunnel construction. In addition to the twin tunnels, the contract also includes construction of highway with paved shoulders and viaducts for a length of 7.2 Km. Commissioned under National Highway Development Programme (NHDP) - IV of the Ministry, the project is to be completed in 30 months. Thereafter, Reliance JV will operate and maintain the project for 48 months. Reliance Infrastructure said it is targeting EPC opportunities worth Rs 2 lakh crore and increase the EPC order book to Rs 50,000 crore by FY 2019. 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. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least six persons were killed and many others injured while train services were affected on Delhi-Mumbai route as violence erupted at different places in Madhya Pradesh on Monday during protests by Dalits over a Supreme Court order. Curfew was imposed in many parts of the state and Internet services suspended. The maximum violence was witnessed in Gwalior, Morena and Bhind. Gwalior Collector Rahul Jain confirmed the death of two persons in Gwalior city and one in Dabra township. Jain said that all three deaths were due to clashes between protesters and police was not involved. There was widespread vandalisation of vehicles and several incidents of arson in Gwalior and curfew has been imposed in three police station areas. He said at least 65 persons have been injured in violence, including policemen, and the condition of a few injured is said to be serious. Chambal zone's Inspector General of Police Santosh Singh told IANS: "Two persons were killed in Bhind while one died in Morena. The cause of death was not known." The IGP said that curfew has been imposed in five localities of Bhind and Morena town and authorities are keeping an eye on the situation. In Morena, protesters also blocked the rail tracks keeping the Chattisgarh Express stuck for several hours while traffic on the busy Delhi-Mumbai route was also affected. Trains coming from Mumbai were stopped before Gwalior and trains coming from Delhi stopped before Agra and other places. The state's major cities like Bhopal and Indore witnessed violence, with trains stopped at many places. In state capital Bhopal, a large number of protesters rallied at a crossroad, following which police baton-charged the protesters to disperse them but failed. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan appealed for calm. "The Union government has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court. Our government is committed to protecting the rights of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes. People should maintain peace," Chouhan said. The protests are part of a 'Bharat bandh' called by Dalit organisations against the Supreme Court's March 20 order that diluted The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. --IANS hindi-him/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seven police officers died and at least 10 inmates were injured in a weekend riot at a prison in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz, local authorities reported on Sunday. The riot broke out about 10 pm on Saturday in the La Toma state prison, located in the mountain city of Amatlan de Los Reyes, where 1,300 prisoners demanded that the warden and the police chief at the facility be fired, Xinhua reported. Officers with the anti-riot force under the authority of Veracruz's Public Safety Secretariat entered the prison to try and bring the rioting inmates under control. The state government in a press release announced that upon entering the facility, the police were repelled by the inmates who had gained access to certain carpentry tools and had set fire to mattresses. Seven police officers died during the operation, which concluded about 6 am on Sunday, when security forces were finally able to retake full control of the prison. The burning of the mattresses, the bulletin said, "could have caused the asphyxiation of the police," but experts with the State Attorney General's Office are investigating the cause of death of the officers. At least 10 prisoners were injured during the operation. Outside the prison, Federal Police, Mexican marines, the state police and the Military Police were on guard to prevent inmates' relatives from gaining entry to the facility. Prisoners' relatives confronted the officers and demanded that Gov. Miguel Angel Yunes come to the site to report to them on the situation. The state of Veracruz has been beset by a rising spiral of violence over the past decade due to the presence of drug trafficking gangs and cartels. --IANS ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party on Monday expressed support for the protests by Dalit activists from various organisations against a Supreme Court ruling on the SC/ST Act. "AAP supports the SC/ST community in the situation, arising after the Supreme Court's order on the SC/ST Atrocity Prevention Act. The central government should appoint the prestigious senior lawyers in petition against the court ruling and the act should be preserved," Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted. AAP senior leader Ashutosh demanded an ordinance to "fix" the apex court's decision. "Modi Ji should soon bring an ordinance to fix the Supreme Court's decision that weakens the SC/ST act. You cannot stay silent about the injustice against Dalits," he said. --IANS mg/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has been roped in as the brand ambassador of real estate developer Lodha Group. The company on Monday also released a global advertising campaign "Come home to the best, Come Home to Lodha", which was shot at actual locations of Lodha projects, and features Akshay, read a statement. "It gives me great pleasure to partner with Lodha Group, which is changing the way people are living in India today. The brand has worked relentlessly since the last three decades to bring luxury and highest quality of services, irrespective of the price," Akshay said. The actor will be seen in a series of ad films under its umbrella campaign, which will run for two months in India and in international markets. Abhishek Lodha, Managing Director and CEO, Lodha Group said: "It is a moment of great satisfaction to on-board Akshay Kumar as our group's brand ambassador. His values of trustworthiness and the passion for fulfilling dreams are an extension of our core vision of building a better life, which makes this partnership a substantial one." --IANS sug/rb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Blaming the Modi government for violence during protests by Dalits after the Supreme Court ruling on SC/ST Act, the Congress on Monday demanded the Centre bring an amendment to the said law in Parliament or file a "curative petition" in the apex court. The opposition party also claimed that the Centre was not interested in addressing the issues facing the Dalits, backward classes, minorities, the poor, youths, and farmers, while it was only interested in those "who make money". "The government took the issues of Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes very lightly. Instead of designating the Attorney General or his assistant to argue for 23 per cent population of the country in the Supreme Court, they had sent a junior lawyer. The result is the dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, said Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge. "The government must immediately bring in an amendment in Parliament to take corrective measures. A review petition (in the Supreme Court) will go to the same people who gave the order. They (Centre) can also file a curative petition and the matter should be heard by a Full Bench in the Supreme Court," he added. Kharge said: "The government is deliberately delaying the matter. We hope an amendment will be brought and the very purpose of the law would be protected and upheld." The Centre on Monday moved the Supreme Court to seek recall of its March 20 judgment that ruled that there would be no automatic arrest of an accused following a complaint moved under the said Act. Police will hold an inquiry to ascertain the veracity of the complaint filed under the Act before acting on it, the apex court said. Kharge said: "Whatever order the SC has given, Parliament can undo it through amendment in law. Even 13 days after the order, the Centre could not file a review petition. The government is responsible for weakening/diluting the law." Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the government did not take any step to ensure that the Act does not get diluted. "The government would have sent the Attorney General even to the lowest court, had the case been against an opposition leader. But the government has no interest in addressing the issues of the Dalits or the backward classes. "I blame the central government for weakening and diluting the law. We (5-6 parties) also submitted a memorandum to President (Ram Nath Kovind). He said he will look into the matter," said Azad. Azad said atrocities against the Dalits and backward classes have increased under the Modi government. "We (Congress) do not not believe in any kind of violence and damage to public property. Had the government taken steps and filed the review petition earlier, there would not have been a Bharat 'bandh' today (Monday). We hold the government responsible," he said. --IANS sid/tsb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Oxfam India on Monday announced the appointment of Amitabh Behar as Chief Executive Officer of the organisation that fights against inequality, poverty and injustice and is involved in humanitarian work in the country. Behar succeeds Nisha Agrawal, who was the founding CEO of Oxfam India and headed the organisation since March 2008. Behar, a former Executive Director of National Foundation for India, is an expert on people-centred advocacy and chairs organisational boards of Amnesty International India, Navsarjan and Yuva. He has an M.Phil in Political Science from Jawaharlal Nehru University. An Oxfam statement said he was selected after an "extensive and transparent process, led by the board chair of Oxfam India Kiran Karnik, with the help of a prominent executive search firm". "I welcome Amitabh as the new CEO of Oxfam India. In an outstanding field of candidates, Amitabh stood out as exemplifying Oxfam's values and ambitions. He brings grass-roots knowledge, passion and clear vision coupled with his commitment to social justice, and leadership, which has inspired many," Karnik said. --IANS sar/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a spectacular new initiative, Penguin Random House India will be publishing two timeless novels -- "Paro" and "Priya" by acclaimed writer Namita Gokhale in a double bill edition. The publisher remarked that both of these novels are "wickedly funny, occasionally tender, and utterly unforgettable," and have been game-changers in the landscape of women's writing of the Indian subcontinent. And why not if you look at the time when "Paro" was first published and the magnitude that it has travelled so far. First published in 1984, it came at a time when Indian publishing was far from being what it is today. Multinational publishing firms were yet to find a footing in India, the likes of Arundhati Roy and Vikram Seth were far from making a mark in the world of words and above all, it was a huge gamble on the part of Gokhale, coming from an otherwise illustrious background to explore the "world of privilege and Scotch whiskey that the rich inhabit". Perhaps India's first social comedy written originally in English, lulled in ecstasies and even erotica to a large extent, "Paro" has stood strong against all tests and trials of time. "Priya" on the other hand, came much later but here too, Gokhale resurrects some unforgettable characters from her 1984 cult, and plunges them neck-deep into Delhi's toxic waste of power, money and greed. The publisher informed IANS that this volume takes the liberated, brazen and all-too human Paro and her natural counterpart, the more cautious "Priya" to new readers and old. "My debut novel 'Paro: Dreams of Passion' has been continuously in print for 35 years now, managing to amuse if not instruct succeeding generations of readers. I am absolutely delighted that the double bill edition of 'Paro' and its sequel 'Priya' has been brought out in a unique flip format -- it's fun to read the two books together! The novel is social form and these two books document the India of the eighties as well as the new landscapes of urban India -- I am looking forward to a journey into the not so distant past as we celebrate the splendid double edition," Gokhale commented about the upcoming launch, scheduled to take place here on Wednesday. While both novels have already reached out to thousands of readers, this exciting and elegantly packaged double bill edition is sure to find many new takers. Above all, both "Paro" and "Priya" are novels that one can read again and again and yet never cease to be mesmerised by the utter craftsmanship of a master storyteller at work. For curious readers too, these novels hold immense significance as they are reminders of the Delhi and the Bombay of the eighties and the nineties. No serious study of contemporary Indian literature can be complete without careful study of the given volumes. While they are fitting reminders of how novels were once written -- without the sight of gala events and promotional pressures -- they are also instrumental in sketching the journey of modern Indian writing. --IANS ss/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP leader Anil Singh, the key accused in inciting communal violence in Bihar's Aurangabad district, surrendered on Monday, two days after he escaped from police custody, the authorities said. Soon after he surrendered, Singh was sent to 14 days judicial custody, Aurangabad Superiintendent of Police Satya Prakash Singh said. Singh, who is also associated with the Hindu Seva Samiti, is said to have played the key role in inciting violence in Aurangabad during a Ram Navami procession late last month. On Saturday night, Union Minister Ashwini Choubey's son Arijit Shashwat, accused of inciting violence in Bhagalpur district, surrendered after evading arrest for over a week. Shashwat was sent to 14 days judicial custody on Sunday but he will approach the Patna High Court on Monday for bail. Bihar's Aurangabad, Nawada, Samastipur, Munger, Bhagalpur and Nalanda disticts have witnessed communal tension in the last 10 days. Additional security forces have been deployed in the affected towns. The opposition parties have slammed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for what they called his "failure to handle the situation". --IANS ik/ksk/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid ongoing battle for taking over insolvent Binani Cement, its Committee of Creditors (CoC) on Monday sought more time from National Company Law Tribunal's (NCLT) bench here to consider firm's parent company Binani Industries' application for an out of the tribunal settlement. The NCLT's Kolkata division bench comprising two judges directed the lenders' committee to consider Binani Industries' plea and extended the deadline till April 9. Binani Industries had submitted an application before the tribunal seeking termination of insolvency proceedings against its cement manufacturing subsidiary and its counsel had said it could pay all its creditors. The move came after it concluded a commercial understanding with the UltraTech Cement to sell its entire 98.43 per cent stake in its cement manufacturing subsidiary at a consideration of Rs 7,266 crore. The NCLT bench in its order dated March 27, said: "In the larger interest of all the stake holders, possibility of having a harmonious settlement is to be considered...parties are free to consider it out of tribunal." Counsel appearing for the CoC on Monday said it could not consider the Binani Industries plea as a copy of the order of the tribunal in this regard was not available. Asked if the CoC was willing to consider the proposal if they got a copy of the order, counsel replied that the committee needed "more time" because there were so many creditors to be consulted. During the ongoing insolvency proceedings of Binani Cement, Resolution Professional (RP), Vijaykumar V Iyer, submitted the resolution plan of Dalmia Bharat-controlled Rajputana Properties before the bench as the "highest bidder" to take over the debt-laden company. Meanwhile, UltraTech Cement had recently informed stock exchanges that it obtained the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) approval on its bid for the debt-laden company and the company claimed the CCI clearance validates its contention that "they were wrongly and unjustifiably rated H2 instead of H1". Rejecting this, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited's Group CEO Mahendra Singhi had claimed: "The reasons cited by the unsuccessful bidder for its failed bid, in stock exchange filings and press interviews, are misleading. We have made the highest financial bid and had also obtained the highest score in the evaluation." --IANS bdc/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Border Security Force (BSF) personnel seized eight packets of silver ornaments, weighing 8.74 kg and valued approximately at Rs 3.61 lakh, near the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal's Nadia district, a BSF statement said on Monday. Acting on a tip-off, the border force laid a trap near the India-Bangladesh Border Road (IBBR) in Krishnanagar sector on Monday and observed some suspicious movements in the afternoon. Two-three miscreants were trying to throw some packets over the India-Bangladesh Border Fence (IBBF). The BSF personnel challenged the miscreants but they managed to run away towards the Indian side leaving behind some packets, the statement said. On a thorough search of the area, the troopers recovered eight packets covered with brown colour tape and after opening the packets, some silver ornaments weighing approximately 8.74 kg having a value of about Rs 3.61 lakh. The seized items were handed over to the Krishnaganj Police Station in Nadia. This year, the BSF's South Bengal Frontier has seized 27.187 kg of silver valued at over Rs 8.69 lakh and apprehended a silver smuggler. --IANS bdc/nir/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) School students protesting against the government's handling of the CBSE paper leak were detained here on Monday. Around 70-80 students, gathered at the Shastri Bhawan which houses the Human Resource Development Ministry, were taken by police in buses to the nearby police station. Some students also alleged that they were beaten up by police and at least one was injured in the head. Harried with a series of paper leaks in the ongoing CBSE exam, class 10 and 12 students are now demanding an assurance from the Central Board for Secondary (CBSE) and the Ministry that the leaks will not happen again. They have also sought a meeting with the board chairperson. --IANS vn/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Union Home Ministry on Monday said it has sent central forces to assist Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab in maintaining law and order in the wake of nationwide protests against the dilution of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. "The Ministry is in constant touch with the states. Whichever state has asked for Central forces, they have been made available immediately. Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab have so far requested for Central forces. Rapid Action Force and paramilitary forces have been made available," a ministry statement said. The ministry has also asked the states "to take all preventive measures and maintain public order and ensure the safety of lives of people and property." Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh expressed grief over the violence and loss of lives during protests. "I am deeply pained by the acts of violence and loss of precious lives in some parts of the country today during protests in context of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act," he said in a tweet. The minister also urged political parties to avoid tensions. "A review petition has been filed in Supreme Court today. I would appeal to all to avoid tensions. I seek their support. "We should not create a situation that leads to communal tensions. It is the moral responsibility of all the political parties to cooperate so that any kind of tensions can be avoided," he told media persons here. Six persons were killed and dozens injured as Dalit protests during a day-long nation-wide shutdown on Monday turned violent in India amid anger against a Supreme Court order that dilutes a law aimed at preventing atrocities against Dalits and Tribes. The government, in a bid to pacify the agitated activists, said it had filed a petition in the apex court seeking a review of its March 20 order that bars automatic arrest and registration of cases for alleged harassment of Dalits and others. But the top court denied an urgent hearing of the matter. Protesters clashed with police in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Bihar and Odisha -- states where normal life was paralysed in varying degrees amid incidences of violence and arson. --IANS rak/vd (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.) Life in major cities and towns of Gujarat came to a standstill on Monday as Dalits in large numbers protested against what they called the "dilution" of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by the Supreme Court. Although there were no reports of any loss of life or major incidents from across the state, there were reports from across the state of crowds stopping vehicular traffic on highways and in cities, scuffles between protesters and police, disruption in train services, forced closure of commercial establishments and suspension of bus services. In Ahmedabad, the financial capital of the state, several groups of Dalits took out protest marches and paralysed most parts of the city. Authorities suspended the BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System) in the city for the day protestors put up roadblocks across many parts of the city and deflated tyres of many Municial Corporation-run buses. Dalit activist and Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani said: "The apex court observations in the case are against the Constitution's spirit and has hurt us terribly." In the morning, Mevani led a rally of Dalits in Sarangpur area of the city, which later indulged in stone-pelting, after which police burst tear-gas shells. A young man slashed his hand during the protest and was shifted to hospital for treatment. Protests were also reported from areas like Chand Kheda, Maninagar, Hatkeshwar, Amraiwadi, CTM, Dani Limda, Naroda, Kalupur, Ambawadi, C.G. Road, Bapunagar, forcing people to remain indoors. Protestors also rallied on railway tracks in Vadodara, stopping train on the Vadodara-Ahmedabad route. They also tried to set up roadblocks on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai National Highway near Vadodara, Surat and Navsari, leading to massive traffic jams. Similar incidents were reported from other cities and towns, including state capital Gandhinagar, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Surendranagar, and Kutch in Saurashtra-Kutch region. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani blamed the Congress and said: "The Congress is playing politics in the name of Dalits and shedding crocodile tears. Everyone knows how they treated Dr B.R. Ambedkar when he was alive." He said the state was equipped to handle any situation and that the bandh was a "limited success" in Gujarat. On March 20, the Supreme Court ruled that the arrest of an accused under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act is not mandatory and a recourse to coercive action would be taken only after preliminary inquiry and sanction by the competent authority. Coupled with this, the court said, there was no absolute bar against grant of anticipatory bail in cases under the Act if no prima facie case was made out or where on judicial scrutiny the complaint was found to be prima facie mala fide. --IANS amc/tsb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Protests by Dalits on Monday severely disrupted rail and road traffic in Ghaziabad district in Uttar Pradesh, police said. Traffic on all highways and major city roads besides rail tracks was paralyzed as Dalit activists took to the streets against the Supreme Court dilution of a law aimed at preventing atrocities on Dalits and tribals. The police said the protesters, under the banner of several Dalit organisations, stopped train movement on the busy Delhi-Kolkata route. The Moradabad and Saharanpur rail tracks were also crippled as people squatted on rail tracks. When police tried to free the tracks, the demonstrators started pelting stones at them and set fire to several private and public vehicles. On National Highway 24, the police opened fire in the air when traffic on the Delhi-Lucknow section was halted. After the police action, the protesters dispersed and started brickbatting the police force from adjoining localities. Several policemen were injured, a police officer said. --IANS sps/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Normal life in Bihar was hit on Monday during protests against the dilution of the SC and ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, disrupting rail and road traffic and forcing shutdown of markets and educational institutions, police said. Thousands of Dalit activists with active support of the RJD and Left parties staged protests across the state. Supporters of the Bhim Army and other Dalit groups halted over three dozen long-distance and local passenger trains, stranding passengers at Patna, Muzafffarpur, Gaya, Jehanabad, Begusarai, Madhepura, Bhagalpur, Ara, Darbhanga, Araria, Nalanda, Samastipur, Nawada and Hajipur stations. "Train services have been badly disrupted due to the protests," an East Central Railway official told IANS over telephone from Hajipur, the zonal headquarters. At some places, the demonstrators also blocked national and state highways. In Patna, hundreds of Bhim Army workers took to the streets to protest and enforce a shutdown. They blocked Gandhi Setu, which connects Patna with north Bihar. "In several localities in Patna, the Bhim Army forced shops to close and blocked roads by burning tyres," a police official said. There were reports of sporadic violence in Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Nawada, Patna and Bhagalpur as protesters clashed with police. Some reports reaching here said that security forces were mere spectators as the protesters targeted public and private property. Of Bihar's total 10.5 crore population, Dalits account for 15.5 lakh. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi of HAM joined the protesters at Dak Bungalow junction in the heart of Patna. "Our party is totally against the dilution of SC/ST Act," Tejashwi Yadav said. --IANS ik/mr/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court on Monday pulled up the Chandigarh forensic laboratory for its lackadaisical approach in examining mobile phones of nine students in connection with the missing Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Najeeb Ahmed. A bench of Justice S. Muralidhar and Justice I.S. Mehta said that despite specific directions, the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Chandigarh has not expedited the process of examining seized electronic devices and asked its director to appear before it if the process is not completed by April 30. The court direction came after the Central Bureau of Investigation's submission that the lab has sent analysis report of three phones out of nine sent to it. The agency also stated that the forensic analysis report of three phone has conducted by a junior officer who was not qualified enough. The court in the last hearings had asked the laboratory expedite its process and give its report to the CBI. The court has been hearing a habeas corpus plea filed by Fatima Nafees, Najeeb Ahmed's mother, that her son be produced by police and the Delhi government before the court. Ahmed, 27, an MSc First Year student, went missing on October 15 2016 after a fight with alleged members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. However the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated student body had denied any involvement. --IANS akk/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It was a day of protests in Tamil Nadu on Monday against the Central government's failure to set up a Cauvery Management Board (CMB) despite a Supreme Court order. Activists of the DMK and other organisations staged noisy demonstrations protests here and in other parts of the state. DMK members protested at several places in the city including the arterial Anna Salai stretch in Saidapet, disrupting traffic. In Coimbatore, around 500 km from here, DMK members stopped a train by squatting on train tracks. The party and its allies have called for a shutdown on April 5 over the Cauvery issue. Members of some fringe organisations picketed post offices and Central government offices in the state. In Mannargudi, students protested outside their colleges. The Centre has failed to set up the Cauvery Management Board within six weeks of the Supremem court's order of February 16. The six-week deadline ended on March 29. Tamil Nadu political leaders say the BJP is acting in favour of Karnataka, which is opposed to the CMB and where Assembly elections are due. The DMK has said black flags would be shown to Prime Minister Narendra Modi whenever he comes to Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, police in Thiruvannamalai rounded up several youths who showed black flags to BJP Tamil Nadu cief Tamilisai Soundararajan on Monday. According to reports reaching here, Puducherry's Lt.Governor Kiran Bedi has written to Modi to constitute the CMB in the interests of people of the Union Territory. The DMK on Monday staged protests here against the Central government for not setting up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) as per the Supreme Court's orders. Party members protested in several places in the city including the arterial Anna Salai stretch in Saidapet here affecting traffic. The DMK had announced that it would conduct protests in the coming days against the Centre. The party along with its allies has called for a shutdown strike on April 5 over the Cauvery issue. The Centre has failed to set up the Cauvery Management Board within six weeks of the Supremem court's order of February 16. The six-week deadline ended on March 29. Tamil Nadu political leaders say the BJP is acting in favour of Karnataka, which is opposed to the CMB and where Assembly elections are due. The parties also decided to organise a 'Securing Cauvery Rights March' from the Cauvery Delta region in the state to Raj Bhavan here in which leaders of all political parties and the public would participate. Black flags would be shown to Prime Minister Narendra Modi whenever he comes to Tamil Nadu for not constituting the CMB, the DMK had announced on Sunday. --IANS vj/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached property with a market value of over Rs 10 crore of Bihar gangster Ashok Yadav who is an accused in cases of murder, kidnapping, extortion and dacoity, an official said on Monday. The attached property includes a house in the name of Yadav's wife Bibha Devi, 25 plots in his name and in the names of his other family members, and three bank accounts. The ED said that Yadav was named in 26 FIRs. On the basis of an FIR filed by the Bihar Police, the ED had initiated investigation against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. During investigation, the ED found that Yadav had amassed huge properties in his name and in the names of his family members from the proceeds of crime, the official said. In order to launder the ill-gotten money, Yadav allegedly deposited cash in the bank accounts of others, from whom he got cheque for equal amount issued in the names of his family members. "Yadav acquired huge properties through cash, the source of which remained unexplained." The accused had also, along with family members, filed income tax returns, which were found fabricated and no business operations was detected. "It was found that benami liquor shops were acquired and operated by Yadav in the names of his servant and other staffs," the official said. --IANS rak/tsb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As Chinese space lab Tiangong-1 re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on Monday, burning up in the skies over the central region of the South Pacific, residents of the country bid the spacecraft a final farewell. Regarded as a pioneer of China's future space station, the experimental space lab re-entered the Earth's atmosphere at around 8.15 a.m. on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported citing the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO). "Tiangong-1 has carried millions of Chinese' space dream. Although it's only aimed to test the technologies for space station, it has many far-reaching effects," Mao Xinyuan, a columnist, was quoted as saying. The Tiangong-1, measuring 10 metres long and weighing around 8.5 tonnes, was launched on September 29, 2011. The spacecraft was in service for four and a half years, two and a half years longer than initially planned, making important contributions to China's manned space cause and paving the way for China to become the third country in the world to build a permanent space station around 2022. "The important role of Tiangong-1 would go down in China's space history. It had helped us accumulate precious experience in constructing space station," said Huang Weifen, Deputy Chief Designer of the Astronaut Center of China. The Tiangong-1, whose name translates as "Heavenly Palace 1," had previously docked with Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 spacecraft, and was visited by six astronauts, including two females. In June 2013, female astronaut Wang Yaping aboard Tiangong-1 delivered a lecture to students on Earth about physics, inspiring public enthusiasm for science and space exploration. "Although Tiangong-1 was only a transitional platform between the spaceship and space station, it's a key step for China to acquire the spacecraft docking technology, and it demonstrated the possibility of long-time space residence for the Chinese," said Bai Ruixue, a former space journalist and now CEO of a company focusing on public understanding of space science. "The scientific imagination aroused by it among the Chinese is invaluable," Bai said. The space lab ended its data service on March 16, 2016. In September 2016, China launched its new space laboratory, the Tiangong-2, which hosted its first manned mission with two astronauts on board between October and November, Efe news reported. China plans to start in 2019 the construction of a space station consisting of several modules, which is scheduled to conclude in 2022. NASA's first space station, Skylab, fell to Earth in an out-of-control re-entry in 1979, burning up harmlessly in the process, CNN reported. The last space outpost to drop was Russia's 135-ton Mir station in 2001, which made a controlled landing with most parts breaking up in the atmosphere. --IANS gb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the Central Board of Secondary (CBSE) and the Centre to file reply on a plea seeking a court-monitored investigation into the paper leak case. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar asked the CBSE, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and the Delhi Police to file their response within 10 days on the plea. The court listed the matter for April 16 for further hearing. The court has also asked the CBSE to explain whether there was any method to stop paper leaks in future. The court was hearing a plea filed by NGO Social Jurist seeking the re-examination of Class 10 Maths paper preferably in April. The petition was filed by Advocate Ashok Agarwal who has also sought consideration of granting liberal marks to the student for appearing in re-examination. Advocate Agarwal told the court that differently-abled students were the worst sufferer as they would again have to appear in the re-examination. He apprised the court of the widespread anger of 28 lakh students, millions of parents and the entire nation as they are holding demonstrations in front of the CBSE office. The CBSE paper leak of Class 10 Maths and Class 12 Economics question papers has affected lakhs of students across India. Enraged over a series of paper leaks in the ongoing CBSE examinations, students of classes 10 and 12 are now demanding an assurance from the Board and the Ministry that the leaks would not happen again. --IANS akk/nir/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Himachal Pradesh's loan liability stood at Rs 46,502 crore, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Monday. "The situation in the state is such that it can't manage its affairs without loans. We will try to limit it by taking continuous measures, including austerity. At the same time we will see that the development is not affected," he told the assembly. He agreed to the suggestion by the Communist Party of India-Marxist member Rakesh Singha to seek the release of 7.19 per cent share of the state on account of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) projects along with arrears from neighbouring Punjab and Haryana. The Supreme Court had passed an order in this regard in 2011, but the state has not got its due so far. In reply to a question by Congress member Sukhvinder Sukhu, the Chief Minister said the government had taken a loan of Rs 1,000 crore in past three months. Thakur said the previous Congress government had taken loans of Rs 18,787 crore in five years tenure. Congress Legislature Party Leader Mukesh Agnihotri asked the Chief Minister as to whether the government will bring a resolution in the state assembly to impress upon the central government collectively for a bailout package of Rs 46,000 crore, equivalent to the loan amount, in one go. --IANS vg/vd A (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tech honchos in Silicon Valley are deeply worried at China's rapid progress in harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that has shown encouraging results in changing the way we work and live. According to Eric Schmidt, former chairman of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, China will overtake the US in AI by 2025. Measured by start-up financing deals and dollars from venture capitalists, the United States' AI start-up ecosystem currently dominates -- followed by China, says a recent Accenture analysis titled "Rewire for Growth". When it comes to India, the number of AI start-ups has increased since 2011 at a compounded annual growth rate of 86 per cent. But the size of funding till date is substantially smaller in India than in the US and China, reflecting the limited success of India's AI start-ups in achieving scale so far, the report noted. "According to our analysis, AI has the potential to add $957 billion, or 15 per cent of current gross value added, to India's economy in 2035," said Accenture. Prime Minister Narendra Modi now wants that AI technology should be "Made in India" and "Made to Work for India" but despite promising starts, the country's policy initiatives are not comprehensive yet and lag other G20 countries. China, on the other hand, today harbours one of the biggest clusters of AI scientists. According to The Economist, China's State Council has issued an ambitious policy blueprint, calling for the country to become "the world's primary AI innovation centre" by 2030. "China's AI programme is highly structured and driven 'top down' whereas India's approach is more 'organic' -- at least till this point -- driven largely by the private sector and driven by their unique needs for AI," said Dr Prashant Pradhan, Chief Technology Officer, IBM India/South Asia. These represent very different approaches to "getting ready" for AI. "China's approach carefully manages investment, infrastructure, focus verticals and training. This has benefits in speed of execution and outcomes -- especially when there is clarity on the priority areas of application," Pradhan told IANS. Advances in AI largely happen in an open, peer-reviewed community with free exchange of ideas. "Over time, there may be more coordinated government investment -- especially in resource-constrained environments," Pradhan noted. When it comes to funding, Machine Learning (ML), recommendation engines and computer vision are the most popular segments of AI, accounting for almost 80 per cent of total funding globally. "Big industry players that have the financial strength and business experience to invest in AI research and development (R&D) typically lead the strategic charge on global competitiveness for their country," the Accenture analysis stressed. Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple are spearheading AI innovations in the US, and Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu are funding the AI research in China. In line with the global trends, the digital platform companies are becoming the driving force of AI innovations in India too. According to Rajesh Janey, Managing Director and President, India Enterprise, Dell EMC, the country is entering an era of monumental technological change, rich with opportunity. "Globally, businesses plan to triple their investments in advanced AI within five years. India too will see the same enthusiasm, with investments in AI jumping from 31 per cent to 89 per cent in the same time-frame," Janey told IANS. AI will improve our interaction with technology, understand the abundance of data and rely on the predictions to automate excessively complex or mundane tasks, said Shaakun Khanna, Senior Director, HCM Strategy and Transformation, Asia Pacific at Oracle. In February, Modi inaugurated the Wadhwani Institute of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Mumbai's Kalina campus -- reported to be the first AI research lab in the country. US-based philanthropist brothers Romesh Wadhwani and Sunil Wadhwani have established the institute and want it to become like San Francisco-based non-profit "OpenAI" that has SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk as one of its co-founders. In order to become a true AI powerhouse, it is high time that New Delhi makes Beijing a bigger partner in fuelling AI research at home. According to Accenture, AI research has been motivated by societal needs in India so far and the first step now is to create a comprehensive, long-term vision and road-map for AI. "The national AI plan with clear milestones should be set as a priority. Here, India can follow the lead of China which has laid out clear targets for AI development in phases, initially by 2020 and going forward by 2030," it added. The first critical thing is to understand the role AI is likely to play across multiple professions. "Targeted augmentation in every field will be the key to success for the country to have an AI-ready workforce," Pradhan stressed. (Nishant Arora can be contacted at nishant.a@ians.in) --IANS na/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indians have always loved their whiskey, and now they are more open to experimentation, says an industry expert. "People in India have always loved their whiskey. And with increasing aspirations, disposable incomes and exposure to global brands, I believe that they are more open to experiment, upgrade and try out different whiskies from the world," Jeff Arnett, Master distiller at Jack Daniel's, told IANS. "The premiumisation of the retail environment and the lifestyle of consumers in India is also helping consumers getting more evolved with whiskey. There has been a tremendous increase in the cocktail culture and people are trying out cocktails made with whiskies. "There are a lot of craft cocktail bars that have come up in India and interestingly there are many women who have adopted whiskey as their preferred choice of drinks," added Arnett, who was in India for a masterclass last month. In 2008, Arnett took on the mantle as the seventh distiller in the 150 years of Jack Daniel's existence. Arnett says India has traditionally been a scotch market. "But we have seen some good growth here in the past few years," he added. Pointing at another trend, he said: "I think from our point of view, American whiskies are seeing a renaissance globally, including India. People are increasingly getting fascinated by mixology." Arnett said "the well-travelled Indian millennial consumers are not very different than their counterparts across this digitally connected world". "As more and more Indians travel the world, they are seeking brands which are authentic and have a legacy of craftsmanship," said the expert, who hails from Lynchburg, Tennessee. What are his future plans for India? "India is one of our key emerging markets globally and has shown consistent double-digit growth for us throughout the last few years. We plan to build on this by continuing to educate consumers here about the nuances of the American whiskey." --IANS sug/rb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani on Sunday slammed the recent Israeli violence against Palestinians as an "inhumane act". The Israelis have repeated such "criminal" acts against the Palestinians with the support of the United States, Larijani was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency. On Friday, thousands of Palestinians started the first day of the Great March of Return, a month-long sit-in along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel to demand the return of Palestinian refugees who were forced to leave their cities during the Arab-Israeli war in 1948. On the day, the Israeli soldiers reportedly killed at least 15 Palestinian protesters and wounded about 1,000 others along the border fence. Larijani described the Israeli policy of "creating tension" and US President Donald Trump's decision to move his country's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as plots orchestrated by Israel and Washington to undermine the region's security and stability. "The terrorists ruling Tel Aviv only understand the language of force," he said, adding that only resistance can stop the "power-mad" regime of Israel. Larijani urged Muslim countries to take the necessary measures and back the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. --IANS ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Iraqi student died in a road accident in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district late on Sunday, police said on Monday. Saad Abdul Bari Zabeth, a Ph.D. student of Acharya Nagarjuna University in Guntur district, was killed when he was knocked down by a bus near Guntur town. According to police, he was going to the town on his motorbike. His two friends were accompanying him on another bike. A bus of the state-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corp (APSRTC) hit his two-wheeler from the rear at Gaddipadu on the outskirts of Guntur. He died on the spot. Saad, who was doing Ph.D. in law, had submitted his thesis and was expecting the degree in another month. According to his friends, he had shared this news with his parents in Iraq over telephone a few hours before the tragedy. The Iraqi student had done his post-graduate from Pune before enrolling in Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU). --IANS ms/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At a time when governments are striving for stringent data security and privacy, users in Israel are now reportedly connected to WhatsApp through the Facebook servers, said a report on Monday. According to WABetaInfo, a popular fan website that tracks WhatsApp Beta, the switch has been made to ensure better connection quality. "All users from Israel are now connected to WhatsApp through the Facebook servers," the website tweeted. WhatsApp, however, was yet to confirm the report. According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp (or Facebook too) can just read metadata of messages. "For example if the message you are sending is an image, a video, a sticker etc.. its date, the phone number of the recipient (otherwise the server wouldn't know where the message should be forwarded)," WABetaInfo tweeted. Replying to WABetaInfo, a Twitter user said: "Encryption is not a problem. Its just that metadata like last seen, online time, etc. which are dynamic and are not needed after a particular time, must be wiped from servers". The website, however, said that the fact that WhatsApp is starting to use the Facebook servers must not worry you. "This just ensures a better quality of the connection. All chats and calls are end-to-end encrypted, so WhatsApp/Facebook/anyone cannot read/listen them. Everything is encrypted, also Stickers," WABetaInfo tweeted. WABetaInfo has asked people to wait till May "to see which data are really stored in the WhatsApp server and if they might be a problem for us". The European Union (EU) has asked businesses and service providers globally to comply with its new privacy law -- the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) -- that comes into force from May 25 this year. The EU GDPR has been designed to harmonise data privacy laws across Europe -- to protect and empower all EU citizens' data privacy and to reshape the way organisations across the region approach data privacy. WhatsApp last month signed a public commitment with Britain's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) not to share users' personal data with Facebook until data protection concerns are addressed. "WhatsApp has assured us that no UK user data has ever been shared with Facebook (other than as a 'data processor')," Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said in a statement. --IANS sku/na/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An independent probe into the murder of a 12-year-old boy and a 32-year-old cattle trader -- both Muslims -- in 2016 in Jharkhand claims that police sabotaged the investigation and denied justice to the families of the victims as all the accused are out on bail. The report "Hanged by Gau Rakshaks, Denied Justice by the State" by Ajith Sahi, a rights activist, alleges that police delaying filing of an FIR by 17 hours and did not include relevant sections of the IPC in it. Among other examples of alleged police failure, the report says that a BJP leader named by eye-witnesses as one of the accused was yet to be questioned. The report is on the murder of Mazloom Ansari, 32, and Imtiaz Khan, 12 who were killed as they were transporting eight oxen on foot in the early hours of March 18, 2016 in Latehar of Jharkhand. Eight people have been accused of committing the crime but all are out on bail for the past 18 months. This despite the fact that three eye witnesses to the crime have named them and the accused confessing of the crime to police, said the report. The report has been endorsed by many rights groups including Alliance for Justice and Accountability, New York, Citizens for Justice and Peace, Mumbai, Dalit American Coalition, New York, Indian American Muslim Council, Washingtond and United Against Hate, New Delhi. "Forget chargesheeted, the BJP leader named in the FIR has not yet been questioned. He is roaming free," Sahi told IANS. According to the report, at least two of the accused confessed that they were part of Gau Rakha Dal. "Though the police acknowledged the involvement of a gau rakshak, they were quick to suggest these weren't vigilante killing but actually the result of a 'gang attempting to loot cattle'," according to the report. "Not only did the police not fully investigate the crime, but also failed to press appropriate charges against the accused. This has considerably weakened the case, as a consequence of which every one of the accused was able to secure bail." According to the report, Manowar, one of the witnesses, informed the police of the details of the crime, but the police "did not write down anything", a claim the witness reiterated in his deposition before a court in November 2017. "Avdhesh (one of the accused) confirmed that their vigilante group had earlier, too, stalked Muslims with cattle and stolen their livestock, selling some of them while abandoning the others in the forest." It said the prosecution failed to defend the arrests and successfully oppose the bail applications. "Over 18 months since the accused were bailed, the Jharkhand government is still to move the Supreme Court for the cancellation of the bails," the report said. --IANS nkh/sar/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Several protesters were injured in clashes with police south Kashmir on Monday as the Valley observed a complete shutdown in protest against the killings of four civilians in Shopian district during operations against militants on Sunday. According to witnesses, at least 20 protesters were injured as mobs threw rocks at security forces in Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag districts of south Kashmir. Police and paramilitary troopers fired pellets and tear gas to disperse the protesters. In Srinagar, authorities imposed restrictions in parts of the city to maintain law and order as a separatist leaders had also called for a protest shutdown. Authorities placed Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chairman Yaseen Malik under house arrest in Srinagar to prevent their participation in the protest. Heavy contingents of police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were deployed in the restricted areas in Srinagar. Markets, public transport and other businesses remained shut in the valley. All educational institutions were closed on Monday and exams scheduled for the day postponed. Train services between north Kashmir's Baramulla town and Banihal town were suspended. Mobile internet services remained suspended in south Kashmir areas while the speed of fixed line broadband connections was reduced drastically to prevent uploading of provocative posts and pictures. Srinagar traders and manufacturers started a protest march from the city centre Lal Chowk shouting slogans against the unending cycle of violence in the Kashmir Valley. Police intervened at Polo View area on Residency Road as traders tried to move towards the headquarters of UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) in Sonwar area. The protest march was dispersed by police and some protesters were taken into preventive custody. On Sunday, 20 people -- 13 militants, four civilians, three soldiers -- were killed in the three gunfights that took place in Shopian and Anantnag districts. Over 60 civilians were injured in clashes with the security forces as protesters resorted to stone pelting near the gunfight sites. --IANS sar/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kashmiri traders and manufacturers on Monday protested against the killings of four civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district during operations against militants by security forces. Srinagar traders and manufacturers started a protest march from the city centre Lal Chowk shouting slogans against the unending cycle of violence in the Kashmir Valley. Police intervened at Polo View area on Residency Road as traders tried to move towards the headquarters of UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) in Sonwar area. The protest march was dispersed by police and some protesters were taken into preventive custody. Srinagar city and the rest of the Kashmir Valley observed a shutdown on Monday against Sunday's killings in Shopian district. Markets, roads, other businesses and educational institutions remained closed. Police and paramilitary forces were deployed in large numbers to maintain law and order. --IANS sq/mr/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A sting operation by a leading Kerala-based TV channel claims to have exposed an "unholy alliance" between the Revenue Department officials and real estate brokers with the active support of ruling CPI's Wayanad district unit. The Communist Party of India (CPI) is the second largest ally of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. On hearing the news, party's state secretary Kanam Rajendran, who has been quite vocal about the alleged corruption of previous Oommen Chandy government and projecting the CPI's tough stand on corruption, said he would ask for a detailed probe into this. As soon as the news spread, Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekheran on Monday ordered a probe and asked Wayanad District Collector S. Suhas to suspend the Deputy Collector, who is alleged to have facilitated usurping of the government land in the district. The expose shows an Asianet TV channel team posing as a group of businessmen looking for a particular piece of land in the district to build a resort. They first approach Kunju Mohammed, a real estate broker, who takes them to Wayanad Deputy Collector T. Somnathan and some CPI district leaders, including its Wayanad unit secretary Vijayan Cherukara. Mohammed connects them with Somnathan and Cherukara, and the latter using his influence gets access to the state secretariat. The visuals -- besides the audio of conversation between Mohammed, Somnathan and Cherukara -- try to establish that there is an unholy alliance between them to allegedly usurp the government land. Chandrasekheran told the media that the probe had already begun into the expose. "There will be no let-down in the probe and anyone found guilty would not be spared," said the Minister. Suhas, on his part, has decided to seal the two revenue offices in Wayanad to see that the probe is not hampered. Putting up a brave face, Cherukara denied of any such deals and termed it as a conspiracy. "Let there be detailed probe into this... This is a fake news to defame the present Left government," said Cherukara. As soon as the news broke out, angry youth wing activists of both Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took out protest marches to the Wayanad Collectorate, while the youth wing of the CPI-M demanded a thorough probe into the whole episode. Former state Congress president V.M. Sudheeran said it was most unfortunate. "While the state government and the Revenue Department have been saying that there is paucity of land to be given to the landless, we now hear that land is being usurped and sold illegally. "Only suspending a government official will not suffice... The need of the hour is to expose the unholy alliance between the political setup and the administration," said Sudheeran. --IANS sg/nir/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nobel Peace Prize winner and young education activist Malala Yousafzai on Monday returned to the UK after a four-day trip to Pakistan, her home country. Malala, 20, left for the UK on an early morning from the Benazir Bhutto International Airport here, a security source told Efe news. "Security was strengthened prior to her arrival at the airport," the source added. Malala arrived in Pakistan on March 29 accompanied by her family, and was received by members of the Pakistani government. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi met her and hosted an event with parliamentarians, politicians and diplomats to honour the young activist. Malala fought back tears during an emotional televised speech, in which she said that returning to her country for the first time since 2012 when she was shot by the Taliban for her defence of female education, had been "like a dream". Two days later, she travelled to her hometown of Mingora in Swat Valley, where she visited her home and met students at a military institute. Despite the full support she received from the government, her presence also sparked harsh criticism and protests, including the one organised by the country's main private school association on Friday, under the slogan "I am not Malala". Following the Taliban shooting, Malala left Pakistan for the UK, where she has lived ever since. She has also enrolled at Oxford University. Malala and her father, Ziauddin, set up the Malala Fund in 2014, a foundation to raise awareness about the social and economic impact of girls' education. In 2014, at the age of 17, Malala became the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, a prize she shared with Indian child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi. --IANS ksk/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In wake of violence rocking the day-long Bharat Bandh call given by Dalit groups and organizations, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Monday demanded stern action against all those involved in inciting mobs for violence. In a statement, the four-time UP Chief Minister said this was a ploy to defame the BSP by alleging that they were behind the violence that erupted in many parts of Uttar Pradesh, primarily in western districts. "I demand that the government take stringent action again who ever is behind this violence that has singed many parts of western UP," she demanded. "It is indeed very painful that some people have lost their lives in other parts of the country and I condemn these acts of violence." Mayawati also said that it appeared certain that some anti-social elements jumped into the otherwise calm and peaceful protests and created ruckus. The BSP chief however reiterated that her party as very much against the amendments ordered by the Supreme Court in the SC/ST Act and added that she would take up the matter at every stage she can. --IANS md/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Terming the Narendra Modi government "anti-poor" and "anti-middle class", senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Monday attacked it for the hike in petrol and diesel price, saying it believed in "cruel taxation" and "imprudent borrowing". The Congress, meanwhile, reiterated its demand that petrol and diesel must be brought under the GST. "Crude oil price has fallen from USD 108 in May 2014 to USD 77 in April 2018. Then, why are petrol and diesel prices today higher than prices in May 2014?" said Chidambaram in a series og tweets. "BJP government is anti-poor and anti-middle class. These are the sections that have to bear the burden of high petrol and diesel prices. "BJP government believes in two things (1) cruel taxation and (2) imprudent borrowing. Thank god this is the last year of the present government," he said. The petrol price in Delhi touched a near-five year high of Rs 73.83 a litre on Monday while the price of diesel also touched a fresh record high in the national capital, supported by the recent surge in global crude oil prices. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said BJP's pre-election slogans have now become a "cruel joke" on common people, but the its government was "unmoved, unresponsive and unbearable". Accusing it of betraying the trust of common people, he said it has "miserably failed to curtail the rise in fuel prices and busy filling the treasury coffers at the expense of the ordinary citizens" and reiterated the partys' demand that petrol and diesel must be brought under the GST. Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Surjewala said: "Modi's previous tweets on petrol-diesel prices now mock us in the face and serve as a constant reminder that one should never trust the BJP and its tall promises." "Post May 26, 2014, international crude oil prices have come down by more than 30 per cent. BJP government earned a windfall of Rs. 7.35 lakh crore by levying various central taxes on petrol/diesel (till the Q2 of 2017-18). Where has the money gone?" he asked. --IANS sid/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The mortal remains of 38 Indian men killed by the Islamic State terror group in Mosul, Iraq, in 2014 arrived here on Monday afternoon on a special IAF aircraft. Union Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh accompanied the mortal remains. "We are thankful to the authorities in Iraq for the help (they rendered) to locate the victims and exhume the mortal remains. The government of India did its best to know about the missing Indians," Singh told the media. Although 39 Indians were killed as the Islamic State took over Mosul in June 2014, the mortal remains of 38 were brought back as the identification of one body is still pending. While the coffins of 31 victims -- 27 from Punjab and four from Himachal Pradesh -- were handed over to the respective authorities at the Amritsar airport here, seven coffins were shifted to another aircraft to be flown to West Bengal (3) and Bihar (4). Punjab's Cultural Affairs Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu was present at the airport to receive the coffins, along with officials of the other states to which the victims belonged. The victims' families were told by officials not to open the coffins since the mortal remains had been exhumed from graves and could emit toxic gases. However, most have refused the direction and said that they would opt for a traditional cremation. In the wake of the nationwide protests against the dilution of the SC and ST Prevention of Atrocities Act on Monday, the Punjab government had appealed to the demonstrators to allow the mortal remains to pass without hindrance. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had informed Parliament on March 20 that all 39 Indian construction workers kidnapped in 2014 from Mosul have been killed. The Minister had earlier said that she will not consider them dead unless there was proof in this regard, rejecting lone survivor Harjit Masih's claim that the captives were shot dead. Masih had escaped from the clutches of the terror group in June 2014. After Mosul was freed from the clutches of the Islamic State in July 2017, there was hope that the missing Indians would be found. However, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, during his India visit in July, said he was not sure if the men were alive or not. --IANS js/ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Muslim Family Law is the need of the hour, a Muslim women's body said on Monday, urging the government and the opposition to stop politicising the issue so as to ensure a balanced and comprehensive law. "This government must now listen to the voices of progressive Muslim women," the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) said in a statement. "It has so far not heeded the amendments that the BMMA has been demanding to the Bill passed by the Lok Sabha. "A balanced law which ensures protection of women and at the same time deters the men is required and the BMMA has done the needful by presenting this amended version to the government. Why is this government stonewalling the voices of women who have been working since the last decade to ensure Muslim women's Quranic and Constitutional rights? "It is also time that the government and opposition stop politicising the issue and ensure a balanced and comprehensive law," the statement added. The statement said that while the Supreme Court setting aside triple talaq in its judgment of August 2018 was a historical step forward, issues such as nikah halala, polygamy, age of marriage, custody of children and share in property remained unaddressed. "Women's rights in all of these matters are clearly protected by Quranic injunctions as well as various articles of the Constitution. "Unfortunately, the patriarchal dominance by orthodox forces have led to women being denied justice." It said it was obligatory for the elected representatives and the government to enable women to get justice. Parliament must live up to its duty of passing a Muslim Family Law just as they passed the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 and Hindu Succession Act, 1956. Justice for Indian muslim women can be enabled either through amendments to the Shariat Application Act, 1937 as well as the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939 or a completely new enactment of Muslim personal law. --IANS mr/him/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, anti-apartheid activist who was once married to former South African President Nelson Mandela, passed away on Monday, said a statement released by her family. She was 81. Winnie Mandela died after a long illness at the Netcare Milpark Hospital here, Xinhua news reported. She died peacefully surrounded by her family and loved ones, said the statement. Winnie Mandela was one of the greatest icons of the struggle against Apartheid. She fought valiantly against the Apartheid state and sacrificed her life for the freedom of the country. Her activism and resistance to Apartheid landed her in jail on numerous occasions, eventually causing her banishment to the small town of Brandfort in the then Orange Free State, it said. Winnie kept the memory of her imprisoned husband Nelson Mandela alive during his years on Robben Island and helped give the Struggle for justice in South Africa one its most recognisable faces. She dedicated most of her adult life to the cause of the people and for this was known far and wide as the Mother Of The Nation, added the statement. --IANS him/vd (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.) Nepal has decided to deploy drones to patrol the border with India, Home Affairs Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa announced on Monday. While unveiling the Home Ministry's 82-point reform plan, he told the media: "We need to change the present guidelines on use of drones and it was now essential to use drones at Nepal-India border for patrolling." He said India has deployed border security posts at every kilometre but "we have hardly stationed one in every 25 km. Hence, we will use drones to address the challenges we are facing at the border". Nepal and India share an about 18,000 km joint border which is open and can be crossed without a visa. While people living in the bordering areas can cross it without any valid documents, travellers need to provide a valid ID card. Thapa only named India in his speech even though Nepal shares a significant length of border with China. Vowing more stringent vigilance at the borders, he said a new immigration policy will be introduced and movement of foreigners monitored. Thapa also announced setting up 10 more border outposts along India and China borders but did not share details about the number of each. Nepal is facing several threats at the border, including human trafficking and smuggling, while India has been raising similar complaints with Nepal. (Anil Giri can be contacted at girianil@gmail.com) --IANS giri/him/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prices of non-subsidised LPG, or cooking gas, have been reduced by Rs 35.50 per cylinder, and that of the subsidised one by a marginal Rs 1.74, according to state-run oil marketing companies, even as public sector Indraprastha Gas Ltd hiked the rates for piped and compressed natural gas (CNG) supply to cities in the national capital region. As per the revised rates announced by Indian Oil Corp that are effective from April 1, a 14.2 kg non-subsidised cooking gas cylinder now costs Rs 653.50 in Delhi, as compared to Rs 689. Similarly, the non-subsidised LPG cylinder now costs Rs 676 in Kolkata, Rs 625 in Mumbai and 663.50 in Chennai. The price of the subsidised cylinder, which a consumer has a quota of 12 per year, was also cut marginally by Rs 1.74. The 14.2 kg cylinder now costs Rs 491.35 in Delhi as against Rs 493 earlier. OMCs revise LPG and aviation turbine fuel (ATF), or jet fuel, prices on the first of every month. Jet fuel prices have been cut by Rs 231 in Delhi and now sells at Rs 61,450 per kilolitre. Prices vary with airports depending on local taxes. Jet fuel per kilolitre now costs Rs 65,985 in Kolkata, Rs 61,025 in Mumbai and Rs 61,615 in Chennai. Meanwhile, Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) raised the price of CNG by 90 paise per kg and of domestic piped gas by Rs 1.15 per standard cubic metres (SCM) in Delhi, effective Monday, following the change in the rate of domestic natural gas prices payable to producers. As part of the six-monthly official revision of rates, the domestic natural gas price has gone from April 1 up 6 per cent to $3.06 per million British thermal unit (mbtu). IGL has also raised the price of CNG by Re 1 per kg in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad. Prices of piped natural gas (PNG) to households in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad have been raised by Rs 1.20 per SCM. --IANS bc/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Steven Bochco, the TV writer behind classic crime dramas including "Hill Street Blues" and "NYPD Blues", is no more. He was 74. Bochco had been battling a rare form of leukaemia for several years, reports mirror.co.uk. He had a transplant in late 2014 that was credited with prolonging his life. Details of his death were unclear on Sunday morning. Working with different collaborators, Bochco co-created some of TV's most popular series for more than 20 years while helping to create the template for modern hours featuring large ensemble casts, serialised storylines and edgy content. The recipient of numerous industry awards, including the Humanitas Prize and Peabody honours, Bochco was nominated for an Emmy 30 times in his capacities as producer and writer, winning 10. More recently, Bochco co-created mystery crime-drama "Murder in the First". Bochco launched such series as "Hill Street Blues" and "L.A. Law". He also produced the legal drama "Raising the Bar". The producer also tried his hand at novels, writing "Death by Hollywood", a dark comic satire with a struggling screenwriter as its protagonist. His struggle with leukaemia prompted him to write his autobiography, "Truth is a Total Defense: My Fifty Years in Television", which he self-published in 2016. He is survived by his third wife Dayna Kalins, whom he married in 2000, as well as daughter Melissa and sons Jeffrey and Jesse. --IANS sug/rb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cultural exchange is the only way to bring India and Pakistan closer as politics has failed to achieve that, says Indian filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, who feels that together the two countries can be a "great force" in the world. Bhardwaj, who was visiting Pakistan after five years, was among the Indian artistes who attended the Pakistan International Film Festival (PIFF) 2018 that concluded here on Sunday. He was a part of multiple panel discussions that took place as part of the festival and featured other artistes from India and Pakistan. "I love Pakistan. Whenever I come here, I find a reason to come back again. I didn't find any changes. The only change I found is that the love for us has increased," Bhardwaj, a National Award winning multi-talented talent, told The News International. On cultural exchanges between the two countries and how they can bring them closer, he said: "I think this is the only way to bring normalcy between the two countries; more and more cultural events can bridge the gap. And it's very sad that we are always at loggerheads. "We all are alike. If we come together, we'll be such a great force in the world in terms of everything - culturally, economically as well as politically." Bilateral tensions had intensified between India and Pakistan after the September 18, 2016 Uri attack that left 19 Indian soldiers dead and the September 28 surgical strikes by India on Pakistan terror camps the same year. The political rift has affected cultural ties too as Pakistani artistes are not getting a chance to work in India. Bhardwaj said time will heal the situation, reports The News International. "I think it will get smooth with time because culture is the only way possible. Generally, there are two ways to bridge the gap: cultural and political. Politics is failing in achieving that for a long time. In fact, political situation has been affecting cultural exchanges too. Therefore, culture should be left alone. "There is a need for tolerance and acceptance from both ends. It has to be a two-way thing otherwise it won't work." Bhardwaj also dwelt on the popularity that Pakistani actor Fawad Khan enjoys in India. "If bias against Pakistani actors had been there, the masses wouldn't have gone to watch their films. So, there is nothing against them in the heart of masses. Whatever else is there, it is politically motivated otherwise how would have Fawad become a superstar in India?" he asked. --IANS rb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A passenger seeking to smuggling an amount of gold in the form of buttons was caught at Imphal Airport, an CISF official said on Monday. Pradeep Kumar, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur, was caught on Sunday afternoon during pre-embarkation security check as he was going to board an Indigo flight to Kolkata, said Central Industrial Security Force's (CISF) Assistant Inspector General Hemendra Singh. Each button was 1.5 gram gold coated with silver colour and a total of 120 buttons, comprising 180 grams of the precious metal, worth Rs 5 lakh approximately, were recovered from him, he said, adding that the new modus operandi was adopted to avoid detection of gold during screening of baggage. Kumar was later handed over to customs official in Imphal for further legal action. --IANS rak/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stray incidents of violence marred the nationwide shutdown call on Monday which evoked partial response in Maharashtra, though Mumbai functioned near normally. The protests were part of the 'Bharat Bandh' called by various Dalit organisations against the March 20 Supreme Court order, which, they contend, has diluted provisions of The Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. While Mumbai remained largely unaffected by the shutdown call, a group of Dalit activists of the Bhim Army staged noisy protests in Bandra outside the Mumbai Suburban District Collectorate. In Nagpur, a large number of protesters took the streets shouting slogans, attempted to stage road blocks and torched a public bus even as police chased away the demonstrators and the fire brigade snuffed out the blaze. Large groups of agitators took to the roads in Nandurbar, pelted stones at public buses and other vehicles, forcing the authorities to withdraw all bus services, and some educational institutions declared an off for the day. At least two persons were injured in stone-pelting incidents in Jalgaon and protestors stage road blocks in some parts of the district. A large number of students attempted to block the Tapovan Express in Nanded, but were foiled by police. Several villages and towns in Palghar remained shut in response to the shutdown call and activists staged a block on the highway near Boisar. Addressing the media in Pune, Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh President Prakash Ambedkar alleged that the Supreme Court is responsible for the violent incidents in different states during the nationwide shutdown call on Monday. "This is the outcome of the apex court ruling and the government has done nothing to stop the protests. A Syria-type situation is developing in the country," warned Ambedkar, the grandson of the Architect of Indian Constitution B.R. Ambedkar. Meanwhile, police and other forces maintained a tight security all over Maharashtra to prevent any untoward incidents in the wake of the shutdown call. --IANS qn/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Rahul Gandhi will again visit poll-bound Karnataka on Tuesday to campaign, a party statement said. With Congress determined to retain power in the southern state, Gandhi has been campaigning in the state very extensively. On this visit, he will addressing a public rally at Government High School Ground in Davangere at 5.30 p.m. on Tuesday, and also attend a public contact programme n Shimoga and also inaugurate a District Congress office. He will later travel to Honnali, Harihara and Bathi in Davangere. --IANS sid/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday urged political parties to avoid tensions in the wake of nationwide protests against the dilution of the SC and ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. "A review petition has been filed in Supreme Court today. I would appeal to all to avoid tensions. I seek their support," the minister told reporters. "We should not create a situation that leads to communal tensions. It is the moral responsibility of all the political parties to cooperate so that any kind of tensions can be avoided," he added. --IANS bns/ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tata Group Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata was accorded a rousing welcome by the staff and employees at the sprawling Tata Motors Ltd (TML) plant here on Monday. Accompanied by Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, Tata alighted from a helicopter, making it his first visit to the plant after over five years, official sources said. "It was part of Tata's ongoing series of visits to some Group plants. He interacted with the staff in a town-hall style meeting. It was purely an internal affair," a source said. The trip was part of a tradition initiated by Tata himself of 'All Hands Meet' to mark the beginning of the new financial year in the TML, years ago. Present during the visit were TML CEO and Managing Director Guenter Butschek, other top officials and heads of different departments, at the town hall in Lake House, which made Tata nostalgic as he had spent many years there. During the interaction, Tata discussed the recent lean periods of TML which culminated in the company regaining its fourth position in the passenger vehicles segment by the end of 2017-2018. Besides Tata, Chandrasekaran and Butschek also addressed the gathering on the past, the future challenges, the markets and consumers and exhorted the employees to become 'leaders and not followers' for achieving success. --IANS qn/him/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Terming as "shameful" the remark of Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh that giving compensation to the families of 39 Indian workers killed in Iraq "is not like distributing biscuits", the Congress on Monday demanded that he be sacked. It also demanded an apology from him as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the remark was "shameful, reprehensible and unacceptable". Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her deputy V.K. Singh continued to mislead the families of 39 Indians, killed by ISIS in Iraq's Mosul, by giving them false hopes that they were alive though knowing well there was overwhelming evidence that they had been killed. "And now, that their mortal remains are becoming back, instead of holding hands, sympathising with the families and providing succour in form of compensation and jobs to the families... the completely inhuman statement of Singh that giving compensation is not like distributing biscuits, is shameful, reprehensible, unacceptable in a democracy." "Arrogance has gone to the head of Modi government and its ministers. Does Singh feel that the 39 families are beggars.Isn't he the same person who compared Dalit children with dogs. Should the PM and Singh not apologise for this?" he asked. "He has no right to continue as a minister even for a single day and he should be sacked. Prime Minister must give Rs 1 crore of compensation and a job to each one of these families," he added. Asked about the compensation to the families, Singh, who accompanied the mortal remains back from Mosul, said: "This is not like distributing biscuits, I do not have like a box of money in my pocket that I will just declare the compensation right now... this matter concerns people's lives." --IANS sid/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Samsung Electronics has overtaken IBM as the holder of the most US patents as of the beginning of 2018, according to new data. The South Korean tech firm owned 75,596 US patents, outdoing the second best IBM by nearly 1.6 times, as of January 1, Yonhap news agency said on Monday, quoting the top 100 list drawn up jointly by the journal IAM and intellectual property big data analysis company ktMINE. IBM, which had ranked at the top for the past 25 years, held 46,443 patents. "South Korea's Samsung takes the top spot and probably will for the foreseeable future," the analysis report said. "Even though IBM continually outfiles other companies, its assets are also ageing; in addition, it is known for abandoning a number of its patents relatively early in their lifetimes." "As (IBM's) assets grow older, it will have to innovate more (or acquire more patent assets) to keep pace," the report added. Japan's Canon came in third with 38,996 patents, followed by Microsoft with 33,327. Intel ranked fifth with 30,985. Another South Korean tech firm, LG Electronics, settled at seventh place with 28,235. US companies accounted for 45 of the top 100, with European firms claiming 14 spots. Two Chinese companies, Huawei and Lenovo, were ranked 61st and 93rd respectively. --IANS sku/na/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stray incidents of violence marred the 'Bharat Bandh', called by various Dalit organisations on Monday, and evoked partial response in Maharashtra, though Mumbai functioned near normally. The protests were called against the March 20 Supreme Court order, which, the Dalit groups contend, has diluted provisions of The Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. While Mumbai remained largely unaffected by the shutdown call, a group of Dalit activists of the Bhim Army staged noisy protests in Bandra outside the Mumbai Suburban District Collectorate. In Nagpur, a large number of protesters took the streets shouting slogans, attempted to stage road blocks and torched a public bus even as police chased away the demonstrators and the fire brigade snuffed out the blaze. Large groups of agitators took to the roads in Nandurbar, pelted stones at public buses and other vehicles, forcing the authorities to withdraw all bus services, and some educational institutions declared an off for the day. At least two persons were injured in stone-pelting incidents in Jalgaon and protestors stage road blocks in some parts of the district. A large number of students attempted to block the Tapovan Express in Nanded, but were foiled by police. Several villages and towns in Palghar remained shut in response to the shutdown call and activists staged a block on the highway near Boisar. Addressing the media in Pune, Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh President Prakash Ambedkar alleged that the Supreme Court is responsible for the violent incidents in different states during the nationwide shutdown call on Monday. "This is the outcome of the apex court ruling and the government has done nothing to stop the protests. A Syria-type situation is developing in the country," warned Ambedkar, the grandson of the Architect of Indian Constitution B.R. Ambedkar. Meanwhile, police and other forces maintained a tight security all over Maharashtra to prevent any untoward incidents in the wake of the shutdown call. --IANS qn/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 24-hour nationwide strike called by trade unions was observed across Kerala on Monday. The strike was called as the unions were protesting against a decision to allow businesses to hire fixed-term employees (FTEs) which they claim will eventually threaten job security in all sectors. All markets, shops and establishments in the state were closed. The state secretariat saw just around 10 per cent of the total staff of around 3,000 in attendance, while the offices of all the state ministers wore a deserted look. In the state capital, an auto-rickshaw that carried foreign tourists was stopped and protesters deflated the tyres. While the protesters did not prevent the movement of private vehicles, the state-owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation stopped its service. In Kochi, the metro services were operating as usual. All university examinations in the state scheduled for Monday have been postponed. --IANS sg/ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder of a young radio jockey near here last week has identified the three hired killers involved, though the key accused has since fled abroad, an official said on Monday. The official, requesting anonymity, said that the SIT had identified the key accused as Alibhai who had flown to a country in the Middle East even as two other suspects were holed up outside the state. The fourth person involved in the murder is yet to be identified. Rajesh, a former radio jockey at an FM station, was hacked to death at his studio at Madavoor near here on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday last after he had performed at a local show near his village. Police said four men had arrived at the spot in a red car for the "planned murder". Police has even spoken on phone with a woman hailing from Kerala but now based in Qatar regarding the case. Even as a group of persons who arranged for the vehicle for the killers have been questioned, no arrest has been made so far. --IANS sg/tsb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tibet's Prime Minister-in-exile Lobsang Sangay on Monday said that Tibetan Buddhism had flourished due to India's support in the last 60 years ever since the Dalai Lama arrived in India in 1959. "An ancient civilization that was almost destroyed (by the Chinese) has been preserved due to (support of) India. In the 60 years of our exile, Tibetan Buddhism flourished in Bhutan, Nepal, and Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh," he said at a function held here as part of the 'Thank You India' campaign. The 'Thank You India' event was organised by the Central Tibetan Administration in McLeodganj near Dharamsal in Himachal Pradesh on March 31 to mark 60 years of the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama's arrival in India in 1959. Sangay, who is heads the McLeodganj-based CTA, said the major agenda is to ensure the return of the Dalai Lama to Lhasa's Potala Palace. "Our main goal is to return to Tibet. The aspiration of six million Tibetans in Tibet is to see His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, to return to Tibet," he said. Asked how optimistic he was and whether parleys were on with the Chinese, he said: "It will happen. Of course, we have to talk to the Chinese government -- their cooperation is very important." "However, There is no formal dialogue (with China)." While senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma, attended the inaugural event in McLeodganj, former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit attended the event in New Delhi, which was marked by exhibitions and cultural programmes. The event included a "Thank You India" song performed and produced by artistes of the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, a panel discussion on "India and Tibet: Ancient Ties, Current Bonds". A day-long film festival was scheduled for the second day of the event. "This is the Festival of Tibet. We are showcasing Tibetan architecture, artefacts, medicine, and Buddhism. So that the people in India can see how much they have helped us preserve and promote our civilization, culture and identity," Sangay said. --IANS mgu/tsb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The trial run of the Union Women and Child Development Ministry's 'Panic Button', which aims to ensure safety for women, has successfully started in Uttar Pradesh, a ministry official said. The trial run in was initially planned to begin on January 26 but had been postponed to March 26. "The application has been started across pan Uttar Pradesh and till now it has been successful. Depending upon the final results, the final date of the beginning the application will be announced," the ministry official told IANS, adding that the trial run will last around a month and the results will be available by the second half of April. The project of the ministry was taken up as a step to ensure safety and security of women, with the Department of Telecommunications, in April 2016, making it mandatory for mobile phone manufacturers to provide panic buttons in cell phones by January 2017. The order said the phones will have to have the panic button in the form of numeric key 5 or 9 to invoke emergency calls. Meanwhile, the ministry said that volunteers will be appointed after screening for keeping an eye on the feature and will receive an orientation on how to provide help to a woman in distress. The feature will be available in smartphones and users will have to download the mobile application. One can send alert by long pressing the feature and the notification will be sent to victim's family members or friends. The first trial of 'Panic Button' was conducted in Delhi last year, but according to Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi, it got further delayed because of large number of prank calls. "When we tried for one day in Delhi, the lines got immediately jammed because there were so many people making prank calls. Police then just completely backed off and this led us in delaying the project for over a year," she had said. --IANS som/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin may meet "in a not-too-distant future" at the White House, Trump's Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Monday. "As the President himself confirmed on March 20, hours after his last call with President Putin, the two had discussed a bilateral meeting in the 'not-too-distant future' at a number of potential venues, including the White House," Sanders said. "We have nothing further to add at this time." Earlier, in Moscow, Putin's adviser Yuri Ushakov said that during their most recent telephone conversation, Trump proposed a meeting with Putin at the presidential mansion in Washington, Xinhua news reported. Ushakov expressed confidence that Washington would not withdraw the invitation, which was extended before the mutual expulsion of US and Russian diplomats over a spy attack case case. The Russian official, according to reports from Moscow, described as "interesting" and "positive" the idea of a meeting, adding that the Presidents did not discuss dates or deadlines for the summit. The Russian official admitted that after the expulsion of diplomats and the closing of the consulate, "of course, it became difficult to discuss a possible summit". Former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a nerve agent in the UK last month, and officials said Moscow was behind the attack. The Russian government, however, has denied that it was behind the attack on the former spy. In response to the attack, Trump ordered the expulsion on March 26 of 60 Russian diplomats and the closing of Russia's consulate in Seattle. On March 29, Russia ordered the expulsion of 60 US diplomats and the closing of the US consulate in St. Petersburg. Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were attacked with a nerve agent that British authorities concluded was produced in Russia. --IANS him/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump, blaming Democrats and the Mexican government for an increasingly "dangerous" flow of illegal immigrants, unleashed a series of fiery tweets in which he vowed "no more DACA deal", media reports said. Minutes after wishing the nation a happy Easter on Sunday, Trump denounced "liberal" laws that he said were preventing Border Patrol agents from doing their jobs, reports The New York Times. "Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch and Release. Getting more dangerous. 'Caravans' coming. Republicans must go to nuclear option to pass tough laws now. No more DACA deal," Trump tweeted. In two more tweets, Trump threatened to dismantle the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which he called Mexico's "cash cow", if the country does not reduce the flow of immigrants coming across the southern US border, reports CNN. The President followed up on his tweets as he went into Easter Sunday church service in West Palm Beach, Florida. "Mexico has got to help us at the border. If they're not going to help us at the border, it's a very sad thing between two countries. Mexico has got to help us at the border. And a lot of people are coming in because they want to take advantage of DACA and we're going to have to really see. "They had a great chance. The Democrats blew it. They had a great, great chance. But we'll have to take a look. But Mexico has got to help us at the border. They flow right through Mexico. They send them into the United States. Can't happen that way anymore," he added. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme, known as DACA, gave protected status to hundreds of thousands of young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children, reports The New York Times. The programme requires immigrants to have resided in the US since 2007, meaning any crossing the border now would not be eligible. Trump announced last year that he was ending the programme, but courts have blocked his decision. The President has said he was open to negotiating with Democrats on it, but has repeatedly backed away from potential deals that he argues do not include immigration changes that are tough enough. Dalit protests turned violent in parts of Madhya Pradesh on Monday, forcing authorities to impose curfew in many places, police said. The protests are part of a 'Bharat bandh' called by Dalit organisations against a Supreme Court order diluting The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. Violence was reported in Gwalior-Chambal region and Bhind. At one place two groups clashed and pelted each other with stones while several vehicles were also set on fire. Major cities like Bhopal and Indore saw violence, with trains stopped at many places. --IANS hindi-him/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It does not surprise me that the continuing debate on the Op-Ed page of the Indian Express on the Muslim predicament skirts fundamental issues. The debate has been triggered by Ramachandra Guha disagreeing with Harsh Mander on the Muslim question. Mander's column, headlined "Sonia, Sadly", expresses his hurt at Sonia Gandhi's public expression of fear that the Congress was being perceived as a "Muslim Party". In the very first paragraph of his column, Guha plucks out a quote from Mander. "A Dalit leader tells Muslims who come to political meetings: By all means come in large number to our rallies. But don't come with your skull caps and burkas." "Mander is dismayed at this gratuitous attempt to get Muslims to voluntarily withdraw from " But Guha disagrees with Mander's interpretation of what the Dalit leader said. Guha is emphatic: "While the words may be harsh and direct, the spirit of the advice was forward-looking", i.e. don't come in skull caps and burkas. This, I suspect, is the crux of the matter. Guha is endorsing the new line enunciated by the Congress Party: Keep Muslims at arm's length just in case the BJP spin doctors pick up this visual to polarise. Rahul Gandhi's frenetic temple-hopping, janeu et al, is in pursuit of this soft saffron. Apoorvanand, Harbans Mukhia, Mukul Keshavan, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Suhas Palshikar, Irena Akbar, Khalid Ansari, Jawed Naqvi, why, even Mander himself, have all written sensitively, even knowledgeably on the subject. But Guha is a class apart: Muslims must give up skull caps and, to balance matters, Hindus their trishuls. His desire to equalise permeates the article. Praveen Togadia and Yogi Adityanath are bad, but Guha will be happy only if Asaduddin Owaisi and Ali Shah Geelani are mentioned in the same breath. Togadia wants Muslims to leave the country. "Occupy their homes," he once famously said in Gujarat. Without batting an eyelid, Yogi heard his cohorts ask for buried Muslim women to be dug out from their graves and raped. Show me a comparable quote from Owaisi or Geelani. "Yeh ajeeb majra hai ki baroz e Eide qurbaan Wohi zubah bhi kare hai wohi le sawab ulta" (Look at the illogical system of the ceremony of sacrifice. He who slaughters claims the reward for paradise.) The tragedy is that Guha belongs to the category of people who, because of their celebrity status, imagine that eminence in one field qualifies them to claim proficiency in all the others. His inadequacy on the theme he has rushed into unprepared, derives from a common malaise: He is a creature of uninstitutionalised apartheid which means separate development. It would be interesting to know if Guha has ever visited Muslim homes or the other way around when he was a child. Did he know Muslims in school or college whose friendship he still values? Even if he is able to blurt out a name or two, the undeniable truth will be that he has grown up only with his ilk. He has no experience of Muslims. He is not alone in this category. A sharp contrast attends my circumstance. I, along with my three brothers, grew up only among Hindus. Apartheid therefore didn't touch us. Since our informal education was continuous since birth, we knew fairly early that Al-Biruni wrote Tarikh al Hind after his extended stay beginning 1017. Moinuddin Chishti, Shahbaz Qalandar and a host of Sufis and saint-poets like Kabir from the 12th to 14th centuries were spreading "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", paving the way for Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana who ended up writing the only Sanskrit verses in praise of Lord Rama. In his brilliant Persian poetry in the 17th century, Chandrabhan Brahman felt secure enough to taunt and tease the Muslim clergy. Yagana Changezi, a 20th century poet, questions a basic tenet: Why must namaz be said in a foreign language? If all of this sounds like nostalgia, let me invite you to Lucknow for an evening of spiritual poetry on Ahl al-Bayt or the Prophet's family. The poet, Sanjaya Mishra, was a favourite with my mother who died three years ago. She had special vegetarian meals prepared for him. I have shed light on the tiniest strand in the vast expanse of Muslim liberal traditions. Since the 16th century these have been bound up inextricably with the waxing and waning of Urdu in which Hindus and Muslims equally participated. The first great writer of Urdu prose was Pandit Ratan Nath Sarshar. How many liberals know that there is not a single couplet in Urdu which praises the mullah or endorses orthodoxy of any kind? Did you know that most of the poetry on Krishna, Ram in the last century has been written by Muslims? I will only confuse the issue if I bring in Kazi Nazrul Islam, Salbeg, Bekal Utsahi or Nida Fazli. It puzzles me why liberal intellectuals sometimes fall prey to a tendency that the politician has cultivated as a calculated habit: Consider the Muslim only as a religious category. Why must Muslim achievements in poetry, music, architecture, systems of governance not be celebrated? Such an exercise would surely cast them in a liberal mould. Guha might then heave a sigh of relief. A false quest for a liberal Muslim leader almost flows from the above approach. A liberal Muslim leader, I never tire of repeating, is a contradiction in terms. That is an illiberal quest. Are we never going to find a Hindu whom Muslims can trust and the other way around? That must be the only possible way ahead. (A senior commentator on political and diplomatic affairs, Saeed Naqvi can be reached on saeednaqvi@hotmail.com. The views expressed are personal.) --IANS naqvi/mr/tb/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hundreds of Dalits took to the streets here on Monday against the dilution of the SC and ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, putting scores of domestic as well as foreign tourists to inconvenience. The protesters blocked traffic on the national highway to Delhi, witnesses and police officials said. Miscreants pelted stones and tried torching a hotel belonging to a local BJP leader. Police opened fire in the air to disperse the mob near the Collectorate. Groups of Dalits vandalised shops and vehicles, stopped a train at the Agra Fort railway station and blocked highways, leading to huge traffic snarls. The Gatiman Express was stopped at the Billochpura station in Agra as demonstrators squatted on the railway track. The Railway Protection Force cleared the tracks to enable the train to resume its journey to Jhansi. Several other trains were also delayed. Tourists visiting Agra were put to a lot of inconvenience, guides at the Agra Cantonment station said. Agra is considered the Dalit capital of north India, with Jatavs engaged in the leather shoe making industry forming the bulk of the community. Agra is also seen as a stronghold of the Bahujan Samaj Party. Shops in most markets of Agra remained closed. Traffic movement within the city was badly impacted and tourist buses were held up at several points. --IANS bk/mr/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Google's parent company Alphabet has no "masterplan" to save massive sets of data that will be generated from its self-driving cars, a top company executive has said. According to John Krafcik, CEO of Waymo which is the driverless car division of Alphabet, the company will not harvest data from its fleet of autonomous vehicles, The Telegraph reported on Monday. "Our aim is moving people around the world and that is very hard. To the core of my body, I swear on my father's grave, it's (harvesting data) not a priority. I'm not saying it won't be a workstream in the future but at the moment it is not in our workspace," Krafcik said during the New York Auto Show. Alphabet also announced a partnership with Jaguar to use the British company's "I-Pace" electric cars. The amount of work on data gathering is "zero, a big zero" at Google's autonomous car devision, Krafcik was quoted as saying. "Getting to zero fatalities on roads has to be the big goal," he said. Uber has suspended its self-driving operations in other cities including Tempe, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Toronto following a fatal accident that killed a woman. A self-driving Volvo SUV from Uber travelling at 64 km per hour killed the woman in Arizona last month, triggering a heated debate on whether autonomous cars are safe enough and who is to blame for the death. Waymo's self-driving Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans were also being tested on public roads in Arizona and California. Google's Waymo recently patented a technology that will make its self-driving cars soft on the outside if it comes across a situation where there is a possibility of an accident with a human. According to a report in The Verge, Waymo has patented a car design in which the vehicle is held together internally with a number of "tension members". These members -- which could be cables, rods, or springs -- would slacken or tighten to adjust the car's "external rigidity" as needed, the report said. --IANS na/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Trade ministers and senior officials meeting in New Delhi on March 19 and 20, defended the role of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) both as an arbiter of trade disputes as well as setting the rules of the road for the multilateral trading system. Officials also met to discuss possible next steps for negotiations at the global trade club in the wake of the Buenos Aires ministerial conference last year, which ended with no results. 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. 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Digital Editor Ten of the 13 militants killed over the weekend in a major offensive by the state police were from Shopian, an indication that security personnel have tightened their hold on the south Kashmir terror bastion over the last five months, officials said. Most of the 10 from Shopian, once considered the ground zero of terrorism, were young and had joined the militant movement between last year and now. Sources in the security establishment expressed the hope that parents of disappeared youth would now encourage their children to shun violence and surrender. The oldest of the 10 was Ishfaq Ahmad Thoker, alias 'Abrar', who became a militant in September 2015, officials said. The others, from various villages in the district, were Ubaid Shafi Malla alias 'Abu Huraira', who became a militant in February 2017, Zubair Ahmed Turrey alias 'Abu Bakar', Nazim Ahmad Dar alias 'Furqan Bhai' and Rayees Ahmad Thoker (May 2017), Yawar Itoo (July 2017), Adil Ahmed Thoker (November 2017), Ishfaq Ahmed Malik alias 'Umar Bhai' (January 2018), Aetimad Hussain Malik (November 2017) and Sameer Ahmed Lone (February 2018). Director General of Police S P Vaid made a passionate appeal, asking youth to shun violence. "It is painful to all of us to see the loss of young lives. My appeal again to the parents of the boys, who have taken the wrong path... they should convince their wards to leave the path of violence and come home," he said yesterday. Considered a gateway to the Kashmir Valley for being strategically located on the way to the historical Mughal road, Shopian had nearly 30 active militants, including Saddam Paddar and Zeenat-ul-Islam who are rated A++ category militants and carry a cash reward on them. Both are still at large. The area, south of the Peer Panjal mountain range, can provide free access to terrorists to cross over to Doda, Kishtawar and Poonch area of Jammu, the officials said. "My appeal to the young people of Kashmir would be not to be carried away by Pakistan or their proxies and be led into the path of violence," said Lt Gen A K Bhatt, corps commander of the Srinagar-based XV corps. "We will carry out operations as we have carried against anybody who will use his weapon," Bhatt had said yesterday. More than 50 youths from the area "disappeared", a euphemism for joining various militant groups, after the killing of Burhan Wani, the poster boy of Hizbul Mujahideen, on July 8, 2016. The police, CRPG and the Army increased their footprint over Shopian, where militants roamed freely, last year. The forceful resistance to security forces to enter into Heff Shermaal area in the district in April last year was an eye-opener, officials said. Security forces were compelled to withdraw, pushing senior officials to the drawing board to draft a new strategy to make Shopian a militant free zone. Victor Force, a counter-insurgency unit of the Army headed by Major Gen B S Raju, Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) S P Pani, along with senior CRPF officers brain-stormed and re-calibrated their plans to control Shopian, it is learnt. Soon, intelligence information from locals started flowing, resulting in encounters that saw the top militant leadership, including the main recruiter for Hizbul Mujahideen Ifan Maldera and the group's financier Waseem Sheikh, being eliminated last year. In November last year, the CRPF moved in a reserve battalion comprising nearly 1,000 men into Shopian. At the same time, police moved in a large number of its personnel to various parts of the district. Its crack teams joined hands with the Army and the CRPF. The Army also established new camps at Nagabal, Chillipura, Maitribugh, Zainpura and Larkipura and increased its strength in existing camps in the area, the officials said. The most important of these was the Army camp at Chillipura, which is located next to Heff Shreemal area. Security forces yesterday gunned down 13 militants, including those responsible for the brutal killing of Lieutenant Umar Fayaz, in three counter-insurgency operations that also claimed the lives of three Army jawans and four civilians in Anantnag and Shopian districts. The operations, which dealt a severe blow to terror groups in Kashmir Valley, were launched in the two districts Saturday night and continued till late Sunday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In yet another crackdown, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) today nabbed two smugglers with 103 kgs of dried soft shell turtle calipee here. The smugglers, identified as Tilak Singh and Rajesh Kumar Yadav, were arrested from Ghatampur area while they were taking dried calipee in a truck , Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Arvind Chaturvedi said. The dried soft shell turtle calipee were of as many as 13 endangered species found around rivers including Ganga, Gomti, and Ghaghra, the ASP said. Elaborating on the case, Chaturvedi said that on grilling Saleem Sheikh, whose arrest was made from Kanpur central station,on March 30 last , the STF got vital information about the links of people involved in illegal turtle trade. Following inputs about smugglers, including Tilak and Rajesh that they were involved in collecting dried turtle calipee from several districts including Etawah, Auraiyya, Mainpuri, and Farukkabad, STF with the help of forest officials made the arrests. According to the STF, the dried calipee, stuffed in seven bags and gunny bags, were hidden behind a polythene consignment in a truck. The ASP claimed that the dried soft shell turtle calipee was to be smuggled to China and Malaysia through Bangladesh. A case has been registered under relevant sections of IPC and wildlife protection act 1972 and investigation was on. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 19 Indian fishermen have been ordered to be remanded in custody in northern Sri Lanka, police said here today, days after they were arrested for allegedly poaching in the country's waters. The 19 fishermen from Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu were arrested on March 30 for allegedly poaching in the waters off Talaimannar. They were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy and handed over to fisheries officials. The fishermen were produced before the Vavuniya magistrate and were ordered to be sent to the Vavuniya prison till April 12, police said. The frequent arrest of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy has become a flash point in India-Sri Lanka relations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Dalit protests today turned violent in Madhya Pradesh, leaving four persons dead and several people, including a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) and policemen, injured, officials said. In the wake of the large-scale violence, curfew was imposed in three districts of Gwalior, Morena and Bhind, they added. In Bhind district, the Rapid Action Force (RAF) was pressed into service to control the violent situation witnessed during the "Bharat bandh" called by Dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Incidents of stone-pelting, arson and loot were reported from several parts of the state, Inspector General of Police (law and order) Makrand Deoskar told PTI. "Two persons were killed in Gwalior, while one each died in Bhind and Morena districts in the violence," he said. The four persons were killed in cross-firing between those supporting the bandh and those opposing it, the IG added. Those killed in Gwalior were identified as Rakesh Jatav and Deepak Jatav, he said. An SDM and a police official were also injured during the protests in the Gwalior-Chambal division, Deoskar added. A student leader, identified as Rahul Pathak, died in firing in Morena district, SDM Umesh Shukla told PTI. Pathak was allegedly shot by the agitators and he succumbed to the injuries while being taken to a hospital, he said. As the violence escalated, curfew was imposed in the entire city of Morena, the SDM added. The protesters also stopped a train -- the Chhattisgarh Express -- at Morena for a few hours, the police said. Curfew was also imposed in Gwalior and Bhind districts following violence, officials said. In Bhind, the specialised anti-riot force, RAF, was pressed into service to control the situation, Deoskar said. Earlier, Bhind Superintendent of Police (SP) Prashant Khare had said the Army was also called out, but the IG clarified that it was the RAF which was pressed into service. Reports of violence between the supporters of the bandh and those opposing it were received from Balaghat, Sagar and Datia districts, where prohibitory orders under section 144, CrPC were clamped, Deoskar said. Gwalior Commissioner B M Sharma said, "Curfew has been imposed in several parts of Gwalior city, following violence during the protests." Tahtipur, Gola Ka Mandir, Hazira and Morar police station areas in Gwalior were brought under the ambit of the curfew, a senior official said. Curfew was also clamped in Bhind city and the Mehgaon, Lahar, Gohad and Machand areas of the district, the Bhind SP said. A man, identified as Mahavir Singh (32), died in firing in Bhind district, while two others suffered serious injuries and were referred to a hospital in Gwalior, Bhind's Chief Medical and Health Officer J P S Kushwaha said. In Jhabua, the protesters looted shops during the agitation, triggering tension in the tribal town, eyewitnesses said. However, Jhabua SP Mahesh Chandra Jain said no incident of robbery took place during the protests, adding that the situation was peaceful in the district. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan appealed to the protesters to maintain peace as the Centre had filed a review petition in the Supreme Court on its recent ruling as regards the SC/ST Act. Protests were also held in state capital Bhopal with agitators blocking a road at the Board Office Square, near the statue of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar. A large number of vehicles were damaged, several of them torched by the protesters, eyewitnesses said. The Supreme Court had, on March 20, diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, in a bid to protect "honest" public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by Dalits and the Opposition, who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A four-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped in the district by a woman, who later abandoned the child in the neighbouring Mumbai, a police official said today. The girl was rescued by the Mumbai police and reunited with her parents, he said. The 22-year-old woman kidnapped the girl from her school at Virar in Palghar on March 31, Arnala Sagri police station's inspector Keshav Naik said. She then abandoned the girl in Mumbai where a policeman spotted the child crying and wandering alone on a street in the Mahalakshmi area. The policeman took the girl to the Gaondevi police station in Mumbai where the security personnel made enquiries to search for her parents, Naik said. The police managed to reunite the child with her parents yesterday, he said. During the probe, which was later transferred to the Arnala Sagri police, it was found that the woman had kidnapped the girl to take revenge from the child's father, with whom she was in a relationship, Naik said. The woman, a resident of Virar, was arrested yesterday and booked under relevant sections, he added. In a similar incident, a five-year-old girl was kidnapped from outside her house in Nallasopara area of Palghar on March 24. The child was later found dead in the ladies' toilet of Navsari railway station in Gujarat, over 250 km from Mumbai. On March 28, the police had arrested a 22-year-old woman and claimed to have solved the killing of the girl. The accused, also a resident of Nallasopara, was reportedly in a relationship with the victim's father, an autorickshaw driver, and wanted to marry him. However, he was dilly-dallying on marriage and this enraged her, the police had said. To teach him a lesson, the woman had kidnapped and killed his daughter, they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Aam Aadmi Party and BJP today appeared to be on the same page in opposing the Supreme Court's ruling "diluting" the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said the "fundamental intent" of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act should be preserved and demanded that the Centre appoint prominent lawyers to effectively take up the matter in the Supreme Court. Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta said the BJP "doesn't support" the court's ruling and demanded that like the Centre, the Delhi government should also intervene in the matter in the apex court. Later, members of the AAP and the BJP opposed the apex court's decision in the Delhi Assembly. The AAP chief had earlier tweeted, "Under the situation resulting due to the Supreme Court's decision on SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, the AAP is with the movement of SC/ST community." "The central government should deploy top lawyers for the petition in the Supreme Court and the need and fundamental intent of the act should be preserved," he said. Violent protests erupted today during a nationwide bandh called by Dalit outfits against the "dilution" of the act, leaving one person dead and many injured in Madhya Pradesh and disrupting normal life in many states. The Centre today moved the Supreme Court seeking review of its recent judgement by which safeguards were put on the provisions for immediate arrest under the act. Later in the day, AAP MLA Rakhi Birla moved a calling attention motion on the issue in the House and both the ruling AAP and the opposition BJP members opposed the Supreme Court's decision on the legislation. Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam and most of AAP Dalit MLAs, including Vishesh Ravi, Manoj Kumar, and Ajay Dutt, wore black bands in the House to register their protest. During discussion in the House, AAP legislators demanded that the apex court should review its decision. Asked about violence in the country, the Delhi social welfare minister said, "There should be no space for violence. We condemn such incidents." Vijender Gupta also highlighted the absence of Cabinet ministers except Social Welfare Minister Rajender Pal Gautam in the House during the discussion over the situation arising out of the SC's ruling. "If other ministers would be present in the House, discussion on the issue would be fruitful," Gupta said. Another BJP MLA Jagdish Pradhan said, "I support Rakhi Birla's proposal (calling attention motion) on Supreme Court Ruling on SC/ST (Prevention and Atrocities) Act 1989. I oppose the Supreme Court's decision." The apex court had on March 20 "diluted" certain provisions of the act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the opposition who claim that the dilution of the act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress today approached the Election Commission demanding action against BJP president Amit Shah and the party's Karnataka unit chief B S Yeddyurappa for allegedly violating the model code of conduct in the state by offering Rs 5 lakh to the family of a deceased person. The opposition party has also asked the Election Commission (EC) to conduct a time-bound probe into the matter. Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, speaking to the media, identified the deceased person as Mr Raju. The deceased was a BJP activist, killed in Mysuru in March 2016. Singhvi raised questions over the timing of the aid allegedly offered when Shah, Union minister Ananth Kumar and Yeddyurappa visited Raju's family last Friday, three days after the EC announced the Karnataka Assembly polls schedule. The Congress submitted a memorandum to the EC, accusing the BJP of using money to influence votes in Karnataka, and said the ruling party at the Centre resorted to the "desperate measure, foreseeing its inevitable defeat in the May 12 Assembly polls. The BJP has already said Shah did not give any money to Raju's family. Shah and Yeddyurappa, who has been given the title of No 1 Corrupt Leader' (by Shah himself), have blatantly and shamelessly violated the model code of conduct and committed the offence of influencing voters by giving a cheque of Rs 5 lakh to Raju's family with the sole intent of influencing votes of his family members, the memorandum submitted by the Singhvi-led delegation to the Commission reads. EC must intervene and initiate action against Shah and Yeddyurappa for violating the Model Code of Conduct, it added. The Congress had latched onto Shah's comment at a press briefing on March 27 when he had mistakenly remarked that a Supreme Court retired judge has said that if a comparison is made on corruption, then the Yeddyurappa government would get the number one award. Former BJP Karnataka chief Prahlad Joshi, also present at the conference, had sought to nudge him by naming Siddaramaiah, the Congress chief minister in the state, and Shah promptly corrected himself. Singhvi pointed out that Raju died two years ago and questioned the timing of the aid. This is a very strange and suspicious event. Is this compassion and concern suddenly awakened because the EC has notified election in Karnataka on 27th of March? he asked after meeting Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat here. Singhvi alleged the entire episode had cut at the root of the level playing field concept in the model code of conduct. He claimed that it infringed a direct injunction against all forms of bribery and illegal gratification. It brings the entire process into a non-equal system, which is quite against every rule of law, Singhvi said. These are very serious issues. We have, therefore, in conclusion asked for an immediate enquiry in shortest possible notice in days and not in weeks. We want the EC to disallow and prohibit repetition of such activities in Karnataka till May 12, he said. Singhvi said that the CEC heard the delegation patiently and has promised to look into the matter at the earliest in a time-bound manner. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress leader Ahmed Patel today questioned the government's attempt to check fake news, asking whether it was aimed at preventing journalists from reporting uncomfortable to the establishment. He also asked who will determine if a reported item is "fake" and expressed apprehension that rules might be misused to harass reporters. Union minister Smriti Irani, however, responded to him saying the Press Council of India (PCI) and the Broadcasters Association (NBA), both of which are not controlled by the government, will ascertain whether a news is fake or not. I appreciate the attempt to control fake news but few questions for my understanding: 1.What is guarantee that these rules will not be misused to harass honest reporters? 2. Who is going to decide what constitutes fake news ? 3. Is it not possible that motivated complaints will be filed to suspend accreditation until enquiry is on? 4.What is guarantee that these guidelines will check fake news or is it an attempt to prevent genuine reporters from reporting news uncomfortable to establishment?, Patel said on Twitter. Responding to him, Irani tweeted back, saying, Glad to see you awake Ahmed Patel ji. Whether a News article / broadcast is fake or not will be determined by PCI & NBA; both of whom I'm sure you know are not controlled/ operated by GOI. Earlier today, the government said the accreditation of a journalist could be permanently cancelled if the scribe is found generating or propagating fake news, as it came out with stringent measures to contain the menace. As per the amended guidelines for the accreditation of journalists, if the publication or telecast of fake news is confirmed, the accreditation of that journalist would be suspended for a period of six months in the first violation and for one year in case of a second violation. In case of a third violation, his or her accreditation would be cancelled permanently, the information and broadcasting ministry said in a release. It said any complaint of instances of fake news would be referred to the Press Council of India (PCI), if it pertains to print media, and to the News Broadcasters Association (NBA), if it relates to the electronic media, for determination of the news item being fake or not. This determination is expected to be completed within 15 days by these agencies, the ministry said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today directed the security forces to stay on alert in view of the "volatile situation" prevailing in some of the neighbouring states during Bharat Bandh called by various SC/ST organisations. Singh urged the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes community to wait for the Supreme Court's decision on the review petition filed by the Centre and assured them of all possible efforts to address their grievances, both legally and administratively. The chief minister, who personally monitored the situation throughout the day, claimed Punjab remained "largely peaceful" as a result of the security blanket in place. Though some incidents of blockade of railway tracks, roads and highways had been reported from certain areas, the protesters were quickly persuaded to lift the same, Singh said in a statement here, regretting the inconvenience caused to the people. He lauded the police, district officials and paramilitary forces for showing exceptional restraint in dealing with large groups of "highly agitated and surcharged" protesters at more than 500 areas across the state. According to an official release, there were 10 incidents of blockade of railway track, 11 major road blockades involving national/state highways and 12 incidents of minor road blockades, with about 3-4 incidents of injuries to people, including a policeman in civil clothes in Mansa. The chief minister thanked all the people for heeding his appeal and not allowing the situation to escalate out of control, as had happened in 2009, when violence had erupted in the state in the wake of the attack on a Guru Ravi Dass Gurdwara preacher in Vienna, leading to loss of life and property. "Had the erstwhile SAD-BJP regime taken adequate precautionary measures at that time, the state would not have witnessed the unnecessary violence," Amarinder said, taking a dig at Union minister Vijay Sampla's statement in a section of media against the government's decision to suspend Internet services ahead of today's bandh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lauding the government's decision to prohibit the import of seal, an aquatic mammal, in any form, two animal protection bodies have said that India's choice will be the "last nail in the coffin" for the sealing industry. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in a recent notification had said that the import of seal, in any form is prohibited. The Humane Society International/India and the People for Animals said in the "landmark" decision the DGFT banned the import of skins of seals, a move which will spare the lives of thousands of seals from slaughter by commercial sealing industries. "With dwindling world markets for seal products, the Canadian sealing industry is counting on countries like India and China to import the seal fur, oil and meat that other nations refuse to buy. "I am glad that India has chosen compassion over cruelty. We are certain that this choice will be the last nail in the coffin for the sealing industry," said N G Jayasimha, managing director of the HSI India said. In a statement, it said the notification was issued in the wake of exhaustive campaigning for the ban by the HSI India and the People for Animals urging the government to take a clear moral stand by closing its doors to the trade of seal products. Lauding this policy stance trustee of People for Animals and HSI/India's government liaison, Gauri Maulekhi, said, "We commend the DGFT for its firm commitment in abolishing the import of seal skins." "The DGFT had previously prohibited the import of exotic skin and leather and import of foie gras, a liver extract of ducks," she said. Sharing facts, the bodies in the statement said that with more than two million seals killed since 2002, Canada's commercial seal hunt is considered the largest slaughter of marine mammals on Earth. The statement said the seals are killed for their fur and, because the skins of young pups are most valuable, 98 percent are less than three months old at the time of slaughter. Veterinarians have called the methods of commercial sealing "inherently inhumane" and argue that prohibiting seal product trade is the most effective way to reduce the killing, it said. The United States, the 28 countries of the European Union, Mexico, Russia and Taiwan have all prohibited trade in products of commercial seal hunts. In 2013 and 2014, the World Trade Organization twice upheld the rights of nations to prohibit seal product trade for animal welfare reasons, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Traffic Police has roped in Bollywood actors Anushka Sharma and Varun Dhawan for a series of video messages on safe driving. The actors were in Delhi for the shoot of their upcoming film "Sui Dhaaga-Made In India". They shot at Chandni Chowk and Shankar Market amid tight security, a senior traffic police officer said. "We wanted to do an event with them to promote safe driving but they were on a tight schedule. We have recorded their video messages that will be uploaded on our Twitter handle," the officer said. In a video message that was uploaded today on the Traffic Police's Twitter handle, Anushka can be seen urging people to ride two-wheelers wearing helmets. "Delhi Police does a lot of things for our safety. Your life is important for you and your loved ones. You should drive safely and while riding a motorcycle, you should always wear a helmet," the actor said in the message. Varun's video message is likely to be uploaded on the microblogging site by the traffic police tomorrow. "Sui Dhaaga- Made In India" went on floors in January this year and will hit the theatres on Gandhi Jayanti. The film is being directed by Sharat Katariya, who has previously helmed YRF's "Dum Laga Ke Haisha", while Maneesh Sharma is producing the project that will endorse the message of 'Make In India'. In 2016, 1,548 fatal accidents were reported in which 1,591 people lost their lives. In 2017, the number of such accidents was 1,474 and 1,505 people were killed, according to the Delhi Traffic Police statistics. Till March 15 this year, 239 accidents were reported in which 248 persons were killed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A grouping led by world's biggest steelmaker ArcelorMittal, mining mogul Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta and a consortium of Russia's VTB Capital-backed NuMetal and JSW today put in bids to takeover bankrupt Essar Steel in the second round of bidding. In the first round, NuMetal and ArcelorMittal were the only two parties that bid to buyout Essar Steel but the insolvency resolution professional overseeing the auction was advised to reject both the bids owing to their promoters being linked to defaulter companies. Revised bids were due today. Sources privy to the development said three groups bid for Essar Steel. NuMetal, majority-owned by Russia's second largest bank VTB Group, shed Aurora Trust, which has links to Rewant Ruia - son of Essar Steel promoter Ravi Ruia, in the second round of bidding. While its promoters bought out Aurora Trust's 25 per cent stake, NuMetal aligned with JSW to make the revised bid today. ArcelorMittal, which had been disqualified in the first round for being listed as a promoter of loan defaulter Uttam Galva Steel, bid along with Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corporation. This after it got declassified as a promoter of Uttam Galva Steel. The company had sold its entire holding in Uttam Galva Steel before the first round of bids in February but its name had continued as a promoter on the stock exchanges, resulting in its disqualification. Sources said Vedanta was the surprise entrant today. Vedanta has already won a bid to acquire bankrupt Electrosteel Steels Ltd in an insolvency auction. Confirming bidding for Essar Steel, Anil Agarwal said the company has made a compelling bid. "I have put a very lucrative bid. This is a great opportunity... When we want it, we must have it." Six firms had initially put in expressions of interest to acquire Essar Steel, whose Rs 51,800 crore of outstanding debt claims have been admitted under the bankruptcy process. These firms included Tata Steel, state-owned SAIL, ArcelorMittal, NuMetal, Vedanta and Singapore-based fund SSG. Only ArcelorMittal and NuMetal put in bids in the first round on February 12. Sources said JSW was interested in acquiring Essar Steel after Tata Steel's acquisition of bankrupt Bhushan Steel for Rs 35,200 crore gave it a pole position. But bankruptcy rules did not permit anyone who had not put in an EoI to bid and so it aligned with NuMetal for bidding today. Rules also bar defaulting promoters from bidding. TyazhPromExports (TPE) of Russia and Indo International are the other shareholders of NuMetal. The Ahmedabad bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), which has been approached by NuMetal against the disqualification of first bid, today ruled that second round of bids cannot be opened before April 4. Confirming bidding for Essar Steel, ArcelorMittal in a statement said its subsidiary ArcelorMittal India Pvt Ltd along with Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (NSSMC) put a revised bid today. NSSMC is Japan's leading steel company, with capacity to produce approximately 50 million tons of crude steel per year with a reputation for innovation and high-quality products. "ArcelorMittal and NSSMC have enjoyed a close collaboration for many decades cooperating high-quality downstream finishing facilities in the US including I/N Tek, I/N Kote and, since 2014, jointly acquired and turned around AM/NS Calvert which has state-of-the-art facilities in Alabama that had failed to reach its potential under its previous owner," the statement said. Lakshmi Mittal, the Chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal, said: "The aim of the resolution process is to find a strong, new, capable owner for Essar Steel and maximize returns to creditors. We believe that ArcelorMittal, together with NSSMC, has the most relevant credentials and experience and is the most credible owner for Essar Steel given our decades of steel industry expertise, backed up by industry leading research and development and a wide range of innovative product capabilities." He said the consortium is eligible and has made "a strong and competitive offer". "At the heart of this offer is a compelling industrial plan that enhances and transforms the asset. (Essar Steel's) plant in Hazira is a big integrated steel-making facility that requires dedicated knowledge and technological expertise to de-bottleneck, grow and enhance its product portfolio. "We plan to commit significant capital expenditure to grow the asset, inject our proprietorial patents and processes and bring new high-quality products for industries such as automotive and solar to India," he said. Kosei Shindo, President of NSSMC, said India is the most promising steel market in the world, and NSSMC has been seeking opportunities to establish a significant presence in India. "Essar Steel is a good asset with a lot of potential and I believe that NSSMC and ArcelorMittal could provide operational experience and access to the best of global technologies that will enable Essar Steel to reach its potential and greatly contribute to the turnaround of the Indian steel manufacturing sector," he said. Founded by Shashi and Ravi Ruia, Essar Steel was referred to the National Company Law Tribunal last year after accumulating nearly Rs 50,000 crore in debts. Essar Steel is an integrated flat steel producer. Its main production facility is in Gujarat. It has a nameplate crude steel capacity of 9.6 million tonnes per annum, although the current maximum achievable crude steel production level is 6.1 million tonnes per annum, due to a bottleneck in the steelmaking and casting process. Essar Steel was among the initial 12 companies identified by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for insolvency proceedings. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A grouping led by world's biggest steelmaker ArcelorMittal, mining mogul Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta and a consortium of Russia's VTB Capital-backed NuMetal and JSW put in bids to takeover bankrupt Essar Steel in the second round of bidding today. In the first round, NuMetal and ArcelorMittal were the only two parties that bid to buyout Essar Steel but the insolvency resolution professional overseeing the auction was advised to reject both the bids owing to their promoters being linked to defaulter companies. Revised bids were due today. Sources privy to the development said three groups bid for Essar Steel. NuMetal, majority-owned by Russia's second largest bank VTB Group, shed Aurora Trust, which has links to Rewant Ruia, son of Essar Steel promoter Ravi Ruia, in the second round of bidding. While its promoters bought out Aurora Trust's 25 per cent stake, NuMetal aligned with JSW to make the revised bid today. ArcelorMittal, which had been disqualified in the first round for being listed as a promoter of loan defaulter Uttam Galva Steel, bid along with Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corporation. The global steel giant got itself declassified as a promoter of Uttam Galva Steel. The company sold its entire holding in Uttam Galva Steel before the first round of bids in February but its name had continued as a promoter on stock exchanges, resulting in its disqualification. Sources said Vedanta was the surprise entrant today. Vedanta has already won a bid to acquire bankrupt Electrosteel Steels Ltd in an insolvency auction. Confirming bidding for Essar Steel, Anil Agarwal said the company has made a compelling bid. "I have put a very lucrative bid. This is a great opportunity... When we want it, we must have it." Six firms had initially put in expressions of interest to acquire Essar Steel, whose Rs 51,800 crore of outstanding debt claims have been admitted under the bankruptcy process. These firms included Tata Steel, state-owned SAIL, ArcelorMittal, NuMetal, Vedanta and Singapore-based fund SSG. Only ArcelorMittal and NuMetal put in bids in the first round on February 12. Sources said JSW was interested in acquiring Essar Steel after Tata Steel's acquisition of bankrupt Bhushan Steel for Rs 35,200 crore gave it a pole position. But bankruptcy rules did not permit anyone who had not put in an EoI to bid and so it aligned with NuMetal for bidding today. Rules also bar defaulting promoters from bidding. "In pursuance to this strategy, JSW Steel Ltd in the capacity of an investor joined NuMetal & Steel Pvt Ltd in submitting a binding bid for Essar Steel Ltd, which is under the corporate insolvency resolution process as per the provisions of Insolvency Bankruptcy Code 2016," JSW Steel said in a statement. TyazhPromExports (TPE) of Russia and Indo International are the other shareholders of NuMetal. The Ahmedabad bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), which has been approached by NuMetal against the disqualification of first bid, today ruled that second round of bids cannot be opened before April 4. Confirming bidding for Essar Steel, ArcelorMittal in a statement said its subsidiary ArcelorMittal India Pvt Ltd along with Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (NSSMC) put a revised bid today. NSSMC is Japan's leading steel company, with capacity to produce approximately 50 million tons of crude steel per year with a reputation for innovation and high-quality products. "ArcelorMittal and NSSMC have enjoyed a close collaboration for many decades cooperating high-quality downstream finishing facilities in the US including I/N Tek, I/N Kote and, since 2014, jointly acquired and turned around AM/NS Calvert which has state-of-the-art facilities in Alabama that had failed to reach its potential under its previous owner," the statement said. Lakshmi Mittal, the Chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal, said: "The aim of the resolution process is to find a strong, new, capable owner for Essar Steel and maximize returns to creditors. We believe that ArcelorMittal, together with NSSMC, has the most relevant credentials and experience and is the most credible owner for Essar Steel given our decades of steel industry expertise, backed up by industry leading research and development and a wide range of innovative product capabilities." He said the consortium is eligible and has made "a strong and competitive offer". "At the heart of this offer is a compelling industrial plan that enhances and transforms the asset. (Essar Steel's) Plant in Hazira is a big integrated steel-making facility that requires dedicated knowledge and technological expertise to de-bottleneck, grow and enhance its product portfolio. "We plan to commit significant capital expenditure to grow the asset, inject our proprietorial patents and processes and bring new high-quality products for industries such as automotive and solar to India," he said. Kosei Shindo, President of NSSMC, said India is the most promising steel market in the world, and NSSMC has been seeking opportunities to establish a significant presence in India. "Essar Steel is a good asset with a lot of potential and I believe that NSSMC and ArcelorMittal could provide operational experience and access to the best of global technologies that will enable Essar Steel to reach its potential and greatly contribute to the turnaround of the Indian steel manufacturing sector," he said. Founded by Shashi and Ravi Ruia, Essar Steel was referred to the National Company Law Tribunal last year after accumulating nearly Rs 50,000 crore in debt. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prohibitory orders in the riot-hit areas of Asansol and Raniganj were today lifted with peace and normalcy returning to the region, police said. The route march by security forces has also been withdrawn in the area, a senior police official said, adding that pickets have also been pared in the region from today. "The situation in Asansol and Raniganj is largely peaceful and life has returned to normal," Sub division officer (SDO)Pralay Row Chowdhury said. Internet services, however, will remain suspended in the region till April 4, the police official said. The NHRC today sent a notice to the West Bengal government and the state's police chief over alleged failure of law enforcement agencies "in protecting the liberty and dignity" of people, who have become victims of violence in the Asansol-Raniganj area during Ram Navami celebrations. Expressing serious concern over the situation, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued the notice to the state's chief secretary, home secretary and the director general of police, seeking a detailed report in four weeks, senior officials said. The rights panel, in a statement, has also asked its director general (Investigation) to depute a team headed by an officer, not below the rank of an SSP, to visit the disturbed areas of Asansol-Raniganj for spot investigation or inquiry to assess the actual situation, and submit a report within three weeks. One person was killed and two police officers were seriously injured on March 26, when clashes broke out between two groups over a Ram Navami procession in the Raniganj area of Bardhaman West district. The violence spread to areas in Asansol, prompting the police to suspend Internet services and clamp prohibitory orders under Section 144 in the trouble-torn areas of the district. A BJP delegation had visited the trouble-torn areas and blamed the Trinamool Congress government for "failure" to control the violence. West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi had met the victims of the violence on Saturday and appealed for peace, saying people from all religions should respect each other's festivals. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Automobile majors Hyundai Motor India, Mahindra & Mahindra and Ford India today reported moderate growth in their domestic passenger vehicle sales in March. Two-wheeler makers, led by market leader Hero MotoCorp and Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, posted robust growth during the month. Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) said its domestic sales were 48,009 units last month against 44,757 units in March 2017, a growth rate of 7.3 per cent. Similarly, M&M said sales of passenger vehicles stood at 26,555 units compared with 25,523 units in March 2017, up 4 per cent. "With three of our critical new automotive launches lined up in 2018-19, we are confident of increasing our market share in the utility vehicle space," M&M President, Automotive Sector, Rajan Wadhera said. Ford India said its domestic sales stood at 9,016 units in March as against 8,700 units in the year-ago month, up 3.63 per cent. Honda Cars India (HCIL), however, reported a 28.36 per cent decline in its domestic sales to 13,574 units in March. The company had sold 18,950 units in the year-ago month. Likewise, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) reported a 9.11 per cent decline in domestic sales at 12,539 units in March as compared to 13,796 units in the same month last year. Yesterday, market leader Maruti Suzuki India had reported domestic sales of 1,48,582 units, up 16.1 per cent from 1,27,999 units in March last year. On the other hand, Tata Motors' passenger vehicles sales in the domestic market grew 31 per cent to 20,266 units last month. In the two wheeler segment, Hero MotoCorp reported its highest ever monthly sales, clocking 7,30,473 units in March, a 20 per cent increase over the year-ago period. The company had sold 6,09,951 units in the corresponding month last year. For the 2017-18 fiscal, the company clocked its highest ever sales of 75,87,130 units, up 14 per cent as compared with sale of 66,64,240 units in 2016-17. The second largest two-wheeler maker, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI), reported a 20.3 per cent increase in March sales at 4,40,499 units. Bajaj Auto reported a 23 per cent increase in total sales at 3,34,348 units in March compared to 2,72,197 units during the same month a year ago. Its domestic sales stood at 2,03,600 units against 1,69,279 units in the corresponding month last year, up 20 per cent. Chennai-based TVS Motor Company reported a 27 per cent increase in total sales at 3,26,659 units in March. It had sold a total of 2,56,341 units in the same month of the previous year. The company's total two-wheeler sales were at 3,15,765 units last month as against 2,50,979 units in March 2017, a growth of 25.8 per cent. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The opposition BJP has brought out a 'chargesheet' against the ruling Congress government in Karnataka over various issues, including alleged failures on law and order front, atrocities against Dalits and women, farmers suicide, drug mafia among others. The other charges mentioned in it were killings of Hindutva activists and poor infrastructure in the city. Releasing three booklets, Union Minister for Law and Information and Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Karnataka government has nothing to show to the public when it seeks votes from them for the May 12 Assembly elections. Speaking to reporters here yesterday, he noted, "Let me tell Siddaramaiah that you have not even four-five outstanding areas of achievements which you can convey (to the public)... you go everywhere (portraying) a negative BJP and negative Yeddyurappa." The Union minister said the Congress was losing its base across India due to "mis-governance". "The record of the Congress is that it could not win a single seat in Tripura or a single seat in Nagaland a traditional pro-Congress bastion for the last 70 years. "Congress could not perform in Nagaland and Meghalaya. Nagaland has 88 per cent Christian population," he said. On the other hand, BJP is in power in 15 states while its allies are chief ministers in seven states, Prasad said. State BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa said the Siddaramaiah government has pushed Karnataka behind by at least 20 years in terms of development due to "crumbling infrastructure" and "pathetic" law and order situation in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The mortal remains of 31 of the 39 Indians killed in Iraq will arrive at Amritsar International airport today in a special aircraft, said officials. The aircraft with the bodies of the 31 slain Indians, who hailed from different places in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, is expected to reach Amritsar by 1:30 pm, they added. Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh had left for Iraq yesterday to bring back the mortal remains of the 39 Indians, killed in the war-torn country. Out of these, 27 belonged to Punjab while four hailed from Himachal Pradesh. While the remains of the men belonging to Punjab and HP would be be received at the Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International airport in Amritsar, the rest of the bodies would be flown to their respective places in Patna and Kolkata to be handed over to their relatives. Punjab Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu will receive the bodies on behalf of the state government at the airport, the officials said. The administration has made arrangements of ambulances for transporting the coffins to their native places in Punjab, official said. In the wake of a bandh called by a number of Dalit organizations today to protest the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has urged the protestors not to take the law in their own hands and, in particular, not to impede rood and rail transport in any way. Amarinder has appealed to the protestors to let the mortal remains of the Iraq victims be ferried to their native villages without any hindrance. He has also directed the Punjab police to provide strict security for the same along the routes, from the airport to the respective native villages of the victims. Earlier this month, Swaraj had told Parliament that as many as 40 Indians were abducted by terror group ISIS from Mosul in Iraq in June 2014, but one of them escaped posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh. The remaining 39 Indians were taken to Badoosh and killed, she had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cambridge Analytica, the firm at the centre of Facebook users' data breach scandal, has sought one more week to respond to government's notice on whether it was involved in misuse of data to profile Indians and influence their voting behaviour. The notice had gone out to Cambridge Analytica over media reports about questionable practices attributed to the UK-based firm in its efforts to allegedly influence elections by harvesting data of Facebook users globally. Sources privy to the development said that Cambridge Analytica has now sought an additional time of one week to send its response to the notice issued by the Indian government. Cambridge Analytica and Facebook came under fire after the British firm was accused of harvesting personal information of over 50 million Facebook users illegally to influence polls in several countries. The IT Ministry shot off notices to both Cambridge Analytica and Facebook on the data breach issue, giving them time till March 31, and April 7, respectively, to respond. The government questioned Cambridge Analytica on whether it had been "engaged in any assignment to utilise data of Indians" pertaining to the recent breach, and also the entities that had used its services. Details were also sought on the methods used by the company to acquire such data and whether consent was taken from users. An official statement issued last month had said: "Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, has issued a notice... to Cambridge Analytica, wherein the serious breach of propriety and misuse of data intended to profile and influence voting behaviour has been highlighted". "Was there any profiling done on the basis of such data?," the Ministry had asked the company, following reports that political parties had used the data analytics firm during elections. The government's notice to Facebook last week too sought information on user data breach and details of the measures that have been put in place to ensure safety and prevent misuse of personal data. The ministry raised five questions for Facebook, including whether the personal data of Indian voters and users has been compromised by Cambridge Analytica or any other downstream entity in any manner. Law and IT Minster Ravi Shankar Prasad has already warned the social media giant of "stringent" action for any attempt to influence polls through data theft, and had even threatened to summon its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, if needed. Cambridge Analytica -- the firm at the centre of Facebook users' data breach -- has sought an additional time of one week to respond to government's notice questioning the company on alleged misuse of data to profile Indians and influence their voting behaviour. The IT Ministry had, last month, shot off notices to social media giant Facebook as well as Cambridge Analytica on the data breach issue and the deadline for the British data analytics firm to respond to the notice was March 31. Facebook has time till April 7 to send its detailed reply on the matter. A source said that Cambridge Analytica has sought additional time of one week to respond to the government notice. The notice had sought the company's response on the entities which engaged Cambridge Analytica, the method used by it for possession of data and whether consent was taken from users. "The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, has issued a notice... to Cambridge Analytica, wherein the serious breach of propriety and misuse of data intended to profile and influence voting behaviour has been highlighted," the IT ministry had said in a statement last month. "Was there any profiling done on the basis of such data?," the ministry had sought to know from the company. Law and IT Minster Ravi Shankar Prasad had previously warned social media giant Facebook of "stringent" action for any attempt to influence polls through data theft and had even threatened to summon its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, if needed. The warning had come as the BJP launched a scathing attack on the Congress, questioning the party on its relation with Cambridge Analytica, the data mining firm accused of harvesting personal user data from Facebook illegally to influence polls in several countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The CPI(M) today condemned the deaths of agitators during protests against the Supreme Court's ruling on the SC/ST Act and accused the central government of failing to present an effective case on the issue in the court. The Left party in a statement said the response to the call for a 'Bharat Bandh' by various Dalit organisations had been widespread in states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. "This shows the anger against the Supreme Court's decision to dilute the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act", it said. The party claimed that the situation had arisen because of the failure of the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre. "The politburo condemns the brutal police firing which has led to the death of four people in Gwalior, Bhind and Morena in BJP ruled Madhya Pradesh. In many other places, there have been attacks by police on protesters. One person has died in Alwar, Rajasthan. "Such a situation has arisen because of the failure of the Modi government to present an effective case against the dilution of the Prevention of Atrocities Act," the statement alleged. The CPI(M) said it had become "imperative" that the review petition in the Supreme Court be effectively argued by the government counsel. The CPI also demanded adequate compensation to the families of victims and punishment for the police officials who, it alleged, carried out the attacks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Centre today moved the Supreme Court seeking review of its recent verdict by which safeguards were put on the provisions of immediate arrest under the stringent SC/ST Act. The apex court, however, declined urgent hearing on a writ petition filed by All India Federation of SC/ST Organisations claiming that the entire nation has witnessed large-scale violence during today's 'Bharat Bandh'. The court said the plea would be listed and heard in due course. The union government, in its review petition, said the March 20 verdict has "wide ramification and implication resulting in dilution of the stringent provisions of law enacted under the 1989 enactment. It adversely affects a substantial portion of the population of India being the members of SC/ST. It is also contrary to the legislative policy of Parliament as reflected in the Prevention Of Atrocities Act 1989". Seeking open court hearing of the review petition, it said that "oral arguments are essential in the present matter in order to assist the court. Further, it would be in the interest of justice that oral arguments be entertained by this court". Justifying the petition, the Centre said that despite various measures to improve the socio-economic conditions of the SCs and STs, they still remained vulnerable. "They are denied a number of civil rights. They are subjected to various offences, indignities, humiliations and harassments. They have, in several brutal incidents, been deprived of their life and properties, serious crimes are committed against them for various historical, social and economic reasons," it said. The Centre said that section 18 of the Act is the backbone as it enforces an inherent deterrence and instills sense of protection amongst members of SCs and STs and any "dilution thereof would shake the very objective of mechanism to prevent offences of atrocities". The review petition said "it has escaped the consideration of this court that contrary to the assertion of any misuse of the 1989 Act, the facts and data have demonstrated a weak implementation of the said Act, thereby endorsing the requirement for a strict interpretation of the deterrent provisions contained therein". Assailing the apex court's recent directions on grant of anticipatory bail, the Centre said such a relief would expose the complainant victims to threats by accused and it may also impede the probe and subsequent prosecution. It has also attributed the lower rate of conviction and high rate of acquittal under the Act to various factors like, delay in lodging of FIR, witnesses and complainant becoming hostile, absence of proper scrutiny of cases, lack of proper presentation of the case by the prosecution and appreciation of evidence by the Court. The petition further said if the rights of accused needed to be protected under Article 21, then simultaneous protection needed to be given to the SC/ST community under Article 21 of the Constitution. Any interpretation of the Act which results in the dilution of its provisions would result in depriving the members of the SC/ST community of their right under Article 21, it added. On other hand, the plea filed by All India Federation of SC/ST Organisations, a conglomerate of nearly 150 employees' groups, said that after the March 20 verdict, large-scale nationwide violence has taken place in which several people have lost their lives. The Federation also sought urgent hearing of the writ petition by tomorrow. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, however, said the petition would be heard in due course and there was no urgency to hear it. Advocate Manoj Gorkela, appearing for the employees federation, mentioned the matter before the bench saying the apex court verdict of March 20 was "unfair" and "unjust" and "it should be stayed". He also prayed that the writ petition challenging the verdict should be heard by a larger bench of five judges to decide the issue. The bench said it will see when the matter is taken up for hearing in the due course of time. The apex court had on March 20 said that "in view of the acknowledged abuse of law of arrest in cases under the Atrocities Act, arrest of a public servant can only be after approval of the appointing authority and of a non-public servant after approval by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) which may be granted in appropriate cases if considered necessary for reasons recorded." It had said that unless the exclusion of anticipatory bail is limited to "genuine cases and inapplicable to cases where there is no prima facie case was made out, there will be no protection available to innocent citizens". The top court had also directed that the reasons recorded by competent authority and the SSP must be scrutinised by the magistrate for permitting further detention of an accused. To avoid false implication of an innocent, the top court directed that a preliminary enquiry may be conducted by the DSP rank officer to find out whether the allegations make out a case under the Atrocities Act and whether the allegations are not frivolous or motivated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today lauded the Centre for launching the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS), a special scheme for North Eastern states. In the scheme the Centre will fund 100 per cent of the project cost for infrastructure relating to water supply, power and connectivity including those in social sectors. Calling on the Union DoNER Minister Jitendra Singh in New Delhi, Conrad briefed the Minister of the various proposals in which the state government has taken up under the NESIDS, an official statement from the chief ministers office said. The Chief Minister was especially lauding the Government at the Centre for launching the important scheme which could bring about development in fund-constraint NE region. NESIDS is fully funded by the Government of India to fill up gaps of infrastructure relating to water supply, power, and connectivity especially for promotion of tourism. It also funds programme for creation of infrastructure in social sector, primarily in primary and secondary education and health. We have decided to hold a joint meeting with all concerned officials to take the proposed projects for Meghalaya forward, Conrad said. The projects include solar streetlights in 1800 villages, and upgradation of several roads in different parts of the State. The Chief Minister also apprised him on different development works in Meghalaya, which are being taken up considering the upcoming National Games 2022 and projects to boost farming and tourism. The agenda is to set up a high end food processing park in Meghalaya and my engagement with the minister was on this. He has assured to give his best support to take the growth of Meghalaya forward, the Chief Minister added. The Chief Minister also apprised Singh of the different developmental works being carried out in Meghalaya and sought for his full support, the statement said. The DoNER Minister has assured full support and cooperation to take forward developmental projects in Meghalaya, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress leader Ahmed Patel today urged the Centre not to turn a blind eye towards incidents of communal violence in the country, alleging that they were part of a "larger strategy" to orchestrate an environment of polarisation ahead of the 2019 general elections. Senior party leader Ahmed Patel, in a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, expressed concern over the constitutional apparatus and state machinery "abdicating their duties either by choice, compulsion or coercion". "I beseech you to direct the state governments concerned to ensure that the strictest action is taken against those responsible for those communal clashes, irrespective of their political affiliations. "The Home Ministry may also examine the possibility to take sufficient measures so that such incidents do not re-occur," he said in the letter. Patel said it was a matter of grave concern that most of these mischievous elements represent vested political interests. "These incidents of violence appear to be a part of a larger strategy to orchestrate an environment of polarisation ahead of the 2019 general elections. Through you, I request the Centre not to turn a blind eye to these disturbing developments," he said. The senior Congress leader said in Bihar, a person accused of inciting violence fled from police custody while in West Bengal, a Union minister was seen using threatening language towards those protesting against these incidents. Patel cited instances of commnal violence in Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Telangana and other parts of the country. He said these violent incidents displayed a common pattern, unseen in recent times. Religious processions and festivals, which were always celebrated with joy and harmony, were being used by certain elements as a platform to incite religious violence and put one community against the other, he said. "The agenda of these elements is not to celebrate those holy festivals but to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation," he said. Patel said violence begets violence and the only loss was that of the nation as these communal episodes had caused destruction of property and life. People of both communities have lost their lives to such "mindless" acts of violence, he said. He lamented that while parents and families of victims had shown magnanimity by appealing for calm, their appeals had fallen on deaf ears. "I'm afraid that such a climate of hate will hinder our developmental progress," he said in the letter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress and the Left parties today blamed the Centre for the violence during protests by Dalit bodies against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act and accused it of not representing the case properly in the Supreme Court. Congress President Rahul Gandhi slammed the RSS and the BJP for the plight of Dalits. "It is in the DNA of the RSS/BJP to keep Dalits at the lowest level in Indian society. Any one who challenges this thought is crushed with violence. "Our Dalit brothers and sisters are today on the streets demanding protection of their rights from the Modi Government. We salute them," he said on Twitter. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appealed for peace. "We are shocked and pained that some of my Dalit brothers and sisters have been killed and injured. We support their cause. I appeal for peace." The CPI(M) condemned the violence resulting in deaths of agitators and accused the central government of failing to present an effective case on the issue in the court. In a statement, it said the response to the call for a 'Bharat bandh' by various Dalit organisations had been widespread in states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. "This shows the anger against the Supreme Court's decision to dilute the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act", it said. The party claimed that the situation had arisen because of the failure of the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre. "The politburo condemns the brutal police firing which has led to the death of four people in Gwalior, Bhind and Morena in BJP ruled Madhya Pradesh. In many other places, there have been attacks by police on protesters. One person has died in Alwar, Rajasthan," the statement alleged. The CPI also condemned the violence and demanded adequate compensation to the families of victims and punishment for the police officials who, it alleged, carried out the attacks. Senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge held the central government responsible for the loss of lives and damage to properties during violent protests by Dalits. Addressing a joint press conference, they accused the Centre of taking the issue "lightly" saying neither the Attorney General nor his deputy appeared in the case that led to the dilution of the SC/ST Act. They alleged that the government did not put across the point of view of the Dalit community effectively before the apex court. Holding the Narendra Modi Government directly responsible for the weakening of the SC/ST Act, Kharge said the Centre did not have any desire to ensure welfare of SCs/STs and the underprivileged sections of society. The two leaders demanded that the government bring an amendment in the Act or file a curative review petition in the Supreme Court to ensure that a status quo is restored. Azad alleged that atrocities on Dalits and minorities have been on the rise ever since the NDA came to power in 2014. The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said that had the government taken adequate steps to ensure that the SC/ST Act was not weakened or diluted, today's bandh could have been avoided. He termed the bandh as a success against "the government's failure and weakness". Both Azad and Kharge also regretted the loss of life and damage to properties during the bandh, saying the Congress never supports any violence. "The central government is responsible for this loss in the country. If government had taken steps after March 20 when we gave them a memorandum to file a review petition, there would have been no loss of life and property. I hold the central government responsible for the loss of life and property," Azad said. The Supreme Court on March 20 diluted the provisions of the Act and said government servants should not be arrested without prior sanction and private citizens, too, should be arrested only after an inquiry under the law. Dalit protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to vehicles in violent protests across seven states against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, leaving at least four people dead and many injured today, officials said. Curfew was imposed in several places and the Army was called out in Bhind district in Madhya Pradesh. The Army and paramilitary forces were also put on standby in Punjab. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed today sought to bring a Privilege Motion against Minister of State for Power Pallab Lochan Das for "misleading the House" in giving replies to the questions raised in the Assembly. Assam Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami disallowed the motion, but cautioned all ministers to be more careful in replying inside the House as the questions represent issues of the common people of the state. "On March 26,2018 and February 12, 2018, I had asked two questions regarding electrification of villages in Mandia block. Minister Pallab Lochan Das misled the House by providing wrong information.This is a contempt of the august House and is a fit case for Breach of Privilege. Hence is the Privilege Motion against him," Ahmed said in his appeal to introduce the motion. Elaborating, he said Das had replied to his queries on the two dates that some villages under discussion were either partially or fully electrified by the government, but even electric poles were not erected in most of these villages. "On February 12, an annexure was provided saying that nine villages were electrified. But, tower lines have to be built over Jaljali river for electrifying these villages and it is not done yet. Das jas misled the House," Ahmed said. On August 13, 2016, the government had announced in the House to float tender "within a short period of time" to construct tower lines over Jaljali, but it did not happen despite giving an assurance, the Congress member said. "Again on September 11, 2017, the concerned Minister said in the House that electrification will be done within March this year. So, how could he say on March 26 and February 12 that electrification have already done? Under these circumstances, I request you to kindly allow me to move a Motion of Breach of Privilege against the Minister," Ahmed urged the Speaker. Reacting to the request, Goswami said that there are some procedural deficiencies in raising the Privilege Motion, but he allowed it to be raised by the opposition member because of seriousness of the issue. "I allowed you to speak because a message should go from here. It is better if the answers are proper as the questions are asked for the people. It is a serious matter. I do not want to allow this Motion, but taking it very seriously. The message should be loud and clear from here," he added. The Speaker also said that Breach of Privilege Motion is for giving wrong answers willfully,knowingly and intentionally, but it has to be examined first before accepting. "The ministers should note this and reply carefully. If any wrong information is given, then it should be corrected," he added. Accepting the Speaker's decision, Ahmed concluded by saying "We do not want to put any minister in an awkward position by bringing in a Privilege Motion. But giving wrong information have been happening repeatedly for the last two years". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Assam government today said it has received various corruption-related complaints against eight current and former MLAs and MP, including three ex-ministers, of Congress party over a period of time. In a written reply to a query by the Leader of the Opposition and Congress MLA Debarata Saikia, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said two complaints have been received against former Congress minister and MLA Rakibul Hussain and enquiry is in progress in both the cases. While the first complaint was registered in May 2017 pertaining to an alleged misappropriation of government money by misusing official power and position in the P&RD department, the second complaint of alleged disproportionate assets was registered against Hussain last month. Replying on behalf of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who also holds the Home portfolio, Patowary said another ex-Congress minister, Atawa Munda, has been named in a complaint pertaining to misappropriation of P&RD department money along with Hussain. Two separate complaints have also been registered against former Congress minister Akon Bora in May 2017 alleging misappropriation of government money as the then Social Welfare Department Minister. A complaint of disproportionate assets has been registered in April 2010 against current Congress MLA Sherman Ali as the then Forest Ranger of the Maibong Afforestation Range in Haflong, Patowary said. Besides, two former MLAs -- Ataur Rahman Mazharbhuya and Abdul Mohib Mazumdar -- also have complaints of misappropriation of MLA fund and misappropriation of government fund respectively, against them, he added. The government has also received complaints against former Lok Sabha MP Ranee Narah and former MLA Siddique Ahmed, both Congress politicians from the state. Besides the elected representatives, several senior state government officers have cases of corruption under investigation against them, while many have been chargesheeted also, Patowary said. The CID, Assam, has registered 19 cases since 2008 against various officials and chargesheets in seven cases have been submitted, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court today directed senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh to appear before it on April 27 in connection with a criminal defamation case filed against him by BJP leader and Union minister Nitin Gadkari. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal fixed the framing of notice on the matter on the next date after the accused failed to appear before the court today. The court had in December 2012 granted bail to the Congress leader in the case where he had allegedly accused the BJP leader of having business links with his party MP Ajay Sancheti. It was also alleged in the complaint that Singh accused Gadkari of pocketing huge sum to the tune of Rs 490 crore in the coal block allocation to Sancheti. The complaint was represented by advocate Neeraj. The court, after finding prima facie evidence against Singh, had directed him to appear before it as accused in the complaint. The complaint was filed under section 499 (defamation) and 500 (punishment for defamation) of the IPC. Gadkari, in his statement recorded in the court, had denied having any business ties with Sancheti and had said Singh levelled totally false and defamatory allegations against him to give the impression that I have been responsible for allocation of the coal mines to Sancheti. In his petition, Gadkari alleged that Singh had levelled defamatory allegations against him to lower his dignity in the public at large and it was made with wrongful intent to malign and tarnish his image. The Congress leader had denied the charges that he had defamed the BJP leader. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj believes culture is the only thing that can act as a catalyst in mending the ties between Indian and Pakistan. Bhardwaj was in Karachi to attend the Pakistan International Film Festival (PIFF). During the fest, he was a part of multiple panel discussions that featured other artists from India and Pakistan. "I think this (culture) is the only way to bring normalcy between the two countries; more and more cultural events can bridge the gap. And it's very sad that we are always at loggerheads. We all are alike; if we come together we'll be such a great force in the world in terms of everything culturally, economically as well as politically," Bhardwaj told The International. Addressing the ban on Pakistan artistes in India, the director hoped things will get better with time. "I think we will eventually have to come back to reality sooner or later. I think it will get smooth with time because culture is the only way possible. Generally, there are two ways to bridge the gap: cultural and political. "Politics is failing in achieving that for a long time. In fact, the political situation has been affecting cultural exchanges too. Therefore, culture should be left alone. There is a need for tolerance and acceptance from both ends. It has to be a two-way thing otherwise it won't work," he said. Referring to the popularity of Pak actors Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan, Bhardwaj said,"If bias against Pakistani actors had been there, the masses wouldn't have gone to watch their films. So, there is nothing against them in the heart of masses. Whatever else is there, it is politically motivated otherwise how would have Fawad become a super star in India?" The "Haider" director, who visited Pakistan after five years, said he always enjoys coming to the country. "It is going very good. I love Pakistan; whenever I come here, I find a reason to come back again. I didn't find any changes; the only change I found is that the love for us has increased," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dalit activists staged protests in several places across Himachal Pradesh today against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. A strike call given by various Dalit outfits was, however, largely ineffective in the hilly state. The protests were peaceful. A large number of people led by former minister Singhi Ram and former Shimla mayor Sohan Lal assembled at Cart Road in Shimla and blocked traffic for an hour. Dalit activists took put protest marches in Paonta and other places. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. The central government has moved a review petition in the Supreme Court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One person was killed and 26 others, including nine policemen, were injured today in Khairthal in Rajasthan's Alwar district during Dalit protests against the Supreme Court order on the SC/ST Act, officials said. The 28-year-old deceased was identified as, Pawan Jatav, son of a former sarpanch. The body has been kept in mortuary for post-mortem, principal medical officer of Alwar district hospital, Dr Bhagwan Sahay said. Eighteen others injured were undergoing treatment at the hospital, including one policemen, Sahay said. Khairthal police station SHO, Jitendra Kumar said that the police resorted to firing after a mob attacked and opened fire on them, while torching a vehicle and a store in the police station. He said that nine policemen, including one deputy superintendent of police, one head constable, and six constables were injured in stone-pelting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least eight persons were killed and hundreds injured today in violence across several states as protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to private and public properties, including police posts, during a nationwide bandh called by Dalit groups, officials said. Thousands were detained following widespread incidents of arson, firing and vandalism across over ten states, several of them being BJP-ruled including Madhya Pradesh where at least six persons died during the protests against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. One each died in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, according to officials there. Other states hit with violence included Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi. Curfew was imposed in several places, while the Union Home Ministry, which rushed 800 anti-riot policemen to MP and UP, asked all states to take preventive steps and maintain public order to ensure safety of lives and property. The Army and paramilitary forces were also put on standby in Punjab. In MP, the deceased included four Dalits and two upper caste Hindus, while several others were injured across the state, the officials said. Inspector General (law and order) Makrand Deoskar told PTI that the casualties occurred during fights between the bandh supporters and its opponents and not due to police firing. A sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) and a police official were also injured in the protest in Gwalior-Chambal division, he said. MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan appealed to the protesters to maintain peace in the state. Transport, mobile and internet services were hit in many states with over 100 trains getting affected due to protests, even as the Centre moved the Supreme Court seeking review of its recent judgement on the SC/ST Act, maintaining that the verdict will violate constitutional rights of these communities. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. While some states had ordered closure of educational institutions as a precautionary measure, incidents of arson, firing and vandalism were reported from various parts of the country and the properties facing the wrath of protesters included railway tracks, police stations as also public and private vehicles. In UP, one person was killed in Muzaffarnagar and nearly 75 persons including 40 policemen were injured in violent protests in various parts of the state. Police has detained nearly 450 people there. In Rajasthan, one person was killed and 26 others, including nine policemen, were injured in Alwar. Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed for peace, while Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government was not a party to the Supreme Court decision on the SC/ST Act and "respectfully" did not agree with its reasoning behind the verdict. Prasad said the government has filed a very comprehensive review petition in the matter. Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, a prominent Dalit leader and head of NDA constituent LJP, appreciated the government's quick decision. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that incidents of atrocities on Dalits and minorities have increased in the country since the NDA came to power in 2014, while AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal extended his support to the protesting groups. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed for peace and urged the people not to vitiate law and order, as violence was reported from many districts including Azamgarh where protesters torched two state-run buses, injuring several passengers. Expressing her party's support to protests, BSP supreme Mayawati alleged that some anti-social elements instigated violence leading to loss of lives and damage to properties. The CBSE postponed Class 12 and Class 10 examinations scheduled to be held today in Punjab. In the national capital region, protesters squatted on tracks at several places stopping trains, while protesters shouting slogans of 'Jai Bhim' also blocked roads affecting traffic movement, police said. In Patna, protesters stormed the railway station, forced closure of ticket counters and squatted on tracks disrupting movement of a number of trains. Normal life was also affected in several parts of Odisha where activists of different Dalit groups put up road blockades. Thousands were arrested across Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha, while the impact was minimal in West Bengal though its Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her support for the Dalit cause. Major towns and cities of Gujarat also witnessed protests while civic-run transport services were halted after some of the buses were targeted by agitators. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Centre today rushed 800 anti-riot policemen to Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh after violent protests erupted during a nationwide bandh called by Dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Two companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel have been sent to Meerut and one company each to Agra and Hapur (all in UP), a home ministry official said. A company of RAF comprises around 100 personnel. Two companies each of the RAF have been sent to Bhopal and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh to assist the state administration in tackling the situation. Curfew was imposed in Morena, Gwalior and Bhind districts of Madhya Pradesh after a student leader died in firing and several others were injured. Violence was also reported from many districts of Uttar Pradesh including Azamgarh where protesters torched two state-run buses, injuring several passengers. Protests turned violent in Agra, Hapur, Meerut in western UP. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Normal life was disrupted in parts of Jharkhand today as several Dalit organisations joined the countrywide agitation against the Supreme Court's recent order on the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The apex court had, last month, diluted the provisions of immediate arrests under the SC/ST Act. Majority of shops downed their shutters, anticipating violence. In Palasboni area, on the outskirts of Jamshedpur, a truck carrying miscellaneous goods was set ablaze allegedly by protesters early today, the police said. As many as 652 protesters were rounded up from various parts of the Steel City, said Sudhir Kumar, deputy superintendent of police, composite control room (CCR). Train services, however, remained unaffected by the bandh in the Tatanagar section of Chakradharpur division, railway sources said. The situation was no different in Palamu district, where around 200 bandh supporters were taken into custody, a senior police officer said. "The bandh supporters were taken into custody as they were forcibly trying to down shutters of shops," Deputy Superintendent of Police Prem Nath said. Barring sporadic incidents, no case of violence was reported from the area, said Vipul Shukla, deputy inspector-general, Palamu Range. In Dumka and Pakur districts, too, the police detained a large number of protesters when they were allegedly trying to enforce bandh on thoroughfares and markets areas, said station in-charge of Dumka town, Devbrat Poddar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Office of a BJP legislator was allegedly ransacked in Krishna Nagar here by a group of Dalits who were protesting the "dilution" of the provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, representative of the MLA said. The demonstrators damaged the office of BJP MLA Puran Prakash when he was attending meeting of District Plan headed by Minister In-charge of Mathura Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary," Representative of the MLA, Pankaj Prakash, said. The agitators tore off the hoardings and flag of the BJP, he said. The protesters retreated only when locals objected, the MLA representative said. Puran Prakash, who is a Dalit, is BJP MLA from Baldeo reserved constituency. The protesters also tore off the hoardings and flag of the BJP from new bus stand to Krishna Nagar. DySP Preeti Singh said, Action would be taken against law offenders. However, no case was registered in the matter till filing of this report. The Supreme Court on March 20 had banned automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases under the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes (ST) (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Ruling that no arrest can be made under the Act without prior permission, the apex court had also held that a court can grant anticipatory bail if it, prima facie, finds the complaint is an abuse of the law, false, motivated and intended to blackmail or harass a person. This was necessary, the court had said, to prevent the "rampant misuse of the tough provisions of the law". The 'Bharat Bandh', called by various Dalit groups and backed by various political outfits, demands restoration of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in its original form. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One person was killed, over 70 others, including many policemen, injured while 448 people were arrested as Uttar Pradesh saw widespread violence on a day Dalit groups protested what they claimed was the "dilution" of the provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Several towns in western UP saw violence and in Meerut, a former BSP MLA Yogesh Verma, was among those arrested, police said. There were several incidents of violence in Meerut, including the torching of a police post while in the neighbouring Muzaffarnagar, a man was killed and several vehicles were damaged, they added. "During the bandh, violence broke out in Muzaffarnagar, Hapur, Meerut, Agra and they were the most affected areas. Reports of violence have come from some other districts too. As of now, 448 persons have been detained in different districts. There were no incidents in 90 per cent of districts. We have sounded a high-alert in the state," DIG, Law and Order Praveen Kumar told reporters. He added that one person lost his life in the violence in Muzaffarnagar. "We are yet to get the detailed reports. As of now about 35-40 policemen and 30-35 protestors were stated to be injured. Of them three are serious," the DIG said. Asked about the extent of damage to public properties, the official said the police were yet to do a detailed analysis. "Some anti-social elements were involved in the protests and they created problems. Some of them had illicit fire arms too. We are conducting a detailed probe and also trying to identify people involved in spreading rumours and misleading Dalits on SC order," he said. The situation was controlled by 2 pm in the affected districts, he said. It's normal now, he added. Early in the day, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to the people to maintain law and order and asserted that his government was "serious towards the development and progress of Dalits". However, angry protesters pelted stones on buses in the Sagdi area of Azamgarh on the Gorakhpur-Azamgarh damaging their widow panes. They also set afire two roadways buses injuring some passengers, police said. Director General of Police (DGP) OP Singh said additional force from the Centre. "We have sought more force from the Centre...We are keeping an eye on the situation, which is under control," he claimed. Urging people not to resort to violence, Chief Minister Adityanath said, "Both the Centre and the state government are dedicated to the welfare of the backward castes, the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes. If there is any issue, one can bring it to the notice of the government." Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, however, targeted the Centre saying if it had taken prompt steps, there would not have been the need for a 'Bharat bandh' and "some anti-social elements would not have got the chance to indulge in violence and arson because of government laxity". BSP condemns violence but BJP governments need to extend help to the dead and injured without any bias, she said in a statement. Mayawati said that though she was not in Parliament, her politics and struggle outside will force the Narendra Modi government "to kneel down and change its stance". The constitutional rights of dalits and tribals are continuously being encroached by the BJP, she alleged. Meanwhile, a former BSP MLA from Hastinapur, Yogesh Verma, was arrested by the Meerut police in connection with the violence, according to SSP Manzil Saini. Verma's family claimed he had been wrongly arrested. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav also targeted the Modi government claiming it should have talked to the Dalit leadership in time. Now it seems that Dalits have lost faith in the government, he said. "It is most unfortunate if someone has to resort to the agitational path for restoring his honour and rights...Baba Saheb has given Dalits their right and no one can snatch it away," Yadav said in a party release. The Supreme Court on March 20 had banned automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases under the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes (ST) (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Ruling that no arrest can be made under the Act without prior permission, the apex court had also held that a court can grant anticipatory bail if it, prima facie, finds the complaint is an abuse of the law, false, motivated and intended to blackmail or harass a person. This was necessary, the court had said, to prevent the "rampant misuse of the tough provisions of the law." The 'Bharat Bandh', called by various Dalit groups and backed by various political outfits, demands restoration of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in its original form. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One person was killed and many others injured in violent protests that erupted across Rajasthan today during a nationwide bandh against the alleged "dilution" of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Protesters, shouting 'Jai Bhim', blocked roads and rail routes, forcibly shut down shops, pelted stones, vandalised public property, torched several vehicles, and even attacked police in several parts of the state. Police officials said more than 150 people were detained across Rajasthan for alleged involvement in the violence. Additional Director General of Police (law and order) NRK Reddy said more than 75 civilians and over 70 police personnel were injured in the violence. In Khairthal of Alwar district, a 28-year-old man, son of a former village sarpanch, was killed and 26 others, including nine policemen, were injured in the violence. Officials claimed police resorted to firing after some miscreants in a mob opened fire at them. Some protesters allegedly attempted to torch a police station during which a godown there suffered severe damage. Protestors also torched a vehicle, officials said. Tension prevailed in Sikar, Bikaner, Barmer, Bharatpur, Jodhpur, Bhilwara, Hindaun, Gangapur and other areas where police and protestors came face to face. In several instances police personnel had to fire tear gas shells, cane-charge and even fire at the mob to defuse the situation, officials claimed. Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC were imposed in Bikaner, Barmer, Sikar, Jalore and Ahore while internet services were suspended in 12 districts as a precautionary measure. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje appealed to the people to maintain peace and harmony, saying the central government was committed to securing the rights of SC/STs. Violence was, however, reported in almost all the districts of the state where protesters damaged public property while the police used force to disperse them. Rajasthan DGP OP Galhotra said the situation was now under control. "There is a provision in law to peacefully put forth your views. People should not take law into their hands. Cases will be registered against anti-social elements," he said. Reddy said an additional 25-30 companies of paramilitary forces were deployed across Rajasthan in view of the protests. According to the officials of the North-Western Railways, protestors damaged the glass windows of the Shatabdi Express at Khairthal railway station. Movement of at least seven trains was affected in the region due to the protests. Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) officials said normal operation of buses, stopped at 11 am after the the protests escalated, resumed by 5 pm. Several Dalit groups had called for a 'Bharat Bandh' today, demanding restoration of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act to its original form. The Supreme Court had, on March 20, "diluted" certain provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, in a bid to protect "honest" public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dalit protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to vehicles in violent protests across seven states against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, leaving at least four people dead and many injured today, officials said. Curfew was imposed in several places and the Army was called out in Bhind district in Madhya Pradesh. The Army and paramilitary forces were also put on standby in Punjab. Transport and communications services were severely hit in many states with over 100 trains getting affected due to protests against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act, even as the Centre moved the Supreme Court seeking review of its recent judgement in the matter, maintaining that the verdict will violate constitutional rights of these communities. While some states ordered closure of educational institutions, and curtailed internet and mobile services, incidents of arson, firing and vandalism were reported from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab, among other states. "Two people were killed in Gwalior while one person each died in Bhind and Morena districts in cross-firing during protests," Inspector General (Law and Order) Makrand Deoskar told PTI in Bhopal. The Union Home Ministry also asked states to take preventive steps and maintain public order to ensure safety of lives and property, and rushed 800 anti-riot policemen to Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed for peace, while Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government was not a party to the Supreme Court decision on the SC/ST Act and "respectfully" did not agree with its reasoning behind the verdict. Prasad also said the government has filed a very comprehensive review petition in the matter. Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, a prominent Dalit leader and head of NDA constituent LJP, appreciated the government's quick decision to file the petition and accused the Congress of having done nothing for Dalit icon B R Ambedkar. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that incidents of atrocities on Dalits and minorities have increased in the country since the NDA came to power in 2014, while AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal extended his support to the protesting groups. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed for peace and urged the people not to vitiate law and order, as violence was reported from many districts including Azamgarh where protesters torched two state-run buses, injuring several passengers. As protests turned violent in Agra, Hapur, Meerut in western UP, Director General of Police (DGP), O P Singh, said, "We have sought more force from the Centre that will be deployed there. We are keeping an eye on the situation, which is under control." Many trains, including premier Rajdhani and Shatabdi expresses, were stopped by protestors while some were short-terminated as precautionary measures. A group of about 2,000 people disrupted trains at the Hapur station as well, disrupting the movement of many goods trains, railway officials added. Protests were also witnessed at Ambala and Rohtak in Haryana as well as in Chandigarh. The CBSE has already postponed Class 12 and Class 10 examinations scheduled to be held today in Punjab at the request of the state government in view of the 'Bharat Bandh'. In the national capital region, protesters squatted on tracks at several places, stopping trains, including the Dehradun Express and the Ranchi Rajdhani, while a Northern Railway official said services were also disrupted by a mob in Ghaziabad. The protesters gathered at Mandi House in Delhi and blocked roads. Shouting slogans of 'Jai Bhim', the protesters also blocked one of the carriageways of Barakhamba Road affecting traffic movement on the stretch, police said. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. Nearly 30 people- 20 from Ajmer and 10 from Jaipur -- were detained in Rajasthan as protesters blocked rail and road traffic and vandalised public properties. In Patna, MLAs from the opposition parties, as well as some from the ruling side, demanded a resolution be passed by the House urging the Centre to take adequate measures to undo the recent Supreme Court order on arrests under the SC/ST Act. Protesters stormed the Patna Junction where they forced closure of the ticket booking counters and squatted on railway tracks disrupting movement of a number of trains. Normal life was also partially affected in several parts of Odisha. In the state capital of Bhubaneswar, activists of different Dalit organisations put up road blockades. Major towns and cities of Gujarat also witnessed protests while civic-run transport services were halted after some of the buses were targeted by agitators. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least seven persons were killed and many injured in violence today as Dalit protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to vehicles across several states during a nationwide bandh against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, officials said. While five were killed in cross-firing in Madhya Pradesh alone, one each died in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, according to officials there. Curfew was imposed in several places and hundreds were detained. The Army and paramilitary forces were also put on standby in Punjab. The Union Home Ministry, which rushed 800 anti-riot policemen to MP and UP, asked all states to take preventive steps and maintain public order to ensure safety of lives and property. Transport, mobile and internet services were hit in many states with over 100 trains getting affected due to protests, even as the Centre moved the Supreme Court seeking review of its recent judgement on the SC/ST Act, maintaining that the verdict will violate constitutional rights of these communities. While some states had ordered closure of educational institutions as a precautionary measure, incidents of arson, firing and vandalism were reported from MP, UP, Rajasthan, Bihar and Punjab, among other places. In MP, two died in Gwalior, two in Bhind and one in Morena. In UP, one person was killed in Muzaffarnagar and nearly 75 persons including 40 policemen were injured in violent protests in various parts of the state. Police has detained nearly 450 people there. In Rajasthan, one person was killed and 26 others, including nine policemen, were injured in Alwar. Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed for peace, while Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government was not a party to the Supreme Court decision on the SC/ST Act and "respectfully" did not agree with its reasoning behind the verdict. Prasad also said the government has filed a very comprehensive review petition in the matter. Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, a prominent Dalit leader and head of NDA constituent LJP, appreciated the government's quick decision. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that incidents of atrocities on Dalits and minorities have increased in the country since the NDA came to power in 2014, while AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal extended his support to the protesting groups. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed for peace and urged the people not to vitiate law and order, as violence was reported from many districts including Azamgarh where protesters torched two state-run buses, injuring several passengers. As protests turned violent in Agra, Hapur, Meerut in western UP, Director General of Police (DGP), O P Singh, said, "We have sought more force from the Centre that will be deployed there." Many trains, including premier Rajdhani and Shatabdi expresses, were stopped by protestors while some were short-terminated. A group of about 2,000 people disrupted trains at the Hapur station as well, disrupting the movement of many goods trains, railway officials added. The CBSE has already postponed Class 12 and Class 10 examinations scheduled to be held today in Punjab at the request of the state government in view of the 'Bharat Bandh'. In the national capital region, protesters squatted on tracks at several places, stopping trains, including the Dehradun Express and the Ranchi Rajdhani, while a Northern Railway official said services were also disrupted by a mob in Ghaziabad. Shouting slogans of 'Jai Bhim', the protesters also blocked roads affecting traffic movement, police said. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. In Patna, protesters stormed the railway station, forced closure of ticket counters and squatted on tracks disrupting movement of a number of trains. Normal life was also affected in several parts of Odisha where activists of different Dalit groups put up road blockades. Major towns and cities of Gujarat also witnessed protests while civic-run transport services were halted after some of the buses were targeted by agitators. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi Assembly today formed a nine-member committee to look into complaints against violation of protocol norms and "contemptuous behaviour" by bureaucrats with legislators. The House passed a resolution, moved by AAP MLA Vishesh Ravi, after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators complained that officers are refusing to meet them. The House also passed another resolution, moved by AAP Sourabh Bharadwaj, directing Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash to ensure that the conduct of officers is strictly as per the guidelines of the official dealings. Prakash was today at the centre of attack by AAP legislators, with the resolution stating that some of the IAS and DANICS officers have been acting against their rules of conduct by not meeting the elected representatives of the Legislative Assembly of Delhi. The resolution stated, "BJP is using some of IAS and DANICS officers as a tool for creating hurdles in goverance of Delhi." The move came at a time when the AAP government and bureaucracy are at loggerheads over alleged attack on the chief secretary by some ruling party MLAs at the chief minister's residence in February. The House Panel on violation of protocol and contemptuous behaviour by government officers with MLAs' consists of AAP MLAs - Sourabh Bharadwaj, Sanjeev Jha, Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, Some Dutt Sharma, Vishesh Ravi, Pankaj Pushkar, Bhawana Gaur, Fateh Singh and Surender Singh. The committee will examine complaints to be referred by the Speaker pertaining to the violation of protocol norms laid down from to time-to-time regarding official dealings with MLAs. Participating in a discussion over officers not meeting MLAs in the House, Bharadwaj said that officers are "duty-bound" to meet an elected representative. "You (officers) may have a tussle with the Delhi government, but you will have to give respect to an elected MLA who represents 2.5 lakh people when he goes to meet an officer. "Officers are duty-bound to meet officers and take their calls." Bharadwaj said that the Delhi Assembly does not come under the government, officers or the Lt Governor. He also attacked officers in the presence of chief secretary and senior bureaucrats, saying that officers behaved with AAP MLAs as we are "political Dalits". "If MLAs seek appointment with officer, he or she has to meet him. It is the right of an MLA to receive the respect from the officer... "To protect the democracy, elected MLAs should safeguard their right. How can an officer deny meeting MLAs? Denying meeting with MLAs is against the democracy," Bharadwaj said. Citing an office memorandum of the DoPT, Bharadwaj said if officers do not meet MLAs, they can write to the Speaker and the nine-member committee will look into this. As Bharadwaj was reading out the resolution, BJP members walked out of the House to register their protest. Speaker Ram Niwas Goel also attacked the BJP, saying, "The LG office has been made den of of BJP." Participating in the discussion, Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta and BJP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa demanded apology of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash over alleged attack on the CS by some AAP MLAs in February. "When Kejriwal can apologise in his defamation cases, why can't he apology to chief secretary to end tussle with the bureaucracy," Sirsa said. Gupta said that by apologising in defamation cases, the chief minister has reduced his credibility to "zero". "If the CM apologies to CS, his reputation will not go down. By making allegations during elections, they won 67 seats, but now he has apologised," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi government today informed the Supreme Court that it was negotiating with Haryana for the release of 450 cusecs of water of the Yamuna river per day for the national capital. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud was informed by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) that Haryana had released some amount of water today. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Delhi Jal Board, said the court might not need to pass any order as both Delhi and Haryana governments were in negotiation to resolve the crisis. To this submission of Rohatgi, the bench said it was adjourning the matter for April 16. The apex court was hearing a plea filed by the DJB alleging that Haryana had reduced by one-third the supply of Yamuna water to the national capital, leading to a grave water crisis here. The DJB contended in its plea that Haryana was supplying Delhi only 330 cusecs of water per day as against 450 cusecs per day which was agreed upon between the state and the Union Territory. It has claimed that due to the present curtailment in water supply to the Wazirabad reservoir, the plant is running at reduced capacity leading to "grave water crisis" in the city. The DJB had said the situation would "escalate" as the temperature rises with the onset of summer and the demand for drinking water shoots up. It has sought directions from the apex court to the Haryana government to supply the full 450 cusec of water per day continuously and daily to the Wazirabad reservoir. The Delhi High Court had also recently told the Haryana government that it has to stick to its 2014 direction specifying the amount of water to be released to Delhi every day. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shares of Dilip Buildcon surged 11 per cent today as the company won a Rs 1,004 crore contract in Madhya Pradesh from National Highways Authority of India(NHAI). The stock soared 10.80 per cent to end at Rs 1,109.30 on BSE. During the day, it zoomed 12.87 per cent to Rs 1,130. At NSE, shares of the company jumped 11 per cent to settle at Rs 1,114.25. The company's market valuation rose by Rs 1,479.87 crore to Rs 15,171.87 crore. In terms of equity volume, 1.78 lakh shares were traded on BSE and over 10 lakh shares changed hands at NSE during the day. "DBL has received letter of award by NHAI for a new hybrid annuity project valued at Rs 1,004 crore in Madhya Pradesh," the company had said in a filing to BSE on March 29, 2018. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's largest realty firm DLF has given on lease about 2.25 lakh sq ft of office space in Gurgaon to US-based co-working major WeWork, sources said. Earlier, DLF had also provided around 60,000 sq ft office space on lease to co-working operator Skootr. The demand for co-working space is rising in India due to affordable rents and flexible working options. According to sources, DLF has leased this space to WeWork in Cyber City, Gurgaon for about Rs 130 per sq ft monthly rental. DLF spokesperson declined to comment on the leasing transaction, while WeWork spokesperson could not be reached. DLF has over 30 million sq ft of commercial space, most of it in Gurgaon. Recently, DLF promoters concluded sale of 40 per cent stake in rental arm DLF Cyber City Developers Ltd (DCCDL) for about Rs 12,000 crore. This deal included sale of 33.34 per cent stake to Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC for about Rs 9,000 crore. DLF has 66.66 per cent stake in DCCDL now. The realty major is developing an office project in Gurgaon and has recently bought 12 acre land in the city for Rs 1,500 crore. WeWork, the platform for creators that provides space, community and services to help people make a life, has recently entered the Delhi-NCR market with launch of its collaborative space in Gurgaon. This was the 6th location by WeWork in India. It has co-working space at three locations in Bengaluru and two in Mumbai. With the launch of 'WeWork Bristol Chowk' at Gurgaon , the company will provide space for 7,000+ members across India. On the launch of Gurgaon centre, WeWork India General Manager Karan Virwani said: "Whether you need a desk, office suite, or entire HQ, we create environment that increases productivity, innovation, and collaboration for teams of any size." As per a recent study by JLL, the co-working segment in India is expected to receive USD 400 million investments by 2018, he added. "Our plug-and-play offices make it possible for startups, entrepreneurs and established businesses to focus on success and growth while we take care of everything else," Virwani said. WeWork is a platform for creators, providing more than 2,10,000 members around the world with space, community, and services through both physical and virtual offerings. WeWork has 230 physical locations in 71 cities and 21 countries around the world. Founded in 2010 in New York, the company now employs more than 4,400 globally. More than 20,000+ companies and over 2,10,000 members are now based at WeWork, with member companies ranging from startups to big companies like Dell, KPMG, GE, Microsoft, and Samsung. In its report 'The Art of Co-Working', real estate consultant CBRE India had pegged that leasing of space by co-working operators would touch 10 million sq ft by 2020. Small and medium enterprises, along with startups, are the biggest target clientele for the companies operating these co-working business centres. The cost per seat is in the range of Rs 7,000-15,000 per month. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Space scientists were continuing efforts to establish contact with the country's snag-hit latest communication satellite GSAT-6A that went off the radar, the Indian space agency said today. GSAT-6A lost contact with the ground station two days after it was launched on March 29 in a flawless mission from the space port of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh but the agency has not specified the glitch. The country's most powerful satellite went blank when ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka attempted to ignite the engine in a third and final move to put GSAT-6A in its space home. "Efforts are being continued to establish the communication with the satellite," ISRO sources said today. ISRO chairman K Sivan has said preliminary data shows that there are chances of recovery, but establishing link with the satellite was the key. "The Mission Control is on the job continuously," he had said. The 2,140-kg GSAT-6A rode piggyback on ISRO's powerful geosynchronous rocket (GSLV-F08) fitted with indigenous cryogenic engine at the third stage and was put into orbit successfully after the launch in what was described by a senior ISRO official as a "magnificent mission". GSAT-6A is aimed at helping in mobile communication even from very remote locations through hand-held ground terminals and is considered a shot in the arm for the armed forces. Reports suggest that the glitch is related to the satellite's power system after the second orbit-raising exercise on Saturday, after which ISRO scientists went into a huddle and are working towards setting things right. The orbit raising operation is carried out to hurl the satellite to its designated slot. GSAT-6A, with a mission life of about 10 years, is designed to provide thrust to mobile communication through multi-beam coverage facility. The satellite is also aimed at providing a platform for developing technologies such as demonstration of 6 m S-Band Unfurlable Antenna, hand-held ground terminals and network management techniques that could be useful in satellite-based mobile communication applications. GSAT-6A snag is the second setback to ISRO in less than a year. In August last year, India's mission to launch its backup navigation satellite IRNSS-1H on board PSLV-C39 failed after a technical fault on the final leg following a perfect launch. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been re-elected for a second term with over 97 per cent of valid votes, the National Election Authority (NEA) said today. In a televised press conference, NEA chairman Lasheen Ibrahim said that turnout was 41.05 per cent of the 60 million registered voters. Ibrahim said that Sisi won 97.08 per cent of valid votes in the three-day presidential election. His sole challenger, the little-known centrist politician and al Ghad party chief, Moussa Mostafa Moussa won 2.92 per cent of valid votes. Sisi won 21,835,378 votes, while Moussa won 656,534 votes, he added. About 60 million people were eligible to vote in the election which was held in 13,687 polling stations across the country and under the supervision of 18,678 judges from various judicial bodies and authorities. Sisi, the then army chief, overthrew Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013 following mass protests against his rule. Morsi was Egypt's first democratically elected president following the 2011 overthrow of longtime president Hosni Mubarak during the Arab Spring uprisings. Sisi was elected for a four-year presidential term in 2014. The first presidential term of 63-year-old Field Marshal will officially end on June 7. Last week, Sisi posted photos of voters participating in the polls and praised them on facebook for the huge turnout. "The voice of the masses of Egyptians will remain a witness - no doubt - that the will of our nation is prevailing with a force that does not know weakness," Sisi had said. "The scenes of the Egyptians outside the polling stations will remain a matter of honour and pride for me and hard evidence of the greatness of our nation," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been re-elected for a second term with over 97 per cent of valid votes, the National Election Authority (NEA) said today. In a televised press conference, NEA chairman Lasheen Ibrahim said that turnout was 41.5 per cent of the 60 million registered voters. Sisi's rival and little-known politician Mousa Mostafa Mousa won 2.92 per cent of valid votes. The first presidential term of Sisi will officially end on June 7. Sisi overthrew Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013 following mass protests against his rule. He was elected for a four-year presidential term in 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) There was no record of the 40 Indians captured by the terror group ISIS in Iraq in any embassy as they had gone there through illegal travel agents, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said today. Thirty-nine of the 40 Indians were killed by the terror group, while one of them managed to escape posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh. Singh today brought back the mortal remains of 38 Indians from Iraq in a special aircraft that landed at the Amritsar International airport here. The presumed remains of one of those killed were yet to be positively identified. "The external affairs ministry started a campaign in 2014 in which we say that one must not go through an illegal agent. There was no record of these 40 persons in any embassy. They migrated through illegal agents. When you go through illegal agents then it is difficult to find where one has gone," the minister told reporters. The minister said that had the government had any information about these people being in danger, it could have tried to save them. He emphasised that both the state and central governments should work collectively to ensure the gullible people do not fall prey to illegal travel agents. "We have told each state that law and order is their responsibility and they should catch illegal agents in their respective states and take action against them...States and the Centre should work collectively in this direction. We do not want anybody to go illegally abroad. We want people to go legally so that we have their record," he said. He expressed confidence that the Amarinder Singh government in Punjab would take action against illegal travel agents while asserting that there was an "effective" government in Punjab. To a question on jobs as demanded by the family members of the victims, the minister said that the union external affairs minister had already told family members of the victims to provide detailed information about persons who are eligible for jobs. Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, flanked with Singh, said the state government would give Rs five lakh each to the family members of the victims. Besides, a member of each family will be given job as per qualification, he said. He further said that the state government had been giving Rs 20,000 per month to the family members of the victims who were killed in Iraq. Sidhu said the cabinet will hold discussion on the illegal travel agents issue. To a question, Singh said that the Iraq-based Martyrs Foundation had advised against opening of caskets. "The Martyrs Foundation has told us that the way toxic contents were found (from where the mortal remains were taken out) and the way all this was done (embalming of bodies) when you open the casket it may pose danger and that is why they said it is better not to open it," he said. However, Sidhu said it is the responsibility of the administration to take mortal remains to their respective homes. "They (family members) can do whatever they want to do with it (bodies). This is their wish," said Sidhu. Family members had earlier claimed that they had been told by the administration not to open the caskets. Asked how they were killed, Singh, a former army chief, said that some of the persons were killed by bullets. "When tests were conducted (on mortal remains) it was found that some persons were killed by bullets and however, in some cases, it is very difficult to say as to how they were killed," said Singh, adding that it was also not possible to ascertain when they were killed. "But we were told that it could be about one year (ago). But it is very difficult to say whether it is more than a year or less than a year," he said. The union minister of state also explained about how they located the mound from where the mortal remains were taken out in Iraq. "We were not allowed to go to Mosul through Erbil as the war was going on. After talking to the owner of the company for which these 40 men were working and others, we got information that a lot of people were buried near a place in Badush. "We found a mound which was not natural. We sought a ground penetration radar and then we found some human skeletons (in the mound). Thereafter, digging exercise was started to bring out the mortal remains. We got a kara (iron bracelet worn by Sikhs) and long hair and then we thought they may belong to be our people. Thereafter, DNA sample exercise commenced. The 38 samples matched while 70 per cent of one sample matched," he said, adding that he went to Iraq four times in search of Indian men. To a query, he said that had they got any clue about the Indian men, they could have been saved like nurses were saved in Iraq. "Do you know about Indian nurses case? We knew about their condition and we asked them to get out of their place (in Iraq in 2014). Initially, they refused to leave the place, saying they were not in danger. But after four days, they told us their hospital was damaged. Then we rescued them. Had there been any information that these persons (40 Indian men) were in crisis at a particular location, we would have rescued them. The kind of situation in which Mosul was, I can claim that nobody could have entered that area in such a situation," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A top aide to former Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi says he fears arrest if he returns to Libya over what he may know about corruption allegations against France's ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy and Gaddafi's alleged financial support to the former France leader. Moftah Missouri, Gaddafi's chief interpreter, told AP that he attended a meeting in 2005 between France's then-Interior Minister Sarkozy and Gaddafi. Missouri, who is now living in exile in Tunisia, said over the phone that Gaddafi told Sarkozy during the meeting that he's "pleased to have a friend like you as a president of France." According to Missouri, Gaddafi also told Sarkozy: "We will help you if you run in the election." Sarkozy's lawyer and spokeswoman did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today sent notices to the HRD ministry, the CBSE and the Delhi police chief over the leak of question papers of two subjects, seeking a detailed report in four weeks. The NHRC has also observed that such instances would "adversely affect the credibility of the institutions in which the students have absolute faith". The notices have been sent to the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary (CBSE) and the commissioner of Delhi Police, seeking a detailed report in four weeks, a senior NHRC official said. "The HRD ministry is also expected to inform the Commission about the steps taken regarding counselling of the aggrieved students and to make the process of conducting board examinations trustworthy and foolproof to avoid recurrence of such painful incidents in future," the rights panel said in a statement. The HRD ministry had last week announced that the re-examination of the CBSE Class 12 economics paper would be held on April 25, while the Class 10 mathematics re-test, if required, would be conducted only for Delhi-NCR and Haryana in July. Reportedly, two cases have been registered on charges of criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy and some arrests have been made, the NHRC said in a statement. The Commission also observed that, "prima facie, it seems the concerned authorities have failed to keep the faith of the students, intact. The humiliation being faced by the innocent students is amounting to violation of their rights to dignity and education". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madhya Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has arrested two Delhi-based 'middlemen' and 48 candidates from Gwalior for allegedly leaking the question paper of a Food Corporation of India (FCI) examination for the post of watchman, an official said. The incident came amid the nationwide outrage over the CBSE exam paper leaks, in which three people have been arrested by the Delhi Police's Crime Branch. The FCI's exam for the post of watchman was supposed to be held at various centres in MP yesterday. The aspirants were asked to pay Rs 5 lakh each for the question paper, according to a release issued by the STF yesterday. However, the STF official said she was not sure if the exam was held as scheduled for the advertised post. "Acting on a tip-off, the Bhopal and Gwalior STF teams caught two agents and 48 aspirants on Saturday late night from Siddharth Palace hotel in Gwalior for leaking the watchman recruitment examination paper of the FCI," the STF release said here last night. The arrested agents were identified as Ashutosh Kumar and Harish Kumar, both residents of Delhi. The STF seized a hand-written question paper and an answer sheet from the accused. "During the interrogation, the candidates revealed that each of them was asked to pay Rs 5 lakh for the question paper with solved answers. They were asked to pay the amount after being selected for the post," the release said. A case was registered and an investigation was underway, it said. Notably, there has been a widespread outrage over the CBSE exam paper leaks, prompting the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry to suspend one board official yesterday and initiate a probe. The Delhi Police's Crime Branch also arrested three persons, including two teachers of a private school, for their alleged involvement in the leak of the Class 12 CBSE economics paper. Mounting pressure on the government, the Congress had demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak out on the matter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Syria's regime drew closer to taking full control of Eastern Ghouta on Monday as state media reported that fighters began evacuating from the last rebel-held pocket of the former opposition stronghold near Damascus. A Russian-brokered deal had been reported on Sunday for fighters with Jaish al-Islam, the largest rebel group still in Ghouta, to leave the enclave's main town of Douma. But the rebels have not yet confirmed the agreement, amid reports of divisions in the group as hardline fighters refuse to abandon their posts. The retaking of Eastern Ghouta would mark a major milestone in President Bashar al-Assad's efforts to regain control of territory seized by rebel factions during Syria's seven-year civil war. Assad's forces have retaken 95 per cent of Eastern Ghouta since launching a blistering air and ground assault on the besieged enclave on February 18, killing 1,600 civilians and displacing tens of thousands more. State media today said Jaish al-Islam fighters and their families had started leaving Douma, in preparation for them heading to a rebel-held town in northern Syria. "A group of buses carrying a number of Jaish al-Islam terrorists and their families leave Douma in preparation of them being transported to Jarabulus," state news agency SANA said, using the government's term for all rebel fighters. State television said six buses had left Douma, the only opposition holdout six weeks after the start of the offensive. The rebels have been negotiating with Russia, a key ally of Assad, for days on an agreement to evacuate Douma. Late on Sunday, Russian news agency Interfax quoted General Yuri Yevtushenko saying a "preliminary deal" had been reached to evacuate Jaish al-Islam fighters from Eastern Ghouta. Jaish al-Islam has previously said it would not leave Douma and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported divisions within its ranks. "There are attempts to convince the hardline wing of Jaish al-Islam not to obstruct the agreement with the Russians," the head of the Britain-based monitor, Rami Abdel Rahman, said today. In video footage published by Jaish al-Islam online on Sunday, the group's leader told a group of men in a mosque he would stay. "We will stay in this town and will not leave. Those who want to leave should leave," Essam al-Buidani says. It was not immediately possible to verify when the video was filmed. Backed by Russia, Assad's forces have scored a series of victories over rebel forces in recent years, often through campaigns of siege, aerial bombardment and ground offensives that have drawn widespread condemnation. Before February 18, some 400,000 people in Eastern Ghouta had lived under regime siege for five years, facing severe food and medicine shortages. After pounding it with air strikes, regime forces have taken back most of the enclave through a combination of ground assaults and Russia-brokered evacuation deals. Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale held extensive talks with top brass of the Bhutanese government on key bilateral and regional issues during a two-day visit to Bhutan, his second in as many months. Besides holding deliberations with his Bhutanese counterpart Dasho Sonam Tshong, Gokhale called on Prime Minister Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay and King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck during the visit which began yesterday, the External Affairs Ministry said. "The talks were held in a cordial atmosphere in keeping with the unique and exemplary bonds of friendship and cooperation that exist between the two countries," it said. Without elaborating, the ministry said matters "concerning" bilateral partnership figured in the talks. The situation in India, China, Bhutan tri-junction in Doklam is understood to have figured during talks between Gokhale and the Bhutanese Foreign Secretary. The Foreign Secretary, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had quietly travelled to Bhutan in the first week of February during which they held extensive talks with the Bhutanese leaders on strategic issues including the situation in Doklam. Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day-long standoff in Doklam from June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed Doklam tri-junction by the Chinese Army. Bhutan and China have a dispute over Doklam. The face-off ended on August 28. China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the dispute in the area. India argues that since it is a tri-junction involving the three countries, it also has a say in the issue, specially in the backdrop of a 2012 agreement between special representatives of the two countries, that have till now held 20 rounds of talks. "The visit was in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries, and provided an opportunity to the two sides to discuss matters concerning our bilateral partnership, including the commemorative activities planned in 2018 to mark the Golden Jubilee of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries," the ministry said on Gokhale's visit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) today re-opened its doors for free treatment of patients from Maharashtra. The premier hospital, located near here, had since January this year started charging fee from patients arriving from Maharashtra. Health Minister Vishwajit Rane earlier said the decision to charge patients coming from outside Goa had been taken to reduce the load on the state-run medical facility. This, he said, was because more than 50 per cent of patients arriving at the GMCH were from the neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The Maharashtra government had recently requested Goa to waive the fee. Rane had also met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss the issue. He had said the Maharashtra government could either empanel the GMCH under its own medical scheme or deposit Rs 5 crore per year as service charge for the treatment. The GMCH has now been empanelled by the Maharashtra government under its ambitious medical insurance scheme, providing free treatment to patients who are living in the districts bordering the two states. Rane today opened a facilitation centre at the GMCH for patients who are enrolled under the Maharashtra government's Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Aarogya Yojna (MJPJAY). "The Maharashtra government will reimburse the amount to the GMCH after the patients from the neighbouring state are treated here. Goa will not be at a loss as the rates offered under the MJPJAY are quite good," the minister told reporters after inaugurating the facilitation centre. The GMCH receives around 3,000 patients from Maharashtra every month, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Goa government's ambitious plan to set up an expansive horticulture estate has hit a roadblock due to the unavailability of such a huge land for the project, a minister said. The scarcity of land for such a massive project has forced the agriculture department to re-think about it as it requires a plot of about 100 acres, he said. The project was aimed at reviving the agriculture sector in the state. The initial plan was to provide farmers one acre of land each in the proposed estate, and also all the required support and amenities for horticulture, state Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai told PTI. "We are not able to get the required land for the project. We scouted many places but it didn't help much. At present, we are in touch with a panchayat at Loliem village in extreme South Goa for the land," he said. The horticulture estate project was aimed at propelling the agricultural growth in the state, which is largely dependent on the tourism and mining industries for revenue and employment generation. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikarhad initially suggested a piece of land spread over 200 acres at Surcorna in South Goa's Quepem taluka, owned by the Goa Forest Development Corporation, for the project. However, the chief conservator of forest refused to part with it, saying that it marked as a private forest. "There is a tremendous potential and scope for growing different flowers in Goa, that is why the state government is keen on encouraging floriculture also," Sardesai said. Under the project, the state government had planned to help farmers in identifying markets for selling their produce, he said. He said the Goa government had drawn inspiration for the project from a floriculture park at Talegao near Pune, which was developed by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister Vijay Goel courted controversy after posting some photographs of the sanctum sanctorum of Odisha's Lord Lingaraj Temple on his Twitter page. Although Goel withdrew the pictures -- taken in a restricted zone -- today, some ministers from the opposition parties demanded his resignation over the controversy. The pictures were taken last year when Goel visited the temple and performed rituals inside the "Garva Griha" of the 11th-century shrine. He posted the pictures yesterday on Twitter while wishing the people of Odisha on the occasion of Utkala Dibasa. In his Twitter post, Goel wrote, "Greetings of #UtkalaDibasa to our brothers, sisters and friends from #Odisha! Some pictures of my trip to the majestic Lingaraja Temple in Bhubaneswar last year." However, the pictures drew criticism from various quarters following which Goel took down the image today. Goel said he had tweeted the pictures "by mistake" and did not wish to hurt anyone's sentiments. "On the occasion of #UtkalaDibasa, I had by mistake tweeted pictures of the Lingaraja Temple from my trip last year. I did not wish to hurt anyone's sentiments and therefore, I am withdrawing the tweet/images," Goel said in another tweet today. Latching on to the controversy, opposition Congress leader Suresh Kumar Routray has demanded Goel's immediate resignation from the Union Council of Ministers. "Either the union minister should resign or be driven out of the Union Cabinet by the prime minister. He should tender unconditional apology to the people of Odisha or else there would be a statewide agitation," Routray said. BJD leader and Rajya Sabha member Prasant Nanda said the photo was "against the religious tradition". "The minister should tender unconditional apology to the people of Odisha the way Bollywood actress Rabina Tandon had done after she had a shooting session inside the Sri Lingaraj temple in March this year," Nanda said. BJP Odisha state general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan came to Goel's defence, saying the union minister wasn't briefed by either the temple administration or the temple servitors about the ban on photography inside the temple. "If this action has hurt sentiments of the people, we tender apology," Harichandan said. The Executive Officer of Sri Lingaraj Temple, Rajiv Parida, termed the incident as "unfortunate". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government today said it is committed to ensuring welfare of SCs, STs and other weaker sections and guaranteeing them full protection of law as it appealed to people not to fall prey to rumours and false propaganda. Home Minister Rajnath Singh also asked political parties to help in maintaining harmony among different sections of the society. "The Govt of India is committed to ensuring welfare of SC/STs and other weaker sections and also guaranteeing them full protection of law. The Govt has already filed a review petition in the Supreme Court to maintain the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act in its presents form (sic)," he said in a series of tweets. Singh said he was deeply pained by the acts of violence and loss of lives in some parts of the country today during protests in context of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. "I appeal to all political parties to help in maintaining harmony among different sections of the society. I also appeal to the people, not to fall prey to rumours and false propaganda unleashed by mischievous elements," he said. The home minister said the central government has advised all states to maintain law and order and it is ready to provide assistance to any state that may require so. Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said it was closely monitoring the situation and was in constant touch with the affected states after violent protests erupted during the nationwide bandh called by Dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which left at least four people dead in Madhya Pradesh and many injured. The ministry has made available central forces - Rapid Action Force and CRPF - to the states that sought help. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab have so far requested for central forces, a ministry spokesperson said. Another home ministry official said the central government rushed 800 anti-riot policemen to Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Curfew was imposed in Morena, Gwalior and Bhind districts of Madhya Pradesh after a student leader died in firing and several others were injured. Violence was also reported from many districts of Uttar Pradesh including Azamgarh where protesters torched two state-run buses, injuring several passengers. Protests turned violent in Agra, Hapur, Meerut in western Uttar Pradesh. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Unhappy with the Supreme Court order diluting the provisions of the SC/ST Act, the government today said it "differs" with the verdict and questioned why the Union of India was not made a "formal" party in the case. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the government "differs" with the reasoning given by the Supreme Court judgement "virtually redoing the entire architecture of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act". He said it is important to note that the government was not firmly made a party in this case and only allowed to make certain oral submissions. "We feel that a sensitive case of this nature required a more in depth consideration with requisite consideration of objective data to come to a conclusion as to whether the law is being abused or there is a need to give protection to the continued, unfortunate instances of injustice against Dalits," he said. The apex court had on March 20 said that on "several occasions", innocent citizens were being termed as accused and public servants deterred from performing their duties, which was never the intention of the legislature while enacting the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The top court had said that unless the exclusion of anticipatory bail is limited to "genuine cases and inapplicable to cases where there is no prima facie case was made out, there will be no protection available to innocent citizens". Highly-placed sources in the government meanwhile said Attorney General K K Venugopal would mention the case in the top court tomorrow for an early hearing. Referring to the grounds of the review, they said law making is the right of the legislature. "A law can be set aside only if it is violative of the fundamental rights, if it is lacking in legislative competence and if it is arbitrary," a source pointed out. The sources also claimed that the Supreme Court order has the potential to flare up caste divisions. They said if the law does not have such infirmities, then it is left to the wisdom of the legislature to frame a law depending upon the enormity of the offence to be created. Referring to Article 17 of the Constitution, they said it abolished untouchability and provides for punishment according to law for those violating it. The sources also referred to the 1995 judgement of the top court in the R K Bharotia case where denial of bail in such cases was upheld to ensure fear of law. They said to make the law more effective, tonsuring head and moustache, garlanding a Dalit with slippers brought under the definition of atrocity under the law. The compensation was enhanced, ranging between Rs 85,000 and Rs 8 lakh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seeking to placate agitating Dalit groups, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan said today the government, which has filed a review plea in the Supreme Court against its verdict on the SC/ST Act, will move court this week to negate a UGC order affecting reservation. The Dalit leader and BJP ally told reporters that the government will file a special leave petition (SLP) this week and work to withdraw the University Grants Commission order. Doing so before might be seen as a contempt of court as the UGC decision was an outcome of a judicial verdict, he said. The UGC decision, which proposed calculating reservation department-wise and not on the basis of the total posts in a university, besides the court order on the law against atrocities have angered the community. Various groups Dalit groups had today called for 'Bharat Bandh' which turned violent leading to at least four deaths. "The government has today filed a review plea against the court's order on the atrocities law. It will file a SLP later this week to ensure that the UGC decision is quashed," he said. At a press conference, he also hit out at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, claiming he had no moral right to attack the BJP over Dalit issues as his party did "nothing" for the community or its icon B R Ambedkar while the present government, he asserted, had done a lot. After "abusing" Ambedkar, denying his portrait a place in Parliament's central hall and not giving him Bharat Ratna during its rule, the Congress is now acting like his follower, Paswan alleged. With opposition parties targeting the BJP after the apex court order, he strongly defended the saffron party and praised the government for filing a review plea against the verdict within two weeks. The Lok Janshakti Party chief also dismissed speculation about his future move, saying he was in the BJP-led NDA and would continue to strengthen it. He claimed that it would come back to power again after the Lok Sabha polls next year. Senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh had recently claimed that Paswan was in touch with the opposition and he could leave the NDA. "Nobody takes him seriously. Does he know about his future? Does he consider Tejashwi Yadav his leader," Paswan asked, lashing out at Singh. Hitting out at the Congress over its attack on the central government on the Dalit issue, Paswan said it had done nothing for the community in its long rule and denied Ambedkar's portrait space in Parliament's central hall. A portrait was put up only in 1989 when V P Singh was prime minister and while the Congress gave Bharat Ratna to many people, including actors, it did not deem it fit to give to Ambedkar, he claimed. He was given Bharat Ratna in 1990. "Rahul Gandhi has no moral right to speak about the issues of Dalits. He should first answer why his party did this to Ambedkar... The Congress only abused him and encouraged others to abuse him," he alleged. Praising the central government, he said it made the SC/ST Act more stringent in 2016 and celebrated Ambedkar's contribution with a number of measures, including by holding a special debate in Parliament and developing places associated with him. Amid reports of violence during the 'Bharat Bandh' called by Dalit bodies, he said the apex court's order had caused anger in the community but added that it should not cause any division in the society. Political parties must not politicise it, he said, adding that the government had filed a review plea in merely 11 days. He also defended the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to include 'Ramji' as part of B R Ambedkar's official name, making it Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. 'Ramji' was his middle name, drawn from his father's name, and there was nothing objectionable in the government's decision, Paswan said, adding that 'Ram' was part of names of many Dalit leaders like Jagjivan Ram, Ram Nath Kovind (President of India) and his own name. Opposition parties have alleged that the decision of the Yogi Adityanath-led government was a part of the BJP's efforts to saffronise the Dalit icon He also suggested that the RJD, whose chief Lalu Prasad was imprisoned following his conviction in corruption cases, might have a hand in communal violence in several parts of Bihar. After being critical of some BJP leaders for their alleged inflammatory statements, Paswan today said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had ruled the state for over eight years in an alliance with the saffron party before their split in 2013. The tenure was known for good governance and communal peace, he said. "So why is this happening now? You should notice that it has happened after Nitish Kumar parted ways with the RJD," he said. The RJD has blamed the BJP for the communal violence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nine people, including four of a family from the minority Christian community in Pakistan, were killed after gunmen carried out two separate attacks in Quetta city in the south-western Balochistan province, police said. Both the attacks took place yesterday, they said. The ISIS claimed responsibility for the first attack in which unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on a rickshaw in which a Christian family was travelling on Quetta's Shah Zaman road. All four died on the spot while a woman was injured and rushed to a hospital, Provincial Police Chief Moazzam Jah Ansari said, adding that her father and three cousins were killed in the firing. The attack on the Christians, he said, appeared to be a targeted attack. "We are investigating whether it was a targeted attack due to personal enmity or sectarian reasons," he said. The Christians on Sunday had celebrated Easter in Pakistan and the family had come to celebrate with their relatives from Lahore. Shortly after the attack on the Christian family in the evening, two groups clashed with each other in Quetta's Qambrani road leaving five people dead and nine others injured. The clash erupted allegedly after members of the minority Shia Muslim Hazara community held protests in Quetta to protest the targeted killing of a Hazara man on Sunday. Hazara community members with their distinctive looks have come under several terror attacks in recent years in Baluchistan. The Islamic State group claimed the attack on the Christians in a statement carried by its Aamaq agency. It was unclear who was behind the other attack. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Kerala High Court today declined to stay a single bench's decision, upholding slapping of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act by the CBI against ruling CPI (M) strongman P Jayarajan and other accused in a case relating to the murder of an RSS worker in Kannur district in 2014. Considering a plea filed by Jayarajan, challenging the single bench decision of March 15, the division bench, headed by Chief Justice Antony Dominic, however, issued notice to the CBI and other respondents in the Kathiroor Manoj murder case. Earlier, refusing to interfere with the slapping of UAPA by the CBI against the accused in the case, the single bench had said the investigating agency need not obtain the state government's sanction to invoke provisions of the Act and rejected the petition filed by Jayarajan and others. Jayarajan, also Kannur district secretary of the CPI(M), was named by the CBI as "principal conspirator" in the murder. The high court had said that either the central government or the state government can grant sanction to invoke UAPA against the accused, who come under the purview of the Act. The CBI, after taking over the probe from the state police, had charged him under the stringent UAPA for the killing, which it described as a "terrorist act". In its supplementary final report filed before the court of the special judge of Ernakulam, the Special Crime Branch of the CBI's Thiruvananthapuram unit, which probed the case, has said the September 1, 2014 killing was "a well-conspired, planned and well-organised political murder". Describing as "terrorist act" the "brutal" killing of the functionary, Elanthottathil Manoj, also known as Kathirur Manoj, the CBI charged Jayarajan under various sections, including Sections 18 and 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Jayarajan, also facing charges under various IPC sections including 120(b) (conspiracy), is the 25th accused in the case. The CBI, in its report, had accused Jayarajan of having entered into a criminal conspiracy with first accused Vikraman to carry out the killing of Manoj in a brutal and terrorising manner. Forty-two-year-old Manoj, an RSS district functionary, was hacked to death in Kathiroor in Kannur district on September 1, 2014, allegedly by a group of CPI(M) workers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court today disapproved of the AAP government's decision to issue a request for proposal (RFP) for 1,000 standard floor buses on the grounds that they were neither disabled friendly, nor easily accessible by the aged and the children. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar also did not approve of the time line given by the Delhi government's transport department to procure 1,000 electric low floor buses as the tender is proposed to be issued in June and the supply of vehicles will be after March 31 next year. "We do not know how you are going ahead with such tenders when the law (with regard to disadvantaged groups) is to the contrary," the court said while hearing a PIL by Nipun Malhotra challenging the Delhi government's decision of last year to procure 2,000 standard -floor buses at a cost of Rs 300 crore. Malhotra, who suffers from a locomotor disability, in an affidavit has said that as per the Delhi Transport Corporation's (DTC) own data, low floor buses were safer than the standard floor ones. The affidavit, filed through advocate Jai Dehadrai, also claimed that the low floor buses were more efficient. The petitioner has submitted that the transport department on February 28 had issued a fresh RFP for 1,000 standard floor buses despite the high court asking it earlier not to take such a decision. The bench, thereafter, asked the transport department to file its response to the affidavit by Malhotra and listed the matter for further hearing on April 16. Meanwhile, advocate Aman Panwar, appearing for Congress leader Ajay Maken, told the court that the standard floor buses were not only unsafe, but were not easily accessible by elderly persons as well as small children. Maken has also moved a plea opposing the Delhi government's proposal to procure standard floor buses. The bench had on the last date asked the AAP government not to go ahead with its tender to purchase standard floor buses for the national capital, saying it would not allow the procurement as it would lead to the violation of the fundamental rights of disabled persons who would find it difficult to access such vehicles. The Centre had recently told the court, in an affidavit, that less than 10 per cent of the over 1.3 lakh buses run by state road transport undertakings have been found to be disabled friendly. It had also stated, in the affidavit, that by March this year only 10 per cent government-owned public transport needed to be accessible to disabled persons. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court today dismissed five public interest litigation petitions, filed in connection with the display of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa's portrait in the assembly and related matters. The First Bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice A Selvam, before which the PILs came up, dismissed them for non-appearance of petitioners' counsels. The petitions were filed by J Anbazhagan of DMK, S Duraisamy, C Kumaran, K Balu and 'Traffic' Ramaswamy. Anbazhagan sought to quash a government order which does not prohibit display of portraits and photographs of chief ministers, who have been convicted and found guilty of corruption charges by a court of law. The petition by Duraisamy, an advocate, sought to remove the mortal remains of Jayalalithaa from Marina Beach and to forebear the government from raising any memorial for her with funds from the state exchequer at Marina or elsewhere. Kumaran, in his petition, also put forward a similar plea. Balu of Advocates Forum for Social Justice sought a direction to remove photos of Jayalalithaa and the name 'Amma' in government welfare schemes saying she was found guilty by the court in the disproportionate assets case. Social activist 'Traffic' Ramaswamy in his plea sought for a direction to the authorities to scrap the proposal to build a memorial for Jayalalithaa at Marina. He also appealed for a direction to re-locate the existing memorials of all the late chief ministers to Gandhi Mandapam in Adyar area in the city. Later, the counsels for the petitioners approached the bench, which permitted them to file appropriate petitions for restoration. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bombay High Court today disposed of a petition which alleged that the Thane Municipal Corporation commissioner had allegedly sexually harassed a 15-year-old girl. A bench of Justices R M Savant and Sarang Kotwal refused to issue any directions or pass orders on the petition, after the victim retracted her allegations while her statement was being recorded by the police and the magistrate. The bench was hearing a plea filed by an activist, Vikrant Karnik, seeking appropriate directions to the Thane police. In his plea, Karnik had alleged that the minor girl was employed by the Thane Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal as a domestic help. The petitioner claimed that in December last year, he came across a video on social media in which the girl alleged that Jaiswal had subjected her to mistreatment and harassment. Karnik said that he registered a police complaint and also wrote to the Thane police commissioner seeking a probe into the matter, no appropriate steps were taken. The state government, meanwhile, submitted that soon after the alleged video surfaced, the girl and her family left Thane for Surat in Gujarat. Hence, her statement could not be recorded. The state had also raised doubts on the veracity of the girl's allegations. The bench, however, had noted that the police had an obligation to implement the provisions of section 24 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, that deals with recording a minor victim's statement irrespective of any apprehensions on the veracity of the allegations. Today, the state's counsel, Y P Yagnik, submitted transcripts of the victim's testimony before the Thane Police and also before the magistrate under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), stating that the allegations made by her were false. Thus, the bench noted that nothing survived in the plea anymore given the retraction of the allegations by the victim. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court today dismissed a PIL, seeking a stay on the co-operative societies' election currently underway in Tamil Nadu. A division bench of justices Selvam and Basheer Ahamed rejected the petition filed by one Kumar of Nagercoil. The bench observed that it could not interfere in the matter as the election process had already started. The petitioner had submitted that new members were not enrolled in the Maravan Kudiyiruppu Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society, though the local farmers wanted to enlist themselves. Only the members of the ruling AIADMK were allowed to enrol themselves as members through pre-dated forms, he had alleged. Around 95 per cent of the members of the societies belonged to the ruling party, who had enrolled themselves through pre-dated forms, the petitioner had submitted. Hence, the March 12 election notification should be stayed and the poll should not be allowed without undertaking proper enrolment of members, he had contended. The government counsel told the court that the process for the co-operative societies' polls was being followed properly. Last month, the Tamil Nadu State Co-operative Societies Election Commission had announced the schedule for electing the office-bearers for cooperative societies across the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A collection of letters written by American writer Ernest Hemingway to his close friend Guy Hickok - discussing drinking, money and writing - is expected to fetch USD 25,000 at an auction in the US. Hemingway first met the recipient of these letters, Guy Hickok (addressed in the letters as "Gros") in the early 1920s when they were both acting as foreign correspondents for North American newspapers in Paris. Hemingway, working for the Toronto Star, began what would become an enduring friendship with Hickok, who was on assignment for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. This correspondence is unrestrained and mildly profane, and lends tremendous insight into Hemingway's life and work, according to the US-based RR Auction. In a nine-page long letter, signed 'Ernest', dated May 7, 1931, Hemingway wrote, "When my kidney was being weird had to give up drinking for about 6 weeks but now can drink and have drunk for ever since a year ago last February." Hemingway goes on to describe a drunken incident, in which he was left sleeping on the front porch of his house on a winter night, because his wife Pauline could not help him up the stairs. "I saw the car was standing with the top down and the 3/4 empty bottle very visible (it had been invisible in the dark) in front of the church with the French nameplate to identify it!," Hemingway wrote in the letter written aboard the S S Volendam of the Holland-America Line. "Don't want to claim to be a drunk like you but have not become respectable Gros," he wrote. In the letter he invites Hickok read some of his work in progress in Madrid, where Hemingway promises to work hard to get his book finished. "The reason I didn't write you about the book is because it is hard enough to write it without writing about it," Hemingway wrote in the letter. He goes on to discuss his travel plans and the repayment of a loan, before discussing an arm injury suffered in Montana. "I couldn't write then because my arm was still paralyzed. Have only been able to write since 3 weeks. It will be absolutely all right if keep after it. Anyway can shoot, fish and write with it now, but can't sock anybody," Hemingway wrote. He even sketched a diagram of his arm's range of motion. Hemingway also provided a sketch of his new home in Key West, pointing out his favourite features. In the second, unsigned letter in pencil, dated June 18, 1935, Hemingway scolds his friend for not letting him know when he got into a "money jam". "Gingrich of Esquire is coming here July 3-6 to fish and I will talk to him about your staff," he wrote. In the third letter, Hemingway wrote, "Don't be afraid to cash this check as have 438 in bank by latest statement. Also 1000 coming in on July 1." In the fourth letter, signed "Hemingstein," he thanked Hickok for sending "100 bucks". He mentions being in a bit of a financial crisis himself, and appreciates Hickok for sending him so much money together. At the conclusion, Hemingway jots down his Cuban address: "Address, Hotel Ambos Mundos, Havana - Cuba. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Following are the highlights from the western region at 2220 hrs. BOM 13 MP-DALITS-2NDLD PROTEST Bhopal: The Dalit protests today turn violent in Madhya Pradesh, leaving four persons dead and several people, including a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) and policemen, injured. BOM 15 GJ-BANDH-LD PROTESTS (Eds: Adds details, quotes of CM and Mevani)Ahmedabad: Normal life disrupts in various parts of Gujarat as protests by Dalits against alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act turned violent and police resort to teargas-shelling and lathicharge at some places. BOM 17 MH-DALITS-LD PROTEST (Eds: Adds details) Nagpur/Nandurbar: Stray incidents of violence in parts of Maharashtra mar the "Bharat bandh" called by Dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. BOM 16 MP-HOTEL-LD-COLLAPSE-OWNER (Eds: Adding details) Indore: Police arrest the owner of the hotel, which collapsed here last week killing 10 people. BES 5 GJ-EX-MLA-ARREST Rajkot: Police arrests ex-MLA Mahipatsinh Jadeja for assaulting a group of group of probationary officers of the Indian Forest Service (IFS) here last month. BES 20 MH-VAIDYA Pune: Freedom fighter and veteran socialist leader Bhai Vaidya dies in a private hospital here. LGB 1 MH-HC-RAPE-TRUSTEE-BAIL Mumbai: The Bombay High Court sets aside a sessions court order granting bail to a city-based international school's trustee in a case of alleged sexual assault of a three-year-old girl student. LGB 2 MH-HC-FIRE-PROBE Mumbai: The Maharashtra government informs the Bombay High Court that retired chief justice of the court A V Savant was appointed as the chairperson of a three-member committee to probe the Kamala Mills Compound fire incident that claimed 14 lives in December last. LGB 6 MH-COURT-SOHRABUDDIN Mumbai: Another witness turns hostile in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh alleged fake encounter case, taking the number of such witnesses to 45. LGB 5 MH-COURT-PNB-REMAND Mumbai: A special CBI court remands Vipul Ambani and others, arrested in connection with the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, in judicial custody till April 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The NCLT order extending the timeline for consideration of an out-of-court settlement by the Committee of Creditors (CoC), has kept alive the hope for UltraTech Cement to take controlling stake in Binani Cement. "The decision by the NCLT today reaffirms the chances for an out-of-court settlement," Sameer Kaji, Senior Advisor, Binani Cement said. A panel of two-member judges extended the deadline for the CoC of the bankrupt Binani Cement till April 9 to consider a proposal mooted by the Binani promoters for an out-of-court settlement and end NCLT proceedings. After the CoC declined to meet to consider the NCLT bench remarks for an out-of-court settlement without having any order, Dalmia Bharat group's proposal was the front-runner for takeover. Sources close to Binani group said a detailed proposal will be submitted in a day or two to the CoC. When asked whether this may override the agreement CoC had made with Dalmia Bharat Cement led consortium, Dalmia camp officials said status does not change as the law does not allow out-of-court settlement under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Dalmia Bharat Cement CEO Mahendra Singhi is of the view that once resolution plan is submitted to the NCLT, there is a binding contract with CoC and the party. Binani Cement had proposed to pay back all the secured and unsecured financial creditors and trade operational creditors, besides clearing all statutory dues on the condition that IBC proceedings against it have to be terminated. UltraTech Cement has agreed to pay the former Rs 7,266 crore to take 98.47 per cent stake in Binani Cement directly from the promoters. It is based on this agreement and a subsequent comfort letter that Binani Cement moved NCLT with its own proposal. But, these developments surfaced after CoC had issued a letter of intent to Dalmia Bharat Cement led consortium, which emerged as the H1 bidder and applied to NCLT for the final nod. The Operational Creditors were pinning hope on out-of-court settlement claiming better deal for their dues. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Palestine hopes that India would play its role of an upholder of human rights and back the side which is just when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a former envoy of the Palestine Liberation Organisation said today. Ribhi Halloum, who has served as the Palestine Liberation Organisation's ambassador in various countries, said, "We want the world to see our situation as much as that of the victimisers in this conflict". Asked what were the expectations from India, Halloum said, "We hope India, which has been a protector of human rights and justice since its Independence", will continue to play that basic role. "India has its own interests, we hope it will be with the just side," he said. Amman-based Halloum, also chairman of the Jordanian Associational Committee for Palestine, is part of a delegation of Palestinians that is currently visiting India. Istanbul-based Mohammad Makram of the Asia Middle East Forum said both India and Palestine share thousands of years of similar culture. India understands Palestine's problems, he said during a media interaction at the Press Club of India here. Bashar Shalabi, chairman of Arab Turkish Center in Istanbul, said, along with Halloum and Makram, he is a member of the Public Conference for Palestinians Abroad, an independent organisation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US today said that India has the "capability and potential" to play a more weighty role in the Indo-Pacific region. Briefing reporters on the Trump administration's Indo-Pacific Strategy, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Alex Wong said it is in the US' interest as well as of the entire region that India plays an increasingly weighty role in the region. "India as a nation has invested in a free and open order. It is a democracy. It is a nation that can anchor free and open order in the Indo-Pacific region. And it's our policy to ensure that India does play that role and that it becomes over time a more influential player in the region, Wang said. The use of term Indo-Pacific, as against Asia Pacific previously, by the Trump administration, he said "acknowledges the historical reality and the current day reality that South Asia and in particular, India plays a key role" in the Pacific, in East Asia and Southeast Asia. "That has been true for thousands of years and it's true today, he said. "India for sure has the capability and potential to play a more weighty role, Wang said in response to a question adding that this role is on all fronts, whether it is security, economic or diplomatic. "I think one great example that you've seen recently is that Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi invited the leaders of ASEAN to New Delhi for national (Republic) day, the top State Department official said. The presence of ASEAN leaders at the Republic Day was a truly significant sign of the increasing ties that India is pursuing particularly in Southeast Asia. "It is not just India that is pursuing a greater engagement with East Asia and Southeast Asia, there are a number of crisscrossing strategies throughout the region," he said. The first year of the Trump Administration, he said, was for introducing the strategic concept to the region; which is free and open Indo-Pacific Strategy. The rest of the years of the Trump administration is the implementation of those strategy, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India has requested the US to exempt it from the hefty tariffs on steel and aluminium imports and is vetting all options to deal with the issue, the government said today. In a written reply to Lok Sabha, Union Minister C R Chaudhary said the government has conducted a study on the impact of the duty hike by the US. "India has also requested the US to exempt India from the steel and aluminium tariffs. India is examining all options to deal with the issue, in case not resolved bilaterally," he said. Last month, US President Donald Trump signed two proclamations that levied 25 per cent tariff on steel and 10 per cent tariff on aluminium imported from all countries except neighbouring Canada and Mexico. India exports around USD 1.5 billion worth of these products to America. In a separate reply, the minister of state for commerce said as per WTO, India's gross national income per capita has crossed USD 1,000 for three consecutive years from 2013-2015. Based on this, the country would have to phase out some of its export-related incentives which are not in compliance with the global trade rules. "However, it is anticipated that there will be no immediate adverse impact on our foreign trade," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's "provocations" on the border with China will "destroy" the foundation of mutual trust and undermine bilateral ties, a Chinese analyst said. The statement comes after top Indian Army officials told PTI that the Indian troops have been deployed along the disputed Sino-India border in the Himalayan range to increase their patrolling at a tri-junction of India, China and Myanmar to prevent a repeat of a Doklam-like standoff. Reacting to India's increased deployment of troops along the border, Zhao Gancheng, director of the Center for Asia-Pacific Studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, claimed that India's "provocations" on the border will "destroy" the foundation of mutual trust and undermine bilateral ties. "India keeps enhancing its military deployment along the border because it has never believed the border region will become peaceful," Zhao was quoted as saying by the Global Times yesterday. "India thinks that border conflicts with China will eventually happen," Zhao said. "India's provocations will destroy mutual trust and aggravate the delicate regional situation," Zhao added. The mutual military distrust will ultimately undermine Sino-Indian relations in all sectors including diplomacy, economy and cultural exchanges, he said. The Indian officials said the tri-junction, located around 50km from Walong, the easternmost town of India near the Tibet region, is extremely important for India to help it maintain its dominance in the nearby mountain passes and other areas. A senior Indian Army official said Chinese troops did not enter the tri-junction too frequently but had developed a road infrastructure near the area which could be advantageous for the mobilisation of army personnel. Troops of India and China were previously locked in a 73-day-long standoff in Doklam from June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army. The face-off ended on August 28. The area in Doklam where China tried to construct a road is a disputed territory claimed by both China and Bhutan. India sent its troops to stop the Chinese construction activity, saying it could be a threat to its strategic interests in the region. Since the Doklam standoff, India has deployed more troops and increased patrolling along the borders with China in the Tibetan region. A group of Indian women in the UK will stage a "colourful" flash mob to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the UK for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) later this month. Indian Ladies in UK (ILUK) today said the flash mob, to be staged outside 10 Downing Street, will see dozens of sari-clad women perform a series of dances as a show of support. The group said it plans to get the slogan #BetaPadhaoBetiBachao (Educate Our Sons to Save Our Daughters) trending as a message from Indian women based in the UK for the Prime Minister to take back to the country. It also plans to collect hand-written messages from thousands of its members living across the UK in a so-called "treasure box" named #WomanKiBaat to be presented to Modi. The box will be carried around London in a specially-designed van branded as #ChaltiKaNaamModi. "It is imperative for all of India's mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters to stop passing on the stigma of inequality and injustice to our boys and start educating them from when they are toddlers that a better world is possible if they treat their female counterparts with generosity, empathy and equality," said Poonam Joshi, founder and executive director of ILUK, which claims to be among the largest Indian women's groups in the country with a membership of around 27,000 first-generation migrant Indian women. During his last visit to the UK in 2015, the then newly-formed group had presented Modi with a large crochet blanket dubbed the "Unity in Diversity" blanket and made up of 3,500 individual crochet squares handcrafted by its members. This time the group wants its #BetaPadhaoBetiBachao message to become an extension of the Modi government's widely promoted "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" initiative, which aims to improve the education, welfare and well-being of girls in India. Modi is set to arrive in the UK for bilateral meetings on April 18 before the Commonwealth heads of government deliberations on April 19 and 20. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indonesia's military said today that one solider has been killed in an ongoing clash between security forces and Papuan independence fighters near the US-owned Grasberg copper mine in the country's east. Military spokesman Col. Muhammad Aidi said the soldier was shot in the head and died yesterday. He said that a joint military and police force was hunting an "armed separatist criminal group." Aidi denied a purported statement from the National Liberation Army of West Papua that numerous Indonesian soldiers were killed in the clashes and a 10-year-old boy had died in a fire caused by the Indonesian attack. The liberation army said one of its fighters was killed. Aidi said the dead Indonesian soldier's body has yet to be evacuated due to bad weather and difficult terrain in the mountainous area. An insurgency has simmered in Papua since the early 1960s when Indonesia annexed the region that had remained under Dutch control following Indonesian independence nearly two decades earlier. Attacks by rebels near the Grasberg mine have spiked in the past year after liberation army figures declared the area a war zone. The Grasberg mine's vast gold and copper reserves have been exploited for decades by the US mining company Freeport, damaging the surrounding environment while providing significant tax income for the Indonesian government. But indigenous Papuans have benefited little and are poorer, sicker and more likely to die young than people elsewhere in Indonesia. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The owner of the hotel, which collapsed here last week killing 10 people, has been booked in connection with the incident, police said. Shankar Paryani, 55, who is currently absconding, has been charged with section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and section 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code, an officer of the Choti Gwaltoli police station said. He said that Paryani was booked because he was running the 60-year-old hotel, situated near Sarvate bus stand, despite knowing that the three-storey structure was dilapidated and posed a risk to the lives of people. Eyewitnesses had earlier told police that the hotel collapsed after a speeding car hit one of its main load-bearing pillars on Saturday night. The collapse killed ten people, including two women, and left two others injured. Separate teams of the police as well as municipal authorities are investigating the incident, officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today extended till April 27 the interim protection against arrest to Karti Chidambaram, granted by the Delhi High Court in the INX Media money laundering case. On March 26, the apex court had extended the relief against arrest to Karti till today. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud is hearing the plea of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking an authoritative pronouncement from the top court in view of conflicting orders of different high courts on the probe agency's power of arrest under section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The bench, meanwhile, adjourned the hearing on the plea of ED to April 27 and said that the protection against arrest to Karti stood extended till that day. Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the ED, had said that the probe agency has been armed with the power of arrest under the statute, keeping in mind the several international conventions underlining the need to curb money laundering generated from drugs smuggling, terror financing and black money routing. Mehta had referred to the 1988 UN convention and had said the member countries felt the need to have a law to deal with the offence money laundering. The advent of e-commerce has made investigation into money laundering more difficult as ill-gotten wealth has been transferred to all corners of the world very conveniently after the globalisation, he had said. Initially, the apex court, on March 15, had given the interim relief to Karti and had said it would clear the "confusion" which has crept in due to the divergent views of different high courts on ED's power to arrest. The apex court had also transferred to itself the matters pending before the Delhi High Court relating to the power of ED to arrest in money laundering cases and also a plea filed by Karti seeking protection from arrest in ED's case. The top court had said it would answer the question about interpretation of section 19 of the PMLA relating to ED's power to arrest and also deal with the issue whether high courts can grant protection from arrest on a plea under Article 226 of the Constitution which deals with high court's power to issue writs and orders. In a plea filed before the high court, Karti had sought striking down of ED's power of arrest under section 19 of the PMLA, besides seeking quashing of the enforcement case information report (ECIR) and the probe being carried out by the agency. In a case lodged by the CBI in connection with the INX Media corruption case, the high court had granted regular bail to Karti on March 23. He was arrested by the CBI on February 28 in Chennai immediately after he returned from abroad. An FIR by CBI, 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 Jammu and Kashmir government today directed officials concerned to submit a detailed case study within 20 days for the second phase of comprehensive flood management plan works on Jhelum river and its tributaries. Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Sham Lal Choudhary gave the order at a meeting convened here to discuss the finalisation of detailed project report (DPR) for Phase-II of the project, an official spokesman said. Taking note of various pertinent points raised in the meeting, the minister directed the officers to submit the detailed case study within 20 days so that the DPR can be prepared and work be started this year, he said. For Phase-II of the project, Rs 1,684.60 crore have been approved under the Prime Ministers Development Plan (PMDP) which includes central assistance of Rs 1,179.22 crore and state share of Rs 505.38 crore, the spokesman said. Works pertaining to flood protection, anti-erosion, widening of river, raising of embankments, re-sectioning, desilting and dredging of the river are under the flood management plan. It also includes various immediate, short term and long-term measures to reduce the risk of floods in the river. During the meeting, the spokesman said discussions were held on all components of the flood management plan so as to mitigate the dangers that may arise due to rise in the level of water in Jhelum. Regarding the progress on formulation of DPR, the minister was informed that mathematical model study of the river was done by the Pune-based Central Water and Power Research Station. A team of Central Water Commission officers also conducted site visits of the river and recommended that the flood discharge carrying capacity of Jhelum river should be improved to 60,000 cusecs from Sangam in south Kashmir's Anantnag to Padshahibagh in Srinagar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Jammu and Kashmir police today foiled a traders protest march to the local office of the United Nations here against the killing of four civilians in the counter-militancy operations yesterday. A group of traders under the banner of Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF), led by its president Yasin Khan, took out a protest march from Lal Chowk city centre here to protest the killings which took place in the three encounters in south Kashmir yesterday, officials said. They said the traders tried to march to the office of United Nations Military Observor Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) at Sonwar here but were stopped by the police near Regal Chowk. The police asked the protesting traders to disperse, but they tried to march ahead, an official said, adding that it led to police swung into action and detain several leaders, including Khan. The detained leaders were taken to Kothi Bagh police station, they said. Notably, 13 militants were killed in three separate encounters in south Kashmir, while four civilians and three army jawans also lost their lives during the major counter-insurgency operations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An "independent investigation" into the killing of two Muslim cattle traders allegedly by gau rakshaks in Jharkhand's Latehar district in 2016 has claimed that the state police "weakened" the case. The report, brought out by a group of NGOs, including those based in the US and the UK, was today launched here in the presence of the family members of the victims. "Not only did the police not fully investigate the crime on the basis of eyewitnesses accounts and testimonies, but also failed to press appropriate charges against the accused. This has considerably weakened the case," alleged the report. The victims -- Mazloom Ansari (32) and Imtiaz Ansari (12) -- were beaten and hanged with a tree in Latehar allegedly by gau rakshaks on March 18, 2016. They were carrying eight oxen to a cattle fare when the incident occurred. "The main accused has not been arrested in the case and police did not charge the accused for abduction, loot and criminal conspiracy, thus supporting them in the case," said lawyer of the victims Abdul Salam. Senior lawyer of Supreme Court Prashant Bhushan said that the lynching allegedly by gau rakshaks were "endangering" the democracy and civilisation of the country. "Such incidents have increased in the past four years and there is no action despite availability of witnesses and videos of such incidents," he alleged. "In this case of Latehar, all the accused are on bail and the main accused has not even been arrested which speaks about support of police to them," he alleged. The family members of the victim alleged that the accused had issued a threat to Mazloom to stop cattle trading or face the consequences. "Two of the accused, along with 5-6 other people, had come to our place before the incident. Mazloom had told me that they had asked him to stop cattle trading or he would be killed," alleged Mazloom's widow Saira Bibi. The report has demanded the police and prosecution for immediate arrest of the main accused in the case and moved the Supreme Court for cancellation of bails of all the accused. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today continued its interim order granting status quo on the operation of the Punjab and Haryana High Court verdict upholding the constitutional validity of the law providing ten per cent reservation to Jats and five other communities in Haryana. A bench of Justices J Chelameswar and Sanjay Kishan Kaul asked Haryana to file within three weeks its counter affidavit on the plea which has also opposed the Haryana Backward Classes Act of 2016. "Counter affidavit be filed within three weeks. Rejoinder affidavit be filed within three weeks thereafter. List thereafter. Interim order to continue in the meantime," the bench noted in its order. On March 26, the apex court had ordered status quo on the operation of the Punjab and Haryana High Court verdict. The petitioner had earlier informed the top court that the Backward Class Commission would submit its report on the percentage of quota by March 31. The Haryana Assembly had unanimously passed The Haryana Backward Classes (reservation in services and admission in educational institutions) Bill 2016 on March 29, 2016. The government had notified the Act in its gazette on May 12, 2016. The new Act provided reservation to Jat and five other communities including Jat Sikh, Bishnoi and Tyagi under a newly carved out backward class (C) category. As per the Act, these communities would be entitled to get 10 per cent reservation in government services and admission in educational institutions. However, on May 26, 2016, a division bench of the high court had stayed the reservation to these communities after hearing a plea challenging the constitutional validity of schedule-III (block-C) of the Act. The plea had sought directions to set aside the bill for being against the law laid down by the apex court in the Indira Sawhney case. According to the petition, with the passing of the new bill, the total reservation had reached around 70 per cent, but according to the law laid down by apex court, the quota limit could not exceed 50 per cent. The high court had on September 1 2017, upheld the constitutional validity of the Act. In February 2016, the state had seen violent protests by the Jat community demanding quota in jobs and educational institutions which virtually brought Haryana to a halt. The agitation had left many dead and several grievously injured. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka Home Minister RamalingaReddy today dismissed as "baseless" Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad's claims that the law and order situation had deteriorated and there was a steep rise in farmer suicides in the state. Prasad had said while releasing the state BJP's "chargesheet" against the Congress government yesterday that there was a three-fold increase in crimes in Karnataka and a rise in the number of farmer committing suicide in the last three years. Reddy said between 2008 and 2013, when the BJP ruled the state, the number of criminal cases registered was 1,12,213 whereas 1,13,939 such cases were reported from May 2013 to February 2018. "There is a slight increase in crime compared to the BJP regime but it is not proportional to the increase in Bengaluru's population by 35 lakh. The Union law minister does not know the law... His statements are baseless," Reddy said. He also questioned the figures on suicides by farmers released by the BJP. Reddy said when the state was reeling under a drought, the Centre did nothing to help Karnataka. "We waived agriculture loans worth Rs 8,500 crore to help farmers and we did not receive a penny from the Centre to assist the farmers," he said. "The BJP leaders should know that Maharashtra, which has a BJP government, still tops in the number of farmers committing suicide," Reddy said. The BJP had said there had been a rise in atrocities on Dalits, women and children, attacks on officials and killing of Hindutva activists in the state under Congress rule. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) AAP MLA and leader of opposition in Punjab Assembly Sukhpal Khaira today urged Speaker Rana Kanwarpal Singh to issue breach of privilege notice to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for allegedly sharing proceedings of the Assembly on his Facebook page. In his complaint to the speaker, Khaira alleged that the chief minister had shared two clips of his live speech in the just concluded budget session of the Assembly. "The said clips are part of his speech delivered to conclude the discussions on the Governor's address, on March 27. As we are aware, no proceedings whatsoever that take place inside the Vidhan Sabha can be shared or shown on social media," Khaira said in his complaint. The Bhulath MLA said he and Lok Insaf Party MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains were facing breach of privilege notices despite never sharing live proceedings of the House. "In my case, I had shared a clip on my Facebook page, when the House had been adjourned after ruckus last year. I never shared or showed live proceedings of the assembly, yet I was issued privilege notice," said Khaira. Bains had shared on his page an audio recording of the Vidhan Sabha proceedings, which was recorded from one of the audio speakers that relay proceedings in the canteen area as well as party offices of AAP, LIP, SAD-BJP and the Congress, he said. "But in the current case, Amarinder Singh has shared the said two clips of his live speech on his Facebook page, which amounts to clear cut breach of privilege by him," said Khaira. He said the opposition supported live coverage of the Assembly proceedings which would bring more transparency in the polity. "But until the decision to show the proceedings of the live is taken, I feel the law of the land should be equally applicable to all whether one is a MLA or the chief minister," said Khaira. "Therefore, I request that he (Amarinder) be issued notice of breach of privilege and his case be also referred to the Privileges Committee of the Vidhan Sabha for appropriate action," said Khaira. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu today sought cooperation from the state's electricity regulatory commission to cut down huge Aggregate Technical & Commercial (AT&C) loss and also for efficient power distribution in the state. Inaugurating the new office premises of the Arunachal Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (APSERC) here in presence of Power (Electrical) Minister Tamiyo Taga, the chief minister said that in coming days, Arunachal would see huge investment in works for setting up of transmission lines across the state. Khandu also sought support of the commission in capitalising on the states huge hydropower potential. The state is looking forward to working with public sector companies, such as NEEPCO and NHPC Ltd, he added. The chief minister suggested that wherever possible, the state government should take up hydropower projects on feasibility basis. Speaking on the occasion, Taga emphasized on modernizing the power transmission system to cut down losses and sought expert opinions from the commission to run the power department in a profitable way. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Korean Coast Guard ship 'BADARO', which is taking part in the Indo-Korean joint exercise 'SAHYOG-HYEOBLYEOG 2018' on April 5, berthed at Chennai Port Trust today. Coast Guard (Eastern) region senior officials welcomed the 88 crew members and Superintendent Oh Taeog upon arrival, an official release said. The Korean delegation during their brief stay in the city, would call on important dignitaries while a friendly volleyball match between two Coast Guards has also been planned. As part of cross training exercise, Indian Coast Guard personnel would visit BADARO and its crew would visit the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre and Coast Guard Air station in the city, the release said. The joint exercise will be conducted off Chennai coast on the Bay of Bengal on April 5. "The mission of the joint exercise is to develop working level co-operation and enhance inter-operability in the fields of maritime search and rescue, anti-piracy operations," the release said. Coast Guard, Director General, Rajendra Singh along with his Korean counterpart Park Kyung would jointly review the search and rescue exercise. The Korean ship upon completion of the exercise would depart on April 6, the release added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Kurukshetra district administration today ordered a magisterial inquiry into the death of Sikh activist Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa, who allegedly committed suicide by jumping off a water tank at his native village Thaska Ali. The sub-divisional magistrate, Shahabad will conduct inquiry into his death case, officials said. The 52-year-old had allegedly committed suicide last month by jumping off a water tank at his native village Thaska Ali in Kurukshetra district. Notably, Khalsa had been demanding release of Sikh radicals who have completed their jail term but are still lodged in various prisons across the country. Demanding a thorough probe, the family members and relatives of the deceased had alleged that Khalsa committed suicide under suspicious circumstances and that reason behind him taking the extreme step was not known. The SDM has been asked to conduct an inquiry to know the cause of the suicide and then submit its report at the earliest, officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The number of murders being investigated by Scotland Yard in London has surpassed New York for the first time, according to latest figures released for the months of February and March. Fifteen people were murdered in the UK capital in February and 23 in March compared with 14 and 21 respectively in New York, a city with a similar population size. For 2018 so far, there have been 46 murders in London, with 31 as a result of knife attacks. Murder rates in London had seen a steady decrease from 206 in 2003 to 94 in 2014 but the figure rose to 119 in 2015 and 116 last year. "London remains one of the safest cities in the world. One murder is one too many, and we are working hard with our partners to understand the increase and what we can all do to prevent these tragedies from happening in the first place," a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said. Croydon Central MP Sarah Jones, who chairs the UK's All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Knife Crime, told the BBC that London could learn from New York in how to reduce violent crime. "New York has been able to bring down serious violence through a public health approach. We need a proper strategy that looks at all of the issues. Knife crime and violent crime acts like an epidemic, so you need to go in at the source to cut it off and then you need to inoculate the future young people against it, she said. "Going in at source means major intervention work with youth workers, inoculating means going into schools, changing the social norms, educating kids, teaching them what it is to be a man, teaching them how they don't need to carry knives," she added. In March, a 48-year-old Indian-origin logistics planner became a victim of a knife attack in the Southall suburb of London. Two people have since been charged with Balbir Johal's death, which marked a spike in such attacks. The most recent one being investigated by the Met Police is of a 20-year-old man who was stabbed moments after leaving a bar in Wandsworth, south London, on Sunday. Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell, who is leading the investigation, said: Sadly, another family has been left devastated with the tragic death of a young man from an act of violence. Scotland Yard Commissioner Cressida Dick had renewed the force's commitment to tackle knife crime on the streets of the city in February. "London must come together to make it clear that this cannot continue. We will not police our way out of this problem. There is a role for all of us London's public, our partners and the police, she said. In a recent interview, she had blamed social media for driving youngsters towards violence and murder and warned that often-trivial disputes between young people were escalating into murder and stabbings at unprecedented rates. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The proceedings of the Lok Sabha were disrupted yet again today amid slogan shouting by AIADMK members seeking early constitution of the Cauvery water management board. Amid the din, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till 12 noon during the Question Hour. As soon as the House met for the day and took up the Question Hour, AIADMK members rushed into the Well shouting slogans such as 'we want justice' and 'we demand Cauvery board'. Citing assembly polls in Karnataka, the Centre had sought more time from the Supreme Court last week to set up the board to implement water sharing formula between Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. Congress member Kantilal Bhuria and RJD's J P N Yadav were seen waving documents and demanding review of the Supreme Court order diluting the provisions of immediate arrest under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The government is moving the top court today seeking a review of its order. While the TMC members were seated in their places, MPs of the TDP, which has moved a notice of no confidence against the government, were standing at their seats. Black ribbons were pinned to their shirts. As the ruckus continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till 12 noon, barely minutes after it had met after a long weekend. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today reviewed the preparations to mark the 127th birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar on April 14 here. He asked civic authorities to expedite the work of putting in place arrangements at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar where thousands of followers of the Dalit icon are expected to assemble on April 14. He directed Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta to ensure that people coming there are not inconvenienced in any way. The civic body held a presentation for the CM on its preparations, officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner, today returned to London after her first visit to Pakistan since she was shot in the head by Taliban militants for advocating girls' education more than five years ago. Malala, 20, arrived in Islamabad on March 29, six years after she was shot by a gunman for campaigning for female education in 2012 in Pakistan's Swat Valley. Local media footage showed a smiling Malala along with her parents at the airport in Islamabad to take a flight back to London after the four-day visit. The visit was kept highly secret and hardly anyone knew until she landed in Islamabad and was driven in security to a hotel. On her visit, she met Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi at the PM House where a ceremony was also organised in her honour. "I have been dreaming of returning to Pakistan for the past five years," teary-eyed Malala had said. She also made an emotional visit to her hometown in Mingora area of Swat district where she lived, went to school and was attacked in 2012. "So much joy seeing my family home, visiting friends and putting my feet on this soil again," she had tweeted about the visit, terming Swat as "The most beautiful place on earth to me." Malala, who is currently studying at Oxford University, also said that she plans to return to Pakistan after completing her studies in Britain. The famed human rights activist was shot at by the Taliban gunman in December 2012 for her female education campaigning in the Swat Valley in northeastern Pakistan. Severely wounded, she was airlifted from one military hospital in Pakistan to another and later flown to the Great Britain for treatment. Post the attack, the Taliban released a statement saying that they would target Malala again if she survived. At age 17, Malala became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for her education advocacy in 2014 when she shared the coveted honour with India's social activist Kailash Satyarthi. Unable to return to Pakistan after her recovery, Malala moved to Britain, setting up the Malala Fund and supporting local education advocacy groups with a focus on Pakistan, Nigeria, Jordan, Syria and Kenya. Malala began her campaign aged just 11, when she started writing a blog for the BBC's Urdu service in 2009 about life under the Taliban in Swat, where they were banning girls' education. In 2007, the Islamist militants had taken over the area and imposed a brutal rule. Opponents were murdered, people were publicly flogged for supposed breaches of the sharia law, women were banned from going to market, and girls were stopped from going to school. The Taliban, who are opposed to the education of girls, have destroyed hundreds of schools in Pakistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today urged people to raise awareness levels regarding autism. "Today is World Autism Awareness Day. Let us work towards spreading awareness about autism, and vow to treat autistic people with sensitivity," Banerjee wrote on her Twitter handle. She also said that the state government was looking forward to building the country's first autism township. "Bengal is committed to building India's first autism township," she tweeted. The proposed township is likely to come up on 50 acres of land in Shirakole on Diamond Harbour Road in South 24 Parganas district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 32-year-old man died after falling from the fourth floor of his residence in central Kolkata's Jorasanko area this morning, police said. The man, identified as Ricky Sharma, accidentally fell from the top floor of the four-storied building on MG Road in Jorasanko police station area at around 9.20 am, a senior officer of the Kolkata Police said. "Family members with the help of other locals rushed him to the nearest Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) where he was declared brought dead," the officer said. An investigation has been initiated into the mishap. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An argument followed by a fight between two groups over not being served chicken dish during an engagement function led to a 28-year-old man being killed and another being injured here today, police said. They said Ashwaq and his associates allegedly attacked Anwar and his relative Sohail with knives at the function between 1 am and 1.30 am resulting in Anwar's death. Sohail sustained stab injuries and has been admitted to a hospital. He is stated to be out of danger, said a senior police official who visited the hospital. "Both the group members are relatives. At the function Ashwaq entered into an argument with Anwar and Sohail over chicken being not served during dinner," the official said. They said that the dish was over and arrangements were being made to bring it, but arguments broke out between them and they also fought. Ashwaq phoned his friends and as per eye-witnesses' reports at least 10-15 persons attacked Anwar and Sohail with knives, the official said. Two of the attackers have been taken into custody while hunt is on to nab others who fled after the attack. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mexico's top presidential candidates launched their campaigns today vowing to take a harder line against Donald Trump, with the leftist front-runner vowing his country is done being the US president's "pinata." Just as candidates were putting the finishing touches on their opening campaign speeches for Mexico's July 1 elections, Trump crashed the kick-off party via Twitter, accusing the country of doing "very little" to stop illegal migration and drugs, and renewing his threat to axe the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The veteran leftist leading in the polls, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and his conservative rival, Ricardo Anaya, both hit back hard at the Republican president, whose anti-Mexican diatribes and insistence that Mexico pay for his planned border wall have made him supremely unpopular here. "We are going to be very respectful toward the United States government, but we are also going to demand that (the United States) respect Mexicans," Lopez Obrador told a cheering crowd in Ciudad Juarez, on the US border. "Neither Mexico nor its people will be the pinata of any foreign government." Lopez Obrador, a former Mexico City mayor, repeated his long-standing criticism of Trump's planned border wall. "Let this be heard near and far: neither security issues nor social problems can be resolved with walls," he said, condemning Trump's "mistaken foreign policy" and "contemptuous attitude toward Mexicans." Anaya, who is locked in a brutal battle for second place with ruling party candidate Jose Antonio Meade, vowed to answer Trump with a "strong and dignified stance," and defied the US president to take action on security issues on his own side of the border. "Just as the United States is worried about undocumented migrants, Mexico is worried about gun trafficking," he said. "Eighty percent of the guns used to kill people in our country come from the United States," he added, in reference to a wave of drug cartel-fueled violence that has left more than 200,000 people dead in Mexico since 2006. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Congress legislator from Andhra Pradesh today filed a petition in the Supreme Court alleging that the Centre had not taken any initiative for the implementation of the various provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. The Supreme Court today asked Congress lawmaker P Sudhakar Reddy, seeking implementation of various provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, to serve a copy of his petition to the Centre and others. A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan took note of the plea filed by Reddy and posted it for hearing after two weeks. The AP Legislative Council Member, in his plea, alleged that the Centre has not taken any initiative even after three years eight months on the implementation of the Act. "The large number of the provisions enacted in the Act are not being implemented by the Union of India and various departments/ministries under Union of India. "This has been resulting hardship to the lakhs of people in both States and the non implementation of provisions/assurances made in the Act will reduce the confidence on Parliament among the people," the plea, filed through lawyer Sravan Kumar, said. He said the provisions for separate High Courts for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, distribution/allocation of Andhra Bhavan, pension liability, distribution of employees, apex council for distribution of Krishna Godavari Water, effective functioning of river management boards, equal opportunity to the students in higher education and many more are yet to be addressed by the Centre. The Centre had enacted the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014 to carve out Telangana from Andhra Pradesh. The petition alleged that the Centre was highly negligent in performing its obligations and was causing enormous damage to the lives of the people due to its inaction. The Center has failed in discharging its responsibilities by not acting as per the provisions of the Act resulting to disputes between two states and difficulty to the people at large, the petition claimed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The mortal remains of 38 of the 39 Indians killed in war-torn Iraq were brought back today in a special aircraft and handed over to their relatives or local authorities in Amritsar, Kolkata and Patna. Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh, who brought back the bodies from Baghdad, told reporters in Amritsar that Indian embassy did not have any record of the 40 Indians captured by the terror group ISIS in Iraq in 2014 as they had gone there through illegal travel agents. The minister said that had the government had any information about these people being in danger, it would have rescued them as it had done in case of over 45 Indian nurses in 2014. Thirty-nine of the 40 Indian labourers were killed by the terror group, while one of them managed to escape posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh. Out of the 39 killed, 27 hailed from Punjab, four from Himachal Pradesh, six from Bihar and two from West Bengal. The special aircraft carrying the mortal remains of 38 Indians in caskets landed at the Amritsar international airport around 2:30 pm. The presumed remains of one man from Bihar were yet to be conclusively identified. As the aircraft carrying the coffins landed in Amritsar, an air of gloom descended as distraught families looked at the caskets. The remains of the 27 men belonging to Punjab were received by their relatives at the Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport in Amritsar. Punjab Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu was also present at the airport. The mortal remains of most of the deceased from Punjab were consigned to flames at their native places this evening, officials said. The bodies of four people hailing from Himachal Pradesh -- three from Kangra and one from Mandi -- were received at the Amritsar airport by state minister Kishan Kapoor. The mortal remains would be handed over to their families tomorrow, state officials said. The special flight then proceeded to Kolkata, where the mortal remains of two men hailing from Nadia district in West Bengal were handed over to district authorities for transportation to their native villages. The bodies will be kept at Jwaharlal Nehru Memorial Hospital morgue at Kalyani for the night and the administration will hand over the bodies to the families tomorrow morning, district officials said. West Bengal Minister Purnendu Basu was present at the Kolkata airport. The aircraft then left for Patna for handing over the bodies of five men hailing from Bihar. At the Patna airport, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi received the bodies. The bodies were being taken to their native Siwan district for handing over to their families. Talking to reporters in Amritsar, Singh, who had gone to Iraq yesterday to bring back the bodies, said it was not possible to ascertain when the Indians were killed. "But we were told that it could be about one year (ago). But it is very difficult to say whether it is more than a year or less than a year (ago)," he said. To a question, Singh said that the Iraq-based Martyrs Foundation had advised against opening of the caskets. "The Martyrs Foundation has told us that the way toxic contents were found (from where the mortal remains were taken out) and the way all this was done (embalming of bodies) when you open the casket it may pose danger and that is why they said it is better not to open it," he said. Asked how they were killed, Singh, a former army chief, said that some of the persons were killed by bullets. "When tests were conducted (on mortal remains) it was found that some persons were killed by bullets and however, in some cases, it is very difficult to say as to how they were killed," he said. He said, "The external affairs ministry started a campaign in 2014 in which we say that one must not go through an illegal agent. There was no record of these 40 persons in any embassy. They migrated through illegal agents. When you go through illegal agents then it is difficult to find where one has gone." To a query, he said that had they got any clue about the Indian men, they could have been saved like nurses were saved in 2014. "Do you know about Indian nurses case? We knew about their condition and we asked them to get out of their place (in Iraq in 2014). Initially, they refused to leave the place, saying they were not in danger. But after four days, they told us their hospital was damaged. Then we rescued them. Had there been any information that these persons (40 Indian men) were in crisis at a particular location, we would have rescued them," he told reporters. Singh emphasised that the state and central governments should work collectively to ensure the gullible people do not fall prey to illegal agents. "We have told each state that law and order is their responsibility and they should catch illegal agents and take action against them...States and the Centre should work collectively in this direction. We do not want anybody to go illegally abroad. We want people to go legally so that we have their record," Singh said, adding that had gone to Iraq four times in search of the Indian men. To a question on jobs being demanded by the kin of the victims, the minister said the union external affairs minister had already told them to provide detailed information about persons who were eligible for jobs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mortal remains of five people from Bihar, who were among 39 Indians killed by ISIS militants in Iraq, were brought here late tonight by Union minister General V K Singh by a special aircraft. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi and other members of the state cabinet received the bodies at the airport and laid wreaths at the coffins. Kumar announced ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of each of the deceased. Talking to reporters, General Singh said, We have brought the mortal remains of five persons whose DNAs have matched 100 per cent with the samples sent from here. "There is another deceased, Raju Yadav, whose DNA has matched about 70 per cent and the Iraqi authorities did not hand over the mortal remains on this ground. But we hope a breakthrough will come within five or ten days. The Centre has made all possible efforts to identify, at the earliest, all those who had gone to Iraq and went missing since 2014, he said. "We have worked really hard to trace all such Indians, be they dead or alive." Asked whether the Centre would provide any compensation to the 39 deceased, among whom 27 were from Punjab, four from Himachal Pradesh and two from West Bengal, Singh said, We are collecting details of their families. They will be properly taken care of. Meanwhile, an official release said, The chief minister has directed the state home department to provide Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased. Each of them have already been given an ex-gratia of Rs 1 lakh by the labour department. The chief minister has also issued instructions to the chief secretary to prepare a proposal with regard to other possible assistance that the bereaved family members may be provided with," the release said. The deceased - Bidya Bhushan, Santosh Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Dharmendra Kumar and Adalat Singh - were in their 30s and hailed from Siwan district. "The mortal remains will be handed over to the respective families in Siwan. Special arrangements have been made for transporting the mortal remains from Patna to their native district," Patna District Magistrate Kumar Ravi said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The mortal remains of 38 of the 39 Indians killed in war-torn Iraq were brought back today in a special aircraft and handed over to their relatives. Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh, who brought back the bodies from Baghdad, told reporters in Amritsar that Indian embassy did not have any record of the 40 Indians captured by the terror group ISIS in Iraq in 2014 as they had gone there through illegal travel agents. The minister said that had the government had any information about these people being in danger, it would have rescued them as it had done in case of over 45 nurses in 2014. Thirty-nine of the 40 Indian labourers were killed by the terror group, while one of them managed to escape posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh. Out of the 39 killed, 27 hailed from Punjab, four from Himachal Pradesh, six from Bihar and two from West Bengal. The special aircraft carrying the mortal remains of 38 Indians in caskets landed at the Amritsar international airport around 2:30 pm. The presumed remains of one of those killed were yet to be positively identified. As the aircraft carrying the coffins landed in Amritsar, an air of gloom descended as distraught families looked at the caskets. The remains of the 31 men belonging to Punjab and Himachal Pradesh were received by their relatives at the Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport in Amritsar. The special flight proceeded to Kolkata, where the mortal remains of two men hailing from Nadia district were handed over to their families. The aircraft then left for Patna for handing over the bodies of six men hailing from Bihar to their families. Authorities helped the families to take the bodies to their native places. Talking to reporters in Amritsar, Singh, who had gone to Iraq yesterday to bring back the bodies, said it was not possible to ascertain when they were killed. "But we were told that it could be about one year (ago). But it is very difficult to say whether it is more than a year or less than a year," he said. To a question, Singh said that the Iraq-based Martyrs Foundation had advised against opening of caskets. "The Martyrs Foundation has told us that the way toxic contents were found (from where the mortal remains were taken out) and the way all this was done (embalming of bodies) when you open the casket it may pose danger and that is why they said it is better not to open it," he said. Asked how they were killed, Singh, a former army chief, said that some of the persons were killed by bullets. "When tests were conducted (on mortal remains) it was found that some persons were killed by bullets and however, in some cases, it is very difficult to say as to how they were killed," he said. "The external affairs ministry started a campaign in 2014 in which we say that one must not go through an illegal agent. There was no record of these 40 persons in any embassy. They migrated through illegal agents. When you go through illegal agents then it is difficult to find where one has gone," the minister told reporters and called for strict action against fake travel agents. To a query, he said that had they got any clue about the Indian men, they could have been saved like nurses were saved in Iraq in 2014. "Do you know about Indian nurses case? We knew about their condition and we asked them to get out of their place (in Iraq in 2014). Initially, they refused to leave the place, saying they were not in danger. But after four days, they told us their hospital was damaged. Then we rescued them. Had there been any information that these persons (40 Indian men) were in crisis at a particular location, we would have rescued them," he said. Singh emphasised that both the state and central governments should work collectively to ensure the gullible people do not fall prey to illegal travel agents. "We have told each state that law and order is their responsibility and they should catch illegal agents in their respective states and take action against them...States and the Centre should work collectively in this direction. We do not want anybody to go illegally abroad. We want people to go legally so that we have their record," he said. To a question on jobs as demanded by the family members of the victims, the minister said the union external affairs minister had already told the family members to provide detailed information about persons who are eligible for jobs. Singh also explained about how they located the mound from where the mortal remains were taken out in Iraq. "...we were not allowed to go to Mosul through Erbil as war was going on. After talking to company owner (in whose factory these 40 men were working) and others, we got information that a lot of people were buried near a place in Badush. "We found a mound which was not natural. We sought a ground penetration radar and then we found some human skeletons (in the mound). Thereafter digging exercise was started to bring out the mortal remains. We got a kara (iron bracelet worn by Sikhs) and long hair and then we thought they may belong to be our people. Thereafter, DNA sample exercise commenced. The 38 samples matched while 70 per cent of one sample matched," he said, adding that he had gone to Iraq four times in search of the Indian men. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Calcutta High Court today extended till April 23 its interim order barring the police from arresting BJP leader Mukul Roy in connection with the death of a man in 2015. Owing to an ongoing ceasework by lawyers at the high court, Roy moved his own prayer before a division bench comprising justices Joymalyo Bagchi and R K Kapoor. Neither Roy's counsels nor the lawyers representing the state were present in the court owing to the ceasework. The court extended the interim order till April 23, directing the West Bengal Police not to arrest Roy in connection with the death of Mrinal Kanti Singha Roy till then or until further orders. The matter will be heard again before the division bench on April 16. The court had earlier extended the interim order on a plea by the state police seeking time to find the documents related to the treatment and death of Singha Roy, who is considered to be a mentor of the BJP leader during his initial days in politics. Roy, who was a top Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader before joining the BJP, had earlier been directed by the court to cooperate in the probe by the state police and appear before the investigating officer as and when asked. The bench had, on January 30, directed the state to produce all the medical records relating to the treatment of Singha Roy. Singha Roy had allegedly suffered a road accident around midnight on June 8, 2011, while returning home at Kanchrapara from Halisahar in North 24 Parganas district. He was treated at a local nursing home and then shifted to a private hospital in Kolkata. His sister Sonali Kundu had alleged that Singha Roy was made to stay in a lodge under Roy's supervision after his release from the Kolkata hospital. During his stay there, Singha Roy suffered a throat infection and died after a prolonged treatment at a city hospital in January 2015, Kundu had said in her complaint. She had also claimed that she found out from the hospital that Singha Roy had suffered an internal haemorrhage and expressed suspicion regarding the role of the BJP leader in the matter. The lawyers representing Kundu told the court that her attempts to lodge a police complaint had failed and she was forced to move the local court, which then directed the police to file an FIR. Challenging the FIR, Roy had moved the high court, seeking anticipatory bail. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Myanmar has agreed to a visit by the UN Security Council after months of resistance, but it remains unclear whether ambassadors will be allowed to go to Rakhine state, the body's president said today. Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have been driven out of Rakhine state and are living in crowded refugee camps in Bangladesh since a Myanmar army operation in August. After the council proposed a visit in February, Myanmar's government said it was "not the right time," but it has now given the green light. Peruvian Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, who holds the council's rotating presidency, said details of the itinerary had yet to be finalised, including whether the government would allow the council to visit Rakhine state. "Obviously, we're interested in Rakhine state," said Meza-Cuadra. "There's nothing better than a visit on the ground to see how it is." Britain, Kuwait and Peru are organising the council's visit, which would include a tour of Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar. No date for the trip has been announced. Myanmar authorities say the operation in Rakhine state is aimed at rooting out extremists, but the Security Council is demanding that the Rohingya be allowed to safely return home. The council is also planning a trip to Iraq, in a show of support ahead of parliamentary and provincial assembly elections on May 12. Iraq "needs support from the international community for rebuilding the country and to ensure reconciliation" after Baghdad's successful campaign to re-take territory from the Islamic State group, said Meza-Cuadra. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court today pulled up a forensic laboratory in Chandigarh for its "laxity" in dealing with the examination of mobile phones of nine students who are suspects in the case of disappearance of JNU student Najeeb Ahmed. The high court, which had earlier directed the director of Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Chandigarh, to expedite the examination of seized electronic devices, made it clear that in case the process is not completed by April 30, the director of the laboratory has to be present before it. The court had in February asked the laboratory to give its report to the CBI, which is probing the matter, by March 19. A bench of justices S Muralidhar and I S Mehta was today informed by the CBI's counsel that out of nine mobile phones, the laboratory has sent forensic analysis report of only three, which was also done by a junior officer who was not qualified enough. The court took strong exception to the fact that despite its specific directions in the February 27 order asking the CFSL director to expedite the process, it has not been done till date. "The court expresses grave concern that a matter of considerable seriousness has not received the attention it deserved from the CFSL. The mobile phones were sent to the CFSL on November 14, 2017. Till date the examination is nowhere complete," the bench said. It said the court was taking "a serious note of this laxity on the part of the CFSL" and directed that the examination of mobile phones be done by a senior officer and the report be made available to the CBI on or before April 30. The bench said if the laboratory failed to do so, its director shall be personally present before the court on May 8 to explain his conduct. The court was hearing a petition filed by Ahmed's mother Fatima Nafees seeking directions to the police to trace her son who went missing in October 2016. During the hearing, advocate Nikhil Goel, appearing for the CBI, filed a status report before the court in a sealed cover and sought time to complete the investigation. He said they have received the forensic analysis report of three mobiles phones and have been scanning the data and so far there seemed no connection between the allegations made by Ahmed's mother against the nine students. Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for Nafees, said the probe agency has not taken into custody the suspects who had threatened Ahmed a day before he disappeared and sought a court-monitored probe. The CBI had earlier told the court that the investigating officer had visited the CFSL office on February 9, after repeated reminders sent earlier. Ahmed had gone missing from the Mahi-Mandvi hostel of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on October 15, 2016 following a scuffle with some other students, allegedly affiliated to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the previous night. The high court had on May 16 last year handed over to the CBI the investigation into the disappearance of Ahmed, a student of M Sc Biotechnology. His mother had moved the high court on November 25, 2017, seeking directions to the police to trace her son. However, as the Delhi Police remained clueless about his whereabouts even after seven months since he went missing, the probe was handed over to CBI on May 16 last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress today held the central government responsible for the loss of life and damage to properties during violent protests by Dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and accused the Centre of taking the issue "lightly". The Opposition party alleged that the Narendra Modi dispensation was not interested in the welfare of Dalits and weaker sections of society. Senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge also alleged that atrocities on Dalits and minorities have been on the rise ever since the NDA came to power in 2014. Azad, the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said that had the government taken adequate steps to ensure that the SC/ST Act was not weakened or diluted, today's nationwide bandh could have been avoided. "I charge the central government, and not the Supreme Court, that this law was weakened and diluted because the central government did not represent the case properly before the court," Azad said. If the attorney general or additional attorney general had appeared before the court, the Supreme Court might not have taken the decision, he said. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. Azad termed today's 'Bharat Bandh' as a success against "the government's failure and weakness". Both Azad and Kharge also regretted the loss of life and damage to properties during the bandh, saying the Congress never supports any violence. "The central government is responsible for this loss in the country. If government had taken steps after March 20 when we gave them a memorandum to file a review petition, there would have been no loss of life and property in the country. I hold the central government responsible for the loss of life and property," Azad said. Kharge, the leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, said the law had an impact on 23 per cent of the Indian population and alleged that "the government took this case lightly". He demanded that either an amendment be made in the Act immediately or a curative petition be made before the full bench of the Supreme Court. Dalit protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to vehicles in violent protests across seven states against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, leaving at least four people dead and many injured today, officials said. Curfew was imposed in several places and the Army was called out in Bhind district in Madhya Pradesh. The Army and paramilitary forces were also put on standby in Punjab. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi government today informed the Supreme Court that it was in talks with Haryana for the release of 450 cusecs of water of the Yamuna river daily for the national capital. It said that Haryana has released some water today itself and would not like to press for the petition as of now. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud was told by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) that courts should not pass any order and adjourn the matter by a week. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi said both Delhi and Haryana governments were in negotiations at the highest level to resolve the crisis of water shortage. To this, the bench said then it would simply adjourn the matter for April 16. The apex court was hearing a plea filed by the DJB alleging that Haryana had reduced by one-third the supply of Yamuna water to the national capital, leading to a grave water crisis here. The DJB has contended in its plea that Haryana was supplying Delhi only 330 cusecs of water daily as against 450 cusecs per day which was agreed upon between the state and the Union Territory. It has claimed that while the population of Delhi has increased phenomenally over the years, there has not been a commensurate rise in the water supply. The DJB has said that due to the present curtailment in water supply to the Wazirabad reservoir, the plant is running at reduced capacity leading to "grave water crisis" in the city. It had said the situation would "escalate" as the temperature rises with the onset of summer and the demand for drinking water shoots up. It has sought directions from the apex court to the Haryana government to supply the full 450 cusec of water per day continuously and daily to the Wazirabad reservoir. The Delhi High Court had also recently told the Haryana government that it has to stick to its 2014 direction specifying the amount of water to be released to Delhi every day. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A task force constituted by Niti Aayog on biomass management has pitched for providing financial support to those farmers who have not burnt their crop residues. The burning of agricultural residues leads to poor air quality across Northern India. A report of the task force prepared jointly by Niti Aayog and the CII has also made a case for ploughing the residue back into the field. "Financial support can be transferred to farmers through the DBT system. It can be credited to farmer's account in the subsequent cropping season after a verification that farmer has not burnt his/her crop-residues," the report said. To ensure proper implementation of schemes, a strong monitoring and verification mechanism is crucial, it added. "It is recommended that a 'Clean Air Impact Fund' could be created to provide viability gap funding (VGF) for projects with longer gestation periods and lower return on investment (RoI)," the report said. "This is especially relevant in the case of biopower or bio-ethanol where annual financial support requirements range from 18 per cent to 30 per cent of the capital expenditure," it added. Besides, the report also recommended that seed money for the clean air impact fund is provided from the National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF). Noting that currently the number of farm implements available to farmers are limited, the report said, "Therefore, the medium to long-term actions required to achieve zero-burning include upscaling of technologies." Over past couple of years, there have been episodic incidents of air quality dipping to alarming levels across Delhi-NCR. The farm burning, specific to the paddy-wheat cultivation cycle in the rural regions of northern and north-westerns states of India, has been identified as a major cause of air pollution. Unlike other crop residues, paddy straw is utilised to a very small extent outside the field. According to the report, India is said to have an estimated 600 million tonnes of surplus agricultural biomass which can be collected and used. Farmers turn to residue burning on account of shortened cropping intervals given a very short window of about 10-15 days between subsequent cropping seasons. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Health services were affected for a brief period today as over 50,000 resident doctors and medical students of several hospitals across the country, including AIIMS here, observed a token strike over demands regarding the National Medical Commission Bill. The call for the stir was given by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) which said that the Bill, if passed in the current form even after some amendments, will lead to continuation of nationwide strike of doctors and medical students. Union Health Minister J P Nadda, meanwhile, talked to the IMA President over the issue. In the national capital, a protest was held outside Gate No.1 of AIIMS. The AIIMS RDA President Harjit Singh Bhatti said, "They trapped us into the amendments of proposed in NMC Bill but these amendments are not at all acceptable." The agitating doctors said the fee regulation in private medical colleges remains unaddressed which is an issue of greater public concern. In many states the fee of around 85 per cent of the medical seats is fixed by the state governments. The NMC will increase the quota of the private colleges from 15 to 50 per cent. "The NMC Bill will push the medical education completely away from the reach of deserving common people. It is the lower socio-economic class which will be the loser. This anti-poor, pro-rich slant of the NMC should be corrected,"said Dr? Ravi Wankhedkar, National President of the IMA. The Cabinet has apparently agreed to four of the 10 demands put up by the IMA in connection with the Bill, the association said in a statement. The IMA Secretary General R N Tandon expressed concern about unaddressed issues such as token presence of elected members, sub-optimal representation to state governments and health universities and the lack of autonomy of the NMC itself. The doctors body has also decided to come out with a health policy for the benefit of the community and fraternity and to support those parties and candidates, who accept it. At the meeting of the State Working Committee of IMA Karnataka State Branch on April 8 at Raichur, the national president will launch this policy, it said. The Cabinet on March 28 approved amendments to the NMC Bill including removing the contentious provision of "bridge course", which would have allowed practitioners of alternative medicines to pursue allopathy. The Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also approved that the final MBBS examination would be held as a common examination throughout the country, and would serve as an an exit test, to be called the National Exit Test (NEXT). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said today he has not been indicted by courts in any of the cases related to the mining scam in which he has been named a key accused. The Congress leader, who was chief minister from 2007 to 2012, has been named a key accused in several charge-sheets filed by the Goa Police's Crime Branch in connection with the multi-crore scam. "No court judgement has indicted me in the mining scam. The Supreme Court, which passed strictures against the BJP-led government (while quashing mining leases), never passed any such thing against my government," Kamat said. "My government did not stop mining activity. In fact, my government was responsible for ensuring that there was enough money in the hands of every mining-dependent person and their (those working in the sector) livelihood was protected," he said. Kamat was addressing a press meet, where outgoing Goa Congress president Shantaram Naik was also present. The mining industry in Goa faced a severe jolt in 2012 when the Supreme Court banned mining activities after massive irregularities in the sector came to light. The key industry, which resumed operations in 2015 following lifting of the ban, is facing a fresh crisis since mid-March after the apex court quashed 88 mining leases. Kamat said he has a solution to the current crisis but declined to reveal its contours. The former chief minister said he will not give any suggestion to the BJP-led government in Goa on how to deal with the crisis though he knows ways to handle the situation. " have the capacity to handle the mining crisis. But why should I give suggestions to the government? If the Congress forms a government in Goa in future, then I will disclose it (the solution)," he said, responding to a query. "One requires will power and intelligence to handle such a situation," the Congress leader maintained. Kamat said he showed his will power, when as chief minister, he scrapped the government's special economic zone policy following opposition from the people of the state. "Let me tell you one thing - I am the only chief minister in the entire country who (when in office) dared to scrap the SEZ policy and de-notify SEZs," he said. Kamat, who handled the mines portfolio when he was chief minister, has been named in nearly half a dozen cases arising out of the mining scam which was unearthed by a judicial commission. The alleged irregularities related to mining without licence, mining outside lease area and transporting minerals illegally, resulting in losses to the exchequer. Goa is a major exporter of iron and manganese ores. Kamat has been booked under IPC sections related to cheating, criminal conspiracy and relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Mines and Minerals Act. The Congress leader has denied any wrongdoing. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Alesha Dixon has said she wants to have another child but is worried that time may not be on her side. The "Britain's Got Talent" judge, who is mother to Azura, admitted she may not be able to give her four-year-old daughter a sibling. "Not a day goes by without me longing for another baby. I don't know whether it will happen given my age but I adore the idea of a large family and I hope I will be lucky. "The love I feel for Azura is so pure and unconditional. The main thing is to enjoy her in the present and be philosophical about the future, because what will be will be," Dixon, 39, told You magazine. After Azura's birth, the TV personality had earlier said she was not interested in expanding her family. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One person was killed and several persons were injured in violence in Madhya Pradesh during the nationwide bandh called today by Dalit outfits against the Supreme Court order on the SC/ST Act, prompting authorities to clamp curfew in three districts including Bhind, where the Army was called in to control the situation. A student leader, identified as Rahul Pathak, died in firing in Morena district, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Umesh Shukla told PTI. Pathak was allegedly shot during protests by agitators and he succumbed to injuries enroute to hospital, he said. As the violence escalated, curfew was imposed in the entire city, Shukla said. Police said the protesters also stopped a train in Morena. Curfew was imposed in Gwalior and Bhind districts also following violence, officials said. Gwalior Commissioner B M Sharma said, "Curfew has been imposed in several parts of Gwalior city following violence during the protest." However, Sharma did not share more details. Eyewitnesses claimed that a person also suffered bullet injuries in the violence in Gwalior and was admitted in the hospital. Curfew was also imposed in Bhind city, and Mehgaon, Lahar and Gohad areas of the district, Bhind Superintendent of Police Prashant Khare said. Six people were injured in the firing by protesters in the district, he said. The Army has been called in Bhind to control the situation, Khare said. A report from Jhabua also said protesters looted shops during the agitation, triggering tension in the tribal town. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan appealed to the protesters to maintain peace in the state as the Centre has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court on the issue of dilution of the SC/ST laws. Protests were also held in the state capital Bhopal with agitators blocking a road on the Board Office Square near the statue of Dalit icon Dr B R Ambedkar. More than two dozen vehicles were damaged with several of them set on fire by the protesters during the protests in the state, eyewitnesses said. In Morena district, the Chhattisgarh Express was stopped by protesters and was still stationed at the station, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A new Guinness record has been set in Italy for the most number of robots dancing simultaneously, where 1,372 tiny humanoids synced many different moves to music. Since 2016, technology companies have been setting up armies of dancing robots and battling it out for the Guinness World Records title 'Most robots dancing simultaneously'. In August last year, 1,069 'Dobi' machines set a record in China, but the mark has now been raised to 1,372. The latest record-breaking attempt was organised in Italy, using the Alpha 1S robot which is just under 40 cm tall and made of aluminium alloy with a plastic coating. The humanoids were built by Chinese company UBTECH, which also engineered the first record-breaking dance off in 2016. Guinness World Records adjudicator Lorenzo Veltri attended the shoot to make the record official, by ensuring all the machines were dancing at the same time and discounting any that fell during the attempt. The Alpha 1S robot is extraordinarily flexible, which allows it to perform many different dance moves in time to music, according to Guinness. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa today approved death penalty for 10 "hardcore terrorists" including those who shot dead Amjad Sabri, one of the country's renowned Sufi Qawwals. In a statement, the military's media wing said the hardcore terrorists, tried by special military courts, were involved in killing of 62 people and heinous crimes against the state including attack on security forces and Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar. The terrorists were identified as Muhammad Ishaq, Muhammad Rafique, Muhammad Arish, Habibur Rehman, Muhammad Fayaz, Ismail Shah, Muhammad Fazal, Hazrat Ali, Muhammad Asim and Habibullah. Another five militants were awarded imprisonment of different terms. Ishaq and Asim were involved in the killing of Sabri and attacking the law enforcement agencies of Pakistan, which resulted in death of 17 officials, the statement said, adding that they were awarded death sentence. Sabri, 45, was travelling in a car in Karachi's congested Liquatabad 10 area when two motorcycle-borne gunmen shot him in the head in a targeted terror attack on June 22, 2016. He was rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Hakimullah Masood group had claimed responsibility for the attack on Sabri. Sabri was the son of renowned Qawwal Ghulam Farid Sabri whose family is famous in the subcontinent for their contribution to this sufi art and mystic poetry. Some of the most memorable and famous qawwalis of the Sabris were 'Bhar Do Jholi Meri', 'Tajdar-i-Haram' and 'Mera Koi Nahin Hai Teray Siwa'. His killing resulted in countrywide anguish and condemnation. It was not known where the trial was held and when the original conviction was announced by the trial courts because military courts operate in secrecy. The military courts were set up after the Taliban attack on an army school in Peshawar on December 16, 2014 that killed nearly 150 people, mostly students. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A high-level Pakistani delegation of civil and military officials is visiting Afghanistan to hold talks on various issues between the two nations, including combatting terrorism, ahead of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's proposed visit to the war-torn country. Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said the delegation led by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua will hold discussion under the framework Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS). The APPAPS, which was unveiled in February when foreign secretary Janjua visited Kabul, aims to deal with various issues between the two countries. The Foreign Office said that Prime Minister Abbasi is expected to visit Kabul on April 6. The APPAPS focuses on ensuring comprehensive engagement between the two nations for countering terrorism, refugee repatriation, intelligence sharing, economic development through trade and transit interaction, reduction of violence through a comprehensive re-conciliatory approach. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Election Commission of Pakistan today asked the Milli Muslim League (MML), the political front of Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud Dawa, to produce a clearance certificate by the interior ministry for its registration as a political party. The election commission had earlier rejected the MML's application for registration as a political party after the interior ministry objected to its ties to banned militant outfits. The Islamabad High Court, however, last month set aside the election commission's decision and ordered it to hear MML's case for registration ahead of the general elections. A three-member bench of the commission headed by Abdul Ghaffar Soomro was today hearing the MML's appeal for its registration as a party, Dawn reported. During the hearing, the bench asked MML's counsel Raja Rizwan Abbasi whether he could bring a clearance certificate issued by the interior ministry, the paper said. Abbasi argued that there was no requirement for the party to request clearance from the ministry under the Elections Act, 2017. However, the commission directed the counsel to submit a clearance certificate issued by the ministry or an affidavit addressing the allegations against MML. The commission member, Irshad Qaiser, asked the counsel whether the MML had submitted details of 2,000 of its members and Rs 200,000 registration fee, which is a requirement to be met in order to register as a political party. The MML's lawyer responded that they had applied for registration in August 2017 when the said law had not been passed. "We should be allowed to register... (and) the legal requirements will be met," he asserted. The counsel attempted to assure the bench that members of the MML were not "linked to any banned outfit" and that there is no case or complaint pending against any of its party leaders, the paper said. Any citizen can get their party registered with the ECP, Abbasi contended. Before adjourning the hearing until May 2, the ECP asked the MML lawyer to submit a written reply before the next hearing and to bring the clearance from the ministry or affidavit. The commission also asked the MML to prepare the list of 2,000 members along with thumbprints, the paper added. Saeed had earlier said that his JuD would contest the 2018 general elections under the banner of the MML. 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. The banned JuD head was released from the house arrest in November last year after the Pakistan government decided against detaining him further in any other case. He was under house arrest since January last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A parliamentary panel today questioned top officials of the Ministry of External Affairs over the death of 39 Indian workers in Iraq, and asked them to come up with a new mechanism to ensure safety and security of Indians working abroad. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs headed by senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor was today briefed about the matter by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and other officials. The agenda of the meeting was issues relating to migrant workers including appropriate legislative framework and skill development initiatives for prospective emigrants with particular emphasis on safety and security of Indian workers in conflict zones. During the meeting, Tharoor asked the officials to frame a new law for protection and avoiding any harassment to Indians working abroad, a member who was present in the meeting said on condition of anonymity. The panel members also questioned Gokhale over the death of 39 workers in Iraq, to which he replied that he had nothing to add to what External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had already stated. On March 20, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told Parliament that 39 Indian workers, most of them from Punjab, were killed by the Islamic State in Iraq last year. Of the 39 people killed, 27 were from Punjab, four from Himachal, two from West Bengal and the remaining were from Bihar. All the 39 Indians were abducted by the ISIS terror outfit in Mosul in Iraq three years ago. Swaraj had said it was not immediately known when the Indians were killed, their bodies were recovered from Badosh - a village in northwest of Mosul, and their identities established through DNA testing. The bodies of 38 of 39 Indians landed were brought back in a special aircraft and handed over to their families today. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Power sector workers and engineers from across the country will hold a rally in the national capital tomorrow to protest against privatisation and the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2014, the All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) said today. "On the call of National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE), more than 50,000 power employees and engineers from all states of the country will participate in the rally to be held at Delhi on April 3, 2018," the AIPEF said in a statement. Earlier workers and engineers' unions had organised protest rallies at state capitals across the country on March 14 against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2014 and memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister were handed over to state authorities, the federation said. The AIPEF, All India Power Diploma Engineers Federation , All India Federation of Electricity Employees (AITUC), Electricity Employees Federation Of India (CITU), Indian National Federation of Electricity Employees (INTUC), All India Power Men's Federation (AIPMF) and several other unions at state-level are constituents of the NCCOEEE. The AIPEF said that the bill seeks to create avenue for private houses of making business in power sector without any investment. Splitting of distribution business into carriage and content will create such scope of business with utilization of network set up by public exchequer, it said. "In another way, we can say that the method is cost to public for profit of private business community." The federation listed providing power access to 100 per cent population and bringing all power utilities to good financial health and bridging the gap between average cost of supply and average revenue as preconditions for tabling of the the bill in Parliament. Actual cost of supply exceeds actual revenue receipt by about 65 paise per unit at present, it claimed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rapper Professor Green has revealed he nearly died due to his health problems last year. The 34-year-old rapper suffered a series of complications, including a collapsed lung and pneumonia, after undergoing a five-hour operation to remove three areas. "It nearly killed me but I'm fine now. Kind of. I should have been dead but I was still laughing. I'm still here," Green told Closer magazine. The "Lullaby" hitmaker had previously opened up about his health struggles and the "torture" he had gone through. "I'm on the mend. Turns out I'm only the second person in the world to have an allergic reaction to the mesh used to fix my hernia. I've had a giggle on Instagram but here's the reality. I didn't want to worry anyone, least of all my nan. I came back to hospital with pneumonia, a partially collapsed lung, distension, fluid build up and ileus (my guts had shut down). "I'm getting better. Everything is starting to work again, all my bloods are looking better and I finally got some sleep last night...." he had posted on Instagram. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Normal life was disrupted in various parts of Gujarat today as protests by Dalits against alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act turned violent and police resorted to teargas-shelling and lathicharge at some places, said officials. Agitators disrupted road and rail traffic, and asked commercial establishments to down their shutters as they went around enforcing a nationwide bandh called by various Dalit groups. The police lobbed teargas shells and resorted to cane-charge to scatter a mob in Sarangpur area of Ahmedabad, an official of the city police control room said. The area, which has a sizeable Dalit population, saw some protesters forcing shop owners to close their establishments and some locals also alleged incidents of vandalism and loot. "Though we agreed to shut our shops, these agitators started vandalising our shops. Some even looted cash. Many shop owners incurred huge losses due to the vandalism. "Protesters even snatched mobile phones from bystanders who were recording the incident," a shopkeeper told mediapersons in Sarangpur. In the Chandkheda area of Ahmedabad, protesters came out on roads in large numbers and forced several commercial complexes and shops to join the shutdown. Following violent protests in several parts of Ahmedabad, civic-run transport services were halted after some of the buses were targeted by agitators, said the officials. Following reports of roadblocks and attacks on some BRTS (bus rapid transit system) buses in the city's eastern part, the Ahmedabad civic body halted its services on some of the routes, Municipal Commissioner Mukesh Kumar said. "Some of the BRTS buses were targeted by protesters following which we discontinued our services on some of the routes. Operation of buses on some of the routes of AMTS (Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service) was also suspended," he said. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani appealed for peace and urged Dalits not to get "misguided". He accused the Opposition Congress of doing politics in the name of Dalit rights. "The Centre has already filed a review petition in the Supreme Court about its earlier verdict on the SC/ST Act. "The BJP governments at the Centre and in Gujarat are committed to the welfare of Dalits. The Congress is only doing politics. I urge Dalits not to get misguided," he said. Earlier in the day, protesters took to streets in several parts of the city such as Dani Limda, Naroda, Bapunagar, Kalupur and Amraiwadi, among others. According to Rahul Parmar of the Dalit Panther group, several roads were blocked in these areas, while shops were asked to down shutters by the protesters. Dalit leader and independent MLA Jignesh Mevani joined the protests in Ahmedabad and said the apex court verdict was against the Constitution. "The case before the SC was related to a single person charged under the Atrocities Act, who pleaded that he was not guilty. The petitioner did not ask for any revision of the entire SC/ST Act. "But, the apex court gave a verdict as if it is over and above Parliament or the Constitution," Mevani told reporters. According to in-charge city Police Commissioner K L N Rao, adequate police personnel were deployed across Ahmedabad to deal with any law and order problem arising out of the protests. "The situation is under control. We have deployed adequate force to deal with any unwarranted situation. The police have been regularly patrolling in the city," said Rao. In state capital Gandhinagar, Dalit protesters held a rally near the main bus station. In Surat, several persons were detained by the police for trying to shut shops in a textile market on Ring Road, said the officials. Police had to resort to cane-charge to disperse an unruly mob in Surat, a diamond trading and textile manufacturing hub, they said. In Rajkot also, agitators asked shopkeepers to close their establishments in several parts of the city, a local official said. Several Dalit activists and Congress workers burnt purported copies of the Supreme Court order at Trikon Baug in Rajkot, he said. Some protesters entered a mall on Kalavad Road in Rajkot and forced the management to close the complex, the official added. Protests were reported from Surendranagar, Kutch Jamnagar, Mehsana and other parts of Gujarat. In Jamnagar, a mob tore posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi put up inside a bus depot and vandalised some shops, an official said. The bandh was called by several Dalit outfits to express concerns over the alleged "dilution" of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The apex court, in its March 20 order, had said the government servants should not be arrested without prior sanction and private citizens, too, should be arrested only after an inquiry under the law. These outfits and some political parties fear the "dilution" of the provisions might lead to an increase in violence against Dalits. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Independent legislator Sheikh Abdul Rashid today held a peaceful sit-in along with his supporters here to protest the killing of four civilians in the counter-militancy operations yesterday. Rashid, along with the supporters of his Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), took out a march from Residency road here towards the Press Enclave. They held a peaceful sit-in near the area and later dispersed, the police said. "It seems India has gone mad. Delhi has become (a) man-eater. There are protests across India today, but pellets or bullets are not being used there. You cannot end militancy by killing militants," Rashid told reporters here. The Langate constituency MLA also voiced support for talks with Pakistan to address the Kashmir issue. "The killings will continue to take place till India does not give us right to self determination. India has lost the moral battle in Kashmir as people were giving their full support to militants. It is better for India to fulfil its promises with Kashmiris," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A number of dalit organisations today staged a protest in the national capital today as part of the countrywide agitation called by them against the Supreme Court order on the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act banning automatic arrest and registration of cases. The protesters, who were demanding that the provisions related to immediate arrest be restored, gathered at Mandi House and blocked the road outside the metro station there, bringing traffic to a halt and inconveniencing commuters travelling towards ITO and other stretches. Heavy police force was deployed at Mandi House in view of the protests. Shouting slogans of 'Jai Bhim', the protesters also blocked one of the carriageways of Barakhamba Road affecting traffic on the stretch, police said. A number of Dalit organisations have called for a Bharat Bandh today to protest against the Supreme Court order claiming that it has created a feeling of insecurity among the members of the marginalised communities and that getting justice will be even more difficult now. They said the Centre had announced that it will be filing a review petition only after they called for a bandh demanding that the law that protects the scheduled castes and tribes against discrimination and atrocities be restored in its original form. Police have also closed the traffic movement on Sansad Marg from Patel Chowk to Jantar Mantar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Normal life was paralysed as violence erupted at many places in Punjab and Haryana while rail and road traffic too was adversely affected as Dalit organisations staged protests alleging "dilution" of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Police had to resort to cane charging in several towns after protesters indulged in stone-pelting and vandalism, blocking roads and squatting on rail tracks in the two states, officials said. At least 50 persons were injured in the violence, officials said. In view of the 'Bharat Bandh' call given by Dalit organisations, the Congress-led Punjab government had ordered closure of educational institutions, suspended bus services, and curtailed mobile and Internet services. In the neighbouring BJP-ruled Haryana, there were no orders to shut schools or suspend bus services. However, tight security arrangements were in place in both the states and their common capital - Chandigarh. The Punjab government had yesterday itself ordered a security clampdown as a precautionary measure with the Army and paramilitary forces asked to be on standby. Protesters squatted on railway tracks at a few places in Punjab and Haryana, crippling rail traffic, officials of the Ambala and Ferozepur rail division told PTI. At many places, they burnt tyres on roads and blocked highways. At Kaithal in Haryana, a protesting mob resorted to stone pelting and damaged a railway engine, police said. Prior to that, they protestors had marched through the streets after which there were some reports of alleged vandalism. The Kaithal Police resorted to 'lathicharge' and lobbed tear-gas shells to disperse the protesters, they said. Around 10 policemen were injured in the incident, they said. Protests also turned violent in Faridabad, where a train was reportedly pelted with stones. Marches were taken out by Dalit activists in Jalandhar, Patiala, Sangrur, Hoshiarpur, Ropar, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Kapurthala, Phagwara and other places in Punjab, and at Panchkula, Ambala, Kaithal, Hisar, Karnal, Rohtak, Yamunanagar, Bhiwani, Sirsa, Faridabad and Gurgaon in Haryana as well as in Chandigarh. Markets across the two states wore a deserted look as shops and other commercial establishments remained closed while vehicles largely remained off the roads. In some towns 'lathi'-weilding protesters marched through the bazaars. The Indo-Pakistan bus service, 'Sada-e-Sarhad', that runs between Delhi and Lahore was also disrupted. A Lahore-bound bus was halted at Sirhind and a Delhi-bound bus at Amritsar for several hours, police said. In Punjab's Bathinda, two persons were injured in a clash between the protesters and shopkeepers near Mehna Chowk. In Kapurthala, the protesters allegedly damaged about a dozen two-wheelers, smashed window panes of a lawyer's car and vandalised a chemist shop, police said. The agitators also disrupted traffic on the Kapurthala-Ferozepur section by staging a 'dharna' on the rail track at the Khojewal and Kapurthala railway stations. Kapurthala-Jalandhar, Kapurthala-Nakodar, KapurthalaSultanpurlodhi and Subhanpur and Kartarpur were among the roads blocked, police said. The railway track was also blocked at a crossing in Jalandhar while the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur road was also blocked for a while at Nasrala, police said. In Karnal, Haryana, protesters held up a train for several hours, with some climbing over its roof while others squatted on the track. At Bhiwani and Faridabad, protesters barged into shopping malls to force their closure while stone pelting and violence was reported from Jagadhari, Jind and Hisar. Protesters also blocked the Ambala-Hisar highway near Ambala City and NH-1 near Ambala Cantt for about an hour. Across the two states, thousands of Dalit protestors, backed by various political outfits, social and religious bodies, took out marches to protest what they claimed was the dilution of the Act. They burnt effigies of the NDA-led Centre, alleging it had failed to protect the interests of the Dalits. The Supreme Court had on March 20 "diluted" certain provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases. The verdict was criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition, who claimed this could lead to more discrimination and crimes against the community. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had ordered that schools, colleges and other educational institutions would remain shut today, while the Internet services were suspended from 5 pm yesterday till 11 pm today. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) too had postponed Class 12 and Class 10 examinations at the request of the state government. As part of the elaborate security measures, four battalions each of the Rapid Action Force and the Border Security Force, and 12,000 additional police personnel have were put on duty in the state to maintain law and order, an official spokesperson said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two DMK workers allegedly made self immolation bids in Coimbatore today amid a state-wide stir for setting up Cauvery Management Board to implement the Supreme Court's verdict on water allocation among the riparian states. Amid protests across Tamil Nadu, the Supreme Court today agreed to hear a contempt plea of the state against the Centre on April 9 on the Cauvery issue, while Governor Banwarilal Purohit left for Delhi. According to sources, he left for the National capital on an official visit. The Supreme Court bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said,"We understand Tamil Nadu's difficulty of not getting water. We will resolve the issue. List the matter for April 9." Tamil Nadu had sought contempt action against the Centre for "failure" to frame the scheme for constituting the Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee within six weeks, as directed by the apex court on February 16. The pro-CMB stir, being spearheaded by DMK and a slew of pro-Tamil outfits, saw a slew of sit-ins and demonstrations by students and others at various places, including Chennai, Tiruvarur and Madurai. According to police, over 1,000 persons were detained across the state in connection with protests and were released later in the day. The two DMK activists, identified as P T Murugesan and Singai Sadashivam, doused themselves with kerosene and tried to set themselves ablaze at Coimbatore. They were however overpowered by policemen present at the spot and whisked away to a nearby police station. PMK founder leader Dr S Ramadoss today announced his party's support for tomorrow's call for shutdown by farmers organisations and traders, besides DMK-led opposition parties' bandh on April 5. He said his party would support all Cauvery related protests. Tomorrow, the ruling AIADMK cadres will observe a fast, seeking constitution of the CMB. Major Opposition affiliated trade unions, including LPF (DMK), and AITUC (CPI) meanwhile have decided to support the April 5 bandh. Local DMK leaders led the protests across Tamil Nadu for immediate constitution of the CMB in keeping with party chief M K Stalin's statement yesterday that protests would continue till the Board was set up. In Chennai, the demonstrations were held by DMK workers at several places, including Saidapet where former city Mayor M Subramanian led the stir. Demonstrations were also held in Thanjavur,the hub of the Cauvery delta region, by cadres of various outfits, including DMK, Congress and the Left parties. Over a dozen pro-Tamil outfits, including DVK and Adi Tamizhar Katchi and cadres of Left parties held protests in Madurai. DMK has asked its party functionaries to continue "democratic protests till April 4." Hitting out at the BJP-led Centre for "trampling the rights of Tamil Nadu" on the Cauvery issue, it condemned the ruling AIADMK for "not mounting pressure on the Union government."Rail blockades were staged at various places, including Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli and Pudukottai by agitating cadres of opposition parties and pro-Tamil outfits. Demonstrations were also held in front of Central government offices in several cities like Chennai, Erode and the neighbouring Puducherry. In Puducherry, the demonstration was held by activists of Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam,a pro-Tamil outfit. Nearly 200 farmers and youths from various organisations staged a rail roko at Tirupur railway station and were removed by police. Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi today wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to set up CMB and Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee. During the protest in Chennai by the 'May 17 Movement,' a pro-Tamil outfit, some of its cadres allegedly hurled sandals at the signboard of "Shasthri Bhavan" housing several Central government offices, briefly triggering anxiety. BJP Tamil Nadu unit president Tamilisai Soundararajan meanwhile blamed DMK for enacting "dramas" on the Cauvery issue. Speaking to reporters at Tiruvannamalai, she dared party Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi to resign her post rather than hold protests. The protesters blamed BJP's Tamil Nadu unit for not "taking steps" to bring pressure on its party-led government at the Centre for setting up the CMB. The DMK-led opposition parties had yesterday called for a state-wide shutdown on April 5, seeking constitution of CMB. Both the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government had on March 31 moved the Supreme Court over CMB. The top court had granted six weeks to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its order. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two DMK workers allegedly made self immolation bids in Coimbatore today amid a state-wide stir for setting up Cauvery Management Board to implement the Supreme Court's verdict on water allocation among the riparian states. Amid protests across Tamil Nadu, Governor Banwarilal Purohit left for Delhi by an evening flight, airport officials said. The stir, being spearheaded by the DMK and a slew of pro-Tamil outfits, saw a slew of sit-ins and demonstrations by students and others at various places, including Chennai, Tiruvarur and Madurai. According to police, over 1,000 persons were detained across the state in connection with protests and were released later in the day. The two DMK activists, identified as P T Murugesan and Singai Sadashivam, doused themselves with kerosene and tried to immolate themselves at Coimbatore, police said. The duo,however, were overpowered by policemen present at the spot and whisked away to a nearby police station, they added. PMK founder leader Dr S Ramadoss today announced his party's support for tomorrow's call for shutdown by farmers organisations and traders, besides DMK-led opposition parties' bandh on April 5. He said his party would support all Cauvery related protests. Major Opposition affiliated trade unions, including the LPF (DMK), and AITUC (CPI) meanwhile have decided to support the April 5 bandh. They held meetings in Chennai and Coimbatore to extend support to the shutdown. Local DMK leaders led the protests across Tamil Nadu for immediate constitution of the CMB in keeping with party chief M K Stalin's statement yesterday that protests would continue till the Board was set up. In Chennai, the demonstrations were held by DMK workers at several places, including Saidapet where former city Mayor M Subramanian led the stir. Demonstrations were also held in Thanjavur, the hub of the Cauvery delta region by cadres of various outfits, including DMK, Congress and the Left parties. DMK has asked its party functionaries to continue "democratic protests till April 4." Hitting out at the BJP-led Centre for "trampling the rights of Tamil Nadu" on the Cauvery issue, it condemned the ruling AIADMK for "not mounting pressure on the Union government." Rail blockades were staged at various places, including Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli and Pudukottai by agitating cadres of the opposition parties and pro-Tamil outfits. Demonstrations were also held in front of the Central government offices in several cities like Chennai, Erode and the neighbouring Puducherry. In Puducherry, the demonstration were held by activists of Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam,a pro-Tamil outfit. Nearly 200 farmers and youths from various organisations staged a rail roko at Tirupur railway station and were removed by police. During the protest in Chennai by the 'May 17 Movement,' a pro-Tamil outfit, some of its cadres allegedly hurled sandals at the signboard of "Shasthri Bhavan" housing several Central government offices, briefly triggering anxiety. BJP Tamil Nadu unit president Tamilisai Soundararajan meanwhile blamed DMK for enacting "dramas," on the Cauvery issue. Speaking to reporters at Tiruvannamalai, she dared the party Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi to resign her post rather than holding protests. Volunteers of a pro-Tamil outfit who tried to show her black flags over the Cauvery issue were removed from the spot by police. The protesters blamed the saffron party's Tamil Nadu unit for not "taking steps" to bring pressure on its party-led government at the Centre for setting up the CMB. Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi chief T Velmurugan, whose party cadres had yesterday ransacked a toll plaza at Ulundurpet in Villupuram district, said their protest was only against the Centre and not anyone else. Over a dozen pro-Tamil outfits, including DVK and Adi Tamizhar Katchi and cadres of Left parties held protests in Madurai. The DMK-led opposition parties had yesterday called for a state-wide shutdown on April 5, seeking constitution of the CMB by the Centre. Both the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government had on March 31 moved the Supreme Court on the issue of constitution and composition of the CMB in compliance with its February 16 on water allocation among riparian states. The top court had granted six weeks to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its order, which modified the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal Award.The six-week period ended on March 29. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two DMK workers allegedly made self-immolation bids in Coimbatore today amid a state-wide stir for setting up of Cauvery Management Board at the earliest to implement the Supreme Court's February 16 verdict on water allocation among the riparian states. The apex court though had reduced the Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water, it had allowed it to extract 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin to tackle its pressing need for the drinking water. The stir being spearheaded by DMK and a slew of pro-Tamil outfits saw a slew of sit-ins and demonstrations by students and others at various places, including Chennai, Tiruvarur and Madurai. The two DMK activists, identified as P T Murugesan and Singai Sadashivam, doused themselves with kerosene and tried to self immolate at Coimbatore, the police said. The duo, however, were overpowered by the policemen present at the spot and whisked away to a nearby police station, they added. Local DMK leaders led the protests across Tamil Nadu for immediate constitution of the CMB in keeping with party chief MK Stalin's statement yesterday that protests would continue till the Board was set up. In Chennai, the demonstrations were held by DMK workers at several places including Saidapet where former city Mayor M Subramanian led the stir. Demonstrations were also held in Thanjavur, the hub of Cauvery delta region by the cadres of various outfits including the DMK, the Congress and the Left parties. Rail blockades were staged at various places including Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli and Pudukottai by the agitating cadres of the opposition parties and pro-Tamil outfits. Demonstrations were also held in front of the Central government offices in several cities, including Chennai, Erode and the neighbouring Puducherry. In Puducherry, the demonstration were held by the activists of Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam (DVK), a pro-Tamil outfit. During the protest here by 'May 17 Movement,' a pro-Tamil outfit, some of its cadres allegedly hurled sandals at the signboard of "Shasthri Bhavan" housing several Central government offices, briefly triggering political tension. Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi chief T Velmurugan whose party cadres had yesterday ransacked a toll plaza at Ulundurpet in Villupruam district said their protest was only against the Centre and not against anyone else. Over a dozen pro-Tamil outfits including DVK and Adi Tamizhar Katchi and the cadres of Left parties held protests in Madurai. The DMK-led opposition parties had yesterday called for a state-wide shutdown on April 5 seeking constitution of the CMB by the Centre. Both the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government had on March 31 moved the Supreme Court on the issue of constitution and composition of the CMB in compliance with its February 16 on water allocation among riparian states. The apex court had on February 16 raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's share, while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin, saying "the issue of drinking water has to be placed on a higher pedestal". It had granted six weeks to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its 465-page judgement, which modified the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal Award. The six-week period ended on March 29. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Major towns and cities of Gujarat today witnessed protests by Dalits against the "dilution" of the SC/ST Act even as civic-run transport services in the city were halted after some of the buses were targeted by agitators, said officials. Cases of vandalism were reported from Jamnagar during the protests held as part of a nationwide bandh called by Dalit organisations against "dilution" of the act following a Supreme Court ruling. After getting reports of roadblocks and attacks on some BRTS (bus rapid transit system) buses in the city's eastern part, the Ahmedabad civic body halted its services on some of the routes, Municipal Commissioner Mukesh Kumar said. "Some of the BRTS buses were targeted by protesters following which we discontinued our services on some of the routes. "Operation of buses on some of the routes of AMTS (Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service) was also suspended," he said. Dalit protesters took to streets in several parts of the city such as Dani Limda, Naroda, Bapunagar, Kalupur and Amraiwadi, among others. According to Rahul Parmar of the Dalit Panther, several roads were blocked in these areas, while shops were asked to down shutters by the protesters. According to in-charge city Police Commissioner K L N Rao, adequate police personnel were deployed across the city to deal with any law and order problem arising out of the protests. "The situation is under control. We have deployed adequate force to deal with any unwarranted situation. Police have been regularly patrolling in the city," said Rao. In state capital, Gandhinagar, Dalit protesters held a rally near the main bus station. In Rajkot, agitators tried to enforce the pan-India shutdown by asking shopkeepers to close their establishments in several parts of the city, an official said. Several Dalit activists and Congress workers symbolically burnt copies of the Supreme Court order related to the act at Trikon Baug in Rajkot, the official said. Some protesters entered into a mall on Kalavad Road in Rajkot and forced the management to shutdown the complex, the official added. Similar agitations were held in Surendranagar, Kutch Jamnagar, Mehsana and other parts of Gujarat. In Jamnagar city, a mob tore posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi put up inside a bus depot. The mob also vandalised several shops in and around the depot, the official said. In Jamnagar and Surendranagar, a large number of Dalit agitators squatted on railway tracks, forcing trains to stop for sometime, said police control room officials of both the districts. Normal life was affected in many other cities as protesters either disrupted road traffic or tried to close main markets, the official said. The bandh has been called by several Dalit outfits to express concerns over the "dilution" of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The apex court in a March 20 order had said government servants should not be arrested without prior sanction and private citizens, too, should be arrested only after an inquiry under the law. These outfits and some political parties fear the "dilution" of the provisions might lead to an increase in violence against Dalits. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Director Ron Howard has confirmed that final touches are being added to "Solo: A Star Wars Story". The film, which explores the story of Han Solo, a role immortalised by veteran actor Harrison Ford on screen, is slated to release in summer. Alden Ehrenreich will play the title role. Howard took to Instagram where he posted a picture of himself and the editing team as they worked on the opening graphics of the movie. "Working on opening graphics up at #skywalkerranch. Gotta admit, pinching myself a few times a day as we put on the finishing touches up here," he said. In another post, Howard said, "Mixing at legendary #SkywalkerRanch Exciting to see and hear #Solo really coming together. We are becoming so eager to share the fun." Also Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover and Thandie Newton, the film is set to released worldwide on May 25. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan today hit out at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, saying he had no moral right to attack the BJP over Dalit issues as his party did "nothing" for the community or its icon B R Ambedkar while the present government, he asserted, had done a lot. With opposition parties targeting the BJP after a Supreme Court order on a law for atrocities against Dalits, he strongly defended the saffron party and praised the government for filing a review plea against the verdict within two weeks. At a press conference, the Dalit leader and Lok Janshakti Party chief also dismissed speculation about his future move, saying he was in the BJP-led NDA and would continue to strengthen it. He claimed that it would come back to power again after the Lok Sabha polls next year. Senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh had recently claimed that Paswan was in touch with the opposition and he could leave the NDA. "Nobody takes him seriously. Does he know about his future? Does he consider Tejashwi Yadav his leader?" Paswan said, lashing out at Singh. Hitting out at the Congress over its attack on the central government on the Dalit issue, Paswan said it had done nothing for the community in its long rule and denied Ambedkar's portrait space in Parliament's central hall. A portrait was put up only in 1989 when V P Singh was prime minister and while the Congress gave Bharat Ratna to many people, including actors, it did not deem it fit to give to Ambedkar, he claimed. He was given Bharat Ratna in 1990. "Rahul Gandhi has no moral right to speak about the issues of Dalits. He should first answer why his party did this to Ambedkar... The Congress only abused him and encouraged others to abuse him," he alleged. Praising the central government, he said it made the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act more stringent in 2016 and celebrated Ambedkar's contribution with a number of measures, including by holding a special debate in Parliament and developing places associated with him. Amid reports of violence during 'Bharat Bandh' called by Dalit bodies, he said the apex court's order had caused anger in the community but added that it should not cause any division in the society. Political parties must not politicise it, he said, adding that the government had filed a review plea in merely 11 days. He also defended the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to include 'Ramji' as part of B R Ambedkar's official name, making it Bhirao Ramji Ambedkar. 'Ramji' was his middle name, drawn from his father's name, and there was nothing objectionable in the government's decision, Paswan said, adding that 'Ram' was part of names of many Dalit leaders like Jagjivan Ram, Ram Nath Kovind (President of India) and his own name. Opposition parties have alleged that the decision of the Yogi Adityanath government was a part of the BJP's efforts to saffronise the Dalit icon He also suggested that the RJD, whose chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was imprisoned following his conviction in corruption cases, might have a hand in communal violence in several parts of Bihar. After being critical of some BJP leaders for their alleged inflammatory statements, Paswan today said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had ruled the state for over eight years in an alliance with the saffron party before their split in 2013. The tenure was known for good governance and communal peace, he said. "So why is this happening now? You should notice that it has happened after Nitish Kumar parted ways with the RJD," he said. The RJD has blamed the BJP for the communal violence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hundreds of Muslim men and burka-clad women from across the state, and beyond, gathered here today to protest against a proposed bill to abolish the practice of instant triple talaq in Islam. While the protesters were joined by the cause and the faith, they were separated by their gender -- curtains between male and female protesters, and separate microphones and daises for them. All the female participants had their burkas on and those who addressed them had also their faces covered in the traditional Islamic way. They said they saw the proposed bill, which has already been passed by the Lok Sabha, as an "assault" on the Shariyat, and by separating men and women this way they wanted to emphasise their firm belief in the "ideals formulated by preachers of pious ideology". The arrangements were in accordance with Islamic traditions, said one of the organisers, explaining the symbolism. Mufti Zahid Ali Khan of Aligarh alleged, The present government intends to destroy our pious traditions by exhibiting false sympathies (towards women). The bill passed by the Lower House is called The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017' and it lists its objective as to protect the rights of married Muslim women and to prohibit divorce by pronouncing talaq by their husbands. The Mufti said that thousands of widows in Kashi and Mathura have been left "without proper protection" but instead of helping them out, the government was making "attempts to interfere in our Shariyat". In an apparent derision of the concept of live-in relationship, he said, "It's a conspiracy to allow the society to live in relationship like husband and wife which is unethical and against our ideals formulated by preachers of pious ideology. He urged Muslims to unite against the "plans to attack the Islamic faith, traditions and directives of Shariyat and defeat the interference". Professor Tahmin Athar from Hydrabad said, Any alteration in the Shariyat is neither permissible nor tolerable." Bushra Fatima of Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal claimed the bill has the support of "a small section of Muslim women whereas crores of Muslim women have been protesting against it. Hamida Bano, the Principal of Jamiat-us-Salehat said, We are proud of the Shariyat and we are not in need of other rules because it's (Shariyat) a god-gifted thing for the followers of Islam. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today asked Bollywood producer Karim Morani to file his response in three weeks to a plea seeking cancellation of regular bail granted to him in a rape case. Morani has been accused by a 25-year-old woman of "aggravated", "brutal rape" over a period of six months. He has denied the allegations. The woman, an aspiring actor, has claimed in her petition that she was raped under threat of elimination by the underworld and her nude pictures, possibly taken during the alleged assaults, circulated. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra made it clear that if Morani does not file his response within three weeks, his righttofilethe reply "shall stand extinguished". The bench, which also comprised Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, posted the matter for final hearing on May 8. During the hearing, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi and Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Morani, told the bench that they would file their reply on the plea. However, advocate Karuna Nandy, appearing for the woman, opposed it saying the apex court had issued notice to Morani in February but he has not filed his reply yet. "Let the matter be heard. Either they should file a reply or give up their right to file reply," the lawyer said. When the bench asked the counsel representing Telangana about their stand, the lawyer said a charge sheet has already been filed in the case. "Let the matter be listed on May 8 for final disposal. Counter affidavit, if any, be filed by respondent number two (Morani) within three weeks, failing which the right to file the reply shall stand extinguished. Rejoinder affidavit, if any, be filed within a week therefrom," the bench noted in its order. Morani was granted regular bail by the Hyderabad High Court in November last year. The apex court had in September last year dismissed Morani's plea challenging the high court order cancelling his anticipatory bail in the case. It had asked the film producer to surrender before Telangana Police in connection with the case. The high court on September 5 last year had upheld the decision of the sessions court refusing anticipatory bail to Morani. The sessions court had earlier taken note of the fact that Morani, who has now been acquitted in the 2G spectrum allocation case, had concealed the fact that he was facing trial in the high-profile case and had been in jail for several months. An FIR was filed by an aspiring actor alleging that she was raped by the film producer. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A ration dealer was today arrested after contraband drugs were allegedly recovered from his store in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, a senior police officer said. Acting on a tip-off, a police party raided the ration store run by Mohammad Sharif Chowdhary in his village at Pargal in Darhal area and recovered 805 grams ofCharas and 710 grams of poppy straw, said Senior Superintendent of Police (Rajouri) Yougal Manhas. The ration store was sealed and a case under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act has been registered against the accused, the officer added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The RBI has asked Axis Bank's board to re-consider the decision to re-appoint Shikha Sharma as its MD and CEO for a fourth term, amid concerns over rising bad loans at the country's third largest private sector lender, sources said. The move comes against the backdrop of persisting concerns over mounting Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) in the banking system. Sources said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has shot off a letter to the Chairman of Axis Bank Sanjiv Misra, who is also a former Expenditure Secretary, with regard to the board's decision to re-appoint Sharma. The bank's board has been asked to re-consider the decision to give a fourth three-year term for Sharma as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, the sources said. According to them, the RBI's letter has also cited the bank's performance and deteriorating asset quality condition over the years. In July 2017, the board of Axis Bank had approved re-appointment of Sharma. Her new term is to start from June 2018. Sources said the re-appointment is yet to be ratified by the RBI. As per regulations, appointments of top management personnel at private sector banks require the RBI's clearance. "We wish to inform you that the bank's board follows a standard process with regard to senior appointments, and forwards its recommendations to the regulator (to the extent required). This process is currently in progress," Axis Bank said in a statement today. The private sector lender's NPAs jumped by over five-fold in recent financial years. The gross NPAs worth Rs 4,110 crore at the end of March 2015 surged to Rs 21,280 crore at the end of March 2017. During the same period, the lender's net profit halved from Rs 7,357.8 crore to Rs 3,679.2 crore. Recently, RBI had also penalised the bank for incorrectly reporting bad loans. The asset-class divergence uncovered by RBI was Rs 9,480 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 5,633 crore in 2016-17. Laden with infrastructure loans, the bank has struggled to contain NPAs. During demonetisation, Axis Bank was in the for alleged involvement of its staff for suspected money laundering activities and illegal note conversions. Income Tax Department had conducted several raids and arrested few of its employees for indulging in illegal activities during the note ban initiated on November 8, 2016. Last year, market regulator Sebi also ordered Axis Bank to strengthen its systems and conduct an internal probe to fix responsibility as the initial investigation showed the leakage of price sensitive financial information was due to "inadequacy" of processes at the bank in the WhatsApp leak case. The bank's results for the April-June 2017 quarter were "either identical or matched closely with the figures" that were in circulation on WhatsApp prior to an official announcement, Sebi had noted in its order. Sebi's move followed a probe initiated after reports about Unpublished Price Sensitive Information (UPSI) being circulated in various private WhatsApp groups about certain companies, including Axis Bank, ahead of their official announcements. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rebels began evacuating from the last opposition holdout of Syria's Eastern Ghouta today, state media said, a day after regime ally Russia announced a deal for the pocket. "A group of buses carrying a number of Jaish al-Islam terrorists and their families leave Douma in preparation of them being transported to Jarabulus," a rebel-held town in northern Syria, state agency SANA said, referring to the rebels. State television said four buses had left Douma, the main town in Eastern Ghouta and the only opposition holdout after a six-week Russia-backed regime offensive. Russia on Sunday reported a deal had been reached for Jaish al-Islam fighters to leave Douma, but the rebel group has not yet confirmed the agreement. The retaking of Eastern Ghouta would mark a major milestone in President Bashar al-Assad's efforts to regain control of territory seized by rebel factions during Syria's seven-year civil war. Assad's forces have retaken 95 percent of Eastern Ghouta since launching a blistering air and ground assault on the besieged enclave on February 18, killing 1,600 civilians and displacing tens of thousands more. Syria's war has killed more than 350,000 people and displaced millions since starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-regime protests. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has instructed officials concerned to be on high alert as the state is experiencing widespread rain and hailstorms. The officials were asked to make estimates of the crop losses due to the rain and hailstorms, according to an official release. The chief minister spoke to chief secretary S K Joshi on the unseasonal rains, hailstorms and their impact on the crops. Since the government is ready to give input subsidy to farmers who suffered losses, reports should be prepared and sent to the government forthwith, it said. Joshi later spoke to all the district collectors over the phone and asked them to prepare reports on crop losses. He instructed that officials' teams should visit the affected places to assess the damage, the release added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Clean energy firm ReNew Power said today that it has acquired Ostro Energy, in a deal estimated to be Rs 10,200 crore, enhancing its portfolio to 5,600 MW. This strategic investment helps the company consolidate its position further in the fast-growing, clean energy sector in India, ReNew Power said in a statement. The company did not disclose the deal size. A source said however that the ReNew Power has acquired Ostro Energy Pvt Ltd for around Rs 10,200 crore. The statement said ReNew has green energy assets of more than 4500 MW, which include a commissioned capacity of approximately 2800 MW. The Ostro Energy has a total capacity of more than 1100 MW, out of which nearly 850 MW is already commissioned. With the acquisition of these assets, ReNew Power's capacity will now exceed 5600 MW. Over 65 per cent of the combined portfolio capacity is already operational, it added. It said that this is the largest acquisition for the company till date. The addition of the Ostro team and assets to the ReNew family will further strengthen the company's vision of contributing to the Government of India's 2022 goal of 175 GW of renewable energy. The Ostro has built an impressive business with diversified geographical spread; good quality infrastructure; and stable long term PPAs (power purchase agreement). The Ostro Energy's assets are spread across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. The Ostro portfolio is also diversified by off takers and also by OEMs, further complementing the ReNew Power portfolio. Concurrent with this transaction, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) is investing an additional USD 247 million to support ReNew Power's financing for this acquisition. As a result, the CPPIB's combined investment in ReNew Power now stands at USD 391 million, following an earlier investment of USD 144 million in January 2018. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Maharashtra government today informed the Bombay High Court that retired chief justice of the court A V Savant was appointed as the chairperson of a three-member committee to probe the Kamala Mills Compound fire incident that claimed 14 lives in December last. The high court had ordered for the committee to be set up to conduct an inquiry into the incident. The bench was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition, filed by retired IPS officer Julio Ribeiro,seeking, among other things, a judicial inquiry into the fire tragedy. Senior counsel Vineet Naik, appearing for the government, told a bench of justices S M Kemkar and M S Karnik that the committee was formed. The committee, headed by retired chief justice A V Savant, will also comprise two other members -- Vasant Thakur, an architect on one of the high court panels, and K Nalinakshan, the former chief secretary. The bench ordered the committee to submit its first report on or before August 31. The panel will inquire if there was any violation of norms by the owners of the land or the restaurants, if the immediate and probable cause of fire was owing to violations of the sanctioned plans and approvals granted by various authorities and if there was any dereliction of duty on the part of the civic body and government officials. It will also recommend measures to be taken to avoid repetition of such incidents and other fire safety compliance steps. The bench said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) should provide an office, staff and other infrastructure to the committee's chairperson and members. "The remuneration of the chairperson shall be on par with the salary of a sitting chief justice of a high court," the bench ordered. The court posted the petition for further hearing on September 17. On the night of December 29 last year, a fire had broken out at the Mojo's Bistro restaurant in the Kamala Mills Compound at Lower Parel. The blaze had subsequently spread to the adjoining restaurant, "1 Above". Fourteen people were killed in the incident and several others injured. An inquiry by the Mumbai civic body had revealed large-scale construction irregularities and violation of safety norms at the site of the tragedy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ruckus prevailed in both Houses of Parliament on Monday as opposition parties and those from Tamil Nadu created noisy scenes, forcing their adjournment for the 18th straight day without transacting any substantial business. While the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day within about six minutes after it assembled in the morning, the Lok Sabha was adjourned due to the protests for the first time till noon within four minutes after it had met and then for the day after the listed papers were laid. Before adjourning the Lok Sabha for the day, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she was unable to take up the notices for no-confidence motion against the government, served by several opposition parties, as there was no order in the House. In the Rajya Sabha, the Opposition protests forced the adjournment of proceedings for the day without transaction of any business as members trooped into the Well and shouted slogans, drowning every other voice. MPs belonging to the Congress, Trinamool Congress, BSP, TDP and parties from Tamil Nadu -- DMK and AIADMK, were in the Well even before Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu could settle down in his chair. Unlike the past days when listed papers were allowed to be laid on the table peacefully, Naidu had to go through the exercise on Monday amid chaos as members persisted with slogan shouting. The Congress and the BSP led the charge against the government, accusing it of being "anti-dalit", in an apparent reference to the Supreme Court ruling on the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Members of the main opposition party also raised the issue of India's biggest bank fraud, alongside the TMC. Tamil parties were demanding immediate constitution of the Cauvery Water Management Board for division of river water between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, while members of the TDP and KVP Ramachandra Rao of the Congress held placards demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. Amid the din, Naidu called the ministers to lay the listed papers., while warning the protestors that "the entire country is watching ... You are not going to achieve anything. You are making a mockery of parliamentary system." He said the Chair was ready to allow discussion on all the issues being raised by opposition parties, and even the government as well as the opposition were ready for it. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said important bills were listed for discussion in the last week of the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament. The government, he said, was ready to discuss all issues. "I don't understand why, for small issues concerning them, they are not allowing the House to function," Goel said. However, as the ruckus continued, the Chairman adjourned the proceedings for the day, barely six minutes after the House had assembled. The proceedings in the Lok Sabha were disrupted yet again for the 18th day on Monday, amid slogan shouting by AIADMK members seeking early constitution of the Cauvery water management board. Amid the din, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till 12 noon during the Question Hour. As soon as the House met for the day and took up the Question Hour, AIADMK members rushed into the Well shouting slogans such as 'we want justice' and 'we demand Cauvery board'. Citing assembly polls in Karnataka, the Centre has sought more time from the Supreme Court last week to set up the board to implement water sharing formula between Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. While the TMC members were seated in their places, those of the TDP, which has moved a notice of no confidence against the government, were standing at their seats with black ribbons pinned to their shirts as a mark of protest. As the ruckus continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till noon, barely four minutes after it had met after a long weekend. Even before the House was re-assembled at noon, the AIADMK members, carrying placards, trooped into the Well shouting slogans. Congress, NCP, Left, TDP and RJD members were standing in their seats seeking the Speaker's ruling on the notices they had given on the no-confidence motion, moved by some of them. The Speaker appealed to the AIADMK members to return to their seats saying she cannot take up the no-confidence motion unless the House is in order. "I am duty bound to place the no-confidence motion. But this is not the way. Please go to your seats. I am not in a position to count," she said. A notice of no-confidence can be taken up in the House if it is supported by at least 50 members present, for which a headcount is needed. Parliamentary Minister Ananth Kumar also said the government was ready for discussion and give reply to the no-confidence motion but there has to be complete harmony in the House. Leader of the Congress in the House Mallikarjun Kharge, who has also submitted a notice for no-confidence motion, said the opposition wanted to discuss a host of issues, including the recent Supreme Court ruling on SC/ST Act and alleged paper leak of the CBSE examinations. However, as the AIADMK members continued raising slogans, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day. The Supreme Court today sought response from the CBI and the Maharashtra government on a plea of Mumbai-based Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society allowing it to withdraw around Rs 1 crore for maintenance and litigation. The society has challenged the Mumbai's special court's order directly in apex court by which it had refused to accept the application for deposit of security of immovable assets. A bench of Justices J Chelameswar and Sanjay Kishan Kaul issued notice to the CBI and the Maharashtra government and sought their replies in four weeks. The apex court had on January 5 said that bank accounts will be defreezed and the society will deposit security of immovable assets to the satisfaction of special court at Mumbai. The bank accounts, which the society claimed to have opened to meet litigation cost by the members, were frozen by CBI during the probe into the 2010 Adarsh scam. The society had contended that the amount lying in these bank accounts had nothing to do with the investigation as it was collected by the members of society to meet litigation cost. It had said that after first FIR was registered in the case, the society members came forward to contribute Rs 2 lakh each to meet the expenses of litigation. The Adarsh scam had kicked up a political storm leading to the resignation of the then Congress chief minister of Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan. The 31-storey Adarsh apartments was built at Colaba in posh South Mumbai locality for 1999 Kargil war heroes and war widows. The Bombay High Court had earlier ordered demolition of the apartments and sought initiation of criminal proceedings against politicians and bureaucrats for alleged misuse of powers, holding that the tower was illegally constructed. It had asked the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest to carry out the demolition at the expense of Adarsh Society. It had also asked the Centre and the Maharashtra government to consider initiating civil and criminal proceedings against bureaucrats, ministers and politicians for misuse and abuse of power to get plots under the scheme. The top court in July last year had said that the Adarsh apartments would not be demolished for the time being and asked the Centre to secure it after taking its possession from the housing society. In 2011, the Maharashtra government had set up a two-member judicial commission headed by Justice J A Patil to inquire into the Adarsh scam. After probing the issue for over two years, it submitted its report in 2013, which found that there had been 25 illegal allotments, including 22 purchases made by proxy. Later, the CBI, the Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate (ED) also investigated the scam. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress in Assam today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to file a review petition in the Supreme Court to modify its recent order that, it claimed, would make it more difficult for SC/ST people to protect themselves from atrocities. The Supreme Court on March 20 diluted the provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and said government servants should not be arrested without prior sanction and private citizens, too, should be arrested only after an inquiry under the law. The Supreme Court's March 20 judgement in the case of Subhash Kashinath Mahajan Vs State of Maharashtra has caused distress among SC and STs as it will make it more difficult to protect themselves from atrocities, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Ripun Bora said in a memorandum to the Prime Minister. "We believe that Additional Solicitor General (ASG) representing the Central Government failed to defend the rights of the SC/STs in the Supreme Court for want of proper guidance from the central government," Bora said in the memorandum. The SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act had been enacted to end atrocities against the SC/ST people and for ensuring social justice as well as safeguarding their constitutional rights, he said. The guidelines provided by the Supreme Court while diluting the provisions of the Act has made it ineffective in safeguarding the SC\STs from Atrocities, Bora said in the memorandum. It was also signed by APCC Scheduled Caste wing chairman Dr Ramananda Das and Scheduled Tribe wing chief Ramesh Bordoloi. Meanwhile, the Centre today moved the Supreme Court seeking review of its March 20 judgement on the SC/ST Act. Several Dalit organisations called for a 'Bharat bandh' today to express their concerns over the "dilution" of the Act. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Protesters torched two buses and pelted stones on vehicles in several parts of Uttar Pradesh during the "Bharat Bandh' called by Dalit groups today against the Supreme Court order on the SC/ST Act. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to the people not to vitiate law and order and asserted that his government "is serious towards the development and progress of dalits". Protests turned violent in several districts including Agra, Hapur, Meerut in West UP and Azamgarh. In Azamgarh, angry protesters pelted stones on buses on Gorakhpur-Azamgarh highway in Sagdi area damaging their widow panes, police said. They also set afire two roadways buses injuring some passengers. Director General of Police (DGP), OP Singh, said the situation is under control in Agra, Sambhal and Hapur and that RPF personnel have been deployed there. "We have sought more force from the centre that will be deployed there. We are keeping an eye on the situation, which is under control," he said. Urging people not to resort to violence, Chief Minister Aditynath said, "Both the Centre and the state government are dedicated to the welfare of the backward castes, the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes. If there is any issue, one can bring them to the notice of the government." The Supreme Court on March 20 had banned automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases under the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes (ST) (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, a legislation meant to protect the marginalised communities from abuse and discrimination. Ruling that no arrest can be made under the Act without prior permission, the apex court had also held that a court can grant anticipatory bail if it, prima facie, finds the complaint is an abuse of the law, false, motivated and intended to blackmail or harass a person. This was necessary, the court had said, to prevent the rampant misuse of the tough provisions of the law. The Bharat Bandh, called by various Dalit groups, demands restoration of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in its original form. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dalits took out a protest march at many places in Punjab today to protest the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act, even as the state government ordered closure of educational institutions, suspended bus services, and curtailed mobile and internet connectivity. The protests were also witnessed at Ambala and Rohtak in Haryana as well as in the common capital of Chandigarh. Amid tight security arrangements, the Dalits held protests at Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Ropar, Bathinda, Amritsar and Ferozepur in Punjab against the dilution of the Act. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crime against the backward community. The Congress-led Punjab government had yesterday ordered a security clampdown as a precautionary measure, while the Army and paramilitary forces have been asked to be on standby to prevent any exigency. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had ordered that schools, colleges and other educational institutions would remain shut today, while the Internet services were suspended from 5 pm yesterday till 11 pm today. CBSE postpones exams Meanwhile, the CBSE postponed Class 12 and Class 10 examinations scheduled to be held today in Punjab at the request of the state government in view of the 'Bharat Bandh'. "Taking cognisance of the letter of the director general (school education), the CBSE decided to postpone all class 12 and 10 examinations scheduled for April 2 , 2018 in the state of Punjab ," it said in a statement issued late in the night. "Exams will carry on as per schedule in UT of Chandigarh and rest of the country," it said. In a later development, the education department said the final practical examinations of Classes 10 and 12 of the Punjab School Education Board will be conducted on April 11 instead of April 2. Transport takes a hit Public and private transport remained off the road. "Buses run by the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), Punjab Roadways, PunBus, and private operators will remain off the road during the bandh. Banks too will remain closed," an official spokesperson said. The orders were issued after the chief minister reviewed the security arrangements with top police and administration officials last evening. Chief Minister makes appeal The chief minister appealed to the protestors not to take the law into their own hands, obstruct transport movement or harass commuters. He also appealed to them that the mortal remains of the 39 Indians killed in Iraq which are expected to arrive in Amritsar today, be allowed to be transported to their native villages without any impediment. As part of the elaborate security measures, four battalions each of the Rapid Action Force and the Border Security Force, and 12,000 additional police personnel will remain on duty to maintain law and order, an official spokesperson said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Incidents of stone pelting on buses were reported here in north Maharashtra today as several Dalit organisations expresses their concerns over the dilution of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The Dalit groups had called for a Bharat Bandh today demanding restoration of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in its original form. "Protesters pelted stones on four state transport buses, including the Shahada-Padsalda bus, at Shahada in Nandurbar district," a police official told PTI. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, in a bid to protect honest public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. Notably, Dalit organisations, including the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch, and some political parties fear that the dilution of the SC/ST act might lead to increase in violence against Dalits. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nearly 30 people were detained as Dalit groups protesting against the Supreme Court order on the SC/ST Act today blocked rail and road traffic and vandalised public property, including a train, in several parts of Rajasthan, disrupting normal life in the state. Protestors gathered at major roads in the state capital lead to traffic snarls, while incidents of stone pelting and damage to public property were also reported, police said. Nearly 30 people -- 20 from Ajmer and 10 from Jaipur -- were detained after protestors damaged public property, they said. The dalit groups had called for a Bharat Bandh today demanding restoration of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in its original form. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, in a bid to protect honest public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The bandh evoked partial response in the state with several shops remaining closed. Protestors damaged glass windows of Shatabdi Express at Khairthal railway station, Khairthal GRP SHO Ramesh Chandra said. According to Railways spokesperson, movement of seven trains was affected in North-Western railway region. New Delhi-Ajmer Shatabdi Express and Bhiwani-Alwar passenger were stopped at Khairthal railway station. Suratgarh- Jaipur passenger and Allahbad-Jaipur Express were stalled at Alwar railway station, Delhi-Porbandar Express at Rewari, Bandra terminus-Delhi Sarai Gareeb Rath Express at Padisal railway station and Ahmedbad-Srivaishno devi Katra Express was stopped at Bandikui railway station, the spokesperson said. Officials at the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) said that operation of buses was normal till 11 am but movement was stopped after protests escalated, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A scam in the distribution of scholarship for minority community was unearthed today in Assam's Morigon district where a person misappropriated Rs 28 lakh by opening bank accounts in the names of fake students, the police said. Morigaon superintendent of police, Swapnanil Deka told reporters here that the person in Bhuragaon revenue circle misappropriated the fund by opening 250 fake accounts in different nationalised banks in the district and siphoned off the scholarship money in the past one month meant for poor minority community students studying in high schools. Police have arrested the man, who runs a customer service point of a nationalised bank, todayunder charges of misappropriating department scholarship money sanctioned by the central government, he said. Morigaon district inspector of schools and all the branch managers of the different banks where the accounts were opened have been summoned to verify the accounts of every scholarship holder, Deka said. Interrogation of the man is on, the SP added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a coordinated operation, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested six persons from four airports in the country for allegedly smuggling gold worth Rs 1.62 crore, the agency said today. The arrests were made from Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Nagpur, and Bengaluru airports on the basis of the intelligence provided by the DRI zonal unit in Ahmedabad, the agency said, adding that a total of 5.2 kg gold was seized during the operation. However, the agency did not specify the exact time of the arrests. DRI sleuths arrested a passenger at the Ahmedabad airport for allegedly carrying smuggled gold weighing 1 kg "in the form of 24 carat raw gold chains and bangles," from Dubai, the DRI said in a release. On the basis of inputs provided by their Ahmedabad counterparts, the Mumbai unit of the DRI arrested three persons from the Mumbai airport for allegedly possessing 3.15 kg gold, it said. "One of the three persons was carrying 1.2 kg gold which he received from a man who had smuggled it to Dimapur in Nagaland from Bangkok via Myanmar. Another passenger had concealed the smuggled gold in a handbag which was handed over to him by an international passenger at the Delhi airport," it stated. Both the passengers travelled to Mumbai from Guwahati and Delhi, respectively, on a fake ID to avoid checking by the Customs at the airport. "The third passenger (arrested at the Mumbai airport) was travelling from Riyadh and was carrying 750 gms of smuggled gold which he had concealed in some electronic devices," according to the DRI. The agency said they seized 1.1 kg smuggled gold from two passengers, who travelled from Dubai and Sharjah, respectively, at the Nagpur and Bengaluru airports. "A total 5.2 kg smuggled gold having a market value of Rs 1.62 crore was seized. The six smugglers were arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It was a six-hour denouement that ended in a hail of bullets -- and a young man, barely out of his teens, dead inside a house surrounded by security personnel while his parents who had tried to talk him into surrendering waited nearby for of the inevitable. Rauf Khanday, believed to be a Hizbul Mujahideen militant, was killed in the pre-dawn darkness of Sunday at Dialgam village in south Kashmir's Anantnag district. But he was not just another statistic, said officials present at the spot as the hours dragged on and he showed no signs of surrendering. Khanday, who had just passed his first year of graduation, was one of the two men holed up in a house in the village. The beginning of his end started around 11 pm on Saturday when the police wireless buzzed. It was an intercept about the presence of two militants inside a house. After ascertaining the identity of the militants, the house was cordoned off by security personnel and they were asked to surrender, said an official. One of the militants, whose identity has not been disclosed, did so immediately leaving young Khanday inside, cut off from the rest of the world. Piecing together Khanday's last hours, officials recounted that a phone was passed on to Khanday so a conversation could begin. Then followed the hours of trying to talk to him, reason with him and even bringing in his parents so they could convince him to surrender. "It is always a tough call. I was pretty sure that the parents will be able to convince Khanday and he will come out and surrender. But destiny willed it otherwise," said Senior Superintendent of Police, Anantnag, Altaf Ahmed Khan. "I tried everything that is possible to make him surrender. But every effort of mine was stonewalled by the young boy, who had been brainwashed," he said. Asked what had transpired, Khan, who has earlier headed districts like Shopian and Sopore, said he spoke to Khanday to understand his mental frame of mind and found he had interpreted various religious books wrongly. "I narrated verses from Holy Quran and advised him that whatever he was doing was against the teachings of Islam. The conversation continued for over 30 minutes during which Khanday got agitated and abusive. But I ignored all this because my intention was to save him from getting killed," Khan recalled. Listening to the entire conversation were the commanders outside, their eyes fixed on the house where Khanday was hiding, said an official. Around 1 am on Sunday, Khanday said he wanted to speak to his mother for which permission was granted. "I sent a police team to his native place seven kilometres away. Security personnel escorted his father Bashid Ahmed Khandey and mother to the site so that they could persuade him to come out and surrender," said Khan. "We were so desperate to save his life that we all agreed to his mother's request to take him home if he surrenders," he added. Both parents went inside to speak to their son, raising hopes that there might not be any bloodshed. They came out after half-an-hour, despair writ large on their face. "I missed a heartbeat. A chill ran down my spine as we had to perform our final job now and fight him out," Khan said. A commander present at the encounter site apologised to the parents, who knew the fate awaiting their son. "I sent the parents to my place as they were quite nervous, especially the mother... I refused to give up," said Khan. It was past 3 am now and Khan made yet another bid to engage with Khanday. He asked a small team to see if there could be a back door entry into the house so security personnel could overpower him. Khan said Khanday fired at him when told that he was entering the house unarmed and would only engage in talks with him. Following this, security personnel began the final onslaught, killing Khanday. "I tried my best but all efforts failed," Khan said in a choked voice. Director General of Police S P Vaid made a special mention about Khan's efforts to save Khanday during a press conference on the three counter-insurgency operations in the valley that left 13 militants, three Army jawans and four civilians dead yesterday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Another witness was today declared hostile in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh alleged fake encounter case, taking the number of such witnesses to 45. The witness, Nagin Rathore, a teacher by profession, was examined by the CBI before special judge S J Sharma today. Rathore had earlier made a statement to the CBI that he was asked by the principal of his school to go to the police headquarters (in Sangli). He further told the agency that, at the police headquarters there, he was made to meet two witnesses, both of whom were Marathi-speaking. Rathore had also said, in his statement to the CBI, that he explained to the two people, in Marathi, their statements which was recorded in Gujarati. However, in the court today, he did not stand by his earlier statement and said that he never went to the police headquarters, nor did he meet anyone. So far, 66 witnesses have been examined, of whom 45 have been declared hostile by the CBI, the prosecuting agency. The court had, in October last year, framed charges against 22 accused for murder, abduction and destruction of evidence under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and for offences under the Arms Act in connection with the alleged staged encounter of Sheikh near Gandhinagar on November 26, 2005. All the accused had pleaded innocence. BJP president Amit Shah, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria, Rajasthan-based businessman Vimal Patni, former Gujarat police chief P C Pande, Additional Director General of Police (Gujarat) Geeta Johri and Gujarat police officers Abhay Chudasama and N K Amin have been discharged from the case. Besides them, Yashpal Chudasama and Ajay Patel (both senior officials of Ahmedabad District co-operative Bank), Gujarat IPS officer Rajkumar Pandiyan and Andhra Pradesh-cadre IPS official N Balasubramanyam, Rajasthan IPS officer Dinesh M N and former senior Gujarat police officer D G Vanzara have also been discharged. Sheikh and his wife Kausar Bi were allegedly abducted by the Gujarat police's Anti-Terrorism Squad from Hyderabad on their way to Sangli in Maharashtra in November 2005. According to the prosecution, Sheikh was allegedly killed in a fake encounter. Kausar Bi was also allegedly killed later. Tulsi Prajapati, an aide of Sheikh and who was said to be a witness to the encounter, was allegedly killed by police at Chapri village in Gujarat's Banaskantha district in December 2006. The fake encounter case was transferred to Mumbai in September 2012 on the request of the CBI for ensuring a fair trial. In 2013, the Supreme Court clubbed the Sheikh and Prajapati encounter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The slogans were loud. Jai Bheem, the crowds roared, raising their sticks, and bringing life to a standstill in several parts of Rajasthan today. Trouble started soon after 9am when hundreds of people, mostly men, came out to the streets in the state to join a Bharat bandh called by Dalit organisations protesting against a recent Supreme Court decision to amend the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The demonstrators -- many carrying blue flags -- marched across towns and cities, blocking traffic, vandalising shops and torching vehicles. In some areas, rail services were disrupted. The agitators squatted on rail tracks in Alwar and climbed on to a train near Jaipur, media reports said. The police said a 28-year-old man was killed when a mob attacked a police station and fired at security forces in the Khairthal area of Alwar. The streets were the arena for clashes, as police battled with frenzied mobs at several spots. The agitators wreaked havoc in markets, throwing stones and vandalising shops, prompting shopkeepers to down their shutters. Markets remained closed in many parts of the state. Tension was thick in Barmer where a mob torched several vehicles. Two groups of people hurled stones at each other after clashes broke out. In Sikar, two vehicles were burned down, at least six bikes were damaged and several public properties vandalised, after which Section 144 was imposed on the area. There was trouble in Jodhpur, too, when clashes broke out between two groups, leaving at least 24 people injured. The police said they had to lob tear gas shells at the mobs and cane charge them to quell the violence. Metro movement in Jaipur was disrupted for several hours. I was surprised that the protestors did not even spare the Metro train," said Akash Swami, a trader. The services were apparently cancelled because of security reasons. It was only late in the evening that the situation was brought under control. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stray incidents of violence in parts of Maharashtra today marred a "Bharat bandh" called by Dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Incidents of stone pelting on buses were reported from Nandurbar in North Maharashtra during the protests. "Protesters pelted stones on four state transport buses at Shahada in Nandurbar district," a police official said. In Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra, the bandh evoked good response in the Dalit-dominated areas. Protesters blocked trains near Kadbi Chowk in the city, while an attempt was made to torch a bus at Jaripatka, police said. Trains left for their destinations after agitators were cleared from the rail tracks, they said. A few incidents of stone pelting on civic-run buses were reported from Indora and Kamal Chowk areas in North Nagpur, which has a substantial Dalit population, a police officer said. The demonstrators used burning tyres to block vehicular traffic in certain areas, the police said. Normal life was affected in the Dalit-dominated North Nagpur, where most of the shops and business establishments remained closed in response to the bandh. Other parts of Nagpur remained largely unaffected. The nationwide bandh was called by several Dalit outfits to express concerns over the "dilution" of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act following a Supreme Court order. The apex court, in a March 20 order, had said government servants should not be arrested without prior sanction and private citizens, too, should be arrested only after an inquiry under the law. These outfits and some political parties fear the "dilution" of the provisions might lead to an increase in violence against Dalits. Maharashtra had seen large-scale protests by Dalits in early January over violence on the anniversary of a battle fought 200 years ago. Violence erupted in Pune on January 1 when Dalit groups were celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in which the British defeated the Peshwas. Dalit leaders commemorate the British victory as it is believed soldiers from the Mahar community were part of the East India Company's forces. The Peshwas were Brahmins and the victory is seen as a symbol of Dalit assertiveness. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The general strike called by various trade unions demanding rollback of a central government order allowing fixed-term employment across all sectors, affected normal life in the state today. Most of the shops and business establishments remained shut. The commuters faced problems as public transports including the state-owned KSRTC and private bus operators, besides taxis and auto-rickshaws stayed off road. The people who arrived at different railway stations across the state had a difficult time in undertaking their onward journey. The police, however, had made arrangements at some places to help the stranded passengers. No untoward incident has been reported from any part of the state so far, the police said. The offices of both the central and state governments witnessed thin attendance. The functioning of banks was also affected due to the strike. The strike called by 16 trade unions under the banner of Joint Trade Unions began last midnight and would end tonight. The agitating unions alleged that the government decision to extend the facility of hiring workers on fixed term employment to all sectors would legalise 'hire and fire' while permanent jobs would vanish. The Centre had amended the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Central Rules, 1946 last month to extend the facility of fixed-term employment in all sectors. It was available for apparel manufacturing sector earlier. The important amendment has been brought about by an executive order, without the scrutiny of the matter by Parliament or the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, the unions pointed out. CITU, INTUC, AITUC, STU, HMS, UTUC are among the major unions that have joined the protest call. BMS did not take part in the strike. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) is gearing up for 'Turnaround 2.0' to make its passenger vehicles (PV) financially self sustainable, buoyed by the success of its commercial vehicles (CV) in the last financial year, ended March 31. Addressing employees at annual townhall, the company's MD and CEO Guenter Butschek said that under Turnaround 2.0, Tata Motors' effort would be to enable its PV business to "fund for itself for future and also help in taking us much beyond the aspirations of being the No 3 in domestic market". The company's Chairman N Chandrasekaran expressed confidence that would be able to achieve its ambitions for the new financial year, 2018-19, which kicked off on Sunday. "The expectations on this company are very high. If you look at the market cap of TML Group, actually there is no value which is accorded to the domestic business, and I am very confident that will change this year," he said. Chandrasekaran further said, "Last year, if I said something positive I was saying it with hope, but this year I am saying all these positive statements not with hope but with confidence." Last August, addressing shareholders, Chandrasekaran had elaborated on the challenges faced by the company's domestic business, especially the CV segment, stating that Tata Motors lost market share -- down to 44.4 per cent in March 2017 from a high of nearly 60 per cent five years back. He had further pointed out that in 2016-17 Tata Motors standalone gross revenues was at Rs 491 billion, up 3.6 per cent from the previous year but the loss after tax, on a standalone basis, was Rs 24.80 billion compared to Rs 620 million in the previous year. Last year, Tata Motors announced its turnaround plan for its domestic business with a special focus on the ailing commercial vehicles business. It shifted focus to 'Turnaround' from its earlier strategy of 'Transformation'. Subsequently, in 2017-18, the company has been able to improve its sales significantly. "We ended the the year on a high with an impressive performance of 23 per cent cumulative growth year-on-year," Butschek said in his address to employees in Pune. The company's cumulative domestic sales of CV and PV segments for FY18 were 5,86,639 units compared to 4,78,362 units in FY17, a growth of 23 per cent. "However...the turnaround is not over yet. Not when we still have to meet our Board's expectations, our Chairman's vision, our own targets and our deserving pace in the consumer's mind space," Butschek said. He further said that with the momentum achieved last year, there was a "great sense of urgency" as a strong foundation has been laid for the company to become "more effective, nimble and agile". "It is time for us to again change the gears and move one level higher as we move to Turnaround 2.0... Last year we effectively delivered in the CV domestic (segment). While we continue to remain focussed on CV, we need to push hard for a similar turnaround in PV," Butschek said. Elaborating further, he said: "It is important for PV to become financially self sustainable. We need to prove that investing in PV is the right value proposition. This will enable the business to fund for itself for the future and also help in taking us much beyond the aspirations of being the No 3 in domestic market." Under Turnaround 2.0, Butschek said, Tata Motors would continue working towards "higher objectives, cost reduction initiatives, timely product launches and yielding better results". "The turnaround will enhance organisation's effectiveness enabling greater speed, simplicity and agility in our efforts. To sum up, our FY19 business plans will continue to remain extremely demanding with stretched targets, in terms of sales/market share and financial performance," he added. Tata steel, which has emerged as the highest bidder for Bhushan Steel, will pay Rs 35,200 crore in cash to the debt laden firm's creditors and convert over Rs 27,000 crore worth of their loans into equity, the NCLT was informed today. As on February 1, 2018 Bhushan Steel had a total debt of Rs 57,160 crore, senior advocate Ravi Kadam informed the Principal bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) here. "Tata Steel is the highest bidder (H1) offering an upfront payment of Rs 35,200 crore. Remaining debt would be converted into equity," he said. Kadam further added: "Financial creditors would get 12.27 per cent of equity of the corporate debtor (Bhushan Steel) subject to SEBI approval." Of its total debt, Bhushan Steel has a financial debt of Rs 56,051 crore and operational debt of Rs 1,050 crore, he added. He further informed that Bhushan Steel has a liquidation value of Rs 14,541 crore. Tata Steel has also offered Rs 1,200 crore to its operational creditors depending on the criticality to run the company. Moreover, the company has offered to absorb all its serving employees. During the proceedings, senior advocate Rajiv Nayyar, representing Tata Steel, said that Bhushan Steel will function as a going concern and it would infuse fresh funds into the company. Senior advocate Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Committee of Creditor (CoC), said that bids of Tata Steel were judged on the basis of viability and feasibility on the commercial basis. "99.8 per cent of the creditors had voted in the favour of Tata Steel. Only Indusind Bank did not participated but now they have also agreed," he said, adding that now "100 per cent creditors are agreed". He added: "JSW steel has not come here in appeal. They have accepted our judgement over the resolution plan." Over the allegations from the employees union of Bhushan steel that Tata Steel was ineligible for bid under section 29 of the IBC Code, Mehta said that the matter raised by them is of one of its foreign-based subsidiary Tata Steel UK. "Tata Steel UK was fined but there was no imprisoned. It was asked to pay fine and the conviction was not under Indian law," he said. However, senior advocate AS Chandhiok appearing for the employees of Bhushan Steel submitted that Tata Steel was ineligible under the IBC Code. He would continue his arguments tomorrow before the NCLT. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Private sector Axis Bank on Monday said there was a standard process for senior appointments in the bank and the process of reappointment of MD and CEO was still on. The bank statement came in as a clarification sought from stock exchanges in response to a media report today saying the Reserve Bank of India had asked Axis Bank to reconsider Sharma's reappointment. Earlier in July 2017, the board of directors of the bank had approved the re-appointment of as the managing director and chief executive officer for three years with effect from June 1, 2018. The board decision is pending regulatory approval. The veteran banker is serving the second term that comes to an end in June 2018. She joined Axis Bank in 2009 with a five-year mandate which was subsequently extended. "The bank's board follows a standard process with regard to senior appointments, and forwards its recommendations to the regulator (to the extent required). This process is currently under progress," Axis Bank said in a regulatory filing. "We have no further comments to offer as the report appearing in the media is speculative," the bank clarified. Media reports were rife until a year ago about her re-appointment with the bank and also that she was sounded out by salt-to-information technology conglomerate Tata Sons to head company's financial services business. Stock of Axis Bank ended 2.20 per cent down at Rs 498.20 on BSE. Accusing the Centre of going against the federal structure of the Constitution in financial devolution, the Trinamool Congress today said it will try to rally the opposition against the 15th Finance Commission as many states not ruled by the BJP were "losing out". TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee would raise the issue during her meeting with the DMK leadership in Chennai on April 10-11, TMC leader Derek O'Brien said. She would meet DMK supremo M Karunanidhi and M K Stalin during her two -ay visit to Chennai. "This Commission is anti-federal. States are losing out. States like Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu are been penalised and states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan are being awarded. Mamata Banerjee is reaching out to other parties, this will become a very important reference point for us. Next Tuesday she will raise the issue with the DMK leadership at Chennai," O' Brien told reporters here. After the issue of no-confidence motion united the opposition in Parliament, the 15th Finance Commission cold once gain bring them on one platform against the NDA government. TMC leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay and O'Brien would meet TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu in Delhi tomorrow and are expected to take up the matter. The Finance Commission, which has been authorised to decide on the percentage of financial devolution and grants-in-aid, taking the 2011 Census as the basis for central assistance, would also decide increase in Goods and Services Tax (GST) and a decrease in subsidies for programmes meant for the poor. The opposition party has also accused the commission of "unilaterally" adopting the 2011 census without consulting the state governments. "States like Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh will loose Rs 20,000 crores over a period of five years and states which are been ruled by the BJP, like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh would, gain. The government didn't even consult a single state government. There was no inter-state council meeting during NDA government", O'Brien said. The opposition parties are likely to raise the issue to corner the government in the remaining days of the session in Parliament. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Following are the top foreign stories at 2030 hours: FGN31 NEPAL-INDIA Kathmandu: There is no alternative to excellent bilateral relations between Nepal and India despite some twists and turns in the recent past, Nepalese foreign minister says, ahead of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli's maiden foreign trip to India this week. FGN23 PAK-LD TERRORISTS Islamabad: Pakistan Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa today approved death penalty for 10 "hardcore terrorists" including those who shot dead Amjad Sabri, one of the country's renowned Sufi Qawwals. (By Sajjad Hussain) FGN22 PAK-SAEED-PARTY Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan asks the Milli Muslim League (MML), the political front of Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud Dawa, to produce a clearance certificate by the interior ministry for its registration as a political party. FGN30 PAK-INDIA-LD ABBASI Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi accuses India of launching a "brutal crackdown" in Kashmir after terror groups suffered a major setback following killing of 13 terrorists in counter-insurgency operations. FGN33 EGYPT-ELECTION-LD RESULT Cairo: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi re-elected for a second term with over 97 per cent of valid votes, according to the National Election Authority (NEA). FGN29 SA-MANDELA-WIFE Johannesburg: Winnie Mandela, the ex-wife of South African anti-apartheid fighter and former president Nelson Mandela, dies at the age of 81. (AFP) FGN27 RUSSIA-PUTIN-TRUMP Moscow: US President Donald Trump proposed a White House summit when he called Russian President Vladimir Putin last month, prior to the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats from the US, a top Kremlin aide says today. FGN25 US-TRUMP-LD ABE Washington: President Donald Trump will host Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida later this month for the third US-Japan summit to discuss North Korea and other issues. FGN16 LANKA-FISHERMEN Colombo: At least 19 Indian fishermen have been ordered to be remanded in custody in northern Sri Lanka, police said here today, days after they were arrested for allegedly poaching in the country's waters. FGN11 CHINA-2NDLD SPACELAB Beijing: A defunct, uncontrolled Chinese space laboratory disintegrated under intense heat as it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere today and its debris caused "no harm" as it plunged to a watery grave in the South Pacific. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Traffic came to a standstill in Lutyens' Delhi today as hundreds of protesters marched in unity against the dilution of the SC/ST Act. The protesters gathered at Mandi House protesting the Supreme Court order banning automatic arrest and registration of cases for alleged harassment of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. They blocked road outside the Mandi House Metro Station, bringing traffic to a halt as commuters faced inconvenience while travelling towards ITO and other stretches. The protesters also blocked one of the carriageways of Barakhamba Road affecting the traffic on the stretch, police said. The city police has also curtailed the traffic movement on Sansad Marg from Patel Chowk to Jantar Mantar. Several Dalit organisations had called for a 'Bharat Bandh' across the country today. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crime against the backward community. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today sought a response from the CBI and the Rajasthan government on a plea seeking transfer of Shambhulal Regar to Tihar jail, who is accused of hacking and burning alive a Muslim labourer from West Bengal on December 6 last year. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud issued a notice and sought reply from the CBI and the Rajasthan government. Gulbahar Bibi, wife of Afrazul Khan, 50, said the prime accused, who is in judicial custody, had recently uploaded videos on social networking sites. Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Bibi, said that he should be shifted from a prison in Rajasthan to Tihar jail. The bench asked Jaising to serve the copy to counsel for the CBI and the Rajasthan government and sought their response. At the outset, counsel for the CBI said that during the course of the day they would file a reply to the petition. The apex court had on February 16, had directed the CBI to seek instructions on a plea of the widow seeking an independent probe into the murder. It had asked the lawyer appearing for the agency to take appropriate instructions on conducting the probe and providing of adequate compensation sought by the petitioner. Bibi, also sought a direction that the video of her husband's ghastly murder be withdrawn from the Internet and social media sites. She has also sought transfer of the case from Rajasthan to West Bengal. Earlier, the apex court had termed as "horrendous" the video of the labourer being hacked and burnt alive in Rajasthan's Rajsamand district. Khan's widow had said that the video had already been seen by millions of people and a direction be issued to the Centre and the state government to ensure that it was not circulated any further and withdrawn from the Internet. She had also said the victims should be granted fundamental right to access to justice, as "unruly crowd has been attempting to stall the judicial process to favour the accused". The plea sought appointment of a special public prosecutor to conduct the trial and transfer of the investigation to Malda district in West Bengal where the petitioner resides. The killing of Khan, who hailed from West Bengal, was recorded on camera by the minor nephew of Regar, who is in judicial custody. Regar, after the killing, was allegedly seen on the video ranting that he did it to 'stop Love Jihad', a term publicised to refer to Muslim men marrying Hindu women. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump today congratulated Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on his re-election and hailed the "strategic partnership" between the two countries. The White House said that Trump spoke with al-Sisi over phone after the Egyptian leader was re-elected for a second term with over 97 per cent of votes. "The two leaders affirmed the strategic partnership between the United States and Egypt, and noted that they look forward to advancing this partnership and addressing common challenges, the White House said in a readout of the call. Earlier the State Department said US looks forward to continuing to work with al-Sisi. "Following his re-election, we look forward to continuing to work with al-Sisi to advance our strategic partnership and address our common challenges, while encouraging respect for and protection of basic rights and freedoms, the State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said. "The United States values its strong partnership with Egypt and will continue to work to advance its shared objectives," she said. We have noted reports of constraints on freedoms of expression and association in the run-up to the elections, Nauert said. The US will continue to encourage a broadening of opportunities for political participation for Egyptians, and emphasize the importance of the protection of human rights and the vital role of civil society in Egypt, she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) - Donald Trump will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe April 17-18 to discuss the US president's planned summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un and other matters, the White House said today. Trump and Abe will at Trump's Mar-a-Lago in Florida where they "will discuss the international campaign to maintain maximum pressure on North Korea," the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have discussed a bilateral meeting at a number of potential venues, including the White House, a presidential spokesman said today. "As the President himself confirmed on March 20, hours after his last call with President Putin, the two had discussed a bilateral meeting in the 'not-too-distant future' at a number of potential venues, including the White House. We have nothing further to add at this time," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. Sanders' statement came amidst reports from Moscow quoting a top Kremlin aide that Trump proposed a White House summit when he called Putin last month, prior to the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats from the US. "Trump proposed holding a meeting at the White House in Washington," Putin's top foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov told reporters in Moscow. The White House has so far not confirmed the meeting between the two leaders except for saying that Trump has proposed that the two leaders meet soon. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump has declared "NO MORE" to a deal to help "Dreamer" immigrants and threatened to pull out of a free trade agreement with Mexico unless it does more to stop people from crossing into the US. He claimed they're coming to take advantage of protections granted certain immigrants. "NO MORE DACA DEAL!" Trump tweeted Sunday, one hour after he began the day by wishing his followers a "HAPPY EASTER!" He said Mexico must "stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL!" The US, Canada and Mexico are participating in tense negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement at Trump's insistence. Trump says NAFTA is bad for the US. "Mexico has got to help us at the border," Trump, holding his wife's hand, told reporters before the couple attended Easter services at an Episcopal church near his Palm Beach home. "If they're not going to help us at the border, it's a very sad thing between our two countries." "A lot of people are coming in because they want to take advantage of DACA," he added. Former President Barack Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to provide temporary protection and work permits to hundreds of thousands of immigrants who are living in the US illegally after being brought here as children. Trump ended the programme last year, but gave Congress six months to pass legislation enshrining it. A deal has so far proved elusive and Trump has blamed Democrats. It was not immediately clear what Trump was referring to when he said people are coming to take advantage of the programme. The Department of Homeland Security is not issuing new permits, though existing ones can be renewed. The Obama administration allowed signups during a set period of time, and the program is closed to new entrants. Proposed DACA deals crafted by lawmakers and rejected by Trump also were not open to new participants. Trump did not explain what he meant when questioned by reporters as he entered the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea with the first lady and his daughter Tiffany. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for clarification. Trump, when addressing reporters briefly before entering the church, again blamed Democrats for failing to protect the "Dreamers." "They had a great chance. The Democrats blew it. They had a great, great chance, but we'll have to take a look because Mexico has got to help us at the border. They flow right through Mexico. They send them into the United States. It can't happen that way anymore." Trump promised during the 2016 presidential campaign to build a Southern border wall to stop illegal immigration and drugs from Mexico, but Congress has frustrated him by not moving as quickly as he wants to provide money for construction. The president also complained on Twitter that border patrol agents can't do their jobs properly because of "ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws" that allow people caught for being in the country illegally to be released while they await a hearing before a federal immigration judge. Trump tweeted that the situation is "Getting more dangerous" and "Caravans" are coming. He did not offer details to back his comment. The president's tweets came after Fox News' "Fox & Friends" reported early Sunday on what it said is a group of 1,200 immigrants, mostly from Honduras, headed to the US. The segment was a follow-up to a report by Buzzfeed on hundreds of Central Americans making their way through Mexico in hopes that American authorities will grant them asylum or be absent when they attempt to cross the border. The Fox headline was "Caravan of illegal immigrants headed to U.S." The president is known to watch the cable TV program in the morning. Brandon Judd, leader of the union representing border patrol agents, predicted on "Fox & Friends" that those in the caravan would create havoc and chaos in the US as they wait for what he described as immigration reform. Judd also said Congress needs to pass tougher laws, an idea Trump appeared to echo, and create more bed space for immigration authorities to house people. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, chided Trump over the tone of the tweets. "A true leader preserves & offers hope, doesn't take hope from innocent children who call America home. Remember, today is Easter Sunday," tweeted Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Trump critic who challenged him for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, another Trump foe, urged Congress to take up the fight for Dreamers. "There are plenty of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who stand ready to work with the administration on legislation to protect DACA kids who call America home," he tweeted. "Let's do it." Sunday's church visit was Trump's first public appearance with his wife since CBS' "60 Minutes" aired an interview the previous Sunday with Stormy Daniels, the adult-film star who says she had sex with Trump in 2006, early in his marriage and a few months after Mrs. Trump gave birth to their son. The White House says Trump denies the affair. Mrs. Trump spent most of the past week in Palm Beach with her son. The Trumps returned to Washington late last night. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Turkish court has issued arrest warrants for a US-based Muslim cleric and seven other people for their alleged involvement in the killing of Russia's ambassador to Turkey, the country's state-run agency said today. An off-duty police officer fatally shot Ambassador Andrei Karlov at a photo exhibition in Ankara on December 19, 2016. The officer, Mevlut Mert Altintas, was later shot dead by police. Turkey's Anadolu Agency reported that cleric Fethullah Gulen and other seven face charges of attempting to "destroy the constitutional order" and "meditated murder." Turkish authorities have alleged that Karlov's killer had links to Gulen, who is also wanted in Turkey for allegedly masterminding a failed coup in July 2016. Gulen denies the accusation. Turkey says Karlov's assassination was aimed at derailing warming relations between Turkey and Russia. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Under fire for hiking the domestic electricity tariff in Goa, the BJP-led state government today announced its roll-back for certain segments of consumers. Criticising the government over the new power tariff, which came into force yesterday, the Congress today said the latest rates are almost on par with the commercial power usage rates. Addressing a press conference today, State Power Minister Pandurang Madkaikar said the government was rolling back in toto the power hike on consumption of power units from 101 to 200. The current power tariff for consumption up to 100 units is Rs 1.30 per unit, which is left untouched by the government. However, the tariff on power units from 101 to 200 was yesterday raised from Rs 1.90 per unit to Rs 2.25 per unit, which was withdrawn completely today. The minister also said the new power tariff for the agricultural sector would also be withdrawn completely. He, however, said the new rates would be applicable for other segments. As per the new tariff structure, the domestic users consuming more than 200 units of power per month would pay Rs 2.65 per unit instead of Rs 2.45 per unit. For utilising 301 to 401 units of power, consumers will now have to pay Rs 5.10 per unit, which is almost equivalent to the lowest commercial slab charge of Rs 5.15 per unit. The government recently accepted recommendations of the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC), which had suggested a review of the power tariff in the state. The power hike was opposed not only by the Congress but also by a BJP minister. State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane had last week threatened to take to streets if the government goes ahead with the hike. Justifying the rate revision, Madkaikar said the state needed funds for creating better infrastructure for providing uninterrupted power supply. "The people expect us to provide an uninterrupted power supply for which we need to create the necessary infrastructure," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One person was killed and around 75 others, including 40 policemen, were injured in violent protests in several parts of the Uttar Pradesh today as Dalit groups demonstrated against what they alleged was the "dilution" of the provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. As many as 448 people were arrested for allegedly being involved in vandalism, arson or on other charges while a high alert was sounded across the state's 75 districts. "During the Bandh, violence broke out in Muzaffar Nagar, Hapur, Meerut, Agra, which were among the most severely affected areas. Reports of violence have come in from some other districts too. As of now, 448 persons have been detained in different districts. There were no incidents of violence in 90 per cent of districts. We have sounded a high-alert in the state," DIG, Law and Order, Praveen Kumar told reporters. One person died during the violence in Muzaffar Nagar, he added. "We are yet to get the detailed reports. As of now about 35-40 policemen and 30-35 protestors were stated to be injured. Of them three are serious," the DIG added. Asked about the extent of damage to public properties, the official said the police were yet to do a detailed analysis. "Some anti-social elements were involved in the protests and they created problems. Some of them had illicit fire arms too. We are conducting a detailed probe and also trying to identify people involved in spreading rumours and misleading Dalits on the SC order," he said. The situation was controlled by 2 pm and is normal now, he said. Early in the day, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to the people to maintain law and order and asserted that his government was "serious towards the development and progress of Dalits". However, angry protesters pelted stones on buses in the Sagdi area of Azamgarh on the Gorakhpur-Azamgarh damaging their widow panes. They also set afire two roadways buses injuring some passengers, police said. Director General of Police (DGP) OP Singh said additional force from the Centre. "We have sought more force from the Centre...We are keeping an eye on the situation, which is under control," he claimed. Urging people not to resort to violence, Chief Minister Aditynath said, "Both the Centre and the state government are dedicated to the welfare of the backward castes, the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes. If there is any issue, one can bring them to the notice of the government." The Supreme Court on March 20 had banned automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases under the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes (ST) (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Ruling that no arrest can be made under the Act without prior permission, the apex court had also held that a court can grant anticipatory bail if it, prima facie, finds the complaint is an abuse of the law, false, motivated and intended to blackmail or harass a person. This was necessary, the court had said, to prevent the "rampant misuse of the tough provisions of the law." The 'Bharat Bandh', called by various Dalit groups and backed by various political outfits, demands restoration of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in its original form. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a major move ahead of the general elections in Pakistan, the US today designated Milli Muslim League (MML), the political front of Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud Dawa, as a foreign terrorist organization. In a simultaneous move, seven members of MML central leadership body have been designated as foreign terrorist. The US also added Tehreek-e-Azadi-e-Kashmir (TAJK) to the list of terrorist groups. TAJK is said to be a front of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which according to the Trump administration, continues to operate freely inside Pakistan. The move comes a day after the Election Commission of Pakistan asked the MML to produce a clearance certificate by the interior ministry for its registration as a political party. The election commission had earlier rejected the MML's application for registration as a political party after the interior ministry objected to its ties to banned militant outfits. The State Department said the move was aimed at denying the LeT the resources it needs to plan and carry out further terrorist attacks. "Both MML and TAJK are LeT fronts created to circumvent the sanctions against it (LeT)...Today's amendments take aim at LeT's efforts to circumvent sanctions and deceive the public about its true character," said Nathan A Sales, Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the Department of State. "Make no mistake: whatever LeT chooses to call itself, it remains a violent terrorist group. The US supports all efforts to ensure that LeT does not have a political voice until it gives up violence as a tool of influence," Sales said. Among other consequences of the designations, LeT's property and interests in property subject to US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with the group. "LeT continues to operate freely within Pakistan, holding public rallies, raising funds, and plotting and training for terrorist attacks," the State Department said. The LeT was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group on December 26, 2001. Its leader, Saeed, is also designated as an SDGT. To avoid sanctions, LeT has repeatedly changed its name over the years, the State Department alleged. In January 2017, LeT began operating under the name TAJK. Under this name, the LeT has engaged in inciting terrorism, as well as recruiting and fundraising. In August 2017, Saeed created the MML to serve as a political front for the group. "LeT members make up MML's leadership and the so-called party openly displays Saeed's likeness in its election banners and literature," the State Department said. Concurrently with today's State Department actions, the US Department of the Treasury designated seven members of the MML central leadership body for acting for on behalf of the LeT: Saifullah Khalid (president), Muzammil Iqbal Hashimi (vice president), Muhammad Harris Dar (Joint Secretary), Tabish Qayyuum (Information Secretary), Fayyaz Ahmad (General Secretary), Faisal Nadeem (Broadcast and Publications Secretary), and Muhammad Ehsan (Finance Secretary). Today's actions notify the US public and the international community that TAJK and MML are aliases of the LeT. Terrorism designations expose and isolate organizations and individuals, and deny them access to the US financial system. Moreover, designations can assist the law enforcement activities of US agencies and other governments. "Treasury is targeting the MML and a group of seven global terrorists who are complicit in LeT's attempts to undermine Pakistan's political process," said Treasury Under Secretary Sigal Mandelker, adding that the MML is not a recognized political party and it relies on the leadership of the LeT for guidance and direction. "We will continue to target terrorist organizations like LeT, even when they attempt to cloak themselves as political parties or hide their extremism behind other facades," Mandelker said. He also cautioned people against working with the MML, including providing financial donations, saying they should "think twice" about doing so or risk exposure to US sanctions. President of the MML, Khalid is also the head of LeT's Peshawar headquarters and served on Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD)'s Coordination Committee for Central Punjab Province. The JuD was designated by the Department of State as an alias of LeT pursuant April 2016 and was added to the United Nations Sanctions list as an alias of the LeT in December 2008. 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, including six Americans. It was declared as an FTO by the US in June 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Freedom fighter and veteran socialist leader Bhai Vaidya died today in a private hospital here. He was 89. Vaidya, who was suffering from pancreatic cancer, was admitted to the hospital two days ago. Born on June 22, 1928, in Pune district, Vaidya was the president of Socialist Party of India and was a prominent member of the Rashtra Seva Dal. He was mayor of Pune in 1974-75 and was Maharashtra minister of state for home between 1978-80. Vaidya was at the forefront of Samyukta Maharashtra movement which fought for a Marathi-speaking state with Mumbai (then Bombay) as its capital. He was mayor of Pune in 1974-75 and was also instrumental in forming trade unions of employees of the unorganised sector. He was president of the Ammunition Factory Workers' Union in Kirkee in Pune. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four persons were killed and several others, including policemen, sustained injuries in violent protests in Madhya Pradesh during the nationwide bandh called today by Dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Curfew was clamped in three districts including Bhind, where the Army was called in to control the situation. "Two people were killed in Gwalior while one person each died in Bhind and Morena districts during the violence," Inspector General (law and order) Makrand Deoskar told PTI. Incidents of stone-pelting, arson and loot were also reported from several parts of the state during the protest, he said, adding that further details are awaited. A student leader, identified as Rahul Pathak, died in firing in Morena district, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Umesh Shukla told PTI. Pathak was allegedly shot by agitators and he succumbed to injuries enroute to hospital, he said. As the violence escalated, curfew was imposed in the entire city, Shukla said. The protesters also stopped a train in Morena, the police said. Curfew was also imposed in Gwalior and Bhind districts following violence, officials said. Gwalior Commissioner B M Sharma said, "Curfew has been imposed in several parts of the Gwalior city following violence during the protest." The Tahtipur, Gola Ka Mandir, Hazira and Morar police station areas in Gwalior were brought under the purview of the curfew, a senior official said. Curfew was also imposed in Bhind city, and Mehgaon, Lahar, Gohad and Machand areas of the district, Bhind Superintendent of Police Prashant Khare said. The Army has been called in Bhind to control the situation, Khare said. A person, identified as Mahavir Singh (32), died in the firing in Bhind district where while two others suffered serious injuries and were referred to a hospital in Gwalior, Bhind's chief medical and health officer J P S Kushwaha said. In Jhabua, protesters looted shops during the agitation, triggering tension in the tribal town. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan appealed to the protesters to maintain peace in the state as the Centre has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court. Protests were also held in the state capital Bhopal with agitators blocking a road on the Board Office Square near the statue of Dalit icon Dr B R Ambedkar. More than two dozen vehicles were damaged, several of them torched by the protesters, eyewitnesses said. In Morena district, the Chhattisgarh Express was stopped by protesters and was till at the station, they said. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition, who claim that dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Violent protests erupted today during a nationwide bandh called by dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, leaving one person dead and many injured in Madhya Pradesh and disrupting normal life in many states. While some states ordered closure of educational institutions and curtailed communication and transport services, including rail, incidents of arson and vandalism were reported from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Utar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab, among other states. Curfew was imposed in Morena, Gwalior and Bhind districts of Madhya Pradesh after a student leader died in firing and several others were injured. The Army was called in Bhind district, where six people were injured in firing by protesters, to control the situation, Bhind Superintendent of Police Prashant Khare said. The Army and paramilitary forces have been asked to be on standby as a precautionary measure in Punjab. A student leader, identified as Rahul Pathak, died in firing in MP's Morena district, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Umesh Shukla told PTI. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed for peace, while Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government was not a party to the Supreme Court decision on the SC/ST Act and "respectfully" did not agree with its reasoning behind the verdict. Prasad also said the government has filed a very comprehensive review petition in the matter. Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan, a prominent Dalit leader and head of NDA ally LJP, appreciated the government's quick decision to file the petition and accused Congress of having done nothing for Baba Saheb Ambedkar. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed for peace and urged the people not to vitiate law order, as violence was reported from many districts including Azamgarh where protesters torched two state-run buses, injuring several passengers. Protests turned violent in Agra, Hapur, Meerut in western UP. Director General of Police (DGP), OP Singh, said the situation is under control in Agra, Sambhal and Hapur and that anti-riot police have been deployed there. "We have sought more force from the Centre that will be deployed there. We are keeping an eye on the situation, which is under control," he said. Many trains, such as Saptakranti Express, Utkal Express and the Bhubaneswar Rajdhani as well as the Kanpur Shatabdi, were stopped ahead of Ghaziabad in Meerut and Modinagar, officials said. A group of about 2,000 people disrupted trains at the Hapur station as well, disrupting the movement of many goods trains, they added. Protests were also witnessed at Ambala and Rohtak in Haryana as well as in Chandigarh. The CBSE has already postponed Class 12 and Class 10 examinations scheduled to be held today in Punjab at the request of the state government in view of the 'Bharat Bandh'. In the national capital region, protesters squatted on tracks at several places, stopping trains, including the Dehradun Express and the Ranchi Rajdhani, while a Northern Railway official said services were also disrupted by a mob in Ghaziabad. The protesters gathered at Mandi House in Delhi and blocked the road outside the metro station there, bringing traffic to a halt and inconveniencing commuters travelling towards ITO and other stretches. Heavy police force was deployed at Mandi House in view of the protests. Shouting slogans of 'Jai Bhim', the protesters also blocked one of the carriageways of Barakhamba Road affecting traffic on the stretch, police said. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. Nearly 30 people- 20 from Ajmer and 10 from Jaipur -- were detained in Rajasthan as protesters blocked rail and road traffic and vandalised public property, including a train, in many parts of the state. Protestors damaged glass windows of Shatabdi Express at Khairthal railway station, Khairthal GRP SHO Ramesh Chandra said. According to Railways spokesperson, movement of seven trains was affected in North-Western railway region. In Patna, MLAs from the opposition parties, as well as some from the ruling side, demanded a resolution be passed by the House urging the Centre to take adequate measures to undo the recent Supreme Court order on arrests under the SC/ST Act. Protesters stormed the Patna Junction where they forced closure of the ticket booking counters and squatted on railway tracks disrupting movement of a number of trains. Normal life was partially affected in several parts of Odisha as well after activists of 'Adivasi Dalit Sena' staged a rail roko at Khetrajpur station in Sambalpur which caused delay in the running of some trains, officials said. In the state capital of Bhubaneswar, activists of different Dalit organisations put up road blockade near Vani Vihar, Jayadev Vihar and Acharya Vihar areas. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) German car major Volkswagen (VW) today said it has appointed Bishwajeet Samal as marketing head for India operations with effect from June this year. Samal is currently responsible for regional marketing, international communications at Volkswagen AG, Germany. He had joined Volkswagen India in 2008. "At Volkswagen, nurturing in-house talent and offering a diverse platform of enhanced learning is at the core of our brand philosophy," Volkswagen Group Sales India Director VW Passenger Cars Steffen Knapp said in a statement. The company is confident that Samal's extensive experience in marketing shall contribute to growth in India, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal has witnessed an 8.5 times rise in capital expenditure during the fiscal year 2018-18, compared to 2010-11 under the then Left Front government, state Finance Minister Amit Mitra said today. "Capital expenditure of the state has reached a record Rs 19,084.70 crore. This is up from last year's Rs 12,028.50 crore which is 59 per cent growth," Mitra told newspersons at the state secretariat today. He said the total capital expenditure in 2010-11 was Rs 2,225.75 crore. "So, the total capital expenditure in 2017-18 is 8.5 times as compared to 2010-11," Mitra said. As per other statistics released by the state finance minister, the plan expenditure of 2017-18 has reached Rs 57,778.60 crore. "Last financial year, it was Rs 49,609 crore. So, the growth is of 16.5 per cent. Our target was a growth of 11 per cent which we have exceeded," Mitra added. Referring to the 2010-11 total plan expenditure which was recorded at Rs 11,837,85 crore, the minister said that "the total plan expenditure in 2017-18 is about five times compared 2010-11." There has been significant increase in the state's own tax collection, he said. "The tax collection in 2017-18 has gone up to Rs 52,971 crore as compared to Rs 45,647 crore in 2016-17, a gross increase of Rs 7,300 crore," Mitra added. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the feat was possible because of the consistent monitoring by her government. All this has been possible due to our consistent and close monitoring and holding more than 400 Administrative Review Meetings and Public Distribution Programmes at state, district and block levels, Banerjee said in a Twitter post. Banerjee also said that demonetisation and rollout of Goods and Services Tax (GST) failed to affect the performance in the financial sector. Despite the adverse effects of demonetisation and hasty implementation of GST on the economy, performance of our state in financial sector during 2017-18 has significantly improved due to our focussed and persistent approach, she further wrote on her Twitter handle. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With opposition parties alleging that they are not being allowed to file papers for the May rural polls in West Bengal, the SEC today asked the police administration to tighten security in and around the nomination centers to avoid any untoward incident. The State Election Commission (SEC) has also asked the district administrations to clamp prohibitory orders under Section 144 Crpc "if they feel necessary" in and around the nomination centers to avoid assembling of crowds in and around nomination centers. "We have asked the police to ensure full proof security so that no sort of violence takes place over filing of nominations. The police should ensure that candidates of all the parties are allowed to file nominations freely," a senior SEC official said. "We have also asked the district administration that if they feel necessary they can clamp prohibitory orders under Section 144 in an around nomination centers to avoid assembling of crowds," the official said. Asked about reports of violence over filing of nominations from various parts of the state, the official said the SEC is looking into the matter. Caught off guard with the announcement of panchayat poll in West Bengal, the opposition parties today alleged that the ruling TMC activists were not allowing its candidates to file their nomination papers. The TMC termed the allegation as baseless. The rural polls in West Bengal would be held in 20 districts on May 1, 3 and 5. The filing of the nominations began today and will continue till April 9. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Neha Dasgupta and Sanjeev MiglaniNEW DELHI (Reuters) - A massive $32 billion bailout package for India's dominant state-run banks will not happen again and lenders will have to find their own funding by selling non-core assets and merging with each other, a senior government official said on Monday. Twenty-one banks, majority owned by New Delhi, account for more than two-thirds of the banking assets in Asia's third-biggest economy. These lenders also account for close to 90 percent of soured loans in the banking sector.Last October, the finance ministry announced a state-bank ... Soured loans at India's banks rose in the three months to December to Rs 9.5 trillion ($145.9 billion), after declining from record high levels in the previous quarter, data from the central bank showed on Monday. Stressed loans which include non-performing as well as restructured or rolled-over loans rose 0.4 per cent from Rs 9.46 trillion as at end-September, unpublished data reviewed by Reuters showed. The ratio of the troubled loans, however, eased to 11.9 per cent at December end from 12.2 per cent three months earlier, according to the data compiled by ... The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints concluded its 188th annual general conference with two more major announcements. The news pertained to the discontinuation of home and visiting teaching, and the pronouncement of seven new temples to be constructed. President Russell M. Nelson announced during the Sunday afternoon session, the change that will replace the practice of members visiting each other on a monthly basis. He said for months church leaders had been seeking a better way to minister to members spiritual and temporal needs. We have made the decision to retire home teach and visiting teaching as we have known them, explained President Nelson. Instead, we will implement a newer holier approach to caring and ministering to others. We will refer to these efforts as ministering. This new endeavor will be overseen jointly by the presidencies of a local congregations elders quorum (adult men) and Relief Society (adult women). The new ministering concept will also include young women ages 14 to 18 as companions to older women, the same way young men ages 14 to 18 have been participating with adult men for decades. President Nelson later said during his closing remarks, the changes announced during the two-day conference marks a new era in ministering to others. The Lord has made important adjustments in the way we care for each other. Sisters and brothers, old and young, will serve one another in new holier way. President Nelson concluded the conference announcing the upcoming construction of temples in Layton Utah, Richmond Virginia, Salta Argentina, Bengaluru India, Managua Nicaragua, Cagayan de Oro Philippines and a major city yet to be determined in Russia. will@cvradio.com On March 2, Armenias National Assembly elected Armen Sargsyan as president. This was the first presidential election in Armenia after the constitutional amendments adopted in 2015, which envisage a shift from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary system of government. The new system limits the presidents role to a ceremonial figure, while allocating more executive power to the prime minister who will be nominated in April when incumbent President Serzh Sargsyans (not related) term ends. The new presidents strong foreign policy credentials will expectedly advance Armenias interests abroad, which is especially important as the country hopes to rekindle relations with Euro-Atlantic structures. BACKGROUND: In mid-January, President Sargsyan announced that the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) plans to choose a presidential nominee with viable foreign policy experience and strong ties with the diaspora, but who is not currently active in Armenian politics. Armen Sargsyan seems to fit this description well. The newly elected president has a solid background in politics and international business and has close connections to Western business, political and think tank circles. Sargsyan is a long-time ambassador of Armenia to the United Kingdom, a former prime minister and an academic. He is the founder and president of the non-profit organization Eurasia House International, which fosters political and business ties between Europe, CIS countries and China and has carried out several large business projects across Eurasia. Sargsyan has also worked as a consultant for large Western corporations such as BP, Alcatel and others. Observers believe that Sargsyans extensive contacts in Western countries are the main rationale behind his nomination. These connections will facilitate lobbing activities to advance the countrys interests and boost the international image of Armenias government, which is generally considered as strongly pro-Russian. This is especially crucial at a time when the government seeks to adjust its foreign policy to rekindle ties with Euro-Atlantic structures, after Armenias refusal to sign an Association Agreement with the European Union in 2013. Armenia has recently concluded a Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the EU, which the European Parliament will expectedly ratify by May 2019, and is displaying a keen interest in boosting relations with the West. The government also plans to reinvigorate and tighten ties with the Armenian diaspora worldwide the president-elect has already met with diaspora representatives in Russia, Vienna and Beirut. Moreover, since Sargsyan lacks a strong association with the domestic political scene, he will not compete with the prime minister for power in domestic politics but will stick to his largely representative constitutional role. Yet, this can turn into a disadvantage several observers point out that even though the president-elect strives to represent all Armenians, his mandate under the new constitutional system is relatively weak. The ruling party chose Sargsyan as the only candidate in the presidential race, whereupon a parliament with no significant opposition elected him. Therefore, a lack of direct approval from the voters can undermine his authority. An additional reason for the weakness of the presidential mandate is that the constitutional changes have little support in the Armenian public, which generally perceives them an instrument for further weakening the opposition. The constitutional referendum displayed irregularities and there was little information or debate to engage the public with the proposed changes, which has contributed to a widespread conviction that society will have even less impact on political life than before the shift. IMPLICATIONS: Since the new system significantly downplays the role of the president, the nomination of the future prime minister in April draws the most attention. Republicans have not yet chosen a candidate for this post, yet according to local analysts, the most likely scenario is that the departing President Serzh Sargsyan will seek to retain power by assuming the prime minister post. The incumbent president has not publicly denied this possibility and declared that after his final term ends, he intends to play a role in ensuring the countrys security or assist in some other unspecified capacity. This would be logical since Sargsyan has an extensive military background he was a commander in the war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh in the early 1990s and later held various top security and defense positions, including the defense minister post. Observers note that at a minimum, Sargsyan will retain leadership of the RPA as well as a behind-the-scenes influence on the government. However, there is another possible outcome, since current Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan has voiced an interest in retaining his position. The appointment of Karapetyan, a former mayor of Yerevan and top executive in ArmRosGazprom and Gazprombank, as prime minister in 2016 was part of an effort to convince the public that the ruling party prioritizes economic reform and better management. RPA representatives promoted Karapetyan as a non-aligned technocrat and a skilled manager, who would be able to tackle the most crucial socioeconomic challenges. He was widely seen as a transitional figure with no meaningful connections to the local political and business establishment, whom Serzh Sargsyan would replace upon the expiration of his final presidential term. However, Karapetyan has proven able of gaining powerful supporters for his reform agenda. In 2017, a group of influential Russian-Armenian businessmen publicly voiced support for the prime minister and far-reaching economic reforms planned by the government. They also launched a multi-million dollar investment fund to support business initiatives in Armenia across the various economy sectors. A majority of the voters prioritizes economic improvement and the prime minister has gained substantial popularity. Many perceive him as the person in the current leadership most capable of fighting corruption and reforming the economy, which started to show modest signs of recovery in 2017. To sustain this growth, the government has proposed a comprehensive economic reform plan, which in conjunction with the expected benefits of a partnership agreement with the EU could translate into better economic outcomes in the coming years. Moreover, Karapetyans position as an outsider to the old political establishment contributes to his appeal among voters who are tired of the political stalemate. Karapetyans rising popularity will definitely make him harder to replace. It is therefore likely that the incumbent prime minister will be offered an important position in the new cabinet, especially since his reputation as reform-minded can help him win wider approval both in Armenia and abroad. In addition, Karapetyan is widely considered pro-Russian and strives to maintain Armenias standing with Moscow. This remains crucial for Armenia despite its reinvigorated relations with the West. Observers note the possibility of a power-sharing agreement between Serzh Sargsyan and Karapetyan in the future cabinet leadership, where the latter could oversee economic reforms whereas the former would be responsible for security issues. CONCLUSIONS: It is unlikely that the political shift in April will mark a revolutionary change in Armenias domestic and foreign policy. Since RPA has exercised unrestricted influence on the nomination of candidates for key leadership posts, it is up to the ruling partys heavyweights to decide on the future prime minister and the cabinet. The future government will likely continue with serious economic reforms that are necessary in order to reap benefits from economic cooperation with the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union, to take advantage of the signs of economic recovery and to placate the public, which is tired of the prolonged economic hardship. The choice of Armen Sargsyan as president suggests that Armenia remains devoted to reinvigorating its relations with Euro-Atlantic structures and counts on Western investments to boost its economy. However, this does not imply that Yerevan will alter its strategic orientation toward Russia. On the contrary, Armenia evidently avoids endangering its cooperation with Moscow at any cost especially in the security and defense spheres, since Russia remains a key player in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process and Armenias strategic ally in the military sphere. However, as the conflict between Russia and the West is heating up over the poisoning of former Russian military intelligence spy Sergey Skripal and his daughter in the UK, the Armenian government may find it increasingly difficult to navigate between the two. AUTHORS BIO: Natalia Konarzewska is a graduate of University of Warsaw and a freelance expert and analyst with a focus on political and economic developments in the post-Soviet space. Image source: By president.am/en accessed on 4.2. 2018 Penner: Cruising through the Kootenays in comfort Somewhere just north of Edgewater, the scenic one-hour drive to Golden just underway, we rambled around a bend and broke through the thick blanket of early morning fog that smothered the valley. Wow! Look at that, son! I said, nudging my boy, Aemon, 18, as he woke from a stupor. On the port side (an RV is kinda like a ship) a pair of serrated, ice-caked peaks hovered above the misty sea and pierced the gem-blue sky. This looks promising son, I said. Im starting to like RV trips. news, latest-news Canberra's peak social services body is urging the territory government not to launch a major housing package in this year's budget without first talking to the community about its proposals. Despite more than 18 months of consultations, a housing summit and ongoing reviews of the territory's planning system and housing affordability schemes, the government has not yet actually told the public what it plans to act on. Last week, Housing Minister Yvette Berry released a report on those consultations, detailing some of the key proposals the community put forward six months ago during the long-awaited summit, and despite housing expected to play a key role in this year's budget While Ms Berry previously announced a $1 million in funds for innovative affordable housing "solutions", a database of affordable housing and a second Common Ground centre in Dickson, a broader strategy and significant funding has been lacking. ACT Council of Social Services' executive director Susan Helyer said she was concerned that before Cabinet made any specific budget decisions on housing affordability this year, that there needed to be a chance for the community sector, business and property sector to examine them. "It's been 18 months since the commitment in 2016 to address housing affordability in the parliamentary agreement," she said. "It's been 12 months since the initial material came out and six months since the community was brought together to share their detailed views, and we know we have less than three months until the budget. "It's getting urgent now to find out what the actual practical decisions are which need to be made." The government has to date not acted on an ACTCOSS call for a $100 million housing affordability fund, and its lacklustre affordable housing targets for this financial year have been roundly criticised by the sector and leading experts. While the government set up an advisory group of key stakeholders including ACT Shelter and the ACT Property Council, Ms Helyer said there was a need for a broader group with expertise in housing policy to complete a "feasibility analysis" of any government proposals. She said the government needed to publicly announce what it planned to do, so that analysis could be completed in order to build a consensus on a new housing affordability strategy, rather than simply announce it in the budget and see what happened later. "Time's getting really tight between the release of the consultation report and the budget and we need government not to make those decisions without working actively with stakeholders around what can actually get a consensus," she said. "The government also needs to negotiate with the community, with the private sector and others about which proposals should go ahead immediately and which ones should go ahead longer term." Ms Berry said that while the official consultation period had finished last year, discussions were continuing with the advisory group and other stakeholders including ACTCOSS. "I'm now working with my ministerial colleagues to develop key policy options for the new strategy and I will continue to work with the community in the lead up to the formal release of the strategy later this year," she said. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/c3ca0e39-f9a1-4eff-b968-611023dd04d0/r0_106_2000_1236_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news ACT crime fighters are using coercive hearings to interrogate Canberra criminals in a bid to disrupt and target organised crime in the capital. Plans to expand the "star chambers" are already under way, with police currently training more authorised investigators to bolster their ability to conduct the inquisitions. ACT Policing confirmed it had held the secretive hearings in December and intend to conduct more in the coming months. ACT Policing criminal investigations response officer in charge Rachel Batterham said the coercive hearings would be used to target criminals' hip pockets and hit crime syndicates where it hurts their profits. Coercive powers were introduced in the ACT in 2003 as part of the Confiscation of Criminal Assets Act, but have been largely unused. The Act gives police the power to call a person in for an examination and compel them to answer questions or produce documents. Those summoned must front the hearings or face arrest, while silent or uncooperative witnesses can face jail time. If a person is caught lying to police during an examination they can be charged with perjury. Police can also forbid witnesses from revealing they had been summoned to a hearing and questioned. Evidence collected in the hearings cannot be used against the witness in criminal proceedings, however, it can be used against them in civil proceedings for the forfeiture of property, and it can be used against others in criminal proceedings However, the Act does not give police unfettered power as they must first receive permission from a court to proceed and conduct examinations under the supervision of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Police said the legislation provided authorities with a vital tool to target and dismantle serious organised crime networks conducting criminal activities in Canberra. Police said the coercive powers helped uncover criminal assets and funds which could then be restrained and forfeited to the territory. The hearings have been used at a state and federal level to combat organised crime and corruption. Ms Batterham said the star chambers empowered police to target the finances connected to criminal syndicates. "Removing the profitability that would otherwise be used to further finance criminal activities, removes the incentive for people to become engaged in crime," Ms Batterham said. Ms Batterham said criminals thought they could hide their money, but the "powers mean that they can't". "We know criminals attempt to hide assets or property in other people's names, or spend the proceeds of their crimes on gambling or lavish holidays. "This doesn't stop police from recovering the funds by restraining their assets." ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Jon White said his office had been given funding to boost its COCA practice over the next two years. Mr White said the additional funding would assist the DPP's contribution to the coercive examinations and other information gathering processes. "Depriving offenders of the proceeds of their criminal activities, and preventing offenders from using property to commit other offences, are important aspects of criminal justice," he said. "Disruption of criminal activity is increasingly recognised as a key outcome of enforcement of criminal laws." /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/ce8c7f12-80c7-47de-9f7d-e9c3af91dea8/r0_626_2000_1756_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news Canberra to Sydney flight cancellations are significantly higher when politicians are out of town, says Canberra Airport managing director Stephen Byron. New flight data showed cancellations on the Canberra to Sydney route were 33 per cent higher in weeks when the federal parliament was not sitting, Mr Byron said. This could indicate that airlines were more likely to cancel flight services when passenger numbers were down, he added. "It is clear that cancellations are 33 per cent higher in non-parliament times," Mr Byron said. "So there is a concern that when parliament is not sitting, and thus the number of passengers on each flight is less, that airlines are cancelling services." The Canberra to Sydney route has been plagued by high cancellation rates in recent months, stretching back to September when the route had the highest cancellation rate in the country. The cancellation rate for Canberra to Sydney flights was 3.2 per cent in February, compared to a nationwide cancellation rate of 1.3 per cent. "Customers do not want their flights to be cancelled at the last minute because the plane is not full," Mr Byron said. "Even if [these issues] are occurring due to mechanical issues or crew availability, customers expect these problems to be resolved and reduced to the national level." Mr Byron recently met with Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack to discuss Canberra's flight woes. Mr McCormack is also the federal government's infrastructure minister. "It was a good discussion about the problems on the Canberra to Sydney service," Mr Byron said. "Good understanding that passengers really depend on on-time performance on this route because otherwise they would drive." Former defence department secretary Paul Barratt, now an Adjunct Professor at the University of New England in Armidale, last week tweeted his frustration at disruptions to regional flights. "Have had five unserviceable aircraft experiences in eight days," he said. "QantasLink needs to look into ints maintenance regime." QantasLink, which flies the Canberra to Sydney route alongside Virgin, has previously said a mix of engineering issues and pilot availability contributed to a spike in cancellations in late 2017. QantasLink is the regional arm of Qantas and Australia's largest regional airline. Last week QantasLink called on the federal government to address pilot shortages by granting short-term visas to pilots from overseas. To address its pilot shortage with the minimum impact on passengers, the airline said it was using bigger planes but offering fewer flights. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/7c077b0c-0d48-4743-a774-01e543e966b1/r0_131_2000_1261_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news Former ACT union boss Dean Hall has been dealt a setback in his bid to find the source of a leaked phone tap that ended Labor MLA Joy Burch's tenure as police minister and led to the resignation of her chief of staff. The ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected Mr Hall's application seeking information to help him decide whether to take legal action as he pursues the origin of a leaked phone conversation in which government staffer Maria Hawthorne briefed him on a meeting between Ms Burch and the territory's chief police officer. Mr Hall told the court he believed the Australian Federal Police had leaked the details of the conversation to the media, or someone who later gave them to journalists, but Justice Michael Elkaim said the former Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union chief's bid failed to explain why the leak could not come from another source. "There are other potential sources of the leak," Justice Elkaim said. "There is nothing within the affidavit that elevates the plaintiff's belief beyond mere suspicion." Justice Elkaim said he also dismissed the application because it failed to identify a cause of legal action which might arise from the information, if Mr Hall's bid to receive it was granted. Rules governing the release of the information were intended to reveal material supporting a possible cause of legal action, "not to hopefully discover if any, as yet unidentified, cause of action might exist", Justice Elkaim said. He ordered Mr Hall to pay costs for the federal government, the defendant. The former union boss would not comment on the Supreme Court decision when Fairfax Media contacted him on Sunday. Ms Burch confirmed in 2015 she met with the ACT's chief police officer Rudi Lammers in April that year after Mr Hall raised concerns that police were being over-zealous in their treatment of union officials on Canberra work sites, and told her that officers needed "education" about health and safety rights of union representatives. After the meeting, Ms Hawthorne briefed Mr Hall about the contents of the discussion in a phone conversation believed to have been recorded by the royal commission into trade union corruption, and later leaked. The meeting came as the union and Mr Hall were being investigated as part of the royal commission into trade unions. Fairfax Media reported that police were furious the contents of the meeting had been shared, and Ms Hawthorne quit as Ms Burch's most senior adviser in December 2015. Ms Burch later resigned as police minister. In June 2016, the CFMEU - which suspects the AFP illegally leaked the recording - asked the Commonwealth Ombudsman to investigate the matter. That same month, the Ombudsman referred the matter back to the AFP. The matter was later referred to the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity, which then referred it back to the AFP for internal investigation. The AFP launched the internal investigation in May. Mr Hall quit as union secretary in February after eight years at the helm of the CFMEU's ACT branch. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/943e93e9-9c25-4c8f-9d0f-35f1800240b8/r0_116_2000_1246_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news Long-time owner of the Kingston Hotel Michael Kouper says a heritage nomination has damaged his chances of selling the building after a number of offers were withdrawn. Mr Kouper has owned the Kingo since 1979, after arriving in Australia in 1955 as an 18-year-old immigrant from Greece and working his way up the hospitality ladder. Earlier this month, The Canberra Times reported there was a push to add the Kingston Hotel to the list of historical sites. But Mr Kouper said he was "unpleasantly surprised" when he read the hotel was nominated, saying he had not been consulted about the submission. "Had the society contacted me prior I would have presented them with a few facts which, I am certain, would have given them a different perspective instead of rushing into making the statements that have severely affected the commercial vale of the property," Mr Kouper said. "It has caused recent withdrawal of a reasonable offer to purchase it and deterred others that might be interested in buying it." It's understood up to five offers were withdrawn after the story was published. Two of the offers were for $15 million with plans for the property to be redeveloped. Mr Kouper migrated to Australia in 1955 with just five pounds in his pocket. "What motivated me at such a young age to leave my country of birth, my family and my friends was not only a spirt of adventure, but mainly a search for financial security not only for myself but also for my family left behind and my prospective family," Mr Kouper said. When he arrived in Australia, Mr Kouper was taken to the Bonegilla migrant centre in Wodonga, where he stayed for a month before moving to Canberra for work he got through a recruiting agency. He worked as a kitchenhand at the Canberra Hospital and a part-time waiter at Hotel Canberra, now the Hyatt Hotel. He became head waiter at Ainslie Rex Hotel and then moved on to catering at the Australian National University. "I worked hard day and night, as a waiter and night watchman, seven days a week to save up enough for investment in a worthwhile property," he said. "In my long time experience as a waiter it let me to believe a pub would be worth my while and when the Kingo was put up for sale in 1979 I have no hesitation in using my more than two decades of savings in buying it." For about 12 years Mr Kouper managed the hotel himself, after that leasing it to different managing groups. He said the property had been on the market for more than a year and it had received multiple offers, but he "strongly believed" the submission had now harmed the sale. The nomination was made by the Canberra and District Historical Society in January this year. President of the society Nick Swain said the hotel was associated with notable incidents in 20th century espionage, including the Petrov affair and the "faceless men" incident. At the time, Mr Swain said the submission was not in response to rumours The Kingo was on the market. ACT Heritage Council David Flannery said once a building had been nominated to the heritage council, it was protected as if it were on the register. "It can still be sold, selling doesn't make any difference, but for the time being, until the heritage council has assessed the building, assessed its significance, the building is afforded protection as if it were on the register," Mr Flannery told The Canberra Times earlier this month. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/ea92754b-f661-49e9-b7d4-931f9f891b16/r0_134_2000_1264_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg Photo: Contributed - Special to Castanet Amiee Parkes and Ryan Quigley UPDATE 5:00 P.M. Photo: RCMP Police are looking for this vehicle The Kelowna RCMP Serious Crime Unit is now looking to speak with a person of interest and locate an associated vehicle in connection with the suspicious death investigation at Haiwatha Mobile Home Park. Shortly before 10 a.m. yesterday (Tuesday) police found the body of 35-year-old Aimee Jane Parkes in her residence after she failed to show up to work that morning. RCMP say her death was deemed to be suspicious and investigators believe that tomorrow's (Thursday) autopsy results will confirm that she was murdered. Serious Crime Investigators are now looking to speak with Ryan James Quigley as a person of interest in this ongoing investigation. Quigley's current whereabouts are unknown and police are asking for public assistance in locating him. He is described as: Caucasian male 34 years old 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) 154 lb (70 kg) Brown, medium length curly hair Green eyes Police are also searching for a burgundy or purple 2002 Suzuki Grand Vitara, bearing BC Licence Plate 944REL known to be associated to Quigley. RCMP warn that if you see Quigley, do not approach him, rather call 911 immediately. Anyone with any information regarding the whereabouts of Ryan James Quigley, the vehicle, or the investigation in general is asked to call the Kelowna RCMP, Cst Meyers, at 250-762-3300. Remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, leaving a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net or by texting your tip to CRIMES (274637) ktown. Update -- April 2, 1 p.m. RCMP officers and crime scene investigators are still at the scene of what police are calling a suspicious death at the Hiawatha mobile home park in Kelowna. A body was taken from the scene earlier Wednesday morning, but police are not saying much more about the incident. Neighbours in the close knit community are shocked and call the death a tragedy. Castanet will continue to provide more details once they become available. Update -- 4:35 P.M. Police have secured the scene and are investigating after finding a body inside a Kelowna home earlier this morning. At 9 a.m., Kelowna RCMP received a request to check the welfare of a Kelowna woman and attended unit 9 at the Hiawatha Mobile Home Park on Lakeshore Road. The body of a woman was found inside and her death has been deemed suspicious. The Kelowna RCMP Serious Crime Unit is investigating. The woman's identity is being withheld pending notification of her next of kin. No further information is available at this time. Anyone with any information is asked to call the Kelowna RCMP, Cst Meyers at 250-762-3300. Remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, leaving a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net or by texting your tip to CRIMES (274637) ktown. UPDATE 12:40 P.M. - The RCMP K9 unit has arrived at the scene. Police say more resources are on the way. Neighbours believe the trailer in question was occupied by a couple from Australia. There is a police presence at the Hiawatha Mobile Home Park on Lakeshore Road. Police haven't said anything official, however, yellow tape has gone up around the scene. According to neighbours an ambulance left the area earlier this morning, but it is unclear if there was anybody on board. More details when they become available. Unless they are performing in a manner that is harassing, or dangerous, they should be allowed to perform unimpeded, with perhaps just a restriction on hours. If any cost involved to get a license (not sure really necessary?), should be very affordable. They add vibrancy to the downtown or wherever they are. Connie Reynolds Photo: The Canadian Press Minister of Indigenous Services Jane Philpott rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. Canada's Indigenous services minister says Ottawa has fully complied with the orders of a 2016 ruling from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal which said the federal government discriminates against Indigenous children. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang Canada's Indigenous services minister says Ottawa has fully complied with the orders of a 2016 ruling from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal which said the federal government discriminates against Indigenous children. "We have turned a corner," Jane Philpott told The Canadian Press. "We will reach a day soon where we will know that the parties have agreed that we have fully complied." She said the government is working with the tribunal to confirm every one of its orders has been fulfilled. The First Nations children's advocate who filed the complaint said the matter is far from settled. "It's untenable to me that still in 2018 the Canadian government gives First Nations kids less than every other kid in the country," said Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society. "That, to me, is unacceptable and it needs to change and there needs to be a plan to change it." In 2007, Blackstock's society and the Assembly of First Nations filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission. Nearly a decade later, the tribunal sided with Blackstock and ruled the government discriminates against First Nations kids because they can only get the same child-welfare funding and programs if they are taken into care, often out of their communities and into non-Indigenous homes. The tribunal ordered Canada to stop discriminating immediately, reform First Nations child-welfare programs and make sure Indigenous kids have their health, education and social needs met no matter where they live. In February, the tribunal issued a fourth non-compliance order to Ottawa. It said the "seriousness and emergency of the issue is not grasped with some of Canada's actions and responses." The same day, Indigenous Services Canada sent a letter to all 105 First Nations child and family services agencies. It said the federal government would immediately begin to cover agencies' actual costs, as well as reimburse them retroactively to 2016. Philpott pointed to funds in the federal budget about $1.4 billion over six years for First Nations child and family services as an important step towards meeting the tribunal's requirements. Blackstock said compliance doesn't come from promised money the government needs to show that it will flow to children. "We don't know how much is going to go to provinces and we don't know how much is going to First Nations agencies or to First Nations," Blackstock said. Photo: The Canadian Press Medical marijuana is shown in Toronto on November 5, 2017. Medical marijuana patients are preparing themselves for an uphill battle to get the Liberals to reverse course on a federal plan to slap a new tax on their medicine when cannabis becomes legal later this year. The lobbying effort will happen as MPs debate the government's 500-plus page budget bill that would, if approved unchanged, remove the planned excise tax on legal marijuana sales from a small group of cannabis-based drugs. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy Medical marijuana patients are bracing for an uphill battle in their bid to convince the federal government to exempt medicinal cannabis from excise taxes. Their lobbying effort will begin once MPs start debating the government's budget implementation bill, which in its current form would apply the taxes to all but a small group of cannabis-based drugs. Patients and doctors groups fear that as a result, those cannabis medications not exempted from the tax will be too expensive for patients who already struggle to make ends meet. They say they are planning to lobby federal officials to change the bill before it becomes law. Gerald Major, president of the Canadian Spondylitis Association, says he and other patient advocates plan to push federal officials for a change, even though the Liberal government has so far refused to budge. The government says exempting medicinal cannabis could lead to abuse of the existing medical marijuana system. The Death of Stalin Communist comedy by Patrick Dunn From the April, 2018 issue British writer-director Armando Iannucci has trained his vicious sense of humor on contemporary politics at length in his TV series Veep and In the Loop. But never before has he dragged a seminal historical event through the meat grinder of his intensely cynical comic sensibility as he does in his second feature film, The Death of Stalin. Iannucci depicts the broad strokes of the notorious Soviet leader's 1953 passing and the resulting power struggle, mostly with veracity. But the devil's in the details of Iannucci's quick-witted, potty-mouthed writing and deeply irreverent direction, recasting a watershed moment as gut-busting political farce. Iannucci briefly introduces Stalin (Adrian McLoughlin) as a man whose presence imposes the constant threat of a death sentence over everyone he interacts with. The opening scenes depict madcap chaos as a terrified radio engineer scrambles to recreate an entire concert for Stalin, who phones to request a recording of the performance just after it ends. Stalin keels over shortly thereafter, and a multitude of fools rush in to fill the void or otherwise gratify their egos. Chief among them are Georgy Malenkov (Jeffrey Tambor), who succeeds Stalin; and Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi) and Lavrentiy Beria (Simon Russell Beale), who seethe and scheme to either control or overtake him. Casting is a delight throughout the film. Masters like Michael Palin and Jason Isaacs fill out supporting roles, and you can feel the joy these performers take in sinking their teeth into Iannucci's fast-paced dialogue and brilliant physical comedy bits. But the ostensible leading trio of Tambor, Buscemi, and Beale is a particular pleasure. Buscemi doesn't command so much as demand the screen as Khrushchev, who lashes out with uncontrolled contempt for the other characters despite being relegated to second-tier status. All the actors use their native accents, and Buscemi's Brooklyn whine has never been funnier than when he's spitting profane fire as a Russian despot. Tambor's usual dignified-doofus type is as well-suited to Malenkov as Malenkov is ...continued below... ill-suited for office, and Beale is both comical and chilling as the beady-eyed, malevolent Beria.Iannucci toes that line between comical and chilling throughout, and in some cases winds up on the wrong side of it. The execution of innocents is essentially a running joke in the film, and while it's funny in the abstract (as in the opening scene), it's far less so when it's actually seen-or repeatedly heard, just off screen. Same goes for the film's depiction of Beria's predilection for raping young women. While it's historical fact, it's impossible to shoehorn such heinous material into comedy this broad.Iannucci may have intended this discomfort. He's said he pursued this project because he was shocked that Stalin still commands some degree of respect in Russia, unlike Hitler in Germany. Perhaps he intended to slip bitter pills of hard realism into his comedy of megalomania, adding a different kind of shock to the material. At the very least,is enough to make one shudder with both excitement and perhaps a bit of horror to imagine what Iannucci will do with his planned next project:opened at the Michigan Theater in late March. [Originally published in April, 2018.] Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Turkeys Ankara on April 3-4 to discuss strategic projects and international issues, including Syria, Kremlin press service reported. April 2, 2018, 14:45 Putin to visit Ankara on April 3-4 STEPANAKERT, APRIL 2, ARTSAKHPRESS:According to the statement, Ankara will host the seventh meeting of the Turkey-Russia High-Level Cooperation Council with the participants from Ankara and Moscow. The sides will discuss the development of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, the implementation of joint strategic projects, particularly energy projects as well as regional and international issues, including joint struggle against terrorism and the situation in Syria, the statement said. Thousands Ring in Assyrian New Year in Australia ( SBS) Assyrians around the world have ushered in their New Year. And for many Assyrians who recently arrived in Australia from war-torn Syria and Iraq, this was a special occasion to celebrate their national holiday freely in their new homeland. More than 40,000 Assyrians call Australia home, most living in Fairfield in Sydney's west. Hermiz Shahen of the Assyrian Universal Alliance told SBS News that the event is "something that brings you back to your history, to your culture (which) is why people love this day". Dating back more than 6,000 years, the festival marks the start of spring in the Middle East. As Christians, Assyrians have faced persecution from Islamic State in their Muslim-majority homelands of Iraq and Syria. Many have fled the violence and resettled in Australia. The Bathyoon family migrated to Sydney nine months ago after their home in Iraq was attacked by Islamic State. Mariana Bathyoon said she was "happy and proud" to celebrate her first Assyrian New Year in Australia. The event was also an opportunity for cross-cultural understanding, with Australian politicians and many leaders from different faiths and cultures taking part in Monday's celebrations. David David of the Assyrian Australian National Federation said "we call it the Assyrian New Year festival, but it is open for everyone". "Today we have invited actually the Jewish community, the Greek community, the Armenian, the Italian, the Chinese," he said. zerbaijans hopes over Karabakh were dashed in April, 2016, the executive director of Against Legal Arbitrariness NGO Larisa Alaverdyan, told reporters on Monday. April 2, 2018, 15:00 Human rights activist: Bako Sahakyans visit to US is important for Karabakh STEPANAKERT, APRIL 2, ARTSAKHPRESS:Larisa Alaverdyan highlighted the importance of Artsakh President, Bako Sahakyans visit to Washington. This visit sends a massage of warning for Russia as well. There are new opportunities, and we should use them as efficiently as possible, she said. The negotiating process remains at a standstill, she noted, adding that as the result of early presidential elections in Azerbaijan, there will be no changes in countrys policy. Aliyev simply prevented the possible developments that might pose a threat to his power, Larisa Alaverdyan said, noting that Azerbaijani political repressions will increase sharply. Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said Israel has to recognize the Armenian Genocide in response to the recent statement by Turkish President Recep Erdogan. April 2, 2018, 16:19 Israeli minister urges to recognize Armenian Genocide STEPANAKERT, APRIL 2, ARTSAKHPRESS:Erdan slammed Erdogan calling him an Antisemite who continues to support Hamas, the Jerusalem Post reported. His statement came after Erdogan condemned the actions of the Israeli army during the March 30 clashes on the border with the Gaza Strip. Erdogan called Israel a terrorist state and occupier, and Netanyahu a terrorist. Speaking on Army Radio, Erdan said that it's possible Israel should have acted against Turkey in the international arena and recognized the Armenian genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire. Israel should 'present the values held by the Turks around the world, including recognition of the slaughter of the Armenians. We must stand up to the hostility and antisemitism of Erdogan. A strange thing is taking place here when a country like Turkey, which butchers the Kurds [and] occupies north Cyprus is accepted in the West as a legitimate state. In Illinois, pork producers that have increasingly come to depend on the Chinese export market, particularly for cuts of pork less desirable to American consumers, will be hit hard by the Chinese tariff of 25 percent on pork. Buyers in China could turn to other countries as a result. The trade restrictions also could have a ripple effect on corn and soybeans, the two largest crops in the state, as both are used in pork production, according to the farm bureau. Everyone, from his employees to the cultivators his dispensary buys product from, is paid in cash. The method has caused some hiccups, especially when it comes time to pay taxes, Knapp said. For security reasons, he declined to disclose how everyone gets paid. But he has found a way to make it work. He said 12 clients are living in the house in addition to two staff members who are there at any given time. There are a total of six staff members, the house receives no federal funds and is by private pay, he said. Kloss, who considers herself a coding hobbyist, has visited some of her past camps. She FaceTimed with Chicago campers last year. I love Chicago so much. I have such a soft spot in my heart, said Kloss, who moved to the St. Louis area after living in Oak Park. We would go to Chicago around the holidays, it was always really special to make a special trip. We would go to American Girl (Place). I have three sisters and my mom and it was like really the most special experience. Former member of the Utah Senate Bill Barton has called to recognize the Republic of Artsakh. April 2, 2018, 17:19 Former member of Utah Senate calls to recognize Artsakh STEPANAKERT, APRIL 2, ARTSAKHPRESS:In his article on thespectrum.com he recalled that two years ago Utahs Senate allowed the consul general of a brutal dictatorship to lecture our state on tolerance. February marks the 30th anniversary of dictatorial Azerbaijans first pogrom a government-approved massacre against its Armenian citizens. It is imperative for Utahns to know this history, which sparked the dusk of the Soviet Union, so that we are never again manipulated by lavish lobbyists lies, he wrote. In his article Barton presented the history of Armenian pogroms in Azerbaijan and called to condemned unprovoked aggression and war crimes by Azerbaijan. Today, just like 30 years ago in Sumgait, most of the world stands idly by as Azerbaijan a nation run by a petroleum-enriched dictatorship buys lobbyist and influence in our nations halls of power and tries to infiltrate state capitols, he wrote. Americans must always stand with people who are willing to fight for their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in their homeland. We must recognize the integrity and independence of the people of Artsakh and promise that America will not soon forget their sacrifices for the hard-fought independence. We owe this to everyone who lived in fear in the USSR; to everyone who heard President Reagans words and were inspired to throw off the shackles of oppression and tyranny. We owe it to the Armenians in Artsakh. Seven states have already recognized the Republic of Artsakh through legislative resolutions. We should be next. From the beginning, Charlie tells us that were seeing Marys dream on the night before the nuptials of the title in 1920. From there, we move back to their first meeting and through a subsequent series of not-so-chance encounters Mary engineers in order to see Charlie, where they both dance around their mutual attraction. We were playing a game, Chrislers Mary tells us. Its called Try not to let your heart fly out of your mouth. Hero enters this scene eager to be useful. But then, as Pol, a former doctor himself, observes, Hands were more complicated than the people attached to them. Hearts heal. They even improve. Hands are never the same. The theme of the contrast between hearts and hands feelings and deeds is threaded delicately throughout the book, as Heros aching hands become a constant reminder of the parts of life from which she is now excluded. Surgery tops the list, of course, but masturbation is also out of the question, a lack that sends her on a jaded quest for sex: Hero had no truck with people for whom the heart was a dreamed-up thing, held together by divine saliva, a place where gods still made their beds. A heart was something you could buy on the street, six to a skewer or piled on a square of foil, served with garlicky rice and atsuete oil. Memoir, real memoir, has never been a single tale. It has always required of its writers the willingness to cast a broad net over history and data, the celebrated and unseen. Memoirs purpose is to embrace discoveries about common human truths, and so as a reader of this most consuming book, I celebrate Jamisons deep openheartedness, deliberate unselfishness, immaculate, inculcating vision and her language oh, her language. This author of the best-selling essay collection The Empathy Exams puts her famous empathy to excellent use in The Recovering for the young woman she once was, the artists who succumbed and the fellow travelers in the AA meetings who help to save her. ISLAMORADA, FLA. Another major Florida Keys resort has reopened after being heavily damaged by last September's Hurricane Irma. Islamorada's iconic Cheeca Lodge Resort & Spa resumed operations Friday, more than six months after Irma's storm surge devastated the resort's lobby and landscaping and destroyed a 525-foot-long (160-meter-long) oceanside dock. Many of the 27-acre (11-hectare) hotel's 214 guestrooms suffered water intrusion. Resort officials say they've done about $25 million of work, including some renovation projects beyond storm repairs. With Cheeca's reopening, tourism officials say 80 percent of the Florida Keys' lodging properties can host visitors. In Key West, more than 92 percent of accommodations are open. Cheeca officials say they didn't lay off pre-storm employees during the closure and that they assisted with the property's recovery. Its still possible to get free drinks by attending the bar in the buff, but its not as common as it used to be. And its up to the discretion of the bartender. Most of the time, this is just an intimate, laid-back dive to drink in red-light-tinged darkness until god knows when, Clements said. Though put down by the British military, the 1916 rebellion of Irish nationalists against British colonial rule was a turning point in history that eventually led to the establishment of the Republic of Ireland in 1922. According to the Irish Independent, thousands attended Sundays military ceremony outside the General Post Office on Dublins OConnell Street, where in 1916 the rebels hoisted two republican flags and read the Proclamation of the Irish Republic. U.S. Steel initially reported that 346 pounds of chromium had poured out of a rusted pipe into the waterway, including 298 pounds of a highly toxic form of the metal known as hexavalent chromium. A month later the company filed another report that estimated substantially more hexavalent chromium ended up in the waterway 920 pounds but it dismissed the finding as an absurd result from a single water sample. Crews arriving on the scene of the four-unit, two-story townhouse did not see flames from the building's exterior but found active fire in the stairs leading to the second story, with additional fire in one bedroom. The fire was quickly extinguished, the release stated. In the incidents, a group of one to five people have approached, often in a van described as an Astrovan, or in a blue car with round tail lights and a dealers license plate, police said. The offenders are described as being black males ages 18 to 20, one of whom has been described as heavyset and wearing a green sweater, with another man who has a slim build, police said. In a February interview with the Tribune at Stateville Correctional Center, Porter said hes hopeful the new DNA results will eventually lead to his freedom. And hes still mystified he was convicted despite all six eyewitnesses testifying at trial four for prosecutors and two for the defense that he wasnt the shooter. by Papa Francesco In his Urbi et Orbi Message, Pope Francis demonstrates and invokes "the fruits" of the resurrection of Jesus, which still acts "in the furrows of history". Prayers for the "fruits" of hope, dignity, peace, consolation for refugees and refugees, for Syria and the Middle East, for Ukraine, Venezuela, Africa and South Sudan in particular. Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "Christs resurrection is the true hope of the world, the hope that does not disappoint": this is the announcement of Pope Francis on Easter Day on the occasion of his Urbi et Orbi Message (to the city of Rome and the world ), which he proclaimed today from the loggia of St Peters Basilica, before tens of thousands of faithful. In the square, adorned with multicolored spring flowers, the pontiff stressed that "the power of God's love, which is released" with the resurrection, "bears fruit even today in the furrows of our history, marked by so many injustices and violence" . He then listed a series of existing "fruits" and asked for in prayer: "fruits of hope and dignity" for the poor and refugees; fruits of peace for the whole world, beginning with the beloved and tormented Syria "; "fruits of reconciliation" for the Holy Land, Yemen and the Middle East; "fruits of hope" for the African continent and in particular for South Sudan; "fruits of dialogue" for the Korean peninsula. And again: "fruits of peace" for Ukraine; "fruits of consolation" for the Venezuelan people; "fruits of new life" for children and the elderly; "fruits of wisdom ... for those who have political responsibilities all over the world". Quoting some words of John Paul II, he concluded: " Death, solitude and fear are not the last word. There is a word that transcends them, a word that only God can speak: it is the word of the resurrection". Previously the Pope had celebrated Easter morning mass in the square in front of the basilica. In his unscripted homily, referring to the gospel (John 20: 1-9), he proposed three paths of reflection. First of all, the announcement full of surprise of the resurrection. "Our God - he said - is a God of surprises". The second track is "the haste" shown by women, by the disciples: "This is how the good news spread: quickly". The third track is "a question: and me? Am I open to God's surprises? Am I able to rush or return to tomorrow? John and Peter ran to the tomb ... And [it is said:] believed. And I?". Here is the complete text of today's Urbi et Orbi Message: Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter! Jesus is risen from the dead! This message resounds in the Church the world over, along with the singing of the Alleluia: Jesus is Lord; the Father has raised him and he lives forever in our midst. Jesus had foretold his death and resurrection using the image of the grain of wheat. He said: Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit (Jn 12:24). And this is precisely what happened: Jesus, the grain of wheat sowed by God in the furrows of the earth, died, killed by the sin of the world. He remained two days in the tomb; but his death contained Gods love in all its power, released and made manifest on the third day, the day we celebrate today: the Easter of Christ the Lord. We Christians believe and know that Christs resurrection is the true hope of the world, the hope that does not disappoint. It is the power of the grain of wheat, the power of that love which humbles itself and gives itself to the very end, and thus truly renews the world. This power continues to bear fruit today in the furrows of our history, marked by so many acts of injustice and violence. It bears fruits of hope and dignity where there are deprivation and exclusion, hunger and unemployment, where there are migrants and refugees (so often rejected by todays culture of waste), and victims of the drug trade, human trafficking and contemporary forms of slavery. Today we implore fruits of peace upon the entire world, beginning with the beloved and long-suffering land of Syria, whose people are worn down by an apparently endless war. This Easter, may the light of the risen Christ illumine the consciences of all political and military leaders, so that a swift end may be brought to the carnage in course, that humanitarian law may be respected and that provisions be made to facilitate access to the aid so urgently needed by our brothers and sisters, while also ensuring fitting conditions for the return of the displaced. We beseech fruits of reconciliation for the Holy Land, also experiencing in these days the wounds of ongoing conflict that do not spare the defenceless, for Yemen and for the entire Middle East, so that dialogue and mutual respect may prevail over division and violence. May our brothers and sisters in Christ, who not infrequently put up with injustices and persecution, be radiant witnesses of the risen Lord and of the victory of good over evil. We invoke on this day fruits of hope for those who yearn for a more dignified life, above all in those areas of the African continent deeply affected by hunger, endemic conflicts and terrorism. May the peace of the risen Lord heal wounds in South Sudan and the strife-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo, and open hearts to dialogue and mutual understanding. Let us not forget the victims of that conflict, especially the children! May there be no lack of solidarity with all those forced to abandon leave their native lands and lacking the bare essentials for living. We implore fruits of dialogue for the Korean peninsula, that the discussions under way may advance harmony and peace within the region. May those who are directly responsible act with wisdom and discernment to promote the good of the Korean people and to build relationships of trust within the international community. We also beseech fruits of peace for Ukraine, that the steps taken to favour harmony may be consolidated, and facilitated by the humanitarian initiatives needed by its people. We also invoke fruits of consolation for the Venezuelan people, who, as their bishops have written, are living in a kind of foreign land within their own country. May that nation, by the power of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, find a just, peaceful and humane way to surmount quickly the political and humanitarian crises that grip it. May welcome and assistance not be wanting to its sons and daughters forced to abandon their homeland. May the risen Christ bring fruits of new life to those children, who as a result of wars and hunger, grow up without hope, lacking education and health care; and to those elderly persons who are cast off by a selfish culture that ostracizes those who are not productive. We also implore fruits of wisdom for those who have political responsibilities in our world, that they may always respect human dignity, devote themselves actively to the pursuit of the common good, and ensure the development and security of their own citizens. Dear brothers and sisters, The words heard by the women at the tomb are also addressed to us: Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen (Lk 24:5-6). Death, solitude and fear are not the last word. There is a word that transcends them, a word that only God can speak: it is the word of the resurrection (cf. JOHN PAUL II, Conclusion of the Way of the Cross, 18 April 2003). By the power of Gods love, it dispels wickedness, washes faults away, restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners, drives out hatred, fosters concord and brings down the mighty (Easter Proclamation). Happy Easter to all! Prosecutors said at the time that they still believed Maysonet was guilty of his role in the murders but that they were forced to drop the charges because Guevara and four other cops involved in the case all indicated they would refuse to answer questions in court. We want to put together a timeline, he said. (Trauma victims) cant tell you a coherent story. They cant tell you this is what happened at Point A. This is what happened at Point B. They may leave out B and tell several weeks later. They may tell you about this terrible tale like theyre talking about the kind of cereal they had this morning. Or they might not be able to get a word out without going into hysterics. The girl was just 13 in May 2016 when she was charged with first-degree murder for stabbing DeKayla Dansberry in the chest with a switchblade her mother handed her. The teen, whom the Tribune is not naming since she was charged as a juvenile, has been in custody ever since her arrest, Foley confirmed. "He is one of those executives who wants to be remembered as being on the right side of history," said Thomas O'Guinn, a marketing professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison School of Business. "Part of the quid pro quo is there will be none of this stupid gender bathroom stuff. They are going to demand that the city do everything it can to fight voter suppression. They are going to demand high attention paid to meaningful spending on the environment and more efficient greenhouse reductions." The hyperventilating reaction on Wall Street and in Washington just goes to show that the elites can't decipher the subtext of his words. Trump was announcing to the world that if you want to continue to have open access to America's multitrillion-dollar consumer market and nearly every nation in the world, most of all China, needs that passport you are going to play by rules that benefit Americans, abide by the rule of law and promote American security interests. The experience of Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a former Marine, is telling. It took Moulton, a veteran of four tours in Iraq, more than a half hour at a Washington, D.C., VA hospital just to prove he was a veteran. When he sought care, he did not have his VA card. Opting not to identify himself as a congressman but simply as a veteran, he provided what should have been sufficient identification while observing other veterans who had been sitting in the waiting room for hours. He described what happened to NPR: I checked in at the front desk, and about 30 minutes later, they told me that they had no record of me. They couldnt prove that I was a veteran. But they would consider taking me as a humanitarian case. (They had) more than enough things to put into their computer system, supposedly the world-renowned VA computerized medical records system . He added: If thats the care theyre giving to a United States congressman, you can imagine what the average veteran is getting at many of the VA facilities across the country. Oh, he also received the wrong pain medication after his surgery. President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Thursday, March 8, 2018, in Washington D.C. (Evan Vucci / AP) Violent felons are already legally prohibited from buying or using the gear. But Ald. Ed Burke, 14th, thinks existing laws didnt go far enough. His measure, passed March 28 by the City Council, states that Chicagoans face an insurmountable threat if felons and other potential offenders continue to acquire such protections. It forbids the sale or possession of flak jackets, with an exception for law enforcement officers, members of the military and emergency responders. This well-compiled report (linked to above), which includes six practical recommendations for improvement, describes 20 cases divided into six categories: risky state investments; state-sanctioned land grabs; state agencies lacking accountability; state abuse of assets and funds; state laxness to critical bills; and state travesty of justice. The descriptions of these issues presented in an undated document entitled Lest We Forget - offer a further illumination and an effective indictment on something readers of PNG Attitude already know too well that, in considering the affairs of PNG, we cannot go far without running into extreme examples of corrupt and incompetent practice. NOOSA - Transparency International PNG made a considerable gift to Papua New Guinea when last year it compiled its selected chronicle of unresolved issues of national concern, covering unsettled matters of corruption and ill governance in PNG over the 10 years to 2017. You will have noted the repetitious use of the word state for each of these matters can be clearly pegged back to the PNG government itself. This is a government which Australia continues to support with $550 million in 2017-18 (Manus refugee expenditure, some of which remains in PNG, is about another $350 million) and whose kleptomania is the mammoth in the closet of Australia-PNG relationships. I have written previously (see here or here) of the threat posed by Australias failure to secure a more sophisticated and embracing concord developed on the strong foundation of an equal, honest and authentic relationship. Between the escalation of Chinas influence and the shallow, money-based association we have nurtured with PNG, Australia may already be well advanced in creating a major strategic problem for itself. I reiterate this thesis here to indicate that PNGs unresolved problems with corruption and governance are also Australias unresolved problems, and Transparency PNGs reminder needs to be set against this background. The report did not require surreptitious investigation or extensive surveillance. As Transparency says, it is drawn mainly from publicly-available information including newspaper articles, online reports, and telephone interviews and email correspondence with individuals familiar with the issues. In their introduction to the report, the perspicacity of which demands I reproduce it here in full, the authors write: Papua New Guinea has become a land of lost opportunity with poor governance preventing the nation from reaching its full potential to enable growth, peace and prosperity for its eight million people. The improper use of public funding and resources by individuals and state agencies and the lack of accountability and transparency in major government-funded projects have created an air of uncertainty and enabled a conducive environment for improper conduct. The drafters of the Papua New Guinea Constitution in the pre-independence period called for the equitable distribution of the nations wealth among all citizens. But that appeal has over the years been skewed by individuals in positions of power in their favour, marginalising thousands of people and communities and ensuring that the wealth of the nation remained in the hands of an elite few. The countrys weak institutional structures continue to make the different arms of government and agencies vulnerable to poor governance. There is a short list of six recommendations, none of which would be too daunting a challenge for an honest and competent government, a useful timeline of the 20 cases considered, a summary of Transparency PNGs own actions in relation to each a good bibliography. In its conscientious and intelligent rendering of these outstanding matters of corruption and poor governance, Transparency PNG has issued a challenge to both the Papua New Guinean and Australian governments and given the rest of us a benchmark against which their performance and morality can be judged. I came to this document late, but Im very glad it finally caught my eye. Take McCarthy. Emanuel fired him in the blurred aftermath of the McDonald video release in 2015, showing a white police officer shooting the black 17-year-old 16 times. Few people in city government know more about the details of that case than McCarthy. He has said hell make it, and violence on the South and West sides, the cornerstone of his campaign. As someone Emanuel once trusted deeply and spoke with daily, McCarthy poses a unique threat to the incumbent mayor. What will McCarthy say? Conversely, what might Emanuel say about McCarthy? In 2016, a panel created by Congress called the Commission on Care concluded that although the VA provides care that is in many ways comparable or better in clinical quality to that generally available in the private sector, it is inconsistent from facility to facility, and can be substantially compromised by problems with access, service, and poorly functioning operational systems and processes. Solution: a more flexible network of providers including doctors from the VA, military hospitals, other federally funded providers and facilities, and VA-credentialed private doctors and clinics. The Second Amendment is one sentence, where any part builds on what came before. To separate out one part such as "the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed" and make it self-standing and paramount is not legitimate. So, for the people to be able to own guns and be protected by the Second Amendment, they must be a member of a military organization that has rules and regulations. Beyond individual benefits When a person has the ability to help improve their financial stability, the benefits will extend beyond that person's bank account or retirement saving plan. "We believe that the act of taking a step toward good financial help pays dividends beyond the individual. When consumers save, invest and make more informed decisions about their financial futures, they increase the likelihood of economic success for their households and the communities in which they live," says Greenwell. "Money Smart Week helps people from all walks of life build these vital abilities." Reported incidents of property crime decreased about 16% from 2015 to 2019, according to the FBI, with the national average now at 400 burglaries and 1,700 larceny-thefts per 100,000 people annually. The top 15 cities on this list averaged more than double the number of burglaries per 100,000 people, and the number of larcenies are 60% higher on average per 100,000 residents. Larceny, which is the theft of objects like bicycles or anything stolen without force, comprised about 75% of all property crimes in 2019, burglary, which is unlawful entry to commit a felony, accounted for 16% and motor vehicle theft for 10%. "He wanted us to be united under one front. What we decided in Aurora was that as organizers our movement was going to be impactful on both sides of the issue," Chakrabarty said. "... Our school became more united than it ever was before. Not only were these individuals pushing for continuous change but for continuous unity. This is what I think will truly change the state of our union." "I'm so proud of her, and I can tell you that two years ago there was no way she would come here and do this," Taylor said before Olivia's arrival at the hospital with her mother Bonnie Bailey. "Today she is able to stand and talk more with people and has learned to step outside herself." Oak Forest's police chief said there had been "no real big issues" so far regarding traffic problems stemming from a complete closure of a section of 159th Street in that city. Work began Monday on an Illinois Department of Transportation project on 159th immediately west of Cicero Avenue, which requires a two-month closure of 159th between Cicero and Oak Avenue. The closure is next to Oak Forest's Gateway and Metra station northwest of 159th and Cicero, although construction isn't affecting access to the station or commuter parking. The closure is scheduled to last until June 2, according to the city. Chief Tim Kristin said the city will have an increased police presence around the closure during the morning and evening when commuter traffic is heaviest. He said he was out a couple of times on Monday, including during the morning rush, and noticed vehicles using alternate streets, such as Oak Avenue, to get around the closure. If they can't avoid the intersection altogether, "motorists need to pay particular attention to posted signs" regarding the traffic detour, Kristin said. The state transportation department posted signs directing eastbound traffic on 159th to take Harlem Avenue south to 167th Street, then turn north onto Cicero to reconnect with 159th, while vehicles going westbound on 159th should use the route in reverse. Employees at some businesses along 159th west of where the street is closed said Monday it was too early to say whether the closure would have an impact on them. "I can't really tell" if customer traffic had slowed, an employee of a gas station and convenience store said. Construction around the 159th and Cicero intersection will continue into the fall as a new box culvert for Midlothian Creek is built. After 159th reopens, there will be lane reductions on Cicero both north and south of 159th. Tied in with the culvert work will be an overhaul of the 159th and Cicero intersection, including the building of twin turning lanes on eastbound 159th to northbound Cicero, a right-turn lane for eastbound 159th traffic turning south onto Cicero, and a right-turn lane for southbound traffic on Cicero turning onto westbound 159th. "When children have a story that reflects their feelings they can see that the character overcomes the fear and so can they. It empowers them," Reed said. "Even better, the story may provide a path or method for dealing with the fear and taking action. In essence, these books can give the reader or listener the tools with which to cope." The plan was to have me drive her to and from the scene. Why not? We were engaged. So we sped off, but with other plans in mind. Our marriage license in tow, we were married later that morning in a county seat some 100 miles away. We then covered the story. We both got soaked and caked with mud. She got the front page byline in Monday's paper and I have the clipping. It is our only wedding keepsake. Cayuga County Sheriff David Gould said he will not be seeking another term as sheriff. In a press release Monday, Gould discussed his plans to retire after almost 50 years in law enforcement. A retired New York State Police officer, Gould was first elected as sheriff in 2006, when he defeated former Sheriff Rob Outhouse. He then won a second and third terms in 2010 and 2014 without opposition. Last month, Gould indicated he would retire when he confirmed talks with Det. Lt. Brian Schenck, who filed paperwork to launch a campaign to run for sheriff. At the time, Gould said he had already made his decision, and would make an official announcement in April. "After much discussion, consideration and thought together with my family, I have made my decision to not seek a fourth term as Cayuga County sheriff," he said Monday. "I have been so honored to be able to have served my country in the United States Army, my state as a member of the New York State Police, to serve my county as the elected Cayuga County sheriff and to be able to serve the citizens of this great community." The competition consists of three parts, according to Jim Baumstark, the faculty sponsor at Rochelle Zell who teaches math and economics at the Deerfield school. He said there is a written test and two role play scenarios where students engage in a business situation with an adult judge from the business community. My head was really swirling for a few days when I found out, Nisenboim said. I had to pinch myself to see if it was actually going to happen for me. Not everybody can do this and Im going to see my movie there. "Not only was this victim abused by a person she thought she could trust, she persevered against him despite his attempts to minimize his criminal conduct by villainizing her and engaging in victim blaming," State's Attorney Joe McMahon said in a statement. "This case should be a reminder to the community that the vast majority of child sex crimes are committed by people who know their victims and seek to exploit those relationships." He said police responded to a home in the 400 block of Joren Trail on Nov. 30, 2017, at 11:41 a.m. for an unresponsive female who was suspected of suffering from a heroin overdose. The woman was found in the finished basement of the home and was identified as Tehya E. Lundstrum of Pleasant Prairie, Wis., Guttschow said. "So, the fact that it was so overwhelmingly supported in the vote tallies, I think, is a mandate to continue to have other discussions around consolidation," Haney told the radio station. In both Winnebago and McHenry counties, the merging of the two offices, and elimination of the recorder's offices, will happen by late 2020, giving the clerk's and recorder's staffs time to assimilate. If Pritzker is going to be the Democrat candidate, I want to hear what his plans are for Illinois. So far, all I've heard is more government services for people, better schools, upgrades to roads and bridges, training and capital for manufacturers, $15 minimum wage and more. OK. Who's going to pay for all this? That's my question. It's easy to say we're going to do this and that. But I'd like to see one of the candidates step up and say we're going to figure out where all this money went and what caused all of this. That should be part of the plan. Don't make promises to the people that you can't cover. The open invite to the community was by design, and one that has been extended to residents in the Lincolnshire area dating back 15 years, when organizers of the annual egg hunt decided to open up the event, said Judy Mankus, the secretary of Community Christian Church. Everything you need to know about the COVID-19 booster shot. Who can get it? Who can't? What's it mean to be "fully vaccinated" now? "When we got this opportunity in 2014 to acquire 3900 W. Devon Ave., it was exciting for us two-fold," Shariff said. "Number one, we would have our own center. Number two, we knew Lincolnwood did not house a center of worship for the Muslim community. We learned to appreciate at that time how many people of Islamic faith lived in Lincolnwood, however, we have come to further realize and appreciate how many have lived there over the course of the last three years." During the evening peak, the number of trains serving Naperville and Route 59 will remain the same. The difference is the Naperville and Route 59 stops will be split between different trains on some trips in order to distribute the passengers and ease overcrowding. The incident occurred between 9:40 and 9:50 p.m. on Feb. 21, police said. A 47-year-old man was in the passenger seat of a vehicle driven by his wife, police said. The woman told police someone had started to tailgate their car after she passed him, and that he got out and approached the vehicle at a stop light at one point. His opinion on other matters was also met with disagreement from Trustees Carrabotta, McKenzie and Sweeney. These included his determination that the township supervisor had the authority to hire an employee for a newly created food pantry position without board approval, and his direction that the township clerk, who is not a voting member of the board, be allowed to vote on a motion to destroy an audio recording of a closed session meeting. During a March 27 meeting of the town board, there was consensus among a majority of voting elected officials to seek cost proposals for the purchase of metal detectors at each of the two entrances of Town Hall, located at 1700 W. Ballard Road in Park Ridge, and the hiring of armed security guards to be stationed at the doors. Occupants of the home were able to exit safely before firefighters arrived, and they reported that they discovered the fire after hearing loud noises coming from the basement, the battalion chief said. John Cantrell, Davis' attorney, said his client's "consistent drug use led to his chronic unemployment and put him in a position to resort to illegal means to support himself, his family and his substance abuse issues," according to a memorandum, suggesting his client would benefit from drug and alcohol treatment. City Christopher J. Morris, 34, 191 Genesee St. Apt. 5, Auburn, was picked up March 30 on a bench warrant. Lawrence J. Forjone Jr., 37, 198 State St., Auburn, was picked up April 1 on a bench warrant. Catherine M. Mobley, 58, 112 Seymour St. Apt. 141, Auburn, was charged March 29 with petit larceny. John Hook, 58, 7 Washington St., Auburn, was charged April 2 with second-degree assault, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and second-degree menacing. Zachary J. Shlotzhauer, 29, 9 Serenity Ave. Apt. 2, Yorkville, was charged April 2 with third-degree assault, endangering the welfare of a child, resisting arrest and third-degree menacing. State Jacob M. Daskiewich, 22, Fairport, was charged March 31 with driving while intoxicated and aggravated driving while intoxicated. Patiance J. Sutton, 36, Wolcott, was charged March 31 with driving while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of at least .08 of 1 percent. While the grand jury "found probable cause to bring the now-dismissed counts against the defendants, the government has elected to streamline the case and proceed on only two charges as to each. That decision is not on trial, and neither is the government," the motion states. Firefighters did not know at the time of the initial dispatch if the occupants were still in the home. It wasn't known until later that the Wolfords died because of the heavy smoke and flames, the release said, and the two were attempting to get out of the home from a rear door at the time of the fire. Local leaders of the Indiana-Kentucky-Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters said Holladay Properties, the developer and general contractor behind the Promenade and the AmeriPlex complex on the city's north side, have known about complaints with the two subcontractors since last November but have failed to act. Demolition crews began knocking down buildings Monday at the lead- and arsenic-contaminated West Calumet Housing Complex in East Chicago. John Blosky, a principal with Amereco Engineering, which is handling the demolition work, said crews are watching safety devices to see that no contaminated material leaves the site. "Everything's working as it should," Blosky said. As crews work on a building, water cannons spray the structure for dust suppression throughout the work, and two portable air monitors are on either side of the building, according to Jeff Rugg, a senior environmental manager with Amereco. The company has air monitors along the perimeter of the complex. Crews began demolishing buildings in the northwest corner of the former housing complex along Aster Avenue on Monday. Amereco expects demolition of the complex to be done in August. As the work progresses, Blosky said two crews will gradually move south toward 151st Street. The demolition plan will remove all residential and non-residential structures, foundations, pavement and sidewalks, according to a notice from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. After learning in early 2016 of the high levels of lead and arsenic in the soil at the West Calumet Housing Complex, East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland sent a letter out in July telling residents to leave. That letter kicked off a lengthy relocation process, and the final residents left in June 2017. The EPA is working on a feasibility study that will explore alternatives for the remediation of the West Calumet Housing Complex once the demolition is complete. The EPA said Monday that work is continuing and the results could be finalized later this summer. Copeland said last May the city asked the EPA to clean the site of the West Calumet Housing Complex to residential standards once demolition is completed. The mayor said once the site is cleaned to residential standards, the city will begin seeking input on potential future uses of the land. The EPA's initial record of decision, released in 2012, planned to remediate the contaminated soil at the housing complex without displacing residents or tearing down any buildings. The intention to simply dig out the soil was the plan funded through the 2014 consent decree. I would like to thank Chief Weitzel for all his years of commitment and leadership as the WEDGE chairman, OShea said. I look forward to furthering Chief Weitzels efforts and WEDGEs mission to focus on violent street gangs who are targeting our communities. This multi-jurisdictional proactive approach, while working in concert with our other public and private partners, utilizes proven, planned and coordinated efforts to manage both short and long-term investigations. [WEDGE also] provides member communities with street-level resources to combat street gang violence, narcotics operations and other felonious crimes. In addition, WEDGE investigators will continue to nurture positive relationships with the public, and also collaborate with our state and federal prosecutors. Then Matlow got in touch with the principal, asking if he could visit the school and talk to the students about Herzl. He likens Herzl to Dr. King as a dreamer, doer, and visionary fighting for his people. He felt that was a message students could connect with. Pueblo East senior following brothers legacy, plays for deceased mom Senior Brandon Atencio of the Pueblo East High School football team is living up to legacy of half brother by wearing same number, producing Shanghai (Gasgoo)- According to official news, G7, Global Logistic Properties (GLP) and Nio Capital jointly announced that three parties will co-fund a new technology company that is controlled by G7, a China's Internet of Things (IoT) technology company. Focusing on scenarios of highway transport logistics, the new company will work on the R&D of all-new intelligent heavy trucks based on autonomous driving, new energy technologies as well as logistics big data so as to meet, even go beyond consumers' expectation. Specifically, the new tech company will make use of G7's deep understanding on logistics industry and plentiful real-time data, GLP's globally open logistics ecosystem and Nio Capital's rich auto industrial resources to research and develop manageable new energy autonomous heavy trucks with high efficiency and high security. Meanwhile, they will explore to build a new management and service system of logistics assets in AI period. According to public materials, G7 is China's leading IoT technology company for the logistics sector. Since it was founded in 2010, the company has kept investing in such fields as IoT, big data, AI technologies and intelligent equipment to promote intelligentization, interconnection and sharing on some logistics facilities like trucks and trailer. As China's largest IoT platform, G7's partnerships extend to 50,000 logistics enterprises, connecting with over 600,000 vehicles. GLP is a leading global provider of modern logistics solutions as well as the China's pioneer creator and driver of smart logistics ecosystem. Nio Capital, an investment firm founded by leading Chinese EV maker NIO, focuses on the investment in NEV industrial chain, covering EV (including core parts), Internet connection of new energies and other energies, autonomous driving and intelligent system, IoV (Internet of vehicles), mobility services and new materials, etc. China's two major Hong Kong affairs authorities expressed on Saturday their firm support for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government's lawful handling of "Hong Kong independence" activities. Representatives of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR made the remarks after a key leader of the illegal 2014 "Occupy Central" movement in the cityUniversity of Hong Kong associate professor Benny Tai Yiu-tingtalked about "Hong Kong independence" when he attended a seminar in Taipei. The HKMAO resolutely holds the position that the Hong Kong SAR government should act against "Hong Kong independence" activists' collusion with external separatist forces in accordance with the law and supports its decision to do so, the HKMAO spokesperson said. By doing so, the country's sovereignty, national security and the Hong Kong SAR's long-term prosperity, stability and fundamental interests can be safeguarded, the spokesperson said. Noting that Tai recently participated in a meeting organized by a group advocating "Taiwan independence" and preached "Hong Kong independence", the spokesperson also spoke of the Hong Kong SAR government's strong condemnation of the event. A very small minority of Hong Kong people have colluded with separatists from outside the city and openly advocate "Hong Kong independence". This has not only demonstrated their separatism agenda, but also contravened China's Constitution, the Hong Kong SAR's constitutional documentthe Basic Lawand relevant local ordinances, the spokesperson said. The advocacy of Hong Kong independence also challenged the bottom line of the "one country, two systems" principle, the spokesperson said, and such deeds should not be ignored or condoned. In a statement on Saturday, the Liaison Office also expressed its utmost indignation over and strong condemnation of Tai's conduct. This is more wanton conduct of Tai, the office said, treading on the rule of law after convening the illegal "Occupy Central" movement. The office said it had noticed that not only the Hong Kong SAR government but also various sectors in the city had expressed their disapproval of Tai's deeds through different channels in the past few days. The office reiterated that "Hong Kong independence" is a serious violation of laws, and the liaison office will be resolute in supporting the Hong Kong SAR government tackling the issue to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests. All Chinese people, including Hong Kong residents, have "zero tolerance" toward "Hong Kong independence" advocacy. Such a notion has "zero room" in China and elsewhere in the world, the liaison office stressed. "We hope people from all sectors in Hong Kong will continue to stand firm in safeguarding the 'one country, two systems' principle and cherish the precious development momentum Hong Kong enjoys," the office said. On Friday, a Hong Kong SAR spokesperson said any advocacy of "Hong Kong independence" runs against "one country, two systems" and against the Basic Law, as well as the overall and long-term interest of Hong Kong society. About two months ago, Xing Yan started experiencing insomnia for the first time. "It developed suddenly. I was under heavy pressure from work at the time. I could not fall asleep at all at night, and was wide awake until dawn. I tried not to think of the things that were troubling me and forget them, but the thoughts quickly returned, making it even harder for me to fall asleep," said the bank employee from Fushun, Liaoning province. Before the insomnia developed, Xing had regularly experienced less serious related disorders, such as taking a long time to fall asleep. He believes his tendency to worry may be the cause of his insomnia. In addition to acute fatigue during the day, Xing feels he is experiencing the physical consequences of insomnia, such as an unexplained stomach ache. "I became very frightened when I realized I could not sleep every day," said the 40-year-old, who has been admitted to Peking University Sixth Hospital in Beijing for treatment. "I may be ruined if this situation continues." In an attempt to overcome his problem, Xing plans to rigorously follow the advice of his doctor, such as getting up and going to bed at fixed times, and taking medication. Sun Hongqiang, director of the Sleep Medicine Center at the hospital, said his team has seen a constant rise in the number of patients with sleeping disorders in recent years. Despite seeing about 100 patients every day, the 12 doctors at the center are unable to meet demand, which means many patients endure a long wait before they can consult a physician, according to Sun. "Globally, the incidence of sleep disorders is rising," he said. "In China, about 30 percent of the population has sleep disorders, while around 10 percent frequently experience insomnia." It is unclear what is behind the rise in the number of people with sleep disorders, but the problem may be linked with factors such as personality, brain-related illnesses and disturbed lifestyles, he added. Nationwide problem According to a report published last month by the Chinese Sleep Research Society, 56 percent of respondents said they slept poorly. Sixteen percent of respondents who had insomnia worked in information technology, making IT professionals the work group most likely to experience the problem. They were followed by blue-collar workers, salespeople and consultants, according to the report, which was based on an online survey of 2,000 people ages 18 to 50 in 10 major cities. More than 60 percent of respondents born after 1990 said they had problems sleeping. While about 70 percent said their sleep was affected by work pressures, other causes of disrupted rest included emotional issues, environmental factors, such as noise pollution, general ailments and lifestyle, such as excessive use of smartphones at night. The most common problems included frequent dreams, light sleep and postrest fatigue. A report released by the society in 2016 said that 38 percent of adults in China have experienced insomnia. In addition, more than 300 million people had sleeping disorders, and the number was rising every year. While some sleep disorders may simply be an unpleasant fact of life for many people, otherssuch as inability to fall asleep and rising excessively early or far too latemay be caused by undiagnosed physical illnesses, so people with those problems should seek medical advice, according to Sun, from Peking University Sixth Hospital. "I received a patient who had experienced insomnia for many years for reasons that had been unclear. A scan showed an abnormal area of more than 5 centimeters in diameter in her brain, which was the major cause of her problem," he said. The woman was later referred to the neurological department for treatment. Sleep disorders can occur at almost any age, but in general, women are more likely to experience insomnia, and most of the patients Sun sees are age 45 and older. Guo Xiheng, director of the Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Center at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, said rising awareness of sleep disorders in recent years has seen a growing number of people seeking help at clinics, and the average age of patients is falling. "In the past, most insomnia patients were middle aged or elderly, but now more young people are experiencing these problems," he said. Compared with seniors, whose sleep patterns deteriorate as a result of advancing years, sleep disorders in young people are more likely to be the result of bad lifestyle choices, such as staying up too late and irregular sleeping schedules, he said. The report released by the Chinese Sleep Research Society last month showed that 31 percent of respondents said they needed more than 30 minutes to fall asleep. Nearly 60 percent of those born after 1995 used smartphones for as long as 80 minutes before going to bed for activities such as chatting and watching movies online, the report said. Sun said people with sleep disorders may be offered a range of treatments, including psychotherapy, medication and even surgery if it is deemed necessary. "Many illnesses can cause sleeping disorders, and they should be noted during diagnosis so they can be treated," he said. A prime treatment for insomnia is cognitive-behavior therapy, which includes fixed times for getting up and going to bed, avoiding afternoon naps and undertaking relaxation training. A relatively new treatment involves transcranial magnetic stimulation, where special equipment is used to produce a magnetic field around a patient's head that can alter their mood, according to Sun. "Patients with mild problems may only need clinical treatment, but patients with serious disorders may need to stay in hospital for treatment for about two weeks," he said. Lack of facilities According to a report released last month by Ipsos, a business consultancy in Paris, about 2,400 hospitals across China operate sleep medicine clinics, but only about 220 hospitals have established departments to tackle sleep disorders. Every month, an average of 60,000 diagnoses of sleep-related problems are made in China, mainly at clinics in large hospitals in urban areas, according to the report. Han Fang, a physician who specializes in respiratory diseases at Peking University People's Hospital, said fewer than 2 percent of people with sleep disorders have received diagnosis and treatment as a result of the small number of doctors specializing in the field and a shortage of hospital beds. Sun, from Peking University Sixth Hospital, said sleep medicine is still not an independent discipline in China, which has hampered the education and training of specialists, and also limited their career development. He said doctors who specialize in sleep medicine in China generally come from related backgrounds, such as respiratory medicine or neurological science. Workload set to rise According to Ye Jingying, a professor in the sleep medicine department at Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, the workload of specialists in the field is likely to rise steeply in coming years as a result of China's rapidly aging population and the growing number of obese people. "The development of sleep medicine needs more support from the government, such as extending the coverage of medical insurance programs to a wider range of illnesses and treatments," she said. A taxi driver in Southwest China's Sichuan province might think April Fool's Day is one of his luckiest days, because on April 1 he finally found his missing daughter after a 24-year search. Wang Mingqing received DNA comparison data from police that morning and was assured that his daughter, Wang Qifeng, who was lost 24 years ago, now lives in Panshi city, Northeast China's Jilin province, the cover.cn reported. His daughter disappeared on Jan 8, 1994, when Wang Mingqing, who thought his little girl was playing nearby while he and his wife were busy serving customers at their fruit shop in Chengdu city, discovered she was missing. At that time, Wang Qifeng was less than 4 years old. Wang and his wife called out their daughter's name and asked everyone they met on the street whether they had seen their little girl. They searched every day until 1 am and when they went home, could not help crying after seeing their daughters' clothes. Wang tried every way he knew to find his missing daughter. He went to a local police station and children's welfare organizations to ask whether they had received a girl named Wang Qifeng. He checked his daughter's name on a website, which lists the names of missing people in China. He also posted his daughter's information in a newspaper. In 2015, Wang started driving for Didi Chuxing, China's largest car-hailing company and found another avenue in his search. "I can meet passengers from everywhere in China, and I can ask them to help find my daughter," Wang said. Wang gave nearly every passenger a card with his daughter's information and photo, and begged them to help spread the information through instant messaging app WeChat. "I have received 4,839 requests for rides since I became a Didi driver. In the past two years, I have always been waiting for one passenger - my missing daughter," Wang said. Huaxi Metropolis Daily reported Wang's story in 2015, which let more people know about his search. CCTV hostess Ni Ping was moved by Wang's love for his daughter and was willing to donate one of her paintings, which has an estimated value of 200,000 yuan ($31,851) by art experts, to the person who helped the driver find his daughter. And a CCTV program Waiting for Me, hosted by Ni, also helped Wang find his daughter. The program is the first aiming to help people find their missing relatives. Wang's daughter Wang Qifeng, who is now named Kang Ying, saw Wang's news story on the internet and got in contact with him. "She will come to Chengdu by plane from Jilin on Tuesday, and we will reunite. I would like to take her back to our hometown in Ziyang city to see our relatives," Wang said. Flash Tensions flared between Ankara and Paris after French President Emmanuel Macron expressed support for the Kurdish militants in Syria, currently the target of a Turkish military operation. France's support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), spearheaded by the People's Protection Units (YPG), has angered Ankara at a time when it is fighting the YPG, a group deemed by Ankara as a terrorist organization, in northern Syria. The Kurdish cause is somewhat of a traditional policy for France since the 1980s when Iraqi Kurds were the target of repression stemming from the Bagdad regime, led then by Saddam Hussein who would later be deposed and then executed after the U.S. troops invaded his country in 2003. Macron's support dropped like a bombshell in Ankara where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan flatly lashed out at the NATO partner's attitude. He publicly warned on Friday that France could become a "target" for supporting the YPG. "France has taken a completely wrong approach," said Erdogan, adding "We hope France will not come to us for help when the terrorists from Syria and Iraq fill their country after being encouraged by their policy." The French president's support for Syrian Kurds coincided with U.S. President Donald Trump's unexpected announcement that the 2,000 U.S. troops currently deployed in northern Syria will leave Syria "very soon." Concerns have been raised over the possible confrontation between Turkish and U.S. armies as the Turkish operation in Syria's Afrin was in progress. The anger towards France, recently visited by the Turkish president and where some lucrative contracts have been signed on the purchase of 25 Airbus airliners for Turkish Airlines, was palpable in Turkish government. It is believed that the France are taking over, or at least offering to take over the U.S. role in Syria. "France has crossed the red line there (in Syria) in announcing its support for a group that we insist is engaged in terrorist activities and that we consider as an affiliate to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)," said a source close to the Turkish government. The PKK is listed as a terrorist movement by the European Union and the United States, while the YPG, which was instrumental in the U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State (IS), is not. "This is unacceptable. Neither the government nor the people will accept such a stance which undermines our cooperation with France. We hope that this error will be repaired, otherwise our ties would suffer," added the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Macron had a meeting on Thursday at the Elysee Palace with an SDF delegation constituted of YPG members after which a senior Kurdish official said the president had promised to send more troops to the area as part of the coalition's efforts, provide humanitarian assistance, and "mediate" between the Kurds and Ankara, drawing Ankara's harsh reaction. Speaking to reporters to clarify Macron's comments, a French presidential source said "France doesn't foresee any new military operation on the ground in northern Syria outside of the international coalition." Yet this clarification was not good enough for Erdogan who on Saturday again took the opportunity of a public ceremony in Istanbul to lash out at France, saying that "if France who is our ally in NATO wants to be with terrorists, it will then suffer the consequences." "France is saying that we have invaded Afrin, this is far for being the truth. We have liberated civilians from the oppression of bloody gangs (YPG)," he added, blaming openly the French industry giant Lafarge of having built "tunnels and bunkers" for the Kurdish militia in northern Syria. Meanwhile, in an apparent reaction and warning to Paris, the state-run Anadolu news agency, published a map detailing the location of French military bases in northern Syria. According to Anadolu Agency, nearly 70 French soldiers may currently have operations in northeast Syria as advisors. France has been the most outspoken critic of the Turkish incursion in the Afrin enclave. Turkish-French relations have been problematic in recent years. France seems against Turkey's entry into the European Union, proposing a commercial partnership instead. France alongside the U.S. is also concerned with Turkey's growing rapprochement with Russia on the Syrian war and on major commercial and energy issues. Furious Defence Minister Nurettin Canikli also joined the chorus on Saturday warning France against increasing its military presence in Syria, stating it would amount to "an invasion." "If they intend to support terrorist elements or provide direct or indirect protection through their armed forces, it would be a truly calamitous step," the minister said. Flash German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said he wanted to resume dialogue and improve ties with Russia after the poisoning attack and the mutual expulsion of diplomats, according to Bild am Sonntag. Maas told the newspaper that although much trust were lost in the last few years due to Russia's behavior, Germany needs Russia as a partner to settle regional conflicts, for disarmament and as an important pillar of multilateralism. "We are therefore open for dialogue and are trying to rebuild trust bit by bit if Russia is ready," Maas was quoted as saying. Germany has joined the United States and other European countries in standing with Britain over the attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter on March 14. Four Russian diplomats were expelled from Germany, and later Russia retaliated by expelling also four German diplomats from Russia. Maas defended the decision to expel Russian diplomats as "to show solidarity with Britain but also as a signal of unity." Britain accused Russia of being responsible for the use of a military-grade nerve agent on Europe for the first time since WWII, and Germany urged Moscow to cooperate more with the investigations. Russia denied developing or having such nerve agent. Flash U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Sunday that there would be no deal to legalize the status of hundreds of thousands of "Dreamers", undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. "No MORE DACA DEAL!" Trump said in an emphatic tweet Sunday morning. DACA refers to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an Obama administration program that shields Dreamers from deportation. Trump shut it down last fall but gave lawmakers six month to come up with a permanent solution. Though Congress has been unable to reach a consensus on the issue and stalled the progress, legal challenges to the Trump order has managed to keep DACA in place for now. The president tweeted a claim on Sunday that Border Patrol agents can't do their jobs properly because of "ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws" that allow people caught for illegally staying in the country to be released while awaiting a hearing, while urging Republicans in charge of the Senate to "go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws." In order to end debate and move forward to a vote on a measure or piece of legislation, Senate rules require 60 votes in the 100-member Senate, but Republicans now only control 51 seats, and GOP Senate leaders have opposed Trump's repeated call to change the longstanding rules. While stressing his signature promise, the border wall, Trump lashed out at Mexico for "doing very little, if not NOTHING, at stopping people from flowing into Mexico through their Southern Border, and then into the U.S." "They must stop the big drug and people flows, or will stop their cash cow, NAFTA," the president said of the North American Free Trade Agreement, a trade deal between the United States, Mexico and Canada, that Washington is trying to rewrite. Flash Combined forces of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States on Sunday launched the planned joint springtime war game, local media reports said. Citing Seoul's defense ministry, local media reported that the Foal Eagle field training exercise started early Sunday as announced. It would last for about four weeks, while the Key Resolve computer-simulated command post exercise would continue for two weeks from mid-April. The defense ministries of the two countries announced plans on March 20 that they had agreed to resume the delayed annual war games from April 1 in a similar scale to the one last year. The joint military exercises were postponed to make the ROK-hosted Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games a peace Olympic. In 2017, the Key Resolve and the Foal Eagle had continued for about two months from March 1, mobilizing strategic U.S. military assets such as nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, nuclear-capable submarine, strategic bomber and stealth fighter jets. For this year's military drills, the combined forces allegedly planned to minimize the U.S. strategic asset mobilization. Even if the strategic military assets are deployed to the Korean Peninsula, it would not be made public. The number of U.S. soldiers to be mobilized to the joint drills would be similar with last year, with 12,200 U.S. troops participating in the Key Resolve and 11,500 U.S. soldiers in the Foal Eagle. About 290,000 South Korean forces will be mobilized to the military exercises. Meanwhile, peace activists demanded the two countries stop conducting the joint war games. The People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) said in a statement that the war games were still massive in scale and aggressive in nature though they were scaled down this year, noting that the military drills were carried out under the scenario of military conflicts requiring a U.S. reinforcement to the peninsula. It would be a basic action, the statement said, to stop all military actions targeting each other while dialogue lasts. It urged the two allies to consider stopping the scheduled joint war game in the second half of this year for peace on the peninsula. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- All-new Hongqi H5 will hit the market on Apr. 25 at Auto China 2018. The highly-anticipated new model is not only the first model after Hongqi released its strategy, but also China's first luxury B-class vehicle model. With its dynamic and stylish appearance design, the all-new Hongqi H5, presented at Shanghai Motor Show and Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macao International Auto show, was so eye-catching that it had caught great attention and became one of the most highly-anticipated models. Featuring an impressively fresh looking, the new model adopts an all-new design language and inherits the classic waterfall-shaped intake grille style. Boasting a reputation of "most beautiful Hongqi model", the H5 looks dynamic and sporty with a range of sharp lines. It is said that the new H5 not only boasts beautiful appearance, but also features abundant high-tech amenities. Thanks to the onboard intelligent connected system, the model demonstrates a convenient, efficient, multiple and interesting experience of interconnection. The premium experience of H5 will help fasten the implementation of Hongqi's brand strategy. Chongqing opens doors to Italian investment Updated: 2018-03-30 chinadaily.com.cn The Sino-Italy Investment Promotion Center officially began operations in Liangjiang New Area, Chongqing, on March 28. The opening ceremony for the Sino-Italy Investment Promotion Center is held in Liangjiang New Area on March 28. [Photo/xinhuanet.com] The center, co-founded by Italy's consulate general in Chongqing, the Liangjiang New Area administrative committee and the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, expects to enhance bilateral cooperation on production capacity and boost investments in key industries, including automobile, environmental protection and machinery. The Liangjiang New Area administrative committee and Italy's consulate general signed a cooperation agreement to build the Sino-Italy Industrial Park on Aug 3, 2017. Both sides will work together in areas such as manufacturing, urbanization, logistics and human resources. The opening of the center will spur more exchanges and interactions between Italy and Liangjiang New Area. Filippo Nicosia, Italy's consul general in Chongqing, speaks at the opening ceremony on March 28. [Photo/conschongqing.com] "The center will not only attract Italian enterprises to build branches and bases in the industrial park, but also help Chinese enterprises to expand business in Italy," said Filippo Nicosia, Italys consul general in Chongqing. Tang Zongwei, deputy director of the Liangjiang New Area administrative committee, said that the center can accelerate the development of the Sino-Italy Industrial Park. "It will further strengthen our international cooperation in production capacity as well," he added. Charisma Conference 2018 Early Bird Registration Now Open -- Speakers and Worship Leaders Announced June 22 and 23, 2018 - Charisma2018.Com Contact: Nicole Ponder, 407-333-0600 ORLANDO, Fla., April 2, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- Early bird registration is now open for Charisma Conference 2018. A dynamic list of speakers and worship leaders has also just been announced. Tens of thousands of people experienced the power of the Holy Spirit years ago through the Charisma Conference. Now the conference returns to see a generation experience a personal, fresh and transformative encounter with the Holy Spirit once again. The two-day event will feature David and Nicole Binion leading worship, along with a dynamic group of speakers that includes Jonathan Cahn, William McDowell, Mark Driscoll, Real Talk Kim (Kim Pothier), Pat and Karen Schatzline, Kimberly Daniels, Katie Souza, and Jim Raley. The Charisma Conference will be held at Faith Assembly of God in Orlando, Florida, on June 22 and 23, 2018. Early bird registration is $79, which will save attendees $20, during the month of April. Group rates are also available for groups of nine or more. Visit the official website for the Charisma Conference at Charisma2018.com to register now and learn more. Follow: @charismaconference (FB/IG) @charismaconf (Twitter) About Charisma House Charisma House empowers people through Spirit-inspired resources. It is the leading publisher of diversified Christian resources motivating people to fulfill Gods purpose. For more than twenty years Charisma House has published books, including fourteen New York Times best sellers, that challenge, encourage, teach, and equip Christians. Share Tweet The magic returns; the strains of our music will once more ring forth. Consortium Aurora Borealis is back in action after the silence imposed on so many arts organizations by COVID-19. 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. Metcal Appoints New Manufacturers Representative for Minnesota and Upper Midwest Region Published: 02 April 2018 by Mike Buetow by Mike Buetow CYPRESS, CA April 2018 Metcal has appointed REStronics Northland to provide sales, service and support for its customers in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. REStronics Northland will represent Metcals complete line of world-class soldering tools and equipment for production assembly. REStronics Northland has been supporting the electronics and hi-tech industries in the Minnesota region for more than 35 years. Ralph Savage, Managing Partner, along with Todd Ness and Char Thomas have established successful relationships in the PCB/electronics assembly industry in the region. The territory includes Minnesota, western Wisconsin, the Dakotas, Iowa and Nebraska. Ralph Savage commented, We are extremely excited to be a part of a team that leads the industry in soldering technology and is one of the few innovators in that field. Ian Orpwood, Director of Sales for Metcal, added, We are pleased to announce the addition of REStronics Northland to service the Upper Midwest. Their knowledge of the local markets and ability to recommend solutions that solve application challenges will be invaluable to our clients. For more information about REStronics products and services, visit www.restronics.com. For more information about Metcal, visit www.metcal.com. About Metcal Metcal is a benchtop solutions expert that has delivered broad value to customers since its Silicon Valley beginnings in 1982. Offering unrivalled performance, risk mitigation, and ROI, we give electronics manufacturers in automotive, aerospace, medical devices and military sectors the toolsand the confidencethey need to develop faster, safer, more advanced products. Metcal provides advanced technology products across hand soldering, convection rework, fume extraction, and fluid dispensing applications. For more information, visit metcal.com. AKRON, Ohio - An 18-year-old man was shot dead Easter Sunday in the city's Sherbondy Hill neighborhood, west of downtown, police said. Officers responded to a shooting just before 4 p.m. at the 900 block of Snyder Street, Akron police spokesman Lt. Rick Edwards said in a news release. At the scene, they found the body in a backyard with a fatal gunshot wound. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, Edwards said. His identity will be released by the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office pending an autopsy and family notifications. Akron police have not identified any suspects in the shooting, and no arrests have been made. Anyone with information about the fatal shooting should call Akron police's Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490. Tips also can be called into the U.S. Marshals Service at 1-866-4-WANTED or the Summit County Crimestoppers at 330-434-COPS. Tips can remain anonymous. If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The mother of a Cleveland boy whose body was found buried in her backyard last year and a social services contract worker pleaded guilty to felony charges tied to food stamp fraud. Larissa Rodriguez and Nancy Caraballo entered the plea Monday, admitting to charges that accused them of running a bribery scheme that saw Caraballo withhold reports of child neglect or abuse in exchange for some of Rodriguez's food stamps. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to trafficking in food stamps, telecommunications fraud, grand theft and money laundering. Caraballo pleaded guilty to trafficking in food stamps, grand theft and tampering with records. Both women agreed to pay a combined $10,000 in restitution to the Department of Jobs and Family Services and to cooperate with investigators as the separate trial related to the death of Rodriguez's 5-year-old son Jordan nears. Rodriguez is also charged alongside her boyfriend Christopher Rodriguez with murder and other charges in Jordan's death. Both women are scheduled for sentencing April 26 in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Nancy Margaret Russo's courtroom. A grand jury handed up an 18-count indictment last month charging the two with bribery, illegal trafficking in food stamps and tampering with records. Caraballo worked as a parent educator for Catholic Charities, which was contracted by Bright Beginnings, a publicly-funded agency under the umbrella of the county's Educational Services department, and was assigned to Larissa Rodriguez's family. Rodriguez's son, Jordan, was last seen alive in September, and police found his body buried in Rodriguez's backyard on Dec. 19, after someone called in a tip from Pakistan. Caraballo was supposed to make monthly home visits and had a mandatory requirement to report abuse or neglect to authorities, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley said at a February news conference announcing the charges against her. Caraballo visited the home on Dec. 10 and did not report the boy missing. To comment on this story, please visit Monday's crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Want a bright spot from population updates that often don't make the Cleveland area look so good? Take a look at the number of people moving here from other countries. Cuyahoga County ranks high nationally, and near the top in the Midwest, for net gains through international migration, cleveland.com found in analyzing the new county-level population estimates released last month by the Census Bureau. Cuyahoga County has gained an estimated 7,957 residents over the last two years through international migration. Numbers Behind the News The only counties in Ohio and the five neighboring states to gain more through international migration were: Philadelphia County, up 20,547. Franklin County (Columbus), up 13,220. Oakland County (north of Detroit), up 11,582. Wayne County (Detroit), up 8,834. This means Cuyahoga did better in this regard than the home counties for Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Louisville, Pittsburgh and all others in the six-state region. Some mobile users may need to use this link instead. (Map by Rich Exner, cleveland.com) Elsewhere in the Midwest, the only others to rank higher were Cook County (Chicago), up 41,132, and Hennepin County (Minneapolis), up 13,534. Attracting new residents from abroad is considered key to stemming population losses in many large, older urban areas - places like Cleveland where the growth in the early 1900s was fueled by an influx of immigrants. Overall, due to the net loss of residents to neighboring counties or elsewhere in the country, Cuyahoga County ranked third nationally for the loss of total population, behind Cook County (Chicago) and Baltimore. However, for net change through international migration, Cuyahoga County was 63rd highest out of the nation's 3,142 counties. Most of those ranking higher are in California, Florida, New Jersey, New York and Texas. Miami-Dade County is No. 1, adding 105,100 through international migration over two years. Scroll over map to see details for each U.S. county Some mobile users may need to use this link instead. (Map by Rich Exner, cleveland.com) In Cuyahoga the gains have been fairly steady, picking up about 3,900 each year through international migration over the last three years. From 2001 through 2013, the annual gain was closer to 2,800 each year. Cuyahoga population change details Year Population Births outnumber deaths by Gain from international migration Loss from domestic migration Misc. change 2010 1,278,200 531 626 -3,136 70 2011 1,270,461 1,239 2,797 -11,934 159 2012 1,266,210 982 2,809 -8,028 -14 2013 1,264,622 1,077 2,962 -5,534 -93 2014 1,262,459 1,723 3,724 -7,546 -64 2015 1,257,957 1,441 3,924 -9,851 -16 2016 1,253,454 1,066 3,996 -9,556 -9 2017 1,248,514 1,198 3,961 -10,087 -12 Note: The Census Bureau estimates are for July each year. The changes are from the previous July. Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. Follow on Twitter @RichExner. ORANGE VILLAGE, Ohio - City Works - a craft-beer focused bar and restaurant that also serves brunch - is scheduled to open Friday, May 18, in the Pinecrest development in Orange Village. A sneak peek will be held Thursday, May 17, with all proceeds benefiting The Gathering Place. City Works will be at 10 Park Ave. The 9,000 square-foot restaurant on the east side has seating for 184 people, 11 large televisions plus two patios with three TVs. Private-event space is available. A rotating beer list will include more than 90 local, regional and imported brews. Of note to local craft-beer fans: 40 percent of the beers will be from Greater Cleveland. Six-ounce tasting pours will be available, and flights - pre-selected and build-your-own - also will be options. The menu is billed as "classic American cuisine with chef-driven twists," and brunch will be available on weekends. Brian Broadwater is executive chef. The menu will include fish tacos, lamb pastrami and Carolina Fried Chicken. The restaurant's signature City Works burger is made with a short rib-brisket blend and topped with aged cheddar, lettuce, pickle and tomato on a brioche bun. Barbecued ribs, Santa Fe Stuffed peppers and salads also are among the dishes offered, so it's clearly more than pub fare. Brunch includes Stuffed French Toast, Pork Benedict and a Churchill Bloody Mary -served in a 20-ounce goblet, pierced by a skewer full of culinary treats: Grilled shrimp, cubed pepper jack cheese, cornichon, cherry tomato, Gibson cocktail onion and the piece de resistance, a Slim Jim stir stick. Prices range from $12 to $18 (lunch), $15 to $24 (dinner) and $13 to $16 (brunch). Hours will be 11:30 a.m. to midnight Monday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday; 10:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday. City Works is hiring; here are the details. The complex will include stores, restaurants, hotel, theater and more. Here's what to expect. CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio - Counting Crows will celebrate 25 years of rock with a U.S. tour this summer. The rock band formed in 1991, but it wasn't until 1993 that it released its first album "August And Everything After." Since then, Counting Crows has put out seven total albums and toured around the world. The band is most well-known for its songs "Mr. Jones" and "Accidentally In Love." Also on tour will be rock band Live, which is known for songs like "Lightning Crashes" and "I Alone." Counting Crows and Live have toured together before, to support 1999 album "This Desert Life" Counting Crows and Live will take the Blossom Music Center stage on Aug. 26. Tickets for the concert cost $29.50-99.50, and will go on sale this Friday, April 6 at 10 a.m. Find more information here. FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio -- For years, Fairview Park officials have talked about turning Nelson Russ Park from a passive green space into an epicenter of recreation activity in the city. Nelson Russ Park in Fairview Park will soon be getting a new inclusive playground. (Beth Mlady, special to cleveland.com) The last piece of that plan fell into place recently when the Cuyahoga County Council awarded Fairview Park a $50,000 Community Development Supplemental Grant. "We applied in November for Community Development Supplemental Grant funding to fully implement a playground that was proposed for Nelson Russ Park," said Monica Rossiter, the city's community development planner. "This is just the next phase of our Nelson Russ Park improvement plan. So the funding is going strictly towards the playground area, which will be completed by the end of this year," she said. The innovative playground -- which is designed for children of all ages, stages of development and physical capabilities -- will encourage interaction, inclusivity, creativity, teamwork and imaginative play. The equipment includes a zip line, a pyramid of climbing cubes, a multifaceted climbing structure that simulates play on a hill, and swings. Funding for the entire $360,000 renovation of Nelson Russ Park, formerly the site of the city's old building department and safety town structures, began with a $161,543 matching Land & Water Conservation Fund Grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. There's also a $47,000 Cleveland Clinic donation and a $50,000 Community Development Supplemental Grant from 2017 for a pavilion, which is currently under construction and due to be completed this spring. In addition to the playground, the area will also include an ADA-accessible trail loop. "That's going to be connecting the pavilion to the playground," Rossiter said. "We're going to have some outdoor fitness equipment lining the trail, and we'll be resurfacing the parking lot. We're just going to be making improvements to the entire site over the next year. "This is a pretty huge project for us. There aren't many green spaces in Fairview, a mostly built-out suburb. We're taking this opportunity to provide more ADA-accessible recreational opportunities. There's really going to something for everyone in this park when it's complete." LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- The mass shooting at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School finds educators, administrators and students coming together to ensure that student safety is paramount. Lakewood Mayor Michael Summers (Lisa DeJong/The Plain Dealer) In response, Lakewood officials are planning the "What's Our Plan: A Community Conversation About School Safety" forum for 6:30 p.m. April 12 in the Lakewood High School cafeteria. The event is a partnership among the City of Lakewood, the Lakewood City School District and LakewoodAlive, engaging in constructive dialogue about how community members can work together to better ensure safety within the schools. LakewoodAlive Executive Director Ian Andrews said the idea for the forum was discussed a few weeks ago in response to the Parkland, Florida, shooting. The goal was simply to have an open dialogue that included students. "As adults, we can become somewhat further removed from our school age, maybe not quite as aware to what they're feeling, thinking or experiencing every day," Andrews said. "I never went through a lockdown when I was in grade school or high school. This is having a serious impact on students' mental health. A lot of them are scared," he said. The public is invited to attend the forum, which will be moderated by Lakewood High School social studies department facilitator Joe Lobozzo. Lakewood High School senior LaNiqua Jones will assist in the discussion. Panelists participating include Mayor Michael P. Summers, Superintendent Jeffrey W. Patterson, Police Department investigator Patrick Fiorelli and Lakewood High School Cleveland Clinic Medical Clinic Pediatric Psychiatrist Dr. Molly Wimbiscus. Also present will be Lakewood High School junior Angelina Amato and senior Brian Donahoe. Forum topics will range from mental health and police protocol to the preventative roles of community members. Summers said that in light of recent events, he sensed a strong community interest in discussing the national increase in mass shootings and how that relates to Lakewood. That's when he reached out to Patterson. "Our hope is to share information about student health from a clinical mental health professional, provide a historical perspective about the evolution of police response strategies to active shooter events, share how the Board of Education and city have worked together to prepare for such an event, hear from students their concerns and suggestions, and identify steps we can and should take as a concerned community to prepare and protect our community," Summers said. Added Patterson, "Mayor Summers and I thought it was important to bring the community together to discuss what we are doing jointly to keep our students safe. "It's a chance for us to share with parents what we have in place already and then to listen to their concerns about what we might be able to do better and what their expectations are for the level of security we want to have at our buildings." Andrews said the forum falls right in line with previous LakewoodAlive discussions covering themes such as opioid addiction and welcoming refugees into the community. "In general, there's this epidemic of violence," Andrews said. "We want to discuss that and talk about the things we're doing here locally and what we can do moving forward. "As it pertains to future discussions, we'd look to our partners at the school and the city and the students. If they feel they want to have an additional conversations in the future, we'd be happy to support that." (Updated 7:15 p.m.) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland police say a 10-month-old baby taken by her father Sunday afternoon has been found safe, but her father remains at-large. Demiyah Martin was dropped off to her mother by a third party, Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said. Demond Martin She was initially taken about 4 p.m. by her father, Demond Martin, Ciaccia said. Martin is not Demiyah's custodial parent. The abduction happened near the intersection of East 116th Street and Jesse Avenue in the city's Union-Miles neighborhood. Martin is accused of following Demiyah's mother's vehicle in his own vehicle and then cutting her off to stop the car, Ciaccia said. Martin assaulted Demiyah's mother before forcibly taking the baby, Ciaccia said. Martin was last seen with the child in a light-colored KIA sedan. A license plate number was not immediately provided. This post will be updated if more details on the incident are released Sunday evening. If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland man accused of shooting and stabbing a Cleveland Heights mother and dumping her body at an abandoned Cleveland house will be held on $1 million bond after his first court appearance. Yaphet Bradley, 35, is charged with aggravated murder, gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of Miriam Johnson, the mother of three of Bradley's children. Johnson had four children all together, ages 13, 10 and twin 7 year olds. Bradley entered no plea Monday at his first court appearance on Monday. Cleveland Heights Municipal Judge James Costello set his bond. Bradley's case was bound over to a Cuyahoga County grand jury that will decide how the case proceeds. U.S. Marshals on Friday arrested Bradley outside a CVS pharmacy in Shaker Square. He rammed a U.S. Marshals task force officer's cruiser while trying to escape, the marshals said. He was arrested along with a 25-year-old woman. Police had been searching for him since Johnson was reported missing on March 6. Bradley is accused of killing Johnson sometime around Feb. 26, according to court records. She died of a gunshot wound to the back of the head and several stab wounds to her torso, arms and legs, according to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner. Her mother reported that she last saw her Feb. 25 when she dropped her off at her Mayfield Road home in Cleveland Heights. The next day, she called off work at the Map Room restaurant in downtown Cleveland, according to police reports. Her mother told police that her daughter had recently received her income tax check and that Bradley often would "come around" when her daughter had money, according to a police report. Cleveland Heights police at the time said they feared Bradley was holding her against her will and that Johnson was in danger. Bradley has three times been convicted of carrying out violent attacks against Johnson. Investigators determined that Bradley attacked and killed Johnson at her apartment, according to court records. He enlisted the help of another man, Calvin Young, 24, to help dispose of Johnson's body. Young told police that he helped Bradley buy a 64-gallon garbage can. Bradley stuffed her body into the garbage can and the two men rented a U-Haul, according to court records. They put the garbage can into the truck on March 2 and drove it to an abandoned home on Chamberlain Avenue in Cleveland's Fairfax neighborhood. Johnson's body was found there on March 25. Young was arrested on March 28 and charged with gross abuse of a corpse, obstructing official business and tampering with evidence. He is jailed on $500,000 bond. To comment on this story, please visit Monday's crime and courts comments page. PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- A court has found in favor of Willoughby Hills Mayor Robert Weger and against city council there, ruling that only the mayor has the right to appoint department heads. Council had contended that it could appoint an acting law director. There will be a yet-to-be-scheduled hearing on legal fees to awarded the mayor. The decision resolves three lawsuits, one filed by Weger against city council who responded with a counterclaim; one by former law director Thomas Lobe against city council, and another by former acting law director Michael Germano seeking to bar council from proceeding with a complaint against him. It was handed down Monday morning by David L. Fuhry, a retired Geauga County Common Pleas Judge sitting by assignment in Lake County Common Pleas Court. Fuhry declared four ordinances "illegal, unenforceable and null and void." Two would give council the right to appoint a law director and two would bestow on Council President Nancy Fellows the title of acting mayor to engage in labor negotiations. Council passed them last year and earlier this year, in spite of Weger's vetoes. But the decision affirms council's right to confirm or deny mayoral appointments. The thrust of the decision is that Stephen Byron is not the city's law director because he was appointted by council, and Germano's appointment as law director was vetoed by council - meaning that the city currently is without a law director. Efforts to reach Byron for comment were not successful. The decision grows out of three days of testimony early last month. Mayor Weger said by phone yesterday that, "it was unfortunate that we had to go to court to get (council) vice president Plecnik and president Fellows to follow the law. I hope we can move forward." Nancy Fellows declined comment when reached by phone. John Plecnik, the vice president, said "we want him to propose a candidate (for law director)." CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A convicted child sex offender held a woman against her will and tried to rape her inside the bathroom of the Chipotle in downtown Cleveland, police say. Idemudia Ebose, 35, is charged with attempted rape and kidnapping in the incident that happened about 6:45 p.m. Wednesday at the Chipotle on Euclid Avenue between East 4th Street and Public Square. The 19-year-old woman was inside the restaurant's bathroom when Ebose blocked her from leaving and tried to rape her, according to Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia, and police and court records. The victim later told police that Ebose was carrying a black guitar case when he tried to attack her, Ciaccia said. Another customer intervened in the attack and tried to help the woman, Ciaccia said. Ebose walked out of the restaurant. A witness who called 911 and asked not to be identified by name told cleveland.com that she saw several people run out of the restaurant, followed by a woman who yelled "Stop that man, he just assaulted my friend." The witness said Ebose tried to disappear into a large crowd that was downtown for a concert that night. "It was way more packed down there than it normally is, and he tried to blend in with people walking down street," the witness said. The witness said she followed Ebose as he walked back and forth on Euclid Avenue, and continued narrating his path of travel to police dispatchers. At one point, Ebose pulled out a saxophone and stood on a nearby street corner, the witness said. A bystander followed Ebose as well and tried to stop him. Ebose eventually ran toward Tower City, then walked in and out of Jack Cleveland Casino three times before officers arrived and took him into custody outside near Public Square, according to Ciaccia and the witness. A woman who identified herself as the general manager of the downtown Cleveland Chipotle declined to comment about the incident and referred inquiries to their corporate team. Ebose is a convicted sexual predator who must register as such in the state of Ohio, according to the Ohio Attorney General's sex offender registry. His offender status stems from a 2006 sexual assault conviction in New Jersey in which the victim was a 15-year-old girl, court records say. Ebose has no other history of felonies in Cuyahoga County, court records say. To comment on this story, visit Monday's crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Starting June 7, United Airlines will discontinue service between Cleveland and Milwaukee. Airline spokesman Jonathan Guerin said in an e-mail that a during a review of its domestic route network, "we determined this route does not meet our expectations." He noted, however, that new options will be added to other flights. These include a sixth daily flight to Houston and a second Saturday flight to Orlando, starting in November. The airline had been flying the Cleveland-to-Milwaukee route using 50-seat regional jets. Last November, Southwest Airlines started offering twice-a-day service from Cleveland Hopkins to Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport. NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio -- North Royalton is the latest city to join litigation against drug manufacturers and distributors over the nation's opioid epidemic. The city joins dozens of governmental agencies in several states, including a number of other Northeast Ohio communities. On March 20, North Royalton City Council unanimously agreed to hire Kelley & Ferraro LLP, a Cleveland law firm, to represent the city in the legal action. The city is seeking damages, although a monetary amount has not been determined. "We are accumulating and transferring information to Kelley & Ferraro about the expenses the city has borne treating people who are overdosing, and the strain that puts on our resources, including manpower at the Police and Fire departments, and the cost of Narcan (an antidote for heroin overdoses)," said Tom Kelly, North Royalton's law director. In joining the litigation, North Royalton is following in the footsteps of Broadview Heights, which entered the legal fray over opioids earlier this year, and Strongsville, where City Council hired a law firm to represent that city in the opioid litigation just one day before North Royalton council did the same. U.S. District Judge Dan Polster is presiding over more than 200 lawsuits -- filed by governmental entities in Alabama, California, Illinois, Ohio, Washington and West Virginia -- blaming drug manufacturers and distributors for the opioid crisis. The lawsuits say that drug makers overstated the benefits and downplayed the risks of using opioids, and that distributors failed to monitor suspicious orders of prescription opiates. Their actions have led to overdose deaths across the country, the lawsuits say. Pharmaceutical industry lawyers have stated that the federal government has determined their painkillers are safe and effective when used properly. They say the lawsuits have failed to identify even one physician who prescribed an opioid medication when it was medically unnecessary, or who prescribed such a medication due to misleading marketing or promotional materials. Under its contract with Kelley & Ferraro, North Royalton will not pay a legal fee unless it wins a monetary award. The city would give the law firm 25 percent of any settlement, verdict or recovery of any kind. The terms are different than those in Broadview Heights' and Strongsville's contracts with Climaco, Wilcox, Peca & Garofoli Co. LPA in Cleveland and Napoli Shkolnik PLC in New York City. Under those contracts, Broadview Heights and Strongsville will give Climaco Wilcox and Napoli Shkolnik 10 percent of any amount awarded before the complaint is filed; 20 to 25 percent after legal briefs are submitted; 33 percent after a final pretrial; and 40 percent once a trial begins. "Kelley & Ferraro offered us a fixed (25 percent) fee with no sliding scale," Kelly said. "It's very likely they will get past the legal-briefs stage, and under Climaco's contract, their fee could go up to 40 percent. I believed we would do better with 25 percent across the board." Other local municipalities, including Brunswick, Cleveland, Elyria, Lorain and Parma, have filed lawsuits over the opioid epidemic. All of those cases have been consolidated in Polster's courtroom. In February, the state of Ohio sued four opioid distributors, accusing them of unsafe practices. Cuyahoga County filed a lawsuit last year. OLMSTED FALLS, Ohio -- What originated as a friendly conversation between neighbors led to Mayor James Graven declaring March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day in the city. "I was talking to my next door neighbor Larry Risko, who is a Vietnam vet," Graven said. "He told me March 29 was National Vietnam Veterans Day. After doing a little research on it, I thought it would be a great way to honor the Vietnam veterans of Olmsted Falls." At the March 28 City Council meeting, the mayor presented a copy of the proclamation to honored resident Vietnam veterans Risko, Richard McMakin, Peter Carpenter and Rick Adler. The latter will be speaking at this year's Olmsted Falls Memorial Day ceremony, "It was such an honor to be included in the Olmsted Falls proclamation," said Risko, who served in Vietnam from 1965 to 1966 as a point man, a radio man and a tunnel rat in the tunnels of ChuChi north of Saigon. "It really felt good to be recognized, as when I got home no one talked about their experiences or even their service ties. "That was perhaps the hardest thing. I saw so much and could not really speak of the horror. I'm not bitter, but it really felt good to be looked upon as a soldier doing his duty instead of a criminal, as much of the country viewed us at that time," Risko said. Graven said that in his opinion, Vietnam veterans don't receive the recognition they deserve. "They're kind of like our forgotten heroes," Graven said. Risko said that while the proclamations may be better late than never, it feels good to know people care. "The biggest thing, occurring in the last five years or so, has been people on the streets just coming up and thanking me for my service," Risko said. "At my granddaughter's school, a female student came up to me thanking me and shaking my hand. "She was not even born and it was ancient history to her, but her thanks felt awesome." The mayor said he plans on providing more proclamations in the future for all veterans. "We're a patriotic town," Graven said. SEVEN HILLS, Ohio -- City Council last week approved a one-year moratorium on short-term residential rentals. Seven Hills Mayor Richard Dell'Aquila (Mark Holan, special to cleveland.com) The move is an attempt to get a better idea of how to avoid a repeat of an Airbnb New Year's Eve weekend party that got out of hand. The incident involving hundreds of people required Seven Hills officers to call for assistance from the Broadview Heights, Parma, Brooklyn Heights and Independence police departments. "The reason for the moratorium is they give the legal system time to figure out what's an equitable way of handling this situation," Seven Hills City Council President Anthony D. Biasiotta said. "New York imposed strong restrictions on short-term rentals and they have been met with legal challenges. Seattle and other cities had to reach compromises or face legal challenges to restrictions. "So the purpose of the moratorium is to see how those situations play out and give the city of Seven Hills an opportunity to basically look at our options," he said. Mayor Richard Dell'Aquila said the moratorium is similar to those adopted by other communities. "Our residents deserve to be protected from a repeat of the incident of a few months ago as the city decides what rules to implement," Dell'Aquila said. "The hope is to partner with all the stakeholders to find a reasonable approach to protect lives and property." While Seven Hills' building code requires that the owner of a residential property who intends to lease or rent to register the home annually with the building department, as it stands the ordinance doesn't specify a length of time or speak to popular home-sharing services such as Airbnb. "Some of the things we've looked into are limiting the number of cars that can be parked on the property and limiting rentals to only landlord-occupied houses," Biasiotta said. "Also, we looked into potentially requiring online registration. "One of the things cities encounter with regulating short-term rentals is rarely does the person doing the renting notify the city. So perhaps we can come up with a way to have landlords register their short-term rentals. They can be more on our radar for our police," he said. "These are all in the hypothetical stage. The moratorium will give us time to come up with a long-term solution." City Council will also be examining whether the city is collecting appropriate taxes from short-term rentals. "Whatever we decide, we'll make sure it's legal and check with the administration to make sure enforcement is not cumbersome," Biasiotta said. Space News space history and artifacts articles Messages space history discussion forums Sightings worldwide astronaut appearances Resources selected space history documents advertisements China's Tiangong-1 space lab falls to Earth in uncontrolled re-entry April 1, 2018 China's first prototype space station has fallen back to Earth, six and a half years after it was launched. The space lab Tiangong-1 (translated from Chinese "Celestial Palace-1") made an uncontrolled re-entry into the atmosphere on Sunday (April 1), breaking apart in a fiery plunge over the southern Pacific Ocean at about 8:16 p.m. EDT (0016 GMT on April 2), according to U.S. Strategic Command's Joint Force Space Component Command. "The re-entry falling area [was] located in the central region of South Pacific. Most of the devices were ablated during the re-entry process," stated the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) in a notice posted to its website. Given the spacecraft's size and mass, some parts of the 34-foot-long (10.4 meter) space station were predicted to make it the ground, or in this case, splash down into the ocean, but if that occurred is unknown. Tiangong-1 hosted two crews of three astronauts (or "taikonauts") each, including China's first woman in space, for two-week missions in 2012 and 2013. It, and its follow-on Tiangong-2, in orbit since 2016, were designed as prototypes for a multi- module, larger space station, which China plans to begin deploying this year. What goes up... Tiangong-1 wasn't supposed to end this way. Launched Sept. 29, 2011 by a Long March 2F/G rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's Gobi desert, Tiangong-1 was in active operation for two years. In addition to serving as a platform for scientific experiments, it became the target for the uncrewed Shenzhou 8 spacecraft to achieve China's first docking on Nov. 3, 2011. The Shenzhou 9 crew of Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang (the latter, China's first female taikonaut) were the first to come aboard Tiangong-1 on June 18, 2012 and resided on the space laboratory for 11 days. Their visit was followed up a year later by Nie Haisheng, Zhang Xiaoguang and Wang Yaping aboard Shenzhou 10 for a 13-day stay beginning on June 13, 2013. China's Manned Space Engineering Office continued to operate Tiangong-1 as an uncrewed platform for an extended two-year mission. The original plan was then to use the station's two orbital maneuvering engines to direct a controlled re-entry over a large and remote region of the south Pacific Ocean. In March 2016 though, China announced that Tiangong-1 had ceased responding to commands from the ground. No longer capable of being directed back to Earth, the wait began for atmospheric drag and gravity to take its toll. ...must come down As uncontrolled re-entering spacecraft go, Tiangong-1 ranked at the bottom of the top 50 by mass (Tiangong-1 weighted 8.5 tons fully-fueled at launch; a final mass was not released by the Chinese). Other uncontrolled re-entries by large spacecraft have included Russia's Phobos- Grunt probe in January 2012; the German Roentgen satellite in October 2011; and NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite in September 2011. Most recently, a Russian Progress spacecraft fell back to Earth in May 2015 after tumbling out of control on it way to resupply the International Space Station. All four spacecraft fell over bodies of water and no pieces were recovered. The most massive spacecraft to make the "natural" plunge to Earth was the 74-ton Skyab, the United States' first space station, in July 1979. It dropped pieces over the Australian outback. Under the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, party nations retain title to their spacecraft, regardless if they are in orbit or in pieces on the ground (or sunken on the ocean floor), until ownerships is explicitly released. The treaty also holds countries liable for any damage their returning spacecraft may cause. In 1979, after completing an assessment of the debris, NASA released its claim on the Skylab debris, which Australians and others collected and some later sold as souvenirs. China did not make its intentions known with regards to Tiangong-1 debris, should any later wash up on a shore or be recovered at sea. Tiangong-1, as seen from Shenzhou 9 in September 2016. (CMSE) Artist's rendition of Tiangong-1 in orbit. (Aerospace Corporation) Uncontrolled re-entry events overview. (Aerospace Corporation) Shenzhou 9 crew aboard Tinagong-1 in September 2016. (CCTV) 2021 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved. April 2, 2018 The astronauts on the International Space Station have access to a slew of state-of-the-art scientific instruments and cutting-edge technology, from hand-held DNA sequencers to robot assistants to even a 3D printer. But when it comes to plain old 2D printing, the emphasis, as of late, has been on the "old." "If you think about it in terms of its age, the printer can vote," said Stephen Hunter, NASA's manager for space station computer resources at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. "And that is just the time we've had it on orbit. If you add in the years of development, it's probably closer to 21, so the Epson printer can probably step up to any bar and order a drink." Since the first crew moved on board the orbiting laboratory in November 2000, the space station has been equipped with the same model of inkjet printer: the Epson 800. But after almost two decades, even with swapping out units every 18 months or so, keeping the printers up and running has become a real issue. "I use that analogy because while the printers have worked well, the maintenance for them has just become too hard for us now," said Hunter in an interview with collectSPACE. "So the decision became either we're going to upgrade our printing capability or we just weren't going to print anymore." Not printing was not an option. Epson passed on NASA's invitation to help develop a new printer, so NASA found a new commercial partner in HP. All in one The astronauts use the printers on the space station for the same reasons people on Earth use them in offices and at home. The crews print out work documents as well as personal files. "Letters from home, photographs and training materials are the types of things the crews print," said Hunter. "If you think about how much you print at home, or how much you print in your office environment, the same kind of thing applies in space, except that there are some critical things the crew has to print." While the astronauts have ample access to laptop and tablet computers, there are just some things they cannot keep in electronic format only. For example, were the space station to suddenly lose power or if the crew had to evacuate the outpost in an emergency, they could not rely on there being an available digital screen or the time needed to access their procedures. So hard copies are a must. The rare contingency aside though, there is also the human factor. "There's something very human and psychological about the feel of paper," Hunter explained. "You get things that are very personal to the crew letters from home, pictures. There are some who have used the printers to make keepsakes to bring home. One crew member used the printers to print out their expedition patch on a special type of paper from their home country and used that as souvenirs." The space station's printing needs put the orbiting outpost into a unique category, said Ronald Stephens, the R&D manager for HP Specialty Printing Systems. "For the astronauts, the space station is really a combined environment," he said. "It looks like an enterprise environment, where you have 'corporate' NASA on the ground changing procedures and sending up materials to be printed remotely, and we at HP work in those type of environments quite often." "It is also clearly an office and laboratory environment. You've got astronauts doing research, printing reports, graphs, other engineering and science documents." "And then it is also their home their family sends an email or a photo," added Stephens. "I think the challenge is that the space station is really a combination of all of the different types of segments that printers go into. It is that all in one." Off the shelf The astronauts' printing needs may indeed be all in one, but the printer they use would be better if if it was not, said Hunter. When the Epson 800 first went into use aboard the space station, many commercial printers did just and only that, print. "We wanted to stay with using a commercial off-the-shelf printer and then modify it for our needs," said Hunter. "But as you can no longer find a printer that just prints, we had to take an all-in-one style printer and disable some of its functions." No one is sending faxes to the space station. And while it might be nice to be able to scan and copy documents in orbit, the printer parts needed to enable that are a problem for NASA. "We needed to remove the glass out of the printer, because if that were to shatter or break we'd have a safety issue. It saves weight as well," said Hunter. After doing a market study of the available home and office printers, NASA found an HP model that could be modified to fit its needs. "They were interested in our OfficeJet 5740 printer and working with us to figure out what would be the best way to replace the technology that they currently have on the space station," Stephens told collectSPACE in an interview. Out of the box, the OfficeJet 5740 could probably work if hung on a wall or even a ceiling here on Earth. But to print in microgravity, modifications were needed. Off the planet To figure out what worked and what did not in its printer, HP came up with test and mounting fixtures to mount the OfficeJet upside down, sideways and at 45 degree angles. "At many of the orientations, yes, the standard OfficeJet is able to accommodate," stated Stephens. "The biggest challenge from a zero-gravity standpoint was paper management." As it happens, the off-the-shelf 5740 comes standard with a small arm that lowers down on the paper entering the printer, and a roller that lifts the top sheet to feed it in "a perfect design for a zero gravity paper pick," said Stephens. So going in, modifications were only needed to keep the paper stack in place. But what goes in, must come out. "You have to think about how you capture the paper in a microgravity environment. If you do not have some type of restraint, you end up with confetti shooting out of the printer," Hunter said. "Obviously that would be unacceptable," said Stephens. "We used 3D printing and came up with an output tray design that uses some flexible fingers to help redirect the orientation of the paper as it's coming out of the printer basically to knock it down and simulate that action that gravity would pull the paper. And then we have got a unique bale arm that's able to catch and stop the paper and keep it in place." There were other, more minor changes made as result of microgravity, which were also solved with printed parts. For example, the carriage that moves the printhead side to side normally hangs on a rod. "Here [on Earth], we count on gravity to rotate it so that it hangs down in its correct position. We realized that would be a challenge in zero gravity and so we used 3D printing to shim that down and force it into the needed orientation," said Stephens. Keeping ink in and fire out NASA's requirements for the modified printer weren't only that it needed to work in microgravity. It also had to function safely aboard the space station. For example, because the printers will be mounted in areas where astronauts and cosmonauts could bump into them accidentally while floating through the modules, there could not be any sharp edges. And because fire precautions are paramount on orbit, NASA required that the new printer be made from fire safe materials. So, HP re-molded all of its printer's plastic parts from fire-retardant alternatives. And then there was the ink. Early on, NASA ruled out launching laser printers. The laser, itself, was considered a safety risk, the printers required too much power and the fine powder inside the drum of a laser jet would be a "huge contaminant" if it got out. So then it became a question of how to keep the ink from an inkjet printer contained. HP's OfficeJet cartridges do not rely on gravity to work. Unlike the example of the space pen, which required a pressurized ink cartridge to replace the pull of gravity, the HP printer cartridges use thermal forces to create a bubble inside of the nozzle and that bubble is what ejects the ink out. "And to prevent the ink from just drooling out of the printhead, this family of inkjet printers uses foam inside the print cartridge and the capillary force of the liquid in the foam is what gives us the back pressure in the ink cartridge so the ink doesn't ooze out," explained Stephens. "So, we were not required to make any changes to the ink or the ink cartridges for it to work." That does not mean though, that droplets of ink do not sometimes pool inside the printer. On Earth, those drops fall and evaporate over time. But in space where the droplets won't ever drop, there is concern of ink escaping the printer. "If the ink were to escape, it could contaminate science payloads or even be a risk to the crew with ingestion," said Hunter. That resulted in HP having to do "quite a bit" of work to redesign the interior of the printer, such as filling open areas with absorbent materials, Stephens said. "We also used a special tape to cover all the seams of the case parts, so that if in the very unlikely event ink were to somehow get out of the inside of the printer, it will be unable to get out of the printer into the environment," he said. Mission 'NV' Taking all of the changes into account, the modified-for-orbit OfficeJet 5740 differs from an off-the-shelf printer by only about 10 percent. But, as it turns out, that was enough to warrant a new name. Borrowing from another of its product lines, HP named its space station printer the "HP ENVY ISS" printer. The first HP Envy ISS is launching on SpaceX's CRS-14 Dragon cargo spacecraft and is expected to be installed by the station's crew for a qualification run in May. "We're deploying this as a technology demonstration before we can do the full out replacement," said Hunter. "I'm expecting, based on the amount of testing that we have done for this, that this printer will work flawlessly." Assuming everything does work, the Envy ISS will replace the two Epson printers one in the U.S. and one in the Russian segment on board the space station. NASA intends for the Envy ISS to be in use through the end of the space station, whenever that may be. (At present, the station's partners have agreed to extend to at least 2024.) "For the ground, we bought of the 50 of the unmodified, right-off-the-shelf printers to provide our training areas and have spares, and we purchased 50 printers to be modified for flight," said Hunter, noting the quantities were based on HP production runs. "We're very excited about it because this is the first new printer for the ISS since its inception 20 years ago," he said. For its part, HP is prepared to support the Envy ISS printer on the space station, a project it has dubbed "Mission NV." "It's been a blast to work with the NASA team very closely," said Stephens. "It has certainly been the most exciting project I have worked on in my many years with HP." The HP ENVY ISS is the first new printer model to be developed for and launched to the space station in 18 years. (collectSPACE) NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, seen here aboard the space station in 2015, holds up a souvenir "boarding pass" he printed after entering his name to be flown to Mars on NASA's InSight lander. (NASA) Spot the printer: An Epson 800 printer can be seen mounted on the ceiling of the space station's Destiny lab amid other equipment and astronauts Don Pettit and Ken Bowersox in March 2003. (NASA) Before and after: At top, HP's OfficeJet 5740 printer; at bottom, the HP ENVY ISS printer as developed for the space station. (HP) The 3D printed nameplate on the HP ENVY ISS. (collectSPACE) The new HP Envy ISS printer is built from flame retardant materials and has 3D printed parts to direct paper flow. (collectSPACE) Color and black ink cartridges in the HP Envy ISS printer. The white lining to the right is absorbent material to pick up ink droplets. (HP) The underside of the HP Envy ISS's 3D printed paper tray has the names of the team members who helped to develop the printer for the International Space Station. (collectSPACE) Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. According to a new report, Global Beer Market (2016-2022), published by KBV Research, the Global Beer Market is expected to reach $792.2 Billion by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 7.2% during 2016 -2022. The Strong Beer market dominated the Global Beer Market in 2015, and would grow at a CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period. The Light Beer market is expected attain a market size of $250.7 Billion by 2022. The Europe market contributed the larger revenue share to the Global Light Beer Market in 2015, and would grow at a CAGR of 4.9% during the forecast period. However, North America market is expected to grow at CAGR of 4.4% during 2016-2022. The Macro Brewery market registered the highest share in the Global Beer Market in 2015, and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 6.3% during the forecast period. The Normal Category market dominated the Global Beer Market in 2015, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.6% during the forecast period. The report highlights the adoption of Beer globally.Based on Product Type, the market is segmented into Light Beer and Strong Beer. Based on Production, the market is segmented into Macro Brewery and Micro Brewery. Based on Category, the market is segmented into Premium Category,Super Premium Category, and Normal Category. Based on Packaging, the market is segmented into Canned Beer,Bottled Beer, and Draught Beer.The report also covers geographical segmentation of Beer market.The geographies included in the report are North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. For the better analysis, the geographies are segmented into countries. Key companies profiled in the report includes Heinekin N.V., Anheuser-Busch InBev., Tsingtao Brewery Co. Ltd., Carlsberg Group, Diageo Plc., Molson Coors Brewing Company, Boston Beer Company, Beijing Yanjing Brewery Co., Ltd and United Breweries Group. Full report :- https://kbvresearch.com/global-beer-market/ Research Scope The market is segmented based on Product Type, Production, Category, Packaging and geography. Global Beer Market, by Product Type Light Beer Strong Beer Global Beer Market, by Production Macro Brewery Micro Brewery Global Beer Market, by Category Premium Category Super Premium Category Normal Category Global Beer Market, by Packaging Canned Beer Bottled Beer Draught Beer Global Beer Market, by Geography North America US Canada Mexico Rest of North America Europe Germany UK France Russia Spain Italy Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China Japan India South Korea Singapore Malaysia Rest of Asia Pacific Latin America, Middle East and Africa (LAMEA) Brazil Argentina UAE Saudi Arabia South Africa Nigeria Rest of LAMEA Company Profiles Heinekin N.V. Anheuser-Busch InBev. Tsingtao Brewery Co. Ltd. Carlsberg Group Diageo Plc. Molson Coors Brewing Company Boston Beer Company Beijing Yanjing Brewery Co., Ltd and United Breweries Group Related Reports: Europe Beer Market Asia Pacific Beer Market LAMEA Beer Market North America Beer Market NEW YORK, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- 5G Network Equipment Market to Come into Existence with a New Small Cell Network Based Model 5G is yet to be introduced in the global market. However, early involvement of companies in the market can benefit them in many ways and network equipment manufacturers would have developed mature products before the commercial deployment of 5G commences. A new research report by Persistence Market Research depicts the clear scenario of the upcoming 5G equipment market and the opportunities that are likely to emerge in the coming years. A A A A (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661339/Persistence_Market_Research.jpg ) According to the report projections, the global 5G network equipment market is expected to witness a market value of over US$ 1,100 Mn in 2019 and increase to more than US$ 18,200 Mn in just six years. The market is anticipated to grow at an exponential CAGR of 59.3% during the forecast period 2019-2025. 5G Network Equipment Market Research Report Overview @A https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/5g-network-equipment-market.asp Inherent Challenges in Small Cells DeploymentA There are various components in the 5G equipment market including small cells, macro cells, AAU, RRU, BBU, etc. Among these components, the global market is expected to witness an explosion in the number of small cells. The macro cells that were in use till now, provide radio coverage to a wide geographical area and small cells were connected and dependent on macro cells. The major challenge in the deployment of a dense network of small cells pertains to a significant rise in the capital expenditure. These expenses would be harder to recover from telecom subscribers, considering the cost consciousness prevalent among consumers. These networks are also required to be energy efficient, weight efficient and compact. "Most of the developments being carried out around the commercialization of 5G involves the use of mmWave bands, as a huge spectrum is available for telecom usage at mmWave. However, the propagation at mmWave is characterized with poor performance in Non Line-of-sight networks, and also faces signal loss owing to atmospheric factors. Request Sample Report @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/22567 To meet the demands of high data rates in areas with high device density, and to counter high signal loss, carriers will have to deploy a network of small cells, thus bringing the network closer to end users." --- Analyst - IT & Telecommunication, Persistence Market Research Competitive LandscapeA Companies are planning to bring 5G integrated products on the floor from 2019. Top companies that are planning to launch antenna units include Qualcomm, Samsung, and NEC Corporation. Major auxiliary unit providers include Huawei, Ericsson, and ZTE Corporation. This report also introduces the other companies in this market such as Analog Devices, Siemens, and Schneider Electric that will provide supporting components. Some of the key offerings expected by big brands include Qualcomm's 5G modems and Samsung's 5G enabled chips. Qualcomm is working on its Snapdragon X50 5G modem for early 5G networks, which uses advanced MIMO techniques. Download and View Report TOC, Figures and Tables @A https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/5g-network-equipment-market/toc This modem is designed to support cloud connected devices that will require high broadband speeds of up to 5 gigabits per second. Qualcomm has followed ongoing industry developments to augment its operations in the 26 GHz millimeter wave band. Samsung on the other hand has developed a 7nm fabrication process that will be used by Qualcomm to manufacture its first 5G chips. The projected market forecast has instilled optimism in companies about their future growth in the market. Industry experts are of the opinion that the opportunities in the global market are immense, while the scale of deployments itself is unprecedented. Semiconductor companies, pure-play 5G technology companies and even traditional equipment providers will all benefit from 5G. Get full Report NowA https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/22567 Persistence Market Research OverviewA Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance. To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes. Contact Persistence Market Research U.S. Sales Office: 305 Broadway, 7th Floor New York City, NY 10007 +1-646-568-7751 United States USA - Canada Toll-Free: 800-961-0353 Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com PMR Latest News: A https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/news De : George Brown georgebrownkokou0002@gmail.com A: georgebrownlevi georgebrownlevi@gmail.com Envoye le : Me, 31 Jan 2018 17:32 Sujet : Por favor hagamelo saber. . Hola Recibio mi correo electronico anterior acerca de su pariente fallecido con el mismo apellido que le envie anteriormente ? Por favor hagamelo saber. De : Levi Chamber Association georgebrownlevi@gmail.com Envoye le : Me, 21 Fev 2018 14:13 Sujet : I contacted you because i want you to help me get the fund. . I am Barrister George Brown, dollars left in the Bank of Togo by my late clientwho died and left such amount in the bank and now the banks are demanding for the next of kin before the could release such amount to me, I contacted you because i want you to help me get the fund, I will give you full details about this when i shall hear from you, Barrister George Brown Esq, I am Barrister George Brown, georgebrownlevi@gmail.com , I contacted you because of $10.5 millionsdollars left in the Bank of Togo by my late clientwho died and left such amount in the bank and now the banks are demanding for the next of kin before the could release such amount to me, I contacted youbecause i want you to help me get the fund, I will give you full details about this when i shall hear from you,Barrister George Brown Esq, De : Levi Chamber Association georgebrownlevi@gmail.com Envoye le : Ma, 6 Mar 2018 13:38 Sujet : $10,5m. next of kin needed, this is legal and 100% risk free Dear Sir This is a personal email directed to you and I request that it should be treated as such. I am Barrister George Brown, a solicitor at law. I am the personal attorney/sole executor to the late Mr. Ruben A. Young, hereinafter referred to as 'my client' who worked as an independent oil magnate in my country and who died in a car crash with his immediate family on a ghastry car accident. Since the death of my client, I have written several letters to the embassy with intent to locate any of his extended relatives whom shall be claimants/beneficiaries of his abandoned personal estate and all such efforts have been to no avail. More so, I have received official letters in the last few weeks suggesting a likely proceeding for confiscation of his abandoned personal assets in line with existing laws by the bank in which my client deposited the sum of Ten Million Five Hundred Thousand US dollars. The board of directors of the company now adopted a resolution and I was mandated to provide his next of kin for the payment of this money or forfeit the money as an abandoned fund. The company had planned to invoke the abandoned property Decree of 1996 to confiscate the funds after the expiration of the period given to me but after an investigation in the finance company, I found out that some members of the company wants to divert this fund into their private accounts for their own selfish interest and only want, to use the excuse that since I am not able to look for some one to make the claim, the money should be made unserviceable and that means submitting the fund to the government of this country and some to the company management which is not their main intentions. By virtue of my closeness to the deceased and his immediate family, I am very much aware of my client's financial standing. I do sincerely sympathize the death of my client, but had thought it unprofitable for his funds to be submitted to the federal government of this country and the finance company where it is lodged. I have reasoned very professionally and I feel it will be legally proper to present you as the next of kin of my deceased client which is legally possible and would be done in accordance with the laws of the land. On this note I decided to search for a credible person and finding that you bear a similar last name, I was urged to contact you, that I may, with your consent, present you to the "trustee" bank as my late client's surviving family member so as to enable you put up a claim to the bank in that capacity as a next of kin of my client, so that the proceeds of this bank account can be paid to you, before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable to the bank where this huge deposit is lodged. Note that this is legal and 100% risk free since I have all vital documents that would be requested by them and that would confer you the legal right to make this claim. I find this possible for the main reason that you bear a similar last name with my client making it a lot easier for you to put up a claim in that capacity. Therefore, to facilitate the immediate reprofiling of this fund, you need, first to contact me via my alternative email address signifying your interest and as soon as I obtain your confidence, I will immediately intimate you with the complete details as well , with which you are to proceed and I shall direct on how to put up an application to the bank. However, you will have to assent to an express agreement which I will forward to you in order to bind us in this transaction. Upon the receipt of your reply, I will send you email the next step to take. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this proposal is hitch-free and that you should not entertain any fears as the required arrangements have been made for the completion of this transfer. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please get in touch with me your telephone and fax numbers to enable us discuss further about this transaction. . georgebrownlevi@gmail.com Like I said, I require only a solemn confidentiality on this. Please let me have your opinion as soon as possible for my contact number is +228.93341792 and if this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you, I await your urgent response. Give me a call at your earliest convenience : +228.93341792 Sincerely, Barrister George Brown (Esq) Like I said, I require only a solemn confidentiality on this. Pleaselet me have your opinion as soon as possible for my contact number is+228.93341792 and if this proposal is acceptable by you, do not takeundue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you, I await yoururgent response.Give me a call at your earliest convenience : +228.93341792Sincerely,Barrister George Brown (Esq) georgebrownlevi@gmail.com Senior Advocate, International Legal Practitioner & Financial Attorney Chamber Address:Block 2, Flat 5, Road, PMB 441, Lome,Togo 228 93341792 Senior Advocate, International LegalPractitioner & Financial AttorneyChamber Address:Block 2, Flat 5,Road, PMB 441, Lome,Togo228 93341792 De : Levi Chamber Association georgebrownlevi@gmail.com Envoye le : Ve, 9 Mar 2018 21:23 Sujet :$10,5m. next of kin Thanks for your response and am giving you the full details and explanation about my proposal to you now. I hope you are doing well. I have read your mail,i contacted you based on my deceased client ,he deposited the sum of $10.5 millions with a bank here in Togo. He died with his family members without any registered next of kin and the funds now have an open beneficiary mandate,based on the inheritance laws of Togo,the bank will notify the representative lawyer if nobody claims the money after 5 years,he had no registered next of kin and as such the bank has notified me to present the relatives or have the funds confiscated,having searched for his relatives without finding anyone alive,i decided to contact you before the bank confiscates the money. However you need to furnish to me with the following information for immediate action : 1. name and address 2. phone 3. status 4. age 5. occupation 6. email I appreciate your seriousness and commitment to collaborate with me in claiming this fund from the bank instead of leaving them to confiscate the funds. However, it does not really matter if you are not the biological next of kin to my deceased client, because as the legal counsel to the deceased, it is my onus to present the next of kin/beneficiary to the inheritance of my late client to the bank. So you need not to worry in any way. All i need is your permission to present you as the next of kin to my late client to the bank so that we could transfer this fund out immediately. PROCEDURES : 1. Procurement of affidavit of claim: With your forwarded information, I shall be going to the Registry of the Togolese High Court to procure the per-requisite legal documents and an Affidavit of claim in your favor as the next of kin to the late depositor. This affidavit of claim is a legal paper work that will confer on you, the statutory right to lay this claim. 2. Formal application to bank. Upon the procurement of the affidavit, I shall proceed to the bank and submit every necessary document to the legal department to put claims for the transfer of the said fund to your account. Once I file this application, the paying bank will approve the funds and transfer to an account that you would nominate. I know all these might be alien to you, but as a renowned attorney, I know what to do and how to go about the procedure. All I need is your full co-operation and understanding. Rest assured that this transaction is legitimate and you will not regret partaking in it. It would be completed within twelve (12) working days if you are co-operative and communicative. The procedures for making claims are very simple and straight forward. The procedures would be followed within the ambit of the law, such that none of us shall get into any kind of trouble or be under any litigation at the end of this transaction. In short, it is legally acceptable for someone to require the deposit of a deceased person, while any claim back as heir. Further relations are not limited kinship died alone, as you well know, it can be extended to other links, can be a business partner or a friend, that the legitimacy of the claims. Based on the legal facts, alone, no one must know the deceased or family member before he or she can inherit property In fact, the bank law stipulates that if such fund remains unclaimed for a certain period of time, of course, 9 years old, the bank will automatically transfer funds to the Treasury unclaimed or lost funds. Thus, no one makes demands on such funds, I want to tell you that, once you use these documents, I will provide for you no other person has or rights in this respect more, the bank will see you as a true immediate family, and you are the legal owner of the account and the money will be transfer into your bank account without any further question. Again, this is to be sure that you can act as the recipient is not a problem, since I work with you and keep you all the necessary legal documents to justify your beneficiary status. When asked about the time it may take for us to be honest with you. We have a requirement to be completed in a very short period of time, not more than two weeks, or a few less. Finally, to avoid misunderstanding at the end of the transaction, I want you to confirm to me your acceptance of a 55% share of the total fund, While 5% will be set aside for the less privileged, then 40% for me. In anticipation of your most wonderful co-operation and understanding. I wish you all the best. Best regards, Barrister George BK LEvi Senior Advocate, International Legal Practitioner & Financial Attorney Chamber address : Block 2, Flat 5, Boulevard Road, PMB 441, Lome,Togo georgebrownlevi@gmail.com Rest assured that this transaction is legitimate +228 93341792Rest assured that this transaction is legitimate De : Levi Chamber Association georgebrownlevi@gmail.com Envoye le : Je, 15 Mar 2018 12:59 Sujet : $10,5m. 100% risk free next of kin This is a personal email directed to you and I request that it should be treated as such. I am Barrister George Brown, a solicitor at law. I am the personal attorney/sole executor to the deacesed, hereinafter referred to as my client who worked as an independent oil magnate in my country and who died in a car crash with his immediate family on a ghastry car accident. Since the death of my client, I have written several letters to the embassy with intent to locate any of his extended relatives whom shall be claimants/beneficiaries of his abandoned personal estate and all such efforts have been to no avail. More so, I have received official letters in the last few weeks suggesting a likely proceeding for confiscation of his abandoned personal assets in line with existing laws by the bank in which my client deposited the sum of Ten Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars $10,5m. The board of directors of the company now adopted a resolution and I was mandated to provide his next of kin for the payment of this money or forfeit the money as an abandoned fund. The company had planned to invoke the abandoned property Decree of 1996 to confiscate the funds after the expiration of the period given to me but after an investigation in the finance company, I found out that some members of the company wants to divert this fund into their private accounts for their own selfish interest and only want, to use the excuse that since I am not able to look for some one to make the claim, the money should be made unserviceable and that means submitting the fund to the government of this country and some to the company management which is not their main intentions. By virtue of my closeness to the deceased and his immediate family, I am very much aware of my client's financial standing. I do sincerely sympathize the death of my client, but had thought it unprofitable for his funds to be submitted to the federal government of this country and the finance company where it is lodged. I have reasoned very professionally and I feel it will be legally proper to present you as the next of kin of my deceased client which is legally possible and would be done in accordance with the laws of the land. On this note I decided to search for a credible person and finding that you bear a similar last name, I was urged to contact you, that I may, with your consent, present you to the "trustee" bank as my late client's surviving family member so as to enable you put up a claim to the bank in that capacity as a next of kin of my client, so that the proceeds of this bank account can be paid to you, before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable to the bank where this huge deposit is lodged. Note that this is legal and 100% risk free since I have all vital documents that would be requested by them and that would confer you the legal right to make this claim. I find this possible for the main reason that you bear a similar last name with my client making it a lot easier for you to put up a claim in that capacity. Therefore, to facilitate the immediate reprofiling of this fund, you need, first to contact me via my alternative email address signifying your interest and as soon as I obtain your confidence, I will immediately intimate you with the complete details as well, with which you are to proceed and I shall direct on how to put up an application to the bank. However you need to furnish to me with the following information for immediate action : 1. name 2. address 3. phone 4. status 5. age 6. nationality 7. occupation However, you will have to assent to an express agreement which I will forward to you in order to bind us in this transaction. Upon the receipt of your reply, I will send you email the next step to take. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this proposal is hitch-free and that you should not entertain any fears as the required arrangements have been made for the completion of this transfer. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please get in touch with me your telephone and fax numbers to enable us discuss further about this transaction. Like I said, I require only a solemn confidentiality on this. Please let me have your opinion as soon as possible for my contact number is +228.93341792 and if this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you. I await your urgent response. Give me a call at your earliest convenience. Sincerely, Barrister George Brown (Esq) Senior Advocate, International Legal Practitioner & Financial Attorney Chamber address : Block 2, Flat 5, blvard Road, PMB 441, Lome, Togo +228 93341792 De : Levi Chamber Association georgebrownlevi@gmail.com Envoye le : Me, 28 Mar 2018 23:49 Sujet :$10,5m. next of kin However you need to furnish to me with the following information for immediate action : 1. name 2. address 3. status 4. age 5. nationality 6. occupation 7. email I appreciate your seriousness and commitment to collaborate with me in claiming this fund from the bank instead of leaving them to confiscate the funds. However, it does not really matter if you are not the biological next of kin to my deceased client, because as the legal counsel to the deceased, it is my onus to present the next of kin/beneficiary to the inheritance of my late client to the bank. So you need not to worry in any way. All i need is your permission to present you as the next of kin to my late client to the bank so that we could transfer this fund out immediately Attached is a copy of my passport 8. phoneI appreciate your seriousness and commitment to collaborate with me inclaiming this fund from the bank instead of leaving them to confiscatethe funds. However, it does not really matter if you are not thebiological next of kin to my deceased client, because as the legalcounsel to the deceased, it is my onus to present the next ofkin/beneficiary to the inheritance of my late client to the bank. Soyou need not to worry in any way. All i need is your permission topresent you as the next of kin to my late client to the bank so thatwe could transfer this fund out immediatelyAttached is a copy of my passport De : Levi Chamber Association georgebrownlevi@gmail.com Envoye le : Je, 29 Mar 2018 20:29 Sujet : $10,5m. next of kin, get back to me However you need to furnish to me with the following information for immediate action; 1. name 2. address 3. phone 4. status 5. age 6. nationality 7. occupation 8. email I appreciate your seriousness and commitment to collaborate with me in claiming this fund from the bank instead of leaving them to confiscate the funds. However, it does not really matter if you are not the biological next of kin to my deceased client, because as the legal counsel to the deceased, it is my onus to present the next of kin/beneficiary to the inheritance of my late client to the bank. So you need not to worry in any way. All i need is your permission to present you as the next of kin to my late client to the bank so that we could transfer this fund out immediately. PROCEDURES : 1. Procurement of affidavit of claim: With your forwarded information, I shall be going to the Registry of the Togolese High Court to procure the per-requisite legal documents and an Affidavit of claim in your favor as the next of kin to the late depositor. This affidavit of claim is a legal paper work that will confer on you, the statutory right to lay this claim. 2. Formal application to bank. Upon the procurement of the affidavit, I shall proceed to the bank and submit every necessary document to the legal department to put claims for the transfer of the said fund to your account. Once I file this application, the paying bank will approve the funds and transfer to an account that you would nominate. I know all these might be alien to you, but as a renowned attorney, I know what to do and how to go about the procedure. All I need is your full co-operation and understanding. Rest assured that this transaction is legitimate and you will not regret partaking in it. It would be completed within twelve (12) working days if you are co-operative and communicative. The procedures for making claims are very simple and straight forward. The procedures would be followed within the ambit of the law, such that none of us shall get into any kind of trouble or be under any litigation at the end of this transaction. In short, it is legally acceptable for someone to require the deposit of a deceased person, while any claim back as heir. Further relations are not limited kinship died alone, as you well know, it can be extended to other links, can be a business partner or a friend, that the legitimacy of the claims. Based on the legal facts, alone, no one must know the deceased or family member before he or she can inherit property In fact, the bank law stipulates that if such fund remains unclaimed for a certain period of time, of course, 9 years old, the bank will automatically transfer funds to the Treasury unclaimed or lost funds. Thus, no one makes demands on such funds, I want to tell you that, once you use these documents, I will provide for you no other person has or rights in this respect more, the bank will see you as a true immediate family, and you are the legal owner of the account and the money will be transfer into your bank account without any further question. Again, this is to be sure that you can act as the recipient is not a problem, since I work with you and keep you all the necessary legal documents to justify your beneficiary status. When asked about the time it may take for us to be honest with you. We have a requirement to be completed in a very short period of time, not more than two weeks, or a few less. De : Levi Chamber Association georgebrownlevi@gmail.com Envoye le : Ma, 3 Avr 2018 14:15 Sujet :$10,5m. next of kin Dear Sir, Following the submission of your information over the claim of your inheritance, I have used your information to prepare your claim files here in my office as regard the presentation and effected immediate changes of the information related to the deceased and replace it with your personal information. I've done the changes and your file was legalized today. Therefore, I've gone to the bank with your claim files and then summoned a meeting with management board of the bank in respect of your registration and other necessary procedures in line with the release and transfer of this inheritance fund to you as next of kin to my late client. The bank has finally registered you and agreed to release the fund from the deceased person's bank account to your personal bank account. Meanwhile, the bank is going to contact you directly but has asked that a text of application duly signed by you should be submitted to them and as so I have drafted this application which you are to fill and submit to the bank through the email addresses stated on the application. This will enable the bank open a direct communication with you for the transfer of the inheritance fund in line with their bank procedures. Please note, you are to contact me as soon as the mistakes. Therefore, I would like you to fill the text of application form bellow and send it to the bank to enable them commence the processing and transfer of the money into your nominated bank account. Thanks for your co-operation. Yours sincerely, Barrister George Brown Levi Esq. georgebrownlevi@gmail.com The Application for claim FOREIGN REMITTANCE DIRECTOR. UNION TOGOLIASE BANK [UTB]. Director. Dr Douglas Louis Kwame bank communicates to you in order to guide you accordingly to avoidmistakes.Therefore, I would like you to fill the text of application formbellow and send it to the bank to enable them commence the processingand transfer of the money into your nominated bank account.Thanks for your co-operation.Yours sincerely,Barrister George Brown Levi Esq.The Application for claimFOREIGN REMITTANCE DIRECTOR.UNION TOGOLIASE BANK [UTB].Director. Dr Douglas Louis Kwame utb1910@hotmail.com Dear Sir, LETTER OF CLAIM/APPLICATION FOR TRANSFER OF TEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS only from vault A/C N0:14-255-2001108. Please be informed that I wish to come for the claim, release and transfer of the sum of TEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND USDOLLARS USD$ 10.500.000.00 from account number 14-255-2001108 with your bank to my private account as will be provided on request. The above amount / money was deposited in your bank by my deceased cousin, who died some years ago with his entire family, but resident in Lome, Togo and owned SARLX-TRA Constructions and Drilling Company Lome, Togo. I am his cousin and named next of kin with all documents of proof. I wish as the heir apparent to claim and instruct that the above mentioned amount be released in my favour. Below are my personal data. NAMES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NATIONALITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OCCUPATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ADDRESS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PHONE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Please accept this late application as it was due to family logistic problems consequent upon his funeral rights. I hope you will understand and expedite action. Thanks for your Anticipated co-operation, Yours faithfully, . . . . . . . . . . De : Levi Chamber Association georgebrownlevi@gmail.com Envoye le : Je, 5 Avr 2018 22:31 Sujet : Your$10,5m. next of kin's transfer However you need to furnish to methe following informations for immediate action : 1. name Your $10,5m. next of kin's transfer through utb1910@hotmail.com However you need to furnish to methe following informations forimmediate action :1. name 2. address 3. phone 4. status 5. age 6. nationality 7. occupation 8. email If you received a similar letter, please ignore it. Do not answer it. If you do, you will end up on more of the mailing lists used by the criminals behind this fraud. Read more.... The year has already seen baby-name trends galore, with gender-neutral monikers reigning supreme. And Baby Centre has now earmarked names inspired by Ikea as a potential new trend to sweep the nation. The Swedish furniture manufacturer often chooses traditional Scandinavian names for its products with the Billy bookcase, Malm bed and Tarva wooden range among its most popular lines. Little Malms everywhere! Home store goliath Ikea could be the next port of call for parents looking for inspiration on what to call their offspring Writer Lucy BC suggests: 'Naming your baby after IKEA furniture might seem ridiculous at first glance, but dont dismiss the idea! 'IKEA is known for the charming Scandinavian names it gives its products and many work surprisingly well as baby names.' She goes on to suggest Malm, a name which has been used by Ikea for it's 'simple, streamlined design' bedroom range. Pointing out that the Swedish furniture manufacturer favours Scandinavian names, the parenting site highlights a range of furniture lines which double as names She also suggests Ingo, which is the male version to Inga or Inge, as well as Tarva, which also references their untreated solid wood range. However, not all names are completely unusual, with Cilla, Franklin, Tobias and Stefan among the names already more common in the UK. While these stand in stark contrast to the more classic baby name trend predicted for 2018, they do fall in line with the trend of girl's names ending in A. Not all names are completely unusual, with Cilla, Franklin, Tobias and Stefan among the names already more common in the UK In December, Mother and Baby magazine predicted gender neutral names would be huge, as well as predicting that names ending in 'a' such as Amelia and Ella would be popular for little girls. With gender-neutral clothing promoted by the likes of Jaden Smith for Louis Vuitton rising in popularity, unisex names look set to follow. And the year's trend of Royal-inspired names looks set to continue, with Meghan and Harry top contenders ahead of the royal wedding next month. We only went to get coat-hangers! Ikea-inspired names Boy's names Malm Stefan Ivar Tobias Stig Franklin Ingo Fredde Sommar Advertisement I hope nobody has woken up this morning sickened with sticky-fingered guilt that yesterday their good intentions melted away with the chocolate. Easter Sunday is not a feast day to be too po-faced about. With it we celebrate rebirth, spring and, er, chocolate. Last week was for penitence. Now you can allow yourself a moments overindulgence. Judged strictly on confectionery, my best ever Easter was spent with a French family in Brittany. I remember the prettiness of the packaging, not just of mini eggs, but also of cones of praline chocolates. These feature in Joanne Harriss French fancy, Chocolat, which begins at a Lenten Carnival and builds up to an explosive Easter Sunday. This week Patricia Nicol recommends Joanne Harriss French fancy Chocolat and Roald Dahls Charlie And The Chocolate Factory Single mother Vianne Rocher is the charismatic chocolatier who sends the citizens of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes into paroxysms of ecstasy with her pralines and peanut brittles. She intuits what will bring her customers comfort, so the villages buttoned-up curate decides she is a witch. But is he demonising pleasure? There is more gentle fun-poking at puritanical thinking in Isak Dinesens classic novella, Babettes Feast. Babette is the French maid of Norwegian spinsters, daughters of a Protestant pastor. When Babette wins the lottery, her employers assume she will return home and grant her wish to prepare a farewell feast. Troubled by the extravagance of her undertaking, their Puritan guests decide the most tactful course will be to ignore the cooking. But Babettes food is unignorable. So is Willy Wonka in Roald Dahls Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. Here, Dahl is the moralist, comparing the ghastly grasping of Veruca Salt, Augustus Gloop et al with the lovely Charlie Bucket, a boy who would share his last square of Wonka Bar with his bedbound grandparents. Theres nothing wrong with overindulging occasionally, but there are consequences of doing it daily. If youve got unsafe quantities of chocolate in your home, todays a good day for swallowing the evidence. A mother has been left furious after she was shamed in a callous note left on her car window for parking in a disabled spot. Shanell Beriman, from Queensland's Sunshine Coast, was accused of wrongly parking in the space despite having a disability permit for her teenage daughter Hailee Wallace. The 13-year-old, who confines to a wheelchair most days, suffers from joint hyper-mobility syndrome and glycogen storage disease, which affects her heart liver and muscles. The young girl's muscles are slowly weakening - and her pain has become so excruciating, she has been left bedridden for days at a time. But last Thursday, Hailee was well enough to walk the short distance from the car to Stockland Caloundra shopping centre with her mother. Upon returning to their vehicle, the mother found the cruel handwritten note that read: 'Why are you parking in a disabled carpark when both you and your daughter are perfectly capable of walking???? Wrong - shame on you for using the sticker ungraciously'. Mother Shanell Beriman has been left furious after she was shamed in a callous note left on her car window for parking in a disabled spot Taking Facebook, Ms Beriman expressed her anger as she slammed the anonymous writer of the note for not knowing her side of the story before casting judgement. 'I am not one to ever complain to anyone about my situation or what a daily routine involves but I'm writing this in the hope that the person who left this note on my car today can get their much wanted answers and to also remind others not to be so quick to judge,' she said. 'My daughter has a disability permit which was clearly displayed; everyone knows they are only provided to patients that require the need to be closer to the main entrance for walking and/or other medically diagnosed conditions. 'Now, I'm sure there would not have been an issue today if I had of pulled out the wheelchair...but today my daughter was having a good day and therefore she did not use the wheelchair for our quick trip into Kmart. 'I try to make her walk short distances where possible and when possible, though she does fatigue easily and quickly (As a matter of fact, she's spent most of the afternoon in bed since our visit to the shop). 'She uses the wheelchair almost everyday but absolutely always uses it for long distances. She also uses a walker at home when needed and other home supporting aides daily to help with her day to day living.' The mother explained how the crippling condition has even left her daughter hospitalised on several occasions. 'She is mainly fed from a Gastrostomy tube in her stomach (although, if she still had the nasal gastric tube that she had for her first three and a half years of life, maybe you would have seen this on her face and not been so quick to judge?),' she said. 'She is extremely lucky to be alive. She is connected to a pump all night, every night that keeps her alive and has done all of her life; Of course you wouldn't have know this either.' The mother was accused of wrongly parking in the space despite having a disability permit for her teenage daughter, who suffers from rare condition (stock image) By sharing her story, the mother wanted hit back at the person who left the cruel note without speaking to her. '[This] will give you a pretty good idea on why we have a disability permit and why I did and will continue to park in the disability parks provided,' she said. 'I will also add that when my daughter is not with me, I most certainly do not park in the disability car parks. You clearly seen us and quite easily could have asked me why I parked there and I would have happily explained. 'Or you also could have left your number and I would have contacted you to ease your mind... not that I needed to but because it would have made you think differently. "Don't judge a book by its cover". 'I just hope from reading this, that you and others like you are not so quick to judge people in the future. You never know a persons story by looking at them.' A well-organised and functional pantry, one that displays everything in a neat and ordered fashion, is something many aspire to. And while tackling this job isn't one anyone relishes, one woman has revealed it's possible to create a streamlined space - using Kmart containers and a labelling machine. Sharing the results of her handiwork, Samantha Baynes recently posted photos of her supremely well-organised pantry to a popular mother's Facebook group. And while the alphabetised spices and condiments look pretty, some eagle-eyed viewers have noticed one tiny error. What makes this pantry so outstanding is that the woman who created it, Samantha Baynes took the time to make sure her spices are labelled and arranged alphabetically While every spice meticulously follows the next in boxes, some have spotted that there is one alphabetical mistake. Bay leaves should come after baking powder if you are correctly following the alphabetical order. One woman has revealed that its possible to create an incredibly streamlined space - using cheap containers from Kmart and a labelling machine The Ms Baynes' post has generated a flurry of interest from others online coveting similarly organised cupboards, however, she revealed the process wasn't quick. 'It's been so un-organised so so long [sic], this took days to group and label, lol its become my happy place in the house,' she wrote on her post. 'So much OCD haha. Just happy the spices aren't all over the place like they were before, can actually find everything.' Taking organisation to new levels: As well labelling all her spices and condiments, everything else that is loose has been boxed and labelled too As well as organising spices and condiments, Ms Baynes created a place to keep all those things that tend to end up creating clutter Although Ms Baynes hasn't said exactly how much she spent all together, she did reveal she spent $70 on containers for her spice storage. Commenting on the super-streamlined space, one woman Bronwyn declared Ms Baynes' perfect layout was 'pantry heaven'. 'Just love it. I can see a run on those containers now, Kmart better stock up,' she added. 'This makes my heart happy. I need this level of organisation in my life!!' wrote another member, Jessie. A third, Taryn added: 'Oh my goodness the OCD in me just did backflips love it wish I actually had the space to do this.' Bringing together a mix of pastel-hues including pink, lavender, blue and yellow, Ms Federico created a space that was entirely colour-coordinated Adelaide blogger Iryna Federico used matching jars and bottles to create clean lines Previously, others have also shown how they've organised their kitchen spaces to perfection. Adelaide blogger, Iryna Federico, set the Internet ablaze last year after she shared photos of her incredibly pretty pastel-coloured pantry. Bringing together a mix of hues including pink, lavender, blue and yellow, Ms Federico created a space that was entirely colour-coordinated. She revealed her dream kitchen - one that's also well-arranged - took two years to complete and cost $2,855. The blogger said although she worked with a builder to design the room, she explained she 'hacked' homewares from IKEA, Costco and Kmart in order to keep her expenses down. Running errands are never fun. But for tens of thousands of Australians, they have gone above and beyond to do your tedious chores to earn some extra cash. People are advertising mundane jobs on Airtasker simply because they don't want to do it, don't have any time or they just don't know where to start. The requests are listed on the website, with a price tag they are willing to pay - and then a secret bidding war decides who will carry out the job. Here, Daily Mail Australia rounds up some oddball jobs - with the help from Airtasker - and, surprisingly, people have catered to all these tasks. A Melbourne man, known as Matt, made a call out for someone to work on a special art for his nightclub party - draw nipples on 250 pink balloons (stock image) The job, titled 'Drawing a single nipple onto 250 pink balloons' was advertised for $50 DRAW NIPPLES ON 250 BALLOONS - $50 A Melbourne man, known as Matt, made a call out for someone to work on a special art for his nightclub party - draw nipples on 250 pink balloons. The job, titled 'Drawing a single nipple onto 250 pink balloons' was advertised for $50. 'Yes. This is not a drill. My nightclub in the city is hosting its annual party. I have a delivery of 250 pink balloons,' the ad read. 'I need someone to scribble 250 nipples onto them using two marker pens we will provide. This will take no longer than one hour.' His review of the completed task was short, to the point and very funny Dylan Z. was a 'fantastic nipple artist'. A Sydney man, known as Yousef (pictured), paid a personal photographer $50 to shoot pictures for his Tinder profile TINDER PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHER - $150 A Sydney man, known as Yousef, paid a personal photographer $50 to shoot pictures for his Tinder profile. 'Hi guys. It seems to be that my good funny self confident character is not enough to help me meet some nice girls,' the ad read. 'I need a good photographer to present myself well on those apps. I bought some new t-shirts, have a nice hair cut now with light brown hair touches. 'My favorite location to get shots would definitely be Drummoyne bay. Need a competent person.' DELIVER A PUG DOG - $220 A man wanted his pug dog, named Bob, to be taken on a 215km road trip from Newcastle to Bargo in New South Wales for $220. 'I introduce Bob, who my Wife and I have been looking after for a few weeks. Bob now needs to return to Bargo, NSW 2574,' the ad read. A man wanted his pug dog, named Bob, to be taken on a 215km road trip (stock image) 'He needs someone kind and caring who loves dogs to transport him safely and comfortably from us in Fletcher, NSW to Bargo. 'Bob is a calm character and will probably just sleep on the seat most of the way with some intermittent snoring. He may need one or two toilet breaks on the journey and most likely some water. 'We have a harness and car seat belt clip for Bob so he will be safe and sound and not be able to move around your car. 'If you fancy a road trip with Bob calling 'shotgun' then make an offer.' A Geelong man, known as John advertised for a temporary in-house chef to teach him and his girlfriend how to poach eggs (stock image) TEACH ME AND MY GIRLFRIEND HOW TO POACH EGGS - $100 How deep can love of breakfast go? Well apparently $100. A Geelong man, known as John advertised for a temporary in-house chef to teach him and his girlfriend how to poach eggs. 'I need someone who works at a reputable restaurant, and poaches a lot of eggs, to come by on a Sunday and teach my girlfriend and I how to poach eggs,' the ad read. 'If specialist equipment is necessary you can buy it and keep the receipts and Ill reimburse you for it. 'I cant stress this enough - I'm looking for restaurant/brunch quality of poached eggs and would prefer someone who has experience at a restaurant.' The review of the task after it was completed was glowing, and the poster added that the chef also taught them how to make hollandaise sauce. A young woman, known as Apple, wanted a Snapchat filter removed from a selfie - a cheap and easy job completed quickly for $5 REMOVE SNAPCHAT EARS AND NOSE FROM PHOTO - $5 A young woman, known as Apple, wanted a Snapchat filter removed from a selfie - a cheap and easy job completed quickly for $5. COLLECT COCKROACHES FOR A VIDEO - $50 In what has to be one of the most niche posts made on Airtasker, one user under K J. wanted 100 cockroaches collected for a video production - and he was willing to pay $50. The person who completed the task commented: 'Thank you for the very interesting task! Happy to help again! Gotta catch them all!' KILL A SPIDER - $50 A Sydney woman, known as Stacy, paid someone to come over and get rid of a spider camped out in her shower for $50. 'I live in Surry hills and there's a massive spider in my bathroom, I need someone to remove for me ASAP hopefully a girl because I've got a lot of feminine products around,' the ad read. And to the woman's relief, the Airtasker came over with a container and caught and released the lingering spider. A Sydney woman paid someone come over and get rid of a spider camped out in her shower for $50 (stock image) 'Paris rescued me from a dangerous spider that was trapped in my shower,' Stacy said. 'I requested someone to come and kill the spider but she came over with her own Tupperware from home and captured the spider then released in a park near my street. 'I am absolutely thankful for what she has done for me today and I'll definitely call her again if there's anymore insects in my apartment.' ORGANISE GAME OF THRONES TRIVIA NIGHT - $100 A man, known as John, wanted a Game of Thrones die-hard fan to organise a trivia package for him for $100. 'I am in need of a full trivia package for a Game of Thrones Trivia night. including the following 4 rounds of 12 questions, 1 x picture round (10 characters to name from image), 1 x bonus question with closest number wins, 1 x jackpot questions (really hard), 3 x tie breaker questions and 10 x true or false questions,' the ad read. 'They will need to be medium to hard questions suitable to be played in a pub/hotel. Picture round will need to be in powerpoint show ( I will send you the format from my Seinfeld one).' And much to his delight, the woman named Queenie, completed the task. 'I use Airtasker a lot and Queenie is by far the best I have worked with. Went over and above to complete the task before due date doing more than was asked at amazing quality,' John said. A teenage girl who miraculously escaped two horrific car accidents as a child has defied the odds to get behind the wheel. Sophie Delezio captured the hearts of millions of Australians when she was left fighting for her life at the age of two after she was trapped beneath a burning car, which crashed into her daycare centre in 2003. The toddler suffered third degree burns to 85 per cent of her body. She lost an ear, the fingers on her right hand and both feet as she was placed in a coma for three months. But after a remarkable recovery, disaster struck again in 2006 when Sophie was thrown 18 metres from her wheelchair as she crossed a road. Sophie Delezio (pictured now) captured the hearts of millions of Australians after she miraculously escaped two horrific car accidents as a child The then-two-year-old was left fighting for her life at the age of two after she was trapped beneath a burning car, which crashed into her daycare centre in 2003 (pictured leaving hospital after recovering from the horrific crash) She suffered a bleeding on the brain, a heart attack and severe injuries, including a broken jaw, fractured shoulder, and a tear to her lung. She also lost a sense of smell. But despite the near-death ordeals, the now-17-year-old has proved she can overcome any challenge after bouncing back. Speaking to Woman's Day magazine, the young survivor revealed how her childhood trauma has not deterred her from learning to drive. The plucky teenager clocked up the required 120 hours for her NSW driver's licence in just eight months after driving to and from school. When she's on the road on trips around Sydney on weekends, her parents Ron and Carolyn or a carer would supervise her. 'I'm in heaven as long as I'm the one in the driver's seat and in control. I just love to drive. I enjoy the way it makes me feel... free,' she said. The toddler suffered third degree burns to 85 per cent of her body after the daycare crash The little girl has proved to be a fight after she made a remarkable recovery from two near-death accidents (pictured left and right with her mother Carolyn Martin in 2006) Since her near-fatal accidents, Sophie has undergone countless surgeries, including multiple operations to stretch her scalp to allow hair follicles to be implanted. But after finding a hairdresser who could give her hair extensions, Sophie now has thicker and longer brunette tresses. Sophie now owns three pairs of prosthetic limbs - one designed for flat shoes and sneakers and two with adjustable soles for heels. After the first incident, she lost an ear, the fingers on her right hand and both feet as she was placed in a coma for three months (pictured left at the age of two and right in 2006 - after her second car accident) Since her near-fatal accidents, Sophie has undergone countless surgeries, including multiple operations to stretch her scalp to allow hair follicles to be implanted Last year, she went skydiving in Queenstown, New Zealand, describing the thrilling activity as 'one of the coolest experiences of my life' And Sophie has been fulfilling life like any other teenager. Last year, she went skydiving in Queenstown, New Zealand, describing the thrilling activity as 'one of the coolest experiences of my life'. And while she's in her final year of high school, Sophie already plans to study abroad in the UK next year after she sits her Higher School Certificate exams. 'I'm always telling myself I need to crack down and study, but I'm also here to live life, and the busier I am, the better,' she told the magazine. A couple's closest friends and family went to watch them skydive at a field near the Great Ocean Road, only to discover they were there for a surprise wedding. Rebecca, 34, and Brendan Witten, 43, tied the knot on April Fool's Day after meeting exactly four years before online. The Victorian couple wed at Tiger Moth World in Torquay, Victoria, after planning their dream day in just 33 days. A couple's (pictured) closest friends and family went to watch them skydive at a field near the Great Ocean Road, only to discover they were there for a surprise wedding Rebecca, 34, and Brendan Witten, 43, (pictured after the ceremony) tied the knot on April Fool's Day after meeting exactly four years before online The Victorian couple wed at Tiger Moth World in Torquay, Victoria, after planning their dream day in just 33 days and had a ride in a helicopter after the ceremony (pictured) 'It was a spur of the moment decision,' Ms Witten told Daily Mail Australia. 'I came up with the idea of getting married then it all evolved from there. 'We planned with a lot of lists and had great support of my close family, step dad, mum, sisters and mother in law.' Only the wedding party knew about the surprise for Easter Sunday as well as Ms Witten's father who had to fly in from Queensland. '(Everyone) was happily surprised and stoked for us,' she said. Mr Witten first proposed to his now wife on Valentine's Day in 2016, but Ms Witten suffered from depression and 'was in a dark place'. 'It was a spur of the moment decision,' Ms Witten told Daily Mail Australia (pictured with their family with a combined five sons) About 40 people gathered for the intimate wedding and those who couldn't be there, including Ms Witten's son Alex, were represented by balloons (pictured) Only the wedding party knew about the surprise for Easter Sunday as well as Ms Witten's father who had to fly in from Queensland 'I have broken up with him many times ... but he stuck by me and waited for me to get out of my dark places,' Ms Witten said. 'I'm now doing really well and couldn't be happier (and) knowing he will be there no matter what has been comforting.' When the special day finally came around more than two years later, everyone was 'happy, surprised and stoked' for them. When the special day finally came around more than two years later, everyone was 'happy, surprised and stoked' for them Despite wanting to do a sky dive as a married couple, health reasons stopped them so the newly weds went on a helicopter flight over the Great Ocean Road after the ceremony About 40 people gathered for the intimate wedding and those who couldn't be there, including Ms Witten's son Alex, were represented by balloons. Other sentimental touches including the arbor made by Ms Witten's brother and a wedding ring which belonged to Mr Witten's father. While they couldn't do a sky dive as a married couple due to health reasons, the newly weds - who have five sons combined - went on a helicopter flight over the Great Ocean Road are the ceremony. '(Our wedding) was like a dream - totally awesome!,' Ms Witten said. Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins brought their familiar brand of slap-stick humour and blush-inducing innuendo to the revamped Generation Game, but plenty of BBC viewers didn't see the funny side. The presenting duo, who won legions of fans when they hosted the Great British Bake Off thanks to their double entendres, received criticism from those watching the Easter Sunday show, with some saying it was 'too rude' for family viewing. Comedian Johnny Vegas kicked off the racy tone, after he launched a pottery challenge, asking contestants to craft a teapot out of clay in under a minute. A female contestant then tried to replicate it, with Vegas screaming: 'lubricate, lubricate, lubricate' while the lady worked the clay, leaving the audience and guest judges Richard Osman and Lorraine Kelly tittering. Scroll down for video Oo-er missus! Contestant Lorraine was tasked with making the spout for her teapot but her actions had the studio audience - and judges Johnny Vegas, Richard Osman and Lorraine Kelly - chortling Viewers branded the show, which was introduced as a 'family show for every generation' as 'too rude' on social media In a bid to make the phallic shape presenter Mel Giedroyc attempted to demonstrate the way but it led to even more laughter from the studio Judges Johnny Vegas, Richard Osman and Lorraine Kelly were in hysterics watching both challenges Viewers watching the revamped Generation Game were less than impressed with the innuendos, with some claiming it was 'forced' On social media, there was an avalanche of reaction to the show, with many people taking to Twitter it was simply too risque for a family audience. One viewer, @JonathanPinney, wrote: 'Bruce didn't need to resort to innuendo with sausages! Bit rude for Easter Sunday!' Another added: 'Can't help thinking the whole #GenerationGame revival idea was based on Johnny Vegas doing pottery and we'll work the rest out later.' The show, which first aired in 1971 with the late Sir Bruce Forsyth at the helm, saw the contestants challenged by judge Johnny to make a teapot in under a minute - a feat the comedian performed on another BBC show, The Great Pottery Throw Down. He explained as he demonstrated how to construct it: 'You want to get your finger in there. Finger it in right there. Lubricate, lubricate, lubricate You want to work the clay.' As the contestants rubbed their clay spouts and attempted to build the teapot, judges Lorraine Kelly, Richard Osman and Johnny Vegas all watched in hysterics. After it had finished quiz master Richard said: 'You have to compliment Lorraine on her spout technique, a lot to enjoy there.' And daytime TV host Lorraine added: 'I will never look at the handle of a teapot in the same way every again.' Another challenge had the contestants making sausages under the guidance of a butcher using a machine which churned out meat into sausage skin which they then had to make into sausage links. Not everyone was upset with the innuendos, as people watching at home said it was a welcome return since they left GBBO Mel Giedroyc found it difficult to keep a straight face as she watched the contestants attempt to make their spouts for a teapot During Johnny's demonstration he began rubbing up and down on the piece of clay before Sue Perkins grabbed a towel to cover it up As meat spilled every where and Sue exclaimed there had been a 'pork explosion', contestant Ruth desperately tried to pump the skin to cover her meat. 'Clay looks like k***s. Sausages look like k***s,' said another viewer on Twitter. 'So many d*** jokes on this Generation Game on BBC! Jesus christ!' said one. A third unimpressed viewer said: 'Mel and Sue on Bake Off, fab. On Generation Game they are forcing it too much and too many innuendos. Let it RIP!' Not everyone was upset with the return of the BBC show, as one viewer said: 'This is what we came for. This is what we miss from Bake Off. THE INNUENDO.' 'So many innuendos with the clay teapots especially on the handles. #GenerationGame it's hilarious,' said one happy fan. The Generation Game continues next Sunday on BBC One at 8pm A mother has revealed how she launched an online business transforming ultrasound scans into one-of-a-kind works of art. Veselka Bulkan, from Munich, Germany, came up with the idea after searching for a unique way to announce she was expecting her first child last year. A talented seamstress, Veselka decided to embroider her ultrasound scan in white thread on black background, creating a keepsake of the image. After she posted a snap of her handiwork on Instagram she was flooded with requests from parents from around the world who wanted their own pregnancy memento. Veselka spends up to four weeks making each piece, charging roughly 213 per image. The idea has proved so popular she has already been forced to close her waiting list for new commissions. Veselka Bulkan, from Munich, wanted a special way to remember her pregnancy and so embroidered her ultrasound scan After she posted the image announcing she was expecting her first child, Veselka was inundated with requests from people all around the world Veselka usually focuses on creating embroidered vegetable-themed creations, which are also based on commission. She is currently juggling both sides of her work with raising her daughter, who was born late last year. The new mother explained on her site Little Herb Bouquet how her new venture began. 'When I became pregnant at the beginning of the last year, I made an embroidery from my babys ultrasound,' she wrote. 'I looked [at it] every day during this season of my life while imagining how she will look like, and a keepsake of these beautiful days as well. I also used this as a unique way to announce my pregnancy.' Veselka, who has now given birth, is caring for her newborn daughter alongside working through her waiting list full of requests She continued: 'Meanwhile, I have got many inquiries, so I decided to accept custom orders beside my root vegetable embroideries at the end. 'Embroidering is fun but needs lots of time. Obviously, I am also quite busy with my little one. I will do my best to check your ultrasounds as soon as possible.' The mother-of-one told POPSUGAR that she had only been able to complete a few of the custom orders because of the detail required, explaining each took between two and four weeks to complete. The new mother is usually found embroidering root vegetables but has taken on the the new venture charging just over 200 per commission She also warned fans that not all ultrasound scans were suitable for the treatment, pointing to the importance of clarity and shape. She added: 'The posture of the baby is a factor. Some photos are close up to the face, some are not. The contours on the head are pretty different in each in terms of abstraction of details. 'The textures of the scan and the ratio of black and white areas are also a difficulty factor. 'Some of the ultrasounds are so blurred and abstract. Their textures are not so clear so that the result would not be good at all. Three-dimensional ultrasounds are also not applicable.' A father-to-be created a touching pregnancy video documenting the size of his growing baby by comparing it to different foods. Danny Bortfeld, an actor from Berlin, took a photo nearly every week of his fiancee Marlen Lalo's pregnancy before they welcomed daughter Luna in April 2017. The excited couple used seeds, fruits and vegetables to serve as visual comparisons for the size of their unborn child. They then compiled the sweet snaps into a touching slideshow entitled 'When love becomes life', which went viral after it was shared on the official Netmums account last week. Scroll down to see the incredible time lapse album... Danny Bortfeld, an actor from Berlin, created an amazing video with fiance Marlen Lalo, comparing the size of their growing baby to different foods. Pictured, a poppy seed for week 3 Just 5 weeks after conception, the baby is roughly the size of a sesame seed, or similar At six weeks, the baby has grown slightly and is roughly the size of a grain of rice, pictured The couple donned all blue outfits to mark their child being the same size as a blueberry At eight weeks their baby had already grown to the size of a raspberry, as shown by Danny Two weeks later, the baby is the size of a date and Marlen shows the tiniest hint of a bump Entering the second trimester, the baby has now grown to the size of a kiwi Week 14 and Danny appears very excited to learn his baby is now the size of a nectarine Week 15 their baby had grown as large as a pear, with Danny sporting a pout to match With Marlen's bump beginning to show, the baby is the size of an avocado by week 16 In week 17 their little one had already grown to the size of a large orange Danny claims the baby is the size of a dragon fruit, although this is larger than most estimates In week 19 Marlen's growing stomach held a baby the same size as a grapefruit A mango was used to compare the size of their foetus in week 20 of the pregnancy Week 23 had the couple feeling cheeky, they used an aubergine to document the baby's size Entering the third and final trimester, the baby is now roughly the size of a butternut squash With just a few weeks to go before the due date, the baby is now like a casaba melon The final week 40 showed an excited Danny comparing a sizable watermelon to heavily pregnant Marlen's stomach Diagnosing prostate cancer could be revolutionised thanks to a pioneering British study that aims to catch the disease early. The research could pave the way for a national screening programme that saves lives and spares thousands from unnecessary invasive treatment. Scientists will be testing a method of diagnosis that uses MRI scans and advanced blood and urine tests. In a pioneering British study, scientists will be testing a method of diagnosis that uses MRI scans and advanced blood and urine tests to diagnose prostate cancer early (file photo) If successful, all men over 45 could be tested early in the same way that all women are offered mammograms to test for breast cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common type in men and one in eight will develop it in their lifetime. The disease kills 11,800 men in the UK each year. The Daily Mail is campaigning to end needless prostate cancer deaths through better treatment and greater awareness. Current diagnosis methods a blood test and a painful internal investigation are deemed unreliable. The tests often miss deadly tumours and can even lead to unnecessary treatment for benign growths. The new methods to be tested by University College London and Imperial College London will be able to detect tiny particles of tumour. The scientists aim to show that this approach is far more effective. The new technique would also be able to measure how likely it is that healthy men would develop prostate cancer. Those with a high risk would be encouraged to have regular MRI scans while those with a low risk would have the scans less frequently. Over the next few months researchers will recruit up to 1,500 men to take part in the study. Lead researcher Professor Mark Emberton, from University College London, said: We will be testing if the MRI can be used for screening men and we hope that it will detect serious cancers earlier that are currently missed. If we can detect cancers earlier and more reliably with a non-invasive test, this could help to improve the survival rates. Until now, there has been no reliable method that accurately detects harmful tumours. Prostate cancer is the most common type in men and one in eight will develop it in their lifetime. The disease kills 11,800 men in the UK each year (file photo) This means that the cancer is often detected late when it has already spread to other tissue and organs. By the time men experience symptoms such as frequent or painful urination, the cancer has likely been there some time. Figures released in February showed the number of prostate cancer deaths had overtaken breast cancer deaths for the first time partly due to late diagnosis. Currently, men suspected of having prostate cancer are offered a PSA blood test, followed by a painful biopsy and then, if they are lucky, an MRI scan. But recent research has shown that MRI scans are much more effective at identifying the most aggressive tumours. Unfortunately, researchers believe it will be at least ten years before the scans are available on the NHS as part of a screening programme. They will have to carry out several large-scale studies to prove the scans save lives and are cost-effective. The first study is being funded by the Medical Research Council and Cancer Research UK. Dr Ian Walker, Cancer Research UKs director of clinical research, said: Providing men with an accurate diagnosis is one of the biggest challenges in prostate cancer. Current tests are blunt and unreliable when it comes to helping doctors decide what course of action is best. Too many men are treated for cancers that would never have caused them harm and some cancers are missed altogether. The many hundreds of men who will take part in this clinical study will be helping to advance our understanding of prostate cancer. Karen Stalbow, of the charity Prostate Cancer UK, said the impact of these types of MRI scans known as multiparametric MRI scans was the biggest leap forward weve seen in prostate cancer diagnosis in decades. She added: It has increased the accuracy of detecting harmful cancers, whilst reducing the need for some men to have a biopsy altogether. Advanced paramedics can now prescribe medications to people who do not require hospital treatment. Under new UK laws, paramedics who have or are working towards a master's in their specialty, will be able to issue drugs without delay or such patients being required to visit their GP. Up to seven in 10 people seen by advanced care paramedics require assistance but not hospital treatment. Around 700 paramedics are due to be trained to make them qualified to issue prescriptions. Previous NICE recommendations to train more staff to become advanced paramedics claim such a move could reduce hospital admissions by 13 per cent. It is hoped the development will free up A&E doctors to treat more needy patients. Paramedics can now prescribe medications to people not requiring hospital treatment (stock) WHAT ARE ADVANCED PARAMEDICS? An advanced paramedic is an experienced member of staff who has undertaken, or is working towards, a master's degree in a relevant subject. They must demonstrate expert knowledge, complex decision-making skills and competence in their area of practice. Advanced paramedics are more senior than specialists but below directors and consultants. Previous NICE recommendations suggest training more staff to become advanced paramedics could reduce hospital admissions by 13 per cent. Advanced paramedics can specialise in critical care, where they treat seriously unwell patients, or urgent care, where they respond to those who could be treated at home. They are also able to administer enhanced pain relief and assess if wounds require stitches. Source: College of Paramedics Advertisement Move allows treatment without delay Rachel Power, chief executive of The Patients Association, told the BBC the move 'will make it easier for [patients] to receive treatment at home, eliminate the need to see a second professional in many cases, and reduce the need for transportation into hospital that isn't clinically necessary. 'Rather, they will be able to start treatment without delay, which for some will be critical.' Gemma Walsh, an advanced paramedic who specialises in urgent care, added the development will reduce pressures on GPs and hospitals. Ms Walsh also believes the new law will allow paramedics to offer patients more complete care, with them already being responsible for making early diagnoses and management plans. An NHS England spokesperson added: 'Increasing the range of treatments offered by paramedics closer to people's homes is another significant step in transforming emergency care, as ambulance clinicians increasingly become part of community urgent treatment services.' Gemma Walsh, an advanced paramedic who specialises in urgent care, believes the move will reduce pressures on GPs and hospitals, while allowing paramedics to offer complete care Paramedics hired to work in A&E amid staff shortages This comes after news released in January this year revealed hospitals were hiring paramedics to treat people in A&E while they struggled with an influx of patients and nursing shortages. NHS trusts in Herefordshire, Northamptonshire, Kent and Devon advertised for ambulance staff to work in their emergency and urgent care departments. This meant paramedics were quitting frontline duties to work inside hospitals, leaving under-pressure ambulance services with fewer staff. Paramedics are skilled at administering emergency first aid and treating minor injuries, which supporters of the move said made them ideal to work in emergency departments. Yet critics claimed the fact hospitals are being forced to recruit paramedics lays bare the crisis facing the NHS. A young boy has been cured of an ultra-rare condition that affects just 50 children worldwide due to a pioneering 'brain transplant'. Sam Pearson, nine, from Chippenham, Wiltshire, was diagnosed with a mutation in the GNAO1 gene after suffering violent, flailing movements brought on by a chest infection in October 2015. After being put in an induced coma to control his symptoms, doctors decided to fit Sam with a Deep Brain Stimulator (DBS), which creates an electrical field that overrides the pathway behind the jerky movements. Sam has since recovered well and has recently started walking independently, as well as having his medication reduced and even returning to school. His mother, Carol Pearson, said: 'It's life changing, knowing that this should be the end of our long hospital stays.' Sam Pearson (believed to be pictured after the procedure) has been cured of an ultra-rare condition that affects just 50 children worldwide due to a pioneering 'brain transplant' WHAT IS DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION? Deep brain stimulation (DBS) helps to control movement problems and is the main type of surgery used to treat Parkinson's. It involves implanting very fine wires with electrodes at their tips into the brain. These are connected to extensions under the skin behind the ear and down the neck, which then connect to a pulse generator. When the device is turned on, electrodes deliver high-frequency stimulation to the targeted area, which changes signals in the brain that cause Parkinson's symptoms. The brain is not destroyed in the process. DBS is usually reversible. It does not stop Parkinson's progressing and is not a cure. Source: Parkinson's UK Advertisement 'He's doing so much better' Speaking of her son's recovery, Ms Pearson added: 'The first couple of weeks at home were tough, but now he's doing so much better. 'The staff at the children's hospital have been incredible and we can't thank them enough. 'It's wonderful to know that the treatment Sam's having will also benefit others in the future.' 'Coming on in leaps and bounds' Paediatric consultant neurologist Dr Mohammed Babiker, was already aware of a newly discovered mutation in the GNAO1 gene when Sam presented tothe Bristol Royal Hospital for Children with his symptoms. He decided to implant a DBS into the youngster on November 2 after consulting with other experts in the UK and Australia. The procedure required a cutting-edge computer-guided robotic technique and was part-funded by official children's hospital charity The Grand Appeal. Although less than 10 patients have received DBS for this specific genetic mutation worldwide, all have shown an excellent response. Jenny Sacree, an advanced paediatric nurse practitioner, who was involved in programming the device, added: 'The aim of having this device is to prevent Sam from having another crisis episode and improve his quality of life. 'It's amazing to see him and his family doing so well, Sam has such a wicked sense of humour and now everyone's able to see it. 'He now has a lot more control over his movement and is coming on in leaps and bounds every time I see him.' He was put in an induced coma after experiencing violent movements due to a chest infection Teens are snorting condoms for the latest viral social media challenge, health officials warn. The 'Condom Challenge' involves inhaling an unwrapped condom through one's nostril and pulling it out of the throat through the mouth. The challenge has been around for several years but is reportedly making a comeback on the heels of the Tide Pod Challenge that made headlines earlier this year. Experts warn that snorting condoms not only poses a serious choking risk but could also lead to infection. The 'Condom Challenge' is reportedly making a comeback as teens post videos of themselves snorting unwrapped condoms through their nostrils and pulling the out of their mouths The challenge has been around for several years. Dozens of videos show the disturbing process In a three-minute video from 2015 a teen unwraps a condom and unrolls it before sticking it in his nostril. He then winces as he closes the other nostril with his finger and inhales the white rubber sheath up into his nose. Seconds later he gags as he pulls the condom out of his mouth. Dozens of other videos on YouTube show the same disturbing process. Bruce Lee, an associated professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, addressed the trend in an opinion piece for Forbes posted Saturday. 'When is using a condom a bad idea? When you are trying to snort it up your nose and pull it out through your mouth,' he wrote. 'Even if you manage to successfully pull the condom out through your mouth, inhaling a condom up your nose would be very uncomfortable and potentially quite painful. 'Would it really be worth all that just to get more likes and views?' Health experts have urged people to stop participating in the potentially dangerous trend. Snorting condoms is a choking hazard because the rubber could potentially get caught in a person's airway and block their ability to breathe. The spermicidal lubricant found on most condoms can also irritate the inner lining of the nose and cause allergic reaction or infection. Accidentally swallowing the condom could also lead to serious complications. A girl winces as she snorts a condom up her nose and gags as she pulls it out of her mouth in a video posted on YouTube in 2013 Courtesy of DokaRyan In 2016 a woman from Cameroon accidentally swallowed a condom and had to have it surgically removed from her appendix after it caused appendicitis. Another woman developed pneumonia after accidentally swallowing a condom according to a report in an Indian medical journal from 2004. The challenge has been around for more than a decade with YouTube videos dating back to 2007. One channel devoted to the challenge created in 2013 has more than 100 videos of people participating. Earlier this year another dangerous viral video trend the 'Tide Pod Challenge' made headlines as dozens of teens posted videos of themselves chewing and swallowing the laundry detergent pods. Health officials reported more than 40 cases of teens getting sick from the highly concentrated detergent that can cause chemical burns when ingested. Estonia will screen nearly one-tenth of its population's DNA in a controversial move to assess their disease risk. Some 100,000 of the country's 1.3 million residents will provide blood samples to determine their genetic information in a programme funded by the state. The aim of the project is to provide lifestyle advice or preventative measures to reduce at-risk people's likelihoods of becoming ill. Yet, critics argue the programme could cause unnecessary anxiety. In the UK and Ireland, biobanks store donated DNA samples, which are usually collected for medical research. Those who donate their DNA in the UK or Ireland are legally banned from receiving information on it, even if they are found to have a higher risk of illness. Estonia will screen nearly one-tenth of its population's DNA to assess their disease risk (stock) ARE MAIL-ORDER GENETIC TESTS ACCURATE? An analysis released in March 2018 suggests at-home genetic tests assessing people's cancer risks are inaccurate 40 per cent of the time. Such tests, like the recently US-approved version by 23andMe, are intended to detect mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which are associated with a higher risk of breast, ovarian and prostate cancer. Yet, an analysis by Ambry Genetics, a company that interprets data from consumer DNA tests, found that nearly half of the results supplied in the past month from various other firms were false positives. As a result, at least seven people were given an unnecessary scare, adding yet another reason to question the reliability of such tests that the FDA already warned is 'seriously limited'. The report, published in the journal Nature, is based on data from 49 people who had already received such test results. Their DNA was retested and analysed by Ambry Genetics and multiple other laboratories. More than half of the false positives participants received were for BRCA mutations. An estimated one in 300-to-800 Americans have BRCA mutations, which are commonly known as the 'Angelina-Jolie gene' due to the actress having a double-mastectomy in 2013 after discovering she inherited the mutation from her mother. Specific inherited BRCA mutations have most closely been linked to an increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers, but have also been associated with heightened risks of other forms of the disease. Advertisement 'This may create great anxiety' Jevgeni Ossinovski, Estonia's minister of health and labour, told New Scientist: 'We want to invest in preventing or delaying the onset of common chronic diseases by using genetics to identify people at high risk.' He adds the country plans to one day have a national biobank and Health Information System that contains the genetic information of every inhabitant. Yet, Hugh Whittall, from the UK Nuffield Council on Bioethics, argues: 'An offer of free genetic profiling may seem tempting but the information is often difficult to interpret, particularly in relation to risk of serious conditions. 'This may well create more questions than answers for those who take part, and in some cases great anxiety.' Mr Whittall adds policies must be in place to protect data, as well as ensuring participants are informed as to how their information may be used and be whom. According to Mr Ossinovski, who is the first to take part in the trial and is donating his blood today, the information collected will be highly secure, made anonymous and coded to prevent third-party access. How the research will be carried out Each of the participants' DNA will be analysed for more than 600,000 variants linked to common diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and high cholesterol. More than 100,000 additional variants will be screened for rare diseases or reactions to 28 common drugs, like codeine and warfarin. Although still under discussion, the participants are thought to be able to chose how much information they would like to receive on their health. If they choose to be told their disease risk, their GP will be informed first and will counsel them on what the results mean and if they have any treatment or prevention options. Within 48 hours of the programme's launch on March 20, 10,000 people had applied to take part, according to Lili Milani, from the Estonian Genome Center, which is carrying out the research. The breast cancer information page was deleted from the US government's health site in December and has not been replaced, a new report has revealed. The page, which also featured reproductive health resources for low-income women, was pulled from Womenshealth.gov on December 6, 2017, and the link remains defunct, according to an investigation by watchdog the Sunlight Foundation. The news comes days after it emerged all lesbian and bisexual health resources were scrubbed from the HHS site in September 2017. An HHS spokesman defended the loss of the breast cancer page saying the content 'was not mobile-friendly and very rarely used', adding that they felt the low page views suggested it may be 'redundant information'. Women's health advocates have slammed the explanation as a 'poor excuse'. This is what the breast cancer page looked like before it was deleted on December 6, 2017 A number of results come up when 'breast cancer' is typed into the search function, but the main link circles back to the homepage of the whole site. While mammogram information remains on the site, there are no longer 'informational pages and factsheets about the disease', Sunlight found. Those factsheets included symptoms, treatment, and risk factors. Crucially, it showed users where they could get no- or low-cost cancer screening from the CDC, and featured information about how the Affordable Care Act covers breast cancer screenings for certain women. 'The office did not proactively announce or explain the removals,' Sunlight's investigator Jon Campbell said in the report. The HHS spokesman insists the removal came after an audit found the information was 'rarely' viewed and repeated information on other health sites. Last week, the same team published another report showing resources for lesbian and bisexual Americans have been stripped from the website. The page which once contained substantial information about lesbian and bisexual health, and all external links, quietly disappeared from the Health and Human Services website in September 2017, and is still down six months later. What's more, the subhead of 'lesbian and bisexual health' has been removed from the drop-down menu. Although the section was long overdue an update, with the last edit made in 2012, public health advocates say it was a crucial platform providing some assistance to a largely under-served community. Lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans have poorer heart health, higher suicide risks, and higher rates of obesity and smoking than heterosexuals. It is a bleak reality that experts attribute to deep-rooted discrimination in the US healthcare system, making it harder to get insurance, rarer to be treated with dignity, and more difficult to access relevant resources if the patient is not heterosexual. The defunct webpage was once a source analyzing the specific health risk factors for lesbian and bisexual women, and the challenges they face in the healthcare system. There was no announcement that it had disappeared from the HHS website but some people started to report it. Eventually researchers at the Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit government watchdog group, sought to investigate what happened to the page, a subset of the HHS Women's Health site, which receives 700,000 views a month. They found, as expected, the link now leads to a 'page not found' error page, and there was no mention of a 'lesbian and bisexual health' page on the site. The HHS claims the page has been removed momentarily so it can be updated to provide the most up-to-date information for citizens. This is what users are met with now if they try to find lesbian and bisexual resources on the HHS Women's Health website But Tanekwah Hinds, women's health program coordinator at Fenway Health, of Harvard-affiliate National LGBT Health Education Center, says that removing the information wholesale, and for so long, is such a stark move it smacks of discrimination. 'It continues to deprive the community of culturally competent resources,' she told Daily Mail Online. 'For the LGBT community, it's often not information you can easily find. Oftentimes you have to look online for those resources. Removing it from there just reinforces the discrimination that is already coming at this community from all angles. 'It's already coming from family, society, oftentimes healthcare providers. So, coming from the government, it's just a continuation of how this administration has treated this community.' Hinds explains that lesbians and bisexual women, in particular, are between a rock and a hard place, facing discrimination in terms of gender as well as sexual orientation. This group also includes transgender people, who are subject to yet more forms of abuse. 'They are more struggling to find community and acceptance in work places, at home... and this creates health disparities.' Equally enraged, the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) hit back at the HHS's response with a strongly-worded statement: 'The erasure of lesbian and bisexual health content from WomensHealth.gov is tantamount to discrimination against a vulnerable population that already suffers significant health disparities and discrimination in healthcare,' the group's president Gal Mayer, MD, MS, said in a statement. 'In removing these resources, HHS restricts the ability of sexual minority women to access critical information designed to help them improve their health outcomes and get the quality care they deserve.' Dr Mayer added that it follows other measures taken by the Trump-lead HHS to 'dismantle LGBTQ health initiatives over the past year', and called on health professionals to fight back against the changes. Grindr, the world's largest gay dating app, is under fire for allegedly sharing users' HIV status with third-party apps. The company launched a feature last spring allowing its 3.6 million users to share their status, and last test date, saying it was a bid to destigmatize the disease. Now, a year later, a report shared with Buzzfeed News reveals those details are being shared with two app-optimization services, Apptimize and Localytics, along with identifiable information such as phone ID, email and GPS coordinates. It means millions of peoples' highly-sensitive information is far more vulnerable, and at risk of being hacked from any one of the three firms. While Grindr insists it is standard practice for an app, the news has sent shockwaves through the community, with thousands calling for the app to immediately cut ties with the other firms. Grindr claims it is standard practice but it has raised questions about privacy and transparency 'The limited information shared with these platforms is done under strict contractual terms that provide for the highest level of confidentiality, data security, and user privacy,' Grindr's chief technology officer Scott Chen said to BuzzFeed News. The sharing relationship was first spotted by Norwegian nonprofit watchdog SINTEF. The lead researcher Antoine Pultier told Buzzfeed News users could be easily identified using the information shared: 'The HIV status is linked to all the other information. That's the main issue. I think this is the incompetence of some developers that just send everything, including HIV status.' Grindr is not selling the personal data, rather sharing it with app-optimization companies to improve the app, learning more about their users and community. However, it has sparked questions about the firm's dedication to supporting and nurturing an under-served community. The report comes amid the scandal over Facebook selling personal data to Cambridge Analytica. Grindr is made for all people who identify as bi or homosexual, but is primarily geared towards men. It is available in every country in the world, including every country with laws that criminalize homosexuality. The app has fashioned itself as a front runner in the fight to destigmatize HIV diagnosis, prevention, testing and treatment with a number of features allowing users to find testing sites and be open about their status. Last week, Grindr was lauded for a new feature that will send users reminders to get tested, along with tips of where to find 'non-judgy' doctors. The move was met with delight from the HIV community, with many hailing it as a 'breakthrough'. Recent CDC figures revealed HIV infection rates have plummeted among all groups but are on the rise among some groups of gay men, particularly the young and Latino. Since 2008, the overall rate among men who have sex with men (MSM) decreased around 14 percent. Meanwhile, the rate has increased 5.7 percent among gay men aged 25 to 34, and 3.1 percent among Latinos. To curb the rising rates and to promote safe sex, Grindr created a drop-down menu of options for users to say whether they were positive, negative, on HIV treatment, or on PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis, a daily pill to prevent infection). Many doctors hoped this would incentivize more HIV negative users to start taking PrEP, so they could tick that box. However, privacy advocates and HIV support groups warn today's news may leave users in fear of publicly posting their private health details; it's one thing sharing it on an app used by other gay men, it's another if that information is being passed from pillar to post. A Washington, DC hospital known for treating government Capitol Hill politicians has been plagued by sewage leaks in its operating room and is now being sued for the alleged wrongful death of a grandmother. The trouble for MedStar Washington Hospital Center began back in August of 2016, when the DC health department found multiple leaks, including some that were seeping sewage into at least two operating rooms. Then, the health department sent another warning letter to the hospital in August of 2017, just a month after Representative Steve Scalise was readmitted with an infection he had developed after his gunshot wound was treated there. Now, the family of Carol Leonard, who developed a lethal infection after having a minimally invasive operation at Medstar is suing the hospital, alleging that the foul conditions of its operating rooms are to blame for her death. Multiple sewage leaks have been reported in operating rooms at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC, and now one family alleges the contamination killed a grandmother Even in a clean hospital, infection is everywhere. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 25 patients in any give hospital on any given day has at least one infection that they picked up at the hospital. Add to that the 720,000 infections annual hospital infections the 154 diseases that are commonly found in sewage in the US, and you have a dangerous place indeed. For hospital-associated infections (HAIs) in general, the CDC advises that 'research shows that when healthcare facilities, care teams, and individual doctors and nurses are aware of infection problems and take specific steps to avoid them, rates of some targeted HAIs can decrease by more than 70 percent.' But in the case of MedStar Washington, the local health department 'interviewed a couple of employees for remediation' - the process of cleaning up the sewage leaks - 'and they had not even been made aware that there was a problem,' said Scott Perry, the Leonard family's attorney. Perry, who obtained a copy of both the health Department's 2016 and its 2017 report on MedStar, claims that the hospital was supposed to 'clean it up a specific way, but were not cleaning the leaks up in a satisfactory way.' So when Carol Leonard and her family of Falls Church, Virginia, chose MedStar Washington to have her cancerous thyroid surgically removed, the family was allegedly unaware that the 70-year-old's operation fell 'right in the middle' of the two reports of unsanitary conditions, Perry says. There was a black, grainy, foul-smelling substance was observed on the floor August 2017 health department report on MedStar Washington Her procedure is a minimally invasive one and considered fairly low-risk as it does not involve parts of the body with dense populations of bacteria, like the gut or mouth. The surgery went smoothly, and Leonard's son, Eugene was sent home for the night, but told he could pick her up at 9.30 the next morning. But before he could do so, Eugene got a call from the hospital, asking him to come right away. When he arrived, his mother was 'in the ICU, in a coma, with tubes coming out of her from everywhere,' says Perry. Leonard was in septic shock from a strep A infection she had picked up while at the hospital. That is 'not something you should get from this surgery, generally speaking,' says Perry, 'so how did that happen?' He applied for copies of the health department's reports through the FOIA, and found that they 'talked about the problem of an unsterile environment of an operating room.' Leonard was also not put on antibiotics to help proactively prevent an infection during the surgery. 'That is okay, depending on the circumstances, but, when you have someone who is elderly, obese and diabetic and if you know that you're having trouble with sewage in the operating room,' Perry says that Leonard should have but was 'never given the choice to go somewhere else or to put her on antibiotics prophylactically.' MedStar does a ton of advertizing, and they have to disclose not just the good things, but the problems they are experiencing so a consumer can make informed decisions, but that didn't happen here Scott Perry, medical malpractice attorney for the Leonard family Leonard died at the hospital on February 15, 2017. Six months later, the health department was back on MedStar Washington's case. This time, the agency was threatening that the hospital was in 'immediate jeopardy' of losing their Medicaid and Medicare funding. The inspectors found that the hospital had 'failed to adequately address and curtail recurring sewage leaks in the Operating Room (OR); potentially exposing patients to microbial contamination of the sterile environment during operative procedures.' They wrote that over the course of the 11 months since their last visit, seven patients could have been exposed to contamination via 'black water' leaks. During the August visit, the health department noted that 'a black, grainy, foul-smelling substance was observed on the floor' of one of the rooms. The 'immediate jeopardy' status was lifted on August 21, 2017. But, it appears that neither the hospital nor the health department ever made any public announcement, nor were the hospital's operating rooms effectively shut down. MedStar Washington spokeswoman So Young Pak told Daily Mail Online that there had been 'minor leaks,' that they had 'closed the room immediately, conducted necessary repairs, cleaned and sterilized it, and brought in an outside hygienist to ensure that the room was safe for patient care. 'We have had no new leaks since August 2017,' she said. Despite the threat that it could lose funding, there appears to be no requirement for the hospital to shut down nor to notify patients. 'Hospitals are a big business. MedStar does a ton of advertizing, and they have to disclose not just the good things, but the problems they are experiencing so a consumer can make informed decisions,' Perry argues, 'but that didn't happen here.' Instead, Leonard's family is spending the aftermath of the death of their 'beloved family member' fighting for 'the right to know what's going on and to make their own decisions,' Perry alleges. A Massachusetts man has been sentenced for abusing a dog so severely that it had to be euthanized, nearly five years after the dog known as 'Puppy Doe' was found abandoned. Radoslaw Czerkawski , 37, was sentenced to eight to 10 years in prison after he was convicted Monday of animal cruelty. He was also sentenced to two years' probation and prohibited from owning or coming into contact with any animals. Czerkawski is also banned from volunteering at animal shelters. Radoslaw Czerkawski was sentenced to 8 to 10 years in prison after he was convicted Monday of animal cruelty Immigration officials say they will deport Czerkawski once he completes his sentence, and have lodged a detainer for him upon his release. The Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey said the probation would not delay any removal from the U.S. He was found guilty Monday of torturing and abandoning Kiya the pit bull, but cleared of lying to police. Czerkawski is already in prison on two unrelated larceny convictions. The case received widespread attention when the year-old pit bull mix was found on a playground in Quincy in August 2013 with skull, spine and rib fractures, a stab wound to the right eye and a split tongue The case received widespread attention when the year-old pit bull mix was found on a playground in Quincy in August 2013 with skull, spine and rib fractures, a stab wound to the right eye and a split tongue. The dog, named Kiya by her previous owners, was purchased by Czerkawski on Craigslist in the summer of 2013. Czerkawski was sentenced to 8 to 10 years in prison after he was convicted of animal cruelty on Monday Czerkawski's attorney acknowledged his client owned the dog but said it ran away and someone else was responsible for the abuse. Animal Rescue League President Mary Nee called the decision historic and said it will create precedent for stronger animal welfare laws. 'Puppy Doe's short and tragic life was the impetus for stronger laws and protecting all animals,' she said. Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey applauded the Quincy Policy Department for taking the case 'very seriously from the onset.' 'Law enforcement at every level needs to treat animal cruelty cases as the serious crimes that they are,' he said in a statement. Massachusetts has stiffened the penalties for animal abuse since Puppy Doe was found, but Czerkawski will be sentenced according to law as it was in 2013. Under the 2014 PAWS Act, which was enacted in the wake of Puppy Doe's abuse, Czerkawski would have faced up to 84 years in prison, with each felony animal abuse count amounting to seven years in prison. The guilty verdict came after the judge dismissed two jurors and replaced them with alternates. The dog, named Kiya by her previous owners, was purchased by Czerkawski on Craigslist in the summer of 2013 Victoria Derbyshire was diagnosed with lobular breast cancer in 2015 A drug used to treat lung cancer could also work for more than 7,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer each year. The discovery provides hope for women with lobular breast cancer, which BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire was diagnosed with in 2015. The cancer, which originates deep in the breasts milk-producing lobes, caused Miss Derbyshire to have a right-side mastectomy and reconstruction. BBC wildlife presenter Michaela Strachan also had a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with it a year earlier. Scientists found the lung cancer drug crizotinib could help women with this type of cancer who carry a specific mutation. This mutation affects up to 90 per cent of women with lobular breast cancers, as well as some with triple-negative breast cancer, which spreads faster than other types and is notoriously hard to treat. In laboratory tests on mice and human cells, the drug caused breast tumour cells to die. The Institute of Cancer Research in London is now launching a 750,000 clinical trial in patients with advanced lobular breast cancer. Miss Strachan, who was diagnosed with the cancer at 48 and underwent hormone therapy to treat it, said: Im one of the lucky ones, but for some women with lobular breast cancer its a very different story as hormone therapy may not work, and after that they have few options. This research could offer a new lifeline. The lung cancer drug was found to be effective for breast cancers with a mutation creating faulty versions of a protein called E-cadherin. This defect occurs in around one in eight cases of breast cancer, particularly lobular cancers, and is carried by an estimated 7,150 women diagnosed each year. Lead author Chris Lord, professor of cancer genomics at The Institute of Cancer Research, said: These are hugely promising laboratory findings and were very keen to learn whether this class of drug really works as a treatment for women with breast cancer. The lung cancer drug could work for more than 7,000 women with breast cancer There are currently no treatments to target defects in E-cadherin, which cause cancer cells to grow and divide abnormally. Scientists wanted to use an approach called synthetic lethality which exploits two key genes that cancer cells need to survive. One of those genes, which affects E-cadherin, does not function in most women with lobular breast cancer. As a result, using a drug to block the second gene would cause the cancer cell to die. After testing 80 treatments, the team discovered the existing lung cancer drug had the desired effect. It offers a new lifeline for women with lobular breast cancers, who can be resistant to hormone therapy and also respond less well to chemotherapy. Responding to the study, published in the journal Cancer Discovery, Baroness Delyth Morgan, of Breast Cancer Now said: Hormone therapies can be incredibly difficult for women to take long-term, and with resistance unfortunately common among these patients, we hope this exciting class of drugs could offer a much-needed new option for many. n An NHS hospital in Cambridge is offering a procedure that uses tiny balloons to inflate blood vessels in patients with a rare form of lung disease. The treatment, for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, means patients will no longer have to rely on long-term drug therapy. A top Republican strategist has warned President Trump to get good legal help because 'a storm is coming' with special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe. Alex Castellanos said during a panel on ABC's This Week on Sunday that it was likely Mueller would dig up something on Trump during his investigation. The strategist said it would be hard to believe that 'Mueller is not going to dig up something in Trump's complicated financial history to say, "Look, the president of the United States did this and it was wrong."' Alex Castellanos (pictured) said during a panel on ABC's This Week on Sunday that it was likely Mueller would dig up something on Trump Castellanos added that Trump could also face trouble if there was an upset in Congress following November's mid-term elections. 'It's hard to believe then that when Republicans lose the House in 2018, maybe by 40 or 50 seats, that the House is not going to impeach him,' he said. 'It's also hard to believe that a US Senate that's going to be scared to death, though may still be in Republican hands, is not going to take a serious look when it has to deal with this president,' he said. 'So get good legal help now, because the storm is coming.' The Republican strategist predicted that Mueller would find something in Trump's (above in Ohio on Thursday) complicated financial history It comes after two new lawyer hires later revealed they had to turned down the opportunity to be on Trump's legal team for the Russia probe. Trump then took to Twitter to push back on the 'Fake News' narrative that he's having trouble finding legal representation. Trump's attorney John Dowd resigned from his post last month over the president not heeding his advice on an interview with Mueller. Mueller is continuing with his investigation in possible ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. Trump said last month that he still wants to testify before Mueller. An iconic fashion brand selling clothes worn by A-listers including Elle Macpherson and Jennifer Hawkins is shutting down due to 'greedy landlords' and 'exorbitant rents'. Sambag Stores will close its Sydney shopfronts after 22 years of business, but the brand will still be available online. Creative Director Samantha Wagner posted on Instagram 'three weeks to go until our Woollahra store closes'. The iconic brand has been worn by A-listers including Jennifer Hawkins, who is pictured wearing a Sambag hat at the Land Rover Polo in Melbourne, Australia An Australian fashion brand selling clothes worn by A-listers including Elle Macpherson is shutting down in Sydney Shocked fans questioned where the store was moving to, to which Ms Wagner replied 'closed, you can still purchase online'. And she reportedly told Inside Retail the pressure of 'greedy landlords' and 'exorbitant rents' drove her to close the Woollahra store in Sydney's East. The fashion designer told the publication 'retail is not what it used to be' and 'it's too hard to compete anymore'. Her shop is listed for lease with Ray White as a 'rare opportunity in a hugely popular area of Woollahra'. Heather Maltman (pictured left), a favourite on the Bachelor, pictured at the 20 year anniversary of Sambag wearing the iconic brand Sonia Kruger wearing a Sambag sleevless blouse on set of the Today Show during 2016 The Sambag brand will still be available online, with the retail outlet currently offering a 20 per cent Easter Sale Shocked fans questioned where the store is moving to, to which Ms Wagner replied 'closed, you can still purchase online'. 'With high foot traffic and a five minute walk to Bondi Junction, this store offers a great opportunity for both established and start up businesses,' the listing states. While no price is listed, similar shop fronts in Woollahra and the nearby Paddington are listed at up to $100,000 per year. The fashion designer launched Sambag in 1996 following a trip to New York where she created a 'small range of bags' that she sold at Sydney's Paddington Markets. Her shop (pictured) is listed for lease with Ray White as a 'rare opportunity in a hugely popular area of Woollahra' In 2015 she boasted 12 stores including a Hong Kong store she opened in 2015. But the following two years were tough as she closed her WA, Hong Kong and two Melbourne stores, telling the Wentworth Courier in February 'the world is not the same as it was 20 years ago'. 'Retail's definitely change a lot,' she said. Tom Wolfes best-selling novel of the 1980s, Bonfire of the Vanities, painted a chilling picture of New York as a crime-ridden metropolis where death stalked the sidewalk and murderous, random violence was a way of life. Back then the Big Apple was known as the Rotten Apple and its reputation haunted it for decades. London by comparison was a haven. No longer. For the first time since crime records began, the murder rate in London has overtaken that of New York. This is due in part to New York becoming a lot safer, following a zero tolerance approach instituted by then mayor Rudy Giuliani, and the famous broken windows policy. The spate of murders in London in recent weeks is a shameful milestone and necessitates an urgent debate No misdemeanour was deemed too minor and police were present 24/7 in problem areas. As a direct result, murders there have fallen by 87 per cent since the 1980s. In 1990, 2,245 people were killed; last year the figure was 286. Of course, there are many cities in the US which have not succeeded in cutting the homicide rate, and overall Britain remains a much safer country than America. Nevertheless, the spate of murders in London in recent weeks is a shameful milestone and we need an urgent debate about the contributory factors. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said interactions between individuals and gang members on social media were helping to inflame minor disagreements and grudges until, all too often, they ended in stabbings or shootings. I am sure she is right. However, there is another major factor behind the surge in deaths which is staring us in the face. Between 2010 and 2014, knife crime was going down. In that time, reported offences involving a knife or sharp instrument across England and Wales fell from 32,900 to 26,000. Cressida Dick said interactions between individuals and gang members on social media were helping to inflame minor disagreements Then, in April 2014, Theresa May, then Home Secretary, made a speech in which she ordered police to observe new rules on stop and search. She had been moved, she said, by figures which showed people from a black or other ethnic minority background were seven times more likely to be stopped and searched and she ordered police to reduce the number of stop and searches which did not result in an arrest. In future, she said, an officer would use stop and search powers only if he or she believed a crime will take place rather than when they believed it may take place. The new rules had a dramatic effect. In 2013/14, there were 904,038 stop and searches. In 2016/17, that number fell to 303,845. But, as stop and searches were curtailed, a worrying if largely predictable thing happened. From 2014, the rate of knife crime began to rise again for the first time since 2010. By 2017, the number of knife offences across the UK had risen to 34,700. There was, of course, some truth in what Theresa May said. The black community did undoubtedly feel they were being singled out guilty of walking while black. For law-abiding individuals who felt they were being targeted, it was an upsetting, humiliating and unsettling experience. And when people are treated unjustly, it is counter-productive in the fight against crime. Officers will always find it difficult to win the co-operation of a community that feels under siege. However, there is also evidence to suggest Mrs May could have been exaggerating the problem. In April 2014, Theresa May, then Home Secretary, made a speech in which she ordered police to observe new rules on stop and search Last week, Alasdair Palmer, her speechwriter at the Home Office, revealed that officials had commissioned but then forgotten about a study from Wolverhampton University which found that while it was true a disproportionate number of black people were being stopped and searched, it wasnt true to say they were being targeted. There were simply more black people out on the streets in areas where knife crime was a problem. None of this changes the simple fact that if we are going to stop young men killing each other, we have to take knives off the street. The best solution is to find a way of searching for knives which is not hostile and which does not leave people feeling they have been singled out. Miss Dick has spoken previously of the benefits of police body cameras. For the black community, the recording of interactions serves as reassurance that officers will not abuse their powers. For police, it provides a ready source of evidence when their integrity is called into question. A more radical solution would be to make searches a routine procedure. No-one feels they have been singled out by being made to walk through an airport scanner, for example, because everyone has to do it. When my son was in Beijing last year he sent me a video of himself heading down into the city metro system where everyone had to walk through a scanner. Perhaps something similar could work here. Whatever the police do now, it is clear that scaling back stop and search has been a dreadful mistake. They need to make getting knives off the streets a priority and that means, one way or another, increasing the number of people being searched. More police on the streets might help, too. It worked in New York. In Britain, the number of police officers has tumbled from 143,734 in 2010 to 123,142 now. New York doesnt have a hugely greater number of police officers than London 40,000 against Londons 32,000 (the cities are a similar size), but when I visited New York the police were certainly a more visual presence on the streets. It is an approach we would do well to adopt in London. Meghan Markle is descended from Scottish hero Robert the Bruce, it has emerged. The royal bride-to-be can trace her family back to the Scottish king who won independence from England at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. The link between royal families seven centuries apart is revealed in Andrew Morton's new book Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, according to The Sun. Mr Morton said: 'It is possible to trace a direct line through 25 generations to Robert I of Scotland, perhaps the most colourful of all Scottish kings. Meghan Markle is descended from Scottish hero Robert the Bruce (portrayed by an actor at a recreation of the Battle of Bannockburn), it has emerged 'Meghan is distantly related to most European royal families thanks to her English kinswoman Margaret Kerdeston, who lived in the 15th century.' Frequent inter-marriage between royal families over the centuries means that Harry and Meghan are very distantly related, he said. Robert Bruce was king of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329 aged around 55. He waged war to wear down his Scottish opponents and the English regime in Scotland, culminating in the battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Robert Bruce was king of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329 aged around 55, waging war to wear down his Scottish opponents and the English regime in Scotland Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan made the same discovery last year after having his DNA traced for the programme. He met secret family member Linda Jones, a farmer from New Zealand, who revealed the family went back to Robert the Bruce. Mr Morton's book also states that Meghan 'aspires to be Diana 2.0' and was deeply affected by her death. The Royal bride-to-be also dumped first husband Trevor Engleson by post, the book claims. Infants as young as four are suffering from symptoms of depression and anxiety, a shocking survey has revealed. Pupils in primary schools are experiencing eating disorders, self-harming, panic attacks and even considering suicide amid an upswing in problems. Teachers warn that mental health issues, bullying and sexual harassment such as sexting have become a daily fact of life for many children. One in seven say mental health cases now involve youngsters aged four to seven and more than a quarter point to ailing seven to 11-year-olds. Infants as young as four are suffering from symptoms of depression and anxiety, a shocking survey revealed (file photo) Mental health among teenagers has been the subject of concern for years amid the rise of social media and a growing obsession with celebrities lives. However, the NASUWT teaching union research suggests that problems such as depression are developing at ever younger ages. In one case, a teacher described how an eight-year-old pupil climbed on to a roof and said they wanted to kill themselves. Others warned that social media is emotionally damaging youngsters, with pupils of 11 and 12 sending explicit pictures. Chris McGovern, of the Campaign for Real Education, said children are addicted to technology and to introspection adding: This is a symptom of our society today and the malevolent influence of social media sites. Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said that teachers have never before had to deal with such a complex range of welfare issues. Mental health among teenagers has been the subject of concern for years amid the rise of social media and a growing obsession with celebrities lives (file photo) Members warn they are being left to pick up the pieces of totally inadequate provision to support growing numbers of youngsters. The union surveyed 1,359 teachers and found that 96 per cent say they have seen pupils of all ages with mental health problems. Ofsted chief is racist on hijabs The head of Ofsted has been attacked by hard-Left teachers for supporting schools that want to ban the hijab. Amanda Spielman was accused of naked racism yesterday by members of the National Education Union. The chief inspector of schools has said she would support any head imposing a hijab ban on very young children to combat radicalism. But yesterday, the NEU passed a resolution saying her statements go beyond Ofsteds remit and that teachers should challenge hijab bans. Peter Smith, a member from Swindon, said Mrs Spielman was orchestrating a moral panic in schools, adding: Naked racism is being dressed up as liberalism... But an Ofsted spokesman hit back: Theres nothing political about ensuring that schools and parents arent being subject to undue pressure by national or community campaign groups. Advertisement Of these, 92 per cent said students suffered anxiety or panic attacks; 80 per cent said they had depression; 67 per cent said youngsters were self-harming; 49 per cent cited eating disorders and 45 per cent said pupils had obsessive compulsive disorder. One in seven said pupils with these difficulties were between four and seven, while over a quarter said they were seven to 11. The age group that teachers were most likely to say had been affected were 11- to 16-year-olds (68 per cent). One per cent said that even children under four had issues. Staff said the top three contributory factors were: family problems (86 per cent); pressure of the exam system (66 per cent) and social media (64 per cent). Delegates at the NASUWT annual conference in Birmingham voted to urge the Government to include mental health training as part of initial teacher training. Rebecca Thompson, a special educational needs coordinator teacher from Bournemouth, told the conference on Saturday: Thresholds at CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health services) are so high, we have to wait until children are in crisis before they can access help. Top primary schools are beasting pupils in the three Rs to boost results and avoid inspections, Ofsteds national director of education claims. Sean Harford said some outstanding schools had an excessive focus on English and maths the only subjects scored and tested at the end of Key Stage Two. He likened this to the military practice beasting, whereby new recruits are subjected to harsh treatment to instil discipline. Squadron Leader Allan Scott, 96, was yesterday back in a Spitfire soaring over the English countryside He was only 19 when he shot down his first enemy plane as an RAF fighter pilot. Seventy-seven years on, Squadron Leader Allan Scott was yesterday back in a Spitfire soaring over the English countryside and loving every second. At 96 he had to take the back seat in the dual cockpit plane. But alongside his aircraft was a single seat Spitfire flanked by a Hurricane in a stirring image of the legendary fighters that were so vital to victory in the Second World War. The flypast, from the famous Biggin Hill airfield, was part of the celebrations marking the centenary of the RAF. Before the flight the veteran airman said: I cant wait to get up there flying again in my beloved Spitfire. Its a beautiful aircraft. It fits you like an overcoat. After war broke out Mr Scott joined 124 Squadron at Biggin Hill in Kent before being stationed in Malta where he earned a Distinguished Flying Medal. He finished the war with 13 kills and several probables. Of his time in Malta, where the average life expectancy in the air was 15 minutes, he said: We knew we might not come back and that each moment could be your last, but we were young and we accepted it. When the battle started the adrenaline flowed. But we had Spitfires. Youd feel it instinctively. It felt like it was part of you. Flying a Spitfire came to me very naturally. Mr Scott, from Wem, Shropshire, did three wartime tours and later became a test pilot. In 1953 he nearly died in a crash in a Tiger Moth biplane at an air display in Edinburgh. Mr Scott sits in the back seat of the nearest Spitfire, which is flanked by another Spitfire and a Hurricane. The flypast, from the famous Biggin Hill airfield, was part of the celebrations marking the centenary of the RAF Woodworm had ravaged part of the structure and it snapped as he landed. As the plane smashed nose-first into the ground he was catapulted from the cockpit. Yesterday wasnt the first time he had renewed his wartime love affair with the Spitfire. In 2015 he went up in a dual- cockpit plane from Biggin Hill, saying at the time: The pilot was great. Mr Scott was only 19 when he shot down his first enemy plane as an RAF fighter pilot 'Once it was in the air he handed the aircraft over to me and I flung it about a bit with steep turns, a roll, and so on. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The RAF was formed on April 1, 1918, when the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service merged. Yesterday, during a breakfast reception at the former site on the Strand in London of Hotel Cecil, the RAFs first HQ, a centenary message from the Queen was read by Aircraftman Adam Wood from Aylesbury. At 16, he is the youngest airman in the RAF. The message said: The anniversary of the worlds first independent air force is of great significance, and it is fitting to pay tribute to the tenacity, skill and sacrifice of the men and women who have served within its ranks over the last century, and who have defended our freedom gallantly. Through its enduring focus on professionalism, excellence and innovation, the Royal Air Force stands as a shining example of inspiration around the world today and for the next generation. 'May the glory and honour that all ranks have bestowed on the Royal Air Force light its pathway to the future guarding our skies and reaching for the stars. Mr Scott, from Wem, Shropshire, loving his time in the cockpit. He did three wartime tours and later became a test pilot The Queen finished the message with the RAF motto Per Ardua ad Astra, through adversity to the stars. Air Commodore Charles Clarke OBE, who was shot down then imprisoned in the German POW camp from which 76 prisoners tunnelled out during the Great Escape, was one of many veterans in attendance. Over the next 100 days a series of centenary events will culminate in a service at Westminster Abbey on July 10, followed by a parade in The Mall and a flypast over Buckingham Palace. The police declared an emergency situation on Monday morning after discovering an 'explosive device' inside a car inBrisbane's south-west. Specialist police officers arrived at a carpark in Redbank, about 25 kilometres south-west of Brisbane's centre, shortly after 9am on Monday. The explosive device was found in a 'fairly large glass jar' inside a cardboard box in the passenger seat foot well, Queensland Police told Daily Mail Australia. A man and woman have since been arrested and are due to appear in Ipswich Magistrates Court on Tuesday. Scroll down for video The police have declared an emergency situation after a 'suspicious device' was found inside a car (pictured) in Brisbane 's south-west on Monday morning Emergency response units at the scene of the Redbank carpark where the 'suspicious device' was discovered Queensland Police set up a 100 metre exclusion zone encompassing Collingwood Drive, Law Street South, Ipswich Motorway Service Road and Redbank Plaza Service Road. The police urged people to avoid the area until 12.30pm when the emergency situation was revoked. The cardboard box contained flammable liquid, a Halloween mask and other items 'capable of causing serious injury' according to Nine News. The package was described as 'a bomb designed to do harm'. 'This wasn't a hoax,' the police told the publication. Redbank Plaza management told Daily Mail Australia the shopping centre was not shut down, and remained open during the ordeal. Footage taken at the scene on Monday shows a member of the bomb squad approaching the vehicle. The police were called about 9.15am with reports two people were acting suspiciously in the car park of the Redbank Plaza, the Queensland Times reported. Queensland Police Senior Sergeant Gareth James said the couple's alleged suspicious behaviour was picked up by security cameras. The man and woman reportedly appeared nervous and were seen stripping wires at the car. The police have urged people to avoid the area until the emergency situation has been stabilised (vehicle pictured) Footage taken at the scene shows a member of the bomb squad approaching the vehicle Snr Sgt James said the bomb squad was immediately called to the scene. He said the situation remained dangerous, until the device was dismantled and rendered safe. 'There is a possibility the device could actually be blown by the bomb squad,' Snr Sgt James said. The police said the car used was potentially stolen. Queensland police urged anyone with information to phone Policelink on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. A member of the bomb squad is seen at the scene (right) after a 'suspicious device' was allegedly found inside the silver vehicle (left) Specialist police officers and paramedics arrived at a carpark in Redbank, about 25 kilometres south-west of Brisbane's centre, shortly after 9am on Monday The police have urged people to avoid the area until the emergency situation has been stabilised Tony Abbott has accused Paul Keating of fabricating claims Prince Charles wants Australia to become a republic. Former Labor Prime Minister Keating, in office from 1991 to 1996, wrote in a British newspaper on Sunday: 'I have no doubt he believes Australia should be free of the British monarchy and that it should make its own way in the world.' Today former PM Abbott, a stanch monarchist, tweeted: 'Prince Charles would just want to do his duty and he shouldn't be verballed by an ex-PM'. Monarchist: Tony Abbot has accused Paul Keating of fabricating Prince Charles's beliefs after he insisted the future king wants Australia to be a republic Prince of Wales: Former Labour Prime Minister Keating, in office from 1991 to 1996, wrote in a British newspaper on Sunday: 'I have no doubt Prince Charles believes Australia should be free of the British monarchy and that it should make its own way in the world.' Today former PM Abbott, a stanch monarchist, tweeted: 'Prince Charles would just want to do his duty and he shouldn't be verballed by an ex-PM' Keating's article in The Sunday Times came three days before Charles is due arrive in Australia with his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. The Prince of Wales will be in the country from 4 to 10 April and will open the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games on Thursday. Keating wrote: 'Why would he or any one of his family want to visit Australia pretending to be, or representing its aspirations as its head of state?' The former PM, who discussed Australia's status with Prince Charles in Scotland in 1993, believes it cannot claim to be a 'great' nation while 'borrowing' Britain's monarch. He concluded: 'Prince Charles will always be welcome in Australia - as the crown prince or as monarch of Great Britain. But the pretence of representing this country and all that it stands for is something he and we could well do without.' Age is no barrier when it comes to working for many elderly Australians. Rick Pisaturo runs his successful cattle farm west of Sydney, runs two companies and multiple trust funds, despite his upcoming 96th birthday later this month. Born in 1922 in Italy, Mr Pisaturo spent three-and-a-half years in a concentration camp after being caught by Allied Forces and was sent to Australia. Scroll down for video Rick Pisaturo (pictured) runs his successful cattle farm west of Sydney, runs two companies and multiple trust funds despite his upcoming 96th birthday later this month Mr Pisaturo spent seven years as a Prisoner of War in Australia before working on a farm in New South Wales from 'dawn to dusk seven days a week' and he hasn't slowed down since The businessman (pictured) built one of most successful cattle breeding companies in Australia, Mandalong Poll Shorthorns - which went on to break dozens of records After spending seven years as a Prisoner of War, the Italian man went to work on a farm in New South Wales from 'dawn to dusk seven days a week'. And he hasn't slowed down since. 'Sometimes at night I am still working up to 10, 11 o'clock,' Mr Pisaturo told 9 News. The businessman built one of most successful cattle breeding companies in Australia, Mandalong Poll Shorthorns - which went on to break dozens of records. While his work in the cattle industry earned him an Order of Australia, the 95-year-old now works with thorough-bred race horses. On track to following in his father's footsteps who worked until he was 101, Mr Pisaturo - who just returned from a 10-day Shanghai trip - is one of many Australians ignoring retirement. On track to following in his father's footsteps who worked until he was 101, Mr Pisaturo - who just returned from a 10-day Shanghai trip - is one of many Australians ignoring retirement 'You can't lay down all day long otherwise the heart will collapse, simple,' he said. In Australia, people can retire at 65-and-a-half when they are eligible for the Age Pension. However many choose to continue working either for financial reasons or for the love of their work. People working past the age of 85 has increased by 15 per cent in the last 10 years, the publication reported. Many people working in their 80s and 90s are in farming, business and marketing and management. Jeffrey Steven Henry, co-owner Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts park in Kansas City (pictured in court on Wednesday), was suffering from drug problems and financial woes before the tragic accident The co-owner of a water park where a 10-year-old boy was decapitated was suffering from drug problems and financial woes before the tragic accident. Jeffrey Steven Henry, co-owner Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts park in Kansas City, has been arrested twice for drug violations, once in 1994 and once in 2007. In the first arrest, he and his then-wife Mary Henry, were caught possessing nearly 17 ounces of pot, a revolver, a derringer and more than $7,000 in cash, according to divorce court records, obtained by the San Antonio Express- News. Henry pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony and was sentenced to three years deferred adjudication probation- which was terminated after 16 months and fined $10,000. After the second arrest, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for possessing between two and four ounces of marijuana and was fined $4,000. Then there were financial woes. According to the Express-News, a feud between Jeff and Gary Henry and their business partner Schexnailder over a new development ultimately led last spring to the groups bankruptcy filing. The potential expansion to North Padre Island led to Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings since last year and the development on the auction block. Now Henry and ride designer John Schooley are charged with reckless second-degree murder in the August 2016 death of Caleb Schwab, who was decapitated when his raft went airborne on the world's largest water slide. A grand jury last week also indicted the park and its former chief operations officer, Tyler Austin Miles, on 20 felony charges, including involuntary manslaughter. Henry & Sons Construction Co, which is described as the private construction company of Schlitterbahn, is charged with reckless second-degree murder, which carries a sentence of 9 years to 41 years in prison. Schlitterbahn itself faces several other charges in connection to the 13 other people who were injured while riding the slide, which has since been shut down. Henry (pictured in court on Wednesday) was arrested twice for marijuana possession first in 1994 then in 2007. Then a plan to expand to North Padre Island led to a Chapter 11 bankruptcy Caleb Schwab (pictured in an undated image) was horrifically killed in August 2016 while riding the 170-foot Verruckt water slide at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City Ride designer John Schooley is charged with reckless second-degree murder while operations manager Tyler Austin Miles (pictured) faces 20 felony charges including involuntary manslaughter The indictment also states that Henry and Miles tried to hide from investigators' reports of a number of injuries that had occurred on the ride before Schwab's death Miles' attorney said he was released on $50,000 bond. Henry who is also charged with aggravated battery and child endangerment - was ordered held without bond and prosecutors say Schooley is not in custody. Kansas said it will conduct a full audit of the inspection records at Schlitterbahn before its annual season opens on May 25. Kansas Department of Labor spokeswoman Barbara Hersh said the park is required to have qualified inspectors examine its rides daily and to keep reports on those inspections. She said the department will ensure that the inspections have been done. Schlitterbahn described Caleb's death as a 'terrible and tragic accident' in a statement. It says Henry, Schooley and Miles are 'innocent' and that the company runs a 'safe operation.' Caleb died when his raft went airborne and he hit an overhead loop. It recently emerged that employees at the attraction warned executives about the water slide's faulty brakes that failed at least 29 times. Footage has also emerged of Henry saying the 170-foot Verruckta that took the life of Schwab, was the 'safest ever ride built'. In the 2014 interview with Good Morning America, the interviewer asked Henry on the ride's opening day, 'So you're saying it is safe?,' while speaking of the world's tallest slide constructed at his park. The indictment claims that Henry was well aware of this problem and tried to fix it before eventually ignoring it entirely Schwab was decapitated when his raft collided with the hoops, and two women he was riding with suffered bone fractures and lacerations. An engineering firm was then hired to test the slide's safety just a week before its grand opening. The tests showed that, when carrying a weight of 400 to 550lbs, the rafts on the slide were likely to go airborne. This was especially dangerous as the slide was covered with a net suspended by metal hoops, meaning riders could knock into them if the raft went airborne. The indictment notes that this is in violation of international standards that prohibit a ride from obstructing a rider's path. It described the attraction as 'a deadly weapon'. 'Henry and Schooley did the opposite,' the indictment states. 'They installed metal bars directly across the known flight path.' 'The presence of the overheard netting and support hoops speaks volumes about the designers' extreme disregard for the value of human life.' Schwab was decapitated when his raft collided with the hoops, and two women he was riding with suffered bone fractures and lacerations. The indictment claims that Henry was well aware of this problem and tried to fix it before eventually ignoring it entirely. Ruby Keane, 24, president of the Cambridge Footlights comedy society. She criticised a lack of opportunities for non-white students It's known for producing some of Britains best-loved comedy stars. But the Cambridge Footlights society is caught up in a row that is no laughing matter following the resignation of its president over diversity. Ruby Keane, 24, a masters student in creative writing at Wolfson College, said she quit in protest over the system for nominating members criticising a lack of opportunities for non-white students. Currently, all 11 committee members are white despite 15 per cent of the student body being from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, The Times reports. However, other members said that Miss Keane was asked for her resignation over her group management and misuse of the role. The Footlights counts John Cleese and Graham Chapman, the writers of Monty Pythons Argument Clinic sketch, among its alumni, as well as fellow Python Eric Idle, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry and Sue Perkins. In an open letter, which was published two weeks ago, Miss Keane wrote: The committee system seems to be a leftover from a time when there were only around ten white men who did comedy in Cambridge. Thankfully, this is no longer the case, and so we must redesign the society to reflect and foster the diverse comedy scene we now have in Cambridge. She said she hoped this would put pressure on the society to implement changes needed to increase diversity. John Cleese (second from left) was a former member of the Cambridge Footlights (pictured with his Monty Python colleagues, left to right: Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and Terry Jones in 2014) But the remaining members said: We wish Ruby well but we cannot acknowledge her resignation as one of protest. The troupe had held a public open meeting with student comedians last month to discuss representation of students from different ethnic backgrounds. Miss Keane also said she thought that Footlight members should not get free passes to appear in prestigious society shows, which should have open auditions, and wanted committee members to have specific jobs within the society. Hugh Laurie (left) and Stephen Fry were also members of the iconic comedy society The committee said it was already in favour of reforms to improve diversity. These include creating an administrative committee in which members would be chosen not only for their comedy talents but also their commitment to making Cambridge comedy a more diverse and inclusive environment. Exam results have become a secondary consideration for some deprived schools because they have to concentrate on simply feeding and clothing pupils, teachers have warned. School staff revealed they regularly take children for a morning shower, wash their clothes and give them free food as they have not had that basic care from their parents. Many have created clothes banks at their schools to supplement uniform with some pupils even wearing it at the weekend as they have no other clothes. Teachers also go to second-hand shops at the weekend to buy beds for children forced to sleep on the floor at home. School staff revealed they regularly take children for a morning shower, wash their clothes and give them free food as they have not had that basic care from their parents Members of the National Education Union working in the UKs most deprived areas said these extra challenges made it difficult for them to concentrate on exam results. Jane Jenkins, who works in an inner city primary in Cardiff, said: When people are asking you about standards and you know, why is your school not higher in the league tables, often that is very much a secondary consideration for us these days. We supplement, regularly, packed lunches that children bring. Some have a slice of bread with some margarine thats all they have... Staff are bringing in extra things and we are trying to support that as a school as much as we can. Members of the National Education Union working in the UKs most deprived areas said these extra challenges made it difficult for them to concentrate on exam results And Louise Regan, a teacher from Nottinghamshire, explained: Because of the cuts to other services, we are expected to be everything social workers, carers, doctors, we have to deal with every issue as well as all the other things the Government wants us to do. But last year the all-party parliamentary group on hunger found child poverty is often caused by a range of factors, with low income and access to services just one. Others included parents chaotic work patterns as well as their poor budgeting and cooking skills. A teenager is fighting for his life after being stabbed on the streets of London as the British capital's murder rate soared above that of New York. The 16-year-old boy is the latest victim of violent crime after an incident in Bow, east London, at about 6.05pm on Sunday night. It is thought the teen was stabbed near a parade of shops just off the A12 and witnesses described seeing two people being stretchered away from the scene. The teenage victim was in a critical condition last night and two men were arrested. Scroll down for video A policeman in a high-visibility jacket stands outside the cordon as his colleagues interview potential witnesses at what is thought to be the scene of the stabbing A police car is seen pulled up outside a parade of shops near where it is thought the teenager was stabbed last night A police officer walks past the crime scene. A teenager is fighting for his life after being stabbed on the streets of London as the British capital's murder rate soared above that of New York Weeks of carnage on the streets is beginning to take its toll on residents and a mother-of-two who drove past the carnage said: 'Too much s*** happening in this area. 'Every day there's someone getting hurt or killed. Can't wait to move away from this hopeless, horrific, disastrous place.' The area was cordoned off as around 20 police vehicles descended upon the shops, which include a newsagent and a fried chicken take-away. The arrested men have been taken into custody at an east London police station. It comes as the past two months of bloodshed in London has seen the city overtake New York's murder rate, official police figures show, as Scotland Yard battles a 38 per cent surge in killings since 2014. Fifteen people were killed in London in February, compared to 14 in New York. And the trend looks set to continue, with 22 killings in London in March one more than the city on the other side of the Atlantic, where urban violence has long been prevalent. The murder epidemic continued on Sunday when Devoy Stapleton, 20, was knifed to death on his way home from a night out at 1am in Wandsworth. It is the 31st fatal stabbing in London this year. A man has died after being stabbed to death on Sunday morning in Wandsworth. The unnamed victim in his twenties had left a bar and was found with the fatal wound on Ellerton Road at the junction with Burntwood Lane (pictured) The man, who is thought to be 20, was pronounced dead at the scene around 2am on Sunday Formal identification awaits and a post-mortem examination will take place in due course, but the victim's next-of-kin have been informed Police were called after he collapsed in a pool of blood at 1.10am just a street away from his home in Wandsworth, on a residential road near the Common where homes fetch over 1million. He died at the scene less than an hour later. Last night his cousin Billie Shuter said: 'My little cousin was murdered last night, my heart is broken. RIP Devoy Stapleton.' His family who live just a street away from the murder scene were too upset to speak, but a large crowd gathered last night at the scene to leave flowers and tributes. A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in custody at a west London police station. A murder epidemic is sweeping London. On Sunday, an unnamed man in his 20s became the 12th person in just 19 days to be gunned down or stabbed to death in the capital A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in custody at a west London police station in connection to the Sunday killing Locals left flowers and tributes to the stabbing victim on Sunday afternoon The surge in killings comes as rates of rape, robbery, and violent offences in London have already eclipsed those in New York. While both London and New York have populations of around 8 million, Office of National Statistics figures published in October suggest you are almost six times more likely to be burgled in the British capital than in the US city, and one and a half times more likely to be robbed. London also has almost three times the number of reported rapes, but until February this year the murder rate in New York remained higher. The total number of London murders, even excluding victims of terrorism, has risen by 38 per cent since 2014. In contrast, the number of murders in New York have fallen by 87 per cent since its 1990s peak. Scotland Yard Commissioner Cressida Dick said social media sites could be to blame, claiming disputes on online messaging boards and video sites were escalating to murder 'within minutes'. 'There's definitely something about the impact of social media in terms of people being able to go from slightly angry with each other to 'fight' very quickly,' she said. She also wants to increase the use of stop and search, which fell by up to two thirds when Theresa May was Home Secretary. Scotland Yard (32,000 officers) and the New York City Police Department (40,000) both have budgets of 3 billion a year. But the NYPD has introduced a zero tolerance approach to low-level crime and has flooded problem areas with patrols. Critics say Scotland Yard has done the exact opposite in the face of budget cuts, as it has 'screened out' a number of low-level offences and moved officers from neighbourhood policing to pursue historic child abuse inquiries, terrorism and other high-profile inquiries. Lyndon Davis (left), 18, the youngest to have been named in March, was found suffering from a single stab wound in Chadwell Heath, east London on March 14. Joseph Williams-Torres (right), 20, was killed the same evening as he sat in a stationary car in Essex Close, Walthamstow THE 12 DEAD IN JUST 19 DAYS IN LONDON'S MURDER EPIDEMIC Joseph Williams-Torres, 20, Walthamstow Lyndon Davis, 18, Chadwell Heath Russell Jones, 23, Enfield Hersi Hersi, 36, Hounslow Tyrone Silcott, 42, Hackney Balbir Johal, 48, Southall Jermaine Johnson, 41, Walthamstow Beniamin Pieknyi, 20, Stratford Centre Abraham Badru, 26, Hackney David Potter, 50, Tooting High Street Unnamed man, 23, Greenwich Unnamed man, 20s, Wandsworth Advertisement David Green, of the think-tank Civitas, said: 'There is now a higher risk of being a victim of violent crime in London than New York, which is pretty staggering. There is no way in which the police can be expected to deal with a bigger population in London and a lot of gang activity if you keep cutting budgets and reducing officer numbers. 'If you look at cities like New York and Boston, they have poured a lot of resources into diverting people from gang activity and putting more officers on the street. 'We have reduced visible policing it's the exact opposite.' Lyndon Davis, 18, the youngest to have been killed in March, was found suffering from a single stab wound in Chadwell Heath, east London on March 14. Joseph Williams-Torres, 20, was killed the same evening as he sat in a stationary car in Essex Close, Walthamstow. Russell Jones, 23, was ambushed outside shops near Ponders End station, in Enfield and stabbed and shot to death. Father-of-two Tyrone Silcott, 42, died from knife wounds on March 18 after a St Patrick's Day party. It is alleged the car mechanic got into a row over two girls at a party in Homerton and was attacked. Romanian Beniamin Pieknyi, 20, (pictured) is believed to have jumped in to the fight in a bid to save his friend during the altercation at the Stratford Centre in east London Hersi Hersi (left), who lived as a trans woman called Naomi, was pronounced dead at the scene after being found with knife injuries at Heathrow Palace in Hounslow. Russell Jones, 23, became the eighth person in a week to be killed in London when he was ambushed outside shops near Ponders End station, Enfield Hersi Hersi, who lived as a trans woman called Naomi, was pronounced dead at the scene after being found with knife injuries at Heathrow Palace in Haslemere Avenue, Hounslow, at 10.50am on Sunday. On March 19, Balbir Johal, 48, died after being stabbed in Southall and the next day 41-year-old Jermaine Johnson died of knife wounds in Walthamstow. Romanian Beniamin Pieknyi, is believed to have jumped in to the fight in a bid to save his friend during the altercation at the Stratford Centre in east London on the 20th. The 20-year-old, who only arrived in Britain two months ago, died in his best friend's arms after being chased and stabbed by a gang in the busy shopping centre. On March 25, 26-year-old Abraham Badru was gunned down in Hackney. The university graduate, who was murdered in Dalston, east London, on Sunday, was awarded the National Police Bravery Award in July 2009. David Potter, 50, was found stabbed to death in a property on Tooting High Street on Monday 26. And an unnamed 23-year-old in Greenwich was killed on Thursday night, the final murder for the month of March. London's murder rate has overtaken New York City's numbers for the first time ever. In February, there were 15 murders, including 17-year-old Promise Nkenda (pictured), who was run over and stabbed to death Lewis Blackman (left) was stabbed to death after a party in Kensington on February 18. Kwabena Nelson, 22, (right) was ambushed outside his home in Tottenham and stabbed to death in early February Aspiring accountant Sadiq Aadam Mohamed, 20, was found with serious stab wounds in Malden Road, in Belsize Park, in February THE 15 MURDER VICTIMS OF FEBRUARY Sadiq Mohamed, 20, Kentish Town Abdikarim Hassan, 17, Kentish Town Josef Boci, 30, Greenwich Seyed Khan, 49, Ilford Rotimi Oshibanjo, 26, Southall Promise Nkenda, 17, Canning Town Sabri Chibani, 19, Streatham Common Lewis Blackman, 19, Kensington Hasan Ozcan, 19, Barking Hannah Leonard, 55, Swiss Cottage Kwabena Nelson, 22, Tottenham Mark Smith, 48, Chingford Bulent Kabala, 41, Enfield Saeeda Hussain, 54, Ilford Juan Olmos Saca, 39, Peckham Advertisement Jacob Whittingham, charity head of programmes for Fight for Peace, told the Sunday Times: 'What's scary about London is the randomness of the crime. 'With young people in London, you have no idea if and when you may be the victim of a violent crime that's why they feel the need to carry weapons.' DCS Sean Yates, Scotland Yard's head of knife crime, blamed social media as an increasing factor in escalating grudges between youngsters that led to knife attacks. He also said courts were failing to enforce a 'two strikes' law aimed at jailing those caught with a knife twice, which was frustrating law enforcement. The sharp rise in the number of young people killed by knife crime in London has come despite Scotland Yard stepping up its use of suppression and enforcement tactics, carrying out more stop and search, more weapon sweeps and other activity on the streets. The Met commissioner, Cressida Dick, has said reversing rising violent crime is a priority. Speaking in February she said: 'The frequency with which some of our young people are prepared to take each other's lives is shocking. 'London must come together to make it clear that this cannot continue. We will not police our way out of this problem.' Cressida Dick continued: 'There is a role for all of us London's public, our partners and the police.' She appealed directly to young people saying: 'There will be young people out today who are carrying knives - stop and think. 'Do you really want your life to end? Or end someone else's and waste your own life in prison? 'My challenge to everyone in London is to ask each and every person to think about what you can do to help us tackle this blight on our city.' Mayor of London Sadiq Khan requested an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister and Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service to discuss what can be done 'to tackle the evil of knife attacks on Britain's streets'. An American former Cub Scout leader has been arrested on child pornography charges after Australian authorities tipped off local police. William Gates, from Burlington, north of Boston, was charged with five counts of possession of child pornography on Friday, according to the Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. The 40-year-old is accused of storing more than 1,000 pictures depicting child pornography on five separate electronic devices. William Gates, an American former Cub Scout leader, was arrested near Boston on child pornography charges after Australian authorities tipped off local police (stock image) 'In November of 2017, Homeland Security Investigators in Boston, received information from an Australian law enforcement agency that an unknown individual in the Boston-area may be engaged with a website known to law enforcement for sharing child pornography,' Ms Ryan said in a statement. 'Through their investigation authorities determined the identity of the person to be William Gates of Burlington.' Mr Gates was released on bond ahead of the next hearing in his case on April 24. He was ordered not to have any contact with, or photograph, a child under the age of 18. It's understood Mr Gates stepped down as a Cub Scout leader in December. The three victims of a horrifying smash on the Kakadu Highway in the Northern Territory have been identified as much-loved members of the Bangladeshi community. A witness who rushed to the scene has revealed more than 15 heroes pulled victims from the wreckage of the single-car tragedy near Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. The car carrying seven people rolled, killing three passengers and severely injuring four others. Sadeka Kamal Nipa (left) and Misha Kuddus (right) were among the three killed in the crash The victims or a horror car crash in the Northern Territory that killed three were identified as Saiful Islam Dinar, 29, and the wives of two other students, The Darwin Bangladeshi community are in mourning after the victims were identified as Charles Darwin University student Saiful Islam Dinar, 29, and the wives of two other students, Sadeka Kamal Nipa and Misha Kuddus. 'It is with great regret we announce that our dearest friends and BSA-CDU alumni members Saiful Islam, Sadeka Nipa and Mysha Quddus have passed away in a fatal car accident at Kakadu National Park,'they posted. 'All of them were beautiful souls and loved by everyone. Others involved in the accident are deeply traumatised and under medical treatment at Royal Darwin Hospital.' Cooinda Lodge manager Brett Skinner rushed to the scene when a fellow worker raised the alarm on Saturday, and he described the 15 'heroes' who saved lives to the NT News. Bangladeshi Student Association posted their 'deepest condolences' to family and friends to Facebook on Sunday 'It's such a sad incident but also you watch, they're superstars,' he said. 'There was just so much trauma out there (but) people were just on it straight away. 'There was no horror. No one involved, no one was interested in horror. Everyone was interested in the victims and how they were doing and what they could do to make them comfortable or support them or support the people administering first aid and such.' CareFlight aircrafts were sent to the crash site which a spokesman described as 'horrific'. Two of the four injured were expected to lose limbs and another had to be intubated at the crash site due to a suspected head injury, a CareFlight spokeswoman said on Saturday. Two of the four injured were expected to lose limbs and another had to be intubated at the crash site due to a suspected head injury, a CareFlight spokeswoman said on Saturday. Acting Assistant Commissioner Tony Fuller said the driver was 'pretty inexperienced' in Northern Territory conditions and was in a hire vehicle he was not familiar with. The driver lost control on a large bend and the vehicle rolled, ejecting one person, Mr Fuller said. Speed may have been a factor and investigations are under way to determine if all passengers were wearing seatbelts, he added. The fatal smash occurred after midday on Saturday on the Kakadu Highway near Cooinda Lodge in the Northern Territory (Kakadu National Park pictured) A second vehicle carrying family members was believed to be in convoy with the Landcruiser. Mr Fuller urged all drivers to take care returning from Easter breaks, with the road toll for the Northern Territory already at 15 for 2018. He said six of those killed were passengers who have no control of the situation. 'People who aren't even in control of the vehicle are getting killed, so our message is if you don't think they are a good driver, or they have been drinking, don't get in.' A pod of dolphins stunned swimmers who were enjoying the sunshine at a beach on Easter Sunday. A number of swimmers were pleasantly surprised by the arrival of the dolphins at the Matarangi beach in New Zealand. One amazed Auckland swimmer, Melissa Macpherson, caught the spectacular moment on camera. A number of swimmers were pleasantly surprised by the arrival of the dolphins at the Matarangi beach in New Zealand (pictured) Ms Macpherson told Daily Mail Australia the dolphins were very friendly and curious. 'It was unreal having the dolphins literally swim up to you and swim around you. Such playful, curious mammals,' she said. The swimmer said they first saw three dolphins 'surfing in the waves' from the beach. 'I saw they were dolphins and yelled it out as I ran down to the beach,' she said. While one lady thought the curious creatures may have been sharks, others were not fussed and jumped straight into the water. 'Beach goers raced down the beach to jump in the water ... one lady began stripping to underwear to get in the water with them,' Ms Macpherson said. 'Some people grabbed their row boats, surf boats, body boards and kayaks to get a good glimpse.' There were about six or eight dolphins which swam with swimmers for at least an hour. Before the dolphins appeared, Ms Macpherson was sitting on her surfboard and tapped a drum beat, joking that she was 'calling the dolphins'. 'I had once heard that dolphins like music/beats. We couldn't believe it when they actually came a few minutes late,' she said. One amazed Auckland swimmer, Melissa Macpherson, caught incredible moment on camera One person said at least four dolphins 'swam and played with swimmers' for more than an hour More than 1,300 people have viewed the video in less than 24 hours, many commenting on what a wonderful experience it would have been. 'They were so playful. Loved seeing dolphins here. Great footage,' one person wrote. 'This is so friggen amazing! You are so lucky!,' another said. Pauline Hanson has savaged a chemist which opens before sunrise so Chinese shoppers can bulk-buy tins of baby formula, claiming her daughter struggles to get hold of the product. A My Chemist store in Melbourne has infuriated local mothers who don't want to get up in the dark to buy the baby formula before it's swept off the shelves. The product is very popular with Chinese people because it typically sells for $20 a tin but can fetch more than triple that in mainland China. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson today called for stricter caps on the amount one person can buy and revealed her daughter Lee often can't get it. Pauline Hanson has savaged a chemist which opens before sunrise so Chinese shoppers can bulk-buy tins of baby formula, claiming her daughter Lee (pictured together in 2004) struggles to get hold of the product One Nation leader Pauline Hanson today called for stricter caps on the amount one person can buy and revealed her daughter Lee (pictured together) often can't get it 'I know there is a big problem Australia wide because a lot of chemists are really limiting it to one or maybe two tins per customer, which I think is fair,' she told the Seven Network. 'A lot of the Chinese here also are sending in their children as young as four to buy tins. It is a big problem. 'Someone should jump in and manufacture more and export to China. A lot of foreign students are doing it. They are using it as extra income. They are selling it back to China. 'It is a big problem and I feel sorry for the mothers here who have trouble getting formula as my daughter did.' Other politicians are less concerned. Crossbench senator David Leyonhjelm said he supported dairy farmers who profited from the booming market. He also said a foreign national can only export a very limited amount of the product. A Melbourne chemist is coming under fire for opening its doors before trading hours to allow large swaths of shoppers (pictured) to stockpile tins of baby formula One resident, just named as Paul, told the media that he was 'disgusted' to see the groups lining up in front of the My Chemist, on the corner of Elizabeth St and Flinders Lane, in order to snap up all the baby formula The lucrative 'daigou trade', a network of Chinese shoppers who send Australian products back home, is worth an estimated $850 million. Footage of the latest sale shows dozens of frenzied shoppers storming into the store and cleaning out the entire stock of baby formula. The stock was bought before it could be unpacked and stacked on the shelves. Some shoppers were aware enough to know why the photos were being taken and covered their faces in an attempt to shield their identities. One resident, named Paul, said he was 'disgusted' to see the groups lining up in front of the store in the city's CBD in order to snap up all the baby formula. 'As a long-time local resident I am dismayed that businesses are allowing people without children to profiteer at the expense of Australian mothers that do,' he said. The group of mainly foreign shoppers can be seen in front of the store three times a week - on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. A manager working at My Chemist reportedly told The Herald Sun the store had a 'six tin limit' per customer. Some shoppers were aware enough to know why the photos were being taken and covered their faces in an attempt to shield their identities Bulk-buying such goods is increasingly controversial as Australian parents complain there is not enough left on shelves for them. Dozens of photos and videos have emerged showing Chinese shoppers cleaning out entire supermarkets of baby formula tins some in coordinated efforts. Some filled multiple trolleys, stacked their car boots or ute trays, or waited outside for shops to open so they could get every last tin. Coles and Woolworths responded by imposing a two-tin limit, but it was easy to get around by going back for repeated transactions or just going to Costco. There are 80,000 daigou - or 'personal shoppers' - in Australia, many making upwards of $100,000 a year. Daigou shoppers resell the products through social media sites such as WeChat and Weibo and through online shopping sites. A photo posted to Facebook shows the careless parking that is becoming an increasing problem on Byron Bay roads. The photo, taken on Lighthouse Drive, shows empty cars parked directly in the middle of one lane at a point where the road forks, blocking access to one direction. One commenter said they, 'Couldn't believe the last car in that row, cars were having trouble doing U turns.' A photo posted to Facebook, taken on Lighthouse Drive, shows empty cars parked directly in the middle of one lane and blocking access for others Another observed, 'How would an emergency vehicle get through if needed?' Many of those commenting noted that this was not an isolated incident and that this sort of thing 'happens all the time.' 'Most of the time it's cars with out of state plates and hire cars,' said one commenter, 'I know I see it on a daily basis.' A second photo posted to the same thread shows cars parked on Butler St in a no-parking zone yesterday A second photo posted to the same thread shows cars parked on Butler St in a no-parking zone yesterday. The rear of the vehicles' are projecting out onto the road, blocking traffic in one direction. The cars parked on Lighthouse Drive received tickets issued by local police with a photo of one of the tickets showing the $110 fine amount. During the last Christmas and New Year period Byron Bay Council issued over 1000 fines for a range of offences including illegal parking and camping. The cars parked on Lighthouse Drive received tickets issued by local police with a photo of one of the tickets showing the $110 fine amount Paddleboarders in Washington, DC have discovered the body of a man who fell into the Tidal Basin on Saturday as thousands descended on the capital for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. Authorities pulled the mans body out of the water near the paddle boat area of the basin on Saturday, according to News4 TV. No information about the mans identity has been released. Paddleboarders in Washington, DC have discovered the body of a man who fell into the Tidal Basin on Saturday as thousands descended on the capital for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival Authorities pulled the mans body out of the water near the paddle boat area of the basin on Saturday The gruesome discovery put a damper on the holiday weekend. Police received a call shortly after 2pm on Saturday about a body seen floating in the water The gruesome discovery put a damper on the holiday weekend. As they do every year, thousands flocked to the nations capital at the start of spring time to watch the cherry blossoms reach peak bloom. The unseasonably cold weather in March delayed the peak bloom period, when the Yoshino cherry trees that surround the Tidal Basin sprout to create a colorful, picturesque setting. As they do every year, thousands flocked to the nations capital at the start of spring time to watch the cherry blossoms reach peak bloom Observers who visited the Tidal Basin on Sunday saw flowers begin to turn pink. The National Park Service said that despite the relatively chilly forecast in store for this week, temperatures are not expected to drop below 30 degrees. This is good news, since the cherry blossoms will be spared any significant damage. Peak bloom is now expected by the end of this week, according to WTOP. One woman's dream of a Disney vacation was crushed when she was denied entry on a cruise because she was pregnant and was subsequently escorted off by a guard bearing an AR-15 rifle. YouTuber Emily Jackson, 22, is a mother-of-two with a baby boy on the way. Jackson, along with her husband, children, parents, and siblings flew from St. Louis to Miami to embark on a picture-perfect vacation. The 10-member strong family even wore matching T-shirts that said 'Keep calm and enjoy your Disney vacation'. However what ensued was the opposite of calm when. Disney cruise personnel refused Jackson entry on the cruise because she was 25 weeks pregnant, one week past policy limit. Vacation disaster: YouTuber Emily Jackson, 22, was vlogging her family vacation on a Disney cruise when she was suddenly denied entry because she was pregnant, pictured above The Disney cruise did not let the family board because they do not allow expecting mothers past the 24 week mark on board, her family pictured above being kicked out An officer with an AR-15 rifle then emerged when the family tried to reason their way on board The YouTuber filmed video of her treatment at the cruise office, pictured above, where she was made to wait for hours for service and for their luggage to be returned to them The cruise follows a strict policy that does not allow expecting mothers past 24 weeks on board. Enraged, the family tried to do what they could to get on board. Jackson even had a note from her doctor saying it was safe for her to travel. Instead of reaching a compromise, the family was ushered out of the cruise boarding area. When Jackson's father raised his voice, a security guard appeared armed with an AR-15. Distraught, the family waited outside for two hours as cruise staff fetched their luggage that was already on board the cruise. The family waited outside as Jackson's two young children - both under the age of two - turned red faced, suffering sunburn in the Miami heat. Jackson's father, right, tried to reason with the staff at the office, left. When he raised his voice two armed officers came out to escort the family of 10 The pregnant mother was shocked by the treatment by the Disney cruise line that saw her family removed from the premises by officers bearing an AR-15 rifle Jackson's relative, in blue, tried to reason with staff that made the family wait outside for hours She revealed that her children, daughter pictured above, became red faced after being forced to wait outdoors without water in the Miami heat The vlogger took to her channel to share the horror that ensued. On her channel The Jackson Hive, videos reveal that the family had long-anticipated the Disney trip. One video reveals they even bought a huge haul of Disney themed clothes just for the occasion. Her video of the Disney cruise episode shows her distraught father speaking to the officers escorting them out. He says: 'Threatened by Disney with an AR-15 and two security guards'. 'I was crying because it's my fault that no one else can get on,' Jackson said in the video on her channel. 'We officially found out that I cannot go on the ship, 100 per cent. So we are leaving and trying to find flights for tomorrow and they sent out guys with AR-15s when my dad was talking to the desk about not being able to get on. And literally all he said was can we hurry up and they sent out AR-15 guys,' she added. The clip sees an officer carrying the gun in his arms and wearing a bullet-proof vest, pointing them out. She and her nine family members were supposed to board the Disney cruise, a model above She took to Twitter to vent about the terrifying experience that saw her escorted out while juggling two young children Emily and her husband and two young children pictured above last Christmas She is expecting a baby boy and is 25 weeks along. Her doctor granted her a note saying it was safe for her to travel and board the cruise, pictured above with her son She often shares images of her two babies on her vlog channel and social media At the end of the clip, Jackson is finally in the car after getting her luggage returned. 'So its 4.40 we were finally able to get into the car and get our luggage and get our babies out of the heat. As you can see their faces are red,' she said. The family then went back to their hotel and found flights to return to St. Louis. The following day, Jackson posted a follow-up video clarifying that she didn't realize the cruise had such a strict policy. She added that she did not purchase the tickets for the cruise and was not well-educated on its policies. 'Forget the policy. That is not my issue. Forget the fact that they did not let us on the ship. We were past that. We just wanted to get our luggage and leave. What our problem was, was how they treated us after that point,' she said in the video. 'Im mad because of how they treated me and my children. Im mad because they made my two babies under two wait outside with no water and in the heat, and get red faced. Im mad about all of those things,' she added. 'The fact that they felt they needed AR-15s to escort us out when they knew we had no weapons because we had been through security. Those were all the things that I was frustrated with at that point,' she explained. Dailymail.com has reached out to Disney Cruises for comment. California Highway Patrol officials say preliminary evidence shows the cliff crash that killed a lesbian couple from Washington state and their six adopted children may have been intentional. Capt. Greg Baarts with the CHP Northern Division says information pulled from the SUVs software shows the vehicle was stopped at the highway pullout before it accelerated straight off the cliff. 'While it has been documented that the car was traveling at 90 mph upon impact, it is not conclusive whatsoever,' Baarts said. 'We do have reason to believe, however, that the crash was intentional. This is all based on preliminary information.' Baarts says the electronic information combined with the lack of skid marks led officials to believe it was intentional. 'Pure acceleration all the way,' was how one spokesperson for the CHP described it, according to KGW-TV. A Mendocino County Sheriffs Office spokesman says authorities believe at least one felony was committed but declined to specify. Five members of the Hart family were found dead. Jennifer (back, left) and Sarah Hart (back, right) and their six adopted children were in their SUV when it plunged 100 feet off a California cliff this week Searchers are looking for three more children believed to have been in the vehicle when it went over a scenic coastal overlook and landed on rocks in the Pacific Ocean below. The speedometer inside the family SUV was 'pinned' at 90 mph after it plunged 100 feet off a California cliff with their six adopted children inside, according to court documents. Jennifer and Sarah Hart, both 39, were killed when their 2003 GMC Yukon XL crashed off the scenic Pacific Coast Highway in Northern California this week. Authorities say all eight members of the Hart family, including the six children aged 12 to 19, are presumed dead. Authorities say all eight members of the Hart family, including the six children aged 12 to 19, are presumed dead after their 2003 GMC Yukon XL was found crashed on rocks The bodies of three of the children - Markis Hart, 19, Jeremiah Hart, 14, and Abigail Hart, 14 - were located at the bottom of the cliff. Police believe the couple's three other children - Hannah Hart, 16, Devonte Hart, 15 and Sierra Hart, 12 - were also in the car at the time but their bodies have not yet been found. Mystery surrounds the horror crash given no one saw their SUV drive off a flat, dirt pullout overlooking the Pacific Ocean. A search warrant was served at the family's home on Thursday to look for items including a travel itinerary, journals and possible suicide notes. According to an affidavit for the warrant, cited by Fox 12 Oregon, the speedometer was 'pinned' at 90 mph. Investigators said there was no evidence the car hit the embankment as it 'traversed towards the tidal zone below', and there were no 'acceleration marks, tire friction marks or braking furrow marks'. 'Based upon the California Highway Patrol investigation, it is their belief "a felony has been committed,"' the court documents stated, according to Fox 12. This is an aerial view of the cliff the family plunged over in their car on the Pacific Coast Highway in California. To reach the cliff edge, the women would have had to have driven off the Pacific Highway and traversed 75ft of rugged dirt road before going over the cliff edge Marcus Mazza, an engineer and reconstruction expert with Pennsylvania-based Robson Forensic, said on Thursday that the SUV was required to have a 'black box' that records accident data. The recorder would show the car's speed and use of the brakes, according to Mazza. It could help investigators determine the cause of the crash given there were no skid marks or signs the driver braked in the moments before they went over the cliff. 'There are a lot of unknowns on this,' Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman said on Thursday. 'Several of the questions that have been asked today will never be answered.' To reach the cliff edge at the lookout, the women would have had to have driven off the Pacific Highway and traversed 75ft of rugged dirt road. 'I can tell you it was a very confusing scene because there were no skid marks, there were no brake marks, there was no indication of why this vehicle traversed approximately over 75ft of a dirt pull out and went into the pacific ocean,' Sheriff Allman said. 'We have no reason to believe, we have no evidence, that this was an intentional act. Certainly people are wondering what caused this. 'If this was an intentional act, I truly believe we are going to come to that conclusion.' Sarah (center) and Jennifer (far right) Hart are pictured with their six adopted children in 2016. Three of their children were found dead alongside them on Monday, while the three others are still missing Sarah (left) and Jennifer (right), both 39, were killed alongside three of their teenage children when their car crashed off the scenic Pacific Coast Highway in California on Monday Authorities in Washington state combed through the family's home (above) for information on Thursday. Deputies were looking for bills, receipts or anything else to shed light on why the family left The two mothers were found dead inside the SUV, while three of their children were discovered outside the vehicle. A team on Thursday searched the rugged coastline for the three other children. The case has thrown a spotlight on at least one previous run-in with the law by the Harts, along with neighbors' repeated concerns about the way the home-schooled youngsters were being treated. Well before the wreck, Sarah Hart pleaded guilty in 2011 to a domestic assault charge in Douglas County, Minnesota, telling authorities 'she let her anger get out of control' while spanking her 6-year-old adoptive daughter, court records show. Her plea deal led to the dismissal of a malicious punishment of a child charge. Then, last week, Bruce and Dana DeKalb, next-door neighbors of the Harts in Woodland, Washington, called state child protective services because one of the children, Devonte, had been coming over to their house almost every day for a week asking for food. Devonte, now 15, drew national attention after the black youngster was photographed in tears, hugging a white police officer during a 2014 protest in Portland, Oregon, over the deadly police shooting of a black man in Ferguson, Missouri. One of the couple's children 15-year-old Devonte, whose body has not yet been found, made headlines in 2014 when a photo of him tearfully hugging a police officer at a rally went viral The case has thrown a spotlight on at least one previous run-in with the law by the Harts, along with neighbors' repeated concerns about the way the six home-schooled youngsters were being treated Dana DeKalb said Devonte told her his parents were 'punishing them by withholding food.' The boy asked her to leave food in a box by the fence for him so his parents wouldn't find out. Social service authorities opened an investigation and a state caseworker went to the house last Friday but didn't find anyone home. The agency had no prior history with the family, a state official said. Neighbors said they saw the couple and their six adopted children leave the home in a hurry shortly after not answering the door to the child services worker. The family's car was spotted at the bottom of the cliff three days later. It was discovered by a passing motorist Monday afternoon. The DeKalbs also recounted that three months after the Harts moved into their house on 2 acres with a fenced pasture last May, one of the girls rang the DeKalbs' doorbell at 1.30am. '(She) was at our door in a blanket saying we needed to protect her,' Bruce DeKalb said. 'She said that they were abusing her.' The entire family came over to their house the next morning to apologize and explain it was a bad week. Tracks lead away from the edge of the cliff Wednesday, March 28, 2018, where the SUV of Jennifer and Sarah Hart went off the Pacific Coast Highwa The family's car was spotted at the bottom of the cliff on Monday and firefighters had to rappel down to retrieve the bodies Courtesy of KOIN Some family friends, though, say that doesn't track with their knowledge of the parents who they described as a loving couple who promoted social justice and exposed their 'remarkable' children to art, music and nature. The brood was known as the Hart Tribe, a multiracial family of two women and six adopted children who grew their own food, took spontaneous road trips to camp and hike, and traveled to festivals and other events, offering free hugs and promoting unity. Family friend Max Ribner took issue with the notion the crash was something other than a tragic accident. The couple adopted the six children, many of whom came from 'hard backgrounds,' he said. 'They transformed these kids' lives.' 'This is a tragic accident of a magnitude that cannot be measured,' said Zippy Lomax, a photographer who knew the Harts. 'They were really radiant, warm, adventurous, inspiring people. They were always on some grand adventure, and the kids were living this life that was kind of like this dream.' A truck drives by the pullout where the SUV of Jennifer and Sarah Hart was recovered off the Pacific Coast Highway Volunteers with the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team searches the waters off the coast using a telescope on Thursday in search of the missing bodies A body was found washed up on the shore at Sydney's northern beaches by a fisherman. The body, thought to be a woman, was found on Thursday last week at the south side of Fairfax Track off Scenic Drive at North Head. New South Wales Police said they believed the body had been there 'for some time' before being found. The body, thought to be a woman, was found on Thursday last week at the south side of Fairfax Track off Scenic Drive at North Head (stock image) Authorities are yet to identify the body. The fisherman called police at 10.30am when he made the tragic discovery. State Crime Command Homicide Squad detectives are assisting the investigation alongside Northern Beaches Police Area Command. The cause of death is still unknown however police said there have been no indications as to whether it was suspicious. President Donald Trump said for the second day in a row on Monday that the Obama-era program shielding nearly 800,000 so-called 'Dreamers' from deportation is a thing of the past and blamed congressional Democrats for standing and watching while he ended it. 'DACA is dead because the Democrats didn't care or act, and now everyone wants to get onto the DACA bandwagon,' the president tweeted, referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. That, he said, '[n]o longer works. Must build Wall and secure our borders with proper Border legislation. Democrats want No Borders, hence drugs and crime!' The notion that a new wave of illegal immigrants could balloon the DACA-eligible population is unfounded, at least as President Barack Obama defined it: The program offers deportation protection to those who were brought to the U.S. as children, but only if they were already in the U.S. on June 15, 2012. Still, the White House is signaling that somehow a future horde of new border-jumpers could swell DACA's ranks. President Donald Trump declared Monday that he's no longer willing to negotiate to revive the Obama-era DACA program Trump claims 'everyone wants to get onto the DACA bandwagon,' suggesting a new wave of illegal immigrants will put pressure on the U.S. to expand the program Trump's worry: An army of 1,200 Central Americans fleeing violence and unrest are marching unchallenged through Mexico towards the U.S. border 'This happened back in the '80s. They gave people amnesty, and there was a flood of people into this country because they wanted the freebies,' Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley said Monday morning on 'Fox & Friends,' referring to border permissiveness under former President Ronald Reagan. 'The same thing occurs today.' Gidley claimed negotiations over the program have grown 'out of hand, and that's one of the reasons the president wanted a lasting, long-term solution on DACA when he so graciously offered 1.8 million people a potential pathway to citizenship three times that of Barack Obama.' Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals gives a deportation loophole to illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. Trump declared in September 2017 that he would end the program on March 5, giving Congress six months to codify it into law and essentially invalidating the limitations on who might qualify for a future version of it. Activists and DACA recipients marched up Broadway during the start of their 'Walk to Stay Home' in February a five-day, 250-mile walk from New York to Washington D.C., to demand that Congress pass a standalone bill giving 'Dreamers' permanent legal status in the U.S. DACA recipients and their supporters turned their backs on Trump (on screen) as he talked about unity during his State of the Union address on January 30 But his gambit dangling DACA as leverage to move Democrats toward his position on border security backfired when federal courts intervened and stopped his administration from turning away applications for status renewal. And when Congress inked a spending deal two weeks ago that included scant support for his long-promised border wall, the president was forced by circumstance to sign it. Monday's DACA death-knell followed Trump tweet on Easter Sunday that there would be no new effort to push a deal with Democrats forward. He also threatened to pull out of a free trade agreement with Mexico unless it does more to stop people from crossing into the U.S. 'NO MORE DACA DEAL!' Trump tweeted, one hour after he began the day by wishing his followers a 'HAPPY EASTER!' He said Mexico must 'stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL!' The U.S., Canada and Mexico are participating in tense negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement at Trump's insistence. Trump says NAFTA is bad for the U.S. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley (right) claimed Monday that today's situation is a mirror of the Reagan era where 'they gave people amnesty, and there was a flood of people into this country because they wanted the freebies' Trump, shown with first lady Melania arriving for Easter services in Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday, is ignoring the fact that only people who were physically inside the U.S. by mid-2012 qualified for DACA protections 'Mexico has got to help us at the border,' Trump, holding his wife's hand, told reporters before the couple attended Easter services at an Episcopal church near his Palm Beach home. 'If they're not going to help us at the border, it's a very sad thing between our two countries.' 'A lot of people are coming in because they want to take advantage of DACA,' he added. Former President Barack Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to provide temporary protection and work permits to hundreds of thousands of immigrants who are living in the U.S. illegally after being brought here as children. But the Department of Homeland Security is not issuing new permits. Proposed DACA deals crafted by lawmakers and rejected by Trump also were not open to new participants. Trump did not explain what he meant when questioned by reporters as he entered the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea with the first lady and his daughter Tiffany. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for clarification. Trump, when addressing reporters briefly before entering the church, again blamed Democrats for failing to protect the 'Dreamers.' 'They had a great chance. The Democrats blew it. They had a great, great chance, but we'll have to take a look because Mexico has got to help us at the border. They flow right through Mexico. They send them into the United States. It can't happen that way anymore.' President Donald Trump stops to talk to members of the media as he arrives for Easter services with his daughter Tiffany Trump, left, and first lady Melania Trump at Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea on Easter Sunday Trump promised during the 2016 presidential campaign to build a Southern border wall to stop illegal immigration and drugs from Mexico, but Congress has frustrated him by not moving as quickly as he wants to provide money for construction. The president also complained on Twitter that border patrol agents can't do their jobs properly because of 'ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws' that allow people caught for being in the country illegally to be released while they await a hearing before a federal immigration judge. Trump tweeted that the situation is 'Getting more dangerous' and 'Caravans' are coming. He did not offer details to back his comment. The president's tweets came after Fox News' 'Fox & Friends' reported early Sunday on what it said is a group of 1,200 immigrants, mostly from Honduras, headed to the U.S. The segment was a follow-up to a report by Buzzfeed News on hundreds of Central Americans making their way through Mexico in hopes that American authorities will grant them asylum or be absent when they attempt to cross the border. The Fox headline was 'Caravan of illegal immigrants headed to U.S.' The president is known to watch the cable TV program in the morning. Brandon Judd, leader of the union representing border patrol agents, predicted on 'Fox & Friends' that those in the caravan would create havoc and chaos in the U.S. as they wait for what he described as immigration reform. Judd also said Congress needs to pass tougher laws, an idea Trump appeared to echo, and create more bed space for immigration authorities to house people. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, chided Trump over the tone of the tweets. President Donald Trump, center, first lady Melania Trump, right, and Tiffany Trump, left, arrive for Easter services at Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday, April 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for Easter services at Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, in Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday, April 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) 'A true leader preserves & offers hope, doesn't take hope from innocent children who call America home. Remember, today is Easter Sunday,' tweeted Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Trump critic who challenged him for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, another Trump foe, urged Congress to take up the fight for Dreamers. 'There are plenty of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who stand ready to work with the administration on legislation to protect DACA kids who call America home,' he tweeted. 'Let's do it.' Sunday's church visit was Trump's first public appearance with his wife since CBS' '60 Minutes' aired an interview the previous Sunday with Stormy Daniels, the adult-film star who says she had sex with Trump in 2006, early in his marriage and a few months after Mrs. Trump gave birth to their son. The White House says Trump denies the affair. Mrs. Trump spent most of the past week in Palm Beach with her son. The Trumps returned to Washington later Sunday. A man and woman were filmed kicking in a car door during a terrifying road rage incident. The car door was kicked in while the driver was sitting inside at an intersection in Newcastle, north of Sydney. The pair reportedly got out of a car at Brunker and Glebe roads before violently attacking the car, Newcastle Herald reported. A man and woman (pictured) were filmed kicking in a car door during a terrifying road rage incident The incident occurred shortly after midday on March 24 however police have now released images of the two accused offenders. The woman appeared to be wearing black jeans and a purple top with tattoos up her arms. The man was wearing a white t-shirt with a black print and also had tattoos up his arms. The woman reportedly kicked the passenger side of the car and there were no injuries. Police are encouraging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers. A small California city has voted to remove the statue of US President William McKinley from a town plaza because it is offensive to the indigenous community. The city council is set to topple the eight and a half foot statue of the 25th president who is accused of leading the slaughter of Native American communities across the nation. The movement for the statue's removal is led by the Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous People who call McKinley a leader of 'settler colonialism'. The California town of Arcata has voted to remove a statue of the 25th US president William McKinley, pictured above The above cartoon reveals an effort to remove a similar statue in front of Capitol Hill, illustrating the struggle to remove old ideals Chris Peters heads the indigenous group and believes the removal of the statue would honor the native groups the former president had 'savaged, raped and killed'. 'Put a rope around its neck and pull it down,' Peters said at a rally held at the base of the bronze statue, according to the LA Times. The town mobilized after area tribes and social activists created a petition campaign and brought it to Arcata City Hall. The winter saw the McKinley statue plaza overrun with regular protests. A local indigenous group call McKinley, above, a leader of 'settler colonialism' One local resident protested for 26 days straight with a sign that said 'This Christmas, give the gift of not supporting racism and murder. Remove the statue'. In February the city council voted four to one to remove the statue of McKinleys likeness. 'The Native people here have avoided that square for years,' Ted Hernandez, chairman of the Wiyot Tribe who live on a reservation 20miles south of Arcata said to the LA Times. 'Why do we have this man standing in this square where they used to sell our children?' he added. His tribe - along with a dozen others - rallied together to protest the McKinley statue. Protestor Bernadette Smith drove four hours for the protest and says 'what happened is going to inspire Natives across America'. The statue sits in the middle of a local town square in Arcata, pictured above center Arcata locals took to Twitter to document the debate that the town experienced over the removal of the controversial statue One many said the council decision to remove it was a sign of 'righting wrongs' It is not clear when the statue was first set. Local lore says it survived the 1906 earthquake and fire in San Francisco and then was brought to Arcata. It is set up with a 1963 plaque that reveals the history of the square but uses controversial phrasing, according to SFGate. The plaque says 'time of Indian troubles' and will be replaced. The topple could spark a movement across the nation. 2017 saw a series of Confederate statues and memorials removed from their posts in the South, after waves rallies and protests. But this isnt the first action to amend the US' offensive historical records of Native history. In March in San Jose, the council got rid of a statue of Christopher Columbus from the lobby of City Hall. The month prior in San Francisco, a monument of a defeated Native American fallen at the feet of Spaniards was also decided to be removed. The McKinley statue will be removed by the city in about eight months as legally it is subject to an environmental review. The cost of removal is a whopping $65,000. 'I would not try to guess or tell other cities what to do. If you think of presidents of our country, I don't think people would even know who McKinley is. But we do. And here, we want to set the right example,' Arcata mayor Sofia Pereira said. The bikie clubhouse where a man is believed to have killed himself on Easter Monday has a history of bloodshed. Bandidos were seen consoling one another outside their Brunswick, north Melbourne clubhouse after a gunshot was heard about 7.20am this morning. It was far from the first time police officers have set up a crime scene outside the Weston Street fortress. Today's death was just steps away from where a hitman pumped five bullets into the chest of former Bandido enforcer Toby Mitchell in November 2011. Australia's most notorious clubhouse: Police are seen out the front of the Bandidos Clubhouse in Brunswick, in Melbourne's north, where a man died on Monday morning Former Bandido enforcer Toby Mitchell was repeatedly shot in the chest as he walked out of nearby gym in November 2011 Mitchell survived and runs a Melbourne tattoo parlour with former AFL footballer Jake King If not for the scar running from his naval to his neck, you almost wouldn't be able to tell Mitchell was once knocking on death's door It was 4.30pm, broad daylight, when the hitman swooped, blasting away and leaving Mitchell sprawled on the street. But the killer failed to finish the job. After extensive surgery, Mitchell survived, The Age reporting he underwent 30 operations and lost his 'kidney, gall bladder and most of his liver'. He now runs a tattoo parlour with former AFL player Jake King in South Melbourne and takes every opportunity to show off his healthy body on Instagram. You'd scarcely be able to tell he had been on death's door, if not for the scar running from his naval to his neck. The clubhouse, painted black with imposing iron fences, was the scene of an actual killing in May 2014 when several men set upon Dandenong man Michael Strike. The 38-year-old was dragged into the clubhouse after drunkenly hassling a dog named Trouble that was tied up out the front. Strike was repeatedly bashed with his head even rammed into a stripper's pole, the Victorian Supreme Court heard in 2016. He bled out and his body was dumped in Keilor cemetery. Police investigators raided the clubhouse on at least two occasions, squads standing guard as detectives hauled away bags of evidence. Three men were later convicted of crimes connected to the killing. (One bikie appealed his manslaughter charge the Criminal Court of Appeal last year but his decade-long jail sentence was upheld.) Crime scene: A detective hauls a bag of evidence out of the Bandido's Clubhouse in 2014 after a body was found at a cemetery in Keilor Victoria's Supreme Court would later hear Michael Strike was dragged into the clubhouse and beaten up, with his head rammed into a metal stripper's pole The Bandidos are a 'one-percenter' motorcycle club with chapters around Australia and the world Bullets rang out in the street again about a year ago. Three men were shot in the legs as they walked along the street about 11.30pm last April. The trio, aged in their 20s, 40s and 50s respectively, suffered serious but not life threatening injuries. Investigators said they believed the men were bikie associates, possibly involved in a feud. Police and paramedics seen at the Bandidos clubhouse on Monday morning after a man died in a suspected suicide It was just another violent chapter in the history of the clubhouse when officers unfurled their crime scene tape out the front on Monday morning. Investigations continue. Do you know more about Monday's incident? Email daniel.piotrowski@mailonline.com For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14 A stunning archaeological find has been uncovered during construction for a new high school in Parramatta. The heritage team lead by archaeologist Abi Cryer have discovered the cellars of Edgeworth House, built in 1848. Ms Cryer told the Daily Telegraph that the find was, 'Highly significant and rare, it's an extremely valuable resource for Parramatta and Australia's cultural heritage, as well as for future research.' The heritage team lead by archaeologist Abi Cryer have discovered the cellars of Edgeworth House, built in 1848 It has been called an 'Aladdin's cave' of archaeological finds with Aboriginal, Georgian, and Victorian artifacts all located at the site It has been called an 'Aladdin's cave' of archaeological finds with Aboriginal, Georgian, and Victorian artifacts all located at the site including buttons, pins, toys, a bullet, and coins. The site was a convict barracks in 1819 before Edgeworth House was built and used as a military residence, where former Mayor of Parramatta James Byrnes lived, before eventually becoming a school. The development team will now assess options regarding preserving the site and possibly incorporating it as a cultural display in the new school. A render of the proposed new school designed by BVN Architecture A Memphis convenience store clerk has been charged in the fatal shooting of a black teen 'shoplifter' whose body was found near the store. Anwar Ghazali, the 28-year-old clerk at Top Stop Shop in Tennessee, was scheduled to be arraigned in court Monday morning for the Thursday shooting of Dorian Harris, 17. Harris' body was found two days later, behind a home just steps from the store. Scroll down for video Anwar Ghazali, 28, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Dorian Harris, 17 Police say Harris stole a beer from the Top Stop Shop in Memphis, Tennessee Thursday night. Ghazali, the clerk, chased him out of the store and fired several shots at the teen According to the police report, Harris came into the store Thursday night around 10pm, grabbed a beer and walked out without paying. Ghazali grabbed a gun and chased Harris out of the store - firing several shots at the teen. When he returned to the store, he told a witness 'I think I shot him' - but didn't call police to report the theft or the shooting. Harris' body was found Saturday afternoon, to the side of a home just up the street from the store. The teen's body was found two days later behind a nearby house (pictured above) Harris' grandmother, Effir Fitch (right), and several others in the community say Ghazali's action was inappropriate He had a gun wound to his thigh and he was wearing the same clothes as the night of the shooting. Ghazali told the Commercial Appeal he never 'officially' knew if the teen was hit or not. When he was arrested on Saturday, he waived his Miranda rights and admitted to firing several shots at the teen. Harris' grandmother and several others in the community say Ghazali's action was inappropriate. 'It shouldn't have happened like that,' Effie Fitch told WMC. 'He was a child and that was an adult. He ought to have more responsibility than that and he's running a business.' Dorian's grandmother said that her grandson sometimes did odd jobs for the owner of the store, adding: 'They know us. You didn't have to do nothing but just say, "Dorian [is] in here picking up something," which that ain't him, I don't think' She also pointed out that her grandson was a frequent customer of the store, and even did odd jobs for the owner every now and then. 'They know us. You didn't have to do nothing but just say, "Dorian [is] in here picking up something," which that ain't him, I don't think. But if he did do it like children do, why you just didn't tell him he can't come to the store no more?' Fitch added. Ghazali was being held in the Shelby County Jail. It wasn't immediately known whether he has an attorney. 'We don't want people to steal from businesses. We also don't want people hunting suspects down and shooting them. If he's not giving direct, imminent danger to you, leave it be. Call the cops. Let us figure it out,' Memphis Police Department spokesman Louis Brownlee told the Commercial Appeal. A trapeze artist dramatically fell 26 ft during a high wire dance routine when his tightrope suddenly loosened. The audience gasped as performer Sergey Marakov plummeted onto a hard wooden floor - before miraculously staggering to his feet and taking a bow. After a quick hospital check-up, and a bandage on his arm, he returned to his circus in the Russian city of Bratsk and completed his 'Spanish dance' act to loud applause from the audience. A trapeze artist dramatically fell 26 ft during a high wire dance routine when his tightrope suddenly loosened Marakov, from Dovgalyuk Dynasty Circus, said that the tightrope loosened because the frozen Siberian soil - into which the big top's supports had been fixed - began to thaw. He performed the act without a safety net but 'tucked himself up' and managed to use his arms to break his fall. The circus ringmaster rushed to help the injured artist. Later Marakov said: 'I was performing my Spanish dance on the tightrope. 'Suddenly the supporting poles began to move. The soil had thawed and the poles began moving so the rope went loose. 'I tucked myself up, I know how to do it. We always train for falls. The doctors said I am fine. It is just a bruise, and they put on a bandage.' The fall was caught on video by spectator Sergey Mazhitov who said: 'The performance went on afterwards but the flooring was broken because of his fall.' The audience gasped as performer Sergey Marakov plummeted onto a hard wooden floor - before miraculously staggering to his feet and taking a bow A married solider has died during a 'tragic' diving accident in the final week of his training course. Lance Corporal George Partridge's death occurred as he carried out drills at the National Diving and Activity Centre near the Welsh border. The centre, located in Tidenham, Gloucestershire, has sunken planes, buses and armoured vehicles on the bed of the quarry where divers can carry out practice operations. Several civilians have died while diving at the centre in the last few years, including a man who suffered severe compression injuries to his chest in October. Lance Corporal George Partridge (pictured) died during a 'tragic' diving accident in the final week of his training course George is pictured on the right, alongside his older brother Ben (left) and their sister Lucy The National Diving and Activity Centre near the Welsh border. The centre, located in Tidenham, Glocestershire, has sunken planes, buses and armoured vehicles on the bed The soldier had been based with the 26 Engineer Regiment at Swindon Barracks in Perham Down, Wiltshire before his death. Among the hundreds to pay tribute to Mr Partridge were colleagues of his in the army. Andrew Lawlor wrote: 'RIP Gorgeous George such a pleasure to have served with you and to also grace the football pitch with you. 'Such a pleasant lad who I don't think anyone can say a bad word about. You were a genuine top guy and my thoughts are with your wife and family Rest easy mate x' Ryan Johnson said: 'Absolutely heartbroken. It was an honour to have served with you and to have had you as a room mate George. RIP bro.' Michael Baillie added: 'Absolutely heartbroken. Genuinely great guy. It was a pleasure to have known you George. RIP bro.' Among the hundreds to pay tribute to Mr Partridge (pictured with his brother Ben) were colleagues of his in the army Several civilians have died while diving at the centre (where punters can also do zip-wiring, shown) in the last few years, including a man who suffered severe compression injuries The soldier had been based with the 26 Engineer Regiment at Swindon Barracks in Perham Down, Wiltshire before his death Steve Hart said: 'One of the kindest guys I've met, worked hard for everyone around him, you're going to be missed by all mate as you were so genuine and true.' Gavin McGowan added: 'RIP sapper so sad to hear about this. Spent six months in Afghan with you brother and you were a top bloke.' Diving deaths at centre where troops train Several civilians have died at the National Diving and Activity Centre since it opened in 2003. It is visited by keen divers from across the country due to its depths of up to 260ft. A man died in October last year after suffering chest compression injuries. Mary Restell, 54, from Tavistock in Devon, died in 2014 when she was diving at 60m and became unresponsive and was rushed to the surface. In 2004, Janine Davison-Evans, 27, and Hank Austin, 25, from Ascot died on Good Friday. The centre, located in Tidenham, Gloucestershire, has sunken planes, buses and armoured vehicles on the bed of the quarry where divers can carry out practice operations. Advertisement The National Diving and Activity Centre is a large limestone quarry which was flooded in 1996. The centre opened in 2003 as an inland scuba diving site, and is visited by keen divers from across the country due to its depths of up to 260ft. A statement on the regiment's Facebook page said: 'It is with great sadness that we must announce the death of Lance Corporal George Partridge on Monday 26 March, during the final week of his Army Diver Course. 'This is a tragic loss to his wife, family, 26 Engineer Regiment and the Corps of Royal Engineers. 'Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues and we ask you respect their privacy in these difficult times.' An Ministry of Defence spokesperson told MailOnline: 'It is with great sadness that we must confirm that Lance Corporal George Partridge died in a tragic diving incident on 26 March at the National Dive Activity Centre, Chepstow. 'Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this extremely difficult time. The incident is being investigated and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.' Conservative Christians and alt-right commentators are venting their anger over Google not creating one of their famous Doodles to celebrate the Easter Holiday. Several prominent conservative Twitter users, including Hollywood actor James Woods, attacked the search engine for being 'anti-Christian'. Google has defended itself, stating it does not have any Doodles for religious-only holidays, and has not had an Easter Doodle since 2000. Outrage: A number of people took to Twitter to attack the search engine for being 'anti-Christian' over the lack of an Easter Doodle Woods re-tweeted a post by the editor of far-right news website Infowars, which asked why 'Google has a doodle for every obscure 'woke' person/event imaginable, but nothing for Easter?'. The Casino actor, added his own reply, claiming that 'They loathe Christians. Pure and simple'. Alt-right conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec tweeted to his 300,000 followers: 'Happy Easter to everyone except Google today'. Google often alters the company's logo on its start page celebrate events, honour prominent people or mark a holiday, known as a Google Doodle. Angry: One of the many people to vent their anger on Twitter was actor James Woods Others vented their upset that many other, less popular, holidays were celebrated with a Doodle, but not Easter which is celebrated in several religions and secular communities Alt-right unite: Fervent Trump-supporter Jack Posobiec also made an un-subtle dig The company defended itself, saying its 'Doodle guidelines' state that there are no Doodles for religious holidays. However, Google acknowledged that it had created Doodles for holidays which are celebrated by some religions, claiming that these - such as Tu B'Av, a Jewish 'holiday of love' and 'the December holiday period' - had grown out of being a religious holiday. 'We don't have Doodles for religious holidays, in line with our current Doodle guidelines,' a statement seen by Fox News said. 'Doodles may appear for some non-religious celebrations that have grown out of religious holidays, such as Valentine's Day, Holi's Festival of Colors, Tu B'Av and the December holiday period, but we don't include religious imagery or symbolism as part of these.' Police have backed away from a defiant drumming circle in the Gold Coast after they attempted to shut down a gathering after a controversial ban. Hundreds of locals and keen drummers heckled police at the Burleigh Heads park on Sunday to support the weekly event. Gold Coast City Council erected a sign in March 27 to ban outdoor activities such as fire twirling, slacklining and the playing of bongo drums over concerns of anti-social behaviour. Scroll down for video Hundreds of locals and keen drummers heckled police at the Burleigh Heads park on Sunday to support the weekly event. The Gold Coast council backflipped on a ban which prohibited fire twirling, bongo drums and slacklining at a popular Burleigh Heads park The signs were are directed at a series of drumming circles and cultural events which fed-up locals claim went hand-in-hand with alcohol and other substances. The Bongo drumming organiser, Karen Achilles said police had attempted to shut down the Burleigh tradition but gave up. 'No one was moved in the end, I don't think there was any idea just how many people would show up,' she told the Bulletin. A spokesperson for Queensland Police said they attended the park in a 'mediatory role' and saw no issues with the event. The council back flipped on the plan after a social media uproar about the ban The council back flipped on the plan after a social media uproar about the ban. Days later, Mayor Tom Tate advised the community via Facebook that Councillor Pauline Young was sorting out the issue. 'The sign is being replaced with one that says that says the activity just needs a permit - which is really about the players and especially the fire twirlers having insurance in case someone gets hurt, especially children,' he wrote. In less than 24 hours when the sign was erected, it had already been vandalised with the words 'fun' over the new park rules 'The players, fire twirlers and slack rope walkers just need the same public liability insurance like personal trainers in parks. 'I think this means the bongos will be right to keep going.' Complaints of excessive noise, a lack of respect for the area and graffiti were detailed as an issue according to the paper. In less than 24 hours when the sign was erected, it had already been vandalised with the words 'fun' over the new park rules. One person had drawn attention that this ban might be directed at American actor, Matthew McConaughey who was arrested for playing the bongos nude while he was high on marijuana in Austin, Texas. Jesse Hernandez was found about 12 hours after falling into a Los Angeles sewage system on Sunday A 13-year-old boy who went missing after falling into a Los Angeles drainage system has miraculously been found alive. Officials said early Monday morning that Jesse Hernandez had been found in a pipe about a pile east of where he first went missing on Easter Sunday. 'Its with happy hearts that all Los Angeles City agencies are able to state that we have found Jesse Hernandez,' Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Erik Scott said at the press conference. Scott said a sanitation crew found Hernandez after opening a maitenance hatch near where the 134 Freeway goes under the 5 freeway. They put a camera down the hatch and 'that's where we located Jesse Hernandez alive and talking'. After being rescued from the pipe, Hernandez was given a phone to call his parents who were 'overwhelmed with joy'. Hernandez jumped a chain-link fence to access the abandoned maintenance building pictured above The boy plunged 25 feet into the network of sewers in the evening of Easter Sunday Hernandez was given medical aid at the scene and then taken to the hospital for evaluation. It's unclear if he is seriously injured. Scott says Hernandez survived because he found a pocket of hair in the pipe. 'You can stand in that area,' Scott said of the pipe where Hernandez was found. 'There's a place as to where air is able to come through.' Hernandez jumped a chain-link fence and was playing in an abandoned maintenance shed when he fell into the drainage system through a 4-foot-wide pipe - sparking a 12-hour manhunt. More than 20 members of the Hernandez family had been picnicking in Griffith Park, an annual Easter tradition, when the boy went missing. Crews were called to 5254 West Zoo Drive around 4.30pm on Sunday night. The teen plunged 25 feet through the roof of the concrete structure into a drainage ditch, Scott said. More than 100 emergency personnel were scrambled to numerous 'potential catch points' 'One was jumping on top of a wooden plank, perhaps not knowing that it led into a drainage pipe,' he said. 'The plank gave, the wood broke, and the kid fell right through it.' A crisis response team of more than 100 people were dispatched to help search for the boy. The sewage system that Hernandez fell into moves sewage at about 15 miles per hour. Guided by LA Sanitation, rescue teams located 'potential catch points' they thought he would eventually pass. Urban search and rescue teams crawled into the sewage network, searching pipes as far as 1.5 miles from where Hernandez disappeared. Officials attached cameras to flotation devices, sending them down tunnels 300 feet ahead of rescue personnel. LAPD said in a statement the device is similar to a boogie board. Hundreds gathered for a vigil on the Las Vegas Strip on Easter Sunday to mark six months since the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history. A red rose for each of the 58 victims of the shooting, on October 1 last year, was raised towards the sky, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Around 300 people gathered at the south end of the strip from 6pm, walking the perimeter of the site where the Route 91 Harvest Festival was held. People comfort each other during a vigil on Sunday for victims and survivors of the Las Vegas mass shooting Sarah Klopp, right, comforts Nicole Pizzolatto during a vigil that marked six months since the shooting along the Las Vegas Strip left 58 people dead and hundreds more injured Some dressed in Vegas Strong and Route 91 shirts, while others carrying white flags that said 'Survivor,' comforting each other as they honored the victims and survivors. White glow sticks were given to family members and close friends of the victims, while others followed carrying orange and purple glow sticks, a reference to the festival's colours. The names of the victims were read aloud at the start of the vigil by two survivors who organized the vigil - Stacie Armentrout and Shawna Bartlett. 'This is where we became a family,' Armentrout told the crowd, according to the Review-Journal. People carry flowers as they walk along the south side of the Strip during Sunday night's vigil Some dressed in Vegas Strong and Route 91 shirts, while others carrying white flags and glow sticks The names of the victims were read aloud at the start of the vigil by two survivors A man is draped in a flag referencing the Route 91 festival during a vigil for victims and survivors of the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history 'We're not gonna let evil win,' Bartlett added. 'We're not gonna let him win. That's not gonna happen.' She was referring to Stephen Paddock, who opened fire on 22,000 festival-goers from his hotel suite on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay resort. The 64-year-old used assault-style rifles to kill 58 and injure hundreds more before authorities found him dead in the room. The vigil comes a week after hotel surveillance video emerged showing Paddock going about his routine, including moving luggage and playing slots, in the days before the mass shooting. People carry flowers as they walk near the Mandalay Bay hotel and casino on Sunday night Anthony Dalrymple, left, and Kimberly Dalrymple hold a flag near the Mandalay Bay hotel The footage, provided by MGM Resorts International, shows Paddock interacting with Mandalay Bay resort staff members, wheeling suitcases toward elevators and pulling his Dodge Caravan into the hotel valet. 'Paddock gave no indication of what he planned to do and his interactions with staff and overall behavior were all normal,' company spokeswoman Debra DeShong said in a statement. 'MGM and Mandalay Bay could not reasonably foresee that a long-time guest with no known history of threats or violence and behaving in a manner that appeared outwardly normal, would carry out such an inexplicably evil, violent and deadly act,' she said. Alaina Laswell cries during a vigil for victims and survivors of the October 1 shooting A man stands on a wall near the Mandalay Bay hotel where the gunman opened fire from The 32 video clips, first obtained by The New York Times , offer no motive for Paddock's attack. They show him checking in at the Mandalay Bay on September 25, gambling at high-limit video poker several times, buying snacks, stepping into elevators, driving into the valet area and accompanying hotel employees wheeling carts with his suitcases. Stephen Paddock (pictured) opened fire on 22,000 festival-goers from his hotel suite on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay resort Videos suggest that employees had no indication what was in the suitcases. Records show that over the course of several days traveling between the hotel and his home in Mesquite, Nevada, Paddock amassed an arsenal of 23 assault-style rifles and one handgun in his suite. Authorities have characterized Paddock as a gambler on a losing streak who was obsessed with cleanliness. They said he may have been bipolar and having difficulties with his live-in girlfriend, who was in the Philippines when the shooting occurred. Paddock was a retired accountant who amassed a millionaire's fortune, owned homes in Reno and Mesquite and earned casino perks wagering thousands of dollars on high-stakes video poker. Police reported finding just $273 in cash the hotel room where Paddock was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. A mother has told of her 'torture' at watching her beautiful daughter waste away as she battled a disease some medical professionals refuse to believe exists. Merryn Crofts, from Norden in Rochdale, died on May 23 last year, 10 days after her 21st birthday. She weighed less than six stone and had spent the last three years of her life in pain and completely bed-bound. She suffered with severe myalgic encephalomyelitis - or ME - a neurological illness which affects up to 17million people worldwide. But many think the condition is not real, even within the medical profession. Merryn Crofts, from Norden in Rochdale, died on May 23 last year, days after her 21st birthday. She weighed less than six stone and had spent the last three years of her life bed-bound Now, Merryn's family have decided to speak about her life and death in a bid to raise awareness of the crippling disease. Merryn's mother Clare, said: 'Merryn was passionate about raising awareness and understanding of ME. She wouldn't want other families to suffer like we have. 'But she was also ashamed of having ME. Quite often, if asked, she would say she had a neuro-immune disease. 'That's because there is a still a stigma around ME, even in the medical community, and there is a lot of misinformation about ME out there. That has to change.' The first sign something was wrong came when Merryn, then aged 15, suddenly developed severe swelling around her face, hands and feet. Doctors thought the Oulder Hill High School pupil might have an infection and prescribed antibiotics, but the symptoms worsened. The first sign something was wrong came when Merryn, then aged 15, suddenly developed severe swelling around her face, hands and feet Then, the drama-mad schoolgirl began experiencing severe fatigue, a telltale sign of ME. Clare, who quit her job as a counsellor to become Merryn's full-time carer, said: 'From being very young she was always a bundle of energy. She was a daredevil, always doing stuff. 'But she would come home from school, crash on the sofa and sleep for six hours. 'It was like watching a wind up toy run out of power. And it just kept happening more and more.' As her symptoms worsened Merryn underwent several mental health assessments as doctors thought the illness might be psychological, a common misdiagnosis among ME sufferers. Conversion Disorder, a mental condition formerly known as hysteria, was even mentioned. As her symptoms worsened Merryn underwent several mental health assessments as doctors thought the illness might be psychological, a common misdiagnosis among ME sufferers However, through her own research Clare began to suspect Merryn might have ME, a possibility she admits 'scared me to death'. But, despite repeatedly raising her concerns with doctors, she was met with a wall of suspicion. 'One doctor told us if they could discount everything else, then maybe they would diagnose ME,' said Clare. 'Another just said he didn't believe in it and that was that.' Her experience was not uncommon. ME has always sparked debate and controversy. It's been disparagingly called 'yuppie flu', because one of its many symptoms is severe, persistent fatigue after exercise. And, while its cause is unknown, many patients contract it after a viral infection - Merryn had suffered a bout of glandular fever before her symptoms began - and women are four times as likely to have ME than men. Frustrated with the lack of progress in the NHS, Merryn went to see a specialist at a private clinic and was diagnosed with severe ME. Then in September 2012, an NHS ME consultant in Wigan also agreed Merryn was suffering with the condition. Clare said: 'It was always a battle. ME is recognised by the World Health Organisation as a neurological disease - and has been since the 1960s - there are NICE guidelines on it, but still doctors were telling us they didn't believe in it. It was like banging your head on a brick wall.' By now, Merryn was enduring a string of agonising symptoms. Wheelchair-bound and unable to climb the stairs at the family home she also shared with older sister Amy, now 24, and step-dad Dave Norton, she developed an excruciating sensitivity to light, noise and touch, suffered crippling stomach cramps and joint pain and began having convulsions. Frustrated with the lack of progress in the NHS, Merryn went to see a specialist at a private clinic and was diagnosed with severe ME In a heartbreaking blog post from August 2015, Merryn gave an insight into what she was going through. 'Having severe ME is like being trapped in your own body every single day,' she wrote. What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Also known as ME - or myalgic encephalomyelitis - CFS can affect anyone, but is most common in women in their mid 20s to mid 40s. The most noticeable symptom is extreme tiredness, but others include problems sleeping, joint or muscle pain, headaches, flu-like symptoms, and a fast or irregular heartbeat. Treatments include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), specific exercises, or medication to target nausea, pain or issues with sleeping. Source: NHS Advertisement 'There is no rest, you are bed-bound all day every day. It snatches the most simple things away from you like being able to wash yourself, even in bed. Being cared for in every way possible. In terrible pain, from everything. Not being able to talk on the phone or have visitors, and feeling worse about saying no every time someone asks again. 'Months and months in hospital. Severe infections. Breathing problems. Low immunity. Problems anywhere and everywhere in the body. Paralysis. Severe hypersensitivity. The list is endless, and if I was physically able to type I would carry on. 'Spread awareness and remember all of us and all of those who have lost their lives.' Watching her daughter go through such torment was also agonising for Clare. 'Merryn's pain was always very bad,' she said. 'She was always a really 'huggy' girl, but she couldn't be touched because it was agony for her. Wheelchair-bound and unable to climb the stairs, Merryn developed an excruciating sensitivity to light, noise and touch, suffered crippling stomach cramps and joint pain and began having convulsions 'We kept thinking it can't get any worse than this, but it always did. 'We were constantly weighing up how much energy she had in reserve, how much she could cope with. It got to the point where she had nothing in reserve, she was always borrowing from the next day, always deteriorating. 'Going into hospital was torture for her. Every time she went in she would always come out worse. ME is a constant battle, you never get the chance to recover. There is never any respite, it never ends.' As the ME began to attack the muscles in her throat Merryn also began to have problems eating. And her stomach problems meant what little food she could digest was often vomited back up. Her weight began to plummet - she was 5ft 7ins tall, but less than 6st - so tube feeding became her only option. At the same time she was on 'massive' doses of ketamine and morphine to help her cope with her pain, sometimes receiving hourly injections. Then, in spring 2017, Merryn was diagnosed with an infection. It meant she had to stop using her feeding tube. In a blog post from August 2015, Merryn gave an insight into what she was going through. 'Having severe ME is like being trapped in your own body every single day,' she wrote She was given the option of going into hospital to receive a huge dose of antibiotics, of which there was no guarantee of success, followed by a long 'refeeding' process, or staying at home. Clare said: 'Merryn said she wasn't going back into hospital. She knew what the consequences were. She lasted three months. It was absolutely torture.' On the night she died Merryn called her mum into her room. She asked if I could call out the district nurse, then she said to me 'I've got to be getting off now mum',' said Clare. 'I went downstairs to wait for the nurse. When we went back she was gone. Looking back it was like she was telling me in such a nice way. It's like her last thought was how can I make this easy for my mum.' Merryn wrote letters to her family to open after her death. They took her a year to complete as just typing out a few letters at a time left her exhausted. During her darkest days shopping-mad Merryn loved to order clothes online, especially Ted Baker outfits, even though she couldn't wear them and after opening them would leave them in their original packaging with the labels still attached. Now, Merryn's family have decided to speak about her life and death in a bid to raise awareness of the crippling disease After her death her family held a sale, which they dubbed 'Merryn's Pop-up Boutique', which raised 1,200 for the Grenfell Tower appeal. Merryn's brain and spinal column was also donated to the Ramsay Research Fund - a charity investigating the causes of ME. In May an inquest into Merryn's death is due to be held. Her family hope it will find she died from ME. If that happens she would become only the second person in the UK to have the illness as their official cause of death, after 32-year-old Sophia Mirza, who died in 2005. Merryn wrote letters to her family to open after her death. They took her a year to complete as just typing out a few letters at a time left her exhausted 'It would mean so much to Merryn and so much to the ME community to have ME acknowledged as the cause of her death,' said Clare. 'There is still so much we don't know about the disease. We have to start properly funding research into it and acknowledging it can kill.' The ME Association campaigns to improve access to care, treatment and research and remove the disease's stigma. ME Association honorary medical adviser Charles Shepherd said it was 'essential' Merryn's 'untimely death is not overlooked'. He added: 'There are many people, even within the medical profession, who continue to think ME is all in the mind. It's about time we put this myth to bed once and for all. 'It is essential that Merryn's untimely death is not overlooked and the urgent need for proper recognition of, and research into, ME is recognised. 'Many doctors still don't know how to diagnose and manage ME, and lack of research means that we still don't have any effective forms of treatment. 'In our present state of knowledge, we don't know if ME can kill directly, but there are various consequences of having the illness that can increase the risk of early death. 'How many more people have to suffer before ME merits properly funded biomedical research?' For more information on ME, visit meassociation.org.uk. Holidaymakers heading home from the Easter weekend were caught up in possibly Australia's worst traffic gridlock as they sat in huge queues for hours. Traffic jams for more than 12km were seen on the Copper Coast Highway and Princes Highway causing a nightmare end to the long weekend in South Australia. The queues started on Monday afternoon with thousands of motorists going back to Adelaide despite a new $4m roundabout installed last year to cut the holiday chaos. Vision shows traffic chaos with cars backing up for kilometres as people head home to Adelaide from the Yorke Peninsula, a popular holiday getaway spot Traffic jams for more than 12km on the Copper Coast Highway and Princes Highway caused a nightmare end to the Easter weekend The queues started on Monday afternoon despite a new $4m roundabout installed last year to cut them The bottleneck on the stretch of road around the small town of Port Wakefield, where Yorke Peninsula tourists join the A1 back to Adelaide, brought holidaymakers to a standstill for hours. It is a notorious travel hotspot with drivers heading home after the Easter weekend getting snarled up in the jam every year. The Yorke Peninsula is a popular getaway spot and attracts hundreds of vehicles and thousands of people getting out of the city every year for Easter. Footage aired on Seven News showed the tailbacks, which started clogging the roads this afternoon, backing up for several kilometres. The bottleneck on the stretch of road around the small town of Port Wakefield, where Yorke Peninsula tourists join the A1 back to Adelaide Passing motorists showed the scale of the huge queues passing car after car stuck in the jams in vision of the queues. While people also stuck in the jam themselves were posting on social media. One shared a photo warning motorists about possible queues with a sarcastic caption. Residents said they had wondered if the $4 million scheme to build a new roundabout would solve the chaos Josie Hutchinson said: 'The irony of seeing this sign after crawling in a line for one hour - that started 12km from Port Wakefield and we still aren't even close - is not lost on me.' But Katrina Greenshields also had to stick it out in the queues and posted on Facebook saying it was her first one and that she was 'feeling patient'. Meanwhile, other residents said they had wondered if the $4 million scheme to build a new roundabout would solve the chaos. Josie Hutchinson posted this picture warning motorists about possible queues with a sarcastic caption Michele Bain said: 'I wondered whether the new roundabout and lights would help the notorious Easter Monday traffic snarl above Port Wakefield. Doesn't look like it.' The new roundabout at the junction from the Yorke Highway to the Copper Coast Highway near Port Wakefield area appears to have done little to cure the queues. The $4 million scheme was part of an investment and road improvement programme worth more than $40m by the South Australia Government. Work started on the improvements in May 2017 and was completed earlier this year. Labour suspended a council candidate accused of being a Holocaust denier as the Momentum campaign group admitted anti-Semitism was more widespread than it thought. Roy Smart, a candidate in Tunbridge Wells, appeared to share a series of vile links on social media to a site in 2015 calling itself a 'Holocaust Deprogramming Course'. Another post from September 2017 said: 'People being allowed to question if the Holocaust happened is not the same as being a Holocaust denier.' Mr Smart will be replaced on the ballot paper by another Labour candidate for the May 3 elections. News of Mr Smart's suspension emerged yesterday as Momentum, the left wing support group born out of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership campaign, admitted in a statement to anti-Semitism being a problem inside Labour. Roy Smart, a candidate in Tunbridge Wells, appeared to share links on social media to a site in 2015 calling itself a 'Holocaust Deprogramming Course' One of Mr Smart's Facebook posts linked to a 'Holocaust deprogramming course' and said it should not be illegal to question whether it happened In another post, Mr Smart claimed closing down debate on whether the Holocaust happened was about 'power and control' The head of Momentum Jon Lansman (pictured today in London) admitted today the problem of anti-Semitism inside Labour was worse than both he and Jeremy Corbyn had realised The group said: 'Accusations of anti-Semitism should not and cannot be dismissed simply as right-wing smears nor as the result of conspiracies. 'Current examples of anti-Semitism within the Labour Party are not only a problem of a few, extreme 'bad apples' but also of unconscious bias which manifests itself in varied, nuanced and subtle ways and is more widespread in the Labour Party than many of us had understood even a few months ago.' While Mr Corbyn's opponents were 'opportunistically using this issue as a way to undermine his leadership', this did not reduce the need to challenge anti-Semitism, the statement said. As well as backing Labour Party initiatives on the issue, Momentum will review its constitution and complaints procedures to ensure they fulfil the group's commitment to 'stamping out' anti-Semitism. Confirming Mr Smart's suspension, a Labour spokeswoman said: 'Labour takes all complaints of anti-Semitism extremely seriously, which are fully investigated and appropriate disciplinary action taken in line with our rules and procedures. 'Anti-Semitism has absolutely no place in the Party, and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it, in all its forms.' Labour sources welcomed Momentum's intervention, which echoes Mr Corbyn's own condemnation of anti-Semitic incidents and promises to Jewish leaders to deal with the problem. The new developments came as a shadow minister said Labour should resist calls to instantly expel anyone accused of anti-Semitism and deal with it in its own way. Stephen Pound vowed his party would 'clean up' the allegations and admitted there was a 'real problem' that would cost the party votes. But he insisted the allegations were being used to attack Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of Labour and said the party should resist calls to immediately 'sling out' members based on any allegation without following party processes. Mr Corbyn has been repeatedly accused of failing to deal with anti-Semitism. His close ally Ken Livingstone has been suspended for more than a year without a resolution over his Hitler rants. Mr Pound said Labour had to 'make it absolutely clear that our proud record on being an inclusive party does extend to every single person in this country'. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (pictured leaving his London home today) has faced a storm of criticism over his handling over anti-Semitish allegations against Labour But he told the BBC Westminster Hour last night: 'The minute somebody outside the party says, ''You the leader need to expel that person'', then ... hang on a second, we will deal with this our way and if we have a problem with dealing with the Jewish community then that is our problem. 'We will not have people screaming from the outside saying, ''Sling this person out, chuck that person out''. Accusations of anti-Semitism are being used by some people as a means to attack Jeremy Corbyn, veteran Labour shadow minister Stephen Pound claimed last night 'We will take care of this. We will clean up this mess because we are the Labour Party, we are not an anti-Semitic party, we're not a racist party. We're a party for everyone.' Senior lawyers in the House of Lords yesterday warned some of the anti-Semitic abuse on social media could breach hate speech laws. Tory Lord Polak called for police inquiries while crossbencher Lord Carlile said it had to be dealt with in the same way as violent extremism. Any police investigation into an individual would likely override Labour Party probes into a case. Labour has reportedly lost around 17,000 members since the start of the year as the anti-Semitism scandal has raged and Mr Corbyn has also been criticised over how he handled the Salisbury nerve agent attack. The party has moved to distance itself from a series of pro-Corbyn social media groups after an investigation by The Sunday Times found they contained hundreds of violent and abusive messages. Jewish Labour MP Luciana Berger and BBC Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg were among individuals targeted by hate-filled posts. Jewish Labour MP Luciana Berger (right) and BBC Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg (left) were among individuals targeted by hate-filled posts in pro-Corbyn social media groups Jewish groups called a protest on Parliament Square last week (pictured) to demand the Labour leader acts on anti-Semitism in his party Mr Pound's comments came as frontbench colleague Liam Byrne warned there was 'real alarm' at the scale of the problem within the party. Labour grandee Lord Triesman, a former General Secretary of the party, warned a failure to act on anti-Semitism would have a '1930s outcome'. What are the anti-Semitic incidents in Labour that have reached a crisis under Corbyn's watch? Jeremy Corbyn defended an artist who painted an anti-Semitic mural in 2012, questioning why the offensive art should be removed He was a member of a Facebook group which was awash with anti-Semitic rhetoric, and he has described anti-Semitic groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah as 'our friends' The Labour leader stood by when a speaker disrupted the launch of his party's anti-Semitism policy by accusing a Jewish MP of colluding with the press Labour has still failed to expel former London mayor Ken Livingstone, two years after he claimed Hitler supported Zionism. He has still not apologised Delegates at last year's Labour conference complained of a 'witch hunt' against anti-Semitism and heard from a speaker who said it was legitimate to question the Holocaust The problem is so rife in the party the Jewish Labour Movement has had to hold training sessions for party members on how not to be anti-Semitic Labour members and councillors have shared disgusting messages and images on Facebook describing Jewish people of controlling world capitalism and being to blame for the policies of the Israeli government The party is failing to deal with a huge backlog of complaints and has failed to expel people even though they have committed offences such as referring to Jewish people as Yids Corbyn ally Len McCluskey, the Unite general secretary, has dismissed anti-Semitism claims as 'mood music' spread by Blairites. Labour's new general secretary Jennie Formby was accused of recruiting a party member suspended for saying Hitler was a Zionist god. Advertisement And a Jewish member of Labour's ruling National Executive Committee today said she is 'frustrated' with the pace of action in dealing with allegations of anti-Semitism in the party. Mr Pound told Sunday night's programme: 'My point is the Labour Party is not the enemy of Judaism. 'I think the Labour Party without a doubt has a problem, but on the other hand there are some people who are riding that horse to attack Jeremy Corbyn anyway.' Asked whether Mr Corbyn's opponents were using anti-Semitism as a stick to beat the Labour leader, the Ealing North MP said: 'A small number of them are, and unfortunately in the world of social media nowadays a small number of people can get a huge amount of attention.' Mr Pound added: 'I think it's my duty as a Labour member of Parliament to actually reach out to these people who are hurting. 'I'm not going to rest until the Labour Party has rebuilt those bridges because we are not anti-Semitic.' He said the row would 'inevitably' cost Labour votes in areas such as the north London borough of Barnet, where there is a large Jewish population. 'Yes of course it can, but Barnet is one borough,' he said. 'Inevitably, of course it will, but the real story behind these local government elections is (Conservative-led) Northampton County Council, which has gone bankrupt.' Lord Triesman, who ran Labour HQ under Tony Blair, told The Times: 'I don't care who's the prime minister or leader of the opposition: if you can't face up to these things, you have a 1930s outcome. 'The truth is that we need to be alert to the early signs, and we need to deal with them really, really hard when they emerge. 'The dictatorships in Europe were never of such significance that we ought to bother ourselves with them, until they became too big to handle and then they were of such significance we couldn't deal with them. These are historic mistakes which don't have to be repeated.' Rhea Wolfson, a Jewish member of Labour's ruling NEC, said today she expects the process to speed up with the arrival of new general secretary Jennie Formby, who has been told by party leader Jeremy Corbyn to make the issue her number one priority. Labour grandee Lord Triesman (file image), a former Labour General Secretary, warned today a failure to act on anti-Semitism would have a '1930s outcome' Mr Corbyn yesterday deleted his personal Facebook account, prompting claims he was trying to distance himself from abuse on the network Ex-Commons Speaker Lord Martin called for a special one-day conference of members to address the problem and demonstrate the party's abhorrence of anti-Semitism. The former Labour MP told The Guardian: 'If you ran a restaurant, and it was dirty and there were cockroaches, you wouldn't get away with saying 'the restaurant down the road is dirty and has cockroaches too'. 'You would be expected to sort out the problem.' As the row continued, shadow minister Liam Byrne warned there was 'real alarm' at the scale of the problem within Labour A probe into 20 of the biggest pro-Corbyn Facebook groups uncovered routine attacks on Jewish people, including Holocaust denial and comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany. Mr Corbyn on Sunday deleted his personal Facebook account, prompting claims he was trying to distance himself from abuse on the network. Labour said the move was long planned to make his official account easier to manage. The Sunday Times reported that 12 senior staff working for Mr Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell were members of the groups which contained more than 2,000 racist, anti-Semitic, misogynistic, violent and abusive messages. They were found on the 20 largest pro-Corbyn Facebook groups, which have a combined membership of 400,000. A Labour Party spokesman said on Sunday: 'These groups are not run by the Labour Party or officially connected to the party in any way. 'The Labour Party is committed to challenging and campaigning against anti-Semitism in all its forms. Any complaints of anti-Semitism are taken extremely seriously. 'These are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate disciplinary action taken.' At least 18 people have been killed and 84 wounded after Boko Haram jihadists clashed with Nigerian soldiers near the northeastern city of Maiduguri overnight. It was one of the most brazen attacks in recent months and was a precursor to a planned strike on Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State and the birthplace of the hardline Islamist group. Boko Haram fighters attacked the base in the Cashew Plantation area on the outskirts of the city with suicide bombers, mortars and guns, leading to a prolonged battle, a senior military officer in Maiduguri said. 'Eighteen Boko Haram terrorists on foot attacked the military base while seven suicide bombers targeted residents of nearby Bale Shuwar and Alikaranti villages at 7:50 pm GMT,' said the officer who asked not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak about the incident. Rescue workers carry a body of a victim following a suicide attack in Maiduguri, Nigeria, on Monday Boko Haram's nearly nine-year fight to establish an Islamic state in northeast Nigeria has claimed at least 20,000 lives and displaced more than two million people. Pictured: Leader of Boko Haram Abubakar Shekau 'The terrorists fired mortars at troops,' the officer said. 'So far we have recovered 18 dead bodies from the two villages,' Benlo Dambatto, an official from the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) told AFP. 'The victims were killed while trying to escape the fight between the insurgents and the military,' said Dambatto. It was not immediately clear if the casualties involved only civilians or included the jihadists and soldiers as well. The attackers were trying to infiltrate into the city, said Ba'Kura Abba Ali, a militia leader in the area helping soldiers in fighting Boko Haram. The assailants climbed up a moat dug round the city to stave off Boko Haram suicide and gun attacks, and attacked troops, Ali said. Maiduguri residents reported hearing at least five explosions and sounds of gunfire coming from the Cashew Plantation area. A victim of the suicide bomb attack receives treatment in a hospital in Maiduguri, Nigeria People gather around a body of a victim after Boko Haram Islamic extremists attacked two villages on the outskirts of the northeastern city of Maiduguri late Sunday 'Huge blasts and sounds of gunshots were heard all over the city last night and they continued for more than an hour,' said one resident, Ibrahim Gremah. On Friday, four teenage girl suicide bombers killed two people in multiple attacks in Zawuya settlement on the outskirts of Maiduguri in the first assault since the government announced it was in ceasefire talks with Boko Haram. The Islamic State-affiliated faction reportedly in talks with the government is led by Abu Mus'ab al-Barnawi and is known for attacks on military targets, while another faction led by Abubakar Shekau is notorious for suicide bombings killing civilians. The attacks highlight the challenge the government faces in striking a ceasefire agreement with the factionalised Boko Haram. The assailants climbed up a moat dug round the city to stave off Boko Haram suicide and gun attacks, and attacked troops, Ali said. Pictured: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau with members of his terrorist group Late last month, when more than 100 schoolgirls were returned to Dapchi after being kidnapped by the jihadist group, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said his government was offering amnesty to 'repentant' jihadists. But senior security officials cautioned that reaching any agreement with the group will be difficult, as it is split into competing factions with different goals. Boko Haram's nearly nine-year fight to establish a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria has claimed at least 20,000 lives and displaced more than two million people. Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, is the birthplace of Boko Haram, whose nearly nine-year fight to establish an Islamic state in northeast Nigeria has claimed at least 20,000 lives and displaced more than two million people. 'The victims were killed while trying to escape the fight between the insurgents and the military,' said the Borno branch of SEMA. Scotland Yard is to abandon its policy of automatically believing victims as commissioner Cressida Dick said 'clumsy behaviour between somebody who fancies somebody else' was not a matter for police. Miss Dick said officers must investigate rather than blindly believe an allegation, and should keep an open mind when a victim has come forward. 'It is very important to victims to feel that they are going to be believed,' she told the Times. 'Our default position is we are, of course, likely to believe you but we are investigators and we have to investigate.' Scotland Yard commissioner Cressida Dick (pictured) said officers must investigate rather than blindly believe an allegation, and should keep an open mind when a victim has come forward Guidelines that instructed officers to believe alleged victims automatically were put in place following revelations in 2011 that abuse accusations including those made against Jimmy Savile had not been properly investigated. However the Met later faced fierce criticism when it revealed that uncorroborated allegations of a Westminster sex abuse ring from a man known only as 'Nick' were 'credible and true.' The Crown Prosecution Service is now considering whether to charge 'Nick' for perverting the course of justice after these claims were found to be false. 'I arrived saying very clearly to my people that we should have an open mind, of course, when a person walks in,' Miss Dick added. 'We should treat them with dignity and respect and we should listen to them. From that moment on we are investigators. Miss Dick said: 'Our default position is we are, of course, likely to believe you but we are investigators and we have to investigate' The Metropolitan Police chief, who has been in the role for nearly 12 months, also urged caution when discussing the #MeToo movement, which has highlighted sexual harassment and abuse around the world. She told the newspaper: 'Speaking as a cop, opposed to a citizen, I'm interested in crime. If it's a long time ago, or it's very trivial, or I'm not likely to get a criminal justice outcome, I'm not going to spend a lot of resources on it. 'And what might be a misunderstanding between two people, clumsy behaviour between somebody who fancies somebody else, is not a matter for the police.' A spokeswoman from the Met Police confirmed there were a number of reviews into the force's practices that were ongoing. Last week Miss Dick warned that social media posts using abusive language were driving children to commit violent crimes 'within minutes'. She said gangs were using online platforms to glorify street violence and show off 'with weapons'. Miss Dick also raised concerns about the violent undercurrent in some music, especially grime. Britain's most senior police officer said she would not to be cowed by political correctness, adding that crime victims had told her they want to see police 'get out there and do more'. The brother of one of the victims of the Parkland shooting has claimed he was shut out of March for Our Lives because his speech 'didn't fit the agenda.' Hunter Pollack's 18-year-old sister Meadow was one of 17 killed after a student opened fire at Marjory Stoneman High School in Florida on February 14. On Saturday, David Hogg - one of the organizers of the march - said a miscommunication had stopped Pollack from speaking at the rally in Washington on March 24. Pollack instead gave that speech to a crowd of more than 1,000 in his Coral Springs backyard at an event in honor of his sister. Hogg shared a video of the speech after Pollack posted it on Twitter, writing: 'A miscommunication led to Hunter not being able to speak at the march... I would like you to hear it now...' Pollack responded: 'Thank you , I appreciate you pushing out my video but there was no miscommunication my speech didn't fit in to the agenda.' Hunter Pollack's 18-year-old sister Meadow was one of 17 killed after a student opened fire at Marjory Stoneman High School in Florida on February 14. Pictured, Hunter and Meadow Hunter Pollack said he was stopped from speaking at March for Our Lives, but gave that speech to a crowd of more than 1,000 in his Coral Springs backyard (pictured) In a tweet, Pollack claimed he was shut out of March for Our Lives because his speech 'didn't fit the agenda' Pollack previously said he was set to give a speech, but wasn't allowed. 'I was going to give a speech about Meadow and how devastated I am and how we need to make change, but they won't allow me to put my voice out,' he told local10.com. Pollock was questioning if 'their political agendas' were the reason behind his omission from the rally - where many survivors spoke on gun control, according to Fox News. But another march organizer Ryan Deitsch said Pollack was invited but 'never showed up.' Both Pollack and his father Andrew have been advocating for school safety since Meadow's death. On Saturday, they held an emotional biker ride fundraiser where they were joined by other students including Hogg. An estimated 650 bikers rode 43 miles through South Florida to raise funds to build a playground for kids in the teenager's honor. A miscommunication led to Hunter not being able to speak at the march... I would like you to hear it now at this bea https://t.co/3FzEsAtbqQ David Hogg (@davidhogg111) 31 March 2018 HUNTER POLLACK'S SPEECH In my heart, I know this is not a mission driven by politics nor should it be dictated by the left or the right. This is not a mission specific to color, religion or economics but rather it's a mission of love. It's a mission of safety built upon a foundation filled with common sense and fueled by a common denominator that can bring together every American across this great country. The one common denominator we all share is a desire to live. We all want to live to the greatest possible greatest life possible. My sister Meadow Pollack was living an amazing life filled with love passion dreams family and fun. She had so much to offer this world she had so much ahead of her. But because we as a school and we as a community and we as a society and we as a state and we as a nation failed to protect her, my baby sister is no longer a part of this occasion we call life. What pains me most is that her beautiful life was not lost through an incurable disease or a freak accident. She's gone because our schools are not safe. She's dead because the madness of one young man and his determination to kill was greater than our desire to stop him. Remembering Meadow and the Parkland 17 is something that we must all vow to here today.We must promise to take action each and every day till we protect the students of this country. We must protect our students and our schools in the same way we do the patrons at an NFL stadium and the passengers at an airport and the diamonds in a jewellery store. We the students of America are the most valuable assets this nation has. Therefore we hereby put all the leaders and parents of this country on notice today. Today we demand you to put a value on our lives and to protect us and above anything else. We as the students of this country must take our anger and take our pain and our desire to live this life to the fullest and we must channel it into a mission that is obtainable, one that can be achieved without heavy debate, one that everyone can agree upon today, tomorrow and for decades to come. What happened at Parkland should have resulted in immediate action across America but it has not. Two weeks ago, a student in Utah tried blowing up a school with a bomb and then this week in Maryland, we lost another life in a school shooting. The weapon may be different, but the objective is the same. So we need to protect our schools from the killers that wanna kill. The hatred and sickness that fuels a killer to kill innocent students is something most of us will never understand but that doesn't mean its something that we can ignore. We need to be on a mission to stop these monsters before they take action inside the school. We must demand our leaders help those who are sick, but we also demand that they protect those of us who are not In closing, I ask you to say my sister's name to yourself it's such a beautiful name. Meadow. Yep, Meadow. If you say her name, it's impossible not to feel the beauty of who she was and who she will always be. Meadow it makes me think of a sunny day like this one. A day where the sun shines on our youth and shines on a desire to live safe and happy life I can feel Meadow right now, she's asking us to come together. She wants us to thank the families of the victims like my dad Andrew who has worked tirelessly and I've watched him. He's the man. And Mr Ryan Petty and all others who are turning their grief into something positive. She says thank you for continuing to fight for the survivors and students of all ages. Meadow's asking us to be smart in the love and to share the common denominator we share. Embrace this life, make the most of it. Don't let it be wasted, do not allow it to be taken away by a weapon of any kind. To my sister Meadow who's up in heaven, I promise you here today that Dad and I along with millions of people at our side will do our part in making schools safe so that this never happens again. We vow to protect American children in the way you should have been protected. We will keep them safe from the killers and all weapons they use. Until we meet again Meadow, I miss you like crazy. I love you, we all love you. May you shine on us today and every day going forward. Advertisement Andrew Pollack (left) held a fundraiser in honor of his daughter, Meadow, who died during the Parkland school shooting on February 14 Other attendees include David Hogg (left), Matt Deitsch (middle) and Jaclyn Corin (right) who are students at Marjory Stoneman High School. Corin posted the photo on Twitter and said '#RideforMeadow' The 52-year-old father (left) is using the money raised to build a park to honor his daughter (pictured right). He said a tribute fountain will be placed in the park to remember all the victims from the shooting 'Meadow was amazing,' Andrew Pollack said to the Sun-Sentinel. 'There is nothing she couldn't do or get from me. She was my little girl.' The daughter, who was 18 at the time of the shooting, was shot dead with 16 other people when Nikolas Cruz decided to open fire on the high school. Her grieving father helped design a park in her honor that would include a water feature to memorialize all the people who died that day. His goal is $1million to help build and maintain the park. So far he has raised a little over $150,000. Pollack told the Sun-Sentinel that he wants to include other Parkland survivors on the plans for the park. A location has not yet been picked for the memorial. Hundreds of people attended the event on Saturday to remember Meadow's life and raise more money for the memorial. 'This is nothing political,' Pollack said to the newspaper about the gathering. 'We're all Americans, and we want our kids to be safe.' The father, who was present when Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed a new safety bill for schools on March 9, has been vocal about both parties working together to keep schools safe instead of debating gun laws. An estimated 650 riders drove 43 miles through South Florida to Coral Springs, Florida. Pollack was among them riding on his motorcycle Pictured is the plans for the park that Pollack wants to create for the victims of the shooting. The location for the park has not been chosen yet Pollack described his daughter as 'amazing' and said a piece of him went with his daughter when they had to bury her The new bill provided $400million for mental health, school safety programs and even allowed the arming of some school staff. Pollack thanked the crowd for attending the fundraiser and admitted that a part of him was now buried with his daughter. 'Evil went into that school that day and it knocked on my door and took my daughter,' he said. 'I'm not about to let that happen again.' Some notable attendees at the fundraiser on Saturday were students David Hogg and Jaclyn Corin. Hogg especially has been vocal about gun-control laws since the shooting and has targeted the National Rifle Association as the problem. Pollack said he has so far raised $150,000 for the new park. His goal is $1million to be used to build and maintain the park Meadow Pollack, 18, was killed with Nikolas Cruz opened fire at Marjory Stoneman High School in Parkland, Florida He posted a video during the fundraiser of Hunter Pollack, Meadow's brother, speaking about his sister. The students sparked controversy from people in the Republican party after March for Our Lives because students who supported guns were allegedly 'not allowed' to speak during the event. In the tweet, Hogg said Hunter was unable to speak at the march because a 'miscommunication', so he encouraged everyone to watch his speech during the fundraiser. Hogg has faced attacks from members of the far-right after he became outspoken about the NRA and gun laws. His recent feud with Fox News television personality Lauren Ingraham forced her to issue an apology after she attacked him for not getting into all of the universities he applied to. Similarly, actor and musician Frank Stallone had to reign in his critiques of the teenager after he posted a variety of vile tweets against him. 'This David hog p***y is getting a little big for his britches,' he tweeted on Saturday afternoon. Then on Sunday he apologized, expressing remorse for what he called 'irresponsible words' and saying: 'After what these kids went through, I'm deeply ashamed.' Thomas Markle Sr was pictured carrying an AA-published book called Images of Britain When your daughters about to become a British princess, its a good idea to swot up on the country. And thats just what Thomas Markle appears to be doing ahead of his daughter Meghans wedding to Prince Harry next month. The 73-year-old was pictured carrying an AA-published book called Images of Britain: A Pictorial Journey Through History as he strolled through his hometown of Rosarito, Mexico last week. It could suggest the reclusive pensioner will give his daughter away at St Georges Chapel, Windsor, on May 19. Kensington Palace has yet to confirm whether the retired TV lighting director will do so. Mr Markles guidebook, first published in August 1990, is packed full of the most beautiful landscapes and buildings Britain has to offer. Less than 20 pages in, he will have found a photograph of his daughters wedding venue, Windsor Castle, looming over boats on the Thames. Last year Mr Markle was reportedly left extremely hurt after Harry, 33, told the BBC his relatives were the family his 36-year-old fiancee never had. Miss Markles half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, 51, told MailOnline: My father will be extremely hurt ... He dedicated the majority of all his time and everything to her. The book could be another suggestion that the reclusive pensioner will give his daughter away at St Georges Chapel, Windsor, on May 19 The reason Mr Markle is getting to grips with British culture could be because of his apparent nerves about walking his daughter down the aisle. Millions of people across the world will be watching he accompanies his 36-year-old daughter through St George's Chapel in Windsor to her waiting groom, Prince Harry. But family members say the retired lighting director, who lives in in Rosarito Beach in Mexico, is nervous about 'representing his family, and America'. The fiercely private 73-year-old will battle through health concerns including a knee injury to attend his daughter's nuptials on May 19. Meghan shared this photograph of her with her father captioned simply 'Me and my dad' before she shut down her social media accounts Meghan Markle, her father Thomas Markle Sr, and her nephew Tyler Dooley. Her father is reportedly 'terrified' about his daughter's upcoming wedding An adorable Meghan is pictured here as a baby with her father, who 'worships the ground she walks on' Renowned royal biographer Andrew Morton documents the family relationship and life of Harry's bride-to-be in his book, Meghan: A Hollywood Princess. In the book - which is being serialised by The Sun on Sunday - Thomas Markle Jr told Morton: 'I know how proud he will be to take her arm and walk her down the aisle. 'But I also know how terrified he will be. 'If he doesn't go he will regret it for the rest of his life. He is not just representing his family, he is representing America.' It had been rumoured that Meghan could even have both her father and her mother walk her down the aisle. Mr Markle was a leading Hollywood lighting director in his mid-30s when he met Meghan's mother, Doria, who was 12 years his junior and temping in his studio. They married and a year later Meghan was born, in August 1981. Sources claim Meghan's father has struck up a close friendship with Prince Harry, although he is yet to meet him Millions of people across the world will be watching as Thomas Markle Sr accompanies his 36-year-old daughter through St George's Chapel in Windsor Meghan is pictured here aged 11 with her father Thomas Markle, her former sister-in-law Tracy Dooley and Tracy's sons (Meghan's nephews, Thomas (left) and Tyler Dooley) Mr Markle divorced Doria, who went on to become a social worker, when their daughter was six Mr Markle divorced Doria, who went on to become a social worker, when their daughter was six. Meghan is closer to her mother and is reportedly not on good terms with her half-sister Samantha and half brother Thomas Markle Jnr, who was arrested for allegedly putting a gun to his girlfriend's head during a row last year. But sources claim Meghan's father has struck up a close friendship with Prince Harry, although he is yet to meet him, and has spoken to him regularly to discuss the couple's wedding. Doria, 61, has met Harry - at last year's Invictus Games in Toronto, when he said she was 'amazing'. Invitations for the wedding were sent out last month and other guests are thought to include the Beckhams, international figures such as Canadian premier Justin Trudeau, and close friends from the US, including designer Misha Nonoo. The evening reception, at Frogmore House, Windsor, will be reserved for 200 of Harry and Meghan's closest family and friends. A three-year-old boy was killed in a drive-by shooting in Georgia on Sunday evening. The child's mother was driving along Eastland Road near Atlanta at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday when someone shot into the car, DeKalb County Police Department Chief James Conroy told 11Alive.com. A gray Dodge Charger drove up next to the woman's moving car and the driver pulled out what the woman thought was a paintball gun. A three-year-old boy was killed in a drive-by shooting in Georgia, Atlanta Sunday evening DeKalb County Police Department Chief James Conroy (pictured) revealed Apparently the child's mother was driving along Eastland Road near Atlanta at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday when someone shot into the car The mother then heard a gunshot but didn't think anything of it until she realized her son was unresponsive in the backseat, reported CBS46. She pulled over and called police when she realized her son had been shot. The child was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Conroy called the shooting a 'tragic incident.' Crime scene investigators found one bullet hole in the SUV where the child was sitting. The investigation is ongoing as police try to determine whether or not the woman was targeted. If you or anyone has information about this incident, they are asked to please call DeKalb Police at 404-724-7850 or call Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477). A gray Dodge Charger drove up next to the woman's moving car and pulled out what the woman thought was a paintball gun Prince Philip missed his third engagement in just 10 days when he pulled out of the Royals' Easter church service. The 96-year-old, who has officially retired from public duties, decided to miss the annual event because he is suffering from a hip problem. He also missed the Maundy service on Thursday and an appearance at Windsor Castle the week before. The Queen was joined by other members of the royal family, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who were there without their children. Prine Philip, pictured here on March 5, pulled out of his third engagement in 10 days to miss the Royal's Easter Sunday church service The Easter Mattins Service was held at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, where Prince Harry will marry Meghan Markle in May. A royal source told the Sun: 'The Duke of Edinburgh has an issue with his hip which is affecting his mobility. 'There's no cause for alarm. but frankly he's a proud man and doesn't want to appear crocked in public. 'He's not called the Iron Duke for nothing. On March 22 Philip pulled out of an official engagement with the Queen and Duke of York because he was said to feeling 'under the weather.' The Queen leads her family, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, from the annual service at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle The Queen accepted flowers from two little girls, watched on by William and Kate, whose baby bump could be seen through her coat He had been due to attend an event at Windsor Castle to mark Andrew's new role as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards. It is not thought to be a serious issue for Philip, who was spotted driving in Windsor Great Park last Wednesday. He stepped down from his public duties last summer but on occasion does attend events with the Queen. When it was announced last year that he would be retiring from official engagements, Buckingham Palace insisted that the decision was not health-related and he had the full support of the Queen. The Queen and Prince Philip at a public engagement together in July last year at Stirling Castle, as they marked 70 years since being appointed Colonel-in-Chief of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders William and Kate were the final royals to arrive at the church arriving after the Queen and other family members had already gone in and a few minutes after the 10.45am start time. The Duchess, who is expected to give birth to her third child this month, is now on maternity leave. Harry and Meghan were not at the service, with Kensington Palace describing their weekend plans as private. Hundreds of well-wishers lined the entrance to the Windsor Castle estate hoping for a glimpse of the royals on their annual spring outing. Prince Andrew and his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie attended the Easter service, along with Eugenies fiance Jack Brooksbank. The Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence led the royal family down the hill to the chapel, and were joined by Zara Tindall. Princess Annes son Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn, Prince Edward, the Countess of Wessex and their children Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, also attended the service. A woman has sparked outrage by posing with a live bear and a bottle of champagne while wearing a fur coat. The video, which appeared on the Rich Kids of London Instagram account, shows the woman posing and pouting while stroking the bear, which lying on its back on the icy ground. Some social media users accused the woman of cruelty and claimed the animal is clearly sedated as it is not behaving as a bear normally would. The video, which appeared on a Rich Kids of London Instagram account, shows the woman posing and pouting while stroking the bear, which lying on its back on the icy ground Others speculated that it was a 'tame' bear, owned as a pet. One Instagram user said: 'Sick! She does not respect wildlife.' Another said: 'It makes me feel very sad that shes wearing real fur and patting a live bear. ' One added: 'Sedated. Nothing cool about this video,' while another said: 'It's Russia, baby. This whole video just doesnt sit right with me.' The Rich Kids account regularly posts content of privileged youths cramming bags of designer shopping into their car, choosing which luxury car to take for a spin and posing with wads of cash. A Queensland photographer who snapped an incredible image of a deadly bull shark caught by a fisherman has hit back at criticism the photo is a fake. Wade Hodge hoped to get some shots of the iconic three boat houses at sunset on the Maroochy River. Instead, the 48-year-old wound up taking a shot of a 1.2 metre-long bull shark that that had been reeled in by a fisherman. Wade Hodge, 48, hoped to get some shots of the iconic three boat houses at sunset on the Maroochy River but instead got this shot of a giant bull shark - but is it the real deal? The amateur photographer walked over to the fisherman who had caught the shark and put on his wide-angle lens to get a shot of the epic catch. 'I stood over it and it was a more solid than unit than it was was long. It looked fat, I don't know what they are eating in that water or whether it was pregnant,' he told the Daily Mail Australia. Skeptics were quick to take to social media to challenge the authenticity of the photo, with one user claiming Mr Hodge got his timing wrong for a 'joke'. The photographer said the fisherman had deliberately baited the shark using a tiger prawn as a lure Poll Fake or real: Do you think the shark photo is photoshopped? Yes No Fake or real: Do you think the shark photo is photoshopped? Yes 28 votes No 90 votes Now share your opinion 'You're a day late, it's not April Fool's anymore,' they wrote. 'Great photo shop but not great enough,' another comment read. Mr Hodge said the fisherman was excited to see his catch and he had be purposely baiting the sharks with what he thought was a tiger prawn and a heavy-duty line. 'We tried to get the hook out it was hard work, it took three or four minutes to get it out,' he said. He was shocked to hear people thought the picture of the shark was fake, explaining it was common to come across predators of that size in the region. 'I had a wide angle lens and it got close, maybe one to two feet away from the shark, maybe that is what makes it look so big,' he said. Mr Hodge has been practising his skills as a photographer for 12 months now and said the shot of the shark had become his second favourite in his portfolio. 'I'm addicted to it (photography), any chance I get any I will go out,' he added. This is the incredible moment a daredevil jet skier rides a rare wave formation off the coast of Western Australia. The footage was shot at King Sound, and captured 26-year-old rider Tybias Smith tackling the rolling swell at the remote location. 'We are about to drop this jet ski into the Derby Wharf and give it a good test with someone on the back,' Mr Smith says in the video. 'I am a bit terrified but I think it is all going to be okay.' An amazing video was posted online of a jet skier riding a rare wave formation in the west of Australia The natural phenomenon is known as a tidal race, or tidal rapid, and it occurs when a fast moving tide passes through a constricted space. This causes the tide to develop in breaking waves. The phenomenon occurs as little as twice a year and can produce waves as high as 40 feet and whirlpools 800m across Outdoor Adventure Guide reports. It can also produce incredibly strong currents up to 35km/h. Mr Smith said he and his crew sought out locals to gain some knowledge on what to expect form the tidal phenomenon. The phenomenon occurs as little as twice a year and can produce waves as high as 40 feet and whirlpools 800m across Advertisement The Palestinian death toll in last week's mass protest on the Gaza-Israel border rose to 18 today, officials said, as Israel rejected allegations of unlawful use of lethal force against unarmed demonstrators. More than 750 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire in Friday's protest, according to Gaza health officials, making it the bloodiest day in Gaza since the 2014 Israel-Hamas war. Pope Francis, meanwhile, called for peace in the 'Holy Land' in his annual Easter Sunday address, saying the Israeli-Gaza border conflict 'does not spare the defenceless'. The pontiff's message of peace came as the death toll from Friday's violence, which saw the Israeli army use live fire on Palestinian protesters along the Gaza border, rose to 18. The Palestinian Health Ministry said Monday that a 29-year-old Gaza man died of injuries sustained when a major demonstration led to clashes along the border with the Gaza Strip, killing more than a dozen and injuring hundreds. The Palestinian Health Ministry said Monday that a 29-year-old Gaza man died of injuries sustained when a major demonstration led to clashes along the border with the Gaza Strip, killing more than a dozen and injuring hundreds In mourning: Palestinian relatives of Faris al-Reqib, 29, who was killed during clashes at Israel-Gaza border, mourn during his funeral in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip Fighting: Palestinian protesters take cover during clashes with Israeli troops at the Israel-Gaza border, in the southern Gaza Strip on Easter Monday, April 2nd A Palestinian protester reacts during clashes with Israeli troops at the Israel-Gaza border on Monday, as the death toll from last week's violence rose to 18 Message of peace: Pope Francis delivers his Urbi Et Orbi blessing and message to the World in St. Peter's Square, during which he called for peace in the 'Holy Land' saying the conflict 'does not spare the defenseless' Pope Francis made his appeal in his 'Urbi et Orbi' (to the city and the world) message from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to tens of thousands of people in the flower-bedecked square below where he earlier celebrated a Mass. The pope appeared to refer directly to the Gaza violence, calling for 'reconciliation for the Holy Land, also experiencing in these days the wounds of ongoing conflict that do not spare the defenseless.' Israel's military has faced questions from rights groups over its use of live fire on Friday, the bloodiest day in the conflict since a 2014 war, while Palestinians accused soldiers of firing on protesters posing no threat. Both UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini have called for an independent investigation. On Saturday, the United States blocked a draft UN Security Council statement urging restraint and calling for an investigation of the violence, diplomats said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the soldiers for 'guarding the country's borders,' while Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the protests were not a 'Woodstock festival'. People react as they evacuate deaf Palestinian Tahreer Abu Sabala, 17, who was shot and wounded in the head during clashes with Israeli troops near the Israel-Gaza border on Sunday Medical staff help an injured Palestinian man at an emergency medical tent after clashes with Israeli security forces A Palestinian man swings a sling shot during clashes with Israeli security forces after a demonstration near the Gaza border A Palestinian protester wearing an Anonymous mask holds a knife near the border with Israel, east of Khan Yunis, on Sunday Israel's military has faced questions over its use of live fire on Friday, the bloodiest day in the conflict since a 2014 war Lieberman said calls for an independent investigation were hypocritical and on Sunday repeated his rejection of such a probe. 'There will be no commission of inquiry,' he told Israel's public radio. 'There will be no such thing here. We shall not cooperate with any commission of inquiry.' Netanyahu also hit back at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over his sharp criticism of what he called Israel's 'inhumane attack' in Gaza. 'The most moral army in the world will not be lectured to on morality from someone who for years has been bombing civilians indiscriminately,' Netanyahu tweeted. He has previously labelled Erdogan as someone who 'bombs Kurdish villagers'. Erdogan responded later in the day by calling Netanyahu a 'terrorist.' On Friday, Israeli troops opened fire on Palestinians who strayed from a main protest camp attended by tens of thousands and approached the heavily fortified fence cutting off the blockaded Gaza Strip. People help to carry Tahreer Abu Sabala, a Palestinian who was shot and wounded in the head during clashes with troops On Saturday, the United States blocked a draft UN Security Council statement urging restraint and calling for an investigation Palestinian protesters run from tear gas fired by Israeli forces during clashes following a protest along the border A Palestinian boy who was wounded at the border of Israel and Gaza is pictured at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City today Medical staff help an injured Palestinian man after a demonstration near the border with Israel, east of Khan Yunis, Gaza The military has defended actions of its soldiers and said they opened fire only when necessary against those throwing stones and firebombs or rolling tyres at soldiers. It said there were attempts to damage the fence and infiltrate Israel, while alleging there was also an attempted gun attack against soldiers along the border. Israel accuses Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza and with whom it has fought three wars since 2008, of using the protest as cover to carry out violence. In addition to the 18 Palestinians killed, more than 1,400 were wounded Friday, 758 of them by live fire, with the remainder hurt by rubber bullets and tear gas inhalation, the health ministry in Gaza said. No casualties were reported among Israelis. The armed wing of Hamas said five of those killed were its members who were participating 'in popular events side-by-side with their people'. The Israeli army alleges that ten of the dead had 'documented terror backgrounds' in Hamas and other groups and were killed 'whilst carrying out acts of terror'. Unverified videos being shared online have fuelled the debate, including one appearing to show a protester running with a tyre being shot while seeming to pose no threat. It comes after Israeli troops opened fire on Palestinians who strayed from a main protest camp attended by tens of thousands and approached the heavily fortified fence Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the soldiers for 'guarding the country's borders,' while Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the protests were not a 'Woodstock festival' Palestinian protesters carry an injured comrade during clashes along the border east of Gaza City on Sunday Israel's army has issued a statement saying footage is being 'edited and fabricated,' without referring to specific videos. Rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have criticised Israel's use of live fire. Israel had deployed troop reinforcements along the border, including more than 100 special forces snipers, saying it would prevent attempts to break through the fence. 'While some Palestinian demonstrators have thrown stones and other objects towards the fence, it's hard to believe how this would be an imminent danger to the lives of well-equipped soldiers protected by snipers, tanks and drones,' Amnesty said. The protest, which includes tents erected at various areas, is designed to last six weeks, ending around the time the United States moves its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in mid-May. The embassy move has deeply angered the Palestinians, who see Jerusalem's annexed eastern sector as the capital of their future state. A Palestinian girl sits in an area along the border with Israel, which rejected calls for an independent probe after its soldiers killed 16 Palestinians and wounded hundreds more Palestinian protesters run amid the smoke during clashes with Israeli security forces. Both UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini have called for an independent investigation Palestinian protesters demonstrate during clashes with Israeli security forces near the border with Israel, east of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip But while tens of thousands attended Friday's start of the protests, demonstrations have since dwindled. Several hundred attended on Saturday, while on Sunday dozens were in the area, with low-level clashes occurring. 'I left the hospital today and I came straight back,' Hamada Zaza, 18 and with a bloodied bandage on his hand covering what he said was a bullet wound, told AFP. The protests may however again see large crowds after this coming Friday's main Muslim prayers and for other key dates ahead. May 14 will mark 70 years since the creation of Israel and is when the United States is expected to open its new Jerusalem embassy. Palestinians will mark what they call the Nakba, or 'catastrophe,' the following day. The Nakba commemorates the more than 700,000 Palestinians who either fled or were expelled from their homes in the war surrounding Israel's creation in 1948. Gaza's protest is in support of refugees, including those in the Palestinian enclave who want to return to their former homes in what is now Israel. Former Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko has recalled his poisoning in 2004 in the wake of the Salisbury outrage and said he 'feels pain' because European countries are 'so blind' to the Russian threat. Yushchenko suffered horrific disfigurement after he was fed dioxin, a chemical found in the herbicide Agent Orange, while eating dinner with the head of Ukraine's security service. The pro-European Yushchenko was standing against pro-Russian candidate Viktor Yanukovych and was a leading figure in the so-called Orange Revolution at the time. He believes the Kremlin was behind his poisoning. Scroll down for video Yushchenko suffered horrific disfigurement after he was fed dioxin, a chemical found in the herbicide Agent Orange, while eating dinner with the head of Ukraine's security service Kateryna Yushchenko (pictured with Viktor) told her husband his lips 'tasted metallic' after he was poisoned Despite the attempted assassination, Yushchenko went on to win the election. Pictured: The victory party after the vote in December 2004 'When I arrived home and kissed my wife the first thing she was, "Your lips taste metallic",' Yushchenko told BBC News. He explained his symptoms as he was rushed to Austria for emergency treatment. 'My head grew in size dramatically,' he said. 'The pain spread all over the body. 'And then I started having inflammations and pus forming all over my body.' According to the investigation into his poisoning - which is still ongoing - the dioxin was added to the rice he ate during dinner. But when asked if Russian president Vladimir Putin was behind the poisoning - from which he recovered and which did not stop him winning the election - he guardedly said: 'I have an answer but I cannot voice it. Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. They remain in hospital after being attacked with a nerve agent He did, however, warn the world to wise up to Russian policy in the wake of the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury - which has been blamed on the Kremlin. 'I feel pain for European countries being so blind,' he said. 'That European countries are so unfriendly to each other. And have so little solidarity in respect to Russia's policies. 'I would like what we call "United Europe" to finally realise that the biggest challenge for its citizens is the medieval policy that Russia pursues in the 21st century. The pro-European Yushchenko was standing against pro-Russian candidate Viktor Yanukovych (pictured) and was a leading figure in the so-called Orange Revolution at the time and believes the Kremlin was behind his poisoning Speaking to Sky News, the 64-year-old said he had 'no doubt' Russia was behind the nerve agent attack in Salisbury. He added: 'I think politically it is a very important position that is being developed with a united Europe and the United States. 'But I don't want it to end there with this single step, which we use to confront the modern imperial Russian policy.' Yushchenko also said the use of Agent Orange to poison him was a kind of 'symbolism' used by Russia because he was a central figure in the Orange Revolution, which aimed to bring Ukraine closer to Europe and away from Russia. He added that the world must stick together and punish Russia for its interventions overseas, reducing the amount of natural resources bought from the country. 'What does Putin fear the most?' he said. 'Solidarity, international solidarity. 'Look, the decision of 24 countries of the world to expel Russian diplomats - it is the most important story in the world. It is the most powerful blow delivered to Putin's policies for months.' A middle-aged couple have had the trip of a lifetime snatched out from under them after a thief stole the very caravan they were planning to travel Australia in. Danny and Sue Hancock had been planning their trip for three years, and were due to set off in just a few weeks' time. But when Danny woke up on Easter Sunday he discovered that his prized, custom-fitted Jayco caravan had completely disappeared from the driveway of his home in Burleigh Heads, Queensland overnight. Danny, who was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in 2012, had been planning to take on 'the big trip around the paddock' - a journey he's dreamed of doing for 42 years - while he still had time. A middle-aged Queensland couple had their custom-fitted Jayco caravan stolen from the driveway of their home Danny and Sue Hancock were due to set off on a caravan trip around Australia in just a few weeks' time - a journey they'd been planning for three years 'You can imagine how you feel when you've got the trip of a lifetime planned, and then it gets taken away from you it's disgraceful,' the 64-year-old grandfather told Yahoo7 News. 'It looks like a professional hit, they've used bolt cutters to get in no one heard a thing. 'I was told I might last one year, I might last three years,' he said. Now, without a van to set off in, he and wife Sue may have to postpone their national tour. 'Absolutely gutted that people with no honour can do this,' said Danny. The Hancocks were originally set to disembark on their travels after the upcoming Commonwealth Games, where Danny is a volunteer. 'You can imagine how you feel when you've got the trip of a lifetime planned, and then it gets taken away from you it's disgraceful,' said Danny Hancock. School shooting survivor David Hogg has labelled Fox News presenter Laura Ingraham a 'bully' and rejected her apology after she mocked him for his college rejections. Asked by CNN's Alisyn Camerota whether he had accepted her apology, which she tweeted to her two million followers, Hogg replied, 'No'. Earlier this week the 17-year-old gun reform activist convinced 11 companies to pull advertisements from Ingraham's program. Ingraham apologized on Twitter before taking a pre-planned break from broadcasting. Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg (pictured) rejected Laura Ingraham's apology during an appearance on CNN After Ingraham (pictured) mocked Hogg for failing to secure places at four colleges, he launched a boycott of her advertisers that has seen 11 companies pull out of her show But this weekend Hogg publicly rejected her apology during an appearance on CNN. He said her harsh words were in line with previous remarks she'd made about gay people studying at Dartmouth in 1984. Hogg also referenced when Ingraham told LeBron James to 'shut up and dribble', adding these people also deserved apologies. 'It's disturbing to know that somebody can bully so many people and just get away with it, especially to the level that she did,' he said. 'No matter who somebody is, no matter how big or powerful they may seem, a bully is a bully and it's important that you stand up to them.' Ingraham announced during Friday's episode of The Ingraham Angle, she would be on vacation and off air the following week. In her apology tweets Thursday, Ingraham included a clip of her own interview with Hogg. 'That's what she does when she tries to apologize to me, she promotes her own show? Really?' Hogg added. Hogg said Ingraham's attacks were 'really, really stupid.' He added of the advertisers that have pulled from her show: 'I'm a 17-year-old kid, she's bullied people before and I think people are just sick and tired of it.' 'She needs to acknowledge what she has done wrong.' Alisyn Camerota (pictured left) heard Hogg (pictured right) label Ingraham a 'bully' Hogg took to Twitter to bid farewell to the Fox Host who announced she was going off air Ingraham, pictured above, announced she would be taking a vacation just days after Parkland shooting survivor Hogg convinced 11 of her show's advertisers to withdraw When Ingraham announced she would be going away with her children for the Easter break, Hogg tweeted 'Have some healthy reflections this Holy Week' echoing Ingraham's own words of apology. In her Friday evening segment she did not address her online clash with Hogg. Ingraham sparked trouble on Wednesday when she took to Twitter to mock Hogg. She wrote: 'David Hogg Rejected By Four Colleges To Which He Applied and whines about it'. Hogg said Thursday via Twitter that he would only accept an apology should she denounce her treatment of the Parkland student activists rallying for gun reform. 'I 100 per cent agree an apology in an effort just to save your advertisers is not enough. I will only accept your apology only if you denounce the way your network has treated my friends and I in this fight,' he wrote. 'It's time to love thy neighbor, not mudsling at children,' he added. The Fox personality failed to address her clash with Hogg during her Friday broadcast The online scuffle began on Wednesday when Ingraham mocked Hogg for being rejected from four colleges Hogg is a survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that took place on February 14, killing 17. He filmed the horror that unfolded as students hid under desks during the shooting and went on to become an activist for gun reform. She expressed regret over her words days later, saying: 'On reflection, in the spirit of Holy Week, I apologize for any upset or hurt my tweet caused him or any of the brave victims of Parkland'. She added Thursday she believed she was the first to feature Hogg on her show after the shooting saying 'he's welcome to come on my show anytime for a productive discussion.' But that was only after Hogg had mobilized a boycott of her advertisers, tweeting out a list of their names and encouraging followers to call and request the companies to drop her program. So far, 11 companies have obliged. The Atlantis, Paradise Island resort; Office Depot, Jenny Craig, Hulu, Nutrish, TripAdvisor, Expedia, Wayfair, StitchFix, Nestle and Johnson & Johnson have pulled their ads from her show, according to CBS News. Taking his stance: Hogg appeared for the first time on CNN Friday, saying: 'When people try to distract like what Laura is trying to do from what the real is issue is, gun violence in America' Farewell: 11 companies pulled advertising from Ingraham's show On MSNBC's the Morning Joe the panel agreed the decision to mock Hogg over a video in which he detailed the schools which did not accept him was in poor taste and poorly timed. Donny Deutsch went after Ingraham,s: 'Ingraham told Lebron James to shut up and dribble and Ingraham needs to shut up and dribble also. She's a reprehensible human being.' Hogg told New Day Friday he believes Ingraham is just trying to distract from the gun violence he and other students strive to end. 'She's only apologizing after a third of her advertisers pulled out, and I think it's really disgusting the fact that she basically tried promoting her show after apologizing to me,' said Hogg. Morning, Laura: Donny Deutsch both attacked Ingraham on Morning Joe (above), saying she needed to 'shut up and dribble' 'I think it's great that corporate America is standing with me and the rest of my friends.' 'When you come against any of us, me or anyone else, you're coming against all of us. It is important that we stand together as corporate and civic America and show them they cannot push us around, especially when all we're trying to do here is save lives.' He continued: 'When people try to distract like what Laura is trying to do from what the real is issue is, gun violence in America, it's not only is sad but wrong. I would say from a journalistic perspective, she needs to stand out.' Hogg then closed out by stating: 'The issue is gun violence in America. She is trying to distract from that, and I hate it.' A single mother saved up 6,000 of her benefits to launch her own business in a new city. Five years ago Alison Middleditch found herself a single mother living in a strange city, suffering from depression and living on benefits. But this Saturday, after saving up 6,000 from those benefits, Alison, 39, of Mackworth, Derbyshire, launched her own cafe in the centre of Derby, Cobbers Cafe and Takeaway. Five years ago Alison Middleditch found herself a single mother living in a strange city, suffering from depression and living on benefits - but she has now turned her life around She said: 'I'm originally from Kilburn but I moved to Derby five years ago after getting divorced. I enrolled in a beauty therapy school but it didn't work out, and I suddenly found myself a single mum struggling on benefits. 'It left me with mental health issues, and I found that, after coming from a village, life in the city was really difficult. 'I also found that there are many people in the same boat - single mums struggling and depressed. 'I knew that I had to turn my life around, and I said that before my 40th birthday I would be running my own business. After saving up 6,000 from those benefits, Alison, 39, of Mackworth, Derbyshire, launched her own cafe in the centre of Derby, Cobbers Cafe and Takeaway (pictured) 'The idea of a cafe appealed, so while I was saving every penny I could, I started to look around for premises, and I also did my homework to see what people wanted, and where the footfall was. 'I set myself a target of saving 6,000, and everything I could manage went into the pot towards that. Family members also helped, and eventually I reached my goal. 'By then I'd identified a former cafe in Sacheverel Street. Although it had closed, I knew that I could reopen it and make a go of it. 'I've redecorated it myself and I had a launch party on Friday and opened properly on Saturday in the day. Alison says once a month she will hold a supper night for older people in the neighbourhood 'I'm doing all the cooking myself but I've hired one other member of staff, another single mum who can now come off benefits because she'll have a wage coming in. To me that is a great thing. 'Once a month I'll be doing a supper night - fish and chips or something like that - for older people in the neighbourhood. 'Also, on one night a month, I'm going to open late so that people with mental health problems, who don't feel comfortable going into a regular cafe, can come in, have a game of cards or dominoes, or just talk and socialise with people from similar backgrounds who are having similar problems. 'I want to run a successful business, and I'm proud to have got this far, but I also want it to be something that will help the community. It's been a long road but I'm there.' Cobbers Cafe and Takeaway will be open from 7am until 6pm six days a week. A Queensland jail has gone into lockdown after multiple prison officers were allegedly attacked by inmates. Two guards were taken from Maryborough Correctional Centre to hospital to be treated for their injuries after a fight broke out on Monday afternoon. As officers were treated, others have ensured all prisoners are accounted for, a spokeswoman from Queensland Corrective Services said. Maryborough Correctional Centre is in lockdown after multiple officers were bashed by inmates Maryborough Correctional Centre is on lockdown following an incident which saw a number of custodial officers assaulted by prisoners late this afternoon, she told Daily Mail Australia. Two officers were transported to hospital by Queensland Ambulance Service, and a number had injuries which are still being assessed. All prisoners are accounted for and the centre is quiet. The matter will be referred to the CSIU for further investigation. All officers involved will be provided counselling and support from Corrective Services. The European Union is doomed to collapse in the same way as the Soviet Union within decades, an academic has warned. Gwythian Prins, a Brexit supporter, said the European project had echoes of the Soviet project which collapsed in 1991. He said the EU was becoming ever more complex and not taking its citizens with it as it expanded its ambitions. The Soviet Union, founded after the 1917 communist revolution in Russia, broke up in 1991 following decades of expansionism and brutal repression of its people. Academic Gwythian Prins (file image), a Brexit supporter, said the European project had echoes of the Soviet project which collapsed in 1991 The EU's leaders, including Council President Donald Tusk (left) and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (right), could oversee the bloc's demise, it was claimed today In a report for a pro-Leave group Professor Prins, an emeritus professor at the London School of Economics, said that the EU's 'mounting complexity and declining legitimacy' had already sowed the seeds of its demise and Brexit was merely the start. In comments revealed by The Times, he said: 'Absence of cultural reproduction suggests that, like its older sibling (the Soviet Union), it should not expect to outlast a human lifespan. 'Since the turn of the century things have been steadily falling apart. 'The 'project' drives forward ever more relentlessly; and in reaction the people become ever more disaffected, making it necessary to impose more instruments of control more stringently. 'Gains have become increasingly pyrrhic because of the cost in social alienation.' He added: 'The dragon we are riding has turned its head and it singes us with its fiery breath. The final Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev (pictured in 2016) dissolved the Soviet Union on December 26, 1991, resigning his office and declaring it extinct 'All this evidence of citizen rejection while the 'project' responds with further acceleration has plainly taken the EU into the Zone of Risk of Collapse. 'That is where now it stands, shakily but defiant, belittling, bullying, hoping to dishearten the British in order to deter any other prospective escapees and intent on punishing us for our sovereign decision to leave the EU. 'It is hardly a sign of self-confidence.' The final Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev dissolved the Soviet Union on December 26, 1991, resigning his office and declaring it extinct. His resignation was the final act of the 11 Soviet republics, including Russia, becoming independent. Control of Russia was passed to President Boris Yeltsin. The dissolution brought to an end the Cold War with the West. Sydney's Royal Easter Show has been marred by a violent brawl between a worker dressed as a zombie bride and a reveller. Footage posted to social media appears to show the worker being confronted by a patron who took issue with something she had said, 7 News reported. It's not clear what prompted the altercation but profanities can be heard in the background before the woman in zombie dress-up appears to spit in the other woman's face. Scroll down for video A fight broke out at the Royal Easter Show last night which has caused one worker having to take time off after being attacked The obscene move sparks a shoving match between the two, escalating as the patron tries to throw punches while the zombie defends herself with an umbrella. 'Get your hands off me,' the worker can be heard shouting. The crowd can be heard cheering the two women on with one man shouting 'hit her' a number of times as the pair trade blows. The video shows the show worker, dressed as a zombie bride, being confronted by a visitor who seems to be taking issue with something, then the fists start flying The worker then turns and tries to walk away but the woman pursues her before the video cuts out. The Royal Easter Show public relations manager could not be reached for comment on Monday night. A spokesperson for NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia no official complaints had been made. Sergeant Matt Tonroe, 33, from the 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, was embedded in Seal Team 6 when he died The first British soldier to be killed fighting jihadis in Syria was taking part in a covert mission to capture an ISIS commander. Special Air Service Sniper Matt Tonroe from Manchester was killed in the northern city of Manbij on Thursday night. Sgt Tonroe, 33, was embedded in Seal Team 6 - the unit which killed Osama Bin Laden - when he died after a vehicle he was travelling in struck a roadside bomb. The special forces unit had received information about the location of a senior ISIS commander, but it is now feared his unit were lured into a trap, reports the Daily Star. Sgt Tonroe belonged to the SASs B Squadron and had served in British Special Forces units for eight years, according to defence sources. Last night, his commanding officer described him as a first-class soldier with a steel core who had served his country with pride. Former paratrooper Hugh Keir also paid tribute to Sgt Tonroe on Facebook by speaking of an ambush his unit in the 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment experienced in 2008. He wrote: 'Attacked from 3 flanks, with taliban as close as 20m and out to around 400m, two of my guys had the unenviable task of keeping their heads above cover to focus on two areas in the middle distance for a hidden sharpshooter that was engaging elements of A Coy. 'While RPGs exploded overhead, rounds flew and grenades detonated, they didn't move. They focused on the task and didn't flinch. 'They did what they needed to do, regardless of the danger to themselves and the prolonged exposure. Matt was one of the two snipers. Spare a thought for his family. RiP Airborne.' Former paratrooper Hugh Keir paid tribute to Sgt Tonroe on Facebook, saying: 'They did what they needed to do, regardless of the danger to themselves' A military convoy is pictured arriving in Manbij last month. The special forces unit had received information about the location of a senior ISIS commander, but it is now feared his unit were lured into a trap Sgt Tonroe is survived by his mother Michelle, brother Alex and girlfriend Olivia. A US Special Forces soldier Master Sergeant Jonathan Dunbar, 36, from Austin, Texas was also killed when the device exploded near Manbijs Sheikh Akil cemetery. Sgt Tonroe was born in Manchester in August 1984 and joined the Parachute Regiment just days after his 20th birthday. He passed the Paras notoriously tough P Company selection course in 2005 and subsequently joined 3rd Battalion (3 Para). He passed the Household Division and Parachute Regiment sniper course in October 2007 with flying colours. He also served as a sniper in Helmand province in Afghanistan in 2008 and was praised for his coolness under fire by colleagues. It is understood that his sharpshooting accounted for a number of Taliban deaths. According to military sources, Sgt Tonroe was then promoted and attempted SAS selection, which he is said to have passed first time. He was also a fully trained parachutist. His commanding officer, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Special Forces who cannot be named for security reasons, said last night: Matt Tonroe was a deeply intelligent man and one of lifes characters. He was a caring and considerate soul, a loving and dutiful son, and a friend to many. Yet he had a steel core, served his country with pride and was a first-class soldier, proven in combat, faced risk willingly and was ever ready for more. He thus died as he lived: daring and fearless in duty. We mourn his loss dearly, are proud to have known him and will honour him by continuing this fight. It is reported that the explosion took place close to 'Sheikh Akil graveyard' (pictured) A Special Forces major added: If you had met Matt Tonroe, then you would have liked him. He bristled with the contentment of a life lived to its full. His bravery and talent as a soldier was matched by his compassion as a human being. He was an individual, with the courage to set his own course, and the perspective to see new possibilities at every turn. He was destined for great things in our unit his leadership was both natural and apparently effortless. He is already missed. Without Matt, our company has lost some of its humour, some of its warmth, and some of its sheer opportunism. We will always remember him. The MoD confirmed last night that Sgt Tonroe had deployed on numerous operations to Afghanistan and the Middle East. A Spanish man has died after taking part in a bullrunning event in southwestern Spain over the Easter weekend. Video footage shows the man, reportedly in his 50s, being gored and trampled, as the angry bull repeatedly throws him up against a wall on its horns. The man was one of dozens of participants in the annual Toro del Aleluya [Bull of the Hallelujah], an event that has taken place every Easter Sunday in Arcos de la Frontera in Cadiz, Andalusia, since 1784. Scroll down for video Mess with the bull, get the horns: Video footage shows the moment when a man is gored and trampled during a bull-run event in Cadiz, Andalusia, Spain In the footage, the bull can be seen dashing down a narrow town street, chasing after a runner in a red sweatshirt. The runner gives the bull the slip, and the animal turns its attentions to the eventual victim, a middle-aged man in a yellow top. The man tries to outmanoeuvre the bull, but it knocks him off his feet and traps him in front of a garage door. The bull attacks the man in the entrance several times before it runs its horn into the side of his body and drags him several feet. Escapees: A handful for participants can be seen holding on to windows of the surrounding houses as the man is attacked by the bull Lethal game: The angry bull repeatedly throws the man up against a wall on its horns, and he later died in hospital as a result of his injuries The man was rushed to the Hospital Jerez de la Frontera with serious puncture wounds, and later died, local authorities said. Another man also suffered puncture injuries to his upper body, and was transferred to a hospital in Cadiz where he remains in a 'safe but stable condition'. The deceased man was about 50 years of age and a resident in the borough, local news reports. Local Mayor Isidoro Gambin expressed his 'support and affection' for the friends and family of the deceased. The husband of jailed British mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe today called on Theresa May to intervene on her case after Boris Johnson failed. Richard Ratcliffe said the Foreign Secretary was 'missing in action' and his failure to secure his wife's release meant the two yesr battle has become a 'test of endurance'. Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian dual citizen serving a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of spying charges, was arrested at Tehran Airport on April 3, 2016. She denies the charges and maintains she was in Iran to introduce her young daughter Gabriella to her parents. Richard Ratcliffe (pictured today in West Hampstead marking two years since his wife's arrest), the husband of jailed British mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, today called on Theresa May to intervene on her case after Boris Johnson failed Supporters of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe decorated a tree near the family home in West Hampstead today (pictured) to mark the anniversary The husband of jailed British mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe (file image with her young daughter Gabriella) said he is disappointed in the failure of Boris Johnson's efforts two years on from her arrest in Iran Ahead of the second anniversary of her detention, Mr Ratcliffe said: 'We didn't expect to be needing to mark this anniversary - not after the hopes of Christmas and the Foreign Secretary's word. 'But it remains a cold late Spring. Nazanin was told that if she wasn't home by Christmas, at least it should be done by Nowruz, and we should worry if we go past March 2018, with the storms that might lie ahead. And now we have.' He added: 'Our story has become a test of endurance, and there is a need to recharge spirits - particularly after the disappointment of the Foreign Secretary's mission failing to deliver, and Nazanin becoming caught up in this government stand off - so we wanted the anniversary to be an occasion where we drew positive energy. 'That is what the outside can do, and we are grateful for people's care.' Mr Ratcliffe told Sky News today that he last spoke to his wife last week and said she had been 'flat' as the two year anniversary approached. He said he is pushing for a new meeting with Mr Johnson to address Government concerns ministers feel they cannot intervene further because it is a 'consular' case. Mr Ratcliffe revived claims Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe is being held by Iran to persuade Britain to pay an historic debt - something UK ministers have dimissed. He said: 'We want to find out what the Government really thinks her rights are. 'She's not being held for something she has done. She's being held for something the Government has not done. 'It seems to me it's not a normal consular case.' Richard Ratcliffe said the battle to set his wife free has become a 'test of endurance', particularly after the Foreign Secretary's unsuccessful bids to secure her release Mr Ratcliffe said Boris Johnson's (pictured at the Lord Mayor's banquet last week) promises had led him to hope he would not be marking a second anniversary of his wife being in jail Tulip Siddiq, Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe's MP, said: 'In November the Foreign Secretary promised to 'leave no stone unturned'. But since his trip to Tehran, he has been missing in action. 'Nazanin does not have the luxury of time, and Boris Johnson must act before her situation gets worse. 'If he can't deliver on this, then it is time that the Prime Minister stepped in.' Mr Ratcliffe said recent weeks have been a low point for his wife in Iran, and she has suffered periodic panic attacks in her sleep. The key question is whether Mr Johnson has 'given up on his promise to bring home Nazanin soon', the Free Nazanin campaign said. Mr Ratcliffe said if Mr Johnson could not help his wife then Theresa May (pictured in North Wales yesterday) should step in Mr Ratcliffe and his supporters have requested to meet Mr Johnson with lawyers present, to ask what are Nazanin's rights in his view as the stand off continues. The campaign for Nazanin's freedom said they have previously discussed with the Foreign Secretary's office that it is a contortion to claim that her case is just a normal consular case. 'Given that Nazanin is held for something the government has not done, not because of something she has, the claim she is just another consular case belittles the government's obligations,' the campaign said. On Monday, the Free Nazanin campaign will hold a ChooseLaughter event in Fortune Green in West Hampstead, north west London, where they will hang jokes and 'things that make us smile' provided by supporters and prisoners. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: 'On the second anniversary of Nazanin's arrest we continue to approach her case, and all of our British-Iranian consular cases, in a way that we judge is most likely to secure the outcome we all want. 'Therefore we will not be providing a running commentary on every twist and turn.' Russia's foreign minister has claimed it could have been in the interests of Britain to poison ex-spy Sergei Skripal to distract from Brexit as he slammed the West for playing 'children's games'. Sergei Lavrov said how far the row escalates between Russia and the West over the poisoning of the former Russian agent in Salisbury does not depend on Russia. He also said that during the Cold War there were rules, but now Britain and the United States have dropped all propriety. '[The poisoning] could be in the interests of the British government which found itself in an uncomfortable situation having failed to fulfill promises to its electorate about the conditions for Brexit,' Lavrov said at the press conference. It comes as the Kremlin today warned Russians to think twice about travelling to Britain, where they face 'discrimination' and 'provocations', as Moscow directly blamed MI5 or MI6 for poisoning the Skripals. Sergei Lavrov, Vladimir Putin's foreign minister, said how far the row escalates between Russia and the West over the poisoning of the former Russian spy in Salisbury does not depend on his country The warning to Russians came as Moscow' longtime ambassador to London, Alexander Yakovenko (pictured), a former deputy foreign minister, alleged British secret services were behind the use of nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. They remain in hospital after being attacked with a nerve agent Lavrov suggested that the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter 'could also be in the interests of the British special forces who are known for their abilities to act with a licence to kill'. 'There could be a whole number of reasons and none of them can be ruled out,' Lavrov said. Lavrov insisted that 'serious experts 'and 'leaders of a whole number of countries' are questioning Britain's account of the crime. 'Britain, I think, will not manage to evade answering these questions. Because they are already only too obvious and it's only too obvious that our British colleagues have lost their sense of reality.' Lavrov complained that the British authorities have still not given consular access to 'our citizens,' and that the situation had not changed despite Yulia Skripal's improved condition. He said he hoped Sergei Skripal would 'also follow this example' and get better. Lavrov also denied the attack was 'sophisticated,' saying that if it had been, the victims would have died immediately. 'If I understand correctly, sophisticated attacks usually lead to instant death,' he said. The Russian embassy in London implied earlier today that British officials could plant illegal 'extra items' in luggage to cause trouble for its citizens. The embassy warned that children coming to study English as well as CKSA fans attending this week's Europa Cup tie with Arsenal can be victims of a campaign unleashed by Theresa May's government 'aimed at blackening Russia and Russians'. Russians should also expect 'extra attention from British law enforcement and secret services' due to the breakdown in relations over the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal. The warning to Russians came as Moscow' longtime ambassador to London, Alexander Yakovenko, a former deputy foreign minister, alleged British secret services were behind the use of nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury. 'This provocation has been carried out by UK secret services,' said the envoy. 'We are not provided with any facts, they refuse to cooperate with us. Such a state of affairs brings us to the judgment that it is a provocation organised by the secret services.' Diplomats warned their compatriots: 'Judging by the statements made by British politicians, we cannot exclude unpredictable negative consequences from the campaign initiated by the UK authorities.' The Russian Embassy (pictured) had said it 'insists' on the right to see Ms Skripal, 33, after it emerged she was improving rapidly Police have removed the front door of Sergei Skripal's home after it emerged detectives believe that is where the former spy came into contact with the nerve agent They 'are calling for a discriminatory approach towards Russian children who study in local schools' in Britain. Annually tens of thousands of Russian children arrive in Britain to study English during their long school holidays. 'We recommend Russian citizens intending to send their children to study in summer camps or language courses in the UK to thoroughly weigh the viability of such trips.' It goes on to say that the embassy denuded by 'irresponsible mass expulsion of Russian diplomats' will be less able to assist people who get into trouble. Russians are warned that 'unexpected detentions for baseless reasons are possible', along with 'questioning and personal searches when entering and leaving the country'. 'They may demand removal and checks of the personal digital items - computers, mobile phones, tablet PCs, other digital devices - using British anti-terror legislation as a pretext'. Mr Skripal and his daughter (left) stand outside the front door with another relative during a previous visit she made to the UK Russians are warned: 'Removal of ID documents is also possible. 'We urge you to be watchful of your personal belongings and luggage in order to prevent provocations of slipping extra items into your luggage.' The embassy said visitors now had to contend with the 'deliberate planting of Russophobia in British society'. People facing arguments of 'unreasonable questioning' should seeking to record such moments using audio or video devices. Russians 'are recommended to weigh the necessity of their trips to the UK in order to avoid provocations or threats of detention or arrest upon the request of British and foreign law enforcement agencies and special services'. Fans travelling to watch CSKA play at Arsenal are told to be 'extremely careful' and 'to strictly follow the rules of the county and behaviour in public places rules, including the stadium'. 'Avoiding provocations against Russians, we call you to avoid conflict situations with the local authorities and citizens, to behave with our traditional dignity.' They are told: 'In the case of detention by the law enforcement agencies of the UK, don't resist. 'Use your right to make a phone call as soon as possible - and contact the embassy's duty consul. 'Demand police immediately inform the embassy about the detention.' Meanwhile Yakovenko told NTV in Moscow that Britain was deliberately targeting Russia. The ambassador said: 'Several years ago, Britain was actively thinking about what its role in the western alliance would be. 'So, at that time, when the national security concept [the UK National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015] was adopted, and a bit later Theresa May confirmed this, Britons took the course towards the leading role in the so-called containment of Russia,' said the envoy. In order to contain Russia 'a powerful provocation' was needed to convince people of the Putin threat, and this led to the poisoning. 'Such a wild provocation was most likely staged by the Britons to accuse Russia in many areas - and contain it,' he said. The Roseanne reboot will never use President Trump's name despite political strife being front-and-center of the show. Sara Gilbert, who executive produced the reboot and stars as daughter Darlene Conner, said the show is not about politics itself, but about the effect differing beliefs has on a family. As a result, 'we never say his name', Gilbert told Watch What Happens Live. Gilbert made the comments after star Roseanne Barr put out a cryptic tweet about President Trump 'freeing children held in bondage'. Sara Gilbert says Roseanne never mentions Donald Trump by name because the show is not about politics, but instead about the effect different opinions have on a family The first episode heavily referenced politics, pitting Nasty Woman Jackie (right) against the conservative Roseanne Gilbert's comments come after Roseanne Barr put out a cryptic tweet about President Trump breaking up child sex rings Gilbert said: 'The show is not about politics. It's not about anyone's position or a policy, it's really about what happens to a family when there's a political divide, which is something that I think the entire country can relate to and something we need to talk about. 'So, with our show, it's never about "doing an issue" or "doing politics," it's "how do these things affect a family unit?"' Barr previously tweeted: 'President Trump has freed so many children held in bondage to pimps all over this world. Hundreds each month. He has broken up trafficking rings in high places everywhere. Barr appeared to reference a conspiracy theory about child sex rings in government, though she later tweeted sex trafficking arrest figures 'I disagree on some things, but give him benefit of doubt-4 now,' she continued. After initial confusion, Barr retweeted several links reporting recent law enforcement initiatives against human trafficking, including a March 13 White House statement announcing that DHS had made 1,602 arrests and 578 convictions in trafficking cases in 2017. But for many, Barr's cryptic message, which came on the heels of her wildly successful sitcom reboot, appeared to be a callback to earlier mentions she has made of the 'QAnon' conspiracy theory. In response to the storm of speculation, Barr posted again a few hours after the initial tweet: 'I have worked with victims of trafficking for decades & supported the fight against it. Sorry to have mentioned it here. It's not the place.' Also known as 'The Storm', the QAnon theory is based on a series of anonymous and highly cryptic posts on the message board 4Chan, which purport to be written by a high-level insider at the Trump White House. The rebooted Roseanne's first episode, which aired last Tuesday, drew an audience of 18million, making it an unqualified hit President Trump called Barr to congratulate her on the ratings, and referenced the show during one of his recent rallies Q is a reference to 'Q-clearance', the Department of Energy security classification that offers the broadest level of access to Top Secret and Secret Restricted Data granted by the US government. Though Q's posts are sometimes cryptic to the point of nonsense, in broad strokes the theory maintains that Trump is locked in a secret battle with 'evil' elements at the highest level of government. The theory references earlier conspiracy theories such as Pizzagate, purporting that top-level Democrats are engaged in satanic child sex abuse and child sex trafficking. One of Q's only specific predictions, that Hillary Clinton's campaign manager John Podesta would be arrested on November 3, did not come to pass. Nevertheless, the theory fired the imaginations of many who envision The Storm as an imminent domestic military crackdown and purge targeting the Trump Administration's foes. Barr has previously dabbled in the conspiracy. On November 17, she posted two tweets saying 'Who is Q?' and 'Tell Qanon to DM me in the nexxt 24 hours'. Shortly after Barr sent the messages, her Twitter account went offline, stoking rumors of a vast conspiracy. Her account came back online a few hours later, with around 200,000 followers removed. She issued a message saying 'I am OK and back. explanation later on'. So far, she has not issued any explanation of the incident. Barr's Tuesday premier of the Roseanne reboot drew some 18million viewers, making it a smashing success. Trump even called to congratulate Barr, a Trump supporter herself whose sitcom aims to portray the real-life concerns of his working-class base. A murder suspect was shot dead by police after taking on officers in a gun battle. The chase began after the man, with a murder warrant from Georgia, was seen driving a white Chevy Impala in Tampa, Florida, shortly after 6pm on Sunday. Police said the suspect led officers on a chase for several minutes, firing at them a number of times through the streets. A murder suspect was shot dead by police after leading officers on a gun battle in Tampa. Pictured, authorities address the media after the shooting They said he tried to carjack a member of the public and fired at officers again. Officers fired back, killing the 41-year-old man at E. 28th Avenue and N 15th Street. They, along with troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol attempted CPR on the man, who has not been identified. No officers were hurt during the chase. Police said the suspect led officers on a chase for several minutes, firing at them a number of times through the streets A witness, who was standing about a block away, compared the incident to a scene from a James Bond film. 'It was like 007,' Alex Hernandez, 21, told the Tampa Bay Times. 'The guy had two guns blazing. The Tampa police returned fire with their big guns.' 'We were working closely with authorities in Georgia to arrest someone with a murder warrant,' Tampa Police said. 'He opened fire on our officers multiple times. 'The suspect tried to carjack an innocent member of our community and opened fire on our officers again.' Astonishing footage shows the 'complete carnage' caused by a bin lorry shedding its entire load on an upmarket street. Festering rubbish is shown being strewn 100 feet behind the lorry in Bromley, London. Disbelieving residents are seen standing outside their homes, which fetch well in the excess of 1million, staring at the mayhem. The driver who caught the chaotic scenes on his dashcam on Wednesday can be heard laughing hysterically as vehicles try to swerve around the mess. Astonishing footage shows the 'complete carnage' caused by a bin lorry shedding its entire load on an upmarket street in Bromley, London on Wednesday A man named Jack uploaded the clip, thought to have been filmed in Stone Park Avenue in the Beckenham area of the borough, to social media with the caption: 'Avoid near Kelsey Park. Excuse the language. (Filmed by my labourer, Miller. For all the haters.)' The driver can be heard in the footage laughing hysterically and saying: 'Look at this! How jarred are these people! Oh mate, that is f***ing complete carnage.' At one point, a man and two young women can be seen outside a substantial detached home looking at the rubbish trail. The man appears to be having a conversation on his mobile. The crew of the rubbish lorry can be seen battling in vain to gather up the mess as cars move partly into the opposite lane to try and pass the lorry. Part of the rear of the lorry appears to be hinged into the air, giving a possible clue to the cause of the mishap. The driver who is filming the incident can be heard in the footage laughing hysterically and saying: 'Look at this! How jarred are these people! Oh mate, that is f***ing complete carnage' The crew of the rubbish lorry can be seen battling in vain to gather up the mess as cars move partly into the opposite lane to try to pass On social media, Gemma Burton-Nickson speculated: 'Oh dear...someone pressed the button.' Dave Maurice Kool Wiltshire wrote: 'How did they manage to do that?' Duncan McGill said: 'Somebody put the wrong kind of rubbish out forcollection!' Dan Dodd added: 'That's Stone Park Avenue near the Chinese.' Maureen Black wrote: 'Yuk the smell must have been gross.' A five-bedroom detached house on the street recently sold for 1,150,000. A taxidermist has created an Easter special and turned a rabbit into a toaster. Student Jack Devaney, 22, from Plymouth, Devon, is a taxidermist with a difference thanks to his unusual creations. His latest work, a dead rabbit, is stretched around a fully functioning toaster, and a video on Jack's Facebook page shows freshly toasted bread popping out of the creature's back. Student Jack Devaney, 22, from Plymouth, Devon, is a taxidermist with a difference thanks to his unusual creations. His latest work, a dead rabbit, is stretched around a functioning toaster Jack wrote on Facebook: 'There is no worse way to start a day than pulling hair out of your breakfast, so what about pulling your breakfast out of a hare? The perfect Easter creation! 'This does work as a fully functioning toaster, but I will remove things to stop that because I know someone will definitely start a fire with this.' The 3D design student at Plymouth University achieved notoriety last year. His work went viral after Jack posted photos of a pencil case he made out of a dead rat on the image sharing site Imgur. Speaking at the time, he said: 'They're most popular in America, but I've also sold them in Norway. I think it's great that I've managed to sell some.' Jack wrote on Facebook: 'There is no worse way to start a day than pulling hair out of your breakfast, so what about pulling your breakfast out of a hare? The perfect Easter creation' Jack decided to start 'making daft stuff' after seeing a funny picture of some bad taxidermy online and wondered if he could better it. He added: 'I'd worked part-time as a butcher for nine years so I've been sort of desensitized to the process. It also meant that I knew how to pluck, skin and dress different animals.' With his already honed skills in butchery, Jack just needed to source the creatures themselves. He said: 'I used to have a snake when I was younger and I knew that you could buy frozen mice, rats and chicks from different pet stores. Jack decided to start 'making daft stuff' after seeing a funny picture of some bad taxidermy online and wondered if he could better it 'I get them from pest control and estate managers, I basically posted on facebook asking for help and I had people getting back to me within 10 minutes. 'My last order cost about 25 for four moles and three squirrels.' In spite of his worldwide success, Jack isn't confident in a future career based on his wacky work. He added: 'You'd have to be a nutter to think you could make a living out of this. 'Some people have suggested my work is satirical or that they have a deeper meaning but they are just daft.' But despite the interest in his work, Jack says that not everyone's a fan. He said: 'There's been a varied response. The average posts range from 'This guy is a nut job' to 'Where can I get one', but I'm always polite when I'm responding. 'If no one buys them then I'll just have a load of moles hanging around.' His previous work has also drawn online attention. Above: a pencil case complete with toothbrushes A 25-year-old American man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after a British cyclist was killed by an alleged drink driver on the Spanish island of Menorca. Phillip Rasmussen, 47, died instantly after being hit from behind near the town of Sant Lluis, on Menorca's east coast, yesterday morning. The man arrested is the driver of the Opel Corsa that reportedly hit Mr Rasmussen, and he was taken into custody after failing a breath test. The Brit was cycling from Alcaufar (pictured) to San Lluis on Menorca's east coast The suspect's reading of 35 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath is the current legal limit in England and Wales but in Spain the standard limit is 25. The detainee is expected to appear before a judge in court today, where it will be decided whether he will be remanded in jail pending an ongoing probe or released on bail. Mr Rasmussen was reportedly heading from the sleepy fishing village of Alcaufar on Menorca's east coast to Sant Lluis, when he was hit. He is believed to have been on his own when the invident happened Two ambulances were sent to the scene but paramedics could do nothing to save him. Civil Guard traffic officers will submit a report on the incident to the investigating magistrate tasked with the criminal probe. Advertisement A once-grand Palladian mansion that was the childhood home of the real-life Horatio Hornblower has gone on the market for 500,000 - but whoever buys the ruined house will have to remove the trees growing inside the walls before moving in. Wardhouse near Insch, Aberdeenshire, was the childhood home of Sir James Alexander Gordon, a Napoleonic Admiral who C S Forester is believed to have based Horatio Hornblower on. Sir James fought with Nelson at the Battle of the Nile and took part in the American War of 1812. The house was built in 1757 for James Gordon and passed through the Gordon family for generations. Wardhouse near Insch, Aberdeenshire, is going up for sale for 500,000. The property was the childhood home of Sir James Alexander Gordon, a Napoleonic Admiral Sir James fought with Nelson at the Battle of the Nile and took part in the American War of 1812. He is believed to be who C S Forester based Horatio Hornblower on The house was built in 1757 for James Gordon and passed through the Gordon family for generations until 1952 when it was sold off The house was requisitioned by the Army during the Second World War and then sold off by the family in 1952. It was then sold to a new owner who stripped away the interior of the property and removing the roof to avoid taxes. In 1999 it was placed on the Buildings At Risk register after being left to the elements. Current owners Douglas Forrest, an architect, and his wife Carol used the rest of the estate to build four sustainable homes before getting planning permission to create seven houses within the mansion. Wardhouse pictured in 1907. The new owner stripped away the interior and took off the roof to avoid paying taxes and has since been left to the elements The current owners, Douglas Forrest, an architect, and his wife Carol, have been given planning permission to turn the mansion into a seven house estate Pictured, an 1896 map of the Wardhouse Estate. Mr Forrest has already used estate land to build four sustainable homes and hopes someone else can finish off his project Mr Forrest estimates a section could be completed within two years and would cost about 300,000 per section. He said: 'I first saw Wardhouse in 1985 with a client when we went out appraising a number of historic building opportunities for future projects together. 'I was immediately struck by the spectacular architectural style and siting of the mansion with its views out over farmland and hills beyond. Mr Forrest created four sustainable high-quality homes by converting several existing derelict buildings and one new build (pictured: the new build) He also sold five more for self-builds. Pictured: The Stables, one of the barns on the property that Mr Forrest converted into a sustainable home Pictured: The interior of the Dutch Barn. Despite converting old buildings, Mr Forrest kept to modern styles 'But it was almost 20 years later before I decided to get a project underway... 'I am now retired and in view of that, and the MS I live with, it is time for a new owner to finish this magnificent project by tackling Wardhouse. 'Someone could put it back together and have the most wonderful house. It's an architecturally spectacular and rare project for someone.' Who was the real Horatio Hornblower? Sir James Alexander Gordon Sir James Alexander Gordon was a Royal Navy Officer born in 1782 who fought at the Battle of Groix, the Battle of the Glorious First of June and at the Battle of Cape St Vincent during the French Revolutionary Wars. After he became a midshipman, he fought with Nelson at the Battle of the Nile and took part in the American War of 1812. He eventually became Lieutenant-Governor of the Greenwich Hospital in July 1840, before making his way up the ranks. By 1868 he was the Admiral of the Fleet, the highest rank in the British Royal Navy. He died in January 1869 and his Times obituary referred to him as 'The Last of Nelsons Captains'. Although many have argued C S Forester's Horatio Hornblower was based on a composition of characters from the Napoleonic Wars, historian Bryan Perrett has argued it was based solely on Sir James. Notably, Sir James was a commodore who went up the Chesapeake with a small fleet, which is incredibly similar to events from the Hornblower series where he leads a small group into the Baltic. Advertisement He said: 'I was immediately struck by the spectacular architectural style and siting of the mansion with its views out over farmland and hills beyond' Mr Forrest decided to sell off the estate because he has since retired after being an architect for 35 years and suffers from MS A policeman obsessed with child pornography has been jailed for life for raping and murdering a ten-year-old girl as well as 18 other sex offences against underage victims. A woman and man accomplice were jailed for taking part in some of his sex attacks against young girls. The 26-year-old uniformed Russian cop - who has not been named - offered lifts to school to some before raping them. A police video shows the unnamed child sex attacker and murderer at the scene where he raped and killed Alibina. He was convicted of raping, beating and then killing Albina Ganzei after offering to drive her to school Ganzei (pictured) was found in long grass four days after her mother reported her missing. She had been attacked The 26-year-old uniformed Russian cop - who has not been named - offered lifts to school to some before raping them. Pictured: The man being arrested He was convicted of raping, beating and then killing Albina Ganzei after offering to drive her to school. Instead he took her on a remote road and viciously attacked her. Then he burned her body. Her charred remains were found in long grass four days after Albina's mother reported her missing. She was still wearing her favourite pink shoes. Police found at least three other girls he raped and violently sexually attacked. He committed the attacks in 2015 prompting a mass search in the Primorsky region of western Russia. The following year he returned to a crime scene and police caught him after being alerted by locals. 'His cell phone and computer contained "numerous" images and videos showing "vile" child pornography,' The Siberian Times reported. He committed the attacks in 2015 prompting a mass search in the Primorsky region of western Russia. Pictured: The town of Lazo After his arrest, he confessed to police and revealed details of his crimes. A police video shows the unnamed child sex attacker and murderer at the scene where he raped and killed Alibina. No further details have been given about the woman and man accomplice who were involved in several sexual attacks. They were jailed to three-and-a-half and four years respectively. Mechanical engineer and Muslim activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied has made a surprising career change following her recent move to London. The controversial personality, who infamously ruffled feathers among the Australian public for her politically charged comments regarding Anzac Day, has taken to Instagram to announce her new role as an actor. 'I am SO excited to let y'all know that I am making my acting debut' she posted, under an image from the upcoming SBS television series Homecoming Queens, in which Abdel-Magied will play a major role. Mechanical engineer and controversial activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied has opted for a career change, announcing a move into acting Her acting debut will see her playing a major role in an upcoming SBS television series titled Homecoming Queens Created and co-written by Michelle Law, the series tells the stories of two young women as they deal with life after major illness. The career move comes after a controversial 2017 for Abdel-Magied. The outspoken 27-year-old incited the ire of millions of Australians last Anzac Day when she exploited the 'Lest We Forget' slogan for a political statement on Nauru, Manus Island, Syria and Palestine. Abdel-Magied stoked controversy in Australia last Anzac Day after exploiting the 'Lest We Forget' for a political statement on Nauru, Manus Island, Syria and Palestine That tweet ended up winning Abdel-Magied a free speech prize - but not before landing her in hot water with a significant portion of the Australian public. Coupled with her often polarising views on issues of religion and politics, Abdel-Magied's comments triggered a barrage of hatred that eventually forced her to leave the country. She fled to London last September in the wake of the controversies, comparing Australia to an 'abusive boyfriend'. The tweet eventually won her a free speech prize, whilst simultaneously inciting the wrath of millions of Australians President Trump tore into Mexico on Monday, claiming it had 'absolute power' to prevent a caravan of Latin American immigrants headed towards the countries' joint border from illegally cross into the United States. The group of more than 1,000 mostly Honduran refugees started marching towards the U.S. on March 25, starting in the far southern Mexican town of Tapachula. As of Sunday, the group had already made it more than 140 miles north to the city of Matias Romero, mostly by walking. The group plans to hold demonstrations in Puebla, Mexico on April 5-9 before continuing on to the U.S., where they plan to demand asylum. Seizing on the reports this morning, Trump demanded that Mexico keep the caravan from crossing into the United States. 'They must stop them at their Northern Border, which they can do because their border laws work, not allow them to pass through into our country, which has no effective border laws,' Trump proclaimed. Central American migrants gather before continuing their journey to the U.S. despite President Trump's vow to stamp out illegal immigration. The group is pictured above in Ixtepec, Oaxaca on March 30 The group of more than 1,000 mostly Honduran refugees plans to cross into the U.S. and demand asylum. They are pictured above on March 30 in the Mexican state of Oaxaca The group has been making the journey on foot, by bus and on trains. They plan to reach the state of Puebla by April 5, where they will take a four day break in their journey The long march: The group mostly started from Tapachula on March 25th and his inched their way up towards Mexico City. They will spend most of this week camped at Puebla At its current rate, the caravan could reach the U.S. by early May, or earlier, if the immigrants speed up their journey with trains or buses. Reports from the road indicate that Mexican authorities have been abandoning border checkpoints to let the group travel unimpeded and that locals are helping the caravan along the way, donating food and water. This has infuriated President Trump, who took to Twitter shortly after 7am Monday morning to demand action from Mexico and the U.S. government. 'Mexico has the absolute power not to let these large "Caravans" of people enter their country,' he claimed. Assaulting his opposition in the U.S. legislature, Trump also said: 'Congress must immediately pass Border Legislation, use Nuclear Option if necessary, to stop the massive inflow of Drugs and People. 'Border Patrol Agents (and ICE) are GREAT, but the weak Dem laws dont allow them to do their job. Act now Congress, our country is being stolen!' Trump went on to call America's border laws 'pathetic' compared to Mexico's in the Twitter rant that invoked a trade agreement between the two countries and Canada that's being renegotiated on his orders. He argued that Mexico is 'making a fortune' on the North American Free Trade Agreement. 'With all of the money they make from the U.S., hopefully they will stop people from coming through their country and into ours, at least until Congress changes our immigration laws!' he said. The group will likely cross the border illegally and then demand asylum, since it's easy to get turned away if applying for asylum at the border before crossing into the U.S. The group pictured above in Oaxaca on Saturday Children rest as the group takes a break in Oaxaca, Mexico on Saturday Locals in Mexico have been helping the group on their journey by donating food. The group pictured above on Saturday Before setting off on their journey, the group practiced formations to protect the women and children in case of a violent resistance. Above, the group in Oaxaca on Friday Central American migrants gather before continuing their journey to the U.S. in Ixtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico on Friday A man carries a stool and a pot for cooking as the group walks during the first day of their journey Members of the group gather around to receive donated rations in Arriaga, Chiapas, Mexico last Wednesday An estimated 1,200 migrants are taking part in the caravan to the U.S. Above, the group on the first day of their journey Another tweet tied the ordeal to an amnesty program in the United States for illegal immigrant children who were brought across the border from Mexico that Trump has pledged to end unless lawmakers give in to his border security demands. 'DACA is dead because the Democrats didn't care or act, and now everyone wants to get into the DACA bandwagon... No longer works,' he said. 'Must build Wall and secure out borders with proper Border legislation. Democrats want No Borders, hence drugs and crime!' Trump implied in the tweet that he was killing off the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program because it protects groups of people from deportation like the one headed toward the U.S.-Mexico border. DACA protections do not extend to anyone who arrives in the U.S. after 2007, though, and recipients must also be under the age of 31. It's currently in limbo after the president's Department of Justice deemed it unconstitutional. Trump gave Congress six months to make the Barack Obama program law, then proceeded to turn down ever immigration deal with bipartisan support that came to him. In addition to the $25 billion he wants in funding he wants for his border wall, Trump says he won't let the illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. while they were minors to stay until Congress gives him the total overhaul of the legal immigration system he's also requested. Legislation that meets all four pillars of immigration plan has been unable to pass in Congress, and Trump has stood his ground on DACA, blaming Democrats for the program's lapse. A Twitter rant on the matter on Sunday had the president's critics accusing him of feigning concern for DACA youth, whom he'd previously said he has 'great heart' for and promised a legislative fix to their legal conundrum. Democratic Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia said that Trump had been attempting to 'gaslight the country' for months with his claims that he wants to save DACA. California Democrat Kamala Harris likewise tweeted that Trump and his government doesn't actually want a solution to the Dreamers' plight. 'They want red meat for their base,' she said. 'They want to purge America's history as a nation of immigrants.' On Easter morning, before he went to church with his family, President Trump lit up Twitter with a declaration that he was no longer in favor of protecting DACA youth because of 'caravans' that are headed toward the United States' southern border. 'Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release. Getting more dangerous. Caravans coming,' he said. 'Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL!' President Trump, walking into Easter Sunday services, briefly stopped to talk about immigration Trump wrote a series of tweets Monday morning about the caravan and the country's 'weak' immigration laws Trump used the news of the caravan to sound the alarm on immigration, hoping Republicans in the Senate would finally 'go Nuclear,' which means killing off the rule that 60 votes are needed to close debate. Currently, there are 51 Republicans in the Senate, with Vice President Mike Pence available to break a tie in the GOP's favor. Previously, Democrats, and then Republicans, changed the rules so a simple majority closes debate on judicial nominations, cabinet appointees, and also for Supreme Court justices .But under Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, the legislative filibuster, as it's called, has stayed intact. Even Senate Republicans such as South Carolina's Lindsey Graham and Arizona's Jeff Flake would be likely to oppose immigration reform legislation that does not include protections for illegal immigrants who have lived in the United States as children and know it as home, though, defeating the purpose of Trump's plan to ram through a border bill that fully funds his wall. In his Easter Sunday tweets Trump blamed Mexico for putting the U.S. in a position where it even needs to build a border barrier. 'Mexico is doing very little, if not NOTHING, at stopping people from flowing into Mexico through their Southern Border, and then into the U.S. They laugh at our dumb immigration laws,' he said. 'They must stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL!' Trump said, 'These big flows of people are all trying to take advantage of DACA. They want in on the act!' President Trump went on a similar Twitter rant on Sunday Trump has blamed the filibuster for his inability to get legislation on a variety of topics passed through the Senate. He's also blamed Democrats for Congress' inability to get something done on DACA. 'They had a great chance, the Democrats blew it. They had a great, great chance,' Trump told reporters as he entered the Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday. In September, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the termination in six months of the Obama-era program that allowed immigrants who came to the United States as children, so-called 'Dreamers' to stay in the country. DACA has not ended only because the legality of the program is being argued in court. Hundreds of Central Americans attended a mass before they began their journey in Tapachula, Mexico on March 25 The group has covered around 150 miles in the past week. They are pictured above at the start of their journey Just over an hours drive from the bustling metropolis of Brisbane, a city of about 150,000 is home to 2,000 South Sudanese refugees. And while Melbourne is rife with violence largely linked to African youth gangs, the community is thriving in Toowoomba - with one Sudanese woman even winning Young Citizen of the Year. Elders of the Sudanese community and local Mayor Paul Antonio told A Current Affair a drive to work hard and strong ties to both the Toowoomba community, and the South Sudanese community within it. Scroll down for video The South Sudanese community in Toowoomba, Queensland, is thriving as a result of local help and the refugee community's desire to work hard South Sudanese elders meet monthly to discuss any issues and come up with ways to rectify them One woman in the group was named Toowoomba's Citizen of the Year in January, and sang a moving rendition of 'We Are Australian' in her acceptance speech Every month, South Sudanese elders meet to discuss issues within their community and what they can do to resolve them. 'The local people are very welcoming, there's a lot of activities happening here, and that's made it very easy to integrate into society,' one man said during a meeting. Mayor Antonio told the program job opportunities and the incredible work ethic of the refugees was a key factor in how well the group had integrated into the local community. But the responsibility to integrate without issue did not lie entirely on the South Sudanese community, he said. 'We've got it going pretty well because of the kind of community we live in. 'The good people in this community who are giving their time, giving their all to make sure these people have a chance of integrating.' Teenagers whose parents fled from South Sudan are mostly employed and see value in working hard Mayor Paul Antonio (pictured) said the community had a strong desire to thrive in their new home and were assisted by kind-hearted locals who wanted the best for them Many of the refugees say they are seen by locals as neighbours, not South Sudanese refugees Achol, a local mother-of-four, said she and her family felt included in the Toowoomba community, and that feeling inspired them to want to give back. 'You work hard when you have hope, but you work less when you dont care,' she said. We feel included in this Australian community, especially in Toowoomba. We don't feel excluded, we don't feel like we're just Sudanese refugees.' Meanwhile in Melbourne, where support, advocacy, accommodation and legal services are all readily available for refugees, residents are upping their security systems and living in fear. Last month, a 14-year-old boy was robbed and brutally bashed by a gang of ten African youths in Frankston. Meanwhile in Melbourne, youth crime is driving residents to spend thousands on increased home security and in some cases causing them to fear for their lives (pictured: The 'reds' gang in Melbourne, which is comprised of youths of different nationalities) A 14-year-old boy was savagely beaten by 10 African youths in Frankston (pictured) last month as he and his friend walked through a park. His friend's mother said one of the group had a box cutter with him The boy suffered horrific injuries during the savage attack, which took place as he and a friend were walking through the park about 9.30 on a Saturday night. His friend's mother said the child was left with 'two swollen black and blood filled eyes, a serious cut to his face that required stitches and a busted lip. 'His whole face was swollen like a balloon. This boy does not have a mean bone in his body, yet was subjected to such violence,' she wrote on Facebook. Around the same time, an 18-year-old man with alleged connections to the Apex gang and a 'serious' child criminal history, was charged after allegedly bashing a disabled pensioner. Four young men of African appearance allegedly stormed into the Collingwood home about 3am through an open back door while one repeatedly struck the man on the head and torso with a wooden plank. The man was left with fractured ribs and said he wanted to move out of the area following the attack. Four young men of African appearance stormed into a home in Collingwood around the same time and beat a disabled pensioner named Adam (pictured) in the torso and over the head with a wooden plank A series of crimes believed to be linked to African gangs came to a head earlier this year, in January. Some Sudanese youths are accused of stealing cars, invading homes and businesses, and theft. The crime spree has even prompted some residents to fork out $10,000 on security systems for their homes. The Menace To Society gang, whose presence emerged after the earlier exploits of the more prominent Apex gang, are believed to be linked to several crimes in the Tarneit area, 25km west of Melbourne. One woman was reportedly hit across the face when 14 men ransacked her home in Hillside, in the city's far north west. Alleged Apex gang kingpin Mahmoud Taha, 21, was jailed last month for organising three armed heists. Police investigating Salim Mehajer have applied to the Court to photograph an alleged distinctive tattoo on the disgraced former deputy mayor's leg. Officers told the Court they believe the ink on his right leg could lead them to a payment they allege will link him to a fake car crash he is said to have staged in Sydney last October. In the application detectives said they want to compare his leg tattoos to CCTV footage they have obtained as part of their investigation. Scroll down for video Police investigating Salim Mehajer have applied to photograph a distinctive tattoo they believe adorns the disgraced former deputy mayor's leg The tattoo on his leg allegedly features a picture of a woman who is believed to be his ex-wife Aysha Learmonth (pictured is Mehajer and Ms Learmonth arriving at court for one of his hearings in 2015) Officers told the Court they believe the ink on his right leg could lead them to a payment they allege will link him to a fake car crash he is said to have staged in Sydney last October (pictured is Mehajer after the crash) Officers believe the ink on his right leg could lead them to prove allegations he faked a car crash An application was made at Burwood Local Court last week for them to picture Mr Mehajer's leg, the Daily Telegraph reports. If detectives are able to prove and link the footage with Mr Mehajer's alleged leg tattoo, it could prove the downfall of the property developer and disgraced former deputy mayor of Auburn. Police allege Mr Mehajer was receiving a $1,250 payment during a meeting three days after the crash - which the CCTV footage relates to, the court heard. The court has set aside a two-hour hearing to hear evidence about the police application to photograph Mr Mehajer's leg. Police investigating Salim Mehajer have applied to photograph a distinctive tattoo they believe adorns the disgraced former deputy mayor's leg If detectives are able to prove and link the footage with Mr Mehajer's leg tattoo, it could prove to be his downfall Mehajer was granted bail last week with a $200,000 surety and conditions including to stay in NSW The 31-year-old denied he had a picture of his ex-wife, Aysha Learmonth, inked on his leg in 2016 after pictures were posted by the Bondi Ink parlour on Instagram. He issued a strong denial the ink stretching from his upper thigh to his ankle including the initials 'SM', the name of his wife, Aysha, and the word 'millionaire', were on his leg. But photographs revealed exclusively by Daily Mail Australia in April 2016 showed the man in the chair was the same person the Bondi tattoo studio had later posted about. Mehajer was photographed wearing shorts last year in Las Vegas while on bail but was careful to cover his right leg Mehajer and his ex-wife Aysha Learmonth split in March 2016 and the divorce came through just last month after two years The Mehajer wedding was a huge affair and in the wedding video it featured guns similar to ones on his tattoo Aysha Learmonth said she has no feelings for her estranged husband and felt 'unsafe' by messages he allegedly sent her At the time, Mr Mehajer told the Telegraph: 'You have the wrong person. Come visit me I'll show you my legs.' The alleged tattoo also features a number of designs believed to be linked to Mehajer and his business. It is also said to include guns similar to one featured in his wedding video, dollar signs and a crown bearing a resemblance to the family's crest and which also featured on the front door of his house in Lidcombe. In a rare occasion when Mehajer was photographed wearing shorts last year, while on bail, he was careful to cover his right leg featuring the ink. Posing next to a Ferrari in Las Vegas, the tattoo was hidden by a backpack. Mehajer and Ms Learmonth split in March 2016 when she left him and the divorce came through in March. Mehajer later pleaded guilty to charges relating to an assault on a taxi driver with a card machine Mehajer (pictured with ex-wife Aysha) has denied allegations about the suspected car crash scam Seven people, including Mehajer, were charged over allegedly staging the crash in Lidcombe, in Sydney's west, when Mr Mehajer was on his way to face charges for assaulting a taxi driver. They have all denied the charges in the suspected scam which allegedly defrauded the Insurance Australia Group. Mehajer has now pleaded guilty to the charges relating to the incident when he hit the driver with a credit card machine outside the Star hotel and casino complex. Police allegedly discovered Xanax and 'hillbilly heroin' during a raid at Mehajer's property in November He was granted bail last week with a $200,000 surety and condition to stay in New South Wales, report to police twice-a-day and not to go within 500m of Sydney airport. The day before his bail hearing last Wednesday, he was charged with two counts of possessing drugs and one count of supplying a prohibited substance. Police allegedly discovered Xanax and 'hillbilly heroin' during a raid at his property in November. Affluenza teen Ethan Couch was released from jail Monday morning, just 720 days after being locked away for the drunken-driving killing of four. The 20-year-old who drew international attention after a psychologist testified on his behalf and said he suffered from something called affluenza was released just after 8.30am local time from a jail in Tarrant County, Texas. He has spent his first few minutes out of jail in a probation office and has yet to step into the sunshine for the first time in nearly two years. The president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Colleen Sheehey-Church, called his release a 'grave injustice. She said the organization will be closely following his release amid outrage from its members, according to CBS DFW. On June 15, 2013 Couch was behind the wheel of his father's red For F-350 pick-up, speeding 70mph down the road from his home in Burleson, Texas, where he had hosted a drunken teenage party. Affluenza teen Ethan Crouch is set to be released from jail Monday morning, just 720 days after being locked away for the drunken-driving killing of four The president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Colleen Sheehey-Church, called his release a 'grave injustice. She said the organization will be closely following his release amid outrage from its members. Pictured is Couch's car after the crash in June 2013 Earlier in the day he and two friends had stolen three cases of Miller Light from a local Walmart. As the party got into its swing, one of the guests found she needed a tampon and everyone piled into the truck to go to a nearby convenience store. After being caught underage drinking in 2016, Ethan and his mother Tonya Couch fled to Puerto Vallerta, Mexico, and were later picked up by police and taken back to the United States The then 16-year-old then smashed into an SUV that had stopped by the side of the road after its tire blew, killing its driver Breanna Mitchell, 24. The crash also killed three people had to come to her aid, including Brian Jennings, who was on the way home from his son's graduation, and mother-and-daughter neighbors Holliie and Shelby Boyles. Sergio Molina, one of Couch's passengers, was paralyzed and can now only communicate by blinking. A blood test taken three hours after the crash showed COuch was Because of his affluenza, Couch was apparently left unable to anticipate the consequences of his actions. Affluenza impacts individuals whose wealthy parents failed to set boundaries throughout his childhood, and a judge agreed this left him not responsible for the drunken driving murders. Though Couch killed four and left a fifth victim paralyzed, he wasn't initially sentenced to any jail time. Because of his affluenza, he was instead sentenced to 10 years of probation. But two years later a video surfaced of the then-teen playing beer pong on Twitter, and he and his mother Tonya Couch fled the United States. Ethan thought his probation would be revoked because he was drinking, again, underage, so he and his mother headed to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Victims: Couch slammed into the SUV of 24-year-old Breanna Mitchell (left) and mother-and-daughter neighbors Hollie and Shelby Boyles (right) Sergio Molina, one of Couch's passengers, was paralyzed and can now communicate only by blinking The mother-son pair were caught when authorities traced an order for Domino's pizza made from one of their smartphones. Tonya came back to the United States on New Year's eve 2015, and Ethan came back late January after fighting extradition. When he returned his probation was being supervised by the juvenile court system, which meant he could only be on probation until his 19th birthday in April 2016. At that time he was transferred to the adult probation system and given 180 days for each of the four people killed. Those sentenced were served consecutively. MADD said Monday will be a tough day for his victims' families. 'As an organization we'll be there to serve them if they need us,' Sheehey-Church told CBS. 'We'll continue to watch him because we have a partnership with Tarrant County to make sure that he at least adheres to all his rules of probation when he does get out on Monday.' According to Tim WIlliams, the best friend of Couch's victim Brian Jennings, said in an interview with DailyMailTV two weeks ago that he believes Couch does finally understand the severity of his actions. Williams (right) and Jennings are pictured together When he is released he will have a 9pm curfew and have to wear a GPS and alcohol monitor. He will also have an ignition interlock device attached to his car. According to Tim WIlliams, the best friend of Couch's victim Brian Jennings, said in an interview with DailyMailTV two weeks ago that he believes Couch does finally understand the severity of his actions. 'He told me "I don't want to scam the system anymore. I don't want to figure out how I can get around my probation. I just want to do what I need to do."' 'I was astonished. I didn't anticipate that,' Williams told DailyMailTV. France is today bracing itself for the start of three months of rolling rail strikes, the first in a series of walkouts affecting everything from energy to garbage collection as President Emmanuel Macron's reform agenda comes up against resistance. British Eurostar travellers will also be among those hit by the industrial action, with dozens high-speed train services to and from Paris, as well as nearby Disneyland cancelled. At least 25 Eurostar trains have already been cancelled for Tuesday, while visitors to the theme park were being told that they will have to rely on disrupted local services to get them there from the Eurostar hub at Paris Gare du Nord. Check before you travel: dozens of Eurostar services will be affected by the rail strikes, which are set to last for three months (stock image) Staff at state rail operator SNCF will walk off the job from 5pm GMT today, kicking off stoppages on two out of every five days which unions warn will cause major disruption for France's 4.5 million train passengers. The real action begins on what the press has dubbed 'black Tuesday', with only one high-speed TGV train out of eight set to operate and one regional train out of five in the strike against a major overhaul of the debt-ridden SNCF. A spokesman for SNCF, said: 'Only one in eight high-speed trains will be operating on Tuesday, with long delays expected on connecting services. Travel in France will be very difficult.' There will be similar strikes among Air France staff in coming days, as well as planned stoppages by workers in a range of other industries, from waste disposal to road maintenance workers. Public servants providing vital services in institutions including hospitals and schools will also be walking out. Trainwreck: At least 25 Eurostar trains have already been cancelled for Tuesday It is all part of a massive protest that is turning into a head-to-head between Macron and the trade unions, as he tried to smash their power. The confrontation is being likened to the efforts made by the late conservative British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to curb the unions in the 1980s. SNCF is heavily unionised, and by taking on members Macron is acting in the same way that Thatcher did during her showdown with coal mining unions in 1984. Macron wants to end the 'jobs for life' culture at the loss-marking SNCF, saying they should not enjoy their traditional special status and perks anymore. Fight: Emmanuel Macron is trying to reform the way trade unions work in France Just 11 per cent of the French workforce belongs to a union, but they remain extremely powerful in leadership terms, especially at state-owned institutions such as SNCF. Strikes are also being timed to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the 1968 unrest in France, which saw union and student-led riots breaking out across the country, and especially in Paris. Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne has already described the latest strikes as 'incomprehensible' and warned that any street violence accompanying it 'will not be acceptable.' Water cannon and teargas were used against demonstrators in Paris last month, as banks and parked cars were attacked, and shop windows put in. Philippe Martinez, leader of the hard-Left CGT union said: 'Thousands will be involved in the action. If we do nothing, the government will not back down.' Martinez is furious at the way Macron is making it easier for bosses to fire workers, while also attacking work conditions and pension rights. In turn, Macron believes France urgently needs to modernise, saying: 'We are going to continue reforming France in depth, with the certitude that our country needs this transformation to make up for the ground lost in previous decades.' Paris remains the most popular tourist destination in the world, with Britons the biggest visitor group. Embattled Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has hit back at Tim Cook after his Apple counterpart questioned the social media platform's monetizing strategy. Zuckerberg defended his company's advertising model, which Cook criticized last week as 'trafficking in users' personal lives', and said it's important for users to not let companies like Apple convince them 'that they actually care more about you'. 'If you want to build a service which is not just serving rich people, then you need to have something that people can afford,' Zuckerberg told Vox. Cook has previously said that because Apple profits from selling its products and not user information, his company is safe from privacy scandals such as the one Facebook is currently going through. Zuckerberg told Vox Facebook's business model is the only way to offer the service for free, and not charge the high prices companies like Apple do 'You know, I find that argument, that if you're not paying that somehow we can't care about you, to be extremely glib. And not at all aligned with the truth,' Zuckerberg said. 'The reality here is that if you want to build a service that helps connect everyone in the world, then there are a lot of people who can't afford to pay. 'Having an advertising-supported model is the only rational model that can support building this service.' Facebook continues to deal with the fallout from its massive data scandal, after it was revealed that 50 million members' data had been harvested without their knowledge. Its shares are down 13 per cent since March 16, when it first acknowledged that user data had been improperly channeled to Cambridge Analytica. The company has lost more than $70 billion in market value since then. Zuckerberg himself is down more than $10 billion, taking his net worth to just above $60 billion. When asked what he would do if he were in Zuckerberg's shoes, the Apple CEO replied: 'I wouldn't be in this situation' Last week, when asked what he would do if he were in Zuckerberg's shoes, Cook replied: 'I wouldn't be in this situation.' Cook criticized Facebook's well-documented data collection techniques, which involve scraping vast amounts of personal user information, using it to build detailed user profiles and selling them to advertisers. 'We could make a ton of money if we monetized our customers,' Cook explained during an interview with Kara Swisher and Chris Hayes on MSNBC. 'If our customers were our product. We've elected not to do that. We're not going to traffic in your personal life. 'Privacy to us is a human right, a civil liberty,' he added. But Zuckerberg insisted Facebook's business model is the only way to offer the service for free, and not charge the high prices companies like Apple do. 'I think it's important that we don't all get Stockholm Syndrome and let the companies that work hard to charge you more convince you that they actually care more about you. Cook and Zuckerberg have sparred previously over the beliefs on privacy. In 2015, Cook criticized Silicon Valley companies who provide a service for free 'but actually comes at a very high cost' to the user when they have to forfeit personal data. Zuckerberg later responded saying that companies like Apple aren't actually in 'alignment' with the customers' best interests. 'If you were in alignment with them, then they'd make their products a lot cheaper,' Zuckerberg quipped. Facebook continues to deal with the fallout from its massive data scandal, after it was revealed that 50 million members' data had been harvested without their knowledge Later, Cook added that he believes the kind of user profiles that Facebook has built shouldn't exist. Those profiles of consumers could be 'abused against our democracy,' in addition to being 'abused by advertisers as well,' he said. In the wake of Facebook's privacy woes, many experts have suggested the need for some kind of government regulation to make sure it can't happen again. Like he has expressed previously, Cook said he believes the issues highlighted by Facebook's data scandal are 'so dire' that there must be some regulation. 'The best regulation is self regulation,' Cook explained. 'I do think that it is time for a set of people to think about what can be done here'. Zuckerberg is expected to testify on Capitol Hill in the coming weeks after U.S. legislative officials repeatedly called for him to do so. Facebook also faces a probe by the Federal Trade Commission, after the agency said recent media reports highlighted 'substantial concerns about the privacy practices of Facebook.' Two New York City Police Department officers helped a woman deliver her baby on the side of the road on the Upper East Side Sunday morning. Philip Crotty and his wife Kelly, who were transported to NYU Langone Medical Center in Murray Hill, revealed their baby girl Claire is happy and healthy. 'We got about five blocks. We were about to get on the (FDR) Drive, and my wife said, "Pull over, somethings happening,"' Crotty told the Daily News. Two New York City Police Department officers helped a woman deliver her baby on the side of the road on the Upper East Side Sunday morning. Stephen Koustoubardis pictured holding the baby and Vincent Chiang pictured on the right 'I could see that the baby was crowning, and I got her on her back, and within a couple of minutes, the baby was in my hands,' he continued. Officer Stephen Koustoubardis said he responded the 911 call of a woman in labor around 8 a.m. Sunday morning. 'I actually stepped in and assisted the husband and took care of the rest of the delivery with him,' Koustoubardis said. The father revealed he is grateful for the two NYPD officers who apparently helped keep him calm until more help arrived, CBS reported. The officers said they hadn't even spoken to their families about the situation and were concerned they wouldn't believe them due to it being April Fool's Day. Philip Crotty (second from right) and his wife Kelly (center), who were transported to NYU Langone Medical Center in Murray Hill, revealed their baby girl Claire is happy and healthy. Koustoubardis (right) and Chiang (left) pose with the proud parents Koustoubardis said: 'At that time, we were flagged down by the husband that was already with her at the driver's side of the vehicle and pretty much delivering the baby in labor at that moment.' Officer Vincent Chiang said: 'It was very uplifting. As police officers, we dont normally handle these kinds of situations, and it feels great to help directly to bring a new life into this world.' Chiang said he has only been on the force for eight months and his partner eight years, but neither have encountered a situation like this before. 'Training kicks in and you focus on doing what you gotta do. It feels fantastic, a natural high feeling of being happy in life,' Koustoubardis said. The two men visited the parents and their newborn daughter on Sunday afternoon. 'They were great,' Crotty said. Crotty and Kelly already have a three-year-old son called Emmett. Nicola Crowle, 16, who was one of dozens of Crookhorn College students to fall ill on a school trip to New York and Washington What was meant to be a school trip of a lifetime to New York and Washington DC has turned into a nightmare after dozens of British teenagers were taken to hospital. A total of 48 pupils from Crookhorn College in Waterlooville, near Portsmouth, and three teachers were struck down with what was initially thought to be chronic food poisoning on the US field trip. While the rest of her classmates are understood to be quarantined at the Harrington Hotel in DC having been discharged, Nicola Crowle, 16, is still on a drip and faces an anxious wait to see if she will passed fit to fly home tomorrow. Her mother Susan, 56, said the 'distressed and very upset' teenager is the only one of the party still in hospital having collapsed because of the illness. Talking exclusively to MailOnline, her worried mother Mrs Crowle said: 'She had only been there a day and she felt so ill that paramedics had to be called to treat her. 'She was taken straight to hospital and she was there for two days. 'She started feeling better and was transferred to join the rest of the trip in Washington and she collapsed. 'So she was taken back to hospital there and that's where she's been since.' It's not clear what caused the sudden illness, but it is believed to be food poisoning or norovirus. 48 teenagers and three adults were taken to hospital starting at 7pm on Sunday from the Harrington Hotel in Washington DC while suffering from food poisoning Crookhorn College in Waterlooville, near Portsmouth. Pupils and staff from the school set off for New York and Washington DC on March 29 The group's flight out was delayed by two hours, meaning the plans had to be altered. 'She's only eaten once out there,' Mrs Crowle told MailOnline, 'the rest of the time, she's spent in hospital. Her trip has been completely ruined. 'She's FaceTimed us every day, but she's still been hospitalised. She's back on the drips again now and it's very distressing for everyone. 'We've had to save up from the start to send her, so it's just heartbreaking.' Medics were called to the hotel around 7pm and initially took 12 teens and one adult to the emergency room, but eventually transported everyone as a precaution Nicola was the worst affected by the mystery sickness, and like all her schoolmates, the 1,400 trip has been ruined. Mrs Crowle said: 'She FaceTimed us earlier and she was beside herself. She's very, very distressed. 'Nicola is extremely upset and that's made us upset because we're just sat here feeling helpless - we don't have the money to just fly out to see her.' She and Nicola's father Mark, 57, now face the agonising wait to see whether or not their daughter - an aspiring accountant - will be allowed to fly home. It is understood 51 children and three teachers were on the trip, and after three adults were struck down, another teacher was flown out to help with the crisis. The group are scheduled to fly back Tuesday night and land Wednesday morning, but it is unclear at this stage how many, if any, will board the flight. A spokesman for the hotel said the group arrived sick having traveled from New York and wished them a speedy recovery In total 48 teenagers and three adults were taken to hospital suffering from 'gastrointestinal problems' starting from 7pm on Sunday. Medics said some in the group began feeling ill while visiting New York but decided to push ahead with the next stage of their trip to DC before seeking medical attention. Vito Maggiolo, District of Columbia Fire and EMS spokesman, told the New York Daily News that the first call came in around 7pm from the Harrington Hotel, close to the White House. 'From there it was a slowly escalating incident,' he said. Initially 12 teens and one adult were taken to the hospital in a stable condition before the whole group was taken in as a precaution. Hotel Harrington staff said the group arrived sick and immediately decided to go to the hospital. Investigators from New York Citys Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are trying to establish where the group got sick. Maggiolo told the New York Post that one of the students fell ill with 'gastrointestinal distress' and one-by-one the rest of the group followed suit. He said: 'One by one people began indicating they were feeling ill. 'Initially we thought it might be food poisoning, but we cant say that now. I cant confirm what it was.' Russia's 'shopping list of subversion' was revealed today by Tory Bob Seeley as a cache of leaked emails exposed the price the Kremlin pays for hacking and propaganda Russia's 'shopping list of subversion' was revealed today as a cache of leaked emails exposed the price the Kremlin pays for hacking and propaganda. Fees for sowing dissent range from hundreds of dollars to thousands depending on the scale of the disruption desired. Tory MP and Russia analyst Bob Seely today said it was vital for Britain to understand the methods used by the Kremlin regime to stand a chance of stopping them here. The methods were revealed in a cache of emails about the Russia-backed invasion of eastern Ukraine in 2014. The disinformation, bribery and distortion techniques were used to sow dissent on the ground before mercenary soldiers crossed the border on the orders of President Vladimir Putin. Revealing the leaks, Mr Seely told The Times: 'There is overwhelming evidence that the tools and techniques of Russian covert conflict are being used in and against the UK, the US and the EU. 'In the wake of the Skripal poisoning it's more important than ever that we understand these methods.' The leaks were contained in thousands of emails and a password-protected document related to the conflict in Ukraine that Mr Seely said revealed a 'shopping list of subversion'. What did Russia pay to sow dissent in Ukraine? Hacking of email accounts was charged at between $100 and $ 300 . and . A wider plan to 'troll opponents', 'demotivate enemies' on social media, and amass the personal data of targeted individuals in Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, was priced at $130,500 . . A month of anti-Ukraine, pro-Russia rallies in Kharkiv, Ukraine was priced at $19,200 . . Moves to get 30 ex-communist figures elected to local government were floated in June 2015, at a cost of $120,460 Advertisement Mr Seely's research is set to be published with co-researcher Alya Shandra, managing editor of an English-language Ukrainian news website, by the Royal United Services Institute, a defence think tank. Peter Quentin, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, told The Times: 'There is no reason to believe these leaks are any less credible than the previous tranches. 'This third tranche certainly seems to fit with the trend of well-documented subversion by Russian activists in the region.' Two previous tranches of emails about Russian interference were published online by Ukrainian Cyber Alliance, a hacker activist collective. They were said to include emails from an account linked to Vladislav Surkov, an aide of Mr Putin in the Kremlin. The disinformation, bribery and distortion techniques were used to sow dissent on the ground before mercenary soldiers crossed the border on the orders of President Vladimir Putin (pictured in Kemerovo last week) He has been closely involved with the management of Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, two Russian-controlled 'statelets' in Ukraine established by pro-Moscow separatists. The latest publication appears to contain emails found in accounts linked to Inal Ardzinba, Mr Surkov's first deputy, and to a Ukrainian Communist party leader. They suggest that the Kremlin paid local groups and individuals in Ukraine that were willing to advance its aim to fracture the country. It details how hacking of email accounts was charged at between $100 and $300. A wider plan to 'troll opponents', 'demotivate enemies' on social media, and amass the personal data of targeted individuals in Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, was priced at $130,500. A month of anti-Ukraine, pro-Russia rallies in Kharkiv, Ukraine was priced at $19,200. It involved the shipping in of trained martial arts experts to start violence. The emails also reveal moves to get 30 ex-communist figures elected to local government were floated in June 2015, at a cost of $120,460 Malnourished pupils are so hungry that they are 'filling their pockets' with food from the school canteen, head teachers claim. The heads from schools across England and Wales say school staff have to step in to help provide for children in some poverty stricken areas. They have revealed that they take children for morning showers, wash their clothes and give them free food because they haven't had proper care at home. One teacher, told a National Education Union conference in Brighton that the problem is particularly apparent after the weekend. School staff revealed they regularly take children for a morning shower, wash their clothes and give them free food as they have not had that basic care from their parents Lynn, a head teacher from a former industrial town in Cumbria, said: 'Children are filling their pockets with food. 'In some establishments that would be called stealing. We call it survival.' She said that her school has washing machines and wash children's clothes when they are doing PE. Another head teacher from Notinghamshire, Louise Regan, said: 'When you take children out to an event, maybe a sporting event, you see children of the same age from schools in an affluent area. 'It's the grey skin, the pallor. It's the pallor you really notice.' She added: 'Monday morning is the worst. 'There are a number of families that we target that we know are going to be coming into school hungry. 'By the time it's 9.30am they are tired.' Howard Payne, a head teacher at an inner city school in Portsmouth, said: 'Every one of these issues has had something to do with the poverty that they live in. 'It's neglect. It's because they and their families don't have enough money to provide food, heating or even bedding.' Members of the National Education Union working in the UK's most deprived areas said these extra challenges made it difficult for them to concentrate on exam results Heads from the UK's most deprived areas said the extra challenges made it difficult for them to concentrate on exam results. Jane Jenkins, a head teacher from Cardiff, said: 'When people are asking you about standards and you know, 'why is your school not higher in the league tables', often that is very much a secondary consideration for us these days. 'We supplement, regularly, packed lunches that children bring. Some have a slice of bread with some margarine that's all they have... Staff are bringing in extra things and we are trying to support that as a school as much as we can.' Alison Garnham, chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group, told the BBC: 'With nine children in every classroom of 30 falling below the official poverty line, it is time to rebuild the safety net for struggling families.' A spokesman for the Department for Education said it had launched the 'social mobility action plan' which 'sets out measures to close the attainment gap between disadvantaged students and their peers, and targets areas that need the most support through the 72m Opportunity Areas programme.' They also highlighted the 2.5bn it invests in disadvantaged pupils through the Pupil Premium and a recent 26m investment in breakfast clubs. Police forces in the UK are using spy technology to download the contents of mobile phones belonging to suspects, witnesses and victims. At least 26 forces in the country are using an extractive device to store data from an individual's phone without using a password or thumbprint. According to privacy rights charity, Privacy International, forces do not obtain warrants or ask for permission from the people whose phones they examine. Police forces in the UK are using spy technology to download the contents of mobile phones belonging to suspects, witnesses and victims The charity said this 'highly intrusive technology' was rolled out nationally after being used by Scotland Yard during the London Olympics in 2012. Privacy International said police often break into phones owned by people who have not been convicted of any crime, including witnesses and victims. They can then gain access to their emails, photos, passwords and conversations on encrypted messaging apps. They sent Freedom of Information requests to 47 forces. Twenty-six said they used the spy technology to obtain date from mobile phones. Eight forces replied saying they had trialled or intended to try them, while the remainder failed to respond or said they held no relevant information. Officers can break into phones at 'self-service kiosks', at frontline supported service 'hubs' or by using portable mobile phone extraction kits. The devices use technology from companies including the Israeli Cellebrite, one of the best known phone 'crackers' and Swedish MSAB, which has boasted that 'if you've got access to a Sim card, you've got access to the whole of a person's life'. FBI forensic expert Stephen Flatley has repeatedly praised the Israeli company, referring to them in January this year as an 'evil genius'. Privacy International has called for an 'urgent review' into the use of mobile phone extraction. The campaign group said there must be a clear legal basis for such action, national and local guidance, and police should be required to obtain a judicially-authorised warrant prior to using extractive tools. They said: 'There remain serious questions over when it is appropriate to obtain mobile phone data, what authorisation is necessary for extraction, how extracted data is stored, what volume of data is taken from individuals without their knowledge, how long it is retained and when it is deleted, what are the rights of individuals with regard to that data, and the lack of independent oversight.' David Lammy, MP for Tottenham, said: 'The lack of transparency around new policing tools such as mobile phone extraction is a serious cause for concern.' The Home Office defended the practice, saying in a statement to the Times: 'The government is committed to ensuring that police officers have the appropriate powers to tackle crime. 'As part of this it is important that they can, in limited circumstances, access data that may be vital to their investigations. Current legislation allows data to be accessed when there are reasonable grounds to believe it contains evidence [ ...] and only then in adherence with data protection and human rights obligations.' Advertisement President Trump gushed over this year's Easter Egg Roll festivities at the White House, praising the weather for eventually cooperating, and noting how the White House was in 'tippy-top shape.' But it was the first lady who he really lauded, telling Melania Trump on the Truman Balcony that she did an 'incredible job' planning her second roll, with preparations starting back in the fall. He then briefly roamed the South Lawn, excitedly blowing the whistle alongside the first lady, to start the classic game of egg rolling. He also gave her a kiss for the cameras, as Barron Trump tagged along. Except for Ivanka, all of the Trump kids attended the Roll too, as well as Donald Trump Jr's wife Vanessa, who filed for divorce in mid-March. Overall, approximately 30,000 people were expected to attend the day's festivities. President Trump (left) holds up the hand of the Easter Bunny (right) as he briefly speaks at the White House's annual Easter Egg roll First lady Melania Trump (left) and the Easter Bunny (right) watch as President Trump briefly speaks at Monday's Easter Egg Roll President Trump leans in for a kiss with first lady Melania Trump at Monday's Easter Egg roll on the South Lawn First lady Melania Trump read a book to children during Monday's White House Easter Egg Roll, the second of such events she's put on President Trump (center left) and first lady Melania Trump (right) blow the whistle to get the egg rolling game started, while Tiffany Trump (left) and Barron Trump (center right) look on President Trump speaks as the Easter Bunny looms behind him at Monday's Easter Egg Roll at the White House President Trump (left) waves to the crowd alongside the Easter Bunny (right) at Monday's Easter Egg Roll President Trump (center left) and first lady Melania Trump (left), along with the Eater Bunny (center right) listen as the National Anthem is performed First daughter Tiffany Trump is photographed walking onto the South Lawn at Monday's White House Easter Egg Roll Early attendees play games at this year's White House Easter Egg roll. This is the first lady's second Easter Egg Roll that she's planned An attendee poses with the Easter Bunny at this year's White House Easter Egg Roll, which took place Monday morning First lady Melania Trump introduced a new game at this year's Easter Egg Roll: lawn bowling - which featured oversized bowling balls and pins Participants at the 2018 White House Easter Egg Roll roll their eggs across the South Lawn on Monday Donald Trump Jr pointed out that almost all of his kids posed with the Easter Bunny during this year's White House Easter Egg Roll Donald Trump Jr revealed that his daughter Chloe was terrified of the human-sized Easter Bunny roaming the White House grounds Monday Vanessa Trump appeared (right) alongside Donald Trump Jr (left) at the White House Monday despite filing for divorce last month Donald Trump Jr (left), Vanessa Trump (center left) and Barron Trump (center right) watch as the president (far right) encourages children to start the egg rolling game President Trump sat down with a group of kids at a picnic table at Monday's White House Easter Egg Roll First lady Melania Trump (left) smiles at 12-year-old Barron (right), who seems to have outgrown the Easter Egg Roll Children roll Easter Eggs at this year's White House Easter Egg Roll, one of the biggest events Melania Trump puts on during the year Children are seen playing the classic lawn game at the Easter Egg Roll, in which they roll Easter Eggs across the White House South Lawn Shortly before the president's remarks, Donald Trump Jr, Vanessa and their children walked out onto the South Lawn, accompanied by Tiffany, who was sporting a bubble gum-colored coat. Later, Eric Trump and his wife Lara were seen with their kids playing the main Easter Egg Roll game. This year's roll brought the introduction of lawn bowling played with oversized balls and pins with a number of administration officials also bringing their kids. Decorations included a giant sign showing the hashtag #EggRoll2018 giant versions of the wooden eggs that are given out as souvenirs, and also a miniature podium, so tots could pretend to be the White House press secretary. Earlier, Donald Trump Jr., who traveled back to Washington last night on board Air Force One with Vanessa and the kids, posted an almost-complete family picture to Instagram. Energy Secretary Rick Perry squats down on the lawn to take better photos of the kids during Monday's White House Easter Egg Roll Dr. Ronny Jackson (center), President Trump's pick for Veterans Affairs secretary, is spotted taking in the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday, as Energy Secretary Rick Perry (right) stands nearby White House Chief of Staff John Kelly holds a young girl at Monday's White House Easter Egg Roll White House Chief of Staff John Kelly walks through the Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn on Monday White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders reads a story to kids at this year's Easter Egg Roll on Monday White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders sported some Easter-appropriate blues shoes to Monday's Easter Egg Roll 'Great pic of some of the kids with the Easter Bunny just now at The White House,' the eldest Trump son wrote. 'Chloe is missing because shes apparently petrified of big bunnies and we found her hiding under a table to avoid any possible confrontation see next pic,' he wrote. The next photo showed her hiding out underneath an ornate wooden table. Easter Sunday was also a family affair, with daughter Tiffany Trump accompanying the president and first lady to church. They attended services at the Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Palm Beach, Florida. Later, first lady Melania Trump tweeted the Easter decorations at Mar-a-Lago, which included rows of Easter Egg-shaped balloons. First lady Melania Trump (left) and President Donald Trump (right) are seen entering Easter Sunday church services at Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach SUNDAY BEST: Tiffany Trump (left) joins her father President Trump (center) and first lady Melania Trump (right) at the Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Palm Beach, Florida The family all traveled back to Washington together Sunday night. The first lady's spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham tweeted that her staff '& MANY volunteers' had been working on the South Lawn since 3:30 a.m. The early hours of the Roll were cold and misty, though the sun sneaked out of the clouds around 10 a.m. This year, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders who was spotted at the Roll wearing Easter-appropriate bright blue heels invited reporters' kids to participate in the roll. In the past, former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has played that role of the Easter Bunny, back when he was an aide for the President George W. Bush administration. Shortly before the president's appearance, Dr. Ronny Jackson, the president's choice to replace David Shulkin to head Veterans Affairs, was seen walking around the lawn, along with Energy Secretary Rick Perry. Chief of Staff John Kelly was also captured wandering the lawn. Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, who was outed by author Ronald Kessler on CNN Sunday as being the administration's 'No. 1 leaker' a claim that she denies was also seen in her Easter best: a white jacket and Creamsicle-colored dress. An 11-year-old boy has returned home after three years in the hospital from a gunshot wound to the head inflicted by his mom. The then-eight-year-old Joey Slaight from Montfort, Wisconsin, sustained life-threatening injuries after his mother shot him, his younger brother and herself on Jan. 2, 2015. The 27-year-old mother, Morgan Slaight, was a recovering methamphetamine addict and died 11 days from her self-inflicted gunshot wound after being placed into a medically induced coma. Her younger son Jaxon, who was six-years-old during the shooting, died at the home which belonged to Morgan's sister. But against all odds, Joey was able to survive the bullet that hit him near his left eye. Joey Slaight, 11, was shot in the head by his mom in Montfort, Wisconsin. After spending three years in the hospital and rehabilitation centers, he returned home Joey was eight-years-old when he was shot by a . 22-caliber handgun. The bullet entered his head near his left eye and hit his brain He was considered a 'goner' when he arrived to the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison after being shot from point-blank range with a .22-caliber handgun. The injury he sustained was on the left side of his brain, which caused doctors to worry about his motor, language and speech skills as he recovered. Morgan Slaight, 27, shot herself and her younger son as well. Both died from their injuries But one year after the shooting, Joey was talking in sentences, running, jumping and completing puzzles on his own, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. After his initial recovery period in the hospital, he was moved to a full-time brain rehabilitation treatment facility near Tulsa, Oklahoma, to recover. The facility is near his dad's family, who was not with his two sons and estranged wife when the shooting occurred. His dad, Tyler, was also a recovering meth user who struggled with addiction. Tyler and Morgan lost custody of their children at one point because of their addiction before they were able to get Jaxon and Joey back. The mom was living with her sister and children in Montfort when she started suffering from severe depression. Morgan went to a mental health institute after threatening to commit suicide, but she was released one day before she decided to shoot herself and her two children. Jaxon (right) died on the scene after he was shot with his mom's hand gun. Doctors thought Joey (left) would die as well, but he was able to make a significant recovery Joey and Jaxon's dad, Tyler, (pictured) was not with them in Wisconsin when the shooting happened. His family in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has helped with Joey's recovery The 11-year-old's progress has baffled neurosurgeons from UW Hospital because he was never expected to recover any quality of life after the gunshot wound. On Saturday, after 38 months and 29 days in the hospital and rehabilitation centers, Joey went home. His family announced his return on a Facebook page dedicated to his recovery called 'Joey Strong'. 'This boy has fought, scraped, clawed and willed his way to recovery,' the post read. 'We just want everyone to know how your prayers have moved mountains over the last 3 years. As we all said our goodbyes today to the staff who have become family at his neurological rehabilitation facility, Joey smiled and simply said: "I am going home, finally".' The last time the child was home was when he was eight-years-old, so the family has to start over with furniture, toys and clothing. A GoFundMe account was created to help Joey as he transitions back to home life. Doctors did not believe that Joey would have any quality of life because the bullet hit the left side of his brain. But one year after the shooting, he was able to speak in sentences, run, jump and solve puzzles The operator of a carousel that malfunctioned and threw a 40-year-old father to his death as his son looked on has been charged with manslaughter. The unnamed father-of-two died when the fairground ride in central France collapsed, sending cars hurtling into the ground. Another 12 people were injured, including an eight-year-old boy. One of the four children hurt is in a serious condition. The attraction consisted of 14 cars attached to a central rotating carousel, Laurent Buffard, deputy mayor of Neuville-sur-Saone near Lyon, said. The accident happened on an attraction consisting of 14 cars attached to a central rotating carousel, Laurent Buffard, deputy mayor of Neuville-sur-Saone near Lyon, said The collapse resulted in the pods hurtling to the ground and the occupants being thrown out. Pictured: The scene after the tragedy Four children are among those being treated for injuries. An eight-year-old boy is among them Now the manager of the ride has been charged with manslaughter, causing unintentional injuries and deliberately violating security obligations, LCI reports. But his lawyer, Francois Saint-Pierre, said his client was a 'good professional'. He added: 'His equipment is certainly old but he maintained it. The mandatory annual technical inspection of the carousel was up to date.' The collapse resulted in the pods hurtling to the ground and the occupants being thrown out. The father had been on the ride with his son when it collapsed, killing him and injuring the boy. Four children are among the 12 being treated for injuries, including an eight-year-old boy. Buffard said: 'The carousel fell suddenly and hit the ground hard.' He added that the tragedy was caused by a technical fault. The dead father, 40, who was at the fair with his two children, had been on the ride when it collapsed Psychologists have been sent to the scene to help treat any victims who might be suffering from shock The ride was composed of three rotating axis with baskets carrying people in pairs and Buffard told BFM television that one of the axis somehow hit the ground. Meanwhile psychologists have been sent to the scene to help treat any victims who might be suffering from shock. An investigation has been launched and the fairground shut down. A horde of reckless teens are causing mayhem on Australian waterways, performing outrageous, illegal and often dangerous boating stunts and posting video footage online. These so-called 'tinny rats' have become a public menace on the rivers and canals of the Gold Coast in recent months, Nine News reports - driving at high speeds, spraying water and 'freestyling' around other recreational boaters. And water police are cracking down on the madcap mariners. A group of reckless boaters known as the 'tinny rats' are causing mayhem on Gold Coast waterways The 'tinny rats', often teenagers, perform outrageous boating stunts and post videos of their exploits online 'We're extremely concerned that people are going to be badly injured or perhaps worse,' said Sergeant Tony Nelson from Gold Coast Water Police. 'It does seem to be getting worse and the risk taking seems to be getting a lot more prevalent.' Much of the tinny rats' exploits are shared online, through social media channels dedicated to 'showcasing the craziest videos' - such as the Tinny Bashing Facebook page, which boasts more than 100,000 likes. Pages like this give offenders a platform to boast about their audacious activities online - with one video even showing a boater swinging his tinny from a rope that's been attached to a bridge. 'They're proud of the stunts that they can do, without having any regard to the consequences of their actions,' says Sergeant Nelson. Sergeant Tony Nelson from Gold Coast Water Police says the problem 'does seem to be getting worse and the risk taking seems to be getting a lot more prevalent' Often the drivers are unlicenced, meaning they're prohibited from driving boats with engines larger than 6-horsepower. But Sergeant Nelson says it's not uncommon for tinny rats to commandeer vessels sporting engines of 15-horsepower and higher - stripping the stickers from the outboard motor in order to conceal the boat's capabilities. Driving a boat above one's licence grade, freestyling on public waterways and exceeding a speed limit of six knots are all liable to incur fines. Police are urging boat users to heed safety warnings and operate boats responsibly. Louise Gleadell, who was forced to pay 200,000 for cancer treatment in Germany A mother-of-three who was forced to pay 200,000 for treatment in Germany because she was told she 'didn't have enough cancer' for therapy in the UK has died. Louise Gleadell, 38, from Sileby, Leicestershire, was first diagnosed with grade 2b cervical cancer in February 2016, and was told it was incurable a year later. Desperate to spend more time with her children, she tried to take part in an immunotherapy trial through the NHS to prolong her life. But she claimed she was denied access to the treatment because she didn't have 'enough' cancer. So instead she was forced to pay more than 200,000 for care at the Hallwang Clinic in Germany. After relying on savings and fundraising from her family and friends, she was able to enjoy the time she had left. Ms Gleadell, who was mother to boys Joseph, 13, Mateo, 11, and two-year-old Jude, died on Saturday. Louise with her son Joe. She was first diagnosed with grade 2b cervical cancer in February 2016 A message on Ms Gleadell's Facebook page said she 'passed away peacefully..surrounded by love' A message on her Facebook page said: 'Our beautiful Louise passed away peacefully this morning surrounded by love. 'We are eternally grateful for all the love and support you all gave us over the last 2 years. The mother-of-three was told she 'didn't have enough cancer' for therapy in the UK 'Louise never ever gave up the fight - she did everything she possibly could to be here for as long as possible for her three boys. 'She is at peace now, and free from all the pain and suffering.' She was forced to cut down on bills and decided not to renovate her kitchen to save as much money as she could for treatment. Speaking last year, the former holiday business owner said: 'Although it has cost me everything we have, except the roof over our head, it is worth it to be able to spend some time with my children. 'The next step would be to sell our house, but it's not that simple, the kids are just young. 'It's their home and I've got to think about their future - if I do go, what will they have left? Louise pictured last year with her children Mateo (11), Jude (2) and Joe (13), and partner Matt Rawson (40) Louise (centre) was told her cancer was incurable a year after she was first diagnosed The 38-year-old (left) had to rely on savings and fundraising from her family and friends to pay for her treatment 'I'm paying an absolute fortune, when I should be able to get the treatment in the UK, but it's worth it to spend time with my family.' Ms Gleadell, who never missed a smear test, added: 'I initially tried to join an immunotherapy trial in the UK, but I was told that I couldn't because I didn't have enough cancer. WHAT IS GRADE 2B CERVICAL CANCER? Grade 2b cervical cancer occurs when the tumours have spread outside of the cervix and into the surrounding tissue. The cancer has not gone into the muscles or ligaments that line the pelvis, or the lower part of the vagina. Stage 2b cervical cancer is usually treated with chemo and radiotherapy. Source: Cancer Research UK Advertisement 'So we've had to use all of our savings so that I can get treatment in Germany. 'The first time that I went to Germany, I had to be there for eight days, and that alone cost 70,000. 'My second time, just three weeks later, cost 66,000 and now every three weeks I have two days' worth and that's 32,000. 'And I have to keep having these treatments every three weeks or my tumours will continue growing and I will die.' Ms Gleadell first went to Germany in mid-April last year. Ms Gleadell discovered her cancer was incurable after she developed a lump on her neck. She said: 'As soon as I heard this, I just knew that my options weren't up - I wasn't just going to let this cancer kill me. 'I started looking at immunotherapy and I applied for trials in the UK. 'Once I was denied, I didn't dwell on it - I knew that I had to try and get on a trial somewhere, I didn't feel like it was my time to go, but I knew my body wasn't coping.' Louise first went to Germany in mid-April last year, where she was cared for at the Hallwang Clinic Louise's sister Laura (left) helped to raise money to fund her cancer treatment Ms Gleadell first became suspicious something was wrong while pregnant with her son Jude. She complained of an aching pelvis and dizziness, and even thought her waters had broken at 36 weeks when fluid gushed out of her. Yet, doctors questioned whether the fluid expulsion - a sign of cervical cancer - even happened. When Ms Gleadell's dizzy symptoms did not go away after Jude's birth, doctors said she was just tired and suffering pain from breastfeeding. After having blood tests, doctors said the only problem was slightly low calcium levels and advised her to stop thinking about being dizzy, as this was likely making the symptom worse. Louise discovered her cancer was incurable after she developed a lump on her neck Ms Gleadell even had her cervix examined on several occasions, yet doctors still failed to notice her tumours. After a private scan, Ms Gleadell was diagnosed with grade 2b cervical cancer. After enduring months of gruelling treatment, doctors thought they had cured her cancer in July 2016. Ms Gleadell said: 'It was weird, after 12 weeks of chemotherapy I slowly began to feel normal again, and I was going to the gym and getting back into a normal routine. 'I thought that everything was fine and that my cancer was minimising - if not, completely gone!' Yet, while waiting for the results of her treatment, Ms Gleadell discovered a lump on her neck. Scans and blood tests revealed the cancer had spread and was incurable. A spokesperson from University College London Hospitals, who are conducting the trial, said at the time: '[Ms Gleadell] was considered for an immunotherapy trial but it was not clear, from a CT scan she provided, if she met the criteria.' Advertisement South African anti-apartheid activist Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has died on Easter Monday at the age of 81. Nelson Mandela's ex-wife passed away peacefully following a long illness, a family spokesperson said. Earlier this year, Ms Madikizela-Mandela was hospitalized for a kidney ailment and exhaustion, and had also been in and out of hospital since 2016 for back and knee surgery. Scroll down for video Rest in peace: Winnie Madikizela Mandela, ex-wife of former South African president Nelson Mandela, pictured in December 2017, has died today, aged 81 Victory walk: Winnie holds then-husband Nelson Mandela's hand in the iconic image of the moment he walked out of Victor Verster prison near Cape Town after spending 27 years in apartheid jails in February, 1990 Winnie married Mandela in 1958 before he was jailed for life for his activism in 1964. The couple separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996, though remained close. Winnie is pictured at Mandela's memorial service following his death in 2013 Early happiness: Winnie and Nelson Mandela are pictured on their wedding day in 1958 Left, Nelson and Winnie show off their firstborn daughter, Zindzi, at their home in Soweto in 1961. Right, Winnie stands outside her house in Brandfort, where she was banished after her husband was jailed, in 1977 A relative arrives by car to the home of the late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the estranged wife of the first black South African president on April 2, 2018, in Orlando, Soweto A relative arrives at the home of Winnie Mandela where supporters had starter to gather as news filtered through of her death She was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital in January, after complaining of a 'loss of appetite' and that 'one of her legs was painful'. 'She died after a long illness, for which she had been in and out of hospital since the start of the year,' family spokesperson Victor Dlamini said in a statement. WINNIE MANDELA: KEY DATES 1936: Born on September 26 as Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela in the Eastern Cape. 1955: Becomes the country's first black social worker in a hospital in Johannesburg's Soweto township. 1958: Marries Nelson Mandela, a lawyer and leading member of the anti-apartheid African National Congress (ANC). 1962: Mandela is jailed. Over the next years, Madikizela-Mandela emerges as an influential ANC figure, enduring harassment and stints in prison. 1986: In her most controversial speech, she endorses the practice of "necklacing" or burning people by setting alight a tyre around their necks. 1990: Nelson Mandela is freed after 27 years in prison. 1991: Madikizela-Mandela is found guilty and fined for the kidnapping of four Soweto youths and the killing of one by her team of bodyguards. 1992: She is forced out of all executive positions in the ANC after allegations of corruption and mismanagement. 1994: Appointed deputy minister of arts, culture, science and technology in Mandela's unity government. The next year, she is sacked for insubordination but keeps her position as member of parliament and head of the powerful Women's League. 1996: Is divorced from Mandela, after four years of separation. 1998: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission implicates her in torture, murder and abduction during the struggle against apartheid. 2003-2004: Convicted of fraud, with a suspended jail sentence. 2009: Manages to secure only the fifth place on the ANC's electoral list for the 2009 general election. 2013: Death of Nelson Mandela April 2, 2018: Death of Winnie Mandela Advertisement 'She succumbed peacefully in the early hours of Monday afternoon surrounded by her family and loved ones. 'She fought valiantly against the apartheid state and sacrificed her life for the freedom of the country,' the statement said. 'She kept the memory of her imprisoned husband Nelson Mandela alive during his years on Robben Island and helped give the struggle for justice in South Africa one its most recognisable faces.' Retired South African archbishop and Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu hailed the late Winnie Mandela, who died on Monday, as 'a defining symbol of the struggle against apartheid'. 'She refused to be bowed by the imprisonment of her husband, the perpetual harassment of her family by security forces, detentions, bannings and banishment,' he said. 'Her courageous defiance was deeply inspirational to me, and to generations of activists.' South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was also among those to pay tribute Winnie Mandela. He said she was the 'voice of defiance and resistance' against white-minority rule. 'In the face of exploitation, she was a champion of justice and equality,' he said in a televised address, adding that she 'was an abiding symbol of the desire of our people to be free' Ms Madikizela-Mandela married Nelson Mandela in 1958, four years before he was imprisoned for his fight against apartheid in 1962, and they had two children together. During her ex-husband's 27-year imprisonment, Ms Madikizela-Mandela campaigned for his release and the rights of black South Africans. She became a symbol for the anti-apartheid struggle, undergoing arrest and banishment herself, but her political activism was marred by a kidnapping and assault conviction in 1991, for which she was fined. She walked side-by-side with her husband upon his 1990 release, and as he became South Africa's president in the first post-apartheid elections, he appointed her Deputy Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology in 1994. In 1996, Mandela divorced her and fired her from his government, but she kept his name and remained close to her ex-husband until his death in December, 2013. After a 2003 conviction for fraud, she later rehabilitated her political career winning a seat in parliament in 2009 elections. But her bitterness emerged in 2010 newspaper interview, saying: 'Mandela let us down. He agreed to a bad deal for the blacks.' She also called Tutu a 'cretin' and the reconciliation process a 'charade', though she later claimed the quotes were never meant to be published. A somber-looking relative of Winnie Mandela walks to the home of the estranged wife of the iconic South African President Residents and supporters of the late Winnie Mandela applaud outside her home in Orlando, Soweto, on the night she died Memories: Nelson and Winnie Mandela arrives in Washington DC in June, 1990 Legal trouble: Ms Madikizela-Mandela is pictured leaving court after being found guilty on 43 counts of fraud and 25 of theft in April, 2003 Staying friends: Ms Madikizela Mandela with her ex-husband Nelson Mandela and his wife Graca Machel at his 86th birthday party in July, 2004 Stevie Wonder receives a hug from Winnie Mandela during a concert in Boston in 1990, as her husband toured the US following his release from jail Winnie (right) meets former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and wife Grace during the final of the Africa's Cup in Johannesburg in 2013 Winnie and Nelson pictured together in 2001, four years after they divorced Despite it all, she was a regular visitor travelling from Soweto - where she still lived - to Mandela's bedside in his final months, and she said she was present when he died. He did not leave her anything in his will. Just last month, she was shown in television footage joking with Cyril Ramaphosa, the newly-appointed president who paid a courtesy call at her home in Soweto, the township where she lived for decades. Dressed in full ANC colours of yellow, black and green, she asked Ramaphosa, who is known for his morning runs, 'Why don't you get tired?' 'We can't get tired when you have given us work to do'' Ramaphosa said, paying fulsome praise to her appearance. She had also expressed support for the current leadership of the ANC (African National Congress) party - which her husband led to power in the euphoric post-apartheid elections of 1994. Fighting for democracy: Ms Madikizela-Mandela casts her vote in the general election 2014 Portrayed on screen: British actor Idris Elba and Ms Madikizela-Mandela are pictured at the South African premiere of 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' in November 2013 Elba was among the first to pay tribute to Winnie after she passed away on Monday, saying she would 'never be forgotten' Mourning: Ms Madikizela-Mandela attend her ex-husband Nelson Mandela's funeral in Qunu, South Africa, in December 2013 Who was Winnie Mandela? Activist dubbed the 'Mother of the Nation' whose career was mired in scandal Winnie Mandela was a highly controversial figure in South African politics, revered by many as the Mother of the Nation, but often dogged by scandal. Born Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela in 1939 in the village of Bizana, Transkei district, she was the daughter of a history teacher and a science teacher. In 1953, on the advice of her father, she moved to Johannesburg to study at the Jan Hofmeyr School of Social Work - a rarity for a black woman at the time - where Mandela was the patron. Winnie Mandela was a social worker before she married Nelson in 1958 and turned instead to a life of activism, helping to end apartheid She graduated in 1956 at the top of her class and was offered a scholarship to study in the US, but turned it down in order to become the first qualified social worker at Johannesburg's Baragwanath Hospital. It was during her work here that she first became political as she witnessed first-hand the effect apartheid was having on poor black communities. Winnie first met Mandela in 1957 at a bus stop in Soweto while he was still married to his first wife, Evelyn Mase. Their relationship was falling apart, however, and they divorced in 1958. A short time later Mandela and Winnie tied the knot. Winnie spent 38 years married to Nelson, 27 of which were spent apart, separated from him in 1992 and divorced in 1996 Mandela was already a well-known political figure by this time, and their marriage - particularly the 16-year age gap between them - made the news. While her husband was hounded by the government, Winnie began social action of her own, taking part in a protest against laws which restricted the movements of blacks in white areas. Winnie, along with several other activists, was arrested and decided to spend two weeks in jail without posting bail as a further protest, despite being pregnant with her first child at the time. This also marked the first activism she had taken part in away from her husband's shadow. In 1964 Mandela was jailed for life for his activism and the government began hounding Winnie in an attempt to demoralise him. Government security forces tortured her, tried locking her up, confined her to Johannesburg's Soweto township, and then banished her to the desolate town of Brandfort, where her house was bombed twice. She was allowed to visit her husband in prison rarely, and they were always divided by a glass screen. Throughout the height of apartheid, Winnie remained at the forefront of the struggle, urging students in the 1976 Soweto uprising to 'fight to the end'. But in the 1980s, the militant-martyr began to be seen as a liability for Mandela and the liberation movement. She had surrounded herself with a band of vigilante bodyguards called the Mandela United Football Club, who earned a terrifying reputation for violence. Winnie was widely linked to 'necklacing', when suspected traitors were burnt alive using a petrol-soaked car tyre being which was put over their head and set alight. Her notoriety was reinforced by a speech in 1986 when she declared that 'with our boxes of matches and our necklaces we shall liberate this country.' Mandela was released from jail in 1990 and completed his 'long walk to freedom' with Winnie at his side. However, the couple soon ran into martial difficulties that were complicated when she was convicted in 1991 over the kidnapping and murder of Stompie Moeketsi, a 14-year-old boy. Moeketsi, who was accused being an informer, was murdered by her bodyguards in 1989. She was initially jailed for kidnapping and assault, but her sentence was reduced to a fine. Winnie and Mandela separated in 1992 amid rumors that Winnie was having an affair with one of her bodyguards and divorced in 1996. Winnie denied involvement in any murders when she appeared before Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings. 'She was a tremendous stalwart of our struggle, and icon of liberation - something went wrong, horribly, badly wrong,' Tutu said as damning testimony implicated her. Winnie was convicted in 1991 over the kidnap and murder of a 14-year-old boy, and in 2003 was convicted again for fraud She served as a deputy minister in President Mandela's government, but was sacked for insubordination and eased out of the top ranks of the ruling party. After a 2003 conviction for fraud, she later rehabilitated her political career winning a seat in parliament in 2009 elections. But her bitterness emerged in 2010 newspaper interview, saying: 'Mandela let us down. He agreed to a bad deal for the blacks.' She also called Tutu a 'cretin' and the reconciliation process a 'charade', though she later claimed the quotes were never meant to be published Despite it all, she was a regular visitor travelling from Soweto - where she still lived - to Mandela's bedside in his final months, and she said she was present when he died. He did not leave her anything in his will. At her lavish 80th birthday party in Cape Town, Madikizela-Mandela wore a sparkling white dress and beamed with pleasure as she was lauded by guests that included senior politicians from rival parties. 'Mama Winnie has lived a rich and eventful life, whose victories and setbacks have traced the progress of the struggle of our people for freedom,' then vice president Cyril Ramaphosa, who is now president, told guests. Advertisement In the UK, political figures joined the army of those paying tribute to the late former wife of South Africa's most famous leader. Former cabinet minister Lord Hain said: 'She suffered so much bringing up her two girls when Nelson Mandela was in prison: beaten up, banned, banished to remote Brandfort, harassed, imprisoned. Describing her as 'fearless and defiant in the face of the apartheid state', he added: 'Remember that when correctly criticising her rogue later life.' Diane Abbott said: 'I will never forget the image of Winnie walking hand in hand with Nelson Mandela when he was finally released from prison in February 1990. 'She had campaigned for 27 long years for his release. 'Nobody can deny her extraordinary courage and that, for poor black South Africans, she remains a heroine. Labour MP David Lammy said: 'In the those desperate years of apartheid when Nelson Mandela and so many anti-apartheid heroes were locked up on Robben Island, we looked to Winnie who fought fearlessly as a defiant voice for the voiceless and a free South Africa.' Some of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's former underlings think frequent visits to the office by his wife Louise Linton were less than on the money. A former official griped that Linton considers herself the 'first lady' of the Treasury, and would frequently show up at the government building to meet with her husband to plan their 2017 wedding. Officials who no longer work at Treasury complain that the Scottish actress walk up to the anteroom outside Mnuchin's office and ask, 'Where's my hubsies?' one of them recalled. And they're like, 'Um, he's on the phone with the chief finance minister of France, but if we need to interrupt him. . . .' one former official said in a new profile of Linton in Washingtonian. FIELD TRIP: Actress Louise Linton says it was a 'fabulously exciting day' for Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin when he was able to see the first bills bearing his signature. Former officials complained about her visits to the Treasury building 'It's just unseemly that she perceives herself as 'first lady of the Treasury,' which is not a thing,' grumbled the first ex-official quoted in the piece, claiming she was around once a week at one point. 'I've worked at Treasury for the last couple of Secretaries, but I never could have identified their wives. They didn't just wander in,' said the official. On one such visit before their June wedding, Linton met Mnuchin 'so his assistant could notarize their prenup,' according to the report. The former movie mogul could be worth an estimated $500 million, Fortune reported last year. The Treasury Department confirmed Linton's frequent appearances. MONEY SHOT: Steven Mnuchin, U.S. Treasury secretary, right, and his wife Louise Linton hold a 2017 50 subject uncut sheet of $1 dollar notes bearing Mnuchin's name for a photograph at the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017 Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and his wife Louise Linton arrive for a New Year's Eve party with U.S. President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. December 31, 2017 Linton drew ridicule online after she posted an image of a trip she took with her husband aboard a government jet 'We have welcomed Louise to the Treasury building nearly a dozen times. She has been absolutely respectful of her husband's role and gracious to the staff on every visit,' said Treasury spokesman Tony Sayegh, who is quoted in the story. 'Comments to the contrary are ridiculous fabrications made by people with an unserious relationship with the truth,' he added. Linton who drew media attention for her trip to Kentucky with Mnuchin aboard a government aircraft where she bragged about her fashion ensemble in an Instagram post had her own response to her critics. 'We're newlyweds. I love him. He's my favorite person on the planet,' she told the publication. 'Why is it strange that we might want to spend time together?' She uprooted her life as an L.A. based actress to join Mnuchin in their $12 million mansion in Washington. The couple's most infamous photo got snapped when Linton accompanied Mnuchin as the first bills bearing his signature rolled out of the U.S. Mint. BETTER HAVE THIS NOTARIZED: On one visit to his office, Linton met Mnuchin 'so his assistant could notarize their prenup,' according to Washingtonian. Here Mnuchin signs a document in front of U.S. President Donald Trump (R), Vice President Mike Pence and his fiancee Louise Linton after being sworn in as Treasury Secretary But Linton has her own answer to the image that was widely mocked in part for the long leather gloves she wore as she clutched large sheets of bills. 'I didn't take the bloody gloves off because it was cold! It was a little bit of a chilly day. Whatever. I liked that outfit, okay? Don't be mean to me because I wore a pair of gloves. This is the East Coast. People do occasionally wear a pair of gloves,' Linton says. She described the event in a morning walk with a reporter in D.C.'s Rock Creek Park, along with two of her Chihuahuas. 'It was a really big moment for my husband,' Linton says. She compared it to a promotion, and said it was a 'fabulously exciting day for him.' Her husband told her: 'Darling, I want you to come along. I want you to see, it's so exciting,' she says. Her immediate reply was: 'FabulousI'd love to be there to support you.' One trip where Linton did not accompany Mnuchin was his trip to Davos, Swtizerland although he did show up at Dulles airport the night before his own trip to green his wife from one of her own trips. Mnuchin told DailyMail.com at the time she couldn't come because she had to work, and her spokewoman said she was working on a romantic comedy. The Washingtonian story ads that her production company is developing several action pictures. Advertisement Ultra-Orthodox Jews congregated at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Thursday for a mass priestly blessing on Passover - a tradition of recent decades echoing a pilgrimage from antiquity. Jewish priests wearing Talit prayer shawls took part in the Cohanim prayer in the Old City of Jerusalem. Thousands of Jews make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem during the eight-day Pesach holiday, which commemorates the Israelites' exodus from slavery in Egypt some 3,500 years ago. The Western Wall is a remnant of a supporting wall of the Second Temple complex, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. It is accessible to non-Muslims via a ramp.Jews are allowed to visit but not pray at the compound to avoid provoking tensions. It comes after Israeli troops opened fire on Palestinians last Friday, killing 16. They had strayed from a main protest camp attended by tens of thousands and approached the heavily fortified fence cutting off the blockaded Gaza Strip. In addition to the 16 Palestinians killed, more than 1,400 were wounded Friday, 758 of them by live fire, with the remainder hurt by rubber bullets and tear gas inhalation, the health ministry in Gaza said. No casualties were reported among Israelis. The blessing is part of daily prayers chanted in synagogues worldwide, but since the early 1970s, twice a year such mass events are held Jews from across Israel and the world gather at the Western Wall on Passover and Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles During Passover, or Passach, Jews remember their plight by refraining from eating leavened food products including bread Hundreds of male priests covered the heads, raised their hands and chanted the words of the blessing Men and women pray apart at the Western Wall, and entrance to the holy place is partitioned to allow both genders to approach It is the holiest site to Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount The crown prince of Saudi Arabia has visited Virgin founder Richard Branson at the entrepreneur's California space port. Mohammed Bin Salman, who is on a tour of the United States, was pictured in a suit rather than his usual thawb as he explored the Virgin Galactic base in Mojave. Virgin Galactic announced last summer that the Islamic monarchy was investing 762 million in Branson's space projects. During his visit, Bin Salman inspected progress on a new spacecraft being developed at the Mojave centre Mohammed Bin Salman, who is on a tour of the United States, was pictured in a suit rather than his usual robes as he explored the Virgin Galactic base in Mojave with Richard Branson Branson and his guest also reportedly discussed ways to boost technology development in Saudi Arabia, moving it from a consumer to a producer During his visit, Bin Salman inspected progress on a new spacecraft being developed at the Mojave centre. Branson and his guest also reportedly discussed ways to boost technology development in Saudi Arabia, moving it from a consumer to a producer. The Virgin chief has also backed a project in Saudi Arabia to develop 50 islands over 34,000 sq miles of the Red Sea. Human rights campaigners, however, said there was concern about the so-called 'kafala' working system in the country, where tens of thousands of jobs would be created for the project. Nicholas McGeehan, from Human Rights Watch, accused Branson of hypocrisy because he had previously discussed 'enforced disappearances' and 'unlawful prosecution' of people who may wish to speak out in the country. The 32-year-old Bin Salman is the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia and has been taking steps to liberalise his country. Prince Mohammed opened his tour of the United States on March 20 with a stop in Washington, where he met with President Donald Trump. During the meeting, Trump said Saudi Arabia has been a great friend to the United States and is a 'great purchaser' and 'investor' in its economy. He added that the relationship between the nations was 'strained' during former President Barack Obama's tenure but that he and the crown prince have become 'very good friends in a short period of time.' Trump says Saudi Arabia is 'footing a big part of the bill' for defense in the Middle East. Recently, there has been a big shift in the country's culture and economy thanks to the ambitious prince who has upended decades of royal family protocol, social norms and traditional ways of doing business. Virgin Galactic announced last summer that the Islamic monarchy was investing 762 million in Branson's space projects Prince Mohammed opened his tour of the United States on March 20 with a stop in Washington, where he met with President Donald Trump The 32-year-old de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia has been taking steps to liberalise his country He has been laying the groundwork for momentous social and economic changes that will take place this year, defying its conservative reputation for slow, cautious reforms. Prince Mohammed and his father King Salman bet on a young generation of Saudis hungry for change and a Saudi public fed up with corruption and government bureaucracy. There is also a need to cut a budget deficit of at 195 billion riyals ($50 billion) caused by collapsing oil prices. A ban on women driving has been lifted and there are plans to begin issuing licenses to women, even allowing them to drive motorcycles. This year women will also be allowed to attend sporting matches in national stadiums, where they were previously banned. Australia is set to demand Britain imports hormone treated beef under a post-Brexit trade deal in a new threat to UK food standards, it was claimed today. Hormone-treated beef is banned from all EU countries under single market rules on safety grounds. After Brexit, the Government will be allowed to set its own rules on what food is and is not allowed into Britain. But ministers have vowed there will no watering down of food standards after Britain leaves the European Union. The promise is set to be tested by a succession of trade deal talks with Britain's allies around the world. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has targeted both Australia and the United States as prime candidates for early post-Brexit deals As well as Australia's demands, the United States is set to demand the right to send chlorine-washed chicken into British markets. The Government has ruled out allowing chlorine chicken into Britain but has so far made no comment on the issue of hormone treated beef. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has targeted both Australia and the United States as prime candidates for early post-Brexit deals. In a briefing paper for ministers seen by The Times, the Australian meat industry warned that if Britain imposed the hormone regulations after leaving the EU, 'Australian producers will struggle to materially increase supply to the UK market'. Another of the main meat exporters, JBS Australia, said: 'In our view, the guiding principles for the Australian negotiators must be expanding access for Australian red meat through reducing technical and tariff barriers. 'When dealing with these trade barriers, this must be science based and consistent with WTO obligations. [This] is critical to . . . establishing separate arrangements for the UK.' Environmental groups and farmers reacted with concern to the reports cheaper beef from Australia could be imported into Britain under a post-Brexit trade deal Environmental groups and farmers reacted with concern to the reports. Kierra Box, of Friends of the Earth, said: 'Ministers promised that UK standards on animal welfare and the environment wouldn't be slashed post-Brexit, so caving in on hormone-treated beef would be a complete betrayal.' John Royle, chief livestock adviser at the National Farmers' Union, said: 'Future trade negotiations should ensure a level playing field for British farmers in order for them to be competitive, profitable and productive in the future. 'We do not believe the British public would want our own farmers to be put at a competitive disadvantage by allowing the import of food produced to different standards and using methods which are not allowed in Britain.' A spokesman for the Department for International Trade said: 'This government has been very clear that the UK will maintain its own high animal welfare and environmental standards in future free trade agreements. 'To say anything else is untrue.' Advertisement There's something about the black 1959 Ford Thunderbird that sits near the entrance of the Glenner Town Square that immediately catches the attention of Alzheimer's and dementia patients. Something about the mid-century car unlike the more modern vehicles of today with its double headlights and chrome detailing, helps the patients remember some of their most significant memories. One patient saw the car and immediately started talking about how she had never learned to drive when she was young, so her boyfriend would drive her around. Just the sight of the car sparked a conversation between the woman and her daughter-in-law almost immediately. Conversations like theirs between people who suffer from dementia and their loved ones is one of the goals of Glenner Town Square, a day care center for adults with Alzheimer's and dementia in San Diego, California, run by the nonprofit George G. Glenner Alzheimer's Family Center. The new facility, built inside a warehouse, was created to be an immersive reminiscence therapy environment, where patients, or participants as they're called, can walk through different interactive 'storefronts' including a diner, a movie theater and a library. Each of the locations are designed as if they were from the 1950s, meant to help jog the participants' memories. Reminiscence therapy, which uses pictures or tangible items from the past, has been shown to ease some of the effects of dementia by tapping into patients' strongest memories. Those are typically formed from teenage years until about 35, which for many of today's Alzheimer's patients who are typically between their late 70s and early 80s would have been around the 1950s. 'It's very therapeutic for people with dementia,' Lisa Tyburski, the Director of Business Development at the Glenner Center says. 'Basically what it does is it uses tangible prompts from people's past to bring out memories that are still in there.' Scroll down for video The Glenner Town Square is an immersive reminiscence therapy day care facility designed like a 1950s town for Alzheimer's and dementia patients in San Diego, California. Town Square is the first of its kind in the United States and is expected to open in April. According to Scott Tarde, the CEO of the George G. Glenner Alzheimer's Family Center, which runs Town Square, their 1959 Ford Thunderbird (pictured) usually triggers a lot of memories for Alzheimer's and dementia patients Reminiscence therapy uses physical items or pictures from the past to trigger deep memories for people with Alzheimer's and dementia. The treatment has been shown to calm dementia patients and improve moods and sleep. The diner inside Town Square is pictured People's strongest memories are typically formed from the teenage years to the mid-30s, which is why the Glenner Center chose to use a 1950s design for their facility. Many of today's Alzheimer's and dementia patients are in their late 70s to early 80s and would have formed many of their strongest memories in the 1950s when they were from their teens to mid-30s. The exterior of the Town Square movie theater is pictured, advertising the 1952 film The Greatest Show on Earth Town Square was built inside a San Diego warehouse and has 11 'storefronts' and three other event spaces. The miniature town even has a newsstand with newspapers from around the Second World War (pictured) One of the most successful tools or prompts for helping participants remember their past has been the Thunderbird, Glenner Center CEO and Executive Director Scott Tarde says. 'Some participants will respond differently to different things, but consistently with that vehicle, I've seen a very powerful reaction. I think it's just something about vehicles in general. People have strong memories around cars, you know, excitement about learning how to drive. Or it symbolizes family trips and going places and it's just some deeply rooted memories around travel and cars.' He adds: 'What we're trying to do is create an experience that is consistent with where their strongest memories are.' The Town Square is set to open this month, about two and a half years after the idea was conceived of at the end of 2015. The facility is still waiting to get their certificate of occupancy, but they should get it by the end of April at the absolute latest, Tarde says. With millions of people around the world suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia, the affordable and accessible Town Square model is an important development for patient care. According to the Alzheimer's Association, 5.7million Americans have been diagnosed with the disease and that number is expected to jump to 14million by 2050. Worldwide, the number of people suffering from dementia is estimated to be 47million, according to findings by the World Health Organization in April 2017. 'We need solutions,' Tarde says. 'We have got to figure out ways for family caregivers to have respite and to have affordable respite. And until this terrible disease is eradicated from the planet and we can turn the Town Squares into senior fun zones, we've got to keep pushing forward. Because there's an incredible demand for these types of services and we're behind.' When participants arrive at Town Square, they will be split into groups of five with one direct care staff member and will follow a specific order of locations. At each store they will spend about 45-50 minutes of programming related to their location before switching to another location, much like high school students switch between classes Town Square has a maximum capacity of 75 participants and following the Glenner Center requirements, there will always be one direct care staff member for every five participants. Tarde says they are expecting to have 50 participants when they open in April and many of them will be transferring from other Glenner Center facilities For now, the facility will operate from 8.45am-5.15pm on Mondays through Fridays, though Tarde says they have already gotten requests for longer hours and programs on the weekends. Pictured is Saucy's pet store which will have an aquarium with fish in it when it opens One of the Glenner Center's highest priorities has always been offering affordable respite for family caregivers, which is why their centers follow the day care model instead of a 24-hour care model. Town Square will cost $95 a day Town Square is still waiting to get their certificate of occupancy before they can open, but Tarde says they will get it by the end of April. Pictured is a vintage gas pump When it opens, Town Square will be the first nonprofit, immersive day care program specializing in Alzheimer's and dementia patients in the United States. However, immersive reminiscence therapy environments for adults with dementia are not unique to the United States. A facility in the Netherlands, called Hogeweyk, is a fully functioning, residential village that also utilizes reminiscence therapy. There are 23 apartments that can house 152 residents who are allowed to roam free throughout the village. They can shop for groceries, go to a salon, grab a beer at the pub and participate in different clubs. The facility's staff offer 24-hour care, but dress as normal people to fit into the image of a regular village for the patients. However, they don't lie to patients. If someone asks a staff member where they are, they explain it, but the residents are likely to forget quickly because of their disease, a staff member from the village told ABC News. In Gloucestershire, England, Scarlet House, a residential care home, has designed a room of their facility into a vintage train carriage, complete with luggage racks, a table and two chair facing each other and a television for a window. The screen plays footage from a real journey through the English countryside, making 'passengers' feel as if they are actually taking the train. The familiar activity has a calming effect on patients, a Scarlet House customer relations manager told MailOnline in 2016. Facilities like these are what inspired the Glenner Center to create Town Square, though their day-program design is meant to give family caregivers respite while also benefitting the participants. Tarde says: 'I've been in senior living for almost 20 years, so I mean I've always been inspired by those types of designs, like those kind of Main Street USA designs. In fact, I recently came across a magazine that I held onto for years that had some of those designs, but I think a lot of those designs have done away because there's costs associated to those things and in a residential design there's not always the same use for it. I mean, our whole program is based on recreation, on activities. So it lends itself in a little different way than a more traditional residential design.' Tarde says the Glenner Center first came up with the idea for Town Square at the end of 2015 and once they had decided the floor plan of the facility, they quickly got the San Diego Opera's set design team involved and started collecting specific vintage items, including the 1959 Thunderbird. Rosie's diner is pictured from the outside According to the Alzheimer's Association , 5.7million Americans have been diagnosed with the disease and that number is expected to jump to 14million by 2050. Worldwide, the number of people suffering from dementia is estimated to be 47million, according to findings by the World Health Organization in April 2017 Architect Douglas Pancake and interior designer Marsha Sewell helped design Town Square and the San Diego Opera's set designers and a Hollywood prop company helped build it. The Glenner Center has worked hard to make Town Square look as much like the 1950s, down to the last details, such as this napkin holder and straw holder in the diner Tarde says once they knew what storefronts they were going to have in Town Square, he started to 'pursue' certain specific items, including the 1955 Seabird Jukebox (left) which is now in the diner. A vintage Coca-Cola vending machine (right) was another strategic find and has been put in the Barber Shop Town Square has a maximum capacity of 75 and Tarde says they are expecting to have 50 participants many of whom are transferring from other Glenner Center facilities when they open in April. The facility will operate Mondays through Fridays from 8.45am-5.15pm, though they are already getting requests for longer hours and programs on the weekends. When a participant arrives at Town Square, he or she will be grouped with four other participants who have similar levels of functioning and interest along with one staff member (the Glenner Center standard is five participants to one direct care staff, Tarde says). Each group will travel through different spaces around the facility much like high school students switch between classes. Groups will spend about 45-50 minutes at each storefront doing things such as playing with the shelter animals at the pet store, watching a movie from the 1950s in the theater, or looking at clothes in the department store. Tyburski says: 'What it does is, it brings people a lot of peace, comfort and joy because they live in an environment in 2018 where it's very confusing to them. They know that they're forgetting things, they don't recognize things. People are telling them all the time, don't you remember? Don't you remember? And they don't. So it's very upsetting to them. But then they come into an environment like this, or if they do reminiscence therapy at home with their caregiver, talking about the past, they remember that and they feel good about it.' Tarde says they also ended up collecting phone booths, like the one pictured left. Right is a police call box, which is just outside the barber shop The very first building in Town Square to be completed was the City Hall building (pictured) which will house the center director's office. The building is a scaled version of the San Diego County Administration building Tarde says that Town Square also has an effect on the family caregivers of participants, because the center gives caregivers the chance to experience fun activities with their loved ones in a safe environment, which isn't possible in a regular setting. Pictured is the inside of Joy's Department Store Tarde says: 'If you ask a family caregiver when the last time they went to a movie theater with their loved one is, they can't tell you. Or if they do, it's been years because there's not a safe way to do that. So what Town Square, in a lot of ways, does and we try to be very intentional about the realism, if you will, of the design is that it allows family caregivers to engage in spaces that are otherwise somewhat off-limits to them in society.' The inside of the the Pied Piper Theater is pictured 'What we're trying to do is create an experience that is consistent with where their strongest memories are,' Tarde says. Pictured is the inside of the Gone Fishin' Pub With 11 storefronts and four other event spaces, Tarde says it will be impossible for participants to go through the entire Town Square in one day, which means each day will have different activities for the participants. 'The independent research [shows reminiscence therapy] reduces agitation, it improves mood, it improves sleep quality,' Tarde says. 'We want to demonstrate that the use of these storefronts and the way that the program's designed with grouping people and rotating them really returns them back to their family caregivers having an even more fulfilled day and allows them to sleep at night which is a huge benefit to a family caregiver... especially if they're dealing with their own families. They might be taking care of children plus their parents. 'So having the ability to bring their loved ones to this program and feeling good about the program, and then also them coming home and being able to sleep at night, as opposed to sitting in front of a television all day long, or something like that. You know, it's very powerful.' Tarde says that Town Square also has an effect on the caregivers as well. Though they would have been very young in the '50s and '60s, they might still remember a few things around Town Square from their childhood. The center also gives caregivers the chance to experience fun activities with their loved ones in a safe environment, which isn't possible in a regular setting. 'If you ask a family caregiver when the last time they went to a movie theater with their loved one is, they can't tell you,' Tarde says. 'Or if they do, it's been years because there's not a safe way to do that. So what Town Square, in a lot of ways, does and we try to be very intentional about the realism, if you will, of the design is that it allows family caregivers to engage in spaces that are otherwise somewhat off-limits to them in society. That's been pretty powerful to watch.' One of the buildings in Town Square is a 'Little Blue House' (pictured inside), designed like a home would have looked in the '50s, complete with vintage curved refrigerator and a laundry basked and iron Though the facility is not yet operating, the Glenner Center hosted several pre-opening events where a barbershop quartet (pictured) performed for visitors who roamed around the facility The Silver Fox Barber Shop is pictured. Though barber chairs are still on their way to help fill the room, a Dominoes set is out on the table inside When it opens, Town Square will be the first nonprofit, immersive day care program specializing in Alzheimer's and dementia patients in the United States. However, immersive reminiscence therapy environments for adults with dementia did not originate here A facility in the Netherlands, called Hogeweyk, is a fully functioning, residential village that also utilizes immersive reminiscence therapy and cares for patients 24-hours a day. A residential care home in Gloucestershire, England, called Scarlet House, has designed a room of their facility into a vintage train carriage with a television for a window, that plays an actual train journey through the English countryside. Town Square is pictured Town Square has even created a mini model of San Diego's Aerospace Museum (pictured). Lisa Tyburski, the Director of Business Development at the Glenner Center says about reminiscence therapy: 'It brings people a lot of peace, comfort and joy because they live in an environment in 2018 where it's very confusing to them... But then they come into an environment like this, or if they do reminiscence therapy at home with their caregiver, talking about the past, they remember that and they feel good about it' Tarde says: 'We want to demonstrate that the use of these storefronts and the way that the program's designed with grouping people and rotating them really returns them back to their family caregivers having an even more fulfilled day and allows them to sleep at night which is a huge benefit to a family caregiver.' Pictured is a map in the Town Square's mini museum Keeping their centers affordable for families is one of the Glenner Center's highest priorities, Tarde says, so Town Square will only cost $95 a day. The program can be that price because it is a day care center as opposed to a residential facility. They are also trying to make Town Square even more accessible by building similar centers across the country and the rest of the world. 'We're very focused on making sure that we remain affordable and we just [made] a strategic alliance with an organization called Senior Helpers, that's one of the largest home care providers in the country and we're going to franchise Town Squares across the country. And one of the biggest focuses was to make sure that we continued to make it an affordable model. So we're pretty excited about that It's just so incredibly needed. I've got calls from all over the United States asking when are we coming to their communities.' He adds: '[Town Square] creates a little bit of joy in an otherwise terrible situation. That's the only way I can really describe it. So if we can do that and we can do that across the country, then I think we can really change the paradigm. We can change the discussion a little bit.' Tarde says the franchised Town Squares will still 'be consistent with Glenner Centers' and will keep with the high standards of the nonprofit. 'We want to be the gold standard and the "brand" that people come to trust when it comes to Alzheimer's respite care,' Tarde says. 'I think Dr Glenner, may he rest in peace, that's what he would have wanted.' '[Dr Glenner and his wife Joy] were pioneers 35 years ago. Dr Glenner was a world renowned research pathologist. He could have just stayed as a researcher, but he chose- his famous quite was: "We have to start taking care of the living" This is the legacy for the organization, so I think that we're very proud to continue that legacy.' Tarde says once they get their first Town Square up and running, they want to expand and bring the affordable model around the country and the world. He says: '[Town Square] creates a little bit of joy in an otherwise terrible situation. That's the only way I can really describe it. So if we can do that and we can do that across the country, then I think we can really change the paradigm. We can change the discussion a little bit' He adds: 'We're very focused on making sure that we remain affordable and we just [made] a strategic alliance with an organization called Senior Helpers, that's one of the largest home care providers in the country and we're going to franchise Town Squares across the country. And one of the biggest focuses was to make sure that we continued to make it an affordable model' '[Dr Glenner and his wife Joy] were pioneers 35 years ago,' Tarde says. 'Dr Glenner was a world renowned research pathologist. He could have just stayed as a researcher, but he chose- his famous quite was: "We have to start taking care of the living" This is the legacy for the organization, so I think that we're very proud to continue that legacy' 'We need solutions,' Tarde adds. 'We have got to figure out ways for family caregivers to have respite and to have affordable respite. And until this terrible disease is eradicated from the planet and we can turn the Town Squares into senior fun zones, we've got to keep pushing forward. Because there's an incredible demand for these types of services and we're behind.' The Town Square warehouse is pictured Pictured is one of the floor plans of Town Square from last year. When it opens this month, there will be 11 storefronts and three other event spaces Pictured is one of the buildings for Town Square being built. The buildings were designed by architect Douglas Pancake and built by the San Diego Opera's set designers First-year medical interns at Johns Hopkins Hospital will no longer be required to wear a short white coat to differentiate them from their more senior peers. The change was announced recently in an email from the Baltimore hospital's director of the Hopkins Osler Medical Training Program, Dr. Sanjay Virendra, following increasing complaints from successive first-year classes who found the requirement offensive. 'Today, it does not promote the values which it was intended to promote,' Desai wrote, according to the Baltimore Sun. 'Instead, it represents a physical symbol of the past, and of an excessive rigidity and hierarchy.' First-year medical interns at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland will no longer wear a short white coat to differentiate them from more senior peers, after arguing it was offensive; Students at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine are shown wearing the type of short white coat first-year residents of Hopkins Osler Medical Training Program complained about The change comes as classes of residents continued to complain, more loudly each year, about the visual differentiation from more seasoned residents. Desai acquiesced, although not without noting he wasn't happy about it. 'This is unfortunate, but it is real,' he included with his email announcement to the residents at Hopkins. 'All institutions have to adapt to stay relevant and to ensure their traditions continue to uphold their core values. It would be a mistake for us not to.' But this is not the first time norms have changed for those intending to practice medicine. In addition to shorter coats, Johns Hopkins' first-years once also had to wear white pants and white shirts, as well. The longer style of white coat is shown here, worn by doctors meeting with double arm transplant recipient, former US Army Sgt. Brendan Marrocco (center) during a monthly checkup at Johns Hopkins on June 9, 2014 The change at Johns Hopkins was announced in an email from the director of the Hopkins Osler Medical Training Program, Dr. Sanjay Virendra (left); Dr. Paul Foster (right), program director of the internal medicine residency program at Greater Baltimore Medical Center said millennials are shaking up the mythology surruonding the white coat There was also a time when residents had to be men, live at the hospital, and could not get married, Dr. Mark Anderson, director of the department of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and physician-in-chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital, said. 'That was what society expected at the time,' Anderson said. 'It was considered this complete personal commitment.' After surveying the residents, it was found that the doctors in training were overwhelmingly against the short coat, viewing it with negative connotation. Residents also expressed worry that patients would think they were receiving inferior medical care from those in short coats. Concerns were also raised that some members of Johns Hopkins' support staff outside of the residency program wore long coats, making the hierarchy associated with the garment unclear, Dr. Mickey Brener, one chief resident, explained. 'The signal of discontent rose above the noise and became clear over the last several years, so we made this decision,' Anderson said. The tradition of doctors wearing white coats dates back to the 1900s. It was thought to symbolize cleanliness and science, Dr. Ken Ludmerer, a medical historian at Washington University in St. Louis, told the Baltimore Sun. Residents at Johns Hopkins expressed worry that patients would think they were receiving inferior medical care from those in short coats Medical schools commonly present incoming students with short white coats, as they begin their studies. At hospitals, lengths of the white coat vary greatly, Wolfgang Gilliar, dean of the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine, a school for alternative medicine, told the Sun. In some practices, like pediatrics and psychiatry, white coats are becoming less common because they appearing uninviting, he said. 'There is a whole mythology around the white coat,' Dr. Paul Foster, program director of the internal medicine residency program at Greater Baltimore Medical Center said. 'Now we have the millennials shaking up the system a bit.' The shorter white coat at Johns Hopkins will be retired with the current class of first-year residents. Those joining the program in July will wear the same long white coats as others. Advertisement Thousands of public school teachers in Oklahoma and Kentucky have staged a walkout in protest over education funding and low pay. The teachers have ditched their classrooms to rally instead at the capitol buildings of the two states on Monday to demand for improved funding from lawmakers. In Oklahoma, the walkouts have impacted public schools across the state and an estimated 200 districts are closed today because of the protests. But the teachers have vowed to continue to protest until their demands are met by lawmakers. Scroll down for video Teachers picket around the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City on Monday to protest education funding and salaries An estimated 30,000 teachers are expected to walkout on Monday. The Oklahoma City Public School District announced that school would be closed on Tuesday because of the protests Oklahoma teachers were not happy with the new bill passed last week that only increased their salary to $6,100. The bill was signed off on by Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin The crowd cheered at the rally at the capitol building in Oklahoma as many teachers gathered to protest unfair wages and benefits Thousands of teachers in Kentucky have walked out of their classrooms on Monday to protest a surprise pension bill that was passed Thursday. Pictured is protesters at the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky The Kentucky teachers marched on the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, on Monday to protest for higher wages 'We've all heard stories from students, parents, and teachers affected by eleven years of cuts to our classrooms,' Alicia Priest, president of the Oklahoma Education Association, said in a Facebook video message on Sunday. 'Teachers are so drastically underpaid they are forced to donate plasma, work multiple jobs, and go to food pantries to provide for their families. Oklahoma is better than this.' Oklahoma teachers are demanding a $10,000 raise over the next three years and a $5,000 raise for school workers. According to data of school teacher salaries in 2017 by the National Education Association, Oklahoma public school teachers are one of the lowest paid in the nation. They average a yearly salary of $45,245, which is $12,000 less than the national average, Politifact reported. Last week, legislators approved a bill to improve teacher's salaries by $6,100 and $1,250 for school workers. This was then signed off on by governor Mary Fallin. The signed legislation increased taxes on cigarettes, fuel, oil and gas production to provide teachers with the 15 to 18 percent raise. But in Priest's video on Facebook, she said the new measures were a start but not good enough. An estimated 30,000 teachers total are expected to walkout on Monday in Oklahoma in protest of their lack of funding. One teacher made a sign explaining all the bills she has to pay and why she needs a raise An estimated 200 school districts in Oklahoma have been closed because of the thousands of teachers who are protesting Teachers in Oklahoma are asking for a $10,000 raise over three years and for school staff to receive a $5,000 raise These protests in Oklahoma come after lawmakers signed off on a bill last week to increase funding. But teachers said the increase was not enough One teacher in Oklahoma held a sign that read 'Our schools are in a pickle because our legislature is so salty!' on Monday Public school teachers in Oklahoma are some of the most underpaid in the nation. The teachers are asking the state government to increase their salaries and funding 'We've all heard stories from students, parents, and teachers affected by eleven years of cuts to our classrooms,' Pries said. 'They see broken chairs in class, outdated textbooks that are duct taped together, and class sizes that have ballooned.' The school teachers protesting in Oklahoma City are planning to try and enter the state capitol later today to get their message to lawmakers. An estimated 30,000 teachers total in Oklahoma are expected to descend on the state capital throughout Monday to demand for better benefits and pay. Among the schools closed Monday are the state's three largest school districts, in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Edmond. Teachers used their signs during the rally in Oklahoma to express that the state needed to 'fund our future.' One teachers sign read that she attended rallies in 1990 to protest lack of funding in schools and she was happy to do it again on Monday because 'My students are worth it!' Alicia Priest (pictured), president of the Oklahoma Education Association, has helped lead the teachers rally Monday in Oklahoma. She said the bill passed last week was 'a good start' but not enough A bill was passed last year that would increase taxes on cigarettes, gas, oil and fuel production to go towards public teachers and schools. But people are arguing that the increase is not enough One teacher's sign read that she walked in 1990 to protest lack of funding in schools and she was walking again on Monday because 'my students are worth it' Country singer Blake Shelton, who was born in Ada, Oklahoma, made an appearance on a protesters sign on Monday One sign pictured during the Kentucky rally targeted Governor Matt Bevin who signed the new pension bill that has brought teachers across the state into an uproar The Oklahoma City Public School District announced in a press release on Monday that all schools and activities have been cancelled on Tuesday as well due to the teacher protests. Students who are provided a free lunch during school will still receive it during the school walkout, the district added. The release said teacher union leaders indicated the walkout that led to school closures throughout Oklahoma on Monday will continue. Kentucky teachers have also taken action against their state government for the lack of education funding. Chanting 'enough is enough' and 'we'll remember in November,' the line of teachers and school employees stretched for blocks as they traveled toward the Capitol building holding signs. This protest was sparked after Kentucky Republicans passed a pension bill that affected many state employees on Thursday. Thousands of teachers have been stood outside the Capitol in Frankfort, Kentucky, and chanted for lawmakers to 'stop the war on public education'. Educators in Kentucky called out of work sick on Friday to start their protests over the new pension bill. They scheduled a second walkout on Monday Teachers in Kentucky are asking for the pension bill to be altered and more funding toward education programs Teachers in Kentucky have been protesting for two days since the new pension reform bill was passed on Thursday. Pictured is one protester at the state capitol building on Monday Educators called out of work sick on Friday to protest the new bill. This forced more than 20 counties' schools to shut down due to a lack of employees to teach the children, CNN reported. The protests on Monday are not anticipated to impact the Kentucky schools as much because most students are on spring break for the week. One teachers sign read: 'Frankfort Or Bust. Spring Break 2018' A Kentucky student also decided to attend the rally instead of going on vacation for spring break. His sign said 'Some kids go to Disney, I came to Frankfort.' But at least 25 schools have closed in Kentucky because of the rally, according to CNN. Kentucky has a total of 173 school districts but at least 143 of them are closed for spring break this week. Protesters have already taken over the senate chambers of the capitol building in Frankfort to make sure lawmakers hear their protests about the pay and benefits they receive. In addition to changes to the new pension bill, Kentucky teachers are also asking for more funding to help pay for new textbooks, technology and school programs. Oklahoma and Kentucky teachers were inspired to protest for more funding after West Virginia educators fought for better benefits last month. The teachers in West Virginia got lawmakers to sign off on a five percent pay raise after weeks of protesting. Teachers and protesters packed into the senate chambers at the Kentucky State Capitol on Monday to protest the lack of education funding Most schools in Kentucky are on spring break so the protests shouldn't impact the classrooms as much as they are in Oklahoma An estimated 25 schools in Kentucky have been closed due to the rally on Monday. The number is lower than that of Oklahoma because most schools are on spring break this week This is the moment a gentle giant nearly turned into a stone-cold killer. In shocking footage filmed in January this year, a hulking elephant attacks a jeep full of unsuspecting safari park tourists. Attracted by the smell of food inside the four-wheeler at Yala National Park in Sri Lanka, the elephant approaches. In seconds it has stuck its muscular trunk inside. Its tusks scrape the seats of the vehicle. Rocking the car back and forth, the animal left the passengers fearing for their lives. Bianca, 28, from London had been travelling with two British friends, a 28-year-old Argentinian and a 32-year-old Spaniard. 'We were in an open jeep looking at a young male elephant when it spotted us and started walking towards us,' said Bianca. 'I asked if it was dangerous, and the next thing I knew the elephant had stuck its head in the side of the jeep, looking for food. 'Its huge long tusks came right through to where me and and my friend were sitting.' One passenger climbed out of the backseat of the jeep in fear - and straight into the driver's lap. Bianca launched herself into the back of the car, while one of her friends captured the scene on video. The young male elephant tore up one of the jeep's seats in search of food in Yala National Park in Sri Lanka. Finally, after goring on bananas, it retreated The driver attempted to drive off the elephant but this just enraged it further - and the animal ripped up one of the seats. Finally the elephant retreated after gorging on all the food in the car including empty plastic bags. Bianca added: 'When it had eaten everything it finally walked away. But my friend was shaking and crying who had been stuck in the middle and we were all completely shocked. 'If we hadn't moved out of the way we would definitely have been speared.' Later, their hotel owner told the travelers the elephant is well known among locals and used to be fed by tourists when it was a calf. Now it associates cars with food. Theresa May could be forced to abandon her 100,000 a year immigration target by top ministers who back concessions to get a better trade deal with the EU. The Prime Minister has long been a 'hawk' on immigration but is outnumbered in her own Cabinet by ministers who are back higher numbers of arrivals. Senior Brexiteers Boris Johnson and Michael Gove are among ministers who have publicly spoken in favour of migration to Britain continuing after Brexit so long as it is under the control of the Government. Theresa May (pictured in North Wales yesterday) could be forced to abandon her 100,000 a year immigration target by top ministers who back concessions to get a better trade deal with the EU Allowing EU citizens who have a job offer to continue to come to Britain after Brexit could encourage Brussels to agree a more comprehensive trade deal. But it would likely end hopes of ever slashing migration - currently running at almost 250,000 a year - to the long-held Tory target of 100,000 Allowing EU citizens who have a job offer to continue to come to Britain after Brexit could encourage Brussels to agree a more comprehensive trade deal. But it would likely end hopes of ever slashing migration - currently running at almost 250,000 a year - to the long-held Tory target of 100,000. One Cabinet minister ally of Mrs May told The Sun: 'If you look at the members of the Strategy and Negotiations Committee, they are all entrenched on their various positions about our red lines, expect for immigration. 'That is the one area they'll all happily trade apart from her, because Rudd, Hammond, Boris and Gove are all pro-migration.' The Cabinet minister added: 'I'm worried Theresa is going to be pushed into a corner, and the voters will end up hating it because we know where they are'. Businesses in all sectors fear the loss of migrant workers after Brexit because they offer better skills at lower costs, a committee advising the government warned last week. The Migration Advisory Committee said firms were reluctant to sign up to any reforms which reduced the pool of qualified candidates for vacancies. Senior Brexiteers Boris Johnson and Michael Gove are among ministers who have publicly spoken in favour of migration to Britain continuing after Brexit so long as it is under the control of the Government The committee said it remained true that what was best for business was not always better for the population at large and promised to study the impact on wages and employment. Its conclusions were contained in an interim report on how workers from the European Economic Area - which includes the EU and some additional countries - currently impact the British jobs market. Brexit is expected to end current free movement rules with a view to slashing the number of people moving to Britain each year. In the interim report, committee chairman Professor Alan Manning said: 'The vast majority of employers do not deliberately seek to fill vacancies with migrant workers. 'They employ EEA migrants when they are the best or, sometimes, the only available candidates.' A massive Confederate battle flag has been raised just off a major highway outside Charlottesville, Virginia. A pro-Confederacy group called The Virginia Flaggers said it raised the 30-by-50 foot banner on Saturday on private property just off Interstate 64. The flagpole is 120 feet high. The group calls the rebel flag the 'Charlottesville I-64 Spirit of Defiance Memorial Battle Flag.' Controversial: The pro-Confederacy group The Virginia Flaggers on Saturday raised this 30-by-50 foot rebel flag on private property just off Interstate 64 near Charlottesville Sending a message: The rebel flag was raised in response to a vote in favor of removing confederate monuments dedicated to Robert E. Lee and Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson It says the flag is a response to the city of Charlottesville's vote to remove statues of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson. A status update announcing the flag's dedication on the group's Facebook page was accompanied by the hashtags '#winning' and '#DontKicktheHornetNest.' The rebel banner is dedicated to all fallen Confederate soldiers, as well as to Private Richard Willis Proffitt, whose grave is located near the site. These screenshot show the moment the 'Charlottesville I-64 Spirit of Defiance Memorial Battle Flag' is being hoisted up by members of the Flaggers on Saturday The banner is seen flying atop a 120-foot flagpole on private property in Virginia 'In a ceremony just before the flag raising and dedication, a Confederate Cross of Honor was installed and dedicated at the grave site,' the Flaggers posted on Facebook. The controversy over the Confederate statues in Virginia helped draw protests that culminated in a white nationalist rally in August that turned deadly. The organization, which describes itself as a group of 'citizens of the Commonwealth who stand AGAINST those who would desecrate our Confederate Monuments and memorials, and FOR our Confederate Veterans,' says it has now raised 27 Confederate flags since 2013. Referring to the latest flag near I-64, the group stated in a press release: She will fly as a 24/7 reminder that the same spirit of defiance that drove our ancestors to take up arms in 1776 and 1861 is alive and well in us today and will not allow us to remain silent or sit idly by as our ancestors are the subjects of false narratives and lies by those who, driven by ignorance and hate, seek to destroy our history and heritage.' President Donald Trump invited his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to the White House for a summit when they spoke on the phone last month, the administration conformed Monday. Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday that Trump had announced following their telephone conversation that a bilateral meeting could happen. 'As the President himself confirmed on March 20, hours after his last call with President Putin, the two had discussed a bilateral meeting in the "not-too-distant future" at a number of potential venues, including the White House,' she said. Both Trump and the Kremlin did acknowledge at the time that there had been a discussion about a meeting to address the U.S.-Russia arms race. But Trump never said it could happen at the White House. Russian President Vladimir Putin could get the red-carpet treatment at the White House because President Donald Trump invited him during a March 20 phone call Trump, shown at Monday's White House Easter Egg Roll, would be in for a different kind of circus because the U.S. has accused Moscow of a nerve-agent assassination attempt against a former Russian spy in Great Britain 'I suspect that we'll probably be meeting in the not-too-distant future to discuss the arms race,' he said at the time. Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said Monday that Trump had specifically invited the Russian leader to the White House, but the two countries haven't started any preparations for such a visit. 'If everything goes well, I hope that the American side would not refuse its proposal to discuss the possibility of organizing the summit talks,' Ushakov told journalists, according to the state-owned TASS news service. Trump's March 20 call to Moscow became the subject of intense controversy after it leaked that he had congratulated Putin on winning re-election two days earlier. That election was considered a farce by some international observers and much of the American press. The Washington Post reported that security aides presented Trump with briefing materials before the call warning him: 'DO NOT CONGRATULATE.' Ushakov added Monday that Washington and Moscow hadn't had time to arrange an in-person meeting before the United States joined the UK and more than two dozen other allies in sanctioning Russia over the nerve-agent poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England. The more recent consequences from that tussle have seen the U.S. and Russia expel 60 of each other's diplomats. Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal (right, pictured with his Daughter) was the subject of a nerve-agent assassination attempt for which Western nations including the U.S. consider Russia responsible Russia closed America's consulate in St. Petersburg last week and kicked out five dozen U.S. diplomats in retaliation for the Trump administration's decision to take that step first That has made it 'difficult to discuss a summit,' Ushakov said, but 'we would like to believe that preparations for such a meeting will begin.' 'We would also like to hope that there would be an end to the steps the Americans have taken based on groundless allegations.' Word of the overture comes as Trump's administration is still the subject of unproven allegations of election-year collusion with Russia. Trump's congratulation call to Putin had drawn an immediate rebuke from Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain even before the offer of a White House visit was revealed. 'An American president does not lead the Free World by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections. And by doing so with Vladimir Putin, President Trump insulted every Russian citizen who was denied the right to vote in a free and fair election,' McCain said last month in a statement. President Donald Trump continued to slap around Amazon on Monday morning, going after its defenders as 'fools, or worse.' Trump claimed in a tweet that the U.S. Postal Service is losing 'A FORTUNE' in shipping costs because its doing deliveries for Amazon's customers who are evading their fair share of taxes by shopping on the Internet. 'Only fools, or worse, are saying that our money losing Post Office makes money with Amazon. THEY LOSE A FORTUNE, and this will be changed,' Trump tweeted. 'Also, our fully tax paying retailers are closing stores all over the country...not a level playing field!' The tweet suggested that he plans to order a review of Amazon's contact with the Postal Service, contributing to the company's downward trend in stock value. Amazon's stock price was down nearly five percent on Monday with a total loss of $31 billion in value since Trump started targeting the company in tweets. President Donald Trump continued to slap around Amazon on Monday morning, going after defenders of the Jeff Bezos-owned company's deal with the U.S. Postal Service as 'fools, or worse' The tweet suggested that he plans to order a review of Amazon's contact with the Postal Service Amazon's chief Jeff Bezos (LEFT), Larry Page of Alphabet, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg , Vice President elect Mike Pence and President-elect Donald Trump attend a meeting at Trump Tower on December 14, 2016 in New York Amazon's stock price was down nearly five percent on Monday with a total loss of $31 billion in value since Trump started targeting the company in tweets on March 29 The president also hit out at Amazon over the weekend, calling its business deal with the U.S. Postal Service to deliver packages a money-losing agreement that hurts U.S. taxpayers. In tweets Saturday, Trump claimed 'the U.S. Post Office will lose $1.50 on average for each package it delivers for Amazon. That amounts to Billions of Dollars.' He added: 'If the P.O. "increased its parcel rates, Amazon's shipping costs would rise by $2.6 Billion." This Post Office scam must stop. Amazon must pay real costs (and taxes) now!' Amazon has been a consistent recipient of Trump's ire. He's fought a two-pronged battle with its founder Jeff Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, labeling his news publication 'fake news' over its unfavorable coverage at times of his campaign and presidency. Last week, Trump took similar aim at Amazon over Twitter after a news website revealed his obsession with the extremely successful e-commerce site. The Axios report on Wednesday that revealed Trump's plot to put strict new regulations on the company is what initially sent Amazon's stock into free fall, whacking off billions in value for shareholders, including Bezos. Trump did not deny the report and even suggested it was true when he copped to a years-long belief that Amazon is behind retail store failures and U.S. Postal Service problems. 'I have stated my concerns with Amazon long before the Election,' Trump said last week. 'Unlike others, they pay little or no taxes to state & local governments, use our Postal System as their Delivery Boy (causing tremendous loss to the U.S.), and are putting many thousands of retailers out of business!' Amazon lives and dies by shipping, and an increase in the rates it pays could certainly do some damage to its profits. Amazon sends packages via the post office, FedEx, UPS and other services. President Trump has been slapping around Amazon for days. Here's a tweet he sent about it on Saturday Trump believes that Amazon's deal with the U.S. Postal Service to ship packages is unfair even thought its been deemed profitable for the government agency While the U.S. Post Office has lost money for 11 years, package delivery is not the reason. Boosted by e-commerce, the U.S. Postal Service has enjoyed double-digit increases in revenue from delivering packages. That hasn't been enough to offset pension and health care costs, as well as declines in first-class letters and marketing mail. Together, letters and marketing mail make up more than two-thirds of postal revenue. In arguing that the Postal Service is losing money on delivering packages for Amazon, Trump appears to be relying on Wall Street analyses that argue the U.S. Postal Service's formula for calculating its costs is outdated. A 2017 analysis by Citigroup did conclude that the U.S. Postal Service was charging below market rates as a whole on parcels. Still, federal regulators have reviewed the Amazon contract with the U.S. Postal Service each year and determined it to be profitable. An independent agency, the post office does not use taxpayer money for its operations. The post office does not break down what is driving its growth, but online ordering from retailers, particularly Amazon.com, has revolutionized the way goods are bought and delivered. Meanwhile, the U.S. Postal Service reached new highs this year in holiday package delivery, with more than 850 million U.S. parcels delivered from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve, according to figures compiled by industry tracker ShipMatrix Inc. Amazon has taken some steps toward becoming more self-reliant in shipping. Last year, it announced it would build a worldwide air cargo hub in Kentucky, about 13 miles southwest of Cincinnati. President Donald Trump hit out at Amazon on Thursday morning before normal trading hours, finally commenting on a report that he's 'obsessed' with the company owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos and wants to 'go after' it Wednesday report said Trump is looking for ways to knock Internet retail giant Amazon down a few pegs. Amazon's billionaire owner Jeff Bezos is seen at right at the White House in June Amazon closed 4.38 percentage points down on Wednesday after Axios ran its initial report on the president's obsession with Amazon The White House said, at a Thursday afternoon news conference that helped to fuel a moderate recovery in Amazon's stock price, that there's 'no specific policies or actions' that would apply to Amazon's business model that it's currently considering. But Press Secretary Sarah Sanders also noted that Trump is 'always looking to create a level playing field for all businesses' and his interest in pursuing an Internet sales tax 'is no different.' At its low point, on the day of the Axios report, Amazon took a $53 billion thrashing. At day's end, losses had been reigned in to $31 billion, which is where they remained on Monday. Axios drove the market down Wednesday am with a report based on the word of five sources that indicated Trump is pondering ways to knock Amazon down a few pegs. 'He's obsessed with Amazon,' a source said told the news website. 'Obsessed.' A source told Axios then that Trump has also blamed Amazon for losses suffered by the U.S. Post Office. 'The whole post office thing, that's very much a perception he has,' the source said. 'It's been explained to him in multiple meetings that his perception is inaccurate and that the post office actually makes a ton of money from Amazon.' Trump's desire to further regulate Amazon has been inflamed by his wealthy friends' complaints that lax Internet commerce rules are killing their businesses, Axios reported. The president also believes that Amazon's thriving business model is hurting mom and pop stores that are owned by people who voted for him. Friendship didn't last: Trump shook hands with Jeff Bezos at the White House in June last year - but has become increasingly hostile to Amazon If you want a friend in Washington...: Bezos took a robotic dog for a walk around a secretive conference in California earlier this month Bezos founded Amazon nearly 25 years ago in 1994. For the past 11 years, the U.S. Postal Service has had giant losses, and it's expected to suffer more. The government division ended the 2017 fiscal year $2.7 billion down. Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan said in a cry for help that the service's 'financial results will continue to deteriorate and likely at an accelerated rate' because it 'cannot generate enough revenue or cut enough costs' to pay its bills. A PBS Newshour report at the end of the last fiscal year detailed the post office's attempt to raise revenue by introducing a double-digit increase in the cost to ship packages. A drop-off in traditional letter mail is where the Post Office took its licks, the report said, as mail volume fell by 5 billion pieces, which amounts to 3.6 percent. Letter mail had made up 70 percent of the U.S Postal Service's revenue. If anything, the report indicated, its the advent of email that's killing the government service. As Brennan said at the time, 'No other shipper delivers as many e-commerce packages to the home.' Speaking out on the matter Thursday am, Trump claimed that Amazon was causing 'tremendous loss to the U.S.' postal system. He also claimed the company that is the eighth largest employer in the U.S. is 'putting many thousands of retailers out of business.' Trump mentioned the fact that Amazon pays 'little or no taxes to state & local governments' in his tweet, hinting at a desire for Congress to hit the company and other online retailers with an Internet sales tax. A source told Axios that Trump is also seeking to come after Amazon using anti-trust or competition law. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told the House of Representatives' tax-writing committee in February that the administration 'feels strongly' that Internet sales should be taxed. At a July appearance before the U.S. Senate where he was asked about the Internet sales tax, Mnuchin singled out Amazon. 'I am encouraged that Amazon is now charging tax, I believe, on their own sales but not the marketplace,' he said. 'I'm not sure I understand the consistency on that, but I respect the states' ability that there's an awful lot of money that's not being collected.' Traditionally conservative organizations like Americans for Tax Reform that are typically on the Republican president side have staunchly opposed the administration's push to introduce new taxes on e-commerce. ATR president Grover Norquist told DailyMail.com on Thursday after the Trump tweet that his organization is '100 percent opposed' to an Internet sales tax because it 'would allow politicians to impose taxes and regulations across state borders.' 'An online sales tax hurts small businesses and consumers, not Amazon, because Amazon already collects sales tax nearly everywhere,' Norquist said. 'An online sales tax would entrench big box stores and stop Mom and Pop competitors dead in their tracks.' Norquist further posited that an online sales tax would actually help Amazon -- 'because then they can sell tax collection services.' Trump's desire to further regulate Amazon has been inflamed by his wealthy friends' complaints that lax Internet commerce rules are killing their businesses, Axios reported. Bezos is also the owner of The Washington Post, which Trump has labeled 'fake news' because of the stories it has done on him that he says are false representations Bezos is also the owner of The Washington Post, which Trump has labeled 'fake news' because of the stories it has done on him that he says are false representations. A June 28, 2017 tweet dubbed the two companies - which have totally separate leadership structures - the 'AmazonWashingtonPost' and described the newspaper as the 'guardian' of the retail division and the reason that Amazon does not have to pay an Internet sales tax. 'Which they should,' he stated. An August 16, 2017 tweet claimed 'Amazon is doing great damage to tax paying retailers. 'Towns, cities and states throughout the U.S. are being hurt - many jobs being lost!' he said. Throughout his presidential campaign, Trump made similar assaults on The Post, Amazon and Bezos, who attended a meeting last June for the tech industry at the White House. White House Deputy Press Secretary Rah Shah insisted Thursday morning on Fox News that the tweets and the president's desire to tax Amazon are nothing personal. 'This is really about policy,' he said. 'You have a huge company that's done amazing things...and really tax policy and other policy has to catch up with that.' A lone police officer allegedly left a man dying metres away from a horrific car crash in Queensland after searching the area for 15 minutes before going to another accident. Jayson Omambac was killed in a fiery single-vehicle crash in the Woolmar, north-west of Brisbane. Locals said they asked the police officer on duty to help find the missing 25-year-old involved in the car accident on Esk Kilcoy Road near Kilcoy. Jayson Omambac, 25,(pictured) was killed in a single-vehicle crash in the north-west of Brisbane suburb of Woolmar The 25-year-old man from the Philippines had lived in the area for three years and regularly sent money back to his young son and partner According to the Courier Mail, the officer said the driver must have fled the scene with friends because he was speeding. The car was reportedly found on it's roof with the engine running with no sign of the driver at around 10.30pm on Easter Sunday. Locals then searched the area to find the body of Mr Omambac who was dead in a paddock about 40 metres from the crash site. 'What if we could have held his hand while he was dying?,' a local woman said. She thought it was strange there wasn't much of presence at the scene to search for the missing man. 'They should have called a search - we have SES here, the fire brigade. They could have searched for him,' she told the paper. According to the Courier Mail, a lone police officer was at the scene for 15 minutes before leaving to attend another crash Mr Omambac, who is originally from the Philippines, has been living and working in Australia for the last three years. The young father was and was regularly sending back money to his partner and child. He was working at the Kilcoy Pastoral Company and had lived in the area. A fellow employee from the company said she couldn't understand why the police didn't search harder for her colleague. 'I understand the police station was undermanned but it doesn't really excuse it,' she said. Police released in a statement a dog squad returned to the scene where the man was found along a property fence line. They also confirmed the man was not found earlier in the evening despite police checking the vehicle and conducting a sweep of the area and both sides of the road. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Queensland Police for a comment. Ex Bandidos bikie president Brett 'Kaos' Pechey allegedly threatened to stab police with a sword if they didn't shoot him during a recent stand off. Pechey, a former president of the West End chapter of the Bandidos and once Queensland's most wanted bikie, barricaded himself in a Gold Coast home armed with multiple blades, police will allege. His defence lawayer Campbell MacCallum claims the dramatic confrontation was the result of extreme psychological stress in Pechey's life, The Courier Mail reports. Ex Bandidos bikie boss Brett 'Kaos' Pechey allegedly threatened to stab police with a sword if they didn't shoot him during a recent stand off Police will allege that Pechey (pictured with girlfriend Rikki-Louise Jones) barricaded himself in a Gold Coast home and told the 26 officers on site to 'come up, have a go and shoot him 'My client is quite distressed after a number of factors arising in his personal life which forms some of the basis as to how events unfolded,' Mr MacCallum said. These potentially include a recent social media stoush with ex-Hells Angels enforcer Benjamin 'Notorious' Geppert, which saw Pechey being publicly labelled a 'boneyard dog' for allegedly talking to police. This dispute eventually came to involve Pechey's and Geppert's respective girlfriends, cousins Rikki-Louise Jones and Allaina Jones, causing them to turn against one another. Further to that was the police shooting death of former Comanchero bikie associate Liam Scorsese in February, and a falling out between Pechey and his ex girlfriend that resulted in an Apprehended Violence Order against him in March. About 26 police officers were at the scene on the Gold Coast trying to negotiate with Pechey, whom allegedly stabbed a number of walls and kicked out windows in the home. He then allegedly told officers to 'come up, have a go and shoot him', and 'that he would stab them if they didn't shoot him'. Pechey's defence lawyer claims the standoff was the result of severe distress in his client's life, including the police shooting death of former Comanchero bikie associate Liam Scorsese (pictured) in February Another factor involved a stoush between Pechey and his partner Rikki-Louise Jones (left) and ex-Hells Angels enforcer Benjamin 'Notorious' Geppert and his partner Allaina Jones, Rikki Louise's cousin Police were only able to detain Pechey after he took prescription drugs that left him semiconscious, they claim. He has been charged with a number of offences, including assaulting police. Mr MacCallum claims that 'He is currently under the care of doctors who are catering for his health and welfare.' Pechey will reportedly contend the allegations. Incredible bodycam footage has been released showing California firefighters bravely wading through a burning, smoke-filled house in Victorville. San Bernadino County Fire Department released the dramatic video of the residential fire that occurred March 25. The intense video shows a firefighter rushing into the burning home and extinguishing fires in several rooms. The fire department posted details on Facebook, saying they 'arrived on scene in 4 minutes after dispatch and went into the attack mode. The fire was ultimately declared out approximately 26 minutes later.' At the scene were three paramedic engines, one truck company, one battalion chief and one investigator for a total of 14 personnel. Incredible bodycam footage shows California firefighters bravely wading through a burning, smoke-filled house in Victorville San Bernadino County Fire Department released the dramatic video of the residential fire that occurred March 25 One child was treated for smoke inhalation but no other injuries were reported. The cause is currently under investigation. Instagram users expressed their admiration and gratitude after watching the extreme video. One social media user commented: 'So incredible courageous!' while another said 'WOW!! Gotta love our first responders!' One person wrote 'Praying for a safe end to this tragedy. Our First Responders are heroes,' while another commented 'bless them all, and keep them safe.' The intense video shows a firefighter rushing into the burning home and extinguishing fires in several rooms Advertisement Campaigners trying to save a little derelict chapel where the famous Tolpuddle Martyrs met have just three months to raise 226,000. The Grade II listed building was originally a Methodist chapel where the agricultural labourers who inspired Britains trade union movement used to meet and pray. A group of locals in Tolpuddle, Dorset, banded together to form a preservation trust in 2014 and bought the 200-year-old cob barn just in time to save it from collapse. They plan to restore it as a 'quiet place' where people can 'reconnect' with the six martyrs and think about their struggle for better pay and conditions for workers. The Grade II listed Methodist chapel (shown), which was built by two of the Tolpuddle Martyrs In 1833, six agricultural labourers - George Loveless, James Brine, James Hammett, James Loveless, John Standfield and Thomas Standfield - founded a friendly society to protest against the gradual lowering of their pay Andrew McCarthy, chairman for the Tolpuddle Old Chapel Trust, is pictured inside the crumbling remains of the chapel But they need to raise 226,000 by July in order to secure 329,000 that has been earmarked by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to support the project. As well as the HLF grant, so far the Tolpuddle Old Chapel Trust has secured 105,000 towards the total costs of 660,000. In 1833, six agricultural labourers - George Loveless, James Brine, James Hammett, James Loveless, John Standfield and Thomas Standfield - founded a friendly society to protest against the gradual lowering of their pay. They were convicted for administering an unlawful oath and sentenced to seven years transportation to Australia. But their conviction caused public outrage and after a national campaign and a petition signed by 800,000 people, they were pardoned two years later. Every year the TUC organises the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival and Rally to celebrate their story. A group of locals in Tolpuddle, Dorset, banded together to form a preservation trust in 2014 and bought the 200-year-old cob barn just in time to save it from collapse (pictured are the plans for its refurbishment) Campaigners need to raise 226,000 by July in order to secure 329,000 that has been earmarked by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to support the project The building became redundant in 1844 and was then used as a small barn and stable for the next 150 years, but it had fallen into disrepair and is on Historic England's Buildings At Risk register A sycamore tree in the centre of the village is famous as their meeting place, but few who attend the rallies realise that before the meetings under the tree, most of the men met regularly in this little chapel. The modest structure is believed to have been built in 1818 by two of the martyrs - George Loveless and Thomas Standfield - on a tiny patch of land they leased next to Standfield's home. At least four of the six martyrs were Methodist and would have met at this simple one-room chapel. It became redundant in 1844 and was then used as a small barn and stable for the next 150 years, but it had fallen into disrepair and is on Historic England's Buildings At Risk register. The trust managed to buy it from a local farmer in 2015 and carried out emergency repairs to the cob walls and made the building wind and watertight with funds from English Heritage. TOCT want to restore the chapel as simply as possible, reinstating the original entrance, reopening three bricked up windows and adding a small extension that will make it more usable. The Grade II listed building was originally a Methodist chapel where the agricultural labourers who inspired Britains trade union movement used to meet and pray The modest structure is believed to have been built in 1818 by two of the martyrs - George Loveless and Thomas Standfield - on a tiny patch of land they leased next to Standfield's home Andrew McCarthy, chairman of Tolpuddle Old Chapel Trust (TOCT), said: 'We're not restoring it exactly like it would have been in 1818, but renovating it and preserving the best features which can be saved, particularly the 200-year-old cob walls which are a rare example of a 19th century chapel. 'We are trying to create a wonderful place where people can come in and get some sort of an emotional reconnect to the times of the Dorsetshire Labourers, their harsh living and working conditions, and their simple building techniques. 'We see this old chapel as telling the story of the "missing years" from 1818 to 1834, when these Dorsetshire Labourers learnt about social injustice through their own living and working experiences as well as their study of the bible and worship within the walls of their own little chapel. 'Without this chapel, there possibly would have been no arrest, no trial in the court in Shire Hall, Dorchester. 'They certainly wouldn't have been known at the Tolpuddle Martyrs. Tolpuddle would just be another tiny Dorset village and Shire Hall would have less of a story to tell today.' A horse was raced to death and abandoned in the middle of a residential street after collapsing. It had been driven through the roads of Cork in Ireland while attached to a sulky - a type of cart often used for harness racing. The horse was discarded after it collapsed and the group racing it walked away laughing, according to witnesses. A horse was raced to death and abandoned in the middle of a residential street after collapsing The animal was later removed by a JCB tractor and the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are now investigating, reported the Metro. Inspector Lisa ODonovan said it was not an isolated incident. She said: It is not acceptable that you have young kids going out there driving a horse into the ground and then just walking away. A few people said to me that they were laughing as they went which I think is even more horrifying. There is no remorse, guilt. The horse is of no more value to them than anything else. It had been driven through the roads of Cork in Ireland while attached to a sulky - a type of cart often used for harness racing The animal was later removed by a JCB tractor and the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are now investigating Cork resident Bernice Cotter added: This is a horrendous attack on a defenseless animal. They should be named and shamed. Im so angry over this. Sinn Fein councillor Ken OFlynn said I have deep concern and frustration regarding the treatment of horses in the Northside of Cork City. Those responsible for animal cruelty must be punished and made an example of a letter of the law. Twenty-seven horses in total were put down last year by Cork Council. Health chiefs have issued a warning about the synthetic drug Black Mamba following seven deaths in Birmingham in just a few days. Public Health England issued the alert to drug workers after the 'vulnerable people' died in the city. One of the deaths, at a hostel in Birmingham city centre, was confirmed to be linked to the drug, with a second believed to be drug-related as well. Black Mamba, a synthetic cannabis substitute named after the deadly African snake, was outlawed in 2016. Public Health England have issued a warning over the synthetic drug Black Mamba after seven vulnerable people died in Birmingham in the past few days (Pictured: a man comatosed in the city centre) Black Mamba, a synthetic cannabis substitute named after the deadly African snake, was outlawed in 2016. Pictured left: Leon after taking a drag of spice outside a train station and right, Jerry a computer expert who fell out with his wife before ended up on the streets doing spice, both Birmingham Now health chiefs have issued an alert following the recent deaths. A spokesperson said: 'Public Health England (PHE) West Midlands has issued an alert to local commissioners and local services in Birmingham after learning of seven fatalities in vulnerable people in the last few days, which may be related to drug use. 'One individual's death is confirmed as being caused by use of a potent batch of synthetic cannabinoids. 'There is no evidence, as yet, to suggest that the other six deaths are linked, or are as a result of taking this substance. 'However the number of deaths, their proximity and the short timescale has led PHE to alert local services as a precautionary measure and ask them to provide PHE with any local intelligence. 'PHE extends its deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those who died.' Earlier this year a shop worker in Derby shared a shocking video of several Black Mamba users stumbling about. She compared the drug users to The Walking Dead and said they were walking around like zombies. A Texas family claims a religious cult have drugged their son and turned him against them. Jordan Reichenberger, 27, had gone to preach in downtown Austin on Halloween night in 2016, when he disappeared. His family were distraught, initially believing he may have been car jacked. But when they were eventually able to contact their son, he told them he'd left the city with some elder members of the controversial Church of Wells. He was currently at the church's compound in East Texas. Jordan Reichenberger, 27, (pictured) had gone to preach downtown Austin on Halloween night in 2016, when he disappeared When they reached him, however, he told them: 'I don't think it's my time to leave yet.' He also texted friends and family saying: 'Do not fear for me my friend. I have decided to follow Jesus and forsake all; please forgive any pain or grief I have caused you.' Reichenberger was at the compound for five days before his brother, father, and several friends drove out to the Wells compound to take him home, KVUE reports. After hearing horror stories of other families struggling to get their children back, Jordan's brother, Ian, said they approached the situation carefully. 'When families show up angry like 'hey give us our person back, give us our kid back', the cult would be like 'oh look how angry your family is.' So, that's why we went with friendship, love' he said. Eventually, after several hours of heated discussion with the church elders, Reichenberger was allowed to leave. But when he returned home, his mother Kim says she noticed he wasn't himself. After hearing horror stories of other families struggling to get their children back, Jordan's brother, Ian, (right) said they approached the situation carefully Jordan sent a worrying text to family and friends after he was taken back to the church 'At one point, his eyes rolled back in his head and we're just like 'what is going on here?',' she said. Drug tests later revealed that he had sleeping pills and muscle relaxers in his system after returning from the compound. Reichenberger admits that the felt 'just kind of like a haze' while he was at the church compound. He explained that while he would never take drugs or tranquilizers voluntarily, all his food and drink during the five days at the compound were provided by the church. 'Abhorrent. It's a real shame that people can be doing that kind of stuff in the name of God,' said Reichenberger. He and his family have since contacted the police about the results of the drug test. A stock image of the Church of Wells, which has been accused of taking people's children and drugging them The family said when they first realized that he was missing, they asked police to trace his cellphone. They found it had last 'pinged' outside of the city of Dime Box, Texas, an hour outside of Austin. His family also began reviewing surveillance footage from businesses around downtown Austin, where Reichenberger had been preaching, and found him talking to a man in plaid and another guy, at around 2.47am, before he walks off with the man in plaid. The family also recovered another video of the unnamed man in plaid preaching to a man in a clown costume that same evening. When they contacted the Heidi Search Foundation in San Antonio, they were told that the interaction sounded like their son had met with someone from the Church of Wells. It was only days later Reichenberger finally got back in touch with his family who were frantically trying to reach him. On the night that Reichenberger went missing, surveillance footage showed a member of the church (in the plaid shirt) appearing to confront a man dressed as a clown. Reichenberger's family were horrified when reviewing the footage, they saw the same man talking to their son While Reichenberger was allowed to leave the compound, to the surprise of many, another family are still waiting to be reunited with their daughter. Andy and Patty Grove's daughter, Catherine, joined Church of Wells nearly six years ago and the parents haven't heard from her in over a year. They are terrified about what might have happened to her. 'We have information from law enforcement that she had made numerous escape attempts,' Andy Grove said. Her mother believes that Catherine was also drugged when she was first brought into the church. 'I honestly believe that my daughter was drugged at the beginning and there's some reason why she decided to escape four times and she's asked to go to a women's shelter twice,' said Patty in tears as KVUE asked where things stand with Catherine. DailyMail.com has reached out to the Church of Wells for comment. Secret CCTV footage has uncovered the horrific physical abuse and verbal torment a mental health patient suffered at the hands of six policemen on the front lawn of his home. Disability pensioner John had locked himself inside his Melbourne property when his psychologist called emergency services in October last year - concerned the man could self-harm. When police arrived, he told them he was vomiting blood and had diarrhoea - nasty side effects he claimed were a result of withdrawing from medication for his back pain. But an altercation at his door step sparked a horrific 20-minute episode that would see him held down by six officers, brutally beaten with a baton, verbally abused and capsicum sprayed in the face. Secret CCTV footage has uncovered the horrific physical abuse and verbal torment a mental health patient suffered at the hands of six policemen on the front lawn of his home 'You f***ing idiot... You like that? Smells good doesn't,' one officer said in the footage, obtained by Fairfax Media. 'Get your f***ing hands behind your f***ing back,' he continued as John screamed in agony after receiving six blows to the leg from a baton. 'Oh God my back... My eyes... You happy? How tough are youse?' he asked. In a final humiliation, John was sprayed with a high-pressure hose as he sat handcuffed and in tears on his lawn. A grinning policeman pulled out his phone to film the ordeal - and appeared to ask his colleague to continue hosing John so he could capture it on camera. An altercation on John's door step sparked a horrific episode that would see him held down by six officers, brutally beaten with a baton, verbally abused and capsicum sprayed in the face 'You f***ing idiot... You like that? Smells good doesn't,' one officer said in the footage 'It was like a game for them. They wanted to get their rocks off, you know? It's wrong,' John told the ABC's 7.30. 'He's aiming for my nostrils and it's going into my lungs - and that's when I started choking from the water and from the hot mace going into my respiratory [system]. 'I couldn't breathe. I really, literally, thought I was going to drown. You can feel the mace and the water together in your lungs.' Victoria Police issued a statement on Tuesday morning, saying it had 'no tolerance for poor behaviour within its ranks'. In a final humiliation, John was sprayed with a high-pressure hose as he sat handcuffed and in tears on his lawn, while a grinning officer filmed the ordeal Victoria Police issued a statement on Tuesday morning, saying it had 'no tolerance for poor behaviour within its ranks' 'We want people to have absolute confidence that when they make a complaint against police it will be investigated thoroughly and with integrity,' the statement read. 'We will examine carefully any new evidence contained in todays media reports. If matters need to be revisited, then that is what will occur.' The case is now in the hands of Victoria's public sector watchdog, the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission. African anti-Apartheid campaigner Winnie Mandela has died. Her assistant confirmed the news on Monday in a statement to the BBC. She stated that the former wife of South Africa's first black president, Nelson Mandela, died after battling an illness for some time. 'She died after a long illness for which she had been in and out of hospital since the start of the year,' Victor Dlamini said. Winnie Madikizela Mandela has died aged 81 after contracting an illness early this year 'She succumbed peacefully in the early hours of Monday afternoon surrounded by her family and loved ones.' It's unclear at this time what ailment Winnie, aged 81 at the time of her death, was battling. Her ex-husband died nearly five years before, also amid health complications. He was 95 years old. Find out how the public reacted to learning of Winnie's death. Who is Winnie Mandela? Winnie Madikizela Mandela was born in 1936 in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. According to the BBC, the area is known as Transkei. She met Nelson Mandela in the 1950s while working as a social worker. The pair married and remained so for 38 years. The former president of South Africa was away in prison for nearly 30 years of that overall time, however. Winnie and Nelson called it quits two years after he was released from prison. They divorced in 1996, but remained linked. Winnie kept her ex-husband's last name and continued to associate with him. During her lifetime, Winnie held many positions, including a few in government. She served as the Deputy Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology and was also at one point on the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress as well as the head of its Women's League. Winnie was eventually dismissed from her position due to corruption allegations. Then, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was established during her time in government to investigate past human rights abuses, revealed violent activities he participated in and condoned in the 1980s. This left her reputation in tatters. In 2003, things got worse as Winnie was convicted of theft and fraud. During this time she withdrew from political involvement, though she did eventually return. Despite the controversy, Winnie was revered by many. She was known among supporters as the Mother of the Nation. She was even offered academic honors for her work during apartheid years. Social media reactions to Winnie Mandela's death Rest in peace Winnie Mandella pic.twitter.com/WCSdgUk4ag lameck Isaya (@isaya_lameck) April 2, 2018 Winnie Mandela dead. BBC fails to mention her advocacy for burning people to death & innumerable human rights violations. Imagine my shock. https://t.co/8lH1ZjQTgw Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) April 2, 2018 Rest In Peace to the empowering, inspiring struggle icon, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. You will never be forgotten for everything you have done for South Africa and for the people. pic.twitter.com/6surVhpML6 Luke Waltham (@lukewaltham) April 2, 2018 Rest In Peace Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela: You fought a brave fight and stood the test of time. You gallant deeds will never be forgotten. pic.twitter.com/FTJIP78zah Mzilikazi wa Afrika (@IamMzilikazi) April 2, 2018 Winnie Mandela - described as a complex & controversial antiapartheid activist - has died. This is the photograph that her husband Nelson Mandela kept while imprisoned on Robben Island. pic.twitter.com/zpRAOW0lQb Megha Mohan (@meghamohan) April 2, 2018 Winnie Madikizela-Mandela RIP. Mother to us all. Even those who want to deny the suffering and struggle you had to endure. #RIPWinnieMandela Khaya Dlanga (@khayadlanga) April 2, 2018 She lived for everyone, fought for lives and empowered along the way. RIP to a revolutionary, Winnie Mandela! pic.twitter.com/aM0GfrdAO3 Estelle (@EstelleDarlings) April 2, 2018 A hero, a mother and a legend has passed on. Her legacy will live on and we will remember her as the mother of the nation. We salute you Mother Winnie Mandela. Rest in Peace great soul, Winnie Madikizela Mandela #RIPWinnieMandela #WinnieMandela pic.twitter.com/QhsddUfP36 Christo (@ChristoThurston) April 2, 2018 Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid protester. During his younger days, he worked as a lawyer in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was while he was working there that he got involved with anti-colonial and African nationalist politics. In 1943 he joined the African National Congress, founding its Youth League the following year. In response to apartheid, he and the African National Congress committed themselves to overthrowing the white-only political parties in power. While fighting for these rights, Nelson was repeatedly arrested. In 1956 he was unsuccessfully prosecuted in a Treason trial. After that, he joined the South African Communist Party, a banned group. Initially, the group was just participating in non-violent protests. Things got more serious in 1961 when Nelson, together with the South African Communist Party, established a group called Umkhonto we Sizwe and led a campaign against the government. As a result of his involvement, Nelson was arrested the following year for conspiring to overthrow the state. He was sentenced to life in prison. After serving a full 27 years, Nelson was allowed to go free. Not long after he was released, Nelson decided to run for president of South Africa. He was the first black president the country had ever had. Nelson was president from 1994 to 1999. He died in December 2013 after contracting a respiratory infection. Winnie Mandela movie A film, called Winnie Mandela, was made about the life and many achievements of Winnie Mandela. The film was released in 2011 and starred Terrence Howard as Nelson Mandela and Jennifer Hudson as Winnie Mandela. The film highlights Winnie's strict upbringing, allowing viewers to get a glimpse at how she was raised, as well as her decision to pass on the opportunity to study in America, and how she coped with her husband being imprisoned for so many years. The film was not well received by all viewers. That Winnie Mandela movie with Jennifer Hudson should be permanently removed from everywhere out of respect tbh 'Red' (@Red__Mos) April 2, 2018 What is apartheid? Britannica defines apartheid as a South African policy that allowed the racial segregation, or separation, as well as discrimination against nonwhites. It was implemented through the Population Registration Act which, according to Britannica, 'classified all South Africans as either Bantu (all black Africans), Coloured (those of mixed race), or white.' Racial segregation is said to have been practiced widely prior to the implementation of apartheid, but wasn't called that until the National Party gained power and expanded on the policy. Under apartheid, nonwhite South Africans couldn't live, open businesses or own land in certain areas. Laws were passed that required nonwhite people to carry documents authorizing their presence in restricted areas. Mixing was also forbidden socially, separate education standards were set for black and white children and race restrictions were put on certain jobs. Nonwhite South Africans were also forbidden from participating in the government in any way. Ethan Couch emerged from jail Monday, looking unrecognizable from the baby faced drunk driver who was last photographed after he and his mother were extradited from Mexico. Gone are the dark bangs and the scraggly beard that he had when he first entered Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth, Texas. In their place, his hair was ginger and cut into a trendy cut, long on top and shorn at the sides. It was the third vastly different look in his short life. When he was first arrested he had blond hair. Couch - dubbed the affluenza teen - had reached the end of his 720-day sentence imposed for breaching the probation he had been on for mowing down four people in a drunken 2013 crash. Affluenza teen Ethan Crouch was released from jail Monday morning, just 720 days after being locked away for the drunken-driving killing of four Couch was pictured leaving a probation office hours after being released from jail on Monday morning The 20-year-old sported a black zip-up hoodie and khaki pants, looking toward the ground as he headed out of the probation office Couch's hair was back to its ginger color after dying it black in 2015 to avoid authorities. It appeared to be freshly cut before his release Couch's mother, Tonya, 50, was not on hand to greet her son on his release as she was held last week for breaching the terms of her parole He left the probation office in Fort Worth, Texas, shortly before noon. As he left, he carried a green shopping bag into a nearby car News reporters surrounded Couch and his vehicle in hopes of getting a statement as he left the probation office on Monday morning Dressed in a purple T-shirt, dark Under Armor hoodie and khaki pants, Couch, who turns 21 in nine days-time, said nothing as he got into a waiting Tesla. His attorney said he continues to be remorseful for his actions. Couch was released at 8.30am Central Time and immediately taken to a probation office through an underground tunnel to get an ankle bracelet fitted. He first appeared in public three and a half hours later after having an ankle monitors fitted. Couch barreled into a stalled car on June 15, 2013, killing the driver and three people who had come to her aid. He was just 16 when he left a party at his parents' home, driving around 70 mph in his father, Fred Couch's truck. After the crash, he was found to be three times over the legal blood/alcohol limit. He also had marijuana and valium in his system. A judge in Fort Worth gave him ten years' probation on the understanding he go into rehab and refrain from drinking, but he and his mother Tonya fled to Mexico in 2015 after a video of him at a beer pong party was posted online. The video did not show him drinking. Tonya, 50, was not on hand to greet her son on his release as she was held last week for breaching the terms of her parole when she was found to have alcohol in her system. Her bond was revoked. Couch was finishing up his 720-day sentence in Tarrant County Jail for breaching the probation he was placed on after the June 2013 accident when he barreled into a stalled car, killing the driver and three people who had come to her aid Couch is seen above in a court hearing in December 2013, when psychologist Dick Miller said that the teen suffered from 'affluenza' She is due in court on May 21 to face charges of hindering the apprehension of a fugitive and money laundering. She faces a maximum ten years in state prison. The president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Colleen Sheehey-Church, called Couch's release a 'grave injustice'. She said the organization will be closely following his release amid outrage from its members, according to CBS DFW. After the crash, Couch was found to be three times over the legal blood/alcohol limit. He also had marijuana and valium in his system On June 15, 2013, Couch was behind the wheel of his father's red Ford F-350 pick-up, speeding 70mph down the road from his home in Burleson, Texas, where he had hosted a drunken teenage party. Earlier in the day he and two friends had stolen three cases of Miller Light from a local Walmart. As the party got into its swing, one of the guests found she needed a tampon and everyone piled into the truck to go to a nearby convenience store. The then 16-year-old then smashed into an SUV that had stopped by the side of the road after its tire blew, killing its driver Breanna Mitchell, 24. The crash also killed three people had to come to her aid, including Brian Jennings, who was on the way home from his son's graduation, and mother-and-daughter neighbors Hollie and Shelby Boyles. Sergio Molina, one of Couch's passengers, was left paralyzed and can now only communicate by blinking. At Couch's trial, psychologist Dick Miller said that the teen suffered from 'affluenza', a term coined decades earlier to explain the downside of having too much. The president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Colleen Sheehey-Church, called his release a 'grave injustice. She said the organization will be closely following his release amid outrage from its members. Pictured is Couch's car after the crash in June 2013 Victims: Couch slammed into the SUV of 24-year-old Breanna Mitchell (left). Brian Jennings (right), who was on the way home from his son's graduation, was also killed Mother and daughter Hollie (left) and Shelby Boyles (right) were also killed in the 2013 crash Sergio Molina, one of Couch's passengers, was paralyzed and can now communicate only by blinking He said his parents had not taught him wrong from right. Instead of being taught the golden rule, Miller said, Ethan was taught: 'We have the gold, we make the rules.' Though Couch killed four and left a fifth victim paralyzed, he wasn't initially sentenced to any jail time. Because of his affluenza, he was instead sentenced to just ten years of probation. After being caught underage drinking in 2016, Ethan and his mother Tonya Couch fled to Puerto Vallerta, Mexico, and were later picked up by police and taken back to the United States Judge Jean Boyd accepted Miller's argument and gave him a sentence that was heavily criticized by MADD and other groups. But after being caught underage drinking in 2015, Ethan and Tonya fled to Puerto Vallerta, Mexico with the family dog, and were later picked up by police and taken back to the United States. The mother-son pair were caught when authorities traced an order for Domino's pizza made from one of their smartphones. Tonya came back to the United States on New Year's eve 2015, and Ethan came back late January after fighting extradition. When he returned his probation was being supervised by the juvenile court system, which meant he could only be on probation until his 19th birthday in April 2016. At that time he was transferred to the adult probation system and given 180 days for each of the four people killed. Those sentenced were served consecutively. MADD's Sheehey-Church said Monday will be a tough day for his victims' families. 'As an organization we'll be there to serve them if they need us,' she told CBS. 'We'll continue to watch him because we have a partnership with Tarrant County to make sure that he at least adheres to all his rules of probation when he does get out on Monday.' Couch will have a 9pm curfew and have to wear a GPS and alcohol monitor. He will also have an ignition interlock device attached to his car. According to Tim WIlliams, the best friend of Couch's victim Brian Jennings, said in an interview with DailyMailTV two weeks ago that he believes Couch does finally understand the severity of his actions. Williams (right) and Jennings are pictured together Tim Williams, a prison chaplain who was the best friend of Couch's victim Brian Jennings, has befriended Couch during his time between bars. He said in an exclusive interview with DailyMailTV two weeks ago that he believes Couch finally understands the severity of his actions. 'He told me 'I don't want to scam the system anymore. I don't want to figure out how I can get around my probation. I just want to do what I need to do',' Williams said. 'In my view, the idea of affluenza is a joke,' Williams added. 'I'm not sure that there is an opposite term that says you can get away with things if you are too poor. It is a huge error of thought.' Williams said he too was appalled by the sentence that Boyd handed down to Couch. He said that he expected Couch would live with his father - who has split from Couch's mother - after his release and he thought he would actually try to speak to people about irresponsible actions. 'He has expressed some desire to assist others,' said Williams. 'My impression is he has no wish to go and do the big stuff but rather just to say "Hey, kids, don't do what I did. Don't think like I thought. Don't believe you're going to get away with it".' A hiker plunged 400ft to his death from Hawaiis Olomana Trail after his hat blew off in the wind and he tried to grab it. Nathan Stowell, 25, plummeted to his death on Sunday after losing his footing on the notoriously difficult trail. Rescue efforts were hampered by the tree canopy, meaning it was at least two hours before rescue crews finally got to Stowell. They found he had stopped breathing and had no pulse and was pronounced dead at the scene. Nathan Stowell, 25, plummeted to his death on Sunday after losing his footing on the notoriously difficult Olomana Trail Rescue teams (pictured carrying his body) got to him two hours after the fall and he was pronounced dead at the scene His friend, who had been hiking with Stowell, described the horrific moment he saw his hiking buddy slip and fall. He started sliding down the hill, and he kept on going and he tumbled,' he told the Honolulu Star Advertiser. He went over to get a hat that they told him not to. He wouldnt listen. The Olomana Trail (pictured) is one of the most dangerous parts of the Honolulu trail and has claimed the lives of three people since 2011 Rescue efforts were hampered by the tree canopy, meaning it was at least two hours before rescue crews finally got to Stowell (rescue crews carry out his body) The Olomana Trail is one of the most dangerous parts of the Honolulu trail and has claimed the lives of three other people since 2011. In June 2015, a 53-year-old Florida man died after he plummeted 200ft. The previous year, off-duty firefighter Mitchell Kai, 28, died while hiking about 100 feet from the summit of the third peak. Ryan Suenaga, a 44-year-old social worker, died April 2011, after falling 150 feet between the second and third peaks. Meanwhile, friends and family of Stowell, originally from Phoenix, Arizona, but who moved to Pupukea, Hawaii, have paid tribute to the keen hiker. James Keener wrote on Facebook: 'Today we lost one of our own. Nathan Stowell has been a member of our family since he was 19yo. I loved and cared for him as a Son over the last 6 years. Meanwhile, friends and family of Stowell, originally from Phoenix, Arizona, but who moved to Pupukea, Hawaii, have paid tribute to the keen hiker Friends have paid tribute to the keen hiker, saying he 'died the way he lived - taking chances, and living everyday to its fullest' 'He tragically fell while hiking this morning and died the way he lived, taking chances, and living everyday to its fullest. 'He was a superstar and will be forever missed. I love you Natedog ! May you rest in peace!' Leo Leader added: ' Fly high brotherr! You will be missed by soo many. Gone way 2 soon!' I cant believe that he is gone. He is such an awesome guy. Sammy and I are shocked to hear about this,' Sharon Rogers added. Four members of a Christian family were gunned down in southwestern Pakistan on Monday in the latest attack on the minority community. The family were travelling in a rickshaw when armed men on a motorcycle intercepted them and opened fire in Quetta city, the capital of Baluchistan province. A woman was rushed to hospital. Her father and three cousins were killed. The family were travelling in a rickshaw when armed men on a motorcycle intercepted them and opened fire in Quetta city, the capital of Baluchistan province 'It appears to have been a targeted attack,' provincial police official Moazzam Jah Ansari told Reuters. 'It was an act of terrorism.' The attack comes a day after Pakistan's Christian community celebrated Easter on Sunday. Around 2 per cent of Pakistan's population are Christians. Minority religious festivals are a security concern in the majority Sunni Muslim country where there have been a number of high casualty attacks on Christians and Shi'ite Muslims. Baluchistan, a region bordering Iran as well as Afghanistan, is plagued by violence by Sunni Islamist sectarian groups linked to the Taliban, al Qaeda and Islamic State. It also has an indigenous ethnic Baloch insurgency fighting against central government. In December, a week before Christmas, two suicide bombers stormed a packed Christian church in southwestern Pakistan, killing at least 10 people and wounding up to 56, in an attack claimed by Islamic State. The attack comes a day after Pakistan's Christian community celebrated Easter on Sunday. Around 2 per cent of Pakistan's population are Christians The family killed on Monday had come to visit relatives in Quetta's Shahzaman road area, where a large number of the city's Christian community lives. Rome's ancient Colosseum was lit in red for an evening in February in solidarity with persecuted Christians, particularly Asia Bibi, a Catholic woman who has been living on death row in Pakistan since 2010, when she was condemned for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Islam. A railway signalman who was plagued by gambling debt ended his life by stepping in front of a 90mph train at a level crossing. The inquest in Eastbourne heard how Matthew Golbey, 24, from Peacehaven, East Sussex, had been struggling with financial issues before he died at the crossing in Firle, near Lewes. The father-of-one, who died last September, had worked for the railway for six years. His mother Louise Virgo said he had taken out loans to pay debts and use to gamble at the casino and online in the past, but 'since then he seemed happy'. Matthew Golbey, 24, from Peacehaven, had been struggling with financial issues before he died In the weeks before his death she had become worried about his financial situation again, and 'knew something was wrong' when he returned home unexpectedly. The next day she woke to find his bedroom empty. She received a text around 5.36am telling her he was going to take his own life. The signalman was struck by a train at Ripe Level crossing between Polegate and Lewes railway stations. Pathologist Dr David Wright said death would have been instantaneous after being hit by the 90mph train. Sussex Police later found the signalman's black Mercedes parked in a layby near the level crossing. The line had to be closed, causing major disruption for commuters with no trains running between Lewes and Eastbourne that morning. Replacement bus services had to be arranged. East Sussex senior coroner Alan Craze said 'There is no scope for any doubt whatsoever, and the conclusion will very sadly be he took his own life. 'Having done this job for a long time I have a good idea of how devastating something like this would be for people close to him. 'I would like to disclose my condolences to you.' The father died at a level crossing in Firle, near Lewes A crowdfunding page launched after the former Peacehaven Community School pupil's death raised 630 to go towards his two-year-old son Mason. A tribute on the Just Giving Page from Mr Golbey's father, Mark, said 'Mason's daddy and my son Matthew Golbey was taken from us at the age of 24 and with Mason not even being two-years-old. 'He will not remember what a brilliant relationship the pair of them had during the short time that they were together, they were inseparable. 'Matthew had a great career ahead of him working for Network Rail as a signalman, who had built up a great circle of friends and work colleagues, who like the rest of us and his family couldn't believe the tragic news.' For confidential support in the UK, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see for details. An Arizona man who has been named as a person of interest in his neighbors' disappearance has claimed his innocence. David Myhaver, 52, said he had nothing to do with the disappearance of his Littleton, Arizona neighbors Jerry and Susan McFalls, both 62. 'All I can say is B.S., because none of it is factual,' Myhaver told KSL. 'My name is being dragged through the freaking gutter.' David Myhaver, 52, has been named as a person of interest in the disappearance of Utah couple Jerry (right) and Susan McFalls (left), both 62 The McFalls were reported missing when they failed to return home as scheduled from a trip to their Arizona vacation home (above) The McFalls were last heard from on January 11, when they texted family to say they were leaving their Littleton, Arizona vacation home to return to their main home in West Jordan, Utah. They family reported them missing when they failed to return as promised. When cops searched the couple's vacation property, they found the home virtually undisturbed, despite the open and unlocked front door. No valuables appeared to have been taken and food was left out on the counter. The couple's money, guns, medications and pets were also left inside the house Local police searched the house and the neighborhood extensively but didn't find any more evidence as to why the couple vanished. Myhaver was named as a person of interest on January 26, but his name was not released until last week. The couple's neighbor was named a person of interest because his wife shot at Jerry with a BB gun in the weeks before the couple's disappearance He was named a person of interest because his wife, Lida Oakley, was charged with shooting Jerry with a BB gun in the weeks before the man's disappearance. Those charges were dropped in February because the couple went missing. The state says they will refile the charges if the couple are found alive. Myhaver described the shooting incident as a 'he-said, she-said' thing. He said he tried to keep his distance from the couple. 'I never talked with them, never did anything with them, never been over there to visit with them or nothing,' Myhaver said. He says he's frustrated that his name has been connected to the case. 'Its a nightmare,' he said. 'Theres nothing I can do about it, because its beyond my control. I have to go with the flow.' Regular searches are being held for the couple, the most recent which happened this weekend. Daughter-in-law Meridee McFalls says the family doesn't expect the couple to be found alive anymore. 'Somebodys done something to them and its a matter of time,' she said. 'Thats the most important thing, I think for us not necessarily who did it, its finding mom and dad and getting some closure with them.' Oscar Mendoza, 33, has been arrested over the theft of guitarist Nils Lofgren's instruments Dallas police have recovered four guitars stolen from a Bruce Springsteen guitarist shortly before the longtime member of the E Street Band was due to perform in the city. Nils Lofgren tweeted his gratitude that his instruments have been found on Monday: 'Thank you all. This has been an unbelievable weekend. Looks like my guitars are coming back to me.' Authorities say the stolen items were found after a witness contacted them saying they had purchased one of the guitars on the OFFER UP app without knowing its origins. The witness reportedly helped police by staying in contact with suspect Oscar Mendoza on the app. The 33-year-old was taken into custody at the 4600 block of Singleton Avenue, where police also found the rest of the instruments. Lofgren was in Dallas for a sold out solo show on Friday when he discovered his touring van had been broken into overnight. Police found the thief after a witness contacted them saying they had bought one of the guitars on the OFFER UP app (Lofgren is pictured left of Bruce Springsteen) Lofgren took to Twitter on Monday to announce his stolen guitars were recovered The van was parked at a Holiday Inn Express where Lofgren, 66, was staying when the thief ran off with three Takamine acoustic guitars and a Fender Stratocaster. An electric level harp and a toolbox belonging to Lofgren's guitar tech was also missing. Lofgren said he handpicked all of the guitars specially for the tour. His tour manager has estimated that they were worth around $10,000. 'Im am devastated by this robbery. These are my first shows out after a very difficult year,' Lofgren tweeted on Friday, shortly after he discovered his instruments missing. The veteran rocker asked his fans to help him find the instruments and kept them updated on Twitter throughout the search. The veteran rocker was to use borrowed instruments when he performed solo at the Kessler Theater in Dallas on Friday night Lofgren was in Dallas for a sold out solo show on Friday when he discovered his touring van (pictured) had been broken into overnight He was forced to use borrowed instruments when he performed solo at the Kessler Theater in Dallas on Friday night. With no instruments and a gig within hours, Lofgren called on his longtime friend Howard Kweller for help. The pair had played in a band together in middle school in the 1960s and Kweller still had the guitar Lofgren had bought for his son's bar mitzvah two decades ago. The E Street Band has been Bruce Springsteen's backing band since 1972. President Donald Trump renewed his periodic attacks on his own Justice Department this time going after the agency and the FBI for 'slow walking' document requests by House Republican committees. He even mocked the government agency by using so-called anger quotes around the word 'Justice.' The move comes after Attorney General Jeff Sessions rebuffed calls that he appoint a second special counsel to probe alleged FBI abuse in the Russia and Clinton investigations. Late last month, the House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed documents from Justice related to the 2016 Hillary Clinton probe and the firing of former FBI Director Andrew McCabe. President Donald Trump mocked the Justice Department and said the agency was 'slow walking' document requests from Republican congressional committees 'So sad that the Department of Justice and the FBI are slow walking, or even not giving, the un-redacted documents requested by Congress. An embarrassment to our country!' Trump tweeted Monday. He has previously gone after Sessions personally and said the agency was in 'tatters.' Republican lawmakers who are conducting their own agency probes want to a trove of documents assembled by DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who is expected to issue a report this month. His probe has already led to the release of anti-Trump emails by a pair of FBI lovers, and precipitated the departure and Trump firing of former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe. Goodlatte is demanding thousands of documents from the IG probe. The document request covers the probe into Clinton's use of a private email server as well as 'potential abuses' of surveillance law as it relates to monitoring of former Trump campaign advisor Carter Page, who came under suspicion due to Russia contacts. Trump blew the whistle on an agencies the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI he termed an 'embarrassment' for their response to document requests Trump has repeatedly gone after Attorney General Jeff Sessions 'Given the Departments ongoing delays in producing these documents, I am left with no choice but to issue the enclosed subpoena to compel production of these documents,' the Virginia Republican wrote Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Goodlatte said the subpoena also applies to 'all documents and communications' relating to an internal ethics board's review of McCabe's conduct where it recommended he be fired. Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley and House Oversight and Government Reform chair Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina also are seeking documents. FBI Director Chris Wray has pledged to deploy additional staff to sort through documents to comply with the requests. Wray announced the agency has 54 staffers working two shifts from morning until midnight, the Hill reported. Vladimir Putin today released footage of yet another advanced Russian missile test just as the West celebrated the annual Easter holiday. The footage shows his lethal 'satellite killer', with the capability to obliterate NATO spies in orbit. This came as Britain and its allies in the EU and North America are embroiled in a bitter expulsion war with the Kremlin over the Skripal nerve agent poisoning scandal. Vladimir Putin released footage of another Russian missile test as the West celebrated Easter The latest test shows an upgraded anti-ballistic missile ostensibly designed to to protect Moscow and the Kremlin from enemy missile attack. Yet its capability is more advanced. Russian military insiders nickname it the 'satellite killer' but the versatile mobile system can also shoot down both aircraft and missiles, as well as ICBM warheads with multiple warheads. The test was conducted at the Sary Shagan test range in Kazakhstan. The upgraded anti-ballistic missile is designed to to protect Moscow and the Kremlin from enemy missile attacks The test was conducted at the Sary Shagan test range in Kazakhstan Russian military insiders call it the 'satellite killer' but the system can also shoot down both aircraft and missiles Russia marks Easter Sunday in line with the Orthodox calendar on Sunday 8 April, a week after the West, and there was no pause from a series of missile tests from then Kremlin intended as a warning to the West amid fears of a descent into World War Three. 'A new upgraded anti-ballistic missile has successfully accomplished its task and struck a conventional target at the designated time,' boasted Major General Andrey Prikhodko, of the Russian Air Force. The Russian defence ministry declined to release further details of the secretive system, including the exact type of the missile which was tested at Sary Shagan. 'A new upgraded anti-ballistic missile has successfully accomplished its task and struck a conventional target at the designated time,' boasted Major General Andrey Prikhodko, of the Russian Air Force It is comprised of dozens of interceptor missiles and sophisticated early warning radars In Moscow it is called simply 536 and NATO knows it as Gazelle. The projectile is reported by the Russian media to be a component of the A-135 anti-missile shield designed to protect the Kremlin against nuclear strikes. It is comprised of dozens of interceptor missiles and sophisticated early warning radars. On Friday last week, Putin demonstrated his Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile. This 'invinvible' hypersonic weapon emerged from an underground silo - paused as if hovering above the ground, and then sped away in a cloud of white smoke. The Russian defence ministry declined to release further details of the secretive system, including the exact type of the missile which was tested The launch was at the snow-covered Plesetsk spaceport in northern Russia. It was fired for the second time since tests began last December, say Moscow officials. 'This new test at the Plesetsk spaceport confirmed its characteristics during the pre-launch and initial flight phases,' the ministry said in a statement published in its Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) newspaper. The tests come after Putin tried out intercontinental ballistic missiles on Friday last week Putin said during his annual state of the nation parliamentary address this month that Russia had begun actively testing the Sarmat - known to NATO as the SS-X-32 SNOWFLAKE. It is expected to go operational in 2021 with the the Uzhur-based strategic missile force division. In order to intercept a Sarmat, at least 500 American ABM missiles would be needed, according to Viktor Bondarev, chairman of Russian senate's Defence and Security Committee and until recently commander of the country's aerospace forces. A video of an off-leash pit bull attacking another dog has surfaced in Canada, following reporting of another dog fight that left one animal dead. Kathy Clarke of Edmonton, Alberta, shared a video captured by a bystander of her mixed-breed dog being attacked by a pit bull in February, in hopes of spurring legislation for greater pet owner accountability. The pit bull 'just clamped on and would not let go no matter how I hit him,' Clarke told CTV Edmonton, describing the attack that left her pet with puncture wounds. 'These pet owners need to be held accountable when their dog does damage,' she said, adding that officers identified the dog's owner, but said they couldn't do anything unless he turned himself in. The video which contains disturbing footage, was shared by the media outlet with its viewers on Sunday. WARNING: DISTURBING VIDEO AND PHOTOS Scroll down for video Kathy Clarke of Edmonton in Alberta shared a video on Sunday captured by a bystander of her mixed-breed dog being attacked by a pit bull in February, in hopes of spurring legislation for greater pet owner accountability Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that 60 out of 279 dog-bite related human fatalities between 1979 and 1996 were inflicted by pit bull-type dogs. In 80 of those deaths, the breed of the dog that delivered the fatal injury was not known. Clarke's dog, George, is a five-year old Labrador-Beagle mix. The video of his attack shows a pit bull with its mouth clamped at George's neck, as Clarke yells to an unidentified man visible in the shot, 'Get him off of my dog, now!' The video of the attack shows a pit bull with its mouth clamped at George's neck Clarke yells to an unidentified man visible in the shot, 'Get him off of my dog, now!' The man can be seen hitting the pit bull with what looks like little force as Clarke struggles to pull George back and out of its jaws. Another man is then shown, wrestling with the pit bull and finally freeing George, only for the pit bull to circle around Clarke and clamp its jowls into the cross breed, yet again. The pit bull is shown shaking its head from side to side, with its mouth still gripping Clarke's dog. The man can be seen hitting the pit with what looks like little force as Clarke struggles to pull George back and out of its jaws The pit was shown shaking its head from side to side, with its mouth gripping Clarke's dog After several minutes, several people including one believed to be its owner eventually got the pit bull off of George and carried it away. 'I thought George was gonna die,' Clarke said, her voice cracking and her eyes tearing up with emotion. George survived the attack on him in February, but the dogfight that prompted Clarke to share her video didn't end as well. Another man is shown in the video, wrestling with the pit bull and finally freeing George Almost immediately, the pit circles around Clarke and clamps its jowls into George, again; The moment the pit escapes the man's grasp before attacking again is shown here Clarke saw CTV Edmonton coverage in March of 14-year-old beagle named Riley, who had to be euthanized after an off-leash pit bull attacked and left the dog with a nearly 10-inch gash. The owner of Riley asked animal control to seize that pit bull, but officials said that 'seizure of the animal is largely dependent on the willingness of the owner to surrender (it).' Pit bulls have gotten a bad reputation as a breed with a propensity toward aggressive behavior, but Tia Lenz, who runs an Edmonton not-for-profit organization dedicated to rescuing pit bulls, said fault falls with bad pit bull owners. 'That is why we have a stigma, because of owners like [the one who owns the dog that attacked George],' Lenz said. She added: 'Preventative is key. Have your dog on a leash, watch your dog when its out in the backyard, dont allow your dog to be free like that.' After several minutes, several people including on an believed to be its owner eventually got the pit bull off of George and carried it away 'I thought George was gonna die,' Clarke said, her voice cracking and her eyes tearing up with emotion. A breed-specific ban against pit bulls was lifted in Montreal in December following a campaign promise to do so from the new mayor, Valerie Plante. The ban was put in place in 2016 after a pit bull attacked resulted in the death of a 55-year-old woman, and another attack left a seven-year-old girl severely mauled, in Longueuil, Quebec. The owner of the pit bull that mauled the little girl was sentenced in February to four years in jail for criminal negligence causing bodily harm. In this case, it's not clear whether Clarke wanted the owner of the pit bull that attacked George to allow his dog to be seized, or whether she wanted the owner himself to suffer some sort of penalty for the attack. Clarke could not immediately be reached by DailyMail.com to comment on what kind of accountability legislation she'd like to see passed in Alberta. President Donald Trump's approval rating hit 50 percent on Monday in one major national poll for just the second time since June 2017. The Rasmussen Reports daily tracking poll shows half of all Americans say Trump is doing a good job in office, while 49 per cent disagree. The president's strong showing comes following an unenviable week of chaos dominated by constant sword-rattling from alleged former Trump paramour Stormy Daniels, and the dismissal-by-tweet of his Veterans Affairs secretary David Shulkin. Rasmussen's poll is a three-day rolling average, meaning that Monday's numbers came from polling last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday while the repercussions from the '60 Minutes' interview with porn star Daniels on March 25 were still being felt. President Donald Trump has hit 50 per cent in Rasmussen's daily presidential approval tracking poll Trump's 50-50 showing is four points better than Barack Obama's in the same poll exactly eight years ago, when he was at the same point in his first term as president Last week began with the sensationalized '60 Minutes' interview of Stormy Daniels, a porn actress who claims to have had a months-long affair with Donald Trump a decade ago, but Rasmussen's poll numbers show Trump rebounded handily Trump's numbers in the Rasmussen poll have been in the 50-plus territory on less than 14 per cent of his days in office. Barack Obama polled better than 50 per cent 27 per cent of the time while he was commander-in-chief. But Obama's Rasmussen score eight years ago was 46 per cent four points behind where Trump currently sits. Of the national polls that sampled Trump's job approval in the past month, the Rasmussen survey is the only one that samples 'likely voters.' The others broaden their samples to include 'registered voters' whether or not they plan to cast ballots in the future and, in some cases, adult 'Americans' at large. An average of polls maintained by Real Clear Politics shows that Trump's overall rating during the past two weeks is 42.1 per cent. The Rasmussen poll is the rosiest of the bunch: It puts Trump's current level of support also above his performance level in the 2016 election, when 46.1 per cent of voters chose him over Hillary Clinton and some minor candidates. Obama began his presidency at 67 per cent approval in the Rasmussen tracking poll, compared with 56 per cent for Trump. Barack Obama polled better than 50 per cent 27 per cent of the time while he was commander-in-chief nearly twice Trump's rate so far Trump has been fighting off a collection of political headaches, including a special counsel probe into whether his campaign colluded with Russians who aimed to meddle in the 2016 election. Nearly 20 women have accused him of some level of sexual harassment or abuse, depressing his support among female voters. The president has also been plagued by far greater turnover of senior staff than his predecessors, most recently losing his staff secretary following domestic violence accusations from two ex-wives. The instability of Trump's inner circle hasn't projected strength: Departures of his initial chief of staff, chief strategist, press secretary, health secretary, veterans affairs secretary, FBI director, chief economic adviser, two national security advisers and a pair of communications directors have all been public-relations train wrecks. And Omarosa Manigault-Newman's ouster from the Office of Public Liaison led her back to reality television, where she trashed the administration at every turn. The Rasmussen poll is clearly an outlier among recent surveys, but it's also the only recent poll to sample 'likely' voters (indicated as 'LV' above) The Rasmussen Reports national poll was among the few that came closest to accurately predicting the results of the election that vaulted Trump to power. Unlike other polls that ask questions in live telephone interviews, it relies on push-button phone calls meaning voters who like Trump's performance in office aren't required to say so out loud to another person. Some political scientists have called the result 'The Trump Effect,' a phenomenon that explained how social distaste for the president might depress his numbers in polls that use live operators. A child was savaged by an uncontrollable pit bull while bystanders tried to fend it off with sticks in a terrifying attack which left three people in hospital. The terrifying attack which happened in Uttam Nagar, New Delhi was caught on CCTV and shows the pit bull chase down the small boy. The dog then manages to get hold of the boys leg and dragging him to the ground as shocked onlookers watch. A child was savaged by an uncontrollable pit bull while bystanders tried to fend it off with sticks in a terrifying attack which left three people in hospital A woman jumps into action and runs towards the dog with a large stick and begins to beat the pit bull. However although she is successful in part the dog then begins attacking a man who is stood nearby also trying to help. Following the attack three children were taken to hospital and although the severity of their injuries are unknown it is thought that they are not life-threatening. Stray dogs and monkeys are thought to be a growing issue in New Dehli with plans in place to control the population, according to local reports. But in this situation it is believed that the dog belonged to a local man who used it to chase away unwanted visitors. The terrifying attack which happened in Uttam Nagar, New Delhi was caught on CCTV shows the pit bull chase down the small boy A 14-year-old girl has died three days after being found shot and stabbed inside her Croydon, Pennsylvania home. Autumn Bartle's parents returned home around 6:30pm on Friday to find their daughter gravely wounded. The teen was rushed to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children where she died on Monday. Scroll down for video Autumn Bartle, 14, died on Monday, three days after being found shot and stabbed multiple times in her Croydon, Pennsylvania home When they got home, Autumn's parents noticed that their 19-year-old nephew, who lives at the house, was missing. Cops tracked down the teen to a wooded area in Bensalem, where he was suffering from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the neck. The cousin - who has not been named - was rushed to Jefferon Hospital where he was last reported in stable condition. Police continue to investigate what happened Friday night. Autumn's 19-year-old cousin, who lives at the home, was missing when her parents showed up The cousin - who has not been named - was found in a wooded are near Bensalem with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the neck. He survived his injuries and is in stable condition While Autumn's name was not released officially, family and friends identified her in tribute posts online, and in a Go Fund Me which has been started to pay for her hospital bills and funeral. As of Monday afternoon, the fund had raised more than $8,000. Police are asking for the public's help in their investigation. They want anyone who might have video or surveillance photos from that area of Croydon to call the Bristol Township Poliec at 215-788-8289. They are specifically looking for footage that shows a white male who is 5'7" tall, weighing 150 pounds, making his way through the neighborhood toward State Road between 6:30pm and 7pm Cindy Caudill, 46, is wanted on a single count of third-degree fetal homicide after causing the miscarriage with brute force A three month pregnant woman lost her unborn baby after being sucker punched in the stomach by another woman. Kentucky Police are searching for the 46-year-old woman, Cindy Caudill, who is currently on the run. Caudill is wanted on a single count of third-degree fetal homicide after causing the miscarriage with brute force. The Laurel County Sheriffs Office started looking for Caudill Friday morning after an ambulance was called to a home where a woman was reportedly having a miscarriage. The statement said: 'The investigators for the Laurel County Sheriffs Office learned that on March 27, 2018, there had allegedly been an altercation between the female victim who was pregnant and Cindy L. Caudill, where allegedly Caudill had punched the pregnant female victim in the stomach, apparently causing the miscarriage of a fetus.' A warrant was issued for Caudills arrest and police have urged the public to contact them if they have any information regarding her whereabouts. Caudill (pictured here) had punched the pregnant female victim in the stomach, apparently causing the miscarriage of a fetus The alleged incident occurred the same day Caudill and a man named Bill Vaughn were both arrested following a separate domestic altercation. 'Deputies could not determine a primary aggressor,' and that 'it seemed both parties were equally involved,' according to an arrest citation seen by the Kentucky Herald-Leader. Caudill's face was red and had swelled up, while Vaughn had 'small redness and small scratches.' Caudill and Vaughn were both charged with fourth-degree assault and domestic violence. Caudill told police that her and Vaughn had been arguing over a cell phone and that 'punched her in the face several times.' Anyone with information about Caudills whereabouts is asked to call the sheriffs office at 606-864-6600 or 606-878-7000. All calls will be kept confidential. An elephant died and several others ended up loose on a Spanish motorway after the circus lorry they were in overturned today. Police had to close the A30 in Pozo Canada near Albacete south east of Madrid after the extraordinary crash. Motorists filmed the animals strolling towards waste ground and feeding by the side of the road. The dead animal was removed from a ditch by the side of the motorway where its body ended up following the drama around 4pm. The scene of the horror: The lorry is left mangled after the crash which spilled the elephants out onto the carriageway Two bloodied elephants walk across the busy dual carriageway which had to be closed by the police as motorists watch in amazement from a distance It is thought this elephant died after collapsing into a ditch on the side of the road after the crash An elephant is hoisted into the back of a truck. It is thought this is the elephant which passed away Motorists and police officers stand by in amazement at the sight of injured elephants grazing on the roadside after the crash Police released pictures of the elephants appearing to feed on grass by crash barriers before being led to a safer area. They revealed, in a tweet which they probably never thought they would have to write and is unlikely to be repeated: 'The A30 has been closed because a lorry has overturned. Elephants are loose on the tarmac. 'The motorway has been closed around the Pozo Canada area heading towards Murcia.' Spain's Road Safety Authority the DGT confirmed one of the elephants had died in the incident. Four other animals, who like the lorry driver escaped with their lives, were travelling in the vehicle. Two of the four-legged survivors are said to have suffered injuries although it was not immediately clear how serious they were. DGT spokesman Gregorio Serrano said: 'The elephants injured in the accident that has happened in Albacete are being assisted and removed. 'Of the five animals one has died and two have been injured. 'Shortly the A30 will be reopened.' One stunned motorist, who filmed the animals wandering around on the tarmac seconds after the accident, said in a running commentary over his home-made video: 'Accident on the A30 motorway near Albacete. 'A circus lorry has overturned. Four elephants are loose and one looks in a very bad way. I'm not sure if it's dead or not.' Silvia Barquero, the president of Spanish animal welfare political party PACMA, said the animals belonged to the Gottani Circus, which has performed several shows in the area over Easter. An elephant's head is left battered by the crash as another animal can be seen in the background near a rescue worker The lorry, seen here, was left completely mangled by the elephants flopping out of the cargo hold She tweeted: 'The lorry that has overturned was carrying Circo Gottani elephants. Show them more kindness. 'We treat animals like slaves. Enough of circuses that use animals.' There was no immediate response from the circus owners. The accident is believed to have happened after the HGV they were in overtook another vehicle and the driver lost control as he headed back into the slow lane. Civil Guard officers will now send a report on the accident to a local investigating judge who will be tasked with a routine probe into the incident Jessica Denson, who claims she faced harassment and discrimination as a Trump campaign employee, is asking a judge to throw out a nondisclosure agreement she signed as a condition of her job. Denson, who ran phone banks for the Trump campaign and oversaw Hispanic outreach, filed a harassment suit in November that the Trump campaign argues violated her NDA. The Trump camp is seeking $1.5 million in damages from her through arbitration for violations of the agreement, according to documents attached to her filing. Denson is the third woman to seek relief from a nondisclosure agreement she reached with Trump, his campaign, or his longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen. Jessica Denson is asking a judge to throw out a nondisclosure agreement she signed as a condition of her job with the Trump campaign, where she claims she suffered harassment Porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy Model Karen McDougal, who each claim they had affairs with Trump, also are trying to have judges toss their NDAs. The agreement Denson signed, attached with her court filing, prohibits her from disclosing information 'of a private, proprietary or confidential nature or that Mr. Trump insists remain private or confidential including, but not limited to, any information with respect to the personal life, political affairs, and/or business affairs of Mr. Trump or of any Family Member.' Denson, who is representing herself in both suits, says her original filing contains 'no allegations whatsoever pertaining to the personal life or business affairs of Donald Trump or any of his family members or businesses.' Her original claim, filed in November in New York court, says she was 'harassed' by a supervisor who claimed she was 'responsible for a leak of Trumps tax returns' during the campaign. She claims she was subjected to 'pervasive slander, aggravated harassment, attempted theft, cyber-bullying and sexual discrimination and harassment.' She wants a judge to throw out the NDA as 'vague and overly broad.' She also claims it is void because it 'violates public policy.' The former Hispanic outreach worker also says her fellow Trump campaign staffers cyber-bullied her and tried to steal her personal laptop. Denson, who according to LinkedIn had an internship with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, is claiming harassment at the Trump campaign, and wants relief from an NDA Denson is seeking to have a non-disclosure agreement she signed ruled over-broad as she brings a discrimination lawsuit When she complained, she says she was kept from getting subsequent positions. The NDA contains a non-disparagement clause that during the term of her service or all times there after that she agree not to 'demean or disparage publicly the Company, Mr. Trump, any Trump Company, any Family Member, or any Family Member Company or any asset of any of the foregoing.' Michael Avenatti, who represents Daniels, declined to comment on whether Denson is one of the women he claims approached him about further claims, Bloomberg News reported. A grandmother who witnessed the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr nearly 50 years ago has spoken up for the first time about her experience. Rhonda James said she and her brother witnessed the assassination in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968, but never spoke out about it because their mother wanted them to live a 'regular life.' 'It was just what my mother wanted, my parents wanted for us,' she told WSFA. 'She wanted us to go on and go to school and go to college and have a regular life.' Scroll down for video Rhonda James said she and her brother witnessed the assassination in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968, but never spoke out about it because their mother wanted them to live a 'regular life.' She is pictured left, speaking about the memory, and right at age eight James was eight years old when her father, saxophone player Ben Branch, asked if she and her brother wanted to come along with him to meet the famous civil rights leader. King is pictured with others on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, a day before he was assassinated James was eight years old when her father, saxophone player Ben Branch, asked if she and her 11-year-old brother wanted to come along with him to meet the famous civil rights leader. Branch was going to play the song 'Take My Hand, Precious Lord,' for Dr King, who was in Memphis for the night to speak at a rally for sanitation workers. 'We knew he was going to play Precious Lord for Dr King that night,' James said. 'He said "You guys want to go with me?" We said, "Yeah!"' They first went to a sound check at Mason Temple, then got back into the car and followed King to the Lorraine Motel. 'They went upstairs and as they went upstairs, we were sitting in the car, me and my brother, we were just looking,' she explained. 'We were excited.' She said they were sitting in the back seat of the car, which was parked beneath room 306 at the motel, when King called out to her dad. 'We were looking up at his face and all of the gentlemen were just standing up there,' James said about the moments leading up to Dr King's death. She said Dr King then yelled down at her dad, saying: 'I want you to play Precious Lord like you've never played it before. Play it real pretty.' But those were the last words the iconic civil rights leader would ever utter. Branch (pictured) was going to play the song 'Take My Hand, Precious Lord,' for Dr King, who was in Memphis for the night to speak at a rally for sanitation workers She said they were sitting in the back seat of the car, which was parked beneath room 306 at the motel, when King called out to her dad She said Dr King then yelled down at her dad, saying: 'I want you to play Precious Lord like you've never played it before. Play it real pretty.' But those were the last words the iconic civil rights leader would ever utter James Earl Ray shot his Remington Model Rifle at King from a second story window at a rooming house across from the motel, striking him and ending his life. She said that after that everything was a blur, and that she and her brothers sat in the car for the next six hours without moving. James Earl Ray shot his Remington Model Rifle at King from a second story window at a rooming house across from the motel, striking him and ending his life 'It was traumatic, because when he got shot, lying on that concrete and seeing all that blood and everybody was over him,' she said. 'We couldn't move. They were around us with flashlights and everything and the police were investigation what had happened in the scene, and we were little kids. 'My dad kept coming to the car asking, "You alright?" trying to keep us comfortable. He couldn't leave because they were, you know, talking to him.' At no point during the next six hours does she remember feeling hungry or tired or needing to use the restroom. She said she remembers the smell of garbage, which littered the city streets because of the sanitation strike. Eventually she said the National Guard took them home, and said that during the journey they were stopped at nearly every cross street so police could check their identities and where they were headed. James said another reason she's never shared about the night of his assassination is because it's a traumatic experience for her, and brings back bad memories. 'It's a special thing for me. It's something that has been secretly tucked,' she said. 'It is PTSD, because it was a traumatic experience.' Branch said she went back to the Lorraine Motel for the first time nearly 50 years later during the anniversary of Dr King's death After the assassination she and her brother missed school for two days, and when they did finally go back she said she 'cried like a baby.' 'I cried for the first 10-15 years [when] I heard Precious Lord,'she explained. 'I couldn't deal with it for a long time. Even sometimes now it makes me sad, because you've got to think about, that was the last request for my father.' The saxophone Branch was going to play that night is now at the National Civil Rights museum in Memphis. Branch said she went back to the Lorraine Motel for the first time nearly 50 years later during the anniversary of Dr King's death. Other than a photo of her father talking to police, there is no official record of she or her brother being there that fateful night. And though she said living with the secret was touch, she said she is grateful her mother kept it hidden for all those years. 'I'm grateful because I had a chance to live my life,' she explained. 'I've had a chance to do what I need to do in life.' U.S. Army Sgt. Carl Seeman has been found alive and uninjured a week after going missing A Fort Bragg soldier who has been missing for more than a week was found alive on Monday not far from the military base. U.S. Army Sgt. Carl Seeman, 25, was found alive, uninjured and alone early Monday morning in the Yadkin Road corridor, the Fayetteville Police Department said in a statement. Cops said Seeman had left on his own accord, but wouldn't go into detail about why Seeman went off the grid. 'Seeman has been reunited with family and is no longer considered missing,' the department said. The Rochester, New York native was reported AWOL by his commanding officers on Sunday, March 26, when he missed check-in the day before his unit was set to deploy to Louisiana for combat readiness training. His pick-up truck was found abandoned in the parking lot of a Fayetteville Walmart, with his cellphone inside but his wallet and keys missing. The area where he was found on Monday is about a 25 minute drive northwest of the Walmart, and closer to Fort Bragg. The 25-year-old from Rochester, New York went missing last week, a day before his unit was to deploy to Louisiana for training After he was found on Monday, Seeman's mom told ABC News that her 'main focus is Carl right now'. Above, Seeman's mother in an interview last week Two days after he went missing, his mother, father, grandfather and uncle drove down to North Carolina to help look for him. They said his disappearance was quite out of the ordinary, since he loved his job. Seeman's grandfather, Jim Maloney, told CBS 17: 'He loved it, loved it, loved it from the day he joined and thats all he wanted to do was jump out of planes.' Maloney said his grandson would not have wanted to miss his deployment to Louisiana. 'He was looking forward to it,' Maloney told 13 WHAM. 'Any training where he could jump with the rest of the unit, he just loved it. Always looked forward to it. This is the part we dont understand.' Seeman joined up soon after graduating high school in 2011. Three of his six younger siblings followed his footsteps into the military. Cops released few details about Seeman on Monday, other than to say he was found in Fayetteville and was uninjured When questioned by ABC News, Jennifer Seeman wouldn't go into details about why her son went missing or how he was found. She said simply that her 'main focus is Carl right now'. 'The important thing is he has been found and he is in my care as we speak,' she said. 'We're still trying to figure out our next move and how we're going to go about it.' A paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division, Seeman has been deployed once, to Afghanistan in 2012. He is currently part of the 319th Artillery, 2nd Brigade, operating the 'howitzer cannons that support infantry and tank units during combat, and play crucial roles in the Army's success on the battlefield,' said Sgt. Christopher Gallagher, a Fort Bragg spokesman. It's unclear what the Army will do with Seeman now that he has been found alive since he violated his orders. Lt. Col. Joe Buccino, communications director for the 82nd Airborne Division, said in a statement on Monday that the division is relieved he is safe. 'We are relieved that our Paratrooper has been located and is safe. The most urgent matter - his safety - has been satisfactorily resolved. Once the Paratrooper has returned to his unit, his leadership will look at the totality of the circumstances and determine the proper way forward,' the statement reads. Seeman (above) is currently part of the 319th Artillary, 2nd Brigade, operating howitzer cannons The parents and siblings of a 31-year-old South Carolina businessman who died last year after handling a commonly available paint stripper are now demanding a ban on the toxic chemical methylene chloride. Drew Wynne was refinishing the floor of a commercial refrigerator at his new cold-brew coffee manufacturing business, Riptide Coffee, on October 13, 2017, when he was overcome by fumes from a paint stripper called Goof Off, which he had purchased at a Lowes home improvement store. Wynne was discovered dead by his business partner the following day. Scroll down for video Sudden death: Drew Wynne, 31 (left), died in October 2017 after being overcome by toxic fumes from a Goof Off-brand paint stripper in South Carolina Family fight for ban: Wynne's mother, Cindy (center), and his two older brothers are pushing for a nationwide ban on paint strippers containing methylene chloride His older brother Clayton said he got a frantic call from Drew's partner telling him, 'He's gone.' Wynnes death certificate indicates that the young entrepreneur became incapacitated after being exposed to methylene chloride, which is found in paint strippers that are being sold in hardware stores across the country. According to the international nonprofit group Environmental Defense Fund, the harmful chemical has been linked to more than 50 deaths in the US since 1980. In Europe, methylene chloride was banned in paint strippers in 2012. We need the EPA and Congress to take immediate action to save other Americans lives, Drews parents, Cindy and Hal Wynne, stated in a press release put out by EDF last week. The Environmental Protection Agency announced in January 2017 a plan to largely ban paint strippers containing the chemical methylene chloride so they would no longer sit on store shelves, widely available for anyone to buy. The family have launched an online petition calling on Lowe's, where Wynne had purchased the paint stripper that ended up killing him, top stop carrying that product But the federal agency, headed by embattled Trump appointee Scott Pruitt, has since postponed the implementation of the ban indefinitely. EPAs stalling actions are a terrible mistake, said Brian Wynne, Drews other brother. The move came after chemical companies lobbied against banning high risk uses of the chemicalarguing, instead, for a new warning label. But warning labels are inadequate for a product where ordinary use can be deadly. Congressman Mark Sanford, and Senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott, all Republicans from South Carolina, wrote a letter to the EPA in support of the stalled ban, reported WCBD2. 'The threat posed by this chemical is clear and undeniable, as determined by EPA just last year,' the letter reads. 'EPA has a duty to protect the American public from hazards such as this... no family, nor person should ever have to endure the loss suffered b the Wynne family and the Charleston community.' Goof Off-brand paint strippers, which are manufactured by the company WM Barr, come with a prominent warning label that reads: 'Danger: Poison. May be fatal or cause blindness if swallowed. Eye and skin irritant. Vapor extremely harmful. Inhalation of vapors may cause death.' WM Barr told CBS News in a statement that when used as directed methylene chloride paint strippers have an excellent safety record. But the company said in light of recent tragedies involving the chemical, it worked with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to develop a new warning label. However, when the EPA proposed the ban on paint strippers containing methylene chloride last year, it said that revised labeling will not address the risks presented by exposure to the chemical. Instead of passively waiting for the federal agency to take action on methylene chloride, the Wynne family have launched a petition on Change.org asking Lowe's to stop selling paint strippers. As of Monday afternoon, more than 6,700 people have signed the petition. An American couple in their 40s was found dead in their Venice home Monday afternoon in apparent murder-suicide. The couple have not been identified, but both the man and his wife were former soldiers stationed in Vicenza, according to Stars and Stripes. Authorities said they believe the deaths resulted from a murder-suicide. An American couple in their 40s was found dead in their Venice home (file image) Monday afternoon in apparent murder-suicide. The couple have not been identified. Pictured is the Caserma Ederle Inn Army Lodge but it's unclear if this is where the couple was found Italian investigators said it appeared that the man had killed his wife then slit his own throat. The woman's body was found in bed and the man's body was found in the bathroom. A Caserma Ederle chaplain alerted authorities after the husband had not returned numerous calls. The chaplain told authorities that the husband was suffering from depression. US Garrison Italy officials said the man was a contractor, according to Stars and Stripes. The deaths are being investigated by Italian authorities. Meghan Markle's mom was spotted outside of her California home on Monday, looking focused on her daughter's upcoming royal wedding to Prince Harry. Doria Ragland was spotted on the sidewalk, making a quick run out to her car which was parked on the street, near her Los Angeles residence. This comes one day after Markle, 36, and her soon-to-be-husband were notably absent from the Easter church service at St George's Chapel in Windsor. The service was attended by the Queen, Prince William and his wife Kate, Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex, along with their children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, and the Queen's granddaughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Meghan Markle's mom, Doria Ragland, was spotted outside of her California home on Monday, looking focused on her daughter's upcoming royal wedding to Prince Harry The stylish future mother-in-law to Prince Harry, 33, had on khaki pants and a cream sweater. She accented her outfit, at first, with a coral headband featuring a pale print. Ragland later popped out to her vehicle again, this time with her headband removed and her hair pulled back, making the quick jaunt outside to grab her jacket. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit the Titanic Belfast maritime museum in Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom on March 23 The duo have announced that they will invite people from all walks off life in Great Britain to share in their special day. 'The couple has asked that 1,200 people, from all corners of the UK be selected by Lord Lieutenants, include young people who have shown strong leadership and those who have served their communities [to attend the royal wedding],' a spokesperson for Kensington Palace said over Twitter on March 2. The stylish future mother-in-law to Prince Harry, 33, had on khaki pants and a cream sweater In addition to that, more will be welcomed to Windsor Castle grounds to witness what they can from outside the castle. 'Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle will invite 2,640 members of the public to Windsor Castle on their wedding day to watch the arrivals of the Bride and Groom and their guests and the carriage procession as it departs from the castle,' the palace announced. Full details have not yet been released about their upcoming nuptials, but it's known the wedding will be held at St George's Chapel in May. Palace aides have already said that the prince and Markles wedding will 'reflect their characters and personalities' and be a moment of 'fun and joy.' The royal family are paying for the wedding, including the church service, the music, the flowers and the reception. But the security costs for the high-profile event are falling to British taxpayers. The Queen will be there, as will the rest of the royal family, along with Ms Markles mother and father, Thomas Markle. Prince William and Kate's children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, are likely to take on the roles of pageboy and bridesmaid. Britain's top prosecutor was yesterday forced to deny being pushed out of her job amid claims her disastrous stint had been ended by ministers. Alison Saunders will stand down as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in October after the Government declined to extend her contract. She had been under scrutiny over a raft of scandals most recently the collapse of a series of rape trials after late disclosure of evidence to defence lawyers, which led to a review of every case in the country. The Government sought to play down reports ministers had refused to extend her contract. A Press notice announcing her departure pointed out that only one of her predecessors as head of the Crown Prosecution Service had served for longer than five years. Alison Levitt, a QC who has previously criticised police for believing all rape victims, has been tipped to replace Mrs Saunders. Alison Saunders will stand down as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in October after the Government declined to extend her contract Alison Levitt, a QC who has previously criticised police for believing all rape victims, has been tipped to replace Mrs Saunders Collapsing trials and suicide: The blunders on her watch THE DISCLOSURE CRISIS In 2014 Mrs Saunders promised to halt the decline in rape convictions. But four years on, all rape and serious sex assault cases are under review following the collapse of several high-profile prosecutions due to disclosure blunders. In the lead-up to criminal trials, police and prosecutors have a duty to disclose evidence that might either assist the defence case or undermine the prosecutions case. But in a series of recent cases, evidence has not been handed over. The crisis unfolded after the rape trial of criminology student Liam Allan, 22, was halted by a judge when it emerged his accuser had sent messages to friends about her rape fantasies. The number of prosecutions that have collapsed due to disclosure errors has soared by 70 per cent in the past two years. Yet Miss Saunders has insisted there is no one innocent in jail after being wrongly convicted because of mistakes in disclosure. THE RAPE CLAIM SUICIDE Eleanor de Freitas, 23, was devastated when the man she accused of sexual assault launched a prosecution against her for allegedly lying. Terrified at the prospect of intimate details of her personal life being picked over in court, the vulnerable graduate killed herself at her family home in Fulham, West London, in April 2014 just three days before she was due to face a crown court. Miss de Freitas had accused wealthy Chelsea financier Alexander Economou, 35, of raping her just before Christmas 2012, but detectives decided not to proceed with the case. Mr Economou then brought a private prosecution against her for perverting justice. FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION In 2014, the DPP declared FGM a priority saying: We are very keen to make sure that wherever possible we are looking at FGM cases. But last month prosecutors failed for the third time to secure Britains first conviction for the offence as a lawyer was cleared at the Old Bailey of ordering his daughter be cut as punishment. LORD JANNER Mrs Saunders was forced to apologise after her decision not to prosecute Lord Janner was overturned. Mrs Saunders was forced to apologise after her decision not to prosecute Lord Janner was overturned A report by High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques later found police and prosecutors missed three chances to charge Lord Janner over historic sex abuse claims after allegations first surfaced in 1991. In April 2015 the CPS announced that the peer should not be charged as he was suffering from dementia, but this was overturned by a review two months later. A judge then ruled that he was unfit to stand trial and instead ordered a trial of the facts to be heard at the Old Bailey. These proceedings were dropped when he died in December 2015. Mrs Saunders has said it was a matter of sincere regret the allegations were never heard by a jury. OPERATION ELVEDEN The 20million probe dubbed the biggest witch-hunt against journalists in memory ended in failure as prosecutors failed a secure a single conviction in the largest investigation in criminal history. Operation Elveden saw 34 journalists and editors arrested over alleged payments to public officials and 29 were charged. But their cases were either dropped or they were cleared. Some of those accused had spent years on bail. Press Gazette editor Dominic Ponsford said that it was a shameful episode in the history of this countrys criminal justice system. But Mrs Saunders hit back saying: Im not here to make popular decisions. Advertisement But yesterday a Whitehall source said: It was felt a clean break was needed. Alisons tenure has been highly contentious, to say the least, and we want someone who can come into this job with a clear agenda. It was made clear that her contract would not be extended. Last month Mrs Saunders faced criticism after a father was acquitted of female genital mutilation charges the third time prosecutors have brought an FGM case to trial but failed to secure a conviction. Other controversial, and failed, prosecutions include VIP child-abuse charges and cases against journalists. In June 2015, she faced calls to resign when her decision not to prosecute Labour peer Lord Janner over claims of historical child sex abuse was overturned by an independent QC. The Crown Prosecution Service had said there had been enough evidence to merit a trial but it was not in the public interest to proceed because of his dementia. The ruling was reversed, making Mrs Saunders the first DPP to have a major prosecuting decision reviewed and overthrown. Mrs Saunders, who will move to Magic Circle law firm Linklaters with a 1.8million taxpayer-funded pension pot, insisted the decision to stand down from the 250,000-a-year post was entirely hers. She told Radio 4s Today programme: I told them I would not be asking for an extension. Its not been an issue for discussion. It was my decision to leave. DPPs serve a term of five years. I was clear that five years was a good term to serve and I have already decided what I will be doing when I leave in October. One senior lawyer said: It has been a disastrous tenure, it has reduced the credibility of the role. I think that the respect for the profession of the role has been diminished. Last night, The Daily Telegraph claimed that one of the candidates to replace Mrs Saunders is Alison Levitt, a QC who criticised police for believing all rape victims. In December last year, the former adviser to the DPP said that a rigid mind-set may lead the police to miss or even disregard significant material which could help defendants. It is their duty to investigate anything that leads towards the suspect or leads away from the suspect, she said. There are individuals here, both complainants and suspects, who deserve these cases to be given the careful scrutiny they require. Lord Janners son Daniel Janner, himself a QC, led condemnation of Mrs Saunders. He said: She has been an appalling DPP. The CPS under her has fallen into disrepute as the latest collapses over disclosure has established. But the DPP dismissed Mr Janners comments as incredibly inaccurate, saying they showed a lack of knowledge of the work that goes on across the CPS. Mrs Saunders succeeded Sir Keir Starmer now Labours Brexit spokesman in 2013, becoming the first DPP appointed from within the CPS. Tory MP Bob Neill, chairman of the Commons justice committee, said: It is not a great surprise that she is not continuing, certainly not following the problems around disclosure of evidence. Perhaps it is time to have someone who is independent of the organisation and who can challenge it, someone who has presented cases in court at a really senior level and has seen how it operates at the sharp end. Yesterday, Mrs Saunders, who joined the CPS in 1986, denied claims the organisation had failed under her watch insisting her prosecutors were performing as well or better than ever before despite budget cuts. She called criticism insulting. An ally of Mrs Saunders praised her for doing well within a limited budget and said she had done a pretty reasonable job. Mrs Saunders most recently faced criticism following the collapse of rape trials. In December, the case against Liam Allan, 22, was thrown out after it emerged police had failed to hand over text messages from a woman that proved he was innocent. In January, Oxford student Oliver Mears, 19, was cleared of rape after spending two years on bail, with police facing fierce criticism for the delay in handing over evidence. The collapsed cases led to accusations Mrs Saunders was more interested in convictions than she was in people being tried fairly. A spokesman for the Attorney General Jeremy Wright said Mrs Saunders had not asked for an extension to her contract. Mr Wright said: I want to thank Alison personally for her service, not only as DPP but as an accomplished CPS prosecutor whose successful record includes the prosecution of Stephen Lawrences killers. A CPS spokesman said that, under her leadership, it had adapted to a rapidly changing criminal justice landscape while maintaining performance. Longtime informal Trump advisor Roger Stone is disputing his own private email claim that he 'dined with Julian Assange' an exchange that has drawn the scrutiny of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators. Stone made the claim about the dinner, which he now says did not and could not have happened, in an email to former Trump Organization and campaign advisor Sam Nunberg. 'I dined with Julian Assange last night,' Stone wrote in the August 4, 2016 email to Nunberg, the Wall Street Journal reported. Such a contact, if it actually happened, could be important to proving whether someone close to Trump had advanced knowledge of the hack of Democratic emails during the campaign or even whether any coordination over the timing of their eventual release occured. WHINE AND DINE: 'I dined with Julian Assange last night,' Trump associate Roger Stone wrote in the August 4, 2016 email to Sam Nunberg though Stone says the dinner never happened But Stone says he never dined with Assange, who has been holed up inside the Ecuadoran Embassy in London for years. 'I never dined with Assange, he told the paper, which reported Mueller's investigators have asked questions before a federal grand jury about it. He said the email doesnt have any significance because I provably didnt go.' He added there was ''no such meeting. Its not what you say, its what you do. This was said in jest.' Stone says he had a flight from Los Angeles to Miami the night before he sent the email, which would have precluded him from attending any such meeting. He furnished screen shots of the flight to back up his claim. A day after writing Nunberg, Stone wrote on Twitter: 'Hillary lies about Russian Involvement in DNC hack -Julian Assange is a hero.' LETS TRY MY PLACE: Julian Assange has been holed up in the embassy of Ecuador in London for years JUST KIDDING! Stone made the claim to former Trump advisor Sam Nunberg, but now says it was a comment made in jest Stone also tweeted in advance of the release of former Clinton campaign chair John Podesta's emails that it would soon be Podesta's 'time in the barrel.' Stone claimed in an August 8 video that 'I actually have communicated with Assange' but now denies having been in direct contact with him. He has posted screen shots of his private twitter messages with Guccifer 2.0, who U.S. intelligence believes was a front for Russian intelligence. The site posted hacked DNC emails. Stone wrote that Guccifer 2.0 was a 'HERO.' Donald Trump's White House is so flush with military brass that a naval commander suited up Monday as the Easter Bunny on the South Lawn. The president's chief of staff and Pentagon secretary are both retired Marine Corps generals. His choice to run the Veterans Affairs Department is a rear admiral who serves as the president's personal physician. Add to that martial menagerie Commander Richard I. Lawlor, who serves as naval aide to the president. The White House Press Office said following Monday's 140th annual Easter Egg Roll that it was Lawlor inside a bunny costume next to the president and first lady on the Truman Balcony. President Donald Trump raised the Easter Bunny's arm as they appeared together Monday on the White House's Truman Balcony as the annual White House Easter Egg Roll was held below on the South Lawn Inside the bunny suit was U.S. Navy Commander Richard Lawlor, the president's naval aide, the White House confirmed after the event Lawlor, alias 'Commander Bun-Bun,' posed for photos with a pair of unnamed helper rabbits Lawlor (center-left, in white dress uniform) was often called on during the Obama administration to read Medal of Honor citations in ceremonies like this one honoring retired Army Lt. Col. Charles Kettles Along with a pair of assistants in shorter getups, Lawlor also posed gamely for photos on the White House grounds. As Trump's naval aide, Lawlor is sometimes called on to read citations for Medal Of Honor and Medal of Freedom recipients as presidents present them, a duty he performed several times for President Barack Obama. The Obama White House didn't disclose the secret identities of its annual leporine actors, and the Trump administration kept last year's a secret. But Lawlor wasn't the first Navy man to draw the short carrot. Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer famously donned the hare-brained outfit in 2008 during the final year of the George W. Bush presidency. Another Navy man, former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, jumped into the iconic bunny suit during the Goerge W. Bush administration, when he worked for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (pictured here with costume maker Jonn Schenz) Spicer wore the steaming-hot costume and a lace doily as he posed with then-President Bush in 2008 Lawlor, in full Easter regalia (minus his vest), put on his shocked face as Trump sang his own praises about Pentagon funding on Monday Just before the 2017 Easter Egg Roll, Trump's famously combative then-spokesman was the subject of good-natured ribbing when a picture of him in the bunny suit with the costume designer holding the head surfaced online. Spicer tweeted that the shot took him back to 'the good ole days -- what I would give to hide in a bunny costume again.' He told Politico at the time that the costume 'gets very hot. Each bunny gets a handler who guides them around the South Lawn. My handler for the event was my wife, Rebecca, who has been keeping me in line for years.' Wintour may well and truly be coming to an end at Vogue. Fashion sources claim that Anna Wintour is set to leave her role as Editor-in-Chief of the high-fashion magazine this summer after 30 years at the helm. According to Page Six, Wintour, 68, will depart Vogue and Conde Nast - where she has served as artistic director since 2013 - after the July wedding of her daughter Bee Shaffer, 30, allowing her to go out in style, ending her time at the company with the publication's iconic September issue. Scroll down for video The end of an era? Sources have told Page Six that Anna Wintour, who has held the Editor-in-Chief title at Vogue since 1988, could be on her way out of the magazine Moving on: According to fashion insiders, the 68-year-old will also leave her role as artistic director at Conde Nast, a position that she has held since 2013 A special occasion: Wintour is said to be planning her departure for the end of July, after the wedding of her daughter Bee Shaffer, 30, to Italian-born director Francesco Carrozzini Style queens: The editrix would certainly be going out with a bang, having sat next to Her Majesty the Queen at the royal's first London Fashion Week show in February But while sources insist that Wintour's time at the company is coming to a close, Conde Nast has rebuffed the claims, with a spokesman telling Page Six: 'We emphatically deny these rumors.' The company's denial has not stopped speculation, however, that it has a replacement lined up for the editrix - whose frosty demeanor earned her a host of less-than-flattering nicknames including 'Nuclear Wintour' and 'fashion's ice queen'. Sources allege that Vogue UK Editor-in-Chief, and former fashion stylist, Edward Enninful, 46, is a frontrunner to take over the position at the US publication - despite only holding the role at its British counterpart for less than a year. Page Six reports that there is nobody currently in place to take over her wider role as Conde Nast's artistic director. Enninful would certainly be no stranger to the task of taking the reigns from a seasoned veteran, however; he was named as the rather surprising successor to British Vogue's former Editor-in-Chief Alexandra Shulman when she left the magazine last year, following a 25-year run at its helm. It was suggested by many that the British magazine needed to be rejuvenated and re-focused as the industry continued to shift towards digital media, and print sales plummeted across the board. However, sources allege to Page Six that Wintour's ousting may be the work of Jonathan Newhouse, chairman of Conde Nast International. Newhouse, who is currently based in London with his wife Ronnie Cook, is expected by many insiders to be preparing for a move back to New York City in order to take over as Chairman of Conde Nast after the October death of his cousin Si Newhouse, who held the position for more than 40 years. Handing over the reigns? It has been reported that Vogue UK Editor-in-Chief and former stylist Edward Enninful (left) is being lined up to take over the American version of the magazine Power struggle? Page Six reports that Wintour's ousting comes as Conde Nast International's London-based Chairman Jonathan Newhouse (right) is preparing to return to New York Another one bites the dust: Wintour's alleged departure would come almost exactly one year after Vogue UK Editor-in-Chief Alexandra Shulman (left) left the British magazine Si Newhouse was a long-time fan of Wintour's, and supported her throughout her time at the company, however one insider told Page Six that Jonathan Newhouse 'doesn't like [the amount of power] Anna has' within Conde Nast and is eager to see Enninful take over. The current British Vogue boss might seem like an odd choice to some, however, given his lack of editorial experience; prior to his appointment at the publication, he had spent decades working as a fashion stylist. Others say that Wintour, who is the daughter of the late Charles Wintour, former editor of the London Evening Standard newspaper, is hoping to secure a job back in her home England, such as leading the British Fashion Council, which is responsible for organizing London Fashion Week. It was also reported while Hillary Clinton was running for president that Wintour - an outspoken supporter of the Democratic candidate - had hoped to secure an ambassador position in London if Clinton had won the election. A move back to London would certainly see Wintour come full circle as far as her career is concerned; she started out working as an editorial assistant at the UK version of Harper's Bazaar in 1970, before she moved to New York and joined its sister publication in 1975. She returned to London in 1985 to serve as the editor of British Vogue, a position that she held for two years before heading back to New York City. However, she has maintained close ties with her home nation; she was made a Dame in the 2017 New Year's Honors, and in February of this year achieved a major victory on British turf when she arranged for Her Majesty the Queen to attend her first ever London Fashion Week show. Once there, the royal was seated on the front row alongside a beaming Wintour herself. Way back when: The mother-of-one took over as the Editor-in-Chief at Vogue in 1988 when she was just Something new: It was reported that Wintour, pictured in a Hillary Clinton tee in 2016, had hoped to secure an ambassador position in London if Clinton won the presidential election Updates: Wintour is not afraid to do things more traditionally. She famously used a rather dated flip phone (left) up until 2012 when she finally upgraded to an iPhone (right) Parental duties: Wintour's daughter Bee will marry her fiance this summer; the pair got engaged in May 2017 According to reports, the surprise attendance of the Queen was arranged by Wintour and British Fashion Council chief executive Caroline Rush - a move that allegedly reduced British Vogue Editor-in-Chief Enninful to tears after he was kept in the dark about the royal's attendance. Further controversy was then caused by the fact that Wintour failed to remove her signature sunglasses during the event, a move which many saw as being incredibly disrespectful towards the Queen. Wintour's departure is reported to come as Conde Nast is considering a major financial review, with sources claiming that consultants are in the process of reviewing how the company can best move forward in the changing media climate. Conde Nast has certainly struggled as the industry as shifted, shutting down the print editions of Teen Vogue, Self, and Details in the last year alone. Insiders told Page Six that the company is losing a staggering $100 million a year. In the UK, Glamour magazine made a move towards a 'mobile-first, social-first' focus, cutting back on its print issues, which are now only published twice a year. Wintour's exit would also come in the wake of several magazine closures and the recent stepping down of several other long-serving glossy magazine editors, including Vanity Fair's Graydon Carter, who spent 25 years at the publication, Glamour's Cini Leive, and Allure's Linda Wells within Conde Nast alone. It is even being reported that Wintour's exit interview with the New York Times has already been arranged. The Times also interviewed Carter and Leive after they left their magazines following decades-long stints. A 29-year-old bible studies graduate accused of stabbing his wife to death in his sleep was obsessed with 'American Psycho' and expressed similar fantasies to friends. North Carolina man, Matthew Phelps, has been charged with first-degree murder after he claimed to police on September 1 he accidentally killed his spouse of nearly one year, Lauren Hugelmaier Phelps, after ingesting too much cough syrup before bed. When officers arrived to the couple's Raleigh home that morning, they discovered Lauren dead on the couple's bed, next to a bloodied knife. Phelps alleged in the emergency call he had been having a dream at the time and woke up, confused, to his deceased wife. An autopsy report later revealed the victim had been stabbed 123 times at the home before she was left in the fetal position. In a new twist to the case, friends informed investigators the alleged murderer frequently spoke about his obsession with the serial killer film and shared his fascination with it to social media. Scroll down for video Deputy J. Stultz escorts Matthew James Phelps into the courtroom during Phelps' first appearance Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017 Phelps is charged in the death of his wife, Lauren Ashley-Nicole Phelps (couple pictured together on Facebook) Phelps posted pictures of himself dressed as the 'American Psycho' main character, Christian Bale, to his Instagram account. His Instagram account, which is currently set to private, shows a profile photo of a bloodied Bale, who plays the character Patrick Bateman, from the movie. 'This Instagram account shows numerous photographs of scenes from the movie and Phelps dressed as the main character,' a detective wrote in a statement, seen on The Charlotte Observer. Investigators further revealed Phelps informed a friend he had an interest in killing. 'The movie is about a serial killer, and Phelps expressed interest to a friend regarding what it would be like to kill someone,' the detective added. His Instagram account, which is currently set to private, shows a profile photo of a bloodied Bale from the movie Bale, who plays main character Patrick Bateman in the 2000 horror film, 'American Psycho,' is pictured above in a scene Above shows the couple's Raleigh home where the alleged homicide happened in early September Following Phelp's court hearing on September 5, his attorney, Joseph Cheshire, told DailyMail.com his client was emotional and traumatized by his actions and the passing of his wife. After Lauren's death, Phelps sobbed at the scene and said his wife 'didn't deserve this,' investigators revealed. Phelps allegedly drank too much of the cough and cold medication, Coricidin HBP, before he had the hallucinations and allegedly stabbed Lauren in his sleep. A spokesperson for the pharmaceuticals company, Bayer, told DailyMail.com the medicine is not known to cause violent outbursts. Matthew, a 29-year-old Bible college graduate, called 911 just after 1:10 a.m. September 1. He said his wife of less than a year, Lauren, had been stabbed He told police that he had taken Coricidin and awoke to find his wife dead and a knife on their bed 'Bayer extends our deepest sympathies to this family. Patient safety is our top priority, and we continually monitor adverse events regarding all of our products. Phelps, who was obsessed with horror film 'American Psycho,' is pictured in his mugshot 'There is no evidence to suggest that Coricidin is associated with violent behavior,' the spokesman said. It can however cause a number of other side effects like any other medication - such as confusion, drowsiness, rapid heartbeat and nausea, to name a few. Phelps, who does not have a past criminal record, had been working for a landscaping company at the time of the alleged killing, according to his Facebook page. He is also a graduate of Kentucky's Clear Creek Baptist Bible College, where he studied evangelism and mission. The same day of Lauren's death, she shared a video to her Facebook page promoting products she had been selling for the candle company, Scentsy. Friends to the couple further informed investigators the pair 'argued frequently' and Lauren expressed her plans to end their marriage. A car accident in Vietnam turned into a full-blown road rage brawl that ended with 10 men getting arrested. After the accident occurred in Dong Nai, two gangs of men began to attack each other. The men first congregated around one of the cars, where they appeared to be talking to the driver. Then one man in a white shirt suddenly punched the man next to him in a green helmet, kicking off the brawl. A car accident in Dong Nai, Vietnam turned into a full-blown road rage brawl that ended with 10 men getting arrested The men first congregated around one of the cars, where they appeared to be talking to the driver before they began attacking each other and the driver pulled out a gun The man in the green helmet then pulled out his own gun and pointed it at the rival group The man in the green helmet hit him back and their fight spilled into the street as their friends chased after them. The driver of the car pulled out a gun and began pointing it out his window, while the man in the green helmet began pointing a gun of his own. One man from the opposing gang jumped out of his truck holding a long machete-like knife in each hand, a bandanna wrapped over his mouth. One man from the opposing gang jumped out of his truck holding a long machete-like knife in each hand, a bandanna wrapped over his mouth But then the man in the green helmet ran over began threateningly pointing his gun at the man with the machetes His friend followed behind him out of the truck, also covering half his face with a kerchief. But then the man in the green helmet ran over began threateningly pointing his gun at the man with the machetes. He fired one shot at the opposing group, causing them to quickly disperse. The man then continued to chase after the cars, wielding his gun in the air as they tried to drive off from the scene of the accident. One man was injured during the altercation and had to be hospitalized. An extinct monitor lizard that walked the Earth 49 million years ago had four eyes. A new analysis of fossils unearthed in the 1870s suggests the metre-long lizard species 'Saniwa ensidens' had two light-sensing organs in the top of its skull. The creature used these 'third and fourth eyes' as and a biological clock and internal compass that helped it orient itself, scientists said. Scroll down for video A new analysis of fossils unearthed in the 1870s suggests the metre-long lizard species 'Saniwa ensidens' had two light-sensing organs in the top of its skull (top). The creature used these 'third and fourth eyes' (scans pictured inset) to help it orient itself geographically The research, from experts at the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt, Germany, provides the first example of a jawed vertebrate with these extra organs. Known as the pineal and parapineal organs, the eye-like structures played key roles in the animals' sleep and mating cycles, as well as orientation. The photosensitive pineal organ is found in a number of small vertebrates such as fishes and frogs, the researchers said. It's often referred to as the 'third eye' and was widespread in primitive vertebrates. Scientists had previously suggested the pineal evolved from the parapineal organ, another photosensitive organ found in primitive creatures such as lampreys. The fact that a single creature had both of the organs sheds new light on the history of their evolution, researchers said. Known as the pineal (highlighted in yellow, bottom notch) and parapineal (highlighted in yellow, top notch) organs, the eye-like structures played key roles in the animals' sleep and mating cycles, as well as orientation Study lead author Dr Krister Smith said: 'On the one hand, there was this idea that the third eye was simply reduced independently in many different vertebrate groups such as mammals and birds and is retained only in lizards among fully land-dwelling vertebrates. 'On the other hand, there was this idea that the lizard third eye developed from a different organ, called the parapineal, which is well developed in lampreys. 'These two ideas didn't really cohere. 'By discovering a four-eyed lizard - in which both pineal and parapineal organs formed an eye on the top of the head - we could confirm that the lizard third eye really is different from the third eye of other jawed vertebrates.' Saniwa ensidens, a close relative of the modern monitor lizard, was the first extinct lizard fossil discovered in North America, though the species also lived in Europe. Growing to around 4.3 feet (1.3m), the reptile lived during the Eocene epoch around 50 million years ago, hunting everything from other lizards to mammals and birds. Scientists had previously suggested the pineal (highlighted in yellow, bottom) evolved from the parapineal organ (highlighted in yellow, top). The fact that a single creature had both of the organs sheds new light on the history of their evolution, researchers said Dr Smith and his colleagues got the idea that the lizards had a fourth eye after other experts could not agree on where the species' third eye was located. They studied several 50 million-year-old specimens collected nearly 150 years ago at Grizzly Buttes as part of a Yale College expedition to the Bridger Basin, Wyoming. CT scans showed that two different individuals had spaces where a fourth eye would have been, which Dr Smith said the team 'certainly did not expect'. Their evidence confirms that the pineal and parapineal glands weren't a pair of organs in the way that vertebrate eyes are. They also suggest that the third eye of lizards evolved independently of the third eye in other vertebrate groups. Dr Smith and his colleagues got the idea that the lizards had a fourth eye after other experts could not agree on where the species' third eye was located. They studied specimens collected 150 years ago at Wyoming's Bridger Basin Dr Smith said that while there's 'nothing mystical' about the pineal and parapineal organs, they do enable extraordinary abilities. For instance, they allow some lower vertebrates to sense the polarisation of light and use that information to orient themselves geographically. Scientists still have much to learn about the evolution of these organs and their functions in living animals, the researchers said. The new findings are a reminder of the hidden value within fossils left lying around in museums for more than a century. 'The fossils that we studied were collected in 1871, and they are quite scrappy - really banged up,' Dr Smith said. 'One would be forgiven for looking at them and thinking that they must be useless. Our work shows that even small, fragmentary fossils can be enormously useful.' Amazon and Google really do want to watch your every move. A series of patents filed by the firms 'outline an array of possibilities' for how their smart speakers could be used to better listen in on users. They suggest their always-on Google Home and Amazon Echo devices could know everything from a user's mood to their medical condition, and target advertising based on this data. The development comes amid a growing scandal involving the handling of the private data of 50 million users by Facebook and Cambridge Analytica. Scroll down for video Google has filed a patent application for a system that used its smart speakers and camera to spy on a user's mood or medical condition. The devices could listen to the 'volume of the user's voice, detected breathing rate, crying'. They could also detect a user's coughing and sneezing Google's patent application outlines how audio and visual signals could be used to better understand a speaker's mood or medical condition, according to the New York Times. The devices could listen to the 'volume of the user's voice, detected breathing rate, crying'. They could also detect a user's coughing and sneezing. The same patent applications reveals a device that could 'recognize a T-shirt on a floor of the user's closet' with Will Smith's face. It could then combine this with a browser history that shows searches for Mr Smith. This would allow Google to 'provide a movie recommendation that displays, 'You seem to like Will Smith. His new movie is playing in a theatre near you.' In a separate patent application, Google describes a device that would give advice to parents for 'areas of improvement' such as spending more time with their children at supper. Amazon has filed a patent that describes how a 'voice sniffer' algorithm could be used on various devices to analyse audio in real-time. It would pick up trigger words such as 'hate' or 'love' and used it to build up a profile of user's based on their likes and dislikes 'When children are near a drinks cabinet or are in their parents' bedroom alone, the system may infer that mischief is likely to be occurring', the patent read. On detecting mischievous behaviour, the smart device could even hand out punishments such as restricting mobile phone use. In response to the Times article Google said it does not 'use raw audio to extrapolate moods, medical conditions or demographic information.' The company added: 'All devices that come with the Google Assistant, including Google Home, are designed with user privacy in mind.' But not everyone is convinced. 'When you read parts of the applications, it's really clear that this is spyware and a surveillance system meant to serve you up to advertisers,' Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court told The New York Times. He added that the companies are 'basically going to be finding out what our home life is like in qualitative ways.' Amazon has also filed a patent that describes how a 'voice sniffer' algorithm could be used on various devices to analyse audio in real-time. At the end of last year patent applications by Amazon and Google revealed ways their Voice Assistant powered smart speakers could already be spying on people. Pictured is the Google Home device This means that when it hears words like 'hate', 'love' or 'want', it could bring up ads based on the user's thoughts and interests. The patent includes a diagram thatshows how a call between two friends could result in one being offered a wine club membership while the other could receive a deal for San Diego Zoo. DO SMART SPEAKERS LIKE APPLE'S HOMEPOD LISTEN IN ON YOUR CONVERSATIONS? Like every home speaker, the HomePod has an 'always-on' mic that has the potential to hear private conversations. But it may come with a way to turn it off. Experts recently discovered icons in the latest version of iOS that suggest always-listening microphones on Apples Homepod speaker can be disabled. The delayed 350 ($349) Echo-killer, which actives when it hears 'Hey Siri', released February 9 2018. The microphone mute feature assuages privacy concerns raised over smart speakers eavesdropping on conversations. The find was reported by Apple expert Filipe Esposito, based in Londrina, Brazil, who discovered Homepod icons with microphone off symbols in the developer build of iOS 11.2.5. The icons were found buried in the assets for Apples Home app. Some of the microphone mute icons also contain the text 'Siri-off' in their filenames, lending further support to his conclusion. As with other smart speakers, like Amazon's Echo and Google's Home ranges, command phrases are used to trigger voice activated services. But some users are uncomfortable with the idea that the devices are always listening out for these vocal prompts. Users previously uncovered a quirk in some models of the Google HomeMini which meant that the gadget was constantly monitoring and recording their speech. Due to what Google has called 'phantom touches', the Home Mini was in a constant state of anticipation, listening for and awaiting verbal instructions, even before the 'Ok Google' vocal prompt was given. While this in itself is a fairly minor inconvenience, it has major implications for the privacy of users and could, in theory, let Google monitor everything that is said in your home. This information is also transmitted to the Mountain View firm's servers, raising the possibility of the information being recorded. The ability to switch off the microphones until they're needed may go some way to addressing similar privacy concerns in the Homepod. Advertisement In a statement, Amazon said the company took 'privacy seriously' and did 'not use customers' voice recordings for targeted advertising.' Amazon said that it filed 'a number of forward-looking patent applications that explore the full possibilities of new technology,' and that they 'take multiple years to receive and do not necessarily reflect current developments to products and services.' At the end of last year patent applications by Amazon and Google revealed ways their Voice Assistant powered smart speakers could already be spying on people. The findings were published in a report created by Santa Monica, California based advocacy group Consumer Watchdog. Amazon said the company took 'privacy seriously' and did 'not use customers' voice recordings for targeted advertising.' Pictured is the Amazon Echo and Echo dot. Consumer privacy watchdogs claim the firm plans to use private data to spy on users It says patents reveal the devices' possible use as surveillance equipment for massive information collection and intrusive digital advertising. The study found that digital assistants can be 'awake' even when users think they aren't listening. The digital assistants are supposed to react only when they hear a so-called 'wakeword.' John Simpson, Consumer Watchdog's privacy and technology project director, said at the time: 'Google and Amazon executives want you to think that Google Home and Amazon Echo are there to help you out at the sound of your voice. 'In fact, they're all about snooping on you and your family in your home and gathering as much information on your activities as possible. 'You might find them useful sometimes, but think about what you're revealing about yourself and your family, and how that information might be used in the future. 'Instead of charging you for these surveillance devices, Google and Amazon should be paying you to take one into your home.' A hidden Bronze Age landscape, thought to be 4,500 years old, has been discovered on a remote island off the coast of Wales. Researchers used lasers to create a 3D model of Ramsey Island which revealed burial grounds, a prehistoric coastal fort and the possible site of a lost chapel. The island - about a mile off the coast of St David's Head in Pembrokeshire - will now be studied by experts to understand how humans once used the area. Shown is a 3D view of Ramsey Island from the south-east generated from the Lidar imaging. Colours differentiate height above sea level. The technology measures distance by shooting a laser at a target and analysing the light that is reflected back The Lidar scans were part of the EU-funded CHERISH Project to investigate the effects of climate change, and was commissioned by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. Dan Hunt, CHERISH archaeologist at the Royal Commission, said the information gained from the scan of the 2-mile long island was 'incredible'. He said: 'We have added a wealth of new archaeological sites to the story of Ramsey Island, using an incredible 3D dataset which has presented us with a stunning view of the island in enormous detail. The airborne laser survey was commissioned by archaeologists from the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales as part of the new European-funded Ireland-Wales CHERISH project Shown here is airborne laser scanning (Lidar) of Ramsey Island. The prehistoric landscape of Ramsey Island extends to the northern most tip of the island where the site of a possible prehistoric coastal fort 'We look forward to working closely with the wardens of RSPB Ramsey Island, and other colleagues in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, to investigate these discoveries further.' The island, which is managed and owned by the RSPB charity, has long been a place of scientific interest. Previous surveys that were carried out during the mid-1990s recorded prehistoric cairns and field systems on its two summits, according to the BBC. The airborne laser survey has shed further light on the island's past. It was done using Lidar, a remote sensing technology that measures distance by shooting a laser at a target and analysing the light that is reflected back. The prehistoric landscape of Ramsey Island extends to the northern most tip of the island where the site of a possible prehistoric coastal fort has been identified on the high rocky site of Trwyn-SiOn-Owen. This defended coastal fort was probably a permanent defended settlement or a gathering place for people living and farming on the island. Ramsey Island - about a mile off the coast of St David's Head in Pembrokeshire - will now be studied by experts to understand how humans once used the island. The medieval and post-medieval periods can also be seen on the Island. Much of this evidence comprises ancient plough ridges, mostly confined to northern and central areas. However, researchers say there are also earthworks that suggest settlement, industry and religious practice. To the north of Carn Ysgubor are the remains of medieval and post-medieval ridge and furrow. Emerging from the ridges are the remains of an earthen platform, possibly the former site of a small rectangular building. North of this area is the possible site of the lost chapel Capel Dyfanog. The discoveries could change our view on humans interacted with Ramsey Island during the past 4,000 to 5,000 years Here the remains of a complex formed of ponds, platforms and enclosures, which straddle the east coast of the island, represent a fitting site for a medieval ecclesiastical precinct that would have afforded a unique view across the waters of Ramsey Sound towards the city of St Davids. The discoveries could change our view on humans interacted with Ramsey Island during the past 4,000 to 5,000 years. Advertisement SpaceX has launched a recycled rocket and Dragon spacecraft into orbit for the second time in the company's history. The firm's Commercial Resupply Services 14 (CRS-14) mission to the International Space Station (ISS) blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in Florida at 4:30p.m. (ET) on Monday. Atop the reused Falcon 9 booster is a flight-proven Dragon capsule towing 5,800lbs of supplies, vehicle hardware and science experiments, including materials designed to remove dangerous space junk. Scroll down for videos SpaceX has launched a recycled rocket and Dragon spacecraft into orbit for the second time in the company's history. Atop the reused Falcon 9 rocket is a flight-proven Dragon capsule towing 5,800lbs of supplies, vehicle hardware and science experiments The launch took place right on time with decent weather conditions, aside from a few stray anvil clouds that had appeared earlier. 'Vehicle is supersonic,' SpaceX confirmed in a livestream of the event. SpaceX said the flight had an instantaneous launch window, which meant that it had once chance to launch at 4:30p.m. (ET). 'It's instantaneous because we're trying to time our launch to the point that ISS will be directly overhead Cape Canaveral,' the said during the livestream. About 10 minutes into the launch, Dragon successfully separated from the Falcon 9's second stage. Dragon will now embark on a two-day journey through space to meet up with the ISS. The launch took place right on time with decent weather conditions, aside from a few stray anvil clouds that had appeared earlier The firm expects the ISS to capture the Dragon capsule around 7:00a.m. (ET) on Wednesday. The Falcon 9's first stage previously launched during its twelfth resupply mission for NASA last year, while the Dragon capsule flew to the space station as part of a resupply mission in 2016. Unlike previous missions, however, the firm won't attempt to recover Falcon 9's first stage or second stage after launch. The reason for that is because SpaceX is hoping to collect valuable data during the rocket's fall in the ocean. 'Instead, we're going to be pushing the limits a bit on our return trajectory so that the first stage can return additional data,' the firm said during the livestream. The Falcon 9's first stage is expected to jettison into the Atlantic Ocean, while the second stage will be disposed in the Indian Ocean. SpaceX broke new ground when it launched a reusable Falcon 9 rocket and flight-proven Dragon capsule in December 2017. The 2017 Commercial Resupply Services 13 (CRS-13) mission towed roughly 4,800 pounds of cargo and material to the ISS, including barley for Budweisers beer-brewing experiments. Unlike prior missions, SpaceX won't recover the Falcon 9's reusable first and second stage boosters. Instead, the Falcon 9's first stage is expected to jettison into the Atlantic Ocean, while the second stage will be disposed in the Indian Ocean About 10 minutes into the launch, Dragon successfully separated from the Falcon 9's second stage. Dragon will now embark on a two-day journey through space to meet up with the ISS, carrying 5,800lbs of cargo for crew members and scientists The Dragon capsule that launched on Monday is also towing 'critical materials' that will be used in science and research investigations occurring onboard the ISS. One of these investigations includes a British-led mission working to salvage potentially dangerous space junk orbiting the Earth. The RemoveDEBRIS satellite, to be deployed from the ISS, will carry a net for capturing space litter and a harpoon that can be used to spear and haul in larger objects. It's not the first time that SpaceX has delivered supplies to the ISS using a Falcon 9 and a Dragon capsule. SpaceX has completed 14 successful resupply missions and 11 of them used a recycled first-stage booster. 'This one seemed like a really good opportunity to fly a trajectory a little bit out more towards the limits,' Jessica Jensen, director of Dragon mission management at SpaceX, said at a press briefing, according to the Verge. About 10 minutes into the launch, Dragon successfully separated from the Falcon 9's second stage. The reusable Dragon capsule will now embark on a two-day journey through space to meet up with the ISS The Dragon capsule that launched on Monday is also towing 'critical materials' that will be used in science and research investigations occurring onboard the ISS. Investigations include studies of severe thunderstorms on Earth, bioluminescent cells and growing food in space, according to NASA 'And that way, our engineers can collect additional data, not only during reentry but during landing that will be useful for the future,' she added. The launch comes just days after SpaceX launched the latest batch of Iridium satellites to orbit atop a reused Falcon 9 rocket. The rocket, which was previously used for the Iridium 3 launch back in October, lifted off from the SpaceX Launch Complex Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Friday. After the Falcon 9 launches on Monday, the Dragon spacecraft will stay in orbit and float toward the ISS. It's expected to meet up with ISS on Wednesday, at which point astronauts will use the station's 57.7-foot robotic arm to reach out and capture the Dragon capsule. Dragon is carrying a slew of materials onboard to support more than 250 experiments being conducted by ISS crew members. SpaceX launched and safely returned a reusable Dragon capsule in 2017. The resupply mission brought nearly 5,000 pounds of supplies to the International Space Station Investigations include studies of severe thunderstorms on Earth, bioluminescent cells and growing food in space, according to NASA. The RemoveDEBRIS satellite, designed and built by a consortium led by the University of Surrey and funded by the European Commission, is the first practical attempt to try out clean-up technology aimed at tackling dangerous space junk. In the first of a series of capture experiments, a net will be discharged to wrap around and ensnare a target cubesat miniature satellite. A second experiment will see a harpoon fired at a target plate. Other tests of navigation and a large drag sail designed to slow down the RemoveDEBRIS space craft as it falls out of orbit, ensuring it burns up on re-entry, will also be carried out. Monday's launch comes just days after SpaceX launched another reused rocket to space, carrying 10 Iridium satellites. Unlike previous launches, SpaceX isn't recovering the first stage WHY DOES SPACEX RE-USE ROCKETS AND OTHER PARTS? SpaceX tries to re-use rockets, payload fairings, boosters and other parts to try to cut down on the cost of each rocket mission. The total cost of one of its Falcon 9 launches is estimated to reach 44 million ($61m), while each of its larger Falcon Heavy flights costs 65 million ($90m). The space company has previously re-used first-stage and second-stage rocket boosters, in addition to one of its previously flown Dragon capsules. The Dragon spacecraft are used as the final stage of SpaceX missions to resupply the International Space Station. In an incredible accomplishment, the Falcon Heavy's reused side boosters landed smoothly back down to Earth on two separate launchpads about 8 minutes in. SpaceX is currently testing a system to recover the fairings of its Falcon 9 rockets. The payload fairings are clam shell-like nose cone halves that protect the craft's payload. SpaceX recovered a payload fairing for the first time in 2017. During its first Falcon Heavy launch in February 2018, the firm landed two of the firms side boosters simultaneously on separate launchpads. Advertisement 'We believe the technologies we will be demonstrating with RemoveDEBRIS could provide feasible answers to the space junk problem answers that could be used on future space missions in the very near future,' said Professor Guglielmo Aglietti, director of the Surrey Space Centre at the University of Surrey. The fiery demise of the Chinese space lab Tiangong-1 was a timely reminder of the growing hazard of space junk. The defunct 10.4 metre long space craft, weighing 8.5 tonnes, re-entered the atmosphere at around 01.15 BST on Monday. According to official reports it mostly broke up harmlessly above the South Pacific, but there is uncertainty about its precise fate. At first glance, it's easy to miss a tiny, faint light hidden among a mesmerizing cluster of colorful stars. But a new photo snapped by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has managed to make history. The spacecraft was able to spot a blue 'supergiant' nine billion light years away. The star, informally called 'Icarus', is the most distant single star ever to be observed by astronomers. Scroll down for videos A rare gravitational lensing event has allowed astronomers to image the most distant single star ever observed. (NASA, ESA, and P. Kelly, University of Minnesota/PA) Scientists reported on the findings in a new paper published Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy. Usually at such distances scientists can only image galaxies, collections of billions of stars such as our own Milky Way, or supernovas and gamma ray bursts, colossal cosmic explosions. Beyond about 100 million light years it is impossible to make out individual stars even with the most powerful telescopes. In this case, a rare cosmic alignment naturally magnified the supergiant more than 2,000 times, allowing astronomers to see it. This phenomenon, called gravitational lensing, occurs when a massive galaxy or cluster of galaxies bend the light emitted from a more distant galaxy. In effect, the galaxies act as a magnifying glass that can render dim far away objects visible. The Hubble Space Telescope (pictured), discovered the 'Icarus' star in images snapped over the course of a year between April 2016 and 2017 WHAT IS GRAVITATIONAL LENSING? Gravitational lensing occurs when a massive galaxy or cluster of galaxies bend the light emitted from a more distant galaxy. This forms a highly magnified, though much distorted image. This is because massive objects bend the spacetime around them, making light travel in a different path. This theory was first proposed by Einstein in his theory of General Relativity. Advertisement 'For the first time ever, we're seeing an individual normal star, not a supernova, not a gamma ray burst, but a single tablet star, a distance of nine billion light years,' said Alex Filippenko, a co-author of the study. 'These lenses are amazing cosmic telscopes'. He added that other gravitational lensing alignments should allow more distant stars to be studied. 'There are alignments like this all over the place as background stars or stars in lensing galaxies move around, offering the possibility of studying very distant stars dating from the early universe, just as we have been using gravitational lensing to study distant galaxies,' said Prof Filippenko. 'For this type of research, nature has provided us with a larger telescope than we can possibly build'. The B-type blue supergiant star is hundreds or even thousands of times brighter than the sun. It was discovered in Hubble Space Telescope images snapped over the course of a year between April 2016 and 2017. The Hubble Space Telescope was launched in partnership between the European Space Agency and NASA in 1990. Pictured is one-half of the telescope's field of view in 2006 The scientists were observing a galaxy cluster 5 billion light years away when they discovered a 'flickering light' in the background. As they examined it closer, they discovered that it was not from a star exploding at the end of its life, but a blue star. Gravitational lensing had bent space-time to magnify the star's image, allowing the scientists to see it for the first time with the naked eye. The lensing phenomenon, predicted by Albert Einstein, is the result of a massive object bending space-time around it and forcing light beams to take a curved path. 'You can see individual galaxies out there, but this star is at least 100 times farther away than the next individual star we can study, except for supernova explosions,' said Lead Scientist Dr Patrick Kelly, who worked on the observations while at the University of California at Berkeley. WHAT DOES THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE DO? The Hubble Space Telescope (pictured) recently captured a stunning image of a galaxy 20 million light years away The Hubble Space Telescope was launched jointly by NASA and the European Space Agency. The Hubble is a space-based and long-term observatory. The Hubble observes ultraviolet wavelengths, which the atmosphere filters out, and it collects visible light. 'The Hubble Space Telescope has made some of the most dramatic discoveries in the history of astronomy,' a statement on the Telescope says. The machinery sits more than 370 miles above earth. It can pick up on light via its 'eyes', which are five times more focused than ground-based telescopes. The Hubble focuses on areas in deep outer space 'where some of the most profound mysteries are still buried in the mists of time'. Advertisement The star has the long formal name MACS J1149 Lensed Star 1 (LS1), but has been dubbed 'Icarus' by the astronomers. Icarus is now believed to be much farther away and will have died, according to the Guardian. In its place, a black hole or a neutron star is likely to have formed. Scientists expect many more magnified stars will be discovered when the 'Super Hubble' space telescope becomes operational. Called the James Webb Telescope, it is considered a successor to the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope. Originally, the observatory was supposed to fly this year, but then in autumn the space agency pushed the launch back to 2019 and then today announced it would not fly until 2020. DNA evidence has revealed how a relatively small number of powerful men sired millions of descendants during the dawn of farming. Many East Asian, West African, European, Near Easterner, and North African people have common male ancestors that lived around 5,000 years ago, research shows. According to Harvard Medical School genetics professor David Reich, who has summed up the research in a new book Who We Are and How We Got Here, powerful men in this period left an 'extraordinary impact' on the planet's later populations. Scroll down for video DNA evidence has revealed how a relatively small number of powerful men sired millions of descendants during the dawn of farming. Many East Asian, West African, European, and North African people have common male ancestors that lived around 5,000 years ago (stock image) Reich pointed to Genghis Khan, who ruled people living in an area spanning from China to the Caspian Sea, to explain his theory. He explained that the successors of the leader, who lived during the 11th and 12th centuries, created a society that left an 'extraordinary genetic impact on Eurasia'. A study published in 2003 explained how a small number of males who lived during that time strongly influenced the population currently living in Eurasia. The analysis said that the report 'showed how a relatively small number of powerful males living during the Mongol period succeeded in having an outsize impact on the billions of people living in East Eurasia today'. The study relied on analyses of Y chromosomes and concluded that a single male living around the time the Mongols lived left as many as tens of millions of descendants. 'Powerful males in this period left an extraordinary impact on the populations that followed themmore than in any previous periodwith some bequeathing DNA to more descendants today than Genghis Khan,' Reich writes in his book, part of which has been published in Nautilus. In 2015 research found that 800 million people living today are descended from just eleven men. This map shows ten of the 11 lineages (labelled DC) with the approximate date when they originated and how they appear to have spread (arrows) around the continent GENGHIS KHAN: THE GENOCIDAL FOUNDER OF THE MONGOL EMPIRE Genghis Khan was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire Genghis Khan was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. In the early 1200s he united the Mongol tribes, creating a military state that invaded its neighbours and expanded. The Empire soon ruled most of what would become modern Korea, China, Russia, eastern Europe, southeast Asia, Persia and India. Khan made himself master of half the known world, and inspired mankind with a fear that lasted for generations. He was a prolific lover, fathering hundreds of children across his territories. Some scientists think he has 16 million male descendants alive today. By the time he died in August 1227, the Mongol Empire covered a vast part of Central Asia and China. Originally known as Temujin of the Borjigin, legend has it Genghis was born holding a clot of blood in his hand. His father was Khan, or emperor, of a small tribe but was murdered when Temujin was still young. The new tribal leader wanted nothing to do with Temujin's family, so with his mother and five other children, Temujin was cast out and left to die. In all, Genghis conquered almost four times the lands of Alexander the Great. He is still revered in Mongolia and in parts of China. Historians estimate he was responsible for the deaths of nearly 40 million people with his large-scale massacres of civilian populations. Advertisement 'The evidence is that about eight percent of the male population in the lands the Mongol Empire once occupied share a characteristic Y-chromosome sequence and a cluster of similar sequences differing by just a few mutations,' Reich's essay said. The study's researchers called this a 'Star Cluster', reflecting the thought of one ancestor with a large number of descendants. The lineage's founder supposedly lived between 700 and 1,300 years ago given the number of Y-chromosome mutations. 'The date coincides with that of Genghis Khan, suggesting that this single successful Y chromosome may have been his,' the report said. Star clusters can be found outside of Asia as well - Reich's essay also mentioned a study that proved that up to three million people alive today came directly from a common ancestor in Ireland who lived about 1,500 years ago. Star Clusters allow scientists to learn more about historical figures, and they provide insight into past social shifts that researchers have little information about. Reich pointed to Genghis Khan, who ruled people living in an area spanning from China to the Caspian Sea, to explain his theory WHAT ARE STAR CLUSTERS? Star Clusters are groups of descendants from a common ancestor. Large Star Clusters have been identified on multiple continents. One Star Cluster can be traced back to 1,500 years ago in Ireland. Geneticist Daniel Bradley identified a chromosome found in up to three million people who are believed to have descended from medieval Ireland's royal families. A study published in 2003 explained how a small number of males who lived during that time strongly influenced the population currently living in Eurasia Specifically, they descended from Niall, a warlord who lived during the earliest medieval Irish period. O'Donnell is a common last name for people with the chromosome within the Star Cluster. Advertisement Professor Reich said: 'This is therefore one area in which Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA analysis can be instructive, even without whole-genome data. 'For example, a perennial debate among historians is the extent to which the human past is shaped by single individuals whose actions leave a disproportionate impact on subsequent generations. Star Cluster analysis provides objective information about the importance of extreme inequalities in power at different points in the past.' Reich went on to explain how Star Clusters have revealed much about power structures among relationships between males and females over the years. He explained that even for women who did accumulate more power, it is harder to link them directly to lineages. 'In humans, the profound biological differences that exist between the sexes mean that a single male is physically capable of having far more children than is a single female,' Professor Reich wrote. 'Women carry unborn children for nine months and often nurse them for several years prior to having additional children. 'Men, meanwhile, are able to procreate while investing far less time in the bearing and early rearing of each child. 'So it is that, as measured by the contribution to the next generation, powerful men have the potential to have a far greater impact than powerful women, and we can see this in genetic data.' Advertisement Newly-hired employees of Japan Airlines were all smiles as they threw paper airplanes to celebrate their new careers. The initiation ceremony place at a hangar in the Haneda Airport and even included an appearance by the group's new president Yuji Akasaka. Over 1,600 people were in attendance from 33 companies within the Japan Airlines group. All smiles: New hires of Japan Airlines (JAL) held paper planes at the company's group initiation ceremony in Tokyo, Japan This year's annual initiation ceremony is the first for Japan Airlines' new president, 56-year-old Yuji Akasaka. Akasaka, formerly the managing executive officer in charge of engineering and maintenance, has stepped up following the move of former president Yoshiharu Ueki to chairman this month. Ueki, a former pilot, was named president in 2012 and is credited with helping lead the company's recovery from bankruptcy during his six year tenure. 'I wanted to pass the baton to the next generation before my energy became empty, and that came this year,' 65-year-old Ueki said at a news conference in January. New careers: The annual initiation ceremony took place in a hangar at the Haneda Airport Speeches: New hires listened carefully to speeches from several senior employees, including the group's new president Change of leadership: This month marks the first for newly-appointed president Yuji Akasaka (pictured) Tucked away: Before tossing the paper planes into the air to celebrate, employees kept the airplanes in their pockets Big year: It's an important year for the Japain Airlines (JAL) group as their former president has recently stepped down A new future: The former president Yoshiharu Ueki helped to revitalise the once-bankrupt carrier by slashing costs A moment of silence: As part of the initiation ceremony, new hires had a moment of reflection while bowing their heads New beginnings: Following six years in office, president Yoshiharu Ueki moved to the role of chairman this month Big day! All the new hires appeared very happy to be embarking on their careers with the country's second largest airline Beautiful! With over 1,600 new employees in attendance, the thousands of paper planes were quite a spectacle Take flight! Thousands of paper airplanes were thrown into the air in the Haneda Airport hangar during the event Time to celebrate: The 1,600-plus employees in attendance represent 33 JAL group companies Big shoes to fill! The new president of the company was formerly a senior executive overseeing engineering and maintenance British holidaymakers awaiting flight delay and cancellation compensation may be waiting a while longer. A recent investigation has found that airlines have failed to pay 4 million despite a court ruling ordering otherwise. TUI alone, the holiday travel group formerly known as Thomson, reportedly owes 5,000 passengers up to 2.4 million. Frustrating: Thousands of British holidaymakers are owed compensation due to flight delays and cancellations As many holidaymakers known, flight delays and cancellations are some of the worst ways to begin a holiday. But, under EU law, travellers are entitled to up to 529 compensation if they arrive at their destination more than three hours late. Despite this fact, an investigation by The Sun has found that more than 10,000 British holidaymakers are still owed compensation due to airline delays and cancellations. easyJet, however, which reportedly now owes more than 3,000 travellers 1.5 million, disputes these allegations. The remaining thousands of cases are smaller claims against other airlines. Worst offenders? According to a recent investigation, TUI (pictured) and easyJet combined owe 4 million Speaking to MailOnline, a representative for easyJet said: 'We take our responsibilities under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 extremely seriously and will always pay compensation when it is due. 'We have been working on a number of processes which are designed to significantly improve our claims function to make it as easy as possible for our passengers to claim with us directly rather than sacrificing a significant portion of their compensation to other organisations unnecessarily. 'To be clear, easyJet pays the vast majority of judgments ruled in favour of Claimants even where we believe we have good grounds for success to have judgments set aside. 'These court records do not represent unpaid claims but suggest that the administrative process not been completed to remove the judgments from the Court register.' Untrue: easyJet disputes the claims that the company owes 1.5 million, saying they always pay compensation when due According to the investigation, some passengers who have tried to recover compensation from TUI in the past have been ignored, eventually choosing to hire legal help. Law firm Bott and Co said that of their 3,000 cases against TUI in 2017, 73 per cent wound up in court. MailOnline Travel has contacted TUI for comment. ST. MARTIN, Mississippi -- A man and woman were tied up and badly beaten by an ex-convict at the male victim's St. Martin apartment Saturday, Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell said. The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Andrew Rayvonne Williams, arrived at the Bridge Water Apartments and went to the apartment he once shared with the male victim. The female victim was there visiting at the time. The victims told investigators Williams forced them to strip naked, and then tied them up with duct tape and proceeded to beat them and kick them repeatedly throughout the next several hours. The male victim was eventually able to free himself and went to a neighboring apartment for help. Once Williams discovered the male victim had escaped, he fled the scene by stealing the man's car. He was later arrested around 4 p.m. at the Chevron station on Mississippi 609 south of Interstate 10. The male victim's car was recovered at the scene. Both victims were taken to Ocean Springs Hospital, where the woman was treated and released, but the man remains hospitalized with undisclosed injuries. According to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Williams was released from a Mississippi penitentiary in February after serving seven years for a drug-related conviction. Prior to beginning that sentence, Williams was indicted in George County for aggravated assault and released on bond. With his arrest Sunday, Williams bond on the prior charge was revoked by Jackson County Judge T. Larry Wilson. That case is scheduled to be heard April 30 in Jackson County Circuit Court. Wilson set bond for Williams at $25,000 for each of two counts of kidnapping, $25,000 for two counts of aggravated assault, and $10,000 for stealing the male victim's car. Williams has a long history of run-ins with law enforcement, including arrests for possession of a controlled substance, possession of cocaine, possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, armed robbery, contempt of court and public drunk. She's the young starlet who is often confused for one of Australia's biggest acting exports, Margot Robbie. Now Samara Weaving has rubbished rumours of an on-going rivalry between her and the Academy Award nominated actress. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph's Stellar, the 26-year-old revealed: '[Margot's] really lovely. Shes a great actress. Im flattered that people mistake me for her. Thats a great compliment'. Scroll down for video 'Im flattered that people mistake me for her!' Samara Weaving rubbishes rumours of rivalry between her and 'great actress' Margot Robbie As the awards rolled in for Samara's Oscar-winning film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, so too did the comparisons to the I,Tonya Oscar nominee, according to the publication. The pair's striking fair-haired appearance and similar backgrounds in rival Aussie TV soaps helped perpetuate the comparison. But despite the similarities Samara urged fans to refrain from making two women compete against each other. 'I hope that people realise pitting two women against each other is just silly': In light of these glaringly apparent similarities, the former Home And Away star urged fans to refrain from pitting women up against each other 'I hope that people realise pitting two women against each other is just silly. Its bizarre, really,' Samara told Stellar Magazine. The Australian beauty is tipped for further stardom when she conquers the small screen in the TV remake Picnic At Hanging Rock set to premiere on Sunday, May 6, on Foxtels Showcase channel. The Babysitter star told the publication she believes the six-part series will raise awareness about the plight of women in this country. Seeing double: With their striking features and background in rival soaps, it's not hard to make the comparison between Margot Robbie (L) and rising star Samara (R) 'A period piece like this brings awareness to the audience what these women and men had to go through. Especially for the women just how oppressed they were, yet it was the norm'. With her piercing blue eyes and full lips, she bears a striking resemblance to fellow Australian star Margot. And the similarities don't stop there, as Samara got her first real acting break on Home and Away, while Margot's original claim to fame was playing runaway teenager Donna Freedman in rival soap Neighbours. She has denied rumours of a post-Married At First Sight romance with Justin Fischer. And Ashley Irvin looked a little downcast on Sunday as she spent the Easter long weekend with her family in Queensland. The 28-year-old flight attendant appeared rather glum as she sipped on a sugar-free energy drink to stay alert. Scroll down for video Missing Justin? Married At First Sight's Ashley Irvin looked downcast and sipped an energy drink as she celebrated Easter with her family in Queensland on Sunday Ashley flaunted her slender figure in a black dress before changing into a skintight, strapless orange number. She accessorised with a pair of fluffy bunny ears and an Apple watch. Celebrating the public holiday in a relaxed Aussie style, she finished off her look with a pair of black Havaianas thongs. Festive: Ashley wore skintight, strapless orange dress with a pair of fluffy bunny ears Casual: Celebrating the public holiday in a relaxed Aussie style, she finished off her look with a pair of black Havaianas thongs Despite the family reunion setting, Ashley looked rather downcast as she helped prepare the lunch platter. But she appeared in happier spirits in her Instagram posts from the weekend, which saw her posing with her sisters, Charlie and Summer, and mother Stephanie. 'Happy Easter, love the Irvin Girls,' she captioned a short video of the group. Is everything OK? Despite the family reunion setting, Ashley looked rather downcast as she helped prepare the lunch platter Changing it up: Earlier in the day, Ashley was seen wearing a short black dress Family time! Ashley appeared in happier spirits in her Instagram posts from the weekend, which saw her posing with her sisters, Charlie and Summer, and mother Stephanie It seemed quite the festive gathering at her elder sister Charlie's home. Taking to her Instagram Story on Sunday, Ashley showcased an impressive collection of chocolate bunnies and eggs. She also revealed an exceptionally well-decorated table complete with centrepieces and a delicious cheese platter. Yum! Taking to her Instagram Story on Sunday, Ashley showcased an impressive collection of chocolate bunnies and eggs James Packer recently checked into a $5,000-a-night facility after stepping down as Crown Resorts CEO citing mental health issues. And the casino mogul's ex-wife Erica Packer (nee Baxter) is reportedly 'desperate' for him to recover and is prepared to do 'whatever it takes' to help. According to Woman's Day on Monday, James is also keen for the 40-year-old former model to 'take him back' so they can be a family once again. Scroll down for video 'She'll do anything for him': James Packer's devoted ex-wife Erica (right) 'wants to help him battle through his demons so he can be a happy and healthy father for their three children' 'She loves him he's the father of her three kids, but she was terribly hurt by the divorce, and she's watched him unravel over the past few years,' a source said. Earlier this month, The Daily Telegraph reported that James had asked his second wife Erica to 'take him back' after resigning from his CEO position. According to the newspaper, it was not the first time James had attempted to reconcile with Erica. Hopeful: The casino mogul's ex-wife Erica Packer (nee Baxter) is reportedly 'desperate' for the father of her three children to recover and is prepared to do 'whatever it takes' to help However, Woman's Day claimed that Erica will only consider taking back her 50-year-old ex-husband if he can show her a 'new and healed James'. 'What she does want is a happy and healthy dad for the kids, and she'll do anything to help James become that man,' an insider told the magazine. James is also reportedly close with his first wife, former model-turned-activewear entrepreneur Jodhi Meares, who he has on speed dial and speaks to regularly. Claims: 'She loves him he's the father of her three kids, but she was terribly hurt by the divorce, and she's watched him unravel over the past few years,' a source told Woman's Day In happier times: Earlier this month, The Daily Telegraph reported that James had asked his second wife Erica to 'take him back' after resigning from his CEO position Last month, James checked into The Pavilion at Boston's McLean Hospital, an 11-bed facility where he will receive treatment for his mental health issues. The exclusive facility, which has treated Sylvia Plath and Ray Charles, charges $5,000 a night for its 14-day program. James and Erica married in 2007 and announced their separation in September 2013. They share three children: Indigo, Jackson, and Emmanuelle. She threw her son Rocket, three, a lavish dinosaur-themed party for his birthday. And this weekend, Lara Bingle celebrated Easter with her young family. The 30-year-old took to Instagram on Sunday, to share an adorable snap of Rocket on an egg hunt with an Easter bunny, writing: 'Happy Easter everyone!' Scroll down for video 'Happy Easter everyone!' Lara Bingle shares an adorable snap of son Rocket on an egg hunt...after throwing him a lavish dinosaur-themed party for his third birthday The Cronulla-born model and tan entrepreneur shared the snap to her Instagram story, where Rocket can be seen holding up an item as he tried to talk to the bunny. Lara then joked with her followers that Easter and a strict cleanse program 'don't mix.' She pulled a sachet of supplements out of her bag. Doting: Lara is seen with Rocket in New York in 2016 Trying to skip the chocolate! Lara then joked with her followers that Easter and a strict cleanse program 'don't mix' 'Marry a man that carries your bag': In another part of her Instagram story, Lara shared a shot of husband Sam Worthington carrying her Celine tote bag In another part of her Instagram story, Lara shared a shot of husband Sam Worthington carrying her Celine tote bag. She joked: 'Marry a man that carries your bag.' Lara - who has taken on her husband's last name - threw Rocket a lavish dinosaur-themed third birthday party, last week. Fancy! Lara - who has taken on her husband's last name - threw Rocket a lavish dinosaur-themed third birthday party, last week In theme! The blonde also had a dinosaur cake made for her son Held in Los Angeles where her clan are based, she set up a huge T-Rex balloon install. Lara also had a dinosaur cake made for her son. Lara and Sam - who is known for the film Avatar - also share one-year-old son Racer together. The fashionista recently announced her engagement to long-time partner and former AFL star Joel Patfull in December. And in the latest issue of Cosmopolitan Bride, Elle Ferguson stuns in an exclusive fashion shoot modelling exquisite wedding gowns. In the beautiful images, the 33-year-old blogger is a vision in white as she poses alongside husband-to-be. Isn't that bad luck? Fashion blogger Elle Ferguson (right) looks a vision in white as she models exquisite wedding gowns alongside her fiance Joel Patfull (left) for Cosmopolitan Bride Elle models gowns from Australian brands including Karen Willis Holmes, Paolo Sebastian, and Chosen by One Day Bridal. 'Shooting my cover for Cosmo Bride was an absolute dream! The shoot will always hold a very special place in my heart,' Elle said. She added: 'I've been buying the magazine for so long and now I hope to give inspiration to other brides-to-be. To say I'm grateful is an understatement because Ill have these pictures for the rest of my life.' 'The shoot will always hold a very special place in my heart': Elle modelled various wedding gowns in her stunning Cosmopolitan Bride photo shoot Resting her head on fiance Joel's shoulder, Elle wore a two-piece bridal ensemble with a long veil as they stood within a rural property among the tall grass. Elle's makeup was flawless, while her blonde locks were styled in loose, natural-looking waves. Her impressive engagement ring was on display as she cuddled up to her partner, who looked suave in a white shirt and grey suit. She said YES! Joel proposed to Elle with a five-carat engagement ring last December in Byron Bay Cosmopolitan Bride Editor Alexis Teasdale said: 'As soon as we heard she was engaged we just knew she would make the perfect COSMO Bride, bride!' 'Not only does Elle shine in all of the gorgeous gowns, but we got the lowdown about her romantic proposal and the incredible engagement ring that her sister Lucie from BabyAnything designed.' Joel proposed to Elle with a five-carat engagement ring last December in Byron Bay. Wow! Elle's impressive five-carat engagement ring (pictured), designed by her sister Lucie from BabyAnything, was on display in the Cosmopolitan Bride photo shoot Despite designing the enormous sparkler for Elle, Lucie told Daily Mail Australia she wouldn't be creating a wedding band to go with the ring. 'Elle has always mentioned that if she were to get married she wouldnt have a wedding ring, she would be happy with a beautiful engagement ring and that would be enough,' she said. The April 2018 issue of Cosmopolitan Bride is the annual Real Wedding Special Issue, featuring 30 beautiful and inspiring celebrations along with the Cosmo Bride Little White Book. TOWIE's Myles Barnett was slammed by viewers on Sunday night for his 'disgusting' language towards girlfriend Courtney Green. The new episode saw Myles involved in a shocking street brawl with new boy Jordan Wright, who claimed Courtney had been flirting with him during the cast trip to Barcelona, Spain. However things soon turned ugly when a riled up Myles threw a drink at Jordan in rage, before branding his girlfriend a 'dirty little s**g' - to the horror of show fans. Furious: TOWIE's Myles Barnett was slammed by viewers on Sunday night for his 'disgusting' language towards girlfriend Courtney Green during an ugly street brawl Disrespectful: Things turned ugly when a riled up Myles threw a drink at new boy Jordan Wright in rage, before branding his girlfriend a 'dirty little s**g' - to the horror of show fans The incident began when Myles and Courtney bumped into Jordan and Bobby Norris back in their native Essex. Not one to mince his words, Myles immediately asked Jordan if he had been flirting with Courtney - who claimed their interaction was 'harmless', but that the brunette had also been entertaining his advances. Jordan then provoked Myles further, by revealing he knew he had asked Courtney for a photo of him during a jealous rage while away in the Spanish hot spot. Awkward: The incident began when Myles and Courtney (above) bumped into Jordan and Bobby Norris back in their native Essex Getting to the bottom of it: Not one to mince his words, Myles immediately asked Jordan if he had been flirting with Courtney Poking fun: Jordan claimed their interaction was 'harmless', but that the brunette had also been entertaining his advances Now furious at both his rival and his girlfriend, Myles erupted into a furious tirade, shouting: 'All of you can f*** yourselves,' before turning to Courtney and adding: 'As for you, you've been a dirty little dog as well, so honestly f*** off.' Unable to contain his emotions, he then lobbed his juice at Jordan, causing the pair to start on each other - with Bobby and Courtney desperately tearing them apart. With his girlfriend drawing him away, Myles snapped in one last blow: 'You can f*** off too you dirty little s**g'. Bad to worse: Jordan then provoked Myles further, by revealing he knew he had asked Courtney for a photo of him during a jealous rage while away in the Spanish hot spot Not happy: Now furious at both his rival and his girlfriend, Myles erupted into a furious tirade, shouting: 'All of you can f*** yourselves' Raging: He later turned to Courtney and added: 'As for you, you've been a dirty little dog as well, so honestly f*** off' Fisticuffs: Unable to contain his emotions, he then lobbed his juice at Jordan, causing the pair to start on each other The uncomfortable scene was met by uproar on Twitter, with viewers branding Myles' behaviour as 'disgusting' and 'disrespectful'. One fan kicked things off by writing: 'Why does every male on this show think it's ok to speak to women so disgustingly? #TOWIE' While others agreed: 'The way Myles Just spoke to Courtney is vile #TOWIE', 'I cant believe Myles spoke to her like that, bin him off, he isnt worth the abuse!' and 'Myles is disgusting ... you DO NOT call your girlfriend a dog or a s**g...' Another passionate fan added: '#TOWIE is genuinely concerning to watch at the moment?! Glamorising men being verbally abusive to their girlfriends is really uncomfortable. Putting an end to it: Bobby and Courtney were forced to desperately tear them apart Aggressive: With his girlfriend drawing him away, Myles snapped in one last blow: 'You can f*** off too you dirty little s**g' 'That was awful': The uncomfortable scene was met by uproar on Twitter, with viewers branding Myles' behaviour as 'disgusting' and 'disrespectful' 'Arguing is one thing, screaming in a girls face that shes a f***ing brat or a dirty tramp/s**g is overly aggressive & NOT NORMAL' As another agreed: 'WHY do these girls on TOWIE allow themselves to be spoken like that? Wouldn't have anyone calling me a tramp or a slag especially not my boyfriend. Absolutely embarrassing!! #TOWIE' MailOnline has contacted a representative of TOWIE for comment. The pair have been dating for just over a year, but Courtney told OK! in May that she and Myles had already discussed the prospect of marriage and children. The brunette claimed she would 'obviously' move in if Myles bought a flat, before admitting she was keen to marry young, and that the pair talk about having kids 'all the time'. She welcomed her third child, a son named Johnny, with husband Peter Crouch in January. And Abbey Clancy proved she has bounced back to her pre-baby body on Sunday, as she shared an array of sizzling bikini snaps from her holiday in Dubai. The model, 32, displayed her envy-inducing figure in a skimpy white bikini and slinky swimsuit as she soaked up some rays in the blazing location. Bikini babe: Abbey Clancy proved she has bounced back to her pre-baby body on Sunday, as she shared an array of sizzling bikini snaps from her latest holiday The Britain's Next Top Model host first slipped her statuesque frame into a scuba-style swimsuit, which she left partially unzipped to tease at her cleavage. Hugging her enviably slim figure with its blue and green panels, the one-piece then cut off high at her thigh to leave her impressively long legs on show as she posed. Maintaining the sporty feel from head to toe, the Liverpool native added a black cap to her curls, but accessorised with dark, oversized sunglasses in a glamorous finishing touch. Time to relax: The model, 32, displayed her envy-inducing figure in a skimpy white bikini and slinky swimsuit as she soaked up some rays in a mystery tropical location With the holiday getting into full swing, Abbey later changed into a daringly skimpy white bikini as she enjoyed a few drinks by the pool. The mother-of-three displayed her incredibly toned stomach and waist in the barely-there two-piece, which plunged deeply at the chest and pulled into single strings at the sides. Clasping a cocktail in one hand and throwing up a peace sign in the other, Abbey proved to be completely relaxed as she soaked up the sunshine while away. Hot mama: The sizzling bikini snaps come two months after Abbey welcomed son Johnny with footballer Peter Crouch The sizzling bikini snaps come two months after Abbey and her husband Peter Crouch welcomed son Johnny, to join their daughters Sophia, six, and Liberty, two. Besotted with her new arrival, Abbey introduced her youngest child via social media with a sweet black and white snap of the tot. She penned alongside it: 'Baby Johnny Crouch born 3/1/18 so in love with our baby boy happy healthy and beautiful.' Despite only giving birth two months ago, Abbey was the picture of confidence in the snaps - having recently revealed the importance of being happy with your body to Women's Fitness. Besotted: The pair, who have been dating since 2006, also share daughter Sophia, six, and Liberty, two Admitting she worries about her figure like everyone else, she said: 'All girls have insecurities, whether it's worrying about love handles or a wobbly bum.' 'I'm just like everyone else and now that I'm 30 it's all starting to drop.' She went on to confess that her model figure is not without hard work, and she likes to hit the gym to maintain her slender frame. She added: 'I like my tummy... I'm lucky as I haven't got any stretchmarks after having two kids and I do targeted moves like sit-ups to keep it in shape.' Viewers have seen him grovelling in the latest episode of TOWIE, following an explosive on-screen argument. And Yazmin Oukhellou has reassured fans that all is forgiven with boyfriend James Lock, even though she won't stand for it again. Giving their first interview since the fight to OK! magazine on Monday, Yazmin shared her hopes for a future with James, outlining plans to be engaged by December and pregnant by 2019. All is forgiven: James Lock and Yazmin Oukhellou have reconciled following their explosive TOWIE showdown on last weekend's episode It was upsetting to watch,' Yazmin confessed about the shocking televised fight in Barcelona. 'To see someone I love flip like that was horrible. 'I dont excuse his behaviour and if he ever behaved like that again Id be gone. I love James dearly and I know that was just a blip moment. She went on to say: If I was some weak woman who was allowing her boyfriend to speak like that I would just excuse it and say its alright. Its not okay and if he was to do it again I wouldnt stand for it. On his own behaviour, James said he felt: Embarrassed' and 'got a bit upset' watching the scenes back. R|ant: James launched into a foul-mouthed tirade aimed at his girlfriend in Barcelona during last Sunday night's TOWIE Disrespectful: Although the girls were sticking up for their pal and attempting to calmly resolve the issue, James quickly became enraged and left Yazmin in tears as he repeatedly called her a 'spoilt brat' 'That is the old Lockie. Ive come a long way since then and thats not me any more. In the shocking showdown, James is filmed shouting at Yazmin, saying: 'Let me tell you something. Okay, youre gonna start doing that. Throwing that card. Listen Yaz, do not f***ing sit there and make me look like a d**k. Although the girls were sticking up for their pal and attempting to calmly resolve the issue, James quickly became enraged and left Yazmin in tears as he repeatedly called her a 'spoilt brat'. 'Don't sit here playing the victim because you are a spoilt, f***ing brat. Alright? You're a spoilt, little f***ing brat. Do not sit here and f***ing play the victim. Dont start f***ing crying.I'm a f***ing nice boy...' Settling down: After putting the issues behind them, Yazmin has set out her hopes for a future with James (here in March) Moving on: The duo pose inside this week's OK! magazine, as she reveals she won't stand for it again In the midst of his rage, Yazmin pleaded with him to stop: 'I don't care if you do it at home but this is embarrassing'. Naturally, the row caused quite a stir among viewers, with castmember Gemma Collins branding James 'disgusting' for his behaviour. On the fan reaction, Yazmin told OK!: It was also upsetting because people were saying that I should be a role model to young girls in abusive relationships. 'I have been in a previous relationship which I dont think was healthy before where I needed counselling I know the signs and James is not doing that to me. For all these people to be saying very extreme comments is a little bit much. Nevertheless, the duo are trying to move past the incident, and Yazmin clearly already has plans for the year ahead. Id like to be engaged by December,' she told the magazine. 'Before I take [James] to New York. Despite telling James: I would like to have a baby next year, he didnt seem to agree, telling the publication: Its not going to happen. I read that theyre bringing out a contraceptive pill for men so Ill be on that. Shes trying to trap me [laughs]. Read the full interview with James and Yazmin in the latest issue of OK! magazine, on sale from Monday 2 April Confronted: The 31-year-old TOWIE veteran became agitated after he was confronted for his disrespectful behaviour by his other half's pals Chloe Lewis and Chloe Meadows following a recent dinner they had all attended Nasty: Taking a nasty turn, he shouted: 'Let me tell you something. Okay, youre gonna start doing that. Throwing that card. Listen Yaz, do not f***ing sit there and make me look like a d**k' Not holding back: He added: 'Don't sit here playing the victim because you are a spoilt, f***ing brat. Alright? You're a spoilt, little f***ing brat. Do not sit here and f***ing play the victim. Dont start f***ing crying.I'm a f***ing nice boy...' Firing back: The brunette fired back: 'I'm very much in love and my partner does not speak to me the way you do' Tension: As tensions slowly started to simmer down, Yazmin said through her tears: 'It's embarrassing that they think you treat me like shit' NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak-Biermann came face to face for the first time since the infamous roach video on Sunday's season finale of The Real Housewives Of Atlanta. In the episode titled Nightmare On Peachtree Street, the ladies got together for a Halloween party hosted by newcomer Eva Marcille. NeNe made it clear she was not ready to bury the hatchet as she showed up in a roach exterminator costume with her husband, Gregg, dressed as a cockroach. Pest control: NeNe Leakes wore a pest control costume to a Halloween party to get back at Kim Zolciak on Sunday's season finale of The Real Housewives Of Atlanta 'We're here to get these roaches up out of here,' joked NeNe as she pretended to spray Gregg with poison. Nene's costume took a shot at Kim who had called their house a 'roach nest' after she and daughter Brielle visited the home and allegedly found roaches. Kim even shared a video Brielle had taken of black bugs crawling in NeNe's bathroom. The incident sparked a public trading of ugly insults between NeNe and Kim, with Nene accusing Kim and Brielle of being 'racists.' Playboy bunny: Kim dressed as a Playboy Bunny for the party Good one: NeNe's husband Gregg wore a cockroach costume after Kim and her daughter Brielle shared a cockroach incident at NeNe's house NeNe was determined to let Kim know that she had not forgotten the incident. 'Well I decided to be an exterminator because I just want Kim and her little silly ass dumb f***ing family to know that we are laughing at your ass, b****,' NeNe said. 'Hehe, ha ha. B**** the joke is on you,' NeNe said. Last laugh: NeNe said she got the last laugh Kandi Burruss, Kenya Moore, Cynthia Bailey, Porsha Williams and Sheree Whitfield all enjoyed NeNe's joke. 'That's hilarious,' said Burruss. 'Y'all did that. Y'all are a petty mess. Petty goals. That is couple petty goals right there,' laughed Porsha. Petty goals: Porsha Williams admired how petty people can be And even Kim's husband, Kroy Biermann, enjoyed the costume. 'That's good. That's good humor,' he admitted in his Hugh Hefner costume. Kim, who was dressed as a Playboy Bunny, on the other hand did not see the funny side. Reality stars: Kim was not amused by the costumes Good humor: Kroy thought the costumes were funny, but his wife disagreed 'I don't even want to talk about this bitch. She's trying to be funny but it's not funny,' Kim declared. 'I definitely think that the bugs and the bunnies should stay at separate sides of the room,' said Kandi. Cynthia Bailey's '50 Cent' costume played off her age and name, and Kenya admitted that '50 Cynt' made a hot guy. Clown costume: Kandi Burruss was hard to recognize in her clown costume Best costume: Cynthia Bailey looked great as her alter ego rapper '50 Cynt' Earlier in the show Kenya and Cynthia showed support for Porsha as she starred in a theater version of Two Can Play That Game. Porsha told the cameras she appreciated their support and that it would erase the negative issues they had faced over the years. Later, Sheree said that she had not gone to the play because Porsha had told Shamea Morton that she did not trust her. Stage star: Porsha was supported at her theater production At the party Sheree confronted Porsha and she acted as if she did not remember the incident but was also annoyed Shamea had shared their conversation. And as tempers began to rise Porsha told an angry Kim she should certainly not be judging anyone's character. And mid-conversation Sheree walked off and told the cameras that Porsha 'did not know how to be a friend.' Disappointed friend: Sheree declared that Porsha doesn't know how to be a friend Porsha found NeNe to talk to her about the issues with the women and Marlo Hampton stopped to try and apologize to Porsha for the Barcelona drama. But Porsha was not interested in the conversation and did her best to walk away as NeNe encouraged her to repair her relationships with the women. Porsha, however, declined to participate in a public apology session in front of everyone. Catching up: Porsha and NeNe caught up with each other at the party Everyone in the Kardashian-Jenner clan got together to celebrate Easter Sunday in fine style this weekend. But perhaps no guest was doted on as much as Kylie Jenner's brand new bundle of joy, Stormi Webster. The makeup mogul, 20, and her two-month-old babe were joined by baby-daddy Travis Scott for food, fun, and family time at one of the grand Kardashian/Jenner estates in Hidden Hills, California. Scroll down for video Family time! Kylie Jenner's brand new bundle of joy Stormi Webster, above, enjoyed her first family holiday with the whole Kardashian-Jenner family on Easter Sunday Kylie was thrilled to have her little lady who was born February 1 along for the holiday. Stormi was dressed in her Sunday best, swaddled in pale pink linen with ruffled sleeves and a bow on the chest. Dad Travis held his daughter in his arms lovingly, while his social-media happy girlfriend recorded, then leaning in to give his little girl a kiss on the head. Jenner also snapped a photo of her beau posing with a huge floral sculpture in the shape of a pink bunny. Model mom! Kylie was thrilled to have her little lady who was born February 1 along for the holiday Bows and arrows! Stormi was dressed in her Sunday best, swaddled in pale pink linen with ruffled sleeves and a bow on the chest Doting dad! The makeup mogul and her two-month-old babe were joined by baby-daddy Travis Scott What a cutie! Stormi looked precious in her Easter outfit as all gathered around to admire her Hoppy days! Jenner also snapped a photo of her beau posing with a huge floral sculpture in the shape of a pink bunny Jenner wore a red and white collared shirt for the day, which she paired with a peachy-pink pout and smooth raven locks. She had fun with a holiday-themed Snapchat filter which gave her a pair of fun bunny ears and rainbow-tinted aviator sunglasses. The star teamed up with BFF Jordyn Woods, mom Kris Jenner, and some other party guests for some selfies. Since it was her very first Easter, Kylie made sure to shower her daughter in gifts. Holiday in the sun! Kylie had fun with a holiday-themed Snapchat filter which gave her a pair of fun bunny ears and rainbow-tinted aviator sunglasses Star in stripes! Jenner wore a red and white collared shirt paired with a peachy-pink pout and smooth raven locks Her favorite people! The star teamed up with BFF Jordyn Woods, mom Kris Jenner, and some other party guests for some selfies A sight to behold! Kylie was sure to show off every breathtaking aspect of their celebration, including giant floral bunny sculptures both indoors and out Generous giver! Since it was her very first Easter, Kylie made sure to shower her daughter in gifts, posting a pic of all the kids' opulent baskets Family first! Stormi was joined by her cousin North West, above, who is Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's first born The star showed off the over-the-top baskets on social, revealing so many toys, treats and plush dolls the baskets couldn't contain all the goodies. Of course Stormi wasn't the only kid there. She was joined by cousins North and Saint West, the offspring of famous sister Kim Kardashian and hubby Kanye, as well as Mason, Penelope and Reign Disick, who are half-sister Kourtney's kids with ex Scott Disick. The family's Easter celebration even came complete with a petting zoo for the kids. A wild time! The family's Easter celebration even came complete with a petting zoo for the kids If it quacks! Soft ducklings and tawny bunny rabbits were just a few of the pets there Baa! The very famous family were joined by an array of barnyard animal Fuzzy friends: Cousins North, Penelope and Reign were seen playing with bunnies, ducklings and sheep in their own backyard Hip hop! While the Easter Bunny himself wasn't there, he sent a few of his friends for the Kardashian's to enjoy the day with North and cousin Penelope were seen playing with bunnies, ducklings and sheep in their own backyard. After that, they enjoyed a trip down an inflatable slide. Kylie stood by and watched as niece Penelope and nephew Reign slid down the blow-up attraction. As per tradition, the kids of the family embarked on an Easter Egg hunt. Egg-sellent! As per tradition, the kids of the family embarked on an Easter Egg hunt Big fun! Kylie helped her niece and nephew enjoy a trip down an inflatable slide Good auntie! Kylie stood by and watched as niece Penelope and nephew Reign slid down the blow-up attraction 'Yummy!' Kylie showed off a spread of delectable baked goods with social Treat yourself! Of course it wouldn't be a proper celebration without treats, all in perfect Easter pastels Eldest cousin Mason Disick emerged victor, snapping up a hearty collection of cash-filled golden eggs. Of course it wouldn't be a proper celebration without treats. Kylie showed off a spread of delectable baked goods, all in perfect Easter pastels. The rest of the home was decorated to match, with a tulip adorned outdoor lounge and perfect place settings. Take a load off! The rest of the home was decorated to match, with a tulip adorned outdoor lounge for people to sit, rest, and relax Feast your eyes! Perfectly coordinated place settings made it clear that no detail was overlooked Drive time: Later on the family was seen making their way to church service in a caravan of SUVs Later on the family was seen making their way to church service in a caravan of SUVs. It looked like a bleach-blonde Kanye was going for an all-white look, donning an ivory button-up as he operated a silver Cadillac. Behind him, mother-in-law Kris Jenner was seen behind the wheel of a Rolls Royce SUV while sister-in-law Kourtney Kardashian held up the caboose. Blonde ambition! It looked like a bleach-blonde Kanye was going for an all white look Buttoned up! The Stronger rapper donned an ivory button-up as he operated a silver Cadillac Kourt and sweet! Eldest Kardashian sister Kourtney held up the caboose in a black Escalade Rolls-ing along! Kris Jenner was seen behind the wheel of a Rolls Royce Baby crazy! It's been a busy few months for the family, who are just about the welcome the third new baby to the brood since the new years It's been a busy few months for the extended family, who are just about the welcome the third new baby to the brood since the new years. Sister Khloe Kardashian is just weeks away from giving birth to her very first child, a daughter, with beau Tristan Thompson. Kim and Kanye welcomed daughter Chicago via surrogate January 15 2018. And February 1, Kylie announced she'd given birth to daughter Stormi after keeping her pregnancy hidden from the public for months. GULFPORT, Mississippi -- Two Jackson County men have been taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals, charged in a multi-count federal indictment with drug trafficking, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Keith Lavell Brown, 46, of Moss Point is charged in the indictment with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Jaycie Mario Thomas, 35, of Ocean Springs is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. The two suspects made their initial appearances and were arraigned in U.S. District Court Monday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate John C. Gargiulo. The indictment accuses Brown and Thomas of conspiring with each other and others to possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on the Mississippi coast over a nine-year period between 2009-2018. If convicted, each suspect faces up to life in prison and fines up to $10,000. The case is being investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI. Arnold Schwarzenegger made it through emergency open-heart surgery on Thursday. So Maria Shriver and the action star's children Patrick, Katherine and Christina had plenty to be thankful for when they attended a church service in Brentwood on Sunday. The Terminator star's 62-year-old ex-wife looked radiant in a brightly colored floral gown for the day of worship. Maria Shriver and the children she shares with Arnold Schwarzenegger had plenty to be thankful for when they attended a church service in Brentwood on Sunday, following the action star's emergency open-heart surgery The journalist paired the eye-catching dress with strappy wedge handles and a red leather handbag. Her auburn tresses were worn loose and the niece of JFK shielded her eyes with dark shades. Shriver wore plenty of bling for the day out, pairing a gold watch with dangle earrings, a heavy gold chain and several bracelets. Isn't she lovely: The Terminator star's 62-year-old ex-wife looked radiant in a brightly colored floral gown for the day of worship. She was joined by daughter Christina, 26 The NBC news correspondent was joined by three of the children she shares with the Kindergarten Cop star: Katherine, 28, Christina, 26 and Patrick, 24. Her second oldest child, Christina, went with a mostly black ensemble for the LA church service, with her pink ballet-style flats her sole concession to color. Midnight Sun star Patrick meanwhile looked suave in an untucked white shirt, distressed jeans and tan boots. Big brood: The NBC news correspondent was joined by three of the children she shares with the Kindergarten Cop star: [L-R] Patrick, 24, Katherine, 28, and Christina On Thursday, Arnold needed emergency open-heart surgery while doctors unblocked a pulmonary valve. And the very next day he was back in action man form as he woke up from surgery with his legendary vigor, delivering his catchphrase: 'I'm back!' His friend and colleague Sylvester Stallone, 71, had some words of encouragement for the Terminator 2 star, telling TMZ: 'Arnold's a strong man, he'll be bigger and better than ever.' The Expendables star was asked whether Arnie's health scare is enough to put Stallone off cigars. 'Some things you just can't give up: stogies and breathing,' quipped the Creed actor. When asked if he thinks Schwarzenegger will quit smoking, the action star simply said 'Doubt it.' She split up from her former fiance of ten years Jamie Mazur in March. And Alessandra Ambrosio, 36, was spotted with a mystery man for the first time since the break up in Los Angeles, California on Saturday. Seemingly ready to mend her heartache, the Victoria's Secret Angel toted a bouquet of blossoming flowers on her Easter shopping trip with her male companion. A blossoming romance? Alessandra Ambrosio bought flowers as she shopped with mystery man, in Los Angeles on Saturday as model moves on from ex fiance of ten years Jamie Mazur The stunning model put the pain from her split behind her as she enjoyed the charming company of the dashing dark-haired hunk. They both toted bags brimming with goodies for Easter as well as a blossoming box of flowers made up of pink and white roses. Model Alessandra flashed a glimpse of her toned tummy thanks to her skimpy striped top which she teamed with form-fitting leggings for the outing. MailOnline approached Alessandra Ambrosio's representatives for further comment. A blooming romance? Seemingly ready to mend her heartache, the Victoria's Secret Angel toted a bouquet of blossoming flowers on her Easter shopping trip with her male companion Moving on so soon? The stunning model put the pain from her split behind her as she enjoyed the charming company of the dashing dark-haired hunk Earlier in the day, the brunette beauty went shopping for food ahead of Easter at the Whole Foods in Brentwood, California. The stunner's svelte figure was on display as she did some last minute Easter grocery shopping in a pair of tight black leather pants. Ambrosio pulled her hair back into a messy bun and dressed down her stylish bottoms with an oversized denim jacket and a striped top. Worn white sneakers and a small black purse completed the former Victoria's Secret Angel's look as she sauntered through the aisles. At home: Alessandra sported a natural look as she turned the Whole Foods in Brentwood, California into her own personal catwalk Just in time: The 36-year-old model's svelte figure was on display as she did some last minute Easter grocery shopping in a pair of tight black leather pants Natural look: Ambrosio pulled her hair back into a messy bun and dressed down her stylish bottoms with an oversized denim jacket and a striped top The runway star's grocery list seemed to be mostly made up of leafy greens as well as a large bag of lemons. As for romance, Alessandra reportedly split up from her former fiance of ten years Jamie Mazur in March. 'They have been trying to keep their split on the down low,' a source told Us Weekly. 'But Alessandra has been out and about ready to mingle and hasn't been taking Jamie to anything.' In the cart: The runway maven's grocery list seemed to be mostly made up of leafy greens - as well as a large bag of lemons Solo journey: Worn white sneakers and a small black purse completed the former Victoria's Secret Angel's look as she sauntered through the aisles Ambrosio and RE/DONE founder Mazur were first engaged back in 2008 and have two children Anja and Noah together. Despite their decade long engagement, Ambrosio did not seem to be in any hurry to get married. 'If I have been engaged to him for eight years, then it's not my priority,' she told the publication previously. 'I have a lot of things going on, and I haven't got married because I'm so busy. I'll think about that when I have time off.' New day: The model and her former fiance of ten years Jamie Mazur split up in March She's the 41-year-old mother-of-three with a bikini body most women would envy. And on Thursday, Spanish actress Elsa Pataky was looking better than ever as she stripped down a white bikini at the beach in Byron Bay. Elsa - who is married to Thor actor Chris Hemsworth, 34 - was spotted enjoying a dip in the ocean with Matt Damon's glamorous wife Luciana Barroso, 42. Scroll down for video Thor blimey! Chris Hemsworth's wife Elsa Pataky, 41, (pictured) flaunted her incredible bikini body alongside Matt Damon's spouse Luciana Barroso, 42, in Byron Bay on Thursday White hot! The mother-of-three was looking better than ever as she stripped down a bikini Looking good! Luciana, who has been married to Matt Damon since 2005, also looked stunning in a skimpy string bikini Elsa's bikini highlighted her flawlessly toned figure, with the briefs featuring a cheeky Brazilian-cut design. She accessorised with layered gold necklaces and bracelets, and also wore a beige Akubra-style hat. Elsa went makeup-free on the day, highlighting her naturally youthful complexion, and showcased a soft, golden glow. Beach babe: Elsa wore a hat to protect herself from the sun and went makeup-free Quality time: Elsa and Luciana were joined by their young children at the beach in Byron Bay Local: Elsa and her husband Chris Hemsworth are based in Byron Bay with their young family Keeping up with the kids! Elsa was seen doting over her children as they played in the sand Luciana, who has been married to Matt Damon since 2005, also looked stunning in a skimpy string bikini. She tied a snake-print sarong around her slender waist, and completed her boho beach look with a suede hat and sunglasses. The friends were joined by their young children, and carefully watched over them as they splashed around in the shallow water. Girls' day! Elsa and Luciana appeared to enjoy some quality time away from their husbands Hot mama! Elsa shares three children with Thor star Chris - daughter India Rose, five, and twin sons, Sasha and Tristan, four They've got their hands full! Luciana has three children with Matt - Isabella, 11, Gia, nine, and Stella, seven - and an older daughter, Alexia, from a previous relationship Friends forever: The two women share a famously close friendship, and even have small matching tattoos on their hands Luciana has three children with Matt - Isabella, 11, Gia, nine, and Stella, seven - and an older daughter, Alexia, from a previous relationship. Elsa shares three children with Chris - daughter India Rose, five, and twin sons, Sasha and Tristan, four. The two women share a famously close friendship, and even have small matching tattoos on their hands. Luciana and Matt are currently in Australia enjoying a family holiday and spending time with the Hemsworths. Down Under: Luciana and Matt are in Australia enjoying a holiday with the Hemsworths Family friends: Chris Hemsworth has often said that Matt Damon offered him friendship and guidance when he first started out in Hollywood Chilling out: Last week, Elsa took Matt and Luciana for a beer at a local pub in Byron Bay Coming to town? It follows rumours that Matt and Luciana are looking to buy a property in Byron Bay, a picturesque coastal town in New South Wales It follows rumours that Matt and Luciana are looking to buy a property in Byron Bay, a picturesque coastal town in New South Wales. They last visited Byron a few months ago, when they celebrated the New Year with Elsa, Chris, his brother Liam Hemsworth and his fiancee Miley Cyrus. Matt's publicist has denied he is relocating to Australia, however the Hollywood actor's frequent visits have done little to quell speculation. Making a move? Matt and Luciana last visited Byron a few months ago, when they celebrated the New Year with Elsa, Chris, his brother Liam Hemsworth and his fiancee Miley Cyrus They're fans: Matt and his family also visited Byron Bay for a short trip in the middle of last year Rumours: Matt's publicist has denied he is relocating to Australia, however the Hollywood actor's frequent visits have done little to quell speculation Bohemian chic: After spending time at the beach, Elsa covered up with a chic floral dress The Married At First Sight villain professed she was 'so in love' with a new guy she met on Instagram. And during Davina Rankin's surprise 27th birthday celebrations in Brisbane on Sunday, David Subritzky was there to give his best to the reality star. The pair were spotted getting cosy and enjoying playful banter at the picnic gathering and later shared a smooch as they continued partying into the night. Scroll down for video Pucker up! Married At First Sight's Davina Rankin passionately kisses new 'love' David Subritzy during surprise birthday celebrations... after gushing about meeting him online Davina flaunted her figure in a Zimmermann Corsair matching set, providing a hint of her flat stomach where the two pieces met. The party was organised by her girlfriends and included impressive decorations, delicious platters, and champagne, as well as music and games. Davina claimed she had no clue about the picnic before arriving at the venue, and praised everyone who helped put it all together. Happy birthday, Davina! The 27-year-old flaunted her figure in a Zimmermann Corsair matching set, providing a hint of her flat stomach where the two pieces met Shocked! Davina claimed she had no clue about the picnic before arriving at the venue, and praised everyone who helped put it all together Documenting the party on her Instagram story, David could be seen within the crowd of her closest friends, happily mingling with ease. At one point, he was recorded dancing, as Davina wrote: 'He's back.' Heading out to a bar after the sun went down, David took to Instagram in a video with the former TV star, writing: 'Me & my mrs.' During the brief clip, Davina placed her hand on David's face and leaned in for an open-mouth kiss, where the pair touched tongues. 'Me and my mrs': During a brief clip uploaded by David, Davina placed her hand on his face and leant in for a open-mouth kiss, where the pair touched tongues Only a day earlier, the Instagram model had announced that she was 'so in love' with David. 'I found this guy on Instagram and fell in love with him instantly,' she told her devoted social media followers. David then bounded into frame behind her, lifted up his shirt and yelled: 't**ties.' 'Guys I'm so in love': Only a day earlier, the Instagram model had announced that she was 'so in love' with David 'And this is why!' the dating show 'villain' added with a smile. It was the second time that day she'd publicly professed her love for the exuberant, mustachioed friend. For the first announcement, she captioned an Instagram story video of David putting an ice block into his mouth during a boozy lunch. 'In love': 'I found this guy on Instagram and fell in love with him instantly,' she announced in a video to her social followers That's love! For the announcement, she captioned an Instagram story video of David putting an ice block into his mouth during a boozy lunch 'I've never been more in love,' she wrote in the caption. Later, in a video that showed him sitting on a balcony with a group of her friends, lifting his leg in the air and then above his head, she wrote: 'guys, I'm so in love!' Later, he showcased his twerking ability up against a railing overlooking the road, as Davina hummed the tune of 'Push It' by Salt-N-Pepa. Look for a guy that's flexible? Later, in a video that showed him sitting on a balcony with a group of her friends, lifting his leg in the air and then above his head, she wrote: 'guys, I'm so in love!' Twerk it out! Later, he showcased his twerking ability up against a railing overlooking the road, as Davina hummed the tune of 'Push It' by Salt-N-Pepa Davina rose to prominence earlier this year, after becoming embroiled in a 'cheating' scandal on Married At First Sight. After being matched with hunky tradie Ryan Gallagher on the experimental marriage show, the former model soon found herself in the arms of 'alpha male' Dean Wells. The pair shared a steamy secret date, but Dean decided not to pursue the 'affair' any further, and attempted to make it work with 'wife' Tracey Jewel instead. Luckily, for any prospective suitors, Davina and her new 'love' David, are believed to be just friends. Before David, there was Dean! After being matched with hunky tradie Ryan Gallagher on theexperimental marriage show, the former model soon found herself in the arms of Dean Wells The stars got in on the fun of April Fool's Day this Easter. Ray J's pregnant wife Princess Love topped them all, sending her husband into a panic by pretending her water broke while they were in an elevator. In a video Princess Love posted to Instagram, the couple could be seen chatting cheerfully with a couple of male pals - right until a loud splashing noise rang out. 'What is that?' For April Fool's Day, Ray J's pregnant wife Princess Love sent her husband into a panic by pretending her water broke while they were in an elevator 'What is that?' said Ray J, alarmed, to which Princess Love exclaimed: 'Oh, my God, my water just broke!' 'What does that mean?' said Ray J, and it took one of his friends to inform the rapper that 'It means the baby's coming!' 'No, it doesn't!' Ray J shouted a couple of times, before he was quickly persuaded otherwise and started demanding: 'Call 911!' Big moment: In a video Princess Love posted to Instagram, the couple could be seen chatting cheerfully with a couple of male pals - right until a loud splashing noise rang out Tension: 'What is that?' said Ray J, alarmed, to which Princess Love exclaimed: 'Oh, my God, my water just broke!' His snickering friends, who were clearly in on the prank, continued to film - which Ray J took exception to, holding his hand out to block their view. 'Are you sure that's not that pineapple soda?' asked Ray J at one point. 'Where's the pineapple soda?' Princess Love was ultimately unable to keep a straight face, melting into laughter as she announced: 'April Fool's!' The jig is up: Princess Love was ultimately unable to keep a straight face, melting into laughter as she announced: 'April Fool's!' Setting the scene: As Princess Love pointed in her Instagram caption and location tag, she had actually pulled this prank Saturday night after he played a gig in Providence, Rhode Island As Princess Love pointed in her Instagram caption and location tag, she had actually pulled this prank Saturday night after he played a gig in Providence, Rhode Island. The Bachelor stars Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham got a bit of backlash for their own pregnancy-themed prank. Arie tweeted a photo of a baby bump hidden beneath a tight maroon dress, writing: 'Secrets finally out, we have a bunny in the oven!' Side by side: The Bachelor stars Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham got a bit of backlash for their own pregnancy-themed prank 'APRIL FOOLS!': Arie tweeted a photo of a baby bump hidden beneath a tight maroon dress, writing: 'Secrets finally out, we have a bunny in the oven!' Shortly thereafter, he tweeted that the whole post had been an April Fool's prank - and some Twitter users predictably took umbrage. One huffed: 'Come on. Be better than that. It's not a joke for many struggling families to get pregnant, it's extremely expensive and it's heartbreaking. I wish nothing but the best for Arie and Lauren but this is not funny, it's cruel.' Hamilton impresario Lin-Manuel Miranda played along with Broadway news website Theater Mania for their Twitter prank Sunday. Going with the flow: Hamilton impresario Lin-Manuel Miranda played along with Broadway news website Theater Mania for their Twitter prank Sunday Theater Mania tweeted that morning: 'EXCLUSIVE: We have the official cast and song list for @Lin-Manuel's TOMMY WISEAU'S THE ROOM: THE BROADWAY MUSICAL'. The cast included Academy Award winner Mark Rylance in Tommy's part of Johnny, as well as two-time Tony-winning Broadway legend Patti LuPone in a minor role. Several of the song titles will be familiar sentences to viewers of the film, such as I Just Like To Watch: Two Is Great But Three Is A Crowd; Anyway, How Is Your Sex Life?; I Definitely Have Breast Cancer; Whatever Happened To My Cancer; Oh Hai, Mark and of course You're Tearing Me Apart, Lisa. Just imagine: Theater Mania tweeted that morning: 'EXCLUSIVE: We have the official cast and song list for @Lin-Manuel's TOMMY WISEAU'S THE ROOM: THE BROADWAY MUSICAL' Lin-Manuel quoted Theater Mania's tweet and wrote in his own: 'This is all VERY premature, well try it out of town in San Francisco.' Later on, when after spilling the beans that the project was a joke, he credited Theater Mania entirely for the joke, in particular writer Ashley Van Buren. American Idol and The Bachelor did a crossover prank in which it appeared the latter's host Chris Harrison would take over hosting duties on the former. What if: American Idol and The Bachelor did a crossover prank in which it appeared the latter's host Chris Harrison would take over hosting duties on the former Soon, American Idol's own Ryan Seacrest got himself back onto that show's stage and reasserted his position as the show's compere. Seth Rogen's was part of a website's April Fool's prank like Lin-Manuel - though Seth's was with rather a bigger online fish than Theater Mania. In a somewhat startlingly long press release, Netflix wrote, as quoted in Variety: 'World-renowned Canadian person, prolific marijuana-doer, and winner of the 2015 MTV Movie Award for "Best Kiss" Seth Q. Rogen has entered into a lifetime deal to transfer full ownership of his personal autonomy to Netflix, Inc.' Return: Soon, American Idol's own Ryan Seacrest got himself back onto that show's stage and reasserted his position as the show's compere The release continued: '"I have known Seth for many years," said senior Netflix Development Executive Jareth Chumley. "After a wrap party in late 2017, Seth approached me and said something like: 'Jesus F***ing Christ Jarbear, I would sell my soul for a f***in enchilada right now.' '"And so basically that was how the idea was born. In the end we settled on a price a little higher than a standard Chilis To-Go entree, but Ill be damned, not by that much,"' the release went on 'quoting' Jareth. '"As a general rule, I dont really 'read' anything before I sign it," replied Rogen when asked about the deal, spilling some beer on his own head as he does the finger-symbol equivalent of air quotes,' read the interminable release. 'If it worked for Adam Sandler...': Netflix collaborated on a prank with Seth Rogen in which they claimed to have gained 'full ownership of his personal autonomy' '"Thats what Danny is for, he handles that for me, mostly," gesturing toward an elderly man in a poncho sleeping on the couch behind him. "Hey Danny!" he shouts, unable to wake his senior contract advisor. "I really hope he didnt f*** this up. Hes the reason that Zach and Miri Make a Porno exists."' Per the release: 'Seth Rogen's Hilarity For Charity is the first project where Netflix was able to successfully extract comedy directly from the actors mind. 'It will stream April 6. While the remaining projects Rogen will be participating in have not yet been finalized, Netflix is considering a live-action Shrek remake, starring Rogen as both the titular character, as well as that characters love interest Fiona.' Whoops: The streaming service has tweeted a video in which Seth finally read his contract, his concern mounting as he realizes the terms The streaming service has tweeted a video in which Seth finally read his contract, his concern mounting as he realizes the terms. In a six-minute sketch uploaded to the Netflix website, Seth was given his contract, which a Netflix employee read to him so quickly he failed to hear much of it. What he did manage to catch gave him cause for concern, and at one point he did ask: 'Did you say you own my dreams?' Sleight of hand: In a six-minute sketch uploaded to the Netflix website, Seth was given his contract, which a Netflix employee read to him so quickly he failed to hear much of it Oh, dear: What he did manage to catch gave him cause for concern, and at one point he did ask: 'Did you say you own my dreams?' The contract was a massive stack of papers, so rather than reading it Seth said: 'If it worked for Adam Sandler, it'll work for me right?' and signed. Seth quickly finds himself at the mercy of men in white coats who strap electrodes in his head in a bid to yank 'ideas' from his mind. The company took samples of his hair, blood and urine and required that he smoke the copious amounts of marijuana he enjoyed while working on some of his older hits - though he cited his advancing age as reason to light up less often. 'Testing': Seth quickly finds himself at the mercy of men in white coats who strap electrodes in his head in a bid to yank 'ideas' from his mind They proceeded to hold him captive for days on end - occasionally bursting in on him as he slept to interrogate him about his dreams. Jim Jarmusch and The Criterion Collection teamed up for a video announcing they were re-releasing his 1984 opus Stranger Than Paradise in 3D. In a Criterion statement as quoted by Indiewire, the company joked: 'While working on Criterions upcoming release of Dead Man, Jarmusch revealed that his breakthrough film had originally been conceived as a 3D experience. Comeback: E! have posted a video in which Kardashian family friend Todd Kraines called Kourtney Kardashian to try to make her feel guilty for a long-ago prank '"When we originally filmed the movie," he said, "we tried duct-taping two Bolex cameras together, but at the time we just werent able to combine the two images correctly for 3D . . . until now!"'. E! have posted a video in which Kardashian family friend Todd Kraines called Kourtney Kardashian to try to make her feel guilty for a long-ago prank. Years ago, in cahoots with Kourtney, her then-beau Scott Disick impersonated Todd and prank called Kris Jenner, pretending Todd was her long-lost nephew. She's a top star who only has taste for the finest things. And Kim Kardashian was all about the designer brand Fendi on Instagram Sunday, sharing a sizzling snapshot of herself decked out from head-to-toe in the Italian brand. The social media mogul, 37, showcased her unreal figure while donning an ab-bearing top and skintight leggings in the photograph. Fierce in Fendi! Kim Kardashian was all about the designer brand Fendi on Instagram Sunday, sharing a sizzling snapshot of herself decked out from head-to-toe in the Italian brand Kim tied up a silky brown logo blouse to show off her gym-honed center while covering her muscular legs in tights that fit like a second skin. Playing up the glamour, the contour queen topped off her look with a fur coat also bearing the brand's iconic double F logo. Never one to be outdone, the star carried a boxy Fendi bag in hand. The photos appear to have been taken several months ago, as Kim was sporty long, platinum blonde locks a style which she hasn't sported since earlier in the year. Wow factor! Kim, above in a similar photo posted in February, tied up a silky brown logo blouse to show off her gym-honed center while covering her muscular legs in tights that fit like a second skin Deja vu! The wife of Kanye West shared a similar looking shot wearing all Fendi via her Instagram in February as well Recent controversy: Kim was recently put on blast by fans who assumed a snap of her was Photoshopped but the star later explained she had simply reposted a fan edit She shared a similar looking shot wearing all Fendi via her Instagram in February as well. Though the wife of Kayne West appeared to be in full glam mode, she captioned the photo: 'low key.' Kim's millions of Instagram fans appeared to approve, giving the Fendi-heavy photo over 300k likes in just one hour. Family fun! Kim spent her real-life Sunday celebrating Easter with family with a luxe party that even came with a petting zoo for the kids While Kim was in model mode on the internet Sunday, she spent her IRL day enjoying Easter with her extended family with an over-the-top celebration at half-sister Kylie Jenner's house. The family's Easter celebration even came complete with a petting zoo for the kids. Kim's daughter North was seen playing with bunnies, ducklings and sheep along with cousins Penelope and Reign. Jessica Alba gave fans a glimpse of her newborn son Hayes on Monday after she celebrated Easter with her family. The 36-year-old actress was spotted leaving Los Angeles' Bel Air hotel with her parents on the special holiday, as she pined over missing her husband Cash Warren. Jessica was beaming as she headed out and about in the California city, posting a snap with the Alba clan as they enjoyed a celebratory Easter brunch. Family time: Jessica Alba, 36, gave fans a glimpse at her three-month-son Hayes, after stepping out of Los Angeles' Bel Air hotel on Easter Sunday with her family In the group snap posted to Instagram, Jessica was grinning from ear-to-ear as she posed alongside her family, with Hayes taking centre stage as he slept soundly in his pram. The Honest founder appeared to be celebrating the occasion without husband of nine years Cash, 39, and her two eldest daughters Honor, nine, and Haven, six. She captioned the post: #Easterbrunch w/ the fam @nikkilalba @joshuaalba @cathyalba @markdalba and baby boy! Missing @cash_warren & my baby girls.' Sweet: The actress took to Instagram to share a snap from her Easter brunch with the Alba clan, writing that she was missing her husband Cash Warren and their two older daughters Cash shared on his own social media that he was treating the couple's daughters to a fun ski trip for the Easter holiday. 'Took my girls on a dad/daughter ski trip this weekend and made sure to document the 8 minutes I spent with them. #BestTripEver,' the doting dad captioned a photo montage of the vacation. Jessica was effortlessly chic for her outing as she sported a lilac shirt and jeans combo, adding to her look with a white blazer and taupe cross-body bag. Jessica's newest arrival was the centre of attention on the outing, as her glamorous mum Catherine and dad Mark cooed over little Hayes outside the hotel. Me and my girls: Cash shared on his own social media that he was treating the couple's daughters to a fun ski trip for the Easter holiday The screen star appeared to be taking a break from her latest filming duties, after being spotted filming scenes for an untitled Bad Boys spinoff with co-star Gabrielle Union. The series will follow Union's character Syd, from the original franchise, as she leaves her job at the DEA to join the LAPD as a detective. On Thursday, the Sin City starlet posted pics of herself behind the scenes on the show, getting her makeup done in her trailer. She captioned the shots with 'Getting [hair and makeup] did.' She has taken her striking good looks to the Nigeria runway. And Naomi Campbell was out in full force when she stormed the catwalk at the ARISE Fashion Week event in Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday. The 47-year-old catwalk queen flashed a glimpse of skin when she left her silk blouse unbuttoned and she drew further attention to her chest with her layered necklaces. Forever fashionable: Naomi Campbell, 47, flashed a glimpse of skin in unbuttoned blouse as she stormed Nigeria catwalk for the ARISE Fashion Week event on Sunday Naomi wore her raven tresses in a poker straight fashion down to her waist to draw further attention to her model-honed physique in Ozwald Boateng's garment. The statuesque stunner later power dressed in an elegant suit with a cape-style jacket that flattered her phenomenal figure. Naomi showcased her quirky sense of style when she accessorised her suit look with a kooky hat worn over her raven tresses. As she was first recruited in the modelling industry at the tender age of 15, it is no surprise the runway goddess looked effortlessly fabulous on the runway in Nigeria. Suits you! The statuesque stunner later power dressed in an elegant suit with a cape-style jacket that flattered her phenomenal figure Naomi, who was named as one of the original five supermodels, first courted the attention of headlines in the late 1980s and the 1990s. Over the decades, the supermodel has appeared on more than 500 covers of glossy magazines as well as working with fashion powerhouses from Chanel to Prada. The striking stunner was the first black model to grace the cover of TIME magazine, British Vogue, French Vogue and Russia Vogue. Incredible style: As she was first recruited in the modelling industry at the tender age of 15, it is no surprise the runway goddess looked effortlessly fabulous on the runway in Nigeria Great and good of fashion: The supermodel held hands with the fabulous fashion designer Oswald Boateng as they joined forces with a fellow model Naomi and rapper Skepta confirmed their blossoming romance with a very steamy cover of British GQ magazine. The cover line simply reads: 'Race, Sex, Love & Power. When Naomi met Skepta.' Rumours have been swirling that the pair are dating but the couple are yet to speak out about the claims. The dazzling showbiz duo have been spotted getting cosy at two glitzy Paris Fashion Week parties. A source close told The Sun: 'Naomi and Skepta have been meeting up for a string of secret dates. They are both very creative which is why they have hit it off with each other. Their love of the finer things in life is no secret. So it is little surprise the Kardashian clan rang in Easter in lavish style, with new mum Kylie Jenner sharing snippets of their festive fun with her social media followers. The 20-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star wowed fans as she showed off the spoils of her eight-year-old nephew Mason's Easter egg hunt - in which he nabbed gold eggs and an unconventional yet unsurprising gift of cash. Wow! It is little surprise the Kardashian clan rang in Easter in lavish style, with new mum Kylie Jenner sharing snippets of their festive fun with her social media followers Sharing snaps of the entire day, Kylie, who gave birth to her first child with boyfriend Travis Scott earlier this year, was keen to keep her followers up to date with the day of fun in which the whole family were not shy of splashing the cash. Seemingly flanked by the entire clan, the day was aimed at tots - including sister Kourtney's kids Mason, Penelope, five and Reign, three, Kim's children North, four, Saint, two, and three-month-old Chicago. Taking to Snapchat, Kylie shared a series of images including a picture of Mason's basket which was brimming with cash and gold eggs, while she added a caption reading: 'Mason found all the gold eggs of course'. Mum Kris took to Instagram to reveal she had been sent a 10ft tall Easter Bunny flower arrangement from her favoured high-end florist and the Four Seasons' Artistic Director Jeff Leatham, whose bouquets tip $1,300 (924) in price. Sharing the wealth: The 20-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star wowed fans as she showed off the spoils of her eight-year-old nephew Mason's Easter egg hunt - in which he nabbed gold eggs and an unconventional yet unsurprising gift of cash Hopping along: Mum Kris took to Instagram to reveal she had been sent a 10ft tall Easter Bunny flower arrangement from her favoured high-end florist and the Four Seasons' Artistic Director Jeff Leatham, whose bouquets tip $1,300 (924) in price Treats for all: Kylie was keen to share images of Jeff's hard work as she posted a shot of the arrangement with the caption: 'This bunny flower arrangement (heart eye Emoji)' before nabbing Travis to pose in front of the bunny Oh my! The spread was laden with sweet treats for both the children and the adults She posted: 'When @jeffleatham sends us a 10 foot tall Easter Bunny made of flowers to celebrate Easter!!!! OMG its GORGEOUS!!!!! Thank you Jeff you are amazing!!! #family #HeisRisen #Godisgood #happyeaster #jeffleatham #love'. Kylie was keen to share images of Jeff's hard work as she posted a shot of the arrangement with the caption: 'This bunny flower arrangement (heart eye Emoji)' before nabbing Travis to pose in front of the bunny. The family also erected a vast inflatable slide in which the children, with tu-tu-clad Penelope at the helm, were seen larking around before Travis and Kylie headed in. Ensuring the family were well-fed, the Easter feast was in full swing, with delicious looking cupcakes, pastel donuts and a Mini Egg adorned cake all on full display. Yum! Ensuring the family were well-fed, the Easter feast was in full swing, with delicious looking cupcakes, pastel donuts and a Mini Egg adorned cake all on full display Happy days: A host of live animals made an appearance with chicks and ducks being petted by the adoring and excited children in the sweet clips Happy days: Kylie also treated fans to a number of snaps of her daughter Stormi, who Travis was seen kissing and holding in an adorable shot Sweet: A petting farm only added to the luxurious nature of the Easter fun If it quacks! Soft ducklings and tawny bunny rabbits were just a few of the pets there Baa! The very famous family were joined by an array of barnyard animals A host of live animals made an appearance with chicks and ducks being petted by the adoring and excited children in the sweet clips. Kylie also treated fans to a number of snaps of her daughter Stormi, who Travis was seen kissing and holding in an adorable shot. No stranger to lavish occasions, in December Kris revealed the effort that goes in to planning the Kardashian Christmas as she detailed the planning to Glamour. She said: 'We start organising in July. The first call I make is to Jeff Leatham. Hes responsible for all my house decorations flowers, garlands, fireplaces and, most importantly, my trees. Posing up a Storm(i): New dad Travis was seen living it up in front of the pink bunny Sliding along: No stranger to lavish occasions, in December Kris revealed the effort that goes in to planning the Kardashian Christmas as she detailed the planning to Glamour Sitting down: The family stole a moment to take a seat in front of the stylishly decorated table 'Its a major collaboration between him and me we get so excited, were like two little kids. Then I get together with Sharon Sacks of Sacks Productions [party planner to the Olsen twins, Ben Affleck and the Disney family], and the ideas start to take off. 'I have a meeting with the kids every year and we talk about things like the guest list. The girls are so cute with their suggestions and I say: "I think this party is getting away from me a little bit!" but Khloe is always in charge of the music. 'She called me up about five years ago and said: "OK, its time to step it up, Mom were going to have a dancefloor"'. She's the Los Angeles-based pop star who identifies as a 'plant witch.' So it was no surprise to see Lisa Origliasso's hipster side on full display as she enjoyed her engagement party with her actor fiance Logan Huffman over the weekend. The ceremony was catered by Lisa's twin sister Jessica, who put together a delicious 'hand-picked vegan grazing table' for guests to enjoy. 'Do you take this hipster?' The Veronicas star Lisa Origliasso and her actor fiance Logan Huffman threw a very hipster engagement party over the weekend After the guests dined on the organic food, they then took part in a unique spiritual ritual that shared many similarities with Reiki, a form of alternative medicine from Japan. 'It's all energy, all good,' Logan explained to the guests as he prepared to start the special ritual. Despite Reiki originating in Japan, the couple had decorated their yard with what appeared to be Chinese lanterns. Meat is murder! The ceremony was catered by Lisa's twin sister Jessica, who put together a delicious 'hand-picked vegan grazing table' for guests to enjoy 'This is something of the earth, that's meant for communication and talking,' Logan continued as he placed tobacco into a piece of paper and scrunched it up. The party-goers then wrapped the paper in red fabric, held it up to the sky and started chanting in unison. With their free hands, they clutched their mobile phones so they could film the divine moment for their social media pages. 'It's all energy, all good': Logan instructed the guests on how to partake in a spiritual ritual 'This is something of the earth': The guests threw tobacco wrapped in paper and red fabric into the fire as they chanted 'Uh mah oushka,' chanted the stylish group as they moved their phones around to capture the ceremony from every angle. The eclectic group then tossed their notes into a fire pit, before bursting into a joyful applause. Lisa and Logan announced their engagement in January of last year. True love: Lisa and Logan announced their engagement in January of last year Simply stunning: Lisa shared some photos of herself from the ceremony to social media In December, Logan posted a gushing tribute to Lisa on Instagram, calling her 'the most beautiful girl I have ever laid my eyes on.' 'You make the world brighter,' he continued. 'You are my best friend, my lover, my soulmate.' Lisa returned the love, saying: 'This world is a better place and far more magical because youre in it.' Looking through comments to the latest article at WUWT , it's clear that the general view of Anthony Watts' fans think that science deniers are incapable of getting into academia. Every comment implies that a university job in whatever field, which entails going to conferences, is restricted to people who accept climate science. Deniers are incapable of getting a job at a university, according to WUWT-ers. At best, they are in such a tiny minority that they don't count. Communicating electronically is not that easy As academics, we recognize that workshops, meetings and conferences are important for producing and disseminating knowledge. Our objective therefore is to reduce the carbon airprint, not eliminate travel. Climate hypocrisy? Huffington Post has noticed that many university academics are utter climate hypocrites, that many of them rate their personal importance by how many professional air miles they can accumulate every year. Only the ignorant... This issue goes beyond feeling outraged at the blatant climate hypocrisy. Why should any of us take academic warnings about anthropogenic CO2 seriously, when behind closed doors those same academics demonstrate their true level of concern by competing with each other to create the largest possible professional carbon footprint? How to reduce the impact of air travel making air travel transparent - recording the distance flown by each person and collectively by each university; establishing an internal carbon tax and use it to by carbon offsets to reduce the harm caused by air travel. These are good suggestions. Offsetting air travel by reducing carbon emissions elsewhere would be an interim measure until air travel becomes climate friendly, which won't happen for quite some time, or until electronic discussions can be made to work better for larger (and smaller) gatherings. Fake sceptics agree: Educated people don't reject science Getting back to the assumption by science deniers at WUWT, that there are virtually none of their kind in academic positions, is it any wonder that there are no science-denying published by science deniers, when they don't write them? This blows apart fake sceptic arguments that there are gatekeepers preventing their work being published. It's not gatekeepers stopping their silliness, it's there are virtually no people of advanced learning who dispute science. Glad to have that recognised - today at least. Tomorrow they'll have some other excuse at the ready. Of course, most WUWT-ers don't just want to shut down climate science or stop scientific research on any topic, they won't be happy until there is no university or knowledge-building institution standing anywhere in the world. From the WUWT comments Here are some of the comments under Eric's misleading article: Bitter&twisted seems to think climate scientists are the only people who work in universities. There are no other scientists, and no academics in law, the humanities, engineering, philosophy, social sciences, economics or other fields. She wrote: April 1, 2018 at 1:29 am Why does this egregious hypocrisy of climate scientists come as no surprise? Ronald P Ginzler takes the argument to the extreme, invoking a logical fallacy as deniers do, ignoring what the authors wrote and the suggestions they made: April 1, 2018 at 4:41 pm First, transparency. (Quote from the article.) The authors, who are UOW professors, then neglect to reveal how many air miles they have sinned in the past year. Travel is evil, we should all be on foot or on bicycles. No, wait, bicycles are made in factories, which are also evil. Welcome to the new Dark Ages. April 1, 2018 at 1:30 am Ill start believing that CO2 might be a problem when the people who claim its a problem start acting like its a problem w. April 1, 2018 at 12:17 pm Ill start reading the Huff Post when they realize CO2 is not the primary driver of global temps. April 1, 2018 at 1:38 am These liberal elites get so upset when we are unwilling to change our lifestyle to fight climate change, yet here they are bragging about who among them has the biggest carbon footprint. If they really believed their own hype about catastrophic climate change, wouldnt they want to set an example for everyone else? April 1, 2018 at 1:55 am How many air miles have Al Gore and his Flying Circus accumulated over the past decade? April 1, 2018 at 7:06 am Hed be better off if he was calorie neutral. April 1, 2018 at 7:40 am At one time he had the company of a board he sat-on pay for carbon credits to offset his travels, so he pretended jet-setting across the globe was being done responsibly. April 1, 2018 at 2:09 am If only someone invented some kind of televisual method of meeting but I cant imagine that would happen in these professorial colleagues lifetimes not while all the BIG BUCKS keep rolling in! April 1, 2018 at 2:33 am Right and dont forget all those people involved looking after these hypocrites to ensure they are waited on hand and foot and fed in fact the very people whose lives these academics are happy to screw up. Weapons grade stupidity and hypocrisy hardly begins to describe these academics. April 1, 2018 at 4:12 am There are EXCELLENT televisual meeting programs my wife uses one to give Webinars on her professional speciality. The particular one she uses is Zoom, but there are many others. Ah! But then the climate experts wouldnt be able to spend a week in a nice resort at someone elses expense! (Probably the taxpayers). April 1, 2018 at 10:11 am A friend of mine runs just such a company used by many to hold meetings and presentations for all sorts of industries world wide. But of course the elite have to have it better than the likes of us. James Bull April 1, 2018 at 2:20 am When the Puffington Host notices hypocrisy, the hypocrisy is of truly monumental proportions, especially if it occurs amongst its own anointed ones. The main support of CO2 Global Warming Alarmism is held firmly in place by the Group Dynamic rewarding true belief and systematically punishing criticism or analysis of the hollow shell of CO2 Global Warming Alarmism, which would harm the acolytes benefits. April 1, 2018 at 4:23 am Simon Montefiore in his book the The Young Stalin mentions that by Dictatorship of the Proletariat Lenin meant exactly that : OF the proletariat , not BY the proletariat. In similar vein , in his recent book about the communist spies in Britain (Philby , Burgess , Fuchs etc) Richard Davenport-hines talks that the early sympathisers of Soviet Russia admired the communist system because it encouraged working people to stay in their ordained roles and not try to ape the bourgeoisie by attempting to improve their status. Clearly the global warming advocates are following a well worn path. This is a rather strange position for science deniers to take though it does make sense, in a weird way. WUWT fans are assuming people who deny science don't do PhDs or post-docs, let alone make a career for themselves as a lecturer and/or researcher. They assume that science deniers do not have the inclination (or the wherewithal) to do academic research.If you want evidence, see for yourself . Eric Worrall has copied and pasted some of an article at Huffington Post , written by two academics: Nives Dolsak and Aseem Prakash. The article was suggesting ways that universities and academics could offset their air travel, though Eric didn't write about that. His focus was on the fact that academics fly across the country and around the world to conferences, to exchange ideas with their colleagues.Now I don't know about you, but I've never tried to hold a phone or Skype conversation with more than about 15 people at a time, twenty max I think. I've attended lots of teleconferences and web-based discussions lately, and with almost all of them there have been communications difficulties. Even today one cannot be confident that simple telephony will work for everyone for a couple of hours. Most of the electronic meetings involving 10 to 15 people have suffered with static/hiss, drop-outs, difficulties with web-documents and so forth. To hold a conversation with upwards of 30 people is quite a challenge, let alone gatherings of hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands of people.While it's almost impossible to have a trouble-free meeting hookup, they have their place and can be cost-effective (and carbon-friendly). Such small group phone/electronic discussions are common in academia as they are in business and industry. Not as good as face-to-face but better than nothing at all.When it comes to larger groups, Reddit AMAs have been one way of bringing experts together to discuss their work with the general public, but it has distinct limitations. Combining video and chat is another way of having people interact. If you've ever tried to follow the chat sessions with live video, especially when the comments scroll by at 1,000 a minute, you'll agree that it's not an ideal way to have an exchange of views between academics.The authors of the HuffPost article agree. They wrote:The authors pointed out that sometimes it's not exchange of ideas that's the key motivator for academic travel. There is also the status associated with flying a lot (not just frequent flyer recognition, but recognition by their colleagues). This is what Eric Worrall picked up on when he wrote about "professional air miles", whatever that means:Eric Worrall himself assumes that learned women and menthe science of climate change implying that it'sthe ignorant and uneducated who don't. He added Meeting colleagues to discuss ideas face-to-face is important, from time to time, if these ideas are to progress and make a meaningful difference to the world. The HuffPost authors' suggestions, which Eric didn't mention, include I don't believeMany people who understand the problem have taken steps to reduce their carbon footprint yet Willis continues to disinform his readers. If he admitted this, as he surely should, he'd just shift the goalposts because that's what science deniers do.implies he didn't even read the article Eric quoted from, and just wanted to point out that he'd never get a job in academia (using the logic of WUWT deniers):thinks that only "liberal elites" are clever enough to advance to academic positions. Conservative elites need not apply:There were the usual "but algore is fat" comments, although tempered by a couple of people who pointed out Gore uses carbon offsets.started it:added the "is fat" part:was one of the people who mentioned carbon offsets. ( Sophocles was the other.)WUWT should avoid any claim its readers are intelligent. Not with people such asexpressing unintelligible "thoughts" like this:And like this one, from, who clearly never went to university or met a harried academic:I find it curious that deniers assume that academics don't talk with each other between conferences and face-to-face meetings. Many of them do use tools such as web-meetings, the telephone, email and Skype (or other mixed web and phone).wrote about Zoom , implying such facilities are not used in academia. Web-assisted conferencing is fine - not terrific, but it works okay - for small groups of people on a good internet connection. It's not so good for anyone on a far-flung research site (or a farm). Nor does it suit extensive discussions involving more than about 10 people. Web-based sessions can certainly work with bigger audiences; however, they are not as good as face-to-face when lengthy one-on-one discussions involving larger groups are important.In a similar vein,, implies "all sorts of industries"use phone or web to meet, andmeet face to face or hold industry conferences.Oh. This is a beautiful example of conspiratorial denier-speak from. It's a language all of its own:There's more, from, this time with Stalin thrown into the mix. He's deep into "education is evil and academics are Satan" one occasionally finds among the under-educated (e.g. certain US-style "home-schooled") deniers at WUWT:There are a lot more "thoughts" in the same vein. I didn't see any comment that hinted that a fake sceptic could ever get work as an academic. I know some have managed it. I think deniers are, oddly enough, trying to maintain some consistency (ha!) with their line that all academics are "liberal leftists, Satanists, Stalinists, commies, fascists, watermelons, libtards..." who accept the science that made our lives what it is today. (Instead of academia being made up of dim deniers who think that physics is a hoax, the earth is flat, and gravity isn't real.) Corrie viewers will get to see the brand new Victoria Street very soon. But a Coronation Street April Fool's prank went badly wrong on Sunday, as fans were convinced the brand new set was a fake after it featured in a mockup trailer starring the soap's cast. Fans of the ITV soap rushed to Twitter over the Easter weekend slamming the sitcom-style trailer which featured some of Corrie's biggest stars frolicking around the Victoria Street set. Scroll down for video Whoops! A Coronation Street April's Fool's Day prank went badly wrong on Sunday, after fans were convinced that the Victoria Street set was a fake In the trailer, fans got their first look at some of the new shops set to feature on Victoria Street, with the stars putting on a hilarious display alluding to the style of a sitcom. Daniel Brocklebank (Billy Mayhew), Beverley Callard (Liz McDonald), Shona Ramsey (Julia Goulding), Colson Smith (Craig Tinker) and Bhavna Limbachia (Rana Nazir) appeared in the trailer, strutting around the set which includes a police station, tattoo parlour and a tram station. Posting the video on social media, ITV captioned the post: '@ITV is excited to announce a brand new sitcom based in Weatherfield, featuring well-known faces from the world of Coronation Street.' Hilarious: The ITV soap tweeted a mock trailer for the 'sitcom' show featuring some of Corrie's star's getting into hijinks on the new set Not real: Fans were convinced that the entire set was built as part of the prank, when in reality only the trailer was a joke Naughty: Corrie legend Beverley Callard led the slew of stars featuring in the trailer, standing outside the set's tattoo parlour Unfortunately the 'spin-off' was all an April Fool's Day prank, as the soap confirmed later that day with another tweet, writing: 'April Fools! Victoria Street isn't real... but we bet you wish it was!' Many fans then assumed that the entire set was part of the joke, rushing to social media to comment on why the soap would spend so much on a prank. Taking to Instagram, one viewer asked: 'So you built a full set just to fool people.' Another confused fan added: 'How can it not be real tho why go to all the trouble building the buildings and taking the cobbles from the old set and building a bench for the Manchester bombing victims I dont get it'. However others saw the funny side, disappointed that the Victoria Street sitcom would not actually come to fruition. Joke's on you! Later that day the soap tweeted again telling fans the trailer was an April Fool's prank Confusion: Many fans then assumed that the entire set was part of the joke, rushing to social media to comment on why the soap would spend so much on a prank Carnage: Stars of the soap including Bhavna Limbachia strutted around the new set in the sitcom trailer New faces: The Victoria Street set will feature a Costa Coffee and Co-Op, as part of new product placement deals with the brands One fan tweeted: 'It makes me laugh how people think its the Victoria Street set that was the April Fool rather than the proposed sitcom called Victoria Street.' Another added: 'And there you had me thinking it was the end of Coronation Street! You got me there! LOL!' A third wrote: 'Shut up I got so excited about this I nearly cried when I realised what day it was.' Awkward! Some fans were left red-faced after thinking the entire set was a fake, while others were disappointed to hear the sitcom wouldn't come to fruition Fans will get to see the brand new Victoria Street set in action very soon, featuring even more additions that will have never been seen on screen before, including a Costa Coffee and Co-Op as part of a product placement deal with the brands. Set to be seen on-screen for the first time on Friday 20th April, the set also provides more options for filming outside of the classic street, reducing the need for filming on location. The set also features tributes to the 22 victims of the Manchester Arena bombing in May of last year, including Corrie superfan Martyn Hett. Body of the law: Colson Smith (who plays Craig Tinker) made an appearance as he headed out of the police station She is rumoured to be happily engaged to Bachelor In Paradise co-star Jarrod Woodgate. So it came as a shock when Keira Magure appeared on The Project to reveal that she 'hasn't found love' on Monday. During her appearance, the 31-year-old blonde beauty was quizzed by the panel about what her next life decision will be after starring on three Channel 10 shows; The Bachelor, I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, and Bachelor In Paradise. What would Jarrod say? Keira Magure appeared on The Project to reveal that she 'hasn't found love' this Monday Keira rather vaguely responded: 'Look, I don't know, I feel like hopefully I mean I haven't, like, I haven't found love yet but we will see what happens.' Later in the interview, host Lisa Wilkinson touched on the moment Jarrod wasbrutally dumped by Sophie Monk during The Bachelorette finale. 'Now, Jarrod enters the Island this evening. He's famously the Shannon Noll of the whole Sophie Monk experience... just how broken was he?' the former Today show host asked Keira. Hard chat: The 31-year-old blonde beauty was quizzed by the panel about what her next life decision will be after starring on three Channel 10 shows Say what? Keira rather vaguely responded: 'Look, I don't know, I feel like hopefully I mean I haven't, like, I haven't found love yet but we will see what happens' 'I don't feel like he was broken when I saw him, he seemed to be having a good time,' Kiera told the Network Ten panelists. The Project guest panelist, former Australian Senator Jacqui Lambie jumped in and joked: 'So, it was after you he was broken!' The blonde reality TV star laughed and said: 'Exactly'. 'He seemed to be having a good time': Kiera also spoke about Jarrod and his emotional breakdown after he was brutally dumped by Sophie Monk during The Bachelorette finale It comes amid rumours Keira has already made plans to move from Sydney to Jarrod's Melbourne hometown as they settle into life as an 'engaged' couple. 'Sources tell us Keira's already packed her bags and moved to Jarrod's hometown of Melbourne,' NW reported in March. The pair have remained mum about their rumoured romance, but recent photos of the pair smooching on the beach have all but confirmed the happy news. Debbie McGee has paid tribute to her 'amazing' husband Paul Daniels on what would have been their 30th wedding anniversary. The 59-year-old TV and radio star paid tribute to her late husband on Monday after tweeting a snap of the couple on their wedding day. Debbie posted the snap from her 1988 wedding to magician Paul two years after he passed away from a brain tumour, admitting she still misses him to this day. Emotional: Debbie McGee, 59, paid tribute to her late husband Paul Daniels on Monday on what would have been the couple's 30th wedding anniversary Debbie tweeted the snap with the caption: '30 years ago today I married this amazing man. Still miss him every day.' The couple were married for 28 years when Daniels died of a brain tumour in March 2016 at the age of 77. Debbie recently revealed that her stint on Strictly Come Dancing - reaching the final with professional partner Giovanni Pernice - helped get her 'sparkle' back following Paul's death. She told Hello! magazine: 'If Paul could see me now, he would be so proud and happy for me.' Long time love: The couple were married for 28 years when Daniels died of a brain tumour in March 2016 at the age of 77 She also admitted that two years after Paul's death she was ready to find love again, adding: 'I don't want to be on my own for the rest of my life. If someone asked me out I would consider it. 'I love male company, am full of energy and don't want to be stuck at home alone. 'Although I have male friends that take me out for lunches and dinners, I wouldn't describe them as dates. Nobody has actually asked me out yet, but when they do, I'll go.' Golden couple: Magician Paul passed away in March 2016 at the age of 77 after battling a brain tumour, with Debbie recently revealing that only now is she interested in finding love again Debbie echoed her point at the TRIC Awards in London's Grosvenor House last month, saying: 'I hope I won't be on my own for the rest of my life. 'I don't think you should go looking for love. In the future I hope I find someone.' Debbie wowed fans with her amazing dancing skills on Strictly last year, just losing out on the Glitterbal trophy to actor Joe McFadden and his partner Katya Jones. Speaking about her experience on the BBC show she added: 'Strictly made me really love life. And to make the most of every day. 'I had so much celebrity support. Joan Collins sent a lovely message and I was so touched. I didn't know her before.' She's expecting her first child with fiance Spencer Matthews. And Vogue Williams couldn't resist posting a loved-up snap of her beau as the pair celebrated Easter with her dog Winston on Sunday. The 32-year-old's latest Instagram snap comes after Spencer's father David was charged by French police for sexually assaulting a teenage girl two decades ago. Smitten: Vogue Williams couldn't resist posting a loved-up snap of her beau Spencer Matthews as the pair celebrated Easter with her dog Winston on Sunday In the sweet snap posted to the Irish model's Instagram stories, the former Made In Chelsea star, 28, lounged on the sofa while emulating her pooch's confused expression. Clearly smitten, Vogue, who is four months pregnant, added a love heart emoji to the cute picture. Her post comes after Spencer was crowned champion of reality show Five Star Hotel on Friday, beating fellow competitors including Joey Essex, Lydia Bright, Charlotte Dawson and Ashley Cain. Winner: Her post comes after Spencer was crowned champion of reality show Five Star Hotel on Friday, beating fellow competitors including Joey Essex, Lydia Bright and Charlotte Dawson Spencer has not acknowledged the win on his social media accounts, which came just days after his 74-year-old father David was being investigated over the rape of a minor - which he has denied. David is alleged to have carried out the attacks on a teenage girl between 1998 and 1999. He is accused of one attack in Paris and another in St Barts. It is understood the complainant lives in London and once had close links to the 5,000-a-night Eden Rock Hotel, which David bought after visiting St Barts in 1975. She lodged a complaint against the self-made businessman last year and he was arrested by child protection police at Orly airport after flying into Paris from the Caribbean last Tuesday. David, whose son James married Pippa, the Duchess of Cambridges sister, last May, appeared at the Palais de Justice where he was charged with raping a minor on two occasions. Difficult times: Vogue's post comes after French police charged Spencer's father David, 74, (above left) with sexually assaulting a teenage girl two decades ago He has now been released on bail and retained his passport, meaning he is free to return home to St Barts but it was unclear whether he had left France. A Paris judicial official confirmed that David was placed in police custody on March 27. The Paris public prosecutors office opened a judicial investigation, overseen by an examining magistrate, who charged him with the rape of a minor, the official said. He was placed under judicial supervision. The investigation alleges that the crimes were committed in 1998 and 1999. The investigations will now continue as a judicial investigation and will be led by an investigating judge. A spokesman for Mr Matthews said: David Matthews categorically denies the allegation and unequivocally contests the untrue and scandalous accusation. 'I'm so happy': Spencer (above) has not acknowledged his Five Star Hotel win on his social media accounts following his father being charged with historic sexual assault Spencer has been assisting Vogue throughout her pregnancy, with the blonde beauty revealing that she has suffered from severe morning sickness. She told Hello Magazine: 'It was very hard... at five weeks I started to feel sick and whoever said it's morning sickness clearly undersold it. 'It was all-day sickness and sickness during the night and I was genuinely just unwell.' She's the former wife of Olympic swimmer Michael Klim who welcomed her first child with new beau Adam Ellis in December. And Lindy Klim, 40, paraded her post-baby body in a plunging black swimsuit during an idyllic trip to the beach with her daughter this Monday. Taking to Instagram, Lindy was pictured in a black one-piece on Canggu Beach in Bali's south, walking hand-in-hand with daughter Frankie on its famous black sand. Yummy mummy! Lindy Klim, 40, paraded her post-baby body in a plunging black swimsuit during an idyllic trip to the beach with her daughter Frankie this Monday Easter in paradise: Lindy shared a series of Instagram stories over the weekend showing her family enjoying the idyllic beaches of Canggu The Balinese princess by descent now lives in the resort village of Canggu with her fiance and children The shot follows an idyllic Easter weekend spent with fiance Adam Ellis and her three other children including the couple's baby daughter Goldie. The former model showcased her family as they rode mopeds, swum at sunset and lay on the beach near their home in the trendy resort village of Canggu. A Balinese princess by descent, Lindy first gained fame after marrying Olympic gold medallist Michael in 2006, before having two daughters and a son together. Lucky in love: Following her divorce Lindy Klim became engaged to British ex-pat property developer Adam Ellis The pair announced their split in February 2016 following months of widespread speculation. At the time, Lindy cited finding out about Michael's new relationship Desiree Deravi via social media as the catalyst for publicly announcing the split. Despite living in separate countries, the former couple's shared custody of their children led to a public spat when Desiree drew criticism for posting pictures with her boyfriend's children on Instagram. Step-mum: Michael Klim's new partner Desiree Deravi (pictured) was criticised for posting photos of the Klim's children on Instagram In response, Michael accused Lindy of trolling his new partner under a fake account saying, 'we know it's you @lindyklim so just stop with the trolling it's pathetic you're a grown women (sic) and stop being so disrespectful.' Despite her tumultuous past, Lindy quickly found love in Bali with ex-pat British property developer Adam. Following a whirlwind romance, the pair became engaged in 2016 and Lindy gave birth to their daughter Goldie in January 2018. She admitted she regretted picking Jake Ellis at last week's rose-giving ceremony, and was left infuriated when he went on a date with newcomer Megan Marx. And Florence Alexandra's irritation will turn into a full-on meltdown on Tuesday night's episode, when she rants that Jake is 'full of bulls**t'. In a spoiler from the episode, the 28-year-old Dutch beauty looks furious as she she accuses Jake of 'lying' and vents that he 'can't be trusted'. 'He's full of bulls**t!' Bachelor In Paradise's Florence Alexandra will have an epic meltdown as Jake Ellis cosies up to bisexual newcomer Megan Marx on Tuesday night The clip begins with Florence looking annoyed when Jake and bisexual beauty Megan walk back into the resort after their date. 'I don't know much about Megan I thought she was a lesbian,' she's seen telling the camera. Meanwhile, her pal Tara Pavlovic says ominously: 'When Flo's angry, it's not good.' The video then shows Florence storming off after seeing Jake and Megan looking cosy as they chatted on the grass together. Wrong choice: She was left infuriated when he went on a date with newcomer Megan (pictured) 'Why is he lying about it, and why is he still contemplating giving me a rose?' she vents. 'Everything he says doesn't make sense because he's full of bulls**t. He can't be trusted. How dare you say that?' Elsewhere in the spoiler video, Jarrod Woodgate continues to lap up the attention as Keira Maguire and Ali Oetjen fight over him. Livid: In a spoiler from the episode, the 28-year-old Dutch beauty looks furious as she she accuses Jake of 'lying' and vents that he 'can't be trusted' 'Paradise is perfect right now. I've got a date card. I've got two beautiful women who are interested in me,' he says, beaming. He eventually decides to pick Ali for the date, leaving Keira distraught and in floods of tears. The plastic surgery fanatic sobs as she tells the camera: 'It was very upsetting. I just want someone to love me for me.' The Topshop heiress is said to be expecting her first child with a man who shot to fame when his smouldering police mugshot gained worldwide attention. In the midst of the news, Chloe Green was seen on Sunday evening heading out for dinner with her parents Sir Phillip and Tina Green alongside her boyfriend Jeremy Meeks at Nobu in Malibu, California. The group were keeping things low-key, with Chloe ensuring her body could not be spotted amid reports that she is set to become a mother and is planning a shotgun wedding to Jeremy. Heading off: 'Pregnant' Chloe Green was seen on Sunday evening heading out for dinner in Malibu with her parents Sir Phillip and Tina Green alongside her boyfriend Jeremy Meeks The whole clan were looking relaxed as they left the restaurant after continuing to remain quiet on the news that they are set to expand their family. Sir Phillip was keeping things casual in jeans, a shirt and a black suit jacket, while his wife was typically glamorous in a houndstooth coat. Chloe is reportedly planning to marry Jeremy in a quick-fire ceremony amid claims she is expecting their first child. Hours before the meal, it was claimed she 'wants a low key wedding' in coastal Florida and will exchange vows with former convict Meeks, 34, when his imminent divorced from estranged wife Melissa is finalised, The Daily Star reports. Shop-gun wedding: Chloe is said to be expecting her first child with beau Jeremy Here come the gang: Sir Phillip was at the helm while his daughter and her beau followed on Off we go: The whole clan were looking relaxed as they left the restaurant after continuing to remain quiet on the news that they are set to expand their family. Here come the boys: The reported father and grandfather to be kept things low-key for the dinner 'The wedding invites are out and the wedding is in early April at a hush hush location in Miami. There will be a lot of rich and famous faces there,' a source told the publication. 'But it is being kept very much under the carpet as Chloe like many brides is a bit embarrassed about the fact people may think she is only getting married as she is pregnant. 'She hates the phrase 'shotgun wedding', but that is what it is as she wants to add some respectability to her pregnancy and does not want to give birth unmarried.' It's understood that wealthy parents Sir Phillip and Tina have given Chloe their blessing ahead of the reported ceremony. Shocker: It's understood that wealthy parents Sir Phillip and Tina have given Chloe their blessing ahead of the reported ceremony In the No(bu)! The group were at ease in the luxurious settings as they departed Daddy dearest: Jeremy appears to have slotted into the Green household with ease as he is frequently seen with his girlfriend's family Off we go: Naturally, the group headed into a plush car as they made their way home Separate sources have previously claimed the couple are expecting a boy, Jeremy's second after fathering son Jeremy Jr, nine, with estranged wife Melissa. TMZ revealed the pair were pictured shopping for baby clothes and accessories in February, picking up a $6k bill in Beverly Hills boutique Petit Tresor. The site added that Chloe's mother Tina was present and while many of the products they bought were gender neutral, they did pick up some blue items. Keeping an eye on things: Jeremy was glancing around as they headed out of the eatery The big boss: The Topshop kingpin zoomed into the night following the chilled out dinner I do: Chloe is said to be 'preparing a low key wedding' in coastal Florida and will exchange vows with former convict Meeks, 34, when his imminent divorced from estranged wife Melissa is finalised Chloe's reported pregnancy comes after sources told The Mail on Sunday's Charlotte Griffiths that they are keen to kick off the next step in their relationship, including moving in together and starting a family. Insiders previously told the publication: Chloe wants to get pregnant right away. Shes off the booze already. 'Her parents have recently done an unexpected U-turn on Jeremy, and are now embracing him as one of the Greens. They are resigned to the fact hell be a part of their lives forever,' it was continued. Big plans: Sources have previously claimed they are keen to kick off the next step in their relationship, including moving in together and starting a family Proud dad: Jeremy is already a father to son Jeremy Jr (left) from his marriage to Melissa Chloe and Jeremy are said to have first set their eyes on each other at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2017, where the Hot Felon was modelling for Phillip Plein. Passionate pictures of the 'Hot Felon' and Chloe surfaced during a sun drenched luxury getaway in Turkey in July. As he reportedly prepares for fatherhood yet again, Jeremy is also embroiled in ongoing divorce proceedings with estranged wife Melissa. Split: But as he reportedly prepares for fatherhood yet again, Jeremy is embroiled in ongoing divorce proceedings with Melissa (pictured) According to TMZ, Jeremy agreed a child support deal with his estranged wife and he will pay her $1,000 a month for their son Jeremy Meeks Jr., aged eight, retroactive to November 1, 2017. The website also revealed that the former couple agreed to joint legal custody of their son. MailOnline has contacted a representative for further comment. Jesus Christ Superstar has risen again. NBC resurrected the beloved 1970s rock opera with a live-action version on Sunday and it was a hit among viewers. The made-for-TV play was broadcast from the Marcy Armory in Brooklyn, New York, where it was filmed in front of a live audience. It featured an all-star cast, modern costumes and outstanding musical numbers. John Legend wowed as Jesus in NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar live on Sunday, April 1, 2018 Need to know more? We've got you covered. Jesus Christ Superstar live Jesus Christ Superstar live aired on NBC at 8pm ET on Sunday. The live-action remake was inspired by a 1970s rock opera of the same name, which has been performed on Broadway, in theaters around the globe and was adapted into a movie. I had so much fun tonight! Thank you to our beautiful team! Such a talented group put this show together. Im honored to have been a part of it. #jesuschristsuperstarlive John Legend (@johnlegend) April 2, 2018 Jesus Christ Superstar began as a concept album that was then adapted for the stage, much to the dismay of some devout Christians. The production is focused on Jesus's rise in popularity in the period before the crucifixion. Judas's betrayal is a major plot point as well as the last supper. Already amazing- the singing the acting- the direction- the controlled chaos- every actor and dancer stands out every single one #JesusChristSuperstarLive Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) April 2, 2018 How to watch Jesus Christ Superstar live online If you weren't able to catch Jesus Christ Superstar live on NBC on Sunday, you can head to NBC's website and watch it online now. You will not be required to enter a cable log in. Jesus Christ Superstar cast NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar live starred John Legend as Jesus, Alice Cooper as King Herod, Brandon Victor Dixon as Judas and Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene. Norm Lewis also appeared in the TV production, playing Caiaphas. Other stars included Erik Gronwall as Simon Zealotes, Jason Tam as Peter, Jin Ha as Annas and Ben Daniels as Pontius Pilate. John Legends wardrobe for #JesusChristSuperstarLive is the same as Meryls in Its Complicated pic.twitter.com/CLVwwRZY1b Dana Schwartz (@DanaSchwartzzz) April 2, 2018 Jesus Chris Superstar movie In 1973, two years after Jesus Christ Superstar first appeared on Broadway, the show was made into a film. It was directed by Norman Jewison who also served as co-writer along with Melvyn Bragg. The Jesus Christ Superstar film starred Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliman, Barry Dennen, Bob Bingham and Kurt Yaghjian. Also one time for the set designers! #JesusChristSuperstarLive pic.twitter.com/AVQzVHmlxT Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) April 2, 2018 Just like the play, the film version focused on the fallout between Judas and Jesus in the days leading up to the crucifixion. Jesus Christ Superstar songs Act I Overture - Ensemble cast Heaven on Their Minds - Judas (Dixon) What's the Buzz/Strange Thing, Mystifying - Jesus (Legend), Mary (Bareilles), Judas, the disciples Everything's Alright - Caiaphas (Lewis), Jesus, the disciples Simon Zealotes/Poor Jerusalem - Simon (Gronwall), Jesus, the disciples, Roman guards Pilate's Dream - Pilate (Daniels) The Temple - Jesus, the profiteers Everything's Alright - Mary, Jesus I Don't know How to Love Him - Mary Dammed for All Time/Blood Money - Judas, Caiaphas, Annas, Priests, the mob Brandon VIctor Dixon JUST DID THE WAKANDA SALUTE!!! #JesusChristSuperstarLive pic.twitter.com/PhZ1lMgL9e Deidre Connelly (@dchoney) April 2, 2018 Act II The Last Supper - Jesus, Judas and the apostles Gethsemane - Jesus The Arrest - Jesus, Judas, Peter, Apostles, Caiaphas, Annas, the mob, Roman guards Peter's Denial - Peter, Mary, the apostles, the mob Pilate and Christ - Pilate, Jesus, Annas, Mary, Apostles, Roman guards, the mob King Herod's Song - Herod (Cooper) and his court Could We Start Again Please? - Mary, Peter, Simon, the disciples, Roman guards Judas's Death - Judas, Caiaphas, Annas, the mob Trial by Pilate - Pilate, Caiaphas, Annas, Jesus, the mob Superstar - Judas, soul girls, angels, paparazzi Crucifixion - Jesus, the disciples John 19:41 - Jesus, the disciples #JesusChristSuperstarLive The whole time, I was like, "Oh, this is my favorite part..." And then the next part would start, and I'd be like, "Oh, no, THIS is my favorite part!" LeftyGunGrabber (@Anahata56) April 2, 2018 Jesus Christ Superstar Broadway Jesus Christ Superstar was written by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice. It first opened on Broadway in New York City in October 1971. It was directed by Tom O'Horgan and starred Jeff Fenholt as Jesus, Ben Vereen as Judas and Bob Bingham as Caiaphas. The play is based loosely on the Bible's accounts of the end of Jesus's life. It provides a deeper look into the struggles Judas, known for having betrayed Jesus, faced before he made that decision, painting him as a tragic figure rather than a villain. Jesus Christ Superstar brought the story into the modern day through the character's dress and the way they speak to one another. After 711 shows, Jesus Chris Superstar closed on Broadway in 1973. Who is Alice Cooper Alice Cooper, born Vincent Damon Furnier, is an American Musician, songwriter and actor. He's known for being the front man of a band named after himself. Their first album was released in 1969. It wasn't until 1971, however, that the group really took off. I call for more live theater on tv for us poor folk and get our kids into something special #JesusChristSuperstarLive Rachael Morris (@MorrisRachael78) April 2, 2018 That year they released their first big hit, called I'm Eighteen, followed by School's Out in 1972. That song performed even better than the former and kept them on their forward trajectory. In addition to his career as a rocker, Cooper has appeared in a number of films. He starred in his first movie, Diary of a Mad Housewife, in 1970. Cooper continued acting, landing roles in Roadie, Prince of Darkness, Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, Wayne's World, Dark Shadows and, most recently, Jesus Christ Superstar live. Im not going to write you a love psalm. Mary Magdalene #JesusChristSuperstarLive Avery Kuiper (@SunshinethePA) April 2, 2018 Jesus Christ Superstar Live reviews Jesus Christ Superstar Live received great reviews from critics. The New York Times called it 'a conceptual and artistic triumph', while Variety said it 'was intensely earnest, often endearingly so'. While some, including Variety's Maureen Ryan and the Washington Post's Hank Stuever, felt Jesus Christ Superstar was a tad 'overblown' and chaotic, both gave it high marks. Stuever wrote in his review that the play was saved by Brandon Victor Dixon's final performance. 'Redeeming itself from an overblown first half and having its energy continually sapped by frequent commercial breaks, NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert was saved Sunday night by its emotional climax, as Brandon Victor Dixon (as Judas Iscariot) delivered an unforgettably raucous take on the show's title number and John Legend (as Jesus) floated away on a cross into an impressively ethereal light display,' he said of Sunday's show. That sentiment was echoed in a review from The Hollywood Reporter, which called Dixon's casting 'the crucial piece' that made the production work. Lottie Moss was reunited with close friend George Lineker on Sunday, little more than two days after returning from California. Taking to Instagram, the model sister of catwalk veteran Kate Moss shared a brief video of George, 25, emerging from a car and making his way towards her London property. Captioning the short clip, the 20-year old wrote: Hi cutie x. Close friends: Lottie Moss was reunited with close friend George Lineker on Sunday, little more than two days after returning from California The model is understood to be friends with George, Match of the Day host Gary Lineker's oldest son, through her former relationship with Made In Chelsea star Alex Mytton. Alex was previously pictured with George during a boozy day out in April 2017, three months before Lottie reportedly dumped the TV personality over his alleged philandering. Shortly before sharing her video of George, the young model shared a series of shots in which shew attempts to style her hair while sporting a lace embellished white bra. Looking good: Shortly before sharing her video of George, the young model shared a series of shots in which shew attempts to style her hair while sporting a lace embellished white bra Here he comes: Taking to Instagram, the model sister of catwalk veteran Kate Moss shared a brief video of George, 25, emerging from a car and making his way towards her London property Previously: Lottie's ex boyfriend Alex Mytton was pictured with George during a boozy day out in April 2017, three months before Lottie reportedly dumped him over his alleged philandering On Friday evening Lottie enjoyed a night out at her favourite haunt, Mahiki Kensington. While the model is no stranger to putting her lean limbs on display, she instead opted for a more demure style. The younger sister of supermodel icon Kate Moss sported a checked double-breasted blazer, which she paired with simple black skinny jeans. Putting a sexy spin on the ensemble, she shunned a top in favour of a lace white bra which flashed a glimpse of her ample cleavage. A vinyl baker boy cap, pointed black sock boots and a chic black handbag completed the beauty's trendy look. Striking: Lottie posted a series of busty selfies on Instagram, shortly after returning from her lengthy stay in California When it came to her hair and make-up, Lottie chose to let her natural beauty shine through by choosing a soft, dewy look and let her trademark blonde tresses cascade around her face in a straight style. Despite recently stepping off a long-haul flight, radiant Lottie showed absolutely no signs of fatigue ahead of her night out on the town. Lottie's night on the town came just a day after she wowed fans with a sexy bikini picture, which saw the beauty sizzle in a white, cherry-printed two-piece. Laughing and twisting her blonde locks in the happy snap, she captioned the snap: 'Lols from Los Angeles. Had an amazing time out here but can't wait to come back to London and see all my favourite people back in London.' Party time! The model enjoyed a night out with pals at her favourite haunt Mahiki Kensington on Friday night Lisa Rinna works out every day and she seems to love showing off the benefits of her rigorous routine. On Monday the 54-year-old actress took to Snapchat to show off her toned figure as she posed in a skimpy orange bikini that made the most of her famous curves. This posting comes after a very heated episodes of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills last week where co-star Lisa Vanderpump was in tears. Fit and fab: Lisa Rinna took to Snapchaton Monday to show off her toned figure as she posed in a skimpy orange bikini that made the most of her famous curves In the new post, Lisa looks incredibly toned with sculpted arms and legs that prove she loves a good cardio workout. But all eyes were on her ripped abs, which is pretty impressive considering she has given birth to two girls. The star had on a hat and sunglasses as she looked in the mirror to take the selfie. Before that, Lisa posed in a black bikini with sunglasses on again. She also wished Kyle Richards a Happy Easter. Kyle did the same as she modeled a purple string bikini. She too wished Lisa a happy Easter. daring dame: Before that, Lisa posed in a black bikini with sunglasses on again. She also wished Kyle Richards a Happy Easter Helping a friend out: Rinna also posed in a black bathing suit designed by her Real Housewives of Beverly Hills co-star Dorit Kemsley Rinna also posed in a black bathing suit designed by her Real Housewives of Beverly Hills co-star Dorit Kemsley. Last week Vanderpump nagged Rinna for becoming too 'detached' from their petty squabbles. 'I don't feel that you are as invested in the group,' she complained. Bikini face off! Kyle did the same as she modeled a purple string bikini. She too wished Lisa a happy Easter 'I'm just not engaging in this stupid f***ing bulls***,' snapped Rinna, who said she had 'changed' and grown as a person. 'I have two teenage girls that look up to me and I have to really watch my behavior,' added the 54-year-old, who has two model daughters Delilah Belle Hamlin, 19, and Amelia Gray Hamlin, 16. Vanderpump wasn't having it, and said she missed the 'old Rinna' who feuded regularly last season on the Bravo show. The dog lover then started a feud with Kyle Richards, because Kyle couldn't remember her grandmother Nanny Kay. New person: Lisa vowed to become a better person but her positive changes irritated Lisa Vanderpump on Tuesday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Not engaged: Vanderpump accused Rinna of not engaging with the group Teenage girls: Rinna said she changed her behavior with her teenage daughters in mind Memory slip: Kyle Richards couldn't remember for a second who Nanny Kay was 'Kyle doesn't remember Nanny Kay, I've talked about Nanny Kay ever since I've known her, Nanny Kay lived with me for 25 yearshas she left her memory back in America?' balked Vanderpump, who was furious. 'For a second I got confused,' protested Kyle, while Erika Girardi noted that she 'actually listens' when people talk, and remembers what they say. The show opened with Kyle, who was packing up her house, rather than getting movers to help. Important person: Vanderpump reminded Kyle that Nanny Kay was the most important person in her life Getting along: Dori Kemsley and Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave were getting along in Berlin Swimsuit collection: Mother-of-two Dorit was shown working on her swimwear collection 'I have to be in control, I'm a control freak, what can I say?' she asked. Vanderpump, who had recently just lost two dogs, was worried about another one of her pups, 13-year-old Lollipop. 'She looks sad to me,' she fretted, while sobbing about her double bereavement. The women gathered for the screening of Vanderpump's documentary about dog abuse in China. The audience was shocked by the gruesome footage. 'You can't even fathom that this is happening in our world,' said Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave, the 36-year-old daughter of music legend John Cougar Mellencamp. The new federal spending levels recently approved by President Donald Trump include a $2.6 billion boost for the U.S. Department of Education . But whats the story behind that number? Big programs intended for disadvantaged students, special education, and career and technical education are getting significant boosts. Title IV, a big block grant that can be spent on various initiatives, got a nearly three-fold increase. However, its not just that the major line items got increases. Several smaller programs that deal with magnet schools, arts in education, and the Special Olympics got more money too. In fact, we could only find one K-12 program in the Education Departments new budget that is getting less money in fiscal 2018 than it did in fiscal 2017. That distinction (so to speak) goes to the School Leader Recruitment and Support program. Housed at the departments Office of Innovation and Improvement, School Leader Recruitment and Supports objectives are pretty much what its name suggests. It aims to help with the recruitment, training, and retention of principals and assistant principals in high-needs school districts. These grants have paid for stipends for principals serving as mentors, financial incentives for aspiring principals, and professional development and leadership training. A high needs district, for the purpose of this program, is defined as a district that: either serves at least 10,000 children from low-income families or serves a community in which at least 20 percent of children are from low-income families; and has a high percentage of teachers teaching either outside of their certification or with emergency, provisional, or temporary certification. This program received $14.5 million in fiscal 2017, but its entire budget got cut for fiscal 2018. Perhaps not surprisingly, given the good news overall for many federal education advocates, associations that represents principals in Washingtonone for elementary school principals and the other for secondary principals didnt mention the programs elimination in their upbeat statements about the spending deal. Zachary Scott, the senior manager of advocacy at the National Association of Secondary School Principals, said that his group simply had bigger priorities with the fiscal 2018 spending, such as Title II, which provides $2.1 billion for educator development. And overall, he said, there were so many other good things in the spending bill that his group was more focused on its victories. We do still think its a very helpful program, Scott said. He also noted that both the House and Senate spending bills introduced last year eliminated the School Leader Recruitment and Support program. The Trump administrations proposed fiscal 2018 budget, which was largely ignored by Congress, also ended funding for it. For more information about spending on key programs at the Education Department, see the chart below: Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 . Tori Spelling put aside her 'mental,' legal, and financial woes to celebrate Easter with her second husband Dean McDermott and their five children at the Westlake Village Inn on Sunday. The heiress of the late TV producer Aaron Spelling - turning 45 next month - sported glasses and brown cowboy boots with a white floral frock and matching belt. The debt-ridden duo of a decade had a public row March 9 while dining at the Black Bear Diner in Tarzana where police were called and escorted them out. Scroll down for video Bunny time! Tori Spelling put aside her 'mental,' legal, and financial woes to celebrate Easter with her second husband Dean McDermott and their five children at the Westlake Village Inn This, a day after the Canadian 51-year-old called the police to check on Tori's 'well-being' after she 'took off with at least one of their kids' - according to TMZ. And on March 1, TMZ reported that Dean alerted the police that Spelling 'suffered a breakdown' and was being 'aggressive' but she didn't 'meet the criteria to be held for mental evaluation.' Also joining the RuPaul's Drag Race guest judge in Westlake Village on Sunday was her stylist Seth Chernoff. The FabFitFun partner Insta-storied a retro Easter snap of her 'gorgeous' 19-year-old stepson from Dean's previous marriage to Mary Josephine Eustace. Her Sunday best: The heiress of the late TV producer Aaron Spelling - turning 45 next month - sported glasses and brown cowboy boots with a white floral frock and matching belt Troubled: The debt-ridden duo of a decade had a public row March 9 while dining at the Black Bear Diner in Tarzana where police were called and escorted them out Twice in one week: This, after the Canadian 51-year-old called the police twice last month to check on Tori's 'well-being' but she didn't 'meet the criteria to be held for mental evaluation' 'What big teeth Easter Bunny has!' Also joining the RuPaul's Drag Race guest judge in Westlake Village on Sunday was her stylist Seth Chernoff Earlier, Tori hosted a casual Easter egg hunt her four eldest - Hattie, 6; Stella, 9; Liam, 11; and Finn, 5 - at their Thousand Oaks home. 'Are you ready McDermotts?' Spelling - who boasts 2.9M social media followers - asked in the Instagram video. 'Easter 2018. On your marks, get set, go!' Even the trouble couple's 13-month-old son Beau got in on the action, clutching two Easter eggs while still inside his WB KidsEmbrace Batman walker. 'I did not crop you out!' The FabFitFun partner Insta-storied a retro Easter snap of her 'gorgeous' 19-year-old stepson from Dean's previous marriage to Mary Josephine Eustace 'Are you ready McDermotts?' Earlier, Tori hosted a casual Easter egg hunt her four eldest - Hattie, 6; Stella, 9; Liam, 11; and Finn, 5 - at their Thousand Oaks home Spelling - who boasts 2.9M social media followers - announced in the Instagram video: 'Easter 2018. On your marks, get set, go!' ''#BabyBeau 1st egg hunt!' Even the trouble couple's 13-month-old son Beau got in on the action, clutching two Easter eggs while still inside his WB KidsEmbrace Batman walker 'A nicely balanced meal!' The Mother, May I Sleep with Danger actress prepared a fairly traditional Easter dinner featuring ham, garlic mashed potatoes, and Japanese spinach 'Here's the #Easter dinner I made the family,' the Mother, May I Sleep with Danger actress wrote of their traditional meal. 'Ham, garlic mashed potatoes, and Japanese spinach. A nicely balanced meal for the kiddos. And, the dogs were super excited to hover under the babes for all the ham scraps that dropped!' Careerwise, the Mind Over Murder stars were spotted March 12 on the set of Sharknado 6 - streaming this August on SyFy - with Tara Reid, Ian Ziering, and Vivica A. Fox. And on March 9, Tori reunited with her Beverly Hills, 90210 castmate Jennie Garth at CBS Studios for a spin-off in the 'early stages of development.' Final chapter: Careerwise, the Mind Over Murder stars were spotted March 12 on the set of Sharknado 6 - streaming this August on SyFy - with Tara Reid, Ian Ziering, and Vivica A. Fox Cindy Crawford's daughter Kaia Gerber felt right at home shooting the new campaign for designer Marc Jacobs' $102 fragrance Daisy Love in her Malibu stomping grounds. 'It just brought back all the memories of me growing up in Malibu on the beach,' the 16-year-old IMG Model said in the behind-the-scenes video Monday. 'I lived on the beach and was always in the ocean, so I felt really in my natural habitat...We're kind of just hanging out and having the best time!' Scroll down for video Mini-me: Cindy Crawford's daughter Kaia Gerber felt right at home shooting the new campaign for designer Marc Jacobs' $102 fragrance Daisy Love in her native Malibu In the 30-second ad shot last year by Alasdair McLellan, the 5ft9in catwalker played the 'loves me, loves me not' game with petals on a daisy. Stylist Alison O'Brien dressed Kaia in a cozy white ribbed turtleneck for the sunny shoot, which was creative directed by Katie Eleanor Grand. Hairstylist Anthony Turner coiffed Gerber's brunette mane while Miranda Joyce made sure the teenager's complexion was camera ready. Joining the March For Our Lives demonstrator on the sandy set were IMG Model Faith Lynch and Next Model Aube Jolicoeur. The 16-year-old IMG Model said in the behind-the-scenes video Monday: 'It just brought back all the memories of me growing up in Malibu on the beach' The 5ft9in catwalker added: 'I lived on the beach and was always in the ocean, so I felt really in my natural habitat...We're kind of just hanging out and having the best time!' Flower power: In the 30-second ad shot last year by Alasdair McLellan, Kaia played the 'loves me, loves me not' game with petals on a daisy Not-so-typical teen: Stylist Alison O'Brien dressed Kaia in a cozy white ribbed turtleneck for the sunny shoot, which was creative directed by Katie Eleanor Grand Ready for her close-up! Hairstylist Anthony Turner coiffed Gerber's brunette mane while Miranda Joyce made sure the teenager's complexion was camera ready Supporting players: Joining the March For Our Lives demonstrator on the sandy set were IMG Model Faith Lynch (L) and Next Model Aube Jolicoeur (R) The high school junior - who earned her California driver's license in September - spent Easter Sunday relaxing with family and friends at the W South Beach in Miami. Elite Model Charlotte D'Alessio has been romancing Kaia's big brother Presley for the last four months, and she Insta-storied a silly clip of the trio. Gerber delighted in annoying the 18-year-old IMG Model, who covered his eyes with his hands as she lip-synched a song blaring at the swanky hotel. The nepotistically-privileged socialite also lounged in a series of tiny bikinis with fellow IMG Model Charlotte Lawrence for spring break. 'Sick of us yet?' The high school junior - who earned her California driver's license in September - spent Easter Sunday with family and friends at the W South Beach in Miami Fun times: Elite Model Charlotte D'Alessio (R) has been romancing Kaia's big brother Presley (M) for the last four months, and she Insta-storied a silly clip of the trio Siblings: Gerber delighted in annoying the 18-year-old IMG Model, who covered his eyes with his hands as she lip-synched a song blaring at the swanky hotel Skinny Minnie: The nepotistically-privileged socialite also lounged in a series of tiny bikinis with fellow IMG Model Charlotte Lawrence for spring break 'I usually use the afternoon to catch up on homework,' the Omega SA brand ambassador told Harper's Bazaar in January. 'I'm completing my diploma at Malibu High through an online program, and it's difficult to get much done during the week, as the Wi-Fi on planes is really annoying. My favorite class this year is AP Calculus because I just like math. It's definitely super hard to teach yourself derivatives, though!' According to WWD, Kaia will design her first-ever capsule collection with none other than Karl Lagerfeld, and their fashion line hits stores globally in September. The Omega SA brand ambassador told Harper's BAZAAR in January: 'I usually use the afternoon to catch up on homework. I'm completing my diploma at Malibu High through an online program. My favorite class this year is AP Calculus' Arnold Schwarzenegger has expressed his gratitude to medical professionals just days after undergoing emergency open-heart surgery. The actor, 70, appeared to be on the mend as he tweeted to his followers on Monday, quoting his Terminator character's famous 'I'll be back' line. The screen star wrote: ''Its true: Im back! I went to sleep expecting to wake up with a small incision and woke up with a big one - but guess what? I woke up, and thats something to be thankful for. Scroll down for video Feeling good: Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared to be on the mend as he tweeted to his followers on Monday morning; seen in March 'Thank you to the doctors & nurses. And Im truly filled with gratitude for all of the kind messages.' The former governor of California underwent an emergency open-heart surgery on Thursday so that doctors could unblock a pulmonary valve. The seven-time Mr Olympia winner developed complications, leading to open-heart surgery that reportedly lasted hours. Schwarzenegger's spokesman said on Friday the valve was successfully replaced during surgery. 'Thank you to the doctors & nurses. And Im truly filled with gratitude for all of the kind messages,' he tweeted on Monday The actor had surgery in Mexico in 1997 to replace a leaky or partially blocked pulmonary valve. His ex-wife Maria Shriver and their children Patrick, Katherine and Christina had plenty to be thankful for when they attended a church service in Brentwood on Sunday. The journalist paired an eye-catching yellow floral dress with strappy wedge heels and a red leather handbag. Her auburn tresses were worn loose and the niece of JFK shielded her eyes with a pair of dark shades. Maria Shriver and the children she shares with Arnold Schwarzenegger had plenty to be thankful for when they attended a church service in Brentwood on Sunday, following the action star's emergency open-heart surgery Isn't she lovely: The Terminator star's 62-year-old ex-wife looked radiant in a brightly colored floral gown for the day of worship. She was joined by daughter Christina, 26 Shriver wore plenty of bling for the day out, pairing a gold watch with dangle earrings, a heavy gold chain and several bracelets. The NBC news correspondent was joined by three of the children she shares with the Kindergarten Cop star: Katherine, 28, Christina, 26 and Patrick, 24. Her second oldest child, Christina, went with a mostly black ensemble for the LA church service, with her pink ballet-style flats her sole concession to color. Midnight Sun star Patrick meanwhile looked suave in an untucked white shirt, distressed jeans and tan boots. Big brood: The NBC news correspondent was joined by three of the children she shares with the Kindergarten Cop star: [L-R] Patrick, 24, Katherine, 28, and Christina Pre-op: The action star is seen with son Patrick in November 2017 His friend and colleague Sylvester Stallone, 71, had some words of encouragement for the Terminator 2 star, telling TMZ: 'Arnold's a strong man, he'll be bigger and better than ever.' The Expendables actor was asked whether Arnie's health scare is enough to put Stallone off cigars. 'Some things you just can't give up: stogies and breathing,' quipped the Creed actor. When asked if he thinks Schwarzenegger will quit smoking, the action star simply said 'Doubt it.' Schwarzenegger is widely considered one of the most important figures in the bodybuilding world, and rose to fame in the late '60s with decades of wins to follow. This isn't the first time Bachelor fans have seen Arie Luyendyk Jr apologize. The 36-year-old reality star took to Twitter on Monday morning to express regret over his April Fools Day gag which didn't go over as well as he may have planned. He wrote: 'I do have sympathy for women struggling from infertility. My April Fools prank was in no way meant to offend women who struggle with that. 'I apologize if you were effected personally by my post.' Apologizing again: The Bachelor alum Arie Luyekdyk Jr's apologized after facing backlash for joking that he and fiance Lauren Burnham (above March 7) on social media this April Fools Day 'I do have sympathy': The 36-year-old race car driver took to social media People weren't laughing after the Arizona-based racecar driver joked about fiance Lauren Burnham, 25, being pregnant Sunday, sharing a photo of a burgeoning baby bump and the caption: 'Secrets finally out, we have a bunny in the oven!' Followers were quick to express their disapproval online, criticizing the couple for making light of a serious life matter. He shared near identical versions of the post on Instagram and Twitter. Bump in the night! People weren't laughing after the Arizona-based racecar driver shared a photo of a burgeoning baby bump and the caption: 'Secrets finally out, we have a bunny in the oven!' Though he followed the post with an 'April fools,' many fans found the post no laughing matter. Some criticized the couple for being insensitive towards women and couples who a struggle with infertility or are unable to conceive naturally. 'Come on. Be better than that,' wrote one user, 'It's not a joke for many struggling families to get pregnant, it's extremely expensive and it's heartbreaking. I wish nothing but the best for Arie and Lauren but this is not funny, it's cruel.' No joke: The Bachelor alum and Lauren pictured out in New York on March 7 Silly on social! He shared near identical versions of the post on Instagram and Twitter Fooling around: Though he followed the post with an 'April fools,' many fans thought found the post no laughing matter Another tweeted: 'With the number of people who struggle to get pregnant/miscarry, you post this s***? You of all people should understand this is a gross joke to make.' Elsewhere, others knocked the joke as just another example of Arie's aversion to telling the truth. 'We knew you were lying... just like you lied to Becca about being in love with her,' wrote used Ryan Newquist, referring to how Luyendyk Jr. took back his proposal from his season's original winner Becca Kufrin. Not doing yourselves any favors... 'This just in: If Arie and Lauren werent already the most hated couple in bachelor history, they certainly are now! Come on dude, do you live under a rock?!' wrote another tweeter along with a GIF of an exasperated Judge Judy 'It's cruel': Some criticized the couple for being insensitive towards women and couples who a struggle with infertility or are unable to conceive naturally Poor judgement: Social media users pointed out how difficult both physically and emotionally getting pregnant can be, calling Arie and Lauren's April Fools prank 'gross' Where is the lie? Elsewhere, others knocked the joke as just another example of Arie's aversion to telling the truth, with one writing 'We knew you were lying... just like you lied to Becca about being in love with her' 'This just in: If Arie and Lauren werent already the most hated couple in bachelor history, they certainly are now! Come on dude, do you live under a rock?!' wrote another tweeter along with a GIF of an exasperated Judge Judy Arie wasn't taking the criticism too seriously, following up his lukewarm April Fools gag with an Instagram that read: 'Sorry if you were offended, but we really are making a Dutch baby ' atop a recipe for the cast-iron cooked sweet. Later, the showed off their finished product: a beautifully baked German pancake dusted with powdered sugar. Oh baby! Arie wasn't taking the criticism too seriously, following up his lukewarm April Fools gag with an Instagram that read: 'Sorry if you were offended, but we really are making a Dutch baby ' atop a recipe for the cast-iron cooked sweet Sweet deal! Later, the showed off their finished product: a beautifully baked German pancake dusted with powdered sugar Earlier this month the couple revealed they were planning on having a summer wedding in an interview with Life & Style. 'We might do a destination wedding,' Arie also revealed to the magazine. It's also rumored that the couple is considering having their wedding televised in efforts to continue having their fans follow their love story. Meanwhile, Arie's ex Becca K is taking another shot at love as the upcoming Bachelorette, which will premiere May 28 on ABC. She was fat-shamed for 'piling on the pounds' while expecting her first child with boyfriend Dane Goodson. Yet Casey Batchelor dismissed the cruel taunts this week by posing confidently in her maternity lingerie for an intimate new pregnancy shoot, just a few weeks from her due date. The model and expectant mum, 33, proved that she is taking extreme pride in her new curves, and looking more divine than ever. Baby on the way: Casey Batchelor responded to fat-shaming trolls on Tuesday by posing in her lingerie during her pregnancy Casey, whose bust was a 32EE before her pregnancy, wore a lace lingerie set in baby pink with her bump exposed as she knelt barefoot on a couch. She was well-supported in a structure triangle bra, which featured delicate cap sleeves, and paired it with matching briefs. The mum-to-be is pictured affectionately cradling her prominent bump, with her nails perfectly manicured and her hair glossy in waves around her shoulders. 'It was hurtful': Pregnant Casey documented how she was targeted by cruel 'fat-shamers' when she was on her sun-soaked babymoon with her beau Dane 'They're fat-shaming a pregnant lady': Casey hit out at pregnancy 'fat-shaming' on Monday, after claims she'd 'piled on the pounds' The glamorous yet extremely brave lingerie shoot follows the revelation that Casey has felt shamed over her pregnancy weight. On Monday, the reality star, 33, recalled how she overheard people gossiping about how she had 'piled on the pounds' since her days on Celebrity Big Brother. 'I was abroad in Lanzarote with Dane last month,' she told The Sun. 'And I kept overhearing people commenting on how disgusting and fat I looked, and how I'd piled on the pounds since Celebrity Big Brother. 'I thought "up yours", I'm pregnant. They're fat-shaming a pregnant lady.' 'I was abroad in Lanzarote': The reality star, 33, recalled how she overheard people gossiping about how she had 'piled on the pounds' since her days on Celebrity Big Brother After finding fame as a lingerie model, the reality star admitted that pregnancy has been a 'difficult' time for her with the way her body has transformed. The model emphasised she had 'struggled' after her boobs got 'bigger than before' her breast reduction, having 'chunky' thighs and a 'big bum'. 'It has been difficult for me. I'm a model and it's my job to look good and have a good figure and I've struggled with the way my body has changed.' 'My boobs are bigger than before': Following her career as a slender model, the reality star divulged pregnancy has been 'difficult' time for her with the way her body has transformed Casey has been documenting her pregnancy with her loyal legion of 271,000 followers on her Instagram page. Casey and Dane chose to keep their love a secret for 18 months before they went public with their romantic affections. They announced their first pregnancy in November, after the model previously admitted that she was tempted to freeze her eggs for fear she would never conceive naturally. Lenny Henry: The Commonwealth Kid Rating: Dave Allen: At Peace Rating: Theres worthy telly and theres wicked telly, and which you watch most says a great deal about the type of person you are. Some viewers stay up late for Newsnight. Others get engrossed in a triple bill of Game Of Thrones repeats and forget to go to bed. Im in the second category. So with a choice of two very different shows about comedians, one an investigation of Lenny Henrys attitude to the Commonwealth and the other a life story of the brilliant, scathing Dave Allen, I was looking forward to the nine-fingered Irishman rather more. Lenny Henry: The Commonwealth Kid (BBC1) was both touching and thought-provoking, with genuine emotion in place of the crocodile-like tears How wrong I was. Lenny Henry: The Commonwealth Kid (BBC1) was both touching and thought-provoking, with genuine emotion in place of the crocodile-like tears most celebs cry for the cameras. Sir Len was born in Dudley (nowhere near Wolverhampton, he was at pains to point out) in 1958. His Jamaican mother had come to Britain, thanks to Commonwealth rules that meant she didnt need a visa. Family lore held that shed left her older children in the Caribbean until she had saved enough money to bring them, one by one, to the UK. Lenny never questioned that story. Why would he? It wasnt till he visited the ruins of the stone hovel where she had grown up that he understood fully why shed left her birthplace. And when Lennys older brother Seymour took him to their family burial plot, the full story emerged. These are siblings, Seymour said, pointing out three small graves. He meant his own little brothers and sisters, and Lennys, who died as babies. The two men hugged silently. They both looked stunned. No more meaningful reminder could exist that the Commonwealth is a family of nations tightly bound together. With the Commonwealth Games starting in Queensland, Australia, tomorrow, this was a documentary that restored your faith in international friendship. Dave Allen At Peace (BBC2), a drama-documentary that explored how the scars of his schooldays, both physical and emotional, shaped his act By the end of the hour, it was meandering a bit, with Lenny downing tots of rum at a British expat pub. But we expect worthy television to be boring sometimes it comes as a surprise when something is also this moving. David Tynan OMahony, better known as Dave Allen, was never worthy. He spent a professional lifetime mocking the Catholic Church that had made his childhood a misery and, though he was in truth a deeply moral man, always managed to look wickedly louche doing it. Actor Aidan Gillen captured the rhythms of the great comedians delivery, if not his voice, in Dave Allen At Peace (BBC2), a drama-documentary that explored how the scars of his schooldays, both physical and emotional, shaped his act. Allen specialised in long monologues with explosive punchlines. This one-off show tried to imitate that, and found its much harder than it looks. After an extended set-up, revealing how wee Davey suffered in school (No good comes from laughing! shrieked a nun, clipping him about the ear), there wasnt time to say much about his career. One moment he was setting out with his brother as a double act, then he was a solo star 15 years later, drawing barrowloads of complaints on the BBC. A minute after that, he was a has-been. Yet a long scene was shoe-horned in, with Allen telling a feeble ghost story far from his best material. It was a mystery, too, why so many of the original sketches were remade shot-for-shot. Surely the Seventies footage would have worked just as well. A wicked disappointment. She celebrated Easter by showing off the Jesus tattoo on her wrist under a multi-colored light on Instagram. And Katy Perry added a caption saying: 'My brokeness + God's Divinity = my wholeness.' Ironically, the post comes as the 33-year-old is mired in a heated legal battle with a nun over a hill-top convent on eight acres of land in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. Easter greetings: Katy Perry, who is embroiled in a court case with nuns over ownership of a convent in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, flashed this Jesus tattoo on Easter Sunday Caught in a bad situation: The Roar singer is seen here in March; she is not backing out of the real estate transaction The case dates back to 2015 when Katy, the daughter of Evangelical pastors, tried to buy the property from the Archdiocese Of Los Angeles for $14.5m. But the the remaining sisters of the California Institute of the Sisters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary filed a lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles to keep Perry from acquiring the property. The nuns Catherine Rose Holzman and Rita Callanan reportedly had already sold the property to restaurateur-hotelier Dana Hollister. Katy and the Archdiocese Of Los Angeles, which contended that it owned the property, fought back and sued Hollister for interfering with the deal. Large spread: The property includes a Roman-villa style building with an attached convent that had closed in 2011, Variety reported A jury later found Hollister guilty of interference and she was ordered to pay $3.47 million to the archdiocese and $1.57 million to the American Idol judge as compensation for court fees. Meanwhile, the case became even darker when Sister Catherine Rose, 85, died after collapsing in court last month. A few days later, Sister Rita made headlines with her claims she was so broke from the legal battle she is worried she will go hungry. Shortly before her death, Sister Catherine Rose asked Katy to drop the legal back-and-forth. Now deceased: Sister Catherine Rose, 85, (left) died after collapsing in court last month. She is seen with restaurateur-hotelier Dana Hollister pushing sister Rita Callanan in a wheelchair Golden girl: Katy, 30, is presently in Hong Kong where she performed on Good Friday She said: 'To Katy Perry, please stop. It's not doing anyone any good except hurting a lot of people.' The Sisters of the Most Holy And Immaculate Heart Of The Blessed Virgin Mary had owned the property for more than 40 years, but haven't lived in the convent for several years. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles also needs permission from the Vatican to finalize the sale to the pop siren. The property includes a Roman-villa style building with an attached convent that had closed in 2011, Variety reported. Long before they split up, Bachelorette couple Sophie Monk and Stu Laundy were accused of 'faking' their relationship once filming had ended, due to contractual obligations. Now fellow contestant and Bachelor In Paradise star Sam Cochrane has joined the chorus. Sam, affectionately know as 'Uncle Sam', has told TV Week magazine that when it came to the couple's romance, he thinks there 'were some questionable motives'. 'I think there were some motives': The Bachelorette star Sam Cochrane says Sophie Monk and Stu Laundy's relationship was questionable from the start 'I think there were some questionable motives in their relationship,' he told the publication. 'Seeing her and Stu break up didn't surprise me at all.' Elsewhere in the interview, Sam admits that he was never in love with the blonde bombshell and should have left the show earlier than he did. 'I think there were some questionable motives in their relationship,' Sam told TV Week magazine. 'Seeing her and Stu break up didn't surprise me at all' Back in October, shortly after The Bachelorette ended, Radio hosts Em Rusciano, Meshel Laurie and Kate Langbroek all claimed they thought Sophie's romance with Stu was over and they were 'faking it' after filming ended. Rusciano claimed that there was no romance between the high-profile couple and that Sophie 'played' audiences by appearing on the show. 'I think Sophie Monk has got exactly what she wanted out of this show,' she said on The Em Rusciano Radio Show with Harley Breen. 'I think she is a smart business women, wants to be in the entertainment industry and I think she has become Australia's darling. No one believed it! Back in October, shortly after The Bachelorette ended, Radio hosts Em Rusciano, Meshel Laurie and Kate Langbroek all claimed that Sophie's romance with Stu was fake 'She has played a trick on everyone and the ultimate prize is a great career, not a man.' Em also discussed her Instagram post - which she decided to delete - that showed Sophie and Stu appearing on The Project, with the caption: 'I think her skin is crawling'. 'I don't think there is a skerrick of romance between them, she looked uncomfortable and cagey and like she didn't want to be there,' Em said. Her opinion echoed that of fellow radio host Kate Langbroek, who took to Instagram around the same time to claim Sophie 'hated' Stu. 'She hates him,' she wrote adding the hashtags '#itsdone' and '#poorsophie'. Taking a picture of her TV, she started an online war with fans both agreeing and disagreeing with her. No feelings: Elsewhere in the interview, Sam admits that he was never in love with the blonde bombshell and should have left earlier The post was then shared by The Project co-host Meshel Laurie, who added the cheeky caption: 'Thank God for @katelangbroek!' Meshel went on to justify her opinion in a comment, writing: 'I don't know what Stu is normally like, but I realised eventually that Sophie was a bit off her game. 'Exhausted and overwhelmed no doubt. I went in expecting the usual kind of conversation I have with Sophie, but for whatever reason it was a bit off,' she wrote. 'I suspect she felt a bit anxious for Stu, because he is not used to this stuff.' Throughout the segment, the pair's body language seemed to indicate they had split, with Stu and Sophie keeping their distance. Australian beef, honey and handbags are among exports to Japan set to have tariffs cut. The fifth round of cuts under the Japan-Australia free trade deal came into force on Sunday. Trade Minister Steve Ciobo said 640 Japanese tariffs were sliced. "From handbags to honey, Japan is loving Australian products and produce," Mr Ciobo said. Among the winners: * Fresh or chilled beef tariffs have fallen to 29.3 per cent down from 38.5 before the deal. * Frozen beef tariffs down to 26.9 per cent down from 38.5 before the deal. * Honey tariffs are now 13.9 per cent down from 25.5 per cent before the deal. * Handbag tariffs now 4.4 per cent down from 8-16 per cent before the deal. * Orange tariffs now 8.7 per cent down from 16 per cent before the deal. Australia's goods exports to Japan were valued at $45 billion in 2017, a rise of 24 per cent over 2016. A 23-year-old woman has been charged with the murder of a man at Lightning Ridge. Emergency services were called to Three Mile Road in the remote opal mining town before midday on Friday. A 55-year-old man was found with serious head and critical injuries. He was taken to Lightning Ridge Hospital in a critical condition before being flown to St George Hospital where he died. Detectives and the homicide squad established Strikeforce Pilbarra to investigate his death which resulted in the woman being charged with murder on Sunday. She was refused bail and is expected at Walgett Local Court on Monday. The main advocacy group for the countrys largest school districts, the majority of them urban school systems, is calling on the federal government to step up efforts on gun violence and school safety. Wading into the charged debate on gun control since last months shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County, Fla., which left 17 students and educators dead, the Council of the Great City Schools wants Congress to ban assault-style weapons and large-capacity ammunition cartridges (except those needed for law enforcement or military uses), expand universal background checks for gun buyers, and close the so-called gun-show loophole. The group is also calling for the federal government to expand Gun-Free School Zones. It wants $1 billion in grants for states and school districts to beef up counseling and mental-health services for students and another $1 billion to local school systems to improve security measures, including retrofitting buildings and enhancing safety training for school employees and law enforcement officials. The council is also calling for more data and research on gun violence, including mandating that state and local law enforcement agencies report all fire-arm related injuries and deaths to the Federal Bureau of Investigations, strengthening the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, and freeing up the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study gun violence. It opposes arming teachers. Broward County is one of the 70 school systems that make up the Council of the Great City Schools. Whether any of those proposals gain traction is yet to be seen. While some of the Stoneman Douglas survivors who are calling for stricter gun laws mobilized hundreds of thousands of people last weekend for the March For Our Lives in Washington and sibling rallies across the country, supporters of the National Rifle Association are also pushing back against any attempts they perceive as curbing gun rights. CNN reported on March 28 that donations to the NRA grew after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting. President Trump has been a critic of gun-free school zones, and vowed to end them while on the campaign trail . After the Feb. 14 attack at Stoneman Douglas High School he repeated his opposition to designated zones, saying they invite violence and danger. And Republicans, who control both the House and the Senate, so far have favored school safety measures over new gun restrictions. Michael Casserly, the executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools, said the council was following up its calls for action with draft legislation on the proposed measures that the group hopes will gain bi-partisan support in Congress. Casserly said that hes already met with congressional representativeshe would not divulge who they were, saying that hed like the broadest support possible. Members of the council also met with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and offered to be a resource to the school safety commission DeVos is leading. The commission, which met for the first time this week and is made up of four cabinet secretaries , has been criticized for not including educators or advocates . The department of education has said that teachers, students, and other stakeholders will have an opportunity to provide input. Building Public Pressure Locally The council is also asking its districts to pass similar resolutions. Those local efforts will be aimed at heightening the publics awareness of the issues and making it clear that urban schools stand foursquare with the students from Douglas High School in Broward County, and to assert as much pressure on Congress and the public to act convincingly on this issue, Casserly said. While black students were among the speakers on the main stage at the March For Our Lives rally in Washington, some have asked why the day-to-day shootings in the cities in which they live have not attracted the same level of attention and calls to action as the Stoneman Douglas attack. Forty-percent of the students in the districts that make up the councils member schools are Latino, while 29 percent are black. Twenty percent are white, according to the councils data. Christina Martin, a student at Thurgood Marshall Academy in the District of Columbia, which lost two students to gun violence this year, told the Associated Press: We should have got the same attention in return. Jaheim McRae, 15, from Scotland County, N.C., told Education Week that the medias portrayal of the deaths of black girls and boys was extremely troublesome. It just amazes me that when an African-American male gets shot and it goes on the news, everybody looks at it and says, Hes African-American, he was probably a troublemaker, hes a gang member, his life doesnt matter, said McRae, whose personal experience with gun violence was one of the major reasons why he left his home in South Carolina early Saturday morning to attend the march in Washington. He was shot in the leg while attending a party. As a human being it hurts my feelings that they just label African- Americans like that, he said. But it goes deeper. I would never drop out of school. I would never be in a gang. ... I would not do anything like that. Im actually going to do something with my life. Im going to be the African-American thats going to break the stereotype of dropping out of school or being a father at a young age. Im actually going to go to college, have a family, and have a career. All African-Americans are not the way the media portrays us to be. The students are right, Casserly said, though he added that council has been consistent in decrying gun violence and the killings of African-Americans by police. The council also worked with the Obama administration on school safety measures, he said. I think there is some truth to the fact that sometimes the day-to-day street violence in many cities gets overlooked, in comparison to these larger killings, he said. But the truth of the matter is that there are guns involved in both of these kinds of incidents, and weve been very consistent in speaking out about both kinds of incidentsthe street violence, the police shootings, and the mass killings. Related stories: England missed a great opportunity to stamp their authority in the must-win second Test against New Zealand with two quick wickets before lunch stymying their progress on day four in Christchurch. The tourists, needing victory at Hagley Oval to square the two-match series, were 5-278 at lunch for an overall lead of 307. They added 2-76 in 27 overs against some tight New Zealand bowling on a pitch offering few problems with the old ball. England suffered setbacks when they lost captain Joe Root and Dawid Malan in quick succession - the pair trying to lift the tempo after bringing up chanceless half-centuries. Malan, who had resumed on 19, was caught at shot midwicket off Colin de Grandhomme for 53 while Root departed two balls later for 54, snicking a wide ball from Neil Wagner. Not converting promising starts into tons has become a particular problem for the classy Root, whose most recent century last August has been followed by eight scores between 50 and 100. Sensing blood, New Zealand made a delayed call to take the second new ball after Root's dismissal. Ben Stokes (12 not out) and first-innings centurion Jonny Bairstow (two not out) survived until lunch. They will be torn between forcing the pace in a push for an early declaration while at the same time ensuring a match-winning total is posted, considering New Zealand still have a chance to win if the tail is exposed. A truck carrying more than 100,000 day-old chickens has crashed in the NSW Southern Tablelands, killing some of the baby birds. Police say the semi-trailer rolled six metres down an embankment after veering off Burley Griffin Way in Bowning, near Yass, at about 1.20am on Monday. The 30-year-old man driving the truck, which landed upside down in a paddock, was taken to Yass Hospital with minor injuries and will later undergo mandatory testing. Police have begun investigating the circumstances of the crash and say it is not yet known how many of the chicks have died. Tourists have flocked back to the NSW south coast town of Tathra weeks after a massive bushfire reduced dozens of homes to ash. The small community, outside Bega, confronted a firestorm on March 18 which destroyed more than 60 homes as well as 30 caravans and cabins. Hundreds of residents face months or years of displacement as their destroyed properties are cleared of asbestos, assessed by insurance companies and - hopefully - rebuilt. But many quickly identified tourism would be critical to getting the town, on the whole, back on its feet. Bega Valley Shire Council, in a message posted online, said tourism is a major economic driver for the region and would be crucial for local restaurants, shops and, ultimately, families. Council encouraged holidaymakers to not cancel travel plans to Tathra, adding "the closer to normal the community gets after a disaster like this, the better we all feel". "People understand Tathra is open for business and it's pleasing to see people heeding our message," Bega Valley Shire Mayor Kristy McBain told AAP on Monday. Ms McBain said more than 50 per cent of local businesses were geared toward hospitality and tourism - and people from across the region were visiting the town to pour money back in. "There is a long road ahead but I am taken aback by the support of people from near and far," she said. "And I'm astounded by the resilience people have shown just wanting to get on with things and move on." Preliminary investigations have pointed to power lines as the suspected origin of the blaze but two inquiries hope to establish the exact cause. Questions also linger about the co-operation between the RFS and Fire and Rescue NSW after the former refused help from the urban brigade during the fire. About 30 per cent of the properties destroyed in the fire are believed to contain asbestos, Ms McBain said. A $10 million grant from the NSW Government will help hasten that cleanup effort but there is still no firm schedule for rebuilding. "It's not a qucik fix," Ms McBain said. "We'll be working the next 18 months to two years to make sure that people have been able to deal with their issues - rebuilding their properties and restoration of bushland areas." The NSW government is being pressured to justify moving the Powerhouse Museum to Sydney's West as the opposition draws parallels to its faltering stadium redevelopment plan. But the public won't be given the business case until three months after the coalition government makes a final decision. The state government announced last July it had secured a new site for the Ultimo-based museum on the banks of the Parramatta River at a projected cost of more than $1 billion. A spokesman for NSW arts minister Don Harwin said Infrastructure NSW would release a summary of the business case 90 days after the government made the investment decision. "The business case was delivered to the government in December and has since been going through a number of assurance processes that need to be completed before an informed decision can be made," the spokesman said in a statement. NSW opposition spokesman Walt Secord labelled the decision disrespectful and has called on the government to release the full business case publicly before making a decision. "The community has a right to know the cost before the state government commits to a multi-billion dollar splurge," he said in a statement on Monday. In 2015, then-NSW premier Mike Baird announced the industrial science museum would be relocated from inner-Sydney Ultimo to Parramatta, a decision much criticised by Labor and the Greens. Mr Secord likened the project to the government's $2 billion stadiums plan, which Premier Gladys Berejiklian back-flipped on last week when she announced Sydney's Olympic stadium would be refurbished rather than razed and rebuilt. An interim report by an upper house parliamentary inquiry into the Powerhouse move, released in December last year, found the decision was flawed. "This poorly informed decision was made before a preliminary business case had even been prepared, details regarding the cost or rationale being released, or a final business case even being completed," the report said. The inquiry's deputy chair, Greens MLC David Shoebridge, described the move as "cultural vandalism". South Sydney star Sam Burgess is risking a two-week NRL suspension after pleading not guilty to raising his elbow at Josh Morris. Burgess will take his case to the NRL judiciary after being slapped with a grade one dangerous contract charge after Friday's controversial win over Canterbury. Had he accepted the early guilty plea, Burgess would have been rubbed out for one week. However, the Rabbitohs on Monday confirmed they would roll the dice and challenge the charge. Because of his poor record, Burgess risks missing Souths' next two clashes against St George Illawarra and arch-rivals the Sydney Roosters if found guilty. Two weeks ago he pleaded guilty to a dangerous contract charge on Penrith's Reagan Campbell-Gillard meaning he has 85 carry-over points hanging over his head. Burgess was cited after appearing to lead with his elbow as he ran into the defensive line in the 57th minute against the Bulldogs. Morris came reeling out of the tackle and fell to the ground holding his throat. Melbourne Victory may be forced to turn to a first-time defensive pairing as they look to win in Asia for the first time. In the absence of suspended defender Rhys Williams, Leigh Broxham looms as the most likely option to partner James Donachie in defence against Ulsan Hyundai for their do-or-die Asian Champions League match on Wednesday. It's a tough ask for Victory who will be without Williams, due to a second yellow card in the group stage, and Matias Sanchez, who was the vsa player to miss out on ACL selection. Thomas Deng, who scored one of the goals of the A-League season in Victory's 3-1 defeat of Western Sydney Wanderers is another option. The 21-year-old is seen more valuable at right back. But Victory's Mr Dependable is ready to step up in the heat of the defence. "We haven't looked at it yet but we're running short of defenders," Broxham told AAP. "Tommy can play there as well but his worldy on the weekend has put him out of contention to play centre back. "I'm ready to play there. If I'm asked to cover anyone I'd like to think I can do a job." Broxham, who has played in all six of Victory's ACL campaigns, said he couldn't remember saddling up with Donachie. "Once or zero times but I don't recall any," he said. More times than Victory would like to remember, their ACL campaigns have been ended by South Korean opposition. In 2016, they lost to Jeonbuk Motors in the round of 16. In 2014, they exited at the group stage with a draw in their group game in Jeonbuk. Three years prior, Jeju United caused them the same fate. Broxham said achieving success in Asia wasn't supposed to be easy. "Along the way we've had a few of them where they are really big games," he said. "Difficult games away from home but big games and the ones you want to play in. "We want to achieve something we haven't achieved yet. There's massive incentive." The long-awaited coronial inquest into the deaths of four people who were killed when a ride malfunctioned at Dreamworld will get underway this week, although it's not expected to hear any evidence until later in the year. Kate Goodchild, her brother Luke Dorsett and his partner Roozi Araghi, along with Sydney woman Cindy Low, were killed when the popular Thunder River Rapids ride malfunctioned in October 2016. Ms Goodchild's 12-year-old daughter Ebony and Ms Low's 10-year-old son were on the raft that flipped at the end of the ride, but survived. The boy was thrown from the raft in what police described at the time as a "near miracle". For nearly 30 years the ride had been a major attraction of the theme park but Dreamworld closed for 45 days after the accident. Visitor numbers tanked an estimated 30 per cent and owners Ardent Leisure reported a $62.6 million loss for the financial year. The incident also caused the Queensland government to pass industrial manslaughter laws with maximum 20 years imprisonment for individuals or a $10 million fine corporate offenders. The new legislation won't apply to anyone involved in the Dreamworld tragedy as it can't be enforced retrospectively. Police have investigated the fatal mishap and have prepared a large brief of evidence for the coroner to consider. They have already recommended no criminal charges be laid against Dreamworld staff over the fatal incident, but the coroner could still suggest prosecutions after hearing evidence. The families have waited a long time for answers and on Tuesday the inquest will take its first steps. During the procedural hearing no evidence is expected but dates for the anticipated inquest hearings are likely to be set. Deborah Thomas, the former Ardent boss who was involved in the company's dealings with bereaved families, will be paid $3,000 a day to attend the inquest. She stepped down following her handling of the fallout of the tragedy and was due to receive a payout of more than $730,000. Australian rugby sevens captain James Stannard says he's lucky to be alive after head injuries from a one-punch attack ruled him out the Commonwealth Games. "I'm very lucky, I've got a fractured skull with a little bit of bleeding. I don't really know the full extent to be honest, I'm not a doctor, but that just sounds bad to me," Stannard told reporters on Monday. Stannard was allegedly struck by a British man in an unprovoked attack outside a Coogee kebab shop, in Sydney's east, in the early hours of Good Friday. The Liberal Party has forfeited its right to lecture on morals after breaching parliamentary conventions at the last-minute, says the Victorian Leader of the House. Two Liberal MPs were given a pairing on Good Friday for religious reasons while the government's Country Fire Authority bill was debated. But they defied parliamentary convention to return to the house and vote down the bill. "The Liberal Party and certainly Matthew Guy have absolutely forfeited their right to lecture anyone, ever again, on issues to do with honesty, integrity or probity," Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan told reporters on Monday. Jordy Smith and World Surf League judges are thinking differently and that helped bring his Bells Beach title defence to a screeching halt. The South African star sought out World Surf League officials on Monday after Australian tour rookie Wade Carmichael knocked him out of the Rip Curl Pro in a stunning third-round upset. While Carmichael is oozing confidence, Smith is worried. Smith won the Bells Beach title for the first time last year on the way to finishing fourth on the world rankings. But so far this season he has not progressed past the third round at the opening two events. "That was a hard loss to take," Smith said. "You try and shape your surfing to fit inside a criteria and it seems like sometimes my surfing doesn't fit that criteria. "I guess I will now go away and re-analyse certain things and adapt heading into Margaret River. "It's not like the judges will change for me, so I guess I will have to do the changing and work hard at it." Australian Julian Wilson, who won the opening event last month on the Gold Coast, was also bundled out of the Rip Curl Pro on Monday with a surprise loss to American Patrick Gudauskas. But 25-year-old Carmichael, from Avoca on the NSW Central Coast, is relishing his tour debut. "It's only one heat, an event is six or seven heats," he said. "So you have to put a whole thing together. "People can get lucky in one heat, so you have to try and run with it. "I want to go all the way, let's win that bell." Too often one leader may be blamed for creating a negative climate, when the reality is that we all contribute to a positive or negative school climate. Our attitude every day plays an important part in our school climate. Over the last few weeks we have seen students stand up and protest. As many celebrate these students for finding their voice and wanting something different in their lives, others arent celebrating because they dont want students to have a voice on this particular issue . Those who oppose believe students should consider other options other than protesting for new gun laws. These issues have an impact on our school climate. After all, school has always been considered a microcosm of society at large. On top of all of the protests and fear about student safety, schools face their normal issues as well. School leaders and teachers have to worry about federal mandates, state accountability measures and district initiatives, at the same time they have to worry about student safety, high stakes testing, as well as social-emotional and academic learning. All of that weighs heavily on the minds of teachers, students and leaders, which impacts school climate. According to the National School Climate Center , school climate is defined as the quality and character of school life. School climate is based on patterns of students, parents and school personnels experience of school life and reflects norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices and organizational structures. For me, school climate is how we feel when we walk into a school building. Do we feel like a welcomed part of the community? Or do we feel like a guest who shouldnt stay long? And yes, this includes students as well. After all, not every student is welcomed in their school. We know the old saying, You dont have to go but you cant stay here. 7 Easy Steps Considering how difficult things are in our school communities, leaders and teachers are looking for ways to create a more positive and supportive school climate. They are constantly looking for practical steps to take that will foster a school climate where more students feel included, because we know all too well what can happen when students feel excluded. I believe it comes down to 7 simple steps. These 7 steps come from research (DeWitt) as well as practical strategies that other school leaders and teachers have applied in their individual classrooms and schools. The 7 steps that I believe foster a more inclusive school climate where all minoritized (Harper) populations can feel included are: School Board Policies/Codes of Conduct - If it is written in our school board policies and codes of conduct it is easier to support both during good times and bad. When leaders receive pushback about inclusive curriculum (i.e. LGBT, Racial Issues, etc.) from parents, teachers or community members, they will have an easier time negotiating their way through that pushback if their board policies and codes of conduct support the teaching of the topic in question. Images in Hallways - Images matter. If they didnt, none of us would be on Facebook or Instagram. We gravitate to images because they evoke strong feelings inside. They remind us of simpler times, or inspire us to step outside of our comfort zones. The image at the beginning of this blog is from Orchard Elementary School in Portland, Oregon. Imagine what it must be like for students to walk in every day and see such an amazing image that represents the student diversity within the school. Inclusive Curriculum - Inclusive curriculum means that all minoritized students are represented in the curriculum they learn, and that it doesnt just happen during months dedicated to them. Topics like race, gender and sexual orientation are included in curriculum, which may play out through debates, classroom discussions and classroom Ted Talks. Inclusive Books/Novels - Inclusive books and novels means that minoritized populations are included in some of the books and novels used in our schools. There was a time when our indigenous populations were covered in books and novels, but they were not represented in a positive way. There was, and still is, a time when our LGBT community is only represented in health class when we talk about HIV/AIDS. We need to make sure that all of the diverse groups that call our school communities their home are represented in a positive way in our schools. Common Language - This isnt just about making sure we are just being sensitive to the different populations in our school. It means that every time we use educational acronyms like RTI and PBIS, or words like student engagement, differentiated instruction and growth mindset, we all have a common understanding of what those words mean. Not everyone understands the words we use in conversations, and sometimes that includes our own school staff. Training from Professionals - In NY State, where I reside, schools will be responsible for teaching mental health curriculum. Teachers, school psychologists and leaders will have to work together to define the best route for teaching the curriculum. However, leaders, teachers and staff will no doubt need the help of outside professionals to make sure they use the right language and are prepared for sensitive questions that come up. There is a risk that the outside groups will come in 10 steps ahead of where school professionals are in their understanding of the curriculum. We need to make sure that outside professionals understand the context of the schools they will be working in, and not talk down to the school professionals. We need to vet the resources to make sure they are age appropriate. Our Attitude - Nothing shapes our school climates more than our attitudes. Too often one leader may be blamed for creating a negative climate, when the reality is that we all contribute to a positive or negative school climate. Our attitude every day plays an important part in our school climate. We dont have to agree on every issue that comes up in schools, but we do have to make sure we provide a safe and nurturing space for students so they can grow on an academic and social-emotional level. Peter DeWitt, Ed.D. is the author of several books including Collaborative Leadership: 6 Influences That Matter Most (Corwin Press. 2016), School Climate: Leading with Collective Efficacy (Corwin Press. 2017). Connect with him on Twitter . Photo Credit: Tim Lauer. Orchards Elementary School. Evergreen Public Schools (Vancouver, WA). A man has been assaulted and stabbed with a broken bottle in far north Queensland. The 33-year-old man was walking in Hyde Park in Townsville around 11.10pm on Monday when five men trailed him in a dark-coloured ute, then got out and began yelling at him, police say. Four of the men then assaulted the man and one of them used a broken bottle to stab him in the abdomen before leaving in the ute. The injured man was taken to Townsville Hospital and investigations are continuing. Israeli soldiers killed 16 Palestinians and wounded hundreds more on Friday when a major demonstration led to clashes along the border with the Gaza Strip Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday of being "a terrorist" after the Israeli prime minister rejected Ankara's "moral lessons" over deadly clashes in Gaza. "Hey Netanyahu! You are an occupier. And it is as an occupier that are you are on those lands. At the same time, you are a terrorist," Erdogan said in a televised speech in Adana, southern Turkey. "What you do to the oppressed Palestinians will be part of history and we will never forget it," he said, adding: "The Israeli people are uncomfortable with what you're doing. "We are not guilty of any act of occupation." The comments came after Israeli soldiers killed 16 Palestinians and wounded hundreds more on Friday when a major demonstration led to clashes along the border with the Gaza Strip. Erdogan condemned Israel over its "inhumane attack", prompting a sharp response from Netanyahu. "The most moral army in the world will not be lectured to on morality from someone who for years has been bombing civilians indiscriminately," Netanyahu tweeted. Referring to April Fool's Day, he added: "Apparently this is how they mark April 1 in Ankara." Netanyahu has previously labelled Erdogan as someone who "bombs Kurdish villagers". Israel has defended its soldiers' actions after they opened fire on Palestinians who strayed from a main protest camp attended by tens of thousands and approached the heavily fortified fence cutting off the Gaza Strip. Pork is among 128 US imports China has slapped tariffs on, raising fears of a trade war between the world's two biggest economies China on Monday imposed tariffs on 128 US imports worth $3 billion, including fruit and pork, retaliating for US duties on steel and aluminium that Beijing said "seriously infringed" Chinese interests. The move, which was decided by the customs tariff commission of the State Council, followed weeks of rhetoric that has raised fears of a trade war between the world's two biggest economies. The Trump administration had said its duties were aimed at steel and aluminium imports that it deemed a threat to US national security, but China's Commerce Ministry on Monday called that reasoning an "abuse" of World Trade Organization (WTO) guidelines. The US measures "are directed only at a few countries, seriously violating the principle of non-discrimination as a cornerstone of the multilateral trading system, which seriously infringed the interests of the Chinese side," said a statement on the Commerce Ministry website. President Donald Trump has repeatedly railed against China's massive trade surplus with the United States and promised during the election campaign to take steps to slash the US deficit. Beijing had warned last month that it was considering the tariffs of 15 percent and 25 percent on a range of products that also include wine, nuts and aluminium scrap. They came into force on Monday, Xinhua said, citing a government statement. The levies are in response to tariffs of 10 percent on aluminium and 25 percent on steel that have also angered US allies. China-US economic ties "We hope that the United States can withdraw measures that violate WTO rules as soon as possible to put trade in the relevant products between China and the US back on a normal track," the Commerce Ministry statement said. "Cooperation between China and the United States, the world's two largest economies, is the only correct choice." Trump has temporarily suspended the tariffs for the European Union as well as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and South Korea. But the White House has unveiled plans to impose new tariffs on some $60 billion of Chinese imports over the "theft" of intellectual property. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, the top economic official, told US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in a phone call last month that the IP investigation violated international trade rules and Beijing was "ready to defend its naitonal interests". - 'Heavy blow' - But Beijing has so far held fire against major US imports such as soybeans or Boeing aircraft -- items that state-run daily the Global Times suggested should be targeted. The nationalistic newspaper said in an editorial last week that China has "nearly completed its list of retaliatory tariffs on US products and will release it soon." "The list will involve major Chinese imports from the US," the newspaper wrote, without saying which items were included. "This will deal a heavy blow to Washington that aggressively wields the stick of trade war and will make the US pay a price for its radical trade policy toward China," the Global Times wrote. Despite the rhetoric, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Thursday suggested the new measures on intellectual property were a "prelude to a set of negotiations". The United States ran a $375.2 billion deficit with China last year. US Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, held meetings with Chinese officials on Friday and Saturday, including Vice Premier Liu. "With Vice Premier Liu He, I had an extensive discussion about how China's trade-distorting measures end up hurting American workers," Warren wrote on Twitter. "I've long been skeptical of trade policy -- both at home and abroad -- that caters to big corporations instead of working families," she said. 'Point Nemo' is a watery graveyard for titanium fuel tanks and other high-tech space debris Chinese space scientists were not in control of their Tiangong-1 orbiting laboratory when it hurtled back to Earth and into a remote part of the Pacific Ocean on Monday. But if they had been, that's where they would have tried to make it land. By sheer fluke, anything that didn't burn up in the atmosphere is expected to have plopped down somewhere near the forlorn spot that is amongst the most remote places on the planet. Officially called an "oceanic pole of inaccessibility," this watery graveyard for titanium fuel tanks and other high-tech space debris is better known to space junkies as Point Nemo, in honour of Jules Verne's fictional submarine captain. "Nemo" is also Latin for "no one". Point Nemo is further from land than any other dot on the globe: 2,688 kilometres (about 1,450 miles) from the Pitcairn Islands to the north, one of the Easter Islands to the northwest, and Maher Island -- part of Antarctica -- to the South. "Its most attractive feature for controlled re-entries is that nobody is living there," said Stijn Lemmens, a space debris expert at the European Space Agency in Darmstadt, Germany. "Coincidentally, it is also biologically not very diverse. So it gets used as a dumping ground -- 'space graveyard' would be a more polite term -- mainly for cargo spacecraft," he told AFP. Some 250 to 300 spacecraft -- which have mostly burned up as they carved a path through Earth's atmosphere -- have been laid to rest there, he said. By far the largest object descending from the heavens to splash down at Point Nemo, in 2001, was Russia's MIR space lab, which weighed 120 tonnes. "It is routinely used nowadays by the (Russian) Progress capsules, which go back-and-forth to the International Space Station (ISS)," said Lemmens. The massive, 420-tonne ISS also has a rendezvous with destiny at Point Nemo, in 2024. In future, most spacecraft will be "designed for demise" with materials that melt at lower temperatures, making them far less likely to survive re-entry and hit Earth's surface. Both NASA and the ESA, for example, are switching from titanium to aluminium in the manufacture of fuel tanks. China hoisted Tiangong-1, it's first manned space lab, into space in 2011. It was slated for a controlled re-entry but ground engineers lost control of the eight-tonne craft in March 2016, which is when it began its descent towards a fiery end. The lab's demise has been the subject of much chatter among space watchers for months, with the uncertainty of its atmospheric re-entry attracting much attention over recent days. Scientists had only been able to give the most general of forecasts for exactly when and where the lab would plunge back to Earth, offering a huge band of the planet that included almost all of South America, Africa and Asia, as well as the southern portions of the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. Despite the vagueness of their forecasts, scientists said they could be relatively sure that no one was going to be hurt by the remnants of the lab, and said it would most likely land in the ocean. Elon Musk, the flamboyant boss of Tesla and SpaceX, took to Twitter on April Fool's day to joke the electric car-maker, which has been rocked by bad news, was going bankrupt. 'Despite intense efforts to raise money, including a last-ditch mass sale of Easter Eggs, we are sad to report that Tesla has gone completely and totally bankrupt. So bankrupt, you can't believe it,' he wrote. He later posted a picture of himself pretending to be passed out with his head on a Tesla Model 3 while holding a sign that read 'Bankwupt!' Elon Musk teased 'important news' to his 20million Twitter followers on Sunday before announcing that electric car maker Tesla had 'gone bankrupt' The prank came amid reports of significant risks ahead for the manufacturer, which is heavily indebted and has not turned a profit since it began operating in 2003. It has lost about a quarter of its share value since the end of February, and is also currently under investigation by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) following a fatal accident involving one of its cars in California on March 23rd. Tesla confirmed on Saturday its 'Autopilot' feature was engaged during the accident but said the driver ignored repeated visual and audio warnings and his hands were not detected on the wheel for six seconds prior to the vehicle's collision with a highway barrier. The car caught fire before two other cars struck it. The prank was capped off with a picture of Elon slumped against a Model 3 Tesla with a sign that says 'bankwupt', but hints at genuine problems with the money-losing company The driver was identified by The Mercury News as a 38-year-old man, Wei Huang, an engineer for Apple. He later died in hospital. According to reports in the US media, the NTSB was unhappy that Tesla had released information before a final investigation was completed. A spokesman told The Washington Post: 'At this time the NTSB needs the assistance of Tesla to decode the data the vehicle recorded. 'In each of our investigations involving a Tesla vehicle, Tesla has been extremely cooperative on assisting with the vehicle data. However, the NTSB is unhappy with the release of investigative information by Tesla.' The NTSB previously investigated a crash involving an autopilot-equipped Tesla in Florida in 2016. More than 300 men, women and children are being held in a camp on Nauru, according to recent Australian immigration detention figures The Pacific island of Nauru, where hundreds of asylum-seekers are held in a processing camp, has abolished its links with Australia's highest court in what critics said will leave vulnerable people without a right to appeal. For more than four decades the High Court of Australia has been the final avenue for appeals on the island, where international monitors have raised concerns about civil rights. Now it has emerged that the government of the tiny nation has severed its links with the Australian legal system, without yet establishing a new appeals process in its place. Nauru said ongoing cases would not be affected, but Australian human rights lawyer George Newhouse warned it could impact asylum-seekers sent by Canberra to camps in Nauru after trying to reach Australia by boat. "Asylum-seekers could (previously) appeal adverse decisions about their refugee status through the High Court of Australia," Newhouse told AFP. "Without an independent right of appeal, asylum-seekers are at risk of being returned to harm or even death." More than 300 men, women and children are being held in a camp on Nauru, according to recent Australian immigration detention figures. Refugee advocates have criticised the camp's conditions and said they were having a severe impact on the detainees' mental health. Concerns about civil rights in the Pacific country have been raised in the past by international monitors, but strongly refuted by Nauru. New Zealand in 2015 suspended foreign aid to Nauru over concerns about abuses after the island introduced laws carrying heavy jail terms for political protesters and curbed access to sites such as Facebook. Nauru defended the move to cut links with the Australian legal system, insisting it was no different from when Canberra stopped allowing appeals to Britain's Privy Council in 1986. "This move reflects our self-confidence as a nation state and reinforces our sovereignty," the government tweeted Monday. The government added that it would establish a local Court of Appeal instead. The 90-day notice was given on December 12, and took effect in early March, Canberra said. "Australia supports Nauru's sovereignty and its December 2017 decision to terminate the treaty in advance of the nation's 50th anniversary of independence," Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Monday. The launch of a rocket carrying China's Chang'e-5 lunar probe underlines how much progress Beijing has made towards its 'space dream' China's launch this week of an unmanned spacecraft aimed at bringing back lunar rocks -- the first attempt by any nation to retrieve samples from the Moon in four decades -- underlines just how far the country has come in achieving its "space dream". Beijing has poured billions into its military-run space programme, with hopes of having a crewed space station by 2022 and of eventually sending humans to the Moon. China has come a long way in its race to catch up with the United States and Russia, whose astronauts and cosmonauts have had decades of experience in space exploration. Beijing sees its military-run space programme as a marker of its rising global stature and growing technological might. Here is a look at China's space programme through the decades, and where it is headed: Mao's vow Soon after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, Chairman Mao Zedong pronounced "we too will make satellites." It took more than a decade, but in 1970, China's first satellite lifted into space on the back of a Long March rocket. Human space flight took decades longer, with Yang Liwei becoming China's first astronaut to go into space in 2003. As the launch approached, concerns over the viability of the mission caused Beijing to cancel a nationwide live television broadcast at the last minute. Despite the fears, the launch went off smoothly, with Yang orbiting the Earth 14 times during his 21-hour flight aboard the Shenzhou 5. Since then, China has sent men and women into space with increasing regularity. Space station and 'Jade Rabbit' Following in the footsteps of the United States and Russia, China is striving to open a space station circling our planet. The Tiangong-1 was shot into orbit in September 2011. In 2013, the second Chinese woman in space, Wang Yaping, gave a video class from inside the space module beamed back to children across the world's most populous country. The Jade Rabbit lunar rover surveyed the moon's surface for 31 months The lab was also used for medical experiments and, most importantly, tests intended to prepare for the building of a space station. The lab was followed by the "Jade Rabbit" lunar rover in 2013, which looked at first like a dud when it turned dormant and stopped sending signals back to Earth. The rover made a dramatic recovery, though, ultimately surveying the Moon's surface for 31 months, well beyond its expected lifespan. In 2016, China launched its second station, the Tiangong-2 lab into orbit 393 kilometres (244 miles) above Earth, in what analysts say will likely serve as a final building block before China launches a manned space station. Astronauts who have visited the station have run experiments on growing rice and other plants, as well as docking spacecraft. 'Space dream' Under President Xi Jinping, plans for China's "space dream", as he calls it, have been put into overdrive. The new superpower is looking to finally catch up with the US and Russia after years of belatedly matching their space milestones. China has been carrying out experiments in a lab simulating a lunar-like environment in preparation for its long-term goal of putting humans on the moon The ambitions start with a space station of its own -- China was deliberately left out of the International Space Station effort -- with the assembly of pieces in space expected to start this year and manned use to begin around 2022. China is also planning to build a base on the Moon, with Zhang Kejian, head of the country's National Space Administration saying last year that the country aimed to establish a lunar mission by 2029. But lunar work was dealt a setback in 2017 when the Long March-5 Y2, a powerful heavy-lift rocket, failed to launch on a mission to send communication satellites into orbit. The failure forced the postponement of the launch of Chang'e-5, which was originally scheduled to collect Moon samples in the second half of 2017. Another robot, the Chang'e-4, landed on the far side of the Moon in January 2019 -- a historic first. China's astronauts and scientists have also talked up manned missions to Mars as Beijing strives to become a global space power. Singapore's ruling on same-sex marriage is about to be tested after a husband changed sex A Singaporean couple have launched a legal challenge after authorities annulled their marriage because the husband underwent a sex change, a lawyer said Monday. The city-state voided the marriage last year, saying the operation made their partnership a same-sex union that is illegal under Singapore law. Singapore is a modern and vibrant society in many ways but attitudes towards homosexuality are still conservative and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said the country is not yet ready for same-sex marriage. The couple, Faith and Bryce Volta, married as man and woman in 2015, the Straits Times newspaper reported. Faith, the husband, then underwent sex change surgery and updated her national identity card to read "female", the paper said. Six months later the government's Registrar of Marriages met the couple to discuss the sex change and later informed them the marriage would be annulled. The couple have now asked the High Court to review the decision taken by the registrar, confirmed lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam, whose law firm is representing them for free. Authorities previously cited the country's laws which state marriage is a union between a man and a woman as the reason for annulling the union. Singapore maintains legislation dating back to British colonial rule making sex between men a criminal act, although it does not actively enforce the law. Nevertheless support for gay rights is growing due to more relaxed views among the younger generation and the large expatriate community. Charred debris of homes and vegetation in one abandoned Rohingya village Myanmar authorities have lured dozens of mainly Buddhist Bangladeshi tribal families to cross the border and resettle on land abandoned by fleeing Muslim Rohingya, officials said Monday. About 50 families from remote hill and forest areas on the Bangladesh side, attracted by offers of free land and food, have moved to Rakhine state in mainly Buddhist Myanmar -- the scene of a brutal army crackdown which prompted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee. The families from the ethnic Marma and Mro tribes have left their homes in the Bandarban hill district, local councillor Muing Swi Thwee told AFP. He said 22 families departed from their villages in the Sangu forest reserve last month. The families, mainly Buddhist but with some Christians, were being "lured by Myanmar" to Rakhine where they were given free land, citizenship and free food for five years, Muing Swi Thwee said. "They are going there to fill up the land vacated by the Rohingya who have left Burma (Myanmar). They are extremely poor." Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine for camps in mainly Muslim Bangladesh since Myanmar last August launched a crackdown which US and UN officials have described as ethnic cleansing. An agreement to repatriate Rohingya has yet to see a single refugee returned. Rohingya leaders have said the refugees will not return unless they are allowed back to their villages, many of which have been torched by security forces, rather than to supposedly temporary resettlement camps. Two government officials in the region confirmed the migration, saying up to 55 tribal families had left for Myanmar. "They are being lured by some people in Myanmar in return for free homes, free food for five-seven years. Some families have shifted there after being attracted by these offers," Jahangir Alam, a government district administrator, told AFP. He said some of the tribal groups have family in Rakhine and these relatives are being used to woo the Bangladeshi tribals. "These people have religious and linguistic similarities with Myanmar. Some of their ancestors have settled there in the past," he said. Al Kaiser, another government official, said a tribal man was killed and several family members were injured in a mine blast when they were crossing into Myanmar from the town of Ali Kadam. Officials said they suspect political motives behind the migration. "We think perhaps they (Myanmar) want to make some news using these people, that Buddhists are being tortured and repressed in Bangladesh and that's why they have left the country," said one official on condition of anonymity. A Bangladeshi security officer told AFP that Myanmar had resettled thousands of Buddhists in Rakhine by using a rsettlement scheme which offers free food, homes, cows and cash. Muing Swi Thwee said more than 100 tribal families had left his area for Myanmar in the past three years. Observers say Myanmar authorities are carrying out methodical social engineering schemes in northern Rakhine in the absence of many of the Rohingya. A series of development projects, either government and army-sponsored or privately funded, are transforming the area, which the military sees as the frontline of its fight against encroaching Islam. A protester in Meerut is beaten by Indian students after members of the Dalit community threw bricks at their college, during countrywide protests against a Supreme Court order Low-caste Dalits fought street battles with police on Monday that left at least six dead as protests against a Supreme Court rights ruling swept across large swathes of India. Protesters clashed with security forces, attacked buses and government buildings, and blocked trains and major roads. Four were reported dead in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, one in Uttar Pradesh and one in Rajasthan, police said. Madhya Pradesh was one of the worst hit but Rishi Kumar Shukla, director general of the state police, told AFP the protests had been brought "under control". A curfew was imposed in parts of Gwalior due to the unrest, Anshuman Yadav, police inspector general for the city, told AFP. There were media reports of more deaths in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh, but police could not immediately confirm fatalities. The death in Uttar Pradesh was in Muzaffarnagar. "Some 30 police and about 30-35 protesters were also injured, one of them seriously," said Praveen Kumar, the state police deputy inspector general. Rahul Prakash, superintendent of police in Alwar in Rajasthan, said two or three people had been hit by bullets during clashes in the city. Police added that about 20 people had been injured. Trouble was also reported in the capital New Delhi, and Punjab and Bihar states. Indian members of the Scheduled Castes shout slogans during a protest against a Supreme Court order that they believe undermines a law protecting their safety The "Bharat Bandh" -- or India shutdown -- protest was called by groups representing the Dalits, once condemned as the "untouchables", who make up 200 million of India's 1.25 billion population and are at the bottom of the caste hierarchy. They are angry at a Supreme Court ruling that banned the automatic arrest of the accused in cases under a special law to protect marginalised groups who suffer widespread discrimination. The 1989 Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was intended to guard against the harassment of Dalits and other groups. Dalit leaders say the ruling increases the likelihood of attacks. Dalits are among the most marginalised groups in a country where caste discrimination is outlawed but remains widespread. Last week a young Dalit farmer in Gujarat was beaten to death for owning a horse, which is seen as a symbol of power and wealth. - 'We salute them' - Across the affected states, groups hurled stones, bottles and burning sticks at police and set buses on fire. Some sat on railway lines to block trains. Reports said a police outpost near Meerut in Uttar Pradesh was set on fire. Authorities in Punjab shut schools and colleges and postponed exams in some affected regions. Media reports said the government had restricted mobile internet services. Rajnath Singh, India's home minister, called for calm. "The government is appealing against the court order but it is a responsibility of everyone including all political parties to ensure peace," Singh told journalists in Delhi, where the Dalit protests caused traffic chaos. Across the affected states, groups hurled stones, bottles and burning sticks at police and set buses on fire, while some in Uttar Pradesh sat on railway lines to block trains The discrimination has become a political issue in the run-up to a national election that must be held before May 2019. Rahul Gandhi, head of the opposition Congress party, hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Thousands of Dalit brothers and sisters are demanding the protection of their rights from Modi government on the roads today. We salute them," Gandhi said. Dalit voters have apparently swayed towards the BJP in recent elections. Observers say this has helped Modi's party take control in several Indian states. "The opposition's nervousness is due to the never before seen nationwide support of backward castes to the Modi government," Arjun Ram Meghwal, a BJP lawmaker and minister in Modi's government, said on Twitter. Most state high school graduation requirements are so poorly designed that they trap students in a preparation gap, where they dont qualify for admission to public universities, according to a study released Monday . The Center for American Progress analyzed how states requirements for a standard diploma match up with the admissions criteria at their respective state universities. The think tank found that in most states, in at least one subject area, students must exceed their states high school graduation requirements in order to cross the threshold of the public four-year institutions in their state. The CAP report describes two big problems. Most state diploma requirements: Dont meet admissions criteria for the states public universities. Noted by other researchers as well, this preparation gap can form a barrier to college when students find that the diploma requirements they completed fall short of the ones their state colleges and universities expect for admission. Noted by other researchers as well, this preparation gap can form a barrier to college when students find that the diploma requirements they completed fall short of the ones their state colleges and universities expect for admission. Leave too much up to the student. In many states, students can decide which core courses to take in order to fulfill graduation requirements. That means they could finish high school with a relatively weak lineup of classes, or courses that dont match well with their postsecondary goals. Against the backdrop of a series of graduation-rate scandalslike the recent one in the District of Columbia, where schools bent the rules to let students graduate the CAP report is a call to keep expectations high, and make sure all students get what they need to meet them. The report warns that resources are a crucial piece of the work to ensure a smooth transition from high school to college. Rigorous requirements for all students are just the first step, it says. All students must have the ingredients to succeed in tough courses: a good teacher, good curriculum, strong instructional support and equal access to those classes, the study says. Any missing piece boosts the risk that some students will be moved through the system without being really ready for college or postsecondary training. Without sufficient resources to ensure that all students can meet rigorous coursework requirements, problems such as tracking students into less rigorous courses and using nefarious practices to get students across the graduation finish line will persist, the report says. Comparing States Graduation Requirements The Center found that states graduation requirements for a standard diplomathe analysis doesnt include the advanced diplomas offered in some statesmatched up with those of their state universities most often in English. In that subject, 47 states requirements meet or exceed those of their universities. But in math, only 40 states require the courses that state universities demand for admission. The misalignment is most pronounced in foreign language. Those gaps arent always easy for students to fill. They might have a tough time finding those classes on their own high school campuses. The CAP report makes note of the U.S. Department of Educations Civil Rights Data Collection, which shows that 1 in 10 high schools dont offer Algebra 1, and 2 in 10 dont offer Algebra 2. Education Weeks own analysis of the data showed that the course-availability problem is worse in high-poverty, high-minority schools . Huge student-counselor ratios also tend to be worse in high-poverty schools. That increases the risk that students who need the most help figuring out the gaps between high school and college requirements might not be able to get it. The new study is the latest in a swirl of reports pointing out that not all high school diplomas are created equal. Paper Thin, a report by the Alliance for Excellent Education, found that U.S. schools award 98 different types of high school diploma , and only half prepare students well for college or career. A report by Achieve, How the States Got Their Rates, found big variations in requirements for different kinds of high school diplomas . The Education Trust examined the courses students complete for graduation, and found that only 8 percent finish a cohesive set of classes that prepare them well for work or college. High schools tend to prioritize accrual of credits when they advise students, rather than assembling a meaningful set of courses that are good fits for their after-high school goals, the study said. Do Requirements Include College-Prep and Career-Tech-Ed Courses? The Center for American Progress analysis looked at high school graduation requirements through another lens, too. It attempts to analyze the quality of the high school education that students receive by examining which states mandate inclusion of specific course sequences. Those include three related courses in career-technical education, commonly called a CTE concentration, and the classic 15-credit college-prep sequence (four years of English, three years of math through Algebra 2, three years of laboratory science, three years of social studies including U.S. or world history, and two years of the same foreign language). The results, shown in the map below, show most states falling short in at least one area. The Center urges states to build more rigorous requirements into their high school diplomas, and also to publish graduation rates not just by subgroup, but diploma type. It also suggests that states offer a distinct career readiness diploma that would include a three-course concentration, as well as the 15-course college-prep sequence. Diploma requirements that fall short of public universities admissions requirements are just one sign that fundamental changes are needed in high school, said Laura Jimenez, who co-authored the Center for American Progress report with Scott Sargrad. We need to rethink the entire high school experience, she said in an interview. A big part of that is the expectations set for students: academic standards, coursework requirements, and anything else they have to do to meet the bar to get a diploma. When any of those are not rigorous or [are] fudged, it really is a marker that there is something wrong with the entire experience of high school. For more stories about variations in high school course availability, see: 2 in 5 High Schools Dont Offer Physics, Analysis Finds 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. Singapore is considering a law to combat "fake news" but activists are suspicious Singapore activists Monday criticised a parliamentary committee which is examining possible legislation to combat "fake news", saying it had misrepresented their views and threatened those who gave evidence. The 10-member committee was set up in January to tackle online falsehoods, which the government says can threaten national security. The activists said in a joint statement that despite engaging in good faith, they were "harangued, harassed, threatened and misrepresented". "Numerous leading questions were asked. Members of the Select Committee repeatedly insisted on yes or no answers to their questions, despite repeatedly being told of the importance of context and nuance," said the statement. It was signed by civil liberty groups the Community Action Network (CAN); Function 8; journalist and activist Kirsten Han; Terry Xu, who runs an online blog; and historian Thum Ping Tjin. Han, Xu, and Jolovan Wham, who was representing CAN, have lodged official complaints -- saying that their testimonies had been "grossly misrepresented" in official daily summaries. Separately, Human Rights Watch last week slammed the committee and declined to testify, calling it "an effort to discredit critics of Singapore's repressive policies and practices". The Singapore government had earlier criticised the New York-based rights group as "biased and untruthful" after it failed to send a representative to testify. During eight days of hearings which ended Thursday, the committee heard from 69 individuals and organisations including internet giants Facebook and Google. It will deliberate and work on a report when parliament reconvenes in May, chairman Charles Chong said. Wealthy Singapore is among the countries looking to introduce legislation to rein in fake news, a move it says is intended to protect and enhance free speech. Critics have said it could be used to stifle free expression and control the media. Neighbouring Malaysia on Monday passed a "fake news" law which punishes purveyors of alleged falsehoods by up to six years' jail on conviction. Singapore is ranked 151st on the World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, with Norway ranked the freest at number one. Officials in the city-state, however, say local media outlets enjoy high levels of credibility according to the Edelman Trust Barometer Index. This photo taken on February 22, 2018 shows African migrants marching from the Holot detention centre to the Saharonim Prison, an Israeli detention facility for African asylum seekers Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday suspended a resettlement deal for African migrants faced with deportation, just hours after his office had announced the agreement with the UN refugee agency. "I've decided to suspend implementation of this accord and to rethink the terms of the accord," Netanyahu wrote on his Facebook page, saying his move was in response to criticism of the deal. Israel had announced a deal with the UNHCR to cancel a controversial plan to deport African migrants and replace it with one that would see thousands sent to Western countries. The new accord would at the same time allow thousands more of the mainly Sudanese and Eritrean migrants to remain in Israel at least temporarily. The migrants have become a political issue, with religious and conservative politicians portraying the presence of Muslim and Christian Africans as a threat to Israel's Jewish character. A group of residents of southern Tel Aviv, where many of the migrants have settled, immediately denounced the new plan in a statement, calling it "a shame for the state of Israel". Netanyahu said he would meet on Tuesday with residents of southern Tel Aviv. Several ministers also said they opposed the accord with the UNHCR, on which they had not been informed before the announcement by Netanyahu's office. - Western nations - The deal announced by Netanyahu's office appeared to end the possibility that many would be forcibly deported. Instead, it would see a minimum of 16,250 migrants resettled in Western nations including Canada, Germany and Italy. "The agreement stipulates that for each migrant who leaves the country, we commit to give temporary residence status to another," Netanyahu himself said in a televised address. Germany and Italy, however, said they were unaware of any such resettlement deal for African migrants from Israel. Netanyahu in January announced the implementation of a programme to remove migrants who entered illegally, giving them a choice between leaving voluntarily or facing indefinite imprisonment with eventual forced expulsion. According to interior ministry figures, there are currently some 42,000 African migrants in Israel, half of them children, women or men with families, who were not facing immediate deportation. As the migrants could face danger or imprisonment if returned to their homelands, Israel offered to relocate them to an unnamed African country, which deportees and aid workers said was Rwanda or Uganda. But Netanyahu said that he had to abandon the initial plan because the option of sending them to a third country "no longer exists". Rwanda and Uganda have said they would not accept those deported against their will. Migrants began entering Israel through what was then a porous Egyptian border in 2007. The border has since been strengthened, all but ending illegal crossings. Grieving families of 38 Indian construction workers kidnapped and murdered in Iraq by the Islamic State group were told for years by government officials that their loved ones were still alive The bodies of 38 Indian construction workers kidnapped and murdered in Iraq by the Islamic State group returned home on Monday four years after their disappearance. Grieving families -- who were told for years by government officials that their loved ones were still alive -- waited at an airport in the northwest state of Punjab to receive the coffins from Baghdad. The victims were mostly from poor families in Punjab and were employed by a construction company in Mosul when they were abducted by extremists. India's foreign minister told parliament last month that 39 bodies were unearthed from a mass grave in Badush, a village northwest of Mosul. DNA testing confirmed the identity of 38 of the corpses. One test was a partial match, with further examination needed, India's junior foreign minister said Monday. The Indians were kidnapped in June 2014 as the Islamic State group overran large swathes of territory in Iraq, including the major northern city of Mosul. Indian officials for years insisted the abductees were alive until proven otherwise, drawing criticism from relatives who accused the government of keeping them in the dark. Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj denied the government had given the families false hope. It is not known when the Indians were killed. Islamic State group flags in the northern Iraqi town of Sharqat on September 22, 2017 A Baghdad court on Monday sentenced six Turkish women to death and a seventh to life in prison for membership of the Islamic State jihadist group, a judicial source said. The source told AFP that the women, all accompanied by small children in the court, had surrendered to Kurdish peshmerga fighters after having fled Tal Afar, one of the last IS bastions to fall to Iraqi security forces last year. The women told the court they had entered the country to join their husbands fighting for IS in the "caliphate" which the group declared in 2014 in territory straddling Iraq and Syria. Iraq in February condemned another 15 Turkish women to death on the same charge. Since January, a German woman and a woman from Turkey have also been handed the death penalty, in rulings which Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned as "unfair". Experts estimate that a total of 20,000 people are being held in jail in Iraq for alleged membership of IS. There is no official figure. Iraq has detained at least 560 women, as well as 600 children, identified as jihadist or relatives of suspected IS fighters. Separately, authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan said in early February they had detained some 4,000 suspected IS members, including foreigners. Iraq's anti-terrorism law empowers courts to convict people who are believed to have helped IS even if they are not accused of carrying out attacks. It also allows for the death penalty to be issued against anyone -- including non-combatants -- found guilty of belonging to IS. The New York-based HRW has urged Iraqi authorities to "develop a national strategy to prioritise the prosecution of those who committed the most serious crimes". Women suspected only of IS membership rather than any combat role are "getting the harshest possible sentences for what appears to be marriage to an ISIS (IS) member or a coerced border crossing," it said. Many foreign widows of IS fighters have said they had been fooled or threatened by their husbands to travel to Iraq. The planned meeting at US President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort on April 17-18 will be his third with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Donald Trump will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe April 17-18 to discuss the US president's planned summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un and other matters, the White House said Monday. Trump and Abe will meet at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida where they "will discuss the international campaign to maintain maximum pressure on North Korea," the statement said. The meeting, the third between Trump and Abe, will also "explore ways to expand fair and reciprocal trade and investment ties" between the United States and Japan. Abe, who announced the visit Monday in Japan at a meeting with ruling lawmakers, said he planned to ask the US president to discuss issues related to North Korea's abduction of Japanese nationals at Trump's expected meeting with Kim Jong-un. Japan has long maintained a hardline position on negotiations with Pyongyang, warning against "talks for the sake of talks." The prospect of a Trump-Kim summit, as well as talks between North and South Korea, appears to have pushed Tokyo to reassess its position, analysts said. Japan fears the current diplomatic track could leave unaddressed the North's short- and medium-range missile capabilities, as well as the emotional issue of Japanese citizens kidnapped by Pyongyang during the Cold War. Abe rose to political prominence on his calls for a tough line on North Korea, and attitudes only hardened after Pyongyang fired two missiles over Japan in tests last year. Also on Abe's agenda, according to Japanese officials: US tariffs on Japanese aluminum and steel products. Russia's former ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov was killed by an off-duty Turkish policeman A Turkish court issued arrest warrants Monday for eight people, including the alleged mastermind of the 2016 failed coup, Fethullah Gulen, over the murder in Ankara that year of the Russian ambassador. The warrants were issued a day ahead of a visit to Ankara by President Vladimir Putin for talks with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan aimed at bolstering the growing Moscow-Ankara relationship. Ambassador Andrei Karlov was shot dead in December 2016 by off-duty Turkish policeman Mevlut Mert Altintas, 22, while inaugurating a photo exhibition. Turkey has said the murder was a plot carried out by the group of Gulen, a US-based Islamic preacher who stands accused of staging the 2016 coup bid. But Moscow has yet to echo this. According to the warrants, the eight suspects are charged with seeking to overthrow the constitution and pre-meditated murder, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported. The other prominent figure among the eight is Serif Ali Tekalan who headed a university linked to Gulen in Istanbul and now heads the Texas-based North American University (NAU). It was not immediately clear if any of the suspects are currently in Turkey. Gulen, who denies any link to the coup, has been hit with multiple Turkish arrest warrants. But so far the United States has yet to budge in response to Turkish demands for his extradition. Anadolu said that the investigation had found links between the gunman Altintas and Gulen. According to the news agency, nine people are already in custody awaiting trial over the killing including television producer Hayreddin Aydinbas, the organiser of the photo exhibition Mustafa Timur Ozkan and former police officers. There were fears the killing would again derail relations that had only been put back on track that summer with a reconciliation deal after the November 2015 shooting down by Turkey of a Russian war plane over the Syrian border. But relations have since gone from strength to strength, with Putin's upcoming visit expected to signal the strategic importance of the relationship to both sides. A building destroyed by a car bomb attack in a street in Mogadishu, Somalia, on March 22, 2018 A US air strike against Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia has killed five "terrorists," the US military announced Monday. The strike occurred Sunday near a small village called El Buur, located some 235 miles (375 kilometers) northeast of the capital Mogadishu. It is the seventh time this year that the US has struck Shabaab. US Africa Command said the strike had been conducted in coordination with the Somali government, "killing five terrorists and destroying one vehicle." The Al-Qaeda linked Shabaab was pushed out of the Somali capital in 2011 -- and subsequently other towns and cities -- by soldiers from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). But the Islamists still hold sway in large parts of the countryside and launch regular gun and bomb attacks on government, military and civilian targets in Mogadishu and ambushes on military convoys and outposts. Separately on Sunday, heavily armed Shabaab militants attacked an AMISON military camp outside Mogadishu, killing four Ugandan peacekeepers, according to the Ugandan military. A long campaign of violence against South African farmers, who are largely white, has inflamed political and racial tensions nearly a quarter-of-a-century after the fall of apartheid The Pretoria government hailed Monday what it said was a decision by Australia to go back on plans to offer fast-track humanitarian visas to "persecuted" white farmers in South Africa. Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton triggered outrage last month when he said the farmers deserved special attention for acceptance in his country on refugee or humanitarian grounds. Dutton, who has drawn international criticism for heading a tough crackdown on asylum-seekers from Asia and the Middle East, said the plan would enable the farmers to flee their "horrific circumstances" for a "civilised country". His offer was in response to a pledge by the South African government to enact land expropriations without compensation to redress land confiscations of the colonial and apartheid era. Pretoria subsequently summoned Australia's envoy to South Africa. "We have received a letter from the (Australian ministry of) foreign affairs that indicated that what was said by the minister of home affairs is not the position of the government of Australia," foreign ministry spokesman Ndivhuwo Mabaya told AFP on Monday. "We also had a meeting with the high commissioner [ambassador] who conveyed a message from the prime minister, who said the same thing, to indicate that this is not the view of their government." South African Foreign Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had made a "retraction" of Dutton's comments, and she welcomed it. "We must emphasise, as we have stated before, that no one is being persecuted in South Africa, including white farmers. We call upon all non-governmental organisations to desist from spreading untruths and misleading information," she said in a statement. "South Africa is a law-abiding country and, through a constitutional process, it will arrive at solutions on land redistribution that will take the country forward without violating anyone's rights." Land is a hugely divisive topic in South Africa, where 72 percent of individually-owned farms are in white hands 24 years after the end of white-minority apartheid rule. By contrast just four percent of such land is owned by black people, according to an audit cited by President Cyril Ramaphosa. According to police, 74 farmers were murdered between 2016 and 2017 in South Africa, which has one of the world's highest crime rates. Up to 500,000 white South Africans have left the country in the past 30 years, according to official statistics, with Australia ranking as the top destination. In 1990, Winnie Mandela famously joined hands with her husband Nelson as he walked out of prison. But her key role in sustaining the early anti-apartheid struggle was stained later by a reputation for coercion and violence Winnie Mandela, the former wife of South African anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, died on Monday aged 81, triggering an outpouring of tributes to one of the country's defining and most divisive figures. The firebrand activist died in a Johannesburg hospital, her family said, adding that she had "fought valiantly against the Apartheid state" and that she was known "far and wide as the Mother of the Nation". Winnie Mandela, who was married to Nelson Mandela for 38 years, played a high-profile role in the struggle to end white-minority rule, but her place in history was stained by controversy and accusations of violence. Leading the tributes, Nobel laureate archbishop Desmond Tutu described her as "a defining symbol" of the battle against oppression. June 16, 1964: Her fist clenched, Winnie Mandela leaves Pretoria's Palace of Justice after the Rivonia Trial, a landmark in the struggle against apartheid. Nelson Mandela was among eight men sentenced to life for conspiracy, sabotage and treason "She refused to be bowed by the imprisonment of her husband, the perpetual harassment of her family by security forces, detentions, bannings and banishment," Tutu said. "Her courageous defiance was deeply inspirational to me, and to generations of activists." The statement from her family said that she passed away at the Netcare Milpark hospital in Johannesburg. "She died after a long illness, for which she had been in and out of hospital since the start of the year. She succumbed peacefully in the early hours of Monday afternoon surrounded by her family and loved ones," it added. In the ruling African National Congress (ANC), head of policy Jeff Radebe described her as "an icon of the revolutionary struggle". Newly-appointed President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Tuesday evening that a "national official funeral" would be held on April 14, preceded by a public memorial service on April 11. - Lives apart - Most of Winnie's marriage to Nelson was spent apart, with Nelson imprisoned for 27 years, leaving her to raise their two daughters alone and to keep alive his political dream under the repressive white-minority regime. A timeline of the life of Winnie Mandela But her reputation came under damaging scrutiny in the twilight years of apartheid rule. In 1986, she was widely linked to "necklacing", when suspected traitors were burnt alive by a petrol-soaked car tyre being put over their head and set alight. In 1990 the world watched when Nelson Mandela finally walked out of prison -- hand in hand with Winnie. The following year, she was convicted of kidnapping and assault over the killing of Stompie Moeketsi, a 14-year-old boy. In 1992, the Mandelas separated, and then divorced in 1996, after a legal wrangle that revealed she had an affair with a young bodyguard. During her old age, she re-emerged as a respected elder who was feted as a living reminder of the late Mandela -- and of the long and much-storied struggle against apartheid. Winnie Mandela, pictured in 2010 at the funeral of anti-apartheid stalwart and women's rights activist Fatima Meer. Seventeen years after the end of apartheid, her career was in oblivion Just last month, she was shown in television footage joking with Ramaphosa, who paid a courtesy call to her home in Soweto, the township where she lived for decades. Dressed in full ANC colours of yellow, black and green, she asked Ramaphosa, who is known for his morning runs, "Why don't you get tired?" "We can't get tired when you have given us work to do`" he told her. - 'Voice of defiance' - After her death was announced, Ramaphosa described her as "a voice of defiance and resistance" who "was an abiding symbol of the desire of our people to be free". "For many years, she bore the brunt of senseless brutality of the apartheid state with stoicism," he said. "Despite the hardship she faced, she never doubted that the struggle for freedom and democracy would triumph and succeed." In her final years, Mandela re-emerged as a unifying figure within the ANC. Last December she attended a conference to give a high-profile hug to then president Jacob Zuma, left, and deputy Cyril Ramaphosa -- who would soon force Zuma from office Winnie Mandela often criticised the ANC, but she had expressed support for the current leadership of the party, which her husband led to power in the euphoric post-apartheid elections of 1994. On Monday evening, Ramaphosa returned to her Soweto house as mourners gathered outside, singing struggle-era songs in tribute and praise. "In African culture, we sing when we're hurt," ANC Women's League official Winnie Ngwenya, 64, told AFP. African Commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat also paid tribute to Winnie Mandela, saying "the continent and beyond" were in grief at her passing. She "will forever be remembered as a global icon, a fearless campaigner who sacrificed much of her life for freedom in South Africa and for women everywhere," he said on Twitter. The SABC state broadcaster said she had attended church in Soweto on Easter Friday before being admitted to hospital complaining of flu. She had also suffered from diabetes for some years. Suggestions that Winnie remained extremely close to Nelson Mandela in his final years were fuelled in a recent book by his doctor. Vejay Ramlakan wrote that Winnie -- not Mandela's widow Graca Machel -- was with Mandela when he died in 2013. The book was withdrawn by its publishers under pressure from Mandela's family. On March 20, Trump called Putin to congratulate him on his re-election, and the US leader told reporters afterwards that the two would "probably get together in the not-too-distant future." US President Donald Trump proposed a White House summit when he called Russian President Vladimir Putin last month, prior to the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats from the US, a top Kremlin aide said Monday. "Trump proposed holding a meeting at the White House in Washington," Putin's top foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, told reporters. On March 20, Trump called Putin to congratulate him on his re-election, and the US leader told reporters afterwards that the two would "probably get together in the not-too-distant future." In calling Putin, Trump ignored explicit advice from his national security advisers not to do so, The Washington Post has reported, quoting officials familiar with the call. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said on Monday the two leaders had discussed a bilateral meeting "at a number of potential venues, including the White House." "We have nothing further to add at this time," she said. A senior US administration official said separately that "it's obviously in their interest" to publicise the summit invitation as Putin's risks deeper international isolation after the Skripal attack. The official added that planning for the controversial meeting had not yet begun. Ushakov also said that the two sides had not had any "concrete discussions" about the summit since that rare Trump-Putin phone conversation. "It was Trump himself who proposed holding the meeting," Ushakov said. "But after that a new breakdown in our bilateral ties has taken place, the diplomats have been expelled." He expressed the hope that Russia and the United States could return to "constructive and serious dialogue." After the call, Washington expelled 60 Russian diplomats and shut down a Russian consulate in Seattle, joining Britain's allies in responding to the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. Moscow responded by sending home 60 US diplomats and closing Washington's consulate in Saint Petersburg. Washington has, however, said Russia is free to apply to accredit more diplomats to replace those expelled. Thousands of Oklahoma teachers walked out of their classrooms on Monday, shutting down 200 school districts across the state in protest of years of education funding cuts. A few states over in Kentucky, teachers rallied at the state capitol to protest changes to their pension benefits. The Oklahoma teacher walkout will continue on Tuesday, with some districts announcing plans to stay closed throughout the week or indefinitely. The protest comes a week after the Oklahoma legislature passed a historic funding package that included a $6,100 teacher pay raise and $50 million in education funding. The pay raise, which Gov. Mary Fallin signed into law, was an attempt to avert the statewide walkout, which had been in the works for about a month . But teachers said it wasnt enoughthey had originally asked for a $10,000 pay raise and $200 million in education funding. The Oklahoma Education Association is now calling for an additional $75 million in classroom funding. Teachers have said theyre no longer fighting for their own salary theyre fighting for their students. One of the reasons its not over yet...This is a textbook from my daughters class. Its a history book and the current President in it is George W. Bush. We can do better Oklahoma. #OklahomaTeacherWalkout #oklaed #oklaleg @gophouseok @oksenategop @housedemsok @oksenatedems pic.twitter.com/F5FE3JcFQh -- Jamie (@jamiebh73) March 30, 2018 Rick Cobb, the superintendent of Mid-Del school district near Oklahoma City, said he surveyed support staff, teachers, and administrators after the funding package passed. Out of 969 responses, 93 percent still wanted to walk out on Monday, and 83 percent want to stay out of school beyond Monday. Teachers there said the package passed by the legislature wasnt enough to make a difference in schools. Their response was overwhelming; it made my decision easy, Cobb said in an email. Theyll help me see where to go from here. Meanwhile, in Kentucky, thousands of teachers rallied at the state capitol on Monday. Most schools in Kentucky are closed for spring break this week, with 21 districts closing specifically for the rally, according to The Courier-Journal . On Friday, dozens of districts were forced to shut down schools because teachers called in sick. Teachers there are angry about a pension reform bill that passed the legislature in a matter of hours last week. The bill puts new teachers in a retirement plan thats a mix of a traditional pension and a 401(k)-style plan, and removes new hires from an inviolable contract that would protect them from future benefit changes. As Kentucky teachers rallied, lawmakers considered a new state budget that includes higher spending for public education, reports the Associated Press. The additional education spending would be paid for by a 6 percent sales tax on a host of services that had previously been tax-free. The spending and taxing proposals cleared the state senate and now go to the house. For more on teacher salaries and pensions, check out our new explainer . Image 1: Melissa Knight, who teaches art at Ardmore, Okla., middle school, holds a sign as teachers rally against low school funding at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City on April 2. Sue Ogrocki/AP Image 2: A crowd listens to speakers on a stage during a teacher rally to protest low student funding at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City, April 2. Sue Ogrocki/AP Public school teachers and their supporters protest against a pension reform bill outside the senate chambers at the Kentucky State Capital on April 2, 2018 in Frankfort, Kentucky Teachers took to the streets in the US states of Kentucky and Oklahoma Monday, with tens of thousands set to rally to demand better pay and more funding for public schools. Classrooms in both states were shuttered as teachers took to the streets. In some cases, districts were on a scheduled holiday, while in others administrators were unable to find enough substitutes to keep doors open. Some 30,000 educators were expected to take to the streets in the Midwestern state of Oklahoma, while thousands more were estimated to be at the Kentucky state capital Frankfort. The protests are the latest show of political muscle by public school teachers, after a nine-day strike in West Virginia won teachers in that state their first pay raise in four years in March. In Kentucky, a state in the center of the US heartland, the Courier-Journal newspaper reported that all 120 public school districts were closed. Most were on their Spring break vacation. Kentucky teachers were protesting proposed cuts to pension benefits and demanding more funding for public education. A vocal crowd inside the state capital building chanted "public schools!" as legislators began their work day. In Oklahoma, a recent pay bump averaging $6,100 a year was not enough to placate educators. Some teachers said they need second jobs -- such as working as restaurants waiters or mowing lawns -- to make ends meet. Ella Roach holds a protest sign in support of her teacher, Kimberly Cox, during a rally at the state capitol on April 2, 2018 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma is one of 12 states that slashed education funds following the 2008 recession and failed to restored those dollars as the economy improved, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning Washington DC research and policy institute. Lily Garcia, president of the National Education Association (NEA) -- a group representing public school teachers, and college and university workers -- said teachers did not trust state legislators to properly fund schools without public pressure. "This is the result of a decade of underfunding public schools. Zero raises for these hard-working educators," Garcia told CNN, speaking from the Oklahoma protest. "If we don't stand up today, and say, 'our students are worth the investment,' then it's going to be too late," she said. Pakistani volunteers move the body of a Christian resident killed in an attack by gunmen to a hospital in Quetta on April 2, 2018 Four Christians were shot dead in southwestern Pakistan on Monday, police said, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. The incident occurred in a Christian-majority neighbourhood in the city of Quetta, capital of the Balochistan province, and officials said it appeared to be a targeted attack on the religious minority. "Three members of a family, including a woman, were killed when the motor rickshaw they were (in)... came under attack," Moazzam Jah Ansari, the police chief of the province, told AFP. "The rickshaw driver, who was also a Christian by faith, is among the dead." A child was injured in the attack and is receiving treatment at a hospital, officials added. Ghulam Ali Baloch, a local official, said her injuries were not life-threatening. "Initial investigations suggest the people were ambushed because of their faith," Ansari said. The Islamic State group's affiliate in Afghanistan and Pakistan -- Islamic State-Khorasan Province -- claimed responsibility for the attack, the SITE Intelligence Group said. Islamist militants have in the past attacked Christians and other religious minorities in Balochistan. In December last year, two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a Quetta church, which was packed with worshippers, killing nine people and wounding over a dozen. In addition to Islamist extremists, ethnic Baloch militants have been fighting a low-intensity separatist insurgency in the province for years, often bombing infrastructure like railroads and power lines. Christians make up less than two percent of Muslim-majority Pakistan's 200 million people, and have long faced discrimination and violence. The Trump administration has rolled back Obama-era pollution and fuel efficiency rules for cars and light trucks, saying they were too stringent The Trump administration rolled back Obama-era pollution and fuel efficiency rules for cars and light trucks on Monday, saying they were too stringent. The decision by President Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency means the emission standards for vehicles in the 2022-2025 model years will be revised, as sought by automakers. "The Obama administration's determination was wrong," said EPA chief Scott Pruitt. Former President Barack Obama's EPA "made assumptions about the standards that didn't comport with reality, and set the standards too high," Pruitt said in a statement. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers applauded the move, saying it would "keep new vehicles affordable to more Americans." "This was the right decision, and we support the administration for pursuing a data-driven effort and a single national program as it works to finalize future standards," said the industry group representing Fiat Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen and others. The rules set in 2012, known as the Corporate Average Fuel Economy or CAFE standards, sought to reduce pollutants released into the air by gradually increasing fuel efficiency across all models offered by manufacturers to 54.5 miles per gallon (4.32 liters per 100 kilometers), compared to 35.5 miles per gallon in 2016. Pruitt said the EPA in 2012 cut short its review of the standards for "politically charged expediency," but he will work with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop new, "more appropriate" rules. The agency is also examining the waiver that allows California, the most popular US state, to impose tougher requirements than called for under the Clean Air Act. One state cannot "dictate standards for the rest of the country," Pruitt said. "EPA will set a national standard for greenhouse gas emissions that allows auto manufacturers to make cars that people both want and can afford -- while still expanding environmental and safety benefits of newer cars." This is likely to open a long legal battle between California, a traditionally Democratic state, and Trump's Republican administration. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the EPA's "assault" on CAFE standards "risks our ability to protect our children's health, tackle climate change and save hardworking Americans money." "We're ready to file suit if needed to protect these critical standards and to fight the Administration's war on our environment," Becerra said. Trump has been scaling back many types of regulations, including environmental standards, set by his Democratic predecessor, including pulling out of the Paris climate accord. Horst Koehler (L), the UN envoy for the disputed territory of Western Sahara, meets with Polisario secretary general Brahim Ghali at the Sahrawi refugee camp of Rabouni on October 19, 2017 The United Nations on Monday disputed claims by Morocco that the Polisario Front had carried out incursions in a buffer zone of Western Sahara, where a UN mission is monitoring a ceasefire. Morocco wrote to the Security Council on Sunday to report that fighters of the Polisario Front had entered the northeastern Western Sahara town of Mahbes in recent days in violation of a military agreement setting up the buffer zone. The fighters turned up in "military vehicles, and have set up tents, dug a ditch and built constructions using sandbags," Morocco's UN Ambassador Omar Hilale said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by AFP. Asked about the Moroccan claims, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the MINURSO mission had "not observed any movement of military elements in the northeast territory." "MINURSO continues to monitor the situation closely," he said. Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita has threatened a firm response to what he termed as "provocations" from the Algerian-backed Polisario, which is seeking independence for Western Sahara. The threats came as the Security Council is discussing a new mandate for MINURSO, which has been monitoring the truce since the end of a war in 1991. France is set to present a draft resolution on MINURSO and a vote is expected around April 25. Morocco has accused the Polisario of carrying out incursions near Guerguerat, another area of the buffer zone in the southwest near the Mauritanian border. In a report to the council, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres renewed a call for the Polisario to withdraw from Guerguerat and proposed that UN experts be dispatched to the tense area, but Morocco rejected that offer. Over the past year, MINURSO recorded five violations of the military agreement setting up the buffer zone by Moroccan forces and seven by the Polisario, the report said. - Encouraging talks - Despite tensions, Guterres said he was "encouraged" by his envoy's efforts to relaunch negotiations on a settlement that have been stalled since 2012. Former German president Horst Koehler, who was appointed envoy in August, has in recent months met with Morocco's King Mohammed VI, the presidents of Algeria and Mauritania, along with Polisario leaders and African Union officials. No date has been announced for re-starting talks, but diplomats do not rule out a return to the negotiating table later this year. "The conflict over Western Sahara has lasted for too long and must be brought to an end for the sake and the dignity of the population of Western Sahara," Guterres wrote in the report obtained by AFP. A settlement would help shore up stability in the "wider region" of North Africa and the Sahel, "which is facing myriad political, economic and security challenges," he added in the report sent to the council last week. Morocco maintains that negotiations on a settlement should focus on its proposal for autonomy for Western Sahara and rejects the Polisario's insistence on an independence referendum. Morocco and the Polisario fought for control of Western Sahara from 1975 to 1991. Public school teachers and their supporters protest against a pension reform bill at the Kentucky State Capitol on April 2, 2018 in Frankfort, Kentucky Thousands of teachers took to the streets of Kentucky and Oklahoma on Monday, rallying in the latest show of force by angry US educators demanding better pay and more funding for public schools. Teachers have been flexing their political muscle in Republican-dominated states where education funding was cut in recent years. Demonstrators were inspired by a nine-day strike that last month won West Virginia's teachers their first pay raise in four years. Teachers in Arizona held another rally in late March. Organizers were predicting a turnout of 30,000 in Oklahoma City, where aerial television images showed a large crowd, with many in red shirts, gathered outside the state capitol. "The message today I believe is about kids. It's about funding public education and really restoring the kind of support that all kids need in order to learn," Oklahoma state schools chief Joy Hofmeister told TV station KWTV. Monday's walkouts shuttered some classrooms, with administrators unable to find enough substitutes to keep schools open. Other schools were already closed due to a scheduled holiday. Some districts were facing days-long closures, as teachers vowed to continue until their demands were met. Oklahoma City Public Schools announced its campuses would be shut through Tuesday. Hundreds of other school districts in the state also were closed, according to media reports. Teachers in Oklahoma, like Emily Mercer (R), are protesting cuts to education Teachers by the thousands also demonstrated in the Kentucky state capital Frankfort. The Courier-Journal newspaper said that all 120 public school districts in that state were closed although most were already on their Spring break vacation. - 'Not going to take it' - Kentucky teachers were primarily protesting proposed changes to pension benefits and demanding more funding for public education. A vocal crowd inside the state capitol rotunda in Frankfort chanted "public schools!" and sang "We're not going to take it anymore" as legislators began their work day. Andrew Beaver, a math teacher in Louisville, Kentucky's largest city, told The New York Times that teachers were angered when the state legislature suddenly passed a bill last week to alter educators' retirement benefits. "What I'm seeing in Louisville is teachers are a lot more politically engaged than they were in 2015 or 2016," Beaver said. "It really is a wildfire." In Oklahoma, lawmakers recently agreed to a rare tax increase to bump teacher pay by an average of $6,100 a year. But, that was not enough to placate educators. Public school teachers and their supporters protest against a pension reform bill at the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort, Kentucky Some teachers said their salaries were so low that they needed second jobs -- such as working as restaurant waiters or mowing lawns -- to make ends meet. Others said the state must do more to fund rural schools that serve low-income students. Oklahoma teacher Jessica Lightle told CNN she was striking because of school conditions in her rural city of McAlester, where students created an online video showing the state of disrepair -- pointing to leaking ceilings and displaying textbooks that fell apart when opened. - Students 'worth the investment' - Oklahoma is one of 12 states that slashed education spending following the 2008 recession and failed to restore those funds as the economy improved, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning Washington DC research and policy institute. Kentucky cut per-student public education funding again in its latest fiscal plan, according to the late-2017 think tank report. Lily Garcia, president of the National Education Association (NEA), which represents public school teachers and higher education workers -- said teachers did not trust state legislators to act without public pressure. "This is the result of a decade of underfunding public schools," Garcia told CNN, speaking from the Oklahoma protest. "If we don't stand up today, and say, 'our students are worth the investment,' then it's going to be too late," she said. The police van carrying Ethan Couch to the Mexican migration office in Guadalajara City on December 30, 2015, following his arrest A Texan from a wealthy family who used "affluenza" as a defense for a deadly drunk-driving crash was sent home Monday after two years in jail. Ethan Couch, imprisoned for a 2013 accident that killed four people when he was a teenager, was released from custody in the afternoon, Tarrant County Sheriff's spokesman David McClelland told AFP. "He went over to supervision, which is our probation," McClelland said. Couch's lawyers told ABC News that he would serve six years' probation. The then-16-year-old son of millionaire parents crashed his pickup truck into a group of pedestrians and another vehicle. He made headlines when a psychologist testifying on his behalf claimed that the teen suffered from "affluenza." The term, coined from affluence and influenza, implied that financial privilege made the teenager unable to understand the consequences of his actions. At the time of the crash in Texas, Couch had a blood-alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit for an adult. He pleaded guilty to four counts of intoxication manslaughter. Prosecutors had sought a 20-year prison term, but a juvenile court handed Couch a sentence of mental health treatment and a decade of probation. The sentence caused outrage among many Americans, who considered it too lenient. After Couch missed a mandatory meeting with his probation officer in 2015, he and his mother fled to Mexico. They were arrested in the resort of Puerto Vallarta after a manhunt. "Two years in jail for four people killed is a grave injustice to the victims and their families who have been dealt life sentences," the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving said in a statement ahead of Couch's release. Couch was also to be monitored for alcohol and drug use, and would be unable to drive a vehicle without a monitoring device that checks for alcohol consumption, according to The Dallas Morning News newspaper. "From the beginning, Ethan has admitted his conduct, accepted responsibility for his actions, and felt true remorse for the terrible consequences of those actions," Couch's lawyers Scott Brown and Reagan Wynn said in a statement to ABC News. Violent protests have gripped Guinea following disputed local election results in February Guinean opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo on Monday called for an end to protests over disputed local election results that has left at least 15 people dead after violent confrontations with the security services. Former prime minister Diallo earlier met President Alpha Conde to discuss how to defuse tensions gripping the West African country. Weekly protests have erupted in the capital Conakry and elsewhere following the February 4 ballot that the opposition insisted were fraudulent. "I am announcing here publicly the lifting of all demonstrations and strikes planned by the opposition", said Diallo, leader of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG) party, after the meeting. Opposition leaders had already suspended protests for the Easter weekend but had planned for them to resume on Tuesday. "I will give a faithful account of my meeting with the president of the republic to the opposition and to our activists," Diallo added. The February election was the first of its kind since a military dictatorship ended a decade ago. It followed eight years of delays blamed on lack of funds, political infighting and the 2013-16 Ebola crisis. During the meeting at the presidential palace, Conde and Diallo agreed on a series of measures, including the implementation of a 2016 agreement between the government, opposition, civil society and international partners in Guinea. According to a statement from the presidency, the two leaders vowed to find a "solution to the electoral dispute which concerns six urban communes and six rural communes out of the 342" in the country, and the revision of lists for upcoming legislative elections. Conde also said every effort would be made to "identify the various perpetrators of all the violence" following the election. In a joint statement last week, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called on security forces to "act with restraint" to avoid escalating violence. "An uptick of increasingly divisive rhetoric from all sides of the political divide, including incidents of hate speech on social media, has deepened social tension and created a risk of further violence," the statement said. "The authorities must take immediate action to curb the use of hate speech and political parties should condemn members who use it." BANGKOK (AP) - A boat with 56 people claiming to be Muslim Rohingya refugees from Myanmar was helped back to sea by Thai fishermen and navy craft after being damaged in a storm and stopping temporarily Sunday in southern Thailand. Adisorn Chormai, a local official in Thailand's Krabi province, told The Associated Press that those aboard, who moored at an island there, said they were seeking to go to Malaysia when their boat was damaged Sunday morning. "We found that they have been traveling for about 23 days from Rakhine to escape their situation in Myanmar," he said. Local people who claim to be Rohingya Muslims eat food, in Krabi province, Thailand, Sunday, April 1, 2018. A boat with 56 people claiming to be Muslim Rohingya refugees from Myanmar was helped back to sea by Thai fishermen and navy craft after being damaged in a storm and stopping temporarily Sunday in southern Thailand. (AP Photo) About 700,000 Rohingya have fled western Myanmar's Rakhine state to neighboring Bangladesh since a brutal counterinsurgency campaign by Myanmar's army launched after Rohingya militants staged attacks on security forces last August. Rohingya, treated as undesirables in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, used to flee by sea by the thousands each year. The numbers peaked in 2015, sparking a crackdown on their escape route. The boats also leave from Bangladesh, and their passengers are not always all Rohingya. "I can't remember the last time we saw such boats. It has been a while," said Adisorn. "Their boat is a small fishing boat with partial cover," he said. "There must have been around 20 children on board. They are tired but no one had medical issues or emergencies that needed the hospital treatment. They seem to want to keep on going." Adisorn said Thai villagers supplied them with food and fuel before sending them on their way. Thailand has an official policy of pushing back boat people from its shores. Most Rohingya prefer to head to Malaysia, whose dominant Malay Muslim population makes it a more sympathetic destination. There have also been many cases of Rohingya landing in Thailand being taken by human traffickers and forced into near-slavery, held for ransom or otherwise abused. MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) - Somalia's al-Shabab Islamic extremists on Sunday launched an attack on a base for African Union troops in the country's south, killing four Ugandan peacekeepers, said Ugandan army spokesman Brig. Richard Karemire. Four other Ugandans were injured, Karemire told The Associated Press. At least 22 of the attackers were killed and the rest were repelled, he said. The attack started in the morning when two suicide car bombs exploded at the entrance to the heavily fortified base in Bulo-Marer, an agricultural town in Somalia's Lower Shabelle region, said Somali army Col. Ahmed Hassan. Nearly 100 fighters firing propelled grenades and machine guns attacked the base occupied by the Ugandan soldiers. "That attack was repulsed but several soldiers have lost their lives to the bomb," said Hassan. Residents reported explosions and sustained gunfire, sending hundreds of terrified villagers to the bush. "We had a frightening day but the situation is calm now," said Nur Yusuf, a local elder reached by phone, who added that African Union and Somali troops were patrolling the town in the evening. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack. The group said that 14 of its fighters were killed during the attack on the African Union base, according to Sheikh Abdulaziz Abu Musab, the group's military spokesman. Al-Shabab's casualty figures are often different from those issued by Somali officials. Al-Shabab, which is fighting to impose Shariah law across Somalia, was pushed out of the capital, Mogadishu, and other major urban cities more than two years ago, but the group still carries out suicide attacks across Somalia. ___ Muhumuza reported from Kampala, Uganda Clara Ester's eyes were fixed on the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as he stood on the concrete balcony of the Lorraine Motel. King was in Memphis to support a sanitation workers' strike, and Ester, a college student, had been marching alongside the strikers as they sought better pay and working conditions. She and some friends had gone to the motel for a catfish dinner when she saw King chatting happily, not far from where she stood. Then Ester heard the shot. It was 6.01pm on April 4, 1968. 'I'm still looking at him,' Ester recalled. 'He looked like he was lifted up and thrown back on the pavement. Next thing I remember, I was stepping over his body, and I'm noticing that he's struggling for air.' King's death changed the world and altered the lives of those who lived through it. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (center) and his aides walk at the Lorraine Motel, in Memphis, Tennessee on April 3, 1968. The following day, an assassin's bullet found Dr. King on the balcony of the Lorraine just outside his second-floor room, killing him Some would spend the rest of their lives fighting for racial equality and economic justice. Others, including Ester, would struggle to come to terms with what they saw. King had won victories on desegregation and voting rights and had been planning his Poor People's Campaign when he turned his attention to Memphis, the gritty city by the Mississippi River. On February 1, 1968, two sanitation workers were crushed when a garbage truck compactor malfunctioned, sparking a strike by 1,300 black sanitation workers weary of horrible working conditions and racist treatment in the dirtiest of municipal jobs. The words that would come to signify their protest - 'I Am a Man' - were not a given with everyone in Memphis at that time. Clara Ester stands in the Centenary United Methodist Church in Memphis. Ester was a witness to the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. She ran up onto the balcony where King was shot, and tried to help as he struggled for air The Rev. Jesse Jackson stands on the balcony where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Jackson was at the motel with King when the assassination took place King was staying in room 306 and Jackson was at the motel with King when the assassination took place. The building, which was formerly the Lorraine Motel, is now the National Civil Rights Museum 'We didn't have a place to shower, wash our hands, nothing,' said Elmore Nickleberry, who at 86 still drives a truck for the department. King tried to lead a peaceful march on March 28, but it turned violent. Storefront windows were smashed, and police wielded clubs and tear gas. King went back to Atlanta but vowed to return to show that non-violent protest still worked. Criticism mounted in the press. He was suffering headaches and feeling depressed. He met with his advisers, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said, and 'talked himself out of the depression.' He flew back to Memphis on the morning of April 3. Attorney Mike Cody sits in the Mason Temple of the Church of God in Christ in Memphis. The church was the location of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous last speech containing the phrase, 'I've been to the mountaintop,' on April 3, 1968 Cody, who worked to get an injunction lifted so a sanitation workers' march could be held, was in the church for King's speech Mike Cody was among the lawyers working to persuade a judge to lift an injunction against a new march who met with King in his motel room. 'King felt strongly that unless he could get a success here in Memphis, with these workers using nonviolent, civil disobedience, then he would never get the Poor People's March in Washington that summer,' said Cody, 82. Cody was in the crowd later that evening at the Mason Temple. Though King was ill, the Rev. Ralph Abernathy asked him to address the thousands who turned out despite a thunderstorm. 'It's a tin roof, so that's banging. There's rafters up there above us, and the rafters are blowing with the wind and hitting each other and hitting the walls from the fierceness of the wind and the rain,' said the Rev. James Lawson, a prominent civil rights activist. Sanitation worker Elmore Nickleberry sits in a room in his home that displays items commemorating the civil rights movement in Memphis Nickleberry, who at 86 still drives a truck for the department, marched in the sanitation worker's strike in 1968 that drew Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis With little preparation, King delivered a speech that, in retrospect, seemed to foretell his death: 'Well, I don't know what will happen now; we've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter to me now, because I've been to the mountaintop.' When he finished, King slumped into a chair. He looked to Cody like a 'toy that had the air taken out of it.' 'Ministers, men were crying,' Jackson said. Cody went to court the next day with King aide Andrew Young, then dropped Young back at the Lorraine Motel in the late afternoon. King had spent most of the day in meetings. He asked Young where he'd been and then threw a pillow at him. Sanitation worker Elmore Nickleberry stands outside his home in Memphis, Tennessee Dr. Jerry Francisco shows where the assassin's bullet hit Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tenn. As the Shelby County medical examiner at the time, Francisco performed the autopsy on King After the 90-minute procedure, Francisco drove home through a city that had been placed under curfew, for fear of rioting. 'The streets were just virtually empty. I was the only car moving on the street,' he said. It was eerie, he recalled Coby Smith stands in the Clayborn Temple in Memphis. When Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, Smith was in Memphis to support a sanitation workers strike. Smith was a leader of a group called the Invaders, an organization with a militant reputation that helped protect the striking sanitation workers and help poor blacks 'Then everybody picked up pillows and beat me up,' Young said. 'All of us were in our 30s, and we were acting like 10-, 12-year-olds. But it was the happiest I had seen him in a long time.' As dinner approached, King and his friends moved to the motel balcony. King turned to a bandleader who was standing nearby and made a request: Later, could he play his favorite song, 'Take My Hand, Precious Lord'? Then: 'Pow! A bullet,' recalled Jackson, pointing to the right side of his own face. 'At first I thought it was a firecracker or car backfiring,' Young said. Jackson ran toward the balcony steps. 'Someone said, 'Doc has been shot,' and 'Get low,'' Jackson said. Earl Caldwell, a New York Times reporter who had interviewed King on the balcony the previous day, ran out of his motel room in his boxer shorts. 'I was thinking, 'It was a bomb. It was a bomb.' Because the noise was greater than a gun,' he said. John Billings was a college student and a surgical assistant when Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Billings was working a night shift and was ordered to stay with the body of King for about 20 minutes until firefighters in dress uniforms came to take it from the hospital 'I walked over, pulled the sheet back, and there he was,' Billings said. 'His eyes were closed. I thought, 'How strange this is'' A photo shows Jackson, Young and others pointing across the street, where the shot came from. 'I remember Rev. Abernathy saying, 'Back up, back up, this is my dearest friend. Martin you can't give up, don't leave us,'' Jackson said. Ester said she noticed King's tie had been blown off. His eyes were open 'with almost a pleasant expression on his face,' she said. Sirens blared. People screamed. Police rushed to the motel. King was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where college student John Billings worked as a surgical assistant on the night shift. 'Three doctors came over and walked to where I was standing. They said, 'OK Billings, go find somebody in charge and tell them that Dr. King has expired,'' he said. Brenda Lee Turner, a pioneer of the civil rights movement, prays as she takes part in the Tristate Rainbow PUSH Coalition pre-MLK 50 kick off service at Mt. Olive Cathedral CME Church on Sunday Karen Spencer McGee prays in the Tristate Rainbow PUSH Coalition pre-MLK 50 kick off service at Mt. Olive Cathedral CME Church Lisa Tolliver prays at the service at Mt. Olive Cathedral CME Church, one of the many being held in the city over the next few days in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Billings was then ordered to stay with King's body until someone could come get him. 'I walked over, pulled the sheet back, and there he was,' Billings said. 'His eyes were closed. I thought, 'How strange this is.'' Security was heavy when Dr. Jerry Francisco, the Shelby County medical examiner, arrived. Men holding shotguns stood inside and outside the room. After the 1 hour autopsy, Francisco drove home through a city that had been placed under curfew, for fear of rioting. 'The streets were just virtually empty. I was the only car moving on the street,' he said. It was eerie, he recalled. Coby Smith, a leader of the Invaders organization, which had a militant reputation, vividly remembers the aftermath, when tanks rolled into neighborhoods, the National Guard was called in, and police began arresting blacks in the streets. '(Police) had put tape over their badges,' Smith said. 'This was like a war.' Greenwood Praise Dancers take part in the Tristate Rainbow PUSH Coalition pre-MLK 50 kick off service at Mt. Olive Cathedral CME Church Greenwood Praise Dancers hold signs reading 'Free at last' and 'Register and Vote' at the event on Sunday Fifty years after King's assassination, Ester has trouble talking about the months that followed. Haunted by her memories, she left her hometown. Billings, who is white, came to a new understanding of the struggle Southern blacks faced. He became a private investigator, met James Earl Ray, who pleaded guilty to killing King, and explored the notion that someone else had been involved. Young became a congressman, ambassador to the United Nations and Atlanta's mayor. Jackson ran for president twice, then stood in Grant Park in Chicago with tears streaming down his face after a black man was elected president in 2008. Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. is greeted as he arrives to take part in the Tristate Rainbow PUSH Coalition pre-MLK 50 kick off servicele/Getty Images) Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. speaks at the Tristate Rainbow PUSH Coalition pre-MLK 50 kick off service at Mt. Olive Cathedral CME Church on April 1 Rev. Jackson was on the balcony with Dr. King when he was shot in April 1968 speaks at Sunday's service Cody continued working in civil rights law in Memphis, eventually serving as a U.S. Attorney and Tennessee attorney general. If King were alive today, 'he'd be in people's face' about issues relating to race, poverty and inequality, Cody says. 'We're not past all of that history.' Over the new few days, a number of events are being held in honor of King to mark the 50th anniversary of his assassination. Brenda Lee Turner, a pioneer of the civil rights movement, was among those who prayed at the Tristate Rainbow PUSH Coalition pre-MLK 50 kick off service at Mt. Olive Cathedral CME Church on Sunday. Could not establish database connection. DB: bostonimc and SQL: --> The administrator has been notified and will resolve the problem ASAP. A look at some of the key business events and economic indicators upcoming this week: AUTO SALES Automakers release their March U.S. sales figures Tuesday. FILE- In this March 12, 2018, photograph, a long row of 2018 Countryman models is shown at a Mini Cooper dealership in Highlands Ranch, Colo. Automakers release their March U.S. sales figures Tuesday, April 3. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) Sales of new cars and trucks declined 2 percent in February from a year earlier as automakers eased up on discounts. Among major automakers, only Toyota, Subaru and Volkswagen reported sales gains. A J.D. Power and LMC Automotive forecast calls for March sales to be up from a year ago, hitting a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 16.9 million units. OUT OF BALANCE The nation's trade deficit has been steadily growing, recently climbing to the highest level in nearly 10 years. It reached $56.6 billion in January, the highest level since October 2008. The deficit, or the gap between what America sells and what it buys abroad, has now risen for five straight months. Did the trend continue in February? Find out Thursday, when the Commerce Department reports its latest monthly measure of the nation's trade balance. Trade balance, monthly, billions of dollars, seasonally adjusted: Sept. -45.3 Oct. -49.1 Nov. -50.9 Dec. -53.9 Jan. -56.6 Feb. (est.) -56.3 Source: FactSet ALL ABOUT JOBS Economists predict hiring in the U.S. slowed in March after a big increase the previous month. They expect the Labor Department will report Friday that nonfarm employers added 175,000 jobs in March. That would be down from a gain of 313,000 in February. Job growth has accelerated in recent months. Companies have added an average of 242,000 jobs a month over the past three months, above 2017's pace of 182,000. Nonfarm payrolls, monthly change, seasonally adjusted: Oct. 271,000 Nov. 216,000 Dec. 175,000 Jan. 239,000 Feb. 313,000 March (est.) 175,000 Source: FactSet RABAT, Morocco (AP) - Morocco's government is threatening to take control of U.N.-monitored buffer zones in Western Sahara amid concerns that the mission is failing to keep out Polisario Front independence fighters. The warning Sunday came as U.N. Security Council members received Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' annual report on the situation in Western Sahara and the 27-year-old U.N. peacekeeping mission in the mineral-rich territory claimed by both Morocco and the Polisario. Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said Sunday that the Polisario recently moved members to the U.N.-controlled areas of Bir Lehlou and Tifariti. He also said Polisario members are again entering the Guerguerat area near the Mauritanian border, despite a U.N.-brokered deal to leave after tensions erupted there in 2016. "If the U.N., its secretary-general and the Security Council are not ready to put an end to these provocations, Morocco will have to act out its responsibility and intervene in the buffer zones," Bourita told reporters after an emergency parliament session to address Western Sahara. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Monday that members of the U.N. peacekeeping mission, known as MINURSO, "have not observed any movement of military elements in the northeast territory." "MINURSO continues to monitor the situation closely," he added. Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit said, "Morocco is ready to do everything to preserve its Sahara." Bourita said Morocco has alerted the Security Council to its plans to step in the deserted land, but declined to specify what kind of intervention or when it would begin. Peru's U.N. ambassador, Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, the current council president, told reporters Monday that he received a letter from Morocco's U.N. ambassador that has been circulated to the 15 council members. He called it an "informative letter" and said "no action has been taken yet." Morocco annexed Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, in 1975 and fought the independence-seeking Polisario Front. The U.N. brokered a cease-fire in 1991 and established a peacekeeping mission to monitor it and to help prepare a referendum on the territory's future that has never taken place. The U.N. secretary-general expressed concern at escalating tensions and urged the Moroccan government and the Polisario Front to refrain from actions that could impact the cease-fire in their 42-year conflict over the Western Sahara, pointing to the escalating dispute over Guerguerat area in the buffer zone on the Morocco-Mauritanian border. In a report to the Security Council obtained Monday by The Associated Press, Guterres called on the Polisario Front to withdraw from Guerguerat. And he urged Morocco to reconsider its refusal to send an expert mission as part of the U.N.'s effort to address questions raised by the Guerguerat situation. "I call on both parties to exercise maximum restraint and to avoid escalating tensions, and to refrain from taking any action which may constitute a change in the status quo at the buffer strip," Guterres said. He said he was encouraged by steps his new personal envoy, former German President Horst Koeler, has taken to relaunch political negotiations and urged additional steps by the parties, neighboring countries and other key players. Kohler has sought to broaden the discussions on the territory's future. The Saharans' envoy to Algeria, Abdelghafour, said Polisario members in the buffer zones are under surveillance by U.N. forces, and accused Morocco of violating the cease-fire. "Morocco is threatening everything," he told The Associated Press. "It's obvious that these maneuvers are aimed at influencing the next U.N. Security Council meeting to stop it from taking practical, effective measures." Morocco considers the mineral-rich Western Sahara its southern provinces and has invested heavily in development programs, and proposed giving the territory wide-ranging autonomy. Polisario insists that the referendum can only take place based on the principle of self-determination for the local population, which it estimates at between 350,000 and 500,000. In 2016, Moroccan forces and Polisario Front fighters moved into Guerguerat in the buffer zone but pulled out in April 2017. Guterres said the area remained free from supporters of either side until January, when the Polisario Front established what its leaders described as a daylight-hour "monitoring post" manned by a small group of its "unarmed civilian 'police'." The secretary-general said the post has remained. Also in 2016, Morocco expelled over 70 people working for the U.N. mission in Western Sahara, known as MINURSO, after then-U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon used the word "occupation" in talking about Western Sahara. Guterres recommended that the Security Council extend MINURSO's mandate until April 30, 2019. "The conflict over Western Sahara has lasted for too long and must be brought to an end for the dignity of the population ... including those who have been displaced for more than four decades, as well as for the stability of the wider region, which is facing myriad political, economic and security challenges," he said. ___ Associated Press writers Aomar Ouali in Algiers, Algeria, and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - Young and outspoken Abiy Ahmed has been sworn in Monday as Ethiopia's prime minister, amid hopes he will be able to quell the sustained anti-government protests that have rocked Africa's second most populous nation. Abiy was elected by Ethiopia's parliament, succeeding Hailemariam Desalegn who resigned in mid-February as a result of widespread protests that have taken the lives of several hundred people, mainly in the restive Oromia and Amhara regions. "This is a historic moment," said Abiy in his inaugural address to Ethiopian lawmakers. "This is high time for us to learn from our past mistakes and make up for all the wrongs done in the past . we understand there are a lots of problems that need to be solved with great urgency." Abiy Ahmed, the newly elected chair of the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) is sworn in as the country's Prime Minister, Monday, April 2, 2018. Ethiopia's legislature has elected young and outspoken Abiy Amhed as prime minister, amid hopes that he will be able to quell sustained anti-government protests in Africa's second most populous nation. (AP photo/Mulugeta Ayene) Abiy apologized for the deaths of civilians in the violent protests. He said his administration will strive to solve grievances by discussion rather than by force, provide more space for opposition parties, fight corruption and focus on respect for rule of law. The new leader said he aims to open up a fresh dialogue with arch-foe Eritrea and called upon Ethiopia's diaspora to more actively take part in the country's affairs. Abiy is the first Oromo politician to become Ethiopia's prime minister since the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front came to power in 1991. It is hoped he will be able to bring an end to the protests that have been raging since late 2015 to press for wider political freedoms and the release of opposition figures. The Oromo people, the largest ethnic group of Ethiopia's 100 million people, have long felt marginalized both politically and economically. A former Lieutenant Colonel in the army and head of Ethiopia's Science and Technology ministry, Abiy, 42, has a reputation as an effective orator and reformer. Many welcomed the new leader. "I think this is a very important step toward the overall democratization and stability of the country," said Kiya Tsegaye, a lawyer and political analyst. "But he needs the support of the people around him, especially top party officials to implement his reform measures." Prominent opposition leader Merara Gudina expressed cautious optimism over Abiy's election, saying the future of Ethiopia's peace and stability depends on the policies of the incoming leader and his party. "What he aims to achieve depends on what his party allows him to do," Merara said, adding that Abiy was elected by Ethiopia's ruling party and not directly by the population through a general election. "But still it goes without saying that a change in personalities within the leadership may bring changes in terms of bringing better ideas that may ultimately lead to national reconciliation." Ethiopia's Olympic gold medalist runner, Haile Gebrselassie, said the peaceful transfer of power is a win-win situation for all Ethiopians. "The new leader's election has answered many Ethiopians' questions," Haile told The Associated Press, saying that Abiy should implement his pledges without delay. "His inaugural address today has the ability to bring together not only Ethiopians, but countries in the region as well." Abiy will be Ethiopia's third prime minister since the former military junta, the Derg, was overthrown in 1991. Ethiopia in February declared its second state of emergency in two years amid the ongoing protests that effectively crippled transportation networks and forced the closure of businesses. On Saturday, Ethiopian officials said that more than 1,000 people have been detained since the latest emergency rule was put in place. The U.S. Embassy in the capital, Addis Ababa, commended the peaceful transfer of power, saying it is the first time a living leader has handed over power in Ethiopia's recent history. "We stand ready to support the government's rapid implementation of democratic and economic reforms and look forward to the lifting of the state of emergency," the U.S. embassy said in an email sent to The Associated Press. ___ This story has been corrected to show that the new prime minister's name is spelled Ahmed, not Amhed. Abiy Ahmed, the newly elected chair of the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) addresses Ethiopian lawmakers after he was sworn in as the country's Prime Minister, Monday, April 2, 2018. Ethiopia's legislature has elected young and outspoken Abiy Amhed as prime minister, amid hopes that he will be able to quell sustained anti-government protests in Africa's second most populous nation. (AP photo/Mulugeta Ayene) Abiy Ahmed, left, the newly elected chair of the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) addresses Ethiopian lawmakers after he was sworn in as the country's Prime Minister, Monday, April 2, 2018. Ethiopia's legislature has elected young and outspoken Abiy Amhed as prime minister, amid hopes that he will be able to quell sustained anti-government protests in Africa's second most populous nation. (AP photo/Mulugeta Ayene) The outgoing prime minister, Haileamariam Dessalegn, right, who resigned from his post hugs to Abiy Ahmed, left, Monday, April 2, 2018. Ethiopia's legislature has elected young and outspoken Abiy Amhed as prime minister, amid hopes that he will be able to quell sustained anti-government protests in Africa's second most populous nation. (AP photo/Mulugeta Ayene) The outgoing prime minister, Haileamariam Dessalegn, right, who resigned from his post symbolically hands over the Ethiopian flag to Abiy Ahmed, left, Monday, April 2, 2018. Ethiopia's legislature has elected young and outspoken Abiy Amhed as prime minister, amid hopes that he will be able to quell sustained anti-government protests in Africa's second most populous nation. (AP photo/Mulugeta Ayene) MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) - Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamic extremists attacked two villages on the outskirts of the northeastern city of Maiduguri late Sunday, killing at least 15 people, the military said Monday. The Boko Haram militants tried to enter the center of Maidugiri, the provincial capital of Borno state, but army soldiers repelled them, gunning down six armed insurgents and seven suicide bombers, said army spokesman Col. Onyema Nwachukwu. At least 83 people were injured and are receiving medical attention, he said. Residents of Maiduguri retreated to their homes Sunday night during hours-long battle marked by thunderous explosions and gunfire heard until the early hours of Monday. Rescue workers carry a body of a victim following a suicide attack in Maiduguri, Nigeria Monday, April 2, 2018. Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamic extremists attacked two villages on the outskirts of the northeastern city of Maiduguri late Sunday, killing at least 15 people, the military said Monday. (AP Photo/Jossy Ola) Troops prevented the insurgents from entering the center of Maiduguri, but they detonated their bombs in the outlying villages of Bille Shuwa and Alikaranti, with one soldier among the 15 casualties, said Nwachukwu. "Troops are still on the trail of the insurgents," he said. "It is clear that the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists are hell bent on remaining relevant by attacking soft and vulnerable targets and therefore we call for collective vigilance by all security stakeholders and members of the public." Nwachukwu warned residents to remain watchful and report any suspicious people or activity to security officials. A 14-year-old Boko Haram insurgent surrendered to soldiers after escaping an extremist enclave on the Lake Chad islands, he said. Survivors of the attack told The Associated Press that most of those killed by the suicide bombs were youths at a viewing center and were targeted when they fled after hearing gunfire between the soldiers and the Boko Haram fighters. "The gunmen came with the suicide bombers, and as they were engaged by soldiers, some of them sneaked into the confused, fleeing crowd and detonated themselves killing about 15 people and over 80 others," said Momodu Bukar, a member of a civilian defense force. Boko Haram, which was formed in Maiduguri, has killed more than 20,000 people in its nine-year insurgency to establish Shariah law in Nigeria. Rescue workers carry a body of a victim following a suicide attack in Maiduguri, Nigeria Monday, April 2, 2018. Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamic extremists attacked two villages on the outskirts of the northeastern city of Maiduguri late Sunday, killing at least 15 people, the military said Monday. (AP Photo/Jossy Ola) People gather around a body of a victim following a suicide attack in Maiduguri, Nigeria Monday, April 2, 2018. Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamic extremists attacked two villages on the outskirts of the northeastern city of Maiduguri late Sunday, killing at least 15 people, the military said Monday. (AP Photo/Jossy Ola) NEW YORK (AP) - The National Transportation Safety Board is "unhappy" about Tesla's decision to release information in a fatal crash investigation involving its Autopilot system. A vehicle using the semi-autonomous system crashed into a concrete lane divider in California last week, killing the driver. Tesla said that data shows the driver did not have his hands on the wheel, as recommended, and received several warnings from the system prior to the crash. Christopher T. O'Neil is a spokesman for the NTSB. He says, "in each of our investigations involving a Tesla vehicle, Tesla has been extremely cooperative on assisting with the vehicle data." He adds, "the NTSB is unhappy with the release of investigative information by Tesla." The NTSB says its next update will come in a preliminary report, which generally takes weeks. ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Authorities say the wife of a Florida congressman has been arrested on a charge of disorderly intoxication. In a statement to the Orlando Sentinel , U.S. Rep. Darren Soto said his wife had been treated for depression for years and recently stopped taking medication "in accordance with her treatment plan" and under supervision. The Democrat from Florida said his wife drank too much and "reached an argumentative state with a family member, which led to arrest." Orange County jail records show that 33-year-old Amanda Louise Soto was booked late Sunday on the second-degree misdemeanor charge. She was released early Monday. Soto said his wife regrets her actions and will be reviewing her mental health treatment with her doctor. ___ Information from: Orlando Sentinel, http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court is rejecting an appeal from American victims of terrorist attacks in the Middle East more than a decade ago. The justices are not commenting Monday in ending a lawsuit against the PLO and Palestinian Authority in connection with attacks in Israel in 2002 and 2004 that killed 33 people. A lower court tossed out a $654 million verdict against the Palestinians. The Trump administration sided with the Palestinians in calling on the high court to leave the lower court ruling in place. The federal appeals court in New York said U.S. courts can't consider lawsuits against foreign-based groups over random attacks that were not aimed at the United States. FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2017, file photo, the Supreme Court in Washington is seen at sunset. The Trump administration is siding with the Palestine Liberation Organization in urging the Supreme Court to reject an appeal from American victims of terrorist attacks in Israel in the early 2000s. The victims are asking the high court to reinstate a $654 million verdict against the PLO and Palestinian Authority over attacks in 2002 and 2004 that killed 33 people and wounded hundreds more. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) The victims sued under the Anti-Terrorism Act, passed to open U.S. courts to American victims of international terrorism. ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - SeaWorld officials say an orca at their Florida theme park was injured while interacting with other animals in her pod. In a blog post , SeaWorld officials said the 39-year-old female orca named Katina suffered a tear to her dorsal fin on March 17. Officials said it wasn't clear how Katina got injured. In an Orlando Sentinel report , SeaWorld spokesman Travis Claytor said it could take months for Katina to heal., adding that her behavior "went back to normal very quickly." She is in a separate pool with two of her offspring, and is being treated with medical honey and cold-laser therapy to promote wound healing and prevent infection. She's among the last orcas living at SeaWorld parks. The company announced in 2016 that it had stopped its orca breeding program. ___ Information from: Orlando Sentinel, http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ MOSCOW (AP) - The Latest on relations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump: (all times local): 6:25 p.m. The White House has confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump invited Russia's Vladimir Putin to Washington. FILE - In this file photo taken on Tuesday, March 27, 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, listens to locals and relatives of the victims of a fire in a multi-storey shopping center in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, about 3,000 kilometers (1,900 miles) east of Moscow, Russia. The deaths of over 50 people in the March 25, 2018, fire has torment their loved ones and left questions about the state of Russia. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File) Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday that the White House was among "a number of potential venues" Putin and Trump discussed during a March 20 telephone conversation. Huckabee Sanders said: "As the President himself confirmed on March 20, hours after his last call with President Putin, the two had discussed a bilateral meeting in the 'not-too-distant future' at a number of potential venues, including the White House." She says the administration has no further comment on the matter. ___ 5:45 p.m. An aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin says U.S. President Donald Trump has invited the Russian leader to the White House, but the two countries haven't started any preparations for such a visit. Trump and Putin had a telephone conversation on March 20 in which Trump congratulated Putin on winning the Russian presidential election two days earlier. The White House and the Kremlin said at the time the two presidents discussed meeting in person. Putin aide Yuri Ushakov told Russian news agencies on Monday that Trump specifically invited Putin to the White House during the call. Ushakov added that their governments didn't have time to start arranging a meeting before the United States joined Britain and more than two dozen allies in sanctioning Russia over the nerve-agent poisoning of a Russian ex-spy in England. ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Maryland's governor must be more permissive of social media commenters who disagree with him under a settlement to resolve a lawsuit that accused him of censoring constituents by blocking them on Facebook, the American Civil Liberties Union said Monday. The settlement includes a $65,000 payment to the four plaintiffs and a revised social media policy for Republican Gov. Larry Hogan's social media accounts. The ACLU lawsuit alleged the plaintiffs' First Amendment rights had been violated when Hogan blocked them from his official Facebook page or deleted their comments. The lawsuit was one of several filed over the past year against high-profile elected officials across the country, including President Donald Trump, accusing them of blocking constituents on social media. Hogan's new social media policy states that he "does not discriminate based on viewpoint" but may remove comments for reasons including profanity or threats of violence. The policy governs Hogan's Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and YouTube accounts. Hogan and two aides named as defendants don't admit wrongdoing under the settlement. "Ultimately, it was much better for Maryland taxpayers to resolve this, than to continue wasting everyone's time and resources in court," Shareese Churchill, a spokeswoman for Hogan, said Monday. The lawsuit cited a February 2017 Washington Post story that said Hogan and his staff had blocked 450 people from the Facebook page since the time he took office in January 2015. The governor's office has previously said comments were deleted or people were blocked because of spam or offensive content. Janice Lepore, one of the plaintiffs in the Maryland lawsuit, said in a statement that she joined the governor's Facebook page to learn about his positions on education issues. When it became clear they disagreed, she said she sought to engage in a social media conversation. She was blocked, according to the lawsuit. "It never occurred to me that the Governor, or his staff, would seek to prohibit me from engaging in conversations in a public forum, simply because my opinions differ from their positions. ... I hope this settlement will promote greater access and engagement for all Maryland citizens," Lepore said. The settlement was approved by the state's Board of Public Works, a three-member panel that includes the governor, comptroller and treasurer, and now must be fully implemented within 14 days, according to the ACLU. MOSCOW (AP) - Russia's foreign minister accused Britain and the United States of spreading "lies and disinformation" about the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy in England, declaring Monday that East-West tensions are worse now than during the Cold War. Britain has blamed Russia for the March 4 nerve agent attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia. Britain and two dozen of its allies have expelled over 150 Russian diplomats. Moscow, which vehemently denies any involvement, has responded tit-for-tat. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov denounced the British accusations on Monday as a "mad and horrible provocation." He argued that Russia had no motive to attack Skripal, who was released in 2010 spy swap from a Russian prison where he was serving time for spying for Britain. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks to the media during a joint news conference after the talks with his Bangladesh counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali in Moscow, Russia, Monday, April 2, 2018. Lavrov told reporters on Monday that Moscow is concerned that the United States has been "gaining a serious foothold" on the east bank of the Euphrates river despite Trump's earlier promises that the U.S. would leave when the Islamic State group is defeated. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) "If there were any gripes against the man, he wouldn't have been swapped," Lavrov said. Russia's top diplomat also mocked Britain's claim that there was no plausible alternative explanation for the poisonings of the Skripals. British intelligence agencies could have been involved and the case helped distract public attention from the British government's difficult talks to exit the European Union, Lavrov said. "There are other explanations besides those put forward by our Western colleagues, who declare that it can only be the Russians who are responsible," Lavrov said. "It could also be advantageous to the British government, who clearly find themselves in a difficult situation having failed to fulfill their promises to voters over Brexit." British officials have previously rejected similar Russian allegations. Lavrov said that Russia has called a meeting of the international chemical weapons watchdog for Wednesday to discuss the case and asked it to provide details of its cooperation with Britain in the poisoning probe. Alexander Shulgin, the Russian representative at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said Monday in televised remarks that the organization must conduct an "open, thorough and unbiased investigation" with Russian experts' participation. British authorities invited OPCW experts to take chemical samples from Salisbury, the English city where the father and daughter were sickened, and to analyze them. Shulgin warned that Moscow won't accept the agency's conclusions unless Russian experts are allowed to take part in the process. Lavrov also assailed the British authorities for stonewalling Russia's request for consular access to Yulia Skripal, 33, a Russian citizen whose condition has improved since she and her father fell critically ill on March 4. "Many say that the situation now is worse than it was during the Cold War because some rules existed and decorum was observed back then," he said. "Now, Britain, the U.S. and a few countries blindly following them have dropped all decorum and engaged in blatant lies and disinformation." WATERBURY, Vt. (AP) - A blaze that destroyed a historic family dairy farm, including two homes, and killed 23 cows and calves was an accident, Vermont fire officials said Monday. The fire started in the Wallace farm's milking parlor, but investigators were not certain of its exact source, said Waterbury Fire Chief Gary Dillon. Rosina Wallace, 71, ran the farm that her great-grandparents bought in 1866. Her brother, K. Alan Wallace, helped her run it. They both stood by Monday as an excavator tore down the farmhouse where they both grew up and where he currently lived. A firefighter on Monday, April 2, 2018, sprays water into a burned house on an historic family dairy farm in Waterbury, Vt., that was destroyed by fire Sunday evening. Twenty-three cows and calves were killed in the blaze that destroyed two homes and a barn. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke) Rosina Wallace's home on the property also was destroyed. Family and community members stopped by with food and to offer condolences and help throughout the morning. "It's holding me up," Rosina Wallace said of the support. "There's an awful lot of people who have to go through this, so I know I'm not the only one and it can't be any worse for me than it is for other people that have had to go through it," she said. The barn and farmhouse were 152 years old, so the wood was extremely dry, said Fire Chief Gary Dillon. There also was a lot of hay, wood chips and sawdust. High winds fed the fire, and a lack of water initially made it difficult to fight, he said. No injuries were reported. Rosina Wallace hosted numerous school groups at the farm over the years. "This is just a different world," she said on the Cabot Creamery website. "Even for kids who grow up right next door, if they don't come visit the farm, they don't make the connections." Wallace worked hard and long to keep the farm going after her father died, said former neighbor Bob Severidt, of Duxbury. "The cows were her kids," he said. "And so she lost them and it's going to be a real heartbreaker." YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) - Police in Armenia say eight people have been injured by an oxygen canister explosion at a cafe in the capital. Police spokesman Ashot Agaronian said the explosion occurred Monday in a cafe in downtown Yerevan. He said three Armenians, three Russians and two Iranians have been hospitalized with injuries. Agaronian says an 8-year old Armenian girl sustained serious injuries, while the others were in satisfactory condition. The cause of the explosion wasn't immediately clear, but police have ruled out foul play. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - An Alabama legislator and a lobbyist who once chaired the Alabama Republican Party appeared in federal court Monday on conspiracy charges related to payments made to another lawmaker to advance an insurance bill. State Republican Rep. Jack D. Williams of Vestavia Hills and lobbyist Marty Connors were arrested and charged Monday with conspiracy to commit bribery and mail fraud, authorities said. Each appeared shackled at the waist and wrists before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles S. Coody in Montgomery. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Ross said Williams and Connors were arrested at their homes Monday morning. Neither has a lawyer or entered a plea, but both indicated that they plan to hire counsel. Each was being released on bail. The California-based owner of Trina Health diabetes treatment centers, G. Ford Gilbert, also was arrested, according to authorities. The third defendant wasn't in court and it wasn't immediately clear from court records whether Gilbert has an attorney. Prosecutors said in a statement announcing the arrests that Gilbert had paid then-state Rep. Micky Hammon, who was the Alabama Republican majority leader, to promote legislation in 2016 that would require a prominent insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, to cover treatments at Trina clinics. According to the indictment unsealed Monday, Hammon had been given an ownership interest in a Trina clinic, had received payments as the clinic prepared to open and had $240,000 in debt that Gilbert had offered to assist with settling. Both Williams and Connors knew about Hammon's financial interest in Trina and his receipt of payments from those licensees, according to the indictment. Prosecutors said Connors, who was lobbying for the 2016 bill, recruited Williams who used his position as a House committee chairman to hold a public hearing on the bill in the hopes of putting pressure on Blue Cross. Williams acted to help Hammon, "who, as everyone in the scheme knew, was experiencing grave financial problems," federal prosecutors said in a statement. The legislation did not pass. Hammon was removed from the Alabama Legislature last year when he pleaded guilty to illegally using campaign funds for personal use. A judge in February sentenced Hammon to three months in prison for felony mail fraud. No additional charges were announced against Hammon. Williams has served in the House of Representatives since 2004. Connors served as chairman of the Alabama Republican Party from 2001 to 2005. The charges announced Monday marked the latest in a string of corruption investigations that have ensnared Alabama politicians. Former Rep. Oliver Robinson, a Democrat, pleaded guilty last year to taking a bribe for using his legislative position to oppose the Environmental Protection Agency's prioritization of a pollution site in Birmingham. Last year, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, a Republican, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor campaign finance charge and stepped down amid accusations of an affair with an aide. In 2016, former Republican House Speaker Mike Hubbard was convicted of ethics violations including using his public office to drum up clients and investments for his businesses. Williams and Conners are set to appear in court for arraignment April 18. MEXICO CITY (AP) - President Donald Trump is warning about "caravans" of migrants heading to the U.S., though the caravan of Central American migrants supposedly moving across Mexico toward the border was strikingly immobile Monday. The group of about 1,100 people, most of them Hondurans, had been walking along roadsides and train tracks, but they have stopped to camp out at a sports field in the southern Mexico state of Oaxaca. They are waiting and getting advice on filing for transit or humanitarian visas in Mexico. Many headed to the field's stands to shelter under the awning from the hot afternoon sun. As night fell, the migrants, many with children, lit fires to cook their meager rations. Central American migrant children play with a pinata during the annual Migrant Stations of the Cross caravan or "Via Crucis," organized by the "Pueblo Sin Fronteras" activist group, at a sports center as the caravan stops for a few days in Matias Romero, Oaxaca state, Mexico, Monday, April 2, 2018. A Mexican government official said the caravans are tolerated because migrants have a right under Mexican law to request asylum in Mexico or to request a humanitarian visa allowing travel to the U.S. border to seek asylum in the United States. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) While a group of about a couple of hundred men in the march broke off and hopped a freight train north on Sunday - probably to try to enter the United States - the rest seem unlikely to move until Wednesday or Thursday. Those are probably going to take buses to the last scheduled stop for the caravan, a migrant rights symposium in central Puebla state. Irineo Mujica, director of Pueblo Sin Fronteras, the activist group behind the annual symbolic event, said the caravan would continue only to the city of Puebla southeast of Mexico City, "but not in a massive way." After the symposium, some migrants may continue to Mexico's capital, where it is easier to make an asylum claim. Mujica said about 300 to 400 of the migrants say they have relatives living in Mexico and so may consider staying here at least temporarily. It was all pretty undramatic - especially compared to 2013 and 2014, when migrants jammed Mexican trains heading north - but Trump's angry tweets raised hackles in Mexico. "Mexico is doing very little, if not NOTHING, at stopping people from flowing into Mexico through their Southern Border, and then into the U.S. They laugh at our dumb immigration laws. They must stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL!" Trump wrote in one. "With all of the money they make from the U.S., hopefully they will stop people from coming through their country and into ours." Mexico's interior secretary, Alfonso Navarrete Prida, rejected such pressure. "We will act with complete sovereignty in enforcing our laws," Navarrete Prida said Monday. "Of course we will act ... to enforce our immigration laws, with no pressure whatsoever from any country whatsoever." In a statement issued late Monday, Mexico's government said about 400 participants in the caravan had already been sent back to their home countries. "Under no circumstances does the Mexican government promote irregular migration," the Interior Ministry statement said. It noted that Mexico considers the annual caravans to be "a public demonstration that seeks to call attention to the migration phenomenon and the importance of respecting the rights of Central Americans." The U.S. government has been kept fully informed of the situation, it said. The department also said that unlike in previous years of the caravan, "this time Mexican immigration authorities have offered refugee status" to participants who qualify. But it suggested it is not up to Mexico to keep people from going to the U.S. to apply for asylum. "It is not this government's responsibility to make immigration decisions for the United States or any other country, so it will be up to the appropriate authorities of the United States to decide whether to authorize the entry of the caravan participants to U.S. territory," it said. Navarette Prida had said earlier that he talked with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Monday. "We agreed to analyze the best means to handle flows of migration, in accordance with each country's laws," Navarrete Prida wrote in his Twitter account. Nielsen later tweeted that their talk was focused specifically on the annual migrant caravan. "Working with Mexican officials to address the yearly illegal alien caravan. Exploring all options," she wrote. The "Stations of the Cross" migrant caravans have been held in southern Mexico for about 10 years. They began as short processions of migrants, some dressed in biblical garb and carrying crosses, as an Easter-season protest against the kidnappings, extortion, beatings and killings suffered by many Central American migrants as they cross Mexico. The organized portions of the caravans usually don't proceed much farther north than the Gulf coast state of Veracruz. Some migrants, moving as individuals or in smaller groups, often take buses or trucks from there to the U.S. border. Mexico routinely stops and deports Central Americans, sometimes in numbers that rival those of the United States. Deportations of foreigners dropped from 176,726 in 2015 to 76,433 in 2017, in part because fewer were believed to have come to Mexico, and more were requesting asylum in Mexico. Mexico granted 3,223 asylum requests made in 2016, and 9,626 requests filed last year are either under review or have been accepted. Central American migrants arrive to a sports center during the annual Migrant Stations of the Cross caravan or "Via crucis," organized by the "Pueblo Sin Fronteras" activist group, as the group makes a few-days stop in Matias Romero, Oaxaca state, Mexico, Monday, April 2, 2018. The organized portions of the caravans usually don't proceed much farther north than the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, while some migrants, moving as individuals or in smaller groups, often take buses or trucks from there to the U.S. border. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) A Central American migrant from Honduras wears his nation's flag during the annual Migrant Stations of the Cross caravan or "Via crucis," organized by the "Pueblo Sin Fronteras" activist group, as the group makes a few-days stop in Matias Romero, Oaxaca state, Mexico, Monday, April 2, 2018. While a group of about a couple of hundred men in the march broke off and hopped a freight train north on Sunday, the rest seem unlikely to move until Wednesday or Thursday, and are probably going to take buses to the last scheduled stop for the caravan, a migrant rights symposium in central Puebla state. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) Central American migrants gather at a sports center during the annual Migrant Stations of the Cross caravan or "Via crucis," organized by the "Pueblo Sin Fronteras" activist group, in Matias Romero, Oaxaca state, Mexico, Monday, April 2, 2018. The group of about 1,100 people, most of them Hondurans, had been walking along roadsides and train tracks, but have stopped to camp out in this field and wait to get advice on filing for transit or humanitarian visas in Mexico. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) Central American migrants from Honduras sing their national anthem during the annual Migrant Stations of the Cross caravan or "Via crucis," organized by the "Pueblo Sin Fronteras" activist group, as the group makes a few-days stop in Matias Romero, Oaxaca state, Mexico, Monday, April 2, 2018. While a group of about a couple of hundred men in the march broke off and hopped a freight train north on Sunday, the rest seem unlikely to move until Wednesday or Thursday, and are probably going to take buses to the last scheduled stop for the caravan, a migrant rights symposium in central Puebla state. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) Central American migrants arrive to a sports center during the annual Migrant Stations of the Cross caravan or "Via crucis," organized by the "Pueblo Sin Fronteras" activist group, in Matias Romero, Oaxaca state, Mexico, Monday, April 2, 2018. A Mexican government official said the caravans are tolerated because migrants have a right under Mexican law to request asylum in Mexico or to request a humanitarian visa allowing travel to the U.S. border to seek asylum in the United States. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) Central American migrants from El Salvador sing their national anthem during the annual Migrant Stations of the Cross caravan or "Via crucis," organized by the "Pueblo Sin Fronteras" activist group, as the group makes a few-days stop in Matias Romero, Oaxaca state, Mexico, Monday, April 2, 2018. The "Stations of the Cross" migrant caravans have been held in southern Mexico for about 10 years, beginning as short processions of migrants, some dressed in biblical garb and carrying crosses, as an Easter-season protest against the kidnappings, extortion, beatings and killings suffered by many Central American migrants as they cross Mexico. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) Central American migrants rest during the annual Migrant Stations of the Cross caravan or "Via crucis," organized by the "Pueblo Sin Fronteras" activist group, inside a sports center during the group's few-days stop in Matias Romero, Oaxaca state, Mexico, Monday, April 2, 2018. A Mexican government official said the caravans are tolerated because migrants have a right under Mexican law to request asylum in Mexico or to request a humanitarian visa allowing travel to the U.S. border to seek asylum in the United States. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) Clothing hangs to dry at a sports center being used as a base for a few days by a caravan of Central American migrants who are part of the annual Migrant Stations of the Cross caravan or "Via crucis," organized by the "Pueblo Sin Fronteras" activist group, in Matias Romero, Oaxaca state, Mexico, Monday, April 2, 2018. A Mexican government official said the caravans are tolerated because migrants have a right under Mexican law to request asylum in Mexico or to request a humanitarian visa allowing travel to the U.S. border to seek asylum in the United States. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) Britains Defence Secretary said the world has entered a new era of warfare and labelled Russian president Vladimir Putins behaviour malign. Gavin Williamson called the attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury a cold-blooded chemical attack and said the Kremlins response has been to unleash a tidal wave of smears, lies and mockery. The UK expelled 23 Russian diplomats in the wake of the poisoning with its allies also calling on embassy staff to leave, and Russia taking similar measures in return. Police activity in a cul-de-sac in Salisbury near to the home of Sergei Skripal (Andrew Matthews/PA) Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Williamson said the world was becoming a darker, more dangerous place citing conflicts in Syria and Yemen and tensions with North Korea. This is how the Russian state is spreading disinformation following the Salisbury attack. We know the tactics they use, but they don't change the facts. pic.twitter.com/rnCtETv7rg Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) March 29, 2018 He added: Then there is President Putin. He is using more hybrid capabilities to subvert, undermine, and influence countries around the world. If we were in any doubt of the danger posed by Moscow, we only have to look at events in Salisbury, where our Armed Forces, including the RAF, have been responding to a cold-blooded chemical attack. This was an illegal and contemptuous use of force against our country by the Russian State, endangering innocent lives. It follows the Russian Embassy issuing a demand to the British authorities to know why it has been denied consular access to the Skripals. The embassy published a list of 14 questions on Saturday over the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury. More questions to UK Govt on Salisbury poisoning.https://t.co/xS6vd4eyP3 pic.twitter.com/zmgMFmvNrL Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) March 31, 2018 The first question on the list read: Why has Russia been denied consular access to the two Russian nationals, Sergei and Yulia Skripal, that have become crime victims in the British territory? It also included demands to know what treatment the pair were given and queried Frances involvement in the investigation and asked if the Novichok could have been researched, developed or produced in the UK. The Russian Embassy had said it insists on the right to see Ms Skripal, 33, after it emerged she was improving rapidly. An FCO spokeswoman said: We are considering requests for consular access in line with our obligations under international and domestic law, including the rights and wishes of Yulia Skripal. Mr Skripal remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital. The Duke of Edinburgh was absent from this years Easter service at Windsor attended by the Queen. Philip, who has effectively retired from royal duties, was absent from the Easter Mattins Service at St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle where Prince Harry will marry Meghan Markle in May. It is understood he was not due to attend the service. The church service is the latest event the 96-year-old duke has been absent from in recent days and it is understood that he has been experiencing some trouble with his hip. The Queen, dressed in pink, arrives for the Easter service in Windsor as members of the royal family look on. pic.twitter.com/73i8Cem5YC Catherine Wylie (@wyliecatherine) April 1, 2018 The Queen was joined by members of the royal family including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who were there without their children. William and Kate were the final royals to arrive at the church arriving after the Queen and other family members had already gone in and a few minutes after the 10.45am start time. Kate looked elegant in a classic dark coat and matching hat as she made her way into the 14th-century Gothic chapel inside the castle walls. The Duchess, who is expected to give birth to her third child this month, is now on maternity leave. The Dean of Windsor greets the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Tolga Akmen/PA) Harry and Meghan were not at the service, with Kensington Palace describing their weekend plans as private. Members of the public waited outside the chapel as the 91-year-old monarch arrived. Prince Andrew and his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie attended the Easter service, along with Eugenies fiance Jack Brooksbank. The Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence led the royal family down the hill to the chapel, and were joined by Zara Tindall. Princess Annes son Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn, Prince Edward, the Countess of Wessex and their children Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, also attended the service. Princess Eugenie with her fiance Jack Brooksbank and the Princess Royal (Tolga Akmen/PA) It is understood Philip missed the annual Maundy Service on Thursday because of a problem with his hip. It is not thought to be a serious issue as Philip, who was named as a guest in the order of service for the Maundy Thursday event, was spotted driving in Windsor Great Park on Wednesday. Last week, Philip pulled out of an official engagement with the Queen and Duke of York because he was unwell, according to reports. He was due to attend an event at Windsor Castle to mark Andrews new role as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards but was unable to attend because he was feeling under the weather, the Daily Mail reported. He stepped down from his public duties last summer but on occasion does attend events with the Queen. When it was announced last year that he would be retiring from official engagements, Buckingham Palace stressed that the decision was not health-related and he had the full support of the Queen. Hammerson is expected to shed further light on future plans this week after having rejected a takeover approach from European rival Klepierre and standing by plans to seal a 3.4 billion tie-up with Intu. The shopping centre giant will issue a trading update on Thursday, just weeks after disclosing the approach from Frances Klepierre. At the time, Hammerson branded the 4.88 billion cash-and-shares offer wholly inadequate and entirely opportunistic. Bull ring owner Hammerson will report to the market on Thursday (PA) The Bull Ring owner instead wants to press ahead with an all-share takeover of rival Intu, which would create Britains biggest property company with 21 billion worth of assets across Europe. Intu operates the Trafford Centre in Manchester, while Hammerson owns the Bicester Village and Brent Cross shopping centres. City analysts will be expecting an explanation for Hammersons thinking. George Salmon, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: Its been a rollercoaster few months at FTSE 100-listed Hammerson. In rejecting the offer (from Klepierre), Hammersons board described it as unsolicited and entirely opportunistic. Next weeks update will give the group a platform to show exactly why. The trading update will come at a tough time for Hammerson, which has been relegated to the FTSE 250 Index after seeing its share price slide in response to market concerns over the woes on the high street. Last month, the company announced a 6.9% rise in net rental income for the year to December 31 to 370.4 million, up from 346.5 million a year earlier. Graham Spooner, investment research analyst at The Share Centre, said: It has been an eventful past few months for the commercial property developer. All of this has occurred against a difficult background for property developers focused on the retail sector, with signs of weaker sales on the high street due to ongoing popularity of internet usage. Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has ended a surprise visit to Pakistan, her first since being shot in 2012 by Taliban militants who tried to kill her for promoting girls education. A smiling Ms Yousafzai was seen with her parents at Benazir Bhutto International Airport before they boarded a plane to return to London after the four-day visit. Amid tight security, Ms Yousafzai left her hotel in Islamabad, where she had stayed for four days, and headed to the airport in a convoy of vehicles. Malala Yousafzai with her family at her native home in Mingora (Abdullah Sherin/AP) Touching scenes were witnessed when the 20-year-old university student left the hotel, thanking Pakistani officials for giving her an army helicopter over the weekend to fly to the Swat Valley, once virtually under the control of militants, to see her home in the north-west town of Mingora. After visiting Mingora on Saturday, Ms Yousafzai said in a tweet it was the most beautiful place on earth for her. So much joy seeing my family home, visiting friends and putting my feet on this soil again, Ms Yousafzai said as she posted a picture showing her standing with her father, mother and brothers. Ms Yousafzai said she had waited for the moment for more than five years and said she often looked at Pakistan on the map, hoping to return. She said she plans to permanently return to Pakistan after completing her studies in Britain. On Monday, Ms Yousafzais uncle Mahmoodul Hassan told the Associated Press that she is leaving Pakistan with good and memorable memories, but is going back to England because she wants to complete her education there. During her visit, Ms Yousafzai also met with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. She attended a reception at Mr Abbasis office and made an emotional speech in which she said it was one of the happiest days of her life to be back in her country. Most Pakistanis warmly welcomed Ms Yousafzais visit but some launched a campaign on social media against her and she also faced tough questions from journalists, asking about the campaign. Ms Yousafzai said she failed to understand why she was being subjected to this kind of criticism by educated people. So much joy seeing my family home, visiting friends and putting my feet on this soil again. #Home #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/B8VN5Odd27 Malala (@Malala) March 31, 2018 We want to work for the education of children and make it possible that every girl in Pakistan receives a high-level education and she can fulfil her dreams and become a part of society, she told Pakistans ARY news channel. Her home town of Mingora is not far away from the village of Mullah Fazlullah, the head of the Pakistani Taliban who dispatched attackers in 2012 to kill Ms Yousafzai, at the time already a known teenage activist for girls education, but she miraculously survived a bullet wound to the head. Fazlullah had taken over Swat in 2007, marking the height of the militants strength there. The Pakistani military later mostly evicted the militants from the valley and now Fazlullah is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan. Since her attack and recovery, Ms Yousafzai has led the Malala Fund, which helps students in Swat and elsewhere. The husband of jailed British mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe said he is disappointed in the failure of Boris Johnsons efforts two years on from her arrest in Iran. Richard Ratcliffe said the battle to set his wife free has become a test of endurance, particularly after the Foreign Secretarys unsuccessful bids to secure her release. Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian dual citizen serving a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of spying charges, was arrested at Tehran Airport on April 3, 2016. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe (PA) She denies the charges and maintains she was in Iran to introduce her young daughter Gabriella to her parents. Ahead of the second anniversary of her detention, Mr Ratcliffe said: We didnt expect to be needing to mark this anniversary not after the hopes of Christmas and the Foreign Secretarys word. But it remains a cold late Spring. Nazanin was told that if she wasnt home by Christmas, at least it should be done by Nowruz, and we should worry if we go past March 2018, with the storms that might lie ahead. And now we have. He added: Our story has become a test of endurance, and there is a need to recharge spirits particularly after the disappointment of the Foreign Secretarys mission failing to deliver, and Nazanin becoming caught up in this government stand off so we wanted the anniversary to be an occasion where we drew positive energy. That is what the outside can do, and we are grateful for peoples care. Tulip Siddiq, Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffes MP, said: In November the Foreign Secretary promised to leave no stone unturned. But since his trip to Tehran, he has been missing in action. Nazanin does not have the luxury of time, and Boris Johnson must act before her situation gets worse. If he cant deliver on this, then it is time that the Prime Minister stepped in. Richard Ratcliffe (Yui Mok/PA) Mr Ratcliffe said recent weeks have been a low point for his wife in Iran, and she has suffered periodic panic attacks in her sleep. The key question is whether Mr Johnson has given up on his promise to bring home Nazanin soon, the Free Nazanin campaign said. Mr Ratcliffe and his supporters have requested to meet Mr Johnson with lawyers present, to ask what are Nazanins rights in his view as the stand off continues. The campaign for Nazanins freedom said they have previously discussed with the Foreign Secretarys office that it is a contortion to claim that her case is just a normal consular case. Given that Nazanin is held for something the government has not done, not because of something she has, the claim she is just another consular case belittles the governments obligations, the campaign said. On Monday, the Free Nazanin campaign will hold a #ChooseLaughter event in Fortune Green in West Hampstead, north west London, where they will hang jokes and things that make us smile provided by supporters and prisoners. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: On the second anniversary of Nazanins arrest we continue to approach her case, and all of our British-Iranian consular cases, in a way that we judge is most likely to secure the outcome we all want. Therefore we will not be providing a running commentary on every twist and turn. A British soldier, who was expecting his first child with his wife, has died in a tragic diving incident, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. Lance Corporal George Partridge, who died on March 26 at the National Dive Activity Centre in Chepstow has been described by his commanding officer as an exemplary soldier. The 27-year-old who joined the Army in 2010 had previously served in Afghanistan in 2012 and was based with the 26 Engineer Regiment in Perham Down, Wiltshire. His commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Simon Doyle, said: Quietly determined, hard-working and immensely popular, Lance Corporal George Partridge was an exemplary soldier. Humble but hugely capable, he was always ready to lend a helping hand where it was needed the most and at some point everyone in the regiment has had cause to be grateful for his ability to find you a car when the vehicle park seemed empty. Our clearest memories of him will always be on the rugby pitch and in the gymnasium, where he was the epitome of a Royal Engineer junior non-commissioned officer, always pushing himself and his soldiers to the next level, and always with a smile on his face. He will be sorely missed, and our thoughts are with his wife and family at this sad time. Having been selected for promotion to the rank of corporal, the MoD said he had recently achieved a long-held ambition to commence training as an Army diver. 26 Engineer Regiment posted on Facebook stating L/Cpl Partridge died during the final week of his Army diver course. An Army spokesman said they are investigating the incident, adding: Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this extremely difficult time. Picture The MoD said L/Cpl Partridge loved his sport and fitness, and leaves behind his wife Zoe who is expecting their first child, parents Alyson and Stephen and siblings Lucy and Ben. Armed Forces Minister Mark Lancaster said it is clear from the testaments of his colleagues that he had a bright future in the Army and was held in the highest regard. Sergeant Chris Brignull described L/Cpl Partridge as an outstanding character and a great role model for younger sappers within the troop. Corporal Anthony Matthews said: He was a family-orientated man who was looking forward to starting his family with his wife Zoe. He was both a physically and mentally fit person who relished any challenge thrown in his direction. His squadron commander Major Matt Walker said the loss of this epic junior non-commissioned officer leaves a void in the squadron that cant be filled. While Lance Corporal Ash Skerten added: If I could be half the man he was I would be proud, he was the best soldier. Troop commander Lieutenant David Thornett said he was a genuinely good bloke who knew how to make people laugh and that he will be sorely missed. L/Cpl Partridges first years in the Army were spent at 21 Engineer Regiment in Ripon, North Yorkshire, before moving to 26 Engineer Regiment after promotion, the MoD said. He served as a motor transport Lance Corporal and was responsible for allocating drivers to tasks on daily driving details, as well as scheduling maintenance and repairs for the regiments large fleet of wheeled vehicles. NANYUKI, Kenya March 31 (Reuters) - The death of the world's last male northern white rhinoceros this month led a Kenyan government official to declare anyone caught possessing ivory should be sentenced to life in prison. "Ivory belongs to elephants and rhinos," said Najib Balala, Kenya's tourism minister, during a memorial service held at Ol Pejeta Conservancy on Saturday for Sudan, the 45-year-old rhino, who died 11 days ago. Wildlife officials at Ol Pejeta, about 250 kilometres (155 miles) north of Nairobi, put down the rhino on March 19 because of rapid deterioration in his health. Sudan is survived by the last two females of his species, his 27-year-old daughter Najin and 17-year-old granddaughter Fatu. The only hope for preserving their species is through in vitro fertilisation using their eggs and stored semen, according to Ol Pejeta. Thousand of southern white rhinos still roam sub-Saharan Africa, but decades of rampant poaching have drastically cut the number of northern whites. Poachers could sell northern white rhino horns for $50,000 per kilo, making them more valuable than gold. Kenya had 20,000 rhinos in the 1970s, falling to 400 in the 1990s. It now has 650, almost all of them black rhinos. "We are going to change our laws so that anyone caught with ivory will be jailed for life," Balala said. Kenya introduced tough wildlife-protection laws in 2013 in an attempt to stop highly lucrative ivory smuggling, mainly to Asia, which has led to the slaughter of thousands of rare and endangered animals. Those found guilty of ivory trafficking already face a life sentence. But the minimum sentence for possessing it is just five years. After a court sentenced a Kenyan man to 20 years in jail for possessing ivory, the top prosecutor sought for the punishment to be changed to a life sentenced. The convicted man's appeal is still in the courts. The slaughter of endangered animals in Africa for profit continues, but there is ever greater awareness of the bloody cost of ivory, and more international action to stop the trade. In a move with major implications for the illegal wildlife trade from Africa, China banned ivory sales in December. The country is the world's largest importer and end user of elephant tusks. . (Reporting by George Nganga, writing by Maggie Fick, editing by Larry King) HOUSTON, April 2(Reuters) - Latin America this year will host the most licensing rounds in its history, opening about 1,100 oil and gas blocks for foreign capital. Mexico started the calendar in January with a round that attracted $93 billion in investment pledges and followed with another securing over $8 billion. In March, Brazil drew $2.4 billion in pledges for offshore areas on top of about $30 billion from an October bidding round. The following is a list of expected bidding rounds in each country this year: MEXICO A July onshore round will allocate up to 37 areas, followed by nine unconventional blocks, with results due in September. Mexico also hopes to schedule an auction of heavy oil areas in the Gulf's shallow waters late this year. BRAZIL Brazil will host another large offshore auction this year and the government is preparing the transfer of rights from state-run Petrobras. The country plans a permanent offer of up to 850 onshore and offshore blocks starting in May, a number that could climb to 1,700 areas in 2019. The South American country, which is reducing royalties for bordering and mature fields, has worked hard in recent years to relax its local content rules, an issue seen in the past as a major obstacle on investment. COLOMBIA In May, Colombia expects to begin offering up to 25 onshore and offshore blocks in a permanent auction similar to what Brazil is planning, a process that will follow its Sinu-San Jacinto round including 15 areas to be awarded in early April. The country's regulator also is in talks with holders of nine permits for seismic studies in the Caribbean Sea to convert them into exploration and production contracts. URUGUAY Results of third offshore round could be disclosed in late April, including 17 blocks for exploration and production at its Exclusive Economic Zone. The nation is offering less demanding qualification conditions and mandatory exploration terms, according to the government. PARAGUAY State-run Petroleos Paraguayos plans to relaunch in the second quarter an auction to find partners for two exploration and production areas after a failed attempt last year. The blocks - Petropar III and Palo Santo - are part of five areas received by Petropar to be developed in Paraguay's western zone near the border with Bolivia and Argentina. ARGENTINA Argentina will appear late in Latin America's 2018 auction wave with terms of its first offshore round due in July and results expected in December. The auction, of a mostly unexplored area covering 225,000 kilometers off the Atlantic coast, does not include bidding bonuses, according to the government. Interested firms can propose blocks to be added to the offer. (Reporting by Marianna Parraga; additional reporting by Daniela Desantis in Asuncion, Paraguay and Neil Marks in Georgetown, Guyana Editing by Gary McWilliams and Brian Thevenot) Removal of the Prime Minister: Revisiting 19A Can the President remove Prime Minister? The 19th Amendment (19A) to the Constitution of Sri Lanka was passed by the 225 member Parliament on 28 April 2015 (Three years ago) with 215 voting in favour, one against and seven absent. However, due to a large number of Committee Stage Amendments, it could be certified into law by the Speaker only on 15 May 2015. The above amendment was a result of promise made by the President at the January 8, 2015 Presidential Election which he won by 6, 217 162 votes (51.28% ) as against Mahinda Rajapaksa who polled 5,768, 090 votes (47.58% ) from the UPFA and it is ironical that now the present leader of the UPFA /SLFP is the sitting President himself. President Sirisena appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister who was the Leader of the Opposition as Head of a minority Government. However, the President and his Unity Government did not achieve punishing wrongdoers of the former Government and was also bogged down in curbing the present members of the Unity Government following the footsteps of the former regime. THE DRAFTING OF THE 19TH AMENDMENT (19A) The drafting commenced under the above scenario with the ruling coalition as well as the Opposition that held a Parliamentary majority deliberating on major issues. The breakaway group of the UPFA that supported the President was in fact also loyal to the deposed President. Accordingly, the sitting President had to persuade his former party colleagues to support his reforms and eventually the UPFA/SLFP executive committee elected President Sirisena as Leader, which is still disputed by Rajapaksa. The 19 A envisage to return to a more democratic form of governance as compared to the draconian 18A, which abolished the two-term limit for a President and passed within ten days! However, the 19A disappointed people who wanted the abolition of the Executive Presidency but this was more like a compromise possible within the present balance of political power. This Bill saw an important reduction of the powers of the President and included that the PM was the head of the Cabinet and provided that the President acted on his advice in appointment and dismissal of Ministers. THE MAIN CHANGES OF 19A The presidential term is reduced from 6 to 5 years with the restoration of the two-term limit, which was changed by the previous regime to unlimited terms as in 18A. In 19A the sitting President can seek re-election in four years in the first term. Parliaments term is also reduced to five years and the President cannot dissolve Parliament until the expiration of four and a half years from 1 September 2015 (by 1 March 2020) unless the MPs request dissolution with a two-thirds majority. These provisions restrict the President in his ability to act on his own and have established fixed terms with separation of powers. Immunity of the Supreme Court on Fundamental Rights will not apply to official acts of the President. The 19 A restricts the number of Cabinet Ministers to thirty and number of other Ministers. However, on the ground that the two largest parties represented in the present Parliament have formed the Yahapalanaya Government, there was provision made to enlarge the Cabinet by an Act of Parliament. Accordingly, the present Cabinet is top heavy with overlapping functions among the members. It must also be mentioned that such an enlarged Cabinet is a great burden on the people who have to maintain these representatives elected as their servants with perks such as duty-free cars, free accommodation, payment for their utilities, security and allowances for the attendance of Parliamentary sessions. The 19A also removed political patronage of law enforcement as was done during the Rajapaksa regime by categorically providing that the Attorney General and the Inspector General of Police should retire on reaching the age of 60 years. CHANGES TO THE GAZETTED BILL OF 19A The above bill was released on 16 .3. 2015, on the orders of the Prime Minister. This Bill saw an important reduction of the powers of the President and included that the PM was the head of the Cabinet and provided that the President act on his advice in appointment and dismissal of Ministers. These clauses were introduced in line with cohabitation of democratic principles which was new to Sri Lanka. In 19A the sitting President can seek re-election in four years in the first term. Parliaments term is also reduced to five years and the President cannot dissolve Parliament until the expiration of four and a half years The present Cabinet is top heavy with overlapping functions among the members. THE SUPREME COURT (SC) DETERMINATION ON 19A A number of petitions were filed stating the 19A was unconstitutional taking executive power from the President as enshrined in the Constitution. The SC disagreed with the above and determined that the executive power exercised by the President and the Cabinet was fundamentally the sovereignty of the people and not something exclusive to and personal to individuals holding the office of President. Accordingly, the 19A provides to make the PM and Cabinet, and exercising powers without the consent of the President is unconstitutional and will need a referendum. The SC also determined that as long as the President was the final authority the execution of executive power on the advice of the PM or cabinet would be constitutional. On the above determinations by the SC, the earlier provisions contained in the 19A Bill referring to the PM and the Cabinet had to be removed at the committee stage when the Bill was sent to Parliament and the changes were effected mainly to avoid a referendum. THE FINAL TEXT OF THE 19 A With the above changes, the President is the head of State, Head of the Executive and the Government, and the Commander-in-Chief. He is also a member of the Cabinet, which is responsible to Parliament for the issue of Presidential orders and control of the Government. The President has to appoint the MP most likely to command the confidence and trust of Parliament as the PM. The President has to determine the number of Cabinet Ministers, the assignment of subjects to Ministers and retains the power to appoint and dismiss Ministers. In connection with all these powers, the President needs to only consult the PM which he thinks necessary and the advice clause in the original 19A is very weak where it was categorically stated that where the President is required to act on the advice of the PM . CHANGES ENVISAGED IN 19A AND FUTURE POLITICAL REFORMS I have taken the liberty to quote from a research paper published by Dr Asanga Welikala (ref. given at the end) Page 8 of the above under reference states: Even though the Presidential campaign of 2014/15 endangered a remarkable societal discourse on democracy and good governance, public involvement in the process of Constitutional reform stopped abruptly on the day of the election. No effort was even made to share evolving documents with the public, let alone to put in place a framework of public consultation, maintaining the elitist nature of Sri Lankan constitution-making. Secondly, while a wide political consensus was built for democratic reforms, the consensus is unlikely to extend to the state restructuring required to address Tamil and other minority demands for devolution of power sharing. To address these issues in the new constitution the government seeks to promulgate in the next Parliament, it will need to spearhead a far more rigorous consensus building process across the ethnic communities. Thirdly, the significance of personalities in Sri Lankan politics continues to extend to Constitutional change while deeper philosophical differences about Presidentialism and Parliamentarism between abolitionists and reformists played a part, it is clear that the eventual compromise was decided more in light of how Sirisena and Wickremesinghe might work together in the future. CONCLUSIONS I have attempted to analyze the present status of the 19A to the Constitution and the powers of the President in relation to the PM and the Cabinet. It must be stated that there are a number of grey areas in relation to the aspirations of power between the President, PM and the Cabinet. A member of the Law Faculty of the University of Colombo states that the PM can be removed, when he sends a letter to the President or if the PM is not a Member of Parliament. However, Clause 46 (2) of the Constitution states that the PM shall continue to hold office throughout the period, which the Cabinet of Ministers continues to function under the provisions of the Constitution. It was also reported that a group of civic organizations as far back as February 2018 had gone to Court in response to the Supreme Court ruling with regard to the President removing the PM. It is evident that from media reports the President was planning to remove the PM, six days after the Local Government elections. However with the dilution of the 19A, as explained in this article, it is possible for the PM to resign if he loses the confidence of Parliament. The above provision is what the legal eagles of the Opposition argue will help in ousting the PM by a simple majority of 113. It is a coincidence that April 4, 2018, is the 50th Death Anniversary of Martin Luther King, which is also the Day of the NCM against PM. I do hope that eliminating the PM from active politics will not end the campaign for human rights and minority rights in Sri Lanka or bring a totalitarian regime of the former leader. In this context, I am sad to state the President has become a pawn in the power hungry and greedy politicians who are waiting to grab power as soon as possible. The recent statements by SLFP/UPFA Ministers some of whom were even rejected by the people at the last election are the most vociferous in removing the PM. Further, if the President was convinced that the PM collaborated with the perpetrators of the CBSL on the Bond Scam as stated by his own Ministers from the SLFP/UPFA, he could have removed the PM under the Constitution before 19A, which entered into force only in May 15, 2015 as the Bond Scam was exposed in February 2015. This action would have brought Mahinda Rajapaksa as the PM at the August elections in 2015. However, I am of the view that even if the NCM is a success it may result in legal issues where the Judiciary may be involved for the final determination unless the PM resigns on his own. References Dr Asanga Welikala ESRC teaching Fellow in Public Law at Edinburgh Law School and Associate Director of the Edinburgh Centre for Constitutional Law and Senior research fellow CPA Sri Lanka -Sri Lanka :The Ninetieth Amendment to the Constitution -from start to finish- Journal of the International Institution for democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) (The writer is retired Economic Affairs Officer United Nations ESCAP and can be reached at fasttrack@eol.lk) BEIJING AFP March30, 2018- Beijing flexed its military muscle this week as its sole operational aircraft carrier apparently took part in a huge naval drill with dozens of other vessels in the South China Sea, satellite images showed. The pictures, taken by Planet Labs Inc., appear to show the Liaoning carrier at the centre of a formation of more than 40 other ships lined up in pairs south of Chinas Hainan province island on Monday. Chinas defence ministry refused to confirm whether the Liaoning took part in drills this week but military experts say the aircraft carrier is identifiable. Six submarines and two J-15 fighter jets appear to lead the naval parade, James Char, a military expert at Singapores Nanyang Technological University, told AFP. Such a formation serves more of as a visual spectacle with the Liaoning the status symbol of the PLA (Peoples Liberation Army), Char said. This formation is unlikely to be used in actual combat situations, he said, adding that he would not be surprised if it was purposely aimed at being picked up by satellite images. The show of force emerged days after Taiwan said that the Liaoning and other vessels had passed through the Taiwan Strait on March 20 -- the same day that Chinese President Xi Jinping warned against any attempts to divide China. - Sea claims - Beijing has also been asserting its vast claims to the South China Sea, transforming reefs into islands capable of hosting military equipment. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan have their own claims to the sea, while US warships regularly conduct freedom of navigation operations near islands controlled by Beijing. China's defunct Tiangong-1 space lab mostly broke up on re-entering the Earth's atmosphere above the South Pacific, the BBC reported today quoting Chinese and US reports. It had re-entered the atmosphere around 00:15 GMT on Monday, China's Manned Space Engineering Office said. Tiangong-1 was launched in 2011 to carry out docking and orbit experiments. It was part of China's efforts to build a manned space station by 2022, but stopped working in March 2016. The rather vague "above the South Pacific" is the line from space officials. US specialists at the Joint Force Space Component Command said they had used orbit analysis technology to confirm Tiangong-1's re-entry. Astronomer Jonathan McDowell, from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, tweeted that it appeared to have come down north-west of Tahiti. Experts had struggled to predict exactly where the lab would make its re-entry - and China's space agency wrongly suggested it would be off Sao Paulo, Brazil, shortly before the moment came. The European Space Agency said in advance that Tiangong-1 would probably break up over water. It stressed that the chances of anyone being hit by debris from the module were "10 million times smaller than the yearly chance of being hit by lightning". It's not clear how much of the debris reached the Earth's surface intact. Industry and Commerce Ministry Secretary Ranjith Asoka officially launches e-ROC digital platform in the presence of Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure Ministry Secretary Wasantha Deshapriya, KPMG Partner C.P. Jayathilake, Registrar General D.N.R. Siriwardena, ICTA Special Projects Director Kanchana Thudugama and other government officials Pic by Nisal Baduge By Chandeepa Wettasinghe The Registrar of Companies yesterday launched the e-ROC digital platform, which would allow companies to be registered in Sri Lanka within one day going forward, compared to the previous nine days. With the launch of e-ROC, we have moved from an 80-year-old process of manual work to electronic processing. This is an important milestone, Industry and Commerce Ministry Secretary Ranjith Asoka, under whose purview the Registrar of Companies falls, said yesterday at the launch of the e-ROC platform. Under the first stage of e-ROC, a company name could be registered and then incorporated, while under the second stage, all other services, including linking the tax files at the Inland Revenue Department and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) files at the EPF Department, would be completed. KPMG and Informatics (Pvt.) Ltd developed the portal, while the states ICT Agency (ICTA) acted as the project manager and technical consultant. KPMG Partner C.P. Jayathilake said that the next phases of the project would involve e-ROC providing companies the services of updating documents, deregistering and filing 25 to 30 types of returns. Asoka said that the project was developed at a cost of Rs.57 million. He stated that 9,782 companies, 84 societies, 817 company secretaries and 19,275 public contracts were registered in 2017. When the process duration is reduced from nine days to just one, like the ICTA said, it saves a lot of time and improves efficiency, Asoka said. He added that 208,710 documents were submitted to the Registrar of Companies and that going digital would help the Registrar of Companies become paperless. Asoka went on to say that setting up e-ROC is crucial to Sri Lanka improving in the World Banks Ease of Doing Business Index. The prime minister always communicated his interest in this project, he said. He said that the Industry and Commerce Ministry hopes to further identify the needs of the private sector and take the required action. The Sri Lankan government is expecting to rise up to the 70th position in the Doing Business Rankings by 2020, compared to the current ranking of 111 and has set up eight task forces to implement actions, such as e-ROC to improve the rankings. Before e-ROC was launched, registering a company in Sri Lanka was ranked as the 77th easiest in the world. The story about a student in Mullaitivu who had committed suicide after having failed in the last years GCE Ordinary Level examination was overshadowed by the success stories of many students in various other parts of the country and the obsession of the media with the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The story also might have not drawn the attention of the media as it was heard from a relatively remote area. However, it is in a way good that the imprudent act by the unfortunate student was suppressed without being an example to the other disappointed students. We have heard of such incidents in the past years as well. The absurd thought of some students that the GCE OL and AL exams are the end of the world has been created in them by the absence of an assurance of a good future for the youth in the country. And the A mania created in the students of both levels of GCE examination by the media as well as those conducting tuition classes have also contributed to the furtherance of frustration among the unsuccessful students. The race for As is taking place amid a huge and ever widening gap in facilities among schools with some schools having swimming pools while some even in the Colombo District lacking even drinking water. This fact has never been a concern of the politicians or the bureaucracy concerned and thus it is widely viewed as something not needed to be addressed or bothered about. The tuition classes play such a critical role at the Ordinary Level and Advanced Level that one can say that the school education above Grade-9 has been privatized, despite the schools getting the credit for successes of the students at those two levels. This is evident with the students of so-called popular schools too attending tuition classes. In many cases it is the school teachers who promote tuition and push the students toward it with their lethargic attitude in teaching in schools. Interestingly, the teachers trade unions that pounce upon the education authorities even at the drop of a hat turn a blind eye to this situation. Besides, the future of the successful students at the Ordinary Level is not guaranteed either in the present educational and economic system. After the OL even the successful students are left to themselves to decide the subject stream at the AL, as there is no system to guide them according to their talents and the avenues available in the country. Only half of the more than 300,000 students, who sit the AL examination each year, succeed and only about one-fifth of those successful students or about 30,000 students become eligible for the university entrance every year. Sons and daughters of the rich manage to find access to foreign universities or local institutions such as the Green University while a large majority of those sitting the OL and AL are being left to themselves by the the same education system of the country. This is in addition to the problem of the drop-outs before the OL. The country lacks an economy that would guarantee the absorption of all or majority of these youths into its various sectors. We had a stagnant economy since the British era when the plantation economy was started. A somewhat diversification was brought in 1978 when the open economy was introduced in 1978. The expansion of the economy though slow was evident since then only in the service sector which also lags far behind the expansion of the work force the major segment of which comprises of unskilled people. The education system has also become aimless and not in par with any economic programme. This creates a sense of uncertainty and frustration within the work force as well as in those are to join it in the future. Minister of Buddha Sasana Gamini Jayawickrama Perera referring to the incident where he was not allowed to enter the Lingaraja Temple in Odisha, said yesterday that he does not understand why this happened to him. Speaking to the Daily Mirror, the minister said he was forced to face this embarrassment during a tour organised by the Kalinga International Foundation at Bhubaneswar on March 16. Minister Perera explained that the temple authorities had not allowed him to enter the temple stating that he was not a Hindu. Lingaraja is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and is one of the oldest temples in Bhubaneswar, the capital of the East Indian state of Odisha. I wanted to visit the place as a devout Buddhist as the place is also historically important to Buddhists. The temple is linked to the time of King Ashoka, the great Indian emperor who spread the Dhamma around the world. Arahath Mahinda, who is depicted in Buddhist sources as being responsible for bringing Buddhism to Sri Lanka was also from Odisha. Therefore, the temple is historically important to Buddhists, he said. Minister Perera explained that he was surprised by the incident as hundreds of Lankan devotees including Buddhists visit Hindu temples in Tirupati and Kerala. Minister Perera said that it was an embarrassing situation as the Sri Lanka High Commissioner to India was also among the delegation that visited the temple with him. The minister said that when he brought up the embarrassment faced by him at the famous temple in the course of the conference in Bhubaneswar former Indian foreign secretary and the Chairman of the Kalinga International Foundation Lalit Mansingh had apologised for what had taken place and assured that incidents such as this would not occur again. The Lingaraja temple is maintained by the Temple Trust Board and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and while the temple compound is not open to non-Hindus there is a viewing platform beside the wall offering a good view of the main exteriors. (Thilanka Kanakarathna) TEHRAN AFP March31, 2018- Irans foreign minister on Saturday condemned the fatal shooting of 16 Gazan protesters by Israeli troops and mocked the fact that it happened as Israeli Jews prepared to mark Passover. The protesters were among thousands who marched along the Gaza-Israel border on Friday and set up protest camps at the start of a six-week campaign for the return of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who fled or were expelled during the war surrounding Israels creation in 1948. The week-long Passover festival, which began at sundown on Friday, commemorates Gods liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt as told in the Book of Exodus in the Hebrew Bible. On the eve of Passover (of all days), which commemorates God liberating Prophet Moses and his people from tyranny, Zionist tyrants murder peaceful Palestinian protesters -- whose land they have stolen -- as they march to escape their cruel and inhuman apartheid bondage. Shameful, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted. Iran has long been a supporter of Islamist group Hamas which controls the Gaza Strip. Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi condemned the savage massacre of a large number of Palestinians by the armed forces of the Zionist regime (Israel). Posted 3/29/18 The main contested races in the area to be decided in the general municipal election Tuesday, April 3, are in the city of Fair Grove and the Fair Grove R-10 School District.Four candidates are MINGORA AFP March31, 2018- Malala Yousafzai landed in the Swat valley Saturday for her first visit back to the once militant-infested Pakistani region where she was shot in the head by the Taliban more than five years ago. The visit by the 20-year-old Nobel laureate was kept tightly under wraps and she was accompanied by the Pakistani military, who were providing heavy security, as well as her mother, father and two brothers. After flying by army helicopter to the northwestern region from Islamabad, she met with friends and family before visiting the all-boys Swat Cadet College Guli Bagh, some 15 kilometres (nine miles) outside of Mingora, the districts main town. She looked happy on arrival at the school, where she was expected to speak with students before returning to Islamabad, an AFP reporter there said. Mingora is where Malalas family was living and where she was attending school on October 9, 2012, when a gunman boarded her school bus, asked Who is Malala?, and shot her. She was treated first at an army hospital then airlifted to the British city of Birmingham. The rule of the Unity Government which was formed in August 2015 will come to an end at 9.00 pm tomorrow if the NCM was beaten. The Government will lose over 35 members and there will be a new Government with a cabinet reduced to 30 ministers in such a scenario The limited mandate given in 2015 to the UNF does not exist after the February 10 LG polls. General Secretary of the SLFP, Minister Duminda Dissanayaka has to learn more politics and more governance because he has little experience. However, I have nothing personal against young Minister Duminda at all. The NCM is against the Prime Minister and the Government. Not against the President. Parliament means legislature and President means the Executive elected by the people at a Presidential poll. The Daily mirror sat with Science, Technology and Research Minister Susil Premajayantha, to discuss the No-Confidence Motion and current politics in the country. Excerpts: Q Are you confident that the Joint Opposition could win the No Confidence Motion (NCM) against Prime Minister Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday? This No Confidence Motion has been signed by the Joint Opposition members and a few other members of the Unity Government. Therefore, it is the duty of the SLFP members in the Unity Government to support the No Confidence Motion because 13 out of 14 allegations contained in the No Confidence Motion are based on the Central Bank bond scam and the other one is the failure of Prime Minister Mr Wickremesinghe to take prompt action as the then Minister of Law and Order to quell racial violence in Kandy in February. Dont forget that all these allegations on the bond scam were first raised by the nine-member SLFP Parliamentary Committee led by Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena in November 2016. In that context do you think any SLFP member whether he or she is in the Government or in the Opposition could oppose the NCM? I think No. And as such, I have no doubt whatsoever that we would win the NCM comfortably. Q But in simple arithmetic, the JO could garner only the support of 55 members before submitting it to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. Therefore, the JO will have to get the support of another 68 members to reach the simple majority of 113, while the UNF needs only the support of eight members to the target, except Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. Dont you think this is an uphill task for the JO? If you analyze the results of the last General Election (August 2015) you would see the party strength of each party has dramatically been changed by now. The limited mandate given in 2015 to the UNF does not exist after the February 10 LG polls. In 2015, the UNF returned 106 members with the support of its constituent partners. Only 82 members were from the UNP while the UPFA won 95 seats with 82 from the SLFP. The TNA won 16 seats, JVP 6 seats, SLMC 1 and EPDP 1. Up to date, the TNA has not declared its position on the NCM but the JVP and EPDP have said they would support it. Under this scenario, I am confident that we can win the NCM. Q What would be the position of SLFP Ministers in the Yahapalana Government or in the Cabinet if the JO could not win the No Confidence Motion against Prime Minister with their support? That is the end of the Unity Government at 9.00 p.m. tomorrow which was formed in August 2015. The Government will lose over 35 members and there will be a new Government with a Cabinet reduced to 30 ministers. Please note that we have nothing against Mr Wickremesinghe personally but his policies and the style of his governance. What we are trying to do is to save the Unity Government by removing Mr Wickremesinghe from the Premiership. Q Your struggle is to remove Mr Wickremesinghe from the Premiership. In the event of JO winning the No Confidence Motion, do you agree if Mr Wickremesinghe accepts a Cabinet portfolio under a different PM? This struggle is not for victory for the JO but for the victory of the people who expressed their intentions very clearly at the February 10 Local Government polls. In that case, my opinion is that Prime Minister Mr Wickremesinghe should resign before the debate on the NCM is taken up tomorrow morning in Parliament. Q Even the Ministry of Finance? Mr Wickremesinghe taking up the Finance Ministry under a new PM is not possible amidst the prevailing situation. Taking most of the functions of the Finance Ministry including the Central Bank under his purview is the main contributory factor that led to the bond scam. I presume that if Mr Wickremesinghe did not take the Central Bank under him in 2015, the bond scam would not have come about. Besides, President Maithripala Sirisena in a remedial measure has taken away most of the responsibilities connected with the MoF from Mr Wickremesinghe including the CB. In appointing a new Cabinet, I dont think President Sirisena would agree to give the MoF to Mr Wickremesinghe. Q Minister Vajira Abeywardana says that under the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, a No Confidence Motion was not possible against the Prime Minister? As a lawyer and seasoned politician, what is your opinion on this remark? Minister Vajira Abeywardana has not understood the relevant articles of the Constitution at all properly. Why did the Speaker accept the NCM and decide on a date for the debate after all? I dont want to talk much about the comments made by Minister Abeywardana. I invite him to have a look at our Constitution. For his convenience I would like to quote from Paragraph 42, 43,44 and 45 of the Sri Lanka Constitution as follows: Chapter 46 clearly outlines how the Prime Minister can be removed and a new PM appointed. Chapter 45 says, there shall be a Cabinet of Ministers charged with the direction and control of the Government of the Republic. (2) The Cabinet of Ministers shall be collectively responsible and answerable to Parliament. (3) The President shall be a member of the Cabinet of Ministers and shall be the Head of the Cabinet of Ministers. (4) The President shall appoint as Prime Minister the Member of Parliament, who, in the Presidents opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of Parliament. 43. (1) President shall, in consultation with the Prime Minister, where he considers such consultation to be necessary, determine the number of Ministers of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministries and the assignment of subjects and functions to such Ministers. (2) The President shall, on the advice of the Prime Minister, appoint from among Members of Parliament, Ministers, to be in the charge of the Ministries so determined. (3) The President may at any time change the assignment of subjects and functions and the composition of the Cabinet of Ministers. Such changes shall not affect the continuity of the Cabinet of Ministers and the continuity of its responsibility to Parliament. 44. (1) The President may, on the advice of the Prime Minister, appoint from among Members of Parliament, Ministers who shall not be members of the Cabinet of Ministers. (2) The President may, in consultation with the Prime Minister where he considers such consultation to be necessary, determine the assignment of subjects and functions to Ministers appointed under paragraph (1) of this Article and the Ministries, if any, which are to be in the charge of, such Ministers. The President may at any time change any assignment made under paragraph (2). 31 - Chapter VIII was substituted by the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution Sec. 9 Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers and their subjects and functions Ministers who are not members of the Cabinet of Ministers The Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka 41 (4) Every Minister appointed under paragraph (1) shall be responsible to the Cabinet of Ministers and to Parliament. 45. (1)The President may, on the advice of the Prime Minister, appoint from among Members of Parliament, Deputy Ministers to assist Ministers of the Cabinet of Ministers in the performance of their duties. Q He also says that the No Confidence Motion was also against President Maithripala Sirisena. Your comments? The NCM is against the Prime Minister and the Government. Not against the President. Parliament means legislature and President means the Executive elected by the people at a Presidential poll. Q You had a war of words recently with SLFP General Secretary, Agriculture Minister Duminda Dissanayaka. Have both of you got settled the issue? General Secretary of the SLFP, Minister Duminda Dissanayaka has to learn more politics and more governance because he has little experience. However, I have nothing personal against young Minister Duminda at all. Q The allegations against Mr Wickremesinghe in the No Confidence Motion are based mainly on the Central Bank bond scam. As far as you know, what is the correct amount of financial loss from this alleged fraud? I asked this question because several figures ranging from Rs. 10 billion to two or three trillion rupees have been mentioned as the total damage. According to the Auditor General, the loss is Rs. 11.5 billion but the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) that probed the bond scandal has recommended a forensic auditing which would give us a clear picture of the actual damage done to the economy in the long run. The long-term negative effects to the economy have never been calculated and my gut feeling is that it will be colossal and much more than Rs. 11.5 billion. QHow is the preparation of the SLFP under President Maithripala Sirisena for the upcoming PC polls for Eastern, North - Central and Sabaragamuwa Provinces? We are awaiting the Parliamentary debate on the delimitation on PCs to arrive at a final decision on how we face PC polls. Pix Damith Wickramasinghe Minister Mano Ganesan promises to withdraw it; committee to be set up to review issues The funding agencies are also very eager to see the organizations registered so the activities of the NGOs are looked into and monitored The draft amendment restricts constitutionally guaranteed rights such as the freedom of association, freedom of assembly and the freedom of expression. Financial scrutiny for transactions over Rs. 1 million as grants coming in and for any transaction of the prescribed amount. Citizens get together and have fundraising events for social welfare. But if this amendment is implemented you cannot form such groups for such purposes In a bid to regulate, supervise and inspect Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) the Government introduced a draft legislation to amend the Voluntary Social Service Organizations (Registration and Supervision) Act, No 31 of 1980 and the draft had received Cabinet approval. However, the draft amendment was subjected to severe criticism and civil society vehemently opposed it. As a result, the Minister of National Co-existence Dialogue and Official Languages Mano Ganesan, in the presence of civil society representatives last week promised to withdraw it. The Prime Minister was also in attendance. Accordingly, a committee is to be set up which will include civil society representatives. However, civil society activists stressed that NGOs should not be targeted and if there are any allegations of malpractices within NGOs, existing laws could be used to deal with them. Shocked and Stunned At a press conference organized by the Collective of Civil Society Organizations Executive Director of the Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and a Co-Convener of the Platform for Freedom, Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, said that civil society was shocked and stunned that such a Cabinet paper could be presented and endorsed by the Government. The effect of the Cabinet Paper was to consider legislation that was so extensive and comprehensive in terms of all civil society actors, he said. He said the restrictions envisaged by the amendment would have had a chilling effect on civil society and would run completely contrary to the promises and commitments made by the Government with respect to governance. Executive Secretary of Right to Life Philip Dissanayake said that the amendment went against the principles upheld by civil society and even the current Government. Compulsory for NGOs to be registered Currently, the National Secretariat For Non-Governmental Organizations is under the purview of the Ministry of National Coexistence, Dialogue, and Official Languages. The draft amendment seen by the makes it compulsory for all NGOs operating in Sri Lanka to be registered. Critics of the draft amendment point out that on one hand NGOs already registered under various categories such as a non-profit organization, a Trust, under the Ministry of Social Welfare, or under the Pradeshiya Sabha were required under the suggested amendment to re-register under the NGO Secretariat. On the other hand, they point out that there was no necessity to make registration under the Secretariat compulsory unless a particular NGO collaborated with the Government for its activities. In some areas, citizens get together and have fundraising events for social welfare. But if this amendment is implemented you cannot form such groups for such purposes, pointed out the Executive Director of Peoples Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), Rohana Hettiarachchi. The draft amendment also bars an NGO from changing its name, rules governing the NGO, amending the constitution and establishing branch offices or subsidiary NGOs without the written approval of the National Secretariat for NGOs. Hettiarachchi said that when disasters struck the country, it was the civil society that responded promptly in providing relief. We helped those devastated by the tsunami clean their houses and rebuild houses. But our mandate does not state that we can do such activities, he said adding that if the amendment under scrutiny today was in existence at that time, civil society would not have been able to assist as promptly as they did, as they would have had to seek approval beforehand. Constitutionally guaranteed rights restricted Meanwhile, the President of Families of the Disappeared Brito Fernando said that civil society was not against introducing new legislation per se, but Constitutionally guaranteed rights should not be violated. Attorney-at-Law Ermiza Tegal said that the draft amendment posed restrictions on Constitutionally guaranteed rights such as the freedom of association, freedom of assembly and the freedom of expression. The draft amendment sought to define Non-Governmental Organizations in the broadest possible sense and would have applied from village level societies to unregistered associations, to guaranteed limited companies, to social enterprises and also to corporate foundations, she said. National Secretariat for NGOs According to the draft amendment the NGO Secretariat is able to investigate complaints of misconduct in NGOs, criminal activities including terrorist financing and money laundering. The Secretariat also has the powers to enter and inspect premises of NGOs. Further, the Secretariat can obtain information related to financial activities of NGOs from banks. Tegal said the draft law gave extraordinary Police powers to the NGO Secretariat for search and seizure. It has introduced financial scrutiny for transactions over Rs. 1 million as grants coming in and for any transaction of the prescribed amount. The bank would have to notify the NGO Secretariat. Further offences have been introduced for NGOs for actions, such as non-registration, not giving a publication of the organization and not providing information, that could have been administratively corrected, she said. Asked if NGOs should be regulated at least to a certain extent she said it depended on the type of regulation that was in discussion. If it is regarding financial mismanagement, fraud, corruption, terrorist financing there are regulations already in existence. You can make complaints to the Police. The Police can investigate and the Attorney Generals Department can prosecute, she said. There is no need to specifically target and hamper the functioning of individuals who want to get together and form associations and NGOs. There are laws domestically that look at various kinds of wrongdoings and NGOs are subject to the same laws. NGOs are not special categories, she said. She further said the NGO Secretariat under the existing Act has no legal status which was also problematic. But it functions, issue circulars and regulations and puts various conditions on various organizations. This has been a problematic trend. At the District level organizations are being compelled to give their work plans, and invite the District Secretariat to their various events. This also leads to opportunities for corruption, she pointed out. Tegal also said Police powers to enter organizations, to take copies of documents are found in the existing law as well. The draft amendment has allocated these same powers to the NGO Secretariat, she told the . No consultations Nishantha Prithviraj of the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement said that the proposed draft amendment weakened peoples sovereignty. He pointed out the draft amendment was drafted without consulting civil society and was an injustice to civil society and the public at large. He said existing laws could be used to deal with malpractices within organizations if there were any. NGOs perceived with suspicion NGOs have been viewed at with scepticism and suspicion due to perceptions created of their non-national nature resulting from their dependency on international funds. In 2008, a Parliamentary Select Committee headed by Vijitha Herath of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) was appointed to investigate the operations of NGOs and their impact on sovereignty and national security. Reports state that after the war, the Government suspicions of NGOs increased with international advocacy groups lobbying against Sri Lanka. Under the previous regime, the NGO Secretariat was brought under the purview of the Defence Ministry and there were attempts to regulate NGOs. For instance, a circular was introduced to control NGOs. Brito Fernando said that civil society activists gathered and burnt the circular in front of the Fort Railway Station manifesting their opposition. The circular was neither withdrawn nor implemented, he said. Fernando said he was surprised when the current draft amendment was introduced as the Prime Minister and Minister Mano Ganesan had often worked closely with the civil society. Accounts Audited Time and again critics have questioned the manner in which funds obtained by NGOs were utilized, and whether there has been any fraud or misappropriation of the funds received. In response to a question posed by journalists, Rohana Hettiarachchi said that NGOs audited their accounts annually. NGOs registered under the Companies Act, the Social Services Department, or the District Secretariats provide records to the respective authorities, he said. So, every fund we receive is audited. Fernando added that NGOs provide audited reports and the Government had the power and right to question them. Draft Amendment to be withdrawn Following discussions with the Prime Minister and Minister Mano Ganesan last week, the draft amendment has been suspended. When the contacted Minister Mano Ganesan, he confirmed that he would withdraw the draft amendment. Meanwhile, he tweeted that a committee was proposed with civil society members and officials from the NGO Secretariat to revisit the necessities for new legislation and formulate means to address issues. Dr Saravanamuttu said that civil society activists were given a commitment last week that no legislation would be based on the proposed draft amendment. We agreed, therefore, to meet with them to discuss and explore the need for any further regulation. In fact, if there is a need for a legislative amendment, it is to strengthen the freedom of association rather than restrict it in the way that is identified in this cabinet paper, he said. Need for Amendment Speaking to the the Director General of the NGO Secretariat Shakya Nanayakkara said the draft amendment sought to include suggestions made by the Central Bank and the Ministry of Justice. Asked why the amendment was needed he said Sri Lanka was a signatory to International Conventions which deal with issues such as money laundering and financing terrorism. Secondly, companies have legal personalities. But the NGO Secretariat does not have a legal personality under the existing Act. So, certain issues cropped up when initiating legal proceedings, he said adding that the amendment, proposed to make the Secretariat a legal personality. He said the advice of the Attorney Generals Department and other Government institutes was to strengthen the NGO Secretariat as it was the body that registers NGOs. Stressing the importance of registering NGOs Nanayakkara said that an NGO became a legal entity through registration. The funding agencies are also very eager to see the organizations registered so the activities of the NGOs are looked into and monitored, he added. He said that the draft amendment mandates the registration be issued within three months. Previously, the registration process took two-and-a-half-years to three years. But the draft Amendment states that the Registrar has to issue the registration within three months, he said. He also said that no proposed legislation could contradict prevailing Constitutional provisions such as Article 14, which among many freedoms, guarantees the freedom of association. However, he said that civil society itself was divided on this issue. Development Organizations want the Government assistance and support. They report to the Government Agents and they work with the Government structures. Advocacy organizations want a more liberal process. So, we have to find a middle path, he said. The exhibition will be opened at the Alliance Francaise on April 5, 2018, at 6.00 pm. The exhibition will be open to the public from April 6 - 9 from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm Royden O. Gibbs, a gifted artist, has marvellously captured many historical places of Sri Lanka through his art. As an individual interested in history, architecture and humanity he gives us a glimpse of past glories, some of which unfortunately have disappeared over time. He has an impressive collection of paintings of lighthouses from all across Sri Lanka. He was also the first artist to travel to the north-east during the war, to capture unique perspectives even during such turbulent times. An unassuming individual who makes friends wherever he goes, he is invariably mistaken for a tourist when he travels across the country. Gibbs has been passing on his passion for art to many students throughout the years. He is helping his current students organize an exhibition of their paintings which will be held at the Alliance Francaise, opening on April 5, 2018, at 6.00 pm. The exhibition will be open to the public from April 6 - 9 from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm. Below are some of the students in their own words; I am told that I had a love for art in my early school years. About five years ago, I was told that art would help alleviate my stressful lifestyle. After some guidance from great Royden Gibbs, I finally started painting. Did it help with my stress...? Yes... it did. Now that I am retired, I hope to spend a little more time in this pursuit. However, I guess Ill continue to be a dilettante as far as art goes! Lets see where this takes me. - Lal Chandranath Coming from a family of artists who dabbled in art at different points in their lives, it was very much instilled in me that I could draw. My uncle, the late Asoka A. Gunawardhana, was my first teacher. Since then I have studied under many great teachers, but never had enough time to settle down to finish a collection of paintings worth exhibiting, until I met my excellent teacher Royden Gibbs. Watercolour is a wonderful medium and I am thoroughly enjoying myself. - Veeranthi Wijemanne The distinctive ability acquired throughout my career as an architect, to feel and perceive inner splendour and reality, inspired me to create this series of landscapes. Besides, I find that sitting still in a site, admiring minuscule details and painting with watercolour on a blank paper for hours is the perfectly tested method of relaxation for myself, as well as the ultimate cure for my soul. Thus, through my work I wish not only to initiate a spark in peoples heart to appreciate the genuine inward significance of everything in our lives, but also to gift them a sense of peace and well-being. - Keshani de Silva I found art as precious and valuable as emeralds and dearer than fine opals. It was a pleasure for me to sit the green and watch the sun in his chariot of gold. Hats off and dearest thanks to my master Royden Gibbs Art had been a distant dream for me being a mother of three sons, while working full time. Long have I wished to pursue my dream as an artist, until I was introduced to Royden Gibbs by my friend Ms. Mendis. I was very inspired by him and his work. I joined his class four months ago. I somehow manage to find time for painting and as the old saying goes, better late than sorry. - Renuka Mendis In 2017, I won an international award the Toyota Dream Car silver medal in Japan. That was a wonderful moment in my life. I found art as precious and valuable as emeralds and dearer than fine opals. It was a pleasure me to sit the green and watch the sun in his chariot of gold. Hats off and dearest thanks to my master Royden Gibbs. - Hansaja Devnith I have always been very much interested in art, especially watercolours. Under the guidance of my teacher Roydon Gibbs I am learning the use of different techniques and this has been very useful for me since I am doing art as a subject in school. Art has made me look at things from a different perspective. I have learned to be more observant of little things, be it the colour of the sky or cloud formations or shadows etc. - Malinka Samarasinha I was interested in art from a very young age. My interest in art was rekindled under the guidance of Roydon Gibbs. I am mainly interested in learning the different techniques in watercolour, which is a very interesting and challenging medium. I have done a few still life and landscapes in watercolour and hope to expand to other mediums in the future. Getting involved in art has made me observe and appreciate the things around me, especially nature, in a more detailed way. - Dharsha Samarasinha Over the past 29 years I made a name for myself in the field of print media and have won several awards as a political cartoonist and as a newspaper and graphics designer. One of my childhood dreams was to become a top class painter and to achieve this dream I sought guidance from the legendary painter Roydon Gibbs a few years ago. This marks the first time that some of my work will be on display in an exhibition. - Wasantha K. Siriwardena I have always been interested in art/paint/colour. But I had really never thought about learning it, until my children left home and I had time on my hands. I was introduced to Royden Gibbs by a former student of his. He has encouraged and guided me to paint, and mostly to have the confidence to express myself. - Manel Ratnayake My very first teacher was Mrs. Lathifa Ismail and I am very grateful to her. While going through a turbulent period in life, art gave me the peace and quiet I needed. I was introduced to Royden Gibbs, who inspired me to improve myself with his passion for art and his enthusiasm. Art is the best stress reliever and gives me lots of joy and happiness. - Dianthi Uragoda One of my childhood dreams was to become a top class painter and to achieve this dream I sought guidance from the legendary painter Roydon Gibbs a few years ago. This marks the first time that some of my work will be on display in an exhibition I had a desire for art from my school days, having won the college art prize in 1961, at S. Thomas College, Gurutalawa. I continued to further enhance my abilities by joining the then famous Amarasekera Academy of Art. After three decades, I had a fortuitous meeting with Royden Gibbs at an art exhibition. Under his inspiring tutelage I have happily started painting again. - Gamini Fernando I found that art is a cohesive medium that permeates across geographies, cultures and ethnicities a common language that binds humanity. My desire to learn to draw stems from a passion to capture and share the extraordinary beauty found in the detail of what cursorily seems mundane and ordinary. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to train under Roydon Gibbs, one of the best water colourists of our time, and is determined to make the best of it. - Lilani de Silva The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) today revealed that Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) Chairman Professor Colvin Gunaratne had sent a top secret letter to Health Minister. GMOA Secretary Haritha Aluthge told a news briefing that the letter was sent following the first coup to stop the election of members to the council had failed. He said according to informed sources the letter was also copied to the Ministers public relations officer. However, the GMOA did not reveal the contents of the letter but challenged Prof. Gunaratne to publicize the contents of the letter if can. The GMOA described the letter as the second conspiracy to stop the SLMC election. In a letter dated March 23 sent to the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) by Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne had ordered to suspend the up coming election of members to the council stating that there would be legal implications. However, the majority of SLMC membership decided to ignore the letter and to continue with the election proceedings and the GMOA described the attempt as the first conspiracy. SLMC Chairman was hatching a coup to sabotage the SLMC election. When we met the Minister Senaratne recently he promised us that he would not interfere the SLMCs sovereignty. If any attempt is made to sabotage the election, GMOA will resort to stern trade union action, he said. He further said that though the Medical Ordinance has a clean history for nearly 9 decades as it protected the quality of countrys health service until now. He said some Non-Governmental Organiations (NGOs) are attempting to amend the Medical Ordinance however if any amendment is to introduced, it should be done with the intention of improving the quality of health service. Any amendment is to effected, it should be done with the support of medical experts to full fill the publics need neither to please the NGOs nor to seek political gains, Dr. Aluthge added.(Thilanka Kanakarathna) Video by Susantha The No-Confidence Motion against the Prime Minister is not just against him. In its practical implication it is about the government as a whole. This is not about how it is interpreted constitutionally, but how it would work out, practically, if it wins. It states, This Parliament resolves that it has no confidence in Ranil Wickremesinghes ability to function as Prime Minister and as a Minister of the Cabinet, and as well as the Government in which he holds the office of Prime Minister, any longer. In purely constitutional terms, the government could well go on under a different prime minister even if Mr Wickremesinghe is ousted by the No Confidence motion. But, how practical is that? If this one wins, this is the beginning of a very rapid end. The UNP and the government will be effectively headless and anyone who succeeds Mr Wickremesinghe as the prime minister would be at the mercy of a jubilant joint opposition and is more likely to be a stop- gap prime minister until either the next general election or the JO appoints one of its own. However, most likely, the Joint Opposition will lose the number game. As ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa has implored, we have delivered the signatures of all MPs on our side. It is up to President Sirisena now to carry through the rest. We await this. Basically, the joint opposition is expecting the president to do the dirty work. In fact, the President seems to be swinging his proverbial sword at the prime minister all too often. He has progressively weakened the Prime Ministers hold on the government. He has abolished the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) headed by the Prime Minister, and last week removed Central Bank and the Securities Exchange of Sri Lanka that were previously under the purview of National Policies and Economic Affairs Ministry held by the prime minister, and placed them under the minister of finance, Mangala Samaraweera. Subsequently, several other institutions that were formerly under the prime minister were also removed and re-assigned to relevant line ministries. The UNP will have to part ways, possibly carrying with it whoever SLFP MPs willing to join it, and form a new government The Presidents intentions are not all that clear. Is he believing that the prime minister would orchestrate a cover up of the bond scam? Or does he simply think it is unethical for the prime minister to oversee these institutions in the light of revelations made before the Bond Commission and absconding former governor Arjun Mahendran? However, the presidents silence over the no-confidence motion and what appears to be his tacit approval of it, suggest something different. The president may be plotting to strengthen his hold in the SLFP by weakening the prime ministers position in the government. His recent political decisions are reflective of the desires of the SLFPs Mahinda-loving factions, and by extension, those of the joint opposition. Effectively, the president is playing an indirect role in destabilizing his own government. At the end, the president will have to announce his position as to whether he supports the no-confidence motion or not. In the case of former, battle lines would be drawn and that would be the end of the Yahapalanaya government. If he opposes the motion, then, the president and the UNP will have to work out a plan to salvage the Yahapalanaya from the current inertia. There again the president is following a third strategy; he is standing on the fence, perhaps with the intention of backing the winning horse. His vacillation creates further political confusion. Even if the entire SLFP and the joint opposition unite (that is 95 seats in Parliament), they still fall 18 votes short of a Parliament majority. The UNP (105 plus the Speaker) can manage to survive the vote with the help of the TNA, some of whose members are likely to vote against the no-confidence vote while some others may abstain. To guarantee that outcome, the UNP should be able to secure the loyalty of all of its MPs. If things come to a close combat, the Joint Opposition and its financers would try the old tricks that were used to buy votes for the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. Bag loads of cash will change hands. If the Bribery Commission is really committed to fight high profile corruption, here is one case that they ought to keep an eye on. In purely constitutional terms, the government could well go on under a different prime minister even if Mr Wickremesinghe is ousted by the No Confidence motion. But, how practical is that? If this one wins, this is the beginning of a very rapid end The real question then would be the future of the unity government. If the SLFP votes for the no-confidence motion, the continuation of the unity arrangement would no longer be tenable. Trying to do so would make the government a farce. The UNP will have to part ways, possibly carrying with it whoever SLFP MPs willing to join it, and form a new government. Securing a simple majority in Parliament will however be a tall order, however not that difficult for an industrious political leadership. The first Rajapaksa government, which he inherited from former president Chandrika Kumaratunga, had only 105 seats and went to win the war. A UNP-led government would be relieved from the current internal wrangling between the two main partners. It would also allow a degree of a unified political direction. However, the problem with Mr Wickremesinghe is he lacks political initiative, and apparently that lethargy is now taking a heavy toll on the countrys economy. Successful leaders in developing countries of the caliber of Mahathir Mohammed, Lee Kuan Yew in his days, and Narendra Modi have shown greater deal of political and economic pro-activeness and have run rings around their opponents when they have to. Developing countries have different priorities and a sense of urgency for growth, which can be achieved only if they secure a degree of political cohesiveness which these states are lacking. Sometimes, to achieve these ends, one has to follow unorthodox means, reflective of social and economic conditions of these countries. Basically, the joint opposition is expecting the president to do the dirty work A UNP government can appoint Sarath Fonseka to catch crooks and increase the heat on the joint opposition. It should act to fast track the implementation of development projects that have been stuck for too long, expedite land acquisition for FDI projects and think new ways of riot control. For most of these things, Mr Wickremesinghe can ask ex-President Rajapaksa how he managed to deliver . With all his other mistakes, he did quite well on economy, though he wasted money on a few vanity projects. All in all, this government cannot continue this way, April 4th should be the day for a fresh start. Follow @RangaJayasuriya From April 4 to 7 at the Jaffna University Medical Faculty To mark its 40th anniversary, students of the Jaffna University Medical Faculty have organised an exhibition titled Yarl Med Ex 2018 which is scheduled to be held from April 4 to 7 at the faculty premises. The exhibition is co-sponsored by the Health Ministry (Northern Province) and local and international chapters of the Alumni Association in partnership with the event management company, Evolution. The Medical Faculty has played a pioneering role in introducing medical exhibitions to the Northern Province and this years exhibition will set the platform to raise awareness and dialogue on health issues faced by the Northerners. While shedding light on recent developments in the health sector, the exhibition will provide opportunities for school-goers and school-leavers to explore career opportunities in the fast-growing health sector. The latter is of pivotal significance to the province, given the dearth of healthcare professionals. The exhibition will be held in Vanni in October in a bid to create awareness in remote areas. Furthermore, Yarl Med Ex 2018 will address the following key thematic areas: basic sciences, career guidance, current challenges in health, recent advances and future directions in medicine and health across the life cycle. The last consists of four stages addressing child, adolescent, adult and elder health. Unlike the traditional format that centres on various disciplines in medicine, the exhibition takes a crosscutting approach to highlighting priority issues in the North. The exhibition boasts a number of attractions. The basic sciences and career guidance areas target A/L students and school-leavers. Among the highlights are hologram displays of 3D images of the human body, cadaver specimens and an application to assist students in making career decisions. Among other displays, the current challenges zone addresses road accidents and features numerous non-communicable disease prevention strategies including a section devoted to organic farming. The recent advances zone introduces nanotechnology and robotics, including nanotechnology for cancer therapy, the Da Vinci robotic guided laparoscopy system and 3D printed prosthetics. Finally, the zones addressing health across the life cycle feature opportunities for non-communicable disease screening, including bio-impedance analysis to measure body fat and health education on cancer prevention. Other contemporary social issues with wide-ranging implications for healthcare including child abuse, gender-based violence and substance abuse will be covered, as relevant to each age group. A section is dedicated to elder care, given the growing aging population in the Northern Province, which has seen mass out-migration. A key objective of the exhibition is to create opportunities for students to express their creativity while developing team spirit and honing leadership and communication skills A key objective of the exhibition is to create opportunities for students to express their creativity while developing team spirit and honing leadership and communication skills. Towards this goal, Yarl Med Ex 2018 is jointly organised by medical students and students of the Allied Health Science Unit. Notably, this inter-disciplinary approach emphasizes the value of inter-professional collaboration in the health sector, sadly lacking today. The exhibition has been integrated into the undergraduate medical curriculum as a Field Health Activity, a core requirement in Community Medicine. The Field Health Activity is essentially a community-based health promoting activity carried out by medical students in year four of the undergraduate programme. While such activities have been undertaken both individually and collectively in yester years, Yarl Med Ex 2018 will constitute a collective Field Health Activity for the 36th batch of medical students, who are collaborating with junior and senior colleagues of the Medical Faculty and the Unit of Allied Health Sciences. Charles Camilas, President of the Student Organising Committee, is playing a steering role in the exhibition. According to Charles, the students initially took on the exhibition purely as an academic activity, but they have since come to realise its value in creating sustained connections and memories by bringing students together. Charles also speaks of the heart-warming response received from A/L students in the Northern Province, to essay and art competitions organised parallel to the exhibition. Brintha Suseendran, Secretary, appreciates the hard work put in by colleagues of her faculty as well as other faculties (especially Fine Arts, Architecture and Engineering of the Jaffna University, Eastern University and the University of Moratuwa). She also highlights the support students received from academic staff, sponsors and well-wishers. Geerthana Nagenthiran, Treasurer, echoes these sentiments adding that she feels privileged that her batch was given the opportunity to be a part of this historic event and make a contribution to societal well-being. The students are ably supported by the Chair of the Exhibition Committee, Dr. R. Surenthirakumaran, Senior Lecturer and Head/Community and Family Medicine and his team of academic staff in the Organising Committee. Dr. S. Raviraj, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, has provided sustained leadership to the event with support from Prof. R. Vigneswaran, Vice Chancellor, Jaffna University. Financial assistance from the Northern Provincial Council and the Health Ministry (Northern Province) has made this medical exhibition a reality. We welcome participants from across the island to make this historic event a resounding success. [Written by members of the Media Sub-committee of the Exhibition Committee, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna]. Oops....! We couldn't find that... 404 error Unfortunately the page you were looking for could not be found. It may be temporarily unavailable, moved or no longer exist. Check the URL you entered for any mistakes and try again. Alternatively, search for whatever is missing or take a look around the rest of our site. - T. S. Eliot Thoughts After Lambeth "The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide." This Blog is a digital journal for two cute pooches, Casey (A White Color Shih Tzu Dog Mix) & Peanut (A Brown Dachshund Dog Mix) who are both two complete opposites who have nothing in common except this blog and same owners. This item is available in full to subscribers. Attention subscribers We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription. If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site. If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here. Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing. Proactively From the Sea; an agent of change leveraging the littoral best practices for a paradigm breaking six-sigma best business case to synergize a consistent design in the global commons, rightsizing the core values supporting our mission statement via the 5-vector model through cultural diversity. As was expected, Vladimir Putin won Russia's presidential elections comfortably and will be leading Russia for another six years. He got more than 76% of the vote and became the longest serving Russian leader since Stalin, being at the helm of Russia as either president or prime minister since 1999. He wanted to ensure that the scale of victory was higher than the last time, when he had won around 64% vote, and he succeeded in drumming up that support. While Putin has celebrated his victory as a recognition of "the achievements of the last few years," the elections were stage-managed to a large extent, with the main opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, barred from the race. With the coronation of Xi Jinping as China's 'emperor' for life and Putin's re-election in Russia, a new form of authoritarian political order is shaping up, challenging the liberal order like never before. The West and Russia are now squaring off against each other with more than 20 Western nations ordering the expulsion of dozens of Russian diplomats in response to the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in the UK, an unprecedented move and the largest expulsion of Russian diplomats since the Cold War. Russia has responded in kind, expelling 60 US diplomats and 59 diplomats from 23 other countries. India, of course, has a long standing relationship with Russia, but it is undergoing a shift in light of rapidly evolving geopolitical realities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was prompt in tweeting his wishes for Putin's new term in office. For India, what should be of concern is Russia's increasing tilt towards Pakistan as it seeks to curry favour with China. Moscow had historically supported New Delhi at the United Nations Security Council by repeatedly vetoing anti-India resolutions on the Kashmir issue. Today, however, there is a change in how Moscow views its regional priorities in South Asia. In a significant development, the joint declaration issued at the end of the first-ever six-nation Speaker's Conference in Islamabad held in December supported the Pakistani line on Kashmir. This declaration, signed by Afghanistan, China, Iran, Pakistan, Russia and Turkey, underscored that "for ensuring global and regional peace and stability, the issue of Jammu and Kashmir needs peaceful resolution by Pakistan and India in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions." Pakistan's Kashmir fixation meant that it forced other interlocutors to bring the Kashmir issue to the declaration. During his visit to New Delhi in December, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov publicly called on India to join China's Belt and Road Initiative and hoped that New Delhi will find a way out to benefit from the mega connectivity project without sacrificing its position on the issues flagged by it. Referring to India's opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor on the grounds of sovereignty, he underlined that "the specific problem in this regard should not make everything else conditional for resolving political differences." Lavrov also made his displeasure clear over New Delhi's warming up to the idea of a quadrilateral engagement involving the US, India, Japan and Australia in the Indo-Pacific. He suggested that "sustainable security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region cannot be achieved through bloc arrangement and is only possible through an open-ended collective basis." Despite the best efforts of the top leaderships in India and Russia, divergences are growing in this bilateral relationship as the underlying structural changes in the international environment are pulling the two nations apart. For Russia, the US-led West presents its biggest challenge and its foreign policy priorities increasingly revolve around pushing back against the West at every level. From the UN Security Council to the western European periphery, this is what Russia is doing. The West views Russia as one of the most disruptive forces in global politics, even more so than China in many ways. The initial optimism of a US-Russia rapprochement during the Donald Trump presidency has died down with domestic politics in the US becoming ever so contentious. Britain and Russia are entangled these days in the dispute pertaining to the attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter on British soil using a deadly nerve agent. And the West has united behind Britain in responding to Russia. For India, the prism is different as it has to manage the negative externalities emerging from the rise of China in its vicinity. Chinese power is now intruding into India's traditional sphere of influence in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region. The growing power disparity between India and China is making the border situation more unstable. China-Pakistan nexus is proving difficult to contain as India gets ready to face a two-front challenge. China refuses to recognise Indian global power aspirations and has not yielded on key Indian security demands. As a result, while Russia may find cooperation with China a perfectly legitimate response to its problems with the West, India does not have that luxury. New Delhi has to therefore find likeminded countries to build alternative platforms and narratives so as to preclude Chinese hegemony in the wider Indo-Pacific. Russia's growing collusion with China and Pakistan will continue to test the Indo-Russian partnership in the coming years. For a relationship that largely relies on arms purchases and where the economic underpinnings are lagging, the need of the hour is to have candid conversations about the current state of play in the relationship. Just relying on sentimentalism of the past won't work anymore as new challenges confront India and Russia and the global geostrategic environment undergoes a profound reordering. (The writer is a Distinguished Fellow at Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi and Professor of International Relations, King's College, London) Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has accused India of launching a "brutal crackdown" in Kashmir after terror groups suffered a major setback following the killing of 13 terrorists in counter-insurgency operations. Abbasi's statement late on Sunday night came after Indian security forces on Sunday gunned down 13 militants in three counter-insurgency operations that also claimed the lives of three army jawans and four civilians in Anantnag and Shopian districts of Jammu and Kashmir. "The brutal crackdown, including the despicable use of pellet guns on civilians who were protesting against the killing, is deplorable," Abbasi said. He also asked the international community to urge India to allow access to fact-finding missions of the UN to Kashmir. Sunday's operations by the Indian security forces have rendered a severe blow to terror groups such as the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Lashkar-e-Taiba. The proceedings of the Lok Sabha were disrupted yet again today amid slogan shouting by AIADMK members seeking early constitution of the Cauvery water management board. Amid the din, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till 12 noon during the Question Hour. As soon as the House met for the day and took up the Question Hour, AIADMK members rushed into the Well shouting slogans such as 'we want justice' and 'we demand Cauvery board'. Citing assembly polls in Karnataka, the Centre had sought more time from the Supreme Court last week to set up the board to implement water sharing formula between Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. Congress member Kantilal Bhuria and RJD's J P N Yadav were seen waving documents and demanding a review of the Supreme Court order diluting the provisions of immediate arrest under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The government is moving the top court today seeking a review of its order. While the TMC members were seated in their places, MPs of the TDP, which has moved a notice of no confidence against the government, were standing at their seats. Black ribbons were pinned to their shirts. As the ruckus continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till 12 noon, barely minutes after it had met after a long weekend. Opposition protests today forced the adjournment of proceedings in Rajya Sabha for the day without transaction of any business as members trooped into the Well and shouted slogans, drowning every other voice. MPs belonging to the Congress, TMC, BSP, TDP and those of Tamil parties -- DMK and AIADMK, were in the Well even before Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu could settle down in his chair. Unlike past days when listed papers were allowed to be laid on the table peacefully, Naidu had to go through the exercise today amid chaos as members persisted with slogan shouting. The Congress and the BSP led the charge against the government, accusing it of being "anti-Dalit", an apparent reference to the Supreme Court ruling on the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The main opposition party also raised the issue of India's biggest bank fraud alongside the TMC. Tamil parties were demanding immediate constitution of the Cauvery Water Management Board for the division of river water between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Members of the TDP and KVP Ramachandra Rao of the Congress held placards demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. Amid the din, Naidu called the ministers to lay the listed papers on the table of the House. But some of them had to be prodded by their colleagues as they apparently couldn't hear Naidu calling their name to lay the papers. The Chairman asked the members to at least allow papers to be laid. "Entire country is watching," he said. "You are not going to achieve anything. You are making a mockery of the parliamentary system." He said the Chair is ready to allow discussion on all the issues being raised by opposition parties. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said important bills are listed for discussion in the last week of the current Budget session of Parliament. The government, he said, is ready for a discussion on all issues. "I don't understand why for small issues concerning them, they are not allowing the House to function," he said. Naidu said the government is ready, the chair is ready and the opposition too is ready for discussion. But as the ruckus continued, he adjourned the proceedings for the day barely six minutes after the House met. The mortal remains of 31 of the 39 Indians killed in Iraq will arrive at Amritsar International airport today in a special aircraft, said officials. The aircraft with the bodies of the 31 slain Indians, who hailed from different places in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, is expected to reach Amritsar by 1:30 pm, they added. Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh had left for Iraq yesterday to bring back the mortal remains of the 39 Indians, killed in the war-torn country. Out of these, 27 belonged to Punjab while four hailed from Himachal Pradesh. While the remains of the men belonging to Punjab and HP would be received at the Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International airport in Amritsar, the rest of the bodies would be flown to their respective places in Patna and Kolkata to be handed over to their relatives. Punjab Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu will receive the bodies on behalf of the state government at the airport, the officials said. The administration has made arrangements of ambulances for transporting the coffins to their native places in Punjab, an official said. In the wake of a bandh called by a number of Dalit organizations today to protest the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has urged the protestors not to take the law in their own hands and, in particular, not to impede rood and rail transport in any way. Amarinder has appealed to the protestors to let the mortal remains of the Iraq victims be ferried to their native villages without any hindrance. He has also directed the Punjab police to provide strict security for the same along the routes, from the airport to the respective native villages of the victims. Earlier this month, Swaraj had told Parliament that as many as 40 Indians were abducted by terror group ISIS from Mosul in Iraq in June 2014, but one of them escaped posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh. The remaining 39 Indians were taken to Badoosh and killed, she had said. The mortal remains of 31 of the 39 Indians killed in Iraq will arrive at Amritsar International airport on Monday in a special aircraft, said officials. The aircraft with the bodies of the 31 slain Indians, who hailed from different places in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, is expected to reach Amritsar by 1.30 pm, they added. Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh had left for Iraq on Sunday to bring back the mortal remains of the 39 Indians, killed in the war-torn country. Out of these, 27 belonged to Punjab while four hailed from Himachal Pradesh. While the remains of the men belonging to Punjab and Himachal Pradesh would be received at the Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International airport in Amritsar, the rest of the bodies would be flown to their respective places in Patna and Kolkata to be handed over to their relatives. Punjab Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu will receive the bodies on behalf of the state government at the airport, the officials said. The administration has made arrangements of ambulances for transporting the coffins to their native places in Punjab, an official said. In the wake of a bandh called by a number of Dalit organisations on Monday to protest the dilution of the SC/ST Act, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has urged the protesters not to take the law in their own hands and, in particular, not to impede rood and rail transport in any way. Amarinder has appealed to the protestors to let the mortal remains of the Iraq victims be ferried to their native villages without any hindrance. He has also directed the Punjab Police to provide strict security for the same along the routes, from the airport to the respective native villages of the victims. Earlier this month, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had told Parliament that as many as 40 Indians were abducted by terror group IS from Mosul in Iraq in June 2014, but one of them escaped posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh. The remaining 39 Indians were taken to Badoosh and killed, she had said. The HRD Ministry has advised students and parents not to rely on rumours and to report to the CBSE if they come across any "hoax leaked papers" floated on social media. "After the arrest of some miscreants and suspension of a CBSE official, all efforts are being made to ensure smooth conduct of CBSE exam today (Monday). Students and parents are advised not to rely on rumours. In the past, a number of hoax leaked papers have been floated. Inform CBSE helpline," School Education Secretary Anil Swarup said. Amid a nationwide outrage over the CBSE paper leaks, the HRD ministry had on Sunday suspended one board official and initiated a probe even as the Delhi Police's Crime Branch arrested three people, including two teachers of a private school, for their involvement in the leak of Class XII economics paper. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had already issued public notices alerting about fake question papers of Hindi Elective, Sanskrit and Political Science, which were circulating on social media, saying they were indicating "hoax leaks". The HRD Ministry had last week announced that the re-examination of the CBSE Class XII economics paper would be held on April 25, while the Class X mathematics re-test, if required, would be conducted only for Delhi-NCR and Haryana in July. The announcement had come after the board received complaints that the question papers for the two subjects were leaked. Amid shutdown and restrictions, a tense situation prevailed in Kashmir on Monday, a day after 13 militants, four civilians and three army soldiers were killed in separate gun battles and subsequent clashes in southern Shopian and Anantnag districts on Sunday. Separatists had called for a strike on Sunday and Monday against the killing of civilians and militants, while authorities imposed restrictions in volatile areas of Srinagar, Shopian, Pulwama and Anantnag and Kulgam districts to thwart protests. The authorities also suspended mobile internet services in the Valley, a common government practice, aimed to calm tensions and prevent anti-India demonstrations from being organised. Intra-Kashmir train services remained suspended due to apprehension of fresh violence. All examinations scheduled on Monday were postponed by Kashmir University, Islamic University and Central University and Central University Kashmir. Authorities had also ordered closure of all educational institutions in the Valley on Monday. Officials said no incident of fresh violence was reported on Monday. However, Shopian and the neighbouring districts of Pulwama, Kulgam and Anantnag remained on the edge as funeral prayers in absentia for slain militants and civilians were organised at several places in south Kashmir. "The situation remained under control during the day as police and security forces were to maintain law and order," a police officer said and added restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPc were imposed in parts of Srinagar, Shopian and Kulgam districts. While separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq were put under house arrest, JKLF chief Yasin Malik was detained at Kothibagh police station in Srinagar. Despite restrictions, reports of protests were received from several areas of Srinagar and south Kashmir. At the city center in Lal Chowk here, a traders' body held a protest against the "killing spree" in Kashmir. They demanded the government to take cognisance of the situation prevalent here and stop killings forthwith. Later, the traders tried to take out a march towards the United Nations headquarters at Sonwar here. However, a huge posse of government forces already deployed near Polo view prevented them from marching ahead. Many traders were also detained by police. Students of Kashmir University also staged massive protests on the campus to oppose the varsity's decision to hold the 13th J&K Science Congress (2018) function despite Shopian civilian killings. An eyewitness said the hostel boarders assembled outside the convocation complex of the varsity and staged pro-freedom slogans. The nationwide bandh called by several Dalit organisations against the dilution of the SCs/ST Act turned violent at a few places in Rajasthan. In Jaipur, several trains were stopped by protesters. Trains plying from Jaipur to Delhi were stopped at Alwar railway station. Agitators also pelted stones at the trains. "Our train was stopped at Alwar railway station and suddenly protesters started pelting stones. We are stuck for the last three hours," said Rishabh Pandey, a passenger travelling on the Jaipur-Allahabad Express. The Jaipur metro also halted its operations from 11 am to 5 pm. Hundreds of protesters carrying swords, sticks, forced shopkeepers and other establishments in Barmer, Kota and Jodhpur to down their shutters. In Barmer city and Hindaun in Karauli districts, Section 144 has been imposed. A ban on internet services has also been imposed till 8 pm on April 3. . The killing of 13 local militants in a single day on Sunday has dealt a serve blow to the Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Toiba outfits as it has the potential to weaken the local support structure for foreign militants operating in south Kashmir. It was for the first time in over a decade that security forces killed as many as 13 militants in a single day in the hinterland and all of them were local boys most of whom had joined the militant ranks in last one year. "It (killing of local militants) is a big blow to the plans of Hizbul and LeT in south Kashmir as foreign militants can't survive for long without support of local ultras who know the topography. The killing of 13 local militants in a single day is definitely going to down the morale of the remaining ultras," a senior police officer involved in counter-insurgency operations told DH. He said the militants from Hizbul and LeT were scheduled to plan for future coordination and had called a joint meeting when the security forces received "specific input". "We traced cell phones of the militants to get the exact location. A call made by one of the militants to more of his associates to join them at the house proved very effective in zeroing in on the house," the officer said. He said while 13 militants were killed in three separate operations on Sunday, at least six ultras still managed to escape from one of the encounter sites. "Four local Hizbul militants, including commander Zeenat-ul-Islam alias Alqama, managed to give forces a slip during the initial exchange of fire at Kachdoora, Shopian. Two more militants injured in the encounter were rescued by the locals from the debris of a house," he revealed. The trend of local youths joining militancy has gone up since the killing of Burhan Wani in July 2016, with reportedly nearly two dozen young boys picking up arms this year, eight of them in just the past fortnight. Security forces killed nearly 220 militants, including influential commander, in 2017 while 46 ultras have been neutralised this year. However, according to officials, despite the successful operations against militants, the number of ultras is more or less the same as it was at the beginning of 2017. They reason the fresh recruitment for numbers not dropping. A gang of robbers attempted to break into the strong room of the Central Bank of India branch, near the sugar factory, in Gauribidanur on Sunday night by drilling the back wall of the bank. As the branch is located at an isolated spot and does not have adequate security, the gang has made this bid, said the police. Also, the robbery was attempted during a thunderstorm in the area, when people were indoors. In their search for the money, the gang has ransacked the entire bank, leaving all the records in disarray. Police said that the gang has then tried to break into the strong room and fled, when they could not succeed. The branch manager lodged a complaint with the police on Monday morning. Police visited the spot and investigations are on. A blog about the opportunities and challenges facing those of us working to democratise our cities... In an embarrassment to the Tamil Nadu government, Governor Banwarilal Purohit has refused to accept in entirety the list of prisoners to be released prematurely on the occasion of late chief minister M G Ramachandran's (MGR) centenary year. Instead, the pro-active governor, who has held review of developmental projects in district headquarters, has called for a case by case review of the life convicts whose names were recommended by the state government. The state government had in January decided to prematurely release 1,700 prisoners who have completed more than 10 years in jail on the occasion of MGR's 100th birth anniversary. The 1,700 figure, sources said, was arrived at since the matinee idol was born on January 17. The governor, who is vested with powers to grant sanction for the prisoner's release, has told Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan, Home Secretary Niranjan Mardi and Director General of Police T K Rajendran during a meeting on Sunday that he wants the cases to be individually examined before deciding on providing amnesty to the convicts. Confirming the development, Law Minister C Ve Shanmugam told DH that the governor's advice will be followed. "The governor has asked for a review. He wants a case by case review of the convicts. We will go by the governor's advice and there is nothing wrong in him advising us on this issue," he said. The minister dismissed suggestions that the governor's advice was an interference on his part in the functioning of an elected government. It has been the practice of successive governments in Tamil Nadu to release prisoners on the occasion of birth anniversaries of leaders like Periyar E V Ramasamy. Despite protests from the Opposition, Purohit has been continuing with his review meetings in district headquarters with officials on various projects. Though the state government has not objected to such visits, the Opposition has been raising hue and cry over the issue. The principal Opposition party, the DMK, used the opportunity to hit out at the AIADMK and accused it of "surrendering the rights of an elected government" to an appointed governor. "It is the government's prerogative and the governor cannot interfere. But this AIADMK government will allow the governor to do all sort of things because of their fear of the BJP," said Durai Murugan, DMK's deputy floor leader in the state Assembly. However, Constitutional expert and former Lok Sabha Secretary-General Subhash Kashyap told DH that the governor is empowered to seek a review or even reject the recommendation. "Legally, the governor has the right to ask for a review. He can ask for review of such decision and the law has empowered him to do so," he said. Two DMK workers purportedly attempted self-immolation on Monday as protests on the Cauvery issue spread across Tamil Nadu. The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) also announced its support for a state-wide shutdown called by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Thursday. DMK workers continued holding flash protests across the state on Monday, taking a cue from their leader M K Stalin who staged an impromptu dharna in Valluvar Kottam area in Chennai on Sunday. In a statement, Stalin appealed to people from all walks of life to make the April 5 bandh a "grand success" even as he received a boost from an association of farmers' group being spearheaded by the PMK that pledged support for the day-long shutdown. In Coimbatore, two DMK activists, identified as P T Murugesan and Singai Sadashivam, doused themselves with kerosene and tried to self immolate. However, they were overpowered by the policemen present at the spot and whisked away to a nearby police station. In Chennai, cadres of fringe outfit, May 17 Movement, gathered outside Shastri Bhawan, which houses several Central Government offices, in the morning and pelted stones at the buildings. However, they were immediately arrested and taken away from the spot. Several Central Government installations, specifically Post Offices, came under attack from fringe outfits. A traders' body and chemist shops association announced that shops would remain shut on Tuesday as a show of solidarity with farmers, who are suffering due to non-release of water from Cauvery river. DMK cadres also tried blocking trains at several cities like Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli and warned of intensifying their protests if the Centre did not act immediately. Demonstrations in Cauvery delta region also intensified with students of various colleges in Mannargudi bunking classes and launching protests demanding immediate constitution of Cauvery Management Board. Noisy protests by AIADMK members led to a washout of the Lok Sabha proceedings on Monday even as Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar trained his guns at the Congress for "creating ruckus" in the House. AIADMK members waved placards and raised slogans for setting up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) when the Lok Sabha re-convened at noon. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan took up notices of no-confidence motion submitted by 12 Lok Sabha members representing seven political parties. However, the Speaker expressed her inability to count 50 members standing at their assigned places in support of the no-confidence motion. According to rules, a no-confidence motion can be taken up for debate in the Lok Sabha after it is supported by at least 50 members. The Congress and BJP members remained seated in their assigned seats as the AIADMK members continued with their protests. Congress member Jyotiraditya Scindia was seen urging the Speaker to bring the House to order. "If somebody is obstructing this no-confidence motion, it is the main Opposition party, the Congress party. They are creating ruckus," Ananth Kumar said. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge countered saying that his party was ready for discussion on the no-confidence motion and urged the Speaker to proceed with it. He also flagged the Congress' concerns on the leak of the CBSE question papers and the dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. "Since the House is not in order, I will not be able to bring the notice before the House," the Speaker said before adjourning the proceedings for the day. Later, addressing the media, Kumar hit out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi saying he was not serious about taking up the no-confidence motion. "The Congress is disrupting the House proceedings on the direction of Rahul Gandhi. This will boomerang on the Congress, they will be reduced to dust in Karnataka," Kumar told reporters outside Parliament. Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) on Monday threatened to carry out fidayeen (suicide) attacks on security forces to avenge the killings of 13 local Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militants and four civilians. A local news gathering agency GNS quoting spokesperson's statement said, "We will avenge every drop of blood of Kashmiri people, and this Jihad will continue till the mission of freedom is achieved. "Hizbul Mujahideen should not feel alone, the Jaish fidayeen are with them; we will together avenge the Indian oppression." Advocating the idea of pan-Islamism, the JeM was founded by Maulana Masood Azhar in 2000 after he was released in exchange of passengers of Indian Airlines flight IC 814. The JeM was instrumental in carrying fidayeen phase of attacks in Kashmir from early to mid last decade. Less than two and half months before the fidayeen attack on Parliament on December 13, 2001, one of the deadliest fidayeen attacks was carried out by the JeM on the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, using a car bomb on October 1, 2001. More than 40 people were killed and many more were injured. However, the graph of JeM went down after 2004 when Pakistani establishment started a crackdown after it carried an abortive bid to assassinate the then Pakistan president General Parvez Musharaf. Its Kashmir chief and mastermind of Parliament attack Ghazi Baba was killed in an encounter with the Border Security Force (BSF) in Srinagar on August 30, 2003. Although JeM's presence in the valley still remains low, it carried out several fidayeen attacks on security forces including the one on Indian Army in 2017. A senior police officer told DH that the JeM has made a comeback and is trying to connect with people in Kashmir. "There are evidences on the ground that Jaish, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen are operating jointly and sharing their resources to revive the lethal phase of militancy in Kashmir. Jaish is trying to exploit the sympathy wave in Kashmir which was generated after Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's hanging," he said. "With ground ripe for radicalisation and fidayeen attacks in Kashmir, we fear more violence in coming months and years," the officer warned. A grouping led by the world's biggest steelmaker ArcelorMittal, mining mogul Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta and a consortium of Russia's VTB Capital-backed NuMetal and JSW on Monday put in bids to takeover bankrupt Essar Steel in the second round of bidding. In the first round, NuMetal and ArcelorMittal were the only two parties that bid to buyout Essar Steel, but the insolvency resolution professional overseeing the auction was advised to reject both the bids owing to their promoters being linked to defaulter companies. Revised bids were due on Monday. Sources privy to the development said three groups bid for Essar Steel. NuMetal, majority-owned by Russia's second largest bank VTB Group, shed Aurora Trust, which has links to Rewant Ruia - son of Essar Steel promoter Ravi Ruia, in the second round of bidding. While its promoters bought out Aurora Trust's 25% stake, NuMetal aligned with JSW to make the revised bid on Monday. ArcelorMittal, which had been disqualified in the first round for being listed as a promoter of loan defaulter Uttam Galva Steel, bid along with Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corporation. This after it got declassified as a promoter of Uttam Galva Steel. The company had sold its entire holding in Uttam Galva Steel before the first round of bids in February but its name had continued as a promoter on the stock exchanges, resulting in its disqualification. Sources said Vedanta was the surprise entrant on Monday. Vedanta has already won a bid to acquire bankrupt Electrosteel Steels in an insolvency auction. Confirming bidding for Essar Steel, Anil Agarwal said the company has made a compelling bid. "I have put a very lucrative bid. This is a great opportunity... When we want it, we must have it." Six firms had initially put in expressions of interest to acquire Essar Steel, whose Rs 51,800 crore of outstanding debt claims have been admitted under the bankruptcy process. These firms included Tata Steel, state-owned SAIL, ArcelorMittal, NuMetal, Vedanta and Singapore-based fund SSG. Only ArcelorMittal and NuMetal put in bids in the first round on February 12. Sources said JSW was interested in acquiring Essar Steel after Tata Steel's acquisition of bankrupt Bhushan Steel for Rs 35,200 crore gave it a pole position. But bankruptcy rules did not permit anyone who had not put in an EoI to bid and so it aligned with NuMetal for bidding today. Rules also bar defaulting promoters from bidding. TyazhPromExports (TPE) of Russia and Indo International are the other shareholders of NuMetal. The Ahmedabad bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), which has been approached by NuMetal against the disqualification of first bid, on Monday ruled that second round of bids cannot be opened before April 4. The banking recapitalisation programme needs to be reviewed, a top government official said here on Monday. "The amount of money that government commited for recapilatlisation, I think we have to review it," Arvind Subramanian, Chief Economic Advisor, Government of India said. He said that the amount committed by the government was with the view that banks will raise the part of the money by themselves. "But then bank stocks having been battered, that is going to be very difficult," he said at a discussion organised by Bangalore International Centre (BIC), which was moderated by Infosys Chairman Nandan Nilekani. Finance Ministry in November 2017, had committed Rs 2.11 lakh crore for the recapitalisation of the public sector banks (PSBs), which roughly have a 70% share of the assets of Indian banking industry, consisting of 21 public sector banks, 26 private sector banks, 43 foreign banks and 56 regional rural banks. Of the total funds allocated, Rs 1.35 lakh crore was expected to come from the sale of recapitalisation bonds and the remaining Rs 76,000 crore will be through budgetary allocation and fund-raising from the markets. Earlier this year, six PSBs saw infusion of Rs 7,677 crore as part of the recapitalisation move. Subramanian also pitched for the privatisation of government banks, with focus on strong regulations. Despite the banking sector reeling under the stress, he said that recent decision of the government to raise money from markets would not have much impact on the banking sector and bond yield. On Goods and Services Tax, he said that the government is committed to bring petrol under the purview of the new regime. The government had excluded petrol and alcohol from the GST regime, as they are the highest revenue generating products for the state and central governments. The Tibetan government-in-exile (TGIE) on Monday reminded New Delhi that Tibet remains key to India's security against a rising and expansionist China. Lobsang Sangay, the president of the TGIE, said Tibet was to India what the "Great Wall" had once been to China. "We (Tibet) were your (India's) 'Great Wall'. The Tibetan Plateau and the mountains of Himalayas were your 'Great Wall'. You must help us make the Great Wall stronger," Sangay said, while taking part in a panel discussion titled 'India and Tibet: Ancient Ties, Current Bonds' in New Delhi on Monday. He said that China posed a common challenge to both Tibet and India. His comment came in the backdrop of widespread speculation that India was shifting from its traditional support to Dalai Lama and the exiled Tibetans in order to avert hurting the sensitivity of China. What fuelled the speculation was a note issued by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha late last month, asking "senior leaders" and "government functionaries" in the states, as well as at the Centre, to stay away from events attended by Dalai Lama. The TGIE is holding a "Thank you, India" programme in Dharamshala and New Delhi to mark the beginning of the 60th year after Dalai Lama escaped to India in the wake of occupation of Tibet by China in 1959. How bad an experience can a three-hour flight delay be? On Sunday night, 160 Bengaluru-bound SpiceJet passengers from Ahmedabad experienced the full extent of this delay, as they desperately battled for timely information, food and compensation that was denied. The flight (SG 928) was scheduled for a 9.35 pm departure from Ahmedabad. Passengers were alerted by SMS to report two hours in advance. They had to be at the airport by 7.30 pm. The ordeal was about to begin. Recalled Nishith Naik, a passenger: "The person at the counter didn't even bother to tell me that the flight is delayed. They should have known that the incoming flight hadn't even taken off from Bengaluru at 7 pm as scheduled." The flight eventually departed from Ahmedabad at 00.22 am on Monday, after a tense, dreary wait by the passengers. They expected the airline to offer them food and refreshments. "We asked for hotel accommodation and food vouchers. They said no to that. Instead, we were offered low quality food. When we pushed to talk to higher management, they said they are not available," said Naik. Frustrated, the passengers demanded monetary compensation or a ticket refund. This, Naik said, was refused straight away. Responding to an email that articulated this demand, a SpiceJet official responded: "We apologise for the inconvenience caused to you in this regard. Please note that your flight was delayed due to operational reasons on that particular day." 'No compensation' SpiceJet, the official said, "makes all reasonable efforts to ensure timely operations of its scheduled flights. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances a delay or cancellation of its scheduled operations may result. We would not be in the position to provide any compensation to you in this regard." When everyone boarded the flight post midnight, the expectation was that they would all be served food at no cost. "No such offer came. Instead, they were selling food inside. The passengers were all upset, tired and angry. We then decided to start a WhatsApp group and take this further," said Yusuf Motiwala, a passenger. For Abhishek, Lakshmi and other passengers, the delay had their entire Monday plans overturned. "The staff was so adamant that they clearly told that they are not in a position to help. We were all helpless. At the end of it all, I reached home in Bengaluru at 4.10 in morning instead of midnight as planned." Lakshmi's son had to miss his school, as cabs at that hour were in short supply. Yemen's official news agency says a fire has broken out at storage facilities belonging to the World Food Program in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida. The entire 25 million people of Yemen are dependent on food, fuel and medicine imports, primarily through seaports, and more than 17 million Yemenis, or more than two-thirds of the population, are food insecure, according to the United Nations. The Saba news agency of the Huthi rebels reported a "massive" blaze and said large quantities of aid was destroyed, without giving further details. The warehouses contained 50 tons of food, along with cooking fuel and mattresses for people displaced in the war, which has killed about 10,000 people in three years. An official from Yemen's internationally recognised government urged United Nations agencies deployed in the country to investigate the blaze. Saba quoted an unnamed local official in Hodeidah as saying that the fire damaged all humanitarian aid inside the warehouses. Around 53,000 people have also been wounded since then. Hodeida is a lifeline for the nation, which the U.N. says is on the verge of starvation. In November, the Saudi-led coalition announced it would allow rebel-held ports in Hodeidah and Sanaa airport to accept humanitarian aid, following global outcry. A 34-year-old MBA graduate, who resorted to robbing gold jewellery stores in the city to make a quick buck was arrested by the Jayanagar police. The arrested, Prabhu Kanakaratnam, is a resident of Yelahanka and has an MBA degree from the University of Derby in the United Kingdom. He is also an alumnus of MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology in the city, the police said. According to police, After his higher studies abroad, Prabhu came to India in 2010. He began taking care of his family business but suffered losses in it. He then started a restaurant in the city. When this venture also failed, he joined a software In 2017, Prabhu was admitted to a hospital after he complained of breathing problem. The doctors advised him of at least seven months' rest. Upset about his poor health and financial status, Prabhu decided to make a quick buck. He started stealing gold jewellery from showrooms for this. Posing as a customer, Prabhu stole a 60 gm chain from Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers in Jayanagar, after diverting the store salesman's attention. But his entire act was caught on a CCTV camera, the police said. The jeweller lodged a complaint and based on the CCTV's footage, the Jayanagar police arrested Prabhu. After his arrest and further interrogation, the police learnt that he had also stolen gold jewellery in a similar manner from Joyalukkas in Malleswaram. The stolen jewellery was recovered from him.Prabhu is single and lives with his mother, who was reportedly unaware of her son's wrongdoings. She is in a state of shock and is unable to believe that her son could commit such thefts, a senior police officer said. A student has lodged a complaint with the Yeshwanthapur police saying that musical instruments were stolen from his room in the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) on March 29. The student in the complaint said that obscene messages were also written on the walls of the room from where an electric guitar and a keyboard had gone missing on Thursday. The incident happened at one of the rooms in the Gymkhana building where the student was staying. The police suspect it to be a handiwork of some students who nurtured a grudge against the complainant. The student suspects the involvement of some students who have gone to Kerala and MP for summer vacation. Karnataka Medical Students' and Youth Doctors' Association has welcomed strict implementation of compulsory rural service for postgraduate medical students, but not in its entirety. From this academic year, one to three years of compulsory rural service will be implemented for students securing admission for post-graduate courses in government colleges or government seats in private colleges, a rule which existed but was not followed. "Rural service will help tackle the shortage of doctors, particularly in North Karnataka. But, we often receive complaints that facilities for doctors to stay in these areas are not good. We have communicated with all UG students doing rural service to inform us if they face such issues," said Dr Jyothi, vice president of the association. Claims of insufficient facilities will be verified and the association will take it up with the government. "Three-year period is a little too long for rural service. After about four and half years of undergraduate studies, we do one-year rural service before joining post-graduation. By the time we finish the PG rural service and try to set up our own practice, we will be in our mid-30s. We spend half our lifetime just studying," said Dr Jyothi. The association intends to discuss this issue with the government. Further, Dr Jyothi said the stipend should be increased. "By the time they complete their PG, most doctors have families and the stipend of Rs 40,000 is too less to take care of everything. They are of the level of consultants in district hospitals who get paid between Rs 80,000 and Rs one lakh," she said. Dr S Sachidananda, Director for Medical Education, said that bonds of one-year and three-year rural service will be offered to the students, depending on demand. "We will have to look at the specialities with vacancies and take stock of the number and speciality of students passing out. In rural service, subjects of priority are paediatrics, gynaecology, surgery, and ENT among others," he said. A speciality with high requirement but fewer doctors may attract a bond of three years, he said. On the contention that three-year period was too long, Dr Sachidananda said, "The government is providing them a heavily subsidised medical education and that is why we ask for three years of service." Congress on Monday petitioned Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat urging him to order registration of cases against BJP president Amit Shah for violation of the poll code by allegedly offering Rs five lakh to the family of a RSS worker in Mysuru who was killed almost two years ago. "Amit Shah is using the dead as a political tool to influence the voters," Congress leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Jaiveer Shergill told reporters after meeting the chief election commissioner. The Congress leaders told the poll authority that Shah and senior BJP leaders B S Yeddyurappa and Ananth Kumar were were "resorting to the use of money power" to influence voters in Karnataka. "Amit Shah must explain how come he has remembered the deceased Raju and his family members one and half years after his death," Shergill said. On Friday, Shah along with other BJP leaders had visited the family of H Raju, a RSS worker who was killed in 2016 in Mysuru, and reportedly handed over a cheque of Rs five lakh to the next of his kin. The Congress leaders also submitted a video of the family member of the deceased claiming that he had received a cheque of Rs five lakh from Shah. "The Election Commission must intervene and initiate action against Amit Shah and B S Yeddyurappa for violating model code of conduct," Singhvi and Shergill said. The BJP had rejected the allegations that Shah gave money to the family of the deceased RSS worker. BJP Lok Sabha member Pratap Simha had said that Shah had only inquired about the compensation that was given on behalf of the party after Raju's death. Karnataka State Government Employees' Association president B P Manjegowda on Monday sought the Transport Department to accept his resignation and relieve him at the earliest. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is keen on fielding Manjegowda as the Congress candidate from Holenarsipura constituency in Hassan district, a JD(S) stronghold. Recently, a recorded conversation between Siddaramaiah and Manjegowda went viral, where the chief minister was heard asking him as to why he hadn't tendered his resignation to the government job yet. Siddaramaiah had asked Manjegowda to quit to his job and start election work in Holenarsipur immediately. Manjegowda, who works as a senior inspector of motor vehicles in the Transport Department, told DH that he had resigned from his post on November 3, 2017. The department is, however, yet to accept the resignation and furnish Gowda the acceptance orders. Until Manjegowda receives the orders, he will be unable to jump into politics. The department is not clearing Manjegowda's resignation, as a Lokayukta enquiry pertaining to disproportionate assets case against him is still pending. Though the Finance department and Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) have cleared the file, the Law department has raised objections stating that Manjegowda cannot be relieved owing to the ongoing enquiry, which started in 2007. Congress leader M V Rajeev Gowda on Monday said Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar was more concerned about the BJP's election strategy in Karnataka and demanded his ouster over the leakage of the CBSE question paper. "The paper leak is an after-effect of the disastrous policies and neglect of education by the Modi government. That the HRD Minister is more concerned about the booth-level election strategy of BJP in Karnataka only adds to the worry," Gowda, a Rajya Sabha member who is also a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on HRD, told reporters. Javadekar is the election in-charge of the BJP in Karnataka, which goes to polls on May 12. Gowda also took potshots at IAS officer Anita Karwal, who is the CBSE chairperson. "She has spent more time marketing her book about mountaineering than judiciously undertaking her duties," he charged. The leakage of the Class 10 Mathematics and Class 12 Economics question papers has affected nearly 20 lakh students across India. A re-examination of the Class 12 economics paper will be held on April 25. The High Court of Karnataka on Monday deferred the hearing of the petition seeking disqualification of seven JD(S) MLAs, to April 11. Two JD(S) legislators C N Balakrishna B B Ningaiah have filed a petition seeking disqualification of seven rebel MLAs who had defied the party's whip in the 2016 elections to the Rajya Sabha, and voted for Congress candidates. During the hearing, the counsel for the petitioners submitted that the MLAs in question had already resigned and there was no use of the Speaker disqualifying them now. Senior counsel Jayakumar S Patil, appearing for the Speaker, submitted that the Speaker had not passed any order in this regard and sought time to file objections. Justice Raghavendra S Chauhan adjourned the hearing to April 11. Winnie Mandela, the former wife of South African anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, died on Monday aged 81, triggering an outpouring of tributes to one of the country's defining and most divisive figures. The firebrand activist died in a Johannesburg hospital, her family said, adding that she had "fought valiantly against the Apartheid state" and that she was known "far and wide as the Mother of the Nation". Winnie Mandela, who was married to Nelson Mandela for 38 years, played a high-profile role in the struggle to end white-minority rule, but her place in history was stained by controversy and accusations of violence. Leading the tributes, Nobel laureate archbishop Desmond Tutu described her as "a defining symbol" of the battle against oppression. "She refused to be bowed by the imprisonment of her husband, the perpetual harassment of her family by security forces, detentions, bannings and banishment," Tutu said. "Her courageous defiance was deeply inspirational to me, and to generations of activists." The statement from her family said that she passed away at the Netcare Milpark hospital in Johannesburg. "She died after a long illness, for which she had been in and out of hospital since the start of the year. She succumbed peacefully in the early hours of Monday afternoon surrounded by her family and loved ones," it added. In the ruling African National Congress (ANC), head of policy Jeff Radebe described her as "an icon of the revolutionary struggle". Newly-appointed President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Tuesday evening that a "national official funeral" would be held on April 14, preceded by a public memorial service on April 11. Most of Winnie's marriage to Nelson was spent apart, with Nelson imprisoned for 27 years, leaving her to raise their two daughters alone and to keep alive his political dream under the repressive white-minority regime. But her reputation came under damaging scrutiny in the twilight years of apartheid rule. In 1986, she was widely linked to "necklacing", when suspected traitors were burnt alive by a petrol-soaked car tyre being put over their head and set alight. In 1990 the world watched when Nelson Mandela finally walked out of prison -- hand in hand with Winnie. The following year, she was convicted of kidnapping and assault over the killing of Stompie Moeketsi, a 14-year-old boy. In 1992, the Mandelas separated, and then divorced in 1996, after a legal wrangle that revealed she had an affair with a young bodyguard. During her old age, she re-emerged as a respected elder who was feted as a living reminder of the late Mandela -- and of the long and much-storied struggle against apartheid. Just last month, she was shown in television footage joking with Ramaphosa, who paid a courtesy call to her home in Soweto, the township where she lived for decades. Dressed in full ANC colours of yellow, black and green, she asked Ramaphosa, who is known for his morning runs, "Why don't you get tired?" "We can't get tired when you have given us work to do'" he told her. After her death was announced, Ramaphosa described her as "a voice of defiance and resistance" who "was an abiding symbol of the desire of our people to be free". "For many years, she bore the brunt of senseless brutality of the apartheid state with stoicism," he said. "Despite the hardship she faced, she never doubted that the struggle for freedom and democracy would triumph and succeed." Winnie Mandela often criticised the ANC, but she had expressed support for the current leadership of the party, which her husband led to power in the euphoric post-apartheid elections of 1994. On Monday evening, Ramaphosa returned to her Soweto house as mourners gathered outside, singing struggle-era songs in tribute and praise. "In African culture, we sing when we're hurt," ANC Women's League official Winnie Ngwenya, 64, told AFP. African Commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat also paid tribute to Winnie Mandela, saying "the continent and beyond" were in grief at her passing. She "will forever be remembered as a global icon, a fearless campaigner who sacrificed much of her life for freedom in South Africa and for women everywhere," he said on Twitter. The SABC state broadcaster said she had attended church in Soweto on Easter Friday before being admitted to hospital complaining of flu. She had also suffered from diabetes for some years. Suggestions that Winnie remained extremely close to Nelson Mandela in his final years were fuelled in a recent book by his doctor. Vejay Ramlakan wrote that Winnie -- not Mandela's widow Graca Machel -- was with Mandela when he died in 2013. The book was withdrawn by its publishers under pressure from Mandela's family. During the Del Mar Union School District (DMUSD) board meeting on March 28, Del Mar Hills Academy parent Marisa Criqui grew emotional when talking about the importance of safety in schools. My 10-year-old son and I have a ritual. We hug, we kiss each other on the cheek and, lastly, we sniff each others hair every time we say goodbye, Criqui said of the ritual that has carried extra weight for her since the December 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary. We know that even in nice suburbs, children get murdered in schools by people who own assault weaponsthere is currently nothing that would make Carmel Valley and Del Mar immune from this same type of nightmare. Criqui and three other parents came before the school board to request they pass a resolution on school violence, similar to steps taken by San Diego Unified, Poway Unified and San Dieguito Union High School District boards. City Councils in Del Mar, Solana Beach and Encinitas have also recently passed resolutions for improved gun control. Parents were asking the board to take action with a resolution that demands state and federal lawmakers pass stricter gun legislation, a ban on private ownership of assault weapons, and more thorough background checks. I can no longer convince myself that it can never happen here. So I send my son to school with a protective hug, a promise that I love him and a sniff of his hair in case I dont see him alive again, Criqui said tearfully. We need more assurances that our nice town will not be next. All four of the school board members present at the meeting (Doug Rafner was absent) said they would be comfortable passing a resolution and directed staff to move forward with a draft. Safety is our number one priority, said DMUSD President Kristin Gibson. While other districts have moved quickly (with a resolution), I do want for us to be thoughtful and make a resolution that matches our community and the things that we value and prioritize. Gibson noted that safety has been addressed at all district campuses. All schools are secured by perimeter fencing with single point entries, every visitor to a DMUSD school is checked in and scanned against a national database, staff and students participate in lock-down drills and the districts leadership team has been trained on options-based response that is specific to active shooting events. Over the eight years that Ive been on the board, the district has put excellent school safety procedures in place but we are always compelled to do even more, Gibson said. We always know that theres more work to do. Del Mar Hills parent Sonya Norman said she appreciates and values the security measures the district has in place but she would like to see them take a further step with a resolution. Nationally were in a heartbreaking quagmire right now. Issues that are about basic safety and common sense are embroiled and paralyzed by politics. Were being sidetracked by issues Mental health is extremely important but its the cause of very little violence, said Norman who is an expert on violence for the National Center for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and a professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego. Making it a mental health issue unfairly stigmatizes people with mental health problems. The problem is guns and the availability of semi-automatic weapons. Gibson and the board discussed the different forms their resolution could take. San Diego Unifieds resolution that passed on Feb. 27 took a very strong stance calling for the ban of assault weapons. The California School Boards Association has draft language for a resolution that is a little more broad, urging the state to invest in, promote and support comprehensive, coordinated and collaborative strategies to ensure that schools are safe and free from violence. It also targets other safety concerns such as drug use, bullying, harassment and discrimination. While in favor of a resolution, DMUSD Trustee Scott Wooden questioned the impact it could truly have, noting that almost everything in the San Diego Unified resolution is already California law; the laws just need to be enforced. He said he isnt sure the board should get too political or exclude mental health as an issue in its resolution, I want us to be thoughtful about how its put together, Wooden said. Gibson agreed and said she likes the approach of Sandy Hook Promise, which chooses to stay out of second amendment issues and instead focuses on how schools identify and assess threats and how students can create connections to their school and community, ensuring kids do not feel marginalized, isolated or rejected. At the meeting, the board discussed how the district is addressing social and emotional wellness through a new district-wide program called Second Step. Alison Fieberg, assistant principal at Sage Canyon Elementary School, said Second Step teaches students skills for learning, empathy and emotion management. They learn to understand and identify feelings, respect differences and show empathy, care and compassion. Students also learn methods to calm down strong feelings such as deep breathing and self-talk. This program teaches them how to advocate, how to be assertive and how to be better communicators so that they can positively impact their community and the world, Fieberg said. Weve had a lot of great feedback, not just from parents but from teachers about the program, the necessity for it and the fact that they feel they have something tangible that they can use in the classroom and at home. Kristen Panebianco, a Torrey Hills School parent and member of San Diegans for Gun Violence Prevention, said she was very excited about the changes the district is implementing on wellness but urged the board to pass a strong resolution. I know you prefer to stay out of politics but to combat the complex issue of student safety, you need to tackle it on many fronts. It is incredibly important that you act, said Panebianco said. By doing nothing, you are making a political statement because theres so much support here in the community. Im sick of seeing children killed in senseless, preventable mass shootings, dying in school while our elected officials do nothing to prevent it, said Del Mar Hills parent Jeannie Thomas. Its not about politics. Its simply the lives of our children. Ethiopia's new prime minister Abiy Ahmed on Monday stressed Ethiopia's commitment to reconcile with its neighbor Eritrea. Abiy, 42, was sworn in at the second extraordinary session of House of People's Representatives as Ethiopia's 3rd Prime Minister since the ruling party EPRDF came to power. Speaking on state television after his swearing-in ceremony, Mr. Ahmed called for an end to "years of misunderstandings". "I particularly look forward to our joint efforts in the pursuit of regional and continental peace, stability and development within the framework of the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) and the African Union (AU) for the benefit the people of our region and beyond", President Kenyatta added. The Ethiopian government often alleges Eritrea of funding outlawed rebel groups, while the Eritrean government accuses Ethiopia of supporting Eritrean rebels and running an worldwide campaign to isolate the Red Sea nation. The two countries have had poor relations since a two-year border war, which claimed 70,000 lives. In taking the helm of Ethiopia, Africa's fastest-growing economy over the past decade and a key USA ally against al-Qaeda in the region, Abiy faces the task of quelling anti-government protests by the nation's two biggest ethnic groups that began in late 2015. Ahmed said the country was ready to resolve differences between the two peoples, who are "not only intertwined in interests but also in blood". Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe In April of 2012, control over Muskegon Heights schools was handed over to an un-elected Emergency Manager, appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder. By July, Emergency Manager Donald Weatherspoon had signed a contract to turn the entire public school system over to the for-profit charter school operator Mosaica. Two years later the district was still insolvent and having to borrow almost a quarter million dollars from the state to keep the lights on and the doors open. Mosaica tried new and innovative things like compulsory teacher humiliation activities. However, it was all to no avail and, just two years after they took over Muskegon Height Public Schools, they reneged on their contract and bailed, forcing Emergency Manager Weatherspoon to borrow even more money. A LOT more money, in fact: $1.4 million dollars. Why did Mosaica bail? This may shock you but they couldnt make a profit from educating children: To be brutally honest they had to be brutally honest to themselves as well with us in their model as a for profit company, their profit was not there, Weatherspoon said. [] In order to pay teachers, vendors and staff for the rest of this school year, Weatherspoon is asking the state for a $1.4 million loan. That loan would go to the original Muskegon Heights Public School district, which would then funnel the cash to the new charter district it authorizes, Muskegon Heights Public School Academy. [] The money from the loan would cover expenses through June 30, 2014. Its not clear yet where the district will get money to start the new school year or the estimated $650,000 itll need to finish repairs to its four school buildings. Weatherspoon says one of the buildings will likely be closed instead of being repaired because its expected to take about $400,000 to fix. Finally, in 2016, the school district was returned to local control. However, things are still not good. In fact, the district is still dealing with the fallout from the state takeover of their schools. As it turns out, in an effort to find every last nickel and dime under the sofa cushions, the Emergency Managers sold off everything that wasnt nailed down. That includes the playground equipment. Apparently the Emergency Manager thought the kids could just do without things like swings, slides, and monkey bars to play on at recess: The Martin Luther King Elementary Academy in Muskegon Heights is for second to sixth grade students. Those kids love to play at recess. The problems is for years they havent had anything to play on. Several years ago the former Muskegon Heights School District couldnt pay its bills. And a state emergency manager sold off district belongings including buildings and playground equipment. I was shocked, amazed and hurt, said Vanessa Marble, MLK Elementary Principal. Marble wasnt at the school when district belongings were auctioned off. She believes her students deserve more than the empty field they run around on during recess. The school is beginning the process of building a playground behind the school. [] School leaders at the Muskegon Heights Academy arent sure how to pay for new playground equipment. The district does have a small savings account that may cover some of the expense. School leaders are also searching for grants to make their dream a reality. These kids need an opportunity like all other kids to enjoy equipment, said Marble. Safe equipment in an environment thats safe for them. This is our states collective shame. We literally have children going to elementary school that have no playground equipment to play on at recess because a state appointed overseer sold it all off to pay a for-profit corporation. Only one school district or municipality still has an Emergency Manager (Highland Park schools.) All other cities and schools have either exited Emergency Management or are under consent agreements or Receivership-Transition Advisory Boards (details HERE.) However, these schools are still dealing with the predictable outcomes of Emergency Management. And, given the lack of investment in our public schools by the Republican legislators who control our state, that situation is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. The day of funding schools using crowd sourcing efforts like GoFundMe drives appears to be at hand. 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Jerry Brown on Friday pardoned five ex-convicts facing deportation, including two whose families fled the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia four decades ago. The pardons don't automatically stop deportation proceedings, but eliminate the state convictions federal authorities based their deportation decisions on. That gives the men's lawyers strong legal arguments before immigration judges to try to prevent the deportations. 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slammed for calling Parkland, Florida, shooting survivor and student activist David Hogg a "p*ssy" and "b*tch" on social media. After earning many Twitter users' ire, the actor and musician is now expressing his remorse for his derogatory tweet towards the 17-year-old student activist. Stallone reached out with an apology to the student on Twitter, explaining that he did not mean to promote violence and he is "deeply ashamed" of his words. To everyone and to David Hogg especially. I want to deeply apologize for my irresponsible words. I would never in a million years wish or promote violence to anyone anywhere on this planet. After what these kids went though Im deeply ashamed. Please accept my apology. Frank Frank Stallone (@Stallone) April 1, 2018 Stallone Takes Shots At Students Best known as the brother of action star Sylvester Stallone, he posted an enraged post on Twitter directed at the teenager on Saturday, March 31. The tweet has since been deleted from Stallone's account, but by then, Twitter users have already taken screenshots of his mocking post. "This David Hogg p*ssy is getting a little big for his britches," Stallone wrote. "I'm sure someone from his age group is dying to sucker punch this rich little b*tch. Watch him run home like the coward he is. He's the worst rep for today's youth headline grabbing punk." Hogg and other students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, have captured the national stage as they advocate for gun control following the deadly shooting at their school that killed 17 and injured many more. Stallone also attacked Hogg's classmate Emma Gonzalez, saying she is a "headline grabbing clown." This tweet has also been deleted, according to New York Daily News. Laura Ingraham Also Slams Hogg It's not just Stallone who grabbed the headlines for taking shots at the Parkland students. Host of Fox News, Laura Ingraham, also took to Twitter for a disparaging tweet targeting Hogg. David Hogg Rejected By Four Colleges To Which He Applied and whines about it. (Dinged by UCLA with a 4.1 GPA...totally predictable given acceptance rates.) https://t.co/wflA4hWHXY Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) March 28, 2018 In response, the student tweeted a list of advertisers of Fox's The Ingraham Angle, encouraging his social media followers to use their voices online to urge them to drop their support for the show. Like Stallone, Ingraham apologized on Twitter, pointing out that her show was the first one to feature Hogg after the shooting. By then, multiple advertisers have already withdrew their support for the show and the number is growing. So far, the list includes Nutrish, TripAdvisor, Wayfair, Nestle, Hulu, Expedia, Stitch Fix, Johnson & Johnson, Office Depot, Jenny Craig, Jos A Bank, Miracle Ear, Liberty Mutual, Principal, Honda, Progressive, and Bayer, according to Mediaite. Ingraham has announced a weeklong break from her show, which Fox News says is preplanned. Prince William and Kate Middleton are expecting their third child this month, but that hasn't kept them from celebrating Easter service with the Queen. The senior members of the royal family spent Easter Sunday together for a service at the St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Queen Elizabeth, Duke And Duchess Celebrate Easter According to ABC News, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived after the Queen and a few minutes late, due to traffic in Buckleberry. The couple was coming from spending time with the Middleton family and their two children Prince George and Princess Charlotte. With only weeks away from giving birth, Middleton rode a car to the chapel instead of walking with the other members of the family. Queen Elizabeth looked to be in good spirits, presented with flowers by a pair of 6-year-old girls Madeline Carleston and Amelia Vivian whose parents live and work in the castle. To the delight of the girls, the Queen and the Duke and Duchess engaged them in light-hearted conversation. "The Queen asked: 'Have you had lots of Easter eggs?'" Deborah Carleston, the mother of Madeline, recounts to People. "Prince William and his wife asked: 'Have you lost any Easter eggs yet?'" "They said there had been great excitement in their house this morning," she adds. "They said their children will probably still be finding eggs around the house in six months' time." Other Royals Turn Up Prince Philip, who recently canceled a scheduled appearance because of his hip problems, opted out of the Easter service. His son Prince Charles was also unable to attend, although he is expected to engage in public events in Australia in the coming week. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also skipped the celebrations, choosing to spend private time together, a palace official tells People. They will be in Bath for the Invictus Games trials this week. Other royals were present for Easter Sunday, though, including Prince Andrew and his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. Eugenie's fiance Jack Brooksbank was with them. With them were Princess Anne and husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, her son Peter Phillips and wife Autumn, Prince Edward, the Countess of Wessex, and their children Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn. Soon, most of these royals will be turning up at the same venue for the nuptials of Prince Harry and Markle, which will be held at the St. George's Chapel as well. Steven Bochco, NYPD Blue creator, has died. The prolific writer and producer succumbed to death following his battle with leukemia at the age of 74. Peaceful Death Bochco died Sunday morning at home surrounded by family, according to the deceased's personal assistant Phillip Arnold. A statement released to several media outlets revealed that he died peacefully in his sleep. "On behalf of the Bochco family, we write to let you know that Steven passed away on Sunday morning, April 1st, 2018 at 10:20 am. Steven fought cancer with strength, courage, grace and his unsurpassed sense of humor," reads the statement sent to E! News. Details about the interment service "will be forthcoming," according to Arnold. In the meantime, the family wished for privacy at this time of sorrow. Bochco battled leukemia for several years. He received a stem cell transplant from a 23-year-old late in 2014 that prolonged his life. He met the young donor in May 2016. TV Successes Bochco was known for his gritty and compelling shows that involve the law enforcement. Aside from the NYPD Blue, the 10-time Emmy winner co-created Hill Street Blues with Michael Kozol. The show earned 21 Emmy nods even though it lacked in viewership. The series took home the Best Drama series in each five seasons but did not win any awards after MTM fired the creator. Bochco was also the showrunner for the L.A. Law, which he signed a three-year contract for with Fox. The show won four Emmys for outstanding drama series. He gave the reigns to the show to Boston-based attorney David E. Kelley (The Practice, Big Little Lies) to focus on other efforts including his Fox-based Steven Bochco Productions. Bochco catapulted Neil Patrick Harris into Hollywood spotlight with the comedy-drama Doogie Howser, M.D. He then turned his attention to creating NYPD Blue, which won 20 Emmy Awards. He also created the short-lived CBS police series Paris, which starred James Earl Jones. Prior to his death, Bochco worked on the TNT series Murder in the First. In addition to his numerous Emmy Awards, he also won four Peabody Awards during his lifetime. Bochco is survived by his wife of 17 years, Dayna, their children Jesse, Melissa, and Sean, his sister Joanna Frank, who played Sheila Brackman on L.A. Law, and his grandchildren Stevie Rae and Wes. Bochco was first married to actress Barbara Bosson. A new book claims incumbent royal Meghan Markle ended her previous marriage out of the blue. Markle got married to a producer back in 2011. A Ruthless Hollywood Princess Andrew Morton, the biographer of the late Princess Diana, makes the shocking claim in the book Meghan, A Hollywood Princess, which will be out on April 17. The Sunday Times published an excerpt from the book just this weekend. It claims that Markle's relationship with Hollywood producer, Trevor Engelson, came to an abrupt end following their wedding in 2011. According to Morton, the two met in a dive bar when the Suits actress was just getting her start in the business. At the time, all she had on her slate was a small role on a sitcom and her part on game show Deal or No Deal. Her big break on the hit show Suits meant Markle was away filming in New York and Canada, so she and her then-new fiance were forced to spend a lot of time apart. The show was renewed for its second season just a month before their wedding took place, meaning their long-distance relationship was bound to continue for the foreseeable future. After tying the knot in 2011, in a moving ceremony which included the couple's self-penned vows to each other, it wasn't long before the relationship started to break down. Just two years after making it official, Markle announced the end of their marriage in the summer of 2013. The couple divorced a year later. Engelson was allegedly blindsided, however, as Morton notes in his book. "Trevor went from cherishing Meghan to, as one friend observed, 'feeling like he was a piece of something stuck to the bottom of her shoe,' " writes Morton. Less Controversial Nowadays Luckily for Markle, the royal family have relaxed their stance on a member of their own marrying a divorcee in recent years. It was once controversial, which would be bad news for Prince Harry, who's just weeks away from marrying Markle. Back in 2002, the governing body of the Church of England voted to recognize that there are certain circumstances in which divorce is the only option and that such people should still be allowed to remarry in the church. The Queen and Prince Philip will celebrate 70 years together this coming November. Of their four children, all but Prince Edward have been divorced. Prince Charles married his now-wife Camilla in a civil ceremony back in 2005 because she, too, had been divorced and a church wedding was deemed too controversial at the time. They later held a service of blessing at St. George's Chapel in Windsor, where Markle and Prince Harry are set to tie the knot. Former couple Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick reportedly have a Keeping Up With the Kardashians spinoff series underway with their significant others. According to a new report, Kris Jenner is hoping to chronicle the challenges of the exes as they attempt to co-parent their three children while enjoying their romances with new partners Younes Bendjima and Sofia Richie, respectively. Even theyre no longer a couple, theres still lots of contact between Kourtney and Scott, and drama, a source explained to Radar Online on April 2. Kris thinks it would great to shoot them in therapy together, butting heads over the kids, and spending alone time with their current partners. How Kourtney Met Younes Kardashian and Bendjima struck up a friendship at the end of 2016 after meeting one another in Paris, France around the time her sister Kim Kardashian was robbed. Then, months later, after spending tons of time with one another around the world, they confirmed their romance in Cannes with a series of kisses on a yacht. Scott Is Dating A Kourtney Look-Alike? As for Disick and Richie, they were first linked to one another in early 2017 but didn't confirm they were dating until the end of summer. Since then, they have continued to heat up, with Richie spending tons of time with his children. Richie has also been accused of becoming Kardashian's look-alike by taking on a more sophisticated style and even dyeing her hair from blonde to brown. Its all been calculated by Kris to generate conflict between the two girls, the source continued. Many of their fans want to see Kourtney and Scott back together and theyll definitely tease that too. Sofia Acting As Stepmom? Kardashian and Bendjima recently embarked on a coastal road trip while Disick and Richie headed to Mexico at the end of March with his three kids with Kardashian -- Mason, 8, Penelope, 5, and Reign, 3. Although Richie continues to be seen with Kardashian and Disick's kids, as does Bendjima, Kardashian is said to be quite upset at the idea of the young model acting as a stepmom to her children. Unfortunately, Richie reportedly doesn't care how Kardashian feels and will continue to spend time with the brood no matter what. Bendjima and Richie have not yet been seen on Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Co-parenting has never looked better! A-listers Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck took their kids on a quick holiday trip to Hawaii for Easter weekend. Garner stayed with their three children in a resort while Affleck crashed at a house nearby. Affleck is currently training for a new movie, Triple Frontier, in Hawaii and Garner reportedly decided to take the children to their father for the religious holiday. The family visited Sea Life Park where the kids were able to interact with dolphins and sea lions. "They spent several hours at the park and looked like they had the best time. The kids were all very interested in learning about the animals. They all seem like huge dolphin fans," a source close to the family stated. The Alias star reportedly brought a female pal with her while her ex-husband spent time with their children. Will Ben and Jen Reunite? Since the former couple called it quits, fans have continued to hold out hope that the famous exes would find their way back to each other. Garner and Affleck had an 11-year relationship, from 2004 to 2015. The couple married in 2005 in a private ceremony that was officiated by Garner's Alias co-star, Victor Garber. Their three children, Viotet, Seraphina, and Samuel, were born in 2005, 2009, and 2012 respectively. In June 2015, the couple announced their separation and intentions to divorce. It was later reported that Affleck cheated on Garner with the children's nanny. The former pair has been focused on raising their children and still remain amicable towards each other. "The kids love when they all spend time together. As long as Ben keeps working on himself, Jen is happy. She will continue to support him because it benefits the kids," another source told People. However, fans shouldn't hold their breaths about Garner and Affleck reuniting as Affleck is apparently "committed" to his current girlfriend, director Lindsay Shookus, whom Affleck has been in a relationship with since 2017. While there haven't been reports about Affleck and Shookus walking down the aisle, the two reportedly are "enjoying each other's company." While all eyes are on Meghan Markle as she gets ready to marry Prince Harry, it turns out this day is one that Markle also dreamed of herself. New reports say Markle aims to be Princess Diana 2.0. Is Meghan The Next Princess Diana? Andrew Morton, who has written a number of books about the royal family, revealed the news in his latest book, Meghan: A Hollywood Princess. The book features Markles story from her childhood, to becoming a famous actress in shows like USAs Suits, and her upcoming wedding to Prince Harry. One of Markles childhood friends told Morton that the actress was always fascinated by the royal family. They added that Markle wants to be Princess Diana 2.0. Princess Diana is Prince Harry and Prince Williams late mother. She was known for her keen fashion sense and philanthropic efforts before her untimely passing in 1997. Markles friends from her days as a teenager said Markle shed tears when they tuned in to Princess Dianas funeral. Interestingly enough, Markle spoke on her familiarity with the royal family just after she announced her engagement to the prince last November. Unlike her friends recollections, Markle said she didnt know too much about the famous family before she started dating Prince Harry. Because Im from the states, we dont grow up with the same understanding of the royal family, said Markle. And so, while I now understand very clearly that theres a global interest here, I didnt know very much about him. Details Of Meghan's First Marriage, Socialite Goals Also in the book, Morton detailed Markles divorce from her first husband, Trevor Engelson. Their marriage ended so quickly that Markle gave Engelson her wedding ring back via mail. Trevor went from cherishing Meghan to, as one friend observed, feeling like he was a piece of something stuck to the bottom of her shoe, wrote Morton as he said Markle made her rounds to become a popular socialite. A networker to her fingertips, she seemed to be recalibrating her life, forging new friendships with those who could develop her career. Markle has yet to respond to the book. It might be safe to say shes too busy planning her lavish wedding set for May 19. She has already moved to London and was received well by the locals. She also reportedly has a great relationship with her future sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, who is married to Prince William. Be sure to keep up with Enstars for the latest news and updates on your favorite celebrities. Appalling Stories: 13 Tales of Social Injustice By David Dubrow, Paul Hair and Ray Zacek Obsidian Point PB/Kindle Format, 170 pgs. US$9.99 2017 ASIN: B-077Z-K9VY-P Fiction for the Milo crowd By Steven Martinovich A new, muscular conservatism led primarily by those in their 20s has arisen in recent years though it is open to everyone, perhaps partly as a response to a confrontational and occasionally violent new left and/or a belief that conservatisms intellectual and political leaders dont seem all that different from their alleged ideological opponents. Barred by the cultural gatekeepers from traditional media outlets, these new conservatives have taken to the streets, online videos and blogs and may have even memed? Donald Trump into the presidency in 2016. Theyre angry and they dont have much of a problem fighting back against the bike lock wielding Antifa protesters they face off against, whether through action or words. Every movement needs its fictional literature and the new conservatism has responded in kind. Amongst the recent entrants is Appalling Stories: 13 Tales of Social Injustice, a collection of short stories available both in paperback and Kindle, by David Dubrow, Paul Hair and Ray Zacek. The trio tear into political correctness, social justice warriors and anything that reeks of the leftist moralizing that seems to have taken over every aspect of our modern culture. Each of these stories is disturbing on a cursory level but a careful reader but notice that although they are fiction, it doesnt take too much of an imagination to envision their becoming reality. Appalling Stories opens with Dubrows Bake Me a Cake?, the story of a baker that refuses to make a truly obscene cake even the description isnt fit to print on this web site for a gay wedding and finds himself at the center of a media storm and ends with Zaceks Detainer?, a revenge mission by man whose son was killed by an illegal immigrant. In between are short stories that are often humorous if disturbing and others that are just plain disturbing, such as Hairs Our Violence Isnt Violence?, a brutal depiction of Antifa protestors meeting with a truly blood-soaked and violent end. As one would expect this sort of effort, the varying stories do differ in tone and intent. Our Diversity is Our Strength?, a tale of a US Army platoon in Afghanistan that is expected to be more worried about cultural concerns than the bullets whizzing by their heads is satirical of todays American military brass while The Bitterness of Honey? is a surreally noir-ish story about enviro-terrorism that technologically resets the world. Melanies Becoming? has elements of revenge horror as a delusional man murders white, heterosexual males in the apparent belief it will help him transition into a woman. Short story collections generally suffer from differences in quality but for the most part Appalling Stories holds a fairly consistent level across all thirteen stories, perhaps with the exception of Zaceks The Orishas?, a tale of a resort that caters to a certain type of elite that takes masochistic pleasure to a new level. As a story goes it certainly fits within the theme establish by the other entries but it didnt seem to work as well as the other ones. It is a credit to this collection that most readers will probably wish the stories were longer or another entry revisits some of these same characters and themes. Appalling Stories isnt for every brand of conservative. Doubtless for some of the older school those who recall Kirkian or Buckley brands of conservatism fondly some of the stories might come across as overly coarse or simple fantasy for those more enthusiastic than experienced. They may wish to use their own experience, however, to recognize that while several of the stories may seem exaggerated to appeal to the deplorables of America it wasnt long ago that todays world would have seemed outlandish to them. Dubrow, Hair and Zacek may have written the scariest kind of fiction, the kind that has the very real possibility of coming true. Hopefully Appalling Stories creates a few more woke individuals on the right. Buy Appalling Stories: 13 Tales of Social Injustice at Amazon.com by clicking here. Steven Martinovich is the founder and editor of Enter Stage Right. Home Liberty v. tyranny of the marching Mall masses contrasting Washington weekends By Mark Alexander I recently returned from a long weekend away a fitting break from my Liberty book project to revisit the intellectual repositories of the three most influential men in the history of Liberty v. tyranny the American triumvirate, Washington, Madison and Jefferson. Traveling with my wife, Ann, our first stop was Charlottesville, Virginia, where protesters are still endeavoring to tear down historic war monuments. Last year, privileged students at the University of Virginia displayed their monumental ignorance by desecrating and shrouding a statue of UVA's founder, Thomas Jefferson, at the university's famous Rotunda. Our visit to Jefferson's Monticello was, as always, inspiring. Next, we traveled north to James Madison's Montpelier, an equally inspiring historical visit. From there it was, of course, on to the Mount Vernon home and library of George Washington. In addition to a docent tour with an outstanding historian, we were also given access to Washington's archive collection, and the curator showed us the surveying compass my ancestor produced in 1795 for Washington as a gift for his nephew. (Some of you may recall that Washington was a surveyor prior to becoming The Indispensable Man.) Our Saturday destination was Marine Corps Base Quantico, where our son and 63 other young Marines graduated from the Infantry Officer School before dawn! After that celebration, we headed for the swamp Washington, DC. I know you will be shocked to learn that we were not going there to join the hordes of adolescents (of all ages) gathered on the Mall, pleading for the incremental revocation of the "palladium of the Liberties of the republic," our nation's Second Amendment. It's no small irony that our destination was actually the NRA's National Firearms Museum, where we spent the afternoon with its senior curator and historian, for a review of an amazing collection of the weapons that have aided in the defense of Liberty, foreign and domestic. I figured it was the most antithetical thing we could do in DC in contrast to the anti-2A protests. We were amused at the greeting we received from a few aging hippies holding "shame" placards across the street from NRA headquarters. So, from Jefferson, Madison and Washington to the tyranny of the marching mall masses in DC. Allow me to offer a few observations about the so-called "March for Our Lives" and all the "little Barack" brown shirts in attendance there and in a few other urban centers. First, as for those leftists who pretend that the repeal of the Second Amendment is not their objective that they're only advocating for "commonsense gun safety" legislation, that pretense was dealt a blow this week. The New York Times published this blunt argument for repeal from former Supreme Court Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, a Gerald Ford appointee who finally retired from the bench in 2010. According to Stevens' badly flawed logic, "Demonstrators should seek more effective and more lasting reform. They should demand a repeal of the Second Amendment. ... [It] is a relic of the 18th century. ... A constitutional amendment to get rid of the Second Amendment would be simple. ... [It] would move Saturday's marchers closer to their objective than any other possible reform." Is that clear enough? Stevens has betrayed the Left's hand by revealing the "commonsense" legislation gun grabbers are really pursuing. And in doing so, he has also tipped the Leftmedia's hand regarding the real objective. The Washington Post's Aaron Blake lamented, "Rarely do we see such an unhelpful, untimely and fanciful idea as the one put forward by retired Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens. ... The move might as well be considered an in-kind contribution to the National Rifle Association, to Republicans' efforts to keep the House and Senate in 2018, and to President Trump's 2020 reelection bid. In one fell swoop, Stevens has lent credence to the talking point that the left really just wants to get rid of gun ownership and reasserted the need for gun-rights supporters to prevent his ilk from ever being appointed again (with the most obvious answer being: Vote Republican)." In other words, the Left's "boiled frog" approach to repealing the Second Amendment is undermined when a leftist leapfrogs over that approach and reveals the ultimate objective an especially terrible thing to do in a midterm election year. Second, let's consider who are the actual "survivors" of the tragic Parkland school attack versus those who have now become enthusiastic political pawns for the Left. When I think of "survivors," what comes to mind would be the 23 individuals who survived the collapse of the twin 110-story World Trade Center towers on 9/11. In the Parkland context, as with other rare mass acts of violence, a survivor would be someone who was wounded and did not die. Perhaps that word could be extended to those who were in the immediate line of fire but escaped injury, as was the case with many people in Las Vegas last year. But the hundreds of students who were on the Parkland campus that day are not "survivors," as the Demo-gogue leftists and their Demo/MSM propagandists insist. That moniker is purely for emotive optics and political theater. In keeping with that fake narrative, The Washington Post claims there are now 187,000 survivors of sociopathic attacks on schools the three most referenced of those being Columbine in Colorado (1999), Sandy Hook in Connecticut (2012) and Stoneman Douglas in Florida this year. That phony assessment degrades the struggle of those who are actual survivors of such tragedies. Of course, most of the students at these schools experienced differing degrees of trauma during those terrible moments, but their distress has been amplified by classifying them as "survivors." As intended, that has generated a lot of consternation among parents and kids nationwide, but in reality, there is not an epidemic of school shootings across our nation. Yes, the parents of young people on the few school campuses where attacks have occurred were rightfully worried about their children, as I would have been. But being on or near a campus during an assault on other students doesn't make one a "survivor" except for political expedience. Third, regarding the number of Mall marchers, while initial media reports on attendance were based on event-organizer estimates of 800,000, in fact, according to CBS and other networks, there were, at most, only 25% of that number. That turnout is astoundingly low given that 91% of DC's voters cast ballots for Hillary Clinton and that the surrounding Virginia and Maryland suburbs are infested with statist bureaucrats. As for those who were in attendance, our friends at The Daily Signal offered a few takeaways from ground zero, as did The Washington Free Beacon if you are interested. Suffice it to say that many of the marchers, however well-intentioned, exuded a sense of moral panic wrapped in their abject ignorance of the Second Amendment that, ironically, is our Republic's foundational assurance of their First Amendment rights to march and protest. But they won't recognize that until those liberties are lost should those of us who steadfastly defend our liberties, and their own, fail to do so. Fourth, the leftists at the helm of the Democrat Party have based their future political fortunes and statist objectives on the propagation of such ignorance, which they have institutionalized in government schools the pool from whence came many of Saturday's march attendees. Thomas Jefferson wrote, "Enlighten the people, generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like spirits at the dawn of day." But as communist protagonist Vladimir Lenin declared, "Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted." For many decades now, the Left has been infusing his progeny with a full 13 years of statist indoctrination, preparing them to sow that seed. The unifying characteristic of these uninformed leftist lemmings is that they have a pathological affinity for statism and its false promise of nanny-state security. Essentially, they fear Liberty and loathe those who defend it. And rich suburban liberals really fear grassroots gun-owning Americans. The notion that the Second Amendment provides a check on the usurpations of individual rights is anathema to them, as is the thought that the government on which they depend might devolve into tyranny. And finally, let's review the most pertinent facts about violence in America: If you're not a career criminal, or affiliated with gangs or drugs, your chances of being a victim of violent crime drop dramatically. In fact, it can be argued that your risk of being a victim of violent crime drops below European Union rates. If you're not involved in criminal activity, your statistical probability of being killed by a drunk driver is much higher than being murdered. (Oddly, no one is organizing marches to ban alcohol or automobiles.) Despite all the "assault weapon" hysterics, according to the FBI's latest annual crime statistics, rifles were used in 374 homicides, while knives were used in 1,604 homicides. But the rare high-profile attack at a school by a sociopath with a gun is a much more politically attractive anti-2A rallying point than gang-bangers murdering other gang-bangers in our inner cities. Violence is a cultural problem. "Gun control" is not the solution for ending systemic violence, but it most assuredly advances the Left's insatiable quest for power and control. In fact, many urban Democrats have become gun owners, and an NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey found that Americans have an increasingly favorable view toward legal firearms for self-defense. Until Democrats join Republicans in a unified effort to reverse the policies that have devastated our families and communities, violence will continue to rule the day. Violence in America is the direct result of failed statist policies, the effluent of their so-called centralized social programs, which have enslaved generations of poor Americans on urban poverty plantations in every major city nationwide. Fact is, Democrats don't care about children unless they can use their caskets as political props. If they did care about children, they wouldn't promote the culture of death that each day kills 2,446 of the most vulnerable among us before birth. Finally, it's tragically evident that our nation has reached the pinnacle of privilege and ignorance when some of its citizens now demand that certain constitutional rights be taken away. Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post. On the 330th anniversary of the Glorious Revolution -- the historical significance of the English Civil War (Part Two) By Mark Wegierski In the state and society which has been created by the American Revolution and its ongoing aftermath, an extreme narrowing of historical perspective has been continually occurring. As far as even the most historically conscious Americans are concerned, their social and political universe, and all the terms of their politics, begin in the 1770s. However, most Americans' span of meaningful historical memory, and nearly all their political referents, in fact go only as far back as the latest revolutionary upheaval in their society, which is the 1960s. Everything before that is virtually treated as elemental darkness, defended only by so-called reactionaries, "the left-over progressives of the preceding generation". It could be argued that the real outcome of the American Revolution, despite the apparent and totemic fixity of its constitutional arrangements, was the creation of a state and society characterized by the condition of almost permanent revolution and flux across its more than two centuries of history. There seems to be no period in American history that could be characterized as stable, instead, one irruption after another -- political, social, economic, and technological -- has engulfed the society. The monumental American Civil War/War Between the States of 1861-1865 affords a paradigmatic example of the fundamental intolerance in America of anything which deviates from its founding principles of pristine philosophical liberalism and economic capitalism, the former providing the ideological rationale, the latter probably the real reason for the decisive prosecution of the war. Although the Founding Fathers would have liked to believe so, America was, despite its proclamation as a Novus Ordo Seclorum, not entirely without a historical tradition. The locus of that tradition was the new English state, particularly as it emerged after the short but extremely critical period of Cromwell's ascendancy. The historical outcome of the English Civil War can thus be seen as a fundamental pivot or branch-point for the emergence of America in the New World. The idea that Cromwell's Puritans are in some sense the essential progenitors of America could serve an explanatory function to many phenomena occurring throughout American history, as well as today, from major trends such as "political correctness" and televangelism, to ephemera such as Jonestown and David Koresh. The Puritan ascendancy itself was a culmination of a long series of social and civil conflicts in the British Isles, which had begun with Henry VIII's break with Rome, the sacking of the monasteries, and the coming of the Protestant Reformation to England. There had emerged by the time of the outbreak of the English Civil War a number of fundamental divisions in the societies of the British Isles, which can be characterized as follows. Religious Divisions: The extremes of opposition were the Roman Catholics versus Calvinist groups such as the Puritans. The Roman Catholics were pejoratively called "Papists", and the often highly exaggerated fear of, and contempt for, "Popery", or "the Romish Church", typified by the bogeyman of "the Spanish Inquisition" and "the Jesuits", became an increasingly strong element in the new English society. Some of the initial impetus for these sentiments had been given by the Roman Catholic Queen Mary's short reign as "Bloody Mary", and the threat from Spain under Philip II (the Spanish Armada) during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The Anglo-Catholic or High Anglican (High Church) tradition lay between these two extremes, but tended towards Catholic ritual, while recognizing the distinctiveness of the Church of England, and considering the Pope as merely the Bishop of Rome, with no special authority in England. By contrast, the radical Protestants saw the Papacy as the embodiment of Antichrist. The Anglicans, in fact, did not at this time characterize themselves as "Protestant", but rather as a third group between Roman Catholics and the radical Protestants themselves. The offices of Bishop and Archbishop, as well as the notion of the Apostolic Succession (i.e., that the ultimate legitimacy of the Church lay in the transfer across millennia, beginning with the Apostles, of the priestly authority) were recognized in Anglicanism as in Roman Catholicism. The Low Anglican tradition (Low Church or Broad Church), which emerged in greater strength later, identified itself with more Protestant, anti-Catholic and anti-aristocratic English tendencies. The equivalent of the Anglicans in Scotland was the Scottish Episcopal Church, which claimed to be the real Church of Scotland -- not the Calvinist Presbyterian Church which eclipsed it while using the same name. There was also a substantial English Presbyterian group. They formed one of the larger factions in the Puritan-dominated Parliament, before Cromwell's full ascendancy. "Puritans", from the Latin puritani, meaning "the pure ones", is a general term for various Calvinist, radical Protestant groups of the period. The Puritans were known for their moral earnestness, their disdain for worldly pleasures, and their ascetic industriousness. The constant reading of the Bible to the members of the congregation, and the exhortation to every person in the congregation to read and study the Bible on their own to confirm their faith -- without the mediation of an organized priesthood -- was one of their most pronounced religious characteristics. Puritanism stressed the sincere profession of one's faith, reinforced through constant reading of the Bible, and condemned Catholic and Anglican ritual, churchly splendor, and a hierarchical priesthood set apart from the congregation. The obsessive reading of the Bible, particularly certain parts of the Old Testament, and the Book of Revelation, reinforced their sense of their own righteousness, and encouraged the emergence of all manner of then-radical ideas about the nature of social relations, as well as of various apocalyptic fervors, which sought to impose the Kingdom of God on Earth, by force if necessary. The Puritans were also obsessively concerned with every minute aspect of a person's daily behavior, and were able to apperceive "paganism" virtually everywhere in society, and to construe almost any monarch as an "Oriental despot". James I, for example, was characterized as a "British Nebuchadnezzar", a Babylonian tyrant. A later manifestation of this attitude was the common Protestant suspicion that George III, who dealt rather severely with Roman Catholics, had in fact secretly converted to Rome. Another good example is the American Revolutionary ditty, referring to Quebec: "if Gallic Papists have the right, to worship their own way/then what hope for the freedoms, of poor Americay." By a curious twist of reasoning, extending tolerance to Catholics was seen as advancing oppression in England (or America). Roman Catholicism was also generally seen as decadent and lackadaisical in its moral approach. The first major known and popular work of semipornography in England was Confessions of a Nun. The prurient uncovering of supposed Catholic moral turpitude was a constantly reappearing theme in Protestant polemics and criticism. As late as the end of the nineteenth century, Protestants in America were referring pejoratively to "Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion". Puritanism was also intensely masculine-centered, rejecting the special place of the Virgin Mary in Catholicism, and also radically monotheistic, considering the Catholic "veneration of the saints" as gross idolatry. The profound difference in the two religious styles is typified in the contrast between the Protestant Barnkirche (literally, "barn-church") and the sumptuous Baroque cathedral. The more radical Puritans were opposed to all graven images, which tended to lead to mass outbreaks of iconoclasm (the defacing or smashing of statuary in Catholic or Anglican churches). The English countryside contains many picturesque ruins of such churches (viscerally considered "heathen temples") sacked by Cromwell's soldiery. To be continued. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home ESR spotlight on 2016 US Election Recent articles about the 2016 U.S. election that have run in Enter Stage Right Did illegals voting give Hillary the edge?: The evidence would strongly suggest, writes Dr. Robert Owens, that Hillary Clinton only won the popular vote last November thanks to the help of people who weren't citizens of the United States Chains on the tracks of the Trump train: What to watch out for: Donald J. Trump may be president now, writes Daniel M. Ryan, but the hard work -- and the worst of times -- are yet to come as he will likely face never-ending war from his opponents Trump makes America great again why wait?: Donald J. Trump has barely assumed office and companies were lining up to announce expansion of jobs in the United States. Dr. Robert Owens can only wonder what's coming over the next four years Trumps billionaire dealmakers: Dr. Peter Morici says the Trump administration will be the first real test of whether private sector management strategies will actually work in Washington, D.C. Trumping the media: U.S. President Donald Trump has upended a news media thats still in denial about its vanished world, reports Scot Faulkner The dossier debacle: Time to rethink secrecy?: Buzzfeed's "revelatory" dossier that essentially claims Donald Trump is a Manchurian Candidate has Daniel M. Ryan thinking about how to vet intelligence The measure of Trumps presidency: Dr. Peter Morici argues that Donald Trump isn't only faced with the challenge of restoring growth in America's economy Then came Trump: It wasn't that long ago that those who feared for America's very soul had nothing to hope for. Dr. Robert Owens has a simple response to each of them who lost hope Even if the Russians did hack the emails, so what?: Selwyn Duke is unimpressed by continuing claims by the Democrats and the media that the Russians "hacked" the 2016 election Why the progressives want a recount they know they will lose: Regardless of what recounts in a few states may result in, writes Dr. Robert Owens, the left's demands for them has a method to their madness Mainstream media 'fake news': Mark Alexander doesn't think much of recent media coverage of "fake news", especially considering their own record on major issues of the day Trumps economy will benefit ordinary investors: Dr. Peter Morici believes that Donald Trump's administration will enact policies that will do well for average American investors Hillary Clinton popular vote count lead: Much ado about nothing!: Those who still haven't accepted the results of the election earlier this month are holding onto every argument they can, including the one about popular vote, says John W. Lillpop Trump triumph: Now do what you said you would do: Donald Trump's job isn't finished, writes Dr. Robert Owens, he now only has to actually deliver on what he's promised Righteous blowback: Why Donald Trump Is the Man Of The Current Year: Daniel M. Ryan explores why he believes that Donald Trump won and why the establishment -- perhaps of both parties -- are so befuddled by it The start of the deal: Dr. Peter Morici believes that despite a Trump victory and Republican control of Congress, the president-elect needs to work with everyone to guide a very divided nation President-Elect Trump The week in review: Donald Trump has had a busy time since he won the presidential election and Mark Alexander offers his thoughts on what's happened so far Make money great again: Vote for gold: The president-elect has had some generally positive things to say about gold and Guy Christopher hopes that translates into a brighter future for precious metals Hit the ground running, and cleaning: Now that Donald Trump is about to assume the presidency, Daniel M. Ryan lays out some big to-do items for the maverick billionaire to get to work on The Biblical thousand year peace: Michael Moriarty is happy to be in Canada and making a contribution in the Great White North but he's also overjoyed that the land of his birth seems to have returned to sanity America rising: The United States stepped away from the ledge last week, writes Dr. Robert Owens, there's still plenty of fight in -- and opportunity left -- for the progressive left Why voters deserted Hillary Clinton: Hillary Clinton didn't lose the election last week for any one reason and Rachel Alexander enumerates a few of the bigger ones I was 100 percent wrong about Donald Trump: Michael R. Shannon doesn't mind admitting that he was completely surprised that Donald Trump actually managed to capture the presidency last week We should take our cues from markets -- not politicians: Although the "experts" seemed to not realize what was going on, Jp Cortez believes the markets sensed a victory by Donald Trump was coming Reflections on the U.S. presidential election and its implications for American Jewry and the State of Israel: American Jews voted in large numbers for Hillary Clinton and are naturally disappointed at a Trump victory and Dr. Steven Windmueller says they have some challenges ahead of them Giving thanks for the divine intervention that saved America!: The surprise win last week by Donald Trump of the American presidency should be attributed to one being alone, argues John W. Lillpop Now comes the hard, fun and vital part: Paul Driessen argues that "making America great again" requires deep-sixing punitive energy and environmental rules Trump can get us the China deal we deserve: Donald Trump needs to bring jobs home and ensure China lives up to fair trade, even at the cost of tariffs, to restore American manufacturing, argues Dr. Peter Morici The "peak weird" election: What to expect next: Regardless of who wins tomorrow night in America's oddest election in a very long time, our Daniel M. Ryan thinks he knows what's going to happen next Two Hillary's: Listening to the beautiful music that violinist Hillary Hahn produces while ruminating over the danger that Hillary Clinton poses to America occupied Michael Moriarty for a time last week Trump triumph to dream the impossible dream: Dr. Robert Owens is urging everyone to vote Donald Trump on Tuesday so that Americans can begin to recover from the mistakes of the past How Democrats promote poverty and inequality: Hillary Clinton may talk a good talk about combating inequality and poverty, writes Dr. Peter Morici, but her party's policies do nothing but grow them both Missing the connection between politicians and consequences: Michael R. Shannon compares and contrasts politicians in two very different places -- Montgomery County, MD and Gaza -- but finds similarities Sleazy 'scam PACs' hurt GOP candidates again this cycle with fake fundraising: Rachel Alexander reports that once again some shady PACs, ostensibly set up to help elect Republicans, seemed to be more interested in filling their coffers Trump or Clinton life or death: The choice between the two candidates, according to Dr. Robert Owens, couldn't be more stark...which is why he's choosing one over the other Another reason why Trump is right: No conceding a rigged election: Selwyn Duke argues that Donald Trump refusing to accept what potentially may be a corrupted election process is what all Americans should be in favour of Alexander, How will you vote?: Mark Alexander has been asked many times this year how he plans on voting and he has the same answer for them that he has every single presidential election Final debate answers dictator question: Hillary Clinton has made it clear that if she wins the presidential election on November 8 that all branches of government are expected to serve her whims, writes Michael R. Shannon The subtle but corrosive problem with white nationalism: Yet another gift of this year's American election has been the right of white nationalism -- both tongue-in-cheek and otherwise -- and Daniel M. Ryan discusses both the movement and its critics The fix: Michael Moriarty believes that it is an inevitability that Hillary Clinton will win election next month, at least in part due to the system being manipulated It is what it is: The Machine's white washing of the scandal over Hillary Clinton's emails during her time at the Department of State has prompted a lot of whispering in Washington, D.C. says Dr. Robert Owens No, Trump should not accept the results of a possibly stolen election: Selwyn Duke asks: If Donald Trump truly believed on election night that the vote had been stolen why should he accept the results? Moreover, why should the GOP? Republican Party now controlled by depend caucus: Michael R. Shannon believes that Speaker of the House Paul Ryan needs to spend less time answering questions about Donald Trump Democrats grope female gender gap: Despite Hillary Clinton's decades-long war on women, women voters will likely put her over the top, writes Mark Alexander Open letter to Benedict Ted: Karen Norling was once the biggest fan of Sen. Ted Cruz but his continued endorsement of Donald Trump in the wake of some crude comments about women has her walking away from the Texas politician Can the hair be convinced to train like the tortoise?: Michael R. Shannon argues that whomever is giving Donald Trump advice needs to tell the candidate to be the person who managed to capture the GOP nod Hillary spare us your faux indignation: Mark Alexander says that Hillary Clinton's sycophantic Leftmedia propagandists restore her poll standing while Donald Trump threatens to overturn Senate and House majorities Why Republicans continue to lose: Scot Faulkner says it is very simple: Republicans wrote the book on losing. Democrats wrote the book on playing for keeps Revenge justifies the American suicide?!: Donald Trump has essentially proven himself during the election to be a repellent human being and he's still better than who and what he's running against, writes Michael Moriarty Hillary's statist solution: Dr. Peter Morici argues that what Hillary Clinton thinks will lead to further economic growth will only mire the United States in further statism Bill Clinton's unforgivable sin: Tells truth about ObamaCare!: You don't hear it often from Bill Clinton, says John W. Lillpop, and plenty of people probably didn't appreciate him telling the truth -- particularly about the sacred cow of ObamaCare Jefferson's enlightened liberty v Clinton's elitist statism: Hillary Clinton's campaign has only served to reveal her as the ultimate in classist elitism that looks down on the average American, writes Mark Alexander Bienvenida a nothingburger: The Trump-Cuba flap: Donald Trump was once interested in investing in Cuba? Newsweek would have you believe it was a shady episode but Daniel M. Ryan says there isn't much meat on the bone Voting for growth: Dr. Peter Morici argues that electing Donald Trump in November would spur growth and shake up the entrenched world of Hillary Clinton's Washington, D.C. Making America great again: Donald Trump's heavy burden!: John W. Lillpop believes that a Donald Trump presidency would have an extraordinarily ambitious agenda that would transform the United States Why Trump remains a long shot: Donald Trump may be making up ground in national polls but Dr. Peter Morici believes that the chances of him capturing the White House still remain slim Democrats despise 'We, the [Deplorable] People': Hillary Clinton recently described half of Donald Trump's supporters as "deplorable" and the other half as "misguided". Mark Alexander says the comments shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone And the winner is? Expect little change from Wall Street bankers if Double Down' Donnie and Hottie Tottie' Hilary make it to the White House: When it comes to the world of housing policy, argues D. Sidney Potter, neither of the primary candidates seems to have any real idea of what to do The hex is being broken: A memo to never-Trumpers: In 1964 Barry Goldwater was destroyed in the election. In 2016? Democrats seem to be using the same playbook. Daniel M. Ryan says its time to break what he calls the "Goldwater Hex" Tim Kaine: Catholic of convenience: Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine is being described by a worshipful media as a devout Catholic but Michael R. Shannon says the record says otherwise Whither those withering "bombshells," Mr. Assange?: A few weeks back WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange announced he had "bombshells" related to Hillary Clinton. John W. Lillpop would like to know what happened to them Why should Obama declare martial law?: The alt-media is filled with predictions and concerns that Barack Obama will declare martial law at some point, something that Dr. Robert Owens considers to be a ridiculous concern Clinton the "Congenital Liar": In her Benghazi cover-up testimony, Hillary Clinton declared, "What difference, at this point, does it make?" It's the difference between serving time in the White House or the Big House, writes Mark Alexander A calm look at the alt-right: The term "alt-right" has been used a lot by the media these days -- particularly for those who support Donald Trump -- and Daniel M. Ryan explores what it means The genius of Trump's foreign policy: Donald Trump may be most ungraceful when he speaks on foreign policy but Dr. Peter Morici agrees with many of his proposals, particularly on trade and immigration Democrats planting radical fake conservative news sites: Within the past year a number of ostensibly conservative news web sites have sprung up but Rachel Alexander says they aren't what they appear to be...they are run by Democrats with the aim of embarrassing conservatives Trumping the Establishment: The Washington Establishment hates Trump, because he promises to put them out of business, argues Scot Faulkner Obama and Clinton did create the Islamic State!: Donald Trump was blasted by pundits and the media for arguing that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton deserved all of the blame for ISIS. Mark Alexander believes the GOP nominee was entirely correct Both parties should adopt the Barbara Bush Rule: Barbara Bush has no love for political dynasties, something that Michael R. Shannon wishes her fellow Americans believed as well Clinton v the 'Unfit Candidate'?: Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have a mantra: Donald Trump is unfit to serve as president. Mark Alexander doesn't think much of the Clinton record either Hillary and her viper: Much like Cleopatra and the famous asp, writes Michael Moriarty, America and the world's leaders have decided to commit moral and spiritual suicide Clinton body count or left-wing conspiracy? Three with ties to DNC mysteriously die: Rachel Alexander doesn't want to come across as one of those weird conspiracy theorists but there seem to be a lot of bodies tied to the Clintons over the years Election fraud: Last week Donald Trump told supporters at a rally that he believed the presidential election was rigged. Michael Moriarty doesn't consider that to be an outlandish statement Clinton's Khan: Who is trashing whom?: Hillary Clinton used the Khans' religious, ethnic, cultural and political status, in addition to their loss and grief, as fodder for a disgraceful political charade, writes Mark Alexander From #NeverTrump to #NeverClinton: Mark Alexander has a simple question for his fellow conservatives who plan to stay home rather than avoiding voting for Donald Trump: What will your country look like if Hillary Clinton wins the presidency? Hillary and "The Big Boys": Michael Moriarty argues that Hillary Clinton has always wanted to prove that she's more than she actually is...and she will fail doing so To Trump or not to Trump?: As a member of the William F. Buckley school of conservatism Rachel Alexander has no great love for Donald Trump but she will be voting for him in November Trump is right: Unemployment is worse than official numbers say: Dr. Peter Morici agrees that the official unemployment numbers touted by the Obama administration are much worse in reality America First!: Dr. Robert Owens says that he has been waiting his entire life to hear what Donald Trump has been saying on the issue of trade and the American economy Presidential insurgency-candidacies from 1992 to 2016: Mark Wegierski asks, why has Donald Trump done better than Pat Buchanan and Ron Paul? Trump's challenge on trade: Dr. Peter Morici lays out what issues Donald Trump needs to address in order to be taken seriously on the subject Hillary: Too old, too naive, too evil? All of the above?: Some entertaining excuses have been formulated by Hillary Clinton's supporters to explain away her use of a private server to send and receive top secret emails, writes John W. Lillpop Slick Hillie The Slick Willie sequel: Once again a Clinton has escaped the jaws of justice, writes Mark Alexander, and the email scandal was simply the latest Houdini act for Hillary Clinton Comey & FBI blink after email investigation: Michael R. Shannon writes that FBI Director James Comey's news conference concerning Hillary Clinton reminded him of a prisoner of war talking to the media Donald Trump vs. Woodrow Wilson?: Norwegian pundit J.K. Baltzersen hardly believes that Donald Trump is the ideal candidate to represent the right but he argues that the maverick has already had a positive influence on American politics Clinton, Trump, and your money: Comparing the economic plans 2016 presidential candidates: Dale Schlundt compares the competing economic plans of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and what they likely mean for you and the American economy as a whole Donald Trump's consuming passion: America First versus deadly ignorance!: Donald Trump's critics believe him to be a buffoon but John W. Lillpop would argue that the maverick billionaire has little more going on than most think Can (should) America trust Hillary Clinton with nuclear codes, other sensitive state secrets?: Given Hillary Clinton's past blithe disregard for security involving sensitive information, John W. Lillpop wonders if Americans should be trust Hillary Clinton with even more top secret information Anti-Trump violence must be treated as acts of terror!: Continuing acts of violence by the left at Donald Trump's rallies has John W. Lillpop calling for action against the protestors responsible for the attacks Trump earthquake causes Democrat tsunami: Dr. Robert Owens wonders if Hillary Clinton will actually be the candidate that Donald Trump will face off against considering all of her baggage and ongoing problems Donald Trump: For rent: Donald Trump's recent announcement that he would no longer be self-funding his campaign for the presidency has Michael R. Shannon believing the maverick may have undone himself America's reckoning and Donald Trump: Decades of mismanagement has left America in a position where no real meaningful reform can take place, argues Dr. Peter Morici Roadside hookup results in slow Bern: Michael R. Shannon responds to a recent news story in which a tow truck driver decided not to tow a vehicle sporting a Bernie Sanders bumper sticker False cries of voter suppression in Arizona and other GOP primaries: Earlier this year news reports out of Arizona suggested that voter suppression had taken place during presidential primary elections. Rachel Alexander says don't believe the hype Trump, now what?: Mark Alexander is no fan of Donald Trump -- as his essays on this web site would attest to -- but he's going to vote for him in November and he explains why Feeling sorry for Hillary? Save those tears ---this (misplaced sympathy) too shall pass!: Some actually feel sorry for Hillary Clinton and the ongoing probe over her e-mail server but not John W. Lillpop America needs Mark Levin & Glenn Beck to pivot in favor of GOP 'presumptive nominee': Now that Donald Trump has all but captured the GOP nomination, writes Michael R. Shannon, it's time for some to get back into the fold The Biden-Warren warning: Mark Alexander believes that it's not out of the question that Hillary Clinton could be pushed aside in favour of a nominee that isn't facing the spectre of a prison term Trump trumps Never-Trump: Donald Trump and his supporters have been the recipients of much scorn from the establishment and the media and yet continue to do nothing but win, writes Dr. Robert Owens No matter who wins . . . you lose: Elections are usually a time of optimism for the future but Ron Marr is of the opinion that America is so far gone that it doesn't really matter who wins in November Freedom from Religion Foundation: "I'm Secular and I Vote" Campaign, Part 3 of 3: Debra Rae concludes her three-part investigation of the Freedom from Religion Foundation and its efforts to sway the coming presidential election Bart Simpson For President: Hillary Clinton's campaign for the presidency is reminding Dr. Robert Owens of the lovable scamp Bart Simpson who seemingly could get away with anything Decadence, not Donald, destroying GOP: Dr. Peter Morici argues that the voters that the GOP is hoping to attract -- whether by Donald Trump, Ted Cruz or John Kasich -- are rapidly disappearing in a massive demographic shift What "Not Trump" Republicans must embrace to win in November: Dr. Peter Morici argues that Republicans need to do several things on the policy front if they hope to beat Hillary Clinton in November George Soros versus "The Ugly American": Whomever runs against the Democrat nominee in November won't simply be facing one opponent, writes Michael Moriarty, but a billionaire progressive as well Freedom from Religion Foundation: "I'm Secular and I Vote" campaign, Part 1 of 3: Debra Rae launches a new three-part series looking at the Freedom from Religion Foundation and its efforts to sway the coming presidential election Trump incoherence spreads to prolife supporters: A recent answer that Donald Trump gave on abortion made Michael R. Shannon shake his head and caused the pro-life community no end of self-inflicted wounds Trump supporters have good reason to be mad: Dr. Peter Morici understands why those who support Donald Trump -- particularly men -- are so angry with everything today In Wisconsin both Trump and GOP will lose: Dr. Peter Morici does not expect Donald Trump to win tomorrow evening in Wisconsin but the bigger loss is likely going to be to the Republican Party itself President Don "Corleone" Trump: Republicans currently have two choices: a man who has some questionable policy views and a billionaire who acts more like a mobster than a politician, writes Michael Moriarty Economy stuck in low gear fuels Sanders, Trump and Cruz: An American economy that continues to be moribund is one reason why candidates not favoured by the establishment continue to be players in the race for the presidency, writes Dr. Peter Morici Can the GOP learn from Hillary in their nominee crisis?: The Republican Party continues to tear itself apart -- with wounds both self-inflicted and otherwise -- and John W. Lillpop wonders if it can take page from its Democrat rivals Blind to facts, GOP headed for a disaster of its own design: If the Republican Party is destroyed at the polls this November they can only blame themselves, argues Dr. Peter Morici The 'art' of the heel: Contemptibly dishonorable or irresponsible person: As a Christian Karen Norling is dumbfounded that Donald Trump has put one over on her fellow believers and many in the Republican Party GOP must call in outside help to deal with nomination crisis!: Given whose left standing on the Republican side in the race for the presidency, writes John W. Lillpop, the GOP might need to look to the Democrats in order to figure out who to nominate On presidential character: Americans have had some real characters serve as president but Mark Alexander says a president needs to have real character if they are to serve and lead in an inspirational manner Who are the 'Establishment Republicans'?: Donald Trump and his supporters argue that it is "establishment Republicans" who are opposed to his candidacy. Mark Alexander rejects that assertion Will being 'kinder, gentler' destroy Donald Trump?: Last week's GOP debate, one in which Donald Trump notably was less combative, also turned out to be one of the most boring debates. John W. Lillpop hopes that's not the start of a trend The silent dog of the prediction markets, and what Donald Trump needs to do: Can prediction markets -- essentially stock markets for the trading the outcome of events -- predict who will win in November? Daniel M. Ryan addresses the question Flagging economy should advantage Trump over Clinton: Dr. Peter Morici believes that if Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton face off against each other this fall, women and the rest of America would do better under the billionaire Two words that would seal Trump's deal for me: Michael R. Shannon doesn't think much of Donald Trump's conservative credentials, such as they are, but he argues one issue would instantly make all of that irrelevant Where was the 'fire in Romney's belly' four years ago?: Last week Mitt Romney took aim at Donald Trump as a fraud and liar. John W. Lillpop wishes Romney had the same spunk when he ran against Barack Obama Mocking Marco: While Ron Marr has no great love for Donald Trump -- whom he finds to be a barely believable candidate -- he has nothing but loathing for Florida's favourite son, Marco Rubio Trump's most taxing questions: Why does Donald Trump resist calls to release his tax returns and answer some questions about his true net worth? Mark Alexander believes it speaks much to the bigger questions surrounding the maverick businessman Economic literacy 101: Paul Driessen asks if millennials really want the Big Government socialist policies Bernie and Hillary advocate? What I like about Bernie Sanders: Dr. Peter Morici is an economic conservative but he has to admit that there is a part of him that likes Bernie Sanders The Trump freight train: Donald Trump cleaned up in Nevada last week -- including amongst Hispanics -- and Mark Alexander looks into why the billionaire continues to lead the Republican pack Cupcake Kasich is a (rather dull) tyrant enabler: Ohio Governor John Kasich may be running for the GOP nod but Selwyn Duke believes he's no less a fan of state interference in our lives than his counterparts in the Democrat Party Trump tizzy in Virginia long before primary: The Virginia GOP's decision to require a "loyalty oath" for those participating in their primary next month has Michael R. Shannon shaking his head Prospects for Bush Family "dynasty" end in South Carolina!: John W. Lillpop says the failure of Jeb Bush to continue he's family's political legacy was largely due to some rather unpopular stands he took and the rise of Donald Trump Why so many Americans find Trump and Sanders appealing: Why are a maverick businessman and a self-proclaimed socialist riding high in the polls? Dr. Peter Morici argues its because both of them are offering something the other candidates aren't Clinton's Democrats and Sanders' Socialists: Clinton the Democrat and Sanders the Socialist? Mark Alexander says there really isn't much of a difference between the two Better red than Ted: The continuing popularity of Bernie Sanders among Democrats looking to nominate a new candidate for the presidency shows Dr. Robert Owens that the party has nearly completely gone over to socialism If Trump is the answer...: If Mark Alexander had to he would vote for Donald Trump in a general election, but he argues that the flamboyant billionaire is not the solution to America's problems The 2016 election: Jews and their politics: Dr. Steven Windmueller takes a close look at American Jews and what principles tends to influence their choices in politics and whom they vote for Is Trump the First "European-conservative" American presidential candidate?: Selwyn Duke posits that Donald Trump has more similarity with European conservatives than he does with any traditional American definition of conservatism Trump's got it right on trade: Donald Trump has been attacked for his economic prescriptions for the United States but Dr. Peter Morici believes the maverick businessman is pushing for the right actions Man's ego and Michael Bloomberg: The media was filled with reports last week that Michael Bloomberg was pondering a run at the presidency and Selwyn Duke has his thoughts on the matter Trump, Cruz and New York values: Sen. Ted Cruz's recent shot at Donald Trump over having "New York values" has prompted Selwyn Duke to ruminate about generalizations and profiling Trump's 'New York values: Mark Alexander has one simple message for the millions of Americans who support Donald Trump's candidacy for the GOP nomination Last chance: Will Mitt Romney jump into the presidential race?: With the continuing popularity of Donald Trump beginning to worry the Republican establishment, Rachel Alexander wonders if they will turn to Mitt Romney Want to make income inequality worse? Elect Bernie Sanders: Isaiah Garner argues that Bernie Sanders may sound appealing -- at least to those people inclined to believe what he's selling -- but he would only do tremendous damage to the United States GOP media takedown: A recipe for victory: Last week's CNBC GOP debate provided Republicans with a valuable opportunity to call out the media party, writes Selwyn Duke Unleash Ted Cruz to save America!: John W. Lillpop says the CNBC GOP debate showed Ted Cruz to be a real conservative unafraid to challenge the media Trump and the chumps: What's a serious candidate, anyway?: Donald Trump has basically been written off by pundits and establishment officials as a clown show that's temporarily tapped into a groundswell of anger. Selwyn Duke believes they're all wrong In answer to Carly's critics: Carly Fiorina has been slowly increasing in popularity and with that comes attacks on her present and past. Robert Bidinotto mounts a defense The deceptive misuse of legislator voting records: Plenty of GOP candidates are pointing to their voting records as proof of their conservative credentials...something that Dr. Lester Jackson finds debatable The Divinely Human Prison: Chapter Thirty-Seven: Dr. Ben Carson: Last week Michael Moriarty endorsed long-shot candidate Carly Fiorina for the GOP nomination...this week he decides to change his mind and his throw his support behind Dr. Ben Carson. It's early...he's allowed Straight talk from Bernie Sanders: With tongue planted firmly in cheek, Rachel Alexander pens a speech that she can imagine that socialist Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders would deliver What establishment GOP candidates must accomplish: Dr. Peter Morici argues that establishment GOP candidates need to start connecting with the concerns of ordinary Americans...unless they want Hillary Clinton in the White House The Trump Card Ace of anger affirmation: Mark Alexander is no fan of Donald Trump or his campaign but he argues that the billionaire represents something that the GOP leadership needs to hear and understand The Divinely Human Prison: Chapter Thirty-Five: "What is this world coming to?! A President Donald Trump?!?!": What's made Michael Moriarty a bit of a Donald Trump fan? Despite all of his flaws, he writes, the billionaire candidate is far better than a continuation of the Obama agenda When it comes to international affairs, the countries south of the Sahara Desert in northwestern regions of the Africa Sahel belt Mauritania, Chad, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso remain under the radar. Soldiers tasked with guarding the Sahel region die here almost every week, but their deaths remain unreported. If these are French soldiers, their deaths will be mentioned in the French news, but not anywhere else. Four US special operatives were killed in an attack in western Niger in October last year. A report to US Congress expressed concerns about the US engagement in a war that American public knows nothing about. The same goes for British and Italian forces. Parliaments in Rome, Paris, London and the US Congress have never debated about this looming threat on the Sahel borders. The French President Emmanuel Macron tried to come to an agreement on how France and Algeria should approach the situation in Mali during his visit to Algiers on 6 December 2017. The Barkhane military operation launched in August 2014, which prevented the collapse of Mali, was supported by Frenchs own 4000 troops, so its understandable why France is so involved in this situation. The deployed troops are mainly centered on Gao, but also in two other military bases located near Kidal and Tessalit, 120 kilometers from the Algerian border. What makes this region interesting for France are its natural resources, mainly uranium and other minerals. The region is also a border for the illegal immigrants looking for a better life in Europe, so maintaining security of this region is also a top priority for France. On 24 October 2017, the US Chief of Staff General Joe Dunford said his services were convinced that fighters of Islamic State, now defeated in Syria and Iraq, were intent on moving to the Sahel. Africacom, the US military command for Africa has been known for their more military than diplomatic approach over the years, but reducing conflicts hardly allows any understanding of their complexity. This explains the situation between France and Algeria. The peace protocol signed in May-June 2015 between the Republic of Mali and the Azawad (a coalition of Touareg, Arab and Peul groups) simply did not work. The cease-fire is broken by frequent attacks on the UN sponsored MINUSMA. With a lot of parties involved, the coordination of the forces fighting against this kind of guerilla warfare is also problematic. This high presence of foreign forces is also not very accepted by the locals, as African troops are known for their mistreatment of civilians. Mr. Macron insists Algeria should commit with troops and money. Despite the support from US, UAE and Saudi Arabia, France cant cover the expenses without their help. On the other hand, Algeria wants the international forces to be under the command of the African Union, an organization which neither France nor the US are members of. Algeria will not commit troops outside its borders except to insure its own immediate security. Algerian senior officers also believe that this conflict requires a more diplomatic, than a military approach. The countrys foreign policy is, however, complicated because of the ill health of their President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Despite being all but invisible to the public eye for years, he is still considering running for his fifth mandate next year. While the key principles of Algerian security and foreign affairs are well established, Bouteflikas slow foreign policy decisions are making this process longer than it would otherwise be the case. The Sahel Bedlam Opinion by Francis Ghiles Barcelona Centre for International Affairs / CIDOB. (The Opinion can be downloaded here) Never heard of TFX but maybe someone else here has. The big "issue" with filing jointly is that you will have to include ALL your spouse's income for the entire year and that means trying to apply the appropriate mechanism to avoid double taxation. If you're using a paid service, expect a rather larger bill for the tax preparation. However, you should consider that how you file your US returns (and you'll continue to have to do so after you move to France) basically has absolutely no effect on how you and/or your husband will do your French tax declaration(s). France assesses income taxes by household for married people, so your husband will have to combine your incomes from the date of your marriage (in October) forward. (But there shouldn't be any French taxes on that income if he fills out the forms correctly.) Married filing separately is definitely a somewhat dis-advantaged filing status, but the way the tax law works in the US, your filing status is determined for the whole year based on your status on December 31st, so you don't have too many options. Cheers, Bev Hello, if anyone is able to help me I will be so grateful. I am filing my US taxes and must report my French earnings (I had zero US earnings). I am self-employed in France. I file jointly with my French husband (non US citizen). Therefore my husband's earnings are seen on my return. However, being he has no US citizenship or alien number, technically the US cannot touch his earnings for tax purposes. I am concerned however the US will want to tax me on the total which includes his earnings and our tax return information here be given to the IRS. Can this be avoided ? Can I simply report my own separate French earnings to the US and leave my husband's out of it ? Will this being seeing as falsifying information ? If anyone has had this experience, thank you for your help. The Brexit transition period will last from 29 March next year until 31 December 2020, it has been agreed after a series of meetings between British and European Union officials.The deal confirms that EU citizens arriving in the UK during the transition will receive the same rights as those who arrived before the official date of exit.And Britons who head to EU countries before the end of the transition period will benefit from the same rights and guarantees as those who arrived before Brexit.We agreed that British citizens and European citizens of the 27 who arrive during that transition period will receive the same rights and guarantees as those who arrived before the day of Brexit, said EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier.But not everyone is convinced that this brings any kind of certainty for expats. According to Jane Golding, chair of the British in Europe group, the statement does not give real answers to real questions.She claimed that the statement effectively amounts to saying that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. There will not be legal certainty for the 4.6 million people most directly affected by Brexit until the agreement is finally signed off, she said.A key question is what rights expats will have in terms of freedom of movement after Brexit and there are concerns that expats they could be landlocked in their country of residence.It does, however, give business time to plan, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Agreeing transition is a critical milestone that will provide many hundreds of businesses with the confidence to put their contingency planning on hold and keep investing in the UK, said director general Carolyn Fairbairn.While some sectors may need more than 20 months to prepare for post-Brexit life, this is a victory for common sense that will help protect living standards, jobs and growth, she added.One sector that could be affected hard by Brexit is construction. According to research from the Federation of Master Builders those currently employing EU workers cannot manage without them and believe they are good employees.A new survey of the bosses of small and medium-sized (SME) construction firms found that 94% of firms describe the quality of EU workers they employ as good or very good and some 85% of construction SME employers that employ EU workers say that these workers are important in allowing their business to maintain and expand its workforce.And the survey also found that 76% of these firms say it would have a negative impact on the health of their business if any of the EU workers they employ returned to their country of origin, now or post-Brexit.The UK construction sector is more reliant than most on migrant workers from Europe and at present, 9% of our construction workers are from the EU, said Brian Berry, FMB chief executive, adding that in London, this rises to nearly one third.Given the severity of the skills shortages we already face, retaining these workers is business critical. Our research sends a strong and positive message from the construction industry to its EU workers. Were now calling on the Government to step up and help us convince our EU workers that they are needed and warmly welcome, Berry explained.Were already seeing EU workers return home for financial reasons, or simply because they dont feel welcome, so time is of the essence. The Government and the industry must do all that they can to put positive messages across to our vital and highly valued EU workers, Berry added. SHEEP Producers Australia (SPA) has endorsed the overwhelmingly positive results to its industry-wide survey, to change the definition of lamb to align with that of New Zealands. The SPA released the results last week that showed 83 per cent industry support for the change, after a nine-week public consultation phase was conducted across the whole sheep industry supply chain. The SPA hoped to see the change come into affect by Spring 2019 although producers may not see the benefit until Winter, April July 2020. The SPA endorsed changing the Australian lamb definition on the basis that market access risk would be minimised through the adoption of the New Zealand definition, which is outlined in the New Zealand Lamb and Mutton Carcass Classification, as young sheep under 12 months of age or which do not have any permanent incisor teeth in wear. According to the SPA Lamb Definition Explanatory Policy Paper, the SPA also endorsed it pending final SPA board approval is provided on the proposed regulatory framework governing the new definition as developed by the Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) and SPA; that final board approval is provided on the proposed implementation process and budgeted investment of production levies required to facilitate a change in definition, and a strategic plan is collaboratively developed by AMIC and SPA to achieve national regulatory harmonisation of sheepmeat marks and brands. SPA president Allan Piggott said, in addition to industry feedback, the board also relied on science and data in endorsing the change to a uniform industry position. The SPA board has endorsed an evidence-based policy position that reflects what the majority of Australian sheep producers want as a result of an in-depth and transparent public consultation process, Mr Piggott said. The new definition will even the playing field against New Zealand in our export markets and provide producers with an indicator before they incur the price cliff face of lamb being downgraded to hogget or mutton. The current definition means that as soon as eruption is evident, the animal becomes classed as mutton and results in a lower price. It costs producers nearly $10 million a year in having lamb downgraded. Mr Piggott said market access risk from adopting the NZ lamb definition was proven to be minimal. The interim reports findings have been further verified by Meat and Livestock Australias (MLA) international business managers, various Australian exporters and international importers, he said. Upon advice from MLAs consumer markets insight unit, as there is no anticipated change to eating quality of the product, the likelihood of a detrimental affect on consumer preference is low. Mr Piggott said the next step was for SPA and industry stakeholders to work through the development of an implementation plan, given the lamb definition was currently defined in various Federal, State and industry regulations and standards, which could take about 18 months. The lamb definition review was part of the broader Fit for Purpose Language Program being undertaken by SPA, which aims to enable the introduction of meat and livestock specification language that strengthens the connection between consumer price signals and on-farm decision-making. Enhanced alignment will assist in producers being paid for the product attributes that consumers value most at the dinner table. AMIC chief executive officer Patrick Hutchinson said it would allow the eruption of up to two permanent incisor teeth, which was minor in nature, but had the potential to produce significant benefits to sheep producers, processors and customers. Australian lamb production, from farm to processor to retailer, has evolved significantly in the past 20 to 30 years, with significant advances in general husbandry, breeding, nutrition, animal welfare, processing techniques, ageing of product and refrigeration technology, Mr Hutchinson said. This has allowed the Australian red meat industry to produce higher quality lamb more consistently across seasons and from year to year. Despite this, the definition used to describe what a lamb is has not changed since at least the mid-1900s, resulting in high-quality sheep meat being forced to be down-graded from lamb to hogget or mutton. This can result in a significant drop in the willingness of the consumer to purchase despite no discernible difference in quality or taste which flows back to lower returns for the processor, and a lower price offered to the farmer. AMIC looks forward to working with SPA on the implementation process of the proposed change to the lamb definition, and to bringing the benefits of this change to lamb producers, processors and consumers. WAFarmers executive officer Kim Haywood said WA led over the hook trading with the Lamb Board in the early 1970s and it was ramped up with the Sheep Meat Council (SMC) in the early 2000s. We realised one of the most important things was the change in definition, Ms Haywood said. We have been lobbying hard and its taken 14 years but we have a good outcome. More than 80pc of responders have come out and supported the change and we would like to see it happen ASAP. We need WA processors to push it so bureaucracy doesnt hold it up to keep the pressure on councils to ensure a speedy process to change. The longer it is delayed we have an uneven playing field with competitors. Ms Haywood said research had already been done in the early 2000s to show that changing the definition of a lamb doesnt change the taste of its meat. We are absolutely sure that there would be no negative meat quality changes, she said. She said that lamb finishers would have more confidence with the change. At the moment if one in a pen (at the saleyards) breaks its permanent incisor the whole pen is downgraded, she said. This is at a time when processors are desperate for lamb. It will bring significant benefits and we dont want it stalled. Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA (PGA) Livestock Committee chairman Chris Patmore said it was a welcome change that had been decades in the making. The PGA has been at the forefront of this push for change for the past 20 years, Mr Patmore said. He said a lot of work had been done by quite a few people, including David Boyle who represented the PGA on the SMC for many years. It is going to take a further 18 months before it comes into fruition, he said. The budget for it and the implementation plan will have to be approved by the SPA board and then State and Territory governments will need to change the definition in their regulations and standards. Wheels turn slowly with government. While it is expected to be completed by spring 2019 it will be winter 2020 before producers see the benefits from it because lambs drop their teeth from April to July. Mr Boyle, from York, said a lot of producers would be happy with the decision to change the lamb definition. The main benefit is that it will give greater confidence in the lamb industry, especially for those buying lambs that require finishing off, Mr Boyle said. You can buy lambs with more confidence when you are not sure of their age, to fatten up and get a better price. Mr Boyle said there was a cliff in the price when a lamb loses a tooth. You can lose $40-$60 overnight, he said. Mr Boyle said WA had been fortunate to have had the support of the processors in pushing for this change over the years which have suffered significant loses each year from the downgrading of lambs due to the definition. Stud Merino Breeders Association of WA (SMBAWA) president Wayne Button said the announcement of the policy change by SPA was fantastic for the industry. It has been a long time coming, Mr Button said. We tried to get this in many years ago. We are very much in favour as it gives our members many benefits. Store buyers can operate a bit longer and we can also get a bit more wool off the lambs while they put on a bit more weight. The risk for getting caught out when taking lambs to the saleyards will be much less. Mr Button said he hoped that the change would be implemented as quickly as possible. SMBAWA member Ray Lewis, Wickepin, said he supported the change which should have been done years ago. Our clientele will get a better deal, Mr Lewis said. Weve been losing 5-10pc when they lose teeth. He said the change would give lamb producers an extra two to three weeks to put on better weights and would enable increased profits for producers. It is a good move and it will be better for exporters and producers, he said. Shane Edwards, Quairading, said he was involved in the public submission process with the SMBAWA, which was carried out in October and November last year. We did quite a bit of background work to get the submission in, Mr Edwards said. There was a pleasing amount of submissions and it was a worthwhile exercise. Mr Edwards said that all the way through the supply chain there would be benefits in the change. He said 20 years ago specialist prime lamb producers wouldnt have seen the benefits, but as time has gone on they have recognised the merit of it. Part of the SMBAWA submission was research conducted in the early 2000s where testing was undertaken to determine the meat eating quality of Merino lambs, first-cross and second-cross lambs. The result was that there was no eating difference between early stage hoggets and lambs, he said. Mr Edwards put the success of the change down to the support of the processors who finally made it happen citing the likes of Fletchers International, WAMMCO, and V&V Walsh as major supporters who helped drive the change over the past decade. WAMMCO chief executive officer Coll McRury said WA had a huge influence on the change in lamb definition from a combination of producers and processors, who were able to gain support from Eastern States where there had been opposition in the past. Ever since I came to WAMMCO we have tried to get the change but couldnt get over the line, Mr McRury said. It has been such a disadvantage to our farmers compared to New Zealand. It is one of those things that you have to stick at and theyve finally come to our way of thinking. Mr McRury said the concern had been at the critical time during late winter, early spring, when most lambs across the country have been killed but theres still about one million lambs in that late stage where its uncertain if they are a hogget. It has cost about $50 per head when a lamb is downgraded to a hogget, which is a huge loss in terms of farmer return, he said. The change will help us in a period of tight supply when you have the change over from lamb to hogget. It gives us a small window of opportunity to put high quality lamb into the market which could be up to $2 difference per kg on a 25-26kg lamb. At the moment we buy some lambs knowing that there is a risk and we have to be careful, but this will allow more lambs to come into that window. It will provide more flexibility for all parties involved. Mr McRury said WA producers shouldnt underestimate their ability to make change in the industry. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike. We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve. On October 8, 2017, Kobe Steel Group admitted to falsifying data about the strength and durability of aluminum and copper parts used by manufacturers of automobiles, bullet trains, and aircraft. Initially presented as a breach occurring at four of its Japanese factories during 2017, the admission of wrongdoing would soon turn into a much more severe affair. As an independent investigation recently discovered, 21 of Kobes business units had engaged in misconduct. Sixty-two percent of these breaches had been committed continuously for more than five years, some even dating back to the 70s. Thirty-nine percent involved multiple departments, or divisions/plants where supervisors and managers had implicitly or explicitly instructed employees to falsify data. Moreover, of the 511 customers who had received parts that did not comply with statutory requirements, 416 (81 precent) had worked with those units where the unethical behavior had been continual and widespread. Less than a month ago, Hiroya Kawasaki, then Kobes CEO, resigned, acknowledging that the roots of the problem go deep. A corporate culture that had prioritized profit, production volumes, and deadlines over quality was to blame. Confronted with a tough business environment, Kobe had evaluated each business based on its results. With management not wanting to hear excuses, underperforming divisions had won new orders by overpromising and cutting corners. Kobes scandal was another wild spin in the carousel of corporate failures that have tormented Japan over the past few years. From Takatas deadly airbags, to Asahi Kaseis manipulation of piling data, to Toshibas profit padding, to Mitsubishi Motors overstated fuel efficiency claims, to Subarus faulty quality control practices, the Land of the Rising Sun has seen its reputation for high quality and integrity crumbling, piece by pieceeach of these scandals uncannily sharing the manipulation of data to misrepresent the state of an outcome (e.g., quality, profit, efficiency, etc.). With ambitious profit targets to meet, stringent delivery deadlines to honor, and high-quality standards to abide by, something had to give at Kobe. And that ended up being quality. Though on the surface this was one more example of greedy business straying from its values, the multiple layers of Kobes story caution against drawing conclusions too quickly. Taking in the larger trend of corporate failures afflicting Japan of late, its even less clear whether Kobe forgot its principles out of greed or held them too dear, for quality and trust (i.e., striving for perfection and the paramount importance of relationships) are two deep-seated values in Japanese culture. It turns out that some of the Kobe plants involved in the scandal had voluntarily made their quality requirements even more stringent. These criteria were introduced with the hope that the stricter internal standards would enable the plants to be aware of a deficiency in their process capability at an early stage Indeed, Kobes ethical failure underscores the dangers of pitting exacting values against ambitious goals. To begin with, there is a dark side to setting challenging objectives. While these may increase performance, they also increase the likelihood of unethical conduct by depleting mental resources. For example, setting consecutive difficult goals and, even more so, increasing the number of challenging goals will make unethical behavior all the more likely over time. In the case of Kobe, not only did the organization assign ambitious goals in a systematic way, but it also expected businesses to meet a variety of difficult concurrent targets (e.g., high profit, high production volumes, short delivery time, etc.). And all the while Kobe may have put high stakes on quality and trust. Whats remarkable about Kobes story is that ambitious goals were compounded by even more ambitious values. It turns out that the pressure of exacting principles in the face of challenging objectives may paradoxically give cheating moral cover. In a recent study, researchers found that people were more likely to manipulate the truth about an outcome (e.g., falsifying quality data, claiming higher profits, etc.) only if: 1. They were under the pressure of a specific goal; 2. And, to begin with, they had an inclination to engage in moral justification. Exactly what happened at Kobe and, possibly, across other Japanese companies. Because moral justification entails explaining unethical conduct as acceptable in the name of a moral purpose, its easy to see why the combination of deeply internalized values and difficult goals can make cheating the only acceptable choice. In Kobes case, falsifying data may have seemed the only way in which demanding quality standards and high customer expectations could be met without endangering the standing of the companys values. As previously written, values and purpose create ethical debt because, on the one hand, they raise the ethical stakes for an organization, and, on the other, they trigger specific ethical weaknesses. For example, they can cause moral licensing (i.e., give people freedom to engage in unethical conduct), and/or become the source of moral justification. This is why companies who wish to strengthen their ethical orientation through values and purpose should skillfully architect and manage a host of other components. ___ Caterina Bulgarella, Ph.D., pictured above, is a member of Ethical Systems core team and a collaborator of SAI Global. Shes a culture architect and ethics expert who advises senior leaders on culture change and ethical challenges. She can be contacted here. During the first calendar quarter, there were three corporate FCPA enforcement actions. The three settling companies paid a total of $3.45 million for the resolutions. All three were announced in March. For comparison, in Q1 2017 there were six corporate FCPA enforcement actions, with the settling companies paying a total of $256.5 million. (All six ocurred before January 20, 2017 the start of the new Administration in Washington.) In Q1 2016, there were eight corporate FCPA enforcement actions. The eight settling companies paid a total of $497.6 million for the resolutions. In both Q1 2015 and Q1 2014, there were two corporate FCPA enforcement actions. During the first quarter this year, three individuals pleaded guilty to FCPA-related charges and four were sentenced. Two others were indicted for criminal FCPA offenses. There was seven corporate declinations. Heres what happened: DOJ / SEC Enforcement Resolutions Elbit Imaging LTD. (March 9) agreed to pay $500,000 to settle violations of the FCPA books and records and the internal controls provisions. Israel-based Elbit and its subsidiary, Plaza Centers NV, paid millions of dollars to third-party offshore consultants and a sales agent for services, without knowing if the services were ever provided. The payments were in connection with a real estate development project in Romania and the sale of a large portfolio of real estate assets in the United States. The SEC resolved the case through an internal administrative order and didnt go to court. Transport Logistics International Inc. (March 13) was charged with conspiracy to violate the FCPAs anti-bribery provisions. The company paid a criminal penalty of $2 million and entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement with the DOJ. It bribed a Russian official to award uranium transportation contracts. Kinross Gold Corporation (March 26) settled FCPA charges brought by the SEC. Kinross paid a civil penalty of $950,000 for violating the FCPAs books and records and internal accounting controls provisions. The SEC cited the companys repeated failure to put in place anti-corruption compliance programs and adequate accounting controls at two African subsidiaries. Tinashe today (April 2) dropped her brilliant new single Me So Bad featuring Ty Dolla $ign and French Montana, as she gears up for the official release of her sophomore album Me So Bad on April 13. The song serves as the final release from a trilogy of tracks all included on the upcoming record, and a hyper music video for the tune also found its way onto the web. You can check it out below: Joyride was first teased following Tinashes incredible performance at SXSW, with the artist taking to social media to reveal the track listing for the album, as well as announcing that Little Dragon was the secret female collaborator she had been working with. A string of exciting features come on the album, with Offset on lead single No Drama, and Future collaborating on the recently released track Faded Love. Proving that shes still a force to be reckoned with almost four full years since she made her incredible debut with first album Aquarius, theres a lot of hype and expectations surrounding Tinashe. Fortunately, shes somebody who can always deliver. We imagine this is just the start of an incredibly long career for the star. Tinashes new single Me So Bad feat. Ty Dolla $ign and French Montana is out now. New album Joyride is officially released on April 13, 2018. by Daniel Falconer for www.femalefirst.co.uk find me on and follow me on Our pick of the news from Fethiye and around Turkey over the last week. News Court rules in favour of Fethiye Mnicipality in recreation area dispute A court has ruled in favour of Fethiye Municipality in a dispute over the new recreation area being developed opposite the Devlet (State) Hospital. A lawsuit filed by Mugla Metropolitan Municipality, seeking to take control of the recreation area, was rejected by the Mugla 1st Administrative Court. The recreation area will be the largest in the region covering 68 thousand square metres made up of green areas, bicycle paths, coastal promenade, childrens playground, wind and water mills, natural ponds and open-air libraries. Source: Beskaza Gazetesi Black Sea whistle language to get own alphabet The Tourism Faculty of Giresun University has launched a project to create an alphabet for the whistle language used by locals in northern Turkeys Black Sea region. The Kusdili (bird language), which is a form of communication by imitating the sounds of birds through whistling, is currently used by the residents of Giresuns Kuskoy village. The 500-year old traditional whistle language was included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List last year. Tourism Faculty Dean, Dr Musa Genc told Anadolu Agency that the project aims to preserve the cultural heritage for future generations. Genc said that musicians and linguists of Giresun University will visit the village and create an alphabet from the whistled language. The dean explained that recordings of the language will be first turned into notes, and then into letters. By the end of the project, the whistle language used as a communication tool by locals will become more widespread and even an internationally used language, Genc said. The bird language is currently used by around 10,000 people and can carry messages as far as 5 kilometres with a maximum frequency of 4,000 decibels. Experts say that it is an adaptation of the Turkish language, as the whistle language uses the full lexical and syntactic information of vocal Turkish. Similar whistle languages are also present in Mexico, the Canary Islands, France and Greece. Source: Daily Sabah First pelican census to be held in Turkeys western Bursa province Turkey will hold its first census of the great white pelicans that annually migrate over the western coast of the country from the 3rd to the 5th of April in Bursa province. The Karacabey pelicans census, hosted by the Bursa Karacabey Municipality in cooperation with the Nature Society, will give insight into the journey of these large birds that migrate over the Uluabat Lake Basin each spring. Thousands of volunteers will assist in the census, watching the pelican migration with binoculars and telescopes from observation points around the lake. More than 100 birdwatchers and naturalists are expected to attend the three-day event, some travelling across the country to witness the migration. Primary school students will also attend the event, which is open to the public and will include educational talks on the importance of protecting the great white pelicans on their difficult annual journey. The great white pelican, which breeds throughout southeastern Europe, Asia and Africa, is one of the largest pelican species, measuring 140 to 180 cm (55 to 71 in) in length with a pink and yellow bill 29 to 47 cm (11 to 18.5 in) long. It is listed as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. Source: Daily Sabah Turkey to open worlds busiest airport in October Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category 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. FELTON, California, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Neuroprosthetics Market in 2015 was estimated at USD 4.2 billion globally. This can be attributed to high prevalence rate of disorders such as severe depression, Alzheimer's, muscle/neuromuscular junction disorder, ophthalmic, auditory, epilepsy, and Parkinson's which will drive the growth. Also, the increasing investments in R&D for new products and device innovation & development for effective treatment plans to be used for neurological diseases are anticipated to provide significant boost to the overall demand. The increasing preference of self-charging devices, which uses bioenergy is expected to propel demand for brain implants throughout the forecast period. Furthermore, rise in aging population susceptible to neurological diseases is presumed to be a high impact factor for increasing neural implants demand throughout the forecast period. Technology Insights The largest market share of around 50.0% was held by spinal cord stimulation segment in 2015. The dominant share can be attributed to high penetration of these devices with technological upgradations. These upgradations facilitate usage in various applications, to treat impaired autonomic, sensory, and motor functions. Advent of technologically advanced products, that includes surgical implantable devices, featuring images, MRI, movable and automated probes, and local field potentials is predicted to provide attractive growth opportunities. Moreover, the frequent development of next-generation technologies by manufacturers, to enhance treatment interventions for restoration of impaired neurological functions, makes sacral nerve stimulators as fastest growing segment. Browse 100 page research report with TOC on "Global Neuroprosthetics Market" at: https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/neuroprosthetics-market Type Insights The largest market share was held by motor prosthetics followed by the cochlear prosthetics segment in 2015. The dominant share held by motor prosthetic can be attributed to increased adoption, preference for implantable devices in bladder control and brain computer interface for treatment of lateral sclerosis & paraplegic patients. A rapid growth is seen by the auditory segment owing to the increase in usage of mid brain AMI's and brain stem implants ABI's by patients with impaired hearings. Cochlear implants can be used for stimulation therapy and signal processing systems, which is expected to broaden the treatment scope in the future for neural disorders. Application Insights Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's can be treated with the use of neuroprosthetics. The neuroprosthetic devices can be broadly classified into cognitive & physiological disorders, and motor neuron abnormalities based on application. The largest application segment was found to be motor neuron disorders in 2015 owing to the increasing adoption in epilepsy and Parkinson's along with high prevalence of the aforementioned thereby leading to a widened consumer base. The fastest growing segment is anticipated to be cognitive disorders as a consequence of rising prevalence of severe depression and Alzheimer's. Introduction of various technologically advanced stimulation devices which can stimulate motor controls and calculate limb trajectory to be used in paralysis treatment, is expected to further drive the market during the forecast period. Regional Insights The largest share of over 50.0% in terms of revenue was held by North America in 2015. The dominancy in terms of revenue can be attributed to various factors such as, private and government funding as well as supportive healthcare infrastructure. Europe is anticipated to witness an upward shift as a consequence of advent of technologically advanced products for patients with impaired hearing and increasing initiatives by the government. The fastest growing region is predicted to be Asia Pacific owing to the untapped opportunities present in this emerging region. The shifting focus towards overall cost containment in manufacturing of implants and high awareness amongst patients are predicted to drive the growth prospects. Moreover, increasing investments by the key players for development of new manufacturing facilities is expected to provide high growth potential over the coming years for neural implants. Competitive Insights Various companies which offer solutions for a wide range of neurological disorders are BrainGate, Sonova, MED-EL, Nervo Corp., Retina Implant AG, St. Jude Medical Inc., and Boston Scientific Corporation. The prominent players include NeuroPace Inc, NDI Medical LLC, Medtronic Inc., Cyberonics Inc., and Cochlear Limited. The oligopolistic nature of the market and companies help in providing technologically advanced and effective solutions including, stimulators, smart hearing devices, wireless mini microphones and advanced therapy for neurological diseases. Geographic expansion and strategic collaborations are some of the few sustainable strategies that are adopted by these players. This is predicted to keep the industry's competitive rivalry at the highest level and drive the market throughout the forecast period. Browse more market research reports available with Million Insights: Chemiluminiscence Imaging Market Petrochemical Market Vaccine Market Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Market Global Neuroprosthetics Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2013 - 2024) Motor Prosthetics Auditory Prosthetics/Cochlear Implants Cognitive Prosthetics Visual Prosthetics/Retinal Implants Global Neuroprosthetics Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2013 - 2024) Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) Sacral Nerve Stimulation (SNS) Global Neuroprosthetics Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2013 - 2024) Motor Neuron Disorders Parkinson's Disease Epilepsy Physiological Disorders Auditory Processing Disorders Ophthalmic Disorders Cardiovascular Disorders Kidney Diseases Cognitive Disorders Alzheimer's Disease Severe Depression Neuroprosthetics Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2013 - 2024) North America U.S. Canada Europe UK Germany Asia Pacific Japan China India Latin America Mexico Brazil MEA South Africa About Million Insights: Million Insights, is a distributor of market research reports, published by premium publishers only. We have a comprehensive market place, that will enable you to compare data points, before you make a purchase. Enabling informed buying, is our motto and we strive hard to ensure that our clients get to browse through multiple samples, prior to an investment. Service flexibility & the fastest response time are two pillars, on which our business model is founded. Our market research report store, includes in-depth reports, from across various industry verticals, such as healthcare, technology, chemicals, food & beverages, consumer goods, material science & automotive. Contact: Ryan Manuel Research Support Specialist, USA Million Insights Phone: +1-408-610-2300 Toll Free: 1-866-831-4085 Email: sales@millioninsights.com Web: https://www.millioninsights.com/ GURUGRAM, India, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Indonesia is the largest palm oil producer in the world and the expansion in palm oil plantation area in the country has triggered the growth in revenues. is the largest palm oil producer in the world and the expansion in palm oil plantation area in the country has triggered the growth in revenues. The sale of fruits and vegetables seeds contributed least share to the market revenues during 2016. The segment accounted for less than 15% in the overall revenues during the same year. Non-Hybrid seeds have dominated the overall revenues generated by market players from the sale of various kinds of grain and cereal seeds in Indonesia during 2016. during 2016. Tempeh and tofu are major by-products of soy and provide lowest cost staple protein to the country's population. The agriculture sector of Indonesia has witnessed an increased demand for wide varieties of seeds. Having vast and abundant fertile soil has made Indonesia being considered amongst the major agricultural countries in the world. As per the Ministry of Agriculture, Indonesia grows 77 types of carbohydrate-rich produce, 26 types of beans, 389 types of fruits, 228 types of vegetables and 110 types of spices. An increased focus of introducing hybrid seeds by the domestic and global players in the space has significantly supported the market revenues over the recent past. Rising demand for staple food crops including rice and corn has resulted in revenue growth from the increasing sale of seeds in the market. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661352/Ken_Research_Logo.jpg ) Major crops which have supported the demand for seeds during 2016 were onions, potatoes, rice, corn, soybean, palm oil, tomatoes, chilies, green beans, cassava, sweet potato, rubber, coconut, coffee and cocoa. Indonesia is the largest palm oil producer in the world and the expansion in oil palm plantation area in the country has triggered the growth of revenues from sale of plantation crop seeds during 2016. The islands of Indonesia had about 11.3 million hectares of land under palm oil cultivation during the same year. Rice is the staple food of Indonesia and has dominated the overall revenues generated by consumption of various types of grains and cereal seeds in the country during 2016. Indonesia has the largest per capita rice consumption in the world with Indonesians consuming around 140 kg of rice per person per year. Indonesia is amongst the top five rice producing nations in the world. Indonesia produced about 3.2 million tons of rubber during 2016 and exported majority of it to the US, China, Japan, Singapore and Brazil. Indonesia's manufacturing industries; especially the automotive sector has been the major end user for domestically produced rubber. Indonesia produced more than 880,000 tons of tomatoes during 2016 which significantly raised the demand for seeds. Revenues from sale of tomato seeds contributed significantly to the overall sale of all seeds meant for growing various types of fruits and vegetables in Indonesia during 2016. Prohibition on the imports of Granola potatoes, which are planted by most local farmers, surged the sales of potato seeds in the country during 2016. Rising exports of Indonesia green beans to customers in Hong Kong further boosted the production of crop in the country, thereby resulting in rising demand for green been seeds. The seed market in Indonesia is highly competitive due to large number of domestic and global players offering a wide variety of seeds in the country. The market is dominated by the unorganized players which cater to the needs of the farmers to meet the growing demand for various food crops in the country. However, organized domestic and global seed market players operating in Indonesia have a dominating share merely in the sale of vegetable seeds. The major organized seed companies include PT Bisi International Tbk, PT East West Seed Indonesia, PT DuPont Indonesia, and PT Syngenta Indonesia, Monsanto Indonesia and PT Advanta Seeds Indonesia. There are various factors on which the seed providers compete amongst each other. Some of the major factors include price of seeds, the type of seeds offered, distribution network and reach of the market players, and continuous research and development for introduction of new seeds in the country. Major organized players offering grains and cereal seeds in the country are PT Bisi International Tbk, PT DuPont Indonesia, PT Syngenta Indonesia and Monsanto Indonesia. Players which dominated the revenues from plantation crops seeds included PT SMART Tbk, PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk, PT Eagle High Plantations Tbk and PT Sampoerna Agro Tbk. The revenues from sale of fruits and vegetables seeds were driven by PT East West Seeds Indonesia and PT Bisi International Tbk. The emphasis on achieving self-sufficiency by increasing the production of corn, soybean, chili, onions and other major food crops during the outlook period is anticipated to boost the revenues of the players offering seeds for producing crops in Indonesia. The continuously growing population of the country is anticipated increase the demand for staple foods including rice and corn, leading to cultivation of more crops. The market is also expected to benefit from the increasing middle class population in Indonesia, which is projected to boost the demand for fruits and other horticulture crops. Indonesia seed market is anticipated to become highly competitive, with organized players gaining significant market share on the back of their strong R&D and financial strength. This is envisioned to boost the revenues of the players offering new and improved seeds in the country. According to the report by Ken Research titled "Indonesia Seed Market by Types of Seeds (Fruits and Vegetables Seeds, Grains and Cereals Seeds and Plantation Crops Seeds), by Hybrid Seeds and Non-hybrid Seeds, by Organized and Unorganized Players, by Farmer Saved and Commercial Seeds - Outlook to 2021", the rising trade of cassava for producing food items, glucose, solvents, alcohol, animal feed, fertilizers, energy and other by-products within and outside the islands of Indonesia resulted in cassava seeds contributing 12.0% to the overall revenues generated from sales of fruits and vegetables seeds in the country during 2016. Key Topics Covered in the Report: Indonesia Seed Market Agricultural Overview Market Segmentation Total Land under Cultivation Land under Cultivation of Major Food Crops in Indonesia Land under Cultivation of Major Plantation Crops in Indonesia Expected Changes in Cropping Pattern of Rice, Cassava and Maize in Indonesia Rice Cassava Maize (Corn) Palm Oil Rubber Sugarcane Number of Farms and Farm Holding Size Nature of Ownership Snapshot on Irrigated and Non-Irrigated Land In Indonesia Existing Problems in Agricultural Development in Indonesia Indonesia Seed Market Size By Revenues Indonesia Seed Market Segmentation By Type of Seeds (Fruits and Vegetables Seeds, Grains and Cereals Seeds and Plantation Crop Seeds) By Type of Grains and Cereals Seeds (Rice/ Paddy Seeds , Corn Seeds, Soy Seeds and Others) By Hybrid Seeds and Non-Hybrid Seeds By Organized and Unorganized Players By Type of Plantation Crop Seeds (Palm Oil Seeds, Rubber Seeds, Coconut Seeds, Coffee Seeds, Cocoa Seeds and Others) By Hybrid and Non-Hybrid Seeds By Organized and Unorganized Players By Type of Fruits and Vegetables Seeds (Tomato Seeds, Potato Seeds, Green Beans Seeds, Cassava Seeds, Onion Seeds, Sweet Potato Seeds and Others) By Hybrid and Non-Hybrid Seeds By Organized and Unorganized Players By Farmer Saved and Commercial Seeds Case Study for Determining Cost Benefit Analysis for Using Hybrid Corn Seeds as Compared to Non-Hybrid Corn Seeds by Farmers in Indonesia Profitability Analysis for Using Hybrid Corn Seeds Over Non-Hybrid Corn Seeds Consumer Viewpoints in Indonesia Seed Market Seed Market SWOT Analysis of Indonesia Seed Market Trends and Developments in Indonesia Seed Market Seed Market Issues and Challenges in Indonesia Seed Market Seed Market Government Regulations in Indonesia Seed Market Seed Market Company Profiles of Major Players in Indonesia Seed Market PT Bisi International Tbk PT East West Seed Indonesia PT DuPont Indonesia PT Syngenta Indonesia Monsanto Indonesia PT Asian Hybrid Seeds Technologies Indonesia (AHSTI) PT Advanta Seeds Indonesia PT Takii Indonesia PT Java Seed Indonesia PT Koreana Seed Indonesia PT SMART Tbk PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk PT Eagle High Plantations Tbk PT Sampoerna Agro Tbk Seed Market Indonesia Seed Market Future Outlook and Projections By Type of Seeds (Fruits and Vegetables Seeds, Grains and Cereals Seeds and Plantation Crops Seeds By Type of Grains and Cereals Seeds (Rice/ Paddy Seeds , Corn Seeds, Soy Seeds and Others By Type of Fruits and Vegetables Seeds (Tomato Seeds, Potato Seeds, Green Beans Seeds, Cassava Seeds, Onion Seeds, Sweet Potato Seeds and Others By Organized and Unorganized Sector Future Opportunities and Trends in Indonesia Seed Market Analyst Recommendations For more information on the market research report, please refer to below link: https://www.kenresearch.com/agriculture-and-animal-care/seed/indonesia-seed-market-revenue/142321-104.html Related Reports by Ken Research Philippines Seed Industry Outlook to 2021 - Rising Government Support to Improve Agriculture Sector with Demand for Hybrid Seed to Foster Growth India Seed Market Outlook to FY'2020 - Rapid Hybridization and Increased Government Support to Foster Future Growth Thailand Seed Industry Outlook to 2018 - Government Support and Technological Advancement to Escalate Productivity Contact Us: Ken Research Ankur Gupta, Head Marketing Ankur@kenresearch.com +91-1244230204 ext. 26 Architecturally Arresting 32,000 Square Foot Facility Will Serve as Region's Most Advanced Center For Scientific and Technological Research, Education and Scholarship KABUL, Afghanistan, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --The Bayat Foundation (bayatfoundation.org), Afghanistan's largest, private philanthropic Health, Education and Social Development organization, announced today that the Foundation has completed the construction of The Bayat Institute of Technology (BIT), a new, 32,000 square foot Science and Technology Teaching and Research Center, located at The American University of Afghanistan (AUAF). The Bayat Institute of Technology is located at the heart of AUAF's flagship campus in Kabul City. The mission of The Bayat Institute of Technology is to enable members of the AUAF community to undertake rigorous teaching and research which increases Afghanistan's collective engineering, scientific and technical knowledge, while also providing strong support for Afghan led scientific and technological innovation and entrepreneurship. In addition to underwriting the construction of The Bayat Institute of Technology, The Bayat Foundation has established a ten-year, $1,000,000 endowment fund which will be used to defray the building's operational costs. When The Bayat Institute of Technology officially opens to the AUAF community in Spring 2018, AUAF's students and faculty will have access to BIT's seven new laboratories, including three Media and Technology Labs, an IT Lab as well as new Chemistry, Physics and Biology Laboratories. AUAF students will learn about the latest developments in Science and Technology within BIT's six new lecture halls. In addition to these state of the art teaching and research facilities, The Bayat Institute of Technology will provide AUAF Faculty and Students with additional services and amenities, including: Two Prayer Halls 22 New Faculty Offices Lecture Hall Library A Rooftop Leisure Center Atrium Social Center The Bayat Institute of Technology's advanced facilities are contained within the newest and most architecturally distinguished academic building within the region. With its gleaming alabaster colored exterior and its interiors bathed in natural light cascading through the buildings numerous windows, The Bayat Institute of Technology was developed using a portfolio of forward-leaning methods of sustainable design and construction. The building's centralized Atrium enables the natural circulation of air, and the building's illumination is provided with a combination of LED lighting and natural light. Repurposed marble, together with gypsum, aluminum and porcelain were incorporated within the building's earthquake resistant structure. "The Bayat Institute of Technology at AUAF is among the most architecturally distinguished and structurally sound academic buildings developed by-and built by-Afghans," said Mr. Hamid Rahin, the Vice President of Infrastructure for The Bayat Group. "The building is a remarkable example of Afghan skill, craftsmanship and determination." "The Bayat Institute of Technology at The American University of Afghanistan is a powerful example of the partnership between The Bayat Foundation and AUAF-a partnership that is providing AUAF's students with an academically rigorous and valuable scientific and technical education," said Dr. Ehsanollah Bayat, the Co-Founder and Chairman of The Bayat Foundation. "And it is together, in the spirit of enduring and unbreakable partnership, that The Bayat Foundation and AUAF will help educate a new generation of Afghan leaders," Dr. Bayat said. "We are committed to provide opportunities for learning to all Afghans living everywhere throughout our nation." About the Bayat Foundation: Since 2005, the US-based Bayat Foundation, a 501 c (3) charitable organization, has promoted the well-being of the Afghan people. Founded and directed by Ehsanollah Bayat and Fatema Bayat, the Foundation has contributed to more than 300 projects dedicated to improving the quality of life for the youth, women, poor, and elderly of Afghanistan; including construction of 13 maternity hospitals that have now treated over 2,000,000 mothers and babies. Projects have included the construction of new facilities and sustainable infrastructure in needy regions, and the promotion of health, education, economic, and cultural programs. In addition to his charitable initiatives, Ehsanollah Bayat founded Afghan Wireless (AWCC) in 2002, which was the first GSM wireless and Internet Service Provider in Afghanistan, and later established Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN), which includes Ariana Radio (FM 93.5). For more information, please email info@bayatfoundation.org. BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - In a retaliatory measure on Monday, the Chinese government suspended tariff concessions on 128 products it imports from the United States. The Ministry of Finance said the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council has decided to impose a tariff of 15 percent on 120 items, including fruits and related products. A tariff of 25 percent will be applied on eight items of imports including pork. The measures primarily target the US agriculture industry, but soybeans, a key US export to the country, has ben exempted. The Finance Ministry said the tariffs affecting about $3 billion worth of imports was to safeguard China's interests and balance losses caused by new US tariffs. It also made it clear that the Chinese action comes in response to Washington's decision last month to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imported from China. Additionally, the Trump administration is set to impose annual tariffs amounting to $60 billion on goods imported from China. The development is expected to hurt US-China relations. The US has a massive $500 billion trade deficit with China, which is its most important trading partner. 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. CUPERTINO (dpa-AFX) - Facebook Inc. (FB) CEO Mark Zuckerberg has hit back at Tim Cook, his counterpart at tech giant Apple Inc. (AAPL), after he had recently criticized the social media giant and said 'some well-crafted regulation is necessary.' 'I think that this certain situation is so dire and has become so large that probably some well-crafted regulation is necessary. The ability of anyone to know what you've been browsing about for years, who your contacts are, who their contacts are, things you like and dislike and every intimate detail of your life-from my own point of view it shouldn't exist.' Cook had said last week. Cook made these comments while attending the three-day China Development Forum in Beijing. However, in a reply to Cook's jibe, Zuckerberg, during an interview with Vox Media's Ezra Klein, described Cook's published comments as 'glib.' 'You know, I find that argument, that if you're not paying that somehow we can't care about you, to be extremely glib. And not at all aligned with the truth.' Zuckerberg said. Facebook has been facing heavy criticism in the wake of revelations that data from 50 million people was accessed by political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, which is linked to US President Donald Trump's election campaign, without their permission. The millions of users' 'psychographic profiles' were used to manipulate them with ads. Cook had also questioned the practice of using user data on social platforms to make money by selling ads that target specific group of people. However, Zuckerberg has long maintained the view that the social media service will always be free for users, however, in order to run a profitable business model it requires selling advertising based on user information. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg will have to testify in front of the U.S. Congress in the coming weeks. Recently, Elon Musk deleted the Facebook pages for his companies SpaceX and Tesla. He also campaigned for 'Delete Facebook', which has been trending on twitter. 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. Nift, a Boston, MA-based provider of an AI powered platform for main street merchants to join forces, raised $16.5M in Series A funding. Backers included Spark Capital, Foundry Group and Accomplice. The company intends to use the new capital to expand nationally, with up to five new markets, and increase its team 400% over the next 12 months. Led by Elery Pfeffer, founder and CEO, Nift provides small businesses with a free machine learning platform that matches the right neighborhood gift to the right customer in seconds. It starts working with a neighborhood gift that a merchant gives a loyal customer this is a physical or virtual card with a code on the back. The customer then inputs that code on Nifts website. After the customer answers a few questions, algorithms provide a choice between one of two free gifts from other local merchants. Nifts introduce best customers to other local businesses, and in return, other neighborhood businesses give Nifts to their best customers, introducing them to merchants. Free gifts can immediately be spent as cash in-store, creating a win-win for everyone in the community. The platform has been developed over three years by data scientists from MIT, including Chief Scientist, David Parkes, who is the co-director of Harvards Data Science Initiative. The rest of the executive team is comprised of experts from companies like TripAdvisor and Nokia, with over 100 years of combined experience in brand building and digital consumer experience. FinSMEs 02/04/2018 Vistara is also waiving the applicable fare difference in case the booking is rescheduled. In view of Bharat Bandh, the nation-wide protest called by Dalit organisations, violent protests were witnessed in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Punjab. Situation has become grave in some areas where Section 144 has been imposed like in Gwalior. Several Dalit organisations, who called for a 'bandh' today, are expressing concerns over the alleged dilution of the SCs/STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Following a Supreme Court (SC) order, in which the SC has banned automatic arrests in the said Act, protests have reportedly hit life in several states. Hundreds of protesters forced shopkeepers and other establishments to down shutters in several cities in Punjab. Similar protests have been reported from Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi and Jharkhand. In view of the unrest and uncertain conditions prevailing in some part of the country, Vistara airline has offered free change/cancellation for customers travelling today, i.e.: 2 April, 2018 to/from airports in the affected parts in the country, Vistara is also waiving the applicable fare difference in case the booking is rescheduled. Customers can contact the airlines 24x7 customer service center or airport ticketing offices for assistance. Important information for customers travelling today, in light of ongoing unrest in some parts of the country. pic.twitter.com/G6tp6UAV9X Vistara (@airvistara) April 2, 2018 Vistara is a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines. It commenced operations on 9 January 2015 with its inaugural flight between Delhi and Mumbai. Last week, Vistara had introduced its first male cabin crew as part of plans to be an "equal opportunity employer". The crew took to the skies following the completion of a three-month safety and service training programme to the exacting standards of Tata and Singapore Airlines, the airline said in a statement. The RBI has asked Axis Bank's board to re-consider the decision to re-appoint Shikha Sharma as its MD and CEO for a fourth term, amid concerns over rising bad loans at the country's third largest private sector lender New Delhi: The RBI has asked Axis Bank's board to re-consider the decision to re-appoint Shikha Sharma as its MD and CEO for a fourth term, amid concerns over rising bad loans at the country's third largest private sector lender, sources said. The move comes against the backdrop of persisting concerns over mounting Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) in the banking system. Sources said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has shot off a letter to the Chairman of Axis Bank Sanjiv Misra, who is also a former Expenditure Secretary, with regard to the board's decision to re-appoint Sharma. The bank's board has been asked to re-consider the decision to give a fourth three-year term for Sharma as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, the sources said. According to them, the RBI's letter has also cited the bank's performance and deteriorating asset quality condition over the years. In July 2017, the board of Axis Bank had approved re-appointment of Sharma. Her new term is to start from June 2018. Sources said the re-appointment is yet to be ratified by the RBI. As per regulations, appointments of top management personnel at private sector banks require the RBI's clearance. "We wish to inform you that the bank's board follows a standard process with regard to senior appointments, and forwards its recommendations to the regulator (to the extent required). This process is currently in progress," Axis Bank said in a statement on Monday. The private sector lender's NPAs jumped by over five-fold in recent financial years. The gross NPAs worth Rs 4,110 crore at the end of March 2015 surged to Rs 21,280 crore at the end of March 2017. During the same period, the lender's net profit halved from Rs 7,357.8 crore to Rs 3,679.2 crore. Recently, RBI had also penalised the bank for incorrectly reporting bad loans. The asset-class divergence uncovered by RBI was Rs 9,480 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 5,633 crore in 2016-17. Laden with infrastructure loans, the bank has struggled to contain NPAs. During demonetisation, Axis Bank was in the news for alleged involvement of its staff for suspected money laundering activities and illegal note conversions. Income Tax Department had conducted several raids and arrested few of its employees for indulging in illegal activities during the note ban initiated on November 8, 2016. Last year, market regulator Sebi also ordered Axis Bank to strengthen its systems and conduct an internal probe to fix responsibility as the initial investigation showed the leakage of price sensitive financial information was due to "inadequacy" of processes at the bank in the WhatsApp leak case. The bank's results for the April-June 2017 quarter were "either identical or matched closely with the figures" that were in circulation on WhatsApp prior to an official announcement, Sebi had noted in its order. Sebi's move followed a probe initiated after reports about Unpublished Price Sensitive Information (UPSI) being circulated in various private WhatsApp groups about certain companies, including Axis Bank, ahead of their official announcements. The development comes before the second round of bidding for debt-laden Essar Steel, which ArcelorMittal had bid for in the first round on 12 February New Delhi: ArcelorMittal has been accused by the minority shareholders of Uttam Galva of indulging in "illegalities" in connivance with banks that caused losses of Rs 6,000 crore to the banking system of the country, a charge denied by the world's largest steel maker. The minority shareholders of Uttam Galva have flagged concerns over declassification of ArcelorMittal as promoters of Uttam Galva. The development comes just a day before the second round of bidding for debt-laden Essar Steel, which ArcelorMittal had bid for in the first round on 12 February. The second company to submit resolution plan was Numetal. Earlier, the SBI-led consortium of creditors had rejected both the bids submitted finding them ineligible under the IBC (Insolvency Bankruptcy Code) laws that debar related parties from bidding. ArcelorMittal rejected the allegations as "trivial attempts" designed to distract it from bidding process for Essar Steel, claiming it is the most credible entity to takeover control of the debt-laden firm. The shareholders said, "We would like to bring to your attention to illegalities which are being committed by ArcelorMittal possibly together with Banks and Stock Exchanges which has led to a loss of Rs 6,000 crore of public money belonging to the Indian banking system and also caused grievous harm to the interests of thousands of small shareholders of Uttam Galva Steels Ltd, a listed company." The shareholders of Uttam Galva have complained to the SEBI and other regulatory authorities that ArcelorMittal Netherlands BV (ArcelorMittal), a part of the ArcelorMittal Group led by L N Mittal, became a promoter of Uttam Galva Steels Ltd (the Company) in or around 2009 by way of acquiring shares of the company through an open offer. They said that the offer document clearly disclosed that ArcelorMittal had signed a co-promotion agreement with the existing promoters viz. Miglani family and obtained substantial management rights in the company. "ArcelorMittal continued to be a promoter of the company thereafter and was disclosed as promoter in all filings made by the Company to SEBI, Stock Exchanges, both NSE and BSE, and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs," they said. The shareholders said in July 2011, ArcelorMittal, together with other promoters of the company, while taking a loan from a consortium of banks led by State Bank of India signed a Non-Disposal Undertaking in favour of the SBI, acting as facility agent in respect of a loan facility of Rs 1,400 crore. They said that on 1 March, the "National Stock Exchange responded to our letter, enclosing a letter from the Company which showed that the Company had sought informal guidance from SEBI in regard to whether shareholder approval is required for declassification." "In a curiously hasty decision, National Stock Exchange approved the declassification on 21st March 2018 and issued a letter in this regard to the Company. It is noteworthy that in a number of other cases, such applications are lying pending with the stock exchange for months altogether. " On 23 March, they said, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) also approved the declassification on the ground that since the NSE had already approved, such decision was being taken by the BSE. "We are surprised at the speed at which Stock Exchanges have acted and the passive role being played by SEBI in the whole matter. These authorities are custodian and champions of interest of minority shareholders and it is very curious to note that these authorities have either acted with unusual sense of urgency (Stock Exchanges) or have not acted with sense of urgency (SEBI and PSU Banks) resulting in ArcelorMittal getting scot free from taking any responsibility from its Promoter Status and the undertaking given to Banks with respect loans of Uttam Galva Steel Ltd (UG). "The declassification without any financial consequences to make good the loans in default of UG is leaving the minority shareholders of UG high and dry," they said. However, ArcelorMittal said, "We have spoken repeatedly about the Uttam Galva situation. We never had any management involvement, we had no board position and we have no shareholding in the company. The declassification was carried out in accordance with the processes of the stock exchanges. "This is nothing more than another tiresome and trivial attempt to muddy the waters and distract from the central fact that ArcelorMittal, together with our partner Nippon Steel, is the most credible owner of Essar Steel given our superior track record and standing in the industry. Dhoot said he regularly invests small amounts in start-ups, but decided to exit this investment as Videocon discovered oil reserves which was not aligned with the business of Nupower, and returned his 50 percent stake to Deepak Kochhar. Videocon Group chairman Venugopal Dhoot has denied any dealings with Deepak Kochhar, the husband of ICICI Bank MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar, beyond investing Rs 2.5 lakh in Deepak's renewable energy business. He termed reports of subsequent events, including loaning Rs 64 crore to Nupower Renewables through one of his companies, or subsequent transactions which resulted in Deepak Kochhar gaining full ownership of the company, as baseless. These reports have led to allegations of possible conflict of interest and quid pro quo against Chanda Kochhar. "Our transaction is very clear and I have not done anything wrong, and will not do anything wrong...We have not invested any money in any company floated by Deepak Kochhar. We invested Rs 2.5 lakh, pulled it out and now there is no relation between us," Dhoot said in an interview aired today on Marathi channel ABP Majha. The Videocon Group chairman said Deepak sought investment in his venture, Nupower Renewables, over a decade ago. Dhoot further said he agreed as Deepak was seeking only Rs 2.5 lakh and was an "old acquaintance". The ICICI Bank was headed by K V Kamath at that time, Dhoot said, claiming that he did not know if Chanda Kochhar was associated with the bank then. Dhoot said he regularly invests small amounts in start-ups, but decided to exit this investment as Videocon discovered oil reserves which was not aligned with the business of Nupower, and returned his 50 percent stake to Deepak Kochhar. Dhoot said he had got to know Deepak Kochhar through his friend and IAS officer, former Maharashtra chief secretary Sharad Upasani. He had no contact with either Deepak Kochhar or Chanda Kochhar after the return of the stake, he said. Asked about the alleged Rs 64 crore loan given to Nupower by Supreme Energy which is '99.99 percent owned by him', Dhoot initially claimed Videocon does not have any such entity, but then conceded that the Group may have invested "a lakh or two" in some company, but claimed he does not exactly remember. According to media reports, Supreme Energy loaned the money to Nupower in March 2010 through fully convertible debentures, a year after Dhoot divested his stake in Nupower. Supreme Energy became 94.99 per cent owner of Nupower after this, with Deepak Kochhar retaining the remaining stake. The same year in November, Dhoot is alleged to have transferred his entire stake in Supreme to his business associate Mahesh Punglia. In the interview, Dhoot said Punglia is a "big consultant" who keeps meeting people, and he (Punglia) may have "lent" his name to some venture. He rejected any association with Supreme Energy, and added that a search of Registrar of Companies' records can reveal a 1,000 companies of the same name. To a specific question on Chanda Kochhar's conduct, Dhoot said there was "nothing illegal". She was only one of the 12 members of the committee which cleared the loan (of Rs 3,250 crore) to Videocon Group, he said, claiming that he knew all 12 members, and Kamath, the head of the committee, used to have lunch with him. Personal ties between two people do not always result in criminal acts, Dhoot said. When asked about the preliminary enquiry started by the CBI in this matter, Dhoot said the agency probes every allegation made to it, including "bogus complaints". ICICI Bank had loaned $100 million through its Canadian subsidiary to Videocon, which was repaid in full with interest, Dhoot said, and added that there were enquiries by the Enforcement Directorate in the matter, but it did not find any wrongdoing under the foreign exchange management laws. "It is a circle of time where people face a difficult time. It is like the 'agni-parisksha' (litmus test) gone through by Sita and I am sure I will pass it this time," Dhoot, who is known to have a keen interest in mythology, said. He said the diversified Videocon Group, which owes nearly Rs 40,000 crore which have slipped into an NPA, is also facing similar testing times, and hinted that it has asked banks for a "push" in the form of fresh loans, after which it can come out of the crisis in two-three months. Dhoot said the company has serviced its debt obligations for over 32 years till it slipped into an NPA and assured to work towards making the loans performing again. In a season where many a defaulter have fled the country, Dhoot said his passport has "expired" and he has not stepped out of the country for seven years now. The CBI has questioned a few ICICI bank officials as part of a preliminary enquiry to find if any quid pro quo was involved in the bank issuing the Rs 3,250-crore loan to the Videocon Group in 2012. The PE has named Videocon group promoter Venugopal Dhoot, Deepak Kochhar and unknown others, CBI sources said. Earlier this week, the ICICI Bank board came out in support of Chanda Kochhar, saying it has full faith and confidence in her and described reports against her regarding credit disbursement to Videocon group as "malicious and unfounded rumours". The mortal remains of 31 of the 39 Indians killed in Iraq will arrive at Amritsar International airport on Monday in a special aircraft, said officials. Chandigarh: The mortal remains of 31 of the 39 Indians killed in Iraq will arrive at Amritsar International airport on Monday in a special aircraft, said officials. The aircraft with the bodies of the 31 slain Indians, who hailed from different places in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, is expected to reach Amritsar by 1.30 pm, they added. Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh had left for Iraq on Sunday to bring back the mortal remains of the 39 Indians, killed in the war-torn country. Out of these, 27 belonged to Punjab while four hailed from Himachal Pradesh. While the remains of the men belonging to Punjab and HP would be be received at the Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International airport in Amritsar, the rest of the bodies would be flown to their respective places in Patna and Kolkata to be handed over to their relatives. Punjab Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu will receive the bodies on behalf of the state government at the airport, the officials said. The administration has made arrangements of ambulances for transporting the coffins to their native places in Punjab, official said. In the wake of a bandh called by a number of Dalit organisations on Monday to protest the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has urged the protesters not to take the law in their own hands and, in particular, not to impede road and rail transport in any way. Amarinder has appealed to the protesters to let the mortal remains of the Iraq victims be ferried to their native villages without any hindrance. He has also directed the Punjab police to provide strict security for the same along the routes, from the airport to the respective native villages of the victims. Earlier in March, Swaraj had told Parliament that as many as 40 Indians were abducted by terror group Islamic State from Mosul in Iraq in June 2014, but one of them escaped posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh. The remaining 39 Indians were taken to Badoosh and killed, she had said. A special aircraft carrying the mortal remains of 38 out of 39 Indians killed in Iraq arrived at the Amritsar International Airport on Monday Amritsar: A special aircraft carrying the mortal remains of 38 Indians killed in Iraq arrived at the Amritsar International Airport on Monday, officials said. The aircraft with the remains of the 38 slain Indians, out of 39, landed at Amritsar from Baghdad around 2.30 pm, they added. The presumed remains of one of those killed were yet to be positively identified. Relatives of the deceased received the bodies with teary eyes. As the aircraft carrying the coffins landed at the airport, an air of gloom descended as distraught families looked at the caskets. Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh had left for Iraq on Sunday to bring back the mortal remains of the Indians, killed in the war-torn country. While the remains of the 31 men belonging to Punjab and Himachal Pradesh were received at the Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport in Amritsar, the rest of the bodies would be flown to their respective places in Patna and Kolkata to be handed over to their relatives. Out of these, 27 belonged to Punjab while four hailed from Himachal Pradesh. Punjab Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu was also present at the airport. Earlier in March, Sushma Swaraj had told Parliament that as many as 40 Indians were abducted by terror group Islamic State from Mosul in Iraq in June 2014, but one of them escaped posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh. The remaining 39 Indians were taken to Badoosh and killed, she had said. In a major counter-terror offensive, security forces, on Sunday, gunned down 13 militants, including those responsible for the brutal killing of Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz, in three counter-insurgency operations that also claimed the lives of three army jawans and four civilians in Anantnag and Shopian districts of Jammu and Kashmir Srinagar: In a major counter-terror offensive, security forces, on Sunday, gunned down 13 militants, including those responsible for the brutal killing of Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz, in three counter-insurgency operations that also claimed the lives of three army jawans and four civilians in Anantnag and Shopian districts of Jammu and Kashmir. The operations, which have rendered a severe blow to terror groups in Kashmir valley, were launched in the two districts on Saturday night and continued till late this afternoon. One militant was killed and another arrested in Dialgam of South Kashmir's Anantnag district, while seven terrorists were gunned down in Draggad and five in Kachdooru area of Shopian district. Out of 13 terrorists, 11 have been identified so far and all of them are locals, officials said. According to the police, locals in Kachdooru had taken away the body of Sameer Ahmed Lone, a recent recruit of the Hizbul Mujahideen terror group. He was also in the house at Kachdooru. The family later informed the police that Lone had been buried. Three Army personnel and as many civilians lost their lives in Kachdooru area, whereas another civilian, who was the house owner at Draggad where militants were hiding, was killed along with the terrorists. Keeping in view the law and order situation and a bandh call given by separatists groups, the police have imposed restrictions in seven police stations area of Srinagar city and parts of South Kashmir, besides putting separatist leaders, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Yaseen Malik, under house arrest. Internet services were snapped in parts of Kashmir as a precautionary measure, police said. Inspector General of Police (Kashmir Range) S P Pani said this was extremely wonderful work done by Jammu and Kashmir Police, along with the army and CRPF. "We have tried to keep life smooth in other parts of the Valley, but if any miscreant attempts to disrupt the peace, they will be dealt with sternly," he said. Among the killed militants were Ishfaq Thokar, Ehtehmad Hussian and Aquib Iqbal who were responsible for many terror-related activities in Shopian area. Earlier, at a hurriedly called joint press conference of the army, police and CRPF, Jammu and Kashmir Police chief S P Vaid said this was one of the biggest counter-offensives in recent times against terror groups operating in the Kashmir valley. The operations by security forces rendered a severe dent to militant groups such as the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Lashker-e-Taiba, officials said. Three army jawans have lost their lives in the operations at Kachdooru in Shopian, the officials said. They were killed when they went near the encounter site while planting an explosive device to blow up the house where the militants had holed up. At the press conference called at Victor Force headquarters at Awantipura, around 33 kms from Srinagar, Corps Commander of XV Corps, Lt Gen A K Bhatt, termed it one of the biggest operations in recent times and said the death of Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz, who was brutally killed in Shopian last year, had been avenged. "Among the militants killed are Ishfaq Malik and Thokar. They were responsible for his death," Bhatt said. Fayaz, 22, was killed by militants in May last year. His body was found with bullet wounds in the Hermain area of Shopian district in south Kashmir. The DGP also made a special mention of an SSP's efforts to convince a militant to surrender during the Dialgam encounter. "I would like to make a special mention of the Dialgam encounter where our Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) made a special effort, which is unheard of in any part of the world," he said. "He called the family members of one of the terrorists. They spoke with him for 30 minutes, to convince him to surrender," the officer said. "Unfortunately, he did not heed the advice of his family. During the talks, the district SSP tried to get him over. Instead he fired on the police leaving the police with no option other than to retaliate. He was killed. The other one was caught alive," he said. On the ongoing operations at Kachedoora, the DGP said there was information about the presence of four to five militants, but "we will be able to give a clear picture only after the debris is cleared". The DGP said that all the seven militants killed in the Draggad encounter were locals and their bodies have been claimed by their families. Inspector General of CRPF Zulfikar Hassan pointed out that people came in large numbers at the encounter site in Shopian. It was painful to see young boys getting killed in this manner, the DGP said. "I urge all the parents to appeal to their children to shun the path of violence and join the national mainstream," Vaid said. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who is in the national capital, has expressed grief over the death of civilians during security operations in Anantnag and Shopian districts on Sunday. She also sympathised with those injured during these operations. The Chief Minister also paid tributes to the three army jawans who were killed during these operations. National Conference working President Omar Abdullah, while condoling the death of civilians, questioned the Chief Minister's absence from the state. "So while all this was unfolding the Chief Minister didn't see (it) fit to cut short her Delhi trip. What was so important to have kept her there?" Omar tweeted. The political and civil administration in Kashmir has failed to use the opening provided by security forces in engaging the youth and offering a counter-narrative to the one peddled by Pakistan and its operatives within Kashmir. By all accounts, Sunday was an extraordinary day for Indian security forces. In a coordinated, pre-dawn crackdown in three different locations in south Kashmir, forces neutralised 13 terrorists and managed to catch one alive. Two among those killed were involved in last year's kidnap and murder of Kashmiri army officer Lieutenant Umar Fayaz. This was apparently one of the biggest counter-insurgency operations jointly carried out by the army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and central paramilitary forces. Encounter concluded. One more terrorist body recovered from Shopian encounter site. In all 12 terrorists neutralised (one more being ascertained), 3 soldiers martyred and 1 terrorist caught alive. Its unfortunate that stone pelting around encounter site cost 4 civilian deaths. https://t.co/1hD4qPid45 Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) April 1, 2018 No anti-terrorist operation, certainly not on this scale, can be conducted without any collateral damage. The difficulty level is higher in Kashmir given the close synergy between terrorists and their over-ground workers/civilian sympathisers. Flash mobs rushing to encounter sites, pelting stones to distract security forces, trying to give trapped terrorists a safe passage and in the process falling prey to bullets and pellets have become tragically commonplace. On Sunday too, two civilians were killed in the encounter while trying to shield terrorists. Two others died later in the day during anti-India protests that predictably turned violent. The Indian Express reports of "fierce clashes" in parts of south Kashmir between thousands of civilians and security forces in which "more than 70" were reportedly injured. So far 11 militants & 2 civilians believed to be dead in South Kasnmir encounters. Around 8,000 residents of Kachhdora and adjoining villages have engaged troops in clashes with stone pelting. One civilian Zubair of Gopalpora killed, around 100 injured in clashes. Net shut down. Ahmed Ali Fayyaz (@ahmedalifayyaz) April 1, 2018 Three jawans also laid down their lives. However, from credibility of intelligence inputs to the planning and simultaneous execution of such a challenging search-and-cordon operation spanning three different locations (Dragad and Kachhdora villages in Shopian and Brenti Dyalgam in Anantnag), the hot pursuit qualifies as a major success. Security forces aren't a monolithic unit working under a central command. The success of the operation was incumbent on various factors including intelligence sharing between military and local policemen, close synergy between field commanders of the Indian Army, paramilitary and Jammu and Kashmir Police Special Operations Group (SOG) and the teamwork of all three agencies. They also benefited from a stroke of luck. According to police, seven terrorists were killed at Dragad and five at Kachhdora in Shopian, while one more was liquidated in Anantnag. Terrorists groups rarely place operatives in large numbers in one location to minimise damage. The fact that seven were located in one spot and five in another points to complacency within their ranks. Beyond the obvious, the operation also owes its success to the army's recent change in tactics. A greater deployment of mobile vehicle check posts (MVCP) have made intelligence gathering easier. These, in turn, are being led by non-commissioned officers due to a recent decentralisation of command structure. This facilitates greater mobility and leaves officers free to plan and undertake more operations. This tactical change has seen the neutralisation of 45 terrorists in the state this year. More than 200 terrorists were killed by security forces in anti-terror operations in 2017, the highest since 2010. In 2016, the number was 165, with a high personnel-to-terrorist ratio. Yet, for all the recent success of armed forces in cleaning up terrorists, the cycle of violence continues unabated. The reasons are many. Chief among them is fact that much of the insurgency in Kashmir is now home-grown. While the security forces have become smarter in isolating and eliminating terrorists, they have not been able to stop more and more young Kashmiris from taking up arms against the state. According to Lt General A K Bhatt, General Officer Commanding, 15 Corps, who has been instrumental in leading the clean-up operation, nearly half of the 250 terrorists currently operating in the Valley are "local". About 120 of these are believed to be active in south Kashmir. Col Bhatt has issued an appeal to parents to urge their children not to join militancy but it is unfair to blame the army if Kashmiri youth are getting radicalised. The army can man the gates, guard the frontiers, hold on to the land, clean up jihadists and even run 'sadbhavna campaigns'. The political and civil administration in Kashmir has failed to use the opening provided by security forces in engaging the youth and offering a counter-narrative to the one peddled by Pakistan and its operatives within Kashmir. The governments at the Centre and state appear clueless about the nature of the problem, leave alone providing a solution. There is no common ground between the various administrative arms central, state and local on whether the problem in Kashmir is social, political or religious.Caught between the twin stools of BJP and PDP's divergent political compulsions, Kashmir is rapidly sliding down the radicalisation slope. There is now a very real fear that beleaguered Islamic State in its global retreat may choose Kashmir as its battleground for turnaround. The ground for such an eventuality is fertile. In his piece Islamic States's Growing Presence and Violence In Kashmir, Nazir Masoodi writes, "two recent encounters have a frightening message. Radicalised youth influenced by the Jihadi syndicate in India and Pakistan are turning their attention and efforts to Kashmir. At Balhama, among the three jihadis killed two weeks ago was Abu Hamas, a Pakistani national who crossed the LoC a year ago as a Lashkar operative but switched to the Al-Qaeda-affiliate in Kashmir. In Anantnag, Mohammad Taufeeq from Telangana was killed along with Eisa Fazili, a local Islamic State 'poster-boy' during a fierce encounter Taufeeq was radicalised into Islamic State ideology through online chat rooms and then travelled to Kashmir to participate in Islamic State attacks." Massive funeral procession of the slain militant Eisa Ruhullah attended by over 20,000 people in Soura Srinagar despite government's restrictions on assembly of more than 4 people. Some black flags. Some green flags. Gaining ground in Kashmir. pic.twitter.com/OIlh9oEbuU Ahmed Ali Fayyaz (@ahmedalifayyaz) March 12, 2018 First Kashmiri terrorist to be draped in black flag of ISIS...!!!!! (Sajjad Gilkar who lynched DSP Ayub Pandith) Via @asifsuhaf pic.twitter.com/f0ZiASQ0xO Manak Gupta (@manakgupta) July 13, 2017 The reality of Islamic State's growing presence should make the administration sit up and take notice but in the dystopian nightmare of Kashmir, the administration is interested more in political survival than administrative duties. Mehbooba Mufti has gone so far down the denial road that when Haseeb Drabu, a heavyweight minister in her own Cabinet suggested that Kashmir problem is social, not political, she promptly booted him out of finance ministry. Drabu's fault was that at a recent conclave in New Delhi, he had held that "Kashmir should not be seen as a conflict state or a political problem but as a society with social issues". Interestingly, Drabu's statement evoked sharp criticism from the opposition National Conference and separatist leader Yasin Malik. And as it turn out, from the J&K chief minister as well. A minister within Mufti's Cabinet told Firstpost: "He (Drabu) never presented himself as our man in BJP, but BJP's man in PDP." In this surreal alignment of political interests in Kashmir, little wonder that anyone has any interest in arresting the Valley's slide into jihadism. As long as that is the case, the army and terrorists will remain locked in a vicious cycle of violence, come summer or winter. Without an independent Bar, it would be futile and fanciful to think about an independent judiciary, said senior advocate Indira Jaising at a recent public talk on the crisis that Indias topmost judiciary is facing. She went on to trenchantly criticise the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Bar Council of India (BCI) for their hostility towards public-interest lawyers Prashant Bhushan and Dushyant Dave, who have been crusading for judicial independence and accountability. Without an independent Bar, it would be futile and fanciful to think about an independent judiciary, said senior advocate Indira Jaising at a recent public talk on the crisis that Indias topmost judiciary is facing. She went on to trenchantly criticise the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Bar Council of India (BCI) for their hostility towards public interest lawyers Prashant Bhushan and Dushyant Dave, who have been crusading for judicial independence and accountability. Jaising has earned both fame and notoriety in equal measure for not pulling any punches while dwelling on the topic of the judiciarys probity and integrity, and her words resonated with the audience who applauded in praise and agreement. Jaisings prescient words ring particularly loud and true when one looks at the Bar Council of Indias latest action: It announced on 31 March that it would bar senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Kapil Sibal, and Vivek Tankha from appearing before any bench of the Supreme Court if they take part in the impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra. These three lawyers are also Congress MPs in the Rajya Sabha, so naturally they would be called upon to be a part of the impeachment motion which the party is bringing against Misra. In doing so, the BCI rejected the objections of Singhvi, Tankha and Sibal, who responded to the BCI notice stating that the lawyers' body had no jurisdiction to pass any order in this matter. The decision also comes close on the heels of reports that Congress MPs Sibal and Tankha have supported the proposed impeachment process against the CJI Dipak Misra. According to the BCI resolution, while the body was against any curb on legislators who want to practice law, an exception should be carved out if such MPs, MLAs want to be a part of the process to remove a judge of a constitutional court. By a majority, the BCI decided that those MPs and MLAs who wish to participate in the impeachment proceeding in Parliament should not be allowed to continue their practice before "that court/judge". The resolution was passed during adjudication of a representation filed before the BCI by BJP leader and Supreme Court lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay. This gives rise to the questions: Under what legal authority did the BCI pass and adopt the resolution against the four lawyers? More pointedly, why is the BCI, which is supposed to protect and promote the interests of lawyers, and is the supreme governing body of the Indian Bar, going out of its way to shield a CJI who is increasingly coming under severe criticism from many quarters, but refuses to budge an inch? Devoid of legal basis The BCI has not spelled out in its much-vaunted resolution under what legal provisions it adopted and passed the resolution against Sibal and company. This is because one thing is crystal clear: That the Advocates Act and the Advocates Act (Rules)which define the scope of legal powers of the BCIdo not contain any provision to bar advocates from proceeding against lawyers who support an impeachment motion against a judge, howsoever high his position may be. It cannot be a case of professional misconduct, the scope and meaning of which the courts have clearly defined and delineated in a catena of judgment, and because, in the past, on many occasions, lawyers associations have protested against judicial incompetence and skullduggery. Lawyers have also protested when judges were transferred or denied positions because of political calculations, as recently happened when Justice Jayant Patel of the Gujarat High Court was meted shabby treatment by the government and its cohorts in the judiciary. Both the Gujarat and Karnataka Bar were up in arms against the government and the judicial powers which denied Justice Patel his rightful due. At that time, what did the BCI do? It passed a resolution condemning Dushyant Dave for raising his voice against the executives interference in judicial appointments and functions. At the most, the BCI can demand that lawyers who demand the impeachment of a particular judge should not appear before him, to avoid an embarrassing situation of conflict of interest. But then, as established judicial conventions and precedents go, it is incumbent upon the concerned judge to recuse himself or herself from cases in order to avoid further embarrassment to the judiciary as an institution. Political collusion? While the BCI, on its part, has been steadfast in its stance of refusing to issue any explanation or clarification, if one scratches the surface, one can see a pattern emerging. This pattern is that of the BCI doing all it can to ingratiate itself to the government of the day and the judges it prefers. Consider this: In the run-up to the 2014 general elections, BCI chairperson Manan Misra, himself a card-carrying member of the BJP, exhorted lawyers bodies across India to vote for the BJP. Thereafter, he wrote a paean to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing him as my lord and beloved. More crucial is this expose by LegallyIndia: Nine days before the Congress started actively on the impeachment motion against CJI Misra, the BCI managed to get wind of affairs and embarked on a process to bar Congress MPs and lawyers from appearing in court. The BCI got its impetus from a motivated PIL filed by one of its leaders, Ashwini Kumar Upadhay, who wanted the apex court to see to it that legal eagles who were also members of the Congress were barred from arguing matters in courts. All this adds up to a justified, and justifiable conclusion: That the BCI is out on a limb to shield CJI Dipak Misra, who in spite of being beleaguered by controversies, continues to enjoy the strong support of the ruling party. It is indeed a sad day for the BCI, which has abdicated its solemn responsibility and duty, and cosied up to the powerful just to protect its narrow, myopic interests. Bharat Bandh was called by several Dalit groups on Monday. The Centre on Monday filed a review petition on the Supreme Court verdict on the SC/ST Act. Bharat Bandh Latest Updates: As the violence intensified in Meerut, protestors vandalised the town collectorate and court premises while burning several vehicles. Intermittent firing could also be heard from the collectorate. Traffic snarls could also be seen at Connaught Place in New Delhi as Dalit protesters reach the commercial hub of the city. Vehicles had to be diverted to other roads in light of the ongoing Bharat bandh. One person was killed in the violence in Morena in Madhya Pradesh. Security officials imposed curfew in the area following the incident. Curfew was imposed in parts of Gawlior in Madhya Pradesh on Monday after violence intensified in the city. The police also imposed Section 144 (prohibits assembly of more than four people in the area) imposed in Sagar. The Centre on Monday filed a review petition on the Supreme Court verdict on the SC/ST Act. "We have filed a comprehensive review petition which will be presented before the court by the senior lawyers of the government," Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the media. Protests by Dalit organisations took a violent turn in Uttar Pradesh districts of Agra, Saharanpur, Meerut, Bagpat over the issue of the amendment in SC/ST Act. Bikes were torched in Agra and some buses vandalised in Sahranpur. Mortal remains of the Indians killed in Iraq are set to reach Punjab on Monday amid the ongoing bandh. Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh urged protesters not to obstruct movement of vehicles carrying remains. Daily life was disrupted across Punjab, Bihar and Odisha as protesters poured out onto the streets to demonstrate against the Supreme Court ruling on the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. To maintain law and order, 12,000 additional security forces personnel including state police, Rapid Action Force, Central Reserve Police Force were deployed in different parts of Punjab. Protesters in Bihar, Odisha and Agra took to the streets and blocked train movements across Jahanabad, Arrah and Sambhalpur. Women also took part in large numbers in Agra. To maintain law and order in Punjab, the state government appointed gazetted officers drawing the grade pay of Rs 5,000 and above as Executive Magistrates till 3 April for the district in which they are posted. Following the Bharat Bandh called by Dalit organisations, officials suspended internet services including dongle in Punjab. The state government also asked the army to remain on standby mode to face any untoward situation arising out of the bandh. In view of a bandh called by a number of Dalit organisations on Monday to protest the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act, the Punjab government has ordered a security clampdown as a precautionary measure, while the Army and paramilitary forces have been asked to be on standby. Schools will remain shut and buses off the road. A spokesperson of the Punjab government said mobile Internet services in the state will remain suspended from 5 pm on Sunday till 11 pm on Monday in a bid to check rumormongering on social media. All public and private transport will stay off the road during the bandh to prevent any untoward incident, the spokesperson said. The orders were issued after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh reviewed the security arrangements with top police and administration officials. It was followed by a video conference involving the Chief Secretary, deputy commissioners and other senior officials of all districts, the spokesperson said in a statement. Security forces conducted flag marches at some places in the state today as a precautionary measure. Elaborating on the precautionary measures taken by the government, the spokesperson said four battalions each of the Rapid Action Force and the Border Security Force, and 12,000 additional police personnel will remain on duty tomorrow to maintain law and order. Buses run by the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), Punjab Roadways, PunBus, and private operators would remain off the road during the bandh, the spokesperson said. Banks will also remain closed, he said. According to an order by the DPI (Colleges), all "government colleges, government-aided colleges, private colleges, government and private universities", will remain closed tomorrow in view of the proposed bandh. Likewise, all government, non-government/private, aided and recognized schools would also remain shut tomorrow. The final practical examinations of classes 10 and 12 of the Punjab School Education Board will be conducted on April 11 instead of April 2, according to the directions of the Education Department. Asking security forces to deal with an iron hand any attempt to disturb peace and harmony in Punjab, the chief minister appealed to the organisations, which have called the bandh to protest the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, not to take the law into their own hands, obstruct transport movement or harass commuters. The armed forces and the paramilitary will be on standby to render any assistance as needed, the spokesperson said, adding that the chief minister had directed the police to crackdown on anyone found trying to disrupt peace and harmony. "Punjab being a key route for transportation of essential provisions to the armed forces at the borders, any disruption on the highways could seriously hamper the supply of the necessary supplies," he said. The chief minister also appealed to the protestors to ensure that the mortal remains of the Iraq victims, which are expected to arrive in Amritsar tomorrow, are allowed to be transported to their native villages without any impediment. He also directed the Punjab Police to provide security for the same along the route -- from the airport to the respective native villages of the victims. Noting that the central government had already announced its decision to file a review petition against the Supreme Court order diluting the provisions of the SC/SC Act, the chief minister said the SC/ST communities should defer their protest till a final decision on the petition. Meanwhile, the Department of Home Affairs, Justice and Jails has through a notification authorized all district magistrates to "declare any place to be a special jail under the Punjab Jail Manual in view of the bandh call". The government has also appointed special executive magistrates for the maintenance of law and order, up to April 3, in their respective districts under Section 21 of the CrPC. The apex court had on March 20 diluted the provisions of the Act, in a bid to protect honest public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. Protesters squatted on tracks in several places outside Delhi, stopping trains, including the Dehradun Express and the Ranchi Rajdhani, to enforce the Bharat Bandh against the dilution of the SC/ST Act, officials said. Bharat Bandh Latest Updates: One person has also died in Rajasthan as the son of village sarpanch died in violent protests. Four people were reported killed in Madhya Pradesh, while one person was killed in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut. The Supreme Court of India has admitted the Centre's review petition in the SC/ST atrocities act case. The Government of India had filed a review petition in the Supreme Court on its order on the atrocities on SC/ST act after violent protests broke out across North India. The Centre has told the court that granting an anticipatory bail to a accused in such a case could terrorise the victims. The outer circle in Delhi's Connought Place choker blocked as lakhs of Dalits protested at the heart of the national capital. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has declined to grant urgent hearing on the PIL filed against the court's order SC/ST atrocities act. Violence continued to escalate in Madhya Pradesh where two people have now been killed and 15 injured, reported CNN-News18. One of the deaths was reported from Morsena while the other one reportedly took place in Gwalior. Protesters squatted on tracks in several places outside Delhi, stopping trains, including the Dehradun Express and the Ranchi Rajdhani, to enforce the Bharat Bandh against the dilution of the SC/ST Act, officials said. Services were disrupted when a mob arrived at the Ghaziabad yard around 10 am today, Northern Railway officials said. Many trains, such as Saptakranti Express, Utkal Express and the Bhubaneswar and Ranchi Rajdhani as well as the Kanpur Shatabdi, were stopped ahead of Ghaziabad in Meerut and Modinagar, officials said. As the violence intensified in Meerut, protestors vandalised the town collectorate and court premises while burning several vehicles. Intermittent firing could also be heard from the collectorate. Traffic snarls could also be seen at Connaught Place in New Delhi as Dalit protesters reach the commercial hub of the city. Vehicles had to be diverted to other roads in light of the ongoing Bharat bandh. One person was killed in the violence in Morena in Madhya Pradesh. Security officials imposed curfew in the area following the incident. Curfew was imposed in parts of Gawlior in Madhya Pradesh on Monday after violence intensified in the city. The police also imposed Section 144 (prohibits assembly of more than four people in the area) imposed in Sagar. The Centre on Monday filed a review petition on the Supreme Court verdict on the SC/ST Act. "We have filed a comprehensive review petition which will be presented before the court by the senior lawyers of the government," Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the media. Protests by Dalit organisations took a violent turn in Uttar Pradesh districts of Agra, Saharanpur, Meerut, Bagpat over the issue of the amendment in SC/ST Act. Bikes were torched in Agra and some buses vandalised in Sahranpur. Mortal remains of the Indians killed in Iraq are set to reach Punjab on Monday amid the ongoing bandh. Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh urged protesters not to obstruct movement of vehicles carrying remains. Daily life was disrupted across Punjab, Bihar and Odisha as protesters poured out onto the streets to demonstrate against the Supreme Court ruling on the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. To maintain law and order, 12,000 additional security forces personnel including state police, Rapid Action Force, Central Reserve Police Force were deployed in different parts of Punjab. Protesters in Bihar, Odisha and Agra took to the streets and blocked train movements across Jahanabad, Arrah and Sambhalpur. Women also took part in large numbers in Agra. To maintain law and order in Punjab, the state government appointed gazetted officers drawing the grade pay of Rs 5,000 and above as Executive Magistrates till 3 April for the district in which they are posted. Following the Bharat Bandh called by Dalit organisations, officials suspended internet services including dongle in Punjab. The state government also asked the army to remain on standby mode to face any untoward situation arising out of the bandh. In view of a bandh called by a number of Dalit organisations on Monday to protest the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act, the Punjab government has ordered a security clampdown as a precautionary measure, while the Army and paramilitary forces have been asked to be on standby. Schools will remain shut and buses off the road. A spokesperson of the Punjab government said mobile Internet services in the state will remain suspended from 5 pm on Sunday till 11 pm on Monday in a bid to check rumormongering on social media. All public and private transport will stay off the road during the bandh to prevent any untoward incident, the spokesperson said. The orders were issued after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh reviewed the security arrangements with top police and administration officials. It was followed by a video conference involving the Chief Secretary, deputy commissioners and other senior officials of all districts, the spokesperson said in a statement. Security forces conducted flag marches at some places in the state today as a precautionary measure. Elaborating on the precautionary measures taken by the government, the spokesperson said four battalions each of the Rapid Action Force and the Border Security Force, and 12,000 additional police personnel will remain on duty tomorrow to maintain law and order. Buses run by the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), Punjab Roadways, PunBus, and private operators would remain off the road during the bandh, the spokesperson said. Banks will also remain closed, he said. According to an order by the DPI (Colleges), all "government colleges, government-aided colleges, private colleges, government and private universities", will remain closed tomorrow in view of the proposed bandh. Likewise, all government, non-government/private, aided and recognized schools would also remain shut tomorrow. The final practical examinations of classes 10 and 12 of the Punjab School Education Board will be conducted on April 11 instead of April 2, according to the directions of the Education Department. Asking security forces to deal with an iron hand any attempt to disturb peace and harmony in Punjab, the chief minister appealed to the organisations, which have called the bandh to protest the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, not to take the law into their own hands, obstruct transport movement or harass commuters. The armed forces and the paramilitary will be on standby to render any assistance as needed, the spokesperson said, adding that the chief minister had directed the police to crackdown on anyone found trying to disrupt peace and harmony. "Punjab being a key route for transportation of essential provisions to the armed forces at the borders, any disruption on the highways could seriously hamper the supply of the necessary supplies," he said. The chief minister also appealed to the protestors to ensure that the mortal remains of the Iraq victims, which are expected to arrive in Amritsar tomorrow, are allowed to be transported to their native villages without any impediment. He also directed the Punjab Police to provide security for the same along the route -- from the airport to the respective native villages of the victims. Noting that the central government had already announced its decision to file a review petition against the Supreme Court order diluting the provisions of the SC/SC Act, the chief minister said the SC/ST communities should defer their protest till a final decision on the petition. Meanwhile, the Department of Home Affairs, Justice and Jails has through a notification authorized all district magistrates to "declare any place to be a special jail under the Punjab Jail Manual in view of the bandh call". The government has also appointed special executive magistrates for the maintenance of law and order, up to April 3, in their respective districts under Section 21 of the CrPC. The apex court had on March 20 diluted the provisions of the Act, in a bid to protect honest public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. Yogi Adityanath appealed to the people not to vitiate law and order, amid reports of violence in western UP during the Bharat Bandh called by Dalit outfits Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday appealed to the people not to vitiate law and order, amid reports of violence in parts of western Uttar Pradesh during the Bharat Bandh called by Dalit outfits against the Supreme Court court on the SC/ST Act. "The law and order should not be disturbed by these protests. The government is serious towards the development and progress of Dalits. I appeal to them not to disturb the law and order," Adityanath told reporters. "Both the Centre and the state government are dedicated to the welfare of the backward castes, the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes. If there is any issue, one can bring them to the notice of the government," he said. There are reports of the violence in some western UP districts during the protests by Dalits. The Supreme Court on 20 March had banned automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases under the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes (ST) (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, a legislation meant to protect the marginalised communities from abuse and discrimination. Ruling that no arrest can be made under the Act without prior permission, the apex court had also held that a court can grant anticipatory bail if it, prima facie, finds the complaint is an abuse of the law, false, motivated and intended to blackmail or harass a person. This was necessary, the court had said, to prevent the "rampant misuse of the tough provisions of the law." While the administration in Punjab took preventive measures on Sunday in the wake of the Bharat Bandh called by Dalit organisations, including shutdown of schools, deployment of paramilitary forces and snapping of internet services, efforts in other states failed as a large number of protesters showed up. Six persons died in Madhya Pradesh and one each in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan in the violence that erupted during protests by Dalits on Monday against the recent Supreme Court order seen as diluting the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Violent protests were also reported in Gujarat and Bihar. While the administration in Punjab took preventive measures on Sunday in the wake of the Bharat Bandh called by Dalit organisations, including shutdown of schools, deployment of paramilitary forces and suspension of internet services, efforts in other states failed as a large number of protesters showed up. On 20 March, the Supreme Court banned automatic arrest and registration of criminal cases under the SC/ST Act. To prevent misuse of the law, it said action cannot be taken against public servants and private citizens without conducting an inquiry within seven days of the alleged incident. The Centre filed a review petition against the order on Monday. In Meerut, two police outposts were torched and protesters attacked police on their way to control the outraged mob. The Meerut district collectorate was also attacked by a mob, and protesters resorted to firing. Several vehicles were damaged and torched. While Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati said there was no involvement of her party in the violence, she demanded strict action against those who took the law in their hands. Though I support this movement, strict action should be taken against those who indulged in violence, she said. Additional police was sent to Madhya Pradeshs Gwalior, Morena and Bhind districts to douse the agitation as incidents of stone-pelting and loot were reported. Section 144 was also imposed in some parts of Gwalior, prohibiting assembly of more than four persons. Later, in Bhind, Indian Army was also called in to quell the tension. Over 19 persons are reported to be injured in the state. Dalit protesters also targeted state-run bus services in Gujarat. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation halted the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) after reports of its buses being vandalised. Similar reports came in from Dani Limda, Naroda, Bapunagar and Kalupur. Agitation also spilled onto the roads in Rajasthan where nearly 30 persons involved in blocking highways in Ajmer and Jaipur districts were detained by the police. In Punjab, there were reports of violence in Jalandhar and Bathinda districts when agitators entered into scuffle with shopkeepers and local residents. Three locals were injured in Bathinda. Almost all important highways connecting the northern parts of the country were blocked. Meanwhile, the mortal remains of Indians killed by the Islamic State reached Amritsar in the afternoon and headed towards different parts of the state. Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had on Sunday appealed to protesters to not disrupt the way of vehicles carrying the remains on humanitarian grounds. Protests were also held in almost all districts of Haryana. In Karnal, protesters squatted on the national highway and disrupted traffic for some time in the presence of police personnel. Police struggled to remove them amid sloganeering against any changes in the SC/ST Act. At Fatehabad districts Tohana, forceful shutdown of shops to make the bandh successful resulted in scuffles. Protests in Rohtak remained peaceful. In Bhiwani, some protesters barged into a local mall and beat up two youngsters going to watch a movie. Alert mall employees saved the situation from getting out of hand. Movement of several trains were disrupted in many parts of the country, including Bihar, Punjab and Odisha. In Bihar, there were attempts to damage rail lines. The administration was caught unawares despite Dalit organisations announcing date of protests well in advance. Movement of several trains were restricted owing to protesters gathering on rail lines. In Punjab, rail movement between strategic Jalandhar and Amritsar stations were stopped. Trains to Jammu and Kashmir, also used by military, go through these stations. Effigies representing the central government were also burnt on rail tracks in Jalandhar. SR Darapuri, retired IPS officer and Dalit thinker based out of UP, said despite the heavy participation of the community in protests, the violence could have been avoided. He speculated this was an attempt by some agencies to defame the Dalit movement, and blamed the government for not being able to contest changes in the SC/ST Act in the Supreme Court earlier. Darapuri also stressed that there was no participation of political leaders during Mondays protests, that makes it clear that the Dalit of India stood for himself and demanded his rights that have been denied to him. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said the government was committed to the welfare of Dalits and minorities. I urge the protesters to calm down. The state government and the Centre is committed to the welfare of minorities and Dalits. The protest should always be peaceful and such violence will not at all be tolerated, he said. The authors are members of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters A 'Bharat Bandh' called by some Dalit groups against a Supreme Court ruling on the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Act triggered violence in parts of Uttar Pradesh on Monday, police said. Lucknow: A 'Bharat Bandh' called by some Dalit groups against a Supreme Court ruling on the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Act triggered violence in parts of Uttar Pradesh on Monday, police said. Protesters attacked shops, looted some of them and pelted stones at police in Hapur, Agra, Meerut and Saharanpur, reports said. Many cars were targeted and their window panes smashed. At some places, government property was also targeted. Some people reportedly fired at a police team in Meerut while a passenger bus was set on fire. Pro-reservation groups indulged in vandalism at the Muzaffarnagar railway station, stoning the Kocchi Express. Also in Meerut, over 500 Dalit youths targeted the media and broke their cameras as they were trying to photograph the protests. Students locked the main gate of the Chowdhary Charan Singh University campus and damaged furniture as well as electrical fittings at the campus. In Agra, hotels were targeted at the Dhakran junction. BJP leader Vijay Shivhare, who owns a hotel Modi Palace, was also the target of Dalit ire. In Saharanpur, many buses were attacked. In Lucknow, under the aegis of the 'Aarakshan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti', government employees worked with black bands on their arms. A police vehicle was set on fire in Gangoh region of Saharanpur while protesters stalled traffic at the busy Delhi-Yamunotri road in the district. The Karnataka Express was stopped near Agra. Many vehicles, including ambulances, were caught in a traffic jam because of the protests on Hathras road in Agra. Dalit groups say the Supreme Court order has diluted the provisions of the law governing Dalits and tribes. The government says it is appealing the Supreme Court ruling. Follow LIVE updates on Bharat Bandh here The magnitude of Dalit mobilisation and aggression shown by community members during Bharat Bandh, seeking review of Supreme Court order diluting provisions of the Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act should cause a great deal of concern to Narendra Modi government and the BJP. The magnitude of Dalit mobilisation and aggression shown during Bharat Bandh by community members seeking review of Supreme Court order purportedly diluting provisions of the Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act should cause a great deal of concern to the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad's hurried statement that the government was filing a review petition in apex court is indicative that the ruling dispensation was acutely aware of the potential damage. Days developments: Reports of arson, destruction of public property, rioting, stone-pelting, attack on security personnel, roads and trains being blockaded across northern and western India clearly suggested that Prasads statement had no takers. The protesters, with active support from various political parties, and groups in Opposition, and tacit support from a section of ruling NDA went ahead with their pre-meditated plan. Perhaps they believed that confrontation with authorities would be more beneficial than negotiation. That drawing the attention of the nation would make them a social and political force to reckon with. They also knew that the machinery of law enforcement would not unleash their brute force to contain the protests, or do things which it otherwise equipped to do to prevent protesters from turning violent. The pictures of a section of demonstrators carrying lathis and a person in the crowd seen firing from a revolver were disturbing. It is not clear as yet whether they were genuine protesters or miscreants who'd infiltrated an unruly, unorganised crowd. BSP chief Mayawati and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad lost no time in holding press conferences and lashing out at the Modi government and BJP. Congress president Rahul Gandhi had already taken to Twitter to blast BJP/RSS. Politically, their response was understandable: They couldnt let go of an opportunity to berate the BJP government and be seen to be sympathetic to the Dalit cause. But then they wouldnt comment on the kind of vandalism that was seen in various parts of the country, particularly in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Whatever the motive of BJPs political opponents, the ruling party cant understate the kind of impact Dalit mobilisation of this kind could have on its electoral prospects. Beyond a win or loss, in an election and in multiple state elections, the BJP as ruling party will also have to address other concerns: The impact on social fabric. In RSS and BJPs socio-political philosophy, Dalits are part of Hindu social structure and form an important part of Hindutva brand of politics. As per 2011 census, the Scheduled Caste population was around 20.14 crore (16.6 percent of population). While India's population grew 17.7 percent from 2001-2011, the Dalit population grew by 20.8 percent. Dalits have traditionally been supportive of the Congress, but the community shifted its support to various regional parties, and to an extent, the BJP. The BJP chose to make Ram Nath Kovind President of India precisely because it wanted to send a message that it was sensitive to the cause of the Dalits. Long ago, Bangaru Laxman was appointed as BJP chief but that experimented ended with failure. However, the party continued to woo Dalits through various other measures. Dalit outreach has been high on Modi's agenda since he became prime minister. He'd keep talking of BR Ambedkar and would launch various schemes targeted to benefit this underprivileged community. In an exclusive interview given to Network 18 Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi in September 2016, Modi talked at length about Dalit issues and why there was a spurt in protest in the name of protecting the community. This is what Modi had to say (the context is as relevant today as when this interview was given): "We have a culture dating back thousands of years. We have seen some imbalances in our society. We have to intelligently take our society out of this imbalance... ever since I celebrated the 125th anniversary of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, many people thought that Modi is a devotee of Ambedkar. They started having problems. We identified five sacred places associated with Babasaheb Ambedkar: Mau, the birthplace of Babasaheb Ambedkar; Nagpur; Mumbai, where we set up his memorial; memorials at two places in Delhi; or converting the place where he stayed in London, as a memorial. In a way we set up five pilgrimage spots". "All those self-appointed guardians trying to create tension in the country did not like this: That Modi is with the Dalits. That Modi devotes himself to tribals. I am devoted to the development of all Dalits, oppressed, underprivileged and deprived. Those who see this as an obstruction to their politics are the ones creating trouble. And this is why they are leveling baseless allegations. All those who have fed this country the poison of caste divide have destroyed this country and must stop giving political overtones to social problems. We must go forwards with a purpose". In summer of 2016, during Simhastha Mahakumbh, BJP president Amit Shah landed at Balmiki Dham temple in Ujjaina symbol of spirituality of Dalits which stood in defiance of upper caste dominance in Hindu religiosityto take a holi dip. Shah was not alone. Firstpost reported that the sankaracharyas, mahamadelshwars, gurus, mathadhis, peethadhis all took time off from their akharas, mutts, temples, peeths, camp sites and headquarters in Ujjain, and from the rest of the country, to join him and send a message: Dalits were as much a part of the Hindu community as anyone else. Shah continued his Dalit outreach programme in various states. And that surely helped BJP score victory in various states, including Uttar Pradesh where Dalit population is highest in the country (22 percent). This is a community which not only votes in good numbers but votes decisively in favour of a particular party. Mondays mobilisation can potentially upset BJPs electoral calculations in coming elections in Karnataka (where polling is on 12 May) and later in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and finally all-important 2019 general elections. Modi-Shah would surely be conscious of this and make a counter move to retain the faith of the Dalit community. Violent protests erupted on Monday during a nationwide bandh called by Dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, leaving one person dead and many injured in Madhya Pradesh and disrupting normal life in many states. Here are the key developments. Violent protests erupted on Monday during a nationwide bandh called by Dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, leaving seven persons dead and many injured across northern states and disrupting normal life. While some states ordered the closure of educational institutions and curtailed communication and transport services, incidents of arson and vandalism were reported from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab, among other states. Here are the key developments. Seven dead across India, five in Madhya Pradesh alone Altogether seven have died across India with five alone being reported dead from Madhya Pradesh. One of the protesters has lost their life in Meerut city of Western Uttar Pradesh, city's SSP Manzil Saini confirmed on Monday. A 28-year-old former son of sarpanch, Pawan Jatav, was killed in Khairthal in Rajasthan's Alwar district during Dalit protests against the Supreme Court order on the SC/ST Act, officials said. "Two people were killed in Gwalior while one person each died in Bhind and Morena districts in cross-firing during protests," Inspector General (Law and Order) Makrand Deoskar told PTI in Bhopal. Uttar Pradesh Police said that one person has died and three others were seriously injured during Dalit protests in the state. Curfew in MP towns; army on standby in Punjab: how governments handled outbreak of violence Curfew was imposed in Morena, Gwalior and Bhind districts of Madhya Pradesh after five people died in violent protests and several others were injured. The army was called in Bhind district, where six people were injured in firing by protesters, to control the situation, Bhind Superintendent of Police Prashant Khare said. Internet services were also suspended in towns of Bhind, Morena, Gwalior and Sagar. While Section 144 was imposed in parts of Rajasthan in Barmer, Jalore, Sikar and Ahore, nearly 25-30 companies of additional forces were deployed across the state. Internet services are also suspended. Prohibitory orders were imposed in Barmer after four cars were torched. "Situation is now under control," Barmer District Collector Nakate Shivprasad Madan said. Meanwhile, the Punjab government brought in the army and paramilitary forces and asked them to be on standby as a precautionary measure in Punjab. Uttar Pradesh Police arrested 448 people, including a BSP leader, in order to control the violence in western parts of the state. The Centre also rushed 800 anti-riot policemen to Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh after violent protests erupted during a nationwide bandh called by Dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Two companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel have been sent to Meerut and one company each to Agra and Hapur (all in UP), a home ministry official said. Director General of Police (DGP), OP Singh, said the situation is under control in Agra, Sambhal and Hapur and that anti-riot police have been deployed there. "We have sought more force from the Centre that will be deployed there. We are keeping an eye on the situation, which is under control," he said. Train services of Northern Railways hit Many trains, such as Saptakranti Express, Utkal Express and the Bhubaneswar Rajdhani as well as the Kanpur Shatabdi, were stopped ahead of Ghaziabad in Meerut and Modinagar, officials said. A group of about 2,000 people disrupted trains at the Hapur station as well, disrupting the movement of many goods trains, they added. Protests were also witnessed at Ambala and Rohtak in Haryana as well as in Chandigarh. In the national capital region, protesters squatted on tracks at several places, stopping trains, including the Dehradun Express and the Ranchi Rajdhani, while a Northern Railway official said services were also disrupted by a mob in Ghaziabad. The protesters gathered at Mandi House in Delhi and blocked the road outside the metro station there, bringing traffic to a halt and inconveniencing commuters travelling towards ITO and other stretches. A heavy police force was deployed at Mandi House in view of the protests. Shouting slogans of 'Jai Bhim', the protesters also blocked one of the carriageways of Barakhamba Road affecting traffic on the stretch, police said. Nearly 30 people 20 from Ajmer and 10 from Jaipur were detained in Rajasthan as protesters blocked rail and road traffic and vandalised public property, including a train, in many parts of the state. Protestors damaged glass windows of Shatabdi Express at Khairthal railway station, Khairthal GRP SHO Ramesh Chandra said. According to a railways spokesperson, movement of seven trains was affected in North-Western railway region. Train movement in Alwar and Khairthal has also been affected, officials added, reported PTI. Protesters stormed the Patna Junction where they forced the closure of the ticket booking counters and squatted on railway tracks disrupting the movement of a number of trains. Normal life was partially affected in several parts of Odisha as well after activists of 'Adivasi Dalit Sena' staged a rail roko at Khetrajpur station in Sambalpur which caused a delay in the running of some trains, officials said. In the state capital of Bhubaneswar, activists of different Dalit organisations put up road blockades near Vani Vihar, Jayadev Vihar and Acharya Vihar areas. Centre files review petition in Supreme Court The Government of India has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court on its order on the atrocities on SC/ST act. The Centre has told the court that granting an anticipatory bail to a accused in such a case could terrorise the victims. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed for peace, while Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government was not a party to the Supreme Court decision on the SC/ST Act and "respectfully" did not agree with its reasoning behind the verdict. Prasad also said the government has filed a very comprehensive review petition in the matter. Political reaction Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan, a prominent Dalit leader and head of NDA ally LJP, appreciated the government's quick decision to file the petition and accused Congress of having done nothing for Baba Saheb Ambedkar. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath appealed for peace and urged the people not to vitiate law and order, as violence was reported from many districts including Azamgarh where protesters torched two state-run buses, injuring several passengers. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi criticised the BJP for the plight of Dalits and said he saluted "brothers and sisters" from the community who have hit the streets to demand protection of their rights from the Modi government. It is in the DNA of the RSS/BJP to keep Dalits at the lowest level in Indian society. Anyone who challenges this thought is crushed with violence, he said. BSP chief Mayawati alleged that the protests could have been prevented had the Centre not delayed filing the review petition in Supreme Court against its order on SC/SCT atrocities act. While extending her party's strong support to the Dalit protests across North India, she blamed the BJP government's casteist mindset for the simmering anger in the community. She also claimed that the cases of atrocities against Dalits have gone up since the BJP government came to power. Kejriwal extended support to Dalits, saying the SC/ST (PoA) Act should be preserved while Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad demanded Central government ordinance to strengthen SC/ST (PoA) Act. In Patna, MLAs from the Opposition parties, as well as some from the ruling side, demanded a resolution be passed by the House urging the Centre to take adequate measures to undo the recent Supreme Court order on arrests under the SC/ST Act. CBSE postpones exams In the view of the Bharat Bandh, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has postponed Class XII and Class X examinations scheduled to be held on Monday in Punjab. The CBSE said it has received a letter of request, dated 1 April, 2018, from the director general (school education) of the Punjab government to postpone all its examinations scheduled to be held on Monday on account of apprehensions of law and order problems and other disturbances in the day during the 'Bharat Bandh'. The state government has also taken a decision to keep all schools shut for the day, the CBSE said referring to the letter of the state government. "Taking congnisance of the letter of the director general (school education), the CBSE decided to postpone all class 12 and 10 examinations scheduled for 2 April, 2018 in the state of Punjab," it said in a statement issued late in the night on Sunday. The Supreme Court had on 20 March had diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. With inputs from PTI Follow LIVE here. VK Singh, shortly after bringing back the mortal remains of 38 Indians killed in Iraq, announced a Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia compensation for the family members of those who lost their lives. Union minister VK Singh, shortly after bringing back the mortal remains of 38 Indians killed in Iraq, addressed the media in Amritsar. He expressed gratitude to the Iraq government for its co-operation in the matter. Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu announced a Rs five lakh ex-gratia compensation for the family members of those who lost their lives. The current pension of Rs 20,000 will continue, he said. "We are thankful to the authorities in Iraq for the help (they rendered) to locate the victims and exhume the mortal remains. The government of India did its best to know about the missing Indians," Singh told the media. Singh, the Minister of State for External Affairs, further said he undertook four trips to Iraq for this purpose. He further stated that the government got in touch with the owner of the company where the deceased worked. The victims' families were told by officials not to open the coffins since the mortal remains had been exhumed from graves and could emit toxic gases. However, most have refused the direction and said that they would opt for a traditional cremation. Earlier, Singh along with other officials was seen in a video carrying the mortal remains of 38 Indians into an aircraft. While the coffins of 31 victims 27 from Punjab and four from Himachal Pradesh were handed over to the respective authorities at the Amritsar airport, seven coffins were shifted to another aircraft to be flown to West Bengal (3) and Bihar (4). Twenty-seven persons from Punjab and four from Bihar were among the 39 killed. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed Parliament on 20 March that all 39 Indian construction workers kidnapped in 2014 from Mosul were killed. The minister earlier said that she would not consider them dead unless there was proof, and rejected lone survivor Harjit Masih's claim that the 39 Indians taken captive by the Islamic State were shot dead. The minister said that DNA samples collected from the missing Indians' relatives matched with 38 bodies, while the identity of the 39th body was yet to be fully confirmed since the DNA sample sent was from someone else in his family as both his parents are dead. With inputs from IANS General VK Singh is expected to arrive in Amritsar today at 1.30 pm with bodies of the 38 of the 39 Indians who were killed in Iraq by Islamic State. He will then fly to Bihar and West Bengal to hand over the remains to the family members of the deceased The remains of 38 Indian construction workers who were captured and killed by the Islamic State in northern Iraq were handed over to Indian authorities in Baghdad on Sunday and are expected to arrive in Amritsar today by 1.30 pm. Authorities in Amritsar are making the required arrangements to receive the bodies. "All necessary arrangements have been made to transport the mortal remains of Indians killed in Iraq," Amritsar's deputy commissioner Kamaldeep Singh Sangha said on Sunday. "As per the information we have received, the bodies are expected to reach the international airport at Amritsar at around 1.30 pm on Monday," Sangha had told PTI over the phone. According to the schedule, Union Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh, who went to Iraq on Sunday to received the bodies, will reach Amritsar first, he will then fly to Patna and Kolkata to hand over bodies to the relatives, officials said. The remains are being flown to India in a special military plane. On Monday, Singh shared a video on Twitter, where he could be seen transporting one of the bodies to the plane: Of the 39 Indians killed, 38 bodies have been identified while DNA identification of the third is still underway. Authorities are awaiting DNA samples from a first-degree relative. Of the 38 identified so far, 27 belonged to Punjab while four hailed from Himachal Pradesh, while the remaining seven are from Bihar and West Bengal. Sangha said he held a meeting on Saturday with various stakeholders involved in the process of smooth handing over of the bodies to the relatives. "Those who took part in the meeting included director of the Amritsar international airport, officials of the customs, immigration, CISF, police, IAF, and bureau of civil aviation," he said. The Amritsar DC also spoke to his counterparts in other districts in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. Arrangements for ambulances and other vehicles for ferrying the coffins to the native places have been made by the respective district administration with all necessary assistance extended by the authorities in Amritsar, he said. "As it is a sombre occasion and to ensure that no inconvenience is caused to the grieving relatives, we have made arrangements so that there is no chaos at the airport. The bodies will be brought out from a different exit passage," he said. According to The Indian Express, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, Haryana Food and Civil Supplies minister Krishan Kapoor and Deputy Commissioner, Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), Sandeep Kumar will be present at the airport to receive the mortal remains of the bodies. Eight victims belonged to twin districts of Amritsar and adjoining Tarn Taran. Families told to complete rites within 15 to20 minutes Some of the family members of the deceased Indians in Amritsar, The Indian Express said, have been told by "doctors and the district administration in Amritsar not to open the coffins and conduct the last minute rites immediately 'within 15 to 20 minutes of bodies reaching homes'". Meanwhile, family members of the Indians massacred by Islamic State are still trying to come to terms with the grim reality. Dimplejeet Kaur, sister of Dharminder Kumar (27), said he was the sole breadwinner supporting a large family. "All our hopes are dashed now; we are heartbroken," she said. Kumar went to Iraq to earn for his family in 2014. He was a resident of village Talwandi Jhira in Gurdaspur district. Some of the family members of the victims, The Indian Express said, Among the 39 Indians, most were from different places in Punjab like Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Jalandhar. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Budget Session of the state Assembly over a week ago, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh had promised adequate compensation by the state government for the families of the Iraq victims. He also demanded that the Centre also compensate the victims since the tragedy occurred overseas. How the bodies were recovered Last month, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had told Parliament that 40 Indians were abducted by Islamic State from Mosul in Iraq in June 2014, but one of them escaped posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh. The remaining 39 were taken to Badoosh and killed, she had said. Islamic State had abducted and killed the workers shortly after seizing the northern city of Mosul in the summer of 2014. Iraqi authorities discovered the remains in a mass grave last year after retaking Mosul and positively identified the bodies last month. The workers had been employed by a construction company operating near Mosul. Around 10,000 Indians lived and worked in Iraq at the time. Islamic State may have viewed the workers as polytheists deserving of death because of their Hindu or Sikh faith. Islamic State swept across northern and central Iraq in 2014, eventually seizing a third of the country. Iraqi forces backed by a US-led coalition eventually drove the militants from all the territory under their control in a grueling three-year campaign. The militants are still carrying out insurgent-style attacks. Dozens of mass graves have been found in areas held by the extremist group, which boasted about massacring its enemies and posted videos and photos of many of the mass killings online. Iraq has only managed to excavate a few of the sites due to a lack of funding and specialized staff. Parliamentary panel to discuss safety of Indians working abroad A parliamentary panel is meeting today to deliberate upon "safety and security of Indian workers in conflict zones". The parliamentary standing committee on external affairs headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor will deliberate upon various issues related to Indian migrant workers. According to the Lok Sabha secretariat, the agenda of the meeting is "issues relating to migrant workers including appropriate legislative framework and skill development initiatives for prospective emigrants with particular emphasis on safety and security of Indian Workers in conflict zones. With agency inputs Two DMK workers allegedly attempted self immolation while protesting in Coimbatore against the Centre for its 'failure' to constitute the CMB Coimbatore: Two DMK workers on Monday allegedly attempted self immolation while protesting in Coimbatore against the Centre for its 'failure' to constitute the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) in compliance with the 16 February order of the Supreme Court, police said. Notably, agitations took place in several parts of the state over the vexed issue. The two DMK functionaries, identified as PT Murugesan and Singai Sadashivam, doused themselves with kerosene and tried to self immolate at Peelamedu in Coimbatore, police said. However, they were over powered by a few police personnel present at the spot and whisked away to a nearby police station, they added. A group of farmers and members of some fringe outfits today gathered in front of the district collectorate in the city and raised slogans seeking the constitution of the CMB immediately. According to the police, incidents of road blockades by members of various political parties were also reported in the state. The DMK-led opposition parties had on Sunday called for a state-wide shutdown on 5 April seeking constitution of the CMB by the Centre. The Stalin-led party had said it would hold continuous protests similar to the one yesterday in Chennai till the CMB was constituted. Both the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government had on March 31 moved the Supreme Court on the issue of constitution and composition of the CMB in compliance with the 16 February verdict of the apex court on the contentious issue. In its February verdict, the top court had raised the 270 tmcft share of Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery river water. It had granted six weeks to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its 465-page judgement, which modified the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal Award. The six-week period ended on 29 March. The Delhi High Court sought the stances of the CBSE and the Centre on the plea for a court-monitored probe into the paper leak case. The Delhi High Court sought the stances of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Centre on the plea for a court-monitored probe into the paper leak case. It also asked for the CBSE's plans to hold the Class X Mathematics re-examination. The plea was mentioned before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked the CBSE and the Centre for their stance. The petition was moved by the NGO Social Jurist and has sought that the Class 10 Maths examination be held in April, rather than July as proposed by the authorities. Moreover, the petition filed by advocate Ashok Agarwal has sought that liberal marks be awarded to the students in the Mathematics and Economics re-examination. On Sunday, the HRD ministry had suspended one board official and initiated a probe even as the Delhi Police's Crime Branch arrested three persons, including two teachers of a private school, for their alleged involvement in the leak of the Class 12 Economics paper. The Delhi Police had registered two cases involving the leaks. The first case, related to the leak of Economics paper was lodged on 27 March, while the other pertaining to the leak of Mathematics paper was lodged on 28 March 28, following a complaint by the CBSE's regional director. The examinations for the Class 10 Mathematics and Class 12 Economic papers had been held on 28 March and 26 March respectively. The Crime Branch has questioned over 60 people in connection with the CBSE paper leak case, including the administrators of over 10 WhatsApp groups on which the leaked question papers were shared. With inputs from PTI The Supreme Court will hear, on Wednesday, a batch of petitions challenging the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) decision to re-conduct mathematics exam for Class X after its question paper was leaked on 28 March New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear, on Wednesday, a batch of petitions challenging the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) decision to re-conduct mathematics exam for Class X after its question paper was leaked on 28 March. The bench headed by the Chief Justice Dipak Misra, on Monday, decided to take up the matter after it was mentioned for an urgent hearing. Besides challenging the decision to re-conduct of the exam, the petitioners have sought a probe into the leak and declaration of results on the basis of exams that have already been conducted. The government on 30 March announced that re-examination will be held for Class XII economics paper throughout the country on 25 April, while a fresh test for the Class X mathematics paper will be held only in Delhi, NCR and Haryana in July. The Centre formally filed its review petition in the Supreme Court against the SC/ST Act ruling, in which it will seek a review of the recent judgment by which safeguards were put on arrest under SC/ST Act The Centre on Monday formally filed its review petition in the Supreme Court against the apex court's ruling on the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, in which it will seek a review of the recent judgment by which safeguards were put on arrests under the act. According to PTI, the Centre seeks restoration of the SC/ST Act provisions that made certain offences cognisable and non-bailable. News18 reports that the government is also seeking an open-court hearing on the matter. The report adds that the Centre argues that the dilution of the law would shake the purpose of the Act and it would give liberty to the accused to "terrorise the victims". The Centre had on Monday moved the Supreme Court to seek the recall of its judgment that ruled that there would be no automatic arrest of an accused following a complaint moved under the SC/ST Act. The government, in its review petition, told the Supreme Court that its 20 March verdict will violate Article 21 of the Constitution for the SC/ST communities and sought restoration of the provisions of the SC/ST Act. The apex court had on 20 March said that on "several occasions", innocent citizens were being named as accused and public servants deterred from performing their duties, which was never the intention of the legislature while enacting the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The top court had said that unless the exclusion of anticipatory bail is limited to "genuine cases and inapplicable to cases where there is no prima facie case was made out, there will be no protection available to innocent citizens". It had said that "in view of the acknowledged abuse of law of arrest in cases under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, arrest of a public servant can only be after approval of the appointing authority and of a non-public servant after approval by the senior superintendent of police (SSP) which may be granted in appropriate cases if considered necessary for reasons recorded". The top court had also directed that the reasons recorded must be scrutinised by the magistrate for permitting further detention. Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Court had declined an urgent hearing of a PIL against the apex court's ruling on the SC/ST Act filed by a Dalit group. CJI Dipak Misra had refused to list the matter for the day, saying there is no urgency on the matter and "that it will be taken up in due course". People of the Dalit community took out protest marches across India on Monday to agitate against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act. The protests are part of a 'Bharat Bandh' called by Dalit organisations against the ruling of the apex court. With inputs from agencies Follow LIVE updates of the Bharat Bandh here The Bharat Bandh protests turned violent in some parts of the country, with eight people losing their lives through the day. Here is a roundup of incidents of violence. Dalit groups launched vociferous protests throughout the country on Monday as part of a 'bharat bandh' agitation. The protests were held to oppose a recent Supreme Court ruling that there should be no immediate arrest of public servants under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The protests turned violent in some parts of the country, with eight people losing their lives. Here is a roundup of incidents of violence which took place across the country. Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh, which saw six people die, was worst-hit by violence. The clashes led the state government to take a series of measures to bring the situation back to normal, including imposing Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in some districts, suspending internet services and calling in the Indian Army. Gwalior collector Rahul Jain confirmed the death of two persons in Gwalior city and one in Dabra township. Jain claimed that all three deaths were due to clashes and police was not involved. Inspector General (law and order) Makrand Deoskar told PTI that one person each died in Bhind and Morena districts during the violence. ANI subsequently reported that one more person died in Gwalior. A student leader, identified as Rahul Pathak, died in firing in Morena district, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Umesh Shukla said. Pathak was allegedly shot by agitators and he succumbed to injuries en route to hospital, he said. A person identified as Mahavir Singh (32), died in the firing in Bhind district where while two others suffered serious injuries and were referred to a hospital in Gwalior, Bhind's chief medical and health officer JPS Kushwaha said. The state capital Bhopal also saw agitations taking a violent turn. Protesters blocked a road on the Board Office Square near the statue of Dr BR Ambedkar. More than two dozen vehicles were damaged, several of them torched by the protesters, eyewitnesses said. The large-scale clashes prompted Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to appeal for peace. In a video message, Chouhan said, "Madhya Pradesh is a region of peace, goodwill and social harmony. Some people have tried to disrupt this harmony. Some unfortunate events took place today. Strict action will be taken against the culprits. I appeal to you to maintain peace and goodwill, and not believe in rumours." , , , pic.twitter.com/qi2yERxAyu ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) April 2, 2018 Uttar Pradesh One person was killed and around 75 others, including 40 policemen, injured in violent protests in several parts of the state. "During the bandh, violence broke out in Muzaffar Nagar, Hapur, Meerut, Agra, which were among the most severely affected areas. Reports of violence have come in from some other districts too. As of now, 448 persons have been detained in different districts. There were no incidents of violence in 90 percent of districts. We have sounded a high-alert in the state," DIG, Law and Order, Praveen Kumar told reporters. One person died during the violence in Muzaffar Nagar, he added. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath also made a plea for violence to end: "Both the Centre and the state government are dedicated to the welfare of the backward castes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. If there is any issue, one can bring them to the notice of the government." Rajasthan One person was killed and 26 others, including nine policemen, were injured in Khairthal in Rajasthan's Alwar district. The 28-year-old deceased was identified as Pawan Jatav, son of a former sarpanch. Eighteen others injured were undergoing treatment at the hospital, including one policemen, Dr Bhagwan Sahay said. Khairthal police station SHO, Jitendra Kumar said that the police resorted to firing after a mob attacked and opened fire on them, while torching a vehicle and a store in the police station. He said that nine policemen, including one deputy superintendent of police, one head constable, and six constables were injured in stone-pelting. In Jodhpur, a police sub-inspector was seriously injured after being beaten up by protesters, a police officer said. Boiling water was poured on a shopkeeper who tried to open the shop in Dholpur, while in Ajmer, Bhim Sena workers attacked people of all age groups. Punjab Vociferous protests were seen across Punjab over the SC/ST Atrocities Act on Monday. In Bathinda, two people were injured in a clash between the protesters and shopkeepers near Mehna Chowk. In Kapurthala, protesters allegedly damaged about a dozen two-wheelers, smashed window panes of a lawyer's car and vandalised a chemist shop, police said. The tense situation led the government to request for the postponement of the CBSE examinations. The state education department announced late Sunday that the final practical examinations of Classes 10 and 12 of the Punjab School Education Board will be conducted on 11 April instead of Monday As part of the elaborate security measures, four battalions each of the Rapid Action Force and the Border Security Force, and 12,000 additional police personnel have been put on duty to maintain law and order, an official spokesperson said. Reasons for the protest According to the Supreme Court judgment, passed on 20 March, a preliminary probe by an officer not below the rank of deputy superintendent is required before arresting a public servant under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. A bench of Justices Adarsh Goel and UU Lalit also said there shall be no absolute bar for granting anticipatory bail to public servants booked under the Act. However, the Opposition has rallied against the apex court verdict, asserting that it amounts to weakening the Act which is meant to protect marginalised communities from discrimination and identity-based violence. On 28 March, a Congress-led Opposition delegation met President Ram Nath Kovind in Delhi and handed over a memorandum expressing their concern over the verdict. The Centre has now filed a review petition against the Supreme Court verdict. With inputs from agencies The Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh said that they will not perform Muslim marriages where music and dance are part of the wedding as it is against Islam The Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh said on Monday that it will not conduct Muslim marriages where music and dance are part of the wedding, saying that these are against Islam. ANI reports that the city qazi for Saharanpur, Mufti Azhar Hussain, said, "We will not conduct 'nikah' in weddings where music and dance are happening and a DJ is there. This is against Islam; (we) will boycott such weddings." He added that if the music and dancing happened before the nikah ceremony and the qazi did not know "then it is different." ANI added that clerics in Kota, Rajasthan have also imposed a ban on DJs, loud music and wedding bands at Muslim weddings, terming it as a "financial burden and wastage." The Darul Uloom Deoband, one of the largest Islamic seminaries in India, has regularly been in the news for such fatwas. For example, the influential Islamic seminary had on 8 October, 2016 issued a fatwa which banned women from plucking, trimming, shaping their eyebrows and cutting hair. The Times of India reported that they had even issued a fatwa stating that women wearing designer or body-hugging 'burqas' are not allowed in Islam. "The veil and burqa are supposed to protect a woman from prying eyes. So, a woman wearing a designer burqa or body-hugging outfit is strictly not allowed in Islam," members of the seminary had reportedly said. With inputs from agencies Given Indias vast experience in counterterrorism and peacekeeping operations, greater coordination with India represents a win-win situation for America. Cooperation in the field of counterterrorism has become an important and critical pillar of deepening India-US strategic partnership. The India-US Counterterrorism Joint Working Group, which held its 15th meeting in New Delhi on 27 March, has reviewed a range of threats posed by regional and global terrorist groups, including cross-border terrorism in South Asia. Both the countries have again committed to strengthening information sharing on dangerous terrorist outfits and individuals while exchanging views on efforts to counter the financing of regional and global terrorist organisations. There is no doubt that India-US counterterrorism cooperation is now multidimensional and multifaceted. Underlining a very bright future for bilateral cooperation in this domain, the US Counterterrorism Coordinator, Nathan Sales, has recently declared: India is an incredibly important, incredibly valuable and incredibly close counterterrorism partner of the US. In January this year, the US ambassador to India, Kenneth Juster, had also remarked: Each of our countries has suffered horrific terrorist attacks and continues to be targeted. We have a strong mutual interest in eliminating this threat to our societies. President DonaldTrump and other US leaders have been clear that we will not tolerate cross-border terrorism or terrorist safe havens anywhere. In December 2017, both the countries held the inaugural meeting of India-US Designations Dialogue in New Delhi, and discussion revolved around ways to increase bilateral cooperation on terrorism-related designations. The establishment of this mechanism reflects shared commitments to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats. While exchanging information on procedures for pursuing designations against terrorist groups and individuals, India and the US also discussed best practices for effective implementation of the designations. The India-US Joint Working Group on Counterterrorism, which was established in 2001, has led to the exchange of intelligence on terrorist financial operations and support for joint training in border management, surveillance techniques, and terrorist incident response. Both have launched several counterterrorism initiatives and have undertaken a wide spectrum of exercises involving their counterterrorism units. Greater military ties have included joint counter-insurgency training of their army units, and special forces from both countries have particularly focused on high-altitude operations and training. For instance, the annual Yudh Abhyas joint military exercises held in September 2017 focused on counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations. Through the Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) program, the US agencies have trained scores of Indian security personnel in counterterrorism activities, including in explosives investigation and countermeasures, hostage negotiation, counterterrorism legislation, counterterror police training etc. The Counterterrorism Cooperation Initiative (CCI) was signed in 2010 to forge effective cooperation on counterterrorism, information-sharing, and capacity-building. The CCI has included several projects for enhancing joint counterterrorism capabilities through the sharing of advanced techniques, best practices, and investigative skills. In 2014, the US created a homeland security working group under the bilateral High Technology Cooperation Group (HTCG). The aim of HTCG is to facilitate joint access to counterterrorism-related technology. Cyberterrorism has emerged another major concern for India and the US. Cooperation against cyberterrorism is an important feature of India-US counterterrorism cooperation. The framework for the India-US Cyber Relationship, the first such document the US has signed with any country, is aimed at promoting international law, public-private partnerships, and appropriate norms of state cyber-conduct. In September 2015, New Delhi and Washington decided to transform their relationship into a defining counterterrorism partnership for the 21st century. In his June 2016 speech to the US Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the need to deepen security cooperation through a well-crafted policy that isolates those who harbour, support, and sponsor terrorists; that does not distinguish between good and bad terrorists, and that delinks religion from terrorism. His reference to Pakistan was unmistakable. The intelligence services of India and America have increasingly collaborated on many regional terrorist threats, such as Al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), the Haqqani Network, and the Islamic State. A few days after his inauguration, Trump spoke to Modi on 24 January, during which both resolved that the United States and India stand shoulder to shoulder in the global fight against terrorism. Modis June 2017 visit to the US was also a great success from the counterterrorism perspective. After the Modi-Trump meeting, the joint statement emphasised profound cooperation on counterterrorism, with the two leaders stress(ing) that terrorism is a global scourge that must be fought and terrorist safe havens rooted out in every part of the world. The language on Pakistan was also sharp: The leaders called on Pakistan to ensure that its territory is not used to launch terrorist attacks on other countries. They further called on Pakistan to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai, Pathankot, and other cross-border terrorist attacks perpetrated by Pakistan-based groups. Immediately after this, the US declared Hizbul Mujahideen (HuM) chief Syed Salahuddin as a global terrorist. The US has supported India in its persistent attempts to get the United Nations to designate Pakistan-based Masood Azhar a global terrorist. It was a proposal by the US, backed by France and Britain, to name Azhar a UN-designated terrorist that China decided to block in November last year. The US has recently taken steps to blacklist Pakistan on issues pertaining to terrorism financing. The US persuaded Pakistans traditional allies, Saudi Arabia and China, to remove their earlier objections to Pakistan being placed on Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list from June. The FATF acts as an international watchdog on issues of money-laundering and financing of terrorism. Islamabad will now have to provide a detailed action plan on measures it will take on curbing funding for UN-designated terrorist groups. Already in the grey list, Pakistan runs the risk of being transferred from the grey to the black list in June if the FAFF is not satisfied with Islamabads actions to counterterror financing. America's economic assistance to Pakistan has already been placed on hold. Trump who has repeatedly asked Islamabad to do more in the fight against terrorism is clearly not satisfied by superficial and cosmetic steps taken by Pakistan. Barriers The real barrier to substantive counterterrorism cooperation between India and the US comes from Washington's complicated relationship with Islamabad. Pakistan continues to be the epicentre of terrorism problem in South Asia and beyond. Pakistans security establishment, supported by its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has been sponsoring terrorism against India and Afghanistan to further its foreign policy objectives from the claim on the disputed Kashmir Valley to the installation of a pro-Pakistani regime in land-locked Afghanistan. The Trump administration has publicly acknowledged Pakistans double-dealing with terrorism, accusing Islamabad of harbouring agents of chaos. Ever since the announcement of Trumps South Asia policy in August 2017, the US has been applying a lot of pressure on Pakistan to dismantle terror infrastructure. However, the US officials have also felt compelled to cooperate with the Pakistani military, as they mistakenly believe that the latters help is essential to wind up the ongoing war in Afghanistan. Pakistan is also convinced that sooner, rather than later, the US will have to withdraw from Afghanistan, leaving the country open for a Pakistan-backed Taliban takeover. Nearly every major attack on India has come from Pakistan, and despite frequent promises from Islamabad to not allow terrorism to emanate from its soil, the problem is worse than ever. Most of the terror attacks terrorists from across the border have been carried out along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border. Last year witnessed more than 300 infiltrations from the LoC, the highest in four years, as well as a tremendous rise in the incidents of firing and attempts by the terrorists to sneak in. Although the Indian Army had carried out surgical strikes in 2016 at the terror launch pads across the LoC to avenge the terror attacks in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir, this has not deterred terrorists supported and sponsored by Pakistan from staging terror attacks. Indias minister of state for home, Hansraj Ahir, has informed the Parliament that 60 incidents of terror-related violence have taken place till 4 March this year, as against 39 such incidents during the same period last year. Pakistan continues to reject evidence like wireless transcripts of conversations of JeMs terrorists involved in the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack and the vast evidence available of the LeTs role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Hafiz Saeed, who heads the UN-listed terrorist group Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), is playing hide and seek with the connivance of Pakistani authorities even one decade after the Mumbai attack. Both India and the US have maintained that Saeeds charities are fronts for India-centric terrorist group LeT. In November last year, Saeed was released despite months of pressure by Washington on Islamabad over its support for terrorists. Trumps press secretary was forced to say that Saeeds freedom belies Pakistani claims that it will not provide sanctuary for terrorists... If Pakistan does not take action to lawfully detain Saeed and charge him for his crimes, its inaction will have repercussions for bilateral relations and for Pakistans global reputation. Moreover, Saeeds association with and promotion of Milli Muslim League (MML) has now led to fears that Pakistans military is renewing its push to lend terror groups greater legitimacy in Pakistani politics. Those concerns have deepened further with a high court decision on 9 March to approve the MMLs registration, permitting it to participate in general elections scheduled for July. The incoming US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has also taken a harder line on Pakistan. In January, he had correctly argued: We see the Pakistanis continuing to provide a safe harbour, havens inside of Pakistan for terrorists who present risks to the United States. If they fix this problem, were happy to continue to engage with them and be their partner. But if they dont, were going to protect America. But despite coming under increasing American pressure, Pakistan is yet to take decisive measures against India-centric terrorists and jihadists. The tough stand of Trump against Pakistan vindicates Indias longstanding position on the menace of cross-border terrorism. However, Pakistan continues to escape major punishment for its flirtation with jihadist terror. It needs to be recognised that Americas recent FATF activism is primarily aimed to target Pakistans support for the Haqqani Network in Afghanistan. They are not significantly focused on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in India. Although, there is no doubt that the ISI proxies the Haqqani Network cannot be allowed to spread mayhem in Afghanistan, however it is equally true that any leniency towards India-specific terror groups LeT and JeM will scuttle chances of ensuring peace in South Asia, and will prove to be a huge barrier in countering terrorism in the region. As long as Washington remains indecisive about the future of its relationship with Islamabad, Pakistan militarys support to terrorist proxies will keep the terror infrastructure intact. The solution to South Asias terrorism problem lies in an unambiguously hard stance on Pakistan rather than indulgence or hesitation. To conclude, the rise in the incidence and lethality of terrorism in South Asia has brought India and the US closer, and both sides are increasingly coordinating their approaches to various aspects of counterterrorism. India is rightly portrayed as Americas long-term partner for greater counterterrorism cooperation, even while some differences persist between them. Given Indias vast experience in counterterrorism, counter-insurgency, counter-narcotics, and peacekeeping operations, greater coordination with India represents a win-win situation for America. Shanavi Ponnusamy identifies as a transwoman but was forced to apply as a woman for a job because Air India doesn't yet accommodate transgenders as a separate category In 2014, India's apex court granted citizens the power to choose their gender identity irrespective of their sex. However, the government continues to struggle with the implementation of a mechanism that could protect rights of a person belonging to the third gender. Shanavi Ponnusamy is a 26-year-old transwoman who accused Air India of denying her employment as a trainee female cabin crew because of her gender. "I was good in studies. My gender never created any difficulties for me in my education. I have never faced discrimination as a transwoman prior to this," she said. In November 2017, acting on a petition filed by Shanavi, the Supreme Court directed the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Air India to provide her with a response explaining why she was denied the job. Air India's employment process includes a preliminary medical examination, including height and Body Mass Index (BMI), and a group dynamics and personality test (GD and PAT). Shanavi claimed she was refused the job after the GD and PAT, and the examiners were hostile towards her. However, the company claimed that Shanavi was not discriminated based on her gender, but was given an equal opportunity as a woman as she applied in the female category. Air India also added that it only rejected her job application because she failed to secure the minimum of 55 percent needed to qualify the test. The public sector aviation company called the petition a 'classic example of frivolous litigation,' where the petitioner's intent was to 'arm twist and gain forceful employment'. "I applied for the female section as there was no option to apply as a transgender. I have all the necessary qualifications," Shanavi said. "I actually wanted to be a pilot but my family was not in a position to financially support me. Before applying to the company, I was working as an Air India cabin support executive at a private firm," she added. Shanavis lawyer, Manoj Selva filed a rejoinder last week against Air India's counter affidavit with reference to the NALSA judgement of 2014. "While the respondent (Air India) claims that she (Shanavi) did not get the necessary marks, the job advertisement did not mention any such requirements... She was denied the job because of her gender," he said. The rejoinder is scheduled to be heard on 9 April. "The NALSA (National Legal Service Authority vs Union of India) judgement of 2014 is the parent law for trans-rights in India. It states that any person who identifies as trans or intersex has the option of choosing between existing identities, and can identify themselves as male, female or transgender," said Deeptha Rao, an advocate at Bengaluru-based Alternate Law Forum. But for Shanavi, her professional dream seems to have curtailed her right to choose her own gender as a transwoman. When she initially approached the Ministry of Civil Aviation through an online government portal, requesting to be considered as a transwoman for a cabin crew post at Air India, Shanavi was told that the aviation firm does not have a policy to employ transgender people. "I identify myself as a woman and it is difficult for me to apply for a job in the same category," Shanavi said. According to Deeptha, several companies still lack separate quotas for transgender people in their employment policies. "Employment schemes, as they stand post the NALSA judgement, ideally should be read as including male, female and transgender, irrespective of the gender identity they were given at birth," she said. As Shanavi had to apply under the female category for the cabin crew position at Air India, she was considered as a female for the BMI test. Manoj and Shanavi feel that this also played a big part in her rejection. Deeptha pointed out that if a person identifies themselves as trans, they will not have any avenue for employment if an employer is sticking to the male-female binary. A Standing Committee suggestion prohibiting discrimination on grounds of "any matter relating to employment, including, but not limited to, recruitment, promotion and other related issues" was recently added to the Transgender (Protection of Rights) Bill of 2016. However, most employers are yet to develop a job category for the third gender. Shanavi hopes that her petition would help in implementing existing mechanisms and formulating future policies to ensure her right to work as a transwoman. Recalling how the NALSA judgement gave full autonomy to people who identified themselves as a transgender to decide which gender-identity they want their documents in Deeptha said, "There is no mandate for a medical procedure to be done. Gender is a social construct." "In my case, my past is irrelevant," said Shanavi adding that she is only fighting for her right to be allowed to work as a transgender cabin crew in a non-discriminatory work environment. But her task isn't easy. "If a person's candidature is rejected after an interview, they are given a reason as to why their application was rejected. But in Shanavi's case, no reason was given," says Manoj. "As per the NALSA judgement, the moment a person's gender identity has been recognised, they are to be included in all aspects of citizenship," Deeptha said. "Employment, health and education are all entitlements that are available to every citizen and the judgement also said that within six months, the government is supposed to implement (the recognition of transgender people)," she said. But even after three years since the judgement, Shanavi's gender identity is limiting her employment opportunities. Deeptha feels that there is a void in the implementation of policies to protect the rights of transgender people. She added that there is still a lack of clarity in determining how a transgender person will be recruited or how the third gender will recognised, not in comparison to but as being different from both male and female. But Shanavi is positive of having the judgement in her favour. Recalling the Madras High Court order that allowed K Prithika Yashini to become the country's first transwoman sub-inspector, she said, "Even Yashini had to fight for her identity. I am also fighting for my right." The author is a member of The NewsCart, a Bengaluru-based media startup. There was no record of the 40 Indians captured by the terror group Islamic State in Iraq in any embassy as they had gone there through illegal travel agents, Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh said on Monday. Amritsar: There was no record of the 40 Indians captured by the terror group Islamic State in Iraq in any embassy as they had gone there through illegal travel agents, Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh said on Monday. Thirty-nine of the 40 Indians were killed by the terror group, while one of them managed to escape posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh. Singh on Monday brought back the mortal remains of 38 Indians from Iraq in a special aircraft that landed at the Amritsar International airport. The presumed remains of one of those killed were yet to be positively identified. "The external affairs ministry started a campaign in 2014 in which we say that one must not go through an illegal agent. There was no record of these 40 persons in an embassy. They migrated through illegal agents. When you go through illegal agents then it is difficult to find where one has gone," the minister told reporters. The minister said that had the government had any information about these people being in danger, it could have tried to save them. He emphasised that both the state and central governments should work collectively to ensure the gullible people do not fall prey to illegal travel agents. "We have told each state that law and order is their responsibility and they should catch illegal agents in their respective states and take action against them...States and the Centre should work collectively in this direction. We do not want anybody to go illegally abroad. We want people to go legally so that we have their record," he said. He expressed confidence that the Amarinder Singh government in Punjab would take action against illegal travel agents while asserting that there was an "effective" government in Punjab. To a question on jobs as demanded by the family members of the victims, the minister said that the union external affairs minister had already told family members of the victims to provide detailed information about persons who are eligible for jobs. Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, flanked with Singh, said the state government would give Rs five lakh each to the family members of the victims. Besides, a member of each family will be given job as per qualification, he said. He further said that the state government had been giving Rs 20,000 per month to the family members of the victims who were killed in Iraq. Sidhu said the cabinet will hold a discussion on the illegal travel agents issue. To a question, Singh said that the Iraq-based Martyrs Foundation had advised against the opening of caskets. "The Martyrs Foundation has told us that the way toxic contents were found (from where the mortal remains were taken out) and the way all this was done (embalming of bodies) when you open the casket it may pose danger and that is why they said it is better not to open it," he said. However, Sidhu said it is the responsibility of the administration to take mortal remains to their respective homes. "They (family members) can do whatever they want to do with it (bodies). This is their wish," said Sidhu. Family members had earlier claimed that they had been told by the administration not to open the caskets. Asked how they were killed, Singh, a former army chief, said that some of the persons were killed by bullets. "When tests were conducted (on mortal remains) it was found that some persons were killed by bullets and however, in some cases, it is very difficult to say as to how they were killed," said Singh, adding that it was also not possible to ascertain when they were killed. "But we were told that it could be about one year (ago). But it is very difficult to say whether it is more than a year or less than a year," he said. The Union minister of state also explained about how they located the mound from where the mortal remains were taken out in Iraq. "We were not allowed to go to Mosul through Erbil as the war was going on. After talking to the owner of the company for which these 40 men were working and others, we got information that a lot of people were buried near a place in Badush. "We found a mound which was not natural. We sought a ground penetration radar and then we found some human skeletons (in the mound). Thereafter, digging exercise was started to bring out the mortal remains. We got a kara (iron bracelet worn by Sikhs) and long hair and then we thought they may belong to be our people. Thereafter, DNA sample exercise commenced. The 38 samples matched while 70 percent of one sample matched," he said, adding that he went to Iraq four times in search of Indian men. To a query, he said that had they got any clue about the Indian men, they could have been saved like nurses were saved in Iraq. "Do you know about Indian nurses case? We knew about their condition and we asked them to get out of their place (in Iraq in 2014). Initially, they refused to leave the place, saying they were not in danger. But after four days, they told us their hospital was damaged. Then we rescued them. Had there been any information that these persons (40 Indian men) were in crisis at a particular location, we would have rescued them. The kind of situation in which Mosul was, I can claim that nobody could have entered that area in such a situation," he said. With the Karnataka Assembly elections set to take place on 12 May, the election campaigns of various political parties has gained momentum in the state. With the Karnataka Assembly elections set to take place on 12 May, the election campaigns of various political parties have gained momentum in the state. The state is crucial for the Congress as Karnataka is one of the party's last bastions. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is vying for a comeback in the state after it was defeated by the Congress in the 2013 Assembly elections in Karnataka. Faced with dwindling prospects in Uttar Pradesh, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is also eyeing a victory in the upcoming elections in Karnataka. BJP president Amit Shah began his tour of the old Mysuru region on Friday, covering the districts of Mysuru, Chamarajanagara, where BJP had not won a single seat in the previous election. Shah had attacked Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and the JD(S) while addressing the party's 'Nava Shakti Samavesha' rally, saying, "It is said that the BJP is a bit weak here (Old Mysuru region), but after seeing the work of the party workers, I expect Siddaramaiahji and the JD(S) to get the biggest shock of their lives from this region." The BJP president was expected to tour the Belagavi district, including Kitturu, Nandagada, Belagavi, Kudchi, Nippani and Gokak, on Monday, but the programme has been cancelled. Shah is also expected to tour the districts of Belagavi, Bagalakote and Haveri in the coming days as part of the party's election campaign in poll-bound Karnataka. Congress president Rahul Gandhi is also expected to hold meetings and roadshows in Karnataka as the party prepares for a tough fight in the upcoming elections in the state. The state elections are the next big political event for the Congress which is battling anti-incumbency and facing a tough challenge from the BJP. Much like the Gujarat Assembly election, it appears that religious symbolism is likely to be a recurring theme in the political campaign in Karnataka as well. In the run-up to the Gujarat Assembly elections, Rahul had visited around 25 temples in the state in a bid to dispel the impression of his party being hostile to Hindu interests. The party had sought to repeat the same strategy in Karnataka with visits to a Hindu temple and other religious places in the state. The party's local leadership tried to defend Rahul over his temple visits, saying that there was nothing new in visits by the Gandhi family to temples in Karnataka. Rahul's visits to temples had also received support from Thiruvananthapuram Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who contended that the temple visits come in a context where the BJP is saying that they are the "good Hindus" and everybody else is bad. "Why should we cede this narrative to them? To my mind, we may as well show publicly what we have been doing privately," Tharoor had said. Following the Congress president's temple run, BJP national president Amit Shah had also embarked upon a visit to South Indias famous Gurudwara in Bidar, besides visiting Buddha Vihara and Veerabhadreshwara temple in the district. The Congress had received a shot in the arm when seven former rebel MLAs from the JD(S) headed by Deve Gowda, had joined the ruling Congress in the presence of Rahul. Zameer Ahmed Khan, Cheluvaraya Swamy, Iqbal Ansari, Balakrishna, Ramesh Bandisiddegowda, Bheema Nayak and Akhanda Srinivas Murthy were welcomed into the party fold by Gandhi at a public rally in Mysuru. Rahul is expected to begin the party's campaign trail in Karnataka from Shivamogga, the stronghold of BJP's chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa, and Davanagere on Tuesday, where he will hold a roadshow and meeting. The Congress president is expected to hold a meeting and rally in Chitradurga this week. Rahul is also likely to hold a meeting with the Sree Siddaganga Matha at Tumakuru in Karnataka. The Congress president may visit the Davanagere and Chitradurga districts on Wednesday, where he is likely to hold a roadshow and conduct a meeting. Rahul is expected to hold a meeting and rally in Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Magadi on Saturday and head to Bengaluru and Bengaluru Rural on Sunday to continue the party's election campaign. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati was also expected to hold a rally in Karnataka's Hasana. However, the programme has been cancelled. BSP had entered into a pre-poll alliance with the JD(S) ahead of the Assembly elections in the state. According to reports, BSP insiders had indicated that the alliance with the JD(S) was geared towards strengthening the BSP's base in Karnataka with Mayawati's fortunes dwindling in Uttar Pradesh. Ten of the 13 militants killed over the weekend in a major offensive by the state police were from Shopian. Shopian: Ten of the 13 militants killed over the weekend in a major offensive by the state police were from Shopian, an indication that security personnel have tightened their hold on the south Kashmir terror bastion over the last five months, officials said. Most of the ten from Shopian, once considered the ground zero of terrorism, were young and had joined the militant movement between last year and now. Sources in the security establishment expressed the hope that parents of disappeared youth would now encourage their children to shun violence and surrender. The oldest of the ten was Ishfaq Ahmad Thoker, alias 'Abrar', who became a militant in September 2015, officials said. The others, from various villages in the district, were Ubaid Shafi Malla alias 'Abu Huraira', who became a militant in February 2017, Zubair Ahmed Turrey alias 'Abu Bakar', Nazim Ahmad Dar alias 'Furqan Bhai' and Rayees Ahmad Thoker (May 2017), Yawar Itoo (July 2017), Adil Ahmed Thoker (November 2017), Ishfaq Ahmed Malik alias 'Umar Bhai' (January 2018), Aetimad Hussain Malik (November 2017) and Sameer Ahmed Lone (February 2018). Director General of Police SP Vaid made a passionate appeal, asking youth to shun violence. "It is painful to all of us to see the loss of young lives. My appeal again to the parents of the boys, who have taken the wrong path... they should convince their wards to leave the path of violence and come home," he said on Sunday. Considered a gateway to the Kashmir Valley for being strategically located on the way to the historical Mughal road, Shopian had nearly 30 active militants, including Saddam Paddar and Zeenat-ul-Islam who are rated A++ category militants and carry a cash reward on them. Both are still at large. The area, south of the Peer Panjal mountain range, can provide free access to terrorists to cross over to Doda, Kishtawar and Poonch area of Jammu, the officials said. "My appeal to the young people of Kashmir would be not to be carried away by Pakistan or their proxies and be led into the path of violence," said Lt Gen AK Bhatt, corps commander of the Srinagar-based XV corps. "We will carry out operations as we have carried against anybody who will use his weapon," Bhatt had said on Sunday. More than 50 youths from the area "disappeared", a euphemism for joining various militant groups, after the killing of Burhan Wani, the poster boy of Hizbul Mujahideen, on 8 July, 2016. The police, CRPG and the Army increased their footprint over Shopian, where militants roamed freely, last year. The forceful resistance to security forces to enter into Heff Shermaal area in the district in April last year was an eye-opener, officials said. Security forces were compelled to withdraw, pushing senior officials to the drawing board to draft a new strategy to make Shopian a militant free zone. Victor Force, a counter-insurgency unit of the Army headed by Major Gen BS Raju, Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) SP Pani, along with senior CRPF officers brain-stormed and re-calibrated their plans to control Shopian, it is learnt. Soon, intelligence information from locals started flowing, resulting in encounters that saw the top militant leadership, including the main recruiter for Hizbul Mujahideen Ifan Maldera and the group's financier Waseem Sheikh, being eliminated last year. In November last year, the CRPF moved in a reserve battalion comprising nearly 1,000 men into Shopian. At the same time, police moved in a large number of its personnel to various parts of the district. Its crack teams joined hands with the army and the CRPF. The army also established new camps at Nagabal, Chillipura, Maitribugh, Zainpura and Larkipura and increased its strength in existing camps in the area, the officials said. The most important of these was the army camp at Chillipura, which is located next to Heff Shreemal area. Security forces on Sunday gunned down 13 militants, including those responsible for the brutal killing of Lieutenant Umar Fayaz, in three counter-insurgency operations that also claimed the lives of three army jawans and four civilians in Anantnag and Shopian districts. The operations, which dealt a severe blow to terror groups in Kashmir Valley, were launched in the two districts Saturday night and continued till late Sunday. The National Human Rights Commission on Monday issued notices to West Bengal government over violence in Asansol and Raniganj, according to reports. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday issued notices to West Bengal government over violence in Asansol and Raniganj, according to reports. National Human Rights Commission issues notices to the Government of West Bengal over unabated violence in Asansol- Raniganj area, also asks its DG (Investigation) to depute a team for spot inquiry. ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 Expressing serious concern over the situation, the NHRC has issued the notice to the state's chief secretary, home secretary and the director general of police, seeking detailed reports in four weeks. The rights panel in a statement said, it has also asked its Director General (Investigation) to depute a team headed by an officer not below the rank of an SSP to visit the disturbed areas of Asansol-Raniganj for spot investigation or inquiry to assess the actual situation and submit a report within three weeks. The NHRC said it has taken suo motu cognisance of reports alleging "failure of law enforcing agencies in protecting the right to life, liberty and dignity of the innocent people, who have become victims of violence in Asansol-Raniganj area of West Bengal since 25 March." "According to media reports, people, who dialled helpline 100 to seek police assistance, have stated that no police personnel came to help them. The unruly mob has destroyed the public and private properties. There are many families from different communities, as mentioned in the news report, who have lost everything in the ongoing violence," the Commission said in the statement. A person was allegedly hacked to death while a Deputy Commissioner of Police lost a hand after getting hit by a bomb during the clash between two groups centring on a Ram Navami procession organised by the Sangh affiliates in Raniganj last week. Several others including police personnel also sustained injuries in the incident. The communal tension spilt onto other parts of Asansol. A BJP delegation reached Asansol on Sunday to visit relief camps and violence-affected areas. The delegation accused the West Bengal government of lack of initiative in handling the unrest and demanded strict action against the culprits. "Almost seven days have passed since the violence but there have been no initiatives either from the state or the ruling party to help out the victims. They also showed complete lack of will in handling the unrest," BJP vice-president Om Mathur, who led the four-member party committee to the affected areas, told reporters in Kolkata. Echoing Mathur, BJP's spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain claimed the Mamata Banerjee government is causing pain to the people of Bengal while the BJP is "giving them the remedy". Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has also decided to revamp its intelligence wing to help avert incidents of violence in the state, a senior home department official said. Caught off guard during the Asansol-Raniganj violence, the state is also planning to strengthen its ground-level intelligence gathering mechanism, the official told PTI. West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi also visited the strife-torn areas of Raniganj and Asansol in West Bardhaman district and held a meeting with the police officials and the local administration. With inputs from agencies The Supreme Court has declined an urgent hearing of a PIL against the SC/ST ruling. CJI Dipak Misra refused to list the matter on Monday, saying there is no urgency on the matter and 'that it will come in due course' The Supreme Court has declined an urgent hearing of a PIL against the SC/ST ruling, media reports said. According to News18, CJI Dipak Misra refused to list the matter on Monday or the day after, saying there is no urgency on the matter and "that it will be taken up in due course." The announcement comes as people of the Dalit community took out protest marches across India to agitate against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The protests are part of a 'Bharat Bandh' called by Dalit organisations against the order of the apex court. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud said that the petition will be heard in due course of time. The All India Federation of SC/ST Organisations, a conglomerate of nearly 150 groups, had referred to Monday's large-scale violence and sought an urgent hearing on the issue. Advocate Manoj Gaurkella, appearing for the employees federation said that the recent verdict passed by the apex court on 20 March was "unfair and unjust and it should be stayed". He said that this writ petition should be heard by a larger bench of five judges to decide the issue. Regarding the order, the court had on 20 March ruled that the arrest of an accused under the SC/ST Act was not mandatory and recourse to coercive action would be only after a preliminary inquiry and sanction by the competent authority. Coupled with this, the court said, there was no absolute bar against the grant of anticipatory bail in cases under the act if no prima facie case was made out or where on judicial scrutiny the complaint was found to be prima facie mala fide. The Centre has filed a review petition over the Supreme Court's order for the dilution of the act. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also said the government will argue the matter "with full authority" in the apex court for the verdict's reconsideration. "The Centre was not a party in the proceedings at all. And therefore, on behalf of the ministry of social justice, a very comprehensive review has been filed (against the dilution of the SC/ST Act)... and the Government of India, with great respect, does not agree with the reasoning given by the Supreme Court in the matter," Prasad added. With inputs from agencies Follow LIVE updates of the Bharat Bandh here The death of 13 Kashmiri militants and three soldiers in counterinsurgency operations in south Kashmir flags the start of what is likely to be a summer of bloodshed. The death of 13 Kashmiri militants and three soldiers in counterinsurgency operations in Shopian and other parts of south Kashmir on Sunday flags the start of what is likely to be a long hot summer of bloodshed in the Valley. All the militants slain on Sunday were Kashmiris, many of them greenhorns who had recently gone underground. A Kashmiri leader close to Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti highlighted the dangers of this trend on Sunday evening. From the funeral of every one of the boys killed, two more could be motivated to go into the field to seek shahadat (martyrdom) by joining the militant ranks. That is not the worst of it. The leader said that there had never before been as much infiltration across the Line of Control from Pakistan as there has been during 2017 and the first quarter of 2018. Key army officers confirm that infiltration is indeed on the rise. Although crossing has in most years been much reduced during the winter months, this years mild winter has allowed an extraordinary number to enter the Valley. This indicates that large numbers are being trained and equipped in the Pakistan-held portion of the state. Hope in state government quarters Even while acknowledging that militancy in Kashmir is very worrying, and that forces have been deployed at maximal levels, this leader said that the PDP is nonetheless appealing for a high turnout of tourists this year. Further, the leader said that the state government is hopeful that, once the annual Amarnath yatra is over, elections for panchayats and the vacant Anantnag Parliament seat can be held this summer. The PDP apparently hopes that talks will pave the way for easing the situation. During a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, the chief minister, who is also the PDP president, pressed for talks with Pakistan. However, the leaderwho knows the chief ministers mindacknowledged on Sunday that Pakistan has not responded in the way it had when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister. The leader further acknowledged that the Pakistan factor appears to be preventing the Hurriyat leaders within Kashmir from engaging in talks. The Centres Representative for talks in Kashmir, former Intelligence Bureau chief Dineshwar Sharma, had only been able to meet one of them, former Hurriyat chairman Abdul Ghani Bhat, the leader said, adding that Sharma is a `well-meaning guy. Hard-knuckled signal In contrast to the state governments stress on talksor possibly as an alternate prong of a coordinated strategythe launch of simultaneous operations by the army in tandem with the police on Saturday night indicates that the forces are intent on trying to crush militancy. Major General BS Raju, the General Officer Commanding of the Victor Force of the counterinsurgency Rashtriya Rifles, handed over charge to his successor on Monday. A new Corps Commander for the Valley took over three months ago. The weekends operations signal that the new officers are going to give no leeway to the rising number of militants. The army brass were chuffed about the one militant who was captured alive at Dayalgam near Anantnagbringing the total to 14and the improved intelligence flow that helped these operations. Shopian was bound to be high among their priorities. It lies along the wooded Pir Panjal range, and connects with Poonch and Rajouri through the Mughal Road. Over the past couple of years, Shopian has become the site of a large number of militants, and a network of armed forces camps too. An army officer on leave and a former public prosecutor are among those whom militants killed in Shopian last year, and a worker of the BJP was gruesomely killed with a knife to his throat. The Corps Commander, Lt Gen AK Bhatt, said after Sundays encounters that the army had avenged the killing of Lt Ummar Fayaz. The lieutenant was killed by militants when he was in a Shopian village for his cousins wedding on 9 May 2017. The sprawling Pulwama district, which is adjacent to Shopian district, is also a hotbed of militancy. A large number of new forces camps have sprung up there too, and also in the adjacent Kulgam districtall in south Kashmir. The rise in violence in these areas can be traced directly to the uprising that followed the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani on 8 July 2016. These were precisely the three districts (alongside Kupwara district in the north) where the uprising was most intense. In her latest collection of short stories A Day In The Life Anjum Hasan tackles the everyday lives of a range of characters | #FirstCulture In her latest collection of short stories A Day In The Life Anjum Hasan tackles the everyday lives of a range of characters, who are either connected through the inconsequentiality of their actions or overwhelmed by the scope of things. Hasan spoke with Firstpost about her strange relationship with the cities, how the apparent dullness of her characters at times reflects her, finding them in Bhupen Khakkars works and writing from a distance. Edited excerpts: The Strangers begins with 'There were no new ideas to be found in the city'. Yet most of our leading stories, novels and eventually storytellers emerge from the cities. You are, perhaps, different. Have you had to adapt? Write differently, about different people, and places from the ones you have wanted to? Im tempted to begin with a quote from a favourite poem, Adam Zagajewskis Self Portrait: I live in strange cities and sometimes talk/ with strangers about matters strange to me. Zagajewksi has lived away from his native Poland for long periods and that sense of strangeness that he carries with him and expresses in his poems is something I identify with. I find the city strange, in the sense of estranging, but something like inspiration can also come from that very same source. Ive spent most of my life in two cities Shillong and Bengaluru. So I am not really working against myself when I write about the city but I can also feel a strong compulsion to get away from it, which I explore through the character of the stranger in this story you quote from. The inconsequentiality of much that happens to and through us is what reflects clearest in your stories. Do you struggle with cynicism at times? Do you keep away from the newspapers and the news? Or do you search for your voice in the noise? I am often preoccupied with that German word and idea the zeitgeist. How to find it in fiction? One element of the zeitgeist is certainly this sense of inconsequentiality the feeling that the important things are happening elsewhere, in the news or in other peoples lives, but not to us. There is something poignant to me in this sense of uselessness; I am fascinated by characters who feel wasted or out of sync with the times. Perhaps thats a way of dealing with the inevitable cynicism, to try and turn this daily dross that our modern lives are made of into gold. How has your relationship with Shillong changed over the years? Nostalgia aside, is there a longing inside you to go back and maybe make things work somehow? What is that one thing that you wish you could write about the place, but havent been able to? How is it possible not to be nostalgic about what our cities once were and what they have become? Shillong can be a particularly heartbreaking example of this loss even as I recognise that things have become better in some ways there. There is a highway from Shillong to Guwahati now whereas there wasnt much of one before. So I dont want the nostalgia to obscure the fact that in a material sense our lives have improved, but not spiritually. Spiritually weve degenerated as things have become somuch more comfortable for some of us. I really do want to write a book about Shillong that can capture this conundrum. Read on Firstpost Shashi Tharoor on his book Why I am a Hindu, and why he believes Hinduism is inherently liberal Most characters in A Day In The Life are ordinary people contemplating scope rather than reality. Are you one of them too? Do you actively seek thrill, adventure or risk? What is a crazy evening for you? Has the definition changed with time and age? I am in all likelihood a fairly dull person who has enough going on in her head by way of vicariousness excitement to not want to seek out additional thrills. A once-weekly bottle of wine drunk sitting on my own bed at home is enough adventure. And yet I can sometimes feel, perhaps brought on by that wine,an acute sense of mortification at not having lived life enough and even a yearning for it. Ive put more into writing than living. I could have become a purveyor of crazy evenings instead. When I realise that, I think of OrhanPamuks lines: Wherever had I got this idea that the measure of a good life was happiness? People, papers, everyone acted as if the most important measure of a life was happiness. Did this alone not suggest that it might be worth trying to find out if the exact opposite was true? One of the problems writers writing in English face is to write people who are distant from the language itself. Your writing, over the years, has handled it pretty well. How important is that? Is there a method to it all, something younger writers can follow? Its valuable to hear the sound of the language a character is speaking even if this language is not English and even if this is a language one may not know well or not know at all. I recognise the sound of many languages I dont understand from Tamil to Mizo. That is the key, the distinct quality of peoples voices. Comics, mimics and ventriloquists know this well, and one needs to cultivate a little of that art to write fiction in other voices than ones own. How did the cover (of the book) come about? Were you aware of Bhupen Khakhars work and find your characters in his works and why? I have been enchanted with Bhuphen Khakhars work and suggested to Penguin that we put one of his paintings on the cover, not sure if that was a random and romantic suggestion or if it could actually be possible. I love how busy his characters are in their lives, that absorption in the ordinary though the man on the cover seems to be reading his Times of India upside down! So theres also that, Khakhars humour. Another line I loved in the book: Im not grumpy, I realise, just unsuited to my era. Time is of course an important character in these stories. How do you personally tackle questions about age, motivation and the very passage of time as a writer? You live far from the cities, but write about it often. Are you suited for the era? I like those Hamlet lines The time is out of joint. O cursed spite that ever I was born to set it right! None of my characters are the Prince of Denmark so none feels they have to take it upon themselves to set time right but they know for sure that its as out of joint as hell. As for me, if I was suited to the era I wouldnt be writing fiction but doing something much more useful. I live away from the city part of the time but its not actually that easy to get away from the city. Even if youre in a cave in the Himalayas, our monstrous present intrudes. In fact, I heard a wise man say recently that there are very few caves left in the Himalayas to which the otherworldly might retreat. They have been taken over by the department of roadways or whatever. So its better to try and practice otherworldliness right where you are. More in books on Firstpost 100 Great Indian Poems brings together Eunice de Souza, Kalidasa to provide kaleidoscopic view of poetry Expressing concern over violence that gripped parts of India amid Dalit groups' protest against a Supreme Court order on the SC/ST Act, Mamata Banerjee appealed for peace while extending her support of their cause Kolkata: Expressing concern over violence that gripped parts of India amid Dalit groups' protest against a Supreme Court order on the SC/ST Act, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday appealed for peace while extending her support of their cause. "We are shocked and pained that some of my Dalit brothers and sisters have been killed and injured. We support their cause. I appeal for peace," Banerjee said in a tweet. We are shocked and pained that some of my Dalit brothers and sisters have been killed and injured. We support their cause. I appeal for peace Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) April 2, 2018 Protesters clashed with police in Punjab, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Odisha states where normal life was paralyzed in varying degrees amid incidences of violence and arson. Clashes turned deadly in Madhya Pradesh where three persons were killed and dozens injured, forcing authorities to impose curfew at many places. The Central government, in a bid to pacify the agitated Dalits, said it had filed a petition in the apex court seeking a review of its 20 March order that bars automatic arrest and registration of cases for alleged harassment of Dalits and others. In wake of violence rocking the day-long Bharat Bandh call given by Dalit groups and organizations, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Monday demanded stern action against all those involved in inciting mobs for violence. Lucknow: In wake of violence rocking the day-long Bharat Bandh call given by Dalit groups and organisations, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Monday demanded stern action against all those involved in inciting mobs for violence. In a statement, the four-time Uttar Pradesh chief minister said this was a ploy to defame the BSP by alleging that they were behind the violence that erupted in many parts of Uttar Pradesh, primarily in western districts. "I demand that the government take stringent action again who ever is behind this violence that has singed many parts of western Uttar Pradesh," she demanded. "It is indeed very painful that some people have lost their lives in other parts of the country and I condemn these acts of violence." Mayawati also said that it appeared certain that some anti-social elements jumped into the otherwise calm and peaceful protests and created ruckus. The BSP chief however reiterated that her party as very much against the amendments ordered by the Supreme Court in the SC/ST Act and added that she would take up the matter at every stage she can. AAP candidate in Karnataka's Shantinagar constituency Renuka Vishwanath says people are tired of current leaders and that her party is the people's best option. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which won a thumping majority and came to power in Delhi in 2015, is all set to test its mettle in the 2018 Karnataka Assembly polls. Despite failing to win a single seat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, AAP is positive about entering Karanatakas political scenario. The party announced the names of 18 candidates on 17 March and expressed its desire to contest from all 224 constituencies. The party has fielded former IAS officer Renuka Vishwanathan in Shantinagar, one of the closely watched assembly constituencies in Bengaluru. She is fighting against the Congress MLA NA Haris, who is embroiled in a controversy following his sons arrest in an assault case. In 2008, his party secured 52.35 percent of the votes from this constituency, and 52.45 percent in 2013. But despite the strong Congress presence, AAP candidate Renuka Vishwanathan, who was the first woman District Collector from Uttar Karnataka and a 70s IAS cadre, expresses confidence on her partys victory. In an interview, Vishwanathan talks about her partys strategy and why she feels AAP is the best choice for Karnataka voters. Following are the statistics on the number of voters in the constituency: Year No of Male Voters No of Female Voters Other voters Total no of Voters 2018 111756 106664 41 218461 2013 83490 81673 NA 165171 What made you join politics? After I retired, I did not take up any other job and was quite comfortable doing exactly what I wanted. I joined AAP four years ago because in it, I saw a party which had come to power through fair means and was running a government successfully without being corrupt. I had never seen anything like that in the 37 years I worked as an IAS officer. Do you think it is difficult for a woman politician to make her mark? The Aam Aadmi Party has fielded two women candidates. Apart from me, Malavika is contesting from Chamaraja in Mysore. I am a politicianI dont think (being a woman) makes any difference. For example if you see Germany or England, somebody is chosen to lead a party because they are the best person to do it and not because of any connection that they might have. AAP is probably the only party where candidates are chosen on merit and not due to political or familial ties. For me, it (contesting polls) is easy as I have the full support of my family. I dont think this is the case with every candidate. Given our social structure, familial expectations from women are necessarily higher than that from men. This makes it (contesting polls) a little difficult. As a former administrator, what do you think are your chances of winning? Should a candidates background determine the publics voting choice? I honestly dont think being a former administrator (would be a factor). The people know the type of mix they need in electing their representatives. I think they would look for somebody with prior knowledge and experience of having worked in the public sphere. They also look at the credentials of the party and what the party stands for, and also the integrity of the candidate. I am sure they will be looking at the complete personality of a candidate. The AAP has also fielded an autorickshaw driver as a candidate. That is the kind of mix the AAP has. What we are talking about is people who have integrity to lead an honest public life. The AAP has said it will contest this election as a policy driven and not personality driven party. Do you think this will help AAP in entering Karnatakas political landscape against the popularity of established leaders? You would be amazed to see how unpopular candidates are. It is amazing how I never had to spend even a second to have people agree that they are not satisfied with the way things are. Everybody, irrespective of whether they were poor or rich, agreed to this. People are definitely very, very unhappy. I dont really believe that established leaders are popular anymore. What is the poll strategy of the AAP in Karnataka and how is it different from that of other parties? You can see the difference everyday on the streets. We are the only ones campaigning. Nobody else is in the scene. We are doing door-to-door campaigning. As I dont find any other party candidate visiting every household, I think the stage is open for us. (For other parties) all you have is a bunch of posters. We have been campaigning for three months. We meet people and they know about our partys agenda towards development. The AAP has been preparing ward level manifestos depending on local issues. What are the issues likely to be focussed on in the manifestos? The ward level manifestos are basically those issues that come up when we visit various localities in the respective ward. People tell us about the issues they want addressed like drainage, garbage or pollution, and these are added to the manifesto. The AAP will also have a state-level manifesto based on the general issues where policies have to be framed to tackle problems like traffic congestion, solid waste management, etc. Are the current leaders living up to their duty as MLAs/elected representatives of a constituency? If no, why? I honestly believe an MLAs job is not merely spending from the MLA fund and handing out goodies to people in the constituency. Apparently, a lot of people have started thinking that this is all that an MLA is supposed to do. An MLA is a member of the legislative assembly and should be attending all Assembly sessions, discussing and making laws for the benefit of people. They should bring up every complaint and issue that affects their constituency in a big way so that it addresses a greater issue in the state. Given the unsuccessful attempt of the party in the 2014 Lok Sabha election where it failed to get even a single seat, what are the AAPs chances in this election? What has changed since 2014? Lots of things. You would remember that in 2014, the AAP had a very brief government in Delhi and then came back with a thumping majority in 2015. Then, the party puts its head to the ground and started changing things in Delhi. A lot of my campaigning is based on showing people what exactly the AAP has achieved in Delhi in the last three years. People, including children are looking at the changes brought about by our party and are visibly impressed. Following the election schedule allegedly being leaked by the BJPs IT cell in-charge, Amit Malviya, AAP held the EC responsible for the incident, calling it a puppet in the hands of the BJP. What proof does AAP have on the accusation? This information (of the election schedule) is supposed to be available only with the EC and only they can release it. The person who released the schedule was from the BJP. The BJP is obviously a part of it. It is running the government of India and we all know that all the appointments of electoral officers and the Chief Election Commissioner were made by the present government. The 2018 elections are being seen as a battle between the BJP, Congress and JD(s). Do you think AAP will make an opening? There is no difficulty in making an opening. Whenever we talk to people, they say they want change and what is this change? Today, the Congress is in power in the state and BJP in the Centre. People have been ruled by both, so where will they go for a change? The only other parties are the JD(s) and us. There is no reason as to why we shouldnt be confident. People want change. We are their best option. The Congress on Monday approached the Election Commission demanding action against BJP president Amit Shah and the party's Karnataka unit chief BS Yeddyurappa. New Delhi: The Congress on Monday approached the Election Commission demanding action against BJP president Amit Shah and the party's Karnataka unit chief BS Yeddyurappa for allegedly violating the model code of conduct in the state by offering Rs 5 lakh to the family of a deceased person. The Opposition party has also asked the Election Commission (EC) to conduct a time-bound probe into the matter. Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, speaking to the media, identified the deceased person as Raju. The deceased was a BJP activist, killed in Mysuru in March 2016. Singhvi raised questions over the timing of the aid allegedly offered when Shah, Union minister Ananth Kumar and Yeddyurappa visited Raju's family last Friday, three days after the EC announced the Karnataka Assembly polls schedule. The Congress submitted a memorandum to the EC, accusing the BJP of using money to influence votes in Karnataka, and said the ruling party at the Centre resorted to the "desperate measure, foreseeing its inevitable defeat in the 12 May Assembly polls. The BJP has already said Shah did not give any money to Raju's family. Shah and Yeddyurappa, who has been given the title of No 1 Corrupt Leader' (by Shah himself), have blatantly and shamelessly violated the model code of conduct and committed the offence of influencing voters by giving a cheque of Rs 5 lakh to Raju's family with the sole intent of influencing votes of his family members, the memorandum submitted by the Singhvi-led delegation to the Commission reads. EC must intervene and initiate action against Shah and Yeddyurappa for violating the Model Code of Conduct, it added. The Congress had latched onto Shah's comment at a press briefing on 27 March when he had mistakenly remarked that a Supreme Court retired judge has said that if a comparison is made on corruption, then the Yeddyurappa government would get the number one award. Former BJP Karnataka chief Prahlad Joshi, also present at the conference, had sought to nudge him by naming Siddaramaiah, the Congress chief minister in the state, and Shah promptly corrected himself. Singhvi pointed out that Raju died two years ago and questioned the timing of the aid. This is a very strange and suspicious event. Is this compassion and concern suddenly awakened because the EC has notified election in Karnataka on 27 March? he asked after meeting Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat. Singhvi alleged the entire episode had cut at the root of the level playing field concept in the model code of conduct. He claimed that it infringed a direct injunction against all forms of bribery and illegal gratification. It brings the entire process into a non-equal system, which is quite against every rule of law, Singhvi said. These are very serious issues. We have, therefore, in conclusion asked for an immediate enquiry in shortest possible notice in days and not in weeks. We want the EC to disallow and prohibit repetition of such activities in Karnataka till 12 May, he said. Singhvi said that the CEC heard the delegation patiently and has promised to look into the matter at the earliest in a time-bound manner. The BJP govt's attempts to usurp Babasaheb Ambedkar as a Hindu icon, by highlighting his father's name Ramji, will not succeed, claim experts. The Uttar Pradesh government has tried to usurp Babasaheb Ambedkar as a Hindu icon, by highlighting his father's name, Ramji. The Yogi Adityanath-led dispensation has decided to introduce Ambedkar's middle name 'Ramji' in all references to him in state's official correspondence and records. Ambedkar, revered and loved by the Dalit community for giving the ostracised and marginalised community in India a special status, cannot be 'bought' over by upper caste Hindus for narrow political gains, say academics, scholars and politicians. What irks many when asked about the Uttar Pradesh government's insistence on highlighting Ambedkar's father's name is why such an issue is being raised today, 71 years after Independence, when caste issues continue to boil over at the slightest pretext across the country. Recall the recent statement by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to his counterpart in Karnataka, Siddharamaih, challenging him to ban beef "if he was a Hindu" or the Bhima-Koregaon violence and the subsequent protests in Maharashtra that created a furore in Parliament as well. So much so that Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify his stand on the issue. Some experts refrained from giving their names but expressed their views anonymously. An academic from Delhi said it 'baffled' him how anyone thought calling Ambedkar by his father's name would change anything. "Have we solved all the issues in the country or in Uttar Pradesh for that matter? People can see through this selective picking up of icons to further politicians' agenda," he added. "Buddhism does not believe in one way of worship. So, if some people want to highlight one part of Ambedkar's name, it is alright. It won't diminish his iconic status in the hearts and minds of the people who hold him dear," said Professor Mahesh Deokar, head, department of Sanskrit and Pali, Pune University. Ambedkar's followers are mostly Buddhists. However, some experts like Yogesh Maitreya, a poet and translator and the founder of Panther's Paw Publication, an anti-caste publishing house, is surprised by BJP's 'tried-and-failed' political methods. The government tries and hijacks Ambedkar when they want to, he said. "Showing gratitude to Ambedkar when Modi became the prime minister to changing the syllabus in schools to rewrite history. Now, Ambedkar is being used to play the 'Ram' placard," he added. He said he was waiting for the day when the government would focus on the 'real' issues affecting the scheduled castes like the 'Bhima-Koregaon incident, atrocities on men and women and student scholarship issues (remember Rohith Vemula, Kanhaiyalal)'. "People want security. They are not overly interested in the highlighting of a name of their icon, which is being done for narrow political gains in Uttar Pradesh," Maitreya said. Concurring with Maitreya, veteran Dalit leader JV Pawar and vice-president of the Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh (BBMS), said the move by the Adityanath government is clear: To fix Uttar Pradesh's vote bank. For this, Pawar said, Adityanath was willing to tell a lie. "Ambedkar was important during pre-Independence and continues to be held in high respect by his followers and scholars alike. The Uttar Pradesh government is indulging in lies," he said. Pawar pointed out that Adityanath's claim that as per Constitution exhibit number eight, the signature of BR Ambedkar reads Bhimji Ramji Ambedkar is false. The exhibit serial number 24 segment is well-known and is signed as BR Ambedkar and Bhi Ra Ambedkar in Devanagari," he explained. What is curious about this highlighting of Ambedkar's name is that it is being changed only in Uttar Pradesh. 'Ramji' was the name of Ambedkar's father and as per practice in Maharashtra, father's name is used as the middle name by his son. Pawar asks why is that only in UP, the BJP wants the name to be mentioned as so and not pan-India. There are so many problems in UP. A Dalit youth was brutally beaten with sticks and kicked around by a group of three men in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar, after being forced to chant Jai Mata Di. Should these not be the issues the government should focus upon?" he asks. However, Ambedkars relatives and those heading political parties are clear that this 'political' game by Adityanath and the BJP will fail. "The BJP has lost its ground in Uttar Pradesh and wants to revive the Ram Janmabhoomi issue. They are using Ambedkar's name for it," said Dr Prakash Ambedkar, national leader of the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh and grandson of Ambedkar. "The BJP wants to create an impression in the minds of the people that Ambedkar's family had a personality with the name Ram in his name. This is just a political game. Like post-Independence, politicians tried to restrict Ambedkar's image as a Dalit leader. But Ambedkar faced all kinds of atrocities and emerged victorious. When people read his writings and books, they found out for themselves that he was fighting for humanitarian issues and not just the Dalit issue. He has written his name in all documents using the name Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar but all his visiting cards and signature (are signed) as BR Ambedkar. This issue being raked up by the politicians does not impact the community. It is also known that no one in India is addressed by his middle name," he said. Prakash recalled that when Modi became the prime minister, he had called attention to the fact that the Constitution was written by his grandfather Ambedkar. The prime minister also remarked that it was because of leaders like Ambedkar that a person like him could be elected to the highest office in the country. However, the prime minister soon forgot about this, alleged Prakash, who also said that Modi has become a leader of the Vedic Hindu group Manuwad. Prakash is concerned that statements of politicians from the ruling party have exposed a fault line in UP's caste entrenched politics which doesn't augur well for the already fragmented society. It is a tall order for Modi and the BJP to divide the country along caste lines, said experts. "Modi and the BJP won't succeed, though they are trying to make the country like either Iraq or Syria. People will choose harmony, peace and prosperity by following the Constitution instead of playing into the hands of politicians who are trying to use them for narrow, political gains," they said. The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned on Monday as Opposition protests rocked both Houses of Parliament. This is the final week of the Budget session, which is slated to conclude on 6 April. The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned on Monday as Opposition protests rocked both Houses of Parliament. This is the final week of the Budget session, which is slated to conclude on 6 April. The Lower House was adjourned within minutes after proceedings began on Monday amid protests from AIADMK MPs demanding the formation of a Cauvery Water Management Board. Seconds after the House reconvened at 12 pm and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan took her seat, Opposition MPs stormed the Well of the House holding placards and shouting slogans saying "We want justice" in a repeat of what had transpired last week. The Lok Sabha adjourned until Tuesday, soon afterward, without a discussion on the no-confidence motion against the government amid noisy protests by the Opposition over various issues. In a bid to convey to the Speaker that 80 members were in support of the no-confidence motion, members of Congress, Left, TDP and some other parties stood up holding blue placards. "Most MPs are already seated. If everyone stops shouting and goes back to their seat, I can see how many support the no-confidence motion. The House must be in order," Mahajan said in an appeal to MPs as she struggled to consider the no-confidence motion, before finally adjourning the Lok Sabha. The House also witnessed Bharatiya Janata Party blaming Congress for stalling the proceedings of the Lok Sabha. Similarly, Opposition protests forced adjournment of proceedings in the Rajya Sabha within six minutes after the House was convened. The Upper House was adjourned till Tuesday without transaction of any business as members trooped into the Well and shouted slogans, drowning every other voice. MPs belonging to Congress, All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), BSP, TDP and those of Tamil Nadu parties DMK and AIADMK, were in the Well even before Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu could settle down in his chair. Unlike past days when listed papers were allowed to be laid on the table peacefully, Naidu had to go through the exercise on Monday amid chaos as members persisted with sloganeering. Congress and BSP led the charge against the government, accusing it of being "anti-Dalit", an apparent reference to the Supreme Court ruling on the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The main Opposition party also raised the issue of India's biggest bank fraud alongside TMC. Tamil Nadu parties, however, were demanding immediate constitution of the Cauvery Water Management Board for the division of river water between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Whereas, members of TDP and KVP Ramachandra Rao of the Congress held placards demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. Amid the din, Naidu called the ministers to lay the listed papers on the table of the House. But, some of them had to be prodded by their colleagues as they apparently couldn't hear Naidu calling their name to lay the papers. The Chairman asked the members to at least allow papers to be laid. "Entire country is watching," he said, adding, "You are not going to achieve anything. You are making a mockery of the parliamentary system." He said the Chair is ready to allow discussion on all the issues being raised by Opposition parties. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said important bills are listed for discussion in the last week of the current Budget Session of the Parliament. The government, he said, is ready for a discussion on all issues. "I don't understand why for small issues concerning them, they are not allowing the House to function," he said. Naidu said the government is ready, the chair is ready and the Opposition, too, is ready for discussion. But, as the ruckus continued, he adjourned the proceedings for the day barely six minutes after the House met. With inputs from PTI The second leg of the budget session of Parliament seemed to be heading for a washout as both the Houses failed to transact any business on the 16th straight day Auto refresh feeds 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. Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Venkaiah Naidu is saying that everyone who issued an adjournment notices under rule 267 will get a chance once he holds a discussion with Arun Jaitley, the Leader of Rajya Sabha. He added that many of the members have to look at some other rule in the Parliament rule book to talk in the Parliament. On the issue of Cauvery water, Naidu said that the adjournment notice issued by AIADMK MP Navneethakrishnan will be discussed in Zero Hour. According to Financial Express, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and BJP president Amit Shah are scheduled to meet a TDP delegation, and more importantly the Andhra Pradesh finance minister, over the issue of granting Andhra Pradesh with special category status. "Don't create hungama," said Venkaiah Naidu as Opposition continued to create ruckus over PNB scam, 'Special Category Status' to Andhra Pradesh and other issues. This forced Naidu to adjourn the Upper House of the Parliament till 2 pm. However, the Opposition continues to create ruckus. The Opposition has also walked into the Well of the House to protest against the government. The resignation of Neiphiu Rio, who was elected to the Nagaland Assembly unopposed, and who is likely to be the next Chief Minister of Nagaland, has been accepted by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. The Rajya Sabha has resumed operations, with PJ Kurien seated at the Chair. However, MP's continued there agitation even as the Speaker took his seat. Slogans of "Nirav Modi vapas lao" raged in the Parliament while Kurien urged the MPs to maintain decorum of the House. PJ Kuries, in an attempt to calm down the agitated members, acknowledged that the issues raised by them were important and agreed to allow discussion on them one by one. For today, he granted permission to conduct a debate on the frauds in public sector banks. However, Opposition MPs refused to vacate the Well and continued raising slogans. There demand was that the prime minister must explain why he could not keep his promise to bring back Nirav Modi and other people alleged scamsters. In the Rajya Sabha, ministers are laying the papers on the table Members of the Opposition come to the Well of the House to protest against Nirav Modi. Slogans of "Nirav Modi ko wapas lao" are being heard. Meanwhile, Venkaiah Naidu has adjourned Rajya Sabha till 11.30 am. People will give befitting reply to deaths of our cadre, 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. 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. "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. The Rajya Sabha was earlier adjourned till 2 pm on Thursday amid sharp exchanges between former Union minister from the TDP, YS Chowdary, and the Congress members over the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014 under the UPA government. If accepted, it will be the first no-confidence motion moved against the Modi-government. The motion can be accepted only if it has the support of at least 50 members in the House. YSR Congress has nine MPs in the Lok Sabha. The YSR Congress's MP YV Subba Reddy gave the notice to the Lok Sabha secretariat for including the motion in Friday's list of business, his office said. The YSR Congress on Thursday gave a notice for moving a no-confidence motion against the BJP-led NDA government following the Centre's refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh and found unlikely support from its arch-rival Telugu Desam Party (TDP). YSR Congress Party MP YV Subba Reddy submitted a notice to the Lok Sabha Secretary-General Snehalata Shrivastava for moving a motion on 'No-Confidence in the Council of Ministers' in the house. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has become the first BJP ally to break away from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Follow LIVE updates on the same here. After announcing the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) pulls out of the NDA, party MP Thota Narasimhan told ANI that the TDP will be moving a no-confidence motion on Friday. "We have decided... we are out of the NDA," he added. "TDP withdrew support from the NDA, which did injustice to Andhra Pradesh. TDP president Chandrababu Naidu took this decision in an emergency teleconference with party politburo members and MPs, which was unanimously supported. TDP to also introduce no-confidence motion against NDA government," ANI quoted the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's Office as saying. "TDP's decision to quit was inevitable after its mischievous propaganda against Centre. People of Andhra Pradesh have now realised that TDP is resorting to lies to cover up its inert governance. TDP's exit is a timely opportunity for the BJP to grow in Andhra Pradesh," BJP national spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao tweeted. Speaking to ANI , BJP MP Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi commented on the TDP-NDA break up saying that every year before actual elections, there is always a rehearsal in Parliament. "We will see what happens in Parliament, which party chooses to go which way. In a way it is election year, and every state has demands and issues. It is not right for us to comment on it. It is a custom, before actual elections there is always a rehearsal in Parliament," he said. '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. Supporting the no-confidence motion against the NDA government, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted: "Its (BJP's) betrayal of the promise of special status for Andhra Pradesh is inexcuseable. Its all-round failure and evasion of parliamentary accountability needs to be highlighted." After the obituary references were read out, Opposition parties' MPs created a ruckus over the no-confidence motion against the NDA government. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till 12 pm. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi said his party will support the no-confidence motion against the NDA government in the Lok Sabha. "MIM party will support the no confidence motion in Lok Sabha, not only for failure of Modi government to implement State Reorganisation Act but their failure to fulfill their promise to provide employment to youth ans for injustice to Muslim women and minorities," CNN-News18 quoted him as saying. "We have no confidence in their no-confidence motion, so we have decided to go on our own," he said. - PTI TDP MP CM Ramesh added that YSR Congress MP Vijaysai Reddy was seen making attempts to meet the prime minister and this hinted at a nexus between both parties. Andhra Pradesh's ruling party had on Thursday offered to back the YSR Congress' no-confidence motion but has now said it withdraws the support as it smells a nexus between it and the BJP. TDP decided to move its own no-confidence motion after suspecting nexus between YSRCP and BJP Speaking to ANI , BJP national spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao claimed that the Andhra Pradesh government and TDP are wary of the BJP's rise in the state. "The state government and TDP are feeling the pinch of the public opinion going against them and BJP will use this as an opportunity to grow as a political party and emerge as a dominant political force in Andhra Pradesh. For us it will prove to be the next Tripura," Rao said. Even as Opposition MPs continued to chant slogans in the House, with TRS, TDP MPs storming the Well of the House, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan began with business for the day. She also said that she is duty-bound to introduce the two no-confidence motions but asked protesting MPs to sit in their places. As she said this, Opposition protests began to get louder. The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day after Telagana Rashra Samithi (TRS) MPs stormed the Well. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she cannot introduce the two no confidence motions by YSRCP and TDP if House members continued to disrupt proceedings as she needed to check if there are 50 members to support each motion. Protesting MPs created more ruckus in response, forcing her to adjourn Lok Sabha till Monday. The NDA had stormed to power with 336 seats in 2014, of which the BJP alone claimed 282 seats. However, a series of bypolls that went against the saffron party meant that its tally in the Lok Sabha currently stands at 273 seats. When one adds the allies the BJP does have by its side Shiv Sena, JD(U), Apna Dal, LJP, SAD, RLSP, PDP the tally rises to 312. If the TDP can be persuaded to come around once again, this could rise to 328, a comfortable majority. The TDP has 16 MPs, and it said it would move a no-confidence motion against the Central government. In doing so, it would be following in the footsteps of rival Andhra Pradesh party, the YSR Congress, which has also said it would be moving a no-confidence motion against the Centre. The two Andhra parties have been miffed with the BJP following the latter's inability to grant special status for the state. As some other Congress members were on their feet trying to join the issue simultaneously, Naidu adjourned the House till 2.30 PM. "Do you want this sort of a thing to continue? ... Is that your suggestion. This is your party view," he said. To this, Naidu asked if somebody committed a mistake in the past, does it mean that he should also do the same. As he was making the appeal, Congress member Satyabrat Chaturvedi stood up and said he agreed with the Chair, but sought to know whether it was for the first time that he is witnessing such a scenario in Parliament. "I am very much pained that the Upper House of Parliament is not able to transact its business for last two weeks. Dont't test my patience...We are meeting, greeting and not doing anything and adjourning," the Chairman said. Before adjourning the House till 2.30 PM, Naidu said there were larger issues like banking scam, Cauvery river water sharing, demand for a special package to Andhra Pradesh and sealing in the national capital, which were agitating the minds of people and needed to be discussed. After tabling of the listed papers, Naidu expressed his anguish saying the House has not functioned ever since it resumed on March 5 after recess during the Budget session. The Rajya Sabha today witnessed an abrupt adjournment following a brief argument between Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and some Congress members soon after the House assembled for the day. Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha told Chowsary to resume his speech from yesterday, which was interrupted due to the disruption of the House. He, however, added that Chowdary must stick to the speech approved by the Chairman and resist making any allegations. Chowdary said that the former prime minister Manmohan Singh has promised that Centre's hand-holing to Andhra. He then added that both the national parties were responsible for the secession of Andhra Pradesh and a certain help was promised to us at the time. Chowdary further said that the new constitutional restriction being cited by the Centre should not be applicable retrospectively to what was promised to Andhra. The deputy chairman, however, expunged those remarks as he said the Chairman had seen and vetted the speech but Chowdary had deviated from the approved version. In the course of his speech, Chowdary quoted the Opposition MP Venkaiah Naidu requesting special status for Andhra for at least 10 years. This elicited an objection from Railway Minister Piyush Goyal who said that Chowdary was trying to cast aspersions on the Chair (Venkaiah Naidu). This was met with sharp opposition from the Congress members who requested the quotes to be repeated. It is expected to be a stormy day in the Parliament on Monday, especially for the Lok Sabha where the two no-confidence motions against the Narendra Modi-led NDA government by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress Party are likely to be taken up. However, equations with the existing allies aren't particularly rosy. In particular with Shiv Sena, the largest non-BJP constituent of the NDA. If the Sena follows TDP by backing out, the figure of 314 will go down to 296, just 23 more than the magic figure of 273, and the BJP can no longer be certain of its future. The NDA had stormed to power with 336 seats in 2014, of which the BJP alone claimed 282 seats. However, a series of bypolls that went against the saffron party meant that its tally in the Lok Sabha currently stands at 274 seats. When one adds the 11 allies the BJP still has by its side Shiv Sena, JD(U), Apna Dal, LJP, SAD, RLSP, PDP, PMK, SWP, NPP and AINR Congress the tally rises to 314 . If the TDP can be persuaded to come around once again, this could rise to 330, a comfortable majority. RECAP: With TDP quitting NDA, Centre's strength comes down to 314 from 336 in Lok Sabha RJD's JP Yadav gave an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha on Monday over the recent "communal incidents of violence in Araria, Bhagalpur and Darbhanga", reported ANI . Speaking to ANI, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said the party will "wait and watch" what happens in the Parliament on Monday. He said: "We will also have to see if the Speaker allows the no confidence motion or rejects it. TDP has its own state issues and we welcome them. As of now we have not decided yet on no confidence motion. Uddhav ji (Thackeray) will take a call." The Parliament secretariat received three separate notices for a no-confidence motion against the BJP government on Monday, two of which were from TDP and one from the YSR Congress, reported ANI . Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan is likely to take up the notices after Question Hour if the House is in order. CPI leader Duraisamy Raja said that the Left parties will be supporting the no-confidence motion in the Parliament on Monday. "People have started expressing their no confidence in the Modi government, it is time the Parliament does it too," ANI quoted him as saying. He had earlier also said the BJP enjoys support "inside and outside" the Parliament, according to Business Standard . "I want to tell the Congress and other Opposition members that there is confidence inside and outside the House. That's why the BJP is ready to face the no-confidence motion," said Kumar. Ahead of Monday's Parliament session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said that the saffron party was ready to face the no-confidence motion as it is sure it has the necessary support. In less than two minutes of being in session, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 pm. As soon as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan entered the House, loud protests and sloganeering dominated the scene, making it impossible for any business to be conducted amid the din. Slogans of "We want justice" could be heard as Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said, "This is not in the interest of the country, and Parliament. I am willing to allow also these discussions. How long should we continue like this?" The Upper House of the Parliament was adjourned till tomorrow after TDP and AIADMK MPs began protesting in the Rajya Sabha. He also said that the TDP also increased the state's budget by Rs 1100 crores. "We will strive to do the same in future. We are moving to work to move forward in skill development to help the people of Andhra Pradesh," he said. He also claimed that the YSR Congress Party is only 'playing politics' and has no interest in the state's welfare. Trying to assuage people's sentiments, Naidu said that the "TDP government is undertaking multiple irrigation projects to ensure the state's development is not stalled amid all this." Andhra Pradesh chief minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said that the state is being cheated by the Central government. "We are being cheated by the government. The BJP is making false allegations against me," he said. '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." 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. 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. MoS Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said, "The government wants to discuss everyone's issues. I request we discuss and pass other Bills." Just as the House passed the Gratuity Bill, AIADMK and TDP MPs trooped into the Well of the House holding placards and created ruckus. To this, Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said " People want to know why the Chairman is adjourning the House? I would like to tell the people that I don't want these ugly scenes to be seen by them. Each day, some or the other party troops into the Well." Nearly 20 MPs stood in the Well surrounding Naidu, and chanting loud slogans. As the Opposition refused to back down, Chairman Venkaiah Naidu adjourned Rajya Sabha for the day. "I would like to request all the MPs to go back to their places and let the House function. We are ready to talk about all issues, including the no-confidence motion notices that are being brought to the House," said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, even as AIADMK and TDP MPs continued their sloganeering near the Well of the House. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she cannot act upon the no-confidence motion notices until there is order in the House. "I can't see anybody. I need to count heads (to establish a quorum of 50 members)," she said. After 14 days of low productivity in the second edition of the Budget Session of the Parliament, the Centre is likely to make a fresh push to pass pending bills even as the Opposition remain vehement to corner the government over issues like the Punjab National Bank scam, the murder of 39 Indians in Iraq by Islamic State among others. The Congress has issued a three-line whip to all its MPs in the Rajya Sabha asking them to be present in the House at 11 am in full strength on Friday and support the party's stand, PTI reported. The Parliament is lagging behind in terms of finishing scheduled tasks with productivity level really low. The Budget Session of Parliament, which reconvened after a brief break on 5 March, has been marred with protests, with the daily functioning in both Lok Sabha and Rajya well below 0.1 hours (six minutes), according to PRS data. 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. Narendra Modi to retiring Rajya Sabha MPs: I am sorry Parliament failed you in this last session Modi also said that the doors of Parliament and his Prime Minister's Office (PMO) will always remain open to them, and they are welcome to visit him whenever they like. While bidding the departing MPs goodbye, Modi also took a sarcastic jibe at protesting Opposition MPs, saying they nearly ensured this Session didn't take place and nearly denied this vote of thanks. Opposition ensured this Sesssion didn't take place and nearly denied this vote of thanks: Narendra Modi Narendra Modi also added that it was unfortunate that they didn't get a chance to pass important legislations in their final session, but may look back at their tenure gladly given the passing of landmark bills like the Triple Talaq bill. Unfortunate that you didn't get chance to pass important legislations in their final session: Narendra Modi "People have been agitating for special status, for their water, for their poor farmers and labourers. The MPs have been fighting on their behalf. If the people get what is rightfully theirs, it's not their parliamentarians who will stand to benefit," Azad said. He added that it's unfair to say MPs have been fighting and disrupting Parliament, because they are sent to Parliament to represent the needs of the people. Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, meanwhile, said the Central Hall of Parliament is full of former MPs and he looks forward to seeing many of the retiring MPs at the same place in the future. Unfair to say MPs have been disrupting Parliament, because they are sent to Parliament to represent needs of the people: Ghulam Nabi Azad The second part of this session has 22 sittings, and is scheduled to conclude on 6 April. Five more sittings are slated. This is the final week that the Houses are functioning in the Budget Session Members from the Congress, the Left, the TDP and some other parties stood up holding the blue placards, apparently to show her that there were 80 members supporting the no-confidence motion After a brief discussion on scams in public-sector banks, Bills such as the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill and the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill to be tabled in Rajya Sabha today Arun Jaitley to move Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill in the Lok Sabha today, which is a Bill to deal with economic offenders who leave the country "Most MPs are already seated. If everyone stops shouting and goes back to their seat, I can see how many support for the no-confidence motion. the House must be in order," Sumitra Mahajan said. Day 19 of Parliament's Budget Session is likely to get underway shortly, but MPs from various Opposition parties have already begun protesting inside Parliament premises, drawing attention to various causes. 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. 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. "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: As both Houses get ready to assemble for the final week of the Budget Session, it remains to be seen if the no-confidence motion will be finally tabled in Lok Sabha on Monday. However, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned within 10 minutes of proceedings beginning on Monday. The second part of this session has 22 sittings and is scheduled to conclude on 6 April. Six more sittings are slated. The Lok Sabha again failed to take up notices for no-confidence motion against the government after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the House was not in order and adjourned proceedings, amid noisy protests over various issues. In a novel way to convey that they have enough numbers to initiate the no-confidence motion, members of the Congress, Left and some other parties displayed blue-coloured placards, each with a circled number from 1 to 80 along with the words "For no-confidence". At least 50 members need to support a no-confidence notice for the House to accept it and start a debate. When the Lower House met at noon after the first adjournment, AIADMK members trooped into the Well shouting slogans and demanding immediate constitution of the Cauvery river management board. Many other Opposition members were seen demanding that the notices for no-confidence motion be taken up. Mahajan told the House that she has received notices for no-confidence motion from members of various parties and added that she was duty-bound to take them up. However, she decided not to take up the notices saying the House was not in order. Unless the House is in order, "I will not be in a position" to take up notices, Mahajan said and requested the protesting members to return to their seats. 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. Amid the din, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the government was ready for any discussion and sought to blame the Congress for the proceedings not moving ahead. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge blamed the government for the impasse, saying it does not want discussion on the issue and asserted "We are ready for discussion." He later claimed that the at least 80 MPs were supporting the motion. AIADMK and Congress members also got into heated exchanges even after the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day, apparently over remarks by Congress MP KC Venugopal that the Tamil Nadu party was "match fixing with the BJP" in not allowing the House to function and taking up the no-confidence motion. The Rajya Sabha too witnessed similar scenes and could not bid farewell to 40 retiring MPs on 28 March or transact any business for the 16th day in a row as the Chairman adjourned the House for the day after AIADMK MPs came into the Well protesting over the Cauvery issue. After laying of the listed papers, Naidu said the House should bid farewell to retiring MPs, listen to their experiences and thanking them for their contributions. However, AIADMK members continued to raise slogans from the Well and were soon joined by the TDP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present in the House. "We don't have the courtesy even for retiring members," Naidu remarked as he asked protesting members to go back to their seats. As his appeal went unheeded, Naidu asked both Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and Leader of the House Arun Jaitley: "Are we so helpless?" To this, Azad said the House should function, while Minister of State for Parliamentary Affair Vijay Goel appealed to the protesting MPs to let the House function. As the AIADMK and the TDP did not relent, Naidu adjourned the House for 15 minutes and asked leaders of different political parties to meet him in his chamber. When the House reassembled, he again appealed for order. "This is a very important occasion...40 members are retiring. We want to give them farewell," Naidu said, asking members to give the farewell in a "peaceful and dignified" manner. As the ruling party from Tamil Nadu continued protest, Naidu warned that there were two options. One is to name the protesting members and take action against them, or adjourn the House and deprive the retiring members from sharing their experiences. Maitreyan sought the prime minister's intervention on their demand for immediate setting up of the Cauvery river water management board. As the AIADMK did not yield to his requests, an angry Naidu abruptly adjourned the House for the day, taking Opposition members by surprise. After the adjournment of the House for the day, Azad was heard urging members to remain seated. Most of the Opposition members, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh remained seated till noon, almost 30 minutes after the Chairman had called it a day. Members from treasury benches too remained in the House for quite some time. The prime minister left soon after the adjournment. Leader of the House Arun Jaitley was seen holding discussion with several Opposition members, including Azad. The Opposition members were apparently unhappy with the adjournment. With inputs from PTI IANS Google's parent company Alphabet has no "master plan" to save massive sets of data that will be generated from its self-driving cars, a top company executive has said. According to John Krafcik, CEO of Waymo which is the driverless car division of Alphabet, the company will not harvest data from its fleet of autonomous vehicles, The Telegraph reported on Monday. "Our aim is moving people around the world and that is very hard. To the core of my body, I swear on my father's grave, it's (harvesting data) not a priority. I'm not saying it won't be a workstream in the future but at the moment it is not in our workspace," Krafcik said during the New York Auto Show. Alphabet also announced a partnership with Jaguar to use the British company's "I-Pace" electric cars. The amount of work on data gathering is "zero, a big zero" at Google's autonomous car division, Krafcik was quoted as saying. "Getting to zero fatalities on roads has to be the big goal," he said. Uber has suspended its self-driving operations in other cities including Tempe, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Toronto following a fatal accident that killed a woman. A self-driving Volvo SUV from Uber travelling at 64 km per hour killed the woman in Arizona last month, triggering a heated debate on whether autonomous cars are safe enough and who is to blame for the death. Waymo's self-driving Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans were also being tested on public roads in Arizona and California. Google's Waymo recently patented a technology that will make its self-driving cars soft on the outside if it comes across a situation where there is a possibility of an accident with a human. According to a report in The Verge, Waymo has patented a car design in which the vehicle is held together internally with a number of "tension members". These members which could be cables, rods, or springs would slacken or tighten to adjust the car's "external rigidity" as needed, the report said. tech2 News Staff China's first space station, the Tiangong-1 which was expected to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere on Sunday night mostly broke up during the re-entry process. The latest forecast from Aerospace Corporation, a non-profit organisation that has been tracking the space station stated that the re-entry was confirmed to be at 00:16 UTC (6:00 am IST). The re-entry of the 10 meter-long space station was said to have occurred in the Pacific Ocean. As reported by BBC, it was astronomer Jonathan McDowell who took to his Twitter account to confirm that the exact location of Tiangong-1's re-entry was towards the north-west of Tahiti, an island in the Pacific Ocean. Ideally, the defunct Chinese station should have been de-orbited in a planned manner, but this was not possible after the loss of command links with the station in 2016. NW of Tahiti - it managed to miss the 'spacecraft graveyard' which is further south! pic.twitter.com/Sj4e42O7Dc Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) April 2, 2018 According to the BBC report, usually, thrusters are fired on large vehicles to drive them towards a remote zone over the Southern Ocean, referred to as the 'spacecraft graveyard'. While Tiangong-1 is considered to be large enough to cause damage in case of an uncontrolled re-entry, historically, it certainly does not make it to the list of the biggest uncontrolled object re-entries. The US space agency's Skylab was stated to be almost 80 tonnes in mass when it came back partially uncontrolled in the year 1979. Certain parts of the space agency struck parts of Western Australia but no-one on the ground was hurt. PTI The clouds of Venus may possibly host alien life, say scientists who suggest that microbes may have evolved on the planet. Some models suggest Venus once had a habitable climate with liquid water on its surface for as long as two billion years. "That's much longer than is believed to have occurred on Mars," said Sanjay Limaye of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US. On Earth, terrestrial microorganisms mostly bacteria are capable of being swept into the atmosphere, where they have been found alive at altitudes as high as 41 kilometres by scientists using specially equipped balloons, according to David J Smith of NASA's Ames Research Center. There is also a growing catalogue of microbes known to inhabit incredibly harsh environments on our planet, including the hot springs of Yellowstone, deep ocean hydrothermal vents, the toxic sludge of polluted areas, and in acidic lakes worldwide. "On Earth, we know that life can thrive in very acidic conditions, can feed on carbon dioxide, and produce sulphuric acid," said Rakesh Mogul, a professor at California State Polytechnic University in the US. The cloudy, highly reflective and acidic atmosphere of Venus is composed mostly of carbon dioxide and water droplets containing sulphuric acid, he said. Supporting the notion that Venus' atmosphere could be a plausible niche for life, a series of space probes to the planet launched between 1962 and 1978 showed that the temperature and pressure conditions in the lower and middle portions of the Venusian atmosphere altitudes between 40 and 60 kilometres would not preclude microbial life. The surface conditions on the planet, however, are known to be inhospitable, with temperatures soaring above 450 degrees Celsius. According to Grzegorz Slowik of the University of Zielona Gora in Poland, certain bacteria on Earth have light-absorbing properties similar to those of unidentified particles that make up unexplained dark patches observed in the clouds of Venus. Spectroscopic observations, particularly in the ultraviolet, show that the dark patches are composed of concentrated sulphuric acid and other unknown light-absorbing particles. Those dark patches have been a mystery since they were first observed by ground-based telescopes nearly a century ago, said Limaye, who led the study published in the journal Astrobiology. They were studied in more detail by subsequent probes to the planet. "Venus shows some episodic dark, sulphuric rich patches, with contrasts up to 30-40 percent in the ultraviolet, and muted in longer wavelengths," said Limaye. "These patches persist for days, changing their shape and contrasts continuously and appear to be scale dependent," he said. The particles that make up the dark patches have almost the same dimensions as some bacteria on Earth, although the instruments that have sampled Venus' atmosphere to date are incapable of distinguishing between materials of an organic or inorganic nature. The patches could be something akin to the algae blooms that occur routinely in the lakes and oceans of Earth, researchers said. "To really know, we need to go there and sample the clouds. Venus could be an exciting new chapter in astrobiology exploration," said Mogul. tech2 News Staff Update: Google India has confirmed that the Google Home devices will be coming to India in the latest tweet on its Google India handle. Looks like Google is finally going to bring some competition to Amazon's line of Echo products with the launch of the Google Home and Home Mini in India this month. According to a report by GizmoChina, in a communication shared by Redington India with its retail partners, Google Home and Home Mini will be launched in India by April 2018. This will be the second major brand to release its smart speakers in the Indian market since the Amazon Echo line of products Echo Plus, Echo Dot and Echo launched in India in October 2017. Google Assistant recently announced support for 30 more languages, including Hindi, by the end of this year. "The Assistant is already available in eight languages, and by the end of the year it will be available in more than 30 languages, reaching 95 percent of all eligible Android phones worldwide," Nick Fox, vice president of Product, Google wrote in a blog post. A Hindi language support in Assistant can definitely boost the prospects of the Home and Home Mini sales in India. Google India sent out a tweet today, almost confirming the arrival of the Google Home and Home Mini. Get ready to #MakeGoogleDoIt, at home too. Coming soon. pic.twitter.com/JuNvt3cpFE Google India (@GoogleIndia) April 2, 2018 Amazon's Alexa can definitely understand Indian accents quite well, but it still does not understand or speak Hindi. So a support for Hindi will be a definite advantage for Google when it launches Home or Home Mini. According to a report in GSMArena, local users of imported Google Home devices are saying that the process of localisation is already underway and a lot of it has to do with language recognition. The Media Accounts menu now even supports apps such as Saavn and Gaana but voice interaction with these apps is still now available. The pricing for the Indian market is yet not known. In the US, the Google Home Mini sells for $49 (Rs 3,200 approx) and the Google Home sells for $129 (Rs 8,400 approx). The only difference between the Home and Home Mini is to do with the speaker. The smart features are the same on both the devices. The Amazon Echo devices are priced thus: Echo Dot for Rs 4,499; the Echo for Rs 9,999 and the Echo Plus for Rs 14,999. The new features on the new Home Devices include the ability to recognise people by their voices and customise the experience for that user. Users can now use Google Home devices to initiate hands-free calling from their numbers. The device can initiate a call through the mobile number of that user, and if a person is mentioned, pull up the individual from the contact list of the user who made the request. Google Home has expanded functionality that now allows you to preset a series of functions that get triggered by a single command. These are called routines, and saying good morning or good night can trigger a series of events. For example, after you say "Good Morning", Google Home will pull out information from your calendar, set the connected smart home devices to the appropriate settings, read out the weather information, and even play a "get out of bed" playlist. The Google Home devices connect to over 1,000 smart home devices. A number of Google Home devices in various rooms can work together, for example playing the same music throughout the house. A broadcast feature triggers the routines in all the Google Home speakers in the home. tech2 News Staff Samsung launched the Galaxy A8 Plus earlier this year in India and the latest leaks suggest that it could be preparing the launch of two more mid-range devices, the Galaxy A6 and A6 Plus, soon. While Samsung's A series currently does not have a phone called the A6 just yet, Samsung could be adding it to the lineup this year. According to a report by GizmoChina, the Samsung Galaxy A6 (SM-A600FN) and A6 Plus (SM-A605G) have just received official certification by the FCC, which confirms their launch in the US market. Now, the FCC did not reveal any of the specifications of the device so we do not know how different the A6 and A6+ will be from Samsung's budget-oriented J-series smartphones. As per the GizmoChina report, previous rumours had stated that the A6 and A6+ will only be launched in Europe, Russia and the Middle East, however, that is clearly not the case any longer. Based on a listing on Geekbench, the Samsung Galaxy A6 is expected to pack Samsung's Exynos 7870 SoC which is present on the Galaxy A3 (2017). The Exynos 7870 includes eight Cortex A53 CPU cores and a Mali-T830 MP1 GPU. The listing reveals that the A6 will get 3 GB of RAM. The Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus, on the other hand, is expected to be equipped with an Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset with an octa-core CPU clocked at 2 GHz. Samsung has not mentioned anything officially yet, but do expect them to launch the A6 and A6 Plus soon. Reuters The US governments Supreme Court battle with Microsoft Corp over whether technology companies can be forced to hand over data stored overseas could be nearing its end after federal prosecutors asked that the case to be dismissed. President Donald Trump on 22 March signed a provision into law making it clear that US judges can issue warrants for such data while giving companies an avenue to object if the request conflicts with foreign law. This case is now moot, the US Department of Justice said, citing the newly passed legislation, in a 16-page court filing on 31 March that requested the dismissal. The Supreme Court on 27 February heard arguments in the case, which had been one of the most closely watched of the high courts current term. Some justices urged Congress to pass a law to resolve the matter. Microsoft and the Justice Department had been locked in a dispute over how US prosecutors seek access to data held on overseas computer servers owned by American companies. The case involved Microsofts challenge to a domestic warrant issued by a US judge for emails stored on a Microsoft server in Dublin relating to a drug-trafficking investigation. The bipartisan new law, known as the Cloud Act, was supported by Microsoft, other major technology companies and the Trump administration. But civil liberties groups opposed it, saying it lacked sufficient privacy protections. Microsoft, which has 100 data centers in 40 countries, was the first American company to challenge a domestic search warrant seeking data held outside the United States. The Microsoft customer whose emails were sought told the company he was based in Ireland when he signed up for his account. A representative for Microsoft did not immediately return requests for comment on the Justice Departments filing. China's Customs Tariff Commission is increasing the tariff rate on pork products and aluminum scrap by 25 percent. It's also imposing a new 15 percent tariff on 120 other imported US commodities, from almonds to apples and berries Beijing: China said it's rolling out new tariffs on meat, fruit and other products from the United States as retaliation against taxes approved by US President Donald Trump on imported steel and aluminum. The Chinese finance ministry said in a statement that the new tariffs begin on Monday. The announcement follows warnings that Chinese officials have made for several weeks in an escalating trade dispute between the world's two largest economies. China's Customs Tariff Commission is increasing the tariff rate on pork products and aluminum scrap by 25 percent. It's also imposing a new 15 percent tariff on 120 other imported US commodities, from almonds to apples and berries. The White House didn't respond to a message from The Associated Press on Sunday seeking comment. The tariffs mirror Trump's 25 percent charge on imported steel and 15 percent hike on aluminum. Trump has also announced separate plans to slap tariffs on nearly $50 billion in Chinese imports. Trump's planned tariffs are partly aimed at punishing Beijing for allegedly stealing American technology and pressuring US companies to hand it over. But, the Chinese response could end up hurting American ranchers and farmers, many of whom are from regions that voted for Trump in 2016. US farmers shipped nearly $20 billion of goods to China in 2017. The American pork industry sent $1.1 billion in products, making China the No. 3 market for US pork. President Donald Trump on Sunday declared 'NO MORE' to a deal to help 'Dreamer' immigrants and threatened to pull out of a free trade agreement with Mexico. Palm Beach: President Donald Trump on Sunday declared "NO MORE" to a deal to help "Dreamer" immigrants and threatened to pull out of a free trade agreement with Mexico unless it does more to stop people from crossing into the US. He claimed they're coming to take advantage of protections granted certain immigrants. "NO MORE DACA DEAL!" Trump tweeted one hour after he began the day by wishing his followers a "HAPPY EASTER!" He said Mexico must "stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL!" The US, Canada and Mexico are participating in tense negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement at Trump's insistence. Trump says NAFTA is bad for the US. "Mexico has got to help us at the border," Trump, holding his wife's hand, told reporters before the couple attended Easter services at an Episcopal church near his Palm Beach home. "If they're not going to help us at the border, it's a very sad thing between our two countries." "A lot of people are coming in because they want to take advantage of DACA," he added. Former President Barack Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to provide temporary protection and work permits to hundreds of thousands of immigrants who are living in the US illegally after being brought here as children. Trump ended the program last year, but gave Congress six months to pass legislation enshrining it. A deal has so far proved elusive and Trump has blamed Democrats. It was not immediately clear what Trump was referring to when he said people are coming to take advantage of the program. The Department of Homeland Security is not issuing new permits, though existing ones can be renewed. The Obama administration allowed signups during a set period of time, and the program is closed to new entrants. Proposed DACA deals crafted by lawmakers and rejected by Trump also were not open to new participants. Trump did not explain what he meant when questioned by reporters as he entered the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea with the first lady and his daughter Tiffany. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for clarification. Trump, when addressing reporters briefly before entering the church, again blamed Democrats for failing to protect the "Dreamers." "They had a great chance. The Democrats blew it. They had a great, great chance, but we'll have to take a look because Mexico has got to help us at the border. They flow right through Mexico. They send them into the United States. It can't happen that way anymore." Trump promised during the 2016 presidential campaign to build a Southern border wall to stop illegal immigration and drugs from Mexico, but Congress has frustrated him by not moving as quickly as he wants to provide money for construction. The president also complained on Twitter that border patrol agents can't do their jobs properly because of "ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws" that allow people caught for being in the country illegally to be released while they await a hearing before a federal immigration judge. Trump tweeted that the situation is "Getting more dangerous" and "Caravans" are coming. He did not offer details to back his comment. The president's tweets came after Fox News' "Fox & Friends" reported early Sunday on what it said is a group of 1,200 immigrants, mostly from Honduras, headed to the US The segment was a follow-up to a report by Buzzfeed News on hundreds of Central Americans making their way through Mexico in hopes that American authorities will grant them asylum or be absent when they attempt to cross the border. The Fox headline was "Caravan of illegal immigrants headed to US". The president is known to watch the cable TV program in the morning. Brandon Judd, leader of the union representing border patrol agents, predicted on "Fox & Friends" that those in the caravan would create havoc and chaos in the US as they wait for what he described as immigration reform. Judd also said Congress needs to pass tougher laws, an idea Trump appeared to echo, and create more bed space for immigration authorities to house people. Ohio Governor John Kasich, a Republican, chided Trump over the tone of the tweets. "A true leader preserves & offers hope, doesn't take hope from innocent children who call America home. Remember, today is Easter Sunday," tweeted Kasich, a Trump critic who challenged him for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake, another Trump foe, urged Congress to take up the fight for Dreamers. "There are plenty of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who stand ready to work with the administration on legislation to protect DACA kids who call America home," he tweeted. "Let's do it." Sunday's church visit was Trump's first public appearance with his wife since CBS' "60 Minutes" aired an interview the previous Sunday with Stormy Daniels, the adult-film star who says she had sex with Trump in 2006, early in his marriage and a few months after Mrs. Trump gave birth to their son. The White House says Trump denies the affair. Mrs. Trump spent most of the past week in Palm Beach with her son. The Trumps returned to Washington later Sunday. Donald Trump's administration is busy making it harder, not easier, for skilled migrants to come work in the United States. It may be a while before President Donald Trump gets another chance at creating a new, "merit-based" immigration system, a keystone of his four-part plan that Congress rejected in February. In the meantime, his administration is busy making it harder, not easier, for skilled migrants to come work in the United States. The State Department has ended an Obama-era program to grant visas to foreign entrepreneurs who want to start companies in the United States. It is more aggressively scrutinising visas to skilled workers from other countries. And it is contemplating ending a provision that allows spouses of those skilled workers to be employed in the US. The administration and its backers contend it's trying to fix flaws in the existing, employer-centric skilled immigration system while advocating for a complete overhaul of America's immigration system. "The stuff that they're actually doing is not so much restricting skilled immigration as enforcing the law," said Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies, which supports reducing immigration. "They're rolling back some of the extra-legal measures that other administrations have taken." A primary avenue for skilled immigrants to enter the United States is the H1B visa for speciality workers, which is heavily used by the technology industry. About 85,000 visas are issued annually in a lottery system. Some critics argue they are a way for companies to avoid hiring US citizens; Trump himself has said H1B recipients shouldn't even be considered skilled. In 2016, two technology workers sued Disney, alleging 250 US employees were laid off and many were forced to train replacements who were hired on H1B visas. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying Disney was following existing immigration laws. The Trump administration has increased its scrutiny of H1B applications, requiring renewals be submitted in person and asking for additional proof the workers are needed and are being paid top tier. "This increase reflects our commitment to protecting the integrity of the immigration system," said Joanne Fereirra, a spokeswoman for US Citizenship and Immigration Services. She added that 92.5 percent of the visas are still approved, only two percentage points lower than under the Obama administration in 2016. Still, businesses have noticed a change. "We've got employees that are going through the process, who have gone through such a level of scrutiny and interrogatory that is unprecedented," said Dean Garfield, president of the Information Technology Industry Council, which advocates for H1B visas and has had one of its own workers have to move back overseas because of delays in approving the requisite visa. The extra time with H1B visas is only part of the administration's changes to skilled, work-based immigration. In 2017, Trump signed an executive order that directed all government agencies to "rigorously enforce and administer the laws governing entry into the United States of workers from abroad" to ensure the maximum number of US citizens have jobs. The order also called for shifting H1Bs from lower-paid workers to higher-paid ones who truly have skills that can't be obtained from the native workforce. The administration also stopped an Obama administration program that was about to start last year to provide visas to let international entrepreneurs who start companies in the United States live in the country for renewable, 30-month stints. In December, the US Department of Homeland Security released its new regulatory agenda which included further, unspecified changes to the H1B program. The administration also indicated it will roll back the STEM OPT program expanded by President Barack Obama that lets international science and technology students work legally in the US for up to three years. Meanwhile, the State Department said last week it is seeking to further enhance vetting of potential immigrants and visitors by requiring all US visa applicants to submit their social media usernames, previous email addresses and phone numbers information that was previously sought only from applicants identified for extra scrutiny. The department estimates 710,000 immigrant visa applicants and 14 million non-immigrant visa applicants will be affected annually. Akash Negi, 26, graduated in February with a master's in sciences and analytics from Pennsylvania's Harrisburg University of Science and Technology that he earned while working as a big data analyst at JP Morgan Chase. Negi moved to the United States after his father got a diplomatic visa as part of a job at the United Nations, but his legal residency doesn't include a work permit. He was able to work while a student but is waiting for his STEM OPT visa to remain employed, and is concerned Trump will gut the program. Negi noted he understands Trump's stated goals of protecting US workers but says he's going about it incorrectly. "Any country wants to protect its own citizens, but you don't just end the program when you don't have your own population trained," Negi said. The Trump administration has also signalled it may end another Obama-era program that allowed spouses of H1B visa holders to work legally in the US. Many of these people have been in the US for years, sometimes long enough to have children who are now US citizens, yet can face a decades-long wait for a green card. The prospect of being unable to work is a shock to them. "I would like to make my own living. I am qualified and skilled," said Anushri Maru, 35, a business analyst in Houston, adding she's baffled her new home doesn't want her talents. "I'm not sure they understand that we are skilled immigrants." Malala Yousafzai returned to London after her first visit to Pakistan since she was shot in the head by Taliban militants for advocating girls' education over five years ago. Islamabad: Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner, on Monday returned to London after her first visit to Pakistan since she was shot in the head by Taliban militants for advocating girls' education over five years ago. Malala, 20, arrived in Islamabad on 29 March, six years after she was shot by a gunman for campaigning for female education in 2012 in Pakistan's Swat Valley. Local media footage showed a smiling Malala along with her parents at the airport in Islamabad to take a flight back to London after the four-day visit. The visit was kept highly secret and hardly anyone knew until she landed in Islamabad and was driven in security to a hotel. On her visit, she met Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi at the PM House where a ceremony was also organised in her honour. "I have been dreaming of returning to Pakistan for the past five years," teary-eyed Malala had said. She also made an emotional visit to her hometown in Mingora area of Swat district where she lived, went to school and was attacked in 2012. "So much joy seeing my family home, visiting friends and putting my feet on this soil again," she had tweeted about the visit, terming Swat as "The most beautiful place on earth to me." Malala, who is currently studying at Oxford University, also said that she plans to return to Pakistan after completing her studies in Britain. The famed human rights activist was shot at by the Taliban gunman in December 2012 for her female education campaigning in the Swat Valley in northeastern Pakistan. Severely wounded, she was airlifted from one military hospital in Pakistan to another and later flown to the Great Britain for treatment. Post the attack, the Taliban released a statement saying that they would target Malala again if she survived. At age 17, Malala became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for her education advocacy in 2014 when she shared the coveted honour with India's social activist Kailash Satyarthi. Unable to return to Pakistan after her recovery, Malala moved to Britain, setting up the Malala Fund and supporting local education advocacy groups with a focus on Pakistan, Nigeria, Jordan, Syria and Kenya. Malala began her campaign aged just 11, when she started writing a blog for the BBC's Urdu service in 2009 about life under the Taliban in Swat, where they were banning girls' education. In 2007, the Islamist militants had taken over the area and imposed a brutal rule. Opponents were murdered, people were publicly flogged for supposed breaches of the sharia law, women were banned from going to market, and girls were stopped from going to school. The Taliban, who are opposed to the education of girls, have destroyed hundreds of schools in Pakistan. US president Donald Trump proposed a White House summit when he called Russian president Vladimir Putin last month, prior to the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats from the US, a top Kremlin aide said Monday. Moscow: US president Donald Trump proposed a White House summit when he called Russian president Vladimir Putin last month, prior to the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats from the US, a top Kremlin aide said Monday. "Trump proposed holding a meeting at the White House in Washington," Putin's top foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, told reporters. On 20 March, Trump called Putin to congratulate him on his re-election, and the US leader told reporters afterwards that the two would "probably get together in the not-too-distant future." In calling Putin, Trump ignored explicit advice from his national security advisers not to do so, The Washington Post has reported, quoting officials familiar with the call. Ushakov said Monday, however, that the two sides have not had any "concrete discussions" about the summit since that rare Trump-Putin phone conversation. "It was Trump himself who proposed holding the meeting," Ushakov said. "But after that a new breakdown in our bilateral ties has taken place, the diplomats have been expelled." He expressed the hope that Russia and the United States could return to "constructive and serious dialogue." After the call, Washington expelled 60 Russian diplomats and shut down a Russian consulate in Seattle, joining Britain's allies in responding to the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury on 4 March. Moscow responded by sending home 60 US diplomats and closing Washington's consulate in Saint Petersburg. Washington has, however, said Russia is free to apply to accredit more diplomats to replace those expelled. China, in a tit-for-tat response to US president Donald Trump's tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum, raised import duties on a $3 billion list of US pork, fruit and other products. China, in a tit-for-tat response to US president Donald Trump's tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum, raised import duties on a $3 billion list of US pork, fruit and other products. The move seems to have escalated the tariff dispute between the two countries and companies worry that it might depress global commerce. The tariffs, to take effect on Monday, were announced late on Sunday by China's finance ministry and matched a list of potential tariffs on up to $3 billion in US goods published by China on 23 March. Soon after the announcement, an editorial in Chinese tabloid Global Times warned that if the US had thought China would not retaliate or would only take symbolic counter-measures, it can now "say goodbye to that delusion". "Even though China and the US have not publicly said they are in a trade war, the sparks of such a war have already started to fly," the editorial said. China's Ministry of Commerce said it was suspending its obligations to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to reduce tariffs on 120 US goods, including fruit and ethanol. The tariffs on those products will be raised by an extra 15 percent. Eight other products, including pork and scrap aluminium, will now be subject to additional tariffs of 25 percent, it said, with the measures effective from 2 April. The tariff spat is one aspect of wide-ranging tensions between Washington and Beijing over China's multibillion-dollar trade surplus with the United States and its policies on technology, industry development and access to its state-dominated economy. Forecasters say the immediate impact should be limited, but investors worry the global recovery might be set back if it prompts other governments to raise import barriers. Those fears temporarily depressed financial markets, though stocks have recovered some of their losses. Trump to unveil China tariff list, targeting tech goods The Trump administration this week will unveil the list of Chinese imports targeted for US tariffs to punish Beijing over technology transfer policies, a move expected to intensify trade tensions between the world's two largest economies, according to Reuters. The list of $50 billion to $60 billion worth of annual imports is expected to target "largely high-technology" products and it may be more than two months before tariffs take effect, administration officials have said. The US Trade Representative's office needs to unveil the list of products by Friday under Trump's China tariff proclamation. The tariffs are aimed at forcing changes to Chinese government policies that USTR says results in the "uneconomic" transfer of US intellectual property to Chinese companies. The agency's "Section 301" investigation authorising the tariffs alleges China has systematically sought to misappropriate US intellectual property through joint venture requirements, unfair technology licensing rules, purchases of US technology firms with state funding and outright theft. In addition to the tariffs, the US also plans to impose new investment restrictions, take action against China at the World Trade Organisation and the Treasury Department is also expected to propose additional measures, CNN reported. The move, which comes on the heels of the administration's steel and aluminum tariffs that also took aim at China, is heightening concerns of a global trade war. While Beijing has yet to say how it might respond to Trump's order approving possible tariff hikes in response to complaints China steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology, it has on several occasions warned US not to unleash trade ills on the world. 'Do not open Pandora's box' Beijing has warned the United States not to open Pandora's Box and spark a flurry of protectionist practices across the globe. "The malicious practices of the United States are like opening Pandoras Box, and there is a danger of triggering a chain reaction that will spread the virus of trade protectionism across the globe," a commerce ministry spokesman said. China has also said that it is "open" to negotiating with Washington amid the spiraling tariff dispute. A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular briefing, "Our door for dialogue and discussion is always open." "We are full of confidence and the capability to defend our legitimate and lawful interests under any circumstances," said Hua Chunying. "Now the ball is in the US court, and we hope the United States will make its decision cautiously and reasonably." China has repeatedly said that it doesn't want a trade war but has also warned that it will take "firm and necessary" countermeasures to defend its interests. On Sunday, China's Ministry of Commerce expressed hope the US government would withdraw the tariffs "as soon as possible so that the trading of products between China and the United States will return to a normal track." Limited time for talks While there have been contacts between senior members of the Trump administration and their Chinese counterparts since Trump announced his intention to impose tariffs, there has been little evidence of intensive negotiations to forestall them. "The administration is following the Japan model from the 1980s," a tech industry executive was quoted as saying by Reuters. "They'll publish a Federal Register notice of tariffs on certain products, then try to reach a negotiated settlement over the next 60 days." Wendy Cutler, a former deputy USTR in charge of Asia negotiations, said that addressing the sweeping intellectual property allegations identified by USTR would require major changes to Chinas industrial policy. A 60-day settlement may not be realistic in that case. "I think theyve set up a high bar for what they need to achieve, in order not to impose these types of tariffs and investment restrictions," Cutler said. With inputs from agencies . , , , . , , 13 . , . ... Working from home? Switch to the DIGITAL edition of CLICK HERE to signup now! Samsung has introduced the new Notebook 5 and Notebook 3 laptops. The brand new notebooks feature a slim, sleek, zero-screw contemporary finish. They just measure 19.6mm and 19.9mm wide respectively, making them easy to use, carry, and transport. The Samsung Notebook 3 comes in two different variants; 15 inches and 14 inches, while the Samsung Notebook 5 comes in just 15.6 inches model. The Samsung Notebook 3 14-inch model just as the name suggests packs a 14-inch display but with HD resolution, while the 15.6-inch variant comes with Full HD resolution and HD resolution. They are powered by the Intel Core i7 Quad-Core processor, a dual storage system and NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards. The Samsung Notebook 3 14-inch model comes with Integrated graphics. While the Notebook 3 15-inch model and Notebook 5 15-inch variant pack Nvidia MX150 2GB graphic card. All the three models pack SSD storage while the Notebook 5 15.6-inch variant also has additional HDD storage and 43Wh battery. There is a VGA camera for video chats. The Notebooks come with a wide precision touchpad, full-sized keyboards with number pads, and ergonomically crafted keycaps for comfortable typing. It features an anti-glare panel, and the colors are tuned by Samsung Color Engine for vibrant images and videos. The Notebook 3 14-inch model measures 336.0 x 232.9 x 19.8 mm; weighs 1.66kgs, while the 15.6-inch model measures 377.4 x 248.6 x 19.6 mm and weighs 1.97kgs. The Samsung Notebook 5 measures 377.4 x 248.6 x 19.9 mm and weighs 1.97kgs. Samsung Notebook 3 will be available in four colors; Misty Gray, Night Charcoal, Deep Peach, and Pure White. While the Notebook 5 is available in Light Titan color with a metal body. All the three laptops will be available in select countries starting from April in Korea, with wider global releases including China and Brazil in Q2. YoungGyoo Choi, Senior Vice President of the PC Business Team, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics said: Thai authorities push Rohingya refugees back out to sea, putting lives at risk (BANGKOK, April 2, 2018) The governments of Thailand and Malaysia should cooperate to provide protection to Rohingya refugees in accordance with international law and standards, Fortify Rights said today. Yesterday, Thai authorities reportedly returned to sea a boat carrying 56 Rohingya-refugee men, women, and children. Thai police told reporters that this was the first boat of Rohingya refugees they had seen in more than one year. However, Fortify Rights documented other arrivals-by-sea of Rohingya refugees in both Malaysia and Thailand in 2018, including a boat that arrived in Thailand in February 2018. This is not a problem that will go away on its own, said Matthew Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Fortify Rights. Governments in this region need to show leadership and follow their legal obligations to protect refugees rather than send them to potential death sentences at sea. The boat of 56 refugees reportedly arrived yesterday on the island of Lanta in Thailands Krabi Province following a heavy storm the night before. Thai authorities confirmed that they sent the boat back out to sea. Malaysian authorities report no sign of the boat in Malaysian waters and have said that official Malaysian policy is to turn away boats of refugees unless the boat faces inclement weather. Noor, a 16-year-old Rohingya girl from Maungdaw Township in Myanmars Rakhine State told Fortify Rights that she boarded a ship off the coast of Myanmar in February to flee the aftermath of attacks on her village by Myanmar state security forces. She arrived in Thailand after spending ten days at sea. When we arrived, we had to walk in the jungle for about an hour before we arrived at a house, she told Fortify Rights on March 9. We stayed at the house for one day before moving farther . . . We walked another three to four days in the jungle and then crossed the border [into Malaysia]. Noor safely arrived in Kuala Lumpur. She had been sold into marriage. An estimated 170,000 Rohingya men, women, and children arrived in Thailand and Malaysia on countless boats from 2012 to 2015. Transnational human trafficking syndicates working in concert with various authorities operated many of the boats. Traffickers killed untold refugees at sea and in on-shore human trafficking camps over a multi-year period. In May 2015, human traffickers abandoned boats at sea carrying thousands of Rohingya and Bangladeshi survivors of trafficking. Thailand and Malaysia reinforced their borders and refused to allow the disembarkation of survivors, resulting in an untold number of deaths. The Thai and Malaysian authorities went so far as to tow boats of refugees out of their territorial waters, leaving them adrift at sea. On July 19, 2017, Thailand convicted 62 defendants, including high-ranking government and security officials, for crimes related to the trafficking of Rohingya from Myanmar and Bangladesh to Malaysia via Thailand in 2015. The Malaysian authorities have not similarly prosecuted traffickers, despite the discovery of 139 graves believed to contain the bodies of Rohingya victims in 28 suspected human-trafficking camps in Wang Kelian in May 2015. The Malaysian Bar Council and the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) have called on the Malaysian authorities to investigate the situation. To this day, Thailand and Malaysia maintain a push-back policy with regard to refugee arrivals by boat, which puts lives at risk and fails to ensure the protection of possible survivors of trafficking, Fortify Rights said. Under customary international law, the principle of non-refoulement prohibits states from returning any person on its territory or under its jurisdiction to a country where they may face persecution. Thailand and Malaysias push-back policies violate this principle. Malaysian and Thai authorities have also detained thousands of Rohingya refugees and survivors of human trafficking in Immigration Detention Centers and government-run shelters in recent years, in violation of the right to liberty. Customary international law as well as Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Thailand is a state party, protects the right to liberty. This right extends to migrants, who may be detained only in exceptional circumstances and in accordance with international law. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should take action to address root causes in Myanmar and provide support to countries in the region providing shelter to refugees, Fortify Rights said. In November, Fortify Rights and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum published a report finding mounting evidence of the crime of genocide against Rohingya in Myanmar. The report was based on a yearlong investigation, including hundreds of interviews with Rohingya eyewitnesses and survivors of Myanmar Army-led massacres, mass gang-rapes, and arson attacks against Rohingya. More than 775,000 Rohingya refugees have fled into Bangladesh since October 2016, and the Rohingya exodus from Myanmar continues. A driver in an old-model Mustang on Friday outran law enforcement in Colorado when his car reached speeds of 150 mph during the chase. Gary Cooper, a Colorado State Patrol spokesman, told The Denver Post that the driver was speeding at 140 mph when the troopers turned on the sirens and lights and gave pursuit. But instead of stopping, the Mustang driver accelerated to 150 mph, leaving the troopers behind and unable to catch up or even read the vehicles license plates. They tried to catch up. They werent doing it, Cooper said. They couldnt get close enough. The incident occurred on Interstate 70, about 170 miles west of Denver. The interstate generally straight and is known for drivers testing their vehicles limits. Its also among the most dangerous roads, where there are more fatal crashes than in any other spot in whole Denver. Troopers reportedly did not continue the pursuit out of their safety concerns. Its extremely reckless, especially with people who havent been trained to drive at those speeds, Cooper told the publication. Ive seen a deer total a car before. Steven Bochco, who wrote and produced some of the most memorable shows in television history, died Sunday after a lengthy battle with leukemia. He was 74. His assistant, Phillip Arnold, told Fox News that Bochco "died peacefully in his sleep with his family close by." "Steven fought cancer with strength, courage, grace and his unsurpassed sense of humor," said Arnold, who added that Bochco's family had requested privacy at this time. A New York City native, Bochco won 10 Primetime Emmy Awards, six of them for "Hill Street Blues" -- his breakout hit in a television career that spanned nearly five decades. Bochco picked up three more Emmys for his work on "L.A. Law," his "Hill Street Blues" follow-up for NBC. In 1995, 14 years after his first Emmy, Bochco was at the top of the TV world again when ABC's "NYPD Blue" won for outstanding drama series. Though best-known for his cop dramas, Bochco was also behind the more comic "Doogie Howser, M.D." and the high-profile flop "Cop Rock," which attempted to marry gritty police work with Broadway show tunes. In October 2014, Bochco received a stem cell transplant from a 23-year-old man named Jon Kayne, which helped Bochco temporarily beat back a rare form of leukemia called blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm. In 2016, Bochco published his autobiography "Truth Is a Total Defense: My Fifty Years in Television," in which he revealed that his older sister Joanna had declined to donate bone marrow to him after his leukemia diagnosis. "That [relationship] is just sort of gone," Bochco told the New York Post. "I dont care. I have not spoken to her or communicated with her since that day. I dont imagine I ever will again." Bochco's last TV project, TNT's "Murder in the First," was canceled that same year after 32 episodes over three seasons. "Will & Grace" creator Max Mutchnick tweeted Friday that he would send a copy of John Olivers spoof Marlon Bundo book to every Indiana elementary school library. Olivers book depicts the namesake of the vice presidents family pet rabbit falling in love with a boy bunny. The Last Week Tonight host concocted the book idea to slam Vice President Mike Pences views on gay marriage and other LGBTQ rights, and despite backlash it was a top seller on Amazon. Mutchnick said in a tweet he was blown away by Olivers book. CHARLOTTE PENCE REVEALS SHE BOUGHT A COPY OF JOHN OLIVERS SPOOF MARLON BUNDO BOOK "I would like to donate this copy of 'A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo' to your library, Mutchnick wrote in a letter addressed to every Indiana grammar school library. After hearing about the book, I brought it home and read it to my twin daughters. It's a poignant story about how love and community can rise above intolerance. Mutchnick also credited his grammar school and librarians for sparking his passion for storytelling. My grammar school library was something I always remembered as a safe haven. Books allow children to dream and hope, but you know that already," he wrote. Thanks to libraries and librarians like you, storytelling not only became my passion it also became my profession. I hope your students enjoy this book as much as my family and I did. JOHN OLIVER SLAMMED FOR CONTROVERSIAL AND PARTISAN MOCKERY OF PENCE FAMILY BUNNY Mutchnick told The Hollywood Reporter he hoped that by donating the books to Indianas elementary schools it would counter efforts he feels Pence made to spread a message of intolerance. Proceeds from Olivers book go to The Trevor Project, a crisis intervention and suicide prevention service for LGBTQ youth, as well as AIDS United. Charlotte Pence, the vice presidents daughter who wrote Marlon Bundos A Day in the Life of the Vice President told The Hill last month that she bought Olivers book because of his intentions to give the proceeds to charity. It doesnt have to be divisive, she said. I think that everybody can come together over Marlon. A 15-year-old girl was out for a ride on her pony, Savvanah, when she decided to treat her four-legged friend to a bite to eat. Wallace Cruickshank steered Savvanah into a McDonalds drive-thru in Cleethorpes, UK, where they had been riding, while Cruickshank's parents stayed in the background recording. STARBUCKS DRIVE-THRU REFUSES TO SERVE HORSE-RIDING TEEN McDonalds has a policy that allows only road-going motor vehicles in the drive-thru lane. The drive-thru facility is designed for motor vehicles and, on balance, we are concerned that use by cyclists could compromise their safety through: the necessarily close proximity with motor vehicles; the limited visibility of cycles (particularly given the sharp corners of the drive thru lane); and the difficulties of carrying food and drinks and retaining full control of a bicycle. We are able to serve 'class 3' mobility scooters as these are designed for road use, the company said, the Grimsby Telegraph reported. However, the fast food chain made an exception for the teenager and let Cruickshank make her order: a bag of baby carrots. In the video, Cruickshank is surprised McDonald's let her through with her horse, but Savvanah doesn't seem to complain after an employee hands over the carrot sticks. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Cruickshank was excited to have gotten away with the stunt, but her mother, Lisa, was even happier. Im so proud as she is so quiet but on her pony shes so confident, Lisa told the Grimsby Telegraph. A Vermont man has been arrested on an outstanding warrant after mistaking a police cruiser for a pizza delivery car. MAN WHO ROBBED PIZZA HUT DELIVERY DRIVER MOCKED BY SHERIFFS AFTER GETTING ARRESTED Michael Gonzalez of Underhill, Vt, was expecting a pizza to be delivered early Sunday. Authorities say the 29-year-old approached the marked police vehicle thinking his pizza had arrived. Police were in the area investigating public complaints about suspicious activity at a unit in Stonehedge condos in South Burlington, WCAX reported. Police arrested Gonzalez on a warrant for careless and negligent operation. Police also say Gonzalez possessed a misdemeanor amount of suspected heroin and ecstasy on his person at the time of arrest. Police found a second resident inside the condo of Gonzalez who also had an active arrest warrant. William Russel, 29, was arrested for a petty larceny charge, according to WCAX. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Both Gonzalez and Russell were brought to Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility to be held. Gonzalez is scheduled to appear in court today for drug possession charges. Emergency rooms in Illinois are noticing a spike in synthetic pot users suffering from "severe bleeding," and state health officials are warning the public to remain vigilant. The Illinois Department of Health (IDPH) issued a statement on in March announcing that at least six people in northeastern Illinois had been hospitalized after using the man-made substance -- also known as "fake weed," "K2" or "spice." On Wednesday, the number of cases climbed to 118, including three deaths, the health department reported. "All cases have required hospitalization for symptoms such as coughing up blood, blood in the urine, severe bloody nose, and/or bleeding gums," the IDPH said. "Numerous have tested positive for brodifacoum, a lethal anticoagulant often used in rat poison." There are now cases in at least 12 Illinois communities including Chicago, Cook County, Dupage County, Fulton County, Kane County, Kankakee County, Mason County, McLean County, Peoria County, Tazewell County, Will County and Woodford county. But officials believe that number will grow, as it's possible contaminated products have been sold across the state. This bleeding is not expected, at least in such a significant population so quickly." Dr. Melissa Millewich Despite the perception that synthetic cannabinoids are safe and a legal alternative to marijuana, many are illegal and can cause severe illness, IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah said in a statement on March 27. The recent cases of severe bleeding are evidence of the harm synthetic cannabinoids can cause. Synthetic pot is made up of hundreds of different chemicals -- and their effect on the human body is unpredictable. "These chemicals are called cannabinoids because they act on the same brain cell receptors as the main active ingredient in marijuana," IDPH explained, warning that the drug's impact can be life-threatening. "Synthetic cannabinoid products are unsafe. It is difficult to know whats in them or what your reaction to them will be." Users have reported a wide range of symptoms, from bleeding gums and bloody noses to blood in the urine. Women who are menstruating have also experienced a higher than average flow. Bleeding from the eyes and ears is also possible after use, IDPH said. The bleeding that doctors have seen in recent days has been severe. This bleeding is not expected, at least in such a significant population so quickly, Dr. Melissa Millewich, an emergency room physician at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, told the Chicago Tribune. Health officials urge those who have purchased synthetic cannabinoid products within the past month -- whether it was from a convenience store or a dealer -- to not use the product. IDPH spokeswoman Melaney Arnold told the Chicago newspaper that the product is banned for sale across the state, but some manufacturers alter the "molecular makeup of the products" to get around the law. Anyone who starts experiencing symptoms, including severe bleeding or bruising, should be taken to the hospital immediately, the IDPH said. A newlywed was in complete shock on her anniversary after opening a gift from her husband. Manda Alexander of San Antonio, Texas, was celebrating her one-year wedding anniversary with husband, Vincent Alexander, last Sunday. Vincent gifted Manda a framed picture from their wedding day. "It's the 'paper anniversary' so having the photo printed and framed, I thought that'd be a great gift," Vincent Alexander said to ABC News. FAMILY SHARES HILARIOUS PHOTOS EDITED BY 'PROFESSIONAL' PHOTOGRAPHER However, Manda found herself in complete shock, she told ABC, once she finished opening the present. "When I first opened the gift, I was opening it from right to left so all I saw was Vince and I in this beautiful frame," she recalled, "and then I saw the clown." Manda Alexander continued, "I burst out laughing. I was in shock. I first thought it was photoshopped because I didn't know how he could've done that without me knowing the day of the wedding and then he started explaining it was his brother." Vincent had planned the year-long prank after Manda did not seem excited about having a clown at their wedding. "Originally, I had wanted a clown just for the cocktail hour during the reception, just to be twisting balloons and doing little jokes. Manda was not really for that," Vincent told ABC News. Though Vincent says Manda eventually said they could have a clown, he nixed the idea because he could tell she wasnt into it. So, he hatched plan B have someone dress up as a clown and secretly pose in their wedding photos. "I started looking around San Antonio [where I live] for all clowns, but they would not do this picture," Vincent recalled to ABC. "I don't think they wanted to tarnish their reputations because they are performers." FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Vincent eventually landed on having his younger brother, Matthew, wear the costume as the couple posed inside San Antonios Witte Museum, ABC News reported. Vincent informed wedding photographer Megan Bowling of his intention, but Bowling was still surprised that he went through with it. "I really didn't think he was going to do it," Bowling told ABC. "The day of the wedding, I finally see him and he comes up to me and says, 'So my brother has the clown suit over there with the knife.' And I said to myself, 'Oh my gosh, this is really happening.'" A year later Vincent finally got to let his bride in on the secret, which she seemed to love in the now-viral Facebook video Vincent posted. No word on where the couple will hang their unique wedding shot, but Manda did say the picture is a perfect example of exactly who my husband is. "We're very playful," she said to ABC. "The only reason why we're funny is because my husband is funny." NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Its always interesting when people question your mental health. Last year about this time, my book The Forty Days A Vision of Christs Lost Weeks got some attention. On the air and in print, I described the fact that the contents of the book came to me in a very surreal and powerful way. Why do I say that? Because, just like it says in the books title I admitted that I had a vision. That admission elicited a number of comments directed my way personally, via email, and even phone. Most were incredibly supportive and encouraging while some were much less so and questioned both my judgement and sanity for daring to articulate the way the book came into my mind. I am good with all of that. Before the book came out, I spoke with over a dozen ministers and priests describing both the theme of the book and the unusual way that the theme flashed into my head. To a person, they said it was my obligation to especially relate the backstory of how the story came to me. I explained to them that I would never claim anything spiritual happened to me. Ever. That said, I told them that I was honestly not sure what did happen and that if others wanted to offer-up a secular explanations of too much caffeine, not enough sleep, or that I was in fact, crazy, I was more than comfortable with that. In a time of escalating misery, uncertainty, fear and doubt in our which world, which has led more and more good people to walk away from their faith, I felt certain that my unique story would at least touch and lift some people. So here it is: the backstory that has caused some to question my mental well-being. As a child, I grew up in abject poverty and was often homeless. At age 5, I came into possession of a little plastic Nativity Scene with the smiling face of the Baby Jesus. Not long after that, constables came to evict us from our home yet again, and they found me hiding in a closet clutching that Nativity Scene to my chest. Thus began my personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Flash forward As an adult, for about a decade, I would have momentary flashes, out of nowhere, in my mind that would specifically focus on a vision of Christs life in the forty days after his resurrection. The flash always said the same thing: There is a powerful story there. Tell it. I would just ignore them. After a few years of these flashes happening once or twice a year for but only for split second or two, I finally wrote the words The Forty Days on a yellow sticky and put it up on the wall of my home office around my desk. Soon thereafter, my wife walked into my office, looked up at the yellow sticky on the wall and asked what is this all about? I told her I did not have a clue. Then, just over two years ago, while sitting in my home office working on an entirely different project with those flashes pushed completely out of my mind, the entire story for The Forty Days suddenly and unexpectedly flooded into my mind in but a few minutes. I grabbed a pen and paper and made notes as fast as possible and then for the next ten hours, sat at that desk and wrote the story exactly as it had come into my mind. The brief synopsis of that story is that 70 years after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, in a poor, one room home built from stone, mud, and straw, a frail old man tells his granddaughter and her husband an amazing and miraculous secret. A secret he kept to himself for decades out of fear for his own life. That secret being that as a 9-year-old street urchin who had made his way to Jerusalem in search of food and survival, he had an encounter with a bloody and beaten man being forced to drag a heavy timber cross for His own crucifixion. An encounter which led to a very surreal connection with the bloody and beaten man. The old man then goes on to reveal to his granddaughter and her skeptical husband, what he witnessed first-hand as that little boy, of the forty days Jesus walked the Earth after His resurrection. Again, while the vast majority of comments about the book have been incredibly supportive and even quite moving, some did question my sanity or even real motives for articulating the story. With that in mind, I would only stress that I did not take a dime for the book and for me, the only thing you do with a project like this is to help charity in His name. No matter how the story came to me, I have come to believe it truly is my obligation to let as many as possible know about it and let them come to their own conclusions. In more and more first-hand accounts, readers have revealed how deeply the story touched them, reaffirmed their faith, and even comforted them through the darkest of times. I am more than happy to have my sanity questioned in exchange for such meaningful testimony. Happy Easter. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Last Friday, Good Friday in the Western Christian Church, the archetypical broadcast journalist, NBCs Meet the Press host Chuck Todd, used his media bullhorn to mock and further divide America over religion. Todd tweeted: Im a bit hokey when it comes to Good Friday. I dont mean disrespect to the religious aspect of the day, but I love the idea of reminding folks that any day can become good, all it takes is a little selflessness on our own part. Works EVERY time. Talk about tone deaf. Thomas Jefferson, author of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, must be shaking his head. We lose our appreciation for history and in the process, for each other by inches. And we lost something important this past week, when a major media outlet attacked Christians preparing for Easter. Evidence of accidental or intentional disinterest in Americas Christian heritage, the long beam undergirding American history, continues to pile up. The modern media promotes our forgetting, and seems increasingly comfortable deriding the Christian faith. This past weekend, however, represents an acute example of what ails the nation: an absence of respect for what many Americans consider the compass of their lives their faith, in this case Christian faith. This was also the day Jewish Passover began. What member of the Founding generation, descended from those who risked everything for freedom to worship, would counsel mocking anothers sincere faith? None. They built that respect into the Constitution. Since before our nations founding, respect for another Americans faith has been a cornerstone of who we are. Yet the media tramples with increasing frequency on this fundamental American right, as if it did not exist. On one of the holiest of Christian days, a day when billions of people around the world commemorate the wonder of extreme humility and sacrifice, and give thanks for the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was put to death that salvation might be possible, the media was tone deaf. As if aiming to demonstrate the widening chasm between average Americans and media elites (like ABCs Joy Behar who called Christianity a mental illness), Mr. Todd deployed his multimillion-dollar, FCC-sanctioned pulpit to declare Good Friday, that sober Christian day of worship, as hokey. He then went on to lecture some 200 million Christians in America and 2.2 billion Christians worldwide nearly a third of the world on how banal the day really was, in his book. Any day could be good, he instructed, adding that he loved the idea of reminding folks (that would be us, the great unwashed) to be good. He wasnt finished. All it takes is a little selflessness on our own part, he continued, and the world will improve presumably by all of us becoming more like him. Wow! Where does one begin? Reducing the enormous significance of Good Friday, important to all Christians as the day of crucifixion that makes possible Christs resurrection on Easter, to trite recommendations that we be good, and then adding a mini-lecture on how any day can be like this one, leaves one speechless. Jefferson, himself a Unitarian, would have found this troubling. On one hand, he advocated freedom of press, and on the other he disdained concentration of power and derogation of religious freedom. In fact, his Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom is the origin of the First Amendments freedom to worship. The Todd statement is bigger than a mere offense against Christianity, or against people of faith, supposing that he does not understand a holy days meaning and is comfortable contentedly taking down another Americans faith as hokey. It is more than his swinging the heavy sword of media power to deride others, debasing his own role as a public intermediary. The statement is arresting because of what is implies. It is the soft bigotry of condescension to people of faith. It is beyond interfaith jousting. It is beyond a subtle plug for atheism, in a world where 24-hour media seem omniscient, to themselves and others, almost God-like. The real offense is against America, and what we stand for even in the media. It is against longstanding respect for American history, premised on simple respect for matters of religious faith. What member of the Founding generation, descended from those who risked everything for freedom to worship, would counsel mocking anothers sincere faith? None. They built that respect into the Constitution. What American veteran, tasked with defending that Constitution with his or her life, would counsel mocking the faith of another American? None. The solemnity of prayer, dialogue with God has always been sacrosanct. So, this is a sorry moment one in which media elites feel empowered to line up against average Americans who are simply living out their faith. The true goodness of America founded on respect for history, for faith, and for each other is that we have room for such dividers. The eternal hope is that they, too, will see that demeaning the faith of fellow Americans is utterly out of place. It disrespects American history, demeans them and their media colleagues, and ultimately hurts all Americans in this case, it is a slap at about half the country. Jefferson himself reminds us, The ground of liberty is to be gained by inches, just as our liberty is lost by inches. Respect for each other is the same. The media elites should be silent or honor those who honor the enormity of a day like Good Friday, not deride them as part of something hokey. Jefferson would be shaking his head. Somehow, one senses he would expect more even of our modern media. With religious liberty, particularly Christians, under fire, the burden is on us to speak. He would. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Several weeks ago, former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found slumped over a park bench in the English town of Salisbury. It was determined they were victims of a nerve agent attack, which left both in critical condition. That nerve agent is alleged to have been manufactured and possessed illegally by Russia, and the UK immediately blamed Moscow for the attack. If Russia were behind the attack, which is highly likely, it is possibly the countrys most significant intrusion into NATO territory since the radiation poisoning of another former Russian spy, Alexander Litvinenko, in 2006. As for potential Russian motives, it is speculated Skripal had been working with the UKs foreign intelligence service, MI6. The UK expelled 23 Russian diplomats and spies, and Russia, which denies the attack to the point of concocting conspiracy theories about why the chemical weapon originated in America or the UK, responded in turn by expelling 23 British diplomats and spies. Meanwhile in America, the Trump administration just sanctioned Russian entities involved in cyber-attacks and election interference. And now, in the face of continued Russian intransigence over the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter, America is expelling 60 Russian diplomats and spies, and closing Russias Seattle consulate. Senior Trump administration officials said that all of the Russians expelled were spies working under diplomatic cover, including at the United Nations. The administration believes there is an unacceptably high number of Russian intelligence operatives in the U.S. The officials also said that the Seattle consulate was a counter-intelligence concern because of its proximity to a U.S. Navy base. This diplomatic row only serves to illustrate the trend of significantly deteriorating relations between Russia and the West. Even if Russia is just a spoiler, they are a spoiler with a massive nuclear arsenal. We must respect the fact that this arsenal poses an existential threat to the United States. And a declining power, especially one with as many nukes as Russia has, can be dangerous. America expelling so-called Russian diplomats is an appropriate response to Russias brazen attack on Skripal and his daughter. If Russia abuses its privilege of having operatives on our shoresdiplomatic or otherwiseit should face the consequences. And in general, America should want to reduce the number of spieseven those under diplomatic coverthat Russia has on American soil. But some hope that this is only the beginning of a more aggressive stance toward Russia. The question remains: Where would such an aggressive stance lead, and what would it accomplish for America? America should certainly keep a close eye on Russia. Nominally, Russias nuclear arsenal is on par with Americas. And because of its massive geography, Russia borders many areasincluding Europe and Chinawhere America has troops, or has interests, military or economic. Because of this, Russia policy needs to be both strategically sound and effective. It should be based on a sober assessment of narrowly defined U.S. interests: our security, prosperity, and our constitutional republic. We should cooperate with Russia where we can and confront them where we must. Many U.S. politicians seem to forget the big picture, however. Policymakers need to regain sight of Americas interest, rather than pursue reactionary policies to oppose Russia everywhere, as if theyre the former Soviet Union. This requires less standing up to Putin than it does managing Russias inevitable decline. Russia has less economic heft than Italy, faces decades of slow growth due to a declining population and a lack of structural reforms, and has an undiversified economy that is totally dependent on exporting fossil fuels. Having about the same population as Japan, but being the largest country in the world in terms of land-mass, Russia is incredibly insecure. Thats why it spends over 5 percent of its GDP on its military, compared to over 3 percent in America. Russias military budget comes in at about $70 billion, where Americas is $700 billion. And that $70 billion amounts to over 25 percent of all the taxes the Kremlin collects from the meager Russian economy. Yes, Russia can and does act to upset U.S. interests. That makes it a spoiler. But Russia is weak, whereas America is a superpower and global leader. Russia is not a competitor; it fails to stand anywhere near Americas military and diplomatic might. And Russia is light-years away from being a peer-competitor, as China could be, someday, decades from now. This doesnt mean Russia isnt important. Even if Russia is just a spoiler, they are a spoiler with a massive nuclear arsenal. We must respect the fact that this arsenal poses an existential threat to the United States. And a declining power, especially one with as many nukes as Russia has, can be dangerous. Peace through strength is in order, as is maintaining a tough line toward Putin. But managing Russias decline requires allowing Russia enough breathing room to go into the night quietly, and without a bang. Policymakers must also maintain focus on fostering a resilient American economy, and an open American society where our people can flourish. If policymakers spend us into obliviondue to automatic spending on entitlements, as well as defense and non-defense discretionary spendingour national debt will harm our economy. After decades of stagnant real median wages and declining investment and productivity, some would argue that the national debt already does harm our economy. And quite obviously, our economy is the foundation of our national power (and our military power). As Barry Posen argues, America must play a shrewder game. The long game. We dont have to do something to win in the end. Closed and authoritarian societies that dont share American interests grow brittle and ossified, and they eventually break. Confidence in our system, our people, and a laser-focus on our core national interests, will ensure America stays on top. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday he plans to visit the U.S. this month to discuss North Korea with President Donald Trump ahead of expected summits between the North and the U.S. and South Korea. Abe said he will travel to the U.S. from April 17 to 20 and hold two days of talks with Trump at the president's Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida to discuss North Korea and bilateral issues. Trump has said he will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by the end of May. "I hope to thoroughly discuss North Korea and other issues of mutual interest between Japan and the U.S.," Abe said at a meeting of representatives of his ruling coalition and the government. In Washington, the White House said the meeting between the two leaders will "reaffirm the United States-Japan alliance as a cornerstone of peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region." Besides North Korea, they will "explore ways to expand fair and reciprocal trade and investment ties," it said. Abe has said he wants to remind Trump of shorter-range missiles and other North Korean security threats for Japan, and seek U.S. help on the issue of Japanese abducted by North Korea decades ago. Abe is also expected to discuss stiff U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and urge Trump to exclude Japan, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters. The abductees' families last Friday urged Abe to seek Trump's help, saying this could be their last chance to win their aging loved ones' release. Japan has said North Korea abducted at least 17 Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s to train agents in Japanese language and culture to spy on South Korea. North Korea, after years of denials, acknowledged in 2002 abducting 13 Japanese. It allowed five of them to visit Japan later that year and they stayed but said the other eight had died, though their families say the North's comments cannot be trusted. Abe visited Trump's resort in February 2017, soon after the president took office. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn., announced Monday that she would not seek re-election this November amid accusations that she failed to protect her female staffers from a former chief of staff accused of harassment and abuse. In statement posted on Facebook, Esty said: "I have determined that it is in the best interest of my constituents and my family to end my time in Congress at the end of this year and not seek re-election." Esty had come under pressure to resign after reports by the Connecticut Post and The Washington Post revealed that Esty allowed her then-chief of staff, Tony Baker, to remain on the job in May 2016 despite knowledge of allegations that he physically harmed and threatened to "kill" another staffer. "Too many women have been harmed by harassment in the workplace," Esty wrote. "In the terrible situation in my office, I could have and should have done better. To the survivor, I want to express my strongest apology for letting you down." National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Matt Gorman said Esty's announcement marked "a sad day for Connecticut's 5th district. "Elizabeth Esty's coverup over her staffer's domestic violence scandal was as reprehensible as it was morally bankrupt," Gorman said. "The NRCC is ready to win this competitive seat this fall. Democrats won't be able to distance themselves from the stain Esty left on their brand." Esty has represented the district since 2013. A Republican was last elected to the seat in 2004. The district includes Newtown, where the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting massacre occurred. Esty has been a vocal advocate for stronger gun laws but has been mostly unable to pass any new federal legislation since the December 2012 shooting. She recently attended President Donald Trump's White House meeting on guns and other issues following the Parkland, Fla., school shooting. Connecticut Democrats praised Esty's decision not to seek re-election. "The truth is, too many facts about how this incident was handled fall short of appropriate standards for responsible and responsive leadership," said Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who had not publicly called for Esty to resign. "Congresswoman Esty made a difficult decision, but the right one for her and the constituents of her District," Rep. Rosa DeLauro said in a statement. Earlier Monday, Esty asked the House Ethics Committee to determine whether she did anything wrong in handling Baker's firing. In her letter to committee members, Esty said she learned through a third party in 2016 about possible misconduct by Baker involving a former staffer, who worked in her office from January 2013 to March 2015. Esty has said she fired Baker three months later after receiving an internal investigation report that revealed improper behavior by Baker that affected multiple female staffers. However, news reports last week revealed that Baker received a $5,000 taxpayer-funded severance payment from Esty, as well as a recommendation that landed him a job at the pro-gun control group Sandy Hook Promise. Staffers said Esty repaid the federal government last week with her personal funds. Before news of the controversy broke, Esty had issued press releases calling for tougher harassment protections for congressional staffers and was among those demanding that then-U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., resign amid allegations of misconduct. A spokesman for Baker, the former chief of staff, told the Connecticut Post and The Washington Post that he denies some of the allegations. A phone number listed for a Tony Baker in Columbus, Ohio, where the spokesman said the former chief of staff was living, was disconnected. An aide to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told Fox News that Esty informed Pelosi of her decision to not seek re-election in a phone conversation Monday. Earlier, Pelosi commended Esty's former employee Anna Kain for coming forward and telling her story, but stopped short of calling on the congresswoman to resign. "As Congresswoman Esty has acknowledged, her actions did not protect Ms. Kain and should have," Pelosi said in a written statement. "Congresswoman Esty has now appropriately requested an expedited review by the Ethics Committee." Fox News' Mike Emanuel and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt said Monday it would revise automobile emissions standards set by the Obama administration, slamming the Obama-era EPA as setting too strict standards, which he deemed not appropriate. The move, following Pruitts completion of the Midterm Evaluation process, would weaken greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards for vehicle models for years 2022 through 2025. The Obama EPAs determination was wrong, Pruitt said in a statement Monday. Obamas EPA cut the midterm evaluation process short with politically charged expediency, made assumptions about the standards that didnt comport with reality and set standards too high. The standards were introduced by former President Barack Obama in 2011. The measure required auto makers to increase fuel economy to 54.5 miles per gallon for cars and light-duty trucks by Model Year 2025. The Obama administration, at the time, said the standards would curb carbon pollution and cut more than 6 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas over the life of the program. Pruitt also said the EPA would examine a waiver granted to California under the Clean Air Act, which sets standards for vehicle tailpipe emissions of certain pollutants. The federal waiver granted by the EPA allowed California to impose stricter standards for emissions of certain pollutants than required by federal law. But the EPA said Monday that the California waiver is still being re-examined, setting the Trump administration up for what could be another legal battle with the state. Pruitts decision to begin rolling back fuel economy standards is a victory for big oil and major corporations at the expense of American consumers and clean air for our kids. As usual, the administration sides with big, powerful special interests over the interests of average American families, who will pay the price for lower miles per gallon and dirtier air, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., responded. Cooperative federalism doesnt mean that one state can dictate standards for the rest of the country, Pruitt said. EPA will set a national standard for greenhouse gas emissions that allows auto manufacturers to make cars that people both want and can affordwhile still expanding environmental and safety benefits of newer cars. Pruitt added that it was in everyones best interest to impose a national standard. Fox News' Jason Donner contributed to this report. The wife of a Florida congressman bonded out of jail Monday morning after being arrested late Sunday night for disorderly intoxication. Amanda Soto, married to Rep. Darren Soto of the states 9th district -- which includes Kissimmee, St. Cloud and parts of Orlando was arrested after an argument spiraled out of control, a representative from his office told Fox 35 Orlando. Yesterday, she drank too much and reached an argumentative state with a family member, which led to arrest, Sotos office said in a statement Monday. She deeply regrets her actions and takes full responsibility for them. The Democratic congressmans office also said Amanda Soto will be reviewing her mental health treatment following the arrest. My wife, Amanda, has for years suffered from depression and been under medical care, the statement said. In accordance with her treatment plan and under her doctor's supervision, she recently stopped using her medication. Amanda Soto bonded out of the jail on Monday morning, according to Fox 35 Orlando. Soto, who was elected to Congress in 2016, became the first Puerto Rican to represent Florida in the nations capital. Its been a long time coming, Soto had previously told Fox News. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., said in an interview Sunday that special counsel Robert Mueller was appointed far too early to investigate Russias alleged interference in the 2016 election. Johnson, who was on NBCs Meet the Press, said he wouldve much rather had the Senate and House Intelligence Committees complete their report prior to Mueller's selection. The head of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee said he is concerned that the position of special counsel hindered investigations, Politico reported. I just thought he was appointed too soon. I would've rather had the process play out, Johnson said. Because I think public disclosure, the public's right to know, is trumps everything else. President Trump last month trumpeted the House Intelligence Committee's report that it found "no evidence of collusion, coordination or conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russians" in an all-caps Twitter post. The top Democrat on the committee, California Rep. Adam Schiff, responded to Trump with tweet saying that the panel's Republicans "lack the courage to stand up to a President of their own party when the national interest necessitates it." Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told CNN Friday that he believes it's "likely" that Trump will try to fire Mueller. Coons said he's "very concerned" because Trump previously said it would be a "red line" if Mueller started investigating his personal finances and family's business. He noted that several weeks ago Mueller subpoenaed the Trump Organization for business documents, and Trump has since attacked the special counsel by name. Mueller, for his part, stated in a new court filing that former Trump campaign deputy chairman Rick Gates communicated with a person with ties to a Russian intelligence service in late 2016. Just last month, Mueller motioned to dismiss a charges brought against Gates in a superseding indictment in Virginia federal court, following Gates guilty plea to the first round of charges brought forth in October 2017. Alexander Mckenzie, a 31-year-old Army veteran who, according to court documents, is being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, recently had his gun confiscated by the Seattle Police Department even though he had committed no crime. Its one of 27 guns seized legally by the Seattle Police Department from 16 individuals since last July under Washington States new Extreme Risk Protection Order law. McKenzie had been acting strange, glaring at customers of a pizza restaurant while carrying his handgun. He now agrees with the firearm seizure. Im grateful that the police got the gun away from me, McKenzie told Fox News. Washington is one of six states with high risk or red flag laws. But in the wake of the Parkland school shooting, the Brady Campaign says at least 30 states are considering them. I think were seeing a building consensus in blue states and red states that this is a good way to balance public safety against peoples Second Amendment rights, said Jaron Lindbaum of Washington Ceasefire. Guns are removed for one year, but there is due process. Only family, roommates and police can petition the court for the civil order. The burden of proof is on the petitioner. A judge determines if the person is a danger to himself or others. If the order is issued, the guns can be seized immediately, but the gun owner gets to make his or her case in court within two weeks. Even gun rights advocates, who are afraid of government abuse, say it appears to be working. Weve seen the downside of people who are distraught or crazy taking out their problems on the general public, said Dave Workman of the Bellevue, Wash.-based Second Amendment Foundation. We dont want that to happen here. One petition to seize guns was turned down by a King County, Wash., judge. All others have been granted, including the taking of an AR-15 rifle. According to the pastors of the Cross and Crown Church in Seattle, a former member threatened to kill them and wished the recent church massacre in Sutherland Springs, Texas had happened there. Law enforcement is convinced the law is saving lives. I have no doubt, said King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg, it is the kind of tool we can use to prevent greater tragedies. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. A Supreme Court majority's support for an Arizona police officer involved in a shooting incident has brought a sharply worded rebuke from Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The high court on Monday blocked a lawsuit against Police Cpl. Andrew Kisela, who shot a Tucson woman four times in May 2010. Officers were called to Amy Hughes' house following a report that someone was hacking a tree with a knife. Trial testimony showed Hughes refused officers commands to drop the knife she was carrying, and continued to approached her roommate. Kisela and two other officers drew their service revolvers, and he fired four times in the minute-long incident. Hughes survived, then sued the University of Arizona Police Department officer, saying he used excessive force and acted unreasonably. She said she never raised the weapon at her roommate or at officers, and that the officer never warned her she would be shot for refusing to drop the large kitchen knife. A trial court backed Kisela, ruling he deserved qualified immunity from a civil lawsuit. But a federal appeals court reversed it, comparing the Tucson shooting in part to the 1992 Ruby Ridge standoff, where a safely embedded FBI sniper was indicted for manslaughter after shooting a man in the back during a days-long standoff involving the anti-government Weaver family. A deputy U.S. marshal and three members of the extended family were killed. In Monday's unsigned opinion, the high court majority concluded the comparison "did not pass the straight-face test." "Suffice it to say, a reasonable police officer could miss the connection between the situation confronting the sniper at Ruby Ridge and the situation confronting Kisela in Hughes' front yard," the justices said. But in dissent, Sotomayor suggested "Kisela violated Hughes' clearly established Fourth Amendment rights by needlessly resorting to lethal force." Backed by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sotomayor said the case should have gone to a jury. "Its decision is not just wrong on the law; it also sends an alarming signal to law enforcement officers and the public. It tells officers that they can shoot first and think later, and it tells the public that palpably unreasonable conduct will go unpunished," wrote Sotomayor. "Because there is nothing right or just under the law about this, I respectfully dissent." The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against California over a state law giving it the power to override the sale of federal lands, the department announced Monday. The suit marks the latest battle between President Trump and the nation's most populous state, where Democrats have tried aggressively to thwart the president's agenda. Last month, Sessions visited Sacramento to announce he was suing California over laws that restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Under the law, which was passed in September, California has the first right to purchase federal lands or to arrange for a specific buyer. Lawmakers had expressed concerns that the Trump administration would allow more logging, oil drilling or development. The Justice Department says California's law, which took effect Jan. 1, is delaying land sales -- even for projects that have been in the works for years -- and is depressing their value. The auction of 1.7 acres owned by the U.S. Postal Service was suspended when nobody bid, and a developer looking to purchase property at the now-closed Naval Air Station Alameda has requested a delay, the lawsuit contends. "The Constitution empowers the federal governmentnot state legislaturesto decide when and how federal lands are sold," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. "California was admitted to the Union upon the express condition that it would never interfere with the disposal of federal land. And yet, once again, the California legislature has enacted an extreme state law attempting to frustrate federal policy." In a second statement later Monday, Sessions decried the mounting litigation between the Justice Department, California and other states asking judges to invalidate pieces of the Trump agenda. He blasted "ideological judging" and "limitless injunctions" that he says allow just one judge to tie up the administration's policies. "Government-by-litigation isn't what the American people voted for and attempting to thwart an administration's elected agenda through endless, meritless lawsuits is a dangerous precedent," Sessions said. At the request of attorneys general in mostly Democratic states, judges have temporarily blocked Trump's decision to end a program protecting some immigrants living in the country illegally from deportation, withhold law enforcement grants from so-called sanctuary cities and ban transgender troops from the military. The lawsuit also cites the sale of Army property east of San Francisco, which the state declined to purchase. The State Lands Commission has requested information about a planned property sale in Santa Barbara County to decide whether to buy first, according to the lawsuit. "Yet again, Donald Trump and his administration are attacking our state and our very way of life," Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a member of the State Lands Commission and a Democrat running for governor, said in a statement. California Democrats welcomed the latest fight and vowed to defend the law. "Our public lands should not be on the auction block to the highest bidder," California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, said in a statement. "We're prepared, as always, to do what it takes to protect our people, our resources and our values." Fox News' Bill Mears and The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Trump blasted the Justice Department and the FBI on Monday, accusing the independent agencies of slow walking the process of turning over requested documents regarding alleged corruption to Congress. So sad that the Department of Justice and the FBI are slow walking, or even not giving, the unredacted documents requested by Congress. An embarrassment to our country! Trump tweeted Monday. This is not the first time the president has criticized his attorney general. This tweet comes after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that he would not appoint a second special counsel, at this point, to investigate alleged Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) abuses, or certain issues involving the FBI, the Clinton Foundation and the sale of Uranium One. Instead, Sessions revealed the federal prosecutor who is evaluating those issues outside of Washington D.CU.S. Attorney John Huber. Mr. Huber is conducting his work from outside the Washington D.C. area and in cooperation with the Inspector General, Sessions said, noting that Hubers review would include a full, complete, and objective evaluation of these matters in a manner that is consistent with the law and facts. Huber is a federal prosecutor, twice confirmed unanimously by the Senate as U.S. attorney for the District of Utah in 2015 and again in 2017. Huber previously served in leadership roles within the U.S. Attorneys Office as national security section chief and executive assistant U.S. attorney. Sessions made the announcement in a letter directed to top Republican lawmakers in both chambers of Congress - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy. I receive regular updates from Mr. Huber and upon the conclusion of his review, will receive his recommendations as to whether any matters not currently under investigation should be opened, whether any matters currently under investigation require further resources, or whether any matters merit the appointment of a Special Counsel, Sessions said. Huber ultimately would be the prosecutor to decide whether issues raised by Republicans in Congress warrant the appointment of a second special counsel, Sessions said. The attorney general cited U.S. Code, noting that the appointment of a special counsel was "reserved for use in only the most 'extraordinary circumstances,'" and that any special counsel must be "selected from outside the United States Government." "To justify such an appointment, the Attorney General would need to conclude that 'the public interest would be served by removing a large degree of responsibility for the matter from the Department of Justice," the letter read. Sessions added, "The Department has successfully investigated and prosecuted many high-profile resource-intensive matters since the regulations were promulgated in 1999, but the regulations' standard has been found to be satisfied on only two occasions," and said it was "more common" to appoint "accountable prosecutors" to conduct investigations within the department. Gowdy and Goodlatte said that while they continue to believe the appointment of a special counsel is necessary, they said this is a step in the right direction. In terms of the FBI, Director Christopher Wray agreed that the current pace of production is too slow, and announced last week that he would double the number of agents handling records for the House Judiciary Committee, after Goodlatte subpoenaed the Justice Department for documents on FISA, the Clinton email investigation and the firing of former FBI Director Andrew McCabe. We have dedicated 27 FBI staff to review the records that are potentially responsive to Chairman Goodlattes requests, Wray said in a statement, adding that he was doubling the number of assigned FBI staff, for a total of 54, to cover two shifts per day from 8am to midnight to expedite completion of this project. The White House said Monday that President Trump discussed a possible meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the near future, suggesting the White House as a potential venue for the summit. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders released a statement on Monday in response to reports from the Kremlin that Trump had invited Putin to a meeting at the White House, but had yet to begin any preparations for the potential visit. As the President himself confirmed on March 20, hours after his last call with President Putin, the two had discussed a bilateral meeting in the not-too-distant future at a number of potential venues, including the White House, Sanders said Monday. We have nothing further to add at this time. If a Trump-Putin meeting does take place at the White House, it will mark the first time the Russian president visited 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue since the George W. Bush administration. Putin visited the White House in both November 2001 and September 2005. At the time, former President George W. Bush said, this is a new day in the long history of Russian-American relations, a day of progress and a day of hope. The telephone conversation between Trump and Putin took place on March 20. Trump congratulated Putin on winning the Russian presidential election two days earlier, despite warnings from his National Security Council suggesting he not congratulate Putin. I called President Putin of Russia to congratulate him on his election victory (in past, Obama called him also.) The Fake News Media is crazed because they wanted me to excoriate him. They are wrong! Getting along with Russia (and others) is a good thing, not a bad thing. Trump tweeted a day after his phone call. They can help solve problems with North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, ISIS, Iran and even the coming Arms Race, Trump tweeted, adding, Bush tried to get along, but didnt have the smarts. Obama and Clinton tried, but didnt have the energy of chemistry (remember RESET.) PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH. Both the White House and the Kremlin have confirmed that neither government has begun to arrange a potential meeting between the two leaders. Putin aide Yuri Ushakov told Russian news agencies on Monday that their government did not have time to begin to schedule a meeting before the U.S. joined Britain and more than two dozen allies in sanctioning Russia over the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy in England. Fox News' Rich Edson, John Roberts and The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Trump let loose on Mexico and congressional Democrats in a series of early morning tweets Monday as a caravan of Central American immigrants makes its way largely unfettered through Mexico on its way to the United States southern border. Mexico has the absolute power not to let these large Caravans of people enter their country, Trump tweeted. They must stop them at their Northern Border, which they can do because their border laws work, not allow them to pass through into our country, which has no effective border laws..... Trump began his Twitter tirade on immigration over the weekend from his home in Florida, where he threatened to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico unless it does more to stop people from crossing into the U.S. He claimed they're coming to take advantage of protections granted certain immigrants. Mexico is doing very little, if not NOTHING, at stopping people from flowing into Mexico through their Southern Border, and then into the U.S., the president tweeted. They laugh at our dumb immigration laws. They must stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL! The president's tweets came after Fox News' "Fox & Friends" reported early Sunday on what it said is a group of 1,200 immigrants, mostly from Honduras, headed to the U.S. The segment was a follow-up to a report by Buzzfeed News on hundreds of Central Americans making their way through Mexico in hopes that American authorities will grant them asylum or be absent when they attempt to cross the border. Mexico has got to help us at the border," Trump told reporters before he and first lady Melania Trump attended Easter services at an Episcopal church near his Palm Beach home on Sunday. "If they're not going to help us at the border, it's a very sad thing between our two countries." "A lot of people are coming in because they want to take advantage of DACA," he added, although it was not immediately clear what Trump was referring to when he said people are coming to take advantage of the program. Former President Barack Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to provide temporary protection and work permits to hundreds of thousands of immigrants who are living in the U.S. illegally after being brought here as children. Trump ended the program last year, but gave Congress six months to pass legislation enshrining it. A deal has so far proved elusive and Trump has blamed Democrats. DACA is dead because the Democrats didnt care or act, and now everyone wants to get onto the DACA bandwagon... No longer works, Trump tweeted Monday morning. Must build Wall and secure our borders with proper Border legislation. Democrats want No Borders, hence drugs and crime! Trump promised during the 2016 presidential campaign to build a Southern border wall to stop illegal immigration and drugs from Mexico, but Congress has frustrated him by not moving as quickly as he wants to provide money for construction. Last month, Congress passed a $1.3 trillion funding package that included $1.6 billion in border wall spending. But much of that money can only be used to repair existing segments, not build new sections. Congress also put restrictions on the types of barriers that can be built. The president also complained on Twitter that border patrol agents can't do their jobs properly because of "ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws" that allow people caught for being in the country illegally to be released while they await a hearing before a federal immigration judge. Trump tweeted that the situation is "Getting more dangerous" and threatened to use a Nuclear Option if necessary to stem the flow of immigrants coming into the country. Trump has previously called for the nuclear option which would require the Senate to change rules to end the filibuster. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has dismissed the option in the past, saying Republicans will welcome the filibuster when they return to being the Senate minority. The White House did not immediately answer questions about Trumps tweets. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Congressional Democrats have led efforts to end sexual harassment and abuse on Capitol Hill, but remain silent about whether Connecticut Democrat Rep. Elizabeth Esty should resign for failing to take swift action after learning about alleged harassment and physical abuse in her Washington office. None of the members of the states congressional delegation -- two senators and the four other House members -- have yet to call for the resignation of Esty, an outspoken advocate for the #MeToo movement. The offices of the four House members -- Reps. Joe Courtney, Rosa DeLauro, Jim Himes and John Larson -- did not immediately respond Monday to requests for a statement. "I'm deeply disappointed. I'm just learning the facts," Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Thursday, following newspaper reports that Esty did not suspend or fire the chief of staff until three months after learning about the allegations against him in 2016. Asked whether the three-term House member should resign, Blumenthal said, "What she does in the future is really a decision for her constituents. She needs to talk to her constituents." Chris Murphy, the states other Democratic senator, said he was disappointed in Estys actions -- but also didnt call for her to resign. This clearly wasnt handled the way it should have been, he told The Connecticut Post. I talked to Elizabeth, and Im glad she acknowledges this. Nobody working in a congressional office or any other setting should feel afraid to come to work. Protecting victims of workplace harassment needs to come first, and the rules of Congress need to change to ensure that happens. Tony Baker, the Esty chief of staff at the time of the alleged incidents, purportedly called a female staffer with whom he had a romantic relationship nearly 50 times on May 5, 2016, and allegedly punched her while in the congresswomans Washington office. In addition, the woman, Anna Kain, provided a voicemail tape to The Washington Post in which Baker purportedly said: You better f-----g reply to me or I will f-----g kill you. A spokesman for Baker said he denies some of the allegations. Esty, who has apologized, conducted an internal review of her office practices in which she discovered a pattern of behavior affecting many female staffers and that Bakers threat of violence was not an isolated incident." She purportedly was advised by the Office of House Employment Counsel to enter into a nondisclosure agreement with Baker and gave him $5,000 in severance pay and a job recommendation. None of our staff deserve to be harassed or treated with disrespect as some of my staff were, Esty also said in a letter to fellow House Democrats that was obtained by Fox News. I was horrified and angry to learn that someone I put my trust into could victimize a member of my staff, someone I respect and care deeply about. She concluded by suggesting everybody on Capitol Hill could do better in such situations, saying, We can and must do better. As members of Congress, we are all responsible for ensuring that we provide a safe and supportive environment for our staff. I cant rewrite the past -- but I can help right the future. The Office of House Employment Counsel has come under scrutiny amid recent cases of sexual harrassment on Capitol Hill, with critics, including Virginia GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock, suggesting it needs more transparency. Esty has not indicated that she will resign. A person who answered the phone Monday at her Capitol Hill office said somebody would respond to questions about whether the congresswoman has changed her mind or if she still intends to seek re-election in November. Over the weekend, the pressure mounted on Esty to resign, as state Democrats called on her to leave office. On Saturday, Connecticut Senate President Martin Looney was among at least six state Democrats calling for Esty to resign, following such calls from Republicans and others. Congresswoman Esty has long been a conscientious leader in the fight against harassment and abuse in the workplace, Looney said. However... if the facts of this matter involving former staff of the congresswomans office are as they are alleged to be in recent news articles, then Congresswoman Esty should do the right thing and resign. The other state Democrats asking Esty to resign reportedly include state Sens. Paul Doyle, Mae Flexer and Cathy Osten; Susan Bysiewicz, a Democratic candidate for governor; and Chris Mattei, a Democratic candidate for state attorney general. Among the Republicans quick to call for Estys resignation was Manny Santos, a former Republican mayor in Connecticut and Estys presumptive opponent in Novembers election. In an editorial calling on Esty to resign, the Hartford Courant said Esty's answers so far have been disappointing, saying "she has blamed the system and hasn't taken nearly enough responsibility for her own actions." The Courant added that "time was up for John Conyers and now time is up for Elizabeth Esty." Fox News Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this story. 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. The White House is hitting back at former Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin for claiming that he was fired from his job and that he was only informed about it shortly before President Donald Trump tweeted about his replacement. The Trump administration says he left his job willingly amid a bruising ethics scandal and mounting rebellion within the agency. The semantics of whether Shulkin resigned or was fired could be relevant to Trump's ability to name an acting secretary to temporarily fill his place. On Sunday, chagrined by Shulkin's public statements blaming his ouster on unfair "political forces" in the Trump administration, the White House circulated a "talking points" memo to some veterans groups in a bid to discredit him. Shulkin maintains that he never submitted a resignation letter. "I came to run the Department of Veterans Affairs because I'm committed to veterans," Shulkin said. "And I would not resign because I'm committed to making sure this job was seen through to the very end." HOWARD KURTZ: VA chief's firing portrayed as chaotic, but Trump had some good reasons The semantics could be relevant to Trump's ability to name an acting VA secretary to temporarily fill Shulkin's place. Last week, Trump named Defense Department official Robert Wilkie to the acting position, bypassing Shulkin's deputy secretary, Tom Bowman. Bowman has come under criticism for being too moderate to push Trump's agenda. Under federal law, a president has wide authority to temporarily fill a federal agency job if someone "dies, resigns, or is otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of the office." There is no mention of a president having that authority if the person is fired. Still, it's unclear if courts would seek to draw a legal distinction between a firing and a forced resignation, if that is indeed what happened to Shulkin. Shulkin, a former hospital executive, fired back in a New York Times op-ed that called the atmosphere in Washington "toxic, chaotic, disrespectful and subversive." He complained that he had "been falsely accused of things by people who wanted me out of the way ... It should not be this hard to serve your country." The Associated Press contributed to this report A defunct Chinese space lab has re-entered Earth's atmosphere and mostly burned up, authorities in Beijing said late Sunday. It was not immediately clear if the remains of the space station, known as Tiangong-1, had been accounted for. Earlier forecasts had said only about 10 percent of the bus-sized, 8.5-ton spacecraft would likely survive re-entry, mainly its heavier components such as its engines. The U.S. Strategic Command's Joint Force Space Component Command confirmed that Tiangong-1 re-entered Earth's atmopshere over the South Pacific Ocean at 8:16 p.m. ET. Launched in 2011, Tiangong-1 was China's first space station, serving as an experimental platform for bigger projects, such as the Tiangong-2 launched in September 2016 and a future permanent Chinese space station. Two crews of Chinese astronauts lived on the station while testing docking procedures and other operations. Its last crew departed in 2013 and contact with it was cut in 2016. Although the Chinese station has received intense media coverage, each year around 1,000 large objects such as lost satellites and rocket stages fall back to Earth. These numbers are projected to increase over the coming years as more and more satellites are placed into orbit. Only one person is known to have been hit by falling space debris: American woman Lottie Williams, who was struck but not injured by a falling piece of a U.S. Delta II rocket while exercising in an Oklahoma park in 1997. Most famously, America's 77-ton Skylab crashed through the atmosphere in 1979, spreading pieces of wreckage near the southwestern Australia city of Perth, which fined the U.S. $400 for littering. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A monkey in Indias eastern state of Odisha is being hunted by police after it allegedly snatched and killed a baby. The babys body was later found inside a well, the BBC reports. The 16-day-old baby was sleeping next to his mother in the village of Talabasta when he was snatched by the monkey, according to the Times of India. Officials combed nearby forests in a frantic search for the baby. The infants body was found by a relative in a well behind his home on Sunday, a day after he was taken, according to the BBC. SHOCKING VIDEO SHOWS TERRIFYING LEOPARD ATTACK IN INDIAN CITY A doctor told the BBC that there were no marks on the baby indicating serious injury, who appeared to have drowned. Police are working with a local tribe in an attempt to catch the monkey. While monkeys often damage property in the area, officials described the tragic incident as a very rare case, the BBC reports. REMARKABLE VIDEO SHOWS TIGER AND BEAR LOCKED IN FEROCIOUS FIGHT Earlier this year, media reports and wildlife experts said at least three children have been killed by leopards in a series of attacks in rural India. Last month, a video emerged of a terrifying leopard attack that left four people injured in India. The Times of India reported that the leopard sparked chaos after wandering into a neighborhood of the central Indian city of Indore. The Associated Press contributed to this article. When it comes to this ancient monitor lizard, the nickname "four eyes" is all too accurate. Scientists recently took a closer look at fossils of the reptile and discovered it had two extra eyes on top of its head. The lizard, known as "Saniwa ensidens," was unearthed nearly 150 years ago in the Bridger Basin in southwestern Wyoming. But it wasn't until recently that scientists found -- using a computed tomography (CT) scanner -- that the ancient creature is the only known jawed vertibrate to roam the Earth with four eyes, according to a study published Monday in the journal "Current Biology." This tells us how easy it is, in terms of evolution, to self-assemble a complex organ under certain circumstances, Yale paleontologist Bhart-Anjan Bhullar and co-author of the study told YaleNews. Eyes are classically thought of as these remarkably complex structures. In fact, the brain is just waiting to make eyes at all times. Researchers from Yale and Germany's Senckenberg Research Institute teamed up to prove that the fourth eye suggests lizards may have evolved differently than other vertebrates, such as frogs and fish. "Eyes are classically thought of as these remarkably complex structures. In fact, the brain is just waiting to make eyes at all times." Bhart-Anjan Bhullar, paleontologist "This fourth eye confirms that the third eye in lizards is a parapineal derivative," the study explains. "The evolution of the pineal shows not only parallel reductions but also elaboration." Most jawed vertebrates have a pineal organ, which researchers refer to as a "third eye" that acts as an internal clock. But many believe the lizard's third eye developed from another organ known as the parapineal -- and researchers are pointing to this study as proof. By discovering a four-eyed lizard, in which both the pineal and parapineal formed an eye on the top of the head, we could show that the lizard third eye really is different from the third eye of other vertebrates, lead author Krister Smith, who works for the Senckenberg Research Institute, told YaleNews. Using a CT scanner, researchers were able to more closely examine 1870s samples of the creature, which is approximately 49 million years old, and create 3D images to help them get a better look at their third and fourth eyes on top of the head. "The CT scans showed that the ancient monitor lizard ... had spaces in its skull where a fourth eye would have sat," LiveScience reports. The tests helped support researchers' theory that "pineal and parapineal eyes were not a pair of organs," YaleNews reports. However, more research needs to be done to determine how and when the lizard's third eye developed, researchers say -- and they plan to do just that. Its important to recognize that theres nothing mystical about the pineal and parapineal organs, Smith said. They can sense light and play a role in the endocrine system. However, some of the abilities conferred by the pineal are really quite extraordinary. For instance, some lower vertebrates can sense the polarization of light with the third eye and use this to orient themselves geographically. A massive World War II shipwreck has been raised from the bottom of a harbor in Sri Lanka 75 years after the vessel was sunk following an attack by Japanese forces. The SS Saigang, a British passenger and cargo ship, was hit by Japanese bomber attacks on April 9, 1942, while at anchor in Trincomalee harbor. With fires raging, the ship was abandoned. On August 24, 1943, the damaged vessel was deliberately sunk in 35 feet of water to create a pier for naval ships. Authorities in Sri Lanka, however, have decided to move the wreck to create more space in the harbor. WRECK OF THE USS JUNEAU, FAMOUS FOR THE DEATHS OF THE 5 SULLIVAN BROTHERS, DISCOVERED IN PACIFIC After a five-month operation, the huge 453-foot hull was recently raised by Sri Lankas Navy. As part of the mammoth salvage effort, Navy divers worked to restore damage on the rusted hull and strengthen the ships structure. Divers even installed an artificial side to the vessel as part of an effort to recover lost buoyancy by dewatering the ship, according to a Sri Lankan Navy statement. The ship started its ascent to the surface on March 22. News 1st reports that after being towed to the sea off Trincomalee, the wreck was sunk again on Friday as part of an effort to preserve it. Launched in 1924, the merchant ship was used to transport passengers and goods between the U.K. and Burma, according to the Wrecksite website. On the day of the Japanese attack, the Saigang was transporting aircraft and ammunition for the allied war effort, most of which was saved. FLORIDA BEACHGOERS DISCOVER 'HOLY GRAIL OF SHIPWRECKS' AFTER REMAINS OF 18TH CENTURY SHIP WASH ASHORE The Saigang is just the latest shipwreck to grab the headlines. Last month, for example, the wreck of the USS Juneau, which was sunk by a Japanese torpedo with the loss 687 sailors in 1942, was discovered by billionaire Paul Allens crew. Beachgoers in Florida recently discovered the holy grail of shipwrecks after the remains of an 18th century ship washed up on Ponte Vedra Beach. Shipwreck hunters also say they've found the remains of a schooner that sank in Lake Michigan in 1873. Fox News Madeline Farber and the Associated Press contributed to this article. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers For the 18th year in a row, Google has no doodle to celebrate Easter, and Christians are angry on this holy day. Paul Joseph Watson, Infowars editor-at-large, tweeted Sunday about Christianitys most joyful day: So Google has a doodle for every obscure woke person/event imaginable, but nothing for Easter? #EasterSunday James Woods retweeted it, saying: They loathe Christians. Plain and simple. The search giant did find room to celebrate April Fools Day by inserting a Wheres Waldo? game into Google Maps. Many took to Twitter with jokes about Googles erasure of Easter, which celebrates Christianitys core belief that Jesus rose from the dead following crucifixion. Lots of users sent snarky tweets showing the blank Google homepage of the day ignoring Easter. In response, Google told Fox News it celebrated Easter in its own way with a tweet noting the holiday. The last time Google celebrated Easter was April 23, 2000, with two candy eggs for the os in Google. When contacted by Fox News, Google said, We dont have Doodles for religious holidays, in line with our current Doodle guidelines. Doodles may appear for some non-religious celebrations that have grown out of religious holidays, such as Valentines Day, Holis Festival of Colors, Tu BAv and the December holiday period, but we dont include religious imagery or symbolism as part of these. Among the holidays the tech giant regularly celebrates with Google Doodles other than Easter Sunday, are Earth Day, Martin Luther King Day, Lunar New Year, Halloween, St. Patricks Day, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, as The Tennessee Star notes. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Missouris Republican attorney general on Monday launched an investigation into Facebooks use of personal data. Josh Hawley's office is demanding that the social media giant discloses every time it shared data with a political group and how much such groups paid for the data, according to a civil investigative demand dated Monday. The demand notice was first reported by Bloomberg and came at the time Facebook is under heavy criticism following the revelations about how Cambridge Analytica, a data-driven consulting company based in Britain, used the social media platform and gained access to personal data of about 50 million users. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly agreed to testify before the U.S. Congress, but the exact date of the appearance remains unclear. The company shed nearly $80 billion of its value since the controversy began last month. FACEBOOK CEO MARK ZUCKERBERG TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS: REPORT Hawley is requesting a timeline of Facebooks interaction with Cambridge Analytica and Aleksandr Kogan, the academic who created a Facebook quiz and later passed on the collected data to the UK-based company, according to Bloomberg. The investigative demand also asks to disclose documents, communications, and evidence about Facebooks meetings with the Obama campaign, who similarly used the platform to gather peoples information during the 2012 election. CLINTON CAMPAIGN APP MAY HAVE HARVESTED FACEBOOK DATA OF MILLIONS The Republican attorney generals probe will determine whether Facebook was involved in deception, fraud or false promises, in violation of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, Bloomberg reported. Facebook must provide information, including how many users of the platform were included in the 50 million people that Kogan gathered data on and whether any sensitive private information was exposed, by May 29. As the chief law enforcement officer in the state, I will pursue those who mishandle the private information of Missourians, Hawley said in a statement. Which company cares about you more? Apple or Facebook? Last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook raised eyebrows when he suggested that Facebook's whole business model was flawed for prioritizing advertisers over actual users. "I wouldn't be in this situation," Cook said in comments weighing in on the Cambridge Analytica scandal engulfing Facebook. Apparently, the criticism didn't sit well with Mark Zuckerberg, who has decided to hit back. In a new interview, Facebook's CEO called Cook's argument, "extremely glib and not at all aligned with the truth." "If you want to build a service which is not just serving rich people, then you need to have something that people can afford," he said in an interview with Vox Media published on Monday. The verbal jabs revolve around Facebook's business model, which is built off your data to craft targeted ads. Unfortunately, the company's data-mining processes can be abused. Last month, news emerged that 50 million Facebook users had their personal details transferred to a UK political consultancy called Cambridge Analytica without their consent, sparking a firestorm of criticism against the social media giant. Apple's CEO has also been alarmed by the privacy abuse. In an interview with Recode, Cook took a shot at Facebook's ad-based business model, saying in an interview: "The truth is, we could make a ton of money if we monetized our customer if our customer was our product. We've elected not to do that." In other words: Apple prioritizes privacy because it can. After all, the company sells hardware, not your data. In the same interview, Cook also called for regulation to limit what data Facebook and other companies can pull from customers. Facebook initially remained quiet on Cook's comments. But on Monday, Zuckerberg called out Apple's criticism and took a swipe at the company's pricey hardware. "I think it's important that we don't all get Stockholm syndrome and let the companies that work hard to charge you more convince you that they actually care more about you. Because that sounds ridiculous to me," he said. Facebook's CEO made the comments as he tries to restore trust in the company. Zuckerberg is promising a privacy policy revamp, but bad news continues to mar the platform's reputation. Last week, a controversial internal memo from a Facebook leaked that involved a senior executive championing the company's growth even if it came at the expense of someone's death. In Monday's interview, Zuckerberg said he was focused on the best interests of the Facebook community, adding; "We are not at the whims of short-term shareholders." But he admitted his company failed to forsee how bad actors could abuse the platform. "When we started, we thought about how good it would be if people could connect, if everyone had a voice. Frankly, we didn't spend enough time investing in, or thinking through, some of the downside uses of the tools," he said. To address the problems, Zuckerberg said he's focusing on making Facebook more transparent. "I think we will dig through this hole, but it will take a few years," he added. This article originally appeared on PCMag.com. A laptop computer with suspicious-looking wires was deemed to pose no threat to travelers at Illinois MidAmerica Airport following a bomb scare on Sunday. The Illinois Secretary of State Police had originally deployed a bomb squad to the Mascoutah, Ill. Airport on Sunday at around 2 p.m. after TSA officials flagged the passengers computer during screening, KMOV reported. BED BUGS FOUND AT KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Several flights out of the airport were canceled while officials inspected the device, and passengers on incoming flights were held on their aircraft for more than three hours before allowing travelers to deplane at MidAmerica. "Very traumatic and unfortunate the staff just wasn't prepared for what happened, we've been sitting on the plane for over three hours," passenger Mark Davis told KMOV. "The engines were turned to idle so there was no heat so its just been traumatic and kind of claustrophobic. AIRPORT OFFICIALS FIND TEEN HIDING 'IN OR AROUND' PLANE'S WHEEL WELL The airport announced the device was harmless at around 5 p.m., according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch. It turned out to be a laptop with a connected hard drive. The airline thanked passengers for their patience via Twitter, but passengers were later told some of their Allegiant flights would not be rescheduled, Fox 2 News reported. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Others were also upset about being kept in the dark as to the nature of the cancelations, with one passenger, Mike Arnold, telling KMOV that airport officials were keeping people away but not offering any explanation. "And when we find out that it was something suspicious, you kinda wonder why we werent evacuated from the building, he added. A representative for MidAmerica confirmed to Fox News that operations were "back to normal" as of Sunday evening. Allegiant Air also tells Fox that a total of five flights were canceled, and flight crews "hit their maximum duty time" while waiting for the airport's investigation to conclude. As a result, they could not continue with their flights. Passengers were offered refunds for the unflown portion of their trips, or allowed to rebook on separate Allegiant flights for no added fees, the airline stated. The second time may prove to be the charm for one Kentucky couple. Harold Holland, 83, and Lillian Barnes, 78, are planning to marry later this month -- 50 years after they got divorced, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports. We decided we want to walk the last mile together, Holland told the newspaper. The couple first tied the knot on Christmas Eve in 1955 and had five children before divorcing in 1968, the report added. Holland says work kept him away from the family prior to the split. It was 100 percent my fault, he said of the marriage breaking down. TEEN BATTLING CANCER CROWNED HONORARY PROM QUEEN BY SOUTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL Both remarried and their spouses died in 2015. After that, Holland and Barnes went to a family reunion and were discussing getting hitched by last December, the newspaper explained. Well go do whatever we want to, whenever we want to do it. Ill take her wherever she wants to go, Holland said. The wedding is slated to happen April 14 at a Baptist church in Lexington, with the couples grandson officiating, according to the report. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Affluenza teen" Ethan Couch who was convicted in 2013 of a drunk driving crash that killed four people was released from a Texas detention center Monday. Couch, 20, was released from Tarrant County Detention Center in Fort Worth where he was serving time after violating the terms of his probation relating to the deadly crash. Couch was seen leaving the probation office and getting into a black Tesla with tinted black windows. He did not talk to reporters on his way into the vehicle. Renee Loper, Couch's lawyer, said in a statement his client felt "true remorse for the terrible consequences of his actions." "Now, nearly five years after this horrific event, Ethan does not wish to draw attention to himself and requests privacy so he may focus on successfully completing his community supervision and going forward as a law-abiding citizen," Loper's statement said. Couchs release from jail is a grave injustice, MADD president Colleen Sheehey-Church told FOX4 News. She said the organization would be monitoring his release closely. He killed four people. I mean, these people were on the side of the road helping others. It was a grave injustice, she told the station. Unfortunately, watching this particular young man was very tough to watch because there was no remorse. Upon his release, Couch will be forced to adhere to a 9 p.m. curfew, and will have to wear a GPS tracker and an alcohol monitor, CBS Dallas-Fort Worth reported. Defense psychologist Dr. Dick Miller convinced a judge in 2013 that Couchs actions could be blamed on affluenza. Miller argued that Couchs wealthy upbringing led to a pervasive irresponsibility that left him incapable of possessing a common sense of right and wrong. Couchs parents "taught him a system that's 180 degrees from rational, Miller said at the sentencing. If you hurt someone, say you're sorry. In that family, if you hurt someone, send some money." The terms of Couchs probation required him to abstain from drinking alcohol, but he appeared in a 2015 video playing a drinking game at a party. He then skipped out on a meeting with a probation officer and fled to Mexico with his mother, Tonya Couch. The two were eventually captured in Puerto Vallarta after police tracked their cellphones when the pair attempted to order Dominos pizza, according to the Dallas Morning-News. Fox News Stephen Sorace and the Associated Press contributed to this report. A retired Air Force sergeant who was forcibly removed two years ago from a military retirement ceremony as he recited a traditional passage honoring the flag filed a lawsuit Monday, claiming he was ousted for mentioning the word "God." Senior Master Sgt. Oscar Rodriguez was invited to speak at an April 3, 2016 ceremony by an outgoing fellow master sergeant from the 749th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. Video of the event showed Rodriguez being physically removed by service members at Travis Air Force Base in California as he was delivering a flag-folding speech. On Monday, two years after the incident, Rodriguez sued the U.S. Air Force, demanding an apology and admission of wrongdoing. In an interview with Fox News, he claimed his First Amendment rights were violated. "This is about my constitutional right," Rodriguez said of the suit. "I was removed from the speech because my script mentioned God. Air force officials did not want me to utter those words," he told Fox News. "There was no direct communication between the Air Force and myself to forbid me from making this speech." The U.S. Air Force declined to comment Monday on pending litigation. In a statement released last year, officials said, "Evidence indicated Mr. Rodriguez was removed by members of the squadron because he attempted to participate in the ceremony even though his participation had been disapproved by the hosting squadron commander... When it became clear that Mr. Rodriguez intended to act inconsistent with the commander's restrictions he was removed by several squadron NCOs (noncommissioned officers). The inquiry found no evidence that the NCOs were motivated to impair Mr. Rodriguez's constitutional rights of freedom of speech or religion." At the time of the event, a spokeswoman from the reserve told Fox News the confrontation stemmed from "an unplanned participation" at the event. "Rodriguez ignored numerous requests to respect the Air Force prescribed ceremony and unfortunately was forcibly removed," a Travis official said in a statement to Fox News following the incident. Rodriguez claimed his recitation of an old version of the "Flag Folding Ceremony Air Force Script," which was later scrubbed because of religious references, prompted his ouster. Rodriguez delivered the speech at the request of Master Sgt. Chuck Roberson, who was retiring from the U.S. Air Force after 27 years of service. "Let us pray that God will reflect with admiration the willingness of one nation in her attempts to rid the world of tyranny, oppression, and misery," part of the flag-folding speech reads. "It is this one nation under God that we call, with honor, the United States of America." The speech closes with the words, "God bless our flag. God bless our troops. God bless America." Even though the Air Force revised the script in 2006, Rodriguez claimed it was his right -- and Roberson's right -- to invoke the older version. Lawyers representing Rodriguez said Monday that the dispute between the veteran and the Air Force was over his plans to recite a speech mentioning God. Rodriguez was known on the base to recite such passages, and Air Force officials tried to prevent him from doing so at the retirement ceremony, his attorneys claimed. "[The U.S. Air Force] did not have the authority to ban him from the base and they did not have the authority to ban him from participating in the ceremony," said Hiram Sasser, general counsel for First Liberty Institute and one of the lead attorneys in the case. First Liberty identifies itself as a legal team "dedicated exclusively to protecting religious liberty for all Americans." The complaint -- filed late Monday -- claimed officers at the base exchanged an email shortly after the incident. In that email, an officer -- whose name was redacted -- suggested filing assault charges against the men who removed Rodriguez from the ceremony, the lawsuit stated. Rodriguez's attorney said they believe that email bolsters their case. According to a U.S. Air Force official, flag folding scripts that are religious in nature can be used for retirement ceremonies. "I can't speak to the specific incident," Ann Stefanek, an Air Force spokeswoman, told Fox News in 2016. "[But] Air Force personnel may use a flag folding ceremony script that is religious for retirement ceremonies." Stefanek continued, "Since retirement ceremonies are personal in nature, the script preference for a flag folding ceremony is at the discretion of the individual being honored and represents the member's views, not those of the Air Force." In a statement to Fox News, Roberson confirmed that it was his wish to have Rodriguez recite the speech at his retirement ceremony. "I wanted the ceremony to reflect the American values I spent my career defending respect for God, family, and country," Roberson said. "I couldnt believe what happened. I still cant believe it. All I want now is for the Air Force to apologize for ruining this once in a lifetime moment but they refuse to do so," he said. The U.S. Army Special Operations soldier killed by a roadside bomb in Syria last week was on a kill or capture mission to take out a known ISIS member, the Pentagon revealed Monday. Master Sgt. Jonathan Dunbar, a 36-year-old from Austin, Texas, was identified Saturday as one of the victims. His death Thursday marked the first time this year an American service member has been killed in Syria, two U.S. officials told Fox News. Coalition forces, in an advise, assist and accompany capacity with our partners, were conducting a mission to kill or capture a known ISIS member when they were struck by an improvised explosive device, said Marine Maj. Adrian J.T. Rankine-Galloway, a Pentagon spokesman. This operation was part of the Coalition's mission to defeat ISIS, and we remain focused on our mission. A British special forces soldier was also killed in the attack and five other coalition members were wounded, the Pentagon added. Prior to the mission in northern Syria, Dunbar had been deployed multiple times to Afghanistan and Iraq. The Pentagon said he had earned the Bronze Star Medal and the Army Commendation Medal, among numerous other honors. A 13-year-old boy was found alive and talking Monday about a mile from the spot where he plunged 25 feet into a drainage ditch at Los Angeles Griffith Park on Sunday. Jesse Hernandez was found Monday morning after a 12-hour frantic search involving more than 100 California firefighters. Authorities searched through the underground system of sewage pipes Los Angeles Police Sgt. Bruno La Hoz described as a maze. Cameras were used to look into the pipes, where the boy was located. Jesse was given a cell phone so he could immediately call family. Firefighter/Paramedics provided immediate medical care, decontamination and transport to a local hospital for a complete medical evaluation, the Los Angeles Fire Department said Monday. The Mayor's Crisis Response Team was also at the command post throughout the night providing welcomed support to the family. "We witnessed an incredible team effort by many public safety agencies," the Los Angeles Police Department tweeted after the boy was located. Hernandez was with at least two family members, reportedly his cousins, around 4:30 p.m. Sunday when the wooden plank beneath the 13-year-old broke, causing him to fall into the 4-foot-wide pipe. The boys were playing in a maintenance shed above a ditch that feeds into the Los Angeles River, FOX11 LA reported. "One was jumping on top of a wooden plank, perhaps not knowing that it led into a drainage pipe," Hoz told KTLA."The plank gave, the wood broke, and the kid fell right through it. The Hernandez family spends a day at Griffith Park as an Easter tradition, according to the Los Angeles Times. Authorities launched an immediate search for the boy but couldnt find him hours after the incident. Hoz described the sewage pipe system as a disorienting labyrinth. "That place is a maze," Hoz said. "We don't know where the drain pipe goes to." Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman David Ortiz initially said rescuers couldn't enter the drainage area themselves because of the hazardous environment. Closed circuit cameras that could crawl along the pipe were used during the search. Dominique Barraza, 16, a family friend, said she and other family members attempted to call the 13-year-old. "We called, sent text messages it rings but it goes to voicemail," Barraza said. "He's too young. It's just crazy. I still can't believe it." Fox News' Edmund DeMarche and The Associated Press contributed to this report. For close to two decades, Ben Arriola has been trying to find his brothers body and bury him in El Paso, Texas to fulfill his mothers dying wish. His brother, Cpl. Fernando Chicho Arriola was killed on Dec. 2, 1950, near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea; but his body was never brought home. Hes one of about 5,300 U.S. service members killed in North Korea during the Korean War whose bodies were never recovered. But a potential meeting between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is renewing hope for those families, who for decades have seen little to no progress on repatriation efforts. Ive given it everything, said Arriola, whose brother is listed as a Korean War MIA. I will not give up. I will keep looking and asking. The families of 83,000 U.S. service members have never had their loved ones remains returned home, according to the POW/MIA Accounting Agency, or DPAA. The Department of Defense agency is tasked with locating the bodies, recovery, and ultimately bringing home veterans who are missing in action. For Korean War veterans, the last time remains were brought home was during a 2007 delegation headed by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Fox News spoke to several Korean War MIA families who said they were cautiously optimistic this time around but didnt want to get their hopes up. With President Trump, you just never know, said Rick Downes, president of the Coalition of Families of Korean and Cold War POW/MIAs. Downes father went missing during an air mission over North Korea in Dec. 1952. He said he traveled to DPRK in Sept. 2016 to try and find the body to no avail. We flew over the area where my dads plane probably went down, Downes said. Just being in North Korea was something for me because all my life, since I was 3, thats where dad was. Many of the bodies are in large groups at the scenes of POW camps, major battles, and air crash sites, according to Downes. They were probably buried by the Chinese or the local farmers right then and there, he said. According to Downes, the United States has not done everything it could to bring the bodies back. At least one deal was nixed because North Korea did not agree to denuclearize and was not cooperating politically, Downes said. He believes the United States has done great work bringing home MIAs from other wars, but has allowed political differences to get in the way when working with North Korea. Which is, you know, very heartbreaking and frustrating when your own government is part of the problem, Downes said. The DPAA declined an interview because of the sensitive nature of the subject, but told Fox News in an email that, when approved by the U.S. Government, we are prepared to receive remains the DPRK are holding as well as to begin discussions on resuming recovery missions in North Korea." For now, access remains the biggest hurdle, according to the POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea returned 208 boxes carrying an estimated 400 people, according to DPAA. Between July 1996 and May 2005, 33 recovery operations were conducted in North Korea, which brought home 220 remains. But on May 25, 2005, the United States suspended recovery operations in the country. A State Department spokesman said remains recovery is an important humanitarian mission and a top priority. The spokesman would not comment further. We do not link this important humanitarian mission to any political or security issues, and we have consistently urged North Korean officials to be responsible stewards of U.S. remains, said the spokesman. According to Downes, the North Koreans currently have 210 remains in boxes ready to be returned. They were unearthed during agricultural and construction projects. So a lot of our guys, dads, brothers, uncles are actually just waiting in containers, Downes said. Downes and Arriola both said they will not give up their fight to bring home the bodies no matter how the talks go in May, when Trump is expected to meet with Kim. Arriola has already imagined the moment he gets to see his mother and brother together in heaven. Id say: Chicho, I look for you, we found you. Were a family [again]," he said. Welcome to Fox News First. Not signed up yet? Click here. Developing now, Monday, April 2, 2018 President Trump declared a deal to protect Obama-era DACA immigrants 'NO MORE' and threatened to pull out of the free trade agreement with Mexico unless it does more to stop illegal immigrants entering the U.S. The California Highway Patrol says evidence suggests that the SUV cliff crash that killed a couple and their children may have been intentional China says it is placing new tariffs on U.S. meat, fruit and other products starting Monday in retaliation for tariffs Trump imposed on steel and aluminum imports from all foreign countries last month Google is facing a backlash from Christians for not having a celebratory doodle for Easter Sunday Jury selection in the sexual assault retrial of Bill Cosby is set to begin Monday THE LEAD STORY TRUMP DONE WITH DACA: President Trump declared on Sunday the deal for the Obama-era DACA program was NO MORE and called for "tough" immigration reform after a report said a caravan carrying more than 1,000 people from Central America is traveling through Mexico and to the United States in hopes of entering the states illegally or by asking for asylum ... Trump, who has vowed to end catch and release, tweeted Sunday morning that Republicans need to take the "nuclear option" when passing tougher immigration laws. The president had given Congress six months to come up with a solution for the beneficiaries of DACA, , which protects about 800,000 young immigrants brought to country illegally as children from deportation. Trump also threatened to pull out of the free trade agreement with Mexico unless the country did more to stop the flow of illegal immigrants entering the U.S. The U.S., Canada and Mexico are currently renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement at Trump's insistence. WAS DEADLY SUV CLIFF PLUNGE DELIBERATE?: The apparent death of an entire family in an SUV plunge off a cliff last week may have been intentional, the California Highway Patrol says ... Evidence suggests that the SUV carrying the family that drove off the side of the Pacific Coast Highway was at one point stopped and then accelerated off the side of the road, authorities said Sunday. Greg Baarts, the acting assistant chief of the patrols northern division, told KGW8 that based on preliminary evidence, investigators now have reason to believethat the crash was intentional. The speedometer of the Washington state familys SUV was pinned at 90 mph when the vehicle was discovered crushed along the jagged rocks on the shoreline, court documents said. Authorities, however, warned that the speedometer could have been altered at impact and is not conclusive. Authorities have reportedly obtained a warrant to search the familys home in a suburb of Portland, Ore., to better look into the possibility of suicide. The two mothers in the family, Jennifer Hart and Sarah Margaret Hart, both 38, were killed in the crash. Jennifer was driving at the time. Authorities determined that three of their six children are dead; the remains of the other three have not been recovered, and they are feared dead, The Washington Post reported. Family killed in California cliff crash had recent visit from Child Protective Services, police say Boy in viral 2014 protest photo among eight family members dead in California cliff crash CHINA STOKES TRADE WAR FEARS: China says it's rolling out new tariffs on U.S. meat, fruit and other products as retaliation against taxes approved by President Donald Trump on imported steel and aluminum ... The Chinese finance ministry says in a statement that the new tariffs begin Monday. The announcement follows warnings Chinese officials have made for several weeks in an escalating trade dispute with the United States. China's Customs Tariff Commission is increasing the tariff rate on eight imported U.S. products, including pork, by 25 percent. It's also imposing a new 15 percent tariff on 120 imported U.S. commodities, including fruits. 'THEY LOATHE CHRISTIANS': For the 18th year in a row, Google had no doodle to celebrate Easter, and Christians felt snubbed and angry ... Paul Joseph Watson, Infowars editor-at-large, tweeted Sunday: So Google has a doodle for every obscure woke person/event imaginable, but nothing for Easter? #EasterSunday Actor James Woods retweeted it, saying: They loathe Christians. Plain and simple. The search giant did find room to celebrate April Fools Day by inserting a Wheres Waldo? game into Google Maps. The last time Google celebrated Easter was April 23, 2000, with two candy eggs for the os in Google. When contacted by Fox News, Google said it celebrated Easter in its own way with a tweet noting the holiday. We dont have Doodles for religious holidays, in line with our current Doodle guidelines," Google said. "Doodles may appear for some non-religious celebrations that have grown out of religious holidays, such as Valentines Day, Holis Festival of Colors, Tu BAv and the December holiday period, but we dont include religious imagery or symbolism as part of these. #METOO CLOUD HOVERS OVER COSBY RETRIAL: Jury selection is set to begin Monday in Bill Cosby's sexual assault retrial in a cultural landscape changed by the #MeToo movement ... Experts say the movement poses new challenges for both the defense and the prosecution. It could cut both ways for the comedian: Some potential jurors may be more hostile toward him while others may likely think men are being unfairly accused. Cosby could benefit from a #MeToo backlash. A jury deadlocked last June at the former TV star's first trial after Cosby's lawyers managed to sow enough doubt in the minds of a few jurors. This was months before the sex assault allegations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein sparked the #MeToo movement. __________________________ Consider yourself an Influencer? Become a trusted adviser in our FOX News community and help guide our brands future. Click here to find out how. Members of FOX News Influencers: Have the opportunity to be heard Be part of a special network of peers Get to influence new ideas and initiatives Receive updates on what weve learned and how your input has made impact Fill out our qualification survey and join us. Thank you for your continued support in our companys growth. _________________________ AS SEEN ON FOX NEWS WEEKEND NO FAR LEFT FUNNY BONE: "The greatest single characteristic of people on the far left is they have zero sense of humor. I mean, these are the most bitter, angry, really disappointing and disgusting people because they're so sad with life. I've never seen a group of people that are so unhappy." Mike Huckabee, on "Fox & Friends Weekend," responding to liberal backlash over the return of "Roseanne" and the character's support of President Trump. WATCH OBAMA BLINDERS: "How in the hell is it possible if the only person on the face of the earth who doesnt know about this is Barack Obama?" "Life, Liberty & Levin" host Mark Levin, on "Watters' World," discuss how President Obama was apparently unaware of the "unmasking" of Trump officials under surveillance. WATCH TRENDING 'Roseanne' star says show will never mention Trump by name. London murder rate beats New York for month as stabbings surge. Notre Dame buzzer-beater stuns Mississippi State in NCAA women's title game. Prince Harry, Meghan Markle's royal wedding could cost $45 million. THE SWAMP White House goes on attack over ex-VA head Shulkin's claim he was fired. Issa thinks special counsel ultimately will lead FBI-Justice probe. Pressure mounts for Democratic Rep. Esty to resign over violent abuse accusations against top staffer. ACROSS THE NATION Frantic search for boy who may have fallen into Los Angeles drainage ditch. Brother of Florida shooting victim says he was shut out of March for Our Lives because speech 'didn't fit into the agenda.' N.J. man shot 'execution-style' over PlayStation, reports say. MINDING YOUR BUSINESS Data breach hits Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor stores. Facebook privacy: Easy must-do changes to protect your data. Trump vs. Amazon: Heres what could happen. FOX NEWS OPINION Repeal the Second Amendment? At least it's an honest demand. Yes, Russia is a threat -- but America needs to play a shrewder game. Here's what that means. My 'crazy' vision of Christ's 40 days on Earth after His resurrection. HOLLYWOOD SQUARED 'NYPD Blue,' 'LA Law,' 'Hill Street Blues' creator Steven Bochco dead at 74. 'Ready Player One' scores major holiday box office win. Petition for Meryl Streep to play Princess Leia picks up steam. DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS? Chinese space station Tiangong-1 re-enters atmosphere, largely burns up. 11-foot alligator caught in Florida pool. 16th century painting discovered hidden in Iowa museum storeroom. STAY TUNED On Fox News: Fox & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Jonathan Turley discusses investigation into possible surveillance abuses; Deputy White House Press Secretary Hogan Gidley on the White House Easter Egg Roll; Radio talk show host Dennis Prager opens up about his new book on faith; Border Patrol union leader explains America's backlogged immigration system; Kellyanne Conway and White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders address DACA, China tariffs and more hot topics facing the Trump administration. Tucker Carlson Tonight, 8 p.m. ET: Part 1 of Tucker's week-long series on how Big Tech is impacting you, your children, our culture, our country and our politics. On Fox Business: Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: Guests include: Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz; Rep. Ron DeSantis; Rep. Peter King; Raj Shah, White House principal deputy press secretary. The Intelligence Report, 2 p.m. ET: Ed Rollins, GOP strategist and former adviser to President Reagan. After the Bell, 4 p.m. ET: Rep. Jim Renacci. Lou Dobbs Tonight, 7 p.m. ET: Rep. Francis Rooney; Tom Dupree, former deputy assistant attorney general under President George W. Bush. On Fox News Radio: The Fox News Rundown podcast: Deadly violence erupted along the Gaza-Israeli border during a protest led by the Islamic militant group, Hamas. David Keyes, spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, weighs in. Plus, commentary from FOX News Analyst Marie Harf. Want the Fox News Rundown sent straight to your mobile device? Subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher. The Brian Kilmeade Show, 9 a.m. ET: New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin on the real reason behind Attorney General Jeff Sessions's decision not to appoint a second special counsel; Monica Crowley and Bret Baier on President Trump's declaration on DACA, China's tariff retaliation and other top headlines; Ori Brafman on his new book, "Radical Inclusion: What the Post-9/11 World Should Have Taught Us About Leadership." #OnThisDay 2005: Pope John Paul II dies in his Vatican apartment at age 84. 1968: "2001: A Space Odyssey," the groundbreaking science-fiction film epic produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, has its world premiere in Washington, D.C.. 1792: Congress passes the Coinage Act, which authorizes the establishment of the U.S. Mint. Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Enjoy your Monday! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Tuesday morning. A desperate search is underway in Tennessee on Monday for a 17-year-old girl who authorities believe is traveling with "multiple" suspects involved in the shooting of a motel clerk during an attempted robbery. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an endangered child alert for Devin "Skye" Hester, who is believed to be with the suspects who tried to rob a motel in Athens, Tenn., located about 60 miles northeast of Chattanooga. Hester was initially reported missing on March 10, and is described as having black hair and blue eyes, and being 5 feet 8 inches tall and 156 pounds. She last was seen wearing a black Columbia brand jacket and tan sandals, according to the TBI. Authorities in Athens told WRCB-TV the incident on Sunday happened around 6:15 a.m. at the Athens Lodge, located just off Interstate 75. The motel clerk told authorities he was taking a smoke break outside when he was approached by two males and a female, according to a police report obtained by the television station. After talking for a bit, one of the suspects grabbed the clerk and pulled a handgun. When the clerk attempted to knock down the gun, a shot was fired, striking the clerk in the leg. FRANTIC SEARCH AFTER BOY, 13, FALLS INTO LOS ANGELES DRAINAGE DITCH 'MAZE' The clerk managed to lock the suspects outside and call 911 before the group ran from the scene, according to WRCB. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. Anyone with information on Hester's whereabouts is asked to call the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND. Georgia police were on the hunt Monday for whoever shot dead a 3-year-old child in a drive-by attack late last night. DeKalb County Police said the child's mother who has not been publicly identified was driving on Eastland Road near Atlanta around 11:30 p.m. Sunday night when someone pulled up alongside her and shot into the car with what she thought was a paintball gun. She found that her child was in the backseat unresponsive and discovered the 3 year-old child had been shot, DeKalb County Police Chief James Conroy told WSB-TV. The boy was taken to a local hospital where he later died, and police investigating the vehicle found bullet holes where the child was sitting, the station added. The mother told police the shooter was driving a gray Dodge Charger. Police in the area later responded to a report of a vehicle matching that description in southeast Atlanta, but it got away before they could make a stop, according to FOX5 Atlanta. The identity of the shooter is unknown and police say they have not yet figured out a possible motive. Hundreds of Howard University students continued a takeover of the school's administrative building Monday, vowing not to back down until their demands are met conditions that range from homework and class exemptions due to "mental and emotional" health issues to a plan to disarm campus police. HU Resist, the students organizing the now five-day revolt at the D.C.-based historically black college, turned all four floors of the administrative building, including the presidents office, into an occupied safe space, barring any faculty or staff from entry. The list of nine demands, sparked by a financial aid scandal, calls for the resignation of the college president and board members, as well as seven other demands from specialized counseling to combating gentrification, FOX5 reported. The group demands the university create a grievance system to monitor the actions and languages of faculty and staff toward students with marginalized identities. According to the list, an investigative body of students, faculty, and administrators would handle disciplinary action from student complaints about misconduct and harmful behavior, such as the use of sexist, classist, colorist, queerphobic, ableist, and xenophobic language. They also demand the university disarm campus police and form a Police Oversight Committee with university and community representatives to conduct investigations, advise departmental policies, procedures, and budgets, and manage complaints against sworn HUPD members. Due to systemic oppression, HU Resist demands Howard hire more counselors who specialize in gender and sexuality, substance abuse, interpersonal violence, intra-communal violence, etc and implement permissible absence from class or homework assignments for mental and emotional health issues. They also demand the university create a task force to fight rape culture and implement a mandatory one credit course that is required for graduation focusing on gender, consent, sexuality, and sexual health. HU Resist demands a say in the Board of Trustees by student popular vote. Howard trustees met their first demand for housing but eight demands remain unresolved. In a press conference on Sunday, HU Resist organizer, Alexis McKenny, said members are extremely confident all their demands will be met, adding that there is very little that we are going to negotiate on. Howard Alumni Trustee Rock Newman told Fox News the Board of Trustees met with students in the administrative building for more than five hours Sunday night. I remain optimistic about reaching a resolution, Newman said. University President Wayne Frederick has yet to meet with the student protesters, but has said he was listening to them and addressed the demands in a statement. McKenny said theyre negotiating one demand at a time, adding that students participating in the sit-in should not be punished for missing classes because they are carrying on the tradition of power, the tradition of activism, the tradition of resistance to oppression, and the university should recognize that. At least 26 faculty members signed a letter of support for the student revolt, while the alumni association backs the college president. Thousands of educators in Kentucky and Oklahoma took to the streets of their respective state capitals Monday to demand higher pay and more funding for public education. Many Oklahoma schools, including the three largest districts of Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Edmond, were closed Monday, with districts announcing plans to keep campuses shut into Tuesday to accommodate more planned demonstrations. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed legislation last week granting teachers pay raises of about $6,100, or 15 to 18 percent -- the first such hike in 10 years. But some educators say that isn't good enough. The state's largest teachers union has demanded a $10,000 pay raise for educators over three years, $5,000 for support personnel and a $75 million increase in funding this year. "If I didn't have a second job, I'd be on food stamps," said Rae Lovelace, a single mom and a third-grade teacher at Leedey Public Schools in northwest Oklahoma who works 30 to 40 hours a week at a second job teaching online courses for a charter school. GOP Rep. Lewis Moore said it's unclear what more teachers can accomplish by shutting down schools. "I don't know how much more can be gained when we already raised $350 million for teacher raises," Moore said. "The Department of Corrections needs a billion dollars more. Everybody would agree our roads and bridges aren't squared away." But Rep. Collin Walke, a Democrat, said teachers should keep up the pressure. Two separate bills pending in the Legislature to expand tribal gambling and eliminate the income tax deduction for capital gains could generate more than $100 million in additional funding each year. "I think the Republican strategy is to wait the teachers out," Walke said. Some schools in Oklahoma are offering free meals to students aged 18 or younger while various churches, faith organizations and charitable agencies are providing free day-care services. Spring break was last week in many Oklahoma districts. Oklahoma ranks 47th among states and the District of Columbia in public school revenue per student, nearly $3,000 below the national average, while its average teacher salary of $45,276 ranked 49th before the latest raises, according to the most recent statistics from the National Education Association. In Frankfort, Ky., teachers and other school employees gathered outside the Kentucky Education Association a couple of blocks from the Capitol, chanting "Stop the war on public education" and held signs that say "We've Had Enough." Other teachers, chanting "We won't back down," crammed into the Capitol, filling the Rotunda and hallways near the House and Senate chambers. Schools across the state were closed, due either to spring break or to allow teachers and other school employees to attend the rally. Amid a chorus of chants from teachers rallying in the Capitol, Kentucky lawmakers considered a new state budget that includes higher spending for public education. Budget negotiators unveiled a spending plan Monday that includes increased spending for the main funding formula for K-12 schools and restored money for school buses that the state's Republican governor had proposed eliminating. The additional education spending would be paid for by a six percent sales tax on a host of services that had previously been tax-free. The spending and taxing proposals cleared the Senate on Monday and went to the House, which was expected to vote on the measures later Monday. Language arts teacher Lesley Buckner was reluctant to give lawmakers much credit. "We're sending a message," she said. "If we continue to stay united, they cannot turn away from us, they cannot turn their backs on us." The rally happened after hundreds of teachers called in sick Friday to protest last-minute changes to their pension system. Teachers have rallied several times during Kentucky's legislative session to protest the pension bill, but Monday was by far their biggest event. Republican lawmakers in Kentucky passed a pension overhaul Thursday that preserves benefits for most workers but cuts them for new teachers. The move was done in response to chronic underfunding of the state's teacher retirement system and in defiance of a powerful teachers union that vowed political retribution. Opponents objected that the pension changes were inserted into an unrelated bill without a chance for public input, and worry that the changes will discourage young people from joining the profession. Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has not yet signed the bill, but last week tweeted his support, saying public workers owe "a deep debt of gratitude" to lawmakers who voted to pass it. During Monday's rally, some teachers, angry at lawmakers who supported the bill, chanted "Vote them out." Melissa Wash, a first-grade teacher from Gallatin County who has been teaching for 19 years, said she voted for Bevin, but now plans to become a Democrat. To the lawmakers who voted for the pension overhaul, she said: "You better not count on another year in office." The demonstrations were inspired by West Virginia, where teachers walked out for nine days earlier this year and won a 5 percent increase in pay. Teachers in Arizona are now considering a strike over their demands for a 20 percent salary increase. "Their success has shown us that collective activity can work," Kentucky teacher Corey Sayre said of the West Virginia walkout. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A 26-year-old cat is getting a new lease on life after a foster home decided to "take a chance" on the cuddly pet. The elderly cat, named Thomas, was surrendered to the Baltimore County Animal Shelter in Baldwin last month after its owner was no longer able to take care of the animal. At the ripe age of 26 with "several senior" health issues, a cat like Thomas usually wouldn't be an easy sell "older pets typically sit for a lot longer" so when Laura Cassiday with Animal Allies Rescue Foundation (AARF) saw the shelter's Facebook post about Thomas, she said she knew she had to take in the cat. "Pretty much when I saw '26' I knew there was no way I was leaving him there," Cassiday told Fox News. "I coordinated with AARF and picked him up on Thursday." Healthy domesticated cats typically can live up to 20 years, experts have said. Cassiday, also a volunteer with The Feline Rescue Association and the Maryland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), said Thomas has joined her beloved family, which now includes a total of seven cats. While the AARF considered putting Thomas up for adoption, Cassiday said that the 26-year-old "deserves some stability at this point" and will be a part of her family "for the rest of his days." BULLIED OKLAHOMA BOY, 7, ADOPTS RESCUE CAT WITH SAME RARE EYE CONDITION AND CLEFT LIP The animal shelter said Thomas has "severe dental disease, arthritis, hyperthyroidism, and an abnormal liver" and a veterinarian found that the elderly cat has a mass that could possibly be a tumor, so, Cassiday said, "we honestly have no idea how much longer he even has." However, he's "otherwise in fairly decent shape for an old man." Most prospective pet owners who stroll into shelters are looking for a younger animal, one that a family could keep around for a while, Cassiday told Fox News. "Pretty much every day at work I hear, 'Where are the puppies, kittens?'" she said. The older animals, who often have medical issues, are looked over "in favor of cuter, younger ones." Those looking to adopt pets, Cassiday says, should "take a chance" on the animals you wouldn't expect yourself to adopt. "The shy ones, the old ones, the ones that hide in the back of their cages, the ones that just don't stand out," Cassiday notes, are "the ones that need you the most and have just as much love to give as any other pet." For those who'd like to donate toward Thomas' medical care and follow his story, the rescue's website and Thomas' Facebook page at "The Adventures of Thomas the 26-year-old Cat" have more information. A member of the MS-13 street gang pleaded guilty to the 2015 killing of a teenage boy, who was lured on a date before being brutally murdered in Massachusetts, officials said Monday. The U.S Attorney's Office in Massachusetts announced Carlos Melara, 21, pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, or RICO conspiracy. The El Salvador native who was in the country illegally was one of the 61 people named in a fifth superseding indictment targeting the criminal activities of alleged leaders, members and associates of MS-13. Federal prosecutors said Melara, Henry Josue Parada Martinez and another unnamed MS-13 member participated in the Sept. 7, 2015 killing of the 15-year-old boy on Constitution Beach in East Boston. "The defendants targeted the victim in a 'catfishing' scheme in which they used a fake Facebook account to trick the victim into thinking he was talking to a girl. In reality, the Facebook account was being controlled by MS-13 members to lure in suspected gang rivals so that the gang could murder them," the U.S. Attorney's Office said. REPUTED MS-13 DEFENDANTS LAUGH, SMILE AS SLAIN TEEN'S FAMILY GLARES The name of the victim was not released by authorities in the announcement about Melara's guilty plea. "On the day of the murder, Melara picked up the victim on a scooter pretending to be a friend of the girl that the victim was planning to meet for a date," the attorney's office said. "Melara drove the victim to Constitution Beach, where the other MS-13 members were waiting to kill him. Melara and the other MS-13 members took turns attacking and stabbing the victim to death." WHAT IS MS-13, THE VIOLENT GANG TRUMP VOWED TO TARGET? After killing the teen, prosecutors said Melara was promoted to homeboy, or a full member of MS-13, as a reward. Under the terms of Melara's plea agreement, the 21-year-old will be sentenced to between 30 and 40 years in prison and be subject to deportation upon the completion of his sentence. Authorities say a man has been charged with murder after two homeless people were found dead inside a burning truck in Bangor, Maine, but a judge is allowing prosecutors to withhold details about the case. The judge on Monday ordered 25-year-old John De St. Croix, of Bangor, to be held without bail on two counts of murder. The victims, 43-year-old Michael Bridges and 36-year-old Desiree York, were found dead in the back of the burning truck last week. The victims and De St. Croix were all homeless, but it was unclear if they knew each other. Defense lawyer David Bate declined comment on his client or motives. De St. Croix faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted. The judge granted a motion by prosecutors to withhold details about the case. After nine days, the Oklahoma teacher walkout, with educators demanding more money for salaries and classroom needs, came to an end Thursday. Instead of continuing to strike, the largest teachers union called for its members to shift focus to electing educators in November who are more in-line with their demands. Oklahomas Republican governor has already signed legislation to increase teacher salaries in the state, but the union said it was not enough. The average teacher starting salary for the 2016-2017 school year was $38,617, according to the National Education Association. In comparison, the average starting salaries for teachers in Oklahoma that same year was $31,919. Heres a look at what Oklahoma educators demanded. What do the teachers want? The Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) demanded $10,000 in raises for teachers over the next three years, KOKH-TV reported. The union also asked for a $5,000 pay increase for other school officials, such as bus drivers, food service workers and custodians, according to KOKH. At rallies in front of the state Capitol, teachers asked for newer and updated textbooks, more arts classes and smaller class sizes, according to the OEA. Arent they already getting a raise? Gov. Mary Fallin, a Republican, already signed legislation that would up teacher pay by about $6,100 through an increase in taxes on certain goods, such as cigarettes and fuel. The state legislature approved $2.9 billion for public schools, an increase of nearly 20 percent over last year's spending. Much of the new money was earmarked for the teacher raises. Oklahomas new revenue measures are expected to generate about $450 million, with the bulk going to teacher raises and about $50 million going to general education funding. The teachers union has called for an additional classroom funding of $75 million. It has also criticized the governor for passing a measure repealing a $5-per-night hotel and motel tax that was part of the original education package. Repeal of the hotel tax reduces the total package by about $45 million. In the midst of the walkout, Rep. John Pfeiffer, a House majority floor leader, said lawmakers are unlikely to consider any other major revenue bills this session. How does the state budget look? State funding for Oklahomas public schools has decreased by about 9 percent since 2008, The Oklahoman reported. In contrast, student enrollment has increased by more than 8 percent. But Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, pointed to a growth in non-teacher employment in Oklahomas public education that could drain the education budget. Schools, largely driven by the perverse incentive by unions to get more members and memberships, have focused dollars on things other than whats most important to Oklahomans which is a direct teacher in the classroom, Small told Fox News. We need to see a greater focus on teachers with the current dollars that we have already now that [the legislature] passed one of the highest tax increases in Oklahoma history, Small said. With the actions of the legislature its not going to be argued that more additional funds havent been pumped into education at a time when Oklahoma is still recovering from a massive economic decline. His organization also warned comparing teacher salaries in Oklahoma to Texas can be misleading because of a difference in the economic makeup of both states. Fallin, too, warned the budget is tight and there are other critical needs in the state as well. We must be responsible not to neglect other areas of need in the state, such as corrections and health and human services, as we continue to consider additional education funding measures, the Republican said. Are Oklahoma teachers alone? There has been a surge of teacher coalitions nationwide striking and rallying to demand more money in recent months. Hundreds of teachers in Kentucky called in sick in April to protest last-minute changes to their pension system. And thousands have descended upon the state Capitol in Frankfurt to rally for additional education funding multiple times this month. Teachers in Arizona staged what organizers called a walk-in to demand more funding. The walk-in occurred before school and gave teachers and parents an opportunity to show unity for their demands, according to organizers. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, caved to the demands and moved a planned 1 percent raise proposal to a 9 percent wage hike starting in the fall. He also granted an additional 5 percent increase in the 2019 and 2020 school years. West Virginia teachers went on strike for two weeks earlier this year until Republican Gov. Jim Justice signed a bill that included a 5 percent pay increase. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The California Highway Patrol on Sunday said evidence suggests that the SUV carrying the family that drove off the side of the Pacific Coast Highway was at one point stopped and then accelerated off the side of the road. The new revelations raise new questions on whether the incident was deliberate. Greg Baarts, the acting assistant chief of the patrols northern division, told KGW8 that based on preliminary evidence, investigators now have reason to believethat the crash was intentional. The speedometer of the Washington state familys SUV was pinned at 90 mph when the vehicle was discovered crushed along the jagged rocks on the shoreline, court documents said. Authorities, however, warned that the speedometer could have been altered at impact and is not conclusive. Authorities have reportedly obtained a warrant to search the familys home in a suburb of Portland, Ore., to better look into the possibility of suicide. The deceased are two mothers, Jennifer Hart and Sarah Margaret Hart, who were both 38. Jennifer was driving at the time. Authorities determined that three of their six children are dead, the other three are missing and feared dead, The Washington Post reported. Known as the Hart Tribe, the multiracial family of two married women Sarah and Jennifer Hart and six adopted children took spontaneous road trips to camp and hike and traveled to festivals and other events, offering hugs and promoting unity. Bruce and Dana DeKalb, next-door neighbors of the Harts, said they called child protective services because 15-year-old Devonte had been coming over to their house almost every day for a week, asking for food. One of the children, Devonte Hart, drew national attention when the black youngster was photographed hugging a white police officer during a 2014 protest in Portland, Oregon, over the deadly police shooting of a black man in Ferguson, Missouri. Devonte was holding a Free Hugs sign. Dana DeKalb said Devonte told her his parents were punishing them by withholding food. The boy asked her to leave food in a box by the fence for him, she said. She told the Oregonian/OregonLive that Devonte asked for things like tortillas and peanut butter and eventually was coming over three times a day. There are a lot of unknowns on this, Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman said. Several of the questions that have been asked today will never be answered. Allman said there is no reason so far to think the crash was intentional but also mentioned there were no skid marks or signs the driver braked as the GMC Yukon crossed a flat, dirt pull-off area, about 75 feet wide, where motorists on the Pacific Coast Highway often walk their dogs. Fox News' Edmund DeMarche and The Associated Press contributed to this report Police in Tennessee say a convenience store clerk has been charged in the fatal shooting of a suspected shoplifter whose body was found near the store. The Commercial Appeal reports Memphis police charged 28-year-old Anwar Ghazali with first-degree murder on Saturday. The shooting happened Thursday, but police said Ghazali never reported the incident. The 17-year-old's body was found beside a home near the store Saturday. Police spokesman Louis Brownlee said the teen was suspected of leaving the store without paying for a beer, and Ghazali followed him and allegedly shot him. Ghazali was being held in the Shelby County Jail. It wasn't immediately known whether he has an attorney. ___ Information from: The Commercial Appeal, http://www.commercialappeal.com Police in Tennessee said Sunday that a convenience store clerk has been charged in the fatal shooting of a suspected shoplifter whose body was found near the store. The Commercial Appeal reports Memphis police charged 28-year-old Anwar Ghazali with first-degree murder. The shooting occurred on Thursday, but police said Ghazali never reported the incident. The 17-year-old's body was found beside a home near the store Saturday. Fox 13 Memphis identified the victim as Dorian Harris. Police spokesman Louis Brownlee said the teen was suspected of leaving the store without paying for a beer, and Ghazali followed him and allegedly shot him. "The victim/suspect stole a beer and goes out of the store,'' Brownlee told the paper. "The suspect tries to stop him. Shoots at him. Hits him once. He doesn't officially know that he hit him. Yesterday, a female comes home, sees a person lying next to the home. Calls police. Ghazali was being held in the Shelby County Jail. It wasn't immediately known whether he has an attorney. The Associated Press contributed to this report Prosecutors in western Mexico say one policeman and eight gunmen are dead following a shootout in the state of Jalisco. The state prosecutor's office said Monday the police officers were patrolling the town of Jalostotitlan when assailants opened fire on them from several vehicles. Following the gunfight, the dead gunmen were found inside pickup trucks and SUVs or on the ground around them. Three police officers were wounded in the shootout late Sunday. The Jalisco drug cartel is active in the area. Though Mexico claimed just four years ago it had "absolute control of the southern border," the planned stringent security checks appear to have broken down -- or been bypassed -- by the caravan of more than 1,000 Central Americans making their way through the country en route to the United States. The group, which is expected to reach the Mexico-U.S. border by mid-April, has drawn the attention and ire of President Trump, who on Monday blasted Mexico for not using its "absolute power" to stop the caravan. "Mexico has the absolute power not to let these large 'Caravans' of people enter their country. They must stop them at their Northern Border, which they can do because their border laws work, not allow them to pass through into our country, which has no effective border laws," Trump tweeted. Many of the border laws Trump was speaking about were passed after a surge of unaccompanied minors from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras passed through Mexico on their way to the U.S. in 2014. The influx prompted the Obama administration to enact emergency measures to stem the flow on its side of the border. Meanwhile, Mexico said it would also step up enforcement on its southern border, and planned to stop people from boarding freight trains while opening new border control stations. Never before has Mexico announced a state policy on the border, and now it has, Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong told the New York Times. It is absolute control of the southern border. Mexico's Southern Border plan was to include "increased security at 12 ports of entry into Guatemala and Belize and increased immigration enforcement along known migration routes, including northbound trains and bus stations," according to an April 2016 report from the Congressional Research Service, which serves as the public policy research arm for Congress. Since that rush of illegal immigrants, the Obama Administration and Congress had set aside $130 million for Mexican border security, with at least half to support southern border efforts. But of that initial amount, only $20 million had been spent at the time of the report, "mostly in the form of nonintrusive inspection equipment, mobile kiosks, canine teams, and training in immigration enforcement." As the plan was implemented, officials also noted there was a "sharp increase" in the amounts of apprehensions and deportations of Central Americans in Mexico. In 2015, nearly 167,000 people from the three countries involved in the 2014 surge were apprehended, up from 102,000 the previous year. In terms of the amount of people from those countries reaching the U.S. border, officials noted that as Mexico stopped more people there was a drop off. In 2015, the number of apprehensions at the border fell from 239,000 in 2014 to 135,000 in 2015. TRUMP DECLARES 'NO MORE' DACA DEAL AFTER REPORT OF CARAVAN WITH CENTRAL AMERICANS HEADING TO US "These figures suggest that migration outflows from Central America remained fairly stable throughout FY2015, but fewer migrants reached the U.S. border as a result of increased apprehensions by Mexican authorities," the report said. But migration scholar Francisco Alba at the Colegio de Mexico in Mexico told The New York Times at the time the 2014 influx was almost impossible to stop. There is not really much the country can do about it, he told The Times. It cannot really stop these flows. Its tradition is to not have these tight controls and to have a relatively accommodating attitude toward migration, to a point. In 2016, the Texas Tribune highlighted the ongoing issues with Guatemala, where lax border oversight has allowed not just constant migration but also the illicit trading of goods, which has helped to grow the economy in the country's impoverished border towns. A paper in 2016 from Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy called Mexicos Not-So-Comprehensive Southern Border Plan, said Mexico shifted funding away from the southern border program. In addition, Mexico also did not create nearly 200 planned economic development projects in its southern border region, according to the report. "Like similar policy initiatives previously implemented in Mexico, the CPSB is fading into oblivion, but not without leaving negative consequences on Mexicos migration policy, the report concluded. Even though the program did delay for some time the flow of migrants and potential asylum applicants to Mexico, a process that was already underway prior to 2014, the problem has not been solved." MEXICAN, US TOP OFFICIALS DISCUSS WAYS TO SEAL BORDER WITH GUATEMALA Then, late last month, a new caravan began in the town of Tapachula, just on the other side of the border from Guatemala, and started heading north in hopes of entering the United States, either illegally or by asking for asylum. Organized by Pueblos Sin Fronteras, or People Without Borders, the caravan traveled through Mexico without authorization last week and authorities in Mexico have not yet attempted to stop the migrants, about 80 percent of them from Honduras, according to Buzzfeed News. As of Monday, the group was in Matias Romero, Mexico, about 1,000 miles south of the U.S. border town of Laredo, Texas. A member of the caravan told Buzzfeed this was going to be his third attempt at getting to the U.S. Going alone is risky. You're risking an accident, getting jumped by robbers, and even your life, Mateo Juan, 29, told BuzzFeed News. All of that, and then you don't get to the United States. The caravan is slower but you know you're going to get there safely. Juan had previously been pulled off a bus headed towards the U.S. border by Mexican immigration officers, he told Buzzfeed. National Border Patrol Council union chief Brandon Judd told FOX & Friends" on Monday that the migrants' hopes are riding on the benefits of catch and release, in which illegal immigrants are initially detained in the U.S. but then soon released while they await court hearings. "Well when they come here and they ask for asylum, well take them into custody, well do hours worth of processing and then well turn them over to ICE, and then ICE will release them, based upon what they call a credible fear and then theyll melt into the shadows," he said. Mexicos foreign minister, Luis Videgaray, fired back at the assertion his country wasn't doing enough to stem the tide of the caravan, saying in a tweet: "Every day Mexico and the US work together on migration throughout the region." Ethiopia's legislature has elected young and outspoken Abiy Amhed as prime minister of Africa's second most populous nation, following his nomination by the ruling party last week. Abiy was immediately sworn in to office Monday, succeeding Hailemariam Desalegn who resigned in mid-February as a result of sustained anti-government protests that claimed the lives of several hundred people, mainly in the restive Oromia and Amhara regions. Abiy is the first Oromo politician to become Ethiopia's prime minister and it is hoped he will be able to quell the protests raging since late 2015 to press for wider political freedoms. The Oromo people, the largest ethnic group of Ethiopia's 100 million people, complain of being politically and economically marginalized. Abiy, 42, has a reputation as an effective orator and reformer. Dr Leodoro (left) and his team operating in the NPH theatre on one of the many cases they receive. The name of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. can be found across Africa on streets, schools, even a bridge in Burkina Faso. It's a measure of the influence of the American civil rights leader who was assassinated 50 years ago after speaking out against injustices at home and abroad. Africa's push for independence from colonialism, which mirrored King's movement for racial equality in America, attracted his support. He first visited Africa in 1957 for celebrations marking Ghana's independence. He later said African leaders told him "in no uncertain terms that racism and colonialism must go." The parallels were perhaps strongest in apartheid-era South Africa, where laws oppressed the majority-black community for decades. A bust of King was slipped secretly by diplomatic pouch into South Africa for display at the U.S. Embassy. The front-running candidate for Mexico's July 1 presidential election formally opened his campaign Sunday in Ciudad Juarez and warned thatif electedthe country would not kowtow to its neighbor to the north. We are going to be very respectful of the U.S. government, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, said. But we are going to demand they respect us Mexicans. Neither Mexico nor its people will be treated like a pinata by any foreign government." Lopez Obrador, a leftist, depicts his third run for the presidency as a historic battle against corruption and entrenched elites, on a par with the resistance to the French invasion of 1862-1867 and the 1910-1917 revolution. Ciudad Juarez served as a base in both struggles. Governing party candidate Jose Antonio Meade also launched his campaign Sunday in the colonial city of Merida, the capital of Yucatan state, one of the few governorships that his Institutional Revolutionary Party hopes to retain among the nine statehouses that will be at stake in the July elections. Meade is running third in the polls. He alluded to Lopez Obrador, saying, "Don't let them take away the future of our children with false promises." Still, Lopez Obrador seemed to dominate the other candidates' attention. The third major-party candidate, Ricardo Anaya of a left-right coalition, announced that he will hold news conferences at 7 a.m. every day of the campaign a move that echoes the morning meetings with journalists that Lopez Obrador held daily when he was mayor of Mexico City in the early 2000s. A fourth candidate, former first lady Margarita Zavala, is running as an independent. While he has been accused of being a populist and a radical, Lopez Obrador has moved to the center and gave an opening campaign speech that could have played well in the Rust Belt of the United States. "Those who defend the current economic model talk about modernity, but they don't mention that this 'modernity' is a synonym for the economy of the elite, one that benefits only a minority and excludes the majority," Lopez Obrador said. "They tend to put up the supposed benefits of NAFTA as an example, but the few benefits have come at an extremely high cost." The Associated Press contributed to this report Morocco's government is threatening to take control of U.N.-monitored buffer zones in Western Sahara amid concerns that the mission is failing to keep out Polisario Front independence fighters. The warning Sunday came as U.N. Security Council members received Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' annual report on the situation in Western Sahara and the 27-year-old U.N. peacekeeping mission in the mineral-rich territory claimed by both Morocco and the Polisario. Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said Sunday that the Polisario recently moved members to the U.N.-controlled areas of Bir Lehlou and Tifariti. He also said Polisario members are again entering the Guerguerat area near the Mauritanian border, despite a U.N.-brokered deal to leave after tensions erupted there in 2016. "If the U.N., its secretary-general and the Security Council are not ready to put an end to these provocations, Morocco will have to act out its responsibility and intervene in the buffer zones," Bourita told reporters after an emergency parliament session to address Western Sahara. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Monday that members of the U.N. peacekeeping mission, known as MINURSO, "have not observed any movement of military elements in the northeast territory." "MINURSO continues to monitor the situation closely," he added. Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit said, "Morocco is ready to do everything to preserve its Sahara." Bourita said Morocco has alerted the Security Council to its plans to step in the deserted land, but declined to specify what kind of intervention or when it would begin. Peru's U.N. ambassador, Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, the current council president, told reporters Monday that he received a letter from Morocco's U.N. ambassador that has been circulated to the 15 council members. He called it an "informative letter" and said "no action has been taken yet." Morocco annexed Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, in 1975 and fought the independence-seeking Polisario Front. The U.N. brokered a cease-fire in 1991 and established a peacekeeping mission to monitor it and to help prepare a referendum on the territory's future that has never taken place. The U.N. secretary-general expressed concern at escalating tensions and urged the Moroccan government and the Polisario Front to refrain from actions that could impact the cease-fire in their 42-year conflict over the Western Sahara, pointing to the escalating dispute over Guerguerat area in the buffer zone on the Morocco-Mauritanian border. In a report to the Security Council obtained Monday by The Associated Press, Guterres called on the Polisario Front to withdraw from Guerguerat. And he urged Morocco to reconsider its refusal to send an expert mission as part of the U.N.'s effort to address questions raised by the Guerguerat situation. "I call on both parties to exercise maximum restraint and to avoid escalating tensions, and to refrain from taking any action which may constitute a change in the status quo at the buffer strip," Guterres said. He said he was encouraged by steps his new personal envoy, former German President Horst Koeler, has taken to relaunch political negotiations and urged additional steps by the parties, neighboring countries and other key players. Kohler has sought to broaden the discussions on the territory's future. The Saharans' envoy to Algeria, Abdelghafour, said Polisario members in the buffer zones are under surveillance by U.N. forces, and accused Morocco of violating the cease-fire. "Morocco is threatening everything," he told The Associated Press. "It's obvious that these maneuvers are aimed at influencing the next U.N. Security Council meeting to stop it from taking practical, effective measures." Morocco considers the mineral-rich Western Sahara its southern provinces and has invested heavily in development programs, and proposed giving the territory wide-ranging autonomy. Polisario insists that the referendum can only take place based on the principle of self-determination for the local population, which it estimates at between 350,000 and 500,000. In 2016, Moroccan forces and Polisario Front fighters moved into Guerguerat in the buffer zone but pulled out in April 2017. Guterres said the area remained free from supporters of either side until January, when the Polisario Front established what its leaders described as a daylight-hour "monitoring post" manned by a small group of its "unarmed civilian 'police'." The secretary-general said the post has remained. Also in 2016, Morocco expelled over 70 people working for the U.N. mission in Western Sahara, known as MINURSO, after then-U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon used the word "occupation" in talking about Western Sahara. Guterres recommended that the Security Council extend MINURSO's mandate until April 30, 2019. "The conflict over Western Sahara has lasted for too long and must be brought to an end for the dignity of the population ... including those who have been displaced for more than four decades, as well as for the stability of the wider region, which is facing myriad political, economic and security challenges," he said. ___ Associated Press writers Aomar Ouali in Algiers, Algeria, and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. A South Australian woman charged with murdering her mother-in-law has sobbed through a court appearance in Adelaide where prosecutors outlined how recovered smartwatch data will be used as key evidence against her. Caroline Nilsson has been charged with the bashing murder of Myrna Nilsson, 57, at their Adelaide home in September 2016. At the time of the incident, the 26-year-old told police that her mother-in-law had been attacked by a group of men who had forced their way into the property after a road rage incident. About three hours after the reported home invasion, she was found in the street by neighbours with her hands and face bound with tape. But prosecutor Carmen Matteo told Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday that it was the crown case that the story Ms Nilsson had concocted was demonstrably false and the home invasion crime scene had been fabricated. Ms Matteo said a forensics expert had analysed the dead womans smartwatch and had narrowed the time from when she was attacked to when she died to a seven-minute window. She said the data showed a burst of heavy activity, consistent with the woman being the victim of an "ambush-type" attack followed by a period of less activity when she possibly lost consciousness. Ms Matteo said the watch stopped recording the womans heart rate soon after. "The prosecution accumulates those timings and the information about energy levels, movement, heart rate, to lead to a conclusion that the deceased must have been attacked at around 6:38pm and had certainly died by 6:45pm," she said. The prosecutor said if those timings were accepted then it contradicted statements from the accused that her mother-in-law had been involved in an argument with her attackers for about 20 minutes. Defense counsel Mark Twiggs said his client would deny the offending with her case to return to court on June 13. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 Syrian state media said Monday that the largest rebel group in the suburbs of Damascus has begun evacuating its last stronghold after seven years of war, but the rebels refused to say whether they had surrendered, and it was unclear who was on board a dozen buses seen leaving the town. Residents trapped inside Douma expressed fear that further foot-dragging could provoke another major government offensive, like the one that killed an estimated 1,600 people across the eastern Ghouta suburbs in February and March. "We don't know what our choices are, we don't know what's in store for us," said local media activist Haitham Bakkar. Douma was one of the earliest hubs of the Arab Spring uprising against President Bashar Assad that swept through the country in 2011. Just 11 kilometers (7 miles) from the Old City of Damascus, it was part of the capital's Ghouta hinterland, once famed for its orchards and produce. The government responded to the protests by putting Douma and other suburbs around Damascus under siege, bombing hospitals and residential areas, and blocking the entry of food and medical relief. On Monday, more than 600 people evacuated the town on buses sent by the government and the Syrian Red Crescent to take them to Jarablus, a northern Syrian town controlled by Turkish troops and allied Syrian forces. State media said those on board were fighters and family members belonging to the Army of Islam, the largest rebel group in eastern Ghouta. The Saudi-backed group, which has deep roots in the region, has held firm in recent weeks as virtually all the other insurgents of eastern Ghouta have reached deals to relocate to the rebel-held north. The Russian military, which is allied with Assad's forces, said 1,146 rebels and their relatives have left Douma for the northern province of Idlib over the past 24 hours. Maj. Gen. Yuri Yevtushenko, of the Russian military's Reconciliation Center in Syria, said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies that more than 30,000 people have left Douma since Wednesday. The Army of Islam has refused to respond to media requests for comment. Syrian activists say the group has told them it is determined to remain in Douma. The group is estimated to command 10,000 fighters in the town, and possess a formidable arsenal of tanks and other heavy weaponry, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the civil war through a network of activists on the ground. Observatory head Rami Abdurrahman said the Army of Islam is divided over whether to evacuate Douma, with hard-liners demanding they stay and fight. He said the buses leaving Douma on Monday were transporting wounded fighters as a first step in the evacuations. Bakkar, the media activist, said the evacuees were wounded civilians. Douma local council member Iyad Abdelaziz said the buses were for medical evacuations and "humanitarian cases." The Army of Islam ruled Douma with an iron fist, and embodied a more conservative and intolerant vision for Syria than the one promoted by the civil uprising of 2011. It has been accused of abducting human rights activists and committing abuses as it crushed rival groups. Its power largely derived from Saudi aid and its control of an extensive smuggling network in eastern Ghouta. In the spring of 2015, it held a massive military parade that included thousands of opposition fighters marching in formation and a striking display of tanks and armored vehicles at the doors of the Syrian capital. As government forces have steadily reclaimed towns and villages in eastern Ghouta, they have given rebels and men of fighting age the choice of accepting amnesty and serving in the Syrian military, or relocating to rebel-held areas in northern Syria. More than 40,000 rebels and their family members have chosen to relocate, according to the Russian military. Russia is a key backer of Assad and supported the latest government offensive. More than 120,000 people fled their homes under the five-week assault, seeking safety behind government lines, according to the Russian military. Local activists say over 100,000 civilians are trapped inside Douma, which has suffered catastrophic damage. On Sunday, the Syrian government-linked Central Military Media outlet said that once the evacuations are completed, a local council for Douma would be formed with the approval of the central government. It said Russia, Iran, and Turkey which have negotiated local settlements in different parts of Syria would oversee the handover of prisoners held by the Army of Islam to the government. Iran has backed Assad throughout the civil war, while Turkey has cast itself as a sponsor of the opposition, along with the Arab Gulf countries. The government was not party to the negotiations over Douma, which were conducted between Russia and the Army of Islam. Ahmad Ramadan, an opposition figure, revealed on Sunday that Turkey was party to the talks as well. "If there is an agreement, the Russian military police will enter and be a buffer force between us and the government," said Abdelaziz, the local council member. Turkey, with the support of allied Syrian opposition forces, is carrying out its own military operations in northern Syria, against a U.S.-allied Kurdish militia. Abu Ali Nejm, a commander in the Kurdish-held town of Manbij, said reports of the relocation of the Army of Islam to the nearby town of Jarablus were troubling. "For sure this is not in our interest," he said in a series of messages. "But there are currently reinforcements from the coalition forces and things are now ok. " He said U.S.-led forces have increased their presence along the front line opposite the Turkey-led forces. ___ Associated Press writer Sarah El Deeb in Qamishli, Syria contributed to this report. Related: Satan 2: Putin tells U.S. 'you will listen to Russia now' as he deploys hypersonic nuclear ICBM In his state of the nation speech, Putin showed off the highly anticipated, oft-delayed RS-28 Sarmat (called SS-X-30 Satan 2 by the U.S.-led NATO military alliance). The super-heavy, hypersonic ICBM is said to be capable of evading even advanced missile defenses and of wiping out an area the size of Texas. The developers behind Putin's illustration, however, had a different U.S. state in mind when they created the virtual display of Russia's latest, most devastating weapon.The exhibition featured a simulation of nuclear warheads raining down on what appeared to be Florida, specifically the Tampa Bay area, as the Tampa Bay Times pointed out. Oddly enough, nearby St. Petersburg shares its name with Russia's second-largest city. The Gaza march is a wake-up call to the world n Friday, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip embarked on what they called the Great March of Return. In their thousands they walked and chanted metres away from the electric fence that has kept 2 million Gaza residents penned in for more than a decade. They planned to sit there, in a flimsily built tent-city, until Nakba day, on 15 May. That day marks the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, or catastrophe when the marchers, their parents or their grandparents, fled or were forced to flee their homes upon the creation of the state of Israel. Friday also marked another anniversary for Palestinians: Land Day. On that day in 1976, Israels soldiers and police opened fire on its own Palestinian citizens as they protested about the expropriation of their land by the government, killing six of them. Yet another impetus for this march is the US government plan to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem on 15 May, legitimising Israels violation of international law in this case its illegal annexation of East Jerusalem. But perhaps the greatest driver of this march is the tragedy of the Gaza Strip itself. Under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade for more than 10 years, Palestinians have experienced electricity shortages and a water supply crisis, with only a very few able to leave the tiny coastal enclave. They have been subjected to military assaults that make daily life seem like a post-apocalyptic vision. In the early days of transplantation research, doctors didnt even realize GVHD could happen, Flowers said. In some of the first transplants performed, researchers saw that patients whod received donor cells from an identical twin had fewer side effects after the transplant than those whod gotten a transplant from a non-twin sibling or from an unrelated donor but those with twin transplants were also much more likely to relapse. Researchers eventually realized those side effects, which they first termed secondary disease and later GVHD, were due to the donor cells attacking healthy tissue. But for a while, they didnt realize the two attacks against cancer cells and against the normal cells could be separated. For many years, doctors told their patients a little GVHD was good, that it meant the transplant was working. Like yin and yang, GVHD went hand-in-hand with an effective transplant or so the thinking went at the time. Recently, though, that dogma is shifting. Researchers and physicians are realizing they can divorce the powerful graft-vs.-tumor effect, which rids patients of cancer cells, from the damaging and sometimes deadly effects of GVHD. Again, those efforts come back to quality of life for survivors, said Lee. When I started in this field 20 years ago, most people were focused on just getting their patients through transplant, Lee said. Now, we do want it all. We want them to have good quality of life in addition to not having their disease comes back, and a lot of that hinges on whether they get chronic GVHD or not. Preventing chronic GVHD Several research efforts are aimed at preventing GVHD before it even crops up, Lee said. At the Hutch, clinical researcher Dr. Marie Bleakley is leading studies that separate out some immune cells from the donor blood or bone marrow before the transplant. Those clinical trials are based on a growing body of research that has sifted out the specific cells and molecules responsible for triggering GVHD. Bleakleys studies have shown promising initial results in preventing chronic GVHD, dropping the rates of transplant patients who develop the condition from about 40 percent to less than 10 percent. Researchers have observed that cord blood transplants, using blood cells from donated umbilical cords rather than blood stem cells from adult donors, result in lower levels of moderate to severe chronic GVHD about 10 to 20 percent vs. 40 percent. Other studies have also found that giving patients the immune system-suppressing drug cyclophosphamide as a preventive measure drops the risk of chronic GVHD by about 50 percent. Flowers and her colleagues recently found that in addition to lower rates of chronic GVHD, the disease was shorter in recipients of cord blood transplant and in those who had received cyclophosphamide. Hills clinical work also focuses on GVHD prevention, building off the preclinical studies he and others led identifying the specific cells that drive the disease. What Im really interested in is trying to develop prevention strategies for GVHD that involve much more targeted therapies, he said. Thats where I see the field moving, away from broadly immune-suppressive drugs and more toward targeted immune suppression that dont have the same side effects. The next phase getting even more targeted Researchers are also coming to understand that different patients diseases may be even more distinct from each other than theyd previously realized. The real question now is, Is all chronic GVHD the same? and its probably not, Hill said. So one treatments probably not going to fit all in chronic GVHD. Understanding the differences will entail identifying specific proteins and cells that are active in an individual patient, and tailoring that patients treatments accordingly. That will involve new blood tests to predict which treatment a given patient is likely to respond to, Hill said. But in parallel, researchers are also trying to identify targeted treatments that may work better for specific organs affected by GVHD, Lee said. She and her colleagues at the Hutch are poised to launch a number of clinical trials testing therapies specifically for patients with just one form of chronic GVHD, such as scleroderma or lung GVHD. In the coming years, I think well see even more targeting of specific kinds of chronic GVHD, Lee said. We wont just treat all people with chronic GVHD the same. Instead, well use markers in their blood and what organs are involved to intelligently select a treatment based on the kind of chronic GVHD they have. Those differences are likely part of the reason that combatting chronic GVHD has proven so difficult, Lee said. Recent years have been exciting but I wish I could point to a breakthrough that will work for most people. Its just a very hard disease, she said. But theres been a lot thats happened the last couple years that makes me hopeful well have better treatments ahead. 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. Is Russia arming the Afghan Taliban? The US accuses Russia of trying to destabilise Afghanistan by supporting the Taliban. Senior US officials have been saying for months that Moscow is even supplying the militants with weapons. What is the US alleging? In a BBC interview in late March, the commander of US forces in Afghanistan Gen John Nicholson alleged that Russian weapons were being smuggled across the Tajik border to the Taliban. He accused Russia of exaggerating the number of Islamic State (IS) fighters in Afghanistan "to legitimise the actions of the Taliban and provide some degree of support to the Taliban". "We've had weapons brought to this headquarters and given to us by Afghan leaders and [they] said, this was given by the Russians to the Taliban," he said. Some Afghan police and military officials told the BBC that the Russian military equipment includes night-vision goggles, medium and heavy machine guns, and small arms. News Road impact fees to pave way to managed growth STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News Motorists drive down South Shore Boulevard in the South Shore Harbour subdivision in League City on Friday, March 30, 2018. STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News Walkers stroll past a South Shore Harbour logo on a sidewalk in the subdivision in League City on Friday, March 30, 2018. LEAGUE CITY League City plans in the near future to charge developers road impact fees upfront to pay for the cost of connecting residential projects to existing streets. The fees, also called capital recovery fees, would help pay for the costs that come with fast growth in the city of 105,000, council members said. The topic is surfacing at city meetings this spring as the ongoing debate about how to manage a booming city also includes talk of asking developers to build better roads inside their projects. The city already imposes capital recovery fees for water and sewer connections. New developments bear the cost that is based in part on estimated use, said David Hoover, director of Planning and Development. The water and sewer capital recovery fees are going through a regular review to ensure the math is up to date, city staff said. The new fees will be figured later this year after the city council reviews updated master plans for water and sewer, said Christopher Sims, director of engineering. The future road capital recovery fees will follow a similar pattern. The city will figure out how many connections are needed for how many units. When developers go to the city to get permits for new projects, road impact fees will be part of the process, Hoover said. The city still is working out what those fees will be, and discussions are ongoing, Hoover said. The most important thing is to get impact fees that are accurate and to do that as soon as possible, Councilman Hank Dugie said. As new developments come in, I dont want current residents subsidizing that infrastructure that is going into the neighborhoods. Impact fees are the basis for the whole conversation about how to pay for new growth, Dugie said. I also dont want to be unfairly charging new developers, he said. Other council members also support charging road impact fees, but some are also asking for other ways to manage growth. Councilman Nick Long, for example, would prefer that developers pay cash for their developments instead of relying on municipal utility districts to sell bonds, he said. Long is also critical of poor infrastructure that developments turn over to the city. Im sick of talking about things like replacing all the sidewalks in South Shore, Long said. Oak trees planted nearby caused the sidewalks to crack and buckle, he said. The city also accepts responsibility for the streets and retention ponds in developments, but a new ordinance now allows city inspectors to have stricter standards so it doesnt have to accept bad roads, cracked sidewalks or poor water and sewer lines, Hoover said. I want to make sure that when we are accepting infrastructure, we are accepting infrastructure that is going to be good for the next 30 years, Long said. We've just found your dream job because Netflix are apparently on the hunt for people to binge watch their shows... but professionally of course. Now don't pretend this isn't what you do most of the time anyway, so this is a cracker of a time for anyone involved. The official name of the job title is 'Editorial Analyst of Original Content', and it requires you to "watch, research, rate, tag, annotate and write analysis for movie and TV content." The only prerequisite of the position is that you have a decent knowledge of TV/Film and that you're able to easily summarise what you've just watched. Netflix plans to release around 700 new shows and movies to the streaming service over the course of the year so looks like whoever gets the job will be busy as f*ck? When Chris Hayes uses the phrase Trump TV, dont you just assume hes talking about Fox? I always do. But what the hell is up with Sinclair News-- and why hasnt anyone even heard of, as John Oliver reminds us, the most influential media company that youve never heard of. Did you know for example that Sinclair, the biggest broadcaster in America, forces more than 170 local television station anchors to read the same commentary? But when Senor Trumpanzee tweeted Monday morning that it was, at least for him, So funny to watch Fake News Networks, among the most dishonest groups of people I have ever dealt with, criticize Sinclair Broadcasting for being biased. Sinclair is far superior to CNN and even more Fake NBC, which is a total joke, it doesnt recognize Sinclair-- the real Trump TV-- as a fount of fake news. The new poll from Monmouth doesnt single Sinclair out but found that Large majorities of the American public believe that traditional media outlets engage in reporting fake news and that outside sources are actively trying to plant fake stories in the mainstream media. When it comes to the meaning of fake news, a majority believe that it involves editorial decisions as well as inaccurate reporting. The public feels that social media platforms are partly to blame for the spread of fake news and are not doing enough to stop it. The poll also finds that Pres. Trump continues to be less trusted than the major cable news outlets as an information source. The news about fake news is not good, according to the Monmouth University Poll. Large majorities of the American public believe that traditional media outlets engage in reporting fake news and that outside sources are actively trying to plant fake stories in the mainstream media. When it comes to the meaning of fake news, a majority believe that it involves editorial decisions as well as inaccurate reporting. The public feels that social media platforms are partly to blame for the spread of fake news and are not doing enough to stop it. The poll also finds that Pres. Trump continues to be less trusted than the major cable news outlets as an information source. More than 3-in-4 Americans believe that traditional major TV and newspaper media outlets report fake news, including 31% who believe this happens regularly and 46% who say it happens occasionally. The 77% who believe fake news reporting happens at least occasionally has increased significantly from 63% of the public who felt that way last year. Just 25% say the term fake news applies only to stories where the facts are wrong. Most Americans (65%), on the other hand, say that fake news also applies to how news outlets make editorial decisions about what they choose to report. These findings are troubling, no matter how you define fake news. Confidence in an independent fourth estate is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Ours appears to be headed for the intensive care unit, said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute. The belief that major media outlets disseminate fake news at least occasionally has increased among every partisan group over the past year, including Republicans (89% up from 79% in 2017), independents (82% up from 66%), and Democrats (61% up from 43%). In addition to the fact that a clear majority of Democrats now believe that traditional media outlets report fake news at least occasionally, the poll also finds that a majority of Republicans (53%) feel this happens on a regular basis (up from 37% in 2017). A plurality of the public (42%) say that traditional news media sources report fake news on purpose in order to push an agenda. Fewer Americans (26%) believe that major media sources tend to report these stories only by accident or due to poor fact checking. Another 7% feel both reasons are equally prevalent. The remainder are either not sure or do not feel that fake news is reported by traditional media outlets. The number who believe this type of false reporting is done on purpose has not changed much from a year ago when it stood at 39%. The number who say it is done accidentally has increased from 17% a year ago as more people feel that the traditional media engages in reporting fake news stories. Fully 83% of Americans believe that outside groups or agents are actively trying to plant fake stories in the mainstream media. Two-thirds (66%) say this is a serious problem-- including 74% of Republicans, 68% of independents, and 59% of Democrats. According to the public, fake news is the result of both outside agents trying to plant fabricated stories and the editorial processes of mainstream media outlets that disseminate false narratives. The perception of this problem couldnt be more pervasive, said Murray. Attention has also focused on the role of social media platforms in the propagation of fake news. Nearly 9-in-10 Americans (87%) believe that outside groups are trying to plant fake news stories on social media sites like Facebook and YouTube. More than two-thirds (71%) say this is a serious problem-- including 81% of Republicans, 69% of independents, and 67% of Democrats. Most Americans (60%) say that social media sites are partly responsible for the spread of fake news but that other media sources are more responsible. This compares to 29% who say that social media sites are mostly responsible for the spread of fake news. Just 6% say they are not at all responsible. There is bipartisan agreement on this opinion. Even though social media may not be the principal culprit in spreading fake news, fully 69% of Americans say that these sites are not doing enough to stop the spread of fake news on their platforms. Just 20% say they are doing enough. The way the public sees it, social media is just one cog that keeps the fake news wheel turning, said Murray. The poll also finds that a large majority of the public (86%) believe that online news websites also report fake news, which is up slightly from 80% in March 2017. However, the number who believe that online news sources regularly report fake news has increased from 41% a year ago to a majority of 52% today. The Monmouth University Poll also finds that Pres. Trump is trusted less as source of information than three cable news outlets-- except if you ask Republicans. Nearly half the American public (48%) trusts CNN more than Trump, compared with one-third (35%) who trust Trump more than CNN and another 13% who trust both equally as a source of information. The results are similar when Trump is pitted against the left-leaning MSNBC-- 45% trust MSNBC more, 32% trust Trump more, and 16% trust both equally. The right-leaning Fox News also bests the president as a trusted information source-- 30% trust Fox more and 20% trust Trump more, although a plurality of 37% trust both equally. The results for the president versus MSNBC have not changed much in the past year (47% trusted MSNBC more, 33% trusted Trump more, 15% trusted both equally in March 2017). The pendulum has swung slightly but not substantially away from Fox News and toward Trump in that matchup (37% trusted Fox News more, 17% trusted Trump more, 36% trusted both equally in March 2017). CNN was not included in the 2017 poll. It should come as no surprise that many more Republicans trust the president as an information source than either CNN (12% versus 75% for Trump) or MSNBC (11% versus 72% for Trump). But Republicans are also somewhat more likely to trust Trump (35%) over Fox News (21%), with 40% trusting both GOP-aligned sources equally. In 2017, 29% of Republicans trusted Trump more, 26% trusted Fox more, and 44% trusted both equally, marking a slight gain for the president in the current poll. One bright lining in the whole fake news debate is that major cable news operations are still more trusted than a single officeholder. Unless you are a Republican, in which case Trumps Twitter feed may be your go-to news source, said Murray. bohlah at 2-04-2018 03:33 PM (3 years ago) (m) Israel has cancelled plans to deport migrants en masse to Africa after reaching a deal with the United Nations refugee agency. Israel has cancelled plans to deport migrants en masse to Africa after reaching a deal with the United Nations refugee agency. More than 16,000 asylum seekers will instead be resettled in Western countries, including Canada, Italy and Germany, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. About 16,000 others will be given permanent residency in Israel, he said. Israel's Supreme Court had blocked deportations meant to begin on Sunday. The plan to send the migrants to African countries - reported to be Uganda and Rwanda - was condemned by Israeli activists and sparked protests. The new plan will be implemented over a five-year period. Mr Netanyahu's office described the agreement as "unprecedented". "These understandings will allow the removal of more migrants from Israel than in the previous plan, and under UN and the international community's auspices," a statement said. Canada, Italy and Germany are yet to officially confirm their participation in the agreement. Where are the migrants from? Most of the Africans are from Eritrea - a one-party state whose leaders have been accused of crimes against humanity by a UN inquiry - and war-torn Sudan. Most of them entered from Egypt several years ago, before a new fence was built along the desert border. This has ended most illegal crossings. How controversial is this issue? The decision in January to offer the migrants a cash lump-sum and a plane ticket to leave Israel voluntarily or otherwise face forced expulsion was controversial in Israel. Some critics in the country and among the Jewish community abroad - including former ambassadors and Holocaust survivors - saw the plan as unethical and a stain on Israel's international image. The UN refugee agency said it violated local and international laws, and large protests were held in Israel. Mr Netanyahu said the opposition was "baseless and absurd" and that Israel would resettle "genuine refugees". Activists, however, noted that only a handful of Eritreans and Sudanese had been recognised as refugees by Israel since the country took over the processing of applications from the UN in 2009. How have people reacted? Opposition leaders and activists in Israel hailed the new deal on Monday. "I congratulate the activists who fought, campaigned and did not give up," said Avi Gabay, head of the Zionist Union, the largest opposition faction in the Israeli parliament. Michal Rozin, a member of Israel's parliament and a lead campaigner against the expulsions, said the agreement represented the "success of the Israelis who protested against the evil of deportation". But Shlomo Maslawi, a Tel Aviv city councillor who has organised protests against the presence of many African migrants in the south of the city, said the deal was a "disaster that will reverberate for generations to come". A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants. More than 16,000 asylum seekers will instead be resettled in Western countries, including Canada, Italy and Germany, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.About 16,000 others will be given permanent residency in Israel, he said.Israel's Supreme Court had blocked deportations meant to begin on Sunday.The plan to send the migrants to African countries - reported to be Uganda and Rwanda - was condemned by Israeli activists and sparked protests.The new plan will be implemented over a five-year period. Mr Netanyahu's office described the agreement as "unprecedented"."These understandings will allow the removal of more migrants from Israel than in the previous plan, and under UN and the international community's auspices," a statement said.Canada, Italy and Germany are yet to officially confirm their participation in the agreement.Most of the Africans are from Eritrea - a one-party state whose leaders have been accused of crimes against humanity by a UN inquiry - and war-torn Sudan.Most of them entered from Egypt several years ago, before a new fence was built along the desert border. This has ended most illegal crossings.The decision in January to offer the migrants a cash lump-sum and a plane ticket to leave Israel voluntarily or otherwise face forced expulsion was controversial in Israel.Some critics in the country and among the Jewish community abroad - including former ambassadors and Holocaust survivors - saw the plan as unethical and a stain on Israel's international image. The UN refugee agency said it violated local and international laws, and large protests were held in Israel.Mr Netanyahu said the opposition was "baseless and absurd" and that Israel would resettle "genuine refugees".Activists, however, noted that only a handful of Eritreans and Sudanese had been recognised as refugees by Israel since the country took over the processing of applications from the UN in 2009.Opposition leaders and activists in Israel hailed the new deal on Monday."I congratulate the activists who fought, campaigned and did not give up," said Avi Gabay, head of the Zionist Union, the largest opposition faction in the Israeli parliament.Michal Rozin, a member of Israel's parliament and a lead campaigner against the expulsions, said the agreement represented the "success of the Israelis who protested against the evil of deportation".But Shlomo Maslawi, a Tel Aviv city councillor who has organised protests against the presence of many African migrants in the south of the city, said the deal was a "disaster that will reverberate for generations to come".A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants. Post Reply I have been reporting on latest news from Nigeria for almost 10 years now. I report on every possible news area I come across, but always ensure my reports are compiled with dignity and fact to uphold my personal values and duty as a journalist Posted: at 2-04-2018 03:33 PM (3 years ago) | Addicted Hero WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ION Media today announced that it closed the purchase of the full power UHF broadcast TV station in Portland, Maine (WPME-TV) from Ironwood Communications. The station will affiliate with ION Televisions successful programming lineup, effective immediately, as WIPL-TV. The transaction will expand the companys station portfolio to 65 full power stations in 59 of the largest U.S. markets, and add nearly 400,000 new households to IONs industry-leading broadcast reach. We remain on course to expand our nationwide U.S. TV broadcast distribution footprint, said Brandon Burgess, Chairman & CEO of ION Media. We see dual benefits in our broadcast reach focus: Growing demand for ION Televisions programming lineup, plus having the preeminent UHF spectrum footprint in an increasingly wireless world. The acquisition also fortifies ION Medias position as the largest U.S. holder of full power broadcast TV spectrum, covering 1.3 billion MHz pops across all key metropolitan areas, in the advent of wireless spectrum innovation and development. About ION Media ION Media is an independent, privately held media company launched in 2007. ION Medias flagship, ION Television, is the most widely distributed and watched independent broadcast network in the U.S., reaching 100 million homes with a popular lineup of TV series and movies, including original shows. ION Media also nationally broadcasts two digital networks: Qubo, dedicated to children, with content that entertains, educates and celebrates learning; and ION Life, dedicated to healthy, active lifestyles. ION is the nations largest operator of TV broadcast stations by national household reach, with 65 full power stations. For more information, visit www.ionmedia.com. Contact: Chris Addeo ION Media 561.682.4210 chrisaddeo@ionmedia.com TORONTO, April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LSC Lithium Corporation (LSC or together with its subsidiaries, the Company) (TSX-V:LSC) is pleased to announce the filing of the Technical Report titled Technical Report on the Salar de Rio Grande Project, Salta Province, Argentina dated March 28, 2018 with an effective date of February 15, 2018. The report contains the Mineral Resource estimate on the Rio Grande Salar, one of the Companys principal projects located in Salta province, Argentina. HIGHLIGHTS Rio Grande NI 43-101 Technical Report filed Inferred NI 43-101 Mineral Resource of 2.19 million tonnes LCE Lithium resource open at depth between 100m and 500m Drilling to test deeper zones to start shortly Upgraded Mineral Resource to Measured and Indicated categories planned The Companys President & CEO, Ian Stalker, stated, The filing of this Technical Report for LSCs Rio Grande Project marks yet another significant milestone in the development of the Companys mineral resource asset base with 2.19 million tonnes of LCE, following the recent filing of the technical report for our Pozuelos Project. We are very excited about the potential to increase the mineral resource at Rio Grande and also to upgrade the resource in the coming months with the commencement of the planned seismic survey and mobilisation of the drill equipment. This NI 43-101 Mineral Resource estimate includes 2.19 million tonnes of lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ) equivalent (LCE) in the Inferred Resource category down to the first 100m (see Table 1). The top 50m of the deposit amounts to 1,375.4 ktonnes grading at 338mg/l Li and the lower 50m to 100m amounting for 814.6 ktonnes grading at 410mg/l Li.1 A previously completed CS-AMT subsurface conductivity survey carried out on the Rio Grande Salar indicates the potential for lithium bearing formations to extend to depths in excess of 500m below surface. Lithium grades tend to improve between 50m to 100m below surface and this trend indicates potentially improved grades at depth. Hains Engineering Company Limited located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada was engaged to prepare an independent Mineral Resource estimate for LSCs Rio Grande Project and also to prepare the Technical Report in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards and Disclosures for Mineral Projects. Table 1 Rio Grande Resource Statement as at February 15, 2018 Classification and Zone Assay Value (mg/l) Total Brine Vol (B m3) RBRC1 (%) Available Brine Vol (MM m3) Li Ktonnes (as metal) LCE2 (Ktonnes) Inferred Li Ca K Mg SO 4 Top 50m, 5km radius of pump well 338 3,570 6,170 1,320 29,100 4.170 13.5 563.049 190.3 1,013.0 Remaining area, top 50m 338 3,570 6,170 1,320 29,100 2.898 6.95 201.432 68.1 362.4 Sub-total 338 3,570 6,170 1,320 29,100 7,069 10.81 764,482 258.4 1,375.4 Lower 50m 100m 410 710 7,520 4,920 34,130 7.069 5.28 373.245 153.0 814.6 Total Inferred 374 2,149 6,845 3,129 31,615 14.138 8.05 1,137.727 411.4 2,190.0 Notes: 1 Relative Brine Release Capacity. 2 Li metal converted to Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE) using a factor of 5.323. 3 Rounded down to nearest 000. Numbers may not add due to rounding. 4 Resources estimated using CIM 2014 resource classification definitions. 5 A cut-off grade of 100mg/l of Li was applied. The hydraulic parameters of the resource area suggest that it is reasonable to expect brine extraction by a conventional production wellfield at a commercially viable rate, while the geochemical characteristics of the brine suggest that conventional processing techniques may be employed to produce saleable lithium products in an economically profitable manner. These processing techniques are employed in lithium brine operations in Chile, the USA and China. 6 Resources estimated by L. Fourie, P.Geo, Pr.Nat. Sci under the direction of D. Hains, P. Geo. 7 Resources which are not Reserves do not have demonstrated economic value. There is no guarantee that resources can be converted to reserves with additional work. 8 Calculated after application of RBRC factor. The Company has filed the Technical Report on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and is also available on the Company website (www.lsclithium.com). Qualified Person This press release is based upon information prepared and approved by Donald H. Hains, P.Geo. Mr. Hains is a qualified person, as defined in NI 43-101 and is independent of LSC. ABOUT LSC LITHIUM CORPORATION: LSC Lithium has amassed a large portfolio of prospective lithium rich salars and is focused on developing its tenements located in five salars: Pozuelos, Pastos Grandes, Rio Grande, Salinas Grandes, and Jama. All LSC tenements are located in the Lithium Triangle, an area at the intersection of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile where the worlds most abundant lithium brine deposits are found. LSC Lithium has a land package portfolio totaling approximately 300,000 hectares, which represents extensive lithium prospective salar holdings in Argentina. For further information please contact: LSC Lithium Corporation Ian Stalker President & Chief Executive Officer 151 Yonge Street, 11th floor Toronto ON, Canada M5C 2W7 (416) 304 9384 Email: info@lsclithium.com Web: lsclithium.com Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance, including statements as to potential for lithium bearing formations to extend to depths, ability and timing to update the resource and timing for further drilling. The use of any of the words could, anticipate, intend, expect, believe, will, projected, estimated and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on LSC's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Whether actual results and developments will conform with LSC's expectations is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties including factors underlying management's assumptions, such as risks related to: drill program results; title, permitting and regulatory risks; exploration and the establishment of any resources or reserves on LSC properties; volatility in lithium prices and the market for lithium; exchange rate fluctuations; volatility in LSCs share price; the requirement for significant additional funds for development that may not be available; changes in national and local government legislation, including permitting and licensing regimes and taxation policies and the enforcement thereof; regulatory, political or economic developments in Argentina or elsewhere; litigation; title, permit or license disputes related to interests on any of the properties in which the Company holds an interest; excessive cost escalation as well as development, permitting, infrastructure, operating or technical difficulties on any of the Company's properties; risks and hazards associated with the business of development and mining on any of the Company's properties. Actual future results may differ materially. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and LSC is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. For more information, see the Company's filing statement on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. _____________ 1 See the Companys press release dated February 15, 2018. Mojave Desert, California, April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- APRIL 1, 2018 Executives from Virgin Hyperloop One (VHO) today hosted His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during his visit to Virgin Galactic test site in the Mojave desert. During his visit, HRH the Crown Prince unveiled the Vision 2030 Hyperloop Pod, further cementing the commitment between the Kingdom and VHO to bring hyperloop technology to Saudi Arabia. Were look forward to advancing the relationship between KSA and VHO while we develop innovative transport technologies like hyperloop, accelerating Vision 2030 objectives to transform the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from a technology consumer to a technology innovator said His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. Hyperloop is the catalyst to enable all 4th generation technologies to flourish in the Kingdom while creating a vibrant society and thriving economy through visionary cities and high-tech clusters. With speeds 2-3 times faster than high-speed rail and an on-demand, direct to destination experience, hyperloop technology can reduce journey times across the kingdom, exponentially increasing connectivity across not only across KSA but throughout the GCC. Traveling from Riyadh to Jeddah would take 76 minutes (currently over 10 hours) utilizing the land bridge for both passenger and freight movement, positioning KSA as the gateway to 3 continents. Traveling from Riyadh to Abu Dhabi would take 48 minutes (currently over 8.5 hours). Our continued support from HRH and collaboration with Vision 2030 will allow the VHO system to connect with cities across the Kingdom turning commute times from hours into minutes said Josh Giegel, Co-Founder and CTO of Virgin Hyperloop One. It was an honor to host HRH the Crown Prince and advance our discussions around the implementation of the hyperloop system and Innovation Center facility, enabling Vision 2030 to nurture the nations entrepreneurial culture, and grow an innovative highly-skilled workforce through meaningful transfers of knowledge and technology." During the visit, Virgin Hyperloop One and HRH discussed how the hyperloop-enabled transportation sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will stimulate economic growth and diversification of Saudi industries, nurture manufacturing and innovation sectors, and spur job growth in support of the countrys Vision 2030 plan increasing the GDP 1-2 percent across the Kingdom. Weve started this journey through Virgin Hyperloop One partnership with the MiSK Foundation supporting bright, young Saudi talent through an internship exchange program at the companys Innovation Campus in the United States. said Virgin Hyperloop One CEO Rob Lloyd. Today's visit and discussions kick off the next phase that will make VHO a reality in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For the photos, press fact sheet, and b-roll click here. Additional media images can be accessed here . About Virgin Hyperloop One Virgin Hyperloop One is the only company in the world that has built a fully operational hyperloop system. Our team has the world's leading experts in engineering, technology, and transport project delivery, working in tandem with global partners and investors to make hyperloop a reality, now. Virgin Hyperloop One is backed by key investors including DP World, Caspian VC Partners, Virgin Group, Sherpa Capital, Abu Dhabi Capital Group, SNCF, GE Ventures, Formation 8, 137 Ventures, WTI, among others. For more information, visit www.virginhyperloopone.com. Media Contacts FTI Consulting Hani Ukayli hani.ukayli@fticonsulting.com +1-617-893-5336, +966503815336 Virgin Hyperloop One Ryan Kelly Head of Marketing and Communications press@hyperloop-one.com +1-610-442-1896 Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ccb095e3-fc1f-4795-8456-e64104eb1b98 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d4b90cff-7540-4415-b434-561eb415e5b3 LAS VEGAS, April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Theres nothing better than healthy living, and residents of Las Vegas get all the benefits with Dr. Peter Lok. A staple in the Las Vegas community for over 40 years, Lok Acupuncture Clinic is the one-stop shop for acupuncture and natural healing. When searching for non-invasive treatments to cure a series of ailments, theres no place like Lok Acupuncture Clinic. Since 1975, both residents and visitors have come to experience healthy alternatives and wellness education. I truly believe in the power of acupuncture, says Dr. Lok. Over the years I have helped many patients overcome their ailments with its natural healing power. Many people are afraid of the notion of having needles stuck into their skin, but its a safe and effortless process that yields many results. The location in Las Vegas is in the center of action, where a number of activities and jobs can cause common ailments. In a non-stop, on-the-go environment, the Lok Acupuncture Clinic is a resource that provides assistance throughout the state. Dr. Loks history in Nevada is rich with knowledge. His father can be credited with getting the Nevada state legislature to officially recognize acupuncture as an area of medicine in 1973. As a result, Nevada is the first state in the U.S. to have that distinction. Upon the first visit, patients should expect to provide information on their medical history, current health status and reasons for the visit. This will assist in creating a treatment plan that is customized to address those issues. After acupuncture therapy, patients can expect to sleep better at night, have reduced pain, better overall moods, increased management of weight and its maintenance, and lower stress levels. These are just some of the positive effects an acupuncture treatment regimen can have on a patient. Dr. Lok takes his time in determining what is needed, and provides instruction and guidance on maintaining a healthy body. This is one of the most important aspects of the treatment. While acupuncture treatment does help meet your goals, ultimately, maintenance is what keeps those ailments away. Taking the time to put your health first is a major requirement in proceeding with any medical treatments if they are expected to have long lasting results. About The Acupuncture: Lok Acupuncture Clinic specializes in acupuncture, cupping, heat therapy, and electro acupuncture to treat a variety of ailments and conditions including depression, vertigo, Bells Palsy, arthritis, bronchitis and much more. The clinic also provides supplements for better nutrition and overall health. For more information on Dr. Peter Lok and Lok Acupuncture Clinic, call for an appointment or consultation at 702-732-0178 or visit the website at www.lokacupunctureclinic.com today. Governments around the nation are working to design the best vaccine policies that keep both their employees and their residents safe. Although the latest data shows a variety of polarizing perspectives, there are clear emerging best practices that leading governments are following to put trust first: creating policies that are flexible and provide a range of options, and being in tune with the needs and sentiments of their employees so that they are able to be dynamic and accommodate the rapidly changing situation. When Amazon agreed last year to begin collecting sales tax in New Mexico, state officials celebrated what they said could be tens of millions of dollars in annual tax revenue.But they arent cheering in Albuquerque City Hall. A year after that announcement, New Mexicos largest city hasnt seen a dime from Amazon. Thats because the online shopping giants deal applied only to the 5.125 percent statewide tax, not to the 2.375 percent tax tacked on by the City of Albuquerque.The loser in that arrangement is cities, Mayor Tim Keller said. Cities are really being left to themselves.Thanks in part to a series of deals with state governments in recent years, Amazon is collecting sales tax in every state that has one. But those deals dont always extend to taxes assessed by local governments. The company still isnt collecting sales taxes in dozens of cities, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, according to a new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a left-leaning think tank. Calling it a "milestone day for mental health in Iowa," Gov. Kim Reynolds signed two significant pieces of legislation in to law Thursday that she said will bolster Iowa's commitment to treating children and adults facing mental health challenges with dignity and compassion.With mental-health service advocates, parents and friends of suicide victims and state lawmakers gathered on the Capitol balcony and first-floor rotunda, the governor signed into law House File 2456 dealing with comprehensive mental-health upgrades and Senate File 2113 to set up required training for Iowa's educators to recognize and address the signs of a young person facing a mental-health crisis.In so doing, Reynolds said the dual legislation represented a significant development but by no means meant the problems facing Iowans will be immediately addressed and that additional work will be needed to address issues facing some of Iowa's most-vulnerable citizens."Creating a mental health system that we envision is complex and it can't happen overnight. I look forward to building on the momentum that we have here today," Reynolds told the assembled crowd. "There is more to come."To that end, the governor also announced her intention to sign an executive order establishing a platform to begin developing a children's mental health service system based on the 2018 Children's Advisory Committee recommendations -- a process that has been in the works by a legislative group for more than two years."Today is a significant day. This is an acknowledgment of the difficulties that have existed here in Iowa, of the people who haven't gotten the help that they've needed," said Mary Neubauer, who advocated for the comprehensive changes after dealing with a situation where her Russian-born adopted son took his life four days before his 19th birthday."This puts in place a framework for the real work to begin to develop the programs and to put in place the capacity and the help that is needed. Do I think that these bills are going to solve every ill out there? No. I don't know a bill that could. But it's a huge, positive affirmation," she added. "The follow through is absolutely critical. This is an important starting point that, frankly, we have never reached before in Iowa, but truly now the real work begins.""This bill is a critical first step but let me be clear this is just the first step. We cannot stop here. Our children's mental health and well-being system isn't where it needs to be."- Gov. Kim ReynoldsAfter signing the separate bills, Reynolds joined the onlookers in applauding the legislators present who unanimously approved both bipartisan measures.House File 2456 has a broad scope -- dealing with commitments, licensing of subacute mental health facilities, disclosure of mental health issues to law enforcement, video conferencing of hospitalization hearings, transportation service contracts, mental health and disability services quarterly reports, regional core services, reduction of fund balances from mental health regions, commitment process report and a tertiary care psychiatric hospitals report.Among the features of the legislation are the establishment of six new access centers offering short-term assistance to Iowans in crisis situations as a lower-cost option to psychiatric hospital units often already at capacity.The bill also removes the state's cap on subacute beds, expands treatment teams that monitor and assist Iowans with chronic mental illness, improves communication and processes between mental-health professionals and law enforcement, allows providers rather than judges to make mental health care determinations in the least restrictive environment, and includes other elements designed to enhance crisis-intervention and evidence-based services to de-escalate problems in a proper treatment setting."You're not going to put together a ton of new services in a year but I'm hoping that this is really going to propel things forward," said Peggy Huppert, executive director of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Iowa. "We are excited about the significant progress these bills represent in improving our mental health system. They've both been a long time coming. To see them pass unanimously and be signed on the same day is thrilling."Under Senate File 2113, Iowa school employees working with students would be required to have least one hour of training in suicide awareness and prevention annually. The measure requires the state Board of Education to adopt rules requiring school districts to adopt nationally recognized protocols by July 1, 2019, for recognizing the signs of a mental health crisis and referring those children to the appropriate services."This bill is a critical first step but let me be clear this is just the first step," said Reynolds. "We cannot stop here. Our children's mental health and well-being system isn't where it needs to be."The legislation applies to school personnel who have regular contact with students and who hold a license, certificate, authorization, or statement of recognition from the state Board of Educational Examiners. A woman who was hit by a Sacramento County Sheriff's Department vehicle while protesting the police killing of Stephon Clark was resting at home Sunday after suffering multiple cuts and bruises in the incident.A 30-second video of the incident was recorded and shared on Twitter by Guy Danilowitz , an attorney with the Sacramento County public defender's office who was acting as a legal observer during the protest. In the video, a woman, identified by the National Lawyers Guild as Wanda Cleveland, walks between two marked sheriff's vehicles at about 8:40 p.m. as the vehicles move slowly through masses of angry demonstrators.Cleveland carries signs denouncing the March 18 shooting of Clark, an unarmed black man, by two city officers, which has sparked two weeks of protest.A sheriff's deputy can be heard instructing people to "back away" from the vehicles. The rear sheriff's vehicle accelerates and the right front corner strikes Cleveland as Danilowitz shouts, "Oh my God, Oh my God!" The driver of the vehicle does not stop after hitting Cleveland.In a statement early Sunday, the Sheriff's Department said the incident happened as deputies kept an eye on marchers and drove west on Florin Road in south Sacramento County."As protesters approached both of the marked vehicles, they began yelling while pounding and kicking the vehicles' exterior," said Sgt. Shaun Hampton. "As one of the sheriff's deputies was driving, a collision occurred involving the sheriff's patrol vehicle and a protester who was walking in the roadway. The collision occurred while the patrol vehicle was traveling at slow speeds."The vigil had been centered at Florin Road and 65th Street before the majority of the marchers began heading east on Florin, said Tawfiq Morrar, a Sacramento attorney who witnessed the incident. Two sheriff's vehicles on the opposite, westbound side of the road had their lights flashing.Cleveland was among marchers on the west side, and had crossed in front of the sport utility vehicle to get to the sidewalk. Friends said Cleveland had decided to leave the protest because the situation was becoming tense.After the vehicle struck her, Morrar said, the mood of the protest quickly shifted."It went from 'justice for Stephon. Say his name, Stephon Clark' to a lot of people using the incident with Wanda to symbolize their anger with local law enforcement," Morrar said."The second officer just didn't give Wanda enough time to clear the streets," Morrar said. "A lot of people say it's intentional. Me, personally, I don't think it was intentional. I think it was reckless."The Sacramento Metro Fire Department responded and took Cleveland to a hospital, where she was treated and released, Hampton said.The Sheriff's Department vehicle that hit the woman "sustained scratches, dents and a shattered rear window," Hampton said. "The damage to the vehicle was not a result of the collision involving the pedestrian but was caused by vandals in the crowd."The incident is under investigation by the California Highway Patrol as well as the Sheriff's Department internal affairs division, which handles potential disciplinary cases. The CHP is investigating the incident as a traffic collision, and investigators will determine whether it should be forwarded to the district attorney for prosecution, said Officer Michael Bradley, a spokesman for the agency."The investigation is still in its early stages and no determination has been made about fault or prosecution," Bradley wrote in an email.The incident had the potential to further inflame tensions in Sacramento as those outraged at Clark's death demand that Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert bring charges against the two Sacramento city officers who shot him.Clark's shooting came amid reports that a person was smashing car windows in South Sacramento shortly after 9 p.m. Police say Clark shattered the sliding glass door of a home, then ran away and jumped a fence into his grandmother's backyard, where he was shot.In the moments before the shooting, police said, Clark was holding an object in his hand that officers believed was a gun. Only his cell phone was found at the scene. The shooting is under investigation.An independent autopsy report released by Clark's family last week found that the Sacramento police officers shot Clark eight times -- six in the back or the back of the shoulder.In the days since the killing, protesters have blocked freeways as well as entry to the Sacramento Kings' Golden 1 Center, leading to game delays and preventing some fans from entering.At nightfall Saturday, more than 100 people held a candlelight vigil for Clark in South Sacramento. That was the rally that led to Cleveland being struck.Tifanei Ressl-Moyer, a legal observer at the scene who witnessed the Saturday night incident, said she heard the SUV, then saw Cleveland get thrown and finally lie motionless on the ground, her face against the curb."Suddenly you could hear the wheels spin, and you could see the car speed up," Ressl-Moyer said. "You could see her hand was up. You could hear her body against the car. It was horrifying. And then she was flung to the curb."Cleveland bounced off of the SUV and rolled about 5 to 10 feet from the patrol vehicle, said Cres Vellucci, vice president of the Sacramento chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. He said he took down the license plate number as the SUV left the scene."It's not as though he just moved forward," Vellucci said. "This guy sped off, as in burning rubber. He really sped quickly."Vellucci sought out a CHP officer sitting in a patrol car about 50 to 100 feet away to report the incident, but "his response was get out of here or I will arrest you," Vellucci said.He said the National Lawyers Guild plans to file complaints with CHP and the Sheriff's Department.After the incident, Cleveland appeared "clear-headed" but in some pain, Vellucci said."She had a huge bump on her head," he said. "Her arms were really scuffed up with abrasions. They looked pretty bad."Morrar said Cleveland had a streak of blood across her forehead after being hit. While she was lying on the ground, a crowd circled her, some trying to administer first aid, others trying to video and photograph the incident. Morrar dialed 911."Dispatch was a little confused when I said it was a sheriff SUV that hit her," Morrar said.At Cleveland's home in a semirural part of Elk Grove (Sacramento County) on Sunday, friend Taylor Ledford said that she was not ready to talk about her experience."She is off of her feet resting right now," Ledford said. "We're here to help clean the house and make sure she is comfortable."He said Cleveland has been active in a number of organizations, including Black Lives Matter, the Community Dinner Project Of Sacramento, and Caffe, which stands for Clothing and Food for Everyone."She doesn't want any of us talking about what she went through," he said. "The wounds are still fresh."He said that two Sacramento police officers had come to interview her. She didn't speak to them."That is not something she is OK with," Ledford said. The Supreme Court on Monday shielded a police officer from being sued for shooting an Arizona woman in her front yard, once again making it harder to bring legal action against officers who use excessive force, even against an innocent person.With two dissents, the high court tossed out a lawsuit by a Tucson woman who was shot four times outside her home because she was seen carrying a large knife.The ruling -- which comes at a time of growing controversy over police shootings nationwide -- effectively advises courts to rely more heavily on the officer's view of such incidents, rather than the victim's.Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg said in dissent the victim did not threaten the police or a friend who was standing nearby. This "decision is not just wrong on the law; it also sends an alarming signal to law enforcement officers and the public. It tells officers that they can shoot first and think later," Sotomayor wrote.Civil liberties advocates on the right and the left sharply criticized the ruling."Today's ruling gives yet another green light to officers who use deadly force as a tool of first resort instead of last," said Clark Neily, vice president of the libertarian Cato Institute. "It does so based on a legal doctrine -- qualified immunity -- that the Supreme Court invented out of whole cloth to help create a policy of near-zero accountability for law enforcement."David Cole, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union, said officers who use lethal force unconstitutionally should be held accountable. "Giving a free pass to officers under these circumstances will only exacerbate the problem."Since the Civil War, federal law has allowed people to sue government officials, including the police, for violating their constitutional rights. But in recent years, the Supreme Court has erected a shield of immunity for police and said officers may not be sued unless victims can point to a nearly identical shooting that had been deemed unconstitutionally excessive in a previous decision.Police shootings of unarmed people, many of them African Americans, have sparked protests across the country, most recently in Sacramento. Often prosecutors have been reluctant to bring criminal charges in such cases because they would need to convince an entire jury that the officer was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.Civil suits that seek damages are in theory easier to win because plaintiffs need only present convincing evidence that the officer used unreasonable force. But the high court has repeatedly made it harder for victims to bring such claims before a jury.In an eight-page unsigned opinion in Kisela vs. Hughes, the justices did not rule on whether officer Andrew Kisela acted reasonably when he used potentially deadly force against Amy Hughes, who was standing in her driveway a few feet away from her friend and roommate, Sharon Chadwick. The police had been called after a neighbor reported seeing a woman acting strangely and carrying a large knife.Rather than decide whether Kisela used excessive force, the court instead ruled he could not be sued because the victim could not cite a similar case involving a police shooting of a person holding a knife."Police officers are entitled to qualified immunity unless existing precedent squarely governs the specific facts at issue...This is far from an obvious case in which any competent officer would have known that shooting Hughes to protect Chadwick would violate the 4th Amendment" and its ban on unreasonable seizures, the court said Monday.The decision reversed the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which had allowed the woman's lawsuit to go before a jury.In recent months, legal scholars and the Cato Institute have joined civil rights lawyers in criticizing the court's approach to police shootings. University of Chicago law professor William Baude, a former clerk for Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., has argued the justices invented the doctrine of "qualified immunity" in the 1980s and have steadily expanded it to block suits in cases of excessive force.In her dissent, Sotomayor quoted a law review article by Judge Stephen Reinhardt from Los Angeles, who died last week. "Nearly all of the Supreme Court's qualified immunity cases come out the same way -- by finding immunity for the officials," Reinhardt wrote in 2015.Three years ago, the justices tossed out a lawsuit brought by a mentally ill San Francisco woman shot five times by officers who pushed their way into her private room. They said they shot her because she was holding a bread knife.The Tucson shooting took place a few blocks from the University of Arizona campus. Police were called to "check welfare" after a neighbor called about a woman who was acting erratically and brandishing a knife. Three officers, including Kisela, arrived and saw a woman, later identified as Hughes, leave the house and walk toward Chadwick. She was carrying a knife. A chain link fence prevented the officers from approaching, but they called out to Hughes to drop the knife.She ignored them and came within six feet of Chadwick. The other woman was calm and said there was no threat. But Kisela then fired four shots, striking Hughes. She was handcuffed, and taken to a hospital. She recovered from her injuries and sued Kisela for an unreasonable seizure and an excessive use of force.The 9th Circuit appeals court said that while some key facts are in dispute, a "rational jury could find that [Hughes] had a constitutional right to walk down her driveway holding a knife without being shot."Lawyers for Arizona appealed and said the suit should be dismissed. "Qualified immunity exists to protect the public from unwarranted timidity on the part of public officials," they said.The justices agreed and ruled Kisela was entitled to immunity.Sotomayor said the majority had revised the facts to favor the officer. Hughes "held a kitchen knife down at her side with the blade facing away from Chadwick. Hughes was nowhere near the officers, had committed no illegal act, was suspected of no crime, and did not raise the knife in the direction of Chadwick or anyone else," she wrote. Two officers kept talking, but "without giving a warning that he would open fire, he [Kisela] shot Hughes four times, leaving her seriously wounded. If this account of Kisela's conduct sounds unreasonable, that is because it was," Sotomayor said.She said the court's "one-sided approach to qualified immunity transforms the doctrine into an absolute shield for law enforcement officers, gutting the deterrent effect of the 4th Amendment."Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley Law School, said Monday's decision is part of a trend. "In case after case involving excessive police force, the Supreme Court is finding for the police and keeping juries from ever being able to decide if the police acted impermissibly. This contributes significantly to the difficulties in holding police accountable," he said. President Trump was quick to criticize Gov. Jerry Brown's decision to pardon five former convicts facing deportation.Brown pardoned 56 former convicts in his annual pre-Easter clemency program, but the president took aim at five who are threatened with the possibility of deportation. The pardons, while not guaranteeing that the men will remain in the United States, remove a legal rationale for expelling them.Trump's criticism came in a Saturday morning tweet, in which he referred to the governor by a nickname from the 1970s, referring to Brown's idea for a state-owned communication satellite and other proposals deemed too liberal by critics."Governor Jerry 'Moonbeam' Brown pardoned 5 criminal illegal aliens whose crimes include (1) Kidnapping and Robbery (2) Badly beating wife and threatening a crime with intent to terrorize (3) Dealing drugs," the president tweeted. "Is this really what the great people of California want?"The governor's office said the pardons were earned by the men for turning their lives around. They were announced Friday.While not directly responding to Trump's criticism, Brown's office reiterated Saturday that "all of the individuals who were pardoned have been out of custody for at least 10 years and the majority were convicted of drug-related or other nonviolent crimes."Trump's comments are just the latest in his dispute with California over immigration policy. Last month, the administration filed sued against the state over its sanctuary laws, which help protect undocumented immigrants from deportation by federal officials.The pardoned men facing deportation include Daniel Maher, who committed an armed robbery at a San Jose auto parts store in 1994, and was convicted of felony kidnapping, robbery and firearms charges.He lost his legal status but was not deported to China because a deportation agreement did not exist with country. Maher served five years in state prison and a year in federal immigration custody. He now works at the nonprofit Ecology Center in Berkeley and assists at-risk youth.Sokha Chhan, another who was pardoned, fled the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia at 13, then lived as a legal U.S. resident for 35 years. He served a year in jail and three years probation in 2005 for a misdemeanor charge of inflicting corporal injury and threatening a crime.Also pardoned were Sergio Mena, who completed three years' probation in 2006 for possessing drugs for sale; Francisco Acevedo Alaniz, who served five months in 1999 for vehicle theft; and Phann Pheach, who completed a six-month sentence in 2007 for possessing drugs for sale and obstructing an officer. President Trump on Easter Sunday appeared to rule out efforts to revive deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who were brought illegally to the United States as children, tweeting "NO MORE DACA DEAL!"The president issued a series of combative statements on Twitter, centering on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program as well as the North American Free Trade Agreement, which he described as a "cash cow" for Mexico. At the same time, he railed against what he described as a dangerous lack of security on the U.S. southern border.In a trio of tweets, Trump also asserted that Mexicans "laugh at our dumb immigration laws," and suggested that U.S. Immigration and Customs agents were being improperly constrained from carrying out their duties.The tone of the president's holiday tweets differed markedly from the sentiments of goodwill commonly expressed by previous U.S. chief executives on national or religious occasions.But frustrated by Congress' refusal to embrace his legislative agenda and apparently egged on by conservative outlets like Fox News, the president in recent days has embraced a more freewheeling, confrontational leadership style, even by his standards.In addition to firing two of his Cabinet members in tweets last month, Trump on Thursday gave a rambling speech in Ohio in which he surprised his own advisors by saying the U.S would soon halt military operations in Syria and suggesting he would use the upcoming nuclear talks with North Korea to extract a better trade deal with South Korea.In his Easter tweets, Trump vented frustration over one of his campaign's central talking points, the border wall that he repeatedly said Mexico would pay for. Congress has so far provided only limited funds for the wall project, leading Trump to reportedly weigh other avenues, including diverting money allocated to the U.S. military.The president has made on-again, off-again efforts to use the "Dreamers" as bargaining chips in his bid to build the border wall, and he publicly vented anger over an omnibus spending measure he signed last week because it included only a small slice of funding for it.Trump announced last fall that he would terminate the Obama-era DACA program, generating fear and panic among several hundred thousand enrollees in the program. He challenged Congress to come up with a new and better version of the program, which provides temporary protections from deportation and work permits for them.But with the fate of the Dreamers hanging in the balance, the president then rejected a carefully crafted bipartisan immigration deal, questioning during one acrimonious meeting with lawmakers why the United States should allow immigration from Haiti and African countries he considered to be "shitholes."Trump is insisting that any relief for Dreamers be tied to billions of dollars for the border wall as well as strict new limits on legal immigration to the U.S. Lawmakers have been unable to agree on such a plan.Trump on Sunday also made the puzzling assertion that "big flows" of immigrants were trying to enter the United States because of DACA. "They all want in on the act!" he tweeted.In fact, DACA is not available to newly arrived immigrants. Though Trump terminated the program as of March, its protections remain temporarily in place under court order while legal challenges make their way through the courts.Trump is now blaming Democrats for the collapse of DACA."The Democrats blew it," he told reporters Sunday while attending Easter services with First Lady Melania Trump and his daughter Tiffany Trump.His frustration with Congress was also reflected in his call Sunday for a change in Senate rules to eliminate the use of filibusters and enable legislation to pass with just 51 votes. Republicans hold a 51-49 majority. But many of Trump's initiatives have failed to even garner that level of support from his own party and GOP leaders oppose changing Senate rules.Trump is also facing an array of other challenges, including the ongoing legal fight over hush money paid to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, who says she had a sexual affair with the president more than a decade ago, and Trump's difficulties in securing top-flight lawyers to represent him in the face of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation of cooperation between Trump's campaign and Russia.On Sunday, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a former Trump campaign aide and an ex-prosecutor, warned the president against the perils of sitting down with the veteran lawman Mueller -- something Trump said he would be willing to do, although his lawyers quickly sought to walk back his offer."He's a salesman, and salesmen at times tend to be hyperbolic," Christie said on ABC's "This Week," referring to the president. "That's OK when you're working on Congress -- it is not OK when you're sitting talking to federal agents."Once again, the churn of turnover in Trump's administration was a talking point on the Sunday news shows. Several major figures have jumped or been pushed out in recent weeks, including economic advisor Gary Cohn, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, White House communications director Hope Hicks, and the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs, David Shulkin.In a series of TV appearances Sunday, Shulkin repeated his belief that he had been ousted because he resisted attempts to privatize government-provided healthcare for veterans, an idea that has been floated by some prominent Trump backers. And Shulkin pushed back at an apparent White House attempt to portray his ouster as a resignation, not a firing -- a distinction that could stay the president's free hand in designating an interim replacement from outside the department.White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said Saturday that Shulkin had resigned, Politico reported, which does not square with his apparent firing by presidential tweet last week. In response to a direct query from interviewer Jake Tapper on "State of the Union," Shulkin stated: "I did not resign."Trump has chosen as Shulkin's successor Navy Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, the physician who recently offered a glowing public assessment of the president's level of health and fitness. But Jackson faces confirmation hearings. In the meantime, the president has sought to temporarily move in a Pentagon official, Robert Wilkie, rather than allowing Shulkin's deputy to move into the post on an interim basis.That has raised questions about the applicability of a relatively little-known measure, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, which gives the president powers to pick a stand-in when a Cabinet secretary is incapacitated, dies or resigns, but seemingly not when the person is fired. Description GIS - 02 April, 2018: The Indian Ocean Commissions (IOC) Ministerial Conference on Maritime Security in the Western Indian Ocean, which will be co-hosted by the Government of Mauritius and is set for end April 2018, was discussed during a meeting on Friday 30 March 2018 at the Voila Hotel, in Bagatelle. The meeting was presided by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, and chairperson of IOCs Council, Mr Seetanah Lutchmeenaraidoo. In fact, the Minister met with representatives of Foreign Embassies/Consulates accredited to Mauritius to review technical and logistics issues pertaining to the Ministerial Conference which is supported by the European Union and scheduled from 26 to 29 April 2018. The IOCs Secretary General, Mr Hamada Madi, and the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Ambassador, Mrs U. C. Dwarka Canabady, were present at the meeting. The aim was to exchange views on the Ministerial Conference which will explore ways and means to further defend the common ocean space and heritage shared by IOC Member States and exploit the potential for growth and innovation pertaining to the blue economy. In his introductory remarks, the Minister said that when we talk about maritime security we cannot limit ourselves to uniquely one region as Oceans are interconnected. Also, he pointed out, that the hosting of the Ministerial Conference has a direct effect on what other countries are presently doing since there is interdependence in terms of marine management and maritime security. Government, emphasised Mr Lutchmeenaraidoo, is fully supporting this initiative and this might pave the way to encourage other regions on the planet to follow suit with regards to addressing pressing issues related to maritime security and coordination. It will sensitise the world that there is no clear policy regarding security of the ocean and about maritime security, and, the need to find consensus on several issues not only piracy but also about drug and human trafficking, money laundering, and ultimately climate change, protection of marine life and illegal fishing, he emphasised. The Conference will serve as a lobbying platform to ensure that the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, established pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1851, becomes a permanent entity on the said Council, the Minister announced. To that effect, he indicated, a motion will be presented when the Council will meet in New York in July 2018. The motion will also propose to place greater onus on the Contact Groups current work agenda by including maritime risks as an added responsibility over and above the existing ones which relate to the development and implementation of national counter-piracy policies and programmes. Ministerial Conference on Maritime Security A vast regional and international representation is expected at the Ministerial Conference which will see the adoption of a common Ministerial Declaration. Around 60 Heads of States/Governments as well as a number of regional and international organisations such as SADC, COMESA, EAC, IGAD, UNODC, International Maritime Organisation, INTERPOL, World Bank, African Development Bank, and Civil Society organisations including the University of Bristol and Cardiff have been invited. Four thematic round tables are scheduled, namely on: regional maritime security mechanisms; fight against transnational trafficking; combating terrorism; and, fight against environmental threats. Meetings at Senior Officials level are also scheduled. Maritime security in the Western Indian Ocean basin is a major challenge for sustainable development throughout East and Southern Africa and Indian Ocean (ESA-IO). The Ministerial Conference on Maritime Security therefore aims to give new impetus to concrete collaborations for securing long-term vast maritime areas of the ESA-IO region in full compliance with the Conventions and Strategies in force. Microsoft Teams quickly became the business application of choice as state and local governments raced to equip remote teams and maintain business continuity during the COVID-19 lockdown. But in the rush to deploy Teams, many organizations overlook, ignore or fail to anticipate some of the administrative hurdles to successful adoption. As more organizations have matured their use of Teams, a set of lessons learned has emerged to help agencies ensure a successful Teams rollout or correct course on existing implementations. (TNS) Marin County, Calif., is adding nine new weather gauges that collect real-time data on rain, wind and stream activity, bringing its fleet of such devices to 18 across the county.The Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District announced this month that it has won approval to receive the devices used to help with flood preparedness. They will likely be in hand this summer and ready to install by the end of fall, said Julian Kaelon, a spokesman for the department of public works.These provide a good framework with weather patterns, to see timelines and trends, Kaelon said. Its a snapshot of activity and we are able to see when certain creeks might be raising.In a flood situation, he said, the gauges feed us live data that public works and emergency crews can use to prioritize areas that need service.Kaelon said the county is still determining what the ideal locations could be for the new gauges: We dont want to be duplicating work.The district in 2016 received a $228,282 grant through the state of California Department of Water Resources. The new gauges cost $122,470, of which 71 percent will be covered by the grant. The county will pick up the tab with money from its emergency preparedness fund.The data collected feeds into the countys OneRain website, marin.onerain.com/home.php, which also displays information gathered from the Napa County Flood Control District, the Sonoma County Water Agency and the city of Petaluma. This is part of a partnership formed in 2016, called the North San Francisco Bay Counties Flood Emergency Preparedness and Response Improvement Project.Meanwhile, county flood control planners are also moving forward with the Ross Valley flood project in the Corte Madera Creek. The Marin County Board of Supervisors at a May meeting is poised to formally reallocate $7.6 million from a state grant to the Corte Madera flood risk management project.The project features three main components, which include removing the fish ladder from Corte Madera Creek behind the post office; removing the concrete channel and creating a floodplain park at Frederick Allen Park; and installing a low flood wall at Granton Park near College of Marin in Kentfield.The release of a draft environmental review document is planned in June 2018, which will be followed by a 45-day public comment period.Thats when things start to pick up, said Tonya Redfield, capital planning and project manager with the county public works department. Were making good progress.Ross Mayor Elizabeth Robbins said council members and residents still have concerns about the effectiveness of work through Frederick Allen Park. Also, Robbins is worried about indemnification of any untoward events that come from this project.The Ross Town Council in December reluctantly voted 4-1 to support the project. Robbins dissented.Were going to continue to keep a close watch on this, Robbins said.For more information on the Corte Madera creek project, go to bit.ly/2uCie3j.2018 The Marin Independent Journal (Novato, Calif.)Visit The Marin Independent Journal (Novato, Calif.) at www.marinij.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (TNS) - Theres a man with a gun trying to hurt me! a terrified St. Paul man told a 911 operator.Officers rushed to his residence, but they found no sign of a gunman.After the 54-year-old man dialed 911 on a few other days, reporting the same scenario, Sgt. Jamie Sipes responded to one of the calls. Sipes coordinates the police departments new mental health unit.After talking with the man, Sipes learned he has a diagnosed mental illness that includes hallucinations. When the halluciations happen, the man said, theyre so frightening that all he can think to do is call the police for help.St. Paul police formally started its mental health unit in March, and Sipes said people like the 911 caller are among those they will try to help.In the past decade, calls to St. Paul police involving mental health issues have doubled. By devoting a unit to mental health issues, St. Paul police aim to connect people with community resources, reduce escalations that could end in police using deadly force, and ultimately cut down on the need for officers to be called for crisis situations.About 30 percent of the people fatally shot by police in Minnesota between 2004 and 2016 were diagnosed as having a mental illness or had exhibited signs of mental illness.When tragedies happen whether its violence in the community or an officer-involved shooting people have questions and law enforcement has a responsibility to answer some of those questions, Sipes said. We want to be involved in the conversation before theres a crisis situation and to be ensuring that people are getting the resources that they need.Former St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman proposed adding to the police budget for this year to increase the departments authorized strength. The city council approved the move, which allowed four officers to be dedicated to the mental health unit.They went through intensive training in the beginning of March and then began their work.The officers spend part of each day reviewing recent mental health-related reports that patrol officers responded to. Theyre looking into whether they can follow up with the individual or their family to ensure they know about available mental health services.The mental health officers also are listening to emergency radio traffic and responding to some calls as they happen.St. Paul police already team up on some calls with Ramsey Countys mobile crisis team, but the mental health officers will be looking for ways to partner more with social workers or other mental health professionals.This is new to law enforcement, and weve been thinking outside the box of what we can do to help people get connected with services, keep them in their homes, keep them stable and reduce those police calls for service, reduce those EMS runs to the hospital and reduce those emergency department visits, Sipes said.Sipes said one question he hears from fellow officers and community members is, Why are police getting more involved in an area that is traditionally a social work area?He says people often call 911 when someone is having a mental health crisis and they dont know what else to do.The reality is police are first-responders and they need to respond to anything, said Sue Abderholden, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Minnesota chapter. What we want to do is to make sure we have the best outcome, and (the mental health unit) is certainly one way to do that. We want officers to know that theres more than just bringing someone to an emergency room, that they really know the wide range of options and know what to tell the family.When mental health officers recently responded to a woman outside a St. Paul home who reported that a relative made threats of harming himself several days earlier one officer told her about the Ramsey County crisis hotline. She could call the hotline if his threats of self-harm continue.I told her, Were kind of this bridge between some mental health resources, and I would encourage you to touch base with Ramsey County Crisis because they have a lot of good programs,' said Justin Tiffany, one of the mental health officers.In 2016, St. Paul police received 8,704 mental health calls for service, compared with 4,122 in 2004, according to police department statistics.Sipes has theories about the increases.I think one of it is we, as a society, have really worked hard to decrease the stigma of mental illness, Sipes said. I think people in general are talking about it more, recognizing those issues more, and that includes our officers potentially documenting it more.Police officers have traditionally responded to mental health calls with quick fixes.For example: Negotiating with a person to move him or her to safety from a bridges ledge and then getting the person to the hospital because officers have to move on to the next emergency call.But Sipes said the department has been looking at how officers can spend more time helping after the immediate crisis is over.Because most of St. Pauls patrol officers have gone through 40 hours of Crisis Intervention Team training, the mental health officers expertise wouldnt necessarily be needed on crisis calls that officers respond to daily, Sipes said.The department also has a crisis negotiation team, which Sipes is a member of, for the most pressing situations.Instead, Sipes plans for mental health officers to be communicating with people in the days after they initially have police contact or get out of the hospital.Theyre putting together small fliers explaining the new mental health unit. Organizations that work with people who are mentally ill will hand out the fliers to their clients.We want them to know were a different kind of police were not the police that arrest, were not the police that write tickets; were the police that do follow up and call you and say: Hey, how are you doing today? Are you taking your medications? Have you seen your case manager recently? How did that go? Sipes said, adding theyre aiming to counter fear that people may have.Various groups have lent support to the officers as they built the unit, particularly Regions Hospital and the nonprofit People Incorporated, Sipes said.Jill Wiedemann-West, chief executive of People Incorporated Mental Health Services, said her nonprofit has been discussing with St. Paul police whether they could provide a social worker or therapist to respond to calls with the departments mental health officers.St. Paul police have been focused on mental health for the past few years.Since March 2016, some calls to 911 in Ramsey County concerning mental health problems, which dont involve a crime or immediate safety risk, are instead referred to the countys mental health crisis line. Mental health professionals provide in-person assessments and assistance over the phone.The countys mobile crisis team and the emergency response systems collaborative work has continued to grow, said Alyssa Conducy, Ramsey County manager for adult mental health and chemical health services.In 2015, there were 27 crisis assessments completed as the result of first-responders identifying the need for services.That number increased to 104 in 2016, and grew to 147 in 2017.2018 the Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.)Visit the Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.) at www.twincities.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (TNS) To many, driverless cars still seem a far-off concept, one their grandkids might experience. But state Sen. Jeff Brandes has spent the better half of the past decade making them a reality in Florida.The St. Petersburg Republican pushed to make the state a leader in autonomous vehicles, starting with legislation in 2012 that made it legal for self-driving cars to operate on Floridas roads. Bills that followed removed the need for a human to be in the car at all.Thats right: a driverless car could pull up beside you without anyone in it."Were one of the most forward-thinking states in the country as it relates to the future of mobility and transportation," Brandes said.But opponents say the rush to lure companies and developers could come at a high risk.A fatal crash in Arizona last month has exposed the limitations of this technology. Uber halted autonomous vehicle testing when one of its vehicles struck and killed a pedestrian March 16 in Tempe.Critics wonder if Florida has gone too far, too fast in allowing driverless technology."You have this technology that is being unleashed on the world prior to it really being ready," Clearwater lawyer Joshua Chilson said. "Its obviously not advanced to the point where its capable of responding to real-life scenarios, like the one that happened in Tempe."Thanks to Brandes and other lawmakers, the state has laid an aggressive groundwork to make Florida attractive to the companies building and testing autonomous vehicle technology.And 2018 is already shaping up to be a big year for autonomous vehicles in Florida.In February, a Starsky Robotics truck completed a 7-mile drive on a closed portion of Route 833 in Hendry County without a human in the vehicle. Later that month, Ford started testing self-driving cars in Miami-Dade County. Some are even delivering pizza.And later this year, self-driving taxis will come to the Villages, Floridas largest retirement community."The technology is here and were seeing it play out in real time," Brandes said. "The business community, transit planners, real estate developers, theyre all changing their thinking because of how forward- thinking Floridas been."But the Florida Justice Association, a trial lawyer advocacy group, and others oppose allowing driverless vehicles to operate on public roads before the technology is perfected."Our school zones should not be their beta test laboratory," said association president Dale Swope. "Thats what test facilities are for."The association has also lobbied for the state to include strong accountability language in future legislation, making it clear who is responsible when a driverless car is in a crash. Swope also proposed that owners of the vehicles should be held liable."When an autonomous vehicle kills someone, like it recently did in Arizona, trying to determine who was at fault is going to be very expensive and very difficult," Swope said. "It becomes infeasible."Swope said regulation wont thwart development. Instead, he pointed to the invention of the automobile and the regulations that followed in the early 20th century as an example."It didnt kill the development of automobiles to have reasonable regulations of headlights, taillights and other expectations," Swope said.Autonomous vehicle leaders like Stefan Seltz-Axmacher, co-founder of Starsky Robotics, said Floridas minimal regulation and openness to real-life testing and operation is exactly what draws companies to the Sunshine State.The industry was very West Coast-centric, Seltz-Axmacher said, when he started nearly three years ago. Most of the autonomous vehicle teams were in the San Francisco Bay area. Some reached as far east as Arizona or Nevada. But now Seltz-Axmacher sees other states, like Florida, drawing in companies and developers with progressive laws."Sen. Brandes put Florida in a leadership position because of the laws he passed fairly early on that are nonobtrusive and easy to work with," Seltz-Axmacher said. "The laws are fairly clear without too many restrictions."Its different in other states. Nevada required companies to put their vehicles through 15,000 miles of testing before allowing them on its roads. California mandates that companies register with the state and log accident reports with a central agency. Michigan requires automakers to have $10 million of self-insurance.But Floridas regulatory climate allows companies like Starsky Robotics to test in real-world situations on real roads without a state permit.Florida hasnt been as dramatic with its legislation as other states, said University of South Carolina law professor Bryant Walker Smith, who studies autonomous vehicles. Instead of passing one bill on the subject, Brandes and other lawmakers have taken a more subtle approach, passing key autonomous vehicle provisions as part of an omnibus bill."It hasnt been quite as flashy as other states, but its been a pretty concerted effort to begin addressing this topic," Smith said. "Floridas bills have not been particularly detailed but have been, I think, pretty far-reaching." (TNS) Jarrett Companies has purchased a 53-acre property in Seville, Ohio, that it expects will be used eventually by driverless, autonomous trucks.Jarrett, a logistics and transportation company based in Orrville, bought the property from trucking firm Schneider National, the company announced Wednesday.The site is near the Interstate 71 and 76 interchange.Jarrett subsidiary PackShip, a white glove and final mile carrier, will use the site for dropping and hooking of their equipment and eventually as an autonomous truck transfer hub, the company said.When autonomous trucks become commercially available, the transfer hub will allow trailers to be exchanged between driverless trucks and local drivers, Jarrett said. Autonomous trucks would arrive at the hub, with PackShip drivers making final deliveries.Jarrett Fleet Services, also known as JFS, a truck fleet maintenance company, will occupy two service buildings totaling 37,000 square feet of shop space on the property to expand customer maintenance and repair services.We are pleased to add this property to our portfolio and expand our services in JFS and PackShip. This purchase will allow us to continue growing by engaging technology that positively impact and disrupt the logistics industry today and in the future, Mike Jarrett, president of Jarrett Companies, said in a news release.Jarrett Companies employs 260 people and is also the parent of logistics business Jarrett Logistics Systems.Jarrett also said Schneider National will lease back six acres of the property for parking and other use of its equipment and vehicles. A team from Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands, in collaboration with Bengt Johansson at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia, reports that blending gasoline with high cetane number (CN) gas-to-liquids (GTL) fuel appears to be a promising route to improve not only efficiency, but also PM and NO x emissions, particularly when operating in partially premixed combustion (PPC) mode. Interestingly, they observed, this benefit is notwithstanding the high aromaticity of the gasoline compared to GTL. In open access paper on the work is published in the journal Fuel, they suggest that this GTLine approach promises to be a cost-effective way to accommodate GTL in a world in which low temperature combustion concepts, such as PPC, appear to be really taking off. PPC can be defined as a combustion process in a compression ignition engine, whereby a temporal separation exists between the fuel injection and combustion events, thereby implying that a long ignition delay (ID) is the single most important prerequisite. A shared conclusion found in all these studies is that PPC is most readily realized with a low CN fuel, else prohibitively high EGR rates are likely necessary to adequately extend the ID. In our previous work, we evaluated the performance of two FischerTropsch (FT) GTL diesel fuels with CNs of 52 and 72 in various combustion modes from high (i.e., conventional diffusion) to low (i.e., PPC) temperature regimes. The results demonstrated that, at equal fuel aromaticity, a high CN yields no discernible benefit in terms of PM-NO x trade-off in high temperature combustion modes and even becomes a serious handicap when transitioning into the low temperature regime. While future GTL plant owners might take notice of aforementioned insights, producers of high CN GTL diesel must necessarily add low CN compounds in order to decrease the CN. A well known approach to lower the CN of diesel fuel in general is to blend it with low CN fossil or biofuels. one practical and relatively low cost fuel looks particularly promising, gasoline. Commonly referred to as Dieseline in literature, this mix of fossil fuels already has a proven track record as a PPC fuel. What is more, there exist, in Europe at least, a surplus of gasoline, thereby partially compensating for both the limited availability of GTL as well as its relatively high cost price. Reijnders et al. The team carried out its experiments on a modified 12.6 liter HDDI DAF XE 355C in-line six diesel engine. The first cylinder is used as a test cylinder and is equipped with a dedicated in- and outlet manifold, EGR circuit and fuel injection system. Cylinders 2 and 3 have no function, while 4-6, operating on the stock engine control unit (ECU) and conventional fuel, were responsible only for setting and maintaining the desired engine speed. The team used five fuels: neat GTL, three GTLine blends (e.g., 10, 20 and 50 vol.% gasoline), and EN590 diesel as a reference fuel. All tests were conducted with a single injection per cycle, at a fixed engine speed of 1200 rpm, and a constant engine oil and coolant temperatures of 90 and 85 C, respectively. For all fuels, EGR rates were varied from 0 to 50%. Based on the experimental data, the team concluded: The higher the CN, the higher the amount of EGR required to sufficiently extend the ID into PPC territory and achieve associated low PM-NO x emissions, whereby the ignition dwell should be somewhat greater than zero. A CN higher than 60 with EGR rates above 3040 wt% have a negative impact on indicated thermal efficiency, most likely as a result of incomplete combustion. Blending in relatively low cost and abundantly available gasoline improves the efficiency and emissions behavior of GTL when operating in PPC. Resources Xinhua reports that Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) start-up Singulato Motors plans to invest some $2.39 billion in eastern Chinas Suzhou over the next five years. A partnership between the company and the Suzhou city government covers research and development, production and industrial investment in the NEV industry. Singulatos first production car will be iS6 SUV, due to be on market this year. The SUV will offer 5-seat and 7-seat variants, as well as two-wheel and four-wheel drive options. The base model is to have a range of U400 km NEDC (249 miles). Reportedly, Singulato will also offer a 300 km (186-mile) version and a battery-swapping version. A partnership between Singulato and the Suzhou city government covers research and development, production and industrial investment in the NEV industry, according to the report. Singulato Motors says that it will set up a global R&D center in the city and will employ about 2,000 to 3,000 researchers in next five years to focus on advanced technologies such as autonomous driving. The two sides will also establish an industrial investment fund worth 10 billion yuan (US$1.6 billion) to nurture more start-ups in the sector, Xinhua added. Singulato Motors, established in December 2014, covers businesses including NEVs, intelligent vehicle systems, and car networking services based on big data and cloud computing. A total of 777,000 NEVs were sold last year in China; the government aims to bring annual sales and output of NEVs to 2 million by 2020. Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group UCOM offers affordable gadgets at bigger discount Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to New York Governments preventing publication of Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper during state of emergency Google Ad UCOM prolongs the unlimited internet offer for the level up 4700 and level up 5500 subscribers Ucom employees received recognition for their services to the homeland Karen Vardanyan has allocated 105 million AMD to rescue the Yerevan Botanical Garden. "The Power of One Dram" to overcome childhood cancer Generation A 13 your chance to be the change President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan met with Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Khovayev "uDays" special offer at Ucom: discounts for all smartphones and accessories for 2 days only For more than 3 hours, 50 or more Azerbaijani servicemen have blocked the interstate road Call on the international community for an adequate response against azerbaijani aggresssion Transformation and trust are important for success in modern banking. Artak Hanesyan UCOMS LEVEL UP 1700 REGIONAL TARIFF PLAN USERS TO RECEIVE MORE THAN THOSE IN YEREVAN Joint statement Google Ad Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group Covid-19: 163 new cases in Armenia Armenia: Remarks by Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi at the press point with Acting Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan The United States Welcomes Azerbaijans Release of Armenian Detainees and Armenias Actions to Facilitate Demining The Coronavirus-Related Situation in Armenia International aviation: Council greenlights signing of major agreements with four countries With UCOMs level up tariff plans subscribers have unlimited access to Netflix, Duolingo and Zoom Armenia: Statement by the Spokesperson on the early parliamentary elections Armenias Parliamentary Elections PRESS STATEMENT COVID19:77 new cases Armenias early parliamentary elections were competitive and well run, but polarized and marred by aggressive rhetoric, international observers say International election observers to Armenias early parliamentary elections held press conference Drop Charges Against Rights Defender Sashik Sultanyan Farmers say neither they nor China desire a trade war. Photo: Ty Wright/Bloomberg via Getty Images As expected, China has responded to President Trumps tariffs on $50 billion worth of goods. The duties imposed on Chinese steel and aluminum have caused Beijing to retaliate with sweeping tariffs of its own, and American agriculture is a big target: Theres a 25 percent tax on American pork and fruit, and a 15 percent tax on apples and almonds. The food and agriculture industries have been sweating the Trump tariffs repercussions for a while pricier aluminum could destroy 20,000 beer jobs alone, brewers claim. But the Chinese governments counterblow is particularly unwelcome for American farmers, given the already historic-low prices for their products. Many analysts predict that the immediate economic impact wont be serious, yet, but Chinas tariffs target crops and livestock, so ag workers justifiably fear that theyd be the first casualty of a bona fide trade war, if other countries jump in with their own trade barriers. According to the Associated Press, U.S. farmers shipped the Chinese almost $20 billion worth of food in 2017, and China is technically the third-biggest market (over $1 billion a year) for American pork. Iowa is Americas top pork producer, and already some estimate that 10 percent of the states farms will probably fail in the coming year. Workers have begun comparing the situation to the 1980s farm crisis, the industrys worst period since the Great Depression. Trumps tariffs havent thrilled a lot of farmworkers in the state the Iowa Soybean Association, in fact, just attacked them as an immediate and grave threat to the industry, arguing, No winners emerge from a trade war and thats particularly true when it involves food and nutrition. Trump, of course, ran on a platform of saving Americas farms, yet the situation looks increasingly bleak for farmers: Besides the tariffs, little has been done to help declining crop prices, and according to a recent NPR report, the outlook for the next year is so bleak, its heightening worries especially in the Northeast about farmer suicides. Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group UCOM offers affordable gadgets at bigger discount Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to New York Governments preventing publication of Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper during state of emergency UCOM prolongs the unlimited internet offer for the level up 4700 and level up 5500 subscribers Ucom employees received recognition for their services to the homeland Karen Vardanyan has allocated 105 million AMD to rescue the Yerevan Botanical Garden. "The Power of One Dram" to overcome childhood cancer Generation A 13 your chance to be the change President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan met with Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Khovayev "uDays" special offer at Ucom: discounts for all smartphones and accessories for 2 days only For more than 3 hours, 50 or more Azerbaijani servicemen have blocked the interstate road Call on the international community for an adequate response against azerbaijani aggresssion Transformation and trust are important for success in modern banking. Artak Hanesyan UCOMS LEVEL UP 1700 REGIONAL TARIFF PLAN USERS TO RECEIVE MORE THAN THOSE IN YEREVAN Joint statement Google Ad Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group Covid-19: 163 new cases in Armenia Armenia: Remarks by Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi at the press point with Acting Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan The United States Welcomes Azerbaijans Release of Armenian Detainees and Armenias Actions to Facilitate Demining The Coronavirus-Related Situation in Armenia International aviation: Council greenlights signing of major agreements with four countries With UCOMs level up tariff plans subscribers have unlimited access to Netflix, Duolingo and Zoom Armenia: Statement by the Spokesperson on the early parliamentary elections Armenias Parliamentary Elections PRESS STATEMENT COVID19:77 new cases Armenias early parliamentary elections were competitive and well run, but polarized and marred by aggressive rhetoric, international observers say International election observers to Armenias early parliamentary elections held press conference Drop Charges Against Rights Defender Sashik Sultanyan Peanut oil is only part of the formula. Photo: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images Unless I develop a severe allergy to chicken or peanut oil and even if I do I will never not want Chick-fil-A. No amount of controversy, health-grade scares, political snafus, or generally bad news about the restaurants has managed to scare me away yet. And clearly, I am not alone in thinking this, since the southern chicken chain is in an extended period of unprecedented growth, while even high-minded chefs are trying to remake restaurants in the fast-food chains mold. This is all, its worth pointing out, in spite of the chains extremely Christian values. Publicly, Chick-fil-A now says that it treats everyone with dignity and respect, but even with a stain of far-right conservatism on their public image (and a history of supporting causes that promote intolerance), the companys meteoric growth hasnt slowed. According to a recent BuzzFeed report (via restaurant consultancy Technomic), Chick-fil-A is on track to eclipse the likes of Burger King, Taco Bell, and Wendys over the next two years. If that happens, it will be the third-largest fast-food chain in the world (behind only McDonalds and Starbucks). To put the companys success in perspective, BuzzFeed points out that an average Chick-fil-A location pulls in $4 million in annual sales, compared to $2.5 for a McDonalds. (And remember: Chick-fil-As are all closed on Sundays, meaning they make that while operating six days a week.) Last year, the company reported $9 billion in sales, up more than $1 billion in 2016. With that kind of money, the restaurant chain is opening about 100 new stores per year, including new locations in Manhattan. (A fifth location opened near Grand Central in March.)* Just last week, in fact, the company launched the largest Chick-fil-A (ever) in New Yorks Financial District, and devoted customers jaded New Yorkers, no less swarmed. None of this surprises me because Ive been a dedicated Chick-fil-A customer for over a decade. I grew up in Marietta, Georgia, a midsize, middle-class town thats home to about 60,000 residents and ten Chick-fil-As. Its also about 30 miles away from Chick-fil-As headquarters in Atlanta. My high school sat directly across the street from a Chick-fil-A, and I am not overstating things when I say that Im one of the many, many Southerners (and a southern expat at that) in whom Chick-fil-A inspires steadfast loyalty. Other fast-food chains seem focused on social-media-baiting gimmick items (Taco Bells fries, Starbuckss Instagram Frappuccinos) or food priced so cheaply, theres no way it could be good for you. But Chick-fil-A has always thrown most of its weight behind improving the customer experience. Visit any Chick-fil-A and instead of overworked, underpaid people in their 20s and 30s, youll find enthusiastic high schoolers who also happen to be eligible for a cut of the millions of scholarship dollars the company awards its team members each year. They are also trained to be hospitable in a way that would make even Danny Meyer proud: They happily bring food directly to customers tables and always respond to thank you with my pleasure (never youre welcome). Beyond the restaurant, Chick-fil-As tend to be very embedded in the local community, hosting or catering events at nearby schools or charity organizations. The unwavering hospitality is so consistent that fans cant even fathom a customer having a bad experience: What you not gone do is lie on Chick-fil-A like that https://t.co/Xdl9SxbEBi CG (@Mr_PeR_fEcT) May 27, 2017 I've been waiting at Chick-fil-A for like 30 minutes so I decided to take pictures pic.twitter.com/S98D3T71D8 (@kwilliams_lee) May 25, 2017 It is little wonder, then, that even chefs who might have previously shunned the very idea of fast food due, in no small part, to the industrys ongoing problems and issues want to open restaurants that take inspiration from Chick-fil-As entire enterprise. David Chang and Mark Ladner have famously opened one-note restaurants like Fuku, which is even centered around chicken sandwiches, and Pasta Flyer, where diners can get a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs or fettuccine alfredo to go. Danny Meyer just announced a new taco stand; theres the Greek-food chain, Souvla, in the Bay Area; and Lukes Lobster remains one of the originators of the movement. Even if they dont all specialize in chicken, these operators are simply aspiring to do what Chick-fil-A has always done: Serve one thing, really well, and do it in a way that makes customers feel valued. *This post has been corrected: The Grand Central NYC location is open, not in the works. The bistros perfect, painstaking pommes souffles. Photo: Liz Clayman One detail you should know about Cherche Midi, Keith McNallys Bowery bistro thats now set to close in June, is that the kitchen insists on serving pommes souffles with its exceedingly popular prime-rib entree. Even in the hands of a talented cook, the antiquated French potato recipe is not easy to pull off, night after night, order upon order upon order. Pommes souffles are essentially potato chips that need to be dunked in hot oil several times until the vaporized moisture inside causes them to puff like crisp balloons. Something like half the time, they dont work: The potatoes dont puff, or they arent agitated in the oil correctly and they remain soggy. A chef essentially needs to assign one person the sole task of making pommes souffles, which customers then tend to wolf down by the handful without realizing what a tremendous headache they are to make correctly. As far as potato sides go, fries are much easier; mashed potatoes are, too, and theyre basically impossible to screw up. But the full presentation of the prime rib, some braised onions and a salad, along with the pommes souffles as engineered by opening co-chefs Daniel Parilla and Shane McBride was a properly regal meal. New Yorks own Adam Platt singled out how Cherche Midis elegant potatoes offset the hulking, demi-glace au jussoaked slice of marbled, pink beef. The pommes souffles were also a telling example of how Cherche Midi, which debuted in June of 2014, differed from other New York bistros, and even other Keith McNally restaurants. Restaurants that close after just four years in business typically dont warrant eulogies. And, in the context of McNallys collected works, Cherche Midi has never quite fit in. The restaurant never had the critical mass of A-listers that thronged Pastis. Its location never seemed central to any kind of scene, in the way that Balthazar is the de facto pearl in Sohos oyster. Cherche Midi wasnt a fixture of Page Six, and it didnt hum with the late-night kinetic energy of Schillers, or the cocaine and brat-pack cachet that defined the Odeon of yore. Youd be forgiven for thinking that Cherche Midi was a rehash of McNallys greatest hits, but it was much more than that. Photo: Liz Clayman To many observers, Cherche Midi was thought of merely as a quick replacement for McNallys doomed pizzeria Pulinos, and it was written off as a slapdash, greatest-hits-style makeover. Its location on a heavily trafficked corner of Bowery and Houston thats been marred by roadwork for what feels like a decade or more probably didnt help things. Early on, Pete Wells called it a dystopian intersection, and even McNally himself told Eater in a characteristically frank 2016 interview in which he also said that Cherche Midi doesnt make any money that for some reason, I dont think its a very good corner. Still, those pommes souffles endured, even as the Provencal-leaning saddle of lamb disappeared, along with the frogs legs. What the bistro had left in spades, however, beyond the great steak-frites, was an oddball sort of underdog charm not found in McNallys other establishments. Cherche Midi was a place where you could walk in off of the street at lunch, order steak tartare with a glass of Langhe Nebbiolo, and be out the door in 45 minutes. It was a restaurant that unabashedly served lobster ravioli with beurre blanc and piquillo peppers as a throwback to late-80s restaurants that will forever be hopelessly unhip. It was a place where plain was good, and the complete lack of pretense made it feel more like a genuine bistro than any of the painstakingly sourced replicas that exist in New York. Two years into Cherche Midis run, McNally seemed to have made peace with its overall tone. Strangely enough, I may like it the most of any of my places, he said at the time. By then, Cherche Midi had become a place where the clientele could come eat and drink and remain happily anonymous. Its an undervalued quality in restaurants, impossible to engineer. Even as the very idea of a bistro remains steeped in an almost mythological romance, Cherche Midi was never over-steeped in it, which is exactly what made it such a charming place to eat. 886s little-sausage-in-big-sausage. Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine Spring is all about rebirth and renewal, fresh starts and new beginnings, but at some point youll need to eat. Here, then, the most exciting restaurants opening this season, and all the dishes youll surely want to gobble down ASAP, including charcoal-grilled chicken skewers, hand-rolled couscous, the turducken of Taiwanese sausages, rotisserie lobster, and plenty of pedigree pizza. April Frenchette 241 W. Broadway Lee Hanson and Riad Nasrs first solo project is a modern French brasserie with a design that takes inspiration from the Vienna Secession movement and a seasonal menu featuring riffs like duck-frites, rotisserie lobster, and a petite steak of the day, made with beef that the chefs plan to butcher and age in-house. Continuous service will eventually include breakfast, with buckwheat crepes and viennoisserie from nearby Arcade Bakery; on the beverage side, the partners have reunited with fellow Balthazar alum and natural-wine proselytizer Jorge Riera, late of Wildair and Contra. Related Stories Keith McNallys Former Head Chefs Open Frenchette in Tribeca Sushi Noz 181 E. 78th St. A couple of high-rolling Japanophile brothers have taken up with sushi prodigy Nozomu Abe (formerly of Sushiden) to bring us this minimalist spot that just opened on the Upper East Side. This from a pr rep: The sushi counter is made from a single piece of hinoki from Kiso that is 200 years old, and has been dry-aged for 30 years in Nozomus hometown of Hokkaido. The sushis old, too, or rather, its served in the edo-mae style, which refers to the pre-refrigeration technique of curing or preserving fish in salt or vinegar. A twenty-or-so-course omakase orgy will run you a cool $300, tip included. Holy Ground 109 W. Broadway Pitmaster Franco Vlasics seasonal barbecue pop-up Fort Gansevoort gets a permanent home in Tribeca, courtesy of restaurateur Matt Abramcyk, whos calling the new subterranean venture a meat speakeasy. In addition to slow-smoked ribs, brisket by the half- or full pound, and pork shoulder pulled tableside, there will be sophisticated vegetable sides, steakhouse-style mains, and classic cocktails. Bellwether 47-25 Vernon Blvd., Long Island City Chef-partner Preston Madson is a Georgia native, Jonathan Waxman protege, and veteran of such diverse kitchens as Peels, Barbuto, and the Bay Areas raw-and-vegan Roxannes. In his new Queens home, the Parker House rolls will be naturally leavened (and served with goats-milk butter); the Fuerte avocados garnished with seaweed, sesame, and hemp; and the grass-fed-beef patty melt topped with house queso and served on brioche. Sullivan Street Bakery 533 W. 47th St. Few have done more to elevate the level of New York bread than Sullivan Street Bakerys Jim Lahey, and when he reopens his Hells Kitchen headquarters this month after a nearly year-long hiatus, it will have a fresh look, seating for 30, and a bunch of delicious-sounding soups, salads, and especially sandwiches. New to the menu: beef-braciole with fresh ricotta on ciabatta; fennel-fregola soup; and, for breakfast, mascarpone polenta with roasted mushrooms, sage, and Parmesan. Of course, all the excellent rustic loaves are back on the shelves, as is the superb Roman-style pizza al taglio still among the best by-the-slice snacks in the entire city. An Una Pizza Napoletana pizza. Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine Una Pizza Napoletana 175 Orchard St. Self-taught Neapolitan-pizza virtuoso Anthony Mangieri has been lured back to New York from San Francisco to join forces with co-chef-owners Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske Valtierra of Contra and Wildair. Since last seen in these parts, Mangieri has added two pies to his hyper-focused repertoire (the salami-and-egg Apollonia, the arugula-dappled Ilaria) and two more nights to his Wednesday-to-Saturday schedule. But the biggest change since UPNs East Village days is its transformation from pizzeria to full-fledged restaurant thats half-bar, halfdining room (with pizza served only there). The Contra teams contributions: small plates (shaved turnips with nduja-mascarpone, lobster-oil-preserved tomatoes with burrata), real desserts (gianduja gelato!), and a wine director fresh from the European neo-bistro circuit to honcho the all-natural, mostly Italian list. Unnamed Restaurant From the Hao Noodle Team 343 W. 14th St. The main attraction at this Meatpacking District spinoff from the good people at Hao Noodle in the Village is charcoal-grilled skewers. A little bit similar to Japanese yakitori, but in the most authentic Chinese way, says a rep. Juicy, smoky, aggressively seasoned meat on a stick, washed down with ice-cold beer, is what were thinking. Little Tong 235 E. 53rd St. With the midtown mobs in mind, chef Simone Tong plans to launch her 12-seat Turtle Bay outpost first for weekday lunch, supplementing her signature Yunnanese mixian rice-noodle bowls with a variety of Chinese street foods. At press time, she was deep in recipe development for her take on guokui, or flatbread in this case, a scallion pancake topped with beef shank, melted cheese, and herbs. Lucky Pickle Dumpling Co. 513 Amsterdam Ave. After bringing the Upper West Side a Southern-fried joint (Jacobs Pickles) and a retro-sleek shrine to the French Dip (Maison Pickle), Jacob Hadjigeorgis tries his hand at the neighborhoods native cuisine: Chinese. His new dumpling shack will dispense specimens stuffed with the usual suspects (chicken, vegetables, shrimp-and-pork) that come five to an order. Theres also talk of noodles and soft-serve for dessert. Okozushi 367 Graham Ave., Williamsburg If youve ever had the serene pleasure of starting off your day with a seafood-centric Japanese breakfast at Yuji Haraguchis Okonomi restaurant, youre already practically jumping up and down and clapping your hands over news of his latest venture: a ten-seat, walk-ins-welcome, takeout-ready sushi restaurant five blocks away from his pristine gem of a fish market Osakana. Atomix 104 E. 30th St. At Atoboy, Junghyun Park convinced the world that $42 is a small price to pay for a three-course prix fixe meal inspired by the usually free Korean side dishes called banchan. Now hes kicking it up a notch, as someone once said, with a $175 multicourse tasting menu and a 14-seat chefs counter. Hell run a bar above the basement-level restaurant, too, serving original cocktails and a la carte snacks. Joe & Pats 168 First Ave. The Pappalardo clan opens the first official Manhattan outpost of their pizza joint par excellence, the pride of Castleton Corners, Staten Island. You can count on superthin pizza with crunchy crusts and infinity-pool rims (plus a full roster of Italian-American fare, which might include such cuisine-defining specialties as pepper-and-egg heroes and chicken Francese). Weve been looking to expand into Manhattan for about six years, says Casey Pappalardo. When the old Lanza space in the East Village became available, it felt like a good fit: a family-run Italian restaurant started by immigrants. Bar Beau 61 Withers St., Williamsburg Claire Chan, the owner of The Elk coffee bar in the West Village, expands to Brooklyn with a new spot dispensing Parlor-roasted brews by day, craft cocktails and small plates by night. Chef-consultant Gil Calderon (late of the Meat Hook and Foster Sundry) has assembled a menu with influences both Asian and New Age (boneless wings with dried shrimp, gochujang, and tiger salad; malted almonds tossed with spirulina and turmeric). And one wouldnt be a shape-shifting all-day cafe-slash-cocktail bar without a visual identity honed by the MP Shift, the team who designed De Maria. May Di An Di 68 Greenpoint Ave., Greenpoint The An Choi crew expands to Greenpoint with a new restaurant specializing in Vietnamese soups and especially pho. The name means Lets go eat, and chef Dennis Ngos menu provides lots of enticing opportunities to do just that, from the signature beef noodle soup served with a poached egg and a fried cruller to a dessert of shaved ice with pandan jelly, yellow and red beans, and seasonal fruit. Kish-Kash 455 Hudson St. Who knew there was an art to rolling couscous? After months of Tuesday-night practice runs at her Nolita restaurant Balaboosta, Einat Admony has perfected it. Shes ready to open Kish-Kash, her long-awaited restaurant devoted to the dish. Classic accompaniments include braised meats, spicy fish, and all manner of vegetables. You may never look at a box of Near East the same way again. 886 26 St. Marks Pl. Taiwanese food is all the rage these days, but one thing thats lacking is the fantastic street-food snack known as the small-sausage-in-big-sausage i.e., a spicy grilled pork sausage stuffed into a steamed sticky-rice sausage canoe. Thats the specialty of the 30-seat 886 in the East Village, where owner Eric Sze gives the thing a less wordy name (Sausage Party) and tops it with crushed peanuts, fried shallots, cilantro, sesame seeds, and shaved duck-egg yolks. Leonelli Taberna, Leonelli Focacceria e Pasticceria 7 E. 27th St. Nomads refurbished Evelyn Hotel will soon be home to the first two parts of Jonathan Bennos three-pronged post-Lincoln project: a rustic taberna and an in-house bakery (serving variously topped and filled focaccia plus Italian sweets), both inspired by Romes venerable Roscioli, a combination deli-wine bar-restaurant that operates its own bakery. On the horizon: the chefs Mediterranean-inspired fine-dining restaurant, Benno, slated to arrive this fall. Pisellino 100 Seventh Ave. S. The West Village gains yet another undoubtedly charming place to eat and drink from the talented team of Jody Williams (Buvette) and Rita Sodi (I Sodi), this one inspired by classic Italian bars. Unlike our native species, the Italian bar opens early for coffee and breakfast and serves various social functions as the day progresses, from lunch and dinner to snacks and cocktails. It will be, like the partners other venues, long on atmosphere and short on space, with standing counters inside and sidewalk seating once the weather cooperates. June Randalls Barbecue 359 Grand St. A veteran of Hill Country and Dinosaur, Jared Male introduced New York to his own brand of barbecue the new-fashioned way at a Hester Street Fair stall, a Crown Inn pop-up, and inside a Kati Roll Company paratha. His first brick-and-mortar will bring house-cured-and-smoked bacon (plus brisket, ribs, and smoked duck) to a Lower East Side location that most recently housed a kosher pizzeria. And hes already brainstorming future collaborations with neighbors the Pickle Guys and the Doughnut Plant. Zauo 152 W. 24th St. Finally, a Japanese chain restaurant that provides its diners with toddler-size poles and allows them to fish for their dinner from an indoor moat. One thing: youre stuck with whatever you catch, so try not to hook an old tire or a sea captains boot. *A version of this article appears in the April 2, 2018, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now! (HedgeCo.Net) The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged the pastor of one of the largest Protestant churches in the country and a self-described financial planner in a scheme to defraud elderly investors by selling them interests in defunct, pre-Revolutionary Chinese bonds. The SECs complaint alleges that, in 2013 and 2014, Kirbyjon Caldwell, Senior Pastor at Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston, and Gregory Alan Smith, a self-described financial planner who the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has barred from the broker-dealer business since 2010, targeted vulnerable and elderly investors with false assurances that the bondscollectible memorabilia with no meaningful investment valuewere worth millions of dollars. Caldwell and Smith raised at least $3.4 million from 29 mostly elderly investors, some of whom liquidated their annuities to invest in this scheme. Caldwell and Smith are alleged to have taken approximately $1.8 million of investor funds to pay for personal expenses, including mortgage payments in the case of Caldwell and luxury automobiles in the case of Smith. Offshore individuals received most of the remaining funds. Our laws do not tolerate materially misleading statements to exploit vulnerable investors who, in this case, looked up to a prominent pastor, said Eric I. Bustillo, Director of the SECs Miami Regional Office. Caldwell took advantage of his victims, encouraging them to remain faithful even as he and Smith broke that faith, stealing from elderly investors in an outright fraud. The SEC encourages investors to check the backgrounds of people selling investments by using the SECs investor.gov website to quickly identify whether they are registered professionals and confirm their identity. The SECs complaint alleges that Caldwell and Smith violated the registration and antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws, and seeks civil penalties, disgorgement, and other forms of relief. In a separate complaint, the SEC charged attorney Shae Yatta Harper of Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, with, among other things, aiding and abetting Caldwells and Smiths antifraud violations. Harper agreed to settle the SECs action against her without admitting or denying the SECs allegations. Among other things, Harper agreed to pay a $60,000 civil penalty and to the issuance of an administrative order suspending her from appearing or practicing as an attorney before the Commission with the right to request reinstatement after five years. There are a record number of 13 female Ambassadors and heads of mission in Helsinki at the moment. The diplomatic community is becoming more diversified and less male-dominated, and with it could come a different and fresh approach to communication which could bring cultures and countries closer. In this Q&A series, Helsinki Times interviews these Ambassadors about their countries and their views of Finland and the situation of women in the diplomatic service. HT: Tell us about yourself, your background and how you ended up here as Indian Ambassador to Finland? Ambassador: Im from south India, a state called Telangana, and Ive done my education in humanities. I did a BA, and then I did MA in political science, and some how you know I did not have an aptitude for physical sciences. And if I had maybe Id become a doctor or an engineer, but I didnt have interest in those subjects, and my parents were very instrumental in motivating me to become a civil servant. Either sides of the family, neither my mothers nor my fathers side, nobody is a civil servant. So they were really keen that I should attempt the competitive exams and I did that, and passed and got selected for the diplomatic service. After you get selected, theres a long training process for almost 2 years in the Foreign Service Institute. So we get trained there and then youre allowed to choose one foreign language that you want to learn. I chose Spanish, and I went to Mexico for my first posting, thats where I learnt Spanish in the university half of the day, while working at the Indian embassy the other half. Every diplomat in India has to learn one foreign language. So we have a fairly long training process that involves attachment with the army, the navy, the Air-force, visit to the border areas with Pakistan and China, then also visit to the interior parts of India. Its a very demanding training. HT: And after Mexico? Ambassador: After Mexico I went back to Delhi and then I did a posting in Sweden. Then I took a 2.5 year sabbatical to do my masters in California. Then I went back to India for another posting. Then I went to Israel, I was the deputy Ambassador there and after that posting I went back to Delhi again for 3 years before coming here. So, Ive spent about 24 years in the diplomatic service so far and in our service, after completing this many years, we are considered ready to be ambassadors to represent our country. HT: Did you choose Helsinki or did the organisation choose for you? Ambassador: Its a bit of both actually, the Foreign ministry circulates the list of places that are available for ambassadorial postings, and then we are asked to give our choices. I applied for posting as the head of mission, and Helsinki was one of the options I gave. HT: And how do you like it so far, had you been in Finland before? Ambassador: Because I was posted in Sweden about 15 years ago, I came here as a tourist from Sweden. Helsinki is a very good place to settle in, its very easy to live in. There are people who complain about the weather, but I think that is a small factor. Its not a too large city, so you can kind of slide in to the place, and I like that you can get to know the people more easily than in some other countries. They are accessible. They are very open to communication, and I also like the fact that theres a balance of work and life outside work, which is really commendable. It has been a pleasure to be here so far. HT: You arrived last summer and this was your first winter? Ambassador: My first, Yes, I think it has not been as harsh as I expected. Ive lived a long time in Delhi, and Delhi can be very cold in the winter. HT: I suppose before you come to Finland, you also studied Finland - India relations, how do you see its progress? And what are your wishes for it during your term? Ambassador: Yes, in India, you know the perception of Finland is that its a highly developed country and one that has done remarkably in the social field and also in some of technologies related to clean-tech development. Nokia is one of the biggest brands that you brought to India. And the people have a very fond association with that brand. Also Angry Birds and Linux. What many people dont realise is that Finland is so close. It only 6.5 hours by flight. Yet theres a perception that its extremely far and not really easy to travel to. In that sense theres a lot of gap in the information on both sides about Finland in India, and about India in Finland. And we have an excellent relationship, there are no differences that we have to handle. And we have enjoyed Finlands support on many issues of concern to India. But theres a lack of high level visits, we dont have enough ministers visiting each others countries. HT: Why is that? Ambassador: I dont know, but possibly its on both sides. For India, the focus is on our immediate neighbourhood and also engagement with some of the more developed economies. And as the Indian market is developing, a lot of focus is also on the domestic market itself. Finlands interaction is also specific to the EU and maybe your immediate neighbourhood. And its also time for both sides to look beyond their immediate circles and neighbourhoods. India is now on a growth path. We are expecting a 7.2% growth rate in the economy, which is remarkable by any standards. And Finland itself has done quite well in the last couple of years. I think its time both of them start engaging with each other more, and here as an ambassador I will be focusing on that to increase the dialogue between the two countries at the government level. And also to focus the attention of our respective economies on each other. Again another disparity in the market, is something that we are aware of, country of 1.3 billion and you are 5.5 million. So, it may not be a good approach to look at Finland as a market. I think it would be wiser for Indian companies to look at Finland as a country which has done extremely well with the innovation and knowledge based industry, and to learn from that experience. And also perhaps for the Finnish companies to look at knowledge and technology partnerships with Indian companies. So we will be trying to do that. And of course promoting tourism from Finland to India and more culture engagement. In the coming months will be bringing some dance and music groups from India to perform here. And we also want to take our events and activities out of Helsinki. HT: Finns are traveling to Thailand and other far east countries more often. India has always been a destination for specific groups and to specific areas, but do you think that more should be done to promote tourism to India? Ambassador: At the moment, about 25000 to 30000 tourists from Finland travel to India every year. This is a very small number. The number of tourists are much higher from other countries with similar population as Finland, even though all the elements are in place for increasing the numbers. Theres a direct flight between Helsinki and Delhi, which takes only 6.5 hours operated by Finnair and there are some other airlines also which have started a lot of good connections; like Qatar- and Turkish Airways. But you are right, Finns are primarily traveling to Goa and to a lesser extent to Kerala, in southern India, It also has beaches and a lots of very nice destinations for spa treatments. Another popular destination is the so called Golden Triangle in Rajasthan. Rajasthan is state of palaces and many attractions. These are preferred destinations, but we also like to see them travel to other states in India which are so different from what people know as parts of India, and we also have a lot of ancient architecture, natural parks, forest, etc.. North-eastern part of India is totally unexplored; even by Indians. Its more green, and you have the Himalayas in the distant east. Also the culture in the north-eastern area is very different, much closer to the south-east Asian Part of the world. India is also now starting to promote tourism to those states, we have 7 states in the north-east and everyone is different from the other. Assam for example, is the home to the rhino, and it also is home to one of the biggest rivers in India called Brahmaputra. Its as grand and magnificent as the Ganges, but people dont know it. So we would like to see more tourism to these hidden parts of India and also north-eastern areas. In fact to promote this we simply organised series of lectures called India Travel Dairies in which Finnish persons who often travel to India shared their experiences. And these were very well received. They spoke more about their personal experiences and why India attracts them. That was a different perspective. They spoke about why India being so different in culture, attracts them and why they go year after year. Maybe were going to do more of that in future. And we also participate in Matka travel fair every year. We have also introduced something call E-Visa. Which is very easy to obtain, you dont have to come to the embassy, you apply for it online and then you get a visa confirmation by mail from our home Ministry. HT: Right now, there are thousands of IT vacancies in Finnish companies and recently more IT engineers have been coming from India to Finland for work. Do you expect the import of human resources from India to Finland to increase? Ambassador: Actually Indian IT professionals and skilled professionals have been working in Finland for several years now. At the peak times of Nokia we had the largest number of Indian IT professionals here, and since then the number of IT professionals has come down but there are Indian professionals who are getting employed in other high-tech sectors as well. So, also we must understand that in an increasingly globalised Economy, mobility of labor is happening both ways. And Indian skilled professionals not just in the IT sector, have been moving to many parts of the world including the U.S, U.K, Australia, New Zealand, even Ireland. Theyre being employed by both Indian companies with offices in that foreign country and also by global companies like; Microsoft and Google. Partly it has to do with the kind of education that Indians have. Traditionally in India engineering has been a very favourite topic of graduate and also undergraduate education. We produce a large number of engineers every year. HT: Is there a surplus inside the country? Ambassador: Its not so much because of surplus of skilled professionals but its because of the demographics. At the moment we have a very young population, and by 2020 the average age of Indians will be 29 years which is very young. So this large segment of youth in India, are looking for jobs. Our government is also mindful of that; our services sector is currently very predominant contributing for more than 50% of the GDP last year. But the government is focusing now on the manufacturing sector. We want to increase the contribution of the manufacturing sector from 17% right now of GDP to 25%. So that should generate lots of the employment opportunities for the youth. But, I would also like to highlight that at the same time Indian IT companies which are abroad are also making investments in foreign countries and are also creating jobs. In the U.S for example there was a study last year by one of business Chambers (Confederation of Indian Industry), and they found that the Indian IT companies invested about US$80 billion in the U.S and created more than 113.000 jobs. HT: Do you see those kind of investments in Finland as well; is there some interest from Indian companies? Ambassador: At the moment Indian investments in Finland are greater than Finnish investments in India - Finnish investments in India are about US$419 million and the Indian investments are much more than that. For example last year there was just one big investment from an Indian company called Motherson Sumi systems, and they invested about half a billion Euros, acquiring a Finnish company called PKC Group, for 571 million Euros. So, in just one investment we equaled as much as all Finnish investments in India. Yes, the trend is growing; we have more than hundred Finnish companies operating in India and the number of Indian companies operating in Finland is much less. We have another major investment by this Indian group called Mahindra which bought resort properties in Finland. And they also invested about 35% in a Finnish harvester manufacturing company. HT: how about the domestic situation in India, we hear some worrying news regarding Hindu nationalism and conflicts. Ambassador: I think the perception about India in the media and society are largely based on media reports. And again the focus is on social and religious issues, but India is much more than that and India is going through a very interesting phase. Theres a very young population and they are the driving force in India. The current India is modern and aspirational, and its increasingly integrated with the world much more than 50 or 20 years ago. The internet and so many other easy channels help people get information about global trends and global events, cuisine, fashion, everything. India is becoming a more modern society. Peoples perception about India is also that its an ancient civilisation, very complex and maybe complicated to understand, but the more you live in India and travel in India as a foreigner, youll understand that theres uniformity in the culture and in social and legal issues. We are a very liberal and a multi-religion society. If you look at the demographics; about 80% of the population are Hindu and 14% are Muslim, but India is the home to the second largest Muslim population in the world: 160 million and growing. Also Christianity is the third largest religion. And India has always been home to several other religions such as Buddhist, Sikh, Jains and so many other. Freedom of religion is in fact an Article in our Constitution. Youll see that the people of all faiths live amicably and they all grow up together. I grew up celebrating all festivals. Its that kind of society where we celebrate Diwali, Charismas, Eid, everything together. There are fringe elements which are responsible for some incidents in recent times, but the government and the Prime Minister himself have called for tolerance and our PM has stated very clearly that these incidents are not tolerated. So its very misleading I think, to look at media reports and then judge our country. Thats why we keep telling Finnish companies and others too that; they really have to travel to India and understand the place, the country, the people, the traditions and thats very critical and its part of the process of making our decision about business operations and the market. HT: Tell us about the positive developments happening in India right now? Ambassador: We have seen that in some of the sectors development has really leapfrogged; we have skipped certain stages of development all-together and moved to the next stage. For example the smart phone revolution in India is very fast based. Large number of Indians who never had a landline telephone at home, have moved directly on to mobile phones and smart phones. And its empowering them in a way that it was not imaginable before. They are able to connect with people outside and get information. And there are many government programs and also others which are giving information on mobiles to people. And the second area where we have made a huge transformation, is the digital transaction. Again mobile phones are allowing people to make digital payments, and theres large segments of the population which have totally skipped the stage of credit or debit cards and they are exclusively using mobile phones for payment. And one of the other huge initiatives that the government has taken is to introduce an identity number to the residents of India a 12 digit number presently about 1.2 billion people have been issued this number called Aadhar. In facts its the worlds biggest such program that has been started by government. Again using Aadhar the government started using something called financial inclusion program. Because in India many of the poor did not have bank accounts at all because traditionally a bank account demanded a lot of documentation and a minimum balance, so they took a very radical decision about 2 years ago - saying that just with this Aadhar identity people can open bank accounts. HT: how about social status of women? How do you see that changing in the Indian society? Ambassador: I think the change has been very positive and there has been a significant improvement in indicators regarding women. Women are doing extremely well in various segments of the society. I mean lets talk about diplomatic services, in my Indian foreign services about 22.5% are women, and several of our ambassadors in the European regions are women. Literacy of women is improving and some of the programs of the government are also aimed to promote education to the girl child. That has been a very big commitment for the government. So the government has started several programs to construct washrooms in schools, particularly for girls so that there is no reason for them to drop out. Women are receiving small loans of something like 800$ to 1200$. Its a small amount but it gives them enough capital to start a small business. Its like micro-financing, particularly for women. More and more women are graduating and getting access to the labor market. The perceptions are changing, and theres no career now in India which is not open to women. In Air-force we have women pilots including 3 fighter pilots. Presently there is an all female sailing expedition from the Indian Navy, which is traveling globally. From over 29 states, 3 are now headed by women. We have a system that states are headed by chief-ministers. The chief-ministers are something like governors in the U.S. they are directly elected, and 3 of them are headed by women included the one in Jammu and Kashmir. The state-owned airline revealed yesterday in a press release that a total of 19 flights have been cancelled and that the departures of an unspecified number of flights will be delayed from 15 to 120 minutes at Helsinki Airport on Monday. A list of the cancelled flights can be found here . Finnair says it has delayed the departures of some flights and cancelled others due to the snowstorm that is expected to sweep across southern and central parts of Finland between Monday and Tuesday. Its customer service may also be unusually busy due to the delays and cancellations. Finnair reminded that the weather conditions may also make it difficult to deliver baggage in time, adding that passengers who are able to should consider travelling only with hand luggage. Finavia, the operator of the airport network of Finland, says air traffic control may have to restrict the number of arrivals and departures for safety reasons due to strong winds and bad visibility. The state-owned company also underlined that it will do its utmost to keep the runways open and allow airlines to continue their operations with minimum disruptions. The drifting of snow at the airport may complicate the loading and unloading, as well as de-icing, of aircraft, it stated in a press release on Sunday. The Finnish Meteorological Institute has forecast that up to 20 centimetres of snow may fall as a low-pressure front makes its way across the country between Monday and Tuesday. The Finnish Transport Agency additionally encouraged motorists to return from their Easter holidays already on Sunday. Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Jussi Nukari Lehtikuva Source: Uusi Suomi THE Stinger in the tale this week is a brand new model unveiled by Kia at a drive-day I recently attended at the cars UK launch at a hotel near Henley. What was striking about this all-new car first of all was its name. By any measure in todays bland new world, Stinger is a word that stays on the lips. But my next reaction to getting behind the wheel of the Stinger was that in the nicest possible way I had been there before. I hadnt of course because the Stinger, derived and designed from the Kia GT Concept revealed at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, is a total departure for the Korean car maker. However, driving it reminded me of something at first intangible. This became clearer, however, and was confirmed when I read in the notes that Gregory Guillaume, Kias European head of design, was inspired by the elegant grand tourers he saw as a child growing up in Seventies France. How a designer can conjure up that evocation of a particular era is proof of the very power of design. But I for one got the message. Stinger evolved in Europe at Kias Frankfurt studios under the watch of Guillaume and the man largely credited with turning around Kias fortunes, Peter Schreyer, president of design and chief design officer. Guillaume says that even as a young boy he was drawing his own ideas for elegant grand tourers, hoping that one day they might become reality. They were his inspiration for the 2011 GT Concept and, subsequently, the Stinger. Well it certainly will be interesting to see if this new model from Kia a car maker that has been nothing if not proactive in car production in the past decade or so takes off. I think it could be a bit of a gamble. Are the great car-buying public ready for a grand tourer? I hope so because it shows that bland is not always better. Kia has an almost unblemished record of producing striking new models and getting them to market. Indeed, we were given the opportunity at the drive-day to sample two other Kia models that have seen improvements for 2018 the flagship Sorento and the all-new Picanto X-Line. More on those later. For now, what really grabbed my attention was the Stinger, which is a departure from the dominant medium-sized and large SUVs (sport utility vehicles) and small hatches that Kia has been concentrating on. I shall be writing a fuller review of the Kia Stinger shortly when I have had time to drive it at length. In the meantime, this is what the Stinger is all about: First and foremost it is Kias first so-called grand tourer theres the departure from models it has become known for and the Stinger is also the Korean car makers first rear-wheel-drive vehicle to be sold in the UK. Six years in the making, the range-topping twin-turbo V6 version is also the fastest-accelerating Kia ever, with a 0-60mph time of 4.7 seconds. Many people have questioned whether Kia would be bold enough to step outside its comfort zone and sanction a production model, but Kia says it was simply waiting until the time was right to do so, adding: That time is now. Prototypes of the Stinger have covered the equivalent of 27 trips around the equator taking in extreme climate testing in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North and South America to perfect it. There have also been many development cars which have done at least 480 laps (10,000 kilometres) of the tough German Nurburgring Nordschleife test track. Automotive media outlets and car makers use the Nordschleife as a standard to publish their lap times achieved with production vehicles. Five versions of the Stinger are available in the UK, all with turbocharged direct-injection engines with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and featuring high-tech electronic driver aids and connectivity systems. The GT-Line and GT-Line S offer the choice of a 2.0-litre 244bhp T-GDi petrol engine or a 2.2-litre 197bhp CRDi turbo diesel, while the top of the range GT S is sold exclusively with a 3.3-litre 365bhp twin-turbo V6. The Stinger GT S, as the fastest and most powerful model in the range, also has electronic suspension damping and Brembo brakes. The excellent Kia Sorento SUV just got better, which is a feat in itself. I really like this car, which is ultra-comfortable, powerful and looks great. The highlights of the updated third-generation Sorento are new GT-Line and GT-Line S variants, new eight-speed auto gearbox reduces fuel consumption and emissions, seven seats and intelligent all-wheel drive are standard and full power and torque from the 2.2-litre diesel engine. The new Picanto with attitude for 2018 is the all-new Picanto X-Line with chunky crossover styling, seven-inch touchscreen display with satnav, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity fitted as standard. Prices start for Picanto at 12,595. KIA STINGER FACTFILE Kias first grand tourer and first rear-wheel-drive car in the UK Fastback-style five-door gran turismo based on Kia GT Concept Three turbocharged engines, all with an eight-speed automatic gearbox Range-topping model powered by a 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 engine capable of 0-60mph in 4.7 seconds faster than any previous Kia All-independent suspension, adjustable in range-topping model Three trim lines in a five-model range Equipped with top driver aids and connectivity systems Words: Nigel Wigmore The whopping 23% proposed increase in rent at Shanowen Hall, Santry will lead to upward pressure on all tenancies Dublin City Councillor Paul McAuliffe has called on Minister Eoghan Murphy to bring all student accommodation in under the Governments Rent Pressure Zone regulations and for the Residential Tenancies Board to extend its protections to all student renters. Cllr. McAuliffe was commenting after attending a protest organised by DCU Students Union in Shanowen Hall, Santry where students are set to see their rents rocket by 23%. Students living in one room units with shared living spaces will now be forced to fork out 9000 for a nine month period. At present, these student accommodation units are exempt from RPZ regulations and are beyond the scope of the RTB as they are deemed to be under license rather than leased to the renter, said the Fianna Fail General Election candidate," says Councillor Paul McAuliffe. Dublins rental market is overheating right now. Its only going to get worse if the large volume of new student accommodation that has come on stream in the past two years is allowed to be exempt from rent controls. Despite Fine Gael being dragged kicking and screaming to this point, rent controls have had a limiting influence. However, to leave dedicated student accommodation outside these rent controls is crazy." Advertisement Rent increases of the level being proposed, in excess of 20%, at Shanowen "will only exacerbate rent challenges in the greater DCU area", says Dublin City Councillor Paul McAuliffe. "It will apply upward pressure on all rented accommodation leaving student and non-student renter in even more financial trouble. There is a straightforward solution to this. Minister Murphy must amend the legislation to ensure that student accommodation that is deemed to be under license to a tenant is treated in the same way as normal leases and tenancies, concluded McAuliffe. Addressing an Easter commemoration in Belfast's Milltown cemetery, Michelle O'Neill has called for a referendum on unity to be held within the next five years. The Deputy Sinn Fein leader told the crowd: "Ending partition has now taken on a new dynamic because of Brexit... "Because Brexit exposes the undemocratic nature of partition. "Sinn Fein believes there should be a referendum vote on Irish unity within the next five years." Sinn Fein Vice President @moneillsf will address todays commemoration pic.twitter.com/8cncmYHfaa Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) April 1, 2018 She also criticised the DUP during her wide-ranging speech. On the subject of the Good Friday Agreement, she said: "The leadership of both parties reached a fair and balanced accommodation - a draft agreement - which we felt could address our concerns, and provide a basis to restore the Executive without further delay. "However, Arlene Foster and the DUP leadership failed to deliver on this and chose to withdraw from the talks and collapse the process. "For now, they are under no pressure from the British Government to move, because Theresa May is in hock to the DUP." "It's no surprise the British Government has put its self-interest before ours. "But let's be very clear here today the rights issues are not going away. We are not going away." 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The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Live Music Leads To A Longer Life [STUDY] A study commissioned by European mobile phone service company O2 has concluded that attending live music once a week can increase a life span by nine years. ______________________________________ O2, aka the leading owner-operator of music venues in the United Kingdom, commissioned the study by Patrick Fagan, an expert in behavioral science and Associate Lecturer at Goldsmiths University. It revealed that just 20 minutes of seeing live music per week can have a 21 percent increase in feelings of well-being. Because other research shows that well-being equals longer lifespans, O2 concluded people will live nine years longer if they check out a gig or two. The 21 percent includes feelings of self-worth (a 25 percent increase) and closeness to others (25 percent increase) while mental stimulation climbed 75 percent. Accompanying research showed a positive correlation between regular show attendance and well being. Those attending concerts about once a week showed the highest amount of happiness, contentment, productivity and self-esteem, suggesting that regular attendance was the key to building a longstanding improvement in well-being. We all know just how good it is seeing your favourite band or artist live, but now we have the proof, said Nina Bibby, CMO at O2. Life doesnt come with catch up and through Priority Tickets, O2 customers have access to over 5,000 live shows in more than 350 venues across the UK every year. Those wanting to just hang out at home and listen to music on headphones probably dont fare as well. Apparently 67 percent of Britains surveyed said experiencing live music made them feel happier than listening to music at home. Our research showcases the profound impact gigs have on feelings of health, happiness and wellbeing with fortnightly or regular attendance being the key, Fagan said. Combining all of our findings with O2s research, we arrive at a prescription of a gig a fortnight which could pave the way for almost a decade more years of life. Share on: Clarksburg Superintendent Jon Lev, left, and Kimberly Roberts-Morandi, right, explain what the feasibility study would look at. Letter from state Sen. Adam Hinds and state Rep. John Barrett III confirming their support should Clarksburg vote yes. PreviousNext Clarksburg to Vote on Stamford School Merger Study Lev, School Committee Chairwoman Patricia Prenguber, Stamford School Board Chairwoman Cynthia Lamore, Roberts-Morandi and school legal counsel Fred Dupere. CLARKSBURG, Mass. Voters in Clarksburg will decide Thursday if they want to start down the path of creating an interstate school district. The single article at the special town meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Clarksburg School on Thursday will allow the town to enter into conversations with Stamford, Vt. Both schools are kindergarten through Grade 8; Stamford also has a preschool attended by a number of Clarksburg children. Both schools tuition students to neighboring high schools, mostly to Drury High and McCann Technical in North Adams. Although the article refers to an agreement, no formal agreement would be entered into until a feasibility study is completed, both towns and both state legislatures approve and an act is passed by the U.S. Congress. "It's at least a year from now we're looking at," said Superintendent of Schools Jonathan Lev at an information session held last Thursday. "We want to have the time to look at this very carefully." An initial vote on the article was tabled at a December special town meeting when School Committee members objected to the wording, which they had not seen and which appeared to approve an agreement that had not been negotiated. However, that language is apparently required by the Legislature even to begin discussions. Clarksburg officials were making clear what the issues were this time around. School and town officials, as well as members of the volunteer group spearheading the effort, presented the concept to about three dozen Clarksburg and Stamford residents. A brochure spelling out the reasoning for an interstate school district and the process was also mailed out to community members. If approved by Thursday's vote, the next step would be to contract with a consulting agency to look at the legal, educational, and costs of merging the two school districts into one. Clarksburg has $25,000 in state funding set aside; a yes vote will encourage Vermont lawmakers to provide the matching funds. "I would want as part of this process that they speak with the teachers in both buildings, speak with administrators in both towns, and hold public hearings ... get a lot of information," Lev said. Kimberly Roberts-Morandi of Stamford, a member of the ad hoc committee and also an administrator in the North Adams Public Schools, said there would be changes but also benefits for both towns. "Stamford would be looking at this as we would be merging with Massachusetts and adopting Massachusetts standards for the students across the board and doing it with a school system that is already one of the higher ranks in the Berkshire area," she said. Both schools also tend to produce some of the higher-performing students in high school. "So we're doing something right in both systems. ... "It's a small-town, small-school approach." The benefits could be enhancing educational opportunities in the arts, languages and other areas, keeping together students who will enter high school together, keeping both schools open but using their spaces better, building on what the schools already have and working on sustainable budgets. Clarksburg would get the preschool the community has indicated it wants and Stamford children would be introduced to the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System early on, instead of getting their first (and must pass to graduate) test in high school. The idea of merging has been pushed forward by changes in educational laws in Vermont, better known as Act 46, which calls for small school districts to begin forming unions to enhance education and save money through collaboration. Stamford officials believe merging with Clarksburg fulfills the conditions of Act 46. The Vermont town made its decision a year ago but rejecting an Act 46 plan by a vote of 173-6. The state had proposed putting Stamford in with Readsboro and with another town 25 miles away which would have been like partnering Stamford with Allendale School in Pittsfield. Cynthia Lamore, chairman of the Stamford school directors, said the towns were linked through family, history and culture. "There's a line there, but it's invisible. We cross it all the time because we are friends we are neighbors," she said. Residents in both towns go to work together, worship together, shop at the same stores, eat in the same restaurants, go to the same doctors and have their children participate in the same clubs and youth sports. "The road north is not conducive to traffic." Lev estimated that a consultant could be contracted by the end of summer, should article pass and funding come through from Vermont. It could take up to a year for the consultants to come up with recommendations and votes would have to be taken. "For any of this to happen, we're literally looking for an act of Congress," said Roberts-Morandi, adding that U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Vermont's U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders are both aware of the proposal and their offices have asked to be kept informed. Town Administrator Carl McKinney, who with Selectmen Chairman Jeffery Levanos had approached Stamford last year, said it made sense for the towns to team up in light of declining population and rising costs. "We don't have all the answers, this is is what this study is for," he said. "I can't think of a better partner for the town of Clarksburg or the town of Stamford. ... What we're asking you folks is permission to move forward and answer this ... "We would like to chart a course that is sustainable." Roberts-Morandi was a bit blunter: "It's a one-shot deal ... if it's no next week, then it's done." Stanford law and science experts discuss court case that could set precedent for climate change litigation Stanford, California - A judge in California took an unusual step in trying to untangle who is to blame for increasingly frequent droughts, floods and other climate change-related extreme weather. The case in San Francisco is weighing the question of whether climate change damages connected to the burning of oil are specifically the fault of the companies that extract and sell it. The judge in People of the State of California v. BP P.L.C. et al. had both the plaintiffs the cities of Oakland and San Francisco and the defendants several major oil companies answer basic questions about climate change in a tutorial format. Counter to what some might have expected, an oil company lawyer largely confirmed the consensus science on the issue, but challenged the idea that oil companies should be held accountable. Stanford Report spoke with Katharine Mach, a senior research scientist at the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Science, and Deborah Sivas, the Luke W. Cole Professor of Environmental Law, to get their perspectives on the climate tutorial, the science in question and the role of the judiciary in confronting climate change challenges. Why did the judge take such an unorthodox approach, in requesting a tutorial from the parties in this suit? Sivas: The way the questions were drafted relatively straightforward questions of physical science that lead, inexorably, to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) conclusions and the way the judge engaged the parties during the proceeding make it pretty clear that the court largely understands climate science already. The tutorial revealed that there is not going to be a lot of fighting about the fact that human activities are causing accelerated climate change. Although it wasnt an evidentiary proceeding with decisions about the admissibility of factual information, it would be very difficult at this point for the defendants to backtrack and contest the anthropogenic causes of climate change. By holding this proceeding, the judge circumvented what could have been a couple of years of jostling and motion practice in discovery. Secondly, the tutorial appears to have flushed out and previewed the oil industrys legal theory in defending the case. From what I can tell, Chevrons lawyer intimated that the oil companies defense will be that the science of anthropogenic causes was not clear until a few years ago and now that it is clear, the industry isnt denying it; and that the industry shouldnt be held liable because it is the use of fossil fuels by each and every one of us that is causing the problem, not the mere extraction of the material from the ground. Finally, I suspect the court was using this novel case as an opportunity for a bit of public education. The judge likely knew that the media would cover the tutorial proceeding and that there would be some level of public interest in what the oil companies had to say. The fact that oil companies essentially conceded and reiterated the conclusions of the IPCC in open court makes the landscape even more challenging for the last few climate deniers still out there. Why do you think both sides are largely in agreement on the science? Mach: Unsurprisingly, the experts who presented for the cities and also Chevrons lawyer turned to comprehensive assessment of the existing body of research to draw their conclusions. For the past three decades now, the worlds scientists and governments have come together to take stock of the state of knowledge. Its a grand partnership called the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Hundreds of authors from around the world pore over the literature, compare results across studies and draft text. Thousands of experts globally then vet the drafts in multiple rounds of monitored review. In the end, many thousands of publications are cited in thoroughly evaluating what is known and what is not at present. With each decade passing, the evidence has amassed. These reports have underscored that the climate is warming, unequivocally. Climate change and the impacts we are now experiencing are the result of our emissions of heat-trapping gases. What can science tell us about whether companies or individuals are more responsible for climate change-related impacts? Mach: Science doesnt have a single best answer for who is most responsible for the climate challenge or how we should respond. For example, risk assessment across all available evidence underscores that climate change unfolds across generations. Exactly how important is the present versus the future? Are people who have emitted the most heat-trapping gases historically or who are emitting the most right now more obliged to take action? Building from the science, these kinds of judgments come down to values and the choices societies are making and, maybe in this case, the courts. Are there any points of scientific disagreement between the parties in this case? Mach: Its hard to say how science will reappear through the course of the legal proceedings to come. Discussions during the tutorial suggested that the different parties may well take different approaches to the complexities of climate change, for example, the deep uncertainties about how societies, policies and technologies will evolve many decades into the future and the implications for climate change solutions needed now. Climate change assessment has long emphasized that uncertainties are absolutely integral to the climate challenge and they will persist. Responding to climate change is about managing the resulting risks and making critical decisions about our future. Where do you see this case going? Sivas: It is unclear what this suit, and the others like it, will achieve at the end of the day. If the plaintiffs unearth damaging internal industry documents or force the industry to concede the foundational facts once and for all, that surely serves one public purpose. But whether state and local governments, which are experiencing rising sea levels and related climate impacts, will actually obtain compensation from the industry is a much more complex and uncertain question. Ultimately, the plaintiffs must show that a 50-year or whatever delay caused by the industry cover-up is the cause of damages that they are experiencing today. Thats a tall order. What legal or political precedent might this case set? Sivas: I see this case as part of a growing line of innovative lawsuits, like Juliana v. United States and Village of Kivalina v. ExxonMobil, where members of the public are testing out legal theories and strategies designed to shake the country out of its complacency and highlight the need for much more urgent and robust action. Mach is also director of the Stanford Environment Assessment Facility at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Sivas is also director of the Stanford Environmental Law Clinic and a senior fellow at Woods. Acting Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton Travels To Malaysia Washington, DC - Acting Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton will travel to Malaysia April 2-3 to co-chair the 31st U.S.-ASEAN Dialogue with Malaysia Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary General Dato Ramlan Ibrahim. This Dialogue is an opportunity for Senior Officials from the United States and ASEAN to engage on regional security, economic, and socio-cultural issues across the full spectrum of the U.S.-ASEAN Strategic Partnership. She will also hold bilateral consultations with other Malaysian government officials, in addition to engaging with civil society and meeting with U.S. Embassy staff. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form On May 6, the Kamau Bell-hosted CNN show, United Shades of America, will air an hour-long episode focusing on the Sikh American story. The piece will interview several Indian Americans who are Sikhs. (photo provided) Anthony Sizer, an Indian American candidate for the Arizona state House in the 2nd Legislative District, says he is a problem-solver. He is running as a Republican and, along with fellow GOP candidate Chris Ackerley, advanced unopposed to face incumbent Democrats Rosanna Gabaldon and Daniel Hernandez in the general election. (Pima County Republican Party photo) Shireen Santosham, Indian American chief innovation officer for the city of San Jose, Calif., has been honored as one of the top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers of 2018 by Government Technology. (sanjoseca.gov photo) A Town Hall meeting was held Mar. 28 seeking to change the name of Stonecreek Park to Jaswant Singh Khalra Park in Bakersfield, Calif. Kalra was a human rights activist, commonly called the Martin Luther King, Jr. of the Sikh community. (jakara.org) Assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at West Virginia University Antar Jutla was honored with an early career development award from the National Science Foundation. The Indian American is conducting research on how extreme events and enhanced climatic variability impact the emergence of water-borne pathogens that cause infection in humans. (WVU.edu photo) Members of Scheduled Castes clash with security personnel during a protest against a Supreme Court order that allegedly dilutes the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in Ahmedabad April 2. Clashes with police, attacks on buses and government buildings, street battles, and blocked trains and roads were reported across five Indian states. (Sam Panthaky/AFP/Getty Images) "Putin" New Documentary With English Subtitles Watch April 01, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - A new film by Andrei Kondrashev. Putin dives into depth about the man who we all hear so much about, but know so little of. From the early tumultuous days of the presidency dealing with the terrorist situation, the Kursk tragedy and a demoralized Russia to Putin now, the leader of a reenergized and recovered Russia. A year in the making with personal stories that have never been told on camera before. Some will be shocking and stunning. Attempts on the presidents life and the toll of the presidency on Vladimir Putin himself all of it has been brought together in the most complete portrait of Vladimir Putin that has been done to date. Posted April 01, 2018 Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of Information Clearing House. ===== Join the Discussion It is not necessary for ICH readers to register before placing a comment. We ask that you treat others with respect. Take a moment to read the following - Comment Policy - What Or Who is Information Clearing House and Purpose and Intent of this website: It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section. If there was any concern, it was because soldiers couldnt celebrate the seder. By nightfall the body count had reached at least 15, all of them by live fire, with more than 750 wounded. Tanks and sharpshooters against unarmed civilians. Thats called a massacre. Theres no other word for it. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Comic relief was provided by the army spokesman, who announced in the evening: A shooting attack was foiled. Two terrorists approached the fence and fired at our soldiers. This came after the 12th Palestinian fatality and who knows how many wounded. Sharpshooters fired at hundreds of civilians but two Palestinians who dared return fire at the soldiers who were massacring them are terrorists, their actions labeled terror attacks and their sentence death. The lack of self-awareness has never sunk to such depths in the IDF. As usual, the media lent its appalling support. After 15 deaths Or Heller on Channel 10 News declared that the most serious incident of the day had been the firing by the two Palestinians. Dan Margalit saluted the army. Israel was brainwashed again and sat down to a festive meal in a spirit of self-satisfaction. And then people recited Pour out Thy wrath upon the nations that know Thee not, impressed by the spread of plagues and enthusing at the mass murder of babies (the killing of the first-born Egyptians, the 10th plague). Christian Good Friday and the Jewish seder night became a day of blood for the Palestinians in Gaza. You cant even call it a war crime because there was no war there. The test by which the IDF and the pathological indifference of public opinion should be judged is the following: What would happen if Jewish Israeli demonstrators, ultra-Orthodox or others, threatened to invade the Knesset? Would such insane live fire by tanks or sharpshooters be understood by the public? Would the murder of 15 Jewish demonstrators pass with silence? And if several dozen Palestinians managed to enter Israel, would that justify a massacre? The killing of Palestinians is accepted in Israel more lightly than the killing of mosquitoes. Theres nothing cheaper in Israel than Palestinian blood. If there were a hundred or even a thousand deaths Israel would still salute the IDF. This is the army whose commander, the good and moderate Gadi Eisenkot, is received with such pride by Israelis. Of course, in the holiday media interviews, no one asked him about the anticipated massacre and no one will ask him now either. But an army that prides itself on shooting a farmer on his land, showing the video on its website in order to intimidate Gazans; an army that pits tanks against civilians and boasts of one hundred snipers waiting for the demonstrators is an army that has lost all restraint. As if there werent other measures. As if the IDF had the authority or right to prevent demonstrations in Gaza, threatening bus drivers not to transport protesters in territory where the occupation has long ended, as everyone knows. Despairing young men sneak in from Gaza, armed with ridiculous weapons, marching dozens of kilometers without hurting anyone, only waiting to be caught so as to escape Gazas poverty in an Israeli jail. This doesnt touch anyones conscience either. The main thing is that the IDF proudly presents its catch. Palestinian President Mahmous Abbas is responsible for the situation in Gaza. And Hamas, of course. And Egypt. And the Arab world and the whole world. Just not Israel. It left Gaza and Israeli soldiers never commit massacres. The names were published in the evening. One man was rising from his prayers, another was shot while fleeing. The names wont move anyone. Mohammed al-Najar, Omar Abu Samur, Ahmed Odeh, Sari Odeh, Bader al-Sabag. This space is too small, to our horror, to list all their names. Home Search ICH Russian Exodus from the West By Peter Koenig April 01, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - By now the West the US, Canada, Australia and the super-puppets of Europe, overall more than 25 countries has expelled more than 130 Russian diplomats. All as punishment for Russias alleged nerve gas poisoning of a former Russian / MI6 double-agent, Sergei Skripal (66) and his daughter Yulia (33), who was visiting her father from Moscow. Sergei Skripal lived in the UK for the last seven years, ever since President Putin lifted his prison sentence in 2010 in a spy swap with the UK. The pair, father and daughter, was allegedly discovered on 4 March slumped on a park bench in Salisbury, England, not far from Sergeis home. Apparently traces of the same nerve agent were found at the Skripal homes door. Russia in the meantime has started in a tit-for-tat move expelling western diplomat s in a first round 60, plus closing the US Consulate in St. Petersburg. According to Mr. Lavrov, more will most likely follow. There will be an exodus and a counter-exodus of diplomats, west-east and east-west. It looks like a Kindergarten at play but is of course a blatant provocation by the west on Russia and a continuation of the vilification of President Putin especially after he has just been reelected with an overwhelming majority of over 76%. Its a provocation with zero substance, to further justify an escalating NATO aggression against Russia. The war-bells are ringing for a lie, an abject farce, visible to a child. Only the blind, those puppets, because out of fear or out of stupidity, who do not want to see are supporting this new US instigated, UK executed drive against Russia. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter The nerve gas, called Novichok, had been produced by the Soviet Union in the 1970s, but was subsequently banned and destroyed under international supervision. The inventor of Novichok lives apparently in the US. Mr. Putin said, if the military-grade Novichok would have been used, the only form the USSR ever produced, there would have been no survivors. What hardly anybody talks about is that the secretive UK Defense (War) Ministrys laboratory of Porton Down, is but 13 km away from where father and daughter were allegedly found unconscious on a park bench. Porton Down is a highly sophisticated chemical and biological weapons lab that entertains contracts with the Pentagon of more than US$ 70 million for carrying out experiments, including on humans and animals. Porton Down has the capacity to produce Novichok. See the full story on Porton Down, by Bulgarian investigative journalist, Dilyana Gaytandzhieva https://southfront.org/salisbury-nerve-agent-attack-reveals-70-million-pentagon-program-porton/ . At this point there is no prove other than what the police reported that Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found on that dubious park bench. There are no civil witnesses. The UK government does not disclose where the two are treated, what their current health status is. Only on the repeated insistence of Mr. Lavrov that according to an agreement between the UK and Russia (the USSR) in the 1960s, both countries have the right to inquire and investigate about the wellbeing of their respective citizens, an official statement on 29 March from the UK said that Yulia is doing better and is on her way to recovery, while her father is still in critical but stable conditions (The Guardian, 29 March 2018). Is it true? What if one or both recover and have enough memory of the events to go public? What if the two have indeed been poisoned at Sergeis home, or abducted and brought to the Porton Down laboratory to be infected with the nerve gas and then later dumped to the park bench? Why does the UK not disclose any evidence they apparently have against Russia? No details of where the two are being treated? No visits allowed. Russias offer to collaborate in the investigation is laughed off and refused. Is this a well-orchestrated MI6 / CIA false flag, followed by outrageous lambasting by the UKs highest leadership against Russia and her newly re-elected President Putin? This criminal propaganda event is so full of lies, false accusations and deceit, pulling along more than 25 (so far) western nations to condemn and sanction Russia in unison for something Russia has with absolute certainty not committed. Just apply logic a tough challenge, I know, these days for the dumb-folded west but logic would tell a child that there is no sense, absolutely no sense, for Russia to carry out such an evil act. So, the usual question is: cui bono who benefits? And the answer is also crystal clear: Profiting from this sham are the war-mongering US / NATO and their miserable vassal-allies spineless for years following lies, their governments are fully aware of the lies, of the untruth Russia is accused of. Adding injury to insult is Ecuadors new President, Lenin Moreno, who a few days ago has shut up Julian Assange, Wikileaks editor, who is in political asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since July 2012. Under Morenos gag-order, Assange is no longer allowed to communicate with anybody in any form and shape and cannot receive visitors. The official reason for Moreno who has clearly become a traitor on his people is that Assange tweeted a protest against the arrest in Germany of Catalonian ex-leader, Carles Puigdemont. Moreno has condemned Assange to a sort of isolation prison in the Ecuadorian Embassy. Who gave Moreno orders to do so? Well, I leave the guessing up to you. In any case Moreno has become a prostitute as are most of the western world leaders. The real reason is most likely Assanges strong critique of the UK government, especially PM Teresa May and her Foreign and Defense Ministers, for their vitriolic and unjustified accusations and slandering of Russia and particularly of President Putin in the Skripal poison case. Assange cannot leave the embassy for fear of being arrested and extradited to the US, where he may face torture and worse, possibly the death penalty. Diplomatic Relations Lets take this a step further. Diplomatic relations between the west and Russia have totally fallen apart. The doors are closed. Russia doesnt need the west. But the west, especially Europe, badly needs and will every day more need Russia, a close ally and trading partner for hundreds of years. The west, eventually abandoned and every day more enslaved by Washington with weaponized refugees, with false flag terror attacks, leading to increased militarization, to oppression and censorship, privatization of public goods and infrastructure Greece is but an example and strangulation by Wall Street private banking and troika (IMF, European Central Bank, European Commission) imposed debt, the west will beg Russia to open her doors and show them her kindness the kindness and openness Russia has been demonstrating to the west over the past almost 20 years, despite flagrant western abuse and demonization no end. The western Anglo-Zionist-led empire will collapse. Its a mere question of time but collapse it will. Today, not only a few, but all western leaders (sic) know that they are committing suicide by teaming up with destructive Washington and this against the will of the majority of the European people. Yet, they push a long this path of auto-destruction. Why? Have they been personally threatened, or else lavishly rewarded if they follow the dictate of deep state-led White House and Pentagon? The day may come when the west will knock desperately at Russias door please talk to us, we need you. But this may happen only if they have not let themselves be pulled into the abyss of annihilation by Washington. Their stupidity may just do that another few lies, accusing Russia of crimes against humanity she didnt commit and prompting a war, an all-destructive nuclear war. The pretext could be another false flag Syrian sarin attack on her own people, wrongly blaming Bashar al-Assad; or a missile landing in Israel, blaming Iran with the same no-proof propaganda fervor applied by the UK in the Sergei and Yulia Skripal case; or North Korea in the course of negotiations between Trump and Kim Jong-un next month (April), the US / west launches a false flag missile, for example, from Guam, that lands in Japan, destroying infrastructure and killing people, blaming it immediately on DPRK, without any evidence whatsoever, but with a rigorous campaign UK-style, to the point that nobody dares to contradict the obvious lie. What if the current UK virulent and violent Russia slandering campaign is but a dry-run for much worse to come? By now the mental state of western society is at the level of Hitlers Propaganda Minister, Goebbels, statement Let me control the media, and I will turn any Nation into a herd of Pigs. Yes, thats what the west has become, a herd of pigs. Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. He is also a water resources and environmental specialist. He worked for over 30 years with the World Bank and the World Health Organization around the world in the fields of environment and water. He lectures at universities in the US, Europe and South America. He writes regularly for Global Research; ICH; RT; Sputnik; PressTV; The 21st Century; TeleSUR; The Vineyard of The Saker Blog; and other internet sites. He is the author of Implosion An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed fiction based on facts and on 30 years of World Bank experience around the globe. He is also a co-author of The World Order and Revolution! Essays from the Resistance. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of Information Clearing House. ===== Join the Discussion It is not necessary for ICH readers to register before placing a comment. We ask that you treat others with respect. Take a moment to read the following - Comment Policy - What Or Who is Information Clearing House and Purpose and Intent of this website: It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section. Search Information Clearing House === Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. A 25 year old man identified as Dodo Baraje has been arrested by the Niger State Police command for reportedly killing his uncle. His uncle had advised him against drinking local alcohol. The suspect spoke to journalists about the incident, narrating how it happened. It occurred in Shirumbu Village, he said he shot his uncle out of annoyance, because he was beaten by him for drinking suck and die which the deceased said might ruin his life. According to Northern City News, the father of four, had lived with his uncle from infancy before killing him. He was trailed and apprehended by a team of policemen attached to the Bangi Police Division of the state, while trying to escape. Out of annoyance I ran into the house picked a gun and shot him. I never knew that he will die. He was only correcting me so that I will be a better person in the society my family will be proud of, I am finished. I dont know how I am going to explain this to my family, especially to my wife who loved my late uncle so much. In fact I was under the influence of alcohol ordinarily I wouldnt have killed my uncle who took care of me. I have never quarreled with with my uncle before, honestly I dont know what came over me, may Allah forgive me. . I now realised what I have done to my life, I am a fool, he lamented . Confirming the arrest of the suspect who a single-barrelled gun was recovered from, the Police Public Relations Officer, Muhammad Abubakar, said the suspect would soon be arraigned in court. Leave a Comment comments Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose in recent tweets beckoned on president Muhammadu Buhari to give Nigerians back their jobs and see if Nigerians wont stop complaining about hunger. Fayose, also asked the president to tackle the insecurities ravaging various communities in Nigeria, making farmers abandon their farmlands for fear and see if the issue of hunger wont be bygone. He wrote; 1.Nigerians are not lazy people Nigerians are not lazy people. They are always willing to work to earn a living. However, by their mistake of electing Buhari as president, over 10m Nigerians lost their jobs. Return those jobs and see if Nigerians wont get busy and stop complaining of hunger. Peter Ayodele Fayose (@GovAyoFayose) April 2, 2018 2. APC is clueless Most of the States owing salary now were not owing before Buhari became President. Here in Ekiti, it was only the two months salary left unpaid by the APC govt that I took over from that was outstanding as at May 2015. Buharis clueslessness cost Nigerians over 10m jobs! Peter Ayodele Fayose (@GovAyoFayose) April 2, 2018 3.Why was Maina reinstated? Up till now, this govt is yet to tell Nigerians how Maina got reinstated into the civil service and promoted. They even went to court to stop the National Assembly from asking them questions. Peter Ayodele Fayose (@GovAyoFayose) April 2, 2018 4.Herdsmen trouble A Nigerian fisherman has been lambasted on social media for allegedly killing a dolphin. The unnamed man was tackled by social media users who felt he was wrong to have killed such a docile animal that poses no harm to humans. According to the photos shared on social media by Imo City News, the Nigerian man killed the dolphin yesterday at Ibeno local government in Akwa Ibom State. Many people have called for his arrest. Sharing the news on social media yesterday, Imo City News wrote: This dolphin was killed today in Ibeno local government in Akwa Ibom State. A humble fish that can save people from dying in water was killed by a Nigerian. Read reactions below: Agbowu Christ Ejike wrote: Lols is there any law preventing him from fishing in such river or killing such fish in such river ? I share your sentiments though but we should be more concerned about our country men killed everyday in the hands of monsters, and our own lives too, because, we will have to live first to save animals. What a poor thing! Onyenkuzi Biafra Ebuka added: Edon Ooh why do you kill this harmless and caring fish that always save human life the most fastest fish on earth that love human being so muchdont kill such fish next. Responding, Fabrizio Innocent said: He probably doesnt know anything about a dolphin. All he thinks about is food. Thats the point nigeria is in. Another commenter, Egbuchulam Charles Uzoma added: Oga na ignoramus, dont blame him so much, bad government for 9ja follow, Well , Oga you have to learn from your mistake ! That Fish acts like humans, so friendly, fish that saves human inside the water . Please dont try it next time ! @ killer. Punch The Federal Government on Sunday released a fresh list containing 23 names of alleged looters. Vanguard SENATE President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has disclosed that the Senate has developed two draft bills for legislation to tackle the menace, just as he said that this was an outcome of the roundtable put in place by him in December last year in Kano on the rising drug abuse in the country. The Sun Former governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has said the pangs of poverty, frustrations and misery of Ekiti people, order than his personal ambition, are some of the reasons he is contesting the July 14 governorship poll. Thisday Two people have been killed by unknown gunmen in Tsohuwar Gwari village in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Daily Times As the controversy over who looted public funds rages between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the latter has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of having no moral rectitude to fight corruption Guardian Over $177.136 billion (N63.778 trillion) has been lost to the halt in crude oil production from 96 oil wells in Ogoni land in the last 25 years. Daily Trust The opposition party apologized to Nigerians for the mistakes it made during its 16 years of governance. PDPs National Chairman, Uche Secondus said, We made mistakes. On behalf of my colleagues and members of these party, I apologise to Nigerians. The Nation No fewer than 15 persons are feared dead and 55 others sustained injuries in a Sunday night attack by Boko Haram insurgents at Bale community in the outskirts of Maiduguri. A statement released by his media aide, Ali Ibrahim has revealed that the Oluwo of Iwoland in Osun state, Adbulrasheed Akanbi, has denied saying he wants to henceforth be addressed as the Emir of Yorubaland. In the statement, the monarch said he did not adopt the title of Emir of Yorubaland but that he only told the Hausas and ardent Muslims in his community to also address him as Emir and that he sees nothing in answering to the title of Emir whenever they chose to call him that. The statement in part reads Oluwo has never adopted the Emir title; he only said he could also be called an Emir by the Hausas and ardent Muslims. Oba Akanbi is an Oba for the nation, with special attachment to the Yorubas. He promotes Yoruba culture to the admiration of many youths. Just because of Oluwo dress code today, many children are attracted to Yoruba culture of wearing aso ofi. I said so (reference to being an emir) to integrate Nigeria nation as an indivisible entity. All working tools are available for the integration and unity of our dear country. Ive visited the north several times. Core Hausa hardly pronounce Yoruba words correctly. They call me emir when I am with them. Is there anything wrong in answering to such? Even, the Hausa in Iwo here call me emir. Will I stop them from addressing me as such? the monarchs statement read The monarch has received a lot of backlash since reports surfaced online that he wanted to be addressed as the Emir of Yorubaland. Former Aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, went as far as causing the day the monarch was born when he read the report of the controversial title. Leave a Comment comments Police in Kampala has in detention a man, identified as Kadu Herbert, who earlier in the morning stormed Namirembe cathedral church and attempted to attack Bishop Wilberforce Kityo Luwalira while on the altar. According to eye witnesses, Kadu came at the church premises cruising in his super custom and parked at the main entrance to the church. Although there was heavy presence of security personnel, Kadu is said to have beat the security and ran through the church corridor, armed with a knife, as if to beat Bishop Luwarira. The man of God was however saved by the swift church ushers who rushed, grabbed but were overpowered and called in the police that took him away to Namirembe police post. Speaking to media after the incident, Luwarira said the man looked as if possessed and couldnot be stopped. Luke Owoyesigire, the Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson says they are interrogating Kadu to establish his motive. Watch the video below: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl2ZsWTk5jI?ecver=1] Leave a Comment comments There is tension, currently, in Abaomege, Ebonyi State, following the death of the son of the towns traditional ruler, in police custody. It was gathered that, Kelechi, the son of HRH Eze Ineke, was found dead, yesterday, inside a cell at the Abaomege police station, with a rope tied to his neck. The police officers attached to the station, allegedly took to their heels, following the discovery. The reason for his arrest is still unknown. WASHINGTON - April 2, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) On Monday, April 2, DCMJ, a leading cannabis advocacy and education organization that worked to successfully legalize cannabis in the District of Columbia (D.C.), will hold two consecutive days of 'Bring It Home' civil demonstrations and free cannabis giveaways in D.C. at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (Monday, 4/2), the D.C. Housing Authority (Monday, 4/2), and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (Tuesday, 4/3) to raise awareness of current cannabis prohibition policies that prevent veterans, the disabled and economically challenged from having cannabis in their own homes. On Wednesday, April 4th, DCMJ will also fire-up an online 'Tweet Storm,' highlighting U.S. Department of Education policies that prevent on-campus students from using cannabis, even for medicinal purposes. Cannabis is a plant scientifically proven less harmful than alcohol and tobacco (two legal substances under federal law). Today, the plant currently resides under a Schedule I classification under the Controlled Substances Act (the same classification as heroin). However, numerous scientific studies show that in states with comprehensive cannabis programs, U.S. hospitals treat far fewer opioid users, and according to another study, cannabis use was associated with a 64% decrease in opioid use in patients with chronic pain. "No sense in sugarcoating it-cannabis prohibition places big-prison revenues first and Americans last," said DCMJ Co-founder Adam Eidinger. "The federal government is decimating the rights of U.S. veterans, students, the disabled, and our nation's economically struggling. The home should be a safe place, where you can make decisions to improve your quality of life. People shouldn't be persecuted, imprisoned or kicked out of their home for using cannabis, a plant less harmful than a six-pack." DCMJ's Bring It Home campaign will work to better educate the public on cannabis prohibition policies that trample on the rights of Americans. Even when veterans, the disabled, economically challenged and on-campus students live in locations where cannabis is legal, many are prevented from having cannabis in their home. DCMJ's demonstrations are the first to highlight how cannabis prohibition policies deny entire groups of people the choice to access to safer medical and health and wellness treatments. "Treating these individuals like second-class citizens is unconscionable," said DCMJ Co-founder Nikolas Schiller. "If you ask yourself who benefits from cannabis prohibition, it won't be veterans, the disabled, students or people living in public housing. Lining the pockets of big-prison-fat-cats while individuals, families and communities are denied the ability to make informed decisions is a dangerous policy that Americans want overturned. It's time politicians listened." ***DCMJ BRING IT HOME MEDIA ADVISORY*** WHO: DCMJ, patients, activists, community leaders WHAT: DCMJ 'Bring It Home at HUD Civil Demonstration and Free Cannabis Giveaway WHEN: Monday, April, 2, 2018 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. EST WHERE: Department of Housing and Urban Development 451 7th St. SW, Washington, DC The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's controversial "one-strike" regulation, C.F.R. 966.4, empowers local public housing authorities ("PHAs") to terminate a resident's tenancy for "any criminal activity that threatens the health, safety, or quiet enjoyment of the PHAs ... premises ... or (B) any substance -related criminal activity on or near the premises." Section 966.4 extends far beyond evicting individuals for their own criminal actions; it creates a cause for termination of tenancy where a "tenant, any member of the household, a guest, or another person under the tenant's control," engages in criminal activity. As long as cannabis is unfairly treated as a Schedule I substance under federal law, millions of Americans are at risk for eviction. This needs to end. DCMJ is calling all cannabis crusaders to join us on Monday, April 2 organize rallies at your nearest public housing authority buildings to demand change. WHO: DCMJ, patients, activists, community leaders WHAT: DCMJ 'Bring It Home at VA - Civil Demonstration and Free Cannabis Giveaway WHEN: Tuesday, April, 3, 2018 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET WHERE: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC Veterans who valiantly served in the United States military are denied the right to obtain a recommendation for cannabis from any VA doctor. Although 29 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have legalized some form of cannabis, as long as the federal government classifies cannabis as Schedule I substance, veterans cannot use, possess, or grow cannabis at any VA building. WHO: DCMJ WHAT: DCMJ 'Bring It Home at Department of Education Online Tweet Storm WHEN: Wednesday, April, 4, 2018 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST WHERE: https://twitter.com/DCMJ2014 Students in states with legalized cannabis can be kicked out of their dorms for possessing or using cannabis. Worse, at many universities students have already paid for calendar year's housing and if they are caught with cannabis they must find housing off-campus and do not get their money back from the university. Although 29 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have legalized some form of cannabis, as long as the federal government classifies cannabis as Schedule I substance, students cannot use, possess, or grow cannabis at any and could be ruin their educational prospects if they Bring It Home. For more information, please visit www.dcmj.org or https://www.facebook.com/dcmj2014/. Media Contacts: Ellen M. Mellody Cell: 570-209-2947 Email: ellen@collectiveconsulting.net Adam Eidinger 202-744-2671 adam@dcmj.org Nikolas Schiller 202-460-0032 nikolas@dcmj.org More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. 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Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp As a general rule, the most successful man in life is the man who has the best information April 2, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Last week I watched news coverage of Green Party leader Elizabeth May and NDP MP Kennedy Stewart getting arrested at Burnaby Mountain, the site of a protest against Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project. Despite the pipeline being federally approved, there was May, Kennedy and hundreds of other protesters in civil contempt for blocking a road giving access to construction workers. The project would twin an existing pipeline from Alberta to Burnaby, a Vancouver suburb, allowing a tripling of crude oil from 300,000 barrels to 890,000 barrels a day, while also triggering a seven-fold increase in the number of oil tankers coming and going from Vancouver Harbour. Justin Trudeau's Liberals approved the project in 2016, along with Enbridge's Line 3 from Alberta to Wisconsin, justifying the decision with a quid pro quo to implement a national carbon tax to cut greenhouse gas emissions. His government at the same time killed the Northern Gateway Pipeline Project - a plan by Enbridge to ship oil sands crude across northern BC and Alberta ending in Kitimat - citing too much First Nations opposition and risk of a tanker spill in the storm-prone Douglas Channel. While most pipeline protesters are well-intentioned (if misguided and misinformed) idealists, their actions are generally pure, something that cannot be said for the organizations that are funding the anti-oil sands campaign which not only includes protests against Kinder Morgan and other pipelines, but propaganda against "dirty" Alberta oil aimed at European buyers, banning oil tankers from the BC coast, creating the Great Bear Rainforest, and other conservation areas to prevent Canadian fossil fuel development. These American eco-funding machines have raised, and are raising, millions of dollars under the aegis of slowing the noble cause of global warming through the dubious claim of shutting down the oil sands (a relatively small contributor to the problem of human-caused or cyclical climate change - Canada makes up just 1.6% of global GHG emissions), when in fact their other, disguised purpose is to protect the US energy market and to keep the price of Western Canadian Select (WCS) crude, which trades at a significant discount to the WTI benchmark, suppressed by preventing pipelines from relieving the glut of oil. This article will trace the money that is flowing from large US philanthropic organizations and channelled through a myriad of smaller groups, ending up in the hands of Canadian environmental organizations that claim to represent the people holding the anti-pipeline placards. It will also explain the inability of governments of all stripes to build a Western (or Eastern) Canadian pipeline to tidewater, while pipelines running north to south like Keystone XL and Enbridge Line 3 proceed largely unopposed. The route to the money will encounter some surprising characters along the way, so buckle up, you're in for a good ride. the projects that fell by the wayside The Tar Sands Campaign Ever wonder why the same people seem to show up at pipeline protests, climate change demonstrations, protests against West Coast tanker traffic, and vocalize loudly against so-called dirty oil produced by the Alberta oil sands? While a flippant answer might be, "they're professional protesters and have nothing better to do," the more accurate response is that these protests are not grass-roots affairs organized from some hipster's basement apartment. They are in fact extremely well-funded and orchestrated events where the money can all be traced back to the Tar Sands Campaign. Launched in 2008 by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Tides Foundation, the Tar Sands Campaign is an international initiative designed to stop expansion of the Canadian oil industry, reduce demand for Canadian oil sands crude in the US and stop or stall pipeline and port construction. The goal is to shut down the export of oil from Western Canada by pipeline, tanker and rail. Independent Vancouver-based researcher Vivian Krause has been blogging and tweeting about the money behind oil sands activism since as far back as 2010 according to my research. Krause has over 10,000 Twitter followers and her work has appeared in numerous publications including the Financial Post. According to Krause she has no political affiliation and is not funded by industry. Krause uncovered the money trail which starts at the Tar Sands Campaign while poring through over 100,000 pages of US tax returns. According to her analysis, over a dozen US foundations granted at least $75 million for initiatives to stymie the Canadian energy sector between 2009 and 2013. The biggest beneficiaries were First Nations including those that opposed Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline project. She said US tax returns show two coastal First Nations received US$27.3 million in one mega-grant to pay for "Mobilizing First Nations Against Climate Change in B.C." and to coordinate with government, environmental groups and the media to oppose "the proposed Enbridge Gateway tar sands pipeline." While some BC and Alberta Indian bands remain opposed to oil pipelines, a new report found that First Nations are receptive to the nascent liquified natural gas (LNG) sector being promoted by the current and past BC provincial government. Krause found the Tar Sands Campaign is co-funded by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund - a philanthropic foundation created by the same family that founded Standard Oil - the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Oak Foundation, the Tides Foundation, the Sea Change Foundation, the Marisla Foundation and at least a dozen other foundations, mostly based in California. In her January 2018 report "The Tar Sands Campaign Against the Overseas Export of Canadian Oil: Activism or Economic Sabotage?" Krause summarizes that the campaign is "a small part of a very large, global effort to foster a major shift in investment capital away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy. This effort also seeks to improve energy efficiency and the energy security." But the effort isn't small. Her research reveals that between 2009 and 2016 the Tides Foundation made at least 400 payments for $36 million to over 100 organizations in Canada, the US and Europe. Its website boasts $158.4 million in US grants and $65.2 million in international grants in 2016 alone. All of the major environmental organizations in Canada that regularly protest pipelines and tanker traffic have been partially funded as part of the Tar Sands Campaign. These include the defeated Northern Gateway and Energy East pipelines, the reversal of Line 9, Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline, and the Fuel Quality Directive in Europe which requires a 6% reduction in the greenhouse gas intensity of transport fuels by 2020. Krause says the rationale for the campaign was initially hard to find but she uncovered it in 2010 through a strategy paper written by Michael Marx, then the executive director of Corporate Ethics. "From the very beginning, the campaign strategy was to land-lock the tar sands so their crude could not reach the international market where it could fetch a high price per barrel. This meant national and grassroots organizing to block all proposed pipelines," the CorpEthic website explains. This would be done through "demarketing" where the strategy is the opposite of marketing - which promotes the best aspects of a product. In demarketing, the product, in this case Alberta oil, is bombarded with messages that make it less attractive to buyers, producers and even the industry itself. The campaign seeks to demonize Alberta oil sands as the "dirtiest" oil in the world (Ie. most harmful to the environment) through negative imagery of oil sands mining rather than cleaner steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) operations, while also diminishing or ignoring industry improvements. Maclean's last year reported that in 2014 while the average oil sands barrel emitted 6 to 9% more greenhouse gases than the average crude barrel refined in the US, new oil sands projects can compete with US oil on a a low-carbon basis. Also, Paraffinic Froth Treatment (PFT) uses a lower boiling point and less steam which substantially lowers GHG emissions. The Tar Sands Campaign aims to significantly reduce investor confidence in the Canadian oil industry and sway investment capital away from Canada by engineering "a steady drumbeat of bad press" to negatively stigmatize oil produced from the Canadian oil sands as the "poster child" of so-called "dirty fuel." The Sands Campaign also aims to achieve a national carbon policy as a framework for curtailing the development of the Canadian oil sands. With the Alberta government's announcement that it will limit the industry's carbon emissions to 100 million MT, this objective has been achieved. The Tar Sands Campaign seeks nothing short of stopping altogether the growth of the Alberta oil industry, aiming "to constrain the growth of tar sands production by increasing the perception of financial risks by potential investors and by choking off the necessary infrastructure (inputs and outputs) of the tar sands," the campaign's original strategy states. It says, "We will accomplish this by raising the visibility of the negatives associated with tar sands; initiating legal challenges in order to force government and corporate decision-makers to take steps that raise the costs of production and block delivery infrastructure; and by generating support for federal and state legislation that pre-empts future demand for tar sands oil." The long-term goal of this campaign is to accelerate the shift in Canada and the U.S. toward cleaner energy and lower energy consumption. "We are forcing investors and oil companies to embrace a new energy paradigm," the strategy says. - Vivian Krause, @Fair Questions The motivation: Renewable energy and US energy security It's clear from the above-cited objectives of the Tar Sands Campaign that its goals are as much economic as environmental. In an article in Alberta Oil, Krause quotes from a strategy paper Design to Win: Philanthropy's Role in the Fight Against Global Warming: According to Design to Win, the overarching goal of voter and consumer education campaigns is to create a policy context for a massive shift in investment capital and a billion-dollar market for renewable energy. Without a negative foil of bad press about fossil fuels, it would be much harder to justify the billions of dollars that government has invested in solar and wind. As an example of this policy in action, in 2016 the Rockefeller Brothers Fund announced a shift from investments in fossil fuel companies by taking its first stake in a renewable energy company. The New York-based fund paid $10 million to Mainstream Renewable Power Ltd. to expand renewable energy in Africa - part of an $117.5 million funding round that will finance up to $1.9 billion in green energy on the African continent. Bloomberg reports that out of the $816 million under management by the fund, $97.5 million has gone to renewable energy investments including Mainstream and the New Energy Capital Infrastructure Fund which invests in clean infrastructure projects and companies. By the end of 2018 the Rockefeller Brothers Fund plans to sell all of its investments in fossil fuel companies. Other ways that the Tar Sands Campaign seeks to hurt the Canadian oil industry include promoting a tanker ban on the BC coast (Trudeau placed a moratorium on tanker traffic in 2015), reducing oil sands demand, and pushing governments to conserve large pieces of land from oil and gas or mining exploration. One of the earliest examples of this occurred in 2001-03 when the Rockefeller Brothers paid US$425,000 to the David Suzuki Foundation - an environmental group familiar to Canadians - to organize BC First Nations. In 2004, according to Krause, the fund also made a grant to the Suzuki Foundation "to campaign to support a moratorium on offshore oil and gas exploration" on the BC coast. She adds over half of the Suzuki Foundation's early money came from US sources, including around a million from the Rockefellers. While US tankers ply the waters off BC's coast and the Atlantic coast unimpeded by protesters, tanker traffic in BC is seen as the bogey man by these groups. Why? Because allowing tankers to bring Canadian crude to tidewater, and get a higher price for it, would break the US monopoly on Western Canadian oil exports. The Rockefeller Brothers are also trying to destabilize the Canadian oil industry by attempting "to cap tar sands production in Alberta, Canada, and to reduce demand for tar sands-derived fuels in the United States" according to a statement on its website in 2012 announcing a grant to the Washington, DC-based New Venture Fund. The statement has since been removed. The New Venture Fund is backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation and the David & Lucile Packard Foundation. Krause uncovered that since 2003 New York and California-based charities have granted $15 million for campaigns targeting Alberta oil and against oil tanker traffic and pipelines through BC, including a $700,000 grant from the Oak Foundation to Tides US "to raise the visibility of the tar sands issue and slow the expansion of tar sands production by stopping new infrastructure development." Other foundations affiliated with Tides Canada (Ie. William & Flora Hewlett Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation - who founded Hewlett-Packard, or HP) are closely linked to organizations that promote clean energy and US energy security. These include the Bipartisan Policy Center, Securing America's Energy Future (SAFE) and the Apollo Alliance. While it no longer exists, the Apollo Alliance was a project of the Tides Center "launched in the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy to catalyze a clean energy revolution in America". Discoverthenetworks.org reports the Alliance had a powerful influence on the Obama Administration including helping to craft part of the $787 billion stimulus legislation that Obama signed into law in early 2009. SAFE's mandate according to its website is to "[unite] prominent military and business leaders to develop and advocate for policies that improve America's energy security by significantly curtailing our dependence on oil and promoting responsible use of our domestic energy resources." Two other organizations, ClimateWorks and the Energy Foundation, promote renewable energy and energy efficiency and have worked extensively to promote fuel efficiency standards in the US, Europe and China, states Krause. She notes that since 2009 the Hewlett and Packard foundations have granted over $1 billion to ClimateWorks and the Energy Foundation, which she describes as the twin engines of the campaign against fossil fuels. The Hewlett Foundation is one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the United States, awarding $400 million in grants in 2016. In December the foundation announced it will donate $600 million over the next five years to non-profits working to solve climate change. Conservation is the last strategy being employed by large US eco-funds in the name of habitat protection, but in reality the underlying objective is to stop oil and gas development. Krause writes that in all of Canada's largest conservation efforts - the Great Bear Rainforest in BC, the Yukon to Yellowstone Initiative (Y2Y) and the Canadian Boreal Initiative - the main funder is a US foundation. The Wilburforce Foundation, which according to its 2004 tax return funded Y2Y to protect the region "from oil and gas development, through an advocacy campaign that focuses on grizzly bears and critical wildlife habitat." The Wilburforce Foundation is funded by James Letwin, a co-founder of Microsoft. Research by Krause also uncovered that the Great Bear Rainforest, a no-development zone twice the size of Switzerland, was created through over $100 million in funding from the Rockefeller Brothers, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Hewlett and the Packard foundations. Billionaire backers It shouldn't have escaped your attention that the Tar Sands Campaign is being bankrolled by some extremely deep pockets including the Rockefellers, Bill Gates, the founders of Hewlett-Packard (though the funds claim to be independent from the company), and James Letwin of Microsoft. Among the companies on the Tides Foundation board is Salesforce, a $4-billion cloud-based software firm. Google was also a key funder, along with $22 billion market cap Pacific Gas & Electric Co. Among the other connections to rich and powerful US interests, are billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros and the people behind the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a New York-based environmental group. While Soros' Open Society Foundation rejected claims by former Canadian Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver that Soros was among foreign interests trying to influence the Northern Gateway pipeline back in 2012, the Tides Foundation and the Tides Center are listed among the hundreds of organizations Soros and his organization funds directly. The NRDC, which receives money from the Energy Foundation mentioned earlier, is chaired by Daniel R. Tishman, who while perhaps is not a billionaire (his compensation was not published in a Bloomberg biography), is CEO of the Tishman Construction Corporation, which built the new One World Trade Center building following the destruction of the twin towers on 9/11. His father's firm constructed the original towers. NRDC's current president is Rhea Sun Suh, a former Obama appointee in the Department of the Interior. Legal money-laundering Unlike many charitable organizations, Tides US does not have a large endownment and according to the US Center for Consumer Freedom, "In practice, Tides behaves less like a philanthropy than a money-laundering enterprise, taking money from other foundations and spending it as the donor requires. Called 'donor-advised' giving, this pass-through funding vehicle provides public-relations insulation for the money's original donors." The web of "dark money" being funnelled through large US philanthropic organizations to support environmental causes is highlighted in a four-part series published by the Capital Research Center. Author Hayden Ludwig explains that the Tides Foundation was originally set up by Drummond Pike, a San Franciso investment banker and political activist/former anti-Vietnam protester, as a "donor-advised fund". While the IRS requires Tides to disclose its grantees, it doesn't make them report where the individual grants go. This makes Tides an effective legal money-laundering enterprise, and extremely non-transparent. Writes Ludwig: Collectively, Tides forms one of the largest "pass-through" organizations in the United States-operating a legion of specialized funds designed to maximize the flow of donations to far-left nonprofits while minimizing donors' public exposure to the fruits of their largesse. This vast shroud has earned Tides a reputation as a "dark money" heavyweight (dark money being defined as donations that cannot be traced back to the original donor) and rightly so. Since the mid-1970s, Tides has brokered billions of dollars between left-wing philanthropists and groups that fund the "social justice" agenda. Over the years, Tides has weaponized its 501(c)(3) IRS tax-exempt status to "incubate" hundreds of organizations, many of which underpin the Left's political infrastructure today. - Hayden Ludwig, Capital Research Center An example of how the pass-through works can be seen in the chart below. Instead of the Energy Foundation directly funding the NRDC, or the Sierra Club, other larger funders like the Hewlett Foundation contribute to the Energy Foundation, which then distribute the funds to smaller groups. The system provides an extra layer that obscures where the money is coming from and going to. The Energy Foundation was featured in a 2014 Senate Committee report that highlighted "the lengths the far-left environmental movement goes to hide sources of funding and to disguise their actions - bought and paid for by millionaires and billionaires - as charitable acts in service of their fellow man." Links to the Dems Capital Research also uncovered strong links between Tides and the Democratic Party, noting that Tides received nearly $8 million in grants from federal agencies during the former Clinton Administration. The Tides Foundation was a major funder of the Apollo Alliance mentioned above as influencing the massive stimulus package passed by former President Obama. The website reports that Apollo was behind a "cash for clunkers" program aimed at promoting fuel-efficient cars for low-income earners. The program was headed by Brian Deese, Obama's former climate change adviser. Besides promoting the Left's anti-oil agenda, the program helped stimulate the flagging U.S. auto industry alongside the federal bailouts that followed. It was so effective in the eyes of many on the Left that in 2009 the New York Times described the then-31 year old Deese as "one of the most influential voices" in the Obama administration's bailouts of General Motors and Chrysler. In August 2009, Fox News host Glenn Beck identified the Apollo Alliance as a professional attempt at further solidifying labor unions, social justice activists, and environmentalist groups under one, well-coordinated aegis."This is the head... this is at least a main player of what's going on in America," Beck said. - Hayden Ludwig, Capital Research Center Damage done to Canadian oil All of this well-financed and coordinated environmental and economically-driven activism is interesting for its secretiveness and the powerful US interests behind it, but what really represents the hammer hitting the nail is the negative effect it is having, in several ways, on the Canadian oil industry. The first of course is the continued disparity in prices between Western Canadian Select - the main benchmark for oil sands crude - and West Texas Intermediate, or WTI. In December the disparity between WCS and WTI reached a four-year high of $30 per barrel, due to increased production from the oil sands and pipeline bottlenecks including TransCanada's Keystone pipeline being shut for two weeks due to a spill in South Dakota. That means Canadian crude is selling for $30 per barrel less than WTI, meaning far less revenue for producers, who have to compete with US and Mexican oil being refined on the Gulf Coast and don't have the same transportation costs - Canadian producers have to offer it at a discount. The spread is now well beyond pipeline costs. The differential also means billions in lost tax revenue. Bloomberg predicts the problem is only going to get worse. That's because an increase in oil sands production, expected to reach 4.8 million barrels a day in 2019 compared to 3.9 mbod in 2016, cannot be handled by domestic refineries. Canadian refining operations only process about half a million barrels a day, leaving around 330,000 for export. By 2019 that exportable oil goes up to almost 700,000 bopd. Some of it could go by rail, but lately that isn't happening either, due to a shortage of locomotives. Why isn't more oil processed in Canada rather than exported south? This often-asked question is well-answered by Oil Sands Magazine, which explains that a refiner's ability to handle types of crude oil is defined by its Nelson Complex Index (NCI). NCI values run from 1.0 for a simple refinery, designed for light sweet crude, to over 15 for a complex refinery able to handle heavy, sour crude oil such as Western Canadian Select, a blend of 20 heavy conventional oil streams, condensate and upgraded bitumen. Canadian refineries tend to be older, averaging 8.2 NCI, meaning they are unable to handle the complexity of WCS. That's why Canada imports almost a million barrels a day and exports 3.1 mbod. Refineries on the US Gulf Coast receive most of Canadian oil sands crude, and they're happy to get it at a significant discount to US and Mexican oil. Canada has a refining capacity of just under 2 million bbl/day, about 40% of which is light sweet crude imported from the US and overseas. In 2016, less than 100,000 bbl/day of heavy diluted bitumen from the oil sands was processed in Canadian refineries. The remaining 1.5 million bbl/day was exported to the US. - Oil Sands Magazine It's also noteworthy that the main beneficiaries of the crude oil bottleneck in the US Midwest, through which a lot of Canadian oil flows, are the Midwest oil refineries, with the costs borne by Midwest and Canadian producers forced to take lower prices due to the glut. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, construction of the northern and southern portions of the Keystone XL pipeline would relieve the Midwest bottleneck and increase Midwest prices closer to the Gulf Coast price. The lack of pipeline capacity is taking its toll on Canadian producers. Bloomberg reported last week that Cenovus Energy is cutting back production due to difficulties shipping its crude, while Canadian Natural Resources announced March 1 that its Peace River oil sands site would be placed on maintenance due to the heavy discount between Canadian crude prices and futures. A February report from the CD Howe institute said that lack of pipeline capacity is the biggest factor affecting competitiveness with US energy companies. More than that though, investment is fleeing the Candian oil and gas industry. The Calgary Herald recently reported that pipeline, regulatory and political frustrations slumped Canadian energy shares to their lowest level in nearly two years this month. The Shares S&P/TSX Capped Energy Index ETF, which tracks Canadian energy companies, shows about $56 million in outflows this year versus $32 million in inflows for an ETF focused on US stocks. Weak prices caused by pipeline woes is named as the chief culprit. Locking up the oil sands? So why are well-moneyed interests in the United States deliberately destroying the Canadian oil industry, by stopping east-west pipelines from being built, keeping existing pipelines full and perpetuating a never-ending glut that allows US refineries to buy our oil at a 30% discount? We think the answer is the US is trying to lock up Canadian crude for the future when they really need it. Let's look at what we know. The original plan for the Tar Sands Campaign being funded by massive donor funds was to reduce demand for Canadian crude, by making it seem "dirty" (ironic considering 'fracking' is destroying, by permanently poisoning, huge amounts of the US fresh water supply yet where is the billionaires money regarding this?), and to stop pipeline construction. The campaign has mostly succeeded on both fronts. At one point it looked like the US might not need Canadian crude any more, or less of it, as the US moved toward energy independence. But now, as we have proven in a recent article on the decline of shale oil, it seems very likely that the US will need our oil, when it runs out of shale. The goal as before is still to lock up the oil sands, but the purpose now is to keep it in the ground for use in the future, because US energy independence will not happen. The country still imports 7 million barrels a day, 40% from Canada. They can't crank up shale production, for all the reasons we pointed out, to a point where imports are unnecessary. When shale runs out, they'll turn to conventional fields and use enhanced oil recovery techniques to get it out, and possibly offshore oil, but will it be enough? To make sure, they need a ready supply of cheap oil, and what better place to get it than their neighbor to the north? And when they do come for it, the north-south pipelines will exist to ship it. At Ahead of the Herd we normally only draw conclusions based on facts, and while we admittedly can't prove this theory, it does make a lot of sense. Maybe the Tar Sands Campaign is all about environmentalism and making the switch to renewable energy, but we don't think so. It's looking more and more like a convenient way to ensure America has enough oil, by keeping Canadian crude in the ground, pipelines full, and the option open to expropriate it, if necessary. You might call me paranoid, but there's a saying - 'I know I'm being paranoid but am I being paranoid enough?' We'll let you, dear reader, draw your own conclusions as to what is happening. Conclusion Canada is a free country with a Charter of Rights that guarantees freedom of association and expression and I have no qualms about people gathering to protest what they don't like. What galls me is when the money behind the protests is driven by a shadowy group of funders whose real interests don't even lie on this side of the border. Their interests, which as we have shown are primarily economic while cloaked in the seemingly benevolent cause of anti-pipeline activism, do not align with Canada's interests at all. In fact the goals of the Tar Sands Campaign, bankrolled with millions from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Tides Foundation and other huge US philanthropic groups, is to hurt the Canadian oil and gas industry - never mind help the environment, although that might be a nice adjunct. Canada's January GDP decline was the largest since May 2016 and it was driven by a 3.6 percent drop in oil and gas extraction. Statistics Canada cited a 7.1 reduction in oil sands production due to unscheduled maintenance shutdowns. What needs to happen is for these groups to become more transparent about who their funders are, but that is never going to happen, since doing so would expose the campaign for what it really is: a multi-million-dollar shell game. And why would small Canadian environmental groups want their cause to be associated with billionaires like Bill Gates and the Rockefellers, and big corporations like Microsoft, Google and Salesforce? That would disrupt the David and Goliath narrative that drives the emotion behind these campaigns and brings locals, blind to the real objectives, out to protests. I'm watching, bemused, as the Kinder Morgan protests continue and tens of billions of dollars, in the form of taxes and wages, continue to be lost to Canadians. I've got what big US money is doing to the Canadian oil industry on my radar screen, do you? If not, you should. Richard (Rick) Mills aheadoftheherd.com Just read, or participate in if you wish, our free Investors forums. Ahead of the Herd is now on Twitter. Newsletter Archives. Legal Notice / Disclaimer This document is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment. More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Student received a ticket after participating in all the different tables. They could then enter their ticket into for a chance to win prizes donated by the bookstore. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The Sloss House, built in 1882, currently houses the Margaret Sloss Womens Center which promotes equity and social change on the Iowa State University campus, according to their website. Students can participate in the centers Who Needs Feminism campaign, volunteer, or even rent out the space. All people have the right to make fundamental decisions about their own bodies and health. Thats why we work with diverse local, regional and international partners toward the goal of reproductive justice: a world where all human rights are respected, protected and fulfilled. Today A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 94F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Tomorrow Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 94F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. ABC/Image Group LAOn July 28, Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds will host the 2018 LOVELOUD festival in Salt Lake City, Utah. The annual event, which launched in 2017, supports LGBTQ+ youth and raises awareness of that community's suicide rate. "We at LOVELOUD are determined to help create a more loving and accepting environment for them, while also hoping to raise more than $1 million dollars for local and national LGBTQ+ charities," says Dan in a statement. "We look forward to a day dedicated to celebrating their diversity while listening to great music and inspiring speakers." Imagine Dragons will perform at the festival, along with Zedd, Neon Trees' Tyler Glenn, America's Got Talent winner Grace VanderWaal and Mike Shinoda of the band Linkin Park. The launch of the inaugural LOVELOUD festival is detailed in Dan's upcoming documentary Believer, which premieres on HBO in June. For ticket info to LOVELOUD 2018, visit LOVELOUDFest.com. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Marketing Manager & Marketing Executive Jobs 2018 Latest Ibne Sena Laboratory & Diagnostic Centre Marketing Posts Islamabad 2021 Ibne Sena Laboratory and Diagnostic Center Islamabad, Pakistan required applications from experienced candidates for the posts of Assistant Marketing Manager and Marketing Executive. How to Apply on Ibne Sena Laboratory & Diagnostic Centre Job Advertisement Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online. Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If the employer asks you to pay money for any purpose including processing to shortlisting, do not pay at all and report us using our contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs cannot be applied online here. Error & omissions excepted. Sindh Government Qatar Hospital Jobs Latest Sindh Government Qatar Hospital Admin Clerical Posts Karachi 2021 Stenotypists, Account Assistants, ICU Technicians, ETT Technicians, ECHO Technicians, CT Scan Technicians, OT Assistants and Sanitary Inspectors are required in Sindh Government Qatar Hospital in Karachi. How to Apply on Sindh Government Qatar Hospital Job Advertisement Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online. Telephone: 021-99333476-77 Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If the employer asks you to pay money for any purpose including processing to shortlisting, do not pay at all and report us using our contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs cannot be applied online here. Error & omissions excepted. NBU gives no comments on request of Economy ministry to provide personal currency license to Naftogaz The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has not commented on a request of the Economic Development and Trade Ministry of Ukraine to provide a personal currency license to national joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy due to available restrictions to disclose information about clients. "We do not disclose information about personal licenses we issue to economic entities," Deputy NBU Governor Oleh Churiy said in Kyiv on Friday, March 30. As reported, Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Economic Development and Trade Stepan Kubiv has sent a letter to the NBU with a request to relax transactions with foreign currency for accruing fees for natural gas transit to Russia's Gazprom for national joint-stock company Naftogaz. The ministry said that the letter says about granting an opportunity of obtaining individual licenses for the rapid transfer of money excessively paid by Gazprom for the transit of natural gas to Naftogaz in accordance with the awards of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce of December 22, 2017 and February 28, 2018. In addition, the first deputy prime minister asked the NBU to allow Naftogaz Ukrainy not to obligatorily sell foreign currency income received from abroad if these funds are to be returned by the company to Gazprom. JSU Newsmakers: Faculty Spotlight: Jan Gryko Classic lecture does not need to be boring, said Dr. Jan Gryko, JSU professor of chemistry, and this is a motto that he puts into practice in his classroom. Gryko finished his masters in chemistry at Warsaw University in Poland in 1973, and six years later, earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. Gryko specializes in materials science, crystallography, and nuclear magnetic resonance. He has completed research in the field of open framework materials and thermoelectrics, application of density functional methods to study new materials, and educational use of quantum mechanics. This year marks the 20th anniversary since Gryko arrived at JSU. What does the Polish chemist think makes JSU special? We provide unique one-on-one interaction between faculty and students because our classes are smaller than those in big research universities, he said. In chemistry, we provide full access for students to all instruments, including the very expensive NMR, SEM, and GCMS. When asked what he enjoys most about teaching, Gryko responded, To see that smile on a face of a student who just learned something new and very important that she/he did not expect at all. While many students might fear a chemistry class, Gryko believes in making his courses engaging. He includes numerous demonstrations, especially in General Chemistry classes, and displays outline materials in the classroom and online. I also include at least one or two commercials to break the lecture and tell students something related to the lecture, he said. For example, I use historical remarks or acceptable stories from biographies of great chemists or physics. An example from todays organic chemistry lecture I had to talk about chemistry and safety, and then I mentioned tattoo ink and what goes into it. Believe me, I got the attention of all students in the class! As an incentive, Gryko provides challenging problems with very generous credit, and the research he offers can help build students CVs. To further prepare students for a career in chemistry, he makes sure that his chemistry labs teach essential skills that students will need in their future work, including the use of modern instrumentation. Regarding advice he would give his students, Gryko stated, Lectures and labs are your working place. You are coming to learn as much as possible during lecture or lab. Make sure that you understand everything and ask, ask, and ask. Your instructor is there for you and she/he must answer all your questions. Start doing research in your freshman or sophomore year and make your CV stronger. JSU is lucky to have Jan Gryko engaging and preparing students for their career paths! Photo: Jan Gryko The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced [press release] Saturday that Mr Al Hassan was surrendered to the courts detention center in the Netherlands by Malian authorities. According to the arrest warrant [text, PDF, in French], he is accused of crimes against humanity in Timbuktu, Mali, as de-facto leader of the Islamic police force in 2012 and 2013. He allegedly took part in the destruction of the mausoleums of Muslim saints in Timbuktu. He also allegedly participated in forced marriages involving Fulani women, which resulted in repeated rape and the reduction of women and girls to sexual slavery. The International Criminal Court concludes that there is evidence to provide grounds for an arrest warrant under the reasonable belief that Mr Al Hassan could be criminally liable under Articles 25 (3) (a) or 25 (3) (b) of the Rome Statute [text, PDF] for crimes against humanity. Mr Al Hassan is expected to make an initial appearance in court later this week The Israeli government reached a common understanding [press release] Monday with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to remove half of the African asylum seekers to Western countries. The UNHCR will facilitate the departure of 16,250 migrants from Israel to various Western countries, while Israel will relocate populations in a balanced manner with weight given to occupational guidance, vocational training and job matching. In January the UNHCR expressed concern [press release] over Israels controversial law to forcibly relocate and indefinitely detain asylum seekers from Eritrea and Sudan. Currently, there are about 27,000 asylum seekers from Eritrea and 7,700 from Sudan. The Vermont Senate [official website] on Friday voted 17-13 to approve [text] legislation [text, PDF] that will place restrictions on access to guns and gun-altering devices. Some of the measures include raising the purchase age for guns to 21 and bans magazines of more than 10 rounds for long guns and 15 rounds for pistols; ban on bump stocks; and expansion of mandatory background checks on buyers. The bill had previously been approved [JURIST report] in the House. Governor Phil Scott [official profile] announced [press release] his intent to sign the guns reforms following the tragedies that have taken place in schools across the country. In a recent press release he stated Vermont is currently one of the healthiest and safest states in America. However, as tragedies in Florida, Las Vegas, Newtown and elsewhereas well as the averted plot to shoot up Fair Haven High Schoolhave demonstrated, no state is immune to the risk of extreme violence. As Governor, I have a moral and legal obligation and responsibility to provide for the safety of our citizens. If we are at a point when our kids are afraid to go to school and parents are afraid to put their kids on a bus, who are we? I support S.55, S.221 and H.422 because I believe these bills uphold these rights, while taking reasonable steps to reduce the risk of violence. Several states have recently introduced new gun legislation in the wake of the recent shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida and subsequent protests, including Florida, Illinois and Oregon [JURIST reports]. Opponents to such bills continue to argue infringement on their Second Amendment [text] rights and that they would not ensure students safety. Govt extends term of filing documents to receive subsidies for cows until May 1 The Cabinet of Ministers of UKRAINE has extended a term of filing documents by farmers to receive UAH 1,500 a year of subsidies per cow until May 1, 2018, the Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry has reported. Respective changes have been made to the procedure for using funds allocated for the support of the livestock sector in the national budget. The ministry said that the prolongation of the terms will give an opportunity of taking advantage of government support to as many as possible number of farmers. The subsidy per a cow a year is paid in two installments of UAH 750. As reported, the total amount of support for the agro-industrial complex from the national budget in 2018 will be UAH 7.3 billion compared with UAH 6.3 billion in 2017. The 2018 budget announced the allocation of UAH 4 billion for farmers for the development of livestock, UAH 1 billion for the development of farms, UAH 1 billion for compensation of 25% of the cost of domestic agricultural machinery and UAH 300 million for the development of horticulture and viticulture. In addition, UAH 66 million will be allocated to the program of cheapening of credits. The costs of the Agrarian Fund for storage, transportation, processing and export of products of the intervention fund will amount to UAH 52 million. Air Malta intends to resume flights to Kyiv in June Air Malta airline plans to resume regular flights from Malta to Kyiv from June 19. According to a posting on the website of the airline, the flights will be serviced on Tuesdays. It will take around three hours to get to the Boryspil international airport. The fares start from $190 for a round trip. Air Malta flied to Kyiv several years ago. Air Malta connects Malta with over 35 major cities across Europe and the Mediterranean. The National Health Service of Ukraine has been registered by the Justice Ministry as the central executive power agency, the press service of the Health Ministry has reported on its website. "The National Health Service was registered today [on March30] in the Justice Ministry as the central executive power agency, the ministry said. The next step in the development of the authority is the creation of its structure and the team, as well as the preparation for signing contracts with healthcare institutions. This must be one before June. In June, it is planned to begin signing these contracts. As reported, the decision to establish the National Health Service, which will implement the national policy in the sphere of government financial guarantees for medical services for the population and fulfill the functions of the national medical services and medicines customer under the program of medical guarantees, was made by the government on December 27, 2017. On February 27, Deputy Director General for Strategic Development at Isida-IVF LLC Oleh Petrenko was announced a winner of a tender to select the head of the National Health Service of Ukraine. Chief of the Ukraine support group for the European Commission Peter Wagner has said officials in Brussels are monitoring the conflict involving Ukraine's National Anti-corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). "We know about events in Kyiv. We are monitoring them Of course, this does not create a positive impression, when those who should be fighting against corruption and fighting each other. Maybe it's just hyped up in the press, but we can't tell. Maybe we'll know in a couple of days," Wagner told the 112.ua TV channel on Sunday evening. Wagner said Ukraine has implemented more reforms in the past three years than during the past two decades. "Reforms are continuing Ukraine has decided to take this road and we are ready to help. Yes, there are many issues, such as the battle against corruption, but we are with Ukraine," he said. Head of the party 'Social and Political Platform of Nadiia Savchenko', Vera Savchenko, asks U.S. President Donald Trump to pay attention to the situation with the arrest and prosecution of her sister, MP Nadiia Savchenko. "I ask you to raise the issue of the persecution of opposition politicians in Ukraine, the issue of eliminating competitors in the upcoming presidential elections in Ukraine through political persecution of opponents, the construction of systemic, vertical, deeply integrated corruption headed by the head of state personally and an attack on the media, uncontrolled by the authorities of Ukraine," her letter to the head of the White House dated March 22, 2018, reads. Savchenko asks Trump to ensure close international supervision of the situation surrounding the criminal prosecution of Savchenko in order to exclude the violation of human rights and the oppression of the politician for his convictions. By SEAN MURPHY and BRUCE SCHREINER, Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The state Capitol in Kentucky filled with teachers protesting pension changes and demanding generous school funding Monday, and thousands of Oklahoma educators walked out of classrooms in the latest evidence of teacher rebellion in some Republican-led states. Many Oklahoma schools were closed Monday, and districts announced plans to stay shut into Tuesday with teacher demonstrations expected to last a second day. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed legislation last week granting teachers pay raises of about $6,100, or 15 to 18 percent. But some educators who haven't seen a pay increase in 10 years say that isn't good enough and walked out. The state's largest teachers union has demanded a $10,000 pay raise for educators over three years, $5,000 for support personnel and a $75 million increase in funding this year. "If I didn't have a second job, I'd be on food stamps," said Rae Lovelace, a single mom and a third-grade teacher at Leedey Public Schools in northwest Oklahoma who works 30 to 40 hours a week at a second job teaching online courses for a charter school. GOP Rep. Lewis Moore said it's unclear what more teachers can accomplish by shutting down schools. "I don't know how much more can be gained when we already raised $350 million for teacher raises," Moore said. "The Department of Corrections needs a billion dollars more. Everybody would agree our roads and bridges aren't squared away." But Rep. Collin Walke, a Democrat, said teachers should keep up the pressure. Two separate bills pending in the Legislature to expand tribal gambling and eliminate the income tax deduction for capital gains could generate more than $100 million in additional funding each year. "I think the Republican strategy is to wait the teachers out," Walke said. Oklahoma ranks 47th among states and the District of Columbia in public school revenue per student while its average teacher salary of $45,276 ranked 49th before the latest raises, according to the most recent statistics from the National Education Association. The demonstrations were inspired by West Virginia, where teachers walked out for nine days earlier this year and won a 5 percent increase in pay. Teachers in Arizona are now considering a strike over their demands for a 20 percent salary increase. National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen Garcia spoke to thousands during the rally in Oklahoma, saying lawmakers need to do more. "We are through correcting their mistakes." In Frankfort, Kentucky, teachers and other school employees chanted "Stop the war on public education." "We're madder than hornets, and the hornets are swarming today," said Claudette Green, a retired teacher and principal. Schools across Kentucky were closed, due either to spring break or to allow teachers and other school employees to attend the rally. Amid a chorus of chants from teachers rallying in the Capitol, Kentucky lawmakers considered a new state budget that includes higher spending for public education. Budget negotiators unveiled a spending plan Monday that includes increased spending for the main funding formula for K-12 schools and restored money for school buses that the state's Republican governor had proposed eliminating. The additional education spending would be paid for by a 6 percent sales tax on a host of services that had previously been tax-free. The spending and taxing proposals cleared the Senate on Monday and went to the House, which was expected to vote on the measures later Monday. Language arts teacher Lesley Buckner was reluctant to give lawmakers much credit. "We're sending a message," she said. "If we continue to stay united, they cannot turn away from us, they cannot turn their backs on us." The rally happened after hundreds of teachers called in sick Friday to protest last-minute changes to their pension system. Teachers have rallied several times during Kentucky's legislative session to protest the pension bill, but Monday was by far their biggest event. Republican lawmakers in Kentucky passed a pension overhaul Thursday that preserves benefits for most workers but cuts them for new teachers. The move was done in response to chronic underfunding of the state's teacher retirement system and in defiance of a powerful teachers union that vowed political retribution. Opponents objected that the pension changes were inserted into an unrelated bill without a chance for public input, and worry that the changes will discourage young people from joining the profession. Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has not yet signed the bill, but last week tweeted his support, saying public workers owe "a deep debt of gratitude" to lawmakers who voted to pass it. During Monday's rally, some teachers, angry at lawmakers who supported the bill, chanted "Vote them out." Melissa Wash, a first-grade teacher form Gallatin County who has been teaching for 19 years, said she voted for Bevin, but now plans to become a Democrat. To the lawmakers who voted for the pension overhaul, she said: "You better not count on another year in office." ___ Schreiner reported from Frankfort, Kentucky. AP writer Tim Talley contributed to this report in Oklahoma City. UPDATE: Most recent reports from the scene indicate that the live explosive situation has been resolved. All roads are being reopened at this time. We are still awaiting word about what exactly the device was, how it came to be at the Fire Station, and how it was dealt with. (Updated as of 1:50 p.m. on Monday, April 2) GRANTS PASS, Ore. An explosive devicepossibly a 'live grenade'was dropped off at the Grants Pass Parkway Fire Station about an hour ago today, according to the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety (GPDPS). Police have closed the following streets as a result: -E Park Street between Parkdale Drive and Golden Park -E Park at the Baker Park Entrance is also closed -Grants Pass Parkway southbound is closed at M Street -Grants Pass Parkway northbound is closed at Rogue River Highway All traffic is being rerouted away from these areas, according to GPDPS. Oregon State Police Bomb Squad have been called to the Fire Department for assistance. GPDPS asks that everyone stay out of the area until safety is assured. This is a developing story, and NewsWatch 12 reporters are en route. This appears to be the same incident as the road closure reported by ODOT on US 199. The road closure on Highway 199 was first reported by ODOT at 12:41 p.m. on Monday as an emergency update. Shortly after, GPDPS posted on their Facebook page with information about the suspected explosive device and more road closures. The issues of violation of the so-called Easter truce announced from March 30 and the release of hostages will be discussed at the talks of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) in Minsk on April 4, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, representative of Ukraine in the humanitarian subgroup of the TCG Iryna Gerashchenko has said. "The issue of violating the ceasefire ... There is inadmissible information about the aggression not only against people, but also shooting down drone fighters, including the OSCE ones. And this will be one of the key topics during the meeting of the first working group after the election of President Putin [the March 18 presidential election in Russia], which will be held on April 4. The second issue that we will raise is the release of hostages," Gerashchenko told journalists in Kyiv on Monday. The Toronto Star building is shown in Toronto, Wednesday, June 8, 2016. Torstar Corporation announced today it is launching a major national expansion with a reinvention of its Metro urban commuter newspapers and more robust digital offerings in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Halifax and nationally.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Eduardo Lima Hunting rifles are seen on display in a glass case at a gun and rifle store in Vancouver on September 15, 2010. He's the Liberal MP for a large rural Ontario riding with lots of gun owners, but Bob Nault says he is not worried about a voter backlash over the government's new firearms bill. The Conservatives say the legislation would unfairly target law-abiding hunters and target shooters with fresh measures. Nault, however, sees nothing in the bill that could stir up the sort of controversy that erupted over the universal long-gun registry in the 1990s -- a fight he remembers well. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward Lake Hazen on Ellesmere Island in Nunavut is viewed from the Ruggles River outflow in this May 2015 handout photo. New research that examines the effect of climate change on a remote Arctic lake concludes those ecosytems are changing more quickly and profoundly than previously thought. Canadian researchers recently published research on Lake Hazen on Ellesmere Island, one of the first studies to look at the impacts of warming on an entire Arctic ecosystem. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Igor Lehnherr A specially trained dog on loan from the RCMP in Halifax, Nova Scotia, scans a river bank in Montreal on March 30, 2018. Police have decided to stop searching the frigid waters along Montreal's north shore for a 10-year-old boy who went missing three weeks ago. Insp. Ian Lafreniere says Montreal police will continue land searches and are still encouraging the public to come forward with any information on the whereabouts of Ariel Jeffrey Kouakou. HE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes African migrants hold an Eritrean flag during a protest demanding to be recognized as refugees, outside Israel's parliament in Jerusalem on Jan. 8, 2014. Canada is one of the countries expected to resettle African asylum seekers turned away from Israel, but it remains to be seen whether the Liberal government will be increasing the number of refugees from the area who were already destined to arrive here. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Ariel Schalit Women push a shopping cart near nuts and sweets imported from the United States and other countries displayed on a section selling imported foods at a supermarket in Beijing, Monday, April 2, 2018. China raised import duties on a $3 billion list of U.S. pork, fruit and other products Monday in an escalating tariff dispute with President Donald Trump that companies worry might depress global commerce. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) Palestinian relatives of 29-year-old Fares al-Reqeb, who died Monday of his injuries, react while mourners carry his body out of the family house during his funeral in the town of Khan Younis, Monday, April 2, 2018. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra) FILE - In this Dec. 5, 2017, file photo, Summer Zervos, right, an attorney Gloria Allred speak to reporters outside Manhattan State Supreme court, in New York. President Donald Trump's lawyers are asking a New York state appeals court to throw out or freeze a defamation lawsuit by Zervos a former contestant on "The Apprentice" who has accused Trump of unwanted kissing and groping. Notice of the appeal was filed Sunday, April 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File) FILE - In this Feb. 24, 2018 file photo, asylum seekers protest against deportation in Tel Aviv, Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Monday, April 2, 2018, that it has reached an agreement with the United Nations to scrap plans to deport African asylum seekers and will resettle many in Western countries instead. Israel said it reached an "unprecedented understandings" with the U.N. refugee agency in which Israel will send more than 16,000 migrants to various Western countries willing to absorb them. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File) The Ministry of Health of Ukraine has issued an order to dismiss Kateryna Amosova from the post of the rector of the Bogomolets National Medical University. The ministry's state secretary, Artem Yanchuk, signed the corresponding order, the text of which is available to Interfax-Ukraine, on March 30. According to the order, Amosova will be dismissed from the post of rector of the university on April 16 due to her failure to fulfill the terms of the contract. This decision is based on the recommendations issued following the consideration of the report for 2017 of the permanent commission on the acceptance of reports of institutions and organizations that are subordinated to the Health Ministry, an audit of financial and economic activities, a letter from the State Financial Inspectorate regarding the elimination of violations found by the audit (dated April 6, 2016), as well as letters from the State Audit Service. Amosova on Monday morning during the briefing signed relevant documents indicating that she read the order. She said she will challenge this decision in court. The order to dismiss Amosova was submitted to the Medical University on Friday, March 30. As reported, the commission for the acceptance of reports of institutions and organizations that are subordinated to the Health Ministry recognized the work of the rector of Bogomolets National Medical Institute as unsatisfactory and recommended to terminate the contract with her. FILE - This March 20, 2016, file photo shows Hart family of Woodland, Wash., at a Bernie Sanders rally in Vancouver, Wash. The SUV carrying the Hart family accelerated straight off a scenic California cliff and authorities said the deadly wreck may have been intentional.(Tristan Fortsch/KATU News via AP, File) Ethan Couch, right, is released from Tarrant County Corrections Department in Fort Worth, Texas as his attorney is interviewed Monday, April 2, 2018. Couch, who as a 16-year-old driver drunkenly struck and killed four pedestrians but dodged prison after suggesting at trial that his irresponsibility was a result of his entitled upbringing, walked free Monday after serving almost two years in a Texas jail on a parole violation. (Bob Booth/Star-Telegram via AP) The state is obliged to promote the socialization of the ATO (anti-terrorist operation) veterans and give them an opportunity of finding a job after returning from the front. Chairman of the Socialist Party of Ukraine (SPU) Illia Kyva gave his opinion at the presentation of the Odesa unit of the "Life Safety" paramilitary security service of the National Police of Ukraine. "Back in 2015, after returning from the front, I said that the state should take care of those who did their duty on the frontline. We have designed a program, which was put on the table of the Minister of Internal Affairs. The essence of this program is that persons who have proved their devotion to the people of Ukraine could continue doing their duty at home, protecting people," he said. Kyva also paid attention to the fact that the state should have a monopoly on the use of force. "Only the state has the right to use force. This is the position of every sane person. And in order not to split the country into apanage principalities, creating obscure military units, a decision was made in 2017: to create paramilitary security units in the structure of the National Police. First and foremost, veterans of ATO are employed to these units," the politician said. The leader of the Socialist Party also expressed conviction that the Odesa paramilitary security division would honorably fulfill the tasks entrusted to it. "I was in this very place in 2016, when we launched a new patrol police in Odesa. Today, we are launching another project. Similar units have already shown their effectiveness in Kyiv city and region. I am sure that the same will happen in Odesa. You deserve the trust of people, fighting at the front. And I'm sure that you continue proving it in the service behind the lines," Kyva said, referring to the unit's fighters. Today, a solemn presentation of the personnel of the Odesa unit of the "Life Safety" paramilitary security service of the National Police of Ukraine took place near the monument to Duke de Richelieu in Odesa. The event involved senior-most officials of the city and officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. EUGENE, Ore. - The North Bend Fire Department has come to Eugene for special, hands-on fire training for four years in a row. The Eugene-Springfield facility has a lot of training mechanisms and resources unseen in many other departments around the state. Assistant Fire Chief, Jim Brown, said this is an important annual event because it gives them opportunities that they don't have with their limited resources in their community. He said it also gives them a chance to become closer and work better as a team. "It's extremely important to have the proper training, because regardless of if a fire is Eugene, if a fire is in Los Angeles, or if it's in North Bend, it's still a very dangerous thing," said Brown. "We want to do everything we can to protect our people and the communities we serve as well." One of the most unique tools they get to use in this weekend is the burn facility. The burn facility is used for live-fire trainings. It can be caught on fire and remain undamaged for the most part. Assistant Chief Brown said they send down all of their personnel for this training, in shifts of around 10 or so. This means career, resident, and volunteer firefighters. The next set of North Bend firefighters will be up to go through the training starting Friday, April 6. WESTPORT, Calif. - California Highway Patrol announced the crash on the Northern California coast involving a Washington state family appears to be intentional. Officials said the speedometer inside the Hart family's SUV was "pinned" at 90 miles per hour. However, they also said that findings are not conclusive because a full investigation still needs to be conducted. They said the speedometer could have moved at the time of impact during the crash. The SUV was found crushed at the bottom of a California roadside cliff on Monday. Jennifer and Sara Hart were killed in the crash, along with three of their adopted children; 19-year-old Markis Hart, 14-year-old Abigail Hart and 14-year-old Jeremiah Hart. Police are still searching for three missing children who they believe were in the vehicle. Those children are 16-year-old Hannah Hart, 15-year-old Devonte Hart, and 12-year-old Sierra Hart. The Washington State officials began investigating the Hart family earlier this month, after receiving a report of potential neglect and abuse. On Sunday, April 1, in one of the military units of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which is stationed in Mykolaiv region, a conscript was shot dead while performing his duties. "An independent inquiry is being held into this incident. Also, a commission consisting of representatives of the National Police, the Military Prosecutor's Office, the Military Law Enforcement Service and officers of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is working on the scene," the Air Force Command wrote on Facebook on Monday. No other details or circumstances of the incident in the Air Force Command have been reported. DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) An Iowa couple accused of inflicting chemical burns on a disabled woman in their care have been sent to prison. Court records say 51-year-old Katrina Eubanks was sentenced Wednesday in Polk County District Court to 30 years and 55-year-old Garry Eubanks was given 10 years. The Urbandale couple had been charged with kidnapping, two counts of neglect of a dependent person and one count of abuse of a dependent person that resulted in injury. Prosecutors dropped the kidnapping charge in exchange for Katrina Eubanks' guilty pleas and dropped all but one count of neglect for Garry Eubanks' plea. Police say Katrina Eubanks, a hired caregiver, bathed the 19-year-old woman in bleach and Epsom salt on May 28. Police also say the Eubankses didn't seek treatment for her burns for days. OLMSTED COUNTY, Minn. - A 19-year-old girl is recovering after pulling out in front of a car on Highway 63 in High Forest Township. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, Alexandra Vanderwerf, of Lakeville, was driving a Buick Riviera on the ramp from westbound Interstate 90 to Highway 63. She pulled out onto Highway 63 and hit a northbound Dodge Ram, with four passengers. Officials say Vanderwerf was transported to St. Marys Hospital by ambulance and is facing non-life threatening injuries. Other responding agencies include Olmsted County Sheriff's Department and Stewartville Fire Deptartment. PRESTON, Minn.- Drive on just about any county road in North iowa and southern Minnesota and you will see miles and miles of corn stalks lining the road. while corn is often thought of as the cash crop of our region. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said farmers intend to plant more acres of soybeans than corn. Dave Mensink is a grain farmer who sells soybeans. he says corn costs just as much as soybeans to grow but corn requires more work. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Minnesota farmers intend to plant nearly 8 million acres of soybeans across the state. Mensink said dont expect the prices of anything to come down. I dont think the price of corn and soybeans are going to get much cheaper than they are. KIMT News 3s Jeremiah Wilcox rode alongside Mensink on his farm where he said there's still some uncertainty about what the future will hold for farmers but he thinks adding extra acres of soybeans will be a good start. What we're hoping is that this is going to add underlying support to our prices. ALBERT LEA, Minn. - The Motor Inn Company is estimating it only took 20 minutes for someone to steal the tires off of eight vehicles in the dealership show lot over the weekend. It's a problem several Minnesota communities have faced. The Albert Lea Police Department said there were similar occurrences in Fergus Falls, Apple Valley, and Rochester. Motor Inn posted on their Facebook page, offering a $1000 cash reward for any information leading to an arrest. Ryan Wuerflein, the general manager, said he's surprised by some of the feedback. "There was a lot of people that were you know, 'hey, we're really sorry you know this shouldn't happen,'" Wuerflein said, "and then there were other people accusing us of committing insurance fraud and lots of people with nothing good to say." Wuerflein said it's actually a simple crime to commit. "You just take a block like this, and you place it strategically in the location right under there," Wuerflein said. "They let the air out of the tires and then the way the truck sits on the block, and that leaves them room so that they can pull the wheel right off the side." The culprits even left behind the wood and cement blocks they used. Overall, 32 tires were taken from the eight vehicles in the dealership's show lot. "The best way to estimate how long it took them to do it was how long did it take us to put them back on," Wuerflein said. "What we did when we put them back on, took us about 50 minutes, call it an hour. I would estimate with them not having to jack the vehicle up, or do too much, I would estimate they were in and out of here in some where around 20 minutes." The Albert Lea Police Department is reviewing surveillance video as they investigate the crime. As for Motor Inn, it's back to work. "We've basically turned it over to police," Wuerflein said. "We're going to let them do their thing and we're going to put some wheels back on these trucks and get them sold." Wuerflein said their Facebook post actually spurred some interest in the vehicles. PREVIOUS STORY: ALBERT LEA, Minn. The Motor Inn in Albert Lea estimates it took around 20 minutes for someone to take the tires off eight different vehicles this weekend. We at Motor Inn are asking for any information that anyone can share in regard to a theft of multiple premium wheels off of some vehicles on our lot. We will gladly pay $1,000 cash reward to anyone that can give us information leading to an arrest, the company said this weekend on social media. Thirty-two tires were taken from the dealerships show lot. Albert Lea Police said this has happened at three different Minnesota locations. Surveillance video of the thefts has been given to authorities. ROCHESTER, Minn.- The 5-year Enrollment Projection Report said Rochester Public schools are seeing a surge in students enrolling in elementary and middle schools. The Rochester School Board is expected to use the report to determine what is the next step to address the the need for more space. KIMT News 3 spoke to parents in Rochester about the surge of families moving to the city. Meredith White is a mother of 3 who lives in Rochester. She said shes noticed a lot of new housing but not new schools. She also said that shes confident the School Board will make the right choice for their students. Im think they will make the best decision for the kids, said White They are more pros than cons to having more people in Rochester. We reached out to Rochester Public Schools to learn more about their plans but they have yet to comment. Long-time readers of The Gold Update know that our microphones are just about everywhere as we return to those placed inside the Salzburg clinical offices of esteemed analyst in the psychosis of precious metals, Dr. Youara Nichtsogut... Dr. Nichtsogut : "Ahhh, Sister Silver, such the honourable surprise is this! Your good man Gold was here October last, suffering from CEUD." Silver, (preferring to stand rather than lie upon the couch) : "CEUD, Doc?" Dr. Nichtsogut : "Chronic Extreme Undervalaution Depression. I suppose this, too, is why you are here?" Silver : "You can nix the fancy lingo, Doc. I've fallen off the radar and am forever wearing this industrial metal jacket. Day after bleedin' day I watch Gold being priced at better than 80 times myself, while I can't even find my way out of the 16s. I've come close to having to hock my precious metal pinstripes just to survive. I tell ya, Doc, I get no respect." Dr. Nichtsogut : "Oh you like Dangerfield, do you? We once had a patient..." Silver (interrupting) : "Cut the crap, Doc. I'm being viewed as danger instead of being outstanding in my field." Dr. Nichtsogut : "Ok, Sister. Let's look at your chart... ...ya, ya, ya, your problem is obvious: 38 days of SPE ... uh, that's Single Price Entrapment. Our records indicate that you last had a 53-day run of SPE during 2005 when you were stuck in the 7s. The good news of course is that you're better than twice as high that level today here in the 16s!" Silver : "Yeah, that's cute, Doc, but I was seven times as high at 49 back in 2011." Dr. Nichtsogut : "And so again shall you be, my dear. Just stay positive. Now, our time being up, that will be two 1893 Morgan Dollars, please..." Silver : "In yer dreams, Doc!" (leaves in a huff, slamming door) Dr. Nichtsogut : "She always was a head-strong child..." But to be sure, lacking comparative strength through Q1 in 2018 are the precious metals. Gold year-to-date is barely above water at +1.5%, after Q1 performances in 2017 and 2016 respectively of +8.6% and +16.3%. As for "stuck in the 16s" and "still seeking respect" Sister Silver, she's -3.8% through Q1, her prior three Q1 readings (2017-2015) having been +14.5%, +11.6% and +6.0%. Here's how all the BEGOS Markets now stand, with Oil at the top and Copper the big flop: Still through it all, we find Gold's weekly parabolic trend remaining in ascent, but price now just 26 points above the 1299 "flip to short" level, this past abbreviated trading week having settled out Thursday for the yellow metal at 1325. Gold's expected daily trading range is 15 points whilst that for the weekly is 32 points, a sufficient enough distance to put us on "flip watch". Mind thereto the year's low -- 1304 -- for should it go, the Long trend likely gets the heave-ho. Regardless as the year unfolds, our eyes remain on the initial prize up there at Base Camp 1377: It being month's end, indeed quarter's end, from this time a year ago-to-date here next is Gold along with several of the prime precious metals equities brethren. From best performance track to worst we've Newmont Mining (NEM) +18%, Gold itself +6%, Franco-Nevada (FNV) +4%, the VanEck Vectors Gold Miners exchange-traded fund (GDX) -4%, Goldcorp (GG) -7%, and the Global X Silver Miners "Gettin' no respect!" exchange-traded fund (SIL) -14%. Yes that's correct: even languishing SIL is underperforming laggard GG. And not to overly harp on the Gold/Silver ratio (presently 81x, and as detailed in our 04 February piece "Gold-Silver Ratio Tops 80x - What Happens Next?"), but stints above 80x exceeding five days are extremely rare , the longest one this millennium being 18 days just in this past February and the present one now 12 days in length. There was one that reached 17 days during 2016, one of five days in 2009, and prior to that, one of six days in 2003. Be on alert either for Gold to tank without Silver suffering (improbable), else for Silver more likely to play catch-up. Remember: given the millennium-to-date average Gold/Silver ratio is 63x, a return to that with Gold flat puts Silver at 21 ... write it down. Speaking of down, so remains the track of the Economic Barometer. How's that Q1 gross domestic product growth of +2.9% workin' out for ya? Or that record $92 billion StateSide increase in credit card debt last year? That's greater than a full month's dosage of $80 billion back during QE purchases -- and the outstanding balance of such costly debt now exceeding $1 trillion is more than a year's dosage of QE purchases. Creepeth ever lower, our Baro. Shan't be on television; but 'tis here: As for the S&P 500 (red line), now at 2641 'tis -8% from its 2872 all-time high: so -17% more to go shall bring us -25% to 2154 in toto, (just in case yer frettin' at home over yer faux dough). Fretted as well we find below the three month daily bars for both Gold on the left and Silver on the right . Just as a week ago were we encouraged by the baby blue dots of regression trend consistency appearing buoyed for further upside, now they've kinked lower as if kicked in the backside. Still, barring both markets' recent lows getting blown, 'tis fairly range-bound stuff to us: As for the 10-day Market Profiles, Gold ( below left ) has fallen back into its thicket of supporters as depicted, whilst Sister Silver ( below right ) tested hers at 16.25, indeed finishing the week on Thursday at her high trade for that day ... encouraging perhaps, but given price at just 16.340, hardly are we impressed: So with both the month and quarter (sounds like a pub) in the books, to Gold's structure chart we go with its defined pricing zones. Again, the nearest pronounced highlight therein per the arrow remains Base Camp 1377: "So close ... and yet so far", --(Herve Villechaize as 'Nick Nack', "The Man with the Golden Gun", Eon Productions, '74). Get up through 1377 and then we'll focus on some real Golden Fun: In closing, we read that Wall Street's account-fleecing fee churners found their average bonus increase by 17% in 2017 to $184,000, excluding of course pay along the way. Said bonus alone is nearly four times the annual $45,000 in wages generated by the average working American schlub out there. As for said schlub's stocks, likely for whom half have not, one wonders to what extent one benefited from last year's 19% increase in the S&P -- and that's before fees -- which as well are collected in stride on the downside. More reason still to join the Gold ride ! Cheers! ** Kansai Electric Power Co rises 5.2 pct to 1,438 yen, highest since mid-January ** Co said Osaka District Court in western Japan on Friday rejected a request for an injunction to halt two reactors at Takahama nuclear plant ** A local resident in Osaka had filed the case with the court last July to halt the plant's No.3 and No.4 reactors, citing dangers of missile attacks to the plant by North Korea, Kansai Electric said ** The decision would pave the way for Kansai Electric to continue operations at the two reactors, both of which have been generating power since the middle of 2017 ** As of 00:55 GMT, about 2.00 mln shares of the Osaka-fu-based company have been traded, about 76.2 pct of their 30-day moving average of 2.62 mln shares a day Messaging:ayai.tomisawa.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. ** Nippon BS Broadcasting surges 7.2 pct to 1,351 yen, highest since March 7 ** Co raises parent net profit outlook to 1.090 bln yen from 780 mln yen for Sept-Feb period ** As of the previous close, the stock had fallen 3.23 percent so far this year. ** As of 0217 GMT, about 60,600 shares of the Tokyo-based company have been traded, about 169.6 percent of their 30-day moving average of 35,740 shares a day. ** Among the 3 analysts that cover Nippon BS Broadcasting Corp, the current average rating on the shares is "hold"; the breakdown of recommendations is "strong buy" or "buy", one "hold" and no "sell" or "strong sell". The analyst mean price target is 1,300 yen. ** The forward price-to-earnings ratio for Nippon BS Broadcasting Corp for the next 12 months is 14.08, about 4.20 percent lower than it was at the end of last year. (Reuters Messaging:ayai.tomisawa.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net) (Repeats story from Saturday) * Growth picks up in China's manufacturing and services sectors * Readings suggest stronger Q1 GDP growth than earlier expected * Official factory PMI 51.1 vs poll 50.5, Feb 50.3 * Services PMI rises to 54.6 vs Feb 54.4 * Steelmakers crank up output but inventories building up By Stella Qiu and Ben Blanchard BEIJING, March 31 (Reuters) - Growth in China's manufacturing sector picked up more than expected in March as authorities lifted winter pollution restrictions and steel mills cranked up production as construction activity swings back into high gear. The official Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) released on Saturday rose to 51.5 in March, from 50.3 in February, and was well above the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction on a monthly basis. Analysts surveyed by Reuters had forecast the reading would pick up only slightly to 50.5. The findings add to a growing amount of data which suggest that China's economy has carried more momentum into the first quarter from last year than analysts had expected, which should keep synchronised global growth on track for a while longer even as trade tensions build. February's print had been the lowest in 1-1/2 years, but many analysts suspected it was due to disruptions related to the long Lunar New Year holidays, not a sharp drop in consumption. Indeed, the March survey showed manufacturers shifted into higher gear as usual as seasonal demand picked up at home and abroad. The sub-index for output jumped to 53.1 from 50.3 in February, while total new orders rose to 53.3 from 51.0 and export orders climbed to 51.3 from 49.0. The China Logistics Information Centre, in a commentary on the PMI figures, said it expected first-quarter economic growth to be about 6.8 percent. Early this year, economists polled by Reuters were pencilling in a fade to around 6.6 percent. Large companies saw a modest pickup in growth, while small firms' activity expanded marginally after shrinking in February. Helping drive positive sentiment, exports have been better than expected in the first two months of the year, particularly for tech products, the fastest-growing segment of China's industrial sector. Though a sub PMI for hi-tech manufacturing eased in March, growth remained solid. However, a sharp escalation in trade tensions with the United States is clouding the outlook for both China's "old economy" heavy industries and "new economy" tech firms. The Trump administration slapped hefty tariffs on steel and aluminium imports last week and then targeted China specifically with plans for additional tariffs of up to $60 billion of its goods, likely focusing on tech and telecommunications products. "Stress tests have shown the new U.S. tariffs will have a relatively small impact on Chinese steel. Chinese steel firms should not be overly worried and should focus on guaranteeing demand from the domestic market and our major exporters," the China Steel Logistics Professional Committee said. "But it's worth noting that the amount of steel products we supply to U.S. consumers through the global supply chain may well exceed China's direct exports to the United States," it added. "China should proactively oppose U.S. unilateral trade protectionism to maintain the global supply chain." SPRING FORWARD OR FALL BACK? This spring could see a major test of Chinese manufacturers' surprising 1-1/2-year run. In the first quarter, China's steel companies defied expectations for a winter lull and continued to ramp up output in response to strong sales, while boosting borrowing, capital expenditure and hiring, a survey from the China Beige Book showed on Wednesday. Production increased further after winter smog controls expired on March 15 in many areas. A separate PMI on the steel sector rose to 50.6 in March from 49.5 in February, the China Logistics Information Centre (CLIC) said. But the burst in output has pushed steel inventories to multi-year highs, sending prices sharply lower and reducing mills' profit margins. At the same time, growth in property sales and new construction starts appears to be slowing, and Beijing has hit the brakes on some local governments' infrastructure spending due to concerns over high debt levels. Those factors, along with rising borrowing costs, should weigh on activity eventually, with economists sticking to forecasts that China's growth will cool to around 6.5 percent by the end of the year. Boosted by government infrastructure spending, a resilient housing market and unexpected strength in exports, China's manufacturing and industrial firms helped the economy produce better-than-expected growth of 6.9 percent in 2017. SERVICES GROWTH ALSO ACCELERATES A sister survey showed growth in China's service sector also kicked up a notch in March, with the official non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rising to 54.6 from 54.4. A sub-reading for construction activity stood at 60.7 in March, up from 57.5 in February. Chinese policymakers are counting on growth in services and consumption to rebalance their economic growth model from its heavy reliance on investment and exports. The services sector now accounts for over half of the economy, with rising wages giving Chinese consumers more spending clout. China is aiming for economic growth of around 6.5 percent this year, the same target as in 2017, while pressing ahead with its campaign to reduce risks in the financial system, Premier Li Keqiang said earlier this month. A composite PMI covering both the manufacturing and services activity rose to 54.0 in March, from February's 52.9. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ GRAPHICS - Trends in China's PMIs and other economic data ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Stella Qiu; Editing by Kim Coghill) BANGKOK, April 2 (Reuters) - An auction of 20 billion baht ($641.4 million) of 91-day treasury bills fetched an average accepted yield of 1.06436 percent on Monday, the Bank of Thailand said. But only 19.3 billion baht was allocated. The accepted yield range was 1.0500-1.0860 percent and the bid-to-cover ratio was 0.97. The average accepted yield on 15 billion baht 364-day central bank bonds was 1.30761 percent. The accepted yield range was 1.2900-1.3200 percent and the bid-to-cover ratio was 2.55. For auction results: For benchmark Thai bonds ............... For Thai debt data by contributors....... ($1=31.18 Baht) Reporting by Bangkok Newsroom; (+662 6489729) Keywords: THAILAND BONDS/ Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. * U.S. drillers cut rigs for first time in three weeks * Fear of renewed U.S. sanctions against Iran also support crude * But trade spat between U.S. and China weighs (Adds Shanghai prices and quote) By Henning Gloystein and Meng Meng SINGAPORE/BEIJING, April 2 (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Monday, lifted by a drop in U.S. drilling activity as well as by expectations that the United States could re-introduce sanctions against Iran. U.S. WTI crude futures were at $65.21 barrel at 0122 GMT, up 27 cents, or 0.4 percent, from their previous settlement. Brent crude futures were fetching $69.71 per barrel, up 37 cents, or 0.55 percent. Shanghai September crude futures were at 415.6 yuan ($66.26) per barrel, up 0.9 percent. Stephen Innes, head of trading for Asia/Pacific at futures brokerage OANDA in Singapore, said oil markets remained nervous about "whether or not the U.S. administration will scrap or maintain the fragile nuclear deal with Iran". Innes said prices were also supported by a weekly report that there was a drop in activity of drilling for new oil production in the United States. U.S. drillers cut seven oil rigs in the week to March 29, bringing the total count down to 797 , General Electric Co's Baker Hughes energy services firm said in its closely followed report last Thursday. It was the first time in three weeks that the rig-count fell. Baker Hughes published its North American rig count report on Thursday, one day earlier than usual, due to the Good Friday holiday on March 30. Oil prices have generally been supported by supply restraint led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia, which started in 2017 in order to rein in oversupply and prop up prices. Rising trade tensions between the U.S. and China are likely to weigh on sentiment and could make for volatile trading in the coming days, traders and analysts said. China slapped extra tariffs of up to 25 percent on 128 U.S. products including frozen pork, as well as wine and certain fruits and nuts, in response to U.S. duties on imports of aluminium and steel, the country's finance ministry said on Sunday night. "Investors took their cue from falling U.S drilling counts," Wang Xiao, head of crude oil research with Guotai Junan Futures said. "But increasing trade friction between China and U.S. is likely to rock global markets and tarnish bullish sentiment in crude oil markets." Trading volumes on Monday are likely to be low as many countries, especially in Europe, will still be on Easter holiday. ($1 = 6.2726 Chinese yuan renminbi) <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ GRAPHIC: U.S. oil rig count ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by Henning Gloystein in SINGAPORE and Meng Meng in BEIJING Editing by Aaron Sheldrick) @hgloystein)) ** Shares in Russian transportation companies Fesco , NCSP Group , Transcontainer down 4-18 percent ** Russian tycoon Ziyavudin Magomedov, who owns large stakes in these companies through his Summa Group, was arrested on Saturday on embezzlement charges, which he denied. ** "The news is negative for Summa-listed assets including FESCO, NCSP Group, and Novorossiysk Grain Plant (NKHP), which might be under pressure in coming days," ATON analysts said ** The 2.5 billion roubles Magomedov is accused of embezzling is less than 3 percent of NCSP's and Fesco's revenue, Uralsib analyst Denis Vorchik said in a note ** Fesco shares on track for their worst single-day percentage fall in 9 years ** Shares in other companies of Summa Group also down, Novorossiysk Grain Plant (-2%), YATEK (-3%) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. ** Shares of lender IDBI Bank Ltd fall as much as 4.6 pct ** India cenbank has written to finance ministry expressing concern over "the poor financial position" of IDBI Bank, asking the govt to take remedial action, the Economic Times reported last week ** IDBI Bank said on Tuesday fraudulent loans of 7.72 bln rupees ($118.57 mln) were issued from five branches ** IDBI Bank was not immediately available for comment ** Shares fell over 5 pct on Wednesday after news of the fraud; Indian stock markets were closed on Thursday and Friday for holidays ($1 = 65.1100 Indian rupees) tanvi.mehta.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. * SSEC +0.2 pct, CSI300 +0.1 pct * Hong Kong stock market closed for Easter holiday * FTSE China A50 -0.2 pct, BNY Mellon ADR China Select Index +1.8 pct SHANGHAI, April 2 (Reuters) - China stocks kicked off the second quarter on Monday with modest gains, led by tech firms as Beijing pledged more support for emerging industries, and after data showed the country's factory growth in March was stronger than expected. ** At 0404 GMT, the Shanghai Composite index was up 0.18 percent at 3,174.47, while China's blue-chip CSI300 index climbed 0.12 percent to 3,903.19. ** Hong Kong stock market was closed on Monday for Easter holiday. ** Gains were led by high-tech firms on the mainland, with the tech-heavy start-up board ChiNextP touching a five-month high, as China vowed more support for high-tech sectors amid trade tensions with the United States. ** China's finance ministry said on Friday it has introduced tax breaks for chipmakers made in the country, at a time when the government is seeking to reduce dependence on foreign semiconductors amid trade tensions with the United States over technology transfers. ** In a move aimed at promoting innovation and aiding China's economic restructuring, a pilot scheme was announced to encourage tech, bio-tech and high-end manufacturing firms to list their shares in Shanghai and Shenzhen. ** "We need to grasp the historic (investment) opportunities in leading tech firms, as the pilot scheme is a landmark move that kicks off the monetization process of China's R&D," China Merchants Securities wrote in a note. ** Sentiment was also upbeat after data showed growth in China's manufacturing sector picked up more than expected in March. ** The official PMI data suggests that China's economy has carried more momentum into the first quarter from last year than analysts had expected, which should keep synchronised global growth on track for a while longer even as trade tensions build. ** Around the region, MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index was firmer by 0.19 percent, while Japan's Nikkei index was up 0.47 percent. ** The yuan was quoted at 6.2797 per U.S. dollar, 0.08 percent weaker than the previous close of 6.2745. ** The largest percentage gainers in the main Shanghai Composite index were Neusoft Corp , which gained 10.01 percent, followed by China National Software & Service Co Ltd , which jumped 9.14 percent and Shanghai Wanye Enterprises Co Ltd that climbed 8.55 percent. ** The largest percentage decliners in the Shanghai index were Taiyuan Lionhead Cement Co Ltd , which plunged 10 percent, followed by Shanghai Sanmao Enterprise Group Co Ltd , which lost 5.63 percent and Sinomach Automobile Co Ltd that slipped 5.33 percent. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ China stock market graphics suite ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by Luoyan Liu and John Ruwitch, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips) luoyan.liu.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. BOGOTA, April 2 (Reuters) - Canada's Frontera Energy Corp named a new chief executive on Monday, and said it plans to more than double its investment in operations in Colombia and Peru during 2018, to up to $500 million. Frontera will direct between $225 million and $240 million of investment to new wells and maintenance in the two countries, the company said in a statement. The investment will fund between 125 and 135 development wells, 11 to 15 exploratory wells and 15 to 25 work-over wells, the company said. Work-over wells require major maintenance or remedial treatment. Richard Herbert, formerly of BP Plc, will replace Barry Larson as chief executive. At BP, Herbert was responsible for exploration and development projects worldwide, Frontera said. Frontera had an average daily production of 70,082 barrels of crude per day (bpd) in 2017, the statement said, down 32 percent from 2016 because of the end of its contract to operate Rubiales field, its top producer. The company aims to produce between 65,000 and 70,000 bpd this year, it said. Based on a Brent oil price of $63 per barrel, the company anticipates 2018 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of between $375 million and $425 million, it said. Frontera had a net loss of $217 million in 2017, compared with net profit of $2.4 billion in 2016, the company said by telephone. (Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; editing by Jonathan Oatis) TORONTO, April 2 (Reuters) - Hudson's Bay shares dropped on Monday after the Canadian department store operator reported security breaches at some of its Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks OFF 5th and Lord & Taylor stores on Sunday. The company's shares fell as much as 6.2 percent and were trading 5.7 percent lower at C$8.41 as of 9:37 ET (1337 GMT), compared with a 0.2 percent loss on the Toronto stock benchmark . It was the second-biggest decliner on the index. Hudson's Bay said on Sunday it was the victim of a security breach that compromised data on payment cards used at some stores in North America, and that it had "taken steps to contain" the breach. (Reporting by Denny Thomas Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) Messaging: denny.thomas.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) April 2 (Reuters) - Shares of India's ICICI Bank Ltd plunged nearly 5 percent to a five-month low on Monday after the country's federal police launched a preliminary investigation to assess whether there was any wrongdoing in the bank's lending practices. Sentiment was also negative after the central bank fined the country's largest private-sector lender 589 million rupees ($9.05 million) for not sticking to certain rules about sale of government securities. ICICI Bank's shares were down 4.4 percent at 266.1 rupees as of 0404 GMT after declining to 265.10 rupees, their lowest since late October. The police launched a preliminary inquiry about two months ago into Deepak Kochhar, the husband of the bank's CEO, Chanda Kochhar, and officials at ICICI Bank and Videocon Group , Reuters reported on Saturday, citing sources. "While this fine will not have a material impact on earnings, it is negative on sentiment because other banks seem to have interpreted the rules correctly," IDFC Securities analysts wrote in a note. "We see pressure in the short term following the fine, allegations and CBI's preliminary enquiry," IDFC Securities adds. Indian stock markets were closed on Thursday and Friday for holidays. ($1 = 65.1100 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Jessica Kuruthukulangara in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu) +91-80-6749-7142; Reuters Messaging: Jessica.Kuruthukulangara.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. * NSE index up 0.41 pct, BSE index 0.38 pct higher * Nifty auto index up as much as 1.7 pct * ICICI Bank falls 7 pct By Jessica Kuruthukulangara April 2 (Reuters) - Indian shares rose on Monday, the first trading day of the new financial year, tracking gains in global equity markets, while auto stocks such as Tata Motors Ltd led gains after posting strong sales numbers for March. Asian stocks began the new quarter with mild gains after Wall Street surged on Thursday, ending a tumultuous first quarter on a high note. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.13 percent. "We believe the market has fallen quite a bit from its all-time high, as there was a correction which was required. We expect things to start changing as it is time the market finds support," said Sudhakar Pattabiraman, head of research operations at William O'Neil's MarketSmith The broader NSE index was up 0.41 percent at 10,155.60 as of 0536 GMT, while the benchmark BSE index was 0.38 percent higher at 33,093.82. The Nifty auto index gained as much as 1.7 percent. Tata Motors rose 3.5 percent, after posting a 35 percent jump in March domestic vehicle sales. India's largest automaker Maruti Suzuki India Ltd climbed 2.6 percent after reporting a 14.9 percent rise in March vehicle sales. Dilip Buildcon Ltd surged as much as 12 percent to a record high after research firm BofA Merrill Lynch initiated coverage on the stock with "buy" rating, citing a strong order pipeline. Meanwhile, ICICI Bank Ltd plunged 7 percent to a five-month low after media reported its lending practices were the subject of a police investigation and after the central bank fined the lender for not sticking to certain rules around the sale of government securities. IDBI Bank Ltd slipped as much as 4.6 percent after the Economic Times reported that the Reserve Bank of India had written to the finance ministry expressing concern over "the poor financial position" of IDBI Bank. (Reporting by Jessica Kuruthukulangara in Bengaluru; Editing by Sunil Nair) +91-80-6749-7142; Reuters Messaging: Jessica.Kuruthukulangara.reuters.com@reuters.net)) MEXICO CITY, April 2 (Reuters)- Activity in Mexico's manufacturing sector rose in March, recovering from a dip in the previous month, as new orders jumped and fueled new hires, a survey showed on Monday. The IHS Markit Mexico Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 52.4 in March, bouncing back from a four-month low of 51.6 in February. A reading above 50 signals expansion in the sector, while a reading below that points to contraction. New orders hit their highest reading in four months, the survey showed. "Companies mentioned a strengthening of demand, both nationally and internationally," the survey said. Mexico sends about 80 percent of its exports, which are mostly manufactured goods like cars and TVs, to the United States. The PMI index is composed of five sub-indexes tracking changes in new orders, output, employment, suppliers' delivery times and stocks of raw materials. (Reporting by Michael O'Boyle; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) Messaging: michael.oboyle.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: MEXICO ECONOMY/PMI DUBAI, April 2 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's stock market opened lower on Monday, falling for a third straight day after FTSE Russell decided last week to upgrade the bourse to emerging market status. The rest of the region was mixed. The Saudi index shed 0.3 percent in the first hour, which analysts attributed to profit-taking after a months-long surge preceding FTSE's decision. The biggest contributor to the index's drop was Saudi Telecom Co , down 1.2 percent. Al Rajhi Bank , which attracted hundreds of millions of dollars of fresh foreign money earlier this year as it is expected to be a major constituent of the FTSE index, slipped 0.3 percent. But Al Andalus Property jumped 5.8 percent after its board proposed a cash dividend of 2 riyals per share for 2017. Most fund managers believe FTSE inclusion is a long-term positive for Saudi stocks but say many stocks are fully valued for now; Saudi telecom for example is trading at over 16 times trailing earnings. Foreign investors bought a net $301 million of stocks last week, the third highest total on record, according to exchange data released on Sunday. The Qatari index rose for a second day, gaining 0.8 percent after Qatar Petroleum said on Saturday that foreign investors would be able to hold up to 49 percent of four affiliates. Raising foreign ownership ceilings would increase stocks' weightings in emerging market indexes. Gains were led by Qatar National Bank and Masraf al-Rayan, which were both up 1.3 percent. The Dubai index dropped 0.5 percent. Its biggest contributor, Emaar Properties , fell 1.4 percent amid long-standing concern about the outlook for the local real estate market. Neighbouring Abu Dhabi's index moved sideways, as did Bahrain's bourse , which largely ignored the government's announcement on Sunday that it had discovered the country's largest oilfield in decades. Details were not provided. In Kuwait, the market was divided into three segments on Sunday as part of reforms designed by the exchange to boost liquidity and attract more foreign money: the premier market, the main market and the auction market. The index of the premier market , home to the largest and most liquid companies, fell 0.2 percent. (Writing by Katie Paul Editing by Andrew Torchia) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. * Ex-minister involved in Swiss investigation into "questionable payments" * Mongolia investigating 2009 Oyu Tolgoi investment deal * Anti-corruption body also looking into 2015 financing agreement By Munkhchimeg Davaasharav ULAANBAATAR, April 2 (Reuters) - A Mongolian former finance minister, Bayartsogt Sangajav, has been arrested as part of an investigation into suspected abuse of power during investment talks for the giant Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in 2009, the anti-corruption agency said on Monday. Mongolia's Independent Authority Against Corruption told a media briefing that Bayartsogt was detained on Sunday. The Swiss Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is conducting a criminal investigation into a seized bank account that court documents indicated was used to transfer $10 million to Bayartsogt in September 2008. Reuters was unable to reach Bayartsogt or his office on Monday. At a news conference last week, he denied any wrongdoing and said he expected the investigation to exonerate him. Bayartsogt signed an agreement on behalf of Mongolia with Canada's Ivanhoe Mines in 2009 to develop the giant mine, granting a 66 percent controlling stake to the company. Ivanhoe Mines subsequently changed its name to Turquoise Hill Resources and is now majority-owned by Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto . Mongolia's anti-corruption authority said it was not only investigating the Oyu Tolgoi investment agreement, but also a financing deal for the underground expansion of the mine signed by Turquoise Hill, Rio Tinto and the government of Mongolia in Dubai in 2015. The man who signed the Dubai agreement, B. Byambasaikhan, former chief executive of the state-owned entity holding Mongolia's stake in Oyu Tolgoi, was also arrested in connection with the case, along with former director general of General Department of Taxation, Ariunsan Baldanjav, the authority said. Phone calls to Byambasaikhan on Monday went unanswered. Reuters was not immediately able to reach Ariunsan. Swiss prosecutors confirmed last Thursday that they were checking whether "questionable payments" made to Bayartsogt were linked to the Oyu Tolgoi mining project, adding that Rio Tinto itself was "not an accused". (Reporting by Munkhchimeg Davaasharav Editing by David Stanway and Robert Birsel) Messaging: david.stanway.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) Click the following link to watch video: Source: Reuters Insider Description: The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said it's "unhappy" that Tesla made public information about a deadly crash involving a Model X vehicle. Fred Katayama reports. Short Link: Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. HANOI, April 2 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates at 0410 GMT. April 2 USD/VND mid-point 22,448 USD/VND interbank 22,790/22,793 USD/VND unofficial 22,790/22,810 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.62/36.82 Interbank offered rates Overnight 0.8-1.0 1 week 0.8-1.2 1 month 1.6-1.9 3 months 2.4-3.1 NOTES: The State Bank of Vietnam began setting the mid-point rate on a daily basis as of Jan. 4, 2016, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank offered rates are the latest indicative bid/ask prices, quoted from market sources. One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co. For more interbank rate fixings released at 0400 GMT, click on . For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom) * Payrolls data on Friday in focus * Fed Chairman Powell to speak on Friday By Karen Brettell NEW YORK, April 2 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury yields rose on Monday with no major catalysts due and as investors waited on Fridays closely watched employment report for March. The U.S. economy added the biggest number of jobs in more than 1-1/2 years in February, at 313,000 jobs, though economists anticipate Marchs gains may be more modest. Weve looked at the 14 occasions where payrolls were up over 250,000 in a given month and when you look at the following month theres almost an immediate return to trend, said Thomas Simons, a money market economist at Jefferies in New York. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is also due to speak on Friday on the economic outlook at an event in Chicago. Theres not a lot going on that really affects the market until we get payrolls on Friday, I expect we will be in a relatively low vol environment for the first four days of the week, Simons said. Many Asian and European markets were also closed on Monday for the Easter holiday, subduing trading volumes. Benchmark 10-year notes were last down 8/32 in price to yield 2.772 percent, up from 2.744 percent on Friday. Manufacturing and construction spending data on Monday will be a focus though it is not expected to largely impact the market. Investors are also watching corporate debt issuance, which could weigh on bonds this week. (Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) June T-Bond 146-03/32 (-17/32) June 10-Year note 120-30/32 (-07/32) Change vs Current Nyk yield Three-month bills 1.695 (+0.01) 1.726 Six-month bills 1.895 (+0.01) 1.939 Two-year note 99-30/32 (-01/32) 2.290 Five-year note 99-18/32 (-04/32) 2.594 10-year note 99-26/32 (-08/32) 2.772 30-year bond 99-29/32 (-22/32) 3.006 DOLLAR SWAP SPREADS LAST Change U.S. 2-year dollar swap spread 30.50 (+0.75) U.S. 3-year dollar swap spread 26.25 (-0.25) U.S. 5-year dollar swap spread 14.25 (+1.75) U.S. 10-year dollar swap spread 4.00 (+2.25) U.S. 30-year dollar swap spread -14.75 (+2.25))) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump declared as dead on Monday a program that protects immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children and pressed Congress to immediately pass legislation to secure the U.S. border with Mexico. Trump, who has taken a hard line on legal and illegal immigration as president, said in September he was terminating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, but gave the Republican-controlled Congress until March 6 to replace it. Congress failed to meet that deadline, but courts have ruled the program can remain in place for now. DACA is dead because the Democrats didnt care or act, and now everyone wants to get onto the DACA bandwagon, the Republican president said in a Twitter post. It was unclear whether Trump, in any new immigration legislation, would support safeguards for people protected by DACA. The White House did not respond to requests for comment on Trumps tweets. DACA shielded hundreds of thousands of immigrants, often called Dreamers, from deportation and gave them work permits. In another Twitter post, Trump wrote, Congress must immediately pass Border Legislation, use Nuclear Option if necessary, to stop the massive inflow of Drugs and People ... Act now Congress, our country is being stolen! Congress is in its second week of spring recess, , but taking a hard line on immigration appeals to Trumps conservative base. Senate Republican leaders have ignored previous calls from Trump advocating the so-called nuclear option, which would involve changing Senate rules so Republicans could more easily overcome Democratic opposition to legislation in a chamber they control with a thin majority of 51 out of 100 seats. Cindy Agustin, a 28-year-old DACA recipient and immigration activist whose family is from Mexico and who lives in Chicago, called Trumps tweets about immigration and the border ridiculous. More enforcement will not prevent people from coming to the United States escaping war, poverty from their home countries, she said in a telephone interview. Trump on Monday also reiterated his call for Mexico to stop people from entering the United States, after saying on Sunday he would terminate a major trade accord with Mexico if it does not do more to secure its border with the United States. The United States is currently renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada. BACK AGAINST THE WALL Trump made building a wall along the southern U.S. border with Mexico - and making Mexico pay for it - one of his top campaign pledges when he ran for president in 2016. Mexico has refused to pay. In the past, Trump had said he was open to a deal with congressional Democrats in which they would support funding for the border wall in exchange for protection for the Dreamers. But on Sunday he indicated that time had passed, writing on Twitter: Caravans coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL! The mention of a caravan apparently referred to a group of 1,500 men, women and children from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador who are traveling in a refugee caravan organized by the U.S.-based immigration advocacy group Pueblo sin Fronteras, whose Spanish name means People Without Borders. By traveling together, the immigrants hope to protect themselves from the crime and extortion that makes the route through Mexico toward the U.S. border dangerous. They say some but not all of them will seek asylum if they reach the United States. No immigration deal has materialized in the Republican-controlled Congress despite months of efforts. The Senate considered several immigration proposals in February but rejected all of them, including bipartisan bills and legislation tailored to Trumps requirements. Democrats had offered at one point to fully fund the wall but rescinded the offer in January, accusing Trump of reneging on elements of a tentative agreement. In a response to Trumps tweets, the No. 2 U.S. Senate Democrat on Monday blamed the president for the collapse in immigration negotiations. The President is blaming everyone under the sun, but he only has to look in the mirror to find the person who turned down six different bipartisan DACA deals from Congress - a few that included funding for his useless wall. This is a crisis of his own creation, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin said in a post on Twitter. In light of Trumps call for the nuclear option, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday noted that Republican senators oppose changing existing rules governing the debate and passage of legislation. Major legislation usually needs a supermajority to pass the Senate. Without 60 votes in support, the Democratic minority can sink a bill. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau asked Congress on Monday to trim the agencys power to write rules and spend money. Mick Mulvaney, the head of the CFPB, said the agency has the kind of power that should only rest with Congress. The Bureau is far too powerful, with precious little oversight of its activities, Mulvaney told Congress in a routine report. The power wielded by the director of the Bureau could all too easily be used to harm consumers, destroy businesses, or arbitrarily remake American financial markets. President Donald Trump tapped Mulvaney to lead the CFPB in late November. While Mulvaney is supposed to lead the agency on an interim basis, there is no deadline for when he must step aside for a permanent director. Mulvaney recommended four ways to curtail the CFPBs power. The CFPB should get its funding through Congress rather than the Federal Reserve, according to the proposal. Congress should have veto power over CFPB rules and the agency should more directly answer to the president. The CFPB was created in 2010 as an independent agency meant to protect consumers from predatory lending and financial abuse. Mulvaney is due to testify before the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday April 11. Tennessees 134th Air Refueling Wing named top KC-135 unit in Air National Guard MCGHEE-TYSON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Tenn. The 134th Air Refueling Wing here was recognized as the No. 1 of 17 tanker units flying the KC-135 in the Air National Guard, according to officials with 18th Air Force. 151st Air Refueling Squadron Boeing KC-135R-BN Stratotanker 59-1516. Image by US Air Force This recognition is reflective of the dedication, expertise and professionalism our Airmen bring to the mission each and every day, said Col. Thomas Cauthen, 134th ARW commander. The 134ths mission has, and always will be, a team effort. The Knoxville-based 134th was selected among 17 ANG units across the country that provide in-flight refueling capabilities with the KC-135 Stratotanker. The recognition by 18th Air Force is part of U.S. Strategic Commands annual Omaha Trophy recognition of top military units that provide outstanding support to U.S. Strategic Commands strategic deterrence, space and cyberspace missions. In 2017, the 134th ARW flew over 1,000 sorties totaling more than 4,700 flying hours in support of contingency and training missions. The unit also deployed more than 430 Airmen in support of Operations Freedom Sentinel and Noble Eagle. 134th Airmen also deployed personnel to Puerto Rico in support of Hurricane Maria relief efforts, and to Washington D.C. in support of the 2017 Presidential Inauguration. The Omaha Trophy award program, which dates back to the U.S. Air Forces Strategic Air Command, was originally created by the Strategic Command Consultation committee an advisory group comprised of business leaders in the Omaha, Nebraska, area in 1971. At the time, a single trophy was presented annually as a token of appreciation to the commands best wing. The selection process was extremely difficult due to the outstanding nominations received, said Lt. Gen. Giovanni Tuck, 18th Air Force commander. This honor reflects favorably on 18th Air Force and Air Mobility Command. The 134th Air Refueling Wing serves a two-fold mission. The Wings federal mission is to support rapid global mobility and sustainment by providing world class personnel, vital air refueling and airlift capabilities for contingency response and sustained combat operations. The 134ths state mission is to provide personnel and equipment to protect life and property during emergency response operations as directed by the Governor of Tennessee and the states adjutant general. The 134th ARW is comprised of more than 1,100 Citizen Airmen who hail from communities throughout East Tennessee. The 134th ARW also hosts several tenant units including the 119th Command and Control Squadron, I.G. Brown Training and Education Center, Air National Guard Band of the South, and the Chattanooga-based 241st Engineering Installation Squadron. The 134th is proud of its support to the Nation and State of Tennessee, dating back to 1957, and is proud to be a unit of Volunteers Supporting and Defending America. New execution date set for convicted child murderer, rapist Billy Ray Irik Convicted child rapist and murderer Billy Ray Irik. Image courtesy of TDOC. KNOXVILLE -- The Tennessee Supreme Court has set an execution date of August 9, 2018, for Billy Ray Irick, who was convicted of the 1985 murder and rape of Paula Kay Dyer, age 7, in Knox County, Tennessee. The Court received notice from the State Attorney General on January 11, 2018, that the United States Supreme Court had denied the defendants appeal challenging the constitutionality of Tennessees lethal injection protocol. Under Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 12.4(E), the Court, on its own, may set a new execution date when a case with a previous execution date had stays or reprieves lifted or dissolved. Mr. Irick has had multiple previous execution dates. The Court also received notice on January 11, 2018, that eight other capital cases had certiorari denied by the United States Supreme Court. Those cases are: State v. Abu-Ali AbdurRahman, State v. Lee Hall a/k/a Leroy Hall, Jr., State v. Donnie Johnson, State v. David Earl Miller, State v. Nicholas Todd Sutton, State v. Stephen Michael West, State v. Charles Walton Wright, and State v. Edmund Zagorski. In all of these cases, previous execution dates have been set and the defendants have completed the three-tier appeals process: direct appeal, post-conviction relief, and federal habeas corpus. As of now, no new execution date has been set in these cases. Currently, there are two other Tennessee cases with execution dates set: State v. James Hawkins and State v. Sedrick Clayton. In both of those cases, the defendants respective convictions were affirmed by the Tennessee Supreme Court in 2017, ending only their direct appeals. Although execution dates were set as a result of those decisions, both defendants still have time remaining to file a petition for post-conviction relief. In addition, they later may file for federal habeas corpus relief. Published April 2, 2018 Hamblen Pediatric Associates joins Summit Medical Group KNOXVILLE -- Hamblen Pediatric Associates has joined Summit Medical Group, East Tennessees largest primary care organization, as Summit continues to integrate pediatric care in addition to adult and family medicine. Partnering with Hamblen Pediatric Associates extends Summit Medical Groups growing network of pediatricians into Morristown, Jefferson City and Sevierville, Summit Medical Group CEO Ed Curtis said. By providing comprehensive, high-quality primary care from birth through adulthood, we expect that many families will appreciate the continuum of care available to them at Summit. We look forward to serving them at Hamblen Pediatric Associates and other Summit primary care locations. Summit Medical Group started adding pediatric services in the fall of 2017. Dr. Michael Damron serves patients at Summit Medical Group at Maryville, and Shults Pediatrics serves the Knoxville-area community. Hamblen Pediatric Associates has been serving East Tennessee since 1970 when Dr. Mary Bukovitz had a vision to care for the infants, children and adolescents of the Lakeway area. Since then, the organization has grown to provide pediatric medical care to Hamblen County and surrounding communities. Hamblen Pediatric Associates has offices in Morristown and Jefferson City, and its affiliate, Hometown Pediatric, is located in Sevierville. We have a reputation for quality and dedication to patient care, and Summit Medical Group shares those values, said Pat Pendland, practice manager for Hamblen Pediatric Associates. Working with Summit Medical Group as a like-minded business partner provides us with business support services for our three medical offices, while allowing us to continue to focus on the quality of healthcare we provide to families. Our patients come first, and joining with Summit allows us to maintain and sharpen that primary focus. Hamblen Pediatric Associates offers extended and weekend hours, as well as 24/7 on-call physician services, to provide better access of care to patients. Its licensed lab performs on-site testing for illnesses such as flu, mono and strep throat. The practice is modeled as a patient-centered medical home, dedicated to managing and facilitating all aspects of pediatric care with continuity for each child. The Hamblen Pediatric Associates provider team includes: Mary E. Bukovitz, MD, FAAP David V. Willbanks, MD, FAAP Larry M. Toffoletto, MD, FAAP Laura A. Powell, MD, FAAP Renee A. Salansky, MD, FAAP Casey N. Moss, MD Heather Polk, CPNP Courtney N. Young, CPN Lauren R. Cordle, PA-C Roger T. Johnson, PA-C Amalie Shanks, PA-C Ryan C. Davis, CPNP For more information about Hamblen Pediatric Associates locations and hours, visit www.hpapeds.com. For the Morristown office, call 423-581-3904; for Jefferson City, call 865-475-5377; and for Sevierville, call 865-453-9980. About Summit Medical Group Summit Medical Group is East Tennessees largest primary care organization with more than 300 providers at 55 practice locations in 14 counties. Summit also consists of four diagnostic centers, mobile diagnostic services, eight physical therapy centers, three express clinics, central laboratory and sleep services center, as well as Summit Inpatient Services, which delivers superior care for hospitalized patients. Summit provides healthcare services to more than 260,000 patients, averaging over one million encounters annually. For more information, visit www.summitmedical.com. By Kwon Mee-yoo The culture ministry has announced a long-term plan to improve working conditions for artists suffering from unstable income. "We will encourage them to use the standard form of contract when signing with a museum or gallery and mandate paying fees for artists to be fairly rewarded," Lee Young-youl, director general for arts policy, said at a press conference, Monday. The ministry adopted the policies to provide a better environment for creators and a minimum social safety net. Fees will be institutionalized to help artists who are unpaid for their work. The measure will be introduced in public museums and government-subsidized projects. Artists will also be entitled to royalties if their works are resold through auction houses or galleries. According to the ministry, only 15 percent of art-related contracts are written, which is relatively lower than the average of other industries (59.3 percent). "When galleries sign an exclusive contract with an artist based on the standard form, the artist can benefit from employment insurance, just like other workers," Lee said. The standard contract form will ensure inclusion of clauses such as payment and employment insurance. The plan also includes the legislation of the Art Promotion Act and Law on Art Trade and Appraisal to ensure transparency in the art market. Ultimately, the ministry aims to nurture all people's lives by promoting the arts. Korean's art exhibition attendance rate is merely 12.8 percent in 2016 and the culture ministry plans to encourage more Koreans to take part, aiming to boost the rate by 25 percent by 2022. Currently, the size of Korea's art market is around 396 billion won and the government plans to upscale it to 600 billion won ($566 million) in five years. Other advanced countries have a larger art market the United Kingdom's market forms about 0.5 percent of the country's GDP and in the U.S. it's 0.2 percent. However, the Korean art market takes up a tiny 0.02 percent. To encourage enjoyment of art, art exhibition entrance fees will become tax deductible for those who earn less than 70 million won a year. Middle- and low-priced artworks worth under 5 million won can be purchased on an interest-free installment plan. By Kang Aa-young, Park Si-sooSpring is here and flowers are popping out of buds to greet the long-awaited warmth. With millions of cherry blossoms bursting into bloom, it is time for the annual Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival or "Gunhangje."The festival, one of the biggest flower events here, began in Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, Sunday. It will continue through April 10, covering roads and alleys surrounding a Navy base with a carpet of dazzling white cherry blossomsThe carpet is now rolling out northward with cherry blossom trees in Seoul expected to be in full bloom this weekend.Catch a glimpse of the festival with photos taken by The Korea Times photographers. The schedules of other flower festivals are below.1. Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival will be held in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, from April 5-8. Visit http://www.wangin.kr for more information.2. Daegaya Festival in Goryeong, North Gyeongsang Province, will last from April 12-15. More information is available at http://fest.daegaya.net. 3. Shinan Tulip Festival in Shinan country, South Jeolla Provice, will be held from April 7-16. For more information, visit http://tour.shinan.go.kr. 4. Danjong Cultural Festival in Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon Province will last from April 27-30. Visit the English website at http://www.danjong.co.kr By Kim Rahn A high-ranking North Korean official has apologized for preventing South Korean journalists from covering Sunday's concert put on by South Korean performers in Pyongyang, according to pool reporters, Monday. Kim Yong-chol, head of the Workers' Party of Korea's United Front Department, came to the hotel where South Korean journalists were staying and apologized for the coverage ban which took place the previous evening. There were always minor troubles when South Koreans performed in North Korea, but this was the first time for a ranking official to make an apology. The previous evening, the journalists were moved to a waiting room in the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre after the performers' rehearsal. But until the concert was over, they were not allowed to enter the concert hall except for one photographer, so they had to write their stories by watching the show on a monitor in a dressing room. "We invited you, South Korean journalists, to North Korea and we are obliged to guarantee free coverage," Kim told them during a 16-minute meeting. "It was wrong to restrict your coverage." Along with the journalists, South Korean Culture Minister Do Jong-hwan, National Intelligence Service Deputy Director Kim Sang-gyun, and senior Cheong Wa Dae official Yun Kun-young were at the meeting. "In front of you, journalists, and minister, I, representing the North, offer an apology, or understanding, for the wrong thing," Kim Yong-chol said. He also gave a detailed explanation as to why the coverage ban took place and promised to prevent such things from recurring. Saying he seeks their understanding, Kim said that along with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's attendance at the concert, there was a lack of coordination between those in charge of guarding him and those organizing the concert. The guards were ordered to prevent South Korean journalists from approaching the second floor of the hall where Kim would sit, but some of them misunderstood that to mean the journalists were not allowed to enter the entire hall, he said. "We did not intend to prevent your activities," Kim Yong-chol said, adding that he understands how disappointed the South Korean journalists were for not covering the concert. "You are guests we invited, and we promise such things will not happen again," Kim said. Meanwhile, when introducing himself to the journalists, Kim said, "I'm Kim Yong-chol, the one who South Korea calls the main culprit for the sinking of th frigate Cheonan." As the head of the United Front Department, Kim is suspected of having orchestrated a torpedo attack on the South Korean Navy frigate that killed 46 sailors. Because of the suspicion, when he came to the South at the end of February to attend the closing ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, controversy arose whether it was proper for him to visit the South. Farmers in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, harvest cannabis whose stalks are used to make fabric. The law in Korea bans cannabis products in general but allows seeds, matured stalks and stems. /Courtesy of Andong city government Legislative change necessary but moves slow By Kim Se-jeong Kim is a medical doctor and a mother of a seven-year-old boy who suffers Lennos-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), or childhood-onset epilepsy. She learned about the effectiveness of cannabis oil in treating epilepsy symptoms and ordered it from overseas last year. The oil arrived in Korea but never got to her address. Instead, the prosecution which was tipped off by the customs authority visited her and questioned her over attempting to smuggle drugs into Korea. In a similar case, a mother in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, ordered cannabis oil last year from overseas for her son who suffers from a brain tumor and was investigated for the same violation. The judge suspended the sentence citing her actions didn't quite mount to a violation of the law. Prosecutors, however, appealed the judge's decision and the mother is now waiting for an appeals court hearing. What criminalized the two mothers is the Narcotics Control Act, which criminalizes any trade, process and commercialization of cannabis except for its stems, seeds and matured stalks. Some farmers in Korea grow cannabis for matured stalks to make fabrics but their cultivation is done under regulation. If convicted, they can be sentenced to jail or fined but that doesn't stop people like Kim who are desperate to help heal their loved ones. According to statistics, the number of such people has increased exponentially. Last year, Korea Customs Service intercepted 80 instances of people trying to bring in medicinal cannabis products at the nation's airports and seaports, up from 10 cases in 2016 and six cases in 2015 _ the popularity of online shopping contributed to the increase. Outside Korea, medicinal cannabis products are freely traded. In Canada, 29 states of the United States and countries in Europe and Latin America, cannabis has been legalized for medical purposes. "There are many types of products including tablets and ointments outside Korea," said Kang Sung-suk from the Organization of Legalizing Medical Cannabis in Korea (OLMCK), an advocacy group based in Seoul. "And it's so easy to buy. You can even buy them from a supermarket or a pharmacy. The current law doesn't reflect what's going on outside Korea or help sick people who need medical help." Cannabis vs marijuana In Korea, cannabis is often considered identical to marijuana. But that's not entirely accurate. Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants and marijuana is under the cannabis family. Another subspecies is hemp. Marijuana contains a substance called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) responsible for its psychoactive effect, what its users call "getting high," and for that, it is regulated around the world. THC also has medical effects and is used under the supervision of doctors. Hemp has what's called cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabis oil refers to CBD oil. Unlike marijuana, hemp contains very little of the substance that triggers the psychoactive effect and a wide range of commercial uses are allowed without regulations. One example is hemp seeds that are considered a superfood with lots of fatty acids, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acids and can be purchased in stores. Cannabis has been used to treat people for thousands of years. In Korea, a harsh crackdown on marijuana in the 1970s planted in people's minds a stigma about cannabis, Kang said. The 1976 marijuana control law said those caught smoking marijuana could face punishment up to the death penalty. For long, cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes. Researchers have found CBD can help epilepsy and reduce chronic nerve pain, anxiety and depression. Also, it is known to alleviate joint pains, diabetes and addictions. CBD oil was a coveted chronic pain reliever among athletes; last year, the World Anti-Doping Agency removed cannabis substance from its banned substance. Kang argues cannabis found in medicinal products has no psychoactive effects as was seen in marijuana or other drugs like opium, morphine and cocaine. "Even for opium, morphine and cocaine, they're allowed to be used for medical purposes, so why not cannabis?" Legislative change necessary A legislative change is essential to help patients and seems to be on its way. It doesn't feel like it's coming fast enough for Kim and other patients who need the cannabis products badly. Kang's group successfully lobbied 11 lawmakers who proposed a revision to the Narcotic Control Act. The bill was submitted in January and is expected to be reviewed by the welfare committee in April when the lawmakers will meet. Lawmakers once turned down the revision in 2015, citing a lack of social consensus. Kang said the mood has changed now. "When I talk to people, few disagree with legalizing cannabis for healing people," Kang said. On March 8, speaking at a conference, a Ministry of Food and Drug Safety official said it will push for the legislative change later this year. "We need to work with the bias that many Koreans still think cannabis and marijuana are the same thing and that legalizing cannabis means legalizing smoking marijuana." By Park Si-soo Hundreds of parents of autistic children had their hair shaved in a tearful street rally near the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Monday, calling on the government to expand welfare for them. A total of 209 parents mothers and fathers took part in the "shaving rally," marking the 11th World Autism Awareness Day on April 2. They called on the government to expand state-funded welfare and employment programs for autism sufferers. The parents recently filed a petition on Cheong Wa Dae website to muster support. The petition has garnered 12,507 names (as of 5 p.m. Monday) since March 27. If it draws 200,000 by the April 26 deadline, the presidential office will take an official position on the issue. Online petition: Pope Francis has delivered a message of healing and reconciliation to South Koreans on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of a bloody massacre on the country's southern island of Jeju. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, sent a letter to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea (CBCK), delivering the pope's message to an event hosted by the Catholic Diocese of Jeju marking the 70th anniversary of the Jeju April 3 Incident. "(Pope Francis) hopes that this occasion will foster healing and reconciliation," Parolin said in the letter read out at the event on Jeju. Bishop Kang U-il of the diocese read the letter. "Entrusting the beloved Korean people to the intercession of Mary, Queen of Peace, His Holiness assures all present of his prayers, that they may persevere in hope," Parolin was also quoted as saying. The letter was sent on March 26 to Archbishop Hyginus Kim Hee-joong, head of the CBCK. More than 10,000 islanders are estimated to have been killed and nearly 3,600 to have gone missing during the government-civilian clash. It lasted from 1948-1954 and was an outgrowth of Korea's ideological division following its 1945 liberation from Japan's colonial rule. The Jeju April 3 Incident is now back in the limelight as liberal President Moon Jae-in, who took power last May, pushes to address the grievances of the victims of past state abuses. Establishing the truth about the Jeju massacre is one of his 100 major election promises. (Yonhap) Parents wait at the main gate of Bangbae Elementary School in southern Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap By Park Si-soo A man is being questioned after taking a teenage girl hostage at an elementary school in Seoul on Monday. The man, whose identity was unknown, held the girl hostage at Bangbae Elementary School in southern Seoul for one hour from 11:43 a.m. Holding a weapon in one hand, he asked school officials to call reporters. Choo Mi-ae, chairwoman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, speaks at the party's Supreme Council, Monday. / Yonhap By Choi Ha-young President Moon Jae-in will attend an annual ceremony, Tuesday, for massacres committed by state forces on Jeju Island between 1948 and 1954 amid the escalating ideological conflict following the nation's liberation from the 1910-1945 Japanese colonial rule. It will be the first time for a President to attend the ceremony in 10 years. Two former conservative presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye refused to take part in the annual event. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) commemorated the 1948-54 Jeju Massacre, Monday. DPK Chairwoman Rep. Choo Mi-ae said Moon will visit Jeju Island Tuesday to console the surviving victims. "Seventy years ago, bloody tears of Jeju residents were spilled on the island. However, none of those on the mainland knew of the slaughters until 1998 when a public hearing was held in Seoul," Choo, wearing a camellia badge that symbolizes the incident, said at a party meeting. The chairwoman put emphasis on truth and justice, and avoiding a repeat of such atrocities. "Amid ignorance about the Jeju Massacre, similar government-led killings took place in Gwangju in 1980. If society fails to remember the truth, such tragic history will be repeated," she said. "Therefore, completing the fact-finding of the Jeju Massacre would show the nation's sincerity in human rights and justice. Please join hands in the move for fact-finding." The massacre, also known as the April 3 Incident or the April 3 Uprising and Massacre, refers to killings committed by forces under the U.S. military government of Korea and later South Korean President Syngman Rhee. About 25,000 to 30,000 islanders were killed over a boycott of the U.S.-backed general election that solidified the division of Korea. The DKP has played a leading role in uncovering the truth about the killings. In December 1999, Rep. Choo submitted the Special Act for the April 3 incident along with 102 lawmakers, after she unveiled trial documents the first disclosed evidence of extrajudicial process used against the victims. In 2000, according to the act, the Kim Dae-jung administration set up a fact-finding committee about the incident. On April 3, 2007, then-President Roh Moo-hyun officially apologized to islanders during his participation in the commemorative event for the first time as a state leader. President Moon has reiterated he will take part in the annual event. During last year's intraparty race to nominate a presidential candidate, Moon vowed to participate in the commemorative event if he is elected president. On Tuesday, Moon is expected to read a message of peace and coexistence at the event, which will be hosted by K-pop diva Lee Hyori. Other than the April 3 incident, the liberal Moon administration aims to complete its fact-finding on state violence and distribute financial compensation to victims. Two chief prosecutors from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' office leave Seoul Dongbu Detention Center in Songpa-gu, Monday, after they failed to meet and question former President Lee Myung-bak. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul Lee's wife also refuses questioning By Kim Jae-heun Former President Lee Myung-bak refused for a third time to meet prosecutors who want to question him on corruption allegations ranging from embezzlement and bribery to power abuse. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office sent two chief prosecutors to Seoul Dongbu Detention Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul, three days after Lee's detention period was extended to April 10 The former president's lawyer, Kang Hoon, met Lee in the morning prior to their visit and later told them that Lee has not changed his mind and will not be questioned by them. "Lee does not want to meet prosecutors, but they keep asking us to persuade Lee, so we met him again. But he is firm about his position," Kang said. The prosecutors then left the detention center. Lee previously refused to meet with the prosecution March 26 and 28. The ex-president said his refusal to be questioned by prosecutors was because he does not expect a fair investigation and has talked with them enough. Prosecutors, on the other hand, are trying to convince Lee to have a face-to-face meeting with them to exercise his right for defense. The prosecution did question him March 14 before they requested an arrest warrant. However, since his detention, Lee has rejected any contact with prosecutors, saying he is being targeted for political revenge. Nonetheless, the prosecution said it has found more than enough evidence of Lee's alleged crimes to support their charges against him. It has secured some of Lee's presidential records; a ledger of Secretary General of the Cheonggye Foundation, Lee Byeong-mo; a note submitted by former Woori Finance Holding Chairman Lee Pal-seung containing material supporting the bribery charges; and details of a DAS corporate credit card transaction supporting allegations that former first lady Kim Yoon-ok spent over 400 million won on it between 1997 and 2007. DAS, an auto parts company at the center of a slush fund allegation, is believed to be owned by former President Lee. Meanwhile, Kim also refused to meet prosecutors for questioning about allegations of her involvement in her husband's corruption. Prosecutors planned to question Kim privately at a hotel in Seoul last Friday but she turned down the request. By Kim Bo-eun China and North Korea are expected to reiterate their demands for signing the peace treaty in the upcoming denuclearization talks with the United States to put an end to the existing armistice, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War. The question is: Is the U.S. willing to put it on the table to make the North suspend or give up its nuclear program? Analysts say Washington is holding the key to the negotiations over the peace treaty, if any. The idea of the peace treaty gained traction after Kyodo News Agency reported Sunday that Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed it to U.S. President Donald Trump in a telephone call last month. Kyodo analyzed Xi's remarks as implying the four-nation peace treaty would likely replace the 1950-1953 Korean War armistice signed by North Korea, China and the UN. It is not known, however, what Trump thinks about it. Washington has maintained that maximum pressure against Pyongyang should continue until it achieves complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of its nuclear program. Liberty Korea Party leader Hong Joon-pyo, left, and Rhee In-je, a six-term lawmaker, pose at a ceremony in the National Assembly, Monday, to put Rhee up as the party's candidate for the South Chungcheong Province gubernatorial election. Yonhap By Park Ji-won The largest conservative Liberty Korea Party (LKP) is choosing politicians regarded as the "old guard" as its candidates for the June 13 local elections, in the face of troubles recruiting new faces. Critics say, however, those candidates are too old to bring a new wave to the party. The LKP is likely to nominate former Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo for Seoul mayor against candidates of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, according to the party officials. Kim is known to be open to the possibility. The party is also considering nominating former lawmaker Kim Tae-ho as a candidate for South Gyeongsang Province governor and former six-term lawmaker Rhee In-je as a candidate for South Chungcheong Province governor. If Kim Moon-soo runs for Seoul mayor, the candidates for the precinct will likely be narrowed down to three candidates from the three leading parties; incumbent Mayor Park Won-soon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, Ahn Cheol-soo of the Bareun Mirae Party and Kim Moon-soo of the LKP. Meanwhile, the DPK has plenty of strong candidates. The party even decided to vote on a final candidate for Seoul mayor and Gyeonggi Province governor. Kim Moon-soo, a three-term lawmaker, is considered almost the least-experienced bidder the LKP has, as the party has been failing to recruit one for the post. Kim received an offer from party leader Hong Joon-pyo. Even Hong's effort is unlikely to bear fruit, however, as Kim's nomination embraces risks as he is considered a loyalist to the former President Park Geun-hye amid the nation's anti-Park sentiment after her impeachment. Also, Hong's move is drawing criticism that he is trying to attract "old" lawmakers rather than find a new face. A group of experienced politicians in the LKP gathered and criticized Hong for failing to find a better candidate for Seoul mayor. One LKP lawmaker suggested Hong should run for the post instead unless he finds someone better. The LKP had considered nominating former Government Legislation Minister Lee Seog-yeon, but Lee rejected the offer. Also, LKP leader Hong tried to reach out to Hong Jung-wook, an ex-lawmaker and chairman of Herald Corp., as well as former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and former presidential chief of staff for policy Kim Byeong-joon with offers for the party ticket, but they refused. Meanwhile, Hong also reached out to former lawmaker Kim Tae-ho to ask him to run for governor of South Gyeongsang Province, where Hong himself has served as a governor. The governor seat has been vacant for almost a year since Hong resigned to run for president. Kim Tae-ho is also an experienced politician from the Park presidency. However, he is poorly known to the voters compared to his rival. In the same precinct, the DPK's Kim Kyoung-soo, the representative of Gimhae B district of South Gyeongsang Province, announced his bid to run for governor, Monday. Kim is a strong candidate for the district as he is one of key confidants of President Moon Jae-in. Also, the LKP's Rhee is expected to run for South Chungcheong Province governor. On Monday, LKP members held a ceremony to put Rhee up as a candidate for the South Chungcheong Province governor. The region is expected to be a comparably friendly place for right-leaning politicians as voters there have an anti-DPK sentiment. The DPK's presidential hopeful and former governor resigned from the post in March after he was accused of sexually abusing his secretary. Rival parties should work together to tackle pending issues The National Assembly opened a month-long extraordinary session Monday to tackle crucial pending issues, including a constitutional revision bill proposed by President Moon Jae-in for the introduction of a four-year two-term presidency instead of the current five-year single one. Moon will give a special address to explain the constitutional amendment under the partisan agreement during the Assembly gathering and lawmakers will conduct a three-day interpellation starting April 10, focusing on the revision bill and a 4 trillion won supplementary budget for job creation for young adults. Since the special session is being held ahead of the June 13 local elections, the ruling and opposition parties are expected to engage in a tough struggle over the pending issue in an apparent bid to win voter support. First of all, the rival parties are at odds over the government's power structure. The opposition camp in particular demands bolder measures to prevent the president from monopolizing power, including redistributing some power to the prime minister. The summit between President Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to be held April 27 will certainly be hotly debated in the session as lawmakers of the rival parties differ over how to denuclearize the North. The Assembly is an organization representing the people and legislative apparatus. It is quite natural for the rival parties to confront each other over government policies and pending issues. However, they have to make final decisions from a viewpoint of the people without putting partisan interests before national ones. As for the constitutional revision bill, the rival parties have to step up on deliberating it to produce a bill to put it to a national referendum no later than May 4, because Moon's proposal stands a slim chance of passing through the Assembly due to the boycott of the opposition camp. We hope the rival parties will do their best to produce successful results. They must work together to find solutions to the constitutional amendment and other matters related to the people's livelihood. Beijing should put action before words Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi's visit to Seoul last week drew much attention as he came here as a special representative of President Xi Jinping. He met South Korean President Moon Jae-in and other ranking officials to brief them about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's surprise visit to Beijing and his summit with Xi. It was timely and appropriate for China to send Yang to the South to explain what Xi and Kim talked about during their meeting, especially the North's denuclearization. It was all the more so when an inter-Korean summit is scheduled for April 27 and another summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump is due in late May. Now, Seoul and Beijing must work together more closely to achieve the shared goal of denuclearizing North Korea. Both sides have cooperated in enforcing U.S.-led international sanctions against the North for its nuclear and missile programs. However, China must have felt sidelined on the North Korean nuclear issue, not least since Kim agreed to hold the summit with Moon and Trump amid the rapidly thawing ties between the two Koreas following the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. By hosting the Xi-Kim summit, Beijing can improve ties with Pyongyang that have been strained by the former's participation in sanctions against the latter. It can also regain its influence over the North _ China's traditional ally. Besides, China will have a bigger role in the denuclearization and peace-making process on the peninsula. Against this backdrop, Yang told Moon that Beijing will lift its economic retaliation against Seoul over the latter's deployment of a U.S. anti-missile battery here. He even assured Moon and other Korean officials that they can count on him as far as the retaliation is concerned. He also gave the impression that China is trying to curry favor with the South to join in the denuclearization talks. Yang's commitment to the removal of the retaliation is no doubt a welcome move. But we are still doubtful about his intentions because he might just be paying lip service to ease some worries that the Xi-Kim summit could complicate denuclearization talks with the North. Beijing has also invited criticism from Seoul for not lifting the retaliation despite Moon's push for it during his meeting with Xi last December. China should have removed the retaliatory measures against South Korea. It needs to recognize the anti-missile system, known as the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), is to defend the South against the North's nuclear and missile threats. Needless to say, this system does not compromise China's national interests. According to some reports, the South Korean economy was estimated to suffer as high as 20 trillion won ($18.9 billion) in damages from China's retaliation last year alone. We hope Beijing will lift the measures as soon as possible to forge a better strategic partnership with Seoul. China should also promise that it will not take such a unilateral, self-serving step again down the road. By John Burton It has been interesting to see the topsy-turvy reaction in Washington, D.C. over the past month to the proposed summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong-un. The Washington foreign policy consensus has rapidly shifted from fears that Trump would launch a preventive war against North Korea to criticism that Trump shouldn't meet Kim. Trump himself has made fun of such diametrically opposing responses. "He's going to get us in a war," Trump recently told a fundraiser as he mimicked a news anchor. Trump then added that the liberal news media was now criticizing him for "conceding" to meet Kim. "They were afraid of being blown up. Then all of a sudden, they say, let's not meet." Trump's comments have some validity about the confusion that reigns in Washington about how to solve the North Korean nuclear issue and the lack of bold imaginative thinking. But the conservative news media has also gone through contortions over recent developments. Fox News, Trump's favorite cable channel, once criticized President Barack Obama for even raising the idea of a possible meeting with the North Korean leader. Now leading commentators on Fox are praising Trump for doing the same thing. "The commander-in-chief's leadership is now leading to a major foreign policy breakthrough," said Sean Hannity. "President Trump proves the experts wrong once again and scores a stunning diplomatic victory," proclaimed Laura Ingraham. The summit has become another partisan issue in a polarized Washington instead of being judged on the merits of whether it can help resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis despite the risks involved. Democrat lawmakers have been among those who have poured cold water on the summit idea. Trump "gave Kim Jong-un exactly what he wants, the appearance of legitimacy & a stage where he looks like the equal of the President of the US. Ugh," tweeted Democrat Senator Martin Heinrich from Colorado. "Diplomacy is always a positive step, but high-risk talks between Pres. Trump and Kim Jong-un should be met with skepticism. We cannot afford another Presidential reality show," tweeted Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. The critical and cautious response from Democrats is surprising since engagement with North Korea was once the policy of Democrat administrations going back to the Clinton presidency. Partisan warfare in Washington over North Korea, however, is nothing new. The 1994 Framework Agreement that was negotiated by the Clinton administration and which froze North Korea's nuclear program for at least six years would eventually fall victim to partisan political obstruction by the George W. Bush administration and Republican lawmakers. Meanwhile, leading Washington think tanks, such as the Brookings Institute, are trying to split the difference. While they support the idea of finding a diplomatic solution, they are also skeptical about the summit. Policy wonks and other commentators offer several objections. Trump is giving Kim unwarranted international status. Trump is unprepared to handle complex negotiations due to recent staffing changes. As a result, Trump will either give away too much or too little, making the stand-off even more dangerous. Public opinion polls, however, suggest that most Americans think the summit is a good idea. One survey conducted by Quinnipiac University said that two-thirds of Americans approve of the summit, while only 26 percent oppose it. Support for the summit is strong despite the fact that respondents had doubts about Trump's ability to handle the negotiations and whether Pyongyang would be willing to give up its nuclear weapons. The varying responses about the summit place both Democrat and Republican lawmakers in a difficult situation. Foreign policy hawks like Republican Senators Marco Rubio, Cory Gardner and Lindsey Graham are setting up impossibly high conditions and expectations for the talks that are guaranteed to ensure its failure and leave war as the only alternative. Are they willing to break with Trump on this issue when they have supported the president on so many others? Meanwhile, Democrats appear to be responding in a knee-jerk fashion in criticizing the summit just because it involves Trump. Instead they should celebrate the fact that Trump has accepted an idea that has been promoted by some Democrat foreign policy makers in the past. They should recognize that whatever his motives, Trump has taken a bold gamble that could pave the way to big dividends. Trump's agreement to meet Kim should be viewed as an important confidence-building measure in a bilateral relationship where little or no trust exists. Democrat support could prove crucial in encouraging Trump to follow a diplomatic approach despite his recent appointment of John Bolton, known as a superhawk, as his national security adviser. The worry remains that Trump will back away from the summit idea as he confronts criticism from both the left and right. The truth is that Trump is susceptible to crumbling and reversing course under domestic pressure. Let us hope this is not the case this time. John Burton (johnburtonft@yahoo.com), a former Korea correspondent for the Financial Times, is now a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and consultant. By Jun Ji-hye It's fair to say Samsung's cross-holding structure has been very effective, as it makes it all possible for Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee and the group's top family scion including Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong to control the country's most-powerful industrial conglomerate with a small stake. The web-centric ownership structure is, however, getting attention this time as Samsung is asked to correct it after investors are calling for the group to improve governance structure and increase transparency of its management. This is also the call from the government. Cross-shareholding, also known as circular shareholding, is a common practice of major Korean conglomerates, which has taken flak for not being transparent. Samsung would be the last candidate among the country's top five conglomerates to respond to the requests after Hyundai Motor Group announced its decision last week to streamline its complex ownership structure by making its auto parts unit, Hyundai Mobis, its control tower. To implement this measure, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo and Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun need to pay about 1 trillion won ($945 million) in tax on transfer of properties, a move construed as the two expressing intention to manage the group transparently and shamelessly. As well as Hyundai, LG, SK and Lotte Group have also presented plans to voluntarily improve their governance structures on request of the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Kim Sang-jo. Adding pressure to Samsung is the fact that Kim Ki-sik, a longtime shareholder activist and former liberal lawmaker, has begun his new job as the new head of the country's top financial regulator, the Financial Supervisory Service. He has been nicknamed the "chaebol sniper" for his criticism of Korea's conglomerates. Given that Vice Chairman Lee, heir apparent of Samsung, has recently resumed his business activities after being released from jail in February, Samsung officials are expected to speed up discussions to improve its ownership structure. The first task facing Samsung is that Samsung SDI, a battery maker, should sell 4.04 million shares of Samsung C&T, which accounts for 2.1 percent of the total, by Aug. 26 as ordered by the FTC. In February, the FTC issued such an order, saying Samsung SDI's possession of Samsung C&T's shares was another form of cross-shareholding that was made in the process of merging Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries in 2015. "We will review possible measures so a stock sale can be done by the deadline," a Samsung SDI official said. Considering market value, the shares are estimated to be about 520 billion won, with mentions made of possible scenarios such as Samsung C&T buying them as treasury stocks, or Lee buying them as his private property. Then, a far more difficult task awaits Samsung as it faces calls to clean up the relationship between Samsung Life Insurance and Samsung Electronics, which is cited as the core of resolving Samsung's chain of cross-shareholding. Earlier this year, FTC Chairman Kim said at the heart of the problems involving Samsung was the relationship between the two companies. Kim's comments apparently referred to the fact that Samsung's owner family holds only a 5.37 percent stake in Samsung Electronics, including Chairman Lee Kun-hee's 3.88 percent stake. But when adding up shares possessed by affiliates including Samsung Life Insurance and Samsung C&T, the number rises to 20 percent. The largest shareholders for Samsung Life Insurance and Samsung C&T are the chairman and the vice chairman, respectively. Kim's remarks are aimed at such a link. Samsung Life Insurance holds a 7.6 percent share of Samsung Electronics. From Samsung's point of view, a very cautious attitude is necessary because if it simply sold the stocks, the owner family could lose control of the group to foreign investors. A possible scenario is that Samsung C&T, whose largest shareholder is Vice Chairman Lee, would purchase stocks in Samsung Electronics from Samsung Life Insurance. But there is another problem, as an astronomical amount of money, maybe tens of trillions of won, would be required for it. Considering Samsung Electronics' total market value at 315 trillion won, the stocks possessed by Samsung Life Insurance are estimated to be worth about 24 trillion won. A source from Samsung said it is a long-term matter as there are a number of complicated issues involving laws and money. "In principle, we will resolve issues surrounding cross-shareholding," the source said. "But nothing has been decided yet on details such as the methods and the timing." Beneficiaries Meanwhile, Samsung SDI and Samsung Electro-Mechanics are expected to be beneficiaries when the group's cross-shareholding matters are resolved, according to Yoon Tae-ho, an analyst at Korea Investment and Securities. Samsung SDI, Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Samsung Fire and Marine Insurance together hold 6.1 percent of Samsung C&T stocks, worth an estimated 1.6 trillion won. "If the three affiliates sell their whole shares of Samsung C&T, Samsung SDI and Samsung Electro-Mechanics could realize a profit from the sale and see improvement in ratio of earnings to dividends," he said. He noted, however, this does not apply to Samsung Fire as its acquisition cost of the stocks was higher than the present stock price. The analyst added Samsung is expected to have a forward-looking strategy to resolve the cross-shareholding controversy as the group seems to have a clear willingness to reform itself after the massive political scandal involving former President Park Geun-hye, which led to her impeachment and Vice Chairman Lee's arrest. Plants grow at Miraewon's Fresh Farm III, a factory-style smart farm that grows leafy plants and herbs in an automated environment. / Courtesy of Miraewon Two South Korean smart farms are leading the way in using a technically advanced agricultural system with a huge future around the world. By Ko Dong-hwan They may be farms, but there are no signs of soil or smelly manure. Instead, the sound of water flowing, a breeze, a pleasant temperature and bright artificial lights fill the indoor space of "smart farms" in South Korea. In this environment, countless numbers of different leafy plants thrive in multi-layered beds. Humans rarely frequent the enclosure, which looks similar to a laboratory. Apart from a cleaner with a vacuum cleaner that sucks water from empty plant beds, not a soul bothers the plants. A closer look at the crops reveals antenna-looking fixtures as small as a human finger installed here and there. Unlike the quiet space, the real game happens outside the enclosure "played" by computers. Reading data transmitted from the antennas, the computers care for the plants, varying temperature, light intensity and water flow amount, and remote-control the enclosures' environment to maintain ideal conditions. The operation goes on round-the-clock, regardless of outside factors like seasonal effects, weather conditions, human error or animal intrusions. Plants grown in artificial environments, controlled by state-of-the-art artificial technologies, may seem odd to some people. Yet, considering how efficiently smart-farming uses natural resources and energy to produce healthy crops continuously, the concept may well become a reality in a major way. Plants grow in n.thing's "Planty Square," which can be remotely controlled by a smartphone app to supply water for seeds in each pot. / Courtesy of n.thing Module pots The method is being pursued by n.thing, a smart-farm developer based in Jamwon-dong in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Leo Kim, CEO, came up with a plastic pot called "Pickcell." The container, measuring just over five centimeters in width, length and depth and weighing 16 grams, works as a module. Attachable to one another, each hydroponic pot grows a single seed and multiple pots produce plants accordingly. Pickcells can be linked to make a "Planty Square" or in thousands to make a "Planty Cube," a vertical farm in a shipping container-like space. All the components are Internet of Things inventions, with users controlling them with a dedicated smartphone app that transmits data through the company's firmware. Leo Kim, right, explains his smart-farm products and software at a SXSW booth in Austin, Texas, in 2016. / Courtesy of n.thing "Our company is oriented for exports," says Lee, who started the company in 2014. "Because of the module-based design, the farm is easy to install. The Cube's container-concept is convenient in that it allows a faster counter-response to contamination compared to a large-scale factory. We don't have to shut down the entire facility but just isolate containers separately. The module basis also enables easy replacement of hardware parts." The company started operating the Cubes in practice early this year, installing three in an unused space in Mia-dong in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul. Afterwards, Lee searched for spaces to install 100 additional Cubes in three locations that he keeps secret. He said they would be operating within this year. Lee sold Planty Square to about 30 countries on crowd-funding site Kickstarter. In January, the company exported two Planty Cubes to Poshtel hostel in Copenhagen, Denmark, where smart-farming using artificial lights and conveyor belts began in 1957. Lee believes that future farming is all about data. Crops' appearance, taste and growth period can all vary depending on different environmental elements that can be adjusted according to data. For example, a cucumber seed, when grown in an African country, can grow several times bigger than in Korea because of the different climate and environment. Manipulation of the data allows him to customize plants for people who cannot eat fresh plants because of health issues. For people with kidney problems and diabetes, he developed plants without potassium and nitrate, respectively. He has acquired a patent for this. "We control the data," Lee says, describing the smart-farm maintenance. "Inside the controlled smart-farms, we can grow crops the way we want. People who buy our module farms need our data to grow plants the way they want." Just as traditional computer servers evolved from a physical box to an online cloud server, Lee describes his smart farm models as "cloud farms" that he operates for customers, charging them an operating fee unrelated to output. "Because traditional farming is affected by seasons and crops' prices vary accordingly, the supply-and-demand chain is unstable," Lee says. "Smart farms enable stable production and thus stable pricing. It brings down the cost of 100 grams of lettuce as low as a few hundred won retail. It's just like the transition from CDs to online streaming for music listeners." Lee believes that just as computer engineers need their own working tools to develop programs, farmers need dedicated farming tools to focus on growing crops. He points out that farmers have so far been reluctantly burdened with things other than their main job, from searching for sales routes to managing venues and selling the products. "The smart farms are a platform for farmers to focus solely on farming," he says. n.thing's "Planty Cube" is an unmanned smart farm in a space the size of a shipping container. / Courtesy of n.thing. Veggie factory Amid wide open farm fields in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province is a cluster of several manufacturing firms. Next to a dusty road, smart-farm operator Miraewon runs six factories 24/7 with about 200 employees, many of them migrant workers. At one factory called Fresh Farm III, about 20 different species of plants grow in automated indoor environments. Growing on 98 floors of hydroponic beds spanning more than 1,400 square meters, leafy and herb plants densely pack the enclosure beneath LED lights. "Every day, we sow and harvest," says Jeong Myeong-hwan, the factory's chief operator. "The tight daily cycle allows us to harvest enough to meet the required demand. Making money in this industry requires a strong, steady pipeline, as well as quality products." The company produces an average 100 kilograms of leafy vegetables and 50 kilograms of herbs each day. This output would not have been possible without the smart-farming technology that reduces the time taken from sowing to harvesting to 33-37 days. Minimizing the growth cycle and still providing good qualities vivid colors and plants weighing at least 150 grams per crop is not easy, according to Jeong, who left global corporation Samsung to join the burgeoning smart farm industry years ago. Miraewon has contracts with South Korea's fried chicken restaurant chain Kyochon and warehouse retailer Costco Korea to provide salad packs containing basil and other greens. Established in 2004, the company now spearheads domestic smart-farming. Miraewon launched Fresh Farm III in 2014 and built other factories dedicated to making salads, growing herbs, paprika and special vegetables and experimenting with about 60 varieties. An automated small-scale vertical farm is installed at Hyundai Department Store's Cheonho branch in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, providing vegetables for a restaurant there. Butterheads grow at Miraewon's Fresh Farm III. / Courtesy of Miraewon People stand at the entrance of a closed Lotte Mart store in Hangzhou, China, in March last year. / REUTERS-Yonhap By Nam Hyun-woo As the chilled relation between Korea and China shows signs of thawing, Lotte Group is looking into various options over its bid to sell unprofitable branches of Lotte Mart in China. It has to decide whether it should make a complete exit from one of the biggest consumer markets in the world, or leave some stake there for future opportunities. Since last September, Lotte has been struggling to sell the stores in China, with a Thai bidder withdrawing from the deal after the Chinese government stated it would not allow them to reopen. However, last week China pledged it will cooperate in the sale of the stores, after President Xi Jinping's envoy State Councilor Yang Jiechi met President Moon Jae-in. Yang was quoted as saying "China will support the smooth sales of Lotte Mart's Chinese stores and the resumption of the construction of a Lotte Town in Shenyang," stressing that Korea can "trust that there will be tangible results in the near future." Lotte has been pursuing the sale of the stores, after their operation was hit hard amid diplomatic friction between the two countries caused by Korea's decision to deploy a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here. Being one of the hardest hit Korean businesses, 87 Lotte Mart stores in China are not currently operating. Seventy-four of them were shut down by the local authorities, while 13 were closed by the company. Lotte has 99 Lotte Mart branches and 13 Lotte Super outlets in China. The group spent 690 billion won ($652 million) to maintain the status quo of the stores last year, but decided to sell them in September in the belief that the businesses would not improve, even if the two countries' diplomatic relations did. Reportedly, the total economic damage Lotte has suffered from the THAAD row amounts to 1.2 trillion won. After Yang's friendly remarks, Lotte issued a statement saying, "we are highly anticipating the Chinese government's effort will be a turning point for Lotte to rebound from our difficulties," sparking expectations that it may change its plan to sell the stores. However, Lotte said its intention to sell has not changed. "There is nothing we have fixed, but it is clear we are not going to make changes to our initial stance of selling Lotte Mart stores in China," said an official at Lotte Corp., the group's holding company. For Lotte, the THAAD row is not the only reason for it to pursue selling the stores, as it was suffering losses even before China to start to exert economic pressure on Korean companies in 2017. According to SK Securities, Lotte Mart has been logging operating losses in its China business since 2011. Starting from 26 billion won in losses that year, they continued to expand to 121 billion won in 2016. "Even if China lifted its restrictions on Lotte Mart stores in China, it would be difficult for the company to normalize its businesses there," SK Securities analyst Son Yoon-kyung said. Other analysts said that Lotte Mart's China business has been posting an average of 100 billion won in losses every year. Currently, Lotte is in negotiations with three to four potential acquirers for Lotte Mart China. One of those is Chinese retailer Liqun Group, which has recently carried out an on-site inspection of the stores. "Lotte is in negotiations with a number of Chinese companies and looking into various sale methods -- either through splitting stakes or selling them as a package," the official said. It is expected that Lotte is unlikely sell all its Chinese stores, as the official did not deny this, saying "every option is open." Industry sources also said Lotte will not likely opt to sell all the stores, given it is almost impossible for a company that fully withdraws from a country to make a re-entry. After Yang's remarks, the share price of Lotte Shopping, which runs Lotte Mart, rose sharply. It closed at 250,000 won Monday, up 6.61 percent from the previous session. "Lotte Mart China sales have been slowing because of the Chinese government's pressure, not because of its lack of attractiveness," said Son. "Sales will likely pick up momentum after the remarks and Lotte Shopping will enjoy the most benefits from improved Korea-China relations." Fox News is standing by its embattled host Laura Ingraham, who has seen advertisers flee her show over a tweet directed at Parkland, Fla., school shooting survivor David Hogg. We cannot and will not allow voices to be censored by agenda-driven intimidation efforts, Jack Abernethy, co-president of Fox News, said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. We look forward to having Laura Ingraham back hosting her program next Monday when she returns from spring vacation with her children. Ingraham has gone on a scheduled break after a week in which she came under fire for mocking David, a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, after he mentioned in an interview that he was not accepted by four University of California schools. David responded by listing Fox News advertisers and urging his Twitter supporters to call for a boycott of her program The Ingraham Angle. Ingraham issued a tweet apologizing for remarks about David, but the student-turned-gun control activist did not accept it. Advertisement Some advertisers have left the show since Thursday to protest Ingrahams remarks, while other sponsors have steered clear of her program so as not to be associated with the controversy. Although more than a dozen advertisers have stated publicly that they have pulled their commercials from The Ingraham Angle, far more have stayed away without making any public announcements. Johnson & Johnson, Liberty Mutual, Office Depot, Expedia, Nestle and Hulu are among the advertisers that have pulled out of the show. On Friday, the program had only two spots both from IBM that were not direct response advertisers (those that typically sell products and services through a 1-800 number and are usually less sensitive about where their spots run). The situation has become so dire that even the studio that made Chappaquiddick, a controversial movie about the 1969 accident involving Ted Kennedy that killed young political campaign worker Mary Jo Kopechne, has pulled its ads from the program. One person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to publicly comment said the boycott has not yet resulted in a significant financial hit. This person said no advertisers have pulled their dollars from the network but have simply moved from The Ingraham Angle to other programs on the Fox News schedule. Most of the advertisers are out because they want to avoid the controversy associated with the story and could revisit the situation in a few weeks after Ingraham returns. Abernethys statement is meant to convey that Ingraham will return whether the advertisers come back or not. Fox News hired Ingraham to be a provocative commentator who appeals to conservative viewers, and if she is shut down by advertiser resistance its other hosts will become vulnerable. Ingraham took over the 10 p.m. Eastern slot on Fox News in October. Advertisement Fox News executives will not comment beyond the statement, but privately they believe Ingrahams offense does not approach the issues that brought down hosts Bill OReilly or Glenn Beck, who both lost their shows after advertisers pulled out. OReilly was at the center of a sexual harassment scandal that engulfed the company and was fired after a report that he and Fox News had paid $13 million in settlements to current and former employees who filed complaints against him. Beck was fired after advertisers fled his show in response to a number of wildly extreme statements he made, including that former President Obama was a racist who hated white people. stephen.battaglio@latimes.com Advertisement Twitter: @SteveBattaglio Tesla Inc. stock plummeted again Monday on a report that Tesla will not meet its first quarter Model 3 production goals and that Chief Executive Elon Musk will take over Model 3 manufacturing. That followed a full week of bad news for Tesla, including a big recall of Model S cars and an investigation into a fatal Autopilot-related crash of a Model X SUV. Tesla shares slid more than 7% before recovering to close down 5% to $252.48. They have sunk about 19% this year. This week, the automaker is set to report production figures. An internal memo to Tesla factory workers, first reported by Bloomberg, asked for volunteers last week to come off the Model S and Model X production lines to help out with Model 3 production and disprove the haters betting against the company. Advertisement Meantime, The Information, quoting two unnamed sources, reported Monday that Musk has taken over Model 3 manufacturing, pushing aside Chief Engineer Doug Field. Tesla told the online news site that Model 3 production is the highest priority at Tesla, so Elon is focusing his time there while Doug focuses on vehicle engineering. Tesla had a goal of assembling 2,500 Model 3s a week by the end of March. But the automaker has repeatedly fallen short of its production goals. In a companywide email acquired by auto news site Jalopnik, Chief Executive Elon Musk told Tesla workers that the company is about to exceed the 2,000 mark still shy of the goal, but he called it mind-blowing progress. Musk recently made light of Teslas troubles, tweeting an April Fools joke on Sunday that the Palo Alto company had gone completely and totally bankrupt despite efforts to raise money, including a last-ditch mass sale of Easter eggs. There are many chapters of bankruptcy and, as critics so rightly pointed out, Tesla has them *all*, including Chapter 14 and a half (the worst one), Musk tweeted Sunday. He followed up that tweet with one showing a staged photo of himself against the side of a vehicle, surrounded by a cardboard box that read Bankwupt! written in black marker. The text accompanying the photo read: Elon was found passed out against a Tesla Model 3, surrounded by Teslaquilla bottles, the tracks of dried tears still visible on his cheeks. Elon was found passed out against a Tesla Model 3, surrounded by "Teslaquilla" bottles, the tracks of dried tears still visible on his cheeks. This is not a forward-looking statement, because, obviously, what's the point? Happy New Month! pic.twitter.com/YcouvFz6Y1 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 1, 2018 Despite the companys bad news week, Efraim Levy, equity analyst at CFRA Research, said the firm would maintain its hold rating on Tesla stock. Levy said in a note to clients Monday that the future of the vehicle electrification market, as well as an eventual resolution to vehicle production issues could be an upward catalyst for shares. Still, Musks joke did little to quell investors concerns. Advertisement On Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board said it would investigate the fatal crash of a Model X SUV in Northern California. The vehicle hit a highway barrier near Mountain View on March 16 and then caught fire. Tesla said later in the week that the cars semiautonomous Autopilot feature was engaged at the time of the crash and that the driver had his hands off the wheel for six seconds. An NTSB spokesman said Monday that the agency is unhappy with the release of investigative information by Tesla. The agency said its next update will come in a preliminary report, which generally takes weeks. And on Thursday, Tesla said it was recalling all Model S sedans built before April 2016 about 123,000 cars after observing excessive corrosion in the power steering bolts. The company did say in an email to affected customers that the problem occurred only in very cold climates, particularly in localities that use magnesium or calcium road salts to clear roads of snow. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Advertisement samantha.masunaga@latimes.com Twitter: @smasunaga UPDATES: 2:30 p.m.: This article was updated with new information about Teslas production plans. Advertisement 1:22 p.m.: This article was updated with information about Musk taking personal control of Model 3 production. 11:35 a.m.: This article was updated with Teslas stock movement and with news of a companywide email by Chief Executive Elon Musk. 9:20 a.m.: This article was updated with Teslas stock movement and with comments from analyst Efraim Levy. 8:25 a.m.: This article was updated with Teslas stock price, more details about Musks April Fools Day tweets and more context about the automakers production goals. Advertisement This article was originally published at 7:25 a.m. Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) shakes hands with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh before their talks in Hanoi, Vietnam, April 1, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Shen) HANOI, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday called for steady and long-term development of relations between China and Vietnam. Wang made the remarks when meeting with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh. China is ready to earnestly implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries so as to lift the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to a new level, Wang said. Both sides should maintain high-level contacts, strengthen party-to-party exchanges, and enhance cooperation in defense, law enforcement and local governments, he added. The Chinese state councilor urged the alignment of China's Belt and Road Initiative with Vietnam's "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan, advance pragmatic cooperation in various fields, especially in infrastructure, industrial capacity and cross-border cooperation zone. Both China and Vietnam should also boost cultural and people-to-people exchanges and properly manage their differences, he said. For his part, Minh said maintaining and strengthening the traditional friendship between Vietnam and China is in the interests of both countries, which also contributes to regional peace and stability. The Vietnamese side is willing to closely cooperate with China in actively implementing the consensus reached between leaders of the two countries, he said. Both countries should give full play to the Vietnam-China Steering Committee for Cooperation, promote integration of the Belt and Road Initiative with the "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan, push forward cooperation in various fields, and properly handle maritime issues, Minh added. At a joint press conference with Minh held after the meeting, Wang said, "We agreed that our two countries are now at a crucial stage of vigorously advancing the causes of reform, renewal and opening up, with ever- increasing economic complementarity." Noting that the two-way trade between China and Vietnam topped 100 billion U.S. dollars last year, and personnel exchanges exceeded 10 million, he said these figures demonstrate the huge potential for cooperation between the two countries. Wang called on the two sides to seize the rare opportunities brought about by the reform and development of the two countries which have now entered a new era, and upgrade the scale and quality of the bilateral practical cooperation. The two also agreed that properly handling maritime issues is of vital importance to the smooth and healthy development of the bilateral relations. Both sides pledged to earnestly implement all the regulations concerning the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of maritime issues existing between the two countries. They also highlighted the importance of managing differences through consultations and refraining from taking unilateral actions that might complicate and escalate situations. Both sides also agreed to boost maritime cooperation including exploring feasible ways of joint development. Through such cooperation, they believed that both countries would create favorable conditions for the final solution of the maritime issues as well as a requisite environment for comprehensively promoting bilateral practical cooperation. An amenity-filled 400-acre ranch that was once owned by the late actor James Garner is for sale in Los Olivos at $16.5 million. Called Rancho La Zaca, the bucolic property boasts a 25-acre vineyard, a shooting range, a stocked pond, equestrian facilities and miles of hiking and riding trails. One can just picture the star of Maverick slow-poking his way through the spread on horseback. 1 / 17 Hot Property| Former James Garner (Village Properties) 2 / 17 Hot Property| Former James Garner (Village Properties) 3 / 17 Hot Property| Former James Garner (Village Properties) 4 / 17 Hot Property| Former James Garner (Village Properties) 5 / 17 Hot Property| Former James Garner (Village Properties) 6 / 17 Hot Property| Former James Garner (Village Properties) 7 / 17 Hot Property| Former James Garner (Village Properties) 8 / 17 Hot Property| Former James Garner (Village Properties) 9 / 17 Hot Property| Former James Garner (Village Properties) 10 / 17 Hot Property| Former James Garner (Village Properties) 11 / 17 Hot Property| Former James Garner (Village Properties) 12 / 17 Hot Property| Former James Garner (Village Properties) 13 / 17 Hot Property| Former James Garner (Village Properties) 14 / 17 Hot Property| Former James Garner (Village Properties) 15 / 17 Hot Property| Former James Garner (Village Properties) 16 / 17 Hot Property| Former James Garner (Village Properties) 17 / 17 Hot Property| Former James Garner (Village Properties) The striking 8,000-square-foot main house was commissioned by Garner in the 1990s and designed by architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen, known for his use of pyramid and prism shapes. There are five bedrooms, seven full bathrooms and two half-baths. Separate structures house the ranch and vineyard managers. Advertisement Courtyards and terraces adjoin the infinity edge pool and fire pit area. Views take in the rolling hills, vineyards, mature olive trees and mountains. The Emmy-winning actor, who died in 2014 at 86, starred on such popular television series as The Rockford Files. His film work included The Great Escape (1963), Murphys Romance (1985) and Space Cowboys (2000). Garner sold the ranch in 2000 for $8.75 million, according to earlier Los Angeles Times reports. Carey Kendall of Village Properties is the listing agent. lauren.beale2@latimes.com Twitter: @laurenebeale Though she hails from Puerto Rico, Rita Moreno is no stranger to the immigrant experience. The multi-hyphenate was just 4 years old in 1936 when she moved to New York City with her mother, in a strange new place, where she didnt know the language. But the West Side Story star was given new insight into the citizenship process thanks to her recent storyline in the second season of One Day at a Time. Moreno stopped by The Times video studio in the wake of the Netflix series third season renewal to discuss her participation in the Norman Lear reboot and her hopes for the future of her character. The EGOT winner Moreno has earned an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony plays Lydia Riera on One Day at a Time, a multi-camera sitcom centered around a Cuban-American family living in Los Angeles and dealing with complicated issues of race, sexuality, mental illness and, yes, immigration. Advertisement In Season 2, under pressure from her daughter Penelope (Justina Machado) and grandchildren Elena (Isabella Gomez) and Alex (Marcel Ruiz) to become a U.S. citizen, Lydia struggles with the idea of abandoning her Cuban heritage. I found out something that I didnt know, that when you become a citizen of the United States, you have to renounce your citizenship in your original country, Moreno said, Which I think is dreadful. It was a shocking discovery for Moreno, who found herself all the more moved by the choices that immigrants are forced to make upon moving to America. Ever since then, I feel terrible for people who have to give up their beautiful country that may live in their heart, Moreno added. Though by seasons end, Lydia has completed her journey to American citizenship, Moreno had ideas of her own about how the character could have proceeded. I wish that she had reneged on her American citizenship, Moreno admitted. I really did. Because I thought, well, for one thing, thats Lydia. And for another, I think she has a right to hang onto her roots on paper, also. That said, the actress admitted to having the shows best interests at heart as well. I also thought it would make for some interesting episodes, she said. Advertisement You can watch the full interview below. Rita Moreno raves about her One Day at a Time cast mates and how Norman Lear got her to be on his show. Spoiler alert: it was pretty easy. See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour libby.hill@latimes.com Advertisement @midwestspitfire When Timothy Spall and Imelda Staunton arrive to Londons Soho Hotel to discuss their new film Finding Your Feet, they cant stop complimenting each other. Spall, who recently finished shooting Mrs. Lowry and Son with Vanessa Redgrave, hasnt seen his costar since December 2016, shortly after they finished production on Finding Your Feet. People make an assumption that if youre in a movie you must see each other all the time, he says, after the duo finishes hugging and sizing each other up. But we have known each other a long time. Spall and Staunton first met in 1975 as students at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Although neither remembers their actual first meeting, they were continuously aware of the other throughout the two-year course. They shared the screen in an episode of BBC Twos Performance in 1992 and both appeared in the Harry Potter film series (although never in the same scene) but its really this film, directed by Richard Loncraine (Richard III), that allows the pair to lead a picture side by side. The heartwarming story follows a rigid, closed off woman named Sandra (Staunton) whose life is turned upside down when she discovers her husband is cheating. In her grief and confusion, Sandra seeks out her estranged sister Bif (Celia Imrie) and joins a community center dance group that includes an amiable, houseboat-dwelling gentleman named Charlie (Spall). Although it may sound like a generic plot, the film avoids cliche and sentimentality, often veering into surprising places, which is exactly what attracted the actors. Advertisement I must say when I read the script at the start I thought, Oh I know whats going to happen and which way this is going to go, Staunton admits. But then it was like, Oh! It hasnt gone that way! Thats interesting. I found it a bit unpredictable, which I quite liked. It is this sort of film with a feel-good idea, but it deals with some of the subject matter very sensitively. Imelda Staunton, left and Timothy Spall in a scene from Finding Your Feet. (Roadside Attractions ) Loncraine and Spall have been long-time collaborators, but the director actually sought out Staunton first, attracted to her strong screen presence. Imelda I didnt know, but Id watched her all my working life and realized she has an ability to carry a movie, the director says via phone. There are many, many great actors out there, but they cant always hold a movie. I think the three of them because it is very much a three-hander with Celia have the right chemistry. The lovely thing about it is that it all felt natural, Spall says. No need for any bull... We just got on with it. The great thing is that when youre working with people who you admire and know this sounds like a bit of a love fest, but its really true you dont have to mess about. You can get straight into the center of it. Anything thats a problem you iron out without any messing about. The film was shot in London and Rome in November and December 2016. A pivotal part of the story is a scene in Piccadilly Circus, where the dance group performs in the middle of a crowd. The actors actually performed live in public with only a few extras, creating the dance sequence in the course of a few hours. Staunton had a few weeks to learn the choreography, but Spall was more pressed for time, having just finished shooting another project in New Zealand. I found it very nerve-wracking, he says. It absolutely was, because it was in public, Staunton says, jumping in. We had about 30 extras. Wed go and do it, and then we had a club nearby where wed go and wait until there was a new set of [onlookers] so theyd be surprised by it. We did it about five or six times. It was guerrilla filming, in a way. Thank God we had rehearsals because it wasnt easy. But its not a film about dance. I love that when you see us dancing you can see those characters dancing. We dont all turn into these [experienced] performers. I always thought of the dancing as a vehicle for these people to be with each other and, in some way, express something, Spall says. It was this attempt at trying to find some self-therapy. Over the course of Finding Your Feet, the protagonists evolve, reminding the viewer than even those who have reached their later years have the ability to change and open up. The film deals with getting a second or even third chance at life. Its about people who are of a certain age, but the story never reduces the characters to a number or loses its relatable quality for a younger audience. Advertisement I dont think any of us were aware we were making a film about older people having relationships they were just people, whether we were 23, 19 or 98, Staunton says. We were just telling the story of their difficulties, of their upsets, of their humor. It seemed to do that quite well, I thought. And I dont think we ever felt like Oh blimey, this is a bit token at all. Were not those sort of actors. I never felt we had to go against anything too sentimental. It was a very different script that we started with, Loncraine adds. It definitely evolved, and I think it evolved for the better. This film is not going to change cinematic history and it never intended to. But I do think that its a film thats honest. It sneaks up on you in a way that Im quite proud of. Timothy Spall and Academy Award nominee Imelda Staunton are longtime friends who finally play feature film leads opposite each other in Finding Your Feet. (Micha Theiner / For The Times ) Although Staunton and Spall havent worked together much, both are aware of their parallels. Staunton came to acclaim outside the U.K. with an Oscar nominated turn in director Mike Leighs 2004 film Vera Drake, while Spall scored an international breakthrough with Leighs 1996 Oscar nominated picture Secrets & Lies (and subsequently collaborated with the director on Topsy-Turvy and Mr. Turner among others). Theyre both storied British character actors with a foundation in theater, and each is interested in learning something new about other people rather than about themselves. Advertisement Your job is to turn up as a human being and look convincing, but in the end you can only do that by really try to understand the character, Spall says. And even if theyre not nice you have to dig and find out what makes them like that. I think thats why we get on so well, because Ive always thought that Imelda is a great character actor. You dont bend your character to you you bend yourself to the character. Thats the definition between the two. Thats exactly what you do, too, Staunton replies. I never worry about what I look like, nothing. Although surely every part you play is a character and its not about leading roles or character roles. Its just a part with a different amount of lines. But I do think the character comes first. If you make that your precedent it liberates you from you, Spall adds. Theres no doubt about it, actors are driven by a certain amount of ego. But theres a way of using that to investigate somebody else. Instead of saying This is going to make me look good, you say Im going to make that person look good. Staunton, who has spent a lot of the past few years on Londons stages in Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Follies, is ready to take a nice long break. She plans to take a few years off from theater and focus on film and TV, although shell never fully retire from acting. Shes not even sure thats possible. Advertisement I challenge you to say that to any actor, Staunton replies. You just dont do it. Thats not part of the makeup. Look how many stories there are to tell and the stories are not just about 15 to 19 year olds. Its about life and people. So why would one retire? It just doesnt exist. I think its something that gives you up, rather than you give up, adds Spall, who is currently filming The Corrupted in London with Sam Claflin. Its more of an affliction than a choice because, to me, its something I have to do. He adds, grinning, Theyve been putting up with us a lot recently. As to whether audiences can expect to see the pair together onscreen again soon? Maybe, if the project is right. We try to do it every 18 years, Spall quips. Although lets not wait that long or well have to do it from that home where all the actors eventually go. David Hayman, from left, Celia Imrie, Joanna Lumley, Imelda Staunton, Timothy Spall and cast in Finding Your Feet. (Roadside Attractions ) Advertisement calendar@latimes.com Steven Bochco, the Emmy-winning television writer-producer who brought Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law and NYPD Blue to the small screen, died Sunday after a battle with cancer. He was 74. Bochco was the driving force behind some of TVs most popular series for more than 30 years, with a specialty for serialized dramas with large ensemble casts and edgy plot points. Known for his headstrong ways, the celebrated producer was nominated for 30 Emmys and won 10. Steven reinvented the television drama by creating and executive-producing Hill Street Blues [in 1981], said TV executive Warren Littlefield, who worked with Bochco at NBC. At first, television wasnt quite ready for this groundbreaking drama, certainly not on a network known for a talking car. Television critics celebrated it and at the Emmy Awards following Season One, a star was born. The DNA for quality drama at NBC was created by Steven Bochco and all of broadcasting would join NBC and covet what Steven was capable of doing. Still, Bochcos boundary-pushing methods as a producer could make some network executives skittish. But they often deferred to him and were ultimately rewarded with strong ratings and critical kudos, a combination that was less common in the pre-Peak TV era of the 1980s and 90s. Advertisement Even though the network is supposed to be the authority, I always looked at Steven as my teacher, my mentor, the genius that led me to the best decision, said Ted Harbert, who worked with Bochco when he brought Doogie Howser, M.D. and NYPD Blue to ABC. Bochco, who died in his sleep on Sunday, according to a family spokesperson who talked to the Associated Press, was known to have been battling leukemia for several years. In 2014, he received a stem cell transplant that was credited with prolonging his life. 1 / 15 Dennis Franz and Jimmy Smits in NYPD Blue. (Frank Ockenfels / ABC) 2 / 15 The 2008 legal TV drama Raising the Bar stars J. August Richards, left, Teddy Sears, MarkPaul Gosselaar, Melissa Sagemiller, Jonathan Scarfe and Gloria Rubin. (Richard Foreman/TNT) 3 / 15 Public Morals, 1996-97, created by Steven Bochco and Jay Tarses, starred, Peter Gerety, left, Joseph Latimore, Julianne Christie, Justin Louis, Donal Logue, Jana Marie Hupp, Larry Romano and Bill Brockstrup. (Ron Tom / CBS) 4 / 15 Neil Patrick Harris as 16yearold M.D. Doogie Howser in the ABC series Doogie Howser, M.D. Also pictured are Alan Fudge, center, and Lawrence Pressman. (ABC) 5 / 15 Marisol Nichols, Ron Eldard, center, and Michael Gaston in the 2005 TV series Blind Justice. (Carin Baer / ABC) 6 / 15 Jill Eikenberry, front left, Richard Dysart, Harry Hamlin, Michele Greene; Michael Tucker, back left, Alan Rachins, Crobin Bernsen and Jimmy Smits were most of the stars of the popular L.A. Law. (NBC) 7 / 15 Taye Diggs stars as a homicide detective in Steven Bochcos series Murder in the First. (Handout) 8 / 15 Grace Phillips, left, Daniel Benzali, Mary McCormack, Michael Hayden and J.C. MacKenzie star in the precedent-setting dramatic series Murder One. (Bob DAmico / ABC) 9 / 15 Officers Jimmy Doyle, Phil Roussakoff, Nona Valentine and Hector Villanueva, played, from left, by Dylan Walsh, Michael DeLuise, Klea Scott, Adam Rodriguez, are cops in CBS Brooklyn South. (Tony Esparza / CBS) 10 / 15 Steven Bochco was a writer on the series Columbo. (Fox Family Worldwide Inc.) 11 / 15 Kyle Secor and Kim Delaney in Philly. (Ron Tom / ABC) 12 / 15 Daniel J Travanti, left, and Dennis Franz in Hill Street Blues. (20th Century Fox) 13 / 15 William Thomas Jr., left as Detective Potts, Tyrone Weeks as a crack dealer named Art Kimbro and Peter Onorati as Detective LaRusso in the series Cop Rock. (Danny Feld / ABC) 14 / 15 A scene from Hill St. Blues. (Globe Photos) 15 / 15 The cast from NYPD Blue. (Handout) A New York City native, Steven Ronald Bochco was born Dec. 16, 1943, to a violinist father and a painter-jewelry designer mother. He attended the High School of Music and Art in Manhattan for singing before spending a year at New York University. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a theater degree in 1966. While attending Carnegie Mellon, he received a fellowship from MCA that both helped him pay for school and landed him summer jobs at Universal Studios his last two years before graduating. Bochco began at Universal in the mid-1960s, where he earned a reputation for being strong-willed. His refusal to allow the network to dictate his work earned him unprecedented creative control throughout his 50 years in the industry. In 1987, after Bochco won Emmys for NBC with Hill Street Blues and L.A. Law, CBS legend William S. Paley offered the then-44-year-old the job of president of the networks entertainment division. Instead, Bochco signed a six-year, 10-series deal at ABC, worth about $10 million. There will be an awful lot of angry people if I screw this one up, he told The Times in 1987. I want to justify the enormous commitment they [ABC] have made to me. If I cant do that, Ill kill it for the next person who comes down the road. Advertisement It was there that he produced hits such as NYPD Blue with David Milch and Doogie Howser, M.D. with David E. Kelley, as well as some misses, including the musical drama Cop Rock and the serialized courtroom drama Murder One. At NBC, Bochco expanded the idea of a broadcast television cop show when he created Hill Street Blues with Michael Kozoll in 1981, and he did it again at ABC with NYPD Blue in 1993. What we did with NYPD Blue opened up the world, he told The Times in 2014. We were certainly aware of advancing the agenda. When I left Hill Street, I said, Im never going to do another police show ever because I couldnt imagine doing one better, he said in 1995. But a dozen years later [in NYPD Blue], theres everything to wring from that old towel because the prevailing attitudes of the society shift. The series lasted 12 seasons. Advertisement In 2014, asked why he has largely been absent from the television landscape after years of being involved in so many series, Bochco quipped, Im just old, then added: I dont actually have the drive I used to have. But working with these people in this environment suits me just fine. Bochco married three times, the first time to Gabrielle Levin and then to Barbara Bosson, who co-starred in Hill Street Blues. He later married TV executive Dayna Kalins in 2000. He is survived by his daughter, Melissa, and sons Jeffrey and Jesse. sonaiya.kelley@latimes.com Twitter: @sonaiyak Advertisement UPDATES: 7:50: This story has been updated with a quote from TV executive Warren Littlefield. 6:52 p.m.: This story has been updated with additional information about Steven Bochcos life and career. This article was originally published at 6 p.m. I will happily watch the actor Steve Zahn (That Thing You Do, Treme) in just about anything. I have had cause to regret this willingness in the past never because of the actor, who sits easily on the screen but not in the case of The Crossing, which debuts April 2 on ABC. It is watchable, even diverting television; but it is definitely good Zahn. (The pilot has also been playing online since March 20, suggesting an attempt to build an audience ahead of the reviews.) Hundreds of bodies, 47 of them alive, wash up on a strip of beach in the vicinity of an Oregon fishing village, with no crashed airliner or sunken freighter to account for their presence. Zahn plays the sheriff, Jude Ellis its nice to see him in a central, solid, essentially heroic role, not a spot he usually lands and, naturally enough, he gets involved. Also, naturally enough, his involvement is curtailed by a higher authority in the person of Sandrine Holts Homeland Security agent Emma Ren.They knock heads in the way that local and federal law enforcement have done since someone first thought of putting them into the same story. (I think eventually they are going to have to work together, and that it will probably feel satisfying when they do.) Advertisement The rapidly emerging twist coming so fast that one could not call it a spoiler is that these mysterious arrivals are refugees not from some other place but some other time. They have come from an America 180 years from now, a dysotpian future that will make our relatively less dystopian present seem like the promised land. They drop words like extermination and holocaust to explain their haste to go forward into the past. Perhaps if they had been a little less hasty, they would have aimed for some year other than 2018, not the most propitious time for wretched refuse to teem upon the American shore. When one refugee says, This is a different place this is the America of old. Everyone has rights here, no matter where theyre from, it is not clear whether we are to take this ironically. Will The Crossing have anything interesting to say about this? In a time when refugee crises are many, and many Americans (and not Americans alone) look at immigrants through dun-colored glasses, not to examine these issues would seem a sort of dereliction of duty. There are a few lines that acknowledge the current conversation, to use a polite term. Math says theyll be some bad actors, so watch them closely, Ren says of the 47 asylum seekers, seeming to support the notion that open borders are in an invitation to crime and terrorism. All we want is a better life, same as your parents wanted for you, an asylum seeker tells Ren, echoing hopeful new Americans since even before the states were united. Created by Dan Dworkin and Jay Battie (who developed or helped develop the television versions of Scream and Matador), The Crossing is very much the sort of sci-fi serial that CBS has programmed over the summer for the past several years, with the extra layer of visual polish that characterizes ABC product. It is nicely assembled and well cast besides Holt and Zahn, there are, notably, Rick Gomez as Ellis deputy, and Simone Kessell as a time traveler out on her own. All are appealing enough to want to know better, and do a good job selling the meat-and-potatoes dialogue as fine dining, distracting you a little from the fact that most scenes head just where youd expect. Even the fact that Ellis is a divorced dad and is in this small town because of trouble he had in a bigger one feels just shy of inevitable. Indeed, at one point, watching two characters meet clandestinely on a foggy bridge, I began to suspect that I actually seen this show before; even some particular lines sounded familiar. I dont put it down to deja vu, at least not in the neurological sense: The components of The Crossing are in fact familiar perhaps unavoidably so, 123 years after H.G. Wells The Time Machine started this party, and after 840 episodes of Doctor Who, three Back to the Future films and a whole mess of The Terminator. Advertisement When the news comes (spoiler alert, maybe) that the genetic overlords of the late 22nd century might have some proprietary interest in the early 21st, it registers almost as a disappointment. Still, the fact that we have covered similar ground many times before suggests, correctly, that it is not hard to go over it again. The Crossing Where: ABC Advertisement When: 10 p.m. Monday Rating: TV-PG-LV (may be unsuitable for young children, with advisories for coarse language and violence) robert.lloyd@latimes.com Follow Robert Lloyd on Twitter @LATimesTVLloyd Advertisement ALSO Starzs new thriller Counterpart gives J.K. Simmons two worlds in which to blow our minds At ABC, Idol will have to wait, and Fridays and Sundays get a makeover Comme Des Garcons is set for an entirely online launch of a new brand in July, WWD can exclusively reveal. Speaking at a party marking the opening of Chinas first Dover Street Market (DSM) here last week, its director and Comme Des Garcons chief executive officer Adrian Joffe said the new brand will be a first for the Japanese fashion house. Nobody knows yet, but what I can tell you is its going to be Internet based, explained Joffe, adding that Rei Kawakubo is currently designing the web site. The addition would be the 18th brand for the company, joining a range of designer lines including Noir, Homme, Plus, Shirt, and Play, among others. After the online launch, the simple collection for men and women will be followed by six shops worldwide. Joffe was running on jet lag and coffee, having just arrived at the March 30 bash to celebrate the name and concept change from I.T Market Beijing (I.TMB), opened in 2010, to Dover Street Market Beijing. He looked almost humbled when relaying that business is bullish both for DSM and CdG on a global scale. DSM profits are up 35 percent on last year, with the Ginza and London branches driving the most growth and New York breaking into profit after just three years. CdG sales are also up 30 percent to $300 million, with the New York shop alone seeing a 50 percent boost, perhaps thanks to a butterfly effect from the critically-acclaimed Kawakubo-themed Met Gala exhibition last year. The opening night party at the new rebranded Dover Street Market in Beijing. It is the fifth location for the concept store. (Kidhan / WWD ) Advertisement With plenty to celebrate, Joffe was in good company among 300 industry influencers and a host of contributing designers, who were greeted by an Avi Gold-themed hotdog cart, after the Canadian streetwear artist, and an open-air dance floor at the store in Beijings Sanlitun Taikoo Li. Other featured designers included Gosha Rubchinskiy, Simone Rocha, and 2017 LVMH Young Designer Marine Serre. The Beijing relaunch is the culmination of more than 20 years of cooperation between I.T Group and CdG, with Joffe and Kawakubo finally deciding to open a DSM in China after eight years of testing the water with I.TMB. Now seems to be the right time, as the four-floor, 23,680-square-foot store has seen 25 percent year-on-year growth. As might be expected for a DSM opening, each visiting artist contributed an installation as part of the launch. Beside Golds Better-branded functional food truck was a video wall serving as a retrospective on the last decade of Rubchinskiy, Serres industrial chic shelving units that partially obscured the fashion communicated a contradictory narrative on the industrial age, while Rochas Doll Matrix was a direct reflection of her spring-summer 2018 collection. The Irish designers English manor-inspired dresses were surrounded by a cluster of 3D models of her embroidered doll motif. Designer Simone Rocha standing in front of her installation at the opening of the Dover Street Market in Beijing. (WWD ) Rubchinskiy said hed noted several correlating features with his Soviet-inspired brand on his first trip to the Chinese capital. Wearing a signature tracksuit jacket over a shirt and tie, the Russian designer who only sells his urban streetwear through multibrand stores said, Theres a lot of military outfits and we saw a lot of school kids wearing matching tracksuits. Im very into uniforms right now and theres some good examples here. Like Rubchinskiy, Rocha has seen her profile grow through her relationship with DSM. Suffering from a cold and wearing a white tulip dress from her latest collection, she said the partnership has been inspiring. They [DSM] have so much respect for young designers, and at the same time a huge amount of respect for heritage. Being a part of that is really special, she added. Gosha Rubchinskiy and Adrian Joffe, international director of Dover Street Market and ceo of Comme des Garcon. (WWD ) Advertisement Things are now set to move quickly at DSM, with August pegged to usher in newly designed spaces by Gucci, Loewe, and Raf Simons. Kawakubo will also be redesigning the CdG corner for the final part of what Joffe dubs the raw egg (I.TMB), soft egg (DSMB), hard egg (August revamp) approach. We wanted China to be part of the community rather than an outpost, so its a very important symbolic change to make it [I.TMB] a proper DSM, he said. USC names retired aerospace executive Wanda Austin as acting president, announces Nikias departure By Harriet Ryan USC appointed a retired aerospace executive as interim president and laid out a detailed plan for selecting a permanent leader Tuesday, ending speculation about whether outgoing President C.L. Max Nikias might remain in the post. Nikias, embattled over his administrations handling of a campus gynecologist accused of sexually abusing patients, relinquished his duties after a meeting of USCs board. The trustees tapped one of their own, Wanda Austin, an alumna and former president of the Aerospace Corp., to temporarily run the university. The trustees also approved the formation of a search committee and the hiring of firm Isaacson, Miller to coordinate the selection of a successor. A second search company, Heidrick & Struggles, will also advise trustees. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Ex-student sues elite Brentwood School after teacher is charged with sexually abusing him By Richard Winton A former student sued the elite Brentwood School on Monday in the wake of a female teacher being charged with repeatedly having sex with the minor, alleging that other faculty members encouraged the unlawful behavior and failed to report it to authorities. The lawsuit accuses the private school, whose students include the children of many of Hollywoods elite and L.A.s powerful, of acting negligently and allowing Aimee Palmitessa to abuse and batter the teenager sexually. The suit alleges that the student was abused in summer 2017 after one of the schools counselors offered words of encouragement to the then-17-year-old, identified in the suit as only John Doe, to engage in an illegal relationship with the teacher. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Civil jury vindicates fired Montebello school executives in whistleblower case By Howard Blume The Montebello school district is in dire straits at risk of insolvency and under apparent criminal investigation. An outside audit in July found some teachers earning more than $200,000 a year, as well as improper raises, excess paid vacation time and inappropriate overtime, sick leave and car allowances. Fixing the district and pinpointing blame could take time. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. schools fall short on safety measures, new report warns By Howard Blume After the mass shooting at Floridas Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February, Los Angeles school officials reassured parents that much had been done to keep local schools safe. California had tougher gun laws, after all, and the school district paid close attention to students mental health. But a new report issued Monday by a panel convened to take a close look offers some cause for concern, flagging inconsistent campus safety measures, thinly spread mental health staff and inadequate coordination between the school district and other public agencies. With the stakes this high, we must strive to do better, said L.A. City Atty. Mike Feuer, who assembled the panel. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement L.A. school district says more are graduating, but rate may not show it By Howard Blume The L.A. Unified School District has hopes of continuing its winning streak this year with another record graduation rate, but the official numbers may not show it. A senior district administrator warned the board Tuesday that graduation rates were likely to decline 2% to 3% across the state, even though L.A. Unified is likely doing better than ever in producing graduates, he said. The issue is that the state will now count high school students who transfer to adult school as dropouts, said Oscar Lafarga, who heads the districts office of data and accountability. Previously, schools treated these students as though they had simply enrolled in another high school, he said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Betsy DeVos to California: Not so fast on that federal education plan By Joy Resmovits Education Secretary Betsy DeVos (Erik Lesser / European Pressphoto Agency) In April, Californias top education officials breathed a sigh of relief. After months of debate and back-and-forth with Betsy DeVos staff, they had finalized a plan to satisfy a major education law that aims to make sure all students get a decent education. The state focused on aligning its plan to fulfill the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act with Californias Local Control Funding Formula, which gives extra money to districts to help students who come from low-income families, are in the foster system or are English learners. But this week, DeVos team said not so fast. Jason Botel, the U.S. Department of Educations principal deputy assistant secretary, sent California education officials a letter asking for more information in such areas as measuring student progress, graduation rates and English learners. In an unsigned statement, the California Department of Education declared itself surprised and disappointed because officials thought after a meeting with federal officials in Washington that they were on the right track to get approval. Now the Every Student Succeeds Act plan will be up for discussion once again at the July meeting of the State Board of Education. The U.S. Department of Education has already approved most state plans. Every Student Succeeds is the Obama administrations 2015 replacement for the No Child Left Behind Act. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. school board sets a new goal: prepare every grad to be eligible to apply for Cal State or UC By Sonali Kohli Last month, Los Angeles school board president proposed a spate of highly ambitious mandates aimed at ensuring that every district graduate be eligible to apply to one of the states public four-year universities by 2023. By the time the L.A. Unified school board unanimously approved the resolution Tuesday, the original language had been watered down. The goal is no longer that in five years 100% of students meet the long list of benchmarks, which include not just college eligibility for graduates but first-grade reading proficiency and English fluency by sixth grade for all students who enter the district in kindergarten or first grade speaking another language. The original college-readiness goal, for example, called for 100% of all high school students to be eligible to apply to one of the states four-year universities. Now the goal seems to offer more wiggle room: Prepare all high school graduates to be eligible to apply to a California four-year university. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement We have been hurt. More women say they were mistreated by USC gynecologist By Richard Winton USC student Anika Narayanan says she vividly recalls her first appointment with Dr. George Tyndall at the campus health center, alleging that he made several explicit comments during an examination she felt was inappropriate and invasive. When she came back for a second visit in 2016 after a nonconsensual sexual encounter, he allegedly chastised her, she said in a civil lawsuit and at a press conference Tuesday. He asked me if I had forgotten to use a condom again, said Narayanan, 21. At one point, she said, Tyndall asked if I did a lot of doggy style, she said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. Unified gives inspector general brief contract extension By Howard Blume The Los Angeles school board on Tuesday extended the contract of Ken Bramlett, its inspector general, by three months, though his job is far from secure and questions remain about the future direction of his watchdog office. Board members also unanimously promoted Vivian Ekchian, who had been the runner-up for the superintendents job, to deputy superintendent the districts No. 2 position. Both moves had elements of peacemaking between different factions on the board. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print USCs handling of complaints about campus gynecologist is being investigated by federal government By Harriet Ryan The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday that it has launched an investigation into how the University of Southern California handled misconduct complaints against a campus gynecologist, the latest fallout in a scandal that has prompted the resignation of USCs president, two law enforcement investigations and dozens of lawsuits. In revealing the inquiry by the departments Office of Civil Rights, officials rebuked USC for what they alleged was improper withholding of information about Dr. George Tyndall during a previous federal investigation. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who has been criticized for taking a less vigorous approach to examining sexual misconduct than predecessors, called for a systemic examination of USC and urged administrators to fully cooperate. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Judge to sentence woman and her boyfriend for the murder of an 8-year-old that led to L.A. child welfare reforms By Marisa Gerber A woman and her boyfriend are expected to be sentenced Thursday for the torture and murder of an 8-year-old boy whose killing in 2013 provoked public outrage, prompted sweeping reform of Los Angeles Countys child welfare system, and led to unprecedented criminal charges against social workers who handled the childs case. Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, 34, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole for her role in the death of her son, Gabriel. A jury decided last year that her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, 37, should be executed. When paramedics arrived at the boys Palmdale home in May 2013, Gabriel had slipped out of consciousness. He had a fractured skull, broken ribs, burned skin, missing teeth and BB pellets embedded in his groin. A paramedic would later testify that every inch of the boys small body had been abused. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. Unifieds spending out of step with similar school systems, task force says By Howard Blume The Los Angeles school district is out of step with similar school systems, spending more on teachers pay and health benefits and less on activities that could enhance student learning, according to a new report by an outside task force. The L.A. Unified School District Advisory Task Force did not make specific recommendations, but instead posed a series of questions it said the district needs to answer to make sure its funding is aimed at providing a full opportunity for all students to succeed. What were trying to say is: Lets put the data on the table. Lets look at the truth. Lets be transparent and here are the numbers, said task force member Renata Simril. This is not to say that we should cut teachers salaries. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Top USC medical school official feared dean was doing drugs and alerted administration, he testifies By Paul Pringle A former vice dean of USCs Keck School of Medicine testified Tuesday that he feared the schools then-dean, Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito, could be doing drugs and expressed concerns about his general well-being to the universitys No. 2 administrator before Puliafito abruptly left his job in 2016. Dr. Henri Fords testimony at a hearing of the state Medical Board marks the first suggestion that any USC administrator had suspicions about Puliafitos possible drug use before he stepped down. A Times investigation in 2017 found Puliafito led a secret second life of using illegal drugs with a circle of young criminals and addicts. Puliafito testified about his behavior at the hearing Tuesday, saying he took drugs with one young woman on a weekly basis. Ford said that he decided to alert USC Provost Michael Quick after receiving reports in early 2016 that Puliafito was partying in hotels with people of questionable reputation, and that he came to worry about his mental stability. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Why L.A. Unified may face financial crisis even with a giant surplus this year By Jessica Calefati With more than half a billion dollars socked away for next school year, the Los Angeles Unified School District hardly seems just two years from financial ruin. Its a scenario that is especially tough to swallow if youre a low-wage worker seeking a raise or a teacher who wants smaller classes. But budget documents show that todays $548-million surplus cannot be sustained and that even basic services face steep, seemingly unavoidable cuts because of massive problems barreling the districts way. Theres a disconnect between the rosy short-term picture and what we know is coming, said board member Kelly Gonez. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print We have failed: Top USC officials try to reassure students amid gynecologist scandal By Joy Resmovits Top administrators at USC are reaching out to students in the wake of misconduct allegations against the universitys longtime gynecologist, acknowledging failings and vowing reforms as they try to address growing outrage over the revelations. Several USC deans have sent out messages trying to reassure students and faculty that the university is committed to changing. We have failed, wrote Jack H. Knott, dean of USCs Sol Price School of Public Policy, in a May 24 letter. What happened is antithetical to everything we know is right. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Rick Caruso is named chair of USCs trustees, vows swift investigation of gynecologist scandal By Thomas Curwen The University of Southern Californias board of trustees has elected mall magnate Rick Caruso to be the new chair of the board, giving fresh leadership as the university navigates a widening scandal involving a longtime campus gynecologist. The move marks the latest effort by USC to address the case, which has sparked a criminal investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and dozens of civil lawsuits. More than 400 people have contacted a hotline that the university established for patients to make reports about their experience with Dr. George Tyndall. In his first act as chairman, Caruso announced that the white-shoe L.A. law firm OMelveny & Myers would conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the gynecologists conduct and reporting failures at the clinic. He set an ambitious timeline for the review, pledging it would conclude before students return for the fall semester. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print UC Berkeley students persistence helps win more liberal rules for in-state tuition By Teresa Watanabe Ifechukwu Okeke thought shed be a shoo-in for in-state tuition when she was admitted to UC Berkeley for fall 2016. She had moved to the United States from Nigeria in 2012 to go to Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga. By the time she got her acceptance to transfer to UC to study molecular and cell biology, she had lived in California four years. She had a California drivers license, bank account and rental records as proof. UC Berkeley, however, ruled she was a nonresident which meant she would have to pay nearly $27,000 more. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement State medical board calls former County-USC doctor a sexual predator, suspends his license By Matt Hamilton A UCLA cardiologist has been temporarily stripped of his medical license after state regulators described him as a sexual predator who assaulted three female colleagues when he was working and training at L.A. County-USC Medical Center. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Global California 2030' aims to get more students learning more languages By Joy Resmovits Tom Torlakson (Andrew Seng / Associated Press) Outgoing state Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson on Wednesday announced a new statewide effort to encourage students to learn more languages. Called Global California 2030, its goal is to help more students become fluent in multiple tongues. Torlakson said that by 2030, he wants half of the states 6.2 million K-12 students to participate in classes or programs that lead to proficiency in two or more languages. By 2040, he wants three out of four students to be proficient enough to earn the State Seal of Biliteracy. Torlakson announced the initiative at Cahuenga Elementary School, which offers a dual-language immersion program in English and Korean. Californias public school students speak more than 60 languages at home, and 40% come to school with knowledge of a language other than English. Torlakson called his plan a call to action that invites parents, legislators, educators and community members to pool resources to expand language offerings in schools and get more bilingual teachers trained. He said the state already is working with Mexico and Spain to expand a teacher-exchange program. Fluency, the plan argues, can help students succeed economically and language acquisition can help their overall critical thinking. The initiative builds on Proposition 58, a ballot initiative passed in 2016 that undid an earlier requirement that English learners be taught in English-immersion classes unless their parents signed waivers. Torlakson recently visited Mexico and met with that countrys education secretary. They later signed a pact to increase collaboration, particularly in language education. This [Global California 2030] is great follow-through on Toms part and very important, Patricia Gandara, a UCLA education professor who hosted the Mexico meeting, said in an email. It hands over a plan to move forward in an area in which California has a unique advantage, but must seize the opportunity. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Jury convicts man of murder in 2015 slaying of UCLA student found inside her burning apartment By Marisa Gerber A jury on Tuesday convicted a man in the 2015 slaying of a UCLA student found dead inside her burning apartment a gruesome stabbing case that led to a fierce rebuke of the police response amid concerns that the killing could have been prevented. The panel deliberated for about six hours before finding Alberto Medina, 24, guilty of murder, arson, burglary and animal cruelty. On Sept. 21, 2015, firefighters found the charred body of Andrea DelVesco inside her apartment after responding to the complex a block from campus. The 21-year-old student an Austin, Texas, native known to her sorority sisters as a fearless giver who befriended others with ease was stabbed at least 19 times, authorities said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print LAPD begins sweeping criminal probe of former USC gynecologist while urging patients to come forward By Adam Elmahrek The Los Angeles Police Department said Tuesday it is investigating 52 complaints of misconduct filed by former patients of USCs longtime campus gynecologist as detectives launch a sweeping criminal probe into the scandal that has rocked the university. LAPD detectives also made an appeal for other patients who feel mistreated to come forward, noting that thousands of students were examined by Dr. George Tyndall during his nearly 30-year career at USC. More than 410 people have contacted a university hotline about the physician since The Times revealed the allegations this month. Tyndalls behavior and practices appear to go beyond the norms of the medical profession and gynecological examinations, said Asst. Chief Beatrice Girmala. We sincerely realize that victims may have difficulty recounting such details to investigators. We are empathetic and ready to listen. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print At L.A.'s only school for the deaf, parents want leaders who speak the same language By Anna M. Phillips Ever since her son was 6 months old, Juliet Hidalgo has been bringing him to the Marlton School, a low-slung building in Baldwin Hills that for generations has been a second home for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Los Angeles. Marlton staff taught Hidalgos brother and sister, both of whom are deaf. The school was where her deaf son learned to make the signs for milk and food. Hidalgo had planned to enroll her daughter, taking advantage of a popular program that allows hearing children to learn American Sign Language alongside their deaf siblings. But after more than a decade of involvement, she and other family members are considering withdrawing their children. They are not alone. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Fueled by unlimited donations, independent groups play their biggest role yet in a California primary for governor By Ryan Menezes An unprecedented amount of money from wealthy donors, unions and corporations is flowing into the California governors race, giving independent groups unrestricted by contribution limits a greater say in picking the states chief executive than ever before. The groups have already spent more than $26 million through Thursday, the most ever spent by noncandidate committees in a gubernatorial primary, according to a Times analysis of campaign finance reports. California elections have always been expensive, and the future is even more expensive, said Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College and a former state Republican leader. The stakes are very real. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 2 hurt in Indiana middle school shooting; suspect in custody, authorities say By Associated Press Authorities say two victims in a shooting at a suburban Indianapolis school are being taken to a hospital and the lone suspect is in custody. Bryant Orem, a spokesman for the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office, said in a news release that the victims in Friday mornings attack at Noblesville West Middle School are being taken to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis and their families have been notified. He says no other information is available about the victims. Orem said the suspect is believed to have acted alone and was taken into custody. No additional information about the suspect was made public. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print For new L.A. schools chief Austin Beutner, some key unions are giving no honeymoon period By Howard Blume In the less than two weeks since Austin Beutner took charge of Los Angeles schools, unions representing teachers and administrators have staged a job action and a protest. Theyve made it clear that they will not give the new superintendent the traditional honeymoon period, and they are bashing him for his wealth and lack of experience running either a school or a school district. Beutner is a billionaire investment banker with zero qualifications, local teachers union President Alex Caputo-Pearl told members in a phone alert urging them to participate in a Thursday afternoon rally in Grand Park. The board is saying that billionaires who made their money blowing institutions up and making money off it know best not the education professionals who have dedicated our careers to working with students. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Pressure grows on Board of Trustees amid USC gynecologist scandal By Paul Pringle USCs large and powerful Board of Trustees is coming under growing pressure to provide a stronger hand as the university faces a crisis over misconduct allegations against the campus longtime gynecologist that has prompted calls for President C.L. Max Nikias to step down. Allegations that Dr. George Tyndall mistreated students during his nearly 30 years at USC have roiled the campus, with about 300 people coming forward to make reports to the university and the Los Angeles Police Department launching a criminal investigation. USC is already beginning to face what is expected to be costly litigation by women who say they were victimized by the physician. So far, the trustees to whom Nikias reports have expressed sympathy for the women who have come forward and launched an independent investigation while also publicly backing the president. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print UC regents approve leaner budget for Janet Napolitano By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents on Thursday unanimously approved a leaner, more transparent budget for President Janet Napolitano, moving to address political criticism over the systems central office operations. The $876.4-million budget for 2018-19 reflects spending cuts of 2%, including reductions in staffing, travel and such systemwide programs as public service law fellowships, carbon neutrality and food security. Napolitano shifted $30 million to campuses for housing needs and $10 million to UC Riverside to support its five-year-old medical school. She also permanently redirected $8.5 million annually to help enroll more California students, as required by the state. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print USCs Academic Senate calls on university president to resign after a series of scandals By Matt Hamilton The body that represents USCs faculty called on President C.L. Max Nikias to resign Wednesday in the wake of relevations that the universitys longtime gynecologist faced years of accusations of misconduct by students and colleagues at the campus health clinic. The Academic Senate took the vote late Wednesday afternoon after a fiery town hall meeting attended by more than 100 faculty members, many of whom voiced outrage over Nikias and the Board of Trustees leadership. The vote came a day after the trustees executive committee stood firmly behind Nikias, saying it has full confidence in his leadership, ethics and values. At the town hall meeting, Senate President Paul Rosenbloom said he did not think Nikias or Provost Michael Quick committed wrongdoing but that the university president deserved criticism for a lack of transparency. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias public universities on the way to getting a big longed-for boost in funding By Teresa Watanabe The University of California and California State University systems are poised to get major funding boosts that will help them enroll thousands of additional state students and eliminate the need for tuition increases in the coming school year. A key Assembly budget panel on Wednesday approved $117.5 million in new funds for the UC. A Senate panel approved a similar sum last week. The same committees recently approved even more funding for the Cal State system. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement UC regents to scrutinize Janet Napolitanos office budget in a step toward stronger oversight By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents this week plan to scrutinize the budget of President Janet Napolitano, whose office came under political fire last year for questionable spending and murky accounting. Regents will vote on the proposed $876.4-million budget for 2018-19 during their two-day meeting, which starts Wednesday, at UC San Francisco. They also will discuss state funding, financial aid, online education and transfer student policies. Board Chairman George Kieffer said regents are stepping up to exert stronger oversight of the presidents office after a blistering state audit last year found financial problems including an unreported $175 million budget reserve. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print State legislative panels approve major funding boost for Cal State By Teresa Watanabe Cal State students protest against a tuition increase outside the chancellors office (Irfan Khan) After months of intensive lobbying, Cal State University has convinced two key legislative panels to approve funding to enroll nearly 11,000 more students, hire more faculty and expand housing aid to those without shelter this fall. An Assembly budget panel on Tuesday approved $215.7 million more for Cal State, adding to Gov. Jerry Browns proposed $92.1 million general fund increase. A Senate budget panel approved a similar increase last week. The extra funding which went beyond Cal States own request to the Legislature of $171 million is still subject to final budget negotiations with Brown. But the actions by the Senate and Assembly panels amount to a demand from Democrats that the governor hike higher education spending. Cal State University is the workhorse undergraduate university serving hundreds of thousands of Californians, said Assemblyman Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), who heads the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance. We need more graduates for the California workforce and higher education is the ticket to the middle class. Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White hailed the actions, but said it was too soon to celebrate. The CSU has a singular focus on helping students earn high-quality degrees sooner, and the entire university community has rallied to reinforce that message to our states lawmakers, he said in a statement. The actions taken thus far by the Assembly and Senate are promising and show that our message is being received, but there is still work to be done. Funding for the University of California was not taken up Tuesday as originally scheduled. McCarty would not comment on sticking points but said he was confident that a resolution would be reached this week. Were looking to provide resources above whats in the governors budget, but negotiations are ongoing, he said in an interview. State per-student funding is not what it once was, leaving both Cal State and the UC in a tough financial squeeze. Both systems raised tuition last year after a six-year freeze on higher costs. For this year, Cal State had asked for funding to enroll an additional 3,621 students, but both the Senate and Assembly panels approved three times that amount. Cal State, the largest public university system in the nation, turned away 32,000 eligible students last year because its campuses werent able to accommodate them. The panels asked that at least $50 million of the extra funding be used to hire more tenure-track faculty to help boost graduation rates. The Assembly panel also approved one-time funding of $5 million to ease hunger on campuses and $14 million for rapid rehousing pilot projects at three campuses, offering needy students rental support and short-term case management. Other items approved include $5 million to support the CSU Long Beach Shark Labs research on sharks and beach safety and $2 million for equal employment opportunity practices. This post has been updated to include comments from Assemblyman Kevin McCarty and Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Faculty members call for USC president to step down: He has lost the moral authority to lead By Matt Hamilton Two hundred USC professors on Tuesday demanded the resignation of university President C. L. Max Nikias, saying he had lost the moral authority to lead in the wake of revelations that a campus gynecologist was kept on staff for decades despite repeated complaints of misconduct. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Gun battle, negotiations lasted 15 minutes before Texas school shooter was apprehended, sheriff says By Molly Hennessy-Fiske Minutes after a school shooter opened fire in an art class last week, killing 10 people and wounding 13, including a local police officer, fellow officers returned fire in a protracted gun battle before isolating the suspect, the local sheriff said Monday. Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset praised first responders as well as Santa Fe Police Officer John Barnes, who was working as a resource officer at the school the day of the shooting. Their actions, he said, prevented the attack from spreading to other classrooms and potentially claiming additional victims. As officials continue to probe last Fridays shooting at Santa Fe High School, students are worried about returning to the scene of the attack when classes resume next week. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 6 women sue USC, alleging they were victimized by campus gynecologist By Richard Winton Six women filed civil lawsuits Monday alleging that a longtime gynecologist at the University of Southern California sexually victimized them under the pretext of medical care and that USC failed to address complaints from clinic staff about the doctors behavior. One woman alleged Dr. George Tyndall forced his entire ungloved hand into her vagina during an appointment in 2003 while making vulgar remarks about her genitalia, according to one of the lawsuits. Another woman alleged that Tyndall groped her breasts in a 2008 visit and that later he falsely told her she likely had AIDS. A third woman accused the doctor of grazing his ungloved fingers over her nude body and leering at her during a purported skin exam, the lawsuit states. The wave of litigation comes as USC continues to grapple with the scandal, which legal experts said could prove costly to the university as scores of former patients come forward about their experiences with the gynecologist. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Fatalities reported in Texas high school shooting; suspect arrested, officials say By Associated Press Houston-area media citing unnamed law enforcement officials are reporting that there are fatalities following a shooting at a local high school Friday morning. Television station KHOU and the Houston Chronicle are citing unnamed federal, county and police officials following the shooting at Santa Fe High School, which went on lockdown around 8 a.m. The Associated Press has not been able to confirm the reports. The school district has confirmed an unspecified number of injuries but said it wouldnt immediately release further details. Assistant Principal Cris Richardson said a suspect has been arrested and secured. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print This student followed the new L.A. schools chief on his first-day tour L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner is greeted by Van Nuys High School principal Yolanda Gardea. (Melissa Barales-Lopez) Melissa Barales-Lopez, a senior at Garfield High School followed Supt. Austin Beutner on his first day on the job, as he toured a variety of programs around the Los Angeles Unified School District. Heres what she took from the experience. LAUSD students and staff alike are looking for a personal champion, someone who will address and improve the difficulties afflicting their education. What LAUSD students need is someone whos willing to listen and learn, someone who can understand the current issues affecting their schools and act to efficiently amend them, someone who can unlock the full potential of LAUSD students and enable them to reach their goals. During the entirety of his first day, superintendent Austin Beutner did indeed demonstrate a willingness to learn. Posing questions to teachers and students, Beutner engaged with the student communities he encountered to gain a better comprehension of the minutiae and nuances that distinguish each school inside an overwhelmingly large district. From inquiries about Grand View Boulevard Elementary Schools dual language program to questions regarding the services of LAUSDs after-school program, Beyond the Bell, Beutner revealed he has a lot to learn about the system. But, Beutner also showcased a willingness to tackle challenges head-on on his first day. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print USC let a gynecologist continue treating students despite years of misconduct allegations By Matt Hamilton For nearly 30 years, the University of Southern Californias student health clinic had one full-time gynecologist: Dr. George Tyndall. Tall and garrulous with distinctive jet black hair, he treated tens of thousands of female students, many of them teenagers seeing a gynecologist for the first time. Few who lay down on Tyndalls exam table at the Engemann Student Health Center knew that he had been accused repeatedly of misconduct toward young patients. The complaints began in the 1990s, when co-workers alleged he was improperly photographing students genitals. In the years that followed, patients and nursing staff accused him again and again of creepy behavior, including touching women inappropriately during pelvic exams and making sexually suggestive remarks about their bodies. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Cal State trustees to discuss Browns latest budget proposal, which they say still falls $171 million short By Joy Resmovits Just how much money does California State University need to serve its students? In recent years, this question has been front and center for the nations largest public university system. Cal States leaders say that to keep their campuses quality from slipping, they need much more money than the state is giving them. This year, theyre also at odds with Gov. Jerry Brown on the question of whether any extra money should come in one-time bursts or be ongoing. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print On his first day as L.A. schools chief, Beutner plans a day of visits across the district By Howard Blume L.A. Unifieds new superintendent, Austin Beutner, will kick off his first day of work on Tuesday with a choreographed tour of the nations second-largest school district, from the San Fernando Valley to Carson. His day is scheduled to begin at 5:15 a.m. at a school bus depot and end more than 12 hours later at a parent meeting at Garfield High School. Along the way, Beutner is expected to be joined by school district administrators, L.A. Unified board members and the vice president of the union that represents school bus drivers. Though he will be covering a lot of ground, Beutners tour has him skipping Tuesdays school board meeting, when board members are expected to discuss labor negotiations in closed session. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Cal State trustees to discuss Browns latest budget proposal, which they say still falls $171 million short By Joy Resmovits Just how much money does California State University need to serve its students? In recent years, this question has been front and center for the nations largest public university system. Cal States leaders say that to keep their campuses quality from slipping, they need much more money than the state is giving them. This year, theyre also at odds with Gov. Jerry Brown on the question of whether any extra money should come in one-time bursts or be ongoing. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Why a handful of rich charter school supporters are spending millions to elect Antonio Villaraigosa as governor By Ryan Menezes California voters have seen a barrage of sunny television ads in recent weeks touting former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosas record on finances, crime and education, aired by Families & Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor 2018. But the group is, in fact, largely funded by a handful of wealthy charter-school supporters. Together they have spent more than $13 million in less than a month to boost Villaraigosas chances in the June 5 primary at a time when his fundraising and poll numbers are lagging. Reed Hastings, the founder of Netflix, jump-started the group with a $7-million check, by far the largest donation to support any candidate in the election. Their efforts are part of a broader proxy war among Democrats between teachers unions longtime stalwarts of the party and those who argue that the groups have failed low-income and minority schoolchildren. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Talking schools with L.A. Unifieds new superintendent By Anna M. Phillips Al Seib / Los Angeles Times ( Incoming L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner talks to students at Belmont High School.) Austin Beutner, who officially starts Tuesday as the new superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, is taking on a famously difficult job at a particularly difficult time. The school board is divided and did not back him unanimously. The nations second-largest school district has deep-seated problems, including declining enrollment, lagging academic achievement and rising pension and healthcare costs that eat away at its budget. The 58-year-old former investment banker and former L.A. Times publisher has years of experience in the financial world but none as an educator. Earlier this week, he sat down with the Times education team to discuss the challenges facing the district, which has about 60,000 employees and 500,000 students in traditional public schools. He did not talk about his plans saying repeatedly, stay tuned but he spoke in broad terms about his mindset in approaching the tough decisions ahead. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Suspect detained, authorities search campus after reports of armed man at Palmdale high school By James Queally One person has been detained after a report of an armed man at a Palmdale high school sparked a massive law enforcement response Friday morning. The suspect was spotted at 7:05 a.m. on the campus of Highland High School in Palmdale, according to Sheriffs Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida. The person was detained in a nearby parking lot, according to Nishida, who did not know whether that person was an adult or juvenile. Deputies at the scene are clearing the school methodically, and students will be transported home via school buses once the campus is deemed safe, Nishida said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement The education of Bertha Perez: How a UC Merced custodians disenchantment led to a political awakening By Robin Abcarian Its the third day of a three-day strike, and UC Merced custodian Bertha Perez is taking a break from a picket line at the universitys unremarkable entrance, an intersection with stop lights. Photos from other UC campuses this week have shown big crowds of striking service workers members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees marching and chanting pro-labor slogans as they try to force the University of California back to the negotiating table. But here, at UC Merced, whose handful of big buildings rise from a flat expanse of farmland, the picket line is tiny, maybe two dozen workers and a few students. Its not a big-city-style show of force. Then again, a union sympathizer is banging relentlessly on a snare drum, so its noisier than youd expect. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Ref Rodriguez resigns from teacher credentialing commission By Howard Blume Ref Rodriguez appears during a court appearance. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles school board member Ref Rodriguez has resigned from the states Commission on Teacher Credentialing, which oversees the integrity and quality of Californias teachers. Rodriguez faces felony and misdemeanor charges for political money laundering. Separately, his former employer, a charter school organization, has accused him of improperly authorizing checks to a nonprofit under his control. Rodriguez has denied wrongdoing. Rodriguezs resignation from the state body was effective May 4, days after he cast a crucial vote as part of a narrow majority that voted to authorize contract negotiations with Austin Beutner to become superintendent of the L.A. Unified School District. Beutners first official day on the job is Tuesday. Rodriguez remains in his $125,000-a-year position on the Los Angeles Board of Education. The mission of the state body is to ensure integrity, relevance, and high quality in the preparation, certification, and discipline of Californias teachers. Critics had questioned Rodriguezs continued service on the commission, given that teachers can be suspended from work if they face criminal charges. They also can lose their jobs for lapses in personal behavior, such as excessive drinking, with the potential to affect their performance. Police in Pasadena arrested Rodriguez on a Friday afternoon in March for public drunkenness. He was not charged in the incident and has apologized. The state commission reviews teacher discipline cases and can take action to remove a teachers credential to work in a California classroom. The commission has 15 members. Rodriguezs departure was disclosed in a one-sentence announcement on the agencys website. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print School board members request for restraining order against blogger is rejected By Priscella Vega An Orange County Superior Court judge on Wednesday denied a school board members petition for a permanent restraining order against a Huntington Beach blogger. Attorney Jeffrey W. Shields filed the petition on behalf of Ocean View School District trustee Gina Clayton-Tarvin, 46, who alleged in court documents that Charles Keeler Johnson, 56, has threatened her on social media and at school board meetings, causing her to fear for my own safety and for that of my immediate family members. Johnson, who goes by Chuck and publishes HBSledgehammer.com, said the trustee tried to stifle his freedom of speech. He also contended that Clayton-Tarvin took his blog posts and Facebook comments too seriously and out of context, saying anyone who is afraid of metaphors has serious issues. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Deal with workers averts one-day strike that could have shut down L.A. schools By Howard Blume Los Angeles school district and union officials announced a contract agreement Tuesday night that averted a one-day strike planned for next week. The pact, which runs through June 2020, removes one labor problem from the desk of incoming Supt. Austin Beutner whose first day on the job would have coincided with the strike. Plenty of other challenges remain. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print UC labor strike expands with show of support from more unions By Teresa Watanabe Fong Chuu is a registered nurse who has assisted with countless liver transplants, kidney surgeries and gastric bypasses during 34 years at UCLA. Working with her are scrub technicians who sterilize equipment, hand medical instruments to the surgeon and dress patient wounds. They are a team, Chuu says, which is why she walked off her job Tuesday in support of those technicians and other members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299. The 25,000 member AFSCME local, the University of Californias largest employee union, launched a three-day strike Monday. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print We are humans too: Voices of UCLAs striking custodians, hospital aides and imaging technicians By Joy Resmovits Demonstrators parade in front of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) This week, thousands of UC employees are staging a three-day strike for better pay and working conditions. On Monday, more than 20,000 custodians, cooks, lab technicians, nurse aides and other members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 walked off their jobs. By Tuesday, two more unions joined in sympathy strikes. The union and UC reached a bargaining impasse last year. The university has said it wont meet the workers demands. The strikers said they wanted better pay, more equity in the allocation of work, stable healthcare premiums and an end to the universitys use of contract workers. These are their stories. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Massive UC workers strike disrupts dining, classes and medical services By Joy Resmovits A massive labor strike across the University of California on Monday forced medical centers to reschedule more than 12,000 surgeries, cancer treatments and appointments, and campuses to cancel some classes and limit dining services. More than 20,000 members of UCs largest employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, walked off their jobs on the first day of a three-day strike. They include custodians, gardeners, cooks, truck drivers, lab technicians and nurse aides. Two altercations involving protesters and people driving near the rallies were reported at UCLA and UC Santa Cruz. At UCLA, police took a man into custody Monday after he drove his vehicle into a crowd, hitting three staff members. They were treated for minor injuries at the scene and released, said Lt. Kevin Kilgore of the UCLA Police Department. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Sen. Kamala Harris to skip UC Berkeley commencement in support of striking workers By Teresa Watanabe Sen. Kamala Harris (Chris Dekmas) California Sen. Kamala Harris has canceled plans to deliver UC Berkeleys commencement address this weekend in support of UC workers who are on strike over wages and health benefits. Due to the ongoing labor dispute, Sen. Harris regretfully cannot attend and speak at this years commencement ceremony at UC Berkeley, said a statement from Harris office issued Monday. She wishes the graduates and their families a joyous commencement weekend and success for the future. They are bright young leaders and our country is counting on them. UCs largest employee union, the 25,000-member American Federation of County, State and Municipal Employees Local 3299, launched a three-day strike Monday and had earlier called for a speakers boycott. The union and university reached a bargaining impasse last year and subsequent mediation efforts have failed to produce an agreement. The union is asking for a multiyear contract with a 6% annual pay increase while the university is offering 3% annual increases over four years. UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ will deliver the keynote address instead, the university announced. About 5,800 students are expected to participate in the ceremony Saturday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement School mural depicting Trumps bloody, severed head sparks controversy By Gary Warth A Chula Vista school mural that depicts the bloody, severed head of President Trump on a spear sparked a controversy that prompted officials to cover it and issue a response distancing themselves from the work. The statement also said the artist will alter the painting. We understand that there was a mural painted at the event this past weekend that does not align with our schools philosophy of non-violence, read the statement from MAAC Community Charter School director Tommy Ramirez. We have been in communication with the artist who has agreed to modify the artwork to better align with the schools philosophy. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print New blackface incident at Cal Poly prompts calls for state investigation By Kim Christensen Cal Poly San Luis Obispo officials have asked the state attorney generals office to investigate after a new photo of a white student in blackface surfaced on a fraternity groups private Snapchat. I am outraged, Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong said in a video address Friday to the campus. These vile and absolutely unacceptable acts cannot continue. We must not allow these acts to define us as an institution. Armstrong said the latest photo was intended to imitate an incident last month in which a white member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity was photographed at a party wearing blackface. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print More than 50,000 UC workers set to strike this week but campuses will remain open By Teresa Watanabe More than 50,000 workers across the University of California are set to strike this week, causing potential disruptions to surgery schedules, food preparation and campus maintenance. The systems 10 campuses and five medical centers are to remain open, with classes scheduled as planned. UCs largest employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, plans to begin a three-day strike Monday involving 25,000 workers, including custodians, gardeners, cooks, truck drivers, lab technicians and nurse aides. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement New L.A. schools chief Beutner pledges to listen, learn and take action By Howard Blume New Los Angeles schools Supt. Austin Beutner proved Wednesday that hes a quick learner even without an education background. Like countless public officials before him, he appeared at an important event his first speech and news conference with a photogenic background of students. His message that he would put those students first seemed heartfelt if hardly original. Nor was it a huge surprise that he pledged to push cooperatively but unflinchingly to improve the districts academic performance and stabilize its finances. As an introduction, Beutner, a former investment banker who made a fortune on Wall Street, offered little flash, but that was partly the point. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print In a school lockdown, one student takes stock of the stressful scene (Phalaen Chang) At the beginning of lunch one day late last month, Duarte High School, Northview Middle School, and California School of the Arts-San Gabriel Valley were advised by the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department to go into lockdown mode due to police activity in the immediate area. Phalaen Chang, a junior at the California School of the Arts, wrote a series of notes on her iPhone while she sat in a room with her classmates. By the time the lockdown ended an hour later, she wrote, she knew which of her friends would hold open the door for others, be the ones calming others down, be the ones barricading the doors. She knew that all of them have the potential to be such strong people. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Tale as old as time: L.A. Unified superintendent pick follows a historical pattern of outside-the-box choices By Joy Resmovits Navy Vice Adm. David L. Brewer III, superintendent from 2006-2008. (L.A. Times file photo) L.A. Unified has long gone back and forth between picking insiders and outsiders to run the nations second largest school district. The choice of Austin Beutner, announced Tuesday, places the district squarely back in the outsider camp months after a consummate insider, Supt. Michelle King, announced that she had cancer and would not return to the job. Check out this timeline of former L.A. superintendents to see how the school board members have changed their minds, sometimes favoring leaders who come from the world of education and sometimes executives from elsewhere, recruited to shock the system into change. At one point, the district hired someone from the military retired Navy Vice Adm. David L. Brewer III, who served as superintendent from 2006-2008. In hiring Brewer, board members had opted for a non-educator largely because they sought a fresh thinker, unwedded to the bureaucracy, unafraid to make bold, even unorthodox moves, reads a 2008 Times story. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Austin Beutner named superintendent of Los Angeles schools By Howard Blume Austin Beutner, a philanthropist and former investment banker, on Tuesday was named superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nations second-largest school system. His selection was the biggest move yet by a Los Angeles school board majority elected with major support from charter school advocates. The decision came after lengthy public testimony, most of it in support of the other remaining finalist, interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian, who is well known within the school system. Beutner, 58, has no background leading a school or school district. Less than 2 years ago, a school board with a very different balance of power named Michelle King, a former teacher who rose through the district throughout her career, to L.A. Unifieds top job. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Hearing delay gives both sides more time in Ref Rodriguezs potential trial By Howard Blume Ref Rodriguez and his attorneys will have more time to prepare their defense against charges of political money laundering, a judge ruled Monday. The preliminary hearing in the case had been scheduled to begin May 9, but that date will now be pushed back to July 23 per the ruling from L.A. Superior Court Judge Deborah S. Brazil. Rodriguez, 46, faces three felony charges of conspiracy, perjury and procuring and offering a false or forged instrument, as well as 25 misdemeanor counts related to the alleged campaign money laundering. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement L.A. school board poised to name Beutner as superintendent By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education is poised to select philanthropist and former investment banker Austin Beutner to be the next superintendent of the nations second-largest school system. Barring a last-minute development, the only mystery is whether Beutner emerges with four or five votes from the boards seven members. Terms of his contract already have been under discussion, according to sources close to the process who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak. The selection of Beutner, 58, who has no experience managing a school or a school district, would be a signal that the board majority that took control nearly a year ago wants to rely on business management skills instead of insider educational expertise. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Teacher walkouts in Arizona and Colorado continue national debate on money for schools By Michael Livingston Following the lead of teachers who walked off the job in other states in recent weeks, thousands of teachers and their supporters took to the streets in Arizona and Colorado for the second day in a row to demand better pay and more funding for education. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Three decades before the #MeToo movement, UC San Diego led the way against sexual assault By Teresa Watanabe When Nancy Wahlig first started her fight against sexual assault, one company was marketing a capsule for women to stash in their bras and then smash to release a vile odor. Because of the very nature of society, the only person who can prevent rape is the woman herself, read a 1981 advertisement for the Repulse rape deterrent. Ideas about how to prevent sexual violence have come a long way since then, and Wahlig has helped lead that evolution on college campuses. In 1988, she started UC San Diegos Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC), the first stand-alone program at the University of California. Today, she remains the systems most senior specialist. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Andres Alonso withdraws from consideration for L.A. schools job By Howard Blume Andres Alonso, believed to be one of three remaining finalists to lead the Los Angeles school system, has withdrawn from consideration. The remaining known candidates in the confidential search are former investment banker Austin Beutner and interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian. Alonso, 60, announced his decision on Twitter on Thursday night, saying he had notified the L.A. Unified School District on Monday. The exit of Alonso, the former Baltimore schools chief, seems to solidify the front-runner status of Beutner, who also was a former L.A. Times publisher and a Los Angeles deputy mayor. He held each of those positions for about a year. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Heres why the apparent increase in autism spectrum disorders may be good for U.S. children By Karen Kaplan The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among American children continues to rise, new government data suggest. And that may be a good thing. Among 11 sites across the U.S. where records of 8-year-olds are scrutinized in detail, 1 in 59 kids was deemed to have ASD in 2014. Thats up from 1 in 68 in 2012. Normally, health officials would prefer to see less of a disease, not more of it. But in this case, the higher number is probably a sign that more children of color who are on the autism spectrum are being recognized as such and getting services to help them, according to a report published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print UC shelves tuition increase for now, in hopes of getting more state funding By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents will not vote on a tuition increase next month, shelving the plan for now in hopes that state lawmakers will come through with more funding. Raising tuition is always a last resort and one we take very seriously, UC President Janet Napolitano said Thursday in a statement. We will continue to advocate with our students who are doing a tremendous job of educating legislators about the necessity of adequately funding the university to ensure UC remains a world-class institution and engine of economic growth for our state. Last week, Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White said the 23-campus system no longer would consider a plan to raise tuition for the 2018-19 academic year. But unlike Cal State, UC officials have not taken a tuition increase off the table entirely. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement A chemical spill, unchecked eyewash stations, poor training: Audit details Cal States lax lab safety By Joy Resmovits In May 2016, two bottles tumbled off a poorly supported shelf and broke, leading to a chemical spill in a Sacramento State University lab. The liquid got onto one students legs and soaked anothers feet. Five employees cleaned up the mess, even though no one knew for sure what it was and whether it was dangerous. They called fellow employee Kim Harrington, their union representative, to let her know what happened. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print After blackface incident, minority students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo say they dont feel welcome By Hailey Branson-Potts Aaliyah Ramos was walking through the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus last year when a prospective student approached her. Ramos was the only black person, the young woman said, that she and her mother had seen that day. They asked about the quality of education and the diversity of the student body. Ramos, a mechanical engineering student, didnt want to sugarcoat the truth: Cal Poly long has been predominantly white. But she told the young woman who also was black that she didnt want to discourage her from applying, because that wouldnt help with diversity at a school where only 0.7% of students are African American the lowest percentage of any university in the California State system. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills wins the 2018 U.S. Academic Decathlon By Carlos Lozano El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills has won the 2018 U.S. Academic Decathlon, officials said. The winner was announced early Saturday at a ceremony in Frisco, Texas. More than 600 students from the U.S., Canada, China and the United Kingdom gathered there over the last three days to compete in the 37th annual U.S. Academic Decathlon. Congratulations to El Camino Real Charter High School for another impressive victory, said Vivian Ekchian, interim superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Your academic stamina and competitive spirit to win is remarkable. The entire L.A. Unified family is so proud of you. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Anticipation mounts as L.A. school board meets over superintendent selection By Howard Blume L.A. schools superintendent candidate Andres Alonso got an endorsement Friday, but Austin Beutner and Vivian Ekchian also have supporters. (Elizabeth Malby) The Los Angeles Board of Education is reconvening in closed session Friday at noon as anticipation mounts about the choice of the next leader of the nations second-largest school system. The presumed front-runner is former investment banker and philanthropist Austin Beutner, but interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian and former Baltimore Supt. Andres Alonso also are in the running. Most district insiders appear to be rooting for Ekchian, who has spent her entire career in education within the school system. After her 10 years as a teacher, her roles have included head of human resources, chief labor negotiator and regional administrator for campuses in the west San Fernando Valley. Shes managed the district since September, when then-Supt. Michelle King went on medical leave and chose Ekchian to fill in for her. King, who is battling cancer, never returned and announced her retirement in January. Numerous influential civic leaders have urged and pressured the board to select Beutner. Also lending their weight have been advocates for charter schools, which are independently operated, growing in number and competing for students with district-operated campuses. Four of the seven board members enough to control the outcome were elected with major financial support from charter supporters. Beutner has two ongoing connections with the L.A. Unified School District. The first is his leadership of an outside task force that is making recommendations on how to improve the school system. The second is his charity, Vision to Learn, which supplies glasses to low-income students. The charity and the school system are in a dispute at the moment over who is responsible for delays in providing services to students as part of a $6 million contract, half of which is paid for by L.A. Unified. Unlike Ekchian and Buetner, Alonso, who currently teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, has no deep-seated local constituency, but the prospect of his selection has generated some excitement. While in Baltimore, Alonso was recognized for pushing for progress at low-performing schools, and for being willing to take strong action. While in Baltimore, he also weathered a test-score cheating scandal and occasionally rocky relations with the teachers union. But by the time he resigned, after six years, he and union leaders seemed to be working together without rancor. Leaders of some community groups have split from the pro-Beutner camp. They worry that Beutners approach to confronting the districts financial problems could shut out their voices or involve severe economic cutbacks that would undermine programs that are helping students. Some prefer Ekchian; some Alonso. Theyve been reluctant to speak out publicly because theyll have to work with whoever is selected, but they have tried to get the ear of board members. On Friday morning, one leader of a community group decided to come out in favor of Alonso. L.A. Unified has the opportunity to bring in an instructional leader of color with a history of success, said Alberto Retana, president and chief executive of Community Coalition, which works on behalf of low-income students and families in South Los Angeles. If we have a shot at that, we should go for it because its in the best interests of our kids and of our community. Retana said his statement was not meant to criticize Beutner or Ekchian but to alert board members that there also is community support for Alonso. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Cal State leader shelves proposed tuition hike: Its the right thing to do, but its not without risk By Joy Resmovits Cal State, the nations largest public university system, will no longer consider a plan to raise tuition for the 2018-19 academic year, Chancellor Timothy P. White announced Friday. The decision is a bet that Sacramento will come through in the end. If Cal State loses that bet, it could mean cuts to campus programs. White said in an interview that Californias economy is strong enough that families should not be shouldering the burden of higher college costs. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. students to participate in national walkout activities on Friday By Joy Resmovits (Los Angeles Times) Students are taking to the streets again Friday to protest gun violence on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting. Starting at 10 a.m., students at many schools will spend 13 seconds honoring the 13 people 12 students and one teacher killed on that day in Littleton, Colo. After that, theyll participate in a host of different activities. Within L.A. Unified, one school is having an open-mic event for students to talk about school violence, and lawmakers are visiting campuses to hear students thoughts. According to a central hub for organizing the protests written by the students of Ridgefield High School in Connecticut the walkouts are intended to drive the political change necessary to curb school violence. The day is also a time for students to interact on an elevated platform they have never had before, the site states. It is a day of discourse and thoughtful sharing. Bringing together communities and students to get a national discussion rolling. Organizers have suggested using the event to convey the importance of curbing gun violence to legislators. They are encouraging students to push legislation that would ban assault weapons and tighten up rules around who can buy guns and how. Over 2,500 schools nationwide are expected to participate. In L.A., some students at campuses including Eagle Rock High School, the Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts and Bravo Medical Magnet plan to walk out. Students from various schools expect to join area marches, including those in Santa Monica and Huntington Park. Other schools are hosting career days and voter registration drives. At 1 p.m., students plan to start a rally in front of L.A. Unified headquarters. For the record: An earlier version of this article stated that 12 teachers and one student were killed in the Columbine shooting. The opposite is true: twelve students and one teacher died. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Stabbing of popular student devastates South El Monte High School; teen friend suspected in slaying By Sonali Kohli When administrators at South El Monte High School called Jeremy Sanchezs parents to say he never showed up for class Wednesday, his father began to worry. It was unusual for the 17-year-old junior to miss school, so his father filed a missing persons report and assembled two of Jeremys close friends to look for the popular student-athlete. Their search took them to a scenic stretch of the San Gabriel River Trail, where one of the friends a 16-year-old boy made a tragic discovery. Among the bushes in the riverbed near Thienes Avenue and Parkway Drive was Jeremys body, punctured with stab wounds, according to Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Racist fliers spark outrage at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo By Alene Tchekmedyian Soon after Neal MacDougall arrived on the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus Tuesday, the professor noticed university police standing outside a restroom near his office. A racial slur against African Americans had been scrawled in red marker on a stall wall. Later, he discovered a series of racist fliers pinned up next to his door. Someone had also slashed posters hed hung outside his office supporting students in the country illegally. The discovery was the latest controversy on the prestigious campus which the president said is less than 55% white that MacDougall said demonstrates a culture of racism at the university. Last week, photographs emerged of white fraternity members, including one in blackface, flashing gang signs. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement The superintendent waiting game, paying for L.A.'s College Promise, Princetons slave history: Whats new in education By Joy Resmovits Acting LAUSD superintendent Vivian Ekchian is a finalist for the permanent job. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) In and around Los Angeles: The L.A. Unified school board spent 10 hours interviewing and discussing candidates for superintendent. When they adjourned after 10 p.m., they said they would reconvene on Friday. Who is paying for Mayor Eric Garcettis much-touted College Promise, a program that promises two years of community college for LAUSD grads? In California: The Legislature is considering a proposal that would boost K-12 education funding for black students. When the cost of living is taken into account, California has the highest rate of child poverty. Nationwide: The families of two children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School are suing Alex Jones and Infowars for saying the school massacre never occurred. Princeton will name two spaces an arch and a garden after slaves who lived or worked on the campus. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. school board meets privately with finalists and debates choice for school district leader By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education adjourned late Tuesday after spending more than 10 hours interviewing candidates and trying to reach a decision on who would be the next leader of the nations second-largest school system. When the meeting finally recessed at 10:11 p.m., a spokesman announced only that the school board would reconvene Friday at noon. Going into the days meetings, there were apparently four finalists, according to sources who could not be named because they were unauthorized to speak. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Two Sandy Hook families sue Alex Jones and Infowars for saying the school massacre never happened By David Altimari Families of two children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School have filed lawsuits in Texas against controversial radio host Alex Jones for continually claiming the massacre never happened. Neil Heslin, the father of Jesse Lewis, and Leonard Pozner and Veronique De La Rosa, whose son Noah Pozner died in the massacre, filed separate lawsuits late Monday in Travis County, Texas. The lawsuits allege that Jones defamed the parents by constantly calling them crisis actors and insisting the shooting was a false flag operation; they also claim Jones accusations have led to death threats against the Sandy Hook families by Jones followers. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Beutner emerges as a top pick for L.A. schools superintendent amid last-minute jockeying By Howard Blume Austin Beutner has emerged as a leading contender to run the Los Angeles school district, with backers saying he is smart enough and tough enough to confront its financial and academic struggles. Though he does not have a background in education, the former investment banker has in the last year examined some of the districts intractable problems, serving as co-chair of an outside task force with the support of then-Supt. Michelle King. Sources inside and outside the school district said Beutner appears to have more support on the seven-member board than other finalists, and his name could come up for a vote as early as Tuesday. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Challenge at Chicago school construction site: Watch for 38,000 unmarked graves By Nereida Moreno A 15-year effort to build a school in Chicagos Dunning neighborhood is underway with an unusual complication: Construction workers are taking careful steps to avoid disturbing human remains that may lie beneath the soil. The $70-million school is to be built on the grounds of a former Cook County Poor House, where an estimated 38,000 people were buried in unmarked graves. Among the dead are residents who were too poor to afford funeral costs, unclaimed bodies and patients from the countys insane asylum. There can be and there have been bodies found all over the place, said Barry Fleig, a genealogist and cemetery researcher who began investigating the site in 1989. Its a spooky, scary place. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Oklahoma teacher walkout winds down despite lawmakers failure to meet demands By Washington Post Oklahomas largest teachers union has announced an end to a walkout that has drawn thousands of educators out of classrooms and to the state Capitol demanding greater investment in the states schools, which have endured the nations steepest funding cuts. The announcement Thursday from the Oklahoma Education Assn. does not necessarily end the protests at the Capitol, as teachers not affiliated with the union vowed to stay longer. Instead of a walkout, the union and school districts across the state have said they plan to send delegations of teachers to Oklahoma City to keep the pressure on lawmakers. Teachers and their supporters have also promised to push education issues to the forefront of November elections, when the state chooses a new governor. As school districts begin to reopen, the protests may lose steam. The Legislature is not in session Friday, and observers are waiting to see what happens Monday, when lawmakers return. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Most Californians are worried about school shooting threats and oppose arming teachers, survey finds By Joy Resmovits Hamilton High School student Aiyana Dabriel holds a sign during a March 14 walkout in support of the Parkland shooting victims. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Most Californians are worried that a school shooting like the one that occurred in Parkland, Fla., in February could shed blood closer to home, a new survey found. Some 73% percent of adults and 82% of public school parents said they were very concerned or somewhat concerned about school shootings. The Public Policy Institute of California surveyed 1,704 adults in the state by phone just after the March for Our Lives protest against gun violence. Latino and black respondents were significantly more likely to be concerned about school violence than white or Asian respondents, the institute found. Two-thirds of adults and public school parents said they opposed letting more educators carry weapons in school. The response differed across party lines, with 86% of Democrats and 69% of independents voicing their opposition, while 60% percent of Republicans said they would support a measure to arm educators. The poll, which had a margin of error of 3.2% in either direction, also asked Californians about school funding, educational issues in the governors race and the impact of immigration enforcement on students. You can find the full results here. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias largest virtual charter school network agrees to contract with its teachers By Anna M. Phillips Nearly four years after teachers at Californias largest online charter school voted to unionize, they have reached a deal to increase pay and create job protections, according to a spokesman for the California Teachers Assn. The contract, which is still tentative and subject to ratification, is a victory for the teachers union. Although charter schools are publicly funded, most are privately managed and their employees arent protected by labor contracts. Under the terms of the contract the result of years of negotiation and legal wrangling approximately 500 teachers working for California Virtual Academies will no longer be at-will employees who can be dismissed for almost any reason. Their average salary will rise to just over $45,000, according to union estimates, a figure that remains far below the norm for traditional public school teachers. Still, it is an improvement over the previous average of $38,000. The accord also places a limit on the number of students each teacher is responsible for monitoring in online homeroom classes. Were very satisfied with the gains we made, said teacher Brianna Carroll, president of California Virtual Educators United. I think were going to see some extraordinary changes in our schools. According to Carroll, teachers at California Virtual Academies better known as CAVA had grown frustrated with the organizations foot-dragging and were making preparations to go on strike when CAVAs leadership agreed to the deal. CAVA and K12, the Virginia-based for-profit company linked to its schools, did not immediately respond to an email Tuesday asking for comment. The network currently operates nine virtual charter schools across California. In 2016, the charter network agreed to pay $8.5 million to settle claims of false advertising, misleading parents and inadequate instruction. The state attorney generals office had also accused K12 of controlling the charters for its own financial benefit. Neither CAVA nor K12 admitted to wrongdoing in the settlement. A year later, the state imposed a $2-million fine on CAVA after an audit found that it had misspent public funds. The network disputed the findings. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement School board approves a new formula for funding high-need schools By Sonali Kohli L.A. schools will soon get more money if they are located in neighborhoods with such problems as high levels of gun violence and asthma. The Los Angeles Unified school board voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt a new formula to determine how to dole out some funding to schools, based not only on the characteristics of the student populations but on the traumas that affect the communities around campuses. The new formula will be applied to $25 million in funding next fiscal year and about $263 million annually in future years a small part of the districts $7.5 billion annual budget. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Protesters demand Ref Rodriguez resignation outside school board meeting By Sonali Kohli Students, parents, teachers and UTLA marching outside the board meeting chanting "Ref resign" pic.twitter.com/W0LRWZSIXY Sonali Kohli (@Sonali_Kohli) April 10, 2018 A few dozen parents, students and teachers marched outside the Los Angeles Unified School Board meeting Tuesday, some calling for board member Ref Rodriguez to resign the week after news broke that he was taken into custody on suspicion of being drunk in public at a Pasadena bar and restaurant. Rodriguez was not cited or charged in that incident, but was held for more than five and a half hours before being released. The school board member faces felony and misdemeanor charges for political money laundering. He is accused of getting more than two dozen people people to donate to his campaign for his school board seat with the understanding that he would reimburse them. He stepped down from his post as school board president after he was charged last fall, but he did not give up his seat on the board. He has pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of conspiracy, perjury, and procuring and offering a false or forged instrument, as well as 25 misdemeanor counts related to the alleged campaign money laundering. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May. He cant give his full focus to our students, said Rebecca LaFond, a Highland Park parent whose three children marched with her as she chanted, Ref resign. One daughter marched in front of her, using a drum stick to hit the bottom of a gallon-size empty water jug. Our kids deserve someone who has the utmost ethical standards representing them, LaFond said. The protests continued into the board meeting, where some addressed Rodriguez directly, calling on him to step down during public comment portions of the meeting. Rodriguez, through his chief of staff, declined to comment. Some parents outside the board meeting did not know about the charges against Rodriguez but came out to protest the possibility of sharing their school campuses with charter schools. Protesters also oppose colocation not all of the parents are here to ask Ref Rodriguez to step down pic.twitter.com/1Co8zQ9zSi Sonali Kohli (@Sonali_Kohli) April 10, 2018 Cynthia Martinez said her son, who goes to Christopher Dena Elementary School in Boyle Heights, has been bullied in the past by students from a charter school sharing the campus. She said she didnt know who Rodriguez was. Some parents and teachers are worried about losing computer labs, robotics rooms and fitness centers if they are required to share their campus with charter schools, said Ilse Escobar, a parent community organizer for United Teachers Los Angeles. The issues of Rodriguez and colocation are related, Escobar said. Rodriguez is part of a majority on the school board elected with financial backing from charter school supporters, and many parents, she said, feel that the school board is compromised if he is a part of it. Staff reporter Howard Blume contributed to this post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Delaine Eastin tries to gain momentum in the California governors race, one voter at a time By Seema Mehta Delaine Eastin was a sophomore in high school when a drama teacher urged her to try out for a part in The Man Who Came to Dinner. She hesitated until he told her: This is a metaphor for your whole life. If you never try out, you will never get the part. Eastin auditioned and won the role. Decades later, the advice sticks with the former state schools chief, this time in her unlikely run for governor. Despite calls for more women in leadership roles in state politics following sexual misconduct allegations in Sacramento, Eastin has been largely overlooked in the race, lagging far behind her Democratic rivals in fundraising and the polls. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Arizona high court rejects in-state tuition for DACA recipients By Associated Press Young immigrants granted deferred deportation status under a program started by President Obama are not eligible for lower in-state college tuition, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Monday. The unanimous ruling will affect at least 2,000 students attending the states largest community college district and hundreds more at other colleges and the states three public universities. The Maricopa County Community Colleges District and state universities said they would begin raising tuition immediately for the coming school year. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print New York high school students injured when bus strikes overpass By Associated Press A charter bus carrying teenagers returning from a spring break trip Sunday night struck a bridge overpass on Long Island, seriously injuring six passengers and mangling the entire length of the top of the bus. The crash happened shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday on the Southern State Parkway in Lakeview, according to New York State Police. One of the six injured passengers had very serious injuries, said State Police Maj. David Candelaria. Thirty-seven other passengers suffered minor injuries. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Some good news for California in national student test scores By Joy Resmovits National test scores for fourth- and eighth-graders were generally flat from 2015, but eighth-grade reading scores showed some improvement. Every two years, the nations fourth- and eighth-graders are tested in math and reading and newly released results from last years tests give California at least a little reason to be pleased. The 2017 results out Monday night were mostly flat nationwide compared with 2015, though the average score in eighth-grade reading went up. But while that improvement largely came from the increased scores of the highest-performing students, California eighth-graders showed some reading progress from the lowest levels to the highest. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Under state control, Inglewood school districts financial picture worsened By Anna M. Phillips When Eugenio Villa agreed to return to the Inglewood schools for a second tour last summer, he knew the district remained one of Californias most troubled. Inglewood Unified had been nearly insolvent when it was taken over by the state Department of Education in 2012. Six years later, its enrollment was still declining. Its school buildings were tired some edging into decrepitude. Its test scores and graduation rates were still below the state average. And the public was out of patience. Still, Villa, who had signed back on as the districts chief business official, was shocked at what he found when he arrived in June 2017. Two years earlier, he had left the school system on what he thought was firm ground. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Charter school group drops two lawsuits against L.A. Unified By Howard Blume A charter schools advocacy group last week announced that it would end two long-running lawsuits in which it was seeking more classroom space and construction money from the Los Angeles school district. The decision, the California Charter Schools Assn. said, reflects better relations between charter schools and the L.A. Unified School District. But the move also suggests that the litigation, which already contributed to significant gains for area charters, was unlikely to produce much more. It takes time, money and effort to litigate, said Ricardo Soto, general counsel for the charter group. Maybe its better to see if we can find the time and opportunity for collaboration. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. school board member Ref Rodriguez is arrested on suspicion of public intoxication By Richard Winton Los Angeles school board member Ref Rodriguez was arrested recently on suspicion of being drunk in public at a Pasadena restaurant, the latest trouble for an elected official who faces political money-laundering charges. Pasadena police took Rodriguez into custody on March 16, according to city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian. Officers arrested Rodriguez at about 4:30 p.m. at the Yard House restaurant and bar at the Paseo Mall and held him in jail for more than five-and-a-half hours. Rodriguez was ultimately released without being cited or charged, Derderian told The Times. Other details about the arrest were not available, she The search for the next superintendent to lead Los Angeles public schools moves into high gear this week as the school board starts to interview and discuss candidates Monday and Tuesday. The process is confidential, and its not clear that anyone has the inside track. Still, advocates who have influence with L.A. Unifieds elected Board of Education are pushing certain names. The decision will hinge in large measure on what the board views as the most pressing challenge for the nations second-largest school system: lagging student achievement or looming financial pressures. When I think about the superintendent search, I find myself wondering what the job really is, said Fred Ali, chief executive of the L.A.-based Weingart Foundation, whose education grants include support for after-school programs and charter schools. If the school district is truly near or inevitably headed toward financial insolvency, then that certainly begins to define the kind of job this becomes. If its not, the search takes you in a different direction. Advertisement Of course, the person who gets the job must handle both immense challenges and much more. Inside the district: The leading insider is Interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian, who has filled in since Supt. Michelle King went on medical leave in September. King, who is battling cancer, never returned. Ekchian has confirmed her interest in the job. Another possible name to fill the superintendent post? of L.A. Unified Chief Academic Officer Frances Gipson. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times ) Another insider whose name has come up is Frances Gipson, the districts chief academic officer. She declined to say on Friday whether she was interested in the job. At the moment, an insider seems a less likely choice for a new board majority that wants to leave a bold stamp on the nations second-largest school system. But searches can take unexpected turns. King, a career insider who was deputy superintendent at the time of the last search, was not on everyones short lists before she was named in January 2016. Outside the district: Advertisement An educator bidding for the job would have to demonstrate comfort in handling financial strains as well as present a record of achieving academic gains. Much also depends on how the board defines the job. A top priority of the previous majority was to reverse declining enrollment. That may matter less for the new majority, elected with major backing from supporters of charter schools. Its four board members definitely will seek a leader to navigate the divide between traditional campuses, run by the district, and charters, which are independently operated. This division is fraught because the growth of charters comes at the expense of district schools, costing L.A. Unified students and the funding that comes with them. As enrollment has declined, the district has had difficulty cutting its overhead while also maintaining campuses, funding pensions and paying for retiree health benefits. Such outlays leave less money for programs benefiting students. A key challenge for charter school leaders is finding space. They want easier and fuller access to district properties and classrooms, especially as charters grow and the school system shrinks. Advertisement Tom Boasberg in Denver is a superintendent known for supporting charters as part of an overall program. His top deputy, Susana Cordova, who rose from teacher to senior leadership, also could attract interest. Potential outside contenders for the top L.A. schools job include Atlanta schools Supt. Meria Carstarphen and San Antonio schools Supt. Pedro Martinez. (Atlanta Public Schools / San Antonio school district ) Others who fall into this category, if they were interested, would include Meria Carstarphen in Atlanta; Pedro Martinez in San Antonio; Barbara Jenkins in Orange County, Fla.; and Louisiana state Supt. John C. White. But availability and willingness could be issues. Some leaders of other school districts have said they would not come to L.A. They have expressed concern about the volatility of the L.A. school board and the way in which successive elections can cause power shifts that threaten a superintendents tenure. Those who might be persuaded typically stay mum during the search process. They dont want to offend their current employers by openly applying elsewhere. Advertisement One potential candidate is former Supt. Andres Alonso, who served six years in Baltimore but left in 2013 to teach at Harvard and help care for his aging parents. Former Supt. Andres Alonso left Baltimore after six years to take a teaching post at Harvard University. (Elizabeth Malby / Associated Press ) Less traditional choices: During the previous search, those who were not leaders in education were unlikely to go far. That may not be the case this time. Advertisement If L.A. Unified goes with someone without an education background, the school board will be making a statement about putting financial priorities front and center. Such a candidate would have to persuade the board that he or she has management skills that transcend education expertise. One person attracting attention is former investment banker Austin Beutner, who also served as an L.A. deputy mayor and later as publisher of The Times. He currently co-chairs an outside task force assessing how the school system functions. He declined to say whether he would be interested. Former investment banker and former Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner is attracting notice as a possible candidate for L.A. schools chief. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times ) Two other members of that task force have been mentioned as well. Former L.A. City Controller Wendy Greuel brings financial management experience and political savvy from winning campaigns for the L.A. City Council. Task force co-chair Laphonza Butler is president of the union that represents the states in-home caregivers and nursing home workers. That could give her some credibility with the districts restive unions, which are involved in tense contract negotiations. Advertisement Wendy Greuel served on the L.A. City Council and as the city controller. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times ) Another person drawing interest is Miguel Santana, president of the nonprofit that manages the 500-acre county fair complex. He formerly served as L.A.s administrative officer and as a member of a panel that in 2015 laid out the districts financial problems. Roberto J. Rodriguez is a less traditional candidate with a background in educational policy. He was the top education advisor to late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and advised President Obama on education. He now heads Teach Plus, a nonprofit with leadership programs for teachers that is sometimes allied with groups critical of teachers unions. Butler, Greuel, Santana and Rodriguez could not be reached for comment. Advertisement Charter leaders: A much talked-about option is Ana Ponce, head of the well-regarded Camino Nuevo charter group. Ponce has the experience of developing and running what is in essence a small school district, but the step up would be huge. Camino Nuevo has eight schools; L.A. Unified more than 1,000. Inside-outsiders: A handful of former top L.A. Unified officials who went on to work elsewhere have rare status as both insiders and outsiders. They include Boston Supt. Tommy Chang and Burbank Supt. Matt Hill, who released a statement on Friday saying that he is staying in Burbank. Advertisement Joan Sullivan manages programs to improve a group of low-performing L.A. schools. (Partnership for Los Angeles Schools ) Another inside-outside person who would immediately rise to the short list if she applied is Joan Sullivan, head of the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. Early in her career, she started a public school in New York City. Then she served as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosas education advisor. At the Partnership, she has made some progress managing 18 of L.A.s lowest-performing public schools. Joan Sullivan did not apply for and is not seeking the role of L.A. Unified superintendent, said Partnership spokeswoman Cathy Kralik. The school board hopes to make a decision by the end of April. Advertisement howard.blume@latimes.com @howardblume WASHINGTON, April 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Sunday that there would be no deal to legalize the status of hundreds of thousands of "Dreamers", undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. "No MORE DACA DEAL!" Trump said in an emphatic tweet Sunday morning. DACA refers to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an Obama administration program that shields Dreamers from deportation. Trump shut it down last fall but gave lawmakers six month to come up with a permanent solution. Though Congress has been unable to reach a consensus on the issue and stalled the progress, legal challenges to the Trump order has managed to keep DACA in place for now. The president tweeted a claim on Sunday that Border Patrol agents can't do their jobs properly because of "ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws" that allow people caught for illegally staying in the country to be released while awaiting a hearing, while urging Republicans in charge of the Senate to "go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws." In order to end debate and move forward to a vote on a measure or piece of legislation, Senate rules require 60 votes in the 100-member Senate, but Republicans now only control 51 seats, and GOP Senate leaders have opposed Trump's repeated call to change the longstanding rules. While stressing his signature promise, the border wall, Trump lashed out at Mexico for "doing very little, if not NOTHING, at stopping people from flowing into Mexico through their Southern Border, and then into the U.S." "They must stop the big drug and people flows, or will stop their cash cow, NAFTA," the president said of the North American Free Trade Agreement, a trade deal between the United States, Mexico and Canada, that Washington is trying to rewrite. Outside of a Delano church, the children draped their bodies over the caskets that held their parents, tears streaming down their faces. They were about five miles from the site where their parents had fatally crashed while fleeing from immigration agents last month. The six sons and daughters were joined by nearly 400 others who packed Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on Monday morning for the funeral services of Santos Hilario Garcia and Marcelina Garcia Perfecto. Marcelina and Santos were hard workers who only wanted to provide for their family. Like many other immigrants, they were farmworkers people who lifted up this country, said Arturo Rodriguez, president of the United Farm Workers of America. We want to ensure that the deaths of Marcelina and Santos are not in vain. This tragedy has shown this country that the inhumane politics of this administration destroy families. Advertisement The oldest child, second from left, of Santos Hilario Garcia and Marcelina Garcia Perfecto mourns with her siblings, left, and relatives during the funeral services at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Delano. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times ) On the morning of March 13, deportation officers had arrived at a residence that they believed belonged to a previously removed Mexican citizen, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Lori Haley. A man matching the targets description left the residence and got into a car. After agents stopped the car and tried to contact the driver, the car sped off, Haley said. Agents later came across the vehicle, which had struck a utility pole and overturned, and called local authorities. Garcia, 35, and his wife, Perfecto, 33, who were in the country illegally, were both killed. Garcia, who was convicted in 2014 of driving under the influence, was voluntarily returned to Mexico three times between 2008 and 2017, Haley said. Perfecto had no prior encounters with ICE. Though Garcia matched the description of the arrest target, he was not the same individual, according to ICE. It gets worse and worse to know that, by irony, theyre not the ones they were looking for but because of [ICEs] job, they are doing what they do and everybody is in their net, said Jim Grant, director of social justice ministry for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno, who attended the funeral services. Therefore the couple knows they still have to flee and then theres this result two deaths that need not have happened. Federal agents conducted a large-scale immigration sweep through the Central Valley in February, arresting hundreds including some farmworkers suspected of being in the country without legal status. ICE Director Thomas Homan has defended his agencys enforcement efforts, pointing instead to Californias sanctuary policies, which limit cooperation between local and federal law enforcement. Advertisement In a previous statement to The Times, Homan said those policies have forced the agency to make arrests in communities rather than in jails, which poses increased risks for law enforcement and the public and also increases the likelihood that ICE will encounter other illegal aliens who previously werent on our radar. Garcia and Perfecto had been in the U.S since 2003. The pair were originally from Guerrero, Mexico, and mainly spoke Mixtec, an indigenous language. Throughout the Mass, attendees spoke a mix of Spanish, English and Mixtec. Although some of those who attended did not know the couple, many said they could relate to their story. It could happen to anyone of us, said Delano resident Susana Ortiz. People are scared, because theyre leaving their kids and they dont know if theyre going to come back. Advertisement Former and current farmworkers, as well as classmates, turned out to show their support for the couples children. Victoria Lennon, 17, attends school with one of the couples daughters and is on the track team with her. This was definitely a situation in which I wanted to make sure that I was there for her and that she knew there were people who cared and she wouldnt be alone, Victoria said. The people here are very caring, very giving, very family oriented. People stick together when things go down. Throughout the service, the couples oldest daughter, who is 18, cried often, as did her three younger sisters and two younger brothers. The family declined to speak to the media. Advertisement As the service came to a close and the caskets were opened, the children saw their parents for the first time since their deaths and wept. Someone had placed a photo of the couple in each casket. In Garcias were the words, Querido Padre and in Perfectos, Querida Madre. Beloved father. Beloved mother. When the caskets were placed inside hearses, family members released white balloons. Delano Mayor Grace Vallejo then joined the family for a procession to a nearby reception. Advertisement I hope that this trickles up to the federal government and they learn that they are literally causing deaths of people thats my hope, Vallejo said. But the reality is, if Trumps administration has not listened to the pleas and breakup of families and everything going on, if he hasnt listened by now, I doubt hes going to listen. To read this article in Spanish click here Times staff writer Andrea Castillo contributed to this report. Advertisement brittny.mejia@latimes.com Twitter: @brittny_mejia UPDATES: 7:15 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from people who attended the funeral services and from an ICE official. Advertisement This article was originally published at 3:10 p.m. For years civil libertarians hoped to end Californias practice of taking DNA from people arrested on suspicion of a felony and storing that genetic information in an offender database regardless of whether the suspects were later acquitted or had their charges dropped. That fight for more protective rules in the governments DNA collection suffered a major setback Monday when the California Supreme Court let stand a provision of a 2004 voter initiative that said any adult arrested or charged with a felony must give up his or her DNA. On a 4-3 vote, the states highest court refused to throw out that part of the Proposition 69, which has led to the storing of DNA profiles of tens of thousands of people arrested but never charged or convicted. A majority of states collects DNA from arrestees, and the U.S. Supreme Court has approved the practice. Privacy advocates, though, argued that Californias law was more invasive than rules in other places. Advertisement Justice Leondra R. Kruger, an appointee of Gov. Jerry Brown, wrote Mondays ruling, a victory for prosecutors. The courts three more conservative justices joined her. Browns two other judges on the state high court and a Democratic appointee on an appeals court dissented. Kruger stressed the majority ruling was narrow and applied only to the facts of the case before the court. She said the DNA program for arrestees could still be challenged by someone else at a later date. We recognize that the DNA Act may raise additional constitutional questions that will require resolution in other cases, she wrote. The more liberal justices wanted the court to use the opportunity to strike down a DNA program they said affects thousands of innocent people each year, and disproportionately African Americans. Of the 200,000 to 300,000 people arrested in California annually on suspicion of a felony, about a third are either acquitted or never formally charged. Yet the genetic profiles of the vast majority of them remain in a DNA offender database and can be combed by law enforcement to search for suspects in crimes. The fact that felony arrests of African Americans disproportionately result in no charges or dropped charges means that African Americans are disproportionately represented among the thousands of DNA profiles that the state has no legal basis for retaining, Justice Goodwin Liu wrote in one of Mondays dissents. Advertisement By allowing for the retention of DNA profiles of people not even charged with a crime, it is not that far a step for the state to collect and retain DNA from law-abiding people in general, Liu wrote. The case was brought by Mark Buza, who refused to have his DNA taken after San Francisco authorities arrested him on suspicion of arson and related felonies in 2009 and took him to jail. A jury later convicted Buza of the arson-related felonies and of refusing to provide his DNA, a misdemeanor. Buza challenged the DNA-arrestee law in an appeal. But the court majority, pointing out that Buza was convicted, eventually had his DNA taken and never tried to have his genetic profile expunged, decided his case was not the right forum for tackling constitutional questions affecting the innocent. Advertisement Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuellar, Browns other appointee on the seven-member court, agreed with Liu and Court of Appeal Justice Dennis M. Perluss that the arrestee provisions violated Californias Constitution. (Perluss, appointed by Gov. Gray Davis, helped decide the case because the states highest court has a vacancy.) Cuellar wrote that the majority decision overlooked the importance of Californias Constitution with its heightened privacy protections. The DNA Act unlawfully invades peoples reasonable expectation of privacy in their personal genetic information, he said. Any diminished expectation of privacy arrestees may or may not have in their genetic code does not justify an intrusion of this magnitude. Advertisement Mondays majority decision overturned a 2014 ruling by a San Francisco appeals court that found the DNA collection program for arrestees violated Californias Constitution. That ruling prompted state lawmakers to pass a bill, signed by Brown, to limit the arrestee DNA provisions in the event that the state Supreme Court also agreed they were unconstitutional. Because Mondays ruling did not upend Proposition 69s requirements, the protections for innocent arrestees added in the new law will not now take effect. Michael T. Risher, senior staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California, called the decision disappointing. Advertisement This maintains the status quo, at least for the time being, he said. Risher said he was unaware of any pending legal challenge in a state court that could force the California Supreme Court to deal more directly with civil libertarian concerns. J. Bradley OConnell, who represented Buza, said he was heartened that the majority ruling was narrow but also disappointed. California, unlike most other states, takes DNA from people before they are even arraigned and has no automatic process for expunging DNA profiles when charges are dropped or people acquitted, he said. Advertisement Although people can seek to have their DNA profiles removed, he said, the process is cumbersome. The most intrusive law is the California model, OConnell said. A spokesperson for Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra said the office was still reviewing the decision. Becerras office remains committed to upholding Californians important privacy interests while doing everything we can to ensure our law enforcement officials are equipped with the tools they need to keep Californians safe, the spokesperson said. Advertisement Californias arrestee DNA collection also has been challenged in federal court. In 2014, before the state appeals court decision, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the arrestee DNA program under the U.S. Constitution. The state appeals court, ruling later that year, struck down the program under the state Constitution, which specifically gives residents privacy rights. maura.dolan@latimes.com Advertisement Twitter: @mauradolan UPDATES: 4:20 p.m.: This article was updated with reaction, background and additional details from the decision. 11:40 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details from the decision. Advertisement This article was originally published at 10:20 a.m. It was an Easter tradition for Jesse Hernandezs family: a day in Griffith Park picnicking and playing soccer and volleyball. Up next was the egg hunt but the boys had run off. Jesse, 13, and his cousins found their way to an abandoned maintenance building on the northern edge of the park. They were jumping on wooden planks when one plank broke. Jesse plunged 25 feet into a 4-foot-wide drainage pipe that fire officials said feeds to the L.A. River. His cousins called after him, hearing only their echoes in response, friends at the scene said. After more than five hours, he still hadnt been found. Advertisement We called, sent text messages it rings but it goes to voicemail, said Dominique Barraza, 16, a family friend. Hes too young. Its just crazy. I still cant believe it. Authorities launched a frantic search Sunday afternoon to find the boy, with more than 100 firefighters, urban search-and-rescue crews trained in confined spaces and swift-water rescuers taking part. They studied maps of the closed sewage pipe system, which stretches hundreds of feet, and sent a camera attached to a flotation device, like a boogie board, 300 feet down a pipe. They set up at different areas, including the L.A. River and a drain near Chevy Chase Drive, hoping the boy would come through one of the pipes. That place is a maze, Los Angeles Police Sgt. Bruno La Hoz said. We dont know where the drain pipe goes to. The pipe system has varying depths of water moving at roughly 15 mph. Rescuers couldnt enter the drainage area themselves because of the hazardous environment, said David Ortiz, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. Officials with the Department of Sanitation were working to determine if there are any chambers within the pipe system in which Jesse might be stuck. Crews were expected to search through the night with more advanced cameras that have lighting capabilities and can be attached to a pontoon to crawl along the pipes. Advertisement By nightfall, about 25 people at the scene stood in a circle, holding hands with their heads bowed and saying a prayer. About 20 of the boys family members, including his mother, aunt and cousins, were at the scene. Authorities launched a frantic search Sunday afternoon for the boy. (Maria Alejandra Cardona / Los Angeles Times ) Live television footage showed more than a dozen firefighters on the graffiti-covered maintenance building with a ladder lowered into the pipe. Authorities said news helicopters hovering over the scene were hindering search efforts and asked them to pull back. Jesse lives in East Los Angeles. His family asked authorities to release his photograph in case he was spotted outside the park, and asked anyone with information about his whereabouts to call the police. Advertisement Devon Guevara, 17, was also celebrating the holiday at the park when he met Jesse and his cousins while playing soccer. When they separated, they agreed to meet up later. He was really friendly, he said. Most people you meet arent like that. Shortly after, Devon saw one of the boys running and screaming for help. Someone called 911. We also feel guilty, he said. What if we kept playing longer? Advertisement Firefighters confer on the search at the L.A. River near the 5 Freeway and Griffith Park. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times ) alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com Twitter: @AleneTchek UPDATES: Advertisement 11:10 p.m.: This article was updated to note that crews are expected to search through the night. 9:45 p.m.: This article was updated with comment from family friend Dominique Barraza. 7:25 p.m.: This article was updated with additional reporting from the scene. 6:45 p.m.: This article was updated with reporting from the scene. Advertisement This article was originally published at 5:40 p.m. The crash that killed a Washington couple and at least three of their six children when their SUV plunged off a cliff in a remote stretch of the Mendocino Coast appears to have been intentional, authorities said. Investigators who recovered the vehicle from the rocky shoreline say its speedometer was pinned at 90 mph, according to court documents cited by KPTV in Oregon. Capt. Greg Baarts of the California Highway Patrol told the Associated Press that data pulled from the vehicles software suggest it was stopped at a dirt pull-off before it accelerated off the cliff on Monday. Baarts told K5 News that authorities believe that the crash was intentional, but cautioned that the finding was based on preliminary information. Advertisement KPTV reported that a search warrant was served at the home of the married couple, Jennifer and Sarah Hart, on Thursday. Investigators were seeking travel plans, bank records, cellphone records, credit card billing statements, bank receipts, notes, journals and possible suicide notes, according to the station. Authorities with the Highway Patrol, who will determine the cause of the crash, could not be reached for comment Sunday. Mendocino County Sheriffs Lt. Shannon Barney, whose agency is leading the search for the missing children, said Sunday that its too early to reach any conclusions. Much work still needs to be done so anyone concluding foul play or an intentional act is coming to a premature conclusion, he said. These investigations take time, and for the sake of all involved we need to be diligent in our investigation. The crash raised questions when it was reported Monday afternoon by a passerby who noticed the wreckage from a dirt pullout along Highway 1 at Juan Creek in the small town of Westport. There were no skid marks or brake marks, the couples children had recently been identified by child welfare authorities as possible victims of abuse and neglect, and three of them were missing from the scene of the crash. RELATED: A familys SUV plunges off coastal cliff: tragic accident or intentional? It was a very confusing scene, Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman told reporters two days after the discovery. There was no indication of why this vehicle traversed approximately over 75 feet of a dirt pullout and went into the Pacific Ocean. Advertisement The two women were found dead inside the car. The bodies of three children were outside the vehicle. Those pulled from the wreckage were identified as Markis Hart, 19; Jeremiah Hart, 14; and Abigail Hart, 14. One of the missing children, 15-year-old Devonte Hart, had a moment of fame in 2014, after he was photographed hugging a Portland, Ore., police sergeant at a protest related to unrest in Ferguson, Mo. Missing along with Devonte are Hannah Hart, 16; and Sierra Hart, 12. The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services said child welfare authorities received a complaint of potential child abuse or neglect on March 23, three days before the crash. They tried to make contact in person that day, and twice thereafter, but found no one. The department had no prior history with the family, spokeswoman Norah West said. Advertisement We are working with all involved law enforcement agencies on their respective investigations, West said in an email. The Harts neighbors, Bruce and Dana DeKalb, told ABC News that they had called authorities in part because they were concerned one of the children was going hungry. The DeKalbs said they called child welfare services Friday after Devonte went to their house repeatedly that week asking for food. Another child, they said, had once rung their doorbell at 1:30 a.m., wrapped in a blanket, asking for protection from abuse. Court records show Sarah Hart was sentenced in 2011 to 90 days in jail after she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of domestic assault in Minnesota. One gross misdemeanor count of malicious punishment of a child was dismissed in the case. Advertisement The case stemmed from an incident in 2010, when her daughter, 6 at the time, showed up to school with bruises on her stomach and back. When a teacher asked what happened, the girl said, Mom hit me, according to Minnesota court records. During an interview with investigators, Sarah Hart admitted that she let her anger get out of control when she punished the child by spanking, records show. The Associated Press contributed to this report. alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com Advertisement Twitter: @AleneTchek UPDATES: 9:15 p.m.: This article was updated to include Associated Press reporting about data from the vehicles software. This article was originally published at 5:50 p.m. The search for offshore oil begins with a boom. Before the oil rigs arrive and the boring begins, operators need to fire intense seismic blasts repeatedly into the ocean to find oil deposits. For decades, environmental rules that protected whales and other marine life from this cacophony have limited the location and frequency of these blasts preventing oil companies from exploring, and therefore operating, off much of the nations coasts. Now these safeguards are quietly being dismantled. Advertisement The push to overhaul seismic survey rules has not attracted the same public attention as the Trump administrations interest in opening coastal waters to dozens of new drilling leases or downsizing protected marine areas. But it too could have wide implications beyond enabling new oil operations. Winding their way through Congress are two bills that supporters say would create jobs, reduce permitting delays and clear the way for naval activities and coastal restoration. But environmentalists call them a thinly veiled oil industry wish list that would upend established protections and fast-track the permitting process for oil exploration off the Atlantic, much of Alaska and even California. So much legislation like this just goes under the radar, said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans. Its a scorched earth effort right now across the whole of federal public policy to give things away to the oil and gas industry. The bills dubbed the Streamlining Environmental Approvals, or SEA, Act and Strengthening the Economy with Critical Untapped Resources to Expand American Energy, or SECURE, Act have passed committee and could head to a full vote any day. They target core provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which regulates seismic blasts used to locate oil and gas. The noise, scientists say, can disorient and damage the hearing of whales and dolphins so badly that they lose their ability to navigate and reproduce. The bills follow other subtle undoings that opponents have linked to prioritizing energy over conservation. President Trump, in his budget proposal, had pushed to cut all funding for the Marine Mammal Commission, an advisory group that provides scientific expertise during the review process for proposed oil activities. (Funding was restored in last months flurry of budget deals.) Its like burning down the jail, eliminating all the laws and then shooting the court and jury, said Richard Charter, senior fellow at the Ocean Foundation. This is a time of setbacks, but undoing the Marine Mammal Protection Act is one of the most damaging things that Congress could possibly do right now. Advertisement Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), who introduced the SEA Act, rejected assertions that his bill was driven by oil. In a statement to The Times, his office said theres a large campaign of misinformation against the SEA Act filled with misleading rhetoric. The SEA Act makes absolutely no changes to the protections established by the [Marine Mammal Protection Act]. Any suggestion otherwise is blatantly false. The changes would eliminate cross-agency, duplicative regulations that cause permitting delays, his spokeswoman, Ainsley Holyfield, said. They were introduced after Johnson discovered this very issue had halted coastal restoration efforts in Louisiana and naval operations off the coast. Johnsons proposals are also packaged into the SECURE Act, a broader bill by House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) that overhauls federal lands energy policy to promote expanded exploration, development and production of oil, gas and wind resources, according to the House Committee on Natural Resources. This push in Congress comes after Trumps executive order last year, which reversed an Obama decision that had denied six companies seeking permits to conduct testing in the Atlantic. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke has openly called for seismic tests to get the new data needed for energy expansion. Advertisement Allowing this scientific pursuit enables us to safely identify and evaluate resources that belong to the American people, Zinke said. This will play an important role in the Presidents strategy to create jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign energy resources. The issue has been tricky for some Republicans, particularly those representing coastal districts where offshore drilling is unpopular. Some have spoken up. Congressman John Rutherford (R-Fla.), in a bipartisan letter last year, said seismic testing posed a direct threat to economies that rely on fishing, tourism and recreation. We hear from countless business owners, elected officials and residents along our coasts who recognize and reject the risks of offshore oil and gas development, the letter, signed by dozens of Congress members, said. It harms our coastal economies in the near term and opens the door to even greater risks from offshore oil and gas production down the road. Advertisement Seismic surveying involves a ship firing blasts of pressurized air to create powerful sound pulses that penetrate beneath the seafloor. The sound waves that bounce back are picked up by sensors, painting a picture of potential oil deposits. Below the surface, the explosions sound like bombs going off every 10 to 15 seconds and can be heard as far as 1,500 miles, audio recordings show. Sources: Michael Stocker of Ocean Conservation Research, USGS, International Assn. of Geophysical Contractors, Oceana (Los Angeles Times ) They threaten a number of species, including the blue whales that visit Californias coast and the dwindling number of right whales in the North Atlantic. Whales arent easy to study theyre difficult to count, hard to track and impractical to examine (how would one even take a whale out of the water to study long-term damage to its ears?). But by analyzing their behavior, scientists have found that blasts can throw off their ability to locate food, avoid predators and find mates. Oil and gas supporters say the research isnt conclusive and that the best available science does not indicate that surveying damages the overall marine population. Advertisement The Marine Mammal Protection Act signed by President Nixon in 1972, at a time when protecting marine life from overfishing and overhunting was a priority across party lines makes it illegal to harm or kill a whale, dolphin, seal, manatee, sea otter or polar bear without a permit, even if done inadvertently. The North Atlantic right whale is one of the worlds most endangered large whale species, with about 450 remaining. (Stephan Savoia / Associated Press ) Obtaining a seismic testing permit under the law can be a years-long process and requires companies to show their operation will have the least practicable impact on only small numbers of animals. Mitigation measures are strict and err on the side of precaution; ships have to turn off the blasts if whales are seen nearby. The SEA Act drops the small numbers and least practicable impact conditions, and requires automatic approval of a permit if the review is not completed within 120 days. It deletes the requirement for a permit to be contained within a specific geographic region, expanding it to most anywhere off any coast. Advertisement Read more: How the SEA Act changes the MMPA Industry groups such as the International Assn. of Geophysical Contractors endorse the changes as much-needed modernization to a law that has hampered [seismic surveying] by extreme environmental advocacy groups that abuse existing regulatory and litigation processes. Words like negligible impact and small numbers are ambiguous and have created an approval system that is biased and can delay permits for years, said the groups president, Nikki Martin. This is unwarranted and represents a complete bureaucratic breakdown in an otherwise straightforward process by federal agencies. Companies currently wishing to conduct surveys must first get a permit from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. If it has any potential of harming marine mammals, they must obtain additional authorization from one, often two, federal wildlife agencies. Advertisement Industry groups say seismic surveys have been safely conducted around the world for decades. Technology today is even more advanced, they say, and could point to an estimated 90 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and more than 320 trillion cubic feet of natural gas off U.S. shores. These statements have galvanized a broad opposition, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Oceana, Ocean Conservation Research, Greenpeace USA, Surfrider Foundation and Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermens Assns. If its the whales now, its the fish next. We are literally killing the ocean just by exploring for oil, said Noah Oppenheim, the fishing groups executive director. This is really 99.9% of ocean stakeholders versus the 0.1%, the oil industry. Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, said the regulation currently in place is not a broken system and has protected marine life while also allowing some seismic testing. Advertisement From 2011 through 2016, regulators reviewed 297 applications and issued 264 seismic survey permits, according to a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Most were in the Gulf of Mexico, with pressure growing to expand operations in Alaska and along the Atlantic. California has infamously fought off new oil drilling operations since 1969, when a devastating 100,000-barrel spill in Santa Barbara killed thousands of seabirds and helped spark the modern environmental movement. This administration is really attempting to undo all the planning and the public participation and the years of work that we did to develop this balance between energy and environmental protection, Lowenthal said. They want to use this as a steppingstone to have unlimited growth. Thats the real danger. There has been little movement on the bills since the SEA Act passed committee in January. But opponents are concerned it could be folded last-minute into this years military reauthorization or another must-pass bill. Naomi Rose, who got her doctorate studying orcas and is the Animal Welfare Institutes marine mammal scientist, says she and her colleagues around the world have long admired the U.S. for having a law that walked the walk. Many countries have pretty words about protecting marine mammals, but no substance, she said. Advertisement Since the Marine Mammal Protection Act was enacted 46 years ago, no marine mammal has gone extinct in U.S. waters. But in the last year, so many longstanding rules have been challenged. Things are moving fast. Its really dizzying. Its really, really scary, she said. Ive been doing this for 25 years, and Ive just never seen anything like this. rosanna.xia@latimes.com Advertisement Interested in coastal issues? Follow @RosannaXia on Twitter. A 20-year-old Texas man who as a teenager invoked affluenza in his defense after killing four people in a wreck while drunk has been released from jail. Tarrant County sheriffs spokesman David McClelland says Ethan Couch was released Monday from the county jail near Dallas after serving nearly two years for a revoked probation. Couch was 16 in June 2013 when he struck and killed four pedestrians. A psychologist at his manslaughter trial blamed his irresponsibility on family wealth, dubbing it affluenza. A juvenile court sentenced him to 10 years of probation. Couchs probation was revoked in 2016 after he attended a party where alcohol was served. Advertisement His mother, Tonya Couch, awaits trial on charges of hindering apprehension of a felon and money laundering after she fled to Mexico with her son in 2015. Thousands of Kentucky teachers filled the streets near the state Capitol in Frankfort on a cold, overcast Monday to rally for education funding. Teachers and other school employees gathered outside the Kentucky Education Assn. a couple of blocks from the Capitol chanting, Stop the war on public education and holding or posting signs that say, Weve Had Enough. Were madder than hornets, and the hornets are swarming today, said Claudette Green, a retired teacher and principal. The rally is happening after hundreds of teachers called in sick Friday to protest last-minute changes to their pension system. Advertisement Teacher unrest is not just limited to Kentucky. Educators in Oklahoma were gearing up Monday to march on their state capital as well. Oklahoma teachers are demanding that lawmakers approve more education funding just days after the Legislature did just that. Some teachers are saying the legislation signed by Gov. Mary Fallin last week was not enough. The measure increases taxes on cigarettes, fuel and oil and gas production to provide teachers with raises of about $6,100, or 15% to 18%. Earlier this year, teachers in West Virginia walked off the job for nine days to secure a 5% pay raise. In Kentucky, teachers have rallied several times during this years legislative session to protest the pension bill, but Mondays event is shaping up as their biggest event because many districts are on spring break. Republican lawmakers passed a pension overhaul Thursday that preserves benefits for most workers and does little in the short-term to address the states massive debt. The move was done in response to one of the worst-funded public retirement systems in the country and in defiance of a powerful teachers union that vowed political retribution. Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has not yet signed the bill, but last week tweeted his support, saying public workers owe a deep debt of gratitude to lawmakers who voted to pass it. During Mondays rally, some teachers, angry at lawmakers who supported the bill, chanted, Vote them out. Advertisement Melissa Wash, a first-grade teacher from Gallatin County who has been teaching for 19 years, said she voted for Bevin, but now plans to become a Democrat. To the lawmakers who voted for the pension overhaul, she said: You better not count on another year in office. Erica Sudduth, a 29-year-old elementary school teacher in Kenton County, said frustration has been building for years. What used to be the way my grandmother used to teach, things used to be different, things used to be a lot simpler. And for years they have been adding more and more and more on to teachers and we have been putting up with all of it. We have held our tongue this whole time and now it is just coming to a boiling point. Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Monday, April 2, and heres whats happening across California: TOP STORIES President Trump on Easter Sunday appeared to rule out efforts to revive deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who were brought illegally to the United States as children, tweeting NO MORE DACA DEAL! The president issued a series of combative statements on Twitter, centering on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program as well as the North American Free Trade Agreement, which he described as a cash cow for Mexico. At the same time, he railed against what he described as a dangerous lack of security on the U.S. southern border. Los Angeles Times Plus: Is this report what Trump is upset about? BuzzFeed News Advertisement Save the whales? Two bills quietly moving through Congress would fast-track permitting for offshore oil exploration by upending long-established safeguards in the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which protects whales and has played an outsized role in limiting offshore oil drilling since the 1970s. Los Angeles Times Homelessness fight Many of the loudest voices in the movement to block a homeless shelter plan in Orange County were Asian Americans from Irvine who came together through social media apps and various community groups. It was a big political victory for the diverse opposition from Irvine. But it also came at a price, with some accusing the residents of intolerance and simply wanting to keep the homeless out of their own cities without offering an alternative solution. Los Angeles Times Big drop-off Chinese companies have been among the biggest commercial real estate investors in the Los Angeles area in the last five years, spending more than $5 billion to buy property in the region during that time. That includes the sites of billion-dollar condominium, hotel and retail complexes being built downtown and large airport-area hotels that have been upgraded by their Chinese owners. But they are withdrawing from some high-profile ventures as leaders in Beijing constrict the flow of money out of the country, and that could hurt the L.A. development boom. Los Angeles Times L.A. STORIES Lagging: The Century Regional Detention Facility, one of the nations largest womens jails, is not meeting standards required by the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act. Los Angeles Times Advertisement A boundary pusher: Steven Bochco, the Emmy-winning television writer-producer who brought Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law and NYPD Blue to the small screen, died Sunday after a battle with cancer. He was 74. Los Angeles Times Know before you go: LAX officials are teaming up with two technology companies to install lights and digital gadgets that keep track of how often bathrooms are cleaned and let travelers know when a stall is in use or vacant. Los Angeles Times The Compton Jr. Posse: A new look at Comptons cowboys. New York Times All she wanted was privacy: Working for Disneyland, dying alone on the streets. Los Angeles Daily News Advertisement CRIME AND COURTS Terrible crash: The crash that killed a Washington couple and at least three of their six children when their SUV plunged off a cliff in a remote stretch of the Mendocino coast appears to have been intentional, authorities said. Los Angeles Times Stephon Clark fallout: There is a growing call for police reforms beyond the outcome of the investigation into the killing of an unarmed African American man by Sacramento officers last month. Los Angeles Times -- From a conservative perspective, a National Review writer explains why the Clark shooting is so troubling. National Review Advertisement -- Why did Sacramento police officers mute their body cameras after the shooting? Los Angeles Times -- A demonstrator attending a candlelight vigil for Clark in south Sacramento on Saturday night was struck by a sheriffs vehicle as protesters began marching in the streets. Los Angeles Times -- A nurse lost her job for saying Clark deserved it. Sacramento Bee POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT Advertisement An L.A. ad man: Remembering the marketing genius who sold Ronald Reagan to America. Wall Street Journal Head-spinning: A California wildfire whodunit worthy of a John Grisham legal thriller. Washington Post About those cancer warnings: Some conservatives are having a field day with Californias killer cappuccino. Wall Street Journal CALIFORNIA CULTURE Advertisement Tracing steps: How California looked when John Muir explored it. Sacramento Bee A Christian critic weighs in: Faith-based movies are having a moment, but can they be better? Los Angeles Times Hes trying to live his life: The British paparazzi have descended on Rosarito Beach in Baja California looking for Meghan Markles dad. Los Angeles Times Serious accusations: Live Nation now dominates the ticket business. Does it now have too much power? New York Times Advertisement Shifting gears: Ubers new CEO has a tough job, making the company less toxic but still highly competitive. The New Yorker CALIFORNIA ALMANAC Los Angeles area: partly cloudy and 66. San Diego: partly cloudy and 62. San Francisco area: partly cloudy and 64. Sacramento: partly cloudy and 74. More weather is here. AND FINALLY Advertisement This weeks birthdays for those who made a mark in California: L.A. City Councilman Paul Koretz (April 3, 1955), Gov. Jerry Brown (April 7, 1938) and director Francis Ford Coppola (April 7, 1939). If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.) Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad. In addition to peddling fake news and hacking into email systems, Russia apparently tried but failed to interfere with the machinery of 2016 U.S. elections. No votes were changed, as far as we know, but Russian hackers attempted to invade election systems in 21 states and succeeded in penetrating Illinois voter registration database. The U.S. intelligence community believes that the Russians and others will keep trying to interfere with U.S. elections, not only through the dissemination of disinformation but also with continued attacks on computer systems. Testifying before Congress earlier this year about election security, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats warned that the United States is under attack. Better late than never, Congress is responding to the threat from foreign hackers and targeting other weaknesses in the so-called election infrastructure. That includes not only voting machines but also computer systems used in the tabulation and reporting of results and for voter registration. It shouldnt have taken reports of Russian hacking to concentrate Congress attention on this longstanding problem. Advertisement Last month, both the Senate and the House Intelligence committees called for new initiatives to protect elections from interference, and several senators, including Californias Kamala Harris, unveiled an updated version of the Secure Elections Act. That measure would create a federal-state advisory panel to develop a set of guidelines for election cybersecurity and establish a grant program to help states improve their procedures. The bill also seeks to improve communications between the states and the federal government about cyberthreats to election systems. State officials, including California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, have complained in the past that Washington hasnt fully shared information with the states. Finally, the omnibus spending bill signed by President Trump includes $380 million in grants to enable the states to strengthen the security of their election systems. The funds can be used to reduce vulnerabilities in computer systems and to replace obsolete voting machines. Welcome as the new spending is, it may not be enough. The Brennan Center for Justice at New Yok University Law School warns that, because the way the funds will be allocated, there wont be sufficient funds to replace all the countrys insecure paperless systems. Election security experts are virtually unanimous in calling for states that use electronic voting machines to include a paper trail. Thats one reason Congress needs to pass the Secure Elections Act authorizing additional grants to the states, which, if matched, could lead to the replacement of more voting machines that lack a paper backup. (The grants would have to voted on again in appropriations bills.) It might seem paradoxical at a time of ever more sophisticated technology that paper records would be the gold standard for accurate voter tallies. Yet, when many voting machines break down, the absence of a paper backup can make it impossible to record an accurate count. Moreover, the knowledge that such a safeguard exists increases public confidence in the integrity of the process and discourages conspiracy theories. Perhaps in the future, advances in computer security will make paper records obsolete and even make it possible for voters to cast their ballots on their computers or smartphones. For the foreseeable future, however, its vital that states have backup paper copies of votes that are cast electronically. As Harris has noted: Russia cannot hack a piece of paper like they can computer systems connected to the internet. Advertisement Although the Secure Elections Act is aimed at the integrity of federal elections, it would also make elections for state offices more secure, not only from cybersabotage but also from technical malfunctions and human error. That doesnt mean, however, that states dont also have a responsibility to upgrade their voting systems. As part of his budget proposal, Gov. Brown has asked the Legislature to appropriate $134 million for the updating of county voting systems. Other states should also share in the cost of making voting systems more reliable. It shouldnt have taken reports of Russian hacking to concentrate Congress attention on this longstanding problem. As the Secure Elections Act itself states, safeguarding the integrity of voting systems isnt just a matter of national security; its important because free and fair elections are central to our democracy. Expenditures to protect that promise is money well spent. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook The Trump administration stepped up its offensive Monday on Californias environmental laws, suing to reverse a state law that seeks to handcuff the federal government from selling any of the 45.8 million acres of property it controls in the state. The Justice Department lawsuit, filed in Sacramento, is the latest federal effort to roll back Californias strict environmental protections as the Trump administration seeks to open more land in the West for mining, drilling and other interests. The Trump administration has challenged Californias policies on several fronts. Last month, the Justice Department sued to block three California state laws, saying they were an unconstitutional attempt to thwart enforcement of federal immigration laws. At issue in the latest lawsuit is a California law that gives a state lands commission the power to block the sale, donation or exchange of federal lands. It was passed in October after Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced plans to cut protections for 10 national monuments in the state. Advertisement The Constitution empowers the federal government not state legislatures to decide when and how federal lands are sold, U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions said Monday in a statement announcing the lawsuit. California has once again passed an extreme statute found in no other state, to obstruct the federal government, Jesse Panuccio, the acting associate attorney general, told reporters at the Justice Department. This is another example of California ignoring federal law and no state legislature can, statute by statute, undermine the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution, he said. The California law, called the Public Lands Protection Act, attempts to give the state veto power over any sales of federal land not just parks or wilderness in the state. It says the state wont recognize any transaction unless the California State Lands Commission has the right of first refusal over any deal. The state Legislatures own analysis of the bill said it raised substantial constitutional questions. The author of the bill, state Sen. Benjamin Allen (D-Santa Monica), argued that the law didnt actually prevent any sales just that the state wouldnt recognize the deed of sale as legal unless the Lands Commission approved it. Allen said his bill was very reasonable. Were not trying to seize the land, were not trying to take the land, he said. Ninety-nine percent of the land sales the federal government wants to do will be just fine. What we want to do is protect against the more extreme cases that have been threatened. Advertisement Justice Department lawyers said thats an effective ban and a distinction without a difference. According to the Justice Department, the Lands Commission has asserted its authority to intervene in several land deals, including a planned auction of 1.7 acres of U.S Postal Service property. No one bid on the property, department lawyers said Monday. The complaint says the state law has thrown a wrench into a proposed development called Admirals Cove, involving Navy property in Alameda; a proposal to sell 5.9 acres of vineyard property in Santa Barbara County; and a Veterans Affairs plan to rebuild its West Los Angeles campus by leasing land for housing, and to provide an easement for the Purple Line Metro project. One development deal in Dublin involving 78 acres of Army land was approved by the lands commission. Advertisement The Justice Department says the law violates the Constitutions supremacy clause, giving federal laws priority over state ones. The department also says California is ignoring the terms of its admission into the union, citing a provision in the 1850 law that says the state shall never interfere with the primary disposal of the public lands within its limits. But California officials and environmental activists vowed to resist. Yet again, Donald Trump and his administration are attacking our state and our very way of life, said Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who also serves on the Lands Commission. Advertisement Safeguarding public lands is in our DNA as Californians so much so that we have enshrined the principle in our state Constitution. We will use every legal and administrative tool to thwart Trumps plans to auction off Californias heritage to the highest bidder, Newsom said. The California law is aimed at keeping public lands public, even if the federal government decides to sell them off, said Annie Notthoff, an official at the nonpartisan Natural Resources Defense Council. More than 75% of Californians recently polled say they oppose Trumps rollback of protections for public lands. This suit is just another tone-deaf greedy grab. Environmentalists have been seething about an order directing the Bureau of Land Management to rewrite a protection plan for the states deserts, and California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra has filed a number of lawsuits challenging the administrations calls to permit oil drilling off Californias coasts, and to refashion Obama administration rules that protect streams and wetlands. Our public lands should not be on the auction block for the highest bidder, Becerra said. Advertisement joseph.tanfani@latimes.com Twitter: @jtanfani UPDATES: 3 p.m.: This article was updated with additional reaction. Advertisement This article was originally published at 1:40 p.m. A service car leaves the US Consulate General in St Petersburg after Russia ousted 60 US diplomats and closed the consulate in tit-for-tat response to the US expelling 60 Russian diplomats and closing the Russian Consulate General in Seattle. Photo:VCG China on Friday urged the US and Russia to solve their diplomatic row with dialogue, following allegations that Moscow was behind the poisoning of a former spy and his daughter which has caused expulsions of diplomats from Russia and some Western countries. "Russia and the US are influential countries in the world, who share big responsibility for the world's peace and security. We hope they will appropriately solve the dispute via dialogue based on equality and mutual respect," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told a daily press conference on Friday. Russia told Britain it had a month to cut the number of its diplomatic staff in Russia to the same number Russia has in Britain on Friday, a day after Moscow expelled 60 US diplomats. Earlier on Friday Russia had summoned the ambassadors of a number of nations including the UK, France, Germany and Canada to inform them of its retaliatory measures. Dutch Ambassador Renee Jones-Bos said she had been told two diplomats would be expelled. "Two of my colleagues are leaving Moscow. But we are staying here," state news agency TASS quoted her as saying. The White House on Thursday said Moscow's decision marked a further deterioration in the US-Russia relationship. The Kremlin said Friday it was not Russia that had unleashed a diplomatic war with the West following the mass expulsion of US envoys. "Russia did not unleash any diplomatic war," Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists. "Russia never initiated any exchange of sanctions." "Russia has been forced to take retaliatory steps in response to hostile, illegal actions" by Washington, he said, adding that Moscow wants "good relations" and remained open to dialogue. The expulsions of Russian diplomats by the US last week precisely mirrored steps taken by other Western governments against Russian diplomats and appeared to show Russia was not seeking to escalate the standoff over the nerve agent poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, England, on March 4. At a meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Thursday, US Ambassador Jon Hunstman was also told that the US consulate in St Petersburg would be closed - a tit-for-tat retaliation for the US closure of Russia's consulate in Seattle. Yulia Skripal's condition is improving after spending three weeks in critical condition, the hospital where she is being treated said on Thursday. Following the first known use of a military-grade nerve agent on European soil since World War II, Britain blamed Putin for the attempted murders. British Prime Minister Theresa May said that Russia was culpable for the attack and urged allies to join in condemning Moscow. Russia says Britain has failed to produce any persuasive evidence of Russia's guilt. On March 20, former Soviet scientist, Leonid Rink, who helped create the nerve agent that the UK says was used to poison Skripals, said it was hard to believe Russia was behind the attack because the Skripals did not die immediately, and suggested the UK could have been behind the attack. Allies balk at Trump administration bid to block Chinese firm from cutting-edge telecom markets By David S. Cloud Britain and Germany are balking at the Trump administrations call for a ban on equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, threatening a global U.S. campaign to thwart Chinas involvement in future mobile networks. Both countries are expected to limit Huawei and other Chinese companies from providing core components including routers. But other types of Chinese equipment for next-generation, high-speed communications could still be installed on British and German networks, officials and analysts say. The U.S. push to ban Huawei has provoked a global dispute in recent weeks, with senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, publicly urging NATO allies in Europe to exclude the company and warning that the United States might limit its military presence in countries that did not do so. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Confucius Institutes: Do they improve U.S.-China ties or harbor spies? By Don Lee Hanging red lanterns welcome visitors to the University of Marylands Confucius Institute, the oldest of about 100 Chinese language and cultural centers that have popped up over the last 15 years on American campuses, subsidized by millions of dollars from Chinas central government. But last fall, when four U.S. Senate investigators walked into the Confucius offices in Maryland and spent hours questioning staff, they werent looking for an educational exchange. The committee has been seeking detailed information from the university about the program, including contracts, email exchanges and financial arrangements that school administrators have kept under wraps since it started in 2004. American colleges once viewed these jointly funded institutes as an economical way to expand their language offerings one that could also bring warmer ties with China and, importantly, an influx of Chinese international students paying full tuition. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Watch Live: White House holds surprise news briefing amid government shutdown Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement U.S. policy toward China shifts from engagement to confrontation By David S. Cloud For decades, China had no closer American friend than Dianne Feinstein. As San Francisco mayor in the 1970s, she forged a sister-city relationship with Shanghai, the first between American and Chinese communities. As U.S. senator, she dined with Chinese leaders at Mao Tse-tungs old Beijing residence. And in the 1990s, she championed a trade policy change that opened a floodgate of Western investment into China. Today the Democratic senator sees China as a growing threat, joining a broad array of Trump administration officials, national security strategists and business executives who once favored engagement with Beijing and now advocate a confrontational approach instead. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Mnuchins attempt to calm markets backfires as Trump takes another shot at the Federal Reserve By Jim Puzzanghera An attempt by Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin to calm plunging financial markets backfired Monday, further rattling investors with new fears about whether major U.S. banks have enough cash on top of worries about interest rates, political instability in Washington and a slowing global economy. Adding to the volatile mix was a fresh attack on the Federal Reserve by President Trump, who declared that the central bank was the U.S. economys only problem and that it didnt have a feel for the market. The Fed is like a powerful golfer who cant score because he has no touch -- he cant putt! Trump said on Twitter. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print He speaks to Democratic hearts. But is Beto ORourke a serious White House contender? By Mark Z. Barabak Hes a failed U.S. Senate candidate with an undistinguished congressional record who, for the moment, is a blazing-hot 2020 presidential prospect despite the fact that he may not run and faces long odds if he does. Beto ORourke suggests the will-he-or-wont-he speculation is something he himself cant quite fathom. I think thats a great question, he responded in a Dallas Morning News interview when asked whether his unsuccessful November Senate bid merited a promotion to the White House. I ask that question myself. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Russian disinformation teams targeted Robert S. Mueller III, says report prepared for Senate By Craig Timberg, Tony Romm, Elizabeth Dwoskin Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. (Associated Press) Months after President Trump took office, Russias disinformation teams trained their sites on a new target: special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Having worked to help get Trump into the White House, they now worked to neutralize the biggest threat to his staying there. The Russian operatives unloaded on Mueller through fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter and beyond, falsely claiming that the former FBI director was corrupt and that the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election were crackpot conspiracies. One post on Instagram which emerged as an especially potent weapon in the Russian social media arsenal claimed that Mueller had worked in the past with radical Islamic groups. Such tactics exemplified how Russian teams ranged nimbly across social media platforms in a shrewd online influence operation aimed squarely at American voters. The effort started earlier than commonly understood and lasted longer while relying on the strengths of different sites to manipulate distinct slices of the electorate, according to a pair of comprehensive new reports prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee and released Monday. Read more Timberg, Romm and Dwoskin report for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement President Trump announces Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff By Associated Press President Trump says budget director Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff, replacing John F. Kelly in the new year. I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print It aint over when its over: In Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere, losers seek to undermine election results By Mark Z. Barabak Democrat Gavin Newsom has yet to become California governor, but already a candidate for state Republican Party chairman is promoting a recall effort. In Michigan and Wisconsin, GOP lawmakers have rushed through legislation to thwart their incoming Democratic governors and hamper others in the opposing party from doing the jobs voters chose them to do. In Congress, GOP leaders have echoed President Trump and sought to undermine the legitimacy of Democrats strong midterm performance, raising unsubstantiated allegations of fraud and political malfeasance. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print New CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger says she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera On her first full day leading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Kathy Kraninger said she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney, the controversial acting director whom she replaced in the powerful regulatory position. To underscore that point, the former White House aide said she would even reconsider a Mulvaney action that critics saw as a gratuitous jab at Democrats who championed the agencys creation: changing its name to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Kraningers declaration during a meeting with reporters Tuesday addressed one of the main criticisms of her selection. She is considered a protege of Mulvaney, her boss at the White House Office of Management and Budget who has executed a dramatic, industry-friendly shift at the watchdog agency. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trumps pick for chief of staff, Nick Ayers, out of running By Associated Press Nick Ayers, right, with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, at the funeral service for George H.W. Bush on Dec. 3. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Associated Press) President Trumps top pick to replace John F. Kelly as chief of staff, Nick Ayers, is no longer expected to fill that role. Thats according to a White House official who is not authorized to discuss the personnel issue by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Ayers is Vice President Mike Pences chief of staff. The official says that Trump and Ayers could not agree on Ayers length of service. The father of young children, Ayers had agreed to serve in an interim capacity though the spring, but Trump wanted a two-year commitment. The official says that Ayers will instead assist the president from outside the administration. Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would be departing the White House around the end of the year. Thank you @realDonaldTrump, @VP, and my great colleagues for the honor to serve our Nation at The White House. I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause. #Georgia Nick Ayers (@nick_ayers) December 9, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement U.S. hiring slows to 155,000 jobs, unemployment rate holds at 3.7% By Jim Puzzanghera Job growth slowed significantly in November but still was solid, indicating the economy remains in good shape but not expanding so quickly that it will lead to sharply higher interest rates. U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs last month, well below analyst expectations and a steep decline from Octobers strong 237,000 figure, the Labor Department reported Friday. Still, monthly job gains are averaging 206,000 this year, the best since 2015. Even the slower pace of 170,000 over the last three months is close to last years average of 182,000 and well above the amount needed to keep up with population growth. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump is expected to pick State Department spokeswoman for U.N. ambassador By Associated Press Heather Nauert at a briefing at the State Department on Aug. 9, 2017. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump is expected to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Two administration officials confirmed Trumps plans. A Republican congressional aide said the president was expected to announce his decision by tweet on Friday morning. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly before Trumps announcement. Trump has previously said Nauert was under serious consideration to replace Nikki Haley, who announced in October that she would step down at the end of this year. Trump has been known to change course on staffing decisions in the past. Nauert was a reporter for Fox News Channel before she became State Department spokeswoman under former Secretary Rex Tillerson. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Senate confirms new consumer financial protection chief: Kathy Kraninger, protege of industry-friendly Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera The Senate, in a party-line vote Thursday, confirmed White House aide Kathy Kraninger to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and experts predicted a continuation of the industry-friendly shift it has taken since President Trump installed an acting director last year. Kraninger is a protege of acting director and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney, an outspoken critic of the agency that was created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis to prevent predatory lending and other abuses that led to it. Democrats and consumer advocates have denounced him for sharply departing from the aggressive watchdog role the bureau had pursued under its first director, Obama-appointee Richard Cordray, including scaling back enforcement and moving to reassess tough new rules on payday loans and narrow the definition of abusive practices by banks and other firms. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Shutdown postponed by two weeks under plan approved by Congress By Erik Wasson Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), shown at the Capitol on Tuesday, says President Trumps border wall is a waste of money. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Congress passed a two-week stopgap spending bill that will delay the chance of a partial government shutdown until Dec. 22 as lawmakers and President Donald Trump negotiate over his demands to pay for a wall on the southern border. The House and Senate passed the measure Thursday without dissent, and Trump has indicated hell sign the bill before the current shutdown deadline of midnight Friday. Negotiations were delayed by memorial services this week for former President George H.W. Bush. The temporary measure gives Democrats and Republicans more time to find a resolution to their biggest hurdle: funding a wall on the U.S. Mexico border wall. Trump says he wants $5 billion for parts of a concrete wall on the southern border and is willing to shut down the government if he doesnt get it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has said Democrats will provide no more than $1.6 billion for border security, because the wall is a waste of money. The presidents demands for wall funding from Congress come after he said during the campaign that Mexico would pay for it. This week he said on Twitter that a $25 billion border wall would pay for itself in two months, without providing evidence. Most of the U.S. governments $1.2 trillion discretionary budget has been appropriated already by Congress for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. Departments at a risk of a partial shutdown late this month include the departments of State, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security. Talks to resolve the differences have been on hold since a meeting among Trump, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California originally slated for Dec. 4 was postponed due to Bush memorial events. The three are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama told reporters the rest of the seven-bill spending package being negotiated is basically done. Shelby in recent weeks had tried to broker a compromise in which Trumps $5 billion request would be split over two years, but Schumer has rejected that. Some Democrats have been willing to trade border wall funding for deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants. Pelosi ruled out such a deal in remarks to reporters Thursday. The stopgap government funding measure also would extend the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides subsidized coverage for homes in flood-prone areas, to Dec. 21. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Bipartisan Senate group wants to formally blame Saudi crown prince for journalists killing By Karoun Demirjian Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. (Associated Press) A bipartisan group of senators filed a resolution Wednesday condemning Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, directly challenging President Trump to do the same. This resolution -- without equivocation -- definitively states that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr. [Jamal] Khashoggi and has been a wrecking ball to the region jeopardizing our national security interests on multiple fronts, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement accompanying the release of the resolution. It will be up to Saudi Arabia as to how to deal with this matter. But it is up to the United States to firmly stand for who we are and what we believe. The resolution put forward by Graham and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who are expected to lead the Judiciary Committee together next year, comes just one day after CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed leading senators about the details of the agencys assessment that Mohammed ordered and monitored the killing and dismemberment of Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Senators emerged from that closed-door briefing furious not only with Saudi Arabia, but Trump as well for dismissing the heft of the CIAs findings. You have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organized by people under the command of MBS and that he was intricately involved in the demise of Mr. Khashoggi, Graham said following the briefing, referring to Mohammed by his initials. He added that Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, who briefed senators last week, were at best being good soldiers and at worst were in the pocket of Saudi Arabia for presenting the evidence of Mohammeds involvement as inconclusive. The release of the resolution condemning Mohammed also comes as the Senate is preparing to move ahead with debate on a resolution to curtail U.S. support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. Though the Yemen resolution does not directly address Khashoggis murder, its popularity is a sign of how strained the United States patience with Saudi Arabia is on multiple fronts, including its role in worsening the civilian cost of the war in Yemen, cited by the United Nations as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Last week, the Senate voted 63 to 37 to advance the Yemen resolution past an opening procedural hurdle. But Graham and Feinsteins resolution on the crown prince has the potential of drawing broader support, especially from Republicans, who are deeply divided about how fiercely to punish Saudi Arabia over Khashoggis killing. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has been an outspoken advocate for human rights and is seen as one of the more influential foreign policy voices in the GOP, did not vote for the Yemen resolution last week or sign on to a bipartisan measure last month to sanction Saudi officials and cease weapons transfers to the kingdom. But he is an original co-sponsor of the resolution condemning Mohammed over Khashoggis death. So is Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who represents the other end of the GOP spectrum in terms of recent Saudi-related votes and endorsements. Young was an initial co-sponsor of the bill Graham wrote with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to sanction Saudi officials deemed responsible for Khashoggis killing and stop the sale of anything but exclusively defensive weapons to the kingdom until it ceased hostilities in Yemen. Young also voted to advance the Yemen resolution something Graham did as well, though Graham has signaled he will not be lending any similar support to the measure, fearing it may establish a precedent of invoking the War Powers Act too broadly. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are listed as original co-sponsors of the resolution condemning Mohammed, which also urges Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Houthi rebels to end the Yemen war, work out a political solution to its standoff with Qatar and release political prisoners. But how much sway the resolution has probably comes down to how forcefully the administration decides to heed it -- and thus far, Trump has not shown any interest in condemning the crown prince the way the senators hope he will. Demirjian reports for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Los Angeles County offices and U.S. Postal Service closed Wednesday in honor of George H.W. Bush By Brian Park The Honor Guard carries the casket of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush following his funeral on Dec. 5 in Washington, DC. (Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images) The U.S. Postal Service will suspend regular mail delivery Wednesday, which President Trump has declared a national day of mourning in honor of former President George H.W. Bush. All retail postal outlets will be closed, and package delivery will be limited. In Los Angeles, all nonessential county departments, offices and libraries will be closed for the day, L.A. County officials said. The Los Angeles County Library said no overdue fines will be assessed for books, and due dates will be moved forward one week. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offices also are closed Wednesday. The Sheriffs Department, Fire Department, clinics and hospitals will continue to operate, the county said. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinics are being operated with reduced staffing, and the department asked patients to confirm or reschedule any appointments. All county courts and the disaster recovery centers for the Woolsey fire in Malibu and Agoura Hills will remain open. Larger federal government operations will be closed Wednesday. To honor the life and legacy of President Bush, the Postal Service will observe the National Day of Mourning. Learn how Postal operations will be affected. https://t.co/Mffch7bPCh pic.twitter.com/vG46BsIOpm U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) December 4, 2018 L.A. County offices and libraries will be closed tomorrow (Dec 5) in observance of the #NationalDayOfMourning for President George H. W. Bush. The Countys Disaster Recovery Centers in Malibu & Agoura Hills will remain open from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. pic.twitter.com/Sv1J7GoJ7T Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) December 4, 2018 @LAPublicHealth offices will be closed tomorrow December 5 in observance of the national Day of Mourning for President George H. W. Bush. Essential Services including clinics and other services will remain open: https://t.co/tZGoGGHRlg pic.twitter.com/ypXsV6vlYY LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) December 4, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to skip 2020 White House race, sources say By Associated Press Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during an interview in Boston on Dec. 15, 2014. (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) Former Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts will soon announce he wont launch a 2020 presidential campaign, according to three sources familiar with his plans. They did not say why the Democrat decided against a run. A formal announcement was delayed as the country observed a day of mourning for President George H.W. Bush, one source said. News of Patricks plans was first reported by Politico. Patrick, 62, served two terms as governor, from 2007 to 2015, was assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Clinton administration and since leaving the governors office has been a managing director for Bain Capital. Patrick traveled the country in support of Democratic candidates in the recent midterm election. Earlier this year, some of Patricks supporters and close advisors started the Reason to Believe political action committee, a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing a positive, progressive vision for our nation in 2018 and 2020. Reason to Believe PAC had been holding meetups across the country, including in early presidential primary states. While Patrick is opting against a 2020 run, dozens of Democrats are considering jumping in, including nearly a half-dozen members of the Senate, several House members, and other Massachusetts politicians. On Tuesday, Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels and a vocal critic of President Trump, said in a statement that he would run. Patrick had previously expressed some concerns about breaking through if he sought the nomination, telling David Axelrod, a former advisor to President Obama, that he wasnt sure he could stand out in such a large field. Its hard to see how you even get noticed in such a big, broad field without being shrill, sensational or a celebrity, and Im none of those things and Im never going to be any of those things, Patrick said in a September interview with Axelrod. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Former Trump adviser Roger Stone invokes 5th Amendment right and wont testify before Senate Judiciary Committee By Associated Press Roger Stone in 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Roger Stone, an associate of President Trump, says he wont provide testimony or documents to the Senate Judiciary Committee. An attorney for Stone said in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committees top Democrat, that Stone was invoking his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to produce documents or appear for an interview. Stone has been entangled in investigations by Congress and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III about whether Trump aides had advance knowledge of Democratic emails published by WikiLeaks during the 2016 election. Stone has not been charged and has said he had no knowledge of the timing or specifics of WikiLeaks plans. In the letter to Feinstein, Stone said the committees requests were far too overbroad, far too overreaching and far too wide-ranging. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Watch live: Vice President Pence and lawmakers honor George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol before he lies in state Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Rebuilding crumbling infrastructure has bipartisan support. But who gets to pay for it? By Jim Puzzanghera The grades for major U.S. infrastructure would give any parent indigestion if they were on a childs report card. Roads: D; bridges: C+; dams: D; ports: C+: railways: B; airports: D; schools: D+; public transit: D-. The nations overall grade: D+, which translates to being in fair to poor condition and mostly below standards with significant deterioration and a strong risk of failure, according to an evaluation last year by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump calls former lawyer Michael Cohen a weak person who is lying By Associated Press President Trump says his former lawyer Michael Cohen is lying to get a reduced sentence. The president is reacting to Cohens guilty plea Thursday to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate project in Russia. During a surprise court hearing, Cohen admitted to lying in testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen in his guilty plea said he made the false statements to be consistent with Trumps political message. Cohens lawyer says he continues to cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Mark Z. Barabak When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Sarah D. Wire When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Michael Cohen, President Trumps ex-lawyer, pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump real estate project in Russia By Associated Press Michael Cohen, President Trumps former personal lawyer, pursued a Russian real estate project on candidate Trumps behalf well into the 2016 campaign, he said Thursday while pleading guilty to lying to Congress. Cohen had previously said that the project was abandoned in January 2016, but he now admits he continued to pursue a deal and says he updated Trump and members of his family about the negotiations, according to a new court document. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement James Comey says acting Atty. Gen. Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer By John Wagner Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker speaks at the Justice Department in Washington on Nov. 14. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Former FBI Director James B. Comey apparently isnt too impressed with the mental prowess of President Trumps acting attorney general. Matthew Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, Comey said during a radio interview on Monday night in which he sized up the man Trump installed this month to replace ousted Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Comey was asked by WGBH News in Boston if he thinks Whitaker could derail the investigation of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Whitaker has spoken critically of the probe, and Trump as recently as Tuesday continues to call it a witch hunt. I think its a worry, but to my mind not a serious worry, Comey said. The institution is too strong, and [Whitaker], frankly, is not strong enough to have that kind of impact. He may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, but he can see his future and knows that if he acted in an extralegal way, he would go down in history for the wrong reasons, and Im sure he doesnt want that, added Comey, who was fired by Trump last year and later wrote a book that portrays the president as an ego-driven congenital liar. Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney in Iowa, was Sessions chief of staff before being picked by Trump to lead the Justice Department. Trump has called Whitaker a very smart man. Earlier this year, Trump called Comey an untruthful slime ball. Wagner writes for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Interior Department watchdog clears Zinke in investigation of Utah national monument By Juliet Eilperin Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, third from the left, and Gov. Jerry Brown tour fire damage in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 14. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The Interior Departments Office of Inspector General has cleared Secretary Ryan Zinke in a probe of whether he redrew boundaries of a national monument in Utah to aid the financial interests of a Republican state lawmaker and stalwart supporter of President Trump. In a Nov. 21 letter to Zinkes deputy, David Bernhardt, Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall wrote that her office found no evidence that the secretary or his aides changed the boundaries of Utahs Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in an effort to help former Utah state representative Mike Noel, who serves as executive director of the Kane County Water Conservancy District. Last December, Trump shrank the monument, first established by President Clinton in 1996, by 46% based on Zinkes recommendation. Noel owns 40 acres that had been surrounded by the monument, but now lies outside its boundaries. The new boundaries also would make it easier to construct the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline, which would deliver water to sites in Kane County that include Noels property. Earlier this year, the Interior Department had proposed selling off 120 acres of federal land from the former monument that lay adjacent to some of Noels land holdings, but later reversed the plan. We found no evidence that Noel influenced the DOIs proposed revisions to the [monuments] boundaries, that Zinke or other DOI staff involved in the project were aware of Noels financial interest in the revised boundaries, or that they gave Noel any preferential treatment in the resulting proposed boundaries, Kendall wrote. Neither the Interior Department nor the inspector generals office would release the actual investigative report. In the letter, Kendall writes that her office will provide the report to Congress no sooner than 31 days from Nov. 21, when it is provided it to Zinkes office. The Associated Press first reported the inspector generals conclusions Monday night, but did not provide details from the report itself. Noel emailed Zinke about the effort to alter Grand Staircase-Escalante, according to emails released by Interior under the Freedom of Informational Act. But those emails do not make references to Noels land holdings. Noel also pushed to rename a Utah highway in honor of Trump, but abandoned that effort in March after some of his fellow Republicans objected to the idea. Noel did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. The inspector generals office still has at least two ongoing probes of the secretary, including one focused on his real estate dealings in Whitefish, Mont., and another regarding his decision to deny a permit to two Connecticut tribes who were hoping to jointly run a casino after MGM Resorts International lobbied against it. Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift welcomed the watchdogs conclusions. The report shows exactly what the secretarys office has known all along that the monument boundaries were adjusted in accordance with all rules, regulations and laws, she said in an email. This report is also the latest example of opponents and special interest groups ginning up fake and misleading stories, only to be proven false after expensive and time consuming inquiries by the IGs office. But Kendalls spokeswoman, Nancy DiPaolo, defended the inquiry, even though she said the report has not been publicly released and we will not be speaking specifically about the matter at this time. The OIG opens investigations based on credible allegations and reports our findings objectively and independently, DiPaolo added. Any time or resources spent investigating conduct or activity that may be a violation of law, regulation or policy is a service to the public, Congress and the Department. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement that he still intended to investigate the way Zinke and his colleague redrew the boundaries for Grand Staircase-Escalante and another Utah national monument, Bears Ears, next year. I have great respect for the inspector general, and I accept these findings, but Secretary Zinke should have known the people he listened to while destroying our national monuments had disqualifying conflicts of interest, he said. Should I chair the Natural Resources Committee in the next Congress, the process he and President Trump used to destroy Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante will be front and center in our oversight and investigations efforts. We need to know why they ignored overwhelming public expressions of support for both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, why they ignored Native American tribes throughout their decision-making, and why they removed protections on parcels of land with known mineral deposits. Eilperin and Rein report for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump advisor Larry Kudlow says China must do more to end trade war By Jim Puzzanghera Larry Kudlow, President Trumps top economic advisor, said Tuesday that Chinas response to U.S. efforts to rework the two economic superpowers trade relationship has been extremely disappointing but the planned meeting this weekend between the nations leaders is an opportunity for a breakthrough. They have to do more. They must do more, Larry Kudlow, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters ahead of a Saturday dinner between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 Summit in Argentina. I think the president is exactly right to show strong backbone when prior administrations did not, to break through these Chinese walls, Kudlow said. Theyre so resistant to change. We have to protect the country. We have to protect our technology, our inventiveness, our innovation. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Watch live: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds a media briefing amid tensions at the border By Los Angeles Times Staff Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Democrat TJ Cox grabs lead over Republican David Valadao in nations last remaining undecided House race By Maya Sweedler Democrat TJ Cox slipped past Republican incumbent David Valadao on Monday to take the lead in the countrys sole remaining undecided congressional race, positioning Democrats to pick up their seventh House seat in California and 40th nationwide. Cox, who trailed by nearly 4,400 votes on election night, has steadily gained as ballot counting continues nearly three weeks after the Nov. 6 election, a pattern consistent with the states recent voting history. On Monday, he pulled ahead by 438 votes after Kern County updated its results. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former CIA director Michael Hayden hospitalized after suffering a stroke By Deanna Paul Then-CIA Director Michael Hayden testifies before a Senate committee in 2008. (Saul Loeb / Getty Images) Former CIA Director and retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, his family said Friday. He is receiving expert medical care for which the family is grateful, according to a statement issued by his namesake organization. The General and his family greatly appreciate the warm wishes and prayers of his friends, colleagues, and supporters. Hayden, 73, served as director of the CIA and National Security Agency during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He retired from the CIA in 2009. Hayden has been a vocal critic of Donald Trumps campaign and presidency. Earlier this year, after Trump decided to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan, Hayden was one of several former intelligence leaders who signed a statement in opposition. Criticizing the president for crossing a line, he quickly became one of the individuals whose security clearance Trump threatened to review. Deanna Paul writes for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump tells troops hes thankful for what hes done for the U.S. and rails against courts and migrants By Associated Press President Trump talks with troops via teleconference from his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Thanksgiving. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump used his Thanksgiving Day call to troops deployed overseas to pat himself on the back and air grievances about the courts, trade and migrants heading to the U.S.-Mexico border. Trumps call, made from his opulent private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., struck an unusually political tone as he spoke with members of all five branches of the military to wish them happy holidays. Its a disgrace, Trump said of judges who have blocked his attempts to overhaul U.S. immigration law, as he linked his efforts to secure the border with military missions overseas. Trump later threatened to close the U.S. border with Mexico for an undisclosed period of time if his administration determines Mexico has lost control on its side. The call was a uniquely Trump blend of boasting, peppered questions and off-the-cuff observations as his comments veered from venting about slights to praising troops You really are our heroes, he said as club waiters worked to set Thanksgiving dinner tables on the outdoor terrace behind him. It was yet another show of how Trump has dramatically transformed the presidency, erasing the traditional divisions between domestic policy and military matters and efforts to keep the troops clear of politics. You probably see over the news whats happening on our southern border, Trump told one Air Force brigadier general stationed at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, adding: I dont have to even ask you. I know what you want to do, you want to make sure that you know who were letting in. Later, Trump asked a U.S. Coast Guard commander about trade, which he noted was a very big subject for him personally. Weve been taken advantage of for many, many years by bad trade deals, Trump told the commander, who sheepishly replied, Mr. President, from our perspective on the water we dont see any issues in terms of trade right now. And throughout, Trump congratulated himself, telling the officers that the country is doing exceptionally well on his watch. I hope that youll take solace in knowing that all of the American families you hold so close to your heart are all doing well, he said. The nations doing well economically, better than anybody in the world. He later told reporters, Nobodys done more for the military than me. Indeed, asked what he was thankful for this Thanksgiving, Trump cited his great family as well as himself. I made a tremendous difference in this country, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump contradicts CIA assessment that Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi killing By Josh Dawsey | Washington Post (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump on Thursday contradicted the CIAs assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting that the agency had feelings but did not firmly place blame for the death. Trump, in defiant remarks to reporters from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, defended his continued support for Mohammed in the face of a CIA assessment that the crown prince had ordered the killing. He denies it vehemently, Trump said. He said his own conclusion was that maybe he did, maybe he didnt. I hate the crime .... I hate the cover-up. I will tell you this: The crown prince hates it more than I do, Trump said. Asked who should be held accountable for the death of Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, Trump refused to place blame. Maybe the world should be held accountable because the world is a very, very vicious place, the president said. He also seemed to suggest that all U.S. allies were guilty of the same behavior, declaring that if the others were held to the standard that critics have held Saudi Arabia to in recent days, we wouldnt be able to have anyone for an ally. Trumps remarks came after he held a conference call with U.S. military officers overseas, during which he repeatedly praised his administration and sought to draw the officers into discussions of domestic policy. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former FBI Director James Comey gets subpoena from House Republicans By Bloomberg Former FBI Director James B. Comey said he has received a subpoena from House Republicans, according to a Twitter post on Thursday. Bloomberg News reported last week that Comey would be receiving a subpoena alongside former Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch as part of continuing probes into their handling of investigations into Hillary Clinton and Russian election meddling, according to a top House Democrat. Happy Thanksgiving. Got a subpoena from House Republicans. Im still happy to sit in the light and answer all questions. But I will resist a closed door thing because Ive seen enough of their selective leaking and distortion. Lets have a hearing and invite everyone to see. James Comey (@Comey) November 22, 2018 Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Republican David Valadaos lead slips to 447 votes over Democrat TJ Cox in still-undecided Central Valley House race By Mark Z. Barabak Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), right, finds himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox. (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) On election night, it looked like Rep. David Valadao had survived a close shave and was destined to return to Washington for his fourth term. But on Wednesday, when Fresno County announced its latest vote totals, the Hanford Republican found himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox, with his lead in the Central Valley district shrunken to 447 votes. Thousands remain to be counted. Valadao, a repeated Democratic target, finished election night with a lead of nearly 4,440 votes. Cox, an engineer and a business owner who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2006, has steadily gained ground in the 21st Congressional District ever since. The trend is consistent with historic patterns showing Republicans in California tend to vote early and Democrats later, meaning their mail ballots continue to stream in past election day. Under California law, ballots postmarked up to midnight on Nov. 6 will be counted. Democrats have already picked up six House seats in California. They ousted Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, Mimi Walters, Steve Knight and Jeff Denham and won the seats of retiring Reps. Ed Royce and Darrell Issa. All six represented districts that backed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016. Valadao was the seventh California Republican in a district Clinton won, though his previous successes he last won reelection by a 14-point margin suggested his ouster was a longer shot for Democrats. If Cox prevails, it would give Democrats a 40-seat gain nationwide, far more than the 23 seats needed to take control when Congress reconvenes in January. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump says no new punishments against Saudi Arabia in Jamal Khashoggi murder By Eli Stokols In this Oct. 25 photo, candles are lit in front of a photo of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Lefteris Pitarakis) President Trump made it clear on Tuesday that he does not intend to punish Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an American resident killed by Saudi officials in Turkey in October. In a remarkable statement replete with exclamation points, Trump cast doubt on the CIAs reported conclusions that it has a high degree of confidence that the crown prince ordered Khashoggis murder and sent his closest allies to Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul to carry it out. Read MoreThis article has been updated with staff. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Sixteen House Democrats vow to oppose Nancy Pelosi as next speaker By Mike DeBonis | Washington Post House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Sixteen House Democrats said Monday that they will vote to deny Rep. Nancy Pelosi another stint as House speaker, a show of defiance that puts her opponents on the cusp of forcing a seismic leadership shake-up as their party prepares to take the majority. Their pledge to oppose Pelosi (D-San Francisco), both in an internal caucus election and a Jan. 3 floor vote, delivered in a letter sent to Democratic colleagues, comes as Pelosi has marshaled a legion of supporters on and off Capitol Hill to make her case. But her opponents said Monday they are convinced it is time to select a new leader. We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus, they wrote. However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran on and won on a message of change. Pelosi has expressed complete confidence that she will retake the speakers gavel in January eight years after she lost it following massive Republican gains in the 2010 midterms and 16 years after she was first elevated to the top Democratic leadership post in the House. Come on in, the waters fine, she said Friday about a potential leadership challenge. The signers might not be able to force Pelosi out themselves. The size of the Democratic majority remains in flux, but Democrats have already won 232 seats, according to the Associated Press, with five races still undecided. All those races have Republican incumbents, but the Democratic challenger is ahead in only one of them. If the leads hold in the uncalled races, Democrats would have won 233 seats, a 16-seat majority. That means Pelosi could lose as many as 15 Democratic votes when she stands for election as speaker on Jan. 3. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Democratic senators sue over Whitakers appointment as acting attorney general By Associated Press Acting U.S. Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) Three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitakers appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was chief of staff to Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Trump on Nov. 7. The Constitutions Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitakers appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a sufficiently senior pay level. President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nations top law enforcement official, Blumenthal said in a statement. The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called constitutional nobody and thwarting every senators constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts. The lawsuit comes days after a Washington lawyer challenged Whitakers appointment in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights. The attorney, Thomas Goldstein, asked the high court to find that Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and replace him with Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein, the second-ranking Justice Department official, has been confirmed by the Senate and had been overseeing special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker is now overseeing the investigation. The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitakers appointment as lawful and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and legal precedent. There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Gov. Rick Scott says Sen. Bill Nelson concedes Florida Senate race By Associated Press Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott speaks with his wife, Ann, by his side at an election watch party in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 7. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas Republican Gov. Rick Scott says incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson called him to concede defeat in their extremely tight race. Scott issued a statement Sunday saying Nelson graciously conceded their Senate race shortly after the states recount ended. The final results show Scott defeated Nelson by just over 10,000 votes out of 8 million cast. Nelson is scheduled to release a videotaped statement later Sunday. The defeat ends Nelsons lengthy political career. The three-term incumbent was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000. Before that he served six terms in the U.S. House and as state treasurer and insurance commissioner for six years. Scott spent more than $60 million of his own money on ads that portrayed Nelson as out-of-touch and ineffective. Nelson responded by questioning Scotts ethics and saying he would be under the sway of President Trump. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Orange County goes blue, as Democrats complete historic sweep of its seven congressional seats By Michael Finnegan Gil Cisneros defeated Republican Young Kim on Saturday in the last of Orange Countys undecided House races, giving Democrats a clean sweep of the states six most fiercely fought congressional contests and marking an epochal shift in a region long synonymous with political conservatism. With Cisneros victory, Democrats will constitute the entirety of Orange Countys seven-member congressional delegation, the first time since the 1930s that the birthplace of Richard Nixon, home of John Wayne and spiritual center of the Republican Party will have no GOP representative in the House. Sitting back in the 1960s, I would never have believed this would happen, said Stuart K. Spencer, a party strategist who spent more than half a century ushering Republicans, including President Reagan, into office. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Going, going ... with midterm wipeout, California Republican Party drifts closer to irrelevance By Michael Finnegan For a party in freefall the last two decades, California Republicans learned that its possible to plunge even further. The GOP not only lost every statewide office in the midterm election again, in blowout fashion but Democrats reestablished their supermajority in Sacramento, allowing them to legislate however they see fit After major defeats in Orange County and the Central Valley, two longtime strongholds, Republicans will have a significantly smaller footprint on Capitol Hill. (Democrats hold both Senate seats.) When the vote-counting is finished, the GOP may not even have enough lawmakers in Californias 53-member House delegation to field a nine-person softball team. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter says she will support Rep. Nancy Pelosi for speaker By Maya Sweedler Democratic Rep.-elect Katie Porter is congratulated by volunteers at her campaign headquarters in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter said she plans to support Rep. Nancy Pelosis bid for speaker of the House and will make campaign finance reform her top priority when she enters the chamber in January. Im going to continue to have conversations, but so far I feel like Leader Pelosi is definitely making the things that were a priority to the families that elected me her priorities, including announcing her support for campaign finance reform and anti-corruption as HR1, Porter said in her first public appearance since being declared the winner in Californias 45th Congressional District on Thursday evening. It means a lot to me that she is a Californian. She understands our state, Porter added. When we talk about environmental protections, this is a person who understands as a Californian how fragile our environment is and whats at risk in things like drilling off our coasts. Porter, a law professor at UC Irvine, defeated two-term Republican Rep. Mimi Walters. The 45th District, covering inland Orange County, has never been represented by a Democrat. Porter became the third Democrat to claim a Republican-held seat in Orange County, following the victories of Harley Rouda in the 48th District and Mike Levin in the 49th. A fourth, Gil Cisneros, is running slightly ahead of his Republican opponent in the race for the open seat in the 39th District, which extends into Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Porter attributed the massive political shift in the county, for decades a conservative stronghold, to increased levels of political engagement. Folks here care about education, they care about the environment, they believe climate change is real, they want healthcare that protects preexisting conditions, they want a tax system that doesnt punish California, they want our schools and places of worship to be safe from gun violence, she said. Those are the issues we campaigned on, and to the extent that Donald Trump and Mimi Walters were on the wrong side of those issues, the voters have made clear what direction they want us to go. Porter was flying back from the East Coast when her race was called, she said. She turned on her phone to find 167 text messages from friends and supporters. Among them was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who was one of Porters teachers in law school and with whom she has remained close. The pair spoke via FaceTime this morning, she said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Bitter battle for Senate seat in Florida goes to hand recount By Associated Press Employees look through damaged ballots during a recount Thursday in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas acrimonious battle for the U.S. Senate headed Thursday to a legally required hand recount after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson separated by less than 13,000 votes. But the highly watched contest for governor between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum appeared to be over, with a machine recount showing DeSantis with a large enough advantage over Gillum to avoid a hand recount in that race. Gillum, who conceded the contest on election night only to retract his concession later, said in a statement that it is not over until every legally casted vote is counted. The recount so far has been fraught with problems. One large Democratic stronghold in South Florida was unable to finish its machine recount by the Thursday deadline due to machines breaking down. A federal judge rejected a request to extend the recount deadline. We gave a heroic effort, said Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. If the county had three or four more hours, it would have made the deadline to recount ballots in the Senate race, she said. Meanwhile, election officials in another urban county in the Tampa Bay area decided against turning in the results of their machine recount, which came up with 846 fewer votes than originally counted. Media in South Florida reported that Broward County finished its machine recount but missed the deadline by a few minutes. Counties were ordered last weekend to do a machine recount of three statewide races because the margins were so tight. The next stage is a manual review of ballots that were not counted by machines to see whether there is a way to figure out voter intent. Scott called on Nelson to end the recount battle. Its time for Nelson to respect the will of the voters and graciously bring this process to an end rather than proceed with yet another count of the votes which will yield the same result and bring more embarrassment to the state that we both love and have served, the governor said in a statement. The recount has triggered multiple lawsuits, many of them filed by Nelson and Democrats. The legal battles drew the ire of U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker, who slammed the state for repeatedly failing to anticipate election problems. He also said the state law on recounts appears to violate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that decided the presidency in 2000. We have been the laughingstock of the world, election after election, and we chose not to fix this, Walker said during a morning hearing. Walker vented his anger at state lawmakers and Palm Beach County officials, saying they should have made sure they had enough equipment in place to handle this kind of a recount. But he said he could not extend the recount deadline because he did not know when Palm Beach County would finish its work. This court must be able to craft a remedy with knowledge that it will not prove futile, Walker wrote in his ruling turning down the request from Democrats. It cannot do so on this record. This court does not and will not fashion a remedy in the dark. The overarching problem was created by the Florida Legislature, which Walker said passed a recount law that appears to run afoul of the 2000 Bush vs. Gore decision by locking in procedures that do not allow for potential problems. A total of six election-related lawsuits are pending in federal court in Tallahassee as well at least one lawsuit filed in state court. Walker also ordered that voters be given until 5 p.m. Saturday to show a valid identification and fix their ballots if they have not been counted due to mismatched signatures. Republicans appealed the ruling, but an appeals court turned down the request. State officials testified that nearly 4,000 mailed-in ballots were set aside because local officials decided the signatures on the envelopes did not match the signatures on file. If those voters can prove their identity, their votes will be counted and included in final official returns due from each county by noon Sunday. Walker was asked by Democrats to require local officials to provide a list of people whose ballots were rejected. But the judge appointed by President Obama refused the request, calling it inappropriate. Under state law, a hand review is required with races that have a margin of 0.25 percentage points or less. A state website put the unofficial results showing Scott ahead of Nelson by 0.15 percentage points. The margin between DeSantis and Gillum was at 0.41 points. The margin between Scott and Nelson had not changed much in the last few days, conceded Marc Elias, an attorney working for Nelsons campaign. But he said that he expected the vote tally to shrink due to the hand recount and the ruling on signatures. The developments fueled frustrations among Democrats and Republicans alike. Democrats want state officials to do whatever it takes to make sure every eligible vote is counted. Republicans, including President Trump, have argued without evidence that voter fraud threatens to steal races from the GOP. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Democrat Gil Cisneros pulls ahead of Republican Young Kim as more votes are tallied in Orange and San Bernardino counties By Michael Finnegan Congressional candidate Gil Cisneros (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Democrat Gil Cisneros pulled ahead of Republican Young Kim in one of Californias undecided congressional races Thursday, an ominous sign for a GOP already reeling from its loss of four House seats in the state. In updated vote counts released by the registrars for Orange and San Bernardino counties, Kim fell 941 votes behind Cisneros in the contest to succeed Republican Rep. Ed Royce in Californias 39th Congressional District. The 39th straddles Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange counties. In another unresolved House race, Democrat Katie Porter pulled further ahead of Republican incumbent Mimi Walters in the 45th District, which includes Mission Viejo, Tustin, Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita and Laguna Hills. Porter, a consumer attorney and UC Irvine law professor, is now 6,203 votes ahead. The Nov. 6 midterm election has been devastating to Republicans in California. If Cisneros and Porter win, the party will have lost six of its 14 House seats in the state, essentially a wipeout in every contest that both parties spent heavily to win. The three Republicans already bounced from Congress are Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Jeff Denham of Turlock in the San Joaquin Valley. Democrat Mike Levin won the seat of retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista in the fourth district flipped so far. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Florida Senate race likely headed to second recount By Associated Press A Palm Beach County Sheriffs deputy walks past boxes of ballots before a recount on Nov. 15 in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee) Unofficial Florida election results show that the governors race seems to be settled after a machine recount but the U.S. Senate race is likely headed to a hand recount. Republican Ron DeSantis is virtually assured of winning the nationally watched governors race over Democrat Andrew Gillum. Florida finished a machine recount Thursday that showed Gillum without enough votes to force a manual recount. Unofficial results posted on a state website show the margin between U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott is still thin enough to trigger a second review. State law requires a hand recount of races with a margin of 0.25 percentage point or less. Counties have until Sunday to inspect the ballots that did not record a vote when put through the machines. Those ballots are re-examined to see whether the voter skipped the race or marked the ballot in a way that the machines cannot read but can be deciphered. The election will be certified Tuesday. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Pelosi says she has the votes to become the next House speaker By John Wagner Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference in Washington on Nov. 14. (Susan Walsh) House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi insisted Thursday that she has the votes to become the chambers speaker despite solid opposition from more than a dozen Democrats who want fresh leadership when the party takes control next year. I have overwhelming support in my caucus to be speaker of the House, the San Francisco lawmaker told reporters. I happen to think at this point, Im the best person for that. A vote within the Democratic caucus is scheduled for Nov. 28. The full House votes on Jan. 3 to elect a new speaker. During her remarks, Pelosi touted the size of the Democratic victory in the midterms, which she called almost a tsunami. With a few races still to be decided, Democrats are poised to pick up close to 40 seats in the chamber. Pelosi called that the biggest victory for the Democrats since 1974, when the Watergate babies came in. Pelosis comments come as she faces solid opposition from at least 17 Democrats, setting the stage for a battle over who will ascend to one of the most powerful positions in Washington. After a campaign in which some Democrats prevailed in competitive districts by promising to oppose her, a coalition of incumbents and newly elected members has denied her a smooth path to the speakership. The defections, if they stand, would leave Pelosi, who has led the Democrats for more than 15 years, several votes short of the 218 she would need when the full House votes for speaker Jan. 3. However, no Democrat has stepped forward to run against her for a job she held from 2007 through 2010. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) told reporters Wednesday that shes being encouraged to stand for speaker if Pelosi doesnt have the votes. In an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday, she said she has been overwhelmed by the support from many of her colleagues for her possible entry into the race for House speaker. Over the last 12 hours, Ive been overwhelmed by the amount of support Ive received, Fudge said, adding that there are probably closer to 30" Democrats who have privately signaled that they are willing to oppose Pelosi. Things could change rapidly, Fudge said. Fudge, 66, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said she is building a diverse coalition as she mulls a speaker run, talking with allies in the caucus, moderate Democrats and newly elected members. To this point, Pelosi has enjoyed the strong backing of the Congressional Black Caucus. On Thursday, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), one of its members, wrote a letter to colleagues praising her insight, fortitude and strategic thinking and urging support for her speakership bid. Former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., an African American who is contemplating a 2020 presidential bid, also voiced support for Pelosi, praising her in a tweet as an architect of the recent midterm success. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a leader of the resistance to Pelosi, said during an interview on CNN on Thursday that Fudge is the kind of new leader that we need in this party. Shes in touch with middle America. She understands what the American people want. Shes a next-generation leader that people will look to and say, Thats the future of our party, thats the future of our country, and thats exactly the kind of leader that I want to see as our next speaker. Wagner reports for the Washington Post. The Posts Robert Costa, Erica Werner, Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane and Elise Viebeck contributed to this report. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement GOP Rep. Jeff Denham concedes to Democrat Josh Harder in Central Valley race By Maya Sweedler Rep. Jeff Denham (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Republican Rep. Jeff Denham has conceded to Democrat Josh Harder in the race to represent Californias 10th Congressional District in the San Joaquin Valley. It has been an absolute honor to serve our community and represent the Central Valley in Congress over the past eight years, the 51-year-old congressman said. The enormity of the responsibility was never lost on me. My wife Sonia and I look forward to starting the next chapter of our lives. Harder said he had spoken with Denham and the two were committed to a productive transition. Denham, an Air Force veteran, previously represented the region in the state Senate for eight years and founded a company specializing in plastic packaging used in agriculture. While a member of Congress, he sat on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture committees. First-time candidate Harder was born and raised in the district. After graduating from Stanford University, he served as vice president of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Since moving back, he has been teaching at Modesto Junior College. Denhams House seat is one of four in California that Republicans lost in the Nov. 6 election, with two contests in Orange County still undecided as of Thursday morning. Jeff Denham called me this morning and we had a very productive conversation. I'm honored that I've been chosen to serve our community in Congress, and we're both looking forward to a productive transition that best serves the people of District 10. Josh Harder (@JoshHarder) November 14, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Democrat Katie Porter now nearly 3,800 votes ahead of GOP Rep. Mimi Walters By Maya Sweedler Rep. Mimi Walters thanks all of her supporters as she watches election results in Irvine on Nov. 7, 2018. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press) Democrat Katie Porter opened a 3,797-vote lead Wednesday over Republican Rep. Mimi Walters in Orange Countys 45th Congressional District. In the neighboring 39th, Democrat Gil Cisneros has nearly tied the race against Republican Young Kim. Cisneros now trails Kim by a razor-thin margin of 122 votes. The 39th District straddles Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties; Wednesdays updated ballot counts came from the latter two. There are more than 202,000 ballots left to count in Orange County, which includes parts of seven congressional districts. The 45th is entirely in inland Orange County. In California, the ballots counted first tend to lean Republican and those tallied later skew Democratic. In the Central Valleys 21st Congressional District, Democratic challenger TJ Cox has pulled within 2 percentage points of Rep. David Valadao, who is serving his third term. The Associated Press had projected a win for Valadao on election night, but his 4,839-vote advantage has shrunk to 2,090. Back in CA-21, Valadao (R) wins a batch of ballots from his stronghold in Kings Co., but by a considerably smaller margin (14 points) than his previous ~30-point margin in the county. We're moving to Lean R from Likely R; today a bit scary for Valadao.https://t.co/WqJVUVkqGW Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 15, 2018 A spokesman for Valadao told the Fresno Bee that the changes were expected and that [s]tatistically, David Valadao has won this race. Democrats in California have already flipped four House seats, defeating three Republican incumbents and claiming an open seat previously held by the GOP. Reps. Steve Knight of Palmdale, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Jeff Denham of Turlock have already lost their races, and retiring Rep. Darrell Issas San Diego County seat was claimed by Democrat Mike Levin. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump aide departs West Wing after rebuke from Melania Trump By Associated Press First Lady Melania Trump. (Alain Jocard / AFP-Getty Images) Deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel is leaving the White House, one day after First Lady Melania Trumps office issued an extraordinary statement calling for her dismissal. No replacement was named. Aides said Ricardel clashed with the first ladys staff over her visit to Africa last month. Yet it is highly unusual for a first lady or her office to weigh in on personnel matters, especially the presidents national security staff. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Ricardel would have a new role in the administration. On Tuesday, Stephanie Grisham, the first ladys spokeswoman, released a statement saying, It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House. President Trumps White House has set records for administration turnover. Ricardel was the third person to hold the post under Trump. An ally of national security advisor John Bolton, Ricardel began her service in the Trump administration as associate director in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, then moved to the Commerce Department last year. Bolton brought her into the West Wing shortly after taking the job in April. He is traveling in Asia this week alongside Vice President Mike Pence. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Race for House Minority Leader is Kevin McCarthys to lose By Associated Press (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is running to take over next years shrunken caucus in closed-door elections that will set the tone for the new Congress. The race for minority leader is McCarthys to lose Wednesday. But the California Republican, who is an ally of President Trump, must fend off a challenge from conservative Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan is a leader of the House Freedom Caucus. The two encountered questions and finger-pointing during a private meeting with lawmakers Tuesday night as the GOP sorted through the midterm defeat that put Democrats in the majority next year. Elections Wednesday will also determine party leadership in the Senate. Voting for the biggest race, Nancy Pelosis bid to return as the Democrats nominee for speaker, is later this month. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Melania Trump calls for the firing of deputy national security advisor By Justin Sink First Lady Melania Trump arrives at the Chateau de Versailles outside Paris on Nov. 11. (Alain Jocard / AFP/Getty Images ) First Lady Melania Trumps office said she wants Mira Ricardel, the deputy national security advisor, ousted from the White House. It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House, Trumps spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement in response to a question about reports the first lady had sought Ricardels removal. Ricardel is the top deputy to national security advisor John Bolton. She drew the first ladys wrath after threatening to withhold National Security Council resources during Melania Trumps trip to Africa last month unless Ricardel was included in her entourage, one person familiar with the matter said. Grishams statement comes as several media outlets have reported that President Trump is considering a broader shakeup of his administration, including ousting Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Sink and Jacobs report for Bloomberg. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print CNN sues Trump over the suspension of Jim Acostas White House press credentials By Jim Puzzanghera CNN said Tuesday that it is suing President Trump and other administration officials over the decision to suspend the White House press credentials of correspondent Jim Acosta after a conflict at a news conference last week. The suit, to be filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, escalates an ongoing battle between Trump and the cable news outlet that he frequently accuses of disseminating fake news for its aggressive coverage of him and his administration. The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acostas 1st Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their 5th Amendment rights to due process, CNN said in a written statement. If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Maxine Waters to take aim at Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank as new head of House Financial Services Committee By Jim Puzzanghera Rep. Maxine Waters plans to zero in on two big banks Wells Fargo & Co. and Deutsche Bank when she becomes head of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. The Los Angeles congresswoman, now the committees top Democrat, is widely expected to gain the gavel after her party won control of the House in last weeks elections. While Waters has outlined a wide-ranging agenda, she said her focus on bank oversight will target two large institutions she has been tangling with for a while including one, Deutsche Bank, that spills into her bitter feud with President Trump. With Trump in the White House, I know that our fight for Americas consumers and investors will continue to be challenging. But I am more than up to that fight, Waters wrote in a letter last week to her Democratic colleagues on the committee that was obtained by The Times. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Heres how a controversial voting system will decide a congressional race in Maine By Kurtis Lee For the first time in U.S. history, a controversial voting system known as ranked choice is being used to decide a federal election. Its happening in Maine, which adopted the system in 2016. Rather than marking a single candidate, each voter ranks them all, assigning a first-place vote, a second-place vote and so on down the ballot. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print ACLU files suit to stop Trumps new asylum limits By Associated Press A group of Central American migrants march to the office of the U.N.'s humans rights body in Mexico City on Nov. 8. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press) The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a legal challenge to President Trumps order denying asylum to migrants if they cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco and argues the new rules are against the law. Attorney Lee Gelernt said the regulations will put families in danger. The suit seeks to declare the regulations invalid and wants a judge to stop the rules from going into effect while the litigation is pending. The new rules were spurred in part by caravans of Central American migrants slowly moving north on foot, but officials say they will apply to anyone caught crossing illegally. Officials say about 70,000 people who enter the country illegally claim asylum. The order invoked the same national security powers Trump used to push through his travel ban. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump on new acting AG: I dont know Matt Whitaker By Associated Press President Trump talks with reporters before departing for France on the South Lawn of the White House on Nov. 9. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump is moving to distance himself from Matthew Whitaker as he faces criticism over his choice for acting attorney general. Trump told reporters Friday that I dont know Matt Whitaker and said he didnt speak with Whitaker about special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker has made public comments critical of Muellers investigation, and critics have called on Whitaker to recuse himself from oversight of the inquiry. Under former Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, the investigation was overseen by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Of the scrutiny Whitaker is facing, Trump said: Its a shame that no matter who I put in they go after. He also called Whitaker a very highly respected man. Whitaker was Sessions chief of staff before Trump made him Sessions interim replacement. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg out of hospital after fall By Associated Press The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is home after being released from the hospital. She had been admitted for treatment and observation after fracturing three ribs in a fall. The court said Ginsburg was released Friday. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg says she is doing well and working from home. The court had previously said the justice fell in her office at the court on Wednesday evening and went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gun-control activist Lucy McBath defeats GOP Rep. Karen Handel in Georgia By Associated Press Lucy McBath speaks during a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Nov. 2 at Morehouse College in Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Democratic gun-control activist Lucy McBath has defeated Republican Rep. Karen Handel of Georgia in a suburban congressional district long considered safe for the GOP. Handel had to seek reelection after winning her seat last year in a close special election race against Democrat Jon Ossoff. McBath became an advocate for stricter gun laws after her son, Jordan Davis, was fatally shot at a Florida gas station in 2012 by a man angry over loud music the teenager and his friends were playing in a car. McBaths margin of victory was narrow enough for Handel to have requested a recount. The Associated Press declared McBath the winner Thursday after Handel conceded. Handel conceded in a statement Thursday morning, stating that after reviewing all of the election data, its clear she came up a bit short in Tuesdays vote. Handel congratulated McBath, offering good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her. McBath, who is African American, declared victory Wednesday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized after fracturing 3 ribs in fall By Associated Press Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fractured three ribs in a fall in her office at the court and is in the hospital. The court says the justice went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. The court says the fall occurred Wednesday evening. Ginsburg was admitted to the hospital for treatment and observation after tests showed she fractured three ribs. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She has had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print White House suspends press pass of CNNs Jim Acosta after heated exchange with Trump By Associated Press The White House on Wednesday suspended the press pass of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after he and President Trump had a heated confrontation during a news conference. They began sparring after Acosta asked Trump about the caravan of migrants heading from Latin America to the southern U.S. border. When Acosta tried to follow up with another question, Trump said, Thats enough! and a female White House aide unsuccessfully tried to grab the microphone from Acosta. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement accusing Acosta of placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern, calling it absolutely unacceptable. The interaction between Acosta and the intern was brief, and Acosta appeared to brush her arm as she reached for the microphone and he tried to hold onto it. Pardon me, maam, he told her. Acosta tweeted that Sanders statement that he put his hands on the aide was a lie. CNN said in a statement that the White House revoked Acostas press pass in retaliation for his challenging questions Wednesday, and the network accused Sanders of lying about Acostas actions. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporters colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history. Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Contrary to CNNs assertions there is no greater demonstration of the Presidents support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters... Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 As a result of todays incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice. Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Sanders provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better, CNN said. Jim Acosta has our full support. Journalists assigned to cover the White House apply for passes that allow them daily access to press areas in the West Wing. White House staffers decide whether journalists are eligible, though the Secret Service determines whether their applications are approved. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump spars with reporters at post-election news briefing, ordering several to sit down By Associated Press President Trump assails CNNs Jim Acosta at a White House news conference. President Trump sparred with reporters at his post-election news conference, ordering several to sit down and telling another hes a rude, terrible person. He told another reporter hes not a fan of yours, either. The presidents mood turned sour Wednesday after reporters pressed him on why he referred to a migrant caravan making its way to the U.S. on foot through Mexico as an invasion. Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric against the caravan in the final days of the midterm elections. Trump was also pressed on why his campaign aired an ad featuring a Mexican immigrant convicted of killing American police officers and linking the mans actions to the caravan. Several television networks pulled the ad after airing it or declined to air it at all. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Im living one hour at a time at this point By Christine Mai-Duc Republican congressional candidate Young Kim and gubernatorial candidate John Cox campaign in Rowland Heights. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Republican congressional candidate Young Kim greeted gubernatorial candidate John Coxs giant campaign bus, the words HELP IS ON THE WAY emblazoned across it, as it rolled into the parking lot outside her Rowland Heights field office. Standing beside Cox on Saturday, Kim predicted that a string of GOP victories Tuesday would start with voters repealing the gas tax hike. Can you imagine Gavin Newsom being our governor? Can you imagine Gil Cisneros being your representative? Kim asked the crowd, to loud boos and cries of Nooo! The former state assemblywoman who worked for retiring Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) is vying for his seat with Democrat Gil Cisneros. She led the crowd in chants of Enough is enough! and, though short-lived, Drain the swamp! Ive served you in Sacramento and Ive seen dysfunction personally, Kim continued. We cannot continue that route. She urged her supporters to stay and help make phone calls or walk neighborhoods. Lets get out there the 72 hours is really critical. Its all going to come down to a few votes, it could be your vote, she said pointing to her left, then pivoting right, it could be your vote. So dont sit back and do nothing. Every night I go to sleep thinking, OK, how many more votes can I get or how many more people can I call tomorrow? Kim said. It can be physically exhausting but Im mentally, emotionally very energized. She listed off her events so far that day and the next one she was heading to. Thats just what I can remember, she said. Im living one hour at a time at this point. Kims campaign invited press to two of her events on Saturday. After she was whisked away to her next event a high tea fundraiser in Walnut, a couple dozen volunteers remained. John Freeman, a statewide field manager for the state Republican Party, tried to pump them up. This is the Super Bowl. Were not in an NFL stadium, were not getting paid millions of dollars, but you know what? Freeman said. Were walking on the field right now. This is that high-stakes-level game. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Its going to be tough out there Democratic candidate Katie Porter speaks to volunteers in Mission Viejo. Jon Bauman, Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na, is in the background. (Victoria Kim / Los Angeles Times ) Judging from the cheers in the crowd, about half those assembled at Katie Porters campaign headquarters in Mission Viejo Sunday morning were old enough to remember 70s rock n roll star Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na. Jon Bauman, as Bowzer is known off stage, said it was her position on senior issues including retirement and social security that has him out supporting Porter over her opponent, incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters. I want you to make sure every phone is called and every door is knocked, he told the crowd of about 80 volunteers. There has never been a more important election. Both Bauman and his nephew, California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman, were interrupted by yells from Trump supporters coming from an adjoining hillside. We love Trump, the voice cried out. We love him too, he makes great fodder, the younger Bauman retorted, before introducing Porter. Porter, a UC Irvine law professor and first-time candidate, acknowledged the uphill battle some of her canvassers might face in this more conservative end of the long-red Orange County district. I know its going to be tough out there, she said, motioning to the hillside. But she said the attacks meant the other side viewed her campaign as a significant threat. This election is going to be close, she said. If we dont fight all the way to the finish line, until 8 oclock on Tuesday, this could slip away. Bowzer then took to a keyboard piano to lead the crowd in a reworded rendition of the song Good Night Sweetheart: Good night, Mimi Walters, he crooned. A woman in a black tank top, jeans and flip flops holding a cup of coffee later joined the crowd with her two sons, 17 and 14, the younger one wearing a Trump 2016 T-shirt. She declined to give her name, saying she was concerned about being attacked, but said she lived up the hill and said she had been the one yelling. She said she was encouraging her sons to talk to people on both sides and make up their own minds. We need to have a government that runs the way government teachers are telling kids its supposed to be run, said the woman, a retired registered dental assistant who voted early for Mimi Walters. Referring to Democrats, she said: Theyve had control over all these years and Californias gone to crap. Among those canvassing was Stacie Campbell, 37, who was at the launch with her husband Jerome and three children, the youngest of whom was 2 months old. Campbell, a Mission Viejo resident who runs a business, had never canvassed or volunteered for campaigns before, and her husband is a French citizen and unable to vote. She said they had been talking to their children the older ones are 5 and 2 about the presidency and the government since Trumps election. Together, they worked on homemade Katie Porter lawn signs and put them up around town. This is the first time its felt like a big deal and there isnt a president up for election, she said. Because her city is a mix of conservatives and liberals her next-door neighbor is an NRA-supporting Republican she the race felt m The Supreme Court on Monday shielded a police officer from being sued for shooting an Arizona woman in her front yard, once again making it harder to bring legal action against officers who use excessive force, even against an innocent person. With two dissents, the high court tossed out a lawsuit by a Tucson woman who was shot four times outside her home because she was seen carrying a large knife. The ruling which comes at a time of growing controversy over police shootings nationwide effectively advises courts to rely more heavily on the officers view of such incidents, rather than the victims. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg said in dissent the victim did not threaten the police or a friend who was standing nearby. This decision is not just wrong on the law; it also sends an alarming signal to law enforcement officers and the public. It tells officers that they can shoot first and think later, Sotomayor wrote. Advertisement Civil liberties advocates on the right and the left sharply criticized the ruling. Todays ruling gives yet another green light to officers who use deadly force as a tool of first resort instead of last, said Clark Neily, vice president of the libertarian Cato Institute. It does so based on a legal doctrine qualified immunity that the Supreme Court invented out of whole cloth to help create a policy of near-zero accountability for law enforcement. David Cole, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union, said officers who use lethal force unconstitutionally should be held accountable. Giving a free pass to officers under these circumstances will only exacerbate the problem. Since the Civil War, federal law has allowed people to sue government officials, including the police, for violating their constitutional rights. But in recent years, the Supreme Court has erected a shield of immunity for police and said officers may not be sued unless victims can point to a nearly identical shooting that had been deemed unconstitutionally excessive in a previous decision. Police shootings of unarmed people, many of them African Americans, have sparked protests across the country, most recently in Sacramento. Often prosecutors have been reluctant to bring criminal charges in such cases because they would need to convince an entire jury that the officer was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Civil suits that seek damages are in theory easier to win because plaintiffs need only present convincing evidence that the officer used unreasonable force. But the high court has repeatedly made it harder for victims to bring such claims before a jury. In an eight-page unsigned opinion in Kisela vs. Hughes, the justices did not rule on whether officer Andrew Kisela acted reasonably when he used potentially deadly force against Amy Hughes, who was standing in her driveway a few feet away from her friend and roommate, Sharon Chadwick. The police had been called after a neighbor reported seeing a woman acting strangely and carrying a large knife. Rather than decide whether Kisela used excessive force, the court instead ruled he could not be sued because the victim could not cite a similar case involving a police shooting of a person holding a knife. Advertisement Police officers are entitled to qualified immunity unless existing precedent squarely governs the specific facts at issue...This is far from an obvious case in which any competent officer would have known that shooting Hughes to protect Chadwick would violate the 4th Amendment and its ban on unreasonable seizures, the court said Monday. The decision reversed the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which had allowed the womans lawsuit to go before a jury. In recent months, legal scholars and the Cato Institute have joined civil rights lawyers in criticizing the courts approach to police shootings. University of Chicago law professor William Baude, a former clerk for Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., has argued the justices invented the doctrine of qualified immunity in the 1980s and have steadily expanded it to block suits in cases of excessive force. In her dissent, Sotomayor quoted a law review article by Judge Stephen Reinhardt from Los Angeles, who died last week. Nearly all of the Supreme Courts qualified immunity cases come out the same way by finding immunity for the officials, Reinhardt wrote in 2015. Advertisement Three years ago, the justices tossed out a lawsuit brought by a mentally ill San Francisco woman shot five times by officers who pushed their way into her private room. They said they shot her because she was holding a bread knife. The Tucson shooting took place a few blocks from the University of Arizona campus. Police were called to check welfare after a neighbor called about a woman who was acting erratically and brandishing a knife. Three officers, including Kisela, arrived and saw a woman, later identified as Hughes, leave the house and walk toward Chadwick. She was carrying a knife. A chain link fence prevented the officers from approaching, but they called out to Hughes to drop the knife. She ignored them and came within six feet of Chadwick. The other woman was calm and said there was no threat. But Kisela then fired four shots, striking Hughes. She was handcuffed, and taken to a hospital. She recovered from her injuries and sued Kisela for an unreasonable seizure and an excessive use of force. The 9th Circuit appeals court said that while some key facts are in dispute, a rational jury could find that [Hughes] had a constitutional right to walk down her driveway holding a knife without being shot. Advertisement Lawyers for Arizona appealed and said the suit should be dismissed. Qualified immunity exists to protect the public from unwarranted timidity on the part of public officials, they said. The justices agreed and ruled Kisela was entitled to immunity. Sotomayor said the majority had revised the facts to favor the officer. Hughes held a kitchen knife down at her side with the blade facing away from Chadwick. Hughes was nowhere near the officers, had committed no illegal act, was suspected of no crime, and did not raise the knife in the direction of Chadwick or anyone else, she wrote. Two officers kept talking, but without giving a warning that he would open fire, he [Kisela] shot Hughes four times, leaving her seriously wounded. If this account of Kiselas conduct sounds unreasonable, that is because it was, Sotomayor said. She said the courts one-sided approach to qualified immunity transforms the doctrine into an absolute shield for law enforcement officers, gutting the deterrent effect of the 4th Amendment. Advertisement Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley Law School, said Mondays decision is part of a trend. In case after case involving excessive police force, the Supreme Court is finding for the police and keeping juries from ever being able to decide if the police acted impermissibly. This contributes significantly to the difficulties in holding police accountable, he said. Major questions before the Supreme Court this year david.savage@latimes.com On Twitter: DavidGSavage Advertisement UPDATES: 1:40 p.m.: This article was updated with reaction from Neily, Cole and others. 10:40 a.m.: This article was updated with additional quotes from the decision and dissent. This article was originally published at 8:05 a.m. California Gov. Jerry Brown, who once studied to be a Jesuit priest, has made a habit of issuing pardons tied to the holidays. Sticking to tradition, Brown on Friday issued 14 sentence commutations for current inmates and 56 pardons, including for five immigrants with criminal records facing possible deportation. President Trump broke with tradition and used the holiday to attack Californias governor and promise there would be no deal for so-called Dreamers brought illegally to the U.S. as children. Is this really what the great people of California want? Trump wrote. He also cited Fox News, suggesting he learned about the pardons by watching his favorite news source, a frequent inspiration for his tweets. The governors office responded that Pardons are not granted unless they are earned, and pointed out to reporters that Trumps comments come not long after he declared April to be Second Chance Month. Advertisement Sign up for the free Essential Politics email newsletter As Melanie Mason wrote when detailing the immigrants Brown pardoned, such a move from the governor can be decisive in helping a person avoid deportation. Brown has exercised his pardon power substantially more than preceding governors. Since taking office in 2011, he has granted 1,115 pardons and 51 commutations. The dust-up between Californias governor and the president of the United States comes at the close of a week when Trump tweeted his support for Orange County supervisors who broke with the state on its sanctuary state policies and a few days after his administration said it would add a question about citizenship to the 2020 Census, which would disproportionately affect California. Christine Mai-Duc reports that Orange Countys decision to spurn the states sanctuary state policy was met with enthusiasm among GOP congressional candidates running in some of Californias hottest congressional races. As George Skelton writes in his Monday column about the census decision, it seems Trump wants to hurt California politically and financially, as well as find more immigrants to deport. Thats not what the president is saying, but virtually no one buys the official version of why he plans to ask everyone in America whether they are a U.S. citizen, Skelton says. CIA NOMINATION WILL FORCE RECKONING WITH TORTURE The Central Intelligence Agency has slowly started to pull back the curtain on Gina Haspel, Trumps nominee to run the countrys premiere spy agency. Shes spent almost her entire 33-year career undercover, running espionage operations around the world and earning the respect of her colleagues. However, the agencys legacy of black sites, where terrorism suspects were imprisoned and tortured, will be a source of controversy during her confirmation process. Chris Megerian took a look at Haspels long career and how her role in the interrogation program could prove to be an obstacle. Advertisement BETTER CALL A LAWYER -- ANY LAWYER? Trump has struggled to find top-shelf legal talent to represent him in the Russia investigation, so hes increasingly relying on a trio of little-known lawyers. Theyre all connected to Jay Sekulow, who has been representing Trump since last summer. Get the latest about whats happening with the investigation on Essential Washington. NATIONAL POLITICS LIGHTNING ROUND Advertisement -- Trump has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit the White House, according to a Kremlin aide. They havent set a date, yet. -- Laura King noted Sunday that the tone of the presidents holiday tweets differed markedly from the sentiments of goodwill commonly expressed by previous U.S. chief executives on national or religious occasions. -- China raised import duties on pork, fruit and other products from the United States in an escalating tariff dispute with Trump that companies worry might depress global commerce. -- Trump claimed his border wall construction has started. It hasnt. Advertisement -- Another week, another chance to check out our project detailng everyone who has left the Trump administration. -- In Trumps orbit, few people are safe. Heres a look at who might get booted next. -- Statues offensive to Native Americans are poised to topple across the country. -- Bill Cosbys retrial comes in the #MeToo era. Advertisement Get the latest about whats happening in the nations capital on Essential Washington. ANOTHER TRY TO CHANGE POLICE TRANSPARENCY LAWS For years, state lawmakers have attempted to change Californias laws against releasing police shooting investigations, which are now some of the strictest in the nation. All those efforts have failed, however, in the face of strong opposition from law enforcement groups. Now, in the wake of the police killing of an unarmed black man earlier this month in Sacramento, legislators are trying again by attempting to make all police shooting investigations public, Liam Dillon reports. Advertisement THE NEXT GENERATIONS FIGHT Young people who marched for gun control all over the country showed that the unyielding firearms lobby is in deep trouble with the next generation, Skelton wrote in his Thursday column, arguing that if you pit a growing youth movement for sensible national firearms regulation against an aging gun lobby, the kids ultimately win. AS IF! CLUELESS ACTRESS IS OUT OF CONGRESSIONAL RACE Actress-turned-conservative commentator Stacey Dash is calling her congressional candidacy quits a little over a month after jumping into a Los Angeles race in an attempt to unseat freshman Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-San Pedro). Advertisement Dash tweeted a statement that she is withdrawing from the race because the overall bitterness surrounding our political process, participating in the rigors of campaigning, and holding elected office would be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of my family. But the decision comes too late: She will still appear on the June 5 primary ballot as a Republican Actress/news analyst. The race remains interesting, since Comptons Democratic Mayor Aja Brown is running against the congresswoman. You can keep up with the midterms via our Essential Politics news feed on California politics. AN INDEPENDENT IN NAME ONLY Advertisement Think fast: How do you register to vote as an independent? Its not by choosing American Independent on Californias registration card. In his Sunday column, John Myers revisits the subject of a Times investigation from 2016: Voters who mistakenly choose a right-wing party associated with white supremacy when what they really wanted was to be an unaffiliated independent voter. There are now more than a half-million votes in the American Independent Party, and theres no sign of state lawmakers having any plans to try to solve the problem. SCHWARZENEGGER RECOVERING FROM HEART SURGERY Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is in stable condition after undergoing emergency open-heart surgery during a procedure to replace a valve in his heart, according to his spokesman. Schwarzenegger was undergoing a less-invasive catheter valve replacement but during that procedure an open-heart surgery team stepped in to replace the valve due to complications. Advertisement Schwarzenegger woke up Friday morning and his first words were: Im back. TODAYS ESSENTIALS -- Judge Stephen Reinhardt, the liberal face of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals who died last week, is remembered for being someone who tried to help the underdog. -- California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra issued policy guides for schools on how to deal with hate crimes, bullying and immigration enforcement. The policies were unveiled a day after his office issued two informational documents for local law enforcement agencies on how to follow the state immigration laws. Advertisement -- Becerra has sued Sutter Health, the largest hospital system in Northern California, alleging anticompetitive business practices that unfairly drove up costs for consumers. -- Four state treasurers including Californias John Chiang requested that U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions meet with them to find a way to allow banks to handle money from the marijuana industry in states that have legalized marijuana. This is not just a blue state phenomenon but includes purple and red states in every corner of our country, they wrote in a letter to Sessions. A majority of Americans now live in states where they have decided to legalize cannabis. -- The man Trump called my African American is running for Congress against Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale.) -- California has a new deputy first dog. Meet Cali, the governors new puppy. Advertisement LOGISTICS Essential Politics is published Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can keep up with breaking news on our politics page throughout the day for the latest and greatest. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics? Miss Fridays newsletter? Here you go. Advertisement Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com. Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox. He went ahead and did it. Of course he did. Bashing California is way too much fun and easy for President Trump. California Democratic leaders shouldnt be shocked. Politically, they had it coming, proudly emerging as the presidents chief antagonist while revving up their liberal and Latino bases. Not that Trump didnt deserve it. He has been feeding his political base by assailing California and immigrants in the country illegally since first running for president. But when a state plays hardball with a president especially a brawler like Trump it should expect to get hit hard. A president always has a bigger bat. Advertisement In the 2020 decennial census, Trump wants to hurt California politically and financially, as well as find more immigrants to deport. Thats not what hes saying. But virtually no one buys the official version of why he plans to ask everyone in America whether they are a U.S. citizen. The administration claims its to help enforce the Voting Rights Act. Citizenship data is needed, it contends, to determine the accurate number of eligible voters in regions where abuses are alleged. Sure! Most likely, the goal is to scare undocumented immigrants into avoiding the census. The U.S. Constitution requires the government to tally every American resident, whether here legally or not. Census numbers are used to apportion congressional seats to each state. They also provide the basis for distributing federal tax money to states and local governments. Given the Trump administrations obsession with booting out immigrants here illegally, you couldnt blame any undocumented person for refusing to touch a census form. Despite assurances that all information will remain confidential, Trumps record hardly creates trust. There are an estimated 2.3 million immigrants in California illegally. If a significant number werent counted, it would cost the state one or more U.S. House seats. Each district represents roughly 711,000 people. We now have 53 seats, by far the most in the country. Texas is next with 36. More from George Skelton Red Texas aside, blue states with lots of undocumented immigrants such as New York stand to lose the most. Faster-growing red states will benefit. So this could mean a meaningful shift of political power from Democrats to Republicans in Washington also in state legislatures from immigrant-heavy cities to some rural areas. Advertisement And thered be a shift of presidential electoral votes from blue states to red. Electoral votes are calculated by adding each states House districts to its two U.S. Senate seats. Moreover, thered be a loss of federal funds in states with large immigrant populations. In Sacramento, the Brown administration estimates that for each person not counted, it would mean nearly $2,000 less each year in federal money. That could easily total $2 billion or more annually in California. Trump would be shifting federal tax dollars from California and other blue states to his red-states base. Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing to spend $40 million to promote census participation, a good investment. Advertisement Coverage of California politics U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, a crusader against illegal immigration, urged the Census Bureau in December to insert the citizenship inquiry into its 2020 questionnaire. That question hasnt been asked in a decennial census since 1950. It has been included in smaller, more detailed head-counting, but not in any census that determined congressional apportionment or federal dollars distribution. The Trump administration announced last week it would add the question. And California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra immediately filed a lawsuit seeking to block it. At least a dozen other states, led by New York, announced theyd also sue. Advertisement Becerra is suing on two grounds. He claims that asking the citizenship question will undermine the constitutional mandate that the census count every resident. He also contends the administration is proceeding in a way that violates a federal law prohibiting arbitrary and capricious action by agencies. Actually, Becerra has sued or joined other states legal actions against Trump at least 31 times. Its hard to keep count. The suits have challenged the president over immigration including deportation threats to Dreamers and building the border wall plus Obamacare, greenhouse gas emissions, coal production, clean water. Name it. I asked the Democrat if all these suits were necessary. Those suits are meant to protect the values that have made California the economic engine for this country, Becerra said. If they were not legitimate, we would be losing in court. We have a stream of victories. Advertisement Does he think Trump is retaliating? The president also is suing California over its so-called sanctuary state laws. And he signed a tax overhaul that disproportionately hurts many Californians. I really dont worry about [motives], Becerra answered. I concern myself with his deeds. But in an op-ed piece last week in the San Francisco Chronicle, Becerra and Secretary of State Alex Padilla declared that the citizenship question is an extraordinary attempt by the Trump administration to hijack the 2020 census for political purposes. Since the first day of his presidential campaign and through his first year in office, they continued, President Trump has targeted immigrants: vilifying them and attempting to exclude them from the country. Advertisement California and the Trump administration are at war, as Brown asserted recently. Its unprecedented. Relations between Sacramento and Washington are at an all-time low. Destructive political polarization is a reason, but not the only one. This war is unlikely to end until Trump leaves the White House. george.skelton@latimes.com Advertisement Follow @LATimesSkelton on Twitter Chinas defunct space laboratory has returned to Earth, with pieces apparently splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America. Tiangong-1 reentered Earths atmosphere at about 5:16 p.m. Pacific time on Sunday, according to the U.S. Strategic Commands Joint Force Space Component Command. Officials at the command had been closely monitoring the wayward space lab, along with their counterparts from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom. The spacecraft weighed 18,740 pounds and was about the size of a school bus. The JFSCC does not predict or track what happens after decay and reentry occurs, such as the exact location of fallen debris on the earths surface, the command said in a statement issued Sunday. Advertisement A map provided by the Aerospace Corp. predicted that Tiangong-1s reentry occurred in the southern hemisphere off the coast of Chile. This map shows where experts believe the Chinese space lab Tiangong-1 reentered Earths atmosphere. (Aerospace Corp. ) Tiangong, which means heavenly palace, stopped communicating with Chinese officials in March of 2016. At that point, it had spent 1,630 days in operational orbit about 2.5 years longer than the two years initially planned for its mission. The craft was Chinas first orbiting space laboratory. It was launched in 2011 and docked with three Chinese spacecraft. Experiments aboard Tiangong-1 were related to space technology and exploration, according to Chinas manned space engineering office. The space labs descent had been closely watched by government officials, aerospace experts and amateur satellite trackers since 2016. They expected most of the craft to burn up in the atmosphere, but 10% to 40% of it could have survived and landed on the planets surface. Chinese officials initially expected their craft to reenter the atmosphere in late 2017. They revised their timeline in December, telling the United Nations that Tiangong would likely return to Earth in February or March. Chinas space program aims to have a permanent manned space station in orbit by 2022. Advertisement karen.kaplan@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter @LATkarenkaplan and like Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook. MORE IN SCIENCE Yes, a Chinese space station is about to plummet to Earth. Heres why you dont need to freak out Advertisement InSight: NASAs next mission to Mars will go deep beneath the red planets surface These monkeys surprised scientists by sharing even more when no one was looking Authorities and family members have identified the three Las Vegas teenagers killed early Thursday when a car slammed into the back of their vehicle in Huntington Beach. Orange County coroners officials identified Brooke Hawley, 17, and Dylan Mack, 18, as two of the victims. Family members last week identified the other victim as A.J. Rossi, 17. Coroners officials have not publicly identified him. They and Alexis Vargas, a fourth teenager in the car, were visiting Southern California for spring break, authorities and family members said. Vargas survived the crash and was taken to a hospital for treatment. A GoFundMe page set up to help fund Vargas recovery had raised about $900 as of Monday afternoon. Alexis family are all extremely blessed and very thankful for Alexis being able to make it out of the car, according to the page. Based on medical reports, he suffered severe concussions and multiple burns on his hands and face. Rossi and Mack were seniors preparing to graduate from Centennial High School in Las Vegas in June. Rossis family set up a GoFundMe page to cover his funeral expenses. It had raised about $26,000 as of Monday. The page described him as always being the center of attention, with a smile that lit up every single room that he walked into. Bani Duarte, 27, of San Clemente was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, police said. She was released on bail Sunday. (Courtesy of Huntington Beach Police Department ) The driver of the other car, Bani Duarte of San Clemente, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Duarte, 27, who is listed in jail records as a receptionist, was booked into Orange County Jail in Santa Ana with bail set at $100,000. She was released on bail Sunday morning, according to jail records. The Orange County district attorneys office, which is reviewing the case, said Monday that she had not been charged. Huntington Beach police received a report of the crash at 1:08 a.m. Thursday at Pacific Coast Highway and Magnolia Street. A Toyota was on fire when officers arrived, Officer Angela Bennett said. Bennett said a Hyundai Sonata traveling north on PCH struck the Toyota, which was stopped at a red light at the intersection with Magnolia. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact Huntington Beach police accident investigator Joshua Page at (714) 536-5670. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN Ten Years Ago La Canada Highs culinary class won the Peoples Choice award at Glendale Community Colleges second annual Chili Cook-off in the spring of 2008. It is made with love, LCHS culinary arts student Andrew Su said, in explaining to a reporter its success with the contests judges. Twenty Years Ago About $6,000 in cash was reported missing from the coffers of the La Canada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce, shocking and disappointing chamber officials who told investigators at the Crescenta Valley Sheriffs Station the money had apparently been taken over a period of eight months. It was later revealed an office assistant had stolen the funds by underreporting cash collected at mixers. Thirty Years Ago Following a yearlong search, the La Canada school board announced the hiring of Judith Glickman as the new district superintendent. The 43-year-old was selected from a field of 140 applicants seeking to replace outgoing superintendent Donald Ziehl. Forty Years Ago Four longtime La Canada Flintridge residents were among 10 Disney Studio veteran animators to be cited for a Pioneer in Film award at the Delta Kappa Alpha awards banquet at the University of Southern California. The four locals honored were Ken Anderson, Oliver Ollie Johnston, Eric Larson and Frank Thomas. Fifty Years Ago Assertions that about 30% of La Canada teens had tried drugs at least once and that a narcotics problem was prevalent here were made at a narcotics symposium organized by St. Bede the Venerable Catholic Church. Speaker James Farley was quoted as saying, Its time we tuned in [to our children] if we want to prevent our youngsters from turning on and dropping out. Sixty Years Ago Nominations were being accepted for a committee that would study whether or not the La Canada Elementary School District should merge with Glendale or Pasadena public school systems, or if La Canada should build its own high school. Compiled from the Valley Sun archives by Carol Cormaci. The family of a La Canada High School senior who was hurt after suffering a fall on campus in 2016 will have to wait at least two more weeks for their day in court. In a lawsuit filed last year, the family of Ethan Kalnins accused the La Canada Unified School District of negligence in preventing the fall by failing to install safety railings alongside bleachers at the schools Hotchkin Family Gymnasium. Expected to be heard in court on Monday, the trial has been pushed to April 17. The case was originally set to go to trial in January but has been delayed several times. According to court documents, Kalnins was attending a school assembly in the gym on May 20, 2016 when he fell from the bleachers and fractured his hip. Robert Glassman, Kalnins attorney, previously said the fall could have been prevented if the school had installed guardrails on the bleachers. A district employee previously testified in a deposition that the school did in fact have the necessary guardrails for several years but they were never installed. Guardrails were eventually installed in August 2017, more than a year after Kalnins fall. andy.nguyen@latimes.com Twitter: @Andy_Truc Time will fly on a nine-day tour that introduces participants to some of Switzerlands luxury watchmakers as well as the world-famous cuckoo clocks of Germanys Black Forest. Participants will visit Geneva, Montreaux, Neuchatel, Bern, Basel and Zurich in Switzerland as well as the Black Forest region, birthplace of the cuckoo clock. Highlights include Berns Zytlogge, a landmark clock tower built in 13th century, the Haute Horlogerie workshop in Geneva, Switzerlands oldest watchmaking school, and the museums of the International Watch Co., Corum and Audemars Piguet. In Germany, participants will visit the worlds largest cuckoo clock and a family-owned workshop that has been handcrafting cuckoo clocks since the 1860s. Advertisement Dates: Custom dates Price: From $4,499 per person, double occupancy. Includes accommodations, breakfasts, seven private tours and museum admissions. International airfare not included. Info: Zicasso ALSO Tock of the world: Here are seven great clocks around the globe Missing Big Ben? Five things to do while waiting out the bells four years of silence Worlds biggest cruise ship, Symphony of the Seas, will set sail in Europe travel@latimes.com Advertisement @latimestravel A 3D-printed head is displayed next to a photo of an employee at the Babaoshan funeral parlor in Beijing. Photo: VCG A Beijing funeral parlor is offering 3D printing technology services to families so that their loved ones can leave with more dignity. Through the technology, facial prostheses are created that can restore the faces of people who died in accidents like fire or from diseases like facial tumors. Families need only provide a frontal photo of the deceased so their faces can be recreated through 3D printing. The studio at the Babaoshan funeral parlor uses a computer to scan the photo and break it down into a large number of flat layers, before "printing" the layers one upon another with powered and liquefied plastics and sand, among other materials. The whole process takes less than 12 hours to finish. Funeral house beautician Qu Jie said that restoration is an important part of a parlor's duty as seeing their loved ones disfigured can aggravate family members' grief as they bid their final farewells. Traditionally, faces of the deceased are attended to by beauticians, who use materials such as plasticence, plaster and oily mud to mimic flesh and restore the deceased's visage. This process can usually take several days. For some families who want their loved ones to look more like they did when they were alive, funeral houses can go a step further to create a silica gel "skin" for the deceased. This gel "skin" once could take up to a week to make, but with current 3D printing techniques moulds can be more easily made, thereby cutting the process down to three days. The staff said a 3D-printed face covered with a silica gel skin is far better at recreating the deceased's face - getting as close as 90 percent of the original - as it is far more precise than traditional methods done by hand. The Babaoshan funeral parlor cremates 22,000 dead bodies every year, one-fourth of the total demand in Beijing. The 3D printing studio was established in 2017 and became fully operational this year. Global Times President Trump unleashed a flurry of tweets Sunday and Monday attacking Mexico on several fronts, including immigration and the North American Free Trade Agreement. Trump tweeted on those topics seven times, complaining about a massive inflow of drugs and people at the border and claiming Mexico wasnt doing enough to halt the flow of migrants heading to the United States. We fact-checked those and other Trump claims to see what was true and what was false. Claim: Mexico is doing nothing to stop migrants from crossing Mexicos southern border Mexico is doing very little, if not NOTHING, at stopping people from flowing into Mexico through their Southern Border, and then into the U.S. They laugh at our dumb immigration laws. They must stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2018 False. While he was in office, former President Obama quietly pressured Mexico to step up immigration enforcement along its southern border. In response, in 2014 the Mexican government announced a new Southern Border Program aimed at increasing apprehensions and deportations of migrants from Central America and other parts of the world destined for the U.S. Advertisement The U.S. trained Mexican immigration agents and donated surveillance towers and biometric data equipment. Today, Mexicos southern states of Chiapas, Oaxaca and Tabasco resemble border communities of Arizona and South Texas, with swarms of Mexican federal agents, militarized highway checkpoints and raids on hotels frequented by migrants. Mexican authorities said they apprehended more than 82,000 Central Americans last year. Between October 2014 and May 2015, Mexico detained more Central American migrants than the U.S. Border Patrol. Human rights observers say increased immigration enforcement in Mexico has pushed migrants to take riskier routes and do business with powerful drug cartels that have entered the business of human trafficking. Migrant rights organizations in southern Mexico have also documented rights abuses by Mexican police and immigration agents, including incidents of agents, who are supposed to be unarmed, using pellet guns and electroshock weapons on migrants. In response to Trumps tweets, Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray fired off his own Twitter missive Sunday. Every day Mexico and the U.S. work together on migration throughout the region, Videgaray said. Facts clearly reflect this. Claim: Caravans of migrants are heading to the U.S. border, trying to take advantage of DACA These big flows of people are all trying to take advantage of DACA. They want in on the act! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2018 Partly true. There is indeed a large caravan of more than 1,000 Central American migrants currently crossing Mexico, headed for the U.S. border. The march was organized by a migrant advocacy group called Pueblos Sin Fronteras (People Without Borders) and was designed to draw awareness to the plight of migrants fleeing violent countries, and the dangers they face on the journey north. Advertisement Conservative groups and media outlets are angry about the caravan, saying it flouts Mexican and U.S. immigration laws. They point to reports that border patrol agents on Mexicos southern border, apparently overwhelmed by the size of the caravan, let it enter Mexico without questions. But Trump is wrong in stating that these big flows of people are all trying to take advantage of DACA. For one, a large number of the migrants traveling in the caravan are fleeing violence and plan to ask for asylum at the U.S. border. One migrant traveling with the caravan, a Honduran mother named Karen, told BuzzFeed News that she and her children were forced to leave. The crime rate is horrible; you cant live there, she said. There were deaths, mobs, robbed homes. Adults and kids were beaten up. Advertisement Migrant advocates say many of those traveling with the caravan are legally protected asylum seekers and could ultimately win legal status in the U.S. They point out that none of those in the caravan would be eligible for DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the Obama-era program that extended deportation protections to a small number of immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children. Migrants had to meet strict criteria to qualify for DACA; among other requirements, they had to prove that they had resided in the U.S. for at least five years. In another tweet about DACA on Monday, Trump claimed that the program is dead because the Democrats didnt care or act. Thats questionable, at best. Trump ordered an end to DACA in September, calling on Congress to pass a replacement. He has since rejected at least four bipartisan immigration bills that would have protected DACA recipients. Claim: Mexico is making a fortune on NAFTA Mexico is making a fortune on NAFTA...They have very strong border laws - ours are pathetic. With all of the money they make from the U.S., hopefully they will stop people from coming through their country and into ours, at least until Congress changes our immigration laws! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018 Advertisement This claim is complicated. The North American Free Trade Agreement, which took effect in 1994, eliminated most tariffs across the continent and resulted in an exodus of manufacturing jobs from the U.S. to Mexico. In Trumps view, NAFTA enriched Mexico at the expense of middle America. Many economists have a much more nuanced view. None of them dispute that the loss of factory jobs hurt parts of the U.S., especially the Rust Belt. But many experts say rapidly evolving technology, along with competition with China, is more to blame than NAFTA. South of the border, free trade has helped modernize Mexico by creating millions of jobs, boosting investment flow and helping to diversify the countrys manufacturing sector. Mexican workers now help build a range of products that include Whirlpool washing machines and Bombardier jets. Advertisement But the Mexican government has kept minimum wages extremely low, so that Mexico remains attractive to manufacturers who might otherwise be tempted to locate in China or elsewhere in Asia. Since NAFTA went into effect, there has been no change in the number of Mexicans living below the poverty line more than half. Claim: A border wall will stem a massive inflow of drugs and people ...Congress must immediately pass Border Legislation, use Nuclear Option if necessary, to stop the massive inflow of Drugs and People. Border Patrol Agents (and ICE) are GREAT, but the weak Dem laws dont allow them to do their job. Act now Congress, our country is being stolen! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018 This claim is disputable. Trump has frequently claimed in the past that historic numbers of migrants are crossing into the U.S. illegally, but thats not true. Advertisement Overall, migration across the U.S. southern border is down from peak levels, and the number of immigrants living in the U.S. without legal status is falling. What is changing is the demographics of those illegally crossing the border. Central Americans are increasingly making the trek, fleeing violence and political instability in countries such as Honduras and El Salvador. Meanwhile, the number of Mexicans making the trek has fallen sharply. These days, so few Mexicans are making the journey and such large numbers of them are returning home, that net migration from Mexico is at zero. Trump thinks a border wall is the best way to stop illegal migration and the flow of drugs especially opioids that have created an epidemic of addiction in parts of the country. But some studies have shown that border enforcement doesnt actually stop migration, it just encourages migrants to take riskier routes. The cost of being smuggled into the U.S. was about $500 in the 1990s. Now, cartels charge up to $8,000. After the construction of a barrier along about 650 miles of the border, migrant deaths rose. Whether or not a longer border wall would reduce the flow of illicit drugs into the U.S. is also debatable. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, the majority of drugs enter the U.S. through legal ports of entry, with traffickers hiding them in passenger cars or tractor trailers. Even drug tunnels might not be stopped by a border wall, since they are built up to 70 feet underground, and the foundation of the border wall would likely be less than 10 feet deep. Advertisement Organized crime expert Vanda Felbab-Brown wrote in a Brookings Institution report that the high costs of a wall greatly outweigh any potential benefits. No matter how tall and thick a wall will be, she wrote, illicit flows will cross. kate.linthicum@latimes.com Twitter: @katelinthicum Venezuelas attorney general said Monday that five jailed officials had been negligent in their handling of a prison fire that killed 68 people last week in central Carabobo state, and admitted that the countrys penal system is seriously overcrowded. However, in a radio interview, Tarek William Saab shed little light on the causes of the fire and identified only one of those arrested, Carabobo state police subdirector Jose Luis Rodriguez. In addition to Rodriguez, Saab said, four prison guards have been charged in connection with the disaster at a police detention center in Valencia. We dont discard the possibility of more arrests, Saab said, adding that the fire investigation will last 45 days. The blaze occurred after an early morning search of cells on March 28 and an ensuing prison riot, local officials have said. Two of the victims were women on conjugal visits. Saab did cite the prison systems poor conditions, which human rights officials have described as among the worst in Latin America. An exacerbated overcrowding exists in the police facilities, he told the radio interviewer. Detention areas in police command centers in many cities have been converted to jails to cope with prison overcrowding. Advertisement Relatives grieve Friday during the funeral of some of the victims of the prison fire in Valencia, Venezuela, in central Carabobo state. (Juan Carlos Hernandez / AFP/Getty Images ) Overcrowding has been blamed in a series of prison riots over the years in Venezuela. A disturbance in the Amazonas state prison last year left 38 dead, and a riot at the Uribana prison in Lara state in 2013 claimed 61 victims. Saab offered no hypothesis on how the blaze might have started. Unidentified officials have told local reporters that the inmates started it by setting mattresses on fire, while family members have said some guards set the fire in retaliation for the disarming and stabbing of a prison guard during the early morning search. Saabs comments were the first about the tragedy from the government of President Nicolas Maduro since Saturday, when Saab announced the arrests on Twitter. Distraught family members have gathered around the prison daily to demand that the government explain the blazes causes and why many of the victims died in their cells. Others said they have not been told the whereabouts of surviving inmates who have been transferred to other lockups. Venezuelan law states that prisoners should spend only 48 hours at the detention centers before being taken before a judge to face charges or released. But Saab said Monday that some had spent as long as six years in the Carabobo facility. The human rights group Window on Liberty, which monitors jail conditions, said 32,600 prisoners are being held in facilities built to hold 8,000. The group said the centers are filthy, poorly outfitted with toilets and that prisoners are poorly fed. Relatives have also raised questions about the cause of death of many of the victims. Although the government has indicated most died of smoke inhalation or fire, critics have said some victims bodies bore bullet and knife wounds and signs of beatings. Advertisement Humberto Prado, director of the Venezuelan Prisons Observatory civil society group, called on the government to repeat the autopsies of the 68 victims to dispel doubts. With these kinds of events, the only witnesses are the police and surviving prisoners. On Sunday, local news media reported that Carabobo Gov. Rafael Lacava had fired state Police Chief Jose Aldama Reyes and replaced him with Jose Gregorio Dominguez. Iris Varela, who is Venezuelas minister of penal affairs, denied any responsibility for the disaster. The tragedy occurred in police cells that are not the responsibility of the ministry, she said in a radio interview. She also assured listeners that Venezuelas judicial and penal system were the best in the world. Advertisement Special correspondent Mogollon reported from Caracas and Kraul from Bogota, Colombia. ALSO In Brazils Rio de Janeiro, one trauma center has become known as the war hospital Wanted for murder for decades, two ex-Chilean guerrillas hid in a Mexican town. Then their double lives began to unravel Advertisement Actor Diego Luna was a Hollywood golden boy. So why did he go back to Mexico? Egypts election commission said Monday that, as expected, President Abdel Fattah Sisi won a second, four-year term with more than 97% of the vote in last weeks election, with turnout of 41.5%. Sisi faced no serious challenger, after a string of potentially strong candidates withdrew under pressure or were arrested. His sole opponent, little-known politician Moussa Mustafa Moussa, was a supporter of the president who made no effort to challenge him. He won 2.92% of the vote. Lasheen Ibrahim, the head of the countrys election commission, announced the official results. Authorities went to great lengths to boost turnout, using the states vast resources to get voters out and threatening to fine anyone boycotting the election. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an unprecedented agreement with the United Nations on Monday that appeared, for a few hours, to provide a solution for tens of thousands of mostly African asylum seekers whose fate had moved hundreds of thousands of Israelis to protest against the government in escalating weekend rallies. Then, almost as soon as he announced it, he suspended it. In a public address to the nation, Netanyahu initially presented the deal with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees as a double victory that he had achieved in the face of two major challenges. One was a decision by Israels Supreme Court, which recently rescinded the authorization it had provisionally granted to deport thousands of asylum seekers from Israel. The second was that a plan to return the refugees to unidentified third countries understood by everyone to be Rwanda and Uganda collapsed in the face of pressure, Netanyahu said. Advertisement Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the press in his Jerusalem office on April 2, 2018. (Menahem Kahana / AFP/Getty Images ) The high court had reversed its initial consent to the deportations when it was revealed that conditions in Rwanda and Uganda did not meet basic humanitarian standards. The two countries in turn refused to accept the refugees when they learned the deportations would be forced. According to Netanyahu, the UNHCR plan would have entailed the immediate cancellation of deportation orders that had already been issued to some of the migrants, who are mostly from Sudan and Eritrea, and the orderly resettlement of about half of them in the most advanced countries, like Canada or Germany or Italy over a five-year period. The 16,000 remaining in Israel would have seen their status legalized, with all asylum seekers in Israel expected to receive work permits. But Netanyahu did not inform his ministers of the plan ahead of time, and caught unawares, they lashed out. Education Minister Naftali Bennett, a rival for the post of prime minister, slammed the plan as a promise of paradise for illegal infiltrators. Israels culture minister, Miri Regev, one of Netanyahus staunchest allies, who is famous for calling Sudanese refugees a cancer upon our body during the 2012 electoral campaign, declared that she was worried by the rapid surrender of basic policy principles. Hours later, Netanyahu announced his suspension of the deal in apparent surrender to their demands. Advertisement The agreement had been hailed by advocates for the refugees, in particular the Movement to Halt the Deportation of Asylum Seekers, which coordinated mass protests and demonstrations in recent months, even gathering Holocaust survivors to rail against Netanyahu for turning away refugees and offering to open their own homes. It feels wonderful! exulted Mickey Gitzin, the executive director in Israel of the New Israel Fund, one of the organizations that led the movement. Speaking before the suspension was announced, he cautioned that in other respects Im aware of the great responsibility and a lot of work ahead of us. He cited a long list of tasks ranging from proper documentation of the refugees to massive infrastructure improvement needed in south Tel Aviv. The long-neglected district where most of the Sudanese and Eritrean refugees gravitated has not reaped the benefits of Israels high-tech boom. The concentration of the refugees there has caused severe social upheaval among the neighborhoods disadvantaged residents. In a statement posted before Netanyahu suspended implementation of the deal, the UNHCR lauded what it called a Framework of Common Understanding for 39,000 Eritreans and Sudanese living in Israel. (Netanyahu put the number at 32,000.) Advertisement UNHCR appreciates the collaboration with the government of Israel to find a way out for thousands of Eritreans and Sudanese. This agreement will ensure that protection is provided to those who need it, said Volker Turk, UNHCR assistant high commissioner for protection, who signed the agreement on behalf of UNHCR. Later, after the suspension, UNHCR spokesperson Sharon Harel said the agency had no further comment. Details of the aborted plan have not been made public and political opposition to it was widespread. Israeli opposition Labor Party leader Avi Gabbay said of the initial plan that it had been Labors plan all along. Advertisement Meanwhile, Germany and Italy were quick to issue denials of any connection to Israels refugee resettlement scheme. Mutasim Ali, a leader of Israels refugee rights movement, said in a text message that proved to be prophetic: I dont call this a win until it is finalized, and if its a win then everyone won, including the government, by limiting its expenses in making life miserable for asylum seekers. Its a win for society because we can be an asset. And its a win for Israel. In a first reaction following the suspension, at nearly midnight, the New Israel Fund released a statement in Hebrew saying: The prime minister succumbed to the extremist voices on his Facebook page and retreated to inciting and lying. Having embarrassed the state of Israel in front of the world, the prime minister has returned to playing political survival games at the expense of the national interest. The prime ministers fear-mongering, incitement and weakness in the face of pressure will be written into the state of Israels history books. Tarnopolsky is a special correspondent. The US strategic decision, based on trade protectionism, is not at all wise. The decisions will hurt others, injure the US, and disturb the international trade order. While its more fashionable for certain politicians and many Western media commentators to blame China for Americas economic ills, the reality is that the US and the rest of the world would likely be in a deeper recession, The Huffington Post said previously. The comment will help the world better understand the ramification of the trade protection measures unilaterally taken by the US against Chinese goods. The Section 301 investigation has been defined as a strategic act instead of a commercial one, because the investigations are aimed at addressing the US-China trade deficit, and moreover, they have reflected the US deeper anxiety over the fact that its high-tech industries will lose competence to that of China in the future. The Section 301 investigation report, which the US may use to impose heavy tariffs on imports from China, could start a trade war. The US cited as problematic a number of Chinas innovation-driven development strategies, including the Made in China 2025 plan, the National Outline for Medium- and Long-Term Talent Development (2010-2020), the Development Planning for a New Generation of Artificial Intelligence. The US also claims China has forced technology transfer which weakened the intellectual property value of the US companies and lowered US global competence and imposed pressure on and restricted US commerce. US trade representative Robert Lighthizer said China would spend hundreds of billions of yuan on independent research, development and application of major industries cultivated under the Made in China 2025 plan. And it would go against the US' interests if China becomes a leading global player in these fields by 2025. The US, with a first mover advantage and solid strength in technological innovation, feels uncomfortable about Chinas rapid progress in this sector. China has become a global leader in high-speed railway, quantum communication, and e-commerce, and the countrys innovation-driven development concept and achievements are eye-catching around the world. Eric Schmidt, Chairman of the Defense Innovation Board of the US Department of Defense, warned that if the US doesn't act soon, its current leadership in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) will only last for the next five years before China takes over the lead. Under these fabricated threats the US has staged a play of baseless accusations and distortions. This doesnt live up to its image as a major country, and lacks rational thinking. The US is indeed strong at innovation and intellectual property, but it doesnt own them exclusively. According to a recent World Intellectual Property Organization report, China's State Intellectual Property Office received a record of more than 1.3 million patent applications in 2016, exceeding the total patent applications of the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Europe. The report also pointed out that China is expected to become the largest patent applicant in the world within three years. Meanwhile, China has always been in active cooperation with the US in intellectual property. The two countries have conducted three rounds of important negotiations on the sector, and signed memoranda. Through communication they have strengthened establishment of the law system of intellectual property and law enforcement. The forced technology transfer in the Section 301 investigation is based on nothing. The technology transfer between Chinese and US companies are based on equal-footing consultation, independent decision-making, paid transactions, and no government pressure and interference is involved. Chinese enterprises investment in the US and acquisition of the US companies is a self-made choice of the enterprises against the backdrop of economic globalization, and a natural trend based on market rules. The law-based economic behavior of Chinese companies has created lots of jobs in the US, and the forced technology transfer lacks evidence. Also, the US Export Administration Regulations are strict on technology transfer and export, and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US has the right to decide whether to approve a deal related to foreign investment and acquisitions. It is a well-known fact that normal market-based commerce, trade and investment between US and Chinese enterprises is often impeded by the US government. Tens of millions of the US citizens are losing confidence in the countrys employment situation and the future opportunities of their children, said Lawrence Summers, former US Treasury Secretary and professor of Harvard University during the China Development Forum 2018. It is not Chinas fault, but they consider Chinas success would bring negative impacts on the US, he added. What he said exactly explains the mistake the US has made in its trade policies toward China. To blame the others for ones own development issues will not ease the crisis, and the US strategic decisions made upon trade protectionism are not wise at all. It will only hurt the others, injure itself, and disturb international trade order. Law enforcement responded to two separate incidents in the past four days at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem where men with knives threatened to kill other people. The first incident occurred at about 5 a.m. Friday on the casino floor, and the second incident occurred at 1:22 a.m. Monday at the casino's bus terminal. On Friday morning, state troopers said Guo Zhang Chen, 34, pulled a knife and threatened to kill an acquaintance after being denied another loan. Chen, who owed the victim money from a previous loan, was seen on surveillance video arguing with the victim at pit 7; the victim reportedly told police Chen became enraged during the argument. The victim shoved Chen away from the pit, and Chen walked away with the victim behind him, state police said. The victim grabbed Chen to walk toward an exit together, when the two came face to face and the victim began backing away, troopers said. Chen walked to an exit, with the victim behind him again, when Chan turned and chased the victim into the casino, trooper said. The victim reported Chen threatened to stab him if Chen saw him outside the casino. Chen, no listed address in court paperwork, was arrested early Friday morning and charged with aggravated assault, making terroristic threats, simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct. Chen was sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail. In the second incident, Bethlehem police were called Monday morning to the casino's bus terminal for a fight with a knife. Guobang Chen, of Brooklyn, allegedly yelled and cursed at the victim on the casino floor, and then followed the victim outside. The victim reported the 70-year-old Guobang Chen began arguing with him and pulled out a knife while saying, "I am going to kill you," police said. Casino security found a folding knife wrapped in a newspaper in the bus terminal trash can. The knife matched a knife Chen was seen holding and pointing at the victim in surveillance footage, police said. The camera recorded Guobang Chen wrapping the knife and placing it in the trash can, police said. Guobang Chen was taken to St. Luke's University Hospital for a "health matter" according to police. Charges of making terroristic threats, harassment and disorderly conduct were filed, but Chen was not arraigned in the case as of Monday afternoon. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Paxinosa Elementary School was the latest among the Easton Area schools to host a culture night. The school at 1221 Northampton St. hosted the night on March 23. "Teachers worked hard to create 29 country displays," said Jennifer Berry, the PTA parent who has organized culture nights at various Easton Area schools. Fifty-four children modeled international garb for their families. They also completed projects for each of the 29 countries represented. "Many students came dressed in their own cultural clothing while others enjoyed dressing up to experience other cultures," Berry said. Principal Elise Jones dressed as a woman from Morocco. Parents cooked nearly 50 cultural food dishes for an international buffet. For a taste of the evening, scroll through the photos above. Here's the rundown of other schools' culture nights: Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. A Monmouth County, New Jersey resident called for help when he noticed a young buck with its head stuck in a glass bowl wandering the woods near his home. The Colts Neck homeowner contacted his local SPCA on Thursday when he saw the deer, the Monmouth County SPCA wrote in a post on its Facebook Page. "The deer had been ostracized from his herd since he looked different with the bowl in his head and would come to feed once they had all gone," the organization wrote in a post. Humane Law Enforcement and the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife sedated and saved a young buck Thursday. The SPCA's Human Law Enforcement personnel in cooperation with workers from the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife were able to humanely sedate the buck and remove the bowl from its head on Friday morning. The bowl turned out to be a light fixture, the post said, which was probably full of water that the deer tried to drink. The buck was dehydrated from four days without food and water and had a couple of scrapes, but was able to run away when it woke up from the sedative, the SPCA wrote. "We're thankful we have such a dedicated team of professionals who go above and beyond for all species," it said. Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Advertising & Marketing SOCIAL MEDIA AGENCY DUBAI 02.04.2018 14:38:38 - TO THE MARKETING MANAGER: A CHECKLIST FOR HIRING SOCIAL MEDIA AGENCY IN DUBAI. (live-PR.com) - Social media marketing is a strategy wherein the return on investment (ROI) takes little bit more time before we can see the results. That is why your relationship with your social media agency must also be for a long term basis. Take a few extra steps in hiring your next social media agency. Here is a checklist that we believe - Social media marketing is a strategy wherein the return on investment (ROI) takes little bit more time before we can see the results. That is why your relationship with your social media agency must also be for a long term basis. Take a few extra steps in hiring your next social media agency. Here is a checklist that we believe may help you nailing the right social media agency for your company. How long has the social media marketing company in operation in Dubai? Note: The Dubai niche is a very unique market compared to the other markets. It is so diversified that segmenting your target market may have a variation. Therefore, your new social media agency must be experienced in sending your message to a multicultural and extreme market. This checklist is also for determining the stability of the agency. You dont want your agency to disappear into thin air after you made your down payment. Check the social media agency case studies of their past work. Note: May not necessarily mean in the same industry or your product or services niche. The more the merrier. Because this means the social media agency is versatile. If they have clients in the same niche check their content and see if you think your target market will be able to understand and relate to content they are creating. Check the creativity of the execution of their content. Make several meetings and get to know the team Note: Check how easy it is to deal with them. Are they proactive? Are they helpful? How do they treat you as a future account? RFQ or Request for a Quote and thoroughly study their proposal Note: After a thorough briefing, identifying (if there are) any challenges you are facing with social media marketing, identifying your target audience and what would you like to achieve utilizing social media marketing. Ask them to come up with a clear yet general and brief social media strategy. Ask if they are willing to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) for your companys trade secrets. Lay out all your conditions working with a social media agency. Find out if the social media agency will meet your conditions at least 80% of all your terms. Ask for a free trial. Note: You may ask the bidding social media agency if they can provide you with at least one month content just to try and experiment the response of your social media followers with their content. Social media marketing is a strategy wherein the return on investment (ROI) takes little bit more time before we can see the results. That is why your relationship with your social media agency must also be for a long term basis. Take a few extra steps in hiring your next social media agency. Here is a checklist that we believe may help you nailing the right social media agency for your company. How long has the social media marketing company in operation in Dubai?Note: The Dubai niche is a very unique market compared to the other markets. It is so diversified that segmenting your target market may have a variation. Therefore, your new social media agency must be experienced in sending your message to a multicultural and extreme market. This checklist is also for determining the stability of the agency. You dont want your agency to disappear into thin air after you made your down payment. Check the social media agency case studies of their past work.Note: May not necessarily mean in the same industry or your product or services niche. The more the merrier. Because this means the social media agency is versatile. If they have clients in the same niche check their content and see if you think your target market will be able to understand and relate to content they are creating. Check the creativity of the execution of their content. Make several meetings and get to know the teamNote: Check how easy it is to deal with them. Are they proactive? Are they helpful? How do they treat you as a future account? RFQ or Request for a Quote and thoroughly study their proposalNote: After a thorough briefing, identifying (if there are) any challenges you are facing with social media marketing, identifying your target audience and what would you like to achieve utilizing social media marketing. Ask them to come up with a clear yet general and brief social media strategy. Ask if they are willing to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) for your companys trade secrets. Lay out all your conditions working with a social media agency. Find out if the social media agency will meet your conditions at least 80% of all your terms. Ask for a free trial.Note: You may ask the bidding social media agency if they can provide you with at least one month content just to try and experiment the response of your social media followers with their content.Social media marketing is a strategy wherein the return on investment (ROI) takes little bit more time before we can see the results. That is why your relationship with your social media agency must also be for a long term basis. Take a few extra steps in hiring your next social media agency. Here is a checklist that we believe may help you nailing the right social media agency for your company. How long has the social media marketing company in operation in Dubai? Note: The Dubai niche is a very unique market compared to the other markets. It is so diversified that segmenting your target market may have a variation. Therefore, your new social media agency must be experienced in sending your message to a multicultural and extreme market. This checklist is also for determining the stability of the agency. You dont want your agency to disappear into thin air after you made your down payment. Check the social media agency case studies of their past work. Note: May not necessarily mean in the same industry or your product or services niche. The more the merrier. Because this means the social media agency is versatile. If they have clients in the same niche check their content and see if you think your target market will be able to understand and relate to content they are creating. Check the creativity of the execution of their content. Make several meetings and get to know the team Note: Check how easy it is to deal with them. Are they proactive? Are they helpful? How do they treat you as a future account? RFQ or Request for a Quote and thoroughly study their proposal Note: After a thorough briefing, identifying (if there are) any challenges you are facing with social media marketing, identifying your target audience and what would you like to achieve utilizing social media marketing. Ask them to come up with a clear yet general and brief social media strategy. Ask if they are willing to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) for your companys trade secrets. Lay out all your conditions working with a social media agency. Find out if the social media agency will meet your conditions at least 80% of all your terms. Ask for a free trial. Note: You may ask the bidding social media agency if they can provide you with at least one month content just to try and experiment the response of your social media followers with their content. Social media marketing is a strategy wherein the return on investment (ROI) takes little bit more time before we can see the results. That is why your relationship with your social media agency must also be for a long term basis. Take a few extra steps in hiring your next social media agency. Here is a checklist that we believe may help you nailing the right social media agency for your company. How long has the social media marketing company in operation in Dubai?Note: The Dubai niche is a very unique market compared to the other markets. It is so diversified that segmenting your target market may have a variation. Therefore, your new social media agency must be experienced in sending your message to a multicultural and extreme market. This checklist is also for determining the stability of the agency. You dont want your agency to disappear into thin air after you made your down payment. Check the social media agency case studies of their past work.Note: May not necessarily mean in the same industry or your product or services niche. The more the merrier. Because this means the social media agency is versatile. If they have clients in the same niche check their content and see if you think your target market will be able to understand and relate to content they are creating. Check the creativity of the execution of their content. Make several meetings and get to know the teamNote: Check how easy it is to deal with them. Are they proactive? Are they helpful? How do they treat you as a future account? RFQ or Request for a Quote and thoroughly study their proposalNote: After a thorough briefing, identifying (if there are) any challenges you are facing with social media marketing, identifying your target audience and what would you like to achieve utilizing social media marketing. Ask them to come up with a clear yet general and brief social media strategy. Ask if they are willing to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) for your companys trade secrets. Lay out all your conditions working with a social media agency. Find out if the social media agency will meet your conditions at least 80% of all your terms. Ask for a free trial.Note: You may ask the bidding social media agency if they can provide you with at least one month content just to try and experiment the response of your social media followers with their content.Social media marketing is a strategy wherein the return on investment (ROI) takes little bit more time before we can see the results. That is why your relationship with your social media agency must also be for a long term basis. Take a few extra steps in hiring your next social media agency. Here is a checklist that we believe may help you nailing the right social media agency for your company. How long has the social media marketing company in operation in Dubai? Note: The Dubai niche is a very unique market compared to the other markets. It is so diversified that segmenting your target market may have a variation. Therefore, your new social media agency must be experienced in sending your message to a multicultural and extreme market. This checklist is also for determining the stability of the agency. You dont want your agency to disappear into thin air after you made your down payment. Check the social media agency case studies of their past work. Note: May not necessarily mean in the same industry or your product or services niche. The more the merrier. Because this means the social media agency is versatile. If they have clients in the same niche check their content and see if you think your target market will be able to understand and relate to content they are creating. Check the creativity of the execution of their content. Make several meetings and get to know the team Note: Check how easy it is to deal with them. Are they proactive? Are they helpful? How do they treat you as a future account? RFQ or Request for a Quote and thoroughly study their proposal Note: After a thorough briefing, identifying (if there are) any challenges you are facing with social media marketing, identifying your target audience and what would you like to achieve utilizing social media marketing. Ask them to come up with a clear yet general and brief social media strategy. Ask if they are willing to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) for your companys trade secrets. Lay out all your conditions working with a social media agency. Find out if the social media agency will meet your conditions at least 80% of all your terms. Ask for a free trial. Note: You may ask the bidding social media agency if they can provide you with at least one month content just to try and experiment the response of your social media followers with their content. may help you nailing the right social media agency for your company. How long has the social media marketing company in operation in Dubai?Note: The Dubai niche is a very unique market compared to the other markets. It is so diversified that segmenting your target market may have a variation. Therefore, your new social media agency must be experienced in sending your message to a multicultural and extreme market. This checklist is also for determining the stability of the agency. You dont want your agency to disappear into thin air after you made your down payment. Check the social media agency case studies of their past work.Note: May not necessarily mean in the same industry or your product or services niche. The more the merrier. Because this means the social media agency is versatile. If they have clients in the same niche check their content and see if you think your target market will be able to understand and relate to content they are creating. Check the creativity of the execution of their content. Make several meetings and get to know the teamNote: Check how easy it is to deal with them. Are they proactive? Are they helpful? How do they treat you as a future account? RFQ or Request for a Quote and thoroughly study their proposalNote: After a thorough briefing, identifying (if there are) any challenges you are facing with social media marketing, identifying your target audience and what would you like to achieve utilizing social media marketing. Ask them to come up with a clear yet general and brief social media strategy. Ask if they are willing to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) for your companys trade secrets. Lay out all your conditions working with a social media agency. Find out if the social media agency will meet your conditions at least 80% of all your terms. Ask for a free trial.Note: You may ask the bidding social media agency if they can provide you with at least one month content just to try and experiment the response of your social media followers with their content. Contact information: IBA Advertising Dubai Sky Business Center,Dubai festival City,Dubai Contact Person: Aamal Mubthakara CEO Phone: 971525662570 eMail: eMail Web: http://i-iba.com/social-media-marketing-agency-dubai/ Author: Amal Mubthakara e-mail Web: http://i-iba.com/sms-advertising-agency-dubai/ Phone: 9846473892 02.04.2018 14:38:38 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. Children take part in a wrestling competition in Kengdong Village, Qiandongnan of southwest China's Guizhou Province, March 31, 2018. A traditional Wrestling Festival was held here on Saturday, in which people from more than ten ethnic minorities took part. (Xinhua/Yang Chengli) Dong people blow Lusheng flute during the Wrestling Festival in Kengdong Village, Qiandongnan of southwest China's Guizhou Province, March 31, 2018. A traditional Wrestling Festival was held here on Saturday, in which people from more than ten ethnic minorities took part. (Xinhua/Yang Daifu) Children take part in a wrestling competition in Kengdong Village, Qiandongnan of southwest China's Guizhou Province, March 31, 2018. A traditional Wrestling Festival was held here on Saturday, in which people from more than ten ethnic minorities took part. (Xinhua/Li Changhua) Stock Market News Russian claims UK could be behind Skripal poisoning 02-04-2018 14:48 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Beijing (Peoples Daily) - Widespread discussions over the US-imposed 301 Investigation against China have triggered some speculation that it was their accession into the World Trade Organization (WTO) that reshaped the Chinese market leaving it less open than before, influencing the US-imposed tariffs. Analysts dismissed such speculation, saying that the US should not use China as a pretext for trade protectionism. A spokesperson from the Ministry of Commerce said China's accession to the WTO has fulfilled all commitments and has opened up the market even more. Since joining the WTO, China has fulfilled all relevant commitments in areas of banking, securities, and insurance, helping financial sectors achieve historic an historic level of opening-up, explained Lian Ping, chief economist with Chinas Bank of Communications. Liu Junhai, director of the Institute of Commercial Law at the Renmin University of China said the initiatives and results achieved by China with regard to trade and related investment have been universally recognized. Zeng Gang, director of banking research at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the two-way opening of China's banking industry continues to deepen and has a large number of overseas branches. The US measures against China is typical trade protectionism, a cold War mentality, and they shouldnt use China as an excuse. It was reported China's trade import business progressed smoothly while going beyond expectations. Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan said China will continue to adhere to reform and opening-up as the nation supports economic globalization and trade liberalization, and while actively pursuing a shared global destiny. A deputy research director for China WTO studies believes a more open China will provide greater stimulation for the world's economy. However, the American unilateral action not only runs contrary modern trends, but only allows for them to take one step at a time. The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks! Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics. The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc. The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics. The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates. Access to college recruiters and advisors its harder to line up higher education. Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family. Vote View Results Culture / Art Republik Apr 02, 2018 | By Toby Wu Art Paris Art Fair marks its 20th year by bringing together 142 galleries from 23 countries. Held at the Grand Palais from 5 to 8 April 2018, diversity and discovery are key themes for the fair, combining region-by-region explorations of European art from the post-war years and a cosmopolitan perspective on international emerging scenes. True to its original vocation to support the French art scene, the fair will be juxtaposing the subjective, historical and critical perspective of an exhibition curator, with a selection of specific projects focussing on artists in France who, both in the past and today, have managed to preserve their independence from dominant trends, or were situated on the margin of mainstream art history. Guest curator Francois Piron, an independent curator, art critic, art educator and publisher will oversee the main exhibition as well as Art Paris mainstay sections such as the special VIP programme Springtime in Paris, Solo Shows and Promises. Solo Show encourages monographic exhibitions with subsidised tariffs for established artists, this year covering 15 exhibitions including Georges Jeanclos, Kengo Kuma and Mohamed Lekleti amongst others. Promises is the fairs dedication to supporting young galleries who have been in business for less than 6 years, covering 45% of their participations costs. This year, artists from participating galleries under the Promises section, such as Montoro12 Contemporary Art Brussels, H Gallery and Galleria Anna Marra, will be considered for the LArt est Vivant young talent prize which was first established in 2017. Switzerland is the Guest of Honour for the year, bringing its history of strong intercultural European influences. The Guest of Honour each year provides insight into an art scene foreign to Paris, and introduces artists previously unfamiliar to the French market. Karine Tissot, the curator of this showcase, seeks to highlight the younger generation of artists that have emerged from a rich Swiss arts scene. Previous Guests of Honour include Africa (2017), South Korea (2016), Southeast Asia (2015) and China (2014). Art Paris continues to reflect contemporary cultural innovations, showcasing digital art by Videlio. The facade of the historic Grand Palais will be transformed by digitally mapped projections, bringing to life the fair venues iconic exterior. ART REPUBLIK speaks to Fair Manager, Guillaume Piens, on his vision for the fair. This year marks Art Paris Art Fairs 20th anniversary and a return to the fairs focus on the French art scene. In this context, what do you think the presence of the guest of honour, Switzerland, contributes to the fair? Switzerland is at the crossroads of different European traditions because it combines elements of French, German and Mediterranean cultures. The country is defined by regionalism with towns and cantons that enjoy a high level of autonomy and which are very different in the way they are organised. The fact that Art Paris has invited thirteen Swiss galleries from Lausanne, Zurich, Basel, Neuchatel, Geneva and Bern seems to me to be entirely in phase with the fairs vocation, which is showcasing different regions of Europe and, in so doing, differentiating itself from the art fair FIAC which is more focused on the British and American markets. Why did you chose Francois Piron to be Art Pariss 20th anniversary edition guest curator and what do you think he will bring to the fair? Francois Piron is an exhibition curator and art critic who is known for being independent-minded and for the analytical talents he brings to bear. In 2002, he founded a periodical, Trouble. He was the co-director of the Laboratoires dAubervilliers, and he also recently curated an exhibition at the Maison Rouge about French counterculture in the 60s and 70s. For its 20th anniversary, and in reference to its initial vocation of supporting the French art market, Art Paris Art Fair asked Francois Piron to take a subjective look at the French scene. The idea was to select 20 artists from among the projects presented by participating galleries and to produce an in-depth textual analysis of their work. His choice puts the spotlight on unique figures from the 1960s to the present day, who have managed to preserve their independence, or stayed on the margins of mainstream culture and whose work today deserves to be reinterpreted and enjoy greater visibility. This theme-based project is an integral part of Art Paris Art Fairs aim to be both a spring art fair in Paris , whilst putting the accent on discovering, or rediscovering, artists. How do you think the Promises sector and prize have helped young galleries reinforce their presence on the art market and stimulate the French/European art market? Gallery participation in the sector is subsided by the fair and this allows 12 young international galleries to exhibit at the Grand Palais, which is a decidedly prestigious venue. The prize, which was created in 2017, is supported by a collective of art enthusiasts and collectors and is an additional initiative that promotes the recognition of an emerging talent at a key moment in his/her career. The prizewinner of the first edition of the competition was Dalila Dalleas Bouzar, a young North African artist represented by Galerie Cecile Fakhoury in Abidjan. She received a 5,000 prize and benefitted from a communication campaign that gave her work international visibility. Since you took over as the fairs director in 2011, there has been a progression towards online sales and digital art, such as this years plans for digital mapping on the facade of the Grand Palais. How do you see the role of technology at Art Paris in the coming years? Digital technology has had an enormous impact on the way art is promoted and sold. Art Paris Art Fair was one of the first fairs in France to provide 100 % virtual coverage of the fair. Our website features search filters that allow the public to find what they are looking for using such criteria as price, country of origin and medium. In addition, all of the images on the site can be freely shared on social media. As far as digital art is concerned, Art Paris Art Fair was one of the first fairs to devise a digital art programme featuring works projected on the Grand Palais facade every evening, which is transformed for the occasion into a living wall of images. For the fairs 20th edition and in relation to our guest of honour Switzerland, the digital projection programme gives pride of place to a highly innovative generation of Swiss artists with Camille Scherrer, Alan Bogana and Yves Netzhammer who represented Switzerland at the 2007 Venice Biennale. The press release mentioned that a wind of change is blowing across France and particularly Paris. What changes do you expect to see in European/French art? With President Emmanuel Macron, we are seeing real changes in France. His election was a key event, not just for France, but for the whole of Europe. Paris has been chosen to host the Olympic Games in 2024 and is certainly benefitting from this new dynamic. There is an increasing number of private initiatives, for example with the future opening of Lafayette Anticipations by the Fondation dentreprise Galeries Lafayette next March, which will be followed in 2019 by the arrival of the Fondation Pinault at the Bourse du Commerce. There is a renewed spirit of optimism in France today. ART REPUBLIK is proud to be a media partner of Art Paris. This article was written by Toby Wu for Art Republik 18. More information at artparis.com. The first receipt of the environmental tax. (Photo: Chinanews) China's first receipt of the environmental tax, promulgated on Jan. 1, 2018, was delivered on Sunday to a Shanghai new chemical material manufacturer owned by BASF SE, the world's largest chemical company. The firm got a tax deduction of 600 yuan for fulfilling pollutant discharges up to standard, an encouragement environmental authorities proposed of factories' green shift. The first environmental tax in China, passed by the country's top legislature at the end of 2016 which took effect at the beginning of 2018, aims to curb firms' reckless moves of emitting pollutants hazardous to the eco-system and to push them to overhaul equipment to a cleaner level, amid global competitiveness. The tax initially applies to air and water pollution, solid waste and noise, with technical apparatus needed to precisely determine emission levels. Cooperation between the tax and environment departments is needed to check tax bills based on data and professional advise, said Liu Ying, a professor at the Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing. The tax regulation adjusts itself depending on the region. Northern provinces such as Hebei and Shanxi where air pollution is the top environmental threat, slap stricter penalties with 12 yuan per equivalence (a determination method of pollution), 10 times to standard in good-air-quality districts. Regions where chemical plants are heavily located will meet harsh restrictions in checking water pollutants, with the highest tax level of 14 yuan per equivalence. The tax system also pushes China to narrow the gap with Western peers in fulfilling a green economy. Western countries started the green control on plants as early as in 1970s when the Netherlands spearheaded a surface water tax bill. In 1995, the Netherlands Green Committee was set up to push forward environmental protection measures. The US followed by introducing flexible policies in favor of a balance between beefing up industry and preserving the eco-system. The EU incorporated a subsidiary system in 2003 to protect agricultural landscapes in its ongoing green campaign, a milestone move to ensure food safety. Over 10 years of '10 of the bests' Top-rated articles to help you choose what's best for you Chinas first operating license to allow experimental drone deliveries was granted to courier SF Express on Mar. 27. A drone of SF The company has become the first in China to carry out commercial operation by means of drone deliveries in pilot zones. Wang Wei, president of SF Express came up with the idea of delivering parcels via drone back in 2012, hoping to establish a nationwide logistics network that will make possible completion of deliveries anywhere in China within 36 hours. Different from most logistics companies who rely on drones for last mile needs , SF aims more at long-range transportation. The company has a relatively larger and more complex drone system, and its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) can cover ranges from tens of kilometers to more than a hundred kilometers, carrying cargos weighing several kilograms to tens of kilograms. For instance, a UAV exclusively developed for SF Express by a Chinese drone maker has a wingspan of 13 meters and length of 12 meters. It is able to cover 2,000 kilometers and carry 1.5 tons of cargos at a speed of 260 kilometers per hour. A fixed-wing drone of SF In the short term, SF Express is not likely to conduct drone-to-users operations, and the UAVs will be mainly used to delivery between different logistics centers. In the pilot zones, the major task of the drones is to enhance delivery services in those remote areas with complex topography while at the same time improving the companys logistics efficiency. E-commerce giant JD.com is expected to be the next enterprise to get operation licenses after SF Express. In 2016, JD.com established a special department to develop its drone delivery business, with a plan to build a drone logistics network covering both trunk and regional lines, as well as the last mile distribution. In addition, the company has partnered with technology firm Nvidia to deploy one million logistics drones in China over the next five years. Chairman of JD.com Richard Liu said that the company will build over 10,000 drone ports across China, enabling customers to receive their orders within 24 hours. The drone trend within Chinas logistics companies stems from the bottleneck pressures mounting due to shortcomings in the traditional logistics industry. With the saturation of road traffic, traditional transportation is facing more and more restrictions. As a result logistics enterprises are seeing urgent demands to forge a more effective and faster system. However, drone delivery is still facing several challenges, including safety and stability. Both risk probability control and assurance of safe operation during severe weather remain an issue yet to be resolved. Moreover, China is still exploring suitable policies to regulate this emerging industry. A spate of recent deals and gas finds in the eastern Mediterranean Sea has positioned Egypt to be a major energy hub. Turkey, which is flexing its military muscles, may be left out. For years, there was hope that gas fields under the eastern Mediterranean Sea would usher in peace and prosperity in a volatile region. But a string of recent deals and gas finds have revealed deep geopolitical fault lines. Since 2009, Israel, Egypt and Cyprus have made a series of large-scale gas discoveries in the Levant Basin, where the US Geological Survey estimated in 2010 that 122 trillion cubic feet (3.5 trillion cubic meters) of gas and 1.7 billion barrels of oil lie under the seabed. The discoveries raised the prospect of regional integration of energy markets and the potential for gas to run to Europe. But, for the past decade, much gas development has been geared towards local markets and some deposits sat in the ground as energy players scramble to find ways to export and create economies of scale. In recent months there has been a flurry of deals and a major gas discovery, prompting Turkey to once again flex its muscles in the eastern Mediterranean. It has also shifted the balance toward Egypts becoming a major energy hub in the region. String of discoveries On February 8, Italys Eni and Frances Total announced a promising gas discovery at the Calypso block off the coast of Cyprus, which they said confirmed the extension of a Zohr-like play, a reference to a massive Eni-operated offshore gas field discovered off Egypt in 2015 that went online in 2017. The find was a major boost for Cyprus, which had struggled to revive momentum after repeated disappointments since its first gas find at Aphrodite in 2011. Two weeks later, Israel announced a $15 billion (12 billion) deal for Egypt to buy gas from Israels Tamar and Leviathan offshore fields. Under Israeli law, 60 percent of gas must be for domestic consumption. The deal positioned Egypt, formerly a gas exporter to Israel and Jordan, to act as a potential energy hub as it develops offshore gas fields for domestic consumption and future export. Those deals came weeks after Cyprus, Greece and Israel signed a memorandum of understanding to build a gas pipeline to Europe, which seeks to diversify away from Russian gas. Cyprus and Egypt already have development deals and are in talks to export gas from Cyprus to Egypt to reach economies of scale. Turkeys gunboat diplomacy Gas diplomacy in the eastern Mediterranean has solidified already existing relationships between Cyprus, Greece, Israel and Egypt. At the same time, it has sharpened disputes with Turkey, which already has tense hostile relations with the four other states. Lebanon and Israel are also in dispute over offshore gas fields. Ankara claims a right to natural resources off its continental shelf and aims to protect the interests of Turkish Cypriots on the divided island. In February, Turkish warships blocked Enis drilling ship off Cyprus. Ankara has threatened to follow suit with any other exploratory vessels. Turkish Cypriots have granted exploratory rights to several blocks to Turkeys national oil company, Turkish Petroleum. In late March, the European Council backed EU member Cyprus, calling on Turkey to cease these actions and respect the sovereign rights of Cyprus to explore and exploit its natural resources in accordance with EU and International Law. The statement was swiftly rejected by Turkey. The No. 1 problem is the EU accepting the Greek community as the sole owner of the island without taking into account the rights of the Turkish community, said Necdet Pamir, a petroleum engineer and chair of the Turkish opposition CHPs energy commission. He said that instead of using gas as a carrot and stick in negotiations to resolve the intractable Cyprus dispute, Greek Cypriots should jointly develop and explore with the Turkish Cypriots. If you can work together in such a way, it may help to solve your political problems, he said. Egypt coming out ahead The discovery of Egypts Zohr field in 2015 was a game changer in the eastern Mediterranean. One effect was to make Cyprus Aphrodite field suddenly viable if part of a larger regional project. The Zohr discovery also prompted oil companies to renew their search for gas off Cyprus, leading to the Calypso find in February. The net effect of the Israel-Egypt deal and gas finds, alongside Turkeys tensions in the neighborhood, has been to make the option of an Egyptian gas hub increasingly appealing. Everything right now is moving in the direction of Egypt, said Gabriel Mitchell, a policy fellow at the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies. Large international energy projects need economic, technical and political feasibility. When you look at the more northern routes that have been suggested over the past couple years, the option via Greece and Italy, the option via Turkey, they didnt check off all the boxes, Mitchell said. Egypt has two mothballed liquefied natural gas export terminals that would make it easier for Israel and Cyprus to export gas without building their own terminals. The gas could be used to meet Egyptian demand or mixed with Egyptian gas for export. Applications to open a recreational marijuana business are now open. Massachusetts regulators began welcoming applicants to start applying to cultivate and sell recreational marijuana at noon on Monday. Applications are currently open to business given "priority certification." Included in this category are medical marijuana dispensaries that already underwent the permitting process and "economic empowerment" applicants - applicants who have "experience in or business practices that promote economic empowerment" by working with communities with high drug arrest rates. Multiple dispensaries have expressed interest in serving both medical and recreational marijuana users. "We've got our incorporating documents, financial statements, operating agreements -- all that stuff -- ready to go," Norton Arbelaez, director of government affairs for New England Treatment Access, which operates dispensaries in Brookline and Northampton, told the Boston Globe. The applications will remain closed to this group until May when Massachusetts will begin accepting applications from small businesses including craft marijuana cooperatives and independent testing labs. Applications will open further to marijuana retailers and transporters in June. There are 22 registered medical marijuana dispensaries open for sale currently in Massachusetts serving just over 47,000 patients. "Dancing With the Stars" champion Lindsay Arnold be a featured guest and judge at Bay Path University President's Gala in June. The black-tie optional event will be held at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel on June 2. In the weeks leading up to the Gala, three members of the Bay Path community will learn a unique ballroom dance and practice a choreographed routine. At the Gala, they will perform their routines and vie for audience votes. A mirror ball trophy will be awarded to the couple with the best performance. The contestants are Delcie D. Bean IV of the Board of Trustees; Patricia M. Faginski, vice president and financial advisor for St.Germain Investment Management; and Alumni Association Council Member Maria Rodriguez-Furlow. They will be joined by professional ballroom dancers Daryll '98 and Gunnar Sverrisson of Ballroom Fever in Enfield. Arnold will serve as a judge. The 24-year-old Utah native enters her 11th season as a professional dancer on ABC's hit competition series in May. She won the fall season partnered with "Hamilton" actor Jordan Fisher. The previous season, Arnold and Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox great David Ross finished second in the "DWTS" competition, firmly establishing her as one of the top female dancers on the show and among the most creative choreographers. The second annual Bay Path University President's Gala will feature an auction, dinner, and dancing into the night with live band, Protege. Tickets are $200 available online at baypath.edu/events-calendar/presidents-gala/purchase-tickets/ All proceeds raised at the gala will provide scholarship support to students. SPRINGFIELD -- MGM Springfield has posted more than 1,000 new jobs ranging from food servers to locksmiths as it prepares to open its $960 million casino in September. The posting is the largest by the company since the casino plans were launched, MGM Springfield said. The company is committed to hiring 3,000 employees for its opening. "The opportunities at an MGM resort are endless," said MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis. "We know Western Massachusetts has been waiting patiently for the chance to pursue these careers. The time is now." MGM Springfield looks forward "to meeting many passionate, enthusiastic people interested in bringing MGM Springfield to life," Mathis said. The full list of jobs and descriptions are available on MGM Springfield's workforce web site, found here. Most of the new job opportunities are in the food and beverage area, and include cooks, servers, bartenders, cashiers and assistant supervisors, MGM said. There are also positions advertised in human resources, retail management, conference services, security jobs, hair stylist, massage therapist, and inventory control, among many. The casino has partnered with more than 25 local community organizations to offer workforce training and educational opportunities as part of its workforce preparations, according to the company. "These efforts included sponsoring the Holyoke Community College Culinary Arts Center, training table game dealers at the Massachusetts Casino Career Training Institute, developing a hospitality pre-apprenticeship program with Cambridge College, and holding information sessions and career readiness workshops throughout the region," MGM Springfield said. "People are going to be pleasantly surprised at the whole range of career opportunities available at our resort," said Marikate Murren, MGM Springfield's Vice-President of Human Resources. "We encourage people to consider these dozens of newly posted positions and get in touch with us to join the show. It won't be long before we welcome scores of new colleagues to help us deliver the MGM experience." Some of the jobs require the applicants to be registered or licensed by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission before they can begin work, MGM said. Assistance is available at MGM Springfield's career center for the employee licensing process. In February, the Gaming Commission updated the regulations to eliminate the registration for certain jobs, and "removed the automatic hiring disqualification for past indiscretions, thus allowing more individuals opportunity to apply" for jobs such as front desk representatives, cooks, kitchen stewards, sous chefs, and banquet manager, MGM said. Alan Dixon, MGM Springfield's general manager, said the company praises the adjustments in the hiring policy. "They have made it possible for many more Springfield area residents seeking challenging new jobs to have a legitimate shot at their dreams," Dixon said. MGM Springfield has a set goal that at least 35 percent of its jobs will go to Springfield residents and that 90 percent of the jobs will be taken by a combination of Springfield and regional residents. HOLYOKE -- The City Council will hold a closed-door meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall to get an update about an investigation into a computer scam that stole $9,997 from the city treasurer's office in June. Ward 5 Councilor Linda L. Vacon requested the update. "I'm just seeking to understand the timeline and exactly what the steps have been prior to and since the money transfer took place, and what the possibilities are for getting the money reimbursed to the city," Vacon said in a voice mail message Friday. Overall, the goal is to tighten the city's financial management procedures, she said. It's not immediately clear why the meeting will be in executive session or which exception under the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law the Council will cite to hold the closed-door meeting. (see below) Holyoke Police Chief James M. Neiswanger has confirmed that police are investigating and that authorities in Long Island, New York have identified a suspect in the scam. City Treasurer Sandra A. Smith said she wired $9,997 to someone impersonating a department head in June. Smith is not the subject of the investigation, Neiswanger said. Neiswanger couldn't be reached for comment Friday. Councilors have expressed irritation that Smith failed to inform the City Council, which under the city charter is authorized to approve all municipal spending, about the money loss in relation to a cyber attack. The Republican has filed a request under the Massachusetts public records law to obtain copies of communications that occurred regarding the money scam that hit the treasurer's office. Smith has said to Western Mass News that she takes responsibility for the scam and that it was an isolated breach. The Massachusetts Open Meeting Law requires that municipal boards and commissions like the City Council conduct business in open session, available for anyone to attend if they choose, to observe debates and decision-making. The law requires that the public receive 48 hours notice of such open sessions with available postings including online notices. The law includes 10 exceptions boards can cite to hold closed-door, or executive, sessions in which the public and press are prohibited from attending. A board first must meet in open session, declare the exception being cited and take a roll-call vote of board members to approve going into executive session. The board must state whether it will reconvene in open session at the end of the executive session. The Open Meeting Law exceptions are: to conduct collective bargaining; to discuss litigation; to consider the purchase of real estate; to discuss the reputation, character, physical condition or mental health, rather than professional competence, of an individual; to discuss deployment of security personnel; to investigate charges of criminal misconduct or to consider the filing of criminal complaints; "to comply with, or act under the authority of, any general or special law or federal grant-in-aid requirements;" to consider applicants for employment or appointment by a preliminary screening committee if the chairman or chairwoman decides an open meeting would have a detrimental effect in obtaining qualified applicants. But that exemption is prohibited if an applicant has passed a prior preliminary screening; to meet with a mediator about litigation; to discuss trade secrets or confidential information in relation to an energy supplier under a license granted by the department of public utilities. The attorney general's office is the agency that enforces the Open Meeting Law. To share with friends and brethren The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (the Everlasting Gospel), and to prepare a people to stand when He returns to redeem His remnant. Also, to share relevant information of current events, and to show how they relate to prophecy; By means of articles, editorials, opinions, scripture readings, and poetry. Disclaimer Endrtimes does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article/video posted on this site. 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On Jan. 31, as an explosive Wall Street Journal report into allegations of sexual misconduct against casino magnate Steve Wynn rocked Massachusetts' nascent gaming industry, state gaming regulators strove to make two things clear: There would be a full investigation -- and, until the release of the Journal's Jan. 26 report, they did not know about the allegations. "On Friday, January 26th, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission was made aware of allegations of sexual misconduct involving Steve Wynn," Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chairman Steve Crosby said in a statement at a hastily arranged public meeting dedicated to addressing the scandal. "These allegations are deeply troubling and have triggered an aggressive and immediate response from the Commission." But MassLive has learned that at the time of that meeting, at least one State Police investigator with the commission's Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB) had known about Wynn's sexual harassment settlement and the existence of sexual misconduct claims against him for over a month. On Dec. 28, Bloomberg published a story, headlined "Steve Wynn's settlement with worker haunts him in ex-wife's suit," that publicized the existence of Wynn's multi-million dollar 2005 settlement and reported on his ex-wife's courthouse claims that the settlement was the result of a sexual harassment complaint. "Steve Wynn's settlement with a former employee in 2005 was done privately, but the secret refuses to go away," Bloomberg reported. "The casino mogul and his ex-wife, Elaine Wynn, have been battling over documents related to the employee's allegations and a related settlement, which Elaine said was in the millions of dollars. Elaine's attorneys are now placing that deal in the context of the larger debate over sexual harassment and corporate responsibility, which has emerged following allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein." Bloomberg's report went largely unnoticed in the national press, and did not possess the depth of the Journal's report, which included dozens of interviews with employees who made allegations ranging from harassment to outright sexual assault against Wynn. But it did draw the attention of State Police Lt. Brian Conners, who forwarded a link of the article to his colleagues in the commission's investigative bureau the day of its publication, according to an email obtained by MassLive in a public records request. The email, with the subject line "Alleged Steve Wynn Settlement," was sent to IEB Director Karen Wells, Deputy Director Loretta Lillios, Gaming Agents Division Chief Bruce Band, Senior Supervising Gaming Agent Burke Cain and Lt. Gina Joyce. It contained no text aside from a link to the Bloomberg story. The Gaming Commission did not open an investigation into Wynn at the time, and until asked about the email by MassLive had given no public indication that investigators were aware of the settlement against Wynn before the Jan. 26 Journal story. In a phone interview, Gaming Commission spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said that Wells did not read the Bloomberg story, despite it landing in her inbox, and was not personally aware of the settlement until the Journal published its investigation. There is also no indication in the emails reviewed by MassLive that the gaming commission's civilian commissioners knew of the Bloomberg story. After the publication of the Journal's report, gaming commission chairman Steve Crosby reacted with apparent shock, according to emails obtained via a public records request. "The prominent take-away at that time was the importance of closely monitoring the ongoing contentious litigation between Elaine and Steven Wynn. Many allegations were being made and the intent was to ensure that investigators had the upcoming trial on the radar so that any relevant facts could be used to assess ongoing suitability," Driscoll said in a statement. "Investigators became aware of the certainty of the settlement and its significance four weeks later and immediately commenced an aggressive investigation into the totality of circumstances related to the series of alarming allegations revealed by the Wall Street Journal. Lastly, our investigators were present in the Vegas courtroom for the Wynn hearing this past week." At the Jan. 31 meeting, Wells said that Wynn had not disclosed the settlement during the IEB's suitability investigation of the company in 2013. She also said that she had asked investigators if any evidence of the settlement had surfaced after that investigation was complete. "I have spoken with investigators regarding the 2013 suitability investigation to determine whether or not evidence of the concerning conduct was identified back in 2013 (or at any time subsequent to that), particularly the $7.5M settlement agreement referenced in the Wall Street Journal article," Wells said. "Both the lead investigator for the consultant law firm of Michael and Carroll as well as the state police detective assigned to the investigation confirmed that the allegations and the settlement agreement were not identified at the time, and notably were not disclosed by any of the Wynn qualifiers prior to the public release of the allegations on Friday." Investigators were aware of the bitter legal battle between Wynn and his ex-wife Elaine Wynn and were monitoring its implications for Wynn's suitability, Driscoll said, and launched an investigation once the Journal's story revealed specific allegations of a pattern of sexual misconduct. "The investigators had been aware that there was this ongoing, acrimonious litigation between Elaine and Steve Wynn, and they were aware that it was something they needed to pay attention and hope to determine through the hearing and trial process what facts would be considered relevant," Driscoll said. Massachusetts' 2011 gaming law requires that both the companies and individual stakeholders of aspiring gaming licensees face suitability investigations by the IEB. The bureau's investigation of Wynn, which took place before any public court filings referenced the settlement, focused largely on potentially improper dealings involving the land where Wynn planned to build its Everett casino and alleged corruption by a former Wynn board member in Macau. It did not turn up any evidence of sexual harassment claims against Wynn himself. The $2.4 billion Wynn Boston Harbor casino in Everett is scheduled to open in June 2019. The gaming commission is in the midst of reviewing Wynn's suitability for its license in light of the Journal expose, and has the authority to suspend or revoke the licenses of gaming operators who are found unsuitable. On Feb. 6, Steve Wynn resigned from the company he founded, attributing his decision to "an avalanche of negative publicity." He has denied all claims of sexual assault, with spokemen blaming Elaine Wynn for dredging up the allegations to gain leverage in her shareholder dispute with her ex-husband. CHICOPEE - A man who was arrested Sunday and charged with possession of 21 vials of marijuana oil and three gallon-sized bags of marijuana recently opened a business selling cannabis accessories in Chicopee Falls. Frank Cincotta, 26, of 97 Balis St., Springfield, was arrested Sunday at about 12:25 a.m. and charged with two counts of felony breaking and entering in the nighttime, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession with intent to distribute a Class C drug (the THC or marijuana oil), said Michael Wilk, police public information officer. He is accused of kicking in a door in a fourth-floor apartment at 419 Montcalm St. after arguing with residents there. The tenants told him to leave and he did, but he returned and kicked the locked door repeatedly until the frame broke, injuring the female resident, Wilk said. He injured his hand during the incident and police followed a trail of blood drops to find him in the area of Montcalm and Britton streets. When they searched his backpack after the arrest they found the marijuana, the vials of THC and $2,200 in cash, Wilk said. Cincotta opened the Hashbury Headshop East Street, on 151 East St., in mid-March. He also operates a second store, also called Hashbury Headshop, at 1812 Wilbraham Road in Springfield, records show. He was issued a business certificate by Chicopee on March 9. The certificate lists Cincotta as owner and gives him all rights to use that name in the city, City Clerk Keith W. Rattell said. He was also issued a Certificate of Occupancy for the business March 8, records show. Records with the Massachusetts Secretary of State show Cincotta as the president and treasurer of Pioneer Valley Greenery Inc. Cincotta was arraigned in Chicopee District Court on the charges. Bail was set at $5,000 surety or $500 cash and his case was continued until May 25, according to court officials. WATCH LIVE Governor Baker to announce reforms to Massachusetts State Police policies and procedures. Posted by Boston 25 News on Monday, April 2, 2018 A series of scandals at the Massachusetts State Police is prompting a series of reforms. Gov. Charlie Baker plans to announce a "series of reforms to policies and procedures" at the troubled law enforcement agency at a 1 p.m. press conference at the state House. He'll be joined by Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Baker's public safety chief Daniel Bennett, and State Police Col. Kerry Gilpin. Baker installed Gilpin as superintendent of the State Police after Richard McKeon, named in a lawsuit by two rank-and-file troopers, stepped down. The troopers are suing over the scrubbing of an arrest report of a judge's daughter. The State Police is also grappling with a scandal involving alleged skipped overtime shifts. Baker told reporters on Friday that he speaks frequently with Gilpin. "She's working on a whole series of reforms that I think are exactly what the doctor ordered with respect to some of the issues of the State Police," he said. "We'll have more to say on that shortly." Baker last week came under fire from Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, who said the governor needed to show "leadership" on the issue of scandals at the State Police. Healey's office is investigating the scrubbing of the arrest report and the overtime shifts, which allegedly occurred within the division patrolling the Mass. Turnpike, Troop E. Gilpin referred information to Healey's office after an internal audit. As Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced reforms of the scandal-plagued State Police, the head of the union for the rank and file voiced frustration with the short notice and pointed to the group's own proposed reforms from years ago. Dana Pullman, the head of the State Police Association of Massachusetts, said he learned of changes, such as the elimination of Troop E and the planned implementation of a body camera program, on Monday morning. Baker and Col. Kerry Gilpin announced the reforms at a State House press conference Monday afternoon. They also announced they'll be activating tracking technology within laptops in marked cruisers. The reforms come after alleged skipped overtime shifts were found to be occurring within Troop E, amid other scandals within the State Police. An investigation also continues into the scrubbed arrest report of a judge's daughter, Alli Bibaud. "You can't characterize 99 percent of this job because of a couple of missteps here," Pullman said. "To paint the whole organization with that is kind of a broad brush," he added. Asked whether he was frustrated that some of the reforms appear to be final, Pullman said, "Yeah, of course we are." He said he didn't believe the reforms are an overreaction, but he said they need to be "carefully" thought out and implemented. Pullman pointed to reforms the union has proposed to Gov. Baker, and his predecessor Deval Patrick, such as reducing the use of overtime pay through the hiring of more personnel. An August 2017 memo to Baker distributed by Pullman also noted to the need for uniformed members to have access to a "working and reliable radio communications system." A body camera policy was drafted in 2015 for the Massachusetts State Police, but it was never enacted. The draft policy was discussed by Massachusetts State Police Col. Kerry Gilpin Monday as several changes within the State Police were announced by Gilpin and Gov. Charlie Baker. While policies still need to be created and discussed within State Police command staff and union leaders, Gilpin said a body camera program will be created for troopers. Baker would like to see the body camera program ready by the end of the year, but knows there are several hurdles. The colonel said body cameras have been used in departments across the state and create accountability and accuracy during interactions with the public. Body cameras, she said, benefit the public and law enforcement. Boston police had a year-long pilot program where 100 body worn cameras were deployed in late 2015. Gilpin said she didn't know why body cameras were not implemented in the past but reviewed the 2015 draft policy. The draft of the 2015 policy does not necessarily reflect what the State Police new body camera policy will ultimately look like. Massachusetts State Police proposed body worn cameras policy by Scott Croteau on Scribd AMHERST -- While there is both a stigma and focus on drunk driving in the United States, the same light is not shined on drugged driving, the keynote speaker at a University of Massachusetts symposium said Monday. "The issue of drugged driving is a problem in our country. It is nationwide," said Darrin Grondel, director of the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission. In 2012, Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize recreational use of marijuana. "(The issue) isn't just about cannabis," he said. "There's almost a social acceptance of drugged driving." That needs to change, he said. Grondel was the keynote speaker at "Marijuana Legalized: Research, Practice and Policy Considerations," part of the School of Public Health and Health Sciences the Dean's Symposia Series. His talk was titled, "The Washington Experience: Drugged Driving and Marijuana Legalization." Beginning in July, it will be legal to buy marijuana for recreational purposes in Massachusetts. UMass offered the forum to help prepare all those who will deal with the public health implications, said Risa Silverman, director of the Office for Public Health Practice and Outreach. She said the implications "are far-ranging." She said it's not clear yet how best to screen for drug use, but she said bringing in Grondel helps people look at what that state has developed. "Washington State has more experience than we do," she said. Bringing him here "gives us an eye and an ear to what they've already learned," she said. Massachusetts voted to legalize recreational marijuana two years ago. Silverman said with it all so new, "we're just learning together." The forum also featured Cheryl Sbarra, senior staff attorney and director of policy and law for the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards; Jennifer Whitehill, UMass assistant professor of health policy and management; and Elizabeth Evans, assistant professor of community health education. More than 100 attended, including police, officials, boards of health representatives and students from area communities, two members of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission and representatives from AAA. Grondel said the problem with drug impairment comes from all kinds of drugs, including prescription drugs. He said no matter what the name of the marijuana strain is -- he said one is called The Girl Scout -- "it ultimately impairs and can hurt people." A collaboration, meanwhile, between the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, the UMass Donahue Institute and staff at the state Department of Public Health is working on the Marijuana Baseline Health Study that began last year. It is designed to "provide public health officials, legislators and others with information to assess baseline rates and patterns of marijuana use, related risk behaviors such as use in combination with alcohol, prescription drugs and impaired driving," according to a press release. SpaceX is scheduled to launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon spacecraft Monday on a resupply mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Weather conditions are 80 percent favorable for launch, according to NASA. There is an instantaneous launch window, which "means the launch must take place precisely on time in order to reach the orbit of the International Space Station," NASA said. When President Donald Trump first suggested, via Twitter, banning transgender people from serving in our nation's armed forces, the move caught nearly everyone in the Pentagon by surprise. This was back in July 2017, about six months after Trump had been inaugurated. He was at it again last month. Foolishly. Needlessly. And his latest move again caught top military brass off guard. Trump, by virtue of his office, is commander in chief of our nation's armed forces. But it's important to remember that the real estate mogul and reality TV star was the first man to become president without either prior military or political experience. It's showing once again. Answering a very simple question shows clearly the folly of Trump's move: Did he make his decision on the recommendation of top military officers? No. Not even close. He made his decision, it seems clear, on a whim. Perhaps he believes it will please his base voters. Or maybe he's got some problem with the transgender community more generally. It's never easy to tell with Trump, who tends to follow his own counsel, tweeting from the hip and asking questions later, if at all. By most reasonable estimates, there are perhaps a few thousand transgender individuals in our nation's armed services. Say there are 3,000. Out of more than a million men and women on active duty. That's less than three-tenths of 1 percent. They volunteered to serve. Their commanders haven't indicated that they are causing problems. But Trump wants to ban most of them. We should welcome those who are willing and able to serve, and who volunteer to serve. The commander in chief shouldn't be making a fuss about a minuscule number of soldiers and sailors and others who don't identify with the gender that is listed on their birth certificate. What matters is whether they are good at their jobs, are performing well, are taking orders and carrying them out. They should be treated no differently than any other service member. Trump, by trying to solve a problem that isn't a problem, has needlessly created a real problem. The old policy, implemented when Barack Obama was president, was working just fine and dandy. If Trump had had any questions, he could have asked the generals, and taken their advice to leave things as they'd been. Instead, he stirred the pot and needlessly stirred up trouble. What's behind President Donald Trump's ongoing beef with Amazon.com? Is it about taxes? U.S. Postal Service revenues? Does Amazon fail to make timely deliveries to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C.? Or is it all, like so much with the thin-skinned Trump, just personal? On Thursday, the reality TV star turned president once again amped up his attack on Amazon with a post to Twitter. He followed that on Saturday with more of the same. His assertion that Amazon isn't collecting taxes is provably false. His claims that the post office is losing money on each box it delivers for Amazon is likely baseless. And his silliness about The Washington Post, which is owned by Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos -- he says that the paper acts as a lobbyist for Amazon -- is laughable. So what then is behind his latest tweet storm? One theory: It's envy, plain and simple. Bezos is the richest person on the planet, with Forbes magazine estimating his net worth at more than $120 billion. And he made his fortune the old-fashioned way: he earned it. Trump, on the other hand, who followed his father into the New York real estate game, may well not be nearly as wealthy as he would like folks to believe. Forbes has pegged Trump's net worth at about $4.5 billion. If true, that would mean that Bezos is more than 26 times wealthier. But the Forbes estimate could well be very much on the high side. Trump famously sued former New York Times reporter and author Tim O'Brien for asserting in a 2005 book that Trump was likely worth no more than $250 million. The lawsuit was dismissed. Trump appealed, but the dismissal was upheld. Whether it's simple envy, or something else that's behind Trump's ongoing Amazon obsession, he's simply wrong on many of the facts that he continues to assert on Twitter. For one thing, he repeatedly conflates company CEO Bezos and the online retailing giant he founded, writing in tweets of the "Amazon Washington Post." Bezos, not Amazon, bought the Post. Amazon now collects sales taxes on goods it sells in every state and jurisdiction that impose them. The president's continued claims to the contrary are simply false, based either on long-outdated information, or on his own misguided imaginings. Trump's claims about post office revenues is also suspect. The specifics of the deals the Postal Service makes with companies it does business with are not public. The post office says it makes money on package deliveries; Trump asserts otherwise. Trump, who doesn't like to let the facts get in the way of his wild, baseless claims, shouldn't be trusted on this count. Perhaps the USPS needs to strike a new deal with the online behemoth. If so, it likely will. When it comes to Amazon, Trump has been offering "alternative facts" -- to employ the term used by White House counselor KellyAnne Conway on NBC's "Meet the Press" just two days after Trump's inauguration, answering a question about estimated crowd sizes at the Jan. 20, 2017, event. There is, of course, no such thing as an alternative fact. There are facts, and then there are untruths. There are facts, and then there are lies. There are facts, and then there's much of what the president says, tweets, appears to believe. President Trump has ordered a military parade take place in Washington on Veterans Day. He loves a parade, and apparently wanted one for his inauguration. But many are uncomfortable with the idea. Military parades are often associated with authoritarian dictators, not Western democracies, and spending millions on a parade seems wasteful. But others argue we should celebrate American military might by putting it on display. What do you think? PERSPECTIVES President Trump has been talking about having a military parade since witnessing the Bastille Day festivities in Paris last year, and it seems he will finally get his wish. The Pentagon says the parade requested by President Trump will officially take place in Washington D.C. on Veterans Day. According to NPR, the parade will cost anywhere between $3 million and $50 million. It could cost millions to ship tanks and other military hardware to Washington for such a display. It's both wasteful and creepy. Retired Major General Paul Eaton says @realDonaldTrump's parade idea underscores his authoritarian tendencies, and that our military is not there to be "used and abused" to prop up his image. VoteVets full statement on Trump's orders for a military parade. pic.twitter.com/Am7uSSWZfo VoteVets (@votevets) February 7, 2018 Many feel the money could be better spent to take care of our veterans. Imagine if we spent the $50 million on Trumps military parade to shelter the 40,000 homeless veterans in this country. #Veterans #NoParade pic.twitter.com/pnz16434Pi donaldtrumpnewstoday (@irishrygirl) March 10, 2018 Others say military parades are for authoritarian regimes. Why would we imitate the habits of Hitler, Stalin, the Soviet Union and modern-day North Korea? Trump wants the Pentagon to hold a military parade so that all of the military personnel can honor him on TV in front of the world not so he can honor our military. Its all about his ego and his desire to be applauded. Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) February 7, 2018 But Trump's fans are thrilled. They see it as a way to honor the men and women who serve in our military. Department of Defense confirms Trump will get a Military Parade! Coming on Veterans Day! #MAGA CHIZ (@CHIZMAGA) March 10, 2018 It's not a brand-new idea: Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Kennedy all had large, modern military contingents at their Inauguration Day parades. Why shouldn't Trump get to have one? The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Digital, Inc. property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say. Egypt's parliament convened on Monday for its first plenary session after a 25-day recess during the presidential election race. Members of parliament are due to discuss a range of parliamentary business including several draft laws, according to Al-Ahram Arabic's parliament correspondent. There will be debate on a draft law regulating the National Council of Women, a bill to amend articles in the 1990 Eminent Domain law, and the draft law for Science, Technology and Innovation Incentives. The Ride-Hailing Apps bill regulating the work of companies such as Uber and Careem will also be up for discussion. Short link: Senate President Harriette Chandler will "probably" step down as the chamber's top Democrat before December and expects the ethics investigation into her predecessor to wrap up within a matter of weeks, she said during an interview televised over the weekend. The Senate elected Chandler as its acting president in December, when Sen. Stanley Rosenberg relinquished the presidency as the Senate Ethics Committee launched a probe into whether he had violated legislative rules in connection with allegations his husband had interfered with Senate business and sexually assaulted men with ties to Beacon Hill. On Feb. 7, the Senate voted to remove the word "acting" from Chandler's title, a move taken as other senators jockeyed to succeed her. The goal, senators said at the time, was to provide stability in the Senate and give Chandler a clear path to run the chamber through the rest of 2018. That timeline was called into question when Sen. Karen Spilka, chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, declared herself the "Senate president-elect" on March 22, announcing she had lined up sufficient votes. With Chandler by her side, Spilka said she hadn't yet spoken with the Senate president about when the transition would occur and declined to answer directly when asked if she agreed with Chandler's hope to stay on "until the end of this term." At the March 22 press conference, Chandler then interjected on a follow-up question about whether it might be more beneficial to make the transition now by stating that it's her hope that she will continue as president "until the end of this term." "I think this would not be the best time to transfer any kind of power. I think the point is she has the votes, we know there's a great deal of certainty here now. There's not the uncertainty you've seen before, so my hope is we will continue to go along as we are," Chandler said March 22. Asked by host Janet Wu on WCVB's "On the Record" Sunday if she was "miffed" that Spilka contradicted her timeline during the press conference, Chandler said. "I think it wasn't miffed so much as just surprised. Different than miffed." Chandler appeared to warm to the idea of stepping down from the presidency before the year's end, telling Wu that after July -- when the fiscal 2019 budget will likely be in place and formal sessions have wrapped up for 2018 -- "would be a great time for transition." "I probably will move out sooner than December," she said. "You know, I never planned to stay, and I think when I was here the last time, I told you I'd like to get my old life back, and I feel that way. We're engaged in talks now of how we're going to make this happen, make it happen as smoothly and as easily for the body." If the Senate elects Spilka as president this year, she would be the third Senate president to hold the post in less than a year. "Probably Nearing the End of the Investigation" The Ethics Committee's investigation, helmed by lawyers from the Boston firm Hogan Lovells, has now been going on for more than 100 days, swirling out of public view while the Senate addresses its legislative agenda and seeks to settle questions around leadership of the branch. The investigation returned to the spotlight last Thursday, when a grand jury handed down felony charges of sexual assault, distribution of nude photos and criminal lewdness against Bryon Hefner, Rosenberg's husband. Gov. Charlie Baker said Friday he expected to see information from the indictments made part of the ethics investigation. Kirsten Hughes, who chairs the Massachusetts Republican Party, called on Chandler, Spilka and the other Democrats in the Senate to "decide whether Rosenberg belongs in their caucus, given that this indictment suggests his leadership tolerated this kind of behavior." In a statement Thursday, Chandler called the charges "deeply disturbing" and said the Senate would fully cooperate with law enforcement. During her WCVB interview, filmed before the indictments were announced, Chandler said she did not think the ethics probe would "drag on too much longer," but that she didn't know much more about its status. "I can say that I sense that -- and I've had no contact with the investigation at all, that was the way it was planned -- but I believe we're probably nearing the end of the investigation, and at that point the investigation will give a report, bring a report to the Ethics Committee with recommendations," Chandler said. "The Ethics Committee will make their decision about what to bring to the Senate as a body, which then will be voted on by the Senate and everything will be made public." She said the remaining time could likely be quantified as "days and weeks" or "maybe a month or so," before saying she shouldn't make guesses about it. The committee has not given updates on the investigation's progress. As of Monday no payments from Senate accounts to Hogan Lovells were logged on the comptroller's online database, which tracks state spending based on input from government agencies. "I don't think we've gone over anything that we didn't feel we could afford," Chandler said of the investigation's costs. Along with the Rosenberg and Hefner investigations, the Senate is facing two other legal matters involving past and current members -- a 113-count indictment alleging that former Sen. Brian Joyce used his office in a corrupt manner, and the March arrest of Sen. Michael Brady on drunken driving charges. Brady, a Brockton Democrat, has since said he was admitting himself for alcohol counseling and treatment. Chandler said she hopes he gets help and returns to work as soon as possible. "It probably happens with a lot of people and I'm sure it won't happen again," she said. "I am sure he will use a driver of some sort in the future." The Supreme Judicial Court will hear arguments Tuesday on whether a question on nurse staffing ratios can appear on the November 2018 ballot. The Massachusetts Nurses Association is advocating for a ballot question that would set a maximum number of patients that a single nurse could care for. The staffing ratio would vary depending on the unit. Opponents, who include hospital leaders and some nurses, argue that nurses and hospitals should have flexibility in setting staffing rather than being constrained by rigid guidelines. Amanda Stefancyk Oberlies, CEO of the Organization of Nurse Leaders, which is part of a coalition of nurses that opposes the ballot question, is the lead plaintiff in a court case challenging the decision of Attorney General Maura Healey to place the question on the ballot. Massachusetts does not allow a single ballot question to contain two unrelated subjects. Oberlies and other advocates argue that because the ballot question both sets staffing ratios and also prohibits hospitals from laying off staff while implementing the new ratios, it contains two unrelated subjects. The lawsuit also argues that the ballot question is "confusing and misleading." Healey and the Massachusetts Nurses Association both say the two subjects are related and mutually dependent. A second court case, which will also be argued before the SJC on Tuesday, relates to a different version of the same question. The Massachusetts Nurses Association originally introduced two versions of the ballot question. Both include the nurse staffing ratio piece. But one version also includes financial reporting requirements for hospitals, requiring hospitals to submit public documents to the state's Health Policy Commission showing their financial health and their ability to meet the patient staffing requirements. Healey ruled that the version that included the financial reporting requirements could not go on the ballot because the subjects were not sufficiently related or mutually dependent. Donna Kelly-Williams, president of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, and other advocates for the question, are challenging Healey's decision. "The common purposes to all sections of the Petition is patient safety, and hospital transparency in making patients safe, through adequate staffing levels and reporting on the methods and means of achieving staffing levels," attorneys for Kelly-Williams wrote in a court brief. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Red Sox pitcher Brian Johnson, who starts today vs. the Marlins in Miami, starred as both a hurler and DH at the University of Florida. Johnson batted .324 with 15 homers (two grand slams his freshman year), 29 doubles, three triples, 91 RBIs, 63 runs and 41 walks in three years. But he should have 16 homers, not 15. "I got snaked by one," he said. But he also should have 28 doubles, not 29. "I hit a home run in the new stadium," Johnson explained. "The fence had like a little cement. And there was a little mesh fence for the fans. And I hit the second fence and it came back into play vs. Texas. And they called it a double. They said it hit the top of the fence and came back. And so now there's actually video evidence for home runs. And it's called the 'Brian Johnson Homer.'" See the video above of Johnson taking batting practice at Tropicana Field on Saturday to prepare to hit today. He belted three homers during the BP session. Meanwhile, Chris Sale hit one homer. Johnson grew up in Lakeland, Fla., the same hometown as Chris Sale. The lefty, who visited the Marlins' old park but has never visited the new one, will have family and friends attending today's game. He cheered for the Detroit Tigers growing up because they hold spring training in Lakeland. He attended plenty of their spring games. "I was such a hyper kid that I was always running around," Johnson said. "I was mainly standing out in right field, trying to catch a home run probably. So I never paid too much attention. Only when something was being hit." Tony Clark was his favorite Tigers player. Frank Thomas was his favorite hitter. Rural entrepreneurs with a promising business idea could win $1000 at the conclusion of an eight week Virtual Incubation Program (VIP) beginning Thursday offered by the Oregon Technology Business Center (OTBC) with sponsorship from the Oregon Community Foundation. The eight week business training program will be live interactive webcasts designed to help rural Oregon entrepreneurs start or build a growth business. The eighth session will be a pitch delivered to Angel Investors who will vote on the most promising business idea and award a $1000 cash prize. http://www.argusobserver.com/business/virtual-incubation-program-looks-to-help-rural-entrepreneurs/article_bbeab3e6-3554-11e8-9a64-679da0626789.html The sun shines on the campus of Montana State University and the sidewalks are void of students as they enjoy spring break, but upstairs in Montana Hall history. Waded Cruzado is the first woman president of Montana State University and she would like to see that change. "Hopefully there will come a time when having a woman in a position of responsibility, its not a piece of news, its something normal," she said. By Mikenzie Frost http://www.kpax.com/story/37854786/womens-history-month-msu-president-waded-cruzado Egypt's National Elections Authority (NEA) has declared Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi the winner of the nation's 2018 presidential elections, securing a second four-year term after winning 21,835,378 votes or 97.08 percent of valid votes. At a press conference in Cairo on Monday, the NEA said that 24,254,152 citizens voted in the elections at home and abroad, out of near 59 million eligible voters, representing a turnout of 41.5 percent. The NEA said that Ghad Party chief Moussa Mostafa Moussa, El-Sisi's sole opponent in the elections, won 656,534 votes or 2.92 percent of total votes The authority said the number of invalid ballots was 1,762,231 or 7.27 percent of total votes cast. Egyptians voted in 13,706 polling stations across all 27 governorates, said the NEA, with more than 18,808 judges and 124,000 administrative staff supervising the process. Voting in Egypt took place between 26 and 28 March, with Egyptians abroad voting from 16 to 18 March, at Egyptian embassies and consulates in more than 120 countries. 'No complaints' The NEA said it had not received any complaints about the elections process from the campaigns of either candidate, with no significant violations reported. At total of 54 local and international organizations, including African Union observers and the Arab League, observed the process, reporting no violations of procedure, said the NEA. On the third day of the vote at home, the authority announced it would be enforcing a fine of EGP 500 on those who failed to vote in the elections, as per the 2014 presidential elections law. More than 18,000 judges and around 120,000 administrative staff supervised the vote. The vote was secured by tens of thousands of police and army personnel. Four more years This is the second presidential term for Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, now aged 64, who has held office since winning elections in 2014. He became the sixth president of the republic in May of that year after winning 23.78 million votes (96.91 percent) against his Nasserist opponent Hamdeen Sabahi. Egypt's 2014 constitution limits presidents to two four-year terms. El-Sisi is due to be sworn in at the House of Representatives in Cairo in June, as per constitutional guidelines, according to the Egyptian parliament's spokeperson. In 2014, El-Sisi was sworn in at the Supreme Constitutional Court due to the absence of an elected parliament at the time. A life of service The father of four, El-Sisi graduated from Egypt's Military Academy in 1977 as an officer in the Egyptian army. His previous posts include a spell as a defence attache in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He also took up command positions in the Sinai Peninsula and Egypt's second-biggest city, Alexandria. El-Sisi was a fellow at the US Army War College in Pennsylvania in 2005-2006. He was appointed as the head of Egyptian military intelligence in January 2010. A year later, he became the youngest member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which ruled the country following the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in the January 2011 uprising. In August 2012, then-President Mohamed Morsi appointed El-Sisi as minister of defence. In July 2013, the Islamist president Morsi was ousted from power following mass protests against his rule that were backed by the army and various Egyptian political forces. In March 2014, El-Sisi resigned from his post as minister of defense and ran for presidency. El-Sisi is married to his maternal cousin Entissar Amer. Short link: Egypt's parliament on Monday preliminarily approved all 20 articles of a new law establishing up the Supreme Council for Combating Terrorism and Extremism (SCCTE), modifying Presidential Decree 355/2017 which first regulated the council. Parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal announced that the final vote on the law will be postponed until a later meeting. "As we lack two-thirds of MPs as required by the constitution, I decide to postpone the final vote to a later date," said Abdel-Aal. Head of the Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee and chairman of Al-Wafd Party Bahaa Abu Shoqa said "the law aims to mobilize all the country's forces not only to rid the country of terrorist elements, but also to spread enlightenment and contain extremist and radical ideologies, particularly among people in schools and universities." Abu Shoqa explained that after the council was established by a presidential decree last June, it was found out that it would be much better if it was established through a law. "This will make its decisions binding and more effective," said Abu Shoqa. Most MPs heaped praise on the law, agreeing that it will help forge a national strategy necessary to help the country's battle against terrorism and extremism. MP Abdel-Fattah Mohamed said "Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated elements are still widespread in government sectors and schools, and the role of the new council is to strike with iron hand on these elements." Article one of the law states that the council will forge a national anti-terrorism and counter-extremism strategy every five years. "This strategy should mobilize all the country's forces to combat terrorism and extremism," reads the article, adding that "the SCCTE's headquarters will be located in Cairo." Article two states that the council will be led by the president and composed of 17 members. "The council will consist of the prime minister, parliament speaker, grand sheikh of Al-Azhar, Pope of the Coptic Church, minister of defence, minister of religious endowments, minister of youth and sports, minister of social solidarity, minister of foreign affairs, minister of interior, minister justice, minister of telecommunications, minister of education, and minister of higher education," says the article, adding that "it will also include chief of general intelligence, head of the Administrative Control Authority (ADA), and other public figures who can contribute to SCCTE's strategy." Article four indicates that the council will seek to achieve 14 objectives. "It will implement a national strategy capable of containing extremism and terrorism every five years," said the article, adding that "it will coordinate with religious, security and media institutions to spread moderate religious thoughts, amend legislations in a way that should help in the battle against terrorism, and amend educational curriculums to spread ideals of citizenship and tolerance in schools and universities." Article four also states that the council will move to set up a regional coalition of Arab countries interested in exchanging information on terrorism and participating in the fight against terrorist elements and movements. "The council will also move to take the necessary legal measures against countries supporting terrorist and extremist movements, and stand up to hostile media channels which broadcast from outside and give cover to terrorist and extremist movements," it reads. Article eight states that a secretariat-general will be formed to prepare the council's meetings and ensure that its resolutions are implemented by state authorities. The law was referred to parliament early this week. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi originally ordered the creation of the SCCTE after meeting with the National Defence Council following terrorist attacks targeting Saint Georges Church in Tanta and Saint Marks Church in Alexandria on Palm Sunday last year. El-Sisi has already held two meetings with the council's members to discuss the roots of extremism and the necessity of forging a new strategy to combat it. Search Keywords: Short link: Despite the decades-long ban by the Egyptian Coptic Church, 4,700 Egyptian Christians are planning to make their way to Jerusalem this year, an official at EgyptAir told Ahram Online on Monday. Around 800 pilgrims have already left from Cairo to Tel Aviv on Air Sinai starting from 29 March, the official said. Each Holy Week and Easter, many of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Christians aim to visit Jerusalem. However, a papal decree issued in 1979 by the late Pope Shenouda III forbade Coptic travel to the city in protest of the Israeli occupation. The EgyptAir official explained that a total of 26 charter flights are planned to travel from Cairo to Tel Aviv over the next week, yet there was no statement on timing of the trips. During his visit to Cairo in January 2018, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged Arabs to visit Jerusalem. Do not leave us alone. Going to Jerusalem is not going to Israel and supporting Israel. It is supporting Palestinians, he said at the Al-Azhar International Conference in Support of Jerusalem. All reservations for this trip are done through the tourism agencies. There has been a debate on whether travel to Jerusalem occupied by Israel in 1967 may divide Christians. Some believe they should not be barred from the blessing of visiting the Holy City, while others see such visits as giving legitimicy to over 50 years of Israeli occupation. Since the Camp David Accords were signed between Egypt and Israel in 1978, there have been no official travel restrictions, other than the Coptic Orthodox Church's decree. The church continues to renew its committment to the 1979 decree with statements against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The number of religious pilgrims to Jerusalem has increased over the last few years. Egyptian Coptic Christians make up 10 percent of the country's 93 million population. Short link: In his first speech after winning a second term as Egypt's president on Monday, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi vowed to work for all Egyptians without any discrimination. "I promise to work for all Egyptians without discrimination. Those who renewed their confidence in me [with their votes] are not different from those who did otherwise. Egypt includes all, as long as a difference in opinion doesn't spoil a nation's cause," President El-Sisi stated in the televised speech after winning a sweeping 97% of the votes. He added that "common grounds were greater and more welcoming than fixed ideologies or narrow interests." El-Sisi hinted that working on more collaborative grounds would be a priority in his upcoming term. "My confidence in the intelligence of the Egyptian nation was without doubt," he said, adding that his bet on the Egyptian people had not faded and that they did they let him down. The Egyptian president also thanked sole contender and Ghad Party chairman Moussa Moustafa Moussa, describing him as one that has waged "a patriotic and noble electoral battle." El-Sisi also offered his appreciation for all efforts that have been carried out for the sake of the nation, and concluding his speech by repeating "long live Egypt" three times. Earlier, Moussa thanked citizens for turning out in the presidential elections, saying their participation proved the people of Egypt are capable of facing all challenges and pressures. "The presidential elections were fair and serve as a role model of integrity," Moussa said, praising the efforts of Ghad party members in support of his bid. Moussa saluted the re-elected president and wished him best of luck, affirming that El-Sisi is the best person for the post. On his low percentage of votes, Moussa said if any other candidate ran in the elections race against President El-Sisi, that candidate would have got lower votes than Moussa himself even gained. "If I ran in the elections against any other candidate other than President El-Sisi, I would have gotten more votes for certain," Moussa said, stressing that the most important aspect of this election is that all Egyptians served their national duty. Both speeches came a few hours after the country's National Elections Authority (NEA) declared incumbent President El-Sisi the winner of Egypt's 2018 presidential elections with 97 percent of valid votes in an electoral process that witnessed the turnout of 24 million out of 59 million eligible voters, or 41%. El-Sisi secured an expected second four-year term after winning 21,835,378 votes. Moussa won 656,534 votes, or 2.92 percent of total votes. The authority said the number of invalidated ballots was 1,762,231 or 7.27 percent of total votes cast. El-Sisi is due to be sworn in at the House of Representatives in Cairo in June, as per constitutional guidelines, according Egyptian parliament's spokeperson Ali Abdel-Aal. Short link: Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi received a phone call on Monday from US President Donald Trump who congratulated him for winning the country's presidential elections. In an official statement, Egyptian presidency spokesman Bassam Rady said Trump expressed his sincere congratulations for El-Sisi's win, adding that the final results showed the Egyptian nation's trust in him. Trump accentuated the US's keenness on boosting strategic ties between the two countries, as well as continued coordination and consultation over matters of mutual interest. El-Sisi, who secured a second term as President till 2022, affirmed the depth and uniqueness of Egyptian-US relations, adding Egypt's desire to coninue strengthening ongoing strategic cooperation between the two countries. US Department of State spokesman Heather Nauert said in a statement following El-Sisi's reelection that "the US looks forward to continuing to work with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to advance our strategic partnership and address our common challenges, while encouraging respect for and protection of basic rights and freedoms." "We will continue to encourage a broadening of opportunities for political participation for Egyptians, and emphasize the importance of the protection of human rights and the vital role of civil society in Egypt," Nauert said, adding that the US has noted "reports of constraints on freedoms of expression and association in the run-up to the elections." On Monday, the National Elections Authority (NEA) declared incumbent President El-Sisi the winner of Egypt's 2018 presidential elections with 97 percent of valid votes in an electoral process that witnessed the turnout of 24 million out of 59 million eligible voters, or 41 percent. El-Sisi secured an expected second four-year term after winning 21,835,378 votes. Moussa won 656,534 votes, or 2.92 percent of total votes. The authority said the number of invalidated ballots was 1,762,231 or 7.27 percent of total votes cast. El-Sisi is due to be sworn in at the House of Representatives in Cairo in June, as per constitutional guidelines, according Egyptian parliament's spokeperson Ali Abdel-Aal. Short link: SOLICITATION NUMBER: AID-18-05 ISSUANCE DATE: March 21, 2018 CLOSING DATE/TIME: April 13, 2018 SUBJECT: Solicitation for a Cooperating Country National Personal Service Contractor (CCN PSC) Dear Prospective Offerors: The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking offers from qualified persons to provide personal services under contract as described in this solicitation. Offers must be in accordance with Attachment 1, Sections I through V of this solicitation. Incomplete or unsigned offers will not be considered. Offerors should retain copies of all offer materials for their records. This solicitation in no way obligates USAID to award a PSC contract, nor does it commit USAID to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of the offers. Any questions must be directed in writing to the Point of Contact specified in the attached information. Sincerely, Patrick Kollars Contracting Officer I. GENERAL INFORMATION 1. SOLICITATION NO.: AID-18-05 2. ISSUANCE DATE: March 21, 2018 3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: April 13, 2017 at 17.00 Kinshasa time 4. POSITION TITLE: Budget Specialist 5. MARKET VALUE: FSN-10 In accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of [USAID/Democratic Republic of the Congo] Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value. 6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: 5 years renewable depending on funds availability 7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo 8. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Work authorization/certification of employment 9. STATEMENT OF DUTIES A. Basic functions of the position The basic function of this position is to perform a budgetary support role for all programmatic funds managed by USAID/Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) The primary purpose of this position is to serve as the focal point in the Mission for maintaining, analyzing, and reporting budget and financial information covering the Mission program portfolio, which includes three operating units (DRC, Central African Republic, and Central Africa Regional). This information is used to keep the Missions budget tracking and reporting systems current, in order to ensure the appropriate program analysis and planning. The quality of this data is critical to the Missions ability to manage current programs, plan new initiatives, comply with mandatory reporting, coordinate with the host government, and assess the impact of changes to budgets. In addition to maintaining Mission budgeting systems and a series of regularly-updated files that are used by the Mission to report budget and financial information, the incumbent also guides staff across the Mission on required budgeting procedures throughout the program cycle. S/he assists staff at all levels of seniority to analyze, understand, and plan their budgets, ensuring effective use of funds. S/he also ensures all requirements are met to obligate funds. S/he is expected to establish effective relationships with local and international USAID staff at all levels of seniority, including financial analysts and senior USAID budget staff in USAID Africa Bureaus Office of Development Planning. S/he is expected to develop expert knowledgeable in USAIDs policies, procedures, and regulations, including the substantive and administrative elements of USAIDs development assistance and to advise staff across the Mission on these items. B. Major duties and Responsibilities 1. Budget Reporting: 40% Manages the Operating Year Budget (OYB) reporting process. Maintains up-to-date records of relevant budget and other financial information (past and present) for internal and external briefings on USAID assistance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Responds to ad hoc budget related requests from USAID/Washington and Mission management. Reviews program budget inputs in to annual Operational Plan, Mission Strategic Resource Plan, and other planning related documents. Actively coordinates and engages with Mission management and technical teams on all budget issues. 2. Budget Analysis and Management: 30% Develops and manages a system of initiating and tracking the Missions current-year OYB. Conducts , in conjunction with the Financial Management Office, Mission quarterly financial reviews. Records and tracks status of follow-up actions. Maintains up-to-date and accurate official files on Mission allowances, obligations, expenditure, pipeline, and mortgage levels, as well as complete hard-copy files of major program documents, including the Mission Strategy, bilateral grant agreements and their amendments, and other program financial documents in accordance with Mission filing policies. Ensures that electronic files are regularly maintained. Manages budget related databases and reporting systems. Prepares Field Support budget requests in coordination with technical teams and Senior Program/Budget Specialist. Documents and analyzes budget trends for all development and humanitarian funds. Tracks the payment of parking fines, I.T. support costs, and program support costs. Assists the Senior Program/Budget Specialist in preparing the annual Operational Plans program support budget and Development Objective Agreements and amendments for signature and obligation. 3. Budget Allocation: 15% Prepares program budget requests for the Congressional Budget Justification. Provides analysis of program pipelines, expenditures, mortgages, and historic trends to Mission management for consideration in budget formulation. 4. Assistance to Program Office: 15% Provides backup support on to Program Office staff on systems and services, such as TraiNet database and website when principle officer is unable to perform duties. Assists the Senior Program/Budget Specialist in collecting information and performing analyses on host country annual budgets and budget execution. Assists the Senior Program/Budget Specialist in collecting information on host country strategic plans and progress in implementation. 5. AREA OF CONSIDERATION: All interested candidates 6. PHYSICAL DEMANDS The work requested does not involve undue physical demands. 7. POINT OF CONTACT: usaidhrkinshasa@usaid.gov II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION a. Education: A minimum of a bachelors degree or its equivalent in administration, finance, accounting, economics, or a related field is required. b. Prior Work Experience: At least three to five years of closely related professional experience. Experience in budgetary and financial analysis as well as general interpretation of program data. Knowledge of development programming terms and implementation, USAID programs, and USAID priorities desirable. Prior experience in a heavily regulated policy environment is preferable. c. Language: Fluency (level IV) in French and in English is required for the precise and accurate reporting III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS Candidates will be evaluated and ranked based on the following selection criteria: 1. Knowledge and Abilities (50 points): Technical background in budgeting or finance. Demonstrated capacity in managing complex budget tools; expertise in excel, including pivot tables. Demonstrable critical thinking, analytical, and skills required. Must be able to manage multiple and competing tasks at the same time. Knowledge of USAID project development, budgeting and management, or examples of international organizations that have similar complex budgeting reporting and oversight is desirable. Must be able to provide cogent and thoughtful presentations. 2. Prior Work Experience (20 points): Minimum five years of relevant prior work experience. Demonstrated ability to work in a highly complex and fastpaced work environment with minimal support. 3. Communication (30 points): Must be fluent in speaking, reading and writing English. Excellent communication skills in both French and English languages, including ability to analyze budgets and figures and to summarize findings to managers and non-budget specialists. Strong communication skills, including email, and ability to work in a multicultural environment is essential. IV. PRESENTING AN OFFER 1. Eligible Offerors are required to complete and submit the offer form- DS-174 Application for U.S. Federal Employment along with a cover letter and a CV written in English. The DS-174 Application form can be found in the US embassy website https://cd.usembassy.gov/embassy/jobs/job-opportunities/ 2. Offers must be received by April 13, 2018 at 17.00 via email to usaidhrkinshasa@usaid.gov . 3. To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, Offerors must prominently reference the Solicitation number in the offer submission. V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSC HIRES Once the Contracting Officer informs the successful Offeror about being selected for a contract award, the CO will provide the successful Offeror instructions about how to complete and submit the following forms: 1. Authorization for release of information VI. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES The incumbent will benefit from following benefits and allowances: Housing, Transportation, Meals, Family, and Miscellaneous; 13th and 14th month bonuses; annual and sick leave and medical coverage VII. TAXES The employees are responsible for calculating and paying local income taxes. The U.S. Mission does not withhold or make local income tax payments. VIII. USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING TO PSCs USAID regulations and policies governing CCN/TCN PSC awards are available at these sources: 1. USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR), Appendix J, Direct USAID Contracts With a Cooperating Country National and with a Third Country National for Personal Services Abroad, including contract clause General Provisions, available at https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf . 2. Contract Cover Page form AID 309-1 available at https://www.usaid.gov/forms. 3. Acquisition & Assistance Policy Directives/Contract Information Bulletins (AAPDs/CIBs) for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals available at https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs . 4. Ethical Conduct. By the acceptance of a USAID personal services contract as an individual, the contractor will be acknowledging receipt of the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, available from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, in accordance with General Provision 2 and 5 CFR 2635. See https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations . Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in a phone call on Monday for winning the country's presidential elections. In an official statement, Egypt's presidency spokesman Bassam Rady said El-Sisi received the call from his Russian counterpart during which he congratulated El-Sisi on the "precious trust" given to him by the Egyptian people. Putin affirmed his country's keenness on boosting unique bilateral ties with Egypt as both countries continue to coordinate intensively over matters of bilateral interest, the statement by Rady added. According to the statement, El-Sisi emphasized the strength and depth of relations, adding Egypt's desire to continue strategic cooperation between the two countries in the upcoming period to accomplish the interests of both nations. Rady added that the pair also discussed several MENA regional and international developments. Putin's phone call came a few days after he sent a message to El-Sisi on Friday congratulating him for winning the elections ahead of the official results announcement on Monday. "The elections outcome has proved your great authority among your fellow citizens and their wide support for your policy aimed at resolving pressing social and economic issues, as well as at strengthening stability in the country," the message, made public by the Kremlin press service, read on Friday. Monday's phone call by Putin came nearly an hour after US President Donald Trump congratulated El-Sisi for winning second term. On Monday, the National Elections Authority (NEA) declared incumbent President El-Sisi the winner of Egypt's 2018 presidential elections with 97 percent of valid votes in an electoral process that witnessed the turnout of 24 million out of 59 million eligible voters, or 41 percent. El-Sisi secured an expected second four-year term after winning 21,835,378 votes. His sole challenger, Ghad Party head Moussa Moustafa Moussa, won 656,534 votes, or 2.92 percent of total votes. The authority said the number of invalidated ballots was 1,762,231 or 7.27 percent of total votes cast. El-Sisi is due to be sworn in at the House of Representatives in Cairo in June, as per constitutional guidelines, according to Egypt's parliamentary spokeperson Ali Abdel-Aal. Short link: Egypt's armed forces offered its official congratulations to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on the occasion of his re-election as the country's leader till 2022. In an official statement, Egypt's armed forces spokesman Tamer El-Refaie said "the armed forces' leaders, officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers come forward with their congratulations to Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, the president and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, for the precious trust given to him by the great people of Egypt in his reelection as president of the republic." El-Refaie asserted the armed forces' continued supportive stance behind El-Sisi's "wise leadership to ensure the country's safety and stability," as well as its support for continued development to put Egypt back on the path towards being a leading nation. President El-Sisi held several positions in the armed forces, the latest being defense minister in 2012 after an appointment by Islamist then-President Mohamed Morsi. After Morsi's ousting in 2013 following mass protests, El-Sisi resigned in March 2014 from his post and ran for the presidency, winning the election against his Nasserist opponent Hamdeen Sabahi. His tenure was renewed officially on Monday after he was declared president for a second term till 2022 upon securing 97.07 percent of valid votes, winning against sole competitor Moussa Moustafa Moussa in an expected sweeping win. El-Sisi is due to be sworn in at the House of Representatives in Cairo in June, as per constitutional guidelines, according to Egypt's parliamentary spokeperson Ali Abdel-Aal. Short link: Riyadh seems set to host and chair the next Arab Summit meeting scheduled to convene in the Saudi capital in mid-April, with Iran set to be one top issue that Arab leaders will examine both at the summit and in the lead-up to it. Arab diplomats say that Iran is already an issue of interest to most Arab capitals given the current differences between the US and the EU on the nuclear deal between the West and Iran on Tehrans nuclear programme. Clearly, the same diplomats say, Riyadh is keen to lobby a collective Arab stand to support a strongly worded message to be sent to Tehran from the Arab Summit meeting. However, they add, what is worrying is not the Saudi position, which was shared with the US during last weeks meeting in Washington between US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman. What is at stake is not the isolation that the Saudis are hoping to see Iran suffer, but the possible plan by Trump to withdraw from the nuclear deal and the possible consequences of it, one Cairo-based Arab diplomat said. Trump is making no secret of his wish to take a tough stance on Iran, and it is an open secret that his choices of a new secretary of state and a new national security adviser are already loaded with tough messages against Iran. The choices of the new foreign policy team that is going to work with Trump are not just sending Iran a message that it has to be worried, but is also sending us a very disturbing message in Europe about what to expect in the coming weeks and months in relation to Middle East security and stability, said a Cairo-based European diplomat. Trump has threatened that he will withdraw the US from the deal that was concluded after tough negotiations between Iran and the West in 2015 on Tehrans nuclear programme. He has threatened that he will do this by mid-May if the Europeans do not get Iran to agree to a follow-up deal that would allow for extra constraints on Irans ballistic missiles programme and additional rights for inspections of its nuclear facilities. According to diplomats, so far the attempts of the Europeans to convince Tehran to show a semblance of accommodation for the US demands have failed. They add that there seems to be little reason to hope that the Iranians will change their mind as mid-May approaches. The Iranians dont want Trump to withdraw from the deal, but they will not bow to his demands either, said a diplomat speaking from a leading European capital. He added that as we get closer to mid-May, we might even see tougher rhetoric from both sides. Already Washington and Tehran have been exchanging negative messages, especially after the shake-up in the US foreign policy team earlier this month. Last week, EU Foreign Policy Commissioner Frederica Mogherini expressed concern about the fate of the nuclear deal. She said that if the deal was disrupted it could threaten regional stability. According to a source at EU headquarters in Brussels, the fear of the Europeans is that if Trump decides to walk out on the deal and to introduce new sanctions against Iran to appease the Israelis and the Saudis who have been urging Trump to give Tehran a hard time, the Iranians will consider themselves free of their obligations to put a halt on their nuclear activities. Then it might not be very long before Iran gets close to having its own nuclear bomb. And we know very well what kind of reaction that would prompt in Israel and for that matter in Saudi Arabia, whose officials are openly talking about their own nuclear rights, the source said. The Europeans, he said, have been trying to get assurances from Tehran that it will talk to Riyadh about its intentions in Syria and Yemen where a Saudi-Iranian proxy war has been going on unchecked. I am not sure we have enough to please the Saudis, and I am not even sure that anything short of an Iranian decision to reduce its influence in the Arab countries neighbouring Saudi Arabia entirely would be reassuring enough for Riyadh, he said. Saudi officials have been making no secret of their political and diplomatic consultations with counterparts in the Middle East and beyond, saying that they fear Iranian schemes for the Middle East. According to the Saudi narrative, Iran wants to bring down the rich Sunni regimes in the Gulf, top among them the regime in Riyadh, in order to secure influence over the regions Shia population. The Saudis have endless accounts to share with their interlocutors about the kind of influence Iran is aiming for in Bahrain, Yemen, Iraq, and of course Lebanon and Syria. Saudi concerns over the expansionist aims of Iran across the Middle East are widely shared in leading Arab capitals. The resolutions of the Arab Summit next month will reflect Arab condemnation of the Iranian policy of interference in the Arab world and will ask the international community to pressure Iran to stop such policies. It is not clear, however, whether resolutions made at the Arab Summit will go far enough to send a threatening message to Iran as Riyadh would hope. According to a source close to the preparations, the Saudis know that the only threat of weight that Iran will seriously consider is one made by Washington. However, he added that the Saudis would like to see a collective Arab position in support of Riyadh to come out of the Arab Summit meeting. The volume of support that the Saudis wish to have might not be fully accommodated at the Arab Summit, given the fears of some Arab countries that if the US decides to act against Iran this will likely be through an attack on Iranian targets in Syria, already a theatre for the Iran-Saudi proxy war. Cairo-based Western diplomats say that if the Saudis do not get the firm threat against Iran they want out of the Arab Summit they might get it a few weeks later out of the comprehensive political deal that the US is considering for the Middle East. This deal could offer a basis for the possible resumption of the long-stalled Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, and it could also offer a new regional order in which the Sunni Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, could side with Israel and the US to deter the Iranian threat either through sanctions or other means, they have said. * This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: Four Russian diplomats expelled from Germany as part of Western countries' retaliation over a spy poisoning arrived back in Moscow on the weekend, the Russian embassy in Berlin told AFP on Monday. "They are now back in Moscow. They left Germany over the weekend", ahead of a Monday deadline imposed on Moscow by Berlin to recall the envoys, embassy spokesman Denis Miskerin said. The German foreign ministry confirmed that the four diplomats had left the country, without giving any further information. More than 150 Russian diplomats have been ordered out of the US, EU members, NATO countries and other nations as punishment for the March attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury which Britain has blamed on Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday suggested the British government could be behind the poisoning. The counterclaims from Moscow came as the last Russian diplomats were set to leave the countries where they were posted. The Kremlin has vehemently denied the accusations that it was behind the nerve agent attack and ordered Britain and its allies to recall some of their envoys from Russia. Russia's ambassador in Berlin, Sergei Nechayev, said he was "astonished and disappointed" by Western countries which "trust in London's statements rather than seek an immediate investigation with Russia", in an interview with German regional newspaper Rheinische Post due to be published Tuesday. Short link: ANN ARBOR, MI - From kitchen makeovers to whole-house overhauls, the 2018 Tour of Remodeled Homes in Ann Arbor and Plymouth will showcase trends in remodeling and provide inspiration for future home improvement projects. Ten houses in Ann Arbor and Plymouth will be part of this year's remodeled homes tour, which is coordinated by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry of Southeast Michigan, a nonprofit trade association. Mans Lumber & Millwork is sponsoring this year's tour. Andi Harvey, tour chair, said she's excited about the variety of styles featured in this year's tour, and the fact the houses are located near each other to be more convenient for the 250 to 400 people expected to attend. "My favorite part of the remodel is really how these remodelers portray their work," Harvey said. "I'm always impressed that they go through this staging. ... It's really an art form." Design and remodeling professionals will be on hand at each home to answer questions and offer more insight on the remodel. Tours take place between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. April 21, and between noon and 6 p.m. April 22. Tickets are $10, with free admission for children 5 and younger. Tickets are good for both days of the tour, and they can be purchased in advance online or at any of the properties during the tour. Below is a list of homes on the tour: ANN ARBOR, MI - The University of Michigan's College of Pharmacy is hosting its bi-annual safe medication disposal event on Tuesday, April 3, at locations on the UM and medical campuses. The event, which takes place between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. provides an opportunity for community members to take back unused and expired medications for environmentally safe disposal. Accepted items include prescription and over-the-counter medications, medication samples, vitamins, ointments and lotions, inhalers, antibiotics, steroids, veterinary medicine and controlled medications. Unaccepted items include sunscreen, insect repellent, cosmetics, hair care or personal hygiene products, hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol, aerosol cans, blood or infectious waste, tobacco and sharps containers. There are two collection sites on UM's Central Campus and at Michigan Medicine. On Central Campus, participants should go to North University Avenue across from Ingalls Mall. At Michigan Medicine Hospital, participants should bring medications to the Triangle Connector Link Towsley Center. In Michigan, the number of deaths from overdose of opioids, including heroin, exceeded deaths from traffic crashes or gun fatalities in 2015, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. For more information on this event, contact the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy at 734-764-7312. FLINT, MI -- The petunias and marigolds that once surrounded Mary Ann Apartments have been replaced with garbage bags, dead mice and broken glass from the windows of vacant units. The neglected three-building complex, which was condemned by the city on Feb. 26, has been distressed, occupied by squatters and has had nearly 200 calls made by occupants to 911 since 2017. The lack of water, heat and electricity in some buildings along with the condemnation forced residents Amanda Henderson, 29, U.S. Army veteran Danni Henderson, 56, and their 2-year-old son, Nathanael Broughton, to relocate to the Shelter of Flint until they can find a new home. Before the complex was sold in 2006, Mary Ann Apartments was clean, well-maintained and held in high regard by the tenants who lived there, said Spring Tremaine, the executive director at Genesee County 911. Tremaine said it's hard to believe it's the same complex her father built in the 1970s. She'd spend her summer there as a kid placing coins on the railroad tracks behind the buildings, watching as the train went by with her sister. "I remember going there to pick up trash or help my dad run errands keeping up with the place," she said. "He was so concerned about it's curb appeal." Tremaine grew up in Flint, graduated from Powers High School, and her father, Duncan Tremaine, was a well-known developer in the city. Eleven years ago, a bouquet of flowers was delivered to her father's funeral. The card that accompanied them read "You were always planting flowers for us and now we're bringing flowers to you." It was sent from the tenants at Mary Ann Apartments. He built, owned and managed the apartment complex since the 1970s and sold them shortly before his death in 2006, Spring said. "It used to be just the one building to the east with the leasing office. He built two more buildings and made them single units hoping to attract single-person tenants because he said that kids are really hard on apartments," Spring said. "I just remember him being so concerned about it looking nice and being well cared for. That's clearly not the case now with the new owners." The condemnation of Mary Ann Apartments Mary Ann Apartments, named after Spring's 88-year-old mother, went through a series of owners in the past decade and was eventually sold on Sept. 19, 2016, to its current owner, RAVs LLC, according to records from the Genesee County Register of Deeds. The Hendersons moved into Mary Ann Apartments, located at 2208 West Court Street, in June 2017 and noticed a lack in management soon after. The sinks would clog up, the carpet was dirty, there were cockroaches and their calls to the leasing office were rarely if ever answered, Amanda said. "You could just tell the place hadn't been cleaned before we moved in and we had problems with the plumbing right away," Amanda Henderson said. "My husband would call and call the number the leasing office gave us for maintenance, but they never responded or returned our calls." State business records list Jennifer Oliver of Alltimate Property Management LLC as the registered agent of RAVS LLC and Ravikumar Raman as the owner of Mary Ann Apartments. Residents and city officials say they have dealt with Alltimate and another company registered to Oliver, Elite Real Estate Professionals, when it comes to management of the complex. The address listed with the state for Alltimate, Elite and RAVs LLC is 3444 Lennon Road in Flint Township. During the first week of March, Oliver said that Raman shared plans of selling the complex with her in June. Oliver pulled the leasing office agent working at the complex when she learned her business would no longer be paid to manage the property. The property is still deeded to RAVs LLC, according to Genesee County records. Water service is still being billed to RAVs LLC, according to City of Flint records. Tenants will be allowed to stay in their units while the complex undergoes renovation, Oliver said. Her companies have told residents the building is not condemned and they're working with the city. "It's not uninhabitable," Oliver said. "They have water, heat and electricity." However, according to records obtained from the City of Flint through a Freedom of Information Act request, Mary Ann Apartments was condemned by the city in February following an inspection by Bruce Mackey, a code enforcer for the city. The records claim the building is dangerous to human life and detrimental to the health of those occupying it. Amanda Henderson said no one from the complex contacted the family notifying them that the building was condemned. The inspection occurred after a blight officer received a complaint about the trash piling up at the apartment complex and notified Mackey. Bags of trash had been piling up in the complex's parking lot for months after the dumpster was removed in December. The blight division for the city brought in a dumpster in February and notified Mackey about the conditions of the complex's grounds. Between the complex's two white buildings is a courtyard littered with trash bags, dead mice still attached to sticky traps, baby diapers, abandoned hospital gowns stained with blood, needles and what appears to be crack pipes. Mackey inspected the complex and found that some of the buildings are lacking heat, water or electricity. Other buildings have flooded basements, deteriorating roofs and doors that have been kicked in, city records show. The complex has many unsecured units with extensive damage, including an abandoned office where the door has been kicked in. Most of the units have broken windows with glass and graffiti surrounding the exterior. Some steps leading up the rusted metal staircases are missing, have broken treads and show extensive deterioration. Inside the units, the damaged walls have been vandalized, refrigerators have been stolen, clothes are scattered and furniture is toppled. Cockroaches can be seen lining the walls and ceiling. The inspection in February isn't the first interaction the city has had with the complex. An inspection of a single unit, apartment 52, was conducted by Mackey on Oct. 10, 2017. During that inspection, several violations were noted. Violations included evidence of vermin and roaches, faucets in the kitchen and bathroom in despair, lack of smoke alarms in rooms and windows with broken glass or missing putty. Repairs for those violations were required to be made before or on Nov. 26, 2017. Those corrections, according to Mackey, were never made and the city never followed up. "We didn't receive any contact from Elite," Mackey said. The oldest building in Mary Ann Apartments, the one with the leasing office attached to it, was condemned in 2012 by city inspector Nicholas Buchanan as a result of a nuisance violation following a fire, city records show. Building and electrical permits from the city were required for repairs to the building. According to Mackey, those repairs were never made and the city was unable to contact Oliver's companies and RAVs LLC. Jesse Buchanan, chief building officer for the city, said residents were required to vacate the entire property on March 3, five days after the most-recent condemnation notice was posted around the complex. "But they're not moving," Jesse Buchanan said. A tough move Picking up and quickly finding a new home isn't always an option for residents at places like Mary Ann Apartments. Liz Ruediger, vice president of operations at the Shelter of Flint, has been working with nonprofits to provide basic needs for vulnerable populations for 18 years. Mary Ann Apartments is the third apartment complex managed by Oliver's companies that Ruediger said she has helped relocate residents from in the past few years. Ballanger Court Apartments were condemned on Nov. 19, 2015, for a lack of maintenance, water and livability standards, according to a news release from the City of Flint. City records show Creekside Apartments, also owned by RAVS LLC, was condemned in 2016 for lack of heat and water. Flint family searches for warmth after apartment complex turns off the heatAccording to Oliver, both areas were being hit hard with vandalism and theft and the property management company couldn't keep up with repairs. On Feb. 22, Ruediger learned that Mary Ann Apartments were going to be condemned next. "A challenge we have in apartment complexes that are at risk or close to being commended is that oftentimes there is a limited number of people living there that are leaseholders and there are many squatters," Ruediger said. "Our rapid resource centers that provide support for a down payment and first month's rent for relocation require you to have a lease." While many of the apartment units are currently occupied, only four residents, including the Hendersons, say they have copies of their lease. Several residents, like the Hendersons, are struggling to find rapid relocation they can afford. "In many of these situations, the families that are living in these apartments are living there because the complexes are all-bills-paid units," Ruediger said. "This is helpful for residents on a fixed income such as SSI or who have had issues with utility shutoffs in the past due to high utility balances." They could also just be lacking what's required for a water deposit, Ruediger said. The deposit for turning the water on is $325 in the city of Flint. The Hendersons relocated to the Shelter of Flint on March 9 after they said a stabbing at the complex was the final straw. They left their belongings behind and packed what they could bring. The family's apartment was broken into on March 12 and their television was stolen, Amanda Henderson said. They went back on March 16 to collect blankets for their stay at the shelter. "They don't really have blankets for 6-foot tall people at the shelter," Henderson said. "The apartment was completely ransacked. My grandfather's picture, who passed away and I loved, were thrown around and the refrigerator was stolen." Tables and chairs were turned over, food and couch cushions were thrown around and personal belongings scattered throughout. The back window in the bedroom was broken, and Henderson said she thinks that's how the intruders were able to enter the unit. "We don't want anything out of this, we just want to make sure it doesn't happen to another family," she said. "I'm just worried about my son. Me and my husband will be fine, but I'm worried about Nate. He doesn't do well with change and he's had a really hard time adjusting to the situation." Henderson said Nate has had a few meltdowns because he doesn't understand what's going on during the moving process. The family was staying at the shelter until they could find an all-utilities-included apartment. She said it's been difficult. "They put us in that apartment with terrible conditions knowing I had a 2-year-old son," Henderson said. "I took my son outside to play one day and took him right back inside when I saw a needle on the floor. I almost had my son taken from me because the water was shut off for so long. I just can't believe they're treating families and veterans like this." Going without Since living at Mary Ann Apartments, Henderson said the family has had to go without water, heat or electricity on several occasions despite living in the all-utilities-included apartment. City records show RAVs LLC has several outstanding water bills for its properties in Flint, including three balances billed to Mary Ann Apartments for a total of $22,810.79. The last payment made for the three bills was on June 26, 2017. "Unfortunately, as we've seen in a few of these cases, it appears the money is not being properly managed by the property owner and that puts the residents at risk," Ruediger said. "Our homeless outreach team is prioritizing the residents with leases and trying to help the squatters to the best of our ability." However, not all situations are created equal, Ruediger said. While she does see situations where it's just a utility issue, there are other situations, such as the one at Mary Ann, that subject residents to "living in squalor." "There is a huge issue with infestation of bed bugs and cockroaches at the complex," Ruediger said. "This makes things a little more difficult because we have to counsel these tenants so it doesn't spread to the shelters or to where they're located. Oftentimes, it's at the expense of the resident to exterminate their homes and that can get costly for some of these families." Residents who have stayed in the complex may also have other barriers to relocation relocated, Ruediger said. "That might be a history of evictions for whatever reasons, inability to come up with the money to turn utilities on or inability to put utilities in their own name because of large balances that are past due," she said. "Other things include transportation, background checks, credit checks and various other barriers that keeps them living in a place that is less than desirable." The Hendersons stopped paying rent in October when it started getting cold and their heat wasn't turned on. "None of my calls were being answered, the water, heat and electricity would just get shut off randomly. I said I wasn't going to be paying $550 a month to live in these conditions," Danni Henderson said. "I'm on unemployment, I'm hoping to get back to work in April, but that means I only get $300 every two weeks." The shelter recently participated in a focus group that showed many renters in vulnerable populations may be able to read a lease but that doesn't mean they're able to understand the lease. Ruediger said this often limits a tenant's knowledge of a renter's rights. Finding a home The Hendersons found refuge at the shelter for a week, but the search for a new home has proven difficult. "All of the apartments so far have turned our applications down because Dan is unemployed right now," Amanda Henderson. "He's going back to work in April doing construction, but we might have to stay here until he does because no apartment wants to take us in." Danni Henderson has been in contact with the U.S. Veterans Administration to help find housing. Danni served in the army for 15 years and was stationed in South Korea from 1984 to 1985. Amanda said the situation is taking a toll on her mental and physical health. "It's just been hard on me, it's been stressful," she said. "I got the stomach flu and Nate has an ear infection now. It's like every time I take one step forward, something happens that pushes me 10 steps back." The family stayed in a single-family room with two bunk beds. Amanda Henderson took pictures of family that were scattered in her apartment and hung them on the wall of their shelter room. At the shelter, a schedule must be followed by residents. Breakfast is served every morning from 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. Afterward, the Hendersons ran errands, met with a relocation resource center to fill out housing applications and sometimes ate lunch at McDonald's. When they got back to the shelter, the Hendersons would play with Nate in the backyard, watch television or hang out in their room until they had to do their chores. Amanda Henderson did her chores every night at 8 p.m. She cleaned the bathrooms, mopped the floor and cleaned their room. Danni Henderson did his chores at 9 p.m. so that someone was always in the room with Nate. After chores are completed, Nate must be in his room and put to bed by 8:30 p.m. Adults have to be in bed at 10 p.m. This is the first time Amanda Henderson has struggled with homelessness. Her father called her not too long ago crying because he can't help his daughter out. "There's just no room for us at his place or my stepmom's place," she said. "There's no room for us anywhere." Eventually, the family separated. Amanda Henderson and Nate moved to Ohio on March 21 and are staying at a friend's house. "I needed to get my son out of the homeless shelter. He wasn't eating," Amanda said. "I'm not sure if I'll come back." Danni Henderson is staying at the My Brother's Keeper shelter in Flint. He was awaiting open heart, triple bypass surgery that was scheduled to take place on Friday, March 30. FLINT, MI -- More than 4 percent of water samples collected in the final round of testing at Flint Community Schools' buildings had elevated levels of lead, according to reports published online by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. The third round of testing, carried out throughout last month, is expected to be the last state-sponsored testing in school buildings -- at least before a decision is made by the state on whether to continue providing free bottled water for distribution throughout the city. FCS has its own agreement with private companies, including Walmart, to supply bottled water to students until at least the end of the current school year. But after that, students will be in the same position as residents throughout the city -- waiting for the state to finish its review of the overall quality of Flint water before making a decision on future bottled water funding. The review started after the third round of school testing was completed, and Tiffany Brown, a DEQ spokeswoman, said she had no additional information on the testing or the future of bottled water supplied by the state. The final tests in the city's public school buildings showed at least one instance of water with at least 15 parts per billion of lead in each of the 10 buildings. Doyle Ryder Elementary School continued to register high lead at multiple test sites -- six in the last round of testing -- and also had three samples that registered more than 100 ppb of lead, more than six times the federal action limit. Flint Mayor Karen Weaver has said bottled water should be supplied to residents until all lead and galvanized service lines are removed, a job that could take the next two construction seasons. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has warned of the potential for large-scale releases of lead in the city's water system during such extensive underground excavating. MLive-The Flint Journal could not immediately reach Kristin Moore, a spokeswoman for Weaver, for comment. The Journal reported last month that the cost of providing bottled water in the city amounts to an average of $22,000 per day for the state. BURTON, MI - A multi-million dollar rehabilitation project is set to transform the former Alternative Children and Families building in Burton into a 27,000 square-foot primary medical facility. A public hearing is set for 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 2, at Burton City Hall to discuss the potential establishment of a commercial rehabilitation district at 2065 Center Road for Michigan Health Specialists to receive a tax abatement after completing work on the building. Josh Lord, director of operations for Michigan Health Specialists, said the proposal would move the group's practice from its current nearby Center Road location with one doctor into the new building that would house seven doctors and 21 exam rooms in 17,000 square feet. The additional 10,000 square feet would be leased by Hurley Medical Center for 10 years for physical therapy and an urgent care center. Michigan Health Specialists currently operates four primary care clinics in Genesee County and maintains affiliations with McLaren Medical Center, Hurley Medical Center and Genesys Medical Center, Lord said. The total investment for the new location would amount to approximately $3.5 million, including $2.6 million in renovations, $650,000 for the building purchase and $200,000-300,000 for the equipment. By approving the single-facility district, city assessor Bill Fowler said the taxable value of the rehabilitated structure is "frozen for a period" of time -- from one to 10 years -- as long as a certificate approved by the city and State Tax Commission is in place on all taxing authorities, except for K-12 schools and state education taxes. A second public hearing is set to take place at 6:45 p.m. Monday night to approve the certificate application by Michigan Health Specialists. The city is also taking steps to ease taxes in a proposed industrial development district that includes six parcels near Genesee and Davison roads, most notably a 140-acre property tabbed for development by a Fortune 500 company. A 6 p.m. April 2 public hearing is scheduled to allow residents to offer their opinions on the potential establishment of the industrial development district. Riverdale, Missouri-based NorthPoint Development struck a $268,000 purchase agreement with the city in mid-January on 140 acres of property near Genesee and Davison roads, a purchase made to facilitate a potential development by a yet-to-be-announced company. The industrial development district would include two RACER properties totaling roughly 60 acres, two Burton-owned properties equaling more than 61 combined acres and one Consumers Energy property at 3.4 acres. Fowler previously said the industrial development district would provide for a 50 percent tax abatement on a new or replacement facility for no more than 12 years. The abatement covers property taxes and personal property assets within a facility, such as machinery, computers, and hardware. Votes by city council members on the commercial and industrial districts are on the agenda for the regularly scheduled 7 p.m. meeting. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A Wyoming couple is preparing for trial against Greyhound and the bus driver they blame for a 2013 crash. The man filing the lawsuit was unable to return to his job as a delivery truck driver. David and Sandra Otte are due in federal court for trial Tuesday, April 3, in Grand Rapids. They're seeking more than $415,000 in lost wages, medical expenses and other restitution. The Ottes are suing Greyhound and bus driver Dwayne Garrett after David Otte was injured when the bus he was riding in crashed around 3:50 a.m. Sept. 14, 2013, on I-75 near Cincinnati, Ohio. The couple argues that the driver had serious health problems at the time of the crash, and that Greyhound knew about his condition and allowed him to continue operating a bus, according to their attorney's trial brief. Their stance is that the driver "more than likely fell asleep at the wheel" which caused the Detroit-bound bus to leave the roadway on I-75, strike a tree and a fence and roll over before coming to rest. But Garrett's attorney, Mark Shreve, tells a different story. He said the driver had a coughing episode that caused him to lose consciousness while behind the wheel, according to the plaintiff's trial brief. "Based upon the factual and objective medical evidence presented, the cause of the Sept. 14, 2013 bus accident was the result of Mr. Garrett experiencing coughing syncopy, a sudden medical emergency, causing him to lose consciousness and, as a result, lose control of the Greyhound bus," Shreve said in the brief. "Mr. Garrett was qualified and medically certified to operate the bus on the date of the accident and therefore defendants have no liability in this case." Otte was among 34 of 50 passengers injured in the crash. He was flown by medical helicopter to a hospital with injuries described by police as non-life-threatening. He was treated for a mild traumatic brain injury, and he still struggles with compromised executive and cognitive functioning, as well as chronic and severe depression, increased sensitivity to light, mood changes, fatigue and is emotionally labile, according to Wiseley. The two sides plan to provide contradictory evidence regarding testimony from other bus riders, as well as medical opinions of Garrett's health, at this week's trial. Aaron Wiseley, the couple's attorney, said in his trial brief that no passenger on the bus observed the coughing fit, and said a short amount of available video evidence does not show any coughing prior to the crash. He also argues that the driver had significant sleep apnea, cardiovascular problems, and was in "overall poor health" when the crash occurred. But Shreve said the driver was "well rested" before reporting for work on the date of the crash. He said Garrett took a sip of his coffee, which caused him to cough to the point of losing consciousnes "in a matter of seconds," according to court records. "Mr. Garrett had no opportunity to slow down and/or to pull the bus to the side of the road," Shreve wrote. Shreve said Douglas Heard, an accident reconstructionist, reviewed evidence from the crash, including extensive interviews of bus passengers, and determined that a medical event was what caused the crash. Garrett was initially cited by Ohio State Police for failure to operate the bus without reasonable control, but he contested the ticket and was found not guilty of the charge, according to Shreve. Shreve also plans to present testimony from medical professionals who determined that Garrett was not at risk for obstructive sleep apnea. He also denies there being any evidence that Garrett fell asleep behind the wheel. After the crash, David Otte said his doctor and employer determined he should not return to Pridgeon & Clay where he worked for more than 30 years. His alleged inability to work is why his attorney is asking for about $302,000 in the amount of lost wages, among other restitutions. LEELANAU COUNTY, MI -- An 8-year-old girl was killed and three other individuals were injured over the weekend following a two-vehicle crash in Empire Township of Leelanau County. Police said Ava Mae Geiger, 8, of Maple City was pronounced dead at the scene. A 5-year-old girl was seriously injured, and both drivers were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries as a result of the crash. The crash occurred sometime before 10:45 a.m. Saturday, March 31, at the intersection of M-72 (W. Empire Highway) and Plowman Road. Police said a 2009 Toyota vehicle, driven by a 22-year-old Lake Ann woman, was southbound on Plowman Road when the driver failed to stop for the stop sign at the intersection. The vehicle was struck by an eastbound 2016 Ford van, driven by a 51-year-old Traverse City man, which caused the Toyota to rollover into a large tree. Both vehicles were heavily damaged. Police said both drivers were transported to Munson Hospital for treatment of their injuries. The Lake Ann woman had two children in her vehicle. Police said Geiger suffered fatal injuries, while the 5-year-old girl was listed in serious condition. Both children were seated in child restraint seats in the rear of the vehicle at the time of the crash. Heavy, wet snow was falling at the time of the crash, and the road surface was wet, police said. It's unknown if the weather conditions contributed to the crash. The incident remains under investigation by the Leelanau County Sheriff's Department. HOLLAND, MI -- A 34-year-old man was killed, and a 21-year-old woman was critically injured, during a single-vehicle crash in Holland Township. The crash occurred sometime before 11:35 p.m. Sunday, April 1, on River Avenue near 1st Street where the road begins to curve. Emergency crews arrived on scene to find two individuals pinned inside a 1996 Honda Civic, which had struck a pole. Police said the driver, William Montano of Holland, was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman, Janelle Ortega, of Holland, was freed from the passenger seat and transported to Holland Hospital, and then to a Spectrum Hospital in Grand Rapids. She remained in critical condition as of Monday morning. Investigators with the Holland Department of Public Safety said the Civic was northbound on River Avenue when it struck a pole on the east side of the road, just north of W 1st Street. The vehicle was "badly damaged," when officers from Holland and the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office arrived. Speed and alcohol are believed to be factors in the crash, police said. The crash remains under investigation. River Avenue was closed at 1st Street for about three hours while the crash was being investigated. It reopened early Monday morning. Police ask anyone with information about the crash to contact Holland Police Sgt. Jon Boeve at 616-355-1737, or by email at policetips@cityofholland.com. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- MLive reporter Garret Ellison has been named Michigan's "journalist of the year" in recognition of his work on environmental issues ranging from a bottled water company's plan to increase its withdrawal of groundwater to the hazards posed by an aging underwater oil pipeline. Ellison was announced as the 2017 Richard Milliman Michigan Journalist of the Year Monday, April 2, in a press release from the Michigan Press Association Foundation, which underwrites the annual award. Dave Clark, one of the judges and director of student publications at Central Michigan University, called Ellison's work "brilliant, important reporting." "Garret's work symbolizes the importance of watchdog journalism," Clark said in a statement. "These stories highlight the work reporters can contribute to the public good when they go beyond standard municipal/government coverage." Ellison is the fourth winner of the competition since its inception in 2014. He will receive a $1,000 prize. "We are proud of Garret for this well-deserved honor," said Mickey Ciokajlo, MLive regional news manager who nominated Ellison. "His focus on deeply reported public service journalism has kept the people of Michigan well-informed on some of the most important issues in our state." An environmental and Great Lakes reporter for MLive and The Grand Rapids Press, Ellison has been with MLive since 2008. It's not the first time Ellison has been honored for the series of stories he wrote about bottled water giant Nestle's application to pump more ground water from its Michigan wells. Earlier this year, Ellison won a national journalism award recognizing his work on the topic, and was honored at a March 15 dinner at the National Press Club. Michigan Press Association Foundation judges also recognized Ellison's work on stories exploring the hazards posed by the twin 65-year-old oil and gas pipelines passing beneath the Straits of Mackinac. He also distinguished himself in 2017 by breaking the story of groundwater contamination near Grand Rapids caused by Wolverine World Wide's tannery waste. Detroit News reporter Christine MacDonald was named runner-up. MacDonald was recognized for work that exposed unfair evictions of Detroit tenants who withheld rent as a way to get landlords to fix unsafe living conditions. Previous winners of the award include a Detroit News team, Karen Bouffard and Joel Kurth, in 2016; Curt Guyette of the American Civil Liberties Union in 2015 and Jennifer Dixon of the Detroit Free Press for her work in 2014. MLive reporters Ron Fonger and Julie Mack were named runners up last year. Ellison's award will be presented on May 10, during the Michigan Press Association's annual convention in East Lansing. The award is named for Richard Milliman, a founder of the Michigan Press Association Foundation and longtime Michigan journalist and publisher. Milliman, who died in 2016, was a lifelong advocate for community journalism and launched the foundation's annual scholarship awards program for journalism students. Read more of Ellison's work from 2017: WYOMING, MI - A Kent County Medical Examiner's Office autopsy has determined a man shot by Wyoming police was killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. The autopsy also determined that three gunshots from police officers struck the man. The manner of death was listed as suicide by the medical examiner's officer, according to police. The Kent County Sheriff's Office investigated the officer-involved shooting. The shooting happened about 5:40 p.m. Friday, March 30 at Resurrection Cemetery along Clyde Park Avenue SW north of 44th Street. Police said Wyoming officers responded to the cemetery, 4100 Clyde Park Ave. SW, on a report of a suicidal man. When the Wyoming officers made contact with the 52-year-old man, Joel Peloquin from Wayland, he brandished a firearm and two officers fired and shot him three times, police said. He then brought the gun to his head and fired the fatal shot, according to police. Police said the incident was seen by three independent witnesses at the cemetery. Peloquin was transported to the hospital where he later died from his injuries. The Wyoming Department of Public Safety requested the Kent County Sheriff's Office to investigate the incident and it remains under investigation. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The city's SmartZone Local Development Finance Authority has approved a new initiative that would fund a state-of-the-art engineering lab at Grand Rapids' Innovation Central High School. Officials say the lab will enhance the skills of the around 160 students served by the Academy of Modern Engineering annually and help close the talent gap for in-demand, high-technology, skilled jobs. The authority still has to complete a contract with Grand Rapids Public Schools to secure the $384,306 for the three-year project called the "Innovation Central Advanced Technology Educational Initiative. "It really comes down to are we going to allow schools to stagnate or innovate and improve,'' said Gideon Sanders, director of innovative strategies for Grand Rapids schools, about the March approval. "This is the city's authority recognizing that our student population is vital to growth of the SmartZone and Grand Rapids as a whole.'' Sanders said student will be utilizing the same equipment they will see in college and when they gain employment. The plan is to develop a modern engineering lab equipped with cutting edge technology, including 3D printers and other prototyping equipment. The funding will support expanding the existing lab, adding high-tech equipment, technology, and curriculum development. The SmartZone is a 17-year-old city agency created to capture half of the property taxes generated by new high-tech ventures in the zone. "When matched with new CAD software and instruction by qualified teachers and industry experts, students will graduate with the skills to be successful in pursuing an engineering degree and fill high-demand job among local employers, many of which are in the SmartZone,'' according to the district proposal. The high school, located at 421 Fountain St., has 706 students and houses four career academies on its campus. In addition to the engineering program, there are academies for Health Science & Technology, Business, Leadership & Entrepreneurship, and Design & Construction. GRPS' proposal is linked to two other organizations that will provide additional growth opportunities for students: West Michigan Center for Art and Technology (WMCAT) and Grand Circus. Students can take advantage of introduction to coding courses through Grand Circus. The SmartZone Authority approved the $166,620 for the company to expand its current outreach and coding training activities aimed at creating a new tech talent pipeline for local companies. The authority still needs to approve the WMCAT proposal. Students looking to further their engineering skills can join the district's FIRST Robotics team, coordinated by WMCAT. The organization also offers additional STEAM - science, technology, engineering, art, and math - programming "I think the impact is going to be huge for our students and really elevate the technology,'' said Principal Mark Frost, who said students have the option of a biomedical engineering track. "Students in this rigorous college prep curriculum are supported by our university partners and regional businesses.'' Frost said the plan is to kick of the new initiative the 2018-19 school year. "There have been significant successes in terms of helping set the stage for growth in the life sciences and technology sectors,'' said Jerry Kooiman, a member of the SmartZone Local Development Finance Authority, about the impact the authority has had over the years. Kooiman said the SmartZone played a role in assisting in the infrastructure to help growth in the region's health care efforts. He said the investment in the high school initiative supports another growth area that can help meet engineering, tech and health demands. According to Talent 2025, the demand for engineering talent in West Michigan is outpacing supply by a ratio of 2 to 1. There are multiple companies and universities involved in the initiative, including, Steelcase, the Van Andel Insititue, Fishbeck Thompson Carr & Huber, and Grand Valley State and Ferris State universities. HERSEY, MI -- A state senator asked the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to look beyond protesters to issue permits for a proposed potash plant in central Michigan, according to an email from a DEQ official. Michigan Potash Co. LLC is waiting on the results of its application for a facility near Evart, that requires DEQ permits. The Colorado-based company's proposal is to extract potash, used as crop fertilizer, through solution mining by pumping water or brine into targeted zones to dissolve and recover the potassium-rich salt commodity. The proposal, which the DEQ said originally included two wells with an assumed capacity to pump 1,000 gallons of water from the ground per minute, as well as mining wells and disposal wells, drew comments of concern from some area residents worried about water and environmental impacts. Jennifer A. Ferrigan, a geologist and permit coordinator at the DEQ, said in emails obtained by MLive and the Grand Rapids Press through a Freedom of Information Act request that Sen. Darwin Booher, R-Evart, called her in May 2017 about the proposed Potash plant. "His concern was also that the DEQ look beyond the protestors, to issue these permits if they are in compliance with the Part 625 mineral wells statute and rules," the email states, in part. "I told him we consider any comments we receive, and evaluate the comments with respect to Part 625 statute and rules." Part 625 refers to the portion of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act on mineral wells and is administered by the DEQ. Booher's 12-county district includes Osceola County, where the potash facility is proposed near Evart in Hersey, which is northeast of Big Rapids. Booher told MLive he believes DEQ should make the decision if the science backs it. "I stated very clearly to DEQ that I believe they should issue permits if they are in compliance with the statute and rules, even though people may object," he said in an email message to MLive. "DEQ has the knowledge and expertise to make the decision and in my lifetime as an elected official, there is hardly ever a decision which everyone agrees. If the science backs the decision and it fits in the guidelines established in the law, the department should move forward." Booher and other lawmakers communicated with the DEQ after constituents contacted them with questions, according to emails MLive obtained through FOIA. "This site is extremely sensitive, being in the middle of a vulnerable network of wetlands, streams, marshes, and lakes, all of which form the watershed to the Muskegon River," one Hersey constituent wrote to Rep. Jason Wentworth, R-Clare, in March 2017, his name redacted from the email copy that the DEQ provided to MLive. The citizen asked the representative to ensure the environment is protected. "This way of life is now endangered by this poorly-planned and unnecessary scheme," he said, mentioning potential impacts to farmers and natural areas. Pumping under permit threshold Despite citizen concerns about the amount of water proposed to be pumped from the ground, the project no longer requires water withdrawal permits as the DEQ indicated earlier in the process, because it falls below the threshold of water volume that would require a permit. The DEQ said in a briefing about the project in April 2017 that the original proposal by Michigan Potash would require permits for wells including water wells, but indicated that could change. "Michigan Potash has registered two separate water wells assuming a capacity of continuous pumping at 1,000 gallons per minute at each well. The DEQ and Michigan Potash are discussing capacity versus actual needed use and potential changes to their registration," the DEQ briefing states. By March 2018, after another lawmaker received a comment from a citizen about the proposed plant's water use and its effect on the environment and the lawmaker asked for an update, DEQ said the rate of proposed water withdrawals was below the threshold that would require a permit. "Theodore Pagano, the owner of Michigan Potash, registered two large quantity withdrawals using the on-line Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool," an email from a DEQ official states. "The combined pumping rates of these two wells, 1,380 gallons per minute, is below the 1,388 gallons per minute (2 million gallons per day) pumping rate that would require a permit," the email from Jim Milne, supervisor of the Great Lakes Shorelands Unit of the DEQ's Water Resources Division states. "Any future increase that brings their total over 2 million gallons per day will require a permit," Milne wrote. The DEQ can only consider whether a proposed withdrawal will adversely impact wetlands when the agency receives a permit application for withdrawals greater than 2 million gallons per day, the DEQ said. If water withdrawal exceeds 2 millions gallons per day, the DEQ's permit review criteria would include a section of the Great Lakes Compact, which includes determining that the water withdrawal would not cause significant individual or cumulative adverse impacts to the quantity or quality of the waters and water dependent natural resources, including Wetlands, Milne said in an email. The DEQ is still considering permits for the rest of the project, including for mining wells and disposal wells at the site. The public comment period ended March 19, and the DEQ will coalesce the comments, author a response and issue a decision on the permits next, DEQ Oil Gas and Mineral Division Permits and Bonding Unit Supervisor Mark Snow said. That should happen within the next few weeks, he said on March 30. The DEQ will review to see if any comments point out that the proposal does not follow Michigan law and rules, and if so, the DEQ would ask the applicant to revise the proposal to be within the rules and laws. "If, at the end of the day what's being proposed meets Michigan law and rule, we issue the permit," he said. The public comment period began when it was posted on the DEQ calendar Feb. 9, Snow said, and information was also published in two area newspapers, drawing about 175 comments. GRASS LAKE TWP., MI - They were lovable dogs, accustomed to children, who had not recently been loose, Carna Ropp said Saturday of her family's two pet huskies. Friday afternoon, a farm worker shot and killed one of the animals, Ralphie, a purebred, and injured the other, Nikko, a mix of husky and shar-pei, when they escaped their enclosure at Ropp's home on Burtch Road in Grass Lake Township. Later Friday, Nikko, taken to two veterinary clinics, had to be euthanized after it became clear his chance of survival was low. His leg was shattered and he lost a lot of blood. The two dogs entered a fenced cow pasture across the street, and the farm owners said they were attacking beef cattle. This is a legal reason to shoot and kill a dog. Ropp and her three children were upset. Her sons were screaming as she went to the neighbor's property, looking for the dogs and discovered Nikko, injured and dragging himself down a hill. Ralphie, with the family about nine years, was already dead. "Every single house here in this neighborhood has dogs. If life happens and mistakenly someone's animal gets out, do you really have to have that in your mind every day that they are not going to come back? That someone is going to shoot it within five minutes?" Ropp said. "Do people not get a chance to go get their dogs?" When approached Saturday, the farmer and his wife, longtime residents, declined to give their names. They said the cows are now skittish, traumatized. The farmer, who could once pet them, cannot get within 75 feet. It is just "unfortunate it happened," said the woman, who was home Friday and saw a dog jump up and bite a cow above the back hock and hang on to the leg while the cow was running. The worker witnessed the other dog do the same, she said. She and the worker, who helps on the small farm, yelled to the dogs, but this was ineffective, said the woman, caring then for three small children. Ropp called the police and the Jackson County Sheriff's Office was investigating. It appeared the dogs were chasing the cattle and that the cows had been scared or startled, Sgt. Lee Rose said. Michigan law allows for any person to kill any dog seen in the "act of pursuing, worrying, or wounding any livestock or poultry." "Any dog that enters any field or enclosure which is owned by or leased by a person producing livestock or poultry, outside of a city, unaccompanied by his owner or his owner's agent, shall constitute a trespass, and the owner shall be liable in damages," the law states. Ropp said she does not care "what the law is." "The law went out the window when that guy didn't use his morals." As she scrolled through pictures on her phone, she said the dogs did not look or act violent. Their tongues hung out. They didn't growl. "They just love attention. They loved to be played with." She is careful with her children around dogs. "But whenever I had kids around here, I didn't worry for one second letting the kids jump the fence and go play with them." Ropp said her sons - ages 7 and 8 - were with the dogs Friday. They were taking them walking, one at a time, on a leash. While switching one dog for the other, both of them slipped out of the large fenced area in front of Ropp's house, which sits at the end of a long driveway off the country road. "It was an accident," Ropp said. The 8-year-old was crying, calling to his mother, who was cleaning her car, and the 7-year-old went running after the dogs. He stopped short of the road, on a hill, and told his mother the dogs, wearing collars, were walking about the pasture, smelling things. When Ropp saw the cows, they did not appear afraid, she wrote in a Facebook post that generated much response, a lot of it sympathetic. Her 7-year-old said he heard two shots, but the farmers said the worker, who borrowed a shotgun, also fired a warning shot. The farmer, who was not there, said a dog then charged the worker. Ropp said the farm assistant told her he fired twice. The farmer's wife said she did not know or recognize the dogs; the owners never met the Ropps. She and her husband are sorry the incident occurred, but say the dogs would not have been shot if it wasn't necessary. "Her dogs weren't innocent," the man said. Ropp said she was soon at the property and questioned the shooter. "Why would you do that? They are loveable dogs. They just got out within five minutes?" Ropp remembers asking. "I'm like, 'No, no.'" She said she could understand if the dogs had been constantly on the property and if the Ropp family had been warned. "Never once has that happened." She recalled only once one of the dogs was loose, years ago. Ropp sees possible alternative solutions. "Maybe, you know, put them somewhere until an owner came. Maybe found a leash and leashed them up on the other side of the fence. How hard would that have been?" The man ruined her children's memories. "When they think of how their dogs passed away or the situation, it is a horrible memory," she said. "It is just ridiculous." The farmers are upset too. "It was not an experience a kid should have," said the woman, a retired teacher who has experience with children losing pets. Ropp said it is sad driving by the pen and not see the dogs "jump and be happy." Her older son, missing the huskies, began crying at a Saturday egg hunt. She talked of Nikko, a sweet dog, crying in pain. "Maybe it will make them think twice next time," Ropp said of the Friday events. "Think about who else it affects, other than the cows." The farmer's wife responded: People with animals have to have them under control, and know they are under control. LANSING, MI - A Lansing man was critically injured in a shootout with police Saturday morning that ended in an abandoned lumberyard. Police were initially called to a report of a man shooting into an apartment at about 10:10 a.m., March 31, in the 1200 block of Mary Avenue, according to a statement from the Lansing Police Department. The man was gone by the time police arrived and there were no injuries reported at the scene, police said. At about 11:02 a.m., a man matching the description of the suspected shooter from earlier was seen by police walking in the area of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Dunlap Street, police said. When the officer approached the man, he pulled out a handgun and started shooting at the officer who returned fire, police said. The man fled in a northeast direction during the firefight. The officer was uninjured and it is unknown if the man was struck at that time, police said. Multiple police agencies swarmed the area in search of the man. At 12:20 p.m., a Michigan State Police Helicopter Unit spotted the man hiding in an abandoned lumberyard in the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard. Using an armored vehicle, members of the Lansing Police Special Tactics and Rescue Team approached the man as he opened fire on them, police said. Two members of the team returned fire, striking the man several times. Once the scene was secure, medical personnel began treating the man, 25, before taking him to a nearby hospital to be treated for critical injuries, police said. The Michigan State Police is investigating the shooting. The three Lansing police officers who discharged their firearms in the incident are on administrative leave, police said. JACKSON, MI - A pair of closed session items were unanimously approved by the Jackson City Council at its Tuesday, March 27 meeting, although the nature of the two topics is unclear. After 24 minutes in closed session, the Jackson City Council returned to open session to "approve item A" and "proceed with item B." While the official agenda stated the closed session was necessary "to discuss a legal opinion and pending litigation," council didn't specify which item was which, when voting. Per the Open Meetings Act, the City Council can go into closed session to discuss a legal opinion - although it must be written and not oral - or pending litigation that would have a detrimental financial effect on the city if discussed in open session. While the OMA isn't completely clear on what must be disclosed from closed sessions, the city can disclose more than what was said Tuesday, said Robin Luce-Herrmann, Michigan Press Association general counsel. "They can come up with something other than 'Proceed with A' and 'Follow B,'" Luce-Herrmann said. Multiple citizens approached council upset about the secrecy of the closed session topics after the meeting, but council members were silent. "The city attorney should be able to clarify that," Mayor Derek Dobies said when asked about the items. "I don't want to divulge anything I'm not supposed to." One of Dobies' priorities when running for mayor in 2017 was to improve transparency at City Hall. City Attorney Bethany Smith said she wasn't authorized to speak on behalf of the city, referring questions to Public Information Officer Will Forgrave - who didn't know specifics about the closed session, referring questions to City Manager Patrick Burtch. "There was a written legal opinion for both items," Burtch said. Burtch couldn't recall on Thursday if either item involved pending litigation. While the OMA doesn't require the city to reveal which case they're discussing, Luce-Herrmann said it's often done for the sake of transparency. "A best practice is to refer to which pending litigation it is," Luce-Herrmann said. "It's a little dicey, because you don't want them to reveal all of their strategy, that might cost the public body and taxpayers more money." The city currently has pending litigation on four cases - one regarding police retirement benefits, one with Summit Township contractor R.W. Mercer Co. and two other cases from individuals. Other municipalities have lost battles in court, after not disclosing in the meeting minutes what the vote after a closed session was for. A 2011 Michigan Court of Appeals decision ruled against Northville Township, because the minutes "do not accurately reflect the decision made at that meeting." Minutes from Jackson's March 27 meeting will be available and voted on by council at its April 10 meeting. "You have to reflect in the minutes what the decision is, and the public's entitled to know what the decision is," Luce-Herrmann said. "They can't make a decision and keep it secret." KALAMAZOO, MI -- A disaster loan center is opening in Kalamazoo County to offer resources to businesses and residents impacted by severe flooding in February. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved Governor Rick Snyder's request for a disaster declaration for the counties of Arenac, Berrien, Ingham and Kalamazoo, and the agency has announced the location of disaster loan offices. In Kalamazoo County, the SBA will open a disaster loan outreach center Tuesday, April 3, at the Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 2900 Lake Street, to provide assistance. The Kalamazoo County office will be open: * Tuesday, April 3, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. * Saturday, April 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. * Tuesday, April 10, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The disaster declaration covers the four above-mentioned counties, as well as the neighboring counties of Allegan, Barry, Bay, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Clinton, Eaton, Gladwin, Iosco, Jackson, Livingston, Ogemaw, Shiawassee, St. Joseph, and Van Buren, according to Gov. Rick Snyder's office. Loans of up to $2 million are available to businesses for the repair or replacement of real estate, inventories, machinery, equipment or other physical losses. Home loans are available up to $200,000 for the repair of replacement of real estate and up to $40,000 to replace personal property. Economic Injury Disaster Loans are also available for alleviating economic injuries caused by the disaster. For more information, community members can contact SBA's Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 1 (800) 659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA's Web site at http://www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800) 877-8339. Applicants may also apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA's secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. THREE RIVERS, MI -- A 41-year-old Three Rivers resident was arrested Saturday after they tampered with an apartment building's natural gas supply and lit a trash can on fire. Officers were called about 5:30 a.m. March 31 to Maplecrest Apartments on a report of a suspicious situation. Officers learned an arson had occurred in building 1006, Three Rivers Police said. Police said the suspect had tampered with the building's telephone and natural gas supply in a utility room. They also lit a large trash can on fire in the hallway and barricaded the building's main entrance closed. Residents were woken up by the building's fire alarm. A female resident exited her apartment to investigate and found heavy smoke in the building in addition to the burning trash can. Police said she carried the trash can outside to prevent any further damage or danger to other residents. Multiple residents were interviewed by police and a suspect was identified. A 41-year-old was lodged without bond at the St. Joseph County Jail for arson of an occupied dwelling. The suspect's identity has not been released. The Three Rivers Fire Department assisted police with verifying the safety of residents and securing the crime scene. EAST TAWAS, MI -- There's no such thing as a village of perches, but if there was, they'd have to fight a Northern Michigan business organization for the name "Perchville." That was the argument that won the Tawas Area Chamber of Commerce a two-year trademark dispute in federal court over an area store producing shirts bearing the name "Perchville," an annual winter festival that dates back to the 1950s, without their consent. The store, AuSable River Trading Post of Au Sable Township, filed an appeal on that ruling Wednesday, March 28. Store owner Art Cruse declined to comment on the lawsuit until after the appeal process. The Tawas Area Chamber of Commerce has held a longstanding federal trademark over the "Perchville" name, excluding a lapse between late 2013 and early 2015, court documents state. It allows chamber businesses to use the name for free but charges non-members $750 a year to do so. AuSable River Trading Post began selling T-shirts bearing the "Perchville" name wholesale to area retailers starting in 2010 without the chamber's consent. Shortly before the 2016 festival, members of the chamber's marketing team, Dovetail Solutions, Inc., went to these retailers and told them the sale of branded "Perchville" shirts was a copyright violation, owners of AuSable River Trading Post alleges in the suit. The store owners then filed the federal lawsuit in April 2016, claiming the "Perchville" trademark is generic, used widespread and often not enforced and that, because of this, the chamber has no legal claim over it. Lawyers for the chamber argued, and U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington later agreed, that "Perchville" is a "fanciful" trademark, meaning it has no meaning outside of the product or service assigned to it, such as Exxon. Examples of generic, unprotectable trademarks are light beer and escalator, Ludington cites in his ruling. "Perchville is . . . a fanciful mark," lawyers for the chamber argued. "It has no meaning independent of the festival. It does not describe anything. There is no such thing as a village of perches. The only purpose of the term Perchville is to operate as a trademark, i.e., to identify a particular festival." Perchville typically falls in late January, early February every year in East Tawas. BAY CITY, MI -- Dave Rupprecht, co-owner of Zwerk and Sons Farms in Vassar, felt the impact Mother Nature had on his sugar beet crop this year. Extreme flooding followed by a period of dry weather cut his crop by as many as 4 tons per acre. "The last two years have been probably below average from what we would normally expect from yield and for sugar percentage," Rupprecht said. "Certainly we're looking for a better year this year." Michigan Sugar's beet slicing campaign ran from August 2017 through February 2018. This past year, 150,662 acres of sugar beets were harvested by Michigan Sugar's, down 7,000 acres from 2016. 3.85 million tons of sugarbeets, or 25.56 tons per acre, were harvested. This was down from 4.88 million tons, or 31.03 tons per acre, in 2016. While the number of beets harvested was down, sugar content pulled from those beets was up, Michigan Sugar officials said. Part of the reason for the crop decline was that growers only planted on 92 percent of their acres this season, down from 96 percent a year ago. Michigan Sugar officials said the decision to cut back on planting was done in an effort to make sure the processing campaign doesn't extend too long into the year and potentially force the company to throw out beets in a pile that go bad. "The decision was made to scale back a bit for the 2017-18 campaign in an effort to hit that sweet spot," said Rob Clark, spokesman for Michigan Sugar. "Of course, you can never predict what Mother Nature will bring and, unfortunately, she impacted our final numbers last year in terms of quantity." But it was the major flooding and a subsequent drought this past summer that had the biggest impact on the campaign. This past June, Gov. Rick Snyder declared a state of emergency for Bay, Gladwin, Midland and Isabella counties. More than six inches of rain pounded Mid-Michigan over a couple of days, causing historic flooding that wiped out roads, drowned fields and destroyed homes. The later months of summer didn't see much rain for several weeks. While sugar beet production was down, sugar content came in at 18.3 percent -- up 15.85 percent from a year ago. "While our tonnage was down this year, it was encouraging to see a rebound in our sugar content," said Jim Ruhlman, Executive Vice President for Michigan Sugar Company. "The increase in quality coupled with a lower shrink allowed us to produce as much salable sugar this year as last year." Clark, with Michigan Sugar, said the lower yield wouldn't have much impact on the price of sugar in grocery stores. Farmers might be getting their seeds in the ground later than normal for this year's season due to unseasonably cold temperatures. Snow is in the forecast this week for most of Northern Michigan, but Mid-Michigan could see an inch or two, according to MLive Chief Meteorologist Mark Torregrossa. "We're going to be a little bit later planting this year on most of our acres," said Rupprecht, who had about 10 percent of his crop planted before Easter. He hopes to get back out into the fields next week to finish planting. He said on average the farm tries to produce 35 tons for the acre and 19 percent sugar. While at work aboard the International Space Station, the Expedition 53 crew made a time-lapse video of the breathtaking city lights at night from the Balearic Sea to Lake Turkana. The video below was made using a sequence of shots from Dec. 6, 2017 on a pass from Spain to Kenya, Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth reports. The website regularly shares mind-blowing images of Earth from the International Space Station. "Major cities are lit up and sunglint shimmers across the bodies of water," the website reports. "The video continues over the Sahara Desert towards East Africa and ends with sunglint highlighting Lake Turkana in Kenya." Shortly before this video was made by crew members, NASA surprised those onboard the ISS with a shipment of pizza ingredients for a movie-pizza night in space. NASA and the crew shared photos and videos from the first-time event. The Expedition 53 crew is researching cosmic ray particles and the benefits of making fiber optic filaments in microgravity. NASA reports that the crew from Expedition 53 returned to Earth a little more than a week removed from the creation of this video. "Together, the Expedition 53 crew members contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, as well as Earth and other physical sciences aboard the orbiting laboratory," the U.S. space agency says of the crew's accomplishments. "Their time aboard marked the first long-term increase in crew size on the U.S. segment of the International Space Station from three to four, allowing NASA to maximize time dedicated to research on the station." The International Space Station's future has been put in jeopardy, as President Donald Trump aims to end its "direct federal government support" by end of 2025. The projected budget for the ISS through 2023 keeps funding of the space station around $1.4 billion each year. NASA reports in Trump's budget request that the space station will focus on long-term manned missions into deep space, develop the low Earth orbit marketplace and "maintain U.S. global leadership of space exploration." NASA is officially eyeing a launch as early as May 5 of this year to send its InSight spacecraft to study the depths and "heart" of the Red Planet. The U.S. space agency held a news conference and reported in a news release that its InSight lander hopes to be the first of its kind to study the deep interior of Mars. NASA says that it hopes the InSight mission -- short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport -- will become the first since the Apollo moon landings will be the first to place a seismometer on the surface of another planet or moon. The Insight Lander is scheduled to launch between May 5 and June 8 from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. NASA says it will land on Mars around Nov. 26 of this year, and its mission will last an estimated 728 days. "In some ways, InSight is like a scientific time machine that will bring back information about the earliest stages of Mars' formation 4.5 billion years ago," NASA JPL's Bruce Banerdt, who has been working for 25 years to make this mission possible, said in the release. Not just skin deep: Ill go where other #Mars missions have never gone before. Ill study the deep interior of the planet to learn, not only about Mars, but about how all rocky planets formed. More about my mission: https://t.co/yggetPJti6 pic.twitter.com/LNtp2gpCFs NASA InSight (@NASAInSight) March 30, 2018 "It will help us learn how rocky bodies form, including Earth, its moon, and even planets in other solar systems." Back in January of this year, NASA reported that the InSight spacecraft passed a series of crucial tests in extended its solar arrays that will keep its electricity running once it lands on Mars' surface later this year. NASA has explained that InSight will look deep below the Red Planet's surface, studying its interior and looking out for "Marsquakes." The lander will release a "self-hammering" probe that will dig deeper into Mars' surface than ever before. The mission has the goal of improving the space agency's understanding of the formation, evolution and history of rocky planets including Earth. An interesting aspect of this mission explained by NASA is the fact that several European partners and space agencies are contributing parts and components to its development. Tom Hoffman, a project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a release that this mission "is a truly international space mission." Last week, the InSight spacecraft underwent a spin test which subjected it to rotation at high speeds to lock in its center of gravity. Until its launch window, the spacecraft will under go more prep work and tests at the Vandenberg Air Force Base. "This next month will be exciting," Banerdt added in the release. "We've got some final work to do, but we're almost ready to go to Mars." MOSCOW -- President Donald Trump has extended an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit The White House, but whether or not a visit will happen or when it could occur is unknown. An aide to Putin said the two leaders spoke on Mar. 20 when Trump called to congratulate Putin on his reelection. During that call, the men discussed meeting in person, according to the Associated Press. Putin aide Yuri Ushakov told Russian news agencies that the invitation to visit The White House was made by Trump personally. However, the two sides have not discussed a timetable for when such a visit could happen. GAYLORD - The National Weather Service is warning motorists that a storm system moving through Michigan could create potentially dangerous travel conditions in some areas on Tuesday. We're looking at a 36-hour window of deteriorating weather conditions - starting tonight in Northern Michigan - with the biggest impact expected there on Tuesday evening. Some locations like Gaylord, Petoskey, Alpena, Rogers City and Cheboygan, could get more than a foot of snow by Wednesday. And this snow is expected to be heavy and wet, causing slippery roads. "Tuesday morning's and afternoon's commutes may be significantly impacted. Travel will likely become very difficult and hazardous," the NWS office in Gaylord said today. Winter storm warnings have been issued for the following counties, beginning Tuesday morning: Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Emmet, Cheboygan, Presque Isle, Charlevoix, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Crawford, Oscoda and Alcona. "Travel will be very difficult to impossible at times, especially during the evening commute on Tuesday," the NWS said. "Wind gusts of 30 to 35 mph, mainly Tuesday night, will result in some areas of blowing snow. Also, there is a possibility for downed power lines causing sporadic power outages." Precipitation will start moving through that area tonight. In areas like Grand Rapids and Mount Pleasant, Tuesday morning could bring freezing rain before the storm switches to just rain for areas there and southward. Thunderstorms are possible east of I-69 Tuesday afternoon, the NWS said. By Tuesday night, all precipitation is expected to change to snow. Areas in Southeast Michigan are expected to see the lightest amounts, less than an inch in most areas. Vous etes confrontes a une infestation par la puce, la punaise de lit ? Voici plusieurs actions qui sont a mettre en uvre pour faire [] In Focus with Allison Walker is a 30-minute public affairs program, featuring a roundtable of newsmakers representing a range of perspectives, including local officials and expert analysts as they tackle topical issues of importance to Floridians. In Focus airs Sundays at 11:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m., right after Political Connections. SpaceX sent a Falcon 9 rocket into space Monday afternoon, carrying cargo and experiments bound for the International Space Station. Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Rocket carrying Dragon capsule to ISS SpaceX didn't attempt to land 1st-stage booster RELATED: Space Coast Launch Schedule The rocket, which took off from Launch Complex 40 at from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, drew large crowds to the Space Coast. Traffic lines were long heading into prime viewing areas along the Space Coast, and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex said it had reached capacity and stopped accepting guests. The rocket is carrying a Dragon spacecraft filled with thousands of pounds of supplies, cargo and experiments as part of a resupply mission to the International Space Station. Science heading to the orbiting outpost includes materials to study thunderstorms, plant studies and bone growth. The Dragon spacecraft will spend about a month attached to the ISS. It will then return to Earth in May with the results of completed experiments. Today's scheduled @SpaceX launch will carry #science to @Space_Station that will study severe thunderstorms from space, glowing cells, new plant growth systems, bone studies and more. Watch a recap of the science briefing to learn more. pic.twitter.com/pqO7eBL7YS ISS Research (@ISS_Research) April 2, 2018 This Falcon 9 first-stage booster flew on NASA's 12th ISS resupply mission last year, and the Dragon capsule first visited the space station on the eighth resupply mission back in 2016. SpaceX didn't attempt to land the first-stage booster, so it was used for the final time on this mission. Watch launch VIDEO: Watch today's #SpaceX #Falcon9 rocket launch again, and get ready for more launches later this month: https://t.co/dxN4yupuIn pic.twitter.com/tPYABVzpCr Spectrum News 13 (@MyNews13) April 2, 2018 Live chat replay SpaceX Falcon 9 launch LIVE CHAT A man has been arrested on lewd and lascivious battery charges after Seminole County investigators say he sexually assaulted a teen girl late last year. Man accused of sexually assaulting girl in cemetery Wendell Benjamin de la Rosa charged with lewd and lascivious battery Deputies: Girl was 15 when assault happened in November 2017 Wendell Benjamin de la Rosa was taken into custody Friday afternoon at a Staples in Casselberry, according to a Sheriff's Office arrest report. Deputies said in the report that de la Rosa and the girl had been communicating through Snapchat in late 2017 when she agreed to meet "Bam Bam" on Nov. 1 at her home. They went for a walk to a nearby cemetery in Winter Park, where she said he sexually assaulted her, the report said. A sexual assault kit was performed the next day and sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for processing. Just before noon this past Wednesday, deputies interviewed de la Rosa over the phone. He denied having sex with her at the cemetery but admitted they had intercourse later at his mother's home, deputies said. In November 2017, the girl was 15 years old and de la Rosa 18, the report said. He faces charges of lewd and lascivious batter with a victim aged 12-16. Bond was set at $15,000. MERIDEN Local youth are combating underage drinking with statistics and stickers placed on bags at a city liquor store. We feel like were actually making a change in the world, said Mitchell McEwen, 18, a senior at Maloney High School and a member of the Meriden Healthy Youth Coalition, which modified the bags. Once I joined I realized how much it can teach myself and the peers around me what alcohol and drugs can do to you, he said. With an uncle who passed away after struggling with alcoholism and family members working through similar issues, he said, the message is already being taken to heart as some around him enter rehabilitation for their addictions. I just want to help the people (so) that its not too late, he said. I think that this program is an amazing thing and if more people came out and joined we could get amazing results. The average American Boy has his 1st drink at age 11. Please dont provide alcohol to teens, read one of the 500 bags the coalition made for Village Liquor, located in a plaza on Scott Street, next to Meetinghouse Village. The notes are part of a campaign by the Meriden Healthy Youth Coalition called sticker shock, aimed at curbing alcohol consumption by teenagers. Harry Patel, owner of the store, said the bags complement the message he gives to customers when he occasionally sees teenagers standing outside his door. It will educate them about the wellness and value of not allowing minors to drink, he said. Were trying to help the community. Theres a positive reception from customers, said Patel, who has collaborated with the coalition since the program began in 2013. Some people see that and say thats good, thats good for the community, he said. He said the statistics on the bags have educated him about the scope of the problem. One of the bags, he said, said nearly a third of high school students reported having at least one drink of alcohol in the past month. The local businesses do want to support us, said Erica Skoutas, a prevention professional with Hartford HealthCare, which partnered with the coalition and Students Against Destructive Decisions for the program. Skoutas said the campaign reinforces messages about underage drinking. It certainly increases education and awareness with the kids. So they certainly understand the importance of not using alcohol, she said. The state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services reports that those who begin drinking before age 15 are six times as likely to misuse alcohol when compared to those who refrain until age 15. The coalition also recently created three public service radio announcements on opioids. dleithyessian@record-journal.com 203-317-2317 Twitter: @leith_yessian State Rep. Catherine Abercrombie this week joined the growing chorus of Democratic lawmakers calling for Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty to resign over her handling of harassment on the part of a senior staffer. I cant speak for the delegation, but I do believe shes lost the trust of her constituents, said Abercrombie, D-Meriden. Abercrombies Meriden-Berlin district is part of the 5th Congressional District represented by Esty. She went on to say it is the responsibility of lawmakers to maintain public trust, and that Estys alleged mishandling of verified harassment and violence claims against her former chief of staff violated that trust. For that reason, she should step down, Abercrombie said, adding there hadnt been any talks with state party leaders about the matter. State Rep. Emil Buddy Altobello, D-Meriden, said he was too focused on budgetary issues involving Hartford and Meriden to get all the details on the events and Estys response. I dont know enough about it, Altobello said. The third Democratic member of the Meriden delegation, Hilda Santiago, did not return a call for comment. Abercrombie joined a growing list of Democrats who are calling for Esty to step down. Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney and Majority Leader Bob Duff, Sens. Cathy Osten, Mae Flexer and Paul Doyle, Reps. Diana Urban, Andrew Fleischmann and Kelly Juleson-Scopino, attorney general hopeful Chris Mattei and Susan Bysiewicz, considering a run for governor, have all said Esty should resign. Esty continued to hold firm Monday, instead requesting an expedited hearing by the House Ethics Committee to review her handling of complaints by a female staffer that former chief of staff Tony Baker harassed, threatened, and assaulted her. Baker remained in the office for three months, and departed as part of deal that included $5,000 severence pay and a letter of recommendation from Esty, who also signed a non-disclosure agreement. The University of Virginias Crystal Ball elections forecast has downgraded Estys hold on the 5th Congressional District seat from a Safe Dem rating to Likely Dem, saying the district is already competitive on paper and that this story is potentially problematic. Some Republicans are considering joining the GOP race to oppose a candidate they view as vulnerable. Mark Greenberg, who ran against Esty in 2014, and Dan Carter, a former state representative from Bethel, both said they are considering joining former Meriden mayor Manny Santos to seek the partys nomination. Greenberg, a Litchfield County businessman who also lost in Republican primaries in 2010 and 2012, said that several people have approached me especially after her inappropriate behavior was revealed on Thursday. Greenberg said he has a good relationship with Santos and both men have supported each other during various races, but he feels he is the stronger candidate to beat Esty or another Democrat in Novermber. Dan Carter, who ran unsuccesfully against U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, in 2016, said he had previsouly considered running against Esty, and last weeks news nudged him to seriously consider it. Its pretty clear shes not able to go forward, Carter said. I dont think she survives this going forward. Obviously this puts the 5th District higher in play this year. New Britain Republican Craig Diangelo is also running in the 5th District. He could not be reached for comment. Santos, a one-term Meriden mayor, announced his candidacy for the fifth-district race last month. He said during a press conference Friday afternoon that Esty should resign. Santos said Esty committed a gross mishandling of abuse within her office. He said she claimed to be a champion of womens rights but did everything possible to hide this terrible abuse perpetrated by her own Chief of Staff. Conrad Black: Another Liberal win a depressing election result This was the most depressingly predictable and redundant federal election within the memory of any living (or dead) Canadian. It was supposed to capitalize upon the governments professedly brilliant COVID record and enable it to restore its parliamentary majority and then take the country on a further lurch to the left. All indications were that this would consist of further collective self abasement and auto-condemnation over Canadas history on native issues, of more exaggerated posturing about climate change and self-important fictions over how much Canada, with its minuscule carbon footprint and generally high ecological standards, can affect the worlds climate. To this end the Trudeau government has unmercifully persecuted Canadas greatest industry (oil and gas) and has made outright separation attractive to a great many Western Canadians. The Trudeau government has been a faddish and superficial regime, unleavened by the slightest spark of vision of what Canada could be or of originality in any public policy field. By Online Desk At least eight persons were killed and many injured in violence today as Dalit protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to vehicles across several states during a nationwide bandh against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, officials said. While six were killed in cross-firing in Madhya Pradesh alone, one each died in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, according to officials there. Curfew was imposed in several places and hundreds were detained. The Army and paramilitary forces were also put on standby in Punjab. The Centre today rushed 1,700 anti-riot police personnel to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab and asked all states to take preventive steps and maintain public order to ensure the safety of lives and property. Bharat Bandh | AS IT HAPPENED: Read full report here HERE ARE UPDATES: Facing pressure from protests, the Central government moved the Supreme Court to seek recall of its judgment that there would be no automatic arrest of an accused following a complaint under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Madhya Pradesh: 16 additional companies of SSB, 4 companies of RAF, 2 companies to STF and 3000 trainee constables to be deployed across the state today. (ANI) Uttarakhand: Section 144 imposed (prohibits assembly of more than 4 people in an area) in Haridwar. (ANI) Hapur: All schools and colleges, except those schools conducting board examinations to remain shut tomorrow in lieu of protests over SC/ST protection act today. (ANI) Ghaziabad: All schools and colleges, except schools conducting board examinations to remain closed tomorrow following protests over SC/ST protection act today. (ANI) Bus carrying doctors and nurses from AIIMS Delhi was attacked by protesters on Delhi-Ghaziabad highway (NH-24) near Ghaziabad's Shivpuri during protests over SC/ST Protection Act, earlier today. pic.twitter.com/PLV2nAysHF ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 The SC/ST/OBC and Minority Joint Action Committee of Odisha supported the Bharat Bandh. However, the strike in the state had a partial impact in some tribal dominated western districts. One person was killed and nearly 75 persons including 40 policemen were injured in violent protests today in Uttar Pradesh so far, cops say. Some police personnel have been injured during #BharatBandh. Situation is under control now, however all districts are still on high alert. We've lathicharged & used water cannon wherever it was needed. No culprit will be spared & strict action will be taken: DIG, Law & Order, UP pic.twitter.com/9lsdUD6nTM ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 2, 2018 The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said it was closely monitoring the situation and was in constant touch with the affected states after violent protests erupted during a nationwide bandh called by Dalit outfits. The Centre today rushed 1,700 anti-riot police personnel to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab, followed by the widespread violence during the Dalit protests. Four people have died, can't confirm number of people injured as yet. Police officials have also got injured. Police is still on field & is trying to restore peace, once that's done we'll file cases & begin inquiry on people who've caused disruption: IG (law &order), Madhya Pradesh. More than 100 passenger and mail train services were today affected as protesters squatted on the tracks during the Bharat Bandh. However, as per officials, most of the routes have been restored. Additional forces were today deployed across Rajasthan in view of the state-wide protests by Dalits against the dilution of the SC/ST act, police said. More than 200 people have been detained and we are getting cases registered against them. All conspirators and hooligans involved in anti-social activities will be booked under NSA. There have been no casualties so far: Manzil Saini, SSP Meerut on protests over SC/ST Act pic.twitter.com/bBV6Bgo5z3 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 2, 2018 Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar today supported the Supreme Court's ruling on the SC/ST Act. BSP Chief Mayawati condemns the violence in Uttar Pradesh, says her party is not involved with the arsons. Strict action should be taken against those who spread violence during the protests: BSP Chief Mayawati #BharatBandh pic.twitter.com/8ygHO7BzU9 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 2, 2018 The India-Pakistan bus service is disrupted in Punjab due to the Bandh. The Lahore-bound bus from Delhi was stranded at Sirhind and the Delhi-bound bus from Lahore got stuck at Amritsar. The Supreme Court today declined an urgent hearing on a plea which sought a stay and review of its recent verdict on SC/ST Act. Normal life was affected today in Bihar following widespread disruptions in rail and road traffic, forced closure of offices and vandalism of property. The state Assembly was also adjourned till lunch break within minutes of commencement of proceedings. Latest visual from UP's Azamgarh. #BharatBandh over SC/ST protection act: Bus vandalized & set ablaze during protest in Azamgarh. pic.twitter.com/smRy8IdG9w ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 2, 2018 19 people injured in clashes at Gwalior so far. Two of them are in critical condition. Internet connection has been blocked in the district till 6:00 am tomorrow. IG Law and Order Makrand Deuskar says that four have died so far in Gwalior and Morena. Shots fired during protests in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior. Patna HC summons Senior SP, seeks explanation on cops' preparation over Bharat Bandh, reports Express correspondent Anand ST Das. Delhi Police is alert. We have adequate police deployment at places & senior officials are also present in the field. All steps will be taken to maintain law & order: Deependra Pathak, Spokesperson, Delhi Police. Newborn dies as ambulance gets stuck in traffic jam caused by protesters in Bihar. Newborn baby dies in #Bihar's #Vaishali district as ambulance gets stuck in traffic jam caused by #BharatBandh supporters. @NewIndianXpress Anand ST Das (@anandstdas_TNIE) April 2, 2018 Protest turns violent in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh. #BharatBandh over SC/ST protection act: Shops being forcibly shut down by protesters in Dehradun. #Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/ocQ8Tm11Km ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 One dead in Madhya Pradesh's Morena, curfew imposed in the area. Girl students of an SC-ST hostel in Ranchi clash with cops after latter enter hostel. Tear gas shells lobbed, reports Express correspondent Anand ST Das. Madhya Pradesh: Curfew imposed in parts of Gwalior & Section 144 (prohibits assembly of more than 4 people in the area) imposed in Sagar. Protesters resort to stone pelting in Bhind, Madhya Pradesh. Visuals of #BharatBandh protest from Morena over the SC/ST Protection Act: Protesters block a railway track. #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/8DAKAHWPSb ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 Protestors stop train, vandalise shops in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Sixty Dalit and tribal students arrested for violence during in Ranchi that left 12 students injured. Protestors get thrashed by police in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut. Scuffle between protestors and Police in Jharkhand's Ranchi. Several people injured. Protest turns violent in Rajasthan's Barmer, cars and property damaged. Protests take a violent turn in Rajasthan. (ANI) Protests take place at Mandi house in Delhi. #BharatBandh over SC/ST protection act: Protest turns violent in Meerut, cars damaged pic.twitter.com/T5a9szGtDI ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 2, 2018 Different groups including CPIML activists protest in Bihar's Arrah and block a train #BharatBandh over SC/ST protection act: Visuals of protest from Rajasthan's Bharatpur pic.twitter.com/m3C8nBqXvW ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: For the first time in over a decade, security forces on Sunday killed as many as 11 militants in a day in three encounters in the Kashmir valley. The operations also left three armymen dead and quite a few security personnel injured. Three civilians, too, were killed, two of them during firing on protestors by security forces while another body was found near an encounter site. READ HERE | J&K tense as Security officials say anti-militancy operations will continue Director General of Police Shesh Paul Vaid told reporters that the security forces began operations based on specific information about the presence of militants at three places in south Kashmir. Operations were launched in Peth Dialgam in Anantnag district on Saturday evening after learning that two local militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen were hiding in a house in the area. A youth throws stones on security personnel during clashes in Srinagar | PTI The Anantnag SSP tried to convince the militants to surrender. He called the families of the two militants and let them speak to the ultras on phone to convince them to give up, the DGP said. But the militants refused to yield and opened fire. In the retaliatory fire, a militant identified as Rouf Khanday was killed while another was captured, he said. Rouf had joined militancy early this year and his picture with an AK-47 rifle had gone viral in the last week of March. Elsewhere in the valley, the police, CRPF and army launched search operations in Dragad and Kachudoora areas of Shopian district in the night after receiving inputs about the presence of militants. Seven militants were killed in the Dragad encounter. Police said the body of civilian Mushtaq Ahmad Thoker was found along with the bodies of militants. The army lost three soldiers in Kachudoora - Sepoy Hetram of Sonigasar Godard in Bikaner; Gunner Nilesh Singh of Nagri, in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh; and Gunner Arvinder Kumar of Sariana in Hoshairpur, Punjab. Killers of Lt Fayyaz liquidated Two of the slain militants were involved in the killing of young army officer Umar Fayyaz in Shopian in May last, according to GoC 15 Corps Lt Gen A K Bhatt. Top security forces officials in Kashmir on Sunday said that anti-militancy operations would continue in the Valley, and again urged local militants to surrender. I will like to make it clear that our operations against militants will not stop, Zulfiqar Hassan, IG, CRPF, said at a joint press conference with Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt, GoC, 15 Corps, and SP Vaid, DGP. Referring to people marching to encounter sites, the IG said some people, under the influence of anti-national elements, went near the encounter sites and tried to disturb the operations. We will tackle the crowd with restraint but wont shy away from taking very strict action, Hassan said. People should stay away from the encounter sites as theres strong likelihood that anybody can get killed or hurt, he warned. Bhatt appealed to Kashmiri youth not to get carried away by Pakistan or its proxies and take to the path of violence. He warned that anybody who took up the gun and resorted to violence would be eliminated. Vaid appealed to local militants to surrender. It is painful for all of us to see the loss of young lives. I appeal to the parents of boys who have taken the wrong path that they should convince their wards to leave the path of violence, he said. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed grief over the death of two civilians and paid tributes to the Army men killed. Separatists call for shutdown Srinagar: Two of the slain militants were involved in the killing of army officer Umar Fayyaz in Shopian last May, according to Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt, GoC, 15 Corps. As the encounters at Dragad and Kanchidora erupted, youth attempted to march towards the encounter sites to help the militants escape. Security personnel fired tear smoke shells, pellets and bullets to disperse them. Over 70 people sustained injuries and two of them died later. The authorities suspended mobile Internet and train services. Separatist leaders called for a shutdown on Sunday and Monday. For Subscribers Six takeaways from Newport County football teams in Week 3 Here are the takeaways after the local teams went 1-3 on Friday night. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 President Mnangagwa is leading a delegation of 10 Cabinet Ministers and about 80 private sector business executives to China as his administration seeks to unlock opportunities and bolster efforts to turnaround the economy. The President and his delegation left for Beijing, China, yesterday to spread the news that Zimbabwe is now open for business. Zimbabwe and China enjoy cordial relations dating back to the days of the liberation struggle. The high-powered engagement has been preceded by Economic Joint Commission meetings between officials from the two countries held in Beijing last Thursday and followed by a meeting of Ministers chaired by Zimbabwes Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Lieutenant-General Sibusiso Moyo (Retired) and his Chinese counterpart, yesterday. In an interview from Beijing yesterday, Lt Gen Moyo said President Mnangagwa was travelling with several business executives from the private sector since they were the anchor of the countrys economy. He described the trip as a milestone that will further reinforce relations between Zimbabwe and China. His Excellency, the President will be accompanied by about 10 Ministers and various officials and the private sector. Remember the thrust is that the Government is there to provide appropriate business environment and the private sector is the foot-soldier and in that regard there are 77 businesspeople to attend several meetings that have been lined up here by Chinese people for them to interact, said Rtd Lt Gen Moyo. He said President Mnangagwas trip to China was significant in many ways. It is very significant because this is the first State visit by His Excellency outside Africa and it is not by coincidence but by design because of the bi-lateral relationship between the two countries. The objective is primarily to deepen relationship between the two nations and above all to concretise and revitalise economic co-operation between the two countries, said Rtd Lt Gen Moyo. He said the visit was at the invitation of Chinese leader, President Xi Jinping and Zimbabwe felt indebted not only to the leadership in Beijing but the people of China for the support that they had shown on Zimbabwe. The visit has also been preceded by a Joint Commission of the two countries on March 29, 2018, attended by officials in Beijing which was followed by a meeting of Ministers which I chaired with my Chinese counterpart, he said. Several deals would be signed aimed at enhancing cooperation between the two countries, said Rtd Lt Gen Moyo. There would be significant concretisation of cooperation in form of several deals which I cannot divulge at the moment, he said. President Mnangagwa is also expected to hold meetings with senior Communist Party of China officials. The Chinese Embassy in Harare indicated last Friday that the engagement would culminate in the announcement of a huge package to advance President Mnangagwas development agenda. President Mnangagwa paid tribute to China which stood with Zimbabwe alongside Russia at the United Nations Security Council as the two countries vetoed a motion by the United States aimed at getting the UN to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe. Some of the projects China is implementing include construction of Parliament of Zimbabwe and a pharmaceutical warehouse, among other projects. The Chinese recently completed the expansion of the Kariba South Power Station, which saw additional 300MW being added to the national grid. Herald President Emmerson Mnangagwa will today meet his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping following his arrival in Beijing yesterday for a five-day State visit. This is President Mnangagwas first State visit outside Africa at the invitation of Mr Xi. Todays meeting will focus on political and economic developments as the two leaders consolidate their countries relationship. President Mnangagwa, who is accompanied by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, several Cabinet ministers and private sector excutives, will also meet officials of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese business community. Government officials accompanying the President include his Special Advisor, Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa, Finance Minister Cde Patrick Chinamasa, Industry and Commerce Minister Cde Mike Bimha, Minister of Transport Cde Joram Gumbo and Tourism and Hospitality Minister Cde Prisca Mupfumira. Information, Communication and Technology Minister Cde Supa Mandiwanzira, secretary for Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Mr George Charamba also form part of the Presidential delegation. Foreign Affairs Minister Cde Sibusiso Moyo, Energy and Power Development Minister Simon Khaya Moyo, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri were part of the advance party that received the President yesterday. He was met at the Beijing Capital International Airport by Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chen Xiaodong, the special envoy who visited Zimbabwe last month to invite the President to the Asian country. Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe Huang Ping was also at the airport to receive the President. A number of economic deals across most sectors of the economy are expected to be clinched as the worlds second largest economy moves to help resuscitate Zimbabwes economy, weighed down by years of Western sanctions. President Mnangagwa said after briefing Sadc heads of State and Government on political and economic developments in Zimbabwe, he would visit Zimbabwes allies abroad. He is scheduled to visit the provinces of Anhui and Zhejiang to meet with the political leadership and the business community from the two provinces. China has stood with Zimbabwe in the face of villification by the West. It was China and Russia that stood in Zimbabwes corner when the United Nations Security Council wanted to place the country on sanctions a few years ago, at the instigation of the United States and Britain. It is against this background of tried and tested friendship dating back to the liberation struggle that President Mnangagwa and Presidend Xi meet today. In an interview with Chinese media on the eve of his trip, President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was grateful to China and its people for their unwavering support over the years. I am going to the Peoples Republic of China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping and I will say thank you not only to the President but to the people of China for standing and supporting Zimbabwe during the hard times when the West imposed sanctions on us, he said. President Mnangagwas mantra that Zimbabwe is open for business is expected to gain currency during the visit. He will engage Chinese investors, indicating the various opportunities available in Zimbabwe. Chinese firm, Sinohydro, recently completed a $535 million expansion of Kariba South Power Station which increased power generation by 300 megawatts, among other deals from the worlds second largest economy. Zimbabwe exports tobacco, chrome, among other things while it imports agricutural and mining equipment, clothing, motor vehicles and other machinery from the Asian giant. Herald BULAWAYO South legislator Edie Cross has mocked former First Lady Grace Mugabe over her recent spate of misfortunes, saying she must not cry foul as she had also grabbed several properties from powerless individuals during her husband former President Robert Mugabes reign. This came amid reports that illegal artisanal miners invaded Graces farm in Mazowe last week where they destroyed citrus fruit and irrigation equipment disrupting farming activities. At the weekend, suspected burglars also reportedly broke into her orphanage and stole some laptops and floor tiles. Cross, in his Easter Friday message to Grace, said: You also claimed that many citrus trees in full production and about 10 years old on average, were being cut down and dug up by your invaders. Now I know that some of your properties were in fact taken illegally from a public company and included mature citrus orchards. I do not think you paid for any of this, so the pumps, pipelines, power installations, roads, packing sheds, farm buildings, homesteads and staff accommodation, tractors and equipment do not in legal terms belong to you at all, so why the anger? Easy come, easy go. Just walk away and go home to any one of your many mansions and live out your life on your husbands ill-gotten gains. Cross accused Grace of causing untold suffering after grabbing farms and property and throwing several families into poverty. Now I was wondering, are you the same Grace Mugabe who was the wife of the President of Zimbabwe when he was allowing thugs of various backgrounds to invade private properties of local investors. How many times did you sit on a public platform in front of the people of Zimbabwe and raise your hand in an angry fist and call for invasions of private property and the forced removal of the legitimate owners? I am sure you appreciated the fact that these investors, unlike you, had nothing outside of their business. I think you knew that many, if not most of these hapless individuals would go on to live in penury; dying from stress-related maladies and being buried by their friends and colleagues because they could not afford the price of a coffin, Cross wrote. The Bulawayo South legislator warned Grace of having her business empire being declared insolvent for not honouring loan obligations on grounds of being the First Lady before advising her to urgently secure her investments under the Companies Act. My personal advice to you is to employ a good accountant and a lawyer and get them to review your investment portfolio. I am sure they will find that your equity in the business is negative and their best advice will be to go into liquidation and seek the protection of the Companies Act because right now, nothing else will protect you from your creditors who are many. You may be able to hang onto the Blue Roof but in your new circumstances you may well discover this also is now a liability and just too expensive to maintain perhaps you can donate the house to the Harare Childrens Home as an extension or to Kidscan as a luxury rehabilitation centre for kids with cancer, Cross said. Newsday President Emmerson Mnangagwa has arrived in Beijing, China for a four day state visit at the invitation of his counterpart, President Xi Xinping. The President was received by the Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Chen Xiaodiong, who was recently in Zimbabwe at the invitation to the President Mnangagwa. The Zimbabwean Ambassador to China, Ambassador Paul Chikava and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Dr Sibusiso Moyo, who travelled ahead to attend the Zimbabwe China Joint Commission held last week, were also at the airport to receive the Zimbabwean leader. Cde Mnangagwas visit will see the signing of a memorandum of understanding for a package that should help the new political dispensation to realise its vision for economic revival. He will also meet officials from the Communist Party of China and business people. Following his courtesy call tours of Southern Africa, President Mnangagwa said he had a duty to meet other friendly and brotherly countries that stood with Zimbabwe even in the hard times. China and Russia stood with Zimbabwe when it was slapped with sanctions and even used their veto power to block the UN Security Council sanctions motion on Zimbabwe. The President is accompanied by the First Lady, Cde Auxillia Mnangagwa, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Enterprise Development Dr Mike Bimha; the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Cde Patrick Chinamasa; the Minister of ICTs and Cyber Security Cde Supa Mandiwanzira, the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Cde Prisca Mupfumira and Information, Media and Broadcasting Permanent Secretary Cde George Charamba, the Special Advisor to the President Cde Chris Mutsvangwa and other senior government officials. THE Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has said the killing of a collared bull elephant by a Russian trophy hunter outside Gonarezhou National Park was legal as there is no law that prohibits the hunting of animals under research. The elephant which was wearing a research tag was shot dead by a Russian trophy hunter on March 7 about 5km outside the Gonarezhou National Park. In an yesterday, ZimParks spokesperson, Mr Tinashe Farawo, said the hunting was above board. That elephant was legally hunted; everything which was done was above board. Yes, it was collared. After the harvesting of the elephant, the collar was returned to the researcher. Its important for people to understand that we dont have a law that protects collared animals from being harvested or hunted, said Mr Farawo. He said the hunters did not see the collar and mistakenly hunted down the elephant. Its also important to note that when people are harvesting or hunting these elephants its difficult to see the collar. By the way it was not harvested in the park. We dont allow hunting in the park. It was hunted in the safari area and its allowed in line with international regulations the CITES and the like, he said. Mr Farawo said various stakeholders have been pushing for a law that protects the iconic animals Some of the issues that stakeholders are pushing that the researcher or the person monitoring the animal must also communicate with the hunters so that at least these animals are protected. There is no law. Stakeholders are saying lets have a law, he said. As it is now, harvesting a collared animal is legal in Zimbabwe. Nothing amiss about what happened in Masvingo. International media reports say while it is not illegal to shoot animals wearing tags, it is considered unethical. It is reported that the hunters claimed not to have noticed the tag until after the animal was dead.The bull elephant had been tagged inside the national park but had wandered outside the unfenced boundary into an area known as the Naivasha Community Conservancy, which has been set aside for hunting by locals. Reports say Martin Pieters, ex-chairman of the Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association, was leading a legal 14-day excursion near Gonarezhou when the killing happened. Pieters and his Russian client, who has not been named, were with his unarmed friend, two trackers, a parks ranger and a local council representative when they picked up the elephants tracks on day six of the expedition.The group began tracking the animal and found it in thick bush, meaning they were not able to see the whole body of the elephant. Pieters, after seeing the elephants large tusks, ordered his client to shoot, the Zimbabwe Professional Hunter and Guides Association says. The bull had been in the area since around February 20. Pieters had not been made aware of this fact, reports say. Asked by Netwerk 24 about the loss of the elephant, Pieters said: It does not matter, the hunt was completely legal. The tag belongs to the Frankfurt Zoological Society which collared elephants in the park in 2009 and again in 2016. It is not clear precisely when this male was collared.The killing of the giant bull follows the killing of Cecil the lion by hunter, Walter Palmer in Zimbabwe in July 2015. The lion was also tagged by researchers. Chronicle A forensic audit of Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef) is underway, Higher Education, Science and Technology Development minister Amon Murwira has told Parliament. At least six top managers have been sent on forced leave to allow the probe being conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, which charged government $180 000 for the audit job. Zimdef earns its money from collecting a one percent training levy from companies operating in Zimbabwe, with the cash bankrolling the development of critical skills for the economy. The probe comes amid allegations that Murwiras predecessor, Jonathan Moyo, pictured, looted the Zimdef, which had a total income of close to $50 million, total reserves of $73 million and cash of $5 million. Murwira told the National Assembly the probe is still underway after being asked by MDC MP Innocent Gonese what government was doing to bring the matter to closure. Gonese had said: We understand that Zimdef was awash with money to the extent that it was used to buy bicycles and other trinkets in Tsholotsho and also to buy fuel for members of the Youth League of Zanu PF. So, can the honourable minister explain to us why there was a departure from that position where Zimdef used to chip in and assist in the payment of students who are on attachment? In his response, Murwira said: I am not competent to comment on the issue of Zimdef money being used for fuel. I want to start on the substantive issue that I can actually answer on. We have provided for this with Zimdef after the forensic audit. We are still doing a forensic audit. It is with the Auditor-General at this moment. Zimbabwes Anti-Corruption Commission (Zaac) has alleged Moyo, who is now in self-imposed exile, and officials in his erstwhile ministry, used money meant for the manpower development to fund personal interests and have to face corruption charges. Chairperson of the Zacc investigations committee Goodson Nguni alleged that Moyo, in cahoots with officials from his ministry, diverted $430 000 from the fund to finance personal activities. But Moyo has said he used the cash to bankroll the Million Man March, a massive parade of thousands of party youths in support of former president Robert Mugabe and festivities to celebrate the ousted despots birthday bash. In an interview with South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)s Foreign Editor Sophie Mokoena, Moyo denied having engaged in graft as minister. What is our own corruption? In my case they say for example that I took $430 000 from Zimdef when they know very well that of all the money in question, which does not even amount to that, about $200 000 went to the ministrys participation in Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZTIF) in 2016 and we won, Moyo said. We became the first ministry to win the top prize since its establishment during the Rhodesia era. The remainder of that money supported approved Zanu PF programmes, the other $100 000 went to support a programme designed to bring together government departments, schools and traditional leaders to support Science education in Tsholotsho, one of the most marginalised districts in the country and victim of Gukurahundi atrocities committed by the same cabal. Not a single cent came to me. Asked if he used the money to dispense patronage, he retorted: When does it become patronage? The fact of the matter is that I was a minister with discretion to decide how to use the funds and there were procedures for using the funds. He also brushed aside allegations by the Emmerson Mnangagwa administration that he looted State coffers. No. In fact, that is laughable; seriously laughable. Firstly, this is coming from the most corrupt politicians and public officials in the history of our country. They cannot account for the assets that they have. The richest individual in Zimbabwe is (Emmerson) Mnangagwa. The one person responsible for setting up Zanu PF companies when he was secretary for finance is (Emmerson) Mnangagwa. There is not a single cent that comes out of those companies that includes a bank and investments in the region in countries like Namibia and South Africa. The person who led the plunder of resources even in foreign countries such as DRC leading to the United Nations investigating him and coming up with a report that is still there is Mnangagwa along with the military cabal of General Chiwenga and SB Moyo, Moyo said. Daily News They Tried to Flee the Kroger Gunman. He Followed Them (Newser) China has made good on its threat to retaliate for President Trump's new tariffs on steel and aluminum. Beijing says it is slapping new tariffs on 128 kinds of American products, including pork, wine, and numerous kinds of fruit, "in order to safeguard China's interests and balance the losses caused by the United States' additional tariffs," reports the Financial Times. The move adds a 25% tariff on top of existing duties to American scrap aluminum and frozen pork, the BBC reports. It also adds a 15% tariff to American wine, nuts, ginseng, apples, oranges, and scores of other food products, affecting goods worth a total of around $3 billion. story continues below China's Ministry of Commerce said it has suspended its World Trade Organization obligations after US moves that "seriously infringed on China's rights and interests," the Telegraph reports. Trump, who accuses Beijing of abusive trade practices and theft of intellectual property, has threatened more tariffs, and analysts fear the trade war could escalate. "There are plenty more American companies to be hit, and other nations, especially those in Europe and Asia, could soon find themselves dragged into this conflict," notes Stephen McDonell at the BBC. Beijing has yet to say how it might respond to the 25% tariffs Trump has proposed on almost $50 billion of Chinese goods in a dispute over technology licensing, the AP reports. (Read more China stories.) (Newser) China's plummeting space station crashed to Earth late Sunday without harming any Earthlings: The country's space agency says the Tiangong-1 burned up on re-entry and the remaining debris fell into the southern Pacific Ocean northwest of Tahiti. The US military's Joint Force Space Component Command confirmed the fate of the 34-foot space station, which was launched in 2011. "It did exactly what it was expected to do; the predictions, at least the past 24 hours' ones, were spot on; and as expected it fell somewhere empty and did no damage," Jonathan McDowell at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics tells CNN. story continues below China told the United Nations in 2017 that the space lab had "ceased functioning." Space experts in other countries said it appeared an uncontrolled re-entry was inevitable, though China denied it had lost control of the spacecraft. "They insist that it is controlled," Heritage Foundation researcher Dean Cheng tells Space.com. "They're very, very unhappy when you use this term 'uncontrolled.'" Some social media users in China posting under the hashtag "Goodbye Tiangong" mocked the space agency's description of its return to Earth, the Guardian reports. "Re-entry? Everyone knows its a crash," wrote one. China launched Tiangong-2, its second space lab, in Sept. 2016. (Read more Tiangong-1 stories.) (Newser) The crash that wiped out a large family traveling along California's Pacific Coast Highway last week may have been murder-suicide, not an accident. NBC News reports that police say they've uncovered disturbing signs that the vehicle carrying married couple Jennifer and Sarah Hart and their six adopted children was driven over a cliff intentionally. Capt. Greg Baarts with the California Highway Patrol said Sunday night that information from the 2003 GMC Yukon's software shows that it was stopped at a gravel pullout around 70 feet from the cliff's edge before it accelerated over the edge and plunged around 100 feet, the AP reports. He said the SUV's speedometer was pinned at 90mph when it went over the cliff. Baarts said no suicide notes were found in a search of the family's home. story continues below The family had driven more than 500 miles south from their Washington state home. Baarts told reporters that the electronic data and the fact that there were no skid marks or other signs that the driver tried to brake has led investigators to believe the crash was deliberate. The bodies of the parents, both age 38, and Markis, 19; Jeremiah, 14; and Abigail, 14, were found at the site where the SUV hit ocean rocks. Still missing are Hannah, 16; Devonte, 15; and Sierra, 12. Authorities believe they weren't wearing seat belts and may have been washed out to sea. Baarts said police could "be looking at a variety of felony crimes" to investigate, but at this point, they "can't tell you definitively what crime was committed," reports the Washington Post. (The Harts were being investigated for alleged child abuse and neglect.) (Newser) A 25-year-old was critically injured in what is believed to be the first shark attack near Hawaii's Big Island in years. Authorities say the man was paddleboarding Saturday morning with his father near the Kukio private community when the shark bumped him off his board. "Apparently they had heard a scream from the ocean and (a private rescue team) took a four-man canoe out to find a male individual who had been bumped off his paddle board about 100-150 yards offshore," Fire Capt. Michael Grace tells KHON 2. "They recovered him from the ocean. He had injuries to his right side extremities." story continues below The man told rescuers that the shark tore into him after making him lose his balance and fall off the board, the Washington Post reports. His father gave the same account of the incident. The injured man was airlifted to North Hawaii Community Hospital before being taken to Queens Medical Center on Oahu, reports Hawaii News Now. Officials say he lost part of his leg and had injuries to his right arm. The beach at Kukio and other nearby beaches were closed after the attack, but reopened Sunday after Hawaiian authorities searched for sharks from the air. (This novice surfer remembered a trick he had heard about when he was attacked by a shark.) (Newser) "Has Facebook become too big to manage, and too dangerous when it fails?" muses Vox co-founder Ezra Klein in introducing an interview released Monday with Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg. And one of the topics in that chat makes Zuckerberg bristle: a recent slam by Apple CEO Tim Cook, described by Business Insider as a longtime "frenemy" of Zuckerberg. "We could make a ton of money if we monetized our customerif our customer was our product. We've elected not to do that," Cook said in an interview with Recode and MSNBC, set to be released this week. Cook added he "wouldn't be in this situation" if he were the head of Facebook, and that the social media giant needs more than "self-regulation" at this point in the wake of recent "controversies over fake news, electoral interference, privacy violations, and a broad backlash to smartphone addiction," per Klein. story continues below Zuckerberg tells Klein that Cook's remarks were "extremely glib" and "not aligned with the truth," per Vox. "I think it's important that we don't all get Stockholm syndrome and let the companies that work hard to charge you more convince you that they actually care more about you," Zuckerberg says. "Because that sounds ridiculous to me." Zuckerberg defends his company's ad-based model, as not all can afford to pay for the service, and says Facebook can have an ad-dependent model and still care for customers. He's not totally out of sync with Cook on regulation, though. "I actually am not sure we shouldn't be regulated," he told CNN last month. "I think the question is more, what is the right regulation rather than 'Yes or no, should it be regulated?'" Klein's interview with Zuckerberg is here, including how Zuckerberg says it will take "a few years" for Facebook to "dig through this hole." (Read more Mark Zuckerberg stories.) (Newser) A 3-year-old has been killed in a drive-by shooting in Georgia. DeKalb County Police Department Chief James Conroy tells WXIA-TV that the child's mother was driving near Atlanta about 11:30pm Sunday when someone shot into the car. A gray Dodge Charger pulled up next to the woman's vehicle and pulled out what the woman thought was a paintball gun, she says. The woman heard a gunshot but didn't think anything of it until she realized her son was unresponsive in the back seat. She pulled over and called police when she realized he had been shot. The child was taken to a hospital where he later died, per the AP. "There is no motive at this time," another police official tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (Read more drive-by shooting stories.) (Newser) Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the former wife of South Africa's Nelson Mandela and an anti-apartheid activist in her own right, has died at age 81, reports the BBC. The two were married nearly 40 years, though Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for about 30 of those years. They divorced in 1996, and the Washington Post notes that she was still referred to as "Mother of the Nation" long after their famous split. "She died after a long illness, for which she had been in and out of hospital since the start of the year," says a family spokesman. story continues below Madikizela-Mandela's own activism against the apartheid regime led to her being imprisoned for months and spending years under house arrest, per the AP. Her political activism was marred by a kidnapping and assault conviction in 1991, for which she was fined. She faced these allegations again during the 1997 hearings before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a panel that investigated apartheid-era crimes. As a parliamentarian after South Africa's first all-race elections, she was convicted of fraud. Still, she was widely venerated in South Africa for her role in fighting white minority rule. (Read more obituary stories.) (Newser) "Affluenza teen" Ethan Couch, now 20 years old, was released Monday after two years behind bars, USA Today reports. Couch gained infamy after driving drunk and killing four people in 2013, when a psychologist testifying for the defense at his trial placed blame on his "affluenza," the idea that the Texas teen's affluent upbringing caused him to be unable to discern right from wrong or take full responsibility for his actions. He was ultimately sentenced to rehab and 10 years of probation, but he was then sentenced to 720 days behind bars after violating that probation. His mother was jailed Wednesday for violating the conditions of her own bond; she'd been released on bond while awaiting trial for allegedly helping her son run off to Mexico in 2015 when he was in danger of violating his probation. story continues below Ethan Couch met with probation officers immediately after his release. "[Couch] will now serve the remaining six years of his period of community supervision under the terms and conditions imposed by the court," his lawyers said in a statement to ABC News. "From the beginning, Ethan has admitted his conduct, accepted responsibility for his actions, and felt true remorse for the terrible consequences of those actions. Now, nearly five years after this horrific event, Ethan does not wish to draw attention to himself and requests privacy so he may focus on successfully completing his community supervision and going forward as a law-abiding citizen." (Read more Ethan Couch stories.) (Newser) Micheal Brown heard back from the first college in December. The Houston 12th-grader was accepted to Stanford, a school he'd imagined attending for years; his mom filmed his joyful reaction. Since then, he's been accepted to every single one of the 20 universities to which he appliedsome of the country's best, from four Ivy League schools to small and "highly selective" schools, per the New York Times. And not only that: The 17-year-old, who plans on majoring in political science, has been offered a full scholarship at each and every one, CNN reports. He's narrowed it down to his top seven (Harvard, Princeton, Northwestern, Yale, Penn, Stanford, Georgetown) and will spend the next month touring schools before making a decision on May 1. "It's something I'm proud of because I see my hard work paying off, determination paying off, sacrifices paying off," he says. story continues below Brown credits his mom, Berthinia Rutledge-Brown. "After she got divorced, she decided she needed to get a better job," he tells the Houston Chronicle, so she got a college degree and now works two jobs as a licensed chemical dependency counselor. "The best lesson she taught me was through her actions and her working hard and dedicating herself." Brown has a 4.68 GPA; is active with Mirabeau B. Lamar High School's debate team and student government; has worked with political campaigns; and has been involved with initiatives that match kids from low-income communities with higher-ed opportunities. In addition to the full rides he's been offered, he's secured $260,000 in additional scholarship money. (Read more uplifting news stories.) (Newser) It has to rank among the less usual undertakings doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital had attempted: In 2009 they removed a molar from a severed Egyptian mummy's head via an endoscope with grasping forceps they inserted through the neck. The tooth was a hopeful clue in a nearly century-old mysteryone that still wouldn't be solved for years to come. The head (see it here ) was discovered in 1915 in Deir el-Bersha, south of Cairo, in a room built for a governor named Djehutynakht and his wife 4,000 years ago. It had been looted by grave robbers, and the identity of the headwas it Djehutynakht's or his wife's?remained unclear. A DNA test could provide the answer, but no mummy of that age had given up usable, reliable DNA, and "the ancient DNA community had largely given up on the testing" of such remains, per a report in the journal Genes story continues below The molar was their best bet, and scientists tried and failed to get it to give up its DNA. Then, in 2016, the tooth made its way to the FBI's Dr. Odile Loreille, a forensic scientist with a long history of working with old and ancient DNA; the New York Times reports she has identified Korean War victims, a 2-year-old who died on the Titanic, and the remains of two children of Russian Tsar Nicholas II. She managed to retrieve a tiny bit of powderjust 0.004 ounces, per LiveSciencefrom the tooth's core, and the ratio of chromosomes it contained proved it was male DNA: Governor Djehutynakht. The Times sums up the significance: "In doing so she had help[ed] establish that ancient Egyptian DNA could be extracted from mummies." (This Egyptian coffin is "dowdy," but the inside is astonishing.) (Newser) President Trump took flak from critics for congratulating Vladimir Putin on his election victory during a phone call last month. As it turns out, the call appears to have been even chummier than thought. A Putin aide said Monday that Trump invited the Russian leader to the White House, though he added that no plans have been set, reports the AP. It had been previously reported that the two leaders discussed meeting in person during the call, but the White House angle adds a controversial new wrinkle given the allegations of Russian meddling in the election and the poisoning of a former spy in Britain. story continues below Trump raised neither issue during the call. White House press chief Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed Monday that the White House was floated as a possible meeting place, though only as one of a "number of potential venues." The story surfaced thanks to comments by Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, reports the Washington Post. I hope that the Americans will not back away from their own proposal to discuss the possibility of holding a summit, Ushakov said, as quoted by news agency RIA Novosti. When our presidents spoke on the phone, it was Trump who proposed holding the first meeting in Washington, in the White House. (Read more Vladimir Putin stories.) (Newser) Jared Fogle's latest odd move after being sent to prison for 15 years on a child porn conviction: He's suing the judges and prosecutors who sent him there, TMZ reports. Fogle, who has teamed up with two other inmates to file the civil suit, wants $57 million from the judges and prosecutors he's suing, claiming he was unjustly charged with conspiracy to receive pictures of minors. (In previous attempts to free himself from prison, Fogle has argued that the conspiracy charge does not apply to his crimes.) story continues below Last week, Fogle also made another attempt to get himself freed, filing paperwork seeking a writ of habeas corpus from the federal court in Denver, Reuters reports. But he listed President Trump as a defendant, and a judge has given him 30 days to revise the paperworkamong other things, he needs to remove Trump and his sentencing judge as defendants. (Read more Jared Fogle stories.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community. Submit here The Alaska Mining Hall of Fame will have to move from its location on First Avenue. News-Miner File Photo The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574. Community Perspective Send Community Perspective submissions by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Submissions must be 500 to 750 words. Columns are welcome on a wide range of issues and should be well-written and well-researched with attribution of sources. Include a full name, email address, daytime telephone number and headshot photograph suitable for publication (email jpg or tiff files at 150 dpi.) You may also schedule a photo to be taken at the News-Miner office. The News-Miner reserves the right to edit submissions or to reject those of poor quality or taste without consulting the writer. Letters to the editor Send letters to the editor by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707), by fax (907-452-7917) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Writers are limited to one letter every two weeks (14 days.) All letters must contain no more than 350 words and include a full name (no abbreviation), daytime and evening phone numbers and physical address. (If no phone, then provide a mailing address or email address.) The Daily News-Miner reserves the right to edit or reject letters without consulting the writer. New Delhi: A 36-year-old Telugu news anchor allegedly committed suicide on Sunday by jumping off the fifth floor of a building in Hyderabads Kukatpally. Police officials said that the deceased identified as V Radhika Reddy took the drastic step due to a family dispute. They said that the woman was under depression because of some dispute with her husband and was living at her parents house. The police recovered a suicide note from her handbag which stated that no one was responsible for her death. She allegedly wrote, Due to depression I am killing myself. Nobody else is the reason. My brain is my enemy. "After her duty, she came to the house and at around 10.40 pm yesterday she went to the top floor of the building and jumped, Kukatpally Police Station Inspector V Prasanna Kumar informed PTI. Prasanna added that she suffered multiple injuries and died on the spot. According to reports, the victim was married 12 years ago and had two children. She was not leaving with her husband because of a family dispute, the police said based on the preliminary investigation. Police ruled out the possibility of foul play behind the accident and said that a case was registered. (With inputs from agencies) New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday sent notices to the Human Resource Development Ministry, the CBSE and the Delhi Police over the leak of question papers of class-X Mathematics and Class-XII Economics examination. The NHRC has also sought a detailed report from the CBSE, the Delhi Police and the HRD Ministry regarding the paper leak of question within four weeks. The rights body in its notice has also observed that such instances would adversely affect the credibility of the institution. An NHRC official told the media that they have sent the notices to Union Ministry of Human Resource Development secretary, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) chairperson and Delhi Police commissioner. The HRD Ministry is also expected to inform the Commission about the steps taken regarding counselling of the aggrieved students, the right body said in a statement. On March 28, the CBSE had announced that around two million students will have to reappear for the examination of the two subjects class 10 mathematics and class 12 economics after reports of their papers being leaked. The HRD Ministry last week had announced that the re-examination of the CBSE Class XII economics paper would be held on April 25. New Delhi: At least nine people died and scores others were injured after the Bharat Bandh protests called by Dalit organisations against the Supreme Courtas ruling on SC/ST Atrocities Act turned violent in several parts of the country. The protesters rampaged through the towns across the country, arsoning, damaging public property, setting police vehicles on fire and pelting stones on security forces. Six people died in Madhya Pradesh while one each killed in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, accpording to reports. Uttar Pradesh DIG Law and Order said that 38 people were injured in the clashes and over 400 protesters were detained. Normal life was affected in Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha due to disruptions in rail and road traffic, forced closure of offices and vandalism of properties during the "Bharat Bandh". The nationwide bandh was called after the Supreme Court on March 20 laid new guidelines that protect public servants from immediate arrest after a complaint is filed against them under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Dalits were demanding the rollback of the top courtas order demanding the Centre to file a review petition. The Centre, however, filed the review petition on Monday even as the protests continued. Here are the highlights: # Schools and colleges to remain shut on Tuesday in Morena and Bhind districts over protests against Supreme Court's SC/ST Act ruling. #A Total 6 people killed in Madhya Pradesh, two in Uttar Pradesh and one in Rajasthan during protests over SC/ST Protection Act.A # The Government of India has advised all states to maintain law and order and we are ready to provide assistance to any state that may require so, tweets Home Minister Rajnath Singh # Madhya Pradesh, UP and Punjab have so far requested for Central Forces. Rapid Action Force (RAF) and CAPFs have been made available. Ministry has asked the states to take all preventive measures and maintain public order and ensure the safety of lives of people and property # Union Ministry of Home Affairs is closely monitoring the situation in the wake of Bharat Bandh protests. The Ministry is in constant touch with the states. Whichever state has asked for Central Forces, they have been made available immediately. # 763 people detained in Jharkhand's Ranchi district and 850 in east Singhbhum district during Bharat Bandh protests # Bharat Bandh protest over SC/ST Protection Act: Protesters gathered at Delhi's Connaught Place #BharatBandh protest over SC/ST Protection Act: Visuals of protesters gathered at Delhi's Connaught Place. pic.twitter.com/FTTPPGmNRp a ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 # Anti-social elements were sent to cause violence during the protests resulting in death of some people and damage to public property, says BSP Chief Mayawati on protests over SC/ST Act Anti-social elements were sent to cause violence during the protests resulting in death of some people and damage to public property: BSP Chief Mayawati on protests over SC/ST Act pic.twitter.com/sGhHjAXYEL a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 2, 2018 # 1 dead,3 seriously injured & around 35 have suffered minor injuries during #BharatBandh. There'll be an inquiry on people spreading rumors on Social Media. Detained 448 people for legal action. Only 10% of state was disrupted, there was peace in 90% of area - DIG, Law and Order, Uttar Pradesh #A One protester killed in Madhya Pradesh's Morena during Bharat Bandh over SC/ST protection act # One killed in Rajasthan's alwar in the wake of violent clash. # Four people have died in protests in Gwalior and Morena - IG Law and Order Makrand DeuskarA #Protest turns violent in Hapur over SC/ST protection actA #Curfew imposed in parts of Gwalior & Section 144 (prohibits assembly of more than 4 people in the area) imposed in Sagar.A # Protest turns violent in Barmer, cars and property damaged. #Protestors turns violent in Meerut, damage carsA A over SC/ST protection act #ProtestersA stopA trainA in Punjab's Patiala amidA Bharat Bandh over SC/ST protection act #BharatBandh over SC/ST protection act: Protesters stop train in Punjab's Patiala pic.twitter.com/JCohWtQaXO a ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 #Protest in Rajasthan's Bharatpur over SC/ST protection act: #A Bharat Bandh over SC/ST protection act: Protesters stop train at Forbesganj Junction #Bandh supporters in Bihar's Aara blocked road and rail traffic to protest against the dilution of SCs/STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.A # Movement of train in Odisha's Sambalpur blocked by protesters against Supreme Court's decision on SC/ST Protection ActA For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear pleas relating to the Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE)'s decision to conduct the re-examination for Class X Mathematics and Class XII Economics papers. A plea was moved to Supreme Court challenging CBSE's decision to re-conduct the examinations followed by the suspicion of alleged question paper leak. The petition said that there is no justification of re-conducting examinations unless there is evidence for widespread and systemic paper leaks. Moreover, CBSE prepares multiple sets of question papers and they are being kept in the exclusive custody of the Controller of Examinations with utmost secrecy. "That being the factual position, there is absolutely no justification whatsoever on the part of the CBSE in deciding to re-conduct the Mathematics examination of Class 10 on the mere likelihood of the exam having been compromise," the petition filed by a student reads. Supreme Court to hear pleas relating to #CBSE re-examination on April 4. #CBSEPaperLeaks ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 Also Read | CBSE Political Science paper was also leaked, claims whistleblower "It is to be noted that this year, 16,38,428 students are appearing for the Class 10 and 11,86,306 students for Class 12 in the CBSE examinations. And therefore, to penalise the student community for an incident which is under investigation and without completion of that investigation/enquiry and issuing a notice on March 28, 2018 (for re-exams), affects the fundamental rights of students which is arbitrary, illegal and unconstitutional," the petition added. The matter was brought before a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra amid growing protests by ferocious students across national capital. Misra said, the matter will be heard on April 4. While the Class XII economics re-exam will be held on 25 April, the date for Class 10 maths re-exam is expected to be announced soon. However, the re-examinations will be held in Delhi and Haryana only, and that too only in July, according to Anil Swarup, secretary in the Union human resource development (HRD) ministrys department of school education and literacy. Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court on Monday also agreed to hear another plea, which seeks that the class X Maths exam be held in April, rather than July as proposed by the authorities. The court issued notice to CBSE, Delhi Police and HRD ministry on the PIL, seeking court monitored probe. Delhi High Court issued notice to CBSE, Delhi Police and HRD ministry on a PIL seeking 10th Maths paper be preferably held earlier and also seeking court monitored probe into #CBSEPaperLeak . Next date of hearing is 16th March ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 Also Read | Google sends reply to Delhi Police on CBSE paper leak The plea was mentioned before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar which agreed to hear it today Apart from that, the petition filed by advocate Ashok Agarwal has sought that liberal marks be awarded to the students in the Maths and Economics re-examination. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The mortal remains of 38 of the 39 Indians killed in Iraq were brought back on Monday by a special aircraft. Minister of State for External Affairs General V K Singh, who left for Iraq on Sunday, accompanied the bodies. The special Indian Air Force aircraft carrying 38 bodies landed in Amritsar at around 2:30 pm.A One body could not be brought back for now as the DNA testing had only provided a 70 per cent match. Of the 39 Indians killed, 27 belonged to Punjab. Four were from Himachal Pradesh, six from Bihar and two from West Bengal.A Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu announced Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the kin of deceased. One member from eachA of the family would be given a government job in Punjab. Apart from that, Rs 20,000 monthly financial compensation would also continue, he said. Suggested Read |A SC/ST Act: Amid violent protests, Modi government files review petition in SC Earlier on Sunday, Iraq handed over the bodies to the Indian authorities in Baghdad. Indian Ambassador Pradeep Rajpurohit said the bodies had been taken to Baghdad International Airport and would be flown back on a military flight. On returning, the MoS will travel to Amritsar and Patna to hand over the mortal remains to the respective families of the victims. Singh saluted the remains at the airport as workers loaded the caskets on the aircraft. He, however, did not declare any action against ISIS that killed the 39 Indians in Mosul but condemned terrorism. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh is set to bring home the mortal remains of 38 of the 39 Indians killed by Islamic State in Iraq on Monday. The mortal remains of the 38 Indians killed by ISIS in Iraq's Mosul were on Sunday handed over to Indian authorities in Baghdad. Indian Ambassador Pradeep Singh Rajpurohit said that the bodies had been taken to Baghdad International Airport and would be flown back on a military flight, arriving in India on Monday. Minister of State for External Affairs Vijay Kumar Singh, who has flown to Iraq, saluted the remains at the airport as workers loaded the caskets on the aircraft. Singh condemned terrorism and expressed his government's stance in fighting it. The bodies were handed over to the Indian authorities in Baghdad on Sunday. Indian Ambassador Pradeep Rajpurohit said the bodies had been taken to Baghdad International Airport and would be flown back on a military flight, arriving in India on April 2. On returning, the MoS will travel to Amritsar and Patna to hand over the mortal remains to the respective families of the victims. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The motion of no-confidence against Narendra Modi government could not be taken up on Monday after AIADMK MPs protested in the Well of the Lok Sabha demanding the formation of Cauvery Management Board. Following the protests, Speaker of the House Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till tomorrow. Earlier in the day, the AIADMK announced that it will not protest in the Well of the House on Monday, paving a way for the no-confidence motion to be taken up by the speaker. The party also said that it also consider supporting the no-confidence motion against the ruling government if it is moved on the Cauvery issue. It has been over two weeks, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the YSR Congress are trying to bring the motion of no-confidence in the Lok Sabha against the Modi government. On Thursday, the main Opposition Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) also joined the league and gave notices for their own no-confidence motions. Bharat Bandh: Protesters block rail services in Bihar, Odisha; Board exams postponed in Punjab Highlights # 12:15 PM: Lok Sabha adjourned till tomorrow after AIADMK MPs protest demanding formation of Cauvery Management Board # 11:20 AM: Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will hear the contempt petition filed by Tamil Nadu Government Cauvery water matter on April 9. # 11:10 AM: Lok Sabha adjourned till 12 pm after AIADMK MPs protest. Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day. Delhi: TDP MPs continue to protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh. #budgetsession pic.twitter.com/l1sbf1OAXL ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 # 11:00 AM: BREAKING| AIADMK MPs continue protest in Parliament premises over the formation of Cauvery Management Board # 10:50 AM: RJD MP JP Yadav and Congress MP Sushmita Dev have given adjournment motion notices in Lok Sabha over # 10:40 AM: Meanwhile, the Congress has given an adjournment motion notice under rule 267 in Rajya Sabha over 'Bank Scam # 10:35 AM: The AIADMK to consider moving motion of no-confidence against BJP, only if Congress supports. # 10:30 AM: Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will need a head-count of at least 50 MPs to initiate the trust vote against Modi government. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday launched a scathing attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying that he had no moral rights to attack the BJP-led Centre government over Dalit issues as his party has done nothing for the community. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief and Dalit leader Paswan made the sharp comments after the Congress president said, Keeping Dalits at the lowest rung of Indian society is in the DNA of the RSS/BJP. "Rahul Gandhi has no moral right to speak on the issues of Dalits. His party only abused him and encouraged others to abuse him," the LGP party chief and Dalit leader said in a press conference. The Congress in its long rule had denied Dalit icon BR Ambedkars portrait space in Parliament central hall. His portrait was only put up only in 1989 when VP Singh was prime minister, Paswan added. The BJP-led NDA would continue with their work to strengthen the Dalit community, Paswan said, adding that the current NDA-ruled Centre government made SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was made more stringent. The current government has celebrated Ambedkars contribution with number of measures, including holding a debate in the parliament. We have also developed the placed associated with him, Paswan added. On March 20, the Supreme Court laid new guidelines that protect public servants from immediate arrest after a complaint is filed against them under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Speaking on the Apex Courts order that caused anger amongst the Dalit community, Paswan said, Political parties should not politicise the matter. The government has filed a review plea in merely 11 days. Paswan also defended Uttar Pradesh governments initiative to include Ramji as a part of BR Ambedkars official name, making it Bhirao Ramji Ambedkar. Ramji was his middle name, drawn from his father's name. There in nothing objectionable in the government's decision, the union minister added. Citing examples, Paswan added that Ram was part of names of many leaders like the President Ram Nath Kovind, Jagjivan Ram". Dalits and Scheduled Tribes across the country on Monday called a nationwide Bandh against the top courts order. The protests turned violent in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh as Dalit groups tried to enforce the shutdown. So far, seven people have died in violence during the Bharat Bandh, including five in Madhya Pradesh, one each in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a scathing attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its parent organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for the plight of Dalits in the country. Rahul said, Keeping Dalits at the lowest rung of Indian society is in the DNA of the RSS/BJP. Whoever dares challenge this position is suppressed with violence. The Congress president also extended his support to the nation-wide Bandh called by the Dalit organisations against a Supreme Court ruling on SC/ST Atrocities Act. Thousands of my Dalit brothers and sisters have come out on the streets to demand protection of their rights from the (Narendra) Modi government. We (Congress and I) salute them, Rahul added. On March 20, the apex court had laid new guidelines that protect public servants from immediate arrest after a complaint is filed against them under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Also Read | SC/ST Act: Amid violent protests, Modi government files review petition in SC Dalits across the country on Monday called a nationwide Bandh against the top courts order. The protests turned violent in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh as Dalit groups tried to enforce the shutdown. So far, four people have died in Madhya Pradeshs Gwalior while several others received injuries, said IG Law and Order Makrand Deuskar. Meanwhile, relenting to the pressure, the central government has filed a review petition in Supreme Court against its ruling. Citing the governments review petition, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed the protesters to maintain peace. We have filed the review petition in Supreme Court. I appeal to all political parties & groups to maintain peace and not incite violence, Singh said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Amid the violent protests by Dalits across the country, Narendra Modi-led NDA government on Monday filed a review petition in Supreme Court, challenging its order banning automatic arrest and registration of cases for alleged harassment of SCs and STs. We have filed the review petition in Supreme Court. I appeal to all political parties & groups to maintain peace and not incite violence, said Home Minister Rajnath Singh. On March 20, the apex court had laid new guidelines that protect public servants from immediate arrest after a complaint is filed against them under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Dalit organisations across the country on Monday called a nationwide Bandh over the top courts order. The protests turned violent in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh as Dalit groups tried to enforce the shutdown. Also Read | Bharat Bandh: Dalit protests turn violent, 1 dead in MP; Section 144 imposed in Sagar Four people died in Madhya Pradesh during the violent clashes. A curfew has been imposed in Gwalior and Morena districts. Protesters in Bhind resorted to stone pelting on security forces and several people were injured. In Rajasthan, protesters blocked trains, vandalised shops and showrooms in state capital Jaipur. Police in Uttar Pradeshs Meerut batoncharged on Dalit protesters in which several people, including women and minors, injured. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Airtel broadband users will now get extra 1000GB of data. The company has announced that they will be extending their Airtel Big Byte offer till October 2018. Earlier, the offer was scheduled to end on March 31, 2018 but the company decided to extend it. The offer of 1000GB bonus data is for selected Airtel broadband plans. It is applicable on two Airtel plans i.e. Rs 1099 and Rs 1299. The company stated that the extra data will get carry forward each month till October 31, 2018. ALSO READ: IPL 2018: Desi Tadka of Mumbai Indians Prices of the plan may differ from region to region. Delhi users will enjoy 1000GB of extra data with 250GB additional data at Rs 1099, with a speed of up to 100Mbps. The offer gives unlimited local and STD calls too. The landline users can enjoy unlimited calls along with WiFi data. The other Airtel plan costs Rs 1299, with unlimited calls and 250GB data with 1000GB of bonus data. The speed racks up to 100Mbps. How to get the Airtel 1000GB bonus data? To get the data, visit the official Airtel page and select the plan of your choice. Submit the details and once the process is complete, the data will be added to the plan after 7 days. New Delhi: Myanmar authorities have attracted dozens of Buddhist Bangladeshi tribal families to cross the border and resettle on land left by Muslim Rohingyas, officials said on Monday. Attracted by offers of free land and food, about 50 families from forest areas on the Bangladesh side have moved to Rakhine state. Families of Marma and Mro tribes residing in Bandarban hill district have left their homes, said local councilor Miung Swi Thwee, according to AFP. Miung added that last month 22 families in Sangu forest reserve had abandoned their villages. The families, mainly Buddhist along with some Christians, were being lured by Myanmar to Rakhine, for free land, citizenship and free food for five years, Swi Thwee said. ALSO READ: Malaysia approves fake news law amid outcry "They are going there to fill up the land vacated by the Rohingya who have left Burma (Myanmar). They are extremely poor," added the local councilor. Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine for camps in mainly Muslim Bangladesh since last August. Two officials in the region confirmed the fleeing, stating up to 55 tribal families had left for Myanmar. "They are being lured by some people in Myanmar in return for free homes, free food for five-seven years. Some families have shifted there after being attracted by these offers," Jahangir Alam, a government district administrator, said a leading press agency. Officials suspect political greed behind the migration. "We think perhaps they (Myanmar) want to make some news using these people, that Buddhists are being tortured and repressed in Bangladesh and that's why they have left the country," said one official on condition of anonymity. ALSO READ: IPL 2018: Curious Case of Royal Challengers Bangalore A Bangladeshi security officer said that Myanmar had resettled thousands of Buddhists in Rakhine by alluring them with free food, homes, cows and cash. Muing Swi Thwee said more than 100 tribal families had left his area for Myanmar in the past three years. A series of development projects, either government and army-sponsored or privately funded, are transforming the area, which the military sees as the frontline of its fight against encroaching Islam. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A railway that runs through Kamakura, a popular tourist spot near Tokyo, has launched a mobile app that provides information in 4 foreign languages. The app, called "Enoshima-KamakuraGuide," is being offered by the Enoden line, which links the historic city with neighboring Fujisawa City. The app provides information on numerous sightseeing spots, such as the temples and shrines of Kamakura, and the island of Enoshima in English, Chinese, French and Spanish. Users can also find places to store their luggage and exchange foreign currencies. The operator says the app was designed to assist the increasing numbers of foreign visitors ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Visitors at a local tourist information center were seen downloading the app. One woman from Guatemala, who got the Spanish version, says it helped her find new places to visit and is very useful. A railway official says the app is compact and full of features, and that the firm hopes it will help welcome many foreign guests. Hiroshima has completely banned smoking in the city's Peace Memorial Park, which is visited by tourists from all over the world. A revised ordinance that completely bans smoking in the park came into force on Sunday. Ashtrays in 4 former smoking areas were covered, and cones were set up around them to make it clear that they are now off-limits. Posters explaining the new rule were also put up. Violators will be fined 1,000 yen, or about 10 dollars. A smoker in his 60s says, it cannot be helped that smoking is being banned in a growing number of public places. He says he just wants to find a place where he can smoke. A man in his 50s who does not smoke says he supports a complete ban on smoking, as people of all ages visit the park, and because there are now more people who do not smoke. The municipal subway system in the western Japan city of Osaka was privatized on Sunday, with the new operator, Osaka Metro Co., coming into being. The move marked the first privatization of a public subway system in the country. Hideaki Kawai, 63, a former executive of electronics giant Panasonic Corp. <6752>, assumed the post of president of Osaka Metro, which took over the subway operations from the Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau. At Umeda Station on Osaka Metro's Midosuji Line, a monument bearing the new subway operator's logo was unveiled in the morning. At a ceremony held in the city later in the day, Kawai said, "We'll work to offer subway services with supreme safety." Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura said, "I want Osaka Metro to grow to become the top private railway company" in the Kansai western Japan region, including Osaka Prefecture. Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested a male employee at a welfare organization for allegedly molesting a middle school girl on a train in Chigasaki City, reports TBS News At just past 5:00 p.m. on March 29, Takanori Mori, a resident of Kamakura City, allegedly fondled the buttocks of the girl, 15, inside a carriage of the JR Tokaido Line as it traveled between Tsujido and Chigasaki stations. Another male passenger, 38, who witnessed the incident, apprehended Mori inside the carriage. Mori, who has been accused of violating a prefectural public nuisance ordinance, denies the allegations, telling police he does anot recalla the matter. According to police, the welfare organization employing the suspect is located in Tokyoas Minato Ward. A team of Japanese research institutes wants to hunt down the stem cells of human cancers by employing an ultra-precise observation sensor technology used in the Hitomi astronomy satellite. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the University of Tokyoas Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (IPMU) will produce a prototype detector by 2020 and test it on mice. Researchers think the stem cells of cancers are strong enough to survive the surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments used to eliminate cancer cells and later proliferate, causing cancer to re-emerge and metastasize. To fully eliminate cancer, it is necessary to precisely grasp where its stem cells exist in the human body and their amounts. Japanas whaling fleet returned on Saturday after catching more than 300 of the mammals in the Antarctic Ocean without interference from anti-whaling protests, officials said. The fleet of five whalers set sail for the Southern Ocean in November in line with Tokyoas continued pursuit of aresearch whalinga in defiance of global criticism. Three of the vessels, including the mother ship, the Nisshin Maru, arrived at the port of Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture in the morning, a port official said. The fleet caught 333 minke whales as planned without interference from anti-whaling campaigners, the Fisheries Agency said in a statement. The whalers have been clashing with animal rights activists, particularly the aggressive Sea Shepherd, at sea for the past several years. But last year, Sea Shepherd announced it did not plan to carry out the maritime protests this season. WILLIAMSON, N.Y. -- New York State Police said Joshua Lagoy, 41, of Webster, died Sunday night when the vehicle he was driving left the roadway and rolled several times in Wayne County. The accident occurred at about 9:25 p.m. in the town of Williamson, state police said. The vehicle came to a final rest in the south side ditch of Pearsall Road. Lagoy was ejected from the vehicle and located nearby, state police said. The area around the vehicle was searched for additional people and it was determined that he was alone. State police said the investigation is continuing. At the invitation of Xi Jinping, DPRK leader Kim Jong-un paid an unofficial visit to China from March 25 to 28. During the visit, Xi held talks with Kim at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua] Last week's meeting between President Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, indicates China is playing an essential role in the settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, according to several US analysts. Kim paid an unofficial visit to China from March 25 to Wednesday, during which he met with Xi in Beijing. "China's role is essential," said Jon Taylor, professor of political science at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. The visit to Beijing and the Xi-Kim meeting has "reinforced China's role as a central actor in managing security issues in Northeast Asia in general and the Korean Peninsula in particular", he said. During their Beijing meeting, Xi said China will continue to play a constructive role on the issue and work with all parties, including the DPRK, toward a thaw of the situation on the peninsula. Kim said it is his country's "consistent stand to be committed to denuclearization on the peninsula" and the DPRK is willing to have a dialogue with the United States and hold a summit between the two countries. The Xi-Kim meeting is expected to be followed by a flurry of other talks, such as the late-April summit between Kim and President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea. These are "quite relevant" to the summit between US President Donald Trump and Kim in May, according to Taylor, who writes about China. "The willingness of the principal parties to engage in diplomacy and dialogue on the Korean Peninsula issue is a hopeful sign," Taylor told China Daily. "If the Moon-Kim summit goes as well as the Xi-Kim summit, the greater the likelihood that Trump and Kim will be able to ratchet down nuclear tensions and begin to address the challenge of developing a meaningful path to peace." Yun Sun, co-director of the East Asia Program at the Stimson Center, a think tank in Washington, said, "The significance (of the Xi-Kim meeting) is that China shows the world that China is indispensable in the process and cannot be excluded." Sun said China has cooperated with Trump on sanctions and placing the maximum pressure on Kim, which has brought Pyongyang back to the negotiation table. "Looking into the future, for any deal with North Korea to sustain, China will have to be included and most likely as a guarantor," she said in an email. The more "consensus and amity" Pyongyang and Seoul can build, between themselves and toward denuclearization, the more foundation it will pave for the engagement between Trump and Kim, she said. The Beijing meeting showed that whatever may come of the upcoming inter-Korean and North Korea-US summits, China will not be a peripheral, Ankit Panda, a senior editor with The Diplomat who covers Asia-Pacific security and the DPRK's ballistic-missile and nuclear-weapons programs, said in a Wednesday post. "As this trip represents Kim's first known sojourn outside of the country to meet a foreign head of state, it suggests that the North Korean leader may not be averse to traveling outside of the country (perhaps even overseas) for a summit with the US president," said Victor Cha, Senior Adviser and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in a commentary co-authored with Sue Mi Terry, a senior fellow at the CSIS. Ke Yian in Washington contributed to this story. The Federal Government is scrutinizing the reports that data mining firm, Cambridge Analytica, had access to materials taken from (then... The Federal Government is scrutinizing the reports that data mining firm, Cambridge Analytica, had access to materials taken from (then opposition candidate) Muhammadu Buharis personal e-mail.The email was hacked into in a bid to influence the 2015 elections for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).The firm is presently under probe in Europe and the United States (U.S.) for hacking into more than 50 million Facebook users data to sway elections in many countries.A report which emerged during the ongoing probe states that an Israeli firm gave the materials on President Buhari to Cambridge Analytical.Cambridge Analytical was hired for two million pounds by former President Goodluck Jonathan to orchestrate a ferocious campaign against Buhari.According to reports, SCL Elections, a public relations firm, manipulated Nigerias 2007 by organising campaigns to weaken the chances of opposition parties.As part of its engagement, the company organised anti-election rallies to demoralise opposition supporters from voting in the elections, which saw the emergence of Umar YarAdua as Nigerias president.The Cambridge Analytica team came up with a video to portray Candidate Buhari as a leader who would enforce Sharia Law in Nigeria. It was intended to sway the minds of millions of Nigerians and vote for the PDP candidate.A Presidency source said the Federal Government had set up an in-house committee to investigate whether Cambridge Analyticas work in the 2007 and 2015 general elections campaigns broke any Nigerian law or infringed on the rights of other political parties and their candidates.It was learnt that the outcome of the investigation might lead to the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami appointing a special investigator and possibly criminal prosecutions.A whistleblower, Christopher Wylie who worked with a Cambridge University academic to obtain the data, told the Observer, a United Kingdom (UK) newspaper that : We exploited Facebook to harvest millions of peoples profiles. And built models to exploit what we knew about them and target their inner demons. That was the basis the entire company was built on.Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said he had not been briefed on the issue but insisted that Nigerians deserved answers from the PDP administration, the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica on why they improperly obtained and used data to interfere in Nigerian elections.He said an investigation, if instituted, should help to determine if there was a linkage between the various killings and maiming that characterised Nigerias elections since 2007.He said it would also help Buhari to achieve his wish to leave a legacy of improved elections.Also, Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN) urged the National Assembly to enact a data protection law.The experts stated that the law would prevent unauthorised organisations and external forces from accessing private information of Nigerians, adding that it would contribute to national cybersecurity.CSEAN President Remi Afon, in statement yesterday from the United Kingdom, urged the lawmakers to probe Facebook Chief Executive, Mark Zuckerberg for his involvement in the scandal and three other organisations.But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the Federal Government was chasing shadows with the planned probe.PDP National Publicity Secretary Kola Ologbondiyan said while it welcomes an open investigation into the Cambridge Analytica saga, it demanded that such inquest be extended to cover the sources of the looted funds used to prosecute Buharis campaign in 2015. The National Christian Elders Forum has condemned the continued captivity of a female student of the Government and Science Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, Leah Sharibu, on account of her Christian faith by the Boko Haram sect.Also, the Arewa Christians and Pastors Association has described Leah as an Ambassador of Jesus Christ in Nigeria and beyond.The elders in a statement by their chairman, Solomon Asemota (SAN), obtained by THE PUNCH on Sunday, also threatened to mobilise Nigerians to embark on civil disobedience if President Muhammadu Buhari failed to put in place corrective measures that would stabilise the country and stop the murder of citizens by Islamist insurgents and Fulani herdsmen.Apart from Asemota, other members of NCEF include Gen. T. Y. Danjuma, Prof. Joseph Otubu, Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro, Archbishop Magnus Atilade, Dr. Kate Okpareke, Dr. Ayo Abifarin, Gen. Zamani Lekwot, Elder Moses Ihonde, Elder Nat Okoro and Elder Matthew Owojaiye.They said, Nowhere is the unconscionable intolerance and narrow- mindedness of Sharia proponents manifested as in the abduction of innocent children on account of their faith. While the nation is still nursing the wounds of the abduction of the Chibok girls, the Islamists abducted another set of schoolgirls in Dapchi and released over 100 of them who professed Islam as their religion and retained in captivity Leah Sharibu on account of her Christian faith.The 15-year-old, Leah Sharibu, the only girl among the Dapchi girls still in custody of the Islamist terrorists due to her retaining her Christian faith represents Nigerias very own Rosa Park. She is still in detention for proclaiming Christ and she is telling Christians that it is hard to be a follower of Christ; that she should not be alone; that she is suffering like Christ to remind all Christians that Christ suffered for one Church of Christ, so that humanity can have life more abundantly and that Christians in Nigeria should be one in the Spirit of Christ.In the circumstance, every Nigerian has a moral duty to pray and press for her release from the promoters of Jihad and intolerance. We insist that there is a moral burden on President Buhari to ensure that Leah Sharibu is delivered from her abductors alive and well.The continued abduction of Leah Sharibu, on account of her Christian faith, after all the other girls have been released because they are Muslims, further underscores the grave danger that Sharia ideology poses to the Nigerian state.The President of ACIPA, Revd. Luke Shehu, during a visit to Leahs parents in Dapchi on Saturday to assure them of the groups support said, Leah Sharibu is an ambassador of Jesus Christ in Nigeria and beyond. The Holy Spirit in her will expose the evil of insecurity in Nigeria. Through Leah, the Holy Spirit will accomplish what He started in her for Yobe, the North-East and beyond.Our message and prayers on behalf of the Board of Trustees, grand patrons, patrons and members of the ACIPA is encouragement and comfort from the Holy Spirit who gave Leah the courage not to renounce Christ for freedom from the terrorists. Her courage is a mark and testimony of Christian background and training from both parents, he said.Shehu, who led the ECWA Church delegation to the family house in Dapchi, in an interview with newsmen said, Leahs mother from Biu in Borno State, received us on behalf of her husband (from Adamawa State). The Sharibu family members were thankful to the ACIPA and all Christians as well as other Nigerians who share in their travails and pains. She also pleaded for the release of Leah her daughter.However, the elders noted that since Nigeria belongs to all citizens, it would be the highest act of treachery, betrayal and treason for elected officials to use the instrument of government to promote sectional interests at the cost of the lives of other citizens.The organisation also demanded the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission as the basis of providing healing, reconciliation and forgiveness in Nigeria.The NCEF, while commending Danjuma for his self-defence call, said the public statement is finally putting a seal on the long-known conspiracy between the Islamists in the current Federal Administration and Islamist insurgents in the country.The NCEF said it had stated repeatedly that it was not possible for three ethnic nationalities (Fulani, Hausa and Kanuri) to imagine that they could impose their religion, culture and political leadership on the remaining 386 ethnic nationalities in the same country. Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Sunday assured Nigerians that the country is already moving out of its challenges under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.Osinbajo gave the assurance in an interview with State House correspondents after joining Christians for a service marking this years Easter at the Aso Villa Chapel, Abuja.He said Nigeria was already on the path to prosperity and abundance.The Vice-President said, The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a strong and powerful message to the nation.The message is that our nation is on the path of resurrection; it is on the path of progress; it is on the path of elevation.We are moving out from all our challenges and we are going to a place of greater hope, peace and prosperity and abundance for all of us.Earlier, the Chaplain, Pastor Seyi Malomo, had in his sermon said Nigeria would rise again.In the sermon titled, The temporary hour of darkness, the clergyman said the resurrection of Jesus Christ signified that darkness could only reign for a while.He said, Darkness can only reign for a while. No natter the evil, the problem we are facing, just as Jesus only laid in the grave for three days, all these will be over.As long as Jesus rose from the dead, we are going to rise again.He called on all Nigerians to emulate the life of Jesus Christ who sacrificed His life for the salvation of mankind.In terms of sacrifice, we have to emulate the life of Jesus Christ. He sacrificed for mankind. And we are liberated and we are celebrating because He paid the sacrifice.We are all called to perform our role in giving that sacrifice that will bring about the liberation and the greatness of our nation, he added.Also, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on Sunday assured Nigerians that they would soon overcome whatever challenges confronting them.Akeredolu gave the assurance during the 2018 Easter Service at the Chapel of Grace, Government House in Akure, Ondo State.The governor, who advised the Christian community to have hope that Nigeria would be great again, urged them to rededicate themselves to the service of their fatherland.He described Easter as a period of sober reflection on the significance of the death of Jesus Christ and his great sacrifice to give humanity the hope of eternal life.Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, has blamed most of the nations challenges on poor parenting, which he claimed, was a reflection of our leadership.Bishop Kukah stated this, in his sermon at the St. Thomas Aquinas Chaplaincy, Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, at the celebration of the resurrection of Christ.Bishop Kukah who likened the plight of Leah Sharibu, in the enclave of Boko Haram to biblical Daniels in the lions den, praised the courage of the girl, attributing it to good parentage.He said, Leahs insistence not to denounce Christianity is a message to parents, asking what are you teaching your children, because what she has done spoke volume about the quality of her parenting.In a situation where the constitution allows freedom of religion, why should anyone tell the young girl, you must become a Muslim to regain her freedom?This is just one reference point that Christianity is suffering a lot of persecution, particularly in northern Nigeria. Many Christians in the North cannot get employment, appointment or promotion to a particular cadre in their place of work, despite the provision of our constitution. A family member of Martin Luther King, Isaac has cleared the air on controversies surrounding the award given to President Muhammadu Buhari.... A family member of Martin Luther King, Isaac has cleared the air on controversies surrounding the award given to President Muhammadu Buhari. Speaking to TVC, Isaac Luther King said his familys visit to Nigeria was humanitarian refuting reports that they were paid to embark on the move. He expressed disappointment in Nigerians for the criticisms trailing his familys visit to Buhari. According to him, he came to establish a bond with Nigeria based on his familys love for the country. He told the TV station, I am the nephew of Martin Luther King Jnr, I served for a period of five years as president of Kings centre. You cannot buy me or anyone else in my family So the fake news, slander on my good character is a lie. Anything that I have done or said about your president came from my heart or brain not based on any compensation, money or in exchange for anything. We dont deal like that, we dont do things based on money, we do based on principles. None of three branches of Martin Luther Kings family are bribe-able or buy-able. We dont do things for money, Im insulted, anyone in Nigeria should be ashamed for slandering our good name. We came here to honour your country, your people and to establish a new bond between Americans and Africans. The Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday alleged that there were plans by the Federal Government and the ruling All Progressives Congress to clamp down on the opposition.It said that the plot would also affect the media and civil society organisations.The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, who stated this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, alleged that the first leg of the scheme was to commence a vicious intimidation and harassment of the PDP members who have refused to succumb to pressure to join the APC in their undemocratic quest to create room for a one party state in Nigeria.He added, The PDPs attention has been brought to alleged clandestine plots by certain agents of the Federal Government and the All Progressives Congress to clamp down on key members of the opposition parties ahead of the 2019 general elections.Part of this heinous plot is also to arrest members of the civil society, opinion leaders, the media and professional groups who refused to buy into the fabrications, lies, deceptions and propaganda of the APC and the Federal Government.The PDP is reliably informed that the plot against the opposition will be hinged on trumped- up charges of corruption, allegations of plotting to disrupt the processes leading to the 2019 general elections as well as alleged politicisation of security issues in the country.The first leg of this scheme is to commence vicious intimidation and harassment of the PDP members who have refused to succumb to pressure to join the APC in its undemocratic quest to create room for a one party state in Nigeria.Ologbondiyan alleged that this would be followed by arrests, detention as well as jailing of members of the opposition and others perceived to be opposed to the interests of the APC ahead of the elections.In response, the APC dismissed the statement by the opposition PDP as an evidence of paranoia.The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, in a reply to a text message on the subject said, The PDP is getting paranoid. And this is quite understandable. Behavioural psychologists will tell you that paranoia is a possible symptom of a guilty conscience. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the President Muhammadu Buhari administration of plotting to intimidate, harass and arrest ... The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the President Muhammadu Buhari administration of plotting to intimidate, harass and arrest its members ahead of the 2019 elections. The party said this in reaction to list of alleged looters released by the federal government over the weekend. PDP in a series of tweets on Sunday said the APC government was plotting to turn Nigeria into a one-party state. It read: The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party has been drawn to clandestine plots by certain agents of the federal government and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to clamp down on key members of the opposition parties ahead of the 2019 general election. Part of this heinous plot is also to arrest members of the civil society, opinion leaders, the media and profes groups who refused to buy into the fabrications, lies, deceptions and propaganda of the @APCNigeria and Federal Government. @MBuhari Thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peters Square yesterday for an Easter mass led by Pope Francis, who on the previous night, baptise... Thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peters Square yesterday for an Easter mass led by Pope Francis, who on the previous night, baptised eight people, including a man known in Italy as the migrant hero, Nigerian John Francesco Ogah.Ogah, 31, was praised after he intercepted another man attempting to rob a supermarket in Romes Centocelle neighbourhood on September 26, 2017.According to Italian news reports, Ogah had been begging for spare change outside the Carrefour market when a masked thief, armed with a meat cleaver, tried to make off with 400 euros ($636 Cdn) he had stolen from the cashiers.Security cameras captured his courageous next steps: With nothing more than his bare hands, Ogah confronted the thief, wrested the cleaver away and held him by the collar until police arrived, after the man fell from his attempted getaway motorcycle.Ogah, who did not have permission to stay in Italy, then left the scene, fearing it would be discovered he did not have documents, according to La Repubblica newspaper.Police using footage from the surveillance cameras tracked him down and rewarded him by helping him get legal permission to stay in the country.The police captain, who worked in the neighbourhood, stood at Ogahs side as his godfather during Saturday nights baptism.The faithful attending Sundays service underwent heavy security checks to enter St. Peters Square.Pope Francis opened the festivities with a Tweet to his global flock: Our faith is born on Easter morning: Jesus is alive!He then delivered his Urbi et Orbi message (to the city and the world) message from the central balcony of St. Peters Basilica.Francis called for peace in a world marked by war and conflict, beginning with the beloved and long-suffering land of Syria, and extending to the entire Middle East, the Korean peninsula and parts of Africa affected by hunger, endemic conflicts and terrorism.The Pope reflected on the power of Christianitys core belief that Jesus rose from the dead following crucifixion.The pontiff said the message of the resurrection offers hope in a world marked by so many acts of injustice and violence.It bears fruits of hope and dignity where there are deprivation and exclusion, hunger and unemployment; where there are migrants and refugees, so often rejected by todays culture of waste, and victims of the drug trade, human trafficking and contemporary forms of slavery, the Pope said.He called for a swift end to carnage in Syria, demanding that aid be delivered to the needy there and calling for fitting conditions for the returned and the displaced.The Pope also urged reconciliation in Israel and hoped that mutual respect would prevail over divisions in Yemen and the entire Middle East. Three Gaofen-1 imaging satellites are launched off on the back of a Long March 4C rocket at 11:22 am March 31, 2018, from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province. [Photo/Xinhua] TAIYUAN -- China on Saturday launched three Gaofen-1 imaging satellites as part of the country's high-definition earth observation project. The satellites was launched off on the back of a Long March 4C rocket at 11:22 am Beijing time from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi province. It was the 270th flight mission by a Long March carrier rocket. As high resolution imaging satellites that are accurate to two meters in distance, they will be used for fields including disaster warning, ecological protection, infrastructure construction, transportation and emergency response. The satellites, designed by China Spacesat, have a lifespan of six years. They will work together with another previously launched Gaofen-1 satellite. Since the inception of the Gaofen project in 2013, China has had an increasingly clearer view of the planet. Three Gaofen-1 imaging satellites are launched off on the back of a Long March 4C rocket at 11:22 am March 31, 2018, from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province. [Photo/Xinhua] JERSEY CITY The 30-year-old woman accused of stalking Mayor Steve Fulop, who once honored her as a Jersey City "woman of action," will remain behind bars until at least Thursday. Stephanie Espana, of Jersey City, was arrested Sunday night after authorities say she was found inside Fulop's Ogden Avenue home at about 7 p.m. Espana made her first court appearance Monday afternoon, with the assistant prosecutor handling the case saying she wants to have Espana evaluated by a mental health professional. Espana, who appeared via video link from the Hudson County jail in Kearny, did not say much during the brief hearing, except to express confusion about the charges facing her. "What don't you understand?" Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul M. DePascale asked her. "Whatever is going on," Espana said. Prosecutors are seeking to detain Espana pending trial. A detention hearing is scheduled for Thursday. A public defender entered a plea of not guilty on Espana's behalf today. Authorities have not divulged much of what occurred last night, but one source with knowledge of the incident said Espana entered the house soon after Fulop and his wife, Jaclyn, had returned home. After the mayor walked to a downstairs room, Espana confronted Jaclyn Fulop in an upstairs room, according the source, who asked not to be identified discussing details of the investigation. "I had done bad things to people especially you," Espana said, according to the criminal complaint. Espana has been charged with burglary, harassment and stalking. Sunday's arrest came nine months after Espana evaded security measures at City Hall and made her way into Fulop's office, sources told The Jersey Journal. Fulop has declined to comment. He has asked his friends not to discuss the case, according to one who spoke to The Jersey Journal. Espana lives in a Palisade Avenue apartment building located less than a mile from Fulop's home. A man who answered the intercom Monday morning identified himself as her father but declined to answer any questions, saying he is out of the country. Her brother, who was in court today, declined to comment. A neighbor expressed astonishment when told of the charges. The woman, who declined to give her name, said she has known Espana's family for more than a decade and called them "decent people." "I would put my hands in the fire for her," she said. It's not clear how Fulop knows Espana. She was a volunteer on his 2013 mayoral campaign, sources told The Jersey Journal. In 2012, she was one of Fulop's "Women of Action" honorees at an annual city event where council people celebrate notable Jersey City women. In 2013, this newspaper quoted Espana as a challenger for Fulop's Ward C council candidate. At some point things took a dark turn. The incident at City Hall happened on June 30, 2017. At about 4:45 p.m. that day, Espana somehow entered the mayor's office and sat at his desk, according to sources with knowledge of the incident. He was not there at the time. The mayor's office is on the second floor of City Hall. To enter, you must be buzzed in by a secretary seated in an outside office and either walk through another outer office where the mayor's aides work or pass through a conference room to get to the room where the mayor sits. It's unclear how the woman bypassed security measures that prevent anyone from getting into the mayor's office without permission, the sources said. At the time, the city's spokeswoman told The Jersey Journal the incident was treated as a sick call. Police and EMTs were called to the scene but no police report was written, she said then. After that incident, the doors that led from an interior hallway into the office where the mayor's aides sit were replaced with more secure doors and the method city workers used to enter them was changed. Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. A Jersey City woman has been charged with collecting her mother's worker's compensation benefits three years after her mother died, authorities said. Wanda Berry, 53, of Jersey City, stole more than $46,000 in worker's comp dependency benefits, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor announced today. Berry was indicted on charges of second-degree insurance fraud and third-degree theft by deception. Berry's mother died in November 2014, but Berry fraudulently claimed to New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Group ("NJM") that her mother was alive in order to continue collecting the $1,400 monthly insurance benefit her mother had been receiving. "We allege that Berry used lies and deceit to illegally keep her mother's monthly benefit checks coming for years after her death," Grewal said in a statement. "We will not allow individuals to manipulate and undermine the insurance system to satisfy their selfish greed." The indictment said that in 2015 Berry told NJM representatives that her mother was alive and living in a nursing home under a doctor's care. The indictment also alleged that in 2016, Berry said her mother was alive in hospice care, and provided a fraudulent doctor's note. "Cashing benefit checks meant for someone else is stealing," said Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Tracy M. Thompson. "This indictment sends a message that anyone caught engaging in this kind of insurance fraud faces serious charges." Berry faces up to 15 years in prison and $165,000 in fines. People who are concerned about insurance cheating and have information about a fraud can report it anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-877-55-FRAUD, or visiting the website at www.njinsurancefraud.org. 8:06 a.m update: Service between Newark and Journal Square has resumed with delays. NJ Transit continues to cross honor at Newark and New York Penn stations. 8:33 a.m. update: Newark-World Trade Center and Hoboken-WTC lines are resuming their normal schedules. NJT is no longer cross honoring. Also, due to a car equipment problem, service on the Journal Square-33rd Street and Hoboken-33rd Street lines are operating with delays. The morning commute just got worse. PATH service between Newark and Journal Square has been suspended because of issues with the Amtrak Dock Bridge, Port Authority officials said in an alert to customers. Service between Journal Square and the World Trade Center is operating. New Jersey Transit is cross honoring at Newark and New York Penn Station, the PATH alert said. Service between Hoboken and the World Trade Center is operating with delays, also because of the problems with the Amtrak Dock Bridge, officials said. PATH officials did not say if the bridge problems were related to the snow storm that has dropped roughly 3-4 inches on the ground in North Jersey. According to police radio transmissions, numerous accidents have been reported as the snow continues to fall. State and federal law declared marijuana as dangerous as LSD and heroin nearly 50 years ago. But a recent state court decision said it's time New Jersey revisit that decision, as the acceptance of cannabis as medicine rapidly grows. And New Jersey's top cop wants to hear from you on this subject. Later this month, the state Attorney General's Office will host four public hearings seeking input as to whether marijuana should remain a "schedule 1" drug, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and no accepted medicinal value. Scrapping this designation for pot would not lead to legalizing or decriminalizing the drug's use, according to a statement from Attorney General Gurbir Grewal's office. But it could reduce the severity of criminal penalties, or other ways it is regulated. The hearings are a direct result of a state Appellate Court ruling in October that concluded the Division of Consumer Affairs had the authority to re-classify marijuana from the "schedule 1" category of the most harmful of drugs. "Medical benefits from the use of marijuana not known in 1971, when the Controlled Dangerous Substance Act became effective...and impediments to its lawful use as a result of its Schedule 1 classification, are abundant and glaringly apparent now," according to the opinion by Judge Michael Guadagno. The ruling was based on a lawsuit filed by a man serving a life sentence under the drug kingpin statute for numerous marijuana distribution arrests. Genny Barbour, a teenage girl in Maple Shade with autism, also joined the case, as her family fought for her right to use cannabis oil at school to control her seizures in 2015. Former Gov. Chris Christie said he would appeal the decision, but he finished his term in mid-January. Gov. Phil Murphy announced in February he would abide by the ruling. The Attorney General's Office offered suggestions on which topics should be addressed at the hearings. Marijuana's actual or relative potential for abuse; Scientific evidence of marijuana's pharmacological effect, if known; State of current scientific knowledge regarding marijuana; Marijuana's history and current pattern of abuse; The scope, duration, and significance of abuse; What, if any, risk there is to the public health; Marijuana's psychic or physiological dependence liability; Whether the substance is an immediate precursor of a substance already controlled under state law. Two of the public hearings -- billed as "informal conferences" -- will be held in Newark at the Division of Consumer Affairs office, 124 Halsey Street, on April 19 at 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The other two will be at the Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex, 25 Market Street, Trenton on April 24 at 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Requests to speak should be submitted in writing to Maryann Sheehan, Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Division of Consumer Affairs, at PO Box 45027, Newark, NJ 07101 or electronically at: www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/Proposals/Pages/default.aspx no later than April 12. People who do not register will be allowed to speak, time permitting. People may also submit written comments to one of those addresses in lieu of testifying by April 12. Are you interested in the N.J. cannabis industry? Subscribe here for exclusive insider information from NJ Cannabis Insider. Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. In a borough of only 2,200 residents, Helmetta's three-person police force has long been a revolving door. Officers frequently join the department directly from the police academy or while they're still attending, and the force's small size leaves little room for career development, Mayor Christopher Slavicek said. Combine that with salary restrictions, he said, and officers often quickly leave for nearby towns. "You're not going to hold somebody back from wanting to better themselves in the police world," Slavicek said Friday. Those staffing challenges have forced Helmetta to seek to disband its police department, which is one of the smallest in New Jersey. Two officers and a sergeant currently patrol the borough, and the chief is on medical leave. The borough council is expected to vote April 18 to eradicate the force and enter into a shared services agreement with neighboring Spotswood or Jamesburg. The move would mirror the footsteps of other municipalities, like Fieldsboro and Lake Como, that have gotten rid of their small police departments in favor of having another municipality assume those services at a lower cost. Helmetta's three officers have been given layoff notices, Slavicek said. He said Spotswood police, which shares a PBA union with Helmetta, was working with the laid-off officers to help them find other jobs. The borough's police equipment and vehicles will be auctioned, Slavicek said. The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office for more than a year had been providing two supervisors to oversee Helmetta's officers, but notified the borough last year that it would not continue to do so. In a letter to Slavicek in August, Prosecutor Andrew Carey said Helmetta's police department historically "has been in various stages of turmoil." The force lacks enough patrol officers, has no specialized officers or administrative staff, and fails to have sufficient written policies and procedures, Carey wrote. The department also doesn't have the infrastructure it needs, including dashboard cameras, body-worn cameras and tasers, the letter said. It said Helmetta's officers are often unavailable to attend mandatory, in-service trainings. "The HPD currently relies heavily on surrounding towns for basic police functions," Carey wrote. "... Consolidation with a nearby town is clearly the next logical step." Borough officials this month sent a letter to 1,088 households saying Helmetta planned to seek shared services with Spotswood or Jamesburg and asking for residents' opinions. Modernizing Helmetta's department to meet mandated police training standards and staffing would result in significant tax increases, officials said in the letter. Roughly 75 percent of residents who responded said they preferred to share a police force with Spotswood, which Slavicek said already has "a quasi-marriage" with Helmetta. The two municipalities share EMS services and trash removal, while Helmetta students attend Spotswood schools. Slavicek said continuing to allow only three police officers to serve Helmetta would be a disservice to residents' safety and fiscally irresponsible. At a cost of more than $800,000 in 2017, police services are the borough's largest budget item. Slavicek said he and the borough's public safety committee didn't want to have to disband the police department, but concluded it was in Helmetta's best interest. "You have to think with your head and not your heart, unfortunately," he said. Yvette Bruno, who has lived in Helmetta since 1990 and served on the council in 2014, said the borough has been trying to improve its police services for as long as she can remember. "In all honesty, it's about time, and it's really been in the making for many years," she said. "Small towns really need to merge with the bigger towns." Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati or on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips By Kevin Nunez Every March, elected leaders, disabilities advocates and citizens mark Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month with celebrations, proclamations, social media posts and the like. As a person with cerebral palsy, a lifelong developmental disability, I appreciate the obvious acknowledgment that people like me are valuable and contributing members to society. However, I have to question the sincerity of government leaders who claim to be actively supporting the needs of people with developmental disabilities. Just look at the recent debate on Capitol Hill. I was shocked when the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the ADA Education and Reform Act, which removes the responsibility of owners/operators of public accommodations to make their facilities accessible according to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. This law would require a person with a disability, who cannot gain access, to file a formal written notice of an ADA violation, then wait up to 60 days for the violating business to acknowledge the complaint, plus an additional 120 days to allow for the violation to be corrected. As far as I know, no other instance of civil right violations requires the victim to wait 180 days for resolution. Can you imagine waiting roughly six months to be able to enter your local drug store, movie theater or grocer? This proposed law is now before the Senate, where people with disabilities like me pray it will progress no further. There have also been calls for $1.4 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, the safety net for millions of Americans with disabilities. I was proud to join thousands of disability advocates nationwide to rise up against that idea, forcing sheepish politicians to quietly move away from such an outrageous proposal that would shatter the lives of many of the voters who put them in office. Why is there a continuous attack on people with developmental disabilities? I understand that, with the recent sweeping tax reform legislation pass in Congress, our leaders have high hopes to grow the economy and ease tax burdens for some individuals and businesses. Kevin Nunez is a member of the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities. (Courtesy Kevin Nunez) However, I feel a prolonged tightness in my chest knowing that the only perceived solution to accommodate for the potential loss in future tax revenue seems to be to raid vital entitlements like Medicaid and other social programs. Our safety net is essential to the life and well-being of America's most vulnerable citizens, including people with developmental disabilities. Our lawmakers need to be reminded, once again, that Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program provide health and long-term care coverage to nearly 1.8 million low-income children, pregnant women, adults, seniors and people with disabilities in New Jersey. Yet the national dialogue has glided away from disability rights and protections for all Americans. Suddenly the notion that people with developmental disabilities should enjoy a strong quality of life, like any other American, appears to be in question. Yes, many of us unfortunately need government assistance to live and remain as healthy as possible. But we are not a line item to be easily slashed. We are Americans, always eager to contribute what we can. Our lawmakers must be reminded that even minor cuts, let alone the draconian cuts that the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have suggested, would be catastrophic to a fragile support system. New Jerseyans must demand strong and ongoing Medicaid funding. Our lawmakers need to hear us, see us, and understand just how important the continued full funding is to the fabric of our society. Gov. Phil Murphy and our other lawmakers on the state and federal levels need to be consistently reminded that Medicaid begins supporting people at birth, with health care and early-intervention programs. In schools and at home, the program supports special education programs -- including both the equipment and the professionals who help students thrive. Medicaid continually supports people who require it, through end-of-life care. Not one New Jerseyan can afford for Medicaid to be cut. Kevin Nunez is a member of the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. It's nice to see New Jersey's governor stick up for New Jersey for a change, after Chris Christie was such a chump for Trump. He dutifully let the president order him meatloaf, and order cuts that would have stripped health care from thousands in our state, had a few votes in Congress not stopped him. He sang Donald Trump's praises on national TV. All roles for which we did not elect him. Since Phil Murphy won in November, Trump has only continued to attack our state, trying to kill plans for a new rail tunnel under the Hudson and screwing us with the tax code. But at least our new governor is speaking up loudly about it. Joining the multi-state lawsuit over Trump's Census sabotage is the latest example. The Trump administration says it's adding an untested question about citizenship to the 2020 Census so - get this - it can better protect the rights of minority voters. And you thought their happy complicity in schemes to disenfranchise minority voters meant they didn't care. Go ahead, laugh, but also note the basic inaccuracy here: The Census hasn't asked about citizenship since 1950, before the Voting Rights Act was even passed. The Justice Department has always enforced that 1965 law without this question. And it already has access to citizenship data through another annual survey. So this is really just another way to punish states like New Jersey, which have large immigrant populations. The question will spook unauthorized immigrants and prevent them from participating. To those who say, "So what? They're illegal": This means their citizen children will be undercounted too. And undercounting New Jersey's population is bad for all New Jerseyans. It could mean we'll lose a member of Congress, since seats in the House are based on state population. That would give us less political clout on issues like tax policy, or disaster relief after the next big hurricane. New Jersey already ranks 49th out of 50 states for the amount of federal services we get back for all the tax dollars we send to Washington. Undercounting our residents means we'll be getting even less federal aid. Tens of billions of federal dollars to New Jersey are at stake, annually. Our state could lose a portion of that money. We could get shorted on Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements, and everything from repairs to our crumbling roads to food stamps and affordable housing vouchers, heating assistance for low-income seniors and funding for college financial aid and pre-k. An undercount would have indirect effects, too, like underestimating how much food a senior center needs in order to accommodate the local population. The purpose of a Census is to get a total population count, not to determine who can vote. The idea that adding a citizenship question will help protect minority votes is as much a fraud as Trump's defunct voter fraud commission - which was also disguised as an effort to protect the integrity of our elections. That was created after Trump's baseless claim that he lost the popular vote because of three to five million illegal voters, chaired by an anti-immigration zealot, and shut down because states refused to participate. They knew its true purpose - to deter minority voters who lean Democratic, under the guise of fighting Trump's "fraud." The most recent study by Loyola Law School found 31 credible instances of voter fraud from 2000 to 2014 - out of more than 1 billion ballots cast. Now the administration adds this Census question targeting immigrants, under the guise of protecting their rights. And, once again, states like New Jersey see right through it. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. According to the dictionary, "reciprocity" means, among other things, "a mutual exchange of privileges between trading nations or recognition of licenses between states." In and of itself, that doesn't sound like a bad thing, but when it comes to the proposed federal "Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act," it's not a good thing. The bill passed the U.S. House in December, and awaits action in the Senate. Specifically, it's not good thing because it means that even if New Jersey says "no" to someone who applies to carry a concealed firearm, it makes our "no" worthless if the weapon owner received a "yes" in some other state. I hadn't been up on this House-passed legislation but, fortunately, some of our residents are keeping an eye on things. One citizen in particular took the time to attend a recent Bridgeton City Council meeting to address the proposed law. He talked about its implications with conviction, asking that we make our voices heard. But this citizen did more than just ask for the city's intervention. He spoke with his elected representatives in Trenton and in Congress. He cares about the big picture, but also about what concealed-carrry reciprocity might mean at street level where we all live our lives. Go beyond the sanitized language and non-threatening words like "reciprocity," and this legislation takes on a whole new dimension. If it becomes law, it can only mean more guns on our streets; maybe on the hip of a guy who gets a little scared walking down the street at night, or carried by someone who gets while in a fast-food restaurant. There are a hundred other scenarios where you don't want a mix of guns and rage. Would this law add to the burdens of our police and the average citizen? I don't know, but it's not hard to imagine unintended consequences. Look at what happened in 2016 when Minnesota police officer Jeronimo Yanez pulled over Philando Castile during a "routine traffic stop." It ended with Castile shot dead in front of his girlfriend and her 4 year-old child. Castile told the officer he had a gun in his car. The officer, who was acquitted of criminal charges last year, claimed that he thought Castile was reaching for the weapon. Reciprocity doesn't help much in a day and age when everyone's a potential perp and everyone fears for their life -- or, at least, that's what they tell a jury. Reciprocity is great on paper, but we need more reciprocity between white, brown, black and blue before we test reciprocity's limits with concealed guns. In New Jersey we have some tight laws. Basically, it's only law enforcement and certain security personnel who can carry a concealed firearm. To get approval, regular citizens have to have a darn good reason under a narrow standard: "...The urgent necessity for self-protection, as evidenced by specific threats or previous attacks which demonstrate a special danger to the applicant's life that cannot be avoided by means other than by issuance of a permit to carry a handgun. Where possible the applicant shall corroborate the existence of any specific threats or previous attacks by reference to reports of such incidents to the appropriate law enforcement agencies." All of this is negated if someone from another state can just schlepp his or her concealed piece into our communities and there is nothing we could do about it. Perhaps we should require out-of-state folks to carry some type of hefty insurance along with their concealed firearms -- so New Jersey taxpayers don't get stuck with unintended costs like emergency surgery and stints in intensive care. I doubt there would be much reciprocity from other states or the feds if we send them a hospital bill. This is no small thing when you consider that in 12 states, concealed carry is automatic -- with no separate permit whatsoever required for any legal gun owner. That means neither New Jersey, nor the gun owner's home state, have any idea who is walking around with a concealed weapon, or why. With a federal law, these states would impose their risk on our own communities. And, most of these states are big on "state's rights" and small government. Go figure. The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act is on its way to becoming law. Contact your representatives in Trenton and in Congress and let them know we don't need more guns in New Jersey. Albert B. Kelly is mayor of Bridgeton. Contact him by phone at 856-455-3230 Ext. 200. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. WASHINGTON -- Like other congressional candidates, Democrat Tanzie Youngblood is sending out emails to prospective contributors, looking for financial support as she seeks to succeed retiring Republican Rep. Frank LoBiondo. Youngblood's emails, however, attack her own party. "We have an opportunity to make history here in South Jersey and across the country," Youngblood wrote. "Yet, our party leaders want the same old, tired Republicans masquerading as Democrats. It's time to put a stop to it." That's because the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chose sides before the June 5 primary, anointing state Sen. Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, as its preferred candidate in the 2nd Congressional District over his more progressive challengers. The same scenario is playing out in the 11th Congressional District, where the DCCC featured Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy pilot and federal prosecutor, over Tamara Harris, a family advocate. Republican Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen is not seeking another term. "What we're seeing around the country is that black women, who are the base of the Democratic Party, are stepping up to run for office but facing some hurdles that other candidates aren't," said Quentin James, founder and executive director of the Collective Political Action Committee, a PAC created to elect black candidates. Collective PAC is raising money for both Youngbood and Harris, as well as 10 other black congressional candidates in other states. The presence of Van Drew, one of the most conservative Democrats in Trenton, has made the 2nd Congressional District one of the House seats most likely to flip in November, the DCCC's "Red to Blue" program. House Democrats need to win 23 districts now represented by Republicans to win a majority. But the DCCC's decision to name Van Drew as one of 33 challengers most likely to capture Republican-held seats in November, hasn't sat well with the more liberal candidates in the race. "It's leaving a sour taste in people's mouths," said another Democratic candidate, Will Cunningham, a former aide to U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and a former House committee investigator. "They want a real Democrat fighting for issues they care about." Van Drew's campaign did not respond to requests for comment. Another Democrat, Sean Thom, ended his campaign on Friday after Van Drew won the party line in each of the counties in the congressional district. "The various processes in the county conventions have concluded, and the outcomes were very clear," Thom said. The DCCC hasn't ignored the other candidates. Both Youngblood and Harris have met with party officials and received some advice. And the Red to Blue program includes two black candidates so far, Lauren Underwood of Illinois and Colin Allred of Texas. Both Cunningham and Youngblood said progressives are energized in opposition to President Donald Trump, and the way to keep them that way is nominate one of their own, not a candidate who, according to Vote Smart, has received a 100 percent rating from the National Rifle Association. "Someone like me is the base of the Democratic Party," Youngblood said. "I represent change, and people want change." The DCCC has used the same playbook in other races, most notably in Texas when the party committee opposed progressive activist Laura Moser in the Democratic primary. Moser nevertheless finished second and made the runoff. "I just don't understand why the DCCC seems to feel that conservative-type Democrats are what they need to win in November," Youngblood said. "They're stuck in a time warp. This is a new time. That old conventional wisdom is not going to work." Black women turned out in force to help Democrat Doug Jones win an upset victory in the Alabama Senate race last December. That type of enthusiasm is crucial to the Democratic hopes of winning control of Congress this year, James said. "We want them to come into the fall completely fired up," James said. "Endorsing in primaries and picking candidates, it makes that work that more challenging. We don't want to continue seeing it." DCCC officials declined comment other than to repeat their praise of Van Drew when they announced their endorsement. "His independence, energy and toughness make Jeff one of the strongest candidates in the country," said the committee's chairman, Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., who attended the opening of Van Drew's campaign office in Vineland. Our #Vineland campaign office is officially open! Congressman Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico joined us as we welcomed supporters to the office. If you're interested in volunteering from our Cumberland County office, let our team know! pic.twitter.com/WVUlOHvGas Van Drew for Congress (@VanDrewForNJ) February 10, 2018 Van Drew raised $80,391 last year and had $80,119 in the bank, far outpacing Youngblood, who brought in $30,540 and had $10,741 in the bank, and Thom, who raised $9,388 and reported cash on hand of $8,569. Cunningham did not report raising any money. WASHINGTON -- Former Gov. Chris Christie said he expected another top official in President Donald Trump's administration to be out of a job soon. Christie said he didn't expect Trump's Environmental Protection Agency administrator, Scott Pruitt, to remain in office following revelations that he rented space in a Capitol Hill condominium owned by the wife of a prominent energy lobbyist. "I don't know how you survive this one," Christie said on ABC's "This Week." Christie questioned why Pruitt, who has challenged the overwhelming scientific evidence that human activity has contributed to climate change, was running the EPA in the first place. "This was a brutally unprofessional transition, this was a transition that didn't vet people for this type of judgement issues, which I think could have been seen very easily in a lot of these people," said Christie, who was fired as Trump's transition chair after the election. "And the president's been ill-served by this, and if Mr. Pruitt's going to go, it's because he should have never been there in the first place," Christie said. Trump's administration has been plagued by ethical problems. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned in September after spending $400,000 in taxpayer funds on chartered flights, the EPA's inspector general is questioning Pruitt's travel, and the inspector general for the Veterans Affairs Department raised serious questions about deposed VA Secretary David Shulkin's $122,334 taxpayer-funded trip to Europe last July. MORE: Fmr. Gov. Christie calls the White House transition "brutally unprofessional" in wake of ethics concerns over EPA Admin. Pruitt: "This was a transition that didnt vet people for this type of judgment issues." https://t.co/qzp33nyazM pic.twitter.com/iXLKYAdCWH This Week (@ThisWeekABC) April 1, 2018 Christie said some of Trump's problems stem from the fact that his appointees were not properly vetted. When Christie was dismissed as chair of the transition team, the work he and his team had done for months was tossed out, he said. "He was ill served right from the beginning by a group of people who threw all the transition work out, 35, 8-inch binders of vetting of over 350 people, that were consistent with his views, that they got rid of, literally threw in the garbage two or three days after the election," Christie said. "He's been ill-served by that right from the beginning," he said. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Source: reliefweb.int March 27, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) on Monday said a convoy transporting Chinese peacekeepers has arrived in Golo, Jebel Marra. In June 2017, the UN Security Council extended the UNAMID mandate for another year and redefined its mandate to play a double role. In Jebel Marra, the force has to continue to protect civilians and ensure the delivery of emergency relief. In the other areas of Darfur, the mission has to focus on stabilising the situation. On January 28, the Sudanese government officially handed over a land to UNAMID to establish a Temporary Operating Base (TOB) in Golo, Jebel Marra. Last February, the Mission circulated photos of preliminary establishments at the TOB. In a brief statement seen by Sudan Tribune on Monday, the Mission said the Chinese peacemakers have arrived in Golo after a long and gruelling trip from El Fasher, North Darfur. They will play a crucial role in the establishment of UNAMIDs Temporary Operating Base in the area, by carrying out engineering tasks such as grading the land, constructing field defences and setting up tent accommodations read the statement A tripartite committee on Darfur peacekeeping force decided to establish this site taking into account the presence of Sudan Liberation Movement -Abdel Wahid fighters. The rebel group refuses to join the peace process or to declare a truce. Last June, the African Union and the United Nations decided to draw down the UNAMID by withdrawing the military personnel by 44% and that of the police component by 30%, the closure of 11 team sites in the first phase and the withdrawal of the military component from another seven team sites in the second phase. UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in the conflict, and over 2.5 million were displaced. The hybrid mission has been deployed in Darfur since December 2007 with a mandate to stem violence against civilians in western Sudans region. It is the worlds second-largest international peacekeeping force with an annual budget of $1.35 billion and almost 20,000 troops. "Affluenza teen" is now a free man. Ethan Couch walked out of a Tarrant County, Texas jail Monday, days away from turning 21, after serving two years for a parole violation. Tarrant County deputies ushered Couch through a tunnel to avoid a media scrum awaiting his release, a reporter with NBC affiliate KXAS said. He is currently at a probation office where he'll be issued his court-ordered ankle monitor. The spoiled rich kid -- who avoided a significant sentence by blaming his upbringing after a drunken joyride killed four people -- is reportedly a changed person following years of bratty behavior. "I haven't seen arrogance in Ethan in more than nine months," Tim Williams, a volunteer chaplain who's spent the last two years visiting Couch, told the Star-Telegram newspaper in Dallas. Williams' childhood friend Brian Jennings was one of the four people Couch killed when he drunkenly crashed his red Ford F-350 pickup on the night of June 15, 2013. The then-16-year-old Couch had a blood alcohol level triple the legal limit the night of the crash. His release Monday has left Mothers Against Drunk Driving members furious, and the group's president says the organization is supporting his victim's relatives. "As an organization, we'll be there to serve them if they need us," MADD President Colleen Sheehey-Church told CBS affiliate KTVT on Sunday. "We'll continue to watch him because we have a partnership with Tarrant County to make sure that he at least adheres to all his rules of probation when he does get out on Monday. At Couch's trial, his high-priced lawyers argued that he wasn't fully aware he was responsible for his actions. Psychologist G. Dick Miller testified Couch suffered from "affluenza," which meant he didn't know right from wrong because he came from a wealthy, dysfunctional family. "I wish I hadn't used that term. Everyone seems to have hooked onto it," he later told CNN. "We used to call these people spoiled brats." Couch was sentenced to 10 years probation after pleading guilty to manslaughter for the four deaths. His family later settled with relatives of all four slain victims. He was also forced to undergo rehab, which his once-wealthy parents said they were too broke to pay for, kicking it to taxpayers to cover most of the $200,000 stint. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Treatment didn't seem to take, however, and a tweeted video in 2015 showed Couch playing beer pong, a blatant probation violation. Instead of meeting with his probation officer, Couch and his mother Tonya -- herself arrested Wednesday for reportedly failing a urine test -- took off for Mexico, staying on the run for weeks. They were captured in December 2015 after using a cellphone to order Domino's pizza. Tonya Couch was extradited and charged with money laundering after draining $30,000 from her bank account, along with hindering the apprehension of a fugitive. Ethan arrived in the U.S. a few weeks later, where his lawyers initially argued his mom took him there against his will. A judge didn't see the escape that way, however, and sentenced Couch to a two-year jail sentence -- 180 days for each person killed -- beginning in April 2016. His lawyers made a failed bid in March 2017 to have the Texas Supreme Court to toss his jail sentence. They argued the judge was out of his jurisdiction to bump Couch's case up from juvenile to adult court, which the state's highest court rejected. Inside jail, he's been a "model inmate," Tarrant County Deputy Chief Henry Reyes told ABC affiliate WFAA late last month. Reyes, whose spokesperson didn't return a request for comment, added he'd only been in one fight and had just one other write up. "For somebody here for two years, the number of incidents he has, or hasn't, been involved with is actually pretty impressive," he told the news channel. Williams, a volunteer jail chaplain whose friend was killed in the rampage, told the Star-Telegraph the rambunctious teen wants to change. "I told him, 'You realize you owe everybody, right? Don't smirk,'" he told the newspaper. "I told him he has to be surrounded by healthy influences. I think he's listening." Couch will have some strict rules even when he gets out of jail. He'll have to wear an ankle bracelet and be home by 9 p.m. every night, according to court records obtained by local media. And, even though he'll turn 21 on April 11, he has to wear an alcohol monitor. A 59-year-old man was killed Sunday night (April 1) after he was struck by a car while he was walking on U.S. 61 in Metairie, according to Louisiana State Police. State Trooper Melissa Matey said around 8:25 p.m. Nathaniel Bailey was walking south on U.S. 61 near the fog line close to North Elm Street when he was hit by a dark colored Nissan Maxima. After hitting Bailey, the Nissan fled on Earhart Expressway and into Orleans Parish, Matey said. Bailey was fatally injured and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Matey. Police are asking for help locating the vehicle, which Matey said has a temporary Louisiana tag and damage to the passenger side. Matey also said the vehicle is missing the passenger's side mirror and there may be damage to the front right bumper. Investigators ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of the vehicle or driver to call Troop B at 504-471-2775. An Alabama woman has been accused of felony arson and could face life in prison for allegedly setting fire to a package of ham, tossing it into a garbage can and causing an explosion at a motel, AL.com reported Monday (April 2). Beverly Harrison, 62, was booked in the Feb. 12 fire at the Bomar Inn in Athens. Athens Police Chief Floyd Johnson said the suspect's family members "bought her a pack of ham to eat and she didn't want the ham. After (the family) left, she set the ham on fire and put it in the garbage can," the website reported. When smoke started to fill Harrison's room at the motel where she lived, she left with her dog and didn't alert anyone, AL.com reported. The fire caused a can of butane fuel to explode. Google engineer and University of New Orleans alumna Sabrina Farmer will serve as the principal speaker at the University's spring commencement on May 11, according to UNO officials Monday. A UNO news release stated Farmer has spent 13 years at Google and is currently the senior engineering director for site reliability, making her responsible for the reliability of Google products that serve more than a billion people daily. Farmer also oversees the product infrastructure reliability of Google's authentication, identity and abuse systems. UNO said Farmer is a Marrero native who earned a bachelor's degree in computer science in 1995. She founded UNO's Scholarship for Women in Computer Science a year after graduating from college. Scholarship winners receive a year's worth of mentoring from Farmer, and two students are currently receiving the scholarship on an annual basis, UNO stated. Farmer also held positions at cloud computing company NetSuite, health information website WebMD and Internet company Excite@Home before she was hired at Google. UNO called her a "longtime advocate" for women in technology, and drew attention to her efforts over the last five years in sponsoring UNO students interested in attending the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, the world's largest gathering of women technologists. UNO President John Nicklow said in a released statement that he hopes UNO graduates will learn from Farmer's experiences in Silicon Valley and be inspired by her achievements. During the 3 p.m. spring commencement, UNO will also award an honorary doctorate to Paul Hinnenkamp, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Entergy. UNO stated Hinnenkamp is responsible for executive oversight of safety and performance, fossil generation, transmission, system planning, capital projects management and compliance with North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection standards. The Army Corps of Engineers announced Monday (April 2) that it has moved up the anticipated completion of the complex permitting process for the proposed Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion to Nov. 16, 2020, reducing the permitting time by two years. The $1.3 billion diversion to be built on the west bank of the Mississippi River north of Ironton and south of the Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery in Plaquemines Parish is being financed in part with money the state is receiving BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlements. It will be designed to capture river sediment, water and nutrients during high-water periods and move as much as 75,000 cubic feet per second west into Barataria Bay. The diversion is expected to slowly fill open water areas to become platforms for new wetland areas over the 50-year lifetime of the state's coastal Master Plan, but its sediment also will help nourish existing wetlands and those being built by dredging and pumping sediment by pipeline from the river to restoration locations. The permitting timeline change comes 10 days after the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Marine Fisheries Service granted a waiver of prohibitions against "taking" of bottlenose dolphins and other marine mammals protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. It also follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the state and federal agencies on Jan. 26 that established collaboration goals between the agencies on the permitting process, including a commitment to reduce the permitting timeline. The change in the permitting timeline was also added to the federal "permitting dashboard" that the Obama Administration established as part of FAST-41, the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, to help coordinate and speed permitting of major infrastructure projects. The dashboard has been used during the Trump administration to implement the president's executive order speeding environmental review and permitting for infrastructure projects. The speedup in permitting is a goal that state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority officials overseeing the project have been pushing for several years. In April 2016, the state agreed to pay the corps $1.5 million in advance permitting costs. In March 2017, Gov. John Bel Edwards sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking that the administration speed permitting for the Mid-Barataria and Mid-Breton sediment diversion projects and three other major coastal Master Plan projects as part of the president's proposed national infrastructure plan. But less than a week later, Col. Michael Clancy, commander of the corps' New Orleans District office, reiterated the agency's view that Mid-Barataria wouldn't receive a final permit until at least 2022. A key sticking point was concern that the freshwater that would be delivered along with sediment into Batararia Bay and reduce chances for restoring the bottlenose dolphin population in the bay that was decimated during and after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Louisiana's Congressional delegation, including U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., included language in a Feb. 8 supplemental spending bill that required the National Marine Fisheries Service to grant a waiver of the Marine Mammal Protection Act requirements within 30 days. That eliminated what promised to be a lengthy environmental study addressing whether the freshwater would harm the dolphins. Environmental news in your inbox Stay up-to-date on the latest on Louisiana's coast and the environment. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The project is still subject to other federal environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, that require the completion of a broader environmental impact statement addressing the project's effects, including on present and future commercial and recreational fisheries. The project also must meet requirements set by the corps that it not interfere with other federal water projects, including the river's navigation channel and the river and hurricane levees on the west bank of Plaquemines Parish. "The unprecedented size and scope of the proposed Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project requires an extensive environmental review process to ensure the final permit decision is the right decision," Clancy said. The corps will review the pace of the permitting process quarterly and adjust the schedule as new information becomes available, said a corps news release announcing the decision. "Today's announcement reflects the continued collaboration between our state and the federal government and the commitment from all parties to implement this transformational project as safely and quickly as possible," said Johnny Bradberry chairman of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority board in its news release announcing the status change. "I am pleased that our recent efforts to implement the new MOU has resulted in a new permitting timetable, and I anticipate further reductions in the schedule as we continue to coordinate and find efficiencies in this process," Bradberry said. "The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is critical to our future as it addresses the root cause of our coastal crisis by reconnecting the Mississippi River with our basins and restoring the natural process that built our delta." The time frame adjustment also was praised by the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, which has supported the state's coastal restoration plans. "This is all talk until there is a shovel in the ground, but we're very pleased to see the bureaucratic process moving in the right direction," said Kimberly Davis Reyher, the coalition's executive director, in a news release. "We appreciate the effort the federal agencies, the state, and our Congressional delegation have made in the past few months to come together to accelerate this crucial project. "As we've been reminded just recently with the high water and the opening of the spillway that protects New Orleans, we live beside a mighty river. We have the muddy Mississippi and nearly 100-million tons of sediment at our disposal annually," Reyher said. "The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project will move sediment and water from the river to feed our starving wetlands. This project will be one of the most ambitious environmental restoration projects ever undertaken by our nation. It will provide protection and, also economic opportunity in our rapidly developing water industry sector." Sen. Cassidy also praised the corps announcement. "This is a step towards restoring and protecting Louisiana's coastline," he said in a news release. "I appreciate the administration paving the way for these improvements." Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission What do Anthony Davis, Emeril Lagasse, the late Enrique Alferez, Leah Chase, Drew Brees and French Quarter entertainer Chris Owens have in common? None of them were born in New Orleans. As Owens rode atop a float rolling through the French Quarter on Easter Sunday, she symbolically reminded us that newcomers should not only be welcome here; they can become our heroes. Newcomer, of course, isn't exactly the right term, since the Texas-born Owens has sung and danced in the Vieux Carre since Eisenhower was in the White House. As anyone in attendance can tell you, the weather was nothing short of glorious, with pale cobalt skies and a whisper of spring crispness lingering in the air. Conditions were perfect for crowds to pop up along route of Chris Owens' 35 annual Easter Parade like fields of Louisiana irises along a bayou. Aboard Owens' float, where I had the privilege to ride, the scene was as sweet and mellow as a marshmallow bunny. Everyone was entirely deferential to the tall and stately chanteuse, who wore the most purple of bonnets and the most scarlet of lipstick. Before the parade began, crowd members cried out for cellphone portraits of Owens. A woman at the front of the float obligingly took cellphones, snapped photos of Owens and passed the phones back to the crowd. Time after time, after time, after time, Owens posed patiently for the picture to be taken. This is not generic celebrity; this is French Quarter family. The spectacle, as Owens' float swung onto Bourbon Street, was nothing short of, well, spectacular. Fans lined the curbs and balconies. Owens' owns Bourbon Street, of course. She is the queen of continuity. She tossed pastel bunnies to the luckiest members of the crowd. Bienville's belt buckle is no more authentic a keepsake of New Orleans. Doug MacCash has the best job in the world, covering art, music, and culture in New Orleans. Contact him via email at dmaccash@nola.com. Follow him on Twitter at Doug MacCash and on Facebook at Douglas James MacCash. As always, please add your point of view to the comment stream. Two new studies suggest that legalizing medical marijuana in certain states led to a drop in opioid prescriptions, according to CNN. Researchers found that states with medical marijuana laws had 2.21 million fewer daily doses of opioid prescriptions per year, compared to states without these laws, according to studies published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine on Monday (April 2). The studies compared opioid prescription patterns for patients enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare Part D in states that have enacted medical marijuana laws to states that have not. Opioid prescriptions under Medicaid dropped by 5.8 percent in states with medical marijuana laws, according to the studies. Medicare Part D, also called Medicare prescription drug benefit subsidizes the costs of prescription drugs and prescription drug insurance premiums for more than 42 million Americans. Additionally, researchers found a 14.5 percent reduction in any opiate use in states operating legal marijuana dispensaries. "There is a growing body of scientific literature suggesting that legal access to marijuana can reduce the use of opioids as well as opioid-related overdose deaths," Melissa Moore, New York deputy state director for the Drug Policy Alliance told CNN on Monday (April 2). A study published in October in the American Journal of Public Health pointed to a drop in opiate overdose deaths in Colorado after marijuana was legalized in 2014. The study noted that opioid-related deaths decreased by more than 6 percent over two years and researchers are hoping to see if the trend is replicated in states such as Washington and Oregon that have also legalized marijuana. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more than 90 Americans a day die from opioid overdose. Louisiana approved medical marijuana to treat certain conditions such as chronic pain treatment in cancer patients, cerebral palsy, seizure disorder, muscular dystrophy and epilepsy in 2016, though the state is still working through the permitting process for pharmacies to distribute the drug. The legislature is considering expanding medical marijuana's use to treat symptoms such as self-harming or repetitive behavior in patients with autism disorder. To read more findings from the Medicaid and Medicare Part D studies on CNN click here. Maria Clark writes about health, doctors, patients and healthcare in Louisiana for NOLA.com | The Times Picayune and NOLA Mundo. Reach her at mclark@nola.com or 504.258.5306. Or follow her on Twitter at @MariaPClark1. The Yats are disappearing. That might be hard to believe, I know, because nearly everywhere you look in New Orleans gift shops these days, you'll see evidence that we care an awful lot about makin' groceries and getting your po-boy dressed, but it's true. Katie Carmichael, who was born here but raised elsewhere before returning to New Orleans to study at Tulane University, wrote her dissertation on the accent. She found that not much of it remains in the city most tied to its reputation. "Everyone said, 'Go to Chalmette,'" Carmichael said. But, once there, the people she found speaking with the telltale Yat signs -- dropping their Rs, like in "dawlin'" or using what's called a split short-A system, which turns "bag" into something like "bay-ug," for example -- didn't refer to themselves as Yats. "They called themselves Chalmatians," Carmichael said. "Each and every one" of the things that make the way Chalmatians sound so distinct, however, is going away. By looking at speakers of different age groups, Carmichael said, a researcher can hear how things are changing over time because we essentially finalize the way we sound by adolescence. "A younger person is representative of a certain timeframe, and an older person is representative of the past," she said. "The older people in Chalmette, they had all these Yatty features, and younger people simply did not. ... The younger generation just is not using them." But it's probably not globalization or the influence of mass media that's making younger folks lose the Yat sound, Carmichael said, because "people tend to talk like their peer groups." Still, Carmichael said, the Yat accent "(is) obviously valued" by others, which is why we have T-shirts from Fleurty Girl and Dirty Coast bearing the phrases of the dialect. (Carmichael's dissertation, for example, included examination of "Vic and Nat'ly" cartoons.) In some cases, that value leads others to emphasize what they think of as Yatty sounds, too. Even people who tend to keep all their Rs, Dakjo said, will still drop it when they're saying typically local words, like French Quarter or Mardi Gras, which become French Cor'tuh or Maw-di Grah. So why are the remaining Yats in Chalmette? That, Carmichael said, is because of white flight after desegregation, when a lot of lower class white people - who developed the accent and who had previously lived in the Irish Channel or 9th Ward, where French, German and Irish heritage mixed -- headed for the suburbs. Upper class white people, she said, simply wouldn't have been exposed to the sounds, so they weren't a source of the accent. Today, the city's black population tends to hold onto the Yat sounds -- in some ways. Carmichael and her fellow researcher, Nathalie Dajko, said a sizable part of New Orleans' black population has continued to drop Rs, even as Chalmatians are beginning to pick them up. The dialect itself has rarely been studied, though a documentary, "Yeah You Rite," shed light on it a few years ago. Carmichael and Dajko are currently working on a massive survey of the entire city, and they hope to nail down speech characteristics by neighborhood, generation and other demographics. Still, as much data as a study can provide, it's impossible to really know what New Orleanians will sound like in the future. But the city also makes it easier to research that. "People in New Orleans are very aware of the way they speak," Dajko said. "And they like to talk about the way they speak." - - - Chelsea Brasted is a metro columnist covering the New Orleans area. Send story ideas, tips, complaints and fan mail to cbrasted@nola.com. You can also text or call 225.460.1350, and follow her on Twitter and Facebook. DAMASCUS, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The last rebel-held area in the capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta countryside is about to fall, with a new agreement that will see the evacuation of the rebels of the Islam Army toward northern Syria. The agreement was declared by the official news agency SANA on Sunday, just a day after the last rebel batch left, making the entire area under the government's control except for the Douma district. Around 40,000 rebels and their families have fled central areas in the Eastern Ghouta area toward the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib. Additionally, 150,000 civilians have fled Eastern Ghouta toward government-run shelters on the outskirts of Eastern Ghouta last month. But the situation in Douma is different. The civilians in that area will largely remain in their homes but the Islam Army, the rebel group in control of that area, will leave toward the rebel-held Jarablus city in the northern countryside of Aleppo province near the Turkish border, according to the agreement published by SANA. The deal that was reached under the mediation of the Russians will also see the formation of local council inside Douma after the consent of the Syrian government, after which the light weapons in Douma will be surrendered to the government. The Islam Army rebels will hand over their heavy and medium weaponry, according to the agreement, which also included forming a workgroup under the Russian leadership that will supervise the release of the kidnapped soldiers and civilians in the prisons of the Islam Army. The deal also includes allowing 200 rebels of Failaq al-Rahman, who had been in control of other areas in Eastern Ghouta, to leave Douma toward Idlib, after they sought refuge in that area when the army entered their areas. The evacuation of the 200 rebels and their families has already started, with buses preparing to transport them to Idlib through the Wafideen area northeast of Damascus. Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights was cited by the Saudi-funded Alarabiya TV as saying that the Russian military police will enter Douma to "reassure the civilians." According to the Observatory, the civilians who are not linked to the Islam Army can leave for any destination and the wounded will be evacuated to northern Syria. Earlier in the day, the Observatory said that 1,300 civilians, including activists, will evacuate Douma toward rebel-held areas in northern Syria, as part of a preliminary understanding between the Islam Army and the Russian side. Those civilians will evacuate Douma through the corridor between Douma and the Wafideen, according to the observatory. Negotiations between the Russians and the Islam Army have been ongoing for quite some time, in an attempt to reach an understanding similar to what has been reached in major areas in Eastern Ghouta, where the rebels and their families have completely evacuated. After the last batch left the towns of Jobar, Arbeen, Zamalka and Ayn Tarma on Saturday evening, the entire Eastern Ghouta has become under the government control except for Douma, which is the largest and most densely-populated area in Eastern Ghouta. In its offensive that started late last month, the Syrian army captured large swathes of Eastern Ghouta and when it got close to the four towns, the rebels of Failaq al-Rahman asked for their evacuation. The observatory said the only obstacle in the negotiations between the Islam Army and the Russians was the destination of 60,000 rebels and their families in Douma, a large number in comparison with the number that has evacuated the four towns as local reports placed the number of rebels and their families who evacuated other areas of Eastern Ghouta at around 40,000 people. On Saturday night, the Syrian army declared its victory in Eastern Ghouta, saying in a statement that the Syrian army captured 31 towns and areas in Eastern Ghouta, while still in a fight with the rebels in Douma district, the last rebel stronghold north of Eastern Ghouta. It added that the victory in Eastern Ghouta secured the road between Damascus and other Syrian areas in the north and also to the eastern areas in Syria reaching the Iraqi border. Retrieving those areas also end the suffering of the Damascus' people as a result of the mortar attacks launched by the rebels from Eastern Ghouta. The statement also said the victory in that area deals a blow to the "terrorist projects" targeting Syria. Meanwhile, the army pledged to continue its battles against terrorism in all of Syria. Eastern Ghouta, a 105-square-km agricultural region consisting of several towns and farmlands, poses the last threat to the capital due to its proximity to government-controlled neighborhoods east of Damascus and ongoing mortar attacks that target residential areas in the capital, pushing people over the edge. Tracy Morgan as Louis Armstrong? The comic actor and "Saturday Night Live" veteran is trying to make that happen, revealing Monday (April 2) on Howard Stern's SiriusXM radio show that he's working to develop a film in which he will portray the New Orleans jazz giant. The project is still in its early stages, with a script being written by comic Jeff Stilson, Morgan said. A former writer for "The Late Show with David Letterman" and a former writer and producer on "The Daily Show," Stilson is an executive producer on Morgan's new series for TBS, "The Last O.G.," for which Morgan is currently making the publicity rounds. Technically, it was "The Last O.G." that brought Morgan to Stern's show on Monday, but -- as is so often the case with Morgan -- he covered a lot of ground in what was a wide-ranging interview. Topics included his sex life, his car collection and the difficulties he has endured the past couple of years, from the death of his first wife (and high school sweetheart) to the auto accident that nearly claimed his own life. Sprinkled throughout, of course, was Morgan's hilarious, motor-mouthed blend of comedy and braggadocio. Near the end of the interview, however, he revealed that he is hoping to portray Armstrong in an upcoming biopic about the iconic musician. A makeup test, Morgan said, will take place in about two weeks. From there, he will finance production of a movie trailer that will be used to attract investors, he said. He even showed off his own pipes, unleashing a few bars of "Mack the Knife" in Armstrong's trademark gravelly voice. Don't expect some thin imitation, though. Morgan said he plans to "channel" Armstrong -- as opposed to merely mimicking him -- for the film, which doesn't yet have a release date. "Forget the skin complexion. Forget the voice," Morgan said. "You'll go, 'Wow, that story is ... deep.'" It's not the first time Morgan has brought up the idea of playing Armstrong. In a 2016 interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune, he called it his dream role. "He was the Michael Jackson of his generation," said Morgan, a self-described music fan who played the trombone in junior high school. "He pleased white people and black people. ... I love his whole career. He's like (Jimi) Hendrix -- Hendrix had many bands, but they were all great." Morgan actually got a chance to portray Armstrong in a 2003 sketch on "Saturday Night Live," which imagined a sexually explicit duet between Satchmo and a jazz-singing character played by Queen Latifah. In "The Last O.G.," created by Jordan Peele and co-starring Tiffany Haddish and Cedric the Entertainer alongside Morgan, is scheduled to debut Tuesday (April 3) at 9:30 p.m. Central on TBS. The wife of U.S. Congressman was arrested at Walt Disney World in Florida on Sunday on a charge of disorderly intoxication, the Orlando Sentinel reported Monday (April 2). Amanda Soto, 33, - wife of Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla. - grabbed her mother's backpack to prevent her from walking away at a bus loop at Disney Springs, catching the attention of Orange County Sheriff's Deputy Cory Heller, the story said. Heller said the pair appeared to be intoxicated, and he helped them call an Uber to take them home. However, Amanda Soto began yelling profanities at the deputy and the driver, according to the report. Heller handcuffed Soto and put her in a patrol car, where he said "she began banging [her] head against the window in what appeared to be an attempt to harm herself," the report said. Heller said in his report that "even while attempting to speak with her (Soto) she continued to utter that her husband is a congressman, therefore, she can do whatever she wants." A 20-year-old Gonzales man on spring break in Florida was booked on cocaine distribution charges Saturday (March 31) after authorities initially accused him of being a minor in possession of alcohol, AL.com reported. Joel Landon Kinabrew remained in an Okaloosa County jail Sunday after authorities said they found 19 individual baggies of cocaine in a sunglass case in his pocket. After the discovery, Kinabrew ran from authorities, but was quickly recaptured, the website reported, citing the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office as its source. He was booked with alcohol possession, resisting an officer and possession of cocaine with intent to sell. Okaloosa County includes the Destin and Fort Walton Beach areas, a popular location for Louisiana students on spring break. The story identified Kenabrew as an LSU student, but a university spokesperson said late Monday that the suspect hasn't been enrolled there since 2016. St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday afternoon (April 3) to discuss a deadly shootout between deputies and a man the Sheriff's Office said led them on a pre-dawn pursuit Sunday. The man, identified by the St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office as 24-year-old Joseph Johnson Jr. of Folsom, was killed. A sheriff's deputy, Justin Nail, underwent emergency surgery for a gunshot wound to the abdomen and is in stable condition at an area hospital, the Sheriff's Office said. Official details of the pursuit and gun battle have been scarce. The Sheriff's Office said Sunday that a deputy tried to stop a vehicle believed to have been involved in vehicle burglaries in the Mandeville and Madisonville area but the driver instead led deputies on a chase. That pursuit ended at Railroad Avenue and Louisiana 1077 in the Goodbee community where the driver, later identified as Johnson, ended up in a ditch and exchanged gunfire with deputies, the Sheriff's Office said. Sheriff Randy Smith on Sunday said four deputies were involved but declined to discuss specifics. "The suspect was still in his vehicle when the gun battle ensued,'' Smith did say. Residents living near the corner of Louisiana 1077 and Railroad Avenue described hearing numerous gunshots after 5 a.m. Sunday. St. Tammany top stories in your inbox A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The Coroner's Office said an autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday. A coroner's spokesman said Johnson's family declined an opportunity to have an independent physician observe the autopsy, which is the coroner's policy when the case is an officer-involved shooting or in-custody death. In St. Tammany Parish, Clerk of Court records show Johnson pleaded guilty to several charges, mostly drug related, as well as resisting an officer, since 2012. He admitted to possession with intent to distribute marijuana, two counts of possession of a Schedule III drug and possession of a legend drug without a prescription, charges that were filed in 2012. The news conference is set for 2 p.m. at the Sheriff's Office Administrative Complex in Slidell. -- Reporter Robert Rhoden contributed to this story. Conservative author, syndicated columnist and TV commentator Ann Coulter will be one of the headliners Thursday (April 5) when Breitbart News stages its first-ever live event with a virtual town hall at Andrea's restaurant in Metairie. But don't expect her to have a lot of nice things to say about President Donald Trump, the man she once referred to as "the Emperor God" and whose campaign she enthusiastically endorsed in her book "In Trump We Trust: E Pluribus Awesome!" In the past week, however, she has referred to Trump as "a shallow, lazy ignoramus" who is betraying the central pledge of his campaign to build a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico -- "what he promised at every single campaign stop" -- and is now more interested in getting "applause from The New York Times" than staying true to his pledge. Coulter now numbers herself among the "The Former Trumpers," those "who would die for Trump, who would defend him from anything, who did defend him and blew off the 'Access Hollywood' tape -- blew off everything. We kept coming back. He could sell Ivanka Trump merchandise from the Oval Office if he would just build the wall. "If he doesn't have us anymore," Coulter told New York Times columnist Frank Bruni last week, "that's what he should be worried about, because, you play those people for suckers? The ones who stood by him through thick and thin and thought this was finally something different? Former Trumpers should put the fear of God in him." Coulter's change of heart is based on his failure to follow through on his pledge to build the wall, a lack of commitment exemplified by his signing of a $1.3 trillion spending bill with no money for his promised border wall. "I knew he was a shallow, lazy ignoramus, and I didn't care," Coulter told an audience at Columbia University shortly after the president approved the bill. "It kind of breaks my heart. He's not giving us what he promised at every single campaign stop." Coulter says she and a lot of other voters got behind Trump because of his strong stand to curb illegal immigration into the United States. A lot of people thought Trump was channeling Coulter's book "Adios, America: The Left's Plan to Turn Our Country into a Third World Hellhole," when he launched his bid for the Republican nomination. "When Mexico sends its people," he said at his Trump Tower announcement, "they're not sending their best. ... They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists ... It's coming from more than Mexico. It's coming from all over South and Latin America, and it's coming probably -- probably -- from the Middle East." Coulter says her admiration deepened for Trump when he refused to roll back his rhetoric during the campaign, but something happened after he was elected, beginning with his bringing his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner into his inner circle. "They're lovely people but, boy, I think Trump voters can say this was a bait-and-switch," Coulter tells Bruni. "There was no intimation during that 18 months of the most magnificent campaign I've ever seen that, 'Don't worry, I won't go to the White House without Jared and Ivanka and I'll be setting policy to make sure they lose no friends in the Hamptons.' I always suspected they were back in New York denying they were related to him." But the spending bill was the final straw for Coulter. "I don't know what more horrible thing you could come up with than violating your central campaign promise that became the chant and the theme of the campaign that he promised at every single rally," she says. "I mean, implementing the principles of 'The Communist Manifesto' wouldn't be more of a betrayal than that. It's totally secondary to me, but it's kind of hilarious that more money is being given to the Department of Health and Human Services than Barack Obama even requested in his budget." Still, Coulter hasn't totally given up hope. "He can still come back," she says to Bruni. "If he builds the wall, he'll be the Emperor God again. I'll throw a huge party. I'll start a committee to put him on Mount Rushmore. But right now, if I were a betting woman, I don't think we're getting a wall." And without that wall, you can put Coulter in the camp of the "Former Trumpers." And if Trump has lost Ann Coulter ... Tim Morris is an opinions columnist at NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. He can be reached at tmorris@nola.com. Follow him on Twitter @tmorris504. The state will soon be pushing the locally elected officials of Powhatan out of the way to administer the finances of the northwest Louisiana village that in mid-July had only $105 in its general fund and is hiring a cop to drum up some money from In Katie Couric's new National Geographic Channel docuseries, the longtime broadcast journalist takes a deep dive into various contentious issues facing Americans today from both sides of the aisle. If the first episode is any guide, she doesn't plan to sugarcoat anything. The debut episode of "America Inside Out" airs April 11, and it sees Couric tackling the hot-button issue of Confederate monument removal. Specifically, it sees her exploring whether, as she puts it, we are "rewriting history or re-righting history." That leads her on an often-emotional journey taking her to, among other places, New Orleans, for a look at the Crescent City's contentious 2017 removal of four prominent Confederate monuments. Before that, though, her journey begins at the University of Virginia -- her alma mater -- in Charlottesville, as that town was preparing to remove a monument to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in 2017. There, she conducts interviews with people ranging from a Black Lives Matter activist to a man actually named Robert E. Lee, who says he is a descendant of the Confederate general. People she talks to on both sides of the issue appear equally defiant and equally enraged. But what Couric didn't know at the time is that she, and her cameras, would witness first-hand the chilling torchlight "Unite the Right" rally that took place in the shadow of the Lee statue one day before a rally participant drove his car into a crowd of activists supporting the monument removal, killing one and injuring 19 others. That serves as a stirring launching pad for the episode, which at the 23-minute mark sees her packing her bags for New Orleans and a discussion -- over an eye-rollingly cliched Louisiana lunch, it must be said -- with Mayor Mitch Landrieu. He, of course, spearheaded the removal of the city's Confederate monuments after one of his childhood friends -- jazz musician Wynton Marsalis -- opened Landrieu's eyes to what those monuments mean to so many people in black-majority New Orleans. That discussion with Marsalis, he said, prompted him to conduct his own research, the results of which he shares with Couric: "The people that lost decided to put these statues up to send a message to people just like Wynton (to say), 'You're lesser than, and even though we lost the war and the United States won, we're not coming along,'" Landrieu said. "And that's why Robert E. Lee's arms are folded and he's looking north. It's an affront to the idea of what America was supposed to be post-war." Alabama State Sen. Gerald Allen offers a dissenting opinion in an interview filmed at the foot of a Confederate monument in Montgomery. "It just reminds us the sacrifice and the price that was paid by those men and boys that left their home to engage in a war," Allen says. While in Louisiana, Couric also takes time to visit the Whitney Plantation in Wallace, which is notable for its rare look at slavery from a slave's perspective. Some of the images she shows -- including lynchings -- are unsettling. But, in a way, they get to the episode's central point, which is that the Confederate monument issue is really the symptom of a much bigger issue in America. "It's not really about a statue is it?," she asks Harvard professor Cornel West. "No," West responds. "That was just a catalyst." The six-part "America Inside Out with Katie Couric" debuts April 11 on the National Geographic Channel, with a new episode airing every Wednesday night, on such topics as "The Muslim Next Door" (airing April 18), "Your Brain on Tech" (April 25), "White Anxiety" (May 2) and "The Age of Outrage" (May 16). In his Easter message, Pope Francis called for peace in a world marked by war and conflict. Addressing tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter's Square from the central balcony of the basilica, the pope called for an end to "carnage" in the long-suffering land of Syria and "reconciliation" in the Middle East. Francis' appeal for peace came in his Urbi et Orbi message after having celebrated Easter mass in Saint Peter's Basilica. He said the message of the resurrection offers hope in a world "marked by so many acts of injustice and violence. The pope begged for peace for "the entire world, beginning with the beloved and long-suffering land of Syria, whose people are worn down by an apparently endless war." "This Easter," the pope said, "may the light of the risen Christ illuminate the consciences of all political and military leaders, so that a swift end may be brought to the carnage." Francis demanded that aid be delivered to the needy in the war-torn country and called for "fitting conditions for the return of the displaced." The U.S. government plans to collect social media history from nearly everyone who seeks entry into the United States, State Department proposals showed on Friday as part of President Donald Trump's policy of "extreme vetting." Most immigrant and non-immigrant visa applicants -- about 14.7 million people -- will be asked to list on a federal application form all of the social media identities that they have used in the past five years -- information that will be used to vet and identify them, according to the proposals. The State Department will publish the proposals in a notice in the Federal Register on Friday seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget. The public has 60 days to comment on the requests. The proposals support President Donald Trump's campaign pledge in 2016 to crack down on illegal immigration for security reasons and his call for "extreme vetting" of foreigners entering the United States. "These big flows of people are all trying to take advantage of DACA. They want in on the act!" he said in a follow-up tweet. Commentary on the Fox news channel earlier Sunday had used a headline referring to "caravans" of illegal immigrants to the U.S. "Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release," Trump wrote on Twitter Sunday morning. "Getting more dangerous. 'Caravans' coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL!" U.S. President Donald Trump called for tougher immigration laws Sunday, vowing that there would be no deal for DACA recipients. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, was enacted under the Obama administration and had allowed children brought illegally to the United States to remain here and legally study and work. The Trump administration ended the program in September, but gave Congress six months to come up with a permanent plan for the program recipients. Despite Democrats' efforts, the recent spending $1.3 trillion spending bill, signed by Trump last week, made no mention of protections for these so-called Dreamers. Democrats had called on Republican leaders to bring to a vote on the House floor a range of proposals to fix DACA. Meanwhile, federal judges have ordered the Trump administration to keep in place certain parts of DACA while legal challenges make their way through the court system. Trump had initially said that he would agree on protections for DACA recipients if Congress approved funding for a proposed wall along the U.S. southern border with Mexico. In another tweet Sunday morning, Trump blamed Mexico for "doing very little, if not NOTHING" to stop the flow of migrants into the United States, threatening to "stop" the North American Free Trade Agreement. Officials from the U.S., Canada and Mexico are supposed to meet in the United States next month for the eighth round of talks about NAFTA, although Washington has not announced dates yet. U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he may "postpone" the signing of a revised free trade agreement with Seoul until after negotiations about the scrapping of North Korea's nuclear weapons program are finalized. Speaking at an event in front of blue-collar workers in Richfield, Ohio, Trump said, "You know why? Because it's a very strong card." A day earlier Trump had described the revisions as a "wonderful deal with a wonderful ally," now he seems to want more from the South. It is unclear whether that is for more concessions in paying for the upkeep of the U.S. Forces Korea or for making sure that Seoul is on the same side with the hawkish U.S. approach to North Korea. White House national security adviser nominee John Bolton and other hawks in the U.S. government are pushing for a speedy, "Libyan" style solution of "complete, verifiable and irreversible" denuclearization of North Korea. But a key Cheong Wa Dae official met with reporters on Friday and said, "I believe a 'Libyan' style solution to North Korea would be impossible. The matter of verification and dismantlement of nuclear weapons has to be settled in stages." The official added, "The North Korean nuclear dilemma has existed for 25 years and we cannot end the problem by simply pulling the plug as if we are turning off the television." Trump said his planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will be "interesting" and added, "If it's no good, we're walking, and if it's good, we will embrace it." Deportation of Haitian Immigrants An Inhumane Policy of the Biden Administration The Biden Administration is deporting thousands of Haitians back to a country that it had officially recognized as unsafe for repatriation Haiti Residents Still Struggling in Aftermath of Deadly Earthquake Some have called the situation in Haiti a forgotten disaster. Thats because it appears that much of the western world hasnt bothered to call to mind what residents in the... U.S. President Donald Trump in a bizarre speech in Ohio last Thursday compared the U.S-Mexican border with the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. "We spend billions of dollars in other countries maintaining their borders, and we can't maintain our borders in our own country," he told a handpicked audience of blue-collar workers in Ohio. "Is there something a little bit wrong with that?" "We have a border at Korea. We have a wall of soldiers. We don't get paid very much for this, do we?" he added. "You look at that. Nobody comes through. But our own border, we don't take care of it," he added. Trump is increasingly frustrated by his failure to get anyone to pay for a border wall with Mexico he has promised his supporters. In front of audiences who know no better, he has also frequently accused South Korea of being a freeloader that is not paying enough to defend itself. "We spend billions and billions of dollars. Look, North and South Korea -- 32,000 soldiers, the finest equipment, barbed wire all over the place," he said. There are fears that the U.S. will ask South Korea to bear a heavier burden for the upkeep of the U.S. Forces Korea during the ongoing talks on defense cost sharing. The first round of high-level talks was held in Hawaii on March 7 and the second round is expected to be held in Seoul around April 10. South Korea and the U.S. belatedly started their annual joint military drills on Sunday after postponing them for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Pyeongchang. Two large U.S. amphibious assault ships are participating in a landing drill that is being staged in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province until next Sunday. The USS Wasp (LHD-1), a 41,000-ton amphibious assault ship, is making its debut in the drill, carrying F-35B stealth vertical take-off and landing aircraft. The Russian government last week said it is "not yet" considering a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, according to the TASS news agency. "So far, a Russian-North Korean summit is not on the agenda. The Russian president has no such plans," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last Wednesday. What is "under consideration" instead is a visit from North Korea's top diplomat, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the following day. "Things are currently under consideration but it is possible to say that the visit is an immediate prospect," she told reporters. But she hinted that a meeting between Kim and Putin could eventually be on the cards, saying, "We consider equal and mutually beneficial contacts between countries as an important aspect of international relations. We believe any activity that may ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula should be welcome." Former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il flew to Moscow and to meet with then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in May 2011. A 455-ton Korean fishing boat was hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea off the western equatorial coast of Africa last week. The whereabouts of three South Korean crewmembers -- the captain, a mate, and an engineer -- have been unknown for six days. The tuna fishing trawler Marine 711 was reportedly hijacked on March 26 by nine armed pirates, who were chased by a Nigerian Navy vessel but escaped. After a warning broadcast from the Nigerian Navy, the pirates moved valuables and the three Korean crew from the fishing boat into their speedboat and fled to the maritime border between Benin and Nigeria. The 42 Ghanaian crewmembers, who were released, arrived at Ghana's Tema Harbor two days later. Some of them are being treated at a hospital for injuries they suffered in the assault. A homeowner in Eastmoreland, where an effort is underway to form a protected historic district, might have found a way to give himself 1,000 times as much say on the matter. Residents of the Southeast Portland neighborhood don't get to vote, but a majority of property owners can block the district by filing notarized objections with the National Park Service, which oversees the National Register of Historic Places. So homeowner Patrick Cummings divided the ownership of his property between 1,000 trusts, giving Cummings -- as trustee for each --1,000 opportunities to object. State officials say the tactic could actually work. The state attorney general's office told the State Historic Preservation Office, which is processing the application, that multiple trusts create multiple owners under Oregon law. The Eastmoreland Neighborhood Association led the effort to have a portion of the neighborhood listed on the National Register in an effort to prevent homes from being demolished and replaced. The effort sharply divided the neighborhood. Hundreds of homeowners objected to the proposal, which they said would encroach on property rights. A neighborhood poll conducted by mail ended with 666 (48 percent) voting in favor and 702 (51 percent) against, with 19 respondents expressing no opinion. The neighborhood association decided to press on. Cummings said he was driven to divvy up his property because he believes the nomination process is unfair to homeowners, particularly when tied to land-use restrictions. "The national process is one of 'negative consent,' and thus all neighbors are assumed to be in favor of the listing unless they sign a notarized objection," Cummings said in an email. "It's deeply, profoundly unfair and anathema to anyone who believes in democratic processes to control decision-making in our society." The trusts are numbered HDB Trust 1 through 1000. Cummings said "HDB" stands for "Historic District Balancing." Derek Blum, founder of Historic Eastmoreland Achieving Results Together, a group in support of the district, said Cummings is the one subverting democracy. "This is a dangerous affront to the democratic process, and if allowed by state and federal agencies, these underhanded acts will give any single objector that forms enough trusts the ability to sink any historic district nomination," Blum said in a statement. Cummings said he intended to file objections on behalf of each of the trusts, but that it might be prohibitively expensive to have 1,000 objections notarized. The state submitted the nomination to the National Parks Service last year but withheld its endorsement, citing discrepancies in the count of property owners within the proposed district's boundaries. It was returned to the state for corrections. The State Historic Preservation Office is now recounting property owners and objections already on file before resubmitting the application to the National Parks Service. It continues to accept objections, letters of support and withdrawals of earlier objections until the parks service makes a final ruling. If the historic district is recognized, Portland would require a formal hearing process before any historically significant building could be demolished. Other "non-contributing" properties -- in Eastmoreland's case, any home built after 1961, for example -- would initially have no constraints. And new buildings would not have to fit in with the rest of the neighborhood. Rules for all properties aimed at preserving the architectural character of the neighborhood could come later, though, drafted through a land-use process that would require City Council approval. -- Elliot Njus enjus@oregonian.com 503-294-5034 @enjus Updated: April 2, 8:55 a.m. An SUV carrying an Oregon family may have intentionally sped off a cliff along the coast of California, killing at least five people, law enforcement officials confirmed Monday to The Oregonian/OregonLive. Data taken from the software of the GMC Yukon driven by the Hart family shows the vehicle came to a complete stop at Route 1 pullout near the town of Westport, the California Highway Patrol said. The SUV then sped off the edge of scenic rock face and plunged 100 feet below. That information combined with the fact that there were no skid marks at the scene has led investigators to believe the crash was no accident, authorities said. "Based on the information we have at this time, we believe this crash may have been intentional" California Highway Patrol Officer Olegario Marin told The Oregonian/OregonLive Monday. Jennifer and Sarah Hart, both 38, were found dead in their overturned SUV at the bottom of a cliff below a pullout on Highway 1 on March 26. Three of their six children -- Markis, 19; Abigail, 14; and Jeremiah, 14 -- were also found dead at the site. Devonte, 15; Hannah, 16; and Sierra, 12, are still missing, though authorities believe they were in the SUV as well. The search for the missing children has become a "recovery effort," CHP told KATU News. The Harts six children were all adopted from southeast Texas. The family gained some level of fame when a photo taken during a 2014 Portland protest of Devonte Hart hugging a police officer with tears streaming down his face went viral. But the family's public appearance may not have matched what was happening in their home. Court records show that in April of 2011, while living in Minnesota, Sarah Hart plead guilty to abusing Abigail Hart and was sentenced to a year of probation for misdemeanor domestic assault. And earlier this month, the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services opened a Child Protective Services investigation which identified the Hart children as "potential victims of alleged abuse or neglect." News reports Saturday said the vehicle's speedometer was "pinned" at 90 mph. While it has previously been reported that Jennifer Hart was discovered in the driver's seat, Baarts told NBC News that CHP has not determined which woman was driving at the time of the incident. A search warrant looking for records that may explain the crash and why the family drove to California was conducted earlier this week on the family's home. Oregonian/OregonLive staff writer Shane Dixon Kavanaugh contributed to this report. -- Lizzy Acker 503-221-8052 lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker A vehicle fire on Canyon Road in Beaverton on Easter Sunday "was caused by an apparent mechanical issue," Beaverton police said on Twitter. The dramatic fire was caught on camera by The Oregonian/OregonLive. According to the Beaverton Police Department, officers from Beaverton assisted Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue firefighters in controlling the blaze. The driver, a 40-year-old male, "suffered minor burns to his hands and face while attempting to retrieve items from the burning van," police said. No other injuries were reported. You can watch video of the firefighters putting out the blaze here: Firefighters just extinguished a car fire on Canyon Road just off the Sylvan exit. #PDXTraffic Video by @tbottomly pic.twitter.com/VWGLv6FR07 The Oregonian (@Oregonian) April 1, 2018 -- Lizzy Acker 503-221-8052 lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker Portland viewers who watched KATU-TV news over the weekend had plenty of chances to get a look at promotional spots featuring local anchors reading from a controversial script blasting "the troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing our country." The script was prepared by Sinclair Broadcast Group, which reportedly mandated local stations the company owns to air the promo spots. During KATU news broadcasts Saturday evening and throughout the day Sunday, two spots -- one featuring anchors Steve Dunn and Debora Knapp, the other with anchors Brian Wood and Angelica Thornton -- aired. The KATU anchors were also included in a montage that appeared on Deadspin, in which anchors from Sinclair-owned stations around the country were seen delivering the same script, word for word. The clip kicked off a viral storm that just got stronger over the weekend. As CNNMoney reported in early March, Sinclair Broadcast Group sent the script and directions to station news directors stating that "the 60- and 75-second spots should run frequently 'to create maximum reach and frequency.'" As Brian Stelter wrote: "The promo requirements are the latest reason why some Sinclair journalists are upset with the company's Maryland-based management. In recent years Sinclair's owners, the Smith family, have made several programming decisions that reflect a right-wing agenda." For example, stations owned by Sinclair air "Bottom Line With Boris," commentaries by Boris Epshteyn, who worked for Donald Trump as a campaign adviser and worked in the Trump White House. Epshteyn commentaries are generally favorable to Trump and his policies, as with his commentary -- which aired Sunday during the KATU morning news -- about the trade deal between the U.S. and South Korea being "a win" for American businesses and "our economy," not the start of a trade war. The promo spots that have aired in Sinclair-owned stations across the country require anchors to read lines that many have said echo Trump's "fake news" criticism of CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post and other media outlets whose coverage the president doesn't agree with. The script includes mentions of "the troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing our country," and the "sharing of biased and false news" on social media and in "some media outlets" that publish "fake stories" without checking facts. The script also decries some members of the media who use their platforms to "push their own personal bias and agenda," which is "extremely dangerous" to our democracy. As the edited clip from Deadspin made the rounds over the weekend, a variety of people shared their thoughts about it. And the chorus got louder Sunday night. John Oliver, who had criticized Sinclair Broadcast Group for instilling conservative bias into local news coverage in an extended segment last summer, returned to the topic in his "Last Week Tonight" broadcast on HBO Sunday. Oliver again criticized Sinclair for pushing Epshteyn commentaries, and aired part of the Deadspin clip of anchors reading from the script. "Yeah," Oliver said, with sarcasm, "nothing says, 'We value independent media' like dozens of reporters forced to repeat the same message over and over again," like "members of a brainwashed cult." (The Oliver clip includes R-rated language.) Trump, in a Monday morning tweet, didn't agree with the criticisms of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Trump wrote on Twitter: "So funny to watch Fake News Networks, among the most dishonest groups of people I have ever dealt with, criticize Sinclair Broadcasting for being biased. Sinclair is far superior to CNN and even more Fake NBC, which is a total joke." So funny to watch Fake News Networks, among the most dishonest groups of people I have ever dealt with, criticize Sinclair Broadcasting for being biased. Sinclair is far superior to CNN and even more Fake NBC, which is a total joke. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018 Sinclair Broadcast Group is also pursuing plans to buy Tribune Media Co. As Bloomberg reports: "The $3.9 billion deal, as proposed in May, would give Sinclair, which says its has 193 stations, an additional 42 stations in 33 more markets." Note: We have left phone messages requesting comment from both KATU and Sinclair Broadcast Group, and will update if and when we hear back. Update: Many have asked the question, if Sinclair-employed journalists are uncomfortable with company politics and policies why don't they just quit? Matt Pearce, national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, has been on Twitter, sharing responses from journalists who formerly worked for Sinclair. According to Pearce, he's been hearing from Sinclair veterans that their contracts penalize them if they quit. A Sinclair journalist, who has been trying to resist from inside the newsroom but who doesnt have a union explains why its so hard for TV anchors to refuse the Sinclairs editorial edicts. They have contracts that penalize them if they quit. pic.twitter.com/pFGVglxAQU Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) April 2, 2018 -- Kristi Turnquist kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he could postpone signing revisions to the free trade agreement with South Korea until he has secured a deal with North Korea. "You know why?" he asked a blue-collar audience in Richfield, Ohio. "Because it's a very strong card." It took a while for South Koreans to figure out what he meant, if indeed he meant anything. It sounded like a warning, but it was difficult to tie the South Korea-U.S. FTA with the North Korean nuclear impasse. Trump seems to be saying that if North Korean leader Kim Jong-un does not show a clear willingness to follow through on his pledge to scrap his nuclear weapons, the U.S. will put greater trade pressure on South Korea. But why should South Korea has to shoulder the responsibility for North Korea's actions? South Korea, the U.S., North Korea and China are engaged in a complicated game of diplomatic maneuvering over the North's nuclear weapons program. The world has caught a glimpse of the North Korean leader's true intentions as Kim dusted off his father's old salami-slicing tactics of eking out small tit-for-tat concessions in return for dismantling his nuclear program. Trump could be thinking that Cheong Wa Dae is ready to buy into North Korea's tactics again. The U.S. is pushing for a speedy, "Libyan" style solution of "complete, verifiable and irreversible" denuclearization of North Korea, but one Cheong Wa Dae official said Friday, "I believe a 'Libyan' style solution to North Korea would be impossible." Perhaps that was enough to fan suspicions among hawkish White House officials. The Libyan style solution has been touted by White House National Security adviser nominee John Bolton, while Cheong Wa Dae is thinking of a "package deal" involving the scrapping of the North's nuclear weapons program in exchange for a peace treaty. Trump's warning came as Cheong Wa Dae suggested yet another shift in its stance following Kim's summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Maybe Trump is only grandstanding in front of his core supporters. But maybe he is warning Moon not to side with Kim ahead of his summit. White House officials were baffled when Trump had South Korean envoys brief reporters in early March at Washington about Kim's proposal for a summit. He was seen as saying that South Korean government officials should make the announcement since they were the ones mediating the dialogue. Now he seems to be putting even more pressure on them. The North Korean nuclear impasse would be tough to solve even if the U.S. and South Korea coordinated policies like clockwork. But now, Trump has begun to treat South Korea as if it was on the same side as North Korea. But Seoul has to work with Trump, whether he is entirely rational or not. A phased approach would require a tremendous amount of time and rewards for the North at each stage of the process. Sanctions against North Korea would crumble over a few months and would be nearly impossible to resume once they are eased. But as soon as the pressure is off, Kim will no longer feel any need to scrap his nuclear weapons and missiles. It is understandable that the government is trying to keep North Korea on course. But it cannot afford to be dragged around by his demands and miss the small window of opportunity to get rid of North Korea's nuclear weapons and damage its alliance with the U.S. WorldSkills chief is city's 'top talent' From:Shine | 2018-04-02 01:29 THE prestigious WorldSkills Competition to be held in Shanghai in 2021 took a big step over the weekend. Simon Bartley, president of the Worldskills International, was presented with the foreign top talent confirmation letter, the citys human resources and social security authority said. The letter, issued by the authority, allows foreigners to apply for the R visa reserved for top personnel and talent. Bartley, who became the 100th recipient of the top talent letter, was praised for his support and guidance for the 46th WorldSkills Competition that Shanghai will host in 2021. He also serves as an honorary professor at Shanghai Publishing and Printing College. The R visa allows its holders to stay in China for 180 days at a time and make multiple entries into the country for up to 10 years. The R visa will make it easier for Bartley to come to Shanghai for research and develop the WorldSkills Competition, Bartley told the Shanghai Publishing and Printing College in an e-mail. Shanghai tops the country on the number of top talent confirmation letters issued by it till the end of March. The 100 recipients are mainly professionals invited by universities, scientific research institutions and foreign-invested research and development centers. Among the recipients are world-renowned award winners, orchestra principal conductor and directors of overseas national research institutes and laboratories. Today we issued our 100th top talent confirmation letter. Among the recipients are internationally well-known academicians and professors, research institute chiefs and executives of R&D centers, said Huang Hong, deputy director of the Shanghai Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs. They will support the citys efforts to become a center of science and innovation. Their visits and communication will also help Shanghai become a city of talent. Kathmandu, April 2 The third anniversary of devastating 7.6-magnitude earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 persons in Nepal is just three weeks away. However, hundreds of government schools which lost their buildings to the quake are still awaiting reconstruction aid from the government. Thousands of students are still continuing their classes under huts and tents. At the donors conference organised by the government exactly two months after the earthquake, Indian government promised to provide a support worth Rs 25 billion to Nepals reconstruction campaign. It was said that, Rs 5 billion from that money will be used for reconstruction of schools. But, the fund has not been released yet thanks to New Delhis reluctance to keep the promise. As per the initial agreement, the Indian government should have appointed a consultant to prepare a detailed project report. Just few months back, the Indian government informed the National Reconstruction Authority that the consultant would arrive in Kathmandu by March. However, it could not keep this promise. On the part of Nepal government, everything has been done. It has already identified 70 schools as well as the Central Library under Tribhuvan University and Patan-based National Library that will receive the Indian grant. Further, then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba signed a bilateral agreement for school reconstruction during his India trip in August last year. Around 7,500 school buildings had collapsed during the earthquake. Of them, 3,157 schools already rebuilt their buildings whereas reconstruction is underway at 2,035 schools now, according to the Authority. Kathmandu, April 2 The Japan International Cooperation Agency in Nepal says it is assisting the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) for the National Economic Census 2018 of Nepal (NEC 2018). The NEC 2018 is the first-ever economic census in Nepals history, and covers all the establishments in the territory of Nepal except some minor industrial sectors. It will begin on April 14 ad lasts till June 14. The support will be provided through a technical cooperation project named Project on Capacity Development for the implementation of Economic Census 2018 in Nepal. The project was launched last year, JICA says it has provided necessary goods and equipment worth of Rs 95.1 million to the CBS in a span of two years. Likewise, tablets, laptops and desktop computers, computer software, satellite imagery, GIS software, UPS, external hard disks, projectors, printers, plotters, monitors, air conditioners, smart phones, servers, screens, and solar power generation systems to back up the operation have been provided. Enumerators hired by CBS will be equipped by JICA with logistics including bags, caps, ball pens, stickers, writing pens, note diaries, pencils and erasers, plastic bags and t-shirts. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Home Just In Nepals Home Minister plans to mobilise drones for border security Kathmandu, April 2 Nepals Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa on Monday launched a 82-point home administration reform plan of action, in which he has proposed using drones for Nepal-India border security. The plan was unveiled in the presence of chiefs of security agencies amidst a function at the Ministry today. On the Indian side, there are security posts every kilometre, whereas the distance between two nearest posts on the Nepali side is as far as 25 kilometres, Thapa said, We do not have sufficient human resources to address this problem. Therefore, we will now use drones. The plan of action stresses protection of national unity and controlling crime, corruption, black marketing. Likewise, it aims at ensuring quick service delivery to the public. The plan proposes that each local unit have a security post and security agencies be made information technology friendly. The Minister has also promised to take initiatives to establish a dedicated authority for disaster management and promote good governance. Putin To Visit Ankara This Week For Talks With Turkish, Iranian Leaders 04/02/18 Source: RFE/RL Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to make a two-day visit to Turkey this week for talks with his Turkish and Iranian counterparts. Putin is to meet with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on April 3 as part of the Turkish-Russian High-Level Cooperation Council. The Kremlin said on April 2 that bilateral trade and economic cooperation would be discussed, along with the implementation of "joint strategic projects, in particular in the energy sector." It said the two leaders were expected to officially launch the first unit of Turkey's Akkuyu nuclear power station through a teleconference. In April 2015, Russian state nuclear energy conglomerate Rosatom began construction of the four-unit plant with an estimated cost of $20 billion. Akkuyu is Turkey's first nuclear power station on the Mediterranean, part of the hydrocarbon-poor state's drive to attain greater energy self-sufficiency. The Kremlin said that Putin and Erdogan also planned to discuss "regional and international issues, including the joint fight against terrorism and the situation in Syria," ahead of a trilateral meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rohani in Ankara on April 4. Russia, Turkey, and Iran are all deeply involved in the seven-year Syrian conflict and sponsor peace talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana. Russia, along with Iran, has given crucial military and diplomatic backing to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government throughout the war, which began with a government crackdown on protesters and has killed hundreds of thousands of people. Turkey supports rebels who want to oust Assad. Relations between Russia and Turkey soured badly after Turkish jets shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian border in November 2015, but Putin and Erdogan have taken steps to mend ties since then. Ankara is negotiating the purchase of S-400 missile defense systems from Russia, raising eyebrows among Turkey's NATO allies. With reporting by Reuters, TASS, Interfax, and AP 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. Multiple reports indicate that Sierra Leonean authorities temporarily shut down the internet after close of polls in the presidential runoff. The service has since been restored as at Sunday morning. The shutdown was also corroborated by internet censorship outfit, Open Observatory Network Interference (OONI). The group said according to google traffic statistics, there was a noticeable decrease in traffic from Sierra Leone to search. An election monitoring group, Sierra Leone Decides reported on Sunday morning that Internet Service Providers said the measure was to stop the elections body (National Electoral Commission) and affiliates from sharing results data to party affiliates. There has been no official communication on the incident as citizens continue to wait for results from the March 31 runoff that pitched the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) against the main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP). SLPPs Julius Maada Bio won the first round of voting held on March 7 but failed to secure an outright victory. APCs Samura Kamara who came second will look to overtake Maada Bio and to succeed outgoing Ernest Bai Koroma. Except for The Gambia in December 2016, presidential elections in West Africa have been held without internet disruptions. Ghana in December 2016 and Liberia in October last year. Other African countries that have blocked internet during presidential elections have justified the action as being in the interest of national security. Congo Republic, Chad, Uganda and Somalias Somaliland have all undertaken a similar measure. On the other hand, Kenya, Egypt, Angola and Rwanda have all held elections with the internet on. Source: Africanews.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A member of pressure group, Occupy Ghana, Sydney Casely-Hayford says he wouldnt have arrested Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Koku Anyidoho if he was in charge of security in the country. According to him, Anyidoho made the alleged treasonable comments because he was only seeking attention and could not have carried through his threat. For me everything that Koku said and did a few days ago, I found totally in character. I think this is what Koku is all about. If I were in charge of BNI or internal security, I would have let it go because frankly, this is who he is. I think he needs the attentionbut he has to be very careful, Casely-Hayford said. Mr Anyidoho was picked up last Tuesday by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for allegedly making some claims on public radio deemed treasonable. He had allegedly indicated that President Akufo-Addo would be overthrown because of the ratification of the controversial defence cooperation agreement between Ghana and the US saying it could spark a social revolution in Ghana. There will be a civilian coup detat. There will be a social revolution. We [NDC] are starting it on Wednesday. The movement is starting on Wednesday. Nana Addo will have sleepless nights. He will suffer diarrhoea. He said he wanted to be president, but we will make sure he is fed up on the seat, he added. He subsequently detained by the CID where he spent two nights in the custody of the Bureau of National Investigations after which he was granted bail on Friday. Speaking on Citi FMs current affairs and news analysis programme, The Big Issue on Saturday, Casely-Hayford further said Anyidohos remarks were utterly needless. I didnt like Koku, right from the beginning. I didnt like his style, aggressiveness, his boisterousness and his approach. I found all of thatungentlemanly and unsavouryThe remarks that he made, in my opinion, are completely and unfounded. There was no need for it. He could have been a little bit responsible with what he said, Casely-Hayford who is also a social commentator added. Ive not been charged Anyidoho Koku Anyidoho, has discounted claims that the Criminal Investigations Department has officially charged him with treason. According to him, the CID is still investigating his alleged crime and has not proffered any charges against him. I was only in custody and let the records state that I have not been charged. I wont go into the legality of it but I have not been charged with any offence. The police are still investigating the matter, he said in an interview on The Big Issue on Saturday. Source: Citifmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video OKLAHOMA CITY -- The state Capitol in Kentucky filled with teachers protesting pension changes and demanding generous school funding Monday, and thousands of Oklahoma educators walked out of classrooms in the latest evidence of teacher rebellion in some Republican-led states. Many Oklahoma schools were closed Monday, and districts announced plans to stay shut into Tuesday with teacher demonstrations expected to last a second day. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed legislation last week granting teachers pay raises of about $6,100, or 15 to 18 percent. But some educators -- who haven't seen a pay increase in 10 years -- say that isn't good enough and walked out. The state's largest teachers union has demanded a $10,000 pay raise for educators over three years, $5,000 for support personnel and a $75 million increase in funding this year. "If I didn't have a second job, I'd be on food stamps," said Rae Lovelace, a single mom and a third-grade teacher at Leedey Public Schools in northwest Oklahoma who works 30 to 40 hours a week at a second job teaching online courses for a charter school. Fallin on Monday praised the Oklahoma's GOP-led Legislature's achievement in approving part of what teacher's want. "Significant revenue-raising measures were approved to make this pay raise and additional school funding possible," the Republican said in a statement. "We must be responsible not to neglect other areas of need in the state such as corrections and health and human services as we continue to consider additional education funding measures. But Democratic lawmaker Collin Walke said teachers should keep up the pressure. Two separate bills pending in the Legislature to expand tribal gambling and eliminate the income tax deduction for capital gains could generate more than $100 million in additional funding each year. "I think the Republican strategy is to wait the teachers out," Walke said. Oklahoma ranks 47th among states and the District of Columbia in public school revenue per student while its average teacher salary of $45,276 ranked 49th before the latest raises, according to the most recent statistics from the National Education Association. READ MORE: Teacher pay: Search the database to find out the average teacher salary in any Pa. public schools The demonstrations were inspired by West Virginia, where teachers walked out for nine days earlier this year and won a 5 percent increase in pay. Teachers in Arizona are now considering a strike over their demands for a 20 percent salary increase. Many Arizona teachers wore red clothes to school Monday in solidarity with protests in Oklahoma and Kentucky, said Joe Thomas, president of the Arizona Education Association. National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen Garcia spoke to thousands during the rally in Oklahoma, saying lawmakers need to do more. "We are through correcting their mistakes." In Frankfort, Kentucky, teachers and other school employees chanted "Stop the war on public education." "We're madder than hornets, and the hornets are swarming today," said Claudette Green, a retired teacher and principal. Schools across Kentucky were closed, due either to spring break or to allow teachers and other school employees to attend the rally. Amid a chorus of chants from teachers rallying in the Capitol, Kentucky lawmakers considered a new state budget that includes higher spending for public education. Budget negotiators unveiled a spending plan Monday that includes increased spending for the main funding formula for K-12 schools and restored money for school buses that the state's Republican governor had proposed eliminating. The additional education spending would be paid for by a 6 percent sales tax on a host of services that had previously been tax-free. The spending and taxing proposals cleared the Senate on Monday and went to the House, which was expected to vote on the measures later Monday. READ MORE: How teacher friendly is Pennsylvania? Language arts teacher Lesley Buckner was reluctant to give lawmakers much credit. "We're sending a message," she said. "If we continue to stay united, they cannot turn away from us, they cannot turn their backs on us." The rally happened after hundreds of teachers called in sick Friday to protest last-minute changes to their pension system. Teachers have rallied several times during Kentucky's legislative session to protest the pension bill, but Monday was by far their biggest event. Republican lawmakers in Kentucky passed a pension overhaul Thursday that preserves benefits for most workers but cuts them for new teachers. The move was done in response to chronic underfunding of the state's teacher retirement system and in defiance of a powerful teachers union that vowed political retribution. Opponents objected that the pension changes were inserted into an unrelated bill without a chance for public input, and worry that the changes will discourage young people from joining the profession. Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has not yet signed the bill, but last week tweeted his support, saying public workers owe "a deep debt of gratitude" to lawmakers who voted to pass it. During Monday's rally, some teachers, angry at lawmakers who supported the bill, chanted "Vote them out." Melissa Wash, a first-grade teacher form Gallatin County who has been teaching for 19 years, said she voted for Bevin, but now plans to become a Democrat. To the lawmakers who voted for the pension overhaul, she said: "You better not count on another year in office." ___ Bruce Schreiner reported from Frankfort, Kentucky. Sean Murphy assisted with the story. AP writers Tim Talley in Oklahoma City and Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico, contributed to this report. A Pennsylvania man convicted of shooting a snake dealer and hijacking a car filled with baby pythons can't shed his 31- to 62-year prison sentence, a state Superior Court panel has ruled. In making that call, the judges shot down Rasheem Dowdy's claims that state prosecutors waited too long to bring him to trial and had illegally obtained DNA evidence. Dowdy's reptile-related crime occurred on Jan. 22, 2012 in a parking lot outside Church's Chicken Restaurant in Woodlyn, Delaware County. Judge Jacqueline O. Shogan wrote in the state court's opinion that Bucks County snake breeder Mark Haas went to the eatery to rendezvous with a man who had arranged to buy 20 baby ball pythons for $12,600. Haas told police he was in the driver's seat of his parked vehicle when he heard someone say, "Throw down the keys." Hass complied, but was shot in the chest when he ran around to the passenger side. The gunman drove off with the snakes. Right after the shooting, Ridley Township Police received a report of a reckless driver. Haas' badly damaged car was soon found abandoned. Police followed footprints in the snow from the crash site and found two discarded pistols, a jacket and a scarf. One of the handguns was found to have fired the shot that hit Haas. It had been reported stolen seven years earlier. Police then connected Dowdy, 38, to the cell phone number of the customer who had arranged to buy the snakes. By the time that evidence was amassed Dowdy, an Allentown resident, was being held in a prison in New York pending prosecution in a child-sex case. Pennsylvania authorities arranged to have a DNA sample taken from Dowdy at the New York prison. The sample matched DNA found on the recovered clothing police said. Delaware County authorities charged Dowdy with Haas' shooting in April 2012. Because of his New York charges, officials in that state refused to extradite Dowdy to Pennsylvania until after he pleaded guilty to a child endangerment charge in the New York case in July 2013. Dowdy was tried in the Delaware County case in February 2015 and convicted of attempted murder, robbery, aggravated assault and carrying a firearm without a license. He claimed on appeal to the Superior Court that Delaware County officials violated his rights by not bringing him to trial within 365 days of his arrest in the Haas case. That failure should trigger his release, he insisted. No, it won't, Shogan concluded. She noted that, while 1,027 days elapsed between when Dowdy was charged and tried for shooting Haas, the delay was reasonable given the extradition issue. So, the 365-day rule wasn't really breached, Shogan found. Nor did she buy Dowdy's argument that the securing of his DNA sample violated New York law. The procuring of that sample was done according to Pennsylvania law, which was proper since Dowdy and the shooting victim were Pennsylvania residents and the crimes occurred in the Keystone State, Shogan found. Rebecca Kinney has been a senior field tester for FirstEnergy Corp., in northern Pennsylvania, for 29 years. The majority of that time, Kinney has been the only female on the job. In January, Kinney did something out of character even for her: She entered the race for the 111th state House district, which covers Wayne and Susquehanna counties in the northeastern tip of the state. A first-time candidate, Kinney, 59, is running unopposed as a Democrat in an historically Republican district. She is among the growing slate of progressive women - statewide and across the country - who in the wake of the 2016 election have entered a political race. With Democrats looking to score big wins in the November midterms, the roster of progressive candidates, particularly women, stands at what pundits say are unprecedented levels. Since 2016, approximately 34,000 women have contacted the non-profit organization Emily's List, an advocacy group that supports progressive female candidates. "Women are done taking it from leaders and politicians who aren't looking out for their best interest and the best interest of families," said Alexandra De Luca, an Emily's List spokeswoman. "We are seeing women in Pennsylvania coming out and taking action and deciding it's not enough to call Congress or go to a march. They understand that the best way to help families and the community is to run for office." Of the nearly 100 candidates who have entered Congressional races in Pennsylvania, 23 are women. On the Democratic side, 98 women are registered to run for the state House and 13 have filed to run for the state Senate. On the Republican side, 47 women are running in legislative races; one in a congressional race. Women are also vying for their party's nomination in the primary in the race for governor and lieutenant governor. Nationally, approximately 390 women are running for a U.S. House seat; 49 for U.S. Senate. Nina Ahmad (top left), Laura Ellsworth (top right), Chrissy Houlahan (bottom left) and Jess King are just four among the unprecedented number of women running in the 2018 election cycle. For many of these candidates an overriding fact underscores their motivation: All 18 members of Pennsylvania's U.S. House delegation and both U.S. Senators are male. In the state Legislature, women account for only nine of the 50 members of the Senate and 40 of the 200 seats in the House. The gender card, they say, is an inherent part of their candidacy. "I don't know how you separate them," said Jess King, who has been endorsed by Democracy for America for her primary bid to become the Democratic nominee in the 11th Congressional District, which covers Lancaster County and parts of York County. "Part of the incentive is the fact that in a congressional delegation of 18 we have one person of color and no women. When I thought about that as a woman and as a mother of two daughters whom I'm daily encouraging that there are no limits ... I want to be part of shattering that in Pennsylvania." The uptick in female candidates heading into the midterms is often compared to that of the 2016 general election, which saw 167 women on the general election ballot as candidates for the U.S. House and 16 for the Senate. (Both numbers pale in comparison to the current numbers of women running.) Dan Fee, a Democratic consultant from Philadelphia, argues that a better comparison is the high water mark of the 1992 election, which came in the wake of the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill hearings. Dubbed "Year of the Woman," that election ushered in two dozen new women to the U.S. House and four to the U.S. Senate. Then like now, women were galvanized by a slew of social and cultural forces. READ MORE: Here are some of the fresh faces running in 2018 Pa. primary "This year feels like that to me," Fee said. "There is a national conversation going on . . . It feels the same. It's not localized and it's not narrow. It's a very broad conversation." Another difference: The quality of the candidates, something Fee said was reflected in the fundraising. "The enthusiasm that I'm hearing from the women donor community is, I think, unprecedented. Pennsylvania has such a rotten record of supporting female candidates ... that I think it's a little pent-up energy here." State Rep. Madeleine Dean, a Montgomery County Democrat vying for the newly redrawn 4th Congressional District in suburban Philadelphia, said it feels like a historical moment. Dean launched her political career after watching former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona survive a 2011 assassination attempt. Dean won her 2012 legislative bid, and then in 2016 Hillary Clinton's failed presidential bid proved another pivotal moment for her. "That was a defining moment for lot of people," Dean said. "I think a lot of women you see running now feel that person, as qualified as she was, ran unsuccessfully and that the person who was so poorly qualified was successful. That certainly was a catalyst for me." Indeed, a confluence of social factors has energized women to run, among them the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements but most notably the progressive resistance movement that emerged in the wake of the election of President Donald Trump. Pennsylvania saw no fewer than 350 resistance groups - local chapters of "Indivisible" and "Pantsuit Nation" - form loose coalitions. At first, these groups organized rallies and marches, but more recently, they have translated marching into action, banding together under the banner of Pennsylvania Together to support candidates to run for office, especially in districts that had no progressives slated to run. Across central Pennsylvania, for instance, the majority of women running for state House and Senate seats were recruited from the activist community. "It's pretty amazing," said Alissa Packer of Camp Hill, a Pennsylvania Together leader. "I don't think many of the women in state races have been candidates before and many didn't even think about it until few weeks ago. Part of it is just seeing a good number of men in power abusing power or being charged with sexual misconduct or not working to improve life from our perspective. You run for office because a job needs to get done. The women running are running to get a job done and make positive change." The remapping of the state's congressional districts has transformed Republican strongholds into more competitive districts. The U.S. Supreme Court last week refused to take up a challenge filed by Republican lawmakers. The newly minted and more competitive political landscape has progressive-leaning female candidates feeling confident they can win in the May primary and the November midterms. In 2017, progressives clinched a slate of wins across municipal elections, demonstrating results heading into November. Most notably, the upset win in March by political novice Conor Lamb in a special election for Southwestern Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district offered an early sign that Democrats can win areas once considered GOP strongholds. "We are in an unprecedented political moment," King said. "Even in heavily Republican districts a lot is up in the air. What I've learned is that people are interested in my values. They are interested in common sense approaches for dealing with challenges in front of us." The upcoming primary has another different feel to it: the old modus operandi may not cut it. "I think there is a strong feeling overall that bossism politics isn't going to work in 2018," Fee said. "That bossism, for lack of a better term, that party hierarchy, that 'we know best' is not going to work this year. The people who do this for a living do have experience. They do have insight and skill ... that makes sense ... but does that work this year? I don't know." Pennsylvania's congressional delegation - 18 House members and two U.S. Senators - is an all-male fraternity. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Shavonnia Corbin-Johnson, a first-time candidate in the Democratic primary field in the race for the 10th Congressional District, said her candidacy is resonating with minorities and particularly young people - something, she said, that amounts to a win no matter the outcome in May. "That's one of my goals ... getting people engaged in the political process," said Corbin-Johnson, who is 26. Corbin-Johnson says the anti-Trump resistance movement has had everything to do with her candidacy. "I think it's safe to say the women's movement was my gateway into the political world," Corbin-Johnson said. "I think the women's movement opened the eyes of people around the U.S. to the fact that we do have a lack of female representation." Many of these candidacies are finding fuel in President Trump's historically low approval numbers. "It's a David and Goliath situation," said Nina Ahmad, a candidate in the Democratic primary for the lieutenant governor's race. "If David doesn't stand up to Goliath, we are going to keep being in this place," Ahmad said. "We need to have a real shift in this country. What I came to this country for is slipping away. . . . We need to get that sense of unity back to fight for things . . . especially for vulnerable and marginalized." Ahmad, a former Philadelphia deputy mayor, had launched a bid to challenge longtime Rep. Bob Brady, a fellow Democrat from the 1st Congressional District. But after that district was eliminated under the newly drawn congressional map, Ahmad took the social and political capital she had amassed and jumped into the lieutenant governor's race. The primary contest features nine candidates, including incumbent Democratic Lt. Gov. Mike Stack among the five Democrats and on the other side, four Republicans. Aryanna Berringer of Westmoreland County and Lancaster County Commissioner Craig Lehman have withdrawn as candidates. For these women candidates, history is the uphill battle, said Chris Borick, professor of political science and director of the Institute of Public Opinion at Muhlenberg College in Allentown. "Pennsylvania has a woeful record in electing women to political offices. We are simply abysmal in terms of the track record," he said. In a ranking of women in the state legislatures by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, Pennsylvania placed 39. But if outcomes of early primaries, such as that of Texas, and even in the 18th congressional district here in Pennsylvania, are an indication, the midterms are poised to be swayed by sectors of an electorate that haven't been engaged in some time. "We aren't going to see a sea change or parity, but when you have zero women in your Congressional delegation there is nothing but upward potential," Borick said. The midterm election could also see an unprecedented number of young female voters inspired to vote by the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. "That's a game changer," Borick said. "If you did bring in a higher level of young women voters into electorate and their voting patterns mirror others there ... you would see some major impacts on results." Voter turnout in the 2016 election kept pace with recent trends: The majority of voters were older, wealthier and more educated; 70 percent of those over 70 voted. By contrast, only 43 percent of those under 25 voted, according to the Pew Research Center. No doubt, the so-called pink wave is grounded in the progressive left. Of the 22 women running in congressional contests, only one - Pearl Kim, who is running in the 5th Congressional District - is Republican. The themes out of the women's tide, however, resonate among Republican candidacies. GOP Gubernatorial candidate Laura Ellsworth says she is not framing her candidacy by the gender card, but she does distinguish herself from her two male opponents. "Women are good at getting things done," said Ellsworth, a lawyer from Pittsburgh. "I think many organizations will say that if you want to get things done, give it to a woman, give to a busy woman and it will get done. In many of our lives that is something we have had to do. We take on ourselves roles to be mothers, business leaders, civic leaders and church leaders. We take on all of those roles at the same time and as a result we have to be exceptionally good." Sullivan County Commissioner Donna Iannone remains stoked at the momentum fueling female candidacies. A Democrat who is running in the primary for the state 110th legislative district, Iannone says she isn't daunted by the 2 to 1 Republican to Democrat registration in her district. The winner of Democratic primary will face GOP incumbent Rep. Tina Pickett in November. Iannone is confident that as a woman, she is well equipped to work across party lines. "We are able to work in more bipartisan manner to get things done. That's just my personal opinion," said Iannone, who needed 200 signatures to get on the ballot and got 600. "I think we can work together to solve problems rather than drawing a line in the sand." Kinney, the utility worker vying for the 111th state House district, said she has been overwhelmed at the level of support from her party. She is hopeful that she can reach across the political aisle and, in particular, appeal to Republican women. "There are issues that are important to women that are not party driven," Kinney said, speaking from her home in Susquehanna County. "Everybody wants to be paid what they're worth. They want to be paid the same as a man for doing the same work." Fort Indiantown Gap has announced it will conduct several live fire exercises during the month of April. Exercises include mortars training on April 6-7, demolitions training on April 6-8, artillery training on April 10-11, and mortars training again in April 28-29. All the exercises will be conducted between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m., officials said. Fort Indiantown Gap is the only live-fire, maneuver military training facility in Pennsylvania. It serves as headquarters to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and Pennsylvania National Guard and offers more than 17,000 acres and 140 training areas and facilities for year-round training. The installation supports 20,000 Pennsylvania National Guard personnel and more than 120,000 personnel from other branches of service, multinational partners and interagency partners at the federal, state and local level. For more information visit the Fort Indiantown Gap web site, follow its Facebook page, or call the installation's community information line at 717-861-2007 to hear a recorded message with dates and times of community activities and training events. Ollie's Bargain Outlet is looking to buy toys and lease space in the wake of the recent store closing announcement by Toys 'R' Us. While not directly mentioning Toys 'R' Us in the ad, Ollie's says it wants to buy excess toy inventory as a result of cancelled or delayed orders, over-productions, discontinued items and overstocks in an advertisement in today's Wall Street Journal. "We see an opportunity to do business that is mutually beneficial to those who may need to offload merchandise, so we are just reminding folks that we are here and have the funds available to purchase this merchandise, as well as the logistical expertise to act quickly to take possession of the goods," said a statement from Mark Butler, Ollie's president and CEO, on the company web site. "There are financial and other reasons why companies affected may need to liquidate. If that's the case, we want them to know that we are ready and willing to talk," Butler said. Jerry Altland, Ollie's vice president of real estate, said the ad was prompted by the impending closing of Toys 'R' Us stores. He said Ollie's will be looking for properties to convert into new stores, which would not only sell toys but the company's full line of products. Altland said he can't say how many properties Ollie's would be interested in, or how may jobs could be created. "If we open stores, we have to hire people to run them. Right now we don't know what's available out there," Altland said. "There are a lot of stores closing, and there are lot of opportunities. That's where we're looking." Ollie's 272 stores now stretch south to Florida and west to Louisiana and Arkansas. The company, which went public in 2015, hit $1 billion in sales for the first time in 2017. Toys 'R' Us announced March 14 it is planning to sell or close all 800 of its stores in the U.S., following bankruptcy filing six months ago. The company has struggled to pay down nearly $8 billion in debt - much of it dating back to a 2005 leveraged buyout - and has had trouble finding a buyer. Key to Ollie's success in the past 36 years, Altland said, is "Buy stuff cheap and sell it cheap." In addition to excess toy merchandise, Ollie's is also looking for new store leasing opportunities across 21 states up and down the east coast. Those who know of vacant sites are invited to call Jerry Altland, Vice President of Real Estate at jaltland@ollies.us. Ollie's is looking to buy toys in these categories: games, plush, preschool, dolls, remote control, die cast, crafts, balls, puzzles, bicycles, ride ons, action figures, and more. Ollie's Bargain Outlet, founded in 1982, famous for its slogan "Good Stuff Cheap," is one of the nation's largest retailers of closeout and excess inventory. The driving force behind Ollie's was the late Mort Bernstein, who brought the business model of a discount Boston chain to the Harrisburg area. He opened his first story on the Carlisle Pike in 1982, and his partners Harry Coverman and Oliver E. Rosenberg, real estate guru, contributed to the company's success. Rosenberg's caricature became the face of the company. Mark Butler of Carlisle, current majority shareholder and Ollie's president and CEO since 2003, has steered the company's expansion. Those with merchandise to liquidate are invited to contact: Editor's note: In another installment of "What Were We Thinking?", our series of occasional editorials tied to game-changing moments in American history, we revisit what our predecessors had to say about the assassination, 50 years ago this week, of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. This editorial originally ran April 10, 1968 in the Patriot-News. THEY BURIED Martin Luther King in Atlanta yesterday, but they did not bury his dream. "It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream," he had declared in his eloquent address less than five years ago in Washington. "I have a dream that, one day, this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'" To Martin Luther King, these were not merely words on a faded parchment in the National Archives Building in Washington. And he died, as he lived, trying to make these words a reality. In Atlanta, where they buried him; in Memphis where he was murdered; in Harrisburg and in cities and towns all over the country, citizens of good will, citizens of all creeds and colors, marched together and mourned. It is right that they did so. But it is not enough. "It is," in the words spoken at Gettysburg by another man martyred in the cause of freedom, "for us, the living, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work ... It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause to which they gave the last, full measure of devotion." IT IS A CAUSE not merely of the Negro, but of all America. Those who resort to violence desecrate the memory of this man of nonviolence. Those who say that the answer to despair is delay; to one kind of injustice, another kind to bigotry, burning; to burning, suppression, these are the killers of the dream, and they must not be allowed to triumph. There are things we all can do. We can, for one, insist as citizens that our Congress end its delay on a civil rights bill designed to widen the rights and opportunities of all Americans to buy and sell and rent homes, to serve on juries, to travel and use public accommodations. Congress and the Administration should provide more facilities for, and more thrust behind, the efforts to help people help themselves. But national legislation is not the only way. In our communities, we can do more, much more than we have done. We can, instead of telling people why we cannot act, or how long it takes, act, and quickly, to do such things as knocking down condemned homes, collecting garbage regularly and providing sewer service and clean water. And we can do something, each of us, in our own lives. Is it asking too much that we love one another? Then let us, at least, try to understand each other. Let there be an end to the violence of hatred, as well as the violence of deed. Let us uphold the law, but let us also establish justice in the land. Bottles of Stella Artois beer are seen on display at Dixie Liquors, Monday July 14, 2008, in Washington. Stella Artois today announced a voluntary recall of select packages containing 11.2-ounce (330ml) bottles of Stella Artois beer that may contain particles of glass. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Lawrence Jackson Apps on a smart phone are shown in Mississauga, Ont., on Monday, November 13, 2017. Canada's push toward fifth-generation wireless technology promises network upgrades that could enable everything from powering complex new technologies to closing the digital divide. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette Mounties swarmed 377 Winnipeg St. in September to arrest a man who was wanted for failing to serve an intermittent jail sentence. Some people living in the area were disappointed to see police leave so quickly. A wild rabbit grazes in Nanaimo, B.C. in this Feb.2, 2018 photo. A disease that is deadly to rabbits has prompted the Vancouver Island Rabbit Breeders Association to cancel its annual show. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dirk Meissner Minister of Indigenous Services Jane Philpott rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. Canada's Indigenous services minister says Ottawa has fully complied with the orders of a 2016 ruling from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal which said the federal government discriminates against Indigenous children. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang FILE - In this file photo taken on Tuesday, March 27, 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, listens to locals and relatives of the victims of a fire in a multi-storey shopping center in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, about 3,000 kilometers (1,900 miles) east of Moscow, Russia. The deaths of over 50 people in the March 25, 2018, fire has torment their loved ones and left questions about the state of Russia. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File) This photo from remote camera video provided by the Los Angeles Department of Sanitation shows where 13-year-old Jesse Hernandez traced an arc with his fingers, the small arc at center left, as he was swept through a 4-foot diameter pipe after falling into a hole in Griffith Park in Los Angeles Monday, April 2, 2018. Hernandez spent more than 12 hours in the toxic environment of the sewer system before being rescued. (Los Angeles Department of Sanitation via AP) FILE Ai In this Nov. 6, 2017, file photo, rapper Meek Mill arrives at the Criminal Justice Center in Philadelphia. Meek Mill's lawyers have asked the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to remove Philadelphia Judge Genece Brinkley from his case, blasting her conduct as unprofessional, and replace her with another judge, as part of a Friday, June 1, 2018, court filing. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) Pirates play to win against Blackcats Perryville football has had a flair for the dramatic this season. This past week was no different as they held on late for a 21-14 victory over Fredericktown on Friday at Pirate Stadium. Perryville St. Vincent keeps foot on the gas in victory St. Vincent made quick work of Herculaneum in week four. The Indians got off to a quick start and kept it rolling as they dispatched of the Blackcats 49-0 on Friday at Herculaneum High School. That Guyana need Technical training a key to development Education Minister By Kaieter News GEORGETOWN Petroleumworld 04 03 2018 A variety of training needs will have to be met if Guyana is to be a viable nation of the 21st century. This observation was recently made by Minister of Education, Ms. Nicolette Henry, when she addressed a retreat held by the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training [CTVET]. Indeed she recognised that CTVET has already started to play a major role in helping to realise Guyana's ambitious training goals. She, moreover, applauded the members of the CTVET for their bravery and for understanding and embracing the change that needs to happen so that they can face the increasing demands for training. In her deliberation at the forum, too, Minister Henry stressed how important it is for the CTVET to include in its work plan, in a very meaningful way, the opportunity to nurture and develop soft skills. I trust that you will use your energy and your expertise in that area. That is a much needed inclusion which I believe, if properly harnessed, can improve operational efficiency and efficacy of this important sector, said Henry as she addressed those gathered at the retreat at Cara Lodge, Quamina Street, Georgetown. The retreat, which was deliberately convened to emphasise the important role of TVET, was held under the theme: Strategic thinking for improved delivery of Competency Based Education and Training [CBET] programmes in Guyana. As she embraced the theme, Minister Henry noted the increasing importance of the CTVET to enable Guyana to take its new place in the world. I trust that this retreat will give you the roadmap and action plans to be able to reach out to the wider community, including: internal stakeholders, the private sector and the employers of industries, other training institutions, government agencies and non-governmental organisations that are involved in providing training skills and work force development, the Minister added. She went on to highlight that training programmes need to be developed to cater to the new emerging industries and skill areas that Guyana's workforce is waiting to join. From increased skills and qualifications in the expanding agriculture sector in mechanised farming to eco-tourism management and training strategies to guarantee the future proofing of the Guyanese work force in the emerging oil and gas industries. Meanwhile, CTVET Councillor, Archibald Clifton, in explaining the aim of the retreat said that there are 17 specific functions of the Council. These, he said, include: monitoring the technical and vocational education and training of apprentices; to establish national training standards and performance testing; to approve registered training organisations as supervising entities and to monitor all registered technical institutes and other tertiary institutions and regulate their facilities. Some of the major areas for consideration at the retreat that were highlighted by Clifton were the staffing complement of the CTVET, the vulnerability of the CTVET due to increase demand for its services and how CTVET intends to meet the demand for an increase in the services provided. Also addressing the forum was Chairman of CTVET, Mr. Clinton Williams. In his remarks, he made it clear that moves are already apace to address the stigma that is attached to Technical and Vocational Education. This, he said, is being addressed with the empowerment phenomena, which could be promoted through entrepreneurship. He, moreover, added that work needs to be done to improve the role of private and public sectors substantially in advancing the role of TVET. Williams said too, that TVET needs to be strengthened its relationship with regional and global partners. In delivering an overview of the Council's work, Senior TVET Officer, Mr. Jerry Simpson, said that in 2015, training in TVET saw 467 National Vocational Certificates, 521 in 2016, and 475 Caribbean Vocational Certificates and 151 National Vocational Certificates. Story by from Kaieter News Kaieteurnewsonline.com 04 03 2018 Copyright 1999-2018 Petroleumworld or respective author or news agency. All rights reserved. We welcome the use of Petroleumworld (PW) stories by anyone provided it mentions Petroleumworld.com as the source. Other stories you have to get authorization by its authors. Internet web links to http://www.petroleumworld.com are appreciated. Petroleumworld welcomes your feedback and comments, share your thoughts on this article, your feedback is important to us! We invite all our readers to share with us their views and comments about this article. Write to editor@petroleumworld.com By using this link, you agree to allow PW to publish your comments on our letters page. Any question or suggestions, please write to: editor@petroleumworld.com Best Viewed with IE 5.01+ Windows NT 4.0, '95, '98,ME,XP, Vista, Windows 7,8,10 +/ 800x600 pixels Make fiscal concessions for oil part of law, no one-on-one negotiations - Int'l group says By Kaieter News GEORGETOWN Petroleumworld 04 03 2018 A sustainable oil and gas sector must be underpinned by a system which ensures that there is hardly any room for manipulation or collusion for personal gains. This is according to the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI). This is an international body which provides expert advice to administrations around the world as it relates to getting the best deals and arrangements out of extractive sectors. The Institute notes that there are several characteristics of a strong, fiscal regime governing an oil and gas sector. In listing some of these, the Institute said that Members of Parliamentarian (MPs) should set fiscal instruments through laws rather than individual contracts. It said that negotiated, rather than standardized fiscal regimes, are prevalent in the extractive sector. In this regard, it noted that setting fiscal regimes through laws increases transparency and accountability, because contracts are more likely to be kept secret. Also, the Institute said that negotiations bring additional opportunities for corruption or manipulation. Additionally, if the applicable fiscal regime varies from contract to contract, NRGI said it can make monitoring onerous and frustrate the efforts of policymakers to carry out policy reforms. The international group stated, too, that fiscal regimes should divide risk appropriately between the investor and the state. Uncertainty, it articulated, is inherent in the extractive sector. It said that oil, gas and mineral projects may encounter technical challenges or be affected by unexpected price increases or contractions. As such, the Institute stressed that the fiscal regime should ensure that the state does not end up bearing a share of risk disproportionate to its expected return. It said, too, that the state should be compensated for the loss of resources, regardless of the profitability of a given operation. NRGI said that this is because oil, gas and mineral resources are finite. It stressed that fiscal instruments such as baseline royalties provide a guaranteed return for the state even if a project runs losses. The Institute also noted that transparency and consistency can help strengthen the state's position. In this regard, the body noted, The extractive industries are characterized by significant asymmetries between states and private actors. States own the resources and thus have real bargaining power. However, companies often have more information about the specific parameters of extractive projects and are more sophisticated in tax planning, which can give them the upper hand in negotiations. Furthermore, NRGI stressed that fiscal regimes should be progressive. In this regard, it noted that extractive projects can generate substantial rents. It pointed out that rents (sometimes called windfall tax) are the financial returns above those a company requires to make the investment profitable. NRGI stressed that mechanisms to measure and tax a share of windfalls can enhance state returns in times of high profits and adjust to allow for adequate company returns during times of low profits. OVERSIGHT The Natural Resource Governance Institute also believes that parliamentarians must ensure strict oversight of the oil and gas sector. The independent nonprofit organization stressed in a parliamentary briefing that parliamentarians should also exercise their oversight role to ensure that good deals are made in the extractive sector. NRGI said, Through their oversight role, parliamentarians should ensure that all legislation affecting the fiscal elements of oil, gas and mining projects are coherent. Some countries have wrestled with inconsistencies between pieces of legislation. For example, mining laws and investment promotion laws might each spell out distinct incentives, which together may give away far too much or result in a lack of clarity as to which incentives apply. In the interest of transparency and accountability, the Organization noted that opposition parliamentarians should ask the government to provide revenue projections over the life of any major project particularly when special fiscal exemptions or incentives are granted. It also said that the Opposition MPs should request a detailed listing of all assumptions (prices, costs, etc.) upon which these projections are based. The Institute asserted, Over time, legislators should request regular reporting of revenues the state receives and compare them against these projections. NRGI stated, too, that there should also be a request for disclosure of all contracts with companies. It said that this is pertinent so that parliamentarians can access information about deals, including all the exemptions and incentives offered to companies that may deviate from those contained in generally applicable law. It stressed that contract disclosure is essential for effective parliamentary oversight. In another note to opposition parliamentarians, NRGI said that they should ask Government officials to explain the actions they take to ensure compliance with the fiscal regime, including conducting independent tax audits. After OAS diplomatic blunder, PM Rowley holds key to future relations By TT Guardian PORT SPAIN Petroleumworld 04 02 2018 The future of T&T's interaction with the regional and international community now rests with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley in the face of last month's diplomatic blunder, when this country voted against hurricane-ravaged Dominica's plea to have its contributions to the Organisation of American States (OAS) waived for the next two years. Weighing in on the controversy yesterday, political scientist Dr Maukesh Basdeo told the T&T Guardian that there was still time to mend any strained relationship caused by T&T's vote at the Regular Meeting of the Permanent Council of the OAS on March 23. He said a statement by Rowley to the country and the government and people of Dominica was the most crucial aspect of mitigating or quelling the furore. At the meeting, T&T's Permanent Representative to the OAS, retired Brigadier General Anthony Phillips-Spencer, communicated this country's alternative to the requested waiver, noting a deferral of payments should be considered and a payment plan be implemented. Dominica was battered by Hurricane Maria in September 2017 and suffered losses estimated at US$ 1.3 billion, severely damaging their tourism-based economy. Basdeo yesterday described the developments as a foreign policy disaster. He believes it was the Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Dennis Moses and his ministry that dropped the ball in providing guidance to Phillips-Spencer on T&T's position. The Dominica issue is really strange given the response T&T put forward regarding the relief efforts after Hurricane Maria. The support citizens, the private sector and the Government gave statements after the hurricane, this vote goes counter to the actions of the population and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. There seemed to have been a disconnect between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our ambassador, Basdeo said. At the end of the day, everything comes down to the Prime Minister as the head of the Cabinet. I am awaiting a statement from the Prime Minister and maybe, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This is going to give us an indication as to Trinidad and Tobago's position on this matter. He added, however, What was presented by the ambassador, that was our foreign policy position because he spoke as our representative. Whether we try to change it, the record will still stand as that was our position. A memorandum, obtained by the T&T Guardian, showed that T&T's Mission in Washington DC had suggested to the ministry that this country should support Dominica's bid. Following further correspondence between the ministry and the mission, Phillips-Spencer told the meeting that T&T had offered the proposal for consideration of deferral of payments of contributions by member states and where possible, the possibility of a payment plan. As calls for Moses dismissals continued, Basdeo said the Minister was not void of knowledge of foreign affairs, having been a career diplomat. Following criticisms locally and internationally, the ministry issued a release last Thursday stating that Rowley had requested a report and it was investigating the circumstances which led to a public official's opposing vote and misrepresentation of T&T's position during the OAS meeting. Questions sent to Rowley and Moses, which were published in the Sunday Guardian, were yet to be answered up to yesterday. T&T's vote has been condemned but a question arising from this issue was whether it was based on set foreign policy. Basdeo said while there was an issue when T&T abstained from voting on a United Nations resolution after US President Donald Trump declared Jerusalem as the capital of Israel last December, the Dominica vote was more important as it hit closer to home. S. Arabia moves to forge stronger commercial ties with Trinidad & Tobago By TT Newsday ORT SPAIN Petroleumworld 04 03 2018 As the Trinidad-Saudi Chamber of Commerce (TSCC) moves to forge stronger, commercial ties between Trinidad and Tobago and Saudi Arabia, the First Annual Trinidad-Saudi Arabia Business Forum Supporting Regional Investment Collaboration was held last Wednesday at the Hyatt Regency. In addressing the audience, acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Frances Seignoret, said, Trinidad and Tobago and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have long histories in the area of hydrocarbon development, and we are both at a cross roads, where there is an urgent need to transform our economies to meet the challenges of tomorrow. This requires a major shift in our relationship with technology, with one another and with our environment, and will ultimately shape our future well-being. Seignoret affirmed the timeliness of convening such a forum to foster greater understanding of the opportunities to be exploited on both sides resulting in concrete commitments towards a mutually beneficial partnership. The acting Permanent Secretary also highlighted the attributes of TT as an ideal investment destination and, within the framework of the National Development Strategy 2016-2030 (Vision 2030), outlined some of the initiatives and projects being undertaken to build globally competitive businesses and improve the investment climate. As the leading producer of oil and gas in the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago maintains the most favorable economic climate in the Caribbean region, marked by relatively low inflation, a stable economy, and a well-organised and robust financial system. As a result, we have earned a reputation as an excellent investment location and a premier destination in which to do business with over 400 multinational companies already established here. Shazaad Mohammed, TSCC President outlined the historical ties and similarities of both countries and identified opportunities in tourism and trade which could be of mutual benefit. Providing further insight into the vision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, keynote speaker, Dr Ebraheem Alabbady, called for greater engagement and more formalised systems to facilitate trade and investment. Petrobras plans to sell a 25 pct stake in its refineries capacity By Reuters SAO PAULO Petroleumworld 03 30 2018 Brazilian state-controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA is planning the sale of a 25 percent stake in its refinery capacity, newspaper Folha de S. Paulo reported on Saturday. Petrobras, as the company is known, would put together its refineries in two groups located in Brazils south and northeast, Folha said, without citing how it obtained the information. Petrobras said in an email to Reuters that no decision has been made yet about its refineries. Venezuela president Nicolas Maduro lands on Panama's 'high risk' money laundering list By Reuters PANAMA CITY Petroleumworld 03 30 2018 Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro along with more than 50 Venezuelan nationals are considered high risk for laundering money and financing terrorism, according to an advisory issued by Panama's economy and finance ministry. Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab and electoral board president Tibisay Lucena were also named in the advisory along with Socialist Party No. 2 Diosdado Cabello, the elder brother of late president Hugo Chavez, and 16 firms in Venezuela. The economy and finance ministry's National Commission Against Money Laundering released the list late on Thursday, following its initial announcement on Tuesday. Maduro's socialist government has repeatedly vowed to combat corruption that has plagued Venezuela and its oil industry for decades, contributing to its devastating economic collapse. But critics say the administration, despite making graft-related arrests, is still crippled by financial malfeasance. Millions of Venezuelans suffer from food and medicine shortages, and the currency has fallen 99.99 percent against the U.S. dollar on the black market since Maduro came to power in 2013. Panama's advisory calls on financial and non-financial entities in the country to redouble efforts to prevent risk in any transaction involving the listed people and companies. It's recommended... that they adopt policies and procedures of ample due diligence, says the document. In Caracas, Maduro's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The United States has slammed Caracas with a wave of sanctions and other measures to pressure Maduro for change, and is considering adding broad oil sanctions that would target the linchpin of Venezuela's economy. Shanghai 's crude oil futures contract should confound the sceptics: Kemp China Xinhua News Shanghai crude future meeting a hedging need and atracting speculators By John Kemp LONDON Petroleumworld 04 02 2018 China's new crude oil futures contract, which began trading this week, has a good chance of confounding the doubters and becoming a regional benchmark where other contracts have failed. The history of futures and options trading is littered with new contracts launched amid great fanfare but which subsequently failed to develop sufficient liquidity and have been discontinued or faded into irrelevance. But the new crude futures contract launched on the Shanghai International Energy Exchange comes after years of meticulous preparation and has many of the ingredients needed to be successful. Three elements determine the success or failure of a new futures contract, according to an extensive literature review prepared for the Shanghai Futures Exchange three years ago. The contract must fulfil a commercial need for hedging. It must succeed in attracting a pool of speculators. And public policy must not be too adverse (Why some futures contracts succeed and others fail, Till, 2014). China's new oil futures contract clearly meets the first two criteria and has a fair chance of succeeding on the third as well. MEETING A HEDGING NEED China has already overtaken the United States to become the world's largest crude importer, so there is a clear need to hedge the resulting price risks. The need for a new contract and its basic features were showcased two years ago in a presentation by China's leading crude importer (Review of current and potential Asian oil benchmarks, Unipec, 2016). China's refiners import mostly medium and heavy sour crudes, which trade at a substantial discount to lighter and sweeter oils. The two main existing benchmarks, Brent and U.S. light sweet crude, also known as WTI, are based on light low-sulphur crude oils. In contrast, the new Shanghai futures contract is based on a basket of medium and heavy crudes from the Middle East and China itself with a significantly higher sulphur content. The new futures contract approximates the sort of crudes that China is importing much more closely than Brent or WTI. Foreign crudes deliverable against the contract include oils from the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Iraq, which all trade freely. But they also closely resemble other grades China imports in significant volumes, including crude from Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia. The new contract is denominated in yuan rather than U.S. dollars, allowing refiners to manage their price risks more effectively. ATTRACTING SPECULATORS The contract should have no difficulty in attracting a pool of speculators to provide liquidity since China has a large number of domestic traders and brokers familiar with commodity markets. China has already launched several highly successful contracts, including steel, iron ore and copper, all of which have become liquid benchmarks. There is a large community of domestic speculators and a network of brokerages, which should help the new contract succeed. China has many of the network characteristics that have made Chicago, New York, London and Singapore successful futures trading hubs. REGULATORY CONCERNS The biggest source of uncertainty surrounds the attitude of the government towards price volatility and its willingness to allow fairly unrestricted futures trading. China's government has not always been comfortable with extreme price swings and high levels of speculative activity, and has periodically intervened in the markets. But the same impulses have been seen in other futures trading centres, at least historically, and China's regulatory interventions have not prevented the successful development of contracts for other commodities. Given China's increasing dependence on crude imports and ambition to be a global financial centre, the government has a strong strategic interest in ensuring the new contract becomes a successful benchmark. The new crude contract has some distinctive characteristics and restrictions that have drawn adverse comment (China aims to challenge Brent, WTI oil with crude futures launch, Reuters, March 23). There are strict limits on the number of cancelled orders to curb spoofing but which may deter computer-driven high-frequency traders. Trading is restricted to three distinct periods each day, rather than being nearly continuous, and there will be lengthy non-trading periods during national holidays. But most of these restrictions have a sound rationale, including concentrating liquidity, and they are likely to be relaxed as the contract becomes more established. None of them appears likely to deter liquidity. China's new crude futures are unlikely to displace the Brent and WTI light sweet benchmarks in the United States and Europe. But they have a fair chance of successfully becoming a regional benchmark for the medium and heavy sour crudes favoured by refiners in Asia (Shanghai crude futures complete globalisation of oil markets, Reuters, March 28). Don't let all the political noise confuse you: Europe and North America are moving in the same direction, together, Armando Varricchio, Italy's ambassador to the United States and former national security adviser, told a crowd of Italian American and Italophile business people at a Union League steak dinner last week. Varricchio laid out, and attendees echoed, a sense that U.S. and major European companies face common economic, security, and terrorist threats. He said Europeans also legitimately fear challenges to their national identities. These include threats, not from immigrants who came seeking work, but from some immigrants' descendants, who grow up resenting and feeling isolated from the nations they live in. The ambassador said that the U.S. has a greater capacity to absorb immigrants, given its history and diversity. Varricchio, who attended both the Democratic National Convention in South Philadelphia and the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in 2016, said he began a close friendship at the GOP conclave with then-U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo (R., Kansas). The Italian American Pompeo, a former Army captain turned Harvard lawyer and an early Donald Trump backer, was picked by Trump to head the CIA. More recently he was selected by Trump to replace Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, overseeing foreign relations. The ambassador placed Trump's successful election campaign in context with ensuing votes in Britain (to exit the European Union), France (for a new political coalition), Germany (limiting the traditionally dominant parties), and, last week, Italy, where a moderate-conservative coalition and the reformist Five Star Movement each outpolled the ruling center-left groups. In each of those countries, many voters have felt left behind, and want to see traditional national identities reinforced, not dissolved by post-national or foreign identities, Varricchio said. The European parties that have grown in the last two years tend to see Trump as similar and his supporters as generally sympathetic to their own goals, he observed. New European parties and coalitions, like Trump, attract many voters who felt poorly represented by the leaders of the past generation. But Varricchio said it would be wrong to identify these movements as purely "populist." Nor, he said, are they anti-establishment. They may reject familiar political leaders and, in Europe, they have been voting against familiar left-leaning and right-leaning "traditional" parties that had dominated European politics. But the fact that reformers want to run for office in the first place should be seen as an endorsement of the Western democratic system and individual liberties, and a renewal of those institutions, Varricchio added. It's the people who reject representative government and institutions, who challenge democracy and the Western alliance, he said. The alliance has not been shaken by new faces, Varricchio added. He cited the coordinated decisions by the U.S., European, and some Pacific governments to expel scores of Russian diplomats in response to what are believed to have been government-backed attacks on a former Russian spy and his daughter in England, as a strong sign of renewed faith in the Atlantic alliance and its commitment to democracy, despite endemic partisan bickering. Russia may be aggressive, but its economic output is now smaller than Italy's or Spain's. More substantial trade rivals, including China, should also expect to see Americans and Europeans uniting in defense of intellectual property and against pirated products, Varricchio added. Italians, with their political history dating back to the Roman republic, understand well the difference between public politics and fundamental policy, and the chasms between the stories that leaders tell and the realities they act upon, Varricchio said. In a question-and-answer session following Varricchio's remarks on Tuesday, attendees sounded like members of any business group expressing frustration with slow-moving bureaucracy. In their questions and in short interviews afterward they said they found his analysis reassuring. The group, organized at the ambassador's request by Joe Del Raso, a Pepper Hamilton partner and past leader of the National Italian American Foundation, included among others Patricia de Stacy Harrison, CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (and NIAF chair); Dan DiLella of developer Equus Partners; Anthony Ricci of Parx Casino; Vernon Hill, whose newly profitable Metro Bank PLC is expanding across England and watching developments in Europe; energy investor and former Philadelphia Energy Solutions chief Phil Rinaldi; John Aglioloro, who sold his Cybex Corp. to Brunswick Corp. last year; Ali Houshmand, president of Rowan University; and bankers from PNC, Beneficial, and other financial institutions. Saks Off 5th before its debut a year ago at Overlook King of Prussia shopping center. Read more Hudson's Bay Co., the Toronto-based department store operator, is investigating a data security issue at some of its North American stores. The probe concerns information from payment cards used at certain Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks Off 5th, and Lord & Taylor outlets, the company said in a statement Sunday. Details from more than 5 million credit and debit cards are up for sale, according to a post from Gemini Advisory, a security firm. An external representative for Hudson's Bay declined to comment on Gemini's report. The breach comes as Hudson's Bay is struggling to turn around declining same-store sales. The retailer has already scrapped more than 2,000 jobs and hired a new chief executive in its battle to win back consumers. On March 28 the retailer reported fourth-quarter earnings that missed analysts' estimates, and its shares fell as much as 5.9 percent before ending the day up about 1.1 percent. "HBC has identified the issue, and has taken steps to contain it," the company said in its statement, adding that it's working with the card companies and law enforcement. Customers should flag any unfamiliar transactions to their card providers and Hudson's Bay will offer any affected shoppers free identity protection services. They won't be liable for fraudulent charges, the company said. It's not the first time Hudson's Bay has run into trouble over data protection. The company published thousands of customers' personal information including email addresses and phone numbers last year. In that instance, payment data was not exposed, a spokeswoman said at the time. Journalist Michael Kinsley famously defined gaffe as when a politician accidentally tells an obvious truth, especially one that is politically incorrect. George Badey had one last week. He's one of a herd of Democratic candidates vying for the newly drawn Fifth Congressional District seat, mostly in Delaware County. He was spotlighted by our "Philly Clout" columnist Holly Otterbein after he was handed a loaded question at a candidates forum and shot himself in the foot. Moderator Lisa Goldstein asked the two male candidates why voters should consider them in what she said some people are calling the "year of women candidates." Intended or not, this was a trap. Who declared it the "year of women candidates"? Does that mean men are automatically disqualified in Progressiveville? The other guy ducked, but Badey gave what seemed to this political observer a realpolitik answer dealing with geographical and political math. It blew up in his face, at least on the internet. When I called him, Badey didn't complain about the column, but bitched a little about the Philly.com headline Democratic congressional candidate: 'I don't think a woman can win' in Delco race when he actually said he didn't think a woman could win the primary in Delco, which is different, but the harm had been done. Badey is being punished for a logical, honest answer that didn't "sound" good, and any attempt to defend himself will be written off by his self-righteous critics as "mansplaining." I know Badey. He is progressive, "evolved," "woke" and all the other tags the Left loves to stick on itself. I'm a moderate, but Badey thinks I'm William F. Buckley, who was a conservative journalist. Despite our differences, or because of them, we have lively conversations in which we fruitlessly try to convert each other. Badey, a lawyer, chairs the Radnor Township Democratic Committee, and he ran against U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan for the Seventh Congressional District seat in 2012. In this year of political upheaval, the open Fifth District seat is drawing Democratic candidates out of the woodwork a whopping 14, which guarantees a splintered primary vote because there is no strong horse. When the Pennsylvania Supreme Court redrew the congressional map, Philadelphia and Montgomery, Bucks, and Chester Counties got their own districts, pretty much. The court made the Fifth District 80 percent Delaware County, but threw in a slice of Montco and a chunk of South and Southwest Philly. That created battle lines between city and suburban Democrats. The sole candidate from Philadelphia who lives in the district is Richard Lazer, a former deputy mayor of labor under Mayor Kenney, who is allied with city Democratic power merchant John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty. That gives Lazer money and muscle in a race Democrats are expected to win. Badey believes the Fifth should be represented by someone from Delco. Unlike his competitors, he can draw votes from South Philly, he believes, because that's where he was born, where he started his political career, and where he is known as a spokesman for the Mummers. Without South Philly votes being siphoned off, he says, Lazer will win. So what he should have said, Badey told me, is that no male candidate could win the primary either, not without South Philly. I know Badey checks the box on every women's issue you can think of, but he spouted political reality that sounded bad and he wound up on the Salem dunking stool. Mary Ellen Balchunis is a longtime political operative who used to teach political science at La Salle University. Badey chaired her congressional campaigns in 2014 and 2016. "I have seen him support women over the years, all the way from township school boards" to Congress, she says. "I do agree with the political math," she told me, saying the astounding number of Delco candidates creates a clear path for Lazer to win the nomination. Which is exactly what Badey said, but without the gender reference. The Delco Democratic Party is having an open forum Wednesday night at Upper Darby High School to hear all the candidates (bring No-Doz), then is expected to endorse a candidate on Sunday. Might the Dems choose a male candidate in the faux "year of women candidates"? Given the rhubarb surrounding Badey, I doubt it. But if they do go that way, and if you're inclined to vote by gender, you can mark your ballot for former state prosecutor Pearl Kim, the endorsed Republican candidate. There is no question there's an obesity epidemic in the United States. And many professionals in the health and fitness industry are encouraging people to exercise to lose weight. However, people often mistakenly associate exercise with weight loss exclusively. In reality, the decision to exercise is a personal one and there are hundreds of reasons to work out that don't include weight loss. So if you're looking for a few alternative motivators to embark on an fitness regimen, here are five reasons to exercise that have nothing to do with weight loss. 1. Increase Lean Muscle Mass Even if you aren't overweight, without lean muscle, your body still has fat. The best way to build metabolically-active lean muscle mass is to exercise with a combination of cardio and strength training. Maintaining lean muscle mass improves metabolism and builds bone density. It can also strengthen the immune system, pulling from protein reserves to fight infection. Finally, lean muscle mass can help reverse insulin resistance, the body's ability to process excess glucose in the bloodstream. More insulin in the blood causes a rise in blood sugar, which can lead to Type 2 Diabetes. Lean muscle mass counteracts this process so the body can efficiently rid the bloodstream of excess insulin. 2. Reduce Blood Pressure For those prone to high blood pressure, or hypertension, exercise can help lower blood pressure. Physical activity strengthens the heart so it can pump blood with less effort and strain on the arteries. Not to mention, exercise helps with weight management, which also controls blood pressure. If you have already been diagnosed with high blood pressure, keep in mind that weight training may cause a temporary spike in blood pressure so it's important to speak with your doctor before starting a program. However, there are still ways to strength train safely to counteract the short-term spike and reap the long-term benefits of lower blood pressure. For some people, consistent exercise can even take the place of medication to control blood pressure. 3. Decrease Stress If you think you're too busy to exercise, exercise may be just what you need. Engaging in physical activity increases endorphins, the hormones produced in the brain that create a "feel good" effect. Exercise also acts as a form of meditation to distract you from the daily stressors in your life. Over time, you may begin to feel more clear-headed and relaxed on a regular basis. 4. Prevent Injury If you've ever experienced a strain, break or tear, you know that these injuries typically happen in parts of the body that are weaker or more imbalanced than others. Rehabilitating such injuries means strengthening the surrounding area. Weak muscles are more susceptible to injury because of their inability to handle the demands placed on them both from everyday activities and during exercise itself. Stronger muscles means more resistant tendons, ligaments and bones. Equally as important is exercising safely to prevent injury. Start slowly and focus on form while increasing weight over time. Rest your muscles appropriately between workouts, warm up before each workout and stretch to maintain flexibility. 5. Better Sleep The energy you expend doing physical activity promotes better sleep in several ways. Exercise raises the body's core temperature and when it drops post-exercise, that induces sleep. Additionally, those who suffer from insomnia and other sleep disorders may find that the decrease in stress and anxiety from exercise allows for better sleep. Exercising regularly not only improves sleep quantity, but also sleep quality by increasing the amount of time spent in deep sleep. A deep, restorative sleep will strengthen the body's immune system. But beware that exercising too close to bedtime may have the opposite effect and increase energy or disrupt sleep. Likewise, exercising too much, or overtraining can also make sleep more difficult. Brian Maher is the owner of Philly Personal Training, a Philadelphia-based studio offering personal training, physical therapy, and nutrition counseling. Philly Personal Training is the only studio or gym in Philadelphia that requires its trainers to possess a college degree in an exercise-related field, as opposed to a basic certification. Bill Cosby, center, leaves the Montgomery County Courhouse after the first day of jury selection for his sexual assault retrial. He is led by spokesperson Andrew Wyatt, right. Read more More than half of those summoned Monday as potential jurors for Bill Cosby's second sexual assault trial said they had already made up their minds about the case. And as lawyers began the slow process of winnowing that group to the panel that will ultimately decide the 80-year-old entertainer's fate, it became clear that they may be facing an arduous task. Defense concerns that it would be impossible to find anyone in Montgomery County who had not at least heard of the allegations against Cosby or the torrent of similar claims recently lodged against other entertainment industry icons were quickly borne out. Of the 120 county residents who showed up at the Norristown courthouse Monday, only 10 said they had not heard of the accounts of the more than 60 women who have since 2014 accused Cosby of sexual improprieties dating back decades. Just one said he was unfamiliar with the #MeToo movement, which has brought down the likes of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and TV personalities Matt Lauer and Bill O'Reilly. By the end of the day, only one prospect a young white man who professed to be ignorant of the case had been chosen to be a juror. "Fair and impartial those are the two most important words of the day," Judge Steven T. O'Neill stressed again and again as he interviewed candidates, asking whether they could check their opinions at the door. Many indicated it would be a struggle. "When I hear gossip from my friends, I realize you only know some of the story, and until I have more information, I try not to judge," said a middle-aged white woman who was the first prospect of the day. Still, she said she could not guarantee O'Neill that what she had heard about the case wouldn't weigh on her mind throughout the trial. The questioning took place within view of about two dozen reporters from news outlets from around the globe, but O'Neill repeatedly assured the panelists he would take every precaution to protect their identities. Throughout the day, he referred to prospective jurors only by assigned numbers; if chosen, their names will be sealed during the trial. "These are just regular people who have just received a jury summons," the judge told the gathered reporters. "If they feel that one of the impediments to their service is the media, I just implore you to balance your rights for access and their rights for privacy." One woman quickly and confidently insisted that she could keep an open mind despite being a sexual assault victim herself. The defense, led by California attorney Tom Mesereau, struck her from consideration immediately, using one of seven chances they will have to remove a potential juror without offering an explanation. All the while, Cosby a trench coat draped over his lap, his cane clutched in his hands betrayed no reaction as a roomful of people professed how difficult it would be to give him a fair hearing. By the end of the day, the lawyers had weeded out 91 other prospective panelists, leaving 28 to return for further questioning. If the court cannot find the 12 jurors and six alternates it needs from that group, another panel of 120 will be waiting, summoned to appear at the courthouse Tuesday. During preparations for Cosby's first trial, which ended in a mistrial in June, the jury was selected from a pool from around Pittsburgh, due to defense concerns about pervasive media coverage in the southeastern part of the state. This time, with a new legal team in place, Cosby decided to take his chances with a Montgomery County pool although more potential jurors reported Monday that they were familiar with the claims against Cosby than the first batch last year from Allegheny County. It remains unclear how long it will take to pick the jurors, who will be sequestered during what is expected to be a monthlong trial. O'Neill has scheduled opening arguments for Monday, and the case is expected to differ significantly from the first trial. Cosby's defense team has signaled it intends to be much more aggressive about painting Cosby accuser Andrea Constand as a money-grubber who fabricated her claims of assault to extort money from a rich and powerful man. Prosecutors, too, believe they have bolstered their case against Cosby with testimony expected from five additional accusers all of whom allege that they, like Constand, were drugged and assaulted by the entertainer in incidents dating back decades. Cosby is accused of attacking Constand, a former Temple University employee, while she visited his home in Cheltenham in 2004. U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello, R-Pa., participated in a mock swearing-in ceremony in 2017. Costello announced on Sunday, March 25, 2018, that he would not be seeking re-election. Read more Rep. Ryan Costello (R., Pa.) didn't try to be diplomatic when he announced over the weekend he would be retiring from Congress after just two terms: President Trump was a major factor. "Whether it's Stormy Daniels," he told the West Chester Daily Local News on Sunday, "or passing an omnibus spending bill that the president threatens to veto after promising to sign, it's very difficult to move forward in a constructive way today." To hear this GOP congressman heading for the exit tell it, Trump is standing in the way of Republicans getting anything done. And there are plenty of other Republicans who will agree with Costello behind closed doors. Such is the cruel reality for Republicans. They control Washington for the first time in a decade, in large part thanks to Trump's winning the White House when no one expected him to. And now they are at risk of losing their congressional majorities in large part thanks to Trump's distractions, vacillations, unpredictability, and unpopularity. Republicans in Congress are retiring in historic numbers this year. Nearly 50 Republicans in the House and Senate have announced they are retiring, and 25 of those are retiring outright or have already left office, compared with just 10 House Democrats. Republicans haven't had that many retirements since before the 1930s, which is as far back as data from Brookings Vital Statistics on Congress goes. Retirements are a big reason Democrats are positioned to try to take back control of the House for the first time in eight years. In our rankings of the top 10 House races most likely to flip parties, five are Republican seats made more competitive by lawmakers' decision to retire. Those who didn't blame Trump blamed the dysfunction in Congress for their decision to leave, though these days, it's hard to separate the two. The government has shut down twice in 2018, and it almost shut down for a third time when Trump threatened to veto a spending bill that Republicans heaved through Congress to keep the government open. (That's the omnibus spending bill Costello mentioned in his retirement remarks.) There is a strong case to make that Trump's severe indecision on whether he wanted to protect "Dreamers" was why the government shut down the first time in January. Costello was one of the most blunt, but he's not the only Republican retiring from Congress to point the finger at Trump for the decision to leave politics. Sen. Jeff Flake (R., Ariz.) made his whole retirement speech about Trump, specifically the damage he feels the president is inflicting not just on his party but on democracy. "There are times when we must risk our careers in favor of our principles," he said on the Senate floor. "Now is such a time." "The president was a factor," retiring Rep. Charlie Dent (R., Pa.) told CNN in December on his decision not to run for a eighth term. Dent has been an outspoken critic of the president, someone the press corps relied on to publicly say what many of his colleagues were privately thinking. Like Costello, Dent also cited the budget dramas that have whipped Congress from crisis to crisis. (And when Dent had decided to retire in September, the government hadn't even shut down for the first time.) Even those who haven't explicitly said they are leaving because of Trump are arguably leaving in part because of Trump. The president's unpopularity in places like California, Washington statem and Virginia very likely factored into vulnerable Republicans' decision to step down rather than run for reelections they might not win. In California, powerful Republican Reps. Darrell Issa and Edward R. Royce decided to retire rather than wage an expensive reelection campaign in districts Hillary Clinton won in 2016. Rep. Dave Reichert of Washington is another Republican representing a Clinton district who decided to retire instead. And after Virginia voters repudiated Republicans in state elections in 2017, keeping the governor's mansion in Democratic hands and nearly kicking Republicans out of their state House majority, Rep. Bob Goodlatte announced his retirement. To bring this back to Costello, it's not a coincidence that he decided to retire after a Democrat clinched a special election across the state that went for Trump by 20 points. In this political environment, figure Costello and a historic number of Republicans, better to be out than stay in and live through more frustration, unpredictability, scandal and likely election losses as a result. Amber Phillips writes about politics for the Washington Post. @byamberphillips One of the sinkholes that developed in early March, in the rear yard on Lisa Drive in Exton. Read more Sunoco Pipeline LP will temporarily relocate five Chester County families whose backyards were damaged last month after sinkholes developed along the Mariner East 1 pipeline, forcing the company to shut down operations over safety concerns after its bare pipeline was exposed. The company offered last week to temporarily relocate the families on Lisa Drive in Exton for up to the six weeks that it estimates it will take to conduct geotechnical studies in their backyards, where Sunoco's construction of a second Mariner East pipeline caused sinkholes to develop. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) ordered Sunoco to shut down the existing pipeline on March 7 until remedial action was taken. At the time, Sunoco estimated the Mariner East 1 pipeline would be out of service for 10 to 14 days. But the shutdown of the 8-inch-diameter pipeline, which transports as much as 70,000 barrels a day of Marcellus Shale natural gas liquids such as propane to a terminal in Marcus Hook, now appears to be more likely to stretch into May, forcing Sunoco's customers to seek other outlets for their products. Sunoco Pipeline is owned by Energy Transfer Partners (ETP), a giant Texas pipeline operator. Sunoco began preparatory work Friday for its "geotechnical data-collection activities," installing plastic mats to protect the ground from equipment rutting. In a letter to residents, the company said the studies would involve making "small excavations" every 35 feet to confirm the location of the pipeline, followed by other work, "including the use of small auger drills to obtain core samples to identify subsurface voids, if any, in the area." "We are working with the PUC and appropriate agencies to complete the necessary testing and remediation in order to ensure integrity of the pipeline before putting it back into service," ETP spokeswoman Lisa Dillinger said in an email. "The preliminary investigations do not indicate any impacts from the subsurface area to any of the homes along Lisa Drive." Dillinger said the company is working with individual residents to arrange relocations and offered a per diem reimbursement for food during the scheduled work. The offer remains open to any homeowner to accept while the work is underway, the company said in its letter. "They're trying to get us out of here for a couple of months," T.J. Allen, a Lisa Drive resident whose backyard is largely taken over by survey posts, an orange safety fence demarcating the pipeline route. "They have to do a lot of construction." Sunoco responded in early March by filling the sinkholes with several truckloads of flowable grout. The geotechnical studies may shed light on whether the remedial work successfully stabilized the underground. The sinkholes are the latest complication to bedevil Sunoco's Mariner East system, which involves the construction of two additional pipelines alongside the 300-mile-long Mariner East 1 pipeline. Sunoco agreed in February to pay a fine of $12.6 million to resume underground drilling on the project. Many of Sunoco's problems are related to its use of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) to install large sections of the Mariner East 2 pipeline, which was supposed to avoid the disruptions of conventional open-trenching construction method. HDD involves boring a hole through which the pipeline is pulled, but the method uses water and bentonite clay drilling fluid linked to a number of problems, including sinkholes, fouled private water wells, and leaks of drilling fluid. The PUC issued its emergency order shutting down the pipeline after its investigators said the sinkholes "could have catastrophic results" if not repaired. The original 8-inch-diameter pipeline Mariner East 1 pipeline went into service in 1931 to carry motor fuel and was converted to natural gas liquids in 2014. Russell and Mary March of Lisa Drive, along with another area resident, filed suit last month accusing Sunoco of negligence for using HDD and failing to conduct adequate surveys before starting work. The suit, filed in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court by King of Prussia personal-injury lawyer Andrew Neuwirth, seeks class-action status. On the night a fatal fire swept through a West Chester nursing home, water to the sprinkler system was turned off, lawyers for the families of three of the victims say they have been told by an engineer hired by the home. In addition, the warning system for the sprinklers was giving a false reading that the water was on, according to lawyers with the McEldrew Young and Robert Mongeluzzi law firms. The lawyers said the revelations came during a December briefing by Dan Arnold, an engineer with Seneca Fire Engineering, an Atlanta firm working for Barclay Friends, a wing of which was gutted by the fast-moving fire Nov. 16. At the briefing, Arnold informed other engineers and attorneys that investigators for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told him that they had determined that the large wheel used to control water to the sprinkler system was in an off position after the fire, according to Ian Bryson, a lawyer with McEldrew Young, and Samuel Dordick, a lawyer with the Mongeluzzi firm. Both attended the briefing. Arnold declined to comment Monday. "I am not authorized to talk about it at all," he said. He referred a reporter to Paul Bartolacci, an attorney for Barclay Friends. He did not return messages seeking comment. A spokeswoman with the ATF also declined to comment. The valve for the sprinkler water was housed inside a locked mechanical room, according to Bryson and Dordick. The lawyers said Arnold reported that ATF investigators said they were the first to unlock the door after the fire and found the wheel turned to its off position. The fact that the mechanical room, walled with cinder blocks and in a section untouched by fire, was unlocked only after the blaze appears to rule out the possibility that the water was turned off by firefighters seeking to get more pressure for their hoses or later to stop the sprinklers from dousing the rubble. The fire began about 10:45 p.m. on a cold and gusty night in the rear of the personal-care section of the seven-wing complex. The five-alarm fire gutted the section, home to 41 elderly residents. The six other wings, far less damaged, were home to some 100 residents receiving nursing care. Killed from smoke inhalation were four tenants in the personal-care section: Theresa Malloy, 85; Mildred E. Gadde, 93; and Delores G. Parker, 89, and her husband, Thomas F. Parker, 92. The Inquirer and Daily News reported last month that the sprinkler system had multiple design flaws that could have reduced its effectiveness in slowing the blaze. Donald Vess, the designer of the system, has acknowledged mistakes in his plans but said the errors were "typos" of little consequence. Other experts said they raised concerns. Bryson said his firm hired experts on construction, fire causation, and fire response to answer why so many died in a section of the facility protected by more than 500 sprinklers. His firm represents the family of the Parkers, who had three children and six grandchildren. "The loss their family suffered as a result of this catastrophe cannot be put into words," Bryson said. "Unfortunately, it could have been easily avoided but for the failure of the facility to conform to basic life and fire safety requirements." Andrew Duffy, with the Mongeluzzi firm, which filed a lawsuit late last month on behalf of the Malloy family, said none of the fleeing residents of the home saw any evidence that the sprinklers were working. "Right now, it is our belief that there was no water coming out of the system," Duffy added. "That means either the valve was closed or there was some other rupture to the system." But if the valve was closed, why didn't Barclay Farms realize that water was cut off? In late December, Seneca inspected the warning system, known as a "tamper switch," which sits below the valve. The inspection was videoed and watched live by a battery of lawyers and experts representing insurers and others. The video, reviewed by the Inquirer and Daily News, shows that the switch provided erratic readings, signaling that the valve was open even when it was closed. "Fully closed and never activated," Arnold noted at one point in the video, referring to the alarm. In recent interviews, John H. Morley Jr., a fire-protection contractor in Philadelphia, said that he sometimes finds the water valve shut on a sprinkler network he has inspected. Of perhaps 30 inspections in the last 18 months, he said, water was turned off in three systems. According to Morley, a key test during inspections calls for turning off the valve briefly, and workers simply forget to turn the valve back on. Morley had another observation. In inspections, he said, it is even more common to find the warning systems inoperable. In an interview, Larry Elveru, spokesman for Kendal Corp., parent company for Barclay Friends and a dozen other Quaker-oriented homes in eight states, initially said the sprinkler system at Barclay was last tested in August, part of a protocol of quarterly checks. After saying he wanted to double-check those facts, Elveru declined further comment, citing the ongoing investigations. He could not be reached Monday. The tests were done by Simplex Grinnel, a part of Johnson Controls, a Wisconsin-based firm. Its spokesman, Fraser Engerman, declined comment via an email. "This is an ongoing investigation and Johnson Controls is cooperating with authorities," Engerman said. "We continue to extend our thoughts and prayers to the families and individuals affected." Gov. Murphys budget proposal would give more money to the vast majority of school districts. But the most underfunded districts are frustrated and say the state needs to remedy disparities in funding. Read more When Chesterfield Superintendent Scott Heino learned of the funding increase that Gov. Murphy planned for his school district, his reaction was "absolute shock." This was worse than nothing. By his calculation, the $41,060 increase was a mere 1/100th of the Burlington County district's entitlement, about $4 million, based on how its student population has grown. "I think if we would have received the same exact number of aid as last year, I wouldn't have been as shocked," said Heino. "The fact that there was an effort made, and changes were made and money was allocated, and still we only received the $41,000, it was a blow." School officials were hopeful about the new Democratic governor's pledge to remedy years of failure by the state to follow its own law for funding public schools. But some were crestfallen when they saw the details of the new governor's proposed plan despite its nearly across-the-board increases. "It was deflating, honestly, when those numbers came out," said Joe Meloche, superintendent of the Cherry Hill School District, another one that is getting an aid boost but felt short-changed. That dissatisfaction speaks to difficulties Murphy confronts in fulfilling his promise to "fully fund" schools. Driven by landmark court rulings that sought to reduce disparities among schools in rich and poor communities, New Jersey's funding formula has been hailed by education advocates. Yet the state hasn't been able to put it into practice. In theory, New Jersey's formula works like this: The state determines what it costs to educate students in each district based on enrollment, with added money for students with greater needs. It calculates what the district can afford to pay, then makes up the difference. In reality, it's more complicated. As the formula was being adopted in 2008, lawmakers realized that some districts stood to lose money because of it. Rather than make cuts, the state added a provision to the law giving those districts "adjustment aid." Many districts still receive it. At the same time, the state hasn't spent the money the formula requires, with years of near-flat funding under Gov. Chris Christie. Districts that have grown, or that are enrolling more needy students, have racked up charges that the state hasn't paid. Even with the $283 million in additional aid Murphy proposes to give school districts next year, it would cost the state an additional $831 million to fully fund districts under the formula. The state allocated just over $8 billion to schools for this year. But the deficit is much larger if enrollment changes are fully taken into account, and the formula limits how much additional aid a district can receive each year. If those caps are removed, 363 districts are owed nearly $1.9 billion, according to an Inquirer and Daily News analysis of data provided by the state Department of Education. Murphy's proposed budget for next year is $37.4 billion, and includes $1.6 billion in tax increases. "After reviewing the individual state aid notifications, our association remains seriously concerned about the plight of severely underfunded school districts," Lawrence Feinsod, executive director of the New Jersey School Boards Association, said in a statement Thursday. Under- and Overfunded Public Schools in South Jersey On the other end, 228 districts are slated to get a total of $740 million more in state aid than they would be entitled to if they were funded on the basis of their enrollments. Some are getting two, three, or even five times what they're owed. While lawmakers last year reached a compromise to reduce aid to some districts and redirect money to those that were underfunded, Murphy's proposal doesn't cut any district's aid. The budget gives increases to the vast majority of districts. Murphy spokesman Dan Bryan said the governor's budget represents "the first step toward his commitment of fully funding the school funding formula over the next four years." The governor "looks forward to working with the Legislature to modernize the school funding formula and address any disparities that may exist," Bryan said. The imbalances in New Jersey's school funding aren't just at the state level. Some districts aren't taxing as much as they should be under the formula, while others are raising more than their fair share. "The burden that's on our taxpayers is so incredibly great here in Cherry Hill," said Meloche, the superintendent. Cherry Hill property owners pay on average more than $8,000 in property taxes. By the state's calculation, the district should be able to raise $136 million to pay for schools; last year, the township's total was nearly $170 million. The state would owe Cherry Hill nearly $30 million if funding were based on enrollment. Under Murphy's proposal, Cherry Hill would get an additional $596,000 next year, bringing its total to just under $15 million. Chesterfield, where enrollment has nearly doubled over the last decade, is slated to get just 21 percent of the total aid it's owed the smallest share in the state. The district has been unable to replace its social studies curriculum, now 12 years outdated, Heino said. It needs, but is unable to hire, another special-education teacher. And with more students, it needs more room in its bike racks. Some districts fared far better despite being "much closer to 100 percent funding," Heino said. "I just don't understand how." Lawmakers agreed last year to shift aid from districts getting more than their share of state funding to those underfunded by the state. The move was pushed by Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester) who earlier this year announced his own funding plan but fiercely opposed by the New Jersey Education Association, the state's largest teachers' union. Sweeney said last week he was committed to helping underfunded districts. "We started to make progress last year on school funding and we need to continue it," he said on radio station NJ 101.5. While the Murphy administration has said it's open to changes in school funding, Sweeney said, "It has to happen this year." David Sciarra, executive director of the Education Law Center, which argued the Abbott v. Burke cases that laid the groundwork for the state's school-funding formula, said districts like Chesterfield have "valid complaints" about their state aid. The problem is the state's chronic underfunding of schools, he said: "It's not like [Murphy]'s targeting these districts somehow for particular treatment." If lawmakers add money to Murphy's budget, Sciarra said, they should direct it to districts that are spending less than their "adequacy" budgets the formula's calculation of what each district must spend to give its students a "thorough and efficient" education and are owed large amounts of money by the state. The law center has also recommended the state lift the 2 percent property-tax cap for some districts that aren't raising enough local revenue. "The entire educational community has to come together and realize it's going to take a while for districts to come back after what they've experienced over the last eight years," Sciarra said. Others questioned how Murphy would manage to ramp up funding in the coming years given other demands on the state budget, like the pension liability, and Murphy's other goals like offering free community college tuition. "We haven't addressed the seriousness of the underfunded nature of our formula," said John Donahue, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials. "The fundamental problem at this point is finding resources" to support it. In this Sept. 22, 2017, file photo, a barista pours steamed milk in a coffee at a cafe in Los Angeles. Read more Storm clouds are brewing in California's coffee cups. Companies across the state will have to add a cancer-warning label to coffee, a judge ruled last week, because the drink contains a chemical called acrylamide. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Elihu M. Berle sided with a nonprofit organization in a case against Starbucks, Peets and dozens of other coffee chains, saying that businesses that sold coffee were in violation of a state regulation called Proposition 65. Prop 65 requires businesses with at least 10 employees to disclose any carcinogens and toxic chemicals in their products. The lawsuit, filed by an organization called the Council for Education and Research on Toxics, cites the presence of acrylamide in coffee. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization, describes acrylamide as a human neurotoxin and a "group 2A probable carcinogen." With those classifications, the chemical certainly does not sound like something people want floating in their morning pick-me-up. But experts said coffee drinkers should not change their habits on the basis of the new ruling. "The name, 'acrylamide,' it makes it sound scary," said Michelle Francl, a chemist at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. But, she pointed out, a liquid labeled "oxidane" sounds ominous, even though that's a fancy term for water. Rodents fed massive amounts of acrylamide do develop cancer. This is an "acceptable and appropriate" way to determine a carcinogenic effect, said J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, the American Cancer Society's deputy chief medical officer. But anything including water and oxygen can be unsafe at the wrong dosage. Those lab rats and mice were dosed at rates 1,000 to 10,000 times higher than what humans consume in food, according to the American Cancer Society. Links between cancer and acrylamide in humans are weak or need to be replicated in additional studies, said Timothy Rebbeck, a professor at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Lichtenfeld agreed. "There are no well-done human studies that answer the question definitively," he said. What research there is indicates that the human body does not absorb the chemical at the same rate as rodents do, and we also metabolize it differently. "From a practical standpoint, would we recommend people stop drinking coffee as a result of the judge's decision? No," Lichtenfeld said. "That's not what the science shows us." Scientists at Stockholm University in Sweden discovered acrylamide in fried and baked foods in 2002. As starchy foods heat up, their sugars and amino acids react. Acrylamide is one of the byproducts. "You can't really make roasted coffee without making acrylamide," Francl said. "What feels slightly chemophobic about it is to focus on coffee and not widely where acrylamide shows up." When the Food and Drug Administration tested various foods for acrylamide, the highest levels were found in coffee, chocolate, bread, cereal, and especially in french fries and potato chips. (But even in chips, the highest acrylamide concentrations were measured in thousands of parts per billion, much lower than the levels that cause cancer in lab animals.) It is easy for health professionals to suggest laying off the fries and chips just in case acrylamide is dangerous. Coffee, however, has possible health benefits, muddying the picture. In November, the British Medical Journal published an umbrella review pooling 201 studies that in turn had pooled smaller studies of coffee and health. Higher consumption of coffee was associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer, endometrial cancer, leukemia, melanoma, and other specific cancers. "There are lots of studies that suggest coffee is protective for cancer," Rebbeck said. "That evidence is at least as strong as the evidence against acrylamide." In 2016, the International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that coffee was "unclassifiable" as a human carcinogen. "The reality is coffee is not carcinogenic, according to IARC," Lichtenfeld said. Research into coffee consumption is difficult and often based on how people report their habits, which can be muddled by other foods they eat and their behaviors. None of the protective associations between coffee and cancer are definitive, Rebbeck cautioned. (If they were, oncologists might be recommending infusions of coffee.) The science of coffee is too nuanced to present on a warning label, he said. "People can't do a meta-analysis of the data while they're in the supermarket." It is possible to "overload people with messages about risks and harms that are not particularly relevant," Lichtenfeld said. Medical marijuana patients in New Jersey were quick to praise Gov. Murphys announcement of major changes to the eight-year-old program. From the left, Jack Saphow, of Howell, Leah Bakos, of Bellmawr, Aubrey Conway, of Sayreville, Christopher Errickson, of Corbin City, and Erik Costanzo, of Somerdale. The patients use cannabis to treat an array of ailments and said the existing program failed to meet their needs. Read more Behind the dramatic changes made to New Jersey's medical marijuana program last week was a desire to treat participants as "patients, not criminals," Gov. Murphy said as he announced plans for an immediate overhaul that could open the program to 100,000 or even 200,000 new patients. Under the stringent rules imposed by his predecessor, Chris Christie, a limited number of patients were permitted to buy cannabis and only six dispensaries were allowed to open across the state, the governor said. To be eligible, a patient had to have one of about a dozen ailments, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, and glaucoma, and could purchase only two ounces a month, under video surveillance. Enrollment stalled and currently only 18,000 patients participate in the eight-year-old program, Murphy said. Patients say the changes are long overdue. "This may help get rid of the stigma surrounding marijuana," said Leah Bakos, a patient from Bellmawr, who attended the governor's announcement in Trenton. "Some people look down on you for using marijuana they think you are a drug addict. But when more sick people use it, and get better, the more they will spread the word to their friends, and that may start to change people's minds," she said. The governor increased the number of qualifying ailments to about 50, adding broad categories such as chronic pain and anxiety to the list. Chronic pain includes arthritis, fibromyalgia, lupus, opioid addiction disorder, diabetes, and about 30 other conditions, while anxiety is associated with Alzheimer's, autism, and other ailments, according to the Health Department. A review panel of medical and pharmaceutical experts last year recommended 43 ailments to qualify for cannabis use and grouped them under the broad categories. These recommendations were all adopted, effective immediately. Migraines also appear on the new list. The governor said he doesn't know how many more people may now be eligible for cannabis but noted that Michigan, which has a population comparable to New Jersey's and which has a less restrictive marijuana program, has about 220,000 cannabis patients. "There will be growing pains" and existing dispensaries may initially struggle to keep up with demand, he said. Ken Wolski, a registered nurse and executive director of the Coalition of Medical Marijuana New Jersey, said chronic pain alone could qualify an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 new patients if their doctors approve. He said the changes will not only welcome more patients to the program but also will address the problems that patients are experiencing now. Murphy is also proposing the two-ounce limit per month be doubled. Bakos, 34, says "opening the floodgates a little bit" will help because patients will have an alternative to addictive drugs to treat their ailments, and then they can "go out and educate others." Bakos, who turns cannabis into pain creams and edibles to treat severe muscle spasms, said that she did a lot of research before she tried cannabis. "While some people think marijuana is like heroin, marijuana is not addictive, and no one dies from it," she said. To increase the supply, the dispensaries will be permitted to apply for satellite retail and cultivation centers and new dispensaries will be allowed to open. More sites mean patients won't have to travel as far to purchase cannabis each month, Murphy said. South Jersey has two dispensaries one in Bellmawr, 10 miles from Philadelphia, and one in Egg Harbor Township, near Atlantic City. Compassionate Sciences in Bellmawr offers oils and lotions along with smokable cannabis buds. Murphy said he also will allow dispensaries to sell other edibles, something Christie vigorously opposed. Christopher Errickson, a patient from Corbin City, Atlantic County, said lifting the restrictions may also reduce the costs associated with cannabis. He said it currently costs him about $5,000 a year. Even though Errickson receives a veteran's discount from the dispensaries, he still has to pay about $400 an ounce, on top of an annual $200 state registration fee. He also had to pay about $300 to a doctor on the marijuana registry who required three visits to establish a "bona fide" relationship before he would sign off on a cannabis recommendation. The governor said the registration fee will be halved, and reduced to $20 for all veterans and senior citizens. Previously, only people receiving public assistance were charged the discounted rate. Murphy said the program overhaul also may encourage more physicians to participate in the program, further reducing the costs. Only about 500 of the state's 33,000 licensed medical doctors participate in the program, and some physicians privately say they don't register because there is a stigma to appearing on a public list of cannabis doctors, the governor said. Doctors must still register but having their names appear on the list is no longer mandatory, he said. Murphy said he hopes this change means more patients will be able to turn to their personal doctors for a cannabis recommendation instead of having to find a doctor on the registry and then paying for extra visits to establish a relationship. Larry Downs, CEO of the Medical Society of New Jersey, said many doctors have said they did not join the registry because "of the weakness of the evidence in terms of the therapeutic efficacy" of cannabis rather than its stigma. The Medical Society and the American Medical Association have called for more research, he said. Andrew Medvedovsky, a board-certified neurologist who recommends cannabis to 5,000 of his patients, said these associations are out-of-touch. He supports more research but says he has also found that "cannabis really works" for many patients and is a good alternative to addictive drugs. One day after the governor's announcement, Medvedovsky said his medical staff at his Moorestown clinic and at his other offices received 100 inquiries and made appointments for 50 new patients. He said statistics show that about one-third of the population in New Jersey suffers from chronic pain. Erik Costanzo, a marijuana patient from Somerdale, said that he initially balked at using marijuana but decided to give it a try after he had lingering pain following seven back surgeries. "I was nervous about using marijuana in the beginning because of the stigma," he said. "It works," Costanzo said. "I'm so happy that it will be available to more people who need it." What sentence is a crime worth? Usually, this question is answered in terms of months and years, but in Philadelphia, prosecutors must now also add up dollars and cents. That's because District Attorney Larry Krasner has directed all of his prosecutors to state on the record in every case how much a recommended sentence would cost taxpayers and to justify it accordingly. Krasner's willingness to bring much-needed policy innovations to a prosecutor's office is laudable, but cost-conscious prosecution needs to be pursued carefully and should not exclude other important sentencing considerations. Krasner rightly highlights the need to address costs in our criminal justice system. As a nation, we spend around $80 billion each year incarcerating individuals in our prisons and jails. Pennsylvania spends more than $2 billion on its prisons alone. As Krasner notes in his memo to prosecutors, the $42,000-per-year cost to imprison a single person in the state approaches the starting salaries for many public safety and education professionals. And, of course, these numbers do not even begin to touch the impact that a loss of freedom has on the individual serving a sentence, or how it ripples out to affect his family and community. Given the staggering financial and human costs of incarceration, the appeal of Krasner's policy is clear. There is a real need to adopt policies that help reduce our over-incarceration problem. The District Attorney's Office, with its broad discretion over sentencing recommendations, ought to be included in that discussion. However, enumerating average costs alone is insufficient prosecutorial participation. As large as incarceration expenditures loom, there are real dangers to giving prosecutors only one piece of a much larger sentencing puzzle. At least as important as sentencing costs are the success rates of sentencing options for example, how often individuals reoffend after completing a sentence. Other facts and figures may not be as easily tallied but are no less relevant. What about the savings of a crime prevented or trauma avoided? Having prosecutors highlight and justify the average price tag of a given sentence attaches too much significance to these numbers and ignores the other half of the cost-benefit equation. Fiscal responsibility should not come at the expense of the individual's needs and community safety. If an individual is truly a public safety risk, and incarceration is truly the best option, the cost should not be used to induce the prosecutor to avoid such a recommendation. If a young person would be best served by the juvenile justice system, even though services are more expensive there, that young person should remain in the juvenile system. And if an individual has drug abuse issues and needs to be held in a treatment center that is pricier than prison, cost shouldn't prevent the individual from receiving such treatment. In short, cost cannot be the be-all and end-all of governmental policy. Further, applying averages and statewide statistics to individual defendants can be highly unreliable and inaccurate because of the massive variation that can occur within a group. The simple fact that a given sentencing option has a certain overall rate of reoffending or an average cost of implementation doesn't mean that those numbers will bear any resemblance to the actual potential success or cost for any given defendant. Asking line prosecutors to read out averages that don't accurately represent the particular case could do more harm than good. The potential for these statistics to have undue and ill-applied weight is further exacerbated by the conditions found in most courtrooms. Prosecutors and their defense counterparts are notoriously overworked and short on time. No matter how earnestly they approach cost considerations, they simply do not have the bandwidth, not to mention the mathematical training, to accurately tailor statistics to individual cases. Additionally, reading out a cost estimate in each case is likely to become rote, like so many other features of plea bargaining and the sentencing process, and will likely become meaningless over time. The burden of cost-conscious prosecution is best assumed by the senior leadership of the District Attorney's Office. These officials could allow the data to shape department-wide sentencing guidelines in a manner that places downward pressure on sentences and incentivizes the use of less-restrictive options without jeopardizing individualized sentencing or forcing line prosecutors to make what are essentially state budget decisions. Krasner's innovative, reform-minded approach to criminal justice is a move in the right direction. He has fired those opposed to reform, published lists of bad cops, and opposed cash bail. And he is right to remind his prosecutors of the incredible costs associated with sentencing. However, Krasner's most recent directive could ultimately frustrate what he is trying to accomplish by subverting justice instead of promoting it. Lars Trautman and Nila Bala are senior fellows with the R Street Institute. Trautman is a former assistant district attorney and Bala is a former public defender. A technician prepares Philadelphia voting machines in 2016 that have no paper trail to detect fraud and are vulnerable to hacking, experts say. Read more One Pennsylvania county official claims his voting machines are unhackable. Another admits hers are old, but the county can't afford to buy new ones. A third says he's waiting for the state to tell him which new voting machines are safest for Pennsylvania voters. At a time of national concern over foreign interference in U.S. elections, 57 percent of the voters in Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia's, are casting their ballots on machines that are outdated, hackable, and don't provide a paper record of each vote to safeguard against fraud. After Texas, Pennsylvania has the most registered voters using machines with no paper trail, according to Verified Voting, a nonpartisan group promoting trustworthy voting systems. In February, Gov. Wolf and Secretary of State Robert Torres told counties that any voting machines they buy must be able to produce a paper record for each individual vote. The state didn't include any funding to help counties purchase new equipment and hasn't yet certified any models. Most of Pennsylvania's counties 50 out of 67 use machines with no paper trail. (New Jersey, Delaware, and three Southern states rely entirely on the problematic machines.) Earlier this year, reporters from the graduate journalism program at Stanford University contacted those 50 counties about their plans to upgrade their voting equipment. Of the 41 that responded, only Montgomery County intends to replace its machines in time for the 2018 midterm election. Officials from just three counties Beaver, Blair, and Greene said they expect to have appropriate machines by the 2020 presidential election. Officials in the other counties gave a host of reasons for keeping the vulnerable systems: *The new technology could cost millions of dollars at a time of stretched budgets. *The state's directive was an unfunded mandate they didn't have to follow. *The current machines aren't at peril because they're not connected to the internet. *No recounts had been challenged, so why change? During the 2016 presidential election, Pennsylvania had failures in at least 30 machines in Lebanon, Cumberland, Perry, and Butler Counties. Dauphin County, which includes Harrisburg, relies on machines installed in 1985, about two decades past the manufacturer's suggested replacement date. Jerry Feaser, county director of elections and voter registration, said of his vintage machines: "I could put the machine in the Red Square in Moscow and I would bet that no Russian would be able to hack it unless they came at it with an ax." Plus, he said, it could cost $5 million for new ones. His comfort isn't shared by Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, who warned the Senate Intelligence Committee in late March: "We recognize that the 2018 midterm and future elections are clearly potential targets for Russian hacking attempts." She endorsed paper ballots. "If there's no way to audit the election, that's absolutely a national security issue." In late March, Congress approved spending $380 million to boost the security of election systems across the country, with Pennsylvania projected to get $13.5 million. But it's not enough to cover the costs of replacing the machines, said Marian Schneider, former adviser to Wolf on election policy and deputy secretary at the Pennsylvania Department of State. As president of Verified Voting, she urges all states to switch to safer machines by 2020. She added that Pennsylvania could do three things that would speed replacement of problematic machines: Allocate state funding; decertify the vulnerable machines, which would force counties to replace equipment; and identify acceptable replacement machines. The secretary of state will announce a handful of certified models in the coming weeks and months, said agency spokeswoman Wanda Murren. If the state really wants to be ambitious, it could make the changeover by the 2018 midterms, Schneider said. "I'm not saying it's going to be easy," Schneider said. "But I think we should try." Surprising turnout On a rainy Saturday morning in February, officials in Montgomery County invited voters to give feedback about new voting equipment the county was considering buying all of it featured some form of paper audit for each vote cast. The county expected 100 or fewer attendees, but 300 citizens showed up, including Ayodele Fitzgerald, a resident of Abington. "As elections become more and more contentious we need bipartisan oversight but also the ability to investigate if necessary," Fitzgerald said. A paper backup "gives a sense of security that may help people feel their vote, their voice, is being heard." Using paper ballots isn't as low-tech as it might sound. With optical scan systems, voters fill in bubbles indicating their choices and then the ballot is scanned and tabulated electronically. Officials retain the paper ballots in case they are needed. In a swing state like Pennsylvania, where the last presidential election was decided by fewer than 50,000 votes, safeguarding Montgomery County's 577,000 voters can make a difference. Officials said they don't yet know how much the new machines will cost. At least 13 counties have come up with estimates for the eventual cost of new voting machines: Cameron County, with slightly more than 3,200 registered voters, estimated the tab to be at least $100,000; Dauphin and Berks Counties, with more than 450,000 voters combined, said new systems would cost $3 million to $5 million. Of those three, Cameron County is waiting for state certification of machines it can install. Dauphin and Berks have no plans to replace their machines. Philadelphia and Allegheny Counties say they are looking at replacing voting equipment but have no timeline or estimates. Northampton County would have to "come up with several million dollars" to replace its paperless voting machines, said David Zawick, the custodian for the county's voting machines, which were purchased in 2008. "There's always complaints every year as far as the paper trail," Zawick said. The county doesn't intend to replace all of its old machines until mandated to do so. Replacing all 700 of Lehigh County's machines would take $3.5 million, said Timothy Benyo, the chief clerk of voter registration and elections. He suggested that most counties would have to raise local taxes to cover the cost. "There's not a surplus of money anywhere to fund the machines," Benyo said. Securing funding to help counties replace machines is a priority this year for the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, a lobbying group that represents Pennsylvania counties, said executive director Douglas Hill. "Almost all of our counties are ready to move forward, [but] some of them have it as a higher priority," Hill said. "I think that for many of them it really is a matter of affordability." Hacked in minutes In 2007, Princeton University computer-science professor Andrew Appel obtained access to a 1996 Sequoia AVC Advantage, a type of voting machine in use today in Montgomery and Northampton Counties. He wanted to see if he could hack it. It took him only minutes. With no paper record, the AVC Advantage and others like it have little chance to show failures, deliberate or otherwise. The AVC Advantage is a "direct-recording electronic" voting machine, or DRE. Widely used, DREs feature push-buttons, touchscreens, or dials to record a voter's vote directly into computer memory. In 2006, many Pennsylvania counties installed scores of the DRE machines using federal funding from the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). The law was enacted after the 2000 presidential recount in which incompletely punched holes in paper ballots "hanging chads" caused confusion in Florida over which candidate was selected by the voter and forced the disqualification of thousands of votes. In Dauphin County, its DRE machines "predated the internet," election official Feaser said. "The only outlet is the electrical switch. The machines are self-contained computers." Feaser said the county tests each machine before use and audits each machine by printing a randomly generated representation of each individual vote cast. Even so, DRE machines are computer systems, at risk to system crashes or hacking, the Brennan Center for Justice reported in March. Computers used to program election machines may have previously been connected to a network and can pose a risk, said Daniel Lopresti, a computer science professor at Lehigh University. "Even if it isn't connected to the internet now, it might have been connected to the internet two years ago," Lopresti said. "And even if it was never connected to the internet, it's still running software that has a lot flaws in it because it's running a standard operating system." From 2006 through 2008, Lopresti and several students acquired four types of DRE machines, took one apart and analyzed all of the machines' electronic circuitry to see how they could be manipulated. The answer: easily. "That would just probably take about 15 minutes to take the back off the machine and insert new firmware chips and close it back up again," Lopresti said. Election officials in Philadelphia and other counties could take a lesson from their counterparts at the 13 Pennsylvania counties already using voting machines with a paper trail. Montour County, for instance, switched in 2006 from using punch-card ballots to optical scan machines. Director of Elections Holly Brandon said it cost the county of about 20,000 residents less than $200,000 to make the switch to optical scanners. It was an easy decision, she said. "It kind of seemed like a no-brainer to us," Brandon said. "We were concerned about integrity in the process. And with the optical scan, I can actually hold the entire election in my hand because we're using paper." This story was written by Katlyn Alo and Jackie Botts and reported by Alo, Botts, Amy Cruz, Christina Egerstrom, Marnette Federis, Dylan Freedman, Charlotte Kosche, Noemie Levy, Michael McLaughlin, Anthony Miller, Jacob Nierenberg, Marta Oliver-Craviotto, Isha Salian, and Simone Stolzoff. A man holds a jug of discolored well water on his head during a 2012 protest in Philadelphia against hydraulic fracturing. Read more You can tell the election campaign for governor of Pennsylvania is gaining steam by the dueling TV commercials. These get-to-know-me ads are all style and little substance, but looking at the candidates' websites doesn't provide much more insight into what they would do specifically if elected. Take protecting Pennsylvania's environment, for example. The topic ranks 10th among important problems facing Pennsylvania in the latest Franklin and Marshall College poll. But when pollsters probed further, they found that 62 percent of respondents think climate change is a problem now, and 69 percent want the state to make renewable energy more available. Climate change? Renewable energy? You won't see those subjects explored to any appreciable degree on the websites of Republican gubernatorial candidates Laura Ellsworth, Paul Mango, and Scott Wagner. On energy, Mango only says, "We have some of the largest, cheapest deposits of natural gas and coal in the world." Ellsworth and Mango don't even offer that much. A list of energy accomplishments on Gov. Wolf's website includes a gas drilling moratorium in state parks, a $30 million loan program to encourage solar energy use, joining a three-state effort to ban hydraulic fracturing in the Delaware River Basin, and strengthening weakened environmental rules. The Democrat also says he still wants a fracking tax. The Franklin and Marshall poll didn't include a question about a fracking tax, but its respondents were queried about the industry generally. Fifty-one percent disapproved of the way the legislature has handled natural gas development; 40 percent disapproved of Wolf's efforts in that regard. Fifty-five percent said they believe the environmental risks of fracking outweigh the economic benefits, and 43 percent have an unfavorable opinion of the industry. Those negatives certainly suggest fracking should be a larger part of the conversation about who should be governor. Wolf shouldn't let his past failure to get an extraction tax keep him from pressing the topic. His competitors need to make clear where they stand and why. As the polling shows, it's not enough to tout economic benefits that too few people have felt. Many of the communities so eager to get the jobs and commerce they expected natural gas drilling to bring are now experiencing related pollution and health problems that have changed their attitude. Former Philadelphia Health Commissioner Walter Tsou, a board member of Philadelphia Physicians for Social Responsibility, calls fracking the "number one public health threat," saying it has been linked to "groundwater contamination, air pollution, radioactivity in flowback water, and even earthquakes." Taxes, politicians, unemployment, crime, drugs, education, and health care were among the topics ranked higher as problems in the Franklin and Marshall poll. But it's just one way to gauge what a governor should be focused on and what candidates for that office should be talking about. Even when people aren't thinking about the environment, it has a huge impact on their lives. As the campaign to become Pennsylvania's next governor continues, let's hope the candidates will give voters a better idea of what they will specifically do in the next four years, if elected, to protect the air they breathe and water they drink while adequately providing for their energy needs. President Trump holds hands with the Easter Bunny during the 140th Easter Egg Roll on Monday, April 2, 2018, on the South Lawn of the White House. Read more Children gasped and tugged at their parents' jackets on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday, urging them toward one of the biggest celebrities at the 140th Easter Egg Roll. Forget the Easter Bunny and the president the Cat in the Hat had arrived. "They were completely star-struck," Leesburg, Va., resident Aubrey Heki said of her daughters, ages 3 and 5. "The Cat in the Hat is a pretty big deal." There were no boldfaced names, as in years past when the likes of talk-show host Kelly Ripa and musical group Fifth Harmony came to warm up the crowd. This year, her second hosting the event, first lady Melania Trump again opted for kid-friendly costumed characters and military bands. And that seemed to go over well with the children. They fawned over a volunteer dressed as Dr. Seuss's famous feline and a friendly-faced yeti named Eddie. They raced across the grounds toward coloring stations and concert stages and rolled themselves down sloping hills, messing up carefully coordinated Easter outfits. "Look dad, I'm an egg!" exclaimed a small boy, bouncing up from the grass. "Get it? Because I'm rolling." White House officials said they were expecting nearly 30,000 people to attend Monday's event, many of whom won tickets in a lottery that was held in February. President Trump strode out onto the White House balcony to the tune of "Hail to the Chief," flanked by his wife and a bespectacled Easter Bunny, who waved to the crowd as Trump praised the weather ("perfect"), the first lady ("incredible"), and the trajectory of the U.S. economy ("bigger and better and stronger"). As he knelt in the center of a field of small children waiting to try their hand at egg rolling, Trump blamed Democrats for killing a deal meant to protect undocumented immigrants who were brought to the country as children. "The Democrats have really let them down. They've really let them down. They had this great opportunity," Trump said in response to a reporter's question. "The Democrats have really let them down. It's a shame, and now people are taking advantage of DACA. That's a shame. It should have never happened." Several attendees said they generally disagreed with the president on a range of issues, including his refusal to make a deal to legalize recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) and recent steps toward a potential trade war with China. But they had vowed to put politics aside for the day. "Today isn't about the Trumps, it's about the children," said Annemarie Carfora of Somerville, N.J., who stood at a picnic table while her 5-year-old granddaughter, Hope, colored a card for military members serving overseas. "I have friends who feel all kinds of ways about the president, and I've been sending them all pictures today," Carfora said. "So, it's kind of funny, I'm getting responses that say, 'Wonderful!' And others that say, 'Yuck!' " Hope, who wore two white rabbit ears tucked into her red hair, said she hadn't noticed the president although she did pose for a photo with the Easter Bunny and wave to the first lady. "I don't consider myself a huge Trump fan, but it's still pretty amazing to be here," said Heki, the mother of two from Leesburg. "We saw Melania do her book reading and I was so giddy with excitement, I think I almost cried." Several of the president's children and grandchildren attended the event, including 12-year-old son Barron; daughter Tiffany; son Eric, his wife, Lara, and their baby; and Donald Jr., his wife, Vanessa, and their five children. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway, and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders were among several administration officials roaming the grounds and posing for photos with children and grandchildren in tow. Conway and Sanders were among the staff members assigned a time to read a children's book to the assembled crowd in a clearing designated as the reading nook. Down the lawn, children posed for photos behind a tiny lectern in a miniature briefing room, decorated cookies, tasted eggs, wrote letters to troops serving overseas, and hurled giant green balls toward oversized pins as part of day's newest activity: lawn bowling. Lawn bowling was added to the roster of activities Monday thanks to the first lady, who, according to a White House statement, wanted to leave her mark on the 140-year tradition. President Abraham Lincoln held informal egg-rolling parties at the White House while he was in office in the 1860s, according to the White House. In the 1870s, the Capitol was the site of Easter egg-rolling. But the practice became so raucous and destructive that President Ulysses S. Grant signed a law in 1876 banning future egg-rolling to preserve the Capitol grounds. The event was revived in 1878 when "a group of bold children" approached the White House gate seeking permission to play egg-rolling games during President Rutherford B. Hayes' tenure, according to the White House. Permission was granted, and the egg-rolling has continued every year since. Michael Tree, 84, a leading viola pedagogue at the Curtis Institute of Music and a founding member of the Guarneri Quartet, died Friday at his home in New York City, his wife said. Mr. Tree, born in Newark, N.J., was a violinist first, taught by his father, and entered Curtis in 1946 at age 12. He studied there for nearly a decade with Lea Luboshutz, Veda Reynolds, and Efrem Zimbalist. But it was as a violist that he made his mark. "I would say he was the most important quartet violist of his time, and one of the most influential viola teachers of his time, for sure," said Edward Gazouleas, a former Boston Symphony Orchestra violist who studied with Mr. Tree at Curtis. He joined the Curtis faculty in 1968, and continued teaching there until about a year ago, said Curtis president Roberto Diaz, who praised the "presence" Mr. Tree was able to create for an instrument whose role and character is still sometimes perceived as rather inscrutable. Diaz noted that while the late Philadelphia Orchestra principal violist Joseph de Pasquale put the orchestral violist "on the map in a way nobody had done, Michael Tree did that with his sound for the visibility of the violist in a string quartet." Philadelphia audiences knew that sound well through his long association with the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society (PCMS) and its sister organization, the Marlboro Music Festival. With the Guarneri or other groups, he performed with PCMS no fewer than 60 times. "He loved Philadelphia, he loved Curtis, and he loved the PCMS," said his wife, Jani. "He was always so excited to play there, it was always like coming home." The love went both ways. On one such visit from the Guarneri in 1993, an Inquirer critic found the quartet "astounding in its technical mastery, purity of sound, closeness of ensemble and unity of purpose. Moreover, despite the gloss of perfection, the Guarneri refuses to play it safe." To hear Mr. Tree tell it, the journey to becoming an adored violist in one of the great string quartets of the 20th century began as a lark. "Well, one fine day in Marlboro, three or four of us were standing around just chatting on a beautiful sunlit day after lunch and feeling a little lazy, and suddenly someone, and I don't even remember who it was, said, "Why don't we form a quartet?'" said Mr. Tree in a 2011 interview with the internet site String Visions. But who would play viola? Mr. Tree was a respected violinist at the time and had studied viola only on the side at Curtis. He volunteered to take on the job. The Guarneri became one of the most loved and influential of American quartets. It endured touring widely and recording with artists like pianist Artur Rubinstein for 45 years, from 1964 to 2009. It was through this long burst of activity and his teaching at Curtis, as well as at the University of Maryland, Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard School and Bard College Conservatory of Music, that Mr. Tree was able to bring the viola new visibility. "If you stood next to him when was he was playing you could feel it physically, it was so powerful and beautiful," said Gazouleas. "The message was, you never played two notes without shaping them. That was the hallmark of his playing as a quartet player, that you heard the viola part, and always heard how he was shaping it." In addition to his wife of 51 years, he is survived by children Konrad and Anna, and a grandson. A memorial event will be planned for a later date. Pennsylvania has the second largest legislative body, but PAs lawmakers represent more citizens than lawmakers in many other states on a per constituent basis. Read more Should Pennsylvania's voters be cheered or frustrated that efforts to reduce the size of the state legislature have slowed? Anyone who believes a smaller legislature will reduce costs or become suddenly more responsive and efficient is likely to be among the frustrated; we do not believe a smaller legislature will produce any of those benefits. A smaller legislature is expected to save $10 million to $15 million per year, a savings of about $1.17 per state taxpayer. These savings are a barely noticeable share of Pennsylvania's annual $66 billion operating budget. These purported savings also assume that legislators will add no additional staff even though each will have a larger legislative workload, represent more constituents, and represent larger geographic areas. How likely is that? But, even without much cost savings, isn't it true that Pennsylvania already has one of the largest state legislatures? In absolute terms, the state has the second-largest legislative body, but Pa.'s lawmakers represent more citizens than do lawmakers in many other states on a per-constituent basis. Based on 2010 census data, each member of the General Assembly represents about 63,000 constituents compared with the 50-state average of 60,000. This makes the state 18th in terms of constituents per lawmaker. How big should the legislature be? Most scholars have concluded there is no magic number, and even the state's founding fathers specified a desire that the House have no set maximum. Over four frames of government and five constitutions, Pennsylvania's legislative bodies have varied in size. But what has undoubtedly happened over time is that legislators have increasingly represented more people. In 1790, a state legislator represented about 4,300 citizens. In 1880, he represented about 17,600. Today, each represents about 63,000. A move to 151 legislative districts would mean that each represents about 85,000 citizens. But won't it be possible to pass legislation more efficiently if we have a smaller legislature? The argument for this seems to be that lawmakers will become more ideologically moderate because they need to appeal to a larger number of constituents. This presumably will make it easier to pass important legislation. In theory this holds appeal, but in practice we don't see the state's smaller Senate being held up as a more representative or efficient legislative body than the larger General Assembly. Now, it is probably true that a smaller legislature will operate more efficiently, but taking this argument to its logical conclusion suggests having the smallest legislature possible. A legislature of one would produce extremely efficient outcomes. But legislative bodies are not supposed to be efficient. These bodies are intended to offer an opportunity for varied and competing interests to work through their issues and produce outcomes that consider the interests of a wide range of constituencies. We have a single governor because we want more efficient execution and implementation of the law, but we have a larger legislature because we want the voices of Pennsylvania's citizens to be heard when laws are being written. It seems more likely that a smaller legislature will produce poorer representation. In a smaller legislature, each lawmaker will have to represent a greater number of people and will be less likely to have face-to-face contact with constituents. And as districts grow larger, more communities will share a single representative, making it less likely that each individual community's interest will be served. The reality is that interests are narrowed in smaller legislative bodies, and fewer and fewer of them get a seat at the legislative table. Pennsylvania's rich tapestry of communities, voices, and interests is likely to be much shallower and less representative. Perhaps more important is the fact that as the number of legislative seats decreases, the cost of running for office rises. Only candidates with enough money to run can compete for seats. This will reduce representation among groups that do not traditionally hold office. It will also further drive the move from a citizen legislature to a legislature full of professional politicians. Citizens believe the state legislature does a pretty bad job of representing their interests. Unfortunately, a simple, reflexive desire to shrink the size of the legislature is going to make us even less satisfied. If the legislature is to be a microcosm of the state's varied interests, traditions, communities, and political cultures, it seems that expanding the legislature, rather than reducing it, is going to make much more sense. Berwood A. Yost is the chief methodologist for the Franklin and Marshall College Poll, director of the Floyd Institute's Center for Opinion Research, and director of the Floyd Institute for Public Policy Analysis. byost@fandm.edu. Matthew M. Schousen is professor of government at Franklin and Marshall. The formula for how the PPA distributes its revenue is dictated by state law. Read more When it comes to criticizing the Philadelphia Parking Authority's annual $50 million payment to city government and the School District of Philadelphia, it's important to look for the facts and not at a decade-old myth. The original law "promising $45 million" to Philadelphia schools each year was repealed in 2004 and replaced with a new law that "restricted" the PPA from sending any money to the schools until a $25 million threshold contribution to the city was first met. Complicating the "$25 million to the city first" provision was an added proviso that should the PPA's annual on-street revenue increase, so too would the percentage of revenue that must go to the city first. Case in point is the current fiscal year. The PPA will send $40 million to the city first before a single dollar can go to the schools. This statutory formula-based distribution provision was recently criticized by Pennsylvania's auditor general as being to the "immense detriment of the School District." The PPA coordinates its operations with the city, and its Finance Department routinely reviews our budgets and expenses. The PPA is audited every year by an outside independent firm, including three audits in 2017 alone. With more than 1,100 employees, we operate on an unheard of 40 percent profit margin returning more than $110 million combined to the city, state, School District, and the National Park Service each year. Based on the 2004 legal requirements, the PPA will give the city more than $40 million this year, with $10 million more going to the schools from our on-street operation alone constituting 0.016 percent of the School District's overall annual $3 billion budget. The formula for how the PPA distributes its revenue is dictated by state law. Should the law change, the PPA will distribute the revenue as directed. Either way, the city will have $50 million to fund schools from the PPA. The PPA is committed to doing its part to help the city and School District meet their respective funding needs. That's why we proposed establishing a 50-cent surcharge on every ride provided by transportation network companies (TNC) better known to the average rider as Ubers and Lyfts that currently operate in the city. Last year alone, more than 20,000 registered Uber and Lyft vehicles provided an estimated 90,000 rides a day in the city. The new TNC law requires the Parking Authority to regulate these services including the removal of illegal operators, investigation of consumer complaints, inspection of vehicles, monitoring driver qualifications, and many other duties. Funding for this oversight and regulation was cut in half last year, leaving a significant gap in the PPA's ability to oversee the TNC industry. That's why the PPA proposed replacing the existing funding allocation with a new regulatory fee of 50 cents per trip which will be added to each taxi and TNC trip in the city. This will create parity in assessment methods between taxis and TNCs, making it easier for taxi owners to reinvest in their business. This change will also adequately fund regulatory operations and eliminate the need to audit the TNCs' books. Because two-thirds of TNC assessment dollars go to the Philadelphia School District, funding will increase significantly under this proposal, from $3 million to $11 million a year. The PPA remains committed to efficiency, transparency, and doing the best job possible to serve the people of Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. Scott Petri is executive director of the Philadelphia Parking Authority. The ship Zhen Hua 16 carrying PhilaPorts two giant cranes prepares to dock at the Packer Avenue Terminal in South Philadelphia. Read more Pennsylvania's ports are the doorway to our national and global reach. We are the only state with port access to the Atlantic Ocean (Philadelphia), Gulf of Mexico (Pittsburgh), and Great Lakes (Erie), and we rank in the top 10 states in the nation for the volume of goods moving through its ports. That's why Gov. Wolf and Sen. Bob Casey have made investing in our port infrastructure a top priority. On March 24, PhilaPort marked the beginning of a new era of growth with the arrival of two large-capacity Post-Panamax cranes, the first two of four that will be installed at the port. The new cranes, which will result in increased cargo-handling capacity and efficiency, are among a series of changes made possible by a more than $300 million investment in the port's infrastructure, warehousing, and equipment that was announced by the Wolf administration in 2016, with funding secured by Sen. Casey for the Delaware River deepening project. Besides doubling container capacity, the investment will provide increased capacity for cargo not housed in containers, as well as a substantial increase in automobile cargo capacity. That means bigger ships will be bringing in more containers of products, including cars, fruit, cocoa, lumber, and liquid bulk. In fact, we're seeing the results of that growth already; PhilaPort hit a historic record in container growth in 2017, leading all ports on the U.S. Atlantic seaboard. The expanded capacity of PhilaPort is a boon to Philadelphia-area workers, the regional economy, and Pennsylvania as a whole. The more cargo the port brings in, the more workers are needed. The growth from the historic investment allows the port to create not just thousands of direct jobs in the port itself, but several thousand additional induced and indirect jobs, like drivers, rail workers, suppliers, inland distribution center workers, and other waterfront-related businesses. In fact, since the investment in the port, Penn Terminals and Crowley Maritime Corp. have announced they will bring more than 500 jobs and weekly container service to the ports of greater Philadelphia, which will inject millions of dollars into the local economy. The investment also enables PhilaPort to improve its competitive position against other East Coast ports, like those in New York, Baltimore, Wilmington, and Newark, N.J. This means thousands of middle-class blue-collar jobs are being created right here in Pennsylvania rather than in other states. It means a surge in revenue for the commonwealth, generating nearly $40 million annually in additional state and local taxes, bringing that total annual number to nearly $110 million. And it means a commitment to the infrastructure that is so vital to fostering our economic growth in the years ahead. Plans are in place or in progress at PhilaPort to relocate and construct warehouses to facilitate container growth, deepen the berths of terminals to accommodate larger ships, and make improvements to the port's electrical infrastructure. Combined with the arrival of the new large-capacity cranes, these successes demonstrate what happens when we invest wisely in our ports and other infrastructure. As a businessman, Gov. Wolf knows what makes good business sense and he knows which investments will have the most significant positive impacts for Pennsylvanians across the commonwealth. We put so much effort into supporting PhilaPort because we know its wide-reaching economic impact in Pennsylvania at the state and regional levels. As the port is a significant provider of jobs, investment, and economic activity, the Wolf administration understands the necessity of keeping PhilaPort competitive. When we support the port's growth, we are supporting the entire state of Pennsylvania. Dennis M. Davin is secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Arkansas Trooper Kyle Sheldon was shot Sunday night at a traffic stop. His wound is reportedly not life threatening. A suspect is in custody. (Photo: Arkansas State Police) An Arkansas State Police trooper was shot and wounded during a Sunday night traffic stop. A suspect is in custody. Trooper Kyler Sheldon was transported to a local hospital after the shooting. Police tell KATV his injuries are non-life threatening. Officials say Elsbeth Tresa Kittinger, 49, of Fort Worth, Texas was arrested after being treated for a gunshot wound sustained in the shooting. The suspect was shot by responding officers during a vehicle pursuit. The Statesboro (GA) Police Department has announced the sudden off-duty death of Advanced Patrol Officer Ian Huggins, in what appears to be a murder-suicide. On Sunday at approximately 2:36 AM, officers of the Statesboro Police Department responded to Copper Beech Townhomes in reference to reports of possible shots fired. Upon arrival, officers encountered APO Huggins with multiple gunshot wounds. Moments after officers entered the home, Rebecca Boyett Huggins, his wife, took her own life with one gunshot to the head. The two were married February 14, 2018. EMS and officers on scene made efforts to revive both APO Huggins and Rebecca Huggins. Both were transported to East Georgia Regional Medical Center. Life-saving efforts were not successful. A police chase followed by a shootout turned Easter morning into a deadly scene Sunday morning near Goodbee, LA, in western St. Tammany Parish. Authorities said their pursuit of 24-year-old Joseph Walden Johnson Jr. ended after his car crashed into a ditch on Railroad Avenue between La. 1077 and U.S. 190. At that point Johnson and pursuing St. Tammany Sheriffs Office deputies exchanged gunfire. Johnson was killed and 36-year-old Deputy Justin Nail was wounded, the Advocate reports. The pursuit started just before 5 a.m. when deputies attempted to pull Johnson over because they believed he was a suspect in some vehicle burglaries. Johnson refused to stop and fled in his vehicle before the crash and exchange of gunfire. Nail a member of the Third District Criminal Division was taken to a local hospital, where he underwent surgery. He was out of surgery a few hours later and was listed in stable condition, according to the Sheriffs Office. New York parole board members who authorized three-time cop killer Herman Bells release never reviewed the minutes of the four-decades-old sentencing before making their decision a clear violation of the law, the citys largest police union charged Wednesday. The Patrolmens Benevolent Association is trying to use this alleged misstep to demand a new hearing for Bell, who is expected to be released from prison this month, reports the New York Daily News. Bell, 70, along with Anthony Bottom and Albert Washington, were convicted of executing Police Officers Joseph Piagentini and Waverly Jones after luring them to the Colonial Park Houses now the Rangel Houses on W. 159th St. with a bogus 911 call on May 21, 1971. The three men were members of the Black Liberation Army at the time. Jones was shot in the head and died instantly, but the three suspects took their time with Piagentini shooting him 22 times. Piagentini begged for his life before the end, telling Bell and his cohorts that he had a wife and two children at home. PBA President Pat Lynch said by not reviewing the minutes from his 1979 sentencing, the boards actions invalidated Bells release. Both criminal procedure law and executive law requires that the board obtain and consider the recommendation of the sentencing court, Lynch said. IBM's Rochester site for a couple decades was known as the headquarters for the AS-400, one of Big Blue's most popular machines ever. The story goes that Rochester actually misled IBM's head office during the development of "Silver Lake," the code for the AS-400. IBM actually wanted a different machine. The AS-400 hit the market in 1988. It was a big hit. Rochester controlled almost all aspects of the AS-400, which made the Med City site very important to IBM and difficult to control. The campus became known as "Fortress Rochester." "Within IBM, Rochester is rarely regarded as team player and is more often viewed as a competitor than an ally," wrote Frank Soltis, often called the Father of the AS/400, in his book "Fortress Rochester." The Rochester machine became a huge profit center for IBM and a tech superstar in its own right. During some rough economic times in 1990s, IBM looked like it might be sold or dismantled. When Microsofts Bill Gates was asked if he would buy IBM, he reportedly replied that all he would be interested in buying would be the AS/400 division. IBM eventually started started reining its sassy Med City child by spreading parts of design and manufacture of the AS/400 and its descendants across several sites. That trend culminated in April 2008 with the announcement of the then-new Power System servers. The build-up to the announcement was reported (by me) like this: Mark Shearer, a vice president of marketing and offerings in the IBM Business Systems group, was quoted by System i Network magazine as saying that some of the biggest news "since the launch of the AS/400 (in Rochester) 20 years ago" will be revealed this week at the COMMON System i user group conference in Nashville, Tenn. "So thats the standard you can measure me against and I know you will," Shearer also was quoted as saying. "But this is an extremely, extremely important week." Then on April 2, I wrote: In a shock to the system, IBM is rebuilding and rebranding Rochesters favorite computer from the ground up and breaching "Fortress Rochester." That means goodbye, System i so long, iSeries farewell, AS/400. IBM is launching the Power Systems product line, one part of which calls for "unifying" System i and System p midrange computer servers. --- "I think youve hit on a central point. In the past, the AS/400 was the best of Rochester and the process design, engineering and processing design were all done in Rochester," said Jarman Tuesday. That was 20 years ago. IBM has since changed. Today, design and manufacture of the System i is spread across IBM units in Texas, North Carolina and New York as well as Rochester. This change furthers that. "The way we integrate production has changed very much," he said. "The real significance of this announcement is that Rochester and System i has moved from being a district product into the mainstream." For the record, 2008 was the last year that IBM made an annual public report about how many employees it had working in Rochester. It reported 4,200 Big Blue workers in the Med City then. In January, IBM reported to the federal government that it had 2,791 employees working on the Rochester campus. IBM recently sold the campus and now just leases eight of the 34 buildings on the sprawling campus, formerly known as "Fortress Rochester." Last week one could feel the tremors of excitement in the latest Trump campaign/Russia collusion stories coming out of the Mueller investigation. According to these stories, a Trump campaign adviser had repeated communications during the final weeks of the 2016 presidential race with a business associate tied to Russian intelligence, according to a sentencing memo filed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. In this post I am borrowing from a summary provided by the Fordham Law Center in its National Security Morning Brief, prepared by the Soufan Group. Trump campaign official Rick Gates had frequent phone calls in September and October 2016 with a person the FBI believes had active links to Russian spy services at the time, Muellers team wrote in the memo. Gates told London-based lawyer Alex van der Zwaan that a longtime business associate in Ukraine was a former Russian intelligence officer with the GRU, Russias military-intelligence agency. Van der Zwaan admitted to hiding from prosecutors the fact that the three men were in touch. According to the memo, Muellers team assessed the ex-spy, only referred to as Person A, has ties to a Russian intelligence service and had such ties in 2016. Van der Zwaan was an attorney at a firm that worked with Gates and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort to prepare a report used to defend Viktor Yanukovych, the former Ukrainian president, from international criticism over the prosecution and incarceration of one of his political rivals. Van der Zwaan worked closely on the report with Person A and Gates. A source with knowledge of the matter reportedly identified Person A as Konstantin V. Kilimnik, who for years was Manaforts right-hand man in Ukraine. Both Gates and van der Zwaan have pleaded guilty as part of Muellers investigation. Van der Zwaan is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow and faces up to six months in prison under a plea agreement with Muellers office. The New York Times published a story based on the sentencing memorandum here, the Washington Post published stories here and here, the Wall Street Journal here, and Bloomberg here. The Mueller sentencing memorandum that generated all of these stories is posted here. CNN of course also hopped to it, in a story by Katelyn Polantz that is posted here. CNN followed up with an on-air analysis that reaches a fever pitch. A transcript of that segment is posted here. Reading the stories, I thought that the contacts in issue were highly unlikely to constitute Putinesque collusion in the supposedly dreamed-of election of Donald Trump. This isnt how it would be done. At least, I thought, we have moved beyond the infamous June 2016 meeting of Glenn Simpsons friend Natalia Veselnitskaya with Don Jr. et al. in Trump Tower. Byron York takes up that CNN analysis segment in his column So why was Trump aide talking to a Russian spy? Byron digs into related stories going back a year or two that suggest a plausible explanation for the contacts. Surprise: it has nothing to do with collusion. It wasnt so long ago that Baltimore politicians were pandering to the anti-law-and-order crowd with talk about no justice, no peace and space to destroy. Now that this kind of sentiment has helped produce a spike in homicides, earning Baltimore the title of Americas most dangerous city, the pols are singing a different tune. In fact, many are calling on the state legislature to enact tough anti-crime legislation. Heres Del. Cheryl Glenn (D-Baltimore City), chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland: We know we have to do something. Our constituents want us to do something. We cant bury our heads in the sand and we cant keep slapping people on the wrists. The spike in crime isnt just affecting legislators constituents. One delegate says the brother of a relative was killed last year. The grandson of another delegate suffered the same fate. Thus, we find Baltimore mayor Catherine Pugh and a sizable number of delegates backing legislation that would raise the maximum sentence from 20 years to 40 years for a second-time offender who uses a firearm in connection with drug trafficking or to commit a violent crime. The legislation would also double the penalty for witness intimidation to 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000. In addition, it would would repeal a law that allows a defendant charged with or serving a sentence for a violent crime to be transferred from jail for drug treatment. Civil rights advocates and defense lawyers are not amused. They tell the Washington Post that the legislation reminds them of the tougher penalties enacted by Congress in the 1980s as part of the war on drugs. Out of control crime again leads to demands for tougher sentencing. What a coincidence! The tougher sentencing regime adopted by Congress following the 1980s produced a significant decrease in serious crime. If Maryland follows a similar course, we might witness another coincidence. The Washington Post reports on a study comparing black and white incomes. The study found that virtually nowhere in the United States do black boys grow up to earn incomes equivalent to white boys raised in the same neighborhoods by parents with comparable wealth and education levels. The disparity holds true even for black boys raised in the wealthiest of families, who grew up on the same block in the same affluent community and attended the same school as their white counterparts. Whats the explanation? My first thought was that it might lie in differences in family structure. Perhaps, across all income levels, young black men grow up in less stable families. Its true that, in general, young black men labor under this disadvantage. But as I read the study, family structure does not explain differences in black and white incomes among those raised in families with comparable income in comparable neighborhoods. The authors state: Black children are much more likely to grow up in single parent households with less wealth and parents with lower levels of education all factors that have received attention as potential explanations for black-white disparities. But when we compare the outcomes of black and white men who grow up in two-parent families with similar levels of income, wealth, and education, we continue to find that the black men still have substantially lower incomes in adulthood. Hence, differences in these family characteristics play a limited role in explaining the gap. Is the gap, then, explained by racism? Perhaps, but two clues suggest otherwise. First, the Black-White income gap observed by the study exists only for men. Controlling for the income of parents and the neighborhood in which children are raised eliminates any income disparity between white and black women. If anything, black women apparently make out slightly better than their white counterparts. Does white racism extend only to black males. Its possible, I suppose. But someone should explain why thats the case. I always figured that if youre anti-black, youre anti-black regardless of gender. Certainly, women were not exempt from Jim Crow laws. Second, the study found that, black males are more likely to be incarcerated and less likely to attend college than their white counterparts from families of similar income level. Herein lies the answer, I think. Black boys/men are faring worse with regard to income than similarly situated white boys/men because of the decisions they make e.g., decisions about whether to engage in crime and whether to attend college. Leftists contend that blacks are incarcerated at higher rates than whites because of racism in the criminal justice system. I dont believe this. But lets assume its true and focus on the fact, established by the survey, that black boys are less likely to attend college than white boys from the same background. Is this because of racism? Surely not. Colleges arent discriminating against blacks in admissions. To the contrary, most colleges are discriminating in favor of blacks, via race-based preferences that enable blacks to obtain admission with significantly worse credentials grades and especially test scores than whites. And keep in mind that black women are doing fine compared to their white counterparts both as to income and college admission. Are we supposed to believe that college admissions officials are discriminating against black men but not black women? The notion is ridiculous. Are black boys being knocked or routed off the college track earlier in the process, as compared to white boys from similar circumstances? This notion too seems implausible. Who is doing the knocking and how are they accomplishing it? Are racist guidance counselors discouraging black boys, but not black girls, from taking college track courses and/or from applying for college? Are racist teachers giving bad grades to black boy, but not black girls, for no good reason? Are they suspending them without good cause? Few will have consumed enough identity politics Kool-Aid to believe that this is whats going on. The logical explanation for the disparities observed in the study is that, across all income lines, young black males, to a disproportionate extent, are behaving in ways that do not optimize their future earnings. The Washington Post accelerates its race to the bottom by publishing an article by Sydney Leathers. Yeah, that Sydney Leathers the woman who sexted with Anthony Weiner when he was running for mayor of New York. In the paper edition, the article is called I know what Stormy Daniels is facing: Sydney Leathers on the pain that comes with challenging the powerful. It consists of non-stop whining about the ridicule Leathers says she faced after her sexting with Weiner (and, more to the point, his with her) came to light a process she initiated. Anyone inclined to sympathize with Leathers should watch the movie Weiner. John reviewed it here. Of Leathers, he wrote, accurately: Who comes off badly? Sydney Leathers, for one. Leathers was one of Weiners sext pals; she says in the film that she had phone sex with Weiner up to five times a day. She is hell-bent on capitalizing on her moment of fame. Perhaps Weiners most bizarre sequence takes place on the evening following the primary, in which Weiner has been crushed, getting just 4% of the vote. Weiner is trying to get to an upstairs room where his staff is holding a wake, while Leathers waits to confront him, cameras rolling, in a bar downstairs. Weiners staff comes up with a plan to sprint through a McDonalds and take a back staircase, dodging Leathers. Leathers gets wind of their approach and chases Weiner through the McDonalds and up the stairs. Happily, at the last moment Weiner told Huma [Abedin] to stay in the car and go home rather than endure this final embarrassment. Did the Post do any research about the Weiner-Leathers saga before permitting Leathers to give her self-serving account of the matter? It doesnt seem so. Or maybe it viewed the details as irrelevant, the point being to (1) keep Stormy Daniels in the news, (2) paint her as the protagonist, and (3) strike a blow for feminism. I wonder what Huma Abedin thinks of Sydney Leathers version of feminism. As for Daniels, this is a woman who, the evidence strongly suggests, had consensual sex with Donald Trump, then a private citizen, and who accepted a substantial amount of money not to talk about it. She then broke that promise. This move put Daniels on the map. She parlayed the resulting notoriety into a cross-country stripping tour. A stripper at one of the clubs on Daniels tour described her as brave for performing, given that the 38 year-old porn star is at the end of her career. Had Daniels adhered to her non-disclosure agreement with Trump, the end of her career likely would already have occurred. Other opportunities at enrichment undoubtedly await Daniels. She has made a good business decision. This we know. Is Daniels in pain? This we dont know. Leathers doesnt know either. Judging from her article, Leathers doesnt seem to know, or genuinely care, much about Daniels. The porn star/stripper seems like an afterthought a pretext for Leathers to whine while grabbing a little more attention. The real story here is that Washington Post let her do it. These days, little seems below the organ of the Resistance. Recently, Andrew Hartman, an Illinois State professor, wrote an article in the Washington Post claiming there is no campus free speech crisis. Hartmans analysis was seriously flawed, as I tried to demonstrate. Hartman isnt the only one pushing back against the view that a campus free speech crisis exists. The same claim has recently been made by Matthew Yglesias, who declares that everything we think about the political correctness debate is wrong, and Jeffrey Sachs, another professor given space by the Washington Post to opine on the subject. The weaknesses of their arguments has been exposed by Cathy Young, Sean Stevens and Jonathan Haidt, Robby Soave, Katie Herzog, and Stanley Kurtz. I recommend all of the above-mentioned columns pro and con for your consideration. Those who deny that theres a campus free speech crisis rely on three polls a survey by FIRE, a survey by the Knight Foundation, and the the General Social Survey (GSS) which for 50 years has asked Americans about their tolerance for offensive speech. I discussed the FIRE poll in my article. The Knight Foundation poll found that students believed First Amendment freedoms were secure, and they generally preferred that campuses be open environments that encourage a wide range of expression. Great. But Katie Herzog shows that behind these sunny sentiments lurk darkly oppressive ones: When asked whether free expression or diversity and inclusion is more important, [students] tilt toward saying diversity and inclusion are. Students are as likely to favor campus speech codes as to oppose them, and they overwhelmingly favor free speech zones on campus. Students do not believe the U.S. Constitution should protect hate speech, and they continue to support campus policies that restrict both hate speech and wearing stereotypical costumes. In addition, nearly two-thirds of students do not believe the Constitution should protect hate speech. But the Constitution does. Thus, the vast majority of college students dont believe in a core element of the constitutional protection of free speech. It should be obvious that the hate speech exception to the First Amendment college students wish to carve out can be used to block speech they strongly disagree with. As Herzog reminds us, it has been so used on campus. Stevens and Haidt take a deep dive into the GSS. They show that when the analysis is properly focusedon iGen college students since 2015, rather than on Millennials at large over the last ten yearsthe GSS does in fact show a recent downturn in support for controversial speakers. In addition, they argue, the same trend can be observed in the much larger survey of college students by the Knight Foundation. Soave points to a Cato Institute poll that found half of the countrys college students (51 percent) believe disrespectful people should be stripped of their free speech rights and 60 percent believe that hate speech is the equivalent of violence. Soave also notes that at Arcadia College in Nova Scotia, where the sanguine professor Sachs teaches, an associate professor of psychology, Rick Mehta, is under investigation for voicing conservative opinions in his classroom. His department head complained that some of his students refuse to come to class because the experience of listening to him talk about why the gender wage gap is exaggerated produces too much anxiety. A professor of social work says that Mehtas opinion does border on hate speech. Kurtz argues that the current campus free-speech crisis grows out of a de facto alliance between radical students, leftist professors, and sympathetic or craven administrators. Thus, even if the results of student surveys were less appalling on matters of free speech, the crisis would likely exist. It doesnt take many students to shout down a speaker, for example, if professors and administrators countenance their actions. Kurtz goes on to examine the free speech picture at one school, Clemson University. Clemson isnt an Ivy League school, nor is it located in liberal America. Rather, its a public campus with proportionally more centrist and conservative students than the elite coastal schools. As Kurtz puts it, if the campus free-speech crisis is alive at Clemson, its likely far more widely spread. Kurtz shows that the campus free speech crisis is indeed alive at Clemson. It has experienced a raft of free-speech troubles, from restrictive codes and zones to speech suppression. The facultys role has been decisive and truly frightening. 110 faculty members publicly backed an unconstitutional student demand for speech suppression, while only three dared contradict it. Under pressure of an active minority of students and an illiberal faculty, cowardly administrators suppressed the truth about an alleged bias incident and adopted a diversity-education program that itself made a hash of free speech. As Kurtz concludes: Opinion polls showing majority support for free speech by Clemsons student body wouldnt gainsay the damage done by an illiberal alliance between faculty, administrators, and part of the student body. Nor would the presence of politically disengaged students change the fact that the freedom of those who care to voice their opinions is endangered. . . . Crisis is defined as a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger and the turning point of a disease when an important change takes place. The condition of free speech at Clemson qualifies as a crisis on both counts. Between administrative weakness and the facultys illiberal turn, free speech will not be resuscitated at Clemson in the absence of stronger medicine. Leftists have a strong interest in an academic environment thats hostile to conservatives. This, I think, explains their flawed attempts to dismiss the campus free speech crisis. The inroads Stanley Kurtz and the Goldwater Institute have made in convincing state legislators to respond to the very real campus free speech crisis presumably are playing a part, as well. NEW DELHI, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With this coveted industry acknowledgement, Mr. Bhaskhar will be working closely with Government, business leaders towards the development of the Imaging industry Canon India, leading imaging solutions provider, today announced the appointment of its Vice President, Mr. K. Bhaskhar, from the Business Imaging Solutions division, as the Chairman for the Confederation of Indian Industry's Office Automation and Imaging Division. Unanimously elected for the position, Mr. Bhaskhar will be seen in an advisory role, working alongside the Government on policy matters, interfacing with thought leaders, and enhancing efficiency, competitiveness and business opportunities for industry through a range of specialized services and strategic global linkages. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661332/K_Bhaskhar_VP_Canon_India.jpg ) With a two decade long tenure at Canon, Mr. Bhaskhar is one of the most respected leaders in the organization and has been its part since its inception in India Applauding Mr. K. Bhaskhar on his achievement, Mr. Kazutada Kobayashi, President and CEO, Canon India, said, "We take pride in our people, they are our biggest asset. In my opinion a strong and committed workforce plays an integral role in the growth of the organization. I am confident that under his expanded role, he will further strengthen synergies and knowledge sharing within industry." Expressing gratitude and talking about his vision for the industry, Mr. K. Bhaskhar , said, "It is an honour and a privilege to Chair the CII Office Automation and Imaging Division. The CII Office Automation and Imaging Division (CII OA&ID) takes up issues of common interest to members and industry players with concerned Ministries/Departments and contributes towards drafting National-level Policies with stress on making them more user-friendly and consistent with Government's focus on Ease of Doing Business. The Division's efforts would be to not just propel higher level of growth in this dynamic industry, but also work towards contributing to the society, through our advocacy, thereby, facilitating a common Industry goal." About Canon Group Ever since its foundation in 1937, Canon is guided by the 'Kyosei' philosophy of living and working together for the common good. Canon strives to create and deliver world-class products, becoming a top global corporation by diversifying into new business fields throughout the world. Focusing on optical technologies, Canon produces office equipment, consumer and professional imaging devices, network cameras, healthcare and industrial equipment. Through the close connection between its global head office in Tokyo and regional headquarters in America, Europe, Asia, Oceania and regional headquarters in Japan, Canon combines its global and local operations organically. In 1996, Canon launched its Excellent Global Corporation Plan with the goal of serving the society with advanced technologies and becoming a trustworthy and responsible corporate citizen. The year 2016 is the first year of Phase 5 of the Plan. Currently, Canon boasts a strong global presence of 367 subsidiaries all over the world, supported by 197,673 employees. (Data as of December 31, 2016) Canon in India Canon India Pvt. Ltd., a 100% subsidiary of Canon Singapore Pvt. Ltd., is a world leader in imaging technologies. Set up in 1997, Canon markets over 200 comprehensive range of sophisticated contemporary digital imaging product and solutions in India. The company today has offices and warehouses in 14 cities across India and employs over 1000 people. Canon has over 500 primary channel partners, 14 National Retail Chain partners, and over 6000 secondary retail points. Canon has 250 own retail stores accredited as 'Image Square' across 120 cities in the country. Canon India's service reach extends to over 600 towns covering 17,774 PIN codes across India - which comprises of 300 Camera collection points, 16 Camera repair centers, 239 Printer repair centers, 185 Copier, Scanner and Large Format Printer Sales and Service dealers. In sync with its corporate tagline- 'Delighting You Always', reinforced by world-class technology, Canon offers an extended product portfolio, including copier MFDs, Managed Document Services, Fax-Machines, Printers, Document and Cheque Scanners, All-in-ones, Digital Cameras, DSLR's, Cinematic Imaging Products, Camcorders, Cable ID Printers and Card printers catering to the multiple market segments of consumer, SME, B2B, Commercial, Government & PSUs. In 2017, the imaging leader recorded a double digit growth. Media Contact: Ashna Joshi [email protected] +91-9999318023 Creation SOURCE Canon India Pvt. Ltd. MUMBAI and HYDERABAD, India, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Chemia Electronic Lab Notebook software from Laurus Infosystems India Pvt Ltd. has gone live at multiple customer R&D labs during the last few months. Some of the company's customers have also upgrade to the latest version. Chemia ELN has been developed over the last 6 years with inputs from some of the best minds in the pharma industry. This is a highly matured software product providing complete functionality to handle API R&D, Formulation R&D, Analytical Development R&D and also Bio R&D. The product has advanced features of chemical reaction drawing, chemical structure search, automatic calculation, COA, method development, method validation, comprehensive instrument integration etc. The latest release of the software has unique features of 100% configurable templates for analytical and Formulation R&D. Chemia 4.0 has been highly appreciated by the CSO's and R&D scientists. About Laurus Infosystems : Laurus Infosystems is a software product and solutions provider for the Pharma and Life Sciences Industry with over 20 years of experience in the domain. Our experts are highly seasoned IT professionals with strong domain knowledge. Our product development practices are ISO 9001:2015 assessed, ensuring that software products developed by us are utilizing the most advanced quality processes. Working in a completely secure environment and adhering to international compliance guidelines we follow the GAMP 5 development methodology. We look at ourselves as an organization that believes in bringing a paradigm shift in the way things were being done earlier. To know more, please visit www.laurusis.com or write to [email protected] . Media Contact: Umesh Khadela [email protected] +91-9033761813 Laurus Infosystems India Pvt Ltd SOURCE Laurus Infosystems (India) Pvt Ltd PUNE, India, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report "Dental Implants and Prosthesis Market by Type (Dental Implants, Bridge, Crown, Abutment, Dentures, Veneers, Inlay & Onlays), Material (Titanium, Zirconium, Metal, Ceramic, Porcelain Fused to Metal), Type of Facility, and Region - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Dental Implants and Prosthesis Market is expected to reach USD 13.01 Billion by 2023 from an estimated USD 9.50 Billion in 2018, at a CAGR of 6.5%. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg ) Browse 409 market data Tables and 38 Figures spread through 324 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Dental Implants and Prosthesis Market" https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/dental-implants-prosthetics-market-695.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report The key factors driving the growth of this market include the growing geriatric population and corresponding dental disorders; rising incidence of tooth decay and edentulism across the globe; growing dental tourism in emerging markets and increasing government expenditure on oral healthcare. Titanium dental implants accounted for the largest share of the Dental Implants Market in 2017 On the basis of material, the Dental Implants Market is broadly segmented into titanium dental implants and zirconium dental implants. In 2017, the titanium dental implants segment accounted for the largest share of this market. The large share of this segment can be attributed to the higher adoption of titanium implants by dental professionals owing to the advantages of these implants such as high biocompatibility, strength, rigidity, greater strain-bearing capacity, and greater corrosion resistance properties as compared to other materials. By price, premium implants accounted for the largest share of this market in 2017 On the basis of price, the Dental Implants Market is segmented into premium dental implants, value dental implants, and discounted dental implants. In 2017, the premium dental implants segment held the largest share of this market. The largest share of this segment is due to the higher adoption of these implants in developed countries such as the US, Germany, and Japan. Ask for PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=695 Dental bridges held the largest share of the Dental Prosthesis Market in 2017 Based on the type, the Dental Prosthesis Market is further segmented into dental bridges, dental crowns, dentures, abutments, veneers, inlays & onlays. In 2017, dental bridges segment accounted for the largest share of this market. As dental bridges cost lesser than dental implants, these are widely used as alternatives to single tooth dental implants. In 2017, hospitals and clinics held the largest share of Dental Implants and Prosthesis Market, by the type of facility Based on the type of facility, this market is segmented into hospitals and clinics, dental laboratories, and other facilities. The hospitals and clinics segment dominated the Dental Implants and Prosthesis Market in 2017. The large share of this segment is attributed to the increasing number of dental hospitals and clinics in developing countries, growing consolidation in dental clinic chains in Europe, and growing number of group dental practices in regions such as North America and Europe. Europe dominated the market in 2017 Europe accounted for the largest share of the Dental Implants and Prosthesis Market in 2017, followed by North America. The largest share of the European region is mainly attributed to the increase in the incidences of dental problems associated with aging population, increasing government expenditure on oral healthcare across Europe, rising adoption of dental cosmetic treatments, and increased penetration of value dental implants in European countries. The key players in the global Dental Implants and Prosthesis Market are Straumann (Switzerland), DENTSPLY Sirona (US), Zimmer Biomet (US), Danaher Corporation (US), AVINENT Implant System (Spain), Henry Schein (US), OSSTEM Implant Co. (South Korea), DIO Corporation (South Korea), Merz Dental (Germany), Bicon (US), Shofu Dental Corporation (Japan), Thommen Medical (Switzerland), and Southern Implant (South Africa). Know more about the Dental Implants and Prosthesis Market https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/dental-implants-prosthetics-market-695.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Connect with us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets SOURCE MarketsandMarkets PORTLAND, Oregon and PUNE, India, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent report published by Allied Market Research, titled, Self-Driving Truck Market by Level of Autonomy and Industry Vertical: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2025, the global self-driving truck market was valued at $1,004 million in 2020, and is projected to reach at $1,669 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 10.4% from 2020 to 2025. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg ) At present, North America dominates this market. In 2020, China is expected to register the highest growth in Asia-Pacific. Similarly, the UK is expected to lead the overall market in Europe in 2020. In the same year, the U.S. is estimated to dominate the North American market. Request for Sample Report at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/4388 The global self-driving truck market is projected to register significant growth during the forecast period attributed to rise in environmental concern and increase in number of road accidents. However, threat of hackers and rise in cybercrime restrict the growth of the market. In 2020, based on level of autonomy, the level one segment is anticipated to dominate the global self-driving truck market, in terms of revenue. However, based on industry vertical, construction & manufacturing is projected to dominate the global market in the same year. Key Findings of the Self-Driving Truck Market: Level one is expected to generate the highest revenue in 2020. In 2020, the construction & manufacturing segment is projected to account the highest revenue in the self-driving truck market. Asia-Pacific is anticipated to exhibit the highest CAGR during the forecast period. For Purchase Enquiry: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/4388 The key players profiled in the report include BMW AG, Isuzu Motors Limited, General Motors, Otto motors, AB Volvo, Daimler AG, Tesla, Waymo, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Access KNOWLEDGE TREE (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/knowledgetree Knowledge tree is a cloud-based intelligence platform that offers more than 2,000 selective, off-the-shelf reports on niche markets to enable our clients gain deep insights on the latest trends, dynamic technologies, and emerging application areas. About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: Shriram Dighe 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1855550-5975 [email protected] Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com SOURCE Allied Market Research PUNE, India, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Head-Up Display Market by Component (Video Generator, Projector/Projection Unit, Display Unit, Software), Type (Conventional HUD, AR-Based HUD), Application (Aviation, Automotive), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is expected to reach USD 4.71 Billion by 2023 from USD 1.27 Billion in 2018, at a CAGR of 29.91% between 2018 and 2023. The factors such as increase in awareness about passenger and vehicle safety, convenience offered by the combination of satellite navigation technology and HUD system, increase in demand for connected vehicles and for technologically advanced HUDs drive the demand for head-up displays. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg ) Browse 61 market data Tables and 51 Figures spread through 142 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Head-Up Display Market y - Global Forecast to 2023" https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/head-up-display-hud-market-684.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report Head-up display market for AR-based HUDs expected to grow at highest CAGR during forecast period AR-based HUDs are expected to be launched in luxury and premium range of vehicles once they become commercially available in 2018. Technological advancements, as well as increasing consumer demand for advanced safety functions, are expected to drive the AR-based HUD market. Head-up display market for automotive application expected to grow at highest CAGR during forecast period Head-up display systems are used for automotive applications as a secondary display unit to provide information on navigation routes, vehicle speed, fuel indication, lane-departure warning, and traffic information to the driver. The increase in adoption of advanced driving assistance systems by OEMs across various vehicle types and consumer demand for in-vehicle safety features that potentially reduce collisions and injuries caused by human-driver errors are the factors responsible for the growth of this market. Ask for PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=684 Head-up display market in APAC expected to grow at highest CAGR during forecast period The head-up display market is rapidly expanding in APAC. The growth of the market in APAC can also be attributed to the rapidly growing demand for the mid-segment cars equipped with head-up display systems and increasing per capita income of China, Australia, South Korea, and Japan is expected to drive the head- up display market in this region. Some of the major players operating in the head-up display market are Nippon Seiki (Japan), Continental (Germany), DENSO (Japan), BAE Systems (UK), Visteon (US), Pioneer Corporation (Japan), MicroVision (US), Thales (France), Garmin (Switzerland), and Panasonic (Japan). Know more about the Head-Up Display Market: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/head-up-display-hud-market-684.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our [email protected] http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/electronics-and-semiconductors Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets SOURCE MarketsandMarkets GURUGRAM, India, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Indonesia is the largest palm oil producer in the world and the expansion in palm oil plantation area in the country has triggered the growth in revenues. is the largest palm oil producer in the world and the expansion in palm oil plantation area in the country has triggered the growth in revenues. The sale of fruits and vegetables seeds contributed least share to the market revenues during 2016. The segment accounted for less than 15% in the overall revenues during the same year. Non-Hybrid seeds have dominated the overall revenues generated by market players from the sale of various kinds of grain and cereal seeds in Indonesia during 2016. during 2016. Tempeh and tofu are major by-products of soy and provide lowest cost staple protein to the country's population. The agriculture sector of Indonesia has witnessed an increased demand for wide varieties of seeds. Having vast and abundant fertile soil has made Indonesia being considered amongst the major agricultural countries in the world. As per the Ministry of Agriculture, Indonesia grows 77 types of carbohydrate-rich produce, 26 types of beans, 389 types of fruits, 228 types of vegetables and 110 types of spices. An increased focus of introducing hybrid seeds by the domestic and global players in the space has significantly supported the market revenues over the recent past. Rising demand for staple food crops including rice and corn has resulted in revenue growth from the increasing sale of seeds in the market. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661352/Ken_Research_Logo.jpg ) Major crops which have supported the demand for seeds during 2016 were onions, potatoes, rice, corn, soybean, palm oil, tomatoes, chilies, green beans, cassava, sweet potato, rubber, coconut, coffee and cocoa. Indonesia is the largest palm oil producer in the world and the expansion in oil palm plantation area in the country has triggered the growth of revenues from sale of plantation crop seeds during 2016. The islands of Indonesia had about 11.3 million hectares of land under palm oil cultivation during the same year. Rice is the staple food of Indonesia and has dominated the overall revenues generated by consumption of various types of grains and cereal seeds in the country during 2016. Indonesia has the largest per capita rice consumption in the world with Indonesians consuming around 140 kg of rice per person per year. Indonesia is amongst the top five rice producing nations in the world. Indonesia produced about 3.2 million tons of rubber during 2016 and exported majority of it to the US, China, Japan, Singapore and Brazil. Indonesia's manufacturing industries; especially the automotive sector has been the major end user for domestically produced rubber. Indonesia produced more than 880,000 tons of tomatoes during 2016 which significantly raised the demand for seeds. Revenues from sale of tomato seeds contributed significantly to the overall sale of all seeds meant for growing various types of fruits and vegetables in Indonesia during 2016. Prohibition on the imports of Granola potatoes, which are planted by most local farmers, surged the sales of potato seeds in the country during 2016. Rising exports of Indonesia green beans to customers in Hong Kong further boosted the production of crop in the country, thereby resulting in rising demand for green been seeds. The seed market in Indonesia is highly competitive due to large number of domestic and global players offering a wide variety of seeds in the country. The market is dominated by the unorganized players which cater to the needs of the farmers to meet the growing demand for various food crops in the country. However, organized domestic and global seed market players operating in Indonesia have a dominating share merely in the sale of vegetable seeds. The major organized seed companies include PT Bisi International Tbk, PT East West Seed Indonesia, PT DuPont Indonesia, and PT Syngenta Indonesia, Monsanto Indonesia and PT Advanta Seeds Indonesia. There are various factors on which the seed providers compete amongst each other. Some of the major factors include price of seeds, the type of seeds offered, distribution network and reach of the market players, and continuous research and development for introduction of new seeds in the country. Major organized players offering grains and cereal seeds in the country are PT Bisi International Tbk, PT DuPont Indonesia, PT Syngenta Indonesia and Monsanto Indonesia. Players which dominated the revenues from plantation crops seeds included PT SMART Tbk, PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk, PT Eagle High Plantations Tbk and PT Sampoerna Agro Tbk. The revenues from sale of fruits and vegetables seeds were driven by PT East West Seeds Indonesia and PT Bisi International Tbk. The emphasis on achieving self-sufficiency by increasing the production of corn, soybean, chili, onions and other major food crops during the outlook period is anticipated to boost the revenues of the players offering seeds for producing crops in Indonesia. The continuously growing population of the country is anticipated increase the demand for staple foods including rice and corn, leading to cultivation of more crops. The market is also expected to benefit from the increasing middle class population in Indonesia, which is projected to boost the demand for fruits and other horticulture crops. Indonesia seed market is anticipated to become highly competitive, with organized players gaining significant market share on the back of their strong R&D and financial strength. This is envisioned to boost the revenues of the players offering new and improved seeds in the country. According to the report by Ken Research titled "Indonesia Seed Market by Types of Seeds (Fruits and Vegetables Seeds, Grains and Cereals Seeds and Plantation Crops Seeds), by Hybrid Seeds and Non-hybrid Seeds, by Organized and Unorganized Players, by Farmer Saved and Commercial Seeds - Outlook to 2021", the rising trade of cassava for producing food items, glucose, solvents, alcohol, animal feed, fertilizers, energy and other by-products within and outside the islands of Indonesia resulted in cassava seeds contributing 12.0% to the overall revenues generated from sales of fruits and vegetables seeds in the country during 2016. Key Topics Covered in the Report: Indonesia Seed Market Agricultural Overview Market Segmentation Total Land under Cultivation Land under Cultivation of Major Food Crops in Indonesia Land under Cultivation of Major Plantation Crops in Indonesia Expected Changes in Cropping Pattern of Rice, Cassava and Maize in Indonesia Rice Cassava Maize (Corn) Palm Oil Rubber Sugarcane Number of Farms and Farm Holding Size Nature of Ownership Snapshot on Irrigated and Non-Irrigated Land In Indonesia Existing Problems in Agricultural Development in Indonesia Indonesia Seed Market Size By Revenues Indonesia Seed Market Segmentation By Type of Seeds (Fruits and Vegetables Seeds, Grains and Cereals Seeds and Plantation Crop Seeds) By Type of Grains and Cereals Seeds (Rice/ Paddy Seeds , Corn Seeds, Soy Seeds and Others) By Hybrid Seeds and Non-Hybrid Seeds By Organized and Unorganized Players By Type of Plantation Crop Seeds (Palm Oil Seeds, Rubber Seeds, Coconut Seeds, Coffee Seeds, Cocoa Seeds and Others) By Hybrid and Non-Hybrid Seeds By Organized and Unorganized Players By Type of Fruits and Vegetables Seeds (Tomato Seeds, Potato Seeds, Green Beans Seeds, Cassava Seeds, Onion Seeds, Sweet Potato Seeds and Others) By Hybrid and Non-Hybrid Seeds By Organized and Unorganized Players By Farmer Saved and Commercial Seeds Case Study for Determining Cost Benefit Analysis for Using Hybrid Corn Seeds as Compared to Non-Hybrid Corn Seeds by Farmers in Indonesia Profitability Analysis for Using Hybrid Corn Seeds Over Non-Hybrid Corn Seeds Consumer Viewpoints in Indonesia Seed Market Seed Market SWOT Analysis of Indonesia Seed Market Trends and Developments in Indonesia Seed Market Seed Market Issues and Challenges in Indonesia Seed Market Seed Market Government Regulations in Indonesia Seed Market Seed Market Company Profiles of Major Players in Indonesia Seed Market PT Bisi International Tbk PT East West Seed Indonesia PT DuPont Indonesia PT Syngenta Indonesia Monsanto Indonesia PT Asian Hybrid Seeds Technologies Indonesia (AHSTI) PT Advanta Seeds Indonesia PT Takii Indonesia PT Java Seed Indonesia PT Koreana Seed Indonesia PT SMART Tbk PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk PT Eagle High Plantations Tbk PT Sampoerna Agro Tbk Seed Market Indonesia Seed Market Future Outlook and Projections By Type of Seeds (Fruits and Vegetables Seeds, Grains and Cereals Seeds and Plantation Crops Seeds By Type of Grains and Cereals Seeds (Rice/ Paddy Seeds , Corn Seeds, Soy Seeds and Others By Type of Fruits and Vegetables Seeds (Tomato Seeds, Potato Seeds, Green Beans Seeds, Cassava Seeds, Onion Seeds, Sweet Potato Seeds and Others By Organized and Unorganized Sector Future Opportunities and Trends in Indonesia Seed Market Analyst Recommendations For more information on the market research report, please refer to below link: https://www.kenresearch.com/agriculture-and-animal-care/seed/indonesia-seed-market-revenue/142321-104.html Related Reports by Ken Research Philippines Seed Industry Outlook to 2021 - Rising Government Support to Improve Agriculture Sector with Demand for Hybrid Seed to Foster Growth India Seed Market Outlook to FY2020 - Rapid Hybridization and Increased Government Support to Foster Future Growth Thailand Seed Industry Outlook to 2018 - Government Support and Technological Advancement to Escalate Productivity Contact Us: Ken Research Ankur Gupta, Head Marketing [email protected] +91-1244230204 ext. 26 SOURCE Ken Research BENGALURU, India, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hairline International Hair and Skin Clinic now enhances its repertoire of services and offers clients permanent make-up techniques. Permanent make-up is a cosmetic technique that involves the use of natural pigments on the dermis (upper layer) of the skin to create designs similar to your everyday make-up. The techniques offered are lip colour enhancement, semi-permanent eyebrows, scalp pigmentation for the likeness of hair, the management of stretch marks, areola pigmentation as a restorative cosmetic process for patients of cancer and also permanent beauty spots to draw attention to specific features of the face. Speaking on offering these various techniques of permanent make-up, Dr Bani Anand, Founder and Managing Director, Hairline International Hair and Skin Clinic says, "We have been working on permanent make-up to deal with vitiligo for a long time now and have expanded our services to include several other requirements that are in demand. We will also be introducing pigmentation to deal with dark circles under the eyes as well as permanent eye liners. These are techniques that have an immense effect on the persona, without being surgical in nature". Speaking about the technique of lip color enhancement, Dr. Premalatha V, Dermatosurgeon Hairline International Hair and Skin Clinic explains, "With age, the shape of the lips is lost and its color begins to fade. This usually happens on the outer edges of the lips during the onset. With lip pigmentation, the natural outline of the lips is restored, giving it better shape and fullness. The natural pigment restores the original shade of the lips as well". Elaborating on semi-permanent eyebrows, Dr. Dinesh G Gowda says that once these are applied to your facial features, they can bring about a dramatic effect to the face and increase youthfulness. Scalp micro-pigmentation brings about the look of naturally coloured hair on the scalp enabling a close cropped look. Areola pigmentation, though a longer procedure of several sittings, can have a dramatic effect and can boost self-esteem immensely. About Hairline International Hair & Skin Clinic Hairline International Hair and Skin Clinic has carved an indelible name for itself in the field of Trichology and Skin care and its medical management. Under the stewardship of its Founder and Managing Director, Dr. Bani Anand, Hairline International grew from non-surgical competencies to surgical treatment options and today is making in-roads in regenerative medicine as well. Spread over 7 clinics now in Bengaluru, with a research center, pathology lab and a stem cell lab in the making, Hairline International believes in creating a strong foundation with medical professionals in varying fields of diabetology, gastroenterology, gynacologists, trichologists and dermato-surgeons as well as cosmetic surgeons - drawn from multiple specialties but all working towards a scientific and technologically advanced means of hair and skin care management. Hairline aims to grow from strength to strength across multiple spectrums in the field of Trichology and Skin care to become the undisputed leader in the field. For more details, log on to http://www.hairline.in SOURCE Hairline International PUNE, India, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report "Offshore Support Vessel Market by Type (AHTS, PSV, MPSV, Standby & Rescue Vessel, Crew Vessel, Chase Vessel, Seismic Vessel), Application (Shallow and Deepwater), End-User (Oil & Gas and Offshore Wind), and Region: Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global market is expected to grow from an estimated USD 20.06 Billion in 2018 to USD 25.66 Billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 5.04%, during the forecast period. The market is set to witness growth due to the ongoing offshore activities across the US, China, Brazil, and the North Sea, as well as the increasing focus on deepwater fields. Offshore exploration and production investments in the Middle East and the Asia Pacific regions would also help in the growth of the market. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg ) Browse 103 Tables and 43 Figures spread through 184 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Offshore Support Vessel Market" https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/offshore-support-vessel-market-1212.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report The AHTS market is expected to be the largest Offshore Support Vessel Market, by process, in 2018. The AHTS vessels segment is estimated to have the largest share of the market in 2018, while the MPSV segment is projected to grow at the fastest pace among all the vessel types. AHTS vessels are principal support vessels used for towing, anchoring, and supplying equipment to drilling rigs and production platforms, making them the largest segment of the Offshore Support Vessel Market. Demand for offshore drilling is projected to recover slowly, particularly in deepwater fields as oil prices stabilize, thus, helping the AHTS market. Ask for PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=1212 The shallow water segment is expected to hold the largest share of the Offshore Support Vessel Market, by application, during the forecast period The shallow segment is the fastest-growing market during the forecast period and is projected to dominate the market during the forecast period. The application of offshore support vessels in shallow water projects is estimated to lead the market, both in terms of market value and growth. The shallow water basins in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America will play a major role in driving the Offshore Support Vessel Market. Shallow water operations are typically less expensive compared with deepwater operations. Thus, recovering oil prices will lead to a faster increase in offshore activities in shallow water basins compared with deepwater ones. Asia Pacific: Key market for offshore support vessels market during the forecast period The Asia Pacific market was estimated to be the largest market, by value, for offshore support vessels in 2018, driven largely by China. Stabilizing oil prices have already led to oil & gas operators increasing exploration and production spending in the Chinese offshore market, with capital expenditures allocations estimated to resume steadily The market for offshore support vessels in North America and the Middle East regions is also expected to grow during the forecast period due to the growing focus on developing offshore reserves to replace maturing onshore fields. To enable an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape, the report includes the profiles of some of the top players in the Offshore Support Vessel Market. These players include Bourbon SA (France), Seacor Marine (US), Swire Group (UK), Tidewater (US), Gulfmark Offshore (US), Havila Shipping (Norway), Hornbeck Offshore (US), The Maersk Group (Denmark), Siem Offshore (Norway), Solstad Offshore (Norway), Vroon Group (The Netherlands), Edison Chouset Offshore (US), Harvey Gulf International Marine (US), and Island Offshore Management AS (Norway). Know more about the Offshore Support Vessel Market: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/offshore-support-vessel-market-1212.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Blog @ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/energy-and-power Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets SOURCE MarketsandMarkets PUNE, India, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Refrigeration Oil Market by Oil Type (Mineral Oil, Synthetic Oil (Polyolester, Polyalkylene Glycol)), Application (Refrigerator & Freezer, Air Conditioner, Automotive AC System, and Aftermarket), and Region - Global Forecast to 2022" published by MarketsandMarkets, the Refrigeration Oil Market is projected to reach USD 1,243.6 Million by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 4.3% from USD 1,005.2 Million in 2017. Emerging economies are witnessing rapid urbanization along with a rise in disposable income. The consequent rise in the standard of living and growing consumption of convenience/packaged food products, coupled with the mass adoption of vaccines and drugs will drive the demand for refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, and automobile HVAC systems. This will fuel the demand for refrigeration oil, ultimately driving the refrigerator oil market. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg ) Browse 94 market data Tables and 39 Figures spread through 131 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Refrigeration Oil Market" https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/refrigeration-oil-market-126068118.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report The synthetic oil segment was the largest oil type segment of the Refrigeration Oil Market. The synthetic oil segment accounted for the largest share of the Refrigeration Oil Market in 2017, in terms of value. Synthetic refrigeration oil has several advantages over conventional mineral refrigeration oil, such as high performance in extreme conditions, better viscosity index, higher shear stability, and improved chemical resistance. In addition, its compatibility with low GWP and modern refrigerants gives it an added advantage over mineral refrigeration oil. Get PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=126068118 The refrigeration & freezer segment is estimated to be the largest application segment of the Refrigeration Oil Market in 2017. The refrigerator & freezer segment is estimated to be the largest application segment of the Refrigeration Oil Market, in terms of both, value and volume, in 2017. The growth of this segment can be attributed to the rising demand for packaged food items and the changing lifestyle of people in developed and developing regions. APAC is estimated to be the largest market for refrigeration oil in 2017. The Asia Pacific region is estimated to lead the Refrigeration Oil Market in 2017 in terms of value and volume. The increasing population in the region and the increased demand for refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, and automobiles in the emerging markets of APAC, such as China and India, are some of the major factors projected to drive the demand for refrigeration oil in the region. Furthermore, the improving lifestyle, increase in employment rate, rise in disposable income of the people, and increase in foreign investments in various sectors of the economy are some of the other factors that make APAC an attractive market for refrigeration oil manufacturers. Key market players profiled in the report include JXTG Group (Japan), BASF (Germany), Idemitsu Kosan Co. (Japan), Royal Dutch Shell (Netherlands), ExxonMobil (US), BP (UK), PETRONAS (Malaysia), Chevron (US), Total (France), Sinopec Group (China), FUCHS (Germany), Johnson Controls (Ireland), The Lubrizol (CPI Fluid Engineering Services) (US), Behr Hella Service GmbH (Germany), BVA, Inc. (US), Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. (US), CAMCO Lubricants (US), CITGO Petroleum Corporation (US), Cosmo Oil Lubricants Co., Ltd. (Japan), Eni (Italy), Indian Oil Corporation (India), Isel (US), National Refrigerants, Inc. (US), Summit Oil Company (US), Lubriplate Lubricants Company (US), Lukoil (Russia), Petro-Canada Lubricants Inc. (Canada), Phillips 66 Lubricants (US), and Sun Company, Inc. (US). Know more about the Refrigeration Oil Market: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/refrigeration-oil-market-126068118.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Blog @ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/chemical Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets SOURCE MarketsandMarkets MUMBAI, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Web Werks is the most reliable and secure data center in India for Banking and Finance sector Web Werks, the leading data center hosting provider in India wins the 'Data Center Service Provider of the Year' award at 2nd BFSI Cloud and Security Summit on 22nd February, 2018 in Mumbai. Elects Technomedia Pvt. Ltd organized the 'BFSI Innovative Technology Awards - 2018'. The event was premiere acknowledgment of outstanding achievements and innovations in the Banking, Finance Services and Insurance (BFSI) Cloud & Security Summit held on 22nd February 2018 in St. Regis Hotel, Mumbai. "This year has started on an extremely good note for us. We are being recognized for our services in the web hosting industry and taking home lot of awards which surely is an achievement for our team. Recently, we achieved 'Data Center Service Provider of the Year' award at 2nd BFSI Cloud and Security Summit. This is surely a big achievement as it shows how safe, reliable and secure our services are for banking and finance sectors. Security is our prime focus and we leave no stone unturned when it comes to providing secure and reliable network with 99.995% guaranteed uptime and also being certified by Uptime Institute. I am highly grateful for this achievement," said Nikhil Rathi, Director, Web Werks Data Center Pvt. Ltd. About Web Werks Web Werks Data Centers have been leaders in India for the past two decades and are located in three countries with more than six geographically located data centers. Offering reliable hosting services on Dedicated Servers, Cloud, Virtualization, Co-location and Disaster Recovery Services along with 24x7 Rapid Action Support and 99.995% Uptime Guarantee. Web Werks Data Centers are validated with ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013, ISO 20000-1 and Uptime Institute Certified. The data centers are Carbon Neutral contributing towards Global Go-Green concepts. Web Werks is also PCI-DSS, HIPAA, ISO 27001, TIA-942 and SSAE16, SSAE18 SOC 2 Type 1 compliant. This certification affirms how we treat security, confidentiality, integrity, and privacy of our customers' data. Web Werks in India is the first Asian data center to hold OIX-2 and host an OIX-1 IXP Mumbai-IX. In addition to this, fulfills all the requirements for being a full OpenIX supporter. Web Werks is also Cloud empanelled by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India (MeitY). The company has been awarded with 'Maharashtra IT Excellence Award 2018' by Government of Maharashtra, 'The Best Web Hosting Award 2017', 'Retailer of the Year for Best Cloud Data Centers and Internet Exchange', 'Great Indian Workplace Award (GIWA) 2017', 'HostReview's Readers' Choice Awards 2017', and 'National Choice Award - Best Cloud Data Centers and Internet Exchange 2018'. We have collaborated with more than 1000+ organizations globally. Few of our prestigious clients are Microsoft, Canon, Google, Godrej, TATA, Facebook, Akamai, Netflix and many more. Our client list also incorporates Government sectors such as Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation, NABARD, SIDBI, NPCI and so on. For more information, kindly visit, http://www.webwerks.in. Media Contact: Priti Shetti [email protected] +91-8828335555 Corporate Relations Web Werks India Pvt. Ltd. SOURCE Web Werks India Pvt. Ltd. PUNE, India, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second consecutive year, global sales and marketing firm, ZS has earned the coveted certification as a great place to work from the Great Place to Work Institute, an authority on workplace cultures since the 1980s. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/512249/ZS_Logo.jpg ) "We've always taken great pride in our people and culture," said Sanjay Joshi, ZS's Regional Managing Principal for Asia. "To us, this recognition reaffirms that ZS is a collaborative and inclusive firm where smart, talented people challenge each other to grow, develop and ultimately deliver outstanding results for our clients." Surveys were sent to a random selection of employees at ZS's Capability and Expertise Center in New Delhi and Pune to gather their input and feedback. The feedback score from the survey, coupled with the evaluation of the company's people practices and policies, are amongst the criteria used to determine whether an organization is designated as a 'Great Place to Work'. ZS saw favourable results in key categories, including 93 percent of respondents expressing that ZS offers a friendly work environment, 91 percent confirming that they are entrusted with ample responsibility and 91 percent acknowledging that ZS is a place in which people are willing to put in the time and effort to achieve results. Further, ZS ranked highly in the area of inclusiveness, with more than 90 percent of respondents indicating they feel they are treated fairly regardless of age, sex, race or caste. "Through our people practices, we strive to foster an inclusive culture that's highly collaborative, non-hierarchical and driven by values," said Sameer Madan, ZS's Human Resources Director for India. "This acknowledgement confirms we've made strides in creating an environment where, in addition to having fun at work, ZSers feel they are valued for being their authentic selves and can thrive in long-term careers." As the firm continues to grow its presence in India, ZS is hiring in its business consulting, business operations, business technology and software development spaces in New Delhi and Pune. Great Place to Work Institute partners with more than 8,000 organizations from over 50 countries on various assessment, benchmarking and planning actions aimed to strengthen workplace culture. The institute's rigorous and objective methodology is considered the gold standard for defining great workplaces across business, academia and government organizations. About ZS ZS is the world's largest firm focused exclusively on helping companies improve overall performance, and grow revenue and market share through end-to-end sales and marketing solutions - from customer insights and strategy to analytics, operations and technology. More than 5,000 ZS professionals in 22 offices worldwide draw on deep industry and domain expertise to deliver impact for clients across multiple industries. With over 3,000 professionals, ZS offices in New Delhi and Pune serve as the Capability and Expertise Center to enable cross-collaboration across all the global offices to create client impact. To learn more, visit http://www.zs.com or the Life at ZS blog. About Great Place to Work Great Place to Work is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services and certification programs, including Best Workplaces lists and workplace reviews, Great Place to Work provides the benchmarks, framework and expertise needed to create, sustain and recognize outstanding workplace cultures. Great Place to Work globally conducts surveys on and produces lists for millennials, women, diversity, small and medium companies and over a half dozen different industry lists. Follow Great Place to Work online at http://www.greatplacetowork.com and on Twitter at @GPTW_US. Media Contact: Jagruti Saxena [email protected] +91-9607922679 India Communication Lead, ZS SOURCE ZS The 5-Star Partner Program Guide rating recognizes companies that offer solution providers the best partnering elements in their channel programs. To determine the 2018 5-Star ratings, The Channel Company's research team assessed each vendor's partner program based on investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support and communication. The ConnectedPartner program is designed to help partners succeed with Cambium Networks' wireless connectivity solutions. The ConnectedPartner program positions partners for growth through access to point-to-point backhaul, point-to-multipoint distribution, Industrial connectivity, Wi-Fi access and cloud-based end-to-end management solutions that help drive sales and insights that enable partners to move into emerging wireless markets. Cambium Networks' partner program aims to maximize global coverage while minimizing channel conflict. Partners benefit from product line discounts; a robust and user-friendly partner portal; programs for deal registration, demonstration equipment, and market development funds; access to live instructor led and virtual training programs; channel marketing content and tools; support from Cambium Networks' channel management and sales teams; and much more. "Finding the right technology vendor to partner with can be a daunting task, given the vast array of choices now available to solution providers," said Robert Faletra, Executive Chairman of The Channel Company. "CRN's Partner Program Guide and 5-Star ratings help them narrow the field and find the best fit, identifying the most rewarding partner programs and providing crucial insight into their strengths and benefits. We are pleased to present our 2018 PPG list, recognizing the strongest and most successful partner programs in the channel today." Cambium's Senior Vice President of Global Channels, Ron Ryan, stated, "Cambium Networks is proud to receive this rating for the second consecutive year. We have built the ConnectedPartner program by listening to our partners and focusing on what makes them successful and it is working well. Last year we added more than 1,000 new partners to our global channel program and have established Cambium Networks' in the enterprise Wi-Fi space. We look forward to another successful year and the opportunity to be here again next year." The 2018 Partner Program Guide will be featured in the April issue of CRN and online at http://www.crn.com/ About Cambium Networks Cambium Networks is a leading global provider of wireless connectivity solutions that strengthen connections between people, places and things. Specializing in providing an end-to-end wireless fabric of reliable, scalable, secure, cloud-managed platforms that perform under demanding conditions, Cambium Networks empowers service providers, enterprises, industrial and government network operators to build intelligent edge connectivity. Cambium's commitment to continuous innovation and social responsibility in wireless access is demonstrated in the millions of radios deployed in thousands of networks that benefit communities around the world. Headquartered outside Chicago and with R&D centers in the U.S., U.K. and India, Cambium Networks sells through a range of trusted global distributors. www.cambiumnetworks.com. About the Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelco.com CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. CONTACT: Sara Black, 213.618.1501, sara@bospar.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661219/Cambium_Networks_2018_CRN_PPG_5_Star_Winner.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/325530/cambium_networks_logo.jpg Related Links http://www.cambiumnetworks.com/ SOURCE Cambium Networks In 2015, the SOA formally established a collaborative partnership with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra whereby both would jointly train aspiring up-and-coming musicians during a five-year period. The collaboration focuses on a hands-on approach whereby students rehearse and perform in concert with some of NDR's leading musicians with the aim of deepening their understanding of the passages while improving their performance and mastering the style and skills of professional orchestras through high-intensity practice. Commenting on the teaching week, solo horn player Claudia Strenkert - on her second "tour of duty" to Shanghai - said, "We're from Europe, and we've been listening to Mozart and Richard Strauss since childhood. It's part and parcel of our lives. Many aspects of Austro-German music are like our language, and the breathing in the music is often the same as the German pronunciation. This is what we were born with as Germans. But students at the SOA come from a different cultural background, and most probably don't understand German. With this in mind, I decided to start the course by giving them a basic grounding in the German language and then follow up with the instruction in Austro-German music. I'm quite surprised and satisfied with their inquiring minds and eager attitude." Backed by the "Renewable Energy 2030" Plan, PV installation in South Korea is expected to grow into a 37 GW market by 2030. Sungrow South Korea is now providing complete solutions comprising of central inverters, string inverters, power control systems (PCS) for energy storage system (ESS), and ONE-STOP solution for floating PV power plants, addressing a wide range of demands from the market. Major products include the SG1000 containerized turnkey station and SG50KTL-M string inverter which were widely deployed worldwide, the SC500 energy storage inverter designed for the ESS market in South Korea, and a floating system for PV power stations. Vietnam is another country in the APAC region embracing solar energy adoption. Sungrow's product showcased, apart from the 1500V product series, i.e. the 2.5MW medium voltage turnkey station SG2500HV-MV and the world's most powerful string inverter SG125HV, is its floating solution for PV plants. As a result of strong performance in established markets like China, India, Japan, Europe, and the US, Sungrow witnessed rapid growth in 2017, shipping 16.5GW of PV inverters. According to a recent report by PV Tech, Sungrow held the largest market share in India in Q4 2017, reaching up to 27%. Meanwhile, these markets also see growing demands for ESS and floating PV power plant solutions. "We are determined to explore new PV markets while consolidating our leading role in the established ones. Meanwhile, we will continue to strengthen our R&D capability to meet diversified needs from our global clients," said Prof. Renxian Cao, President of Sungrow. Vietnam and South Korea Inquiries For those interested in Sungrow products, please visit us at Green Energy Expo Korea (Booth A-420, EXCO, Daegu, South Korea) from April 4-6 and Solar Show Vietnam (Booth Q06 for PV inverter and Booth S01 for floating system, GEM Center, Ho Chi Minh City) from April 10-11. About Sungrow Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd ("Sungrow") is a global leading inverter solution supplier for renewables with over 60GW installed worldwide as of June 2017. Founded in 1997 by University Professor Renxian Cao, Sungrow is a leader in the research and development of solar inverters, with the largest dedicated R&D team in the industry and a broad product portfolio offering PV inverter solutions and energy storage systems for utility-scale, commercial, and residential applications, as well as internationally recognized floating PV plant solutions. With a strong 20-year track record in the PV space, Sungrow products power installations in over 50 countries, maintaining a worldwide market share of over 15%. Learn more about Sungrow by visiting www.sungrowpower.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660945/Sungrow_plant_South_Korea.jpg Related Links http://www.sungrowpower.com SOURCE Sungrow If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here New Delhi : In Norway, any child over the age of six can now legally change his or her sex. "Daddy, guess what, I'm a female now! Daddy, what does female mean?" Gender trends in the West are astonishing. Last month in the United States, a student responded to a reference to gender by commenting that there are two biological genders, male and female. Furious teachers barred him from the class at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In Asia, any student who answered a question on gender without saying that there are two biological genders, male and female, would risk getting thrown out of class. East and West seem to be different planets on this topic. In parts of Europe and the United States, if a bearded man working as a professional sperm donor claims to be female, using the word "him" for him (oops!) is a hate crime, and repeat offences can lead to a jail sentence. This was on my mind as I have two family members travelling to Europe this week. I warned them to avoid all gender questions. "But what if someone gives me a form and I have to tick a 'male or female' box?" I told her that this would definitely be a trick question, and she should throw the form back in their faces, saying: "Your discredited binary gender categories outrage me." These days if you meet a Western baby, you can't tell what sex it is, since many consider it evil to dress girls in pink and boys in blue. You have to say something like: "What a cute little, er, offspring, it looks just like one or other of its, er, begetters." In several Western countries you can now change your sex by clicking an online form. It was revealed in recent days that an Argentinian man named Sergio Lazarovich got his pension money paid five years early by changing his sex to female. Now if this column was being written in the West, this writer would have to refer to this guy as a woman, because journalists are required to follow their subjects' self-chosen sex, even when it is patently idiotic to do so. Lazarovich's relatives are quoted saying that he is the sort of man who makes homophobic comments and has a string of girlfriends, including after his, er, "sex change". Schools in Sweden are instructed by the government to "counteract traditional gender roles and gender patterns", the New York Times reported approvingly last week. One Swedish couple was unhappy when their daughter came home having been taught to be rude, loud and untidy (that is, more like a boy). The teacher was unapologetic. 'This is what we do here, and we are not going to stop it," she told the reporter. I think making girls behave like boys may qualify as The Dumbest Idea in History, beating even Chairman Mao's "Let's kill all the birds", British India's "Let's lubricate bullets with pig fat", and Hollywood's decision to finance a film called "Santa Claus Conquers The Martians." Meanwhile, I am updating my all-purpose answer to my children's questions, from "Ask your mother" to "Ask your other begetter". (Nury Vittachi is an Asia-based frequent traveller. Send ideas and comments via his Facebook page) Mumbai, March 30 : Telugu superstar Ram Charan Teja says he is more anxious about Sukumar's "Rangasthalam" than any of his films so far. Ram Charan admits "Rangasthalam" is a new beginning for him. "After ten years of acting, I needed a complete change. I have to constantly challenge myself as an actor. And what bigger challenge than this film where I play a real-life character who is also deaf. "It is a completely different zone of performance for me. Hopefully my audience is going to be as excited by my makeover as I am," he said. The actor, who made his acting debut in 2007, says "Rangasthalam" was a first for him on many levels. "I have never played a rural character before. In fact I had never stayed in a village before, though I have visited my native village with my father (Chiranjeevi) a few times. But this was my first exposure to rural life. "We actually went and stayed in the remotest town on the map of Andhra Pradesh where there was no network for mobile services, no luxury hotels. Nothing to remind me of my metropolitan existence. We had to rough it out. The entire process of acclimatisation changed my attitude to the process of acting." Ram Charan also spent considerable time understanding his character's physical disability. "I spent five months understanding the character's body language and his hearing disability. Since I had never played a rustic character before I wanted to ensure I got it right. I didn't want my portrayal to look superficial," he said. The actor is full of praise for the team of "Rangasthalam". "I have to admit that the script itself was so coherent and comprehensive. It made my job easier. I also had a fabulous co-star in Samantha Akkineni. Without her, my performance would not have been possible. She is truly one of the best co-stars I have worked with." Ram Charan hopes the audience gives his film "the same love and appreciation that they have always given to my films". "Am I anxious for the change of image? Not anxious. Because change is imperative for an actor. With 'Rangasthalam', I have entered a more realistic phase of acting. I hope to do more such roles in future." The actor says his father has seen some rushes of the film. "He felt I had nailed it. To me that was the most satisfying moment since I took up this challenge. Now, I look forward to the audiences' response. Hopefully my journey into a new phase would be as smooth as it has been for the first ten years." Talking about his last film, he said: "Even in my last film 'Dhruva' where I played a police officer I had to beef up for the part. I built the body that the film required. Unfortunately 'Dhruva' came at the time when the country was hit by demonetization. My audience was just not in the mood to spend on movie tickets. "So 'Dhruva' suffered, yes. But never mind. I am as proud of that film as I am of everything I've done so far." United Nations, March 31 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an independent and transparent investigation into the violent clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians in Gaza killing 16 protesters. The UN chief on Friday appealed to those concerned to refrain from any act that could lead to further casualties and, in particular, any measures that could place civilians in harm's way, Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said in a statement. This tragedy underlines the urgency of revitalising the peace process aimed at creating the conditions for a return to meaningful negotiations for a solution that will allow Palestinians and Israelis to live side by side peacefully and in security, Xinhua news quoted the UN chief as saying. Hundreds were injured in Friday's clashes on the border fence in Gaza. Thousands of Palestinians started the first day of the Great March of Return, a month-long sit-in staged along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel to demand the return of Palestinian refugees who were forced to leave their cities during the Arab-Israeli war in 1948. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement that around "17,000 Palestinians were rioting in five locations along the Gaza Strip security fence", reports Efe news. Earlier on Friday, a Palestinian was killed and another injured by Israeli tank fire in southern Gaza. The Land Day tradition was spurred by the events of March 30, 1976, when Israeli forces fatally shot six Palestinian protesters. More than half of Gaza's two million people are refugees or their descendants, according to the UN. New Delhi, March 31 : In a bid to buy time, the Central government on Saturday moved the Supreme Court filing a clarification petition and asking for three months for implementing its judgment in view of the May assembly elections in Karnataka while the Tamil Nadu government sought contempt proceedings against the Centre for its failure to constitute Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) as directed by the top court. The top court by its February 16 judgment had directed the Centre to constitute within six weeks the Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee for the implementation of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal Award for which the deadline expired on Friday. The Centre felt that constitution of a scheme under Section 6(A) of the Inter-state River Waters Disputes Act and notification during the assembly election process would lead to massive public outrage, vitiate election process and cause serious law and order problems. But Tamil Nadu said the Central government was deliberately delaying the implementation of the court order and contempt proceedings should be initiated against it. "Initiate contempt proceedings against respondents (the central government) for willful disobedience in carrying out clear mandate set out in para 403 of the judgment passed by the honourable court dated 16-02-2018," the Tamil Nadu contempt plea said. The central government in its affidavit filed a day after the six-week deadline ended on Friday said due to divergent views expressed by four governments, including Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, on the "framing of the scehme", it is felt that if any scheme was framed by the Central government by itself the states may again approach the court. Citing the stands of Kerala and Karnataka governments that any scheme proposed under the inter-state water disputes act should first be shared with them before its notification, the Centre said: "To avoid further litigation by the states in the constitution and functions of the board, it is felt that clarification from the honourable Supreme Court is considered necessary." Referring to the announcement of polls by the Election Commission, it said: "Cauvery is a very emotive issue in Karnataka and in the past, the issue had led to serious law and order situation, leading to avoidable loss of human lives and property." It also wanted to know whether the Central government had the flexibility to modify the composition of the board to a mixture of administrative and technical body and not purely a technical body for effective conduct of the business of the board and considering overall sensitivity of the issues involved. Another clarification it wanted was whether the board framed under 6(A) of the act can have functions different from the ones recommended for Cauvery Management Board by the tribunal. The Centre said in compliance of the February 6 order of the court and in spirit of true federalism, it convened a meeting of the Chief Secretaries of the four states and other officials and initiated consultations for arriving at a consensus. It said divergent views were expressed by the states. Tamil Nadu indicated that the scheme as mentioned by the Supreme Court has been defined in Section 6 which is to implement the final order of the tribunal. Puducherry and Kerala gave similar views but Karnataka was of the opinion that the Supreme Court has left the contents of the scheme to the discretion of the Central government. Karnataka contended that the Scheme contemplated in the Supreme Court judgment is a dispute resolution body as distinct from the management or regulation recommended by the tribunal. Therefore the question of asking Karnataka to submit indent does not and should not arise for consideration. It also contended that the Supreme Court has not endorsed or approved the board in its judgment. The top court by its February 16 verdict had reduced the Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water from 177.25 thousand million cubic feet (TMC), which was less than 192 TMC allocated by a tribunal in 2007. On the other hand, Karnataka's share of water was increased by 14.75 TMC. "We direct that a scheme shall be framed by the Central Government within a span of six weeks from today so that the authorities under the scheme can see to it that the present decision which has modified the award passed by the Tribunal is smoothly made functional and the rights of the states as determined by us are appositely carried out," the top court said in its February 16 judgement, adding there would no extension of time given for the purpose. Seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against the Centre for its "willful disobedience" in implementing the judgment, Tamil Nadu sought direction to the central government to constitute the board and the committee with all powers to enforce the Tribunal award and the judgment of the court as well. Tamil Nadu in its contempt plea contended that the Central Government was "bound to give effect to the judgment by framing a scheme so that the authorities under the Scheme are put in place within six weeks and the decision of the Tribunal as modified by this Hon'ble Court is implemented." The Central Government was "duty bound to take steps to facilitating implementation of the judgment by itself deciding and taking necessary action to constitute the machinery" as per the mandate of the top court, it said. "It has not taken any concrete steps in this regard", the contempt plea said. "Belatedly" on March 9 after a period of three weeks, the Central Government "merely" convened a meeting of the Chief Secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry. The convening of "such a meeting does not in any way make any substantial progress in the matter of constitution of Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee", the state told the court. Asserting that timely releases of water was clear from the February 16 judgment, Tamil Nadu said any delay "in constituting Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee is to the prejudice to the farmers of state of Tamil Nadu". Patna, April 1 : A Bihar court on Sunday sent Union Minister Ashwini Choubey's son Arijit Shashwat, accused of inciting communal violence in Bhagalpur, to judicial custody for 14 days. Bhagalpur Senior Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar said that Shashwat, who had been evading arrest for over a week, surrendered and was produced in a court. "Police have strong evidence against Arijit Shashwat and an FIR was lodged against him," he said. Earlier, Shashwat surrendered at around 12.30 a.m. outside the Mahavir temple near the Patna railway station, shouting slogans like "Jai Shri Ram" and "Bharat Mata ki Jai", district police official Rakesh Dubey said. Last week, a case was lodged against Shashwat, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, on charges of taking out a procession without prior permission, inciting communal sentiments and roaming with arms on the streets of Bhagalpur. He moved a bail plea in a civil court, following which the court on March 27 sought the case diary from the police to ascertain his role in the communal flare-up on March 17. The court then issued an arrest warrant against Shashwat. Minister Choubey has dubbed the FIR "a piece of garbage" registered by "corrupt police officers". Shashwat contested the last Assembly polls on BJP ticket from Bhagalpur and lost. New Delhi, April 1 : Union Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh on Sunday left for Mosul in Iraq to get back the remains of the Indians killed there by the Islamic State terrorists. Though 39 Indians were killed as the Islamic State took over the city of Mosul in 2014, the mortal remains of 38 will be brought back as identification of one body is still pending, Singh said before leaving. The Minister is expected to return with the bodies by late Monday, following which he will travel to Amritsar in Punjab and Patna in Bihar to hand over the mortal remains of the victims to their respective families. A total of 27 persons from Punjab and four from Bihar were among the 39 killed. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had informed Parliament on March 20 that all 39 Indian construction workers kidnapped in 2014 from Mosul have been killed. The Minister had earlier said that she will not consider them dead unless there was proof in this regard, rejecting lone survivor Harjit Masih's claim that the 39 Indians taken captive by the Islamic State were shot dead. The Minister had said that the DNA samples collected from the missing Indians' relatives matched with 38 bodies, while the identity of the 39th body was yet to be fully confirmed since the DNA sample sent was from someone else in his family as both his parents are dead. New Delhi, April 1 : The Central government is likely to file a review petition in the Supreme Court on Monday in the apex courts recent order diluting certain provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, informed sources said on Sunday. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had on Thursday said that he had instructed his Ministry officials "to examine the desirability of filing a review petition in the case". The sources on Sunday said the government was ready with the papers to file a review petition in the case. This came after pressure from both the NDA allies and the opposition. On March 28, a delegation of Dalit Ministers and MPs led by Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed issues arising out of the Supreme Court's order. On the same day, leaders of several opposition parties met President Ram Nath Kovind and sought his intervention to press the government to file a review petition before the Supreme Court over its verdict diluting the SC/ST Act. The delegation included leaders from the Congress, the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Samajwadi Party, the DMK and the Nationalist Congress Party. Talking to reporters later, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said that atrocities against the Dalits were increasing but the Act was being weakened. BSP leader Satish Chandra Misra said they told the President that the government had not fought the case effectively and hence a review petition should be filed and the hearing should take place in open court. On March 20, the Supreme Court ruled that the arrest of an accused under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act is not mandatory and recourse to coercive action would be only after preliminary inquiry and sanction by the competent authority. Coupled with this, the court said, that there was no "absolute bar against grant of anticipatory bail in cases under the Atrocities Act if no prima facie case is made out or where on judicial scrutiny the complaint is found to be prima facie mala fide". London, April 2 : Staff at former Spice Girls band member Victoria Beckham's fashion business are furious after being told that a third of them are being axed. About 60 workers are to be made redundant after new investors ordered a root-and-branch review of the company, which lost 8.5 million pounds last year, reports dailymail.co.uk. Management consultants acting for backers Neo Investment Partners dismissed Victoria Beckham Ltd's business model as unfeasible and recommended that the star slash her workforce. But there is growing anger that the 43-year-old was absent when the news was delivered - and over the amount of money earned by Victoria. She was paid 700,000 pounds by the company last year, despite its disastrous financial performance. Her label, VB Ltd, is based in Battersea, South London with shops in London and Hong Kong. A source said: "She hasn't handled this well, and the staff are raging. She is blaming the consultants, rather than thinking it is her fault. The fact is, she doesn't know what she is doing and that's why the backers have decided to act. The anger is mounting also because the staff know how much she pays herself." A spokesman said: "The board has been focusing on returning the company to profitability. The structure is being reviewed to the right size, in line with its financial targets, in consultation with its staff." Soldiers deployed on Srinagar streets as authorities imposed restrictions in parts of city to maintain law and order in the wake of the killing of 20 people in three separate gunfights on ... Image Source: IANS A security personnel stands guard amid restrictions imposed by authorities due to a valley-wide protest shutdown called by separatists against the killing of four civilians in Wednesday's ... Image Source: IANS Srinagar, April 2 : Authorities imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar on Monday to maintain law and order in the wake of the killing of 20 people in three separate gunfights on Sunday, police said. Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), a separatist conglomerate headed by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, has also called for a protest shutdown. On Sunday, 20 people -- 13 militants, four civilians, three soldiers -- were killed in the three gunfights that took place in Shopian and Anantnag districts. Over 60 civilians were injured in clashes with the security forces as protesters resorted to stone pelting near the gunfight sites. Authorities have placed Geelani, Mirwaiz and Malik under house arrest in Srinagar to prevent their participation in the protest. Heavy contingents of police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been deployed in the restricted areas in Srinagar. Markets, public transport and other businesses remained shut in the valley. All educational institutions were closed on Monday while exams scheduled for the day have been postponed. Train services between north Kashmir's Baramulla town and Bannihal town have been suspended. Mobile internet services have remained suspended since Sunday in south Kashmir areas while the speed of fixed line broadband connections has also been brought down to prevent uploading of provocative posts and pictures. Patna, April 2 : Thousands of Dalit members on Monday staged protests across Bihar on Monday against the dilution of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, disrupting rail and road traffic, police said. With posters, banners and flags, supporters of the Bhim Army and other Dalit organidations, halted over a dozen long-distance trains, and as a result, passengers were stranded at Patna, Gaya, Jehanabad, Bhagalpur, Ara, Darbhanga, Araria, Nalanda and Hajipur railway stations. "Train services have been badly disrupted due to the protest, leaving hundreds stranded at railway stations," an East Central Railway official told IANS over the phone from Hajipur, the zonal headquarters. At some places, the protesters have also blocked national and state highways. In Patna, hundreds of Bhim Army workers took to the streets to protest and enforce a shutdown. "In several localities in Patna, supporters of the Bhim Army forced shops to close and blocked roads by burning tyres," a district police official said. According to reports, the protests were supported by the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal and left parties. Of Bihar's total 10.5 crore population, scheduled castes account for 15.5 lakhs. New Delhi, April 2 : Tech honchos in Silicon Valley are deeply worried at China's rapid progress in harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that has shown encouraging results in changing the way we work and live. According to Eric Schmidt, former chairman of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, China will overtake the US in AI by 2025. Measured by start-up financing deals and dollars from venture capitalists, the United States' AI start-up ecosystem currently dominates -- followed by China, says a recent Accenture analysis titled "Rewire for Growth". When it comes to India, the number of AI start-ups has increased since 2011 at a compounded annual growth rate of 86 per cent. But the size of funding till date is substantially smaller in India than in the US and China, reflecting the limited success of India's AI start-ups in achieving scale so far, the report noted. "According to our analysis, AI has the potential to add $957 billion, or 15 per cent of current gross value added, to India's economy in 2035," said Accenture. Prime Minister Narendra Modi now wants that AI technology should be "Made in India" and "Made to Work for India" but despite promising starts, the country's policy initiatives are not comprehensive yet and lag other G20 countries. China, on the other hand, today harbours one of the biggest clusters of AI scientists. According to The Economist, China's State Council has issued an ambitious policy blueprint, calling for the country to become "the world's primary AI innovation centre" by 2030. "China's AI programme is highly structured and driven 'top down' whereas India's approach is more 'organic' -- at least till this point -- driven largely by the private sector and driven by their unique needs for AI," said Dr Prashant Pradhan, Chief Technology Officer, IBM India/South Asia. These represent very different approaches to "getting ready" for AI. "China's approach carefully manages investment, infrastructure, focus verticals and training. This has benefits in speed of execution and outcomes -- especially when there is clarity on the priority areas of application," Pradhan told IANS. Advances in AI largely happen in an open, peer-reviewed community with free exchange of ideas. "Over time, there may be more coordinated government investment -- especially in resource-constrained environments," Pradhan noted. When it comes to funding, Machine Learning (ML), recommendation engines and computer vision are the most popular segments of AI, accounting for almost 80 per cent of total funding globally. "Big industry players that have the financial strength and business experience to invest in AI research and development (R&D) typically lead the strategic charge on global competitiveness for their country," the Accenture analysis stressed. Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple are spearheading AI innovations in the US, and Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu are funding the AI research in China. In line with the global trends, the digital platform companies are becoming the driving force of AI innovations in India too. According to Rajesh Janey, Managing Director and President, India Enterprise, Dell EMC, the country is entering an era of monumental technological change, rich with opportunity. "Globally, businesses plan to triple their investments in advanced AI within five years. India too will see the same enthusiasm, with investments in AI jumping from 31 per cent to 89 per cent in the same time-frame," Janey told IANS. AI will improve our interaction with technology, understand the abundance of data and rely on the predictions to automate excessively complex or mundane tasks, said Shaakun Khanna, Senior Director, HCM Strategy and Transformation, Asia Pacific at Oracle. In February, Modi inaugurated the Wadhwani Institute of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Mumbai's Kalina campus -- reported to be the first AI research lab in the country. US-based philanthropist brothers Romesh Wadhwani and Sunil Wadhwani have established the institute and want it to become like San Francisco-based non-profit "OpenAI" that has SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk as one of its co-founders. In order to become a true AI powerhouse, it is high time that New Delhi makes Beijing a bigger partner in fuelling AI research at home. According to Accenture, AI research has been motivated by societal needs in India so far and the first step now is to create a comprehensive, long-term vision and road-map for AI. "The national AI plan with clear milestones should be set as a priority. Here, India can follow the lead of China which has laid out clear targets for AI development in phases, initially by 2020 and going forward by 2030," it added. The first critical thing is to understand the role AI is likely to play across multiple professions. "Targeted augmentation in every field will be the key to success for the country to have an AI-ready workforce," Pradhan stressed. (Nishant Arora can be contacted at nishant.a@ians.in) Patna, April 2 : BJP leader Anil Singh, the key accused in inciting communal violence in Bihar's Aurangabad district, surrendered on Monday, two days after he escaped from police custody, the authorities said. Soon after he surrendered, Singh was sent to 14 days judicial custody, Aurangabad Superiintendent of Police Satya Prakash Singh said. Singh, who is also associated with the Hindu Seva Samiti, is said to have played the key role in inciting violence in Aurangabad during a Ram Navami procession late last month. On Saturday night, Union Minister Ashwini Choubey's son Arijit Shashwat, accused of inciting violence in Bhagalpur district, surrendered after evading arrest for over a week. Shashwat was sent to 14 days judicial custody on Sunday but he will approach the Patna High Court on Monday for bail. Bihar's Aurangabad, Nawada, Samastipur, Munger, Bhagalpur and Nalanda disticts have witnessed communal tension in the last 10 days. Additional security forces have been deployed in the affected towns. The opposition parties have slammed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for what they called his "failure to handle the situation". San Francisco, April 2 : In a hilarious thread of April Fools' tweets, Tesla CEO Elon Musk jokingly posted a "Tesla Goes Bankrupt" message on the microblogging platform. "Tesla Goes Bankrupt. Palo Alto, California, April 1, 2018 -- Despite intense efforts to raise money, including a last-ditch mass sale of Easter Eggs, we are sad to report that Tesla has gone completely and totally bankrupt. So bankrupt, you can't believe it," Musk tweeted late Sunday. "There are many chapters of bankruptcy and, as critics so rightly pointed out, Tesla has them *all*, including Chapter 14 and a half (the worst one)," he added in the second tweet. These tweets came three hours after he announced "Important news in a few hours..." on Twitter. Musk also posted his photo with the tweets in which he was seen sitting with a "bankrupt" placard in his hand. "Elon was found passed out against a Tesla Model 3, surrounded by 'Teslaquilla' bottles, the tracks of dried tears still visible on his cheeks. This is not a forward-looking statement, because, obviously, what's the point? Happy New Month!" the followup tweet said. Tesla's stock price plunged more than 25 per cent over the past month. Investors are worried about the startup's ability to deliver on its first mass-market car, the Model 3, which has been plagued by manufacturing woes. Last week, Tesla recalled about 123,000 Model S sedans, asking customers with cars built before April 2016 to have their power steering bolts replaced. Tesla's stock sank nearly four per cent during after-hours trading after the recall announcement. Bengaluru, April 2 : Mainstream political parties like the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fear a lower turnout in the Karnataka assembly elections as voting is scheduled for May 12 -- a second Saturday when all government offices and quite a few in the private sector are closed. "It would have been better if polling was on a working day than on a weekend, which can affect voter participation, especially in urban constituencies where people tend to get away because the following day is a Sunday," BJP state spokesman Vamanacharya told IANS. The Election Commission on March 27 announced the poll schedule for the 224 assembly segments across the southern state in mid-summer when the average day temperature is expected to be above 40 degrees Celsius. As in the previous assembly election, held on May 5, 2013, polling will be in a single phase this time too, and the vote count is scheduled for May 15. "Voting on a week day would have been convenient to lakhs of working people, including thousands of techies in this tech hub as they get a paid holiday to exercise their democratic right," asserted Vamanacharya. For instance, most of the 250,000 IT professionals working in Bengaluru get away on weekends to unwind at holiday resorts, tourist spots and wildlife reserves, or go sight-seeing to the nearby Nandi Hills or visit other cities. As India's Silicon Valley, Bengaluru is home to about 2,000 IT firms and 750 multinationals. Second Saturday of the month is also a holiday for state government employees and banks, besides IT and biotech firms, which makes them to get away and skip voting as it may not be a priority. Concurring with the BJP on the poll date, the ruling Congress is also wary of the weekend fallout on the voting percentage in cities like Bengaluru, which has 28 assembly segments. "Polling on a Saturday is worrisome as it will affect the turnout at the booths, as many citizens, especially the youth, would prefer getaways than stay back and go to vote," Congress state unit vice president B.K. Chandrashekar told IANS here. The voter turnout in the last assembly election was 71 per cent. The Election Commission has, however, ruled out a change in the poll date, concerns of lower voter turnout notwithstanding. "EC changing the poll date is unlikely as it is decided after factoring exams, public holidays, festivals and other events," state Additional Chief Electoral Officer K.G. Jagadeesha told IANS. The Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), a regional party, however, feels the BJP or Congress should not be complaining, as the poll date was decided after the EC had consulted them too. When the poll panel consulted the parties on the poll date, BJP and Congress representatives had mentioned that any day except Sunday was suitable. "Parties complaining is only to find an excuse for their weaknesses," JD-S state spokesman Ramesh Babu told IANS. Meanwhile, renowned historian Ramachandra Guha said the country had witnessed assembly polls even on a Sunday in the past. "I don't think the day or date has much effect on the number of voters as we've seen elections with high voter percentage," Guha said candidly. Political scientist Sandeep Shastri said it was the responsibility of the parties to get the urban electorate to vote. The voting percentage in Bengaluru has been the lowest in the state (less than 50 per cent) for the past 35 years, as there is apathy to polling because urban voters are cynical about the politics without understanding, Shastri asserted. "I would blame the political parties for not being able to get voters to cast their ballot by raising the right issues that concern citizens," he added. Compared to the voter turnouts in the West, like the US (55 per cent in the 2016 presidential election), Indian states fare better, Shastri noted. According to Srinivas Alavilli, a volunteer coordinator for Citizens for Bengaluru, a city-based people's forum, urban voters' data tends to be inaccurate with the people moving within and out of the city each year, and hence the voter turnout percentage does not often reflect the true number. "Many people from Bengaluru don't vote because they don't see any political party addressing their issues. Through a citizens' manifesto, we have been trying to make our demands heard by political parties," Alavilli stated. Only when political parties address the people's issues can the voter turnout go up, he averred. (Bhavana Akella can be contacted at bhavana.a@ians.in) Lucknow, April 2 : A 'Bharat Bandh' called by some Dalit groups against a Supreme Court ruling on the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Act triggered violence in parts of Uttar Pradesh on Monday, police said. Protesters attacked shops, looted some of them and pelted stones at police in Hapur, Agra, Meerut and Saharanpur, reports reaching here said. Many cars were targeted and their window panes smashed. At some places, government property was also targeted. Some people reportedly fired at a police team in Meerut while a passenger bus was set on fire. Pro-reservation groups indulged in vandalism at the Muzaffarnagar railway station, stoning the Kocchi Express. Also in Meerut, over 500 Dalit youths targeted the media and broke their cameras as they were trying to photograph the protests. Students locked the main gate of the Chowdhary Charan Singh University campus and damaged furniture as well as electrical fittings at the campus. In Agra, hotels were targeted at the Dhakran junction. BJP leader Vijay Shivhare, who owns a hotel Modi Palace, was also the target of Dalit ire. In Saharanpur, many buses were attacked. In Lucknow, under the aegis of the 'Aarakshan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti', government employees worked with black bands on their arms. A police vehicle was set on fire in Gangoh region of Saharanpur while protesters stalled traffic at the busy Delhi-Yamunotri road in the district. The Karnataka Express was stopped near Agra. Many vehicles, including ambulances, were caught in a traffic jam because of the protests on Hathras road in Agra. Dalit groups say the Supreme Court order has diluted the provisions of the law governing Dalits and tribes. The government says it is appealing the Supreme Court ruling. Srinagar, April 2 : Kashmiri traders and manufacturers on Monday protested against the killings of four civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district during operations against militants by security forces. Srinagar traders and manufacturers started a protest march from the city centre Lal Chowk shouting slogans against the unending cycle of violence in the Kashmir Valley. Police intervened at Polo View area on Residency Road as traders tried to move towards the headquarters of UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) in Sonwar area. The protest march was dispersed by police and some protesters were taken into preventive custody. Srinagar city and the rest of the Kashmir Valley observed a shutdown on Monday against Sunday's killings in Shopian district. Markets, roads, other businesses and educational institutions remained closed. Police and paramilitary forces were deployed in large numbers to maintain law and order. New Delhi, April 2 : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday urged political parties to avoid tensions in the wake of nationwide protests against the dilution of the SC and ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. "A review petition has been filed in Supreme Court today. I would appeal to all to avoid tensions. I seek their support," the minister told reporters. "We should not create a situation that leads to communal tensions. It is the moral responsibility of all the political parties to cooperate so that any kind of tensions can be avoided," he added. Amritsar, April 2 : The mortal remains of 38 Indian men killed by the Islamic State in Mosul in Iraq in 2014 arrived here on Monday afternoon on a special IAF aircraft. Union Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh accompanied the mortal remains. "We are thankful to the authorities in Iraq for the help (they rendered) to locate the victims and exhume the mortal remains. The government of India did its best to know about the missing Indians," Singh told the media. Although 39 Indians were killed as the Islamic State took over Mosul in June 2014, the mortal remains of 38 were brought back as the identification of one body is still pending. While the coffins of 31 victims -- 27 from Punjab and four from Himachal Pradesh -- were handed over to respective authorities at the Amritsar airport here, seven coffins were shifted to another aircraft to be flown to West Bengal (3) and Bihar (4). Bhopal, April 2 : One person was killed in Madhya Pradesh's Morena on Monday as Dalit protests turned violent, forcing the authorities to impose curfew in many places, police said. The protests are part of a 'Bharat bandh' called by Dalit organisations against a Supreme Court order diluting The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. Violence was reported in the Gwalior-Chambal region and Bhind. At one place two groups clashed and pelted each other with stones while several vehicles were set on fire. Chambal Inspector General of Police Santosh Singh told IANS: "Curfew has been imposed in Morena city and five towns of Bhind. One person has died." Major cities like Bhopal and Indore saw violence, with trains stopped at many places. Bhopal, April 2 : Even as one person was killed in Madhya Pradesh's Morena on Monday as Dalit protests turned violent and curfew was imposed in many places, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan appealed for calm. "The Union government has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court. Our government is committed to protect the rights of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes. People should maintain peace," Chouhan said. The protests are part of a 'Bharat bandh' called by Dalit organisations against a Supreme Court March 20 order that diluted The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Violence was reported in the Gwalior-Chambal region and Bhind. At one place two groups clashed and pelted each other with stones while several vehicles were set on fire. Chambal Inspector General of Police Santosh Singh told IANS: "Curfew has been imposed in Morena city and five towns of Bhind. One person has died." Major cities like Bhopal and Indore saw violence, with trains stopped at many places. Policemen were among those injured at various places. The Chief Minister also held a meeting with senior civil and police officers to take stock of the situation. Bhopal, April 2 : Violence erupted in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior and Chambal districts on Monday during protests by Dalits over a Supreme Court order, leaving three persons dead and many injured, official sources said. Curfew was imposed in many parts of the state even as Internet services were withdrawn. Chambal Inspector General of Police Santosh Singh told IANS: One person each was killed in Morena and Bhind, though the cause of their deaths are not known so far." One person was killed in Gwalior during a clash between two groups. The IGP said that curfew has been imposed in five localities of Bhind and Morena and authorities are keeping an eye on the situation. Gwalior Collector Rahul Jain said that at least 22 persons have been injured in violence, though doctors treating them have not confirmed any deaths due to violence. Police said that following violence in Gwalior, areas falling under the police stations of Thatipur, Gola ka Mandir and Murar were put under curfew and Internet services stopped. The state's major cities like Bhopal and Indore witnessed violence, with trains stopped at many places. Policemen were among those injured at various places. In state capital Bhopal, a large number of protesters rallied at the Board Office crossroad, following which police lathi-charged to disperse the mob but failed. Protesters also stopped trains at several places in the state, officials said. Earlier, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan appealed for calm following the violence. "The Union government has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court. Our government is committed to protect the rights of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes. People should maintain peace," Chouhan said. The protests are part of a 'Bharat bandh' called by Dalit organisations against a Supreme Court March 20 order that diluted The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. ABC/Image Group LA Just days before Florida Georgia Lines free concert in downtown Nashville, Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley are making the party even bigger. Theyre calling the event Tradition Evolved, and the Tennessee Titans are joining in on the fun, marking their 20th season in Music City by unveiling their new uniforms for 2018. The extravaganza kicks off at 4 p.m. CT Wednesday at FGL House downtown, with both players and cheerleaders signing autographs and visiting with the fans. The big reveal of the Titans new threads happens at 7:30, with Tyler and Bryan set to take the outdoor stage at 8 p.m. An enormous fireworks display will close their show. The party doesnt end there, however. Morgan Wallen -- whose breakthrough hit Up Down features FGL -- will close out the night with a rooftop concert at the duos downtown club. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. New Delhi : New Delhi,, April 2 (IANS) Private producer ReNew Power on Monday announced its acquisition of Ostro Energy Private Ltd, which would take its clean energy portfolio capacity to over 5,600 MW through its biggest takeover till date. The ReNew Power statement here, however, did not indicate the purchase price. "ReNew Power currently has green energy assets of more than 4,500 MW, which include a commissioned capacity of approximately 2,800 MW. Ostro Energy has a total capacity of more than 1,100 MW, out of which nearly 850 MW is already commissioned. "With the acquisition of these assets, ReNew Power's capacity will now exceed 5,600 MW." it said. "Ostro has built an impressive business with diversified geographical spread; good quality infrastructure; and stable long term PPAs (power purchase agreements). Its assets are spread across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat." ReNew Power also said the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) is investing an additional $247 million to support this acquisition. "As a result, the CPPIB's combined investment in ReNew Power now stands at $391 million, following an earlier investment of $144 million in January 2018," it added. Kolkata, April 2 : Expressing concern over violence that gripped parts of India amid Dalit groups' protest against a Supreme Court order on the SC/ST act, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday appealed for peace while extending her support of their cause. "We are shocked and pained that some of my Dalit brothers and sisters have been killed and injured. We support their cause. I appeal for peace," Banerjee said in a tweet. Protesters clashed with police in Punjab, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Odisha -- states where normal life was paralyzed in varying degrees amid incidences of violence and arson. Clashes turned deadly in Madhya Pradesh where three persons were killed and dozens injured, forcing authorities to impose curfew at many places. The Central government, in a bid to pacify the agitated Dalits, said it had filed a petition in the apex court seeking a review of its March 20 order that bars automatic arrest and registration of cases for alleged harassment of Dalits and others. Gandhinagar, April 2 : Life in major cities and towns of Gujarat came to a standstill on Monday as Dalits in large numbers protested against what they called the "dilution" of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by the Supreme Court. Although there were no reports of any loss of life or major incidents from across the state, there were reports from across the state of crowds stopping vehicular traffic on highways and in cities, scuffles between protesters and police, disruption in train services, forced closure of commercial establishments and suspension of bus services. In Ahmedabad, the financial capital of the state, several groups of Dalits took out protest marches and paralysed most parts of the city. Authorities suspended the BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System) in the city for the day protestors put up roadblocks across many parts of the city and deflated tyres of many Municial Corporation-run buses. Dalit activist and Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani said: "The apex court observations in the case are against the Constitution's spirit and has hurt us terribly." In the morning, Mevani led a rally of Dalits in Sarangpur area of the city, which later indulged in stone-pelting, after which police burst tear-gas shells. A young man slashed his hand during the protest and was shifted to hospital for treatment. Protests were also reported from areas like Chand Kheda, Maninagar, Hatkeshwar, Amraiwadi, CTM, Dani Limda, Naroda, Kalupur, Ambawadi, C.G. Road, Bapunagar, forcing people to remain indoors. Protestors also rallied on railway tracks in Vadodara, stopping train on the Vadodara-Ahmedabad route. They also tried to set up roadblocks on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai National Highway near Vadodara, Surat and Navsari, leading to massive traffic jams. Similar incidents were reported from other cities and towns, including state capital Gandhinagar, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Surendranagar, and Kutch in Saurashtra-Kutch region. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani blamed the Congress and said: "The Congress is playing politics in the name of Dalits and shedding crocodile tears. Everyone knows how they treated Dr B.R. Ambedkar when he was alive." He said the state was equipped to handle any situation and that the bandh was a "limited success" in Gujarat. On March 20, the Supreme Court ruled that the arrest of an accused under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act is not mandatory and a recourse to coercive action would be taken only after preliminary inquiry and sanction by the competent authority. Coupled with this, the court said, there was no absolute bar against grant of anticipatory bail in cases under the Act if no prima facie case was made out or where on judicial scrutiny the complaint was found to be prima facie mala fide. Shimla, April 2 : The mortal remains of four construction workers hailing from Himachal Pradesh -- whose bodies were flown in from Iraq to Amritsar in Punjab -- will be taken to their native places late Monday and consigned to flames a day later, officials said. Aman Kumar, 27, Inderjeet, 26, and Sandeep Kumar, 38, all from Kangra district, and Hem Raj, 32, of Mandi district were among the 39 Indians who were killed by the Islamic State terror group in Mosul in Iraq in 2014. The body of Sandeep Kumar will be kept in a mortuary at Nurpur town, while those of Inderjeet and Aman Kumar will be kept at Dharamsala town on Monday night. The remains would be handed over their families on Tuesday. The body of Hem Raj will be sent directly to Sundernagar town in Mandi district. Earlier in the day, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh had accompanied the mortal remains of 38 Indians back home. The coffins carrying the remains of 31 victims -- 27 from Punjab and four from Himachal Pradesh -- were handed over to respective authorities at the Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport in Amritsar, seven coffins were shifted to another aircraft to be flown to West Bengal (3) and Bihar (4). Himachal's Food and Civil Supplies Minister Kishan Kapoor was among those present at the airport to receive the coffins, along with officials of the other states to which the victims belonged. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had informed Parliament on March 20 that all 39 Indian construction workers kidnapped in 2014 from Mosul have been killed. The Minister had earlier said that she will not consider them dead unless there was proof in this regard, rejecting lone survivor Harjit Masih's claim that the captives were shot dead. Masih had claimed to have escaped from the clutches of the terror group in June 2014. Shimla, April 2 : Himachal Pradesh's loan liability stood at Rs 46,502 crore, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Monday. "The situation in the state is such that it can't manage its affairs without loans. We will try to limit it by taking continuous measures, including austerity. At the same time we will see that the development is not affected," he told the assembly. He agreed to the suggestion by the Communist Party of India-Marxist member Rakesh Singha to seek the release of 7.19 per cent share of the state on account of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) projects along with arrears from neighbouring Punjab and Haryana. The Supreme Court had passed an order in this regard in 2011, but the state has not got its due so far. In reply to a question by Congress member Sukhvinder Sukhu, the Chief Minister said the government had taken a loan of Rs 1,000 crore in past three months. Thakur said the previous Congress government had taken loans of Rs 18,787 crore in five years tenure. Congress Legislature Party Leader Mukesh Agnihotri asked the Chief Minister as to whether the government will bring a resolution in the state assembly to impress upon the central government collectively for a bailout package of Rs 46,000 crore, equivalent to the loan amount, in one go. New Delhi, April 2 : An independent probe into the murder of a 12-year-old boy and a 32-year-old cattle trader -- both Muslims -- in 2016 in Jharkhand claims that police sabotaged the investigation and denied justice to the families of the victims as all the accused are out on bail. The report "Hanged by Gau Rakshaks, Denied Justice by the State" by Ajith Sahi, a rights activist, alleges that police delaying filing of an FIR by 17 hours and did not include relevant sections of the IPC in it. Among other examples of alleged police failure, the report says that a BJP leader named by eye-witnesses as one of the accused was yet to be questioned. The report is on the murder of Mazloom Ansari, 32, and Imtiaz Khan, 12 who were killed as they were transporting eight oxen on foot in the early hours of March 18, 2016 in Latehar of Jharkhand. Eight people have been accused of committing the crime but all are out on bail for the past 18 months. This despite the fact that three eye witnesses to the crime have named them and the accused confessing of the crime to police, said the report. The report has been endorsed by many rights groups including Alliance for Justice and Accountability, New York, Citizens for Justice and Peace, Mumbai, Dalit American Coalition, New York, Indian American Muslim Council, Washingtond and United Against Hate, New Delhi. "Forget chargesheeted, the BJP leader named in the FIR has not yet been questioned. He is roaming free," Sahi told IANS. According to the report, at least two of the accused confessed that they were part of Gau Rakha Dal. "Though the police acknowledged the involvement of a gau rakshak, they were quick to suggest these weren't vigilante killing but actually the result of a 'gang attempting to loot cattle'," according to the report. "Not only did the police not fully investigate the crime, but also failed to press appropriate charges against the accused. This has considerably weakened the case, as a consequence of which every one of the accused was able to secure bail." According to the report, Manowar, one of the witnesses, informed the police of the details of the crime, but the police "did not write down anything", a claim the witness reiterated in his deposition before a court in November 2017. "Avdhesh (one of the accused) confirmed that their vigilante group had earlier, too, stalked Muslims with cattle and stolen their livestock, selling some of them while abandoning the others in the forest." It said the prosecution failed to defend the arrests and successfully oppose the bail applications. "Over 18 months since the accused were bailed, the Jharkhand government is still to move the Supreme Court for the cancellation of the bails," the report said. New Delhi, April 2 : Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Monday sought the intervention of Union Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons to initiate "destination tourism" projects in the state, an official said. "We have to build tourism around the USPs of the region and the focus of the government will be to bring the tourism potential of the state in sync with creating avenues for the farming community as well as the youth to take entrepreneurial activities," Sangma said. During the meeting, the Chief Minister, who was accompanied by state Tourism Minister Metbah Lyngdoh, also discussed development of tourism infrastructure and amenities at different tourist locations, with particular focus on Sohra, Umiam and eco-tourism destinations of Nokrek and Balpakram. Alphons suggested the Chief Minister to also work on possibilities to promote luxury tourism in the state focussing on its rich potential. "Meghalaya is a priority state for the Ministry of Tourism and we are going to extend all possible help to boost tourism. I would personally take up the issue of road connectivity in Meghalaya with Union Transport Minister for his personal intervention," Alphons said in his conversation with the Chief Minister. The Union Minister also told the Chief Minister that 12 different locations had been identified for promotion in the northeast including Sohra, the wettest place on earth, under the Destination Tourism mission. "We want to develop the cave network of Meghalaya and make it a major attraction for tourists," Alphons added. Alphons promised the Chief Minister that all pending tourism projects of the state would be accorded thrust and would be implemented in the right earnest. Panaji, April 2 : Under pressure from the opposition as well as members of the cabinet who opposed a proposed hike in domestic power consumption tariff, the Goa government on Monday said it will put off the hike for consumers utilising less than 200 units of electricity. Power Minister Pandurang Madkaikar told journalists: "In view of the opinions put forward by the opposition and our own cabinet ministers, it has been decided to not hike the tariff for those who consume less than 200 units of power." The hike will however apply to those who consume more than 200 units. The minister also said that the hike had not been proposed by the state government, but was suggested by the Joint Electricity Regularity Commission in its report, submitted to the government a few weeks back. "The government has resolved to subsidise domestic power consumption by making a budgetary allocation towards it," Madkaikar said, adding that the annual budgetary allocation towards the Power department for subsidising of domestic electricity consumption was more than Rs 300 crore. On Monday, the Congress also joined the opposition against the proposed hike, claiming that the Rs 5 plus increase for consumption of one unit was unfair. "This will set a dangerous precedent, where inefficiency of the department is passed on to the consumers. This hike has to be withdrawn," state Congress President Shantaram Naik said. On Saturday, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane had threatened to go on a protest while condemning his government's decision to hike domestic power tariff. New Delhi, April 2 : The government's per capita spending on higher education has increased by 15 per cent in the last two years, Minister of State for Human Resource Development Satyapal Singh informed Parliament on Monday. According to the numbers presented by him, the government spent Rs 50,665 per person on higher education in 2015-16 against Rs 43,948 in 2013-14. The government spending for 2011-12, 2012-13, 2014-15 on higher education was Rs 33,669, Rs 39,059, and Rs 44,473, respectively. On primary education, the government spending for the previous five years up to 2015-16, according to the Minister, was Rs 12,510, Rs 11,469, Rs 9,223, Rs 7,985, and Rs 7,494. As for secondary education, the funds for same years were Rs 21,501, Rs 19,841, Rs 17,955, Rs 16,483, while for the year 2011-12 figures were not given. "Further, Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) has been set up by the government to mobilise funds from the market as per requirements of the centrally-funded higher educational institutions," Singh said. "The budget 2018-19 has announced to raise Rs 1,00,000 crore through HEFA to fund educational institutes to fast-track research and academic infrastructure," he added. Mumbai/Chennai, April 2 : An impending price hike, along with robust domestic demand and positive macro-economic growth indicators, led major automobile manufacturers to post healthy sales figures for March 2018. On Monday, Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) reported a rise of 8.8 per cent in its overall sales including exports for March 2018 to 60,507 units from 55,614 in the corresponding period last year. The company sold 48,009 vehicles in the domestic market last month, while it exported 12,498 units. Further, HMIL reported the highest financial year domestic sales of 536,241 units compared to 509,707 units sold in 2016-17, registering a growth of 5.2 per cent. Similarly, Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) reported healthy off-take for March 2018. Its overall monthly sales grew by 10 per cent to 62,077 units, against 56,202 units sold during the same month of last year. M&M's domestic sales rose to 58,653 vehicles and exports edged-up to 3,424 units. For the financial year ended March 31, 2018, M&M's auto sales stood at 549,154 vehicles compared to 507,598 vehicles during FY2017, registering a growth of eight per cent. On Sunday, Maruti Suzuki India had reported a 14.9 per cent rise in its March sales at 160,598 units, as compared 139,763 units sold in the same month last year. According to the company, domestic sales in March stood at 148,582 units, up 16.1 per cent from 127,999 units sold in the same month last year. The automobile major closed the financial year ended March 31 with its highest ever total sales of 1,779,574 units, at a growth rate of 13.4 per cent. Another automobile major, Tata Motors, on April 1 had posted a 35 per cent increase in its March sales to 69,440 units, as compared to 51,309 units in the same month last year. "In March 2018, Tata Motors registered a growth of 35 per cent at 69,440 units as against 51,309 units over last year due to the continued strong sales performance of its commercial and passenger vehicles business in the domestic market," the company had said in a statement. Two-and-three-wheeler maker TVS Motor Company closed last month with 27 per cent growth in sales volume. The company said it sold 326,659 units (315,765 units of two wheelers and 10,894 units of three wheelers) in March, up from 256,341 units (two wheelers -- 250,979 units and three wheelers -- 5,362 units) sold in March 2017. Besides, two-wheeler major Hero MotoCorp reported a 20 per cent year-on-year rise in its monthly sales for March 2018 to 730,473 units from 609,951 units in the corresponding month of the previous year. In the last financial year, the two-wheeler major's sales grew by 14 per cent to 7587,130 units from an off-take of 6,664,240 units in 2016-17. In addition, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India's (HMSI) total sales. including exports, increased to 440,499 units from 366,090 units sold in the corresponding period of 2017. On the overall automobile sales trend, Sridhar V, Partner, Grant Thornton India told IANS: "Sales picked up on various positive economic indicators and the year end push post budget indications of a possible upward pricing from April 1 on some vehicle segments on account of increased import duties." Johannesburg, April 2 : Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, anti-apartheid activist who was once married to former South African President Nelson Mandela, passed away on Monday, said a statement released by her family. She was 81. Winnie Mandela died after a long illness at the Netcare Milpark Hospital here, Xinhua news reported. She died peacefully surrounded by her family and loved ones, said the statement. Winnie Mandela was one of the greatest icons of the struggle against Apartheid. She fought valiantly against the Apartheid state and sacrificed her life for the freedom of the country. Her activism and resistance to Apartheid landed her in jail on numerous occasions, eventually causing her banishment to the small town of Brandfort in the then Orange Free State, it said. Winnie kept the memory of her imprisoned husband Nelson Mandela alive during his years on Robben Island and helped give the Struggle for justice in South Africa one its most recognisable faces. She dedicated most of her adult life to the cause of the people and for this was known far and wide as the Mother Of The Nation, added the statement. New Delhi, April 2 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi will again visit poll-bound Karnataka on Tuesday to campaign, a party statement said. With Congress determined to retain power in the southern state, Gandhi has been campaigning in the state very extensively. On this visit, he will addressing a public rally at Government High School Ground in Davangere at 5.30 p.m. on Tuesday, and also attend a public contact programme n Shimoga and also inaugurate a District Congress office. He will later travel to Honnali, Harihara and Bathi in Davangere. Lucknow, April 2 : One person was killed in Muzaffarnagar and over 100 were injured on Monday as violence singed many parts of the state during the "Bharat Bandh" enforced by Dalit groups in protest against a ruling of the Supreme Court with regard to the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, police said. Maximum violence in the state was reported from western Uttar Pradesh, where the protesters took to the streets and went on rampage. More than 450 people, including a former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislator, have been arrested. The police and state Home Department officials said the National Security Act (NSA) would be invoked against the lumpen elements who took law in their hands. Additional security forces were rushed to Agra, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Hapur districts where the situation went out of control by evening. Two persons were critically injured in police firing in Muzaffaranagar, one of whom later succumbed. More than two dozen vehicles were set on fire in Hapur and hundreds were attacked. Dalit protesters here also vent their ire on Hapur legislator Vijaypal Aadhati and attacked his car. An Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) was also injured in the violence. Over three dozen policemen were injured in Muzaffarnagar and Meerut as protesters pelted stones on them and engaged in brick-batting. An irate mob also tried to torch the family court premises and set on fire the Shobhapur police outpost. Violence and road jams due to squatting of protesters was also reported on the busy Delhi-Yamunotri highway in Saharanpur. Roads were blocked in Shamli and Bulandshahr and the protesters targeted trains and blocked them by lying on the rail tracks. Several trains including Taj Express, Gatimaan Express, Karnataka Express and Kochi Express were delayed by several hours due to the disruption of rail traffic. Violence has also been reported from Agra and Firozabad. Initially, there were reports that a Dalit youth had been killed in the violence, but Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar categorically denied it. "That incident was separate. It happened last night and had nothing to do with the Monday protests," the official told IANS. Demonstrations were also held in Rampur, Amroha, Sambhal, Moradabad, Pilibhit, Budayun, Bareilly and Shahjahanpur. In Gorakhpur, 16 persons were taken into custody after they were caught forcing shopkeepers to down shutters. They had also damaged a bank ATM. New Delhi, April 2 : The BJP was giving full protection to 'Gau Rakshaks' and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was controlling hate and fake news being circulated in the country, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan said here on Monday. In his address at the launch of a report on how 'Jharkhand Police sabotaged probe into two murders by cow vigilantes', he said that such 'hate' crimes mostly happen in BJP-ruled states and the states have given protection to the cow vigilantes. He termed BJP's Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as a "goonda" and a "history sheeter" and referring to recent communal riots in West Bengal and Bihar, alleged that the Modi government was behind it. Senior journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta said that politicians and administration were helping people behind lynchings and urged people to fight against the "poison" being spread in the country. The report 'Hanged by Gau Rakshaks Denied Justice by the State' prepared by Ajith Sahi, a civil liberties activist, states that the FIR was delayed by 17 hours, police did not include relevant sections of the IPC in the FIR, and a BJP leader named by eye witnesses was yet to be questioned, among others as examples of police failure. The report is on the murder of Mazloom Ansari (32) and Imtiaz Khan (12), while transporting eight oxen on foot in the early hours of March 18, 2016 in Latehar of Jharkhand. Mysuru, April 2 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday dared BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate B.S. Yeddyurappa to contest from the Varuna constituency here in the May 12 assembly election. "I challenge Yeddyurappa to contest from Varuna if he is so sure of winning instead of fielding his second son (B.Y. Vijayendra) against my son Yathindra," Siddaramaiah told reporters here. Though the Chief Minister was re-elected twice from Varuna since 2008 assembly poll, he is likely to field Yathindra this time, as he is planning to contest from Chamundeshwari in the same district. He said that the BJP, which failed to win a single seat in the Mysuru region in May 2013 assembly election now "boasts of defeating me or my son this time. I accept the challenge. Let Yeddyurappa or his son contest against me or my son". "As the people of Varuna know of my contribution to the constituency, they will certainly vote for those who worked and none else," said Siddaramaiah. Questioning Yeddyurappa's credentials to contest from any assembly segment in Mysuru region, he asked what was the BJP leader's contribution to the region or the state during his three-year tenure. "What is his (Yeddyurappa) connection with Varuna or Mysuru. As people are wise, they know whom to vote. Even if my son contests, people will vote for him and not Yeddyurappa's son (Vijayendra)," he said. Meanwhile, Vijayendra visited a couple of Hindu temples in the region on Monday and offered prayers to goddess Chamundeshwari atop the hill at Mysuru and Male Mahadeshwara Swamy at Chamarajanagar in the neighbouring district. New Delhi, April 2 : The Delhi Assembly on Monday passed a resolution to form a committee to look into the cases of misconduct of government officers with its members. The misconduct, as explained by ruling Aam Aadmi Party member Saurabh Bharadwaj, includes not meeting MLAs, not taking their calls or not following protocol with them. The resolution for the constitution of 'House Committee on Violation of Protocol Norms and contemptuous Behavior by Government Officers with MLAs' was moved by AAPs' Vishesh Ravi. The committee will consist of nine members including one chairperson. While Bharadwaj will be the chairperson, the eight other members areSanjiv Jha, Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, Fateh Singh, Bhawna Gaur, Somdutt Sharma, Vishesh Ravi, Pankaj Pushkar, and Surrender Singh. Bharadwaj stressed that the issues and differences between the government and the officers should not come in between the relation of officers and MLAs. He said the committee should have guidelines similar to the ones issued by Union Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Ministry on the subject of official dealings between the administration and Members of Parliament and State legislatures. BJP member Manjinder Singh Sirsa supported this point but demanded that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should apologise to Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash "like he is apologising to everybody who has nothing to do with Delhi government". During the discussion, Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, of the BJP, said the powers of the committee could be "misused". The procedure which will be followed by the committee for examine complaints referred to it will be the same as the procedure for inquiry and determination by the committee of privileges as it relates to any question of breach of privelege of the house or a member, the resolution said. The committee will be free to enlarge the scope of issues under examination and the rules governing powers and functioning of the committee on privileges could also apply to this committee. Bharadwaj said that the formation of the committee was the need of the hour as the officers "don't want any accountability and the corrupt officers have found a way to prevent themselves". "If they are not reachable, what kind of democracy is it?" he questioned. With the formation of the committee, Bharadwaj said, if an officer misbehaves, the MLA should not retaliate but file complaint with this committee. United Nations, April 2 : The recent killings of civilians in Kashmir "needs to be investigated," Stephane Dijarric, the spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday as protests swept the state. "Civilians have to be protected wherever they are, whether it is in Gaza, whether it is in Jammu and Kashmir, whether it is in Yemen; it is a basic principle," he said in reply to a reporter's question. "Any loss of civilians needs to be investigated wherever they occur." Four civilians were killed in Shopian district during operations against militants on Sunday. Three soldiers and 11 militants were also killed during fierce fighting on Sunday. Among the dead were two terrorists who had abducted and murdered Indian Army's Lt Ummer Fayaz in May last year, according to Lt Gen A.K. Bhatt, Commander of the Army's Srinagar-based 15 Corps. During protests on Monday in Srinagar, police intervened in the Polo View area on Residency Road as protesters tried to move towards the headquarters of UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) in Sonwar area. Meanwhile, Security Council President Gustavo Meza-Cuadra said that there were no plans for the Council to take up the Kashmir developments. Meza-Cuadra, who is the Permanent Representative of Peru, which holds the rotating presidency for April, said in answer to a question: "This is an important topic. But at this time there is no consensus in order to address it. So far, for the time being we don't have anything planned on the (topic in the) programme." The Pakistani journalist who asked the question during Meza-Cuadra's briefing falsely said that 20 civilians had been killed. Earlier at his daily briefing, Dujarric said: "The Secretaray-General is very concerned about the situation we see in Jammu and Kashmir." "He reminds that member states are responsible under international humanitarian law to protect civilians," he added. "The Secretary-General reiterates his call on member states to find ways to address disputes in a peaceful manner." On Monday, at least 20 protesters were reported injured in clashes in Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag districts of south Kashmir where mobs threw rocks at security forces, who fired pellets and tear gas to disperse the protesters. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in) Lantern Investments, Inc. (Lantern), a full-service retail and institutional broker-dealer is pleased to announce the hiring of industry veteran Dwight A. Pike. Dwight Pike is an experienced professional with over 35 years of investment experience. He has worked with institutions and individuals to create and manage fixed income and equity portfolios. Prior to joining Lantern, Dwight was affiliated with Westport Resources Investment Services, Inc. Early in his career, Dwight managed an equity portfolio for Cowen Asset Management and was a founding partner of Unquowa Partners, an institutional brokerage firm. We are excited that Dwight has chosen to join the Lantern team, stated Keith Lanton. We look forward to leveraging his knowledge and experience to enhance the Lantern Wealth platform. Dwight earned his Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 1983. He obtained a B.A. degree in economics from the College of Wooster and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. About Lantern Investments, Inc. Founded in 1993, Lantern Investments, Inc. is a full-service retail and institutional broker-dealer with fixed income securities as its base. Today, Lantern Investments is proud to be a leading bond specialist, finding value for clients across the country. In addition to three New York offices, Lantern has offices in Texas, Chicago, and California. Through its fee-based affiliate, Lantern Wealth Advisors LLC, Lantern provides asset & wealth management solutions as well as financial planning services. The Lantern group of companies services over $1 billion in assets for high net worth clients. To learn more about Lantern Investments, please visit the companys web site at http://www.lanternwealth.com Becker's Healthcare is pleased to welcome Dr. Frank Phillips and more than 222 other talented medical professionals as speakers for Becker's 16th Annual Future of Spine + The Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference, June 14 to 16 at the Swissotel in Chicago. Dr. Frank Phillips serves as director of the division of spine surgery and a professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center. He has been named one of the top 28 spine surgeons in the country by Orthopedics this Week and was voted among the top 10 to 15 percent of Top Doctors in America by U.S. News and World Report and Castle Connolly. Dr. Phillips delivers lectures to spine surgeons nationally and internationally, and on June 15, he will share his insight on the future of innovation and value with Becker's audience. Texas Back Institute's Chief Development Officer Cheryl Zapata will draw on her 17 years as a consultant to speak about how to keep a spine practice thriving and interesting during a June 15 session. Ms. Zapata has founded several businesses, including The AMRAS Corp., and trained hundreds of attorneys and medical practices on HIPAA laws. Sev Hrywnak, MD, DPM, CEO of The SEV Group and owner of the Advanced Ambulatory Surgical Center of Chicago, will deliver exciting content June 14 and 16. He'll cover topics including time-sharing surgical centers, developing strategic plans for practices and reinventing an ASC. A board-certified physician, Dr. Hrywnak is the developer behind multimillion dollar commercial, residential and medical complexes in the Chicago area. Rohit Verma, MD, serves as an orthopedic spine surgeon and assistant attending surgeon at Northwell Health in Great Neck, N.Y, and assistant professor in orthopedic spine surgery at Hofstra Medical School in Hempstead, N.Y. A graduate of the Philadelphia-based Drexel University College of Medicine-Queen Lane, he has dual fellowship training in orthopedic spine surgery and neurosurgery of the spine. He'll join a panel of talented experts June 15 to discuss the future of orthopedics. Becker's thanks its corporate partner, Johnson & Johnson One Medical Device, for its title sponsor support of the event. To hear Joe Montana and other great keynotes and speakers, join Becker's Healthcare at its Future of Spine + The Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference, June 14 to 16 by registering here: https://www.regonline.com/registration/Checkin.aspx?EventID=2050742 or contact Jess Cole by email at jcole@beckershealthcare.com or by phone at 312-929-3675. For the complete conference brochure, click here: https://www.beckersasc.com/june-conference/. About Becker's ASC Review Becker's ASC Review offers general business, legal and clinical guidance on topics relevant to outpatient surgery including joint ventures, development and expansion, and regulatory and compliance issues, as well as analysis and insight for specialties including orthopedics and spine, gastroenterology, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, ENT, and anesthesiology. Each of the nine annual issues of the publication reaches a qualified audience of more than 25,000 key ASC leaders, including surgeons, medical directors, directors of surgery and ASC administrators. Every ASC in the nation receives Becker's ASC Review. About Becker's Spine Review Becker's Spine Review features news and analysis on business and legal issues relating to spine practices. Each issue of the quarterly publication reaches a qualified audience of approximately 12,500 key spine practice decision-makers, including surgeons and spine practice administrators. Dr. Joseph Moussa Dr. Joseph Moussa, a reviewed and approved NJ Top Dentist, recently completed his proficiency training to obtain his certification as a LANAP Regenerative Specialist. LANAP stands for Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure, and is a minimally invasive way to remove targeted areas of gum disease tissue. Gum disease affects 85% of American adults and is the number one cause of tooth loss. LANAP helps keep your teeth and mouth healthy. A LANAP periodontal surgery is a full-mouth procedure, completed in two seperate, two-hour visits. Dr. Moussa is one of the first dentists in New Jersey to adopt LANAP practices several years ago. With over ten years of dental experience, Dr. Moussa of Montclair Dental Spa is very excited about implementing this new surgical technique at his practice. Dr. Joseph Moussa has been reviewed and approved again by NJ Top Dentists for the third consecutive year. In his practice, Montclair, Dental Spa, Dr. Moussa provides a full array of dental care, including preventive hygiene visits, routine tooth colored fillings, crowns, along with many cosmetic services such as veneers, teeth whiting and full smile makeovers. Call Montclair Dental Spa at 973-744-1527 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Moussa or click the following link to learn more about this NJ Top Dentist: https://njtopdocs.com/nj-dentists/josephmoussadds/ About Us NJ Top Dentists is a Division of NJ Top Docs. NJ Top Docs is a comprehensive, trusted and exclusive healthcare resource featuring reviewed and approved Top Doctors and Dentists in New Jersey online in an easy to use format. NJ Top Docs only reviews and approves providers based on merit after they have been extensively vetted. NJ Top Docs is a division of USA Top Docs which allows patients to meet providers online before making their appointment. For more information, please click here to contact us or visit http://www.NJTopDocs.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Trade magazines SpaRetailer and PoolPro, along with consumer buyers guide Spasearch and Poolsearch have been sold to 10-year industry veteran and current managing editor Megan Kendrick and Kendrick Content & Consulting, LLC. Kendrick Content acquired these assets/business units from Bigfish Publications, which is operated by founder David T. Wood. Apparently my story is going to follow that of many others in the industry, the chlorine has gotten in my blood, Kendrick says. This industry has been kind and generous to me with its time and knowledge throughout the years and thats one of the many reasons Im choosing to not only stay, but stake my future in it. The industry, along with our magazines, are on solid footing and we are preparing for continued success and growth. The magazines will print on their normal schedule as Kendrick Content takes over operations and will continue to provide the quality articles and content that the industry has come to expect. I have dedicated 19-plus years of my professional life to Bigfish Publications, says Wood. Building this business and our team has been among my most joyful and rewarding aspects of my life. Yet at 52, with my kids now in college, I find myself transitioning to full-time empty-nester. I want to reprioritize the next chapter of my life, and explore other professional and personal passions beyond date-sensitive trade publishing. Kendrick joined Bigfish Publications in 2008 after completing her masters degree in journalism, with a focus in magazine publishing, from Northwestern University. Shes worked on all but the first two issues of SpaRetailer and helped launch PoolPro. She was named managing editor in 2017. Taking over the magazines was never something I envisioned, but as David began looking for his exit plan, I really felt like there was more to accomplish, Kendrick says. There were more stories I wanted to print and more programs I wanted to try. As I started to form my own company and look to the future, it became more and more apparent that this was the path I wanted to take. Wood says this transition was one that he had hoped for as the time for him to exit came. I am extremely confident that Megan will keep providing the great content that were known for, but will grow the business in ways that I havent even imagined, he says. She knows this industry inside and out and has been integral to our success. I know that Im leaving this business in very capable hands. Carl Kowall has the notable distinction of being one of the first eight residents of El Dorado Hills, and one of the men who helped create what is today one of the Sacramento Regions most thriving communitiesone that almost never came to be. My wife and I were one of the first four families who volunteered to set up a mobile home park so we could establish residency and get approval to form a water district and bring water to the community, Kowall says. It was pretty rustic; my other car really was a horse, but it gave us the start we needed to make the idea of El Dorado Hills come to life. In his new book, The Story of El Dorado Hills, Kowall guides readers through the vision of Allan Lindsey, Carls boss, mentor and friend. It was Allan who first saw an opportunity to build a modern community for a modern time on 10,000 acres of rolling, grassy hills just east of Sacramento. It was no simple process; even buying the land took a lot of legwork and a little subterfugeand that was the easy part. Water rights had to be obtained, the first development plan was rejected, and when the first shovel hit the earth, the areas geology presented such a huge obstacle that the developers created a new way to dig water and sewer lines. Then, when everything was finally up and running in 1967, the bottom fell out of the local real estate market, and the projects financial partners pulled out. After developing more than 2000 homes, two schools, a park and a grocery market, everything in El Dorado Hills stopped, and the land was idle for a few years. For Allan and Carl, that was the end of the story, but that was certainly not the end of the story of El Dorado Hills. Allans vision was carried on by other developers who saw and shared that vision. Today their work is recognized as some of the best master-planned development in the nation and El Dorado Hills is a city unto itself, with a population of 46,000 people living in 16,000 homes. The story of El Dorado Hills is about much more than a real estate development; its the story of a man with an enormous imagination, matched only by his courage and kindness, and how sometimes the most important part of seeing a vision come to life is being willing to let go and let others carry it forward. Allan Lindsey had the vision for El Dorado Hills, the community of today is his legacy, and its a vision that can still help guide the future, Kowall says. The story of what he created there deserves its place in history, and I was honored to be a part of it. The Story of El Dorado Hills By Carl Kowall ISBN: 978197360015 (hardcover) 9781973600008 (softcover) 9781512799996 (ebook) Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Westbow Press About the author Carl Kowall was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1930 and first moved to Sacramento in 1949, after graduating from high school. As the Korean War heated up he joined the Coast Guard, where he served for three years on a destroyer escort in the Atlantic. Upon being honorably discharged as petty officer first class, he returned to Sacramento to attend college on the GI Bill and, after a brief stint back in Pennsylvania, returned to Sacramento yet a third time and made it his permanent home. He continued college at Sacramento State University while working part time as a mechanical engineer in a plant that manufactured school furniture. In 1958, he joined Allan Lindseys team as an employee of Moss & Moss Real Estate and later became a project Manager with Allans El Dorado Hills Corporation. For the next ten years, Carl and Allan, along with a first-class team of legal, construction, entitlement and development experts literally began to build El Dorado Hills from nothing. Carl still works today as an independent commercial real estate broker with offices in downtown Sacramento. He and his wife Lorie have been married for 55 years. And counting. Review Copies & Interview Requests: LAVIDGE Phoenix Jacquelyn Brazzale 480 998 2600 x 569 jbrazzale(at)lavidge.com Kings Dagger: The Loyalist Book 1: an assassins mission to save the fledgling nation in Israel and find personal salvation. Kings Dagger: The Loyalist Book 1 is the creation of published author, William S. Bradshaw. William was a combat medic in the US Army for nearly twenty years. Before and since joining the military, he has been an avid fan of science fiction-fantasy and action adventure stories. He has also had a lifelong fascination with military history and the Old Testament. During his time in the service, he traveled the world, which afforded him the opportunity to visit the sites of the ancient kingdoms and battlefields. His experiences inspired him to write Kings Dagger during one of his two tours in Iraq. William retired from the army in 2013 due to injuries received during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He now lives in rural Oklahoma with his wife, Amanda, and two of their five children. David stood alone in the center of the vale, holding high the giants head and allowing the blood to flow freely down his outstretched form. Every single eye on both sides of the encampment was enraptured by the sight. No one spoke. No one breathed. --William S. Bradshaw Published by Christian Faith Publishing, William S. Bradshaws new book tells the tale of the assassin whose mission was to save a fledgling nation from destruction. Having arrived late on the scene in Canaan, Israel had to force its way into the Promised Land, taking much of it by force and carving out a difficult, tenuous existence. The kingdom is completely surrounded by brutal enemies. All of which have larger armies, more defensible cities, and more advanced armories. As their enemies close in around them, Israels first King, Saul, sinks into a dark, festering depression. He begins to turn a paranoid eye on members of his own household. To make matters worse, an iron embargo has relegated the Israelites to the Bronze Age while catapulting their enemies into a new military frontier. It is this time that their most ruthless and hated foe, the Philistines, launch an all-out assault on Sauls capital city in a final bid to crush the Israelites. The Kingdom of Israel is young. Its king is untested, but Saul must find a way to even the odds. He dispatches a merciless assassin, known throughout the region only as the Kings Dagger, to terminate those tipping the scales against Israel. The Dagger can bring Israels enemies to their knees, but only if he can first escape his own doom. View a synopsis of Kings Dagger: The Loyalist Book 1 on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Kings Dagger: The Loyalist Book 1 at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Kings Dagger: The Loyalist Book 1, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. This generous grant from the CWF will enhance the important work we do to support survivors and improve the quality of life for more people living with the late effects of childhood cancer. said Beyond the Cure program coordinator, Pam Gabris. The National Childrens Cancer Society (NCCS) is proud to receive a grant from the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation (CWF) to support awareness of the NCCS Beyond the Cure survivorship program. Commander Kerry Colette traveled to St. Louis to present a check for $6,715. Many of the treatments that cure childhood cancer can cause problems even years after treatment has ended. These complications are known as late effects. Two-thirds of all survivors will experience one or more late effect from their disease and/or treatment which can include secondary malignancies, problems associated with cognitive function, heart, endocrine, or reproductive systems and psychological problems like depression or social isolation. When problems are recognized early, it is more likely that they can be treated effectively. The NCCS Beyond the Cure program prepares survivors and their families for life after cancer. The CWF grant will be used to create informational material on the organizations Late Effects After Treatment Tool (LEATT) which provides a personalized assessment of a survivors potential late effects based on the information they give. The materials will be distributed to hundreds of hospitals across the country. Survivorship is a lifelong journey that requires information, guidance and support so that survivors and their families are adequately prepared to handle the long-term consequences of cancer and its treatment. This generous grant from the CWF will enhance the important work we do to support survivors and improve the quality of life for more people living with the late effects of childhood cancer, said Beyond the Cure program coordinator, Pam Gabris. Established in 1954, the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation was developed to contribute to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual welfare of children and youth by aiding progress in the field of child welfare through dissemination of knowledge about research, studies, surveys, projects, or by supporting programs and activities benefiting the welfare of children and youth. The National Childrens Cancer Society (NCCS), headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a not-for-profit organization providing support to families making their way through the daunting world of childhood cancer and survivorship. With over 30 years of experience serving nearly 42,000 children, the NCCS is able to take a no matter what approach to help families stay strong, stay positive and stay together. For more information call 314-241-1600, visit theNCCS.org, or on Facebook and Twitter. Tribeca Technology Group Our new office reflects our dedication to providing clients within Dublin with an unparalleled, high performance technology service. It is one of the worlds key strategic locations for fund domiciles and home to 9 of the 10 world-leading technology firms Tribeca Technology Group is delighted to announce the opening of its new office in Dublin. The company has been actively looking at strengthening its European offering by increasing its geographical presence in key financial centres close to the UK. Tribeca's new office allows it to provide the best possible IT service with its dedicated, in-house team of engineers based right on the doorstep of Dublins financial centre. It brings to the Irish market 40 years of combined experience in providing world-class managed IT services to the Alternative Investment market. From its offices in London, New York and Hong Kong it support clients in 17 different countries 24/7 with a range of services from straightforward and dependable desktop IT support, to fully outsourced technology solutions for companies with up to 300 users. Tribeca has been building its Dublin support infrastructure since Q3 of last year. As well as supporting new clients in Ireland, it will also be assisting existing ones based there with additional IT support beyond remote services. The following services and products are available from Tribeca's Dublin office: Business IT Support Unrivalled 24/7 network helpdesk and onsite support Network Design Years of network management and design experience Data Centre Hosting N+1 power specification and ISO 27001 certified Disaster Recovery VMWare qualified engineers, fast recovery speed and cost effective Cyber Security Robust, high-performance defence against advanced threats Office Moves Highly experienced in server system relocation and workstation migration Telecoms From remote VPN for home working to complete mobile connectivity Whatever the IT requirements, big or small, Tribeca performs free, no obligation 99-point network audits. By the time it has finished, a business will have a complete understanding of the condition of its network. IT outsourcing does not need not be complex. Whatever the goal, Tribeca is confident that it can help relieve Hedge Fund and Private Equity managers of the IT support burden, saving them valuable time and money in the process. Mark Instance, Managing Director, commented Our new office reflects our dedication to providing clients within Dublin with an unparalleled, high performance technology service. It is one of the worlds key strategic locations for fund domiciles and home to 9 of the 10 world-leading technology companies. The fact that Ireland is the only English-speaking member in the Eurozone and is known for its practical regulatory framework and support for the funds industry made it an obvious choice for us. Tribeca was founded in the UK in 2006 as an IT Support provider specialising in servicing the demanding Hedge Fund sector. The companys vision was to provide a superior option for financial clients considering hiring their own IT staff or outsourcing their IT to a MSP. The result is an exceptional IT outsourcing service that is priced extremely competitively. Today, Tribecas world-class service supports its clients across 17 countries, monitoring their networks day and night with over 11,000 sensors. This is done from offices situated in London, New York, Hong Kong and now Dublin. All engineers are employed full-time and no third-party contractors or call handlers are used. This allows clients to feel reassured that the person they are dealing with knows them, their business, and their IT systems. For more information call on +353 (0) 1485 4106, or Email: info(at)tribeca-it.com, or visit the Tribeca website http://www.tribeca-it.com. This new integration helps these agents build robust itineraries with the click of a button and further speed up their sales process. Travefy, the leading itinerary management and client communication tool for travel agents, announced a new partnership and integration with GOGO Vacations, one of the leading travel wholesalers. Through this integration, travel agents can directly import all customer bookings from GOGO Vacations or its sister brand, Worldwide Traveler, onto any Travefy itinerary. A travel agent simply authenticates their GOGO Vacations account on the Travefy Pro platform. Once complete, they can seamlessly import any customer bookings which will auto-populate an itinerary with rich information. Travefy is focused on helping travel agents save time through streamlined processes, notes Scott Rutz, Travefys Head of Sales & Marketing. This new integration helps these agents build robust itineraries with the click of a button and further speed up their sales process. Were honored to be working with GOGO and their incredible team, who are truly committed to innovation in the travel agent ecosystem. We are continually looking for ways to help make the booking process more efficient for our valued travel agent partners, said Brennan Quesnele, vice president of sales, GOGO Vacations. With the addition of Travefy to the equation agents will be saving time, which ultimately turns into increased revenue as they can convert business into confirmed bookings faster. Our end goal is always to make travel agents lives easier and more profitable. In addition to Travefys partnership and integration with GOGO Vacations, the company has recently announced several other large-scale product enhancements to help its agent users save time. These have included the integration of over 600 new city guides and 70+ new integrated land tour and cruise suppliers among others. For more information on Travefy and GOGO Vacations, visit https://travefy.com/pro and at http://www.gogowwv.com. For press assets please see: https://travefy.com/press GOGO Vacations Media Contact: Carla Caccavale, 914-673-0729, PR(at)gogowwv(dot)com ABOUT TRAVEFY Travefys award-winning itinerary management and client communication tools help Travel Agents and professionals save time and impress clients. Professionals can build dynamic travel quotes and itineraries all in their brand that can be delivered via mobile app, responsive web page, or PDF. Additional time-saving integrations bring key data seamlessly to any itinerary. Travefy powers thousands of travel businesses ranging from small, independent travel advisors to the largest travel organizations like Travel and Transport and the Gifted Travel Network (GTN). Travefy has been featured in "The New York Times", "The Wall Street Journal", and "Forbes" among other publications and has won numerous industry honors including the "Brand USA Marketing Innovation Award" at Phocuswright and the 2017 ASTA "Entrepreneur of the Year" Award. ABOUT GOGO VACATIONS For 67 years GOGO Vacations has been a leading US travel wholesaler, working exclusively with travel agents. Its in-depth product knowledge, expansive product line and comprehensive marketing programs provide tremendous value to the 8,000-plus travel professionals who they serve. Complimentary VIP vacation perks passed along to clients, a result of being in business for more than six decades, and competitive commissions are additional benefits of doing business with this travel industry giant. Co-op advertising programs and annual GOGO Learning Conferences and Worldwide Showcases ensure that agents stay in front of clients with the most relevant and up-to-date products and information. Adapting to a variety of preferences, GOGO offers e-documents, printed itineraries, or both, as part of its 360-degree, full-service approach. After being acquired by Australian-based Flight Centre Limited in 2008, GOGO Vacations undeniably offers the worlds most extensive product distribution network. GOGO Vacations unwavering commitment to the travel agent community is one that runs strong and deep, offering support and responsiveness that is unparalleled in this space. ebright Smart Control System on DIAMONDLIFT Whats particularly special is that technicians and their managers can now see in real-time how the lifts are being used... Its a great way to more efficiently track the equipment, schedule upkeep and use maintenance dollars more effectively. Heavy duty vehicle lift leader Stertil-Koni today announced that it has incorporated its advanced, full-color, touch-screen control console, known as the ebright Smart Control System, into the companys popular, state-of-the-art high-pressure in-ground telescopic piston lifting system the DIAMONDLIFT. First deployed on Stertil-Koni wireless mobile column lifts in 2015, the ebright Smart Control System has been integrated into the companys battery-operated cable mobile column lifts as well as the ultra-shallow, full-rise, axle-engaging in-ground scissor-lifting system, the ECOLIFT. The addition of the ebright Smart Control System in the above ground console makes the ongoing operation and monitoring of DIAMONDLIFT even easier placing all critical information directly at the fingertips of the person who needs it most the busy technician on the shop floor. In making todays announcement, Stertil-Koni President, Dr. Jean DellAmore noted, Stertil-Koni has brought the very best in engineering, digital control and continuous operator feedback to heavy duty vehicle maintenance shops across North America with our distinctive, 7-inch, full-color touch-screen control system. Now, we are extremely pleased to bring the ebright Smart Control System to the DIAMONDLIFTdelivering intuitive ease-of-use in an extremely familiar, operator- friendly format that resembles todays most popular tablet devices. Added Matthias Lennemann, Sales Manager for Heavy Duty Inground Lifts at Stertil-Koni, Whats particularly special is that technicians and their managers can now see in real-time how the lifts are being used, observe warning and service alerts and monitor the lifts motor run timer. Its a great way to more efficiently track the equipment, schedule upkeep and use maintenance dollars more effectively. From a broader perspective, the ebright Smart Control System is an extension of the concept of human-machine-interface (HMI), providing greater control of the vehicle lift in a very familiar, electronic notepad-style delivery system. This enhancement also comes at a time in which Stertil-Koni has engineered several additional advances into the DIAMONDLIFT. These include an optional continuous recess system that allows the bolster to recess flush to the floor anywhere in the horizontal range of piston travel. Further, the company has debuted a differential adapter, an accessory that cradles the differential and is self-centering thanks to spring loaded ball bearings (meaning it centers itself underneath the differential), making the setup and use quick, easy, convenient, and safe. The DIAMONDLIFT, designed to accommodate vehicles with extremely low ground clearances, has a lifting capacity up to 35,000 lbs. per piston, or a total of 105,000 lbs. in the three-piston configuration. It is available in two versions: cassette and frame." Watch a video showcasing the DIAMONDLIFT ebright Smart Control System and Continuous Recess here. About Stertil-Koni Stertil-Koni, a brand of the Stertil Group, is the global market leader in heavy duty vehicle lifts bus lifts and truck lifts and is the preferred supplier to the worlds leading companies in the truck and bus industries. Stertil-Koni's breadth of products meets all ranges of lifting needs and includes mobile column lifts, two-post, 4-post, inground piston lifts, platform lifts, half-scissors and its innovative axle-engaging, in-ground, scissor lift configuration, ECOLIFT. The DIAMOND LIFT is now available in a frame version, engineered specifically for concrete foundations and ideal for replacement situations. Stertil-Koni is especially well known for its portable lifts(mobile columns) and high-performance in-ground and platform lifting systems. Stertil-Koni USA is headquartered in Stevensville, Maryland. Stertil-Koni has production facilities in Europe, in The Netherlands, and in the USA in Streator, Illinois. Observing the treatment of elders in their homes caused me to create an agency that empowers, respects and honors our elders... The number of Americans, age 65 and older, is projected to more than double, from 46 million to over 98 million, by 2060, according to the Population Reference Bureau. With the average U.S. life expectancy having increased more than ten years since 1950, more and more Americans need assistance and care as they age. Caring for Caring: An Enriching, Kindhearted, Ethical Journey with Our Elders, by Jane Edwards is a guidebook for caring for elders, while respecting and empowering them to live as independently as possible, from a seasoned caregiver. I was raised in a large farmhouse, Edwards said, that included my immediate family, as well as two grandmothers and a great-aunt. I was taught to honor my elders and respond to their needs cheerfully, regardless of what I thought about any requests. I was raised with a rich respect for elders, which has carried through my adulthood and career. Edwards has been caring for the elderly for more than 45 years and founded the home health care agency, Caring for Caring Agency, more than 20 years ago. Observing the treatment of elders in their homes caused me to create an agency that empowers, respects and honors our elders; Edwards said, which is as it should be. Caring for Caring By Jane Edwards ISBN: 978-1-4917-9750-1 Available at iUniverse and Amazon About the author Jane Edwards has lovingly cared for elders for 45 years and founded a home health care agency more than twenty years ago. She lives with her dog, Miss Pippi Longstocking, a rescued bichon frise, in a tiny converted barn in the heart of Rockport, Massachusetts. Caring for Caring is her first nonfiction book. For more about the author or her book, visit: http://www.janededwards.com/. Review Copies & Interview Requests: LAVIDGE Indianapolis Lindsey Gobel 317.435.2116 lgobel(at)lavidge(dot)com We selected Aqualine as our new partner to serve the changing needs demanded by our members, said APSP President & CEO, Lawrence Caniglia. We are excited to provide unique insurance benefits and solutions which provide real value to our members. The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP) announces a new partnership with Aqualine/Venture Pacific Insurance Services a national provider of a variety of risk management solutions. The new partnership will offer APSP members exclusive rates on commercial insurance including property, general liability, auto insurance, workers compensation, surety bonds, employee benefits, financial services and risk management. We selected Aqualine as our new partner to serve the changing needs demanded by our members, said APSP President & CEO, Lawrence Caniglia. We are excited to provide unique insurance benefits and solutions which provide real value to our members. Aqualine has a team of industry experts that work together to offer pool and hot tub industry members comprehensive coverage at a competitive price. They provide simple solutions that protect members businesses from a variety of industry risks. Aqualine offers exclusive discounts to APSP members for services such as general liability insurance, workers compensation insurance, auto insurance, workers compensation, surety bonds, employee benefits, financial services and risk management. APSP has a long history of leveraging our group buying power to provide valuable member benefits, and we are delighted to add Aqualine to our portfolio, said APSP Director of Membership and Business Development, Seth Ewing. This is a great opportunity for our members to have or add to existing coverage. Our members have been asking for a new insurance provider and we are excited to deliver on their needs. Were pleased to partner with APSP, said Aqualine National Programs Director, Sam Houghton. We believe that we will provide significant value to APSP members. As a proactive partner, we want to stay on the forefront of our clients needs and provide them with communication options that fit their lives. Soon well be offering members access to a new mobile app. This app will allow members to make direct contact with Aqualine when it is convenient for them, initiate dialog and input insurance requests. Later this year, Aqualine will offer a series of free webinars and videos to help educate APSP members on their offerings. Through showcasing our programs through webinars and videos, APSP members will see how our offerings can be tailored for their needs and how they will be taken care of with responsive and personalized customer support, said Houghton. For more information about the entire lineup of exclusive Aqualine services for APSP members, call Sam Houghton at 949.421.3551, Brandon Riggs at 949.421.3522 or visit AqualineInsurance.com. About APSP The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP) is the worlds oldest and largest association representing swimming pool, hot tub, and spa manufacturers, distributors, manufacturers agents, designers, builders, installers, suppliers, retailers, and service professionals. Dedicated to the growth and development of its members businesses and to promoting the enjoyment and safety of pools and spas, APSP offers a range of services, from professional development to advancing key legislation and regulation at the federal and local levels, to consumer outreach and public safety. APSP is the only industry organization recognized by the American National Standards Institute to develop and promote national standards for pools, hot tubs, and spas. For more information, visit APSP.org. Former J. Walter Thompson Canada content chief and social media marketing veteran Rebecca Brown announced today the creation of Crowns, a brand new advertising agency focused on a brand new market: cannabis. Crowns will help cannabis businesses across North America build brands, tell stories and reach customers while working inside the constraints of regulatory limits which Crowns doesnt see as a limit at all. Constraints spur creative minds on to ingenious solutions, says Brown. We have a lean, focused team with decades of experience in traditional advertising, adtech and startups, and we use an iterative agile process that thrives on these kinds of limits. Crowns has clients in Canada and California and strategic partnerships with Cannabis Compliance Inc., the leading consulting firm in risk mitigation, due diligence and regulatory compliance for commercial cannabis producers and resellers, and Abacus, a digital performance agency. The former will help Crowns navigate regulation while the latter has been tapped to build cannabis-specific customer data and targeting products. To help devise a new advertising playbook for cannabis, Crowns has assembled an advisory of bleeding-edge thinkers that includes cannabis culturalist Precious Chong (daughter of Cheech and Chongs Tommy Chong), visual content queen Mindy Loverin (Shutterstock) and design guru Paul Rowan (co-founder of Umbra). More advisory announcements will be made in the coming weeks and will include leaders in digital publishing and adtech. Cannabis advertising needs creative problem-solvers who represent the diversity of the cannabis market. Crowns is women-led, inclusive and data savvy and is building a roster of clients who reflect diversity and variety in their products, market size and ownership. We want to encourage greater competition in the industry, says Brown. Our approach is to relentlessly test and optimize our offering so that the cannabis companies who are working with us have an advantage. For further information and to arrange an interview please contact Rebecca Brown at 647.456.5599 or email rebecca(at)crowns.agency. The EHS Daily Advisor is proud to announce the winners of its first annual Safety Standout Awards, which recognize companies and safety professionals who excel in providing world-class safety programs for their organizations. These awards are sponsored by SafeStart, a global safety company focused on human error prevention training to reduce injuries 24/7, and will be presented to the winners at the 5th Annual Safety Summit in Orlando, Florida, on April 17, 2018. Best Overall Safety Program/Culture Award Dynamic Energy Services International, LLC (DYNESI) is a full line energy service. DYNESI brings a seamless integrated solution to the client, assuming all the mission-critical scopes to ensure adherence to schedule and budget. Dynamic offers a broad spectrum of services across its four business units; while each is unique and stands alone in its particular business, each is supportive of the others and can, therefore, provide a fully integrated and commercially beneficial solution if required. BLRs Lifetime Achievement in Safety Award Earl Blair, CSP, is an associate professor of safety management and an award-winning author and teacher at Eastern Kentucky University. Blair has authored a number of articles in safety publications such as Professional Safety Journal and is a frequent speaker at national and international safety seminars. His research involves ways to improve safety performance through leadership, measurement, and education. Innovations in Safety Training Award For 80 years, the employees of Ingalls Shipbuilding have pioneered the development and production of technologically advanced, highly capable warships for the surface Navy fleet, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, and foreign and commercial customers. Ingalls Shipbuilding is the largest manufacturing employer in the state of Mississippi and a major contributor to the economic growth of the state of Alabama, as well. Young Safety Professional Excellence Award Technical Sergeant DeJaye A. Herrera is the occupational safety manager for the 704th Test Group, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. Herrera transitioned into the safety profession in 2014, serving as a ground safety manager for the 57th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Herrera is a graduate of the Community College of the Air Force, the Airman Leadership School, and the Non-Commissioned Officer School, where she earned distinguished graduate honors. Herrera is currently pursuing a bachelors degree in Occupational Safety and Health. Join the Safety Standout Award Winners at the 5th Annual Safety Summit Theres still time to register for Safety Summit 2018, the nations leading workplace safety and OSHA compliance event, to help us celebrate the accomplishments of these organizations and professionals in person. In addition to our awards ceremony, there will be a wide variety of educational sessions, speakers, and events tailored to assisting your development as an EHS professional. Seats are filling up fast, so save yours today! Next Round of Safety Standout Awards Now Open The application for the next round of Safety Standout Awards is open. There is no cost to apply. Enter by July 1, 2018, in one of the following four categories: Best Safety Committee Best Overall Safety Culture Moving Beyond Compliance Award Exceptional Progress Award This round of Safety Standout Award winners will receive one (1) complimentary conference registration to the Annual Safety Culture conference in Atlanta, Georgia, September 1214, 2018; be featured in editorial coverage; and more. Learn more about the awards here: http://safetyawards.blr.com. About BLR BLR (Business & Legal Resources) helps U.S. businesses simplify compliance with state and federal legal requirements. In-house experts and an exclusive attorney network provide comprehensive, reliable, state-specific information for businesses in all 50 states. Award-winning products and solutionsincluding training programs, events, Web portals, reports, and subscription servicesgive businesses of all sizes and industries the best tools available at affordable prices. For more information on its offerings, visit http://www.BLR.com. We are excited to take our partnership with Charter Oak State College to the next level, stated Chandler J. Howard, Liberty Bank President and CEO. Connecticuts Oldest Bank, Liberty Bank headquartered in Middletown, (http://www.Liberty-Bank.com), , and Charter Oak State College (http://www.CharterOak.edu), Connecticuts public online College, are excited to announce the launch of a free, series of online video courses designed to help individuals protect themselves from cybercrime. The 5-part series can be accessed online here http://www.CharterOak.edu/cybersafe and is FREE for viewing. Videos are close captioned for the hearing impaired. The videos feature former FBI special agent Jeff Lanza, who shares his 20 plus years of experience in protecting against cybercrime and identity theft. Lanzas real world information is delivered in a consumer friendly and easy to understand style. Topics include Prevent Identity Theft, Protect Your Digital World, Protect Your Documents, Protect Your Communications and Beware of Tricks. Each segment contains strategies that can be implemented immediately, plus ends with an optional quiz containing personal assessment questions to test viewers on their retention and understanding of the material. In less than an hour viewers can complete the series, take the quiz and receive a certificate of completion. Also provided are informative hand outs (pdf files) with helpful contact information for taking the steps to protect your identity and avoid cybercrime. We are excited to take our partnership with Charter Oak State College to the next level, stated Chandler J. Howard, Liberty Bank President and CEO. After learning about this great educational opportunity to help people protect their hard-earned money and stay ahead of criminals, we immediately got involved. Keeping our customers and community safe from cybercrime continues to be a top priority for Liberty and this free, online course reinforces our commitment to do just that. Ed Klonoski, President, Charter Oak State College, Were grateful to Liberty Bank and their ongoing support of the Charter Oak State College Foundation. With Libertys support the Colleges Foundation is able to act on its mission which includes educating the public on relevant topics such as Cyber Security. Creating a product that can positively impact lives is a result of this great alliance. The Charter Oak State College Foundation identifies supporting technology innovations as part of its mission. In conjunction with the Foundations 40th Anniversary celebration, and with Cyber Security an area of significant interest to businesses and consumers alike, the Foundations Rankin Chair Technology Fund was tapped, as well as support from Liberty Banks Community Development Office, to create the free online course. About Liberty Bank Established in 1825, Liberty Bank is Connecticuts oldest bank, with more than $4.7 billion in assets and 55 banking offices throughout the central, eastern, shoreline and western areas of the state. As a full-service financial institution, Liberty offers consumer and commercial banking, home mortgages, insurance, and investment services. Named as a Top Workplace by the Hartford Courant for six consecutive years, Liberty maintains a longstanding commitment to superior personal service and unparalleled community involvement. For more information: http://www.liberty-bank.com. About The Charter Oak State College Foundation The Charter Oak State College Foundation is dedicated to supporting flexible and comprehensive degree completion opportunities through the work of Charter Oak State College. Toward that end, the Foundation is a vehicle for accepting private gifts, donations, and bequests to sponsor Charter Oaks students. The Foundation Board of Trustees provide volunteer leadership for development and fundraising programs and stewardship of the Foundations assets in order to assist deserving and needy students meet college costs; award scholarships; and encourage initiatives that enable the College to be a leader in higher education. The Foundation is exempt from tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. http://www.charteroak.edu/foundation About Charter Oak State College Founded in 1973, Charter Oak State College (http://www.CharterOak.edu) is Connecticuts only public online college, offering associate and bachelors degree completion programs in high-demand fields including Health Information Management, Health Care Administration, Cyber Security and Business Administration. The College offers a Master of Science in Organizational Effectiveness and Leadership. Charter Oak is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and governed by Connecticuts Board of Regents for Higher Education. ### Reservoir is poised to be the first to market with a solution that irrigators have wanted for decades. Reservoir, a technology startup pioneering wireless irrigation, closed a seed round with Macon, Ga.-based Central Piedmont Investment Group. The angel funds managing director, Bob Easter, said the investment fits its strategy of funding promising startups in Georgia and the Southeast to foster the regions economy. Reservoir is poised to be the first to market with a solution that irrigators have wanted for decades, Easter said. The funding will allow Reservoir to complete field tests with 10 of its client businesses in metro Atlanta, including Irrigation Consultant Services, MNI Direct, and Moons Tree Farm. These early adopters will provide feedback on the newly developed Reservoir Spoke, a product that simplifies irrigation systems by replacing conventional hardware wires, controllers, output modules, surge arresters, and decoders. This feedback will also help Reservoir improve the Spoke app, which lets users manage irrigation by site and zone from anywhere in the world. Jesse Lafian, who founded Reservoir in 2016 as a junior horticulture student at the University of Georgia, explained how the Spoke adds value to a main target market. Irrigation contractors often bury thousands of feet of wire on a site and later have to make continual repairs, Lafian said. The Spoke allows them to add new valves without connecting wire from existing ones, saving money on installation and maintenance. Reservoirs new technology will also benefit plant nurseries and tree farms. Many growers cant use wired irrigation systems due to lightning. Their only option is to control valves manually, which is often very labor intensive, Lafian said. Since the Spoke is wireless, it allows them to automate irrigation with minimal risk of lightning damage. Central Piedmont Investment Groups seed funding comes after Reservoirs raise of $66,000 from pitch competitions including UGA Next Top Entrepreneur and FABricate, and grant programs including UGA Innovation Gateway/NSF I-Corps and Georgia Research Alliance. Reservoir credits its success to support from the University of Georgia and the Georgia Institute of Technologys Advanced Technology Development Center, which is the states technology incubator and has the company in its ATDC Accelerate portfolio. Reservoir is also a member of Four Athens, an incubator for the Athens startup community and an ATDC partner. The mentorship and fundraising opportunities provided by these organizations were essential in helping Reservoir close this seed round, Lafian said. They have been integral to our growth and success. About Reservoir: Reservoir, based in Athens, Ga., is pioneering wireless irrigation for landscapers and horticulturists. The Reservoir Spoke simplifies irrigation systems by replacing conventional hardware wires, controllers, output modules, surge arresters, and decoders. The Spoke app lets users manage irrigation according to site and zone from anywhere in the world. For more information, visit reservoirusa.com. About Central Piedmont Investment Group: Central Piedmont Investment Group provides angel funding and mentorship support to both startups and established ventures. The group is interested in a wide range of business types and welcomes proposals from any industry. CPIG is located in central Georgia and works with local partners, as well as with partners throughout Georgia and the Southeast United States. For more information, visit http://www.cpig.co. Businesses of all types know that the internet of things and M2M learning will be essential to continued operation, and theyre looking to take control of the issue with DAS solutions..." Innovations, the award-winning television series hosted by Ed Begley Jr., will explore the latest advances in cellular connectivity technology, and is slated to air in the second quarter of 2018 on FOX Business. Viewers should check their local listings for airtime information. While almost 75 percent of employees report some level of unreliable cellular connectivity, Millennialsworkers age 18 to 34were more likely to complain about the problem. Those same employees were also more likely to blame their employer or the building owner for the poor coverage. To address this issue, cellular network innovators have stepped up to develop technology, like distributed antenna systems (DAS), to bring cellular connectivity indoors. In the past few years there has been a shift from an operator-based investment in in-building cellular connectivity to an enterprise-based investment. Now, the enterprise is responsible for finding the best, most cost-effective solution for their cellular and public safety connectivity needs. This segment of Innovations will explore the issues facing the enterprise and how they can solve for the growing needs and demands for in-building cellular coverage. Businesses of all types know that the internet of things and M2M learning will be essential to continued operation, and theyre looking to take control of the issue with DAS solutions, said Scott Willis, CEO of Zinwave, a Dallas-based technology company that provides in-building wireless solutions. Innovations interest in this topic is coming at a great time, because enterprises like commercial real estate, universities, healthcare facilities, airports, corporate campuses, and more need to know this is a very solvable problem, and with the right solution it can also be much less of a financial burden than they might think. Viewers will learn about the growing dependency on indoor mobile coverage for both cellular and public safety coverage, borne from social and industrial elements such as data applications and machine-to-machine communication. DAS provides this connectivity through a hardware network that pulls a cellular signal into a building and distributes it strategically throughout a building. The technology behind Zinwaves unique DAS solution is minimizing costs and maximizing return for users, while providing reliable cellular in-building connectivity, said Ken Cardwell, producer for the Innovations series. We look forward to exploring this technology. About Zinwave: Zinwave is a Dallas-based technology company focused on providing in-building wireless solutions for cellular and public safety connectivity that are essential for business. Solutions include a five component Distributed Antenna System (DAS), featuring Zinwaves patented 3F advantage fiber cabling throughout, full spectrum support on a single hardware layer, and future ready for the next generation of wireless technology. Zinwaves refined technology offers the lowest total cost of ownership, and the Cellular as a Service option enables connectivity by converting it into an operating expense. Zinwave customers come from around globe and span a wide array of industries. For more information, visit: http://www.zinwave.com About Innovations and DMG Productions: Innovations, hosted by award winning actor Ed Begley, Jr., is an information-based series geared toward educating the public on the latest breakthroughs in all areas of society. Featuring practical solutions and important issues facing consumers and professionals alike, Innovations focuses on cutting-edge advancements in everything from health and wellness to global business, renewable energy, and more. Backed by experts in various fields, and a team dedicated to education and advancement, DMG Productions consistently produces commercial-free, educational programming on which both viewers and networks depend. For more information visit http://www.InnovationsTelevision.com or call (866) 496-4065. Golden Triangle Emergency Center is celebrating the three-year anniversary of its grand opening. For three years the facility has been providing the city of Orange with top quality emergency medical care. A service made all the more crucial after the closure of the emergency wing of Baptist Orange Hospital at the beginning of 2017. In the three years that Golden Triangle Emergency Center-Orange has been in operation the facility has prided itself on providing the Gold Standard in emergency medical care. GTEC-Orange has also been proud to serve the community with charity programs, school presentations, and other forms of civic involvement such as assistance with emergency relief efforts in the wake of the Deweyville flood and Hurricane Harvey. Each Year GTEC-Orange also provides a scholarship for an RN and LVN student. GTEC was recognized and awarded the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce Business Community Service of the Year Award for 2016 for their commitment and service to the community. Golden Triangle Emergency Center-Orange is located at 3107 Edgar Brown Dr. Orange TX 77630 in a state-of-the-art 7,000+ square foot building with on-site imaging and laboratory facility and a full range of clinical services as well as occupational oversight. Golden Triangle Emergency Center provides concierge-level care to our local communities with state-of-the-art facilities, short wait times, and steadfast commitment to patient care. GTEC is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and treats all major and minor health emergencies. Golden Triangle Emergency Center sets the Gold Standard in emergency and industrial care. Please feel free to come out and take a tour of the beautiful facility. Mohr Partners, Inc., the worlds largest wholly-owned commercial real estate advisory firm exclusively focused on representing tenants, was spotlighted at the SynTech Technology Conference on March 27. Mohr Partners Jeffrey Garza Walker, Joshua Rodriguez and Keith Weaver represented the company and gave a presentation on the Horizon Business Intelligence platform. Mohr Partners received overwhelming response to the Horizon Business platform that is bringing technology to CRE in a way that takes companies from being tactical to strategic, Garza Walker said. Horizon helps Mohr Partners clients improve their portfolios and achieve their business goals by developing custom analytics tools. With a clear, customized picture created with smart data, clients can make better decisions and plot efficient courses for their business. Horizons business services include documented forecasting, space utilization analytics, multi-location strategy, consolidation strategy and reduction of rent analytics. SynTech is the Arizona Small Business Associations premier annual product demo event connecting small business with current technology and market trends. The conference provides business owners a chance to network with industry executives and technology experts and learn about new tools and resources that help improve their business. Topics represented at SynTech range from e-commerce and sales automation to cybersecurity, cloud HR and virtual reality. Mohr Partners was the premier CRE firm utilizing technology within corporate real estate services at the event. About Mohr Partners, Inc.: Mohr Partners, Inc. is a global corporate real estate services firm providing tenants and occupiers integrated solutions including strategic consulting & advisory, portfolio strategy/lease administration, research and site selection, location incentives consulting, transaction advisory, project management and business intelligence/data analytics services. Since 1986, Mohr Partners has been managing real estate portfolios for organizations around the world. Mohr Partners 200 professionals working from the firms 22 North American owned offices, deliver integrated services worldwide through strategic alliances with best-in-class partners in Mexico/Latin America, EMEA and Asia. As the leading diverse commercial real estate firm, Mohr Partners became a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) in 2017. For more information on Mohr Partners, please visit mohrpartners.com or please contact: Robert Shibuya Chairman & CEO 214 907 8094 robert.shibuya@mohrpartners.com This release may contain forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including statements that address activities, events or developments that we or our management intend, expect, project, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on managements assumptions and assessments in light of experience and trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other relevant factors. They are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ significantly from those envisaged by our forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described or implied in the forward-looking statements are general business and economic conditions, production delays resulting from lack of regulatory certifications and other factors, competition in our existing and future markets, lack of market acceptance of our products and services, the substantial leverage and debt service resulting from our indebtedness, loss or retirement of key executives and other risks disclosed by us or generally associated with our business. HRH Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy For the first time ever, we will bring the traditions of the Royal House of Savoy to Los Angeles, where our charitable contributions will benefit an extremely important childrens cause that the Stuart House has taken on to great success, said the Savoy Prince. Beverly Hills, California HRH Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, will be the guest of honor at the inaugural Notte di Savoia charity gala on April 28, 2018 in Los Angeles. The white and black-tie charity gala, taking place at the Montage Beverly Hills, will benefit Stuart House at UCLA-Santa Monica Medical Center, which provides comprehensive care for sexually-abused children and their families. The Notte di Savoia has been organized by the American Foundation of Savoy Orders,, continuing the spirit and tradition of charitable giving and hospitaller care of the historic, dynastic orders of knighthood and merit of the thousand-year old Royal House of Savoy. The elegant Mediterranean style Montage Beverly Hills will provide the sumptuous surroundings for the Notte di Savoia, recreating the traditions and pageantry reminiscent of 19th century European court events. Following a glittering reception, dignitaries and guests, with gentlemen resplendent in tail coats and wearing colorful chivalric and military decorations, and ladies in formal gowns, will proceed to dinner to strains of historic Savoy royal anthems and marches popular when Italy was a monarchy under the House of Savoy. The guest of honor, His Royal Highness Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, is the grandson of the late King Umberto II, Italy's last reigning sovereign. His ancestor, King Victor Emmanuel II, united the nation of Italy under his rule between 1861 and 1870. The Savoy Orders are ancient orders of knighthood which date back to the Crusades. They have traditionally been devoted to charitable works, and recognize individuals for their contributions in public service, medicine, the arts, music, government, business and philanthropy. For the first time ever, we will bring the traditions of the Royal House of Savoy to Los Angeles, where our charitable contributions will benefit an extremely important childrens cause that the Stuart House has taken on to great success, said the Savoy Prince. I am committed to supporting the American Foundation of Savoy Orders and increasing the reach and impact of the Savoy Orders throughout the United States, the Prince continued. The American Delegation of Savoy Orders, through its charitable arm, the American Foundation of Savoy Orders, contributes to humanitarian, hospitaller and charitable projects and initiatives across North America and abroad, particularly in healthcare and hospice care, disaster relief, education programs and children's causes. The Savoy Foundation is a NGO at the United Nations. For more information on supporting the Notte di Savoia and Stuart House, please click here. About the Royal House of Savoy The Dynastic Orders of the Royal House of Savoy are among the oldest orders of Knighthood and Merit in the world. The Savoy Orders are headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and have 35 Delegations worldwide that support the Orders ongoing charitable works. Their origins and their principles, traditions and humanitarian goals date back a thousand years. HRH Prince Victor Emmanuel, Prince of Naples and Duke of Savoy, is Head of the House of Savoy and Grand Master of the Savoy Orders. Prince Emanuele Filiberto is his son and hereditary Prince and currently serves as Chairman of the Grand Magistry of the Savoy Orders. Among his hereditary titles is Crown Prince of Italy. In 1946, when the Kingdom of Italy came to an end, the House of Savoy was the Europes oldest reigning dynasty. The heads of the House of Savoy had ruled, first as counts, then as dukes and finally as kings, for almost a thousand years. Descended in the direct male line from a tenth-century vassal of the Holy Roman Emperor, the Savoys ruled the Alpine state of Aosta, as well as Savoy, where they established themselves at Chambery. Their dominion was eventually extended to include Piedmont and other territories in what are now Italy, France and Switzerland. By the eighteenth century, the Savoys were kings of Sicily and then Sardinia, and it was under their aegis that the Italian states were united by 1871. The Royal Familys heritage can be seen in castles and palaces, and in the beauty of the northwestern Italian city of Turin, the Savoys' magnificent capital in the heart of Piedmont in the 16th into the 19th centuries. The dynastic chivalric traditions of the House of Savoy continue. The Order of the Annunciation and the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, two of the world's oldest knightly institutions, are still alive today, epitomizing the dynasty's medieval spirit while supporting very modern charitable works in Italy, Switzerland, France, the United States and elsewhere. Chivalry lives. Today, the House of Savoy remains one of the oldest royal dynasties. About the American Foundation and American Delegation of Savoy Orders Headquartered in New York City, the American Delegation of Savoy Orders, which includes the United States of America and Canada, is among the 35 delegations of the Savoy Orders located throughout Europe, the Americas and Japan. The American Foundation of Savoy Orders, Incorporated, a tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) charitable organization, supports local, national, and international charities focusing on medical, educational, and humanitarian fields, including philanthropy for hospitals and relief agencies for children, the poor, sick and elderly. The Foundation is a Non-Governmental Organization in Roster Consultative Statues with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/12/prweb15014975.htm About the Stuart House at UCLA-Santa Monica Medical Center The Stuart House is an internationally-recognized program created by The Rape Foundation to serve the special needs of sexually abused children and their families. They offer a cohesive, child-friendly facility with services of the Rape Treatment Center, Los Angeles law enforcement agencies, the District Attorneys Office, and the Department of Children and Family Services. At the Stuart House, they are immediately seen and tended to. We are extremely pleased and proud to be a major partner with NuScale, said Thomas. NuScales design is a game-changer for the nuclear industry and we appreciate the opportunity to be an integral part of its success. Certrec, a leading regulatory compliance solution provider, is pleased to announce its participation in the electronic processing and preparation of Revision 1 of the small modular reactor Design Certification Application (DCA) for NuScale Powers submission to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on March 15, 2018. NuScale Power is continuing its efforts to license a safer, smaller, scalable version of a small modular reactor (SMR) an advanced nuclear technology initially developed and tested at Oregon State University. NuScales DCA is the first and only SMR design to undergo the NRC review and is on track to be the U.S. first SMR to market. In partnership with NuScale, Certrec deployed its TAKTIX web-based workflow platform to manage and control the electronic processing of all Requests for Additional Information (RAIs) from the NRC. Certrec personnel processed the final electronic files, meeting exacting government archival standards, and generated the submittal files and disks based on content provided by NuScale personnel, that NuScale Power provided to the NRC. Certrecs web-based, project collaboration tools, technical editing assistance, and document processing services were used throughout the project to support the successful development and submission of the DCA. Our team worked very hard to manage and support the timely processing of the Request for Additional Information (RAI) responses, stated Michelle Thomas, Certrec Operations Director. I am very proud of our team, their capabilities and accomplishments, and our ability to support NuScale in its mission to present this innovative nuclear technology to the world. We appreciate the hard work Certrec has offered in helping us reach this significant milestone, said Tom Bergman, NuScale Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. This planned revision to our DCA includes very few changes, reflecting the inherent stability of NuScales design and our extensive dialogue with the NRC to expedite the path to certification. Processing RAIs by teams of people scattered across the country presents a number of time-sensitive and logistical challenges. Certrecs TAKTIX web-based platform allowed NuScale project personnel continuous and real-time access to all project materials, regardless of their physical location, significantly streamlining the response process. We are extremely pleased and proud to be a major partner with NuScale, said Thomas. NuScales design is a game-changer for the nuclear industry and we appreciate the opportunity to be an integral part of its success. Certrecs large-document processing services are in demand. The company currently is involved in several DCA/DCD/COLA projects as well as supporting the ongoing maintenance of several plant UFSARs. CERTREC Founded in 1988, Certrec is an engineering and technology-based organization providing regulatory support services in the electric power industry. With more than 1,000 cumulative years of direct industry experience (including nuclear, fossil, and renewables), Certrec has developed exceptional capabilities to support regulatory activities emanating from regulatory entities such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) , the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and Regional Entities (NERC), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other regulatory agencies. Certrec's Office of Licensing and Compliance (OLC), Office of Assessment and Recovery (OAR), Office of NERC Compliance (ONC), and Office of New Plant (ONP) services are used by utilities and entities across the United States to help manage the regulatory process to their advantage. Certrec offers expert assistance from highly skilled and experienced industry professionals who possess degrees in a variety of engineering disciplines (i.e., civil, electrical, mechanical, and nuclear). Additionally, Certrec's staff includes multiple-degreed personnel in physics, communications, a variety of MBAs, and information technology. This highly skilled team has direct working experience in all regulatory areas of licensing, compliance, and engineering, including nuclear, fossil, and renewable generation and transmission. For more than 25 years, Certrec has been applying its hundreds of years of industry experience to help clients develop and manage solutions to complex regulatory issues. The combination of this direct industry experience with Certrec's information technology assets has led to the development of technology-based solutions and tools directly targeted to the electric power industry and specifically focused on helping clients manage regulatory issues. NUSCALE POWER NuScale Power is developing a new kind of nuclear plant; a safer, smaller, scalable version of pressurized water reactor technology a technology initially developed and tested at Oregon State University. Fluor Corporation, a global engineering, procurement, and construction company with a 60-year history in commercial nuclear power, is the majority investor in NuScale. NuScale's design offers the benefits of carbon-free nuclear power and reduces the financial commitments associated with giga-watt size nuclear facilities. NuScale's technology is also ideally suited to supply energy for district heating, desalination, and process heat applications. At the heart of our technology is the fully factory fabricated NuScale Power Module, an integral reactor vessel surrounded by a high pressure steel containment, which when coupled to its factory fabricated power generation equipment can produce 50 megawatts of electricity. A NuScale power plant can house up to 12 of these modules for a total facility output of 600 megawatts (gross). The scalability afforded by the modular design allows customers to incrementally increase facility output to match demand. The NuScale Power Module is premised on well-established nuclear technology principles with a focus on integration of components, simplification or elimination of systems, and use of passive safety features resulting in highly reliable operation underpinned by an extremely strong safety case and unparalleled asset protection, making it suitable to be sited at locations closer to where electricity or process heat are needed. NuScale is headquartered in Portland, Oregon and has offices in Corvallis, OR; Rockville, MD; Charlotte, NC; Richland, WA; Arlington, VA; and London, UK. For more information visit: http://www.nuscalepower.com or follow us on Twitter: @NuScale_Power. Jeff Carnes, VP of Operations Mr. Carnes has focused his career on working in healthcare consulting, specializing in financial forecasting, data quality and management, product development and strategic business planning. Prior to joining AppRev, Mr. Carnes was a budget analyst at Robert Wood Johnson University Medical Group in New Jersey where he had responsibility for department budgets and financial reporting. Mr. Carnes joined AppRev in 2006 as a Financial Analyst, working with the founding partners to develop the Pricing Analytics solution. Over the course of his career at AppRev, Mr. Carnes has also held the positions of Senior Financial Analyst, Director of Financial Analytics and Director of Operations prior to his current role. As the Vice President of Operations, Mr. Carnes serves as a subject matter expert in Pricing analytics, CDM structure, 835/837 electronic transaction sets and Revenue Integrity, while specifically supporting financial and value based reporting, data management and organizational process and development. Mr. Carnes also serves as the HIPAA Compliance Officer for AppRev. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from West Virginia University, majoring in Economics with minors in Accounting and Communications. Im excited to assume my new responsibilities as Vice President of Operations and look forward to the connections this role will lead to with the very talented group already in place at AppRev," said Mr. Carnes. As the very first employee hired at AppRev, Ive had the pleasure of experiencing the company grow not only its client service offerings, but also in the dynamic capacity the company has assembled in its employees. We are thrilled that weve been able to utilize Mr. Carnes expertise and talent for the past 12 years, and we look forward to working with Mr. Carnes for many more years to come, said Seth Avery, President and CEO of AppRev. AppRev is a privately held Healthcare Business Intelligence company based in Temple, Texas, providing services and technology to more than 80 hospitals throughout the United States and Bermuda. AppRev delivers results through services and technology that allow hospitals and clinics to improve revenue cycle performance. The companys solutions are provided via web delivered Service Supported Software and include Charge Accuracy, Charge Review, Denials Intelligence, Pricing Analytics, CDM and DSH services. All AppRev solutions employ ongoing measurement of revenue cycle improvements and can be tailored to meet customer-specific requirements. Ovation's 2018 Annual Business Travel Index "With the addition of the 2018 Negotiated Hotel Room Rates by City analysis, we can point to top hotel markets and their average negotiated room rate increase/decrease year over year." Ovation Corporate Travel, one of the largest independently owned travel management companies in the U.S., has published its Annual Business Travel Index, providing a snapshot of the past 5 years worth of Multi-Industry, Financial Services Firm Industry and Law Firm Industry Business Travel average prices paid for air and hotel as well as domestic and international travel patterns. This year, Ovations Annual Business Travel Index also includes a new section, 2018 Negotiated Hotel Room Rates by City which gives a city-by-city analysis of negotiated hotel room rates in the top hotel markets for Ovations proprietary Preferred Hotel Partners Program showing either average percentage increase or decrease in a citys room rates, year-over-year, for 2018 as compared to 2017. Click here to download Ovation's 2018 Annual Business Travel Index. The Annual Index contains 5 years of data findings, charted quarterly, illustrating the following statistics: Average airfare price paid Domestically and Internationally Average hotel rate paid Domestically and Internationally Percentage breakdown of Economy, Business Class and First Class tickets Percentage breakdown of Domestic and International tickets Percentage year-over-year increase/decrease for negotiated hotel room rates in top hotel markets Domestically and Internationally Ovation utilizes this high-level analysis to identify quarterly and annual trends and to benchmark individual client activity against a yardstick representing over $230 million (Multi-Industry-Mix Business Travel Index), $50 million (Financial Services Firm Business Travel Index) and $180 million (Law Firm Business Travel Index) in annual air and hotel spend. The data serves as a resource in determining opportunities for strengthening clients travel programs in such areas as travel policy adjustment, service enhancements and supplier negotiations. For the first three quarters of 2017, we saw the average prices paid for domestic flights at or near five year lows across all three Indexes, noted Executive Vice President, Michael Steiner. Q4 broke that trend, with domestic average prices paid spiking up notably over recent years Q4 averages. Internationally, we saw a similar, though not as definitive spike in average airfare prices paid for Q4. At the same time, these industry groups remained relatively steady in terms of year over year patterns for class of service and domestic vs. international travel, with small shifts across the board in terms of these travel patterns. On the hotel side, we continue to see domestic hotel average room rates paid increasing, for the most part, year over year, while international hotel average room rates paid increased less steadily. Finally, with the addition of the '2018 Negotiated Hotel Room Rates by City' analysis, we can point to top hotel markets and their average negotiated room rate increase/decrease year over year. For example, Denver was the city with the greatest average negotiated hotel rate increase in 2018 vs. 2017 with an average increase of 4.5% while Beijing had the greatest year-over-year decrease, with negotiated room rates down 2.95% on average. Ovation serves over 700 clients, including over 250 financial services firm clients and over 200 law firms through its law firm-focused sister company, Lawyers Travel; data for these indexes was culled from a cross-industry-sample of clients within each of these areas. To download Ovation's 2018 Annual Business Travel Index click here. Leader Bank is pleased to announce the opening of its Residential Lending office in Southport, Connecticut. Peter Ventriglia, Hayden Cadwallader, and Tim Debany, all formerly of Landmark Financial Group LLC, are joining Leader Bank after decades in the industry. Ventriglia and Cadwallader started Landmark Financial in 1995 and earned an outstanding reputation for providing high levels of service to customers in the Fairfield area. Ventriglia has been a Five-Star Mortgage Professional annually since 2011 and is a member of the National Association of Realtors and Connecticut Association of Realtors. Cadwallader was the leading producer at Landmark Financial Group and prides himself on his perseverance through the extremes of the mortgage industry as well as his exceptional customer service. We are pleased to find a home in Leader Bank where we can continue to offer excellent products and services. Our customer-centric philosophies align, and we are looking forward to grow Leaders brand in Connecticut, said Hayden Cadwallader. We are excited to expand further into Connecticut with this established team, said Sushil Tuli, President and CEO of Leader Bank. Im confident that the combination of Leader Banks mortgage platform and Peter, Hayden and Tims experience will impress realtors and customers in Fairfield County and beyond. About Leader Bank With assets over $1 billion, Leader Bank is a nationally chartered bank founded in 2002 with seven full-service branches in Arlington, Belmont, Boston, Burlington, and Cambridge. Leader Bank offers a full range of personal and business banking products including free personal and business checking accounts, commercial and residential lending products, home equity lines of credit, deposit products with highly competitive rates and free online banking and bill payment services. Visit Leader Banks website at http://www.leaderbank.com or any one of the Banks convenient branch locations for more information. Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender, NMLS #449250. Last year we helped 9,989 renters find 3,526 apartments in Brooklyn, it's time for us do the same in Manhattan. Nooklyn's first storefront in Manhattan will open on May 1st in the heart of Manhattan's Lower East Side neighborhood. The storefront is located at 101 Stanton Street, joining many other Brooklyn businesses that have crossed the bridge into Manhattan's Lower East Side. "We're incredibly excited to bring our end-to-end digital leasing platform and brokerage services to Manhattan," said Moiz K. Malik, Nooklyn's Chief Financial Officer. "The Lower East Side is a perfect match for Nooklyn's first Manhattan storefront. The coffee, culture and art of the neighborhood make us feel right at home." Nooklyn is committed to hiring an additional 375 real estate agents in 2018, in addition to the 300 that currently work at Nooklyn. Currently, Nooklyn is the fourth largest brokerage by agent head count in Brooklyn, and number one rentals-focused brokerage. In 2017, Nooklyn renters performed 1.4 million searches on Nooklyn's natural language search for apartments and roommates. "We're on a mission to fix the experience for renters to find apartments and roommates," said Harley Courts, Nooklyn's CEO. "Last year we helped 9,989 renters find 3,526 apartments in Brooklyn, it's time for us do the same in Manhattan." Renters looking to learn more about Nooklyn's products and services can visit the store every day from 11am to 7pm or by appointment. Renters can additionally download the Nooklyn app on the iOS App Store to search, apply and pay right from their iPhone. Coinciding with the launch of Nooklyn's Lower East Side location, Nooklyn has signed multiple exclusive new developments with hundreds of units coming to market across Manhattan in 2018 from the Upper East Side to Kips Bay to Two Bridges. Inbox Health, Corp., an innovative leader in helping medical billing companies communicate and transact with patients, announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously appointed Blake Walker as Chief Executive Officer. Blake will assume the role of CEO immediately. As the founder of Inbox Health, and creator of its product and vision, Blake combines the deep domain knowledge and superb execution abilities we were looking for to lead the company going forward. We are confident in his technology background and healthcare expertise, said Matthew Storeygard, a board member of Inbox Health and an investment director at Connecticut Innovations. Since founding the company in 2014, Blake has served as Chief Product Officer where he successfully led the team that developed an advanced patient communication platform for medical billing companies. This platform makes it much easier for billing companies and, by extension, physician practices to connect with patients in order to explain and collect the patient liable portion of medical bills. Patient liability for medical bills has been growing dramatically over the last decade and collecting these monies is problematic due to numerous factors which Inbox Health uniquely addresses. I am honored to have been chosen by the board to lead Inbox Health, Blake said. I firmly believe that we can rely on our innovative and customer centric mindset to push boundaries and surpass our goals. We will continue to invest in our employees and in the development of industry leading technology to ensure we can improve our customers patient interactions. I look forward to working to better serve our customers and drive continued growth for our company. About Inbox Health Inbox Health is creating the future of patient billing communication for the US healthcare market. Its patient communication platform reinvents how billing companies engage with patients regarding the patient responsible portion of bills. The platform manages all patient communication that needs to take place after insurance adjudication is completed using bi-directional communication through SMS, email, and voice technology, along with technology enabled mailings. It utilizes massive data sets, and advanced proprietary technology to create more efficient, effective, and transparent patient follow up protocols. Inbox Health works with healthcare providers across the United States. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in New Haven, Connecticut. Learn more at http://www.inboxhealth.com. Inbox Health is a registered trademark of Inbox Health, Inc. The first-annual Global Massage Makes Me Happy Day on March 20, 2018 sparked a worldwide celebration that highlighted the important benefits massage brings to individuals and how as a collective movement, it can change the world. The International Day of Happiness was also celebrated on March 20, which coincided with the UNs release of their annual happiness report. As a Global Wellness Institutes initiative, Massage Makes Me Happy partnered with massage therapy and spa associations, massage therapy schools, consumer and industry publications, spas, travel and leisure organizations, and industry suppliers to spread the word and celebrate the day. There were celebrations around the globe through partnerships with the American Massage Therapy Association, the International Spa Association, Florida State Massage Therapy Association, Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals, National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, Live Love Spa, Spa Industry Association, One Concept, WTF International and others. Spreading the word: The Massage Makes Me Happy Day and initiative was promoted in consumer and industry channels ranging from Womens Health to Buzzfeed, Bustle to the TODAY Show, Massage Magazine to DaySpa magazine. Media days were hosted at the Dominick Hotel and the Oasis Day Spa. Editors left with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the positive impacts of massage therapy, and why it makes you happy. Celebrating the day: Several pre-holiday events raised the level of excitement and awareness, such as Live Love Spa events and the American Spa Women in Wellness conference held in New York City. On March 20, hundreds of events celebrated therapists, supporters and educators. At the initiatives main event, Dr. Tiffany Field, founder of the Touch Research Institute , spoke to students and top industry executives at Cortiva Institutes Orlando campus on the science that supports how and why massage makes people happy. In addition, celebrations were held at all of Cortivas 30 campuses. Performance health celebrated with a workplace wellness day that included education, free massages and gifting employees with Biofreeze and Bon Vital products. This served as a great way to introduce employees to the overall health benefits of massage therapy. Massage therapy has experienced tremendous growth in the past decade, with more and more consumers seeking out massage to support and enhance personal well-being. Therapeutic touch therapies help manage pain and stress, resulting in happier lives. Some of the many benefits of massage and its role as a tool to help achieve happiness include pain management, emotional balance, de-stress and productivity. Lynda Solien-Wolfe, Vice President of Massage & Spa, Performance Health and CG Funk, Global Director, Funk Consulting, are the co-founders of the Massage Makes Me Happy initiative. Lynda and CG have over 25 years of experience in the massage and spa industries and both deeply believe in the healing powers of massage therapy and the importance of the work that massage therapists contribute to the world. Also serving as initiative members are Dawnette Cabaluna, Cortiva Institute; Scott Dartnall, One Concept; Tim Dunphy, Performance Health; Tiffany Field, Ph.D., Touch Research Institute; Brian Paris, Living Earth Crafts/Earthlite Massage Tables; Karen Short, Universal Companies; and Heather Zdan, Massage Warehouse/Scrip Companies. We loved being able to feel the warmth and joy of people celebrating Global Massage Makes Me Happy Day, and now our mission is to continue this celebration all year round, says Solien-Wolfe. None of this would have been possible without the support of our cornerstone partners. Thank you all! Cornerstone Partners: Performance Health, Cortiva Institute, Living Earth Crafts/Earthlite Massage Tables, Massage Magazine, Massage Warehouse/Scrip Companies and Universal Companies. If youd like to get involved with the Massage Makes Me Happy Initiative, check out the official tool kit here. To learn more about the Massage Makes Me Happy mission, visit globalwellnessinstitute.org/massage-makes-me-happy-initiative. EDITOR'S NOTE: For more information about Massage Makes Me Happy and to arrange to speak with a company spokesperson, please contact Nancy Trent or Pamela Wadler at (212) 966-0024 or pam(at)trentandcompany(dot)com. Foundations Recovery Network (FRN), an innovative behavioral health treatment provider, is proud to announce their Innovations in Recovery Healthcare Conference (IIR) will return to San Diego for the eighth year in a row. The event, aimed at treatment professionals and companies, will be held April 9-12 at the historic Hotel Del Coronado. The two keynote presentations kicking off and wrapping up the event will feature nationally recognized thought leaders on combating the opioid crisis. Former White House drug czar under the Obama administration, Michael Botticelli, will kick off the conference with a presentation drawing from his personal experiences and outlining his involvement, socially and politically, to end the stigma and improve treatment for the disease. The events final speaker is Sam Quinones, author of Dreamland: The True Tale of Americas Opiate Epidemic. He will draw from his book as well as discuss solutions for collaboration in fighting the epidemic. Between Botticellis drug policy expertise and Quinones background as a journalist, they provide perfect bookends to the conference. In between the keynotes will be four days packed with presentations and an exhibit hall focused on exploring new and emerging modalities and proven approaches to substance abuse and co-occurring treatment. The event also highlights breakthroughs in complex mental health disorders and process addictions. The primary goal of IIR is to equip treatment professionals and organizations to effectively meet the needs of specialized clients and demographics, and to inform them of the latest business trends and topics impacting the industry. In an overall effort to break the stigma of addiction in the local San Diego community, there will be a Heroes in Recovery 6K run/walk on Saturday, April 7 at De Anza Cove Park. The race will begin at 9 am and benefit local nonprofit Turning Point Home. Heroes in Recovery is a movement celebrating the heroic efforts of those who seek addiction and mental health treatment. For more information and to register for the San Diego Heroes 6K, visit Heroes6K.com. The overall goal behind the Innovations in Recovery Conference and the Heroes 6K race is to bring together people who are affected by the disease of addiction and provide solutions and inspiration to help more people find long-term recovery. About Foundations Events: Foundations Events is constantly seeking to add value to the treatment and behavioral healthcare community, and one way they do this is through hosting engaging and entertaining conferences. Foundations Events has hosted 51 national conferences and has earned a reputation as the leader in behavioral healthcare events. Each year, multiple conferences are offered nationwide that focus on providing the latest information on treatment methods. The conferences are widely known and respected in the behavioral health industry for education and networking opportunities. Experts from all over the country provide unique workshops and keynote presentations on a variety of treatment subjects. Typically, conference attendees have a chance to earn between 14 and 24 hours of continuing education credits, as well as a Professionals Certificate in Behavioral Healthcare, only available through our events. Foundations Events is led by Foundations Recovery Network, an innovative healthcare treatment provider. For more information about the conference or to register, visit FoundationsEvents.com. I have a lifelong passion for cats and have tried to raise awareness for groups that are bettering the lives of these beautiful animals. Supporting small organizations in my community is very important to me. Jennifer Erzinger, broker/owner of Lincoln Real Estate Group, is spearheading an open house fundraiser for Angels with Paws. The open house takes place at 17724 E 99th Ave., Commerce City, CO, on Saturday, April 7, from noon-3 p.m. I have a lifelong passion for cats and have tried to raise awareness for groups that are bettering the lives of these beautiful animals. Supporting small organizations in my community is very important to me, said Erzinger. Angels with Paws, an altruistic non-profit organization that believes all animals have the right to life, operates a mainly cage-free friendly environment providing medical and rehabilitation services when needed. Its goal is saving cat lives one life at a time and building a sanctuary where dogs may be included in this life-saving process. People wishing to donate can buy something off of the Amazon wishlist or cash/check donations. A representative will be at the open house to accept donations directly. To donate directly to Angels with Paws, please visit http://www.angelswithpaws.net/donations/. About Jennifer Erzinger, Lincoln Real Estate Group Jennifer Erzinger has over 18 years experience helping buyers and sellers achieve their dream of homeownership. For more information, please call (303) 549-8264, or visit http://www.lincolnregroup.com. About the NALA The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community. The NALAs mission is to promote a business relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. The information and content in this article are not in conjunction with the views of the NALA. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361. The partnership gives independent RIAs who do business with SSG access to Riskalyze Pro and Premier at deeply discounted pricing, as well as access to Autopilot, the worlds first Automated Account Platform. Shareholders Service Group (SSG), a provider of high-quality, dedicated services for independent registered investment advisors (RIAs), has announced a new strategic partnership with Riskalyze, the company that invented the Risk Number. The partnership will allow advisors working with SSG across the country access to award-winning risk alignment tools. Riskalyze enables advisors to analyze a client or prospects current portfolio, compare it against their Risk Number, and build a custom investment portfolio to match. The partnership gives independent RIAs who do business with SSG access to Riskalyze Pro and Premier at deeply discounted pricing, as well as access to Autopilot, the worlds first Automated Account Platform. Independent RIAs working with SSG look to us to provide them with tools, technology and services that they need to meet and ultimately exceed their clients expectations. said Dan Skiles, President of SSG. Our new agreement with Riskalyze aligns perfectly with this objective and we are excited to work together on serving these great independent RIAs. Were thrilled to see SSG equipping the independent RIAs they support with tools so they can empower the world to invest fearlessly, said Aaron Klein, CEO at Riskalyze. We cant wait to see how they use the Risk Number to drive alignment between clients and their portfolios, make and implement decisions, and keep accounts on track with Autopilot. About Shareholders Service Group Shareholders Service Group (SSG) provides brokerage and custodial services exclusively for independent registered investment advisors (RIAs). SSG provides a full range of brokerage and back office service and support with a robust technology platform, access to a full suite of investment vehicles, and a highly experienced service team that only serves independent RIAs. The company was founded in 2002, and currently serves over 1,500 advisory firms throughout the country. The management team began serving independent RIAs in the late 1980s. About Riskalyze Riskalyze is the company that invented the Risk Number, which powers the world's first Risk Alignment Platform, empowers advisors to automate client accounts with Autopilot, delivers the first risk-centric 401K experience with Riskalyze Retirement Solutions, and enables enterprises to develop real-time visibility, increase revenue, spot issues and navigate changing fiduciary rules with Compliance Cloud. Advisors, broker-dealers, RIAs, asset managers, custodians and clearing firms use the Riskalyze platform to empower the world to invest fearlessly. To learn more, visit riskalyze.com. Debra Box, Executive Director, Support KC Through our partnership with Shipley Communications, we are excited to offer this opportunity for our clients to do a 'deeper dive' into their fund development and communications practices and learn new techniques to support them in these efforts. Debra Box, Executive Director, Support KC. Support KC and Shipley Communications, LLCs Mission Ready Monday April workshop is on Making Time for connecting with donors and thanking those who are a part of your mission. The intensive session will run from 3:30-5:00 p.m. The nonprofit starvation cycle is real. Leaders feel starved of time, of money and this effects everything from staff to style. Nonprofit leaders often find themselves in the midst of neverending fundraising cycles while trying to impress potential and current donors with low overhead costs and impactful programs. Support KC and Shipley Communications can help. In our intensive April workshop, we will help leaders make time for donor calls and expand your organizations' network. Participants will leave with tools to help manage time and resources. We can help smooth your schedule and find time to create lasting relationships with donors and board members that will move your mission forward. Fund development and communications are critical to nonprofit success, says Debra Box, executive director at Support KC. Through our partnership with Shipley Communications, we are excited to offer this opportunity for our clients to do a deeper dive into their fund development and communications practices and learn new techniques to support them in these efforts, adds Box. The Mission Ready Monday schedule for 2018 will cover everything from grants to how to give feedback. The series was created to help nonprofits create efficiencies and stay on mission. April 9, 2018 - Make some time - No really, make some time to say thank you. May 7, 2018 - Grant Reporting Dos and Donts. June 11, 2018 - Branding 101. July 23, 2018 - How to give feedback. August 13, 2018 - Sponsors Needed. September 17, 2018 - Government Grants. October 22, 2018 - Once Upon a Time: Telling your story and making it stick. November 19, 2018 - Maintaining Your Social Media December 2018 - Program Evaluation (Date TBD) Support KC Support KC provides nonprofit organizations with business and development expertise, empowering them to focus on their missions. We help organizations with limited resources and staff in necessary tasks such as accounting, data management, fundraising and managing strategy. By helping manage these tasks, Support KC helps nonprofits do what they do best, change lives. And in the process of helping, we too change lives...behind the scenes. For more information, visit http://www.supportkc.org. Shipley Communications, LLC Shipley Communications specializes in you. Your company, your brand and your market. We are your go-to experts for public relations, market strategy, speech writing, fundraising, public engagement, campaign planning and crisis communication. At Shipley Communications, we believe in communication that is simple, honest and has the power to change the world. For more information, please visit http://www.shipleycommunications.com. Chief Mission Officer Catharine Fleming said, We are so excited to be collaborating with Goodwill Industries International and Google.org to provide sector-specific, critical skills classes to the region. Horizon Goodwill Industries has been awarded a $50,000 grant from Goodwill Industries International, Inc. (GII) to participate in Round 2 of the Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator (SM) funded by Google.org. The purpose of the grant is for local Goodwills to establish, enrich and/or expand digital skills awareness and training for 2,400 individuals across the 4-state area. Horizon Goodwill already provides basic skills and can now offer a bridge to sector specific training which will lead to industry-recognized credentials. Horizon Goodwill partners with community colleges, businesses, and human service providers serving 7,682 people in 17 counties last year; this grant award from GII and Google.org will support extending services to 31% more people struggling to enter the workforce due to lack of preparedness and relevant, critical tech and computer skills. In addition to our free 10-day, 50 hour Get Onboard! and Get Skilled! classes, Horizon Goodwill workforce development staff will design and implement awareness campaigns and provide free digital skills training to assist individuals, including employees and members of the public, gain a wide range of quality digital skills that are essential for engagement in the U.S. labor market. Chief Mission Officer Catharine Fleming said, Digital literacy and technical skills are fundamental to getting and keeping a job today they are not optional. Without access to training, individuals that are unemployed or underrepresented in the workforce will continue to be moved to the fringes, underprepared and discouraged; they will remain out of work and unable to support themselves or their families. We are so excited to be collaborating with Goodwill Industries International and Google.org to provide sector-specific, critical skills classes to the region. Why Digital Skills Training? Digital literacy training will focus is the knowledge, skills, and behaviors used to interact with a broad range of digital devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers, all of which are seen as network rather than computing devices. Digital skills include the ability to engage in online communities and social networks to find, capture, and evaluate information using technology or digital devices. These skills can be obtained through digital experiences that encourage individuals to think in a variety of ways through a multitude of media platforms. Over the next 3 years, Horizon Goodwills strategic vision is to build and incorporate digital skills awareness and training that includes but is not limited to basic computer skills, productivity skills such as proficiency with Microsoft Suite products, coding, programming, marketing, visual and graphic design, e-commerce, mechatronics, electronic arts, film production, concept art, illustration, 3D modeling, animation, front-end and back-end development, app development, or project and account management. Horizon Goodwill will offer 4 levels of digital literacy and career development, with Level 1: Get Digital! and Level 2: Get Technical! launching July 1, 2018. With Level 3: Get Geeked! and Level 4: Get Analytic! to follow. About Horizon Goodwill Goodwill has been rated #1 above the global brands Amazon and Google for the Brand World Value Rankings for 2016 and 2017. Horizon Goodwill Industries, whose mission is Removing Barriers, Creating Opportunities, is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people have access to employment despite significant obstacles. Horizon Goodwill serves over 5,000 clients annually in a 17-county region that includes parts of the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit http://www.horizongoodwill.org@HorizonGoodwill #GiveALift #GetALift #removingbarriers #creatingopportunities ### Our organization is growing, and we are excited about the opportunity to deliver Christ-centered, wholistic care to those in Dade City and the surrounding areas, said Terry Shaw, president/CEO for Adventist Health System. Adventist Health System, a faith-based non-profit health care organization and the parent company of Florida Hospital, today announced that it has finalized an agreement with subsidiaries of Community Health Systems, Inc. that officially brings Bayfront Health Dade City into its system. The agreement includes the 120-bed Bayfront Health Dade City hospital as well as its physician clinic operations and outpatient services. Our organization is growing, and we are excited about the opportunity to deliver Christ-centered, wholistic care to those in Dade City and the surrounding areas, said Terry Shaw, president/CEO for Adventist Health System. We strive to make the communities we serve better and healthier, and we look forward to the impact our mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ will have in this community. Effective April 1, 2018, Bayfront Health Dade City was renamed Florida Hospital Dade City, and joined Adventist Health Systems West Florida Division, which also includes Florida Hospital Carrollwood, Florida Hospital at Connerton Long Term Acute Care, Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center Lake Placid, Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center Sebring, Florida Hospital North Pinellas, Florida Hospital Tampa, Florida Hospital Wauchula, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. In addition, the health system has named Jason Newmyer to the position of Administrator for the newly named Florida Hospital Dade City and Vice President of nearby Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. Newmyer will oversee strategic development and operations at the hospital. Newmyer previously served as Assistant Vice President of Specialty Service Lines for Florida Hospital Tampa. He was instrumental in the development of the hospitals Digestive Health Institute, Orthopedic Institute and its Brain and Spine Institute. He also played a key role in forming the recent partnership between Florida Hospital and Walgreens, which added 15 retail health care clinic locations in the greater Tampa Bay region. Prior to that, he held several progressive leadership roles with the organization. It is my honor to serve this hospital as we advance whole-person health care in Dade City, said Newmyer. I look forward to working with our hospital leaders, physicians, team members and community to provide exceptional care. Bayfront Health Dade City, now Florida Hospital Dade City, is an acute care hospital, designated as a primary stroke care center, with 150 physicians representing 27 medical specialties, including bariatrics, cardiology, emergency services, gynecology, neurology, surgery and urology. With the addition of Bayfront Health Dade City, Adventist Health System now has 27 hospital campuses in the state of Florida. ### About Adventist Health System With a sacred mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ, Adventist Health System (AHS) is a connected system of care for every stage of life and health. More than 80,000 skilled and compassionate caregivers in physician practices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies and hospice centers provide individualized, wholistic care. A Christian mission, shared vision, common values, focus on whole-person health and commitment to making communities healthier unify the systems now 46 hospital campuses and hundreds of care sites in diverse markets throughout nine states. About Florida Hospital, West Florida Division of Adventist Health System Florida Hospital, the West Florida Division of Adventist Health System, is a not-for-profit 1,295-bed hospital system composed of 10 hospitals including Florida Hospital Tampa/Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute, Florida Hospital Carrollwood, Florida Hospital at Connerton Long Term Acute Care, Florida Hospital Dade City, Florida Hospital North Pinellas, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center Sebring, Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center Lake Placid and Florida Hospital Wauchula. It also includes a free-standing ER in Palm Harbor and Central Pasco. Part of the Adventist Health System, Florida Hospital is a leading health network comprised of 26 hospitals throughout the state. For more information, visit FloridaHospital.com In its 14th year, the 2018 Orlando Boat Show delivered another successful three-day event March 2-4 with more than 60 exhibitors and nearly 400 boats on display in Orlandos Orange County Convention Center. The show, hosted by the Marine Industry Association of Central Florida, featured nearly every variety of watercraft from personal water crafts to pontoons and ski boats to mega-yachts. The showcase was perfect for Central Florida and its proximity to equally diverse waterways, from fresh water lakes and rivers to the Gulf and Atlantic. MIACF has just finished the most exceptional Orlando Boat Show we have ever had, said MIACF Executive Director David Ray. Not only were show space sales the best ever but our show attendance was up 28 percent over last years February show. The 2018 Orlando Boat show did not disappoint. It gave us the opportunity to introduce our dealership to many new faces as well as show how boating brings families together. Joe Lewis, Mt. Dora Boating Center Beyond building awareness about Central Florida boating, MIACF reported encouraging sales numbers from the event. Dealer sales were strong, especially in the larger boats and the next few weeks should bring many additional sales, said Ray. Boat buyers were out in full force at the Orlando Boat Show as our sales staff was extremely busy talking with potential customers," said Jeff Husby, Regal & Nautique of Orlando. MIACF returns to Orlando with a Fall Boat Show August 17-19. About the Marine Industry Association of Central Florida The Orlando Boat Show is produced by The Marine Industry Association of Central Florida. MIACF is a non-profit trade association dedicated to the promotion, protection and advancement of recreational boating and industry in Central Florida. In addition to the Orlando Boat Show series, the association also produces semi-annual shows in Daytona Beach, Fla. For more information, visit http://www.miacf.org. HealthSmart, the nations largest independent Third Party Administrator of health plans for self-funded employers, has announced the appointment of Dean Mandis as vice president of sales for its Casualty Claims Solutions division, reporting to Charles Busch, senior vice president of sales for HealthSmart Casualty Claims Solutions. In his new role, Mandis will be responsible for selling HealthSmarts comprehensive suite of claims administration and proactive claims management services, including Workers Compensation, General Liability, Auto Liability, Property Claims, Federal Black Lung, Harbor Workers, Short/Long-Term Disability Management, and Unemployment Compensation. According to Loren Claypool, president of HealthSmart Casualty Claims, the addition of Mandis to the team reflects HealthSmarts commitment to providing excellent client service and innovative solutions. Deans background in casualty claims and long-term industry and broker relationships is a perfect fit for helping HealthSmart deliver our brand promise of managing our members with dignity and respect, while protecting our clients bottom lines, said Claypool. We are excited to have Dean join the team as he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the team, said Thomas C. Mafale, executive vice president and chief sales officer for HealthSmart. His background and consultative nature are a win for our clients as he works to develop creative, efficient and effective solutions with them. Mandis brings over 25 years successful experience in casualty sales, brokerage, risk management, underwriting, loss prevention, claims management, and third party administration. Prior to joining HealthSmart, Mandis was a regional underwriter with Midwest Employers Casualty Company, where he was responsible for the appropriate management and underwriting of business in the northeast, southeast and central regions. In addition to executive and sales positions at leading broker organizations, he served as vice president and general manager for ManagedComp, a national managed care organization specializing in workers compensation. Mandis was previously regional vice president at EBI Companies, the workers' compensation specialist of Orion Capital, where he also held management positions in Production Underwriting and Loss Control. Mandis earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Marquette University and Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Notre Dame. About HealthSmart For more than 40 years, HealthSmart has offered a wide array of customizable and scalable health plan solutions for selffunded employers. HealthSmarts comprehensive service suite addresses individual health from all angles. This includes claims and benefits administration, provider networks, pharmacy benefit management services, business intelligence, onsite employer clinics, care management, a variety of health and wellness initiatives and webbased reporting. The Companys headquarters is in Irving, Texas, with regional hubs throughout the country. HealthSmarts mission is to improve member health and reduce healthcare costs. Each brings a wide range of experiences and perspectives and has demonstrated a commitment and passion to Pace University and the transformative power of higher education. - Mark Besca, Chairman of the Board. Pace Universitys Board of Trustees announced the election of three new board members effective immediately. They are: Joseph R. Ficalora (Paces Lubin School of Business), president and chief executive officer of New York Community Bancorp, Inc.; Robert Sands (Pace Law School), chief executive officer of Constellation Brands; and Shaun Smith (Paces Lubin School of Business and Pace Law School), senior vice president and chief human resources officer for NewYork-Presbyterian. All three are Pace alumni. On behalf of the board, Im thrilled to welcome these new trustees, said Mark Besca, chairman of the Pace University Board of Trustees. Each brings a wide range of experiences and perspectives and has demonstrated a commitment and passion to Pace University and the transformative power of higher education. They join at a time of growth and increased opportunity, with more students needing the skills and advancement a Pace education provides. About the new board members: Joseph R. Ficalora, who joined New York Community Bancorp as a teller at the age of 18, was named president and chief executive officer in 1993. He is a member of numerous boards in Queens, including those of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, the Museum of the Moving Image, New York Presbyterian/Queens, the Flushing Cemetery and the New York Hall of Science (where Pace Trustee Ivan Seidenberg is a trustee emeritus). In addition, he serves on the Advisory Council of the Queens Museum of Art. Mr. Ficalora also serves as a director for the New York Bankers Association, the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, Pentegra Services, Inc., the Foreign Policy Association, Pentegra Retirement Trust, Peter B. Cannell & Company, Inc., the New York Community Bank Foundation and the Richmond County Savings Foundation. Mr. Ficalora is also a member of the American Bankers Associations American Bankers Council and its Government Relations Council Administrative Committee. He is also a Vietnam veteran, having served for three years in the 1960s. His personal foundation, the Ficalora Family Foundation, primarily supports education and cultural initiatives. Ficalora attended Paces Lubin School of Business. Joseph Ficalora is a classic Pace story, said Besca. He started at New York Community Bancorp as an 18-year-old teller. He went to Vietnam, he got a Pace degree, he worked hard, and today hes the banks president and CEO. He and his wife, Alice, are supporters and benefactors serving local communities in New York. Were pleased he is joining our board to help create opportunities for the next generation of ambitious young people. Robert Sands served as president and chief executive officer of Constellation Brands, a company founded by his father in 1945, from 2007 2018. He continues to lead the organization as CEO and transitioned his responsibilities as president to the companys chief operating officer. Constellation Brands is a beer, wine and spirits producer and marketer based in Victor, N.Y. Sands has served on several nonprofit boards in the Rochester area and is an officer of the Sands Family Foundation. Sands attended the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. Robert Sands earned his J.D. at Pace and became general counsel of his familys business, Constellation Brands, said Besca. Now, hes Constellations CEO, and a prominent community leader in the Rochester area, where he lives with his wife, Pamela. Constellation has thrived under his leadership, and we welcome his business acumen to our board. Shaun Smith is the senior vice president and chief human resources officer for NewYork-Presbyterian. He has been with the hospital since March 2012 and in his current position since November 2015. In August 2017, U.S. News & World Report named NewYork-Presbyterian the top hospital in New York for the seventeenth year in a row. Smith attended the Lubin School of Business and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. Shaun Smith was born in Jamaica and immigrated to the United States at a young age, said Besca. He earned both a bachelors of business administration and a law degree from Pace, and today hes senior vice president and chief human resource officer for NewYork-Presbyterian. His expertise in business, in law, and in the health professions will make him an invaluable addition to our board. About Pace University: Since 1906, Pace has educated thinking professionals by providing high-quality education for the professions on a firm base of liberal learning amid the advantages of the New York metropolitan area. A private university, Pace has campuses in Lower Manhattan and Westchester County, N.Y., enrolling nearly 13,000 students in bachelors, masters, and doctoral programs in its Lubin School of Business, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, College of Health Professions, School of Education, Elisabeth Haub School of Law and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. A 2017 study by the Equality of Opportunity Project ranks Pace University first in the nation among four-year private institutions for upward economic mobility based on students who enter college at the bottom fifth of the income distribution and end up in the top fifth. http://www.pace.edu Follow us on Twitter at @PaceUnews or on our website: http://www.pace.edu/news Welcome Guest! You Are Here: This is the estimation of consumer rights group, CUTS Ghana. The group maintains that tapping into the potential should bridge the perennial revenue collection deficit that faces the country. The issue has also impacted the internally generated revenue of district assemblies hence having a toll on the national budget. The Country Director for CUTS Ghana, Appiah Adomako Kusi stressed the relevance of the property rate to Citi Business News. One area that we have been able to identify is property rates where we realize most assemblies are unable to collect because of varied reasons and our conservative estimates suggest that we can raise not less than 1.130 billion dollars annually from property rates. This could also be used to finance projects at the district levels which will also by extension means the overreliance on the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) or Accra for funding is going to be reduced, he added. For this year, government is seeking to raise an estimated 11.5 billion dollars in revenue. As a result, the Finance Minister has outlined major policy initiatives aimed at achieving this target. These largely include the enforcement of the excise tax stamp policy, introduction of Tax Amnesty as well as new laws to enforce compliance on tracking financial proceeds of businesses operating in Ghana and elsewhere across the globe. The ultimate aim is also to achieve what the government describes as Ghana Beyond Aid which will reduce the over dependency on donor support for major infrastructural developments. Mr. Adomako Kusi believes this is also possible if the government through the Ministry of Finance enforces property rate collection. This will also mean Ghana will improve its tax to GDP appreciably. Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! The USS Little Rock, a US Navy littoral-combat ship commissioned in late December, finally left the port of Montreal this weekend, more than three months after docking there for a short stop on its maiden voyage. The Little Rock was commissioned in Buffalo, New York, on December 16, but its journey to Mayport Naval Station in northeast Florida was delayed when the ship became stuck in Montreal a few days after Christmas. Unusually cold temperatures, icy conditions, and a shortage of tugboats to guide it out of port all contributed to the Little Rock staying in Canada. The Navy said in January that the Little Rock would remain in Montreal "until wintry weather conditions improve and the ship is able to safely transit through the St. Lawrence Seaway." That stay lasted until 6:15 Saturday morning, port officials told the CBC. Navy spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Courtney Hillson confirmed the departure. " The Little Rock is expected to reach Florida later in April, making several stops along the way. The decision to keep the ship at Montreal was made on January 19. Hillson told Business Insider at the time that the Little Rock's crew was carrying out routine repair work and focusing "on training, readiness, and certifications." The ship was outfitted with temporary heaters and 16 de-icers to prevent ice accumulation on the hull and its roughly 170-person crew given cold-weather clothing in response to the delay, according to the CBC. Canadians living near the port complained about constant noise coming from the ship's generators. The Port of Montreal dimmed lights illuminating the ship and adjustments were made to the soundproofing around the Little Rock's generators. The Little Rock was Littoral combat ships are designed to operate near shore, and their modular design is meant to enable them to perform a variety of surface missions, mainly against small, fast attack craft as well as anti-mine and anti-submarine missions. The LCS program has struggled with accidents and been criticized for cost overruns. The Navy said in January that LCS mission modules, designed to allow the ships to perform their three mission types, will enter service in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Sometime on April 1, give or take a day, the Chinese space station Tiangong-1 will fall into Earth's atmosphere. Most of the spacecraft will burn up in a fiery blaze as it gets dragged by gravity from the thinner air into the atmosphere itself. The thicker air of the atmosphere will tear solar panels and antennas loose, melting and disintegrating much of the structure. Some material will stay intact, however especially densely layered parts like engines. It's possible that compartments and parts of the station could survive re-entry and hit the ground or more likely, the ocean on Earth. China hasn't controlled the Tiangong-1 modular space station for over two years now. Chinese officials confirmed in 2016 that they'd lost control of the spacecraft and that its orbit was deteriorating, But before that, Tiangong-1 was the first station China launched into space. Tiangong-1 the name means "Heavenly Palace" is a 34-foot, two-room, 9.4-ton vessel that was launched into orbit at the end of September 2011. Space experts considered its initial launch an important achievement. One of the main goals was to have a station that could be used to practice docking in space, which is essential for further space exploration, including the use of larger space stations in the future. Tiangong-1 also served as a prototype for a permanent 20-ton space station that China is planning to launch in 2023. "It conducted six successive rendezvous and dockings with spacecraft Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9, and Shenzhou-10 and completed all assigned missions, making important contributions to China's manned space exploration activities," said a memo that China submitted in May 2017 to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Tiangong was visited by two crews of taikonauts (Chinese astronauts). The first was a three-person crew in June 2012 that included the first Chinese woman in space; the second was another three-person crew in June 2013. No visitors arrived at Tiangong-1 after that second crew, but the station was still used to gather data and observe Earth's surface, monitoring ocean and forest use, according to Space.com. In September of 2016, China launched Tiangong-2, a second space station, which was first visited by a crew the next month. Earlier that year (in March), China had lost contact with Tiangong-1. The award-winning actor was at his witty best on April Fools Day and decided to play a fast one on his fans and Ghanaians as a whole. The actor took to Instagram on April 1 to state that he and his wife, Loiusa Nana Ama Asieduwaa, have welcomed their first baby girl. He posted a photo in which he was cuddling the said baby in his hands, accompanied by a caption which read: Awwww Thank God! finally my spermatozoa made it. Welcome Queen, please help me celebrate my people.... Elohim be praised. Happy New Month! Christ is risen, a queen is born. Goodwill messages from his fans and colleague actors and actresses soon flooded on his timeline, with some congratulating him for becoming the latest father in town. However, it turns out that the whole thing was planned and it was a big prank played on Ghanaians as a whole. Another post on Prince David Osei Instagram page on April 2 confirmed that his wife had not delivered any baby and that everything was a prank as part of the April Fools Day. Most of his fans then also took aim to banter with the actor for playing such a prank on them. Whiles some took it lightly, others preferred to also have their own pound of flesh by also pointing out the grammatical errors in his write-up. And so when I received an email from Atumpan.Comm inviting me to the premier of the short movie , it was the perfect excuse to step out. Scripted by budding writer Kojo Owiredu Kissi, the short film Engulfed is geared towards creating a platform for discourse and to enlighten the youth on migration. Out of the short film came the idea of #MigrationDialogues which seeks to send the message on various tertiary campuses across the country. The premiere began in clolourful fashion at the Antique Lemonade Gallery at Airport Residential Area in Accra, with the audience being thrilled by a spoken word performance. The movie itself talks about a young African woman called Lamle, a role played by Esi Yamoah, who journeys to the Gulf region in search of greener pastures. Enticed by many sweet stories of how money and riches are easy to come by in the Gulf regions, Lamle decides to travel to a Gulf country for a new life. However, she soon found out that not all that glitters is gold when she began life in the North African country. Lamle was apparently deceived by a fake travelling agent who had promised her a good life when she gets to Egypt. However, those promises were never honoured and she eventually fell into the hands of a wicked home, where she was virtually treated like a slave. The various scenes of the short movie Engulfed highlight the plights of irregular travelers and the kind of poor treatments meted out to them. Lamles story is the exact imitation of what many Africans are currently going through when they embark on irregular migrations to the Gulf countries. Unfortunately, not many are fortunate enough to be able to return to tell their stories. In the case of Lamle, in this movie, she had to engineer her own escape after growing tired of the maltreatment from her masters. She was constantly being physically abused, raped and tortured at the least chance, so she stole her passport and tried to escape but was eventually caught. The event was hosted and coordinated by the affable Dr. Akosua Darkwah, with a host of other distinguished dignitaries from the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) and the various Embassies also gracing the movie premier. A question and answer session followed with audience being allowed the opportunity to dialogue on irregular migration and 21st century slavery. The Assistant Superintendent Immigration (ASI) Richard Owusu-Brinfuor was also present and he spoke on the desperation of Ghanaians to travel outside the country for greener pastures. According to him, people must be wary of fake travelling agents who are only interested in exploiting unsuspecting victims and dumping them into slavery in other countries. He cautioned against forging information and documents at the embassies, whiles advising that it is better to migrate using the legal means. Mr. Owusu-Brinfuor added that the GIS will collaborate with other stakeholders to make sure that the issue of illegal migration is curbed or, at least, reduced. The event was climaxed by a word from one George Boateng a man who once embarked on an irregular migration to Libya. He narrated his painful ordeal all through his journey and how he was deceived to believe that he would be secured a job once he got to Tripoli. However, on the contrary, he was rather confined for many months in prison, trafficked, stripped off all his money and exploited upon touching down in the North African country. His story highlighted the ordeals that irregular migrators go through before, during and all through their journeys. In all, the premier of the movie Engulfed was a success and all who trouped to the Antique Lemonade Gallery would have left feeling entertained and educated on the subject of irregular migration and 21st century slavery. However, there is also the need to highlight some blips that nearly marred the colourful nature of the programme. First, the event started almost 30 minutes later than it was scheduled, whiles sound from the microphones was also a problem all throughout the night. But aside the above hitches, everything else was inch perfect. The movie Engulfed was shot in Luxor City, Egypt, at amazing locations. The setting and cast was also perfect for such a storyline. The man behind the movie Kojo Owiredu Kissi must be congratulated for using drama to tackle such a serious matter that has been troubling the nation. The armed robbers overpowered the Police patrol team and attacked the officers before eloping with their patrol vehicle. The thugs later used the Police patrol vehicle for separate robbery operations at different locations in the area. Joy News reports that the residence of the Member of Parliament (MP) of the area was part of the houses that were robbed. Also, four people, including a police officer, were severely injured following the attacks and are currently receiving treatment at the hospital. Confirming the news, District Police commander for Sankore, DSP Robert Akwasi Boakye, said the other Police officers had to run to save their lives. The police vehicle fell into a ditch; they [the distressed patrol team] pulled the driver out of the vehicle and the policemen exited the vehicle and found their way back to the police station to secure their lives, he said. Meanwhile, MP for Asunafo South, Eric Opoku, whose house was robbed, is convinced the robbers are members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). According to him, the thugs confronted the police at Abuom Junction which leads to Sankore, preventing them from patrolling the community. The NPP boys met them [the Police] and told them they will not allow them to enter the town to do their patrol work. That they [ the thugs] dont understand why they are patrolling the community, the MP told Joy News. The operations involved the deployment of 200 US marine forces, Africa personnel, 4 MV 22 Osprey and 2 C130 Hercules aircraft. The deployment was scheduled to begin on 10 February 2015 and last for approximately 5 weeks if approved, the document, which was read on Joy FM's Newsfile on Saturday by Veteran Journalist Kweku Baako noted. The document appears to contradict the position of the National Democratic Congress regarding government's decision to give the US military "unimpeded" access to Ghana, including runways and communications. In the agreement approved by Mr Mahama, the US also requested for clearance for US aircraft to conduct overflights within Ghanas airspace for the duration of the mission. Permission for the six US aircraft to operate from and be staged on the airforce rump and for the deploying forces to leave and operate out of the US expeditionary reception facility located at the Air force base at the Burma Camp. Last Wednesday, the former President supported a protest against the decision by the Akufo-Addo administration to allow US military on Ghanaian soil. The protest was organised by the Ghana First Patriotic Front. READ MORE: Ghana warned US military could stockpile chemical weapons "I join in declaring as my compatriots and other democratic forces converge to demonstrate their opposition to the Ghana/US military agreement," the ex-president wrote on Facebook. During the demonstration, people chanting Ghana is not for sale. In an interview with Accra-based Citi FM, Mr Anyidoho who described his detention as an experience said he would allow the law to take its course concerning this matter. I remain an unrepentant social democrat, I remain an unrepentant member of the NDC and I remain an unrepentant supporter of the progressives thinking and the progressive forces. Issues to do with what I was reported to have said that the police dutifully started investigating is within the law, let the law take its course, he said. He also denied speculations that he was manhandled by the security agencies. Meanwhile, he further rejected claims that he has been charged by the CID for treason. READ ALSO: Embattled Koku Anyidoho to face CID again on Tuesday According to him, the CID is still investigating his alleged crime and has not proffered any charges against him. The agency said in a blog post Sunday that this was its "final estimate" because it is "at the limit of what we can forecast". The China Manned Space Engineering Office had said earlier Sunday that the abandoned orbital outpost would make its earthbound plunge on Monday. The eight-tonne craft is unlikely to cause any damage when it comes down, but its fiery disintegration will offer a "splendid" show akin to a meteor shower, Chinese authorities said previously. Debris from the lab could land anywhere between the latitudes of 43 degrees north and 43 degrees south -- from America's Midwest to New Zealand, the ESA has said. "The high speeds of returning satellites mean they can travel thousands of kilometres during that time window, and that makes it very hard to predict a precise location of reentry," said Holger Krag, head of the ESA's Space Debris Office, in comments posted on the agency's website. The ESA added, however, that the space lab will likely break up over water, which covers most of the planet's surface. And it described the probability of someone being hit by a piece of debris from Tiangong-1 as "10 million times smaller than the yearly chance of being hit by lightning". There is "no need for people to worry", the China Manned Space Engineering Office said earlier on its WeChat social media account. Such falling spacecraft do "not crash into the Earth fiercely like in sci-fi movies, but turn into a splendid (meteor shower) and move across the beautiful starry sky as they race towards the Earth", it said. Tiangong-1 -- or "Heavenly Palace" -- was placed in orbit in September 2011, an important step in China's efforts towards building its own space station. The module -- which was used to practise complicated manual and automatic docking techniques -- was originally intended to be used for just two years, but ended up serving considerably longer. During its brief lifespan, it hosted Chinese astronauts on several occasions as they performed experiments and even taught a class that was broadcast into schools across the country. Out of control? Tiangong-1 had been slated for a controlled re-entry, but ceased functioning in March 2016. Space enthusiasts have been bracing for its return ever since. The ESA has said that ground controllers were no longer able to command Tiangong-1 to fire its on-board engines, which could have been used to control where it re-entered Earth's atmosphere. In contrast, Russia brought down its massive Mir space station through a controlled re-entry over the Pacific Ocean in 2001. A Chinese spaceflight engineer denied earlier this year that the lab was out of control. Chinese media have downplayed comments by the ESA and others that the country's engineers have lost control of the lab, with reports saying that the idea it is "out of control" is an invention of foreign media. But on Chinese social media, commenters criticised the government's reluctance to own up to the situation. "Can you or can't you report that you've lost control of the situation?" one person wrote on the Twitter-like Weibo. "It's not unusual that something this complicated would have a mishap." Beijing began its manned spaceflight programme in 1990 after buying Russian technology that enabled it to become the third country with the ability to launch humans into space, following the former Soviet Union and the United States. China sent another space lab, Tiangong-2, into orbit in September 2016 as a stepping stone to its goal of having a crewed space station by 2022. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Nigeria's foreign exchange reserves gained 8.8% as of March 28, 2018, to $46.2 billion compared to same period in February 2018, according to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria. The reserve is still far from the peak of $64 billion recorded in August 2008. Debt sales such as Eurobond offering by federal government helped Nigeria to accrue billions of dollars in foreign reserves, Reuters reports. The government raised $2.5 billion in Eurobonds in February and it is hoping to raise more. Meanwhile, the Apex bank will hold its statutory Monetary Policy Committee meeting, Tuesday, April 3 and Wednesday April 4, 2018, the first meeting of such since January 2018. The delay was as a result of an impasse between the legislative and executive arm of government which resulted in late confirmation of members of the monetary authority to form a quorum. Godwin Emefiele, while receiving the new members of the MPC and the newly confirmed deputy governors last week, charged them to bring their experience to bear in the discharge of their new responsibilities, stressing that much was expected of them. He expressed gladness that the bank now has a full complement of deputy governors to enable it to operate optimally as well as the required quorum to enable the MPC to hold its statutory meetings for formulating monetary and credit policy. Due to the usual exploits and success stories of Nigerian students in the United Kingdom and the United States of America, some foreign universities have recently been making efforts to endear Nigerian admission seekers and undergraduates to attract the students to study in their institutions. In the last three months, a number of foreign institutions and embassies have been to the most populated country in Africa to woo Nigerian students with scholarship and admission offers. And this has happened so many times this recently. 1. French Embassy wants Nigerian students to study in France In January, Due to the increase in the English Language taught courses in French Universities, the French Embassy advised Nigerians to seize the opportunity to study in France. The embassy while announcing its 6th edition of the French Education Fair in Abuja between February 12 and 14, 2018, urged Nigerian students to take advantage of the education fair, adding that over 30,000 Nigerians are currently living in France. ALSO READ: This US university is giving Nigerian students direct admission 2. Dutch Embassy promises affordable education to Nigerian students Barely two weeks after the French embassy wooed Nigerian students to study in its universities, the Dutch embassy announced its readiness to give the students affordable education. Sonia Odije, the embassys Advisor for Trade and Economic Affairs, made this known on Wednesday, February 7, while speaking with newsmen in Lagos ahead of the Second Study in Holland Fair. 3. 16 UK Universities offer scholarship to Nigerian students While someone was wondering about what is so special about Nigerian students that prompted these embassies to be interested in them, 16 universities in the United Kingdom on Thursday, February 19, 2018, came to Abuja to express their willingness to facilitate Nigerian students' quest for qualitative education in the UK. The universities under the umbrella of the Northern Consortium of United Kingdom Universities (NCUK) were also reported to have slashed their tuition fees by half to continue for the students. 4. Dayton University gives Nigerian students Direct Admission Meanwhile, as Nigerian students continue to gain the attention of foreign universities, another American institution, Dayton University, on Thursday, March 22, 2018, announced its readiness to give Nigerian students direct admission with just West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) results. The institution which believes Nigerian students are academically brilliant said it's ready to attract them to the institution through different incentives including scholarships. 5. Australia Government awards scholarship to 340 Nigerian students Finally, on Thursday, March 29, the Australian government offered scholarships to 340 Nigerian students to study in the country at master's level. Ogundipe who spoke at the at the second Engineering Faculty alumni lecture said his plans towards making UNILAG a world-class institution included building a mini-refinery and setting up of skills acquisition centre for the students. Ogundipe, who is the 12th Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos emphasised the establishment of a mini-refinery as a way to develop Chemical Engineering students of the school. ALSO READ: 7 memorable highlights of 2018 UTME If you go to some of the universities in Texas when their students graduate, because they have refineries in their universities they do not need to do certain courses when it comes to professional courses. Engineering has left that level of just setting down and starts computing. It is now about turning ideas to realities. It is about producing entrepreneurial skills and developing the skills in the life our students. We need to develop our students, all of them have skills that are unique to them, and the skills can help them set up their own businesses in future''. CBN and Bank of Indusrty to sponsor UNILAG refinery project The VC, however, said the mini-refinery project is being done in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Bank of Industry. The gist is that a fan actually asked Kiss Daniel how many retweets he needed to be able to share food with the beggars at Iddi Araba in Mushin. We guess the fan wasn't expecting Kiss Daniel's reply as he told him he didn't need any retweets to get that done. "No retweets...Let's feed em' tomorrow sharp," he replied the fan. And yes, Kiss Daniel stood by his words as he went out with a couple of friends to Iddi Araba where he shared food with the visibly overwhelmed beggars in the area. He didn't only feed them, he shared 1000 naira each to the beggars. ALSO READ:Kiss Daniel gets matching tattoo with Chidinma Ekile Now we can add Kiss Daniels to the list of celebrities who are very benevolent. For the likes of Tonto Dikeh who is mostly known for giving out to the poor, even when sometimes controversies try to overshadow her good works. Recall back in December 2017, the actress in conjunction with her NGO, Tonto Dikeh Foundation, paid a visit to the Persons living with disability in the Karanmajiji Disable Colony in Abuja to celebrate the United Nations International World Disability Day. The free concert took place at Michael Okpara Square in Enugu and according to a Twitter user with the handle @Naturize9, women were assaulted, molested and raped during the show. Her account of Flavour's concert is similar to rape allegations at past Nigerian music concerts. "So, your favourite celebrity decided to give back to the community, made his concert free, but his fans (most) present at the Square, started to rape girls like its part of the script. They not only raped girls, but went in turns, protected the rapists from security agents and started to play with the victims undies! Please, someone tell me this is Sodom & Gomorrah" she wrote. You can read her full post below; Another Twitter user @Adedotvn narrated his experience at the turbulent show. "Im leaving Enugu this morning! What I saw yesterday was a country with more youthful problem than we can imagine! "Yesterday, the amount of girls that were sexually harassed and raped at the Concert was heavy! Concert became a rescue operation for Innocent girls." He however absolved Flavour for what went down at his concert. "Vile men! Dont get it wrong, with the amount of Crowd at the Square, None of Flavours internal Team were aware of the nonsense being perpetuated. Mobile Police and Bouncers were doing the possible best they could but the crowd of boys were too much. Kudos to the Bouncers yesterday!" he wrote on Twitter. Also, according to Punch, several ladies were alleged raped during the concert. The Flavour concert which was sponsored by the state government had a huge turn out and the venue could not contain the large crowd. The concert was free which contributed to the high turn out. ALSO READ: D'banj rescues a woman from being molested The disturbing stories of what allegedly went down at the concert has drawn the attention of the police in Enugu. On Sunday, April 1, 2018, the Police Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Police Command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, released a statement saying that police were investigating a case of alleged attempted rape during Flavour's concert. Amaraizu revealed that a suspect was in the custody of the police for attempting to rape a lady at Flavour's concert. The Enugu State Police Command, through its operatives at the Independence Layout Division, has commenced investigations into the alleged conduct of some people, ranging from attempt to gang rape a victim, as well as other offences, during a musical concert at the Michael Okpara Square. One person, who is already helping operatives in their investigation, has been nabbed for his alleged role in the attempt to gang rape a victim at the Square yesterday during the musical concert of a popular Nigerian musician read the statement. The PRO also said that three people were arrested for allegedly stealing phones at the concert. Those arrested will be made to face the music in line with various provisions and specifications of the law after investigations, he said. The deceased was returning from an Easter retreat according to Instablog9ja. He died on Monday, April 1, 2018, shortly after a Toyota Camry vehicle hit a motorcycle he was riding on. Mmili was cut in halves following the impact of the hit. Nasty God Is Good bus accident has got woman thanking God for life The miraculous survival of her sister who was involved in a nasty car accident has made a woman, Joy Joseph, offer thanks to God. A video shared on Facebook showed a massive wreckage involving a God Is Good (GIG) bus enroute Benin and another vehicle. According to Joseph who is Law degree undergraduate at the University of Benin, her sister had just arrived Nigerian following a trip abroad. "So my elder sister survived this and you wanna tell me there's no God up there. "Tell me what He can't do, lemme show you what He has done... "She just came back to the country to spend the Easter with us and they wanted to change the narrative. She had the accident on her way to Benin. "I can't even describe how grateful I am right now. Before her unfortunate death, Ebor Lovina was a graduate of Ambrose Alli University located in Ekpoma. A report by yabaleftpnline.ng indicated that she had also worked at the Sun-Ray Hotel & Suites along Benin-Sapele, Oghoghobi Town, Benin City. The alleged perpetrator had reportedly been worrying the deceased with sex advances, but the lady declined to kowtow to his diabolical demands, hence his atrocious act. It is unclear whether the perpetrator has been arrested and what charges have been proffered against him. Friends of the deceased lady have been eulogizing her on Facebook. The victim, 22, was said to have contacted one of the suspects, Nathan Ogbara, 33, to drop her off at her house but the driver called another driver, Justin Amos, 32, to follow them in his own car. Ogbara and Amos allegedly pulled over mid-trip and they both dragged the girl into a nearby bush and raped her. The incident reportedly occurred on Sunday, April 1, 2018, at Tombia Roundabout, Yenagoa, Bayelsa capital. Police confirms incident According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Asinim Butswat, the suspects were nabbed while fleeing the crime scene. He said the mobile phone they stole from the victim was also recovered. "On 1st April 2018, at about 0200hrs, police were alerted that a young girl was sexually assaulted and her phone was stolen from her by two men operating a taxi, at opposite Jubilee hotel, Kpansia, Yenagoa", Butswat said. ALSO READ: Father, young son jointly rape little daughter The police spokesman said a police patrol team which was incidentally in the area at the time of the incident hunted down the suspects. The Guardian News reported that he died during the Easter holiday in New Town, Ondo State, where he worked at one of BEDC's unit. It was gathered that the deceased had requested his colleagues at the company to cut electricity supply as he made to climb an electricity pole. Unfortunately, the was killed after reaching the top of the structure. The death of Adenodi, a middle-aged man who fathered three children inspired sympathies from the community members of the Ondo town where he met his death. His passing gathered emotions due to the condition. He was killed on duty while attending to the needs of his countrymen. Deeper Life pastor sliced in two after Easter retreat In Anambra, Nigeria, Pastor Ekwulu Mmili of the Deeper Life Christian Ministry, has been sliced in two following an accident which led to his death. The deceased was returning from an Easter retreat according to local media. He died on Monday, April 1, 2018, shortly after a Toyota Camry vehicle hit a motorcycle he was riding on. Rashida Nakabugo was reportedly married to 25-year-old Joseph Baseka Sengendo from Nakirebe in Mpigi district, but for some reasons was also in love with 30-year-old Patrick Ssegane from Nakasozi, Buddo in Wakiso district. According to Tuko.co.ke, three years after the birth of the twins, argument erupted between the two men, both of whom claimed ownership of the twins, Immaculate Babirye and Leticia Nakato. The disagreement prompted a DNA test which was conducted at Health Viber Diagnostics Centre in Wandegeya at Ham Towers, Kampala. Health workers at the facility were shocked to the marrow when it came to light that the twins actually were sired by two different men. One of the health workers, Nelson Mwesige was quoted as having said: This confused us, so we asked him to bring the mother of the babies so that we confirm if they are both from the same mother, as one of the twins, Babirye, was Ssegane's baby, while Nakato belonged to Sengendo. Baseka Sengendo and Patrick Ssegane were also invited to the hospital subsequently and when the DNA result was announced to them, Baseka Sengendo rejected it claiming: I dont want to waste your time. Even that child you claim to be mine, I have given her to you. However, the other man, Patrick Ssegane agreed to take full responsibility of the children. On this episode of My Africa, she discusses her growing up in the US and her journey to Lagos, Nigeria and why it is important to empower the next generation of African women. South African anti-apartheid campaigner , her spokesman confirmed today. Victor Dlamini said in a statement she died in a Johannesburg hospital after a long illness. The ex-wife of Nelson Mandela had been admitted to hospital in January with a kidney infection. Her family is expected to speak later in the day. Winnie and Mandela The young activist met Nelson Mandela at a bus stop in Soweto when she was 22 years old in 1957 and the pair married a year later. They were married for 38 years in a romance that was spent largely apart with Nelson imprisoned for 27 years leaving Winnie to raise their two daughters and keep his political dream alive. In 1990 the world watched when Nelson Mandela finally walked out of prison, hand in hand with Winnie. But they separated just two years later and divorced in 1996 after a legal battle that revealed her affair with a young bodyguard and she went on to become embroiled in several controversies. Her defiant style Unlike many political figures who cultivate a style with neat boundaries to create a consistent public image, Winnie's wardrobe was keeps a riot of colour, style and references. From gracefully embellished gowns to chaotically coordinated separates. Winnie's varied costumes recall key moments in her own personal story, a unique one that spans from freedom fighter to first lady. And they reflect the momentous changes South Africa has experienced in her lifetime. Her refusal to be anything other than a proud and defiant African woman is utterly inspiring. From her jewellery to her accessories and clothing, Winnie always found a way to work in an element of a country and culture that she loved, fought for and protected till her dying day. Winnie influenced Mandela's style Winnie was responsible for introducing Mandela himself to the man who became responsible for his signature style. Sonwabile Ndamase, who heads up Vukani Fashions, designed for Mandela. He had been designing for Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and was close to the family before Mandela was released from prison. When Mandela was released, I was introduced to him by Winnie, said Ndamase. He asked me to design something for him. I didnt come up with the shirt automatically though. I set about creating an array of suits and other kinds of more statesman-like attire for him. The second time I met him I was informed of his health. Tatas lung illness meant I would have to design something that was not too heavy, yet still dignified, that he could wear in formal meetings at top government level. I then designed a shirt made from limited edition African-inspired prints to be worn over slacks, something stylish without being stifling. Madiba shirts are never casual they are always buttoned to the top and well pressed." Booyzen said Mandela understood the importance of fashion. She remembered Mandela at the Frock and Roll fund-raiser for the Nelson Mandela Childrens Fund in Cape Town in 1998 which featured 21 top models including Naomi Campbell, Christie Turlington, Alek Wek and Mia Farrow. undefined, often referred to Nelson Mandela as her 'grandfather' and the two developed a heart-warming relationship based on their mutual love of fashion, philanthropy and activism. Naomi Campbell has been enjoying her stay in Lagos, sampling the best food, taking in the sights and doing the philanthropic work she is best known for. Naomi strode out in a black silk blouse with ostrich feathers on the sleeves and a black silk oleku skirt, Tiffany Amber's signature. Naomi sashayed down the runway as her waist-length poker straight hair swung behind her. Naomi Campbell, having been in the industry for over 3 decades is known for her signature walk which is equal parts confident and fierce. Lagosians got the special chance to watch that walk live as Arise brought all the stars into town. Naomi opens for Ozwald Boateng Last, but by no means least, undefinedof Arise Fashion Week. The British-Ghanaian design veteran was the first black man to open up his own store on famous tailor row, Saville Row, and continues to break down barriers and innovate after decades in the industry. Naomi Campbell, Boateng's good friend, opened for him wearing a suit, a white shirt with a purple tie and a dramatic over-sized cape. The look was distinctly British and Naomi made the masculine outfit look anything but as she strutted down the runway. The daughter of Aliko Dangote , the richest man in Africa, Hajiya Fatima Dangote and her partner, Jamilu Abubakar, pilot son of former IGP, MD Abubakar got the world talking with their wedding ceremony that took place last week at Eko Hotel with numerous notable personalities. The most talked about guest that caused tongues to wag with his presence was Bill Gates, one of the richest persons on planet earth. Also present at the event among other dignitaries including Ghanas President, Nana Akufo-Addo. Check out some photos In a statement signed by the spokesperson of Operation Lafiya Dole, Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, the teenager escaped from a terrorist enclave in Kekeno in the northern fringes of the Lake Chad Islands. His statement read, "A 14-year-old Boko Haram insurgent, Rawa Babagana, has surrendered to troops of Operation Lafiya Dole. The insurgent escaped from the Boko Haram enclave in Kekeno in the northern fringes of the Lake Chad Islands. He is currently been profiled. "It is clear that the remnants of the Boko Haram Terrorists are hell bent on remaining relevant by attacking soft and vulnerable targets and therefore calls for collective vigilance by all security stakeholders and members of the public. Members of the general public are therefore urged to be watchful and discern strange persons and suspicious activities in their communities and report to the security agencies." Babagana's surrender comes at a time when the Federal Government is relentlessly appealing to terrorists to lay down their arms and surrender to troops so as to be granted amnesty. President Muhammadu Buhari made a personal appeal to terrorists last month that the government is ready to rehabilitate and integrate such members into the larger society. "This country has suffered enough of hostility. Government is, therefore, appealing to all to embrace peace for the overall development of our people and the country." The president's Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, also said during an interview on Sunday, April 1, 2018, that making peace with the terrorist group will greatly benefit the country as government can focus on other things. He said the Federal Government should be able to reintegrate them back into society as long as they stop fighting and express remorse. "Whoever is peddling these rumours that Boko Haram is being granted amnesty and so on I would ask them who doesn't want to make peace with the enemy? "In any case as it is proverbially said all wars end up in the boardroom. You can defeat people technically in the field but at the end you must come to the conference room to resolve all issues. "So if Boko Haram would lay down their arms and stop fighting and stop preaching that negative ideology, the country should be able to embrace them, welcome all of them so that they continue to live normal lives and be useful to the nation," he said. Boko Haram menace Since the insurgency of the terrorist group escalated after a 2009 crackdown by the military, Boko Haram, chiefly under Abubakar Shekau'sleadership, has been responsible for the death of over 20,000 people and the displacement of more than 2.5 million scattered across Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps across the country and its neighbours. While speaking during an interview on Sunday, April 1, 2018, the president's spokesperson lamented that Nigerians fail to give President Buhari enough commendation for his good job because social media tends to view everything negatively. Shehu further condemned reports that the president is shielding killer herdsmen from the law, arguing that it'll take more than the president to achieve such a feat. He said, "I hope you also realise that the social media has brought a lot of good things to the world and it has also brought a lot of problems not only in Nigeria but everywhere in the world. "Nations of the world are talking about regulations and control, this is happening in Germany in the United Kingdom even the United States you see that a lot these technology companies are being fined for infringements that they cause. "The thing is that there is a tendency to see things from a negative point of view when your point of view is shaped and colored by the social media. "It's always been heard that the default position of the social media itself is to be negative, so people have turned out to ignore grand reality and project images that are very negative. "Otherwise I wonder, this is an administration that has done so extremely well and to a president who has sworn to an oath to defend the constitution and protect every life and property, it is very unfair and uncharitable to say that he will shield anybody, and in any case, the president controls only one layer of authority, what are the governors doing, is the social media also saying that the governors are protecting the herdsmen from the law, are they saying the local government are also protecting them? "You see it has to take everyone at various levels of authority to shield somebody from the law in those circumstances, and the president himself, his passion is for the country, this is a president whose passion is not even for the office, even when everyone is asking him to go for a second term he is keeping quiet because his focus remains the nation and the problem of the country." Hate speech bill The federal government has come under heavy criticism several times over the past couple for years for moves that have been perceived to target free speech, especially on social media. There's currently a bill in the National Assembly which is targeted at mandating death sentences for people who engage in hate speech that leads to the death of another person. The bill seeks to establish a committee saddled with the responsibility of enforcing hate speech laws across the country, eliminating the menace and advising the federal government. The CAS, who was represented at the occasion by the Commander Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation Lafiya Dole, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Idi Lubo, commended the contributions of personnel towards prosecuting the fight against insurgency in the country and urged them not to rest on their oars. He said that although a lot of success had been recorded in the fight against Boko Haram terrorists, the personnel needed to put more effort towards completely eradicating the menace. At Yola, AVM Lubo appreciated the Air Marshal Abubakar for the kind gesture of facilitating the lunch. Addressing the troops after the lunch, the representative of the CAS commended the troops for their relentless efforts and sacrifices, which had greatly degraded the capability of the insurgents. He tasked the troops to redouble their efforts to ensure that the entire country, and the Northeast Region in particular, become a safer place for Nigerians. Lubo later presented the award of the best officer of the quarter to Group Captain Samuel Eyoma, who is the Head of the Data Collection and Analysis Team in the Tactical Operation Centre. He then encouraged the Senior Officer to remain focused and diligent in the discharge of his duties. Likewise, he charged other personnel to emulate those qualities that won Eyoma the award. Highlights were the commissioning some projects at 103 Strike Group, aimed at enhancing the protection of NAF critical assets in NAF Base Yola. Yoruba Obas are full of bickering, acrimony and enmities, Oba Akanbi said in his defence. The Oluwo added that: I have decided to officially adopt Emir title today because I want to emulate the attitudes of Northern Emirs. They dont begrudge themselves like Yoruba Obas. It will surprise you to discover that for the past two years, there has not been meeting of Yoruba traditional rulers just because of enmities. There is nothing strange in adopting Emir title. I am the Emir of Yorubaland. The Oluwos position has sparked quite some debate in Nigeria where traditional thrones in the nations six geopolitical zones are jealously guarded by locals and indigent populations alike. Oba Akanbi's stance is a rarity among the Yoruba speaking Southwest States. Waziri In a related development, Oba Akanbi had been warned by the League of Imams and Alfas in Southwest Nigeria Edo and Delta States, not to install the position of Waziri in Osun State. In a statement, the President of the league, Sheikh Jamiu Kewulere Bello, urged Oba Akanbi to limit the title to Iwoland, not the entire Yorubaland. The proposed installation of the said recipient by your Highness as the Waziri of Iwo land is no doubt the result of your avowed commitment to the development of lslam, the lwo Community and Osun State in general. However, it is our considered hope that your Highness should as a matter of urgency correct the rumours making the round that the organisers of this event are trying to over blow the ceremony to capture the entire Yorubaland. This is not right, Bello said. But the Oluwo of Iwo disagreed The occasion of the installation of Waziri Yorubaland is another great opportunity to create the necessary awareness and promote to the entire world the deep Islamic culture and heritage in Iwo. Waziri did not come from Northern part of Hausa tribe but from God. So, there is nothing strange in installing Waziri. Yoruba has forgotten their history. Whoever is criticising me lacks history of Yorubaland. The Oluwo of Iwoland will be the first Emir in Southwest Nigeria in living memory. The traditional title of Emir has long been the exclusive preserve of traditional thrones in Northern Nigeria. During an interview on Sunday, April 1, 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari's Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said making peace with the terrorist group will greatly benefit the country as it can focus on other things. He said the Federal Government should be able to reintegrate them back into society as long as they stop fighting and express remorse. He said, "Whoever is peddling these rumours that Boko Haram is being granted amnesty and so on I would ask them who doesn't want to make peace with the enemy? "In any case as it is proverbially said all wars end up in the boardroom. You can defeat people technically in the field but at the end you must come to the conference room to resolve all issues. "So if Boko Haram would lay down their arms and stop fighting and stop preaching that negative ideology, the country should be able to embrace them, welcome all of them so that they continue to live normal lives and be useful to the nation. "What that means is that we will be saving cost, saving lives that are being lost through bombing, killing of service personnel and we will be saving money that we are using to procure weapons so that such money can go into services and infrastructure and welfare of the citizens of this country. It is a win-win situation." The Federal Government had recently announced that it was in the process of negotiating amnesty with the terrorist group; a decision that has been met with outrage from several quarters. Boko Haram menace Since the insurgency of the terrorist group escalated after a 2009 crackdown by the military, Boko Haram, chiefly under Abubakar Shekau'sleadership, has been responsible for the death of over 20,000 people and the displacement of more than 2.5 million scattered across Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps across the country and its neighbours. Saidu and Nuhu Salisu, aka Small, were arrested on January 19, 2018, at Ogojueje in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi and confessed to the police that Senator Melaye hired them to cause unrest in the state ahead of the 2019 general elections. Both suspects were due to be arraigned in court on Wednesday, March 28, 2018, when they escaped with four other inmates from a police cell where they were being held in Lokoja, Kogi's capital. According to a report by Channels Television, a police source revealed that Saidu was arrested by detectives in Bauchi on Sunday, April 1, 2018, and taken to Abuja. The source also disclosed that Saidu is the last to be arrested as all the others are already in custody. The other four are Aliyu Isa, Adams Suleiman, Emmanuel Audu and Musa Mohammed. Kogi Commissioner sacked over jailbreak Last week's jailbreak had led to a lot of controversy as Senator Melaye accused the police of releasing the two suspects and threatened to sue the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, for blackmail. This came after the then-Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Ali Janga, said the lawmaker representing Kogi West senatorial district has been added to a watch list by Interpol for immediate arrest anywhere he is found. The arrest order was in relation to his failure to honour an invitation to answer questions over the charge of criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms against him. In a statement signed by Force spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood, on Wednesday, March 28, IGP Idris ordered CP Esa Sunday Ogbu to immediately replace Janga after expressing dissatisfaction with the circumstances surrounding the escape of the six suspects. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government on Feb. 10 announced the release of 13 persons abducted by the insurgents in Borno, sequel to negotiations anchored by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The freed persons, three lecturers and 10 women, spent over 200 days in the insurgents captivity. We are excited, we are happy because God is real. He answered our prayers, (and prayers of) our relations and the nation at large. We were informed Nigerians were praying for us and today is testimony, we are alive, celebrating life with freedom and that is the greatest thing to us; we are free and giving praise to God. For those still in captivity, we are praying let them keep to their faith, the way the Lord did it for us: He will do it for them and believe one day they will also be free. I believe in prayers and people prayed for us; we pray that the entire nation come together and pray for those in captivity so that one day they will be free. Everybody deserves to be free in this life. We trusted God that one day we will be free again and He has done it after 201 days in captivity. Nehemiah said that they resorted to fasting, prayer and total submission to God during their stay in the hands of the insurgents, adding that the spiritual impact motivated them to keep hope and survive. For his part, Ibrahim commended Nigerians for the prayers and support during their period of incarceration by Boko Haram insurgents. He also commended the Federal Government, ICRC and other organisations for their efforts towards their release. Our captors were not hostile to us, they gave us food; they did not kill us and I thank them for keeping us alive, he said. Mrs Hassana Ibrahim, a sister to Ibrahim, said her family was in great joy and overwhelmed over the release of her younger brother. She said that the event was organised to enable them to show their appreciation to God for His blessings and protection over Ibrahim. My family lost hope of seeing him again because of the circumstances leading to his abduction; we were confused. We thank God and President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment to secure their release. We are really grateful to all the parties involved, she said. Mr Ibrahim Ibrahim, a brother to the released lecturer said: At the initial stage the family grieved but we committed all to God; God manifested and brought them out of captivity safely. According to a live Facebook update by an activist, Ibrahim Wala, on Monday, April 2, 2018, the lawmaker representing Gombe South senatorial district had paid an unscheduled visit to Talasse town where protesters say he has neglected since he was elected in 2015. Wala said, "I think it is important for people to understand that our politicians are becoming some form of threat to us. I'm getting a situation report from Gombe state - Balanga local government, there is a situation going on. "There is a kind of standoff between some of the youth of Balanga local government. They are calling on the senator representing Gombe south, Joshua Lidani who is on a visit to the local government headquarters. He is having difficulty getting out of the local government. "It appears all the youth in the area are saying 'no', they dont want to see him, they want him to account for his stewardship. "Ever since he was appointed, he abandoned them, he has never gone to see them for a day. Today he paid a visit there." A protester in Talasse who spoke to Wala on the phone reported that the former deputy governor had "refused to visit Talasse since his election despite several appeals." He said the lawmaker also refused to answer or return calls from the people of his constituency "only for him to sneak in today" to meet with political associates as the 2019 elections approach. He also revealed that youths had put up several blockades on other roads and villages where the lawmaker could sneak through to escape. "Apart from those at the emir's palace, several youth groups have also blocked all other roads the senator may seek to sneak out, not just in Talasse here, but other villages along the road as well," he said. The statement was signed and made available to newsmen by Mr Segun Adeyemi, the Special Adviser to the Minister. The minister alleged that Jang looted N12.5 billion, Aliyu looted N1.6 billion from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) while Ladoja allegedly stole N500 million. The second batch of the alleged looters also included former NSA Sambo Dasuki and former Petroleum Resources Minister Dieziani Alison-Madukwe On Dasuki loot, the minister said: Based on EFCC investigations and findings alone (this is beside the ongoing 2.1billion dollar military equipment scandal), a total of N126 billion, over $1.5 billion and 5.5 million British Pounds was embezzled through his office. A good number of these monies were simply shared to persons and companies without any formal contract awards. On Diezanis alleged loot, Mohammed said that in just one of the cases the EFCC was investigating involving her, about N23 billion was alleged to have been embezzled. She is also involved in the Strategic Alliance Contracts of the NNPC, where the firms of Jide Omokore and Kola Aluko got oil blocks but never paid government taxes and royalty. About three billion dollars was involved. The Federal Government is charging Omokore and Aluko and will use all legal instruments local and international to ensure justice. The minister alleged that the 28th Chief of Army Staff, Rtd. Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah embezzled N13.9 billion whlile N4.8 billion was recovered from him by EFCC in cash and property He said another former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika embezzled N4.5 billion while N29 million had been recovered from him by the EFCC so far. The minister alleged that Alex Bade, the former Chief of Defence Staff stole N8 billion, and EFCC had recovered almost N4 billion in cash and property already. Mohammed said Inde Dikko, former Comptroller General of Customs allegedly stole N40 billion and N1.1 billion was recovered in cash and choice properties from him. Air Marshal Adesola Amosun allegedly embezzled N21.4 billion, with N2.8 billion recovered in cash while 28 properties and 3 vehicles also recovered frim him The minister said that Sen. Bala Mohammed, former FCT Minister allegedly stole N5 billion and the court had grantef Interim forfeiture order on some property secured. Former Aviation Minister, Sen. Stella Oduah allegedly stole N9.8 billion and the EFCC had secured an Interim Forfeiture order on some property secured. Bashir Yuguda, a former Minister of State for Finance, was alleged to have embezzled N1.5 billion and 829,800 dollar was recovered from him. Others are Sen. Peter Nwaboshi, N1.5 billion, Aliyu Usman former NSA Dasukis aide, N512 million and Ahmad Idris, former NSA Dasukis Personal Assistant: N1.5 billion. The minister alleged that PDP stalwart, Tom Ikimi, stole N300 million, a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode stole N866 million while Hassan Tukur, former PPS to President Goodluck Jonathan stole 1.7 million dollars. A former Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman was alleged to have stolen N1.5 billion: Benedicta Iroha: N1.7 billion and Aliyu Usman Jawaz: Close ally of former NSA Dasuki N882 million Godknows Igali, a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power was alleged to have stolen over N7 billion The minister noted that that the Federal Government had a large number of alleged looters on its list He said those complaining that the earlier list was too short apparently did not understand that it was strategically released as a teaser. At the press conference where the list was released, I did say it was a tip of the iceberg. Apparently, this does not mean anything to people whose style is to comment on issues they barely understand, or just to shoot down anything coming from the government, he said, Mohammed slammed the PDP for daring to challenge the Federal Government over an issue that the party knows is its weakness: Lootingof public treasury. What was the PDP expecting when it challenged the FG to name the looters of the public treasury under the partys watch? Did the PDP actually believe that the massive looting under its watch was a joke? Did they think it is April Fool? he queried. The Minister said the PDPs reaction to the looters list had shown that its recent apology was an election-induced act, contrived to deceive unsuspecting Nigerians to vote for the party in the 2019 general election. He contended that the party even had not come clean on its looting spree during its time in office. The hysterical and panicky reaction from the PDP has shown that the party is not at all sincere about its choreographed apology. Were it not the case, the party would have followed in the footsteps of one of its leaders, Sen Ibrahim Mantu, who simply owned up to his role in the partys rigging in the past elections and said he had turned a newleaf. It is said that a true confession is done in humility with an attitude of repentance. It is clear that the PDP does not know this, hence its resort to hubris instead of humility and genuine penitence, he said. Mohammed said the Federal Government would neither be intimidated nor blackmailed into silence. Reacting to the controversial confession, Okupe said all political parties in the country, including the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), are guilty of election malpractices, adding that all elections - past and present - are rigged. He said Mantu "spoke as a true compatriot" and should not be misrepresented. Okupe stated this on Monday, April 2, 2018, via his Facebook page. He said, "For the avoidance of doubt, ALL elections are RIGGED in Nigeria from 1959 to date, without ANY exceptions. "This rigging is all-encompassing and involves all political parties from action group, NCNC, NPC to NRC, SDP, PDP, AD, ACN, CPC AND APC. "If anyone says anything to the contrary, such persons are wilfully perjured individuals and the true enemies of progress in Nigeria. Mantu spoke as a true patriot who desires true and genuine change. "Suddenly the substance of his honest disposition is lost to partisan blame game that has not advanced our course of history in any way. "People like Ibrahim Mantu and late President Yaradua who even openly admitted that the election that brought him to power was faulty, are heroes of this country." Gubernatorial elections Okupe said all governorship elections in the country won by the ruling party buttressing that the polls are rigged to favour the incumbent power. "How can anybody claim that only PDP rigs elections in Nigeria?" he asked. "Parties in Nigeria rig both intra and interparty elections from wards through local governments all the way to National elections from time immemorial. "Are we not witnesses to the undeniable fact that in all state elections, no matter how civilized, innocuous or God-fearing the state governors pretend to be, all state elections, No matter the political party involved, are won by the ruling party in the state 100%. "For a truth, it is only in the southwest and a few other zones that a modicum resemblance to an election actually do take place. in most other parts of the country. Nothing like elections take place or better still the charade of people lining up and casting their votes is just a mere ritual that has nothing to do with the results announced. "It is in our overall interest that we take what Mantu said seriously and for posterity sake, let us sit down and plan how to conduct proper free and fair elections in our country. Democracy is mocked if people have the right to vote but their votes do not count." ALSO READ: Doyin Okupe says there may be no election in 2019 There was a first list and on Easter Sunday, we received a second containing 23 names. Interestingly the name 'Goodluck Jonathan' is nowhere near both lists which ostensibly has the blessings of President Muhammadu Buhari. This piece isnt saying Jonathan is culpable of looting or that all those who appeared on that list are guilty as charged. Far from it. This piece only seeks to ask if some names are being deliberately left out of the list only because they are sacred cows. Mohammed said the APC led federal government had been provoked by the PDP into making the looters list public. Challenged The PDP has challenged us to name the looters under their watch. They said they did not loot the treasury. Well, I am sure they know that the treasury was looted dry under their watch. Yet they decided to grandstand. This shows the hollowness of their apology. Let's just give them a teaser with this list, Alhaji Mohammed said triumphantly. In unveiling the second list, Mohammed scoffed at the PDP for saying the first list was too short. At the press conference where the list was released, I did say it was a tip of the iceberg. Apparently, this does not mean anything to people whose style is to comment on issues they barely understand, or just to shoot down anything coming from the government. The Federal Government has a large number of alleged looters on its list. What was the PDP expecting when it challenged the FG to name the looters of the public treasury under the partys watch? Did the PDP actually believe that the massive looting under its watch was a joke? 'Looters' Inc Mohammeds looters list has names like PDP national Chairman Uche Secondus, former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, Senator Stella Oduah, former CG of Customs Inde Dikko, former Petroleum Resources minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Plateau Governor Jonah Jang, former PDP spokesperson Olisa Metuh, former Jonathan election campaign boss Femi Fani-Kayode, AIT owner Raymond Dokpesi and former SSA to President Jonathan on domestic matters Dudafa Waripamo-Owei, among others. According to the list, everyone named stole hundreds of millions to billions of Naira. They are also a couple of persons on that list who directly served under Jonathan and who have told us in court statements that they were only carrying out Jonathans instructions in disbursement of monies. In court testimonies, a couple of the accused persons say they acted on instructions handed down by the nation's Commander-in-Chief at the time, Goodluck Jonathan. Election Only recently, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo stopped short of mentioning Jonathan when he said during the last administration, the sums of N150billion and $289million were withdrawn from the treasury just days before the 2015 general election. If the federal government is naming just about everyone who worked under Jonathan in its list of looters, why is the man who allegedly instructed that monies be withdrawn and passed around in his name, not getting any kind of mention? If anything, Jonathan's name has been mentioned subliminally by government officials. Nah, we want more. Some of the persons mentioned have promised to sue the federal government and just as well. However, we are either fighting an all-out corruption war or we are not. If Olisa Metuh for instance says he only acted on Jonathans instructions and Diezani and Dasuki have said something similar in media and court statements, it only makes sense to have Jonathans name at the top of the list. In a parliamentary session, Abiy formally replaced Hailemariam Desalegn, whose surprise resignation in February came after more than two years of anti-government protests led by the Oromo. "Ethiopians living abroad and Ethiopians living here, we need to forgive each other from the bottom of our hearts," Abiy said in a speech after he was sworn in. Abiy, 42, a former minister of science and technology, takes the reins of one of Africa's fastest-growing and most-populous economies amid hopes that he will change the EPRDF's authoritarian style of governing. More than 1,100 people are being held without trial under a state of emergency declared after Hailemariam's resignation. They include dissidents who had been freed just months earlier in a mass prisoner amnesty ordered by Hailemariam. While he made no mention of the emergency decree in his speech, Abiy reached out to the country's opposition politicians, many of whom were incarcerated during Hailemariam's time. "We will not be seeing you as enemies, but be seeing you as brothers," Abiy said. Unrest among the Oromos started in late 2015 over a government development plan they decried as unfair, and soon spread to the country's second-largest ethnicity, the Amhara. The protests resulted in hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of arrests and only stopped after Ethiopia was placed under emergency rule for 10 months from October 2016. Referring to people who were hurt or jailed in the protests, Abiy said "I apologise from the bottom of my heart." He also extended an olive branch to Eritrea, Ethiopia's one-time province turned arch-enemy, after a two-year war that started in 1998. "For the common good of the two countries, not only for our benefit but for the two nations which are tied by blood, we are ready to solve our differences with discussion," Abiy said. IS has largely been defeated since storming across the region in 2014, but still clings to pockets of territory in eastern Syria and maintains the ability to launch deadly attacks. Albu Kamal was a long-time stronghold of the jihadists that they lost in the face of a Russian-backed offensive at the end of 2017. The Observatory says the group now holds less than five percent of territory in Syria, mainly pockets in the deserts of eastern and central regions. But the group managed to launch a surprise strike in the capital Damascus last month that saw them capture the Qadam district. Bio came out narrowly ahead in the first round of voting last month, but the result of Saturday's run-off election is not expected before Monday or Tuesday, after all the votes from 11,000 polling stations are counted in the poor West African nation. "We are on the view that the election took place in an environment that (was) peaceful, that the process was transparent and credible," Amos Sawyer, head of the monitoring group sent by the 15-nation ECOWAS, said Sunday. The observation mission "is satisfied with the conduct" of Saturday's vote, though there were some "issues", he added. The West African bloc observers noted that some polling stations opened late and also voiced concern at the "sometimes intimidating" deployment of armed security agents at voting centres which "caused panic among voters". The government had said that the tight security was to ensure a peaceful poll but the opposition feared it could dissuade some supporters from turning out. Civil war memories run deep According to analysts, the election results will be tight. Bio, 53, said Saturday that the voting appeared peaceful and added he found the process to be "fair, transparent and credible". He was credited with 43.3 percent to 42.7 for Kamara -- a margin of just 15,000 votes -- after the March 7 first round in the West African country where political loyalties are often divided along ethnic lines and traumatic memories of the 1991-2002 civil war run deep. A total of 3.1 million people were registered to vote in the first presidential poll since a 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak which killed 4,000 people. Also marring outgoing Koroma's decade-long tenure was a mudslide that struck the capital Freetown last year, killing hundreds of people. International observers -- from the EU and the African Union as well as ECOWAS -- were deployed throughout the country and were also monitoring the vote counting. One of the world's poorest nations despite huge metals and diamond deposits, Sierra Leone is recovering only gradually from war and disease. Its economy remains in a fragile state with corruption widespread in the former British colony. An economist by training, Kamara, 66, was foreign minister until last year when he stepped down to pursue the presidency under the APC flag, despite lacking strong party support. He has promised to deliver improvements in health, education and infrastructure. The key to victory lies with whoever wins Kono, a diamond-rich district in the east of the country generally regarded as a "swing state," Abu said. The runoff had been scheduled for last Tuesday but was delayed so the High Court could hear an APC complaint of ballot tampering. The court lifted an injunction on Monday, but the National Electoral Commission said it needed four extra days for preparation. Bio has blasted the government's closeness to China, while Kamara is presenting himself as a continuity candidate. The campaign was characterised by ugly verbal exchanges and sporadic violence with Bio accusing the APC of using police intimidation against his party. Winnie Madikizela Mandela was wife of Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president and freedom fighter. Winnie endured a tainted reputation after Mandela emerged from prison after 27 years. In 2016, Winnie left hospital after undergoing surgery on her back. She's been in and out of hospital since that time. Winnie went for surgery and follow-up procedure early March of 2016. Born Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela, and always known simply as "Winnie", she was married to Nelson for 38 years -- one of the most storied romances of modern history. Most of their marriage was spent apartwith Nelson imprisoned for 27 years, leaving her to raise their two daughters alone and to keep alive his political dream under the repressive white-minority regime. In 1990 the world watched when Nelson Mandela finally walked out of prison -- hand in hand with Winnie. Separation But they separated just two years later and divorced in 1996 after a legal wranglethat revealed her affair with a young bodyguard. AFP writes that with or without Nelson, Winnie built her own role as a tough, glamourous and outspoken black activist with a loyal grassroots following in the segregated townships. "From every situation I have found myself in, you can read the political heat in the country," she said in a biography. Winnie was born September 26, 1936, in the village of Mbongweni in what is now Eastern Cape. She completed university, a rarity for black women at the time, and became the first qualified social worker at Johannesburg's Baragwanath Hospital. It was her political awakening, especially her research work in Alexandra township on infant mortality, which found 10 deaths in every 1,000 births. "I started to realise the abject poverty under which most people were forced to live, the appalling conditions created by the inequalities of the system," she said. Arrested Nelson and Winnie got married in June 1958, but Mandela soon went underground, hounded by the apartheid authorities. In October that year, Winnie was arrested for the first time at a protest by women against the pass system that restricted movements of black people in white-designated areas. After Nelson was sentenced to life in prison in 1964, Winnie was also in and out of jail as the police hounded her in a bid to demoralise him. He is new to New York and has never worked in the system, unlike his predecessor, Carmen Farina, who spent 52 years in the citys schools. His new boss, Bill de Blasio, is a second-term mayor with likely ambitions for higher office and a reputation as a micromanager. At the news conference where his appointment was announced, Carranza declared that there was no daylight between himself and the mayor, which makes it hard to know how much he will set a new course for the school system or push on issues, like segregation, that the administration has soft-pedaled. Carranza comes to New York by way of Houston where he had a short stint as superintendent. Before that, he worked in San Francisco; Clark County, Nevada; and Tucson, Arizona, where he grew up. As he steps into his new position, here are some of the biggest issues he will face. Taking Action on Segregation A 2014 report found that New York City has one of the most segregated school systems in the country. Nearly 70 percent of students are black and Latino, and they overwhelmingly go to school in racially isolated classrooms, with few white and Asian children. De Blasio and Farina have repeatedly blamed the citys segregated neighborhoods and have suggested there is little they can do. Even after facing intense public pressure, they have taken only modest steps, such as setting aside seats in some schools for low-income students. When the mayor released what had been billed as a bigger vision for integrating schools, he resisted even using the word segregated. A high-profile example of the problem is the lack of black and Latino students at the eight specialized high schools where admission is decided by a single test. This spring, only 10 percent of offers at these schools went to black and Latino students. When de Blasio was running for mayor in 2013, he pledged to diversify these schools, but more recently he has suggested that his hands are tied and that any change must come from the state. What to Do About Renewal De Blasio came into office pledging to lift up low-performing schools, rather than close them, as his predecessor, Michael Bloomberg, had done. But his $582 million Renewal initiative, which flooded 94 schools with resources while subjecting them to sometimes contradictory directives, has produced disappointing results. This year, the city proposed closing eight of the schools the largest number it had ever closed in one year drawing protests from parents and elected officials. Carranza will have to decide whether to continue the initiative, whose future looks cloudy; the official who led the effort was recently moved aside, and no successor has been named. Fifty schools are expected to remain in the program next year. Another challenge: The citys Education Department has said that, to replace some of the schools it is closing, it will open eight new schools in the fall, something that this administration has little experience doing. Closing the Achievement Gap Though the city has made real progress on increasing overall graduation rates, the academic divides between different groups of students are yawning. Citywide, the graduation rate last year was 87.5 percent for Asian students and 83.2 percent for white students. For black students, the rate was 70 percent and for Hispanic students, 68.3 percent. Just 32.5 percent of students still learning English graduated. Even within the same school, black and Hispanic students and those who live in poverty can fall behind their peers. A study from the Center for New York City Affairs at The New School looked at student performance for third through fifth graders on the 2016 state math exam, and it found the poorer the students, the lower their scores tended to be on the test, even if they attended school with wealthy children. The issue is far from unique to New York. In San Francisco, Carranza faced a similar gap: African-American children there have long scored among the lowest in California on standardized tests. Its fair to say that like all the superintendents before him he was not able to find the magic formula, said Norman Yee, a member of the board of supervisors in San Francisco and a former president of the citys Board of Education. A Citys Worth of Homeless Children In San Francisco, where Carranza spent his longest-tenure as a superintendent, he oversaw about 55,000 children. In New York, double that number more than 111,500 students were homeless at some point during the 2016-17 school year. That is 10 percent of the citys public school population. Those homeless students include anyone in a temporary living situation, which could include children living in a car or a hotel or staying on the sofa at a friends house. In addition to the emotional toll, the academic effects of homelessness can be severe. Homeless students are chronically absent at far higher rates than other children, are more likely to drop out than their peers and less likely to graduate or to test on grade level. Even after finding housing, the Education Trust-New York found that formerly homeless children continue to struggle academically for years. Equity in Early Childhood Education Following through on a campaign promise, de Blasio in his first term created a public prekindergarten seat for every 4-year-old in the city. He is now planning to go further, creating thousands of seats for 3-year-olds in what he is calling 3-K. But while the prekindergarten initiative has been popular among parents, it has caused problems for the previously existing system that provides free or subsidized child care and early education to low-income families. Home-based child care providers have lost income and stand to lose more as 3-K is rolled out. So-called EarlyLearn centers, which serve infants to 5-year-olds and, unlike prekindergarten classes in public schools, are open 10 hours a day and do not close for school vacations are struggling to retain teachers, because teachers in public schools can make as much as $30,000 more per year. Many centers have had to close classrooms because they cannot find teachers to oversee them. Directors of these programs have begged the city to address the salary disparity, which they say has drawn experienced teachers away from classrooms serving low-income children who need those teachers the most to classrooms serving higher-income children. The narrative out of City Hall is that the signature initiative is early childhood education, and how that has helped low-income families, said David Nocenti, executive director of Union Settlement, which serves roughly 350 children in centers in East Harlem. The reality is quite different. Fixing Special Education About 200,000 New York City public school children are identified as having a disability, which can range from mild learning differences to severe challenges. Spending on special education has increased under the de Blasio administration, while results for these students remain poor. The graduation rate among students with disabilities last year was just 46.7 percent, and the enormous system that serves them is riddled with problems. According to an annual report that the Education Department makes to the City Council, 48,000 students during the last school year received only some of the services they needed, or none at all. Highlighting an additional area of vast shortcomings, the citys public advocate, Letitia James, found that in the 2015-16 school year nearly half of the 9,000 issued vouchers, which allow students to receive services their schools cannot provide, went unused, in part because there were too few therapists in certain parts of the city. The Special Education Student Information System, the electronic platform that tracks student needs and services, is also riddled with problems that, for example, lead it to provide incomplete information about whether students are receiving the services they need. Getting Along with Charters De Blasio ran for office criticizing charter schools and promising to halt the practice of giving them space in public school buildings, but he soon got a lesson in the danger of going head-to-head with their wealthy supporters. In 2014, the year that de Blasio took office, a pro-charter group spent $9.6 million on lobbying, more than any other organization in the state, much of it on advertisements attacking him. Since then his administration has at times struggled to navigate its relationship with the citys 227 charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately operated and serve roughly 10 percent of the citys public school students. Perhaps the biggest challenge in the coming years will be finding space for new or expanding charter schools. Under legislation passed in 2014, the city must provide space for these schools or be responsible for at least part of their rent. But nearly every decision to place a charter school inside a school building is controversial, requiring other schools to squeeze into less space. Farina has at times been disparaging of charters, and charter leaders are hoping that Carranzas arrival will be an opportunity for a reset. James Merriman, chief executive officer of the New York City Charter School Center, said he hoped Carranza would embrace charter schools as partners. He suggested that Carranza could ask charter leaders to start schools specifically aimed at serving homeless students, for instance, or, with a change in state law, ask a high-performing charter to take over an elementary school zone and enroll all students in the zone rather than admit students through a lottery. If hes willing to meet the sector at that level and see us as full partners, hell find people on the other side, and together with philanthropy, we could do some interesting things, Merriman said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. The first blockchain was created in 2009 as a new kind of database for the virtual currency bitcoin, where all transactions could be stored without any banks or governments involved. Now, countless entrepreneurs, companies and governments are looking to use similar databases often independent of bitcoin to solve some of the most intractable issues facing society. People feel the need to move away from something like Facebook and toward something that allows them to have ownership of their own data, said Ryan Shea, a co-founder of Blockstack, a New York company working with blockchain technology. The creator of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee, has said the blockchain could help reduce the big internet companies influence and return the web to his original vision. But he has also warned that it could come with some of the same problems as the web. Blockchain allows information to be stored and exchanged by a network of computers without any central authority. In theory, this egalitarian arrangement also makes it harder for data to be altered or hacked. Investors, for one, see potential. While the price of bitcoin and other virtual currencies has plummeted this year, investment in other blockchain projects has remained strong. In the first three months of 2018, venture capitalists put half a billion dollars into 75 blockchain projects, more than double what they raised in the last quarter of 2017, according to data from Pitchbook. Most of the projects have not gotten beyond pilot testing, and many are aimed at transforming mundane corporate tasks like financial trading and accounting. But some experiments promise to transform fundamental things, like the way we vote and the way we interact online. There is just so much it can do, said Bradley Tusk, a former campaign manager for Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, who has recently thrown his weight behind several blockchain projects. I love the fact that you can transmit data, information and choices in a way that is really hard to hack really hard to disrupt and that can be really efficient. Tusk, founder of Tusk Strategies, is an investor in some large virtual currency companies. He has also supported efforts aimed at getting governments to move voting online to blockchain-based systems. Tusk argues that blockchains could make reliable online voting possible because the votes could be recorded in a tamper-proof way. Everything is moving toward people saying, I want all the benefits of the internet, but I want to protect my privacy and my security,' he said. The only thing I know that can reconcile those things is the blockchain. Blockchains assemble data into blocks that are chained together using complicated math. Since each block is built off the last one and includes information like time stamps, any attempt to go back and alter existing data would be highly complicated. In the original bitcoin blockchain, the data in the blocks is information about bitcoin wallets and transactions. The blocks of data in the bitcoin blockchain and most of its imitators are kept by a peer-to-peer computer network. The novel structure allows people to set up online accounts that can securely hold valuable personal information without having to trust a single entity that can hoard, abuse or lose control of the data, as happened with Facebook and the consumer credit reporting agency Equifax. A range of corporations and governments are trying to apply the blockchain model for projects from the prosaic to the radical. Various departments of the United Nations now have blockchain experiments looking to tackle climate change, the delivery of humanitarian aid and the identity challenges faced by stateless people. Coca-Cola and the State Department recently announced a project to register foreign employees on a blockchain in an attempt to eliminate forced labor. These experiments have drawn skepticism from bitcoin aficionados, who say blockchains are being applied to problems that could be more easily solved with old-fashioned databases. Other critics say the rapid pace of blockchain development could lead to the same problem facing the broader tech industry: a willingness to disrupt and overthrow old systems before the replacement has been thoroughly tested. The blockchain industry is ready and waiting to say, Yes, we are the solution, and they have every incentive to do so, said Angela Walch, a research fellow at the Center for Blockchain Technologies at University College London. But somebody needs to ask the question: Is it actually better? Is it measurably better?' Many blockchain projects opened themselves to criticism and regulatory scrutiny by raising money through initial coin offerings last year. These fundraising campaigns often brought in tens of millions of dollars in minutes with little regulatory oversight. But new blockchain efforts continue apace, motivated in no small part by concerns about the emergence of internet giants like Facebook and YouTube. Most of the biggest internet companies make their money from collecting personal information and using it to sell targeted advertisements. This kind of massive data collection makes them vulnerable to hackers and outsiders who want to leverage the data as was evident when Cambridge Analytica improperly gained access to 50 million Facebook profiles. And startups are using the blockchain in an attempt to pry control of all that data out of their hands. Blockstack has built a way to record the basic details about your identity on a blockchain database and then use that identity to set up accounts with other online projects that are built on top of it. The animating force behind the project is that users rather than Blockstack or any other company would end up in control of all the data they generate with any online service. Blockstack is one of several blockchain-based projects hoping to create a new generation of online services that dont rely on having unfettered access to our personal information. The idea has gained enough steam that in the days after news of Facebooks relationship with Cambridge Analytica broke, Twitter was filled with people calling for blockchain-based alternatives. As Facebook is collapsing we need to replace it with a blockchain based, decentralized platform! one user, @GerdMoeBehrens, wrote. #blockchain WE NEED U NOW!!! wrote another, @andymartin46. But Berners-Lee has warned that the development of the blockchain could come with unintended consequences, like more activity from criminals operating outside the oversight of governments. Even blockchain advocates say the hype has conditioned people to think that good answers are close at hand, when it could take five or 10 years for the technology to properly develop. In fact, most blockchain projects are still plagued by concerns about privacy. For example, the widely used bitcoin blockchain allows certain data details of the transactions between users to be seen by anyone, even if other data the users identities remains obscured. Voting startups have solved this by encrypting the data before putting it on a blockchain, but there are questions about whether this will solve other privacy concerns. Blockchain-based accounts also rely on users keeping their own passwords or private keys, which people are famously bad at doing. With bitcoin, when people lose their private key they lose access to the money in their account if someone lost the private key to a blockchain-based online account, they could lose access to their identity. Were not saying that tomorrow you can switch the flip and a blockchain is going to solve these problems, said Michael Casey, a co-author of The Truth Machine, a new book on the blockchain. Whats important is how it opens the door to a new way of thinking about the problems we face. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. The charges were waived for parents in Wales last year. May said in a statement, In the raw pain of immediate loss, it cannot be right that grieving parents should have to worry about how to meet the funeral costs for a child they hoped to see grow into adulthood. In the darkest moment of any parents life there is little light, but there can be support, she added. Labour Left, a research organization tied to Britains main opposition party, said on Twitter that the fund would be financed with 10 million pounds, or about $14 million. The prime ministers office noted that about 4,350 children under the age of 18 died every year and that their families faced thousands of pounds in local authority fees for burial or cremation costs. Those costs can vary considerably, though some councils waive the fees. Harris, a member of Parliament for the Welsh constituency of Swansea East, celebrated the announcement on Twitter. This victory will mean parents who are going through the toughest time in their life will have one less thing to worry about, she wrote. In a video, she said, I just wish it hadnt taken so long. May lauded the dignity and strength of Harris, who had been at the forefront of the campaign to abolish child funeral fees after she had to take out a loan to bury her son. The prime minister said she had asked for the fund to be set up for Carolyn, in memory of her son Martin. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Elementary and middle school students across Indiana will showcase businesses they developed through a Purdue University program that promotes entrepreneurship in the classroom. The Classroom Business Enterprise showcase will take place from 10:30 a.m. to noon April 12 in the Krannert Building's Krannert Drawing Room. The event will feature businesses started by students and teachers from schools in Lafayette, as well as statewide. The event, which is free and open to the public, serves as a market where students display their products and business start-ups. Classrooms received funding, training and support from the Purdue Center for Economic Education, which coordinates the program and the annual showcase. The Indiana Council for Economic Education also provides support, helping to extend the program across Indiana. Students and teachers love this program because it is fun and it fosters real-world learning. It was initially introduced to cover Indianas standards for economics, said David Perkis, director of the Purdue Center for Economic Education, located in the Krannert School of Management. However, teachers have used their business start-ups to provide instruction in data analysis, communications, leadership, and the STEM fields. A new teacher recently shared of his students who traditionally struggle with mathematics easily working with numeric decimals when focused on their business, even though they had not formally covered this topic in class. Such testimonials are not uncommon. After receiving training and ongoing support, teachers help students create a real-money, profitable business while incorporating economic priniciples and entrepreneurial skills into their curriculum. The ventures range from recycled products to handmade fashion accessories, and profits are rolled over into next years classroom or donated to charity. During the showcase, business experts from Purdue and local corporations offer constructive feedback. Research suggests that providing professional development to teachers and integrating authentic learning experiences are effective ways to help student better understand and apply economic thinking and financial decision making in their lives, said Jeff Sanson, executive director of the Indiana Council for Economic Education in the Department of Agricultural Economics. The decision making that students experience in the CBE program could be applied not only to future entrpenereurially endeavors, but also later in life as they weigh the job and career prospects of a given education path, or assess the cost of education and their ability to repay based on potential earnings. For more information or to get involved with the program, visit the Classroom Business Enerprise website. To support the program or become a sponsor, donate to the Purdue Center for Economic Education here, select other and specify your gift designation as CBE 18. The center is offering black and gold level sponsorships ranging from $500 to $2,000. State Street Redevelopment Project construction is in process. This work is closing portions of Stadium Avenue, McCormick Road, Airport Road and Williams Street and significantly affecting surrounding thoroughfares in West Lafayette. For construction and project information, visit www.statestreetwl.com. Writer: Joseph Paul, 765-494-9541, paul102@purdue.edu Sources: David Perkis, perkis@purdue.edu Jeff Sanson, jjsanson@purdue.edu WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. The 2018 Purdue Student Pugwash Midwest Regional Conference will examine the social and ethical dimensions relating to climate change and society. The two-day conference, titled Climate Change: How to Sustain our Future, will open at 6 p.m. on April 13 in Purdue Memorial Union West Faculty Lounge. Registration will begin at 5:30 p.m. On April 14, the conference will continue at 8:30 a.m. in Stewart Center, Room 279. Winona LaDuke, Native American environmentalist and political activist, will be the keynote speaker. Other speakers include Jeffrey Dukes, director of Purdue Climate Change Research Center and professor of forestry and natural resources and biological sciences, and Manjana Milkoreit, a Purdue assistant professor of political science. The conference is free to attend, but registration is required. Following the conference on April 14, there will be an interactive workshop featuring a climate simulation, case study on climate change ethics and a conference debate. The workshop will be held from noon to 5:30 p.m. Applications for the workshop can be found here and are due March 24. Purdue Student Pugwash is an organization dedicated to empowering and equipping students to identify, critically analyze and shape the ethical, political and societal dimensions of space and technology. Pugwash has been on campus for 28 years and has been hosting the regional conference since 2006. Writer: Kelsey Schnieders Lefever, kschnied@purdue.edu Sources: Rachel Svetanoff, president of Purdue Student Pugwash and vice president of Student Pugwash USA, rsvetano@purdue.edu QUIZ: Guess the Road Songs We can't wait to get back on the road again! Play this quiz and see if how many you can get right! Mitsubishi Corp subsidiary MTF Logistics has leased 62 flat wagons from EVR Cargo subsidiary WagonPro. They are to be used on container services between the Port of Muuga and Koidula on the Russian border. EVR Cargo already cooperates with MTF Logistics on two intermodal routes. Ex-VIM Airlines CEO, chief accountant to stay detained in embezzlement case flickr.com/Anna Zvereva 15:59 02/04/2018 MOSCOW, April 2 (RAPSI) The Moscow City Court has upheld a ruling to extend detention for ex-CEO of VIM Airlines Alexander Kochnev and chief accountant Yekaterina Panteleyeva charged with embezzlement, the courts press service has told RAPSI. The defendants will remain in jail until May 28. According to investigators, VIM Airlines official continued to sell tickets to clients despite being aware that the airline was not able to transfer passengers because there were not enough funds to buy fuel. Investigators believe that the employees embezzled more than one million rubles ($17,000). Kochnev and Panteleyeva have been arrested as part of the case. Co-owners of VIM Airlines Rashid Mursekayev and Svetlana Mursekayeva fled Russia and are currently residing abroad, according to investigators. Allegedly Mursekayev and Kalashnikova fled Russia to hide from investigative authorities. In December, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow issued an arrest warrant for Mursekayev in absentia. The head of the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviation) Aleksandr Neradko has been questioned as part of the case. Investigators also believe that between 2015 and 2017 the defendants abused their office positions to buy overpriced aviation fuel from companies controlled by Mursekayev. Turkish preacher Gulen arrested in absentia over Russian ambassadors murder - report Embassy of the Russian Federation in Turkey 16:56 02/04/2018 MOSCOW, April 2 (RAPSI) A court in Turkey on Monday issued an arrest warrant for the Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen and seven other individuals in absentia over the murder of Russias ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov, the Turkish newspaper Haberturk reported. Turkeys prosecutors believe that these eight people have organized the diplomats killing in December 2016, according to the newspaper. On December 19, 2016, the off-duty police officer Mevlut Mert Altintas opened fire at an art gallery in Ankara when Karlov was giving a speech, according to Turkish officials. The ambassador was mortally wounded. At least three other persons were injured. The gunman was later killed by police officers in a shootout. Videos of the assassination taken by journalists give investigators a reason to believe that the gunmans actions and speech were related to his opinion concerning Russias policy in combating international terrorism. In January 2018, Turkish police arrested a man, who allegedly was a key player in the assassination of the Russian ambassador. He has been earlier arrested as a member of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) led by U.S.- based cleric Gulen. The preacher is also suspected of organizing a coup in Turkey in the summer of 2016. The Investigative Committee of Russia has opened a criminal case over the murder of Karlov. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Karlov had been despicably killed. The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in turn characterized the murder of Russian ambassador as a terrorist attack aimed at deterioration of relations between the countries after the beginning of their normalization. Alleged curator of suicide social network to go on trial 18:11 02/04/2018 MOSCOW, April 2 (RAPSI) The Chelyabinsk Regional Court will hear a case against an alleged curator of the infamous social network group Blue Whale Ilya Sidorov charged with incitement to suicide, the courts spokesperson Yevgeniya Natsiyevskaya told RAPSI on Monday. The court overturned a lower courts ruling to return the case to prosecutors. On May 17, 2017, a girl of 14 was taken to a hospital following a suicide attempt. According to investigators, she attempted to commit suicide after murder threats she received from an unknown man through the Internet. Investigators identified the man as Sidorov, 26. He entered into correspondence with the teenage girl and instructed her to commit suicide. When the girl refused, he began threatening her with murder. Sidorov has been charged with incitement to suicide and extortion. U.S. President Trump refuses to pardon pilot Yaroshenko Russian ombudsman RIA Novosti 13:42 02/04/2018 MOSCOW, April 2 (RAPSI) U.S. President Donald Trump found no grounds for pardoning Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, who is serving a 20-year sentence in the U.S. for conspiracy to smuggle cocaine, the press service of Human Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova told RAPSI on Monday. Investigation into the Russian pilots case has been conducted in compliance of democratic rules, and the sentence passed on Yaroshenko is reasonable and lawful, the letter which Trump sent to Moskalkova reads. Moreover, in February, Moskalkova asked Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons Mark S. Inch for checking prison conditions of Yaroshenko. According to the request directed to Inch, Moskalkova was concerned about tightening of his sentence conditions. In particular, the pilot has been prohibited from buying food and medicine. Additionally, the number of visits and walks was to be limited for Yaroshenko in March 2018. Toughening of prison conditions contradicts both international standards set for penitentiary institutions and operational policy of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Russias ombudsman stated. According to the U.S. response, prison conditions of Yaroshenko were checked, no violations of his rights were found. Konstantin Yaroshenko was arrested in Liberia on May 28, 2010 and flown to the United States soon afterwards. On September 7, 2011, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for colluding to smuggle cocaine into the United States. He was caught after replying to an advertisement posted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents who claimed they were selling a cargo plane for $1. He is serving time in the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, New Jersey. In May 2016, a U.S. court dismissed his appeal for a retrial. Russias Foreign Ministry said this is evidence that Yaroshenkos conviction was politically influenced. It was reported in February 2014 that Yaroshenko experienced strong migraine headaches and heart pain, which could be symptoms of a possible heart attack. Moscow has repeatedly expressed concern over the pilots health and pledged to continue working to ensure respect of his rights in the United States. Property details: 10 acres of vacant land for investment or build your own Country Home. 10 acres or 435,600 sqft. of land located in Kramer Hills Area and close to Barstow. Property is less than 2 miles south of Highway 58 and 10 miles East of Highway 395. Caltrans is currently planning on expanding Highway 395 making it a four lane highway from Victorville all the way to Kramer Junction providing better access to travelers. Helendale Road is to the east of the property and it runs north and south from Barstow t... 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It is taken as evidence of sub-par investigation and prosecution, leading to a failure to secure convictions of wrongdoers. The poor conviction rate may also be a reflection of the many unwarranted investigations that are launched. The putative reasons for this two-dimensional failure are inadequate human and material resources, centralisation of authority with a monolithic police system and dysfunctional mechanisms for enforcing accountability at all levels. This article proposes a new line of action to improve the performance of our principal investigative system, the police system under the states. Under the current arrangement, the state police is the investigative agency for almost all criminal offences. The exceptions include offences investigated by the tax authorities, Securities and Exchange Board of India and the Enforcement Directorate. This means that our police force is tasked with investigating criminal offences of great diversity. They include violent criminal offences such as murder, kidnapping, robbery and rioting. However, they also include offences of a non-violent nature (white collar offences) such as financial fraud, cheating, cyber offences and corrupt acts of public officials. It is evident that the resources and expertise required for investigating violent offences are markedly different from those required for investigating offences of a non-violent nature. In particular, investigation of financial fraud may require expertise in understanding legal documents such as contract deeds, share purchase agreements, and finance and accounting principles. Similarly, investigation of a cyber offence such as identity theft, another offence of a non-violent nature, may require expertise in information technology. The point is that the skill-sets and equipment required for investigating offences of a non-violent nature are radically different from those required for investigating violent offences. Increasing complexity in the domains of finance, technology and so on will further widen the gulf between such requirements. Violent offences have usually been the primary focus of the police system in India. This is the way it should be, as violent offences have a direct and negative association with the maintenance of public order, which itself is the foremost responsibility of any government. However, the increasing use of technology and the deepening complexity of trade and finance are correspondingly enhancing the disruptive potential of non-violent offences. For example, hacking can massively disrupt our interconnected society, and a well-disguised Ponzi scheme can ruin millions of lives. Investigation of such ruinous, though non-violent, offences should no longer be a subsidiary activity of a police system focussed on violent offences and public order. The focus areas inevitably crowd out the resources and attention allocated to the non-focus areas. To remedy this, a separate 'Investigation Agency (Other Offences)' or IA(OO), can be created under the state governments, with the expertise and resources required for investigating non-violent offences. State police forces can continue to focus on investigating violent offences and maintaining public order. Government officials and outside experts with domain knowledge in finance, accounts, law and information technology can be appointed to the IA(OO). State governments have cadres of finance/accounts officers, law officers and technical officers, and in the initial stages, these cadres can be used for staffing the IA(OO). This proposal is not entirely untested, though it may seem novel. Agencies like the ED, Sebi and the tax authorities already have a system in which the entire investigation work for criminal offences under the relevant Acts is done in-house, without any role for the state police. Another advantage of creating an IA(OO) may be the accountability dividend flowing from breaking up the investigative function from a monolithic police system. Centralisation of public service functions in one agency invariably militates against efficiency and accountability. This is a statement about institutional behaviour in a certain context, and is not meant to deny the commitment of many who serve in the police system. The allocation of the investigative jurisdiction over complaints of corruption on the part of public officials -- including police officials -- to the IA(OO) would act as a check on the abuse of powers by police officials. The vigilance role in respect of IA(OO) officials can, reciprocally, be left to the police system. This arrangement would serve as a system of internal checks and balances within the state governments. These are only the broad contours of the proposal, which would have to be refined further, with more details being filled in as needed. The political effort required for fashioning such a new specialised agency would have to be backed by public opinion. In view of the growing socio-economic importance of efficiently investigating non-violent offences with huge social and economic costs, such a reform is urgently needed. Alok Tiwari is Deputy Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India. After the Delhi high court's ruling, blanket exclusion of genetic disorders from coverage is likely to become a thing of the past. Sanjay Kumar Singh reports. A recent judgment by the Delhi high court, in a case where a person was denied payment by an insurance company on the ground that genetic disorders are not covered by its policy, is expected to lead to far-reaching changes. The court's order is expected to force the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to come out with clearer guidelines regarding which genetic ailments get covered, which don't, and under what circumstances. Facts of the case Jai Prakash Tayal had purchased a mediclaim policy from the National Insurance in 2000, which he later shifted to United India Insurance in September 2004. Tayal suffers from Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy. He was hospitalised in November 2011 and filed a claim for Rs 778,864. The insurer rejected his claim citing the genetic exclusion clause in its insurance policy. This was despite the insurer having reimbursed earlier claims for the same ailment. Tayal appealed to a trial court which ruled in his favour. The genetic clause was not part of the policy when Tayal had purchased it, and was inserted later. The trial court said that fresh exclusions cannot be added to insurance policies at the time of renewal. The Delhi high court, too, recently ruled in Tayal's favour. The judgment also made the bigger point that the current exclusionary clause for genetic disorders in insurance policies is too broad, ambiguous and discriminatory. It has asked IRDAI to relook at the exclusionary clause in insurance contracts and ensure that insurers do not reject claims on the basis of exclusions relating to genetic disorders. Costs may rise Insurers say that covering genetic disorders in general mediclaim policies will push up the cost of these policies. "While we do not discourage such covers, we are equally aware that providing this cover in the general bouquet of ailments covered will increase the premium," says V Jagannathan, CMD, Star Health and Allied Insurance. His company, he adds, offers specific policies for specific genetic disorders. For instance, it has a policy called Star Special Care that covers Down Syndrome. Insurers say they are willing to work towards covering these ailments. "Genetic disorder is a broad term. To differentiate between which genetic conditions can be covered and which cannot, appropriate genetic testing followed by a defined process of providing coverage needs to be in place. This will require guidance from the regulator," says Sandeep Patel, CEO and MD, Cigna TTK Health Insurance. Distinguish between genetic and congenital disorders Some experts emphasise the need for insurers to distinguish between congenital conditions and genetic disorders. Says Biresh Giri, appointed actuary, Acko General Insurance: "Genetic disorders are related to genes, but may not be present since birth and the insured may not know about them. Congenital is mostly known and is present since birth. According to the regulatory authority, exclusions are in place only for congenital conditions." Breast cancer, he says, could have been passed on genetically. However, such a condition can't be excluded because it is not congenital. Giri says that insurers should list all the excluded conditions in the terms and conditions of policies. Legal experts, too, say that exclusions for genetic diseases need to be reasonable. Traditionally, when one spoke of genetic disorders, one thought of conditions like thalassaemia. But the concept of genetic disorders is changing. Even diseases like diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis are now said to be genetic. According to M S Kamath, honorary secretary, Consumer Guidance Society of India: "If the genetic disease is easily detectable, and was detected several years ago, the insurance company would be right to exclude it from coverage. But in case of grey areas, the benefit of doubt should always go to the consumer." Group policy could offer relief While individual mediclaim policies currently don't cover hospitalisation arising from genetic disorders, your group policy possibly could. Check its fine print. "We have been able to customise group policies for many of our customers to ensure that a specific list of genetic disorders gets covered," says Prawal Kalita, director-benefit solutions, JLT Independent Insurance Brokers. After the Delhi high court judgment, hopefully mediclaim policies will become more inclusive. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com Rebuffing petroleum ministry, Siddaramaiah launches Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana-like scheme months before state polls The Centre and the Congress-ruled Karnataka are engaged in a tussle over free cooking gas connections to the poor, with the state recently launching a scheme similar to the Narendra Modi governments flagship Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). The Siddaramaiah-led governments move to introduce the Mukhyamantri Anila Bhagya Yojana (MMAY) comes months before the state is scheduled to go to the polls. According to sources close to the development, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has written four letters to the state government in the past two months, seeking clarifications and asking for a joint scheme, which the state has rejected. The Centre is of the view that such a scheme should not be routed through LPG dealers but oil marketing companies such as Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) for transferring the benefit. Tabling the state Budget last month, Siddaramaiah had announced the MMAY, seeking to provide a free gas connection with a twin-burner stove and two annual refills each to 3 million beneficiaries with an expenditure of Rs 1,350 crore. This scheme will compete with the PMUY, which has been the high point of Modis election campaign in states since its launch in May 2016. Under the central scheme, the number of beneficiaries in Karnataka is 880,000. The state is implementing the scheme by involving the labour and food supplies departments. "The state has gone back on the earlier understanding with the Centre and the Union minister of state for food and civil supplies. "We have told them that their effort is not in line with the established procedure and, hence, is not having the concurrence of the petroleum ministry. We had asked them to implement this through OMCs, said a person close to the development. While the Centre is providing Rs 1,600 each to a family under the PMUY, Karnatakas MMAY allots Rs 2,154 to distributors and Rs 550 to beneficiaries for a second refill. Had they co-partnered the Centre, the state exchequer could have saved Rs 1,350 crore, and it would have been a more orderly scheme, said the person quoted above. The saving could come if the central subsidy is clubbed with that of the state, instead of it coming in addition to the state subsidy. The petroleum ministry in its letters had highlighted that the states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Assam, Punjab, and Haryana are also running such schemes but in participation with the Centre. The Centre and various state governments had been giving subsidy for LPG even prior to the launch of the PMUY. The Rajiv Gandhi Gramin LPG Vitaran (RGGLV) scheme was launched by the UPA government in 2009, to cover households in rural areas. The flaws that the Centre is highlighting also include the purchasing of stoves directly by distributors and also confusion, as OMCs are the nodal point for de-duplication. The state is providing connections to the existing beneficiaries of the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and the Priority Household (PHH) scheme, while the Centre targets women of the below poverty line families based on the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) of 2011. The states scheme is also applicable to men. As OMCs are allocating cooking gas, a scheme bringing in labour inspectors and food inspectors may lead to chaos. However, such consumers may also get subsidy if compliant to existing norms, a source said. Chandra Prakash, general secretary, All India LPG Distributors Federation, said: The state government has already launched the scheme in rural areas through dealers. "The major difference is that in the Centres scheme only connection is free, while in the states scheme the connection, stove and related items are all sponsored by the state government. Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters Change is being led by a transformation on the digital front. Pavan Lall reports. Photograph: Raymond Limited/Facebook For close to a century, almost every urban Indian male had his first suit, or jacket tailored at one company -- Raymond. But over the last decade, the proliferation of both custom-tailored brands and off the rack options or what some call "the Zara-fication of fashion" has pushed the brand off the default list for many. And that is triggering a rethink on the brand's future role and positioning in the rapidly evolving universe of Indian male fashion. In some part, change is being led by an organisational transformation on the digital front and being pushed through by a team of about 40 executives out of the company's Thane, Mahrashtra, office. Uma Talreja, the company's first chief digital officer, says the journey began by first learning what consumers have to say. "We have a centralised system where we capture feedback on our tailoring (service), what is wanted, not wanted." The system already has around 1,300 users from which the company harvests data through a Litmus software system. That universe didn't exist before the system was set up. Talreja, who originally joined Raymond as head of strategy two-and-a-half years ago, then took over the reins of the digital team. Since then, the company and its partners have invested around 450 million every year toward digital initiatives. That data comes from all their stores (owned and franchised ones) from a common point-of-sales (POS) system that streams information. There's also a common SAP, so everyone's sales data and inventory sits in the same place, and a customer relationship management (CRM) platform underpins it all. That means unlike 10 years ago, the company now has access to live consumer data, which is driving decisions and that's the biggest shift. For example, accessories. "We are soon going to be launching 3D printed cufflinks, tie and lapel pins. Raymond is moving towards being a solutions provider as against a company that just makes clothes," Talreja says, adding that other services include an online tailoring service that's been pilot launched in Bombay and Pune. "So tailoring, as a service influences the fabric category and an online concierge service, is essentially letting you call a tailor home or to a location of your preference by an appointment." Ashish Bhasin, chairman and CEO of media and ad firm Dentsu Aegis Network, who has 1,600 of his 3,500 people working on digital business areas says the key to digital reinvention of brands is knowing what and how the customer wants and behaves. "If I had to buy a movie earlier, I would see an ad in the papers and get someone to pick the tickets, but if my son perhaps wants to see a movie he may notice it in the paper's online version and then either stream it or buy or watch it online." Digital is divided into two broad categories -- search, performance and e-commerce and then branding. The difference is that the first category leads to actual sales. Cars are an example where digital research is done and the large part of the journey happens online. In India, the digital channels and corporate digital strategies are being influenced also by the fact that the majority of Indian consumers are using the mobile phone as their first point of access. "India has moved from mobile first to mobile only," Bhasin says. "Of every 100 consumers, 95 come in on mobile." Even so, any business model change is fairly fundamental and it is hard to change an existing one, says Jaspreet Bindra, senior vice president of digital transformation at the Mahindra Group. He adds that it's easier to augment it through a start-up-styled business unit that works in tandem. "So, for a customer who wants to stitch a suit by his existing tailor, but with a fabric that is made by another company, that could be made possible on an open platform that's run by the existing company's digital unit," Bindra explains. For that to happen there would have to be a big shift in the way brands think about their digital properties though. Bhasin says there are two big challenges for digital marketers. The first is that there are no ratings standards for digital, such as an IRS for newspapers or a BARC for TV. "No agreed upon industry norms for digital impact measurement," Bhasin says. "The other is the noise about the legitimacy and transparency of online channels, and the demise of large tech unicorns is as rapid as their rise, so one has to be mindful." While there are twists and turns in the digital journey for companies such as Raymond, there is little doubt that digital is where all big brand transformations are likely to be located. Here's a future scenario. In five years will a customer be able to send out a message that says "Premium cotton black formal shirt" from a smartphone to an integrated Raymond website, which will drill down to a connected platform and update physical measurements on the fly to process an order that has the shirt delivered to the customer in a few days. "I think we may well see that happen, perhaps even sooner," Talreja says. A possible, easier and less-complicated way for the Centre would have been to approach the SC with the same queries much earlier, before a ground-swell of popular sentiments and consequent political tensions had built up in Tamil Nadu, says N Sathiya Moorthy. Image: DMK Working President M K Stalin addresses a protest meet against the Union government for not setting up the Cauvery management board, in Chennai on April 2, 2018. Photograph: R Senthil Kumar/PTI Photo. By slating Tamil Nadus contempt plea against the Centre for not constituting a Cauvery management board for April 9, and maintaining silence about the Centres submissions on the larger issue flowing from the Supreme Courts final verdict of February 16, the three-judge bench headed by CJI Dipak Misra may have cooled hearts, though not the parched lands in the southern state. Yet, the question still arises, why did the Centre have to bring issues to this point, where the public mood over the past six weeks has forced political parties in the state to announce a series of protests over the coming days, including a DMK-led allies black flag demonstration when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Chennai on April 11 -- and an otherwise accommodative AIADMK statement government being left with little political choice but to file the contempt plea in the first place? If nothing else, anyone with a cursory knowledge of law watching the TV channels early coverage of the February 16 verdict would have instantly considered if the term scheme, mentioned in the ruling, may require a further clarification from the apex court. So should have been the Centres law officers, starting with Attorney-General K K Venugopal, a doyen among the nations jurists, and two top lawyer-ministers in the Modi Cabinet, Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad. It meant that the Union of India could have filed the petition seeking judicial clarification on the term scheme at the first available opportunity -- or, at least not long after the Union water resources secretary had met with senior officials from the four riparian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry, as well, where no decision came forth. The Centres current petition specifically mentions this meeting, and explains how Tamil Nadu and Karnataka held divergent views on the word scheme -- thus rendering any follow-up action on the SC verdict impossible to implement with the cooperation of the states concerned. What more, the Centre has now sought the SCs indulgence for grant of three months time to implement the verdict, and cite the possibility of law and order situation in Karnataka, where assembly polls are due in the second week of May. One, the Centre all along knew, that the polls were due by May, and that Cauvery is a sensitive political, social and hence electoral issue in Karnataka, where anti-Tamil riots and arson have taken massive toll, especially in the populous southern districts, including capital Bengaluru. Two, the Centres time demand sounds contradictory as well. After all, any court hearing on its plea for clarification could well take time, and maybe go beyond the three months that it has now sought. It is another matter that in the intervening period, the SC would be having its annual summer vacation, when the Bench of such nature does not ordinarily sit to consider or dispose of petitions/cases of such complexity. Three, come June, and the new Cauvery season would entail the state fresh flows, based on a monthly quota fixed by the tribunal and upheld by the apex court in its February 16 verdict, as well -- but that could well be delayed to an indeterminable time, if not indefinitely. Four, does the Centres petition imply that at the end of the three-month extension for Karnataka polls, it would be ready to implement the SCs February 16 verdict, as may be clarified in the coming days/weeks, or even months? Tamil Nadu, in all probability, and Puducherry, if not Kerala, could well then argue that the Centres deadline extension demand tantamounts to giving an undertaking of sorts in the matter, at the end of three months and once the required clarification from the court was available. By delaying the obvious, without actually attempting to deny Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu in any which way, the Centre has still allowed society-induced public tensions to build up in the state over six long weeks, forcing the otherwise competitive Dravidian polity in the state, to announce a series of protests -- some of them in coalition with political allies, and others in conjunction with others announced by non-political actors like farmers and traders organisations. A possible, easier and less-complicated way for the Centre could have been to approach the SC with the same queries much earlier, before a ground-swell of popular sentiments and consequent political tensions of the Jallikattu protest kind from the previous year had built up in Tamil Nadu. Despite perceptions to the contrary elsewhere, the fact remains, large sections of the people that participated in what mostly remained a peaceful protest for Jallikattu restoration through mid-January all across the state, also owed to the long time lag during the long pre-Pongal holiday season, beginning around Christmas-New Year holidays a full month earlier. The mood got set even earlier, in October 2016, as an anti-Centre sentiment all across the state, and over the Cauvery dispute, and not Jallikattu proper, per se. That was when then A-G Mukul Rohatgi told the apex court the judiciary did not have a role in the matter under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956. This line of argument had borrowed from the letter of the 1956 law, which said the tribunal had the ultimate authority in river water disputes and Parliament alone was the superior authority in the matter. That is to say, the Act recognised that all river disputes of the kind was quasi-legal and quasi-political, and Parliament would have the non-partisan tribunal award as the technical advice/input in the matter. However, successive governments, not only at the Centre but even the four riparian states, have acknowledged the Supreme Courts role in the matter. No MP had raised the incongruity of the situation in Parliament or court, nor had any private citizen, who could have filed a PIL in the apex court, or written to relevant parliamentary committee, or both. Interestingly, Rohatgi, who had flagged the letter of the law in the apex court one day in October 2016, did not do so earlier -- or, even later. But then, the popular sentiment in Tamil Nadu saw in it the ruling BJPs early efforts to assuage Karnatakas feelings in the matter, far ahead of the 2018 assembly polls -- that too when the state government had not done so, either under the incumbent Congress regime, or the earlier BJP one in the state. Though the Centre invariably gets heard in such matters first, TN got precedence in the matter possibly because the states counsel made an urgent mention before the First Bench, headed by CJI Misra on the morning of April 2. It is still most likely that at the hearing, the court may club the two petitions and proceed accordingly. The Bench, which also included Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, orally observed that they understood Tamil Nadu's difficulty of not getting water, and promised that we will resolve the issue. At the same time, CJI Misra clarified orally that the scheme mentioned in the February 16 verdict did not stop with the constitution of a management board, but also other mechanisms, too. To that extent, the Centres SC plea now, seeking clarification on the scheme part, citing also the conflicting positions taken by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, may assume further significance. However, it remains to be seen if the court would ask the Centre to constitute such a mechanism and report back, or do the reverse -- now that the very aspect of the final verdict too has become a legal issue between the two states. N Sathiya Moorthy, veteran journalist and political analyst, is director, Observer Research Foundation, Chennai. 'We must all commit to sharing less nonsense and quarrelling less on social media.' 'We could use that time instead to meeting and speaking to our friends and family instead of 'liking' their posts.' 'Zuckerberg will be the poorer for that, but our lives will be so much richer,' says Rahul Jacob. IMAGE: Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg, right, with Prime Minister Narendra D Modi at the Facebook headquarters, September 28, 2015. Little more than a year ago, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg published a nearly 6,000 word manifesto on how Facebook intended to build a global community. Alternating saccharine-sweet PR-speak with techno-optimistic babble, Zuckerberg trumpeted that 'progress now requires humanity coming together not just as cities or nations, but also as a global community.' In an age when both the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation appear weaker than ever, I am not sure I even understood what he meant. Zuckerberg's bombast, timed it seemed to deflect pressure last year about its role in sharing fake news, drew a withering response from the anthropologist Yuval Noah Harari. Pooh-poohing Zuckerberg's talk of 'our collective values,' Harari said bitingly, 'It will take more than sharing funny cat videos to create an effective global community.' Facebook's initial response to The New York Times's recent revelations about how the political propaganda firm Cambridge Analytica had used information mined from 50 million Facebook accounts to influence the US election was to stonewall. Zuckerberg left it to the company's Indian-American general counsel Paul Grewal to answer employees' questions. Amid calls for Facebook to appear before the US Congress, the beleaguered firm is helped by the distraction that Cambridge Analytica represents. The political consultants are a walking talking whodunit that features people straight out of a contemporised John le Carre novel. The company's chief executive Alexander Nix seems as if he was recruited to play the villain in a Bond film; the whistleblower and a founder of the firm, Christopher Wylie, looks the part of a street kid taking on big business. But Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, both of whom have been rumoured to have political ambitions themselves, are not going to escape this scandal without significant amounts of tar sticking to them and the company they have built. Regulatory action is likely. Facebook's present problems are magnified because it appears to have known since 2016 of how Cambridge Analytica had harvested the information of 50 million users and not disclosed this publicly. In addition, if foreign citizens Cambridge Analytica helped skew elections in the US, this would be a serious offence in the US. Responding to repeated inquiries from the NYT, Facebook first downplayed 'the scope of the leak' of users' personal information before admitting that the giant company had been the victim of a 'scam and fraud,' according to a statement from Grewal on March 16. In a speech a year ago in Hong Kong, Robert Thomson, chief executive of News Corp, attacked Facebook and Google for merrily making billions from monetising other people's content, all the while throwing their hands up and arguing it was not possible for them to monitor it. After the Cambridge Analytica episode, the line of argument that otherwise all powerful algorithms cannot be used to reduce, say, racist content will not wash. Facebook and indeed Google are going to have to hire internal editors/auditors needed to scotch or halt stories such as the one shared millions of times just ahead of the US presidential election in 2016 that Pope Francis had endorsed Donald J Trump. Trouble is, because of the abundance of news Web sites, the weakening hold of quality media on the national imagination is leading to an epidemic of gullibility. Soon after demonetisation, a Gujarati friend in New York forwarded me on WhatsApp a list of people supposedly caught with sacks of black money. Not a single businessman was on it; it consisted of a tailor-made roster of politicians in the Opposition. And this not so merry go round continues unabated. Hardly a week goes by without someone forwarding a sensational story, and they are often unsubstantiated. If Google and Facebook have added to the problem on the Internet with their cheerful 'See no evil, hear no evil' approach to content, we are also up against leaders more prone to be economical with the truth than before. Politicians have lied and exaggerated since the days of Caesar. What is different today is that they are brazen about it. Last month, President Trump boasted about lying to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about a trade deficit between the two countries. And three years ago, Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit A Shah seemed puzzled that anyone would take election claims to return Rs 1.5 million of black money to every bank account in India seriously. As if speaking to a very slow-witted child, he patiently explained to ABP News that money did not just land in bank accounts like that. Breaking up AT&T was easy by comparison to trying to rein in Google and Facebook -- and politicians. How does one police lies and misinformation ahead of elections shared on WhatsApp? We must all commit to sharing less nonsense and quarrelling less on social media. We could use that time instead to meeting and speaking to our friends and family instead of 'liking' their posts. Zuckerberg will be the poorer for that, but our lives will be so much richer. 'Let me narrate the background as to why Siddaramaiah was taken from my party to the Congress.' 'He belongs to a particular backward community. So by taking Siddaramaiah from my party, it was going to be more advantageous for the Congress.' 'Whatever may be the merits and demerits of the caste equation, it is a consideration for all the parties.' 'The BJP is also playing the caste guard.' IMAGE: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah waves out to supporters. Photograph: Madhusudhar S R "Siddaramaiah has said at a rally in Haasan that Deve Gowda should be destroyed, the entire family should be destroyed," former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, who is busy preparing for the Karnataka assembly election, tells Archis Mohan. What is your assessment of the current political situation in Karnataka, particularly the Congress government's decision on minority status for Lingayats? It is very difficult to conclude anything from the present atmosphere and the ground situation. All three political parties -- the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal-Secular -- will go into the elections with their respective programmes and policies. As for the Siddaramaiah government announcing that Lingayats be recognised as separate dharma (religion) -- my party and I have taken a neutral stand on the issue. But the demand itself is an old one. This demand was raised in the past as well, at least since 1990. During the Congress-led UPA years in 2013, the then home minister had rejected this demand. The general perception is that this has been done keeping the Karnataka assembly elections in mind. We do not know if the move would be fruitful or not. But the previous Congress government (at the Centre) was opposed to the demand of the Lingayats. Now the Siddaramaiah government has taken the initiative and have accepted it. They (the Congress) can go to any extent to win elections. The Janata Dal-Secular has struck an electoral alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party for the Karnataka assembly polls. What are the prospects? I had myself approached 'Behenji' Mayawati, the leader of the BSP. The last time she had contested in Karnataka the BSP was unable to get much mileage. However, they still got from 5,000 votes to 30,000 votes in at least 15 constituencies. I will be plain with you. This time the BSP will do much better. Their legislators will enter the Karnataka assembly for the first time, with my party's support. The alliance will help both political parties. I will also be a major gainer in several constituencies, with JD-S candidates getting 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 or more additional votes thanks to our alliance with the BSP. The point is why did I go to Mayawati? I don't want to go with either the BJP or the Congress. When she (Mayawati) came to Bengaluru, she addressed a public rally attended by a million people. If you see the results of the recent by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati has emerged stronger. We in Karnataka will continue our fight against both the BJP and the Congress. I must express my sincere thanks to her for accepting my offer for an alliance. How do you see the post poll scenario in Karnataka? It is too early. I do not want to go near anybody. Last time, I had supported the (Congress's) Dharam Singh government (from 2004 to 2006). But (his son) H D Kumaraswamy went with the BJP, and he suffered. There is a BJP government at the Centre. If nobody gets a working majority, let them impose President's Rule and conduct another election in six months. I do think -- and I am not overestimating -- that we will form the government. You were the prime minister of the United Front government in 1996. Do you see any prospects for the 'Third Front' in 2019? The Congress is losing strength across the country. The 'Third Front' could emerge stronger in the days to come. Mr Sharad Pawar is reportedly hosting a meeting of Opposition leaders. Have you received an invite? I will not enter into any discussion on national politics for now. Currently, I am totally concerned with Karnataka. I don't want to poke my nose into national politics. But you did send your party's representative to attend the dinner hosted by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on March 13. Normally I don't go to such dinners. Yes, one of my party's representatives, Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, D Kupendra Reddy, attended. But the next time we will not cooperate because the Congress has taken a stand which has hurt me. Siddaramaiah has said at a rally in Haasan that Deve Gowda should be destroyed, the entire family should be destroyed. The family should not be allowed to continue in politics, and how long can it be tolerated. So, next time I do not want to cooperate with these so-called like-minded parties and leaders. There is criticism that Karnataka politics is becoming more divisive, particularly on caste lines. Let me ask you a straight question. Was Siddaramaiah a Congressman? Let me narrate the background as to why Siddaramaiah was taken from my party to the Congress. He belongs to a particular backward community. So by taking Siddaramaiah from my party, it was going to be more advantageous for the Congress. Whatever may be the merits and demerits of the caste equation, it is a consideration for all the parties. The BJP is also playing the caste guard. These people (the Congress) are also playing the caste card. They have branded me also as a 'Gowda' (Vokkaliga caste). Whether I am a Gowda or not is not the question. Look at my record as the chief minister of Karnataka (from 1994 to 1996) and as the prime minister of the country (1996 to 1997). Do see whether I have taken steps to give reservations to Muslims, minorities, Dalits, and political status to them in zilla panchayats, gram panchayat, civic bodies? All of these were my decisions during my tenure as the chief minister of Karnataka. The Bill to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament and state legislatures was also my pet subject. I have written several letters to Prime Minister Narendra D Modi. The Rajya Sabha has already passed the Bill, which was introduced when I was the prime minister. So why don't you (Modi) ensure its passage in the Lok Sabha, when you (the BJP) have a majority in the Lok Sabha? What is your view on the demand that electronic voting machines (EVMs) be scrapped and we should revert to voting by ballot papers? I do not understand this insistence on EVMs. There have been complaints of tampering and this insistence is not good. With one year left for assembly elections in Karnataka, the last big bastion of the Congress, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has found an emotive issue to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party as the latter prepares the ground for a fight to grab power. Raghu Krishnan and Nikita Puri report. IMAGE: Pro-Kannada activists conceal the name of a Bengaluru Metro station written in Hindi on a signboard. Photograph: ANI. On Independence Day last year, #stopHindiimposition was among the top trends on micro blogging platform Twitter. Arun Javagal, a software engineer who has been pushing for equality for all languages, was among those who used his Twitter handle to post messages on this. This month, Javagal and his group of about 400 activists ran a campaign against Hindi signboards on the Bengaluru Metro rail -- #NammaMetroHindiBeda (We dont need Hindi in our Metro), got over 1,500 million impressions, as people tagged and commented on the subject. To his surprise, the campaign found support from Hindi-speaking regions such as Bihar and Rajasthan. "People are demanding official status to Bhojpuri and Rajasthani," says Javagal, who for eight years has been asking for amendments to Articles 343 to 351 of the Constitution, which grants official status to Hindi. These Articles empower the Centre to promote Hindi across the country. So, whether it is banking exams or the railways, or in post offices, usage of Hindi is encouraged, forcing people who do not know Hindi to being left out of opportunities, is the grouse. "We are not saying Hindi is not required. What we are demanding is: Please give equal status to all languages, whether Kannada, Tamil or Telugu," says Javagal, who feels the campaign against the imposition of Hindi being hijacked by Karnatakas politicians is a positive move. "We are common people and can only push so much. It is the politicians who can debate in Parliament and bring amendments to the Constitution for equal rights to all languages," he says. Political move by Siddaramaiah With one year for the assembly elections in Karnataka, the last big bastion of the Congress, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has found an emotive issue to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party as the latter prepares the ground for a fight to grab power. Siddaramaiah has made it clear that he would not allow the imposition of Hindi in the (Bengaluru) Metro, and asked for a study on how it is being done in other cities. Kannada activists have blackened Hindi boards at Metro stations. This has been criticised. One ground is that are central funds for the mass transport system. The other argument for Hindi is that there is a large population from the north who have migrated to the city for work, at software and other companies, over the past decade. Last month, Siddaramaiah wrote to the Centre as the state incurred majority of the costs, incurred operational losses and committed to repay loans of the Metro project, it is appropriate that local policies are adopted. He also cited the widespread protests against imposition of Hindi and to respect sentiment of Kannadigas, the primary users of the mass transport system, he has directed the Metro officials to change sign boards with only English and Kannada. "The protests are not against the Hindi language but the casual sense of entitlement that informs the move. Notice how then Union minister Venkaiah Naidu justified it on the false grounds that Hindi is our national language," says Prakash Belawadi, actor and media personality. Earlier, activists, led by the Kannada Rakshana Vedike (Kannada Protection Forum), held a convention that had participation from regional groups and parties such as the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, the Janata Dal-Secular, and the Congress. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which led the anti-Hindi protests in Tamil Nadu in 1965, supported the move, as also groups from West Bengal, Telangana, and Kerala. The Centre has tried to downplay the issue. Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju has said there is no discrimination against any language. "There is no question of imposition of Hindi over any other language. Hindi is the official language. There is no one language which is the national language," he said in the Rajya Sabha. Siddaramaiah has also stoked a strong sense of regionalism with the move to form a nine-member panel to design a flag for Karnataka. The state already has an anthem and the flag was a logical move, he has argued, saying it does not demean the national flag. This has stumped the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has opposed the flag, calling it divisive. The party's state general secretary, C T Ravi, has said the concept of having a separate flag for each state is not acceptable, as the country has a national flag. The Congress, which has become aggressive ahead of the elections, has called the BJP a Hindi-centric party. "The opposition which comes from the BJP (shows) they want to have a uniform kind of a country. They dont trust other people, they do not respect diversity," said Dinesh Gundu Rao, the partys state working president. Rajya Sabha was adjourned barely six minutes after the House met. Ruckus prevailed in both Houses of Parliament on Monday as opposition parties and those from Tamil Nadu created noisy scenes, forcing their adjournment for the 18th straight day without transacting any substantial business. While the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day within about six minutes after it assembled in the morning, the Lok Sabha was adjourned due to the protests for the first time till noon within four minutes after it had met and then for the day after the listed papers were laid. Before adjourning the Lok Sabha for the day, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she was unable to take up the notices for no-confidence motion against the government, served by several opposition parties, as there was no order in the House. In the Rajya Sabha, the Opposition protests forced the adjournment of proceedings for the day without transaction of any business as members trooped into the Well and shouted slogans, drowning every other voice. MPs belonging to the Congress, the Trinamool Congress, the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Telugu Desam Party and parties from Tamil Nadu -- the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, were in the Well even before Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu could settle down in his chair. Unlike the past days when listed papers were allowed to be laid on the table peacefully, Naidu had to go through the exercise on Monday amid chaos as members persisted with slogan shouting. The Congress and the BSP led the charge against the government, accusing it of being "anti-dalit", in an apparent reference to the Supreme Court ruling on the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Members of the main opposition party also raised the issue of India's biggest bank fraud, alongside the TMC. Tamil parties were demanding immediate constitution of the Cauvery Water Management Board for division of river water between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, while members of the TDP and KVP Ramachandra Rao of the Congress held placards demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. Amid the din, Naidu called the ministers to lay the listed papers., while warning the protestors that "the entire country is watching ... You are not going to achieve anything. You are making a mockery of parliamentary system." He said the Chair was ready to allow discussion on all the issues being raised by opposition parties, and even the government as well as the opposition were ready for it. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said important bills were listed for discussion in the last week of the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament. The government, he said, was ready to discuss all issues. "I don't understand why, for small issues concerning them, they are not allowing the House to function," Goel said. However, as the ruckus continued, the Chairman adjourned the proceedings for the day, barely six minutes after the House had assembled. The proceedings in the Lok Sabha were disrupted yet again for the 18th day today, amid slogan shouting by AIADMK members seeking early constitution of the Cauvery water management board. Amid the din, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till 12 noon during the Question Hour. As soon as the House met for the day and took up the Question Hour, AIADMK members rushed into the Well shouting slogans such as 'we want justice' and 'we demand Cauvery board'. Citing assembly polls in Karnataka, the Centre has sought more time from the Supreme Court last week to set up the board to implement water sharing formula between Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. While the TMC members were seated in their places, those of the TDP, which has moved a notice of no confidence against the government, were standing at their seats with black ribbons pinned to their shirts as a mark of protest. As the ruckus continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till noon, barely four minutes after it had met after a long weekend. Even before the House was re-assembled at noon, the AIADMK members, carrying placards, trooped into the Well shouting slogans. Congress, NCP, Left, TDP and RJD members were standing in their seats seeking the Speaker's ruling on the notices they had given on the no-confidence motion, moved by some of them. The speaker appealed to the AIADMK members to return to their seats saying she cannot take up the no-confidence motion unless the House is in order. "I am duty bound to place the no-confidence motion. But this is not the way. Please go to your seats. I am not in a position to count," she said. A notice of no-confidence can be taken up in the House if it is supported by at least 50 members present, for which a headcount is needed. Parliamentary Minister Ananth Kumar also said the government was ready for discussion and give reply to the no-confidence motion but there has to be complete harmony in the House. Leader of the Congress in the House Mallikarjun Kharge, who has also submitted a notice for no-confidence motion, said the opposition wanted to discuss a host of issues, including the recent Supreme Court ruling on SC/ST Act and alleged paper leak of the CBSE examinations. However, as the AIADMK members continued raising slogans, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day. At least 6 persons died in MP, 2 in UP, one in Rajasthan during protests against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Other states hit with violence included Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi. Those arrested included a former Bahujan Samaj Party MLA in UP. READ: 'Modi is not defending SC/ST Atrocities Act' ALSO: Bharat bandh: CBSE postpones exams in Punjab IMAGE: Cars set on fire by protesters in UP's Muzzaffarnagar. Photograph: PTI Photo At least nine persons were killed and hundreds injured on Monday in violence across several states as protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to private and public properties, including police posts, during a nationwide bandh called by Dalit groups, officials said. Thousands were detained following widespread incidents of arson, firing and vandalism across over 10 states, several of them being Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled including Madhya Pradesh where at least six persons died during the protests against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Two persons died in Uttar Pradesh and one in Rajasthan, according to officials there. Other states hit with violence included Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi. Those arrested included a former Bahujan Samaj Party MLA in UP. Curfew was imposed in several places, while the Union Home Ministry, which rushed 800 anti-riot policemen to MP and UP, asked all states to take preventive steps and maintain public order to ensure safety of lives and property. The army and paramilitary forces were also put on standby in Punjab. IMAGE: Police personnel detain a protester in Gwalior. Photograph: PTI Photo In Madhya Pradesh, the deceased included four Dalits and two upper caste Hindus, while several others were injured across the state, the officials said. Inspector General (law and order) Makrand Deoskar told PTI that the casualties occurred during fights between the bandh supporters and its opponents and not due to police firing. A sub-divisional magistrate and a police official were also injured in the protest in Gwalior-Chambal division, he said. MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan appealed to the protesters to maintain peace in the state. Transport, mobile and internet services were hit in many states with over 100 trains getting affected due to protests, even as the Centre moved the Supreme Court seeking review of its recent judgement on the SC/ST Act, maintaining that the verdict will violate constitutional rights of these communities. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. IMAGE: Police lathi charges protesters in Varanasi. Photograph: PTI Photo While some states had ordered closure of educational institutions as a precautionary measure, incidents of arson, firing and vandalism were reported from various parts of the country and the properties facing the wrath of protesters included railway tracks, police stations as also public and private vehicles. The bandh supporters damaged a railway track, disrupting rail traffic in Morena, the main Station Master, B K Sharma, said. Trouble started at around 10.30 am when the protesters, carrying sticks, spilled onto the streets in the Malanpur area of Bhind district and indulged in violence, including breaking window panes of buses, the police said. The violence then spread to the other parts of the district. Mahavir Ragawat, 40, a Thakur by caste, died during the violence in the Machand area, some 40 km from the Bhind district headquarters, the police said. Akash Jatav, a Dalit, died of gunshots in a clash between two groups in Mehgaon tehsil, 17 km from the Bhind district headquarters, they added. In Gwalior's Thatipura police station area, two Dalits -- Rakesh Jatav and Deepak Jatav -- were killed in a gunfight between two groups, according to the police. IMAGE: Protesters burn tyres in Ahmedabad. Photograph: PTI Photo Vimal Bodh, a Dalit, died of gunshot wounds in Gwalior's Dabra area, the police said. Rahul Pathak, a Brahmin, was killed in firing at the station area in Morena at around noon. Violence during the protests was also reported from other districts of the state, including Jhabua. In Bhind, the Rapid Action Force (RAF), the specialised anti-riot force, was pressed into service to control the situation, the IG said. Earlier, Bhind Superintendent of Police (SP) Prashant Khare had said the Army was called out, but the IG clarified that it was the RAF which had been pressed into service. Reports of violence between the supporters of the bandh and those opposing it were received from Balaghat, Sagar and Datia districts, where prohibitory orders under section 144, CrPC were enforced, the IG said. Gwalior Commissioner B M Sharma said, Curfew has been imposed in several parts of Gwalior city, following violence during the protests. IMAGE: Protesters stage rail roko in Jalandhar. Photograph: PTI Photo In Jhabua, the protesters looted shops, triggering tension in the tribal town, eyewitnesses said. However, Jhabua SP Mahesh Chandra Jain said no incident of robbery took place during the protests, adding that the situation was peaceful in the district. Protests were also held in state capital Bhopal, with the agitators blocking a road on the Board Office Square, near the statue of Dalit icon Dr B R Ambedkar. In Bhopal, the bandh supporters, carrying sticks and blue flags, resembling those of the BSP, were seen forcing closure of shops. A large number of vehicles were damaged, several of them torched by the protesters, eyewitnesses said. Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia also appealed for peace and asked the BJP-led state government to take immediate measures to maintain harmony. In Uttar Pradesh, one person was killed in Muzaffarnagar and another in Meerut, while nearly 75 persons including 40 policemen were injured in violent protests in various parts of the state. Police has detained nearly 450 people there. IMAGE: Protesters vandalise a police vehicle in Meerut. Photograph: PTI Photo Several towns in western UP saw violence and in Meerut, a former BSP MLA Yogesh Verma, was among those arrested, police said. There were several incidents of violence in Meerut, including the torching of a police post while in the neighbouring Muzaffarnagar, a man was killed and several vehicles were damaged, they added. "During the bandh, violence broke out in Muzaffarnagar, Hapur, Meerut, Agra and they were the most affected areas. Reports of violence have come from some other districts too. As of now, 448 persons have been detained in different districts. There were no incidents in 90 per cent of districts. We have sounded a high-alert in the state," DIG, Law and Order Praveen Kumar told reporters. He added that one person lost his life in the violence in Muzaffarnagar. "We are yet to get the detailed reports. As of now about 35-40 policemen and 30-35 protestors were stated to be injured. Of them three are serious," the DIG said. Asked about the extent of damage to public properties, the official said the police were yet to do a detailed analysis. "Some anti-social elements were involved in the protests and they created problems. Some of them had illicit fire arms too. We are conducting a detailed probe and also trying to identify people involved in spreading rumours and misleading Dalits on SC order," he said. IMAGE: Protesters hurl stones in Morena, MP. Photograph: PTI Photo The situation was controlled by 2 pm in the affected districts, he said. It's normal now, he added. Early in the day, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to the people to maintain law and order and asserted that his government was serious towards the development and progress of Dalits. However, angry protesters pelted stones on buses in the Sagdi area of Azamgarh on the Gorakhpur-Azamgarh damaging their widow panes. They also set afire two roadways buses injuring some passengers, police said. In Agra, Gatiman Express, Indias fastest train, was stopped at the Billochpura station for over an hour. A hotel owned by a senior BJP leader was targeted and the police had to open fire in air to disperse the rowdy mob, officials said. Director General of Police O P Singh said additional force from the Centre. Urging people not to resort to violence, Chief Minister Adityanath said, "Both the Centre and the state government are dedicated to the welfare of the backward castes, the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes. If there is any issue, one can bring it to the notice of the government." IMAGE: Protesters hurl brickbats as smoke billows out of burning cars in Muzzaffarnagar. Photograph: PTI Photo BSP chief Mayawati, however, targeted the Centre saying if it had taken prompt steps, there would not have been the need for a 'Bharat bandh' and some anti-social elements would not have got the chance to indulge in violence and arson because of government laxity. BSP condemns violence but BJP governments need to extend help to the dead and injured without any bias, she said in a statement. Mayawati said that though she was not in Parliament, her politics and struggle outside will force the Narendra Modi government to kneel down and change its stance. Meanwhile, former BSP MLA from Hastinapur Yogesh Verma, was arrested by the Meerut police in connection with the violence, according to SSP Manzil Saini. Verma's family claimed he had been wrongly arrested. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also targeted the Modi government claiming it should have talked to the Dalit leadership in time. Now it seems that Dalits have lost faith in the government, he said. In Rajasthan, one person was killed and 26 others, including nine policemen, were injured in Alwar. IMAGE: Members of the Dalit community block a road disrupting traffic movement during the Bharat Bandh in Gujarat's Ahmedabad. Photograph: Santosh Hirlekar/PTI Photo Protesters, shouting 'Jai Bhim', blocked roads and rail routes, forcibly shut down shops, pelted stones, vandalised public property, torched several vehicles, and even attacked police in several parts of the state. Police officials said more than 150 people were detained across Rajasthan for alleged involvement in the violence. Additional Director General of Police (law and order) N R K Reddy said more than 75 civilians and over 70 police personnel were injured in the violence. In Khairthal of Alwar district, a 28-year-old man, son of a former village sarpanch, was killed and 26 others, including nine policemen, were injured in the violence. Officials claimed police resorted to firing after some miscreants in a mob opened fire at them. Some protesters allegedly attempted to torch a police station during which a godown there suffered severe damage. Protestors also torched a vehicle, officials said. Tension prevailed in Sikar, Bikaner, Barmer, Bharatpur, Jodhpur, Bhilwara, Hindaun, Gangapur and other areas where police and protestors came face to face. In several instances police personnel had to fire tear gas shells, cane-charge and even fire at the mob to defuse the situation, officials claimed. IMAGE: Members of Dalit community block a road with a tree in Ahmedabad. Photograph: PTI Photo Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC were imposed in Bikaner, Barmer, Sikar, Jalore and Ahore while internet services were suspended in 12 districts as a precautionary measure. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje appealed to the people to maintain peace and harmony, saying the central government was committed to securing the rights of SC/STs. Violence was, however, reported in almost all the districts of the state where protesters damaged public property while the police used force to disperse them. Rajasthan DGP O P Galhotra said the situation was now under control. "There is a provision in law to peacefully put forth your views. People should not take law into their hands. Cases will be registered against anti-social elements," he said. Reddy said an additional 25-30 companies of paramilitary forces were deployed across Rajasthan in view of the protests. According to the officials of the North-Western Railways, protestors damaged the glass windows of the Shatabdi Express at Khairthal railway station. Movement of at least seven trains was affected in the region due to the protests. Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) officials said normal operation of buses, stopped at 11 am after the protests escalated, resumed by 5 pm. IMAGE: A lawyer retaliates by hurling a stone at protesters as police personnel look on outside District Bar Association office in Meerut. Photograph: PTI Photo Normal life was paralysed as violence erupted at many places in Punjab and Haryana while rail and road traffic too was adversely affected during the protest by Dalit organisations. Police had to resort to cane charging in several towns after protesters indulged in stone-pelting and vandalism, blocking roads and squatting on rail tracks in the two states, officials said. At least 50 persons were injured in the violence, officials said. In view of the 'Bharat Bandh' call given by Dalit organisations, the Congress-led Punjab government had ordered closure of educational institutions, suspended bus services, and curtailed mobile and Internet services. In the neighbouring BJP-ruled Haryana, there were no orders to shut schools or suspend bus services. However, tight security arrangements were in place in both the states and their common capital -- Chandigarh. The Punjab government had on Sunday itself ordered a security clampdown as a precautionary measure with the Army and paramilitary forces asked to be on standby. Protesters squatted on railway tracks at a few places in Punjab and Haryana, crippling rail traffic, officials of the Ambala and Ferozepur rail division told PTI. At many places, they burnt tyres on roads and blocked highways. IMAGE: Protesters block Delhi-Gurugram Expressway near Rajiv Chowk, Gurugram, Haryana. Photograph: PTI Photo At Kaithal in Haryana, a protesting mob resorted to stone pelting and damaged a railway engine, police said. Prior to that, they protestors had marched through the streets after which there were some reports of alleged vandalism. The Kaithal Police resorted to 'lathi charge' and lobbed tear-gas shells to disperse the protesters, they said. Around 10 policemen were injured in the incident, they said. Protests also turned violent in Faridabad, where a train was reportedly pelted with stones. Marches were taken out by Dalit activists in Jalandhar, Patiala, Sangrur, Hoshiarpur, Ropar, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Kapurthala, Phagwara and other places in Punjab, and at Panchkula, Ambala, Kaithal, Hisar, Karnal, Rohtak, Yamunanagar, Bhiwani, Sirsa, Faridabad and Gurgaon in Haryana as well as in Chandigarh. Markets across the two states wore a deserted look as shops and other commercial establishments remained closed while vehicles largely remained off the roads. In some towns 'lathi'-weilding protesters marched through the bazaars. The Indo-Pakistan bus service, 'Sada-e-Sarhad', that runs between Delhi and Lahore was also disrupted. A Lahore-bound bus was halted at Sirhind and a Delhi-bound bus at Amritsar for several hours, police said. In Punjab's Bathinda, two persons were injured in a clash between the protesters and shopkeepers near Mehna Chowk. IMAGE: Members of Dalit community stage a protest in Bhopal. Photograph: PTI Photo In Kapurthala, the protesters allegedly damaged about a dozen two-wheelers, smashed window panes of a lawyer's car and vandalised a chemist shop, police said. The agitators also disrupted traffic on the Kapurthala-Ferozepur section by staging a 'dharna' on the rail track at the Khojewal and Kapurthala railway stations. Kapurthala-Jalandhar, Kapurthala-Nakodar, KapurthalaSultanpurlodhi and Subhanpur and Kartarpur were among the roads blocked, police said. The railway track was also blocked at a crossing in Jalandhar while the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur road was also blocked for a while at Nasrala, police said. In Karnal, Haryana, protesters held up a train for several hours, with some climbing over its roof while others squatted on the track. At Bhiwani and Faridabad, protesters barged into shopping malls to force their closure while stone pelting and violence was reported from Jagadhari, Jind and Hisar. Protesters also blocked the Ambala-Hisar highway near AmbalaCity and NH-1 near Ambala Cantt for about an hour. Across the two states, thousands of Dalit protestors, backed by various political outfits, social and religious bodies, took out marches to protest what they claimed was the dilution of the Act. IMAGE: An injured policeman in Ghaziabad. Photograph: PTI Photo They burnt effigies of the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre, alleging it had failed to protect the interests of the Dalits. Dalit organisations protests brought traffic to a standstill in Lutyens' Delhi. Police said there were no reports of any untoward incident in the city, even as protests in many other states turned violent. Taking no chances, Delhi police had deployed additional force between Mandi House and Parliament Street since it was anticipated that the protesters would march towards Parliament. In other areas of Delhi, the respective deputy commissioners of police, assistant commissioners of police, station house officers were out in the field to ensure that peace is maintained. "We had inputs about there being protests and unrest near Loni roundabout in northeast Delhi. Force was deployed in the area and security was beefed up," a senior police officer said. He added that there were no reports of any violence in Delhi. Protesters numbering 2,500 to 3,000 gathered at Mandi House and blocked the road outside the metro station there, bringing traffic to a halt and inconveniencing commuters travelling towards ITO and other stretches. Shouting slogans of 'Jai Bhim', the protesters blocked one of the carriageways of Barakhamba Road affecting traffic on the stretch, police said. IMAGE: Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular activists stop a train at Rajendra Nagar Terminal during Bharat Bandh against the dilution of provisions for the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Act, in Patna. Photograph: PTI Photo Traffic was also affected in the Connaught Place's outer circle as protesters squatted on the road. The Dalit organisations said the Centre had announced that it will be filing a review petition only after they called for the bandh demanding that the law that protects the scheduled castes and tribes against discrimination and atrocities be restored in its original form. Police had closed the traffic movement on Sansad Marg from Patel Chowk to Jantar Mantar. In Himachal Pradesh, a strike call given by various Dalit outfits was, however, largely ineffective. The protests were peaceful. A large number of people led by former minister Singhi Ram and former Shimla mayor Sohan Lal assembled at Cart Road in Shimla and blocked traffic for an hour. Dalit activists took put protest marches in Paonta and other places. Normal life was disrupted in various parts of Gujarat as protests turned violent and police resorted to teargas-shelling and lathi charge at some places, said officials. Agitators disrupted road and rail traffic, and asked commercial establishments to down their shutters as they went around enforcing the nationwide bandh. The police lobbed teargas shells and resorted to cane-charge to scatter a mob in Sarangpur area of Ahmedabad, an official of the city police control room said. The area, which has a sizeable Dalit population, saw some protesters forcing shop owners to close their establishments and some locals also alleged incidents of vandalism and loot. "Though we agreed to shut our shops, these agitators started vandalising our shops. Some even looted cash. Many shop owners incurred huge losses due to the vandalism. "Protesters even snatched mobile phones from bystanders who were recording the incident, a shopkeeper told mediapersons in Sarangpur. IMAGE: Property was burnt and damaged during a protest in Amritsar. Photograph: PTI Photo In the Chandkheda area of Ahmedabad, protesters came out on roads in large numbers and forced several commercial complexes and shops to join the shutdown. Following violent protests in several parts of Ahmedabad, civic-run transport services were halted after some of the buses were targeted by agitators, said the officials. Following reports of roadblocks and attacks on some BRTS (bus rapid transit system) buses in the city's eastern part, the Ahmedabad civic body halted its services on some of the routes, Municipal Commissioner Mukesh Kumar said. "Some of the BRTS buses were targeted by protesters following which we discontinued our services on some of the routes. Operation of buses on some of the routes of AMTS (Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service) was also suspended," he said. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani appealed for peace and urged Dalits not to get 'misguided'. He accused the Opposition Congress of doing politics in the name of Dalit rights. "The Centre has already filed a review petition in the Supreme Court about its earlier verdict on the SC/ST Act. "The BJP governments at the Centre and in Gujarat are committed to the welfare of Dalits. The Congress is only doing politics. I urge Dalits not to get misguided," he said. Earlier in the day, protesters took to streets in several parts of the city such as Dani Limda, Naroda, Bapunagar, Kalupur and Amraiwadi, among others. According to Rahul Parmar of the Dalit Panther group, several roads were blocked in these areas, while shops were asked to down shutters by the protesters. IMAGE: Shopkeepers sit outside their closed shops during Bharat Bandh in Amritsar. Photograph: PTI Photo Dalit leader and independent MLA Jignesh Mevani joined the protests in Ahmedabad and said the apex court verdict was against the Constitution. "The case before the SC was related to a single person charged under the Atrocities Act, who pleaded that he was not guilty. The petitioner did not ask for any revision of the entire SC/ST Act. "But, the apex court gave a verdict as if it is over and above Parliament or the Constitution," Mevani told reporters. According to in-charge city Police Commissioner K L N Rao, adequate police personnel were deployed across Ahmedabad to deal with any law and order problem arising out of the protests. "The situation is under control. We have deployed adequate force to deal with any unwarranted situation. The police have been regularly patrolling in the city," said Rao. In state capital Gandhinagar, Dalit protesters held a rally near the main bus station. In Surat, several persons were detained by the police for trying to shut shops in a textile market on Ring Road, said the officials. Police had to resort to cane-charge to disperse an unruly mob in Surat, a diamond trading and textile manufacturing hub, they said. In Rajkot also, agitators asked shopkeepers to close their establishments in several parts of the city, a local official said. Several Dalit activists and Congress workers burnt purported copies of the Supreme Court order at Trikon Baug in Rajkot, he said. Some protesters entered a mall on Kalavad Road in Rajkot and forced the management to close the complex, the official added. Protests were reported from Surendranagar, Kutch Jamnagar, Mehsana and other parts of Gujarat. In Jamnagar, a mob tore posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi put up inside a bus depot and vandalised some shops, an official said. IMAGE: Protesters throw stones during Bharat Bandh in Ghaziabad. Photograph: PTI Photo Rail and road traffic got disrupted and properties vandalised across Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha as violence erupted during the protests. Police arrested thousands of agitators in Bihar and Jharkhand during the day-long bandh which threw life out of gear in several parts. Though the impact of the bandh was minimal in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed support to the Dalit cause. She expressed shock over deaths in violent protests in Madhya Pradesh during the nationwide bandh. Reports from Patna said that more than 3,000 people were held by the police across Bihar for disruption of public order during the bandh. In the state, the shutdown was marked by widespread disruptions in rail and road traffic, forced closure of various establishments and vandalism of private and public properties. The issue also rocked the state assembly, which witnessed adjournment till lunch break within minutes of commencement of proceedings, followed by a human chain formed by Dalit MLAs cutting across party lines who also marched to the Raj Bhavan and presented Governor Satya Pal Mallik with a memorandum on the issue. "At least 3619 people have been detained by the police across the state. The maximum number of 2500 persons were rounded up in Muzaffarpur, followed by 600 in Kaimur district. Thirty-five persons were held in the state capital," Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters), S K Singhal, said. According to police sources, rail and road traffic got disrupted for hours in districts like Patna, Muzaffarpur, Kaimur, Gaya, Jehanabad, Darbhanga, Nawada and East Champaran. IMAGE: Hundreds of protesters block the railway track in Ghaziabad. Photograph: PTI Photo Private properties, railway stations, courts and state transport buses were vandalized by the agitators at various places while forced shutdown and vandalism was witnessed by many commercial establishments like showrooms, coaching institutes and petrol pumps. The agitators, among whom there were a sizeable number of women and children, carried blue flags bearing names of Bhim Sena or similar pro-Dalit outfits. They also raised slogans alleging that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre was anti-Dalit and that there was a conspiracy to deprive them of reservations. The Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Hindustain Awam Morcha and the Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist -- which had openly come out in support of the shutdown -- were seen hitting the streets to express support to protesters. In Ranchi, police had to resort to tear gas and baton charge after the bandh supporters hurled stones on police. "Minimum force was used after the bandh supporters hurled stones on the police. Baton charge and tear gas were used to control the situation, a senior police official said. As many as 777 persons were arrested in Ranchi district, he said but added there was no untoward incident in the district. In Palamau, about 200 bandh supporters were taken into custody. IMAGE: Vehicles set on fire by a group of protesters during Bharat Bandh call in Meerut. Photograph: PTI Photo In Odisha, vehicular movement was affected in several areas, including Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Malkangiri, Sambalpur and other tribal-dominated districts, the police said. Buses also remained off the roads at Biramitrapur, Malkangiri, Kalahandi and Bolangir. Shops and business establishments remained shut in several areas of tribal-dominated Malkangiri, Kalahandi, Sundargarh and Bolangir districts, the police added. Activists of the Adivasi Dalit Sena staged a rail roko at the Khetrajpur station in Sambalpur, which delayed some trains, they said. Stray incidents of violence in parts of Maharashtra marred the bandh. Incidents of stone pelting on buses were reported from Nandurbar in North Maharashtra during the protests. "Protesters pelted stones on four state transport buses at Shahada in Nandurbar district," a police official said. In Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra, the bandh evoked good response in the Dalit-dominated areas. Protesters blocked trains near Kadbi Chowk in the city, while an attempt was made to torch a bus at Jaripatka, police said. Trains left for their destinations after agitators were cleared from the rail tracks, they said. IMAGE: A bike set on fire by a group of protesters during Bharat Bandh in Ghaziabad. Photograph: PTI Photo A few incidents of stone pelting on civic-run buses were reported from Indora and Kamal Chowk areas in North Nagpur, which has a substantial Dalit population, a police officer said. The demonstrators used burning tyres to block vehicular traffic in certain areas, the police said. Normal life was affected in the Dalit-dominated North Nagpur, where most of the shops and business establishments remained closed in response to the bandh. Other parts of Nagpur remained largely unaffected. Jet Airways and Vistara announced waiving cancellation and charges for change of dates for those passengers booked for flights operating to and out of airports in places affected due to Dalit protests. Over 100 passenger and mail train services were affected, nine were cancelled and a few more short-terminated, officials said. Of the nine train services cancelled, five were scheduled to have run on Monday. As the protesters squatted on the tracks, hurled stones at the trains and wreaked havoc on the platforms, the railways cancelled the Amritsar-Jaynagar Saryu Yamuna Express, New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express, Jaipur-Chandigarh Intercity Express, Ajmer-New Delhi Shatabdi Express and the Sealdah-Varanasi Express, scheduled to have run on Monday. IMAGE: Police personnel try to disperse the protesters who were trying to block the railway track during Bharat Bandh in Ghaziabad. Photograph: PTI Photo The national transporter also cancelled three trains -- the Amritsar-New Delhi Shatabdi Express, the Amritsar-Chandigarh Superfast Express and the Chandigarh-Jaipur Intercity Express -- which were scheduled to run tomorrow, along with the Jaynagar-Amritsar Shaheed Express, scheduled to run on April 4. The railways also short-terminated and partially cancelled 17 trains scheduled for today and tomorrow, including the New Delhi-Amritsar-New Delhi Swaran Shatabdi Express and the New Delhi-Ajmer Shatabdi Express. Passengers, stuck for hours onboard trains in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, tweeted to the railway ministry about the violence on platforms, stone-pelting and the lack of amenities in the trains. Some even said the tracks were uprooted in certain areas by the agitators, which the railways did not confirm. Some passengers onboard the Kota Jan Shatabdi Express were injured when the protesters went on a rampage at the Faridabad New Town Railway Station. "There were some incidents of gathering of agitators at Firozpur, Hapur, Moradabad, Ghaziabad yard (Gaushala), but there was no damage to railway property. Stray incidents of stone-pelting were reported from one or two places, but no passenger or railway personnel was hurt," Nitin Chowdhury, Spokesperson, Northern Railways said, adding that the 0ther trains were run as and when the situation was brought under control by the civil administration. WATCH: shots fired during protests in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior WATCH: Protesters resort to stone pelting in Bhind during the Bharat Bandh Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed for peace, while Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government was not a party to the Supreme Court decision on the SC/ST Act and respectfully did not agree with its reasoning behind the verdict. Prasad said the government has filed a very comprehensive review petition in the matter. Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, a prominent Dalit leader and head of NDA constituent Lok Janshakti Party, appreciated the government's quick decision. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that incidents of atrocities on Dalits and minorities have increased in the country since the NDA came to power in 2014, while Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal extended his support to the protesting groups. IMAGE: Dalits display a portrait of Bhimrao Ambedkar during Bharat Bandh in New Delhi. Photograph: Ravi Choudhary/PTI Photo It wont be a surprise if Raju Shetti, the first to part ways with the National Democratic Alliance, citing agrarian distress, joins hands with the Congress and becomes part of the UPA, reports Sunil Gatade. IMAGE: Raju Shetti, the Lok Sabha MP from Hatkanangle, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a rally in 2014. A former NDA ally, Shetti now views the current dispensation as one that doesn't understand the plight of the farmers, and those taking decisions as unapproachable. Photograph: @rajushetti/Twitter Raju Shetti, the Lok Sabha MP from Hatkanangle in Maharashtra, has many firsts to his credit. His first election to the assembly from Shirol in 2004 was fought through the campaign of one note, one vote by supporters in the sugar belt of Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara in western Maharashtra. It was possibly the first instance of a farmer leader making an entry into the state politics by raising donations -- from Re 1 to Rs 100 -- showing his links with the grassroots. Ten years later, his aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Lok Sabha polls in 2014 helped the saffron party make inroads into the bastion of Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar, thanks to a grand alliance stitched by the late Gopinath Munde, former deputy chief minister and Union minister. Mundes confidence was not misplaced as Shetti had caused an upset for the NCP in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls by defeating its sitting member Nivedita Mane from Hathkangale constituency, thereby making a major breach in the Pawar bastion. A detractor of Pawar, Munde saw in leaders like Shetti and Mahadev Jankar the key to challenge the Maratha strongman in the prosperous sugar belt. Jankar is a minister in the Maharashtra government and had narrowly lost the Lok Sabha poll from Pawars pocket borough of Baramati in 2014. Last year, the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, led by Shetti, became the first National Democratic Alliance constituent to part ways, citing agrarian distress and the governments lacklustre approach towards farmer issues. Earlier, despite being part of the NDA, he was in the forefront of the protest in the Lok Sabha after police firing on agitating farmers in Mandsaur district of the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh in June 2017. He along with some other constituents of the NDA, including the Shiv Sena and the Akali Dal, in 2015 objected to the controversial land acquisition bill that finally did not see the light of the day. The parting of ways with the NDA was painful for Shetti as after the sudden death of Munde, he had no one to look forward to for resolving his grievances. Shetti had lamented that there was no one in the Bharatiya Janata Party who understood problems of the farmers and those taking decisions were not approachable. His complaint appeared genuine when Nana Patole resigned from the BJP and the Lok Sabha membership soon after targeting the Centre and the Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra for neglect of the cause of farmers. The rise of the 50-year-old farmer leader in the sugar belt was itself because of his rebellion against Shetkari Sanghatana leader the late Sharad Joshi after he became a Rajya Sabha member with the BJPs support in 2004. Shetti formed the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana. Joshi, however, remained a father figure for Shetti whom he had often consulted. BJP did not take kindly to Shettis departure from the NDA and attempted to drive a wedge in his organisation by propping up his associate Sadabhau Khot, who is the minister of state for agriculture in Maharashtra. Khot was expelled from the organisation, and he has declared his intention to challenge Shetti in the next Lok Sabha polls. According to Shetti, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading an anti-farmer regime and a national agitation is needed to oust it. It would not be a surprise if he joins hands with the Congress and becomes part of the UPA. He had recently met Congress president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi. Having fought many battles for cane growers in the state, Shetti now appears to be eyeing a larger role at the national level. But it is not an easy road. Javadekar, along with Piyush Goyal and Dharmendra Pradhan, is among the few ministers who have party as well as ministerial responsibilities. He is one of the managers for the upcoming Karnataka elections. How he will deliver that responsibility remains to be seen, says Aditi Phadnis. IMAGE: Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar addresses the Smart India Hackathon 2018, in New Delhi on Friday. Photograph: Press Information Bureau of India Hindu-Muslim riots broke out in Mumbai in 1992 after the demolition of the Babri Masjid and many politicians from the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party had to be given police protection. One such was Prakash Javadekar, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad activist and former officer in the Bank of Maharashtra. Although he had no direct involvement in the riots, protection was given to him because of his background. In those days, Javadekar had a Bajaj scooter. What do you do with an armed guard when you have only a scooter? So he followed the only logical option. The guard would ride pillion and the two of them would zip through the streets of Mumbai, the guard clutching his gun with one hand and hanging on for dear life to the spare wheel of the scooter with the other. His circumstances have changed, but as a person, Javadekar is still the same: a practical politician, committed to practical solutions. In the BJP in Maharashtra, many politicians -- including Pramod Mahajan, Gopinath Munde and Javadekar -- owe their rise to Vasantrao Bhagwat, organising secretary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in the BJP. In fact, among those he has mentored, Bhagwat counted all three as his proteges. Javadekars father was a printer and journalist and a strong supporter of the Hindu Mahasabha. The rivalry between the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha is well known; so there was a time when Javadekar's father moved out of his son's house, citing ideological differences. During the Emergency, Javadekar was jailed along with many others but he had a heart condition that needed immediate surgery and jail authorities refused permission to him to go to hospital. It took a strike by the entire jail to enable him to have an operation, which he survived -- in those days, a miracle in itself. He was arrested while he was an officer in a government-owned bank and was suspended. However, the union was controlled by the BJP and his suspension was rescinded when the Emergency was lifted. Javadekar and Kirit Somaiya, a chartered accountant, were inducted as full-timers in the BJP together. They became part of the BJPs core team in Maharashtra, along with Mahajan and Munde. But while Somaiya contested and won a Lok Sabha election, Javadekar stayed in state politics and was made a member of the legislative council when the BJP-Shiv Sena government came to power with Manohar Joshi as chief minister and Munde as deputy chief minister. He was made vice-chairman of the State Planning Board. Being a Brahmin, he had limited mobility in Maharashtra politics. But he remained Mahajans shishya and learned the art of making political friends and brokering alliances from Mahajan who was the architect of the Shiv Sena-BJP relationship -- a skill that he used with panache when he was entrusted with brokering the electoral arrangement between the BJP and the Telugu Desam in Andhra Pradesh in the 2014 general election. Strangely, those skills have remained unleveraged in the last four years. He did not contest the 2014 election from Pune although it was widely expected he would, leaving the seat to Anil Shirole of the BJP: possibly because he got cold feet. He currently holds a Rajya Sabha seat from Madhya Pradesh. Paradoxically, it is the absence of a mass base that has helped him take tough decisions: including submitting himself, as a minister of state (independent charge) of environment, to a seven-day limit for clearing files -- something that cost the United Progressive Alliance government Rs 520 billion in delays. As MoS (information and broadcasting) he said he would allow FM Radio to broadcast news, empower the Film and Technology Institute of India to become a better, more autonomous institution and would never agree to anything that would remotely fetter the media. It is to him that Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned when Smriti Irani had to be shifted out, and in 2017, he became cabinet minister with the human resource development portfolio. Javadekar might have had revolutionary ideas but he did what was practical and possible. The outlay for education in ratio to gross domestic product has stayed at the same level in the National Democratic Alliance as it was during the UPA. So how should education be funded and its reach expanded? The principle of autonomy is sacrosanct but so is the idea that users pay. So he has rolled out the proposal of autonomy of universities; and zero government interference in the way Indian Institutes of Management should be run. The latter idea was a UPA legacy and as minister, Irani tried to put her own imprint on it. But the Prime Ministers Office put paid to those ideas and it is to Javadekars credit that he did not try to gild the lily. The courses offered by the National Council for Educational Research and Training for schoolchildren have been pruned so that children dont have to bear the heavy burden that is Indian school education. He has stuck to the RSS-BJP script in arguing that universities with minority character -- like the AligarhMuslimUniversity and Jamia Millia -- should be divested of the minority tag. 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From hardwood flooring, to tiles and laminate flooring, the company also provides carpeting in Coral Springs and Plantation FL. Willoughby, OH -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/02/2018 --The world now is full of white lies. Therefore, it becomes difficult to make out what is true, and what is not. Be it on the personal level or professional level; one can hardly make out who is telling the truth, and who is not. As circumstances would have it, it is often hard for those involved in the matter to find the truth out. That is when they consider hiring the services of a private detective in Ohio and Cincinnati. A private detective from Willo Security is the perfect person to find the truth out. They are an outsider in the entire matter and tries to find the truth out from that point of view. They are not biased towards anyone and hence can get the truth out with ease. Willo Security is a reliable name when it comes to hiring a private detective. 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About Willo Security Willo Security brings more than 25 years of experience in providing the best security services. From patrol guard in Cincinnati and Ohio to extensive investigative services carried out by their professional detectives, they answer all security needs of their clients. Articles Sorry, there are no recent results for popular articles. Images Sorry, there are no recent results for popular images. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. TAGS record breaking Dubai tender to be held from 6 to 12 October Trans Atlantic Gems Sales (TAGS) record-breaking rough diamond tender is being held at the Dubai Diamond Exchange in Dubai from the 6th to the 12th October 2021, says a press note from the company. CIBJO releases precious metals special report With fewer than six weeks to go to the opening of the 2021 CIBJO Congress on November 1, 2021, the third of this years CIBJO commissions' Special Reports has been released. iTraceiT to help the diamond and jewelry industry become more transparent iTraceiT, a new and independent technology and service provider, will soon launch a robust and user-friendly traceability solution for the diamond and jewelry industry. Chinese diamond miner apologises to Marange headman report Anjin Investment, a joint venture between Chinas Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Company (AFECC) and Matt Bronze, an investment vehicle controlled by Zimbabwes military, has apologised to Headman Chiadzwa for resuming operations in Marange... Two Indian nationals convicted and sentenced for attempted theft of Sarine's intellectual property 02 april 2018 News Sarine Technologies, a worldwide leader in the development, manufacture and sale of precision technology products for the evaluation, planning, processing, finishing, grading and trading of diamonds and gemstones has updated the public on the outcome of the case pertaining to the attempted theft of Sarines intellectual property interdicted by the police in Israel in the summer of 2017. The Statement refers to Sarine's announcement of 23 July 2017, concerning the attempt by two Indian nationals to buy Sarines Galaxy systems schematics, list of parts and vendors and software source code for $1,000,000, which was offered to an investigator posing as a Sarine employee, who were immediately arrested by the police. We are pleased to update that the perpetrators were convicted, ordered to pay a substantial fine with one suspect also sentenced to eight months in Israeli prison, and the second perpetrator summarily expelled from the country. In response to this development, David Block, CEO of Sarine, noted, "Sarine is fully committed to prosecuting each and every attempt to illegally benefit from its intellectual property to the extent possible. Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished A diamond called Farnese Blue is about to appear on the market for the first time in its 300-year history. Sothebys Auction House will put it up for sale at an auction called Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels, which will be held in Geneva on 15th May 2018. Expert estimates of the stone range from $3,690,000 to $5,270,000. Besides the natural beauty of this grayish blue diamond, its price is considerably driven by its 300-year history tied to the royal families of Spain, France, Italy and Austria. Moreover, it should be added that it is a real natural diamond, the age of which can reach 2.5 billion years. Image credit: Sotheby's Victoria Quiri, Rough&Polished BNSF Railway BNSF Railway could begin a project to build a second bridge across Lake Pend Oreille this fall. The railroad has applied for permits that would see the new bridge constructed adjacent to the existing bridge. The new infrastructure will provide the capacity needed for BNSFs current traffic and future growth, benefiting all the commodities that we transport and the Amtrak trains that run on our mainline, the railroad said. When completed, trains will run in both directions across the bridges, reducing the need for trains to stop as they wait for clearance to cross. The result will be reduced congestion, enhanced safety, shorter wait times at crossings and improved service to our customers. According to BNSFs permit application for the Sandpoint Junction Connector, the project consists of a new mainline track west of the existing BNSF mainline, a new bridge just short of one-mile in length over Land Pend Oreille, new bridges over Sand Creek and Bridge Street in Sandpoint, Idaho, as well as track, switch, signal, utilities and maintenance access road upgrades. BNSF says it is proposing the second bridge to meet growing capacity freight and passenger needs. The single mainline, as well as portions of the over-water bridges date from the early 1900s. BNSF explains that this portion of its network, which serves as a critical connection between the Midwest and Pacific Northwest, has become constrained under steadily rising traffic volumes during the past three decades. A second mainline connecting BNSFs Algoma siding located south of Sandpoint and the Sandpoint Junction where the Class 1 tracks join with Montana Rail Links mainline would ease rail congestion, reduce siding hold times, as well as grade crossing wait times. The project is in the Idaho Panhandle between Washington, where BNSF is investing $160 million in 2018, and Montana, where the railroad is investing $135 million this year. While the permit application is with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Coast Guard is reviewing the project and the Idaho Department of Lands will hold two public hearings on the project on May 23. Interested parties may comment on the project online. Close on the heels of major social media platforms banning cryptocurrency and Initial Coin offering (ICO) related advertising, email marketing platform MailChimp is starting to block cryptocurrency and ICO related campaigns. MailChimp helps customers to create automations, targeted emails, and ad campaigns to personalize marketing. It is one of the top five email marketing platforms according to Inc.com. The ban came into effect from March 29 when MailChimp updated its "Acceptable Use Policy" to include the necessary instructions. In its "prohibited content list" MailChimp said, "Also, we cannot allow businesses involved in any aspect of the sale, transaction, exchange, storage, marketing or production of cryptocurrencies, virtual currencies, and any digital assets related to an Initial Coin Offering, to use MailChimp to facilitate or support any of those activities." "If you violate this policy, we may suspend or terminate your account. We may also suspend or terminate accounts according to our Terms of Use where we see behavior, content, or other factors that poses a threat to our system," the list adds. However, responding to a return tweet questioning the new policy, MailChimp said, "Cryptocurrency-related information isn't necessarily prohibited. It can be sent as long as the sender isn't involved in the production, sale, exchange, storage, or marketing of cryptocurrencies." MailChimp's new ad policy comes at a time when several other social media giants such as Facebook, Google, Snapchat, Twitter also prohibited ads promoting cryptocurrencies and related content including ICOs, exchanges, and wallets since January. The ban on ads aims to bridle scams fraud, phishing, and potentially misleading practices. Meanwhile, a newly founded Eurasian Blockchain Association or EBA, comprising Russian, Chinese and South Korean associations for cryptocurrency and Blockchain, is planning to file a lawsuit against the ongoing ban of cryptocurrency-related advertisements by social media giants. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Bitcoin is attempting bounce back on Monday after experiencing the much feared "death cross" over the long weekend, which was less destabilizing due to the apparently oversold position in the market. More shunning for the top cryptocurrency as a popular email marketing company banned cryptocurrency-related campaigns on its platform. Meanwhile, Hollywood is hoping movie distribution on blockchain would mark an end to the menace of piracy. Here is a wrap of the main news from the cryptocurrency and blockchain space over the weekend. Bitcoin Attempting To Stabilize Above $7K After going through a "death cross", which viewed as a sign of bad things to come, Bitcoin was above $,7000 on Monday. The "death cross" occurs when the 50-day moving average crosses its 200-day peer. However, markets reacted fairly calmly due to oversold conditions, CoinDesk reported. MailChimp To Stop Cryptocurrency Campaigns Close on the heels of major social media platforms banning cryptocurrency and Initial Coin offering (ICO) related advertising, email marketing platform MailChimp is starting to block cryptocurrency and ICO related campaigns. The company helps customers to create automations, targeted emails, and ad campaigns to personalize marketing. It is one of the top five email marketing platforms according to Inc.com. The ban came into effect from March 29 when MailChimp updated its "Acceptable Use Policy" to include the necessary instructions. Hollywood Hopes To End Piracy With Blockchain Distributed Movie Hollywood is also on board the blockchain wagon with hopes of seeing an end to piracy and "No Postage Necessary", the first movie to be distributed using the is set for release in June. The movie has partnered with Vevue, which is a Qtum blockchain based incentivized peer-to-peer video sharing decentralized application, or DApp, network. The romantic comedy is about a computer hacker and a stash of stolen Bitcoins. Heavy Losses To Cryptocurrency Markets In Q1 2018 The market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies has suffered massive loss in the first quarter of 2018, data shows. The capitalization of the combined crypto markets dropped by 59 percent since the start of January, Coinmarketcap data indicates. It has been estimated that in the first three months of this year, the value of all cryptocurrencies plummeted by more than $300 billion - from approximately $610 billion to below $300 billion. AirAsia Creating Own Cryptocurrency 'BigCoin': Report Budget airline AirAsia is creating its own cryptocurrency, embracing more digital tech as it expands into more markets, the Nikkei Asian Review reported, citing the company founder and CEO Tony Fernandes. The Malaysia-based budget airline, which is the largest in Asia by passenger volume, is planning to convert the frequent flyer points to cryptocurrency that it has named "BigCoin". Current Prices As of 8.44 am ET, Bitcoin was up 4.45 percent at $7,008.48 and Ethereum was higher by 2.92 percent at $387.32 on Coinbase. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Forex News Thailand government has announced plans to impose tax on cryptocurrency trading and investments. As per the tax framework outlined by Thai finance minister Apisak Tantivorawong last week, investors would be required to pay 7 percent in value-added tax (VAT) on all crypto trades alongside a 15 percent capital gains tax on returns on cryptocurrency investments, the Nikkei Asian Review reported. Thailand's Ministry of Finance wants to implement regulation and taxation to prevent the country's nascent cryptocurrency market from being used for money laundering, tax evasion, and other criminal activities. The Cabinet had issued two royal decree drafts last month to this effect. Thailand's crypto-based businesses are facing the pressure of government crackdown. Entrepreneurs launching new companies are reportedly trying to register their startups in more investment-friendly Singapore to raise capital through initial coin offerings (ICOs). The Bank of Thailand in February banned local banks from investing and trading in cryptocurrencies, creating uncertainty among local investors. "They (the finance ministry and Bank of Thailand) have to be cautious not to allow their conservative instincts to result in draconian regulations," Nikkei quoted former Thai Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij as saying. He currently serves as chairman of the Thai Fintech Association. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News In a retaliatory measure on Monday, the Chinese government suspended tariff concessions on 128 products it imports from the United States. The Ministry of Finance said the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council has decided to impose a tariff of 15 percent on 120 items, including fruits and related products. A tariff of 25 percent will be applied on eight items, including pork. The measures primarily target the U.S. agriculture industry, but soybeans, a key U.S. export to the country, have been exempted. The Finance Ministry said the tariffs affecting about $3 billion worth of imports was to safeguard China's interests and balance losses caused by new U.S. tariffs. It also made it clear that the Chinese action comes in response to Washington's decision last month to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imported from China. Additionally, the Trump administration is set to impose annual tariffs amounting to $60 billion on goods imported from China. The development is expected to hurt U.S.-China relations. The U.S. has a massive $500 billion trade deficit with China, which is its most important trading partner. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News AirAsia, Asia's largest budget airline by passenger volume, is creating its own cryptocurrency, embracing new tech as it expands services into more , the Nikkei Asian Review reported, citing the company founder and CEO Tony Fernandes. The Malaysia-based airline is planning to convert the frequent flyer points to cryptocurrency named as"BigCoin." From April, the airline will reportedly quote ticket prices on its website in fiat currencies as well as in BigCoin. Passengers can purchase seat upgrades, in-flight meals and other services using the digital currency that will be valid for three to six months. Fernandes told Nikkei that the company will carry out an initial coin offering, but did not specify when. With that, the BigCoin will be available at crypto exchanges and he hopes the cryptocurrency will start being accepted by third party businesses. AirAsia had launched a mobile wallet service called BigPay in January that allows passengers to buy refreshments on board over Wi-Fi using their smartphones. Fernandes hopes the mobile platform will expand to money remittance and lending, the report said. A host of airline companies are increasingly exploring the use of cryptocurrencies in their services, more so in South Asia where people are more familiar with these. Singapore Airlines has already announced a similar plan. In February, the airline said it would launch a lifestyle digital wallet app that will convert its KrisFlyer miles into digital tokens that can be used at point-of-sale terminals at participating retailers. The company said a successful proof-of-concept exercise was carried out in collaboration with KPMG Digital Village and Microsoft. The wallet app is expected to be launched by August. Earlier this year, Taiwanese airline FAT Taiwan, which owns the Far Eastern Air Transport, and Japan's low-cost carrier Peach Aviation had also announced that they would accept cryptocurrencies as payments for tickets. And outside Asia, the California-based commuter airline Surf Air also announced such plans. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Facebook Inc. (FB) CEO Mark Zuckerberg has hit back at Tim Cook, his counterpart at tech giant Apple Inc. (AAPL), after he had recently criticized the social media giant and said "some well-crafted regulation is necessary." "I think that this certain situation is so dire and has become so large that probably some well-crafted regulation is necessary. The ability of anyone to know what you've been browsing about for years, who your contacts are, who their contacts are, things you like and dislike and every intimate detail of your life-from my own point of view it shouldn't exist." Cook had said last week. Cook made these comments while attending the three-day China Development Forum in Beijing. However, in a reply to Cook's jibe, Zuckerberg, during an interview with Vox Media's Ezra Klein, described Cook's published comments as "glib." "You know, I find that argument, that if you're not paying that somehow we can't care about you, to be extremely glib. And not at all aligned with the truth." Zuckerberg said. Facebook has been facing heavy criticism in the wake of revelations that data from 50 million people was accessed by political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, which is linked to US President Donald Trump's election campaign, without their permission. The millions of users' "psychographic profiles" were used to manipulate them with ads. Cook had also questioned the practice of using user data on social platforms to make money by selling ads that target specific group of people. However, Zuckerberg has long maintained the view that the social media service will always be free for users, however, in order to run a profitable model it requires selling advertising based on user information. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg will have to testify in front of the U.S. Congress in the coming weeks. Recently, Elon Musk deleted the Facebook pages for his companies SpaceX and Tesla. He also campaigned for "Delete Facebook", which has been trending on twitter. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later this month ahead of a planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. A statement from the White House said the meeting between Trump and Abe on April 17th and 18th will include a discussion of the international campaign to maintain maximum pressure on North Korea. Trump and Abe will also explore ways to expand fair and reciprocal trade and investment ties between the U.S. and Japan, the White House said. The summit at the president's Mar-a-Lago resort will mark the third meeting between the two leaders since Trump took office. The White House said the meeting will reaffirm the U.S.-Japan alliance as a cornerstone of peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. Last week, Trump said he is looking forward to a meeting with Kim but noted tough sanctions on North Korea will remain in place. Trump indicated in a post on Twitter last Wednesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping described his covert meeting with Kim as going "very well." "Received message last night from XI JINPING of China that his meeting with KIM JONG UN went very well and that KIM looks forward to his meeting with me," Trump tweeted. He added, "In the meantime, and unfortunately, maximum sanctions and pressure must be maintained at all cost!" Kim reportedly spent several days in China in his first trip outside of North Korea since he took over control of the country from his late father in 2011. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said last Tuesday the Chinese government briefed the U.S. about the meeting between Xi and Kim. "We see this development as further evidence that our campaign of maximum pressure is creating the appropriate atmosphere for dialogue with North Korea," Sanders said. Trump suggested in a post on Twitter that his planned meeting with Kim could result in the long-sought goal of the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. "For years and through many administrations, everyone said that peace and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was not even a small possibility," Trump tweeted. "Now there is a good chance that Kim Jong Un will do what is right for his people and for humanity," he added. "Look forward to our meeting!" Last month, Sanders confirmed Trump had accepted an invitation to meet with Kim at a place and time to be determined. The news of the planned meeting was first revealed by South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-Yong, who said the two leaders would meet by May. A meeting between Trump and Kim would be the first between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed potentially meeting at the White House in the "not-too-distant future" during a phone call last month, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed on Monday. Sanders said in a statement that the White House was one of a "number of potential venues" the two leaders discussed as the site of a meeting. "As the President himself confirmed on March 20, hours after his last call with President Putin, the two had discussed a bilateral meeting in the 'not-too-distant future' at a number of potential venues, including the White House," Sanders said. "We have nothing further to add at this time." The statement from Sanders comes after Putin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters Trump specifically invited the Russian president to the White House. During the phone call last month, Trump congratulated Putin on his recent re-election victory, drawing criticism from some lawmakers concerned about the legitimacy of the results. "I called President Putin of Russia to congratulate him on his election victory (in past, Obama called him also)," Trump said in a post on Twitter. "The Fake News Media is crazed because they wanted me to excoriate him," he added. "They are wrong! Getting along with Russia (and others) is a good thing, not a bad thing." Trump told reporters he expected to meet Putin in the not-too-distant future to discuss the arms race, which he said is getting out of control. Since the call between the two leaders, Trump ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats in response to a nerve agent attack on a former spy. Trump also ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle due to its proximity to a U.S. submarine base and Boeing (BA). Russia responded by announcing it would expel 60 American diplomats and close the U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg. (Photo: www.kremlin.ru) For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News (Agencia CMA Latam) - The Brazilian trade surplus dropped 12% in March from a year before to US$ 6,281 billion as imports rose and exports remained virtually unchanged, according to official data. In spite of decline, March's trade surplus was the second best for the month since 1989, when records began. Brazilian export revenue rose 0.07% last month from a year before to US$ 20,089 billion. Imports were 6.7% higher at US$ 13,809 billion, boosted by crude oil and capital goods. Imports from the Middle East were 93.4% higher in March from a year before, while purchases from Asian products were up 28.7%. China alone saw a 34.8% increase in sales to Brazil last month. by Agencia CMA Latam For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more. Rajnath Singh (file photo) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday urged political parties to avoid tensions in the wake of nationwide protests against the dilution of the SC and ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. "A review petition has been filed in Supreme Court today. I would appeal to all to avoid tensions. I seek their support," the minister told reporters. "We should not create a situation that leads to communal tensions. It is the moral responsibility of all the political parties to cooperate so that any kind of tensions can be avoided," he added. Mortal remains of Iraq victims arrive in Amritsar The mortal remains of 38 Indian men killed by the Islamic State terror group in Mosul, Iraq, in 2014 arrived here on Monday afternoon on a special IAF aircraft. Union Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh accompanied the mortal remains. "We are thankful to the authorities in Iraq for the help (they rendered) to locate the victims and exhume the mortal remains. The government of India did its best to know about the missing Indians," Singh told the media. Although 39 Indians were killed as the Islamic State took over Mosul in June 2014, the mortal remains of 38 were brought back as the identification of one body is still pending. While the coffins of 31 victims -- 27 from Punjab and four from Himachal Pradesh -- were handed over to the respective authorities at the Amritsar airport here, seven coffins were shifted to another aircraft to be flown to West Bengal (3) and Bihar (4). Punjab's Cultural Affairs Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu was present at the airport to receive the coffins, along with officials of the other states to which the victims belonged. The victims' families were told by officials not to open the coffins since the mortal remains had been exhumed from graves and could emit toxic gases. However, most have refused the direction and said that they would opt for a traditional cremation. In the wake of the nationwide protests against the dilution of the SC and ST Prevention of Atrocities Act on Monday, the Punjab government had appealed to the demonstrators to allow the mortal remains to pass without hindrance. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had informed Parliament on March 20 that all 39 Indian construction workers kidnapped in 2014 from Mosul have been killed. The Minister had earlier said that she will not consider them dead unless there was proof in this regard, rejecting lone survivor Harjit Masih's claim that the captives were shot dead. Masih had escaped from the clutches of the terror group in June 2014. After Mosul was freed from the clutches of the Islamic State in July 2017, there was hope that the missing Indians would be found. However, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, during his India visit in July, said he was not sure if the men were alive or not. From L to R: Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo, DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, Senator Loren B. Legarda, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Manuel Antonio J. Teehankee, and DFA Assistant Secretary Leo M. Herrera-Lim. Sec. Lopez lauds Senate approval PH-EFTA Free Trade Agreement By DTI-OSEC-PRU March 7, 2018 PASAY CITY Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez hailed the ratification of the Senate of the Philippines-European Free Trade Association Free Trade Agreement (PH-EFTA FTA) during its third reading last 05 March 2018. The PH-EFTA FTA is in line with President Rodrigo Dutertes strategy of pursuing trade relations with non-traditional as well as high potential trade partners. With this ratification, the Philippines will benefit from expanded trade engagements with non-EU members even as it gives us greater access to the European market, said Sec. Lopez. The agreement will allow duty-free market access between the Philippines and the EFTA member states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) to trade products and services and facilitate investments. Sec. Lopez said: While theres a large potential to expand our trade and investment relations with EFTA, the FTA also capitalizes on it since trade goods between the Philippines and EFTA are non-competing. The FTA benefits the PH especially in exporting agricultural, industrial, and fishery products. Once the FTA is in place, EFTA will grant duty-free market access to all industrial and fishery products from PH. PH will also gain tax incentives on agricultural products, particularly those (1) that are currently being exported to the EFTA Member States such as desiccated coconut, prepared or preserved pineapples, and raw cane sugar; (2) with high potential export interest, including those exported to neighboring European countries, which can be alternatively exported to EFTA countries. This will improve the countrys market share vis-a-vis the other ASEAN countries in the EFTA market. The Philippines can take the opportunity to position itself as EFTAs primary import source of these products, said Senator Loren B. Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations during her speech at the Senate last February 26. In return, PH will also grant EFTA countries duty-free market access on most industrial and fishery products as well as market access on goods such as temperate fruits, mineral and aerated waters, food preparations, chocolate, cheese and wine. The agreement will also welcome foreign investments on renewable energy, computer and related services (IT-BPM), construction, environmental services, maritime transport, and finance. Highly-skilled Filipino workers will also have easier entry in the 4 countries. The agreement allows temporary stay of the following service suppliers, without the need for an economic needs test: (1) executives, managers and specialists (who are intra-corporate transfers), (2) business visitors, (3) contractual service suppliers, and (4) installers of service industrial machinery. Dear Editor, Re: Claims rubbished Here in lies the problem with the Alienation of Customary Land Amendment Bill 2017. This new bill is furthering the objective of L.T.R.A. 2008 by requiring under Clause 7 (ii) A mortgage of the lease over customary land must be registered under the Land Titles Registration Act 2008; This requirement is fatal to this amendment. Why? Because it is using a law, LTRA 2008 that was passed without a proper referendum vote as required by the Constitution under Section 109. Section 102 of the constitution clearly states: It shall not be lawful or competent for any person to make any alienation or disposition of customary land or of any interest in customary land, whether by way of SALE, MORTGAGE or OTHERWISE howsoever, nor shall customary land or ANY INTEREST therein be capable of being taken in execution or be assets for the payment of the debts of any person on his decease or insolvency: Under the Samoa constitution it clearly states in section 109 that the Parliament can amend any section of the Constitution PROVIDED THAT no bill amending, repealing or ADDING to the provisions of Article 102 or the provisions of this proviso shall be submitted to the Head of State for assent until it has been submitted to a poll of the electors on the rolls for the territorial constituencies established under the provisions of Article 44. What we have here under this new bill of Fiames is an attempt to ADD to the provisions of Section 102 by requiring that mortgages using Customary Lands as collateral must be registered under L.T.R.A. 2008. The problem here is L.T.R.A. 2008 was not legal in the first place under the Constitution. L.T.R.A. 2008 violates Section 102 on its face, as a blatant attempt to separate the owners of Samoan customary lands from their ownership rights. Any individual who wakes up one day with ownership rights to customary lands and then loses them arbitrarily because someone registered a document that excluded them from the named owners...has been alienated from his or her rights to their customary land a right protected and guaranteed by the Samoan Constitution. That is what the Torrens System does. It was designed and used in Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and other lands to separate natives from their lands. And it was very effective. Now we have this poisonous snake in Samoa. It is counter to all that our forefathers fought for and intended when they created the Samoa Constitution. One of the most important beliefs of the framers of Samoas constitution was to leave Samoas Customary lands free from the Western cultures land grabbing tendencies. This is why the architects of our Constitution had this clause 102 inserted into the constitution. This was the will of our forefathers and we salute their vigilance and foresight to see into the future and understand the nature of the West and their behaviors. What our forefathers knew was losing our customary lands would enslave the Samoan people. As a result our forefathers not only put section 102 into the constitution but provided further protection against any amendment of the constitution that would damage this protection. Thus they had Section 109 placed in there to ensure no one party parliament would tamper with this protection, as it seems we now have. Under Section 109 of the Constitution Parliament could amend the constitution at any time with a majority of parliamentarian votes: Provided that no bill amending, repealing or adding to the provisions of Article 102 or the provisions of this proviso shall be submitted to the Head of State for assent until it has been submitted to a poll of the electors on the rolls for the territorial constituencies established under the provisions of Article 44 and unless it has been supported by two-thirds of the valid votes cast in such a poll. It is clear from reading this section the intent of the framers of the constitution was to protect Section 102 from being changed frivolously by a one party parliament as we had in 2008 and as we have now. The framers of the constitution made it very clear that any amendment that is proposed which will affect alienation of customary land must first be voted on by the electors on the rolls for the territorial constituencies and in that vote it is required that two thirds of the valid votes cast supports any such amendment before it can be sent for the Head of States signature into law. We have already established that L.T.R.A. 2008 does in deed effect alienation of customary land of 99% of those family members who own the land pursuant to the nature of Customary land ownership. By virtue of this natural result of L.T.R.A 2008, Section 109 of the constitution should have been implemented before this bill for LTRA 2008 was signed by the Head of State into law. But that never happened. The law of L.T.R.A 2008 was passed and signed into law without a referendum vote. It was therefore under Section 109 of the Samoa Constitution an illegal and unconstitutional law. It therefore follows that by virtue of this LTRA 2008 being unconstitutional the poisonous fruits of this invalid law affect the Alienation of Customary Land Amendment Bill 2017 and render it illegal and unconstitutional also. Fiames rant is premature at best. The Constitution of Samoa is the supreme law of the land. No person or law or group of individuals are above authority of the constitution. Once anyone, including Parliament and especially Parliament, do any act that is contrary to the constitution then that act or law is UNCONSTITUTIONAL!!!! Any law that is unconstitutional is not worth the paper it is written on. LTRA 2008 is one of those laws and this Alienation of Customary Land Amendment Bill 2017 is therefore also unconstitutional. Albert Ainuu Think a minuteRecently a 102-year-old woman was playing a game of golf. On a 100-yard long hole she thought she had lost her ball, only to discover she had hit it straight into the cup. A record hole-in-one by a 102-year-old woman! Who says we dont get better with age! For many years Othmar Ammann was an engineer for the Port of New York City. But he knew he still had plenty of good years and plans ahead of him. So he decided to leave his secure government job to try to fulfill his dreams as a designer and started his own engineering company. It is because Othmar Ammann was not afraid to step out of his comfort zone, our world is full of many magnificent monuments which he masterfully designed and built: The airport at Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C., The Iranian highway system, The New Jersey and Connecticut turnpikes, The U.S. Navys 600-foot radio telescope, and what was the worlds longest suspension bridge in New York City. To this day, designers and engineers still talk about Othmar Ammanns many masterpieces. Actually, two of his greatest accomplishments we did not mention were New York Citys George Washington Bridge and San Franciscos Golden Gate Bridgesince he did those before his retirement. If you can call it retirement? Amazingly, the majority of Othmar Ammans engineering masterworks were built after he retired at the age of 60until he finished his last one, at that time the longest bridge in the world, when Othmar was age 86! The fact is we all were designed to keep building a better life and character all the way to the end. Recently I heard a successful man say: I dont want to have to look back for the best Ive done in my life. If I peaked in the past, than Ill never become the man I was born to be. Lifes greatest achievement is to finish it well. Sadly, not everyone gets better with age. In fact, some peoples character flaws seem to get bigger and their weaknesses worse. As one man observed: People can changebut few do. But you can start changing todayif you wholeheartedly ask Jesus to forgive you and take full charge of your heart each and every day? Only He can help you continue to grow in your character, so you will only get better with age and finish your life according to His awesome master plan for you. Just think a minute The regions biggest bank Bank of the South Pacific reaffirmed its commitment to the South Pacific Tourism Organisation with a $55,000 sponsorship for the South Pacific Tourism Exchange 2018, the regions largest tourism event. S.P.T.O Chief Executive Officer, Christopher Cocker said that the financial support from B.S.P., particularly the regions largest bank was a nod to the event and its capacity to bring tourism stakeholders together from the region and globally. Sustainable tourism is the way forward for our region, specifically culture, is at the core of each Pacific islander, so I am pleased to launch our theme for SPTE18 which is Our Culture is yours to Discover, Experience & Respect said Mr. Cocker. B.S.P. Head of Marketing Nirdesh Singh said that B.S.P and S.P.T.Os goals of sustainability aligned and that they hoped to work together towards a greener Pacific for the future. We recognise S.P.T.E.18 as an important event for the Pacific especially Fiji because tourism is huge, as a regional bank we see the benefit from the event because of the potential to grow our Pacific market as well as looking at ways to support sustainable Pacific businesses in Tourism which align with our Corporate social responsibility program said Mr. Singh. He added that B.S.P. will also have a booth at the event and network with sellers from across the Pacific as well as international travel houses. There are 360 million global tourism trips annually. Many of these trips including to the South Pacific are motivated primarily by cultural heritage, a small niche market with key markets to the South Pacific coming from the US, UK and Germany according to S.P.T.Os Cultural and Heritage Report 2014. Papua New Guinea is the top destination for cultural heritage in the region for the Europe and North America market because they have an authentic tribal culture but the same can be said for our other member countries. The key is marketing our Pacific destinations as authentic cultural destinations, while maintaining and preserving the culture of our Pacific heritage. Our Pacific culture is a unique selling point that differentiates the Pacific with our global competitors, such as the Indian Ocean Islands, Caribbean, Queensland and Asia. said Mr. Cocker. S.P.T.E.18 remains relevant for S.P.T.O. member countries like Tonga. For instance Tonga who are recovering from the impacts of Cyclone Gita, S.P.T.E.18 is a great platform for Tonga to meet international buyers and update them on the status of products and their destination said Mr. Cocker. Mr. Cocker also said that Miss Pacific Islands Gwendolyn Toomalatai who is S.P.T.Os Tourism Ambassador will be at S.P.T.E.18 promoting the event on social media. He went on to also acknowledge other key sponsors, Fiji Airways, Nauru Airlines, Jacks Fiji and the event media partners, Fiji TV, Mai Life Magazine and TravMedia. S.P.T.E.18 has 59 buyers from 13 countries including Australia, USA, Canada, France, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, China, Hong Kong, Korea, India and Fiji thats and 50 sellers from 15 countries. This commemorates B.S.P and S.P.T.Os 3-year sponsorship deal for SPTE, which was signed in 2016. S.P.T.E. kicks off on the 12th & 13th April 2018 at the Adelaide Convention Centre, Australia held just before the Australian Tourism Exchange (15- 19 April) and right after Fiji Tourism Exchange (10 -12 April) President Donald Trumps U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is aggressively enforcing federal immigration laws. A new California law, the Immigrant Worker Protection Act, bars all public and private California employers from voluntarily assisting in that effort. The act prohibits an employer from: (1) voluntarily granting an immigration agent access to nonpublic areas of the workplace without a judicial warrant; (2) voluntarily giving an immigration agent access to employee records, other than I-9 forms, without a subpoena or court order: (3) reverifying a current employees eligibility to work in the United States unless required by federal law. The act requires an employer to: (1) post notice for current employees within 72 hours of receiving a Notice of Inspection of I-9 forms or other employment records from an immigration agency; (2) provide written notice of the results of an inspection of such records within 72 hours of receipt to any employee who inspectors found may lack work authorization and any employee whose work authorization documents the inspectors found deficient. With narrow exceptions, each violation of any of these provisions exposes an employer to a civil fine of thousands of dollars. Legislative analysts cited studies estimating there are over 2.6 million undocumented immigrants in California and that nearly one in 10 California workers is undocumented. San Diego is a border town. Attention must be paid. Advertisement In February, the California Labor Commissioner and the California Attorney General issued joint guidance on frequently asked questions about the law and how state officials will enforce it. According to the guidance, a nonpublic area to which employers may not voluntarily grant immigration officials access is one that the general public is not normally free to enter or access, which may include an office where payroll or personnel records are kept or an area that an employer designates (for instance, by posting signs or keeping doors closed) as restricted to employees or management of the business. Examples of a businesss public areas include the dining room of a restaurant or the sales floor of a store during business hours. San Diego immigration attorney Vaani Chawla cautioned in an email that [i]f the business layout involves a wide-open sales floor, the entire sales floor might be considered public. There are an infinite number of possible office and business floorplans, warehouses, and cubicle farms. Immigration attorney Jeanne Malitz said in an email she believes the entire space of a private office is private including the waiting area. . . . We advise employers to define this now and use signage to indicate where public access is prohibited. The state does not consider an employers designation of an area as nonpublic conclusive; the state will base its determination on the particular facts of each case. In a Guide for California Employers, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center advises employers to designate and train an employee to handle encounters with immigration agents. Desk persons and security officers should be trained to direct immigration agents immediately to that designated person. The ILRC adds that if an immigration agent asks to enter a nonpublic area, the designated employee should state explicitly that he/she does not consent to entry without a judicial warrant and should scrutinize and have the companys lawyer scrutinize -- any warrant if one is presented. An employee who receives a request from an immigration official to review I-9 records or other records, says Chawla, should ask the official for a Notice of Inspection or a subpoena. If the official does not have one, the representative should explicitly refuse the request. If the official presents the required notice or subpoena, the representative should insist on at least three business days to provide the documents. The ILRC warns employers not to engage in any activities that could support a harboring or obstruction of justice charge such as hiding employees, aiding in their escape from the premises, providing false or misleading information, denying the presence of specific named employees, or shredding documents. Trumps Justice Department filed a lawsuit to invalidate this and two other new immigration-related California laws, contending the laws frustrate the federal governments ability to exercise its exclusive authority over immigration under the U.S. Constitution and federal law. Malitz and other immigration attorneys are keeping a close eye on the federal litigation as should California employers. At all times, California employers and their staffs must comply with their obligations under this developing area of law. Dan Eaton is a partner with the San Diego law firm of Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek where his practice focuses on defending and advising employers. He also is an instructor at the San Diego State University Fowler College of Business where he teaches classes in business ethics and employment law. He may be reached at eaton@scmv.com. His Twitter handle is @DanEatonlaw. La Mesas first medical marijuana dispensary should be up and running by July. The City Council on March 27 unanimously upheld a decision by the Planning Commission to issue a permit to business owner Sean McDermott to operate a dispensary on Center Street. In doing so, the council rejected an appeal filed by another potential dispensary proprietor, Thomas Perkins. I was pretty nervous, we had a lot on the line, McDermott said following the vote. The City Council did the absolute right thing backing the hard work and effort its staff put forward to make a recommendation to approve any licensee, let alone myself. To get it to the level of approval, a lot had to happen. They saw it and the Planning Commission saw it. Like all planned collectives, the one that is opening at 8155 Center St. had to meet stringent conditions, such as distances from parks, playgrounds, schools and other dispensaries. It also had to meet operational and security requirements, such as offering enough parking and and allowing firetrucks to turn around at the premises in case of an emergency. Advertisement Attorney Gina Austin, who represents several people who are hoping to open dispensaries in La Mesa, had filed an appeal with the city on behalf of Perkins. Perkins had applied to open a dispensary within 1,000 feet of McDermotts, which the city ruled was too close. Austins appeal challenged information on McDermotts application, alleging illegal construction activity, inaccessibility for wheelchair users and unmet parking requirements. Community Developent Director Kerry Kusiak refuted all of Austins claims about McDermotts building, saying it passed site inspections and access requirements. There was a very valiant effort to throw multicolored smokescreens in the air, McDermott said. The City Council was listening and saw through the rhetoric. Austin also told the City Council that the city is not processing dispensary applications in accordance with established procedures. City Attorney Glenn Sabine told Austin the citys process for handling medical marijuana dispensaries is legal. He explained that in January 2017, in response to the large crowd that showed up at City Hall to apply for a permit to operate a dispensary, the city handed out sealed papers awarding numbers to those in line based on their place in line. Some dispensaries have been pushed ahead of others despite having lower numbers because their applications have been deemed by the city as ready to move forward, having also already met Measure U requirements as well as the 88 conditions requested by the city. McDermott said he is hopeful that his dispensary will be operational by July 1. Advertisement Theres still a lot of work to do to get ready, he said. McDermott also has a hearing in Lemon Grove in mid-May for a dispensary he is hoping to open up in that city. Voters in both La Mesa and Lemon Grove passed laws in 2016 allowing for the sales of medical marijuana. Advertisement karen.pearlman@sduniontribune.com Forty-six years ago, author Chris Ahrens sold his first story. Hes been earning a living as a writer ever since. But the 69-year-old Cardiff resident is pleased to say that he wont make a penny off his latest book, God & Gangsters. The self-published paperback features interviews with 21 hardcore and notorious criminals who turned their lives around by embracing Christianity and getting sober. Last month, Ahrens printed the first 500 copies of his book with the mission of giving every copy away for free. The target audience for God & Gangsters is juvenile offenders who Ahrens hopes may learn from the hard-earned wisdom of these reformed gang members, drug dealers, murderers and Mafioso. I see it as my mission, said Ahrens, a grandfather of two and whose wife, Tracy, is a private school administrator. I was looking for something meaningful to do and I thought that if I could get these stories into the hands of young people, they could learn from others mistakes. Advertisement In April, Ahrens will co-host a book-release party at the high-security Calipatria State Prison in the Imperial Valley, where many of the books subjects served time. That will be followed by visits to Chuckawalla Valley and Donovan state prisons. Hell be joined by Dennis Martinez, 58, a onetime world champion freestyle skateboarder who relates in the book how he lost everything to drugs in his 20s. He found God and sobered up 21 years ago and now runs the San Diego Training Center, a faith-based drug rehab center in Spring Valley. Ahrens first told Martinezs story in his 2008 documentary D.O.P.E, an acronym for Death or Prison Eventually. Narrated by actor and ex-con Danny Trejo, the film chronicled the rise, fall and redemption of four skateboard superstars: Martinez, Christian Hosoi, Bruce Logan and the late Jay Adams. For many years, Ahrens has been part of a ministry program that visits men in prisons for conversation and support. He said the experience of hearing these stories left him a changed man. I started seeing these people who are no different from me or anyone else, Ahrens said. I know people who may have just had a knife in their hand when things went wrong and they went to prison for life. Chris Ahrens holds a copy of God & Gangsters, a book hes distributing free to youth offenders about ex-cons whove turned away from crime and drugs through faith. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune ) Ahrens grew up in Los Angeles, attending Catholic schools and hitchhiking to the beach on weekends to surf. Religion didnt take with him as a boy, but he often encountered a street preacher under the Huntington Beach Pier who gave him food for thought. I wasnt the kind of kid who enjoyed sitting in church every Sunday being told to be a good boy, he said. When I was 19, I remember going home one night thinking about what that (beach) preacher said, and I took my own spiritual journey. Id call myself a nondenominational Christian. Advertisement Two years later, Ahrens moved to Australia for the waves. He supported himself doing odd jobs, including taking pictures of surfers. But when his camera got stolen, he went to a local newspaper and asked if theyd instead buy a freelance article. Forty dollars later, he was a professional writer. During the 1970s, he wrote for several surfing magazines and then ran a state-sponsored journalism program teaching newspaper skills to residents on the Rincon Indian reservation. He served for a time as editor of Longboarder Magazine and he freelanced for major newspapers, television and radio stations. In 1994, he published his first of four books of short stories. And in 2003, he launched Risen, a magazine that offered in-depth interviews with celebrities that touched on spirituality and faith. It was during that time that Ahrens said he began noticing the toll drugs had taken on his community. He was also disturbed by how pop culture glamorized gang and prison life. That led to the making of D.O.P.E. Advertisement I felt a responsibility to make that film, he said. After going through the 60s and seeing so many good, intelligent people die, I needed to do something. Too many kids were getting the wrong message from exploitative films that played to their vices and weaknesses. After the film, Ahrens helped write a HarperCollins autobiography of Hosoi, who found God while serving a four-year prison sentence for possession to sell $65,000 of methamphetamine. Today, Hosoi runs a skateboard shop and is a part-time pastor in Huntington Beach. In doing interviews for the book over the past year, Ahrens said he found many commonalities. Most of the subjects 19 men and 2 women had difficult childhoods with absent, cruel or criminal fathers and drugs, physical abuse and sexual abuse in the home. Many joined gangs around the age of 14 for the adrenaline rush and sense of belonging. All of the addicts say their drug use began with marijuana and that their addiction motivated and intensified their crimes. Advertisement The interviews are mostly presented in a Q&A format and cover the subjects childhood, crime and prison experiences and journey to faith and sobriety. Each chapter ends with their favorite Bible verse. Most chose scriptures from the Apostle Paul, Ahrens said, because he turned away from violent extremism when he met Jesus. Among the diverse subjects are San Diego residents Nadine Goddard and Raylene Brooks, who both spent more than 20 years in prison as accessories to murders committed by their boyfriends. There are also interviews with Manson Family killer Randall Tex Watson; mobsters Michael Franzese and Rocco Morelli; rapper Matthew Emcy Conant; and surfers Jack Murf the Surf Murphy and Shawn Briley. All of the interviewees are now sober, most of them have served their time and many are pastors who counsel prisoners, ex-cons and the poor, like cover subject Jake Sellers. The onetime drug dealer and armed robber credits prayer with saving him from suicide in prison. He now ministers to the poor and deportees in Tijuana. Most of the subjects offer gritty and unvarnished descriptions of their drug battles and crimes. San Diego pastor Jon Lowry spent 17 years in prison and tells his story in raw detail to deflate the myth of glory and glamour in prison. Advertisement Young people ... think in prison they can get a name for themselves by being aggressive, violent. But all those guys that have lived and died in prison, nobody knows their names, Lowry said. When they die, theyre shipped home in a cardboard box to their families. Their bodies arent even washed off theyll still have blood on them. The first printing of Gods & Gangsters was underwritten by Oregon artist Michael Cassidy, and all 500 books have already been given away. Ahrens is now raising money for a second printing. He said all the subjects interviewed are happy with the book and hope their honest confessions will have a positive impact on young people. The final advice in the book comes from Timothy Jackson, a onetime Oceanside gang member who now runs his own cleaning business. Know who you are, he counsels. Youre made in Gods image; youre not born as a gang member. Thats a costume some people will wear for the rest of their lives. If you take that off, you can be yourself. Advertisement Advertisement pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com PHOTO: Palomar College held a ribbon-cutting recently for its new veterans center. The renovated 2,240-square-foot center brings together services in one location that were offered before at various places on campus, making it a one-stop shop for veterans and military-affiliated students. The center includes computer stations, a private study area and lounge, and offices for the Veterans Services staff. From left: Palomar Community College District Governing Board Secretary Mark Evilsizer; board Trustee Nina Deerfield; board President Paul McNamara and board Vice President John Halcon. Visit www2.palomar.edu/pages/veterans. More community news By Janelle Werthmann & Linda McIntosh CARLSBAD Advertisement Networking group to begin meeting Nafe will launch its new Carlsbad nafe Network at 11 a.m. Friday at the Theoria Technical College, 5857 Owens Ave., Suite 300. The topic will be Controlling Your Es: You Can Control Your World - Energy, Environment, Enthusiasm. The featured speaker will be Patrick Hunter, a professional speaker, author and accelerated learning and memory skills trainer who will talk about the techniques he has used to reinvent himself many times to start new careers, break fears, create new success habits. Cost is $10 for members and $15 for guests. There will be menus from restaurants that deliver food; orders will be taken from individuals and each person is responsible to pay for what they order. Bring business cards as there will be plenty of time to network. The group meets the first Friday of each month at this location. Reserve at (760) 531-7398 or (951) 255-9200, or email emjvalentine@gmail.com or rmotter@aol.com. Road Scholar lecture set for Thursday North County Village will hold a Road Scholar lecture featuring Jill Swaim, a Road Scholar volunteer ambassador, from 1 to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Carlsbad City Library, 1775 Dove Lane. Swaim will discuss the Road Scholar Travel Adventure Programs that encompass a range of subjects and locations throughout the United States, Canada and 150 countries around the world, including aboard ships. One gift certificate toward a Road Scholar Program will be awarded at the event. Visit ncvillage.org. ESCONDIDO Library programs on Alzheimers, opera The Escondido Public Library is offering the following programs for adults in April at 239 S. Kalmia St.: Advertisement Alzheimers Awareness Series, 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesdays. The library is partnering with the Alzheimers Association for this monthlong series of instructional programs about topics related to identifying and coping with Alzheimers disease. Refreshments will be provided. Topics include: Know the Ten Signs: Early Detection Matters, April 4; Basics: Memory Loss, Dementia and Alzheimers Disease, April 11; Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body: The Latest Tips, April 18; and Understanding Dementia Related Behaviors, April 25. The Second Saturday Concert Series will present Opera Exposed! from 3 to 4:30 p.m. April 14. This touring opera ensemble features young professionals performing arias and duets from composers such as Puccini, Mozart and Copland. Visit escondidolibrary.org or call (760) 839-4836. FALLBROOK Advertisement Club to host gun control advocate The Fallbrook Democratic Club will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Hilltop Center, 331 E. Elder St. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m. This months featured speaker is Wendy Wheatcroft, director of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense San Diego and founder of San Diegans for Gun Violence Prevention (sd4gvp.org). Wheatcroft will discuss regional grass-root efforts to promote gun safety legislation and increase community involvement to end gun violence. She will outline five specific actions citizens can take, including calling elected officials in support of pending legislation. Various Democratic candidates for office also are expected to drop-in to the meeting to introduce themselves. In addition to the Democratic clubs regular meetings on the first Thursday of each month, the club holds coffee meetings at 8 a.m. the third Wednesday of each month at the Fallbrook Coffee Co., 622 S. Mission Road. Visit fallbrookdemocrats.org. NORTH COUNTY Support group to meet for social activities Advertisement The Catholic Widows and Widowers of North County will hold these events next month: Wednesday: Dinner at Chins restaurant to be followed by Martin Luther King Community Choir at California Center for the Arts, Escondido. Wednesday: Dance class at Ed Brown Senior Center, Rancho Bernardo. April 7: Walk the Highland Valley Trail and lunch at Cordiano Winery, Escondido. Advertisement April 8: Potluck meeting at Las Brisas Pacificas Clubhouse, San Marcos. April 9: Dinner at Cocina del Charro, San Marcos. April 11: Dance class at Ed Brown Senior Center, Rancho Bernardo. April 12: Happy hour and dinner at The Crossings restaurant, Carlsbad. Advertisement April 15: Dance at the Escondido Elks Lodge and happy hour to follow at Brigantine, Escondido. April 17: Tour of the Gemological Institute of America and lunch at Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa, Carlsbad. April 18: Dance class at Ed Brown Senior Center, Rancho Bernardo. April 19: Happy hour at Macaroni Grill, Oceanside. Advertisement April 22: Mass at St. Thomas More, Oceanside, and lunch at Nuccis Italian Cafe, Vista. April 24: Bocce ball and dinner at Vista Elks Lodge. April 25: Dance class at Ed Brown Senior Center, Rancho Bernardo. April 26: Bowl at Surf Bowl and dinner at Hunter Steakhouse, Oceanside. Advertisement April 28: Sense and Sensibility at MiraCosta College Theatre, Oceanside. This is a support group for those who desire to foster friendships through various social activities. Reserve at (858) 674-4324. SAN MARCOS Model A Ford club Advertisement to meet Wednesday The Palomar Model A Ford Club will hold its monthly meeting to discuss upcoming tours, technical advice and more at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Palomar Estates East Clubhouse, 650 S. Rancho Santa Fe Road. Doors open at 6 p.m. Refreshments and socializing follow the program. Meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month except December; local day tours are typically scheduled for the Saturday following the meeting, departing from the clubhouse. All Model A owners and enthusiasts and moderns are welcome. Email bkhk@cox.net, call (619) 425-3241 or visit palomarmodelaclub.org. VISTA Attorneys to discuss legal topics at library Advertisement Volunteer attorneys will provide basic information on the following legal topics as part of a series sponsored by the Vista Library: Personal Injury on Thursday and Small Claims on April 26. Sessions begin at 6 p.m. at the library, 700 Eucalyptus Ave. Call (760) 643-5100. JANELLE WERTHMANN & LINDA MCINTOSH U-T northcounty@sduniontribune.com An actor shouting Line! is normally about the last thing you want to hear during a play. But in Men on Boats, its not a desperate request for what to say next: Its a characters plea for a lifeline that could mean the difference between surviving and dying. (Which for an actor, of course, might be only slightly more dire than getting tripped up in the script.) The actors in New Village Arts production of the wildly original Jaclyn Backhaus work, fortunately, dont miss a trick, or a line and while you probably wont fail to notice there are no actual men in Men on Boats, you wont miss their presence, either. In fact, while the play pays little mind to such dramatic niceties as character development, it makes its own singular statement simply by reasserting via a creative retelling of a real-life chapter from history that adventure, daring and delight in a physical challenge are hardly male-only domains. Advertisement Theres so much thats stylized anyway about this witty, exhilarating and sometimes pretty weird piece directed by Melissa Coleman-Reed in a muscular production that gives her actors a real workout that youll soon forget the characters the 10 women are playing were originally guys. Men on Boats tells the story of the one-armed ex-soldier John Wesley Powells audacious 1869 expedition to explore the lower reaches of the Colorado River, via the gorges of the Grand Canyon. Theres no river roaring across the NVA stage, but scenic designer Christopher Scott Murillos movable, earth-toned panels capture a feel of sheer canyon walls, complemented by Sarah Schwartzs lighting. And Melanie Chen Coles fantastic sound design blends old-tymey music with haunting electronica to map the shifting emotional tones, while her projections just about douse us in the rivers chill. Coleman-Reed not only fields an impressively diverse cast (looking rough-and-ready in Elisa Benzonis detailed and eye-catching costumes) but also introduces several promising newcomers. Nancy Ross, Kristianne Kurner, Tiffany Tang and Paloma Dominguez (from left) in New Village Arts Theatres Men on Boats. (Daren Scott ) The recent San Diego arrival Nancy Ross seems ideally in tune with the full-speed-ahead vibe of the piece as the headstrong crew member Dunn, while Joy Yvonne Jones is a more reserved but powerful presence as the young Hall. Newly minted UC San Diego grad Paloma Dominguez is a real find as the ever-upbeat Sumner; shes particularly adept in the shows many high-energy movement sequences, as the boats brave rapids and cataracts. (Given how extensive those scenes are, its a surprise to find no choreographer is credited.) Advertisement Brianna Dodson brings winningly bright notes to the chipper Bradley. And Tamara McMillian and Melba Novoa, whose main characters are the no-nonsense boat mates Seneca and OG (respectively), have the flat-out funniest moment, in secondary roles as two ultra-cool leaders of a local tribe who encounter the hapless explorers. (Novoas mirrored shades must be so we cant see her character rolling her eyes.) Milena (Sellers) Phillips, who had a strong turn in NVAs Having Our Say, last year, is a compelling figure of intrigue here as Powells mysterious brother, nicknamed Old Shady. Fellow NVA returnee Samantha Ginn is right in her element as the boisterous cook Hawkins, and Tiffany Tang makes an appealing and gently comic NVA debut as the proper and somewhat befuddled English adventurer Goodman. The theaters artistic director, Kristianne Kurner, takes the helm as Powell, and lends fitting notes of self-grandeur to this complex character. Powell, like Narcissus, winds up having mixed success with water. But as convention-flouting and even self-indulgent as Men on Boats might be, somehow the thing really floats. Advertisement Men on Boats When: 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through April 22. Where: New Village Arts Theatre, 2787 State St., Carlsbad. Tickets: $33-$36 (discounts available). Phone: (760) 433-3245 Advertisement Online: newvillagearts.org. Advertisement jim.hebert@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @jimhebert A dank bud of marijuana may never become as popular as a frosty mug of beer in California. But the popularity of cannabis is soaring, and not just among the young. Three months after recreational marijuana went on sale in California, San Diego retailers say weed is being snapped up by everyone, including elderly people who use a private shuttle bus to reach one of the citys largest dispensaries. Theres been a change in the culture, said Will Senn, who operates two Urbn Leaf marijuana stores in San Diego and is about to open a third. Cannabis is becoming more accepted. Now that adult-use marijuana is legal, people are giving it a try. The average age of our customers has gone from about 40 to about 50. One of his stores is pulling in about 1,000 customers a day, a figure that would probably be higher if parking was more plentiful. No one is sure exactly how much marijuana is being sold; the state says that it will be May before it releases figures for the first three months of the year. But analysts indicate that marijuana sales for that period could surpass $1 billion statewide. And it appears that many of the California cities and counties that outlawed the sale of marijuana are going to change their mind, including some in San Diego County. Pot sales are generating lots of tax revenue. There have been comparatively few problems associated with adult-use cannabis, making it a less volatile subject politically. And public acceptance of marijuana continues to grow something that was evident in February when an unnamed Girl Scout began selling cookies near a marijuana store in San Diegos Bay Park neighborhood. The girl sold 312 boxes of cookies in two days, a story that went viral when it hit social media. Some people were outraged. But the story mostly generated jokes, and praise about the kids business savvy. The story soon died, even though a few more Girl Scouts later showed up to cash in on the munchie madness. Rocky Goyal agrees with Senn that a cultural shift is going on. Three months in, the sky is not falling, said Goyal, who operates the Apothekare marijuana store in Mission Valley. Motorists arent getting into higher rates of accidents. Children arent dropping dead at school. Were seeing a lot of older people coming out to give this a shot. That doesnt mean he believes that everyone is embracing the use of marijuana. A Girl Scout wanted to sell cookies outside my store, Goyal said. I told her, Absolutely not. America isnt ready for that. Theres reason for caution. The full impact of recreational marijuana sales isnt known. UC San Diego Health says that it has not experienced a spike in patients who consumed too much marijuana. Police are not seeing large numbers of cannabis delivery workers being robbed. And the California Highway Patrol hasnt issued public statements saying that adult-use marijuana has led to a statewide surge in accidents. But its still early. These institutions are just beginning to understand how the freer flow of marijuana is affecting society. Theres already confusion about whether the sale of recreational marijuana has affected the demand for black market cannabis. The overall biggest surprise is that there is not enough supply to meet the legal market demand, said Dallin Young, executive director of the Association for Cannabis Professionals in San Diego. We have seen that many consumers would prefer to visit a licensed retail location, but because of the lack of licenses for additional dispensaries and the rest of the supply chain many consumers are being forced into the black market. San Diego Police say they have not witnessed a rise in black market marijuana sales. One thing is clear: the legal sale, cultivation and distribution of marijuana is going to become more widespread in San Diego County. Oceanside officials decided on Wednesday that it will allow for the commercial cultivation of medical marijuana, a plan strongly supported by local farmers. Chula Vista is preparing for the sale, cultivation and manufacture of cannabis. And La Mesa and Lemon Grove are clearing the way for licensed medical marijuana shop. La Mesas first shop will open in July. Its also possible that the San Diego County Board of Supervisors might be forced to change its largely wholesale ban on the sale of marijuana in unincorporated areas. The local cannabis industry is pushing to elect candidates in two supervisorial districts who are pro-pot. Adult-use cannabis is here to stay and local governments, both cities and counties, would be foolish to ignore or attempt to countermand this, said Lincoln Fish, chief executive of Outco, a wholesaler that cultivates cannabis and sells medical marijuana at a site near El Cajon. Marijuana Videos More Legal recreational cannabis dispensaries When Navy Capt. Matthew J. Jordy Harrison took command of Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One on Sept. 16, 2016, the program was mired in dysfunction, a case study in cost overruns, design gremlins, leadership snafus and shipyard delays. Three months earlier, the futuristic, trimarin-hulled littoral combat ship Coronado had departed San Diego for Singapore. It broke down five weeks into its journey, the sixth engineering casualty to bedevil the initial eight LCS warships delivered to the Navy. On Friday, Harrison stood on the deck of the Coronado, a vessel now considered the crown jewel in the tiara of littoral warships lining Naval Base San Diego, basking in the praise of fellow commanders. An outpouring of brass came aboard to witness the squadrons change of command seven acting or retired admirals joined dozens of ship skippers to extol Harrison as a tireless leader toiling endless hours to right the troubled program and make it a model for the rest of the surface warfare force. Advertisement It was all part of a solemn ceremony that saw Harrison turn over his commodores pennant to my brother from another mother, Capt. Matthew M. McGonigle, his executive officer in the squadron, so that the reforms can continue. He brought a commonsense approach to a myriad of complex issues, said McGonigle, a New Jersey native who has commanded the destroyer Pinckney. He never strayed from that initial guidance of simplicity, stability and ownership. With his infectious enthusiasm, he demonstrated what right looks like. And keeping the routine things routine, he allowed his ships and staff to remain focused and poised as we went down the long, and at times frustrating, road of rebuilding from within. Harrison is slated to join the staff at Coronado-based Naval Surface Forces. Hell wear a coveted Legion of Merit pinned on Friday by his boss, Vice Adm. Richard A. Brown, for superior service to the Navy. The commendations citation praised Harrison, 48, as a visionary leader, the man who crafted a 21st century squadron that has grown to eight warships and 19 crews dispersed across the globe. A Maryland native with six overseas deployments to the Southern Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Western Pacific, Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Gulf, Harrison commanded the destroyer Halsey and served as the military assistant to the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization before taking over the LCS squadron. In a 20-minute address punctuated with moments of laughter and tears, Harrison recalled the struggles of getting littoral combat ships to San Diego in 2015 before getting them in the barrel and ready to go in 2016 and 2017. Look across and see the great ship Montgomery, Harrison said, nodding at the gray warship on the other side of the pier. The Gabrielle Giffords. Getting those ships locked into the barrel so that in late 2018, theyre flying. They are flying out the shoot. The Navy anticipates 14 littoral combat ships in the fleet by the end of this year. The LCS Omaha was commissioned in San Diego on Feb. 3. Designed to help replace the aging fleet of Avenger-class minesweepers, the Manchester is expected to join it here over the summer. Advertisement Over the next two decades, the littoral combat ship fleet will grow to become the second-largest class of ships in the Navy, behind only guided-missile destroyers. With plug-and-fight packets of technology, littoral combat ships are engineered to always be on the cutting edge of maritime warfare, although critics worry about their ability to withstand punishment from enemy missiles and guns. Some, like the Manchester, will hunt for mines, others will focus on submarines, with the rest operating much like traditional frigates, though with a shallow draft that can take them into waterways other surface vessels cant go. Advertisement Military Videos On Now D-Day paratrooper from Coronado jumps again in France at age 96 On Now Remembering war's fallen, one name at a time On Now In Ramona, an airplane and an aviator provide living lessons on World War II 1:43 On Now Video: Navy's newest vessel sails into San Diego and a new future in surface warfare On Now Video: U.S. Navy files homicide charges over warship collisions On Now Stopping Marine hazing On Now Video: U.S. Navy Air Crew Grounded After Creating Vulgar Sky Drawing On Now Navy says Asia Pacific ship collisions were avoidable On Now Hundreds of recruits get sick at Marine boot camp On Now Cutler Dawson Talks Navy Federal cprine@sduniontribune.com Tijuanas newest draft beer is called Migrante, and supplies of the light-bodied IPA with a hint of citrus have been running out fast. Produced by Cerveceria Insurgente, the beer is being sold as a fundraiser for Tijuanas sizable population of deportees, many of whom have struggled to adjust to life back in Mexico after years of living in the United States. The whole point is to spread awareness, said Ivan Morales, co-founder with his brother Damian of the eight-year-old Insurgente craft brewery. Migration is such an essential part of what Tijuana is, and what the people of Tijuana are. Insurgente released Migrante on March 1, selling the beer at its tap room at Tijuanas Plaza Fiesta, and through nine fellow breweries that are supporting the effort. Advertisement There were several places that ran out of that keg on the first day, Morales said. It was very satisfying to see people respond. Migrante beer is part of Insurgentes larger vision aimed at supporting events that promote conversation or a dialogue about migration, Morales said. We want to start this conversation, especially given the political climate between Mexico and the U.S., he said. The beer is just the first phase of this project. One of the two beneficiaries is a documentary project that has focused on the plight of homeless deportees. Sociologist Juan Antonio del Monte has been working with Mexico City-based filmmakers to portray the daily lives of a group living near the U.S. border fence in Canon del Matadero. The idea is to bring visibility to this issue that many times is invisible on the streets of Tijuana, del Monte said. Everybody knows it exists, but nobody talks about it. The other group to benefit is Fundacion Gaia, a non-profit organization that works with homeless deportees through a project known as Proyecto Albo. In May, the group is preparing to open a center near the border to orient newly arrived deportees. Founder Darinka Carballo said the aim is to open a job bank that could find them employment so they dont end up without support. Our proposal is to prevent these people from becoming part of the homeless population living on the streets of Tijuana, she said. Deportees get haircuts at a migrant shelter near the U.S. border. (Mario Tama / Getty Images ) Advertisement Since the Morales brothers in 2010 began brewing on a balcony of their mothers apartment in Tijuanas Rio Zone, Insurgente has grown into one of the higher-profile breweries in the city. They are joined by dozens of brewers who are helping put Tijuana on the map as a leading center for craft beer production in Mexico. This most recent release of Migrante beer follows a smaller effort by Insurgente in 2016 to raise funds for an unprecedented wave of Haitian migrants hoping to enter the United States, many of whom ended up stranded at the Tijuana border. Insurgente set aside three kegs of beer, sold it by the glass and used the proceeds to purchase food, toothbrushes, shampoo and other supplies for a church shelter in Tijuanas Canon del Alacran. This year, Insurgente produced two dozen kegs of Migrante, capping the price at 50 pesos, or $2.75 for a 16-ounce glass, to make it affordable. We tried to make it with a lot of flavor, but also be light and drinkable, Morales said. We wanted people to actually buy it. Advertisement Morales said he expects to raise $6,000 to $7,000 through the sales of Migrante. Morales said he plans to brew Migrante once a year, and in a limited quantity. But Insurgentes vision is to also find other ways to help raise awareness about migration, by collaborating with cultural venues like Cine Tonala on Avenida Revolucion, or working with academic institutions such as the Colegio de la Frontera Norte. Its not about the beer, Morales said. Its about us using the platform that we have and making an impact on our community. Amid the labyrinth of small tap rooms in Plaza Fiesta, Insurgente was doing a brisk business one recent night, with patrons chatting over tall glasses of brews with names that include La Lupulosa, Tiniebla, Juan Cordero, A Toda Madre and Rompeolas. At the bottom left-hand corner: Migrante. Advertisement In Tijuana, we are all migrants, said Juan Jose Quezada, seated at the bar. Quezada is co-founder of Mamut Brewery, which collaborated in the Migrante beer sales. The Migrante beer, he mused, is very Californian, very San Diegan the sun, the caress of the waves, the sand. It speaks of a dream, something utopic, that in the end doesnt exist. sandra.dibble@sduniontribune.com @sandradibble The search for the next superintendent to lead Los Angeles public schools moves into high gear this week as the school board starts to interview and discuss candidates Monday and Tuesday. The process is confidential, and its not clear that anyone has the inside track. Still, advocates who have influence with L.A. Unifieds elected Board of Education are pushing certain names. The decision will hinge in large measure on what the board views as the most pressing challenge for the nations second-largest school system: lagging student achievement or looming financial pressures. When I think about the superintendent search, I find myself wondering what the job really is, said Fred Ali, chief executive of the L.A.-based Weingart Foundation, whose education grants include support for after-school programs and charter schools. If the school district is truly near or inevitably headed toward financial insolvency, then that certainly begins to define the kind of job this becomes. If its not, the search takes you in a different direction. Advertisement Of course, the person who gets the job must handle both immense challenges and much more. Inside the district: The leading insider is Interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian, who has filled in since Supt. Michelle King went on medical leave in September. King, who is battling cancer, never returned. Ekchian has confirmed her interest in the job. Another possible name to fill the superintendent post? of L.A. Unified Chief Academic Officer Frances Gipson. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times ) Another insider whose name has come up is Frances Gipson, the districts chief academic officer. She declined to say on Friday whether she was interested in the job. At the moment, an insider seems a less likely choice for a new board majority that wants to leave a bold stamp on the nations second-largest school system. But searches can take unexpected turns. King, a career insider who was deputy superintendent at the time of the last search, was not on everyones short lists before she was named in January 2016. Outside the district: Denver Supt. Tom Boasberg, left, visits classrooms with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. (R.J. Sangosti / Denver Post ) Advertisement An educator bidding for the job would have to demonstrate comfort in handling financial strains as well as present a record of achieving academic gains. Much also depends on how the board defines the job. A top priority of the previous majority was to reverse declining enrollment. That may matter less for the new majority, elected with major backing from supporters of charter schools. Its four board members definitely will seek a leader to navigate the divide between traditional campuses, run by the district, and charters, which are independently operated. This division is fraught because the growth of charters comes at the expense of district schools, costing L.A. Unified students and the funding that comes with them. As enrollment has declined, the district has had difficulty cutting its overhead while also maintaining campuses, funding pensions and paying for retiree health benefits. Such outlays leave less money for programs benefiting students. A key challenge for charter school leaders is finding space. They want easier and fuller access to district properties and classrooms, especially as charters grow and the school system shrinks. Advertisement Tom Boasberg in Denver is a superintendent known for supporting charters as part of an overall program. His top deputy, Susana Cordova, who rose from teacher to senior leadership, also could attract interest. Potential outside contenders for the top L.A. schools job include Atlanta schools Supt. Meria Carstarphen and San Antonio schools Supt. Pedro Martinez. (Atlanta Public Schools / San Antonio school district ) Others who fall into this category, if they were interested, would include Meria Carstarphen in Atlanta; Pedro Martinez in San Antonio; Barbara Jenkins in Orange County, Fla.; and Louisiana state Supt. John C. White. But availability and willingness could be issues. Some leaders of other school districts have said they would not come to L.A. They have expressed concern about the volatility of the L.A. school board and the way in which successive elections can cause power shifts that threaten a superintendents tenure. Those who might be persuaded typically stay mum during the search process. They dont want to offend their current employers by openly applying elsewhere. Advertisement One potential candidate is former Supt. Andres Alonso, who served six years in Baltimore but left in 2013 to teach at Harvard and help care for his aging parents. Former Supt. Andres Alonso left Baltimore after six years to take a teaching post at Harvard University. (Elizabeth Malby / Associated Press ) Less traditional choices: During the previous search, those who were not leaders in education were unlikely to go far. That may not be the case this time. Advertisement If L.A. Unified goes with someone without an education background, the school board will be making a statement about putting financial priorities front and center. Such a candidate would have to persuade the board that he or she has management skills that transcend education expertise. One person attracting attention is former investment banker Austin Beutner, who also served as an L.A. deputy mayor and later as publisher of The Times. He currently co-chairs an outside task force assessing how the school system functions. He declined to say whether he would be interested. Former investment banker and former Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner is attracting notice as a possible candidate for L.A. schools chief. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times ) Two other members of that task force have been mentioned as well. Former L.A. City Controller Wendy Greuel brings financial management experience and political savvy from winning campaigns for the L.A. City Council. Task force co-chair Laphonza Butler is president of the union that represents the states in-home caregivers and nursing home workers. That could give her some credibility with the districts restive unions, which are involved in tense contract negotiations. Advertisement Wendy Greuel served on the L.A. City Council and as the city controller. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times ) Another person drawing interest is Miguel Santana, president of the nonprofit that manages the 500-acre county fair complex. He formerly served as L.A.s administrative officer and as a member of a panel that in 2015 laid out the districts financial problems. Roberto J. Rodriguez is a less traditional candidate with a background in educational policy. He was the top education advisor to late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and advised President Obama on education. He now heads Teach Plus, a nonprofit with leadership programs for teachers that is sometimes allied with groups critical of teachers unions. Butler, Greuel, Santana and Rodriguez could not be reached for comment. Advertisement Charter leaders: A much talked-about option is Ana Ponce, head of the well-regarded Camino Nuevo charter group. Ponce has the experience of developing and running what is in essence a small school district, but the step up would be huge. Camino Nuevo has eight schools; L.A. Unified more than 1,000. Inside-outsiders: A handful of former top L.A. Unified officials who went on to work elsewhere have rare status as both insiders and outsiders. They include Boston Supt. Tommy Chang and Burbank Supt. Matt Hill, who released a statement on Friday saying that he is staying in Burbank. Advertisement Joan Sullivan manages programs to improve a group of low-performing L.A. schools. (Partnership for Los Angeles Schools ) Another inside-outside person who would immediately rise to the short list if she applied is Joan Sullivan, head of the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. Early in her career, she started a public school in New York City. Then she served as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosas education advisor. At the Partnership, she has made some progress managing 18 of L.A.s lowest-performing public schools. Joan Sullivan did not apply for and is not seeking the role of L.A. Unified superintendent, said Partnership spokeswoman Cathy Kralik. The school board hopes to make a decision by the end of April. Advertisement howard.blume@latimes.com @howardblume Freddie Brandon was known for her Easter dinners featuring a menu her family could recite by heart: turkey wings, ham, greens, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato pie. But Sunday was no holiday for the family of the 78-year-old grandmother, whose body was found Friday afternoon inside her ransacked apartment in the 5900 block of West Boulevard in Hyde Park. Paramedics responded to a call about a cardiac arrest, but the police suspect homicide. No arrests have been announced by the Los Angeles Police Department. It isnt like she had a safe in there with money or diamonds and gold chains, said her daughter Mia Brandon. Why would they target my mommas house to go and rob her? Advertisement Brandon said her mother had lived in the ground-floor apartment for 22 years and was friendly with neighbors and the customers at the liquor store next door. Crime is fairly common in the area, she said. A screen grate on the back door appeared to have been cut, Mia Brandon said, and a dresser had been knocked over. Possessions were strewn about. Brandon said she wasnt sure if anything had been stolen. Freddie Brandon (Courtesy Rashanda Jones ) Freddie Brandons granddaughter, Rashanda Jones, lived in the apartment with her and was the first to find her after arriving home on Friday. Jones, 26, said her grandmother appeared to have suffered trauma to her head. I feel numb. That was all I knew, to be honest. She was all I had, Jones said. Born in Mississippi, Freddie Brandon had worked as a waitress long ago and raised seven children as a single mother, said Mia Brandon. She was given the nickname Rock Steady Freddie because she loved to dance, mostly to oldies. She liked to sit and drink wine and laugh, Mia Brandon said. In recent years, Freddie Brandon had been put on a pacemaker and had suffered injuries. She couldnt fight back. She was on a walker, Mia Brandon said. The only thing they robbed my mom for was her life. Advertisement maya.lau@latimes.com Twitter: @mayalau A frantic, overnight search for Jesse Hernandez the 13-year-old boy who plunged into a vast network of city sewer tunnels beneath Griffith Park ended happily Monday morning after sanitation workers removed a manhole cover and spotted the boy peering back at them. Once I pulled the lid off the manhole cover he was just like right there, the worker told police in a recorded call. Jesse, who was spending Easter with his family at the park, fell into the sewer system at about 4:30 p.m. Sunday after jumping on wooden planks in an abandoned, concrete building that was decommissioned by the citys Bureau of Sanitation years ago, authorities said. One of the planks broke, and the teen plunged 25 feet into a 4-foot-wide pipe. The accident triggered a massive search effort as crews used remote video cameras and other Batman-like tools to locate the boy in a maze of underground pipes and cisterns, according to Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott. The search, which lasted 13 hours, was a race against time, Scott said, as survivability diminishes in that toxic environment. Advertisement (Los Angeles Times ) Jesse was spotted alert and talking roughly two-thirds-of-a-mile away from where he disappeared. A sanitation crew was preparing to insert cameras into a maintenance hatch on the 134 Freeway near Interstate 5 when they located the boy. Rescue crews gave him a cellphone so he could call his family to let them know he was OK. What a beautiful outcome, Scott said. Jesse underwent decontamination and was then taken to a nearby hospital for a medical examination. He was released from the hospital by 11:15 a.m., according to the Bureau of Sanitation. Fire officials said they had searched about 6,400 feet of pipe in a network that parallels the L.A. River and crosses under freeways. They studied maps of the closed sewage pipe system, which stretches hundreds of feet, and sent a camera attached to a flotation device 300 feet down a pipe. They set up at different areas, including the L.A. River and a drain near Chevy Chase Drive, hoping the boy would come through one of the pipes. The Fire Department dispatched swift-water rescue teams in case Jesse wound up in the river and urban search-and-rescue crews in case they needed to extricate him from a small space. That place is a maze, Los Angeles police Sgt. Bruno La Hoz said Sunday evening. Advertisement The pipe system has varying depths of water moving at roughly 15 mph. Rescuers couldnt enter the drainage area themselves because of the hazardous environment, said David Ortiz, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. The pipe into which Jesse fell runs parallel to the 134 Freeway, then veers south near the 5 Freeway, eventually branching off into a series of smaller pipes on the east side of the L.A. River. The pipe was built in 1965. The structure above it, where Jesse was playing, was decommissioned in the 1980s, but the pipe itself was active and carrying sewage, officials said. The structure in the sanitation yard was built decades ago to vent hydrogen sulfide gas from the sewer pipes and introduce fresh air into the pipes, said Adel Hagekhalil, assistant director of the Bureau of Sanitation. The departments investigation of the incident will include an examination of why the building has not been torn down, Hagekhalil said. Advertisement The sewage in the pipe would have been moving fast enough and the walls would be slimy enough that Jesse would have been swept along without being able to walk or crawl, officials said. Between 9 and 10 p.m. Sunday, workers launched two cameras into the 1.2-mile span of pipe where they had narrowed their search. Each camera had lights and was strapped to a floating platform that resembled a mini-surfboard. The cameras slowly cruised through the pipes, tethered to nearby trucks through 1,000-foot video cables, Hagekhalil said. The crews, Hagekhalil said, worked methodically, inserting cameras into maintenance hatches that pop up every 1,000 feet or so, and peered at the live feed on video screens inside their trucks for signs of life. At 4 a.m., footage from one camera showed smeared handprints along the wall of the sewer, as if Jesse had thrown out his hands to brace himself against the flow, said Scott. Further down the pipe, workers saw a mark that suggested the boy had thrown his shoulder against the wall. Advertisement Intending to feed a camera in and look for more evidence closer to the handprints, maintenance workers headed to a hatch on a westbound lane of the 134 Freeway, just north of the 5, shortly before 5 a.m. Monday. The California Highway patrol shut down the lane of traffic, and sanitation workers opened the hatch. They were expecting to see a well-like vault leading to dark, rushing water below. Instead, Jesse peered up at them from 11 feet down, wedged into the maintenance shaft and calling for help. The boy was wet, cold and scared, Scott said. Sanitation workers grabbed a reel of an orange hose attached to a truck and fed it down into the vault. Jesse grabbed on, and they hauled him back up. Advertisement This young man rose like Jesus, said Bryant Jones, a sanitation manager. In his 32 years with the department, he had never heard of someone being trapped in the sewer. Using a hose to get the boy out was not standard procedure, Hagekhalil said. But when you have a kid youve been looking for and hes right in front of you, youll do anything. About 20 of the boys family members, including his mother, aunt and cousins, were at the scene Sunday evening. The family comes to the park every year to celebrate Easter, said Dominique Barraza, 16, a family friend. They were about to do an Easter egg hunt when the incident happened. Advertisement Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, speaking Monday at an opening ceremony for an affordable housing development in Boyle Heights, said it was just a miracle that this boy was alive. He hung on, Garcetti said. Hes courageous, and so were the first responders who worked around the clock. alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com Advertisement laura.nelson@latimes.com Los Angeles Times staff writers Hailey Branson-Potts and Dakota Smith contributed to this report. UPDATES: 4:25 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the rescue location. Advertisement 1:05 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the rescue. 11:25 a.m.: This article was updated with Jesse Hernandez being released from the hospital and comments from L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti. 8:20 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott. 7:15 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details of the rescue from the Los Angeles Fire Department. Advertisement This article was originally published at 6:15 a.m. The city of Pasadena has settled a lawsuit with the family of Reginald Thomas Jr., an African American man who died after officers shocked him with a stun gun and restrained him in an altercation that later sparked protests. If a judge approves the settlement, Pasadena has agreed to pay $1.5 million to the family without admitting liability or fault in the matter in connection with the 2016 incident, according to a statement released Sunday by the city. The family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in November 2016 alleging excessive use of police force and conspiracy to cover up evidence of officers recklessness. Caree Harper, the attorney for the family when the lawsuit was filed, could not be reached for comment Sunday. Advertisement On Sept. 30, 2016, six Pasadena police officers responded to multiple 911 calls from family members and others at an apartment complex in the 200 block of East Orange Grove Boulevard, authorities said. They arrived to find Thomas, 35, outside the apartment door holding a fire extinguisher and a dagger under his arm. Four children and Thomas girlfriend were inside, authorities said, and before police arrived Thomas had sprayed the extinguisher inside the apartment. Police said Thomas appeared to be under the influence of drugs, while the family maintained that he had a history of mental illness. Thomas did not comply with orders to drop the dagger and fire extinguisher and slammed the apartment door on officers, authorities said. The officers then Tased and restrained him. A struggle ensued, Thomas later became unresponsive and the officers immediately commenced CPR, the citys statement says. The father of eight died at the apartment complex. Expert investigators determined that Thomas death was not caused by the use of force by police in their efforts to restrain him, but rather by Thomas ingestion of lethal levels of illegal narcotics, including PCP and methamphetamine, which had caused his erratic behavior, the citys statement reads. Meanwhile, none of the officers involved have been disciplined or placed on leave since Thomas death, city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said in an email Sunday. Every use of force/incident review provides an opportunity for the department to consider whether changes to policies, procedures or tactics are warranted, she wrote. While this case will be no different, its important to understand that the city believes its officers acted appropriately, using less than lethal force, to safeguard the children trapped in the apartment with Mr. Thomas who was under the influence of both PCP and methamphetamine. Advertisement The Los Angeles County district attorneys office and the Pasadena Police Department are each conducting reviews of Thomas death, and the city hired the nonprofit Police Foundation to conduct an independent review, according to the citys statement released Sunday. Reach Sonali Kohli at Sonali.Kohli@latimes.com or on Twitter @Sonali_Kohli. Hes been around San Diego County a long time, and so has his lawsuit. His name is James J.C. Playford, a freelance videographer and photojournalist known for his, shall we say, aggressive news gathering tactics when showing up with his camera outside public buildings around the county and at crime or accident scenes. Evidence of his tactics some might call then antics are easily accessible on the internet. Multiple videos posted on YouTube show Playford doing his thing, confronting guards outside the federal jail, demanding identification information from California Highway Patrol Officers who try to move him back from the site of a freeway crash or chastising elected officials who bar him from entering news conferences. A video posted last week shows Playford berating El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells at a City Council meeting, and calling members of the Police Department thugs and Nazis. Advertisement It is unconstitutional for you to decide who is media and who is not, Playford can be heard saying in the March 23 video, referencing an occasion in 2016 (and perhaps there are others) when he was kept out of a news conference in that city. Playford says he was told that access to the news conference was allowed only for members of the media who had been invited to attend. And yes, that situation was captured on his camera, too. The question of whether a government agency can determine who is a legitimate representative of the news media and who isnt is a core part of a lawsuit filed in San Diego federal court in 2012 and was recently argued in front of a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The suit was filed by Playford, who lives in of Ramona, and Edward Peruta, owner of Connecticut-based American News and Information Services Inc., against the county Sheriffs Department and other local law enforcement agencies. It alleges that Playford, who has been arrested several times by sheriffs deputies, was taken into custody because of his news-gathering activities. In short, the lawsuit says, Playford was targeted and retaliated against for videotaping matters of public interest, a violation of his First Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution. As evidence, Playford noted that the city of San Diego refused to renew his Police Department-issued media credential in 2010, after that agency was notified by the county that Playford had filmed two sheriffs deputies outside a bar in 2008 and testified later in a civil trial against those deputies. In April 2016, the U.S. District Court in San Diego ruled in favor of the county, Sheriff Bill Gore and Jan Caldwell, who at the time was the Sheriffs Departments public information officer. They contended there was no evidence that Gore or Caldwell had directed or provided information that encouraged Playfords arrests. Advertisement There was evidence, they said, of probable cause for each arrest. (According to the courts ruling, Playford either pleaded no contest or was found guilty in trial on each of the relevant arrests on charges including delaying or obstructing an officer and disturbing the peace.) The District Courts ruling was appealed and argued in early February in the 9th Circuit. Attorney Rachel Baird, who represented Playford and Peruta, argued that the lower court got it wrong when it ruled against her clients on the alleged First Amendment violation. She noted that the countys actions suggest a person like Playford who doesnt have a government-issued media credential in San Diego County would not be allowed within Sheriffs headquarters, even if its for news gathering purposes. Whats wrong with that? one judge asked. Advertisement The government agency chooses under this scenario who carries the message, and thats what wrong with it, Baird said. The government should not be in the business of issuing media credentials, and if they do, those media credentials should have no greater authority than media credentials issued by private organizations. Later, she added: Theres no evidence that they are issued on an objective basis. Attorney James Chapin, senior deputy county counsel, told the judges that the Sheriffs Department has to have controls. You dont want to have a paparazzi event every time you have a crime scene, he said. The three-judge panel has not ruled on Playfords appeal, opting instead to wait to see how the U.S. Supreme Court decides another case Lozman v. Riviera Beach, FL. The question before the high court in that case is: Does the existence of probable cause defeat a First Amendment retaliatory-arrest claim as a matter of law? Advertisement The answer will likely inform the eventual outcome of Playfords case. Lozman was argued in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 27, and a ruling is expected sometime before June. Advertisement dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @danalittlefield A new battleground is emerging in San Diegos housing crisis: the need to preserve thousands of older apartments with subsidized rent restrictions that will expire in the next five years. Recent efforts to solve a severe shortage of affordable housing have focused on spurring new construction with financial incentives and looser regulations, but the city may dig itself a deeper hole by not also preserving existing low-rent units. Preservation of the 7 percent of low-rent units at risk of disappearing over the next five years is especially crucial, because construction of such units began to sharply drop six years ago when the state eliminated redevelopment agencies. Rent restrictions expire on such units because developers agreed to charge lower rents for a certain number of years usually from 30 to 55 -- in exchange for tax credits, redevelopment money or other financial incentives. Advertisement When the restrictions expire, the owners of the complexes can sharply raise rents up to market rate, or choose to demolish the older units and replace them with more upscale versions that yield even higher rents. But there is a third option that local housing advocates and some politicians want to begin focusing on. Apartment owners can choose to extend the rent restrictions for lengthy periods if they receive another government subsidy that makes preserving the units more financially appealing than tearing them down. Figuring out how to make that happen as often as possible will be the focus of an April 18 forum that City Councilwoman Georgette Gomez has scheduled for the councils Smart Growth and Land Use Committee. I want to know what kind of capital we need and who we need to partner with, Gomez said last week. Lets start talking to the developers so we know how many are willing to work with us. The forum was inspired partly by the councils controversial approval last month of plans to demolish the 322-unit Penasquitos Village complex, where rent restrictions had expired, to make way for a 600-unit market-rate complex. Critics say city officials and the San Diego Housing Commission missed an opportunity to preserve the complex by not engaging the property owner in discussions. Echoing the sentiments of those critics and many local housing advocacy groups, Gomez said she wants the Housing Commission to shift some of its financial resources toward preservation and away from new construction of low-rent units. Advertisement We need to have a conversation about how much money from the budget should be allocated for preservation -- right now its not part of the budget, she said. That makes it easier to say no when something like PQ Village comes up. Such a shift in priorities could be unpopular with the local development community, which has been more supportive of city policies encouraging new housing construction. Gomez said she also wants the city to hire a specialist to coordinate preservation efforts and, perhaps more importantly, compile an exhaustive list of housing units with rent restrictions due to expire in coming years. We dont have somebody keeping track of these projects and sounding the alarm, she said. Advertisement Stephen Russell, executive director of the San Diego Housing Federation, said evidence that theres a glaring need for such a person is the uncertainty over how many units actually have expiring rent restrictions in coming years. Russell said the most reliable source for local officials has been the California Housing Partnership, a nonprofit established by the state in 1988 to keep track of Californias housing stock. The most recent numbers from the partnership show that 2,386 of the countys 31,961 units with rent restrictions face expiration of those restrictions in the next five years. Advertisement The data show another 1,957 units face expiration dates in the next six to 10 years, leaving 27,618 units with rent restrictions that last longer than 10 years. But Danielle Mazzella, a housing data analyst for the partnership, said those numbers only include projects with federal subsidies, such as tax credits or financial incentives from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. So the list excludes rent-restricted units required under the citys inclusionary housing policy, which mandates a certain number of low-income units in large projects, and the citys density bonus program, where developers agree to rent restrictions on some units in exchange for being allowed to build larger projects. Mazzella said the list includes most of the low-income projects built with state redevelopment money, because they also include federal tax credits as a funding stream. Advertisement But she said some of those projects arent included because they were constructed before the federal tax credit program was created in 1986. So there are more than 2,386 units with rent restrictions due to expire in the next five years, possibly significantly more. The hurdles to preserving such rent-restricted units are finding the right investors for a new subsidy and engaging the apartment complex owners long before the restrictions expire, Russell said. The key is bringing in new financing and theres all sorts of ways you can do that, he said. Advertisement Escaping the rent restrictions usually sounds great to many apartment owners, but their perspective often changes when other options are presented, Russell said. Preservation is cheaper than new construction, partly because lengthy environmental approvals are not required. So that makes it easier to find a deal that makes sense using either a new round of tax credit investments or new subsidies from the city or HUD, he said. But its crucial for officials to explain all of these options to apartment owners early in the process. Advertisement Not all property owners are equally sophisticated, Russell said. An important role could be played by a little-known local federal nonprofit called the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), which provides money for low-income housing projects. LISC, which gets money from banks under 1977 legislation that aims to encourage lending in low-income areas, has already begun engaging the owners of complexes with expiring rent restrictions. Were kind of a financial shock absorber when it comes to the creation and preservation of affordable housing, said Kwofi Reed, lending program officer for the local chapter of LISC in City Heights. Advertisement LISC has recently helped preserve two projects: 156-unit San Diego Square in downtown and the 80-unit New Palace Hotel in Bankers Hill. Sometimes its the art of persuasion, Reed said. Part of it is helping them understand theyre not going to have to take a financial loss just because they sell to someone who is doing affordable housing. Reed said, however, that preserving rent-restricted units will be much harder than years ago because about 70 percent of local subsidies for such housing have gone away since 2008. That is primarily because of the end of redevelopment agencies, which were required to spend at least 20 percent of their revenue on low-rent housing. Advertisement But federal subsidies have also dwindled, or at least failed to keep pace with sharp increases in local market-rate rents, Reed said. The big issue isnt necessarily that the covenants (requiring rent restrictions) are going away, its that there isnt enough money to refinance these projects, he said. Because theres a shortage of money on the back end, not all of these properties are going to be able to be saved. A potential solution to the funding shortage is a $900 million bond measure to build low-income housing that the Housing Federation is spearheading for the November ballot. The proposal would raise taxes on city of San Diego property owners an average of $72 per year to pay for roughly 7,500 subsidized apartments. Advertisement Even with adequate finances, Reed said some of the apartment complexes wont be preserved as low rent. If they are hell-bent on selling the property on the private market for the highest and best use, there sometimes can be very little you can do, he said. Councilwoman Gomez concedes that point, saying shed like the city to set a goal of saving a certain portion of rent-restricted units, perhaps 50 percent. She also wants the city to establish requirements for the relocation packages displaced tenants will receive when such units revert to market rate or get demolished. Advertisement Relocation benefits for departing residents of PQ Village prompted months of rancorous debate before the council approved the replacement project on March 5. Officials from the Housing Commission couldnt explain last month why they didnt pursue preserving PQ Village, noting that the rent restrictions actually expired several years ago. Ann Kern, the commissions senior director of housing finance and program development, said it was likely that the large size of the project made it too expensive. She also said state funding was scarce at the time. She noted that 4,000 units with expiring rent restrictions have been preserved by the commission, but didnt specify a time frame. Advertisement Richard Gentry, the commissions chief executive, declined multiple requests for interviews last week. Reed, the LISC official, said he doesnt think the commission deserves criticism, contending it has adequately prioritized preservation. Theyve been ahead of the curve on this, he said of the commission. The commissions focus, which many say is appropriate, has been battling homelessness and spurring new construction of low-income units. Advertisement Their efforts are one prong of a far-ranging city campaign to shrink the local shortage of housing. Other initiatives include loosening restrictions on granny flats and expanding the citys density bonus program. The countys regional planning agency says the region will fall 150,000 housing units short of the more than half a million units that need to be built by 2050 to meet projected population growth. Losing a significant portion of the countys nearly 32,000 rent-restricted units could make that deficit even larger. More than 16,000 homes must be built each year to meet the targets, which is about 60 percent more than what was built in 2016. Advertisement While regulations on rent-restricted units vary, they are typically available to families making less than 60 percent of the countys median income, which is $54,540 for a four-person household. Monthly rents for such units cant exceed $1,364. Advertisement david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick A 46-year-old driver was seriously injured when he ran a red light and turned into the path of an oncoming car in Kearny Mesa, police said. It happened just before 10 p.m. Sunday when the driver of a 1999 Mercedes ran the red light while turning left from eastbound Clairemont Mesa Boulevard onto Convoy Street, San Diego police Officer John Buttle said. A Nissan Rogue traveling in the opposite direction on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard struck the passenger side of the Mercedes in the intersection. Paramedics took the driver of the Mercedes to a hospital with serious injuries that were not considered to be life-threatening, Buttle said. There was no immediate information about any injuries to the 24-year-old man driving the Nissan. Officers from the San Diego Police Departments traffic division were investigating the crash and trying to determine if alcohol or drug impairment was a factor. For the past year-and-a-half, the woman from Indonesia has been living in a shelter for human trafficking victims, penniless but not allowed to work. This isnt what she expected when she had agreed to follow a Hong Kong banker to San Diego to work as his familys housekeeper and nanny a job that wasnt what it seemed. Support this human trafficking victim Now, the 41-year-old mother of three just wants to return to Indonesia and is trying to raise money for a plane ticket home and the necessities to start over. Advertisement She hopes her story is a cautionary tale, one that might help other victims of domestic servitude in the U.S. or abroad and one that will shine a light on a form of human trafficking that rarely makes the news. While there are far worse cases, hers is typical in many ways. The Union-Tribune is not naming her to protect her privacy, nor is it naming her former employer because he has not been charged with a crime. Like many women in poverty-stricken Indonesia, she left home for a job in domestic work cooking, cleaning, child care. Many middle-class and wealthy families throughout the Middle East and Asia have domestic help, often hiring them through employment agencies. She landed in Hong Kong and worked for one family for six years. They were good employers, she said, but her contract expired in 2015. She placed an ad through an agency and was contacted by an investment adviser, who was looking for a housekeeper to go to San Diego with him. She saw it as a good opportunity to visit the United States and learn English. He agreed to pay her about $1,300 a month, with annual raises. I work because I want to earn the money, she said. Most of it goes back to her family in East Java, the province where her husband and in-laws work the land and support the couples three children: a daughter, now 10, and two sons in their early 20s. She looks back on those interviews with the banker and realizes: He took advantage of me. I didnt know anything, she said. Im hardworking. I didnt know anything about the USA. Thats usually how traffickers like it: the more isolated victims are, the better. Advertisement She returned home for two months to see her family in the beginning of 2016. Then she went back to Hong Kong to begin her new job. She worked in the bankers home there for a few months while the journey to San Diego was finalized. When she went to apply for her visa at the American consulate, she was presented with an agreement that reflected higher wages: $12 an hour, or about $1,900 a month. It also spelled out eight-hour work days and extra pay for overtime, all per U.S. labor laws. She and the banker signed the employment terms, and the consulate staff handed her a pamphlet about workers rights. It also included a phone number for a human trafficking hotline. She is glad she held onto that pamphlet. When she asked the banker later about the working conditions shed just signed, he dismissed them, saying that was for official purposes. Their $1,300 a month deal still stood, he said. She needed the money. She said OK. Advertisement She soon found out the eight-hour work day was also a sham. When she arrived at the familys large home in the 4S Ranch area in May, she was told to start work at 6 a.m. All day she cooked and cleaned, not stopping until 10:30 p.m. or later. When the young son of the banker and his wife was not in school, she also cared for him. I never rest, she said. I rest only when I eat. After a few weeks there, the family moved to a new house in the Carmel Valley area, even bigger than the last. Her bedroom was beautiful, she said, but she only got to see it when she went to bed at night. Like a robot, she said. Advertisement She was granted one day off a week, but it was not the same day each week. She said shed often spend that day walking several miles to get to a store to buy food that she preferred. As the months wore on, she began to question her circumstances. But the banker refused to pay her more, or adhere to the terms shed signed. On the night of Aug. 5, the banker finally offered to fly her back to Hong Kong if she wanted. She didnt know what to do, but she said she knew what was happening to her wasnt right. She re-read the consulate pamphlet in her room. I chose to run, she said. Around 2 a.m. she sneaked out with some of her belongings including the pamphlet and walked and walked. She finally stopped a passing car and asked its occupants to take her to a police station. Advertisement At the station, she asked the officer to call the number on the pamphlet. Thats how she hooked up with the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition, a nonprofit that has been serving trafficking victims since 2002. The groups founder, Marisa Ugarte, picked her up from the station and brought her to a shelter. She has been in limbo ever since. With Ugartes help, she looked into pressing charges against the banker, as well as recovering lost wages. But the Department of Labor told them the amount about $8,000 was too small for a case, Ugarte said. They considered going to small claims court but feared going up against a rich mans lawyer. Investigators also acknowledged that there were far more heinous cases of human trafficking that needed to be addressed before hers, Ugarte said. Advertisement Efforts to get her a visa to stay in the U.S. to work have also been frustrating. A U-visa is for victims of crimes who suffer mentally or physically and help law enforcement investigate criminal activity. A T-visa is specifically for human trafficking victims to temporarily stay in the U.S. to help collaborate with law enforcement. She has grown doubtful shed qualify for either. To complicate matters, the San Diego police report from the day of her escape cannot be found, apparently because its case number is missing a digit and it didnt get filed correctly, Ugarte said. Tragedy also struck. A month after the woman escaped, her husband died in Indonesia from a stroke. Then she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She got surgery and underwent radiation and is on the mend. She says she is done waiting for a visa that might never come. She wants to return to her children and try to figure out how to make a life there. Advertisement She has been taking English classes while living at the shelter, and Ugarte says she is line to complete an English certification by July. Ugarte is working with the International Organization for Migration to help her find a job once she returns to Indonesia, hoping the certification will open some doors for her. But she needs money to pay for her ticket estimated to cost about $600 and Ugarte hopes to raise a little extra to help get her established once she arrives home. The Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition has set up a GoFundMe account for anyone who would like to help her get home. Advertisement Advertisement kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @kristinadavis A man wanted on two warrants, including one for burglary, tried to hide in a Hillcrest canyon after being spotted by an officer, but was later arrested Sunday afternoon. A San Diego police officer was driving south on Bachman Place when he spotted the fugitive about 1 p.m., police Lt. Christian Sharp told OnScene TV. After seeing the officer, the man ditched a bag of clothes he was carrying and fled into a nearby canyon, Sharp said. Other officers and a police helicopter spent about 25 minutes looking for the man before finding him in the brush. Advertisement In addition to the burglary warrant, he was arrested on a parole violation, Sharp said. Twitter: @LAWinkley (619) 293-1546 lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com Re Sticking with Trump (March 24): Marc Thiessen is a good spokesman for religious conservatives who blatantly advocate ignoring the First Amendments stipulation that the government make no law respecting an establishment of religion. He explains how these two-issue voters (who claim to be Christians) will accept any sinful, deviate behavior from Donald Trump because he promised to make their religious beliefs the law of the land. Thiessen misrepresents President Obamas policies and takes a quote from Hillary Clinton totally out of context in order to claim religious liberty was under unprecedented attack. The only attacks against a religion has come from these same Christians and President Trump against Islam. If Thiessen, religious conservatives and the Catholic Church continue to attack our time-honored concept of separation of church and state, we will need an amendment to protect the rest of us from their religion. Advertisement G. Jordan El Cajon Thank you for printing Marc Thiessens column about describing ones opponent in hateful terms. As Thiessen noted, the use over-the-top, divisive speech is not limited to one or the other political party; both do it. Such language dehumanizes decent people, weakens the political fabric, cheapens political discourse and disrespects audiences. And we are its audience. Teachers of rhetoric remind us, if what someone says raises your level of fear or anger, that someone is intent on bypassing your brain in order to manipulate your emotions. Such people do not respect you. Tune them out. Bonnie Mosse Advertisement La Mesa Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below. Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/02/2018 -- Barley, a versatile, cereal grain that has a rich, nutlike flavor. The chewy consistency of the grain lends it a pasta-like appeal. The appearance of barley is akin to wheat berries, only a little lighter in color. When sprouted, barley is naturally very high in maltose. This sugar acts as the base for malt as well as syrup sweetener. When barley is fermented, it makes for a suitable ingredient in beer and numerous other alcoholic beverages. Over the years, several scientific studies have established that barley can help mitigate the risk of diseases and lend other health benefits. Barley provides many of the healthy vitamins and minerals that other whole grains do. It is also an important source of carbohydrates, vitamin C, fatty oils, and proteins. This makes it an ingredient with several uses in the food industry. Traditionally, was primarily used as a food grain but its other uses as a natural sweetener and a brewing ingredient became known. Today, barley malt is extensively used for producing alcoholic beverages. Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=10736 Global Barley Market: Drivers and Restraints An uptick in the demand for barley malt for the manufacture of alcoholic beverages is acting as a high-impact driver for the global barley market. This market is also propelled by the heightened demand for different kinds of convenience food products, emerging applications in the F&B industry, clean label trends, and an escalating demand for natural ingredients. With consumers becoming more health conscious, they are cutting back on the consumption of alcohol and spirits, which is causing an adverse impact on the demand for barley malt. This has hampered the overall demand for barley, tugging the market in the downward direction. Moreover, there are other negative factors at play in the global barley market. These include: declining soil fertility, pest and disease infestation, and drastic changes in the climate. All of these have affected barley yields. Global Barley Market: Segmentation The global barley market can be segmented based on grade, type, application end use, and the method of barley cultivation. Based on type, the barley market can be segmented as hulless, covered, six-row barley, and two-row barley. Basis grade, the market for barley can be segmented into food grade, malt grade, and feed grade. Likewise, on the basis of application, this market can be segmented into: animal feed, food & beverages, seed industry, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals. Similarly, based on the method of cultivation, barley beans have been segmented as organic and inorganic. Barley Market: Key Players Among the key players that operate across the barley market value chain are: Cargill, Incorporated, Axereal Group, Malteurop Group, Grain crop Limited, Crisp Malting Group, Soufflet Group, Ireks Gmbh, Global Malt Gmbh & Co. Kg, and Muntons Plc. Obtain Report Details @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/barley-market.html Barley Market: Region Wise Outlook Geographically, the market for barley can be segmented into seven regions: Latin America, North America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). As of crop year 2014-15, Australia stood as the leading producer of barley in the world. Its key trading partner was identified as China. The former supplied a major share of its barley produce to China. Besides China, Australia exported appreciable volume of barley in 2014 to Saudi Arabia, Japan, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. France and Ukraine were also ranked among the leading suppliers of barley worldwide in 2014. Statement of Senator Nancy Binay on the conviction of the employers of Joanna Demafelis Though Joanna's life can never be justifiably compensated, the reported conviction of her employers is a big step towards the delivery of justice. Government must further strengthen the relationships that we have with the host countries which our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) work. Our OFWs should be treated with respect and viewed as a partner in building the economies of their host countries, and not as second-class persons. Press Release April 2, 2018 De Lima seeks more support for persons with autism and their families In line with the observance of World Autism Awareness Day today (April 2), Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has urged the public to increase understanding and support for persons with autism to help contribute in promoting a more inclusive society. De Lima, a known human rights defender, underscored the importance of raising public awareness about the psychological disorder, which is now considered a national health issue. "Persons with autism have the right to live a happy and safe life free from any judgment and abuse despite the challenges they were born in. They should have a place in our society to enable them to make positive contributions to its progress," she said. "As such, each one of us is encouraged to raise awareness about autism as we continue reaching out to them and let them feel that they are not different from us," she added. Based on the estimates of the Autism Society of the Philippines, one out of every 500 Filipinos suffer from autism - or approximately 200,000 Filipinos out of a 100 million of the country's total population. Last May 2017, De Lima filed Senate Bill (SB) No. 1433, or the Autism Care Act, seeking a national roadmap for addressing autism through the creation of the Autism Council of the Philippines to help raise public awareness about the psychological disorder. The Senator from Bicol expressed hopes that her fellow legislators will support her proposed Autism Care Act and steer clear of its legislative mill so that persons with the autism and their respective families will get the support they badly need. "Autism Care Act is a personal piece of legislation for me considering that my son and my grandson were both diagnosed with autism disorder. The Autism Care Act, along with other laws for persons with disabilities, should get more support from the public and the government," she said. In her proposed measure, De Lima underscored the need to conduct thorough and complete epidemiological surveys on the true state of autism in the country in order to provide a better understanding and treatment of autism as a national health issue. She likewise proposed under SB No. 1433 that the shortage of trained and highly-skilled teachers and health providers who will cater to the special needs of children and adults with autism should be addressed by the government. In a Facebook message, President of Association for Adults with Autism Philippines Lino-Sobrevinas Covey thanked De Lima for her "strong, inspired, and inspiring initiative" in pushing for the immediate passage of Autism Care Act. Covey, a professor of clinical psychology in psychiatry at the Columbia University Medical Center, said he supports the measure on autism which he said should be viewed "not simply as a condition to be suffered but one to be managed as a variant of the human condition." "(Persons) with autistics (are) having strengths and talents, as well with the potential to contribute to their own and larger societies' benefit," read Covey's message that De Lima later acknowledged in a letter. In a separate letter, Covey vowed to offer help that can advance the objectives, progress, and the implementation of De Lima's Autism Care Act. "Your openness and willingness to consider viewpoints not initially voiced by you are gratifying and encouraging," Covey said. De Lima said she hopes the observance of World Autism Awareness Day will be a good opportunity to push the government to support measures that could improve the living conditions of persons with autism, and support needed by their families. Press Release April 2, 2018 Dispatch from Crame No. 271: Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Statement on Malacanang linking human rights groups to drug lords 4/2/18 Malacanang's pronouncement that human rights organizations are being used by drug lords to derail Duterte's war on drugs is both malicious and dangerous. It exposes human rights defenders to the murderous violence of Duterte's death squads, as Malacanang has now placed them in equal footing with suspected drug offenders. This pronouncement also further reveals Duterte's anti-human rights worldview, now ironically espoused by no less than the former human rights lawyer-turned Duterte death squad apologist Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. That this accusation is patently baseless propaganda is shown in the subsequent statements of both the PNP and PDEA that they have no evidence to support Malacanang's 'expose'. In short, the accusation is nothing but an irresponsible speculation blurted out from the presidential podium, the same way most lies and fake news are now being propagated from the Palace. Roque, Cayetano, and Panelo no longer care if they lie in defense of Duterte's policy of summary executions which has so far claimed more than 20,000 lives as of 2017. The truth no longer means anything to these three government officials, so they might as well openly fabricate and propagate the most absurd and hilarious accusations they can come up with. One thing is clear though. While linking every individual, organization, and institution that has come out against the murderous drug war to drug lords, Malacanang remains deathly silent on the 6.4B shabu smuggling scandal that has implicated Duterte's son and son-in-law. All of a sudden, human rights groups are in cahoots with drug lords, while Polong Duterte, Mans Carpio, Small Abellera, and Tita Nanie remain uninvestigated and untouched by the DOJ, the PNP, and PDEA. Add to that the DOJ's dismissal of the charges against known drug lords Peter Lim, Kerwin Espinosa, and Peter Co. Here we are talking about a drug war, but instead of going after drug lords and smugglers, Malacanang is going after human rights groups. Roque, Cayetano, and Panelo want to implicate human rights groups because until now, Malacanang has nothing to show for Duterte's drug war. It has nothing to show because it is a fake and hypocritical drug war, in the same way that Duterte's drug war in Davao was fake. These drug wars are only authentic in one aspect--in the murder and summary execution of thousands of human beings whose perpetrators were never brought to court and never tried for any crime whatsoever. What is this drug war for then when government coddles drug lords in prison, absolves drug lords out of prison, and whitewashes investigations on drug smugglers? What is this drug war but a cover for the witchhunting and intimidation of those who refuse to bow to Duterte's tyranny, then in Davao, now in the entire country? In the same way that the drug war was used to imprison me, intimidate and threaten local government officials, witchhunt enemies, and demonize the opposition, it is now being used to attack human rights advocates and organizations. The script is already so overused, Malacanang needs a new scriptwriter. Creative ones. Roque, Cayetano, and Panelo are already starting to be boring. Nakakasawa at nakakasuka na sila. GRACE POE ON DEMAFELIS Swift and sure justice is what Joanna Demafelis deserve. But the search for justice should not stop in its tracks until all those responsible for the fate of Joanna are punished. Joanna's struggle is a reflection of the same reason why many of our kababayan are working abroad, away from their family and loved ones. We hope the memorandum of understanding between the Philippines and Kuwait for the greater protection of overseas Filipino workers will be signed. We also hope that such understanding be present in other countries with OFW population. We must remain vigilant in ensuring that the rights and welfare of OFWs are protected, and government is always at hand to assist them. Metro Performance Glass said its full-year normalised net profit was $18 million to $18.5 million on the back of weaker-than-expected Australian performance as well as some unexpected costs related to a change in leadership. The Auckland-based company had previously forecast profit of $18.5 million to $20 million in the year to March 31 versus the prior year's $21.3 million. Australia's performance was hurt by the "longer than anticipated disruption from the capital programme" across the Tasman, it said. "The New Zealand programme went largely to plan, however, the Australian programme proved challenging," the company said. Australian Glass Group had to work around significant shipping disruptions delaying some key equipment beyond the planned shutdown period. This impacted its sales, costs and customer experience in December, January and February, it said. The programme is now complete and will provide "significant capability enhancements, plant simplification and better geographic alignment of equipment to market opportunities at the Group's seven processing plants." Metro Glass also said it had some one-time abnormal costs impacting reported net profit relating the change in the chief executive that weren't anticipated. It is forecasting reported net profit will be $16 million to $16.5 million versus a net profit of $19.4 million in the prior year. In mid-December the company said chief executive Nigel Rigby is stepping down after five years, saying "the time is right" for new leadership. An international recruitment process is underway and in the interim, the group will be lead by the senior leadership team with close support from the board, it said. Looking ahead, chair Peter Griffiths said a strategic review announced in October 2017 is "well progressed." According to Griffiths after strong sales growth over a number of years, "we expect that activity in our core New Zealand market will remain flat and may eventually soften" while the South East Australian market continues to show strong demand. Metro Glass has the capacity for increased sales in the South East of Australian and intends to achieve "material profitable growth over there over the next 24 months," he said. In New Zealand, it will focus on becoming "more efficient and productive." Griffiths said Metro Glass will provide more detail on the results of the reeview when it announces its full year result on May 24. MetroGlass shares last traded down 1.4 percent at 73 cents and have dropped 26 percent so far this year. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: Pacific Edge Limited (NZX: PEB) Placement Upsized Following Strong Demand 24th September 2021 Morning Report 23rd September 2021 Morning Report Pacific Edge Limited (NZX: PEB) Dual Lists on ASX; Announces Capital Raise to Accelerate Tower Limited (NZX: TWR) Updates Guidance South Port New Zealand Limited (NZX: SPN) 2021 Annual Report 22nd September 2021 Morning Report Kathmandu Holdings Limited (NZX: KMD) FY21 Annual Results Announcement Stride Property Ltd & Stride Investment Management Ltd (NZX: SPG) Update on Demerger and Office Fund 21st September 2021 Morning Report The bank complained in the FIR (First Information Report) that its Chief Manager, KR Saroja, oversaw disbursal of various housing loans. The bank claims that these loans were sought on bogus documents. Bengaluru: The Jayanagar branch of UCO bank, in a complaint with the CBI, has alleged that its own Chief Manager colluded with valuators and middlemen in siphoning off Rs 19 crores from the bank. The bank alleged that Saroja working with UCO Bank's Jayanagar branch at Bangalore had sanctioned and disbursed loans to 18 applicants between August'13- June'16 aggregating to Rs 19.03 crores. Saroja, the bank, said colluded with a middleman who canvassed applications for the bank's housing loan schemes. The middleman provided fabricated documents supporting proof of income to avail such loans. Worse, this middleman also submitted fake and fabricated building plans, licenses, and also land extracts. The banker, who was supposed to conduct due diligence before dispatching credit facilities, in this case, did nothing. UCO bank said its branch employees credited the savings bank accounts after checking fudged bills, invoices, and other documents. But instead of property registration, the loans were used for other purposes. The bank alleged that not only did Saroja accept the forged documents, but the chief manager was also induced into releasing various other loan applications that BS Srinath, the middleman sought. Worse, the bank claims that it was also cheated by valuers of the bank who inflated valuation and failed to give a fair report. The bank complained in the FIR that Gopinath R Agnihotri of R&G Associates, and Jambunath and N Venkatesh of N Venkatesh & Associates's inflated reports presented an incorrect version of the valuation and thereby facilitated a wrong sanctioning of loans. A CBI team is currently investigating the case at UCO bank. But amid the investigation, one question that has baffled the bank's own customers is why didn't the bank conduct an individual assessment of properties, as is the norm, before crediting the loans? Confirmed: Medical science lab used HUMANS as guinea pigs for risky experiments It sounds like something you might see in a movie or on TV: A secretive, high-security 7,000-acre site in a small West Country town surrounded by warning signs houses canisters full of poisonous gases and samples of some of the deadliest viruses in the world. Far from fictional, this unsettling lab that conducts experiments on human subjects actually exists and is still in use today by 3,000 scientists. The U.K.s Porton Down was thrust into the spotlight earlier this month when the former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, who was working as a double agent for U.K. intelligence, and his daughter were poisoned. The Salisbury lab was tasked with identifying the military-grade nerve agent used to attack the pair, which they say was a type of Novichok created by Russia. Not everyone is convinced of their finding, however, and the facilitys history is riddled with controversy. The sites official name is the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. It works with an annual budget equal to $882 million and was founded during World War I in 1916 to counter chemical attacks by Germans. Scientists there were responsible for the development of tear gas and the fatal nerve agent known as VX. The British Ministry of Defense (MoD) says their work is defensive as international conventions prohibit chemical weapons use. Their aim, they say, is merely improving equipment to protect troops as well as the population at large. The site has analyzed chemical weapons used in the Syrian conflict, like sarin gas, and it has also been used for Ebola research. However, the extreme levels of secrecy have long drawn suspicion among locals and observers. Some of the most disturbing concerns entail experimentation on humans and animals. For example, in 1999, police investigated testing that endangered soldiers lives without their knowledge. While this never resulted in criminal prosecution, the MoD did award 360 former armed services members compensation of $5.2 million. The soldiers claimed that they were used against their will as human guinea pigs to test out Cold War chemicals. The ministry never admitted responsibility in the case. The laboratory does say that it has a volunteer program that has involved 20,000 people participating in studies throughout the years. They still use human volunteers today, which they say helps to enhance training procedures and improve protective equipment. The British government claims that the human trials at the facility meet the highest ethical standards, but their wording implies that some of the practices used there in the past would probably be considered unacceptable by modern standards: The Volunteer Programme has always been operated to the highest ethical standards of the day. In fact, there is a helpline for past volunteers who have concerns about their trials or any subsequent effects on their health. Soldier died in nerve agent experiment One subject who wont be able to call the helpline is Aircraftsman Ronald Maddison, who died tragically at the site back in 1953 at age 20 after drops of the nerve agent sarin were applied to his forearm through a double layer of cloth. An inquest wasnt held until 2004, and a verdict of unlawful killing was delivered in a move that overturned the corners initial findings of asphyxia, prompting many to believe a cover-up took place. In the years between 1945 and 1989, more than 3,400 people were exposed to nerve gas at the base, giving the site the dubious distinction of having tested more human subjects with nerve gas than any other place on the planet. Tests involved repeated exposure, entering gas chambers, tests on bare skin, and tests of mental performance. Aerial release trials have also been held at the site, which the government says can help the U.K. prepare for potential biological or chemical attacks by air. The government says the experiments were harmless and that they did not cause adverse health issues for locals. However, many are skeptical after they admitted that World War II trials by Porton Down scientists contaminated a coastal Scottish island with anthrax. Given the disturbing nature of the limited information that has actually been confirmed about the site, its frightening to imagine what else could be going on there that the public doesnt know about. Read MedicalExtremism.com for more coverage of medical experiments run amok. Sources for this article include: Mirror.co.uk News.com.au SomersetLive.co.uk : In the wake of the 'Bharat Bandh' called by several Dalit organisations, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has appealed to protesters to ensure that mortal remains of the Iraq victims, that are expected to arrive in Amritsar tomorrow, are allowed to be transported to their villages without any impediment. He also directed the state police to provide strict security for the same. On March 20, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed the Rajya Sabha members in the Parliament that all 39 Indian nationals, who went missing in Mosul in 2014, were killed by the terror outfit Islamic State. The 39 persons, most of whom hailed from Punjab, were working on projects near Mosul when they were kidnapped. On a related note, the Punjab police also made it clear to the protestors that a strict action will be taken against those who indulge in violence on April 2 across the state. The Commissioner of Police in Ludhiana said, "4000 police personnel along with one company of Rapid Action Force to be deployed tomorrow. Strict action will be taken against those who indulge in violence." Dalit organisations have called for a countrywide bandh on April 2 to protest the Supreme Court's verdict on March 20 that protects public servants from arbitrary arrests under the Act. On March 20, the apex court, in a bid to check misuse of the SC/ST Act, ruled that preliminary enquiry in a case under the Atrocities Act would be done by the DSP to ensure the allegations are not frivolous, and to avoid the false implication of an innocent. The court also held that a government official cannot be prosecuted on a mere allegation of committing an offense under the Act without the sanction of the appointing authority. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With the start of jury selection minutes away, Gloria Fields decided to take her fate into her own hands, pleading guilty to first-degree murder in the death of a 17-month-old boy who prosecutors said she sexually abused and fatally tortured while babysitting him two years ago. After briefly speaking to her aunt in the courtroom, Fields, 33, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in exchange for a sentence of 23 years to life behind bars. The Concord resident admitted to the top charge of a 12-count indictment accusing her of causing little Anthony Delgado's death over the course of three days by acting in an "especially cruel and wanton manner ... intended to inflict and inflicting torture" on the child. Prosecutors said those acts included sticking a six-inch Crayola pencil up the victim's rectum. Fields potentially faced up to life in prison without parole had she been convicted at trial of first-degree murder or aggravated murder. Garbed in a tan sweatshirt and sweatpants, Fields responded, "Yes, Your Honor" and "No, Your Honor," in a clear voice to Justice Wayne Ozzi's questions during her plea allocution. She made no independent statement. Outside court, defense lawyer Mario F. Gallucci, said he had discussed possible plea offers over the weekend with Assistant District Attorney Wanda DeOliveira, who is prosecuting the case along with Assistant District Attorney Timothy Richard. "The evidence in this case was overwhelming against Ms. Fields," he said. Fields had previously rejected plea offers, but decided at the last minute against taking her chances at trial. Sentencing is scheduled for April 24 in state Supreme Court, St. George. "This defendant tortured and killed a 17-month-old boy who was left under her care, showing a cruel and inhuman disregard for life. Her guilty plea to first-degree murder ensures that she stays behind bars for her sickening crimes and is never allowed to do harm to another innocent child," said District Attorney Michael E. McMahon in a statement. "No family should ever have to experience the loss of a child in this way, and the entire DA's office continues to send our thoughts and prayers to the family of the victim," said McMahon. Prosecutors said Fields tortured and sexually abused the defenseless tot over the course of three days -- Friday, Feb. 19 through Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016 - before he died. According to testimony at a pretrial hearing last year, the defendant voluntarily admitted her guilt, including sexually assaulting the toddler, as detectives confronted her with the results of their ongoing investigation. Fields, who had been using heroin and smoking marijuana while the child was in her care, also slammed his face onto the floor while he was strapped into his stroller, and struck him on the head numerous times, according to court documents. The incidents occurred at various times inside the apartment building where the defendant and victim lived, and inside Buffalo Exchange, a used clothing store on East 11th Street in Manhattan, prosecutors said. Fields told investigators she was angry over the loss of custody of her own child after the victim's grandmother reported her to the city Administration for Children's Services, according to a videotaped recording of her interrogation by police which was played at a pretrial hearing last year. She said she hurt the boy to get back at his grandmother. The defense contended any admissions Fields made were done under duress and came after days spent in the presence of police, mainly in a 10-feet-by-10-feet interview room at the 120th Precinct stationhouse. The defense also maintained police improperly fed Fields "misleading information," particularly that her fingerprints and DNA would be found on the pencil, which, ultimately, they were not. Shortly after Fields' arrest, Gallucci began exploring the possibility of presenting an insanity defense. In such a defense, defendants must prove they lacked substantial capacity to know or appreciate either the nature and consequences of their conduct when they committed the crimes charged or that such conduct was wrong. But at a pretrial hearing last week, Gallucci said Fields would not pursue that defense if the case was tried. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The morning commute so far is a snowy one on Staten Island, as a winter weather advisory remains in effect until 2 p.m. Accumulations could reach anywhere from between one and four inches, according to local meteorlogists. Accuweather forecasts show no more than one inch, while National Weather Service predicts anywhere from two to four inches. Streets are slushy and slippery, but, as of 8:15 a.m., snow was only sticking on lawns and sidewalks. The worst of the storm will arrive before 10 a.m., according to the NWS website. Experts say drivers should plan for slippery road conditions and reduced visibility, while a speed restriction of 30 miles per hour has been implemented in both directions on the Outerbridge Crossing, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Tips for driving in winter conditions were released by the city's Emergency Management as part of a travel advisory that also remains in effect until 2 p.m. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Today's archive page is from April 9, 1923. A 5-year-old boy is struck by an auto, but is not seriously injured. Witnesses report that Sidney Heuser, of West New Brighton, is hit on Davis Avenue at Henderson Avenue after he steps from the curb without seeing the car. He is knocked down and the driver -- Mrs. Stewart Walker of Westerleigh -- stops the auto and rushes the boy to St. Vincent's Hospital. Sidney is treated for lacerations of the head and contusions of the body. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Congressional candidate Michael Grimm responded to the suggestion that his campaign could be behind an ethics complaint made against GOP Rep. Daniel Donovan by saying the Congressman was playing a "desperate blame game." A published report said a complaint to the Office of Congressional Ethics accused Donovan of using his stature as congressman and the borough's former district attorney to get the son of Serena Stonick -- his partner with whom he has a young daughter -- a desk appearance ticket for a heroin arrest. In 2015, Stonick's son, Timothy O'Connell, was detained with a friend after being arrested for criminal sale and possession of heroin. According to the New York Post, the complaint alleges that O'Connell was given a desk appearance ticket for the arrest rather than a harsher penalty because of Donovan's intervention. Speaking to reporters at his New Dorp campaign headquarters on Monday, Donovan flatly denied having anything to do with the case and spoke of the impact of addiction on his family. Donovan also publicly asked Grimm to denounce the allegation and asked the House Ethics Committee to expedite its investigation, including having the currently anonymous accuser who filed the complaint come forward. Donovan said, "Let them put their evidence forth. That they're claiming I did something wrong because of my position. And we're going to have this person testify about this evidence that they claim to have and also talk about their co-conspirators, the people who coaxed them to bring forward this allegation." GRIMM RESPONDS "Dan Donovan's desperate blame game and politicization of this scandal helps no one -- not his campaign, not his loved ones, not the thousands in our community suffering from the opioid epidemic that blossomed under his watch," Grimm told the Advance. "I have no comment on this story other than to question how a felony distribution case magically turned into a misdemeanor, as O'Connell's own lawyer admitted to the New York Post." He said, "Donovan could put this scandal to bed once and for all by releasing his, his girlfriend's, and his chief of staff's cell phone records from the night of O'Connell's heroin bust to prove he had no knowledge or involvement in the case." Desk appearance tickets can be issued "in lieu of detention, at the direction of a desk officer, for misdemeanors, violations, and certain Class 'E' felonies for hospitalized prisoners," according to the NYPD. He or she is allowed to go to court at a later date to answer a summons instead of being sent to central booking, jail or directly to a court arraignment. Donovan didn't directly accuse Grimm of making the complaint, but said that the average person would likely need help to figure out how to file a complaint with Congress' ethics office. "I don't know if Michael Grimm is the anonymous source, but someone had to instruct this individual, because most citizens would not know how to file a house ethics committee complaint," Donovan said. "Someone who may know is a person who has had allegations made against them for threatening to throw a reporter off the rotunda after the State of the Union address, for FEC filings," he continued. "So someone who has had complaints against them filed might know how to do it." Donovan was alluding to prior accusations about Grimm's fundraising in 2010, and to an episode where the then-lawmaker threatened a reporter from NY1. 'DISGUSTING, OUTRAGEOUS' "To use our family and the addiction that so many people are going through with their own families is disgusting, outrageous, and the public should know about it," said Donovan. "I am asking my opponent to denounce this. I'm asking him to come forward and tell us whether he had anything to do with it." Donovan told the Advance on Sunday that he didn't ask for special treatment and said at the press conference that he didn't know about the arrest until after O'Connell was released. The Advance saw a copy of O'Connell's arrest report, which showed that no calls were made while O'Connell was in custody. The GOP Congressman also said that he was in Washington, D.C. for part of the day and at public events later on. "I came home from Washington, went directly to Brooklyn to a tree lighting ceremony with Marty Golden and then to a real estate event at the Rex Manor that evening," Donovan said on a radio program on Monday. "I wasn't even on Staten Island." Donovan noted that he recused himself from a 2007 case that involved former Staten Island BP James Molinaro's grandson. He also said that he recused himself from cases involving Stonick's daughter. Appearing with Donovan, Stonick said that the allegation was hurtful to her family. "It is a harrowing journey that takes you down a road that you never could've imagined you would be on," said Stonick. "Instead of choosing a college campus for your child and visiting them on parent's weekend, you're choosing rehab and visiting them in prison. I know this personally, I've been there." The primary election is on June 26. FOLLOW CLIFFORD MICHEL ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discussed holding a summit at the White House, a Trump spokeswoman said after the Kremlin revealed the U.S. president had invited the Russian leader to Washington. "When our presidents spoke on the phone, Trump suggested having the meeting in Washington at the White House," Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters on Monday. "This is quite an interesting, positive idea." White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said later that the two leaders had discussed a meeting "at a number of potential venues, including the White House." The two sides have had no preparatory conversations since the March 20 call in which the leaders discussed the idea because of their tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats over the poisoning of a former spy in the U.K., Ushakov said. "I hope the Americans won't abandon their proposal to discuss the possibility of holding the summit," he said. The prospect of Putin visiting Washington is likely to sharpen divisions in the U.S. over relations with Russia amid continued tensions regarding alleged Kremlin meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections. Russia denies meddling. Trump won bipartisan praise in Congress for ordering the expulsion last week of 60 Russian diplomats regarded as spies, the most since 1986, in a display of unity with Europe after the U.K. blamed Putin's government for the March 4 nerve-agent attack on former spy Sergei Skripal in England. Trump had told reporters he discussed a potential summit with Putin shortly after the phone call but neither he nor Sanders disclosed that an invitation to the White House was under consideration until the Kremlin revealed it Monday. While Trump and Putin ordered summit preparations to begin after their phone call, the expulsions meant "there was no time for discussion and there wasn't even anyone to discuss it with," Ushakov said. The Kremlin hopes the U.S. has now stopped its actions against Russia so that "serious and constructive dialogue" can start, he said. Trump triggered a political storm when he met at the White House with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last May, a day after he fired then FBI Director James Comey, who was leading an investigation into the president's connections to Russia. The White House didn't let U.S. reporters witness the meeting, which was also attended by Russia's then U.S. ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, while Russian state news services released photographs of it. The talks were a prelude to Trump's first meeting with Putin at the Group of 20 summit last July. Trump congratulated Putin on his victory in last month's presidential election during their phone call, without first reviewing written guidance from White House advisers. The Washington Post reported that talking points for the call included specific advice not to congratulate the Russian leader. Trump later described the call as "very good" and said he planned to meet with Putin "to discuss the arms race, which is getting out of control." Putin has visited the White House previously. President George W. Bush hosted him in November 2001 and told reporters at a joint press conference that "This is a new day in the long history of Russian-American relations, a day of progress and a day of hope." Belgian Michael Van Cleven is relatively unknown in North America but we now look at his custom painted SRAM and Zipp equipped Squad Hornett race bike - a bike we also do not see too often. The 29 year old Van Cleven is 182 cm tall and weighs 68 kg and he rides a medium sized frame as he likes to sit compact and considers a smaller frame stiffer too. Making sure that no one in transition accidentally jumps on this bike. Van Cleven describes the paint scheme as follows: "Bink's Base - Uruz sign is incorporated in this logo. Uruz meaning = life force, physical health, courage, formation, healing, vigor and endurance. In the frame you can see the Uruz bull and Bink's Base logo." Bink is the nickname of Marino Vanhoenacker - his mentor, and Bink's Base is a crossfit brand in Belgium. Up close with the Bink's Base logo at the head tube. Van Cleven rides 175 cm cranks with a Quarq power meter. Chainrings are 55-42 and the cassette 11-28 as he is getting ready for a big climbing race in Mallorca. Derailleurs are SRAM Red Etap. A look at the rear triangle of this Squad Hornett from above. Tires front and back are 23mm Continental Grand Prix 4000 S2. The Syncros RR0.2 saddle is forward positioned. The Syncros saddle from above. Van Cleven uses TRP brakes on his bike. Hidden under the BB for the rear wheel. The front TRP brake on the fork is hidden behind a cover. Van Cleven uses Zipp brake pads to stop the Zipp 808 up front and the Zipp clincher disc in the back. PHILIPSBURG:---To this day St. Maarten has no land-based protected areas. On a small island like St. Maarten, marine and terrestrial ecosystems are closely linked and must be considered in unison. The Man of War Shoal National Marine Park was established in 2010 and is the first marine conservation area on Dutch St. Maarten. While the establishment of the marine park has improved our marine resources, the establishment of land-based conservation areas will not only improve those land-based areas, but it would also reduce the runoff entering the ocean and marine park. Tourism is the main economic activity of St. Maarten. As such, it is important that we maintain the beauty of the natural environment for this major economic reason. Conservation areas also increase the resilience of an ecosystem and ensure that it is better equipped to adapt and recover to a changing climate. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) Foundation advocates for the formal establishment and protection of green areas on St. Maarten. Potential conservation areas are: Zone 1: The mangroves of the Simpson Bay Lagoon, Zone 2: Ponds and "Important Birding Areas" (IBAs), Zone 3: Emilio Wilson Estate, Zone 4: Geneve-Back Bay, and Zone 5: The hilltops above 200 meters. These areas have been suggested as conservation zones in several local and regional reports such as BESTs Regional ecosystem profile Caribbean Region (2016), St. Maarten Proposed Land Parks Management Plan (NFSXM, 2009) and in the Development Plans Sint Maarten (2012). EPIC is starting a campaign and is looking for your support to show The Government of St. Maarten that their citizens care about the protection of green areas. You can get involved with the campaign in two ways. Firstly, EPIC is hosting a letter writing campaign. Citizens and business owners are asked to write a letter to The Government of St. Maarten advocating for the protection of land-based areas. To find out more about this and how to get involved, please email EPICs Project Coordinator, Kippy Gilders, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Secondly, an online petition will support the letter writing campaign. To sign the petition, surf over to: https://www.change.org/p/protect-green-areas-of-st-maarten. The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2018 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement Bodies of 38 Indian workers killed by IS arrive home from Iraq Amritsar, India, April 2 (AFP) Apr 02, 2018 The bodies of 38 Indian construction workers kidnapped and murdered in Iraq by the Islamic State group returned home on Monday four years after their disappearance. Grieving families -- who were told for years by government officials that their loved ones were still alive -- waited at an airport in the northwest state of Punjab to receive the coffins from Baghdad. The victims were mostly from poor families in Punjab and were employed by a construction company in Mosul when they were abducted by extremists. India's foreign minister told parliament last month that 39 bodies were unearthed from a mass grave in Badush, a village northwest of Mosul. DNA testing confirmed the identity of 38 of the corpses. One test was a partial match, with further examination needed, India's junior foreign minister said Monday. The Indians were kidnapped in June 2014 as the Islamic State group overran large swathes of territory in Iraq, including the major northern city of Mosul. Indian officials for years insisted the abductees were alive until proven otherwise, drawing criticism from relatives who accused the government of keeping them in the dark. Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj denied the government had given the families false hope. It is not known when the Indians were killed. Snowbasin planning major expansion, including 300-room Club Med hotel Snowbasin has quietly been planning for big changes. Now, operators of the Weber County ski resort are moving forward. They unveiled ambitious plans this week to build a 300-room hotel on Snowbasin grounds, add new retail offerings and upgrade some of the lifts that haul skiers. Some of the work is already underway and hotel construction is to be complete by the end of 2024. "These new developments put us on track to become the world-class resort destination envisioned for Snowbasin," said Davy Ratchford, the ski resort's general manager. The planned improvements will be the most ... Crypto Exchange, Everything that You Need to Know about It Havana-born Nelson Alfonso is the graphic designer behind Selected Tobacco, an ultra-premium outfit that produces cigars under the Atabey, Byron, and Bandolero brands, among others. Even if youre unfamiliar with these cigars, youve almost certainly appreciated Alfonsos work; his firm, Golden Age Visual Developers, has contributed to the packaging and design of many iconic Cuban brands, including Behike (which explains why Atabey looks so Behike-esque). The Byron line is named for Lord Byron, an English poet and a leader of the Romantic movement. It is the revival of an old Cuban brand from the mid-nineteenth century. Many cigar factories produced numerous brands with Anglo-American names to attract U.K. and U.S. markets, which had tremendous demand for premium cigars at the time, according to the United Cigar website (United is Selecteds U.S. distributor). Today, Byron is made in three different blendsSiglo XIX, Siglo XX, and Siglo XXIto represent what Cuban cigars were in the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries. They are handmade in Costa Rica, stored in an aging room for one year, and then packaged in beautifully ornate porcelain jars or individually humidified tubes. The Byron Serie Siglo XXI Elegantes (6.1 x 55), introduced in 2016, is squarely in the super-premium category, with a per-cigar price thats north of $30even when bought by the box of 25 (the box does double as a humidor, though). For that cost, you should expect a lot. Fortunately, the cigars appearance lives up to the lofty expectations set by the price. This is a remarkably beautiful and well-constructed cigar. Beneath three intricate bands of black, blue, and white with silver and gold accents, youll find an incredibly smooth, almost vein-free Colorado-colored Ecuadorian-wrapped cigar with a perfect cap. The cold draw is smooth with just the right amount of resistance. At the foot, I find pre-light notes of dried apricot and marshmallow sweetness. The profilewhich is, in my opinion, consistent from light to nubis medium-bodied and balanced. Flavors range from bread and honey to cedar spice and dry oak. Theres a background note of herbal tea. I also find a range of earthy flavors and a familiar sensation I can only describe as warm tobacco. On the finish, there are warm spices, including clove, cinnamon, and cayenne heat. As far as construction goes, the white ash can be a tad flaky but, honestly, thats pretty nitpicky. I dont think youll encounter any issues. The draw is perfect, the smoke production solid, and the burn line requires zero touch-ups. Only 200 boxes of 25 Elegantes have been made available in the U.S. That makes this cigar not only exceptionally expensive; its also pretty rare. Is it worth your money and time? Thats a hard question to answer, and one that likely depends on your own unique circumstances. For me, the Byron Serie Siglo XXI Elegantes is a tasty, interesting cigar, but not one I would regularly seek out at this price point. For that, Im awarding it three stogies out of five. [To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.] Patrick A photo credit: Stogie Guys SLPI holds workshop on investigative journalism View(s): The Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) conducted a workshop from March 26 to 28 to train young journalists on the use of the Right to Information Act and data in investigative journalism. Indian Express investigative journalist Shyamlal Yadav (seated in the centre) was the key trainer at the workshop held at Hotel Ozo in Colombo. He is seen here with Sri Lanka Press Institute CEO Kumar (right), Kamal Liyanaarachchi (left) of front and the journalists who attended the workshop. This latter news is due to the fact that Louis Vuitton is planning to open new factories that will produce leather goods in France in the space of just a week. The first of the new factories will open this July in La Merlatiere while another factory is slated for an opening early next year in in Beaulieu-sur-Layon, Maine-et-Loire. These will be Louis Vuittons 15th and 16th factories respectively and will create five hundred new jobs. In addition to improving customer care, these new sites plan to reduce production time from two weeks to one which in turn reduces the wait time for customers who make requests in-store. This speed-first strategy is in contrast to certain other famous luxury brands such as Hermes, who only produce 2-3 of their legendary Birkin handbags each year in order to keep hype and exclusivity high. Founded in France in 1854, Louis Vuitton has grown to become one of the worlds most renowned luxury fashion brands. Last week the company announced the appointment of Virgil Abloh as its new creative director. : , - - , : - . . : . : - , - , , , , , , , ? : , , , , , . , , . , , , : , ? : , , . - , , . : .. . : . , , , , , , , , , , , , . : ? : , , . , . : , , - , ? , ? - ? : , , , , , , . : ? : , , , , , . , , , , , , , , . , , , . , , , , , . , , , , , , , . : , , , ? : , , , , . , , , , , , : , , - , , , , ? : , , . : ? : , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . : ? : , . , , . , , , , . : ..? : , , , , . , , . , : , ? : . : ? : , , , , , , , . , , , , , , , . : ? : , - . . , , , . : , , - , , , , , , , , ? ? , . : - , . , , . , 20 , , . , . : ? : , , , , , - - . . , , , , , . , , . , . . , - , , : . , : . , 130 , 133 , 96 . . 780 , 300 . , , , . : . , , , . , . . , ? : , , . , 1998-1999 , . 2003 , , , , , 2006 . ... : , ? : , , . , , - . 2005, , - . - . , - , , , , , , , . , , , , , - , 180 ., , , . , . , , . , . : , ? : , , , , ... : , ? ? : , , ... : : , . , , ... : , . . , , . ... : , - . : , , , , , . ... : , ? : , 180 ., . : ? : , . , , , . : ? : , , , . : , . , , , . , , . ? ? ? ? , ? : , . , , , , , , . , , . , , , . : , ... : , , , , . , , , , . , ... : . : ... , : ! . , , , , , , , , . ? , , . : , , - - , ? : -. , , , . ... : .. . : , , , , , . , . : . . . SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A 45-year-old Syracuse man was in stable condition today and is expected to recover after being stabbed in the abdomen Saturday night near the city's downtown, Syracuse police said. Police are still looking for the attacker, who was described as a male in his late teens or early 20s, Sgt. Richard Helterline said. The stabbing occurred at about 9 p.m. on East Adams Street, near South Clinton Street, police said. The suspect was last seen headed toward Gifford Street, police said. The victim was found near the corner of East Adams Street and South Salina Street when police responded. The man was taken to Upstate University Hospital. Syracuse police ask anyone with information to call its investigations division at 315-442-5222. All calls are confidential. UPDATE: Troopers locate, charge man suspected of damaging headstones in Oswego County MEXICO, N.Y. -- New York State Police are seeking information on who damaged headstones in Oswego County. State police in Pulaski are investigating the damage at the Village of Mexico Cemetery on Academy Street in Mexico. Numerous headstones were pushed over and damaged. The damage occurred between Saturday and Sunday in the historic area of the cemetery, troopers said. State police ask anyone with information to call (315) 298-1473. CNY Central and dozens of other local TV stations owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group have been accused by critics of promoting President Donald Trump's agenda with a right-wing message. A video compilation went viral over the weekend showing CNY Central's Michael Benny and Allison Bybee reading a script identical to one read by other TV anchors across the country. The promo echoes Trump's war on the "fake news" media. "...We're concerned about the troubling trend of irresponsible, one sided news stories plaguing our country. The sharing of biased and false news has become all too common on social media," the script says. "Some members of the media use their platforms to push their own personal bias and agenda..." "This is extremely dangerous to our democracy." A version on Deadspin shows other anchors at Sinclair-owned TV stations reading the same lines, played side by side and on top of each other. CNY Central's promo ends with Benny and Bybee promising to report the news fairly and accurately, while inviting viewers to visit their website and click on a link that says "Content Concerns." "If you believe our coverage is unfair please reach out to us," Bybee says. According to The New York Times, the script came from Sinclair, which has been accused of requiring its television stations to air right-leaning video segments called "must-runs." Sinclair owns or operates 176 TV stations, including NBC 3 (WSTM-TV), CW 6 (WSTQ) and CBS 5 (WTVH) in Syracuse. Benny and Bybee appear on CBS 5 (WTVH). Their sister station, NBC 3 (WSTM), also recorded the same promo; anchors Matt Mulcahy and Megan Coleman appear to be reading the same script, though the clip wasn't included in the compilation video. CNY Central's news director and general manager did not respond to syracuse.com's requests for comment. CNN reports Sinclair's senior vice president of news, Scott Livingston, read a similar script distributed to outlets last year. But the new video requiring local anchors to repeat the message has drawn criticism, including from employees. "At my station, everyone was uncomfortable doing it," one anonymous anchor told CNN. "I felt like a POW recording a message," another said. "To all Syracuse News Anchors who work for Sinclair: HOW CAN WE TRUST YOU ANY MORE WHEN YOU WON'T DISCLOSE THAT YOU WERE ORDERED TO READ A SCRIPT OF TRUMP INSPIRED, RIGHT-WING PROPAGANDA WHICH POSES AS A STATEMENT CALLING FOR JOURNALISTIC INTEGRITY?" one Facebook user wrote on Mulcahy's page. Sinclair, described as having a "right-leaning agenda," is the nation's largest owner of local television stations, appearing in more than a quarter of U.S. homes. The company, which also operates TV stations in Buffalo, Rochester and Albany, recently struck a $3.9 billion deal to acquire 42 more stations from Tribune Media, including WGN America. The Tribune deal raises its profile significantly, expanding the company's footprint to bigger cities like Chicago, L.A. and New York to reach 72 percent of American viewers. The deal is awaiting approval under Trump's Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission. President Trump praised Sinclair on Twitter Monday, calling the broadcaster "far superior" to CNN and other "fake news networks." So funny to watch Fake News Networks, among the most dishonest groups of people I have ever dealt with, criticize Sinclair Broadcasting for being biased. Sinclair is far superior to CNN and even more Fake NBC, which is a total joke. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018 Sinclair owners have reportedly long supported Republicans, including Trump. White House senior adviser and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner allegedly reached an agreement to give Sinclair more access to Trump during the 2016 election under the condition that the interviews be broadcast without commentary on the company's affiliates, though Sinclair denied making any arrangements with the Trump campaign. "We work very hard to be objective and fair and be in the middle," Livingston told the New York Times. "I think maybe some other news organizations may be to the left of center, and we work very hard to be in the center." Current and former employees at KOMO, an ABC affiliate in Seattle, complained last year that Sinclair's must-runs were too politically tilted without being identified as such. Segments include polls with leading questions; a "Terrorism Alert Desk" that allegedly attempts to make Muslims synonymous with terrorists; accusations of other outlets publishing "fake news stories"; and criticisms of Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama. Sinclair was fined $13.4 million by the FCC in December for failing to identify sponsored content that aired on its TV stations. The Baltimore-based company created 60-second and 90-second spots that promoted the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Utah and aired them on its local newscasts, or as free-standing half-hour programs, without identififying them as being paid for by the Huntsman Cancer Foundation. HBO's "Last Week Tonight" host John Oliver targeted Sinclair in a lengthy segment last year, highlighting political commentary by "snowflakes"-hating former SBG executive Mark Hyman and Trump's former adviser Boris Epshteyn. Oliver played a clip that aired in Syracuse and other markets before the 2016 election, blaming the Democratic Party for slavery, Jim Crow laws and the Ku Klux Klan. "Hold on, Democrats gave this country slavery? It's a little more complicated than that," Oliver said. "Sure, someone gave me this haircut (when he was on Comedy Central). But I'm accountable for being comfortable with it, liking it, and keeping it around for a morally repugnant amount of time." Note: Clip contains explicit language not suitable for younger viewers. Oliver said his main concern is that Sinclair-owned stations are airing content with a political agenda without making it clear that there's a bias behind it, while Fox News viewers expect the cable news network's content to be conservative. (Fox recently dropped its "fair and balanced" slogan last year.) "I did not know it was possible to dip below the journalistic standards of Breitbart," he quipped. Oliver revisited the topic Sunday, highlighting a clip from Epshteyn supporting Trump and criticizing media outlets for repeating his "s---hole countries" comment. Note: Clip contains explicit language not suitable for younger viewers. Kirstin Pellizzaro, a former producer at a Sinclair-owned station in Michigan, told the New York Times that reporters and anchors shouldn't be blamed for reading a company script. "I hope people realize that the journalists are trying their best, and this shouldn't reflect poorly on them," she said. "They're just under this corporate umbrella." A Maltese journalist killed by a car bomb in October 2017 is the posthumous recipient of a free speech award from the Newhouse School's Tully Center for Free Speech at Syracuse University. The award is given annually to honor a journalist who has shown courage in facing a free speech threat. Daphne Caruana Galizia, 53, was an independent journalist and a prolific blogger on Malta, an island nation in the Mediterranean Sea that is the European Union's smallest member. She reported on corruption, money laundering, organized crime and offshore financial transactions by people connected to the government. Over her career, Caruana Galizia faced numerous death threats, harassment, physical attacks and legal action. Caruana Galizia was chosen for the award from a group of international journalists who have faced significant threats to their work. Her husband, Dr. Peter Caruana Galizia, and their three sons, Matthew, Andrew and Paul, will attend the award ceremony at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 3, at the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium in Newhouse 3. Caruana Galizia was among 18 journalists murdered worldwide in 2017, according to a database maintained by the Committee to Protect Journalists. So far this year, two journalists have been murdered. Previous recipients of the Tully Award include Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, imprisoned in Iran for 544 days; Associated Press foreign correspondent Kathy Gannon, injured in an attack in Afghanistan; and former Guardian editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger, who published whistleblower Edward Snowden's revelations about secret U.S. surveillance programs. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The sister of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's former aide Joseph Percoco, who was found guilty of three felonies in a corruption trial, was charged by the New York City Department of Education for missing hundreds of days of school, according to the New York Post. The charges were made against Vita Percoco while she worked at P.S. 3, Pleasant Plains, during three consecutive school years, beginning in 2013. In a recently released disciplinary decision obtained by the Post, the Education Department charged that Vita Percoco was excessively absent and engaged in verbal abuse, misconduct, insubordination and neglect of her duties. A school-based investigation substantiated allegations of verbal abuse in 2016, and she received letters to file for absences and verbal abuse in 2016, the Department of Education told the Advance on Sunday. Percoco was reassigned pending teacher tenure hearings from September 2016 to March 2017, when she was reinstated, the DOE told the Advance. She reportedly suffered from an unspecified ailment and was out on approved leave for some days, the Post reported. But records showed Percoco missed 80 days in the 2014-2015 school year, and 60 days in the 2015-2016 school year, the report said. Hearing officer Mary O'Connell decided against firing Percoco, and fined her $5,000. She is currently teaching at PS 68 in Port Richmond, the DOE told the Advance. Vita Percoco didn't respond to a request for comment. Joseph Percoco stood trial alongside Syracuse-based Cor Development principals Steven Aiello and Joseph Gerardi, as well as energy executive Peter "Braith" Kelly. ROME, N.Y. -- Rome police have arrested two women they said amassed thousands of untaxed cigarettes with the intent to sell them. Police arrested Marissa L. Mariano, 24, and Cindy M. Dozois, 25, and charged them with possession of untaxed cigarettes, a class "E" felony. Officers stacked dozens of seized cartons and bagged cigarettes on a table to demonstrate the haul and snapped a photo. The cigarettes are worth about $8,500, police said. On Saturday, officers stopped a gray Ford Escape after a report of a vehicle lurking suspiciously in the 300 and 400 blocks of West Dominick Street in Rome. Cindy Dozois, 25, left, and Marissa Mariano, 24 Officers found 10,800 Seneca cigarettes inside the vehicle, and they found another 17,600 Seneca cigarettes at the pair's home, police said. Mariano, the driver, also had a suspended license, police said. The women bought at least some of the cigarettes in Basom, New York, which is on the Tonawanda Reservation, and took them to Rome, police said. The amount of cigarettes is what resulted in the criminal charges, said Rome Det. Jeffrey Lanigan. He compared the charge being caught with large amounts of illegal drugs, which demonstrates an intent to sell. The pair was not caught actually selling the cigarettes, Lanigan said. Both Mariano and Dozois were issued appearance tickets in Rome City Court. Fort Worth, Texas -- Ethan Couch, the "affluenza teen," is out of jail after serving two years. Couch, now 20, was sentenced to probation in 2013 after a drunken driving crash that killed four people. He was later jailed for violating his probation, according to USA Today. Couch was convicted in the crash after driving a pickup truck into a group of good Samaritans helping a stranded driver. He was drunk and under the influence of marijuana and valium at the time, according to NBC 5 in Dallas. He had also stolen beer from a nearby discount store. In addition to the four people killed, nine others were hurt in the crash. A psychologist testified in his defense that Couch suffered from "affluenza," USA Today said. The term was meant to indicate that an affluent upbringing that was devoid of consequences left him incapable of knowing right from wrong or fully accepting responsibility for his actions, USA Today said. Couch, 16 at the time of the crash, was sentenced to rehabilitation and 10 years of probation. In 2015, Couch was caught on camera drinking at a party. The video was posted on social media and he and his mother fled to Mexico. They were both eventually arrested and extradited to Texas. Couch's mother Tonya was charged with hindering apprehension of a felon and money laundering, but was released on bond. She was just returned to jail last week after failing a drug test, NBC 5 said. The Mexico sojourn landed Couch in jail. He still has six years of probation remaining, according to ABC News. Terms of his release include drug and alcohol monitoring and testing and a 9 p.m. curfew, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Google + | 315-454-2112 Redistricting proposal places Tama County outside Rep. Hinsons district New maps could lead to a remaking of the political landscape in Iowa Tama County included. What is now a quadrant of four U.S. ... Google is officially shutting down its goo.gl URL shortening service and will introduce Firebase Dynamic Links, or FDL, as a replacement come April 13. The service, which launched in 2009, was useful for shortening very long URLs to fit into messaging platforms with character limits, like Twitter. It won't be going away completely, though. Google says existing users will be able to manage links via the goog.gl console for year, after which it'll disappear entirely. Firebase Dynamic Links Michael Hermanto, Google's Firebase software engineer, says that the way people share information online has changed. As such, Google should be up to date with such changes. The aforementioned FDL allows users to redirect to specific locations in iOS, Android, or web apps, and they're unsurprisingly called "smart URLs." "We launched the Google URL Shortener back in 2009 as a way to help people more easily share links and measure traffic online," said Hermanto. "Since then, many popular URL shortening services have emerged and the ways people find content on the Internet have also changed dramatically, from primarily desktop webpages to apps, mobile devices, home assistants, and more." Looking at Google's page for FDL, the transition makes a lot of sense. After all, it seems FDL is a much more capable and dynamic service, especially in the context of how more users are using mobile for web browsing instead of desktop. "With Dynamic Links, your users get the best available experience for the platform they open your link on. If a user opens a Dynamic Link on iOS or Android, they can be taken directly to the linked content in your native app. If a user opens the same Dynamic Link in a desktop browser, they can be taken to the equivalent content on your website." Alternative URL Shortening Services Don't fret. There are a wealth of URL shortening services out there, so this shouldn't be the end of the world. Most of them pretty much get the job done, but it's worth noting that Google itself recommends either Bitly or Ow.ly as an alternative. Bit.ly is one of the most popular URL shorteners out there, and also one of the first to be introduced to the modern web. They offer features such as tracking, stats, and the ability to have vanity URLs that fit one's brand. Ow.ly, on the other hand, is also another popular alternative. It is the official URL shortener of social media management platform HootSuite. Those looking for another choice may also turn to TinyURL. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Twenty years after Viagra, Pfizer is looking at a possibility to manufacture another miracle drug in hopes to boost sales and reduce budget constraints. As the world's second most profitable biopharmaceutical company, Pfizer said it is investing $7.4 to $7.9 billion this year for research and development compared to the $7.7 billion last year. Rivals Merck and Johnson & Johnson are looking to spend at least $10 billion in the same area of business. In January this year, Pfizer has concluded its research on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and has laid off at least 300 workers in Connecticut and Massachusetts combined. The company's axing of its neurosciences division is in line with the efforts to refocus its assets to focus on "those areas where ... [their] scientific expertise is strongest." "We recognize that neuroscience is an area of tremendous unmet need for patients and we plan to create a dedicated neuroscience venture fund to support continued efforts to advance the field," Pfizer said in a statement. In addition, Pfizer hinted that it wants to sell popular drugs such as Advil, multivitamins Centrum, and ChapStick lip balm. In 2013, it sold its license of the anti-NGF drug tanezumab to Indiana-headquartered Eli Lilly for $1.7 billion. Mitigating Risks To mitigate current budget constraints, Pfizer announced its impending collaboration with Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb, as well as research centers and universities in the areas of oncology and immunology. Pfizer remains positive that it can survive its financial challenges, given that some of its drugs such as the anti-cholesterol Lipitor, the anti-depressant Zoloft, and the anti-inflammatory Celebrex continue to bring in sales. Following the success of Viagra, a company representative said Pfizer is working on 15 new drugs that will be delivered over the next five years. This is despite slow revenue projections, totaling a slightly lower $52.5 billion in 2017. Market experts said Pfizer might be able to increase revenue at 5 percent this year, although that is as much as it could probably get. Generic vs. Branded Pfizer's financial plight is not unique in the pharmaceutical industry. The introduction of new generic drugs with the consumer preference over branded products has been a challenge for similar companies. In spite of failed acquisition of AstraZeneca and Allergan, Pfizer was able to expand its current product lines for prostate cancer and eczema. In 2016, the company bought Medivation and Anacor to add to Xtandi and Eucrisa. A year prior, Pfizer purchased Illinois-based Hospira, a leading provider of infusion technologies including IV solutions, smart pumps, and pain management and safety software. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Cloudflare just launched a consumer DNS service, which is currently dubbed the fastest today. With that said, it focuses more on the privacy side of the DNS system. Cloudflare talked with several browser manufacturers to figure out what's missing from a DNS resolver, which led them to bring a privacy-focused service to the market. Browsers asked to have all transaction logs wiped out after a week, but Cloudflare took it further and promised to do it in 24 hours. Cloudflare DNS Service Protects Consumer Data Especially today in the midst of Facebook's scandal, the privacy of the user's data has become all the more important. Unfortunately, ISPs, mobile network providers, and Wi-Fi hotspots can retain the history of the websites that a user visited with today's DNS services, which are also often frustratingly slow. Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 DNS promises to solve both problems. According to the company, it needs the data for preventing abuse and debugging. However, there's no situation wherein the data would be needed past 24 hours. Furthermore, it claims to have a business model that's not built around selling data, which it sees as a toxic asset. Cloudflare is carrying over this business model to its DNS service so that the data will not be used to track users and for targeted ads. New DNS System Supports New Protocol Cloudflare also addressed the inherent flaw of DNS systems, including 1.1.1.1, that makes the data vulnerable to those monitoring the network. This can be solved by using a new protocol: either DNS-over-TLS or DNS-over-HTTPS. The latter looks more promising to the network company, but only Google currently supports it. With its new DNS offering, the company is hoping for many other software and hardware manufacturers to adopt the new protocol. 1.1.1.1 Is Not A Prank The DNS was curiously launched on April Fool's Day when many companies are pranking consumers in a harmless way. However, that's not the case here. According to Matthew Prince, cofounder and CEO of Cloudflare, the date was chosen because it has four numbers one, hence 4/1. Although it happened to land on April Fool's Day, it was not a prank. "Nearly every media briefing I did this week ahead of the launch the reporter made me swear that this wasn't a joke. And it's not. I swear," he said in the announcement post. He urged the readers to visit 1.1.1.1 and follow the instructions to set it up. That way, they will know it's real. "And it's awesome," he added. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A Florida woman does not know she was 37 weeks pregnant until she experienced excruciating stomach pains that turned out to be actual labor contractions. Crystal Gail Amerson thought she was suffering from food poisoning in the early morning of Sunday with stomachache so painful that she had to rush to the bathroom. Little did she know that her presumed food poisoning was actual labor pains and that she was about to give birth to a baby boy. "I had Chinese food the night before, and I kind of figured maybe I had food poisoning or something like that," Amerson said. She detailed that the pains started at around 4 a.m., but the ambulance did not arrive until it was about 6:30 in the morning. No Symptoms Amerson, who lives in Pensacola, said she and her fiance had no idea they were about to have their second child. She said in an interview she experienced few pregnancy symptoms even with their first child, and so being pregnant with another was completely a surprise. The 29-year-old mother of two added she did not notice she was pregnant since she did not gain a lot of weight. She also wears scrub suits in her job at a retirement for Alzheimer's and dementia patients. "So I guess the way they fit me as well, it was hard to notice anything or tell anything," Amerson said. Dr. Julie DeCesare, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Sacred Heart Hospital, explained that some women may not experience typical pregnancy signs. In some rare cases, the woman may not know she is actually pregnant until a few hours prior to birth. DeCesare said irregular menstruation typically causes pregnancy or when a contraceptive fails to prevent pregnancy. However, she said she has seen cases where the mother was just in denial of the situation. "Usually, by 20 weeks you can feel the baby kicking," DeCesare said. An unknown pregnancy, also called cryptic pregnancy, is a phenomenon that occurs in 1 in every 475 pregnancies of 20 weeks and below. However, researchers from Serbia said having it unnoticed for as far as 37 weeks is a rarer case of just 1 in 7,225 births. Surprise Babies Amerson's fiance, Brian Westerfield, posted photos of their new baby named Oliver James. Baby Oliver was born in an ambulance at 6:59 a.m. on April 1, measuring 18.9 inches in length and 5.27 pounds. Surprise babies are not extraordinary occurrences. Last month, a 23-year-old woman was rushed to the emergency room out of an apparent kidney infection. It turned out that Allyson Opfer was already suffering from a pregnancy complication, pre-eclampsia, and that she was two weeks overdue from giving birth. Opfer underwent a C-section operation to reduce chances of fatality to both the mother and the child. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In the United States, one in every 68 school children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and according to the CDC, it's 4.5 times more prevalent among boys than girls. Surprisingly, this overtipped ratio can also be seen in other parts of the world. In Australia, around three-quarters of all confirmed patients are male children, while in the United Kingdom, the ratio of boys to girls in the National Autistic Society's charity schools was at 5:1 in the year 2015. According to a research involving specialists, these figures are unfortunately caused by misdiagnosis, as young ASD patients exhibit less obvious signs of autism, especially at an early age. They are quite expressive and interactive, making it difficult for teachers to identify them for clinical evaluation. Though this sounds like good news for girls with ASD, not being diagnosed early will actually lead to serious mental health issues as they grow into adolescence. A report states that by then, they'll find it difficult to adjust to complex social settings, and their reactions can be mistaken for symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or eating disorders such as anorexia. Understanding Sex Differences In Autism Scientists have long believed that brains of male and female patients possess physical differences, but they've just started exploring sex differences in ASD during these recent years. Through brain imaging, they discovered that brains of girls with autism have less disruption in the area in charge of processing social stimulus. According to Kevin Pelphrey, child psychologist and director of George Washington University's Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, this means that female ASD patients have a better comprehension of social expectations, though it stresses them out that they can't meet these standards. Early Detection Of ASD In Children The onset of autism's first symptoms varies from one child to another, says Autism Speaks. Some cases can be apparent as early as the child's first few months, but others can also begin to suffer from the disorder only after they have reached two years of age. A child may have autism when, at six months, he or she does not respond to other people with warm or happy expressions and does not maintain any eye contact. Most red flags can be observed during the first year. Parents must look out for the lack of babbling, as well as hand gestures for communicating. The child may not also be capable of responding when called by his or her name. Pay attention to the way a child talks. Another sign is if, at 16 months, a toddler is still not capable of forming words or two-word phrases. Nonetheless, whether these symptoms of autism are present or not, the best measure for early detection is to always have a child undergo screening at 18 and 24 months. This 2018, the World Autism Awareness Day focuses on empowering female ASD patients, both young and old. Evaluation tests are being developed particularly for diagnosing girls. Besides this, the United Nations has also adopted resolutions fighting for the rights of females with disabilities. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Blood and Oil; The Devils Tears The Russian Trilogy Book 3 Written by: Minerva Taylor Available In: eBook|Paperback Author Website: Did a Tsars child escape the Ekaterinburg massacre? Deputy Sheriff Roo Yoder hunts for a hundred-year-old treasure and the killer of his financier schoolmate. His only cluea torn share certificate-worth a fortune if the other half is found. A key to the lost paper and the Romanovs leads him to Baku and an exotic dancer. The two risk all to search for the document and prevent a world crisis. A group of about 35 people marched into Louisiana's Office of the Attorney General Monday afternoon calling for a special prosecutor to review the case against the two white Baton Rouge police officers involved in the shooting death of Alton Sterling and to present those findings to a grand jury. About a week after Attorney General Jeff Landry declined criminal charges against the two officers and just days since three graphic videos of the shooting were released, the demonstrators, led by the state's NAACP president Michael McClanahan, said they were fighting for true justice for Sterling, a 37-year-old black man. The protesters held signs that read: "Baton Rouge, comply or die. #AltonSterling." "The attorney general should not substitute his own judgment for that of a grand jury," McClanahan said outside Landrys office before he led the group inside. "Were here to tell Jeff Landry he has a duty to oversee that this process is transparent, and we want to hold him to it." Can't see video below? Click here. Security guards for the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation stopped the demonstrators from entering the building beyond the lobby, prompting the group to sit down and eat their brown bag lunches next to the building's front doors. McClanahan said the group will continue to come to the Attorney General's Office during their lunch hours until "our demands are met." He said he hopes the group will continue to grow, perhaps expanding their lunch fare to jambalaya, BBQ or crawfish. "If you demand justice, meet us here for lunch," McClanahan said. "There has to be some accountability on the part of the state." McClanahan said they want to sit down with Landry, and have requested such a meeting multiple times since the Sterling shooting in July 2016. The group tried again Monday to schedule a meeting with Landry. Ruth Wisher, a spokeswoman for Landry, would not answer questions about whether Landry had received meeting requests from the NAACP, or if he would meet with them. She referred to the report he released last week when he announced his decision not to prosecute the two officers involved in the shooting of Sterling. Rev. Dale Flowers, of New Sunlight Baptist Church, led the group in a prayer in the Attorney General's lobby before the group ate their lunches of sandwiches and chips. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "After viewing those tapes, I just don't think our Attorney General has done the job that he was elected to do," Flowers said. The Baton Rouge Police Department released three videos Friday showing different perspectives of the 2016 shooting from start to finish, including the body camera footage from the two officers involved. Following the incident, two other cellphone videos that captured portions of the shooting were shared widely on social media. Their content sparked days-long protests in Baton Rouge and around the nation in July 2016. +2 Video: Surveillance of Alton Sterling shooting gives graphic look at altercation, aftermath Surveillance at Triple S Food Mart where Alton Sterling was shot and killed by Baton Rouge police in July 2016 shows, for the first time publi Landry announced last week that he would not pursue criminal charges against the officers, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II, involved in the shooting. Salamoni and Lake responded to a 911 call on July 5, 2016, about a man selling CDs outside a convenience store who had brandished his weapon at someone. Within seconds of Lake and Salamoni's arrival to the store, a struggle broke out between the officers and Sterling, which ended with Salamoni firing six shots into Sterling, killing him. On Friday, Police Chief Murphy Paul fired Salamoni from the department after the officer spent almost two years on paid administrative leave. Lake was suspended for three days, Paul announced at a highly anticipated news conference. +11 Baton Rouge officer who shot Alton Sterling is terminated; other officer involved suspended three days After nearly two years of investigations and a public outcry over the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling, Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Tiffany Hinton, 34, joined the "lunch-in" Monday after viewing the newly released videos, saying not only was she upset for the Sterling family, but she was scared for her three sons. "A life has been taken for no reason," Hinton said. "All we want is justice equal justice. (We're) not going to stop." State Rep. C. Denise Marcelle, a Democrat who represents the area where Sterling was shot, was the only elected official who joined the demonstrators. She said she was appalled by the videos and that Landry did not allow her, or community members, to listen to his press conference last Tuesday. "This is not necessarily just about Alton Sterling. Its about justice for all of us, all of the time," Marcelle said. The Trump administration has followed through on a promise to expedite federal permitting for a critical coastal restoration project, shaving about two years off the timeline for the Mid-Barataria sediment diversion. The diversion will shunt freshwater, sediment and nutrients from the Mississippi River into the Barataria Basin in Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes. When fully operational, it will be able to carry 75,000 cubic feet of sediment-laden water per second. Doing so will help rebuild land that has disappeared over the past century. The diversion is a massive project with an estimated $1.4 billion price tag, to be funded using money from the Deepwater Horizon settlement. Louisiana politicians have lobbied furiously to expedite the permitting process to build Mid-Barataria before more land is lost. In December, they welcomed Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to Louisiana. He publicly vowed to slash red tape to get the project completed, saying the protection of Louisiana's coast is a national concern, particularly because of its energy industry infrastructure. Interior secretary vows to slash red tape for coastal restoration projects in Louisiana Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke vowed to use his clout to fast-track coastal restoration projects during a Saturday visit to Louisiana. The next month, a number of federal agencies signed a memorandum of understanding with the state, with a goal to complete the permits by August 2019. +2 Trump administration pledges to speed up permits for Mid-Barataria sediment diversion WASHINGTON The Trump administration has agreed to lop about three years off the permitting process for Louisiana's proposed Mid-Barataria Se On Monday, the Corps agreed to a slightly less ambitious plan. They have moved up the timetable to complete permits from October 2022 to November 2020, according to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. While the Corps is the lead federal agency, at least five others must weigh in on the project: The Environmental Protection Agency, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of the Interior all have a part to play to ensure that Mid-Barataria complies with laws governing pollution, animal welfare, farming and other concerns. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The Memorandum of Understanding calls on all those groups to more closely coordinate their efforts so they dont tread over the same ground twice to push the permit approvals more quickly. Louisiana officials are elated by the faster projected turn-around time. I am pleased that our recent efforts to implement the new MOU has resulted in a new permitting timetable, and I anticipate further reductions in the schedule as we continue to coordinate and find efficiencies in this process," CPRA Board Chairman Johnny Bradberry wrote in a statement. "The MidBarataria Sediment Diversion is critical to our future as it addresses the root cause of our coastal crisis by reconnecting the Mississippi River with our basins and restoring the natural process that built our delta. Michael Ellis, executive director of the coastal protection agency, added that even with the expedited timeline, authorities will still be able to perform a thorough environmental review. In fact, conservation groups were quick to praise the new schedule. +7 As sediment flows across Bonnet Carre, groups advocate for coast-building projects With enough perspective, its easy to find the Bonnet Carre floodgates even without knowing exactly where to look; just see where beige tumble For a landscape where wetland loss is measured at an hourly rate, shaving nearly two years off the permitting timeline for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is a significant accomplishment," wrote Restore the Mississippi River Delta, a coalition that includes the Audubon Society, Environmental Defense Fund, National Wildlife Federation, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation. "This updated timeline for the project begins to reflect the true urgency of the environmental and economic crisis facing coastal Louisiana," the group said, calling the diversion project "the most effective tool available to combat catastrophic land loss in the Barataria Basin." In the House Criminal Justice Committee, from left, Stephen Gruver and Rae Ann Gruver watch as District Attorney Hillar Moore III testifies on HB78 by Rep. Nancy Landry, R-Lafayette, which is a bill to increase criminal penalties for hazing related to the death of Max Gruver at LSU Wednesday March 21, 2018, in Baton Rouge, La. Max Gruver's photo is in front of the trio. The Louisiana Legislature's most recent special session ended without action toward addressing the looming fiscal cliff the state faces when about $1 billion in temporary tax measures expire June 30 -- but the session still came with a hefty price tag. House and Senate records show that the 15-day special session cost about $643,000 -- the bulk of that in per diem and mileage expenses for legislators. Here's the breakdown of the costs: House Per diem and mileage: $313,590 Staff - extra hours: $100,160 Session staff: $7,445 Sergeant at Arms: $14,841 Supplies: $6,550 Printing: $2,656 Refreshments: $5,375 Senate The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Per diem and mileage: $109,289 Desk clerks: $18,060 Legislative bureau: $7,951 Sergeant at Arms: $8,925 Security: $21,020 Pages: 4,275 Dining room: $3,675 Employer contributions: $14,991 Printing: $607 Office supplies and other expenses: $2,553 The session, which ended two days early because of an impasse in the state House, which repeatedly rejected revenue-raising proposals, cost about $42,862 a day. Because the tax measures had to begin in the House, the Senate's expenses were lower as they waited for legislation to take up. Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, had called the special session to address the "fiscal cliff" the state faces in the budget that begins July 1, but some House Republican leaders have questioned the size of the looming shortfall. Edwards has called on the House and Senate to end the current session that began March 12 early so that another special session can be held this summer without additional costs. The regular session is scheduled to end June 4. Louisiana lawmakers are debating whether the state should change its unusual law allowing defendants to be sent off to jail even if all of the Gov. John Bel Edwards, left, greets Rep. Gene Reynolds, D-Minden, right, after a press conference where Edwards talked about the just finished legislative session and the special session after the last day of the regular legislative session Thursday June 8, 2017, in Baton Rouge. Click here to sign up for the New Orleans morning roundup! Louisiana faced a dilemma in 1898. Lawmakers did not want black residents on juries, but the 14th and 15th amendments, passed during Reconstruction, prevented the state from explicitly barring them from serving. Their solution was to stipulate that juries could convict a defendant, and even send one to prison for life, on the vote of just nine out of 12 jurors. So even if a few black residents served, they couldn't stop a majority-white jury from convicting. Today, Louisiana is the only state in America where prosecutors need only 10 jurors to convict someone and put them away for life. The stated rationale now is efficiency, to prevent hung juries and mistrials. But an exhaustive, first-of-its-kind investigation by Jeff Adelson, Gordon Russell and John Simerman at the Advocate finds that the result of Louisiana's 10-2 jury policy is still felt disproportionately by Louisiana's black citizens. Examining a sample of nearly 1,000 trial convictions, they found that 40 percent came over the objections of one or two holdouts. When the defendant was black, the proportion went up to 43 percent, versus 33 percent for white defendants. In three-quarters of the 993 cases in the newspaper's database, the defendant was black. Juries also still do not reflect the state's racial makeup. The average jury in East Baton Rouge Parish, for instance, has nearly two fewer black people than it would if the panel reflected the population. In St. Tammany Parish, juries have about half as many black members as the parish's population. Read the full investigation here. Jim Mustian describes for us the statement Blaine Salamoni gave internal affairs investigators several months after he shot Alton Sterling to death. It's the only time we've heard in the officer's own words why he pulled the trigger. "Officer Salamoni stated that if Sterling killed Officer Lake, 'me and Sterling would get in a gun battle and Sterling may kill all of the civilians behind him,'" the report says. "Officer Salamoni stated that he and Officer Lake knew that it was a high probability that Sterling had a weapon in his pants, so they were scared." Last week, after firing Salamoni, authorities in Baton Rouge released disturbing footage from his body-worn camera, which captured the incident from start to finish in graphic detail. St. Tammany Parish officials have been saying for a year that all options were on the table when it came to coping with the potential defeat of sales tax renewals for the jail and courthouse. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up But with last weekend's rejection of the taxes by voters the third time in a row the looming $18 million budget hole is no longer merely a possibility. It's a reality, albeit one that won't really hit until 2019. Parish Councilman Gene Bellisario likened it to the "fiscal cliff" faced by the state this year. The sales taxes, which have been in effect at a quarter-cent each for 20 years and paid for the construction of the courthouse and expansion of the jail, officially died on Saturday, leaving no revenue stream for operating and maintaining those facilities. It's not happening in the Gulf of Mexico, or at least not to the extent some were hoping. Oil prices have rebounded over the past year and the federal government expects record domestic production in 2018. But investment in the Gulf, which could bring jobs and much needed tax revenue to Louisiana, hasn't taken off. In March, vast areas of the Gulf were put up for auction for offshore oil and gas drilling. The 77-million-acre lease sale, billed as the largest in U.S. history, saw only a tiny fraction of the available acreage draw offers. High bids averaged 35 percent below last year's levels. As Richard Thompson explains here, it's likely because of potential competition from lower-cost production at onshore shale formations. From around the web "It was unclear whether the presidents tweets represented any change in his immigration policy, or were just the sort of venting he is known to do after reading a newspaper article or seeing a television program." Some context on the Trump White House. Luxury retailers were hacked. A police cruiser hit a protester in Sacramento and then drove off. The Tesla driver who died a week ago had autopilot on and his hands off the steering wheel. Also... Anthony Davis still only has the one eyebrow. *** The Morning Briefing is compiled by Andrew Vanacore, deputy editor for the New Orleans Advocate. Get in touch with feedback, tips, complaints at avanacore@theadvocate.com. Your morning roundup... Click here to sign up! The board that governs the New Orleans Office of Independent Police Monitor agreed last week to put that office under tighter scrutiny, a change that would more closely align the boards practices with what the law says it should be doing. The change would create a separate committee to review the offices reports and investigations each year and present its findings to the board and the public. Right now, one committee does that work for both the OIPM and the Office of Inspector General, which the Ethics Review Board also oversees. But its reviews have been sporadic, and board members and the police monitor, Susan Hutson, said the new approach would ensure the two offices are each given adequate oversight. The move also conforms with the law, which specifies that a separate panel of the ethics board must be designated for the OIPM, the citys civilian police oversight agency. I think the most important public institution in the city, period, is the Police Department, and the most important tool that we have for moving the Police Department in the right direction is our independent monitors office, ethics board member Michael Cowan said. So everything about this just calls out to me for separate committees, with separate members. In another move to improve oversight, the board directed its general counsel, Dane Ciolino, to find a peer agency that could review Hutsons work in detail every three years. It also agreed to endorse a proposed City Council ordinance to give Hutson more time to file her annual report on the Police Department, provided that the council also considers requiring the NOPD to send Hutson the data she needs to complete her work well ahead of her deadline. The decisions came after a working group assigned to review measures by which to grade Hutsons performance presented its recommendations to the full ethics board. Hutsons office was created in 2009 to monitor internal NOPD investigations and to mediate police-community disputes. However, it has generally flown under the radar, with its oversight role being overshadowed by a consent decree the city signed with the U.S. Justice Department that called for major reforms within the NOPD. Those reforms are overseen by a federal judge and a team of appointed monitors. Moreover, the OIPM has been independently funded and autonomous for only three years, after the City Council approved its split from the OIG after years of acrimony between Hutson and former Inspector General Ed Quatrevaux. The decoupling was formalized in a City Charter amendment voters approved in 2016; the Ethics Review Board is seeking to better comply with that amendment. In addition to the ERBs oversight, that law calls for annual reviews of Hutsons reports by a three-member committee appointed by the mayor, the ERB and the City Council. It also calls for a peer review of Hutson every three years. But while the ERB had allowed one committee, with the same three members, to review both the OIPM and the OIG, that has proved burdensome for those individuals, board member James Brown said. The last time the committee released a report was 2016; that report was in fact for work the OIG and IPM did two years prior, in 2014. Moreover, he said, the two offices are separate, with separate missions, and should be judged separately a view that Hutson agreed with. While the law creating the OIG specifies the peer agency that is supposed to review its work triennially, the Association of Inspectors General, the OIPMs law does not make such a designation. Hutson urged the board to take a close look at the National Association of Civilian Oversight for Law Enforcement, a group where she is a board member. (The city's inspector general has also served on the board of the association that judges his work.) Were concerned that it might be the same thing that happened with the last peer review (of her office) it will not truly be a peer, Hutson said. We want somebody who does what we do. However, Brown said that association has not done peer reviews in the past. The last peer review of the OIPM was conducted by the Police Assessment Resource Center, which helped the City Council craft the legislation for Hutsons office. That review suggested Hutson change her mission statement to better reflect the city ordinance, rapped the handling and tone of several reports she released, and said she should outline in detail the standards by which her office governs itself, among other recommendations. In the end, the ERB decided to have Ciolino look into both proposed review agencies and report back. Hutson also said she would present standards for her office for the boards consideration in the coming weeks. Finally, the ERB backed a proposed ordinance to extend the time Hutson has to file her annual report by two months, to May 30, provided that the City Council also consider requiring the NOPD to finalize and present its data to Hutson two months before that. The working group assigned to review how best to grade Hutson's work met in public last week for the first time, after its members had previously discussed matters via an unpublicized teleconference. Such teleconferences are not permitted under the states open meetings law. Editor's note, April 2, 2018: This story has been updated to reflect the frequency in which the quality assurance review committee has conducted its work. One person is dead following a hit-and-run crash in Metairie Sunday evening. Louisiana State Police said 59-year-old Nathaniel Bailey, of Metairie, was killed shortly around 8:30 p.m. after being struck by a dark-colored Nissan Maxima on U.S. 61 (Airline Highway) southbound at North Elm Street. Bailey was pronounced dead at the scene. The vehicle, which fled the scene on Earhart Expressway into Orleans Parish, had a temporary Louisiana tag, State Police said. The Nissan has damage to the passenger side and possibly to the front right bumper, and its missing the passenger side-view mirror. Anyone with information on the vehicle or the driver is asked to contact State Police at 504-471-2775. Advocate photographer Matthew Hinton contributed to this report. Conditions in New Orleans jails have remained so deplorable for so long that it is time for a formal system of citizen oversight of the city's lockup, a Loyola University law professor argues in a new essay. Local inmates have been exposed to dangerous conditions ever since Bienville, New Orleans' founder, built the town's first jail in 1721, Andrea Armstrong says in a report written for the Data Centers observation of the New Orleans tricentennial. While there are no enslaved black inmates forced to work on chain gangs these days, Armstrong notes that it is still overwhelmingly people of color who are imprisoned in the Orleans Justice Center, which opened in 2015. A more systemic approach is needed, one that gives the community a direct role in the administration of the jail, Armstrong says. The report is part of a series from the Data Center that invites local authors to weigh in on how history has contributed to modern-day racial disparities in the city. In her essay, Armstrong traces the long and sordid story of jails in New Orleans. "A historical account of the jail is important to understand the centuries of inhumane conditions imposed overwhelmingly on African-American members of our community," she writes. "Written accounts from the 1800s to the present describe dangerous, unsanitary and torturous conditions for Orleans Parish detainees." After a pair of jails built inside what is known today as the French Quarter, the city constructed a new prison near Congo Square that opened in 1837. Armstrong says that 80 percent of the inmates, who were forced to work, were black. The jail also held "mass whippings, with groups of 30 men at a time being lashed." Many of the inmates were slaves. Conditions in city jails remained "horrendous" after the end of slavery and even of official segregation a century later, Armstrong says. Cells meant for two people often held six to eight at the notorious Old Parish Prison. Gay people were segregated and allowed only one hour a day out of their cells in 1970. In 1999, then-Sheriff Charles Foti's deputies still used 50,000-volt stun belts to transport HIV-positive inmates to treatment. Armstrong also recounts the well-known story of the jail's flooding after Hurricane Katrina. Since then, reforms have cut the jail's population from at least 6,375 inmates to a number that now hovers around 1,500. Yet the jail's population is still about 80 percent black males, even though they make up less than a third of the city's population between the ages of 15 and 84, Armstrong says. New Orleans jail administrator resigns after critical report, grim court hearing When a veteran jailer was brought in to run the New Orleans lockup in 2016, the facility was on the verge of a full federal takeover. She expresses pessimism that the new jail building and a reform agreement with the federal government that the Sheriff's Office entered into in 2013 will succeed on their own. She notes that another consent decree was put in place in 1970 after a federal judge found that conditions at the jail "shock the conscience as a matter of elemental decency." One factor has remained constant throughout the many iterations of the jail, Armstrong says. Although voters of all colors now have a say in who serves as sheriff, ordinary citizens have no role in the day-to-day operations of the jail. Armstrong suggests creating a body along the lines of the Civilian Oversight Commission of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. She proposes that the group should have the power to accept detainees' complaints or promote community involvement in jail operations. The board in Los Angeles has not stopped complaints about jail conditions there. After four inmates died over a nine-day stretch last year, protesters blocked traffic and faced off with police. Still, Armstrong says, a similar body in New Orleans would be a start. She writes: Through its independence from government, its connection to impacted communities, and its diverse experiences, a community advisory group empowered with the proper tools and policies can articulate the kind of jail that New Orleans should have moving forward. Holy Cross School Headmaster Sean Martin is revamping his leadership team for the 2018-19 school year, granting administrators new titles and responsibilities at the Catholic boys school in Gentilly. The schools dean of high school men since 2006, Eric DesOrmeaux, will become chief school officer, responsible for academics across all grades. Primary and middle school Principal Teresa Billings will become chief mission officer, tasked with ensuring that the schools mission the education of students' mind, heart, body and soul is carried out in its counseling, enrollment and other programs. Billings has been a Holy Cross principal for two decades. Meanwhile, Monica Sanusi Gele, the director of institutional advancement since 2016, will become chief advancement officer. Brian Williams, who was hired in January as chief financial officer and chief operations officer, will continue in his dual role. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Martin replaced longtime leader Charles DiGange in July at the nearly 1,100-student school. The changes come about a month after high school Principal Joseph Murry announced his retirement, effective at the end of this school year. Belinda Baker, the primary school director who reported to Billings, is also leaving for a job at Ursuline Academy, where she worked for nearly 15 years before coming to Holy Cross. Holy Cross, which traces its history back to 1849, is the only all-boys Catholic school in the New Orleans area to include pre-K through 12th grades. Formerly a middle and high school in the Lower 9th Ward, it moved to Paris Avenue after Hurricane Katrina. The school created a primary campus on Elysian Fields Avenue three years ago after the Archdiocese of New Orleans required all Catholic schools to comply with a uniform structure of which grades they offer. The introduction of titles such as "chief school officer" reflects a trend among the public charter schools that have proliferated in New Orleans in recent years. Other organizational positions are not final. However, Patricia Hrapmann and Ronnie Kornick, the curriculum director and the middle school dean of men, are likely to continue working at the school in some capacity, spokeswoman Amy Nolan said. if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi... Coming to U.S. pharmacies this month is Cimduo, from drugmaker Mylan. It's very similar to Truvada (TDF/FTC), Gilead's blockbuster drug that's been used as a "backbone" of HIV regimens for more than a decade -- and that, since 2012, has found a massive new profit boost as the drug used for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which actually prevents those who take it from acquiring HIV in the first place. For reasons too boring to get into, Cimduo isn't technically a generic, and at 40% lower than Truvada's roughly $1,800 monthly sticker price, it's not exactly in the rock-bottom price category we may associate -- perhaps wrongly -- with generics. But Anil Soni, head of global infectious diseases at Mylan, thinks the drug's sub-Truvada price still has the potential to drive down costs for everyone. "Hopefully," he wrote in an email, "[insurers] will pass on savings to patients through reduced copays and premiums, helping them in turn to better afford their medicines." Related: Surprise FDA Approval of Generic Truvada Is a "Wakeup Call" for Activists But there's good reason to believe that, despite its lower price, Cimduo just won't catch on. And the reasons point to the bigger issue of why it's so hard in general to bring down to earth the price of HIV drugs, which have historically been among the more expensive drugs on the market. First, Cimduo was not tested as PrEP and, hence, is not U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved as an equivalent to Truvada for PrEP. And there is some suggestion that it would not work as well, since there are slight differences between Emtriva [emtricitabine, FTC], which is in Truvada, and Epivir [lamivudine, 3TC], which is in Cimduo. (Both pills also contain the exact same drug tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, or TDF, which is sold under the brand name Viread.) Barring the unlikely event that a U.S. entity puts time and money into comparative trials, Cimduo can't cut into the PrEP portion of the Truvada market. Second, in 2016, the FDA approved Descovy (TAF/FTC), Gilead's new alternative to Truvada that had been tweaked to reduce the potential kidney and bone issues associated with TDF. Since then, many providers have switched their HIV-positive patients from Truvada to Descovy, and it appears that most public (Medicaid, Medicare, AIDS Drug Assistance Program [ADAP]) and private (Obamacare, employer-based) insurance plans have been paying for it. "Since there is a good reason to use Descovy versus Truvada, I don't see insurers forcing us to use this cheaper version of Truvada," says Doug Ward, M.D., a Washington, D.C.-area HIV doctor. "So, I don't think Cimduo will make much of a difference." In a statement, Mylan challenged that claim, saying that "hundreds of thousands" of people with HIV were still on regimens containing TDF, which is in Truvada; in Descovy, the TDF was swapped out for a compound called tenofovir alafenamide, or TAF. But Ward is echoed by Jonathan D. Zellan, M.D., a Brooklyn, New York-based practitioner. "I don't imagine anyone using [Cimduo] when there is Descovy unless there were a financial or insurance issue," he says. "None of our patients have trouble getting their HIV meds covered, and co-pays are not an issue. If the insurance companies changed [what drugs they covered], then it would be a different story, but I imagine there would be a lot of pushback if [Cimduo] were preferred over [Descovy]." Indeed, when it comes to driving down drug prices with copycats, alternatives, and generics, HIV is a uniquely tough nut to crack, explains longtime HIV-positive activist Tim Horn of the think tank Treatment Action Group and the Fair Pricing Coalition. Generics for other ailments gain traction because very often people's employer-based plans or Obamacare insurance won't cover the highest-price brand-name drug, Horn says. However, on top of regular health care options -- including employer plans, Obamacare, Medicaid, and Medicare -- people with HIV can often turn to drugmaker charity programs and, importantly, the federal/state-funded AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) as payers of last resort. As a result, people living with HIV often have multiple ways to get the newest, shiniest, and most expensive HIV drugs. "Very few HIV patients feel the high cost of HIV treatment acutely because of this patchwork of coverage we have in place," says Horn. "But the actual price of these drugs is unsustainable over the course of people's lives, especially with the political risks currently faced by Medicaid and Obamacare plans. This may very well mean that the ADAP program will have to pick up more slack." (Horn points to Georgia, where, a few years ago, because of cost considerations, the state Medicaid program said it would cover only one single-tablet HIV medication, Atripla (efavirenz/tenofovir/FTC), even though that pill had already become outdated because of side effects associated with Sustiva (efavirenz, Stocrin), one of its components. The decision was reversed after protest.) A few doctors and advocates, at least, see a way forward for Cimduo. Antonio Urbina, M.D., medical director of NYC's Institute for Advanced Medicine, points out that before Descovy came along, Truvada was used by people living with HIV for years, and its actual reported incidence of renal- and bone-related side effects was incredibly low. "If a copycat or generic version comes with substantial savings, perhaps we could start with it, then only move to [Descovy]" if it's called for because of a patient's advancing age (which makes one more vulnerable to bone problems) or the appearance of side effects. "Perhaps this could motivate drugmakers to further reduce their costs," he says. One purpose of Cimduo is certain: Technically, it opens the door for actual generic versions of Truvada within the U.S., of which there must be many to create enough competition to truly drive down prices. "Then Mylan will have to price Cimduo itself way down to compete," notes Horn. Horn adds that he could very well see a place for such drugs in, for example, prison systems, which provide their own health care and are constantly looking for ways to cut costs. And it's not as if HIV doctors don't know that FDA-approved generics are perfectly good alternatives to wildly priced brand names. Finally, many note, we are at a place where people with HIV can take an all-generic HIV cocktail. "How about generic nevirapine [Viramune] and Epzicom [abacavir/3TC, Kivexa]?" says Ward. "If you don't get an allergic reaction" -- which forces less than 10% of people who take Epzicom to discontinue it -- "that's a very good, safe regimen which you can get for $140 a month." Given that when HIV meds first came on the market in the late '80s and early '90s, they were among the most exorbitantly priced drugs ever seen -- and have only become more expensive in the past 20 years -- it's remarkable that lifesaving HIV drugs are now available in the U.S. for such a low price. And the advent of Cimduo suggests that more will come. It's all about how willing providers and patients will be to play a role in balancing safety and efficacy against the long-term accessibility of HIV drugs in a fragile health care system whose root problem is unchecked prices on drugs and services. With that concern in mind, the Fair Pricing Coalition just publicly welcomed the advent of Cimduo, calling it "a notable advancement in fair HIV drug pricing." And that's an important point, stresses Horn. "As community activists," he says, "our allegiance needs to be with the patients. But we should at least be having this dialogue about cost." [CORRECTION 4/12: An earlier version of this article included language that may have led the reader to erroneously conclude that the two HIV medications within Cimduo (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and lamivudine) were identical to those within Truvada (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine). We have corrected the headline and article copy to more clearly differentiate between the two.] The E.P.A. is reportedly preparing to cut Obama-era fuel efficiency standards. California, however, may stand in its way. The Clean Air Act gives the E.P.A. the power to set national standards and preempts state regulation of emissions. However, it also contains a provision that allows the E.P.A. to grant a waiver to California so that it can set higher standards so long as they are needed to meet compelling and extraordinary conditions. California has set higher emissions standards pursuant to this provision, and other states have adopted the California standards under a 1977 amendment to the Clean Air Act. Presumably, the E.P.A. may seek to rescind the waivers given to California and deny any future waiver requests, leading to a fight with California in the realm of administrative law. Two constitutional issues are potentially relevant, but neither should not block Californias emissions standards. First, scholars have argued that Californias special treatment under the Clean Air Act is unconstitutional because it violates Shelby Countys equal sovereignty principle. In Shelby County, the Court said that any disparate geographic coverage of a law that limits state sovereignty must be sufficiently related to the problem that it targets. Unlike most constitutional scholars, I think the equal sovereignty principle makes sense and has deep historical support, as I explain in In Defense of Shelby Countys Principle of Equal State Sovereignty. The Clean Air Act unequally limits state sovereignty because it allows Californiaand no other stateto pass emissions regulations. The Act, however, easily passes the sufficiently related to requirement of Shelby County. To get the waiver, the E.P.A. must have determined that the higher emissions standards were needed to meet compelling and extraordinary conditions. Moreover, as my paper discusses in greater detail, there are many reasons to think California is uniquely suited to regulate this area. The Courts problem with the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County was that it thought the formula used to select jurisdictions for preclearance was irrational (I think the Court was wrong on that point), but allowing California a special role in regulating auto emissions seems to make perfect sense. Second, Pruitt said that California shouldnt and cant dictate to the rest of the country what these levels are going to be. This concern is given doctrinal form in the extraterritoriality doctrine. Under that doctrine, state law cannot have the practical effect of regulating conduct that takes place wholly outside of the States borders. Although the Court has tied the extraterritoriality doctrine to the dormant commerce clause, it has also recognized that the doctrine has deeper constitutional foundations. In Making Sense of Extraterritoriality: Why Californias Progressive Global Warming and Animal Welfare Legislation Does not Violate the Dormant Commerce Clause, I argue that state laws that have the practical effect of indirectly controlling out-of-state conduct should only be unconstitutional if the state has no corresponding in-state interest in the out-of-state conduct. Here, even though Californias law has the practical effect of regulating conduct in Detroit, the regulations are not constitutionally problematic because California has a strong interest in how cars bound for California are manufactured. Preventing California from regulating in-state conduct just because doing so would have the practical effect of controlling out-of-state conduct would be an unacceptable limitation on Californias sovereignty. Of course, Congress can preempt state legislation under the Commerce Clause, but there is nothing inherently problematic about Californias emissions regulations. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mark J. Valencia (The Jakarta Post) Haikou, China Mon, April 2, 2018 19:10 1272 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cc877cd 3 Opinion ASEAN,South-China-Sea,international-relations,geopolitics,US,maritime-security Free On March 23, the US Navy destroyer Mustin made a non-innocent passage within 12 nautical miles of Chinas artificially built up and occupied Mischief Reef. China saw this as yet another serious political and military provocation. This latest Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOP) came amidst a downturn in US China relationsparticularly regarding the South China Sea (SCS). Soon after that came a relevant statement by Singapores Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a written interview with Australian media. In an assessment of the United States role in Southeast Asian security he asserted that, Most ASEAN members support and welcome the US stance. Since Singapore is this years ASEAN Chair, Lees statement may hold special weight. But if taken out of context, his words may be misinterpreted. Lees statement was a general assessment of the US role as a Pacific power -- not specifically its behavior in the SCS. Indeed, he was referring to US Defense Secretary James Mattis affirmation at the 2017 Shangri-La Dialogue that Southeast Asia was a priority area and that the US was committed to the regions security and prosperity. Lee also wrote, From the regions perspective, the most critical issue is the political and strategic resolve of the US to project a reliable and constructive presence as a Pacific power. He was conveying some uncertainty about that commitment and resolve. The key phrases in his assessment are reliable and constructive presence and commitment to the regions security and prosperity. As Lee said at the March 18 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, The SCS is an issue for specific ASEAN countries which are claimant states It's an issue for the rest of the ASEAN countries too because this is a security and stability question in Southeast Asia which will affect all. Of course all ASEAN members would welcome US commitment to the regions security and prosperity. But a more specific question is, do most ASEAN members view the US military presence and activities in the SCS as reliable and constructive and thus contributing to the regions security and prosperity? It is difficult to assess the answer to this critical question from the perspective of ASEAN members because in the ASEAN style, negative official statements identifying the subject country are very rare. It is clear that Singapore warmly welcomes the US military presence and even facilitates it by providing temporary basing and refueling for its warships and intelligence collection aircraft. This is understandable because Singapores economy depends very heavily on commercial freedom and safety of navigation which it hopes the US military presence will ensure. Vietnam also clearly welcomes and supports the US military presence and has been appealing to the US to balance Chinas influence in the region. Vietnam has clashed militarily with China in the past in the SCS and came close in 2014 when a Chinese oil rig entered waters that it claims. But Vietnam is nothing but opportunistic. Its warming to US will last just as long as it is needed. There is no alignment of fundamental interests other than to contain China-- and really very little coincidence of values between its Communist authoritarian system and that of the liberal democratic US. Moreover Vietnam is steadfastly non-aligned. Indeed, its long standing policy is the three nos no participation in military alliances, no foreign military bases on Vietnamese territory, and no reliance on one country to fight against another. This is not likely to change. Some other ASEAN members are apparently less sanguine about US military involvement in the SCS. Some Indonesian policymakers remain suspicious of US motives and worry about the potential destabilizing effect of US-China competition. They want Washington to exercise restraint. Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has suggested that if regional countries can manage the SCS on their own, there is no need to involve others. Luhut Pandjaitan, then coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, once declared in a veiled criticism of both US and China we dont like any power projection. The position of the Philippines is quite surprising. President Rodrigo Duterte clearly does not have confidence that the long-time ally US would back it up in a kinetic conflict with China - - which is apparently one reason he pivoted Philippine foreign policy towards China. When the US Navys Hopper undertook a freedom of navigation operation near disputed Scarborough Shoal, it got no support from the Philippines. Philippine Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said, The problem of America today is no longer the problem of the Philippines. Although a rival claimant, Bruneis position seems to be reaching an accommodation with that of China. US relations with non-claimant Thailand have not been close since the military coup there in 2014 and it seems to be leaning towards China. Non-claimants Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar do not have a direct interest in the SCS and are either neutral or in Chinas camp on this issue. Given that all littoral ASEAN members except Singapore and Brunei have been targets of US Navy FONOPs, it is safe to say that they do not approve of this aspect of US military actions at least against themselves. Nevertheless, US officials continue to speak and act as if the US military presence and activities are warmly welcomed in the region without reservation. But Southeast Asian support may be much shallower and more ephemeral than it thinks.This clearly manifested last August when ASEAN leaders and their dialogue partners, including China and the US, held a series of key security meetings in the Philippines. Regarding the SCS issues, the joint communique of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting strongly favored Chinas preferences over those of its opponents within ASEAN and those of the US Both China and the US are pressuring various ASEAN members to support their interests in the SCS and this has led to disunity within ASEAN. A particular concern is that their intensifying competition could spill over into these countries domestic politics, interfering in their internal affairs a la Cold War period. ** The writer is a maritime policy analyst, political commentator and consultant focused on Asia. He was a Senior Fellow with the East-West Center for 26 years where he developed and managed international, interdisciplinary projects on maritime policy and international relations in Asia. Currently he is an Adjunct Senior Scholar with the National Institute for SCS Studies, Haikou, China. --------------- We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to academia@jakpost.com. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Returning for the third time, the 280-hour nonstop Big Bad Wolf book sale is aiming to attract at least 750,000 visitors this year. "We don't have a revenue target; we are targeting visitors," said exhibitor PT Jaya Ritel Indonesia president director Uli Silalahi on Sunday as quoted by tempo.co. Around 40,000 people flocked the book fair every day, said Uli. Last year, the number of visitors reached 720,000, far above the initial target of 650,000 people. Read also: What to know about 'jastip' at Big Bad Wolf book sale To anticipate the huge enthusiasm of Indonesian book lovers, the exhibitor reportedly had prepared up to 66 cashiers. Not all of these cashiers were working when The Jakarta Post came on Monday at around 5 a.m., but it was due to the very small number of visitors at the timewhich is why it is probably the best time to visit for those seeking to avoid long lines of shoppers. Compared to the previous installment, the current event boasts a larger number of books on offer, up to 5.5 million. Seventy percent of them are children's books, added Uli. Eighty percent of the books reportedly come from the United States and the United Kingdom; meanwhile, the rest are from Indonesia. Offering discounts between 60 and 80 percent, the book sale is open 24 hours a day, from March 29 until April 9 at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) in BSD, Tangerang. (kes) He was a great scholar who mastered 16 languages, learned Oriental cultures and described them meticulously. But he was also a man of great adventure and ambition that made him part of the colonial states expansion to which he dedicated most of his works. Christiaan Snouck Hurgronye (1857-1936) was Hollands most famous Orientalist and an expert on Islam. His rich writings are preserved in Leiden and much has been written about him and his works. Now, a senior journalist has written a book about Hurgronyes life and adventures. Philip Droges Pelgrim, Leven en reizen van Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje -- Wetenschapper, spion, avonturier (Pilgrim, Life and voyage of Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje Scholar, spy and adventurer), Spectrum, 2017, is not intended as a full biography. His complex life may defy an official biography, which has not been written yet. Instead, Droge offers a narrative of events in the 355-page book, written in Dutch, describing dramatic encounters full of risks and danger as Hurgronye entered and lived in Mecca the holy city most exotic for Europeans, yet forbidden to non-Muslims. Hurgronye knew only too well that he had to go native and to get along with the Ottoman authorities who ruled the Arabian Peninsula. As Droge describes it vividly, it was with such resolve that Hurgronye was circumcised only to find his bloodied penis on the floor after a barber cut it off. And once he read the prescribed verses of conversion before the Qadi (jurist), Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje was no more (p.69). The young PhD student from the University of Leiden thus became Abd al-Ghaffar al-Laydini (The servant of the all-forgiving God from Leiden). Philip Droges Pelgrim, Leven en reizen van Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje -- Wetenschapper, spion, avonturier (Pilgrim, Life and voyage of Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje Scholar, spy and adventurer), Spectrum, 2017, is not intended as a full biography. (Spectrum/File) His journey from Jeddah to Mecca with a caravan of men and camels, his arrival in the holy city and his life there are written in a style that implores readers to feel and touch his adventure like the story of his bleeding penis. Going native for Hurgronye meant more than adaptation. He lived truly like the locals in terms of clothing, consumption and almost all aspects of daily life including adopting an Ethiopean girl as his slave even though slavery was outlawed in Europe. In Mecca, he studied under the guidance of prominent religious scholars like Sayeed Ahmad Dahlan whose name was adopted by Indonesian Muslims who founded Muhammadiyah. Hurgronye also became a neighbor and good friend of the Acehnese and Javanese communities who resided in Mecca. From all of them, from his slave to the holy Sayeed, Hurgronye gathered ethnographic details in his search to find what was then seen as the secret of Islam. At a time of upheavals when rebel groups were involved in the name of Islam also in Dutch East India Hurgronyes work was of utmost importance. Indeed his trip to Mecca was sponsored by the goverment in The Hague to acquire a greater understanding of the Islamic world. Unfortunately, six months later, because of some controversy around a pre-Islamic artefact discovered by a German geographer, in which Hurgronye was somehow involved, he had to leave Mecca for his own safety. But it was the right time for The Hague to send Hurgronye to Aceh, that part of the Dutch colony that produced profitable black pepper now threatened by a Muslim rebellion led by Tgk. Chik di Tiro whose relatives were well-known to Hurgronye from his time in Mecca. Thus, on March 27, 1889, Hurgronye was ready to undertake a journey to the northern tip of Sumatra with a secret plan known only to the Minister of Colonies in The Hague and the governor general in Batavia. The latter, however, decided to send Hurgronye to Banten where a number of Dutch and local officials were slaughtered by fanatics. It was in Banten and later in Aceh, it would seem, that Hurgronye was confronted with local dynamic of Islam and recognized natives who obeyed the authority and those who were rebellious. Muslim natives were generally peaceful, but under certain circumstances they could mix social issues with Islamic imperatives. Hence, not Islam, but political Islam Hurgronye was once quoted is verwerpelijk (deplorable). A distinction Soeharto also applied in the earlier phase of the New Order. But Hurgronye, being a key advisor, had by then been deeply implicated in the actions of the colonial state. When he started his mission in Aceh later, he proposed to stay away from both the Sultan and the Dutch community and prepared a strategy to crush the Tgk. Umar rebellion. He joined the Military Governor Jo van Heutsz for a three month-long military operation starting in Pidie on the east coast to Meulaboh in the west. They cut off links between the rebels and the pepper fields so as to catch Umar and end his rebellion. How proud Hurgronye was of his achievement can be seen as he read the newspaper reports. While the media celebrated Van Heutsz as war hero, Hurgronye interprets the news differently. Most importantly for him was that Umar was killed on the west coast, which meant that his tactic worked. By closing in on Umar and other warlords, they no longer felt secure (p.258). Yet, Hurgronye concluded his 16 years work in the colony disillusioned. The man who saw himself as onaantastbaar (powerful) now felt gebruikt (merely being used) in Aceh and Banten. Tired of his collusion within Dutch bureaucracy, he rejected an offer to become governor of Aceh. In 1906, he returned to Leiden. When he became rector magnificus of the University of Leiden in 1921 he condemned Dutch exploitation of the natives and called for an end to racial discrimination. His inaugural speech echos the famous cry Eduard Douwes Dekker aka Multatuli voiced in Max Havelaar ( 1859 ). Eighty years later, everything Hurgronye witnessed had definitely gone, Droge claims as he looks at modern Mecca and visits post-tsunami Aceh. One of the most intriguing questions, however, remain: Was Hurgronye a faithful Muslim or did he manipulate the faith for his own ambition? He told his friend, Cornelis van Vollenhoven, that he was klaar (finished) with Christianity, but remained completely silent on his Islam. One scholar, PS van Koningsveld, however, believes Hurgronyes conversion was temporary because he used Islam as a convenient instrument although from Droges description one might be impressed by the way Hurgronye enacted his ritual at the holy stone of Kaabah. The truth, as they say, only God knows. Counterculture journalist Raka Ibrahims debut novel, Bagaimana Tuhan Menciptakan Cahaya (How God Created Light), is a collection of short stories inspired by popular Middle Eastern folktale collection One Thousand and One Nights. In his debut novel, Raka Ibrahim utilizes the premise of two characters sitting in a room together and sharing stories. On the surface, the book sounds completely different from the kind of detailed reporting and in-depth opinion pieces Raka has written for various publications (including his own music/counterculture website Disorder). The stories of Bagaimana Tuhan Menciptakan Cahaya focus on how these two individuals relate their tales to one another, and how the thoughts and fantasies of each affect the others stories. There are elements of mythology and fantasy at play, however Raka never lets the focus stray too far beyond relatable human elements. The book explores themes related to living in cities, families, love, identity, longing, a sense of being lost and the mythology of creation. Still, according to its author, it is essentially a love story between its two main characters, who happen to be inspired by real people, though Raka wants to keep that part of it a mystery. Im not at liberty to say what inspired this grand narrative. Suffice to say, its an interesting experiment to see what two people would do when pushed to this extreme, urgent situation. Theyve spent their entire lives running away from themselves, and spent the entire book doing so again. he explains. The overarching idea is in exploring the humanity within us, and how we all react in different, yet intrinsically humane ways. Raka was homeschooled, and a conversation with him shows just how older intellectually his mind is compared to his peers. There is an awareness of youth and getting older that permeates the book, even if the fear of mortality should be well away from the 21-year old. There is a strong sense that Raka is very much aware of the youths contribution or lack thereof, in his opinion to society. In the end [the characters are] forced to confront themselves, and I suppose this is a part of growing older. Im not optimistic about the power of youth, and this book is my way of celebrating sobriety, he examines. Its entirely possible to move forward without giving in and disappearing in the crowd. Its possible to respect the failures of the people you care about, without losing your love for them. Its possible to accept that certain dreams will not come true, without losing the capacity for hope. Perhaps if anything that realization is what this book represents for me at the moment. The stories relate to each other in a clear narrative because Raka wrote the short stories with the intention of gathering them into one book, instead of picking favorites from his own work. The main idea is two lovers meeting for the last time in a hotel room, and before they part, one character takes it upon himself to serve as a pendongeng(storyteller) to narrate who they are, where they are, and why they have arrived at that particular situation through the medium of stories. So, every short story in this collection was constructed with that bigger narrative in mind. It has to fit in with these characters current situation, their arc, their characterization, and so on. For Raka, the characters drove the books narrative, yet at the same time, it was born out of some very personal moments. It was also a result of Raka feeling like he was hitting a wall in his non-fiction writing. It came out of a very frustrating time for me personally, when I was completely stuck in the medium I mostly wrote in, which was non-fiction. A good friend of mine, [author] Rain Chudori, convinced me to try and experiment with fiction, and I found it liberating. I started to enjoy the possibilities it afforded and it went on from there. The experiment worked wonders and Raka felt inspired. Still, hes not discounting his passion for writing non-fiction, and still sees himself as a layman in the world of fiction. What persuaded him was the way some of his favorite writers incorporated elements and techniques found in fiction writing into their non-fiction pieces. Fiction is certainly not my forte. But for a long time, Ive enjoyed journalism and non-fiction writing that incorporated the narrative techniques of fiction from Hunter S. Thompson, to Joan Didion and Gay Talese, all the way to the amazing work of people in Pindai and Pantau. I enjoy how they write true stories, but give space for their own observations and understanding of the situation, Raka explains, elaborating that Of course its no way to consume information in an objective manner, but its a great way to understand the nuance of the situation and get a glimpse into what makes that person tick. The idea was to tinker with the reality presented before you, he says, and to imagine the different variations a non-fiction piece could have more-excitedly gone. Of course the basic, cliche things that inspire most fiction writers drive me as well. Personal experiences, family, urban life, Indonesian identity, love and all that. But some of the stories in the novel are inspired by the question: is there a place for myth-making in modern life? Its a question thats becoming steadily more relevant in this age where discourse around the so-called post-truth is getting more serious. The stories weave in and out of mythological elements. Samudra Kabut (Fog Ocean), contains a long reference to the legend of the sea of fogs, and the story of King Sunyata, the sovereign monarch of the richest country on earth who attempted to cross this Great Sea. There is also Pendekar Dari Bulan (Warrior from the Moon), which Raka describes as having all the elements of the kitschy Pendekar soap operas I would gape at as a kid, and its a story about the city I came from. An impossible to verify, skewed and unscientific version of the story, but a good story nonetheless. For me, if theres a common theme, its the idea of dongeng, an oral tradition of storytelling that tells you who you are, your origins, your land and your context. Since these stories are told by word-of-mouth, theres no way of telling one singular version of the story, and anyone can recontextualize the story based on their own needs. For Raka, however, the story that hits closest to home is the title story, which finds the two characters having to put the focus onto themselves. The title itself has significance in Rakas family background. I live in an interesting family my fathers a good Muslim, my mothers a good Christian. Im neither. I suppose cahaya is an extended, terrible metaphor for the concept of hope, he says. I asked a friend of mine what god meant to him, since he became a religious man after years of drug abuse, and he only said, God is the door to hope pintu harapan. I thought that was beautiful. _______________________ Bagaimana Tuhan Menciptakan Cahaya Author: Raka Ibrahim Publisher: Comma Books and Gramedia, 2018 232 pages Ridwan left his house with the air gun perched on his shoulder, striding sturdily like a soldier convinced of victory on the battlefield. He cracked the silence of the morning and awakened the air of curiosities. Along the way, his stone-like face remained unchanged even though he kept nodding to the people he met occasionally. Training, said Ridwan briefly to the peasants who asked him where he was going, but no one could ask further; he did not allow people to think of another question as he left them quickly. Ridwan ignored everyone and left them with their frowns, odd smiles or confused faces. They did not understand Ridwans unusual behavior. Probably he was quarreling with his mother, or maybe he was angry with someone; that was what crossed peoples minds. After a few minutes of walking, Ridwan approached the mango groves that belonged to his mother carefully. He opened the gate, entered the groves and looked around. Before him, the mangoes were lain on the ground. Some of them were no longer intact because they had been eaten by bats. Scoundrel, he uttered, grumbling as he approached a bench. Thief. He sat down, placed the air gun on his lap and took out a small bottle of pellets. *** Over the following three weeks, Ridwan visited the mango groves routinely. He always left early in the morning, carrying the air gun and acting like a soldier who was heading for the battlefield. In the beginning, people were perplexed, wondering what had happened to him. Then everything became clear, like a blue sky on a sunny day. No more frowns or odd smiles. He will be a tough protector for his mother, people whispered every time they saw Ridwan carrying the air gun. The mango groves had turned into a place for shooting practice, where Ridwan learned to use his late fathers air gun; where he learned to sharpen his eyes, calm his muscles; where he tried to make his ears and body more sensitive to every movement and sound. Before his eyes, ripened mangos, or almost ripened, were turned into shooting targets. He practiced from early morning until noon, taking a break only when his mother came to bring food and pick up the mangoes. His mother would leave directly after and then take all the mangoes with her and sell them to a merchant. Meanwhile, Ridwan would continue his training until late in the evening, patiently, as if he was an obedient disciple in front of an invisible teacher. At the first few tries, Ridwans aim missed the targets. It was only on the fifth day that he managed to shoot a mango off the tree branch. The minute the fruit hit the ground, Ridwan gave out a victorious shout, alarming passersby who were walking along the footpath near the groves. Got it, said Ridwan proudly, while showing the mango he managed to shoot to a peasant who was passing by. Just a coincidence, the man replied calmly and unenthusiastically. Shoot down three more and I will believe you. Ridwan walked over to the bench hurriedly, filled his air gun, pumped it, stepped into the middle of the groves and began to shoot. One mango immediately fell from its stalk. He then shouted excitedly, took the mango and rushed to the wooden fence. One, the man said, still unenthusiastically. Two, Ridwan replied. I wont count the first one, the man disagreed. I did not see it fall off the tree with my own eyes. Ridwan then walked to the bench again, set up his air gun and shot. A mango fell, but he did not pick it up, nor show it to the man standing near the wooden fence. He set up his air gun and took another shot, but none of the mangoes fell; only a giggle was heard from the man near the wooden fence. Ridwan refilled his air gun and shot immediately, but again none of the mangoes fell. Instead, the giggle turned into a loud laugh. As Ridwan prepared the air gun once again, the man at the wooden fence began to leave but then turned around as he heard the sound of the gunshot. For a moment, he stared at Ridwan and then laughed even louder. That day, the third mango fell just as the sun began to set. Luckily, he is gone. Otherwise, I would throw these mangoes at his face, Ridwan said to himself. Afterward, Ridwan became more adept. He would score one of every five shots he fired. A few days later, he would shoot down one mango out of every four shots he fired; and on his third week of practicing, each shot would hit the target flawlessly. Among the peasants in his village and even other villages, it became well known that Ridwan was growing more and more adept at shooting. Finally, people were getting interested in watching his training. They were in awe of him, clapping their hands whenever a single mango came apart from the stalk and fell, including the man who asked Ridwan to shoot three mangos and then laughed when he failed. *** The problem came afterward. Because not all of the mangos were ripe, or almost ripe, not all of them could be shot. However, Ridwan seemed not to care about it at all. He shot all the mangoes he saw, thereby upsetting his mother; until finally, Ridwan was prohibited from practicing inside the mango groves. His mother bought a padlock for the gate and kept the key in a place that only she and her God knew. Ridwan was irritated, but he was careful not to let her know how he felt. Mother asked me to start learning how to shoot, and Mother is also the one who asked me to stop, Ridwan said to himself. He realized that he was guilty of shooting the unripe mangoes. Still, he had the feeling that he needed to keep practicing just to maintain his skills. On the other hand, he had no more targets. The ripe mangoes were exhausted and there were no other mango groves nearby. Since he had to wait for new, ripe mangoes, he spent his days without training. No more training, said his mother roughly. Everyone knows about what you are capable of now, so if anyone comes to steal our chickens, it means that they have just come to hand over their eyeballs. *** Ridwan lay down by the window, just like the night before he started to train. He has been stroking, for hours, the air gun that lay beside him. He imagines that the thief who took his chickens would come back and how he, Ridwan, would shoot his eyes out. His imagination makes him smile, but it also prevents him from sleeping. Ridwan keeps waiting, but the only thing that comes to him is the light of the daybreak. He does not get anything else but the excitement over his imagination. When the roosters start to crow, Ridwan gets up and walks slowly towards the cages. He checks his hens and roosters before going back inside the house. He goes to the kitchen to get his breakfast, then sleeps until noon and wakes up with the plan to help his mother either in the farm field or the mango groves. However, Ridwan no longer feels the excitement of shooting the mangoes. The only excitement he has now is imagining himself shooting the thief who dared steal four of his chickens. Therefore, Ridwan becomes sluggish, having neither the passion, nor the spirit, of a soldier who wants to fight. Just like this afternoon after he prepares himself to help his mother, Ridwan gazes up at the sky, imagining the chicken thief. He thinks of the thiefs return, and how he would hide by the window while preparing the air gun to shoot at the thief. If only that scoundrel knew that I have never practiced in the dark, Ridwan thinks to himself while he starts to walk to the mango groves. *** Budi Afandi is an Indonesian writer born in Bilatepung, West Lombok. His stories and poems have been published in Koran Tempo, Bali Post, Banjarmasin Post and other publications. ___________________ We are looking for contemporary fiction between 1,500 and 2,000 words by established and new authors. Stories must be original and previously unpublished in English. The email for submitting stories is: shortstory@thejakartapost.com Supermodel Naomi Campbell said on Sunday that Vogue magazine should launch an African edition to recognize the continents contribution to a global fashion industry that has been criticized for its lack of diversity. Campbell, who was visiting Nigerias commercial capital, Lagos, to appear on the runway at Arise Fashion Week, said there was a need for better representation of the continent. There should be a Vogue Africa, she told Reuters in an interview. We just had Vogue Arabia - it is the next progression. It has to be, she said, referring to the edition of the magazine aimed at a readership in the Middle East that launched last year. Africa has never had the opportunity to be out there and their fabrics and their materials and their designs be accepted on the global platform ... it shouldnt be that way, said the British-born Campbell. Read also: Agnez Mo announces appearance in 'Vogue US' fashion spread Conde Nast International, which publishes Vogue, could not immediately be reached for comment. The global fashion industry has attracted criticism in the past few years because most models for major designers and fashion houses are white. People have come to realize it is not about the color of your skin to define if you can do the job or not, said the model, adding she had seen signs that the fashion industry was becoming more diverse such as the appointment of Edward Enninful as British Vogues editor-in-chief in April last year. The Ghanaian-born Enninful is the first black editor in the publications 100-year history and the first man to take up the role. Last week, LVMHs Louis Vuitton brand, the biggest revenue driver at the French luxury goods group, said it had hired Ghanaian-American Virgil Abloh to design its menswear collections. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 2, 2018 13:38 1272 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cc7214e 1 National Anwar-Usman,Constitutional-Court Free The Constitutional Court has elected Anwar Usman as the court chief justice for the 2018 to 2020 period during a plenary meeting on Monday. Anwar won the election by a 5-to-4 majority vote, defeating justice Suhartoyo during an election process that took place in a plenary session open to the public. Anwar will take the position left by justice Arief Hidayat, who was reelected to serve his second and final term until 2023 but had his term ended as a chief justice. The election process was first held in a closed plenary meeting at 8:30 a.m. attended only by the nine justices of the court. However, since the meeting could not result in a consensus, the justices held the voting among them in a plenary meeting open to the public, which began shortly after 10 a.m. Each of the nine court justices took to the podium to speak about their hopes and expectations for the next elected chief justice before they sequentially cast their votes. The vote-counting session took place immediately after the nine justices had finished casting their ballots. Anwar was the Constitutional Court deputy chief justice first elected in 2015 and was reelected to serve in the position for the 2016 to 2018 period. He was appointed by the Supreme Court in 2011 and was serving his second and final term that was originally to end in April 2021. Following the election, the nine justices held a deliberation in a closed plenary meeting to elect the new Constitutional Court deputy chief justice to replace Anwar. The elected chief justice is set to take an oath before the court in the afternoon. (rin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 2, 2018 19:05 1272 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cc869a0 1 City street-crime,Depok,barbershop Free A motorcycle gang has been reported for causing trouble again in Depok, West Java. This time, they allegedly attacked a barbershop in Tanah Baru, Beji, on Sunday evening in an event recorded by a CCTV camera. The footage shows six male members of the gang entering the Odysen Barbershop and wreaking havoc, including assaulting three employees, tempo.co reported on Monday. One of the alleged victims is Rizal, 21, who was sitting in front of the barbershop along with two other employees. "A team has been deployed to investigate the case and chase the perpetrators," Depok Police chief Sr. Comr. Didik Sugiarto told reporters. Beji Police chief Comr. Yenny Sihombing said two of the victims had suffered injuries. "We allege that the violence was carried out by motorcycle gangsters," Yenny said. The case follows a series of violence in Depok allegedly committed by motorcycle gangs. In December, the Depok Police arrested two members of motorcycle gang Jembatan Mampang (Mampang Bridge) who allegedly looted a clothing store in the city, which is located in southern Greater Jakarta. (fac) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 2, 2018 22:32 1272 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cc8e9f6 4 City water,clean-water,anies-baswedan,water-privatization,Aetra-Air,Palyja,Gerindra-Party,NasDem Free The Jakarta Councils Gerindra Party faction, which supported Anies Baswedan and Sandiaga Uno during the city's last gubernatorial election, has called on the capitals leaders to end water privatization. Gerindra, along with the councils NasDem Party faction, said the move was in line with a Supreme Court ruling. During a meeting on the mid-term regional development plan (RPJMD) on Monday, the factions demanded that the administration cut city-owned water company PT PAM Jayas ties with PT Aetra Air Jakarta and PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja), two privately run water companies assigned to supply tap water to Jakarta's residents. Read also: EDITORIAL: Water for all in Jakarta "We ask the governor to execute the court ruling on water management in Jakarta," Gerindra faction secretary Fajar Sidik read out the faction's recommendation as quoted by kompas.com. The faction also demanded that the administration begin to realize its plan to improve the coverage of tap water, particularly to residents in North Jakarta, where they were struggling to obtain clean water. NasDem faction speaker Bestari Barus said many residents did not have access to clean water. "Based on the available data, less than 50 percent of Jakarta residents enjoy access to clean water because the administration has not been focused on providing a clean water supply," he said. He said the issues needed to be tackled immediately to minimize the use of groundwater, which exacerbated the land subsidence problem in Jakarta. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 2 2018 It took more than five hours for firefighters to put out a blazing fire at a wig factory operated by PT Misung Indonesia in the Kawasan Berikat Nusantara industrial zone in Cilincing, North Jakarta, on Saturday. North Jakarta Fire and Rescue Agency chief Satriadi said the fire started as a result of a short circuit that caused a refrigerator in the factorys cafeteria to explode. Dozens of firefighters from at least 22 stations were deployed to extinguish the fire, he said as reported by wartakota.tribunnews. He said the firefighters arrived at the scene after the fire had grown wild because they were not immediately notified. The companys firefighters had tried to extinguish the fire first. They failed, and that was when they called us for help. They should have called at the beginning, Satriadi added. A firefighter workin... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 2, 2018 17:56 1272 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cc82333 4 Business tax-holiday,finance-minister,directorate-general-of-taxation,robert-pakpahan,regulation Free The Indonesian government on Monday announced that it would soon enact a new regulation on a tax holiday to simplify the procedure to allow investors to obtain the fiscal facility. Robert Pakpahan, the director general of taxation, said the new regulation would be signed by Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and it would be implemented soon. Under the new regulation, old investors would obtain a tax holiday if they expanded their businesses, Robert added. Under the old regulation, the tax holiday was only for new investors, but under the new policy it will be for new investments as well, said Robert, as reported by kontan.co.id. He added that under the old regulation, the range of a tax holiday had been between 10 to 100 percent, but under the new regulation it would be only be a single rate, namely 100 percent. The third difference is that under the old regulation, the tax holiday had been given every five to 15 years, while under the new regulation there would be different thresholds based on the value of the investments, Robert said. The fourth new regulation will be a transitional period of two years during which investors only get a 50-percent income tax cut. After that period, they will get a 100-percent income tax cut, he added. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 2, 2018 16:40 1272 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cc7e4af 1 City West-Jakarta,fire,Tambora Free Thirty-two houses in Jembatan Besi subdistrict in Tambora were destroyed and three people were injured in the latest fire that broke out in West Jakarta on Sunday night. West Jakarta Fire and Rescue Agency operational head, Rompis Romli, said no fatalities were reported, but three people were injured. Two of them were residents and have been moved to Pelni Hospital. The third injured person was a firefighter named Dady Supriyatno, who was injured by a nail and has been moved to Sumber Waras hospital, he said on Monday as reported by tempo.co. He also said the agency received the fire report from Jembatan Besi residents who went to the Kali Anyar fire post on Sunday at 9:21 p.m. Some 25 fire trucks and 120 personnel were dispatched and the fire was put out by 3:35 a.m. on Monday. The fire was suspected to be caused by a short circuit at a two-story house used as a clothing factory. We are still investigating the financial losses, Rompis said. Three days earlier, West Jakarta was hit by an inferno in the Taman Kota area of Kembangan Utara on Thursday, leaving 450 families homeless and two people dead. (ami) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sohee Kim and Kanga Kong (Bloomberg) Seoul, South Korea Mon, April 2, 2018 13:47 1272 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cc72707 2 World diplomacy,K-pop,kim-jong-un,NorthKorea Free North Korea has threatened to go to war over broadcasts across its militarized border that included the K-Pop songs of South Korean bands like Red Velvet. On Sunday, Kim Jong Un was clapping along and posing for pictures with the music group. Kims surprise appearance at a rare pop concert in Pyongyang was the North Korean leaders latest diplomatic overture as he prepares for an unprecedented potential meeting with US President Donald Trump next month. Kim first plans to hold a rare summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who has pursued reconciliation with North Korea to avert war over the regimes nuclear weapons program. After listening to the band belt out dance tunes including Red Flavor and Bad Boy to about 1,500 members of the North Korean elite at the East Pyongyang Grand Theater, Kim called for a similar performance in Seoul later this year. I understand people were curious to see if I would come to see Red Velvets performance, Kim said, calling the show a present to North Koreas citizens. Kim Jong Un and wife Ri Sol Ju make a surprise appearance at the "Spring is Coming" K-pop concert in Pyongyang on Sunday. Kim hailed the concert as "significant". Watch the full video here: https://t.co/2jNo68DZFs pic.twitter.com/GfyoosWoeh NK NEWS (@nknewsorg) April 2, 2018 After a similar attempt at K-Pop diplomacy received a frosty reception 15 years ago, Red Velvets members expressed surprise at the welcome they received from the North Korean spectators, who waved their hands and sang along to the songs. South Korea has in recent years added K-Pop to its propaganda broadcasts across the demilitarized zone, a practice that has prompted threats of military action by North Korea. Kims appearance comes a week after he shook up the Asian diplomatic landscape with an unexpected trip to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing -- his first overseas trip since taking power in 2011. His planned inter-Korean summit with Moon on April 27 is expected to pave the way for a similar meeting with Trump, who wants Kim to abandon his nuclear weapons. The whole purpose of cultural exchange is to open the gates for better relations between the North and the South, which have been strained for a decade, said Kang Dong-wan, a professor at Dong-a University and a leader of the Busan Hana Center, an institute that helps North Korean defectors in the South Korean port city of Busan. There is a strong political motive to boost the mood ahead of the summit. Kim met with Red Velvet and other South Korean performers after the show, shaking hands with them and expressing his deep thanks, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. Kim said he was deeply moved to see our people sincerely acclaiming the performance, deepening the understanding of the popular art of the south side, KCNA reported. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Mon, April 2, 2018 15:10 1272 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cc7652d 2 Business Grab,Uber,Business-deals,Malaysia,Competition Free Malaysia said on Monday that it will monitor ride-hailing firm Grab for possible anti-competitive behavior, after rival Uber Technologies Inc. offloaded its Southeast Asian operations to the Singapore-based firm. Uber's deal to take a 27.5 percent stake in Grab in exchange has raised a red flag with Singapore's competition watchdog, which said on Friday it was investigating a suspected breach of competition law. Malaysia's Competition Commission would keep tabs on Grab, especially if the company imposed unfair practices or sudden fare increases, a government minister said. "We won't take it lightly. We will monitor this because it is still early days and we don't know what will happen next," said Nancy Shukri, whose portfolio oversees the public transport licensing authority. "We have stressed that if there is any anti-competitive behavior, the Competition Act will come into force. We have spelt this out to them," Nancy said, referring to a meeting with Grab representatives last Monday. Uber and Grab announced the deal last Monday, marking the US company's second retreat from an Asian market. It earlier sold off its operations in China. Nancy said Grab, which is valued at about US$6 billion, had offered assurances during their meeting last Monday that there would be no unfair pricing, nor would it increase its fares for now. The minister said the merger, however, did not change the government's working relationship with Grab in converting over 67,000 conventional taxi drivers nationwide to e-hailing platforms. Nearly 14,000 taxi drivers had now either partially or fully migrated to e-hailing platforms, and the government would continue working with Grab to convince more to do the same. "This is in the interest of the taxi industry, which has been around for a long time. At the same time, Grab needs our support, and we are there to assist them as well," Nancy said. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 2, 2018 19:25 1272 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cc87a95 1 City Central-Jakarta,night-club,overdose,death Free The Jakarta Narcotics Agency has threatened to recommend the closure of Eksotik nightclub in Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta, should it find evidence that a visitor died at the place because of a drug overdose. The visitor, identified as Sudirman, 47, died at the nightclub on Sunday morning, allegedly due to a drug overdose. If it's clear that the victim died because of a drug overdose, I will recommend closing the nightclub. If necessary, I will convey the recommendation tomorrow to the Jakarta governor," the Jakarta Narcotics Agency chief Johny Pol Latupeirisa said on Monday as quoted by kompas.id. He said investigators were still on the scene, while others were at the hospital where Sudirman was treated to find out about the cause of the death. Johny said even if the victim had consumed drugs before he arrived at the nightclub, "the club's management should have noticed whether the visitor was under the influence of drugs." "The behavior and physical appearance of a drug consumer is easily identifiable. The [nightclub] staff should have reported the person. They couldn't just do nothing," he said. Separately, Sawah Besar Police chief Comr. Mirza Maulana said he had yet to find out whether Sudirman died because of drugs. "We are waiting for the medical records from the hospital," he said. (fac) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 2, 2018 15:52 1272 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cc7c32d 1 City West-Jakarta,fire,victims,dog Free A mother and her daughter lost their lives last Thursday trying to save their 11 pet dogs from the fatal Kembangan Utara inferno in West Jakarta. The fire that burned down around 3,000 square meters of the Taman Kota area and left 450 families homeless also killed Ah Pong, 70, and Jok Nam, 40, who ignored calls to leave their house as the fire drew near. The mother and daughter insisted on saving their 11 pet dogs, which were trapped inside the house, but lost their lives in the fire, along with a number of their dogs. Two other members of the family were saved. They wanted to save their dogs," said a neighbor, Jayus, as quoted by kompas.com on Sunday. "I tried to help them escape the fire but I failed, as the fire was too close, he said, adding that he escaped the blaze by jumping from the balcony of the victims' house. Separately, Kembangan firefighting platoon commander Joko Susilo said two of his officers at the site, Rifai Hadi, 37, and Novirahman, 38, also tried to rescue the victims. They suffered burns during their unsuccessful attempt and were rushed to a hospital. At least 25 fire trucks were deployed to extinguish the blaze, which burned down more than 500 houses. (vny) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rizal Harahap and Aman Rochman (The Jakarta Post) Pekanbaru/Malang Mon, April 2, 2018 17:59 1272 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cc823fe 1 Business information-communication-technology,Communications-and-Information-Ministry,SIM-card-registration,SIM-card Free Hundreds of cellphone shop owners took to the streets in Pekanbaru, Riau, and in Malang, East Java, to protest a new regulation restricting ownership of cellphone numbers to three per person, which they say has killed off their livelihood. They said the regulation would ruin small businesses and benefit only cellular shops with big capital. The Indonesia Cellular Trade Association (KNCI) said Monday in Malang that the regulation had decreased their income to 80 percent. The protesters in Pekanbaru brought mock-up coffins to symbolize the death of their businesses. Protest coordinator Yudi Try said they were not opposed to another new rule in the same regulation, which requires people to register their numbers with the government, but they objected to the three SIM cards limitation. The limitation has affected us, small traders who sell SIM cards on the street sides, he said. Small cellular shops are omnipresent. They open their service with only a small showcase or even relying on word of mouth in the neighborhood. They say it is the purchase of new SIM cards, not prepaid phone credit, that contributes most to their sales. Given tight competition in the market, cellular providers are in a discount war for internet data packages, especially for first-time users. Consumers often use dual-SIM card phones, keeping one SIM card for their main number but often replacing the second one to take advantage of discounted prices for new numbers. The Communications and Information Ministry issued the ministerial regulation late last year, allowing only three prepaid cellular numbers per citizenship identity number (NIK). The government argued the regulation was necessary to protect consumers from crimes committed via cellular phones and to prevent their numbers from being misused. The government required all cellular number owners to register the numbers along with their citizenship identity. The deadline passed on Feb. 28. KNCI in Malang claimed in that city alone, some 28,000 workers depended on the trade. They had been protesting against the regulation since November last year, Zulham Mubarak of KNCI Malang said. Zulham said some shop owners had to dismiss employees due to slower sales. The KNCI demanded that the government revoke the limitation. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 2, 2018 11:52 1272 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cc6c952 1 National Dieng-Plateu,eruption,Volcano,Central-Java Free The Sileri Crater, located on the Dieng Plateau in Banjarnegara regency, Central Java, sent smoke and mud into the air in a phreatic eruption on Sunday afternoon. The eruption commenced with black smoke followed by thick white smoke reaching up to 150 meters high, followed by 150 meters of hot mud spewed into the air in all directions around the crater. No toxic gases, such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide or sulfur dioxide, were detected in the eruption, said National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho . It was raining when the eruption took place, so not many tourists were visiting the area. There were no casualties of the eruption, he said in a statement on Sunday. A phreatic eruption, which was caused by steam from superheated and expanding groundwater, was difficult to detect and could happen at any time. Sutopo added that it could occur particularly during the rainy season, when water in the crater came into contact with volcanic heat, resulting in water vapor. The last time the Sileri Crater had a phreatic eruption was on July 2, 2017 during the Idul Fitri holiday, when it spewed volcanic mud and other materials, directly affecting dozens of tourists. Sutopo said that the Banjarnegara Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD), along with the local observation post of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM), local security personnel and Dieng tourism management, were coordinating to monitor the crater. No further eruptions had occurred since Sunday. People can attend to their activities normally, there is no call for panic or evacuation. The Dieng [Plateau] also remains open to the public, said Sutopo. He added that authorities had warned local residents and tourists not to approach within a 100-meter radius of the crater. (dpk/rin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Carla Bianpoen (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 3 2018 Artists living in different countries might work in different styles, but when they gather to work together, they speak using the universal language of art. The Imago Mundi exhibition exudes the beauty of contemporary art created by the minds and hands that embrace different cultures. The event, which opened late in March at Sunrise Gallery at the Fairmont Hotel in South Jakarta, was a result of a global project set in motion by Italian art collector Luciano Benetton two decades ago. His objective was to unite the cultures of the world in the name of a common artistic experience. Tens of thousands of artists whether seasoned or up-and-coming from around the world participated in the project, which showcased the coll... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Borneo Bulletin/ANN) Bandar Seri Begawan Mon, April 2, 2018 19:30 1272 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cc88752 2 SE Asia #Brunei,#Indonesia,#community,#digital,#children Free The Indonesian Community Association in Brunei Darussalam (PERMAI) held the Indonesian Child Camping 2018 with the theme "Generasi Tangguh, Berakhlak Teguh" from March 28-29. Attendees included cleric Muhammad Hanafi Rustam, the President of PERMAI and the community advisers of Col. Widiyanto, Indonesian Defence Attache, and Shinta Hapsari, a representative from the Social and Cultural Division of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Brunei Darussalam. A total of 125 participants aged between four to 10 and 11 to 15 took part in the camping program, which was held to increase awareness among youths on the importance of surviving in the digital era. The event began with an opening ceremony which saw doves released from cages to symbolically mark the start of the event. The ceremony also featured Kempo and Pencak Silat martial art performances. Some of the camping activity programmes were filled with materials by Abdurrahman Haqqi and Muh. Abduh which touched upon youths and the digital era. The camping program saw the participants attending Muhasabah (reflection) session, performing Qiyamullail prayer and reading Al-Quran. They also engaged in outbound activity involving some checkpoints and hiking around the Berakas biodiversity park. The event concluded with an experience sharing session including advice from some participants and presentation of prizes. All participants were impressed with the camping activity and hoped another one would be held next year. Topics : This article appeared on The Brunei Times newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post The number of Russian and Malaysian tourists that visited Bali in January increased to 4.52 percent and 6.63 percent, respectively, from the same month last year. "Russian tourists enjoy the nature landscapes and unique Balinese culture as many as 12,989 people [Russians] visited in January 2018, a rise of 562 people, or 4.52 percent, from the 12,427 recorded in the same month in 2017," Adi Nugroho, the head of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) Bali office, said on Monday as quoted by Antara. Adi said the number of Russian tourists to Bali also increased from the previous month by around 30 percent 9,501 Russians visited the resort island in December. The majority entered through I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport while 140 traveled to Bali via cruise ship. Visitors from Malaysia totaled 12,938 people, with 12,021 traveling by air and 917 by sea. In January 2017, 12,134 Malaysians visited Bali. However, the number of Malaysian tourists to Bali decreased from December 2017, when 15,858 visited the island. Read also: Indonesia aims to attract 7 million tourists to Bali in 2018 Russian and Malaysian tourists each made up over three percent of foreign tourists to Bali throughout January 2018, which recorded a total of 358,065 tourists from all over the world, a rise from the 315,909 tourists that visited in December. Russia and Malaysia respectively sit in the seventh and eighth positions among the top 10 countries that sent the most tourists to the Island of the Gods. Maritime neighbor Australia sits in the number one spot, making up 24.2 percent of foreign tourists to the island. China comes in second with 13.15 percent, followed by India with 8.1 percent, Japan with 3.97 percent, the United Kingdom with 3.92 percent and the United States with 3.83 percent. South Korea is in ninth place with 2.52 percent and Singapore rounds out the top 10 with 2.17 percent. Other countries, meanwhile, comprise 30.91 percent of the total number of foreign visitors to Bali, according to the BPS. (liz/kes) Tourism to Banyuwangi has not been heavily affected since last week's temporary closure of its top spot Ijen Crater, an official has said, as the region offers various other destinations to visitors. MY Bramuda, Banyuwangi's Culture and Tourism Agency head, told kompas.com that the regency boasts up to 10 other top tourist attractions that can be visited throughout the day, emphasizing that Ijen Crater only takes up a small amount of time during tourist visits. Ijen Crater is best seen in the evening, as it is known for its natural phenomenon called the blue fire that streams down the mountain at night. The blue glow comes from the combustion of sulfuric gases. "Hiking Mount Ijen must be done at night from around midnight until 7 a.m., outside of that tourists can visit other destinations," Bramuda said. Since March 22 the crater has been temporarily closed to tourists, climbers and miners because of the presence of toxic gases. Bramuda pointed out that other destinations continue to welcome tourists. Among others in the southern parts of Banyuwangi include Ijo Bay, Red Island, Sukamade, Alas Purwo National Park and Jawatan. Meanwhile to the north, he said, there is Grand Watu Dodol, Bangsring Beach, Tabuhan Island and the crossover to Manganan Island in Bali. To explore coffee plantations, visitors could head to Tlemung, Gombeng and Kaliklatak. "We have communicated the issue with travel agents and asked them to recommend destinations other than Ijen," Bramuda said. Read also: Ten must-visit places in Banyuwangi He added that officials are closely monitoring any developments related to the mountain, noting that the presence of toxic gas is part of an annual cycle. On average, every day 1,000 tourists climb Mount Ijen, and the number increases to 2,000 during the weekend. Maya Subagio, the owner of Didus Homestay, noted that there are still many tourists who come and stay at the accommodation located in Glagah district, despite the closure of Ijen Crater. "Almost all the tourists understand and accept our explanation that the Mount Ijen climb is closed because of toxic gas. No complaints," Maya said. Imam, the owner of Omah Kopi Tlemung Kalipuro, said over the past week the number of tourists that visited his place to learn about coffee grew slightly. "There was an increase in the numbers coming, even though it's not that much," Imam said, adding that they were mostly foreign tourists who visited with travel agents. (liz/kes) The Singapore Flyer reopened for business yesterday following a two-month hiatus. The 10-year-old attraction was forced to suspend operations after a "technical issue" on Jan 25 required all 61 passengers on board to be brought to the ground. It is understood that the problem was traced to a glitch in the mechanism that allows the wheel to rotate. Located at the base of the wheel, it did not affect the observation wheel or any of its capsules structurally. The Singapore Flyer announced on Saturday that it had received approvals from the relevant authorities to resume operations, and that the "necessary safety checks and tests have been carried out to the satisfaction of the Building and Construction Authority ". A Singapore Flyer spokesman said that tenants, as well as travel agents and other partner organisations, were informed that same day of the reopening. "The first week may see a slight dip in visitor numbers, but we expect the number to resume fairly quickly to normal," she said. When The Straits Times visited the attraction at 11 a.m. yesterday, tour buses were lined up at the entrance and visitors had already formed queues for a ride in one of the 165m-high structure's 28 capsules. Read also: Quick Bites: Singapore hits the spot Australian factory manager Gary Luscombe, on holiday with his wife and two friends, was disappointed when he heard that the Flyer was closed on the first of his three-day trip to Singapore. But the 64-year-old was there yesterday morning after reading that the wheel was turning again. "It would have been terrible if we had found out it had reopened only after we got on the plane (at the end of the trip)," he said. His wife Ann Luscombe, a 61-year-old bank officer, added: "(The authorities) wouldn't have allowed it to reopen if they didn't think it was safe." Businesses located at the Flyer's base are hopeful that footfall will increase with the reopening. Mr Rajender Kumar Bhandari, director of Bhandari's Saffron - a restaurant located on the second floor of the Flyer's base - said business dipped during the closure, from an average of about 400 customers a day to fewer than 200. But he said the Flyer's management helped during the downturn by promoting the restaurant and slashing rental costs. "I really have to say a big 'thank you' to the management. They were excellent landlords during this time," said Mr Bhandari. Staff at Kenko Reflexology and Fish Spa said business has improved. During the hiatus, it did not have a single customer on some days. Mr Sam Al-Schamma, managing director of flight simulator attraction Flight Experience, joked that his staff enjoyed a two-month "siesta" during the Flyer's closure, but said they are looking forward to welcoming customers now that the Flyer has reopened. Posted Sunday, April 1, 2018 11:00 pm Law enforcement and service providers described how funds to combat opioid addiction could best be used locally during a meeting with Congressman Rodney Davis and federal authorities at the Montgomery County Health Department on Thursday, March 29. Those federal authorities included Anne Hazlett from Washington DC, who serves as assistant to the secretary for rural development at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, and Doug Wilson, Illinois' state director of USDA Rural Development. "We have invested $4 billion in the last funding bill to try to root out the causes of opioid abuse," Congressman Davis said to a room that included Hugh Satterlee, Lynn Sellers and Kimber Deming from the health department, Undersheriff Rick Robbins, Hillsboro Police Chief Randy Leetham, Litchfield Mayor Steve Dougherty and MCEDC Executive Director Val Belusko. "We want to make sure the money helps solve the problem, and that's why we want to hear from you." Their message? Make sure money can be used to combat all substance abuse and not just opioids. "Heroin is still on our streets, but not like a year ago," Robbins said. "Users are back to meth. For us here, education is the issue so we don't go back to heroin. You can't just say, 'stick to methamphetamine,' so it has to be an overall drug prevention issue." Robbins said that even at the height of heroin use in Montgomery County about a year and a half ago, dealers were scarce. Users had to travel to St. Louis to find dealers; now they are returning to more locally-available drugs. Instead of the days of locally-produced meth, law enforcement officials said they are seeing signs of pre-manufactured meth imported from Mexico or Southern California and mailed from Colorado. Synthetics, Robbins pointed out, are harder to prosecute. Drug makers try to stay a step ahead of the law and make synthetic drugs out of chemicals that are not "controlled substances." "We have people who are dropping liquid synthetic Xanax on candy," Robbins said. Leetham, speaking as police chief, said cocaine is making its way back into his jurisdiction again, and speaking as Montgomery County Coroner, said Fentanyl is causing more overdose deaths. Deming, behavioral health director at the health department, said lack of in-patient options hampers substance abuse treatment. "When someone decides they want treatment, they have to wait until a bed opens," Deming said. "Most of the time when they're willing, there isn't a bed open." Sellers, who is the elder services program director at the health department, described instances of in-home healthcare workers stealing prescription painkillers from senior citizens, "and that senior can't go and get another prescription for 30 days." Belusko spoke of the impact of the local economy on substance abuse and crime prevention, specifically referencing the idled Deer Run Mine and embattled Coffeen Power Station. "If we lose another deputy, we'll probably have to pull out of the South Central Illinois Drug Task Force," Robbins said. Posted Sunday, April 1, 2018 11:00 pm A story in the April edition of Leatherneck Magazine describes actions by U.S. Marine veteran Robert Buda of Litchfield in using the "flying ladder" to extract special forces during the Vietnam war. Buda and First Force Reconnaissance Company were the subject of a February story in Leatherneck about the Battle of Hue City in February 1968. The cover story of this month's issue describes how Buda pioneered the use of the flying ladder to extract a team of Marines surrounded in the jungle by North Vietnamese in January 1969. Both stories were written by Kyle Watts, a Marine from Chesterfield, VA, and regular contributor to the magazine. The mission described in Leatherneck was Buda's last in Vietnam. During the action, he was shot in the left thigh and earned his third Purple Heart, prohibiting him from returning to combat. While in country, he also earned two Bronze Stars with Combat V. Before the flying ladder, combat extractions were accomplished by a hovering CH-46 helicopter dropping a "jungle penetrator." "The device looked similar to a three-pronged fishhook with its seats folded down, and it was designed for one man," Watts wrote in the Leatherneck story. "In perilous circumstances, however, two men wrapped themselves around the hoist and each other to reduce the number of trips required to rescue an entire team." Obviously, extracting Marines that way took more time than was available. Major Roger Simmons, commanding officer of First Force ReconBuda's unittasked his men with finding a more efficient way to extract teams deep behind enemy lines. Thus the flying ladder, "a ladder made of aluminum rungs and wire, designed to roll up on the floor of a helicopter and kick off the tail when needed, unraveling to the ground," Watts wrote. "When pilots tested the device, they found it extremely difficult to lift off with a full recon team hanging below," according to the story. "Air wing commanders did not approve the ladder for use in combat. Despite the risks, First Force Recon unanimously accepted the ladder as a great improvement over the jungle penetrator and began training with the device right away." Buda was given the job of mastering the flying ladder and training his unit. "Buda arrived in Vietnam in November 1967," Watts wrote. "After 13 months, 45 patrols, six combat dives and two Purple Hearts, the 20-year-old platoon sergeant was an invaluable resource. It seemed like anything you could imagine behind enemy lines was something he had already experienced and survived, earning two Bronze Stars with Combat V in the process. Buda intended to remain in country as the end of his tour approached. "My mind-set was such that the only family I had were the guys at First Force Recon," remembered Buda. "My family just became the guys at the unit and I had no intention of going home. I was going to stay there forever, I thought." His new position seemed perfect. It allowed him to remain with First Force Recon while minimizing the risk of a third Purple Heartan automatic ticket out of Vietnam. Buda shrugged off numerous wounds in the past to avoid the "award" and was determined not to let another send him home. That changed in mid-January 1969 when a recon team called Forefather was pinned down in the jungle 20 miles west of An Hoa. Buda went out on the CH-46 helicopter team, equipped with a jungle penetrator, to attempt the extraction. The chopper came under fire before it even established a hover, and as Buda attempted to deploy the jungle penetrator, the bullet-riddled helicopter had to limp back to the base. Another pilot and helicopter were readied. With the intense enemy fire at the extraction site, the time it took to deploy the jungle penetrator was no longer an option. Buda prepared the flying ladder for its first combat use. It worked, but due to a miscommunication under heavy fire, the helicopter left with only five of the eight Marines on the ladder. Rather than making the 20-minute flight back to the base, the five Marines on the ladder were dropped off at a forward artillery base on a secure hilltop less than six miles from the extraction site, and the CH-46 headed back for the other three. "Enemy fire raked the helicopter as (pilot Capt. Larry) Adams fought to keep it steady," Watts wrote. "Buda manned a door gun, blasting away at the enemy below. As he returned fire, he felt a punch in his left thigh. He looked down and saw a growing circle of blood staining his utilities." The AK bullet had broken his thigh bone, but Buda continued on adrenaline. The three remaining Marines made it to safety on the flying ladder. The pilot, Capt. Adams, counted more than 100 bullet holes in his helicopter from the mission. He never met the Marines he rescued that day until Watts got a few of them together on Jan. 7, 2018, by telephone for his story. "After two helicopters and three rescue attempts, Sgt. Buda finally made it back to An Hoa, where he awaited medical treatment," Watts wrote. "The following day, Buda was evacuated to a hospital in Japan. There he received his third Purple Heart. Once recovered, he flew to Okinawa, then to Kaneohe Bay, HI. He would not return to Vietnam." He left the Marine Corps and joined the Honolulu Police Department, later moving to California to work as a police officer and detective before retiring and moving to Litchfield. Apr 02 2018 4:23 pm On March 30, 2010, Chaplain lt. Neal Kreisler was onboard the aircraft carrier USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER somewhere in the North Arabian Sea. The Chaplain had arrived earlier in the week via COD (Carrier Onboard Delivery), and noticed as he disembarked the aircraft that the ordnance personnel were carrying and loading live missiles and bombs onboard the jet fighters. He was in a combat zone, and F-18s were flying combat sorties every day to provide CAS (Close Air Support) to United States Marines fighting in Afghanistan. Although he had been onboard an aircraft carrier before during his career as a Jewish Navy chaplain, yet he had never seen the loading of live ordnance. This was the real thing. Fortunately, all Passover supplies had arrived long before my arrival, and he had spent the afternoon on Erev Pesach preparing the dining room for First Night Seder. Tabletops were impeccably cleaned, a white tablecloth spread, and the ritual items set in their proper places on the Seder plate. Special Kosher for Passover MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) were provided in a separate space, ready for consumption during the Seder meal. Eight Sailors, in addition to Chaplain Kreisler attended the Pesach Seder that night onboard the Mighty Ike. Three of the Sailors were aviators. One lieutenant was an F-18 pilot, and the other two were E-2C Hawkeye pilots. Lieutenant Steven (Miroslav) Zilberman was the second of the Hawkeye pilots attending the Pesach Seder that night. LT Zilberman was born in Ukraine, and the Chaplain could detect his accent. The Seder lasted long into the night; the Sailors were off duty, and we had nowhere else to go. Everyone drank the arba kosot (four glasses) of Kedem grape juice, and jokingly lamented the fact that we didnt have any Manischewitz onboard. The Chaplain explained to the Sailors how correctly to perform the mitzvah of akhilat matza (eating the matza), and that each person is required by Jewish law to consume a kzayit bikhdei akhilat pras while reclining to the left. We recited the brakhot, read the Haggadah, ate matza and maror, sang songs, and told stories. The Chaplain learned that LT Zilberman had two children attending Hebrew school back home in Virginia. After the Seder had concluded khilkhato (in accordance with Jewish law) LT Zilberman explained to Chaplain Kreisler how his son knew all the words to the Pesach songs. Had his son been onboard, said Steven, he would have been able to sing all the songs with us perfectly. Chaplain Kreisler distributed boxes of Passover candies to the Sailors, and cans of macaroons. LT Zilberman commented on the Pesach fruit jellies, joking that it was important to eat the lemon slices, as these prevented scurvy. Eventually all the Sailors departed for the night and Chaplain Kreisler was left alone with that unique feeling of joyful accomplishment and camaraderie that attends the fulfillment of Jewish religious holidays out in the middle of nowhere in the midst of a war zone. The next day, 31 March, 16 Nissan, LT Steven Zilberman was killed returning from a reconnaissance mission to Afghanistan. He was the flight crew commander onboard his E-2C Hawkeye when hydraulic pressure in the port engine failed. Flying on one engine alone, and unable to adjust the pitch of the second engines propeller, the aircraft began to plummet to the sea. Only a few miles from USS EISENHOWER, Steve handed the flight controls to his co-pilot, and went aft to jettison the escape hatch. The co-pilot could barely grasp the controls; the aircraft was on the verge of spinning out of control, tumbling over and crashing into the waves. Steve resumed his seat behind the controls, took the wheel from his co-pilots hands, and ordered his crew to bail out. The three crew members safely floated to the sea in their open parachutes, but Steve did not make it out. His aircraft smashed into the North Arabian Sea with him onboard, and disappeared in 18,000 fathoms of water. The next day Chaplain Kreisler flew back from the aircraft carrier to Bahrain, where the US Navys Fifth Fleet is headquartered. The Chaplain asked permission from the Force Chaplain to extend his orders to the AO (Area of Operations) and to return to USS EISENHOWER, in order to participate in LT Zilbermans memorial service and say prayers for him. The entire squadron loved LT Steven Zilberman, and everyone knew he was Jewish. While discussing plans for the memorial, the wing chaplain informed Chaplain Kreisler that the squadron commander had scheduled the memorial for Saturday. The Chaplain explained that this should not be done, as LT Zilberman was Jewish, and such events are prohibited on the Sabbath. But everyone loved Steve Zilberman, and everyone knew he was Jewish. So the wing chaplain conveyed Chaplain Kreislers recommendation to his commanding officer. He returned and told him, Rabbi, the CO says that anything you say goes. I know that this is because they wished to honor Steven Zilbermans Jewish heritage. So the memorial service was scheduled for a different day. Returning from Bahrain to EISENHOWER to conduct the memorial service, Chaplian KreislerI could not get LT Zilberman out of his mind. Hethought of how fragile and tentative life is; one moment a person is in this world, but in the next he may be gone. And yet LT Zilberman was a hero; he saved his crew. Steve could have made any number of decisions that day as he held the cyclic, struggling to control his plane. He could have panicked and released it, and the aircraft would have tumbled out of control, killing all onboard. But he was the flight commander. He stayed the course as he had been trained, performed his duty, and saved his crew. Chaplain Kreisler wondered what his last thoughts were as the Hawkeye plummeted to the sea. The Chaplain shared this with his co-pilot, who was also Steves roommate and best friend. The Chaplain suggested that Steve was thinking about his children. But his co-pilot tried to assure me that Steve, as a trained Navy aviator, no doubt was thinking only of what actions he must take next to try to save his plane. But the Chaplain was not convinced. Chaplain Kreisler was uncertain as to why he was so affected by the loss of Steven Zilberman, but he suggested that the reason was because he was so affected by his life. In the one evening that the Chaplain had the pleasure of Steven Zilbermans company at the Passover Seder, he was captivated by his wonderful humanity, his affability, his humor, and his joy. He was a joyful man. Barukh Hashem that the Chaplain was able to share this time with him, to say Hebrew prayers at his memorial service, and to hear his commanding officers final farewell, LT Zilberman, Shalom! May his memory be for a blessing. It wasnt even 8 a.m. when a direct message came in via Twitter from Suraj Patel. Hey yall, lets sit down next week?, suggested the youthful Congressional candidate and East 12th Street resident. The 34-year-old hotel executive, NYU professor and former Obama campaign advance man is taking on U.S Rep. Carolyn Maloney in the June 26 Democratic Primary. We paid a recent visit to Patels campaign office at 64 Cooper Square, a short-lived cocktail lounge which donated its profits to anti-Trump causes. It now has the feel of a tech start-up, which is not surprising, because Patel is running his insurgent campaign like a Millennial entrepreneur. Maloney, 72, has represented the Upper East Side and sections of the Lower East Side since 1993. New Yorks 12th Congressional District is the nations wealthiest, one of the best educated and reliably liberal. This year, she faces a rare primary challenge from two candidates Patel and Sander Hicks both of whom are part of a national movement pushing establishment Democrats to the left. Patel suggested we walk across the street to The Bean for coffee and a conversation about his bid to unseat a 25-year Congressional veteran. The candidate has lived in the East Village for the past 12 years, ever since he came to New York to attend law school at New York University. Hes an adjunct professor of business ethics at NYU. Seated at a communal table in the packed coffee shop, Patel made his case for change. He noted that only 8% of registered Democrats in the 12th Congressional District vote in primary elections. Referring to the Democratic Party, Patel said, Were at the lowest level of political power since 1929. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result isnt a good strategy. I try to keep saying Im running against apathy, said Patel, not against Carolyn Maloney. But in the next breath, he argued that Democratic office-holders, including Maloney, must take responsibility for squandering their Congressional majorities in 2009 and 2010 and, as he put it, failing to deliver for the American people. We didnt lead progressively enough, said Patel. I dont think, sadly, we are represented by someone who is an effective fighter It was good enough two years ago (before the 2016 election). But in the post-Trump era, no one has room for complacency, no one should not be challenged. Patel said his top priorities in office would be fighting voter suppression and ending gerrymandering. The district, he argued, should be a national leader in coming up with fresh, progressive ideas for the future. Taking on a sitting member of Congress is a daunting task. In 2010, the last time Maloney faced a serious primary challenge, she trounced her Wall Street-backed opponent, Reshma Saujani, pulling in more than 80% of the vote. Patel has already demonstrated some fundraising prowess, leading the political press to focus more attention on the Manhattan race. In February, Politico reported that he brought in nearly $550,000, besting the incumbent by a wide margin. Patel noted that the district, which has been redrawn since 2010, is now full of young, aspirational voters, in neighborhoods such as Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Astoria and the Lower East Side/East Village. His untraditional campaign is seeking to engage Millennials through happy hours (held each Friday at his campaign office), exercise classes, meditation sessions wherever potential young voters can be found. The campaigns social media accounts feature a video series dubbed, Suraj on the Street. In one installment, the candidate chases after people in Brooklyn, asking, Do you know who your Congress person is? But the campaign, Patel said, is not simply focused on appealing to young voters. He is determined to reach out across the district to New Yorkers in every demographic who havent taken part in the political process. What I want to do, he explained, is to empower people to feel like they have the agency to vote and to change their future. Patel believes hes in a good position to talk with all types of potential voters. Hes a first generation American, the son of immigrants from India. Patels father worked as an engineer for the MTA while living in New Jersey. The family moved to Mississippi in the 1980s, where they ran a Mexican restaurant. When Patel was 5, they relocated to Indiana, where his dad cobbled together money to buy a small hotel. Today, the family business, Sun Development & Management Corp., operates many hotels across the country, and employs more than 2,000 people. Patel has worked in the business off-and-on over the years, having returned as president in 2011 to help restructure the company in the aftermath of the financial meltdown. Maloney has the support of the party establishment, having secured endorsements from labor unions, other elected officials and local political clubs. They have praised her advocacy for Lower Manhattan in the aftermath of 9/11, support for gun control legislation and, especially, the congresswomans track record of standing up for womens rights. She has been particularly outspoken as the #MeToo Movement took hold. Maloney recently made an appearance at the Lower East Side Girls Club, in an event titled, The Future is Female: Making a Difference in Our Communities. Patel says hes, a 1000-percent supporter of the #MeToo movement. However, he argued, theres a bigger picture. I completely acknowledge that we need more women in office, said Patel. But we also need more people of color in office. We also need more first generation Americans and immigrants in office. We need people who have shared our lived experiences in office. At the end of the day, the future is non-binary. What we are looking for more than anything, as marginalized communities, as people who dont have the same access to boardrooms, all those things that white males have, is effectiveness. I just dont believe Carolyn Maloney is an effective Congress person, Patel added. Simply co-sponsoring a bunch of bills, or passing (legislation to create) a bunch of stamps and commemorative coins, is not our vision as a generation of activism. Patel said he has substantive policy differences with Maloney. He pointed to her vote in favor of the Iraq war, and her vote against the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. He also criticized Maloney for accepting money from Political Action Committees (Patel does not take PAC contributions). In recent weeks, Maloney has begun to fire back. After the stories about Patels fundraising success, she said his filings contained a large number of people from out-of-state and, a huge amount of the name Patel. This prompted the Patel campaign to charge Maloney with racism [Patel is a very common Indian name.] One of Maloneys handlers, the longtime New York political operative George Arzt, told Politico, (Patel) cannot depend on his wealthy Indiana family indefinitely and he will need a lot more than that to create an identity, record and reputation to sway the people No one knows him and everyone knows Carolyns record for fighting for the district. You just cant suddenly materialize and say, Elect me. He should spend some time in the vineyards working for the people. The tabloids are starting to show interest in the race. Several weeks ago, the Post dug up social media entries from 2012 in which Patel joked about being smitten by a 16-year-old Olympic gymnast. Just today, the Daily News highlighted investments by Maloney in a Virginia real estate company with a record of evicting tenants. Patel believes the citys political establishment has an odd aversion to competition in local campaigns. There are mixed messages, he asserted. They say, We need more young people involved. And then you turn around and run, they go, Whoa, what are you doing?! Why are you running? Its funny. Only in politics do people view competition as a personal affront. I think we are already making change in this election by simply showing up, Patel continued, and by saying were going to challenge somebody. People are engaged. I think campaigns should be looked at as a public service. We can educate, empower and inform the voters through this campaign. Patel has come across his share of naysayers. People say its going to be so hard. Let me worry about that, said Patel. Im the one who made the decision to run. All you have to do is vote. While he did not promise victory in the primary, Patel made one prediction: I guarantee you the turnout in this election wont be 8%. While Carolyn Maloney represents sections of the Lower East Side, Rep. Nydia Velazquezs 7th Congressional District covers other parts of the neighborhood. To look up your district, click here. You probably know that Regal Cinemas is opening a 14-screen movie theater later this year as part of the big Essex Crossing project. There havent been many details about the theater since it was first announced in 2014. But there are a few tidbits contained in a liquor license application just posted on Community Board 3s website. According to the application, Regal wants permission to sell beer, wine and hard liquor at its concession stand. But dont expect the multiplex at 115 Delancey St. to start offering in-theater boozing anytime soon, or to open a full-service restaurant (like the independent Metrograph on Ludlow Street). Were told by a rep for the Essex Crossing development team that no restaurant is in-the-works. Only a few New York City theaters offer dining and drinking in theaters, and the Essex Crossing venue will not be one of them. The application includes a fairly extensive food menu, suggesting that the new Regal outpost on the Lower East Side will be offering more than popcorn and candy. Items listed include steak sandwiches, street tacos and a selection of pizzas. No beer, wine or liquor is listed on the menu. Under New York state law, most theaters can only sell alcohol if they have a tavern liquor license and restrict alcohol consumption to the lobby area. Some newer venues, led by the Nitehawk in Williamsburg, offer in-theater dining. The State Legislature granted permission to theaters that, meet the definition of (a) restaurant, (offer full) meals and where all the seating is at tables. Big operators, including Regal, have been pushing for more sweeping legislation to allow liquor in a broader range of theaters, and the governor has offered his support, but there has been resistance from lawmakers. The new venue at Essex Crossing will include 14 screens on floors 2 through 5 of a building now under construction on the southeast corner of Essex and Delancey streets. There will be stadium seating and reclining seats in every theater. The building, which also includes a new home for the Essex Street Market, is expected to open in September. The applicants will go before the community board Monday, April 16. At that time, well find out exactly what they have in mind when it comes to liquor sales. Welcome to followthemedia.com The article or material you have chosen... Michael Hedges April 2, 2018 - Dreadful events, sadly becoming more common, can have a lasting effect on public opinion. Even as tough as they are believed to be, reporters and editors are not immune. The 2015 attack on the Charlie Hebdo Paris office scarred French journalism. There have been others. There is no fortress. News Media's Joint Investigation Succeeds, Mostly As Self-DefenseMichael Hedges April 2, 2018 - Follow on Twitter Dreadful events, sadly becoming more common, can have a lasting effect on public opinion. Even as tough as they are believed to be, reporters and editors are not immune. The 2015 attack on the Charlie Hebdo Paris office scarred French journalism. There have been others. There is no fortress. ...is available for restricted access. You may access this specific article or material for 4 If you are an ftm Member, please go to the home page HERE and log in ftm Members can access all site material at no additional charge. You can JOIN ftm here The ftm newsletter available at no charge to all with registration To register click here. Why cant we speak plainly about migrant crime? It was he who last month embedded the idea that the UK faces an equally balanced challenge: Islamist extremism on the one side, far-right extremism on the other. In order to sustain this equation it appears that for the time-being one must draw a moral equivalence between Muslims who blow things up and non-Muslims who do not between Muslims who call for murder and non-Muslims who do not. 84 per cent of grooming gang offenders were (South) Asian, while they only make up seven per cent of total UK population and that the majority of these offenders are of Pakistani origin with Muslim heritage. 29 March 2018The SpectatorOn Wednesday, two striking events happened in France. The first was that the President of the Republic led the nations mourning for Lieutenant-Colonel Beltrame, the policeman who swopped himself for a hostage at the siege at a supermarket in Trebes last week.Elsewhere in Paris on the same day there was a silent march past the flat of Mireille Knoll. As a girl, in 1942, Mme Knoll narrowly escaped being rounded up by the French police and put on a train to Auschwitz. Last weekend, at the age of 85, the remains of her wheelchair-bound body were found in her Paris flat. Her body had been stabbed and burned. Mme Knoll, who suffered from Parkinsons disease had apparently previously told police about a neighbour who had threatened to burn her. And so the fires that failed to catch the nine-year old Mireille in Auschwitz caught up with her seven decades later in multicultural, diverse, 21st century France.What are we to think about this? Well, that depends on what we are allowed to know. There has been some outcry about the murder of Mme Knoll (not least because of its similarity to the murder of 66-year old Sarah Halimi last year) and it has been described as an act of anti-Semitism. But you might have to search certainly in the English-language press to find out what variety of anti-Semite might have stabbed a Jewish grandmother eleven times and then burned her body. Was it a member of the National Front? Or Momentum?Read a report like this one at Sky and all you will learn is that Two men, including a neighbour, have been charged with the 85-year-olds murder. But if you read other parts of the press in France then the reference I made earlier to Frances new diversity and pluralism begins to make sense.Likewise with the murderer of Arnaud Beltrame. In the days since his murder, Lieutenant-Colonel Beltrame has come to epitomise the very finest of his country and people. The words brave and heroic are overused, but in their purest, most inviolable form they apply to this son of France. But what are we to know, or say, about the person who slit his throat and shot him in the head? The attacker who claimed allegiance to Isis killed four people in total. And only some of the news stories carry any details about the man. He was apparently called Redouane Lakdim. He was 26 years old and was born in Morocco though became a French national where his main contributions to the life of the nation consisted of petty criminality and jihadism.What are we to think, or say, about any of this?For the time-being we can deplore the murder of an 85-year old Holocaust survivor and praise the heroism of Arnaud Beltrame, but not do either victim the decency of trying to learn much information about their killers, what might have motivated them or what views we might come to as a consequence. To do so would be to trespass upon the fiercest dogmas of our day. We can feel sad. And we can tell people that we feel sad. But who would dare to do anything more than that?I frame this in terms of what can we think about this for a very particular reason: which is that this is now a question which citizens of free countries must consider very carefully. In the wake of a number of official and unofficial government directives across Europe in recent months there is now a battle going on for the education of the general public.Social media networks especially Facebook and Twitter have in recent months begun a scraping of their platforms. Embarrassed by their intermittent exposure by the old media, they also face threats of increasing liabilities from national governments and security agencies. So platforms, which have for years allowed terrorist groups like Hezbollah to proselytise with impunity have now begun to try to enforce a new, higher standard. Unfortunately the standard they are seeking to enforce is a standard based on the uneven slope that I have previously described as Rowleyism after the Metropolitan Polices former assistant commissioner Mark Rowley. As I wrote here recently:Most of us are intensely happy about actual incitement whether it be from the far-right, Islamist groups or anyone else being subjected to the existing strictures of the law. But Rowleyism, as applied to social media, has a different type of effect. Among other things it appears to equate violent groups with violent facts.Earlier this year, the founder of the English Defence League, Tommy Robinson, was suspended from Twitter for tweeting a statistic about rape-gangs something that has been much in the news of late. Indeed if we are not merely going to pass around cat photos on social media, discussion of the mass-rape of the nations children might seem to be a legitimate activity. Just this week another such gang has been convicted this time once again in Oxford. Saying rape-gang or grooming gang is of course itself a get-out. As is the dishonest and deliberately misinforming term Asian rape-gangs. But it is hard to know what one can say these days. Muslim rape gang or Pakistani rape gang may be accurate, but it will also bring forth a world of problems including flaggings on social media. In recent days readers have shown me how they have been suspended from Facebook just for posting my recentarticle on Rowleyism. Rape-gangs is certainly a flagged term.And so it is that anyone interested in anything other than just feeling sad about the latest cache of rape-victims, and who, for instance, wonders about the characteristics of the latest Oxford gang (whether it is, for instance, an average Inspector Morse don-on-don style mystery) must work it out for themselves. They might be lucky and see the photo accompanying the BBCs report of the story here . Or they may not. And more and more one gets the sense in France, the UK and elsewhere that there is a hope that we dont work it out. Certainly an ever-decreasing number of people appear to be allowed to help us.As it happens, Tommy Robinsons stats were those put out by the admirable Muslim-run think-tank Quilliam. Their landmark report from December found that:So the suspension of Tommy Robinson from Twitter for saying this raises a fascinating modern conundrum. Is it possible that there are facts which one person is allowed to say, but another is not? Can it be the case that, because of certain racial or religious characteristics, one persons statement of facts is another persons demonstration of prejudice? It is a question which Twitter, among others, has clearly made a judgement on. And that is in the affirmative.As of Wednesday, Robinson (who had almost half a million followers on the platform) has been suspended from Twitter for good, without explanation. Of course Twitter is a private corporation and can do what it likes, though many users may be surprised at the extent to which it is no longer either a free or apolitical platform. But here is the problem. And it is one I encounter everywhere across our continent.In Germany friends and readers describe to me how they are learning anew how to read their daily newspapers. When the news says that A person was killed by another person for instance, and no names or other identifying characteristics are given, people guess correctly that the culprit is probably of migrant background. For the time-being serious crimes are still reported, but the decision has been taken that the public should not really be informed about them. Of course if you were to report them, or mull on them on social media then you would now risk losing that platform. So the media isnt much use. And social media isnt either.In this situation how are we to deal with issues like that of grooming gangs? The communities from which the culprits come dont seem to want to address the issue. Mainstream society and politics has shown itself repeatedly unwilling and unable to do more than commission further, endless inquiries into these issues. And passing around what facts are known appears to have become difficult (and perhaps in the near future wholly impossible). The social media platforms will say that the facts are passed around in a hateful manner. But it is hard to see how exactly one might frame the mass gang-rape of children in an un-abashedly upbeat fashion.As it is with rape-gangs, so it is with the nameless, perpetrator-less crimes in Germany. And so eventually it will be with the burning of a Holocaust survivor in her Paris flat. We are still allowed to notice the tragedy. We can observe the passing age. But we are losing the ability and the right to point to the pyre. Or to identify it. Even as it mounts. Towing has long been a point of contention in the city of Taylor. While many of the issues have been worked out with a proposed new contract by limiting rates and spelling out what can and cannot be charged by whatever company gets the contract, Mayor Rick Sollars and the City Council still havent come to an agreement on what exactly should be in the contract or who should be awarded the deal. SEE ALSO: Good to Great neighborhood program announced Taylor-based Area Towing has held the contract for the last decade. For this round though, the contract was opened up for bid by companies outside of the city limits, and several contractors were qualified, including Area Towing. Sollars and the Police Department brought a motion to the council recently that didnt award the contract to one specific company, but instead allowed for all three to do the work. That contract would have offered the same terms to all three vendors and allowed the police to call any of them to do the work needed at any given time. Council members voted that down, and directed Sollars to instead work out a contract that issued the same terms but limited the contract to Area Towing with one authorized subcontractor. While Sollars asked the council to limit the new deal to one year with options to renew it for two additional one-year terms, the council put a three-year contract with two, three-year renewal options on the table. A few days later, Sollars vetoed that contract option and then at a special City Council meeting, a vote to override his veto failed to get the super majority needed, leaving the city without a clear direction on towing. Were working on a new contract, Sollars said. I dont want to hand out a multi-year contract. Since theres no capital investment required on the companys part to do the towing work, Sollars said a multi-year contract isnt justified. Were not asking the vendor to buy trucks or anything, he said. Its just to be available when we call. Councilman Daniel Bzura, who has worked on amending and correcting the current contract as well as spent time working on a committee to prepare the current request for proposals that went out to towing vendors, has spent three years dealing with towing in some capacity or another. What Ive learned throughout those three years is that besides just moving vehicles around the city of Taylor is that the towing vendor has to be an extension of the public safety mission that we have, he said. How quickly do they respond to accident scenes? How efficient are they removing vehicles? How quickly do they get debris and liquids off the streets? Bzura said the committee worked hard to make a recommendation on towing. Over the three years hes studied the issue, he said, hes learned that having just one towing company would be the best course of action for the city. There are a number of names on the (bidders) list, he said. I think we should choose the vendor that we believe can best serve the residents. Sollars said hes confident he and the council can come to an agreement on the contract, but if they dont, he could issue a set of directions without a contract and approve vendors without the councils approval. I dont want to do that, Sollars said. I want to do this as a partnership with the council. Most important to Sollars, he said, is making sure that residents are protected by whatever contract or agreement is put in place. The last 10 years have been very turbulent, he said. There have been several questionable billings. Under the current contract, we dont have the right to review those billings so we dont know until a resident complains to us. Sollars said he wants to make sure the final contract is a Taylor Police Department contract and not a contract written by the vendor or vendors who get the deal. We want the contract to be fair to everyone, he said. It will be fair to the vendor, but controlled by us this time. The new approved towing rates are much lower than they had been as well. Sollars said they looked at rates in Novi, Troy, Canton, Romulus and Farmington Hills and set their rates accordingly. The numbers are very competitive with other communities, he said. Were higher than some, lower than others, but the vast majority are right in the same wheelhouse. The exact rates havent been released publicly as the contract is still under negotiation. The contract is expected to be voted on at the councils April 17 or May 1 meeting. , in a brief submitted to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples in November 1993, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops did acknowledge that "various types of abuse experienced at some residential schools have moved us to a profound examination of conscience as a Church." Already in 1991, Canadian Catholic Bishops and leaders of men and women religious communities had issued a statement that "We are sorry and deeply regret the pain, suffering and alienation that so many experienced" at the Residential Schools. There have been, and continue to be, numerous initiatives by Catholic agencies and institutions in Canada to help heal the sufferings of the Aboriginal Peoples. The process of healing and reconciliation is ongoing. Here are some of the apologies that have been made over the years by Catholic organizations in Canada. Statement by the National Meeting on Indian Residential Schools Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - March 13-15, 1991 Extract of Let Justice flow like a Mighty River, Brief by the CCCB to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, 1995 The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate - An Apology to the First Nations of Canada by the Oblate Conference of Canada 24 July 1991 Home >The Revolt > Camera Destruction > Rhode Island, France, Italy, UK: Speed Cameras Out Of Action This is all propaganda .... The imported goods might be imported from China, but many of the manufacturing plants are owned by the U.S. Capitalists. The U.S. Capitalists Used the profits earned in America to build huge/massive manufacturing plants in China and China can now satisfy the North American market with just what falls off the assembly lines.Richard Wolff talks about tariffs here:Franklin Delano Roosevelt did not introduce the "New Deal" because it was "Kind To Animal Week"."And, it didn't happen because FDR was a great guy. It happened because people in this country were so radicalized, were so determined, were so organized, that he was able to sell the new deal to the elites as a compromise because the alternative was revolution."--Naomi Klein, National Conference for Media reform, June 07, 2008--The coming collapse of the American economic systemEconomist Richard Wolff discusses the coming economic collapse of the United States of America.RT - On ContactHost Chris Hedges interviews Richard David WolffApril 01, 2018(Flash Video)As the economy continues to crumble, they gotta blame it on "Others".In the 1930's, when the Great Depression began, America blamed it on the immigrants.Over a million Mexican-Americans were expelled in the 1930s. Now, history is repeating itselfWhen Francisco Balderrama hears U.S. President Donald Trump demonize Mexican-Americans and promise to deport undocumented immigrants to bring back jobs, he is reminded of a forgotten chapter in American history one he has spent decades trying to bring back into the light.In the 1930s, the United States expelled more than a million Mexican nationals and American citizens of Mexican descent.Some were rounded up in mass raids and deported, often without due process. Others were worn down by threats and economic deprivation, and lured back by the hollow promise of a better life in Mexico."Many of them had been in this country for 20, 25 years. They had created lives here. They had contributed to American society in prosperous times. Most of them were documented, or had come in legally to the United States. They had children that were born here automatically, by birth, U.S. citizens," Balderrama says.Balderrama is professor emeritus of American History and Chicano Studies at California State University in Los Angeles, and the co-author of Decade of Betrayal: Mexican Repatriation in the 1930s. He spoke to The Sunday Edition host Michael Enright about the parallels he sees between what happened in the 1930s and what's happening today."One key factor to keep in mind, as we deal with the Trump era, as we we deal with the activities of ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] today, is that there is this legacy," Balderrama says."A lot of times, the language that Trump uses, the language that Attorney General Sessions uses, is the same type of language that was used in the 1930s."The Great Depression:Balderrama says the wave of deportations was triggered by the Great Depression. Many Americans believed that if Mexicans were removed from the workforce, they would have an easier time finding work."Mexicans were the last hired, and they were going to be the first fired," says Balderrama.At the time, the Immigration and Naturalization Service was run by the Department of Labour. Herbert Hoover's labour secretary William Doak launched a plan to create more jobs for "real Americans" by expelling immigrants.Organized raids, Balderrama says, created a climate of fear, discouraging Mexicans from leaving their homes.On February 26, 1931, immigration officers stormed La Placita, the historic founding area for the City of Los Angeles, and rounded up everyone in the park.While the raid didn't result in a large number of deportations, Balderrama believes the real impact was to create a sense of terror and anxiety."The city of Los Angeles which had and has the largest Mexican population became a very fearful place," he says. "People would not go out. People locked themselves up. Mexican businesses closed.""[It] created a scenario in which the local LA County then was free to encourage Mexicans to accept railroad tickets and to go to Mexico."Self-deportation:Most Mexican-Americans who left during the 1930s were driven out by local governments and agencies.Only the federal government had the legal authority to order deportations, but local agencies were able to pressure many people into "self-deporting." Some states also passed laws prohibiting the employment of "aliens," which gave Mexican nationals an additional incentive to leave."To cut the welfare cost in their community, and also to create jobs for American citizens, [local agencies] rounded up Mexican families and told them, 'You would be better off in Mexico'... Ford Motor company, U.S. Steel, Southern Pacific Railroad the private sector told their workers the same story. 'You would be better off in Mexico with your own people,'" Balderrama says."There were a number of individuals who, reading the newspaper, hearing about the raids, hearing about the non-hiring of Mexicans, then decide, 'The hell with it, the hell with this situation. We're not wanted here.' They then pack up their belongings and just drive themselves to the border."'Returning' to a new country:After years of living in the United States, many Mexicans returned to a country they didn't recognize."They [were] going to a new nation, a new Mexico," Balderrama says.He says the transition was particularly traumatic for children who had grown up in the United States. One of the people he interviewed for the revised edition of Decade of Betrayal was a man named Ignacio Pina, who was born in Idaho and expelled to Mexico with his family when he was a child.His family had been in the United States for approximately 25 years. Shortly before Pina's first day of school, sheriffs came to his family's house and took them into custody. After spending a week in jail, the family was placed on a train and sent back to Mexico without any of their belongings or documentation about their legal status in the United States.Though it took Pina many years to make it back to the United States, he desperately wanted to return to the country he thought of as home."Ignacio recently died, and as a senior citizen would still have nightmares over what happened to him," Balderrama says.Parallels to today:Balderrama sees strong parallels between what happened to Ignacio Pina and the experiences of 'Dreamers' today."It's the very same dynamics," he says."Individuals that are American, that have been socialized, have been here long enough, have been exposed to this culture, who have an ability in the language that surrounds them here, that are part of the fabric of American society ... we're cutting them out of this society, tossing them away."Balderrama believes that this process does more than tear apart the families and lives of those directly affected."We are not only hurting them," he says. "We're hurting what makes up this country what makes this country what it is."CBC - Sunday EditionHost Michael Enright interviews Francisco BalderramaMarch 25, 2018 King: Boys and Girls Club works to inspire youth to become leaders The Boys & Girls Club aim to inspire the youth to become leaders Tax exemptions in North Attleboro If voters approve a $6.5 million tax increase on Tuesday, the average homeowner will see an increase of about $396 next year -- a cost that some opponents of the override say they simply cannot afford. Town officials, however, say a number of exemptions are already on offer for residents on fixed incomes -- and discussions to expand the programs are underway. Some of the exemptions on offer include: Senior tax work-off program The North Attleboro Council on Aging accepts 30 seniors annually to a senior tax work off program that reduces one's tax bill by $500. Applicants must be 60 years or older, a North Attleboro homeowner and must be able to work 45.5 hours over a 15 week period to be eligible. This program has routinely maxed out each year, leaving some on the waiting list. In recent months selectmen have mulled what it would take to expand the program. Senior circuit breaker tax credit Some seniors could be eligible for a senior circuit breaker tax credit claimed on the state income tax return. The maximum credit is $1,080, but income and other restrictions apply. A person filing alone who is not the head of the household must make less than $57,000 to qualify; a single filer who is the head of the household can make no more than $72,000; and a married couple filing jointly can make no more than $86,000. The filer must be 65, must be a resident of Massachusetts (part or full time), must own or rent residential property in Massachusetts and must use it as their primary residence. More information can be found at: www.mass.gov/service-details/senior-circuit-breaker-tax-credit. Tax deferral program North Attleboro residents 65 and over have the option to defer paying some or all of their real estate taxes. The resident has to have lived in Massachusetts for the last 10 years, owned property for five years, and cannot make more than $40,000 a year. The deferred amount is taxed with an 8 percent interest and a lien will exist on the property until paid. Property tax exemptions Older North Attleboro citizens, surviving spouses and minors may be eligible for a $350 property tax exemption if they are: Over 70 years old, a surviving spouse of any age, or a minor with a deceased parent; and a Massachusetts resident for the last 10 years and a Massachusetts property owner for the last five years. Total worth may not exceed $40,000, excluding the assessed value of the property. Residents who are 70 or older may also qualify for a $1,000 exemption if they have been a Massachusetts resident for 10 years and a property owner for five years, and meet specific income requirements. Veterans may also qualify for a property tax exemption up to $800 if they have a war service disability; are a Purple Heart recipient; or are a surviving spouse of a veteran entitled to an exemption. Other residents may qualify for a $1,500 exemption if they suffered severe war injuries or received medals for distinguished service. Veterans who suffered total disability in the line of duty and who are incapable of working could receive an exemption up to $2,000. Legally blind exemption North Attleboro residents with a certificate of blindness from the commission of the blind are eligible for an $875 exemption on their real estate taxes. More information on all exemptions is available on the town's website or through the assessor's office at 508-699-0117. Recover your password. A password will be e-mailed to you. The project will 1) identifycritical conflict drivers at the local, regional, and national levels and toprovide targeted, strategic support to relevant stakeholders or initiativeswith an interest in and capacity to address and resolve conflictsnon-violently; 2) bolster in an integrated fashion the ability ofconstituent-responsive local authorities, civil society and others to shore upand sustain localized or higher-level peace processes; and 3) empower civilsociety and others to more broadly and inclusively engage on issues related togood governance, reform, accountability, dialogue and local, regional ornational-level peace. Mercy Corps is an InternationalNGO that exists to alleviate poverty and oppression by helping people buildsecure, productive and just communities. Mercy Corps has been fully registeredin Uganda as an operational NGO. Currently Mercy Corps has an office in Kampalaand is implementing Food Security programs which comprise of Water andSanitation, Livelihood and Agriculture and Conflict Mitigation ManagementProgram in North and North Eastern Uganda. We implement programs in thenorthern districts of Pader, Kitgum, Agago, Lamwo, Kaabong, Abim and Kotidowith funding from USAID, USDA, Walmart Foundation, SDC, DFID as well as otherprivate donations. Job Summary: The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Officer will be responsible for tracking, monitoring and evaluating the programs activities. This position is a key role in Mercy Corps program quality assurance, accountability, documentation and learning unit. The position holder will be responsible for submitting donor reports and additional reports as needed. The position holder will support the program team in planning and execution of monitoring and evaluation activities, ensuring quality in line with accepted standards, providing essential feedback for learning, accountability and decision making. The position holder will report to the Program Manager and be under the technical guidance of the Senior Country MEL and Communication Manager. Support the initial start-up period of any new program by leading the implementation of a more detailed assessment activities and initial work plan refinement phase, making sure to include key beneficiaries and stakeholders, in close partnership with the Program Manager. Oversee the development of the M&E framework and Indicator Plan to be submitted to supervisor for review. Generate and implement M&E tools for all assessments and program implementation needs, in close coordination with full program team and continually engaged in field activities. Coordinate baseline and end line assessments, case studies, post-distribution monitoring, after action reviews and other monitoring activities in area of operation. Draft and lead the finalization of all donor reporting requirements, in coordination with Program Manager and Senior MEL Officer. Maintain an up to date database that reflects progress (including disaggregated beneficiary counts) and donor indicators, in line with both organizational standards and the donors database Build the capacity of all team members to develop and maintain an excellent M&E system, and facilitate periodic reflection and analysis of program monitoring information that feeds into programming and learning. Actively participate in all implementation, providing advice and feedback for quality results at any point, as needed. Work closely with Deputy Director of Programs, Program Manager, Program Officers and other staffs to ensure that activities are implemented on plan and progress towards targets is not compromised. Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to credit Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its mission. Job Title: Project Manager Organisation: Zoe Recruitment (International Experience Required) Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda About US: Zoe Recruitment is an HR consultancy company that exists to contribute to the transformation of productivity and work ethic, by linking talent to business/organizations, and placing people right. At Zoe we believe this then forms the foundation for sustainable business and on a larger scale, economic growth. Zoe would like to recruit for a valuable client, an International Engineering Company. Job Summary: The Project Manager will support an International Engineering Company specializing in roads and water. The candidate should have international experience. Responsibilities: Key Duties andResponsibilities: To be the primary contact for the client By delegation, take responsibility for commitments vis-a-vis the client including service orders, consents, instructions following the quality plan and technical requirements of the contract Prepare and define with the Country Manager the implementation strategy Manage the budget and define the resources to be allocated to the construction site and approve the construction procedures Finalize the optimization phase and completion of construction Define and follow the implementation schedule of the site Daily management of the site and ensure compliance with set objectives (planning, quality assurance plan, HSE plan, Environmental plan ) Validate the quality assurance plan, HSE plan, Environmental plan Manage the construction and ensure to the respect of construction specifications Manage the relationship with the client or the foreman Collaborate with the project management office Prepare technical monthly reports on construction management Recruit site staff Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience: The Project Manager should hold a Degree in civil or Structural engineering. Masters degree or equivalent. The applicant should have handled MAJOR public infrastructure projects such as Stadia, Airports, Water Systems, Roads, Hydraulics Etc. International exposure in the construction industry. FIDIC or PREMEVERA or Equivalent. Should be a repatriate Knowledge of HSE (Lead) Knowledge of construction procedures (Lead) Knowledge of norms and regulations (Senior) Budget management (Lead) Construction management (Lead) Communication (Senior) Management of equipment (Senior) Team management (Lead) Client relations (Lead) Mastery MS office tools (Senior) Geotechnical and topographic knowledge (Senior) Organization of work (Lead) How to Apply: All suitably qualified and interested candidates should apply online by clicking on the title link below. th April 2018 Deadline: 5April 2018 A federal judge in Seattle opened the door Thursday for thousands of immigrants to apply for asylum, finding that the Department of Homeland Security has routinely failed to notify them of a deadline for filing their applications. U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez issued the ruling in a class-action lawsuit brought by immigrant rights groups on behalf of those who fear persecution if returned to their home country. In many cases, those asylum seekers are released from custody after officials have interviewed them and determined their fears to be credible. Theyre told that theyll need to appear in immigration court, but they typically arent personally told that they only have a year to apply for asylum, the lawsuit argued. Due to a backlog in immigration cases, the asylum seekers are often not given a hearing within a year, and thus, by the time they show up in court and learn about the deadline, its already passed, Martinez found. This means many asylum seekers who were previously going to have a door slammed in their face are now able to say, No, a federal court has said that I am timely filing my application and you need to accept it,' said Matt Adams, legal director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and an attorney for the plaintiffs. Jonathan Withington, a spokesman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, part of Homeland Security, said the agency does not comment on pending litigation. The judge ordered the department to begin providing notice about the one-year deadline within 90 days any time an immigrant seeking asylum is released from custody pending deportation proceedings. He also said the department must give those who missed the deadline another year to file their applications. Further, Martinez told the department it must fix another catch-22 in its system: that while asylum-seekers must file their asylum applications within a year, the government refuses to accept the applications unless the applicant has been given a formal notice to appear in immigration court. Often those notices arent issued within a year, so even if asylum seekers know about the one-year deadline, theres virtually no way for them to meet it, Martinez said. He ordered the government to come up with a uniform system for accepting asylum applications. Defendants have left class members without an adequate mechanism to timely file their asylum applications, thereby denying them the opportunity to exercise their statutory right to apply for asylum, Martinez wrote. Government lawyers argued that they do publish materials that inform asylum seekers of the deadline including the Information Guide for Prospective Asylum Applicants, available in 11 languages, and in Know Your Rights videos that many detention centers play for detainees. Further, federal law does not require that officials directly notify asylum seekers of the deadline upon their release from custody, the government argued. But Martinez said that given the trauma and stress endured by many asylum seekers, combined with a typical lack of legal counsel and knowledge about U.S. immigration law, the general notifications about the deadline arent good enough. Martinez also found that personal notification to asylum seekers was needed to carry out the intent of Congress. He noted comments from Republican Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, also cited by the plaintiffs, about the one-year deadline in 1996: I am committed to ensuring that those with legitimate claims of asylum are not returned to persecution, particularly for technical deficiencies. If the time limit is not implemented fairly, or cannot be implemented fairly, I will be prepared to revisit this issue in a later Congress. Among the asylum-seekers who sued was Lidia Margarita Lopez Orellana, who arrived in Eagle Pass, Texas, from Guatemala in 2014 with her two youngest children in tow. She said that despite checking in with immigration authorities regularly as required, she didnt learn about the deadline until December 2015, when she met with a lawyer. (AP) Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said hes glad John Bolton will serve as President Donald Trumps national security adviser going into talks with North Korea because of his very healthy skepticism. A U.S.-North Korean summit is slated for May. Hopes have been raised that Kim Jong Un may be willing to discuss his nuclear weapons program and other measures to reduce the threat of war, possibly in exchange for security guarantees and an easing of the international sanctions that have severely pinched the already struggling North Korean economy. Graham said he had dinner with Bolton a couple of nights ago and the hawkish former ambassador to the U.N. expressed fears that North Korea is just buying time as it seeks to develop a nuclear-armed missile. He sees these negotiations as a way of buying time. Thats what theyve done in the past, said Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Bolton replaces Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster on April 9. Graham said he would be skeptical about the terms and conditions of the summit, but he does hope the president will meet with the North Korean leader. He called for negotiations that are very focused and get quick action. We dont want to give him nine months or a year to talk and build a missile at the same time, Graham said on Fox News Sunday. At the same time, Graham warned Trump not to remove troops from Syria. Trump declared earlier this week: Let the other people take care of it now. Graham said that leaving Syria would allow the Islamic State group to strengthen, the fighting between the Syrian Kurdish militia and Turkey would get out of hand, and Russia and Iran would go on to dominate Syria. It would be the single worst decision the president could make, Graham said. (AP) Israel will target terrorist groups inside Gaza if violence along the territorys border with Israel drags on, the chief military spokesman warned on Saturday, a day after 15 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the areas deadliest violence in four years. The violence significantly petered down Saturday as just small groups of Palestinians threw stones in several areas near the border fence, drawing Israeli fire that injured 25 people, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Fridays mass marches were largely led by Gazas ruling Hamas group and touted as the launch of a six-week-long protest campaign against a stifling decade-old blockade of the territory. At least 10 known terrorists with track records of terrorist activity were killed whilst carrying out acts of terror during the violent riots along the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip on Friday March 30, 2018 pic.twitter.com/FgwgmLzvdn PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 1, 2018 Protests are aiming to culminate in a large border march on May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel founding. The date is mourned by Palestinians as their nakba,or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were uprooted in the 1948 Mideast war over Israels creation. Organizers set up five tent encampments, each several hundred meters from the border to serve as launch points for protest. The most moral army in the world will not be lectured by those who have indiscriminately bombed civilian populations for years. Apparently this is how #AprilFoolsDay is celebrated in Ankara. PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 1, 2018 PM Netanyahu: Erdogan is not used to being talked back to. He should start getting used to it. He who occupies Northern Cyprus and the Kurdish region and butchers civilians in Afrin should not lecture us about morality and values. PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 1, 2018 Some young men broke away Saturday, throwing stones at Israeli soldiers on the other side of the fence, drawing live rounds and tear gas. In two separate incidents, an Associated Press reporter saw two men who walked close to the fence get shot in the legs by soldiers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated the soldiers Saturday for allowing the rest of the country to celebrate the Passover holiday safely. Israel is acting determinedly and decisively to protect its sovereignty and the security of its citizens, he said. Palestinian health officials said 15 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire and more than 750 hit by live rounds Friday, making it the bloodiest day in Gaza since the 2014 cross-border war between Israel and Hamas. It appears unlikely protests will continue at such a scale, with larger turnouts only expected after Friday noon prayers, the highlight of the Muslim religious week. In Fridays confrontations, large crowds had gathered near the fence, with smaller groups of protesters rushing forward, throwing stones and burning tires. Israeli troops responded with live fire and rubber-coated steel pellets, while drones dropped tear gas from above. Soldiers with rifles were perched on high earthen embankments overlooking the scene. Israels military initially claimed Friday that thousands of Palestinians are rioting in six locations throughout the Gaza Strip, rolling burning tires and hurling stones. Video released by the army appeared to show fewer actually engaged in direct violence. On Saturday, the chief army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis, said that while thousands of Palestinians approached the border Friday, those engaged in stone-throwing were in the hundreds. Manelis denied soldiers used excessive force, saying those killed by Israeli troops were men between the ages of 18 and 30 who were involved in violence and belonged to militant factions. The army later released the names and ages of 10 of the dead, including eight members of Hamas and two from other terrorist groups. Manelis alleged Gaza health officials exaggerated the number of wounded, and that several dozen at most were injured by live fire, with others suffering from tear gas inhalation or other types of injuries. Manelis said soldiers knew who they were shooting at and how many people were hit by live fire. The Gaza Health Ministry did not provide names and ages of those killed. Four of the 15 dead were members of the Hamas military wing, the group said Saturday. The group said a fifth member who was not on the Health Ministry list was killed near the border, and that Israel has the body. It said another man is also missing in the border area. Gaza Citys Shifa Hospital received 284 injured people Friday, the majority with bullet injuries, said spokesman Ayman Sahbani. He said 70 were under the age of 18 and 11 were women. He said 40 surgeries were performed Friday and that 50 were planned Saturday. These are all from live bullets that broke limbs or caused deep, open wounds with damage to nerves and veins, he said. Among those recovering from surgery was 16-year-old Marwan Yassin who said he had thrown stones with a slingshot at the fence Friday and was shot in both legs. One leg was wrapped in bandages and the other had a cast and metal fixtures. Yassin said he would not return to the border because of the risks. His mother said at his bedside that she would forbid him from participating in future protests. Protest organizers have said mass marches would continue until the day of the nakba, an anniversary with particular resonance in Gaza where the vast majority of 2 million residents are descendants of refugees. The day, May 15, will this year also coincide with the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Manelis reiterated Saturday that Israel will not allow a massive breach of the fence into Israeli territory. He said that Hamas and other Gaza militant groups are using protests as a cover for staging attacks. If violence continues, we will not be able to continue limiting our activity to the fence area and will act against these terror organizations in other places too, he said. The border protests were seen as a new attempt by Hamas to break the border blockade, imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic terrorist group seized Gaza in 2007 from forces loyal to its rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The continued closure has made it increasingly difficult for Hamas to govern. Life in the coastal strip has deteriorated further in recent months, with rising unemployment, grinding poverty and daily blackouts that last for hours. The prospect of more protests and Palestinian casualties in coming weeks could also place Israel on the defensive. At the United Nations, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an independent investigation, while Security Council members urged restraint on both sides. The council didnt decide on any action or joint message after an emergency meeting Friday evening. Abbas, the West Bank-based leader, renewed a call for international protection of Palestinians. In the West Bank, shopkeepers observed a commercial strike called by political activists Saturday to protest Israels response to the Gaza marches. (AP) The father of a detainee who underwent torture as a minor during Shin Bet interrogation turned to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in a request to allow his son, in light of his serious condition, to celebrate the Pesach Seder at home. Our request has a measure of accepting both responsibility for backing the interrogation of our son under torture, and also for his conviction before the trial began. On Thursday, March 29, the father of A., who is suspected of involvement with the July 31, 2015 Kfar Duma arson incident, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu requesting that in light of his sons serious condition resulting from the torture he underwent, the Prison Service allow him to celebrate Pesach Seder at home with his family. Pesach is known as the Holiday of Freedom of the Jewish People who came out of slavery into freedom. However no less than that it is also the Holiday of Freedom of each and every individual Jew. Since our son was detained in the Kfar Duma case, when he was 17 years old, approximately two and a half years have passed during which he has been imprisoned in a heavily guarded wing, under the most severe detention conditions in the State of Israel, almost completely isolated, without any opportunity to daven with a minyan, not even on Shabbos or Yomim Tovim. As the third Seder Night since he was detained approaches, we turn to you in a request to allow him to celebrate with us the upcoming Seder Night, wrote the father. The father mentioned that the request is supported by an expert opinion of the Probation Service: Our request is supported by the unequivocal recommendation by the Prison Service to release our son to house arrest, but no less than that by the circumstances for which he has sat so long in remand, and the court has not yet reached a verdict in the trial within a trial [process to determine whether or not a suspects confession is admissible in court] which had been postponed for approximately three months! Additionally, the father raised the issue of the torture which his son underwent: We would like to remind you that all of the charges against our son are based solely on confessions obtained from him after undergoing horrific torture in the Shin Bet dungeons for 21 days, and the use of problematic juridical procedures, which do not have a precedent in the history of the State of Israel, particularly in consideration of the fact that this was the interrogation of a minor who does not have a criminal past. After all that, the court did not see fit to charge our son with the murder of [three members of] the Darawshe family (!), but rather with lesser charges. Imagine a situation in which a minor must cope with serious emotional injury resulting from the torture he underwent, and in addition to that he must sit in remand for an extremely prolonged period of time, waiting for a trial on serious charges for a crime which he did not commit! Is there torture worse than that? The father mentioned the repeated extensions of the prolonged remand: It is true that everything is legal and that the extension of the remand for the 14th time was authorized by the Supreme Court, in an unprecedented step. However, we believe that precisely you, who has recently personally experienced how the legal authorities can act tendentiously and set someone up, can identify with us and at least cast doubt on the credibility of the charges which have yet to be verified by the court, two and a half years after he was sent to prison! In his conclusion, the father called on the Prime Minister to take responsibility for his part in the matter, due to his support of the torture: Our request has both a dimension of accepting responsibility for backing the interrogation of our son under torture, and also for his conviction before the trial began, as you expressed yourself in your speech in the UN (9/2016): Take the recent case of Ahmed Darawshe I ordered that every effort be made in order to penalize his assailants to the full extent of the law, and today those same Jewish citizens of Israel charged with assaulting the Darawshe family are in prison and awaiting their trial. Accordingly, for all the above-mentioned reasons, we turn to you in a request to order the Prison Service to release our son to his home for the Seder Night, or at least to allow him to take part in the communal Pesach Seder in the Religious Wing of the prison. Currently the minor in the case is awaiting the verdict in the trial within a trial, the first part of the trial in which the admissibility of the confessions obtained from him while under torture when he was a minor is judged. Immediately prior to the deliberation the attorneys representing the defendants made a statement to the media. Attorney Tzion Amir, who is representing the minor in the case, stated that, We have reached the closing statements stage. I hope very much that one day the matters which arose during the trial within a trial, the facts and the details [which arose] during the testimonies and the interrogations of everyone, especially the Shin Bet agents, will be revealed. The public should be very deeply shocked by how the interrogation of a minor who was not charged with murder, but rather with a charge connected to the murder, was conducted, and also by the manner in which the interrogation was conducted, completely by torture, violent means in various forms and by various methods. This matter shakes one to the core. It is impossible to come to terms with an interrogation conducted in this matter in a democratic society. I hope very much that in the end the court will state its piece concerning these fundamental issues. Attorney Adi Keidar, who is also representing the minor, added that, I hope that the court, for the first time, will accept our claims and reveal to the entire public the dramatic events which occurred during the interrogations: Violations of human rights, extreme violations of human rights, and we want to unequivocally clarify, despite the fact that this is a trial within a trial, that the defendant is not connected in any way to the Kfar Duma incident. We still do not know what happened in Kfar Duma. He [the minor] is not connected to the incident and the fictitious connection which was somehow made and written in the indictment, stems from the desire of the Shin Bet to try to excuse the severe measures and the torture which they used on him. Otherwise there is no explanation for it [the fictitious connection]. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced on Sunday, 16 Nissan, that Israel will not return the bodies of Gazans killed during violent clashes with soldiers along the Gaza border on erev Shabbos, 14 Nissan. Lieberman explained that until such time Hamas released the bodies of Lt. Hadar Goldin and Sgt. Oren Shaul, the bodies of the Gazans will be held by Israel. Speaking to Channel 20 News, the senior minister explained how Hamas has money for everything other than helping improve the quality of life for Gazans, now spending $15 million for a weekend terror parade. According to Israeli reports, of the 18 persons killed in the border clashes, 10 were affiliated with Hamas. Lieberman rejected called for a probe into the deaths and injuries, calling such demands Hypocritical. He had harsh words for the newly-elected head of the extremist left-wing Meretz party, MK Tamar Zandberg, who is among the audible voices demanding an independent probe into the deaths. Hamas snatched the bodies of Goldin and Shaul during Operation Protective Edge, the IDF counter-terrorism incursion into Gaza in the summer of 2014. Hamas to date has refused to release the bodies for kvura in Israel. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) [April 02, 2018] Canada and British Columbia to make significant investments that will improve the lives of Canadians Supporting new projects that build prosperous communities and transition to a clean growth economy VANCOUVER, April 2, 2018 /CNW/ - The governments of Canada and British Columbia are working together to make long-term infrastructure investments that will create economic growth, sustain well-paying jobs, build inclusive communities and support a low-carbon, green economyleading to a higher quality of life for all Canadians. Today, the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and the Honourable Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure announced the signing of a bilateral agreement that will provide more than $4.1 billion in federal funding through the Investing in Canada plan over the next decade for infrastructure projects. These projects will be cost-shared with the Government of British Columbia, municipalities and other partners. This new funding will see the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia make unprecedented investments in public transit, green infrastructure, recreational and cultural infrastructure, and rural and northern communities. These investments will have benefits for people in communities across the province, including: faster commutes and travel times for more people, and easier movement of goods for businesses; cleaner air and water; reduced greenhouse gas emissions; smarter more efficient cities; sustainable water management; enhanced public parks, recreational facilities and other spaces that make communities great places to live; better transportation and digital infrastructure for people living in remote communities; increased energy security and reduced reliance on diesel in the North. Across Canada, more than $33 billion in federal funding will be invested through new bilateral agreements with provinces and territories. Provinces and territories will develop three-year plans that will provide information on how they will implement their infrastructure projects. Quotes "Long-term investments in infrastructure are key to building a strong Canadaconnecting people, creating good jobs for the middle class, and building our economy and communities for the future. We are pleased to have reached a new agreement with British Columbia to invest in infrastructure projects that will benefit all communities for years to come. Collaboration and partnership have been at the heart of the success of our Investing in Canada plan and we will continue to work with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities, stakeholders, and Canadians from coast to coast to coast." The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities "Signing this new 10-year bilateral agreement with the Government of Canada means people in B.C. stand to benefit from record infrastructure investment nearly $10 billion in partnership with all levels of government. From greener infrastructure and better public transit to enhanced community centres and parks, this historic funding gives communities in B.C. of all sizes a boost to deliver modern infrastructure through smart investments that benefit people, the environment, and the economy." The Honourable Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation & Infrastructure "When we invest in infrastructure, we're helping people live active lives, access clean drinking water, travel safely and efficiently and access more arts and culture," said Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. "This historic agreement is paving the way for a better transportation system in the lower mainland and enhanced infrastructure for communities of all sizes across B.C." The Honourable Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Quick facts Under the Investing in Canada plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities. plan, the Government of is investing more than over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and rural and northern communities. Under the first phase of the plan, Infrastructure Canada has approved nearly 3,500 projects across Canada worth a combined investment of more than $8.4 billion , including more than 200 projects worth more than $1.2 billion in British Columbia . worth a combined investment of more than , including more than 200 projects worth more than in . As part of the Plan, Infrastructure Canada will deliver $33 billion over the next decade through new bilateral agreements with provinces and territories under four funding streams: over the next decade through new bilateral agreements with provinces and territories under four funding streams: $20.1 billion for public transit; for public transit; $9.2 billion for green infrastructure; for green infrastructure; $1.3 billion for community, cultural and recreational infrastructure; and for community, cultural and recreational infrastructure; and $2 billion for wide-ranging infrastructure needs in rural and northern communities. In addition, the $400 million Arctic Energy Fund will be delivered under this stream to support energy security in the territories. for wide-ranging infrastructure needs in rural and northern communities. In addition, the Arctic Energy Fund will be delivered under this stream to support energy security in the territories. This marks the fifth new long-term infrastructure agreement the Government of Canada has signed with provincial and territorial partners. has signed with provincial and territorial partners. The funding provided under the bilateral agreement also includes $212.3 million already committed to the Lion's Gate Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in North Vancouver . Related product Backgrounder Canada and British Columbia to make significant investments that will improve the lives of Canadians Supporting new projects that build prosperous communities and transition to a clean growth economy Under the $180-billion Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada is signing new ten-year bilateral agreements with all provinces and territories that will see more than $33 billion in federal funding invested in infrastructure projects across the country. The objective of these investments is to transform the way Canadians live, move and work across four priority areas: Public transit; Green infrastructure; Community, culture, and recreation infrastructure; and Rural and northern communities. British Columbia will receive a total of $4,129,680,161 from 2018 to 2028 through this agreement. Allocations by funding stream: Funding Stream Allocation Expected Outcomes at Project Completion* Public Transit $2,691,101,894 to build new urban transit networks and service extensions that will transform the way Canadians live, move and work. Improved capacity of public transit infrastructure Improved quality and safety of existing and future transit systems Improved access to public transit systems Green Infrastructure $1,115,494,721 to support greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reductions; enable greater adaptation and resilience to the impacts of climate change and climate-related disaster mitigation, and ensure that more communities can provide clean air and safe drinking water for their citizens. ** This amount includes a $212 million allocation for the Lion's Gate project, which is currently being implemented under PTIC-NRP. Increased capacity to manage more renewable energy Increased access to clean energy transportation Increased energy efficiency of buildings Increased generation of clean energy Increased structural capacity and increased natural capacity to adapt to climate change impacts, natural disasters and extreme weather events Increased capacity to treat and manage wastewater and storm water Increased access to potable water Increased capacity to reduce or remediate soil and air pollutants Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure $157,081,719 towards community, culture and recreation infrastructure to build stronger communities and improve social inclusion. Improved access to and increased quality of community, cultural and recreational infrastructure for Canadians, including Indigenous Peoples and vulnerable populations Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure $166,001,827 to support projects that improve the quality of life in rural and northern communities by responding to rural and northern specific needs. The stream also includes the $400 million Arctic Energy Fund that will address energy security in the territories. Improved food security Improved and more reliable road, air and marine infrastructure Improved broadband connectivity More efficient and reliable energy (The Arctic Energy Fund can only be applied to this outcome.) Improved education and health facilities that benefit Indigenous peoples (specific to Truth and Reconciliation Commission) * Outcomes will be obtained through projects which will be communicated in more details as they are announced. The bilateral agreements will allow the Government of Canada and the provinces and territories to agree on shared results as well as a method of regularly reporting on results. The bilateral agreements support the following long-term goals: Increase the rate of economic growth in an inclusive and sustainable way; Improve environmental quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resiliency of communities; Improve mobility in Canadian communities; Make Canadian communities more inclusive and accessible; and Manage infrastructure in a more sustainable way. Under these new bilateral agreements, the Government of Canada will not only make significant investments in Canadian communities, but open the door to unique innovative project ideas that meet the agreed-upon outcomes. These new ideas will contribute to the long-term sustainability of our infrastructure. To ensure our partners consider opportunities to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions or better adapt to climate change during the project development stage, a new climate lens will be applied to certain projects. Partners will also report on how larger projects are creating job opportunities for a broader array of Canadians in the construction industry and related sectors through a new Community Employment Benefits framework. For information on cost-sharing, please see Infrastructure Canada's website. British Columbia's Transit Allocation The Public Transit stream will provide provinces, territories and municipalities with funding to address the new construction, expansion, improvement and rehabilitation of public transit infrastructure. The table below provides an overview of the maximum transit allocations for the following recipients in British Columbia: Recipient Maximum Transit Allocation Translink $2,222,366,485 BC Transit $468,735,408 Associated links Government of Canada's $180-billion+ Investing in Canada plan: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/about-invest-apropos-eng.html Investing in Canada plan project map: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/gmap-gcarte/index-eng.html Federal infrastructure investments in British Columbia: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/organizational-structure/ministries-organizations/ministries/transportation-and-infrastructure Twitter: @INFC_eng Web: Infrastructure Canada SOURCE Infrastructure Canada [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] TEMECULA, Calif., April 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hope is not lost for those struggling with heroin addiction Heroin Detox Clinics explains. Heroin addicts can free themselves from the devastating grip of drug dependence through treatment. Many individuals have been able to stop their use of heroin completely and live healthy and productive lives. Recovery can be had through three factors involved in a heroin treatment center: detoxification, medications and behavioral therapies. Detoxification in Heroin Addiction Treatment The purpose of going to a heroin rehab is to prepare the person physically for heroin addiction treatment. Rehab is the process which allows the recovering addict to adjust to a drug-free state safely. People who suddenly stop the use of heroin experience withdrawal symptoms about 12 hours after the last dose. In medically assisted detox, medications like clonidine and buprenorphine are administered to help ease the symptoms. It is important to note that detox alone is not treatment. It is merely the first step to treatment. The Use of Medications in Heroin Addiction Treatment Medications are not only used to relieve symptoms of heroin withdrawal. In heroin addiction treatment, medications may be necessary to minimize cravings. The use of anti-addiction drugs is most helpful in preventing recovering addicts from relapsing. Two medications commonly used in treating opioid addiction are methadone and buprenorphine. Both of these are effective as replacement therapy; since they are synthetic opiates, they produce the same effects as heroin, but they are safer. Since the patient is not completely without opiates, he or she will not suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Naltrexone is another medication used to help heroin addicts recover. This drug does not serve as an opioid replacement, but it is effective in curbing cravings. It enables patients to stop their heroin abuse by blocking the opioids from attaching to the receptors, preventing them from experiencing the effects of the drug. Behavioral Therapies in Heroin Addiction Treatment The use of medications works best when combined with behavioral therapies. According to the National Institute on Drug Addiction (NIDA), the combination of behavioral treatments and medication therapies (which use the drugs above) in a treatment plan is most recommended. Heroin addiction affects the brain, and thus, causes changes in attitude and behavior. Behavioral therapies enable recovering addicts to modify heroin-related behaviors. The specific treatment recommended for heroin addiction treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps patients identify the cause of the addiction and teaches them strategies to cope with temptations. If you or someone you know is battling heroin addiction, seek help immediately. We are a helpline that helps explicitly heroin abusers. Call or chat with our addiction counselors and get the help you need. If you would like to speak with one of our treatment counselors to find out about our rehabilitation options, call 888-325-2454 we are available 24 hours a day. Contact Info: Author: Kevin Leonard Organization: HeroinDetoxClinics.com Address: 27420 Jefferson Ave, Temecula, CA 92590 Phone: 888-325-2454 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b82a7058-2507-49c9-a5ce-6419096323c2 [April 02, 2018] Denver Tech Companies Launch Colorado Technology Recruiting Coalition to Attract Top Tech Talent Today, a consortium of Denver's most recognized technology companies have partnered with state and city economic organizations to form the Colorado Technology Recruiting Coalition (CTRC). The Coalition will promote Colorado as one of the country's fastest-growing tech hubs and recruit world-class tech talent. The first target market is Silicon Valley and the greater San Francisco Bay Area. The Coalition's new "Pivot to Colorado" website will showcase Colorado's vibrant tech ecosystem and dynamic opportunities available for talented engineers, product developers and tech leaders. Throughout 2018, the campaign will elevate awareness of Colorado's thriving tech scene and connect tech talent with key CTRC charter member job opportunities on the "Pivot to Colorado" website. The campaign will feature the faces of Colorado's tech scene, and highlight "Pivot" stories of tech transplants whose contributions have helped shape the state's growth as a tech hub. Coalition members will share and promote career opportunities and local company successes on the CTRC website and advertising channels, with the goal of hiring multiple high-quality candidates at each charter company. "Colorado is home to nearly 11,000 technology companies, and a new company is formed in the state every 72 hours," said Stephanie Copeland, executive director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. "Colorado has the nation's second most educated labor pool and third greatest concentration of tech talent in the country, and this campaign highlights our vibrant ecosystem and the incredible opportunities for innovators from around the country to make their mark here in Colorado's thriving tech sector." With a robust mix of startups, growth stage and mature public companies, Colorado's tch sector is attracting investment and accolades. Last year alone, Denver startups received more than $500 million in funding, and Glassdoor rated Denver as number four on its list of the best cities for getting a tech job, citing, among other factors, its lower cost of living and a place where engineers were able to stretch their dollars further. "Our city's already fast-paced growth is not slowing down, and it is important that the public and private sectors work together to be prepared for what's ahead," said Tami Door, president and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership. "The efforts of the Colorado Technology Recruiting Coalition will ensure that when the best and the brightest companies seek to relocate and expand to Denver, we are well-equipped with the world-class talent they need." Charter tech company members of the Coalition include Four Winds Interactive, Gusto, Healthgrades, HomeAdvisor, Ibotta, Ping Identity, SendGrid, Workday and Xero. The Coalition's public partners include The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, Colorado Technology Association and the Downtown Denver Partnership. "The collaborative and dedicated efforts of our Coalition over the last year in contributing to and launching our Pivot to Colorado campaign is an authentic representation of what it's like to work in the Denver tech community," said Pattie Money, chief people officer at SendGrid. "We share a common goal, which is the betterment and enrichment of our tech ecosystem, and we always dig in to support one another. We're excited to launch this campaign and bring in more top talent to Denver." The multi-channel "Pivot to Colorado" campaign incorporates the following elements: The "Pivot to Colorado" website Out-of-home media Multi-channel digital marketing Strategic media relations campaign Integrated social media As the "Pivot to Colorado" campaign unfolds, the Coalition will naturally evolve, targeting additional markets, bringing on additional members and connecting with other Denver-based economic development and promotional activities to continue to elevate the state's brand as one of the fastest-growing tech hubs in the country. About the Colorado Technology Recruiting Coalition Colorado's most well-known technology companies and leading economic organizations co-founded the Colorado Technology Recruiting Coalition in 2018 to help build Denver's brand as one of the fastest-growing tech hubs in the nation. The Coalition's first collaborative project - the "Pivot to Colorado" advertising, public relations and social media campaign - is designed to drive world-class engineers, product developers and tech leaders to Colorado to support and help amplify the state's thriving tech industry. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180402005208/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 02, 2018] Trilogy International Partners Inc. Announces Dividend and Dividend Reinvestment Plan BELLEVUE, Wash., April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trilogy International Partners Inc. (the Company) (TSX:TRL) today announced that it has declared a dividend of C$0.02 per common share of the Company (each, a Common Share) The dividend will be paid on May 4, 2018, to holders of the Companys Common Shares as of a record date of April 16, 2018. The dividend declared on the Common Shares is an eligible dividend for the purpose of the Income Tax Act (Canada). The Company also announced today that its subsidiary, Trilogy International Partners LLC, has declared an economically equivalent dividend of its Class C Units (Trilogy LLC Class C Units) to holders of Trilogy LLC Class C Units as of a record date of April 16, 2018. The Company also wishes to remind its Canadian shareholders that is has implemented a dividend reinvestment plan (the Plan). Holders of Common Shares who are residents of Canada may elect to participate in the plan in connection with the dividend to be paid on May 4, 2018 to shareholders of record as of April 16, 2018. Pursuant to the Plan, eligible Canadian holders of a minimum of one Common Share of the Company may elect to automatically reinvest their cash dividends payable in respect of the Common Shares to acquire additional Common Shares, which will be issued from treasury on the applicable dividend payment date. The price at which such Common Shares are issued from treasury will be 95% of the volume weighted average closing price of the Companys Common Shares over the five business days immediately preceding such dividend payment date. For more information about the Plan, or to request or download a copy of the detailed Plan, please contact the Plan Agent, TSX Trust Company (TSX Trust), by phone at 1-866-600-5869, by e-mail to tmxeinvestorservices@tmx.com, or visit TSX Trusts website at www.tsxtrust.com/resources/investor-centre/forms. A copy of the Plan will also be available on our website at www.trilogy-international.com (go to Investor Relations and Dividends). The Plan is subject to certain limitations and restrictions and interested parties are encouraged to review the full text of the Plan before making any decisions regarding their participation in the Plan. Eligible Canadian registered shareholders must complete and deliver enrollment forms to TSX Trust at least five (5) business days before the record date. Canadian beneficial shareholders who hold their Common Shares through a nominee and who wish to participate in the Plan should contact their nominee to enquire about enrollment. Holders of Trilogy LLC Class C Units will receive their dividend in the form of additional Trilogy LLC Class C Units. The value per additional Trilogy LLC Class C Unit received will be equal to the value of each additional Common Share received by holders of Common Shares under the Plan, being 95% of the volume weighted average closing price of the Companys Common Shares over the five business days immediately preceding the payment date. About Trilogy International Partners Inc. Trilogy International Partners Inc. (TSX:TRL) is the parent company of Trilogy International Partners LLC, a wireless telecommunications operator formed by wireless industry veterans John Stanton, Theresa Gillespie and Brad Horwitz. Its founders have an exceptional track record of successfully buying, building, launching and operating communication businesses in 15 international markets and the United States. The Company currently provides wireless communications services through its operating subsidiaries in New Zealand and Bolivia. Its head office is located at 155 108th Avenue NE, Suite 400, Bellevue, Washington, 98004 USA. For more information, visit www.trilogy-international.com. Cautionary Statements Certain information contained in this news release may be forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws in Canada and forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 of the United States of America. Forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are often, but not always identified by the use of words such as "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "foresee", "could", "estimate", "goal", "intend", "plan", "seek", "will", "may" and "should" and similar expressions or words suggesting future outcomes. This news release includes forward-looking information and statements pertaining to, among other things, expectations regarding the payment of dividends, the ability to reinvest dividends for additional common shares of the Company and other aspects of the intended operation of the Plan. Numerous risks and uncertainties could cause the actual events and results to differ materially from the estimates, beliefs and assumptions expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons (as such term is defined in Regulation S 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 is available. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Trilogy International Partners Inc. Ann Saxton Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Development (425) 458-5900 ann.saxton@trilogy-international.com www.trilogy-international.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 01, 2018] SanBio: Update on Development Progress of Regenerative Cell Medicine SB623 The SanBio Group (SanBio Co., Ltd. and subsidiary SanBio Inc.) (TOKYO:4592) has updated part of its March 13, 2018 release "Update on Development Progress of Regenerative Cell Medicine SB623". Updated sections are underlined below. In the SB623 development program targeting chronic motor deficit from ischemic stroke, a Phase 2b clinical trial jointly conducted with Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., is under way in the U.S., and enrollment of all 163 patients was completed in December 2017. The results of the trial are due in July 2019 following a 12-month follow-up period. In Japan, on February 14, 2018, SanBio and Teijin Limited terminated their licensing agreement, which previously had out-licensed to Teijin development and marketing of SB623 for stroke in Japan. Concurrently, SanBio initiated its own SB623 development program for chronic deficit from ischemic stroke in Japan with the objective to deliver a product in Japan earlier than in any other market in the world. In a separate global development program targeting chronic motor deficit from traumatic brain injury (TBI), which SanBio is developing independently in Japan and the U.S., a Phase 2 clinical trial is under way, and patient enrollment has been completed with 61 patients enrolled versus the target of 52 patients. After a six-month follow-up period, SanBio plans to utilize the conditional and time-limited marketing authorization system for regenerative medicine products under the Revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Act of Japan to begin sales for its TBI indication before its other SB623 development programs. Specifically, SanBio plans to publish clinical trial results for its Phase 2 TBI study by the end of the fiscal year ending January 2019 and file for approval in the fiscal year ending January 2020. Overview of development progress of SB623 Indication Region Progress to date Schedule Chronic motor deficit from ischemic stroke US, Canada Completed patient enrollment for Phase 2b, double-blind study (163 patients) in December 2017 Results to be published by July 2019 after 12-month follow-up period Japan Terminated licensing agreement with Teijin in February 2018 Began preparations for starting own development program in February 2018. Aim to deliver a product in Japan earlier than in any other market in the world. Chronic motor deficit from traumatic brain injury Global (US & Japan) Completed patient enrollment for Phase 2, double-blind study (61 patients) in April 2018 Results to be published in the fiscal year ending January 2019, after six-month follow-up period following completion of patient enrollment. (Japan) Aim to file for approval in the fiscal year ending January 2020 assuming utilization of Japan's conditional and time-limited marketing authorization system for commercialization. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180401005035/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 01, 2018] Sourced Group Announces Organisational Changes, Expansion of ASEAN Operations Changes position Sourced for continued global growth SINGAPORE, SYDNEY, and TORONTO, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sourced Group (Sourced), a leading IT consulting firm specialising in large-scale cloud transformations for enterprise clients, is pleased to announce a new organisational structure aimed at better serving its worldwide customer base. Originally based in Australia and Canada, the company expanded its presence into the Singapore market in July 2017 with a dedicated executive and delivery team that has gone on to engage with leading local enterprises in the financial services and aviation industries. Today the company also announces the further expansion of its Singapore office to meet the needs of its growing base of Southeast Asian clients. Founded in 2010, Sourced provides professional, project and managed services for securing, migrating and managing the cloud infrastructure of Fortune 500 clients in financial services, aviation, healthcare and other regulated industries. With the company planning to continue to align itself directly to clients' key operational regions, Sourced recently completed a global strategic roadmap to ensure it positions itself effectively to deliver world-class services to its global clients, and their communities. As a result of the review, the company is announcing the following appointments, effective immediately: Jonathan Spinks, Founder and Principal Consultant of Sourced, becomes Chief Executive Officer and is based in Toronto, Canada. Jonathan founded the company with the sole focus of helping highly regulated and security conscious enterprises move to the cloud efficiently and effectively. Prior to founding Sourced, Jonathan was a Solutions Architect for financial services clients at Frontline Systems Australia. Before Frontline Systems, Jonathan was with JPMorgan Chase - Asia Pacific, where he headed up the UNIX Systems and Infrastructure Technology Planning functions. Reporting to Jonathan are three newly created positions of Managing Director for ASEAN, ANZ and North America. Based in Singapore, John Painter takes on the role of Managing Director for ASEAN. John joined Sourced as a Solutions Architect in 2012 and was promoted to Principal Consultant in 2014. He launched the Singapore office in 2017 as Country Lead. Prior to Sourced, John was a Consulting Engineer for Frontline Systems Australia and Lead Engineer of their High Performance Computing and VFX program. Salma Datenis, based in Sydney, Australia, assumes the role of Managing Director for ANZ. Salma joined Sourced in 2015 as Cloud Infrastructure Architect and shortly after became Head of Engineering. She became Country Lead for Australia in 2017. Prior to Sourced, Salma was a Technical Systems Integrator at Macquarie Group. Paul Bertoni, based in Toronto, Canada, becomes Managing Director for North America. Paul joined Sourced in 2016 as Head of Project Services. Prior to Sourced, Paul held several technical leadership and project management positions with companies including Unity Consulting and ICOM, a division of Epsilon Targeting. He began his career as a Technical Support Manager with Bank of Montreal. "I am delighted with the growth of Sourced and humbled by the daily trust our clients put in our ability to guide them on their cloud journey," says Jonathan Spinks, CEO, Sourced Group. "The organisational changes and operational expansions announced today will allow us to further enhance our offerings and improve our responsiveness to client needs. We have an exceptional team at Sourced and I know they share my excitement as we position ourselves for the future." "Today we continue to deepen our commitment to Singapore and the ASEAN region," says John Painter, Managing Director, ASEAN. Over the last year we have been privileged to work with some of Singapore's most globally recognized enterprises, helping them build strategy and manage their use of cloud computing. We at Sourced view Singapore as a long term strategic commitment, and we will continue to invest in the region with world class talent, local executive and delivery teams, and a focus on skill transference across our clients, teams, and the broader community." About Sourced Sourced Group is a global cloud consultancy that helps enterprises make the most of cloud services with a focus on security, governance and compliance. With offices in Australia, Canada and Singapore, Sourced provides professional services for securing, migrating and managing the cloud infrastructure of large enterprise customers. The company specializes in configuration management, automation, cloud computing and data management for a wide range of industries, including financial services, media, transport and telecommunications companies. Using Sourced's proven deployment frameworks, managed services, and trusted design patterns, the company works with the largest and most security conscious organisations to unlock innovation through cloud computing. www.sourcedgroup.com Media Contact: Kevin Spikes, Sourced Group, Australia: 02 8278 0777 x2812, North America: 844 401 6455 x2812, Singapore: +65 3163 6580 x2812, Direct: +1 647 493 2812, Mobile: +1 647 526 3166, kevin.spikes@sourcedgroup.com SOURCE Sourced Group [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 01, 2018] LemoChain Enables Businesses to Create Blockchain-Based Data Marketplaces LemoChain launches Singapore ICO for new cryptocurrency token; releases API and SDK to make data exchange on blockchain accessible to businesses SINGAPORE, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- LemoChain, a company bringing the real-world benefits of blockchain and smart contracts to businesses using a decentralized application infrastructure, is announcing it will hold an Initial Coin Offering for a new cryptocurrency called LEMO, which businesses will use to buy and sell enterprise data. LemoChain will enable businesses to develop their own data marketplaces, which represents the first real business application of blockchain technology. Valuable data that helps with sales, customer acquisition, retention and other strategic goals can be bought and sold with LEMO tokens, which will be available beginning April 2. The company will offer 200 million LEMO digital tokens at the price of 1 Ethereum (ETH) token for 9,000 LEMO tokens in an ICO whose total value is $9 million. Investors who purchase LEMOs in the ICO will be offered a software development kit and advanced programming interface which can be used to build a data marketplace. Once businesses have created their own marketplaces, they can buy and sell sell datawhich is verified by LemoChainto one another using LEMO as currncy. "We will be the first company to connect blockchain and smart-contract technology to businesses in a meaningful way," said Andrew Ma, CEO and cofounder of LemoChain. "Every business needs new tools to grow faster, and data is the most valuable tool of all. Because of our platform, businesses will be able to fully trust the data they buy. Our decentralized infrastructure means transactions can be done with smart contracts that are impossible to cheat." LemoChain, founded by the nonprofit Lemo Foundation, is creating the world's first decentralized data circulation ecosystem, which enables effective open exchange of structured business data. Built on blockchain technology, the company's 'Smart-Contract Value Transfer Protocol' achieves a P2P and B2B data exchange across a decentralized application platform suitable for a range of industries, including education, social networking, gaming, recruitment and finance. The company is already collaborating with businesses in both the U.S. and China, including CyberMiles, School Spirit, the China Education Innovation Alliance, Hui SaaS, Panda Driving and other companies. LemoChain's technology and comprehensive ecosystem governance will facilitate an all-encompassing platform for widespread data pioneering. "Many existing smart-contract platforms have struggled to connect with real business logic due to the technological distance from everyday business," Mr. Ma said. "LemoChain is the company that's going to change that. We are creating a universal online data transfer protocol that can be trusted." To find out more about LemoChain's upcoming ICO, chat with the team via Telegram. About LemoChain LemoChain is developing a decentralized data circulation ecosystem focused on facilitating effective open exchange of structured business data. Built on blockchain technology, LemoChain's 'Smart-Contract Value Transfer Protocol' can achieve a P2P and B2B data exchange across a decentralized application platform suitable for a range of industries. The company was founded by The Lemo Foundation, an organization designed to drive R&D growth, governance transparency and the overall development of the LemoChain ecosystem. Visit our website at www.lemochain.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Rose Lee SSPR 703-371-5840 rlee@sspr.com SOURCE LemoChain [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 02, 2018] Web Werks Wins the Data Center Service Provider of the Year Award at 2nd BFSI Cloud and Security Summit MUMBAI, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Web Werks is the most reliable and secure data center in India for Banking and Finance sector Web Werks, the leading data center hosting provider in India wins the 'Data Center Service Provider of the Year' award at 2nd BFSI Cloud and Security Summit on 22nd February, 2018 in Mumbai. Elects Technomedia Pvt. Ltd organized the 'BFSI Innovative Technology Awards - 2018'. The event was premiere acknowledgment of outstanding achievements and innovations in the Banking, Finance Services and Insurance (BFSI) Cloud & Security Summit held on 22nd February 2018 in St. Regis Hotel, Mumbai. "This year has started on an extremely good note for us. We are being recognized for our services in the web hosting industry and taking home lot of awards which surely is an achievement for our team. Recently, we achieved 'Data Center Service Provider of the Year' award at 2nd BFSI Cloud and Security Summit. This is surely a big achievement as it shows how safe, reliable and secure our services are for banking and finance sectors. Security is our prime focus and we leave no stone unturned when it comes to providing secure and reliable netork with 99.995% guaranteed uptime and also being certified by Uptime Institute. I am highly grateful for this achievement," said Nikhil Rathi, Director, Web Werks Data Center Pvt. Ltd. About Web Werks Web Werks Data Centers have been leaders in India for the past two decades and are located in three countries with more than six geographically located data centers. Offering reliable hosting services on Dedicated Servers, Cloud, Virtualization, Co-location and Disaster Recovery Services along with 24x7 Rapid Action Support and 99.995% Uptime Guarantee. Web Werks Data Centers are validated with ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013, ISO 20000-1 and Uptime Institute Certified. The data centers are Carbon Neutral contributing towards Global Go-Green concepts. Web Werks is also PCI-DSS, HIPAA, ISO 27001, TIA-942 and SSAE16, SSAE18 SOC 2 Type 1 compliant. This certification affirms how we treat security, confidentiality, integrity, and privacy of our customers' data. Web Werks in India is the first Asian data center to hold OIX-2 and host an OIX-1 IXP Mumbai-IX. In addition to this, fulfills all the requirements for being a full OpenIX supporter. Web Werks is also Cloud empanelled by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India (MeitY). The company has been awarded with 'Maharashtra IT Excellence Award 2018' by Government of Maharashtra, 'The Best Web Hosting Award 2017', 'Retailer of the Year for Best Cloud Data Centers and Internet Exchange', 'Great Indian Workplace Award (GIWA) 2017', 'HostReview's Readers' Choice Awards 2017', and 'National Choice Award - Best Cloud Data Centers and Internet Exchange 2018'. We have collaborated with more than 1000+ organizations globally. Few of our prestigious clients are Microsoft, Canon, Google, Godrej, TATA, Facebook, Akamai, Netflix and many more. Our client list also incorporates Government sectors such as Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation, NABARD, SIDBI, NPCI and so on. For more information, kindly visit, http://www.webwerks.in. Media Contact: Priti Shetti priti.shetti@webwerks.in +91-8828335555 Corporate Relations Web Werks India Pvt. Ltd. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 02, 2018] UnionPay International kicks off a marketing campaign for the Qing Ming Festival SHANGHAI, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With China's Qing Ming Festival Holiday approaching, many Chinese tourists prefer to take their annual leave before or after the holiday so as to enjoy an extra-long holiday. And short-distance traveling is preferred in particular with over 70% of outbound travel bookings being to destinations near China. Chinese tourists are now able to pay with UnionPay cards in 168 countries and regions. UnionPay International is offering exclusive discounts and privileges for cardholders who travel during this Holiday. The campaign covers 15 popular destinations in Asia, as well as destinations in Europe, America and Australia. Tourists from mainland China may download the "UnionPay" app to enjoy safe and smooth mobile payment experiences and get UnionPay discount information before and during the trip. Over 150 well-known merchants in Asia provide exclusive offers UnionPay International provides exclusive offers for UnionPay cards at selected short-distanced travel destinations, covering over 150 well-known merchant locations across Japan, Thailand, Singapore and Southeast Asia. These merchants include Michelin-starred restaurants, landmark shopping centers, duty-free shops and other types of merchants. Travelers who plan to enjoy a longer holiday in Europe, America or Australia may enjoy UnionPay discounts too. Merchants offering UnionPay discounts cover a range of different types, including Macy's in the US, La Rinascente in Milan and Cafe Pushkin in Russia. Moreover, more than 300,000 merchants in 38 overseas countries and regions support tax refund with UnionPay cards. "UnionPay" app facilitates free-and-independent travel With the increasing popularity of free-and-independent travel, Chinese tourists are looking forward to getting multiple travel services via mobile terminals. In response to this trend, UnionPay International is expanding the acceptance scope of the "UnionPay" app outside mainland China. Meanwhile, UnionPay International is collaborating with various travel-related apps to provide accurate card-using discounts and services for cardholders. Now, UnionPay cardholders can easily activate mobile contactless payment function via the "UnionPay" app, and then pay at over a million POS terminals outside the Chinese Mainland by tapping mobile phones, or pay by scanning UnionPay QR codes at merchants in 13 countries and regions. Cardholders also have access to tailored and real-time card-using and discounts information, such as card-using tips and merchant discounts in 168 countries and regions, U Plan e-coupons, tax refund progress and real-time exchange rates. SOURCE UnionPay International [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 02, 2018] Canon India's Vice President Mr. K. Bhaskhar, Elected as Chairman for the CII Office Automation and Imaging Division NEW DELHI, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With this coveted industry acknowledgement, Mr. Bhaskhar will be working closely with Government, business leaders towards the development of the Imaging industry Canon India, leading imaging solutions provider, today announced the appointment of its Vice President, Mr. K. Bhaskhar, from the Business Imaging Solutions division, as the Chairman for the Confederation of Indian Industry's Office Automation and Imaging Division. Unanimously elected for the position, Mr. Bhaskhar will be seen in an advisory role, working alongside the Government on policy matters, interfacing with thought leaders, and enhancing efficiency, competitiveness and business opportunities for industry through a range of specialized services and strategic global linkages. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661332/K_Bhaskhar_VP_Canon_India.jpg ) With a two decade long tenure at Canon, Mr. Bhaskhar is one of the most respected leaders in the organization and has been its part since its inception in India Applauding Mr. K. Bhaskhar on his achievement, Mr. Kazutada Kobayashi, President and CEO, Canon India, said, "We take pride in our people, they are our biggest asset. In my opinion a strong and committed workforce plays an integral role in the growth of the organization. I am confident that under his expanded role, he will further strengthen synergies and knowledge sharing within industry." Expressing gratitude and talking about his vision for the industry, Mr. K. Bhaskhar , said, "It is an honour and a privilege to Chair the CII OfficeAutomation and Imaging Division. The CII Office Automation and Imaging Division (CII OA&ID) takes up issues of common interest to members and industry players with concerned Ministries/Departments and contributes towards drafting National-level Policies with stress on making them more user-friendly and consistent with Government's focus on Ease of Doing Business. The Division's efforts would be to not just propel higher level of growth in this dynamic industry, but also work towards contributing to the society, through our advocacy, thereby, facilitating a common Industry goal." About Canon Group Ever since its foundation in 1937, Canon is guided by the 'Kyosei' philosophy of living and working together for the common good. Canon strives to create and deliver world-class products, becoming a top global corporation by diversifying into new business fields throughout the world. Focusing on optical technologies, Canon produces office equipment, consumer and professional imaging devices, network cameras, healthcare and industrial equipment. Through the close connection between its global head office in Tokyo and regional headquarters in America, Europe, Asia, Oceania and regional headquarters in Japan, Canon combines its global and local operations organically. In 1996, Canon launched its Excellent Global Corporation Plan with the goal of serving the society with advanced technologies and becoming a trustworthy and responsible corporate citizen. The year 2016 is the first year of Phase 5 of the Plan. Currently, Canon boasts a strong global presence of 367 subsidiaries all over the world, supported by 197,673 employees. (Data as of December 31, 2016) Canon in India Canon India Pvt. Ltd., a 100% subsidiary of Canon Singapore Pvt. Ltd., is a world leader in imaging technologies. Set up in 1997, Canon markets over 200 comprehensive range of sophisticated contemporary digital imaging product and solutions in India. The company today has offices and warehouses in 14 cities across India and employs over 1000 people. Canon has over 500 primary channel partners, 14 National Retail Chain partners, and over 6000 secondary retail points. Canon has 250 own retail stores accredited as 'Image Square' across 120 cities in the country. Canon India's service reach extends to over 600 towns covering 17,774 PIN codes across India - which comprises of 300 Camera collection points, 16 Camera repair centers, 239 Printer repair centers, 185 Copier, Scanner and Large Format Printer Sales and Service dealers. In sync with its corporate tagline- 'Delighting You Always', reinforced by world-class technology, Canon offers an extended product portfolio, including copier MFDs, Managed Document Services, Fax-Machines, Printers, Document and Cheque Scanners, All-in-ones, Digital Cameras, DSLR's, Cinematic Imaging Products, Camcorders, Cable ID Printers and Card printers catering to the multiple market segments of consumer, SME, B2B, Commercial, Government & PSUs. In 2017, the imaging leader recorded a double digit growth. Media Contact: Ashna Joshi ashna.joshi@creation.io +91-9999318023 Creation [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 02, 2018] Daqo New Energy Announces 39,600 MT Polysilicon Supply Agreement with LONGi Green Energy CHONGQING, China, April 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) ("Daqo New Energy", the "Company" or "we"), a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry, today announced that it has signed a 32-month 39,600 MT ultra-high-quality polysilicon supply agreement with LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. ("LONGi"), the world's leading mono-crystalline solar products manufacturer with 15GW of mono-crystalline wafer capacity and 6.5GW of mono-crystalline module capacity in 2017. Under the terms of the supply agreement, Daqo New Energy will supply LONGi with 39,600 MT of ultra-high-quality polysilicon starting from April 2018 through the end of 2020, for use in the production of high-end mono-crystalline solar products. As part of the supply agreement, LONGi will make an advance payment on the ultra-high-quality polysilicon to Daqo New Energy. Mr. Baoshen Zhong, Chairman of LONGi, commented, "Daqo New Energy's polysilicon meets the stringent purity requirements we have for the production of high-efficiency mono-crystalline solar products. This supply agreement with Daqo New Energy will allow us to expand production capacity of our high-efficiency mono-crystalline solar products to meet the growing demand from our downstream customers. Daqo New Energy's ultra-high-quality polysilicon and reliability make them the ideal strategic supplier, and we look forward to building a deeper partnership with them." Mr. Longgen Zhang, Chief Executive Officer of Daqo New Energy, commented, "I'm pleased that we have signed this long-term supply agreement with LONGi, the world's leading mono-crystalline solar products manufacturer and one of global top-tier solar manufacturers. Chinese solar manufactrers rely heavily on foreign imports of polysilicon. Daqo is one of the very few Chinese polysilicon producers who can produce ultra-high-quality polysilicon domestically. I believe bringing LONGi on board as a strategic long-term customer demonstrates our reputation as a reliable and preferred supplier of high-quality polysilicon. I look forward to working closely with LONGi to further improve our ability to serve the growing demand for high-end mono-crystalline grade polysilicon." About LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. Founded in 2000 and listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (SH 601012) is the world's largest manufacturer of mono-crystalline solar products. LONGi's product line spans mono-crystalline solar ingots and wafers to mono solar cells and mono solar modules, as well as solar power generation solution. For the year 2017, LONGi generated revenues of RMB 16.36 billion (approximately USD$2.6 billions), with mono-crystalline solar wafer shipments of approximately 2.2 billion pieces, and mono-crystalline solar module shipments of 4.7 GW, ranking as China's top one solar module company by domestic module shipment. LONGi focuses on the development and production of high efficiency solar products, including PERC mono solar cells and PERC mono solar modules. Based on LONGi's strategic expansion plan, LONGi plans to increase solar wafer capacity to 45GW by 2020, from 15GW in 2017. About Daqo New Energy Corp. Founded in 2008, Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) is a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry. As one of the world's lowest cost producers of high-purity polysilicon and solar wafers, the Company primarily sells its products to solar cell and solar module manufacturers. The Company has built a manufacturing facility that is technically advanced and highly efficient with a nameplate capacity of 18,000 metric tons in Xinjiang, China. The Company also operates a solar wafer manufacturing facility in Chongqing, China. For more information, please visit http://daqo.gotoip1.com/ For further information, please contact: Daqo New Energy Corp. Investor Relations Phone: +86-187 1658 5553 Email: dqir@daqo.com Christensen In China Mr. Christian Arnell Phone: +86-10- 5900-1548 E-mail: carnell@christensenir.com In the US Mr. Tip Fleming Phone: +1-917-412-3333 Email: tfleming@Christensenir.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/daqo-new-energy-announces-39600-mt-polysilicon-supply-agreement-with-longi-green-energy-300622526.html SOURCE Daqo New Energy Corp. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 02, 2018] Top Emerging Trends in the Global Electric Bus Charging System Market | Technavio Technavio's latest market research report on the global electric bus charging system market provides an analysis of the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook from 2018-2022. Technavio defines an emerging trend as a factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180402005429/en/ Technavio has published a new market research report on the global electric bus charging system market from 2018-2022. (Graphic: Business Wire) According to Technavio analysts, the global electric bus charging system market will grow at a CAGR of above 33% during the forecast period. The rising popularity of electric buses is a major factor driving the market's growth. The growth of the global electric bus charging system market directly depends on the sales of electric buses. The rise in the production and sales of electric buses will drive the market during the forecast period. China was the largest market for electric buses in 2017. The government of China is actively encouraging the use of electric cars and electric buses for public transportation. Factors such as the rising pollution levels in the cities and increasing oil imports are driving the sales of electric buses in China. The increase in sale is fueling the demand for additional electric bus charging systems in the country. This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: View market snapshot before purchasing Save more with Technavio. Buy 2 reports and get the third for FREE: View all Technavio's current offers In this report, Technavio highlights the increasing emergence of contactless and wireless charging systems as one of the key emerging trends driving the global electric bus charging system market: Increasing emergence of contactless and wireless charging systems Several companies are developing contactless or wireless type of electric bus charging to charge electric bus batteries effectively. For example, one such company developed a wireless charger for electric buses that can charge the vehicle's electric battery using magnetic resonance system. Inductive charging or wireless charging requires the flow of energy between objects using an electromagnetic field. The flow of energy is maintained by two induction coils that take power from the field and convert it to electrical energy. "Since 2016, several companies have entered into a joint venture in Sweden to develop an entire route with wireless charging systems for electric buses. This joint venture has already developed a wireless charging system for electric buses that fully charge electric buses within seven minutes using inductive charging method," says a senior analyst at Technavio for research on automotive electronics. Looking for more information on this market? Request a free sample report Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Global electric bus charging system market segmentation This market research report segments the global electric bus charging system market into the following products (depot charging system and city and column charging system) and key regions (the Americas, APAC, and EMEA). The depot charging system segment held the largest market share in 2017, accounting for nearly 66% of the market. The market share for this product is expected to decrease nearly 5% by 2022. The fastest growing product is city and column charging system, which will account for nearly 39% of the total market share by 2022. APAC was the leading region for the global electric bus charging system market in 2017, accounting for a market share of nearly 67%. By 2022, APAC is expected to witness a decline in market share whereas the Americas will see positive growth in the market. Is your business on track for a successful future? Learn how Technavio can help Technavio helps businesses anticipate changes in their marketplace, make proactive adjustments, and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180402005429/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] TEMECULA, Calif., April 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HeroinDetoxClinics.com is here to help with your heroin addiction-related issues. Heroin Detox Clinics has a long history of helping those in need locate a heroin rehab, alcoholism treatment, inpatient or outpatient rehab, detoxification or other recovery resources that an individual needs to start recovering from heroin addiction. With that in mind, you should know that the counselor you speak to at HeroinDetoxClinics.com will take the best care possible to help you locate the right heroin treatment center for your specific needs. This service is available to you at no cost. The staff at HeroinDetoxClinics.com is trained and experienced in assisting people with heroin addiction. It is truly helpful to seek the assistance of heroin treatment center to save your loved ones from the poison of substance abuse. With their expertise, you have more hope that in a span of a month or less, they can already get over their bad vices. Other than fast recovery, here are some of the amazing benefits you can enjoy. Heroin is a highly potent, highly addictive opioid analgesic that is synthesized from Morphine. Like other organic opiates, it derives from the opium poppy. Although in the United States it is banned as a Schedule I substance with no medical use, in Europe, specifically Britain, it is used to manage chronic and severe pain. Heroin comes in either a white or beige powder and also as a sticky, gummy substance known as black tar Heroin. The drug can be administered intravenously, smoked, and snorted. The nature of the onset of the drug is determined by the route of administration; whereas snorting the drug produces euphoria over a 15 to 20 minute period, injecting Heroin creates a powerful rush that is instantaneous and highly addictive. Heroin enters the body through the brain, passing what is referred to as the blood-brain-barrier where it is converted into Morphine. The rapidity with which the drug passes into the body is one of the features that make it so addictive. Once the drug has entered the brain it binds to receptors that are specifically designed to metabolize the drug and stimulates the production of the neurotransmitter Dopamine, which is associated with the brains reward circuitry and is responsible for the intense euphoria that attends use. Although some of the effects of Heroin in the body are specific to the individual, there is a spectrum of responses that are inevitable because of the nature of the drugs impact on the body. As dangerous as Heroin abuse is, when taken with other drugs or medications it becomes that much more volatile. Combining heroin with sedatives or tranquilizers amplifies its effects and exposes persons to a much higher chance of overdosing. Heroin is frequently combined with Cocaine to create a particularly dangerous cocktail called a speed-ball; the solution is injected into the blood-stream where it produces a powerful, dual-rush that is highly addictive and frequently lethal. With prolonged use tolerance and dependence develop in addition to a host of health and mental health disorders. Heroin users should seek the help of treatment in a heroin rehab immediately due to the life-changing negative side effects from the use of heroin, in this article we will cover the basics of long-term use of heroin. Heroin addiction can and usually is a fatal addiction that is difficult to break without help. If you or someone you know is a victim of heroin abuse, Heroin Detox Clinics can help. If you or someone you know is struggling with Heroin addiction, the likely first step in treatment will be medical detoxification. Contact Info: Author: Kevin Leonard Organization: HeroinDetoxClinics.com Address: 27420 Jefferson Ave, Temecula, CA 92590 Phone: 888-325-2454 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/af91473f-fdf9-4499-bf82-acf98fbdd564 [April 02, 2018] NetMotion Software Awarded 5-Star Rating in CRN's 2018 Partner Program Guide SEATTLE, April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NetMotion Software, a leading provider of Mobile Performance and Enterprise Mobile Analytics solutions, today announced that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has awarded NetMotion a 5-star ranking for a second year in its 2018 Partner Program Guide (PPG). The Guide recognizes an elite subset of companies that offer solution providers the best partnering elements in their channel programs, such as partner profitability, partner training, marketing programs and resources, sales support and communication. Unique among B2B software companies, NetMotions PartnerConnect program provides dedicated sales, marketing and training support for a select group of enterprise mobility-focused partners. The company works closely with PartnerConnect members to create tailored programs that enhance partner solution portfolios and help them grow their business by offering NetMotions valuable mobile performance and analytics solutions to their government and enterprise customers. Finding the right technology vendor to partner with can be a daunting task, given the vast array of choices now available to solution providers, said Robert Faletra, Executive Chairman of The Channel Company. CRNs Partner Program Guide and 5-Star ratings help them narrow the field and find the best fit, identifying the most rewarding partner programs and providing crucial insight into their strengths and benefits. We are pleased to present our 2018 PPG list, recognizing the strongest and most successful partner programs in the channel today. NeMotion PartnerConnect helps channel partners accelerate growth, drive new opportunities, and strengthen differentiation in the fast-growing mobile technology marketplace. The companys integrated program provides valuable resources and tools that help partners rapidly and successfully deliver NetMotion software to customers, including: Dedicated Channel Managers Online Deal Registration Complimentary Sales and Technical Training Quarterly Marketing Development Funds Collaborative Selling Support Sales and Marketing Tools Secure Partner Portal Access Since establishing PartnerConnect in 2015, NetMotion has been committed to finding and supporting channel partners in the B2B enterprise mobility space, said Jason Turner, director of operator and channel sales, NetMotion Software. We appreciate our partners ongoing loyalty and enthusiasm for NetMotion solutions and remain dedicated to finding new ways to help them reach their growth and revenue goals. Its an honor to again be acknowledged by CRN for our track record helping channel businesses deliver measurable value to their customers. The 2018 Partner Program Guide will be featured in the April issue of CRN and online at www.CRN.com/ppg. NetMotion also received CRNs 5-star rating in 2016. Channel businesses interested in learning more about becoming a NetMotion partner can visit the website. About NetMotion Software NetMotion Mobile Performance Management and Mobile Analytics software delivers an unparalleled mobile user experience, and increases operational efficiency and end-user productivity. Thousands of enterprises around the world depend on the companys solutions to deliver traffic optimization, adaptive policies, mobile analytics, and security for their mobile workforces. NetMotion has received numerous awards for its technology and customer support. The company consistently receives an impressive customer satisfaction Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 91, significantly exceeding NPS averages in the technology and telecom industries. The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Visit www.netmotionsoftware.com. NetMotion, NetMotion Mobility, NetMotion Diagnostics and NetMotion Mobile IQ are registered trademarks of NetMotion Software, Inc. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. About the Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelco.com CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Media Contact: Jaci Hendricks, Voxus PR Direct: 253-444-5955 Email: jhendricks@voxuspr.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 02, 2018] Opengear Given 5-Star Rating in CRN's 2018 Partner Program Guide EDISON, N.J., April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Opengear (www.opengear.com), a leading provider of solutions that deliver secure, resilient network access and automation to critical IT infrastructure, announced today that CRN , a brand of The Channel Company, has given Opengear a 5-Star rating in its 2018 Partner Program Guide. This annual guide is the definitive listing of partner programs from technology vendors that provide products and services through the IT channel. The 5-Star Partner Program Guide rating recognizes an elite subset of companies that offer solution providers the best partnering elements in their channel programs. To determine the 2018 5-Star ratings, The Channel Companys research team assessed each vendors partner program based on investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support and communication. Opengear partners with IT infrastructure solution providers, system integrators, and value-added resellers that incorporate Opengears advanced console servers and management gateways into their networking technology packages. With Opengears award-winning, cross-industry solutions, partners can deliver intelligent out-of-band management that ensures resilient network connectivity at data centers and other remote sites where uptime is critical to business operations. Smart OOB technology built into every Opengear product boosts network resilience by providing automatic detection and remediation of common hardware issues, smart alerts, and environmental monitoring that protects equipment against extreme conditions or tampering. Opengear solutions also offer Failover to Cellular capabilities, delivering transparent failover to cellular connectivity during primary connection outages. Partners also take advantage of Opengears Zero Touch Provisioning, which automates deployment of network devices at scale and without the need for onsite personnel. Finding the right technology vendor to partner with can be a daunting task, given the vast array of choices now available to solution providers, said Robert Faletra, Executive Chairman of The Channel Company. CRNs Partner Program Guide and 5-Star ratings help them narrow the field and find the best fit, identifying the most rewarding partner programs and providing crucial insight into their strengths and benefits. We are pleased to present our 2018 PPG list, recognizing the strongest and most successful partner programs in the channel today. Channel partners are important to Opengear, and we are fully invested in giving them as much of a competitive advantage as possible, said Bryan Keepers, Channel Sales Manager Americas, Opengear. Our success is their success, and weve built a channel program based on business growth, trust, and rewards. Were proud of the evolution of both our out-of-band solutions and our partner program, and are honored to earn a 5-star distinction from CRN. The 2018 Partner Program Guide will be featured in the April issue of CRN and online at www.CRN.com/ppg. About Opengear Opengear delivers secure, resilient access and automation to critical IT infrastructure, even when the network is down. Provisioning, orchestration and remote management of network devices through innovative software and appliances enables technical staff to manage their data centers and remote network locations reliably and efficiently. Opengears business continuity solutions are trusted by global organizations across financial, digital communications, retail and manufacturing industries. The company is headquartered in New Jersey, with R&D centers in Silicon Valley and Brisbane, Australia. For more information please visit www.opengear.com About the Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelco.com CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Opengear Press Contact: Kyle Peterson kyle@clementpeterson.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 02, 2018] Tufin Featured in CRN's 2018 Partner Program Guide BOSTON, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Tufin, the market-leading provider of Network Security Policy Orchestration solutions, announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has recognized Tufin in its 2018 Partner Program Guide. This annual guide is the definitive listing of partner programs from technology vendors that provide products and services through the IT channel. To compile the guide, The Channel Company's research team assessed each vendor's partner program based on investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support and communication. Tufin recently announced significant growth and momentum in 2017, including 35 percent increase in revenue year-over-year and customer renewal rates of over 90 percent. This growth is a direct result of the increased demand for automation solutions as enterprises seek ways to become more agile and secure. Tufin's award-winning security policy orchestration solutions, combined with an exceptional partner program backed by the full support of Tufin experts, means that partners have the technology, resources, and assistance they need to succeed. "Having dedicated channel partners is one of the keys to success for a technology vendor," said Kevin Maloney, Senior Vice President of Sales at Tufin. "Tufin understands that our parners are a critical component to our continued growth, and our recognition in the CRN Partner Program Guide is a testament to that. I look forward to working with our existing partners, bringing on new partners, and most of all, working together to grow our mutual business." "Finding the right technology vendor to partner with can be a daunting task, given the vast array of choices now available to solution providers," said Robert Faletra, Executive Chairman of The Channel Company. "CRN's Partner Program Guide helps them narrow the field and find the best fit, identifying the most rewarding partner programs and providing crucial insight into their strengths and benefits. We are pleased to present our 2018 PPG list, recognizing the strongest and most successful partner programs in the channel today." The 2018 Partner Program Guide will be featured in the April issue of CRN and online at www.CRN.com/ppg. About Tufin Tufin is the leader in Network Security Policy Orchestration for enterprise cybersecurity. More than half of the top 50 companies in the Forbes Global 2000 turn to Tufin to simplify management of some of the largest, most complex networks in the world, consisting of thousands of firewall and network devices and emerging hybrid cloud infrastructures. Enterprises select the company's award-winning Tufin Orchestration Suite to increase agility in the face of ever-changing business demands while maintaining a robust security posture. The Suite reduces the attack surface and meets the need for greater visibility into secure and reliable application connectivity. Its network security automation enables enterprises to implement changes in minutes with proactive risk analysis and continuous policy compliance. Tufin serves over 2,000 customers spanning all industries and geographies; its products and technologies are patent-protected in the U.S. and other countries. Find out more at www.tufin.com, follow Tufin on Twitter at @TufinTech and read more on Tufin's blog, Suite Talk. Contact: Dan Gaffney fama PR for Tufin (617) 986-5036 tufin@famapr.com About the Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelco.com CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. The Channel Company Contact: Melanie Turpin The Channel Company (508) 416-1195 mturpin@thechannelco.com View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tufin-featured-in-crns-2018-partner-program-guide-300622310.html SOURCE Tufin [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 02, 2018] Intermedia Given 5-Star Rating in CRN's 2018 Partner Program Guide MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Intermedia, a leading cloud communications and collaboration provider to SMBs and the partners that serve them, announced today that CRN , a brand of The Channel Company, has given Intermedia a 5-Star rating in its 2018 Partner Program Guide. This annual guide is the definitive listing of partner programs from technology vendors that provide products and services through the IT channel. The 5-Star Partner Program Guide rating recognizes an elite subset of companies that offer solution providers the best partnering elements in their channel programs. To determine the 2018 5-Star ratings, The Channel Company's research team assessed each vendor's partner program based on investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support and communication. Intermedia's private label model makes it easy for partners to scale in the cloud Intermedia's 360 approach to partner success makes it easy for the channel to sell, set up, manage, and support the cloud. Whether under a branded (advisor) or private label program, Intermedia's focus is on helping partners achieve healthy margins and create attractive new revenue streams. From sales engineers focused specifically on channel development, to readiness and training programs that prepare the channel, to an inside sales organization designed specifically for partner account management and development, to a field sales organization completely dedicated to supporting partners, Intermedia's business is built around enablement. Intermedia's premier program rewards partners for their commitment Intermedia's tiered program rewards partners the more time and focus they invest into the Intermedia relationship. All partners benefit from a robust portfolio of free resources to help them drive profitable cloud businesses. This includes brandable marketing assets, Concierge sales assistance, complimentary onboarding and migrations, and 24/7 support from our J.D. Power-certified experts. The more commitment that is demonstrated to the relationship, the deeper Intermedia's investment is in areas such as dedicated account management, marketing development funds, and providing access to sales engineers, to name a few. Learn more about Intermedia's partner program at Intermedia.net/resellers. "Finding the right technology vendor to parner with can be a daunting task, given the vast array of choices now available to solution providers," said Robert Faletra, Executive Chairman of The Channel Company. "CRN's Partner Program Guide and 5-Star ratings help them narrow the field and find the best fit, identifying the most rewarding partner programs and providing crucial insight into their strengths and benefits. We are pleased to present our 2018 PPG list, recognizing the strongest and most successful partner programs in the channel today." "Our partner community is one of our most strategic assets more than 80 percent of Intermedia's new business is generated by our channel partners, with the majority operating under our private label model. While most of our competitors' channel programs don't go much beyond providing agent commissions, that's not true of Intermedia. We feel that incentives and compensation are a critical part of the partner relationship, but Intermedia's program goes way beyond that with significant investments in areas such as training, marketing, pre- and post-technical sales support and account management." Martorano continued: "We pride ourselves on being a channel-first company and demonstrate that commitment in how we run our business. From product development to operations, our channel partners are always prioritized and top of mind. This focus is clearly depicted with our new Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) offering, Intermedia Unite. This product has been developed with our channel program in mind, giving partners choice by either providing them the ability to sell under their own brand and set their own margins in a private label reseller model, or leverage Intermedia's brand through an agent relationship." The 2018 Partner Program Guide will be featured in the April issue of CRN and online at www.CRN.com/ppg. About the Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelco.com About Intermedia Intermedia is a Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) and business cloud email provider hyper-focused on delivering easy-to-use and secure communications and collaboration solutions to SMBs and the partners that serve them. More than 110,000 business customers and 6,500 active partners rely on Intermedia for greater reliability and productivity. Intermedia's broad yet tightly integrated suite of cloud applications is managed through one intuitive point of control, and Intermedia services are backed by a 99.999% uptime service level agreement (SLA). Offerings include cloud voice, web/video/content sharing and conferencing, chat, presence, file backup, sync and share, business email, identity and access management, security, archiving, and more. Intermedia's 360 approach to partner success makes it easy for channel partners to sell, set up, manage, and support the cloud while achieving strong margins and creating attractive new revenue streams through both branded and private label programs. Intermedia is the only business cloud application provider to have twice been certified by J.D. Power for its superior 24/7 technical support in 2016 and 2017. For more information, visit Our Website, or connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. Contacts Melanie Lombardi Intermedia 650.285.5857 PR@intermedia.net Melanie Turpin The Channel Company 508.416.1195 mturpin@thechannelco.com Intermedia Unite is a trademark of Intermedia.net, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. J.D. Power 2017 Certified Assisted Technical Program, developed in conjunction with TSIA. Based on successful completion of an audit and exceeding a customer satisfaction benchmark for assisted support operations. For more information, visit www.jdpower.com or www.tsia.com. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/intermedia-given-5-star-rating-in-crns-2018-partner-program-guide-300620728.html SOURCE Intermedia [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 02, 2018] Kenna Security Given 5-Star Rating in CRN's 2018 Partner Program Guide SAN FRANCISCO, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kenna Security, a leader in predictive cyber risk, announced today that CRN , a brand of The Channel Company, has given Kenna Security a 5-Star rating in its 2018 Partner Program Guide. This annual guide is the definitive listing of partner programs from technology vendors that provide products and services through the IT channel. The 5-Star Partner Program Guide rating recognizes an elite subset of companies that offer solution providers the best partnering elements in their channel programs. To determine the 2018 5-Star ratings, The Channel Company's research team assessed each vendor's partner program based on investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support and communication. Kenna Security's channel partner program enables resellers and MSSPs to grow their businesses with a solution that solves a true pain point for their customers by giving them the ability to proactively manage risk, as opposed to reactive risk management solutions common in the market today. Led by Rick Kramer, Vice President of Worldwide Channel Sales and Alliances, Kenna is building a channel program that is globally consistent and supports many different routes to market while offering attractive benefits and training that encourage strong relationships and long-term commitments between Kenna and its partners. Kenna is also focused on designing new certifications and developing guidance that enable its partners to easily go to market with alternative delivery methods, like managed security services, to bring the benefits of the Kenna Security Platform to their customers. Robert Faletra, Executive Chairman of The Channel Company. "CRN's Partner Program Guide and 5-Star ratings help them narrow the field and find the best fit, identifying the most rewarding partner programs and providing crucial insight into their strengths and benefits. We are pleased to present our 2018 PPG list, recognizing the strongest and most successful partner programs in the channel today." "A 5-star rating from CRN's Partner Program Guide is a testament to how seriously we are committed to fostering and growing our partner relationships and reinforces the value that Kenna delivers to help our partners grow their businesses," said Rick Kramer, Vice President of Worldwide Channel Sales and Alliances, Kenna Security. "Channel partnerships are an important area of focus and future growth for Kenna. We look forward to introducing more reward and support initiatives for partners as we continue to develop and improve our partner program." The 2018 Partner Program Guide will be featured in the April issue of CRN and online at www.CRN.com/ppg. About Kenna Security Kenna Security is a leader in predictive cyber risk. The Kenna Security Platform enables organizations to work cross-functionally to determine and remediate cyber risks. Kenna leverages Cyber Risk Context Technology to track and predict real-world exploitations, focusing security teams on what matters most. Headquartered in San Francisco, Kenna counts among its customers many Fortune 100 companies, and serves nearly every major vertical. For more information, visit kennasecurity.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. About the Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelco.com CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Kenna Security Contact: Dan Mellinger Kenna Security 415-572-0216 dan.mellinger@kennasecurity.com The Channel Company Contact: Melanie Turpin The Channel Company (508) 416-1195 mturpin@thechannelco.com View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kenna-security-given-5-star-rating-in-crns-2018-partner-program-guide-300622364.html SOURCE Kenna Security [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 02, 2018] Canon U.S.A. Earns 2018 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence Award MELVILLE, N.Y., April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is proud to announce that it has received the 2018 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence Award for continued leadership and superior contributions to ENERGY STAR. Canon U.S.A.'s accomplishments will be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 20, 2018. "Our company is one that truly practices what we preach in terms of providing environmentally conscious, energy-efficient products to our customers," said Seymour Liebman, executive vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel, Canon U.S.A. "Canon pays special attention to the impact that its products have on the planet that we inhabit and how we can make eco-friendly decisions for the betterment of us all, all of which is reflected in our corporate philosophy of Kyosei. We thank ENERGY STAR for their continued work and for this tremendous honor that they have presented to Canon." Canon has been an ENERGY STAR partner for over 20 years and offers nearly 200 ENERGY STAR certified products that incorporate advanced energy-efficient technologies, without compromising features or performance. This is the first time that Canon U.S.A. has received the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence Award. Canon U.S.A. has previously received Partner of the Year - Product Brand Owner Awards (2010, 2016 and 2017), as well as Excellence Awards for ENERGY STAR Promotion (2011) and Product Labeling (1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2008). "The 2018 ENERGY STAR Partners of the Year have demonstrated real leadership, showing how American famlies and businesses can save energy, save money, and reduce air emissions," said Bill Wehrum, EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation. The 2018 Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Awards are bestowed upon companies and other organizations demonstrating continued leadership in energy efficiency and commitment to the ENERGY STAR program. Winners hail from small, family-owned businesses to Fortune 500 organizations representing energy-efficient products, services, new homes, and buildings in the commercial, industrial, and public sectors. For a complete list of 2018 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR's awards program, visit energystar.gov/awardwinners. About ENERGY STAR ENERGY STAR is the simple choice for energy efficiency. For over 25 years, EPA's ENERGY STAR program has been America's resource for saving energy and protecting the environment. Join the millions already making a difference at energystar.gov. More background information about ENERGY STAR can be found at energystar.gov/about and energystar.gov/numbers. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizationsincluding more than 40 percent of the Fortune 500rely on their partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Together, since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners have helped save American families and businesses over $450 billion and over 3.5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity while also achieving broad emissions reductionsall through voluntary action. About Canon U.S.A., Inc. Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $36 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents granted in 2017 and is one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2018. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest level of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based service and support for all of the products it distributes in the United States. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. In 2014, the Canon Americas Headquarters secured LEED Gold certification, a recognition for the design, construction, operations and maintenance of high-performance green buildings. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA. For media inquiries, please contact pr@cusa.canon.com. Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canon-usa-earns-2018-energy-star-partner-of-the-year--sustained-excellence-award-300622589.html SOURCE Canon U.S.A., Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 02, 2018] Jobletics Launches First SeedInvest Tiered Investment Opportunity SOMERVILLE, Mass., April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Jobletics, Inc., the new approach to hourly labor staffing, today announced that it has partnered with SeedInvest, the foremost equity crowdfunding platform, to launch a Jobletics equity offering leveraging SeedInvest's new tiered investing solution, called SWIFT (Simple Weighted Incentive For Time). This new crowdfunding opportunity is a type of financing with time-based discounts applied to the security being offered, enabling investors to be rewarded for investing early. "Jobletics is excited to raise our Seed round using SeedInvest's SWIFT tiered crowdfunding platform," said Jobletics Co-Founder and CEO, Rahul Sharma. "As a company based on innovation, we believe this approach is consistent with our core beliefs that everyone should have a chance to participate in the global economy, from hourly shift workers to accredited investors, and those who join early should reap the most benefit." Jobletics, founded in 2015, is revolutionizing how food service, retail and hospitality businesses manager their labor staffing. Leveraging our automated platform, businesses can build up a team of curated, vetted workers to ensure that their shift needs are always covered and eliminating the effects of turnover, which has been identified to be as much as 110% in the hospitality industry. With their mobile phone or PC, managers can schedule shifts for their business and know that a skilled worker will fill that shift and those they like the most can become ongoing members of their team. Meanwhile, Jobletics workers, known as "Jobletes," enjoy the benefit of choosing where and when they want to wrk, as well as gaining new experience at different locations. With clients in Boston, Philadelphia, and the San Francisco/San Jose Bay area, Jobletics grew over 380% in 2017, achieving revenue of over $500,000. Jobletics plans to use the new funding to invest in sales & marketing and technology development to fuel even fast growth for the second half of 2018 and beyond. Since its founding in 2012, SeedInvest has helped over 150 companies across a range of verticals and stages. In addition, SeedInvest boasts a rapidly growing network of over 200,000 investors. A key to their success has been that they have accepted only about 1% of the companies that apply to be featured on their platform. Jobletics is offering securities under Regulation CF and Rule 506c of Regulation D. The company has filed a Form C with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with this offering. Individuals interested in Jobletics' SeedInvest equity crowdfunding campaign can find more information at https://www.seedinvest.com/jobletics/seed. About Jobletics, Inc. Jobletics is the new approach to hourly shift staffing. Jobletics hires, as W2 employees, premier workers that endure a highly tuned interviewing, vetting, an onboarding process to ensure they can hit the ground running at new locations and exceed client expectations. Leveraging the Jobletics technology platform, managers at foodservice, retail, and hospitality organizations can schedule shifts knowing a qualified professional will fill the shift, and eliminate the headaches of recruiting, interviewing, training, and retaining their own part-time staff. About SeedInvest SeedInvest is a leading equity crowdfunding platform that provides individual investors with access to pre-vetted startup investment opportunities. SeedInvest has funded over 150 startups and boasts a rapidly growing network of over 200,000 investors. SeedInvest has had over 15,000 startups apply to raise capital since inception and has only accepted ~1% of those companies to feature on the platform. For more information about SeedInvest, visit www.seedinvest.com Contacts: Shane Arnold, COO Jobletics, Inc. (617) 420-7557 192664@email4pr.com View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jobletics-launches-first-seedinvest-tiered-investment-opportunity-300622598.html SOURCE Jobletics [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 02, 2018] Fort Worth-Based Mosaic Strategy Partners Public Affairs Firm Makes Legislative Intelligence Platform Readily Available to End Users As the firm marks its one-year anniversary, Mosaic Strategy Partners (Mosaic) is making its Legintel legislative intelligence platform available directly to consumers through an annual subscription service. Legintel, a Mosaic proprietary software, is a compilation of extensive Texas legislative data including bills, votes, testimony, contributions and committee hierarchies that allows clients to glean instant insight into the Texas legislature utilizing unbiased, non-partisan, factual information. Local Entrepreneur J.W. Wilson is a major investor in the software. "I've spent my career in a heavily regulated industry and I'm acutely aware of the difficulty dealing with bureaucracy and government entities as an outsider," said Legintel Investor J.W. Wilson. "What Mosaic has created allows an ease of access and insight into the Texas political machine that we've never seen before. The data already exists, but they have captured it in a way that makes it easily accessible and understandable. This literally puts thousands of legislative data points at your fingertips in an instant." /p> "We've been working to perfect Legintel for the past five years, even prior to forming Mosaic. This technology platform allows a "check of work" of our member organizations and elected officials," said Mosaic Founding Partner Brinton Payne. "We're energized to offer this directly to corporations, chambers of commerce, non-profits, economic development organizations and individuals as a new tool in their decision-making arsenal." With a client list that includes trailblazers in real estate, transportation, land use and education, Mosaic was founded to give businesses in Texas and beyond an alternative to traditional public affairs options. While Mosaic embraces traditional public affairs practices, their key differentiator is the utilization of its data sets as the foundation of all they do. Mosaic is Small Business Enterprise ( SBE (News - Alert) ) and Minority & Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) certified. For more information about Mosaic, visit the firm's website at www.mosaicsp.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180402005047/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 02, 2018] Pax8 Given 5-Star Rating in CRN's 2018 Partner Program Guide DENVER, April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pax8, the leader in cloud distribution, today announced that CRN , a brand of The Channel Company, has given the companys Cloud Wingman Partner Program a 5-Star rating in its 2018 Partner Program Guide. This annual guide is the definitive listing of partner programs from technology vendors that provide products and services through the IT channel. The 5-Star Partner Program Guide rating recognizes an elite subset of companies that offer solution providers the best partnering elements in their channel programs. For two consecutive years, we have delivered the highest echelon of partner programs to MSPs, said Ryan Walsh, chief channel officer at Pax8. As the only distributor to offer a program of this caliber, Pax8 has built its value on offering MSPs a simplified approach to complicated technology solutions. Hundreds of MSPs join Pax8 each month because of the award-winning Cloud Wingman Partner Program and the benefits we provide that enable MSPs to automate, profitably grow with cloud solutions, and scale. To determine the 2018 5-Star ratings, The Channel Companys research team assessed each vendors partner program based on investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support and communication. The Cloud Wingman Partner Program gives MSPs access to full quote-to-cash support, simplified billing, automated provisioning, enablement training, leading PSA integrations, access to best of breed vendors, resources, and more. Pax8 offers the tools and simplified approach that empowers MSPs to go-to-market effectively withcloud solutions. Finding the right technology vendor to partner with can be a daunting task, given the vast array of choices now available to solution providers, said Robert Faletra, Executive Chairman of The Channel Company. CRNs Partner Program Guide and 5-Star ratings help them narrow the field and find the best fit, identifying the most rewarding partner programs and providing crucial insight into their strengths and benefits. We are pleased to present our 2018 PPG list, recognizing the strongest and most successful partner programs in the channel today. The 2018 Partner Program Guide will be featured in the April issue of CRN and online at www.CRN.com/ppg. To learn more about Pax8, please contact the cloud solutions advisors at (855) 884-PAX8, email info@pax8.com, or visit www.pax8.com. About Pax8 Pax8 is the leader in cloud distribution. As a born in the cloud company, Pax8 empowers managed service providers (MSPs) to capitalize on the $1 trillion cloud opportunity. Through billing, provisioning, automation, industry-leading PSA integrations, and pre-and-post sales support, Pax8 simplifies cloud buying, improves operational efficiency, and lowers customer acquisition cost. Pax8 is a proven, award-winning disruptor in the market, earning accolades like NexGens Best in Show two years in a row, Biggest Buzz at IT Nation, CRNs Coolest Cloud Vendor, Best in Show at two consecutive XChange conferences, HTGs Rookie of the Year, and more. If you want to be successful with cloud, you want to work with Pax8. Get started today at www.pax8.com. Follow Pax8 on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. Learn more at www.thechannelco.com. The Channel Company logo is a trademark of The Channel Company, LLC (registration pending). All rights reserved. Media Contact Amanda Lee ARL Strategic Communications for Pax8 (727) 272-0781 Amanda.Lee@arlpr.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 02, 2018] HGS acquires majority stake in Element Solutions CHICAGO, April 2, 2018 /CNW/ -- Hinduja Global Solutions Limited (HGS) (Listed on NSE & BSE, India), announced that its subsidiary Hinduja Global Solutions UK Limited has today entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 57 percent equity stake in Element Solutions LLC, USA, a digital consulting services company, for a consideration of US$ 5 million. The transaction is expected to close in the next 15 days. Element Solutions provides high-end digital strategy and solutions in customer digital experience, data-driven marketing and cloud managed services areas. With over 160 successful digital engagements, the company supports more than 35 top Fortune 500 brands, primarily in the healthcare, manufacturing and retail industries. The modern customer lifecycle has two broad areas: Buy-side comprising of market and sell segments and the Own-side comprising of support and serve segments. HGS has traditionally been focused on the Own-side but started to cater to the Buy-side in the last couple of years. The acquisition of Element will help HGS Interactive (HGSi), HGS' digital services division, to strengthen its Buy-side portfolio by adding new capabilities and expertise in customer digital experience and digital marketing. It will also bring together a complementary client base across sectors and add significant onshore presence for HGSi. Post acquisition, HGS will add over 75 employees comprising strategic thinkers, digital marketers, user-centric designers, software engineers and developers, of whom 33 are in the US and the rest in India. "As part of our strategy to drive digital-led transformation for clients, HGS has been investing significantly in technology an solutions to reimagine customer experiences. The investment in Element Solutions expands on this strategy and helps position us as an end-to-end digital transformational leader who can impact the entire customer lifecycle for brands," said Partha DeSarkar, Chief Executive Officer, HGS. "I am pleased to welcome the talented team of Element to the HGS family and look forward to leveraging their expertise to drive higher value." "The partnership with HGS will help us deliver better on our brand promise of 'Creating Digital Experiences that transform traditional businesses to digital innovators' at scale. We are excited about the opportunities ahead and are committed to working with our clients to drive impact," said Venkatesh Korla, Founder & CEO, Element Solutions. An innovative, global digital agency, HGSi provides global brands an array of 360 degree digital solutions including digital marketing, social CRM and web/ mobile apps to several marquee clients in CPG, hospitality, BFSI and ecommerce sectors. The business has over 150 employees, most of whom are based in Mumbai. Analyst firm NelsonHall recently named HGS as a LEADER in its Digital Marketing Services NEAT report 2018. About Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS): A global leader in business process management (BPM) and optimizing the customer experience lifecycle, HGS is helping make its clients more competitive every day. HGS combines technology-powered services in automation, analytics and digital with domain expertise focusing on back office processing, contact centers and HRO solutions to deliver transformational impact to clients. Part of the multi-billion dollar conglomerate Hinduja Group, HGS takes a true "globally local" approach, with over 46,000 employees across 69 delivery centers in seven countries making a difference to some of the world's leading brands across nine key verticals. For the year ended 31st March 2017, HGS had revenues of US$ 555 million. HGS Interactive (HGSi), the digital business arm of HGS, is an innovative digital solutions company, providing global brands an array of services in the areas of Strategy & Consulting, Digital Marketing, DigitalCx and Social CRM. Pioneers in the Unified Customer Experience space, HGSi works on the three tenets of Technology, Innovation and Creativity, and provides its clients real-time customised solutions. Log in to https://www.teamhgs.com/ to know how we can help make you more competitive. About Element Solutions A creative team of strategic thinkers, marketing experts, user-centric designers and software engineers with and elemental desire to create transformative digital solutions. We are dedicated to creating frictionless technological experiences that solve problems and significantly improve people's lives. Learn more at www.elementsolutions.com View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hgs-acquires-majority-stake-in-element-solutions-300622708.html SOURCE Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] WUXI, CHINA, April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ****Embargoed until 1 a.m. EST, Monday, April 2, 2018**** Chinas Jiangnan University and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) have formed a new innovation partnership that helps pave the way for U.S. dairy export growth in China. Jiangnan Universitys Vice President Xu Yan and USDEC President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Vilsack signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) formalizing the relationship on March 30 on Jiangnan Universitys campus in Wuxi. The Jiangnan partnership is a concrete, game-changing agreement that will lead to fruitful new opportunities that mutually benefit both China and the United States, Vilsack said. China is a top-priority market for the U.S. dairy industry, and we are very excited to be working with one of the best food science schools in the nation. We are very pleased to establish the U.S.-China Dairy Innovation Center at our university together with USDEC, said Xu. The center aims to facilitate research innovation and technical services for the dairy and food industries and also strengthen education cooperation and research collaboration in dairy science and technology between our two countries. USDEC expects the MOU will deliver three major benefits. It will: Encourage the development of innovative, China-friendly product formulations that incorporate U.S. dairy ingredients, particularly whey and milk proteins and skim milk powder. Enable U.S. dairy suppliers to be more engaged with and responsive to Chinas food industry through access to in-market facilities and opportunities for jointly pursuing innovation projects that leverage U.S. dairy ingredient functionality, versatility and nutrition. Enrich students academic experiences in Jiangnan Universitys dairy science and technology programs with practical hands-on R&D skills using U.S. dairy to jumpstart careers upon graduation. This MOU is further evidence of the U.S. industrys desire to elevate its presence and demonstrate its commitment to meet the needs and desires of Chinese customers and consumers with sustainably produced U.S. dairy products, said Vilsack. The agreement follows a series of USDEC-led efforts aimed at building relationships in China and removing barriers to trade to level the playing field with competitors, including last years MOU on U.S. dairy plant registration and the unilateral reduction in Chinese cheese tariffs. Said Vilsack, They are all part of USDECs broader global marketing strategy to expand people, partnerships and promotions in key markets and drive growth toward The Next 5%. The Next 5% is the industry-wide effort launched in 2017 to increase annual U.S. dairy exports from the equivalent of about 15 percent of U.S. milk solids to 20 percent. Following the MOU signing, Vilsack addressed 150 food science majors at Jiangnan University. His presentation, The Importance of Climate Smart Agriculture to Meeting World Food Needs, explored the need for collaboration and innovation in tackling agricultural sustainability as the worlds resources grow increasingly strained. ****Embargoed until 1 a.m. EST, Monday, April 2, 2018**** # # # The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) is a non-profit, independent membership organization that represents the global trade interests of U.S. dairy producers, proprietary processors and cooperatives, ingredient suppliers and export traders. Funded primarily by the dairy checkoff program through Dairy Management Inc., the mission of USDEC is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and assist the U.S. industry to increase its global dairy ingredient sales and exports of U.S. dairy products. USDEC supports socially responsible, economically viable and environmentally sound dairy food systems that promote the current and future health and well-being of consumers, communities, animals, employees, businesses and the planet. USDEC is supported by staff across the United States and overseas in Mexico, South America, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The U.S. Dairy Export Council prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, disability, national origin, race, color, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs, marital status, military status, and arrest or conviction record. Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5ec84bc7-0d15-40ae-aab2-4473625d34ff A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cbcb7141-1b8b-45e4-9124-0d0f9de7c277 [April 02, 2018] AMI Launches-First Mobile "Duchess Diaries" App With Exclusive Content Leading Up To Royal Wedding NEW YORK, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- American Media, Inc. (AMI), the leading publisher of celebrity journalism and health and fitness magazines in the United States, today announced the launch of the Duchess Diaries application available today in both the iOS and Android app stores. "The introduction of Duchess Diaries underscores AMI's commitment to delivering the best celebrity content no matter the platform," said Dylan Howard, AMI Chief Content Officer. "Leveraging the vast network of world class reporters, photographers, and royal experts, the app will be the premier destination for anyone looking to not just keep up, but engage with every minute, of this historic and celebrated time in royals history." The Duchess Diaries is the premiere destination for fans of the royal family to get the latest news and updates leading up to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding, the arrival of Duchess Kate and Prince William's third child, and Princess Eugenie's nuptials. The app will leverage the vast roster of expert celebrity journalists and royal watchers that are part of the AMI Celebrity Group to provide exclusive wedding and baby details, fashionupdates, breaking news and much more. Created in partnership with MAZ, Duchess Diaries will provide the latest and greatest news on the entire royal family with original articles, photos, and video in the app daily. "With Duchess Diaries, AMI has created a truly, cross-platform channel delivering real-time coverage of a major historical event," said Shouvik Paul, Chief Revenue Officer at MAZ. "They continue to set the benchmark for making their content available to their audiences everywhere." The free app will be available for download on iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, Android, and Apple TV. About American Media, Inc. American Media, Inc. (AMI) owns and operates the leading print and digital celebrity and active lifestyle media brands in the United States. AMI's titles include Us Weekly, OK!, Star, Men's Journal, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Flex, Mr. Olympia Contest, National Enquirer and other celebrity titles. AMI also manages 12 different digital sites including Usmagazine.com, OKmagazine.com, RadarOnline.com, MensJournal.com, MensFitness.com, MuscleandFitness.com and other digital and social properties. AMI's magazines have a combined total circulation of 5.3+ million and reach more than 51 million men and women each month. AMI's digital properties reach approximately 61 million unique visitors monthly. About MAZ MAZ enables leaders in media to become leaders in technology. Founded by Apple and Adobe designers and engineers, MAZ is on the forefront of OTT and mobile technology with a suite of powerful CMS and app creation tools that power over one thousand apps and websites for industry giants such as Bloomberg, Forbes, Hearst, AMI, Fast Company, OutsideTV, Little Things, Rodale, Yoga International, and many more. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ami-launches-first-mobile-duchess-diaries-app-with-exclusive-content-leading-up-to-royal-wedding-300622878.html SOURCE American Media, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] TORONTO, April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Changfeng Energy Inc., (TSXV:CFY) (Changfeng or the Company), an energy provider in China, is pleased to announce that, pursuant to the press release on March 19, 2018, the Hebei Riheng subsidiary has finished the construction for the associated regasification and storage facilities for the ceramic factory in Shijiazhuang, Hebei and officially began supplying gas on March 29, 2018. The expected date to begin supplying gas to the ceramic factory in Xingtai, Hebei, has changed to the end of April to coincide with the delay in the commencement of operation of the ceramic factory. On March 30, 2018, Sanya Changfeng Offshore Natural Gas Distribution Co., Ltd (Sanya Changfeng), wholly owned subsidiary of Changfeng Energy Inc. and the Chongqing University signed a cooperative agreement to designate Sanya Changfeng as an official internship base for the School of Sustainability and Engineering of Chongqing University. Chongqing University Chongqing University was found in 1929, and is a key national university located in Chongqing City, China. The university has full support in construction and development from the central government and the Chongqing Municipal Government. Among its various departments, Chongqing University is especially highly ranked in the Environment, Engineering, Technology, and Business disciplines. Chongqing University has 28 schools plus the graduate school, the City College of Science and Technology, the College of Continuing Education, and the College of Networking Education. The University now has a total enrollment of 50,000 students, of which 20,000 are master's and doctoral students, and 30,000 undergraduate students. Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made as of the date of this document and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Although Management believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such. Neither TSX Venture Exchange 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. CONTACT INFORMATION Corporate Investment Relations Investor.relations@changfengenergy.cn Ann Siyin Lin VP, Corporate Development ann.lin@changfengenergy.cn Google has banned all cryptocurrency mining extensions from Google Chrome. In a blog post, the developers explained that crypto-mining extensions that made their purpose adequately clear to prospective downloaders had been allowed until now. Any extension created for crypto-mining was also barred from having any other function. These two restrictions were meant to prevent the creation of stealth mining extensions. Some websites implement a simple form of cryptojacking by trying to trick visitors into installing such extensions. Google has found that over 90% of crypto-mining extensions have failed to follow these policies, however, so its banning all crypto-mining extensions from Chrome. Mining extensions already on the Chrome Web Store will be removed in June. The developers said the following about their actions: The extensions platform provides powerful capabilities that have enabled our developer community to build a vibrant catalog of extensions that help users get the most out of Chrome. Unfortunately, these same capabilities have attracted malicious software developers who attempt to abuse the platform at the expense of users. This policy is another step forward in ensuring that Chrome users can enjoy the benefits of extensions without exposing themselves to hidden risks. This story follows Googles earlier announcement that the company will soon ban all cryptocurrency-related material from its advertising platforms. Facebook also announced similar plans. With increasing negative press and talk of government regulation, cryptocurrencies have faced some new realities this year. Despite this, the crypto-mining craze hasnt shown signs of slowing, yet. It has already moved beyond affecting PC hardware markets, and is even affecting some people's power bills already. A a cyber crime group called JokerStash (also known as Fin7) announced the release for sale of five million credit cards obtained from the Saks Fifth Avenue luxury department store and the Lord & Taylor stores. How The Theft Was Done According to Gemini Advisory, a cyber security firm specializing in tracking stolen financial data, the credit card data was stolen by installing malicious software in the cash registers of the stores. The software has been siphoning credit card data from May 2017 until last month. Gemini researchers said that the entire network of Lord & Taylor was compromised along with 83 stores of Saks Fith Avenue. The majority of credit cards were stolen from store locations in New York and New Jersey. The JokerStash group is known for also hacking into Whole Foods, Chipotle, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Trump Hotels, and other large companies. However, its latest hack of the Saks Fith Avenue and Lord & Taylor stores seems to have been one of more the most profitable, with the group obtaining over 5 million credit cards. Hudsons Bay Company (HBC), a Canadian retail group owns both Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor stores, along with other retail brands, such as Galeria Kaufhof, Home Outfitters, and Gilt.com, a popular online shopping site. However, these last three companies dont seem to have been hacked by JokerStash. Ignoring Security Upgrades Gets You Hacked As Maersks chair recently said, its imperative for companies to strive to secure their devices and networks as much as possible. Otherwise, its only a matter of time before they get hacked, too. Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor seem to have also learned this lesson the hard way. The two companies are among the few that have held out on upgrading their cash registers to using only EMV chip and PIN cards. Now, the two companies not only have to deal with the negative press and their customers anger, but they are also liable for this data breach. A law passed in 2015, shifted liability to retail stores in case of credit card data breaches, unless said stores used EMV chip and PIN cards, in which case the liability would remain with the banks. Gemini researchers recommended customers of the two retail chains to either replace their cards or setup transaction alerts to monitor for suspicious activity. The cyber security company anticipates a significant surge in fraudulent in-person purchases in the coming months using those stolen cards. AND WE'RE BACK!!! Kansas City Agenda Inside The Loop Show-Me Guv Making Good Large Midwest energy project turns to ex-Missouri governor CLOSE JEFFERSON CITY (AP) - Stymied by state regulators, a renewable energy company seeking to build one of the nation's longest power lines across a large swath of the Midwest has turned to a prominent politician in an attempt to revive its $2.3 billion project. Former Missouri Gov. Teachable Kansas Money Moment Report Suggesting $2 Billion For Kansas Schools Overshot Education Goals By $500 Million A report meant to guide Kansas school spending appears to have overshot the mark by more than half a billion dollars. Consultants who wrote the document chased aggressive academic gains that exceed outcomes even in some of the state's highest-performing schools. Local Crime Crew Suspect Roundup 3 arrested in 4-state theft ring FERRELVIEW, Mo. -- Jackson and Platte County Sheriff's deputies arrested three people Wednesday in connection with multiple thefts at different Walmarts across four states. The thefts took place in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa. Raven Alexandria Neece, 36, and Joshua Braxton Thigpen, 31, of Ferrelview, are suspected of two separate thefts at the Holton Walmart Store. Kansas City Bank Robber Hard Time KC area man sentenced for 4 bank robberies KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Kansas City area man was sentenced in federal court today for robbing four banks in Independence, Mo., Liberty, Mo., and Kansas City, Mo., over a span of five months, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Tam Henry Holmes, 57, of the Kansas City metropolitan area, was sentenced by U.S. Foodie Making Dirt Work Serving Simple Yet Elegant Dishes, Black Dirt is a Personal Affair for Jonathan Justus Executive chef Jonathan Justus and managing partner Camille Eklof tell a personal story with Black Dirt, their second restaurant, which opened in January in Kansas City's South Plaza. The sleek space is broken up into five dining areas tied together by a modern black and gray palette, with broad strokes of earthy colors. The Golden Ghetto Biz Poaching Price Tag Gets Even Bigger Overland Park budgets millions for convention center maintenance Overland Park City Council members are considering big repairs for the city's convention centerThe Overland Park convention center is 16 years old and engineers say it will need some costly fixes within the next five years, including a new roof. Celebrate Kansas City Homegrown Genius Waffles, Not Pancakes: Local Farmer's Invention Could Improve Crop Yields As vice president of Shatto Milk Company, Matt Shatto also wears another hat, that of CEO of TerraManus Technologies. Shatto has come up with a simple way that he says can increase crop yields. It's a plastic disk that, when used with regular tilling, can help soil retain water and consolidate it instead of compact it. Give The Kansas City GOAT A Break Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead to open Monday without popular attraction OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - There will be no baby goat bottle feeding Monday in Overland Park. The Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead posted Friday that they are a "go" for their season opener - their 40th - on Monday, but they are "no-go(ats)" for farmstead guests feeding baby goats after some of the little ones came down with "ecthyma," or sore mouth. Actually, we always try to ease into Monday but the reality is that our half speed is stillthan most "journalistic" efforts from local media denizens.And so, because the MSM news reports thatwhich give us hope for a new day. Check the latest local links . . .is the song of the day and this is thefor right now . . . Seg. 1: Merits Of A Case Against Schlitterbahn. Seg. 2: The Early Years Of Martin Luther King Jr. Last week, three Schlitterbahn employees were indicted on criminal charges related to a boy's death in 2016 at the Kansas City, Kansas, water park. Today, we discussed the merits of cases, and found out how state law is evolving in response to the incident. A conversation about the legal ramifications of a Kansas disaster that hopefully increasing regulations or at least creating enough corporate fear to keep amusement park visitors safe. Read more: Kansas City Tax Break Survey Seyz??? Kansas City's long-awaited incentive study finally nears completion - Kansas City Business Journal The City Council voted at the end of 2016 to spend as much as $350,000 for a comprehensive analysis of the use of incentives and their resulting impacts. It was supposed to be done in May 2017, but a city official said Friday, "We're still working on it." Dead-Tree Media Endorsement Vote yes Tuesday for KC public improvements sales tax Millions of dollars - and a more livable city - are at stake Tuesday when Kansas Citians go the polls. We recommend a yes vote on Question 1. The measure would extend the current 1-cent public improvements sales tax for 20 years, providing roughly $70 million annually for better parks, playgrounds, sidewalks and bridges. Local School Lesson In Fear Today Olathe Northwest student brings unloaded weapon to school Olathe Police Department and Olathe School District officials confirmed to KMBC 9 News an Olathe Northwest High School student was taken into custody after a parent informed officials their student brought an unloaded firearm to school this morning. R.I.P. Kansas City Doggie KC German Shepherd who nearly froze to death loses battle with cancer KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The local dog who fought hard to live after being found nearly frozen to death in December 2016 died on Sunday. Caesar the German Shepherd died of cancer. Veterinarians were forced to euthanize him because the cancer was spreading rapidly. Savoring JoCo Literature Audiobook 42 years overdue returned to Johnson County Library An audiobook 42 years overdue was returned to the Johnson County Library. It was a pleasant surprise at the Corinth Branch located at 8100 Mission Rd. The audiobook, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, dates back before the time of CDs and even audio cassettes, so outdated the library has no way to play it. Springtime For Traffic Trouble Emergency repairs expected to slow commute times on I-70 EB at Manchester Bridge The Missouri Department of Transportation has closed the right lane on eastbound I-70 at Manchester Bridge for emergency bridge repair. The bridge barrier was damaged in a crash Sunday and requires crews to address it immediately for the safety of the driving public. Kansas City Urban Exploring Booty Crews digging new pipe unearth old rail line near 18th and Vine KANSAS CITY, Mo. - As some Kansas City voters mail in ballots for an extended new streetcar rail line, Water Department workers have possibly unearthed an old rail line. The department is in the process of digging up an old 8-inch main, in place since 1882, and replacing it with a new 12-inch main on 18th Street between Woodland and Campbell. Despite the glamour of their hottie international models, there are dangers confronting the lingerie biz.A recent example . . .Closer to home, we want to keep our blog community armed with information and so we gather these Kansas City mainstream media links that are worth a look:And this is thefor right now . . . LIKE IT OR NOT, MORE IMMIGRANTS FROM SOUTH OF THE BORDER CONTINUE TO MIGRATE TO KANSAS CITY STREETS AND THIS LATEST JUNKET WILL BE NO EXCEPTION!!! DACA Discourse Immigrant 'caravan' heading to US-Mexico border sparks Trump's concern "Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release. Getting more dangerous. 'Caravans' coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL," Trump tweeted Sunday morning. Today's Prez Trump Twitter Tirade Trump slams Mexico, current immigration laws President Donald Trump spent his Easter Sunday morning railing against existing U.S. immigration policy and arguing that the nation's "dumb laws" are leading to "big flows of people" trying to cross the U.S.-Mexican border. "Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release," the president wrote on Twitter. Compassionate Conservatism Or Not Trump and Trolls Target Caravan of Migrant Families Hundreds of Central American migrants have organized and banded together on a journey to the US border, and right-wing media and President Donald Trump are reacting with outrage, even describing the caravan as an "act of war" against America. "INVASION: Army of Illegal Migrants Is Marching Its Way Through Mexico to U.S. Once again the immigration debate is soon come to the city steps after an online debate leads to nothing but contempt.But first . . .Accordingly . . .No joke, for any observer of the urban core or even suburban work forces . . . The number of local Latino immigrants hasn't really declined that much despite so much chest thumping on both sides of the aisle.Check the debate . . .Developing . . . The FBI, along with Kansas City Police, on Monday urged residents to turn in potential explosive devices during Explosive Ordnance Recovery Week April 2-6 in Kansas City. The FBI says, on average, squads respond eight to 10 times a month in the greater Kansas City metro area. Bomb techs on standby in Kansas City to recover potentially dangerous explosive devices Posted: Monday, April 2, 2018 2:10 PM EDT Updated: Apr 02, 2018 02:55 PM Monday, April 2, 2018 4:53 PM EDT KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) - Members of the Kansas and Missouri Bomb Tech Working Group are on standby this week to recover potentially dangerous explosive devices throughout the Kansas City area. OR . . . KCMO becomesHere's the important public notice . . .A not so fun fact . . .Checkit:Developing . . . Mayor Sly James: "I grew up in the 60s, graduating high school during the height of the Vietnam War in 1969. Students then were failed by the adult politicians who sent them off to a disfavored war, somewhat like the adult failure to do anything to protect them from gun violence now. Ironically, assault weapons were the weapons of choice in both settings." RIGHT NOW KICK-ASS TKC READERS FACT CHECK MAYOR SLY'S MISLEADING ATTACKS ON ASSAULT RIFLES IN KANSAS CITY WITH RELEVANT HOMICIDE DATA!!! Is Mayor Sly James Misleading Kansas City About Gun Violence??? MEANS OF ATTACK Firearm-Handgun = 104 Now, if you're capable of rudimentary reading comprehension, what should be glaringly obvious is that homicide in KCMO is overwhelmingly committed with handguns . 2017 -- 149 homicides; 104 by handguns 2016 -- 128 homicides; 92 by handguns 2015 -- 109 homicides; 80 by handguns 2014 -- 76 homicides; 50 by handguns Over the past few weeks Mayor Sly James has once again been the local champion of gun control.In a recent op/ed, he offered a scathing indictment of a controversial firearm class, take a look:Accordingly . . .Here's the word:Of the 149 homicides in 2017, let's examine what was determined to be the perpetrator's means of attack.Asphyxiation = 0Fire = 0Knife = 9Strangulation = 0Firearm-Shotgun = 3Firearm-Rifle = 4Firearm-Unknown Type = 17Blunt Force by Hands or Feet = 5Blunt Force Trauma by Object = 5Vehicle = 1Other = 1Unknown = 2And KCMO is not unique with respect to killers preference for handguns, despite what attention-hungry politicians, liberal corporate media, and severely misled high school students have been recently promoting. Similar handgun-dominating homicide statistics have been seen every year in recent history, as highlighted below from KCPD records:So, back to the title above "Is Mayor Sly James Misleading Kansas City About Gun Violence???" Don't you suppose that Sylvester James is horribly ashamed by his inability and inaction to curb violent crime in KCMO? It must be like an impotent man powerless to please his beautiful wife. So how does a narcissistic politician deal with his shortcomings while deflecting any criticism that he's soft on crime? Well, apparently one method is to constantly run your mouth about the dangers of long guns, and by "long guns" I refer to the non-handgun firearms that are NOT used to commit most of KCMO homicides. Of course, it helps tremendously when the only daily newspaper is an echo chamber for the liberal Democrat anti-gun agenda. Add in the stable of local corporate news affiliates who regurgitate the Democratic Party/NYC/Hollywood attacks upon the American Constitution's Second Amendment, and you have yourself some ammunition to distract the naive student snowflakes, the JoCo suburbanites who venture across the state line for amusement activism, and those with an inclination for panderers.###################You decide . . . BOSTON, April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The New Ireland Fund, Inc. (NYSE:IRL) (the Fund), a closed-end fund, today announced that it paid on March 30, 2018, a distribution of US$0.2890 per share to all shareholders of record as of March 23, 2018. Your Funds distribution policy (the Distribution Policy) is to provide investors with a stable quarterly distribution out of current income, supplemented by realized capital gains and, to the extent necessary, paid-in capital. Under U.S. tax rules applicable to the Fund, the amount and character of distributable income for each fiscal year can be finally determined only as of the end of the Funds fiscal year. However, under Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act) and related Rules, the Fund may be required to indicate to shareholders the source of certain distributions to shareholders. The following table sets forth the estimated amounts of the sources of the distribution for purposes of Section 19 of the 1940 Act and the Rules adopted thereunder. The table has been computed based on generally accepted accounting principles. The table includes estimated amounts and percentages for the distribution to be paid on March 30, 2018, as well as the estimated cumulative distributions declared fiscal year to date (11/1/2017 2/28/2018), from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short-term capital gains; net realized long-term capital gains; and return of capital. The estimated composition of the distributions may vary from quarter to quarter because the estimated composition may be impacted by future income, expenses and realized gains and losses on securities. Estimated Amounts of Current Quarterly Distribution per share ($) Estimated Amounts of Current Quarterly Distribution per share (%) Estimated Amounts of Fiscal Year to Date Cumulative Distributions per share ($) Estimated Amounts of Fiscal Year to Date Cumulative Distributions per share (%) Net Investment Income - - - - Net Realized Short- Term Capital Gains * - - - - Net Realized Long-Term Capital Gains $0.2890 100% $0.5780 100% Return of Capital - - - - Total (per common share) $0.2890 100% $0.5780 100% *including currency gains Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Funds investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Funds Distribution Policy, which is to provide investors with a stable quarterly distribution. The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The final determination of the source of all distributions in 2018 will be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Funds investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. The following table provides the Funds total return performance based on net asset value (NAV) over various time periods compared to the Funds annualized and cumulative distribution rates. Average Annual Total Return on NAV for the 5 Year Period Ending 2/28/20181 13.0% Current Fiscal Periods Annualized Distribution Rate on NAV2 8% Fiscal Year to Date (11/1/2017 to 2/28/2018) Cumulative Total Return on NAV1 -7.18% Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV2 2% 1Return data is net of all fund expenses and fees and assumes the reinvestment of all distributions reinvested at prices obtained under the Funds dividend reinvestment plan. 2 Based on the Funds NAV as of December 12, 2017. While NAV performance may be indicative of the Funds investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholders investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholders investment in the Fund is determined by the Funds market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Funds shares in the open market. Pursuant to an exemptive order granted to the Fund by the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 19, 2014, the Fund may distribute any long-term capital gains more frequently than the limits provided in Section 19(b) under the 1940 Act and Rule 19b-1 thereunder. Therefore, distributions paid by the Fund during the year may include net income, short-term capital gains, long-term capital gains and/or a return of capital. Net income dividends and short-term capital gain dividends, while generally taxable at ordinary income rates, may be eligible, to the extent of qualified dividend income earned by the Fund, to be taxed at a lower long-term capital gains rate. If the total distributions made in any calendar year exceed investment company taxable income and net capital gain, such excess distributed amount would be treated as ordinary income to the extent of the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits. Distributions in excess of the earnings and profits would first be a tax-free return of capital to the extent of the adjusted tax basis in the shares. After such adjusted tax basis is reduced to zero, the distribution would constitute capital gain (assuming the shares are held as capital assets). The payment of distributions in accordance with the Distribution Policy may result in a decrease in the Funds net assets. A decrease in the Funds net assets may cause an increase in the Funds annual operating expenses and a decrease in the Funds market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Funds net asset value per share. The Distribution Policy may also negatively affect the Funds investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold or hold securities that it would liquidate, for the purpose of paying the distribution. The Distribution Policy may, under certain circumstances, cause the amounts of taxable distributions to exceed the levels required to be distributed under the Internal Revenue Code (i.e., to the extent the Fund has capital losses in any taxable year, such losses may be carried forward to reduce the amount of capital gains required to be distributed in future years; if distributions in a year exceed the amount minimally required to be distributed under the tax rules, such excess will be taxable as ordinary income to the extent loss carryforwards reduce the required amount of capital gains distributions in that year). The Funds Board of Directors has the right to amend, suspend or terminate the Distribution Policy at any time. The amendment, suspension or termination of the Distribution Policy may affect the Funds market price per share. Investors should consult their tax advisor regarding federal, state and local tax considerations that may be applicable in their particular circumstances. Closed-end funds are traded on the secondary market through one of the stock exchanges. The Funds investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investors shares may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of closed-end funds may trade above (a premium) or below (a discount) the net asset value (NAV) of the funds portfolio. There is no assurance that a fund will achieve its investment objective. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The Fund is managed by KBI Global Investors (North America) Ltd, a subsidiary of KBI Global Investors Ltd, and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol - IRL. For further information, please contact the Fund at (800) 468-6475 or investor.query@newirelandfund.com. KBI Global Investors Ltd. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK. Details about the extent of our regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority are available from KBI Global Investors Ltd. on request. KBIGI is registered as an investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Website: www.newirelandfund.com Kuwaiti Parliament's financial and economic affairs committee has approved the bills stipulating fees on expatriates' financial overseas remittances, reported Kuwait News Agency (Kuna), citing a member. The commission approved the bills with consent of two thirds of the members, provided that the taxes to be imposed on money transfers of low-income expatriates must be low, revealed MP Salah Khorshed. As per proposed laws, the fees to be imposed on the KD90 salary category would be at one per cent; the KD100 to 200 segment at around two per cent, the KD300 to 499 segment (3 per cent) and those in KD500 to 1,664 segment (5 per cent). He forecast proceeds amounting to KD70 million ($233 million) out of the fees on these remittances, estimated at KD19 billion, reported Kuna. The committee rapporteur, Saleh Ashour, stated that the panel discussed the issue extensively in consultation with legal experts, it added. The foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow to the UAE reached $10.3 billion (Dh37.8 billion) in 2017, up from $9.6 billion (Dh35.23 billion) recorded in 2016, said the organisers of the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) in Dubai, UAE, citing figures from the UAE Competitiveness and Statistics Authority. Dawood Al Shezawi, the CEO of AIM, said: The UAEs FDI inflow is a living testimony of how liberal approach and an ease in doing business is helping the UAE attract more investment. The UAEs FDI stock now exceeds $128.85 billion, which is significant and puts the UAE ahead of most countries in the Middle East. Additionally, in the real estate sector, Dubai Land Departments sound regulation that ensures maximum investment protection through escrow account has helped the emirate attract Dh107 billion ($29.15 billion) investment in 2017 by 39,480 investors through 52,958 transactions more than 65 percent of which was carried out by foreign investors. Besides, the countrys 45 free zones collectively create a large gateway for trade and investment. In 2017, the UAEs free zones handled Dh225.5 billion ($61.39 billion) worth of exports, a growth of 6.6 percent from the previous year, according to the UAE Central Bank. The forthcoming Annual Investment Meeting will focus on accelerating FDI flows across the world and explore new ways to boost investment and trade, he added. Global investment is seeing a bumpy recovery as worldwide foreign direct investment (FDI) flows reach $1.52 trillion in 2017, according to the World Investment Report published by the United Nations Council on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). FDI to developing economies remained stable, at an estimated $653 billion, 2 percent more than the previous year. However, a number of issues relating to FDI, obstacles to investment and development, will be addressed at AIM, taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre, from April 9-11. More than 20,000 investors, financial institutions, institutional investors, delegates, government officials and participants will participate at a series of events exhibition, conference, country presentations, investors hub, investment awards and capacitybuilding workshops to help attract investment in specific economic sectors and free zones or special economic zones. AIM will be spread across 8,000 sq m of net exhibition space in which participants from 140 countries will promote their investment projects, opportunities, services and attractions. AIM includes three-day series of conferences with world-renowned speakers from private and public institutions including high-level officials from the UAE, Russia, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Tatarstan, Portugal, and many more. The conference will focus on: Driving sustainable development through FDI; Investment in the Fourth Industrial Revolution; How technology is changing the future of productivity and growth; Public-private partnerships for infrastructure projects, Sovereign Wealth and Private Equity Funds and their role in investment, etc. AIM will host a full-day workshop series that will tackle Emerging technologies and opportunities for investment promotion agencies; How to develop successful city regional economies; The role of chambers of commerce in achieving SDGs and the role of marketing and communications in investment promotion. Speakers from the most reputable private companies such as Mubadala, Lulu Group, and the Kanoo Group will also be sharing their knowledge on foreign direct investment. More than 1,000 high officials including one head of state, more than30 ministers and state ministers, and more than 30 heads of international organisations, government organisations, sovereign wealth funds, chambers, investment promotion agencies will be networking with potential investors and financial institutions to boost investment inflow into their countries to develop industries, businesses and help create employment. AIM will host large investors including Emaar, Etisalat, Al Majdouie Investment, Jumeirah Group, Dubai Investments, Loukil Holding, Lulu Group, Sharjah Asset Management, Mubadala Investment, and many more. New investment projects will be launched for the first time through an array of activities including Country Presentations, Exhibition, Investors' Hub, G2G, G2B, and B2B Networking Features, and AIM Startup Innovation Showcase and Startup Competition. AIM will host more than 40 country pavilions and 18 country presentations/investment destinations will also be promoting investment opportunities in their locations including UAE, China, Georgia, Italy, India, South Korea, Egypt, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Jordan, Botswana, Cameroon, and Nigeria. Top focused sectors are agribusiness and agriculture, energy and mining, finance and banking, infrastructure and logistics, IT and telecommunications, manufacturing, real estate & property, tourism & hospitality, and trade & industry. TradeArabia News Service Bahrain-based Investcorp, a leading global provider and manager of alternative investments, organized the 2018 edition of its exclusive Investcorp Leadership Programme in partnership with Insead, one of the worlds leading business schools. The four-day Programme, held recently in Inseads campus in Fontainebleau, France, was attended by over 40 future leaders from across the GCC region. The Investcorp Leadership Programme has been uniquely designed to provide its participants with a platform to develop their leadership skills and enhance their capabilities to navigate the increasingly challenging global marketplace. Mohammed Alardhi, executive chairman of Investcorp said: The Investcorp Leadership Programme has become a significant milestone in the Firms business calendar. Every year we try to engineer the best platform for the bright business minds of this region to come together and enhance their strategic thinking skills through world-class education. By collaborating with the prestigious business school of Insead, we intend for our attendees to learn from some of the most renowned professors and scholars and hone their skills through academia, culture and meeting like-minded people. We see a lot of potential in the rising leaders in the GCC and we remain committed to equipping them with the necessary tools to progress in their respective careers. The four-day Programme featured sessions focused on leadership and entrepreneurship. On the first day, seasoned entrepreneurs at Station F the worlds largest start-up campus located in Paris shared their experiences in working on disruptive ideas with innovative management approaches. Over the course of the second day, a host of Investcorps senior leaders delivered a number of talks sharing insights from Investcorp and its experience as a global investment firm. Loic Sadoulet and Randel Carlock, affiliate professors at Insead, also hosted several sessions. The evening wrapped up at an exclusive gala dinner for the events participants which was held at the stunning 17th century masterpiece; the Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte. The gala featured a keynote speech from George de Lama, president of Eisenhower Fellowships, as well as a piano performance by renowned pianist and Eisenhower Fellow, Claire-Marie Le Guay. The programme concluded with certificate distribution ceremony and closing remarks by Mohammed Al-Shroogi, Co-CEO of Investcorp. TradeArabia News Service GE Power is demonstrating its commitment to support Iraq to strengthen its power infrastructure by helping to bring back to life the 750-megawatt (MW) Al Qayara Power Plant that was damaged in the recent conflict in Mosul. GEs team is working with the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity to repair six GE 9E gas turbines, replace a damaged oil treatment system and fuel tanks and carry out other restoration works on the balance of plant equipment with the goal to recommence power production at the facility by the end of the year. Mussab Almudaris, an official spokesperson of the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity, said: There was extensive damage to Mosuls power plants during the conflict, which has severely curtailed the citys electricity generation capacity. One of our top priorities for Mosul is to rebuild the citys electricity infrastructure and strengthen power production to meet the everyday needs of our citizens. We value the support extended by GE Power, which was one of the first companies to join our reconstruction efforts. The Al Qayara Power Plant was first set up in 2013 and served as a key hub for power production in Mosul. It was damaged by militants in 2016 and has been out of operation since then. Basic infrastructure services such as the reliable supply of power are essential to stabilize the region, facilitate the return of displaced populations and stimulate the local economy, said Joseph Anis, president & CEO of GEs Power Services business in Africa, India and the Middle East. The Al Qayara Power Plant is an essential part of Mosuls power infrastructure and we are committed to working with the Ministry of Electricity to accelerate repair and restoration works so the site can start to generate power again within the year. GE has a strong legacy of contributions towards building Iraqs power sector. This includes providing fast-track power for emergency restoration of electricity in distressed areas; converting power plants from simple cycle to combined cycle configuration; multi-year services to improve the reliability and efficiency of operations; upgrades solutions to increase the availability, output and efficiency of the existing installed power generation asset base; the implementation of digital industrial solutions to monitor, analyze, predict and enhance equipment health; as well as equipping and setting up electric substations to strengthen the national grid. GE is showcasing these efforts around developing Iraqs power infrastructure and exhibiting its leading portfolio of solutions at the Iraq Energy Exhibition and Conference during April 2-4, 2018. With over 50 years of presence in Iraq, GE is committed to the development of the country and its people, said William Wakileh, president and CEO of GE Iraq and Levant. We are bringing advanced energy, healthcare and transportation technologies to the country, helping to unlock financing from various sources to support the execution of critical projects and employ up to 300 people in Iraq, more than 95 percent of whom are Iraqi nationals. To date, over 130 GE turbines have been installed across Iraq and GE-built technologies generate up to 50 percent of Iraqs power. With offices in Baghdad, Erbil and Basra, GE continues to deliver its latest technology and expertise to local customers. TradeArabia News Service Outrigger Hotels and Resorts has announced that Jeff Wagoner is joining the company as president and chief executive officer, effective April 26. KSL Resorts co-founder and CEO, Scott Dalecio, who has been serving as Outriggers interim CEO since early 2017, has been appointed executive chairman of the global hospitality brand. Wagoner joins Outrigger with wide-ranging hospitality leadership experience in both domestic and international markets. His previous appointments include executive vice president of hotel operations for Trump Hotels as well as several senior level positions within the Wyndham Hotel Group, including president Wyndham Hotel Group Management, executive vice president global brand services and president Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. Jeff is a proven leader with the operational strength and industry intelligence to successfully steer Outrigger Hotels and Resorts as we further expand the global footprint of this iconic hospitality brand, said Dalecio. His skill set is a tremendous asset to our organisation and equally important, his leadership style fits impeccably with Outriggers culture of Ke `Ano Wa`a caring for the guest, the host and the place. Outriggers portfolio currently includes nine premium beachfront resorts in Hawaii, Fiji, Thailand, Guam, Mauritius and the Maldives alongside 27 owned and/or managed hotels, resorts and vacation condominiums. Its a tremendous time of reinvestment and growth for Outrigger Hotels and Resorts and I am honoured for the opportunity to be a part of this new chapter, said Wagoner. Building on Outriggers 70 years of hospitality, I look forward to enhancing and growing our portfolio while upholding the authenticity and integrity of this iconic brand. - TradeArabia News Service The China Import and Export Fair (the Canton Fair) has named Qatar Airways as the official partner airline of the 123rd Canton Fair. As part of the partnership, Qatar Airways will offer special discounted fares to people traveling to the Fair, with a special focus on buyers flying from select cities in the Middle East and Africa. The offer is good for both one-way and round-trip economy and business class tickets purchased during the Fair's registration period of March 15 - May 15, and for travel to the Fair between April 5 - May 15 from 13 destinations in the Middle East and 19 in Africa: Doha, Beirut, Kuwait, Salalah, Baghdad, Basra, Najaf, Amman, Mashhad, Shiraz, Tehran, Muscat and Sohar Durban, Marrakech, Algiers, Lagos, Addis Ababa, Dar Es Salaam, Khartoum, Kigali, Windhoek, Kilimanjaro, Tunis, Casablanca, Djibouti, Entebbe, Nairobi, Seychelles, Johannesburg, Maputo and Cape Town "We are thrilled to once again join hands with Qatar Airways," said Alan Liu, deputy director general of the Foreign Affairs Office at Canton Fair. "Their commitment to quality, combined with their strong support of China's Belt and Road Initiative, makes them the perfect partner for us. Their extensive network, which has included connections from Guangzhou to cites across the Middle East and Africa, allows buyers from growing economies across the region to access the vast array of partnership opportunities that will be available at Canton Fair." "We also hope the partnership will help guests from these countries to lower the cost of attending the fair and gain a better experience at the 123rd Canton Fair," added Liu. To apply for the offer, visitors can follow the below process: Log in to the "Best" (Buyer E-Service Tool) platform on the official Canton Fair website at http://invitation.cantonfair.org.cn/en (registration required for first-time users) and visit the campaign home page to enter guest information. Follow the instructions to obtain a promotion code and use the code to book tickets via Qatar Airways' official homepage. - TradeArabia News Service Consolidated Tape Needed In Europe Fixed income market participants said a consolidated tape is needed as soon as possible in Europe in order to meet the increased transparency desired by new regulation. MiFID II, which came into force in the European Union in January, introduced pre-trade transparency and post-trade transaction reporting into fixed income for the first time. In addition, MiFID II extended best execution regulations into the fixed income market for the first time. Firms now need to take all sufficient steps, rather than all reasonable steps to obtain best execution, and evidence this process. Panelists at the AFME European Trading & Market Liquid Conference in London said a consolidated tape is needed across the EU as traders have to collect data from many individual platforms. Juan Landazabal, global head of fixed income and foreign exchange trading at Deutsche Asset Management, said: The landscape is fragmented and there is no more transparency than in November last year. He added that if transparency improves, this will boost the shift to all-to-all models where buy-side firms can find new liquidity through trading with other asset managers. More data points will allow us to develop models in-house for improving best execution, he said. Zoeb Sachee, head of Euro government and SSA trading at Citi, said the MiFID II data being reported is poor quality. Our clients feel request for quotes give them more transparency than the MiFID II obligations, he added. However, Sachee also pointed out that the implementation of MiFID II did not have a negative impact on liquidity, which some had feared. Christoph Hock, head of multi-asset trading at Union Investments, said transparency had not improved as few bonds are liquid enough to meet the reporting requirements and in addition, trade reporting can be deferred so the data being publicly reported is not real-time. We need a consolidated tape as soon as possible, Hock added. Getting real-time data from APAs (Approved Publication Arrangements) is costly and we should learn lessons from equities where market data costs have exploded. Ashlin Kohler, fixed income market structure at Citi, agreed that the MiFID II data is not useful in its current state and the industry need to significantly invest in data analytics. She said: Commercial solutions for a consolidated tape will evolve and more innovative vendors will emerge. A previous commercial venture to launch a European consolidated tape, the Coba Project, failed in 2013 due to insufficient support from banks, fund managers, data providers and stock exchanges. Daniel Mayston, EMEA head of electronic trading and market structure at BlackRock, said that now MiFID II has been implemented, the industry needs to look forward and assess the value of data being generated. The date needs to be standardised, useable and actionable, he added. There is a huge opportunity to assess best execution so it becomes data-driven. I would like to see an evolution in 12 to 18 months as useful data could revolutionise how we trade. A survey of global asset managers by institutional trading network Liquidnet, Future TechTrading Bonds Post MiFID II, found that 86% of firms are currently in the process of re-configuring workflows and 68% are improving data collection. Rebecca Healey, head of EMEA market structure for Liquidnet and author of the report, said in a statement: Firms are now beginning to recognise the central role technology plays in making workflows more efficient, allowing trading desks to better evaluate the true cost of execution and not solely focusing on the lowest price possible as that is not necessarily best execution. This will ultimately help portfolio managers to build more resilient strategies that take liquidity conditions into account at the point of investment selection, not just execution. For more information on related topics, visit the following channels: Four Brevard College theatre seniors will present their capstone projects on April 7 at 2:30 p.m. in Scott Commons of the Porter Center for Performing Arts. Henry Crowder, Faith Alexander, Lily Bartleson and Amanda Heskett will each spend 10-20 minutes discussing their projects. While this event is free and open to the public, seats are limited. The senior capstone is a culmination of all the knowledge students have gained during their time in Brevard Colleges theatre program. It represents the growth theyve experienced not only as students, but as individuals as well. I want to show everyone my journey as an artist, actor and human being, and how that has prepared me to move forward in life with confidence. Excitement, fear, letting go: all of those emotions, and more, are encompassed in my showcase, said Alexander. Alexander will perform several monologues. Her most recent role was Berthe, the French housemaid in Brevard Colleges production of Boeing, Boeing. A theatre seniors fall semester is spent working with advisors to brainstorm ideas and research topics. In the spring, they craft and execute the project, and then present their findings to the public. Beyond the college atmosphere, capstone projects are valuable parts of a students portfolio. I used to frame situations and outcomes negatively. I would focus on the destination, but not the journey; the food, but not the taste; the noise, but not the music. I saw the end of a four-year career as the end of many things. Now, I see this as the beginning of something incredible, said Bartleson, who will be presenting a mix of songs and monologues. As graduation approaches, Bartleson has begun searching for opportunities in Chicago to continue her acting career. Brevard College theatre students receive opportunities that range from starring in lead positions, crafting sets, designing costumes, operating light and sound boards, etc. This exposure allows them to gain an appreciation for all aspects of a production, and students are able to better decide which area they will shine the brightest in continuing their education. This semester, I challenged myself with the creation of a new show. For the capstone itself, Ill be showing everyone the journey Im about to take as a storyteller with a short dance piece I created. Through collaboration with others and dedication to the craft, this has come together as a truly unique piece of art, said Heskett, whos main focus is lighting and stage management. My senior project for Brother Wolf is very page turning, in the nature of the design. This is very symbolic of my growth over the last four years, thanks to the incredible program at Brevard College, said Crowder. After graduation, Crowder plans to work as a projectionist for the production of Unto These Hills at the Cherokee Mountainside Theater in Cherokee, N.C. Regardless of a students major, Brevard College aims to prepare individuals for the world after college. Their four years at the school are spent growing and specifying their interests, molding themselves into who they want the world to see them as. At the close of the academic year, theatre seniors can step back and reflect on all the hours spent at rehearsals, reviewing last minute script changes, late nights building sets, countless mapping and re-mapping of lights, and know that those experiences have readied them to offer their best selves to the world. (Summitt is a Brevard College student who will be graduating in 2019.) Nicola Karesh, surrounded by friends and members of the Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce, makes Morning Glory Inspirations official. Morning Glory Inspirations provides tours and talks showing what it was like to live in Rosenwald during the days of segregation. Morning Glory Inspirations officially opened for business last week with the customary Open House and Ribbon Cutting ceremony. "Thanks to Brevard/ Transylvania Chamber Of Commerce and the Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority for graciously providing the celebratory space for us to host the event. Thanks to all of those who came out and who continue to stand by us and offer love and support," said Nicola Karesh, owner. "The name Morning Glory Inspirations relates to my childhood. Growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, I went to St. Andrews' Preparatory, Junior and High Schools. Throughout those school days, we began the morning in a similar fashion. As a school body, we would walk over to the hall for 'prayers.' It was an uplifting way to start the day. We sang hymns, we said prayers, sometimes sang the anthem and we enjoyed devotion together. That feeling of fellowship, worship and coming together carried throughout the day and stays with me always. I cherish it. "It is felt in the 'Morning Glory' daily inspirational cards and devotional book that the business carries. Each original creation was inspired by this good feeling that I remember from childhood and offers an uplifting way to begin the morning. Glory speaks to my God and creator from whom all my good comes and Inspirations is a way to share that blessing with you." Business brochures in the Brevard/Transylvania Chamber Of Commerce feature the business's main offering: captivating historical and cultural tours, talks and experiences. From my perspective, it speaks to the importance of putting our local black history, Rosenwald history, on the map... making it visible and celebrated," said Karesh. Morning Glory Inspirat-ions offerings range to include seasonal nature walks and conversations in the park with invited Rosenwald speakers, a traditional black history walking tour in the heart of historic Rosenwald, a "better than therapy" bus trip and once the green space is nicely cleaned up, enjoy "the Tannery tour @Rosenwald." Lastly, The Rosenwald African American Exper-ience takes you on a one-of-a-kind journey back in time to experience what it may have been like to be a Rosenwald student during segregation. Private tours are available for individuals and groups, students through adults. They will happily customize a special tour based on interests. To find out more about Morning Glory Inspirations and to make a reservation for yourself or your group, club or organization, call (828) 421-8615 or [email protected] com porium.net or visit https://morninggloryinspirations.com/. Starting today, Black Mountain resident Kenny Capps will start running on the Mountain to Sea Trail, starting at Kill Devil Hills, N.C., and wont stop until he reaches Clingmans Dome at the other end of the state, 54 days later. While doing this, Capps will also be battling the incurable blood cancer, multiple myeloma. The goal of Capps run, and the organization he founded, Throwing Bones for a Cure, Inc., is to raise funds toward a cure for multiple myeloma, encourage patients to stay active after diagnosis, and to assist patients and their families with short-term financial and logistical needs. Self-described as a runner of average ability, Capps, 46, and a father of three, was diagnosed with stage two multiple myeloma on Jan. 15, 2015, and was forced to stop running that year because of a large bone lesion in his left hip. In August 2015, after multiple rounds of chemotherapy and infusions, Capps underwent a bone marrow transplant at Emory University. He did not achieve remission. After reviewing the year, Capps went to his wife and proposed running 1,175 miles across the state of North Carolina. Im apparently as crazy as he is, said his wife, Murphy Funkhouser-Capps. I told him to go for it. Throughout 2017, Capps trained and prepared for the long run and recruited others to join him on the cross state run for a day or a week, including notable ultra runners Charlie Engle (author of Running Man), Dave McConkey of Canada, Mirna Valerno (featured in REI ads and author of A Beautiful Work in Progress) and Sandy Villenes (just achieved the fastest transcontinental run by a woman). Capps will make his way across the state with the help of his two crew members, Dean Hart and Chuck Dale. Hart, a retired U.S. Marine, and Chuck Dale, formerly of the U.S. Air Force, are remarkable athletes in their own right. They have crewed Charlie Engle, Ray Zahab and Kevin Lin as they ran across the Sahara Desert in 2007, and Pete Kostelnick on his record-breaking transcontinental run across the United States in 2016. Kenny and crew will be available for press interviews and special appearances. Says Capps, My goal is to show people battling this or any chronic disease that you have two choices: you can lay down and die or you can throw those bones and let them ride. Im rolling. Capps is hoping to raise $117,500 during the run which ends May 24, 2018, which is $100 per mile of the 1,1750 MST. He plans to run each mile in the name of someone battling or who has lost their life to the disease, which has a high mortality rate and affects 30,000 new people every year. Donations to support Capps and his run may be made at http://www.throwingbonesrun.org Follow his run or schedule in-person interviews by contacting [email protected] or by following the run calendar at https://throwingbonesrun.org/run-calendar ROME CIAMPINO, Italy, April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Universal Aviation Italy officially inaugurated the complete renovation of its ground support facilities in Rome Ciampino Airport (LIRA) during a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by clients, partners, and airport officials. Universal Aviation is the ground support division of Universal and has more than 50 locations in 20+ countries, with four locations operated under Universal Aviation Italy. The location in Rome Ciampino has the largest footprint inside the remodeled General Aviation Terminal. Rome Ciampino is the airport where general aviation is allowed to operate in the Rome area, and we recognize this is as a high-traffic and strategic location for business aviation operators, said Lorena Carraro, Managing Director, Universal Aviation Italy. Our priority for this renovation was to dedicate private spaces for crews and passengers, as well as the highest level of amenities and features that are important to our clients. With passion and commitment we are proud to offer our clients a warm welcome, granting them a unique experience in the eternal city of Rome. The facility includes a brand new and modern operations office, crew business center, a crew rest lounge, and a VIP lounge for passengers which looks directly out onto the ramp. Crews can now take advantage of the rest lounge located on the first floor of the terminal and a dedicated space, adjacent to the operations office, for their flight briefings. The renovation of our facilities in Rome Ciampino reinforces Universals commitment and Gregs vision to accommodate our customers to the highest standards, delivering not only a successful mission but a Universal experience provided by the Universal team and family in over 20 countries today, said Claudia Evans, who spoke in honor of husband Greg Evans, Chairman, Universal. And we are continuing to expand, with over 1,700 employees around the world providing an impeccable service every day. About Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. You're counted on to make every trip a success, but you dont have to do it alone. Reduce your operating risk and stress by accessing a global community of resources dedicated to helping you prepare for unforeseen events, navigate the ever-changing regulatory environment, and manage your stakeholders expectations. Keep your organization moving and ensure mission success with complete and customized trip management services coordinated through your dedicated trip support team, or online and on your Apple iPad via uvGO. For more information, contact worldwide sales at +1 (800) 231-5600 ext. 3300 (North America) or +1 (713) 944-1622 ext. 3300 (Worldwide). Apple and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. is not endorsed, sponsored, affiliated with or otherwise authorized by Apple Inc. Media Contact: Laura Garza +1 (713) 947-5788 lgarza@univ-wea.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/77661f77-b260-4765-9c5c-43ce9cc408c4 Dr. Steve Woodsmall has been hot on the campaign trail for North Carolina's 11th Congressional District, according to a press release. Seeking the Democratic nomination, Woodsmall is hoping to unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, a Republican. Retiring at the rank of major, Woodsmall's time in the Air Force taught him the values of leadership, experience and integrity, according to the release. Woodsmall's platform focuses on bringing high paying jobs to Western North Carolina through a job guarantee focusing on sustainable infrastructure and cutting-edge 21st century jobs, getting big money out of politics by passing an amendment to overturn Citizens United, and protecting the rich environment by investing in the national parks and reducing pollution. In addition, Woodsmall seeks to find solutions to rising health care costs, fight the opioid crisis, reduce gun violence by taking a common-sense approach to gun reform and bring competition back to the markets by enforcing antitrust laws already on the books. Woodsmall asks voters to vote for him on May 8 in the Democratic primary. For more information, visit http://www.woodsmallforcongress2018.org/, or see his Twitter/Instagram accounts, @SteveWoodsmall, or go to his Facebook page at Facebook.com/WoodsmallForCongress2018. The announcement that Mission Health is considering joining the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) as reported in your lead article and the Guest Column by Michele Pilon in the March 26 Transylvania Times has me greatly concerned. Unlike the views expressed by the Mission Board members and hospital executive, I do not see such a move as great news. I believe that such an action might well be disadvantageous for our community and should be viewed soberly. And, my concern is heightened by our learning of this proposal only after a letter of agreement has already been signed. Mission is a vibrant, not-for-profit system with a wide array of up-to-date facilities and is considered one of the best hospitals in the state. There seems to be wide community support for the Mission system and this has contributed to financial support. And, the Mission system certainly does not seem lacking in leadership and expertise. Given this, what are the problems that necessitate such a significant change? I have not seen them described. Two reasons for supporting such a merger have been suggested. First, the addition to the community tax base if the Mission system goes for-profit, which would clearly be a plus for our communities. Second, establishment of a foundation, presumably with money from HCA to pay for the Mission system, to support community health activities. Having resources to support such activities would indeed be great news. I assume that the financial resources noted will derive from the settlement that HCA would be required to make to compensate the community for the value of Mission. This should be hundreds of millions of dollars and I have to wonder whether the settlement would, in fact, provide such a sum to the community. There is also note of the uncompensated care that HCA hospitals provide as if this will be a new benefit for our communities. All hospitals provide uncompensated care. Mission now provides a significant amount of such care, so this is not an argument for merging with HCA. We must remember that HCA is in business to make a profit and their leadership has to answer to shareholders not the community. Local control is gone and priorities change. Here are some of the negatives that concern me. HCA hospitals are not known for their quality. Look at any of the numerous published appraisals of hospital quality and you seldom, if ever, see any HCA or for-profit hospitals included. Further, why have an organization with a history of Medicare fraud take over our health care system? In the early 2000s HCA settled for $1.7 billion, the largest Medicare fraud case in U.S. history. Since then there have been other smaller settlements with one as recent as 2017. And based on my observations over a three-year period in a community with two HCA hospitals, I certainly dont share the view that HCA was started to provide patient-focused community health care. I doubt that HCA would increase quality or efficiency. North Carolina has some experience with a not-for-profit health organization, Blue Cross, attempting to change to for-profit status. Reviewing the reasons that this change never occurred might provide insights useful in evaluating the Mission proposal. It would also be interesting to understand why there are only a handful of for-profit hospitals, all small ones, in North Carolina. I am surprised that the members of the Mission Board and staff quoted seem to be so enthusiastic for the merger and have pushed forward without communicating with us. Do they see no possible down-side to this move? I certainly hope that this enthusiasm and the uncertain claims of benefits are balanced by analyses of the possible negative aspects before a merger is finalized. (Roy Penchansky is a resident of Pisgah Forest and professor emeritus of Health Care Management & Policy at the University of Michigan.) In 1834, a freshwater mussel collected near the convergence of the Swannanoa and French Broad Rivers was recognized as a new species the Appalachian elktoe. Eighty years later, Carnegie Museum curator and University of Pittsburg professor Arnold Ortman couldn't find any elktoes in the French Broad River, attributing his failure to polluted water. On a cold January afternoon in early 2017, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) biologists Jason Mays and Byron Hamstead were wading the French Broad River near Rosman, speaking with a landowner who wanted to stop the soil erosion on his property. Conversation turned to mussels, and while describing good mussel habitat, something caught Mays' eye. He reached into the water and pulled out an Appalachian elktoe mussel the first time the mussel had ever been found that far upstream in the French Broad River. In the summer of 2017, biologists found three elktoes in the river between Long Shoals Road and Amboy Road marking the furthest downstream the rare mussel has been found in decades. The Appalachian elktoe, on the endangered species list since 1994, is returning to the French Broad River. Since 2000, the Appalachian elktoe has been found in Transylvania County's Little River and Henderson County's Mills River both tributaries to the French Broad River. A few years later, biologists noticed the Little River population spreading into the mainstream of the French Broad River, but the 2017 discoveries demonstrate a marked expansion of the mussel's range in the river. As attention turns to the 2018 field season, FWS biologists expect to take a closer look at the French Broad River through Asheville using seasonal help to search for mussels and working with UNC Asheville and RiverLink to deepen understanding of the aquatic life in the river among communities that rely on the river. Despite the relative anonymity of freshwater mussels, the southeastern United States is home to the world's greatest diversity of freshwater mussels 269 species out of the 297 found in the United States. They're also one of the world's most imperiled group of animals, with 122 on the federal threatened and endangered species list. "The return of the elktoe in the French Broad River says a lot about the improving health of the river," said Jason Mays, biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Mussels are sensitive to water pollution, making them good indicators of water quality. Thriving mussel populations reflect a healthy river. That the elktoe is returning to the French Broad River means the health of the river is improving." Over the years, federal, state and local policy have helped improve water quality and stream health. The 1972 passage of the Clean Water Act was a seminal point in the health of American rivers. The act prohibits the discharge of pollution into a stream unless permitted, and in situations where permits are issued, the water still has to be treated before being released into the stream. It's under this law that sewage from across the city of Asheville doesn't get dumped into the river but rather is carried to the wastewater treatment plant, where it's treated and the water released into the river. Erosion control regulations help keep soil from washing away and smothering stream habitat. Stormwater runoff controls help rain that falls on roofs and parking lots soak into the ground, where it recharges groundwater, instead of overwhelming a stream with a rush of volume that erodes stream banks and bottoms. "The best indicator of stream health is always the species of animals that live in the stream. We are excited that species like the endangered Appalachian elktoe mussel are working their way further downstream each year," said Garrett Artz, RiverLink's executive director. The elktoe's resurgence coincides with a time when the French Broad River is receiving much more attention as a recreation destination. "You look at the river any Saturday afternoon in July and all those brightly-colored inner tubes tell you what an economic boon a river can be," said Mays. "The challenge is ensuring development along the French Broad River corridor is done in a way that protects stream health." Courtesy photo An elktoe mussel recently found in a local river. Mussels are an indicator species, their comeback from near extinction means that some rivers are cleaner than they have been in over a century. In 1994, when the elktoe was placed on the endangered species list, its known remaining global distribution was limited to Macon, Mitchell and Yancey counties and Unicoi County, Tenn. Since then, it has also been found in Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Swain, Transylvania and now Buncombe counties. Despite the new discoveries, the elktoe faces challenges. The Little Tennessee River population, in Swain and Macon counties, was the largest population 15 years ago and has since dropped to an undetectable level; the cause of the decline is poorly understood. Yancey County's Cane River population was nearly wiped out around the time of a wastewater treatment plant failure on the river. The Mills River population in Henderson County has never been known to thrive. The challenges with the other populations mean having the elktoe in the French Broad River is increasingly important. "In the French Broad River, we're witnessing the resiliency of this animal over a span of decades," said Mays. "As the quality of the French Broad River decreased, the mussel persisted in tributary streams. Now that the river's health is rebounding, the mussel is recolonizing the French Broad. Having a healthy population across multiple, connected streams helps ensure the long-term well-being of the population." Peeples is a biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He lives in Asheville. TORONTO, April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- James Bay Resources Limited (James Bay or the Company) (CSE:JBR) announced that its settlement offer in the litigation between Crestar Natural Resources Limited and Newton Energy Limited, a subsidiary of Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, has been accepted. The litigation relates to proceedings brought in January 2017 by Crestar in the English High Court over the deposit of US$20.5 million currently held in an escrow account, following a protracted dispute over the acquisition of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 25 from Shell and its partners. Under the terms of the settlement offer, James Bay shall receive US$10.5 million of the escrowed funds, plus interest at 8% from January 3, 2018, along with its legal costs in relation to the action. James Bay is obligated to pay a portion of the escrowed funds it receives under the settlement to the holders of unsecured convertible debentures (the Holders) which closed in Q2 of 2015. Net proceeds from that debenture offering were used to fund James Bays working capital needs, including in particular any litigation issues stemming from the Companys enforcement of its right to acquire a 45% participating interest in OML 25 in Nigeria (the Litigation), as further disclosed in the Companys news releases dated March 9, 2015 and January 26, 2015. James Bay had also entered into litigation funding agreements (the Litigation Funding Agreements) with the Holders to pay up to an aggregate of 30% of the net proceeds of the Litigation. About James Bay Resources Limited James Bay is a Canadian resource company with 41,474,070 shares outstanding and trades on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol JBR. Please visit the James Bay website at www.jamesbayresources.com. Disclaimer This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Corporation's operations, exploration and development plans, expansion plans, estimates, expectations, forecasts, objectives, predictions and projections of the future. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, projects, intends, anticipates, or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, can, could, would, might, or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of James Bay Resources Limited to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: risks related to the Companys Litigation and the change of business and the oil and gas industry in Nigeria generally, risks related to operations, construction delays and cost overruns, the actual results of exploration, development and construction activities, conclusions of economic evaluations, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future copper prices, as well as those factors discussed in the sections relating to risk factors of our business filed in James Bay Resources Limited's required securities filings on SEDAR. Although James Bay Resources Limited has attempted to identify important factors that could cause results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results to be materially different from those anticipated, described, estimated, assessed or intended. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements will prove accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. James Bay Resources Limited does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. For further information please contact: Stephen Shefsky President and CEO Tel: 416-366-4200 sshefsky@jamesbayresources.com The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. TORONTO, April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd. (TSXV:BGM) ("Barkerville" or the "Corporation") announced today that the previously announced class action lawsuit relating in part to an August 12, 2012 technical report concerning a mineral resource estimate for the Cariboo Gold Project, has been settled and the settlement has been approved by the Court. The settlement agreement provides for a payment of an aggregate settlement amount of $250,000 that will be fully funded by insurance coverage maintained by the Corporation. The settlement agreement contains no admission of liability or wrongdoing. For more information about the settlement, please visit: http://morgantico.com/barkerville-gold-mines-ltd/ For more information on Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd., please contact: Chris Lodder President and Chief Executive Officer 155 University Avenue, Suite 1410 Toronto, Ontario, Canada clodder@barkervillegold.com Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the statements that the agreement will result in the dismissal of the action in its entirety and the settlement will be fully funded by insurance coverage maintained by the Corporation. Although the Corporation believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. 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. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 1 The police and the district administration are on their toes in view of the bandh call given by various Dalit organisations against the Supreme Court ruling curbing the misuse of the Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities Act) by the Supreme Court. The Dalit organisations see the ruling as an attempt to dilute the SC/ST Act. DCP Amrik Singh Powar said around 3,300 cops and paramilitary forces had been deputed at various points of the city to thwart any untoward incident. The police also carried out a flag march in vulnerable areas to inculcate a sense of security among people. He said police officials were given necessary instructions. Nobody will be allowed to create law and order problem in the city. Police officials will personally supervise the security arrangements, he said. Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kamaldeep Singh Sangha, in a statement issued here, informed that the state government had ordered the closure of all schools, colleges and universities besides liquor shops. Besides, internet services will also remain suspended tomorrow. He appealed to people to exercise restraint and calm during the call of Bharat Bandh. Reiterating the firm commitment of the district administration to maintain law and order, he urged the organisations, who had called for bandh, to protest in peaceful manner. They said the state government was already committed for the welfare of scheduled castes, which was evident from the fact that the Punjab Vidhan Sabha unanimously adopted a resolution to express solidarity with the SC brethren during its recently concluded Budget session, seeking the NDA Governments intervention to legally pursue the case in which a Supreme Court verdict had diluted provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. editorial@tribune.com Nikhila Pant Dhawan Tribune News Service Bathinda, April 2 The Bharat bandh call given by Dalit organisations threw life out of gear in the city on Monday as its full effect was visible till late in the evening. While commercial establishments and educational institutions remained closed, transport facilities also took a hit with the buses remaining off the road. Besides, sanitation workers of the MC also struck work in view of the bandh call. Responding to the call, members of the Dalit organisations, including sanitation workers, began their protest from outside the office of the Municipal Corporation of Bathinda. Raising slogans against the Central government, RSS and the Supreme Court, the protesters jammed the Railway road. Armed with lathis and swords, they then took out a protest march, which was then joined by hundreds of people belonging to Dalit groups. The protesters marched through all major market places to make sure that the shops were closed. Although the bank branches were closed, the protesters shut the ATMs as well. A few incidents of violence were reported at the AC market and Mata Rani Wali Gali near Mehna Chowk and a person was arrested. Two injured persons were admitted to the Civil Hospital. Heavy police deployment could be seen at all major points in the city and at the entry and exit points. The Bathinda police had made tight security arrangements to handle any kind of untoward incident during the bandh. Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Diprava Lakra and SSP Naveen Singla kept a tab on the situation by making a police control room in Circuit House. On the other hand, no official work took place at all police stations, due to which people suffered. Health facilities affected The bandh call left a considerable impact on the healthcare sector as well. Owing to the sentiment of fear generated around the call, most of the medicine stores in the city remained closed. A handful of pharmacies in Hospital Bazaar and other places in the city, which opened in the morning, were forced to pull down the shutters by the protesters. The footfall at the Civil Hospital and Mother and Child Hospital also declined by around 40 per cent. The general outpatient department (OPD) of the Civil Hospital, witnessing around 600 to 750 patients on an average on Monday, dropped to below 500. The situation at the pediatrics and gynecology units of the MCH also remained somewhat similar. Apart from patients, a number of doctors also did not turn up at the work on Monday. Transport services crippled As the bus service remained suspended due to the Bandh call, thousands of passengers were inconvenienced and those travelling to other cities had to either cancel their plans or rely on trains. At the railway station too, chaos prevailed as the railway authorities didnt have confirmed information about plying, halts and delay of trains. As per information, even those who managed to board trains faced a tough time as some protesters blocked the railway tracks at Gidderbaha and Balluana stations in the morning for around one hour due to which 54753 Bathinda-Shri Ganganagar Passenger Train and 14525 Ambala Cantt-Shri Ganganagar Intercity Express train were delayed for more than two hours. The railway protection force (RPF) managed to take control of the situation and resume the halted train services on these routes. On condition of anonymity, a railway employee said as there was inadequate information about train traffic, tickets were not being sold to passengers at the ticket counters. If the train doesnt arrive, we have to refund the money in cash. On the other hand, in case the ticket has been booked online, the money is credited back to the bank account directly in case of cancellation, he said. The city bus stand wore a deserted look throughout the day as a number of police personnel stood guard at the entrance. Surender Singh, general manager, PRTC, said, We have to follow the directions given by the State Transport Authority (STA). We are coordinating with the district police to avoid any untoward incident. Schools closed, exam postponed Following orders of the Education Department, circulated widely on Sunday, all institutions remained closed. While the students made merry as the bandh added another holiday to an already extended weekend, hundreds of Class XII students scheduled to appear for the Hindi Core board examination will now have to wait for the CBSE to announce the next date for the examination. In a peculiar case, a few students from Haryana were also affected by the cancellation of Class XII board examination in Punjab. At BM Model School, located at Killianwali village in Dabwali, apart from the students of this school, students of three schools located across the border in Haryana were also to appear for the board exam. Confusion prevailed in the school as the previous CBSE orders had mentioned that the examination will be postponed only for Punjab. After a lot of correspondence, we were told that the exam had been cancelled for all examination centres located in the state. The students, for whom the school in Killianwali was the centre, will have to appear for the exam when it is conducted on another date, said Dr Arun Jee, who was the city coordinator for the examination. The postponed Class XII examination didnt affect Bathinda much as the city didnt have any student appearing for the scheduled Urdu/Sanskrit/French examination. Sanitation workers strike work Sanitation workers of the Municipal Corporation of Bathinda (MCB) on Monday suspended their work in support of the Bharat bandh call. MCB sanitation workers union president Vinod Kumar Mali, along with others, led the protest march. Due to the strike, cleaning of roads and door-to-door garbage collection from around 65,000 households remained suspended. Heaps of garbage could be seen lying unattended to by the roadsides at various spots in the city. As much as 110 tonnes of garbage, generated in one day in the city, was not lifted due to the strike. The garbage lying at secondary points was also not lifted by the protesting workers. (With inputs from Sukhmeet Bhasin, Sumeer Singh, Ravi Chandel and Gagandeep Sharma) editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Bathinda, March 30 Hundreds of members from Bahujan Samaj Party, district unit staged a protest outside mini secretariat against the Supreme Courts verdict on dilution of SC/ST Act. The protestors raised slogans against the union government and demanded that the decision be reviewed on immediate basis. The protestors gathered at a park in front of the secretariat premises and then carried out a march rally on Bathinda-Mansa road. As the protestors had covered half of the road while moving, they also caused obstruction for the vehicle occupants but traffic cops deployed on duty managed to contain the situation on time. Rashpal Singh, president of the BSP, state unit, said, The dilution of SC/ST act would mean depriving those who are already deprived. It would further increase atrocities on dalits and people from marginalized sections of society. We demand that union government must review the decision and revoke it immediately to ensure harmonious atmosphere for all. He said, We demand the bill for reservation of promotion be passed in Lok Sabha soon. EVM machines must be boycotted and replaced with ballot paper for elections. Small scale traders must be exempted from GST and educated youth must be provided with employment or allowance for unemployment. singhking99@yahoo.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 2 Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday said the BS-VI fuel will bring down the sulphur content five times from the current BS-IV levels. He was speaking at the launch of BS-VI-compliant automotive fuels in Delhi and added that the government plans to extend the availability of these fuels across the country by April 1, 2020. He also appealed to all automobile manufacturers to start selling BS-VI vehicles, wherever BS-VI fuel is available. He said it was decided to proactively advance the rollout of the fuel in Delhi from 2018 instead of April 2020 after taking stock of the alarming pollution levels in Delhi in winters. On the hike in prices of petrol and diesel, he said petroleum products are an international commodity and whenever there is a price hike in crude oil, there is a pinch in the Indian prices. I appeal to the GST council that these products be included in the GST framework. Consumers should get the products on a rational price in the entire country, he said. Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia ruled out any immediate cut in excise duty on fuels. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Shashi Pal Jain Kharar, April 2 A worker of a petrol station at Cholta Khurd village near Kharar was seriously injured around 11.30 pm on Sunday night when he was attacked by three miscreants, who fled with Rs 40,000 from the fuel station. Bawa Singh, owner of New Chandigarh Kissan Sewa Centre, told mediapersons on Monday that he left the petrol station around 5.30 pm on Sunday along with the total cash collection from the sale till that time. He said they closed the fuel station daily around 8.30 pm. He was informed by his employees on his mobile phone about the incident around midnight and he reached the spot within half an hour. His employee, Ashok, a resident of Himachal Pradesh, said he and his colleague Harbans Lal were sleeping in the office of the fuel station as usual. Around 11.30 pm, he noticed the dog barking. He looked outside and saw no one there. After sometime, the dog started barking again and he saw three masked persons moving outside their office. He immediately turned on the lights and woke up his colleague. The robbers broke the glasses of the office. Both of them ran into the fields on the rear side of the fuel station. Harbans Lal, who was following him, was caught by the robbers and attacked with a sharp weapon. He was dragged to the fuel station by the robbers, who took away Rs 40,000 from there. He said the robbers also had pistols in their hands and came on a motorcycle. They took away the DVR of the CCTV cameras installed at the fuel station. The investigating officer in the case, Balbir Singh, ASI, visited the spot. Harbans Lal was admitted to the Civil Hospital, Kharar. Roopinder Singh Roopinder Singh THERE is no corner of the world where Indians have not migrated to. The long journey to other lands dates back millennia. A recent genealogical study found that the DNA of Indian males was present in a group of Australian males. The study puts Indian arrival in Australia at around 2217 BC, a time when the Indus Valley Civilisation flourished and engaged in sea trade. The Indian influence on South-East Asia and the West Asia is well documented. Among Indians, Punjabis have also had a large footprint as immigrants. Families that trace their descent to Punjab can be found on all continents, even in South America. The British Raj contributed immensely to exposing them to far-off lands, and the enterprise and skills of these men an overwhelming majority was men made them successful in the lands of their adoption. Dangers in journey Yet, this journey was fraught with many dangers. Nothing brings this out more than the remains of the 39 Indians who were executed by the Islamic State in Mosul, Iraq, in 2014. They were in a country that devolved into a war zone between the Islamic State, that overran much of Iraq, and the government forces that fought back with foreign support. Even as they may have made their way to Iraq from other destinations where they were permitted to work, the government could have exercised more vigilance on countries that serve as funnel points to disturbed countries. The UK's efforts in attempting to safeguard its citizens who were falling prey to the jihadi lure serve as a good example of what can be done. Now, that the remains of 38 of them are back in India, the worst fears of the families who have been seeking the return of their loved ones for four years will be confirmed. Twenty-seven Punjabis, four Himachalis and others from Bihar and West Bengal all seeking a livelihood in a harsh environment were caught in the crossfire. Unfortunately, this is far from being an isolated incident. Indian immigrants come back in coffins with distressing frequency. Many languish in jails, often having got caught for minor violations or for seeking to cross borders illegally. Then there are those who vanish without a trace, like the victims of the 1996 Malta Boat tragedy, in which 283 young men, most of them Punjabis, were swallowed up by the Mediterranean Sea, near Italy. The death of the purported illegal immigrants just a day after Christmas dominated the headlines but did nothing much to prevent further tragedies, like the one that took place off the coast of Panama in 2016. In this boat tragedy, 25 young men from Punjab died. The lure of distant lands is strong, but death should not enter into an equation that envisages a better life for these potential immigrants. Well-educated and highly skilled immigrants are welcomed by host nations. They add value to their fields and are generally well feted. The not-so-well educated, largely from rural India, have only their skills and wits to survive. The failure of the vocational education component in our primary studies system had led to making of persons with poor skills, and thus they are often relegated to the lowest rungs of the pyramid. This lot often falls prey to rapacious "travel agents" who paint unrealistic dreams. Such migrants seek to travel out of India on a valid visa but arrive at their destination through illegal means. Discomfort is a given, safety elusive at best. The desperation that drives such persons to take the plunge needs to be understood better. Failure of homeland It is not just the lure of "abroad", it is the failure of the land of their ancestors to provide a decent living. The socio-economic arrangement is such that they are ill prepared. Dignity of labour is seldom accorded to blue-collar workers in India, and thus the aspiration for "desk jobs". Then, there is the issue of training. In Germany and the US, a high school graduate is considered capable of holding a job. Thereafter, only a select few attend colleges and universities. Others receive training for various vocations and get jobs that pay them well enough. The agricultural sector has ceased to be remunerative, and land fragmentation has made small farms unviable. On the other hand, the state of vocational education in India is abysmal. Manufacturing industries are unable to absorb enough workers. One could go on and on. It is this state of unemployment that makes youth look towards foreign lands. The Government of India had realised the importance of migration and had set up a ministerial arrangement for it, but the Protector-General of Emigrants has failed in its duty to ensure that Indian workers are safe and treated well. Besides regulating the processes of emigration and standing up for the rights of Indian workers abroad, the government must take proactive measures to ensure that the workers are well equipped. Of course, it must be conceded that many applicants are economical with the truth in various ways, and this makes everything so much more difficult. Emigration is almost always the result of the failure of the mother country to provide enough for its people. Indian emigrants have a long history of travelling to other nations and contributing richly to them. Now we have coffins coming back from Iraq. Even as we share the loss with the families of the victims, we must introspect about how such tragedies arise, and why they fail to stop. roopinder@tribuneindia.com MK Bhadrakumar MK Bhadrakumar The summer is at our doorstep. With June approaching, memory mixes with anxiety. Its going to be one year since the Doklam faceoff began. One year is not a long time in the life of a nation but in last June a terrible beauty was born in the India-China relationship. Alarmist reports appeared lately regarding Chinese deployments. Timely clarification at the official level dissipated the scaremongering. Compared to the impetuosity of the past three-year period, a sense of proportion is discernible in the governments approach to the relationship with China. The question that begs an answer, nonetheless, is what it was that we had hoped to gain by crossing the established border into Doklam last year? A range of explanations may be possible and, indeed, the two most-popular ones are: the security of Siliguri Corridor (chickens neck) demanded it, and/or two, that as the provider of security for Bhutan, India was obliged to act. Both explanations are heavily laden with emotions and appeal to public imagination, but are intrinsically fragile and insufficient to explain the gravity of what happened. In the recent exchange between our ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale and Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, a third unspoken leitmotif appeared Doklam as a template of the India-China border dispute. Hua unequivocally refuted Bambawales innuendo of Doklam being a segment of the un-demarcated and un-delineated India-China boundary, where we are discussing where the boundary will lie. In Bambawales words, I can tell you very frankly... The Chinese military changed the status quo in the Doklam area and therefore India reacted to it. Ours was a reaction to the change in the status quo by the Chinese military. He did not even mention Bhutan. But Hua differentiated Doklam from the India-China border dispute, and remarked that India must learn lessons from last years faceoff. India keeps strategic ambiguity as regards the 1890 pact between India, Sikkim and Tibet. Amidst the triumphalism last August following the denouement to the Doklam faceoff, this was what M Taylor Fravel, professor at MIT and expert on Chinas boundaries, had written in War on the Rocks magazine on September 1, in an essay titled Why India Did Not Win the Standoff with China: Ironically perhaps, Indias actions underscored to China the importance of enhancing its military position in the Doklam bowl. Before the standoff in June, Chinas permanent presence in the area had been quite limited. China had maintained a road in the area for several decades, but did not garrison any forces. In contrast, India has maintained and developed a forward post at Doka La (Sikkim) adjacent to Doklam. Now that India has chosen to confront China at Doklam, however, China may well seek to rectify this tactical imbalance of forces If China does this, it would likely build facilities farther away from Indias position at Doka La, making it more challenging for India to intervene and block China next time. When India challenged Chinas construction crews in June, it only had to move its forces a hundred metres from the existing border. In the future, India may be faced with the uncomfortable choice of deciding whether to risk much more to deny China a greater presence farther inside Doklam or to accept it. This will be a tough decision for any leader to make. Even if India won this round, it may not win the next one. What an extraordinary reading of tea leaves! No matter the caricaturing by elements in our strategic community or incitement from abroad, what Fravel predicted has happened and it puts Delhi on the horns of a dilemma. The big question here is how far Bhutan is interested in India pushing the envelope? It appears that Bhutans border claim is historically flimsy and a massive amount of Tibetan historical land records attest to the Chinese claim. Curiously, Bhutan over-asserted its claim over Doklam only fairly recently in the late 90s. Of course, the Bhutanese claim is (partially at least) not without some historical foundation, although Doklam as such used to be under the control of the Tibetan administration in Lhasa. Put differently, China cannot be expected to relent, given the access Doklam gives to the highly strategic Lumbi valley that leads to Lhasa. Above all, the cut-off point is that not a single inch of our land will be or can be ceded from China as President Xi Jinping stated on the concluding day of the National Peoples Congress in Beijing on March 20. In the circumstances, megaphone diplomacy serves no purpose and could even be counterproductive. Meanwhile, time may not work in Indias favour, either. In Bhutan itself, there is no evidence of fear from Chinese invasion or even encroachment from north. Do the concerns voiced by Ambassador Bambawale find echoes in Bhutan? There are no easy answers. Some recent reports by travellers have cited a growing feeling of awe and admiration among the Bhutanese people regarding Chinas economic miracle. Such inchoate feelings can arouse nationalist sentiments in unexpected ways. The fact remains that the sharply rising trajectory of China-Nepal cooperation, especially the economic spin-off from the Belt and Road Initiative, is also poised to transform Nepal phenomenally in the coming decade. Bhutan will watch with interest Nepals transition to a new mode of production relations and what it could mean for development, social mobility and prosperity. Suffice to say, Delhi should anticipate that given the irresistible pulls of modernisation, the quotient of happiness in Bhutan may give way. When the region is changing so rapidly, there is need for a radical new thinking on our part instead of reacting to emergent situations with the advent of summer in the Himalayas. Fundamentally, we ought to figure out whether we want China as friend and partner or continue to regard it as rival and enemy against whom we should prepare for the decisive war eventually. The former Soviet Union made that strategic decision when Mikhail Gorbachev travelled to Beijing in 1989; and, the two countries quasi-alliance ensued. One possibility is to re-invent SAARC. We had conceived it as a vehicle of regional leadership. Perhaps, we should now turn it around as a dynamic vehicle for regional cooperation. Does Chinas SAARC membership damage Indian interests, or, can it provide a window of opportunity? Much as the thought seems preposterous today, we can be open-minded and receptive. It is entirely conceivable that our core interests over Doklam can be safeguarded within a matrix of regional cooperation involving China. The writer is a former Ambassador Dr Amandeep Aggarwal Dr Amandeep Aggarwal Chairman, Action Committee-cum-Legal Cell, IMA-Punjab Recently the statement of Punjabs Health Minister that the state will soon adopt the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act to regulate private hospitals, on the lines of neighbouring Haryana has created consternation in the medical fraternity. While the Health Minister may have attracted appreciation from the general public, the doctors body -- the Indian Medical Association -- labels it as playing to gallery move by the ruling party. On March 26, the Health Minister told the Punjab Assembly that the state government will soon adopt the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act in the state to regulate the private hospitals and their fees, on the lines of neighbouring Haryana. The Health Minister also said that he had discussed the matter with the Chief Minister and the state government would soon bring in the new law. The issue was raised by the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly. Doctors are up in arms with their arguments and maintain that when the government is not doling out any subsidies or concessions to the individual doctors, it did not have the right to impose a cap on fees and other conditions. For individual hospitals, doctors purchase land at the market rate, pay electricity bills at commercial tariff, deposit all other local taxes and pay income tax without any special exemptions by Government. Moreover, there is no cap on compensations awarded by consumer courts against doctors and hospitals in case of alleged negligence. All other professionals such as advocates, architects, business and management consultants, plumbers, electricians, carpenters have the right to fix up their fees; how can the government do selected targeting of doctors alone? An advocate charges Rs. 5,000 as professional fees for the entire case, whereas another advocate with experience of similar number of years may charge in crores as engaging fees alongwith fees per appearance. And why not if people are ready to pay for his reputation and expertise? Health for all has been the unfulfilled aim of the government. As successive governments have miserably failed to build a decent medical infrastructure, the private sector began catering to healthcare demands of more than 80 per cent of the population. Through this Act, the government is trying to shift its responsibility on private doctors without extending any facility to them. Our Constitution enshrines right to life in its Article 21 that includes the right to livelihood too. How can government encroach upon the same? Corporate hospitals which enjoy the patronage of respective governments and also some subsidies in terms of concessional land allotments are most commonly the cause of embarrassment to the profession. Individual doctors and small size hospitals are already providing world class medical services at peanuts cost. This Clinical Establishment Act will only crush the small sized private sector whereas corporate hospitals will flourish and prosper. In the last 71 years of Independence, the government has not been able to check quackery which is one of the biggest challenges in modern day healthcare. Medical profession and doctors are already regulated by numerous acts and laws. The previous Punjab governmnet had discussed the issue and decided not to implement it in Punjab as health is a state subject. So far, only nine states and UTs out of 29 states and seven UTs have adopted the Act. West Bengal recently introduced its own even more stringent Clinical Establishment act. The Government maintains that except for the defence forces clinical establishments, the Act provides for registration and regulation of all other clinical set ups whether in the field of diagnostics or medical services such as hospitals. The idea is standardisation of protocols for treatment, fixation of the range of costs which hospitals can charge from a patient; regulation of standards of medical services and facilities. But clinics which enjoy political clout continue to violate the law and have convinced several states that the law is intrusive which it is not. In the absence of the law, hospitals and diagnostic centres continue to charge what they want for the same treatment or test. If the government does not involve doctors body into its decision making process for health, the state may soon find doctors at the barricades as their tempers are already flared up due to contemplation of a National Medical Commission. Rather than encroaching upon private hospitals, the government has to set its own house in order by improving the standards of healthcare in its hospitals and set an example before private sector to emulate or compete. Chicago, April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Guaranteed Rate, one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the nation, congratulates its 49 loan originators named to Scotsman Guides annual list of Top Producers. This is the sixth year Guaranteed Rate has lead the list with more top mortgage professionals than any other company. The next closest company held 24 spots on the list. 20 loan originators were also featured on the magazines Most Loans Closed list. We are extremely proud to be leading the Scotsman Guides list for the sixth time, says President and CEO Victor Ciardelli. The achievements of our loan originators are astounding and their results speak for themselves. They consistently go above and beyond to deliver outstanding customer service to their clients and referral partners. We are proud of our entire company as they play a role in the success of our originators and we are proud to be part of their journey to Top Producer. The Scotsman Guide rankings celebrate originators who are closing the most dollar volume and the most loans, but also the leaders in niche areas, like U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs loans. Guaranteed Rate loan originators named to the Scotsman Guide 2017 Top Producer List, by ranking, are: 3. Shant Banosian 7. Andrew Marquis 9. Ben Cohen 10. Risha Kilaru 26. Sam Sharp 51. John Noldan 60. Bruce Salik 65. Ryan Mecum 83. Shimmy Braun 92. Joseph Smith 102. Dianne Crosby 105. Allyson Kreycik 115. Roger Brasil 129. Dan Gjeldum 149. Brian R. Jessen 173. Michele Stanisch 184. Tom Lavallee 185. Joe Parisi 202. Jonathan Lamkin 211. Ron Erdmann 214. Drew Boland 219. Adam Slack 258. Mike Nielsen 279. Hani Ali 280. Dean Vlamis 282. JD Cortese 297. Jeffrey Angelucci 303. Michelle Bobart 317. Daniel Rock 322. Michael Murgatroy 327. Christina Trethewey 337. Christin Luckman 342. Drew Stacy 347. Dan Rogers 352. Chris Hutchens 353. Amber Arwine 363. Stephen Delagrange 376. Matt Tierney 384. Savvas Fetfatsidis 391. Nicole Santizo About Guaranteed Rate Guaranteed Rate is one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, the company has approximately 210 offices across the U.S. and Washington, D.C., and is licensed in all 50 states. Since its founding in 2000, Guaranteed Rate has helped hundreds of thousands of homeowners with home purchase loans and refinances and funded nearly $19 billion in loans in 2017 alone. The company has become the Home Purchase Experts by introducing the world's first Digital Mortgage technology and offering low rate, low fee mortgages through an easy-to-understand process and unparalleled customer service. Guaranteed Rate won an American Business Award for its Digital Mortgage technology in 2016, ranked No. 1 in Scotsman Guide's Top Mortgage Lenders 2016, was chosen as Top Lender 2016 and 2017 by Chicago Agent magazine, made the Chicago Tribune's Top Workplaces list seven of the past eight years, and was named Best Overall Online Lender and Best Lender for FHA Refinance by NerdWallet in 2018. Visit rate.com for more information. Attachment: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fc40303d-813a-478b-b9b2-7e9effa7c021 vermaajay1968@gmail.com The agreement by India and Pakistan to resolve issues relating to diplomatic civility is yet another pointer of the desire by both countries to turn the page on nearly three years of hostility and acrimony. The harassment of each others diplomats had reached such proportions that Islamabad recalled its envoy in Delhi for consultations, usually signalling a near-breakdown in ties. The agreement to de-escalate tension on the diplomatic front needs to be read with the muzzling of the guns on the border for over a week and the readiness of both sides to release some prisoners on humanitarian grounds. Add to it regular confabulations between the National Security Advisers, the meeting of the Indus water panel and, finally, the Pakistan foreign ministers readiness to resume the Composite Dialogue. These initiatives do not look like straws in the wind. Rather they appear to be building blocks to something substantial in the coming days. The Indian side will be tempted to interpret the other sides readiness to break bread as an indication of its effectiveness in cornering Pakistan. The global Financial Action Task Forces blackballing of Pakistan and the ever-escalating US bounty on Hafiz Saeed fortify this argument. But Pakistan is also a much sought country for its ability to bring Taliban to the negotiating table. Islamabads interests will also be served by tranquility on the LoC because it can then concentrate its military and diplomatic vigour on ensuring a place for its proxies on the high table in Kabul. India needs to take advantage of this window of conviviality that has opened in Islamabad. Currently Pakistan is on its best behaviour after the US pared its military assistance. US President Donald Trump too may not look kindly on diversions on the Indo-Pak border at this time. India needs to turn the corner with Pakistan also because it must be counted as a mature and influential player when the settlement takes place in Afghanistan. However, the trajectory of Indo-Pak ties is seldom without an attempt to muddy the waters. And the challenge will be to keep the ties going while thwarting attempts to put a spanner in the ties. editorial@tribune.com Tribune Reporters Kaithal/Yamunagar, April 2 In all, 51 police personnel and 10 Dalit protesters were injured in clashes in Kaithal and Jagadhri on Monday in view of the Bharat bandh call. They were protesting against the dilution of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. In Kaithal,the situation across the town remained tense Dalits clashed with the police injuring 40 cops and 10 protesters. While the injured were taken to Civil Hospital, Sub-Inspector Ram Kishan was referred to PGI, Chandigarh. Six mediapersons also sustained injuries and cameras of two photojournalists were reportedly damaged. Protesters vandalised the local bus stand. They damaged ticket counters and an LED screen installed there. The police had to resort to lathicharge to disburse the mob. Later, the police fired in the air when protesters pelted stones at cops near Pehowa Chowk. The mob then moved towards the railway station and damaged an engine. Several vehicles, including six cars, two police vans, bikes and a water cannon were also damaged in the melee. Shopkeepers were also forced to shut down their shops. In the evening, Director General of Police BS Sandhu and IGP Karnal range visited Kaithal to review the law and order situation. Kaithal SP Astha Modi could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. In Jagadhri, the police on Monday restored to lathicharge to disperse members of the Dalit community after they had blocked National Highway 73 and pelted the cops with stones. The protesters damaged five vehicles, including two police vehicles. Besides, 11 police personnel were injured in stone pelting. Dalits gathered at the main gate of new grain market, Jagadhri. They held a public meeting, burnt the effigy of the Centre government and blocked the NH for several hours. On getting information about the blockade, duty magistrate Darshan Kumar, Jagadhri DSP Rajinder Singh and City police station SHO Rakesh Kumar reached the spot. They tried in vain to persuade the protesters to lift the blockage. Instead, some of the agitators started throwing stones at police vehicles and officials. In retaliation, the police resorted to lathicharge. Sources said several protesters were rounded up. The police refused to disclose the figure. City police station SHO Rakesh Kumar said a case had been registered against 100 to 150 persons on the charge of blocking the NH, attacking the police and hindering government officials from doing their duty. Situation tense in Fbad editorial@tribune.com Nitish Sharma Tribune News Service Ambala, April 2 Members of the Dalit community have warned the Centre and the state government of intensifying the agitation if their demand was not met by April 13. They are demanding rollback of the SC directive banning immediate arrest and filing of cases under the SC and SC (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Protesters blocked the vehicular traffic on National Highway 1 for nearly four hours on Monday and burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Roads were blocked in Ambala Cantonment, Ambala City and Saha and shops were forcibly shut. While a majority of shops in the main market at Ambala Cantonment remained closed, small-time shopkeepers, who had set up kiosks, too were not allowed to operate. Agitators had started approached the national highway around noon and blocked the traffic for several hours resulting in kilometers long traffic jam. Although traffic was diverted through alternative routes, commuters faced inconvenience. Several people were seen crossing the highway with their luggage amid scorching heat. Meanwhile, agitators had heated arguments with the district administration officials and commuters who tried to make their way through the traffic jam. As a group of protesters demanded SDM Ambala Cantonment to acknowledge receiving a memorandum of demands, another group sought the presence of Health Minister Anil Vij. Later, they submitted the memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Sharandeep Kaur. Protesters lifted the blockade early in the evening, but threatened to resume the agitation if their demand was not met by April 13. They announced to observe Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14 on the national highway. It was also observed that a large number of protesters were even aware of the reason for the protest. Meanwhile, taking precautionary measures, the railways cancelled eight trains, including Shatabdi and Superfast trains, 13 trains were partially cancelled and at least one was diverted in Ambala division. Eight trains cancelled Taking precautionary measures, the Railways cancelled eight trains, including Shatabdi and Superfast trains. Besides, 13 trains were partially cancelled and at least one was diverted in Ambala division. gspannu7@gmail.com Ravi S Singh Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 2 Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana and former Union Minister Kumari Selja on Monday hit out at the NDA government for allegedly not presenting sufficient facts before the Supreme Court which led to an order by it diluting the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. After her partys protest in the Rajya Sabha on the issue, Selja said outside Parliament that the Attorney General did not submit full facts before the court as part of an ill-design of the BJP-led government against the Dalits and Adivasis. The BJP-led government is driven by right wing RSS ideology. The RSS and the BJP have been against reservations and other welfare measures given to Dalits and other weaker sections, Selja said. The Dalits and tribal population have hit the road across the country today in large numbers against the government. With regard to the review petition filed in the apex court against its order, the Congress leader said the government has indulged in double standards by first allowing things to come to a sorry pass, and then trying to project itself of being sympathetic to the Dalits and tribals. The government had tested waters. The Congress has forced it to move the review petition, she said. She cautioned the government that the Congress will always step in against its misadventures. A delegation of Congress led by its president Rahul Gandhi had recently called on President Ram Nath Kovind in the matter on dilution of the provisions of the Act. The government must desist from playing with the emotions of the downtrodden, she added. editorial@tribune.com Hisar, April 2 Violence erupted here despite tight security arrangements in view of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattars visit to the town on Monday. Members of the Dalit community resorted to stone pelting at some places. Protesters gathered at Krantimaan Chowk and marched towards the Mini-secretariat causing traffic jams. They threw stones at a restaurant and smashed the windowpanes of a bus near the Congress Bhawan en route Mini-secretariat. In the afternoon, protesters clashed with the police when the latter blocked their way to the Mini-secretariat. Protesters pelted stones at cops who used lathicharge and teargas shells to disperse the crowd. Policemen Lalit Kumar and Rakesh were injured. The police may register a case after initial probe. The CM, who was here to attend three functions, left in the evening. TNS editorial@tribune.com Mukesh Tandon Tribune News Service Panipat, April 2 Hundreds of members of Dalit organisations held a protest march and blocked National Highway 1 here on Monday. Almost all markets in the city observed the bandh. The protesters sat on a dharna along the NH 1, including near the Mini-secretariat, the toll plaza and Sanjay chowk. The traffic on NH-1 was disrupted for more than five hours. The members of Dalit organisations gathered at Palika Bazar in the morning. The protesters led by Dalit leaders former MLA Raj Rani Poonam, Ramesh Chander Puhal and Pran Ratnakar took out a procession towards the Mini-secretariat and raised slogans against the BJP-led Union and state governments. Hundreds of protesters, including youth and women, carrying blue flags, banners and bamboo sticks were part of the procession. Some of the protesters put flower pots on the highway and blocked the traffic on the elevated part of the National Highway. Commuters bore the brunt, as they were stranded in the jam for more than five hours. Scores of them walked on foot from the toll plaza to the bus stand. DC Sumedha Kataria and SP Rahul Sharma tried to pacify the protesters. Dalit leaders were ready lift the dharna, but protesters remained adamant. So, the police diverted the traffic through bypasses. The protesters submitted a memorandum of their demands to Sub-Divisional Magistrate Vivek Chaudhary. Kataria managed to pacify the protesters in the evening. Subsequently, the protesters lifted the dharna. Superintendent of Police Rahul Sharma said, The traffic on NH 1 has been restored. Action will be taken against protesters for blocking the highway, he added. editorial@tribune.com Chandigarh, April 2 Sporadic incidents of violence crippled normal life in Haryana on Monday. Rail and road traffic was thrown out of gear even as shops and commercial establishments remained shut. Dalit protesters, brandishing sticks and swords, clashed with the police and disrupted rail and road traffic at several places. Sources said as opposed to Punjab, the Haryana Government failed to gauge the gravity of the situation, leaving the common man at the mercy of rampaging mobs. Kaithal, Faridabad, Yamunanagar, Hisar and Karnal witnessed violent clashes between protesters and the police. In Kaithal, protesters vandalised the bus stand and attacked a railway engine, besides damaging several bikes, six cars, two police vans and a water cannon. They also clashed with the police, leaving 40 policemen and 10 protesters injured. Haryana DGP BS Sandhu rushed to Kaithal to review the law and order situation. In Faridabad, the police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the protesters. NH-2 at Palwal witnessed pitched battles between protesters and the police. At least 12 persons, including policemen, were injured. TNS pardeepdhull@gmail.com New Delhi, April 2 The Delhi government on Monday informed the Supreme Court that it was negotiating with Haryana for the release of 450 cusecs of water of the Yamuna river per day for the National Capital. A Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud was informed by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) that Haryana had released some amount of water today. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Delhi Jal Board, said the court might not need to pass any order as both Delhi and Haryana governments were in negotiation to resolve the crisis. To this submission of Rohatgi, the Bench said it was adjourning the matter for April 16. The apex court was hearing a plea filed by the DJB alleging that Haryana had reduced by one-third the supply of Yamuna water to the national capital, leading to a grave water crisis here. The DJB contended in its plea that Haryana was supplying Delhi only 330 cusecs of water per day as against 450 cusecs per day which was agreed upon between the state and the Union Territory. It has claimed that due to the present curtailment in water supply to the Wazirabad reservoir, the plant is running at reduced capacity leading to grave water crisis in the city. The DJB had said the situation would escalate as the temperature rises with the onset of summer and the demand for drinking water shoots up. It has sought directions from the apex court to the Haryana government to supply the full 450 cusec of water per day continuously and daily to the Wazirabad reservoir. The Delhi High Court had also recently told the Haryana government that it has to stick to its 2014 direction specifying the amount of water to be released to Delhi every day. PTI editorial@tribune.com Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service Shimla, April 2 Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Monday said his government would cut down on wasteful expenditure and try to raise minimum possible loans unlike the previous Congress regime, which violated the loan limit fixed by the RBI, pushing the state into a financial crunch. Replying to a query raised by Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, Hoshiyar Singh and Rajinder Rana during question hour in the Assembly, the CM said successive government in the past had raised loans to run the government but these must be within the stipulated norms. I do not wish to get into the debate on who raised more loan or less but at the same time we cannot overlook the fact that Congress Government indulged in mindless expansion of institutions, putting a drain on the exchequer, said Thakur. While admitting that no government can run without raising loans, he said the endeavour would be to generate resources from every possible channel, be it hydro power generation, mining or through Central assistance. Since the formation of our government, we have raised a gross loan of Rs 1,000 crore, which includes only Rs 265 crore as net loan, he said. He disclosed that as of today there was a total debt of Rs 46,502.42 crore on the state government. My regime will ensure that loans are raised within the norms prescribed under Article 293(3) of the Constitution, he stated. He, however, assured that shortage of funds will never be allowed to come in the way of development. He added that the Congress regime had exceeded the constitutional norms of loan raising twice in 2013-14 and 2014-15. He revealed that the Congress regime had raised loans worth Rs 18,787 crores in the last five years. The Congress regime indulged in a lot of wasteful expenditure be it on purchase of new cars for its ministers, appointing Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPS) and brigade of Chairmen and Vice Chairmen, he remarked. The Chief Minister said efforts would be made to mobilize resources by giving incentives to power producers and ensuring scientific and legal mining. The Supreme Court has allowed felling of khair trees in three forest divisions of Nurpur, Paonta Sahib and Bilaspur. We are keen if this could be extended to other parts of the state as we need to supplement our income, he said. Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mukesh Agnihotri said the CM must seek a bailout package of Rs 46,500 crore from the Centre for which the house should unanimously adopt a resolution. CPM legislator Rakesh Singha urged the CM to seek Central intervention to ensure that Himachal its arrears at the rate of 7.19 per cent under Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966 and HP be compensated for protecting the forests. editorial@tribune.com Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service Dharamsala, April 2 The mortal remains of the four state youths, killed in Mosul by ISIS terrorists in 2014, will be handed over to their kin on Tuesday. The bodies of three youths from Kangra district Sandeep Kumar Rana (28) from Dhameta near Pong Dam, Aman Kumar (27) from Passu village near Dharamsala and Inderjeet from Kadreti village in Dehra and one youth from Mandi district Hemraj were received on behalf of the state government by the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Kishan Kapoor and Kangra Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar at the Amritsar international airport. The remains of the four youths, along with other 35 Indians, were founds buried in a mass grave in Mosul, Iraq. They were buried in Mosul in 2014. The Government of India had collected DNA samples of the family members of the deceased youths in September last year. Sources said the family members had been asked to cremate the bodies along with the coffins. Kishan Kapoor, while talking to The Tribune on phone, said, The state government had already announced the ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the killed youths. Since the Punjab Government on Monday announced Rs 5 lakh grant for their youths killed in Iraq, I shall discuss the matter with the Chief Minister and try to increase the grant. The minister said the state government would provide all help to the families. It was an unfortunate incident and steps would be taken to see how travel agents misguided youths and sent them to war-torn countries, he said. Kangra Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar said they were busy completing the formalities since morning to get the bodies out of the airport. The remains of Sandeep Kumar Rana will be kept at the Nurpur Civil Hospital mortuary, while the remains of other three youths would be kept at Tanda medical college. Friends and family members gathered at the residence of the youths to console the family members. None of the family members had gone to receive the mortal remains of their kin at the Amritsar international airport, the sources said. Govt to provide help The bodies were received on behalf of the state government by the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Kishan Kapoor and Kangra Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar at the Amritsar international airport. The minister said the state government would provide all help to the families. WILMINGTON, Del., April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Andrews & Springer LLC, a boutique securities class action law firm focused on representing shareholders nationwide, is investigating potential breach of fiduciary duty claims against the Board of Directors of CommerceHub, Inc. (CommerceHub or the Company) relating to the sale of the Company to affiliates of private equity firms GTCR and Sycamore Partners. On March 6, 2018, the parties announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which GTCR and Sycamore Partners will acquire CommerceHub in a merger worth $1.1 billion. As a result of the buyout, CommerceHub shareholders are only anticipated to receive $22.75 per share in cash in exchange for each share of CommerceHub. Andrews & Springers investigation so far has revealed that the consideration CommerceHub shareholders are expected to receive is inadequate. The $22.75 per share consideration is also below CommerceHubs December 18, 2017 closing price of $23.43 per share. In addition, while the Company claims that shareholders will receive a premium for their shares, the deal consideration is significantly less than the $28.00 and $27.00 price targets set by analysts at Northland Capital Markets and Dougherty & Company LLC on March 1, 2018, just five (5) days before the merger was announced. Since the announcement of the merger, an analyst at William Blair has even stated that At first glance, the acquisition price is below what we would have expected CommerceHub to sell for. Series A shares have traded above the $22.75 level a couple of times over the past six months. . . . according to a report issued on March 6, 2018. If you own shares of CommerceHub and want to receive additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please visit us at http://www.andrewsspringer.com/cases-investigations/commercehub-class-action-investigation/ or contact Craig J. Springer, Esq. at cspringer@andrewsspringer.com, or call toll free at 1-800-423-6013. You may also follow us on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/andrews-&-springer-llc, Twitter www.twitter.com/AndrewsSpringer or Facebook - www.facebook.com/AndrewsSpringer for future updates. Andrews & Springer is a boutique securities class action law firm representing shareholders nationwide who are victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty or corporate misconduct. Having formerly defended some of the largest financial institutions in the world, our founding members use their valuable knowledge, experience, and superior skill for the sole purpose of achieving positive results for investors. These traits are the hallmarks of our innovative approach to each case our Firm decides to prosecute. For more information please visit our website at www.andrewsspringer.com. This notice may constitute Attorney Advertising. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Dharamsala, April 2 Sandeep Kumar Rana had left his home on September 16, 2013. He was working as a mechanic with TNH Company of Mosul and had last spoken to his family in June 2014. Sandeep, the lone bread earner of the family, was abducted on June 15, 2014. He is survived by his wife Chandresh, eight-year-old son Ansh, 11-year-old daughter Punkit, father Dilawar Singh, mother Pushpa Devi, his three sisters Anita, Jyoti and Neelam, all married. The financial condition of the family is not good and Sandeeps kin and villagers are funding his wards education. Aman was a JCB operator. He was working with some foreign construction company in Mosul when he went missing in 2014. He is survived by his father Ramesh Chand, mother Beena Devi and grandmother Tara Devi. Aman last contacted his family on June 14, 2014, and spoke to them for over an hour. After this, his phone was switched off. Twentysix-year-old Inderjeet from Kadreti village, Dehra, was the third youth from Kangra district who was killed by ISIS fighters in Mosul in 2014. He used to work as a machine operator. He is survived by his father Pardesi Ram, mother Sulochana Devi, two elder brothers who live in Dehra. monicakchauhan@gmail.com Shimla, April 2 Now, bikes will come to the rescue of patients in the Himachal Pradesh capital. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Monday launched a free bike ambulance service in Shimla town. Many a time, it becomes difficult for a four-wheeler ambulance to reach the spot due to traffic congestion or due to non-availability of proper ambulance roads. So, two bike ambulances were launched, a government spokesperson told IANS. The bike service would be implemented by Hyderabad-based GVK-EMRI (Emergency Management Research Institute) under a PPP (Public-private partnership) mode. With the launch of two bike ambulances, Himachal Pradesh became the first state in north India to start this service. Chief Minister Thakur said the bike ambulance service had been launched keeping in mind the geographical conditions of the state, which made it difficult for 108 ambulance service to reach the spot. He said the bike ambulance service would supplement the already functional 108 National Ambulance Service. Thakur said the service in the first phase would be implemented in Shimla town and thereafter replicated in other parts of the state. The idea for the emergency response service in the state was conceived in December 2007. Since then it has been a major relief for the people of the state, where more than 800 people die in road accidents and around 5,000 get injured every year. IANS editorial@tribune.com Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service Dharamsala, April 2 Three Kangra youths, whose remains were brought to their native villages on Monday, were coaxed by travel agents into working in war-torn countries. Battling poverty and unemployment in their state, they chose to go to Iraq on a promise of safe and lucrative jobs. The kin of the deceased youths alleged that unscrupulous travel agents did not inform them about the dangers of working in the country. Enquiries by The Tribune revealed that two youths from Kangra district, Aman had gone to Mosul in Iraq through a Chandigarh-based travel agent. Both were trained as JCB and Poclain excavator operators. Both paid about Rs 1.30 lakh to the agent. Their families took loans to send them abroad in search of greener pastures. Pardesi Ram, father of Inderjeet, said, I advised my son against going to Iraq. However, the agent coaxed him into going there. Inderjeet was promised $750 per month by the travel agent. However, he was getting just $350. My son was promised the job of Poclain excavator. But, initially, he was appointed as steel binder in a construction firm, he said. When asked if they were informed that it was not safe to work in Iraq, he said the agent had projected a different picture. He had claimed that working conditions were good in Iraq. Pardesi Ram said, I have not lodged any complaint against the travel agent since he belonged to our caste and was known to our family. Similar is the story of Aman,. He was a trained JCB operator. He paid the Chandigarh agent Rs 1.25 lakh to go to Iraq. His brother Raman Kumar said his brother went to Iraq in search of a better job. However, he had not got the job of the JCB operator. Travel agents, who work in Punjab, are now also spreading their network in Himachal. They are sending unemployed youths, especially from the lower Himachal, with the promise of good salary to West Asian countries. editorial@tribune.com Majid Jahangir Tribune News Service Srinagar, April 2 All 13 ultras killed on Sunday were locals, and except one, all had taken up arms either last year or this year. The killings have sparked fresh tension across the Valley. The police said all militants killed in the three coordinated counter-insurgency operations in Shopian and Anantnag districts were locals who had been trained in south Kashmir. Twelve of the slain local militants belonged to the Hizbul Mujahideen and one was associated with the Lashkar-e-Toiba, a senior police officer said. In one of the biggest anti-militancy operations, 12 militants were killed in Shopian and one was killed in Anantnag. While three soldiers and a civilian were killed during a gunfight, three civilians were killed during a law and order situation when protesters tried to help the holed-up militants. The militants killed were identified by the police as Ishfaq Thokar, Aitmad Hussain Dar, Aqib Bashir, Sameer Lone, Gayas-ul Islam Thoker (all killed at Kachdoora, Shopian), Adil Ahmed Thoker, Nazim Dar, Ubaid Shafi Malla, Yawar Itoo, Rayees Ahmed Thoker, Zubair Turray, Ashfaq Malik (all killed at Draggad) and Rouf Khanday (killed in Anantnag). Except Aqib and Khanday, all were from Shopian district. The police said Ishfaq of Padderpora, Shopian, who was one of the five militants killed at Kachdoora, was a top Hizb commander and had joined the group in September 2015. Ishfaq was listed by the police in the A++ category. Ishfaq, alias Abrar, was a key element of the Hizb involved in several attacks on security forces and civilians in Shopian. There are at least 12 cases registered against him, including the killing of Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz and BJP youth president Shopian Gowhar Ahmad Bhat last year, Shopian Superintendent of Police Shriram Ambarkar told The Tribune. The Army had on Sunday said the two militants killed at Draggad were also involved in the killing of Lieutenant Fayaz, who was abducted and killed by militants in May last year, when he was attending the wedding of a relative in Shopian. Besides, Ishfaq Thokar another militant Zubair Turray, 28, who was killed at Draggad, was also part of the group behind the BJP leaders killing, the police said. Turray, who was an activist of the hardline Hurriyat had joined militancy in May 2017. Turray had escaped from police custody at Keegam on May 1 last year. Before joining militancy, he had claimed in a video clip that excesses by forces made him take to arms. Another slain militant Aitmaad Malik had completed his MPhil before joining militancy. He was a C category ultra. Senior security officers said the killings would deal a severe blow to the militancy in south Kashmir, especially Shopian district. editorial@tribune.com Srinagar, April 2 The Army on Monday paid befitting tributes to three soldiers who were killed during an anti-militancy operation in Shopian district on Sunday. In a solemn ceremony at Badami Bagh Cantonment, Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen AK Bhatt and others paid homage to the solders on the behalf of a proud nation. In a show of solidarity, representatives from other security agencies also joined in paying their last respects to the martyrs, said Col Rajesh Kalia, defence spokesman. Lance Naik Nilesh Singh, Gunner Arvinder Kumar and Sepoy Hetram sustained bullet injuries during the fierce operation in Kachdoora village of Shopian district on Sunday. They were provided immediate first aid and evacuated to 92 Base Hospital but unfortunately they succumbed to their injuries, the spokesman said. Lance Naik Nilesh Singh, 31, who had joined the Army in 2003, hailed from Nagri village in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Gunner Arvinder Kumar had joined the Army in 2012 and belonged to Sariana village in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab. Hailing from Sonigasar Godars village in Bikaner, Rajasthan, Sepoy Hetram, 25, had joined the Army in 2013. TNS editorial@tribune.com Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 2 The killing of 13 militants in the Kashmir Valley in one night was unusual but it came as ultras had gathered at one spot to hold a planning conference. The Army used good ground-based information and technology to bust such a big group of armed militants. Sources here said the encounter at Draggad village in Shopian district was the biggest as it led to the death of seven militants. The militants were to hold the planning conference to chalk out their strategy for the summer ahead at a house in the village. Usually, militants hold such meetings ahead of the Durbar move when J&Ks summer capital is shifted to Srinagar and as the snow melt season starts. A tip-off about the meeting had come as one of the terrorists was being tracked through human intelligence sources and technical means. The 44 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of the Army had narrowed down their location to eight to nine houses in the village. These were surrounded. At first, two militants jumped out of a house but they were shot dead by the Army. Five other militants fired back but they were soon outgunned. The number of militants was unusual as they never move in a group bigger than four. In this case the youth belonged to the Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Toiba. Some of them had only recently joined militancy. The other encounter occurred just 20 km away at Kachdoora village in the same district where the Army lost three of its men from the 34 RR on initial contact. The location was narrowed down to three to four houses. It was difficult as this required the evacuation of 13 civilians, including two children, said the sources. The third encounter was at Peth Dialgam in southern part of Anantnag district in which the three more militants were killed. The sources said the killing of 13 militants was big number for a single day. But it does imply that militants will change tactics and not move in bigger groups. 'Accurate information' editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Srinagar, April 2 Local traders and students on Monday protested against the killings of civilians in south Kashmirs Shopian district on Sunday. Carrying placards and raising slogans, a group of traders under the banner of the Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation assembled at the Ghanta Ghar in the citys Lal Chowk and raised slogans against the government. They demanded that the killing spree in the Valley should be stopped. Killing of innocent civilians is a deep-rooted conspiracy .this is unfortunatewe urge the Indian civil society and international bodies such as Amnesty International to come forward and play its role. If this attitude of the Central government continues, there will be serious consequences, said association president Haji Mohammad Yasin Khan. Later, the traders tried took out a march towards the United Nations headquarters at Sonwar, but their bid was foiled. Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) president Engineer Abdul Rashid too protested against the civilian killings at the City Centre. The Kashmir Traders Federation also condemned the killing of civilians. Federation chief spokesperson Aijaz Shahdhar termed the killings a deep-rooted conspiracy aimed at genocide of the Kashmiri youth. Meanwhile, the students of the University of Kashmir protested the killings. Eyewitnesses said the students, who live in accommodations close to the university, and hostellers, protested against the Shopian killings. However, the security forces deployed on the campus did not allow the protesters to come out of the university. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Mona Do you know of this prince from the region who was friends with the nationalists and Akalis alike, liberally funded the mass movement to free India, and spent 14 years exiled from his state? Well, the story of Maharaja Ripudaman Singh hasnt reached many and historians JS Grewal and Indu Banga all set to reverse that with A Political Biography of Maharaja Ripudaman Singh of Nabha (1883-1942): Paramountcy, Patriotism, and the Panth. Labour of love A true labour of love, Grewal and Banga have spent on and off some two decades restoring this Maharaja to his rightful place in history; each detail has been painstakingly rummaged from archives in India and England. As Indu Banga, professor emerita of history, Panjab University, Chandigarh, picks up the book, she cannot help sharing how as the co-author of this one she had to look between the lines, as Maharajas narrative was no good for British rulers as also the Congress. Princes have hardly been part of nationalist narrative, she says, admitting how when she picked up this subject to research on she felt as if she was to take side with the feudal faction. It was only when she delved deep that she realised what a story of determination this prince from Nabha represented. Complete story At the book launch in Chandigarh, Banga was joined by Maharaja Ripudaman Singhs daughter, Maharaj Kumari Jeet Nabha Khemka, and grandson Uday Nabha Khemka. Published by Oxford University Press, this political biography traces the journey of Tikka Ripudaman Singh; his installation and investiture; his role in government and politics; deposition; Nabha issue raised in House of Commons to his last days. Britishers found someone to challenge their authority in this young rebel, well-versed in English, Urdu and Gurmukhi, but found it difficult to eliminate him as he was on right side of the law, shares Banga. Before he was kept away from his state, Maharaja Ripudaman Singh was known for taking two major decisions introducing legislative council and free primary education in his state. A contributor to Tilak Swaraj Fund that was used by Mahatma Gandhi for a mass movement to resist British rule, the Maharaja openly challenged British authority. Whether it was sitting on stage throughout young Mahatma Gandhis speech for Swaraj when everyone else chose to leave or his coronation, when he took his own sword, necklace and plume than was waiting for the rulers order, he indeed was an inspiration to young rulers who aimed at autonomy. Simple man While this book is largely political, talking about it one cannot help but miss Banga chuckle, Maharaja Ripudaman Singh was everything that Maharaj of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh, was not. Though he was a King and lived like one, compared to his compatriot, his was almost an austere living. Amongst his many moves to put his men before foreign rulers interest was not sending even one Nabhas men to the war front. Says Banga, When young Indian men were dying on foreign shores, Maharaja Ripudaman Singh got away without any harm to his folks by promising horses and houses for hospitals. Proud grandson It is this legacy of idealism and pain that Maharajas grandson Uday Nabha Khemka carries. Having pursued history at Cambridge, he could have very well penned a biography but he wanted the best of professional writers to bring out this tale in an unbiased manner. But that is not all; the book would be translated to Punjabi and he has on mind a relatively personal account of his grandfather and who knows a film! Maharajas forced exit from North as a train waited at Dehradun to take him to Kodaikanal, there are larger-than-life moments that could be said in cinematic language. Shiv Sethi Shiv Sethi FOR some, the guru still holds a place in the heart. The contributions of one of my teachers in the making of my life have been extraordinary. Mr Paul was my English teacher at Bangalore, with all his intellectual bells and whistles. But his erudition did not exude arrogance, neither did it inflate his shrunken chest. One day, while enlightening us about Brutus dilemma, Mr Paul rightly saw through my dilemma-ridden mind. After class, he beckoned me with a beatific smile. Meet me in my office. I would like to have a cup of tea with you. I was left somewhat intrigued. Soon, I was in his office. Over tea, he initiated a conversation where he politely attempted to know the reason of my pensive demeanour and furrowed forehead. Though I was mute for some time, I candidly told him that due to financial constraints, I was unable to arrange an accommodation in the college hostel or elsewhere in the city. Ok then! I would see you over a cup of tea at my place in the evening with your bag and baggage, he said. The firmness in his intonation coaxed me to visit his place with a small attache case containing bare minimum clothes. He was already waiting for me and directly took me to one of the rooms which was spic and span. My boy, this is your own home now and we are your family, said his petite wife in her most mellifluous voice. That day on, Mr Paul became a fatherly figure and Julia aunty filled in for my mother. They enthusiastically showed me each corner of the house and I was promptly directed to partake all my meals with my new custodians. Over the upcoming year, they kept me like a fledgling under their protective wings. So deep and dense was their affection that the idea of making any payment never occurred to me, even when I was financially somewhat better off. Besides, any such offer would have hurt them. After the completion of my course, physical parting with them was painfully inevitable. But it could not part us. Years have glided by; Mr Paul has also taken off his professorial harness. The vivid recollections of all those days spent under their tutelage fill me with nostalgia. I am reminded of those antiquated days of gurukuls where disciples would live in close proximity with their preceptor. Mr Paul converted his house into a gurukul for me, in an age in which the hallowed guru-shishya concept has lost its sheen. Certainly, teachers like him are very hard to find in this age of rank materialism. rchopra@tribunemail.com New Delhi/Gwalior/Alwar, April 2 At least eight persons were killed and hundreds injured on Monday in violence across several states as protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to private and public properties, including police posts, during a nationwide bandh called by Dalit groups, officials said. Thousands were detained following widespread incidents of arson, firing and vandalism across over 10 states, several of them being BJP-ruled, including Madhya Pradesh where at least six persons died during the protests against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. One each died in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, according to officials there. Other states hit with violence included Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi. Curfew was imposed in several places, while the Union Home Ministry, which rushed 800 anti-riot policemen to MP and UP, asked all states to take preventive steps and maintain public order to ensure safety of lives and property. The Army and paramilitary forces were also put on standby in Punjab. In MP, the deceased included four Dalits and two upper caste Hindus, while several others were injured across the state, the officials said. Inspector General (law and order) Makrand Deoskar told PTI that the casualties occurred during fights between the bandh supporters and its opponents and not due to police firing. A sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) and a police official were also injured in the protest in Gwalior-Chambal division, he said. MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan appealed to the protesters to maintain peace in the state. Transport, mobile services hit Transport, mobile and internet services were hit in many states with over 100 trains getting affected due to protests, even as the Centre moved the Supreme Court seeking review of its recent judgement on the SC/ST Act, maintaining that the verdict will violate constitutional rights of these communities. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. While some states had ordered closure of educational institutions as a precautionary measure, incidents of arson, firing and vandalism were reported from various parts of the country and the properties facing the wrath of protesters included railway tracks, police stations as also public and private vehicles. In UP, one person was killed in Muzaffarnagar and nearly 75 persons, including 40 policemen, were injured in violent protests in various parts of the state. Police have detained nearly 450 people there. In Rajasthan, one person was killed and 26 others, including nine policemen, were injured in Alwar. Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed for peace, while Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government was not a party to the Supreme Court decision on the SC/ST Act and "respectfully" did not agree with its reasoning behind the verdict. Prasad said the government has filed a very comprehensive review petition in the matter. Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, a prominent Dalit leader and head of NDA constituent LJP, appreciated the government's quick decision. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that incidents of atrocities on Dalits and minorities have increased in the country since the NDA came to power in 2014, while AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal extended his support to the protesting groups. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed for peace and urged the people not to vitiate law and order, as violence was reported from many districts including Azamgarh where protesters torched two state-run buses, injuring several passengers. Expressing her party's support to protests, BSP supreme Mayawati alleged that some anti-social elements instigated violence leading to loss of lives and damage to properties. The CBSE postponed Class 12 and Class 10 examinations scheduled to be held today in Punjab. In the national capital region, protesters squatted on tracks at several places stopping trains, while protesters shouting slogans of 'Jai Bhim' also blocked roads affecting traffic movement, police said. In Patna, protesters stormed the railway station, forced closure of ticket counters and squatted on tracks disrupting movement of a number of trains. Normal life was also affected in several parts of Odisha where activists of different Dalit groups put up road blockades. Thousands were arrested across Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha, while the impact was minimal in West Bengal though its Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her support for the Dalit cause. Major towns and cities of Gujarat also witnessed protests while civic-run transport services were halted after some of the buses were targeted by agitators. - PTI READ: SC/ST Act: Protests erupt in Punjab, Haryana; CBSE postpones exams Violent protests in many states during bandh by Dalit outfits SC declines urgent hearing on plea seeking review of SC/ST order One killed as Dalit protests turn violent in Rajasthan Estimados amigos, Les doy cordialmente la bienvenida a este Blog informativo con articulos, analisis y comentarios de publicaciones especializadas y especialmente seleccionadas, principalmente sobre temas economicos, financieros y politicos de actualidad, que esperamos y deseamos, sean de su maximo interes, utilidad y conveniencia. Pensamos que solo comprendiendo cabalmente el presente, es que podemos proyectarnos acertadamente hacia el futuro. Gonzalo Raffo de Lavalle Las convicciones son mas peligrosos enemigos de la verdad que las mentiras. Quien no lo ha dado todo no ha dado nada. Helenio Herrera History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. Karl Marx If you know the other and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. Sun Tzu We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity. Paulo Coelho editorial@tribune.com Bhopal, April 2 Six persons were killed and several others injured on Monday in Madhya Pradesh, which was hit by widespread violence during the Bharat bandh called by Dalit outfits to protest against a recent Supreme Court order on the SC/ST Act, officials said. The deceased included four Dalits and two upper-caste Hindus, they added. Curfew was imposed in some areas of Gwalior city as well as in cities of Bhind and Morena districts in view of the violence witnessed during the bandh, organised to protest against the SC order of March 20, which diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Internet services have been suspended in the entire Chambal and Gwalior regions, besides the Sagar region which also saw protests, the police said. The bandh supporters damaged a railway track, disrupting rail traffic in Morena. Inspector General (law and order) of Police Makrand Deoskar said the casualties occurred during fights between the supporters of the bandh and those opposed to it and not due to police firing. Trouble started around 10.30 am when the protesters, carrying sticks, spilled on to the streets in the Malanpur area of Bhind district and indulged in violence, including breaking window panes of buses, the police said. The violence then spread to the other parts of the district. Mahavir Ragawat (40), a Thakur by caste, and Akash Jatav, a Dalit, died in Bhind district. In Gwaliors Thatipura police station area, two Dalits Rakesh Jatav and Deepak Jatav were killed in a gunfight between two groups. Vimal Bodh, a Dalit, died of gunshot wounds in Gwalior. Rahul Pathak, a Brahmin, was killed in Morena. In Bhind, the Rapid Action Force was pressed into service to control the situation. Reports of violence were received from Balaghat, Sagar and Datia, where prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 were enforced. PTI Ensure safety of lives, states told New Delhi: The Centre has shot off a communication to states, asking them to take all possible preventive steps to ensure safety of lives of people and property. The MHA said it was monitoring the situation and was in touch with the affected states after violent protests erupted during a nationwide bandh by Dalit outfits against the SC/ST Act ruling. The ministry has asked the states to take all preventive measures and maintain public order and ensure the safety of lives of people and property, the release said, adding that the MHA has made available central forces RAF and CRPF to those, who sought. TNS Several trains cancelled New Delhi: The Northern Railway has cancelled several trains due to the Bharat Bandh. The trains cancelled on Monday were Amritsar-Jaynagar Saryu Yamuna Express, New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express, Jaipur-Chandigarh Intercity Express, Ajmer-New Delhi Shatbdi Express and Sealdah-Varanai Express. Amritsar-New Delhi Shatabdi Express, Amritsar-Chandigarh Superfast Express, Chandigarh-Jaipur Intercity Express will not run on Tuesday. The New Delhi-Amritsar-New Delhi Shan-E-Punjab Express train will short terminate at Ambala and will remain cancelled between Amritsar-Ambala-Amritsar. TNS gspannu7@gmail.com Ravi S Singh Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 2 Taking forward her initiative to form a Federal Front consisting of opposition parties against the BJP for the 2019 General Election, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC president Mamata Banerjee will visit Chennai from April 10-11 to meet DMK chief MK Stalin and the party patriarch M Karunanidhi. During her proposed meeting, she will raise the issue of marginalisation of states by the NDA regime, and the consequent attack on federation structure. Banerjee, who is trying to emerge as a rallying point for Opposition unity and to build proposed anti-BJP front, wants to take the DMK on board on the issue of Centre making 2011 Census as the reference for the 15th Finance Commission. The TMCs case is that five states, including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh stand to lose on financial allocation from the Centre if the 2011 was taken as base here for reference point for the Commission. West Bengal will lose Rs 20,000 crore over five years. TMC spokespersons and Rajya Sabha MP Derek OBrien said that the Centre fixed 2011 as the base year without consulting the states. He further said that the states which worked hard to stabilise population growth will be losers. The unilateral decision is against the spirit of federalism. The states are being run roughshod by the NDA government, Brien said. Last week Banerjee held high-voltage meetings in the national capital with senior leaders in the Opposition spectrum, including Sonia Gandhi and NCP strongman Sharad Pawar, and leaders of the Shiv Sena, an ally of the NDA, to explore the possibility of the anti-BJP front. rchopra@tribunemail.com New Delhi, April 2 The mortal remains of 38 out of 39 Indians, who were killed in Iraq, are due to reach India by Monday night. Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh, who left for Mosul on Sunday, said one mans remains would not be brought as his case was still pending. On his return, Singh will travel to Amritsar and Patna to hand over the mortal remains to the respective families of the victims. On March 20, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed the Rajya Sabha members in Parliament that the 39 Indian nationals, who went missing in Mosul in 2014, were killed by the terror outfit Islamic State (IS). The 39 people, most of whom hailed from Punjab, were working on projects near Mosul when they got kidnapped. ANI amansharma@tribunemail.com New Delhi, April 2 Facing flak over paper leaks, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday put in place a 'leak-proof' system of "encrypted" question papers, which are supposed to be printed by the schools. With just one dummy run, the system was implemented today and it faced multiple glitches. The CBSE sent a confidential note to all examination centres in Delhi on Saturday, which carried a set of 10 instructions to be followed to introduce the new system. "In the light of the recent developments, CBSE has devised a mechanism of providing encrypted question paper at the examination centres just before the commencement of examination, the note read. The instructions issued by the board to the centres included identifying a safe and secure room for installation of computers and printers and ensuring high-speed internet connection. All computer teachers/staff were supposed to report to the examination centre by 7.30 am on all exam days to handle downloading and printing of the encrypted question papers. The schools were also asked to arrange adequate A4 sheets -- at least 10 pages per candidate. "On exam day, the question paper will be available on the CBSE website. The same user ID and password as used for registration can be used. After downloading the zip file of the question paper, the centres have to use the password provided by the regional office minutes before and extract it," the note read. The schools were also supposed to send details of the number of printers, computers installed, name of the computer staff or teacher in charge by 4 pm yesterday. The board had directed those schools which do not have required facilities to hire the same, and centre superintendents to personally supervise the arrangements and ensure adequate security arrangements. With limited time to understand and implement the robust "leak-proof" system, schools today struggled and the exam was delayed at a few centres. However, students were compensated for the lost time. - PTI editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 2 Rajya Sabha Congress MP from Haryana and former Union Minister Kumari Selja on Monday hit out at the NDA government for allegedly not presenting sufficient facts in the Supreme Court which led to dilution of provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, by the top court. After her partys protest in the Rajya Sabha on the issue, Selja, outside Parliament, said the Attorney General did not submit full facts in the court as part of an ill-design of the BJP-led government against Dalits and Adivasis. The RSS and the BJP have been against reservations and other welfare measures for Dalits and other weaker sections, Selja said. On a review petition filed against the SC order, the Congress leader said the government adopted double standards it first allowed things to come to a sorry pass and then trying to project itself sympathetic to Dalits and tribals. Preserve intent of Act: Kejriwal Under the situation resulting due to the SCs decision, AAP is with the movement of the SC/ST community. The Centre should deploy top lawyers for the petition in the SC and the need and fundamental intent of the Act should be preserved. Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief minister editorial@tribune.com NEW DELHI: The government and the Opposition on Monday reached an understanding to allow functioning of the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday to enable administering oath to newly elected members. Last week, the Opposition observed restraint to enable farewell speeches to retiring members. All through the second leg of the Budget Session, the Rajya Sabha has been witness to din, pandemonium and protests. Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha was disrupted for the 18th day. TNS gspannu7@gmail.com Kathmandu, April 2 Nepal will deploy drones to patrol its border with India, Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa said on Monday. Announcing an 82-point programme of the Home Ministry, Thapa, also a senior Maoist leader, told the media that the Home Ministry is introducing new guidelines on using drones, and it was now essential to use drones at Nepal-India border for patrolling. Thapa said that on the Indian side, there are security posts every kilometre, whereas the distance between two nearest posts on the Nepali side is 25 kilometres. We do not have sufficient human resources to address this problem. Therefore, we will now use drones, Thapa was quoted as saying by onlinekhabar, a Nepalese news portal. Nepal and India share more than 17,000 km open border. PTI editorial@tribune.com New Delhi, April 2 Facing flak over paper leaks, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday put in place a leak-proof system of encrypted question papers, which are to be printed by schools. With just one dummy run, the system was implemented on Monday and it faced multiple glitches. In the light of the recent developments, the CBSE has devised a mechanism of providing encrypted question paper at the exam centres just before the commencement of examination, the note read. The instructions issued by the board to the centres include identifying a safe and secure room for installation of computers and printers and ensuring high-speed internet connection. All computer teachers/staff are to report to the examination centre by 7:30 am on all exam days to handle downloading and printing of the encrypted question papers. The schools have also been asked to arrange adequate A4 sheets at least 10 pages per candidate. On the exam day, the question paper will be available on the CBSE website. The same user ID and password as used for registration can be used. After downloading the zip file of the question paper, the centres have to use the password provided by the regional office minutes before and extract it, the note reads. The schools were to send details of the number of printers, computers installed and the name of the computer teacher in charge by 4 pm on Sunday. With limited time to understand and implement the robust leak-proof system, schools on Monday struggled and the exam was delayed at a few centres. However, students were compensated for the lost time. Update on Class X exam: HC The Delhi HC asked the CBSE about its plans, if any, to re-conduct the Class X maths test. It sought information by April 16 on possible re-exam as CBSE said it was still ascertaining the extent of the leak. PTI Pleas in SC tomorrow The SC will hear on Wednesday petitions challenging the CBSE March 28 decision to re-conduct maths exam for Class X A Bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, said the matter would be taken up on April 4 after it was mentioned for urgent hearing No link with CBSE official amansharma@tribunemail.com Ravi S. Singh Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 2 The government and the Opposition on Monday reached an understanding to allow functioning of the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday to enable administering oath to newly-elected members in the House. TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O Brien said: "The House will function tomorrow. The government and the Opposition have agreed on functioning of the House." Last week, the Opposition benches observed restraint allowing order in the House to enable farewell speeches to the retiring members. All through the second leg of the Budget Session, Rajya Sabha has been witness to protests by Opposition members, forcing repeated adjournments. It has been an everyday pattern that before the adjournments, the House became dysfunctional due to din and pandemonium. While regional parties like the TDP, AIADMK, DMK and YSR Congress have been rushing to the Well of the House on issues concerning respectibe states, Congress, TMC and Left have been, for the most part, protesting on a slew of national issues, including banking scam. Members of a number of opposition parties have put in notices with the office of Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu seeking adjournments to discuss the issues, but in vain. While the government has been alleging that they are ready for discussions on any issue, the Opposition was not interested. On the other hand, the latter, has been alleging that their democratic voice was being muzzled. US-Saudi Relations and a Meeting in Washington By George Friedman The British statesman Ernest Bevin once said the kingdom of heaven runs on righteousness, but the kingdoms of the Earth run on oil. That might have been the motto that drove British foreign policy in the Middle East after World War I, and then U.S. policy after World War II. But over the next two weeks, as the Saudi crown prince tours the United States, meeting with the president, other government officials and business leaders, the message will be decidedly different. Oil hasnt lost its indispensability, but Saudi oil has. No Effort too Great Attention to the presence of oil in the Middle East grew as the industrial revolution shifted from coal to oil. When the Ottoman Empire was defeated in World War I, the British, French and Russians seized the opportunity to reshape the political structure of the region around its oil. Borders were imposed on the basis of oil, without regard for the nations themselves. Those areas that had oil were frequently those whose boundaries were the most difficult to draw. Some of the most valuable oil fields were to be found on the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The British crafted a nation ruled by a family, the Sauds to maintain peace on the peninsula so that oil could be extracted peacefully. American policy in the region ultimately derived from British policy. The British sought to secure the production of oil, and so did the Americans. Both therefore maintained close relations with oil producers, and with the Saudis in particular. Saudi Arabia had no qualms about weaponizing its oil supplies. In 1973, after a war between Israel and neighboring Arab states, the Saudis crafted an oil embargo targeting supporters of Israel, including the U.S. and its allies. The result was massive economic dislocation throughout the industrial world. The Saudis and other Arabs controlled enough of the worlds oil that they could not only control the price but also the tempo of life in the industrialized world. Whether the embargo was a result of concern for their Palestinian brethren or the desire to surge oil prices (or both) is debatable. What cant be denied was that the Saudis controlled economic life in much of the world. Washington got the message. It became fixed U.S. policy to maintain good relations with the Saudis and to protect them from political and military threats. The Americans commitment was put to the test in 1990, when Saddam Husseins Iraq invaded Kuwait, another significant oil producer. From Iraqs new position, it was able to threaten the vital oil fields in eastern Saudi Arabia. By this point, the Soviets were far less of a threat than they had been, but U.S. policy was still shaped by the Cold War. Iraq was vaguely aligned with the Soviets, and the American nightmare was that if the Soviets seized the Saudi oil fields, they would have the United States and its alliance structure by the throat. The U.S. massed an enormous military force in Saudi Arabia, first to protect the Saudi oil fields, and then to drive Saddam out of Kuwait. About half a million U.S. troops were used. No effort was too great for the protection of Saudi Arabias oil. Reduced Importance The U.S. commitment to the Saudis remains intact, but the meaning of the commitment has shifted for two reasons. First, the geopolitics of global oil has changed. A combination of events, particularly the surge in U.S. oil and shale gas production and the use of natural gas in place of oil in general, has reduced the importance of Saudi oil. Saudi supplies are still extremely important to the world, but the Saudis could not pull off an oil embargo today, and they no longer control the price of oil. Second, in 1990 the U.S. was already the sole superpower, with a vast military force that for nearly two generations had been preparing for a war in Europe. That force and its allies overwhelmed the Iraqis. It was the greatest American military success since World War II. But hidden within it were dangerous flaws. It took about six months to build a force capable of retaking Kuwait. During that time, a more ambitious Saddam might have taken the Saudi oil fields. Moreover, the desecration of Saudi Arabia by the stationing of U.S. troops was one of the impulses behind the creation of al-Qaida. The flaws and consequences of the war exist still today. And today, the U.S. is not coming off a peaceful triumph. American troops have been fighting in the Islamic world since 2001, with a consistently unsatisfactory outcome. Gone is the eagerness of the U.S. military to show its prowess. The force has been drained by a generation of warfare. What this means is that, for a multitude of reasons, the political basis for the defense of Saudi Arabia has diminished. The American public is not excited about the prospect of another war. Militarily, the same problem remains the time to theater creates sizable openings for an aggressive power, Iran in this case. Instead of defending the oil fields, in the next war the U.S. might have to retake them. Another large U.S. troop presence in parts of Saudi Arabia, however well-intentioned it would appear to the United States, could lead to unpleasant consequences in the Islamic world. Saudi oil no longer defines the global market. Even if Iran could seize Saudi Arabias oil and Irans own military might is dubious the only reason to seize oil now is to sell it. As far as the Americans and other consumers are concerned, whether it is Iran or the Saudis in control, the oil will flow. The Reality of the Moment The United States does not want Iran to dominate the Arabian Peninsulas oil, and it will act within its means and interest to prevent it. But the U.S. means and interest arent what they were in 1990. The kingdoms of Earth are still driven by oil (wind power notwithstanding), but the world is not short of oil right now. Britain imposed its power to control Middle Eastern oil, the United States inherited that power, and now that power is out of balance with the need. The global industrial base simply does not rely on Arabian oil fields anymore. It is in this context that the Americans and the Saudis meet. They are still friends, whatever that means in the context of global politics. They have common enemies. But for the Americans, the commitment to the Saudis is shaped by the reality of this moment, not the last. Containing Iran is important, but it cannot be something the U.S. does alone. It is in the interest of Sunni powers like Turkey to deal with matters like Iran, backed to some extent by the United States. But whatever the final communique of the meeting says, this is not 1990. Shifts in reality emerge at times of greatest stress and are the greatest surprise. They shouldnt be. rchopra@tribunemail.com Bhopal/New Delhi/Chandigarh, April 2 Violent protests erupted on Monday during a nationwide bandh called by Dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, leaving four people dead and many injured in Madhya Pradesh and disrupting normal life in many states. While some states ordered closure of educational institutes and curtailed communication and transport services, including rail, incidents of arson and vandalism were reported from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab, among other states. Curfew was imposed in Morena, Gwalior and Bhind districts of Madhya Pradesh after four people died in firing and several others were injured. The Army was called in Bhind district, where six people were injured in firing by protesters, to control the situation, Bhind Superintendent of Police Prashant Khare said. The Army and paramilitary forces have been asked to be on standby as a precautionary measure in Punjab. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed for peace, while Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government was not a party to the Supreme Court decision on the SC/ST Act and respectfully did not agree with its reasoning behind the verdict. Prasad said the government had filed a very comprehensive review petition in the matter. Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan, a prominent Dalit leader and head of NDA ally LJP, appreciated the governments quick decision to file the petition and accused the Congress of having done nothing for Baba Saheb Ambedkar. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed for peace and urged the people not to vitiate law and order, as violence was reported from many districts, including Azamgarh, where protesters torched two state-run buses, injuring several passengers. Protests turned violent in Agra, Hapur and Meerut in western UP. Director General of Police (DGP) OP Singh said the situation is under control in Agra, Sambhal and Hapur and that anti-riot police had been deployed there. We have sought more force from the Centre that will be deployed there. We are keeping an eye on the situation, which is under control, he said. Many trains, such as Saptakranti Express, Utkal Express and the Bhubaneswar Rajdhani as well as the Kanpur Shatabdi, were stopped ahead of Ghaziabad in Meerut and Modinagar, officials said. A group of about 2,000 people disrupted trains at the Hapur station as well, disrupting the movement of many goods trains, they added. Protests were also witnessed at Ambala and Rohtak in Haryana as well as in Chandigarh. The CBSE has already postponed Class 12 and Class 10 examinations scheduled to be held on Monday in Punjab at the request of the state government in view of the Bharat Bandh. In the national capital region, protesters squatted on tracks at several places, stopping trains, including the Dehradun Express and the Ranchi Rajdhani, while a Northern Railway official said services were also disrupted by a mob in Ghaziabad. The protesters gathered at Mandi House in Delhi and blocked the road outside the metro station there, bringing traffic to a halt and inconveniencing commuters travelling towards ITO and other stretches. Heavy police force was deployed at Mandi House in view of the protests. Shouting slogans of Jai Bhim, the protesters also blocked one of the carriageways of Barakhamba Road affecting traffic on the stretch, police said. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, in a bid to protect honest public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. Nearly 30 people--20 from Ajmer and 10 from Jaipur--were detained in Rajasthan as protesters blocked rail and road traffic and vandalised public property, including a train, in many parts of the state. Protestors damaged glass windows of Shatabdi Express at Khairthal railway station, Khairthal GRP SHO Ramesh Chandra said. According to Railways spokesperson, movement of seven trains was affected in North-Western railway region. In Patna, MLAs from the opposition parties, as well as some from the ruling side, demanded that a resolution be passed by the House urging the Centre to take adequate measures to undo the recent Supreme Court order on arrests under the SC/ST Act. Protesters stormed the Patna Junction where they forced closure of the ticket booking counters and squatted on railway tracks disrupting movement of a number of trains. Normal life was partially affected in several parts of Odisha as well after activists of Adivasi Dalit Sena staged a rail roko at Khetrajpur station in Sambalpur which caused delay in the running of some trains, officials said. In the state capital of Bhubaneswar, activists of different Dalit organisations put up road blockade near Vani Vihar, Jayadev Vihar and Acharya Vihar areas. Agencies rchopra@tribunemail.com Amritsar/Kolkata, April 2 The mortal remains of 38 of the 39 Indians killed in war-torn Iraq were brought back on Monday in a special aircraft and handed over to their relatives. Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh, who brought back the bodies from Baghdad, told reporters in Amritsar that Indian embassy did not have any record of the 40 Indians captured by the terror group ISIS in Iraq in 2014 as they had gone there through illegal travel agents. The minister said had the government had any information about these people being in danger, it would have rescued them as it had done in case of over 45 nurses in 2014. Thirty-nine of the 40 Indian labourers were killed by the terror group, while one of them managed to escape posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh. Out of the 39 killed, 27 hailed from Punjab, four from Himachal Pradesh, six from Bihar and two from West Bengal. The special aircraft carrying the mortal remains of 38 Indians in caskets landed at the Amritsar international airport around 2.30 pm. The presumed remains of one of those killed were yet to be positively identified. As the aircraft carrying the coffins landed in Amritsar, an air of gloom descended as distraught families looked at the caskets. The remains of the 31 men belonging to Punjab and Himachal Pradesh were received by their relatives at the Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport in Amritsar. The special flight proceeded to Kolkata, where the mortal remains of two men hailing from Nadia district were handed over to their families. The aircraft then left for Patna for handing over the bodies of six men hailing from Bihar to their families. Authorities helped the families to take the bodies to their native places. Talking to reporters in Amritsar, Singh, who had gone to Iraq yesterday to bring back the bodies, said it was not possible to ascertain when they were killed. "But we were told that it could be about one year (ago). But it is very difficult to say whether it is more than a year or less than a year," he said. To a question, Singh said the Iraq-based Martyrs Foundation had advised against opening of caskets. "The Martyrs Foundation has told us that the way toxic contents were found (from where the mortal remains were taken out) and the way all this was done (embalming of bodies) when you open the casket it may pose danger and that is why they said it is better not to open it," he said. Asked how they were killed, Singh, a former army chief, said that some of the persons were killed by bullets. "When tests were conducted (on mortal remains) it was found that some persons were killed by bullets and however, in some cases, it is very difficult to say as to how they were killed," he said. "The external affairs ministry started a campaign in 2014 in which we say that one must not go through an illegal agent. There was no record of these 40 persons in any embassy. They migrated through illegal agents. When you go through illegal agents then it is difficult to find where one has gone," the minister told reporters and called for strict action against fake travel agents. To a query, he said had they got any clue about the Indian men, they could have been saved like nurses were saved in Iraq in 2014. "Do you know about Indian nurses case? We knew about their condition and we asked them to get out of their place (in Iraq in 2014). Initially, they refused to leave the place, saying they were not in danger. But after four days, they told us their hospital was damaged. Then we rescued them. Had there been any information that these persons (40 Indian men) were in crisis at a particular location, we would have rescued them," he said. Singh emphasised that both the state and central governments should work collectively to ensure the gullible people do not fall prey to illegal travel agents. "We have told each state that law and order is their responsibility and they should catch illegal agents in their respective states and take action against them...States and the Centre should work collectively in this direction. We do not want anybody to go illegally abroad. We want people to go legally so that we have their record," he said. To a question on jobs as demanded by the family members of the victims, the minister said the Union external affairs minister had already told the family members to provide detailed information about persons who are eligible for jobs. Singh also explained about how they located the mound from where the mortal remains were taken out in Iraq. "...we were not allowed to go to Mosul through Erbil as war was going on. After talking to company owner (in whose factory these 40 men were working) and others, we got information that a lot of people were buried near a place in Badush. "We found a mound which was not natural. We sought a ground penetration radar and then we found some human skeletons (in the mound). Thereafter digging exercise was started to bring out the mortal remains. We got a kara (iron bracelet worn by Sikhs) and long hair and then we thought they may belong to be our people. Thereafter, DNA sample exercise commenced. The 38 samples matched while 70 per cent of one sample matched," he said, adding that he had gone to Iraq four times in search of the Indian men. - PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Ravi S. Singh Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 2 Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday questioned the Union government over the arrangements made to bring the remains of 38 Indians who were killed by ISIS in Iraq in coffins to India. Bajwa said, "Majority of the victims are Sikhs and Hindus. Mortal remains of the deceased belonging to these two religions are not kept in coffins." His objection was on the ground that this would hurt the religious sentiments of the victims' kin. He said this was highly insensitive on the part of the government. The Congress leader said the Union government has let down the victims' families first by keeping them in dark about the death for about four years. He also faulted the government for not having a humane and pragmatic policy of issuing timely advisories to countrymen from visiting areas of conflict zones in the world. Governments in other countries do it as a matter of great care and caution to protect their citizens, he said. Bajwa demanded from the government jobs to next of kin of the deceased. "They were the sole bread-winners of their families. The government must step in to provide them solace and succor." The international terror outfit had kidnapped the construction workers and subsequently killed them. Their remains were claimed to have been found in a mass grave in Iraq's Mosul. rchopra@tribunemail.com Rachna Khaira Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 2 In view of the tense law-and-order situation across the state following the blocking of major national and state highways due to Bharat Bandh, the state government is contemplating to keep the mortal remains of the Iraq tragedy victims at Amritsar Medical College on Monday. Though the administration of respective districts has sent their teams along with ambulances to transport the mortal remains to their respective homes, there is possibility that they may be handed over to the families on Tuesday. According to Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Kamaljit Singh Sangha, the final decision will be taken only after the arrival of the bodies from Baghdad. The flight from Baghdad is expected to arrive at Amritsar around 2 pm. If the situation gets normal, we may hand over the mortal remains to the respective district administration or else can keep them at the medical college for a day, said Sangha. However, when contacted, Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Varinder Sharma said that keeping in view the Bharat bandh, the officials would not be able to attend the cremation on Monday. At present, all roads, including national and state highways, are blocked. It is not advisable to transport the mortal remains on Monday. We will keep them in Amritsar, said Sharma. Five families from Punjab have reached Guru Ramdass Jee International Airport at Amritsar to receive the mortal remains. Meanwhile, the law and order situation at national highways is getting tense since morning. In Jalandhar, some SC organisations burnt tyres at every 500 metres, from PAP Chowk to Bidhipur on the national highway 1A connecting major districts of Punjab. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 2 Reiterating the Union Governments stance on Gurdaspur-based Harjit Masih, who claimed to be the lone survivor, Minister of State for External Affairs Gen VK Singh (retd) said Masih was never part of the group comprising 39 Indians who were killed by IS militants in Iraq. These workers, most of whom were from economically weaker families in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Bihar were kidnapped in 2014, and later killed in Mosul. Harjit Masih, one of the Indian workers, had claimed that while all his co-workers were shot dead, he had survived the mass shooting. VK Singh said: Do not trust Harjit Masihs version. Who has verified his statements? As per our authentic information, he was never with the 39 missing Indians. He claimed that he had visited Iraq the moment reports of Mosuls liberation surfaced in July last year. I reached there on July 11 for the first time. It took me six days to investigate but I had to return with little information. I went again in October to proceed further on the basis of our inputs. We traced their employer and the cook who used to feed them. Later, we got the announcements made on Iraqi radio and television. Then, we gathered information about the missing Indians, but Masih was not among them, he said. Emphasising his views, he said 40 nurses from Iraq were safely brought back as they possessed legal documentation. Unfortunately, these 39 Indians had gained entry into Iraq through illegal means. There was no record in the embassy, he said. Urging people to refrain from sending their children abroad through unfair means, VK Singh said the Centre in collaboration with their state counterparts would take stringent measures against fake travel agents. Why coffins: Bajwa New Delhi: Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday questioned the Centre on arranging coffins to bring mortal remains of Indian workers from Iraq. Bajwa said: Most of the victims are Sikhs and Hindus. The mortal remains of such people are not kept in coffins. He claimed that the move would hurt religious sentiments of the families. TNS SAD seeks Rs 1 crore relief Chandigarh: The SAD on Monday asked the Congress government to give a compensation of Rs 1 crore each and a government job to next of kin of all Punjabis who were killed by the ISIS in Iraq. In a statement, SAD spokesman Bikram Singh Majithia said it was the responsibility of the state government to provide succour to the affected families. TNS editorial@tribune.com Sanjeev Singh Bariana Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 2 The Punjab Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered Christian Medical College (CMC), Ludhiana, to pay a compensation of Rs 40 lakh along with 9 per cent interest to a resident of Mandi Gobindgarh for unprofessionally destroying the bone marrow of his 7-year-old daughter before her donor gave his marrow for transplant. The girl later died. President of the commission Justice (retd) Paramjeet Singh Dhaliwal and member Kiran Sibal on Monday ordered that a copy of the order, which was pronounced recently, be sent to the CMC for its compliance within two months of the receipt of the order. The CMC has also been asked to pay Rs 33,000 as the litigation expenses. The interest on the compensation will be paid from the date of the complaint till the date of actual payment. Inderpreet Singhs daughter was undergoing treatment for thalassaemia major at the CMC when in November 2012 the doctor concerned told him that his daughter could be treated permanently with a bone marrow transplant. Medical negligence up to some extent led to her death on November 4, 2014. On record the doctor wrote a letter in April 2014 to the DATRI (blood stem cell donors registry) and received a letter regarding the availability of donor for the patient a few days later. Inderpreet deposited Rs 16 lakh with the CMC. The doctor started chemotherapy of the patient in October 2014, which destroyed her bone marrow stem cells. Due to chemotherapy, her platelet count started decreasing and her condition became critical. She died on November 4, 2014. The Punjab Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission underlined that the daughter of the complainant had died due to medical negligence on part of the hospital to some extent. The commission also noted that no amount of money was sufficient to compensate the loss of a child. 7-yr-old thalassaemia patient was the victim Mandi Gobindgarh resident Inderpreet Singhs seven-year-old daughter was undergoing treatment for thalassaemia major at the CMC when in November 2012 the doctor concerned told him that his daughter could be treated permanently with a bone marrow transplant. Medical negligence up to some extent led to her death on November 4, 2014. editorial@tribune.com Chandigarh, April 2 Rail and road traffic was affected in Punjab on Monday, with Dalit activists squatting on tracks and highways. In a scuffle between protesters and shopkeepers near Mehna Chowk in Bathinda, two persons were injured. Shops in Bathinda and Ferozepur and an eatery in Kapurthala were vandalised. Demonstrations were held in Jalandhar, Patiala, Sangrur, Hoshiarpur, Ropar, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Kapurthala and Phagwara. In Kapurthala, a dozen two-wheelers were damaged. The protesters disrupted rail traffic on the Kapurthala-Ferozepur section, with a dharna at Khojewal and Kapurthala stations. The Kapurthala-Jalandhar, Kapurthala-Nakodar, Subhanpur-Kartarpur and Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur roads were blocked. The India-Pakistan buses were stopped at Sirhind and Amritsar. HS Dhillon, DGP (Law and Order), said the bandh in the state had been largely peaceful and there were no arrests. The Punjab Government had on Sunday ordered a security clampdown with the Army and paramilitary forces on standby. It had ordered the closure of educational institutions, suspended bus services and curtailed mobile and Internet services. TNS editorial@tribune.com GS Paul Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 2 The mortal remains of 38 of the 39 Indians killed in Iraqs Mosul were brought back on Monday in a special aircraft and handed over to relatives. The aircraft carrying the caskets landed at the Amritsar international airport at 2.30 pm. Punjab Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who received the bodies of victims from Punjab, announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh and a job for the next of kin. Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh, who had left for Iraq on Sunday to bring back the bodies, told the media it was not possible to ascertain when they had been killed. We were told it could be about a year ago. Asked how they were killed, he replied some of them were killed by bullets. No embassy had records of these persons, who had migrated through illegal agents, the minister said, calling for strict action against fake travel agents. He claimed had they a clue about the Indians stuck in Iraq, they may have been rescued, like the Indian nurses in 2014. On jobs demanded by the victims families, the minister said the External Affairs Minister had already told them to provide detailed information about persons eligible for the same. Explaining how they had located the mound where the mortal remains were buried, he said: ...we were not allowed to go to Mosul through Erbil as the war was on. After talking to the company owner (in whose factory the Indians were working) and others, we got information that a lot of people were buried near a place in Badush near Mosul. We found a mound. We sought a ground penetration radar and found human skeletons. Thereafter, digging was started. We found a kara (worn by Sikhs) and long hair. Thereafter, the bodies were exhumed and DNA samples matched. The minister was all praise for the Martyrs Foundation in Iraq, which, he said, had worked hard to identify the remains. Iraqs forensic experts had conducted the DNA tests on the exhumed bodies. Relatives stage dharna at airport Denied permission to open the caskets, grieving relatives of the deceased staged a dharna at the Amritsar airport. They were solaced by officials. We were strictly told by the Iraqi authorities not to open the coffins as toxic gases could be harmful," explained Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh. TNS rchopra@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 2 Dalits took out a protest march at many places in Punjab on Monday to protest against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act, even as the state government ordered closure of educational institutes, suspended bus services, and curtailed mobile and internet connectivity. The protests were also witnessed at Ambala and Rohtak in Haryana as well as in Chandigarh. Amid tight security arrangements, the Dalits held protests at Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Ropar, Bathinda, Amritsar and Ferozepur in Punjab against the dilution of the Act. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, in a bid to protect honest public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crime against the backward community. The Congress-led Punjab government had on Sunday ordered a security clampdown as a precautionary measure, while the Army and paramilitary forces have been asked to be on standby to prevent any exigency. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had ordered that schools, colleges and other educational institutes would remain shut on Monday, while the Internet services were suspended from 5 pm on Sunday till 11 pm on Monday. CBSE postpones exams Meanwhile, the CBSE postponed Class 12 and Class 10 examinations scheduled to be held on Monday in Punjab at the request of the state government in view of the Bharat Bandh. Taking cognisance of the letter of the director general (school education), the CBSE decided to postpone all Class 12 and 10 examinations scheduled for April 2 in Punjab, it said in a statement issued on Sunday night. Exams will carry on as per schedule in UT of Chandigarh and rest of the country, it said. In a later development, the education department said the final practical examinations of Classes 10 and 12 of the Punjab School Education Board will be conducted on April 11 instead of April 2. Train services hit Phagwara: Road and rail traffic remained badly affected in the region due to the demonstrations during Bharat Bandh call on Monday. Railway sources said 74951/74954 Jalandhar-Jejon train, 2411 Chandigarh-Amritsar Train, 4506 Nangal Dam-Amritsar train, 2013 Delhi-Amritsar Shatawadi Express train, 2241 Chandigarh-Amritsar train,14650 Amritsar-Jainagar Shaheed Express train, 4505 Amritsar-Nangal Dam, 2412 Amritsar-Chandigarh Express Train were cancelled on Monday. Sources added that Amritsar-bound 13049 UP Howrah Express train was stranded at Phagwara Railway Station, 12497 Shan-e-Punjab Express was terminated at Khanna,12029 Shatawadi Express was cancelled between Ludhiana and Amritsar, 18109 Tata Express was sent via Pathankot, 12920 Malwa Express held up in Ambala Division, 12925 Pashchim Express at Shahbad Markanda, 11057 Safer Express held up at Kila Raipur, Janayak Express, Jansewa Express, Akal Takht Express near Ambala, while 2715 Sachkhand Express was stranded near Agra, Haridwar-bound Janshatawadi Express train was stranded near Kartarpur. All trains are stranded till filing of this report. Transport takes a hit Public and private transport remained off the road. Buses run by the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), Punjab Roadways, PunBus, and private operators will remain off the road during the bandh. Banks, too, will remain closed, an official spokesperson said. The orders were issued after the Chief Minister reviewed the security arrangements with top police and administration officials on Sunday evening. Chief Minister makes appeal The chief minister appealed to the protesters not to take law into their own hands, obstruct transport movement or harass commuters. He also appealed to them that the mortal remains of the 38 Indians killed in Iraq which were expected to arrive in Amritsar on Monday, be allowed to be transported to their native villages without any impediment. As part of the elaborate security measures, four battalions each of the Rapid Action Force and the Border Security Force, and 12,000 additional police personnel would remain on duty to maintain law and order, an official spokesperson said. With PTI HIGHLIGHTS In Chandigarh, SC organisations protested at Hallo Majra Chowk. In Patiala, SC community members gathered near Fountain Chowk and Budha Dal Complex. They wanted to take out a protest march on streets. But police tried to persuade them to follow the prescribed route. Shops in main bazaars of the city were closed. The Patiala-Chandigarh highway was blocked by a few protesters. Police reached the spot. A procession by Dalit youths was taken out on city roads. Many of them were armed with sticks and bricks. There was tension in Bahadurgarh as protesters were adamant on blocking the highway while police tried to divert them to inside areas. In Ferozepur, a shop was damaged in the Cantonment area. Around 1,500 people carrying sticks and swords took out a procession in various parts of the town. Read: SC norms to check SC/ST Act abuse No immediate arrest of public servants in cases under SC/ST Act: SC Apex court refuses to stay SC/ST Act bail SC/ST Act: Ahead of protest, worried Sampla meets Ranike SC/ST Act: Schools, colleges in Punjab to remain closed on April 2 due to strike Punjab suspends mobile Net, SMS BSP members stage protest against dilution of SC/ST Act In Jalandhar, all important intersections, including Maqsudan Chowk, Workshop Chowk and Company Bagh Chowk, were closed. The railway track was blocked at Ram Nagar crossing. The Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur road was blocked at Nasrala. Akali MLA Pawan Tinu addressed a dharna of protesters at Ravidass Chowk in the city. Thousands of protesters observed the bandh in various areas of the city throwing life out of gear for residents and commuters. Protesters raised slogans. Tyres were burnt at every 500 metres, from PAP Chowk to Bidhipur on the Amritsar highway. A protest march was taken at Kapurthala. Protesters indulged in stone-pelting at the Dominos Ramneek Nagar outlet. In Ludhiana, factory workers on way to work were stopped by protesters and told to go back. All shops and markets were shut. Hundreds of protesters on motorbikes reached the mini-secretariat. They raised anti-government slogans. Samrala Chowk was blocked. In Moga, there was a complete shutdown. However, no untoward incident was reported. Markets remained closed at Ropar. There was tension in Phagwara as Dalits held a protest march and burnt effigies of PM Narendra Modi. Five Dalits sat on an indefinite hunger strike near the bus stand in Phagwara. The Indo-Pakistan bus service was also disrupted. The Lahore-bound bus was stranded at Sirhind and the Delhi-bound bus at Amritsar. Tension prevailed in Bathinda on Monday morning as protest against dilution of the SC/ST Act turned violent with two people getting injured in a clash between the protesters and shopkeepers near Mehna Chowk. The trouble broke out when a group of protesters were forcing traders in Mata Rani Gali to shut their shops, to which the latter resisted. The protesters then damaged a two-wheeler parked outside one of the shops. It led to a heated argument, after which the two groups entered into a confrontation, leading to head injuries to two people. The police have arrested the troublemakers. Earlier in the morning, the protesters damaged a shop at the AC Market and forced the traders to shut their commercial establishments. A group of protesters armed with lathis and swords passed through commercial areas like Dhobi Bazaar, Bank Bazaar and Sirki Bazaar, asking the traders to down their shutters to support their Bharat Bandh call. The protesters also had an argument with the police and civil administration officials who reached the spot to calm down their frayed tempers. Police force has been deployed in various parts of the town to ensure that the bandh remains peaceful. The roads wore a deserted look with buses off the road and residents preferring to stay indoors. In Sangrur and Barnala districts, almost all towns were closed. Vijay Sahni, a local SAD leader while leading a protest march in Sangrur, said, Its injustice with the SC community and we are requesting shopkeepers to support our agitation. We are getting good response as all shops are closed. Almost all shops in Sangrur, Dhuri, Malerkotla, Barnala and other parts of both districts were closed. Shopkeepers were sitting in front of their shops. It led to inconvenience to patients as all medical shops and laboratories were closed. Not a single shop is open. I do not know what will happen to my friend if we fail to arrange medicine, said Anil, a youngster standing at a closed shop near Sangrur civil hospital. His friend, Raman met with an accident near Sangrur Bypass on Monday morning. In Handiaya of Barnala, shopkeepers had opened some shops, leading to heated arguments with protesters. Protesters took out a protest march in Panchkula. Brandishing lathis, they held the march. They were accompanied by motorcycle-borne cops. In Panipat, the Insar market was closed. In Karnal, activists from various SC organisations forced traders to close their establishments. Congress state president Ashok Tanwar was likely to join the protest. Later, the protesters reached National Highway-44 at Nirmal Kutiya Chowk. They were heading towards Sector-14 Chowk. In Yamunanagar, protesters burnt an effigy of the government. In Rohtak, members of the SC community staged a demonstration. Protesters forced people to shut down shops and other commercial establishments in Kurukshetra. However, Kurukshetra University functioned normally. In Hisar, the CM attended the chaukidar convention as Dalits resorted to demonstration leading to a complete bandh in the town. In Sonepat, protesters, including women, organised a protest march from the bus stand to the mini-secretariat. In Panipat, traffic was disrupted as members of various SC/ST organisations protested on NH-1. In Faridabad, traffic was disrupted at several places for up to 30 to 40 minutes since morning due to protests. There was a minor scuffle in the NIT area resulting in injuries to some people. In Shimla, SC organisations blocked Cart Road for a while causing inconvenience to the commuters. editorial@tribune.com Rachna Khaira Tribune News Service Kapurthala/Jalandhar, April 2 The mortal remains of Gobinder Singh (45) and Sukhwinder Singh, who were among the 39 Indians killed by IS militants in Iraq, were consigned to the flames at their native villages in Kapurthala district on Monday. Gobinders father Baljinder Singh (80), an ex-serviceman, carried the casket on his shoulder. It was my turn, not yours, to leave this world. Why did you leave me so early? asked the wailing father, a resident of Murar village. Gobinders wife Amarjit Kaur was also inconsolable. As soon as the relatives lifted the casket to take it to the cremation ground, she demanded a last glimpse of her husband, with whom she had spent over 18 years. Later, relatives opened the casket and showed her the mortal remains a few bones. The other victim from Kapurthala district, Sukhwinder Singh, a resident of Bohani village near Phagwara, was also cremated in the evening. His father, Nirmal Singh, lit the pyre. Nirmal said the family was not allowed to open the casket. The cremation was attended by Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Tayyab and SSP Sandeep Sharma. The seven victims from Jalandhar district will be cremated on Tuesday. Jalandhar DC Varinder Sharma said the mortal remains were handed over to the district administration around 6 pm at Amritsars Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport. With inputs from Ashok Kaura, Phagwara editorial@tribune.com Ferozepur, April 2 Two cars were damaged and some shops were vandalised during the Dalit protests in the town. Besides some sporadic incidents, no untoward incident took place in the district. Heavy police contingent, including Quick Reaction Teams, had been deployed since early morning which kept the protesters under control. Most of the educational institutions and commercial establishments remained closed. Rly office vandalised Protesters vandalised the divisional railway office, besides damaging Jammu Tawi Express at Cantonment railway station. The Ferozepur railway division was hit hard by Bharat Bandh, which disrupted the schedule of over 35 trains. OC editorial@tribune.com Tribune Reporters Bathinda, April 2 Two persons were injured in a clash between protesters and shopkeepers near Mehna Chowk during the Dalit agitation here on Monday morning. The trouble broke out when a group of protesters forced traders in Mata Rani Gali to shut their shops. When the latter resisted, the protesters damaged a two-wheeler parked outside a shop. Following this, the two groups entered into a confrontation, leading to injuries to two persons. The two groups pelted each other with stones. The injured were identified as Parveen Kumari and Rimple. The police have arrested a troublemaker who hit Parveen Kumari on the head with a rod. Another protester hit a rod on the hand of Rimple. The police resorted to mild cane-charge to disperse the protesters at certain places in the city. Earlier, the protesters damaged a shop at the AC market and forced the traders to shut their establishments. A group of protesters armed with lathis and swords passed through commercial areas, asking the traders to down their shutters to support the bandh call. They later converged outside the bus stand and damaged a vehicle. SSP Singla said two cases had been registered against unidentified accused for the incidents at Mata Rani Gali and AC market. One of the accused has been arrested. In Muktsar, scores of protesters took out a march that passed through key areas of the city before reaching the DC office where they handed over a memorandum to the deputy commissioner. In Mansa, Dalit organisations took out a protest rally. A group of protesters blocked the railway tracks at Gidderbaha and Balluana stations in the morning for around an hour due to which trains were delayed by more than two hours. Later, the RPF managed to take control of the situation. Traffic hit in sangrur Rail and road traffic was affected in Sangrur and Barnala districts. Activists of several organisations led by BSP leaders held protest marches and blocked road at Mahavir Chowk in Sangrur. In Dhuri, activists protested at Ambedkar Chowk and blocked traffic on the Ludhiana-Sangrur road at Kakkarwal Chowk. They also stopped the New Delhi-Ludhiana Shatabdi. In Malerkotla, Dalits blocked the Zarg Chowk. Similar protests were organised in Dirba, Sunam, Cheema and Bhawanigarh. In Barnala, protesters blocked the Handiaya Chowk and forced shopkeepers to shut their establishments. Peaceful in Moga Public transport, including train services, remained suspended in the district. Government/private educational institutes, private offices were also closed. All governmentand private banks and ATM machines also remained shut. Dalit groups protested on roads in Moga city and other towns. A total of 31 groups belonging to the Dalit community staged protests. CM thanks people for showing restraint Chandigarh: Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday thanked people of the state for showing restraint and maintaining law and order, even as he congratulated the civil and police administration for ensuring peace and harmony. The state witnessed sporadic incidents of violence during Bharat Bandh. According to reports, there were 10 incidents of rail blockades, 11 major road blockades and 12 minor road blockades. TNS Cong memo to Guv Chandigarh: A delegation of the state Congress, led by PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar, on Monday submitted a memorandum to Governor VP Singh Badnore, urging the Union Government to safeguard the interests of the SC/ST community in the country. Jakhar said the NDA government had failed to fight the communitys case. TNS Response Good: CPI Chandigarh: The CPI on Monday hailed the success of Bharat Bandh. In a press release, its national executive member Dr Joginder Dayal claimed that the nationwide protest got tremendous response. He alleged that the SCs decision was the outcome of the Modi governments failure to defend its case. TNS rajivbhatia82@gmail.com Ciudad Juarez, April 2 Mexicos top presidential candidates launched their campaigns today vowing to take a harder line against Donald Trump, with the leftist front-runner vowing his country is done being the US presidents pinata. Just as candidates were putting the finishing touches on their opening campaign speeches for Mexicos July 1 elections, Trump crashed the kick-off party via Twitter, accusing the country of doing very little to stop illegal migration and drugs, and renewing his threat to axe the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The veteran leftist leading in the polls, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and his conservative rival, Ricardo Anaya, both hit back hard at the Republican president, whose anti-Mexican diatribes and insistence that Mexico pay for his planned border wall have made him supremely unpopular here. We are going to be very respectful toward the United States government, but we are also going to demand that (the United States) respect Mexicans, Lopez Obrador told a cheering crowd in Ciudad Juarez, on the US border. Neither Mexico nor its people will be the pinata of any foreign government. Lopez Obrador, a former Mexico City mayor, repeated his long-standing criticism of Trumps planned border wall. Let this be heard near and far: neither security issues nor social problems can be resolved with walls, he said, condemning Trumps mistaken foreign policy and contemptuous attitude toward Mexicans. Anaya, who is locked in a brutal battle for second place with ruling party candidate Jose Antonio Meade, vowed to answer Trump with a strong and dignified stance, and defied the US president to take action on security issues on his own side of the border. Just as the United States is worried about undocumented migrants, Mexico is worried about gun trafficking, he said. Eighty per cent of the guns used to kill people in our country come from the United States, he added, in reference to a wave of drug cartel-fuelled violence that has left more than 200,000 people dead in Mexico since 2006. AFP. sanjiv@tribunemail.com Cairo, April 2 Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been re-elected for a second term with over 97 per cent of valid votes, the National Election Authority (NEA) said on Monday. In a televised press conference, the NEA chairman Lasheen Ibrahim said that turnout was 41.05 per cent of the 60 million voters. Ibrahim said that Sisi won 97.08 per cent of valid votes in the three-day presidential election. His sole challenger, the little-known centrist politician and al Ghad party chief, Moussa Mostafa Moussa won 2.92 per cent of votes. Sisi won 21,835,378 votes, while Moussa won 656,534 votes, he added. About 60 million people were eligible to vote in the election which was held in 13,687 polling stations across the country and under the supervision of 18,678 judges from various judicial bodies and authorities. Sisi, the then army chief, overthrew Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013 following mass protests against his rule. PTI The domain turkeytelegraph.com may be for sale. Please click here to inquire Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it. I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends. More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it. The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity. About me: I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS. Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line). Age: 42 Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed. I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it). Six months ago, on 18 September 2017, Category 5 Hurricane Maria struck Dominica wreaking unimaginable disaster. Thirty-one people died, 33 more remain missing. Roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and over 40 percent of homes were destroyed or severely damaged. Agriculture, a major source of income for poor people on the island, suffered tremendously: almost all crops were lost. The lush green forests, pride of this country and a UNESCO World Heritage site, were reduced to a barren, eerie landscape. Five days later, I was at the General Assembly watching Dominicas Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit deliver his address. I come to you straight from the front line of the war on climate change, he said, still visibly shaken. To deny climate change is to deny a truth we have just lived, he added, appealing for international support. I was moved by his words. I remember thinking: this speech should be shown in every classroom, boardroom, parliament around the world! Much to my surprise, the following day my boss asked me if Id be willing to go to Dominica to head the UN Crisis Management Unit (CMU), tasked with coordinating relief and recovery efforts on the ground. I had 24 hours to respond. Prime Minister Skerrits words reverberated in my mind. These are the moments for which the United Nations exists! he had said. And so I went. The CMU configuration (UNDP-OCHA) reflected an innovative approach to crisis response, inspired by the New Way of Working agenda, which calls for humanitarian and development actors to collaborate from the outset of a relief operation to ensure that long-term recovery needs are addressed as early as possible. I was privileged to find exceptional colleagues on the ground from UN sister agencies (OCHA, WFP, IOM, UNICEF, FAO, PAHO), NGOs and regional entities. Sharing the same working space in a semi-destroyed hotel in Roseau, we forged a collaboration built on our respective strengths. We met government counterparts who admirably carried out their duties despite the situation. We drew inspiration from the determination of the Dominicans to rebuild their lives. Shortly after my arrival, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres came to visit, demonstrating the solidarity and commitment of the UN at the highest level. In the following days and weeks, thanks to generous donor support, the UN and partners distributed food, water, tarpaulins and other relief items. We set up logistics and communications facilities, assisted the authorities in reopening schools and hospitals, supported emergency employment for debris removal, and provided counselling and cash support to vulnerable people for basic needs and home repair. The New Way of Working became a strong partnership based on a clear division of labour within the CMU. While my OCHA colleagues focused on emergency coordination, doing a phenomenal job, my UNDP team and I worked with the government to lay the groundwork for long-term recovery. Barely a month after the hurricane, despite logistical challenges, a comprehensive Post-Disaster Needs Assessment mission was undertaken, in partnership with the World Bank and the European Union. It provided the basis for the recovery strategy presented at the UNDP-CARICOM High-Level Conference for the Caribbean in November, which yielded over US$2.5 billion in international pledges. Innovation was a key component of UNDPs response. Jointly with the Ministry of Housing, we partnered with Microsoft who donated tablets and designed a specific application to undertake a comprehensive damage assessment that covered over 29,000 structures islandwide, generating key data for the reconstruction plan. We also pioneered a collaboration with international NGO Engineers Without Borders to help the Ministry of Planning rewrite the Housing Guidelines to enhance structural resilience and to carry out training/certification for over 400 contractors and engineers. Thanks to grants from China and India, we initiated programmes for resilient roofing, while the EU and the UK supported our debris removal initiative, which provided temporary employment to hundreds of hurricane-affected Dominicans. We provided advice to the government on recovery planning and the creation of a National Reconstruction Agency for Climate Resilience, based on international best practices. These are not, strictly speaking, humanitarian activities, but in the aftermath of a crisis they are instrumental for long-term recovery. The sense of urgency of the national authorities was palpable, and we were able to respond quickly because we were there from the beginning. This is what the New Way of Working is all about. By the end of 2017, OCHA phased out and the CMU was dissolved, its mission accomplished. We had provided humanitarian support and helped lay the foundations for long-term recovery. I departed Dominica at the end of January to return to New York, but many colleagues stayed to continue the work. Despite considerable progress, much remains to be done to restore normalcy in the lives of Dominicans. With another hurricane season coming fast on the horizon, there is no time to spare. About the author Luca Renda is Senior Strategic Advisor for the UNDPs Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean. Follow him on Twitter: @lucarenda This article was originally published in IPS. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the State of Israel today signed a Framework of Common Understanding to promote solutions for thousands of Eritreans and Sudanese living in Israel. A joint working group will be set up with a series of objectives and a timetable to implement solutions for some 39,000 people over five years. As a result of the Framework of Common Understanding signed today, the Government of Israel will not pursue its non-voluntary relocation policy. "UNHCR appreciates the collaboration with the Government of Israel to find a way out for thousands of Eritreans and Sudanese. This agreement will ensure that protection is provided to those who need it," said Volker Turk, UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, who signed the agreement on behalf of UNHCR. From the Israeli side, the agreement was signed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr. Arye Machluf Deri, Minister of Internal Affairs. Under the agreement, UNHCR, with the support of receiving countries, will work to facilitate the departure to third countries to be determined of some 16,000 Eritreans and Sudanese under various programmes, including sponsorship, resettlement, family reunion and labour migration schemes, while others will be receiving a suitable legal status in Israel. In addition, UNHCR and the State of Israel will design programmes to encourage Eritrean and Sudanese asylum seekers to move out of the neighbourhoods in South Tel Aviv where they have mostly congregated. Vocational training will also be provided to asylum-seekers for jobs in solar energy, agriculture and irrigation for employment abroad or in Israel. UNHCR has been working closely with the State of Israel to identify and respond to the protection needs of asylum-seekers in the country. In the past, UNHCR raised concerns about Israel's non-voluntary Relocation Policy as its monitoring indicated that those relocated have not found adequate safety or a durable solution to their plight in the destination African countries and, as a result, many have subsequently attempted dangerous onward journeys within Africa or to Europe. According to the information provided by the Population, Immigration and Border Authority (PIBA), by the end of 2017 there were some 26,600 Eritreans and 7,600 Sudanese in Israel. From the start of the relocation programme in December 2013, some 4,500 Eritreans and Sudanese were relocated under the Government's Policy. For more information on this topic, please contact: This San Francisco purveyor of graffiti has it right.When times are bleak -- when country and planet sink under the barely restrained sway of greed, raw power, and fear -- it's time to restate what matters. I write here to preserve and kindle hope for a national and global turn toward multi-racial, economically egalitarian, gender non-constricting, woman affirming, and peace choosing democracy that preserves the habitability of earth for all. There's a big order -- but what else is there to do but struggle for this? Not much.Topics range from the minuscule to the transcendent to the global, from dire to delightful. I am not an optimist, but I refuse to allow myself to wallow within the easy bias that everything is going to always be awful. Good also happens; love lives too.I've been yammering here about activism, politics, history, racism and other occasional horrors and pleasures since 2005.I intend to continue as long as the opportunity exists. In this time, that means activism and chronicling resistance. Perhaps it always has, one way and another.My other internet project: 596 Precincts-Walking San Francisco UTSA students make a pledge to stand up against sexual assault. (April 2, 2018) Students, faculty and staff at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) will stand up against sexual assault and misconduct at the 4th annual Its on Us Call to Action Day. In support of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, the UTSA event is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 3 at the Student Union Paseo on the UTSA Main Campus. During Its On Us-Call to Action Day, attendees will be asked to make the Its On Us pledge, a personal commitment to keep women and men safe from sexual violence by becoming an active bystander. More than 20 exhibitors will provide information on sexual assault and sexual violence. The event will include interactive games, music and a photo booth where Roadrunners can take pictures and share how they are committing to be part of the solution. The UTSA Police Department worked with several student organizations to host Its on Us Call to Action Day, including the UTSA Interfraternity Council, the UTSA Pan-Hellenic Association, UTSA Health Services and Beaks Up, Speak Up. This event is part of a larger strategy to inspire a culture change that addresses and ends sexual violence, and opens lines of communications on how to report and educate the UTSA community about the resources and services available for survivors, said Cpl. Maranda Tupper, who leads the UTSA Police Department Crime Prevention Unit. UTSA offers more than 40 initiatives and educational events to students, faculty and staff. Last year, former Interim President Pedro Reyes created a task force on preventing sexual violence. The task force researched best practices and submitted recommendations to UTSA President Taylor Eighmy. He then launched a new initiative to build on the reports findings and recommendations. As a result of these efforts, UTSA has expanded the staffing resources needed to address sexual misconduct prevention and survivor advocacy by opening the Department of Title IX Services. The new department integrates sexual assault awareness and prevention initiatives into daily campus life, supports individuals involved in sexual misconduct, harassment and violence cases, raises awareness of UTSAs programs and services across campus, and coordinates expanded training for students, faculty and staff. The UTSA community is encouraged to use the hashtags #EndSexualViolence, #MyCampusMyVoice and #BeaksUpSpeakUp during Its on Us Call to Action Day. (April 2, 1018) -- When Fiesta begins this month, revelers will be able to park in some of the lots at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Downtown Campus. The annual party with a purpose runs April 19-29 at venues throughout San Antonio. Individuals with a valid UTSA parking permit may park where their permits allow. UTSA permit holders must show their permits to enter these lots and avoid parking fees. Guests without valid UTSA permits may park at the Downtown Campus for a fee of up to $20. Parking will be available in Cattlemans Square and lots D-1, D-2, and D-3 starting at the following times: Weekdays (except April 27): 4 p.m. April 21, 22 and 29: 10 a.m. April 27 and 28: 6 a.m. Campus Services will monitor the Downtown Campus Garage, Monterey Lot and Durango Lot to ensure parking remains available for permit holders. UTSA encourages event organizers to consider Fiesta parking and traffic before scheduling an event at the Downtown Campus during Fiesta. The Downtown Campus Garage upper level will close beginning at 4 p.m. weekdays, all day weekends and all day Friday, April 27. In addition, traffic around the Downtown Campus will be significantly heavier during Fiesta, increasing travel time for visitors. Author Samuel Western to Lead Second Discussions at UW April 5 Author Samuel Western will lead a public discussion about Wyomings future Thursday, April 5, at UW. (Samuel Western Photo) Wyoming writer and instructor Samuel Western will lead the second of two interactive evening presentations Thursday, April 5, to explore how Wyoming can build a dynamic future that honors its past. The presentation will take place at the Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center auditorium on the University of Wyoming campus at 7 p.m., followed by a reception. The event is free and open to the public. At the first presentation of the series March 1, some 60 members of the Laramie community met to discuss the narratives that underwrite Wyomings identity. Western, along with invited panelists and the audience, wrestled with narratives about ideas of freedom, the federal presence, womens participation in economic and civic life, rejection of cities and the concept of local control, including who pays for what. The audience and panelists suggested new narratives such as embracing energy diversification, the power of rugged interdependence, and the need to operate and negotiate in the radical center, regardless of political orientation. Yet, how do we translate these budding ideas into narratives of cultural and political importance? Western asks. How do we get them to be part of our everyday lives? During the upcoming second presentation of the series, former Wyoming Supreme Court Justice Marilyn Kite will join Western and four panelists -- Laramie Mayor Andi Summerville, Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust Executive Director Bob Budd and UW law students Casey Terrell and Allison Connell -- to continue the dialogue and explore these issues with the audience. UWs Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources sponsors the discussions. For more information, visit www.uwyo.edu/haub/events, or contact Amanda Korpitz at akorpitz@uwyo.edu or (307) 766-6979. UW Law Students Take Second in National Energy Law Negotiation Competition UW law students Nick Dillinger, left, and Jason Matzen took second in the fourth annual Energy Law Negotiation Competition March 24-25 in Houston. (UW Photo) Two University of Wyoming College of Law students finished second in the fourth annual Energy Law Negotiation Competition March 24-25 at the South Texas College of Law in Houston. The team of Nick Dillinger, of Gillette, and Jason Matzen, of Sheridan, achieved UWs highest-ever finish at the event. The national competition, which is rapidly becoming one of the highest-profile energy events for law colleges in the region, boasts representation from leading energy companies and law firms across the nation. Students are judged by experts in the oil and gas industry, and they benefit from networking opportunities surrounding the competition. Dillinger and Matzen are both second-year law students. They earned their spot by winning the local energy negotiation competition in February. The duo also competed in, and won, the local American Bar Association Negotiation Competition in early March. They spent many hours preparing with their faculty adviser, UW Associate Professor Tara Righetti, and last years local energy negotiation competition winners. It was exciting to compete and finish as well as we did, Dillinger says. It just goes to show that, if you put in the time and have really knowledgeable advisers like Professor Righetti and Professor (Danielle) Cover, you can come into a negotiation prepared to represent your clients interest. While in Houston, Dillinger and Matzen also tapped into the UW alumni network for guidance and mentorship. It was a really great opportunity to talk through our strategies with our Wyoming alums and delve into areas that they might be experts in, Matzen says. It offered a really unique perspective and helped us to fully appreciate the practical application of the law in the industry. Righetti credits Dillinger and Matzens success to their ability to use the strong combination of legal fundamentals and substantive knowledge in a specific area of the law that the College of Law promotes. We went up against bigger schools with very established competition programs, Righetti says. Our success was related to their strategy, negotiation approach and their understanding of the underlying energy issues. I am particularly proud of their hard work and dedication. Dillinger earned his undergraduate degree at the University of California-Berkeley. With a deep interest in energy and natural resources, the Gillette native returned to Wyoming for his law degree. He is pursuing a joint masters degree with UWs Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, and he plans to practice in the energy field after graduation. Matzen earned his bachelors degree at UW. During law school, he has worked at the Wyoming Public Defenders Office in Cheyenne through the College of Law externship program. He is broadly interested in civil law and has enjoyed expanding his legal knowledge in many areas. He says he is excited at the prospect of becoming a Wyoming attorney and giving back to the state. The votes are in! Get a recap of the 2021 Election. The votes are in! Get a recap of the 2021 Election. Subscribe now> The aftermath of Boko Haram attacks in Maiduguri in December 2017 (AFP or licensors) A Boko Haram attack in the Nigerian city of Maiduguri kills at least 15 and wounds 83 others. Military sources said that the Monday attack is the biggest since the government said that it was in talks with the Islamist militant group. By Fr Paul Samasumo Nigerian media are describing the Boko Haram Monday attack as one of the most brazen in recent months. The militants actually attacked a military base and two surrounding villages. The incident occurred late Easter Sunday in the early Monday morning. and included gun battles between government troops and the militants. The militants were bent on entering Maiduguri, a city in northeast Nigeria which is the epicentre of a nine-year conflict. Army spokesman Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu said Fifteen persons including a soldier have so far been confirmed dead in the encounter, while about 83 persons suffered varying degrees of injuries were said to be receiving medical attention. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari previously declared the defeat of Boko Haram, which is trying to establish an Islamic state in northeast of Nigeria. In the last 9 years of this protracted conflict, over 20,000 lives have been lost; two million villagers have been displaced and countless others victims of abductions. Hundreds of families have been forced to abandon livelihoods and seek shelter in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, where they are living in camps or with host families. When contacted by Vatican News, the Nigerian Catholic Secretariat condemned the ongoing terror by Boko Haram and called on the government to do more to protect innocent civilians. Pilots, cabin crew and ground staff joined the strike at Air France to push for a 6.0 per cent rise in salaries. (AFP/ERIC PIERMONT) The new dates are in addition to plans to strike on Tuesday and Saturday, in the same week that workers of the French rail operator SNCF also begin a series of strike days. The staff of Air France have already carried out a work stoppage on three dates, Feb 22 and Mar 23 and 30. In a statement on Sunday, the three pilot unions slammed the "obstinate refusal" of the airline's management "to take into consideration the least of their demands." The pilots have been joined by unions representing flight attendants and ground personnel, which later issued a joint statement saying Air France "does not take seriously the determination of the employees and the unions." Air France personnel are demanding a six per cent salary increase, with unions arguing the airline should share the wealth with its staff after strong results in 2017. But management insists it cannot offer higher salaries without jeopardising growth in an intensely competitive sector. Air France told AFP late on Sunday it "deplored the new strike which comes even as management is urging unions to come to new meetings on the negotiations". The airline said it was necessary to maintain a dialogue "to limit the impact on the still fragile economic situation of the company." Air France is set to bring in a 0.6 per cent pay rise from Apr 1 and another 0.4 per cent increase from Oct 1, along with bonuses and promotions equivalent to a 1.4 per cent raise for ground staff - seen by unions as grossly inadequate. The French state owns 17.6 per cent of the carrier as part of the Air France-KLM group, Europe's second-biggest airline, which has been plagued by strikes and labour disputes in its French operations in recent years. The European Commission (EC) has decided to initiate an investigation into imports of 26 steel products to its member countries. - Photo bnews.vn Steels imported from Viet Nam will also be under investigation. The investigated product categories include alloy hot rolled sheets and strips, organic coated steel, stainless cold rolled sheets and strips, and metallic coated sheets. The Ministry of Industry and Trade on Friday said the safeguard investigation was being initiated, because the imports of certain steel products have increased sharply recently, necessitating safeguard measures. According to EC, the information currently available with the commission indicates that the total imports of the products increased from 17.8 million tonnes to 29.3 million tonnes in the 2013-17 period. Similarly, imports of the products increased by some 65 per cent between 2013 and 2016. The main increases took place in 2015 and especially in 2016, when they reached 28.6 million tonnes. The imports of the products have remained at a significant level thereafter. The commission also noted that the total imports of the products increased in relative terms as well, from 7.3 per cent to 11.6 per cent, in terms of production, and from 12.2 per cent to 17.6 per cent, in terms of consumption. In both instances, the increases manifested themselves during the 2014-16 period, after which imports remained at a relatively high level. The increase in imports appear to be the result of unforeseen developments, such as the global overcapacity in steel making and the trade measures adopted by a series of third-world countries in the past years in the context of that global overcapacity. The investigation will determine whether, as a result of the unforeseen developments, the products concerned are being imported into the union in such greatly increased quantities and/or on such terms or conditions as to cause, or threaten to cause, serious injury to the union producers of like or directly competing products, the EC said. The results of the investigation could lead to the imposition of a new tax or promulgation of quota for exporting countries to protect EU steel producers against the possible fierce competition from imported products. The investigation will be implemented within nine months. Temporary measures will be approved in a short-term, if they are necessary. The EU has imposed the general system of preferences of zero per cent for all steel products imported from Viet Nam while applying anti-dumping tariffs on some steel products from China. Phan Tha Vong (middle) is detained by police On March 29, traffic police found a suspected car registered in Laos crossing Ha Long City on National Highway 18, a spokesperson of the provinces police force said. They stopped the car for search and discovered Phung Trung Dung from Quynh Phuc district, Thai Binh and Phan Tha Vong, a Lao national from Vientiane, Laos with 100 bricks of heroin hidden in three secret compartments inside the car. Body search of Dung also found some small bags allegedly containing synthetic drug pills. The pair confessed that they were on the way to the border area to sell the drug. The police said they are expanding the investigation further on the case. The case was broken just two days after three men were arrested for smuggling 135 bricks of heroin and 500,000 synthetic drug pills in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien. It was the largest quantity of synthetic drug pills seized in the country so far. Two out of three are residing in Dien Bien province while the other is a foreigner. Drug-trafficking remains a major issue in Vietnam, especially at border areas, like Quang Ninh, which shares border with China, and Dien Bien, bordered by China to the northwest and Laos to the west. Nearly 21,471 drug-trafficking cases were reported in Vietnam last year, up 14.5 percent from 2016, according to a report on collaboration among the Police General Department, the General Department of Vietnam Customs, Vietnam Border Guard High Command and Vietnam Coast Guard. Some 32,950 suspects were detained, a 13.6 percent increase over 2016s figure. The Child Passenger Safety Campaign was kicked off at Dich Vong A Primary School in Hanoi Under the theme Backseat. Buckled up, the campaign includes a series of communication activities leveraging the media and social networks, along with three knowledge-sharing workshops for car-owning parents in the three major cities of Hanoi, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City. The campaign is aimed at preventing unnecessary deaths and injuries among children by raising public awareness of the significance of child safety seats and seatbelts as well as emphasising parents responsibility for keeping their children safe when traveling in vehicles. At the kick-off event at Dich Vong A Primary School in Hanoi, parents and their children actively participated in road safety games for kids and a knowledge-sharing workshop hosted by National Traffic Safety Committee experts. GM Vietnam is conducting this campaign to join the governments efforts to ensure the safety of young vehicle passengers through the 2018 National Traffic Safety Year, the theme of which is Traffic Safety for Children, said Ian Nicholls, president of GM Southeast Asia. GM has always been committed to serving and contributing to the development of the communities where we live and work around the world. Bearing in mind the We care spirit, we will continue to strengthen this commitment through activities that make a difference in peoples lives, he added. GM is more than just an American business, it is a company that takes its role as a member of this community seriously to contribute to the greater good, to solve problems, and to improve the lives of the Vietnamese people. I am proud of the work GM is doing in Vietnam to improve transportation safety for children, said Caryn McClelland, US Embassy deputy chief of Mission. According to AIP Foundation figures, road crashes in Vietnam cause approximately 22,419 fatalities and more than 453,617 injuries each year, which results in an annual loss of an estimated $3 billion. Children are particularly vulnerable. Every four minutes, a child in the world dies in a road crash. In Vietnam, 2,000 children die from road crashes each year. This is the second leading cause of death for Vietnamese children between the ages of 5 and 14. For children, wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to prevent death and serious injury in a vehicle crash. People not wearing a seat belt are 30 times more likely to be ejected from a vehicle during a crash. Many parents who drive cars in Vietnam are not aware of the risks of not wearing seatbelts or using child safety seats, said Khuat Viet Hung, vice chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee. Through the campaign, we will focus on educating parents and families about the importance of keeping their children safe and secure when traveling. Seatbelts and child restraints are a simple step that every family can take to reduce the risk of injury or death. To promote the campaigns message and share traffic safety knowledge with more families, two similar workshops will be held on April 8 at Phu Dong Primary School in Danang and April 13 at Dinh Tien Hoang Primary School in Ho Chi Minh City. With the support of the US Embassy and government authorities, the campaign is expected to include the participation of more than 700 parents in the three cities. With the assistance of the media, the campaign is expected to benefit more than 76,000 people across Vietnam. Traffic accidents are the second leading cause of death for Vietnamese children between the ages of 5 and 14. This is not the first time that GM Vietnam has engaged in traffic safety activities. In 2016, GM Vietnam collaborated with AIP Foundation to donate 1,000 motorcycle helmets to primary school students in Hanoi. GM Vietnam has also actively participated in a wide range of other social and charitable activities covering social welfare, healthcare, education, and environmental protection. In 2017 alone, activities included delivering Tet gifts, donating equipment to the Turtle Conservation Centre in Ninh Binh province, planting mangrove trees in Nam Dinh province, building playgrounds from recycled materials, and supporting the flood-affected community in Lao Cai province, among others. This year, GM Vietnam has presented 50 Chevrolet scholarships to disadvantaged students from 14 schools in Hanois Thanh Tri district who had excellent academic achievements, and supported the construction of five charity houses in Thanh Tri district. In spite of not being as well-known as Trang An or Tam Coc-Bich Dong, Hang Mua does capture the hearts of visitors. Recently, the spot has emerged as one of the top destination choices by foreign visitors because of its remarkable unspoiled natural beauty. The view of Tam Coc from the top of Hang Mua Hang Mua is located at the foot of the Mua Mountains, which look like a large overturned bell with about 800m wide. There are hundreds of white stone steps leading to the peak of the mountain which is often said is a miniature version of the Chinese Great Wall. Both edges of the stairs are lined by stones that are elaborately decorated with the carved symbols of the dragon and phoenix inspired by the artistic style of the Tran dynasty. Hang Mua Ecolodge Hotline: (84) 1678 699 330 Email: sales@hangmua.vn Phone: (+84-229) 361 9679 Address: Khe Ha, Ninh Xuan, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh It has been said that when he first came to the Hoa Lu area and established the Thai Vi Temple, the Kings of Tran often visited Hang Mua to enjoy dancers (I don't know how to discribe dancers who lived ) dancing and singing, which lent it the named Hang Mua (Dancing Caves). To visit, tourists can follow National Highway 1A to Ninh Binh city and follow the road to Trang An or Tam Coc until they find the road sign announcing the direction to Hang Mua (Mua Caves). Along the way, visitors can enjoy the view of serene, endless rice fields and old villages, rivers, lakes, and the majestic mountains of Ninh Binh. Hang Mua is interestingly not famous for its caves, but for the panorama that awaits visitors who conquer the 500 stone steps to the peak, where they find Tam Coc stretching at their feet in its full glory. Breathtaking sunset scenery Standing on top of Hang Mua, the magnificent landscape is breathtaking. The entire landscape is ruled by the meandering river, with boats coursing softly along. Particularly in May and June, when the Tam Coc landscape is filled with the color of yellow rice paddies (often called the "golden season") the natural scenery takes on an irrefutable power from the top of Hang Mua. When visiting Tam Coc-Bich Dong, travellers often climb the mountain to see the ancient capital of Hoa Lu from the mountain peak. Visitors to Hang Mua are sure to take stunning photos to show around at home Recently, Hang Mua has been designated to become an eco-friendly tourist destination that offers mountain climbing. A tourist area was built by people who truly love Ninh Binh to preserve and conserve the Trang An Lanscape Complexa wonderful gift from Mother Nature which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. Unlike other over-crowded tourist attractions, Hang Mua has beautiful culture and a peaceful natural landscape, offering plenty for visitors, such as scenic accommodation, climbing areas, and plentiful sightseeing. The CPTPP is expected to boost foreign investment in Vietnam by a great deal Held by Cloud Learning System (Huong Viet Group) and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the event aims to help domestic and foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) approach new solution to ease their thirst for high-quality workforce to facilitate their future business operations in Vietnam after the CPTPP. Top issues under discussions will be quality of human resources, and measures to help domestic and FIEs to improve manpower training quality, including rhe application of technology. The chronic lack of high-quality workforce has been a thorny issue for enterprises in Vietnam for years. The scarcity of skilled workers is a big challenge at the moment. The Vietnamese workforce over the age of 15 is 53.5 million strong, but only 9.99 million people or 18.6 per cent are skilled workers, meaning unskilled workers make up 81.4 per cent of the countrys total workforce. The local workforce also lacks many necessary skills, like problem solving, IT, especially foreign language skills, and adaptability. Moreover, the levels of innovation and creativity among skilled local employees are still low. Reacting to the huge potential of the CPTPP, Vietnam needs to work on efficiency and productivity if it wants to attract more foreign investors. The CPTPP will bring direct economic benefits to Vietnam. The CPTPP, along with other multilateral trade agreements, is expected to further boost investment in Vietnam through its export-driven growth model, according to a new World Bank report. Even under conservative assumptions, the CPTPP would lead to an increase of 1.1 per cent in Vietnams GDP by 2030, which could rise to 3.5 per cent given a modest boost in productivity. All income groups in Vietnam are expected to benefit from this new trade deal, although highly-skilled workers may reap the most benefits. In addition, the anticipated increase in foreign direct investment is expected to lead to a further expansion of the services sector and boost productivity growth. Technology applicationa new trend in HR training ahead of CPTPP Amidst growing demand for qualified manpower among domestic and foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs), technology applications in human resources training are predicted to become a popular trend ... ManpowerGroup optimistic about the future of work in Vietnam Vietnams demand for highly-skilled workers has been growing steadily, buoyed by increasing foreign investment inflow. Vietnam labour growth unaided by FDI support Vietnams labour productivity has increased more slowly than economic growth, and one of the most effective ways to sort out the problem is to boost ... Vietnam faces severe shortage of IT manpower Vietnam is facing a severe shortage of information technology (IT) workers though there is a large number of universities and colleges teaching IT nationwide, heard ... The AGM appointed two new members to the board At the annual general meeting on March 31, Vietnam Dairy Products JSC (Vinamilk), elected its board for the 2017-2021 period. Two nominees, named Alain Xavier Cany and Nguyen Chi Thanh, were introduced to the eleven-member board. Alain Xavier Cany, currently president of Jardine Mattheson Vietnam, also sits on the board of other companies, including Siam Cement City. Cany used to be president of HSBC Vietnam between 2003 and 2007. Jardine Mattheson, via its Singapore-based subsidiary Jardine Cycle & Carriage, has spent $1.1 billion to snatch up Vinamilks shares last year. The first 3.3 per cent of the shares were bought during the November auction held by Vietnams State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC). Jardine later purchased more shares on the public market to raise its ownership to 10 per cent. Meanwhile, board member Nguyen Chi Thanh is a new representative from SCIC, which now holds 36 per cent of the shares following the November auction. SCIC previously said it would divest the entire stake at Vinamilk, but no concrete plan for further sales has been announced since. Vinamilks CEO Mai Kieu Lien said she welcomed Jardine Mattheson, a conglomerate that has been in business around Asia for two centuries, on the board. Jardine has been with Vinamilk for only a short time so far, but the group has put forward many helpful suggestions. For example, Jardine has introduced a number of partners for us to boost our exports in various markets, said Lien during the meeting. Beside SCIC and Jardine Mattheson, Vinamilk has another major shareholder named Fraser & Neave, a subsidiary of Thai Beverage. F&N has been hoarding Vinamilks shares on the market last year to boost its ownership from 10.95 to 18.74 per cent. The firm currently has two representatives on Vinamilks board. Lien admitted that although Vinamilk is still the number-one dairy producer in Vietnam, it still struggles in overseas markets. This is why the new board wants Vinamilk to focus on its exports in 2018, besides launching new offers in Vietnam, such as organic dairy products. We set the theme of 2018 as Dare to Change, as we need a new strategy to push Vinamilk forward. We set the theme of 2018 as Dare to Change, as we need a new strategy to push Vinamilk forward, said Lien. Specifically, Vinamilk plans to reach VND55 trillion ($2.4 million) of revenue this year, an 8.5 per cent rise from 2017. After-tax profit is expected to increase by 4.6 per cent to reach VND10.75 trillion ($471 million). Similar to previous years, the dairy firm plans to pay the 2018 dividend in cash, at the payout ratio of 50 per cent. To increase its charter capital, Vinamilk will also issue preferential shares to existing shareholders at the ratio of 5:1. ThaiBev should wait for Sabeco's extraordinary meeting, says MoIT The Ministry of Industry and Trade said that the April 23 annual general meeting (AGM) will have the final say on who can manage Sabeco, ... Will Thaibev's complaint about Sabeco be resolved in time of AGM? Thai Beverage is longing for Vietnamese authorities' solution to its official complaint over its lack of power at Saigon Beer, Alcohol and Beverage Corporation (Sabeco) ... Jardine Cycle & Carriage forks out $1 billion for Vinamilk stake The largest automotive group from Singapore, Jardine Cycle & Carriage Limited Company (JC&C), has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Platinum Victory Pte., Ltd. completed the ... Foreign investor spends $400 million acquiring Vinamilk shares A foreign investor spent VND9 trillion ($396.2 million) buying the entire offer of 48.3 million shares in Vietnam Dairy Product JSC (Vinamilk) from State Capital ... The number of imported cars in March was 25 times higher than in the previous month After overcoming the barriers of Decree 116 on the VTA certificate, in early March, the first automobile batches enjoying tariff exemption have arrived at the seaports and opened a strong flow of completely built up (CBU) cars imported from ASEAN countries. According to the General Statistics Office (GSO), an estimated 5,000 CBU cars were imported to Vietnam worth $115 million, equivalent to around $23,000 per vehicle in March. This is 25 times higher than in the 200 in the previous month, and nearly 15 times higher than the first month of the year (340). CBU cars imported from Thailand and Indonesia will start arriving to the country from this month. Import tariff has been reduced from 30 per cent in 2017 to 0 this year, thereby the selling price of made-in-ASEAN automobiles will reduce by 20 per cent compared to last year. Consumers could buy a CBU automobile at the lower selling price after a long wait. However, the imported car market is facing a new worry. The Government Office has just released a document containing directions from Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung to the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) and the Ministry of Transport (MoT). The global automobile industry has been developing for a hundred years now, and has achieved technological and technical heights that are far superior to Vietnamese Standards. Therefore, the new regulations and standards may not stop car imports to Vietnam. The DPM requested the two ministries to coordinate with other ministries and agencies in reviewing, building, and perfecting Vietnamese Standards for CBU cars in order to guarantee state management on the quality of imported cars and comply with international integration commitments. Vietnamese Standards is known as a new technical barrier to tighten CBU cars in the coming time. As Circular No.20/TT-BCT (the document previously regulating car imports) has expired and Decree 116 has been one-upped by the higher standard requirements of the new Vietnamese Standards, car imports are expected to be tightened to facilitate domestic assembly and manufacturing. On the other hand, experts said the global automobile industry has been developing for a hundred years now, and has achieved technological and technical heights that are far superior to Vietnamese Standards. Therefore, the new regulations and standards may not stop car imports to Vietnam. Representatives of some car businesses said that the new barrier will increase the number of procedures and certificates required to import CBU cars. Meanwhile, the automobile market has not yet exploded with the amphibious landing of automobiles from ASEAN countries. By 2020, some 200km to 250km of main roads, drainage works, and concentrated waste water treatment with a capacity of 13,000m3/day to 14,000 m3/day, and other technical and social infrastructure for resettlement sites will be built in 16 coastal economic zones. - Photo baoquangninh.com.vn The programme aims to develop comprehensive technical and social infrastructure for these areas, which will lay the foundation and create favourable conditions for calling and promoting large-scale investment projects. The plan comprises five components, including infrastructure investment for coastal economic zones, border gate economic zones, industrial parks and industrial clusters, hi-tech parks, and hi-tech agriculture zones. The total cost is estimated to be some VND21 trillion, of which the State budget will fund VND16.68 trillion (may increase when the capital source is available), while the capital from local budgets and other lawful sources will be more than VND4.2 trillion. By 2020, some 200km to 250km of main roads, drainage works, and concentrated waste water treatment with a capacity of 13,000m3/day to 14,000 m3/day, and other technical and social infrastructure for resettlement sites will be built in 16 coastal economic zones. The large-scale projects will focus on eight zones. Investments will be made in some 21 border economic zones to construct 200km to 220km of roads, concentrated water waste treatment with the capacity of 300m3/day to 400 m3/day, 8km to 10km of power lines and 8,000m2 to 10,000m2 area of specialised work, checkpoints, warehouses and yards, focusing on nine key border gates having large import-export volumes. To encourage the development and application of hi-tech in production, heavy investment will also be made to build roads, drainage and water waste treatment facilities, as well as power infrastructure for industrial parks and clusters, hi-tech parks and hi-tech agricultural zones. The Ministry of Planning and Investment, in coordination with the relevant agencies, is tasked to appraise projects and make capital allocation for medium-term State budget-funded projects under the programme. Along with the Ministry of Finance, they will review target projects in the programme and report annually to the Prime Minister. Over the years, Vietnam Expo has done a good job of promoting trade among neighbouring countries in the region and has been constantly expanding to reach an ever-increasing line-up of attending countries, increasing the number of enterprises which have well-known brands, and demonstrating new technologies, as well as connecting enterprises. The 28th Vietnam International Trade Fair (Vietnam Expo 2018) themed Vietnam ExpoEnhancing regional and global economic links, will take place on April 11-14 at Hanoi International Exhibition Centre (ICE). There will be 500 booths and 450 enterprises from 20 provinces and cities from across Vietnam and 23 countries and territories. The national pavilions include Russia, Cuba, Korea, Nepal, China, and Vietnam. Over the past 25 years, Vietnamese-Korean trade has grown from just $500 million in 1992 to approximately $60 billion at the end of last year. The figure is expected to reach $70 billion by this year and $100 billion by 2020. Vietnam Expo 2018 will mark the 20th year that Korea opens its national pavilion with around 132 enterprises. MoITs partners organising the event include the Korean Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), GBSA, SeongNam Industry Promotion Agency (SNIP), Gyeongbuk Economic Promotion Agency (GEPA), and Korea Design Center. Vietnam Expo 2018 will mark outstanding co-operation between Korean and Vietnamese enterprises Korean investment in Vietnam has been increasing sharply, especially in the segments of hi-technolgoy, garment, and leather. Besides, Korean retailers are forging ahead, with brands like GS25, K-mart, Lotte, and Circle K. These brands have attracted a large number of young customers due to their customer approach and good utilities. The Korean pavilion at Vietnam Expo 2018 will showcase some of the country's key strengths, including cosmetics, electronics, mothers and baby products, supplements, and food. These products have lured in many consumers due to their good quality, safety, and environmental friendliness. At the Vietnam Expo, exporters and retailers can directly meet and discuss as well as have a good look at new products while approaching the consumers. The Vietnam-Korea Design Centre pavilion will be hosted by Vietnam Trade Promotion Department (VIETRADE), MoIT, the Korean Department of Energy. All of the booths this year will be designed to be more innovative and impressive in order to show off the products of the two countries' seven best enterprises. Hundreds of enterprises took part in Vietnam Expo 2017 The Vietnam-Korea Free Trade Agreement (VKFTA) will provide great tariff reductions on agricultural and aquatic products and are a great motivation to increase cross-border partnerships and trade. Vietnam Expo 2018 will be a great opportunity to boost trade between Korean and Vietnamese enterprises with a "new mindset" on quality and design. Vietnam is not the only one that has macca and walnuts. Thailand also produces and exports these items to Korea in great amounts. There is huge pressure on Bao Minh to carry on changing and ensure its products remain competitive in quality, taste, and design, said Le Minh Khoa, business director of Bao Minh Company. In addition, the tariff reductions on agricultural and aquatic imports provided by VKFTA will certainly increase the consumption of Vietnamese products in Korea. The annual Vietnam Expo has been mentioned by the Korean President at his latest visit to Vietnam. He affirmed that the expo has contributed to improving Korean-Vietnamese economic relations. Over the past 27 years, Vietnam Expo has become a prestigious event for Vietnamese and Korean enterprises, especially those seeking investment opportunities. The Trade Fair will be open from 9:00-16:00, April 11-14, 2018 at Hanoi International Exhibition Centre (I.C.E), at 91 Tran Hung Dao Street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi, and expects to welcome about 20,000 local and international visitors. For more information please contact: VINEXAD National Trade Fair and Advertising JSC Nguyen Hong Nhung Project Director | Expo@vinexad.com.vn | HP: 0913.368.489 Hoang Bich Diep PR Manager | Diepbh@vinexad.com.vn | HP: 0902.196.688 CBRE has gone from strength to strength in Vietnam, earning it a reliable reputation 2018 is an important milestone for CBRE, marking 15 years in Vietnams real estate market. This significant achievement not only reflects the development of Vietnams real estate market itself, but is also an affirmation of the firms position in the market. Effective and positive business According to CBRE Vietnams managing director Hang Dang, the firm has witnessed the ups and downs of the market over the past 15 years. However, the company has accomplished great success with a steady growth rate, based on the professional expert team, outstanding resources, and spot-on analyses from not only Vietnam but around the world. CBRE currently features a full-service brokerage team in all areas of residential, office, retail and industrial real estate. With many years of experience in the field of brokerage recognised by a series of awards in the country and internationally, CBRE is always trusted by domestic and foreign customers. In addition, CBRE also has a team of market research and investment advisors, including the most experienced researchers in Vietnam, working in three major offices in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Danang. With a diverse background regarding education and expertise, the team is assigned to a variety of positions, from financial analysts, market research specialists (both in desk and field site), forecasting experts, real estate professionals, editors, and publishers. In addition, the market research and investment advisory department of CBRE Vietnam has also accumulated valuable collaborative experience with other CBRE offices in the region. CBREs valuation consultancy team, meanwhile, is comprised of an international management team supported by highly qualified and experienced domestic consultants with extensive knowledge on global markets. Furthermore, CBRE is one of the worlds leading asset management companies, managing more than 350 million sq.m of commercial, retail, residential, and industrial properties in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. In Vietnam, CBRE currently manages more than 1.3 million sq.m of retail and residential space. CBRE is also the first real estate consulting firm to conquer other markets besides Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, such as Danang, Nha Trang even stretching to the markets of Myanmar. A newly-established division for sustainable development consulting services provides consulting and implementation services for sustainable strategy and green- building solutions. To meet the growing demand in Vietnam, CBRE has also launched a division for hotel services and residential leasing services in early 2017, providing strategic consultation and appraisal services in the sector to investors. We are proud of the successful services which we provide to our customers. We will do our best for the development of CBRE Vietnam and hope to achieve more achievements in the near future, Hang said. Recognised by the market For the continuous efforts of CBREs team, the company has been honoured with a number of prestigious awards inside and outside the country. Among those were the Asia Pacific Property Awards, where CBRE was honoured as the best real estate agency and best lettings agency in Vietnam. CBRE was also honoured as the best real estate consultant, best valuating agency, and best research team for the sixth consecutive year at the Real Estate Awards Euromoney. Fifteen years is not a long time for a company, but it is an important milestone, affirming the position of CBRE in the real estate consulting and appraisal brokerage market. With the advantages of market knowledge and a team of experienced professionals, CBRE is expected to continue to reach ever higher in Vietnams real estate market. Matthias Rebellius CEO, Siemens Building Technologies In early March, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership was signed by its 11 member countries in Santiago, Chile. The signatories are Canada, Mexico, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, Peru, New Zealand, Chile, Brunei, Singapore, and Vietnam. Collectively, these countries represent 13.5 per cent of the global economy and form a market of 500 million people, greater than that of the European Union. It is a partnership that will dramatically lower tariffs and trade barriers between the signatories and bolster the positive outlook for Vietnam's economy. According to PR Newswire, the countrys construction industry is expected to expand in real terms over the forecast period (2017-2021), due to investments in transport infrastructure, energy and utilities, and affordable housing projects. Additionally, government investment in public infrastructure and education and healthcare buildings as part of the 20162020 Development Plan will support this growth. This positive outlook reinforces the confidence of foreign companies that are doing business in Vietnam, such as Siemens. A global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability, and internationality for 170 years, Siemens AG is active around the globe, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation, and digitalisation. One of the worlds largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens has been a part of Vietnams economic development since 1993. Over the years, the company has grown in strength and Siemens Building Technologies has been involved in key infrastructure projects, ranging from hospitals to office and residential buildings, hotels and resorts to airports. The latest project being the Deutsches Haus building in Ho Chi Minh City. According to Matthias Rebellius, CEO of Siemens Building Technologies, for his division, a building is more than just four walls. He believes it represents a place where people learn the most important lessons in life, where they encounter the personalities that inspire them, where the best of a persons ideas are born. For him, buildings are the places where we spend time with the people we love. Siemens Building Technologies is passionate about helping its customers create their perfect place. The Building Technologies Division of Siemens offers energy efficient, safe, and secure buildings and infrastructure. In Vietnam, we serve the building technologies market together with our value-added partners. To date, we have about eight partners who provide our comprehensive portfolio of building automation systems, room controls, field devices, and fire safety systems. Creating perfect places and improving building technology to improve peoples lives is our motivation. And we carried this passion with us to the Deutsches Haus in Ho Chi Minh City, he said. The building houses a modern integrated building management system (IBMS) based on Siemens Desigo CC platform. This IBMS is the most extensive building management system currently available on the world market. With Desigo CC, Deutsches Haus is able to centrally control, manage, and optimise its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), energy management, power, video, safety, and security systems. The modular nature of this IBMS means that it can be tailored to meet a buildings current needs, yet is expandable to ensure that future needs are also met. The transparency provided by Desigo CC also helps Deutsches Haus meet its goal of becoming the most energy-efficient premium green office building in Vietnam. The Deutsches Haus Ho Chi Minh City was constructed with the most modern German construction technologies and machinery and is currently one of the most energy-efficient green premium office buildings in Vietnam As part of its efforts to create a perfect place, Siemens Building Technologies is poised to support the digital transformation of its customers buildings. Over the years, we have seen changes in our customers requirements and expectations. Today, our customers expect more transparency, quicker and more predictive services, and additional value to be generated from their building data, Rebellius said. Our customers also expect developments in technology to result in new opportunities and generate more value along their value chain. A key enabler for the creation of such value is building data. This data has the potential to generate concrete actions which positively influence the buildings performance in terms of energy efficiency, safety and security, user satisfaction, and space occupancy. Taking advantage of the building data requires analytical expertise coupled with domain know-how and engineering finesse and that is where Siemens Building Technologies competitive edge lies. By harnessing the power of data, they are able to help their customers manage building data and make well-informed decisions which will help them fulfill their business goals. Therefore, the building becomes a positive contributor to a companys key performance indicators. A perfect example of how Siemens has successfully enhanced a buildings performance using the power of data is the Sello shopping centre in Finland. Sello is Finlands second-largest shopping centre, and with 24 million visitors per year, it is Finlands most visited one. The first shopping centre in Europe to become LEED EB gold-certified in 2010, it aims to remain the greenest shopping centre in Europe, providing its 170-plus tenants with a sustainable business environment. Siemens gathered and evaluated data from 1,500 energy and HVAC data points using Navigator Siemens cloud-based energy and sustainability platform. In addition to that, using smart data visualisation and automated reporting, the building performance development tool ensures that the data collected can be used as efficiently as possible. Desigo provides information and communication technology analytics, ensuring that everything happening inside the shopping centre is recorded and analysed. Things happening outside the shopping centre, such as changes in weather, are also assessed. By leveraging data from these various points, Siemens identified areas for improvement and delivered a comprehensive optimisation programme for Sellos building systems, focusing on energy consumption and air quality. This resulted in energy savings of 110,000 ($135,000) per year, a 20 per cent reduction in CO2, and a 50 per cent reduction in district heating. The impacts of these data-driven changes on Sellos business goals were increased tenant satisfaction and retention, improved public perception and visitor satisfaction, and reduced operating expenses. The growing adoption of smart building technology is driving changes in the overall real estate market. Experts anticipate that building valuation models will soon evolve to incorporate the buildings intelligence, especially as smart building technology drives improvements in efficiency and utilisation and creates leverage for investors in new and unique ways. Another area that would reap the benefits of digitalisation is the premium office space. We spend a substantial part of our lives in office buildings, so the office environment and space have now become an important part of the business delivery process. For Siemens, the perfect workplace of the future will provide maximum comfort, safety, and security, achieved through intelligent monitoring and rule-based adjustment of temperature, light, and ventilation. User-centric applications will provide building users with control of their environment and provide them with information about events most relevant to them, such as fire drills or emergency evacuation plans. Location-based services will make it easy for colleagues to find each other in a flexible office set up. A seamless security system will offer mobile-based access for both employees and visitors. Most importantly, a perfect workplace is also an efficient building that performs optimally, thanks to the advanced data analytics. Building users want to interact with the buildings in new ways and landlords want to use tenant experience as a differentiator. Forward-thinking building owners, tenants, and managers are already realising the competitive advantages gained from smart building technologies. As a country located within a high growth region, the adoption of the Internet of Things in Vietnam is picking up pace tremendously. According to Rebellius, Siemens Building Technologies is committed to being there every step of the way. With a combination of our people, technology, and services, our reference sites are proof that we are able to help our customers achieve their business goals by enhancing the performance of their buildings, he said. A world that heats up by 2C (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) could see mass displacement due to shortages of food and fresh water and the loss of animal and plant species at an accelerated speed AFP/Orlando SIERRA A world that heats up by 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) - long regarded as the temperature ceiling for a climate-safe planet - could see mass displacement due to rising seas, a drop in per capita income, regional shortages of food and fresh water, and the loss of animal and plant species at an accelerated speed. Poor and emerging countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America will get hit hardest, according to the studies in the British Royal Society's Philosophical Transactions A. "We are detecting large changes in climate impacts for a 2C world, and so should take steps to avoid this," said lead editor Dann Mitchell, an assistant professor at the University of Bristol. The 197-nation Paris climate treaty, inked in 2015, vows to halt warming at "well under" 2C compared to mid-19th century levels, and "pursue efforts" to cap the rise at 1.5C. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday said climate change was "the most systemic threat to humankind". TIME TO ADAPT With only one degree of warming so far, Earth has seen a crescendo of droughts, heatwaves, and storms ramped up by rising seas. Voluntary national pledges made under the Paris pact to cut CO2 emissions, if fulfilled, would yield a 3C world at best. The treaty also requires that - by the end of the century - humanity stop adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere than oceans and forests can absorb, a threshold known as "net zero emissions". "How fast we get to a 2C world" is critical, Mitchell told AFP. "If it only takes a couple of decades, we will be in trouble because we won't have time to adapt to the climate." Among the conclusions found in the new studies: ECONOMIC GROWTH Researchers led by Felix Pretis, an economist at the University of Oxford, predict that two degrees of global warming will see GDP per person drop, on average, 13 per cent by 2100, once costly climate change impacts are factored in. A 2C world will also "show significant negative impact on the rates of economic growth," Pretis told AFP. Under a 1.5C scenario, he added, growth projections "are near indistinguishable from current conditions." Key points of the Paris climate agreement AFP/Iris ROYER DE VERICOURT, Simon MALFATTO RISING SEAS Under a 2C scenario, oceans rise about half a metre over the course of the 21th century, but well over a metre by 2300, another study found. "When the planet warms, it takes the ocean hundreds, if not thousands, of years to fully respond," lead author Rober Nicholls, a professor of coastal engineering at the University of Southampton, told AFP. That's bad news for 500 million people living in "highly vulnerable" low-lying deltas, mainly in Asia, along with some 400 million people in coastal cities, many of which are already sinking due over-construction or collapsing water tables. Even in a 2C world, the number of people affected year by flooding could approach 200 million by 2300, the study calculated. FOOD, WATER STRESS Two degrees of warming would spare humanity much misery compared to our current trajectory, but would still lead to increased drought, flooding, heatwaves and the disruption of weather patterns. Some regions will be hit worse than others, as will countries with rainfall-dependent agriculture, a team by Richard Betts, head of climate impacts research at the University of Exeter found. The countries that show "the greatest increase in vulnerability to food insecurity when moving from the present-day climate to 2C global warming are Oman, India, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Brazil," he told AFP. 1.5C VS 2C A draft "special report" by the UN climate science panel to be unveiled in October, obtained by AFP, concludes that "holding warming at 1.5C by the end of the 21st century (is) extremely unlikely." At current rates, the greenhouse gas emissions putting that goal out of reach will have been released within 10 to 15 years. Meanwhile, CO2 emissions - after remaining stable for three years, raising hopes that they had peaked - rose by 1.4 per cent in 2017, the International Energy Agency said this week. But every tenth-of-a-degree counts, said Mitchell. "Even if we can't limit global temperature increase to 1.5C, but can limit it to 1.7C or 1.8C, this is still hugely more beneficial than just giving up," he told AFP. "We can still keep temperatures well below 2 degrees," said Myles Allen, a professor of geosystem science at the University of Oxford a co-author on several of the studies. But doing so requires that "we start now and reduce emissions steadily to zero in the second have of the century," he told AFP. Passengers queuing at Danang International Airport. - Photo VNA The increase is equivalent to between VN30,000 (US$1.3) and VN400,000 per ticket for one way travel, depending on age. A representative of Vietnam Airlines said that after raising prices, children would enjoy the same adult services as seats, meals and checking luggage free of charge. Budget carrier Jetstar Pacific, a subsidiary of Vietnam Airlines, also raised fees for children under two years old on domestic flights, from VN110,000-150,000 to VN209,000 per ticket. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Fantastico! Che bello! Splendido! There you have it, at least three reasons to experience the Italian Film Festival USA of Metro Detroit, April 4-29. The films are also free, says Enzo Paglia of Washington and a member of the committee that organizes Detroits version of the annual film festival that began in St. Louis in 2014 and currently has 12 cities participating. Detroit got involved 11 years ago and the popularity of its festival has been growing every year. We are the largest venue, with the most locations, screenings and dates. Last year we had 3,500 people attending the screenings, says Paglia, who was born and raised in Italy. That is, of course, why he loves the festival but he insists that people who see these films steeped in emotion and character development, like good Italian food, want more. There is no set formula for these films, Paglia says. If youre tired of the normal Hollywood type, this will be a new experience for you. The comedies are really funny, youll laugh all the way through and you dont have to speak Italian. The stories speak for themselves, but there are English subtitles. You might want to learn the language once youre hooked. And if you do, Paglia can direct you to Clinton Townships Italian Cultural Society which teaches Italian, and will host an afterglow party following one of the screenings. The Detroit Institute of Arts will bookend the festival, which will introduce moviegoers to 13 newly released Italian films and two short film series. Opening night, at 7 p.m. April 4 at the DIA, will feature Italys David de Donatello Award-winner (Italys Oscar) At War for Love and close the festival with Francesco Brunis drama Friends by Chance, at 4:30 p.m. April 29. An afterglow party celebrating the festival is expected to follow the screening. Weekend screenings will be in locations around the area: Wayne State University (Detroit), April 6-7; Michigan State University (East Lansing), April 6-7; University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), April 13-14; Chippewa Valley High School (Clinton Township), April 20-21; and Bloomfield Township Public Library, April 22. We have five directors coming to the festival this year, Paglia says. Among those he is excited to meet is Andrea Magnani who directed the comedy Easy. Easy will be showing at 7 p.m. April 6 at Michigan State Universitys Wells Hall in East Lansing and at 7 p.m. April 20 at Chippewa Valley High Schools Henrichsen Auditorium. Its about a fellow who is a race car driver but gained so much weight he cant get behind the wheel, Paglia says with a grin. Since hes not racing or doing much of anything else when his brother hires him to drive a coffin to Ukraine. He thought it would be an easy job as the title suggests. Its very funny but not in a slapstick kind of way. The humor is more subtle and thought-provoking, Paglia says. Opening night at the DIA will also be a hoot for guests attending At War for Love. Set in New York City in 1943, and directed by Piersiancesco Diliberto, it tells the story of Arturo, a young man working as a waiter in an elegant restaurant, who falls in love with Flora. But shes engaged to the son of a New York mafia boss. Arturos only option is to ask Floras father for her hand, but he still lives in Sicily. Penniless but determined, Arturo enlists in the U.S. Army and takes a free trip to Sicily at the start of the Allied invasion. When he gets there her father is on his deathbed and his father has someone else in mind for his daughter, Paglia says. Its an adventurous and romantic journey that reveals the complexity of organized crime. New this year are screenings in East Lansing and a program in Bloomfield Township geared for children. Hoping to draw in younger generations of Italian film lovers, the new initiative is designed for children ages 6-12. The other films would be appropriate for teenagers and maybe even as young as a mature 14, although one film has some disturbing scenes related to murder-suicide. The childrens program starting at 2 p.m. April 22 at Bloomfield Township Public Library will feature a selection of short animated and live-action films. This years program is an exciting one, Elena Past, festival organizing committee member, says referring to the expanded selections for children and the inclusion of the East Lansing community. The festival continues to grow, innovate and bring new voices to Detroit. For more information and a full list of films, visit italianfilmfests.org/. Andrew David Johnson died unexpectedly on Thursday, September 16, 2021, at the age of 23. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, September 23, 2021, at Calvary Lutheran Church in Alexandria. Visitation will be held from 4-7 PM on Wednesday, September 22, 2021, at the And Armenias State Revenue Committee will receive a grant, not to exceed 500,000, from the French Development Agency to implement a unified tax code and to monitor fiscal reforms, this according to Armenias Ministry of Finance. If you found a typo you can notify us by selecting the text area and pressing CTRL+Enter iStock/Thinkstock(SAN FRANCISCO) -- Cheers of welcome home erupted outside the United States Appraisers Building in San Francisco, California, Monday morning as Fernando Carrillo became a free man. The Mexican immigrant and father of three was arrested in October while dropping his daughter off at day care. Carrillos lawyer, Hedi Framm-Anton, told ABC News he had been released this morning. His lawyer said Carrillo -- who has a drunken-driving offense and prior deportations on his record, according to the San Jose Mercury News -- was initially detained because he re-entered the U.S. illegally after he was removed. He spent months in detention until an immigration judge's order overruled a removal order for Carrillo last Thursday. The government does not plan to appeal the decision. Carrillos reunion with his family streamed live on the Free Fernando Facebook page, which is managed by his wife, Lourdes Barraza. Carrillo will be allowed to remain in the U.S. under a withholding of removal order, granted to people who prove theres a chance theyll be persecuted in their home country, the Mercury News reported. His lawyer said it would be dangerous for Carrillo to return to Mexico. He has family ties with law enforcement, Framm-Anton said, adding Carrillo has a member of family group prosecuting crime in Mexico. Framm-Anton said Carrillo feared for his life. But the judge's order will allow Carrillo -- whose wife and three daughters are U.S. citizens, according to the Mercury News -- to stay in the U.S. "forever," his lawyer said. Framm-Anton said Carrillo can get a work permit but is not entitled to get a green card or travel outside the U.S. He was a very lucky individual. Very lucky. These cases are incredibly difficult to win, Framm-Anton said, and detained persons have limited access to lawyers. ABC News has reached out to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and San Francisco Immigration Court, but did not immediately hear back. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Hetq recently spoke to Boris Mourazi, who heads the Sinjar Yezidi National Union in Armenia. Mourazi travelled to Iraq to better understand the plight of Yezidis in the country. Why Iraq? The first reason I came to Iraq is to better understand the plight of the Yezidis and the overall situation. In 2013, when I and twelve friends mad a pilgrimage to our holy shrine, Lalish, we decided to strengthen our ties to this place. After the 2014 genocide, we felt even more obligated to assist our brothers. Its also clear that to remain here for a long time, we need to work, and we do, which gives us residency rights. I also want to use my experiences in Iraq back in Armenia; to deepen ties between Yezidis in Iraq and Armenia. Did you travel to Iraq on your own? I was accompanied by Artour Atashov, from our organization. Youve been in Iraq for five months now. What region are you in? What work do you do? What the overall situation in the country? Our permanent place of residence is Erbil, but we travel around. Weve been helping a French-Armenian director shoot a documentary on the Yezidis these past few months. From a military viewpoint, the situation is calm. But theres political tension between the Iraqi national and Kurdish governments, and between the Yezidis and Kurds. To top it all off, theres the threat of a Turkish military assault in the direction of Shanhgal. (Also known as Sinjar/Shingal, Shangal is a town in northern Iraq, mainly inhabited by Yazidis) What are the consequences of this political tension? Does it threaten the wellbeing of Iraqi Yezidis? The political tension is linked to the Kurdish referendum and the Iraqi national governments military operations against the Kurds that followed. Theres also the sanctions the government has imposed, including the ban of international flights to Iraqi Kurdistan. After the referendum, Iraqi forces removed the supervision of Yezidi-populated Shingal from Kurdish forces. Due to the efforts of Yezidi leaders, the transfer was peaceful. Now, however, Turkey is exerting pressure on Shingal. As a result, Yezidi fighters in the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) who had come to Shingal during the 2014 genocide, have left the region on the demand of the Iraqi government. It appears that Turkey wants the Iraqi government to assume total control of Shangal, even the Temple of Sharfadin, one of the main Yezidi holy sites. The other domestic political issue is that the Kurds, who are scheduled to hold parliamentary elections in May, arent allowing the Yezidi refugees who have relocated to their lands to return to Shangal. Obviously, the Kurds want to control their votes. How many Yezidis now live in Iraq? Its hard to say. There are no numbers as to how many have been killed and how many have left Iraq. There were 1.2 million before the genocide. How many died because of the genocide? Around 10,000. The plight of 3,000 women and children is still unclear. New graveyards are discovered all the time. Your organizations Facebook page claims that ISIS members are selling Yezidi women. Do you know of specific cases? Theyre the 3,000 I just mentioned. We dont know if theyre alive, dead, or in captivity. Have cases of women being sold been unearthed? Of course. In one case, it was the parents who bought their own children. In another case, the parents of children taken captive couldnt buy them back, and the kids were sold off in various Arab countries. There are many such cases. We must remember that the number of Yezidi captives surpassed 6,000. Today, Yezidi women are being sold in Turkey and Syria. Who exactly is selling Yezidi women? Naturally, they are members of ISIS who captured Shangal in 2014. What can we expect to see in Iraq? It all depends on the scheduled parliamentary elections in May. Developments will begin afterwards, and I hope that all Yezidis will leave the camps and return to Shangal. What concerns you the most while living and working in Iraq? The uncertainty regarding the plight of Shangal. No one now knows how things will develop in the region. Will the Yezidis return or not? Who will guarantee the regions security? How will the ruins be restored? The main problem is the lack of answers to the questions you pose. Photos courtesy of Boris Mourazi The Turkish Press Agency, Anadolu Agency, has published a map of five secret military bases in Syria belonging to France (see above part of this map pinpointing with the French flag four of these bases). One of these bases is the cement factory of the transnational group, Lafarge-Holcim, which is currently under a French judicial inquiry for financing terrorist groups. The Agency specifically states that the first RPIMa (the Parachutist Regiment of the Navys Infantry) is deployed on Syrian soil. Furthermore, an additional 30 French soldiers are already in Raqqa and 70 at other sites in Syria. Under international law, Frances military presence in Syria is illegal. This publication of this information by the Turkish Agency constitutes a warning to France which has recently announced its support for terrorists belonging to the YPG, a Kurdish organization that is pro-US. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures This story originally ran in April 2018, around the release of Ready Player One. We are rerunning it to mark the 20th anniversary of the release of The Iron Giant. When we asked the Iron Giant if he wanted to do a follow-up, he declined. Until the Iron Giant, star of 1999s The Iron Giant, appeared in the trailer for Ready Player One this summer, I assumed he was missing. He was lost to us. But he was always with himself. And I wanted to know where that was. With Ready Player One in theaters this week, I reached out to Warner Bros. to see if he was doing any interviews. I told them big fans like me want to hear what happened. Why did he disappear? Where did he go? To my surprise, he agreed. We met at one of those too-hip hotels where it seems like no one actually stays, but the lobby is always filled. He seemed instantly uncomfortable, but I thought, Maybe thats just how it always feels, being a giant among men. Id soon find out thats not what it was. The Iron Giant had a story he needed to tell but not one he wanted to. Nice to see you. Nice to meet you. Its been awhile. [Laughs.] Yeah, I guess so. How did you get involved with Ready Player One? Nothing exciting. My old agent emailed me. What made you say yes? I just ask because you havent been in anything in awhile. Yeah. Of course, [Steven] Spielberg. But, mostly, it was that my agent told me I wouldnt have to audition. Were you a fan of the book? Not really. Nostalgia isnt really my thing. Did you know that you werent the first choice? The part was originally for a different character Ultraman but they couldnt get the rights. They were weirdly forthcoming about it. Oddly enough, I think I preferred knowing. It seemed like less pressure. If I knew I was some beloved character from the book, Id be nervous Id be disappointing. Like, I am not peoples childhood memory of me. What did you think, then, when you actually got the script? Theres this moment, when Im first mentioned, where that one character umm, I dont remember her name is like, Whoa, you have an Iron Giant! or something. I just found that so funny. To imagine a kid in two-thousand-whatever giving one shit about me. And I really, really liked the ending. Well, parts of it. There is this second, and Ill be vague, where you think its all going to end. The whole thing. And I started tearing up a bit because I know that feeling of just wanting a button. Wanting a reset. Wanting an extra life. Photo: Warner Bros. There were some parallels to your role in the film and your real-life narrative. In that, you know, youre dormant and then are brought back to life for your moment in the sun, if that makes sense. No. It doesnt. Im not trying to be a dick, but I dont see it that way. Ive not been dormant. Just because someone isnt in stuff doesnt mean he or she doesnt exist. Sorry. Umm, how did working with Spielberg compare to Brad Bird? The Iron Giant was Brads first movie. Steven Spielberg is Steven Spielberg. I think thats all Ill say. Have you kept in touch with Brad since? I have to go to the bathroom. Oh. Ok. [Iron Giant leaves. He comes back 5 minutes later.] Sorry about that. Is everything okay? Can you just ask me the question youve been dancing around for the last 15 minutes? What do you mean? Come on. Okay. The Iron Giant came out in 1999. What happened? What happened? You know, when youre tall, like me, you quickly realize that people can see you. You get used to the idea of people looking at you. Then when you have success in this business at a young age, again like me, you start thinking you deserve to be looked at. Not only that, but your worth is in being looked at. So, what happens when people stop looking at you? When did this feeling start? Before I.G. came out, the town was buzzing. Man, I was taking so many meetings. This was years before the Michael Bay version, but I was in early talks to star in and produce a Transformers movie. Not to mention, we were all but guaranteed a sequel, you know, with how The Iron Giant ended. I even hung out with the Pussy Posse a few times. I didnt really like it. David Blaine kept on asking me to stab him. And then the movie came out? Yeah, then the movie came out. Growing up, I thought once I star in a big movie, everything will make sense. I thought success was going to tighten that screw that always felt loose. But the truth is, there wasnt a loose screw. Theres just a hole that no screw will ever fit in correctly. Its a design flaw. It was extra hard because the early reviews were really strong. My team was pumping me up all week. Then around Thursday Eventually, it opened to less than $6 million on a $70 million-plus budget. There wasnt going to be a sequel. Where did that leave you? The thing about Hollywood and all that La La Land dreamers bullshit is no one tells you to quit. So, Id go on auditions. Id show up and theres a hallway with 20 other giant robots that look just like me, but shinier. What was the low point? It was 2004. I hadnt worked in five years. You asked if Brad and I stayed in touch. After I.G. bombed, I think we sort of blamed each other. Id see him around and it was just super weird, but hed tell me about The Incredibles, even if I didnt ask. Id be like, Cool. What he didnt tell me was that there was a fucking giant robot in it. Look, I knew I wasnt his fucking muse or anything, but I thought he thought I had range to play different types of giant robots. Related Stories Here Are All the References in Ready Player One Is that when you left L.A.? No. There was another year or so that Id prefer not to talk about. But that whole time, the Iron Giant was developing a bit of a cult following, so I was able to support myself by doing the convention circuit, until I had to stop. Why? I dont remember where I was. They blur. But this little boy came up to me, wearing this amazing costume of me. [Starting to choke up.] And he goes, What are you working on next? I dont remember what I said, probably some joke about irons in the fire, and then I just got up and left. I didnt even sign anything for him. You went back to L.A.? No. I had nothing left there. I flew to Maine. Maine? Yeah. We spent a lot of time there on I.G. I remembered it was quiet and theres a real libertarian streak, which Im not in love with politically, but no one bothers you. And I just stayed. Wait, what was it about the boys comment? You know the fable of the scorpion and the frog. Its like that. Im confused. I used to think I was the scorpion. Then I thought I was the frog and Hollywood was the scorpion. I didnt know it exactly at the moment, but I figured it out in the years since, but when the boy said that, I realized Im neither. Im a fucking robot. I have no nature. I can do whatever I want, except injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm, of course. And what did you want? Well, for awhile I just wanted nothing. Then one day, I was at the diner, and the principal at the local high school asked if I would be willing to come talk to the theater kids. That one time turned into every day. What people dont know about teaching is actually you learn just as much from your students as they do from you, if that makes sense. What did you learn? It was the opening night of Grease and the kids were singing Youre the One That I Want and having literally the best time of their life. And it all became so clear: Its about doing it because you enjoy the work, not because you want what comes from it. I guess the question is the same question I started this with then: Why do Ready Player One? Honestly, not auditioning. Also, I didnt want to end up in one of those shitty click-bait articles, you know, like, 19 90s Stars Who Are Now in a Shallow Ditch Somewhere. More than anything though, through therapy, I realized I cant just pretend that wasnt my life once. I said before nostalgia isnt my thing, but I have accepted the sort of inverse of what the movie suggests at the end mostly the real world, with the occasional stroll down memory lane. Is that why you agreed to this interview a stroll down memory lane? Well, mostly I didnt want people see Ready Player One and start wondering where Ive been, so much so that theyd look for me, and disturb the life Ive built. Also, if I were to be honest, I guess part of me hoped that kid from that convention would see this and know how he changed my life. It was me. What? I was that kid. Really? [Crying] Yes. [Crying] Do you want an autograph? Id like that. Me too. This interview has been edited and condensed. Cynthia Nixon. Photo: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images Gubernatorial hopeful Cynthia Nixon wants to give you, the residents of New York State, what you want, and what you want is Wendy Williams at the forefront of local and state politics. According to Variety, the former Sex and the City star has granted the first national televised sit-down interview of her bid for New York Governor to Williams, whose Manhattan-based daytime talk show, Variety notes, averages up to 2 million viewers a day. We win by getting her in front of voters, because we actually want them to see the real Cynthia, campaign spokesperson Rebecca Katz told Variety. And thats what we get with Wendy. Her viewers are a large and crucial part of the electorate, and her show reaches all corners of the state. Nixon will be a guest on The Wendy Williams Show this coming Wednesday, April 4. First you get SJP, then Wendy, and then the world. Edie Falco in Outside In. Photo: The Orchard Outside In is a love story featuring a great variety of loves. Its the story of an ex-con (Jay Duplass) who returns to his small Washington hometown after 20 years in prison, bringing back his personal effects and a huge torch for his high-school teacher Carol (Edie Falco), who advocated for and was eventually instrumental in getting his early release. The central relationship of Lynn Sheltons film is many things at once: maternal, platonic, and at times, very much not platonic. But through it, the nature of what it means to care for someone else, romantically or otherwise, is thrown into relief in multiple relationships, even if that means some people dont get what they want. Related Stories Coffee With Edie Falco, Buddhist Mom of the West Village The long phone conversations and prison visits have already taken place before the film starts; Falco and Duplass awkwardly and effectively convey the bond of two people who have been through something life-altering enough to override their own differences in age, experience, and point of view. Carol is some 20-plus years Chriss senior, but the age difference is in fact even greater psychologically Chris was barely out of his teens when he was convicted for his role in the murder of a convenience-store clerk. Duplass spends his days riding his BMX through the rain-soaked streets in floppy cargo pants and a hoodie, an overgrown teen with an overgrown teens romantic sensibility. Carol, meanwhile, is stuck in a loveless 25-year marriage and is alienated from her moody teenage daughter Hildy (Kaitlyn Dever). Shes already dreaming of a second life, while Chris never really started his first. While Chris pines for Carol and Carol tries to find a way to sustain their relationship appropriately, Chris begins the arduous process of reentry into society, and tries to figure out how to text, while coming to terms with his long-repressed resentment of his brother, Ted (Ben Schwartz). Hildy, seeing the fellow troubled teen in him, forms a bond with Chris, and through that friendship, Hildy and Carol creep toward an understanding. More relationships are fixed in Sheltons film than ruined, and she proves theres plenty of drama in that process. The tourism board of Washington State isnt going to be sending Shelton any thank-you cards anytime soon, but her depiction of Granite Falls as a kind of perpetually soggy settlement constantly on the verge of being overtaken by brilliant, emerald-colored moss, is nothing if not evocative. Nathan Millers cinematography is lo-fi and intimate for the most part, with interludes of crisp visual poetry in between the dialogue. This is an conversation- and character-driven film with an occasional eye for something more ineffable, but Falco and Duplasss complicated, nakedly searching performances are the main event. Steven Bochco. Photo: William Nation/Sygma via Getty Images TV evolved because of Steven Bochco. The writer-producer, who died Sunday morning of leukemia at 74, was the mastermind behind a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue, L.A. Law, and Doogie Howser, M.D. He won multiple Emmys and Peabody awards, the Humanitas Prize, and countless other honors, and incidentally ran a series of on-air finishing schools for writer-producers (including Deadwoods David Milch and Law and Orders Dick Wolf) who absorbed his sensibility and went on to be almost as important has he was. From the early 1980s onward, starting with Hill Street, Bochco pushed relentlessly, some said fruitlessly, to loosen commercial broadcast televisions restrictions on both content and style, and allow showrunners, writers, and directors to create programs as artistically free as the best titles that could be viewed in cinemas or on cable. Related Stories Why the Golden Age of TV Was Really Born in the 1980s Bochco was born in Miami to a painter mother and a violist father, studied playwriting and theater at Carnegie Mellon University, and had his first career milestone at NBC, where he wrote the story and teleplay for the first episode of the classic Peter Falk mystery series Columbo. (The director on that episode, a then-24-year old wunderkind named Steven Spielberg, would go on to his own great success.) His work took a more socially aware and cerebral turn in 1978 when he started working for Mary Tyler Moore and Grant Tinkers production company MTM, the creators of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Lou Grant, and other classics, and one of the most creatively fertile operations in 1970s television. Bochcos first effort there, 1978s Paris, a rare network star vehicle with an African-American lead (James Earl Jones), was canceled after one season, but Bochcos ambition ultimately paid off in 1981 with Hill Street Blues a cop drama that in retrospect feels like ground zero for every significant development that occurred in dramatic TV after that point. Co-created with Michael Kozoll, Hill Street was set in and around a beleaguered police station in a run-down, racially mixed area of a large, unnamed eastern city. Interiors and exteriors were filmed in Los Angeles, but the opening credits featured stock footage of Chicago, and the bleached-out visuals evoked Sidney Lumets New Yorkset cop dramas. The storytelling seemed inspired by the daytime soap opera, ex-police officer Joseph Wambaughs despairing, bleakly hilarious novels, and Thornton Wilders Our Town. The tone was elastic enough to encompass everything from romantic melodrama and hard-edged violence to Catch 22style satires of bureaucracy and the macho mentality, and earnest examinations of racial and ethnic tension, homophobia, sexism, drug and alcohol addiction, and what would later be known as toxic masculinity. The camera sometimes tracked characters in long, unbroken dolly shots as they moved through the police station, as if the show were a three-dimensional theater production staged for an audience of one person who was allowed to go onstage and wander silently among the actors. The shows attention shifted from one character or group to another when the camera decided to follow someone who had passed in front of the lens a technique developed during the era of live TV drama in the 1950s, then successfully imported to features by directors like Robert Altman, who got their start in TV. This ensemble-focused, community-driven series was the antithesis of everything airing on network TV at that time. Hill Streets storytelling split the difference between one-offs, which wrapped up stories before the end credits, and ongoing arcs that continued over the course of several episodes a model that would be refined on other series throughout the 90s and beyond. This, too, was a gussied-up borrowing from soaps, commonly seen on the likes of Days of our Lives and Dallas, but rarely applied to prime-time programs. The show was a farm team for brilliant young talent, including Wolf, whose Law and Order franchise obviously learned from the black humor and terseness of Hill Street; the young Yale graduate Milch (whose first screen credit was Trial by Fury, one of the best single episodes in the history of the medium), and actor Dennis Franz. The latter made such a strong impact in the role of bad cop Sal Benedetto, who committed suicide after the full extent of his corruption was exposed, that the show brought him back as a new character, Detective Norman Buntz, who was as uncouth and intemperate as Benedetto, but decent at heart and ultimately sympathetic. Franz would power two more Bochco-derived series, Beverly Hills Buntz and NYPD Blue. The former, co-created by Milch, was part of a wave of half-hour, single-camera, laugh-track-free dramedies that also included Bochcos John Ritter vehicle Hooperman. NYPD Blue proved to be just as significant as Hill Street and far more controversial. Running from 19932005, and co-starring Franz with David Caruso (who was later replaced by Jimmy Smits, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, and Rick Schroder), the series was specifically designed to prove that network series could be as edgy and adult as a lot of what ran on cable and become across-the-board popular hits even though they were intended to be viewed by adults only. Each episode started with a content warning and sometimes featured more than one if it was an especially intense installment. The series was centered on Franzs Detective Andy Sipowicz, a straight-up antihero who could be as frightening as a villain at times. It used profanity and racial and sexual slurs that had been mostly forbidden up until then, showed and discussed sex in a frank way, and threw in glimpses of nudity (something Hill Street occasionally did as well, though less ostentatiously), and sometimes reached for expressionistic or surreal images, as when Andy, a tortured Catholic, hallucinated encounters with Jesus. As conceived by Bochco and increasingly informed by the sensibility of Milch, it was a macho soap opera in police garb that often played like a network TV answer to Abel Ferraras quasi-mystical cop potboiler Bad Lieutenant. It was refreshingly unafraid to plunge into matters of morality and spirituality. The mix of sadism and masochism, disapproval and empathy, was brutal, weird, and consistently surprising, and it regularly confounded audience sympathies. At its bleakest and most melodramatic, it played as if the story of Jobs suffering had been retold through the character of a Roman centurion. Hill Street and NYPD Blue alone would have been sufficient to ensure Bochcos place in the pantheon, but he generated many other significant series as well, including the comedy-drama/legal procedural L.A. Law (which made the career of writer-producer David E. Kelley, whose subsequent series took a lot from Bochco) and Murder One, an experiment in serialized network TV storytelling that spent an entire season chronicling a single case. The latter was too contrived and manipulative for its own good, but it helped pave the way for more successful and assured experiments in that format, including The Wire; as such, it deserves at least a footnote in TV history. So does Bochcos short-lived musical telenovela Cop Rock, which earned the No. 1 spot on many critics top-ten worst lists at that time. Anyone who watches it on YouTube now will marvel at how ahead of the curve it seems. Glee, Flight of the Conchords, Smash, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend are tame in comparison. The pilot includes a hip-hop number decrying police brutality, one where a jury bursts into a gospel song while delivering a guilty verdict, and a closing solo by a woman whos selling her baby on the black market for drug money. Bochcos adventurous spirit shone through no matter what he did. Even Doogie Howser, M.D., a collaboration with Kelley thats often mischaracterized as a one-note gimmick, and that made an instant star of then-juvenile actor Neil Patrick Harris as a barely adolescent physician, had serious things to say about relative maturity levels and subjective ideas of wisdom and qualification, and used its inherently absurd premise as a means of Trojan-horsing social commentary into its story lines. Some of his one-season wonders, such as Bay City Blues, Brooklyn South, City of Angels, Philly, Over There, and Commander in Chief, are worth at least sampling, for their surprising choice of subject matter (that last series, which Bochco took over from creator Rod Lurie, starred Geena Davis as the first female president). Its impossible to imagine modern television existing without him. Trust Lone Star Season 1 Episode 2 Editors Rating 4 stars * * * * Previous Next Photo: FX Networks. When you have everything you could dream of, what do you value? Nothing. John Paul Getty II The first episode of Trust focused heavily on John Paul Getty and his grandson, John Paul Getty III. In a parallel structure, the second episode introduces us to another pair of key players in this scandal: Hilary Swanks Gail Getty and Brendan Frasers Fletcher Chace. Both actors are perfectly cast, and both characters spend the bulk of Lone Star trying to discern what the hell is going on with the young Paul. His girlfriends found a ransom note alleging that hes been kidnapped, but it didnt ask for money and no one seems to know much of anything about where he is or what his kidnappers want. Lone Star is a wonderfully directed episode, as Danny Boyle plays with split screens reminiscent of the filmmaking of the era in which this mostly true story takes place. Hes even more playful with Frasers larger-than-life cowboy, plunking down the performer in cobbled Italian streets with a cowboy hat, a bolo tie, and a country twang. Hes a fascinating fish out of water, and yet he seems to be in control of every situation. Fraser may end up stealing Trust entirely. Although Fletcher appeared briefly in the premiere, this is his episode in no small part because he speaks directly to the camera. His monologue is about how different years in history bring to mind different events and feel bigger than others: 1945, 1963, 1969 these are major years. 1973? Not so much. Not only is it a wonderfully directed and performed scene, its a commentary on the show itself. By breaking the fourth wall to discuss memory, Boyle and writer Simon Beaufoy are making it clear that this story is not meant to be taken 100 percent seriously. Its exaggerated, as the events that Fletcher describes become memories. Before Fletcher gets to Rome, we meet Pauls mother Gail and the horrible man shes living with. She wants to call the elder John Paul immediately to ask for his help, both in terms of the power he wields and the financial backing he brings. As the rest of the Gettys find out that Paul has been kidnapped, they respond in different ways. John Paul seems concerned about his own safety, ordering bars put on the windows, while Junior seems to be more upset about the public shame this might bring than his own sons well-being. Junior cant go to Rome, and so Fletcher is sent to bring Paul home. Before hes even in his hotel room, Fletcher is waving that Getty fortune around. He drops some money on the bellhop and tells him to let the mafia know that he wants to talk. He speaks to the cops, who barely care, insisting that kidnappings usually resolve themselves. Its a very chill Italian aesthetic with blowing fans and little actual concern. The lack of worry leads Fletcher to quote some truly terrifying scripture, but Fraser does so with such a twang and a smile that its almost charming. Fletcher learns that Paul hasnt been living with his mother or siblings. He wanted his independence. When his girlfriends show up, Fletcher starts feeling pretty suspicious. Their defensiveness doesnt help. Theres been no ransom demand yet, and everyone finds that odd. What is actually going on here? The investigation takes Fletcher to a cafe with paintings by Paul. He was clearly a regular and used the paintings for food and drink. Fletcher hangs out until close and then drops some cash on the owner, handing off a suitcase full of money. The public story of Trust, as captured in All the Money in the World, is how much one of the richest men on the planet refused to pay for the return of his grandson, so its interesting to see his hired man use Getty money to the tune of what looks like millions of dollars to get him back. When its under the radar, theres no price tag too high. When its public, theres not one too low. Bribing the bellhop appears to work, too: Fletcher is told to meet someone out front at 8 p.m. Hes taken through the streets of Rome to a tunnel with some sketchy guys. Another interesting aspect of Fletcher Chace? He doesnt look remotely concerned for his own safety. While Gail and Pauls siblings are excited about the return of the rebel in the family, Fletcher learns the truth: No one in power in Rome has any idea what happened to him. They even give Fletcher back the suitcase of money. Uh oh. Nobody has him, one of the men says. And so, Fletchers investigation shifts. He tries to track down the people Paul knows best, leading him to a caricaturist, who directs him to the woman we saw Paul kissing at the end of last weeks episode. Before that interaction, Fletcher finds a diary of film shots and storyboards, and a program for the movie Travels With My Aunt. He goes to see the movie and a light bulb goes off in his head: Both the movie that Paul saw recently and the one he was writing feature a fake kidnapping. And then the woman from the club really drops the hammer: The scene we saw at the end of the first episode took place after the alleged kidnapping. Paul was out, dancing and having fun. He still could be. Fletcher concludes there is no kidnapping, or that Paul staged it himself. And he leaves. John Paul seems almost impressed by his grandsons ambitious plan, but considers the absolute protection of his dynasty above all else. If this plan were to work, kidnappers would target the other Getty children and grandchildren. And so, John Paul calls a press conference in which he lays down the law, promising, I will not be paying a single solitary cent. Despite all of the evidence, Gail remains suspicious. She goes to the club and the square where we saw Paul taken. A living statue tells her the story of what we saw: Paul knelt at the fountain, then men put a hood over his head. She goes home and kicks out the unsupportive man in her life as Chace gets back to his flat in England, reminding us that this mess is only getting started. We see an overhead of a hooded figure, as we hear Paul crying. Other Notes The score for Trust is fantastic, especially the way it presents themes for its characters, such as the twangy bass that accompanies Fletcher Chace around Rome. Its composed by James Lavelle, who was a founding member of the awesome UNKLE and has worked with Queens of the Stone Age, Radiohead, Beastie Boys, Massive Attack, and Oasis. When Junior speaks to his father, they discuss why Junior cant go to Rome. Its related to the death of his second wife, Talitha Pol: Her demise in 1971 was ruled due to cardiac arrest, but its been reported since that it was a heroin overdose. It was apparently an addiction that Junior and his wife shared, and the investigation and rumors are likely why he couldnt go to Italy himself after his son was kidnapped. Did you recognize that wacky song Gettys listen to on their way back to Rome? Prisencolinensinainciusol was also used brilliantly in last years Fargo. Pay close attention to the movie preview for Travels With My Aunt. It stars Maggie Smith! If you havent read it yet, dont miss this brilliant profile of Brendan Fraser in GQ. A controversial mural in the Shoals has city officials trying to figure out how they can remove it. The mural was painted on a wall located on Tennessee Street in Florence sometime Sunday night or Monday morning. The mural depicts President Donald Trump holding a gun and throwing paper towels to dead school children with blood around them. The mural also says "#NeverAgain". At last check, no artist has stepped forward to claim the painting or say why he or she did it. The mural has sparked some outrage in Florence. Florence Mayor Steve Holt said he saw the mural and thought it was disgusting. He also said the mural has no businesses being in this city, but others told WAAY 31, to them the mural is a depiction of the violent truth our country is facing. Many people stopped to take pictures of the mural on Monday. Hudson James was one of the onlookers who said, "I think it's really important political commentary." Like many others, Hudson said the mural caught his eye. He called it protest art. "It's high time that we reckon with the fact that we have a violence problem here in the United States of America," said Hudson. Florence police tell WAAY 31 they don't know who painted the mural on private property. Police said they are trying to contact the owner to see if they will paint over the mural. Florence police also said it would is now up to the property owner to press criminal mischief charges against the person who painted the mural. "We all have freedom of expression but I realize too this is private property," said Johnny Waddell, who also stopped to take pictures of the mural. Waddell said he agrees with the message but thinks the mural should be painted over. Mayor Holt said he will meet with other city officials on Monday to see if the wall the mural is on, is on city or private property. If it is owned by the city, Mayor Holt says it will be covered. Governor Kay Ivey will be in Huntsville on Monday to sign a bill creating the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering in the Rocket City. The Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering is expected to open in Huntsville in August of 2020. Parents are thrilled about what it could mean for their children and the city. To only further enhance Huntsvilles reputation as a very up-and-coming techy city, I think itd be fantastic for Huntsville," said Lori Faulkner. Faulkner is the mom of three Huntsville students and says one stands out as a prime candidate for the new high-tech magnet school. Hes taking so many different subjects and that would really help him focus on something that he really loves," she said. "And I think it would really, of course, benefit him in the future as far as college and career and everything like that. A stroke of pen Monday by Governor Kay Ivey will formally establish the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering. And Faulkner isnt the only parent who thinks its a great addition. Huntsville is full of technology and, in this city, you cant go nowhere without having that background," said another Huntsville mom, April Jackson. The magnet school is expected to have about three hundred students from all over the state, and those students will be in grades seven through twelve. Jackson says she thinks one of her daughters would be interested in attending. Ive got a child thats going into the ninth grade and I hope it will be here before she graduates," Jackson said. Its appealing to people already in Huntsville and officials say theyre hoping it will attract many more families to the area. You would potentially want to move to a city where you know your kids can get that type of education and it would just make it easier on your kids," Faulkner said. Parents say they expect nothing but positives from the new school. I think our futures bright," Jackson said. "This is just going to put them leaps and bounds ahead. Im looking for great things. I personally think its the way of the future and I think its wonderful," Faulkner added. "I think thats the way everythings going, so the further ahead of the curve we can be, even better. Senator Arthur Orr wrote the bill establishing the school and tells me, after Governor Ivey signs the bill tomorrow, the next step will be deciding where to locate the school and then they will begin the hiring process. A car bomb exploded late on Sunday in the northern Montenegrin town of Bijelo Polje, just an hour after a meeting of top security and judiciary officials who pledged to wage war on organized crime groups. The bomb exploded in front of the home of the prominent journalist Sead Sadikovic, known for his investigations into corruption and organized crime. It is unknown whether he was the target. Sadikovic, a journalist at TV Vijesti, was questioned by police. The Montenegrin Journalists Associations warned earlier that he was under threat because of his work and urged the authorities to investigate the case. The latest blast, the seventh this year, caused outrage on social media late on Sunday as citizens demanded action to end violence, and top security officials' resignations. Although Prime Minister Dusko Markovic has insisted in recent months that the security situation in the country is satisfactory, the tone changed after Sunday's National Security Council meeting, which was called because of the raging gang wars on the streets of the capital, Podgorica, and some other towns. It stated that the security situation has worsened as a result of the growing conflicts of organized criminal groups." The top security body was also attended by supreme court judges and prosecutors. Continuous and coordinated activities have been agreed that will provide a strong and comprehensive response by the state against organized crime, a press statement after the meeting read. Reportedly, most of the killings are part of a war between the two cocaine smuggling gangs, originally based in the coastal town of Kotor but which later spread all over the country. On Saturday, a shooting killed two people in the crowded centre of Podgorica, one of whom was a bystander. This promped the resignation of the police administration chief Slavko Stojanovic and some other senior police and security officers. On March 28, a car bomb exploded in a Podgorica residential neighbourhood where most state officials live. The blast killed one person, reportedly a member of one of Kotors cocaine gangs. Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic on Sunday meanwhile said Serbia will not allow the import of Montenegrin gang violence" after local media alleged that the recent killings in Montenegro are linked to earlier assassinations in Serbia, committed in 2017. We will ban the entry into our country of a number of persons that we believe can endanger security and continue with strong repressive actions, which we will send a clear message that such persons are not welcome in Serbia," Stefanovic told the Belgrade-based daily Politika. Over the past year, several Montenegrin towns and Podgorica have been hit by murders and bomb blasts but police have caught few of the perpetrators. The situation is worst in Kotor, where it is reported that 30 people have been killed since late 2013, apparently in clashes between the rival Skaljari and Kavac clans, named after neighbourhoods in Kotor. According to police, clashes between rival drug gangs were behind most of the bomb attacks across the country in the last year. A small resort with a medieval old town in the Boka Bay, with only around 20,000 inhabitants, on UNESCO's world heritage list, Kotor made headlines a decade ago after it was revealed that the drug baron Darko Saric had begun to invest huge sums there, mostly in the tourism sector. In a first-instance verdict in July 2015, Belgrades Special Court for Organized Crime jailed Saric for 20 years for smuggling cocaine from Latin America. The court also convicted around 30 other defendants, 14 of whom are still on the run, for smuggling more than five tons of cocaine from South America in 2008 and 2009, giving them jail sentences of five months to 20 years. A car bomb killed one in the capital Podgorica on March 28. Photo: BIRN. BalkanInsight It was hard to filter fact from fake news on social media this April Fools' Day, with Australian businesses and organisations preying upon unsuspecting customers swept-up in the Easter madness. Sydney sweet shop Dr Dough Donut scared fans after changing its Facebook branding to Dr Doughnut Time written in the same font and peppermint green colour as the official Doughnut Time franchise. Finally approved by our legal team on Friday we will now be known as Dr Doughnut Time,' the company posted on Facebook. The latter company has been the joke of Australias hospitality industry after the company was forced into liquidation in March, with dozens of employees claiming they were owed thousands of dollars in unpaid wages. The Nauruan government has abolished appeals from the country's Supreme Court to the High Court of Australia, leaving asylum seekers and political protesters with no avenue for challenging unfavourable decisions. The High Court in Canberra has been the Pacific island's final court of appeal since 1976, when a bilateral treaty was struck between Australia and Nauru. The agreement reproduced an arrangement that had been in place before Nauru became an independent republic in 1968. Nauru President Baron Waqa says severing ties with the Australian judicial system is "a logical step towards full nationhood". Credit:Michelle Smith The Nauruan government quietly terminated the agreement with Australia on December 12, and a 90-day notice period expired on March 12. The decision leaves asylum seekers in Nauru held in the country pursuant to offshore processing arrangements with Australia with no option to challenge decisions of the Supreme Court of Nauru refusing them refugee status. Video footage has emerged of the attempt to kill a high-ranking member of the Comanchero bikie gang at a tattoo parlour in Melbourne's south-east. Bystanders were captured fleeing Nitro Ink in Hampton Park as two hooded men stormed the business in the early afternoon on February 22. Victoria Police released the CCTV footage on Monday as part of their investigation into the shooting. In the footage, a stolen silver Audi is seen pulling up outside Nitro Ink on Fordholm Road in Hampton Park. Khama has frequently castigated his African counterparts, breaking the unspoken rule that you never publicly urge another president to quit, no matter how much violence there is or how many rigged elections. He criticised Zimbabwe's election in 2013 and called on Mugabe to step down in 2016 and again in November after the military took control there. He called on Joseph Kabila, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, to hold elections that were due in 2016, and he slammed Burundian leader Pierre Nkurunziza, who plunged his country into turmoil in 2015 by ignoring a two-term limit and trampling the opposition on his way to his third term. Former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, and his wife Grace, had to be forced out of office after decades of power. Credit:AP Khama has also stood up for the International Criminal Court and its efforts to prosecute other African leaders accused of crimes against humanity. Notably, he called on other African nations to enforce the court's arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir and to stand with the Sudanese people against his oppressive rule. He hasn't been afraid to criticise mightier powers either, recently accusing President Donald Trump of encouraging wildlife poaching by overturning the ban on the import of hunting trophies to the US. He told the BBC he was not just concerned about wildlife, but Trump's "attitude towards the whole planet." Khama seems to care more for the facts than flattery. When an online hoax news story circulated that Khama had been named "World's Best President" in 2016, his office was quick to shoot down the story. Not that Khama has no critics. His biggest blind spot as president was the treatment of the indigenous population, the Kalahari Bushmen, also known as the Basarwa or San people. Kalahari Bushmen, indigenous hunter-gatherers of southern Africa, are struggling to survive. Forced out of their ancestral homeland in the diamond-rich Kalahari game reserve before Khama became president, the Bushmen won successive court appeals, giving them the right to return. But those who do are often arrested, beaten by police and denied hunting permits, according to Survival International, an advocacy group for indigenous people. Loading Khama, dismissive of the Bushmen's semi-nomadic culture, has said the government's job is to protect the park and preserve its wildlife. He claimed the Bushmen began using horses and guns to hunt, and in 2014 he told the Guardian newspaper that allowing them to live a "backward" way of life in the park jeopardised their children's chances of gaining an education and joining the mainstream. The US State Department's human rights report on Botswana last year criticised the country for violence, particularly sexual violence against women and children; discrimination against the Basarwa people; and child labor, mainly in agriculture and herding. But the report was equally notable for where it found nothing to criticise: Prison and detention met international standards; there were no reports of unlawful killings by security forces; the armed forces were under government control; elections were free and fair; and officials who committed offences were prosecuted. Botswana's judiciary and media are independent, but detractors accuse Khama of intolerance of criticism and say his government harasses journalists. Khama accuses the media of publishing lies. The governing Botswana Democratic Party has ruled since independence, partly because opposition parties are disunited, a problem that afflicts many countries in Africa. Even so, Khama is proud of his country's system of government. "We have the strongest democracy in Africa and should guard it jealously," he said in a farewell speech to Parliament. Khama is the first-born son of his father, who was king of the Bamangwato people. Seretse Khama married an English office clerk and wartime ambulance driver named Ruth Williams in 1948 - a love story chronicled in the 2016 movie A United Kingdom. At the time, Botswana was one of the world's poorest countries, but its economy boomed after diamonds were discovered in 1967. Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike) and Seretse Khama, (David Oyelowo) in A United Kingdom. Credit:Stanislav Honzik Born in the English county of Surrey, Ian Khama inherited the title of kgosi, or king. He trained as a fighter pilot at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Britain and became head of Botswana's armed forces before he entered politics, effectively renouncing the role of king even as some Bamangwato people still see him that way. He served as vice-president from 1998 to 2008 under Festus Mogae, who stood down at the end of his two terms. As head of the governing party, Khama succeeded Mogae and was then elected in 2009 to a full term. China's 9.4 tonne Tiangong-1 space station has re-entered the Earth's atmosphere over the South Pacific and mostly burnt up on re-entry, the state news agency Xinhua says. The agency said the craft entered the atmosphere at 0015 GMT (10.15am AEST) on Monday. Earlier the Chinese space authority said the space station was forecast to re-enter above the Atlantic near the southern coast of Brazil. The craft was expected to re-enter in an area about 40.4 degrees west, 27.4 degrees south, the authority said on its website, giving it a position off the coast to the south-west of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. In the letter, they said the use of such weapons against civilians was a "blatant violation of international laws." Israel said it stuck to strict rules of engagement to deal with a 30,000-strong crowd along the border, saying "rioters" threw Molotov cocktails and stones, burned tyres, and attempted to break through the fence. A Palestinian protester flashes the V sign during a protest near the Gaza Strip border with Israel, in eastern Gaza City, on Saturday. Credit:AP The Israeli military did not respond to requests to clarify the rules of engagement that were followed. In the days preceding the demonstration, it had dropped leaflets warning residents in Gaza to stay at least 300 metres from the border fence or risk being shot. Israel accused Hamas of using the cover of peaceful demonstrations to carry out attacks. Hamas said five of those killed were members of its military wing, releasing their names and pictures. Israel put the number of Hamas militants killed at eight, including a 20-year-old with a name similar to Abdul Fattah. It said two others among the dead were also members of militant groups. A Palestinian protester hurls stones towards Israeli border police officers during clashes in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Saturday. Credit:AP Abdul Fattah's family said he worked in his brother's falafel shop during the week and in a kitchen on Fridays. They said he did not belong to an armed faction. Unlike at other funeral tents for dead militants, there were no signs showing his allegiance. Posters bearing his photo in the funeral tent showed him dressed in a black bow tie rather than the military garb typical for fighters. His family though, made no effort to hide the fact that Abdul Fattah went to demonstrations and threw stones. That's no reason to be shot, they said. "They were throwing stones, but the stones never even reached the fence," said 28-year-old Alaa Abdul Nabi, another brother of the slain demonstrator. "It's a message, to throw a stone from our land." Loading Loading Many demonstrators said they were there to protest peacefully. The family of 20-year-old Badr Sabbagh said he had just arrived to watch the demonstrations when he was shot. They rejected the Israeli army's assertion that everyone killed was involved in violence. "He asked for a cigarette, I gave it to him, he had two puffs, and then he was shot in the head," said Mohammed Sabbagh, his 29-year-old brother. "He'd only been there 10 minutes." "I took my grandchildren. We went to a peaceful demonstration," said his father Fayik Sabbagh, 64. "We went them to tell them this is our land, but what we found was different." The demonstrations, which Hamas and other Palestinian factions hope to sustain for another month and a half, had died down on Saturday, with thinner crowds on the border than a day earlier. In response to the video of Abdul Fattah's killing, the Israeli military warned that Hamas had published several videos of Friday's events, "some of which only depict parts of incidents while others are edited or completely fabricated". Two other videos were circulated online that showed the shooting from different angles, while witnesses said Abdul Fattah was clearly running away from the fence. Palestinian photographer Mahmoud Abu Salama was taking photos at the time, capturing Abdul Fattah's last moments. He said the man in the video wearing the green shirt had run toward the border fence to retrieve a tyre left there earlier in the morning. He is seen in the video belly-crawling toward the tyre before picking it up and running back to the crowd as bullets kick up dust around his feet. As he stumbles, Abdul Fattah runs to help him and grabs the tyre. He was shot from behind a few hundred metres away from the fence, Salama said. "He was killed in cold blood," Alaa said. "We will report that to the United Nations. We want to know who participated in killing him. He wasn't armed." But he had little hope anyone would be held accountable, a sentiment echoed by Israeli human rights group B'Tselem. "These are the predictable outcomes of a manifestly illegal command: Israeli soldiers shooting live ammunition at unarmed Palestinian protesters," said Amit Gilutz, a spokesman for the group. "What is predictable, too, is that no one - from the snipers on the ground to top officials whose policies have turned Gaza into a giant prison - is likely to be ever held accountable." Abdul Fattah, like the majority of Gazans of his generation, had never left the Gaza Strip. Israel has imposed tight restrictions on the movement of goods and people since Hamas took control of the area in 2007. London: British officials investigating the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent, believe it is likely that an assassin smeared a nerve agent on the door handle at his home. This operation is seen as so risky and sensitive that it is unlikely to have been undertaken without approval from the Kremlin, according to officials who have been briefed on the early findings of the inquiry. Poisoned: Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripa, 66, and his daughter Yulia Skripal, 33. Credit:AP This theory suggests that an assassin, whom Britain believes was working on behalf of the Russian government, walked up to the door of Skripal's brick home on a quiet street in Salisbury on March 4, the day he and his daughter, Yulia, were struck ill. Sergei Skripal, who was freed in a spy swap with the United States in 2010, is still in critical condition and unresponsive, but Yulia is conscious and talking, according to a BBC report. Because the nerve agent is so potent, the officials said, the task could have been carried out only by trained professionals familiar with chemical weapons. British and US officials are sceptical that independent actors could have carried out such a risky operation or obtained the agent without approval at the highest levels of the Russian government. Federal Court Rules in Favor of KY and TN, Halts Unconstitutional Tax Mandate in ARPA Lawsuit Details of Fuson's Arrest Released by Police Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 02, 2018 | PADUCAH, KY By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 02, 2018 | 01:49 PM | PADUCAH, KY The Paducah Police department has shed some light on how 33-year-old Joshua Fuson ended up in McCracken County Jail. On the night of March 25, Fuson was found unresponsive in a cell, and died at a local hospital two days later, prompting an investigation by Kentucky State Police and the Livingston County Coroner's office. Police say Fuson's brother called that evening to say Joshua had overdosed, and he initially agreed to allow Mercy EMS to take him to a hospital. However, police say he fled on foot once he got outside, fighting with officers and spitting at them until he was taken into custody. Fuson was booked into the jail on charges of public intoxication by a controlled substance, resisting arrest, two counts of third-degree assault, menacing, and disorderly conduct. Police say he was found unresponsive a short time later and medical personnel were called to the jail. On behalf of the police department, I extend my deepest sympathy to Mr. Fusons family, said Chief of Police Brandon Barnhill. This is a tragic death, and evidence that drug use continues to tear our families apart. Paducah Police say they are cooperating with the state police investigation as needed. A press release indicated they won't comment further until that investigation is complete. Several people from Kentucky State Police were at the jail Monday afternoon as part of their ongoing investigation. Fiscal Court to Discuss Jail at Today's Meeting Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 31, 2018 | PADUCAH, KY By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 31, 2018 | 03:03 PM | PADUCAH, KY McCracken County commissioners will have a chance to have some questions answered regarding the operation of the McCracken County Jail. A special called meeting of McCracken Fiscal Court will be held at 5 pm today at the McCracken County Courthouse. Jailer Tonya Ray has been under increased scrutiny since she was charged with perjury in November. Her payroll expenses were over budget by $100,000 at a January workshop, employee turnover has been higher than normal, and an inmate at the jail became unresponsive and died this week. Since the budget workshop, commissioners say Ray hasn't been available to discuss matters at Fiscal Court meetings, but some employees have used social media to argue their position in public. Commissioners hope they can use this face-to-face meeting to come to an understanding of how Ray is operating the jail. Ray became jailer in March 2017 after being chosen by Judge-Executive Bob Leeper from five local employees who applied for the job when Bill Adams retired. She has worked at the jail since 2013, and worked at the Hopkins County Jail before that. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 30, 2018 | 07:22 PM | GRAVES COUNTY, KY A Graves County man reported missing last week has been located. The Graves County Sheriffs Office says 30-year-old Rhen Hendrickson, of Symsonia, walked up to a home on Tim Road Sunday night. Deputies say he was dehydrated and hypothermic and was transported to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. Meanwhile, a Calloway County woman believed to be with Hendrickson at the time of his disappearance last week, still has not been found. Police say 25-year-old Samantha Sperry, of Murray, was not with Hendrickson when he was located Sunday night. Deputies said Hendrickson's vehicle was abandoned Thursday on Dooms Chapel Road south of Symsonia. At the time of his disappearance, Hendrickson was believed to be suicidal and armed with a weapon. On Friday, a report was taken at the sheriff's office that Sperry was with Hendrickson at the time of his disappearance. The sheriffs office is again asking for the publics help in locating Sperry. Sperry is a white female, approximately 56 and weights about 125 pounds. She has hazel eyes and blonde hair. She was last seen wearing gray sweatpants and a hoodie. The sheriffs office received information of a possible sighting of Sperry in Calloway County on Saturday. Deputies said Sperry was allegedly in a white Chevrolet Camaro, possibly a late 1980s to early 1990s model. Anyone with any information on where Sperry might be located is asked to contact the Graves County Sheriffs Office at 270-247-4501 or contact your local law enforcement agency. As protests continue to erupt in the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and across the world in outrage against the horrific shooting of Jacob Bla Read more Hamba kahle Mama Madikizela-Mandela Statement: A political stalwart in her own right, Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela gave of herself in the fight for gender equity and social justice. The University of the Witwatersrand expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who passed away in Johannesburg this afternoon at the age of 81 after a long illness. An activist and a leader at the forefront of the struggle for freedom, Mama Madikizela-Mandela did not hesitate to speak her mind, and to sacrifice her personal freedoms and her family, in the quest for the freedom and liberation of South Africans from Apartheid. A political stalwart in her own right, Mama Madikizela-Mandela gave of herself in the fight for gender equity and social justice. She always made time to listen to young students and spent many hours offering them inspiration and hope over the years. Mama Madikizela-Mandela was an alumna of the University of the Witwatersrand and the flag above the Wits Great Hall will fly at half-mast in honour of her memory on Tuesday, 3 April 2018.Various Wits constituencies will host events in memory of Mama Madikizela-Mandela in the coming days. Hamba kahle Mama Madikizela-Mandela - Rest In Peace. ROME A Maryland man is set to be deported following a DWI arrest in the city of Rome on Friday, according to the Oneida County Sheriffs Office. Around 3 p.m. Friday, March 30, deputies received several be on the lookout calls for a vehicle reported to be driving in the wrong direction on Route 365 in Rome. Deputies say while they were searching for the vehicle, members of the Rome Fire Department were responding to a call when they went over a hill and found themselves head-on with a 2003 Toyota Camry traveling northbound in the southbound lane of State Route 26. The firefighters stopped in the road and blocked the car from traveling any further, and deputies responded to the scene several minutes later, while the Rome Fire Department remained on scene to control traffic. Deputies say 41-year-old Shashikantbhai Patel of Bel Air, Maryland was the driver, and he was found to be under the influence of alcohol. He was charged with aggravated DWI, open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle, and traveling in the wrong direction. Deputies say Patel was taken to the Oneida County Jail for arraignment, and the Sheriffs Office was later contacted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement regarding Patel. ICE then issued a detainer warrant to hold Patel for deportation from the U.S. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page Emaline Skocypec, 6, of Medfield, looks over the large cookie selection as she fills her container during the annual Cookie Walk at St. Michaels Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Woonsocket Saturday morning. The cookies went fast, but Emaline got hers while they lasted. The Socialist Equality Party (UK) and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) held an online meeting on the strikes by lecturers and college workers last Tuesday. The Education Fightback forum, titled No sell-out by the UCU! Form rank and file committees! was attended by education staff and students from around the country. IYSSE member Tom Scripps moderated the successful event. Its purpose was to provide a democratic forum to discuss the way forward, Scripps said, especially the need for a rebellion against the trade union bureaucracy and the formation of rank-and-file committees. There was a particularly warm welcome given to World Socialist Web Site US Labour Editor, Jerry White, who spoke on the significance of the nine-day strike by 30,000 West Virginia teachers that ended earlier this month. Robert Stevens, WSWS UK editor, opened the meeting by placing the UK and US strikes in the context of a developing strike wave internationally. This has included action by education workers in India, major strikes and protests in Tunisia, Iran, Germany and Greece, and mass demonstrations in France against the attacks on the jobs and conditions and the privatisation agenda of the Macron government. The previous weekend had seen hundreds of thousands of school students in the US demonstrate against the endemic violence in schools and society more generally. Stevens stressed that it was critical to draw the lessons of workers in struggle internationally. The action by West Virginia teachers had been initiated by education staff themselves, against the inaction of their trade union leaders. When the WVEA and AFT-WV trade unions reluctantly called a limited statewide strike, it was only in order to try to quickly corral the movement behind a sell-out deal with Governor Jim Justice. The teachers had rejected these moves and began organising meetings on the picket lines and online, in defiance of threats by management and their own union. Without a means of continuing their rebellion, however, Stevens explained that the unions were able to sell out the teachers a few days later by essentially repackaging the same deal they had rejected. The unions rammed it through without allowing teachers an opportunity to discuss it and have a vote on a return to work. What happened in the US closely resembles events in the UK lecturers strike that took place just days after, Stevens explained. In the same way that the West Virginia teachers took it upon themselves to stop the sellout by the unions, lecturers here were forced to intervene and ensure their strike wasnt ended with a rotten sellout deal. The SEP was alone in warning lecturers and other workers about the role of the unions and what the UCU would attempt to do, he said. It had published a statement that it circulated amongst university staff titled, UK lecturers dispute: Lessons from the West Virginia teachers strike. It included the prescient warning, In their revolt against the unions, the West Virginia teachers point the way forward. Left in the hands of the union bureaucracy, the UK lecturers strike will go down in defeat, with disastrous consequences for this and future generations of workers. To win demands, the formation of new fighting organisations that are independent of the unions are required. This warning was vindicated just days later when the UCU and the Universities UK (UUK) employers body announced a sellout agreement on March 12. When it became clear how bad the deal was, university staff organised meetings and marched in their hundreds, surrounding the UCUs headquarters in London to insist that the deal was rejected. This was a very important step and prevented the UCU from ending the strike on the employers terms, Stevens said. But, as was demonstrated in West Virginia, rejection will not by itself prevent the UCU from trying to impose a similar, repackaged deal in the days ahead. What the strikes in the US and here demonstrate is that workers have to unite their struggles organisationally and politically independent of the trade unions. The unions are not organisations that fight in the interests of the working class. They are agencies of the corporations, of management and the state. They exist to defend capitalism and police the working class. Nor could any reliance be placed in Labour under Jeremy Corbyn, he continued. Not only had Labour pioneered many of the attacks on education now being extended by the Tory government, it is implementing Tory cuts in local authorities nationwide. Labour remains a party of big business now that it is headed by Jeremy Corbyn, Stevens said, noting that the Labour leaders only intervention in the lecturers dispute had been to urge talks with managementthe same talks that had resulted in the sellout deal. The struggle by education staff was as its root a fight against capitalism. It is ultimately about which class controls the allocation of resources in society and who makes the decisions on these issues, Stevens concluded. White emphasised the international character of the struggles of educators: Ten years after the global financial crash governments are continuing relentless austerity after spending trillions on bank bailouts, corporate tax cuts and war. Teachers in West Virginia, Arizona, Oklahoma and other states have starting wages of $31,000 (22,000). Many have accumulated thousands in student loan debt, have to work two jobs, or rely on food stamps to feed their families, he said. After years of being betrayed by the unions, they have organized Facebook groups and pressed for statewide strikes. The SEP, White said, has encouraged workers to break decisively from the unions, by building rank-and-file committees, in order to mobilise the entire working class against both big business parties and the corporate and financial elite that want to destroy public education. Teachers throughout the world, he said, were deeply committed to the egalitarian principles embodied in public education, which the great American revolutionary Thomas Jefferson said was the only means to prevent the return of the tyranny and oppression of Kings, priests and nobles. Today, White said, the modern-day Kings, priests and nobles, that is the billionaire capitalists, do not want an enlightened population but ignorant slave to exploit and send off to war. That is why it is left to the working class to defend the right to high quality public education, and why this is only possible through a frontal assault on the entrenched wealth and power of the capitalist class. Amongst those commenting in the discussion was a university lecturer who explained that the UCUs efforts to sellout the lecturers strike over pensions would not only impact on older staff, who stand to lose up to 200,000 apiece, but would end the right to a decent pension for the younger generation. This is in line with the employers desire for pensions flexibility to suit the needs of individual universities as they gear up for increased marketisation, and competition for students in an international marketplace, she said. In Further Education, the situation was even worse. The UCUs acceptance of a 1 percent pay deal, which many colleges did not even implement. Now, it is preparing another sell out deal and urging their members to start local negotiations, in effect ending national bargaining. The meeting heard from another lecturer on the extent of casualisation in education, as shown in his 20-year experience in higher education teaching. The result was that he now earned less today than when he first started. An especially moving contribution was made by a Special Educational Needs teacher in the south of England. Her remarks underscored Whites comments on how the 2008 financial crisis had been seized on by the ruling elites across the world to attack education. The result had been a disaster, especially for the most vulnerable children, she explained. The meeting agreed to hold another online Education Fightback forum to take forward the discussion and help prepare the formation of rank-and-file committees on Tuesday, April 10. Full details are below. Education Fightback forum Tuesday April 10 at 7.30 p.m. To participate in the meeting, visit bit.ly/efb100418 when the meeting begins, or call +44 330 221 0088 and enter access code 274-739-237. If using your phone from the UK, you will be billed at the national call rate. A woman taking part in demonstrations against the police murder of Stephon Clark Saturday evening had to be transported to the hospital after a Sacramento County sheriffs deputy struck her with his SUV and fled the scene. The 61-year-old woman, identified as Wanda Cleveland, sustained minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. The deputies involved in the assault have not yet been identified. Stephon Clark, a 22-year-old African-American father of two, was shot at least six times from behind in his grandparents backyard by two Sacramento, California police officers responding to a report of someone breaking car windows in the neighborhood on March 18. After pointing their guns at Clark for another six minutes as he lay dying on the ground, the officers, identified as Terrence Mercadel and Jared Robinet, handcuffed his lifeless corpse and made a token effort to resuscitate Clark before pronouncing him dead at the scene. Clark was unarmed and was holding a cell phone in one hand. The Sacramento Police Departments release of body camera and helicopter video, including the officers subsequent attempt to fabricate a pretext for the murder while their microphones were switched off, have prompted almost daily protests demanding an end to police violence and poverty in the Californias capital city. The Saturday incident occurred when the woman, who was carrying a sign that read Stephon Clark Rest in Power, walked in front of a deputys vehicle and motioned for him to stop. After initially slowing down, the deputy suddenly accelerated into the woman, violently knocking her to the ground. Rather than stopping to determine her condition and apply first aid, the deputy immediately sped away from the scene. In the United States, fleeing the scene of an auto collision constitutes a felony punishable by prison and fines reaching into the tens of thousands of dollars. In a press release, Sacramento County Sheriffs Department spokesman Sgt. Shaun Hampton acknowledged that a deputy hit the woman with his car, while simultaneously seeking to minimize and justify the deputys actions. The collision occurred while the patrol vehicle was traveling at slow speeds, Hampton said, claiming that protesters were yelling while pounding and kicking the vehicles exterior. Hampton continued: During the incident, the Sheriffs Department vehicle sustained scratches, dents, and a shattered rear window. The damage to the vehicle was not a result of the collision involving the pedestrian but was caused by vandals in the crowd. However, witnesses and cell phone camera footage of the incident tell a far different story from the one being peddled by the Sacramento Sheriffs Department. In video published by the National Lawyers Guild Legal Observers, protesters can be seen surrounding two Sacramento Sheriffs Department SUVs with lights and sirens on, though demonstrators did not appear to engage in any form of violent or aggressive behavior toward the vehicle. An officer can be heard warning demonstrators to back away from his vehicle four times over his public-address system. The vehicle then slows momentarily and almost comes to a complete stop before accelerating at high speed into the stunned crowd of protesters, striking a woman, and speeding off. The vehicle accelerated and struck her, accelerated very fast and struck her violently and she fell to the ground. It was a very fast acceleration, not the way you would move with people around, Guy Danilowitz, the legal observer who recorded the video on his cell phone, told CNN. The California Highway Patrol announced that it is investigating the incident but refused to say whether the attack was being investigated as a hit and run or a lesser charge. The incident further highlights the contempt with which the police view elementary constitutional and democratic rights such as the freedom of speech and the right to peacefully protest. Throughout the nation, workers and young people are increasingly taking to the streets to decry the epidemic of mass violence and police repression. On March 24, students in hundreds of cities throughout the United States and internationally marched to demand an end to mass shootings, which occur on an almost daily basis in the US. Last week, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana police department was forced to fire one of the officers involved in the 2016 murder of Alton Sterling following mass demonstrations against a recent decision to not pursue charges against either of the two officers involved in the killing. The increasingly vocal opposition of broad layers of the population to mass violence represents one expression of the growth of class struggle internationally over recent months. In order for these movements to succeed, workers and youth must break free from the political straitjacket of the Democratic Party and its various organs, such as Black Lives Matter, to coordinate their actions with their class brothers and sisters internationally in a unified struggle for socialism. The last significant enclave held by US-backed groups near the Syrian capital of Damascus collapsed Sunday with the agreement of two groups to evacuate and of another to submit to Russian military police acting on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad. The fall of Eastern Ghouta, with a population estimated at 400,000 people, is the biggest debacle suffered by the US-backed Islamist groups since the Assad regime recaptured the countrys largest city, Aleppo, in December 2016. The largest rebel group in Eastern Ghouta, Jaish al-Islam, which controlled Douma, the biggest population center in the area, reached an agreement Sunday on evacuating the enclave, according to the Syrian government news service SANA. Other reports said Jaish al-Islam was still pressing for Russian military police to be introduced as a buffer force between its own fighters and Syrian army troops. Jaish al-Islam agreed Saturday to evacuate its wounded to Idlib, in northwestern Syria, the last province in the country under the control of Islamist forces opposed to Assad. The group was in negotiations with the Assad government through Russian mediators. Two smaller rebel groups reached a full evacuation deal with the Russian intermediaries, which called for the evacuation of 19,000 people to Idlib, including fighters from the Faylaq al-Rahman and Ahrar al-Sham groups, their families, and residents who wished to join them. Douma and the surrounding Eastern Ghouta area, comprising eastern suburbs of Damascus and an adjacent rural area that served as a source of food, have been under the control of rebel forces since 2013, but largely cut off from other groups fighting the Assad regime. The Syrian army stepped up its siege of the enclave in February, accompanied by heavy bombing raids by Russian warplanes, and then in March began incursions that systematically broke through rebel lines and separated the insurgents into isolated pockets that were overwhelmed or starved out one by one. The biggest breakthrough came Friday and Saturday, after rebel resistance except in Douma itself effectively collapsed. The southern and western portions of the Ghouta region were evacuated by rebel forces Saturday afternoon. It is the comprehensive defeat of the US-backed rebels and the consolidation of the Assad regimes control over the last area from which attacks could be mounted on the capital that underlies the evident disarray in US policy in Syria. On Thursday, President Trump told a campaign-style rally in Richfield, Ohio that US forces would be coming out of Syria, like, very soon. Let the other people take care of it now. While the remark came in the context of Trump boasting about the successes of US military forces against ISIS in eastern Syria and western Iraq, his suggestion that the 2,000 US troops now in Syria could soon be withdrawn contradicted the official policy of his own administration. In a speech delivered by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson barely two months ago, the administration publicly declared its intention to stay in Syria more or less indefinitely, not merely to ensure the final destruction of ISIS, but to achieve the longstanding goal of US imperialist policy in the country, the ouster of the Assad regime, which is allied to Iran and Russia, and its replacement by a US puppet. Tillersons pronouncement followed close on the release of a new US military strategy document that declared that the Pentagon was now making as its top priority, not the struggle against so-called terrorist groups, but great power conflicts, particularly with Russia and China, that could erupt into major, and even nuclear wars. Trump fired Tillerson on March 13, and National Security Advisor General H. R. McMaster on March 22, but he proposed to replace them with even more belligerent figures, CIA Director Mike Pompeo to head the State Department, and John Bolton, ambassador to the UN under the Bush administration and a major architect of the Iraq war, to replace McMaster. Accordingly, Trumps sudden prediction that US forces would withdraw from Syria very soon, caused consternation at the Pentagon, the State Department, the National Security Council, and the editorial pages of pro-war publications like the Washington Post. While the initial response of the military-intelligence agencies was to dismiss Trumps comment as though it was a random tweet, the remark was followed by reports revealing that the White House had put on hold some $200 million in State Department funding for stabilization projects in Syria. Tillerson had announced the new spending on roads, water and sewer repairs in areas of eastern Syria captured from ISIS during a visit to the region in February. The Associated Press reported Friday that Trumps comment about pulling out of Syria was not a one-off, but reflected sentiments he had expressed in internal meetings with top aides for more than a month. The corporate media has responded with a barrage of commentaries denouncing Trumps comment as a surrender to Assad and to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Assads principal backer internationally, along with Tehran. The Washington Post in particular has devoted column after column to demanding a long-term US commitment to military intervention in Syria. An Easter Sunday editorial sought to dismiss Trumps comment as the gap between the policies pursued by President Trumps administration and what the president says when he is outside the range of a teleprompter The editorial pointed to the conflict between Trumps remark and the statements of Secretary of Defense James Mattis and other top officials, while warning, the presidents words will surely encourage Russian and Iranian hopes of driving the United States out of the country, so they can entrench their military bases and political influence. That would pose a major threat to Israel and severely damage U.S. standing throughout the Middle East. Even more inflammable was an op-ed column by Josh Rogin, a member of the newspapers editorial board, under the remarkable headline, In Syria, we took the oil. Now Trump wants to give it to Iran. Rogin was quoting Trumps own comment about the real motive for the US war in Iraq, while pointing to US control of Syrias oil-rich eastern provinces as a key point of leverage against Assad, Putin and Iran. While assailing Trumps comment at the Ohio rally, Rogin argued that it contradicts Trumps own commitment to tearing up the nuclear agreement with Iran and otherwise confronting Iran throughout the region, a policy that must begin in Syria. Congressional advocates of an all-out conflict with Iran were quick to criticize the suggested pullout from Syria. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a leading Republican war hawk, declared in an interview on Fox News Sunday that Itd be the single worst decision the president could make. He continued: If we withdraw our troops anytime soon, ISIS would come back, the war between Turkey and the Kurds would get out of hand, and youd be giving Damascus to the Iranians. Stephen, a lecturer in northern England, told the online forum: The tens of thousands of workers who comprise the Higher Education teaching and research staff in British institutions are a highly educated and multinational workforce. In that sense, they are a contemporary reflection of the modern working class. I have 20 years of experience teaching all manner of social science disciplines in a number of Higher Education teaching institutions. For the first eight years of teaching I was also a post-graduate student studying for an MA and then a doctorate. Many casualised teaching staff are simultaneously post-graduate students too, with the twin financial strains of low wages and insecure employment, while having to pay increasingly extortionate university tuition fees for their postgraduate studies. Today the majority of the Higher Education academic workforce is casualised. One-third of existing contracts are teaching only, i.e., paid by the hour, and less than two-thirds of British academics have a permanent contract of employment. Today I am still employed, just as I was 20 years ago, on a term duration fixed contract, paid hourly. I earn less per hour today than I did 20 years ago when I first started teaching undergraduates. I will be officially unemployed between academic terms, especially at Christmas, New Year and during the summer when I will have to claim Job Seekers Allowance to make ends meet. This is the lot of tens of thousands of Higher Education workers. They now constitute the most casualised sector of the UK workforce after hotel, catering & hospitality sector! To a large degree it is academic staff that have been forced to fund the expansion of Higher Education since the late 1980s, by drastic cuts to their wages, terms and conditions and now pensions. The universities are embarking on huge multi-million-pound expansionary projects and vice chancellors are pocketing salaries close to half a million pounds. This has been funded by thoroughly proletarianising the academic workforce. Most teaching today is done by a workforce that is casualised, exploited, underpaid and insecure; employed on a variety of fixed-term, hourly paid, fractional and even zero-hours contracts. In addition, many Higher Education staff are routinely expected to conduct any number of tasks beyond their contractual obligations for which they receive no recompense. University and College Union General Secretary Sally Hunt previously told a conference of academic workers that they are a reserve army of precarious and exploited labour. That stands as a damning indictment of the union. So does the UCUs own research of the situation facing its members. Making ends meet, produced in 2015, showed that 42 percent of those employed on casual and atypical employment contracts struggled to pay bills, 35 percent struggle to pay rent or bills and 21 percent struggled to pay for food. Almost one-third earned less than 1,000 a month. Julia is a special needs teacher in southern England. She told the forum: I have worked as a Special Educational Needs teacher for the last eight years and the impact of austerity has never been more palpable. Year in, year out, we have had an increase in class sizes. Our maximum limit increases constantly as the demand for places has skyrocketed. I have had a 30 percent increase in my class size in the last three years, but am left with the same level of staffing, which has a huge impact on workload. We have long waiting lists as there is nowhere for children with very complex needs, both medically and behaviourally, to attend. Hundreds of special schools were shut down over the past 20 years. As these children cannot be supported in the mainstream school setting, they are being squeezed into the very small numbers of special schools left. Like all schools across the country, we have had 1.5 percent cut in funding year on year. This can amount to up to 30,000 per year, which is the cost of a teacher or two teaching assistants. We have lost our school nurses, as in virtually every special school across the country, due to National Health Service cuts. Now we have to fund additional TAs to do the nurses work with minimal training. This is for children who come to school on oxygen tanks, with catheters. There are dozens with severe epilepsy, who need rescue medication regularly, as well as children with severe autism and ADHD [Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]. Almost one-third of our children are tube fed and very few have language skills. So, as a teacher I spend a considerable amount of my time tube feeding, dealing with seizures, toileting and personal care. The time I have left to provide specialist intervention on communication and physical development is very limited, meaning children are not able to make the progress they are capable of making. NHS and local council cuts have led to cuts in equipment such as mobility aids. These are now mostly funded through charities. Parents have to bid for the equipment they need and prove themselves worthy of a handout. Respite care, which was commonly available a few years ago to give parents a break, hardly exists and is stringently means-tested. There are one to two places in my whole year group, compared to the 10 to 12 places a couple of years ago. This has meant increased child protection interventions as parents are struggling to manage with the complex demands of their children, many of whom suffer sleep deprivation. On top of this, there is the anxiety of academisation. Every school in the country has to become an academy within the next four years. The marketisation that has taken place on the campuses has impacted the entire education system. It has been especially difficult for special needs schools. Conversion to academy status is not as profitable in special needs as other sectors. So special schools forced to become academies have no private backers, but the councils have sold off most of their support services to the private sector and fund nothing. This leaves these schools in limbo, struggling to fund the services they need. We have one Speech and Language therapist who is funded for one day a week to work with 102 children with speech, language and communication difficulties. Yesterday, based on research that poor children in the south get better education than their counterparts in the north, the government said it will increase investment in that area of the country. Its a paltry amountabout 140 million. But the governments so-called solution will be to rob Peter to pay Paul. They will take money from poor children in Hackney, supposedly to help those in Leeds. Poor children everywhere will suffer. This is so damaging because social inequality and poverty is at the root of the difficulties many children confront in schooling. Several areas in the country piloted schemes over the past year offering free school meals to children over the school holidays, as tens of thousands were literally being starved because their families are too poor to feed them. This is the true indicator of why children do poorly in deprived areasausterity, unemployment and social deprivation. They do not even have enough food to eat to nourish their little brains to function. Unless the source of social inequality, the profit system, is abolished, the future for young children and especially its most vulnerable layers will not change. This is a political task and it begins here, in this forum. A unified political campaign of the working class, students, lecturers and teachers against capitalism is the only way forward. It requires the development of rank-and-file committees, for working people and students, to discuss, plan and direct opposition. It must be independent of the unions who are accomplices in this offensive. I am in the National Union of Teachers, nominally a left union. It has sabotaged and isolated every effort of the teachers to oppose the cuts, attacks on pensions, workload, performance pay and privatisation. We need to have discussion on how we can mobilise our own independent strength, and this forum is an important step in that direction. Senate Bill 2573 was announced last week, aiming to address the growing problem of robo-calls throughout the state. Several suburban lawmakers came together to co-sponsor the legislation, noting that these types of fraudulent calls are an ongoing form of harassment for many throughout the state. SPRINGFIELD - Several suburban Republican senators are calling for legislative action on a bill that would put stricter consequences on those who are behind the bothersome robo-calls and scam calls, which seem to keep cell phones ringing non-stop. The legislation strengthens the Illinois Automated Dialers Act by making the act of spoofing, where callers disguise their real number by showing up as a different number from the recipients caller ID system, a separate violation. The bill also requires prior written consent before callers can use an auto-dialer to initiate a telemarketing call. Both of these changes would align Illinois law with federal law, and would also make the unlawful practices subject to enforcement by the Attorney General. Estimates place the number of robo-calls per month at 2.4 billion in 2016thats up 1.5 billion from 2015. The increase is largely due to Internet-powered phone systems that have made it cheaper and easier to place these calls from anywhere in the world. In October, the Federal Communications Commission reported that telemarketing calls were the number one consumer complaint. When robo-calls are done legitimately, they can be a decent tool for commerce and information, but some people have developed practices that are both deceptive and extraordinarily bothersome, said State Sen. Tom Rooney (R-Rolling Meadows). Senate Bill 2573 is addressing a real need in our state to crack down on a known avenue for increased fraud, placing necessary barriers between scammers and the general public. The number of calls the average person receives is just outrageous and can become quite burdensome, said State Sen. Karen McConnaughay (R-St. Charles). This legislation makes it easier for the Attorney General to crack down on violators of the Illinois Automated Dialers Act. What these callers are doing is wrong and borders along the lines of harassment. I think this is a case where good government needs to step in to combat this growing problem. Now, more than ever, callers are able to easily afford these mass phone calls, and the low cost of auto-dialers is allowing them to makes thousands of calls daily, putting so many people at risk of falling for their deceitful tactics, said State Sen. Michael Connelly (R-Naperville). This is good legislation that protects Illinois most vulnerable citizens. President Donald Trump is facing cresting challenges at home and overseas by rejecting traditional West Wing structures and defying an orthodox policy process while stacking his administration with subordinates who share his combative reflexes. A month of turmoil, staff purges and sharp policy shifts by a President determined more than ever to follow his impulses has left the White House at a perilous moment of global transition. In becoming true to his outsider anti-establishment roots, the President is implementing the purest form of Trumpism he has so far attempted. Yet his experiment with gut-level governance brings significant risks of unpredictable results, ahead of tests like his summit with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un or work to create a post-ISIS settlement in Syria. As he conducts his symphony of chaos at home, the President has lost seven people from within his administration or inner circle in just a month, some of whom were fired by tweet. He has swapped restraining influences like Secretary of State Rex Tillerson or traditionalists like national security advisor H.R. McMaster with replacements such as Mike Pompeo and John Bolton who reflect his own aggressive instincts or who lavished him with praise on TV. But it is his tendency to make policy on ad hoc basis, on issues on which millions of lives could depend, that may represent Trump's most significant turn. For example, on Thursday, Trump declared that the US will be coming out of Syria "real soon," sparking a day of scrambling and contradictions from within his own national security team. "We are still trying to figure out what he meant about Syria yesterday," a senior administration official told CNN's Jim Acosta on Friday. The episode was an apt metaphor for Trump's governing style. Normally, a President would only make such a pronouncements after weeks of briefings and meetings, after poring over policy papers providing an in-depth understanding of the battlefield and a set of options on a tough issue. But with Trump, the process is reversed -- instinct and impulse power his actions, after little apparent forethought or assessment of the unpalatable consequences that usually accompany any serious presidential decision. His disruptive tendency was visible again on Sunday, when many Americans were observing Easter or Passover, festivals of renewal and liberation. Trump went on a Twitter tear, accusing Mexicans of failing to stop undocumented migrants from crossing the southern US border and warned he could kill a NAFTA renegotiation if it didn't do more. Reflexive decisions It is a pattern that has been repeated over and over in recent weeks, from Trump's sudden reflex decision to meet one-on-one with Kim, to his demand for tariffs on steel and aluminum imports that rocked US allies. In each case, Trump's sudden move set his aides struggling to keep up and understand his strategy, such as it was. It is also a style of governing that sets nerves on edge back home and brings with it considerable risks, however true it may be to Trump's vow as a candidate to keep everyone guessing. Trump's sudden nomination last week of his personal White House physician Ronny Jackson to head the Veterans Affairs Administration fitted the trend -- showing a President more interested in shock and awe news and affinity with a nominee than concern for in-depth policy. Jackson may have impressed Trump with his bravura news conference on the President's health -- and is loved among many current and former White House officials -- but he has no experience running a major organization and the VA is one of the most expansive and troubled medical bureaucracies in the world. The hollowing out of Trump's political circle is mirrored in his legal war council, following the recent departure of his counsel John Dowd and a struggle to attract blue chip counsel to strengthen his team. As Robert Mueller bores ever deeper into his business and political affairs, Trump's apparent desire to testify personally to the special counsel reflects his trust in his own instincts and impatience for advice despite the risks, mirroring his new approach to domestic and international policy. And those who fear that the President's moods and hubris are increasingly driving his actions are worried the departure of one of his most trusted friends and aides, Hope Hicks, could make him even more volatile. Programmer in chief The circus surrounding Trump has often been compared to a reality show. But increasingly, the administration actually resembles a cable politics channel, with Trump as chief programmer and anchor, making news, breaking it and ditching a traditional policy process for a corps of conservative commentators. Bolton spent months auditioning for his new role on Fox News. And his new top economic advisor Larry Kudlow has been an outspoken CNBC voice for years. Such spectacle infuriates critics who see government as a serious business, fraught with risks and defined by processes tested by generations of bureaucrats and West Wing tradition. But there is a gulf between the political class in Washington and Trump supporters. "This whole idea that President Trump is somehow chaotic and unique because he has his own strong point of view and is trying to push his administration in the way he sees fit, is actually the way presidents operate in the job," Matt Schlapp, the chairman of the American Conservative Union, told Fox News on Sunday. With the economy roaring, with unemployment below 5%, after the passage of a huge tax cut and with his Cabinet lieutenants dismantling Obama-era regulations despite scandals swirling around them, Trump's base is remaining solid, giving him latitude for his currently unorthodox approach. Trump showed how well he understands this during a rally in Ohio on Thursday, embracing a revival of ABC's "Roseanne" -- claiming the show's success is rooted in giving voice to white, working-class families who power his movement. "It was about us. They haven't figured it out, the fake news hasn't quite figured it out yet," Trump said during a speech in Ohio. Yet the increasingly improvisational and unpredictable approach that worked for Trump as candidate and is coming to define the administration faces an examination at a time when Washington chaos could exert a heavy price. So far, Trump has been spared a major foreign policy crisis or an economic meltdown that puts his capacity to lead with coherence, speed, organization and in a way that foments national unity on the line. But history, from the Cuban Missile Crisis to the more recent financial meltdown has shown that sometimes only decisive presidential leadership, rooted in policy mastery, cool-headedness and an ability to command a functioning US government and national resources can stave off disaster. A global economic shock, a massive natural disaster, a mass casualty terror attack, a sudden crisis with China or a further deterioration in post-Cold War relations with Russia could trigger such a moment. Trump has rarely shown so far he would be up to such a task. For instance, there's no indication yet that he has a clear strategy for his talks with Kim - the most high-stakes meeting between a US President and a foreign leader for decades. The cost of a failed summit could spark a slide into a disastrous war that could kill hundreds of thousands. Trump's reflexive warning that the US will soon leave Syria, would in theory boost US adversaries in the region including Russia and Iran, and open the kind of vacuum that led to the rise of ISIS in Iraq, if it was carried out. Re-writing the rules Some Washington veterans believe that Trump's scattergun approach is certain to undermine his presidency in the long term -- even though he has prospered by rewriting all the rules of campaigning. "To be successful in politics over the long term when you are governing you have to have a strategy and an agenda, and you have to go out and build on it day after day after day. What Trump does is he just tries to build interest rather than building a message over a long term," said Joe Lockhart, a former White House spokesman for Bill Clinton. "It seems chaotic, he loves that. I don't think that sets him up though for the long-term and re-election, I don't think he really understands how different 2020 will be from 2016," Lockhart told CNN's Ana Cabrera on Friday. Trump's governing style, in which he is the dominant figure, dictating events, making calls from the gut, surrounded by acolytes and family members, recalls the small leadership cell at the top of the Trump organization. Indeed, friends of the President are telling him that he doesn't need to replace Hicks as communications director or John Kelly as chief of staff if he eventually decides to leave or is fired, CNN's Kevin Liptak reported last week. Yet such fluid structures have been tried before and have failed, notably in the Carter and Ford presidencies when they became overwhelmed by the crush of events and issues bearing down on the West Wing. "You just can't run the White House the way you run the 26th floor of Trump Tower," Chris Whipple, author of "The Gatekeepers" a book that maintains that strong White House chiefs of staff are vital to a functioning presidency, told CNN on Saturday. In November, President Trump claimed a win when he returned from his Asia tour touting $250 billion in deals with China. Now, those agreements - which span sectors like energy, aviation and tech - could be ammunition for Beijing as it spars with Washington over trade. "The Chinese are going to see these things as bargaining chips," said Edward Chow, a global energy expert at the Center for Strategic & International Studies. "Clearly, Trump is a transactional guy." Last week, Trump told the US trade representative to levy tariffs on about $50 billion worth of Chinese imports, after a seven-month investigation into intellectual property theft. The United States also intends to impose new restrictions on Chinese investment. The moves, which follow new US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, have sparked fears of a trade war. China is threatening to impose its own tariffs on US goods in retaliation. China has said it could choose to target items like pork, nuts and steel pipes. But the deal package announced during Trump's state visit with President Xi Jinping could also come up - especially because it involves some big corporate names. - Goldman Sachs said it would create a $5 billion fund with China Investment Corporation, the country's sovereign wealth fund, to invest in US companies. - Qualcomm signed $12 billion in non-binding deals to supply semiconductors to Chinese smartphone brands Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo. -Sinopec, China's state-owned oil and gas company, said it would explore an investment of up to $43 billion in Alaska's energy sector. - China Energy Investment Corp., which is also state-owned, signed a non-binding agreement with the state of West Virginia to invest nearly $84 billion in shale gas and chemical manufacturing projects. - Boeing announced that it would sell about $37 billion worth of planes to a government holding company that buys jets for state-owned carriers such as Air China and China Southern Airlines. Related: These are the companies behind Trump's $250 billion of China deals It's not clear if all of the deals were new. And there's been plenty of skepticism about whether many will come to fruition, trade fight or not. "The Alaska deal, in particular, was signed because it was politically expedient rather than commercially attractive," said Hugo Brennan, senior Asia analyst at consulting firm Verisk Maplecroft. The contract gives China "plenty of room to back out down the line," he added. For its part, the Alaska group coordinating the project, the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, said in a statement that it was not concerned that China would pull its support amid trade tensions. The details may be murky, but these deals could be currency for China as it tries to convince the United States to back down on tariffs. That's especially true because many involve state-controlled entities. "Whatever trading stock you have for bargaining purposes, you keep - whether [it's] real or phony," Chow said. Related: Boeing would be on the front lines of a trade war with China That doesn't mean China won't move forward with the investments it deems strategic. For example, the plan to invest in shale gas production West Virginia could serve a real purpose. China has made reducing its reliance on coal a top priority, and it needs both the cleaner energy and the technological know-how that would come from such a project. "[China is] the the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world," said Jonathan Elkind, senior research scholar at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy. "It is an economy that is still building very, very vigorously. That represents a lot of a opportunity for US companies that have world-leading technologies." In the end, China is not going to do anything that it doesn't think is in its best interest, he added. "You want to hope that after the shouting and screaming is over, some more sensible mutual accommodation will be found," Elkind said. The city of Asheville, North Carolina, released "disturbing, difficult to watch" videos from nine body-worn cameras related to the beating and tasing of a man who was suspected by police of jaywalking, the city said. One video from an officer on the scene shows Asheville police officer Christopher Hickman wrap his arms around the man's neck from behind as police attempt to subdue him. The footage provides greater insight into the August 2017 arrest of Johnnie Jermaine Rush, the man Asheville police arrested for jaywalking. Hickman, 31, was removed from patrol duty a day after the incident. He resigned from the department in January, the same day that he was to be terminated, according to a timeline of the case released by the city council. Video of the arrest recorded by Hickman's body camera was published by the Asheville Citizen-Times on February 28, setting off outrage in the western North Carolina city. The newspaper has not revealed how it obtained the video. Hickman was taken into custody on March 8 and charged with one count each of assault by strangulation, assault inflicting serious injury and communicating threats, the city said. "Christopher Hickman served the City of Asheville for 10 years and received numerous commendations," Thomas Amburgey, an attorney for Hickman, said in a statement. "It's unfortunate that so many individuals have rushed to judge my client. I am confident that when a fair and impartial jury hears the whole story that Mr. Hickman will be acquitted. Any notion that my client had any criminal intent to harm Mr. Rush is without basis." The city on Monday also released video recorded a little more than an hour after Rush's arrest, in which he, Hickman and an officer in training can be heard candidly discussing the incident as they are standing outside a hospital. "No disrespect with you sir, I understand that I ran and whatnot, but you didn't have to keep punching me and choking me," Rush said. "Yeah, I did," Officer Hickman said. "Because you never complied with my order." Rush said he wasn't able to comply and put his hands behind his back because he was on the ground being choked. "I didn't start choking you until after I probably punched you ten times," Hickman responded. Nine videos released In another of the videos taken after the use of force, Hickman speaks to a supervisor, Sgt. Lisa Taube, on the scene and admits to using the taser to punch the man in the face several times. "I hit him in the face as if it was a club like three times. That was effective," Hickman says. "That's what happened to his left side, I punched him in the face with it about as hard as I could." A Buncombe County Superior Court Judge granted the City of Asheville's petition to release the video, which was made public Monday at 2 p.m. In an open letter from the Asheville City Council, Interim City Manager Cathy Ball and Police Chief Tammy Hooper said the videos were being released in the interest of transparency. "This incident has created a loss of trust within the community, particularly among people of color. The City of Asheville understands that there is substantial work to do to restore the public's trust," they said in a statement. Rush initially was charged with second-degree trespassing and resisting a public officer. He filed a complaint with police the day he was arrested alleging Hickman used excessive force. Chief Hooper watched the body camera footage and ordered Hickman off the street and told him to turn in his badge and gun, according to a timeline from the city. The district attorney and Asheville police agreed to dismiss the charges against Rush in September after watching the body camera footage, according to documents from the City Council. Supervisor's actions under scrutiny The actions of Hickman's supervisor, Sgt. Taube, have also drawn criticism. Department policy requires the supervisor in a use of force incident to conduct a preliminary investigation and collect supplemental documents from all parties. In video from her body camera, Taube can be seen arriving at the scene, speaking to Hickman and listening to his side of the story. She then goes to speak to Rush in the back of a police vehicle. As Rush tells his version of events and says that he was hit in the face and choked, she repeatedly interrupts him and disagrees with him. "You were in the wrong. You were told by an officer (you're) under arrest," she said. "You resisted and did not comply and ran away." Later, she speaks with a woman who identifies herself as the mother of Rush's son. Taube tells her that Rush was being arrested for resisting arrest and trespassing, and suggests he may also receive charges for being "intoxicated" and disruptive. The woman says she just saw Rush and that he didn't have anything to drink. "Well, he's intoxicated on something," Taube says. Sgt. Taube received disciplinary action for "poor performance," the city of Asheville said on its website, and was ordered to undergo remedial training in connection with the incident. Rondell Lance, the president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge in Asheville, told CNN that the videos showed that Taube acted properly and appropriately given the situation. She was disciplined because she did not watch the body camera video that night or the next morning, Lance said. Her decision not to watch the videos was just an error in thinking and was not made with bad intentions, he said. "There wasn't (anything) that she tried to hide or cover up," he said. CNN emailed Sgt. Taube and received an automated response that she will be out of the office until April 11. What Hickman's video showed Hickman's body camera video begins as he and his partner stop Rush, then 32, for allegedly jaywalking in the early morning hours of August 25, 2017. After some initial words are exchanged, Hickman moves to arrest Rush, who then flees on foot. "(He) thinks it's funny," Hickman is heard saying as he chases Rush. "You know what's funny is you're gonna get f---ed up hardcore." The officers catch Rush and tackle him to the ground. As Rush is being restrained on the ground, Hickman punches him in the head several times, shoots him with a stun gun and puts his hand around Rush's neck. "I can't breathe! I can't breathe!" Rush repeatedly yells. "Help! Help!" Later in the video, Hickman speaks with another officer on the scene. "I beat the s--- out of his head," Hickman says. "Not gonna lie about that." The ACLU of North Carolina was one of a number of organizations and residents that criticized the officer's actions. "There is no excuse for what happened to Johnnie Rush," the ACLU of North Carolina said in a tweet. "Police must protect and serve everyone, regardless of race. Instead, a Black man gets beaten, tased, and choked over jaywalking. That's right, jaywalking." Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer apologized last month to Rush in a statement on behalf of the City Council. "The City Council and I immediately contacted city administration to express our outrage at the treatment of Mr. Rush and our outrage of not being informed about the actions of APD officers," Manheimer wrote. "We will have accountability and, above all, transparency." VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - Many took part in Easter traditions on Sunday, including the Sisters of Providence. They held an Easter Brunch at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. They also partnered with Sodexo for the event. General Manager Mary Harvey said they planned for more than 800 people to attend, which was more than last year. "It really shows people what Saint Mary's is about. It's a beautiful campus," said Harvey, "There's a college here, and then also Sisters of Providence and being able to come here and visit." "My favorite part is probably just seeing everybody and just having that camaraderie and my staff," she continued, "They're so excited to this every year and just be with the community." The event is going on its 20th year. Every week, I offer a glimpse of the kind of intelligence assessments that are likely to come across the desk of the President of the United States. Modeled on the President's Daily Briefing, or PDB, which the director of national intelligence prepares for the President almost daily, my Presidential Weekly Briefing focuses on the topics and issues the President needs to know to make informed decisions. Here's this week's briefing: Russia threat matrix: Putin unleashes Satan, and it's a blaze of glory Russia didn't take a time-out last week despite pressure from the international community to stop its global bullying campaign. In the ongoing and escalating aftermath of the Skirpal poisoning, Russia responded to the international community's historic expulsion of Russian diplomats by expelling diplomats from at least 23 countries. We can expect some additional responses by Russian President Vladimir Putin -- he matched the US and UK responses almost to a tee (60 Russians expelled from the US and 1 diplomatic property seized = 60 Americans expelled from Russia and 1 diplomatic property seized; 23 Russians expelled from the UK = 23 UK diplomats expelled from Russia.) Putin likes to show that he has the upper hand, so he may still try to publicly exhibit his disdain for the international response to Skirpal by upping the ante -- even just slightly. There's reporting that he may kick out additional UK diplomats, for example, which would move beyond parity of response. Meanwhile, Putin ended the week in a missile-driven blaze of glory -- a literal, public explosion of Russian power. On Friday, the Russian government released footage of the successful test of the "Satan-2" intercontinental ballistic missile (during a pre-election speech, Putin had mentioned an invincible missile that could evade air defenses alongside visuals of a strike against Miami). This footage was also released a day after Putin announced his post-Skirpal diplomatic expulsions and property seizures and should be considered part of Putin's response to Skirpal. The footage of Satan-2 was likely meant to show the ongoing sophistication of Russia's missile program and how little Putin is deterred from pursuing more advanced capabilities in the wake of reporting that you, Mr. President, noted that he was taking a more moderate tone and talking about de-escalating the nuclear arms race. This feels and smells like Putin-style manipulation. We can either choose to ignore it, publicly rebuke this escalation or identify some kind of asymmetric response. Readouts from your recent call with Putin included references to a potential meeting on the arms race, and the Satan-2 test is a clear sign that Putin is developing missiles and developing them well. He probably doesn't expect the US to show off its own missile capabilities right now, so he's using this "Satanic" show of force as a sign of his own power. Despite the Kremlin's statement last month that it wants to curb an arms race, this test flouts any practical moves to lower the bilateral temperature. Putin probably expects us to take this lying down because of what he perceives as our desire to de-escalate tensions with Russia. Syria draw-down: Applause from the wrong crowd Actions have consequences, and so do words (especially from presidents). After your comments that the US would "be coming out of Syria like very soon" and the news that the Administration has frozen funds for Syrian relief efforts, celebrations likely started in some key places, but for the wrong reasons. Whether we are actually drawing down, or just mentioning it more blithely, reactions are likely to be strong: Syrian people: Almost 500,000 Syrians have died since the war begin seven years ago, and in the first two months of 2018 alone, 1,000 children were reportedly killed or injured in intensifying violence. A US withdrawal, and halt of relief funding, would leave the Syrian people at the mercy of the regime. Assad and his supporters have attacked civilians with a macabre mix of tools, including aerial bombs and chemical weapons. Absent US engagement, the Syrian people likely assess that the regime will increase its gruesome attacks on civilians under the guise of rooting out extremists. Russia: Putin has been trying to position himself as the rainmaker in Syria. He's been supporting the regime from the get-go, and more recently hosted a summit with Turkey and Iran on the Syrian conflict -- despite the fact that he is far from an unbiased mediator -- and he's reportedly hosting another one on April 4. A US withdrawal would mean more room for Russia to step in and increase its support for the regime. Russia may have showed some restraint recently (after Russian forces were killed in US air strikes) to avoid direct confrontation with American forces, but if the US signals an upcoming withdrawal, all bets may be off. Turkey: This US ally has been engaged in a bitter fight against the Syrian Kurdish forces that we have allied with to fight ISIS. And, if we are going to withdraw, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will likely plan to escalate his attacks against the Syrian Kurds. Giving Erdogan advance warning that we may abandon the Syrian Kurds will embolden him and allow him to plan further onslaughts against the Kurds, to the detriment of our Kurdish allies on the ground. Iran: Like Russia, Iran has been supporting Assad since war broke out, and would love us to leave Syria. Along with Russia, the narrative that the US is abandoning the Syrian people would be a gift to the regime in Tehran and give it more room to operate in Syria. ISIS: Showing our potential withdrawal cards this early on could tell ISIS that its best bet is to just wait us out. If we are, in fact, going to withdraw, holding our cards closer to our chest can help avoid giving ISIS any kind of heads-up that it can use to reconstitute and plan ahead. Kim Jong Un's 'mystery train' tour: Additional venues may be scheduled Kim Jong Un remains an enigma, but the hermit king's profile is starting to fill out. His likes include mystery trains, bright lights and global attention. His dislikes include any mention that his nuclear program is illegal, accusations of human rights abuses or generally menacing behavior. Kim had a successful visit to China, where he was treated to a state visit by his patron, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and he's set for his next tour stop in South Korea on April 27, where he will meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The Japanese have expressed an interest in meeting with Kim after a Trump-Kim meeting, and Kim's social calendar could fill up very quickly. Putin loves hosting dictators (he hosted Assad in Russia a few months ago) and has offered to mediate between the US and North Korea, so a Russian invitation to Kim wouldn't be surprising. Meanwhile, little international attention has been paid to the fact that his illegal programs have not slowed down during this recent PR campaign, although the UN Security Council did announce new measures against North Korea last week, blacklisting several entities that are violating UN sanctions. Missile tests have been put on hold, but nuclear activity has not. So, while countries may roll out the red carpet when Kim gets to town, the threat from North Korea has not decreased. In other words, there's a real possibility that countries will still line up to host Kim. And Kim will be able to then claim that his global 'mystery tour' schedule means he needs to extend the timeline for any denuclearization steps. Kim shouldn't fool anyone -- his extended mystery train tours aren't a cover for making nuclear progress while getting global attention and affection. We should urge any country thinking about inviting Kim for a visit to insist on North Korean actions that merit a visit rather than just the opportunity to host a brutal, nuclear-armed dictator. Let's make Kim work for his dinner, so to speak. Once again, coal country is begging the Trump administration for help. The coal and nuclear divisions of Ohio power company FirstEnergy filed for Chapter 11 restructuring over the weekend, mere days after the company sent a letter to the Energy Department requesting emergency relief. They're seeking a bailout through a rarely-used section of federal law normally reserved for natural disasters or times of war. A spokeswoman from the Energy Department said the FirstEnergy request is "now under review." FirstEnergy Solutions and FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company have been teetering on the brink of bankruptcy for months. They said they plan to use about $550 million in cash to continue operating and pay their 3,000 employees. The divisions own and operate two coal-fired power plants, one dual natural gas/coal plant, one petroleum-coke plant and three nuclear power plants. FirstEnergy is a major customer of Murray Energy, the mining giant run by outspoken coal CEO Robert Murray. The Chapter 11 filing does not include the parent company, Akron-based FirstEnergy. The bankruptcy case and bailout request show how the coal industry continues to face enormous pressure, mostly from cheap natural gas, despite Trump's promises to revive the industry by slashing regulations. "It really comes down to economics. Coal continues to be challenged by cheap and plentiful natural gas," said Matthew Houza, senior energy analyst at research firm BTU Analytics. BTU expects US coal power generation to drop by another 12% this summer compared with last summer. Related: Coal country shouldn't count on a Trump-fueled comeback Last week, FirstEnergy wrote to Energy Secretary Rick Perry to request he "find that an emergency condition exists" in the PJM Interconnection, a regional grid operator that in Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia and 10 other states. First Energy wants the grid operator to be required to "compensate" nuclear and coal-fired plants for the "fuel security and diversity" benefits that they provide. "Threats to the Nation's power supply and grid are real and can no longer be ignored," FirstEnergy wrote in the letter. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on FirstEnergy's emergency request. The Energy Department has only invoked Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act eight times since 2000, including during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, according to a DOE website. "It seems like they are grasping at straws," said Andrew Cosgrove, senior analyst on global metals and mining at Bloomberg Intelligence. "If they simply can't make money, asking the government for a quasi-bailout is delaying the inevitable." Murray Energy said in a statement to CNNMoney it "fully supports" FirstEnergy's request for federal relief and urges Perry to "immediately issue this emergency order." "Murray Energy Corporation expresses our sincere sympathies to the management and employees of First Energy Solutions during this very difficult time," the company said. The Trump administration rejected a similar request from Murray Energy last August. The White House and Department of Energy decided "the evidence does not warrant the use of this emergency authority." "It's not an emergency to bail out one company," a person familiar with the matter told CNNMoney at the time. Related: Demand for oil could peak by late 2030s Yet last September Perry called on federal regulators to subsidize coal and nuclear power plants in a bid to improve the resilience of the nation's power grid. Months later, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission dismissed Perry's proposal -- a decision that Murray strongly criticized. Environmental groups slammed FirstEnergy's latest request for help from Washington. Dick Munson, director of Midwest clean energy for the Environmental Defense Fund, called it an "outrageous request" that amounted to a "multibillion-dollar-a-year bailout." "Americans don't deserve to be charged for more expensive, dirty power when cheaper, clean options exist," Munson wrote in a blog post. Connecticut Democratic Rep. Elizabeth Esty is fighting like hell to save her political career. But she may be fighting a losing battle. At issue are revelations published last week in The Washington Post and Connecticut papers that Esty kept her chief of staff on the payroll for three months after another former aide made allegations of harassment against him. Esty dismissed the man in question -- Tony Baker -- after an internal investigation proved the claims were accurate. Even after that, however, she wrote a reference letter for Baker. Esty has apologized for her poor judgment. And on Monday, she took two steps clearly aimed at stopping the political bleeding: She issued a "Dear Colleague" letter in which she asked rhetorically: "How did I not know? How did I not see it? What I do know is that wasn't an isolated incidence on Capitol Hill and that we can and must do better to ensure a safe environment for our employees." She called on the House Ethics Committee to expedite its investigation into the matter. "Although we worked with the House Employment Counsel to investigate and ultimately dismiss this employee for his outrageous behavior with a former staffer, I believe it is important for the House Ethics Committee to conduct its own inquiry into this matter," wrote Esty. The message in both of those actions is clear: I want to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible because I think I will be vindicated by what is found. Sure, I could have done things better (quicker?) but it was a very tough situation and I did what I thought was best at the time. I've got nothing to hide! These moves come after a very forceful Esty statement in the immediate aftermath of the reports in which she flatly rejected the idea of resigning. "For those who have asked, I want to be clear that I am not resigning," Esty said in the statement to CNN last week. "I have important work to do in Congress including building on the lessons of this horrible series of events." That statement didn't stop people from calling for her resignation. At first, it was just Republicans. But over the weekend, a series of prominent state Democrats -- including former Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz and state Senate President Martin Looney -- said Esty should resign. And then there was this on Monday from Mark Davis, the chief political correspondent for local ABC affiliate WTNH: "Sources say Esty calling Democratic Town Committee Chairs in 5th district seeking support and it's not going well." Esty got something of a respite from all of that bad news on Monday afternoon when House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, stopped short of calling for her resignation. "As Congresswoman Esty has acknowledged, her actions did not protect Ms. (Anna) Kain and should have," said Pelosi. "Congresswoman Esty has now appropriately requested an expedited review by the Ethics Committee." Conversations with plugged-in operatives in the Nutmeg State, however, suggest that even Pelosi's kind of, sort of endorsement of Esty may not be enough to save her. "She's not a person that has a lot of people in the state looking to save her from this embarrassment, which makes surviving much harder," said one Democratic consultant who works in the state and was granted anonymity to candidly assess Esty's political future. "I don't know if she makes it but it doesn't feel good and I have no idea why they didn't just fire the guy." In similar situations in the past, the key in determining whether a member of Congress can weather a scandal is what I'll call the "abandonment factor": Do influencers within your own party call on you to resign or not? If they do, it's almost always curtains. If the whole thing turns into more of a partisan fight, you usually make it. Pelosi threw Esty a lifeline on Monday. But it wasn't much of one. And it's not clear whether Pelosi's unwillingness to call on Esty to resign can overcome the clear dissatisfaction toward Esty within some elements of the state party. At the moment, it doesn't look great for her. Roger Stone's potential ties to WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange, are being investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing a person familiar with the matter. Stone served as an adviser on President Donald Trump's presidential campaign, and according to The WSJ report, Stone said in an email on August 4, 2016, that he had "dined with Julian Assange last night." However, Stone has denied ever meeting Assange. In a text exchange on Friday before the WSJ report, Assange said he "never met or spoke with Assange ever," and Stone told The Journal the contents of the email were "said in jest." Stone also noted that his passport showed that he did not leave the country in 2016. The special counsel is investigating any potential ties between Russians and Trump campaign associates. There are several links between the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks, including private messages on Twitter between Donald Trump Jr. and WikiLeaks and outreach from the chief executive of Cambridge Analytica to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Mueller's team is looking into whether the communications were ever intended as a coordinated effort to help with Russia's 2016 election meddling. The President has repeatedly denied any collusion. Stone has also denied ever receiving anything from WikiLeaks. "I never received any material from them at all," he said last week. "I never received any material from any source that constituted the material ultimately published by WikiLeaks. ... This will be an impossible case to bring because the allegation that I knew about the (WikiLeaks) disclosures beyond what Assange himself had said in interviews and tweets, or that I had and shared this material with anyone in the Trump campaign or anyone else, is categorically false." CALHOUN COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) - An Easter morning collision involving an ATV kills a young Calhoun County man. The Mississippi Highway Patrol says the crash happened Sunday morning sometime near 2:43 on Highway 8 near County Road 347 in Calhoun County. Master Sgt. Criss Turnipseed says 29-year-old Maurice Buchanan of Derma was driving a Chevrolet Impala east on Highway 8 when he collided with a Honda ATV, also traveling east. Austin Armstrong, 23, of Calhoun City, was driving the ATV. Armstrong was pronounced dead at the scene. Buchanan was not injured. The accident remains under investigation. Funeral arrangements have been set for Armstrong. The visitation is Tuesday from 5-8 p.m. and the funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) Grant money recently approved by Congress could help passenger trains see a comeback along the U.S. Gulf Coast between Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. The $1.3 trillion spending bill that will keep the federal government operating through September includes grant money that would aid plans to restore passenger train service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, The Sun Herald reported. "We have a unique opportunity," said Knox Ross, vice chairman of the Southern Rail Commission. Ross said the two-year, $20 million grant would require a 50-percent match from participating states. The commission's goal is to have two trains each day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. That would allow passengers to make day trips to stroll through New Orleans, visit museums in Mobile or play at the casinos on the Mississippi coast. Amtrak's service along the Gulf Coast between Florida and Louisiana ended after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. Ross says the rail commission is pushing to see service restored all the way to Orlando. But its short-term priority is passenger trains running between Alabama and Louisiana. Ross says the shorter route would have advantages, such as giving more control to ensure trains are on time. Special event stops could also be added, he said, at stations in smaller cities that aren't regular stops on the route. It would cost Mississippi $20 million, spread out over four years, to take advantage of the federal grant, Ross said. The funds possibly could come from Restore Act money directed to the Gulf Coast from the BP oil spill fine. "This brings the people you need to you," Ross told business owners at meeting of the GulfCoast Business Council. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) Mississippi lawmakers are giving more teeth to the state's penalties for dogfighting. Senate Bill 2934 would make participation in dogfighting a felony offense, punishable by a fine up to $5,000. It was sent to Gov. Phil Bryant after Mississippi's House and Senate passed it Tuesday. Those who promote or stage fights, bet on fights, own a dog with intent to enter it into a fight or own dogfighting paraphernalia could be sentenced to between one and five years in prison. Repeat offenses are punishable by a fine between $5,000 and $10,000, and prison sentences between three and 10 years. Dogfight spectators could also face felony charges and fines, and prison sentences up to one year. The move comes months after a November bust of a dogfighting operation in the southwestern Mississippi city of Natchez. The bust garnered national attention after police recovered 54 injured and starving dogs that were fought. According to The Natchez Democrat, dogs were found with gashes so deep that tendons were exposed, and one dog was missing half its jaw. Several dogs had to be humanely euthanized because of the severity of their injuries. Dog skulls were also found on the property. Democratic state Sen. Bob Dearing of Natchez is the primary author of SB 2934. Mississippi's current dogfighting laws are some of the weakest in the country, he said, with sentences of one to three years in prison and between $1,000 and $5,000 in fines. In border cities like Natchez, just across the Mississippi River from Louisiana, Dearing said it's easy for fighters to bring dogs from other states into Mississippi to fight where penalties are laxer. The original language in Dearing's bill was even tougher, imposing felony charges and fines of $1,000 per dog for sponsors and promoters of dogfights, along with one year in prison per dog involved, up to 25 years. Being a spectator would have been punishable by two-year prison sentences and up to $5,000 in fines. The sanctions were softened as the bill moved through the Senate and House. Dearing called it a good first step, but he intends to bring another bill next year to seek harsher punishment for dogfighters. The bill has garnered the support of animal rights activists, including the Humane Society of the United States. In a Wednesday statement, the group urged Bryant to sign the bill. "This law will give law enforcement additional tools to fight criminal activity and the stiffer penalties will go a long way toward ending the scourge of dogfighting in Mississippi," said Julia Breaux, the group's legislative specialist in Mississippi. "With this vote, the Legislature sent the message that these crimes are serious and will not be tolerated." UPDATE: According to Prentiss County Sheriff Randy Tolar, Lonnie Hopkins has been found safe. More information to come. Updates on his condition will be released soon. Photo: PCSO Photo: PCSO Photo: PCSO Photo: PCSO See the original post below. PRENTISS COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) - Prentiss County search crews are looking for a missing man from Illinois. The man is identified as 70-year-old Lonnie Hopkins. He's described as an African-American man, standing 6'4" and weighing 210 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt. He has brown eyes and gray hair. Prentiss County Sheriff Randy Tolar says Hopkins left Wheaton, Ill., on Thursday, March 29, heading to Biloxi. He had been in contact with his family, but his phone has since died. His family said he has become very forgetful but has not been diagnosed with any form of dementia or Alzheimer's. On Sunday, a car was found in a ditch on County Road 3421 in the Burton area of Prentiss County, near Highway 30 East. Deputies determined the car had been driven by Hopkins. Deputies and search crews have been searching for him with no success at this point. The search continues this morning. Searchers have located personal belongings about a half mile from the vehicle in the woods. The Mississippi Army National Guard is using a helicopter to help with the search. UPDATE 04/03/18 - According to Louisville police, Isaiah Riggins has been returned to Louisville. He made his first court appearance. His bond was set at $1 million. See the original article below. DOUGLASVILLE, Georgia (WTVA) - A Winston County man wanted in connection with a murder will be headed back to Mississippi. Isaiah Riggins is accused of killing 17-year-old Tylan Glenn in Louisville on March 25. Police say the high school student was shot multiple times near Mt. Moriah Circle. Detectives say Glenn was a passenger in a car driven by Riggins' girlfriend. There was a baby in the backseat of the car at the time of the shooting. After five days on the run, Riggins surrendered to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office in Douglasville, Georgia, on Friday. RELATED: Louisville murder suspect surrenders in Georgia ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Shooting in Louisville leaves teen dead RELATED: Jordan Miller arrested for teen's death Sheriff Tim Pounds of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office says Riggins waived his extradition from Georgia on Monday, There is no word yet on when the suspect is expected back in the state. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) An Alabama legislator and a lobbyist who once chaired the Alabama Republican Party were arrested Monday on conspiracy charges related to payments made to another lawmaker to advance an insurance bill, prosecutors announced. State Republican Rep. Jack D. Williams of Vestavia Hills and lobbyist Marty Connors were charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and mail fraud. The California-based owner of Triana Health diabetes treatment centers, G. Ford Gilbert, was also arrested. Prosecutors said in a statement announcing the trio of arrests that Gilbert had paid then-state Rep. Micky Hammon, who was the Republican majority leader, to push legislation in 2016 that would require the state's dominant insurance company to cover treatments at Triana clinics. Prosecutors said Connors, who was lobbying for the bill, knew about the payments to Hammon, and recruited Williams to use his position as a House committee chairman to hold a public hearing on the bill. Williams also knew of the payments and acted to help Hammon, "who, as everyone in the scheme knew, was experiencing grave financial problems," federal prosecutors said in a statement. It was unclear from court records if any of the three men have an attorney. Hammon was removed from the Alabama Legislature last year when he pleaded guilty to illegally using campaign funds for personal use. A judge in February sentenced Hammon to three months in prison for felony mail fraud. No additional charges were announced against Hammon. Williams has served in the House of Representatives since 2004. Connors served as chairman of the Alabama Republican Party from 2001 to 2005. The charges announced Monday is the latest in a string of corruption investigations that have ensnared Alabama politicians. Former Rep. Oliver Robinson, a Democrat, pleaded guilty last year to taking a bribe for using his legislative position to oppose the Environmental Protection Agency's prioritization of a pollution site in Birmingham. Last year, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, a Republican, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor campaign finance charge and stepped down amid accusations of an affair with an aide. In 2016, former Republican House Speaker Mike Hubbard was convicted of ethics violations including using his public office to drum up clients and investments for his businesses. TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) Amy Heatherly believes she would have been paid at least $50,000 more to do her job over the past five years if she had been a man. As the only female human resources director overseeing compensation at the University of Alabama's main campus, Heatherly said she knew for years she was getting paid less than three men on a similar management level with fewer years of experience. She filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2014, after receiving a raise that was half of her male colleagues'. In 2016, she sued the university. "It did not have as much to do with the money but me feeling like I'm paid my worth, or at least paid equitably, like you're being respected and recognized for what you do," said Heatherly, 52, who has worked at the university for 19 years. The university argues differences in pay are justified because her position is not comparable to her male colleagues. Heatherly says that she is a victim of gender discrimination because she's not receiving equal pay for equal work. White women in Alabama make 72 cents to a white man's dollar. Black women make 57 and Latinas 47, the National Women's Law Center calculated. Federal law prohibits wage discrimination on the basis of sex for equal work, except where there is a difference in experience or productivity. Alabama and Mississippi are the only two states that don't have equal pay laws. Rep. Adline Clarke, a Democrat from Mobile, unsuccessfully pushed lawmakers to approve equal pay legislation. Clarke's bill, which failed this legislative session, mirrored federal law but tasked the Alabama Department of Labor with enforcement. She said that would hold employers more accountable. Lilly Ledbetter, the Alabama woman who lost a lawsuit over being paid less than her male counterparts, is the namesake of the law signed by former President Barack Obama to make it easier for women to sue over wage discrimination. She said people wrongly think that pay discrimination does not exist. "It seems like they all have blinders on," Ledbetter told the Associated Press. "The corporate world in some regards feels that equal pay for equal work is a myth. They think we have it." The university said in court filings that it explained Heatherly's low raise was because of how she handled an employee complaint and software problems. Heatherly said they never talked with her about disciplinary problems at the time and gave her no performance evaluation. Heatherly's complaint said that when she sued, she and her three male colleagues all had the title of director, each with unique responsibilities. "She's the only person in the job, so then can she never be a victim of sex discrimination because there's no comparator?" said Heatherly's attorney Charles Guerrier, who worked for the EEOC for three decades. "If you segregate the jobs and underpay the women, you can't violate law because there are no men doing the same jobs." The university counters in court filings that Heatherly's role was not comparable because it wasn't systemwide and had different responsibilities. The university uses a pay grade system that tallies salaries based on the differentials. A statistical analysis by Heatherly's economic expert reported she was paid less than 19 out of 20 men in her pay grade. The expert calculated the university paid female administrators between 5 to 14 percent less. The university's expert responded that the analysis was "flawed" because jobs can't be compared within the same pay grade. The university said doing so is "ignoring legitimate factors that drive compensation," like type of work and job performance. Monica Watts, the university's associate vice president for communications, said the university could not answer questions or comment on the ongoing case. In response to an open records request for documentation of equal pay complaints, lawsuits and settlements, the university said they have "no responsive public documents that compile the information." Federal court records show two University of Alabama at Birmingham professors sued over unequal pay in 2006. One settled and one left the university, according to their attorney. Heatherly said the lawsuit has dashed her dreams of a promotion. She is her family's breadwinner, currently earning more than her husband at $131,000 a year. "There are days when I wonder, why do I keep helping a place that's done this to me?" she said, wiping at tears. "If I can help to make it better for other females, and I know I can't change the world, but if I do that I'll feel like I've had an impact." DOTHAN, Ala. (AP) A former Alabama minister is accused of sexually abusing children. News outlets report 28-year-old William Wesley Williamson was arrested Thursday and charged with three counts of sex abuse of a child younger than 12 years old. Records say he was released from jail in Houston County after posting bonds totaling $90,000. Williamson served as a pastor to children at Mount Gilead Baptist Church. Senior pastor Bradley Rushing says Williamson is no longer affiliated with the church. WTVY-TV reports attorneys Thomas Smith and Shaun McGhee represent Williamson. Smith says Williamson did not commit a crime and is "charged on the slimmest and most vague allegations I've ever seen." He says Williamson is married and has seven children. County Sheriff Donald Valenza declined to comment because the investigation is not complete. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating after a deputy-involved shooting Monday afternoon. According the Leon County Sheriff's Office, the shooting happened at the 1400 block of Manor House Drive near Bull Headly Road. The deputy was not injured. LCSO says that a motor deputy tried to make a traffic stop on the suspect but the driver began backing into the deputy, forcing the deputy to fire shots. The suspect was hit, though they say the suspect has been hospitalized in stable condition. As per standard practice, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident, collecting evidence, and interviewing neighbors. This is a developing story. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Officials are inviting Florida residents to participate in license-free fishing this weekend. Keep Florida Fishing is inviting Florida residents and visitors to take part in a weekend of license-free fishing in state freshwater fisheries. The two-day event is part of a total of eight license-free fishing days offered each year by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and approved by Gov. Rick Scott. The license-free weekend is a wonderful opportunity to introduce the next generation of anglers to Floridas waters while also giving families the chance to make lasting memories on Floridas beautiful lakes, rivers or ponds. Thank you to Gov. Scott and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for opening the door for anglers of all skill levels to enjoy a weekend of fishing in Florida, said Gary Jennings, Director of Keep Florida Fishing. According to FWC, while the fishing license requirement is waived for all recreational anglers (residents and non-residents), all other rules apply. The weekend of free fishing starts runs from Saturday, April 7 to Sunday, April 8. Residents should also mark their calendars with the following 2018 license-free fishing dates: License-Free Freshwater Days Saturday/Sunday, April 7-8 Saturday/Sunday, June 9-10 License-Free Saltwater Days ORLANDO, Fla. (The News Service of Florida) - Four men have been arrested on charges that they broke into Central Florida stores and stole more than 150 guns --- many of which were quickly sold in the Orlando area, Attorney General Pam Bondis office said Thursday. The arrests came after an investigation by agencies including the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Arrested in the burglaries were Richard Jernigan, 30, Robert Tilmon, 31, Raymond Williams, 28, and Jermeil Williams, 28, Bondis office said. Authorities on Thursday also were searching for Kentric Collier, 28. The federal agency began investigating burglaries of gun dealers in late 2016 and in 2017. Bondis office said some of the burglaries involved similar methods, such as using sledgehammers and pry bars to enter buildings. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Florida State University a $184 million grant to continue operating its world-renowned National High Magnetic Field Laboratory through 2023. According to the NSF, the Maglab at FSU will receive $184 million over the next five years, a funding increase of more than 9 percent over the last funding period. The decision followed approval from the National Science Board in August 2017, and brings the agency's total MagLab investment to $867 million. "NSF is proud to support a facility that has broken -- and holds -- many world records in magnet technology," said Anne Kinney, NSF assistant director for Mathematical and Physical Sciences. "But beyond the records, the MagLab enables the world's scientific and engineering community to advance both fundamental science and applied research that benefits society, from next-generation electronics to cutting-edge medicine and energy-efficient systems." In addition to the primary investment from NSF, the MagLab receives additional financial support from the state of Florida and will remain headquartered at FSU. The MagLab is here to stay, said U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson. In addition to bringing thousands of scientists and students to Tallahassee, the lab generates more than 1,200 jobs annually for Florida. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A family is still in shock and filled with tears as they mourn the lost of their dog Kalie, who died after being shot by a Tallahassee police officer Saturday. "He brutally killed her in front of me and it was the worst thing ever, it was horrible," eyewitness Holly Fennell told WTXL Sunday. A TPD press release issued Saturday stated an officer approached the residence on Idlewild Drive in reference to a "verbal disturbance" report. Kalie's owner Orion Rabon told WTXL a neighbor had called police. "We're just basically watching a movie. I didn't hear any barks or nothing," Rabon said. "All I hear is gunshots -- multiple gunshots -- and Holly screams, 'Oh, my gosh. The police officer is shooting your dog.'" Witnesses told WTXL a TPD officer walked into the family's yard and took five shots at their dog -- a 12-year-old Rottweiler -- standing at a distance. "This cop came here unannounced," Rabon said. "There is 'private property' signs all over my property letting people know that this is private property." The TPD press release stated, "Upon the responding officer approaching the scene on foot, a large dog charged towards the officer. The officer fired several shots and struck the dog." The family told WTXL that Kalie had multiple surgeries and suffered from hip dysplasia -- and find it hard to believe the dog would have the ability to charge at the officer. Those who said they knew Kalie -- registered with the American Kennel Club and used for breeding service and show dogs -- said she was not aggressive. "We've never had a problem," eyewitness Devan-Erin Isbell said. "She's constantly being lovey, and the most she'd want to do is lick somebody to death. She's not aggressive in any way." According to police, Kalie and Rabon were taken to a local animal hospital, but Kalie had to be euthanized because of the injuries. Rabon said he'll be pressing charges against TPD and the neighbor who reported the initial incident. WTXL reached out to TPD to respond to allegations made by Rabon and eyewitnesses. A spokesperson declined further comment due to an ongoing Internal Affairs investigation. The family is collecting donations to help pay for Kalie's funeral and for an attorney. SUWANNEE COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - The Suwannee County Sheriff's Office is advising people not to be alarmed if they hear loud noises coming from a controlled release of natural gas Monday and Tuesday. Florida Gas Transmission notified the sheriff the company will be doing maintenance work in Suwannee County on April 2 and 3, 2018, the sheriff said in a Facebook post. "This process includes the controlled release of natural gas, which will result in a loud noise for about 6 hours beginning at approximately 8:00 AM," the post said. "You may smell an odor, which is from an additive in the gas, during the time of the release." The post continued: "THIS IS A CONTROLLED OPERATION - DO NOT BE ALARMED!" People are advised to avoid the area near the release (5293 284th St, Branford). Florida Gas will have signs posted to limit access. Questions should be directed to Florida Gas at 1-800-238-5066. HOUSTON, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Deputy Consul General in Houston Wang Yu said Sunday the friendship between the peoples of China and the United States needs to be strengthened through cultural interaction. Attending the opening ceremony of Niu Jiao Jian hotpot restaurant in Houston, Wang said besides business, Chinese restaurants in Houston also act a cultural platform, offering a whole new experience for Americans of traditional Chinese art. According to Liu Sida, manager of the hot pot restaurant, Niu Jiao Jian provides face-changing show and tea arts every day, allowing customers to enjoy traditional arts from China's Sichuan province while tasting the authentic Sichuan food. Wang said that Sichuan art, along with its food, is part of Chinese culture. Showing Houston people of difference races with Sichuan art allows them to understand more about Chinese culture and people. "I hope the Chinese community in Houston can bring their energy and wisdom into full play to spread Chinese culture, making a contribution to a better relationship between China and the U.S.," he said. TRIPOLI, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Violence in Libya killed five civilians and injured 11 others in March, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said Sunday. From March 1 to March 31, 2018, UNSMIL "documented 16 civilian casualties - five deaths and 11 injuries - during the conduct of hostilities across Libya, a significant drop from the two previous months," UNSMIL said in a report. Shelling, explosive remnants of war, gunfire, and vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices caused most civilian casualties, the report said. UNSMIL demanded all fighting parties in Libya "cease the use of mortars and other indirect weapons and imprecise aerial bombardments in civilian-populated areas, and not place fighters or other military objectives in populated areas." Since the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has been plagued with escalating violence and unrest, as well as political division. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 10:24:03|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close by Xinhua writer He Fei BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Recent global spotlight is on a U.S. memorandum planning to slap tariffs on China, which rattles the world as it could trigger a domino effect of protectionism and even a trade war. The memorandum, signed by U.S. President Donald Trump last month despite opposition from business and industry communities at home, could impose tariffs on up to 60 billion U.S. dollars of Chinese imports and restrictions on Chinese investment. The unwise move, allegedly aiming to safeguard America's national interests, protect home industry and cut trade deficit with China, only risks making America economically impaired, rather than "great again." Despite a seemingly hefty trade deficit with China, U.S. exports have grown at a relatively higher rate than imports in recent years. According to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, in the first eight months of last year, U.S. exports to China reached 80.2 billion dollars, an increase of 15 percent year-on-year. The growth rate nearly doubles that of imports from China, at 8.3 percent. Compared with data of 2001, the year when China joined the World Trade Organization, U.S. exports experienced a nearly sixfold increase by the end of last year, while its imports from China grew roughly fourfold. If looking at trade in services, the other category besides goods, the United States enjoys a trade surplus with China, peaking at 37 billion dollars in 2016, driven by a surge in Chinese outbound tourism. These are just some trade numbers. In their joint ventures with China, U.S. companies with multinational production chains such as Apple Inc. and General Motors usually get the biggest slice of cake. China is only a link in the global supply chain, manufacturing and assembling parts designed by upstream U.S. teams. The fact that the calculation of trade data attributes most of the value to Chinese exports is neither correct nor fair. On the individual level, ordinary American consumers have more choices for good quality products at better prices thanks to imports from China. These imports include not only final products that China has comparative advantages in making, but also intermediate Chinese goods a wide spectrum of U.S. industries use to produce more competitive products and provide better community services in healthcare, education and emergency response. Furthermore, the bilateral economic ties have supported roughly 2.6 million U.S. jobs, among which about 104,000 jobs were created by Chinese investment, said the U.S.-China Business Council. Trump's planned tariffs are not only going to hamper the U.S. economic well-being and continued progress, and burden its people with higher costs of living, but also pose a grave threat to the current global trading system. Washington seems to have failed to keep a cool head when it is busy fanning the so-called "economic aggression" from China. It should realize that the only right option is to protect the reciprocal economic and trade relations with China and avoid a no-win situation. The threatening tariffs, if realized, may hurt China. Yet the damage will be done at the expense of enormous American interests. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 10:24:03|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close YANGON, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi called Sunday night for the collective strength to overcome the challenges facing the country in the new Myanmar calendar year of 1380 beginning April 17, 2018. "Collective strength is vital to build peace and stability which we need," Aung San Suu Kyi said in her speech to the nation to mark the 2nd anniversary of the government of her National League for Democracy (NLD). She emphasized the need to have mutual understanding and mutual respect as the basic foundation to bring to an end of the armed conflicts which have existed for many years among the ethnic nationalities. The state counselor called on the people to assist and support the peace efforts of the government, especially the youth to look to the future and join the efforts. Aung San Suu Kyi also called for striving collectively for the emergence of a just and free nation -- a nation which will guarantee equal rights and equality as well as practises a pure ideology. Noting that among the main goals of the government is the development of socio-economic life, Aung San Suu Kyi urged to formulate policies and implement plans after making assessment of the situation. She disclosed that in the coming year, the government will adopt programs that will bring real benefit to the country's people. Commenting on last week's election of U Win Myint as the new president of the country, Aung San Suu Kyi said the election showed a reflection of the growing maturity of the country's democratic and political process, demonstrating a proud fact that a president has been appointed from among what may be regarded as the second generation who is able to perform the duties of the state with good moral character, steadfastness and wisdom. Myanmar's newly elected President U Win Myint, along with two other vice presidents, was sworn in to office on Friday. The new president pledged to pursue three goals as his priorities, which are rule of law and improvement of socio-economic life of the people's, national reconciliation and domestic peace and amendment of the constitution for the establishment of a democratic federal union. The NLD won an absolute majority of the parliamentary seats in the November 2015 general election and its government assumed office in April 2016. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 11:39:15|Editor: Liu Video Player Close BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- As Tiangong-1 re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on Monday, Chinese bid farewell to the experimental space lab, which is regarded as a pioneer of China's future space station. The space lab re-entered the Earth's atmosphere at around 8:15 a.m. on Monday over the South Pacific, and was mostly burnt up in the atmosphere, the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) said. Launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Sept. 29, 2011, Tiangong-1 was tasked to test the technologies in rendezvous and docking between spacecraft and to accumulate experience for developing a space station. It had successfully docked with Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 spacecraft, and was visited by six astronauts, including two females. In June 2013, female astronaut Wang Yaping aboard Tiangong-1 delivered a lecture to students on Earth about physics, inspiring public enthusiasm for science and space exploration. Tiangong-1 was in service for four and a half years, two and a half years longer than its designed life, making important contributions to China's manned space cause, paving the way for China to become the third country in the world to build a permanent space station around 2022. Huang Weifen, deputy chief designer of the Astronaut Center of China, said, "The important role of Tiangong-1 would go down in China's space history. It had helped us accumulate precious experience in constructing space station." "Although Tiangong-1 was only a transitional platform between the spaceship and space station, it's a key step for China to acquire the spacecraft docking technology, and it demonstrated the possibility of long-time space residence for the Chinese. The scientific imagination aroused by it among the Chinese is invaluable," said Bai Ruixue, a former space journalist and now CEO of a company focusing on public understanding of space science. "When I was reporting the docking between Shenzhou-8 and Tiangong-1 at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center in November 2011, many people cried as they saw the two spacecraft, like two grains of dust floating in the vast universe, connected with each other. It's an extreme romance created by science and technology," Bai recalled. "Tiangong-1 has carried millions of Chinese' space dream. Although it's only aimed to test the technologies for space station, it has many far-reaching effects," said Mao Xinyuan, a columnist for popularization of space science. Related: Photo taken on March 8, 2018 shows the exteriority of White House in Washington D.C., the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday formally signed proclamations to impose steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum amid mounting dissent from business groups and trading partners around the world. (Xinhua/Ting Shen) by Xinhua writer He Fei BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Recent global spotlight is on a U.S. memorandum planning to slap tariffs on China, which rattles the world as it could trigger a domino effect of protectionism and even a trade war. The memorandum, signed by U.S. President Donald Trump last month despite opposition from business and industry communities at home, could impose tariffs on up to 60 billion U.S. dollars of Chinese imports and restrictions on Chinese investment. The unwise move, allegedly aiming to safeguard America's national interests, protect home industry and cut trade deficit with China, only risks making America economically impaired, rather than "great again." Despite a seemingly hefty trade deficit with China, U.S. exports have grown at a relatively higher rate than imports in recent years. A cargo ship berths at Qinzhou port in Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Dec. 19, 2017. The throughput of Qinzhou Port from January to November of 2017 reached 75.47 million tonnes, up 19 percent year on year. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin) According to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, in the first eight months of last year, U.S. exports to China reached 80.2 billion dollars, an increase of 15 percent year-on-year. The growth rate nearly doubles that of imports from China, at 8.3 percent. Compared with data of 2001, the year when China joined the World Trade Organization, U.S. exports experienced a nearly sixfold increase by the end of last year, while its imports from China grew roughly fourfold. If looking at trade in services, the other category besides goods, the United States enjoys a trade surplus with China, peaking at 37 billion dollars in 2016, driven by a surge in Chinese outbound tourism. These are just some trade numbers. In their joint ventures with China, U.S. companies with multinational production chains such as Apple Inc. and General Motors usually get the biggest slice of cake. China is only a link in the global supply chain, manufacturing and assembling parts designed by upstream U.S. teams. The fact that the calculation of trade data attributes most of the value to Chinese exports is neither correct nor fair. U.S. President Donald Trump is seen on a TV screen announcing tariffs on steel and aluminum, at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on March 8, 2018. (Xinhua/Ting Shen) On the individual level, ordinary American consumers have more choices for good quality products at better prices thanks to imports from China. These imports include not only final products that China has comparative advantages in making, but also intermediate Chinese goods a wide spectrum of U.S. industries use to produce more competitive products and provide better community services in healthcare, education and emergency response. Furthermore, the bilateral economic ties have supported roughly 2.6 million U.S. jobs, among which about 104,000 jobs were created by Chinese investment, said the U.S.-China Business Council. Trump's planned tariffs are not only going to hamper the U.S. economic well-being and continued progress, and burden its people with higher costs of living, but also pose a grave threat to the current global trading system. Washington seems to have failed to keep a cool head when it is busy fanning the so-called "economic aggression" from China. It should realize that the only right option is to protect the reciprocal economic and trade relations with China and avoid a no-win situation. The threatening tariffs, if realized, may hurt China. Yet the damage will be done at the expense of enormous American interests. CAIRO, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers expressed on Sunday their rejection of the recent Israeli violence against Palestinian protestors, calling on the international community to take its responsibilities to protect the Palestinian rights. "The international community should rise in protection of the Palestinian people and work on pushing forward peacemaking efforts and achieving what the international community agreed upon in this regard," Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told reporters in a joint press conference with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi. At least 15 Palestinians were shot dead and over 1,400 others were injured Friday as Israeli forces opened fire towards Palestinian protestors marking the 42nd anniversary of the Land Day through a rally at the borders between the Gaza Strip and Israel. The demonstrators demanded the right of return for those Palestinian refugees who fled or forcibly driven out of their towns and villages when Israel was created in 1948 with Western support. Shoukry said that Egypt will continue calling for achieving peace through relevant international references to realize the interests and rights of the Palestinian people. Israel is blamed by the international community for the deadlock of the peace process with the Palestinians due to its settlement expansion policy on Palestinian occupied territories. The Palestinians seek to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital in the light of the UN-proposed two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders. The Jordanian foreign minister described the situation of the Palestinian cause as "difficult," lamenting the lack of any progress to achieve comprehensive, permanent settlement for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. "The violence witnessed in Gaza and practiced by Israel against the Palestinian people is a serious indicator that we are going through a stage that may be more difficult," Safadi told the press conference in Cairo. "What is required is to move efficiently towards finding a political horizon to give the Palestinian people hope to exercise their right to live," he added. "We reiterate our position that condemns every action made by Israel that targets killing the opportunities for peace or undermining the two-state solution," Safadi said. The United States is the number one backer of Israel and U.S. President Donald Trump has voiced plans to move Washington's capital in Israel from Tel Aviv to the disputable holy city of Jerusalem despite regional and international uproar. "Jerusalem is a red line," Safadi continued, expressing Arab rejection of recognizing the city as the capital of Israel and referring to the move as violation of the international law. Shoukry and Safadi urged the United States to help create a political horizon for a settlement of the 70-year-old conflict. CANBERRA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has ruled out supporting a major federal energy reform unless the policy ramps up support for renewable energy. Shane Rattenbury, the ACT's energy minister and leader of the ACT Greens, said that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's National Energy Guarantee (NEG) was counter to the national interest and contained a "weak" emission target. Under the Australian law, all six states and two territories must ratify the NEG before it can be implemented. That means that despite the ACT accounting for just 1.5 percent of the national electricity market, and it being Australia's smallest district in square kilometers, its government could kill Turnbull's signature energy policy. Rattenbury said that the federal government needed to be more ambitious and seek to deliver a steeper emissions cut than the 26 percent it promised as part of the Paris agreement. "We need to find an agreement to move the national energy market forward," Rattenbury told News Corp Australia on Monday. "What we can't sign up to is a bad outcome, and we do have concerns with the current model. "We don't think it is in the national interest to go down the path that is currently being proposed. But if we can find a way through, then yes, we are keen to find an outcome." The ACT is on track to achieve its 100 percent renewable energy target by 2020. Despite Rattenbury's assessment, Josh Frydenberg, the Federal Minister for the Environment and Energy, said he was optimistic that the Coalition of Australian Governments (COAG) could come to an agreement on the policy. He said that he was confident that New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania would support the NEG while positive talks had been held with Victoria and Queensland. "The ACT is a very small fraction of the national electricity market ... and I cannot see a situation where you got unanimous agreement from the other states in the national electricity market, and the ACT blocking a historic national reform," Frydenberg said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 12:30:24|Editor: Liu Video Player Close Costa Rican presidential candidate Carlos Alvarado, from the Citizen Action Party (PAC), casts his vote at a polling station in San Jose, Costa Rica, on April 1, 2018. Around 3.3 million Costa Ricans are called on Sunday to vote for its 44th president, choosing between evangelical candidate from the National Restoration Party (PRN), Fabricio Alvarado and the official candidate from the Citizen Action Party (PAC), Carlos Alvarado. (Xinhua/Kent Gilbert) SAN JOSE, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Carlos Alvarado, the candidate from the ruling Citizen Action Party (PAC), won Costa Rica's presidential runoff with 60.66 percent votes, preliminary results released by Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) on Sunday evening showed. With 90.62 percent ballots counted, Carlos Alvarado gained 60.66 percent of the vote, and his rival, Fabricio Alvarado, an evangelical candidate from the National Restoration Party (PRN), obtained 39.34 percent of the vote, according to the results. Fabricio Alvarado has campaigned on the pledge to rescue "principles and values" by opposing gay marriage. Carlos Alvarado has come out in favor of gay marriage and has slammed Fabricio Alvarado for campaigning on a single issue, without having a plan for the government. MUMBAI, April 2 (Xinhua) -- It is imperative for the Indian elephant and the Chinese dragon to dance together to counter their short-term challenges and work on long-term potential, an Indian economist has said. Mohammed Saqib, secretary-general of India-China Economic and Cultural (ICEC) Council, shared his view on economic cooperation between the two Asian giants in a recent interview with Xinhua. His remarks came after a Chinese trade delegation visited India last week when the two sides signed 101 trade agreements with a total contract value of 2.38 billion U.S. dollars. Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan also visited New Delhi for the 11th meeting of China-India Joint Group on Economic Relations, Trade, Science and Technology to further enhance cooperation. Speaking positively of these new trends, Saqib said although geo-political and geo-strategic differences have strained the two countries' ties intermittently, "a pragmatic analysis of the India-China bilateral relationship and their shared interests in multiple sectors reveals that the real story is 'China and India'" rather than "China against India." Although the two sides were locked in an antagonistic relationship over the Doklam (Dong Lang) stand-off last summer, bilateral trade reached a record high of 84.4 billion dollars in 2017, a sharp rise from the previous year, said Saqib. "This is a major milestone for both countries," he said. The Indian economist noted that the trade and economic ties between the world's two most populous countries used to be likened to "giant ships passing by in the night" in the last few decades, but "the scenario is changing, with realization that China and India's strengths are complementary rather than clashing." "There is awareness in ... both New Delhi and Beijing that given the speed at which the economies of China and India are growing, there is enough room for both to accommodate the other's growth story," Saqib said. India is now the seventh largest export destination for Chinese products, and the 24th largest exporter to China, Saqib said. Data of the Chinese General Administration of Customs shows that Indian exports to China increased 40 percent to 16.34 billion dollars in 2017, which is "a healthy development." Envisioning the future of bilateral economic cooperation, Saqib pointed out that China has become the world's "top-ranks, most cost-effective workshop for manufactured goods," while "the Indian manufacturing sector is constantly exploring ways to find cheaper sources of machinery and supply from China" to boost its competitiveness. China also has the technology and the outbound investment capital to help develop India, he said, noting that China is among global leaders in building infrastructure and has foreign reserves of over 3 trillion dollars, and what India desperately needs is infrastructure investment. "China needs export markets for its overgrown infrastructure and construction industries," he said. India, meanwhile, in need of transforming its development mode, could offer "long-term growth potential and immense opportunities for partnership and enterprise." Noting that India and China share common interests on multiple levels of civilization, culture and economy, Saqib said he believes the two neighbors can build on their civilizational ties to successfully manoeuvre their current geo-political and geo-strategic challenges. "It is in the interests of both the Asian giants to rise together, instead of rising apart," he said. ICEC Council, founded in 2003, is an autonomous membership-based organization aiming to enhance economic and cultural cooperation between India and China. Murals drawn by French street artist Julien Seth Malland in China's Shanghai French street artist Julien Seth Malland mixes nostalgic Chinese scenes of hopscotch, swings, birdcages, old-fashioned bicycles and colorful buildings into his murals in Shanghai's old laneways. Since Friday, photos of his murals and sculptures have been on display at MoCA Shanghai as part of a solo exhibition that pays tribute to the Shanghai of the 1980s and 1990s. A lion-headed man plays ball in one scene, which is situated at the entrance of an old lane set among Shanghai's historic "shikumen" alley houses. "This reminds me of my childhood. I was running and jumping in the shabby old lanes. It really surprised me to learn that the artist is from France," said visitor Zhu Yihua, who was born in the 1970s. Murals drawn by French street artist Julien Seth Malland in China's Shanghai Born in Paris in 1972, the artist is better known by the name Seth Globepainter. He has been touring the world and working with local street artists since 2003, making art in more than 50 countries and regions. "While wandering in Shanghai, I noticed that many old neighborhoods are making way for skyscrapers, and the city is busy transforming itself into a modern one. But, as an artist, I would like to remind my audience to pause in their steps and search for beautiful memories instead," Seth told Xinhua. Seth became popular in Shanghai in the winter of 2014, when he worked with Chinese artist Shi Zheng on the painting "Sleeping Chinese Beauties," inspired by a classic Tang Dynasty (618-907) poem. Photos of the painting, located on the wall of a partially demolished house in Shanghai, spread quickly via Chinese social media app WeChat. "When you gaze at Seth's work, you can imagine the narrow streets becoming the playground for neighborhood kids again. By exploring local culture, Seth invites people to escape reality and rediscover the place through the eyes of a child," said Cao Bin, curator of the exhibition. Murals drawn by French street artist Julien Seth Malland in China's Shanghai Most of the figures in Seth's paintings are children drawn in a hybrid style that combines modern and traditional forms. In recent years, Seth has continued to create art in Shanghai, including a painting on a farm house in the village of Qingpu. In 2017, he painted a 46-meter-high mural in Yangpu District of Shanghai, the tallest mural in Asia. It depicts a girl playing the piano on a tree. Murals drawn by French street artist Julien Seth Malland in China's Shanghai Seth said he plans to bring the Shanghai-themed art to his future exhibitions, and he also plans to visit more inland Chinese regions, such as Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southwest China and northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, to create his art. "I feel like racing against time to capture the culture of rural China, which is undergoing unprecedented urbanization," he said. He said street art can bring local people amusement and confidence in their own culture. MOSCOW, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Russian military has successfully tested its new modernized anti-ballistic missile system in Kazakhstan, Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper reported Monday. Andrey Prikhodko, deputy commander of the Air and Missile Defense of the Aerospace Forces said that the new modernized anti-ballistic missile system has successfully struck a conventional target at a designated time, according to the official military daily. The newspaper also noted that the anti-missile system, armed with a military communications system, is designed to protect Moscow against air and space strikes, as well as to perform tasks in the interests of missile attack warning systems and control of outer space. "Its tactical and technical characteristics concerning the range, accuracy, and duration of operation are much higher than the counterparts currently in service," said Prikhodko. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 15:25:51|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 30 self-financed Chinese students studying in western U.S. have become the latest group of successful students receiving a prestigious government award for their outstanding academic achievements. At a ceremoy held at the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco on Sunday, Chinese Consul General Luo Linquan presented certificates and scholarships ranging from 6,000 to 10,000 U.S. dollars to each of the students from the San Francisco consular district, which covers the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Nevada, as well as Northern California. The students were among 500 winners from 25 countries who were honored for their remarkable achievements in 2017 with the Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad, an annual program sponsored by the China Scholarship Council, a non-profit agency affiliated with China's Ministry of Education. Since the award was established in 2003, a total of 5,915 outstanding Chinese students have received the highest honor given by the Chinese government to students studying in foreign universities who do not receive financial support from the government. Luo said at the annual conferring ceremony that the 27 students who received the award in person are representatives of excellent Chinese students who study overseas. He hoped the students will uphold the spirit of patriotism, closely follow the latest social and scientific advances back in China, and combine their own personal dreams with ongoing development in their homeland, so as to fulfill their values at a broader level. The students are good-will ambassadors of the two countries' friendship, Luo said, adding that they should take a more active part in cultural exchanges between China and the U.S., which will facilitate efforts to boost mutual understanding between the two peoples. As winner of the top award of the scholarships, Tianyu Liu is working on a post-doctoral program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). Liu said China has made great strides in physical chemistry and energy storage, his current area of study. The Chinese government has invested more in new energy with greater financial resources. China has a more promising prospect in the research and development of electrical chemistry energy in the present-day world, which encourages him to a seek a teaching career at a Chinese university in the future, Liu said. Yayuan Liu, another award recipient who is studying on a post-doctoral program at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University, said the award is a huge honor and encouragement for her. As a student of Professor Yi Cui, a world famous Chinese scientist in nanomaterial science at Stanford, Liu said Cui's successful story has encouraged many Chinese students to take him as an example in their study and research with a positive approach. "We will study hard in our academic fields and learn as much as possible technology of nanomaterial and new energy, which has an extensive application in environment," she said. She said she is very optimistic about China's progress in science, as the government has made greater input on scientific research in both financial and human resources. "I'll consider going back to China after my post-doctoral work in the U.S., as I see a very promising future in China," she said. Lian Biao, also the winner of the award who is working on a post-doctoral program at Princeton University after graduating from Stanford University, said the award provides him an opportunity to keep a close connection with the motherland. "My research area in solid state physics will not only help us better understand the world around us, but also offer more possibilities for quantum calculation," he said. Lian, who was a former undergraduate student at Tsinghua University, said China has progressed a lot in frontier science of physics in recent years, an area where few people were able to do research during his time. "As a Chinese, I'm very much committed to making my own contribution to China's future development after my graduation in the United States," he said. HANOI, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam exported nearly 1.4 million tons of rice worth 668 million U.S. dollars in the first three months of this year, up 9.1 percent in volume, and up 23.8 percent in value against the same period last year, according to the Vietnam Food Association on Monday. The country, which exported roughly 5.9 million tons of rice worth nearly 2.7 billion U.S. dollars last year, mainly to China and the Philippines, plans to ship abroad 6.5 million tons of rice, including higher volumes of such high-grade rice as Japonica, fragrant rice and sticky rice, this year. In recent years, Vietnam has increased export of high-grade rice, with Japonica accounting for 4.4 percent of its total rice export in 2017, said the association. The country is focusing on using better rice growing, harvesting, postharvest, storage and transport practices and types so that rice will have uniform moisture contents, high weight, no foreign material, low percentage of discolored, broken and damaged kernels, no presence of insects and molds, and high protein and vitamin content. Vietnam's paddy rice-growing area was over 7.7 million hectares in 2017, and its paddy rice output last year dropped for the first time over the past 20 years to 42.8 million tons, said its agriculture ministry. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 16:31:04|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close JERUSALEM, April 2 (Xinhua) -- War of words between Israel and Turkey over violence in Gaza continued on Monday as top Israeli minister said the reconciliation accord between the two countries may have been a mistake. Israel's Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan told Army Radio that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is "an anti-Semite" after the latter slammed Israel for shooting dead 17 Palestinians during a mass protest near the Gaza fence on Friday. Erdogan said the 2016 reconciliation agreement between Israel and Turkey may have been a mistake. The deal normalized the relations between the countries six years after diplomatic ties between them were severed. "Looking back, maybe the accord should not have been approved," Erdogan said. On Sunday, Erdogan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being "a terrorist" and said Israel's response to Friday's protest was an "inhumane attack." "Hey Netanyahu! You are occupier. And it is as an occupier that are you are on those lands," Erdogan said in a televised address in Adana in southern Turkey. Netanyahu retaliated, tweeting that "the most moral army in the world will not be lectured to on morality from someone who for years has been bombing civilians indiscriminately." "Apparently this is how they mark April 1 in Ankara," he added, referencing to April's Fools Day. The escalating quarrel came amidst growing international criticism over Friday's killing. On Friday, about 30,000 protesters from besieged Palestinian enclave marched towards the security fence separating between the Gaza Strip and Israel. The Israeli army responded with live fire and rubber-coated bullets. The violence claimed the lives of 17 Palestinians and injured over 1,200. The Friday rally was the start of a six-week long protest that is expected to reach a peak on May 15, the day Israel celebrates its statehood and Palestinians mark the forcible transfer of two-thirds of the Palestinian people and the eradication of 418 Palestinian villages. This combination of pictures created on April 1, 2018 shows a file photo taken on November 19, 2017 of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) attending the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem and a file photo taken on December 15, 2017 of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the inauguration ceremony of Turkey's first automated urban metro line on the Asian side of Istanbul. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Benjamin Netanyahu on April 1, 2018 of being "a terrorist" after the Israeli prime minister rejected Ankara's "moral lessons" over deadly clashes in Gaza. (AFP photo) JERUSALEM, April 2 (Xinhua) -- War of words between Israel and Turkey over violence in Gaza continued on Monday as top Israeli minister said the reconciliation accord between the two countries may have been a mistake. Israel's Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan told Army Radio that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is "an anti-Semite" after the latter slammed Israel for shooting dead 17 Palestinians during a mass protest near the Gaza fence on Friday. Erdogan said the 2016 reconciliation agreement between Israel and Turkey may have been a mistake. The deal normalized the relations between the countries six years after diplomatic ties between them were severed. "Looking back, maybe the accord should not have been approved," Erdogan said. On Sunday, Erdogan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being "a terrorist" and said Israel's response to Friday's protest was an "inhumane attack." "Hey Netanyahu! You are occupier. And it is as an occupier that are you are on those lands," Erdogan said in a televised address in Adana in southern Turkey. Netanyahu retaliated, tweeting that "the most moral army in the world will not be lectured to on morality from someone who for years has been bombing civilians indiscriminately." "Apparently this is how they mark April 1 in Ankara," he added, referencing to April's Fools Day. The escalating quarrel came amidst growing international criticism over Friday's killing. On Friday, about 30,000 protesters from besieged Palestinian enclave marched towards the security fence separating between the Gaza Strip and Israel. The Israeli army responded with live fire and rubber-coated bullets. The violence claimed the lives of 17 Palestinians and injured over 1,200. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 16:51:08|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close SHENYANG, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in northeast China's Liaoning Province have released new measures to attract more foreign investment and further open up to the world. At the provincial work conference on opening up held Saturday, Liaoning authorities released 40 measures aimed at bringing overseas investment into the province's equipment, technology and service sectors. By 2020, the province aims to utilize 10 billion U.S. dollars of foreign investment and 600 billion yuan (about 95 billion U.S. dollars) of investment from other Chinese provincial-level regions. In 2017, Liaoning attracted 5.34 billion dollars of foreign investment, up 78 percent year on year. The province also released measures to support foreign investors in setting up research and development (R&D) centers in Liaoning. It will grant subsidies ranging from 500,000 yuan to 2 million yuan to approved R&D centers between 2018 and 2022. In 2017, Liaoning's GDP grew 4.2 percent to 2.39 trillion yuan, reversing the negative growth of 2.5 percent in 2016. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 16:56:09|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close JERUSALEM, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military said Monday its forces issued a demolition order overnight for the family home of a Palestinian attacker who killed an Israeli in East Jerusalem's Old City in March. The move came two weeks after troops made initial preparations for the demolishment of the home of the assailant, Abdul Rahmani Faddal in the West Bank village of Aqraba. In the March 18 attack, Faddal, 28, stabbed Adiel Kolman, 32, in the Old City. Kolman, a father of four from the settlement of Kochav Hashachar, died of his wounds in hospital a few hours later. Faddal was shot and killed by a police officer at the scene. The incident took place as tensions in the region are on the rise ahead of the expected relocation of the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May and amidst a looming humanitarian crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip. Israel demolishes the homes of Palestinian attackers, charging the measure is aimed at deterring more attacks, but Palestinians and human rights groups say the measure constitutes a collective punishment and is counterproductive. ULAN BATOR, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia has signed a visa-free agreement with Uruguay, allowing a 30-day visa-free travel to each other, the Mongolian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday. The agreement was signed by Batmunkh Battsetseg, Mongolia's deputy minister of foreign affairs, and his visiting Uruguayan counterpart Ariel Bergamino. The deal envisages that diplomats and holders of official or ordinary passports from Mongolia and Uruguay could travel to the territory of the other contracting party without a visa for a maximum period of 30 days. "The agreement aims to promote people-to-people exchanges between our two countries, especially in the tourism sector," Battsetseg said. The visa-free agreement will come into force after ratification by the parliaments of the two countries. MOGADISHU, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) confirmed on Monday that 34 people were killed during intense fighting between the AU troops and Al-Shabaab in southern Somalia on Sunday. Francisco Madeira, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, said 30 militants were killed when the AU troops repulsed the terrorists who attacked Forward Operating Bases in Lower Shabelle region. "Unfortunately, AMISOM lost four gallant soldiers in the fighting. Six others sustained injuries," Madeira said in a statement issued in Mogadishu. However, the militant group claimed its fighters killed 59 Ugandan troops in the attack. "The militants were dealt a heavy blow, with at least 30 of them put out of action, following intense fighting. Eight vehicles which ferried the terrorists, including two vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices were destroyed and an assortment of weapons recovered," Madeira said. The Sunday attacks were believed to be the first simultaneous assaults by the militant group on an AMISOM base this year. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 17:41:22|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close DOHA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The sixth Doha forum for Policies and Strategies called on major powers to take steps to end the Gulf crisis targeting Qatar, state-run Qatari news agency (QNA) reported Monday. The call came in a final statement released Sunday by the two-day forum, which brought many experts, thinkers and decision-makers from major countries. The forum stressed the need to pay attention to the changes and challenges in the political and economic relations between Gulf states as well as their effects on the regional and international alliances in the Middle East. The statement also called on the Gulf elite to prevent the negative impact of the crisis on popular mentality. It also asked military institutions to respond to the new challenges of regular armies, develop new technologies and establish specialized departments. Last June, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic, trade and transport links to Qatar, accusing the gas-rich Gulf state of supporting terrorism and establishing close ties with Iran against Arab interests, which Doha has repeatedly denied. The Doha forum was organized by the Center for Strategic Studies at the Ministry of Defense in cooperation with the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 18:01:26|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong (R) meets with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, with both sides expressing willingness to upgrade bilateral pragmatic cooperation, in Hanoi, Vietnam, on April 2, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Shen) HANOI, April 2 (Xinhua) -- General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong met with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi here on Monday, with both sides expressing willingness to upgrade bilateral pragmatic cooperation. Vietnam welcomes China growing strong and making important contributions to the regional and global peace and stability, said Trong. He spoke highly of the successful state visit by General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping to Vietnam in November last year. As bilateral relations keeping a positive development trend, Vietnam supports China's Belt and Road Initiative and stands ready to push for closer synergy between the Chinese initiative and Vietnam's "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan so as to promote bilateral pragmatic cooperation, he said. Trong called on Vietnam and China to properly handle the maritime issues existing between the two countries through friendly consultations. As a transitional method, the two sides can explore joint development and joint safeguarding maritime peace and stability, he suggested. For his part, Wang said the important strategic consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries has been turning into a strong driving force for the positive growth of China-Vietnam relations. China is willing to join hands with Vietnam to further implement the important achievements from the state visit to Vietnam by General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping in November last year, consolidate and advance the friendly cooperation between the two countries, and become real actions of all walks of life in the two countries to boost the comprehensive strategic cooperation, Wang said. The two sides should seize the opportunity to push forward the alignment of China's Belt and Road Initiative with Vietnam's "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan, and explore new potentials for cooperation in a bid to upgrade the scale and quality of bilateral pragmatic cooperation, he suggested. China is willing to work with Vietnam to properly manage and control disputes, explore joint development as well as improve and consolidate the public opinion foundation on boosting bilateral ties, so as to ensure Sino-Vietnamese relations always being on the right track, Wang said. The Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister attended the sixth summit of the Greater Mekong Sub-region Economic Cooperation and paid an official visit to Vietnam from Friday to Monday. During his visit, he also met with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh. ADDIS ABABA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Chairman of the ruling Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) Abiy Ahmed was appointed as the country's new prime minister on Monday by Parliament. The ruling coalition voted in the 41-year-old former Minister of Science and Technology last Tuesday to take over the government of the East African country. After the appointment, Ahmed was sworn in at a special session of the House of People's Representatives. According to Ethiopia's constitution, EPRDF, which has a majority of seats in the parliament, had presented Ahmed for the post. His predecessor Hailemariam Desalegn submitted resignation in mid- February after sustained protests mainly in the central and northern regions. Desalegn said his resignation would be part of a solution to advance reforms aimed at easing the country's unrest. Ethiopia has been reeling from deadly protests since 2016, especially in the two most populous regional states of Amhara and Oromia, over alleged political and economic marginalization. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 18:26:29|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close COLOMBO, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Two males and Two females of a family died on Monday in a road crash in the town of Galewela in central Sri Lanka, local police said. According to the police, the victims were killed when their three-wheeler collided head on with a lorry. The police said the driver of the lorry was taken into custody after the accident. Road crashes claimed over 3,000 lives in Sri Lanka last year. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 18:36:30|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Up to 17 students of an Afghan girl school were mysteriously poisoned in southern Helmand province on Monday, Daud Shah Safari, head of the provincial education department said. "Up to 17 students of a girl school were mysteriously poisoned in their classroom in provincial capital Lashkar Gah today morning and have been taken to hospital," Safari told Xinhua. This is the first time that such incident happened in the restive province, the official added. The affected students said they have smelled a strange gas when entering classroom. Deputy to the provincial police chief, Guli Khan, confirmed the incident and said an expert team had been sent to the girl school in Lashkar Gah to examine the situation. However, the official didn't rule out the involvement of anti-government militants in the incident. The militancy-plagued and poppy-growing Helmand province has been the scene of Taliban-led insurgency and violent incidents over the past one decade. KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Over a dozen people were killed and more than two dozens injured as security forces warplanes attacked Daftani area in Dasht Archi district of Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province on Monday, a local official said on condition of anonymity. "A meeting was underway in Daftani area of Dasht Archi district today afternoon when aircrafts targeted it killing over a dozen people including some Taliban members and injuring over two dozens of others," the official told Xinhua but refused to be identified, saying authorized officials would speak to media after investigation. No official was immediately available to make comment. A similar aerial bombardment on an oil tanker in a militant-held area in Chardara district of the northern Kunduz province in 2009 had killed more than 100 people and injured scores others. COLOMBO, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government is planning to establish a Light Rail Transit System (LRT) in capital Colombo, which will be operational by 2025, the government information department said here Monday. The government is taking measures to implement a LRT project to establish an efficient and effective passenger transport system in the Colombo Megapolis area, the information department said. Under the proposed system, which is expected to commence operations by 2025, seven LRT lines have been planned to be constructed within Colombo and an LRT line will be extended towards Malabe, on the outskirts of the capital from Borella via Battaramulla. Dimantha De Silva, senior lecturer at the University of Moratuwa and a Megapolis transport planner, said recently that an LRT system was needed to cater to anticipated transport demand in the planned Western Province Megapolis region. "We need to provide a sustainable solution for transport for the next 20 years, not for five years," he said. He said by 2035, Sri Lanka's forecast was 30,000 passengers per hour per direction in some transport corridors in the Colombo Metropolitan Region (CMR). Planners have forecast that by 2035 the number of passengers in the main transport corridors with the CMR would rise from 1.9 million to 4.5 million. PARIS, April 2 (Xinhua) -- France expressed concerns over the use of excessive force in Palestinians' demonstration in the Gaza Strip, calling on Israel to show more restraint, foreign ministry spokeswoman said in a statement released on Sunday. "France reminds the Israeli authorities of their duty to protect civilians and urges them to show the greatest restraint," said Agnes von der Muhll. "France also highlights the Palestinians' right to peacefully demonstrate," she added. An anti-Israel rally, dubbed the Great Return March, turned violent on Friday following clashes between Israeli forces and the Palestinians, leaving 15 Palestinians dead and over 1,000 others injured. It was the largest single day death toll seen in the area since Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and Israel started a war in the summer of 2014. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 19:21:45|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close XIAMEN, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The French research schooner Tara approached the sea off the coast of Xiamen Monday morning, starting an eight-day visit to the eastern Chinese city to raise awareness about marine environmental protection, especially reef preservation. The stopover was part of Tara's 100,000-km Pacific expedition focusing on research on coral reefs and climate change. The science vessel has traveled 60,000 km since 2016, collecting 25,000 research samples. According to Xiamen University, one of the organizers of Tara's Xiamen visit, seminars, exhibitions and other activities will be held. The highlight of Tara's visit will be a public open day co-hosted by Tara and Chinese research vessel Tan Kah Kee, which was named in memory of patriotic overseas Chinese businessman and philanthropist Tan Kah Kee, who established Xiamen University in 1921. According to a press conference held by the French consulate in Shanghai last month, Tara is scheduled to visit Sanya, Hong Kong, Keelung,Xiamen and Shanghai during its first China visit, which began Feb. 24. It will leave Shanghai on April 29. Tara was built in 1989 and measures 36 meters long by 10 meters wide. Since 2003, it has finished 11 science expeditions. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 19:26:45|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close GAZA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza accused on Monday the Israeli army of deliberately using excessive force against Palestinian demonstrators near the border fence between Gaza and Israel during a rally on Friday. "The Israeli soldiers intentionally killed and injured as much demonstrators as possible," the ministry's spokesman Ashraf al-Qedra told a news conference in Gaza. Al-Qedra said the death toll of Friday's events in Gaza has so far reached 16, while some 1,500 people were injured, including 46 in serious conditions. He explained that 815 suffred from live bullets and explosives injuries, including 154 in the neck and head, 52 in the chest and back, and 38 in the abdomen. Al-Qedra noted that 200 children and 57 women were among the injuries. He called for an international investigation to uncover the weapons used by the Israeli army against Palestinian demonstrators. The spokesman urged international, humanitarian and human rights organizations to take action and file lawsuits against Israel for targeting peaceful demonstrators. Israel on Sunday rejected international calls for an independent investigation into Friday clashes near the Gaza-Israel border fence. The Israeli army said its forces did not fire at anyone approaching the separation fence, but aimed at anyone who threatened its sovereignty and crossed the border. The Friday rally was the start of a six-week long protest that is expected to reach a peak on May 15, the day Israel celebrates its establishment and the Palestinians mark the forcible transfer of two thirds of the Palestinian people and the ethnic cleansing of 418 Palestinian villages. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 19:36:48|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close GAZA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said on Monday that Qatar's recent donations have helped the agency continue its services for Palestinian refugees. "With its unprecedented pledge of 50 million U.S. dollars to UNRWA at a recent ministerial conference in Rome, Qatar will become one of UNRWA's top donors and will have a major impact on the Agency's ability to continue its vital services to the vulnerable Palestinian refugee community during this period of dramatic financial crisis," UNRWA said in a statement. Qatar made the largest pledge at a UNRWA extraordinary ministerial conference on March 15, which the statement said will safeguard Palestinian refugee children's access to education in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon for the remainder of the current academic year as well as other core and essential services UNRWA provides to Palestinian refugees in the Middle East. UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krahenbuhl also expressed gratitude to Qatar, applauding the Gulf country for translating its political commitment into action and for its support to the Palestinian refugee community in the region. "The partnership between UNRWA and Qatar has been developing for years and with this unprecedented donation will now enter a new phase, with a significant focus on education, including emergency education, particularly in Syria and Gaza," the statement said. In January, the U.S. decided to slash its 2018 contribution to UNRWA from 125 million dollars to 65 million dollars. It also said it will not provide the 45 million dollars in aid it pledged in December. More than five million registered Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip will suffer if the agency is shut down or financial aid suspended. In Gaza alone, which has been under a tight Israeli blockade since 2007, UNRWA takes care of some 1.2 refugees living in eight camps. BUJUMBURA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- A grenade explosion killed two people and injured 14 others in Gitega Province, central Burundi, Burundian police said on Monday. An unidentified person blasted a grenade in a village bar in the Gitega district around 8:30 p.m. Sunday, killing two people on the spot, police spokesman Pierre Nkurikiye said. The police arrested four suspects while two of them have been released, said Nkurikiye, adding that the other two are under further investigations. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 19:51:53|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close A Long March-2FT1 carrier rocket loaded with Tiangong-1 unmanned space lab module blasts off from the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launche Center in northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 29, 2011. (Xinhua/Wang Jianmin) By Xinhua writers Yu Fei, Quan Xiaoshu and Li Guoli BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- As Tiangong-1 re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on Monday, China bade farewell to the experimental space lab and pathfinder for its space station. The space lab entered the atmosphere over the South Pacific at around 8:15 a.m. on Monday, and was mostly burnt up in the atmosphere, the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) said. PATHFINDER IN SPACE Launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Sept. 29, 2011, Tiangong-1 tested docking technology to prepare the way for the coming space station. It docked with Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 spacecraft. Six astronauts, four men and two women, spent time in the lab. In June 2013, Wang Yaping gave her famous physics lesson to students on Earth from the lab, inspiring nationwide enthusiasm for science and space exploration. Tiangong-1 was in service for four and a half years, two and a half years longer than its designed life, making important preparations for a permanent space station to be put into orbit around 2022. Huang Weifen, deputy chief designer at the Astronaut Center of China, said, "Tiangong-1 will go down in China's space history. It helped us accumulate precious knowledge for work on the space station." "Although Tiangong-1 was only a transitional platform between the spaceship and space station, it was key to our development of docking technology, and demonstrated the possibility of long stays in space for Chinese astronauts. The fervor aroused among Chinese is invaluable," said Bai Ruixue, a former space journalist and now CEO of a commercial space education project. "When I was reporting on the docking between Shenzhou-8 and Tiangong-1 from the Beijing Aerospace Control Center in November 2011, many people had tears in their eyes when they saw the two spacecraft, like two specs of dust floating in the vast universe, connect with each other. It's a kind of romance created by science and technology," Bai recalled. "Tiangong-1 has carried the space dreams of millions of Chinese. Although only a test base for future projects, it has had far-reaching effects," said Mao Xinyuan, a space science columnist. The return of Tiangong-1 was captured by some amateur astronomers who plotted its trajectory as it flew across the sky above Beijing at dawn on Sunday. "It was very bright and moving very fast. It's time for us to say goodbye to Tiangong-1," said Yu Jun, an enthusiastic stargazer. Over the past few years, Zhu Jin, director of Beijing Planetarium, has taken many photos of Tiangong-1 from the ground as the spacecraft passed by. "On clear nights, we could see it with the naked eyes. I also took photos of the International Space Station, but it is not the same feeling as when I see a Chinese spacecraft or satellite. I hope China's space station will be a great success," Zhu said. When Zhu travels around China he finds many young people are fanatical about space exploration. "I think it's because our space programs have made such great progress in recent years," he said. STEADY PROGRESS In 1992, China developed a three-step strategy for a manned space program. The first step, to send an astronaut into space and return safely, was fulfilled by Yang Liwei in the Shenzhou-5 mission in 2003. The second step was developing advanced space flight techniques and technologies including extra-vehicular activity and orbital docking. This phase also included the launch of two space labs -- effectively mini space stations that could be manned on a temporary basis. After Tiangong-1, China sent Tiangong-2, the country's first space lab "in the strict sense," into orbit on Sept. 15, 2016. Two astronauts lived onboard for 30 days, the longest ever space residence for Chinese astronauts. A series of cutting-edge scientific experiments, such as quantum key distribution, cold atomic clock and gamma ray burst observation, were conducted on the lab. Tianzhou-1, China's first cargo spacecraft, was launched on April 20, 2017, which docked with Tiangong-2 to test in-orbit refueling, another crucial technology for building the space station. The next step will be to assemble and operate a permanent manned space station. According to Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China's manned space program, China's space station, with an initial designed life of at least 10 years, will be comprised of a core module and two experimental modules, each weighing about 20 tonnes. It will accommodate three to six astronauts. With the International Space Station set to retire in 2024, the Chinese station will offer a promising alternative, and China will be the only country with a permanent space station. China's first astronaut Yang Liwei, who is also deputy director of CMSEO, said recently that a series of manned space missions will be launched during the assembly and construction period of China's space station from 2019 to around 2022. China will open its space station to scientists from around the world after the station is completed, and welcomes various kinds of international cooperation, Yang said. "China has a very clear design and plan for its manned space program and its lunar exploration program, which ensures steady and continuous progress in its space technology," said Zheng Yongchun, researcher at the National Astronomical Observatories Of China, and winner of the Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in Public Communication in Planetary Science. FUTURE PLAN As Chinese bid farewell to Tiangong-1, they are also looking forward to the coming of China's own space station, peaceful utilization of space technology, and deeper exploration of the universe. 2018 will see 35 launches of the Long March rocket series. One of the highlights will be the launch of the Chang'e-4 lunar probe later this year. If successful, it will be the first probe to land on the far side of the Moon. China also plans to accomplish the maiden flight of the Long March-5B carrier rocket, which has a low-Earth orbit carrying capacity greater than 22 tonnes, around June 2019, and the new rocket will be used to carry the core module and experiment modules of China's space station in the future. China will select its third group of astronauts for the manned space exploration plan in the first half of this year. The new astronauts will include not only pilots, but also maintenance engineers and scientists. In addition, China's heavy-lift carrier rocket, currently called the Long March-9, is expected to be sent into space by 2030. The Long March-9 rocket's low-Earth carrying capacity will exceed 100 tonnes, which could meet the demands of a manned lunar landing. MOGADISHU, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The African Union and UN special envoys on funding consultations have called for a gradual shift of security responsibilities from AU troops to the Somali security forces, the AU mission said on Monday. Ramtane Lamamra and Jean-Marie Guehenno, special envoys from the AU and the UN respectively who visited Mogadishu on Sunday to discuss sustainable funding to peace operations in Somalia said the transfer of security duties should be carried out without reversing the progress already made in securing the country. "It is very important that gradual shift from AMISOM to the Somali authorities happens in a way that doesn't jeopardize all the efforts that have been made so far," said UN Envoy Guehenno said in a statement issued in Mogadishu. Guehenno noted the presence of a multiplicity of actors who are supporting security and peacebuilding programs in Somalia and highlighted their importance towards the achievement of sustainable peace. "In the coming phase, the coordination between all these actors is more important than ever and it is of course a very sensitive issue," he said. AMISOM has developed conditions-based transition plan to transfer the national security responsibility from the AU troops to the Somali security forces. The envoys' assessment visit to Somalia is part of ongoing consultations on peace support operations for AMISOM, spearheaded by the African Union and the UN. While in Mogadishu, the two special envoys who held talks with Somalia president and the prime minister said their discussions focused on achieving a smooth transition of the security responsibility from AMISOM to the Somali security forces. Francisco Madeira, the AU Special Representative for Somalia, expressed concern that unpredictable funding to AMISOM may have far-reaching implications on Somalia. "It is no longer an issue of charity. Supporting SNA or AMISOM is not charity at all. Success of security in Somalia, in all its aspects, is success for everything, including international business," Madeira said. Upon completion of their assessment, the envoys will submit a report, which will inform decisions of the AU Commission and the UN, on the level of funding and provision of logistical support to AMISOM. LONDON, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The plight of schoolkids living in poverty in 21st century Britain was highlighted Monday as schoolteachers told of their experiences on the frontline in schools in poorer areas. A survey of 900 teachers revealed 60 percent of them saying child poverty in schools had worsened since 2015, with one in three saying the problem had got significantly worse, the annual conference of the National Education Union (NEU) was told in Brighton. The Guardian newspaper reported how headteachers from schools in deprived areas say they are having to provide basic services such as washing school uniforms for pupils from poor households, and are even paying for budget advice and counselling services for parents. A number of school leaders said at the conference they had noticed a visible difference in health and stature between children from their schools in deprived areas and those from better-off areas. One headteacher from a school in Cumbria in northern England said she was shocked to witness the differences between former pupils from her school and those from other primary schools. "My children, who have gone from me up to the local secondary school, have grey skin, poor teeth, poor hair, poor nails. They are smaller, they are thinner," she said. "At sporting events, you see your children in the year group compared to other children in an affluent area and you think: our kids are really small. When you see them with children of the same age who are from an affluent area, they just look tiny." Louise Regan, head of a primary school in Nottinghamshire, said: "We have a food bank, so we give out food parcels, particularly on Fridays, we buy clothing, we do a lot of buying, particularly coats in winter and shoes. We've had children who haven't come to school because they didn't have shoes." Jane Jenkins, headteacher of an inner-city primary school in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, said: "Poverty on paper seems to be getting better but the reality is completely the reverse, poverty is just becoming more and more extreme." Mondays were often the worst days at some schools, conference delegates said, with children arriving in school hungry and tired after a weekend with little food. The experiences of teachers back up a new survey carried out by the NEU in association with the Child Poverty Action Group. NEU official Celia Dignam, responsible for child poverty issues, said the union's survey revealed 4.1 million children are living in poverty. Dignam said: "Schools are now a safety net, particularly for children in poverty," added that the Institute for Fiscal Studies had estimated that by 2021 5 million children in Britain would be living in poverty. In a statement the Department for Education said: "We continue to support the most disadvantaged children through free school meals, the 2.5 billion pound (3.5 billion U.S. dollars) funding given to schools through the pupil premium to support their education, and the recently announced 26 million pounds (37 million U.S. dollars) investment to kickstart or improve breakfast clubs in at least 1,700 schools." Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 20:17:03|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday again urged the United States to revoke it protectionist measures, amid escalating friction between the world's two largest economies. The measures abuse the security exception clause of World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and go against the principle of non-discrimination in multilateral trade, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said in an online statement. Despite strong warnings from business groups and trade experts, President Donald Trump last month signed a memorandum that could impose tariffs on up to 60 billion U.S. dollars of imports from China and restrictions on Chinese investment in the United States. The move came after the U.S. administration took an increasingly hawkish turn on China, as it blamed its trade deficit with major trading partners for its domestic economic woes and job losses. It decided to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum, with China as the major target. "China's interests have been seriously damaged," the MOC said. To balance losses caused by the U.S move, the ministry proposed countermeasures on U.S. products worth about 3 billion U.S. dollars on March 23 and solicited public opinion. Based on domestic support, the policy has been put into effect. The Ministry of Finance on Monday announced a 15-percent tariff on 120 items from the United States including fruit, and a 25-percent tariff on eight items including pork. China had worked out measures to boost imports and widen market access to mitigate tension with the United States, but to no avail, analysts said. The two sides have failed to reach a consensus as the United States declined to respond to China's requests through the WTO for consultation, the MOC said. "As a WTO member, China has the right not to meet some former obligations to the United States." WRONG BATTLE The United States' goods trade deficit with China is considered the main reason for President Trump's stance, but the figure is inflated and does not show the full picture of China-U.S. economic ties. Trump exaggerates the deficit, Stephen Roach, a senior fellow at the Yale University Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, said at a Beijing-based think tank event. A hefty part of the deficit comes from the supply chain effect, which means components are just assembled in China but originally produced elsewhere, Roach said and estimated the figure could be cut significantly if adjusted accordingly. "Politicians have no patience for statistics -- they find it much easier to point the finger at China," Roach said. The United States has a huge service trade surplus with China, and the gap has been widening. China's service trade deficit totaled 255 billion U.S. dollars last year, with the United States as a major contributor. From 2006 to 2016, the deficit with the United States increased more than 30-fold. Given the situation, the decision to raise tariffs is improper and dangerous, and likely to cause losses for the country and its trade partners. "I am quite worried about the potential for escalating trade conflict between the United States and China," Roach said. "Maybe Trump is bluffing... but we can not afford to ignore the risks. The stakes are too high for all of us." COOPERATION; ONLY COOPERATION Despite the friction, China is still interested in economic cooperation for mutual benefit. "Cooperation is the only valid option for China and the United States," the MOC said, calling for dialogue and consultation to avoid more harm to the broader picture of China-U.S. cooperation. For decades, China-U.S. economic ties have expanded steadily and generated huge benefits for people on both sides. Trade friction may be unavoidable but what matters is bridging differences through reasonable talks and exploring new fronts for cooperation, said Long Guoqiang, deputy director of the State Council development research center. Economists believe that the tariffs plan will backfire in any case. "U.S. consumers will bear the costs of the Trump administration's tariffs," said Justin Yifu Lin, dean of the Institute for New Structural Economics of Peking University. As U.S. consumer demand for daily necessities will not change simply by raising the costs of imported products, the United States will either continue to import from China or it will import from Vietnam, India and other countries where prices are already higher. The result will be the same: U.S. consumers will pay more for the same products, Lin said. Related: China urges U.S. to rethink on trade protectionism BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday called on U.S. decision makers to seriously weigh up the value of its unilateral trade protectionism. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang made the call at a daily press briefing, commenting on recent remarks made by U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad on possible Chinese retaliation on soybean imports from the United States. Full story China denounces US trade approach, urging dispute settlement through dialogue BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- China said Thursday that the U.S. trade approach had set a bad precedent that could trigger a domino effect on protectionism, and the United States must resort to dialogue and consultation to settle disputes. Full story Interview: Unilateral sanctions can't cure U.S. trade deficit, says trade expert NEW YORK, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Unilateral sanctions can't resolve the U.S. trade deficit problem but will instead significantly hurt businesses and consumers in both the United States and China, a trade expert has said. Full story Protectionist tariffs no solution for U.S. trade imbalance CHICAGO, March 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. protectionist measures of unilaterally imposing steep tariffs will not solve trade problem but risk opening a Pandora's box to backfire on its own economy, said U.S. experts. Full story High tariffs on Chinese imports would weaken America: economists Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 20:32:07|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have found evidence of the shift from wild rice to rice cultivation. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) collected the samples of phytoliths, a microscopic structure of silicon dioxide, from an archaeological profile at the Hehuashan site, located in the upper Qiantang River region in east China's Zhejiang Province. They found and analyzed the fan-shaped phytoliths which were contained in rice leaves. A change in the amount and forms of the fan-shaped phytoliths found at the Early Neolithic site indicated a change from wild rice to cultivated rice at the time of human occupation, which provides evidence of possible manipulation of wild rice during Shangshan Culture period about 10,000 years ago. Rice cultivation has a long evolutionary process. "Ancient humans recognized wild rice could satisfy their hunger," said Wu Yan, associate professor from CAS Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology. "Then they learnt to collect and preserve wild rice and began rice cultivation." The phytoliths were resistant to corrosion and well preserved. They are expected to be a key finding for the research into the origins of rice, said Wu. ISLAMABAD, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice Wells met Pakistani Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa here on Monday discussed regional security environment, especially the peace efforts in Afghanistan, the military said. Wells has been in Pakistan for almost a week, holding meetings with officials and members of the civil society. "The Chief of the Army Staff reiterated that Pakistan is committed to peace and stability in the region, particularly in Afghanistan through a national approach," a statement from the army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said. Bajwa insisted that Pakistan also expects other players in the region to play equally positive part, the statement said. On her part, Wells said that the U.S. is committed to lasting peace and supports all efforts towards that end. "Both agreed that bilateral convergences should be leveraged to gain positive momentum rather than remaining hostage to perceptions," the statement said. Wells also met Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua on Thursday. Both sides agreed that the momentum of the peace initiative proposed by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani needs to be carried forward. Ghani, in his address to the meeting of Kabul Process on Feb. 28, offered to hold an unconditional peace dialogue with the Taliban and the recognition of it as a political party. He also offered the Taliban to open its office in Afghanistan. This is Wells' second visit to Pakistan this year aimed at continuing the conversation to strengthen bilateral relations and promote peace and security in the region, according to the foreign ministry. Noting that the U.S. and Pakistan had a long track record of cooperation, Wells emphasized the importance of working together to achieve the common objectives of peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region. Nigerian soldiers participate in an operation in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno, March 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Wale Salau) ABUJA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Fifteen people were killed and 83 others wounded in clashes between Nigerian soldiers and Boko Haram militants in northeastern Nigeria, the military confirmed on Monday. One soldier and one civilian were among the dead in the clashes that occurred in the northeastern city of Maiduguri late Sunday, a military spokesman told Xinhua. The remaining 13 were Boko Haram fighters who attempted to infiltrate Maiduguri, the capital of the northern state of Borno, said the spokesman, Onyema Nwachukwu. Boko Haram fighters resorted to attacking remote communities near Maiduguri after several attempts to penetrate the city were quashed, Nwachukwu said. Witnesses told of sporadic gunshots and multiple explosions that lasted hours on Sunday night on the outskirts of Maiduguri. The Boko Haram fighters parked their vehicles a few meters away from a military checkpoint and sneaked into the communities near the city, according to the military. Earlier, a source confirmed that dozens of women and children were wounded as soldiers engaged in fierce gun battle with the terrorists who detonated improvised explosive devices and shot sporadically. Another source said bodies were not immediately evacuated from the place of the attack, due to darkness. Last Friday, at least five people were killed and 13 others wounded in multiple bomb explosions in the same city. KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, April 2 (Xinhua) -- A Taliban key leader Mawlawi Burhan is among over a dozen people killed in Dasht Archi district of the northern Kunduz province on Monday, a local official said. "A key Taliban leader Mawlawi Burhan is among over a dozen militants killed in the deadly airstrikes in Daftani area of Dasht Archi district today afternoon," the official told Xinhua on the condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, an official with the public relation office of Pamir 20 Corps has also confirmed that Mawlawi Burhan, a senior member of Taliban leadership visiting the Taliban fighters to reorganize the group, was killed with 14 more insurgents in Dasht Archi district during the air raids against Taliban militants. According to the official, 15 militants were killed and 10 others injured in the airstrikes. However, locals believe that the number of casualties might be higher than reported. Spokesman for Kunduz police Inamudin Rahmani has also confirmed the airstrikes and asserted that more than two dozens of militants, including some foreigners, were killed and injured in Dasht Archi district of Kunduz province at around noon on Monday. He also said that the investigation is underway. Taliban militants haven't commented on the report yet. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 21:02:14|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close JERUSALEM, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Israel said on Monday that it reached a landmark agreement with the UN Refugee Agency to cancel the deportation of African asylum seekers from Israel. Under the five-year agreement, the UN Refugee Agency would help relocate at least 16,250 asylum seekers, mostly from Eritrea and Sudan, to "Western countries," Israeli Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. The rest will receive legal status in Israel and the government will provide vocational training and assistance in finding a job, it added. The new understanding cancels a government plan to expel tens of thousands of Eritrean and Sudanese asylum seekers to Uganda and Rwanda or to detain those who refuse an indefinite time in prison. "These understandings will enable the exit of a greater number of migrants than in the previous plan, all under the auspices of the UN and the international community," the statement read. The agreement was achieved in the wake of a ruling by the Israeli Supreme Court on March 15, which put a temporary freeze on the deportation plan. Official figures released by the Interior Ministry show Israel has some 42,000 African migrants, many of whom live in the impoverished neighborhoods of southern Tel Aviv. Israeli authorities see them as a threat to Israel's Jewish identity and employed a slew of measures against them. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 21:07:15|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close WUHAN, April 2 (Xinhua) -- On a Sunday morning, about 20 children aged three to six were reading picture books with their parents at a library in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province. The book they were reading is called "Havoc in Heaven," based on the story of the legendary monkey in Chinese classic "Journey to the West." Shu Huan, with the library, told Xinhua that the library holds up to 100 children's reading events every year, of which at least 10 percent are activities with picture books for young children. Over 20 percent of the picture book readers are foreign children. With more attention being focused on early-childhood education in China, Chinese picture books are also emerging on the global stage. At the just-concluded 55th Bologna Children's Book Fair, in which China was the guest of honor, a series of original picture books from Chinese publishers won the hearts of young readers. During the fair, copyrights for two Chinese picture books were sold to publishers in Nepal and France. One of them is "Dragon Moon," co-written by Chinese writer Chen Ying and Australian illustrator Graeme Base. "Dragon Moon" was published in 2017 by Changjiang Children's Publishing Group. It tells a story of an orphan fish named "dragon moon" who travels around the country in search of its identity. In the end, it becomes a dragon and saves its homeland. In addition to dragons, a typical figure throughout the Chinese history, Base also included a "panda fish" -- a panda that lives underwater, and scores of famous Chinese landscapes and heritage sites such as the Great Wall, the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in southwest China's Yunnan, as well as Tulou, a type of large, enclosed and fortified earth building, mostly in rectangular or circular shape, found in the mountainous areas of Fujian Province. Base said he loves China, but the Chinese culture is sometimes too deep for foreigners to truly understand the underlying metaphors, so he needed a Chinese partner to help him finish the book. "Dragon Moon" was brought to 10 cities across China after its publication in 2017 and sold all the 8,000 copies in just two weeks. The book has been reprinted three times and sold a total of 20,000 copies in the past two years in domestic market. An English version will be released in Australia and New Zealand next year. Fang Fang, head of the children's department at the Wuhan library, said domestic picture books are being increasingly welcomed by children in recent years. "Our department introduces about 40,000 new books every year, 8,000 of them are picture books. Among the picture books, about 30 to 40 percent are Chinese originals," said Fang. "Before 2015, picture books only made up about 10 to 15 percent of the new books every year." "Our original picture books are gradually being more widely recognized in overseas markets," said Yao Lei, vice president of Changjiang Children's Publishing Group. Well-known Chinese classics and stories written by acclaimed domestic writers such as Mei Zihan and Cao Wenxuan, who won the Hans Christian Andersen Prize 2016, are especially popular. "Another way is through collaborations with foreign illustrators," said Yao. "Writers from different backgrounds can generate sparks in storytelling and help original Chinese picture books be more suitable for global audiences," Yao added. Major Chinese publishers are also rearranging their businesses to suit the shifting market. Changjiang Children's Publishing Group set up a picture book editorial office last year. Five editors in the office are in charge of selecting topics and writers, graphic design as well as marketing of domestic picture books. All the picture books published by the office have been sold overseas. This year, they aim to try more new forms of picture books, for instance, pop-up books and books with sounds and smells. "When domestic illustrators and writers were yet to be recognized globally, we catered to the market demand by importing overseas picture books. Now we have our own writers, and they have led more young people to create picture books; it will become a virtuous circle," said Liu Jiapeng, head of the editorial office. Miya Du, born in the 1980s, is one of the most famous young illustrators in China. She also attended this year's Bologna Children Book Fair. "Stories that appeal to children are those that care about what they want to know," said Du. "An excellent Chinese picture book is a combination of child psychology, child development, children's literature as well as some Chinese characteristics," she said. "I have seen a growing number of domestic children's fiction writers and illustrators in recent years and also the rising significance picture books have been playing in the lives of our children. I believe more excellent Chinese original picture books will spring up to open a window for children around the world to better understand China," Du said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 21:17:16|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close Photo taken on March 26, 2018 shows refugees working in the field in the village of Kaparelli, in Viotia, 60 kilometers northwest of Athens, Greece. A group of refugees struggling for a new life in Greece started to supply farming products to markets and restaurants in the center of Athens in a village about 60 km away from Athens. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) by Maria Spiliopoulou, Valentini Anagnostopoulou ATHENS, April 2 (Xinhua) -- It would be no big thing when a group of farmers in a village about 60 km away from Athens started to supply farming products to markets and restaurants in the center of Athens, if they were not refugees struggling for a new life in Greece. When most of the over 60,000 refugees and migrants still live in limbo in state-run camps or apartments rented with international funding, this group, five families from Syria and Palestine, has started to stand on their own feet. With 35 acres of farmland in Kaparelli, a village with only some 1,700 residents, they started their collective farming business "Roots" last spring. The name "Roots" embodies their hope for a new life: taking roots in a land far away from their home countries. "Roots" did not disappoint them, as the business has achieved some success with the forming of a remarkable production line, which has biological wheat, potatoes, beans, onions and grapes in addition to cheese made from the milk of their five cows and 15 sheep and the eggs of their dozens of chicken. They even opened a vegan restaurant with their farming products on menu this January. When recalling the past year, Solaiman Dakdouk, a Syrian refugee who has lived in Greece three decades, admitted it is no easy task to start business for refugees like them. "It was difficult in the beginning... Gradually we gained locals' trust and we ended up with them seeking us to offer us the land they own but nobody cultivates," said Dakdouk. And their effort has won trust and respect from the local. By renting farmland from the local and employing local farmers, "Roots" tore down prejudices and xenophobia while making money. "I think that people are afraid of the unknown... There is no issue whether there is space for us. We are depriving no one of their space," Dakdouk said. "Our main goal was to be able to be independent, to make a living with dignity producing our food and not need charity by anyone," Dakdouk told Xinhua. Other members of the refugee-run business hold similar points of view with Dakdouk. They are eager to live on their own. Samir Mhanna from Gaza came to Greece a year ago, but was unhappy with his life in Athens relying on the help of humanitarian groups. "It is a different idea compared to the usual approaches on how to provide help to refugees. This was a different way of thinking. We can be producers ourselves so that we do not need other forms of support," Mhanna told Xinhua during a break from his hard field work. "Here we work on the field ourselves...We can work and produce, we can self-organize and present a good example for the refugees," he added. Sozan Sipo, a teacher from Syria's Afrin about a year ago, was never a farmer or a cook before she worked with "Roots". But this did not prevent her from seeking an independent life. "They talked to us about this project and I came. Here one can rely on himself and stop being dependant on others," she told Xinhua. Considering the some 60,000 refugees stranded in Greece, "Roots" story may be just a drop in the ocean. But no one can deny that even a drop can start a ripple effect that spreads. "Comparing to the past we are happy with this project. We became producers and we want to express gratitude to everybody for this. Nobody knows what will happen in the future," said Sipo. ULAN BATOR, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is thought to affect about 18,000 people in Mongolia with a population of just over 3 million, the Autism Research Institute of Mongolia said in a statement released on Monday. The institute made the statement on the occasion of the World Autism Awareness Day, calling for efforts to raise awareness about people with autism, and to support them and their families. "Autism is not a disease. It is a common misconception that autism is a form of intellectual disability or insanity," said the statement. According to the institute, most of the autistic children have great potential to achieve success in life. It called for efforts to raise awareness about people with autism, and help them socialize with other people. April 2 is observed as the World Autism Awareness Day intended to encourage member states of the United Nations to take measures to raise awareness about people with autism. It is estimated that the ASD is affecting about 0.62 percent of children worldwide. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 21:47:20|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close (Photo source: people.com.cn) SHENYANG, April 2 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition featuring more than 400 digital paintings by French artist Claude Monet is being held in northeast China's Shenyang City, capital of Liaoning Province. The digital paintings, displayed using 3D shadow casting technology, include Monet's Water Lilies, Impression Sunrise and The Rouen Cathedral. "It is wonderful, I feel like I am inside the paintings," said Ma Xiaowei, a visitor from Shenyang City. The technology aims to give visitors a new experience with more interaction with the world-renowned paintings, said Piao Zhijuan, an exhibition staff member. The exhibition is being held in Jiuwu Cultural City and will last until June 24. CAPE TOWN, April 2 (Xinhua) -- South Africa on Monday welcomed Australia's retraction of comments by a cabinet minister about granting visas to "prosecuted" white South African farmers. "We welcome the assurance by the Australian government as reported in the media that the comments made by their Home Affairs Minister are not in line with Australian immigration policy," Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu said in a statement. Sisulu said South Africa's diplomatic channels remained open to those who wished to seek clarity on South Africa's policy positions. Last month, Australia's Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said he would prioritize granting visas to "prosecuted" white South African farmers who deserve special attention from his government over South Africa's land redistribution. His remarks prompted Sisulu to summon Australian High Commissioner to South Africa, Adam McCarthy to express South Africa's displeasure. Last week, both Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop retracted Dutton's offer to help white South African farmers. In her Monday statement, Sisulu said South Africa welcomes Australia's condemnation of the unfortunate comments by South African and other international organizations and leaders. "We must emphasize, as we have stated before, that no one is being persecuted in South Africa, including white farmers," Sisulu said. She called upon all non-governmental organizations to "desist from spreading untruths and misleading information." South Africa has initiated a process to amend the Constitution to pave way for the appropriation of the land without compensation, giving rise to concerns about the fate of white South African farmers who own most of the land in the country. The South African government has emphasized that the land appropriation would be done within the confines of the law and not disturb the country's economic performance. BRUSSELS, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The CEO of the insurance company AXA Belgium Jef Van In has applauded in an exclusive interview with Xinhua the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Chinese bank ICBC in Europe as a mark of new beginning that will lead to win-win cooperation. "As CEO of AXA Belgium, I clearly welcome the memorandum. Through ICBC Europe, we will be able to increase our presence and stake in China's insurance market," Van In said. As for the choice of ICBC as a partner, Van In explained that ICBC is the number one bank in China and has a very prominent base in Brussels. The CEO sees China as a market with great potential. "I see China's rise as a massive shift from an export-driven economy to a service economy, and to a green economy. As an economist, green economics is business opportunity like any other," said Van In. He further recalled his recent journey to Shanghai, China's largest city and a global financial hub, to explain why he's confident about China's potential. "I went to Shanghai with AXA representatives, and it was a great chance to learn about how things work there; for example, on e-commerce. It is very advanced, and what the consumer can do with such services is inspirational. We should learn from that as well," said Van In. The CEO also talked about the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China, saying that "Having peaceful relations is a key ingredient for successful trade" and "Trade is a very stabilizing factor, and not the other way around". He believes that the Belt and Road Initiative is a similar analogy. "As it always is in Business, people see opportunities and seize them. Of course, there is a lot of work that needs to be done. (But) It's a start of new avenues of growth. I am an economist, and wherever there is trade, there is opportunity for mutual relations," said Van IN. In this file photo taken on December 11, 2017 Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi speaks on during a press conference with his Russian counterpart (unseen) following their talks at the presidential palace in the capital Cairo. CAIRO, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Presidential Committee announced on Monday that incumbent President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi won 97.08 percent of the valid votes in the 2018 presidential election. A total of 21,835,387 voted for Sisi at home and abroad, head of Egypt's National Elections Authority (NEA), Lashin Ibrahim, told a press conference in Cairo. Sisi's rival, little-known politician Moussa Mostafa Moussa, garnered 656,534 votes, or 2.92 percent of valid votes, he added. Ibrahim noted that the number of invalid votes was 1,762,231. NEW DELHI, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The remains of 38 Indian labourers who were kidnapped and later killed in Iraq's Mosul city in 2015 by ISIS were brought back home on Monday. The remains were exhumed from a mass grave after being helped by Iraqi authorities, and were identified by matching their DNA with those of their family members, according to Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. According to her, a deep-penetration radar was used to identify the mass grave, before the remains were recovered. A total of 40 Indians were kidnapped by ISIS in June 2015. Only one identified as Harjit Masih managed to escape, while the rest were shot dead. The DNA of one identified as Raju Yadav could not be fully matched. Junior External Affairs Minister V.K. Singh flew to Iraq on Sunday on a special plane to retrieve the remains of the 38 dead Indians. Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was present at the Amritsar airport to receive some of the mortal remains, announced a financial aid for the families of the dead. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 22:32:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close By Xinhua writers Yu Fei, Quan Xiaoshu and Li Guoli BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- As Tiangong-1 re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on Monday, China bade farewell to the experimental space lab and pathfinder for its space station. The space lab entered the atmosphere over the South Pacific at around 8:15 a.m. on Monday, and was mostly burnt up in the atmosphere, the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) said. PATHFINDER IN SPACE Launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Sept. 29, 2011, Tiangong-1 tested docking technology to prepare the way for the coming space station. It docked with Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 spacecraft. Six astronauts, four men and two women, spent time in the lab. In June 2013, Wang Yaping gave her famous physics lesson to students on Earth from the lab, inspiring nationwide enthusiasm for science and space exploration. A student asks questions to female astronaut Wang Yaping, who is aboard Tiangong-1 space lab module, at the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, in Beijing, capital of China, June 20, 2013. (Xinhua/Wang Yongzhuo) Tiangong-1 was in service for four and a half years, two and a half years longer than its designed life, making important preparations for a permanent space station to be put into orbit around 2022. Huang Weifen, deputy chief designer at the Astronaut Center of China, said, "Tiangong-1 will go down in China's space history. It helped us accumulate precious knowledge for work on the space station." "Although Tiangong-1 was only a transitional platform between the spaceship and space station, it was key to our development of docking technology, and demonstrated the possibility of long stays in space for Chinese astronauts. The fervor aroused among Chinese is invaluable," said Bai Ruixue, a former space journalist and now CEO of a commercial space education project. "When I was reporting on the docking between Shenzhou-8 and Tiangong-1 from the Beijing Aerospace Control Center in November 2011, many people had tears in their eyes when they saw the two spacecraft, like two specs of dust floating in the vast universe, connect with each other. It's a kind of romance created by science and technology," Bai recalled. "Tiangong-1 has carried the space dreams of millions of Chinese. Although only a test base for future projects, it has had far-reaching effects," said Mao Xinyuan, a space science columnist. The return of Tiangong-1 was captured by some amateur astronomers who plotted its trajectory as it flew across the sky above Beijing at dawn on Sunday. "It was very bright and moving very fast. It's time for us to say goodbye to Tiangong-1," said Yu Jun, an enthusiastic stargazer. Over the past few years, Zhu Jin, director of Beijing Planetarium, has taken many photos of Tiangong-1 from the ground as the spacecraft passed by. "On clear nights, we could see it with the naked eyes. I also took photos of the International Space Station, but it is not the same feeling as when I see a Chinese spacecraft or satellite. I hope China's space station will be a great success," Zhu said. When Zhu travels around China he finds many young people are fanatical about space exploration. "I think it's because our space programs have made such great progress in recent years," he said. STEADY PROGRESS In 1992, China developed a three-step strategy for a manned space program. The first step, to send an astronaut into space and return safely, was fulfilled by Yang Liwei in the Shenzhou-5 mission in 2003. The second step was developing advanced space flight techniques and technologies including extra-vehicular activity and orbital docking. This phase also included the launch of two space labs -- effectively mini space stations that could be manned on a temporary basis. After Tiangong-1, China sent Tiangong-2, the country's first space lab "in the strict sense," into orbit on Sept. 15, 2016. Two astronauts lived onboard for 30 days, the longest ever space residence for Chinese astronauts. A series of cutting-edge scientific experiments, such as quantum key distribution, cold atomic clock and gamma ray burst observation, were conducted on the lab. Tianzhou-1, China's first cargo spacecraft, was launched on April 20, 2017, which docked with Tiangong-2 to test in-orbit refueling, another crucial technology for building the space station. Photo taken on April 22, 2017 shows the Tianzhou-1 cargo spacecraft moving towards the orbiting Tiangong-2 space lab for the automated docking on a screen at Beijing Aerospace Control Center in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Wang Sijiang) The next step will be to assemble and operate a permanent manned space station. According to Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China's manned space program, China's space station, with an initial designed life of at least 10 years, will be comprised of a core module and two experimental modules, each weighing about 20 tonnes. It will accommodate three to six astronauts. With the International Space Station set to retire in 2024, the Chinese station will offer a promising alternative, and China will be the only country with a permanent space station. A simulation video of China's future space station. Provided by China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) China's first astronaut Yang Liwei, who is also deputy director of CMSEO, said recently that a series of manned space missions will be launched during the assembly and construction period of China's space station from 2019 to around 2022. China will open its space station to scientists from around the world after the station is completed, and welcomes various kinds of international cooperation, Yang said. "China has a very clear design and plan for its manned space program and its lunar exploration program, which ensures steady and continuous progress in its space technology," said Zheng Yongchun, researcher at the National Astronomical Observatories Of China, and winner of the Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in Public Communication in Planetary Science. FUTURE PLAN As Chinese bid farewell to Tiangong-1, they are also looking forward to the coming of China's own space station, peaceful utilization of space technology, and deeper exploration of the universe. The year 2018 will see 35 launches of the Long March rocket series. One of the highlights will be the launch of the Chang'e-4 lunar probe later this year. If successful, it will be the first probe to land on the far side of the Moon. China also plans to accomplish the maiden flight of the Long March-5B carrier rocket, which has a low-Earth orbit carrying capacity greater than 22 tonnes, around June 2019, and the new rocket will be used to carry the core module and experiment modules of China's space station in the future. Photo taken on June 18, 2012 shows the screen at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center showing Chinese astronauts Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang at the orbiting Tiangong-1 space lab module. (Xinhua/Zha Chunming) China will select its third group of astronauts for the manned space exploration plan in the first half of this year. The new astronauts will include not only pilots, but also maintenance engineers and scientists. In addition, China's heavy-lift carrier rocket, currently called the Long March-9, is expected to be sent into space by 2030. The Long March-9 rocket's low-Earth carrying capacity will exceed 100 tonnes, which could meet the demands of a manned lunar landing. Enditem WASHINGTON, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The White House said on Monday that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was to visit the United States on April 17-18 on issues including the Korean Peninsula and trade. U.S. President Donald Trump and Abe will meet at Trump's Florida resort Mar-a-Lago to discuss the campaign to maintain maximum pressure on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) ahead of the planned meeting between Trump and the DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un, said the White House in a statement. Trump and Abe, in their third summit meeting, will also "explore ways to expand fair and reciprocal trade and investment ties between the United States and Japan," according to the statement. Tension on the Korean Peninsula has thawed in recent months with Seoul and Pyongyang agreeing to hold a summit on April 27, the first meeting between the leaders of the two sides in 11 years. In March, Trump and Kim agreed to meet, yet the timing and place of the high-profile gathering has not been announced yet. Amid the rapport, Washington still pledged to maintain its maximum pressure on Pyongyang, economically and diplomatically. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 22:52:37|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- China's leading oil refiner, Sinopec, launched its "green action plan" on Monday in a bid to become a clean, efficient and low-carbon enterprise by 2023. According to the plan, Sinopec's gasoline and diesel products manufactured in 2018 will meet the State VI emissions standard, which is equivalent to the Euro VI standard. Within the next six years, the company, whose official name is China Petroleum and Chemical Corp, will see the percentage of its clean energy output exceed 50 percent and will build another 1,000 natural gas stations for vehicles. By 2023, Sinopec will be able to supply 60 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. More than 10,000 kilometers of gas pipelines will be put to use, while the transfer capacity of liquefied natural gas (LNG) shall reach 26 million tonnes per year, the plan said. "In the New Era, we seek to provide society with more clean energy and greener products, with green and low-carbon growth as Sinopec's core competence," said Jiao Fangzheng, Sinopec's vice president. Energy and chemical companies should aim for lower consumption and higher efficiency to promote high-quality development of the sector, said Sinopec president Dai Houliang at the China Development Forum. The company's net profit for 2017 grew 9.8 percent year on year to 51.2 billion yuan (8.1 billion U.S dollars), according to Sinopec's 2017 annual report. MOSCOW, April 2 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump, during a telephone call on March 20, proposed a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the White House, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Monday. "If everything goes well, I hope the Americans will not give up their proposal to discuss the possibility of holding a summit," TASS news agency quoted Ushakov as saying. On March 20, Trump congratulated Putin on his victory in the March 18 presidential election. During the telephone conversation, the two leaders paid "special attention to the possibility of organizing a top-level meeting," according to a Kremlin transcript then. Trump told reporters on the same day that he intended to meet Putin "in the not too distant future." However, according to Ushakov, the prospects of organizing the summit have not been discussed since then. Last week, Washington expelled 60 Russian diplomats and closed the Russian consulate in Seattle in a concerted action with Britain and other Western nations over an ex-spy poisoning case. Moscow retaliated with the expulsion of an equal number of U.S. diplomats and the closure of the U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg. "Against the background of these events, of course, it is difficult to discuss holding the summit," Ushakov said, adding that Russia still considers the meeting very important and necessary for both countries and the entire international community. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 22:52:39|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close Mohamed Al-Sallak, spokesman of the Libyan UN-backed government, speaks during a press conference in Tripoli, Libya, on April 2, 2018. Forces loyal to the Libyan UN-backed government launched a military operation on Monday to pursue Islamic State (IS) remnants in areas east and southeast of Tripoli, Mohamed Al-Sallak said. (Xinhua/Hamza Turkia) TRIPOLI, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Forces loyal to the Libyan UN-backed government launched a military operation on Monday to pursue Islamic State (IS) remnants in areas east and southeast of Tripoli, a government spokesman said. "According to the instructions of Prime Minister Fayez Serraj, a military operation called Homeland Storm was launched at Monday dawn to pursue the remnants of terrorist groups, mainly IS," said spokesman Mohamed Al-Sallak. The operation started from the eastern city of Misurata, 200 km east of the capital Tripoli, covering valleys and the desert area of the nearby cities of Sirte, Bani Walid and Tarhouna, according to the spokesman. "The operation will involve all government army units to pursue the remnants," Al-Sallak noted. He did not give further details about the operation but said any further information will be announced in due time. In late 2016, forces allied with the Libyan government expelled IS militants from Sirte, some 450 km east of Tripoli, while the remnants fled to the southern valleys and mountainous areas. Despite the defeat in Sirte, the IS remnants have continued to carry out suicide attacks on military points of both the UN-backed government and the eastern-based army led by Gen. Khalifa Haftar. The terrorist group on Friday claimed responsibility for a Thursday car bomb attack on a security check point in the eastern city of Ajdabiya, which killed at least five people. CAPE TOWN, April 2 (Xinhua) -- A xenophobia-related protest turned violent on Monday after protesters looted from burning delivery trucks in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal Province. Protesters barricaded the route heading towards the Mooi River toll plaza, blocking the N3 highway, one of the busiest routes in the country. Traffic has come to a standstill, stranding hundreds of holidaymakers returning from the Easter holiday. Residents took to the streets in protest against local truck companies hiring foreigners as truck drivers. They complain that foreigners are taking jobs away from them. TV footage showed protesters burning down several delivery trucks and looting goods from them. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Police Minister Bheki Cele has dispatched police reinforcements to quell the violence. Cele himself went to the spot to intervene. Cele's spokesperson Nonkululeko Phokane said the minister and senior management had decided to attend to the situation after reports of looting and "chaos and disorder on the national road." Police said 11 people have been arrested for suspected involvement in acts of violence. Xenophobia-related violence is not rare in South Africa where complaints about foreigners taking up jobs from locals often lead to violent protests. The latest incident was in early 2017 when local residents burned shops and businesses belonging to non-South Africans in Johannesburg. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 22:52:40|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ISTANBUL, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The Istanbul Chamber of Commerce said on Monday that the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) is expected to become an important platform for international trade and exchanges. Dursun Topcu, deputy chairman of the Istanbul institution with 415,000 members, said Turkey and China should take the "maximum benefit" out of the Silk Road by expanding cooperation on new areas through joint investment projects in third countries. "Turkey has gained a very good momentum in developing its trade relations with China by attending multiple trade fairs held in China," Topcu said at a forum on the CIIE. "The expo, in that sense, provides a significant opportunity to develop their ties even further," he added. Citing Chuang Tzu, a Taoist philosopher of ancient China, Topcu said: "A short stem cannot reach a deep well," voicing hope for joint efforts to build the CIIE. He also expressed the readiness of Turkish industrial and business community to attend the expo slated for Nov. 5-10 in China's largest city Shanghai. Xu Bing, a deputy director general of China Foreign Trade Center, called for Turkish businesses to join the CIIE and the China Import and Export Fair scheduled to open in Guangzhou on April 15 to have a share of the bonus brought about by China's development through developing the Chinese market and boosting exports to China so as to promote a balanced trade relationship between the two countries. The Turkish side has so far booked a space of 600 square meters in the CIIE exhibition areas for textiles, medical equipment, electronics and appliances. CAIRO, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's incumbent President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi won the presidential election with 97.08 percent of valid votes and will run the most popular Arab state for a second four-year term. Born in Cairo on Nov. 19, 1954, Sisi, whose father was a famous furniture and antique maker in Gamaleya neighborhood, was graduated from the Egyptian Military Academy in 1977. He served as the information and security chief at the Defense Ministry general secretariat, military attache in Saudi Arabia, chief-of-staff and then commander of Egypt's Northern Military Zone in 2008. In 2011, He was appointed the head of Military Intelligence, becoming one of the youngest members of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. He was appointed as defense minister by the Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in August 2012. He then ousted the Islamic leader in July 2013, in response to mass protests against Morsi's year-long rule. Sisi, who isn't affiliated to any political party, has assumed his office as a president in June 2014, winning 96.91 percent of votes in the 2014 presidential election, with turnout was about 47 percent of the 54 million eligible voters. Sisi's rule has brought some stability to the country, but critics say his popularity was a little impacted by tough economic reforms that have hit the people's living conditions. His supporters, on the other hand, defended the economic measures as needed to keep the country stable as it faces security challenges including attacks by Islamic State militants in North Sinai region. Sisi inherited an ailing economy since Egypt's economic growth slowed after the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak due to political instability and relevant security challenges that caused tourists and investors fled. He took some serious decisions that previous governments were reluctant to apply at the economic level. To boost economy, Egypt started in late 2016 a strict three-year economic reform program that included currency devaluation, subsidy cuts and tax hikes to reduce the budget deficit. Egypt's reform plan has been encouraged by a 12-billion-dollar loan from the International Monetary Fund, half of which has already been delivered to Egypt. In a recent interview, Sisi said that "the economic reforms were absolutely necessary even though they are harsh and have caused dissatisfaction among Egyptians." Economic experts see some grounds for hope: the country's GDP growth increased to 5.3 pct in December 2017 from a low of 2.1 pct in 2012/2013 fiscal year, according to the central bank. Egypt used to struggle to get enough fuel to run its power stations, but will reach self-sufficiency by the end of 2019 after the inauguration of several gas fields in the Mediterranean and the Nile Delta. Sisi was also blamed for spending considerable funds on the construction of the national mega and infrastructure projects that will produce little immediate return, to which Sisi has replied: "I'm building a future for the coming generations." Sisi launched series of large infrastructure projects to put Egypt back to work and to lure more foreign direct investments. He has begun building several new desert cities, including dredging a new branch of the Suez Canal, a 45 U.S. billion dollars new administrative capital east of Cairo, reclamation of one million feddans as well as mega fish plantation projects. Many of Sisi's national projects will be located in Sinai, as he noted that "the development of Sinai is a matter of national security for Egypt, and it will require a great deal of funding to improve the living conditions of the residents." The government has recently stepped up efforts to develop and defend Sinai. A military operation began on Feb. 9 to clear the area of terrorist groups and provide security for its citizens has killed nearly 163 terrorists. While opening an anti-terrorism center in the Sinai Peninsula last month, Sisi, in a rare appearance in a military uniform, has asked the army to use "all brute force necessary" to defeat Islamic militants who threaten the stability he always seeks to fulfill. Egypt's North Sinai province has been the center of terrorist attacks that killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since the ouster of president Morsi. The Sinai-based branch of the Islamic State (IS) regional terrorist group claimed responsibility for most of the terror operations in Egypt over the past few years. Fighting against terror was a window for Sisi to diversify Egypt's ties with big international powers. After the U.S. military aid was suspended and then partly cut, Sisi tended to bolster strong relations with European countries as well as China and Russia. MANILA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The Electoral Tribunal in the Philippines officially began on Monday a manual recount of votes cast in the disputed vice-presidential ballot. The recount was requested by the former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son of ousted President Ferdinand Marcos. Marcos Jr., who lost to incumbent Leni Robredo by about 260,000 votes, contested the outcome of the vice-presidential election in May 2016, claiming it was marred by "massive cheating." The ballots, which were counted by machine, will be tallied again manually by the Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET). PET spokesperson Theodore Te said the recount of votes covers 5,418 precincts in three provinces which were selected by Marcos Jr., namely Province Camarines Sur, Province Iloilo, and Province Negros Oriental. Te said the recount is being done to "ascertain the number of votes received by both parties in the May 9, 2016 national elections throughout a manual recount of the votes." During the revision, Te said "the Head Revisor will segregate and examine the contents of each ballot box and on the basis thereof, determine the number of votes received by each party." In June 2016, Marcos Jr. filed the electoral protest and accused Robredo of cheating in the May 2016 elections. Marcos expectedly urged the PET to declare him as the elected and rightful vice president of the country. Robredo had also lodged a counter-protest at the PET, questioning results in about 8,000 voting precincts. A few hours into the counting, Marcos Jr. told reporters that some of the ballots from Camarines Sur, Robredo's hometown, were doused, making them "illegible". Robredo's lawyer Romulo Macalintal slammed the allegation of Marcos Jr. "The statement of Mr. Marcos about the alleged anomaly is fake news, false," Macalintal said. Robredo told his supporters that there's nothing to be concerned about. VIENTIANE, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The State Intellectual Property Office of China (SIPO) and Lao Ministry of Science and Technology signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on intellectual property cooperation here on Monday. SIPO Commissioner Shen Changyu and Lao Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Houmphan Inthirath signed the agreement respectively. The MoU is to enhance cooperation in intellectual property, to facilitate the joint innovation and creativity projects, and to enrich the bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. According to the MoU, the Lao government will recognize the patent examination results made by related Chinese authorities. "This cooperation will help the Lao government protect intellectual property," Lao Minister of Science and Technology Boviengkham Vongdara said at the signing ceremony. Houmphan said after signing the document that the MoU reflects that both sides attach great importance to IP cooperation, and are willing to enhance bilateral exchanges and communications in the IP sector. He hopes the Chinese side could help the Lao IP authority's capacity building and personnel training. "We have discussed on international cooperation, funding human resource development and intellectual property management," Shen said, "I believe that through the cooperation, both sides will make it a success and facilitate the joint projects in the near future." Shen believes that after the China-Laos IP cooperation being officially established, both sides will further enhance bilateral exchange and mutual trust, jointly promote IP causes, and contribute to science and technology innovation. MOGADISHU, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The United States military confirmed on Monday that its special forces conducted an airstrike on al-Shabab terrorists in central Somalia, killing five militants. The U.S. Africa Command (Africom) said the airstrike on Sunday was conducted in cooperation with Somali government near El Burr. "We assess no civilians were killed in this airstrike," Africom said in a statement released hours after the strike. It said American forces will continue to use all authorized and appropriate measures to protect U.S. citizens and to disable terrorist threats. "This includes partnering with AMISOM and Somali National Security Forces in combined counter-terrorism operations and targeting terrorists, their training camps, and their safe havens throughout Somalia and the region," it added. AMISOM refers to the African Union Mission in Somalia. The latest U.S. strike came amid heightened vigilance by Somali security forces, who have launched operations targeting several parts of the Horn of Africa nation, in response to increasing terror attacks. KIEV, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine has more than halved its natural gas imports in the first quarter of 2018 due to the relatively warm weather, local media reported on Monday, citing a report of the state-run gas network operator Ukratransgaz. According to the report, Ukraine imported some 1.8 billion cubic meters of gas in the January-March period of this year, compared with 4.2 billion cubic meters in the same period of 2017. In the first three months of 2018, Ukraine purchased 1.3 billion cubic meters of gas from Slovakia, while the rest imports came from Hungary and Poland, the report said. Since the start of the heating season in mid-October 2017, Ukraine used 9.3 billion cubic meters of gas from its underground storage facilities or 54.7 percent of the overall gas stocks. The heating season in Ukraine ends in mid-April. Last year, the country consumed 32.2 billion cubic meters of gas, of which 14.05 billion cubic meters were imported from abroad. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 23:27:52|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday urged solid efforts to win the "three tough battles" of preventing financial risks, reducing poverty and tackling pollution. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at the first meeting of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs. Preventing and defusing financial risks is relevant to national security, overall development, and the security of people's property, and is a key threshold that the country must cross to achieve high-quality growth, said Xi, head of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs. Premier Li Keqiang, who is also deputy head of the committee, and Wang Huning and Han Zheng, who are members of the committee, attended the meeting. Wang Yang, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, was also present. The country has made progress in its fight against poverty, a battle that must be won, according to Xi. Environmental issues are a major concern for the public, and are decisive to Chinese people's judgment of the success of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, according to Xi. To prevent and defuse financial risks, China should reduce the leverage ratio of local governments and companies, especially state-owned enterprises, according to a statement released after the meeting. Tailored policies should be used to control risks in different financial markets, the statement said. Financial supervision at the state and local level should be better coordinated, while local governments should be responsible for controlling local financial risks. To reduce poverty, authorities should stick to the current poverty relief standards, and should not make arbitrary decisions to raise or lower the standards. China should also encourage the use of clean energy and reduce the use of coal in its fight against pollution, according to the statement. The meeting also approved work rules of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs, and stressed the CPC Central Committee's leading role in the country's economic work. JOHANNESBURG, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, anti-apartheid activist and wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela, passed away at the Netcare Milpark Hospital, Johannesburg, on Monday, said the statement released by Mandela's family. Winnie died after a long illness, for which she had been in and out of hospital since the start of the year. She succumbed peacefully in the early hours of Monday afternoon surrounded by her family and loved ones, said the statement. Madikizela-Mandela was one of the greatest icons of the struggle against Apartheid. She fought valiantly against the Apartheid state and sacrificed her life for the freedom of the country. Her activism and resistance to Apartheid landed her in jail on numerous occasions, eventually causing her banishment to the small town of Brandfort in the then Orange Free State, it said. Winnie kept the memory of her imprisoned husband Nelson Mandela alive during his years on Robben Island and helped give the Struggle for justice in South Africa one its most recognizable faces. She dedicated most of her adult life to the cause of the people and for this was known far and wide as the Mother Of The Nation, added the statement. MINSK, April 2 (Xinhua) -- President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has called for strict observance of the agreements between Belarus and Russia, among others, to tap potential in bilateral cooperation. "Cooperation between Belarus and Russia has great potential. In order to realize it fully, we must strictly abide by the agreements, to preserve and develop our achievements and common heritage," Lukashenko said Monday in his message to the Belarusians and Russians devoted to the Day of Unity of the Peoples of the Two Countries. Lukashenko said the allied relations between the two countries contribute to improving the living of citizens, expanding economic and humanitarian ties, and others. "In the international arena, we are consolidated, making a significant contribution to the maintenance of peace and security," the president added. Russian President Vladimir Putin in his congratulatory speech stressed that the results of joint efforts of the Belarusians and Russians in the construction of the Union State (of Russia and Belarus) "are becoming ever more tangible." Putin also expressed confidence that the states, acting together, will ensure further strengthening of their allied relations, mutually beneficial cooperation in all spheres for the benefit of fraternal peoples. The Day of Unity of the Peoples of Belarus and Russia is annually marked on April 2. It was on this day in 1996 that presidents of Russia and Belarus Boris Yeltsin and Alexander Lukashenko signed the Treaty on the Formation of the Commonwealth of Russia and Belarus in Moscow. The Treaty on the Creation of a Union State of Russia and Belarus was later signed in 1999. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 23:52:58|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- A Taiwan official's recent remarks on independence are dangerous and presumptuous, said Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, on Monday. Ma made the comment in response to remarks advocating "Taiwan independence" by the island's executive head, Lai Ching-te. The spokesperson said Lai's words harm peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the fundamental interests of compatriots on both sides, especially Taiwan compatriots. Ma reiterated that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan belong to one and the same China. As an inseparable part of China's territory, Taiwan will never be separated from China. "We resolutely oppose any 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities while all secessionist forces are doomed to fail and will receive condemnation from the people and punishment from history," the spokesperson said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 23:52:58|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- President and Central Military Commission Chairman Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, top legislator Li Zhanshu, top political advisor Wang Yang, and Vice President Wang Qishan have expressed thanks for the congratulations they have received concerning their respective elections or endorsement that took place at last month's annual two sessions. General offices of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the State Council, the Central Military Commission of China, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) issued statements of gratitude on behalf of the leaders. Heads of state, governments and parliaments, chiefs of political parties and international organizations, organizations and personages friendly to China, and foreign ambassadors to China, as well as overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, sent messages congratulating the leaders, according to the statements. Xi was elected Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China, Li Keqiang was endorsed as Chinese premier, Li Zhanshu was elected chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, and Wang Qishan was elected vice president, at the first session of the 13th NPC. Wang Yang was elected chairman of the National Committee of CPPCC at the first session of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC. FREETOWN, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Election Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (AUEOM) and the Commonwealth Observer Mission on Monday described the country's March 31 presidential runoff election as largely peaceful and transparent. In their preliminary statement issued on April 2, the AU observer mission noted that "the AUEOM applauds the people of Sierra Leone for their commitment to upholding democracy as demonstrated by their patience and civil conduct on Election Day." "Based on its observations and findings, and despite some challenge encountered during the pre-election period and the election day, the AUEOM considers the runoff presidential election of March 31 as largely peaceful and transparent," the statement reads. They concluded that the election was conducted in line with the national legal framework as well as the regional, continental and international standards for democratic election. The Commonwealth Observer Mission noted that the voting, closing and counting process at the polling stations were credible and transparent. In the first round of election held on March 7, Julius Maada Bio of the main opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) held a narrow lead over Samura Kamara of the ruling All People's Congress (APC). Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-02 23:58:00|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Monday detailed cases of online companies punished for illegal operations, including imitating Communist classics and heroes, producing gambling games, and hosting illegal performances. The ministry said that in one of the typical cases, police in southwest China's Sichuan Province issued a warning and imposed heavy fines on a company in the provincial capital of Chengdu, which made videos that spoofed Communist classics and heroes. Five video platforms in Beijing, South China's Guangdong Province and east China's Fujian Province were fined for spreading the videos, according to the ministry. Police in Beijing, Tianjin and Chongqing municipalities have fined three companies for providing and spreading gambling games online, said the ministry. In Guangdong and Fujian, another three companies were fined for hosting online performances with sexual, unethical, or gambling-related content. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-03 00:13:07|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close FUZHOU, April 2 (Xinhua) -- When there is no pig to slaughter, butcher Chen Aihui, 46, indulges herself by painting the old houses and wooden bridges of her village. Chen lives in the remote village of Jixia in Pingnan county, east China's Fujian Province. In 2015, the monotony of village life was broken when a stranger popped up in the village claiming to want to teach villagers to paint. Chanting the slogan "everyone is an artist," the stranger, Lin Zhenglu, invited everyone he met to join his workshop, but most of them were not interested. "I thought he was either making fun of me or trying to swindle money out of me," said Chen. "Isn't it ridiculous to expect us bumpkins paint like artists?" But Lin did not give up. To demonstrate his sincerity, he promised the locals free lessons with canvases and paints all provided. To return his good faith, local farmers sent their children to Lin's classroom as summer vacation began. To their surprise, the children were making simple drawings within a few days. Parents were even more shocked when, some days later, art dealers purchased the children's works for 200 yuan (32 U.S. dollars) a piece. Soon the adults were signing up. Like most villagers, Chen found it difficult at first. Sitting in front of an easel with a brush in hand for the first time, she was afraid to put any strokes on the canvas. "I just felt that the paintbrush was even heavier than my butcher's knife," she said. "I was so nervous that my forehead was dripping with sweat." Lin told her to "paint like you were killing pigs." Once the first step was taken, she quickly fell in love with her new occupation and has finished nearly 100 pieces. No perspective, no palette, no composition -- the only thing Lin told his students was to "paint whatever you want, however you like." The only requirement is to "cover every inch of the canvas with paint." Weird as it may sound, the method worked. Soon, almost every household in Jixia boasted a painter, some of whom have made a fortune from the hobby. Farmers converted their houses and barns into studios Huang Yuqing, Chen's neighbor, has made over 20,000 yuan selling her paintings, more than she ever earned from her grocery store and barbershop. With the money, she bought a smart phone and began to sell her work through social media like Wechat. Now her works sells for up to 3,000 yuan. But it is not just about money -- the practice has also helped villagers develop taste for art and enriched their lives. "Few people now play mahjongg like before, as we are all too busy painting in our spare time," said Huang. The remote village soon rose to fame. Each weekend, art dealers, professors, foreigners -- curious city dwellers from all over the country come to Jixia. Some stay for months to paint and live with the locals, as an escape from the weariness of urban life. Huang has even picked up some English. "I am happy to make friends with these people," she said. "Painting is our common language." Some young people who left the village looking for jobs are coming back. Yao Yuanyuan, who worked in a tech startup in the coastal city of Xiamen, returned and took up painting. Now she is a teaching assistant in Lin's workshop. A coffee shop opened in the middle of a block of old houses in the village to cater for visitors' taste, but occasionally village housewives also patronize the place with their toddlers in the arms, getting a taste for the "exotic" drink. "For the villagers, painting is a key to building confidence," said Lin. "Art empowers and enables the weak to become strong." Gao Jinmei, now 84 years old, was dragged out of her sickbed by Lin to join the workshop a year ago. Now she has produced more than 300 pieces, and earned more than 10,000 yuan. "Painting is the best cure for my high blood pressure," said Gao. "I feel more like 18 than 80!" Lin believes that his program is about the "emancipation of humanity" in rural areas. He aspires to spread his work to all villages in Pingnan in the next five years. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-03 01:28:18|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close WASHINGTON, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The White House said on Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump has discussed with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a recent phone call about a meeting at several "potential venues" including the White House. In the last call between Trump and Putin on March 20, "the two had discussed a bilateral meeting in the 'not-too-distant future' at a number of potential venues, including the White House," said White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders in a statement. The Kremlin said on Monday that Trump, during the phone call, proposed a meeting with Putin at the White House. However, the prospects of organizing the summit have not been discussed since then, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. "If everything goes well, I hope the Americans will not give up their proposal to discuss the possibility of holding a summit," TASS news agency quoted Ushakov as saying. Days after the Trump-Putin meeting proposal, relationship between Washington and Moscow has plunged to a new low, as the United States expelled 60 Russian diplomats and closed the Russian consulate in Seattle in a concerted action with Britain and other Western nations over an ex-spy poisoning case. Moscow retaliated with the expulsion of an equal number of U.S. diplomats and the closure of the U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg, a move the Washington saw as marking "a further deterioration" in the U.S.-Russia relations. "Against the background of these events, of course, it is difficult to discuss holding the summit," Ushakov said. ADDIS ABABA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, on Monday welcomed the smooth power transition in Ethiopia and vowed to work closely with the new prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, in various development sectors. Mahamat, who congratulated Abiy Ahmed on his confirmation as the new Prime Minister of the East African country on Monday, welcomed the peaceful and smooth nature of the transition, calling the move as "a demonstration of political maturity." Ahmed, who was unanimously endorsed by the Ethiopian House People's Representatives as Ethiopia's new Prime Minister on Monday, has formally took the office on Monday from his predecessor Hailemariam Desalegn, who resigned on February 15 following incessant anti-government demonstrations in parts of the country. The chairperson further commended the former premier "for his commitment and contribution to the advancement of Ethiopia and the continent as a whole." Mahamat further reiterated AU's full support to the Ethiopian government and people as they strive to achieve greater strides in the interest of their country, the region and the entire continent, according to the statement. The chairperson also vowed to work closely with Ahmed towards the achievement of the objectives set in Agenda 2063, including the promotion of peace and security and the advancement of continental integration. Mahamat is "convinced that, under the leadership of the new Prime Minister, Ethiopia will successfully meet the tasks at hand and further consolidate the remarkable social-economic progress it has made over the past two decades," according to the statement issued by the AU. Mahamat also commended Ethiopians for their ability to mitigate recent challenges, saying that "throughout their long and proud history, the Ethiopian people have shown their ability to overcome challenges and unite in the pursuit of the higher interest of their country." This screen capture from a video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry on April 2, 2018 shows a recent missile test in Kazakhstan. MOSCOW, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Russian military has successfully tested its new modernized anti-ballistic missile system in Kazakhstan, Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper reported Monday. Andrey Prikhodko, deputy commander of the Air and Missile Defense of the Aerospace Forces said that the new modernized anti-ballistic missile system has successfully struck a conventional target at a designated time, according to the official military daily. The newspaper also noted that the anti-missile system, armed with a military communications system, is designed to protect Moscow against air and space strikes, as well as to perform tasks in the interests of missile attack warning systems and control of outer space. "Its tactical and technical characteristics concerning the range, accuracy, and duration of operation are much higher than the counterparts currently in service," said Prikhodko. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-03 01:53:23|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir (R, Front) is seen before attending the National Assembly in Khartoum, Sudan, April 2, 2018. Omar al-Bashir on Monday announced a presidential initiative for dialogue on the country's permanent constitution, urging political forces to take part in the initiative. (Xinhua/Mohamed Khidir) KHARTOUM, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Monday announced a presidential initiative for dialogue on the country's permanent constitution, urging political forces to take part in the initiative. Al-Bashir made the announcement when addressing the Sudanese National Assembly, the parliament, saying the move is for the "second phase of our national dialogue." "We call on forces of the national dialogue, including parties, political organizations, movements, active forces of society, civil society organizations, personalities and national figures to take part in the initiative," he added. Al-Bashir further vowed to present the new constitution to the Sudanese people for referendum. Sudan is currently working with a temporary transitional constitution that was approved in 2005 in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, signed in January 2005 by Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the Sudan government. The national document for dialogue, which was approved at the conclusion of the national dialogue conference on Oct. 10, 2016, stipulated formulation of a permanent constitution for the country to be agreed on by all the political forces and parties in Sudan. In January 2014, al-Bashir declared an initiative calling on opposition parties and armed groups to join a national dialogue to end the country's crises. The dialogue kicked off in October 2015 in a bid to resolve the country's political and social issues, and was concluded one year later. In his addressing, al-Bashir also pointed out that no armed group would be allowed in political realm. "Under the constitutional commitment, we will never allow combining the military work against the state with political work," he said. He further reiterated the government commitment to achieve peace at all Sudan's conflict zones, saying that renewal of the cease-fire reaffirms the government's seriousness to reach peace. Last March, al-Bashir issued a decree extending the cease-fire at all conflict areas for another three months. In June 2016, the president declared the first cease-fire for four months for the rebel movements to join the national dialogue and then extended it for many times. The Sudanese government has been fighting the rebel SPLM/northern sector in South Kordofan and Blue Nile areas since 2011. Many rounds of peace talks held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa failed to end the conflict. The government has also been fighting armed groups in the Darfur region since 2003. MADRID, April 2 (Xinhua) - The Spanish government expects to surpass the forecasted 2.7 percent of economic growth this year, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy told local media on Monday. Rajoy, who was in the city of Pontevedra (western Spain), said the Spanish government had predicted a 2.7 percent growth this year, but he pointed out that this figure could be surpassed. "I think that if we do the right things, we can beat our own forecast and reach a higher growth," Rajoy told reporters, adding that the country could create more than 475,000 new jobs. Rajoy has positively assessed the development of the Spanish economy, describing the five-year recession as "very hard" and highlighting the fact that Spain has led growth at a European level in some occasions. According to Rajoy, Spain is going through a very important moment in which the surrounding countries grow and therefore the external sector is key. Rajoy is confident that following the line of the reforms of recent years, employment will increase, infrastructure can be developed and revenue will rise. The government had previously predicted a 2.3 percent economic growth due to the uncertainty, but after the situation improved, the government revised up its forecast to 2.7 percent for 2018. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-03 03:03:37|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close RAMALLAH, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Prime Minister of the Palestinian consensus government Rami Hamdallah on Monday called on Hamas movement, which controls the Gaza Strip, to hand over power in the coastal enclave to the Palestinian Authority. "We won't go to the Gaza Strip until power is fully transferred to the Palestinian government," Hamdallah said in the West Bank city of Nablus during a Palestinian rally to mark the anniversary of the Land Day. He stressed that all security, financial, administrative and judiciary files should be under the full and complete control of the Palestinian Authority. Hamdallah also told the rally that his government "is ready to take over responsibilities," adding "this is the only way to achieve national reconciliation and rescue the situation in Gaza." In March 13, Hamdallah's convoy was attacked when unknown militants blew up a roadside bomb right after his convoy passed by during a visit he made to the Gaza Strip, where several cars of his convoy were damaged and seven of his bodyguards injured. Abbas accused Hamas movement of being responsible for the bombing, while Hamas, which has been controlling security in the Gaza Strip since 2007, rejected Abbas' accusations. Meanwhile, Hamdallah condemned the Israeli killing of 15 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip during rallies, marches and demonstrations close to the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, which began Friday and will end on May 15. "It is not accepted to see the world keeping silent towards the endless Israeli actions of killing," Hamdallah said during the rally, adding "all what we need is an international consensus that puts an end to the Israeli practices and measures." Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-03 03:13:39|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BAGHDAD, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi authorities discovered Monday the remains of 158 bodies believed to belong to soldiers of Speicher Camp who were executed by the Islamic State (IS) militants when the group seized Tikrit in June 2014, the Iraqi government said. A joint team from forensic office and Iraqi Martyrs Foundation, tasked with registering martyrs before and after 2003 U.S.-led invasion to compensate their families, found the bodies inside a former presidential complex of the former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in the city of Tikrit, the forensic office affiliated with the Iraqi Health Ministry said in a statement. The team exhumed the 158 decomposed bodies and began DNA testing to identify the victims, the statement quoted Zaid Ali, head of the forensic office, as saying. Another mass grave inside the complex was found, Ali said, adding that the team will work on it later. So far, the health ministry has handed over 704 martyrs of Speicher massacre to their families, according to the statement. The discovered bodies believed to be part of 1,700 soldiers who walked out of an air base, known as Camp Speicher, north of Tikrit, some 170 km north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, but were abducted and then killed by IS militants and some Sunni tribesmen. In June 2014, armed Sunni insurgents, spearheaded by the IS group, launched a surprise offensive on Iraqi security forces and captured a large part of the country's northern and western territories after government troops abandoned their posts and military equipment. The IS group later posted video footage and images showing the execution of Iraqi government soldiers. After Iraqi security forces recaptured Tikrit from IS militants in April 2015, authorities, including forensic teams, worked at several mass graves and unearthed hundreds of bodies, many in military uniforms or with military identity cards. RABAT, April 2 (Xinhua) -- An international conference on judiciary independence kicked off on Monday in the Moroccan city of Marrakech, with the participation of global ministers, experts and rights organizations. The three-day conference discusses many themes related to the evolution of judiciary independence in a changing world, the governance of the judicial administration and strengthening of its efficiency, and the development of institutional capacities of judicial system. In a message by the Moroccan King Mohammed VI to the participants, the king said that Morocco has taken practical measures to lay the foundations for judicial independence, noting that Morocco remains concerned over the stakes and challenges relating to judicial systems worldwide. He stressed that the major challenge is the obligation to guarantee judiciary independence in practical terms, noting that it is the judge's duty to comply with the requirements of independence and integrity and stay away from any influence or temptation. The king stressed the importance of developing means to realize a balance between the obligation to safeguard rights and freedoms and the need to preserve values and pillars of society and to shield it against anything that may threaten it. Icarus, whose official name is MACS J1149+2223 Lensed Star 1, is the farthest individual star ever seen. It is only visible because it is being magnified by the gravity of a massive galaxy cluster, located about 5 billion light-years from Earth. Called MACS J1149+2223, this cluster, shown at left, sits between Earth and the galaxy that contains the distant star. The panels at the right show the view in 2011, without Icarus visible, compared with the star's brightening in 2016. (Credit: NASA, ESA, and P. Kelly) WASHINGTON, April 2 (Xinhua) -- American astronomers have captured the most distant normal star ever observed, some 9 billion light years from Earth, thanks to a rare cosmic alignment. The study, published on Monday online in the journal Nature Astronomy, revealed the discovery of a star called Icarus, magnified by gravitational lensing by over 2,000 times. Astronomers routinely study galaxies much farther away, visible because they glow with the brightness of billions of stars. They also managed to study supernova, often brighter than the galaxy in which it sits. However, for a distance of about 100 million light years, the stars in these galaxies are impossible to make out individually. But a phenomenon called gravitational lensing, the bending of light by massive galaxy clusters in the line of sight, can magnify the distant universe and make dim, far away objects visible. The single star was discovered in NASA Hubble Space Telescope images taken in late April of 2016 and as recently as April 2017. "You can see individual galaxies out there, but this star is at least 100 times farther away than the next individual star we can study, except for supernova explosions," said Patrick Kelly at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, the paper's first author. These observations can provide a rare look at how stars evolve, especially the most luminous ones. "For the first time ever we're seeing an individual normal star - not a supernova, not a gamma ray burst, but a single stable star - at a distance of nine billion light years," said Alex Filippenko, a professor of astronomy at UC Berkeley and one of many co-authors of the report. The B-type star Icarus is much larger, more massive, hotter and possibly hundreds of thousands of times intrinsically brighter than our Sun. According to the researchers, an extended lens, like a galaxy cluster, can only magnify a background object up to 50 times, but smaller objects can magnify much more. A single star in a foreground lens, if precisely aligned with a background star, can magnify the background star thousands of times. In this case, a star about the size of our sun briefly passed directly through the line of sight between the distant star Icarus and Hubble, boosting its brightness significantly. Also, if the alignment was perfect, that single star within the cluster turned the light from the distant star into an "Einstein ring": a halo of light created when light from the distant star bends around all sides of the lensing star. The ring is too small to discern from this distance, but the effect made the star easily visible by magnifying its apparent brightness. The astronomers predict that Icarus will be magnified many times over the next decade as cluster stars move around, perhaps increasing its brightness as much as 10,000 times. LUSAKA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government on Monday gave the Cuban ambassador a seven-day ultimatum to leave the country following his public endorsement of an opposition political party. On Sunday, the government decided to expel Cuban Ambassador Nelson Pages Vilas after he attended the launch of a new opposition party, the Socialist Party, and publicly pledged to support it. Presidential Spokesperson Amos Chanda told reporters on Sunday that the Cuban envoy had breached diplomatic ethics, practice and standards by his action of supporting a political party as envoys were supposed to work with the government of the day. Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Malanji said the Cuban envoy had been given a seven days' notice to leave the country following the government's withdrawal of his diplomatic recognition. He said the government will not rescind its decision to expel the diplomat because he flouted diplomatic etiquette by entangling himself in partisan politics and that the Cuban government has been requested to send a replacement, according to state broadcaster, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation. The envoy will not be allowed to engage in any official business pending his departure, he added. The Zambian minister, however, told reporters in Kitwe city of the Copperbelt Province that the relation between the two countries would not be affected and remained sound. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-03 03:38:44|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close KUWAIT CITY, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Monday sent a cable to congratulate Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on his victory in the presidential election. The emir voiced felicitations to Sisi on his election for a second term in office, expressing good wishes in his service to the nation. The emir also lauded the distinguished and historic ties between the two countries and noted his aspiration for stronger bonds and greater cooperation in various areas. The Egyptian Presidential Committee announced on Monday that incumbent President Sisi won 97.08 percent of the valid votes in the 2018 presidential election. TIRANA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Vocational education and training reform are the key to employment opportunities and meet the domestic labor market needs, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said Monday during a visit in a vocational school in Vlora, southern Albania. Rama paid a visit to the industrial vocational school "Pavaresia (Independence)" which meets the standards of the European vocational education institutions. "The enthusiastic rebirth of Vlora's Industrial School represents a concrete example of the ongoing transformation towards the real employment through implementation of the vocational education reform," Rama said. According to Rama, vocational education is closely related to the labor market needs, and developing stronger capacity building remains a major challenge. "The system of cooperation with enterprises, the introduction of enterprises to schools and guiding students towards a potential work place is the key to the whole change. Now the problem is to increase capacity. The demand will increasingly go up, because people are realizing that this field will offer real employment opportunities," noted Rama. The school's headmaster said that more students show interest to enroll in vocational schools. "Pavaresia" Industrial Vocational School has a total of 700 students. The number has doubled compared to fours years ago. The main profiles taught there are electrical techniques, mechanics, service of transport vehicles, technology of information and communication and them Plummer. CAIRO, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian parliament preliminarily approved on Monday a new law to establish a supreme council for combating terrorism, official Ahram news website reported. The final vote on the 20-article law was postponed until a later meeting due to the lack of two-thirds of parliament members as required by the Egyptian constitution. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi originally ordered the creation of the Supreme Council for Combating Terrorism and Extremism after meeting with the National Defence Council following terrorist attacks last year. The law approval came hours before official announcement of Sisi's victory in Egypt's 2018 presidential election. The law, which was referred to parliament early this week, aims to mobilize all the country's forces not only to rid the country of terrorist elements, but also to contain extremist and radical ideologies, said head of the Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Bahaa Abu Shoqa. According to the law, the council will forge a national anti-terrorism and counter-extremism strategy every five years. The council, which will be led by the president and composed of 17 members, will coordinate with religious, security and media institutions to spread moderate religious thoughts, said the law. The council will also amend legislation to better support the battle against terrorism, and amend educational curriculums to spread ideas of citizenship and tolerance in schools and universities. According to the law, the council will move to set up a regional coalition of Arab countries to exchange information and boost cooperation in fighting terrorism. Egypt has been suffering from a wave of terror attacks that have killed hundreds of policemen, soldiers and civilians since the army toppled former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. The Egyptian security forces have killed hundreds of terrorists and arrested thousands of suspects during the country's anti-terror war. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-03 04:08:53|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close GAZA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 Palestinians were wounded Monday in rallies close to the Gaza-Israeli border, medics said. Some 12 Palestinian demonstrators were shot and wounded by Israeli soldiers gunfire, said Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of health ministry in Gaza. Dozens were treated in the field after they inhaled tear gas, he added. Earlier Monday, al-Qedra announced that a 29-year-old Palestinian man, called Fares al-Reqeb, died of his wounds he sustained Friday, when Israeli soldiers opened fire at Palestinian demonstrators and critically wounded him in the abdomen in eastern Gaza. Unprecedented clashes between hundreds of Palestinian protestors and Israeli soldiers broke out Friday during a six-week rally of Palestinians called the "Great March of Return." Israeli media had earlier announced that the Israeli Army kept its instructions of opening fire at Palestinian demonstrators near the fence of the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel. Al-Qedra said that since Friday, 16 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip and more than 1,600 injured, most of them by live ammunition. There are two other bodies held in the hands of the Israeli army, he added. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-03 04:38:59|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a press conference in Jerusalem, on April 2, 2018. Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday he suspends a landmark agreement with the UN to resettle African asylum seekers hours after he first announced the deal. (Xinhua/JINI) JERUSALEM, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday he suspends a landmark agreement with the UN to resettle African asylum seekers hours after he first announced the deal. The resettlement deal was supposed to cancel a government plan to deport from Israel thousands of Eritrean and Sudanese asylum seekers and instead resettle half of them in Western countries and allow the others to remain in Israel. The announcement on the agreement with the United Nations Refugee Agency triggered harsh criticism by ultra-nationalist activists, who demanded to deport all of the asylum seekers, and top cabinet ministers, who said they were not consulted about the deal in advance. About seven hours after Netanyahu lauded the agreement as a "good deal" in a televised press conference, he said the deal is "suspended." In a post on his Facebook page, Netanyahu said that he and Interior Minister Arieh Deri would meet with "representatives of southern Tel Aviv" on Tuesday, where most of the asylum seekers are located. BUJUMBURA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza Monday deposited 4 million Burundi francs (2,270 U.S. dollars) to a bank account opened for contributions to the 2020 general elections. After depositing the money to the Burundi Central Bank, Nkurunziza said that he had accomplished a "patriotic action" by contributing to the elections. He had given the contribution last year, said the president, adding that he made the contribution again because agricultural production of his family has been good this season. A lot of time was wasted through requesting financial support from donors to finance elections, who sometimes impose conditions, he said. The experience of the last general elections in 2015 has revealed that Burundian people can finance the elections by themselves, he added. In August 2017, Nkurunziza contributed 5 million francs (2,840 dollars) for the 2020's general elections. Around 5 million Burundian citizens registered for the upcoming constitutional referendum and the general elections in the combined registration, according to the National Independent Electoral Commission of Burundi. The central African country is expected to hold the referendum of the constitution on May 17 this year. The draft constitution, which doesn't ban the current president to run again in 2020, extends the presidential term from five years provided in the 2005 constitution to seven years and allows the president to serve two consecutive terms. It will be passed if it is approved by over 50 percent of voters, according to the presidential decree for inviting registered voters to vote in the referendum. Nkurunziza was elected the president of Burundi by the parliament in 2005. He was re-elected in a universal suffrage in 2010 and in 2015. Burundi plunged into a crisis in April 2015 when Nkurunziza decided to run his controversial third term bid, which he won in July 2015. His candidature, which was opposed by the opposition and civil society groups, resulted in a wave of protests, violence and even a failed coup in May 2015. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-03 04:59:04|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close Supporters of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi celebrate during a rally at Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, on April 2, 2018. Egyptian incumbent President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi made a landslide victory in the country's presidential election, winning 97.08 percent of the valid votes, official results showed on Monday. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) by Mahmoud Fouly CAIRO, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The re-election of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi for a second four-year term is expected to lead to further stable economic and security conditions in the most populous Arab state after years of economic slowdown and terrorist challenges, said Egyptian experts. On Monday, Sisi was officially announced to win the presidential election, getting more than 21.8 million votes that make up over 97 percent of valid ballots, amid some 41 percent turnout of nearly 60 million eligible voters. Sisi's sole rival in the election, liberal politician Moussa Mostafa Moussa, garnered less than 3 percent of the valid votes. ECONOMIC PLUS "Generally, Sisi's re-election equals more stability and makes investors confident in the Egyptian market," said Rashad Abdo, an economics professor at Cairo University and also head of the Egyptian Forum for Economic and Strategic Studies. To boost economy, Egypt started in late 2016 with full local currency floatation as an initial step of a strict three-year economic reform program based on austerity measures, fuel and energy subsidy cuts and tax hikes. Egypt's reform plan has been encouraged by a 12-billion-dollar loan from the International Monetary Fund, half of which has already been delivered to the country. Abdo said Sisi's re-election leads to further security and stability. It will also bring better Egyptian foreign relations and reassure local and foreign investors. "As you can see, the Egyptian Stock Exchange logically marked a rise after the president's re-election." President Sisi came to office in mid-2014, a year after he, as the army chief then, led the ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in response to mass protests. Since then, he has been working on national mega projects to develop the country's infrastructure and pave the way for further foreign investments. The projects Sisi has started include the establishment of a new administrative capital city, the Suez Canal corridor development, the reclamation of 1.5 million feddans of lands (about 6,300 square km), 1 million housing units for youths and the loans of 200 billion Egyptian pounds (about 11.3 billion U.S. dollars) for youth enterprises. "His re-election will allow him to continue the huge national projects he has started, for a different president might have different priorities that would negatively affect those projects," the economist told Xinhua. Abdo noted that before Sisi, the economic growth rate was 1.8 percent which has amounted this year to about 5 percent. "The unemployment rate, for instance, was 14.8 percent before Sisi and now it has gone as low as 11.2 percent, which is a good indicator," he continued, noting that the budget deficit is also on the decline under Sisi's administration. FURTHER SECURITY Since Morsi's ouster in early July 2013 and the ban of his Muslim Brotherhood group as a terrorist organization, Egypt has been suffering a wave of terror activities that killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers, as well as civilians, with most of the attacks claimed by a Sinai-based group affiliated with the Islamic State regional terrorist group. On the other hand, the Egyptian forces killed hundreds of terrorists and arrested thousands of suspects during the country's anti-terror war declared by Sisi right after Morsi's removal. "The re-election of Sisi represents the Egyptian people's belief in his keenness to fight terrorism and maintaining security and stability in the country to provide a suitable investment climate," said security expert Hamdy Bakhit, a Egyptian parliament member and a retired armed forces general. Terror operations in Egypt had been centered in restive North Sinai province bordering Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip before they later expanded to reach other provinces including the capital Cairo and started to target the Coptic minority via church bombings and shootings. Apart from security men and Copts, the terrorists further targeted a mosque in North Sinai's Arish city last November, killing at least 310 Muslim worshippers and injuring more than 120 others, which marks the deadliest terror attack and the first against a mosque in Egypt's modern history. "In his first presidential term, Sisi proved high efficiency in reading future threats of terrorists and their backing states," Bakhit told Xinhua, adding that his re-election would give him a chance to continue Egypt's anti-terror war and eradicate terrorism nationwide. Under Sisi, a massive upgrade of the military equipments has taken place with arm deals with Western states, including France and Germany, bringing the Egyptian armed forces advanced fighter jets, submarines and warships. "His focus on rebuilding the armed forces gives a strong, deterrent message to whoever attempts to mess with Egypt's national security," said the security expert. FOREIGN POLICY Sisi's administration faced regional and international pressures following Morsi's ouster that was met with the rejection of some African and Western states. Eventually, the Egyptian foreign policy managed to improve the country's relations with fellow African states and Western powers, particularly in the light of Egypt's important role in the world's war against terrorism. "Fighting terrorism will be a major axis in the Egyptian foreign policy in the coming four years and Egypt will continue working with international, regional and Arab allies on fighting terrorism," said Hussein Haridy, a former Egyptian assistant foreign minister. Over the past couple of years, Egypt has been arranging meetings with warring Libyan parties to work on a political settlement for the Libyan crisis. Last year, Cairo hosted the signing of de-escalation zone deals between the Syrian government and rebel groups in an attempt to stop the killings and displacements of civilians in rebel-held areas. "Egypt will continue working on activating the United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Syria and Libya and exert all efforts to achieve security and stability in the two fellow Arab states," the ex-diplomat told Xinhua. Egypt has recently condemned the killing of Palestinian protesters by Israeli troops in occupied Palestinian territories and has repeatedly expressed full support to the Palestinian rights, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital in the light of the UN-proposed two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders. Although Egypt is a main regional ally to the United States, ties between the two countries were cold under former U.S. President Barack Obama after Morsi's overthrow, but they later improved when Donald Trump, who has just congratulated Sisi on his re-election. Still, Egypt, like most world states, rejects Trump's recent decisions to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to relocate Washington's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the debated holy city. "Egypt pays a special interest in the Palestinian cause whether through activating inter-Palestinian reconciliation or containing any Palestinian disagreement with influential foreign parties, particularly the United States and the West," Haridy explained. The former diplomat said that Egypt under Sisi will seek expansion of its cooperation with Mediterranean states to face Turkey's regional expansion ambitions. "Egypt's foreign policy goes according to the changes of the international system that has seen the rise of some other powers ... which requires redirection of the Egyptian foreign policy towards big powers," the ex-diplomat concluded. CAIRO, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's foreign exchange reserves (forex) hit a record high by the end of March, reaching 42.61 billion U.S. dollars, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) said Monday. This marks an increase of 87 million dollars in reserves of February, which amounted to 42.52 billion dollars, the CBE noted in a press statement. Egypt's forex kept declining from 36 billion dollars in January 2011, just before the uprising that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak, until it reached an alarming level of 13.5 billion in February 2013, a few months before the ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi. The political instability and relevant security issues led to economic recession and decline of tourism and foreign investments, two major sources for Egypt's foreign currency reserves. It started to gradually rise under President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who, as the army chief then, led Morsi's ouster in response to mass protests and was supported by billions of dollars from oil-rich Gulf countries that backed the move, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. Improving security conditions, increasing remittances of Egyptian expatriates, in addition to foreign loans and deposits have refilled the CBE with foreign funds. "Foreign currency rise is a positive indication that reflects the success of the government to run financial problems through well-studied plans," Moustafa Ibrahim, an economic expert and a member of Egyptian Businessmen Association, told Xinhua. Ibrahim added that the political stability encouraged international banks and financial institutions to provide Egypt with big loans, which have been used in rebuilding the economic infrastructure in the most populous Arab country. "I believe that the reserves will keep going up especially after the re-election of President Abel-Fattah al-Sisi ... this political stability will increase confidence of lenders and investors in Egypt's investment and reform plans," he noted. To boost economy, bolster forex and contain dollar shortage, Egypt started in late 2016 a strict three-year economic reform program including austerity measures, fuel and energy subsidy cuts and tax increases, in addition to local currency full floatation, although they led to nationwide price hikes. Egypt's reform program is encouraged by a 12-billion-dollar loan from the International Monetary Fund, half of which has already been delivered to the North African country. TRIPOLI, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The 46th Libyan Tripoli International Fair kicked off on Monday with participation of companies from Italy, Algeria and Tunisia. The opening ceremony was attended by UN-backed deputy prime minister Ahmad M'etig, the interior minister Abdul-Salam Ashour, and a number of foreign ambassadors to Libya. "The fair comes in exceptional circumstances in Libya. We were keen to start it despite the obstacles we faced," Salah Addin Hamza, chairman of the Libyan Fairs Authority, told Xinhua. Hamza confirmed that the fair included 550 pavilions and participation of 475 local and foreign companies. "International participation, although limited this year, has provided an indication that the next fair of 2019 will be a motivation for foreign companies to participate, especially with the noticeable (security) improvement in Tripoli," Hamza added. The minister of economy Naser Al-Dresi stressed the economic significance of fairs "as events that enhance acquaintance and exchange of experience between local and foreign companies to develop the national economy." "The fair is an incentive to increase the pace of economic activities in Libya through competition between exhibitors, and the possibility of creating twinning among companies participating in the fair," Al-Dresi added. He said the ministry is planning to organize a number of workshops during the fair for experts and specialists to discuss economic reform in Libya. RABAT, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Morocco's police arrested on Monday a Brazilian and a Nigerian for attempting to smuggle cocaine at Mohammed V International Airport in the Moroccan city of Casablanca. According to a statement from the police, the suspects, who arrived from Sao Paulo, Brazil, were carrying in their luggage 4.2 kg of cocaine and 3 litters of liquid cocaine. The suspects were remanded in custody to complete the investigation under the supervision of the public prosecutor, it noted. Morocco has seized record 2.84 tons of cocaine in 2017, 1.5 tons more than the amount seized in 2016. KHARTOUM, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Sudan on Monday welcomed the decision by the Ethiopian parliament to select Abiy Ahmed as the prime minister. The ministry congratulated the Ethiopian leadership over its wisdom represented in overcoming the hard challenges the country faced in the past period. It expressed hope that the selection of a new prime minister would enhance political stability as well as economic and social development in Ethiopia, contribute to boosting the progressive Sudanese-Ethiopian ties and keep Ethiopia's essential role in the regional and international arenas. The ministry further reiterated Sudan's readiness to continue cooperation with the new Ethiopian leadership in all fields in a manner that achieves the ambitions of the Sudanese and Ethiopian peoples in security, stability and development. Abiy Ahmed has been selected after Hailemariam Desalegn, who had been Ethiopia's prime minister since 2012, turned in his resignation on Feb. 15 in the wake of a political crisis. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-03 05:54:13|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close Representatives from China and Algeria pose for photos during an on-orbit delivery ceremony for Algeria's first communication satellite, Alcomsat-1, in Algiers, Algeria, April 1, 2018. China said Monday that it expects to boost its cooperation with Algeria in the field of aerospace technology. (Xinhua) ALGIERS, April 2 (Xinhua) -- China said Monday that it expects to boost its cooperation with Algeria in the field of aerospace technology. Yang Baohua, deputy general manager of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, said that China expects substantive cooperation in other follow-up projects in the field. Yang and other representatives from China took part on Sunday in an on-orbit delivery ceremony for Algeria's first communication satellite, Alcomsat-1, with the Algerian Space Agency. Alcomsat-1 was sent to the scheduled orbit from China's Xichang Satellite Launch Center on Dec. 11, 2017. Afterwards, both sides conducted satellite on-orbit testing and completed an on-orbit review. This project is an important manifestation of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Algeria, Yang said, adding that it created a good precedent for increased cooperation between the two sides in the aerospace field. He said the successful delivery of the satellite is the result of a four-year hard work by scientists and researchers of scientific institutions from both countries. With a designed life of 15 years, Alcomsat-1 will be used by Algeria for broadcast and television, emergency communication, distance education, e-governance, enterprise communication, broadband access and satellite-based navigation. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-03 06:14:17|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close JERUSALEM, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of people participated in the priestly blessing at the Western Wall of the Old City in Jerusalem on Monday during the Passover holiday, amid a popular Palestinian march against Israel. The blessing is recited by Jewish people said to be descendants of Aaron, the brother of Moses, and is one of the most ancient blessings in the Jewish faith. The kohanim, believed to be descendants of priests who served in the ancient Jewish Temple before it was destroyed, perform a mass blessing ceremony of the Jewish people three times a year during the festivals of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot. Passover commemorates the Israelite exodus from slavery in Egypt some 3,500 years ago. The blessing was held during the time when Israeli-Palestinian tensions are running high. Heavy security measures were taken for the ceremony in the Old City. The Israel Defense Forces announced a 10-day closure on all West Bank and Gaza border crossings from March 29. On March 30, about 30,000 protesters from besieged Palestinian enclave marched towards the security fence separating the Gaza Strip and Israel. The Israeli army responded with live ammunition and rubber-coated bullets, which claimed the lives of at least 15 Palestinians and injuring over 1,400. HAVANA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The foreign ministers of Cuba and Saudi Arabia, Bruno Rodriguez and Adel Al-Jubeir, expressed on Monday their mutual interest in deepening economic relations and continuing to strengthen political ties. Rodriguez received Al-Jubeir at the Cuban Foreign Ministry and said his first-ever visit to the island would contribute to the development of bilateral links. "The Cuban government appreciates the joint cooperation projects with the Saudi Fund for Development," Rodriguez said referring to credits granted by Riyadh for the rehabilitation of water networks in the Caribbean nation. The minister added Havana also values the presence of Cuban medical services in Saudi Arabia and urged the two sides to continue working together to increase cooperation in other areas. He also reiterated Cuba's support for the "just causes of the Arab peoples," particularly the situation in Palestine. Meanwhile, Al-Jubeir conveyed a greeting from Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to Cuban President Raul Castro, and acknowledged the progress that bilateral relations have seen in recent years. "Our government is zealously watching to deepen ties with Cuba," the Saudi foreign minister said. In turn, he called for an increase in bilateral economic cooperation, to diversify his country's investments in the island and to strengthen political dialogue between Havana and Riyadh. "There are essential links that unite us such as respect for the sovereignty of countries, international legality and the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations," said the Saudi official. Earlier, Al-Jubeir held a meeting with the island's vice president of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Economy and Planning, Ricardo Cabrisas, with whom he discussed economic cooperation and the prospects for Saudi investments in the Caribbean nation. In May 2017, Cabrisas visited Riyadh and returned home with a new Saudi credit of 26.6 million U.S. dollars to carry out rehabilitation and construction of social projects in Havana's historic areas. In July 2016, both nations signed two agreements to boost Saudi exports to Cuba and for Riyadh to finance water infrastructure repairs with long-term loans. According to official figures, by 2017, the Saudi Development Fund had executed four projects worth 122 million U.S. dollars in Cuba, including three to rehabilitate water networks across the country. TUNIS, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic Development Bank group (IDB) will provide Tunisia with 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in the form of financing public investments, a Tunisia official said Monday. The Tunisian Minister of Development, Investment and International Cooperation Zied Laadhari made the announcement at the 43rd annual meeting of the IDB group held here until Thursday. The Tunisian minister, who chaired the board of governors, revealed that Tunisia will soon sign a partnership contract with the group of IDB covering the next 5 years. About 57 ministers of finance from the IDB group member states participated in the meetings, also attended by 60 official delegations and over 1,000 participants including experts, investors and global economic players. "Since 2011, IDB financing in development projects in Tunisia has reached 2.17 billion Tunisian dinars (about 902 million dollars)," said Laadhari. The IDB has already agreed the creation of a STI (Science, Technology and Innovation) fund, with a value of 500 million dollars, to support start-ups as well as emerging Tunisian companies in this sector. "The group's global financing for the country exceeds 3.2 billion dollars, mainly in electricity with 6 projects and an envelope of 756 million dollars, in addition to 1.1 billion dollars in insured business," said IDB Group President Bandar Hajjar. Hajjar said Tunisia has just received the IDB approval to finance a number of development projects in some of the country's inland provinces, including construction of hospitals and transfer of electrical energy. Hajjar further assured Tunisia help in addressing major challenges and obstacles to achieve economic and social prosperity. Coun Perez reiterates warning to barangay leaders involved in drugs 07 Aug 2017 Hits:37 Comments(0) Liga ng mga Barangay President, Councilor Jerry Perez yesterday reiterated his warning to all barangay officials from using or selling drugs. Perez said he is closely monitoring the activities of all the barangay officials and vowed sanctions against erring leaders. Aqui gane na mio barangay ya quita ya iyo na puesto cunel dos barangay leaders quien mas temprano ya sale positivo na... Fair housing advocates sued Facebook Tuesday, saying it lets landlords and real estate brokers target advertising to discriminate against women, those with disabilities and families with children. "Although Facebook stopped approving housing advertisements that used its "ethnic affinity" option in late 2017, it continues to create and develop content that facilitates advertisers excluding certain audiences based on legally protected characteristics", the lawsuit said. The Fair Housing Act prohibits home rental and sale advertisements from discriminating "based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin". A Facebook representative could not immediately be reached for comment. "Facebook is not above the law and must answer these civil rights claims in court". "There is absolutely no place for discrimination on Facebook", a company spokesperson said in a statement provided to CNN. "We believe this lawsuit is without merit, and we will defend ourselves vigorously", said a spokesman for Facebook. So far, Mark Zuckerberg hasn't exactly been overwhelmed with contrition over Facebook's data harvesting or the alleged illegitimacy of Cambridge Analytica's use of Facebook profile data. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to dismiss 7 Russian diplomats over Salisbury attack All in all, on Monday, about 100 Russian diplomats were expelled from 16 European countries, as well as US, Canada and Australia. May says "their condition is unlikely to change in the near future, and they may never recover fully". With the tech giant under scrutiny, every piece of data we share with the company knowingly or not, is getting a second look. To test its case, the NFHA submitted a fictitious ad in San Antonio for an apartment for rent, using Facebook presets that allowed them to exclude "parents with toddlers", "parents with preschoolers", "parents with early school-age children", "parents with teenagers", and "parents with preteens", while targeting "men". After the NFHA sent Facebook a letter regarding the issue in 2016, the company has "repeatedly promised" to remedy the discriminatory potential of its advertising platform. The suit seeks class-action status. The lawsuit's explanation of how the discrimination is carried out begins with a description that would sound appealing to most advertisers. Hajipur: A child, who was sick, lost his life in Bihar's Hajipur in Vaishali district as the ambulance in which he was being taken to the hospital reportedly got stuck in the middle of the protests against the Supreme Court order diluting the SC/ST Act. While some states ordered the closure of educational institutions, and curtailed internet and mobile services, incidents of arson, firing and vandalism were reported from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab, among other states. In Patna, MLAs from the Opposition parties, as well as some from the ruling side, demanded a resolution be passed by the House urging the Centre to take adequate measures to undo the recent apex court order on arrests under the SC/ST Act. Protesters stormed the Patna Junction where they forced closure of the ticket booking counters and squatted on railway tracks disrupting the movement of a number of trains. On the other hand, Dalit protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to vehicles in violent protests across seven states, leaving at least six people dead and many injured, as per media reports. Transport and communications services were severely hit in many states with over 100 trains getting affected due to protests, even as the Centre moved the Supreme Court seeking review of its recent judgement in the matter, maintaining that the verdict will violate constitutional rights of these communities. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has appealed for peace, while Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government was not a party to the SC decision on the SC/ST Act and 'respectfully' did not agree with its reasoning behind the verdict. Prasad also said the government has filed a very comprehensive review petition in the matter. (With PTI inputs) Mumbai: Actor Tiger Shroff has thanked his fans profusely for putting in a good word about his latest action film "Baaghi 2", which has minted over Rs 70 crore in its opening week. Tiger took to Twitter to thank his fans for the support for him and the team, via a video. In the video, he said: "Hi everyone, I just wanted to thank you all for all the love and support you've given me and the whole team of 'Baaghi 2'... I can't thank you enough. It just feels so surreal and I feel like I'm still dreaming because this was really something that I could never even dream of in my wildest dreams or even dare to dream of." He said he was "speechless", but went on to express gratitude to fans, friends and family for "just showing all of your love". Sajid Nadiadwala's "Baaghi 2", which released last week, collected Rs 25.10 crore on its opening day, according to the makers. With collections to the tune of Rs 20.40 crore and Rs 27.60 crore on Day 2 and Day 3, its total collection has amounted to Rs 73.60 crore. New Delhi: Indias 'largest and fastest growing budget carrier', IndiGo will soon add Tiruchirappalli as its 51st destination. Starting June 01, 2018, IndiGo with its seventh ATR, will start operating four direct flights from Chennai to Tiruchirappalli. IndiGo would be the first airline to launch four departures on its inaugural day at Tiruchirappalli. IndiGo will also be the only airline to provide same day return facility to its customers on Chennai - Tiruchirappalli Chennai sector. As per the airline, "the new flights are designed to cater to business and leisure travellers who are constantly on the lookout for new and affordable flying options." "The introduction of these flights will further strengthen airlines ATR operations, and will provide enhanced connectivity between Chennai and Tiruchirappalli with all-inclusive fares starting from INR 2499," it added. Sanjay Kumar, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo said, Just like Coimbatore, Madurai and Chennai - Tiruchirappalli is also a key market for IndiGo in Tamil Nadu. With rising business and tourism stemming from the southern hubs, IndiGo is determined to provide the best travel experience to all those who wish to fly these destinations. We are looking at providing affordable fares on these new routes for 6E travelers." New Delhi: The Finance ministry has asked Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to review its decision on Letters of Undertaking (LoUs), as per Zee Media sources. The review in RBI decision on LoUs is likely to bring some respite to exporters who have been demanding re-think on it. RBI last month banned issuance of LoUs and Letters of Comfort (LoC), used extensively for trade finance, following the unearthing of Nirav Modi fraud case. Zee Media sources have also said that LoUs may again be brought back to the system with a few conditions. Last week, several banks had written letter to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), urging it to look into the problems being faced by the industry following the abrupt ban on Letters of Undertaking (LoUs). Nirav Modi and associates in connivance with some officials of Punjab National Bank (PNB) used LoUs to defrauded the lender of over Rs 13,000 crore. Asking the RBI to provide some breathing space to them, banks had highlighted that the apex banking authority should give an alternate option. Banks feel that the sudden banning of LoUs has caused some disruption, which has hit small and medium enterprises. Banks said that the cost for trade finance has also gone up because of shift to letters of credit. These instruments involve a commission fee along with a so called acceptance charge which is not the case with LoUs as they only involve a guarantee fee. The Banks said that importers used to seek credit against LoUs at 2.5 percent to 3 percent offshore. However, pots the discontinuation of LoUs, the rate would go upto 11 percent because importers will then have to borrow from local bank branches in India. Earlier this month, RBI barred banks from issuing guarantees in the form of letters of undertaking (LoU) as it clamped down on the import financing route used by fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi for allegedly committing India's biggest bank fraud. RBI also banned with immediate effect issuance of LoCs which, like LoUs, are used by importers to fund their overseas purchases. However, letters of credit and bank guarantees will continue upon meeting certain conditions. New Delhi: In what could benefit Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) subscribers who are jobless for a longer period, the retirement fund body may soon come up with a new option on provident fund withdrawal. Sources have told Zee Media, the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) in a crucial meeting on April 13, will discuss options to allow interest-free partial withdrawal to the employees who are without any jobs for over two months. Sources have also told Zee Media that this partial withdrawal will be allowed only for one time. As per current rules, if an EPFO subscriber quits the job and he/she is not going to be employed for another two months, then such subscribers can claim for full and final settlement of whatever balance remains in their account. For example, an employee leaves his job in January and he/she has not got any job till April, then the employee can claim for full and final EPFO settlement. Among the various options, the CBT will also decide in its meeting whether or not to give the subscriber an option to return the partial withdrawal to EPFO or not, sources said. Last month, EPFO took another step towards becoming a paperless organisation. The retirement fund body made it mandatory to file online claims for provident fund withdrawals above Rs 10 lakh. EPFO also made it mandatory to file online claims for withdrawals of above Rs 5 lakh under the Employees Pension Scheme 1995. Under the pension scheme, there is a provision of partial withdrawal of pension, commonly known as commutation of pension money. Before the decision, EPFO subscribers had the option of filing online as well as manual claims for provident fund withdrawal as also for the pension. EPFO has also lowered the rate of interest on employees provident fund to 8.55 percent for its over 6-crore subscribers for 2017-18, from 8.65 percent in the previous fiscal. The EPFO has over six crore subscribers and manages a corpus of Rs 10 lakh crore. (Reporting by Prakash Priyadarshi) New Delhi: A television anchor with a Telegu news channel reportedly committed suicide by jumping off the fifth floor of her residence late on Sunday night. The anchor has been identfied as 36-year-old Radhika Reddy. The body of the woman was spotted by neighbours who informed local police. The Kukatpally Police Station Sub-Inspector, Majid informed that the anchor committed suicide shortly after coming back from work. She died on the spot from head injury, leg fracture and multiple blunt injuries. Initial investigations, according to news agency ANI, have revealed a suicide note which reads that depression forced her to take the unfortunate step. She had divorced her husband six months back and had been living with her parents and 14-year-old son. According to statistics from WHO, 56,675,969 Indians - 4.5 per cent of the total population - suffers from depression. It also said 36 per cent of Indians are likely to suffer from depression at some point in their lives. Another study from Assocham found that 42.5 per cent of corporate employees in India already do suffer from depression. Psychological experts have been urging people to go for counselling at the first signs of what could possibly be depression. Even Bollywood celebrities like Deepika Padukone, Ileana D'Cruz and Karan Johar have cited personal experiences in urging people to not give up when suffering from depression. NEW DELHI: Six central universities across India have been identified by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to start the Yoga Department from the academic session 2016-17. The universities are namely - 1. Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, 2. Visva Bharati, 3. Central University of Rajasthan, 4. Central University of Kerala, 5. Indira Gandhi National Tribal University and 6. Manipur University The Commission has already conveyed the approval for starting the Yoga Department in these Central Universities. Among the central universities which have been sanctioned Yoga Department, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University is situated in Madhya Pradesh. Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the nation on Mann Ki Baat had said that Yoga has become a mass movement. He also stressed the fact that it has now reached every household. New Delhi: India is a land of diversities where people from different strata and background have lived together for centuries. But they haven't always lived together in perfect harmony and with a growing social divide, the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989 was brought in. The one major objective of this Act is to prevent oppression of people belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. It also seeks to deter people from committing such oppression and providing victims with special rights and privileges. A fast-track court for complaints made by anyone from the SC and ST community is also established. Not only does the Act increase punishment in some instances for crimes under Indian Penal Code (IPC) but also targets specific crimes - generally humiliating in nature - against SC and ST communities. An amended law came into effect from January 26 of 2016 which widened offences recognised by the Act and also promised to further ensure a speedy judicial process. Controversy erupted last month when. on March 20, the Supreme Court noted that there are instances of abuse using SC/ST Act against government servants. It held that a public servant can only be arrested after approval of the appointing authority. Whereas a non-public servant can be arrested after approval by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) which may be granted in appropriate cases if considered necessary for reasons recorded. A preliminary inquiry will also have to be conducted before an FIR is filed and it is to be ascertained whether the charges fall under the Act or is a result of political and/or personal reasons. This has now come under a barrage of criticism: Several Dalit and other SC and ST communities have called for a Bharat Bandh against the SC order. These groups say the order will clamp down on their rights and will be used against them. They, as well as many social commentators, fear that instances reporting crimes against SCs and STs will also come down as a result of the modification. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes have expressed their reservations against the Supreme Court's verdict. They have appealed that the Act should not be modified in any way and that it should be brought back as it was before the apex court's verdict. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has clarified that the matter will be taken up and that the government is all set to file a review petition. Several SC and ST MPs had also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the matter. For now, the country stands rather divided on the matter which on the one hand seeks to prevent misuse but on the other, could hurt a large SC and ST community. NEW DELHI: With country-wide Bharat Bandh protests by Dalit groups turning bloody on Monday morning with the death of two people, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) entered a mud-slinging contest on social media. Sparring on Twitter, the parties blamed each other for atrocities against Dalits. As reports of chaotic protests from across the country unfurled on television and social media, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi took to the micro-blogging platform to share, Positioning Dalits at the lowest rung of Indian society RSS/BJP's DNA. Whoever dares to challenge this status quo is suppressed with violence. "Thousands of Dalit brothers and sisters have come out on the streets to demanding protection of their rights from the (Narendra) Modi Sarkar. We salute them. RSS/BJP DNA - #BharatBandh Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 2, 2018 Immediately after, BJP's twitter handle responded with a graph highlighting the atrocities against Dalits during Congress-led UPA government regime. Angry over the Supreme Court's ruling on March 20 that diluted of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and making it less stringent, angry Dalit bodies held protests and demonstrations across the country. Three people died in Madhya Pradesh one in Morena, two in Gwalior during clashes between law enforcement agencies and demonstrators in the ongoing Bharat Bandh. The protests turned violent in many parts of the country including the states of Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bihar, Punjab, apart from Madhya Pradesh. Stringent protests were carried out in other states as well. Protester blocked rail lines disrupting train services in several states. Reports of vandalism emerged from more than 10 places during the protests. New Delhi: Protestors demanding that the roll back of modification to the SC/ST Act suggested by the Supreme Court, clashed with security personnel in Agra on Monday morning. Several shops were vandalised as several protestors began screaming slogans. Several Dalit groups have called for a nation-wide Bharat Bandh against the proposed modification to the SC/ST Act. In Agra, the protest turned violent when local cops reportedly tried to contain a large group. Unruly scenes of vandalism and sloganeering followed. Massive protests have also been reported from several other parts of the country, including Punjab's Ludhiana and Zirakpur. Train services at several places across the country were affected as well after protesters blocked railway lines and stopped trains on Monday morning in the ongoing Bharat Bandh. Daily activities were also disrupted in few states after marketplaces and shops remained shut. All you need to know about the controversy surrounding SC/ST Act The first reports of protestors stopping train came from Odisha Sambalpur. #BharatBandh over SC/ST protection act: Different groups including CPIML activists protest in Bihar's Arrah, block a train pic.twitter.com/ss4jn1C4ak ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 In Bihar's Arrah, different groups including Communist Party of India (MarxistLeninist) Liberation or CPI(ML) activists also stopped a train. #BharatBandh over SC/ST protection act: Different groups including CPIML activists protest in Bihar's Arrah, block a train pic.twitter.com/ss4jn1C4ak ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 Later they blocked the train at Forbesganj Junction. IANS reported that protestors belonging to Bhim Army in Bihar carried posters, flags and banners and blocked national and state highways - apart from long-distance trains. "In several localities in Patna, supporters of the Bhim Army forced shops to close and blocked roads by burning tyres," a district police official said. In Punjab too, trains were stopped at few places. The Bharat Bandh strike was called against the Supreme Court's order to dilute the stringent provisions mandating immediate arrest under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities (POA) Act. The bandh is reportedly being supported by several groups such as the Peasants and Workers Party, the Prakash Ambedkar-led Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, the Jati Aant Sangharsh Samiti, the Rashtriya Seva Dal, and National Dalit Movement for Justice, among others. New Delhi: Large parts of the country bore the brunt of Dalit anger during the day-long Bharat Bandh on Monday as mobs of youngsters took to the streets in several states to protest against the recent Supreme Court verdict diluting the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Violence was reported from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and a few other states as Dalit groups and security personnel clashed resulting in death and destruction. At least nine people were killed in violent protest with the maximum deaths taking place in Madhya Pradesh. While at least six people died in Madhya Pradesh, two persons died in Uttar Pradesh and one in Rajasthan. In Bihar's Vaishali district a small boy reportedly died after the ambulance in which he was being taken to a hospital was stopped by the protesters. Public and private property was set on fire and destroyed at several places during the protests. Hundreds of trains were stopped for several hours as protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to private and public properties, including police posts. In UP nearly 75 persons including 40 policemen were injured in violent protests in various parts of the state. Police have detained nearly 450 people there, as per reports. Thousands were also arrested across Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha, while the impact was minimal in West Bengal. Several Dalit groups including the Peasants and Workers Party, the Prakash Ambedkar-led Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, the Jati Aant Sangharsh Samiti, the Rashtriya Seva Dal, and National Dalit Movement for Justice, among others had given the call for Bharat Bandh to protest against the March 20 verdict of the apex court banning automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. While giving its ruling the apex court had observed that no arrest can be made under the Act without prior permission and the accused can secure an anticipatory bail from the court if the judge finds the complaint is an abuse of the law, false, motivated and intended to blackmail or harass a person. This was necessary, the court had said, to prevent the rampant misuse of the tough provisions of the law. The verdict had resulted in loud protests by several political parties and Dalit organisations. The protesters alleged that the Supreme Court ruling will result in dilution of the Act which came into being in 1989. Sensing the widespread anger against the ruling, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government on Monday filed a review petition in the apex court arguing that the court order will weaken the provisions of the Act. Chandigarh: Reports of violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies emerged from across Punjab as Dalit groups marched protesting against Supreme Court's order to dilute of the SC/ST Act. Schools, colleges remained closed during the Bharat Bandh while bus and train services took a hit. Public and private transport remained off the road. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) postponed all Class 12 and 10 examinations. The state also curtailed the mobile and internet connectivity. "Taking cognisance of the letter of the director general (school education), the CBSE decided to postpone all class 12 and 10 examinations scheduled for April 2 , 2018 in the state of Punjab. Exams will carry on as per schedule in UT of Chandigarh and rest of the country," said a release from the board. Early on Monday morning, protests intensified in Chandigarh, Ambala and Rohtak. Train services between Ambala and Kalka railway line and around Patiala was affected. #BharatBandh over SC/ST protection act: Protesters stop train in Punjab's Patiala pic.twitter.com/JCohWtQaXO ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 Amid tight security arrangements, the Dalits held protests at Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Ropar, Bathinda, Amritsar and Ferozepur in Punjab against the dilution of the Act, reported news agency PTI. The Congress-led Punjab government had on Sunday ordered a security clampdown as a precautionary measure, while the Army and paramilitary forces have been asked to be on standby to prevent any exigency. Noting instances of abuse using SC/ST Act against government servants, the Supreme Court on March 20 ruled that a public servant can only be arrested after approval of the appointing authority. Whereas a non-public servant can be arrested after approval by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) which may be granted in appropriate cases if considered necessary for reasons recorded. The verdict come under a barrage of criticism from several counters including Dalit groups and organisations. On Monday morning, the protests turned violent across the country with one person dying in police fire. New Delhi: Four people died in Madhya Pradesh and one each died in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on Monday during protests against the Supreme Court order diluting the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. The Supreme Court had on March 20, 2018, diluted certain provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being 'blackmailed' with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. While some states ordered the closure of educational institutions and curtailed communication and transport services on Monday, including rail, incidents of arson and vandalism were reported from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab, among other states. Curfew was imposed in Morena, Gwalior and Bhind districts of Madhya Pradesh. 2 protesters killed in Gwalior, 1 in Bhind & 1 in Morena. Several police officials also injured during #BharatBandh over SC/ST protection act. #MadhyaPradesh ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 4 people have died, can't confirm number of people injured as yet. Police officials have also got injured. Police is still on field & is trying to restore peace, once that's done we'll file cases & begin inquiry on people who've caused disruption: IG (law &order), MP #BharatBandh pic.twitter.com/mEPtJ1cpOR ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 In Morena, Rahul Pathak was reportedly standing on the balcony of his house in an area where demonstrators clashed with police personnel. During the unrest, a bullet was fired - hitting Rahul who died en route to the hospital. Visuals of #BharatBandh protest from Morena over the SC/ST Protection Act: Protesters block a railway track. #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/8DAKAHWPSb ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 Bhind-based Mahavir Rajawat died of gunshot wounds during the clash. Another person was shot dead during clashes in Gwalior. On the other hand, one person each is reported to have died in UP's Muzaffarnagar and Rajasthan's Alwar. A man was videotaped brandishing a pistol and firing shots but it is not confirmed if the victim here was killed by the same person. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has appealed for peace, while Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government was not a party to the SC decision on the SC/ST Act and 'respectfully' did not agree with its reasoning behind the verdict. Prasad also said the government has filed a very comprehensive review petition in the matter. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: Protestors demonstrating against the dilution of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act following a Supreme Court order in Delhi took to the streets on Monday - clogging major roads during peak morning rush hours. Dalit groups began their protests from Mandi House and walked all the way to Jantar Mantar. Armed with flags and banners, the large number of participants took over the roads, bringing traffic to near-standstill. Several areas of central Delhi was affected as traffic congestion soon spilled over to arterial roads. The situation on the ground went from bad to worse as office hours kicked in with many motorists complaining of being stuck in traffic for up to an hour. Traffic Alert Motorists going towards Kalindi Kunj from Gazipur, Dallupura and DND are advice to avoid the stretch due to demonstration. Traffic has been diverted from Vasundhara Enclave. Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) April 2, 2018 Traffic Alert Obstruction in traffic on Khajoori Chowk due to demonstration. Kindly avoid the stretch. Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) April 2, 2018 Massive protests have been witnessed in other parts of the country as well. While stone-pelting incidents and damage to public property was reported from UP's Agra and Meerut, shops were vandalised in Jaipur and long-distance trains were brought to a halt in several parts of Bihar. CBSE exams in Punjab had to be put off while one person was shot dead in Madhya Pradesh's Morena. NEW DELHI: In the wake of violent protests by Dalit groups against the Supreme Court's order over SC/ST Act, schools and colleges except those conducting board examinations will remain shut in parts of Uttar Pradesh on April 3, Tuesday. Schools and colleges will remain close in Agra, Hapur, Ghaziabad and Meerut. The District Magistrate of Meerut said that no classes will be held from standard 1 till degree college for a day on Tuesday. The board exams of class 10 and 12 along with the university exams will, however, be conducted as scheduled. Several Dalit organisations had called for a Bharat Bandh on Monday against the amendment under the SC/ST Act. Violence erupted in many parts of the country as Dalit protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to vehicles during a nationwide bandh against the Supreme Court order on SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. While some states had ordered the closure of educational institutions as a precautionary measure, incidents of arson, firing and vandalism were reported from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Punjab, among other places. Meanwhile, the CBSE said that the exams of classes 10 and 12 were conducted smoothly on Monday across the country as per the schedule. On March 20, the Supreme Court had diluted the provisions of the Act and had said that government servants should not be arrested without prior sanction and private citizens, too, should be arrested only after an inquiry under the law. Transport, mobile and internet services were hit in many states with over 100 trains getting affected due to protests, even as the Centre moved the SC seeking review of its judgement, maintaining that the verdict will violate constitutional rights of these communities. New Delhi: As protests against dilution of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act spread to many parts of Uttar Pradesh on Monday, state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assured that the interest of backward communities remains paramount. Adityanath appealed for peace after violence hit many areas of Uttar Pradesh, including Agra. "The central and state governments are dedicated towards the welfare of backward castes, SC & ST. I appeal to all to not disturb the law and order," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. "If at all there are any issues, you can bring them to the government's notice." A Bharat Bandh has been called across the country after the Supreme Court suggested modifications to the SC/ST Act. In Agra, the protest turned violent when local cops reportedly tried to contain a large group. Unruly scenes of vandalism and sloganeering followed. Incidents of cars and buses being torched were reported from Meerut and Hapur as well. Violence also erupted in several other parts of the country. CBSE exams were put off in Punjab, long-distance trains were halted in Bihar and protestors took to the streets in Delhi - armed with flags and banners. While the government has filed a review petition, there has been no let-up in the intensity of the protests. New Delhi: The BJP on Monday hit back at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his remarks against the RSS and the saffron party over the issue of Dalits. Slamming the BJP and RSS for the plight of Dalits, Rahul said that he saluted "brothers and sisters" from the community who have hit the streets to demand protection of their rights from the Modi government. "It is in the DNA of the RSS/BJP to keep Dalits at the lowest level in Indian society. Anyone who challenges this thought is crushed with violence. Our Dalit brothers and sisters are today on the streets demanding protection of their rights from the Modi government. We salute them." Rahul tweeted. RSS/BJP DNA - #BharatBandh Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 2, 2018 Lashing at the Congress chief, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resource Arjun Ram Meghwal tweeted, "The Opposition's nervousness is due to the never before seen nation-wide supports of backward castes to Modi government. The number of SC and ST MPs from the BJP at the highest. No party has given so many opportunities to the SC and ST communities as the BJP has." He added, "Speaking of DNA, it is imperative to remind the nation what Rahul Gandhi's DNA is about - humiliated Babasaheb repeatedly. Ensured the defeat of Babasaheb, not once but twice. Did not give a Bharat Ratna to Babasaheb. Did not even give space for Babasaheb's portrait in Parliament." "Deeply condemnable and shocking comment by Congress president, racking up the DNA of among many other, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. it is well known that PM Modi belongs to the lower section of society and this is something Rahul Gandhi cannot digest," Gehlot further said. Deeply condemnable and shocking comment by Congress President Rahul Gandhi, racking up the DNA of among many other, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. it is well known that PM Modi belong to the lower section of society and this is something Rahul Gandhi cannot digest. Arjun Ram Meghwal (@arjunrammeghwal) April 2, 2018 Speaking of DNA, it is imperative to remind the nation what Rahul Gandhi's DNA is about- Humiliated Babasaheb repeatedly. Ensured the defeat of Babasaheb, not once but twice. Did not give a Bharat Ratna to Babasaheb. Did not even give space for Babasaheb's portrait in Parliament. Arjun Ram Meghwal (@arjunrammeghwal) April 2, 2018 The opposition's nervousness is due to the never before seen nation-wide supports of backward castes to Modi government. The number of SC and ST MPs from the BJP at the highest. No party has given so many opportunities to the SC and ST communities as the @BJP4India has. Arjun Ram Meghwal (@arjunrammeghwal) April 2, 2018 Another BJP leader and MP from Rajasthan Bhupender Yadav hit back at Rahul saying, "At the core of our philosophy is the empowerment of the downtrodden. PM Narendra Modi ji has stated clearly that new India belongs to the poor, marginalised and backward communities. All our efforts are aimed at transforming their lives." "They have been trying to divide the country for years now. Be it Rohit Vemula or any other issue, Rahul Gandhi has always tried to divide Indians. But Dalits have very well recognised this game. Since 2014, Dalits of our country have clearly rejected them in state after state," he added. At the core of our philosophy is the empowerment of the downtrodden. Hon'ble PM Sh @narendramodi ji has stated clearly that new India belongs to the poor, marginalized & backward communities. All our efforts are aimed at transforming their lives. Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) April 2, 2018 As soon as some friction happens, our political vultures immediately come out to extract political advantage. We expected nothing better from Sh Rahul Gandhi. All that he & his party has done & can do, is to exploit the Dalits for petty political gains. Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) April 2, 2018 They have been trying to divide the country for years now. Be it Rohit Vemula or any other issue, Sh Rahul Gandhi has always tried to divide Indians. But Dalits have very well recognised this game. Since 2014, Dalits of our country have clearly rejected them in state after state. Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) April 2, 2018 BJPs commitment to SC/ST welfare is unwavering & time tested. In 2001, Vajpayee Government specially amended Article 16 (4A) to ensure proper benefits to SC/ST employees. Infact, it was the Third Front -Congress govt of 1997 that took away promotional benefits of SC/ST employees Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) April 2, 2018 Violence erupted in many parts of the country on Monday as Dalit protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to vehicles during a nationwide bandh against the Supreme Court order on SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The apex court on March 20, 2018, had diluted the provisions of the Act and had said that government servants should not be arrested without prior sanction and private citizens, too, should be arrested only after an inquiry under the law. Transport, mobile and internet services were hit in many states with over 100 trains getting affected due to protests, even as the Centre moved the SC seeking review of its judgement, maintaining that the verdict will violate constitutional rights of these communities. While some states had ordered the closure of educational institutions as a precautionary measure, incidents of arson, firing and vandalism were reported from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Punjab, among other places. (With PTI inputs) NEW DELHI: President of India Ram Nath Kovind will confer the Padma Awards to 43 persons in an ceremony at the Rashtrapathi Bhawan on Monday. This is the second batch of Padma awards to be conferred this year. On Sunday night, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh hosted a dinner and addressed the award recipients at an interactive session. He said that the country was proud of all the Padma Awardees as they had a major contribution in the nations progress. Congratulating them, he said that their self-less service was locally recognized till now but with these awards it received national recognition. Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, who was also present at the event, said that every Padma Awardee worked hard in his or her field without any expectation of returns from the society. She appealed to media to highlight their achievements which were adbhut, aviswasneeya aur akalpaniya (Extraordinary, unbelievable and unimaginable). She specially mentioned about the contribution of Awardees from the ASEAN countries. Several award winners shared their work and experiences on the occasion. MoS for Home Kiren Rijiju, Secretary to President of India, Sanjay Kothari, Home Secretary, Rajiv Gauba were also present on the occasion. The awards -- Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri -- are announced on the eve of Republic Day every year. These are given in different fields and disciplines such as art, literature and education, sports, medicine, social work, science and engineering, public affairs, civil service, trade and industry. The first lot of 43 awardees of the Padma awards 2018 were honoured at a special function held on March 20. New Delhi: At a time when soaring prices of petrol, diesel, CNG and PNG has sent household budget into a spin, oil companies provided relief to some extent by cutting prices of non-subsidised LPG cylinders by Rs 35.50. The price cut is the second in less than a month after a reduction in international pricing early March had led to a similar fall. The latest cut by oil companies, however, extends to commercial cylinders. A 19-kilo commercial cylinder will now cost Rs 54 less while a small 5-kilo cylinder has also received a cut of Rs 15. Subsidised LPG quota Every household in the country is entitled to have 12 LPG cylinders of 14.2 kg each at subsidised rates in a year. Any requirement beyond that is to be purchased at market price (non-subsidised LPG rates). 3 crore new free LPG connections by March 2020 Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in February had said that as many as 3 crore additional free cooking gas (LPG) connections will be given to poor households by March 2020 under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) scheme for which the government will have to bear an extra expense of Rs 4,800 crore. PMUY was launched in May 2016 with a target to give 5 crore LPG connections to poor women in three years out of which 3.36 crore connections have been given. Pradhan said the 5 crore connections were to be given by 2018-19 fiscal year end and total Budgetary allocation made was Rs 8,000 crore. Now, the scheme has been extended by one year and 3 crore more connections are to be given for which Rs 4,800 crore has been provided, he added. Under the scheme, the government provides a subsidy of Rs 1,600 to state-owned fuel retailers for every free LPG gas connection that they install in poor rural households. This subsidy is intended to cover the security fee for the cylinder and the fitting charges. The beneficiary has to buy her own cooking stove. To reduce the burden, the scheme allows beneficiaries to pay for the stove and the first refill in monthly instalments. However, the cost of all subsequent refills has to be borne by the beneficiary household. With PTI Inputs LUCKNOW: A Kanpur University student committed suicide for allegedly being harassed by two other fellow students. The student was pursuing Bachelor of Computer Application (BCA) from University of Kanpur. The deceased student had earlier registered an FIR against the accused students. The student was asked by the university HOD to take back her complaint. She, however, refused to withdraw it. Following this, she was threatened by the university authority saying that they would ruin her future. The officer-in-charge of the concerned police station also did not pay much heed to the complaint lodged by the victim student. The negligence by both the university and the police eventually led to the death of a young student. New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi will again visit poll-bound Karnataka on Tuesday to campaign, a party statement said. With Congress determined to retain power in the southern state, Gandhi has been campaigning in the state very extensively. On this visit, he will be addressing a public rally at Government High School Ground in Davangere at 5.30 p.m. on Tuesday, and also attend a public contact programme n Shimoga and also inaugurate a District Congress office. He will later travel to Honnali, Harihara and Bathi in Davangere. New Delhi: South Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung has slashed the price of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, media reports have said. As per a report in Gadgets360 Samsung has also informed its offline retailers about the price cut along with the revised pricing. The move has reportedly being initiated as the company has recently launched the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ in India. Here are the price details after the new rate revision Galaxy S8 with 64GB storage: Rs 49,990 Galaxy S8+ with 64GB storage: Rs 53,990 Galaxy S8+ with 128GB storage: Rs 64,900 Meanwhile offline buyers will also reportedly get a Paytm cashback of Rs 10,000. Samsung Galaxy S8 was launched at Rs 57,900 and Galaxy S8 Plus at Rs 64,900 in India last year. The S8 features Samsung`s new artificial intelligence service, Bixby, with functions including a voice-commanded assistant system similar to Apple`s Siri. There is also a new facial recognition application that lets users unlock their phones by looking at them. The Galaxy S8 comes with an intuitive soft key, in place of the home key, that has a pressure sensor embedded under the display. Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus smartphones can connect to the sleek new Gear 360 and also allow you to watch stunning VR videos and play ultra-realistic motion games. The IP68 water resistance smartphones come with Hybrid Dual SIM slot coupled with 64GB internal memory. Both smartphones feature 12MP rear camera, 8MP front camera with F1.7 lens and are powered by the industry first 10nm processor. Galaxy S9 and S9+ Galaxy S9 and S9+ were launched in India last month. The phones are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. The S9 houses 4GB RAM whereas the S9+ has 6GB RAM. The S9 comes with 3,000mAh battery while the S9+ houses 3,500mAh battery.The Galaxy S9 and S9+ cameras have a "Super Speed Dual Pixel" sensor with dedicated processing power and memory to take high-quality pictures. New Delhi: Bigg Boss 11 contestant Vikas Gupta and Hina Khan slammed a fan for mocking Benafsha Soonawalla. Benafsha walked the ramp at a fashion event in Mumbai. A fan found her ramp walk funny and trolled her on Twitter. Sharing the video, the fan wrote, "Iska ramp walk dekh Kar, jisko hasii ni aai, uspe lanat Hai baap re, the funniest bandariya." He tagged Hina Khan, Priyank Sharma and Vikas Gupta in his post. Vikas was quick to react to the comment. He wrote, "Yes some people will laugh at it while there will be some who will think its awesome as well. She is an artist, her walk is her expression and everyone including You have all the right to react but calling her names is not something that you need to do. #SpreadHappiness." Yes some people will laugh at it while there will be some who will think its awesome as well . She is an artist , her walk is her expression and everyone including You have all the right to react but calling her names is not something that you need to do . #SpreadHappiness Vikas Gupta (@lostboy54) April 2, 2018 Following the suit, actress Hina Khan too slammed the fan for trolling Benafasha. She wrote," I want to see YOU walking the ramp once.. lets see how good will your walk be.. what if its her debut..or what if shes super excited.. why calling names why spreading negativity.. why #disappointed its not always necessary to react the same way someone reacted #peaceout." I want to see YOU walking the ramp once.. lets see how good will your walk be.. what if its her debut..or what if shes super excited.. why why calling names why spreading negativity.. why #disappointed its not always necessary to react the same way someone reacted #peaceout https://t.co/xJJDKQFbbH HINA KHAN (@eyehinakhan) April 2, 2018 Benafsha and Hina were on great terms inside the Bigg Boss house but their relationship fizzled out when Benafsha came out of the house and discovered some unpleasant things Hina had said about her. Vikas, on the other hand, has always shared a great rapport with Benafsha. Vikas, who is quite the moral police on social media, had earlier slammed fans for mocking fellow contestant Bandgi Kalra. He has time and again requested his fans to stop posting distasteful comments about Shilpa Shinde and Hina Khan. On the work front, Vikas is working on his youth-centric web series 'Punch Beat' which will stream on Ekta Kapoor's digital platform 'Alt Balaji'. It is produced under the banner of Lost Boys Production. Recently, Ekta Kapoor shared the first look of 'Punch Beat' on Twitter. New Delhi: Indian television's most famous and loved comedian, Kapil Sharma is a brand name today. He not only has a huge fanbase in the country but across the globe. Kapil celebrates his birthday on April 2, and as he turns a year older, let's get to know him a little better. On his birthday, we thought of surfing some more details about the 'king of comedy'. Check out these lesser-known facts about Kapil which will bring a smile on every fan's face: Born in Amritsar, Kapil's father was a head constable in Punjab Police and mother a housewife. He studied in Dav Public School, Lawerence road and then went on complete his higher education from Khalsa College, Amritsar. It was in The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, 2007 where Kapil first appeared, doing stand-up comedy on the small screens. He won the show and got a prize money of Rs 10, lakh. Before this big win, he had done several shows and stand-ups. Kapil became an overnight star after his successful stint on Comedy Circus where he won as many as six seasons. Then in 2013, he started his maiden show titled 'Comedy Nights With Kapil' which not only became a huge success but also made Kapil a household name. In a surprising move, Kapil, who is known for keeping his personal life hush-hush introduced his girlfriend Ginni Chatrath on Twitter. He has been in a steady relationship with her for a long time. After 'Comedy Nights With Kapil', his popularity grew by leaps and bounds. He won several awards for his impeccable comic timing and hosted big night show such as the Filmfare, Star Screen Awards etc. Kapil was nominated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan which he humbly accepted. The star comedian was also invited to the Rashtrapati Bhavan by President Pranab Mukherjee in September 2015 to acknowledge his contribution for the same. Kapil was even ranked at number 11 by the prestigious Forbes India in their Celebrity 100 list in the year 2016. In 2017, Kapil ranked at 18th position in their Celebrity 100 list by Forbes. The actor-comedian is now back with 'Family Time With Kapil Sharma, a game show which airs on Sony. On his birthday, let's hope Kapil keeps us entertained like he always does. Here's wishing you a happy birthday! Mumbai: Actor Manoj Bajpayee, who is busy shooting for director Milap Zaveri's yet-untitled-film, says he had to deliver over 400 lines in four-night shifts. "Pack up at 3:30 am for a person who wakes up at 5 am. Unfair my dear Milap Zaveri, my director and writer who made me deliver more than 400 lines in four-night shifts. Full on dialoguebazi. Loved it and now silence for few days," Manoj tweeted early on Monday. The "Aiyaary" actor will be seen sharing screen space with actor John Abraham in the upcoming film, other details of which have been kept under wraps. Manoj currently awaits the release of his forthcoming film "Missing", which also stars Tabu. It will release on Friday. JAIPUR: The Bharat Bandh protests turned violent on Monday after demonstrators clashed with law enforcement agencies across the state. Reports of lathicharge emerged from Jaipur, Bharatpur, while and in Barmer police resorted to use of tear gas shells. The bandh was called over Supreme Court's verdict on Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. In Barmer, cars and property were damaged during the protests. Demonstrators gathered around Chouhan Chowk and created a ruckus. In the classes, police personnel were injured leading to the use of tear gas to dispel the mob. Meanwhile, in Jaipur, protesters stopped a train: In Bharatpur, women and children armed with lathis came out to block the roads. #BharatBandh over SC/ST protection act: Visuals of protest from Rajasthan's Bharatpur pic.twitter.com/m3C8nBqXvW ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 Reports of violence and clashes emerged from across the state. In Jaisalmer, shops and marketplaces remained closed. The Bharat Bandh was called against the Supreme Court's order to dilute the stringent provisions mandating immediate arrest under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities (POA) Act. These protesting groups say the order will clamp down on their rights and will be used against them. They, as well as many social commentators, fear that instances reporting crimes against SCs and STs will also come down as a result of the modification. With agency inputs New Delhi: They are one of the most adorable couples of Telugu cinema and their wedding was nothing less than a fairytale. Yes! We are talking about Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya. The couple does give us some major relationship goals and their pictures together are totally unmissable. So, Samantha, shared a selfie with her dashing hubby Naga Chaitanya and her caption is too good. She wrote: Usually hate selfies but this had to be done .. Central Park .. where it all began . 8 years ago.. Thankyou for the magic ..just had to come back and say Thankyouuu #whatsmeanttobewillbe #lovewillfindaway #NewyorkNewyork #familyiseverything #chaylove #happilyeverafter #YMC. Isn't it adorable? Well, Samantha is quite active on social media has been sharing some amazing pictures of the duo, keeping her Insta family happy. The duo was in a relationship for a long time before entering matrimony. Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu got married on October 5, 2017 at the beautiful locales of Goa. The beach wedding added to the grandeur of the ceremony which saw family and close friends in attendance. ChaySam (that's what the couple is fondly called) also had a Christian style wedding on October 8, 2017. Naga and Samantha have featured in successful films such as Ye Maaya Chesave, Manam and Thrayam to name a few. Coimbatore: Easter is known for coloured eggs, but the saga of coloured chicks takes it to a different ball game altogether. A Coimbatore-based man was found colouring chicks and selling them to customers. He claims that the colours are not harmful and have been specially manufactured for this purpose A man in Coimbatore is colouring hen chicks and selling them; he claims the colour used is not harmful and is specially manufactured #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/6562nqdWTb ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 Several Twitter users responded to ANI's tweet, claiming this is not a new thing. It's been there since ages. I have seen them when I was a kid, wrote one user with Twitter handle @deepaknrn. The colouring of chicks is not a new phenomenon. It is practised across the world. A quick Google search threw up several articles and video on how to colour chicks. In the United States, several states have strict laws against the practice. Dyed Easter chicks have been a seasonal staple in parts of the country for generations, though the practice has gone largely underground as societys tastes have changed, reported the New York Times. The colour reportedly lasts for a few weeks and comes-off as chicks grow feathers later on. Lucknow: BSP chief Mayawati on Monday said that she supported the protests against the SC/ST Act, but condemned the violence that has taken place. "I support the protest against the SC/ST Act. I have got to know that some people spread violence during the protests, I strongly condemn it. Our party is not behind the violence during the protests," she said. Mayawati added, "Strict action should be taken against those who spread violence during the protests," as per ANI. Violent protests erupted on Monday during a nationwide bandh called by Dalit organisations against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. While some states ordered the closure of educational institutions and curtailed communication and transport services, including rail, incidents of arson and vandalism were reported from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab, among other states. Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawarchand Gehlot tweeted: It has been our Govt which further strengthened the protection for backward castes by passing The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015. Dr. Thawarchand Gehlot (@TCGEHLOT) April 2, 2018 Our Govt is not only committed to protect the rights given to SC/STs but is going one step ahead and holistically improving their lives. For years, they have been used as mere vote banks to form Govts. We are empowering backward castes as nation builders to create a New India. Dr. Thawarchand Gehlot (@TCGEHLOT) April 2, 2018 Successive Governments did not put trust on people of backward castes when it came to lending. With initiatives like Stand Up India & Mudra, people of backward castes are empowered to become entrepreneurs. Dr. Thawarchand Gehlot (@TCGEHLOT) April 2, 2018 On the other hand, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed for peace, while Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government was not a party to the Supreme Court decision on the SC/ST Act and 'respectfully' did not agree with its reasoning behind the verdict, PTI reported. Prasad also said the government has filed a very comprehensive review petition in the matter. (With Agency inputs) Washington/Ixtepc, Mexico: President Donald Trump said on Sunday that there will be no deal on legalising the status on young adult immigrants known as Dreamers, declaring on Twitter that the US-Mexico border is becoming more dangerous. After tweeting a "Happy Easter" message, Trump followed with: "Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release. Getting more dangerous. `Caravans` coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL!" He also threatened to kill the North American Free Trade Agreement, which is currently being renegotiated with Mexico and Canada. DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) is the program created in 2012 under Democratic former President Barack Obama that Trump sought to rescind last autumn. Designed for individuals brought to the United States as children by parents who were undocumented immigrants, the program shielded the individuals from deportation and gave them work permits. Trump had said he was open to brokering a deal with congressional Democrats who want to protect DACA in exchange for funding to build a US-Mexico border wall, a frequent campaign trail promise. He insisted during his run for the White House that Mexico would pay for the wall. Although Trump threatened a veto last month of an omnibus spending bill because it did not address the fate of Dreamers and did not fully fund his border wall, he did sign the bill. In the months after Trump took office, the number of apprehensions of illegal crossers along the US- Mexico border dropped dramatically, from more than 42,400 arrests in January 2017 to a low of around 15,700 in April, according to data from US Customs and Border Protection. Since then, the number of arrests has risen and in the first months of 2018 was above the levels seen during the Obama administration. Trump is spending the Easter holiday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. "Mexico has got to help us at the border," the president told reporters on his way into an Easter church service. "A lot of people are coming in because they want to take advantage of DACA. They had a great chance. The Democrats blew it." His DACA tweets came shortly after a report on the Fox New Channel`s Fox & Friends program, one of Trump`s favourites, that a "caravan" of mostly Honduran migrants was crossing Mexico and headed to the United States, "either illegally or by asking for asylum." More than 1,000 would-be migrants have passed through Mexico`s southern states of Chiapas and Oaxaca in recent days in a so-called "refugee caravan" organised by US-based immigrant advocacy group Pueblo Sin Fronteras. In the town of Ixtepec, more than 1,500 men, women and children from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala waited in a sweltering warehouse on Saturday, mattresses rolled and bags packed, as local authorities and immigration officials from Mexico`s federal government organised 15 buses to take them to their next stop on the long journey north. By travelling together, the immigrants hope to protect themselves from the crime and extortion that makes the route through Mexico dangerous. They say some but not all of them will seek asylum if they reach the United States. A guest on Sunday`s Fox & Friends show, Brandon Judd, head of the National Border Patrol Council union, said illegal immigrants benefit from the "catch and release" program that Trump referenced in his tweet. Under it, they can be freed while awaiting court hearings if detained in the United States. If recent border crossers do not claim asylum, they can usually be deported quickly. But if they say they fear targeted violence or persecution in their home countries, they can begin the long process of petitioning for asylum in immigration court. In such instances, the government can choose to release those individuals while their cases are processed. Trump and his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, have often criticized the Obama administration for routinely paroling asylum seekers. That situation has changed: last month, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of nine plaintiffs alleging that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were now detaining almost all adults who seek asylum at a port of entry. Trump said on Twitter on Sunday that Mexico is doing "very little, if not NOTHING," to stop the flow of people across the southern border. "They must stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL!" Last week, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer expressed optimism that negotiations to modify NAFTA to terms more favourable to the United States were making progress and that a deal in principle could be reached quickly. The thorniest issues in the NAFTA talks concern U.S. demands on automotive trade and dispute settlement systems. Linking the future of the 24-year-old trade deal to Trump`s border wall plan has never been among U.S. negotiating objectives. Read original article at 112.ua Diplomatic crisis in the relations between Russia and the West due to poisoning of the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal by Soviet chemical weapons in the UK continues. USA, Canada, Australia, a significant number of EU member states and Ukraine in a sign of solidarity with Britain within a few days decided to expel 155 Russian diplomats. The Kremlin threatened to take retaliatory measures. A significant number of Western countries expressed suspicion of involvement of expelled Russian diplomats in espionage. KGB Legacy Fears of Western countries are not accidental. In the years of the Cold War, the KGB of the USSR has developed an extensive network of residences (a foreign intelligence agency) in more than 60 countries in various regions, including the United States and Western European countries. Then the KGB's residences worked undercover of Soviet embassies, consulates, trade missions and missions in international organizations. In the jargon of scouts, those who work under diplomatic cover are called "jackets." Residents of the KGB consisted of scouts responsible for various activities. Soviet spies were engaged in scientific and technical intelligence, receiving information on advanced Western military and civilian technologies. There were specialists in political intelligence, external counterintelligence, radio electronic reconnaissance. Separate Soviet scouts supported "illegal immigrants" - professional spies who worked abroad under foreign documents and personality. Illegals have integrated into a certain industry or state bodies of a foreign country and extracted information of interest. In a grotesque form, the work of the "illegals" was reflected in the British books about the agent MI6 James Bond, in a series of American films about the CIA officer Jason Borne and in the Soviet detective "Seventeen Moments of Spring." According to Sergei Naryshkin, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation, the activity of "illegal immigrants" is still relevant in connection with the tense situation in various regions of the world. Last year, he argued that Russia faces a challenge from NATO member countries that allegedly destabilize the situation in neighboring regions. One of the most famous Soviet spies-illegal immigrants was Alexei Kozlov, who in the 70s uncovered the nuclear program of South Africa and the development of uranium in Namibia. He pretended to be a German who had lived in Algeria for a long time, obtained German citizenship and worked under the guise of an entrepreneur trading in Europe, Africa and Asia with dry cleaners. The task of scouts, working under diplomatic cover, is to divert the attention of counterintelligence of foreign countries from the activities of "illegal immigrants". The Tasks of Russian Intelligence Sergey Naryshkin, does not deny that among the Russian diplomats who were expelled there were employees of his department who provided security for diplomatic institutions and maintained communication with colleagues from Western special services. Occupying a post in an embassy or consulate, a spy enjoys diplomatic immunity and he has the opportunity to contact politicians and business representatives, to find informants. Recruited by the British intelligence MI6 Colonel of Russian GRU Sergei Skripal in 1995 worked under diplomatic cover and served as military attache at the Russian Embassy in Spain. However, Russian intelligence officers have other tasks. The Kremlin seeks to influence political processes in the countries of the West. Russia is suspected of interfering in the presidential elections in the United States and a referendum on Britains withdrawal from the EU. According to US President Donald Trump, there are very large number of Russian spies in America. The American president ordered to expel 60 Russian diplomats and close the general consulate of the Russian Federation in Seattle. In the United States, there have already been spy scandals involving the Russian side. Resonance was made by the detention of 11 Russian intelligence officers who worked in the US and Cyprus in 2010. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson believes that the West is conducting the largest in the history expulsion of Russian spies. The British aythorities decided to expel 23 Russian diplomats. Russia uses special services to curb the expansion of NATO. Moscow is suspected of organizing an unsuccessful coup d'etat in Montenegro in late 2016, after the defeat of the Democratic Front coalition, aimed at rapprochement with the Russian Federation, which opposed accession to NATO. Coordination of the coup organized by the Serbian ultranationalist organization "Serbian wolves" was conducted by Russian citizens. In the Serbian media, there was speculation that Russian citizens who had been involved in the organization of the coup were deported from Serbia. After the suppression of the coup attempt in Montenegro, the Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, visited Serbia. Now Montenegro has expelled the Russian diplomat. The Kremlin special services are active in Poland and the Baltic states, as their leadership opposes the construction of the second branch of the Russian gas pipeline "Nord Stream" and promotes options for reducing the EU's energy dependence on Russia. In March 2018, the chairmen of the parliaments of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia in a joint statement warned other European countries that Russia would use the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline as a political tool. Poland is lobbying the construction of an alternative project "Baltic Gas Pipeline", which will allow supplying 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Norway. About 8.78 billion cubic meters of Norwegian gas is planned to be supplied by transit through Poland to Slovakia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Ukraine. The Polish government plans to increase the capacity of gas terminals on the Baltic coast to 7.5 billion cubic meters per year. By the way, the governments of Poland and Lithuania also expelled several Russian diplomats and suspect them of espionage. Local intelligence agencies earlier noticed the trail of Russian spies. Recently, a member of the Ministry of Energy was detained in Poland, suspected of transferring to the Russian intelligence information about the plans of the Polish government in the field of energy security and reducing dependence on natural gas supplies from Russia. In 2015, Lithuanian special services detained an FSB officer whose task was to influence the adoption of state decisions. Reagan's methods of the West The expulsion of Russian diplomats in response to the poisoning of Skripal is an excuse that the US and its NATO allies use to undermine the influence of Russian intelligence and drive Russia into an even greater international isolation in response to its aggressive foreign policy. Washington and Brussels decided to weaken the residences of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation. The West demonstrates determination and makes it clear that Russia's "illegal immigrants" may be the next target of counterintelligence, which is considered almost a unique tool of Russia's foreign intelligence. The West uses the experience gained in the years of the Cold War. The current expulsion of Russian diplomats resembles the actions of the Atlantic camp in the 80's. Recruited by French special services, lieutenant colonel of the KGB Vladimir Vetrov disclosed 4 thousand documents classified as "top secret", including information on 422 Soviet intelligence officers. In 1983, up to 150 Soviet spies were sent from America and Europe. They worked under the "roof" of embassies, trade missions and under the guise of journalists. France alone expelled 40 Soviet intelligence officers who worked under diplomatic cover. The Trump administration is copying the tactics of former Republican President Ronald Reagan. Then the FBI conducted an operation code-named "Famish" to identify Soviet intelligence agents in the US and reduce the threat of information leakage to the USSR. In September-October 1986, Reagan expelled 80 Soviet diplomats accredited in New York, Washington and San Francisco who were suspected of working for the KGB. Russia has not drawn any conclusions since the end of the cold war. The Kremlin continues to impose its informational influence in the West and eliminate former employees of Russian special services like Sergei Skripal and Alexander Litvinenko, who went to the West and disclosed secret information. Republicans consolidate the entire Western world around the US, using a threat from Russian spies who can even use chemical weapons in the territories of other countries for the sake of the Kremlin's interests. Defeat of Russia? The mass expulsion of Russian diplomats demonstrates Russia's weak position in the West. When the issue concerns the national security of one of the NATO member countries, most of Europe expresses solidarity with Washington, and not with Moscow. Even those countries where eurosceptics dominate the political arena, including the Czech Republic, Italy, and Hungary have decided to expel Russian diplomats. Only Austria, Greece, Malta, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Portugal refused to do this. The diplomatic crisis has had a negative impact on the relations between the EU and Russia. Even Germany, which is interested in building the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline, decided to expel four Russian diplomats. Heiko Maas was appointed the new Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany. In contrast to his predecessors Sigmar Gabriel and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Maas is a hardliner to Russia, does not support the easing of sanctions, and stands for the US-EU security alliance. Russia can further drive itself into international isolation if it starts expelling European and American diplomats in return. The Russians intend to send a proportional number of diplomats from 23 countries which decided to expel employees of Russian diplomatic institutions. Moscow declared persona non grata 13 Ukrainian diplomats. Also, 60 American diplomats must leave the territory of Russia before April 5. It is planned to close the US consulate in St. Petersburg. Discomfort from this will be experienced by Russian businessmen who go on business trips to America. The fewer consulate employees will work in Russia, the longer will be the preparation of a visa. Mass expulsion of Russian diplomats, whatever one may say, is a defeat of Russia and a demonstration of mistrust from the West to the Kremlin's master. True, it is not known whether Vladimir Putin himself is guided by such logic. The parties expect to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation between the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its Ukrainian counterpart. The Embassy of Ukraine in Nigeria, jointly with the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will be hosting the first Ukrainian trade mission to Nigeria between 3-6 April. The visit is organized in partnership with the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Office for Trade Negotiations, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (NACCIMA). Nigerias The Guardian has informed about this, UNIAN reports. The visit will be headed by the Ukrainian trade representative and Deputy Minister for Economic Development and Trade, Natalia Mykilska. Mykilska is also a special envoy of the Ukrainian President to Nigeria. The Ukrainian delegation will also include Deputy Minister for Agrarian Policy and Food Olga Trofimtseva, the Vice-President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergiy Svystil and representatives of multiple Ukrainian corporations engaged in international trade, agrarian and food industry, automotive, aviation, engineering and information technology, chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing. The Ukrainian delegation is expected to land in Lagos on 4 April, just in time for the Nigeria and Ukraine Business Forum. The trade mission has also scheduled a meeting with the Lagos state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode. In the course of its stay in Abuja, a Memorandum of Understanding would be signed between Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry and that of Ukraine. Read original article at 112.ua Some patriots of Ukraine may think that it is unpatriotic to talk about Kazakhstan reforms, while in Ukraine it is fashionable to talk about European reforms. But it is worth recalling two figures. The average salary in Ukraine for 2017 was $ 253, and in Kazakhstan - $ 460. As for GDP per capita in Ukraine, this figure for 2017 was $ 2.5 thousand, and in Kazakhstan - 8.7 thousand dollars. Kazakhstan calls itself the "Asian panther". It means the sharp growth of Kazakhstan's economy in recent years. The GDP of Kazakhstan for 2017 grew by 7%. Against the background of Ukrainian 2.5%, it looks cool. It is clear that Ukraine can not apply all methods of economic reforms implemented in Kazakhstan, but some should be considered and pondered. Although Kazakhstan is a member of the Eurasian Union, about 50% of Kazakhstan's total exports go to the EU. Most of the direct foreign investments in Kazakhstan also came from the EU and the US. At the same time, Kazakhstan is developing cooperation with China. First, Kazakhstan actively joined the creation of the New Silk Road from China to the EU countries. For this purpose, together with China, it provided a reconstruction of old and construction of new railway roads and ports. Ukraine says a lot about the fact that it would be beneficial for us to become a hub for Chinese goods, but it says more than does. Although now there is a unique opportunity "to jump in the wagon" of a new world transport trend. By the way, Belarus also actively cooperates with China in the field of logistics. And not only this country. But Ukraine does not notice this. The Ukrainian government is more concerned with prohibitions and restrictions and thinks that a miracle will come from nowhere. In fact, all this talk about the fact that it is possible to make a strong economy of Ukraine by bans and breaking of trade relations is a way to a dead end. Ukraine loses more from these prohibitions and loses constantly. Kazakhstan on the border with China made a free economic zone, where it allowed Chinese and Kazakh companies to conduct business activities under the "offshore Hong Kong" scheme. Tax rates for business are either very low, or none at all, but ERUs and taxes on income of individuals who work in this economic zone are paid to the state budget of Kazakhstan. And most importantly, many Kazakh companies pay taxes to Kazakhstan, but they cooperate with companies that work in this free economic zone. What prevents Ukraine from creating such free economic zones on the border with Poland, Hungary, and Romania? These zones would indeed become international hubs. And if it is competent to do customs legislation and logistics, then it would be possible to lay a very successful new international route between free economic zones on the border with China and on the border with the EU. Revenues for Ukraine would be very large. This really would be a great economic reform, which Ukraine needs so much. But not a fence repainting or streets' renaming, as our government does. One of the most interesting economic reforms that are being implemented in Kazakhstan simply begs to be done in Ukraine. On the territory of Kazakhstan, a separate economic zone of priority development was introduced, and it gives an unprecedented economic growth. The highlight of this economic zone is the English legal right there. There are courts where judges from England work, they judge according to the methodology of the English system. As a result, many foreign companies from the US and the EU are investing tens of billions of dollars in the development of Kazakhstan's economy. But they pay taxes on a par with Kazakh business. In this situation, foreign business has received protection from the "specific court" of Kazakhstan, which is very similar to our specific Ukrainian court. At the same time, the specifics of the operation of English law in a separate territory of Kazakhstan were registered in the Constitution of Kazakhstan. These are the changes needed in the Constitution of Ukraine! There are no ideal economic models. We have to constantly learn from the experience of other countries, but it is to learn, not to do stupid things, as it is customary in our country. The Ukrainian government did not understand that for the economic growth of Ukraine reforms are needed, not profanity and silly slogans. While Ukrainians will be engaged in repainting fences, their salary will never be higher than in Kazakhstan. Here we have such a paradox. Although the port of Sevastopol was one of the most profitable citys state-owned enterprises until 2014, in 2014-2016, it was operating at a loss of 420 thousand USD to 2 million USD annually Read the original text at EurasiaNet Open source Until 2014, Crimea has been under the control of Kyiv, and Sevastopol seaport was considered one of the most profitable state-owned enterprises of the city. Today, it is going through hard times, actually, like all the Crimean ports. Being the second in terms of transshipment volumes on the peninsula (after the port of Kerch), in 2014-2016 the port worked at a loss that fluctuated from 420 thousand USD to 2 million USD annually. Following the results of 2017, the port's management expects a loss of 1,1 million USD (the results have not yet been summed up), for 9 months it amounted to 1,4 million. As the general director of the Sevastopol port Sergey Yemelyanov stated, the reasons for the losses are the reduction in turnover, unprofitability of some areas of work, and a large number of unusable ships occupying berths that could be used more efficiently (for example, could be used by the carriers). "In some cases, the repair of such vessels is comparable with the purchase of a new vessel," Yemelyanov claimed. There are two cargo areas in the port of Sevastopol, two berths in Inkerman (near Sevastopol) and five berths in Kamiesch Bay in the western part of the city. The main cargo is sand, crushed stone and aerated concrete blocks that come to Sevastopol from the mainland of Russia and diverge over various construction projects, including the Tavrida road, which is laid between Kerch and Simferopol. In 2017, throughput fell by 35% (to 304 thousand tons). The fact is that at the end of 2015, Crimea was powered down due to the undermining of power lines in the territory of the Kherson region of Ukraine, and during 2016 the port of Sevastopol received fuel oil, which was used by local power plants to generate the energy (126.6 thousand tons of fuel oil in the 2016 year). In 2017, the transfer of fuel oil was stopped. About 10-15% of cargo turnover is export-import cargo. The port accepts imported cement and exports scrap metal, but the port authorities do not disclose the names of the countries. In 2018-2019, the port expects the growth of cargo turnover due to the construction of the Tavrida road, the growth of grain transshipment and the start of the receipt of construction materials for the reconstruction of a major military facility in Crimea. To reduce losses, in 2018, the port has radically revised its work. First, the company is preparing to sell a total of 18 old ships, which will eliminate the need to spend money on their maintenance and make way for mooring other vessels. It is also assumed that since May 2018 the first high-speed vessel "Kometa 120M" with the capacity of 120 people will ply between Sevastopol and Yalta (in the future its route will extend to the Krasnodar Territory of Russia). This route was introduced by the United Shipbuilding Corporation, which received 21 million USD from the government for the construction of passenger ships to resume the Azov-Black Sea high-speed lines. According to Boris Kabakov, Director of the Department of the Shipbuilding Industry and Marine Equipment of Russias Ministry of Industry and Trade, it is planned to produce six "Comets" to link Crimea and Krasnodar (Russia). In addition, the "Prince Vladimir" ferry began to moor in Sevastopol since 2017 (since 2018 it plies between Crimea and Sochi). In addition to receiving third-party vessels, the port lets seven launches of the Molodizhny project (for 200-250 people) and two ferries during each navigation. The ships carry locals and tourists from the city center to the northern side of Sevastopol (the city is divided into two parts by a huge bay). At the same time, almost a third of passengers (26%) are local residents who have the status of preferential categories of citizens and use the ferry for free. The passenger traffic in 2015 2017 was 6.2 7 million people per year. To replenish the fleet of ships, the port sent proposals to the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation for the purchase of 5-6 new boats worth 23 million USD. If the agency approves them, the vessels will be purchased under the program of non-commercial leasing of passenger transport in Crimea. For example, in 2015, buses and trolley buses were bought for the enterprises of Krymavtotrans (140 buses for 24 million USD) and Krymtrolleybus (111 trolleybuses for 28 million) at the expense of the State transport leasing company. In the spring of 2018, the port authorities will present a development plan, in which several investment projects will be announced on the basis of public-private partnership. The details of the port's management are not yet available. For example, Yemelyanov explains, the building of the sea terminal in Nakhimov Square is occupied by the port staff, while it could be used as a business center. "If everything goes well, we will probably transfer our main office to the Kamiesch Bay, because the area in the city center is used inefficiently," Yemelyanov noted. In addition, they are considering to increase the length of cargo berth number 210 (the depth near which is relatively large 10-12 m) and the purchase of equipment for transshipment of the container cargo. The port needs money to develop the existing crane facilities and reload the equipment. In 2017, the company tried to attract about 50 million on the security of working capital (the monthly volume of which is 52-60 thousand USD), but these plans were unsuccessful. "Despite the loans nesessaty, which is a big advantage in the eyes of banks, there were no undertakers. In 2018, we will try to attract money already on the security of property. Leasing options are also considered," said the head of the enterprise. If all these plans are successful, the port of Sevastopol hopes to get rid of losses in 2018 or 2019, Yemelyanov added. Alexander Alikin This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or 112.International and its owners. The space industry in Ukraine has always been perceived as a milk-cow, but it has never been regarded as an industry for perspective, strategic development The space industry in Ukraine has always been perceived as a milk-cow, but it has never been regarded as an industry for perspective, strategic development. It was only about developing the old scientific and technical potential practically "to zero". Now our space and aviation are still stationed on the "last of the Mohicans," many of which are already drained up morally and physically and either go to rest or go to the other countries - Azerbaijan, China, Saudi Arabia. "And why dont we try to become William Shakespeare or something? "Thats what, apparently, Ukrainian officials from the space industry thought, offering Australia to build a spaceport in the desert located in the western part of the continent. Of course, the "Kosmozoo" was more exotic, but, they decided not to clash with the Australian Society for the Protection of Space Animals. It should be noted that at the moment, the scalps of several spaceports are already hanging in the corridors of the Ukrainian Space Agency. For example, the Sea Launch project that went bankrupt, the Brazilian spaceport Alcantara, from which the new Ukrainian Cyclone-4 rocket carriers did not take off, and the spaceport in Canada, the construction of which either began or will begin in the near future. "This proposal is very realistic. Ukraine could launch [missiles] tomorrow morning if we had a site. We offer our people and our expertise if Australia has land for use, according to the Australian press, Ukrainian ambassador said this in this distant country. Mykola Kulinich, in one go lowered the interlocutors to the level of a tree kangaroo. Like, "we have rockets, you have land, open up the gate." Judging by The West Australian agency, Australians took this proposal very seriously. It is perhaps due to the age-old Anglo-Saxon diligence: What if they really build it, and we refused?. Such proposals do not come every day. Or rather, it came for the first time in history. After all, how many years they stayed in the British Commonwealth and such proposal did not come? What to do, the heavy echo of colonialism. And then unexpectedly, the message from a distant country, which many Australians knew only from the win in Eurovision. It was decided to give for the future project the land on the green continent near the Curtin air base near Derby. The construction of the facility will require an area of 5-7 thousand square kilometers. (Well, its so that the aborigines do not accidentally knock down a rocket by a tomahawk). The desert places factor simplifies the procedure of public discussion with local "Dundee" and their crocodiles. It has not yet been reported how much will the project itself cost, what is the involvement of each party, where do we seek for the funds. Authors of the idea are modest, you can even say shyly they asked only $500 thousand for project design work. Let's just say, only for a start. The very development of the feasibility study will take about two years, that is, it should be completed by 2020, when elections will be held in Ukraine, completely different officials may come to power, and the country is likely to face some kind of default. It can be assumed that those new officials will consider the spaceport in Australia to be too much of an exotic project. Well, or ask another 500 thousand for a new feasibility study. If we consider the issue from the point of view of "bare" material, then it really has a rational grain. Because the northwest of Australia, based on its position to the equatorial part of globe, is ideally suited for space launches: the earth's rotation force gives the rocket additional acceleration, and its launch to outer space requires significantly less fuel, and therefore, you can take "on board" more of useful commercial cargo. A similar project is planned to be launched in Nova Scotia in eastern Canada. Local companies are ready to invest $ 148 million in the construction of the spaceport, from which the Ukrainian launch vehicles will be launched. Canadians want to carry out up to eight launches per year. It seems that in the next few years our space industry will be loaded if not by missile launches, then by the development of all sorts of projects. The decree of Oleksandr Turchynov, who declared that the State Space Agency should become a "powerful project institution", is becoming true. That kind of institution where the sparkling water is for the employees of the institute only ". Generally speaking, space and aviation are exactly those industries-headliners that have given us a feeling of constant pride in the country. It's another matter that in recent years all these complex technical clusters of the economy have received, probably, the most powerful demotivation blow. Yes, we still somehow repair the giant airplane "Mriya", which ascended the sky in 1988 and in 1994, the engines and equipment, were temporarily removed from it. But at the present time, we do not sell aircraft anymore, and we earn only by freight transportation and sales of documentation, including intellectual property rights and production rights, as it happened with the construction of an An-132 plant in Saudi Arabia. The best specialists have gone to different cities and towns of the world to sell their ideas. It has reached the point where in some strategic programs for country development, place of space and aviation industries is already densely occupied by oilseeds and technical agricultural crops. But, on the other hand, it's scary to look at the truth. It is just on populist programs it is possible to say that we are a space country and can produce dozens of aircraft and rockets a year. But the truth is somewhat different. Ukraine already fulfills the existing contracts with great difficulties, for the implementation of which it lacks full-time employees, from turners to engineers. As for new projects, in order to seriously consider them, they must first be consecrated at the highest state level - at least during the visit of the country's top officials to Canada or Australia. In the meantime, the main platform for communications between our ministers and external partners is Twitter. However, Elon Musk for some reason does not answer the tweets of our Prime Minister... Earlier it was reported that Ukraine's state space agency (SSAU) offered Australia to construct a spaceport near the Curtin air base in the Kimberley district. According to The West Australian, the SSAU proposal says the facility could become Asias major launch site, servicing commercial launches for Australias regional partners such as Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Indonesia. The Ukrainian government first offered Australia such option in 2016. In terms of reforms, Ukraine still shows much more progress over the last three years than over the previous 20 Open source The European Commission has been tracking the course of events involving the SAP (Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office) and NABU (National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine). These contradictions do not make any good impression on Brussels; Peter Wagner, the Head of the Support Group for Ukraine at European Commission. 'We're aware of the events in Kyiv. We follow the messages, although analyzing and deciding what to do is none of our business... That, of course, does not come across as a good thing, when those supposed to fight the corruption actually fight each other much more,' he said. Wagner added that in his opinion, Ukraine still shows 'more progress' in reforms over the last three years than over the previous 20. According to him, the list of areas where Ukraine proceeds successfully is'very long'. 'Despite the fact that a lot is done already, there's still a lot of work is yet to be done. Besides, it is crucial to respond to where we are now and how it goes next. There's no feeling that things are not going to change', he said. As 112 International reported, the NABU and the PGO (Prosecutor General's Office) sent the disciplinary committee appeals against SAP chief Nazar Kholodnytsky. His office was wiretapped. The latter was supposed to show up for the interrogation at Prosecutor General's Office, but he did not come. On March 30, Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko initiated Kholodnytsky's resignation. He turned to the respective authority, which considers the issue of removing him from the office. Kremlin called the case on the poisoning of ex-intelligence officer Sergey Skripal in the UK fabricated The Permanent Representation of Russia to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) sent 13 questions on the case about the poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergey Skripal in the UK to the Technical Secretariat of the organization. The Foreign Ministry of Russia published the questions on the website. The questions are next: What kind of support did London ask from the OPCW Technical Secretariat? Does the OPCW Technical Secretariat intend to share information provided by the British with the Executive Council, including Russia? Did the British side send some additional information on its own national investigation (operative, medical, legal and so on)? What exactly do the British ask from the OPCW Technical Secretariat to confirm: only the fact of the nerve agents use or that it also belongs to novichok type according to the western classification? What kind of data and material evidence did the British provide to the OPCW Technical Secretariat (samples, results of samples analysis, other evidence)? Who headed the group of OPCW experts that visited the UK? What specialist joined the group? How much time did they work? With whom did they interact? What was the procedure of the samples selection? And did they observe the basic OPCW principle of the investigations holding (so-called chain of custody)? In which certified labs will the samples gotten by OPCW Technical Secretariat during the visits of its experts to the UK be analyzed? How much time will the OPCW Technical Secretariat need to prepare the proper conclusion? Did the OPCW Technical Secretariat agree for the disclosure of the investigation materials by the UK before EU countries (according to the present information, France joined the investigation)? Did France inform the OPCW Technical Secretariat on its joining of the technical support requested by the UK? Did France pass the materials of its own investigation (if such materials are present) to the OPCW Technical Secretariat? Can the OPCW Technical Secretariat provide the materials of the French investigation to Russia (if such materials are present) for the seeing of the results? If it cannot, why?, Also, Moscow called the case of Skripal poisoning fabricated. As it was reported about 30 countries of the world announced the expulsion of 144 workers of the Russian diplomatic missions in the response to the chemical attack in Salisbury. Ukraine also joined the sanctions and claimed the expulsion of 13 diplomats. The outlet blames the U.S. leader for corruption and greed The cover of the latest issue of New York Magazine features the picture of U.S. president Donald Trump, whose face is photoshopped and thus looking like a pig's face. The outlet's reporter Yashar Ali posted the image on his Twitter; the picture may also be seen on the magazine's official website. According to Jonathan Chait, the author of the issue's main article, corruption and greed became the key features of Trump's presidency. Previously, Trump expressed confidence that he would prove victorious in the new arms race with Russia if one takes place. The efficient work of the system is under threat by two other sabotage techniques: attempts to disrupt an independent technical audit of the system, and efforts to exempt a considerable portion of public servants from the application of the e-declaration requirement. The introduction of an e-declaration system, one of the most sophisticated worldwide, is widely believed to be among the nations greatest achievements in the post-Maidan era. It is regarded as a tremendously important step towards transparency, which is greatly supported by Ukraines overseas partners. Nevertheless, the e-declaration process for public servants has been under noticeable sabotage, according to Olena Prokopenko, who has written so in a blog post for the Atlantic Council. The initiative has gained sufficient funding both from the Ukrainian state budget and overseas donors, as well as the apparent support of the most prominent civil society organizations. However, the nations government have obviously hurdled effective verification of the declarations through the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC), which is believed to be loyal to the ruling elites of Ukraine. The institution never started using the equipment for automatic verification supplied by the United Nations; in more than a year, the equipment has verified 193 of 1.2 million declarations. Furthermore, the NAPC has been linked to multiple scandals including politically motivated persecution of activists. Whistleblowers, including those who have occupied the highest ranks within the agency, have reported numerous cases highlighting corruption and abuse of power by the organization. Nowadays, the efficient work of the system is under threat by two other sabotage techniques: attempts to disrupt an independent technical audit of the system, and efforts to exempt a considerable portion of public servants from the application of the e-declaration requirement. Should any of the aforementioned techniques prove successful, it would be safe to say that one of Ukraines most significant achievement in government transparency will have failed. A technical audit of the e-declaration register is vital not just for its efficient operation, but also for the long overdue launch of the declarations automated verification. The Ukrainian society has called for this on a number of occasions, whereas overseas partners have expressed their readiness to assist the process. In July 2017, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman issued instructions on the technical examination of the e-declaration system with the support of independent experts. The National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption has announced a tender on the selection of auditors to assess the technical condition of the e-declaration register. All of these tenders involved multiple discriminatory requirements restricting the range of possible participants and disallowing prominent global auditors from taking part. Particularly, potential participants were required to prove at least a five-year presence on the Ukrainian market, as well as a certificate of conformity or expert opinion obtained from the State Special Communications Service of Ukraine. The first one of them was canceled due to the public outrage as the result of its discriminatory nature, whereas the rest of them were pronounced void due to the fact that less than two bids had been received. Therefore, after the four attempts to organize an open tender have failed, the NAPC is in a position to select an auditing company as it sees fit via the so-called negotiation process. Due to the set requirements, the audit is likely to be executed by the State Special Communications Service itself or an affiliated entity, which is rather problematic. The agency is known to have falsified the hacking of the e-declaration system in order to claim its technical malfunction and then appointed its administrator. It has disrupted the operation of the declaration register, falsified an electronic key in the name of a NAPC employee, and denied international experts access to the e-declaration register. Members of the Ukrainian civil society argue that the technical audit of the e-declaration register can only be trusted if independent organizations are invited to participate in the process. On 20 February, they published an open letter to the Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman to ensure compliance with his instruction and to enable a genuine independent technical audit of the register. The Prime Minister has not responded to the letter yet. In the meantime, on 1 March, he requested the State Special Communications Service to verify the situation around the e-declaration register and introduce measures to ensure its uninterrupted operation. According to Oleksandra Drik, who serves as the head of the Declarations Under Control civil society watchdog and RPR anti-corruption expert, the uninterrupted operation of the system and the verification of e-declarations have been at risk since its introduction. On 15 March, the Ukrainian parliament tried to nullify the e-declaration register, A group of legislators submitted a draft law #8129, which would amend the law On corruption prevention.. Yuriy Savchuk, the acting head of the anti-corruption committee of the Parliament, the amendments have to do with the defense capability of Ukraine are supposed to improve declaration requirements for Ukrainian intelligence agencies. Nevertheless, arguing for the protection of national interests, the draft seeks to exempt many law enforcement agents and other state employees, including prosecution bodies, the Security Service, National Police, the State Bureau of Investigation, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, the State Fiscal Service, the diplomatic service, military officers of the armed forces, the State Special Communications Service, state criminal-executive service, the tax police, the command staff of civil protection bodies, and officials of other state agencies and local government institutions from the e-declaration requirement. The draft law says that the declarations of those public servants are required to be filed in paper form and will be subject to NAPCs verification only upon the consent of the respective agency. According to experts, the bills provisions enable large-scale abuses by law enforcement officers and provide unacceptable discretion in determining whose declarations may remain away from the public eye. The draft law enables internal pressure on state officials, as their leadership might blackmail employees by submitting their declarations to the NAPC. This restricts opportunities for verification, and lifts the responsibility of the aforementioned individuals for falsifying testimonies on the assets of their family members, Anton Marchuk, a board member of Anti-Corruption Headquarters NGO and RPR anti-corruption expert said. Savchuk called on the committee and parliament to urgently support the draft law less than a week after it was registered. Members of the committee voted to postpone the consideration. Nonetheless, the bill is still on the parliaments agenda and still retains every chance of passing. All that being said, Ukraines partners in the West also have a role to play. They need to urge the Ukrainian government to execute an independent audit of the e-declaration register, in cooperation with independent corporations and experts. At the same time, it is also vital for all categories of government employees, who are currently required to declare their assets under the existing e-declaration provisions to remain in place. Also, it appears necessary at this point for international partners and donors to suspend funding for the NAPC and call for the immediate and transparent relaunch of the institution, which, for the time being, is detrimental to the entire anti-corruption policy adopted by the nation. The proper operation of the e-declaration system and ensuring officials accountability through declarations of their assets remain among the most important conditions put forward by Ukraines international partners, including the International Monetary Fund and the European Union. Compromising on this anti-corruption measure is a direct violation of Ukraines commitments and yet another signal that the current leadership is unwilling to proceed with anti-corruption reform. Andry Paruby, the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine announced the approval of the claim of the inadmissibility of the construction of the Nord Stream-2 as 112 Ukraine broadcasted. We plan to get the decision of the committee on the construction of Nord Stream-2 on Thursday. This claim was filed at the initiative of Peoples Front Party. I hope it will be worked out and supported by the committee, Paruby said. He expressed the conviction that the Ukrainian parliament should urgently respond about the inadmissibility of the construction of the Nord Stream-2. As we reported Germany approved the construction of the Nord Stream II pipeline section on its territory. Russias leading energy enterprise Gazprom and its partners intend to start implementing the Nord Stream-2 project worth almost 10 billion euros in April 2018. The 1,200-kilometers-long pipeline is to be laid through the Baltic Sea, linking Russia and Germany bypassing Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic States. The capacity will be twice larger than that of Nord Stream I. The construction is to be complete by late 2019. The construction of gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 doesnt imply terminating the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine, but the transit can be preserved only through competitive tariffs and canceling the Ukrainian lawsuits against Gazprom. The staff of the remand prison put pressure on Volodymyr Balukh, the citizen of Ukraine illegally judged in the occupied Crimea to make him end the hunger strike he began two weeks ago. The Human Rights Protection Group in Ukraine reported this on April 2. The lawyer of detained Balukh reported that he is looking thin and gaunt. Moreover, the occupation authorities of Crimea also denied any access to him and the demand of Ukrainian ombudswoman Tatiana Denisova to let the doctors examine him is not fulfilled yet. In December 2013, when the Euromaidan movement began in Ukraine, Balukh supported its activists and hoisted a Ukrainian flag over his house. It remained there even after the so-called referendum in Crimea in spring 2014 when people were forced to vote for Crimeas recognition as part of the Russian Federation. Balukh said he never recognized the peninsula as part of Russia. Volodymyr Balukh was detained by the Russian FSB (federal security service) in his house in December 2016. The law enforcers said they found 90 cartridges and several TNT blocks on the houses rooftop. After that, he was sentenced to three years and seven months of imprisonment. The campaign began on April 2 and will be running until May 31 The military enlistment campaign begins in Ukraine on Monday. Artur Artemenko, the deputy chief of the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported that as quoted by Ukrinform news agency. 'The enlistment committees of all levels will start working on April 2 and will finish on May 31', he said. According to the government's decision, during this particular draft, 15,190 people will be drafted into the Armed Forces, the State Special Transport Service, the State Border Guard and the National Guard of Ukraine. Vasyl Kolotusha worked on the draft ordered by Studio Fury, which worked with Universal Music recording company Revamp, the new album by British performer Elton John, will feature the cover and illustrations by Ukrainian designer Vasyl Kolotusha. DTF Magazine reported that on Monday, quoting the designer as saying. 'Studio Fury, which previously worked with Universal Music recording company, contacted me and offered me to make illustrations for the cover,' Kolotusha said. The Cherkasy-born designer created seven images, one of which is placed on the cover, and the rest is inside. According to Kolotusha, the idea entirely belongs to the studio as the customer; in such projects, the ordering customers know exactly what they want. 'They had full control over the working process - up to the coloring scheme, angles, and many other details,' he concluded. Revamp is to be released on April 6. The Foreign Minister stated that Serbia will always support Russia Britain asked Serbia to expel Russian diplomat, as Ivica Dacic, Serbian Foreign Minister, said, local web portal B92 reported. According to him, the request was made due to the escalating tensions in Kosovo and this means that Britain regards only its own interests. This is all they care about. They do not care about other things. In the same way, we have to care about our interests, measure and think them through properly and of course, Serbia will not expel Russian diplomats, Dacic said. The Foreign Minister stated that Serbia will always support Russia. As we reported earlier, more than 20 states have expelled Russian diplomats due to Skripals poisoning in Salisbury. Ukraine expelled 13 Russian diplomats, and Russia as a reaction has declared 13 Ukrainian diplomats personae non-gratae. Later, Russia announced it intended to expel 50 British diplomats. According to recent data, Russia is to expel four German diplomats. He also added that he knows nothing about planned questioning in the Prosecutor Generals Office Nazar Kholodnytsky, the Head of Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office of Ukraine (SAPO) thinks that the fuss about the calling of him to the questioning in the Prosecutor Generals Office (GPU) and information on the possible dismissal is the targeted political act as 112 Ukraine reported. Kholodnytsky also claimed that he does not plan to participate in the session of the qualification committee of the prosecutors and he does not know anything about the planned questioning in the GPU. Earlier, the General Prosecutors Office and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau sent a complaint against Nazar Kholodnytsky, the Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office, to the Disciplinary Commission. Besides, Andriy Lysenko, the Spokesperson of the General Prosecutors Office, said that Nazar Kholodnytsky was invited to be questioned as a witness to the Department of Major Investigation in the Economic Sphere today at 10:00. However, he did not come. As we reported Yuriy Lutsenko, Prosecutor General of Ukraine, initiated Kholodnytskys resignation today, on March 30. Lutsenko appealed to the Qualifications and Disciplinary Commission of Public Prosecutors concerning Nazar Kholodnytsky, his Deputy and the Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office. Artem Sytnyk, the Head of NABU claimed that the investigation on the case of Nazar Kholodnytsky started after the information that the SAPO impeded the investigation of the case on Hennady Trukhanov, the Mayor of Odesa. Kholodnytsky claimed that he is not familiar with the claim filed by the Prosecutor Generals Office (GPU) and National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) against him to the disciplinary commission. However, he will insist on the public consideration of the case and publishing of all materials. Later he added that he will come for the questioning to the Investigation of High Priority Cases in Economy Sphere Department of Prosecutor Generals Office at 10:00 am on April 3. Yuri Krysin, the head of the titushky, or hired thugs involved in killings, abductions and attacks on Euromaidan activists, has been remanded in custody on charges which could carry a 10-year sentence. The development comes three months after Krysins extraordinarily light four-year suspended sentence for his part in the savage beating and murder of Vesti journalist Vyacheslav Veremiy on February 19, 2014 aroused outrage both in Ukraine and abroad. His detention should put an end to a string of obstructions which have delayed hearings into the prosecutors appeal against that sentence. This was reported on the website of Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group. It was established during the earlier trial that on February 17, 2014, Krysin had agreed, for payment of 20 thousand dollars, to collect a gang of titushky to attack Euromaidan activists. One such attack was that on Veremiy, however there were many others, and the new charges are in relation to those. During the preliminary hearing into the new charges at the Darnytsa District Court in Kyiv on 29 March, the court ordered that the two defendants Krysin and Serhiy Chemes both be remanded in custody until 29 May. The men are facing charges over four episodes. Krysin is accused of abetting and encouraging people to abduct and torture a person on 21-22 January 2014; of hurling explosive devices at Maidan activists barricades on 18 February 2014 (several hours before the killing of Veremiy); of obstructing the protests through the use of indiscriminate violence. The fourth charge mainly concerns Chemes who is accused of having, on Krysins instructions, forced Veremiy to the ground and held him there until the other titushky ran up. Krysins track record of keeping out of prison despite convictions for serious crimes has led many, including prosecutors investigating Maidan crimes, to believe that he has influential connections, including within the police force. The Krysin trial, and specifically the way in which the charges became so diluted, was given particular attention in the last Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Report on Ukraine. They noted with concern what appears to be special treatment afforded to the titushky, resulting in denial of justice to victims of their crimes. The details the OHCHR only briefly mentions are certainly damning. 44-year-old Krysin is believed to have been part of a criminal gang with links to Yuri Ivanyushchenko, the close associate of ex-President Viktor Yanukovych, who is suspected of having played a major role in providing the gangs of titushky who committed numerous crimes against Maidan activists. Krysin was arrested in remanded in custody on March 29, 2014 over the Veremiy killing charges, however was released into house arrest by a Prosecutor Generals Office investigator Yevhen Kotets after Krysin, his wife and lawyer claimed that he was in danger of being killed in SIZO [the remand prison]. The threats and elaborate extortion allegations were supposed to form the subject of a criminal investigation, however the lawyer representing Veremiys family constantly ran up against a brick wall when he asked for details about the investigation, and by December that year it transpired that none had been initiated. The alleged threats were also used as an excuse to hold the court trial over Veremiys murder behind closed doors. That in turn made it easier to conceal certain other worrying developments. The most dramatic of these was the quiet disappearance of the murder charges in June 2014, with Prosecutor Generals Office [PGO] prosecutor Yevhen Krasnozhon instead initiating new proceedings in which Krysin was charged only with hooliganism. In August that year, Krasnozhon supported Krysins lawyers application to the court to have his house arrest withdrawn. This was supposedly because Krysin had admitted guilt, had good character references and a pregnant wife and son. At a closed court hearing on Oct 14, 2014 judge Oleh Linnyk allowed the application and released Krysin on only a signed undertaking not to abscond. Despite public outrage, Krysin remained at liberty until his next arrest on extortion charges in May 2015. Although he had been under a restraint order on serious criminal charges when he committed the new offences, on March 17, 2016, he was convicted of possession of ammunition and given a suspended sentence. Although the promised criminal investigation into the alleged threats used to justify Krysins release from custody had never eventuated, he seems to have been under police protection when he committed his next violent crime in August 2016. In ordinary cases, such a formidable crime record during the trial would have led to Krysin being taken back into custody, or would at least have been viewed as aggravating circumstances when passing sentence. Not here, however. On 22 December 2017, Judge Oleh Linnyk from the Shevchenkivsk Court in Kyiv, found Krysin guilty only of hooliganism, and cited his alleged repentance and two underage children as mitigating circumstances to justify a four-year suspended sentence with a two-year probation period. The prosecutor had asked for a six-year real sentence. Although Krysin did not fire the shot which killed Veremiy, he was the head of the armed titushky gang in camouflage whom Veremiy had begun filming from a taxi. The thugs reacted by throwing a grenade to stop the taxi and dragging him, a colleague and the driver out of the car and beating them with bats. The ferocity of the attack on Veremiy can be clearly seen here. The case was riddled with suspicious inaccuracies. Veremiys widow pointed out, for example, that the sentence had claimed that Krysin did not have a criminal record. Oleksiy Donsky, prosecutor from the Special Investigations Department investigating Maidan crimes, was blunt in attributing the drawn-out nature of this trial, which had benefited only Krysin, to Judge Lynnyk. He also spoke of Krysin having people in high places providing him with protection. It should be stressed that Maria Tomak and other human rights journalists, had identified the investigators, prosecutors, etc. involved in eyebrow-raising decisions, long before Lynnyk passed his suspended sentence. There is nothing to indicate that any investigation was carried out into their allegations. Appeal hearings into that sentence have been constantly obstructed by Krysin or his lawyers who fail to turn up without providing valid reasons. One such occasion was when Krysin proved to have been admitted to the childrens unit of the Heart Institute. This had already aroused considerable scepticism, and at a later court hearing, prosecutor Donsky said that they had evidence that one of Krysins lawyers had arranged for his examination on that day. Not treatment, just an examination which almost certainly did not need to clash with the court hearing. Krysin had also sought to have the appeal hearing behind closed doors, and also demanded police protection, claiming that his life was in danger from the civic activists who turned up outside the childrens unit, the court etc. Only the demand for police protection was granted. Given that Krysin is now in custody, that should now be less relevant. If, that is, this time he remains in detention. Relate video: Petro Tsyhykal, the Head of Ukraine's Border Guard Service, said that the joint patrolling was introduced on the border with all the EU states Ukraine adjoins Ukraine is not a potential supplier of illegal migrants, and the EU does not see any threat from the Ukrainian side. Petro Tsyhykal, the Head of the Border Guard Service, said it in the interview The State Border Guard Service has a military component and we continue its development for 112.ua. Ukraine is not a potential supplier of illegal migrants. The Europeans do not see any threat, we have their credibility at a certain level. We are conducting joint operations, patrolling and control of the checkpoints along with our European colleagues, he said. According to him, the joint patrolling was introduced on the border with all the EU states Ukraine adjoins. There arent any issues with the service organization. The joint patrolling of the central segment of Ukraine-Moldova border started on December 7 in 2017, Tsyhykal added. The ministry prematurely tore up the contact with Kateryna Amosova; she will be dismissed since April 16 Open source The Health Ministry of Ukraine dismissed Kateryna Amosova from the post of the rector of Bogomolets National Medical University as the press service of the ministry reported on Facebook. On the basis of the recommendations of the commission and number of the lists of the State Audit Service, State Financial Inspection, State Treasury Service on the non-fulfillment of the demands of the supervisory bodies by the Medical University, the Health Ministry of Ukraine made a decision to prematurely tore up the contact with Kateryna Amosova, the message said. Particularly, as at March 2018, 12 points of the State Financial Inspections demands are not fulfilled as it was detected during the audition. The proper order was signed on March 30, 2018. According to the order, Amosova will be dismissed from the post of the rector of Bogomolets National Medical University since April 16, 2018, due to the non-fulfillment of the terms of the contract. As we reported the Commission of the Ministry of Health declared the work of Kateryna Amosova, the President of the Bogomolets National Medical University, unsatisfying and recommended to cancel the contract with her on March 30. Earlier, the Administrative Court reinstated Amosova as the President of Bogomolets National Medical University on March 2. As we reported the students and the labor collective of the Bogomolets National Medical University of Ukraine called the termless strike since February 26. All academic buildings will be closed, excluding the hospitals were the patients get the treatment. The Health Ministry of Ukraine suspended Kateryna Amosova, the rector of the Bogomolets National Medical University from the duty on February 20. The decision was made due to the so-called disruption of the obligatory integrated license examination STEP-1. Dentistry for the third-year students. The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine urged the direction of the Bogomolets National Medical University to organize the classes for the students who do not want to participate in the universitys strike and do not use the administrative resource. A strike committee of the Bogomolets National Medical University reported about the end of the strike on February 28. The members of the committee claimed that the strike reached the aim and the Parliament Committee on Health headed by Olha Bogomolets supported the demands announced by the protesters. However, the Health Ministry again suspended Kateryna Amosova on March 6. A meditation and sharing support group focused on the practice of Buddhist teachings and the 12 steps of recovery while integrating the Dharma and the basic goodness of meditation. The Heart of Recovery is a meditation and sharing support group with the purpose of bringing together the practice of meditation, the Shambhala and Buddhist teachings, and the Twelve Steps of Recovery with the goal of integrating the basic sanity of the Dharma and the basic goodness of meditation with our commitment to abstinence. We welcome all those who wish to share in these common interests. The Heart of Recovery is a meditation and sharing support group with the purpose of bringing together the practice of meditation, the Shambhala and Buddhist teachings, and the Twelve Steps of Recovery with the goal of integrating the basic sanity of the Dharma and the basic goodness of meditation with our commitment to abstinence. We welcome all those who wish to share in these common interests. PLEASE NOTE! Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate! All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited! (One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!) Affordable dining tables, coffee tables and benches made from rescued New Mexico woods plus jewelry and mezuzahs from found branches, made by Hershel Mutka Weiss. Runs through 4/9. Opening Reception and Sale Affordable dining tables, coffee tables and benches made from rescued New Mexico woods plus jewelry and mezuzahs from found branches. Made by long time Albuquerque Furnituremaker Hershel Mutka Weiss. The tables and benches are made from land being cleared to create firebreaks near Weed, New Mexico. Planks sawn three inches thick were the starting point for this new furniture. The work is a departure for Weiss, who is known for his finely crafted work. The tables are made with simple and direct joinery and retain their natural edges and in some cases the bark as well. Weiss also experimented with bark inlay in several pieces, creating a combination of rustic and refined. Also shown in this exhibit Weiss's first in six years are his first attempts at jewelry, made from found branches, as well as the Jewish ritual objects known as mezuzahs, carved from found branches as well. Do those of us who drive cars and trucks owe the roads we use to bicyclists? Read this FreightWaves Classics David C. White, vice president of the Virginia Maritime Association (VMA), who has produced the VMAs International Trade Symposium for 15 years, has been named executive vice president of the VMA, succeeding Arthur W. Moye. David C. White has been selected to serve as executive vice president of the Virginia Maritime Association (VMA) and the Hampton Roads Shipping Association, effective April 16. White is replacing Arthur W. Moye, Jr., who has served as executive vice president of the VMA (previously Hampton Roads Maritime Association) since 2004, the VMA said. Moye will continue to serve the VMA though 2018 as the director of external affairs. Established in 1920, the VMA is a business organization comprised of over 450 companies that strives to enhance the competitiveness and promote commerce through Virginias ports. White joined the VMA as an administrator in 2003 and has served as vice president since 2008. He currently serves on the executive committee of the National Waterways Conference, is the secretary and treasurer of the National Association of Maritime Organizations and is chairman of the Virginia Harbor Safety Committee. David has the experience and respect for the VMAs 98-year history and the vision needed for the future, VMA President and Board Member Scott Wheeler said. He is professional and informed, I do not believe a better choice could have been made for the leadership of the Virginia Maritime Association. White has produced the annual International Trade Symposium for 15 years, attracting industry business leaders to the Port of Virginia to network, conduct business, and to address the most pressing issues of the day. The 2018 International Trade Symposium, Trends & Disruptors in Global Logistics, will be held in Norfolk May 9-May 11. Hosted by the VMA and American Shipper, the 15th annual symposium will address major factors that will significantly impact shipping, logistics, and operations within the maritime industries. Were looking forward to another successful year at the International Trade Symposium, White said. We consistently hear from the participants that we seem to strike the right balance on delivering good content from the right people. White said the VMAs priority right now is on deepening and widening the channels. Were very pleased the Army Corps of Engineers has agreed with us that its in the nations interest to deepen our channels to 55 feet and to widen them, he said. That would allow us to maintain competitive advantage all these years of offering the deepest water on the East Coast, and provide savings for importers and exporters by taking advantage of ultra-large containerships fully loaded. The plan outlining the national economic benefits of the project to deepen and widen Norfolk Harbor was approved by the Corps in January to take its next step forward, with the project now moving forward to its final review by the Corps in June. The ports channels and harbor are already 50 feet deep and the largest containerships in the Atlantic trade are calling Virginia, the Virginia Port Authority said. Deepening to 55 feet and widening the channel to 1,300 feet will allow for the big ships to load to their limit and make way for two-ship traffic. YEREVAN, APRIL 2, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan sent a congratulatory message to Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on his being re-elected as President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, wishing him robust health and fruitful activity, as well as everlasting peace and prosperity to the friendly people of Egypt, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Presidents Office. The centuries-old Armenian-Egyptian relations have always been marked by special warmth and openness. Over the past few years, we have managed to deepen the ongoing multifaceted cooperation between our friendly countries, establish high-level sustainable dialogue based on mutual trust and understanding, the President of Armenia said in his congratulatory message. English translator/editor: Tigran Sirekanyan YEREVAN, APRIL 2, ARMENPRESS. Spokesperson of the President of the Republic of Artsakh Davit Babayan assures that following the April war necessary conclusions have been made and huge works have been done to further raise the combat readiness of the army and to make the frontline stronger. In an interview with ARMENPRESS Davit Babayan underlined the importance of a powerful Armenian army for regional peace and stability. Any aggression by the enemy not only demonstrates our power, when we repel it, inflict losses on the enemy and protect our independence, but also shows the existing problems, shortcomings, and omissions. During these two years huge works have been done to strengthen the frontline, to raise the combat readiness of the armed forces, to acquire modern military equipment for the army, but this is a nonstop process. Everything will be done from now on to have a stronger army than that of Azerbaijan, Davit Babayan said. He stressed that having a powerful army is a necessity in case one has a neighbor that leads a terrorist policy like Azerbaijan, since its the only way to force the aggressor to endorse peace. We must have an army capable of not only repel any attack, but in case of necessity to just move the location of the hostilities deep into the aggressors country and to force it to endorse peace. The peace that exists right now its to some extent a result of coercion because an aggressor country like Azerbaijan does not understand any other language. And the international community should take all these into account and do so that the peace is not a result of coercion but it should be achieved as an important value, Babayan said. For Davit Babayan Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora cooperation and the strengthening of that trinity is of key importance. According to him the international community is interested in peace and stability in this region, but the Armenian side should not entirely rely on the efforts of the international community, but build up its own powerful army. The Azerbaijani troops launched a large-scale aggression against Artsakh overnight April 2, 2016, using almost all the weapons of its arsenal. The ceasefire regime was restored on April 5. English translator/editor: Tigran Sirekanyan YEREVAN, APRIL 2, ARMENPRESS. Tigran Balayan, spokesperson of the Armenian ministry of foreign affairs, commented on the April 2 statement of the Azerbaijani foreign ministry on the NK conflict. In response to a question from ARMENPRESS, spokesperson Balayan said: The statement clearly seeks to divert attention from the Azerbaijani aggression against Nagorno Karabakh, which was unleashed on this day two years ago, which was accompanied by gross violations of international humanitarian rights the killing of a child near a school, DAESH-style beheadings, mutilation of corpses, torture and murder of elderly people in their own homes. Azerbaijan is responsible not only for committing these deplorable crimes but also for the massacres of Armenians in Sumgait, Baku, Kirovabad, Maraga and other places. Baku is attempting to evade these through its usual lies and fraud. It is clear that the existing situation in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone is the consequence of the policy of aggression and ethnic cleansing which for 30 years Azerbaijan is carrying out against the people of Artsakh in an attempt to oppress through the threat of force and use of force the indissoluble right to self-determination and to live freely of the Artsakh people, which is enshrined in international rights. Baku continues to refuse the proposals of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, by also refusing to implement the actions of strengthening trust the agreements which were reached in the Vienna, St. Petersburg and Geneva summits, by continuously violating the commitments which were assumed by itself under the 1994-1995 Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan and Armenia trilateral ceasefire and end of hostilities termless agreement. A bright example of this was the new aggression which was unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh on this day two years ago. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 2, ARMENPRESS. 8 people have been hospitalized in the Grigor Lusavorich hospital of Yerevan after an oxygen cylinder exploded in a Burger King fast food restaurant in downtown. Doctors of the hospital told ARMENPRESS that one of the victims is in critical condition. The remaining injured are in serious but stable condition. Almost all of them are minors, aged 6, 8, 19, 16, 15, 14, 15 and 25. One of them is in critical condition and he is currently undergoing surgery, medical personnel told ARMENPRESS. Earlier emergency services reported that nine people have been injured. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 2, ARMENPRESS. All victims who were injured in the Burger King restaurant explosion are in stable condition, Speaker of Parliament Ara Babloyan told reporters after personally visiting the Grigor Lusavorich hospital in Yerevan. The Speaker, who is a pediatric surgeon by profession, considered it his duty to be present at the surgery of a child who was wounded in the blast. The condition of the children is fair. They have different traumas, ranging from minor to heavy. Only one of the children is in serious condition it is a rather large thigh injury. All muscles have been damaged. The injury has reached the bone, but fortunately the bone itself wasnt damaged. The wounds are fragmentary, Babloyan said. Ara Minasyan, director of the St. Grigor Lusavorich hospital, told reporters that the victims had multiple injuries which required stitches. The families of the victims are gathered in the hospital. 3 citizens of Armenia, 3 citizens of Russia and 2 citizens of Iran have been injured in the burger shop explosion in downtown Yerevan. The ministry of emergency situations released the identities of the injured : Rudolph Markosyan, 6, Rubina Markosyan, 8, Zaruhi Melikyan, 19, Erik Ashughyan, 24 Iran national, Alyona Agapova, 15 Russia national, Liza Abramova, 15 Russia national, Yaroslav Lyubenko, 15 Russia national, Zeyna Husseini, 24, Iran national. The preliminary suspected cause of the Burger King restaurant explosion in Yerevans Northern Avenue is the blast of a pressure oxygen cylinder of draught beer keg. The preliminary cause was announced by Davit Tonoyan, minister of emergency situations of Armenia, who personally visited the scene of the blast. The minister went inside the restaurant and viewed the area. The minister didnt mention other details of the probable cause, adding that investigators and technical security experts are looking into it. There can be different causes pressure fluctuations, high pressure etc. It isnt appropriate to speak about any culprit at this moment, he said. He reassured that there is no fire safety-related issue with this case, but at the same time added that the ministry is carrying out heightened control and inspections after the recent Kemerovo mall disaster in Russia. Emergency personnel were notified on the blast at 20:44, April 2. Multiple firefighting units, paramedics and law enforcement officers were dispatched to the restaurant in Yerevans Northern Avenue. The oxygen cylinder was located in the kitchen as it exploded. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan CYBERSPACEActor and comedian Seth Rogen said that Stormy Daniels revealed her alleged affair with Donald Trump to him more than a decade ago, when she appeared in the film Knocked Up, in which Rogen was the star. The 35-year-old Rogen, who has since gone on to become one of Hollywoods most successful comedy stars and writers, made the revelation during an appearance on the Ellen Degeneres talk show on Monday. Watch Rogen tell Degeneres about his conversations with Daniels in which she revealed her affair with Trump, by visiting this link. Daniels appeared in the hit movie, which was written and directed by Judd Apatow, in the small role of a stripper. She also played a similar role in an earlier Apatow film, The 40 Year Old Virgin. Rogen said that she was cast by Apatow simply because it was easier to hire porn performers to play strippers than to hire actresses who do not appear in adult films. Daniels has said that her sexual relationship with Trump took place in July of 2006. The Knocked Up movie filmed during the summer of 2006, meaning that Daniels' initial encounter with Trump would have taken place only days or weeks before she performed in the film. Rogen told Degeneres that when Daniels revealed the affair with Trump, neither he nor any of his fellow cast members were especially shocked. At the time, when you ask a porn star who theyve been sleeping with and the answer was Donald Trump, it was like the least surprising thing that she couldve said, he said in the interview. It wasntat the timewasnt that surprising and then, as [Trumps] campaign rolled out, it became clear that no one cared about anything he did. So, it didnt really occur to me even that it would come out or that anyone would care about it, but then when I saw it, I was like, Oh, yeah, Stormy told us all about that, Rogen recalled. In addition to a minor role in the film, Daniels also appeared with Rogen in an extra scene filmed for the DVD release of Knocked Up, titled My Dinner With Stormy. In the scene, Rogenwho also served as a producer on the filmhas an intimate dinner with Daniels. Daniels spoke publicly about her affair with Trump for the first time in a 60 Minutes interview broadcast on March 25. In the interview, she also claimed that in 2011 an unknown man threatened her and her then-infant daughter in a Las Vegas parking lot, warning her not to talk about her involvement with Trump. Seth Rogen in 2007; photo from Wikimedia Commons by Phil Konstantin Contact: White House White House Press Office President Donald J. Trump will award the Medal of Honor to then-First Lieutenant Garlin M. Conner, U.S. Army, for conspicuous gallantry during World War II at a ceremony at the White House. Then-First Lieutenant Conner's spouse, Pauline Lyda Wells Conner, and family will join the President at the White House to commemorate his example of selfless service and sacrifice. Additional details on the ceremony date for then-First Lieutenant Conner will be announced separately.Then-First Lieutenant Garlin M. Conner will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions on 24 January 1945, while serving as an intelligence officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. Then-First Lieutenant Conner voluntarily left his position of relative safety to place himself in a better position to direct artillery fire onto the assaulting enemy infantry and armor. He remained in an exposed position which was 30 yards ahead of the defending force for a period of three hours. Despite the enemy coming within five yards of his position and friendly artillery shells exploding around him, he continued to direct the fire of friendly artillery, which ultimately repelled the assaulting enemy elements.Garlin Conner was inducted into the U.S. Army on March 1, 1941 and sent to Fort Lewis, Washington for training. While at Fort Lewis, Garlin was assigned to Company K, 3d Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment. He deployed to the North African Theater of Operations on October 23, 1942 and was part of the amphibious assault landing at Fedala, French Morocco on November 8, 1942. As part of the 3d Infantry Division, he continued combat operations throughout North Africa, prior to assaulting Sicily, and subsequently the Italian mainland during the division's push into continental Europe.As an enlisted man, he ultimately attained the rank of Technical Sergeant and served as a Platoon Sergeant. On June 26, 1944, he received a battlefield commission as an Infantry officer and served as an Infantry Unit Commander and Intelligence Staff Officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment. He was discharged from the U.S. Army on June 22, 1945.The Medal of Honor is awarded by the President, in the name of the Congress, to members of the Armed Forces who distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their own lives above and beyond the call of duty while:engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States;engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; orserving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.The meritorious conduct must involve great personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his or her comrades and must have involved risk of life. There must be incontestable proof of the performance of the meritorious conduct, and each recommendation for the award must be considered on the standard of extraordinary merit. When my pink-haired pal Brittany High told me that she won a ride with Angelyne in her signature pink Corvette and that she wanted me to come along, I thought, "Oh, this will be interesting." When identical twins Marian and Vivian Brown twins were still alive, it was considered a good omen to run into them up here in the San Francisco Bay Area. When I was pregnant, I spotted them in Union Square and felt my unborn child had been charmed in some way by their mere presence. An Angelyne sighting in Los Angeles has the same effect on people. I had briefly met the famous-for-being-famous L.A. icon once before. Near the end of 2013, I was driving to a lunch place in Burbank with my pal Allee Willis who startled me, "Pull over! Pull over! It's Angelyne!" And sure enough, there was her pink Corvette parked in front of a paint store. Allee told me to have cash ready but I didn't have any on me. I told her so. Allee, an icon herself, has known Angelyne since 1986 and knew the drill. Pushing money into my hand, she said, "You WILL buy something from her." I promised not to embarrass her and we headed to the Corvette. Our visit was short but yielded this epic photo of the three of us. I used the money Allee palmed me to quietly buy a t-shirt. Like the time I saw the Brown twins, I felt lucky stumbling upon Angelyne that day in Burbank. So, nearly four years later, when Brittany invited me to fly down to meet the Angelyne with her, my answer was, "Of course I want to!" We thought it would be fun to tell our stories of our afternoon with the billboard queen in tandem. (Brittany begins. My input is in italics.) A few months ago I entered to win a ride with the legendary Angelyne in her hot pink Corvette. Not long after I got a text message saying I won. I was told I could bring a friend along and I knew exactly who I wanted to invite Rusty Blazenhoff. No one would appreciate this as much as she would! It's true! I live for this kind of stuff. Angelyne's assistant instructed us to meet her at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. "Bring cash," he said. "She has merch." Not her "assistant," her "secret agent," lol. That's how he described himself to me when I asked if he was her manager. He said he's been working with her for 30 years. His name is Scott and he literally wears rose-colored glasses. And merch, OMG, so much merch! As she greeted us, she gave us each a gem. She said Rusty's was supposed to ward off evil. I didn't get an explanation what mine was meant for. Angelyne was curious about the gem on the ring I the was wearing. "What is THAT?" she asked. "Forever 21," I answered. Mine is a Carnelian. It now sits in my pop culture trophy case gently fending off any bad juju. Angelyne was wearing a giant Quartz around her neck. Angelyne instructs Brittany how to properly do the flamingo stance in front of the Coffee Bean at Sunset near Vine. Ok wait, let's get back to the merch. I think it's important to note Angelyne's truly inspired "merch table." It's the trunk of her Corvette. She pops it open and voila! there's t-shirts, hats, buttons, keychains, backpacks, and other pink and black goods. I remember envying her makeshift store back when I first met her. (I've honestly considered a Blazenhoff merch-trunk, but it just wouldn't be as sexy as hers, as I drive a gray hybrid and live in the 'burbs.) I also think a moment should be spent talking about the merch itself, as it's part of the overall ritual. Since I knew going into the meeting I would need cash, I brought a little over $100. Between the black trucker's cap (emblazoned with a large patch of her in her billboard's pinup pose), a pinback button, the opportunity to have our photograph taken together, and two large cups of coffee, I was soon parted with all of it. I'm not complaining. I look at it as the price of admission to a wild one-of-a-kind ride, a bonafide quirky-as-all-get-out L.A. experience. I feel it was money well spent. We briefly talked about out-of-body experiences, mass shootings, and what happens after you die as we drank "Angelyne coffee" (a blend of coffee, vanilla syrup, and African Sunrise Tea) out of tiny teacups. I knew hanging Angelyne was going to be interesting experience but I hadn't anticipated getting deep into a philosophical conversation about death and the afterlife with her. Then, she drove me in her hot pink Corvette around the block and down Hollywood Blvd with the windows down, blasting Angelyne's very own music. She asked if I wanted to hear a joke and of course I said yes. It went something like this: A woman buys an expensive dress and her husband is angry how much money she spent. She says "The Devil made me do it." He asks why she didn't say "Get behind me Satan!" She responds "I did! And he told me it looked good from the back, too!" Angelyne asked which of her songs was my favorite. "All of them," I said and she skipped to "Sex Goddess." Then she told me we would be stopping at Denny's so she could use the restroom and said I should look up her music video for "My List" while I waited for her. When Angelyne returned, we walked back to her car and she asked me what I thought. She wanted to know how many boyfriends I had and if I wanted to get married. She asked me if Brittany was a stripper (she's not). I asked her how old she thought her inner child was, shared that mine was between 12 and 15, and she responded, "Three!" Then, later, "Sometimes fifteen." As we pulled back up to the Coffee Bean, Rusty was waiting there for us and so was the person who was scheduled to have a ride next. If you'd like to try and win a ride with the lady-in-pink, the entry box lives on the counter of Ozzie Dots, a costume shop on Hollywood Boulevard. photos by Brittany High and Rusty Blazenhoff When we think of democracy, we generally think of voting: the people are polled, the people decide. But voting is zero-sum: it has winners and losers. There are other models of governance that can make claim to democratic legitimacy that produce wins for everyone. Nadia Eghbal, who writes about "money, governance, and the internet," turns a skeptical eye on the prevalence of voting as a means of settling governance questions in the decentralized internet movement, which includes things like IPFS, blockchains, and distributed hash cacheing. As Eghbal points out, many of the worst aspects of voting are even worse in decentralized voting: voting is subject to all kinds of manipulation including mobilizing or suppressing blocks of voters through questionable tactics. When the actual number of voters is unknown and unknowable (which is practically a design spec for the decentralization movement), then these problems are exacerbated. There are alternatives to voting: cooperative models for constructing governance questions that treat voting as a failure, not a default (think of the "stag hunt"). These cooperative models need to be designed into the system from the start, and Eghbal has some practical design suggestions to that end: * Default to failure: set up the system so that an inability to achieve consensus creates consequences for everyone * Bias toward action: design the system so that "bad thing X will happen unless you do something to change it" * Use deadlines: set a clock ticking so that a decision has to be reached in finite time I've worked in situations like this and seen them horribly gamed by powerful blocks of incumbents it's basically how the worst standardization efforts work, especially in the DRM world. And indeed, Eghbal points out all the ways that these systems can fail: a lack of representativeness (who has the time and expertise to participate in the debate?); signal hijacking (who has the biggest megaphone with which to recruit people); oligarchy and cults of the individual (think of all the problems with the internet's benevolent dictatorships); and forking and fragmentation. Despite the many ways that cooperative governance models can go wrong, they are not objectively worse than voting, and yet they aren't even on the table when we talk about the future of governance. That shouldn't be the case. There are certainly situations in which cooperative models are superior to voting and unless they're in the mix as we design the future of systems, we're going to have an impoverished decision-making future. Under voting, it's cheap to veto (i.e. vote against something), which has led to an anti-pattern of outrage today. Not only is it cheap to disagree, but you're often rewarded for it (in the form of attention and/or reputation). Cooperative mechanics flip this around, so it's cheap to do nothing and expensive to raise an objection. That means people reserve their objections for stuff they really care about. If you object too often, other people are likely to start discounting your opinion. You can focus on what you care about When voting, the expectation is that everyone ought to participate. Even abstaining is a conscious decision. But in a cooperative game, you can participate as much or as little as you'd like. It's no secret that we're drowning in information. As Albert Wenger suggests, today's challenge is not finding time to actually read everything, but rather deciding where to spend your limited attention. It's impossible to maintain deep knowledge of every political topic of importance. Cooperative governance gives us permission to be curators, focusing on just our areas of passion and expertise. Reputation is quickly becoming more important than money. (Or, rather: perhaps money was just a historic proxy for reputation.) Cooperative games leverage the power of reputation really well, because you need reputation to capture attention. And whomever captures enough attention, gains influence. While this may sound bleak at first, when compared to wealth, reputation strikes me as a more democratic alternative. Black Lives Matter started as a hashtag. The Women's March started on Facebook. For all that was terrible about the U.S. presidential election, Trump broke the mold of how people become president, simply with a powerful enough megaphone. The problem with voting [Nadia Eghbal/Medium] (via Four Short Links) (Image: Colm Callanan, CC-BY-ND) Ann Kirkpatrick cast the vote that kept Guantanamo Bay open and voted against cap-and-trade, and has been a consistent opponent of EPA air-quality measures; Jason Crow says he won't take corporate PAC money, so instead he's funded by his law firm which lobbies for casinos, fossil fuel companies (he also opposed gun control after the Aurora shooting happened on his watch in his district, having received large sums from the gun lobby) and he's the beneficiary of Bain Capital's largesse; Paul Davis voted to bar cities from enacting gun control rules, and for a ban on the use of state funds to support gun control lobbying, he's supported drug tests for welfare recipients and a corporate tax cut during the recession. Elissa Slotkin is a hereditary millionaire who is ex-CIA, ex-Bush National Security Council, ex-Obama Department of Defense, she participated in a coverup of Reagan-funded death squads in Central America; Brad Ashford introduced bills to lower corporate taxes and ban the hiring of undocumented workers, consistently voted with Republicans when he was in Congress (including voting for repeals of Wall Street regs and Obamacare, and for the Keystone XL pipeline), he supports DACA repeal, opposed the Iran deal, and doesn't want Gitmo to ever close, and supported a bill to allow racial discrimination in auto lending. Jeff Van Drew has a 100% rating from the NRA and is lavishly funded by gun lobbyists, voted against raising minimum wage, against death-penalty abolition, for reviving the death penalty, against affordable housing quotes, in favor of pulling his state out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and introduced a state constitutional amendment requiring parental notification for teens having abortions; Millionaire Susie Lee owns seventeen homes and her own airplane; she voted against the Iran deal. What do they all have in common? They're backed by the DCCC and/or the New Democrat Coalition and similar leading establishment "centrist" Democratic organizations as part of their "Red to Blue" strategy for flipping GOP-held seats later this year. Just another reason you shouldn't give a dime to the Democratic establishment. Instead, support Our Revolution, the Great Slate and Brand New Congress. Here's Who the Democrats Want You to Vote for This November [Branko Marcetic/Jacobin] I've lived in British Columbia and Nova Scotia. This is, hands down, the best story I've ever read that involves both coasts. According to The Times Colonist, 17 years ago, Nick Burchill, a naval reservist from Nova Scotia, was in Victoria, British Columbia for a work-related conference. He chose to stay at the Fairmont Empress Hotel: a high-falootin' luxury joint that's been a fixture on the city's downtown waterfront for decades. When Burchill came from the east coast, he knew that he'd be meeting with friends from the navy when time allowed for it. He brought them a gift: Chris Brothers Pepperoni sticks: a much-loved Nova Scotian delicacy. Not wanting anyone to feel left out, he brought, well, a lot. To keep the meat cool and edible until he could hand it over to his pals, Burchill cracked the window in his hotel room and laid the pepperoni out on the windowsill. He figured that the cool spring air would be enough to refrigerate the food. What happened next is the stuff of legend: From the Times Colonist: He spread the packages of pepperoni out on a table and along the window sill, then went for a leisurely four or five hour walk. "I remember walking down the long hall and opening the door to my room to find an entire flock of seagulls in my room," Burchill wrote. "I didn't have time to count, but there must have been 40 of them and they had been in my room, eating pepperoni for a long time." Burchill discovered that spicy pepperoni does not agree with a seagull's digestive system. The room was covered in guano. Burchill's unexpected entry startled the birds. The birds, losing their shit over their being a human in the room, began to literally lose their shit, everywhere they flew in the room, spreading poop over everything. As they took to the air, the seagulls knocked over lamps, decorations and anything else that wasn't bolted down. As Burchill put it, the resulting chaos was "a tornado of seagull excrement, feathers, pepperoni chunks and fairly large birds whipping around the room." Fighting his way through the flock, Burchill managed to open the rest of the windows in his suite so that the birds could escape. As one of the birds tried to re-enter the room in search of more food, Burchill threw his shoe at it. The shoe ended up on the front lawn of the hotel, narrowly missing a group of vistors. Burchill has been, understandably, banned from staying at the Empress for the past 17 years. This past week, his lifetime ban was lifted by the hotel's management after he wrote them a passionate letter explaining his part in the pepperoni-and-seagull related disaster. That Burchill included a pound of Chris Brothers pepperoni with the letter as a peace offering may have had something to do with it too. Image via pixabay, courtesy of cocoparisienne According to the Vatican, demonic possessions are on the uptick. In order to meet the rising demand for assistance by those assailed by the demonic, the Vatican-backed International Association of Exorcists will be holding a training course for Priests interested in fighting the demonic. According to The Guardian, the course will held at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome between 16-21 April. The announcement of the upcoming Vatican course comes at a time when concerns over whether the rite of exorcism could be seen as a form of spiritual and physical abuse are being raised. From The Guardian: Last year, the Christian thinktank Theos reported that exorcisms were a "booming industry" in the UK, particularly among Pentecostal churches. But some warn that "deliverance ministry" can be a form of spiritual abuse. Critics also say LGBT people and those with mental health issues are targeted for deliverance in the belief that their sexuality or psychiatric problems are the result of demonic possession. For their part, the Vatican, as well as the Anglican and Orthodox churches, acknowledge that medical care and psychological assessment of anyone asking for exorcism is a mustmistaking a medically treatable condition for spiritual affliction doesn't help anyone. Of equal importance is the fact that, as part of an exorcist's training, it's reinforced that unwanted touching or unrequested exorcisms should not take place. No matter where your beliefs (or lack thereof) fall on the issue of exorcism, having more trained exorcists rolling around out there will likely be a good thing for those who feel that their only recourse from torment or spiritual danger is through a cleansing rite. Desperation always draws sharks. As it stands, the shortage of recognized clergy that have been trained in the rites of exorcism has led to a cottage industry of shady independent exorcists practicing their craft across Europe, sometimes at a cost of up to 500 euros per session. That's a high price for people to be forced to pay for help with their assumed or legitimate spiritual woes. Image by follower of Hieronymus Bosch Sotheby's London, 14 April 2011, lot 5, Public Domain, Link Entertainment / National by Staff reporter Zimbabwe African Roots musician and sculptor Bryn Mteki, popularly known as Sekurutau, is putting final touches on his forthcoming album, which features local business tycoon Phillip Chiyangwa.Mteki, who last released an album a compilation of previous tracks in 2015, told The Standard Style that the album was in a class of its own, having been recorded and mixed in Germany. He said the yet-to-be-named album was being mastered in the United States."The album has been recorded and mixed in Germany and is now being mastered in the US. Videos will be done before the album release," Mteki said.The musician-cum-businessman also roped in his family on the album, including wife Patience Annie Mteki and daughters Caroline, Lisa Maria, Annie-Marie and Tabeth-Marie, who provide backing vocals.He said his fans should look forward to the track Ndinongovhaira, a collaboration that he did with Chiyangwa and an unnamed international artiste."The song Ndinongovhaira is a massive collaboration which I did with Dr Chiyangwa and also features one international music giant whose name I am withholding at the moment for professional reasons," he said."The reason why I roped in Dr Chiyangwa is that we have been friends in business and sharing entrepreneurship ideas. When I was in the US we would interact, especially on how best we could make money. In a nutshell we both share the same passion looking for cash."Mteki, who owes his success to his late mother Tabeth Elizabeth Chikwenya and his father Richard Mteki, a sculptor of note, said he was not rushing to release the album."The album will be released when I am satisfied as I have become more of a perfectionist like Michael Jackson. However, I will keep my fans posted when there are any new developments pertaining to the album," he said.His albums include Kurauone (2000), Kuyaruka (2001), Hamunyare (2003), Pfugama Unamate (2004), Tsuro Magen'a (2007), Vadzoka (2007) and Ndakura (2009). In 2015 he released Makarekare (Greatest Hits Part 1), a compilation of 11 tracks from his previous albums.Mteki made his name as an enterprising stone sculptor, a passion that he pursued in Europe and the US for close to 14 years before he relocated home. He now runs a range of businesses under the BrynBrands with interests in retail supermarkets, bottle stores, night clubs, real estate, butcheries and takeaways. He also operates a transport business, mining and a clothing line, among others.The musician has also declared his interest to contest for the presidential post in elections due this year. News / National by Staff reporter She dreams of a white wedding, a career in social science and to have a family. Rumbidzai Chidora (22) is HIV-positive but did not understand it and lived in denial for most of her childhood, but is now a changed person."Most people say I am lying when I tell them that I am HIV-positive," she said."They think that the National Aids Council (NAC) pays me to pretend I am HIV-positive at their events, but the truth is that I am living with the virus."I can decide to think otherwise, but I will not be doing myself any favour," said Chidora."I was born positive and my parents died long back. I stayed with my grandmother and she is the one who told me of my status."When she told me, I was 10 years old. I was made to take the medication."At first I did not understand the purpose of the medication but when I knew the purpose, I decided to stop."Chidora, who is now studying sociology with the Zimbabwe Open University, said she refused to take the anti-retroviral drugs for five years."After realising the purpose of the medication, I told myself that it was better to die just like my late parents," she said."I was bitter until the time I asked myself: for how long will I be in denial?"It was only after she got counselling from the NAC, peer HIV-positive adolescents, as well as Africaid Zvandiri, a non-governmental organisation focusing on young people, that Chidora started embracing her condition.She became a member of a community adolescent treatment support (CATS) group and is now a leading advocate for adherence to anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment."I used to get my medication from Marondera Provincial Hospital before I stopped, but they kept my contact details," Chidora revealed."I was contacted by the hospital staff when Africaid Zvandiri set up base in the province."I joined the group thinking it was an employment opportunity, but little did I know that it was a chance for me to get encouragement to resume treatment."I was in denial for too long but because of the testimonies I encountered during my interactions with fellow HIV-positive adolescents, I decided to start taking medication."Chidora said even though she was living with HIV, she had a boyfriend who had already proposed to marry her."It was difficult for me to tell him that I am HIV-positive, but I had to do it."I feared that I might lose him, but at the same time I wanted to protect him," she said.Breaking the news to her boyfriend was not easy as people living with HIV still suffer a lot of stigma."One day we were chatting on Whatsapp and I asked him: 'what would you do if you were to find out that I am HIV-positive?'"His response was not clear and he started to probe until I opened up."I was shocked because he did not ditch me, I encouraged him to get tested and he was negative. But he did not dump me."Chidora and her boyfriend always find time to discuss safe sex and family planning."We have explored various prevention mechanisms for our marriage to work," she said."I know we are going to protect each other through the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP), which reduces the risk of HIV infection by 90%. We also use condoms."Studies show that PrEP is effective when prescribed and used consistently."Your risk of getting HIV through sex can be even lower if you combine PrEP with condoms and other prevention methods," Chidora said.Chidora's story is peculiar in Zimbabwe where a generation of children born with HIV is now battling with challenges of reproductive health and stigma.According to the Health and Child Care ministry, 2,7% of Zimbabwean women aged 15-17 are living with HIV and the figure is as high as 13,9% for women aged 23 to 24.Among males, the HIV prevalence rate is at 2,5% until the ages of 23 to 24 where it shoots up to 6%.Chidora believes the high prevalence rates could be attributed to the fact that HIV prevention and awareness programmes exclude young people.She believes with the Cats initiative, young people can help end new HIV infections and ensure better care for those already infected.The initiative has attracted thousands of HIV-positive youths who are pushing for adherence to treatment and encourage their peers to regularly go for tests.NAC Mashonaland East provincial manager Wilfred Dube said initiatives such as Cats and HIV tests conducted at night, had ensured youths were visible in the fight against the scourge."At least now we have a mechanism to reach to young people who for long were said to be left out in the HIV fight," he said."We are slowly including everyone in early detection and treatment."Zimbabwe's HIV prevalence rate has been declining in recent years from a high of 24% to 14%, according to figures released last year. News / National by Staff reporter HWANGE Local Board has named streets in its suburbs in honour of its local traditional leaders as part of its efforts to preserve heritage and culture in communities.Speaking at the street naming ceremony on Tuesday last week, Nambya cultural activist and St Mary's Primary School head Mrs Thokozile Dube said naming of the roads in the local authority's two suburbs namely Empumalanga and Chibondo was a milestone towards ensuring that generations are well acquainted with their culture and tradition.The newly commissioned streets were named in honour of the five chiefs in Hwange District namely Chief Whange, Dingani-Nelukoba, Nekatambe, Shana and Mvuthu."It (naming of streets using local chiefs' names) shows that the Hwange community has come of age in realising the importance of their indigenous language. Hwange, just like any other place we know of, where roads and streets have depicted the indigenous language and prominent people of that particular place, has seen it fit to do likewise."The naming of roads should not only be symbolic but a way of preserving our local heritage that can be passed on to generations to come. This also serves as reference to our identity. Hwange as diverse as it is, has that obligation of retaining its originality by respecting and recognising the local people," she said.Mrs Dube said naming of the streets after the chiefs was in cognisance of their importance as custodians of tradition and culture."As much as we would take cognisance of Ndau people in Chiredzi, Venda in Beitbridge, Tonga in Binga, Manyika in Mutare, let it be so in Hwange.Chiefs being the custodians of our culture and our leaders deserve to be recognised. The use of the local chiefs' names makes people take pride in the recognition of previously marginalised languages in Zimbabwe. Let the names being commissioned be not a source of tribal hatred or discrimination but a source of unity and respect for the diversity of Hwange district," she said.Speaking at the same function the local authority's chairman Mr Cosmas Ndlovu said the naming of the streets was in line with Government's Urban Council Act.Section 213 of the Urban Council Act (Chapter 15:29) provides that, "Council may from time to time assign names to roads within the council area and cause the name of any road to be affixed to or painted on any house, building or other structure fronting upon any part of such road . . ."The same section empowers councils to direct owners or occupiers of buildings at their expense, to mark or affix at the main entrance or in some other conspicuous position on such premise the number as specified.The Act also states that in undertaking the exercise, Council should select neutral, divest of any political or and social connotations or innuendoes."Today's ceremony marks a milestone to the Hwange community and suffice to say what we are witnessing is in line with the Urban Council Act as mandate by the Ministry of Local Government. It will also enable future generations to be in touch with their history and culture," said Mr Ndlovu.He said the street naming was a move towards the local authority's pursuit for township status."Of course naming of streets is part of our efforts as we forge ahead to attain township status because normally municipalities' roads and streets have names," he said.The imbalances caused by the apportioning of land by big companies namely Hwange Colliery Company Limited, Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority's subsidiary Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) and the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) has led the area to experience stunted growth and failure to attain township status.As it stands, Hwange is a local board authority created by the Constitution of the country and by statute under the body of the Urban Councils Act, Chapter 29:15.HLB was established in 1974 and due to multiple administration and land ownership by the three parastatals the local authority only administers and offers service provision to three suburbs namely Empumalanga, Chibondo and Baobab.The local authority has set sights on installing 89 street signposts bearing names of the district's luminaries, natural water sources as well as the fauna and flora found within its area. Chief Shana said the naming of the streets goes a long way in casting out the colonial mind-set which has long been the mainstay in communities and has seen most landscapes and infrastructure named after former colonial masters."This is a sign that we are own our destiny now that we are independent. We are changing the colonial way of doing things and identifying with our culture and tradition."We are attaching the meaning of tradition to the local communities. A place should actually be identified with the local language in that particular area and that way people living there will have a sense of belonging," he said. News / National by Staff reporter A 58-YEAR-OLD Zaka man fatally struck a neighbour with an axe over allegations of having an extra-marital affair with his wife, police have confirmed.Petros Nhidza of Muparuri Village under Chief Ndanga is reported to have fatally struck Marufu Nhira (60) several times on the head, once on the upper part of the left arm and once on the right ribs, leading to his death.Acting Masvingo police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Kudakwashe Dehwa said the incident occurred on Tuesday last week.He said Nhira's body was taken to Ndanga District Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem."I can confirm receiving a report of murder involving neighbours in Zaka. One man fatally struck the other accusing him of having an adulterous relationship with his wife," said Asst Insp Dehwa.He said the suspect was arrested and was in police custody assisting with investigations. He is expected to appear in court facing a charge of murder once investigations have been completed. Police said on the fateful day at around 9pm Nhira who worked as a domestic worker at a homestead in Nemauru Village in the same area retired to bed together with his wife, Ms Beatrice Hanzizi (60).At around 11pm, while sleeping and covering their heads with blankets, Nhidza arrived and forced open the door to the couple's bedroom. Asst Insp Dehwa said Nhidza who was armed with an axe, was first seen by Ms Hanzizi after she heard him intruding and woke up her husband.He said Nhidza who had a torch switched it on and directed the light to his victim's face who had already awoken leading to a fight ensuing in which Nhira was overpowered."Nhidza allegedly struck Nhira several times on the head, once on the upper part of the right arm and once on the right ribs with an axe. Ms Hanzizi left the two fighting and rushed to call two members of the police Neighbourhood Watch Committee," he said.When she came back with them, they found Nhira already dead and managed to disarm Nhidza who they apprehended before taking him to Zaka Police Station. Nhidza is said to have told the police that he had killed Nhira because he was having an affair with his wife. News / National by Staff reporter A police officer based at Lupane police station was recently pummelled with fists, allegedly over a woman.It is said Constable Sihlalo Ncube (25) was having drinks with Elvis Ngwenya (21) and five other men at Mthupha Bottle Store last Monday.All was well but things took a nasty turn when Ngwenya called a lady and proposed love. It is said Ncube intervened and claimed that the lady in question "belongs to him and was intending to marry her", as such she must ignore Ngwenya because he was a loafer and poor.But it seems that allegedly incensed Ngwenya as it forced him to lash out at Ncube. Following that an argument ensued.It is said at the height of the argument Ncube allegedly hit his love rival with fists. Ngwenya retaliated and allegedly hit Ncube with fists and with an unknown object. Ncube sustained a deep cut in the face and bled excessively.He was rushed to hospital where he was treated and discharged. A police report was made, leading to Ngwenya's arrest.Ngwenya appeared before Lupane resident magistrate Ndumo Masuku facing an assault charge. Ngwenya pleaded guilty but said he was acting in self defence."Your worship, I was acting in self defence as he was hitting me with fists and head butted me telling me to leave his lady. What angered me the most is that he told me that I'm poor and a loafer," said Ngwenya.Ncube said: "He wanted to snatch my lady that I'm planning to marry and when I told him to leave my lady he started to insult me and hit me with fists and with an object on the face, as a result I suffered a deep cut."Lupane resident magistrate Ndumo Masuku remanded Ngwenya out of custody to 3 April 2018. News / National by Staff reporter FOUR illegal money dealers in Kwekwe have been arraigned before the courts for allegedly beating up a cop who attempted to arrest their colleague.Sithokozile Mhlambeni (37), Tungamirai Mabika (24), Anxious Rutavi (37) and Learnmore Gumi (25) were arraigned before Kwekwe magistrate Mr Lavroe Philemon facing charges of assaulting a police officer or defeating the course of justice.They were remanded out of custody to 5 April for trial after they pleaded not guilty to the charge. The State's case as presented by the prosecutor, Mr Freddy Ndoro is that on 22 March at PG Complex in Kwekwe, police officers approached Gumi and warned him against illegally dealing in money.Gumi, the court heard, did not heed the call and went on to sell US$100 to Vengesai Mutizwa for $128 bond notes while the police officers were watching.The police officers, whose names were not mentioned in court papers, then attempted to effect an arrest on Gumi but their efforts were thwarted by Mhlambeni, Mabika and Rutavi who attacked the cops and shoved them off Gumi.As a result, the court heard, the cops failed to get the US$100 they wanted as exhibit but could only recover the $128 bond notes. Gumi also joined in the fight and shoved one officer to the ground before making good his escape.The quartet was only arrested the next day after armed police rounded up the illegal money dealers at their base, leading to their subsequent appearance in court. Meanwhile, Gumi will appear in court separately on 3 April for trial after he was released on $100 bail for contravening the money exchange and control regulation.Shepherd Farayi of Farayi and Associates and Vengai Masvaya of Chitsa and Masvaya Legal Practitioners represented the accused. News / National by Staff reporter FIRED Bulawayo Ward 21 councillor, Mr Reuben Matengu has allegedly been caught up in a fake employment scam where he is allegedly soliciting $6 from residents in exchange for employment opportunities.Mr Matengu was dismissed from the local authority last year after a Government instituted investigation found him guilty of gross misconduct.The former councillor was found on the wrong side of the law after he sold a residential stand in Southwold which he had bought under a special facility which gave him a considerable discount in the purchase but was not supposed to resell it.In the latest developments, investigations by Sunday News revealed that Mr Matengu on Wednesday convened a meeting at Tshabalala Housing Office where he promised residents employment on condition they pay $6. The money was reportedly said to go to a digital currency firm who would then pay the desperate employment seekers only in digital currency.Contacted for comment, Mr Matengu said while it was true that residents were being offered employment, he denied being behind the facility."It is actually the residents who approached me and introduced me to this company called Sound Prosperity. The company, upon discussions, claimed that a number of Sizinda and Tshabalala residents had been approaching them in Cowdray Park where they are based, seeking employment, which is why they had suggested to spread their reach to the ward."What happens is that this company employs residents to do jobs within their communities, like collecting garbage, cleaning schools, among other jobs. Residents are then paid in digital currency called spat coins which is more of an investment, that is why they have to part with a nominal fee for them to be employed. All I did was to facilitate that residents meet the company," said Mr Matengu.He said he had not tried to influence residents to join the company at all but had advised them that the decision to pay the required money was their own choice.However, residents who spoke to Sunday News accused the former councillor of attempting to mislead them to join the firm as a vote-buying attempt amid reports that he was interested in becoming an MP as he was no longer eligible to contest in the local government elections after his dismissal from the local authority."On Wednesday he openly declared that he will be taking over as MP, claiming the current Bulawayo South MP, Mr Eddie Cross will not be representing their party (MDC-T) in the upcoming elections."What worries us as residents is that he is taking innocent old people who live in the suburb for granted."Imagine they are being forced to pay their hard earned $6, it is very disappointing, I wish someone can just come and stop Mr Matengu and his people from this criminal act," said Mr Boniface Sibanda.A member of the Tshabalala Residents Association, who declined to be named, said they were in the process of compiling names of all the residents who had paid Mr Matengu with the hope of handing over the list to the police and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for investigation."What boggles the mind is that this man was fired as a councillor but he still acts like one, using council facilities willy-nilly, something really has to be done," said the member. News / National by Staff reporter South Africa has with effect from Wednesday last week, banned the use of cellphones by travellers within the immigration halls.Sources at the border said the ban was a reaction to the leaking of a video of one of the female immigration officers caught on camera devoting time to her smartphone, instead of clearing travellers.The officer along with three supervisors have since been suspended from work for dereliction of duty."They (immigration officers) are always suspicious of people using smartphones inside the immigration hall and hence the ban," said a source.The ban was communicated through notices at all immigration service points at the border.Home Affairs spokesperson Mr Mayihlome Tshwete confirmed the developments yesterday."This is an existing policy which we had to reiterate following recent events."We advise travellers not to hesitate to bring their complaints to our attention as and when they arise."The case of the female immigration officer is being dealt with through an internal disciplinary hearing," he said.In separate interviews yesterday, travellers said the move to ban the use of cellphone by travellers was sinister and bordered on poor people management skills."I am a cross-border trader and have been using this border post for the last four years," said Ms Gertrude Moyo."Honestly, I do not see any justification for banning the use of cellphones by travellers in this era of digitalisation."I think the immigration officers feel outdone by that video where one of them was captured having a nice time on social media rather than serving travellers."She said travelling to South Africa by road via Beitbridge was a nightmare for many people, who are harassed by immigration officers.Ms Moyo said the ban on cellphone use was meant to stop disgruntled travellers from collecting evidence against incompetent officials."Prohibiting the use of cellphones at the border is a way of perpetuating the abuse of travellers. I encourage the South African government to urgently look at the challenge at Beitbridge because the workers there have taken business as usual approach," said Mr Maxwell Zhou.He said it was sad that travellers take up to three hours to enter or leave South Africa and less than 10 minutes on the Zimbabwean side of the border.Another traveller, Ms Andile Dube said the South Africans needed to change their attitude towards work rather than banning use of cellphones."They need to address the real issues rather than majoring on minor issues," she said.South Africa's Home Affairs Minister Mr Malusi Gigaba made a surprise visit to Beitbridge Border Post on Thursday last week, after the video of the immigration officer went viral on social media networks. It is reported that during the tour, he discovered that several computers had been tampered with and no biometrics information of travellers was being captured.According to sources at the port of entry, the minister promised to set up a probe team to look into the status of the biometric system at Beitbridge.He told SABC that Beitbridge Border Post has been on the government watch list, with many travellers raising the red flag over poor services by immigration officers."The Beitbridge Border Post has been on the spotlight because of long queues, corruption and inadequate staff and because of that picture that circulated of that lady who was (busy on his smartphone) while helping clients and therefore neglecting what she was supposed to do , that's why we came here," said Mr Gigaba.He said tampering with biometric system put South Africa at high security risk."It is a security risk because when we introduced the security biometric system, we wanted to ensure that we have full knowledge, not only of names ad passport numbers of people getting into the country, but even their biometric details be checked to verify if they were ever found at a crime scene."There is a security threat to the country, so we are going to launch an investigation into the matter so that action can be taken against those people involved," he said.So far that country's organised crime bursting unit, the Hawks have arrested over 25 South African border authorities between May 2016 and January this year in Limpopo Province alone on charges of fraud and corruption. News / National by Nkomah Isaac A man related to the leader of Zimbabwe Local Government Association (ZILGA), Dr Killer Zivhu, reportedly shot and killed his wife on Easter Sunday.The cause of shooting is still sketchy but there are indications that the two had a long standing dispute emanating from infidelity of the wife.Events that led to the killing yesterday rose from the dispute which resulted in Lucia Sumaili crashing her husband's phone and smashing their car which they bought together.She afterwards ran away from their matrimonial home to her father's home.Her husband followed fully armed with a gun. She was shot in the head and she died.He left and went to Killer Zivhu's home where he was found still holding his gun in his hand.The police asked him to put down the gun which he complied and was arrested. Where and how he got the gun is not known. News / National by Stephen Jakes ZIMBABWE Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) calls upon the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to initiate a process of wholesale reform of electoral laws to ensure the conformity of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13] to the Constitution.The Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs presented before Parliament a report on the Electoral Amendment Bill after considering the provisions of the Bill. The committee had convened several public hearings to canvass people's views.The Electoral Amendment Bill (H. B. 6, 2017) seeks to introduce amendments that specifically deal with the voter registration process and the proposed amendments largely cater for the introduction of the Biometric Voters Registration (BVR) system.ZLHR is concerned that the reform of the Electoral Act continues to be inadequate and falls short of the threshold of free, fair and credible elections. In addition to the concerns expressed by Parliament, ZLHR is particularly troubled by the absence of regulations on management of data collected through the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) process. In the absence of regulations on information security and data storage, the accessibility and security of information collected, there can be no guarantee of free and fair elections.ZLHR calls upon the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, in consultation with Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to take urgent action and table before Parliament a Bill which addresses these and other concerns raised by the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, which ZLHR and other civic society organisations have been calling for since the enactment of the new Constitution.It is imperative to bring the Electoral Act in line with the letter and spirit of the electoral principles enshrined in the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (signed by the President in March 2018) and other regional and international human rights instruments to which Zimbabwe is a state party. News / National by Staff reporter THE government has dismissed as lies claims by former first lady Grace Mugabe that her Mazowe estate has been invaded by 400 illegal gold panners and that some 31 laptops were stolem from an orphanage she runs at the property.Grace, the once-powerful wife of former President Robert Mugabe, bemoaned the reduced number security personnel provided to the former fist family by government and further claimed that the invasion of her property was politically-motivated.The Mugabes, whose children used to drench $50,000 wrist watches with expensive champagne into are struggling to cope with their much reduced after the now-94-year-old Mugabe was toppled by a military revolt last November.In a statement Sunday, Home Affairs Minister Obert Mpofu, investigations established that there was no invasion by illegal miners at Grace's property.Mpofu also said contrary to the former first lady's claims that 31 laptops had been stole from her orphanage, police established that only eight had ben stole by her staff and not from the orphanage but a private school she also operates in the area.Regarding the claimed invasion by gold panners, Mpofu said it had since been established that the Mugabes were involved in a mining dispute with three other syndicates which is presently before the High Court under case number HC293/18.Gold mine dispute"On March 29, 2018, the former First Lady made a report at ZRP Mazowe alleging that 400 illegal miners had invaded her lemon plantation and vandalised the field and irrigation equipment. On March 30, 2018, another report was made to the police that illegal miners had been sighted at the Amai Mugabe Children's Home," said Mpofu."The ZRP attended the scene on 30th and 31st March 2018 and established through interviews and physical checks that there were no illegal miners at the children's home and lemon plantation. The inquiries revealed that there is a mining dispute between the former First Family and three mining syndicates, Mondo 3 led by Bright Maonga, Mondo 4 mining claim led by Shepherd Nyazvingo and Xmas 159 led by Mohammed Khan."The syndicates went to the High Court and obtained a provisional order which bars the police and Gushungo Holdings from interfering with their mining operations, High Court order HC293/18 refers."According to Mpofu, Grace Mugabe had also been disingenuous when claiming that 31 laptops had been stolen from her children's home."On March 2, 2018, the caretaker at the Amai Mugabe School in Mazowe noticed that eight laptops were missing from the storeroom and informed the school administrator on March 6, 2018," said Mpofu."A report was subsequently made to the police on March 8, 2018. Police officers attended the scene and established that there was no sign of physical break-in and indications were that duplicate keys had been used to gain entry."This showed that the offence was an inside job."Mpofu said police investigations discovered that two employees at the school Amos Masimure, 29, and Wilson Pomba, 32, were the suspects and they were arrested. The two have since appeared at the Bindura Magistrate's Court.Masimure was convicted and sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail and ordered to restitute the complainant $1,500 while Pomba is out on $50 bail.According to, Mpofu said six out of the stolen eight laptops that had been sold to some people in Harare have since been recovered.The government has also defended the reduction in the size of the security detail assigned to the former first family.Security review"The Government of Zimbabwe, through the Ministry of Home Affairs and Culture would like to point out that the provision of security to the former First Family's premises is regulated in terms of Statutory Instrument number 153/2017 which was issued by His Excellency, Cde E.D Mnangagwa and gazetted on December 22, 2017," said Mpofu."On March 9, 2018, the security committee comprising Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe National Army and President's Department met and resolved to reduce the deployed personnel to the former First Family to a total of 16 police officers. Let me reiterate that this review was guided by SI 153/2017."Relations between the Mugabe's and the new Emmerson Mnangagwa-led government have worsened after the former president recently spoke for the first time about his ouster, describing it as a coup and calling the successor administration illegitimate.Mugabe has also met opposition leaders such as Joice Mujuru and reportedly backed a fledgling opposition party formed by loyalists who went into exile after the he was deposed.Grace is convinced that there is a political had behind the disturbances at her property.She told local media: "Does it mean that if President [Emmerson] Mnangagwa is removed tomorrow, he will be disposed of his investments? Is this how he wants to be treated with his investments?"This is politically motivated, as you can see that when we got there, they were singing 'kutonga kwaro garwe' (a song popularised during Mnangagwa's takeover of power)." News / National by Staff reporter People overate @wamagaisa (Alex Magaisa)... Of course he is an Academic but that doesn't make him an intelligent man... Alex Magaisa has never been a top performer in school.. He blocked me, & called me an idiot. It sounds like "Braggadocio" but l am way much smarter than him pic.twitter.com/t2AwnZgcs5 Kudzai Mutisi (@KMutisi) March 30, 2018 Kudzai Mutisi, a qualified Chemical Engineer, a democrat, Engineering Lecturer, Political Analyst, Public Speaker, has lampooned prominent Zimbabwean academic and lawyer Dr Alex Magaisa for blocking him and calling him an idiot.Mutisi went as far as releasing a certified copy of his Ordinary Level certificate to prove that he is smarter than Morgan Tsvangirai's former adviser. The certificate shows that he wrote 11 subjects in 2005 and passed 10 As and a B in Shona.It is not clear how the Twitter war started but Mutisi wrote, "People overate @wamagaisa (Alex Magaisa)... Of course, he is an Academic but that doesn't make him an intelligent man... Alex Magaisa has never been a top performer in school.. He blocked me, & called me an idiot. It sounds like "Braggadocio" but l am way much smarter than him." Opinion / Columnist Grace Mugabe visited Gwina Farm - one of her numerous farms - in Banket in late February and said something telling. She boldly told her farm workers who were demanding their terminal benefits that she would not buckle because not even President Emmerson Mnangagwa could touch her.That wasn't a suicidal statement from a bitter former first lady who was stopped from landing the presidency by Mnangagwa and the army. In a way, she was stating what looks like the truth. Ordinarily, you would expect Grace to be grovelling at Mnangagwa because, at the surface, her life is straight under his grip.The trip to court can be a short and fast one if Mnangagwa and his military friends decide to prosecute her. But then, it is unlikely that they will summon the courage to haul her into the dock any time soon. And that is simply because she is married to Robert Mugabe, the man too hot for Mnangagwa to touch, at least for all the time before the 2018 elections.Just last week, the world got worked up at the news that police were closing in on Grace for alleged smuggling of ivory worth millions of dollars to the United Arab Emirates, China and the United States. According to investigations carried out by the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority whose findings are now with the police, Grace would use her influence to demand export permits for the ivory that she claimed would be given to international dignitaries as gifts. Once outside the country, the ivory would be diverted to the black market.The case against Grace and her alleged accomplices in the Office of the President and Cabinet looks strong on paper. This partially explains the worldwide excitement. Chances are slim, though, that the police are going to take her to court any time soon. The ivory smuggling revelations are more designed to embarrass Grace and her husband than to ensure the wheels of justice turn their course. Embarrassing the two through the media is a safe strategy for the Mnangagwa administration which can't afford the risk of a boomeranging prosecution of Grace.The post-coup establishment has already shown its timidity to directly deal with Grace and, by implication, Mugabe. The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) has, weirdly, already excluded her from prosecution over the doctoral degree she obtained fraudulently in 2014. According to Zacc, Grace must not be tried because she was an innocent beneficiary of the degree. As I argued in this column recently, that doesn't stick. Grace must have known that she was participating in crime, so the ignorance that Zacc claimed on her behalf can't be a defence. Simply put, Grace is supposed to have her day in court.Excluding Grace from prosecution is not only embarrassing, but fraudulent too. It shows that nothing has changed from Mugabe's days in office. Zacc is still being used as a political tool to advance certain interests. In this case, it looks clear that the new dispensation ordered Zacc to steer clear of Grace because touching her would backfire on the new rulers.Mnangagwa is just too scared of Mugabe. This is because the man he booted out with the help of the army can say and do things that can fatally harm him and his political career. Mugabe knows just too much about Mnangagwa, just as the latter is also too intimate with his former boss's dark past. The ex-president, who is acutely bitter that his dream to rule Zimbabwe till he turned 100 or died, whichever came first, went up in smoke the day Mnangagwa and the military decided on a soft coup, can do dangerous things any time, especially if he feels that his former deputy has crossed the red line.He has already hinted at what he can do. Never mind his rambling complaint that the current administration is unconstitutional and must, therefore, somehow, be legitimised. Mugabe, in a recent interview, revealed that it was Mnangagwa who used the intelligence services to persecute Dumiso Dabengwa during the Gukurahundi days. That is throwing thick mud at his former aide. Mugabe, therefore, looks capable of revealing Mnangagwa's damaging past ill-deeds.The current president is scared that Mugabe can easily open the closet and show skeletons that will definitely ruin his chances of winning the coming elections. Let's imagine, for instance, that the former president calls a press conference and claims that Mnangagwa is the one who killed Solomon Mujuru, and even goes further to give convincing details about that. This is not to imply that Mnangagwa did it, of course. The "revelation" would severely damage Mnangagwa, it would be difficult for him to ever rise again. But there is a possibility that Mugabe can say worse things that Mnangagwa would rather have tucked away from the world for good.Mugabe can decide to spill the beans if he feels too cornered by Mnangagwa. He is a bitter old man. That is precarious enough. He is married to a loose cannon in the form of Grace and is getting desperate advice from his wife's close circle.It's not too naive to believe media reports indicating that Mnangagwa is seeking to reach out to Mugabe to make peace, especially after the latter started hollering from the Blue Roof. There is no tall tale in reports that Roman Catholic cleric, Fidelis Mukonori, and politician Jimayi Muduvuri have of late been reaching out to Mugabe to pave the way for "peace talks" between Mugabe and Mnangagwa.Granted, Mugabe needs talks with Mnangagwa so that his pension and other benefits are guaranteed. But the current president is clearly too anxious to appease his former leader as well. He wants Mugabe to zip up so that his political boat enjoys some form of stability ahead of the elections and, better still, after. And smoking the peace pipe with Mugabe involves, outside the talks, ensuring that the ex-president does not become too angered by the prosecution of Grace which her husband will easily consider as persecution.That takes us back to ground zero. We may wish as much as we want, but Grace will not be getting her day in the dock any time soon. If the new dispensation was not too scared of Mugabe, she would be having her time at Chikurubi by now. And the fact that nothing of that nature is happening lends weight to Grace's bold declaration that Mnangagwa can't touch her.l Tawanda Majoni is the national coordinator at Information for Development Trust (IDT) and can be contacted on tmajoni@idt.org.zw. Opinion / Columnist The remembering of Chitepo in March this year demands a questioning of the cadres who today are challenging the existence of Zanu-PF through the ballot paper or any other avenue that is contesting the longevity and continuity of the party.Frankly this time, the party is threatened by its own nursery and many think that 2018 will be the fall of Zanu-PF, tackled by yet another reactionary political fit fronted by the "Three musketeers", who since November 2017 have been homesick and are thirsty for relevance.March last year I wrote, "Forty-seven years ago on that day (18 March), the erudite Herbert Chitepo fell. As my day unfolded on this very same cheerless day, 47 years from then, I thought to myself, what would have Chitepo done to write the wrongs the masses are believing?Yes, I say write, because like many others who confront discourses that are negated and let grown to be normalised yet perilous, Chitepo is a beacon to young people who aspire to craft challenging narratives which relentlessly subject them as enemies of their anti-establishment peers.He represents that which re-organises a wrong dominant order in societies, which comfort themselves with self-aggrandised caricature to self- suit."This same thinking emerges handy when many people are hoodwinked into believing that the New Patriotic Front (NPF) will win or disturb the Zanu-PF vote. It is through Chitepo's thinking that we shall interrogate the strengths and weaknesses of this new political outfit and how it is manufacturing its own fall as Chitepo would have said.They are out but want to fitThe "out-fit" exhibits itself as something "new" challenging an "old" leaving us to wonder who is new and what is new with their model of patriotism.Dear reader, you would vividly remember that definitions of patriotism and connotations in Zimbabwe are very much contestable. With an emergence of a new wave of patriotism born out of political anger, what is "new" from a group that was ousted but wants to fit in back with a populist and self-convenient paraphrase of what they stripped from the masses.A political re-entrance as a "new" Zanu-PF emerging as a rebranded version of the "old" Patriotic Front cannot easily be forgotten just in the name of political plurality that is healthy for our democracy, No! Reader, we cannot compromise rationality and memory to the extent of lying to ourselves that much. Are they new? Is it not the same people we marched out? What has suddenly changed about them?By claiming "newness" of their brand, they are disassociating themselves from what they want to misname as the old Zanu-PF. Out of rationale desperation, they are clamouring for leadership change in favour of their aspirations that were ejected through popular disgruntlement within Zanu-PF. It's a public secret that those emerging as the NPF are cronies of the former First Family in the succession war and their only validation into power was their cordial standing with the Mugabes. Therefore, the idea of a New Patriotic Front is divorced from Zanu-PF's current interests as the Mugabes are no longer part of Zanu-PF new agenda which is economic revival and widening the sphere of democratic inclusion and dismantling socio-economic polarisation.From that backdrop, let me tell you that, Zanu-PF needs no other renewal; particularly from those whose transgressions raised the need for the party's reconfiguration in November 2017.There is nothing new which this anti-"out-fit" has to offer to the nation except for asserting its malicious agenda to smear "the new dispensation" into political oblivion, but that is impossible. The New Patriotic Front represents a reversal of Chitepo's aspirations which supposedly the out-fit identifies with.The legitimately illegitimateAfter November 2017, it was clear that the "Three musketeers" were legitimately unwanted in Zimbabwe, procedurally becoming illegitimate clamours of any political event in the country. Through what he calls the Zhuwao Brief Reloaded, Patrick Zhuwao (the former President's nephew) has strained to misrepresent the current establishment as illegitimate, using his uncle's exit as a legitimate tool of challenging what happened. He argues that the process was wrong and it warrants a challenge of the establishment.Firstly, monopolising the fall of Mugabe as a narrative that determines illegitimacy is a foolish strategy because it will not last long. The people ousted Mugabe, whether the army did it or not is not important, people did not want him period! And you were counted in too. Secondly, they now prove that they are the people who would lie to the old states-man that people loved him hence his cling to power even on the "Asante Sana' night.Using Mugabe's ouster as a warrant to challenge Zanu-PF is no different from Mugabe Must Go rant, it was built on an individual, should that individual cease to be a problem, and then your narrative vanishes. Chinhu chabatwa nevene vacho. Zanu-PF was never a family institution. There are many other families with an equal if not a better stake in Zanu-PF than his the Tongagaras; the Chitepos; the Muzendas and many more.Reader, remember, before the NPF's formation, its members lobbied for the reinstatement of Robert Mugabe in contention that he was "unlawfully removed" from power. As if that is not enough, the face of the NPF, Patrick Zhuwao launched a scathing attack on President Mnangagwa ahead of the Davos trip.The logic behind all this was to pervert the sincerity of Zimbabwe openness to mutually beneficial business interests, let alone Zimbabwe's enhanced interest in promoting democracy, peace and justice. We shall remember Zhuwao for his Davos failure as the first one as an "out-fit". Their stand against the ruling party as opposition is only evident of their conditional love for Zanu-PF and its principles. In fact, they never had genuine love for Zanu-PF.They were mere opportunists who were not patient enough to nurture progressive leadership renewal within the party.After failing to usurp power through a failed attempt to obliterate the natural process of leadership renewal in Zanu-PF; the out-fit thinks it can successfully mislead Zanu-PF supporters to be followers of an alternative Pathetic Front.What has suddenly become wrong about the old and timeless Patriotic Front and the principles it personifies? The departure of an individual? As if when Chitepo left the party never lived on.G40's renaming to something of a pathetic front substantiates the unfounded ideological basis of those who have taken the oath to stand against the Zanu-PF they vowed to die for yesterday.Their claims of loyalty to the party and its principles was solely based on short-sighted terms of grabbing power and resources. This is why Zhuwao only saw Davos as an opportunity to express his bitterness against President Mnangagwa for "unlawfully removing" Mugabe from power.Wither hither Pathetic FrontZhuwao's disquieting selective memory omits how G40 is blameworthy for the injury caused to Mugabe's legacy. Then before that wound is dressed when Mugabe is more loved now than during the time he was in power, his healing legacy is abused by the likes of Zhuwao for their sinister project subtle claiming blessings from the old statesman. Their grouping reflects a tradition of the abuse of the former President's legacy as a means to justify dirty ends, tethering the little left for the African giant.It's now clear that the factional wrangles which occurred in Zanu-PF were a result of the abuse of the helpless icon's name as substantiated by vanquished G40's resurfacing which is falsely underpinned on preserving the legacy of Mugabe.While it is true that there are some elements who are manipulating the legacy of the former President to satiate their hunger for power, it is also important for the former First Family particularly the former President to avoid meddling in the initiatives advanced by mischievous elements to discredit Zanu-PF ahead of elections.There is no point to fight continuity in as much there is greater need to support not only the continuity of Zanu-PF, but the lasting nationalist values embedded in Zimbabwe's aspirations for socio-economic development. Guided by his timeless wisdom, the former Head of State must continue to be the unifying symbol of Zanu-PF in the same manner he was a source of inspiration in the fight against colonialism. After all, Chitepo would have advised him to rest and not to be an "out-fit".In the meantime, dear reader, do not be moved by word on the street. Akulalutho laphana.Yikho khona lokhu! Another April Fools' Day has come and gone, along with the usual groan-worthy headlines from media outlets, politicians and brands that will have readers scrutinizing the news just a little more critically than usual. Here are seven pranks from around the province that might have made you snort. Did you see a gag we missed, or play a funny prank on someone? Let us know in the comments. NDP colour change Alberta's Liberal party decided to prank the ruling provincial government by reacting to the party's "colour change." On the morning of April 1, the Liberals sent out a press release reacting to what they said was an announcement by Premier Rachel Notley that the NDP would be adding blue as an official signature colour. "Ever since we followed Jason Kenney's lead and started making hyperbolic threats on pipelines the old orange just hasn't felt reflected our new political values," the press release claimed Notley said. "The colour blue started to feel 'Very Right' after our 2018 budget included a massive deficit, more corporate welfare funding and only token support for Alberta's disadvantaged," it added. Liberal leader David Khan responded to the so-called re-branding, saying, "By altering their colours to blue and orange, the NDP have shown they are still honest politicians who are willing to change, not to desperately win cheap political points but to reflect their new values." Mandatory courtesy-wave legislation The Alberta Motor Association said it stood by new laws that enforce courtesy waves, and published a handy cheat sheet to help drivers adjust. "The courtesy wave law is a bold step toward reversing that trend and fostering camaraderie among drivers," said Dee Quorum, an AMA spokesperson in a release. The joke made at least one person chuckle Alberta-born actor Nathan Fillion, who sent out a tweet applauding the law. Derek Fildebrant says he's joining the NDP caucus Story continues And in another NDP-related spoof, Independent Strathmore-Brooks MLA Derek Fildebrant announced he's joining Notley's caucus. "I am proud to be a part of a government that will take on $98 billion of debt before we lose the next election," the former UCP politician wrote. Calgary's snow routes will be permanent If you live on a snow route, this one might have actually made you do a double-take. The Calgary Sun reported that a city sub-committee was pushing to make snow route parking bans permanent from Oct. 1 to June 1. The committee's head suggested that all that extra parking space could be turned into more bike lanes. Duty not free on Swoop WestJet's new low-cost airline announced a big promotion now, travellers get their first bathroom break for free. The airline announced that when nature calls, after your first potty break, every minute would be another dollar down the drain, as bathroom time would no longer be built into their base fare. As for toilet paper? It's a steal at just 25 cents per square! For those concerned about increasing air travel costs, this one might have hit a bit close ot home. Strathcona County invents new dog collar Strathcona County announced in a press release that its technology engineers and enforcement services offers had piloted a new type of dog collar: "Word Fetch." The collars translate barks into words, and remind owners of dog licence renewal deadlines. "Now that these collars are available in our community, we have noted dog barking complaints going way down, because owners immediately understand what the dog is concerned about," enforcement services officer Kay Nine said in the press release. Winsport's new skyscraper The Daily Hive blog joked that Winsport's iconic ski jumps might be funded by the construction of a different type of tower at Canada Olympic Park. The site wrote that the 73-storey tower would include an indoor mall, hotel and condos, and would be part of the city's Olympic Bid. Honourary mention: Moosenado This one doesn't apply directly to Alberta, but it's a terrifying weather phenomenon that could strike across the country. Environment Canada issued a weather advisory warning of a rare weather phenomenon the moosenado, in which tornados cause local moose to become airborne. Don't worry though there's an easier way to avoid the natural disaster than by sheltering in place. Simply sing the national anthem, and wear plaid, the agency cautioned. A Polish veteran who fought Nazis in the Second World War was presented with accolades from his home country at a ceremony in St. John's on Saturday. Tadeusz Dreher, 99, fought in the Warsaw Uprising, an operation to free the Polish city from German occupation. He moved to Newfoundland shortly after the war and became a strong advocate for multiculturalism, heading the provincial multiculturalism society for more than 25 years. Strong multiculturalism advocate "World War II was a warning, to everybody, that we have to change. That we have to be different. That if we want to see a better future, we better change fast," he said. "Multiculturalism today is more important than ever." Dreher was awarded the Polish Pro Patria medal for his military service and diversity advocacy as well as a certificate of the Veteran of Struggles for Independence an honorary certificate of distinction for people who fought to keep Poland a free country. 'It's not forgotten' "It's not forgotten, it's remembered by his nation his birth nation," said Ottawa-based Polish Consul Aleksandra Kucy, who travelled to the province to present Dreher with his awards. "He deserves all the honours and all our respect for this. Without this fight there would be no free Poland." Dreher is celebrating his 100th birthday this year as Poland celebrates 100 years of regaining its independence. "Someone came to the conclusion that maybe I should get an award, and that is very much appreciated," Dreher said. "With so many friends around, the utmost feeling is electric." The town of Sundre, Alta., is ready to embrace Alberta's cannabis boom, following in the footsteps of nearby communities like Cremona and Olds in welcoming a medical cannabis producer to town. Calgary-based Candre Cannabis wants to build its Calyptra facility there this year and already has plans in place to expand. "We're a 42,000-square-foot vertical grow operation and we plan to produce 9,000 kilograms of cannabis per year, so it's a fairly sizeable operation," said Jesse Beaudry, president and CEO of Candre Cannabis. "We hope have the project up and running by the end of the year," he said. Beaudry says Sundre is the perfect location for his medical cannabis operation, and even inspired the company name a mash-up of the words cannabis and Sundre. The Candre facility would be built in a light industrial area west of downtown, where some early ground work has already started, at a cost estimated at around $20M. "For now we're focusing on phase one and depending on the success of that we have expansion plans for a phase two and phase three as well," he said. Beaudry says the company is in the "advanced stages" when it comes to approvals from the Town of Sundre and Health Canada, who would grant the company a licence to grow medical cannabis, which he says might change to recreational cannabis once legalization is a reality. The company's development permit was submitted to the town of Sundre on March 5. "We're exactly on plan and on target we've been moving very fast," said Beaudry. The project has created a huge buzz in Sundre with around 200 residents packing a recent open house at its community centre to learn more about the project and the employment opportunities that come with it. "I think it's a great thing any time you can get a new business into town and create some employment, especially in the economy that we've been in," said Dallas Rosevear. "It's a fabulous facility and hopefully it generates some work, we welcome them." Story continues "I'm thinking it's going to be good for the town. Everything's changing, the world's changing and you've got to get with the times," said Jeremy Kristofferson, who was one of dozens of people who turned up with resumes to handover to Candre's HR representative. "I think the industry presents a lot of good opportunities for employment for people in a situation where we need jobs and if it helps people then I think they should go for it," said Ben Worsell. "It's perfect, it's great for the economy and it's needed here," said Rob Anderson. "And with the expansions as they go, it's all good, it's perfect." "If some of the profits can go back into the town we could sure use it on potholes and streets and sidewalks. I'm a business owner in town here and I'm going to support them. I think people in Sundre are pretty laid back, although I'm sure there are still some that have their concerns," said Kathy Ecklund. The Town of Sundre is ready to embrace the cannabis boom too, with the promise of long-term jobs, potential growth and an opportunity to add even more diversity to an economy that includes oil and gas, farming, logging and tourism. "This is a fantastic deal for Sundre and it can't be overstated how significant this is," said Jon Allen, the town's economic development officer. "This is about 50 jobs in phase one, up to 100 jobs in phase two with the potential to grow into 50,000 square feet of production space in the future." Allan said as well as the permanent jobs inside the facility in areas like growing, trimming, drying and packaging cannabis, there will also be lots of jobs involved in the construction of the site, and site security, with scope for some spin-off industries. "Whether it be craft breweries infusing cannabis, a biomass facility to deal with bio waste from the facility and it also means a greater demand for real estate which also means increases in the market values of homes," said Allan. Allan says it all ultimately means more money coming to the town, which means more cash to spend on services for residents. The company said it hopes to break ground in April 2018, pending approvals. - MORE ALBERTA NEWS | Southern Alberta flooding prompts local state of emergency in Taber - MORE ALBERTA NEWS | Emanuel Kahsai guilty of 1st-degree murder in deaths of mother, disabled woman New Brunswick's first and only solar farm is expanding New Brunswick's only solar farm is getting ready to expand. Dairy farmer Frank Jopp is splitting some of his fields between his Holstein herd and his solar panels as he divides his farming operation between bovine and sunshine. "I'm a sun farmer," said Jopp of Auenland Farm in Mount Pisgah, just outside of Sussex. "I like sunny days." After spending 35 years focusing on his dairy herd, Jopp flipped the switch on his solar farm in late December. Now, he's ready to enter the next phase of his plan to have the biggest solar farm in the province. "The largest, the first and the only," said Jopp. "But we are very small, really. We only produce enough solar power for eight homes, or I produce a little bit more than what I need on my farm." Still, the 15 towers, each sporting 16 solar panels, are enough to give Jopp the title of largest solar farm in the province. Next week, he'll start to add an additional 10 towers sporting 16 panels apiece. Mark McAloon, the founder and president of NexGen Energy, a renewable energy developer that has been installing the equipment on Jopp's farm, said there will be 400 solar panels installed once the expansion is done. Jobb said he sells every bit of energy he harvests to NB Power. Depending on how the coming months go after the expansion, he said he may consider quadrupling his solar herd. Hurdles to overcome McAloon said while solar technology isn't new, there are still some hurdles to getting solar projects up and running in New Brunswick. "It's new for every level of government," he said. "Whether it's the municipality, the provincial electrical inspection authorities, or boots-on-the-ground-technicians that are doing the wiring to the poles. It's just so new." McAloon said once projects like Jopp's solar farm become more common in New Brunswick, government agencies and inspectors will become more accustomed to their requirements and the projects will be easier to set up. Story continues "At the end of the day, everybody wants to see these projects develop and wants to see them done," said McAloon. That includes Jopp, who said he strongly believes in the future of solar technology and would be happy to relinquish the title New Brunswick's largest solar farm. "I hope in six months that will change," said Jopp. April showers bring May flowers, as the saying goes, but April snow storms? Environment Canada has issued weather alerts to New Brunswick, Nunavut, Ontario and Quebec, with a massive storm expected to arrive on Tuesday. The Colorado low is a major storm, said Brett Anderson, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. And its going to have all sorts of weather with it. Snowfall will begin Tuesday afternoon, with Quebec City and Sudbury receiving as much as 20 and 30 centimeters of snow respectively. Those cities, along with Georgian Bay and North Bay, will be among the hardest hit. Travel in those areas is going to be very treacherous, I suspect, even though its early April, Anderson said. Areas of southern Ontario and Quebec are more likely to receive rain as much as 25 milimetres of it or a mixture of rain and snow, while northwestern New Brunswick will receive snow, freezing rain and ice pellets. Precipitation will continue into Wednesday, with the storm reaching peak intensity overnight. Strong wind and cold air on Wednesday will freeze rain and slush on the ground and make for icy driving conditions. Winter storms heading for southern and eastern Canada. (Environment Canada) Anderson said people who cant avoid travel on Tuesday and Wednesday should try to do so only during the day. If you have to go out and travel, try to do it during the daylight hours, when the sun is shining above the clouds, Anderson said, warning that road conditions in a winter storm often deteriorate overnight. [The sun] still has an effect, so if you have to be out, try and do it in the middle of the day when the roads are in the best condition. This weeks stormy conditions are courtesy of a Colorado low, an extreme low-pressure system that begins in the central United States and sweeps north toward the Great Lakes. It will bring the precipitation, while lingering Arctic air turns that precipitation to snow and freezing rain. While such low-pressure systems are common this time of year, Anderson said temperatures low enough to turn a typical April storm into a blizzard are not. Story continues This weather pattern is more reminiscent of what we normally see in early, or mid-March. he said. Its definitely lingering longer than it usually does. Anderson said another storm, courtesy of an Alberta clipper weather system, will bring snow, cold temperatures and strong winds. Another storm will hit central and southern Ontario and southern Quebec on Thursday. Youre going to have to wait until probably around April 9th or 10th for things to start looking up, Anderson said. And getting back to normal, I think, would be a good thing for a lot of us. When Andrew 'Drew' Feustel was at Queen's University during the 1990s, he had a reputation for being "Mr. Fix It." Now, Feustel will be putting those skills to use on a much loftier plane. Born in Michigan, the Canadian-American astronaut took off in late March for the International Space Station, where he'll be taking command in June. "He could fix anything with a bit of bale wire, some chewing gum and a pocket knife," recalled Herb Helmstaedt, a professor emeritus of geology at Queen's who supervised Feustel's thesis. "Anything that was broken in the department, he was the man to go to." Feustel moved to Kingston in the mid-1990s with his wife Indira who is from Cornwall, Ont. to complete his doctorate degree. Helmstaedt told CBC Radio's All in a Day how he and Feustel would have weekly meetings to discuss the progress of his thesis. He recalled, at one point, asking Feustel what he might do upon its completion. "He said 'Oh, I'm going to become an astronaut,'" Helmstaedt said. "I was taken aback!" A few short years and one phone call to astronaut Chris Hadfield later, Feustel was accepted to NASA in 2000, said Helmstaedt on his very first try. Third time in space This will be Feustel's third time in space, having previously joined missions in 2009 and 2011. It was the 2009 mission that affirmed his reputation for handiness. Feustel was sent on a space walk to replace a camera on the Hubble Space Telescope, which involved unscrewing four bolts. He'd removed three of the bolts but was struggling with the last one. "The fourth bolt just did not want to move," said Helmstaedt, who was watching from the university with other faculty members. The space centre in Houston wanted to abort the mission and call Feustel in because he'd been out for almost too long, Helmstaedt said. But Feustel kept his cool and persisted, at one point casually asking the centre what river he was flying over. Story continues Feustel eventually managed to remove the last bolt and complete the mission. Queen's proud Helmstaedt told All in a Day he wasn't surprised when he found out his former student would be taking command of the ISS. "I talked to him in 2016 and he told me then that he was ... preparing for this trip." The Queen's grad will spend five months on the ISS, commanding the station for three of those months. He will oversee several studies, making observations on thunderstorms in Earth's atmosphere and the effects of microgravity on bone marrow. Feustel has already completed one space walk, and will give a talk Friday to Queen's students live via video chat. Helmstaedt said it's a sign that his former student who'd given two previous talks to Queen's students since becoming an astronaut has a deep connection with the university. "I think he has inspired quite a bit," Helmstaedt said. A group of baristas who work at the Smiling Goat coffee shop chain held a protest Saturday morning to demand owner Kit Singh pay workers who they say are still owed money. Earlier this month, Smiling Goat employees put a sidewalk sign outside one of the downtown Halifax cafes to let customers know their paycheques were bouncing and to request a generous tip to make up for the lack of pay. They also held a news conference to talk about their plight. The workers in four of the cafes have since joined Service Employees International Union, a North American organization that has about two million members. Two other coffee shops were already unionized before Singh purchased them. Darius Mirshahi, an organizer with the union, said while some of the workers who were owed money have been paid, there are others still waiting for their wages. "He [Singh] is pretending he doesn't know how much people are owed. He's paid some people, the people he perceives as leaders in the union movement the people who are making noise about it," said Mirshahi. Singh could not be reached for comment Saturday. There are now about 40 unionized workers at the six cafes owned by Smiling Goat, Mirshahi said. He said the union has filed grievances with the Nova Scotia Labour Board to force Singh to pay the baristas, some who are owed thousands of dollars. There are also complaints about deductions never remitted to the Canada Revenue Agency, records of employment and non-payment of health benefits. NDP Leader Gary Burrill, members of the service employees' union and other labour group representatives attended Saturday's protest. "The campaign [is] to force the owner of the Smiling Goat to obey basic labour law, to pay his workers on time and in full," Mirshahi said. "It's outrageous that we even have to do that, it's outrageous that it has been dragging on this long. The basic fundamentals of running a business is that you have to pay your workers." Story continues Some workers turning to court system Some workers are looking to collect their wages through small claims court, as well as through the province's labour standards board, he said. "A lot of people ask 'Why don't the workers just quit?' I think it is really important for the public to know that the workers made a decision to stay and fight because if they just quit, then it would just keep happening in a cycle over and over again to other workers," Mirshahi said. "They're taking a stand not only for themselves, but to show that that kind of business practice is not going to be tolerated in our city because if Kit Singh can get away with it, any other cafe owner can get away with it too." Vegan activists returned to a Toronto restaurant on Saturday to protest the killing of animals after the owner carved up a deer leg more than a week ago and ate it in front of them. The first protest and response sparked international attention. Activist Marni Ugar said Saturday she has heard from both supporters and detractors around the world since owner Michael Hunter "taunted" the protesters on March 23. "We've been getting a lot of support, but also anger from a lot of people all over the world," Ugar said. "The owner of the restaurant is a hunter, so we certainly have the pro-gun Americans really angry at us, and anger because people get defensive if they think they are being attacked about eating animals." Saturday's protest was reportedly the fifth outside Antler Kitchen & Bar, a restaurant that serves local and seasonal food. The menu includes venison, wild boar, duck and rabbit. "No animal wants to be killed and eaten," the group says on its Facebook page called "Antler Outreach." Ugar said she chose to protest Antler because the restaurant was in her neighbourhood. She also said she protested because she wants to debunk the myth about humane meat. "Animals don't care that they are being served in a small restaurant," she said. "That's their life, not ours to take." The group said its protests are aimed at trying to get local restaurants to add vegan options to their menus. 'A mix of emotions' Activist Len Goldberg, who attended the protest on Friday, told CBC Toronto earlier this week that his fellow activists felt sadness and outrage over the leg being "desecrated and defiled." "There's a mix of emotions when you see the leg of an innocent being being carved up in front of you to taunt you," Goldberg said. "There's a lot of sorrow when you see that because we know that leg belonged to a being. Story continues "We're there with positive messaging," he said, adding that's why he was so shocked at the owner's actions. "Get animals off the menu and get health and humane onto the menu." Hunter did not respond to repeated requests by CBC Toronto for an interview. Police said they were called to the protest and arrived around 8:30 p.m. on March 23. Const. David Hopkinson, spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service, said officers were there to "keep the peace." No arrests were made. Goldberg said he saw police enter the restaurant and speak to Hunter for a few minutes, after which the chef stopped carving the deer leg. Police also returned the next day. Protests have sparked progress, activist says Goldberg said he believes progress has been made through the protests, saying he observed seven new vegan or vegetarian items added to the menu after the second or third protest. But he said the meat-carving was a step back. "Progress was being achieved, but he decided to escalate this in an unusual way," Goldberg said. Goldberg said his group would "love to sit down and talk" with Hunter to discuss how he could work vegan dishes onto his menu without disrupting his business. "We're there to encourage the inevitable, which is a transition that is happening to the world from consuming animals ...to doing what's healthy for people, respectful of animals," he said. "We can't protest McDonald's they would laugh." What is truth? Does it matter? After the death of Sir Owen Dixon, then Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, he was described in the Sydney press as an intellectual colossus. He wrote a series of essays about the rules of evidence which he entitled: Jesting Pilate. It is recorded in the Bible that the fifth Roman prefect of Judea, Pontius Pilate asked Jesus: what is truth? On an earlier occasion in a different setting when answering a question by Thomas, Jesus said: I am the way and the truth and the life. (John chapter 14 verse 6). Our individual response (including silent indifference right till death) always adds to the growing division as the whole of humanity (past, present and future) necessarily lines up behind either the first Adam (of Adam and Eve fame) or the second Adam (Jesus). In a very real sense ultimately the Bible is about these two men. What the dictionary says Unhelpfully, the Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines truth as: the quality or state of being true, that which is true as opposed to false, a fact or belief that is accepted as true. Bible dictionary Conformity to fact or actuality. Truth is a fundamental moral and personal quality of God himself. He is described as the God of truthwithout injustice. The Christian knows that Jesus is much more than just an historical figure. He is described as the Word of God who became flesh full oftruth. (John chapter 1 verse 14). As His gruesome death by crucifixion drew near, Jesus promised His disciples (His followers then and always) that He would send in His place the Spirit of truth, a Helper who would for all time guide them into all truth. (John chapter 16 verse 13). The witnesses oath The witness used to enter the witness box and swear on oath before God and in His presence and hearing, to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me God. In the melting-pot of cultures of diverse and conflicting beliefs which is secular Australia, the witness now simply promises to tell the truth. What Jesus says Still today Jesus describes Himself as: the way the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through Me. (John chapter 14 verse 6). Heaven is for real, but unless we genuinely turn to Him the alternative of hell is for real too. Lovingly and graciously, Jesus came to save us from forever experiencing the loneliness of hell. The car rear-window sticker read: speed on brother: hell aint full yet. With immense gratitude and relief we can confidently say that God knows: heaven aint full yet either. Jesus earthly revelation of Himself is the final ultimate revelation and definition of truth about God, humanity, redemption, history and the world. Which is true? I put to one side the phoney empty mindset of evolution about which its apparent high priest ex-Oxford University Professor Richard Dawkins frankly concedes there is no evidence. Expert opinion, interpretation and inference about the earths supposed deep past is not evidence. Accordingly, evolution cannot legitimately be called a theory. It is merely the mindset of the atheist. The detective can only formulate a theory about what happened if there is at least some evidence to examine. Regarding the truth of each of the many religions of the world, what is the best test to enable and assist human assessment of its reasonableness? Answer: its own explanation of its origin and before that how the earth and its multitudinous life forms (human, animal and vegetable) came to be. If a religion cannot do that, how much acceptance and faith should it seriously attract? Is it sufficient to either satisfy or convince, for the offered explanation to simply be that its human founder received a private revelation from its so-called deity? Worst of all is for its holy book to fail to satisfy mans basic need to know by being tantalisingly silent or unclear on the issue. Various world religions contain these shortcomings. Christianity stands apart In contrast, the Bible regularly places its events and characters among already known and verified people, places and happenings, thereby weaving individual historicity into the broader fabric of world affairs. Included (and prominent) in that world history are many events which occurred during the charismatic and magnetic life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Such was the universal significance of same that our calendar tells us this is the year 2018 and not some fanciful figure such as 4.6 billion years as the evolutionists would have it. Jesus courageous steadfast refusal to accomodate the religious leaders of His day, and His fierce denunciation of their beliefs and attitudes combined with His enormous public appeal (for a time), finally led to His gruesome death. This was graphically witnessed by many and subsequently recorded for all to read, culminating in His spectacular resurrection to indestructible eternal life. When another historical figure, Paul was making his defence to King Agrippa and to Festus the Roman governor, having stated that Jesus was the first to rise from the dead, he then significantly and boldly stated that this was not done in a corner. (Acts chapter 26 verse 26). A paraphrase of the above statement records that this was not done behind the scenes but rather was played-out in full view of many peopleno claimed but unverifiable private revelation made in secret. Jesus rising to new life was an actual event lived out in historical time and place. The truth So what is truth? Jesus simply but powerfully still says about Himself even today: I am the truth. We need to digest that and then positively and maturely respond. NOW. Gavin Lawrie is a retired Barrister and Solicitor from Tweed Heads NSW Australia and author of the book: 'THE EVIDENCE OF EVOLUTION: Uncovering The Faulty Science Of Dawkins' Attack On Creationism'. He is married to Jan with two adult children and they are grandparents. Gavin Lawrie's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/gavin-lawrie.html As a curious observer of science, it has always fascinated me that the limits of our understanding does not hold back our intrigue into amazing discovery. Despite not being much of an academic, I have learned to appreciate how fields such as astronomy and philosophy can play an important part in developing our ability to seek meaning beyond our own experiences of life. At least, thats what I found out this past week. Beyond Ourselves I attended the World Science Festival in Brisbane as part of the media team, and felt overwhelmingly in awe of the astounding insights into neuroscience, biology, and astronomy that I learnt over the course of just three days. But my biggest takeaway was the fact that, both young and old, were insatiably curious to push the limits of their understanding into the realm of the unknown, especially in light of all that we saw and heard from the festivals many, many participants and delegates. From my own perspective, it was a privilege to reconnect with an old friend, Dr. Jennifer Wiseman, a senior astrophysicist from NASA. It took me back to my days as a student in California, as a budding 21-year-old editor interviewing Dr. Wiseman outside the college cafeteria. However, learning about the important discoveries from the past, and the future of astronomy and the intersection of technology, was quite fascinating to me, especially as someone who loves the excitement of an exploratory journey. Journey Mercies Come to think of it, we all seem to be on a journey, but our destination may look different to others. What we learn along the way makes a bigger impact on who we are, rather than what we aim to achieve. As a believer in never-ending learning, I think it is reasonable to presume that, at some point, we have to come to an understanding of who we are, but also, who we arent. I recall hearing a story from a man who was born with no limbs, and, for most of his life, had to learn to do basic things that most of us who are born with two arms and two legs may take as a daily routine, but for him, was a daily struggle. Yet, instead of letting his circumstance define who he was, and who he wasnt, he decided to focus on what he was capable of. Writing in his book, Limitless, Nick Vujicic states that I found happiness when I realised that as imperfect as I may be, I am the perfect Vujicic. Looking for Darkness Despite obvious setbacks, we all have the ability to learn and understand things beyond our own reason. While Dr. Wiseman was sharing her insights from her work with the Hubble Space Telescope, she made an intriguing comment, sometimes, we have to seek out the darkness, because thats where the light is most visible. Although I had heard that before from the Bible, I hadnt paid much attention to seeking out the darkness. How do we actually do that? Looking back to the time when I found myself in Israel, there was one day on our schedule where we went to visit an ancient tunnel running underground the length of the Old City of Jerusalem. I realised, too late of course, that my camera was not going to be able to capture adequate footage on account of the darkness of the cavernous tunnel gaping before us. The further we went in, the darker the tunnel seemed to get, which was again complicated by the realisation that the tunnel also served as an aqueduct, and used to supply water to the citizens of the town during earlier times. By the time I waded halfway in, I wanted to turn back. But with no light behind or before me, the only way was to press forward. Eventually, there was a flicker of light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, which I had to stop myself from running towards. By the time I got outside, I had a strange feeling to actually go back in. What makes us wonder in majesty at the complexity of our surroundings, the unknowable mysteries of the cosmos, the seeming incomprehensibility of the future? Perhaps we may never know; or maybe the answer lies in being curious enough to seek out what is beyond our own understanding, the fact that our journey is one we share with others, who, like us, are simply looking for that flicker of light in the darkness. Joseph Kolapudi is a TCK born in Australia to Indian parents, who returned from California where he was studying theology at Fuller, and is now working with a missions agency, continuing his love of writing by contributing to PSI. Joseph Kolapudi's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/joseph-kolapudi.html - Sunwatchers Stand in Solidairty with the Disposessed, Impoverished and Embattled People of the World There are Weapons You Can Bring To School Sunwatchers - Sunwatchers Stand in Solidairty with the Disposessed, Impoverished and Embattled People of the World - Sunwatchers Stand in Solidairty with the Disposessed, Impoverished and Embattled People of the World MONDAY, April 2, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Young men who survive testicular cancer may need to worry about more than a return of their disease: A new study suggests they also face greater heart risks down the road. "The overarching goal of our study is to implement early interventions in order to reduce the risk of heart disease," said researcher Dr. Mohammad Abu Zaid. An assistant professor of medicine at Indiana University's Cancer Center, he made his remarks in a news release from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). Dr. Timothy Gilligan chairs the NCCN Guidelines Panel on Testicular Cancer. He explained that "for testicular cancer survivors, as with most cancer survivors, the medical concerns don't end with remission." "Testicular cancer survivors whose treatment included chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both, have an increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease," Gilligan said. "This study provides valuable information as we try to understand why." In the study, Abu Zaid and his colleagues analyzed 486 testicular cancer survivors who were treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. The investigators found that these patients had higher-than-normal rates of heart disease risk factors. The researchers reported that, compared to men who hadn't had testicular cancer, the survivors were more likely to have: high blood pressure (about 43 percent versus 31 percent); higher amounts of "bad" cholesterol (nearly 18 percent versus 9 percent); higher overall cholesterol levels (26 percent versus 11 percent). They were also more likely to be overweight (75 percent versus 69 percent). These survivors were also less likely to have lower levels of "good" cholesterol (about 24 percent versus 35 percent), and less likely to have abdominal obesity (28 percent versus 40 percent). "We found that one in 10 testicular cancer survivors under age 30 had metabolic syndrome, and that increased to more than a third of patients over age 50," Abu Zaid said. Metabolic syndrome is defined as three or more of the following conditions: high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, elevated triglyceride (a type of blood fat) levels, decreased levels of good cholesterol and diabetes. "At this time, there are no criteria for determining what exactly causes metabolic syndrome in cancer survivors. Developing those criteria requires long-term follow up of cancer survivors," Abu Zaid said. "This will help us understand which risk factors are more likely to lead to heart disease for this particular population," he added. The researchers said health care providers should screen and treat testicular cancer survivors for heart disease risk factors and urge them to adopt healthy lifestyle habits, such as regular exercise and not smoking. The study was published online recently in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Gilligan is also vice chair for education at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and the Cleveland Clinic's Taussig Cancer Institute. More information The American Cancer Society has more on testicular cancer. MONDAY, April 2, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- A baby's risk of death from being placed in an unsafe sleeping position or location is higher when they're under the care of a baby sitter, relative or friend, a new study found. The finding shows the need for parents to educate anyone who cares for their infants about safe sleep practices and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). In the United States SIDS is the leading cause of death among babies between 1 month and 1 year of age, the researchers said. They examined more than 10,000 infant deaths and found that 1,375 of them occurred when a parent was not present. In many of those cases, the babies had been placed in unsafe sleep positions, such as on their stomachs, or in unsafe locations, such as an adult bed or a couch. The analysis of the deaths revealed that while nearly 73 percent of licensed child care providers had followed recommendations to place babies in a crib or bassinet, the rate was 49 percent among baby sitters, 29 percent among relatives, and 27 percent among friends. While 54 percent of child care providers had placed infants in the recommended supine position (on their back), the rate was 39 percent among friends, 38 percent among relatives, and 38 percent among baby sitters. Infants under the care of baby sitters, relatives and friends were also more likely be placed in a sleep setting with potentially dangerous objects, such as toys, blankets and sleep bumpers, according to the study published April 2 in the Journal of Pediatrics. "If someone else -- a baby sitter, relative or friend -- is taking care of your baby, please make sure that they know to place your baby on the back in a crib and without any bedding," said study author Dr. Rachel Moon, from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. "You can't make assumptions that the person with whom your baby is staying will know what is safest," she said in a university news release. Added another study author, Dr. Jeffrey Colvin, of Children's Mercy Kansas City: "A lot of relatives and friends may not be aware that babies are safest on their backs. They may have raised children before we knew that this was safest." More information The American Academy of Pediatrics offers a guide to safe sleep for babies. MONDAY, April 2, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Medical marijuana could help quell the ongoing opioid epidemic, a pair of new studies contends. Opioid prescriptions tend to decrease in U.S. states that adopt medical marijuana laws or legalize recreational use of pot, two different research teams have concluded. The studies couldn't prove cause and effect. But one study found that opioids dispensed through Medicare's prescription drug plan decreased significantly if people had access to medical pot dispensaries or were allowed to grow marijuana for their own use. "We had about a 14.5 percent reduction in opiate use when states turned on dispensaries, and about a 7 percent reduction in opiate use when states turned on home cultivation-based cannabis laws," said researcher David Bradford, chairman of public policy at the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs. The other study, led by researcher Hefei Wen, from the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, found a decrease in opioid prescriptions covered by Medicaid in states that legalized either medicinal or recreational pot. Both types of laws were linked to about a 6 percent decline in opioid prescribing, researchers reported. "We do think there's good reason to be hopeful that cannabis might be one tool out of many we could use to address the opioid epidemic," Bradford said. Drug overdoses killed nearly 64,000 Americans in 2016, with two-thirds of deaths involving a prescription or illicit opioid, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week. Overdose deaths rose 21.5 percent in 2016, a much sharper spike than the 11.4 percent increase seen the previous year. At this point, 30 states and the District of Columbia have laws legalizing some form of marijuana use, including eight states that have legalized recreational use. Studies have found medical pot is effective in treating chronic pain, Bradford said. In 2017, the prestigious National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine issued a report concluding that pot can significantly reduce pain symptoms. Both research teams suspected that if this were true, then medical marijuana might ease opioid use in people with chronic pain. To investigate this theory, the investigators turned to recent data from the federal insurance programs Medicare and Medicaid. They compared opioid prescribing patterns between states with medical or recreational pot and those that have taken a hard line against weed. An average state filled 23 million daily doses of opioids through Medicare's prescription drug plan between 2010 and 2015, Bradford's team found. But states with medical pot dispensaries filled 3.7 million fewer daily doses, and states with home cultivation filled 1.8 million fewer doses, they said. Results did vary based on the type of opioid, however. Medical pot was linked to reductions in hydrocodone, morphine and fentanyl prescriptions, but not to prescriptions for oxycodone, Bradford said. The second study found a similar effect among people covered by Medicaid. The two studies were published online April 2 in JAMA Internal Medicine. "I think at this point, with patients dying every day as a result of opioid use disorder, we need to consider all possible solutions to the crisis," said Dr. Kevin Hill, director of addiction psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. "Papers like these two suggest that cannabis may play a role." He said these studies and others offer strong support for anecdotal evidence from patients who report they need fewer opioids for chronic pain when they are put on medical cannabis. Hill wrote an editorial that accompanied the two articles. At the same time, Hill says medical marijuana should not be given a lead role in treating chronic pain. Instead, it should be a back-up option for patients who are struggling to manage pain and who could be in danger of addiction. "I think it's hard to deny that there is a growing body of evidence that suggests a role for cannabis in treating chronic pain, but it's not the level where it would be a first-line or even second-line treatment," Hill said. More information The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine have more about the health effects of cannabis. MONDAY, April 2, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Women who have a baby with a congenital heart defect may face a heightened risk of heart disease years later, a large study suggests. Researchers found that among more than 1 million women, those who'd given birth to a baby with a heart defect were up to 43 percent more likely to be hospitalized for heart problems over the next 25 years. The study is the first to link newborn heart defects to heart disease in moms. And experts said the reasons for the findings are unclear. "I think women should be aware of the findings, but not worried by them," said Dr. Mary Ann Bauman, a spokesperson for the American Heart Association who was not involved in the research. The study had some limitations, Bauman said. For example, the researchers could not examine whether smoking at least partly explained the connection: The habit can raise the risks of both congenital heart defects and heart disease in adults. It is plausible, however, that a child's heart issues contribute to a mother's risk of heart disease down the road. "The mother's whole focus is on her child," Bauman said. Because of that, she added, their own health concerns could fall by the wayside. Plus, Bauman noted, there's a potential role for chronic stress -- both emotional and financial -- especially if a child has a more-severe heart defect that requires repeat procedures and hospitalizations. The bottom line, according to Bauman, is that mothers should be reassured that they have "permission" to take care of themselves. "Taking care of your own health does not mean you're neglecting your child," she said. Worldwide, congenital heart defects affect nearly eight in every 1,000 newborns. That makes them the most common form of birth defect, according to the researchers on the study -- led by Dr. Nathalie Auger, of the University of Montreal. But until now, it hasn't been clear whether the mothers of those babies have any particular risk of developing heart disease themselves, the researchers noted. The study findings are based on medical records for over 1 million women who gave birth in Quebec, Canada, between 1989 and 2013. Of those women, 16,400 had a baby with a heart defect. In most cases, the defects were relatively mild ones where treatment could be delayed or was not needed at all. But just over 1,500 babies had "critical" defects -- such as obstructions between the heart and lungs, and holes between the chambers of the heart -- that required immediate treatment. Over the next 25 years, moms of those babies were more likely to be hospitalized for a heart attack, heart failure or other cardiac problems, the investigators found. Among women whose babies had critical heart defects, there were about 3.4 hospitalizations for every 1,000 women each year, according to the report. That figure was 3.2 per 1,000 among moms of babies with less-severe defects -- and 2.4 per 1,000 among women whose babies were free of heart defects. The researchers weighed other factors -- including the women's age when they gave birth, and documented health issues such as diabetes, obesity and depression -- both during and after pregnancy. Those factors, it turned out, did not fully explain the link between congenital heart defects and heart disease in mothers. Moms of babies with critical defects were still 43 percent more likely to be hospitalized for heart problems, compared to moms of babies without heart defects. If their baby had a less-serious heart defect, the risk was 24 percent higher, the findings showed. "This does not mean you're destined to have a heart attack," Bauman stressed. "It does mean you need to take care of yourself, too. Don't ignore your own health." Dr. Ali Zaidi directs the adult congenital heart disease program at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. Zaidi agreed that women should not be alarmed by the findings. He also said more studies are needed to understand what's going on -- including whether there are roles for genetics, chronic stress or other underlying health issues this study could not address. Still, Zaidi called the findings "fascinating," and said they send a message to doctors. "We probably need to put more focus on mothers," he said. "We should look at their cardiovascular risk and what they can do to mitigate it." That, Zaidi noted, includes the steps everyone needs -- including healthier eating, regular exercise and better blood pressure control. The study findings were published online April 2 in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. More information The American Heart Association has more on heart disease in women. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Lagos, Nigeria, October 30, 2014The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed that protesters stormed and looted the offices of Burkina Fasos national broadcaster Radiodiffusion Television du Burkina in the capital, Ouagadougou, today. Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets to protest a constitutional amendment that would allow President Blaise Compaore to seek re-election next year, according to reports. It is clear that the Burkina Faso public is out for change. But in critical times like these, media institutions must be protected, said Peter Nkanga, CPJs West Africa representative. We call on all parties to allow journalists to carry out their responsibilities to gather and report the news, which is essential for the country to experience a peaceful transition. Compaore has ruled the country for 27 years since taking power in a coup in 1987. Burkina Faso Communications Minister Alain Edouard Traore announced the constitutional vote had been reversed following the protests, news reports said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Five imprisoned journalists highlighted New York, April 2, 2018The Committee to Protect Journalists today launched its annual Free The Press campaign to raise awareness of journalists imprisoned worldwide. This year, the campaign highlights five journalists jailed for their work. Supporters are encouraged to send physical or digital postcards so that the journalists know they are not forgotten and the governments jailing them know that the world is watching. The 2018 #FreeThePress journalists are: Blogger Alaa Abdelfattah, jailed in Egypt in 2014. Zehra Dogan, from the all-womens Jin News Agency (JINHA), jailed in Turkey in 2017. Internet reporter Azimjon Askarov, jailed in Kyrgyzstan in 2010. Ghys Fortune Dombe Bemba, editor of the privately-owned newspaper Talassa, imprisoned in the Republic of Congo in 2017. Ding Lingjie, editor of the human rights news website Minsheng Guancha, imprisoned in China in 2017. These intrepid journalists come from different backgrounds and covered a variety of beats, but they were all jailed simply for doing their job, said CPJ Advocacy Director Courtney Radsch. CPJ demands that they be released immediately and that the governments holding them rescind the harsh laws that led to the journalists imprisonment. CPJ documented a record 262 journalists behind bars globally in its most recent prison census, the highest number since it started keeping records in the early 1990s. Join #FreeThePress and stand up for press freedom. Click here to learn more about each of the journalists featured in this years campaign and ways you can take action. Send a digital postcard to a journalist in prison and learn more about hosting your own #FreeThePress postcard event. ### CPJ is an independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. Media contacts: Bebe Santa-Wood Communications Associate press@cpj.org 212-300-9032 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram New York, April 2, 2018The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Turkish authorities to drop the politically motivated case against the exiled independent journalist Can Dundar, and allow him to do his work without fear of reprisal. An Istanbul court today issued an arrest warrant and asked Interpol to issue a warrant, or red notice, for Dundar on espionage charges that stem from his 2015 reporting in the daily Cumhuriyet of Turkeys alleged weapons smuggling into Syria, according to news reports. We call on Turkish authorities to stop their long-standing prosecution of Can Dundar and allow him to live and work freely, CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said. We also urge Interpol to reject Turkeys request for a red notice for Dundar, whose only crime is the practice of independent journalism. Dundar, the former editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet and a recipient of CPJs International Press Freedom Award, has lived in exile in Europe since 2016, after a Turkish court sentenced him on May 6 that year to seven years in prison on charges of revealing state secrets, CPJ reported at the time. Dundar continues to work as a journalist in Europe, now editing the news website Ozguruz (We are free), of which he is a co-founder. Pakistan: 52 Indian Fishermen imprisoned for straying into Pakistans territorial waters April 02,2018 | Source: The Siasat Daily Pakistani authorities have arrested 52 Indian fishermen for allegedly straying into the countrys territorial waters, an official said on Saturday. The latest batch of Indian fishermen was arrested on Thursday night by the Pakistan Maritime Security Forces, he said. Eight fishing boats were also seized. A judicial magistrate sent the 52 Indian fishermen to judicial remand, the official said. They will be lodged in the Malir jail in Karachi, he said. Rajesh, 28, couldnt stop crying as policemen lined up the fishermen to take them to the jail. Most of us come from a village in Dandi near Gujarat coastal area and we didnt know we had strayed into Pakistani territory while fishing at night, he said. Another frail-looking middle-aged man being bundled into the vehicle kept on saying that the governments of both the countries need to do more for the poor fishermen who spend years in jail for no fault. Fishermen from both countries are frequently arrested for straying into each others territorial waters while fishing along the Sir Creek area of Gujarat in the Arabian sea. A constable guarding the Indian fishermen said that he felt sorry for them as they squatted on the floor in the heat waiting for the long ride to jail. On Friday, they were handed over to the Docks police station and then made to appear before a judicial magistrate who sent them to jail. These fishermen spend years in jail before any goodwill gesture on part of the government comes as a relief for them. The last batch of Indian fishermen arrested was on January 20 when 17 of them were sent to the Landhi jail. Since November, the number of Indian fishermen caught for illegally fishing in Pakistani waters has crossed 200. Kerala: Church slams Kerala government for poor Ockhi relief operations April 02,2018 | Source: The Quint The Thiruvanathapuram Latin Diocese on Saturday slammed the the state's Pinarayi Vijayan government for not doing a proper rehabilitation programme in wake of Cyclone Ockhi, while complimenting the Tamil Nadu government for rising to the occasion. Addressing reporters here, Archbishop M.Susaipakiam said they were told that the political leadership is busy with their party Congress and other things. "While the total dead in Kerala on account of Ockhi was 146, the compensation has been handed over to just 49. But in Tamil Nadu, the compensation has been given to 146 dead," he said. The Church leadership also demanded that a social audit should be conducted in the way the funds for Ockhi relief and rehabilitation have been spent. Even as the Church says that the total dead is 146, according to the Kerala government figures, 52 people were killed and 91 remain missing. Cyclone Ockhi struck Kerala's southern districts on November 30 last year and the worst affected were two fishing villages in the state capital and a huge majority of the affected belonged to the Latin archdiocese. The Church leadership also pointed out that they have so far spend Rs 14 lakh for medical relief to the affected, besides they have held numerous counselling sessions in the coastal hamlets and that also has cost them a good sum of money. The Kerala government had informed the ongoing assembly session that the process of giving compensation to the families of the missing was underway and it would be done once the formalities are over. It had, in January, announced that while the compensation to the families of the dead would be given Rs 2 million each and the same amount would be given to the families of the fishermen who have gone missing, but only after verification. It had then started giving a monthly allowance of Rs 10,000 each to the families of the missing fishermen. President of Mongolia Khaltmaa Battulga intends to initiate draft amendments to the Criminal Code of Mongolia reinstating the capital punishment, Montsame state news agency reported. The President seeks to introduce death sentence for crimes against children and submit the bill to the Parliament during its spring session, which convenes this week. "298 cases of child sexual abuse were registered last year alone. The victims' age is between 2-7. Appalling child molestation cases have shocked the society, which is now demanding more action from the Government," G.Uyanga, Civil Society and Human Rights Advisor to the President, said at a press conference. Last November, President Battulga sent an official letter to the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs proposing to reinstate capital punishment. According to the Advisor, the Ministry hasn't formally responded to the letter. "However, it was reported last week that a conclusion had been made by a working group in charge, led by Deputy Minister of Justice and Home Affairs B.Enkhbayar, that it wasn't possible to restore capital punishment," she said. Mongolia put moratorium on capital punishment in 2012. The Parliament of Mongolia adopted a revision to the Criminal Code in 2015, which came to effect on July 1, 2017. Capital punishment was formally removed in the revised Criminal Code. The Law of Mongolia on Legislation states that the public can add their suggestions to a draft bill for the time period of one month. "The public survey begins today. I am sure many people will take active part in the process," said G.Uyanga. R.Bulgamaa, Non-staff Advisor of Legal Policy to the President, emphasized that the President's proposal doesn't imply full restoration of capital punishment in Mongolia, and that only child abusers would be subject to death penalty. Before 2010, death penalty was given for 6 offenses in Mongolia. Advisor G.Uyanga reminded of a fact that Mongolia abolished death penalty in 1953, but had to restore it after 10 months in response to increased incidence of crimes. Thousands of Mongolians protested in front of parliament in Ulaanbaatar on Saturday to demand more action to prevent child abuse, after the widely-reported rape of a male infant shocked the country, Reuters reported. After the reported rape earlier this month in Dornogobi province in Mongolia's southeast, a group of concerned mothers created a Facebook group announcing the Saturday protest last week, and it quickly reached more than 400,000 members. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde AKI Press, April 1, 2018 Arijit Shashwat is the son of Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey. (Photo: ANI) Patna: Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey's son Arijit Shashwat, who was arrested in Patna on Sunday in connection with a case related to the recent communal clashes in Bhagalpur, was sent to 14-day judicial custody. Arijit's arrest came barely a few hours after a Bhagalpur court had rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Shashwat against whom an arrest warrant was issued on March 24. Shashwat is the son of Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey. "We had information that Shashwat was at the famous Hanuman temple in the vicinity of Patna junction. A police team reached the spot and arrested him and he has been sent to Bhagalpur", Senior Superintendent of Police, Patna, Manu Maharaj told news agency PTI. On his arrest, Shashwat told reporters "I have given myself up to police in deference to the court order. I have been wrongly accused of evading arrest. I was not absconding as I have not committed any crime. If raising slogans in praise of 'Bharat Mata' and 'Sri Ram' is a crime then I may be called a criminal. Shashwat has been named, besides eight others, in one of the two FIRs lodged at Nathnagar police station of Bhagalpur following communal riots that broke out on March 17 after some people objected to playing of loud music during a procession led by him. It had been taken out allegedly without permission to celebrate the New Year as per the Hindu calendar. Several persons, including two police personnel, were injured in the clashes that witnessed heavy stone-pelting, arson and exchange of fire. The alleged delay in arrest of Shashwat had invited strong criticism from opposition parties in Bihar, especially the RJD-Congress combine, which accused the Nitish Kumar government of soft-peddling the matter while Choubey had dubbed the FIR against his son as a piece of garbage. Also read: Ready to pay any price: JD(U)'s strong message to BJP over Bihar violence Reacting to Shashwat's arrest, ruling JD(U) spokesman Neeraj Kumar said it was a fitting reply to the Opposition while Congress leader Prem Chand Mishra said the whole episode showed the "helplessness" of Kumar before the BJP. Yevgeniy Nikulin, 30, of Moscow, entered his plea in the US District Court in San Francisco, after having fought his extradition following his 2016 arrest in Prague. Russian man on Friday pleaded not guilty to charges he hacked three US technology companies, potentially compromising personal details of more than 100 million users, including on LinkedIn, after being extradited from the Czech Republic. Yevgeniy Nikulin, 30, of Moscow, entered his plea in the US District Court in San Francisco, after having fought his extradition following his 2016 arrest in Prague. His case had turned into a battle over whether he should be sent to the United States or Russia, where a Moscow court had in November 2016 issued an arrest warrant for his alleged theft seven years earlier of $3,450 via a site called Webmoney. The US Department of Justice accused Nikulin of illegally accessing computers belonging to US-based social media firms LinkedIn, Dropbox and Formspring in 2012, including by using the credentials of LinkedIn and Formspring employees. LinkedIn, now owned by Microsoft Corp, has said the case was related to a breach that might have compromised information of at least 100 million users. Computer hacking is not just a crime, it is a direct threat to the security and privacy of Americans, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. This is deeply troubling behaviour once again emanating from Russia, he continued. We will not tolerate criminal cyber-attacks and will make it a priority to investigate and prosecute these crimes, regardless of the country where they originate. Nikulin faces nine criminal counts, including causing damage to a protected computer and aggravated identity theft. A federal public defender representing him did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Nikulin has denied wrongdoing in comments to Czech media. The decision by Czech Justice Minister Robert Pelikan to extradite Nikulin defied Russia, which had also sought his extradition. Courts in the Czech Republic, a US ally and part of the European Union, had said extradition to both countries was permissible, and the decision was up to Pelikan. Prime Minister Andrej Babis has said he favoured extradition to the United States, but Pelikan said President Milos Zeman, who often takes a pro-Russian stance, had urged extradition to Russia. It was apparent that the United States requested extradition for a suspicion of very serious criminal activity, which was not the case of the Russian request, Pelikan told Reuters in a phone interview. The decision was closely watched because Babis needs Zemans support for a new government after his minority cabinet lost a vote of confidence last month. Zeman has promised Babis another try at installing a government. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. The Ministry of Finance made a placement of domestic bonds, this year's largest. Ukraine and Israel are finally set to sign off an agreement on a free trade zone. Discount airlines will open new flights from Ukraine. These are the past week's key economic news. Ukraine is not Russia. The difference between the two countries was once again clearly demonstrated in the past week. While the whole world is trying to minimize relations with the toxic Russia, expelling its diplomats (read "spies"), the things are clearly different with Ukraine foreign powers strive to conclude agreements on economic and political cooperation with Kyiv. After the entry into force of the DCFTA with the European Union, and an FTA deal with Canada implemented last August, now it's turn to conclude another important agreement, with Israel. Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said that the parties had reached the final stage of their talks: "In 2017, we worked intensively toward the completion of negotiations on a free trade zone with the State of Israel. Today such talks have come to a completion," Groysman told a government meeting. The prime minister has not yet announced the date of the signing, only assuring that in the near future the relevant opportunities will be created. "I hope that the Prime Minister of Israel will be able to visit Ukraine so that we can agree on this issue," he said. Thus, Ukraine will liberalize mutual access to the markets of goods and services with yet another country. It should be noted that even without this agreement, Ukraine's trade with Israel stands at about $800 million. According to the Ministry of Economic Development, the main articles of Ukrainian exports to Israel are cereals - at 44.1%, ferrous metals at 26.4%, and food products - at 9.8%. The main imports from Israel to Ukraine are petrochemical products (41.4%), chemical products (17.4%), and plastics and polymeric materials (7.1%). Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Ukraine's Trade Representative Natalia Mykolska said at a government meeting that the free trade agreement with Israel provides for the immediate opening of 80% of Israel's market for Ukrainian industrial products. According to Mykolska, the remaining part of the industrial products market will be gradually liberalized, with the exception of jewelry products from both sides. At the same time, she noted that the scheme of liberalization of access of agrarian products to the market of Israel will be more complicated. "As for agricultural products, the liberalization scheme will be a bit more complicated. There will be an immediate cancellation of duties for certain types of products, there will be an immediate cancellation of duties within the limits of quotas, and there will be a partial cancellation of duties and a gradual cancellation of duties," the trade representative stressed. Thus, the FTA agreement will allow Ukrainian businesses to profit on the opportunities of duty-free access to a new market, while on the other hand, prospects for the import of raw materials and advanced technologies are also opening up. As a consequence, there are factors for the economic growth. No less important was another message of the Prime Minister. According to him, Ukraine and the European Union signed a "roadmap" for integrating our industry into the value chain of European products. "Yesterday, I would like to emphasize that there was a meeting with the Commissioner of the European Union Elzbieta Benkowska], where we talked about supporting Ukrainian industry. Our main task, and yesterday the "road map" with the European Union was signed, is how to integrate Ukrainian industry into the value chain of European products," the prime minister said at a government meeting. "When we say that Ukraine is seen as a partner in the industrial production chain, this opens up an additional opportunity for us to accelerate economic growth," Groysman added. In addition, the Cabinet of Ministers ordered the creation of an Office for Export Promotion, previously functioning as an organization based on a project team of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, in the form of a state institution. "Finally, the state, in addition to policy-making, will invest the taxpayer's funds in the service functions, in order to provide services to Ukrainian exporters. To educate them, help them enter foreign markets, seek partners abroad, look for new opportunities, and look at other markets through consulting," trade envoy Mykolska said. Plane ticket prices falling, railway prices growing Ukraine is gradually becoming a "flying" country. This was confirmed by an unprecedented passenger air traffic last year with 16.5 million passengers serviced, which is a record for the entire period of Ukraine's independence. In many ways, it is due to the decline in prices for air tickets which came with the arrival of new airlines, in particular, discount carriers. Competition, as we know, always plays into the hands of the consumers. It became known that the largest European low-cost airline Ryanair will finally start operating in Ukraine, set to fly from the airports Boryspil and Lviv. Last week the Minister of Infrastructure Volodymyr Omelyan said that his ministry was negotiating with Ryanair about the organization of air transportation from the airport of Kherson as well. "We are currently negotiating with Ryanair to start air traffic from the Kherson region, the city of Kherson," Omelyan said, adding that "we will also start 'pulling' Ukrainians from Crimea." "That's in order for them to return to Ukraine, use cheap air tickets, visit Europe and then return Ukraine to Crimea," the minister explained. By the way, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary earlier said that the company is negotiating the opening of flights with four Ukrainian airports besides Lviv and Boryspil. The potential of the Ukrainian air market was also seen by other companies. In the past week Hungarian low-cost airline WizzAir launched new flights from Lviv to Dortmund (Germany), Katowice and Gdansk (Poland). The passengers will be able to fly to these cities for about UAH 700. And the Italian low-cost carrier Ernest Airlines announced that starting June 22, it would launch regular flights from Kyiv to Bologna (Italy) at a price of EUR 49. It is noteworthy that the Italian carrier is not going to be limited to that single route. Ernest Airlines plans in the summer to launch regular flights from Lviv to Milan (Milan Malpensa airport) and Rome (Fiumicino). Other airlines are showing increased interest in Lviv. On Wednesday, Polish LOT launched a new flight from Lviv to the city of Olsztyn, which is located in the north of Poland costing UAH 800. Also, in the past week, Swiss International Airlines, a member of the Lufthansa Group, following the Ukraine International Airlines, opened direct flights from Kyiv to Zurich. If the trend pursues, it will be cheaper to fly by plane from Kyiv to any European country than to take the train from the Kyiv to the western Ukrainian city of Uzhgorod. While the Minister of Infrastructure, Volodymyr Omelyan, does everything in order to reduce air ticket prices, things are the opposite with railroad transportation - he defends and considers the attempts of the monopoly, Ukrzaliznytsia, to justify another price hike. At the same time, the ministry is not developing a regulatory framework for the appearance of private rail services. And in view of the lack of competition, the monopoly will continue raising prices for their services and turn a blind eye to the fact that on corruption in the tenders by Ukrzaliznytsia, the state is losing a huge amount - up to UAH 15 billion per year. "Po" and "Go": Who is profiting on old "Yanukovych schemes" The Ministry of Finance set a new record. At the beginning of the past week, the Ministry placed domestic bonds worth a record amount this year (UAH 2.7 billion and $669.4). The hryvnia funds were attracted by creditors on average at 17% per annum, and those in foreign currency - at an average of 5.2%. Raising funds through domestic bonds is not uncommon. Since early March, the Ministry of Finance has borrowed UAH 8.5 billion, EUR 123 million, and $669.4 million. In 2017, it was UAH 32.8 billion, $1.8 billion and EUR 134 million. The largest domestic bond buyers in 2017 were state-owned banks - Oschadbank, Ukreximbank and PrivatBank. Also in the list of the largest buyers of securities are OTP Bank, Ukrgasbank, Citibank, Raiffeisen Bank Aval, Ukrsotsbank, PUMB, UkrSibbank, and Universal Bank. Placing domestic bonds is now under the scrutiny of financial experts. After all, the Ministry of Finance for the first time began selling domestic bonds for foreign currency in the days of Yanukovych. And, as it turned out, after the Revolution of Dignity, these securities were bought by the companies of the runaway ex-president. What is quite understandable - the so-called "family" has accumulated in its hands a significant amount of funds received through corruption. They had to hide this money somewhere. Domestic bonds are an ideal way to store such cash. What happened then? After long investigations by law enforcement agencies into Yanukovych's purchase of domestic bonds, in late March 2017, unexpectedly, a secret ruling emerged issued by the Kramatorsky Court of Donetsk region. According to the ruling, funds were seized from 10 non-resident companies totaling about $1.5 billion. As Prosecutor General Yury Lutsenko assures, this money belonged to former President Viktor Yanukovych and his entourage. Confiscation took place at lightning speed. $1.1 billion was transferred from the accounts of companies in Oschadbank to the accounts of the State Treasury. Another $200 million in securities was transferred to the Ministry of Finance, and by this amount the internal debt of the state was reduced. It would seem that after the "Yanukovych" schemes, there will be no more issues of foreign currency domestic bonds. But we you believe a Ukrainian journalist Oleksandr Dubynsky, Yanukovych's schemes have seen a new start. In particular, the journalist had suspicions about the auction held a week earlier, when the Ministry of Finance placed domestic bonds worth UAH 2.35 billion and EUR 123 million. According to Dubynsky, bonds worth EUR 123 million were bought by two banks Poroshenko's MIB and Gontareva-Pasenyuk's Avangard. To this end, these banks opened accounts in state-owned banks - Oschadbank and Ukreximbank. Dubynsky claims that these accounts were used by Gontareva and Poroshenko's banks to get from state-owned banks interbank loans in foreign currency. Then, MIB and Avangard instructed Oschadbank and Ukreximbank to purchase domestic bonds for them at an auction of the Ministry of Finance. Then the bonds purchased and the debt before Oschadbank and Ukreximbank is transferred from the banks of Poroshenko and Gontareva to a number of their offshore companies, the journalist claims. "As a result, the money of state-owned banks is used by offshore companies of Gontareva and Poroshenko to get an opportunity to buy government bonds and collect interest from the Ministry of Finance and, thus, withdraw the currency from the country. The highlight of the scheme is that the money of state banks is, in fact, the money of the Ministry of Finance, which drives them through the banks of Gontareva and Poroshenko in order to pay them interest on state loans. The funniest thing is that the Ministry of Finance took these funds for itself to pay off the euro-debt of Ukraine to the EBRD and the European Investment Bank," Dubynsky said. Can a journalist be wrong? Yes, he can. And if this is the case, the Ministry of Finance and the National Bank, as well as the State Financial Monitoring Service, should do a briefing and provide details on the placement of foreign currency bonds. That's in order for the things not to turn ugly as in the case with Yanukovych - when he ran away and everything immediately fell under confiscation under a secret court ruling. By the way, the Prosecutor General's Office, SAPO and NABU should have become alarmed. But they haven't. After all, maybe that's because of their latest squabbles... Oleksandr Kunytsky If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Ukrainian Treasury's balance down 16% in March The balance in the single account as of April 1, 2018, shrank by 75% from the figure reported April 1, 2017. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter The ambassador noted that Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation between Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its Ukraine counterpart would be signed. The Embassy of Ukraine in Nigeria, in collaboration with Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, would be receiving the first Ukraine Trade Mission to Nigeria between April 3 and 6. The Ukraine Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Valerie Aleksandruk stated that the visit, which is also organized in partnership with the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as the Office for Trade Negotiations, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (NACCIMA), would be headed by the Ukrainian trade representative and Deputy Minister, Economic Development and Trade, Nataliia Mykolska, that's according to Nigeria's The Guardian. Mykolska is also a special envoy of President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko to Nigeria. Other members of the delegation from Ukraine include Deputy Minister for Agrarian Policy and Food, Mrs. Olga Trofimtseva, the country's Vice-President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Sergii Svystil as well as representatives of number of Ukrainian companies working in the fields of international trade, agrarian and food industry, automotive and aviation, engineering and information technology, chemical and pharmaceutical production. Read alsoEnergy diversification: Poroshenko says Qatar ready to supply LNG to UkraineThe Mission is expected to arrive in Lagos April 4, for the Nigeria and Ukrainian Business Forum. The Mission has also scheduled a meeting with the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode as well as with the Director, Dangote Group of companies. The ambassador noted that Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation between Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its Ukraine counterpart would be signed. The delegation would come in on April 5, for the third Nigeria-Ukrainian Business Forum. In the course of its stay in Abuja, a Memorandum of Understanding would be signed between Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry and that of Ukraine. Poland mulling over construction of highway to Ukraine In turn, the Ukrainian side plans to reconstruct the M-07 highway between western Ukrainian towns of Kovel and Yahodyn. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Ukraine not blacklisted after MONEYVAL checks NBU The audit covered all sectors of the economy and all government structures. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Ukraine boosts electricity exports to Europe in two months to 1 bln kWh Hungary bought more than 60% of Ukrainian electricity sold abroad. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter What do you think about our new website? Share your opinion The 2019 budget proposal from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser would increase taxes on ride-hailing services such as Lyft and Uber in order to increase funding for the beleaguered Washington Metro system, among a slate of other tax increases. Metro has struggled with a series of problems, from reduced service to falsified inspection reports to fires on the system. Under the proposed budget coming up from a vote at the D.C. Council, more than $80 million will be raised for the Metro system through a series of tax increases. Commercial property taxes would be increased slightly by two cents, and the sales tax would rise from 5.75 percent to 6.0 percent. Most strikingly, the gross receipts tax on for hire vehicles, which includes rides hailed on platforms such as Via or Lyft, would increase from 1.0 percent to 4.75 percent. The budget estimates that this additional tax would generate $17.3 million in FY 2019, rising to $19 million by FY 2022. A $10 ride would have previously incurred a $0.10 surcharge, but this would rise to $0.475 under the new framework. This new proposal is far from the first time officials have sought to increase funding to the system in an effort to address Metros many problems. The tragic accident at Fort Totten brought a stern condemnation in the report from the National Transportation Safety Board, and WMATA embarked on a multi-year, $5 billion capital improvement project. To some extent, these capital investments improved the Metros infrastructure. However, the system continues to be plagued by poor service and disruptive incidents including fires. Sections of the Metro are often closed for extended periods for maintenance, and in some cases every line is adversely affected. Poor performance and lack of reliability have made other transit options more attractive, including but not limited to ride-hailing services. The proposed tax increase represents a reversal for Mayor Bowser, who last year said "There are a lot of things that are cutting into Metro ridership. I would put first among them the year-long SafeTrack [maintenance] program, and also the cutting back of hours at Metro. So I wouldn't start with Uber, I would start with Metro itself." None of these other factors affecting WMATA ridership have changed significantly since she offered that response. It is plausible that the proliferation of ride-hailing services has reduced transit use, but this is far from the only explanation for declining ridership and the other assorted troubles plaguing the Metro. As the figure below indicates, a report from WMATA acknowledged that the effect of ride-hailing companies on ridership was one of the areas that was least understood, and beyond the direct control of the Metro. Factors Identified as Influencing Ridership Source: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Understanding Rail and Bus Ridership, Finance Committee Information Item III-A, October 12, 2017. Other areas were better understood and more directly under the control of the Metro and the D.C. government. According to the report at least 30% of rail losses in 2013-2016 were due to decreasing customer on time performance. Service quality, trackwork, fare policy, and service levels were all estimated to have similar potential adverse effects on ridership as ride-hailing services. Raising the tax from 1.0 percent to 4.75 percent would seek to bring those platforms under tighter control, and use them as an outlet to generate more revenue for the system. Instead of making people using ride-hailing services pay more, the District government should focus on improving service and reliability. Here the Metro has shown some preliminary signs of improvement, as on-time performance for FY 2018 to date is 90 percent, compared to 77 percent the year before. Even with this improvement, performance is worse during morning and afternoon peak hours, when commuters need to know they will get to work on time, and not face endless delays on the trek home. Metro and D.C. government officials could steer some funds from personnel-related expenditures to Metro. According to the Metros proposed FY2019 budget, personnel costs will account for 71 percent of operating expenses, followed by services at 17 percent. Making ride-hailing customers pay more to finance the Metro system, without taking substantive action to rein in labor costs, is both unfair and doomed to be ineffectual. District residents would benefit from a Metro system that provides reliable service. A series of problems have made other options, including but not limited to ride-hailing, more attractive. Performance improvements could help Metro staunch ridership declines, and incremental progress is occurring. Raising taxes on ride-hailing trips is not the way to generate funding for the Metro. It would make a reliable option more expensive, and it would do nothing to address the underlying problems that limit Metros effectiveness. Charles Hughes is a policy analyst at the Manhattan Institute. Follow him on Twitter @CharlesHHughes. Interested in real economic insights? Want to stay ahead of the competition? Each weekday morning, E21 delivers a short email that includes E21 exclusive commentaries and the latest market news and updates from Washington. Sign up for the E21 Morning Ebrief. Combating wildlife trafficking is a priority for the United States, said Deputy Chief of the U.S. Mission to the African Union, Jessica Davis, at a workshop on illegal wildlife trafficking held recently in Addis Ababa. To enhance cooperation and collaboration, we work closely with countries that are the sources of wildlife being trafficked and are building strong partnerships with demand and transit countries. In addition to our extensive United States Agency for International Development investments in biodiversity conservation throughout Africa, our Department of State bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement invested USD 40 million in the last five years to combat wildlife trafficking in Africa, she said. The U.S. has also provided the African Wildlife Foundation 4 million dollars to strengthen regional law enforcement capacity to combat wildlife trafficking and support canine units in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Cameroon and Botswana. As well, the Department of State gave the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 6 million dollars to strengthen prosecutorial and judicial capacity to combat wildlife crime by increasing prosecutions in Kenya, Tanzania, and Botswana. Recognizing the value of scientific innovation, Ms. Davis noted, we provided almost 1 million dollars for wildlife DNA forensics to improve the collection and analysis of DNA evidence. Through this project in Gabon, Tanzania, and Kenya, our partnerships ensure that enforcement agencies and the scientific community leverage the potential of wildlife DNA forensics. Together, they are improving the production of intelligence generated from illegal wildlife seizures to disseminate data for law enforcement action. The U.S. also supports the Horn of Africa Wildlife Enforcement Network. The purpose of the three-day workshop was to formulate a common language, or data dictionary, for the full range of Geographic Information System, or GIS, databases to allow interoperability and help harmonize information across the continent. Setting shared GIS database standards is critical, said Deputy Chief Davis. Given the growing sophistication of wildlife traffickers, no single law enforcement official or agency or nation, for that matter, can fight this battle alone, she said. This is our shared fight. Setting shared GIS database standards is critical to us all playing on one team. On March 12th, Cote dIvoires Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene hosted its inaugural meeting in Abidjan on the strategic direction of the first nationwide study on the impact of HIV, which has involved more than 20,000 individuals to date. The study, called the Cote dIvoire Population-based HIV Impact Assessment, or CIPHIA, aims to test a nationally representative sample of Ivoirians and then use statistical models to measure the current HIV epidemic in Cote dIvoire. The CIPHIA is funded by the U.S. Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR. Cote dIvoire is one of the up to 13 countries poised to achieve HIV/AIDS epidemic control by 2020 under a recent PEPFAR acceleration strategy. The CIPHIA Steering Committee meeting provided strategic direction and oversight of the study, which began in August 2017. About 11,000 households have participated thus far and provided blood samples. Preliminary results of the CIPHIA are expected by December 2018. These assessments are complex undertakings, and I applaud the high-level commitment and engagement of so many important stakeholders, said U.S. Embassys Charge dAffaires Katherine Brucker. Representatives from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attended the meeting at the invitation of Minister of Health and Public Hygiene Dr. Raymonde Goudou-Coffie, who leads the committee and was represented at the meeting by his Chief of Staff. At the meeting, CDC Country Director Dr. G. Laissa Ouedraogo explained that, when completed, CIPHIA will help Cote dIvoire better target its HIV prevention and treatment efforts. She also commended the Ministry for its leadership and expertise. Representatives from the National Institute of Statistics and the World Health Organization also provided opening remarks at the meeting. Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have completed similar PEPFAR-supported Population-Based HIV Impact Assessments in the past 18 months. The CDC and other stakeholders, including ICAP at Columbia University, are also assisting governments with these studies. The United States and Cote dIvoire have a long-standing partnership on public health that goes back more than 30 years said Charge dAffaires Brucker. We know good data are essential to achieving HIV/AIDS epidemic control, so I am encouraged by these productive discussions on how CIPHIA results can be useful. At the 37th UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva, held February 26 to March 23, the U.S. addressed urgent human rights situations around the world. The U.S. worked closely with Israel and other partners to combat the institutionalized bias against Israel by opposing Agenda Item 7 - the only Council agenda item focused on a single country - and voting against every resolution introduced under Item 7. The U.S stood up for the Integrity of UN Human Rights Mechanisms by voting against a China-led resolution, which sought to prevent criticism of countries human rights records. This move by China intended to benefit autocratic states at the expense of individuals human rights and fundamental freedoms. The U.S. played a key role in garnering support for the resolution renewing the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for Iran; and ran a joint statement, supported by 27 countries, highlighting continuing concerns about Irans human rights situation. The U.S. supported a resolution renewing the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation for North Korea, condemned the ongoing systematic and widespread human rights violations and abuses, and called for accountability. The U.S. also supported a resolution on Syria condemning the violations of the UN Security Council-backed ceasefire in eastern Ghouta and co-sponsored the resolution renewing the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry on Syria, which condemned the violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, primarily by the Assad regime. The U.S. led a resolution to renew the mandate of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan for another year and secured commitment by the South Sudanese government to continue cooperating with the Commission and other human rights mechanisms. The U.S. co-sponsored an EU-led resolution to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur in Burma and support the work of the Fact Finding Mission. The U.S. joined 44 countries in supporting a joint statement highlighting the decline in civil and political rights in Cambodia prior to the July 29 national elections, noting an electoral process that arbitrarily excludes the main democratic opposition party cannot be considered genuine or legitimate. Active engagement with the Council provides the U.S. with an opportunity to stress its commitment to human rights, its continued concerns about the Councils disproportionate focus on Israel, and its commitment to reforming the Council. Under its Rewards for Justice Program, the U.S. State Department is offering a $25 million reward for information leading to the location, arrest, or conviction of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Also known as Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri and Abu Du'a, al-Baghdadi is the senior leader of the terrorist organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also known as ISIS or Daesh. Protecting the homeland and the American people is the top counterterrorism priority for the United States. Just as military efforts have been intensified against ISIS, the United States is increasing the means available to gain information on ISIS leadership and bring them to justice. In June 2014, ISIS seized control of portions of Syria and Iraq, self-declared a so-called Islamic caliphate, and named al-Baghdadi as caliph. In recent years, ISIS has gained the allegiance of jihadist groups and radicalized individuals around the world, and has inspired terrorist attacks in the United States. Under al-Baghdadi, ISIS has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians in the Middle East, including the brutal murder of numerous civilian hostages from Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The group also has enabled or directed terrorist attacks beyond the borders of its self-declared caliphate. In 2011, the United States named Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224. He was also sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council ISIS, or DAESH, al-Qaida Sanctions Committee. At that time, al-Baghdadi was the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, which ultimately morphed into ISIS. If you have information on this man, contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate and the tip line at www.rewardsforjustice.net or e-mail information to info@rewardsforjustice.net. In North America, call 1-800-877-3927. The U.S. guarantees that all reports will be investigated and the identity of all informants will be kept confidential. If appropriate, the U.S. is prepared to protect informants by relocating them. Since its inception in 1984, the Rewards for Justice Program has paid in excess of $145 million dollars to more than 90 people who provided actionable information that helped bring terrorists to justice or prevented acts of international terrorism worldwide. You can follow the Rewards for Justice Program on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Rewards4Justice. President Donald Trump has acted to address Chinese policies and practices that are harming American innovation. The President announced that the United States will consider adding 25 percent additional tariffs on certain products that are supported by Chinese industrial policies that unfairly disadvantage U.S. companies, including aerospace, information communication technology, and machinery. In addition, the US Trade Representative will confront Chinas discriminatory technology licensing practices through a World Trade Organization dispute proceeding. And the Department of Treasury will propose restrictions on investment by China in sensitive U.S. technology sectors. These proposed steps are the result of an investigation into Chinese policies and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation. The U.S. Trade Representative, or USTR, led the investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which gives the USTR authority subject to Presidential direction to address unfair trade practices that burden U.S. commerce. This was the first such investigation since 2013. It concluded that China uses foreign ownership restrictions, such as joint venture requirements and administrative review and licensing processes to force or pressure U.S. companies to transfer technology to Chinese entities. China requires foreign companies that seek to access their New Energy Vehicles market to transfer core technologies and disclose development and manufacturing technology for the entire vehicle. The investigation concluded that China often forces U.S. companies seeking to license technologies to Chinese entities to do so on non-market based terms. China imposes contractual restrictions on the licensing of intellectual property and foreign technology into their country, but does not put the same restrictions on contracts between two Chinese enterprises. China directs and unfairly facilitates investments and acquisitions to generate large-scale technology transfer from U.S. companies to Chinese entities. The investigation further concluded that China conducts and supports cyber intrusions into U.S. companies to access commercial secrets. In 2014, the United States charged five Chinese military hackers for cyber espionage committed against U.S. corporations and a labor organization for commercial advantage. It is estimated that Chinas unfair acts, policies, and practices cause tens of billions in damages to the United States each year. The theft of American prosperity will end, said the President.Were going to defend our industry and create a level playing field for the American worker. After many meetings and debates, the Chicago delegation succeeded in working with the New York United Federation of Teachers, Local 2 (UFT) to push the AFT to take stronger stands on charter school accountability and school closings though many delegates from Chicago would have liked the language to have been even stronger. Generally speaking, the New York delegation represented organizing charters as the best model for handling their role in reshaping unions, despite the fact that according to many reports few charter schools in New York have been organized as is the case in Chicago. This logic is the same touted by the Progressive Caucus of the AFT. The few that have been organized are a part of the UFT local though they have separate contracts negotiated with the help of UFT. The Chicago delegation reflection the mindset that allowing new charters to continue to proliferate while attempting to organize existing charters is an end game in which public schools and the union lose. Jen Johnson, CTU, Local 1 in Substance The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) says that foreign powers are undermining the Iranian economy by suggesting the regime is helpless to fix economic problems. In a statement issued to mark the anniversary of a referendum that led to the declaration of the Islamic Republic on April 1, 1979, the IRGC said the regimes brilliant achievements are seriously vulnerable against threats and attacks on the threshold of the fifth decade of the Islamic revolution. The statement added that the Islamic Republic is the most important challenge the worlds arrogant powers are facing, and that its national, regional, and international achievements have astounded those who oppose the Iranian nation and their revolution. Arrogant powers, a term coined by Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini in 1979, is how Iranian hardliners describe the worlds major military and economic powers. The IRGC further promised in this statement that the 40th year of the revolution is going to be the Islamic Republics most brilliant year. the Islamic Republic is the most important challenge the worlds arrogant powers are facing. The statement follows Iranian and foreign analysts pessimistic assessments of Irans economy in the Iranian new year that started on March 21. The analysts pointed to Tehrans failures during the past year and blamed the IRGC for most of Irans problems as it gets the lions share of the countrys oil revenues and spends it on proxy wars in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. Some assessments hold that Tehran has spent up to $15 billion a year in Syria. Iranian demonstrators protesting financial problems and economic injustice in December and January harshly criticized Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for spending billions of dollars from the nations pocket on his regional ambitions in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East. The IRGC statement said that suggesting the regimes incapability to solve the nations financial problems, the widening gap between the regime and the countrys youth, and challenging Iranians regional influence in West Asia are some of the signs that show the threats and attack facing Iran. These were some of the reasons cited by Iranian and foreign analysts, as well as academics and politicians in Iran, for the protests. The protests started with the slogan of No to high prices, and soon questioned the performance of regime institutions and Iranian officials. At least 25 people were killed on the streets and three died in prison during and after the protests. Economists and sociologists have warned that further protests could erupt as officials failed to address the dissatisfactions that ignited the protests in the first place. However, regime officials blame the enemies the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Israel for the protests, while some of them expressed concern for what might happen in the new year. Guardian Council Chairman Ahmad Jannati said on February 15: I am deeply concerned about what might happen in the next year. In its April 1 statement, the IRGC attributed the inefficiency of the Islamic Republic to enemies without naming any particular country, adding, The enemy is planning to limit Irans defense capability to make sure that it would be fragile before foreign aggression. The IRGC noted that political factionalism, trusting the enemy, and the failure to fight poverty, corruption, and discrimination have hindered Irans progress, but promised that Tehran can attain its goals when economic problems are solved. This comes while economists have said that IRGC is responsible for a major part of Irans economic problems. The IRGC also promised to help realize Khameneis new years motto of supporting Iran-made products, while it has long been criticized for its destructive role in the economy. The IRGC contended that it is leading economic projects at the request of the government, denying its unfair competition with the private sector. The chairman of the Iranian Parliaments national security and foreign policy committee, MP Alaeddin Boroujerdi, has branded the popular messaging application Telegram a security threat in an April 1 interview with the parliaments news agency, ICANA. Boroujerdi had said previously that the government would ban Telegram indefinitely before April 20, adding the decision was made at the highest level of the government, a likely allusion to the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He claimed that a percentage of security threats against Iran originate on Telegram. Boroujerdi also said the United Kingdom, Germany, and Israel use the information stored on Telegram. He further claimed that Telegram was used against Irans security during the widespread protests in December 2017 and January 2018. The final decision on banning Telegram will be made by the Supreme National Security Council, Boroujerdi said. Iranian media reported in early March that the Supreme Council for Cyberspace had met in Khameneis presence, adding that Khamenei was against lifting the temporary ban that was imposed on Telegram following widespread protests against political, social, and economic injustice. State officials and Khameneis office have not commented on these reports. Several MPs, including two other members of the national security and foreign policy committee, as well as a large number of social media users, have reacted to Boroujerdis comments. Reformist MP Ahmad Mazani said Boroujerdis comments insulted the parliament; another reformist MP, Mahmoud Sadeqi, said banning a foreign application and replacing it with a substandard homegrown application would be wrong, while former hardline MP Hamid Rasai supported Boroujerdi and called for launching a national information network. Social media users have expressed concern about the surveillance of homegrown applications by government agents. Iranian media including the Entekhab news website and the Donyaye Eqtesad economic daily quoted IT Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi on April 1 as saying the Rouhani administration will stand by its promises, adding, The administration needs other bodies and institutions help. Iranian authorities banned social media platforms Telegram and Instagram for a few days and police arrested several cyber activists as protests raged in the streets of more than 100 Iranian cities in late December and January, but the ban was lifted once the demonstrations lost their initial momentum. A number of state officials have said the ban on Telegram would ruin a large number of businesses. MP Mohammad Reza Badamchi told reporters that banning Telegram would eliminate 200,000 jobs and disrupt the financial situation of about half a million people. Telegram is one of the most popular social media platforms in Iran with more than 40 million users. The Islamic Republics security forces have reportedly arrested several workers on Saturday, March 31, at Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Mill in city of Ahvaz, capital of oil-rich Khuzestan province, southwestern Iran. Earlier on Thursday, five other workers were also detained. Iran Free Trade Union (IFTU) says, following a legal complaint filed by the private owner of the mill, ten workers were detained on Saturday. IFTU had earlier reported that the security forces have officially summoned twenty workers of the troubled agro-industrial complex. Hassan Fazeli, Fuad Badawi, Sajid al-Katheer, Hassan al-Kathir, Mohammad Khanifar, Saeed Mansouri, Habib Chanani, Jassim Hamdani, Jasib Hamdani and Mahdi Thameei are among the detained workers, Haft Tapeh Trade Union reported. The security forces and judicial officials have not yet commented on the reports concerning recent arrests. However, there are reports maintaining that five more workers of the complex were also detained on last Thursday, while attending a protest assembly in front of city of Shush Governor offices. Moreover, reports say that members of the board of directors of Haft Tapehs Labor Syndicate, Raheem Basak and Qorban Alipour have already been detained along with two of the syndicates activists, Karamat Pum and Issmaeil Bakhshi, on Sunday, March 18. Meanwhile on Saturday, IFTU described the recent detentions as deplorable and called upon local and international labor federations to focus on the suppression of thousands of Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Mill workers and the fact that systematic medieval style slavery has been imposed on them. Moreover, IFTU has once again called upon President Hassan Rouhani to take the complex back from the private sector and end workers longstanding tribulation. Not only the workers have not received their salaries for months and no New Year bonus, they are being subjected to legal prosecution instead of their employer being held responsible. Nevertheless, Deputy Governor of Shush, Abdolhossein Al-Katheer told an assembly of protesting workers on Thursday that several people, who are not among the complexs employees, provoke the labor. Retaliating, the workers reminded that their only request is receiving their overdue wages and unpaid bonuses, while the private owner of the complex has not fulfilled his promises to address workers demands. Six days ago, the private owner of the agro-industrial complex ordered the mill to close down, until order and security is reinstated at the place. The Haft Tapeh workers have been protesting and striking for months for unpaid wages. Their union in its statement said, Not only the workers have not received their salaries for months and no New Year bonus, they are being subjected to legal prosecution instead of their employer being held responsible. Labor protests across Iran have recently gained momentum, while the Islamic Republics Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused enemies of fomenting discord among Irans work force. One of the major activities of our enemies has been to create a recession and obstacles in our factories and among our groups of laborers -- particularly the big ones -- so they can provoke the workers, Khamenei said in one of his shortest speeches ever, addressing the Congress Of 14,000 Martyred Laborers on February 5. Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane mill is the only sugar cane factory in Iran and was built nearly half a century ago during the reign of last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The agro-industrial complex was always lucrative until the Islamic Republic decided to sell it to the private sector in a murky situation. The Haft Tapeh workers have been protesting and striking for months for unpaid wages. Not only the workers have not received their salaries for months and no New Year bonus, they are being subjected to legal prosecution instead of their employer being held responsible, their officially unrecognized union insisted in a recent statement. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 98 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said April 2. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 Trend: Armenia has to understand that occupation of Azerbaijans lands, including Kalbajar district is temporary, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministrys Spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev said April 2 in a statement on the occupation of the countrys Kalbajar district and the April escalation of 2016. As part of war unleashed by Armenia against Azerbaijan and Armenias systematic policy of aggression and occupation against Azerbaijan, on April 2, 1993, Kalbajar district of Azerbaijan was occupied by armed forces of Armenia, reads the statement. Kalbajar is located beyond administrative boundaries of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and offensive operation to occupy Kalbajar was mainly carried out from the territory of Armenia using heavy weaponry, Mi-24 helicopter gunships and advanced fixed-wing aircraft. As a result of occupation, around 60,000 people in Kalbajar were subjected to ethnic cleansing and were expelled from their native lands, 511 innocent civilians were killed, 321 people were taken hostage or are missing, Hajiyev said. Presently, more than 70,000 Kalbajar residents are living in many different districts of Azerbaijan as internally displaced people (IDP), he added. Private property of Kalbajar inhabitants were plundered and destroyed, he said. Along with that, center of Kalbajar region, around 150 villages, dozens of historical-cultural monuments, one museum, Istisu sanatorium, more than 110 libraries, around 100 schools, 9 kindergartens and hospitals were razed to the ground by the armed forces of Armenia, the statement said. Serious damage was inflicted to rich historical-cultural heritage of Kalbajar. The Museum of History in the Kalbajar district with its unique collection of ancient coins, ancient cemetery, Albanian cloister and churches in Vang village, Lech castle, Ulukhan castle, Galaboynu castle, Mosques in Kalbajar district and in villages, Taglidash bridge, Ashig Shamshir Culture House, and other historical monuments were destroyed by the armed forces of Armenia, the statement noted. The original architectural features of the Ganjasar and Khudavank cloisters in Kalbajar region, belonging to the ancient Albanian Christian heritage of Azerbaijan and having no connection with the Armenian Church, were changed to incorporate them into the Armenian Church, Hajiyev noted. Predatory exploitation of natural mineral resources of Kalbajar is also being carried out, he said. Base Metals CJSC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Armenia's Vallex Group CJSC, registered in Liechtenstein, since 2002 has been exploiting Gyzylbulag underground copper-gold mine near Heyvaly village in the occupied Kalbajar district of Azerbaijan. Predatory exploitation of that mine led to its almost complete depletion. Since 2007, GPM Gold, a subsidiary of GeoProMining Ltd., has been extracting ore in Soyudlu gold mine in the occupied Kalbajar district, he added. The construction of the Vardenis-Aghdara highway through the occupied Kalbajar district of Azerbaijan, is directly linked to gaining access to the areas in the occupied territories rich in natural resources and to facilitate exporting goods and minerals out of the occupied territories to Armenia and international markets, the statement said. As a result of predatory and illegal exploitation of mineral resources of Kalbajar serious damage has been inflicted on the environment, Hikmat Hajiyev said. Without due diligence imports of minerals, including gold extracted from the occupied Kalbajar and other districts of Azerbaijan by some western countries are matter of serious concern, he noted. By blatantly violating the international humanitarian law, Armenia transfers settlers and conducts demographic change in occupied Kalbajar region as it was also confirmed by OSCE fact-finding mission, the statement said. Following the statement of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) president on April 6, 1993, UNSC adopted resolution of 822 (1993) with regard to the occupation of Kalbajar district of Azerbaijan, Hajiyev said. UN Security Council Resolution 822 reaffirmed the principle of the inadmissibility of the use of force for the acquisition of territory and demanded immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from the Kalbajar district and other occupied lands of Azerbaijan. Following the adoption of Security Council resolution 822 (1993), the CSCE Minsk Group, composed of nine countries, worked out the timetable of urgent steps to implement the resolution, he added. Instead of withdrawing its armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, as demanded by the UNSC resolution, Armenia on the contrary continued to occupy Agdam, Jabrayil, Gubadly, Fizuli and Zangilan districts of Azerbaijan in 1993. In his report to the president of the Security Council, dated July 27, 1993, chairman of the CSCE Minsk Conference, Mario Raffaelli, emphasized that the Armenian side had disregarded Security Council demands, launched an attack, seized new territories in Azerbaijan and challenged the mediation efforts towards a settlement, Hajiyev noted. Along with the resolution 822, UNSC adopted resolutions 853 (1993), 874 (1993) and 884 (1993), and demanded immediate, unconditional and full withdrawal of occupying forces from all seized lands of Azerbaijan, he said. However, Armenia until now continues to disregard the implementation of the UNSC resolution demands. Escalation of the situation and attack of densely populated Azerbaijani settlements with heavy weapons along the line of contact by armed forces of Armenia on April 2, 2016 once again demonstrated that Armenias continuing occupation of Azerbaijani lands and the illegal presence of armed forces of Armenia in the seized lands of Azerbaijan remain a major threat to regional peace and security, according to the statement. In response to the attacks of Armenia, the armed forces of Azerbaijan have taken counter measures, which resulted in providing security of Azerbaijani civilians and liberation of strategically important lands of Azerbaijan from occupation, reads the statement. The only way to achieve a durable and lasting settlement is to ensure the unconditional and complete withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, to exercise the forcibly displaced population's inalienable right to return, he added. Armenian side, instead of wasting time and misleading its own people and the international community, must cease its policy of annexation and ethnic cleansing and comply with its international obligations and to engage constructively in the conflict settlement process, Hajiyev said. All responsibility falls on Armenian side for the maintenance of status quo of occupation. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 Trend: Rocket and artillery formations and units of the Azerbaijani army conducted live-fire exercises to improve the combat skills of military personnel according to the 2018 combat training plan approved by Azerbaijans defense minister, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a message April 2. The exercises were held in all firing ranges located in the frontline zone. The personnel successfully fulfilled all the assigned tasks. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Ilhama Isabalayeva Trend: Demonstrating intolerance towards other nations, Armenia thereby propagandizes fascism, Azerbaijani MP Rovshan Rzayev told Trend. "This springs from the insidious nature of Armenians. War criminal Garegin Nzhdeh was a supporter of the discriminatory and anti-Semitic ideology of the fascists. The fact that Armenians are heroizing him, build a monument to this man shows that even today they are followers of fascist ideas, without even trying to hide this, the MP noted. Rzayev noted that a survey held by the Pew Research Center, once again confirmed that there are widespread ideas of fascism and intolerance towards other peoples among Armenians. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 18 countries of Central and Eastern Europe during the year, Armenia was recognized as the most intolerant country in relation to the Jews among the states of Central and Eastern Europe. All states should take into account in their relations with Armenia that the country conducts a policy of anti-Semitism, the MP said. He expressed regret that a number of countries dont attach due importance to this fact. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Elchin Mehdiyev Trend: The successful operation of Azerbaijans national army as a response to the provocations of Armenia in April 2016 has once again demonstrated that Azerbaijan has a powerful army capable of liberating its occupied territories, Azerbaijani MP Bakhtiyar Aliyev told Trend. The battles showed that Azerbaijan has become a mighty state, it has a say in the region, and is capable of liberating its lands from the Armenian occupation at any moment, he said. Armenia has been creating myths about its army for many years, but the April battles have ruined these myths and showed how weak is Armenias army in front of the Azerbaijani army, the MP noted. These battles have changed the negotiation process on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in favor of Azerbaijan, Aliyev said, adding, Armenia and its patrons once again realized that Azerbaijan can liberate its lands at any time." Azerbaijan will achieve this. Our state just wants to solve this conflict peacefully through negotiations. If this is not possible, there is a mighty army of Azerbaijan. According to assessments by international organizations and experts, Azerbaijan has a strong army and equipment, the MP emphasized. Azerbaijan can liberate its lands from occupation based on its Constitution, he noted. If the co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group really support the peaceful resolution, they should put pressure on the aggressor to leave the territory of Azerbaijan and implement the relevant UN resolutions, Aliyev added. Two years pass since Azerbaijani armys victory in April 2016 clashes. On April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions and settlements of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire by the Armenian Armed Forces. As many as 30 tanks, up to 15 armored guns and fortifications belonging to the Armenians were destroyed, 320 Armenian soldiers were killed and more than 500 servicemen of the enemy were wounded during the clashes. Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr.2 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: Nepals Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, will lead Nepali delegation to the Mid-Term Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan on 5-6 April 2018, said a message from Nepals Foreign Ministry. Other members of the delegation will be Durga Prasad Bhattarai, Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations in New York, and Counselor Surendra Thapa, said the message. Nepal is a founding member of the non-aligned movement and its principles constitute important elements of Nepals foreign policy. The Non-Aligned Movement Mid-Term Ministerial Conference will be held in Baku on April 5-6 under the theme of Promoting international peace and security for sustainable development. Senior Officials meeting will be held on April 3-4 as a part of the preparation process for the Ministerial Conference. NAM participating states, representatives of observer states and international organizations, countries and institutions invited as special guests will take part in the Mid-Term Ministerial Conference. NAM includes 120 states. Seventeen states and 10 international organizations have an observer status in NAM. NAM Mid-Term Ministerial Conference, to be held in Baku, is expected to be attended by 800 participants. More than 150 representatives of local and foreign media have been registered to cover the event. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Samir Ali Trend: The 2016 April battles have shown that fighting and patriotic spirit of Azerbaijani soldiers are at a high level, Azerbaijani MP Elman Nasirov told Trend commenting on the military results of the April 2016 clashes. On April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions and settlements of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire by the Armenian Armed Forces. As a result of the shelling of Azerbaijans settlements located along the line of contact, civilians were killed, including two children. Numerous public and private facilities, including civil infrastructure, were severely damaged as a result of the attack. Azerbaijan responded with an armed offensive, which resulted in four days of fighting, as the country liberated several important strategic spots previously occupied by Armenian Armed Forces. As many as 30 tanks, up to 15 armored guns and fortifications belonging to the Armenians were destroyed, 320 Armenian soldiers were killed and more than 500 servicemen of the enemy were wounded during the clashes. As a result of the successful counteroffensive, more than 2,000 hectares of territory were liberated from the Armenian occupation. "The April battles showed the whole world that Azerbaijani soldier is always able to liberate our occupied lands upon the orders of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. The April battles demonstrated the high-level unity between the people and the army, and the people and the government. Prior to the April events, there was a myth about the alleged "invincibility" of the Armenian army. But these battles completely destroyed this myth, and it became clear that the Armenian army, first of all, does not have the spirit of patriotism. The Armenian army faces serious problems in this area. The fights showed that the combat training level of officers and even generals of the Armenian Army is at a very low level, and there are serious problems in providing this army with modern weapons. Armenian soldier doesn't know what he is fighting for. Since Armenian soldiers are sent out to die because of the lands that do not belong to Armenia, "the MP said. Nasirov added that the Armenian army still has not been able to cover after the April fights. "The political government gave false promises to the population about the allegedly strong Armenian army. After the April events, the lies of the government were revealed. The process of the mass departure of Armenian youth from their country is further intensified. The process runs in opposite direction in Azerbaijan. The April events showed the feelings of patriotism of Azerbaijani youth. During these days, students, schoolchildren, along with the entire population, sought to go the front-line zone, join the battles. Therefore, I believe that the April fights are one of the glorious pages of Azerbaijan," Nasirov stressed. Details added (first version posted on 10:28) Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 Trend: President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received deputy prime minister of Belarus, co-chairman of the Belarus-Azerbaijan intergovernmental commission for cooperation, Vladimir Semashko. At the meeting, the sides noted successful development of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Belarus in various spheres, as well as the availability of good opportunities for further strengthening of ties. During the conversation, the importance of identifying new areas of cooperation was stressed and the need to further increase trade turnover between the two countries was noted. Vladimir Semashko stressed that the assembly of the 10,000th tractor at the Ganja Automobile Plant is a significant event, and noted the importance of studying the opportunities of exporting the joint Azerbaijan-Belarus products to other countries. In turn, Ilham Aliyev stressed that during visits to the districts, farmers expressed satisfaction with the quality of the Azerbaijan-Belarus tractors and noted that there are good opportunities for their export. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 Trend: The Armenian army is completely demoralized, its military and political strategy has failed, Colonel Vagif Dargahli, head of the press service of Azerbaijans Defense Ministry, told Trend April 2. He was commenting on the military results of the April 2016 clashes. On April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions and settlements of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire by the Armenian Armed Forces. As a result of the shelling of Azerbaijans settlements located along the line of contact, civilians were killed, including two children. Numerous public and private facilities, including civil infrastructure, were severely damaged as a result of the attack. Azerbaijan responded with an armed offensive, which resulted in four days of fighting, as the country liberated several important strategic spots previously occupied by Armenian Armed Forces. As many as 30 tanks, more than 25 armored guns and fortifications belonging to the Armenians were destroyed, more than 320 Armenian soldiers were killed and more than 500 servicemen of the enemy were wounded during the clashes. As a result of the successful counteroffensive, more than 2,000 hectares of territory were liberated from the Armenian occupation. "There is no doubt that the escalation of the situation on the frontline from April 2 to 5 2016, and Armenia's attempt to carry out another military provocation against Azerbaijan, was planned by the opposite side in advance," according to Dargahli. "The analyzes of the causes and results of the events, proves that Armenia was ready to use any moment to commit sabotage on the contact line of the troops, and not only during this period, but also earlier. In October 2014, immediately after the Paris meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Armenian side conducted large-scale military exercises in the occupied Azerbaijani territories with participation of 46,000 personnel and over 5,000 units of military equipment. During these exercises, the Mi-24 helicopter deployed at the Erebuni military base in Armenia carried out a direct attack on the Azerbaijani positions and was destroyed by the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. From that moment, Armenia began to purposefully aggravate the situation on the front line and on the state border and continued to commit provocations," he said. Moreover, according to Dargahli, the state border was chosen as the main target, as Armenia pursued the goal of attracting a third party to the conflict. At the same time, in early 2015, the process of fundamental changes started in the military doctrine of Armenia, Dargahli said. Various people in the political and military leadership of Armenia tried to create an ideological ground for further aggressive activity, he noted. He added that starting from mid-March 2016, the Armenian armed forces, having expanded provocative activities, increased the shelling of border settlements and civilians residing in the villages located close to the contact line. The Armenian side started to use large-caliber weapons, grenade launchers, mortars, as well as artillery systems with caliber of above 120 millimeters, he said. The units of the Azerbaijani army struck back every time, and this led to losses in the enemys manpower and combat equipment, he noted. Wanting to take revenge for the failures at the frontline, the criminal military-political regime of Armenia once again tried to commit a provocation. Thus, on April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions and settlements of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire by the Armenian Armed Forces. Thanks to the joint coordinated activity of Azerbaijans military units, artillery units and other kinds of troops located in the Aghdere-Tartar-Aghdam and Khojavand-Fizuli directions of the frontline, retaliatory measures were taken against the Armenian armed units in a short time. As a result of attack, the enemy suffered losses in manpower, military equipment. Also other military infrastructure was destroyed, he added. The Armenian armed forces suffered heavy losses in these clashes, he said. The enemy repeatedly tried to return the lost territories by bringing additional military force from Armenia, including mercenaries and volunteers, but every time received a decent response and retreated, Dargahli said. Despite that during these clashes almost all Armenias military forces were involved in the operations, the Azerbaijani army attracted to military operations only a part of the forces located on the front line. The processes that occurred in the military-political leadership of Armenia after these events revealed problems and shortcomings in the apparatus of the government, including in the military structure of Armenia, he noted. Azerbaijan continues all the necessary measures to fulfill the tasks facing the Azerbaijani army, the operational situation along the frontline is fully controlled, and the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are ready to stop any provocations of the enemy, he added. The greatest assessment of the Azerbaijani armys activity during the April clashes was given by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Dargahli said. The words of the supreme commander-in-chief of Azerbaijans Armed Forces that April clashes demonstrated the might of the state and the army, unity, solidarity and patriotism of the Azerbaijani people are the highest assessment that was given to the April operations. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Samir Ali Trend: The April battles are the victory of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani MP Aydin Huseynov told Trend. He said that the Azerbaijani army demonstrated its power to Armenians in these battles and destroyed Armenians dreams. Since the occupation of Azerbaijani lands in 1992, Armenians have formed an idea that the Azerbaijani army is unable to fight against Armenians, but in April 2016, Azerbaijani soldiers showed that Armenians were mistaken and showed them the power of Azerbaijan, the MP noted. During the April battles, Azerbaijani soldiers liberated a few heights from Armenians in the shortest possible time to prove to the whole world that Azerbaijan is able to liberate its lands at any time, but we want the conflict to be solved peacefully, Huseynov said. He added that the April battles showed the strength and determination of the Azerbaijani army, once again proved the patriotism of Azerbaijani soldiers and once again demonstrated the principal position of the Azerbaijani state on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. The April battles wrote a glorious page in the history of Azerbaijan. The result of these battles showed to the world that Azerbaijan will never allow the creation of a second Armenian state in its territory and will liberate its lands anyway, Huseynov added. On April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions and settlements of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire by the Armenian Armed Forces. As a result of the shelling of Azerbaijans settlements located along the line of contact, civilians were killed, including two children. Numerous public and private facilities, including civil infrastructure, were severely damaged as a result of the attack. Azerbaijan responded with an armed offensive, which resulted in four days of fighting, as the country liberated several important strategic spots previously occupied by Armenian Armed Forces. As many as 30 tanks, up to 15 armored guns and fortifications belonging to the Armenians were destroyed, 320 Armenian soldiers were killed and more than 500 servicemen of the enemy were wounded during the clashes. As a result of the successful counteroffensive, more than 2,000 hectares of territory were liberated from the Armenian occupation. (Deatils added 13:36) Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 Trend: The Armenian army is completely demoralized, its military and political strategy has failed, Colonel Vagif Dargahli, head of the press service of Azerbaijans Defense Ministry, told Trend April 2. He was commenting on the military results of the April 2016 clashes. On April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions and settlements of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire by the Armenian Armed Forces. As a result of the shelling of Azerbaijans settlements located along the line of contact, civilians were killed, including two children. Numerous public and private facilities, including civil infrastructure, were severely damaged as a result of the attack. Azerbaijan responded with an armed offensive, which resulted in four days of fighting, as the country liberated several important strategic spots previously occupied by Armenian Armed Forces. As many as 30 tanks, up to 15 armored guns and fortifications belonging to the Armenians were destroyed, 320 Armenian soldiers were killed and more than 500 servicemen of the enemy were wounded during the clashes. As a result of the successful counteroffensive, more than 2,000 hectares of territory were liberated from the Armenian occupation. "There is no doubt that the escalation of the situation on the frontline from April 2 to 5 2016, and Armenia's attempt to carry out another military provocation against Azerbaijan, was planned by the opposite side in advance," according to Dargahli. "The analyzes of the causes and results of the events, proves that Armenia was ready to use any moment to commit sabotage on the contact line of the troops, and not only during this period, but also earlier. In October 2014, immediately after the Paris meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Armenian side conducted large-scale military exercises in the occupied Azerbaijani territories with participation of 46,000 personnel and over 5,000 units of military equipment. During these exercises, the Mi-24 helicopter deployed at the Erebuni military base in Armenia carried out a direct attack on the Azerbaijani positions and was destroyed by the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. From that moment, Armenia began to purposefully aggravate the situation on the front line and on the state border and continued to commit provocations," he said. Moreover, according to Dargahli, the state border was chosen as the main target, as Armenia pursued the goal of attracting a third party to the conflict. Details added (first version posted on 13:36) Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 Trend: The Armenian army is completely demoralized, its military and political strategy has failed, Colonel Vagif Dargahli, head of the press service of Azerbaijans Defense Ministry, told Trend April 2. He was commenting on the military results of the April 2016 clashes. On April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions and settlements of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire by the Armenian Armed Forces. As a result of the shelling of Azerbaijans settlements located along the line of contact, civilians were killed, including two children. Numerous public and private facilities, including civil infrastructure, were severely damaged as a result of the attack. Azerbaijan responded with an armed offensive, which resulted in four days of fighting, as the country liberated several important strategic spots previously occupied by Armenian Armed Forces. As many as 30 tanks, more than 25 armored guns and fortifications belonging to the Armenians were destroyed, more than 320 Armenian soldiers were killed and more than 500 servicemen of the enemy were wounded during the clashes. As a result of the successful counteroffensive, more than 2,000 hectares of territory were liberated from the Armenian occupation. "There is no doubt that the escalation of the situation on the frontline from April 2 to 5 2016, and Armenia's attempt to carry out another military provocation against Azerbaijan, was planned by the opposite side in advance," according to Dargahli. "The analyzes of the causes and results of the events, proves that Armenia was ready to use any moment to commit sabotage on the contact line of the troops, and not only during this period, but also earlier. In October 2014, immediately after the Paris meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Armenian side conducted large-scale military exercises in the occupied Azerbaijani territories with participation of 46,000 personnel and over 5,000 units of military equipment. During these exercises, the Mi-24 helicopter deployed at the Erebuni military base in Armenia carried out a direct attack on the Azerbaijani positions and was destroyed by the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. From that moment, Armenia began to purposefully aggravate the situation on the front line and on the state border and continued to commit provocations," he said. Moreover, according to Dargahli, the state border was chosen as the main target, as Armenia pursued the goal of attracting a third party to the conflict. At the same time, in early 2015, the process of fundamental changes started in the military doctrine of Armenia, Dargahli said. Various people in the political and military leadership of Armenia tried to create an ideological ground for further aggressive activity, he noted. He added that starting from mid-March 2016, the Armenian armed forces, having expanded provocative activities, increased the shelling of border settlements and civilians residing in the villages located close to the contact line. The Armenian side started to use large-caliber weapons, grenade launchers, mortars, as well as artillery systems with caliber of above 120 millimeters, he said. The units of the Azerbaijani army struck back every time, and this led to losses in the enemys manpower and combat equipment, he noted. Wanting to take revenge for the failures at the frontline, the criminal military-political regime of Armenia once again tried to commit a provocation. Thus, on April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions and settlements of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire by the Armenian Armed Forces. Thanks to the joint coordinated activity of Azerbaijans military units, artillery units and other kinds of troops located in the Aghdere-Tartar-Aghdam and Khojavand-Fizuli directions of the frontline, retaliatory measures were taken against the Armenian armed units in a short time. As a result of attack, the enemy suffered losses in manpower, military equipment. Also other military infrastructure was destroyed, he added. The Armenian armed forces suffered heavy losses in these clashes, he said. The enemy repeatedly tried to return the lost territories by bringing additional military force from Armenia, including mercenaries and volunteers, but every time received a decent response and retreated, Dargahli said. Despite that during these clashes almost all Armenias military forces were involved in the operations, the Azerbaijani army attracted to military operations only a part of the forces located on the front line. The processes that occurred in the military-political leadership of Armenia after these events revealed problems and shortcomings in the apparatus of the government, including in the military structure of Armenia, he noted. Azerbaijan continues all the necessary measures to fulfill the tasks facing the Azerbaijani army, the operational situation along the frontline is fully controlled, and the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are ready to stop any provocations of the enemy, he added. The greatest assessment of the Azerbaijani armys activity during the April clashes was given by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Dargahli said. The words of the supreme commander-in-chief of Azerbaijans Armed Forces that April clashes demonstrated the might of the state and the army, unity, solidarity and patriotism of the Azerbaijani people are the highest assessment that was given to the April operations. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Anvar Mammadov - Trend: Azerbaijan is building consistent and inclusive foreign policy, Iskander Akylbaev, director of the Kazakhstan Council for Foreign Relations, told Trend April 2. The foreign policy of Baku has always been remarkable for a balanced and constructive approach to regional and international security, he said. In this context, the South Caucasus region is a strategic transit and energy hub where Azerbaijan builds consistent and inclusive foreign policy. At the same time, Azerbaijan plays an important role in countering threats of terrorism and extremism in the region. Touching upon the main trends in the development of relations between Azerbaijan and Central Asia, in particular with Kazakhstan, Akylbaev noted that Azerbaijan is one of the key partners for the countries of Central Asia. The development of transit and transport routes, infrastructure, trade and cultural ties is topical for Baku and five countries of the Central Asian region, he said. He noted that relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are always distinguished by constructive steps in business, trade and joint transport projects. Last year, the intergovernmental commission of the two countries adopted a road map for 2018-2020 for the expansion of economic and trade cooperation, he added. More than 800 companies with the participation of Azerbaijani capital operate in Kazakhstan, and more than 70 Kazakh companies are implementing projects in Azerbaijan. In conclusion, commenting on the presidential election to be held April 11, Akylbaev noted that stability and consistent policy will be key criteria for Azerbaijani voters during the election. In conditions of international turbulence and uncertainty, stability is an important asset of any country, Akylbaev said. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Samir Ali Trend: The April 2016 battles sparked panic among the Armenians, Azerbaijani MP Tahir Karimli told Trend April 2. On April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions and settlements of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire by the Armenian Armed Forces. As a result of the shelling of Azerbaijans settlements located along the line of contact, civilians were killed, including two children. Numerous public and private facilities, including civil infrastructure, were severely damaged as a result of the attack. Azerbaijan responded with an armed offensive, which resulted in four days of fighting, as the country liberated several important strategic spots previously occupied by Armenian Armed Forces. As many as 30 tanks, up to 15 armored guns and fortifications belonging to the Armenians were destroyed, 320 Armenian soldiers were killed and more than 500 servicemen of the enemy were wounded during the clashes. As a result of the successful counteroffensive, more than 2,000 hectares of territory were liberated from the Armenian occupation. The Armenians are still in mourning, he said. Before the April 2016 battles, the Armenians created a myth about themselves. "The Armenians created such a myth that supposedly in Soviet period there were generals and marshals among Armenians with combat experience, he said. According to this myth, supposedly despite the small number of Armenians, they can defeat Azerbaijan, etc. But the unity of commanders and soldiers, as well as the advantage in high technologies shows that this myth of Armenians is just delirium, Karimli said. During the April battles, Azerbaijan liberated a big part of the occupied territories. This has once again proved that the Azerbaijanis have the will to liberate their lands. A vivid example is the restoration work after the April battles in Azerbaijans Jojug Marjanli village and other territories liberated from the occupation, he said. If the big countries had not stopped these battles, Azerbaijan would have continued. After these events, everybody was alarmed because indeed, Azerbaijan has a strong army and the Armenians would lose, so the big countries did not allow the Armenians to lose completely and tried to stop the battles. "Unfortunately, these countries have begun to conduct propaganda again and do not give Azerbaijan the opportunity to liberate its lands from the occupation, he said. But the April battles proved that Azerbaijan is always capable of showing its will. Presently, Azerbaijan has such a great incentive for the liberation of our lands as the April battles, and this will happen." Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 Trend: Ex-Ambassador of Russia in Kazakhstan Mikhail Bocharnikov may head the Russian diplomatic mission in Azerbaijan, a source in the parliament told Tass. His candidacy was approved on Monday by the State Duma's profil committee on CIS affairs, Eurasian integration and relations with compatriots. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Samir Ali - Trend: The State Migration Service of Azerbaijan detained a Moroccan citizen and a citizen of Cameroon, the migration service said in a message on April 2. Furthermore, eight citizens of Nepal were detained during the measures carried out jointly with the Azerbaijani State Security Service against illegal migration.. During the investigation, it was revealed that the citizens of Morocco and Nepal violated the rules of staying in Azerbaijan. Nepal's citizen Parajuli Sitaram was expelled from Azerbaijan by the State Migration Service in an administrative manner for previously committed illegal acts. Furthermore, it was revealed that a citizen of Cameroon, detained for illegal residence in the country, had previously been a student in Azerbaijan. He was issued a temporary residence permit in connection with full-time education, but then, despite the revocation of the permit, he refused to leave Azerbaijan. Appropriate measures are being taken to expel these foreigners from Azerbaijan. (Details added 16:53) Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Samir Ali - Trend: The State Migration Service of Azerbaijan detained a Moroccan citizen and a citizen of Cameroon, the migration service said in a message on April 2. Furthermore, eight citizens of Nepal were detained during the measures carried out jointly with the Azerbaijani State Security Service against illegal migration.. During the investigation, it was revealed that the citizens of Morocco and Nepal violated the rules of staying in Azerbaijan. Nepal's citizen Parajuli Sitaram was expelled from Azerbaijan by the State Migration Service in an administrative manner for previously committed illegal acts. Furthermore, it was revealed that a citizen of Cameroon, detained for illegal residence in the country, had previously been a student in Azerbaijan. He was issued a temporary residence permit in connection with full-time education, but then, despite the revocation of the permit, he refused to leave Azerbaijan. Appropriate measures are being taken to expel these foreigners from Azerbaijan. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 Trend: Each polling station will be provided with a stencil forms using Braille alphabet in Azerbaijan in connection with the presidential election scheduled for April 11. The Media and Public Relations Department of the Central Election Commission (CEC) told the independent media center Election-2018 that visually impaired citizens who have the right to vote will be able to cast their ballots for any candidate. Voters with disabilities will be able to use portable ramps at polling stations. As a result of the conducted work, it was revealed that there are voters with limited physical abilities at 1,455 polling stations, and conditions were created for unimpeded movement of these people and mobile ramps were installed. Thus, favorable conditions have been created for such voters at all polling stations. In general, according to the requirements of the Electoral Code, voters, who due to health reasons dont have the opportunity to come to the polling station, can use mobile ballot boxes to vote at home. The ramps will create an opportunity for their integration into society, for free voting at polling stations on a par with other voters. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Ilhama Isabalayeva Trend: The Ganja International Airport of Azerbaijan appealed to the relevant international organizations to replace the code "KVD" (the city's old name - Kirovabad), associated with the city's old name, with a new code "GNJ". Presently, Azerbaijan Airways CJSC, AZAL, is working to replace the old code with the new one. The code replacement is governed by international conventions and, if necessary, carried out only by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The code of the Ganja International Airport is shown as "KVD" in the electronic system and other supporting materials published so far by IATA and aviation companies. Theretofore, for its replacement all such materials around the world should be withdrawn from use or deleted. Therefore, in international practice, changing the airport code is considered a complex process. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Ali Mustafayev Trend: The enterprises of the textile and knitting-clothing industry of Uzbekistan will take part in the 23rd International Textile Industry Exhibition entitled Baltic Fashion & Textile RIGA 2018 in Riga on 12-14 April 2018, the press service of "Uztekstilprom" Association said in a message. Representatives of the textile and sewing and knitting industry of Uzbekistan will hold presentations of the Uzbek production, export and investment potential of textile enterprises of Uzbekistan. Participation in the exhibition is expected to contribute to the promotion and presentation of domestic light industry enterprises, innovative achievements, as well as providing broad opportunities for various investment projects international companies. Presently Latvia is one of the main trade partners of Uzbekistan from the EU. The countries have already concluded a set of agreements on industrial and economic cooperation, investment promotion and protection, and avoidance of double taxation. In 2017 Uzbekistan exported textile products worth $1.7 million to Latvia. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Ali Mustafayev Trend: Kazakhstan will continue the work on increasing of export of agricultural products to Iran, in particular, the country intends to expand the access to the Iranian livestock market, Head of the department of international integration of the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan Anna Semanenko told Trend. "By early 2018, we have achieved an increase in the export of rape seeds to Iran by 5.9 times, barley by 1.4 times, legume vegetables by 1.9 times. We have also exported 11,000 tons of sunflower seeds worth $4.4 million," Semanenko said. In 2018 Kazakhstan also plans to coordinate with Irans requirements for beef and live cattle import. "Veterinary requirements for delivery of live sheep, frozen and chilled mutton from Kazakhstan to Iran have been agreed with the Iranian side, with further accepting of veterinary certificates for the supply of live sheep and chilled lamb from Kazakhstan to Iran," she said, In September 2017, Kazakhstan also received a positive conclusion from the Ministry of Environment, Water Resources and Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the lifting of restrictions on the supply of large and small cattle from Kazakhstan to Saudi Arabia. "Presently, we continue our negotiations with the Saudi side on the development and harmonization of a veterinary certificate for the export of cattle," Semanenko added. Kazakhstan will also cooperate with the veterinary and phytosanitary services of Israel, Kuwait, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, the European Union countries on the possibility of supplying agricultural products to these countries. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Ali Mustafayev Trend: The representative of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Jordan Karamalakov, awarded SCAT airlines with a certificate of membership of IATA. "SCAT started to move in this route three years ago, and two years have passed since the company passed the audit, which gives the right to receive the IOSA security certificate. On this basis, the airline was able to fly to Europe on the basis of the permission of the European Association for the Safety of Air Transport," Karamalakov said at the solemn ceremony of launching the first flight of the new Boeing-737 Max 8, Kazakh media outlets reported. He stressed that the availability of this certificate opens new prospects for the airline in the field of cooperation with other air carriers on a global scale. "From now on, 92 percent of passengers in Kazakhstan are able to use airlines that have an IOSA security certificate. This is a significant achievement for Kazakhstan in the field of civil aviation," Karamalakov said. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Ilkin Shafiyev Trend: Azerbaijans Center for Simplified Support to Family Businesses (ABAD) intends to expand the range of products under its own brand, ABAD's director Rufat Elchiyev told Trend on April 2. "Innovations are expected to be made in the production of products, he said. The goods previously imported from abroad, new meat and dairy products, confectionery products, various beverages, dried fruits and a new direction for ABAD - hygiene and cosmetology will be presented under ABAD brand soon. ABAD supports all directions of medium and small business, Elchiyev said. Business is not only production. Therefore, in the future we will support ecotourism, production of non-food items, as well as some startups." Elchiyev said that for the first quarter of this year, more than 106,000 manats were transferred to the bank accounts of entrepreneurs cooperating with ABAD. "We are a public legal entity and are engaged in entrepreneurial activity to achieve our goals, he said. In our case, this is the sale of goods produced by family-owned businesses, therefore our budget is formed through that. We render support through both local and foreign donors. The Center for Simplified Support to Family Businesses (ABAD) was established upon the decree of the Azerbaijani president, dated Sept. 23, 2016. ABAD renders comprehensive support to families at all stages of the business, beginning from branding and registration of the enterprise and ending with the supply of products to the markets. Presently, the main areas for ABAD are agriculture, arts and crafts. (1.7 AZN = $1 on April 2) Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Maksim Tsurkov Trend: The Ganja Automobile Plant has produced 10,000th Belarus tractor, the plant told Trend April 2. Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko, Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub Eyyubov, Ambassador of Belarus to Azerbaijan Gennady Akhramovich, Director General of the Minsk Tractor Plant Fyodor Domotenko, Director General of the Minsk Automobile Plant Dmitry Katerinich, Head of the Ganja Executive Power office Elmar Valiyev, Head of the Ganja Automobile Plant Khanlar Fatiyev attended the ceremony dedicated to the production of the tractor. The guests reviewed the assembly lines and the machinery produced by the plant. Then the guests and the plant management discussed the further projects and prospects for the production of new machinery. In his turn, Semashko stressed the high level, dynamics and peculiarities of the relations between the two countries. The cooperation of the Ganja Automobile Plant and the Minsk Tractor and Automobile Plants is developing every day and these production sites are developing new projects for the export of machinery to third countries, he added. "Moreover, 10,000 Belarus tractors, about 3,000 MAZ trucks assembled at the Ganja Automobile Plant, testify to the correct format of cooperation, Semashko said. The bilateral memorandums on strategic cooperation signed this year show that in the near future the cooperation will become even closer." In his turn, Eyyubov said that the ceremony dedicated to the production of the 10,000th Belarus tractor testifies to the country's economic development. "The bilateral agreement signed during Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs visit to Belarus in 2006 laid the foundation for the development of bilateral relations, he said. Thanks to President Aliyevs attention and care, new industrial enterprises and new jobs were created and this gave a big momentum to the Azerbaijani economy." While delivering speech at the event, Fatiyev stressed that bilateral cooperation with Belarusian counterparts will continue and new projects will be implemented in the future. The Ganja Automobile Plant launched its activity in December 2004. Presently, the plant assembles "Belarus" tractors, as well as MAZ, KAMAZ and Ural cars. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend: SOCAR Energy Georgia (subsidiary of Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR in Georgia) defined specific activity directions for 2018 at a meeting in Tbilisi, the companys head Mahir Mammadov told Trend. He said that from March 30 to April 1 this year, SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev visited Georgia. During the visit, he was accompanied by his deputies Suleyman Gasimov, David Mammadov and head of the companys Investments Division Vagif Aliyev. During the visit, a business meeting was held between the SOCAR president and first deputy prime minister, minister of economy and sustainable development of Georgia Dimitri Kumsishvili, Mammadov said. The sides discussed issues of mutual cooperation and ways of further expansion and deepening of bilateral partnership in Georgia. He also noted that a production meeting was held in the head office of SOCAR Energy Georgia in Tbilisi. During the meeting, the leadership of SOCAR was acquainted with the results of the companys activities for 2017, as well as with further development plans, Mammadov noted. Following the meeting, specific activity directions of SOCAR Energy Georgia for 2018 were determined, taking into account the achievements of 2017. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Huseyn Valiyev Trend: Azerbaijans postal operator, Azerpost LLC, has opened a department in the Jojug Marjanli village of Jabrayil District, source familiar with the matter told Trend April 2. Currently, traditional postal services are provided to the population at the postal department. The list of services and financial services will be expanded in the future. The appeal on the possibility of providing financial services at the postal department has already been sent to the appropriate authorities, the source said. The opening of the postal department was taken into account when improving the village. Azerpost LLC has an extensive network of postal services, which includes more than 1,500 offices throughout the country. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Huseyn Valiyev Trend: All structural units of the Azerbaijani Transport, Communications and High Technologies Ministry switched to an enhanced mode of operation in connection with the forthcoming presidential election in Azerbaijan, Trend was told on April 2. A constant duty was organized at the telecommunication nodes of the state operators (Baku Telephone Communication Ltd. and Aztelekom) and employees conduct regular inspections of technical condition of the communication networks and cameras installed at the polling stations, the source said. All structural units of the Azerbaijani Transport, Communications and High Technologies Ministry were instructed to ensure uninterrupted provision of communication services, Internet, television, radio and postal services. The ministry also instructed to take additional measures to strengthen the security services and alert emergency brigades to promptly resolve possible problems. Furthermore, the optimization of the infrastructure of cable and sewage facilities in Baku, as well as construction and installation work was cancelled temporarily to avoid possible shortages in the operation of communication networks. Eight candidates were registered to participate in the April 11 presidential election in Azerbaijan. -- Follow the author on Twitter: @h_veliyev Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The Turkish Defense Ministry has announced a tender for technical support services for Microsoft premier software solutions. Microsoft Premier Support for Partners (PSfP) is the only partner support offering with complete, end-to-end managed support across the full Microsoft platform. Local and foreign companies, excluding consortiums, can take part in the tender. The tender will be held at 10:00 (UTC +3) on May 2, 2018. Bids and applications are accepted at: Msb Ankara Tedark Bolge Baskanlg Etlk Caddes (Esk Garajlar Yan) 06010 Etlik Kecioren/Ankara. For additional information, please call: (+90 312) 384 32 50 Fax: (+90 312) 384 32 61. Email: [email protected] Tender fee is 50 Turkish liras. (1 USD = 3.9560 TRY on April 2) --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, April 2 By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend: Another meeting of the working groups of the Uzbek-Turkmen intergovernmental commission on the delimitation and demarcation of the state border between the two countries has been held in Turkmenistans Turkmenabat city, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said in a message April 2. During the meeting, the results of joint field topographical and geodetic work at some sections of the common state border were reviewed and an agreement was reached to continue the work on the basis of the schedule for 2018. "The meeting was held in a warm and friendly atmosphere and a protocol was signed following the talks," the message said. The agreements reached during Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyevs state visit to Turkmenistan on March 6-7, 2017 gave an impetus to the negotiations on the legal registration of the Turkmen-Uzbek state border with a length of 1,650 kilometers. In November 2017 it was reported that the Turkmen Parliament ratified the agreement on the area of the point of junction of state borders among Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The document itself was signed on November 10 in Uzbekistans Samarkand city at the level of foreign ministers of the three countries. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Ali Mustafayev Trend: The members of the government of Uzbekistan met with the delegation of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) headed by the Director-General William L. Swing in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan. During the conversation, the sides discussed promising areas of development of cooperation between Uzbekistan and IOM, the press service of the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said in a message. "The IOM delegation was informed that Uzbekistan is considering the possibility of participating in the work of the organization as a full member. In this context, the sides confirmed mutual interest in strengthening and expanding relations," according to the message. Currently, Uzbekistan is not a member of IOM, whose mission is to contribute to the solution of migration regulation issues and development of international cooperation in this field. The program of the IOM delegation's visit to Uzbekistan also includes meetings in the Security Council under the president of Uzbekistan, the members of the government, the Interior Ministry, and the Prosecutor General's Office. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Ali Mustafayev Trend: The agreement on use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, signed by Tashkent and Moscow in late 2017, came into force on April 1. The text of the document is published on the official portal of the legal information of Russia. Promising areas of cooperation between Russia and Uzbekistan in this direction are the creation of a national infrastructure and training of personnel for the nuclear energy sector of Uzbekistan, the construction of nuclear power plants, as well as, research reactors in the country. The agreement also deals with the exploration and development of uranium deposits in Uzbekistan, the reclamation of uranium tailings, the production of radioisotopes and their apply in medicine, agriculture industries and scientific researches. The cooperation between the two countries in this sphere also envisages formation of joint working groups for the implementation of specific projects and scientific researches, as well as the exchange of expert views and the organization of seminars and symposia. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Gazenfer Hamidov Trend: Irans annual target of $53 billion worth of non-oil exports for the last fiscal year has materialized by 79 percent during the first 11 months of the year (March 20, 2017-Feb. 20, 2018). The latest official statistics indicate that Iran has exported $41.7 billion worth of non-oil goods (including gas condensates) during the first 11 months of the last fiscal year, which is equal to 86 percent of targeted figure for the period ($48.58 billion). The Islamic Republic increased its export target by $3 billion for the last fiscal year (March 20, 2017-2018) to $53 billion, despite the fact that the countrys non-oil exports stood at $43.93 billion in the one-year period to March 2017. Irans non-oil exports registered a rise by 4.7 percent in terms of value, year-on-year during the 11-month period, according to a report from the Islamic Republics Trade Promotion Organization (TPOI). The volume of exports amounted to 117.96 million tons in the period, 0.81 percent more compared to the preceding year. Irans non-oil trade balance during the 11-month period of last fiscal year witnessed a fall by 612 percent and became -5.967 billion, after experiencing a positive balance previous year. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Gazenfer Hamidov Trend: Irans oil exports to Japan (including gas condensates) in February reached 5.04 million barrels, according to the official data. Compared to the preceding month, the figure indicates a fall by 20 percent, Japans ministry of economy, trade and industry said in a statement. Compared to February 2017, the exports registered a fall by 21.8 percent. The figure includes 478,704.9 barrels of condensate exported from Irans South Pars gas field, which is 51 percent less compared to condensate exports to Japan in January. However, it is 67 percent less, while compared to February 2017. Besides condensate, the Islamic Republics oil export to Japan includes 253,831.6 barrels of light oil, 2.912 million barrels of heavy oil. Iran was Japans fifth oil supplier after Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar with a share of 6 percent in February 2018, while the country supplied 6.5 percent of the Asian countrys oil demand in February 2017 (6.45 million). The Islamic Republic supplied 5.9 percent of Japans oil demand in January 2018. Saudi Arabia exported 34.83 million barrels of oil to Japan in February 2018 (41.5 percent of the countrys total crude imports.) Irans oil exports to Japan reached 83.94 million barrels in the fiscal year of 2016, which is a 38-percent increase compared to the preceding year. Iran ensured 7 percent of Japans oil demand in 2016. Irans oil exports increased by 1 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2016 to 2.42 mb/d and the figure would increase to 2.59 mb/d in 2018, IMF previously said in a report. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Azer Ahmadbayli Trend: The UK, Germany and France keep flogging a dead horse in the hope to save JCPOA (the nuclear agreement) between Iran and the major world powers. In an attempt to preserve the deal, which US President Donald Trump threatens to terminate on May 12, they have recently had meetings with some other EU states in Brussels, discussing imposition of sanctions on about 15 top Iranians preferably members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. The European powers hope that new sanctions initiative will help soften Trumps red-line position and see the deal survive another day, Reuters says. That is, the necessity to impose new sanctions springs solely from Trumps tough stance, not from real intention to punish the guilty. If I were in Irans place I would laugh at this ridiculousness. The situation has turned more absurd when Italy, with support from Spain and Austria, objected to the new sanctions. Rome says they will not be enough to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to preserve the nuclear deal and could endanger burgeoning business ties with Iran, according to Reuters. Italy and the other EU states deem it quite justified that the proposed sanctions will not stop Washington from abandoning the nuclear agreement. President Trump expects a lot more than simple travel bans and freezed assets of 15 Iranians, even linked to Irans ballistic missile program. In this regard, a smart line of Tuco from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly comes to mind: When you have to shoot... shoot, don't talk. In the meantime, despite the EU is still trying to support the nuclear agreement, you hardly find a sign of wishful thinking among Irans leadership. It is most likely that they have long been planning their activity in compliance with the background that the agreement is terminally ill patient. Different from the vulnerable Middle East, to the North of Iran there is a vast area covering the territory of the former Soviet Union, where political environment is relatively stable mostly because of Russias geopolitical influence, and where markets are not fully occupied by other players. Tehran continues to reinforce its relations with northern neighbors. Recent voyages of President Rouhani to Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, as well as the coming visit to Turkey testify to this. Reinforcing ties with Russia, Turkey, South Caucasus and Central Asia states aims to help protect the countrys economy from damaging affect of the new Western sanctions, if imposed. Good news for Tehran came last week from China, which has made an important step towards promoting its national currency. On March 26, oil futures trading began on the Shanghai International Energy Exchange, where foreign traders could pay for oil in yuan instead of the US dollar. China is the worlds biggest oil buyer, while the oil constitutes the core of Irans economy. The use of the new financial instrument introduced by China can be a favorable solution for Iran and some other US-sanctioned states to remain independent from the US dollar pressure. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The region needs close cooperation between Turkey and Azerbaijan, former Turkish minister for EU affairs Egemen Bagis told Trend. Bagis added that as is known, Turkey and Azerbaijan are one nation, two states, and cooperation between the countries is beneficial for the region. "Turkey always supports Azerbaijan in the issue of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," he said. The relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan, headed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Ilham Aliyev, are strengthening, and this makes our countries even stronger, he said. Bagis said that thanks to the policy pursued by the leadership of fraternal Azerbaijan, the country began to play an active and important role in the world energy policy. "Turkey is proud of Azerbaijans success," he said. Azerbaijan and Turkey are the initiators and participants of big energy and transport projects in the region. Among those projects are the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline projects. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was put into operation in 2017, which will ensure more active economic and trade cooperation between Ankara and Baku by attracting a big flow of goods from Central Asian countries to Europe. The Southern Gas Corridor project, aimed at ensuring energy security of Europe, will be launched in 2018. The gas via the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline will be initially supplied to Turkey and then in 2020 via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline to Europe. Such important projects serve the economic well-being of not only Azerbaijan and Turkey, but the whole region. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu The explosion occurred on Monday evening on the Northern Avenue in the center of Yerevan. There are several victims, Sputnik reported citing the press service of the Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations. "On April 2, at 20.44 local time, we received a signal that there was an explosion on the Northern Avenue in Yerevan; there are victims, and they need assistance," the Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations said in a statement. Seven people, including foreign citizens, have been injured in an oxygen cylinder explosion, according to the ministry. Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has wished a happy Passover to Georgias Jewish community and all those celebrating the holiday, Agenda reports. In his address to the countrys Jewish population, Kvirikashvili said Passover is a long-standing symbol of freedom and loyalty. "We cherish the 26-century friendship between the Georgian and Jewish people. We have given this unique relationship the status of intangible cultural heritage, PM Kvirikashvili said. Passover is a major Jewish holiday that commemorates the liberation of Jews from slavery and the exodus from ancient Egypt. Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, Georgia's State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality also joined in on the celebrations. "The friendship between Georgian and Jewish people is valuable for everyone... their culture and religion are undivided part of our country, Tsikhelashvili said. Georgian Jews are one of the oldest communities in Georgia, tracing their migration into the country back to the Babylonian exile and expulsion in the 6th century BCE. The 2600-year-long history of the Georgian Jews is notable for its lack of anti-semitic events and a visible assimilation of the Jews of the country into the Georgian language and culture. Londons murder rate has surpassed New York for the first time after a man was stabbed to death on Sunday - the 12th homicide in the English capital over a span of 19 days, Euronews reports. The man in his twenties was attacked after leaving a bar in the southern borough of Wandsworth. So far this year, 46 people have been fatally stabbed, shot or injured in London compared to 50 in the Big Apple. The New York Police Department (NYPD) investigated 18 killings in January compared to eight in the English capital. But the gap quickly closed in February, when Londons Metropolitan police force recorded 15 murders, compared to 11 in New York. In March, 22 homicides were investigated in London, while 21 were recorded by the NYPD. Statistics going back decades also reveal a worrying trend. According to a report from Britains Sunday Times newspaper, New Yorks murder rate has plunged by 87 percent since the 1980s, whereas Londons has soared by almost 40 percent in three years. The deaths do not count victims from terrorist attacks. Both cities have a population size of around eight-and-a-half million people. U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday congratulated Egyptian incumbent President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi in a phone call for his landslide win in the country's presidential election, said the White House, Xinhua reported. "President Trump congratulated President Al Sisi on his reelection," said the White House in a statement. The two leaders also reaffirmed the strategic partnership between the United States and Egypt, according to the statement. The U.S. State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a separate statement on Monday that Washington will continue to work to advance its shared objectives with Cairo, while voicing its concerns on Egypt's basic rights and freedoms. "We will continue to encourage a broadening of opportunities for political participation for Egyptians, and emphasize the importance of the protection of human rights and the vital role of civil society in Egypt," said Nauert. Sisi made an overwhelming victory in the election, winning 97.08 percent of the valid votes, the official results showed on Monday. The total turnout was 41.05 percent. Iraq plans to award oil and gas exploration and development contracts in 11 new blocks on April 15, oil ministry spokesman Asim Jihad said on Sunday, Al Jazeera reports. Iraq had initially set June 21 as the date to open the bids for the new blocks, located in border areas with Iran and Kuwait, and in offshore Gulf waters. Bidding documents will be made available to oil companies planning to make offers on April 13, Jihad told the Reuters news agency. The offers will have to be submitted on April 15 and the winners will be announced the same day, he added. The oil ministry announced on Thursday measures to reduce the fees received by the oil companies from the government in the new contracts. The new contracts will exclude oil by-products from the companies' revenues, establish a linkage between prevailing oil prices and their remuneration, and introduce a royalty element. Oil producers in Iraq currently receive a fee from the government linked to production increases, which include crude and oil by-products such as liquefied petroleum gas and dry gas. OPEC's second-largest producer, after Saudi Arabia, Iraq decided to change the contracts after a glut caused oil prices to crash in 2014, reducing Baghdad's ability to pay the fees. Companies including BP, Exxon Mobil, Eni, Total and Royal Dutch Shell helped Iraq increase its production in the past decade by over 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) to about 4.7 million bpd. Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia is expected to cut prices for all crude grades it sells to Asia in May to reflect weaker prices for its Middle East benchmark Dubai crude, trade sources said on Monday, Reuters reports. The official selling price (OSP) for flagship Arab Light crude could fall by 50-70 cents, to the lowest in six months, a Reuters survey of six refiners and traders showed. We expect cuts of 50-60 cents across all grades, one of the respondents said, in line with market changes last month. The price spread between the first and third month Dubai spot prices widened by 55 cents a barrel in contango in March versus February, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity because there werent authorized to discuss the matter with media. In a contango market, prompt prices are lower than those in future months, indicating weak demand for spot cargoes. Most of the respondents expect similar price cuts across all grades in May, although one person said he expects a smaller cut for Arab Extra Lights OSP on support from firm naphtha margins. He also expects a bigger price cut for Arab Heavy because of widening losses in producing fuel oil.Saudi crude OSPs are usually released around the fifth of each month, and set the trend for Iranian, Kuwaiti and Iraqi prices, affecting more than 12 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude bound for Asia. State oil giant Saudi Aramco sets its crude prices based on recommendations from customers and after calculating the change in the value of its oil over the past month, based on yields and product prices. Saudi Aramco officials as a matter of policy do not comment on the kingdoms monthly OSPs. Technology is being tested in Qatar that could help doctors diagnose autism in minutes rather than months, Al Jazeera reports. Researchers at the Qatar Biomedical Research Institute are testing a device that diagnoses autism in infants as young as six months old by tracking their eye movement. With a success rate of 85 percent, the device picks up eye gaze abnormalities linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Dr Omar El-Agnaf, research team leader, said an early diagnosis makes all the difference. "The longer a child with autism goes without help, the harder intervention becomes. Therefore early intervention is the key for autism," he told Al Jazeera. Getting a diagnosis for ASD in Qatar was not always straightforward. Faisal, 11, was diagnosed eight years ago. "Back in the day it felt like, where do I go now? So I did travel to the US tro try to get a proper diagnosis, which I got," his mother, Hasna, said. In the first study of its kind in the region, scientists found that at least one in 100 children in Qatar suffer from some form of ASD. The figure had previously been put at three in every 1,000. Doctors hope the findings of the study will pinpoint genetic factors that may influence autism and prove useful when it comes to treatment. Monday marks world autism day. Autism spectrum disorder is a collection of complex disorders that affect a persons brain development. The US Centre for Disease Control estimates that 1 in 68 children are affected with autism, while the World Health Organization suggests a prevalence rate of 1 percent, with boys being five times more likely than girls to be affected by the disorder. Children who suffer from the disorder commonly demonstrate a range of symptoms that include difficulties with communication, social interaction, and restricted repetitive behaviours. Londons murder rate has surpassed New York for the first time after a man was stabbed to death on Sunday the 12th homicide in the English capital over a span of 19 days, Euronews reports. The man in his twenties was attacked after leaving a bar in the southern borough of Wandsworth. So far this year, 46 people have been fatally stabbed, shot or injured in London compared to 50 in the Big Apple. The New York Police Department (NYPD) investigated 18 killings in January compared to eight in the English capital. But the gap quickly closed in February, when Londons Metropolitan police force recorded 15 murders, compared to 11 in New York. In March, 22 homicides were investigated in London, while 21 were recorded by the NYPD. Statistics going back decades also reveal a worrying trend. According to a report from Britains Sunday Times newspaper, New Yorks murder rate has plunged by 87 percent since the 1980s, whereas Londons has soared by almost 40 percent in three years. The deaths do not count victims from terrorist attacks. Both cities have a population size of around eight-and-a-half million people. Despite the findings, a Met spokesperson said London remains one of the safest cities in the world. The Met is concerned at the increase in murders in London, and specialist detectives from the Mets homicide and major crime command are investigating, they added. One murder is one too many, and we are working hard with our partners to understand the increase and what we can all do to prevent these tragedies from happening in the first place. Belgrade has suggested hosting a meeting between the Russian and US presidents, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic told Pink TV on Monday, TASS reports. "As for a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Serbian, it depends on the current diplomatic situation," Dacic said. "Serbia would probably make the best place for such a meeting. We have passed our proposal to both sides, they will now decide if a meeting takes place at all. Many countries have been taking advantage of Serbias position and holding dialogue on our territory," the Serbian top diplomat added. Dacic also said that a while ago, Serbia hosted confidential peace talks "aimed at resolving problems facing a county, which surprised global powers." However, he declined to say which country he was referring to, noting that it would reveal itself if considered it appropriate. The Russian and US presidents held a telephone conversation on March 20. Trump said later that he had called Putin to congratulate him on winning the presidential election. According to the US president, Russia "can help solve problems with North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, ISIS, Iran and even the coming arms race." Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the two leaders "agreed to hand instructions to the Russian foreign minister and the US state secretary to contact each other as soon as possible and start considering practical matters concerning preparations for a summit." Serbias foreign policy targets include joining the European Union, at the same time maintaining friendly relations with Russia and China, as well as boosting relations with the United States. Belgrade plans to preserve military neutrality, refraining from joining NATO and other military blocs. Such a position raises objections in Brussels but provides Belgrade with the opportunity to act as "a diplomatic bridge" between the West and Russia. In particular, Russian Presidential Aide Vladislav Surkov and US Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker held meetings in Belgrade on October 7 and November 13, 2017. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Canada, Italy and Germany will take in some of Israels African migrants under an agreement Israel reached with the U.N. refugee agency, Reuters reports. Under the deal with the UNHCR, Israel said it plans to relocate more than 16,000 migrants to Western countries. This is) a unique agreement between the U.N. commissioner and the state of Israel, that takes 16,250 people out, takes them out to developed countries like Canada, or Germany and Italy - that is the commitment the U.N. High Commissioner has made - to organize it and even to fund it, Netanyahu said on live television. Israel said on Monday it has scrapped a plan to deport African migrants to Africa and reached an agreement with the U.N. refugee agency to send more than 16,000 to Western countries instead, Reuters reported. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named Canada, Italy and Germany as some of the nations that will take in the migrants - although they appeared not to have been informed of the plan yet. Other migrants in Israel, many of whom are seeking asylum, will be allowed to remain in the country, which they entered illegally on foot through the border with Egypt, for at least the next five years. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in a statement confirmed an agreement was signed with Israel, but did not name the countries that would accept the migrants. But a spokesman for the German Interior Ministry said he was unaware of any plans to resettle African migrants from Israel to Germany. And in Italy, a Foreign Ministry source said: There is no agreement with Italy in the context of the bilateral agreement between Israel and the UNHCR. The fate of some 37,000 Africans in Israel has posed a moral dilemma for a state founded as a haven for Jews from persecution and a national home. The right-wing government has been under pressure from its nationalist voter base to expel the migrants. But the planned mass deportation led to legal challenges in Israel, drew criticism from the United Nations and rights groups and triggered an emotional public debate among Israelis. In February, Israeli authorities started handing out notices to 20,000 male African migrants giving them two months to leave for a third country in Africa or risk being put in jail indefinitely. Teklit Michael, who came to Israel from Eritrea a decade ago, said he was delighted by the new deal. I saw in the past few years a lot of people lose their hopes because of that deportation to an unsafe place, said Michael, 29. Two Russian diplomats who worked in Australia have left the country, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop confirmed on Monday morning, TASS reports. "The staff of the Russian Embassy in Australia who were given seven days to leave, following expulsion, have complied with the deadline and have already left the country," the minister noted in a written statement to SBS News. TASS earlier reported citing some diplomatic sources that two Russian diplomats had left Canberra late on Sunday. On March 27, the Australian government announced its decision to expel two Russian diplomats over the poisoning of former Russian military intelligence Colonel Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. They were ordered to leave the country within seven days. On March 4, former Russian military intelligence Colonel Sergei Skripal, who had been convicted in Russia of spying for Great Britain and was later swapped for Russian intelligence officers, and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a bench near the Maltings shopping center in Salisbury, UK. Police said they had allegedly been exposed to a nerve agent. London immediately accused Russia of being involved, but failed to produce any evidence. UK Prime Minister Theresa May rushed to blame Russia for "unlawful use of force" against her country. She identified the alleged substance used in the attack as the so-called Novichok nerve agent, allegedly developed in the former Soviet Union. Subsequently, the UK expelled 23 Russian diplomats and announced other restrictive measures against Moscow. Russia has flatly rejected these allegations pointing out that neither the Soviet Union nor Russia had any programs to develop that substance. Some European countries, along with the US, Canada and Australia, decided to expel more than 100 Russian diplomats over the Skripal episode. On Friday, the heads of the diplomatic missions of those countries, which made such a decision, were summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry. They were handed over notes of protest and informed about Moscows tit-for-tat steps. On Saturday, Australias Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said two staff members of Australias Embassy in Moscow would return home. He described that move as "a disappointing, although not unexpected, reaction by the Russian government to the decision of the Australian government to expel two Russian diplomats." Moscow is outraged by Pragues decision to extradite Russian citizen Yevgeny Nikulin to the US, as this step undermines the foundations of cooperation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday, TASS reports. "We are outraged at the Czech Republics extradition of Russian citizen Nikulin - who was apprehended at Washingtons request and held in custody since October 2016 - to the United States," the statement reads. "We are disappointed that instead of taking legal norms into account, the Czech Republic has made a decision seeking to once again show loyalty to its ally, which has been declared an absolute priority recently," the Russian Foreign Ministry added. "We consider the decision made by Prague to be a deliberate and politically motivated step aimed at undermining the constructive foundations of bilateral cooperation," the statement says. "We will take all the necessary measures in order to ensure the rights and interests of the Russian citizen," the Foreign Ministry stressed. The ministry pointed out that "the request to hand Nikulin over to Moscow, filed by the Russian Prosecutor Generals Office, was ignored, as well as our calls for taking into account the fact that given the anti-Russian hysteria in the United States, our citizen cannot be given a fair trial in that country." According to the ministry, all of this points to the violation of legal norms in Nikulins case. US President Donald Trumps declared intention to pull US troops out of Syria demonstrate his commitment to promises to leave that country after the victory over the Islamic State, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow on Monday, TASS reports. "What we find particularly worrisome is that despite constant promises the United States sole goal in Syria is struggle against terrorism over the past month we have seen US efforts to get deeply entrenched on the Eastern bank of the Euphrates," Lavrov said. In his opinion, Trumps latest statements mean that "he is committed at least to the previous promises the United States will leave Syria after victory over the Islamic State." Russian Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and African Countries and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Yemeni Ambassador to Russia Ahmed Salem Al-Wahishi talked about bilateral cooperation and ending hostilities in this Middle Eastern country, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported on Monday, TASS reports. "Current issues on the Russian-Yemeni bilateral agenda were discussed during the talks, particularly from the perspective of the 90th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries that is being celebrated in 2018," the ministry reported. "In sharing its views on the developing military-political and humanitarian situation in Yemen, the Russian side restated the goal of an immediate end to the hostilities in the Republic of Yemen as a prerequisite necessary to alleviate the suffering of the civilian population, and step up inclusive national dialogue on ways for a post-crisis arrangement for the Yemeni state," the Foreign Ministry stressed. Since August 2014, Yemen has been embroiled in a conflict between its authorities, which the global community recognizes as legitimate, and rebel groups, which were earlier backed by the forces loyal to ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The conflict reached its boiling point following the invasion by the Saudi-led coalition in March 2015 at the request Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. The situation escalated in late November 2017 when violent clashes broke out in Sana'a, prompted by the Houthi rebels (supporters of the Ansar Allah movement) attempts to seize a number of facilities that were controlled by Salehs supporters. On December 2, the former head of state declared a break in partner relations with them and on December 4 he was killed by the rebels. Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Hassan Rouhani of Iran, who will have a meeting in Ankara on April 4, will discuss the Iran nuclear deal in the light of the United States statements on its possible revision, Russian presidents aide Yuri Ushakov said on Monday, TASS reports. "We expect that Putin and Rouhani will discuss the situation around the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in the light of signals from the Americans about their intention to revise the terms of the deal," he told journalists. "The Russian side sees its key task in preserving the efficiency of this joint plan of action, which is especially important bearing in mind that Iran is fully implementing its liabilities, which is regularly confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," he said, adding that this position is shared by China and European partners. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the deal on Irans nuclear program, was signed between Iran and six international mediators (the United Kingdom, Germany, China, Russia, the United States, and France) on July 14, 2015. On January 16, 2016, the parties to the deal announced beginning of its implementation. Under the deal, Iran undertakes to curb its nuclear activities and place them under total control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in exchange of abandonment of the sanctions imposed previously by the United Nations Security Council, the European Union and the United States over its nuclear program. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The Turkish Air Force conducted a military operation to eliminate the PYD / YPG terrorists, who are hiding in the mountains after the liberation of the Syrian district of Afrin, the Turkish General Staff said on April 2. Reportedly, the operation to eliminate terrorists was carried out near the Razho village. On March 18, Turkish Armed Forces and the Free Syrian Army liberated Afrin city from PYD/YPG terrorists. On Jan. 20, the Turkish Armed Forces, together with the Free Syrian Army, launched the Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria. On Aug. 24, 2016, Turkish Armed Forces, with the support of the Syrian opposition, launched the Euphrates Shield Operation against the IS militants and liberated the city of Jarabulus as well as the city of Al-Bab in northern Syria. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The military operation in Syrias Afrin continues and will continue until the elimination of the last terrorist, the Turkish media quoted the countrys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan April 2. He said that the Turkish Armed Forces have eliminated 3,872 terrorists since the beginning of the Operation Olive Branch. Erdogan also noted that Turkey can start a new military operation in Syria anytime. The Turkish Air Force has today conducted a military operation to eliminate PYD/YPG terrorists, who, after the liberation of the Syrias Afrin, are hiding in the mountains. On Jan. 20, the Turkish Armed Forces, together with the Free Syrian Army, launched the Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The Iraqi court sentenced to death six Turkish women, who were members of the Islamic State terrorist organization, Turkish media reported on April 2. Reportedly, one Turkish citizen was already sentenced to death on March 1. No other details have been reported. According to Iraqi media, 38 foreigners, who were members of terrorist organizations, were executed in Iraq in 2017. -- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Dupa inscrierea pe site-ul HotNews.ro, poti deschide sectiunea MyHotNews ca sa completezi sau sa schimbi profilul de utilizator. Atentie! Logarea pe site se face cu adresa de email, nu cu nickname-ul. Adresa ta de email va ramane confidentiala si nu va fi niciodata data unor terte persoane sau institutii. Inainte de a te inscrie pe site te rugam sa parcurgi termenii si conditiile atasate unui cont HotNews.ro. KYODO NEWS - Apr 2, 2018 - 19:41 | Arts, World, All North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended a historic performance by South Korean pop stars in Pyongyang on Sunday, state-run media reported, marking a further thaw in relations between the two countries. The 120-member musical troupe, which includes veteran singer Cho Yong Pil and girl group Red Velvet, flew to North Korea on Saturday for two concerts, the first time for South Korean artists to perform in the North since 2005. Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, were seated in the balcony next to South Korean culture minister Do Jong Whan, who is leading the delegation, and during the packed performance Kim was seen clapping and smiling, Seoul's media reported. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency quoted Kim as saying he "was deeply moved to see our people sincerely acclaiming the performance, deepening the understanding of the popular art of the south side." "When such good atmosphere is preserved carefully and continuously, only the beautiful spring when new buds sprout and flowers blossom and the rich autumn when the crops are abundant will always be in the way of our fellow countrymen," Kim was also quoted as saying. (Pool photo taken from video footage) The praise he lavished on the performance is remarkable given that South Korean pop music is prohibited in the North. Apparently inspired by the two-hour performance titled "Spring Comes," Kim said a concert titled "Autumn Comes" should be held in Seoul around the fall, according to the South Korean media pool, but KCNA did not report such remarks. The performance was held two days after Kim met with visiting International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and pledged that his country will "definitely" take part in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the Beijing Winter Games in 2022. Kim also held a surprise summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in late March during his first foreign trip as North Korea's supreme leader, fueling expectations that he may intensify a diplomatic offensive. Kim, who became North Korea's leader following the death of his father Kim Jong Il in 2011, is expected to hold separate summits with South Korean President Moon Jae In on April 27 and U.S. President Donald Trump after that, possibly by the end of May. (Pool photo from a rehearsal) The two Koreas remain technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a cease-fire. Among the other officials who attended Sunday's performance was Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un's sister and close aide, who also serves as the first vice department director of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party. The art group is in the North to reciprocate a North Korean troupe's performances in South Korea on the occasion of the Pyongchang Winter Olympics in February. The group is scheduled to stage a joint performance with North Korean musicians on Tuesday. Prior to Sunday, the last South Korean performance was in 2005, when Cho, 68, held a solo concert in Pyongyang. (KCNA/Kyodo) In a separate move, Do, who is also the South's sports minister, and North Korean Physical Culture and Sports Minister Kim Il Guk agreed Monday that the two countries will make efforts to realize a joint march of their athletes at the Asian Games in Indonesia this year, the South's media pool said. Do and Kim also discussed expanding inter-Korean sports exchanges at their meeting in Pyongyang, the pool said. The latest art performance took place on the same day South Korea and the United States began their annual joint military exercises, which had been postponed until after the Paralympics in South Korea that ended March 18. Pyongyang has long opposed the exercises as preparations for invasion, but North Korean media have yet to respond to the resumption of the U.S.-South Korea military drills. Relations between the two Koreas have been improving since North Korea decided in January to take part in the Olympics hosted by South Korea. By Junko Horiuchi, KYODO NEWS - Apr 2, 2018 - 11:27 | Feature, All With trips to Japan being so popular among people from Hong Kong, Tokyo sees the city as a testing ground for trying out various initiatives and analyzing behavioral patterns as it seeks to attract more foreign tourists. A record 2.2 million Hongkongers visited Japan in 2017, up 21.3 percent from the previous year, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. This means that more than one in three people from the Chinese territory have visited Japan, and almost 21 percent of them have done so more than 10 times. "There is nowhere else that resonates as much as Hong Kong. The locals really like Japan and have deep knowledge that even we Japanese don't know," said Yasumasa Shimizu, JNTO's senior director at the Hong Kong office, citing as an example the popularity among Hong Kong people of the Iya spa resort in the unexplored region of Tokushima Prefecture in western Japan. In Hong Kong, Japan is the top tourist destination, surpassing Taiwan and Thailand in second and third, respectively, thanks to the spread of Japanese food and culture, an economic recovery and the yen's depreciation, which makes Japan a bargain destination, JNTO said. "We try to be creative and help people understand Japanese culture" so that they will want to travel to Japan and taste the authentic food, said Susanna Wong, CEO of Yata Ltd., which operates 11 department stores and supermarkets in Hong Kong specializing in Japanese foods and lifestyles. Wong said her company also seeks to "show the latest gourmet trends across Japan and recreate the Japanese lifestyle." "Fruits and green tea are always popular," she said. "Hong Kong people also like new things, like in snacks." By country and region, Hong Kong was the largest importer of Japanese agriculture, forestry and fisheries exports -- at a value of 187.7 billion yen (US$1.78 billion) -- in 2017 for the 13th straight year. There are more than 1,500 Japanese restaurants in the city, according to the Japanese government. In Yata's Tseung Kwan O store, a popular large black bear mascot called Kumamon originating from Japan's southwestern Kumamoto Prefecture welcomes customers, while Japanese wagyu beef, sake, fruits and snacks imported directly from Japan line the shelves. Sushi and sake bars have been set up with eat-in spaces, as has a booth devoted to products from Tokushima, open for a limited period. "Among our products, jams and drinks using yuzu citrus fruit are especially popular," said Shiro Oka, chief representative of the Shanghai office of the Tokushima Industrial Promotion Organization, adding that the organization held a low-carb tasting event of konnyaku "noodles" for health-conscious consumers. "Competition is tough but I hope more people will visit Tokushima." There are 15 Japanese cities to where low-cost carriers and regular airlines fly from Hong Kong. JNTO officials said they try to attract tourists to Japan from Hong Kong in different seasons, pitching food items that can only be eaten at certain times of the year, such as crabs in the winter, or experiences like firework festivals in the summer or fruit picking in spring. The organization has also set its sights on offering a new type of tourism: Japan as a destination for holding weddings, after data showed that some 10 percent of Hong Kong couples choose to wed outside the city with an average expenditure of US$13,000. Around 97 percent take part in so-called "photo weddings," in which no actual wedding ceremony is held but only photos are taken, with 70 percent being held overseas. In 2016, more than 1,000 couples came to Japan to have weddings, while 6,111 couples picked Japan for photo weddings. "Hong Kong provides us with insights on what works in tourism," said JNTO's Shimizu. "We want to use the experience and implement this in attracting tourists from other countries." Japan has seen a surge in foreign visitors in recent years, with the number hitting a record of over 28 million in 2017. The government is seeking to increase the figure to 40 million in 2020 when the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will be held. More on travel: Japan pulls out stops to improve nightlife for foreign tourists Legoland unveils hotel, aquarium in Nagoya to media Japanese theme park Huis Ten Bosch unveils floating capsule hotel COVID-19 deaths: Centre's Rs 50K compensation offer to drain Kerala's Disaster Relief Fund In all 24,318 persons died due to COVID-19 in the state as per the official statistics until Friday. For giving them the said compensation, Rs 121.5 crore out of the remaining Rs 160 crore in the fund will have to be utilised. Combined treatment with two cancer immunotherapy drugs - one a novel immune modulator and one that focuses and activates the antitumor immune response - significantly prolonged survival in mouse models of the aggressive cancer malignant mesothelioma. In their report published in Cancer Immunology Research, a team from the Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center (VIC) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) describes how adding AMD3100 (plerixafor) - previously approved for the stimulation of stem cell production prior to bone marrow transplantation - to their investigational drug VIC-008 more than doubled the animals' survival time. Among the mechanisms identified as underlying the combination treatment's effects was changing a population of immunosuppressive T cells into a type that could enhance an antitumor immune response. "Mesothelioma, a tumor that is caused by asbestos exposure, has been extremely hard to treat; and patients usually survive only 12 to 18 month after diagnosis," says Mark Poznansky, MD, PhD, director of the MGH-VIC and senior author of the report. "Since the advent of cancer immunotherapy, people have tried to apply immunotherapeutic drugs to mesothelioma with limited success. We are very excited at the prospect that this drug combination may be much more effective in prolonging patients' lives." The study is the result of a collaboration between Poznansky and Jeffrey Gelfand, MD, an MGH-VIC investigator who had developed VIC-008 - also called Jantibody, in memory of Gelfand's wife Janet who succumbed to ovarian cancer - as a potential treatment for ovarian cancer. VIC-008 is a fusion protein combining an immune-activating protein from the tuberculosis bacteria with a small antibody fragment targeting mesothelin, a protein expressed in several types of tumor - including mesothelioma, pancreatic and ovarian cancer. While previous research had shown some effectiveness of this molecule in a mouse model of ovarian cancer, that benefit was limited by the immunosuppressive environment within tumors, particularly the presence of regulatory T cells (Tregs). The current combination appears to overcome this limitation. Poznansky's team - with lead scientist Huabiao Chen, PhD, corresponding author of the current report - had been investigating applications of AMD3100, a drug that blocks the CXCR4/CXCR12 signaling pathway known to be involved in cancer development and in the way in which mesothelioma evades the immune system. While research has supported AMD3100's ability to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis, the mechanism behind its effects on mesothelioma had not been determined. Since expression of CXCR4 and CXCR12 are increased as mesothelioma progresses, VIC researchers investigated the potential of combining AMD3100 with VIC-008 to treat these tumors. Their series of experiment in two different mesothelioma mouse models found the following: While single-agent treatment with either drug had limited effects against mesothelioma, treatment with both drugs significantly reduced tumor size and prolonged the animals' survival. Treatment with VIC-008 increased lymphocyte infiltration of tumors and both the levels and the anti-tumor response of CD8 T cells, which kill damaged or infected cells. AMD3100, alone or in combination with VIC-008, decreases expression of the immune checkpoint molecule PD-1 on CD8 T cells, implying that the CXCR4/CXCR12 pathway modulates PD-1 expression. AMD3100, alone or in combination, reduced the number of tumor-infiltrating Treg cells and increased the proportion of CD8 T cells. AMD3100 further reduces immune suppression by shifting characteristics of Tregs toward those of helper T cells, which would enhance antitumor effects. "The apparent ability to change immunosuppressive T cells within the tumor into T cell types that are more active and potentially helpful against cancer was a really exciting finding, and one that we're continuing to investigate," says Poznansky, who is an associate professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS). Chen adds, "We believe that we can find an approach that combines Jantibody and AMD3100 to regroup and redirect immune responses in order to combat cancer." He is an instructor in Medicine at HMS. Gelfand, a senior scientist at VIC and professor (part-time) at HMS, says, "AMD3100 is already an FDA-approved drug, whose use and application the MGH VIC is hoping to extend in various cancers. Jantibody focuses the AMD3100-invigorated immune response on critical tumor structures, markedly enhancing tumor control. We hope these data will help to move Jantibody closer to human tumor therapy, fulfilling one of my wife's last wishes." ### The co-lead authors of the Cancer Immunology Research paper are Binghao Li and Yang Zeng, MD, PhD, of the MGH Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center. Along with Chen and Gelfand, additional co-authors are Patrick Reeves, PhD, Qiuyan Liu, Xiying Qu, PhD, Yingying Liang, Zhao Liu, Jianping Yuan, Pierre Leblanc, PhD, Ann Sluder, PhD, and Timothy Brauns, MBA, MGH VIC; Chongzhao Ran, PhD, Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at MGH; and Zhaoming Ye, MD, PhD, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China. Support for the study includes Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs grant W81XWH-14-1-0206, the VIC Mesothelioma Research and Resources Program, VIC Innovation Fund, and the Edmund C. Lynch, Jr. Cancer Fund. The MGH has received patents for the use of Jantibody (VIC008) and has filed a patent application for combined AMD3100/VIC-008 treatment for mesothelioma and several other cancers. The patents have been licensed to the startup company AperiSys, Inc. Massachusetts General Hospital, founded in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH Research Institute conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the nation, with an annual research budget of more than $900 million and major research centers in HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular research, cancer, computational and integrative biology, cutaneous biology, genomic medicine, medical imaging, neurodegenerative disorders, regenerative medicine, reproductive biology, systems biology, photomedicine and transplantation biology. The MGH topped the 2015 Nature Index list of health care organizations publishing in leading scientific journals and earned the prestigious 2015 Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service. In August 2017 the MGH was once again named to the Honor Roll in the U.S. News & World Report list of "America's Best Hospitals." Description The YMCA of Long Island is excited to announce that registration for the Run for a Cause: YMCA 5K Series, has officially opened. The series of three 5K run/walk events, which will take place between April and June, are intended to help encourage Long Islanders to participate in events throughout Long Island; including Patchogue, Huntington, and Great South Bay; bringing all YMCA branches and their greater community together for a variety of great causes. The Run for a Cause: YMCA 5K Series will kick off on April 8th with the Patchogue Family YMCA race at ShoreFront Park, benefitting the Ys Diabetes Prevention Program in honor of Brendan Barrett of the Sayville Running Company. The second installment of the series, at the Huntington YMCA on April 22, raises funds to support child abuse awareness, protection, and recovery programs, and services for children in need. The final event will be held at the Great South Bay YMCA facility on June 2, with proceeds benefiting cancer survivors through financial assistance. The final event will also pay tribute to Sharde Lamneck, who passed away after a battle with breast cancer back in September. Lamneck worked as the Director of Membership Sales & Engagement at Great South Bay YMCA. Homeland Security CBP deputy seeks 1,000-mile border wall system Border wall prototypes, as tweeted by CPB San Diego. Customs and Border Protection is committed to providing a broad mix of barriers, technology and personnel to secure the border, but the Trump administration's proposed border wall is very much part of those plans, a top CBP official said. "The truth is that walls work and the data shows it," said Ronald Vitiello, Customs and Border Protection's acting deputy commissioner, in a March 30 briefing. "Walls work and agents know it," he added. Vitiello said 654 miles of the border are currently equipped with physical barriers, including fencing and short vehicle walls that were put in place under the 2006 Secure Fence Act. He said CBP hopes to support 1,000 miles of physical barrier along the 1,900 mile-long border. Congress funded $1.57 billion for construction of more than 90 miles of wall for fiscal 2018, mostly in the form of improvements to existing barriers and levees. Vitiello called that funding a "down payment" on the remainder of the complete wall system. He also brushed aside a late-March report from the Democratic staff of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs that said Border Patrol agents "rarely" asked for a wall to address capability gaps. The March 22 report contends that border patrol agents haven't asked for border walls or fencing through the agency's Capability Gap Analysis Process, which identifies vulnerabilities on the southwest border. "DHS and CBP are fully committed to a balanced investment in physical infrastructure, access and patrol road, technology and personnel to support its critical border security mission," said Vitiello during the briefing. "From an operator's perspective, you need a proper mix of technology, infrastructure and agents." Trump's 2019 budget request for DHS includes $1.6 billion for 65 miles of new wall construction, with an eye to spending $18 billion over 10 years. The report suggests that border tech is getting the short shrift by comparison. Remote and mobile video surveillance capabilities and integrated fixed towers are slated for funding at $47 million under the 2019 budget. That budget, said the report, doesn't include funding for the CBP's Border Tunnel Threat program, unattended ground sensors or tethered aerostat radar systems. Vitello said the report's claim that border agents rarely request a wall "isn't an accurate interpretation of the data that we have" from those operators. Cue the Frank Sinatra. As Old Blue Eyes says, New York is my kind of town, and in the past few years it has been for the automakers as well. More and more automakers are using the New York show as a launchpad for new releases in the US, as opposed to Detroit. This is especially true for luxury automakers who want as much attention as possible for their offerings in the high-income I-95 Northeast Corridor. With that in mind, Rick Newman and I hit the floor of this years New York International Auto Show, and here are the top five cars that caught our eye. Jaguar I-PACE (TTM): Rick dinged me for starting off with a luxury carmaker, but for me this was a big star of the show. Jaguar, in less than 4 years, has designed a brand new, fully-electric, SUV to take on the Teslas of the world. See my interview here with Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum for more on the I-PACE. Toyota RAV4 (TM): Rick digs the new looks for Toyotas top-selling vehicle (nope, its not the Camry) and notes that even the old-gen RAV4 is still selling like hotcakes. Americas thirst for CUVs hasnt been quenched yet, and Toyota is hoping that still is the case later this year when the new RAV4 comes out. Audi A6 (VLKAY): Another higher-end car choice for me, which Rick gleefully mocked me for again. Nevertheless the A6 is a big model for Audi as it fights in an extremely competitive European mid-size sedan segment against the likes of the BMW 5-series and the Mercedes E-class. The new A6 will include mild hybrid power across all its trim levels. Nissan Altima (NSANY): The new Altima is here, and it looks sharp. True, it doesnt look all that different, but the exterior has been sharpened and given purpose, and the interior has received a much needed refresh. The car will now offer all-wheel drive, which could make a huge difference in battle against the all-new Honda Accord (HMC), Toyota Camry and Ford Fusion (F). Volvo (XC40 and XC60): The Volvo XC40 is fresh off its win in Geneva as Car of the Year, and now the mid-size XC60 just won World Car of the Year here in New York. Volvo has really been killing it this year with great cars and SUVs, and with innovative car ownership programs like Care by Volvo, the Swedish automaker is set for a big resurgence here in the US. Story continues We also have a bonus car (or should I say truck) that caught our eye. Check out the video above to find out. Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram. Related stories: Jaguar I-PACE: Designer Ian Callum breaks down his electric sensation NY Auto Show: Why pickup trucks have to be fancy now NY Auto Show: Nissan Altima, Toyota RAV4: Hits from the New York auto show Barclays BCS became the latest global bank to settle a lawsuit with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) related to the sale of residential mortgage backed securities (RMBS). The company, without admitting or denying any wrongdoing, has agreed to pay 1.42 billion ($2 billion) in penalties to resolve allegations over its role in the sale of subprime mortgage and the subsequent financial crisis. The settlement, announced late last week, follows three years of probe into the accusations that Barclays led to billions of dollars of losses for investors by engaging in sale of toxic RMBS between 2005 and 2007. The investigation revolved around 36 RMBS deals concerning $31 billion worth of loans, of which more than 50% defaulted. The DOJ alleged that Barclays misrepresented the quality of loans tied to the RMBS. Additionally, two of the companys former executives, Paul Menefee and John Carroll have been penalized over their alleged role in the subprime mortgage crisis. U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue for the Eastern District of New York said, The substantial penalty Barclays and its executives have agreed to pay is an important step in recognizing the harm that was caused to the national economy and to investors. Jes Staley, Barclays CEO said I am pleased that we have been able to reach a fair and proportionate settlement with the Department of Justice. It has been a priority for this management team from the start to resolve these historic issues in a timely and appropriate manner wherever possible. Impact on Q1 Results The resolution of this legacy matter is expected to go a long way in making Barclays more focused on improving profitability. However, the companys first-quarter 2018 results will be adversely impacted by the fine. The settlement will also have a negative impact on the banks Common Equity Tier 1 ratio by roughly 45 basis points. Road Ahead In fact, Barclays was the only bank that had pushed against the huge fine claimed by the DOJ. This had resulted in filing of the case against the company in late 2016. Nonetheless, this seems to have worked as the company is paying a significantly less fine compared with other foreign banks Credit Suisse CS and Deutsche Bank DB, which paid $5.3 billion and $7.2 billion, respectively accused of similar misconduct. Another foreign bank, Royal Bank of Scotland PLC RBS, has still not settled the allegations. For Barclays, the resolution of legacy legal matter will enable it to move forward with the plan to restore dividend to the original amount this year. Also, the company intends to initiate share repurchases. Staley said, The completion of our restructuring in 2017, and putting significant legacy matters like this one behind us, mean Barclays is well positioned to produce stronger earnings going forward, and to start returning a greater proportion of those earnings to our shareholders over time. Accordingly, it remains our intention to pay a dividend of 6.5 pence for 2018. Further, the settlement eliminates a considerable negative factor for Barclays in the Bank of Englands annual stress test. Over the last year, Barclays shares have gained 6.5%, underperforming the industrys rally of 11.5%. Story continues Barclays carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank stocks here. Can Hackers Put Money INTO Your Portfolio? Earlier this month, credit bureau Equifax announced a massive data breach affecting 2 out of every 3 Americans. The cybersecurity industry is expanding quickly in response to this and similar events. But some stocks are better investments than others. Zacks has just released Cybersecurity! An Investors Guide to help Zacks.com readers make the most of the $170 billion per year investment opportunity created by hackers and other threats. It reveals 4 stocks worth looking into right away. Download the new report now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Credit Suisse Group (CS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Barclays PLC (BCS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (DB) : Free Stock Analysis Report Royal Bank Scotland PLC (The) (RBS) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. PHNOM PENH, April 2 (Reuters) - Farmers from Cambodia have filed a lawsuit in a Thai civil court against Asia's largest sugar producer, accusing it of rights abuses after it allegedly kicked farmers off their land, a rights group said on Monday. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 3,000 people, is the first class-action lawsuit filed in a Thai court by plaintiffs from another country against a Thai company operating outside Thailand, the group, Inclusive Development International, said in a statement. The plaintiffs accuse sugar producer Mitr Phol of violently displacing them in Cambodia's northwestern Oddar Meanchey province between 2008 and 2009 to make way for plantations. "Since Mitr Phol took my land, my family and I have suffered tremendously," Ma Okchoeurn, one of the affected people, said in a press release issued by the rights group. "My house was burned down. I was arrested without reason, and as a result my family had nothing to eat and had to collect trash to survive. To this day, I have no land or house." Mitr Phol said in a statement emailed to Reuters it had invested in Cambodia in "a good faith partnership" with the government and got temporary concessions in compliance with all local and national laws and with assurances from authorities that "all temporary concession areas had been processed legally and transparently". It said it had withdrawn from the project in 2014 due to a combination of factors including political tensions along the Thai-Cambodia border, business risks, adverse agricultural conditions and negative publicity. Mitr Phol said after it withdrew from the project, it had recommended that the Cambodian government return land "to the affected communities". Seng Loth, a spokesman at Land Management Ministry, which was responsible for the government's involvement in the project, said when contacted by Reuters he was in a meeting and too busy to comment. Government spokesman Phay Siphan said he could not comment and referred queries to the Land Management Ministry. Cambodia has awarded big concessions to foreign companies, mainly from China, Vietnam and South Korea, to operate mines, power plants and farms, in order to attract foreign investment. Rights groups have said some concessions have led to forced evictions and land disputes. (Reporting by Prak Chan Thul in PHNOM PENH and Patpicha Tanakasempipat in BANGKOK Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Robert Birsel) FILE PHOTO: A model of the Tiangong-1 space lab module (L), the Shenzhou-9 manned spacecraft (R) and three Chinese astronauts is displayed during a news conference at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, in Gansu province, China June 15, 2012. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Tiangong-1 spacecraft will re-enter the Earth's atmosphere at some point on Monday, the country's space agency said in a statement. The Manned Space Agency did not specify a time when it expects the craft to enter the atmosphere in its statement on Sunday. No one knows for sure where debris may land though many experts believe much of the station will burn up during re-entry. Beijing said on Friday that it is unlikely any large pieces will reach the ground. South Korea's National Space Situational Awareness Organization said on its website Sunday that the station is expected to re-enter the atmosphere sometime between 5:12 a.m. and 1:12 p.m. Seoul time (2012 GMT to 0412 GMT) on Monday. The 10.4-metre-long (34.1-foot) Tiangong-1, or "Heavenly Palace 1", was launched in 2011 to carry out docking and orbit experiments as part of China's ambitious space programme, which aims to place a permanent station in orbit by 2023. The spacelab was originally planned to be decommissioned in 2013 but its mission was repeatedly extended. China had said its re-entry would occur in late 2017 but that process was delayed, leading some experts to suggest the space laboratory is out of control. (Reporting by Lusha Zhang and Se Young Lee; additional reporting by Haejin Choi in SEOUL; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Kim Coghill) There are ways Facebook can fight fake news. (image: AFP Josh Edelson) Facebook (FB) is once again promising to do better at stopping the spread of disinformation, which means it must be a week with seven days. The social networks latest pledge to fight hoaxes shared on its platform came in a post Thursday highlighting its election-security efforts. In it, product manager Tessa Lyons noted that Facebooks existing efforts to slow the spread of stories rated false by third-party fact-checkers were dropping future views on average by more than 80%. Lyons also announced that as of Wednesday, Facebook had begun fact-checking photos and videos in France, in partnership with the news service AFP, with more countries and partners coming soon. While U.S. users wait for similar accountability some of my Facebook friends cant seem to stop sharing infographics with dubious data you may ask yourself if its even possible for a social network to be not terrible when it comes to fake news. The answer is: Yes. But doing so on at a scale as large as Facebooks lands somewhere between painful and implausible. Truth is easier on a smaller scale Look to small groups populated by people within social networks who are trying not to be used, said Staci Kramer, a long-time journalist and an astute observer of social media. She cited in particular a handful of Facebook groups with strong leadership by example for instance, one set up by the policy-news site Vox to discuss health care. Youll see some really stringent requirements about how you share information, she said. But dont count on Facebooks algorithms to point you to these shining cities on a hill. Facebook is really indiscriminate in how it recommends groups to people, Kramer warned. Facebook doesnt know if its recommending a valuable group or not; its recommending a bunch of keywords. She also pointed to Reddit as a good if not unexpected example, thanks to the way it lets subreddit forums develop their own culture. So while on the one hand you have the pro-Trump r/The_Donald subredditabout which Reddit CEO Steve Huffman called crass and offensive at a SXSW panel, you can have others that aspire to do better. Story continues I think subreddits have the best potential for self-policing, Kramer said. Because they get really territorial about what they say theyre gonna be. The example of Wikipedia Alex Howard, deputy director of the Sunlight Foundation, a Washington non-profit that advocates for government transparency, noted that such early social networks as bulletin-board systems and mailing lists had structural incentives to play nice: If you didnt contribute, everybody would know soon enough. One of the downsides of planetary-scale social platforms is that those incentives get blown up, he said. But one large site, Wikipedia, has been able to keep that sense of personal accountability through its self-government. Theres traditions, theres structures, theres a community thats involved and invested, he said. (Howard noted that Katherine Maher, the executive director of Wikipedias parent foundation, sits on Sunlights board.) Beyond the public edit histories for every page on the crowd-sourced encyclopedia (see, for example, the log for Sunlights Wikipedia entry) and Wikipedias volunteer moderators who are themselves subject to the rules, Howard noted how Wikipedia deals with identity. Instead of imposing a real-names policy like Facebook, Wikipedias accounts are pseudonymous but persistent and include a public log of contributions. Theres identity which over time accretes authority, he said. But do you want that sort of rating system on a Facebook or a Twitter (TWTR)? I dont think Americans are going to be comfortable with the social credit score that Chinas going towards, Howard said. In March, the government warned that it might yank the travel privileges of citizens with low scores. Little tweaks can help That doesnt mean that a Facebook or a Twitter cant tweak their systems to combat what we used to call fake news before President Trump began slapping that label on coverage he doesnt like. Kramer urged Twitter to add not an edit function but the ability to append a correction unlike replying to your own tweet, this addition would always be visible, even when the tweet was embedded elsewhere. Howard suggested that social networks be more aggressive in taking the microphone away from people who broadcast disinformation. Another observer and critic of social media, Future Today Institute founder Amy Webb, called on Facebook to put more of its vaunted machine-learning work into fighting hoaxes. There are ways to manage this algorithmically, but theyve chosen not to, she said. But change also has to include you and me calling out phony news. I dont think we need better sites/apps as much as we need to improve ourselves, Dan Gillmor, a professor at Arizona State Universitys Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, explained. Since were all creators, too, we need to do that responsibly. More from Rob: Follow Yahoo Finance on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Email Rob at rob@robpegoraro.com; follow him on Twitter at @robpegoraro. High growth companies such as BWX and Magellan Financial Group has a positive future outlook in terms of their returns, profitability and cash flows. The prospects of these companies tend to outperform others, regardless of how the stock market is generally doing. If a buoyant growth prospect is what youre after in your next investment, Ive put together a list of high-growth stocks you may be interested in, based on the latest financial data from each company. BWX Limited (ASX:BWX) BWX Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development, manufacture, marketing, distribution, and wholesale of natural body, hair, and skin care products in Australia and internationally. The company was established in 2013 and with the companys market cap sitting at AUD A$594.02M, it falls under the small-cap group. BWX is expected to deliver a buoyant earnings growth over the next couple of years of 21.51%, bolstered by an equally impressive revenue growth. Profit growth, coupled with top-line expansion, is a positive indication. This is because net income isnt artificially inflated by unsustainable activities such as one-off cost-reductions expected in the future. This prospective profitability should trickle down to shareholders, with analysts expecting the company to generate a positive return on equity of 15.06%. BWXs impressive outlook on all aspects makes it a worthy company to spend more time to understand. Could this stock be your next pick? Have a browse through its key fundamentals here. ASX:BWX Future Profit Apr 2nd 18 Magellan Financial Group (ASX:MFG) Magellan Financial Group is a publicly owned investment manager. Founded in 2004, and currently lead by Hamish Douglass, the company now has 104 employees and with the market cap of AUD A$4.20B, it falls under the mid-cap category. MFG is expected to deliver an extremely high earnings growth over the next couple of years of 26.71%, driven by a positive double-digit revenue growth of 28.67% and cost-cutting initiatives. An affirming signal is when net income increase is supported by top-line growth. Since net income isnt artificially inflated by one-off initiatives such as cost-cutting, we know this profit growth is more likely to be sustainable. We see this bottom-line expansion directly benefiting shareholders, with expected return on equity coming in at a notable 47.05%. MFGs bullish prospects on both the top and bottom lines make it an interesting stock to invest more time to understand how it can add value to your portfolio. A potential addition to your portfolio? I recommend researching its fundamentals here. Story continues ASX:MFG Future Profit Apr 2nd 18 Linius Technologies Limited (ASX:LNU) Linius Technologies Limited engages in the development of technology products, software development, and commercialization and licensing of computer software. Linius Technologies is headed by CEO Christopher Richardson. With the stocks market cap sitting at AUD A$95.81M, it falls under the small-cap group LNUs projected future profit growth is an exceptional 96.65%, with an underlying triple-digit growth from its revenues expected over the upcoming years. Profit growth, coupled with top-line expansion, is a positive indication. This is because net income isnt artificially inflated by unsustainable activities such as one-off cost-reductions expected in the future. Furthermore, the 97.19% growth in operating cash flows indicates that a large portion of this earnings increase is high-quality, day-to-day cash generated by the business, rather than one-offs. LNU ticks the boxes for high-growth generation on all levels of line items, which makes it an appealing stock to dig into deeper. Considering LNU as a potential investment? Take a look at its other fundamentals here. ASX:LNU Future Profit Apr 2nd 18 For more financially robust companies with high growth potential to enhance your portfolio, explore this interactive list of fast growing companies. To help readers see pass the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price sensitive company announcements. The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. BRASILIA (Reuters) - Labour union leaders on Monday accused Brazil's government of negotiating a tie-up between local planemaker Embraer SA (EMBR3.SA) and Boeing Co (BA.N) behind the backs of Brazilians, underscoring political tensions weighing on the delicate talks. "We are being left in the dark. No one is explaining to us why this is good for Brazil," said Herbert Claros da Silva, vice president of the metalworkers union of Sao Jose dos Campos, told a Senate hearing. "We ask President Temer not to sell Embraer." Government officials and Embraer executives were invited but did not appear at the hearing called by Workers Party Senator Paulo Paim to discuss the talks between Boeing and Embraer for a potential partnership over which the government has veto power. No other senators attended the hearing of the Senate's human rights committee, although the Boeing-Embraer tie-up has drawn criticism from politicians that could complicate a deal as October general elections approach. Embraer and Boeing declined to comment on the hearing. A spokesman for the Defence Ministry, which has led a government working group vetting the deal, said the hearing was about jobs and not a defence matter. The Brazilian government, which privatised Embraer in recent decades but still holds a decisive golden share, has resisted the outright sale of Embraer to Boeing due to concerns over the loss of sovereign control over its defence programs. The two companies are reportedly seeking government approval for a compromise agreement that would involve Boeing investing in a third, newly created company including Embraer's commercial aircraft division but excluding its defence unit. Boeing's proposed tie-up with Embraer, the world's third-largest planemaker, would give it a leading share of the 70- to 130-seat market and create stiffer competition for the CSeries programme designed by Canada's Bombardier Inc (BBDb.TO) and backed by European rival Airbus SE (AIR.PA) last year. Story continues Union leader Silva acknowledged at Monday's hearing that a tie-up would initially be a boon for Embraer as Boeing would help market its shorter-range jets around the world. But he said many of the 14,000 workers at Embraer's plants in Sao Jose dos Campos, half of which are unionized, were worried about their jobs a decade down the road if they end up working for a U.S.-based company. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) April 2 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the New York Times business pages. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. - U.S. President Donald Trump, blaming Democrats and the Mexican government for an increasingly "dangerous" flow of illegal immigrants, unleashed a series of fiery tweets on Sunday in which he vowed "NO MORE DACA DEAL" and threatened to walk away from the North American Free Trade Agreement. https://nyti.ms/2uCEhXo - The Chinese government hit back Monday at President Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum by acting on a threat to put tariffs as high as 25 percent on imports of 128 American-made products, including pork and seamless steel pipes. https://nyti.ms/2Gs0kl6 - The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools - which was stripped of its powers in December 2016 amid the collapse of two for-profit university chains, where tens of thousands of students were encouraged to take on hundreds of millions in debt based on false promises, including jobs after graduation - is asking to be reinstated by the Trump administration. https://nyti.ms/2IlkM7Q (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom) A broker reacts while trading at his computer terminal at a stock brokerage firm in Mumbai, February 26, 2016. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade/Files (Reuters) - Indian shares ended higher on Monday, the first trading day of the new financial year, as a recovery in global markets bolstered sentiment, while auto stocks such as Tata Motors Ltd were among top gainers on strong March domestic vehicle sales. The broader NSE Nifty closed up 0.97 percent at 10,211.80, while the benchmark BSE Sensex ended 0.87 percent higher at 33,255.36. The Nifty auto index gained as much as 2.3 percent with Tata Motors rising 4.3 percent in its biggest intraday percentage gain since early November. Pharmaceutical shares also gained. (Reporting by Jessica Kuruthukulangara in Bengaluru, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips) By Jessica Jaganathan SINGAPORE, April 2 (Reuters) - A liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker has docked at ExxonMobil's Papua New Guinea export plant, which has been shut since late February following a powerful earthquake, indicating that the facility is preparing to resume shipments. The 172,000-cubic metre capacity LNG tanker Kumul, custom-built for the ExxonMobil operated PNG LNG project, is currently moored at the terminal, Thomson Reuters Eikon shiptracking data showed. It has a draft of 90 percent, suggesting it is nearly full, after leaving Indonesia's Bontang on March 26. This is likely the LNG cargo ExxonMobil purchased last month to keep its PNG plant cold, an industry source said, but that could not be verified. Exxon officials could not be reached on Monday, a public holiday in Papua New Guinea. LNG achieves its fluid status by being super-cooled to around minus 160 degrees Celsius (minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit). A senior ExxonMobil executive said in March that the company was shipping in the cargo to keep the LNG export plant cool so it is ready to start production from the gas when it comes down from its Hides facility. The company hopes to resume shipments from the export facility - one of its top performing assets in 2017 - by late April, or eight weeks after it shut following a 7.5 magnitude earthquake that killed dozens of people. Led by Exxon, with a one-third stake, and its Australian partners Oil Search and Santos, PNG LNG is the impoverished nation's biggest revenue earner. Exxon and France's Total plan to double their gas exports from Papua New Guinea to around 16 million tonnes a year at an estimated cost of $13 billion. (Reporting by Jessica Jaganathan Editing by Manolo Serapio Jr.) U.S. President Donald Trump's supporters rally near the US-Mexico border Donald Trump had some strong words for the Mexican government on Easter morning. In a series of tweets, he chastised Mexico for not curbing illegal immigration. Mexico is doing very little, if not NOTHING, at stopping people from flowing into Mexico through their Southern Border, and then into the U.S. They laugh at our dumb immigration laws. They must stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2018 Thats the same country Trumps own homeland security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen praised just last week for cooperating with the US on border issues. We are neighbors, we are allies, we are friends, she said in heavily-accented Spanish after announcing three new border-security agreements between the US and Mexico. The belligerent tone Trump uses when talking publicly about Mexico belies the more civil interactions his administration has with Mexican officials. Despite the presidents frequent rants and threats, the two countries have carried on with their work on the routine issues that define their relationship, including immigration and trade. We dont want differences to define the relationship, Mexican foreign minister Luis Videgaray recently told a San Diego audience. Well continue to engage and try to make this as strong a relationship as possible. Border security The Mexican government has actively stopped undocumented immigrants from making it to the US. It ramped up detentions and deportations of Central Americans to help the Barack Obama administration handle a surge of immigrants into the US from that region starting in 2014. Story continues The number of people attempting to illegally cross into the US from Mexico has dropped under Trump, but Mexican authorities have continued their arrestsdespite the negative flack they get from human rights groups for doing that work. Last year, Mexico deported more Hondurans than the US itself: nearly 27,000 vs. the USs roughly 21,000, according to the Consular and Migrant Observatory of Honduras, a government entity. Aside from blocking people, Mexico is vowing to do more to prevent the trafficking of goods. Under the new agreements, the US and Mexico will work together to inspect cargo flowing through the border, and intercept contraband. NAFTA On Sunday, Trump threatened Mexico, saying if it didnt deal with illegal immigration, hed kill the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, the three-way commercial deal between the US, Mexico, and Canada. The three countries are currently renegotiating the 24-year-old pact at the bequest of the US president, who has called it the worst deal ever made. Despite their bombastic origin, those talks have been advancingalbeit slowlywithout any major derailment. US trade representative Robert Lighthizer has at times sounded almost as adversarial as his boss, but hes been a lot cheerier about NAFTAs prospects lately, at least publicly. Im optimistic that we can get something done in principle in the next little bit, he told CNBC on March 28. The Fox News trigger? Trump is obviously less upbeat about NAFTAand Mexico more generallybased on his Sunday tweets. They appear to have been in response to a Sunday Fox & Friends report on a caravan of hundreds of US-bound migrants making their way through Mexico. Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release. Getting more dangerous. Caravans coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2018 During the Fox segment, the chief of the National Border Patrol Council union said the immigrants would wreak chaos and havoc if they made it to their destination. How many times do we have to hear stories of US citizens being killed by people that are here illegally before we actually do something? he said. Its not hard to see how that kind of rhetoric would resonate with the president, who often portrays immigrants similarly. Whether voluntarily or unconsciously, Trump has made a habit of fanning fear against immigrants and Mexico. Its a strategy thats played well with his supporters in the past. That makes the country a very effective pinata, according to Mexican political commentator Carlos Bravo Regidor. For Trump, Mexico is not a country, a neighbor, a partner, an ally. Its a symbol that allows him to connect with his social base: anti-immigration, anti-integration, and frequently affected by the opioid addiction epidemic, he tweeted (Spanish). So far, US and Mexican officials have quietly absorbed Trumps verbal attacks in order to maintain the two countries longstanding institutional ties. Mexicos next president might not be as stoic. The frontrunner in this years presidential race, leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, said at a campaign event Sunday that Mexico will not be the pinata of any foreign government. Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news. More stories from Quartz: FILE PHOTO - SpaceX founder Musk speaks at a press conference following the first launch of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in Cape Canaveral FILE PHOTO - SpaceX founder Elon Musk speaks at a press conference following the first launch of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., February 6, 2018. REUTERS/Joe Skipper WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. telecommunications regulator on Thursday gave formal approval to a plan by Elon Musk's SpaceX to build a global broadband network using satellites. "This is the first approval of a U.S.-licensed satellite constellation to provide broadband services using a new generation of low-Earth orbit satellite technologies," the Federal Communications Commission said in a statement. The system proposed by privately held SpaceX, as Space Exploration Holdings is known, will use 4,425 satellites, the FCC said. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in February had endorsed the SpaceX effort, saying: "Satellite technology can help reach Americans who live in rural or hard-to-serve places where fiber optic cables and cell towers do not reach." The Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday that SpaceX plans to launch a Falcon 9 rocket on April 2 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. "The rocket will carry a communications satellite," the FAA said. The FCC said SpaceX has been granted authority to use frequencies in the Ka (20/30 GHz) and Ku (11/14 GHz) bands. Musk, who is also the founder and chief executive of electric automaker Tesla Inc (TSLA.O), said in 2015 that SpaceX planned to launch a satellite-internet business that would help fund a future city on Mars. SpaceX wanted to create a "global communications system" that Musk compared to "rebuilding the internet in space." It would be faster than traditional internet connections, he said. "This is an important step toward SpaceX building a next-generation satellite network that can link the globe with reliable and affordable broadband service, especially reaching those who are not yet connected, SpaceX Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell said. Over the past year, the FCC has approved requests by OneWeb, Space Norway and Telesat to access the U.S. market to provide broadband services using satellite technology that the FCC said "holds promise to expand internet access in remote and rural areas across the country." Story continues About 14 million rural Americans and 1.2 million Americans on tribal lands lack mobile broadband even at relatively slow speeds. FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, said on Thursday that the agency needs "to prepare for the proliferation of satellites in our higher altitudes." She highlighted the issue of orbital debris and said the FCC "must coordinate more closely with other federal actors to figure out what our national policies are for this jumble of new space activity." (This version of the story corrects to attribute SpaceX comment to its COO in the ninth paragraph) (Reporting by Eric Walsh and David Shepardson; Additional reporting by Munsif Vengattil and Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru; Editing by Mohammad Zargham, Leslie Adler and Andrea Ricci) Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai is heading back to Britain after completing her four-day visit to Pakistan, the first to her home country since she was shot by Taliban militants in 2012. Malala and her family had arrived early on April 2 at Benazir Bhutto International Airport, where she boarded her flight to London. Malala, now 20, traveled to Pakistan for the first time since she was shot in the head on her school bus by Taliban gunmen because she campaigned for the education of girls, which the militant extremist group opposes. Malala, who was 15 at the time of the attack, was subsequently taken to England for treatment. She remained there, enrolling at Oxford University in August 2017 and has resumed her fight for the cause that earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. While in Pakistan, she paid a short visit to her hometown in the northwestern Swat Valley, expressing "joy" and telling former friends and neighbors, "It is still like a dream for me to be among you." Malala also met with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi during her visit to Pakistan. She said she plans to again make Pakistan her home after finishing her studies in Britain. Based on reporting by AP and The Daily Times West Virginia tries blockchain-based mobile voting West Virginia is the first state in the nation to use distributed ledger technology in a federal election to help secure the absentee ballots of military voters who are deployed overseas. Service members from Harrison and Monongalia counties who qualify under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act will be able to cast their votes through a blockchain-based mobile app during the states primary elections starting March 23, 2018. The blockchain-secured ballots will be accepted until polls are closed on Primary Election Day on May 8, 2018. UOCAVA voters will verify their identity through a mobile app that asks for a drivers license, state ID or passport along with a current photo. Once the identity is confirmed, voters will get a mobile ballot based on the one that they would receive on election state at their local precinct. The first active user of the mobile voting application was Scott Warner, son of Secretary of State Mac Warner. Scott Warner is registered to vote at his home in Monongalia County, but currently is deployed in Italy. In a statement, Warner said the application was very easy to maneuver and had a reassuring ID verification process. When the ballot was made available, I just clicked through the names of the candidates, he said. I hit vote for the candidates I wanted to support. Then I used the thumb print Touch ID on my phone to verify who I was. That was it. Pretty slick! We worked to do some due diligence to determine if blockchain is secure and whether a mobile app solution could increase military voter participation by making it a secure way to vote that is easier to verify, Mike Queen, deputy chief staff and communications director for the West Virginia Secretary of State, told GCN. Over the past four months, we worked to create partnership to do this on a small level where there may be 60 voters who qualify. Absentee ballot systems previously offered to overseas military voters do not ensure anonymity, and many military voters are concerned their mail-in or faxed ballots may not be received in time or may not be counted, according to the project's description. To determine whether blockchain could help small state with a limited resources dedicated to elections securely and efficiently manage a cumbersome process, the state partnered with Voatz, a Boston-based startup. We are using a tamperproof ledger that ensures the anonymity of each ballot, Voatz CEO Nimit Sawhney told GCN. Blockchain provides an end-to-end verification trail where you have trust that all of the data in the system is accurate. West Virginia is using a public permissioned blockchain built on the Hyperledger platform. To protect personally identifiable information, biometric data on each voter is deleted from the system once the identity has been verified. The only information kept on the blockchain is the anonymized votes that are transferred onto community records. The company is training state election officials on how to use the platform while still complying with state election policies. We recognize that government agencies want to be able to roll out this kind of platform and still maintain control, Sawhney said. Working with validators based in West Virginia, we are able to provide assurances that the equipment being issued belongs to the state and malicious actors are not involved. The West Virginia Secretary of States office plans to release its findings from the pilot after the primary so other states and precincts can learn from the experience. MONTREAL, March 26, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SRG Graphite Inc. (TSXV:SRG) (SRG or the Company) today announced the remaining assay results from the drilling program conducted on the Companys cobalt-nickel-scandium Gogota project in Guinea, West Africa. With these latest assay results, the Company is now in a position to produce a maiden resource estimate. To complete the resource estimate, the Company has engaged Montreal-based Met-Chem, a division of DRA Americas Inc. (Met-Chem/DRA). The Gogota cobalt-nickel-scandium occurrence has a prospective surface outline of 1.96 km2 and is approximately 5km away from the Companys Lola graphite deposit. The study will commence immediately with completion of the National Instrument 43-101 compliant resource estimate expected in H1 2018. Press release highlights: 25m @ 0.21% cobalt, 1.37% nickel and 32gr/ton scandium 23m @ 0.18% cobalt, 1.27% nickel and 39gr/ton scandium Company hires Met-Chem/DRA for the completion of a 43-101 compliant resource estimate for the Gogota Project Of the 51 vertical drill holes carried out over the Gogota Deposit in 2012-2013, 31 were drilled over a 200-meter by 400-meter grid and 20 were drilled over a 200-meter by 200-meter grid. The first phase of samples from 31 drill holes representing 800 samples were sent for analysis in 2013 and returned significant cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), and scandium (Sc) results, among others. These results were reported again by the Company on January 23, 2018. The second phase of 20 drill holes representing 425 samples were recently sent for analysis. The combined mineralized intervals for all boreholes are presented in Table 1. A compilation map can be seen in Figure 1. These latest assay results continue to demonstrate that the Gogota Co-Ni-Sc deposit, discovered by Dr. Audet in 2010 has great potential, said Ugo Landry-Tolszczuk, President and Chief Operating Officer, SRG. We look forward to working with Dr. Audet and the Met-Chem/DRA team to complete the maiden resource in the coming months. Table 1: Combined Mineralized Interval Highlights (True Widths) HOLE-ID From Length Co Ni Scandium Fe MgO SiO2 Al2O3 m m % % gr/t % % % % GG24-400800 15.50 5.50 0.18 0.75 37.28 45.90 0.26 9.92 12.29 GG24-600800 9.00 16.00 0.17 1.39 26.88 51.80 0.43 3.94 4.66 GG24-800400 2.00 18.20 0.19 1.43 45.06 52.19 0.38 3.33 4.99 GG24-800600 3.70 13.50 0.22 1.27 29.18 51.32 0.48 8.29 3.29 GG24-800800 4.00 20.80 0.15 1.41 29.62 53.42 0.60 4.51 4.05 GG25-200200 5.00 14.50 0.13 1.30 33.11 51.24 0.42 7.83 3.11 GG25-200400 6.00 10.00 0.13 1.19 30.00 48.02 0.33 13.22 2.74 GG25-200600 8.00 3.00 0.17 1.28 35.30 52.03 0.62 3.01 5.15 GG25-200800 11.00 19.00 0.17 1.29 27.90 53.40 0.53 2.95 3.49 GG25-400200 4.00 14.50 0.18 1.52 31.73 53.29 0.30 6.38 3.49 GG25-400400 12.50 20.00 0.17 1.53 24.77 49.87 0.37 5.47 5.56 GG25-400600 7.00 16.00 0.16 1.36 29.88 50.14 0.76 4.30 6.73 GG25-400800 8.00 17.80 0.16 1.25 24.50 50.90 0.69 4.04 5.67 GG25-600400 0.00 7.50 0.13 1.08 20.91 40.14 0.63 9.86 14.09 GG25-600600 3.80 14.40 0.13 1.52 25.23 44.64 1.30 7.45 10.35 GG25-600800 6.00 22.00 0.17 1.46 32.62 44.39 1.14 6.94 10.91 GG34-400200 1.50 6.90 0.13 1.58 40.30 44.14 2.73 9.75 8.21 GG34-400400 3.00 1.50 0.11 0.90 33.84 27.56 3.00 38.39 7.28 GG34-600200 1.50 17.90 0.20 1.38 26.91 47.19 1.08 6.02 7.77 GG34-600400 3.00 22.00 0.17 1.51 28.61 48.59 0.69 4.47 7.00 GG34-600600 7.00 25.00 0.21 1.37 32.41 47.73 1.60 5.97 6.20 GG34-600800 1.00 8.50 0.18 1.28 34.71 44.66 0.49 6.26 11.74 GG34-800200 2.10 12.00 0.24 1.16 32.63 48.08 0.49 5.11 10.11 GG34-800400 15.00 3.00 0.17 1.53 37.50 48.63 1.12 9.61 6.33 GG34-800600 6.00 23.00 0.18 1.27 39.14 51.63 0.40 3.63 4.89 GG34-800800 5.50 12.50 0.16 1.42 31.20 50.25 1.18 6.81 5.97 GG35-200200 14.00 16.00 0.16 1.33 23.13 49.83 0.34 8.75 3.43 GG35-200600 10.50 10.00 0.22 1.51 26.50 46.95 1.04 7.94 6.22 GG35-200800 2.60 16.40 0.21 1.26 28.42 48.62 0.84 3.93 7.64 GG35-400200 0.00 14.10 0.17 1.39 23.95 48.09 0.61 4.86 8.53 GG35-400400 0.90 4.40 0.21 1.27 31.49 50.04 0.84 6.62 6.42 GG35-400600 4.00 2.50 0.14 1.16 30.00 42.41 0.92 13.51 10.98 GG35-400800 3.00 8.00 0.18 1.19 36.25 49.11 0.80 5.71 8.77 GG35-600200 1.50 12.50 0.15 1.33 29.62 40.82 1.47 11.44 12.14 GG35-600400 1.60 1.60 0.27 0.51 13.75 31.37 0.29 7.15 25.89 GG35-600600 7.00 15.50 0.14 1.80 22.09 41.77 4.72 13.43 6.12 GG35-600800 2.00 16.40 0.13 1.65 29.46 49.25 0.75 8.21 5.24 GG44-600200 1.50 1.50 0.12 0.58 20.00 32.64 0.21 18.54 19.08 GG44-800200 8.50 14.00 0.21 1.45 36.43 49.57 0.45 5.61 5.98 GG44-800400 8.00 7.50 0.18 0.69 38.26 42.53 1.70 13.26 10.46 GG45-200200 4.50 1.60 0.22 1.28 26.25 44.55 1.21 9.93 9.39 GG45-200400 1.50 24.50 0.16 1.37 26.47 50.99 0.68 4.73 5.28 GG45-400200 2.30 7.40 0.15 0.95 38.91 41.86 0.58 12.44 13.18 *Measurements begin at surface. Mineralized intervals defined using 0.10% cobalt cut-off grades. Fe: Iron, MgO: Magnesium oxide, g/t: grams per tonne Figure 1: Image of boreholes and results Core logging and sampling were performed at the Companys facility in the village of Gogota. Sample preparation was performed by Veritas Laboratory in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire. Pulp samples were delivered to Activation Laboratories Ltd., Ancaster, Ontario, Canada. All samples were assayed for cobalt, nickel and all major oxides using peroxide fusion XRF. Scandium was determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The technical information in this release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Marc-Antoine Audet, PhD Geo., P.Geo, Lead Geologist, SRG and a 'qualified person' as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Met-Chem/DRA The Met-Chem division of DRA Americas was originally established in 1969 as a consulting engineering company, headquartered in Montreal, and provides a wide range of technical and engineering services. Met-Chem is well recognized for its capabilities in mining, geology and mineral processing and has a talented team of engineering, technical and project management personnel with experience in North America, Latin America, Europe, West Africa and India. DRA is a multidisciplinary global engineering group that originated in South Africa and delivers mining, mineral processing, energy, water treatment and infrastructure services from concept to commissioning, as well as comprehensive operations and maintenance services for the mineral resources, water, agriculture and energy sectors. DRA has offices in Africa, Australia, Canada, China, India and the United States. ABOUT SRG SRG is a Canadian-based company focused on developing the Lola graphite deposit and the cobalt-nickel-scandium deposit located in the Republic of Guinea, West Africa. SRG is committed to operating in a socially, environmentally and ethically responsible manner. For additional information, please visit SRGs website at www.srggraphite.com . For more information contact: Ugo Landry-Tolszczuk Tel: +1 (514) 679-4196 Email: ultolszczuk@srggraphite.com Benoit La Salle, FCPA FCA Tel: +1 (514) 951-4411 Email: benoit.lasalle@srggraphite.com Neither the 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. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Generally, such forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as in a position, prospective, expected, will, continue, demonstrate, potential, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would" or "might". Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: (i) volatile stock price; (ii) the general global markets and economic conditions; (iii) the possibility of write-downs and impairments; (iv) the risk associated with exploration, development and operations of mineral deposits; (v) the risk associated with establishing title to mineral properties and assets; (vi) fluctuations in commodity prices and other risks and factors described or referred to in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the MD&A of the Company and which is available at www.sedar.com, all of which should be reviewed in conjunction with the information found in this news release Forward-looking information is based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made, including but not limited to, continued exploration activities and no material adverse change in mineral prices. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information has been provided for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's business, operations and exploration plans and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is given as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update such forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws. SRG Graphite Inc. 1320 Graham, Suite 132 Ville Mont-Royal, Quebec H3P 3C8 OAKVILLE, Ontario, March 29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Saint Jean Carbon Inc. (Saint Jean or the Company) (TSX-V:SJL) (OTCQB:TORVF), a carbon science company engaged in the design and build of green energy storage, green energy creation and green re-creation through the use of carbon materials is pleased to announce the Company has signed a term sheet with the land owner (4300351 Canada Inc.) of the Montpelier mining claims the company announced on March 27 2018 located in South Western Quebec. The agreement is for 25 years and gives the Company the right to work the property and full access. The terms of the agreement are; the Company will make a onetime payment of $500,000.00 payable in the capital stock of the Company upon completion of the surface rights agreement(s). An issuance of a further 2,500,000 options to be at market price for three years, if the infill drill program is complete and a resource estimate of 10,000,000 tons of mineralized material is defined. Pay a yearly 5% Net Production Royalty (NPR) and a yearly 1.5% Gross Sales Royalty (GSR). A further 1,000,000 bonus shares will be issued, should Company receive the bulk sampling permits by December 15th, 2018. The transaction is subject to TSX Venture approval. Paul Ogilvie, CEO, commented: Our goal to hold the best properties in south western Quebec continues to grow, with the surface rights agreement, we can now file application to mine the property. We will work very closely with the land owner and start the process right away, this relationship with the landowner helps the company move forward towards future production of graphite for lithium-ion battery anodes. The landowner group will do the contract mining of the property; primary crush, secondary crush and air classification (under licence from the Company). As there is no milling needed on the properties, the classified material will be shipped to the milling facility. Without the need for a mill on the property, this eliminates the need for tailings ponds, water usage, structures, fixed equipment, etc. The system was designed to be environmentally friendly, no blasting, no dust, no noise and will initially serve as the model for how the Company could run hundreds of small pits, instead of how traditionally massive pits are used. The Company anticipates a late spring/early summer drill program of an estimated nine witness holes twined with the pervious historical holes. As an update to the Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) announced on October 15th 2016; the Company expected to be completed by the end of January/February 2018 but due to the recent acquisitions, and the time needed to add the new property information into the PEA, the report will be further delayed with an estimated completion of up to 8 weeks. Dr. Christian Derosier, P.Geo., President of C.D.G.C. Inc., is the qualified person (QP) as defined in National Instrument 43-101 and, acting on behalf of Saint Jean Carbon, has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release. About Saint Jean Carbon Saint Jean is a publicly traded carbon science company, with specific interests in energy storage and green energy creation and green re-creation, with holdings in graphite mining and lithium claims in the province of Quebec in Canada. For the latest information on Saint Jeans properties and news please refer to the website: http://www.saintjeancarbon.com/ On behalf of the Board of Directors Saint Jean Carbon Inc. Paul Ogilvie, CEO and Director Information Contact : Email: info@saintjeancarbon.com Tel: (905) 844-1200 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. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, concerning Saint Jeans business and affairs. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, intends budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances that may cause actual results to differ materially. The forward-looking statements in this news release assume, inter alia, that the conditions for completion of the Transaction, including regulatory and shareholder approvals, if necessary, will be met. Although Saint Jean believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that these expectations will prove to be correct. Statements of past performance should not be construed as an indication of future performance. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors, including those discussed above, could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information is provided as of the date of this press release, and Saint Jean assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. English Lithuanian Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba, AB, identification code 302648707, registered office placed at Elektrines g. 21, Elektrenai, Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter the Company). The total number of registered ordinary shares issued by company is 635 083 615; ISIN code LT0000128571. As the Company has previously reported, the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company on 30 March 2018, made a decision to increase authorised capital of the Company by issuing new shares that shall be paid by Lietuvos energija, UAB, as the subscriber of shares, by making contribution in kind, i.e. transfer of assets of Vilnius Third Combined Heat and Power Plant to the Company. We hereby announce that on 30 March, 2018 the Company and Lietuvos Energija, UAB, concluded the Share Subscription Agreement, which stipulates that the ownership of Vilnius Third Combined Heat and Power Plant will be transferred to the Company from 31 March, 2018 00:00 h. Value of the contributed assets of Vilnius Third Combined Heat and Power Plant that amounts to EUR 8 061K EUR was set by the independent asset valuers. Valentas Neviera, Head of Communication Division, tel. +370 670 25997, e-mail. valentas.neviera@le.lt New 5,000 sq. ft. retail and consumption location Cannabis and its partners will own 50% of this retail location 1 to 2 more deals will close later this month COCONUT CREEK, Fla., April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via OTC PR WIRE--Bahamas Development Corporation (OTCPINK: BDCI) subsidiary company Cannabis Consortium, Inc and its partners have executed a lease for a 5,000-square foot space just outside Los Angeles, CA. The building is one of only two locations zoned for "On Site Consumption" of cannabis, and is sited across a local landmark with heavy foot traffic and ample parking facilities. The plan is to buildout a VIP area inside the space to attract high-end clientele. The City is only issuing 8 retail licenses. Cannabis Consortiums strategy was to align itself with partners in this location who have over 15 years' experience and hold 10 licenses, along with Counsel having a 100% track record in successfully receiving licenses for cannabis facilities. Renderings of the building will be submitted along with our application. After the application has been submitted, Cannabis will upload the building images to its website. It is anticipated the licensing phase shall take up to 120 days from the date of submission. Over the next 2-4 weeks Cannabis and its partners will execute and fund at least 1 possibly 2 more transactions in the MJ sector, with further transactions planned for 2018. The group has moved on from the earlier announced dispensary because the current transaction is much more economically attractive. About Cannabis Consortium: Cannabis Consortium is actively pursuing five (5) revenue streams in the cannabis marketplace: Specialty items Foodstuffs/Edibles Beverages Investment Research/New Products The first three (3) revenue streams are comprised of edible products and ancillary items related to the edible marketplace. The 4th streams investments into other private cannabis operations. The final stream, Research, will focus on the medical benefits of CBD oils for the treatment of animals. Bahamas Development Corporation, in compliance with SEC regulations, may in the future use social media outlets like Facebook or Twitter and its own website to announce key information in compliance with Reg FD. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in Section 27(a) of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, estimates of services and equipment markets, release of corporate apps, growth of platform, target markets, product releases, product demand and, business strategy. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects and development stage companies. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also consider that any investment in securities is at risk. Details of the Company's business, finances, appointments and agreements can be found as part of the Company's continuous public disclosure on otcmarkets.com. For additional information about this release please contact: Investor Relations: Meaning Analysis Error Analysis Quote: A) is a small but fertile island that had retained from the period of its first discovery the name of Trinidad, and though picturesque, has rarely been Quote: B) was the small but fertile island of Trinidad, which retained its name from the period when it had first been discovered, and though picturesque, it had rarely been Quote: C) Trinidad is a small but fertile island that retains its name from the period of its first discovery, and though picturesque, has rarely been Quote: D) is a small but fertile island, which has retained from the period of its first discovery the name of Trinidad, and though picturesque, had rarely been Quote: E) the small but fertile island of Trinidad, retaining its name from the period of its first discovery, though picturesque, rarely Please mention my name in your valuable replies. Signature Read More Posted from my mobile device Very amazing job!All of the programs place well and have on campus events with MBBs.Tuck is almost religious a out consulting but At the end of the day I doubt your job chances of placing with MBBs are all that diff.I would choose based on gut and other factors. E.g. the trip that Kellogg does before the school starts or living in Boston (I would probably pick Chicago) or the tight community at Tuck or Tech at Sloan or if I wanted to live in Chicago, or if you had a bunch of friends in north east or a network or your grandpa went to MIT, or your Ex was a Booth grad.Congrats!!!_________________ yys wrote: Hi, I just took my first GMAT exam a few days ago, but I was kicked out from the test since I pulled out a paper out of my bag during my break time. I know it is not a good excuse but I was focused on preparing the exam itself and didn't realize it was a violation until they told me. My score got canceled and customer service team said there will be "misconduct" on my score report, but they're not sure how exactly GMAC will inform the schools that I want to apply. It was my fault and a truly painful experience. I've read some threads, and some recommended that explaining this "briefly" as an optional essay (just to avoid the chance that they think I was cheating, which is nothing that I intended to..) and some said it could be a chance to tell a story (as an optional essay), letting the school committee know how I embrace defeat and turned it into a valuable experience. Could you provide some of your advice on my situation? Or perhaps taking GRE instead would be a better option? Since I only plan to apply 1~2 business schools, I'm so worried now. Please kindy help! Thank you. mbaMission Senior Admissions Consultant Chicago Booth Alum, 60 5-star reviews on GMAT Club Sign up for a free 30-minute consultation at https://www.mbamission.com/consult/mba-admissions/ Read our Insider's Guides to the top b-schools: http://www.mbamission.com/guides.php?category=insiders Kate RichardsonmbaMission Senior Admissions ConsultantChicago Booth Alum, 60 5-star reviews on GMAT ClubSign up for a free 30-minute consultation at https://www.mbamission.com/consult/mba-admissions/Read our Insider's Guides to the top b-schools: http://www.mbamission.com/guides.php?category=insiders Signature Read More Hi there,Sorry to hear about the experience. Things like this do happen from time to time as GMAC has strict policies on what you can and can't do during the test. The misconduct will show on your score report (for 5 years, and I believe it will show as an M).I would definitely plan to write a very brief optional essay (when it comes time to apply) explaining the situation and showing remorse. It should not be a deal breaker if you approach it maturely and have no other issues of misconduct in your application.Otherwise, I would try to move on and take the test again and get an amazing score!Regarding switching to the GRE, I suppose that's possible, though it involves learning a whole new test. Plus, many schools will still ask you how many times you've taken both the GMAT and GRE so you would need to be honest there.Good luck!Kate_________________ In The News Incremental changeactivism that successfully defends or advances critical research or policycan sometimes feel inconsequential, particularly when it is hard won, resource intensive, and intangible. But in the context of public health strategies with ambitious targets and formidable stakeholder engagement, it is an undeniable facet of progress. In this issue of TAGline, Treatment Action Group (TAG) highlights some important recent successes and challenges in meeting its overarching goals: moving beyond achingly slow trends and sharply bending the curves on new HIV, hepatitis C, and TB infections, suffering, and deaths. HepCBC Read the article published today @ Harvard Business Review April 3, 2018 Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it has issued a mandatory recall order for all food products containing powdered kratom manufactured, processed, packed, or held by Triangle Pharmanaturals LLC, after several were found to contain salmonella. The agency took this action after the company failed to cooperate with the FDAs request to conduct a voluntary recall. This is the first time the agency has issued a mandatory recall order to protect Americans from contaminated food products. Newsletters HCV Advocate Highlights HCV Advocate Eblast: April 1, 2018 Hepatitis Research at CROI 2018 by Lucinda Porter, RN SnapShots by Alan Franciscus: -The Adverse Effects of Interferon-Free Regimens in 149 816 Chronic Hepatitis C Treated Egyptian PatientsD. Attia, et. al. -Increases in Acute Hepatitis C Virus Infection Related to a Growing Opioid Epidemic and Associated Injection Drug Use, United States, 2004 to 2014Jon E. Zibbell, PhD, et. al. -Sofosbuvir-Based Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapies for HCV in People Receiving Opioid Substitution Therapy: An Analysis of Phase 3 StudiesJ. Grebely, et. al. HealthWise: Alcohol and Liver Transplantation by Lucinda Porter, RN We have reviewed or updated the following fact sheets: Injection Techniques Vein Care Water Nausea Diarrhea Maintaining a Positive Attitude National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable NVHR Newsletter Hepatitis Research at CROI 2018 by Lucinda Porter, RNSnapShots by Alan Franciscus:-The Adverse Effects of Interferon-Free Regimens in 149 816 Chronic Hepatitis C Treated Egyptian PatientsD. Attia, et. al.-Increases in Acute Hepatitis C Virus Infection Related to a Growing Opioid Epidemic and Associated Injection Drug Use, United States, 2004 to 2014Jon E. Zibbell, PhD, et. al.-Sofosbuvir-Based Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapies for HCV in People Receiving Opioid Substitution Therapy: An Analysis of Phase 3 StudiesJ. Grebely, et. al.HealthWise: Alcohol and Liver Transplantation by Lucinda Porter, RNWe have reviewed or updated the following fact sheets: This fact sheet is an important addition to the series because it describes health conditions that are likely to affect a large proportion of the hepatitis C patient community. We hope that bringing attention to the link between hepatitis C and these other conditions will encourage patients to discuss their symptoms with their healthcare providers. Click The New York City Hepatitis C Task Force Hep Free NYC Newsletters British Liver Trust All Latest News HEPVOICE - World Hepatitis Alliance Third Fact Sheet - More than Liver Disease ProjectThis fact sheet is an important addition to the series because it describes health conditions that are likely to affect a large proportion of the hepatitis C patient community. We hope that bringing attention to the link between hepatitis C and these other conditions will encourage patients to discuss their symptoms with their healthcare providers. Click here for the full fact sheet which includes additional details including information on symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of these conditions.All Newsletters All Issues News World Hepatitis Alliance poised to Find the Missing Millions on World Hepatitis Day 28 Mar 2018 Bridie Taylor Today, the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) launched this years World Hepatitis Day campaign entitled Find the Missing Millions. Under the theme of GI & Hepatology Newsletters From the AGA Journals Survival worse with alcohol-related HCC, compared with other types Neil Osterweil Publish date: March 28, 2018 Patients with alcohol-related hepatocellular carcinoma have worse overall survival, likely because of delays in diagnosis and later stage at... Hep Magazine Hep Spring 2018 - Special Issue Highlights Advocacy in Action Best of You Is U.S. Lagging in Hepatitis Efforts? As Injection Drug Use Rises, So Does Hep C An Early Cure Protects the Liver? Cured of Hep C, at Risk of Fatty Liver News28 Mar 2018 Bridie TaylorToday, the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) launched this years World Hepatitis Day campaign entitled Find the Missing Millions. Under the theme ofFrom the AGA JournalsNeil OsterweilPublish date: March 28, 2018Patients with alcohol-related hepatocellular carcinoma have worse overall survival, likely because of delays in diagnosis and later stage at...HighlightsAdvocacy in ActionBest of YouIs U.S. Lagging in Hepatitis Efforts?As Injection Drug Use Rises, So Does Hep CAn Early Cure Protects the Liver?Cured of Hep C, at Risk of Fatty Liver HCVAction In every issue, youll find the hottest topics of interest to our readers along with cutting-edge health information. National Institutes of Health Blog Updates April 5, 2018 By Lucinda K. Porter, RN I was infected with hepatitis C (HCV) for 25 years. Of the aches and pains associated with viral hepatitis, the ones that hurt most are not mentioned on web sites: stigma and the fear of infecting another human being. HCV hijacks the liver and hurts the entire body, but feeling shame about having it is its own misery. HEPATITISC.NET Have a great week! Welcome to this months viral hepatitis newsletters & blog updates. Provided by a small group of unsung heroes focused on bringing crucial awareness to this silent epidemic.LAY SUMMARY: We examined the risk of liver cancer among 857 patients with cirrhosis in Scotland who received hepatitis C antiviral therapy and achieved a cure. We compared the risk of first-time liver cancer in patients treated with the newest interferon-free regimens, to patients treated with interferon. After accounting for the different characteristics of these two treatment groups, we found no evidence that interferon-free therapy is associated with a higher risk of liver cancer.Read today's news or a nice summary of notable headlines published in the latest issue of The Weekly Bull The following link is provided by Center for Disease Analysis Foundation Follow on twitter @CDAFound Through innovative systems redesign, dedicated providers and engaged Veterans, VA recently began treatment for its 100,000th Veteran with hepatitis C (HCV). New highly effective medications are easy to take and cure hepatitis C in 95 percent of Veterans who take them a huge improvement from past treatments.On the ground, teams of providers and staff have worked to develop ways to get the word out over the past three years; new HCV treatments work, and most Veterans in VA care have answered yes.Read the article: https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/46979/100000th-veteran-treated-hepatitis-c/ Consider, for example, the debate around the pricing of new Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) therapies. HCV is a chronic infectious disease that affects 3 million or more Americans. If untreated, HCV can cause liver dysfunction, liver failure, cirrhosis, and ultimately death. Until recently, the only available treatments for HCV were complex, multi-drug regimens with severe side effects and only modest efficacy. In the last half decade, however, several new HCV treatments have been developed with cure rates exceeding 90% . These new treatments typically cost $40,000-$50,000 per treatment course, but they have been shown to be cost effective over the long term, as they can help patients avoid terminal liver disease, which is extremely expensive to treat, and reduce morbidity and mortality due to progressive liver disease.Co-infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) occurs among some HIV-positive people due to shared routes of infection. HCV infects the liver and in many cases this causes chronic infection and inflammation within this organ. HCV also infects some cells of the immune system and chronic HCV infection causes inflammation and ...Synthetic cannabinoids -- often called Spice, K2 or fake weed -- have been tied to 56 cases of severe bleeding , including two deaths, across Chicago and areas in central Illinois.... Though 17 of the recent cases were tied to synthetic cannabinoid products in Chicago, contaminated products could be statewide, the Department of Public Health noted . There also were five cases in Cook County, two in Kankakee County, 14 in Peoria County, 12 in Tazewell County and one in each of the counties of DuPage, Kane, McLean and Will. Two other cases are under investigation.FDAThe items were shipped to locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin.According to Polaris data, of 325 million confirmed patients worldwide, 52 million are minors, a number much higher than the 2.1 million children suffering from AIDS, according to recent statistics reported at the World Hepatitis Summit in Brazil. According to Raquel Peck, CEO of World Hepatitis Alliance, most infected infants and children are not diagnosed, prioritized, or treated effectively. Twenty-one countries are responsible for around 80% of pediatric hepatitis C infections , with the highest prevalence rates generally found in developing countries. Of the 52 million, more than 90% have hepatit is B. However, the study showed that compared to hepatitis C, new hepatitis B infections among children are declining, from approximately 4.7% prevalence in the pre-vaccination era of the early 1980s to 1.3% in 2016. Data released at the summit indicated that 84% of countries offer Hepatitis B vaccines, but only 39% provide birth doses ( Link 1 Link 2 ).News & Reports* Public Health England has published an updated report on Hepatitis C in the North West alongside its annual Hepatitis C in England report. The report shows an estimated 16,000 out of 40,000 (40%) of people infected with hepatitis C in the North West remain undiagnosed.In this issueTick Tock: Your Body ClocksCircadian rhythms can influence eating habits, digestion, and metabolism (how our body uses and stores energy), too. Researchers have found that eating later in the day, closer to when melatonin is released, can disrupt the bodys natural rhythms. This can lead to increased body fat and weight gain, which are often associated with obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.Health CapsuleFeatured WebsiteApril 3, 2018Healthy lifestyle remains the best defense against non-alcoholic liver diseaseDo you know that you or a loved one may suffer from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)? You may not have heard of such disease but NAFLD has become the most common cause of chronic liver disease in the United States, slowly making its way as the next global epidemic.Dr. Kristine NovakPatients with prediabetes and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) benefit nearly as much from pioglitazone therapy as those with type-2 diabetes, researchers report in the April issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The diabetes drug reduced fibrosis in non-diabetic patients with NASH, the clinical study found, although to a lesser extent than in patients..By Greg JefferysOver the past three years I have been very aware of the situation for Hepatitis C treatment in Latvia because on some levels the situation has evolved in a very good way. Let me give you a little background.By Lucinda K. Porter, RNHepatitis C State of Medicaid Access report measures access to hepatitis C treatment for Medicaid enrollees in the United StatesBy Kimberly Morgan Bossley - March 30, 2018Many with hepatitis C experience rough relationships after diagnosis. For myself, I went through a horrible divorce that really left me feeling alone, afraid, unattractive, and frankly sick. (All while in the middle...By Karen Hoyt - March 29, 2018Somehow, I made it through years of living with hepatitis C. I looked like a tired, achy, stressful, smoker girl. The virus was weakening my liver, but I was undiagnosed. The damage...By Editorial Team - March 28, 2018Depending on the nature of an individuals chronic condition and how it impacts their daily life, they may or may not want to be in the workforce. Additionally, and depending on personal...Robert H. Shmerling, MDYou might call them pain relievers. You might take them for back pain, headache, or arthritis. Your doctor calls them NSAIDs, which stands for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Whatever you call them and for whatever reason you take them, NSAIDs are among the most popular medications worldwide.By Charlotte HuffReports and other guidance on both hepatitis B virus prevention and treatment all have reprised a common theme: Clearly vulnerable individuals are too often missed.Clinical GuidelinesView: Full Text Did thousands of men in Tennesee contract necrotizing fasciitis (also known as flesh eating bacteria) after "fingering" girls with a bad pH balance? Nope, that's not true, it is a hoax and completely false. However an article that claims it did happen went massively viral on April 2, 2018 getting over 20,000 Facebook engagements (likes + shares + comments) in just a few hours. The story originated with an article published on March 31, 2018 by website WitTheShit titled "Fingering girls causes flesh eating disease outbreak in Tennessee" (archived here) which opened: Outbreak in Memphis, TN caused 14,810 men to contract Necrotizing fasciitis which is due to a bad pH balance in women. The CDC - NCHS - National Center for Health Statistics started receiving reports of fingers disolving after fingering girls. They say the outbreak started out of Memphis, TN with 14,000 reported cases. Doctors didnt know what was going on at first but men complained about their fingers itching after fingering. Initially it didn't move the needle much (probably because of people being extra wary about fake news on April 1st) but on April 2nd the story massively took off. Users on social media only saw this title, description and thumbnail: Fingering girls causes flesh eating disease outbreak in Tennessee Outbreak in Memphis, TN caused 14,810 men to contract Necrotizing fasciitis which is due to a bad pH balance in women. [ CLICK FOR FULL STORY ] But the article is completely made up, the CDC did not make any announcements about any such outbreak. They do however have a page with real information about the condition (and note the absence of any mention of bad pH balance being the cause): Necrotizing fasciitis (neck-ro-tie-zing Fas-e-i-tis) is a serious bacterial skin infection that spreads quickly and kills the body's soft tissue. (Necrotizing means "causing the death of tissues.") Unfortunately, necrotizing fasciitis can be deadly in a very short amount of time. Accurate diagnosis, prompt antibiotic treatment (medicine that kills bacteria in the body), and surgery are important to stopping this infection. Although the media commonly calls it a "flesh-eating infection," more than one type of bacterium can cause this rare disease. These bacteria include group A Streptococcus (group A strep), Klebsiella, Clostridium, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Aeromonas hydrophila. Public health experts consider group A strep to be the most common cause of necrotizing fasciitis. They also note it rarely spreads from one person to another: In general, someone with necrotizing fasciitis does not spread the infection to other people. Most cases of necrotizing fasciitis occur randomly. The most common way of getting necrotizing fasciitis is when the bacteria enter the body through a break in the skin. This can include cuts, scrapes, burns, insect bites, or puncture wounds. But most importantly the WitTheShit website carries a disclaimer at the bottom of the page indicating everything they post is satire: WitTheShit is a group who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. 7.2 million strong We are Declaring a satire WAR on EVERYONE! We wrote about wittheshit.com before, here are our most recent articles that mention the site: As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ London, Apr 2 (IBNS): Weather extremes caused by climate change could raise the risk of food shortages in many countries, new research suggests. The study, led by the University of Exeter, examined how climate change could affect the vulnerability of different countries to food insecurity when people lack access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. Scientists looked at the difference between global warming of 1.5C and 2C (compared to pre-industrial levels) and found that despite increased vulnerability to food insecurity in both scenarios the effects would be worse for most countries at 2C. The study looked at 122 developing and least-developed countries, mostly in Asia, Africa and South America. Climate change is expected to lead to more extremes of both heavy rainfall and drought, with different effects in different parts of the world, said Professor Richard Betts, Chair in Climate Impacts at the University of Exeter. Such weather extremes can increase vulnerability to food insecurity. Some change is already unavoidable, but if global warming is limited to 1.5C, this vulnerability is projected to remain smaller than at 2C in approximately 76% of developing countries. Warming is expected to lead to wetter conditions on average with floods putting food production at risk but agriculture could also be harmed by more frequent and prolonged droughts in some areas. Wetter conditions are expected to have the biggest impact in South and East Asia, with the most extreme projections suggesting the flow of the River Ganges could more than double at 2C global warming. The areas worst affected by droughts are expected to be southern Africa and South America where flows in the Amazon are projected to decline by up to 25%. The researchers examined projected changes in weather extremes and their implications for freshwater availability and vulnerability to food insecurity. The team included researchers from the Met Office, the European Commission, the Technical University of Crete, Cranfield University and the Rossby Centre in Sweden. The paper, published in a special issue of the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, is entitled: Changes in climate extremes, fresh water availability and vulnerability to food insecurity projected at 1.5C and 2C global warming with a higher-resolution global climate model. Kabul, Apr 2 (IBNS): At least 10 Islamic State terrorists were killed during a clash in Dar Zab district of northern Jawzjan province of Afghanistan, media reports said on Sunday. According to media reports, the incident left six policemen hurt. The clash broke after IS fighters attacked a security check-post in the district at around 11am lasting one hour, Jawzjan deputy police chief Col. Abdul Hafeez Khashi told Pajhwok Afghan News. He confirmed that 10 ISIS terrorists were killed in the incident. The injured people were rushed to hospital for treatment. The IS has not commented on the incident so far. Ottawa/Washington, Apr 1 (IBNS): American warship USS Little Rock, which had been trapped by ice at the port of Montreal since Christmas eve, finally left for its home port in Florida Saturday after spending more than three months in Montreal, media reports said. Concerned for the safety of the ship and crew, officials decided to wait until weather conditions improved before allowing the warship to continue its journey to Mayport, Florida, a spokeswoman for the navy said. The Little Rock is expected to reach Florida early next month after making several port visits along the way. In a statement, the navy thanked Monteal for the hospitality it showed to the stranded crew. We greatly appreciate the support and hospitality of the city of Montreal, the Montreal Port Authority and the Canadian Coast Guard, said the ships commanding officer Todd Peters. We are grateful for the opportunity to further enhance our strong partnership, he said. In response to the complaints from nearby condo dwellers about the constant noise from the vessels generators during the cold winter, the ships technical staff in February had reportedly made necessary adjustments to a soundproofing, acoustic barrier wall surrounding the generators to minimize the noise. (Reporting by Asha Bajaj) Montreal, Apr 2 (IBNS): A Montreal man has been arrested after a decomposed body of an elderly woman was found at an apartment, media reports said. The watchman of the apartment discovered the body, which has been badly decomposed. The watchman found the body while he went to do some repairing works. The police said the decomposed body is the mother of the man, who has been arrested. However, the police could not identify the dead woman who has been badly decomposed. A large forensic team is handling the case, CTV News reported. The police said an autopsy would state for how long the woman had died and also state the cause of her death. The demonstrators were calling on the United Nations to stop the Iranian authorities from discriminating against Arabs living in Iran, as showcased by the protest signs in Arabic, English, and Ahvazi that were visible in videos and pictures shared on social media and shown on local Ahvaz TV channels. They called for the release of political prisoners, an end to the marginalization of the Arab Ahvaz, an end to demographic changes that favour of migrants over Arabs, and improved efforts by the Regime to tackle pressing political issues like poverty, unemployment, and pollution that are harming the Iranian people, including the Arab population, according to the Ahvaz Human Rights Organization. They also wanted that the Arab League to recognise the Arab-Ahvazi problem. These protests had reached their fourth day, when the Iranian Regime sent in its criminal thugs to shut it down. The protest continued until the early hours of Sunday morning, even as police closed the main streets around the demonstration. Irans persecution of Arabs The Iranian Regime has a long history of persecuting Arab people who live in the predominantly Persian country and evidence suggests that this has gotten even worse under the so-called moderate President Hassan Rouhani. In 2005, a peaceful protest against the discrimination and persecution against the indigenous Arabs of southwest Iran was met with brutality. At least 130 unarmed protesters were shot dead by Regime authorities and 2,000 were arrested, with some being executed or killed under torture in prison. Still, this has not deterred the Arab residents from rightly seeking equality. Rouhani promised during his first presidential campaign back in 2013 that he would address the demands of Irans Arab population, but he has not only failed to do that, things have gotten worse. Protests in Iran These protests by the Arab population in Iran are part of a nationwide anti-regime protest that sprung up in December, sparked because of a draft budget that stole from the poor and gave to the war effort. The protest quickly became about the overall sentiment against the Regime and the need for all Iranians to live free and not under the Regime. In a statement on his official web page, Ahmadinejad said that that oppressing people and clamping down on protesters and critics will result in chaos. He was very critical of Irans justice system for its recent abuses of protesters and warned against further restrictions and a heavy-handed clampdown to silence critics. Ahmadinejad said: Iranians are being arrested for simply demonstrating or criticizing officials and the way the country is run. This will no doubt surprise anyone who remembers Ahmadinejads presidency given that speakers at the 2006 student protests reported a crackdown on dissent at universities following Ahmadinejads election and especially given the reaction to the 2009 Green Movement protest, in which at least 500 people were arrested and threatened with execution for protesting against a rigged election. Corruption Ahmadinejad also demanded the release of his former aide, Hamid Baqai, who was jailed for corruption and embezzling funds worth over $5 million. Some of this money was taken from the suppressive Iranian Al-Quds Brigade, which helps to spread the Iranian Regimes brutal ideology abroad. Ahmadinejad insists Baqai is innocent. He has accused Al-Quds Brigade chief Qassem Suleimani of misusing the funds and called for him to be put on trial. The former president and his supporters also organised a week-long sit-in to protest the imprisonment of Baqaii and Isfandiar Rahimi. Ahmadinejads followers criticised the judiciary during the protest, calling for the head of the judiciary Sadeq Larijani and his brother, the speaker of the house of parliament Ali Larijani, to be dismissed. They said that the brothers had abused their power and used their positions to promote corruption and violence. Ahmadinejad has also spoken out against supreme leader Ali Khamenei recently, accusing him of stealing more than $190 billion of the Iranian peoples fortune. To be clear, the Iranian Regime has a long history of corruption and embezzlement no matter who is in charge. The mullahs have continually stolen from the Iranian people since 1979 and will continue to do so as long as they remain in power. Ahmadinejads attacks on the Regime are not evidence that he has grown a conscience, but more a reaction to the fact that he was under investigation and was barred from running in the 2017 elections. The Iranian Regime is plagued with infighting from all sides, but it is about power not policy. All members want their faction to be in the best place to succeed when Khamenei dies. It is a sign that the Iranian Regime is weak and that their overthrow will be soon. the MEK had been working towards the overthrow of the Shah and the re-introduction of democracy to Iran, when the MEK leaders were arrested. Only one of the MEKs leaders, Massoud Rajavi, escaped execution and was released from prison after the Shah fled. Upon his release, Massoud Rajavi gave a speech about how the MEK would bring freedom to Iran and how the Revolution would improve life for the Iranian people. Unfortunately, the theocratic mullahs had a different plan. The mullahs lies to the people, the MEK, and the world The mullahs were supporters of the Shah throughout the 20th century, even during the 1906 Revolution and the Mossadeq national movement, right up until the 1979 revolution, which meant they were in the ideal position to steal the revolution from the MEK and the people of Iran. Unlike the freedom and democracy advocates, the mullahs were not imprisoned when the Shah fled, meaning that they could freely meet and organise. The mullahs saw their chance and hijacked the revolution. First, they claimed to stand with the people and joined the people on the streets. Then, after the Shah left, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini started to make promises to the people of Iran that the MEK had already been making, such as democratic government, gender equality, and press freedoms. These were lies, but the mullahs believed that all means are justified in the service of God. Of course, none of their actions were in the service of any god, but rather their own self-interests. What god would want an unelected leader and theocratic regime? Still, this deception worked and the Iranian people welcomed Khomeini, who they saw as an elderly statesman in opposition to the Shah, back from exile, not knowing that he would stand between them and a democratic government. The mullahs even managed to trick the international community by lying to them about the roles of the clergy in the new Iran and temporarily allowing pro-democracy activist Mehdi Bazargan to have a role in the Regime. In almost record time, Khomeini went back on his promises. He appointed religious leaders to positions of power rather than waiting for an election, refusing to put democracy activists in the interim government. He also gave himself the position of Supreme Leader, which made him essentially the king. This behaviour angered the MEK who could see the dangers in the mullahs rule. The MEKs leader Massoud Rajavi said: Step by step, the fundamentalists ogre began to wipe out the achievement of the revolution and solidify an autocratic theocracy in the name of Islam. The mullahs tried to get the MEK on side, promising Massoud Rajavi that if he supported Khomeini, that he too would have untold power, but Massoud Rajavi and the MEK rejected this. The MEK was dedicated to a Free Iran, not favours for their leader, and so when elections were called in 1980, Massoud Rajavi announced the MEKs political platform and positioned the MEK as the main opposition party to Khomeini and the mullahs. This worried the Regime, who knew that the MEK enjoyed wide support among the public after their struggle against the Shah, so the mullahs instituted a secret campaign of violence against the MEK, perpetrated by Hezbollah. The MEK, believing that democracy was still the answer, resisted the urge to fight back and remained non-violent. As a result, the mullahs rigged the election so that they would win. In the final part of this series, find out about the rigged election and how the MEK reacted. Scientists have discovered evidence that some of the earliest members of the human race, Homo sapiens, were surprisingly advanced. Scientists say these early humans knew how to use color pigments found in nature, create advanced tools and trade for supplies with other groups of people. A report on the discovery was published recently in the journal Science. The scientists said they examined artifacts recovered from southern Kenya. Some of the objects are said to date back to 320,000 years ago. They are about the same age as the earliest-known Homo sapiens fossils found in other parts of Africa. In the report, the researchers described an ochre pigment that produced a bright-red color. They say this pigment could have been used for body painting. They also found tools made from obsidian, a volcanic rock that can have an extremely sharp edge. The researchers found evidence of obsidian being transported to the Olorgesailie Basin, up to 88 kilometers away from where the rock was found. This discovery led the scientists to believe it had come from another group through trade. But they did not know what was provided in exchange for the obsidian. The researchers said the findings show developments in technology and social structures unexpected so early in human history. Rick Potts is a paleoanthropologist and director of the Human Origins Program at the Smithsonian Institutions National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. He believes that these newly identified mental and social abilities including recognition of distant groups, use of pigments and technologies including projectile points were at the foundation of our species origin. Alison Brooks, another paleoanthropologist, is with the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Speaking of the pigment, she said, The choice of importing the ochre from a distance rather than using a more common local materialargues that having a red face or hair or clothing or weapons also carried a symbolic message of some sort. The researchers described the obsidian tools they found as smaller, of better quality, and more specialized than larger stone tools used by earlier human species. The obsidian was used in a number of tools with sharp or pointy edges. The rock was also found in small, sharp points that could be placed at the end of a piece of wood or bone for use as a weapon. Im Jonathan Evans. Will Dunham reported this story for the Reuters news service. Jonathan Evans adapted his report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ QUIZ Quiz - Scientists: Early Humans Were Not as Simple as One Would Think Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz _______________________________________________________________ Words in this Story advanced adj. being far along in progress or development artifact n. a simple object such as a tool or weapon that was made by people in the past journal n. a publication dealing mainly with issues of current interest pigment n. a natural substance that gives coloring to animals and plants; a substance that gives color to something else fossil n. remains of an ancient organism that has been protected in Earths surface paleoanthropologist n. the study of anthropology that deals with fossils projectile n. something that is thrown as a weapon symbolic adj. expressing or representing an idea or quality without using words Winnie Madikizela-Mandela died on Monday after a long illness. Her family said she was 81. She was the former wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela. The two were known for their fight against South Africas rule of separating people by race, known as apartheid. The rule effectively permitted the white minority to rule over the black majority in South Africa for many years. Madikizela-Mandela was married to Mandela from 1958 to 1996. Mandela, who died in 2013, was imprisoned throughout most of their marriage. For years, she fought for his release and for the rights of black South Africans. Her own fight against white minority rule also led to months in prison and years of house arrest. On February 11, 1990, she walked hand in hand with her husband out of the Cape Town prison where he was kept for 27 years. The two punched the air victoriously with the clenched-fist sign of black power. Four years later, Nelson Mandela became South Africas first black president. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela became known as the mother of the new South Africa. In a statement, her family said, She kept the memory of her imprisoned husband Nelson Mandela alive during his years on Robben Island and helped give the struggle for justice in South Africa one its most recognizable faces. However, Madikizela-Mandelas legacy was ruined when she was found guilty of kidnapping and assault in 1991. The crimes were against a 14-year-old suspected of being an informer. She and Mandela separated in 1992. Mandela also removed her from his cabinet in 1995 after accusations of corruption. The couple divorced a year later, after which she took the name Madikizela-Mandela. Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on AP and Reuters news reports. Mario Ritter was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story apartheid n. a policy of racial separation that existed in South Africa until 1994 punch v. to hit out clenched adj. held in a tightly closed position legacy n. something that happened in the past that is remembered and carried forward divorced adj. having gone through a divorce or legal end to a marriage 10 hours ago Asset Allocation: The Key to a Successful Portfolio. Are You Paying Attention to Yours? What does your portfolio asset allocation look like? Have you intentionally invested based on asset allocation? If not, it's understandable. Most people don't consider how they'll allocate their investments when they first get started investing. Read Article China Hydroelectric Corporation is a developer, owner and operator of small hydroelectric power projects in China. The projects are located in Zhejiang, Fujian, Yunnan and Sichuan. As of December 31, 2012, wholly owns 22 operating hydroelectric power projects and have controlling interests in three operating hydroelectric power projects. In March 2012, the Company sold 100% of the Yuanping hydroelectric power project. In April 2013, the Company sold the Yuheng hydroelectric power project, a 30 megawatt (MW) project located in Fujian province. In July 2014, the Company announced that it has completed the merger with CPT Wyndham Sub Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of CPT Wyndham Holdings Ltd. Read More American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected] | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at contact@marketbeat.com | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. The following companies are subsidiares of Sysco: 2234829 Alberta ULC, 2234842 Alberta ULC, A. M. Briggs Inc., A.M. Briggs, Almacen Fiscal Frionet Caldera S.A., Almacen Fiscal Frionet Limon S.A., Appert's Foodservice, Arnotts (Fruit) Limited, Asian Foods, Bahamas Food Holdings Limited, Bahamas Food Services Limited, Brake Bros, Brake Bros Foodservice Ireland Limited, Brake Bros. Foodservice Limited, Brake Bros. Holding I Limited, Brake Bros. Ltd., Brakes Foodservice NI Limited, Buchy Food Service, Buckhead Beef Co., Buckhead Meat & Seafood of Houston Inc., Buckhead Meat Company, Buckhead Meat Midwest Inc., Buckhead Meat of Dallas Inc., Buckhead Meat of Denver Inc., Buckhead Meat of San Antonio LP, Buzztable Inc., CAKE Corporation, Central Seafood Co., Christys Wine & Spirits Limited, Clafra Aktiebolag, Colorado Boxed Beef Co - Specialty meat-cutting division, Corporacion Frionet Sociedad Anonima, Crossgar Foodservice, Crossgar Foodservice Limited, Crown I Enterprises Inc., Cucina Acquisitions (UK) Limited, Cucina Finance (UK) Limited, Cucina French Holdings Limited, Cucina Fresh Finance Limited, Cucina Fresh Investments Limited, Cucina Lux Investments Limited, Curleys Quality Foods Limited (Third Party), Davigel Belgilux S.A., Davigel Espana S.A., Desert Meats & Provisions, Distagro, Doerle Food Service, Doughtie's Foods Inc., Dust Bowl City LLC, Eko Fagel Fisk o mittemellan AB, Enclave Insurance Company, Enclave Parkway Association Inc., Enclave Properties LLC, European Imports, European Imports Inc., Figg Inc., Freedman Meats, Freedman Meats Inc., Freedman-KB Inc., Fresh Direct (UK) Limited, Fresh Direct Group Limited, Fresh Direct Limited, Fresh Holdings Limited, FreshPoint, FreshPoint Arizona Inc., FreshPoint Atlanta Inc., FreshPoint California Inc., FreshPoint Central California Inc., FreshPoint Central Florida Inc., FreshPoint Connecticut LLC, FreshPoint Dallas Inc., FreshPoint Denver Inc., FreshPoint Hawaii LLC, FreshPoint Inc., FreshPoint Las Vegas Inc., FreshPoint North Carolina Inc., FreshPoint North Florida Inc., FreshPoint Oklahoma City LLC, FreshPoint Pompano Real Estate LLC, FreshPoint Puerto Rico LLC, FreshPoint San Francisco Inc., FreshPoint South Florida Inc., FreshPoint South Texas Inc., FreshPoint Southern California Inc., FreshPoint Tomato LLC, FreshPoint Vancouver Ltd., Freshfayre Limited, Fruktservice i Helsingborg AB, GHS Classic Drinks Limited, Gilchrist & Soames Inc., Gilchrist & Soames UK Limited, Guest Packaging LLC, Guest Supply, Guest Supply Asia Limited, Guest Supply Singapore Pte. Ltd., International Food Group, Isakssons Frukt & Gront AB, J & M Wholesale Meats, J. Kings Food Service Professionals, J. Kings Food Service Professionals Inc., Kent Frozen Foods, Les Ateliers Du Gout, Liquid Assets Limited, M&J Seafood Holdings Limited, M&J Seafood Limited, Manchester Mills LLC, Mayca Autoservicio S.A., Mayca Distribuidores S.A., Menigo Foodservice AB, Mitshim Etatu Supply LP, Newport Meat Company, Newport Meat Northern California Inc., Newport Meat Pacific Northwest Inc., Newport Meat Southern California Inc., Newport Meat of Nevada Inc., North Star Holding Corporation, North Star Seafood, North Star Seafood Acquisition Corporation, North Star Seafood LLC, PFS de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Palisades Ranch Inc., Pallas Foods, Pallas Foods Farm Fresh Unlimited Company, Pallas Foods Unlimited Company, Pauleys Produce Limited, Promotora del Servicios S.A. de C.V., Restaurangakdemien AB, Restaurant of Tomorrow Inc., Rohan Viandes Elaboration SAS, SMS Bermuda Holdings, SMS GPC International Limited, SMS GPC International Resources Limited, SMS Global Holdings S.a.r.l., SMS International Resources Ireland Unlimited Company, SMS Lux Holdings LLC, SOTF LLC, SYY Netherlands C.V., SYY Panama S. de R.L., Serca Foodservice, Servicestyckarna I Johannes AB, Servicios Ameriserve S.A. de C.V., Shenzhen Guest Supply Trading Co. Limited, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) Bianchi Montegut, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) De Boiseau, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) De Garcelles, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) J.D. Lanjouan, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) Le Dauphin, Specialty Meat Holdings LLC, Stockflag Limited, Stockholms Fiskauktion AB, Supplies on the Fly, Sysco Albany LLC, Sysco Asian Foods Inc., Sysco Atlanta LLC, Sysco Autoservicio S.A., Sysco Baltimore LLC, Sysco Baraboo LLC, Sysco Bermuda Partners L.P., Sysco Boston LLC, Sysco Canada Holdings S.a.r.l., Sysco Canada Inc., Sysco Central Alabama LLC, Sysco Central California Inc., Sysco Central Florida Inc., Sysco Central Illinois Inc., Sysco Central Pennsylvania LLC, Sysco Charlotte LLC, Sysco Chicago Inc., Sysco Cincinnati LLC, Sysco Cleveland Inc., Sysco Columbia LLC, Sysco Connecticut LLC, Sysco Corporation, Sysco Corporation Director's Deferred Compensation Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Employee's 401(k) Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Executive Deferred Compensation Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Good Government Committee Inc., Sysco Corporation Retirement Trust, Sysco Corporation Supplemental Executive Retirement Trust, Sysco Corporation Supplemental Unemployment Benefits Plan Trust, Sysco Detroit LLC, Sysco Disaster Relief Foundation Inc., Sysco EI VI S. s.r.l., Sysco EU II S.a.r.l., Sysco EU III S.a.r.l., Sysco EU IV Capital Unlimited Company, Sysco EU IV S. s.r.l.., Sysco EU V S. s.r.l., Sysco Eastern Maryland LLC, Sysco Eastern Wisconsin LLC, Sysco Foundation Inc., Sysco France Holding SAS, Sysco France SAS, Sysco George Town II LLC, Sysco George Town Limited S. s.r.l.., Sysco Global Finance LLC, Sysco Global Finance LLP, Sysco Global Holdings B.V., Sysco Global Resources LLC, Sysco Global Services LLC, Sysco Grand Cayman Company, Sysco Grand Cayman II Company, Sysco Grand Cayman III Company, Sysco Grand Rapids LLC, Sysco Guernsey Limited, Sysco Guest Supply Canada Inc., Sysco Guest Supply Europe Goods Wholesalers LLC, Sysco Guest Supply Europe Limited, Sysco Guest Supply LLC, Sysco Gulf Coast LLC, Sysco Hampton Roads Inc., Sysco Hawaii Inc., Sysco Holdings II LLC, Sysco Holdings LLC, Sysco Indianapolis LLC, Sysco International Food Group Inc., Sysco International Inc., Sysco Iowa Inc., Sysco Jackson LLC, Sysco Jacksonville Inc., Sysco Kansas City Inc., Sysco Knoxville LLC, Sysco Labs Europe Limited, Sysco Labs Pvt. Ltd., Sysco Leasing LLC, Sysco Lincoln Inc., Sysco Lincoln Transportation Company Inc., Sysco Long Island LLC, Sysco Los Angeles Inc., Sysco Louisville Inc., Sysco Memphis LLC, Sysco Merchandising and Supply Chain Services Canada Inc., Sysco Merchandising and Supply Chain Services Inc., Sysco Metro New York LLC, Sysco Minnesota Inc., Sysco Montana Inc., Sysco Nashville LLC, Sysco Netherlands Partners LLC, Sysco North Central Florida Inc., Sysco North Dakota Inc., Sysco Northern New England Inc., Sysco Philadelphia LLC, Sysco Pittsburgh LLC, Sysco Portland Inc., Sysco Raleigh LLC, Sysco Resources Services LLC, Sysco Riverside Inc., Sysco Sacramento Inc., Sysco San Diego Inc., Sysco San Francisco Inc., Sysco Seattle Inc., Sysco South Florida Inc., Sysco Southeast Florida LLC, Sysco Spain Holdings SLU, Sysco Spokane Inc., Sysco St. Louis LLC, Sysco Syracuse LLC, Sysco Technologies Cayman Ltd., Sysco Technologies LLC, Sysco UK Holdings Limited, Sysco UK Limited, Sysco UK Partners LLP, Sysco USA I Inc., Sysco USA II LLC, Sysco USA III LLC, Sysco Ventura Inc., Sysco Ventures Inc., Sysco Virginia LLC, Sysco West Coast Florida Inc., Sysco Western Minnesota Inc., The SYGMA Network Inc., Upsys, Victua SAS, Walker Foods Inc., Waugh Foods, and Wild Harvest Limited. Chinese phone maker Oppo is launching two new phones with big screens, dual cameras, and plenty of RAM and storage. The Oppo R15 and R15 Pro both feature 6.3 inch, 2280 x 1080 pixel displays (with a 19:9 aspect ratio), 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. They both have 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, dual rear cameras, and 20MP front cameras. So why two models? Because the $475 Oppo R15 is powered by a MediaTek Helio P60 processor, while the $525 Oppo R15 Pro has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chip. A few other differences: The Oppo R15 Pro has a 16MP + 20MP rear camera system, a ceramic back, and a 3,400 mAh battery, while the regular Oppo R15 has a 16MP + 5MP camera, a metal back cover, and a 3,450 mAh battery. Overall, these are both phones with specs that straddle the line between mid-range and premium. They dont have the fastest processors, the highest resolution displays, or the best cameras. But they do have some nice features including support for portrait mode and time-lapse photography, and dual SIM support (or you can use one of those SIM card slots for a microSD card). The phones have micro USB ports rather than USB Type-C, and they support Oppos VOOC fast charging systems. Oppo put the fingerprint sensor on the back of the phones, and went with the increasingly common notch-and-slime-bezels design for the front. Finder and Android Headlines both got a little hands-on time with the phones, and report that theyre nice looking devices (if you can stand the notch) with relatively zippy performance. Share this article: Share this: Facebook Twitter Reddit Pocket Tumblr Pinterest LinkedIn Email The following companies are subsidiares of MetLife: 1001 PROPERTIES LLC, 10700 WILSHIRE LLC, 1201 TAB MANAGER LLC, 150 NORTH RIVERSIDE PE MEMBER LLC, 1925 WJC OWNER LLC, 23RD STREET INVESTMENTS INC., 500 GRANT STREET ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, 500 GRANT STREET GP LLC, 60 11TH STREET LLC, 6104 HOLLYWOOD LLC, AFP GENESIS ADMINISTRADORA DE FONDOS Y FIDECOMISOS S.A., AFP PROVIDA S.A., AGENVITA S.R.L., ALICO EUROPEAN HOLDINGS LIMITED, ALICO HELLAS SINGLE MEMBER LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, ALICO OPERATIONS LLC, ALICO PROPERTIES INC., AMMETLIFE INSURANCE BERHAD, AMMETLIFE TAKAFUL BERHAD, American Life Insurance Company, BEST MARKET S.A., BIDV METLIFE LIFE INSURANCE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, BLOCK VISION HOLDINGS CORPORATION, BLOCK VISION OF TEXAS INC., BORDERLAND INVESTMENTS LIMITED, BOULEVARD RESIDENTIAL LLC, BUFORD LOGISTICS CENTER LLC, CC HOLDCO MANAGER LLC, CHESTNUT FLATS WIND LLC, CLOSED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY MASTER D, COMPANIA INVERSORA METLIFE S.A., CORPORATE REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS LLC, COVA LIFE MANAGEMENT COMPANY, DAVIS VISION INC., DAVISVISION IPA INC., DELAWARE AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, DES MOINES CREEK BUSINESS PARK PHASE II LLC, ECONOMY FIRE & CASUALTY COMPANY, ECONOMY PREFERRED INSURANCE COMPANY, ECONOMY PREMIER ASSURANCE COMPANY, EURO CL INVESTMENTS LLC, EXCELENCIA OPERATIVA Y TECNOLOGICA S.A de C.V., FEDERAL FLOOD CERTIFICATION LLC, FORTISSIMO CO. 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Illustration showing interactions between components of the AH10-7 compound (yellow), an immune system antigen-presenting cell (gray), and an invariant natural killer T cell (green and blue) that spark activation of iNKT cells in 'humanized' mice. Credit: Jose Gascon/UConn Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are powerful weapons our body's immune systems count on to fight infection and combat diseases like cancer, multiple sclerosis, and lupus. Finding ways to spark these potent cells into action could lead to more effective cancer treatments and vaccines. While several chemical compounds have shown promise stimulating iNKT cells in mice, their ability to activate human iNKT cells has been limited. Now, an international team of top immunologists, molecular biologists, and chemists led by University of Connecticut chemistry professor Amy Howell reports in Cell Chemical Biology the creation of a new compound that appears to have the properties researchers have been looking for. The compound - a modified version of an earlier synthesized ligand - is highly effective in activating human iNKT cells. It is also selective - encouraging iNKT cells to release a specific set of proteins known as Th1 cytokines - that stimulate anti-tumor immunity. One of the limitations of earlier compounds was their tendency to cause iNKT cells to release a rush of different cytokines. Some of the cytokines turned the body's immune response on, while others turned it off. The conflicting cytokine activity hampered the compounds' effectiveness. The new compound - called AH10-7 - is uniquely structured so that does not happen. "One of the goals in this field has been to identify compounds that elicit a more biased or selective response from iNKT cells, and we were able to incorporate features in AH10-7 that did that," says Howell, who has been studying the role of glycolipids in modulating the human immune system for more than 20 years. Comparison of tumor suppression in the lungs of wild mice (top row) and 'humanized' mice (bottom row). First column represents untreated mice. Second column, mice treated with KRN7000, a synthesized compound. Third column, mice treated with a new compound, AH10-7. Results show the newly synthesized compound AH10-7 is at least as effective as KRN7000 in suppressing growth of melanoma cells. Credit: Dr. Steven Porcelli and Weiming Yuan The robust study, years in the making, also applied advanced structural and 3-D computer modeling analysis to identify the underlying basis for the new compound's success. These highly detailed insights into what is happening at the molecular level open up new paths for research and could lead to the development of even more effective compounds. "We synthesized a new compound, demonstrated its effectiveness with biological data, and learned more about its interactions with proteins through X-ray crystallography and computational analysis,'' says UConn associate professor of chemistry Jose Gascon, a specialist in quantum and molecular mechanics. "We are providing protocols so that other scientists can rationally design related molecules that elicit desired responses from iNKT cells." The molecular analysis helped validate and explain experimental results. "By exposing a crystalized form of the molecular complex to a high-intensity X-ray beam at the Australian Synchrotron, we were able to obtain a detailed 3-D image of the molecular interplay between the invariant natural killer T cell receptor and AH10-7," says corresponding author Jerome Le Nours, a structural biologist with the Biomedicine Discovery Institute at Monash University in Australia. "This enabled us to identify the structural factors responsible for AH10-7's potency in activating iNKT cells. This valuable insight could lead to the development of even more effective anti-metastatic ligands." Efforts to harness the therapeutic potential of human iNKT cells began 20 years ago with the discovery that natural and synthetic forms of glycolipid ligands known as alpha-galactosylceramides, or -GalCers for short, were potent activators of iNKT cells. Scientists immediately recognized their possible value in fighting cancer and other diseases. These -GalCer ligands serve as tiny dock masters in our immune system, helping antigen-presenting cells attract and bind with iNKT cells so they can be activated to kill cancerous cells or fight off pathogens and other foreign invaders. The first promising version of a synthesized -GalCer was a compound known as KRN7000. While KRN7000 powerfully stimulated iNKT cells in both mice and humans, it triggered the release of a flood of many types of cytokines, limiting its potential for clinical applications. Since then, researchers have been searching for new variations of KRN7000 that maintain their effectiveness in activating human iNKT cells while also favoring release of the powerful tumor fighting Th1 cytokines. In the current study, Howell and colleagues made two significant modifications to an -GalCer ligand in an attempt to make it more effective. They found that adding a hydrocinnamoyl ester on to the sugar stabilized the ligand and kept it close to the surface of the antigen-presenting cell, thereby enhancing its ability to dock with and stimulate human iNKT cells. In addition, trimming off part of the molecule's sphingoid base appears to initiate the critical Th1 cytokine bias. Both changes, working in tandem, strengthened the effectiveness of the entire molecular complex in terms of activating human iNKT cells, Howell says. To further validate AH10-7's effectiveness, the researchers tested the new compound in wild mice as well as partially "humanized" mice, whose genomes were modified to mimic the human iNKT cell response. Notably, AH10-7 was shown to be at least as effective as KRN7000 in suppressing the growth of melanoma cells in the partially humanized mice. Explore further Making cancer-fighting cells in the lab More information: Divya Chennamadhavuni et al, Dual Modifications of -Galactosylceramide Synergize to Promote Activation of Human Invariant Natural Killer T Cells and Stimulate Anti-tumor Immunity, Cell Chemical Biology (2018). Journal information: Cell Chemical Biology Divya Chennamadhavuni et al, Dual Modifications of -Galactosylceramide Synergize to Promote Activation of Human Invariant Natural Killer T Cells and Stimulate Anti-tumor Immunity,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2018.02.009 According to researchers from the Rollins School of Public Health, approximately 57,000 birth defects of the brain and spine could be immediately prevented every year in 71 countries by adding folic acid to wheat flour. Vijaya Kancherla, Ph.D., an epidemiologist for the Center for Spina Bifida Prevention and research assistant professor at Emory's Rollins School of Public Health, was lead author of the study published in Birth Defects Research. The research team assessed the birth defects cases in the 71 countries where there is an immediate potential for wheat flour fortification. Researchers identified large quantities of potentially preventable birth defects in countries such as China, which represents more than 13,000 folic acid-preventable cases of anencephaly and spina bifida annually. "It's important to note that 57,000 is an annual number. If fortification is sustained, in 20 years that would mean over 1 million fewer children with severe birth defects in these 71 countries," says Kancherla. "Fortification can be easily started in these countries using their current milling infrastructure, and the result would be an immediate prevention of unnecessary disability and death in children for years ahead." Past research estimated that 233,200 live births with spina bifida or anencephaly could be averted if women had more folic acid prior to conception and in the first 28 days of pregnancy. Folic acid is a form of vitamin B9. Fortifying wheat flour with folic acid supplies this essential vitamin through commonly consumed foods such as bread and pasta. Kancherla used four criteria to identify countries with the immediate potential for wheat flour fortification: Existing flour fortification does not include folic acid. At least 30 percent of wheat flour is industrially milled, with an "industry" defined as one with a capacity to produce at least 20 metric tons of flour a day. Less than 50 percent of industrially milled wheat flour is fortified, regardless of fortification legislation. More than 75 grams of wheat flour per person per day is available for human consumption, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. "Fortifying wheat flour with folic acid has reduced the prevalence of birth defects in every country that has studied birth defect prevalence before and after fortification," explains Kancherla. "Chile, South Africa and the US have also reported millions of dollars in averted healthcare expenditures due to prevention of spina bifida." To reduce the risk of a pregnancy being affected by a birth defect of the brain and spine, the World Health Organization recommends that women take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily. But less than 30 percent of women voluntarily take folic acid supplements at the right time in most countries. Countries began fortifying wheat flour with folic acid for birth defect prevention in 1996 and currently 81 countries include folic acid in their standards for mandatory wheat flour fortification. Explore further Upper limit for intake of folate is invalidgovernment urged to fortify flour with folic acid (HealthDay)Planning a move in the future? You might want to make sure there are parks nearby. Research suggests that people who live near parks and green space are happier and healthier. For instance, one study in the journal Health & Place looked at the relationship between parks and various health factors among women in the United States and Australia. Australian women with more parks near their home were more likely to meet physical activity guidelines and less likely to be overweight or obese. American women who lived near parks were less likely to watch TV four or more hours a day. In both countries, living near parks was also linked to a lower body mass index (BMI), a ratio of weight to height. Mental health also seems to benefit from time spent in parks and similar green spaces. A separate study in Health & Place found that the more time people spent in green spaces, the higher their scores on scales that assessed mental health and vitality. Of course, you don't have to live next to a park to reap the benefits. Moving to a greenbelt area isn't always possible. It should be possible, though, to regularly visit parks and green areas within a reasonable distance of your home. Check with your community's recreation department, or stop by city hall, to learn about area parks and trails. Check your state government's website for similar information. Check out the Nature Conservancy website (nature.org) to find protected areas in your region that are open to visitors. And when you're ready for a bigger adventure, go to findyourpark.com. The website is sponsored by the U.S. National Park Service and the National Park Foundation. It has state-by-state information on national parks. There might be some closer than you think. Explore further US national parks increasingly important for bird conservation in face of climate change More information: The National Recreation and Park Association has more on the Journal information: Health & Place The National Recreation and Park Association has more on the health benefits of green space Copyright 2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved. One frequently proclaimed advantage of single-payer health care is its potential to reduce administrative costs, but new Vancouver School of Economics research calls that assumption into question. The study, published this week in Health Affairs, analyzed a novel dataset to develop measures of how complex the billing process is for physicians interacting with insurers in the United States health care system. "These results are dramatic and striking," said Joshua Gottlieb, one of the study's authors and associate professor at the VSE. "Conventional wisdom held that it should be more challenging for doctors to bill private insurers. Yet, when it comes to Medicaid, our results show the opposite." Gottlieb and his coauthors were able to measure the complexity of billing Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers while controlling for differences in physicians' billing ability and the complexity of the patient. They found Medicaid was two to three times as difficult as Medicare or private insurance for doctors to bill. Medicaid managed care programs-those were states pay fixed annual fees to private insurers who insure Medicaid patients-had slightly lower billing complexity than state-run fee-for-service Medicaid. The study evaluated 44 million claims from 68,000 physicians, worth a total of $8.4 billion. In total, the authors estimate that the disputed bills amount to $54 billion annually across all insurers, and $11 billion could be saved if all billing efficiency were improved to the best level observed in the data. The study also found billing complexity is decreasing over time, especially for Medicaid. The researchers aid this is good news, as it could encourage more physicians to treat Medicaid patients. "For a health care system that spends so much money on administrative costs, from 15 to 30 per cent according to previous studies, this decline is an important cause for optimism," said Gottlieb. "Further work needs to be done to explore the reasons for this change." The study, "The Complexity of Billing And Paying for Physician Care", was published yesterday in Health Affairs. Gottlieb's coauthors are Adam Hale Shapiro, research advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and Abe Dunn, assistant chief economist in the Office of the Chief Economist, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. Explore further Administrative costs estimated at health care system YEREVAN. A small cave Getahovit-2 that is covering an area of about 64 square meters in the Tavush region of Armenia keeps information about the Middle Ages, the Eneolithic (5-4 millennium BC), the Neolithic (6-5 millennium) and the Upper Paleolithic (more than 20 thousands years ago). The layers of the Upper Paleolithic are also found in Agithu 3 cave in Syunik region of Armenia, but interestingly in Agithu, ancient layers date from 40,000 to 23,000. Meanwhile, Getahovit is an additional source belonging to the time interval from 25,000 to 23,000 to the present time (calBP), which corresponds to the upper layers of Agithu, that is, the study of Getahovit can fill in the gap in our understanding of the Upper Paleolithic population of Armenia, especially since the Agstev Valley is quite different geological and geographic world than the canyon of the Vorotan River. However, due to lack of funding in 2018, the excavations in this unique cave can be stopped. As explained by Irena Kalantaryan, the head of expedition in Getahovit cave and worker of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography, in Armenia, a scientific study of the period of the Upper Paleolithic is very important because of a small number of fixed monuments. The scientists pay special attention to the late Neolithic period, as there is almost no information about this period in Armenia. For Armenia and the entire South Caucasus region, one of the key archaeological issues is recreation of the way of life and economy of Neolithic inhabitants. Two Getahovit caves at an altitude of 960 meters in the gorge of the Khachakhbyr River near the Getahovit community of Tavush region were found in 2010 as part of a joint Armenian-French expedition. During the test excavations, it was decided to explore Getahovit-2 cave, as although it is smaller in size, it has a greater archaeological potential. Scientific research in the cave started in 2011: first, archaeologists opened medieval layers, then - copper-stone (Eneolithic) - with characteristic white layers, remnants of animal bones and tools made of bones and obsidian. The first unique find is a medieval burial, shaped like a boat from two compartments with two dead bodies. It is obvious that during the later burial a smaller compartment was built, and the remains of the first dead were collected into it: the bones of his feet were laid on the bones of the hands. Irena Kalantaryan says that the burial dates back to not early than 11-12 BC and is in accordance with the rules of that period: the dead are lying on their back with the hands crossed on the chest. However, it is unclear why they were buried outside the church cemetery. Perhaps they were sectarians or did not have an opportunity to leave the cave. In subsequent years, the study of the cave continued, and the stratigraphic pits made in 2014 revealed the entire time frame of the cave: the medieval layer, then the sterile layer, the Eneolithic, the Neolithic, again the sterile layer, and below, the 73-yam structure, filled with obsidian microlites. Radiocarbon analysis showed the era of the Upper Paleolithic, that is 24-23 thousand years BC. Irena Kalantaryan says that medieval finds are very diverse: there are traces of fireplaces, fires and toners used for a long time, ceramic utensils. On the ground you can see the remains of objects made of plant material: perhaps, wood. In 2016 the archeologists decided to excavate the area of a terrace in front of the cave, and it became clear that in the Middle Ages people used both the cave and the adjacent territory. A hole with a large clay vessel and a small jar were found. They also found a ring, perhaps an iron one, that was engraved in Arabic. According to the expert, the inscription is read as Lillahi Lah. The ring testifies to the status of the owner, and shows that he is married. Medieval layers in Getaovit cover from the period from 10 to 13 century. According to historians, in 9-11 centuries the valley of the river Agstev, as part of the Bagratid kingdom, was in the possession of the Kuritids, and in 12-14 centuries of the Zakharids. White floor, or more precisely gray-blue is the layers of copper-stone age. Perhaps it is calcite precipitation, but there is an opinion that it is the ashes of burnt coprolites. Traces of the pickets. Sometimes they have a canonical form, which means there could be some buildings. But, the tracks are chaotically located, but interestingly they are always located near the hearth. Irena Kalantaryan suggests that something was dried or smoked on the pickets near the fireplace. Under the wall there is an anvil made of stone, on which obsidian was processed to create tools. There is another interesting and unclear structure from the clay. The scientists called it a drainage, suggesting that it was used to drain liquid. Interestingly, the bones found in the cave are the bones of wild animals, that is, the cave was inhabited by hunters at all times. The cave also gave information about what fruits the ancient people ate. Seeds of wild grapes are found in the Eneolithic layer. According to the leader of the expedition, this finding is of particular importance, since wild grapes are the progenitor of the cultivated grapes, and this can shed light on the process of domestication of grapes and the origins of winemaking. The remnants of the Carcass of the Caucasus, hawthorn, blackberry, strawberry, hedge-rose and plum were found in the cave. This indicates that the gathering of plants was important part of the life of the inhabitants. Subsequent studies of the cave are very important; its scientific potential is very large. It still has to say its word about the epochs about which we do not yet have sufficient knowledge. It can tell about the late Neolithic-Eneolithic and Upper Paleolithic, Irena Kalantaryan says. According to the archaeologist, a cave can become a tourist destination, but these are plans for the future. Now the most important question is funding. Lavrov and UN Secretary General speak on importance of strengthening role of organization on world stage Court postpones consideration of petition to release Armen Charchyan on bail Armenian FM, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs speak on fight against corruption French FM: Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs' meeting is a positive gesture Chinese diplomat urges Beijing to be ready to first strike at US Afghanistan to soon start issuing new passports Artsakh President attends cross-stone unveiling in Berkadzor village At least 7 peacekeepers from Burundi killed in Somalia bomb blast MFA: FM expressed readiness of Armenian side to resume Karabakh peace process Holy Etchmiadzin: Requiem services to be held September 27 for fallen Armenian defenders Armenia parliament vice-speaker from opposition: We will hold march, candlelight vigil Sunday Erdogan says Turkey plans to buy additional S-400 missile systems from Russia Armenian National Congress party spokesman: First president had private talk with Artsakh state minister Armenia legislature opposition factions hold discussions with lawyers Court decision to release Armenia opposition lawmaker on bail to be announced today Armenia defense minister receives former, new commanders of Russia peacekeeping forces in Karabakh European Heritage Days being held in Artsakh Minute of silence to be observed in Armenia on September 27 Biden, Modi favor US-India cooperation in defense industry Special court session underway in case of Armenia opposition MP, medical doctor Biden says India should become permanent member of UN Security Council 1,066 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia FM, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy discuss Karabakh peace process Man, 32, found dead at Yerevan building courtyard Armenia initiative founder: Vaccinated person died of COVID-19 OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs meet with Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs, statement issued Chad Transitional Military Council head forms transitional parliament Sri Lanka shaman pledges to beat coronavirus with blessed water but dies of virus Newspaper: Armenia authorities find key to getting rid of unwanted community leaders Newspaper: How much spent from Armenia state budget for 30th Independence Day anniversary event? Armenia analyst: Aliyev tried to soften accusations of not going until the end, allowing Russia troops deployment Armenia human rights activist: Authorities might blame ex-chief of army's General Staff for defeat in war UN: Over 350,000 people have died in Syria over the past decade Armenia opposition MP not allowed to leave for Strasbourg to attend PACE session, fellow deputy doesn't attend Russia Federal Security Service blocks large network of illicit traffic in narcotic drugs coordinated by Turkey Thousand-man demonstrations taking place in Berlin ahead of elections Brazil President's son tests positive for COVID-19 after trip to New York Armenia PM: Karabakh conflict can't be considered resolved through the use of force Karabakh Ombudsman: Azerbaijan's raging battle against state emblems of Artsakh is manifestation of Armenophobia Armenia MP: All cases of Special Investigation Service will be transferred to Corruption Prevention Commission Armenia MOD receives UK Ambassador Opposition Armenia faction of National Assembly of Armenia to hold consultation Saakashvili promises to return to Georgia soon Digest: Russian and French FMs discuss Karabakh situation, more on COVID-19 situation in Armenia Erdogan says improvement of Turkey-US relations is necessary Nakhchivan's ex-internal affairs minister sentenced to 11 years in prison Armenia parliament approves several amendments and supplements to existing laws Armenian political party leader: Aliyev accused Armenia of everything that Azerbaijan needs to be accused of Opposition "Armenia" faction MP: Azerbaijan is preparing to implement agreements reached behind our backs Armenian deputy parliamentary speaker: There are confidential ties and talks between Armenia and Turkey Karabakh Investigative Committee accepts for proceedings case of Azerbaijani soldiers who fired at harvesters First autumn snow falls on Armenias Mount Aragats (VIDEO) Armenia parliament holding special session for the second time today Azerbaijan hands over one fallen soldiers remains to Armenian side, in Artsakhs Shushi Armenia PM: We intend to fully implement Police reforms Armenia minister: Enlargement of communities will entail job cuts Asian Development Bank forecasts GDP growth of 5.2% in Armenia for 2021, 3.5% for 2022 Opposition MP: 110,000 people already left Armenia this year Armenia State Revenue Committee chairman meets with Eurasian Economic Commission minister Armenia seasoned diplomat dies Dollar still losing value in Armenia Armenia Central Bank chief attends 22nd session of Monetary Policy Advisory Council China Ambassador to Armenia meets with students of Chinese-Armenian Friendship School (PHOTOS) Armenia Ombudsman receives US ex-Ambassador, presents Azerbaijan's violations of borderline residents' rights Newly appointed Ambassador of Nigeria presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President Armenia Parliament Speaker receives UAE Charge d'Affaires Armenian and Iranian FMs meet, Armenia's Goris-Kapan road also discussed Defense minister receives head of Red Cross delegation in Armenia Armenia Security Council secretary: We raise Goris-Kapan road issue in discussions with Russia colleagues, Azerbaijan Aliyev: Putin asked me not to humiliate Pashinyan in our presence during signing of November 9 statement Armenia Security Council chief: We need to normalize relations with Turkey Armenia parliament passes, in 1st reading, controversial changes to law on community enlargement FM, Jordan deputy PM confer on Armenian POWs, Azerbaijan provocations Azerbaijan files lawsuit against Armenia with International Court of Justice Minute of silence to be observed, church requiem services to be offered in Artsakh on September 27 Armenia PM on COVID-19 situation: We definitely have to do it if we sense there is need to get vaccinated again Russia and France express mutual commitment to further work to stabilize Nagorno-Karabakh situation Health minister on coronavirus situation in Armenia: About 85% of our bed capacity already used Pashinyan: Vaccine protects against COVID-19 by 97.5% 906 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia YEREVAN. On the night of April 2, 2016, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale aggression against the Republic of Artsakh. The Armed Forces of Azerbaijan used virtually all types of weapons. During April 2-5, there were fights along the entire line of contact with the heaviest clashes in the south (Hadrut) and the northeast (Martakert). On the morning of April 2, the Armenian side reported the destruction of the Azerbaijani combat helicopter in the northern direction and the human losses in adversary units. In was announced that the enemy's armored vehicles had been destroyed. On the same day, an official source in Artsakh reported the death of 12-year-old Vaghinak Grigoryan as a result of the shelling of the school. Two more children were hospitalized. Around noon, the Armenian defense ministry reported the destruction of the Azerbaijani sabotage group by Artsakh Armed Forces. At around 6 am on April 3, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched an artillery bombardment and advancement of armored vehicles on the south. At the same time, fighting continued in the direction of Martakert. On the same day, the Defense Ministry of Artsakh announced that the territories occupied on the eve by the Azerbaijani side in the direction of Talysh village were returned under the control of the NKR Armed Forces. In the south, two tanks and one infantry fighting vehicle were destroyed. On the night of April 4, the Azerbaijani side, continued shelling with mortars and artillery along the entire line of contact, and the peaceful settlements were targeted. At 7 a.m. the southern and north-eastern directions of the line of contact were subjected to intensive bombardment. The Azerbaijani Armed Forces used heavy equipment and combat drones. An Azerbaijani drone attacked a bus, killing five people. On the night of April 5, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces used the Smerch rocket launcher in the south. Truce was established at noon April 5, the hostilities were stopped. Despite the truce, soldier of the Artsakh Army Armen Gasparyan was killed on April 6 in a shelling from the Azerbaijani side, while on the night of April 7, the Azerbaijani army made an a infiltration attempt towards the village of Talysh, however, retreated after losing one soldier. The sides exchanged bodies in accordance with the agreements on April 10. The Armenian side was handed over 18 bodies. According to the final data, 110 Armenian soldiers and volunteers were killed and 121 were injured. As to the losses of the Azerbaijani side, the Azerbaijani defense ministry carefully conceals the data, and reported only the death of 31 people. However, according to an independent source of Meydan TV, there are at least 93 deaths. The analytical center OSTKRAFT reported the classified data of the Azerbaijani army indicating that 800 people were killed Azerbaijan lost 24 tanks, 4 infantry fighting vehicles, two helicopters, one Grad multiple rocket launcher, 14 unmanned aerial vehicles, dozens of cars. As a result of the unleashed aggression, Azerbaijan seized about 500 hectares of non-strategic territories, paying for it with the hundreds of lives of their own soldiers. During a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump had proposed Washington DC as the venue for talks between the Russian and US heads of state, Kremlin Aide Yuri Ushakov said on Monday, TASS reported. "During a telephone conversation between our presidents, Trump suggested that the first meeting could be held in Washington," Ushakov told journalists adding that the exact date for the talks was not discussed. "If everything goes well, I hope that the American side would not abandon its proposal to discuss the possibility of organizing the summit talks," Ushakov told journalists. No preparations for a meeting between Putin and Trump are underway following their telephone call, according to Ushakov. "After the conversation, which was constructive and business-like and touched upon many issues, there was another breakdown in our bilateral relations, 60 diplomats were expelled, our consulate was closed and Russia had to furnish a tit-for-tat response to that," Ushakov noted. "Since March 20, the day when the telephone conversation took place, there havent been specific discussions on a possible meeting," he added. "In the wake of the recent developments, it would be difficult to discuss a summit," he pointed out. According to Ushakov, since March 20, "there was no time for such discussions and no one to take part in them." However, in his words, Russia believes such an event "would be rather important and beneficial for both countries, as well as for the entire global community." "We would like to believe that preparations for such a meeting will begin," the Kremlin aide said. "We would also hope that there would be an end to the steps the Americans have taken based on groundless allegations," he noted, adding that it would make it possible to "launch a very serious and constructive dialogue." Srinagar:At least twenty protesters were injured in fresh clashes in Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag districts of south Kashmir on Monday.Reports and witnesses said that youth angered over yesterdays killings threw rocks at the forces deployed there.The forces responded with fired pellets and tear gas to disperse the protesters, triggering further clashes.Reports said that intense clashes erupted in Kulgam district after youth defied curfew and hurled rocks at the forces. The forces responded by aerial firing. However, there was no immediate report of any injuries. In Shopian, at least a dozen protesters were injured in clashes with the forces. Reports said that at least four youth with pellet injuries were referred to Srinagar from sub-district hospital Shopian. Four protesters injured in clashes with forces in Seer Hamdan area of Anantnag were brought to the district hospital for treatment, said a report. 13 militants, four civilians and three soldiers were killed in day long clashes in Shopian and Anantnag yesterday. Over 200 protesters were injured in forces action. Home | News | General | Stop Using Eko Atlantic Project For Propaganda, ADP Tells Ambode. Says APC Now Unpopular In Lagos The Action Democratic Party (ADP) has urged the Lagos State Governor Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode to desist from using the Eko Atlantic project for personal propaganda in his bid to project himself as a performing governor. The spokesman for ADP in Lagos, Prince Adelaja Adeoye who spoke on Sunday during the partys Easter broadcast message to Lagosians, said that Nigerian leaders should emulate Jesus exemplary life and that truth must be the bedrock of governance in the country. ADP While engaging with journalists on the controversial commissioning of the Eko Atlantic Project, Adelaja said it is rather too shameful that a project that was commissioned in 2013 is brought up for another commissioning by the Lagos State government just to deceive residents that they are working. ADP said the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) is fast becoming unpopular and that they now resort to all manner of deceitful acts to hoodwink Lagosians so that they can continue in office. He also said that the governor is using the states funds to sponsor endorsements to make Nigerians believe that they are still popular. According to him, Lagosians are truly fed up with the APCs parasitic hold on the state. ADP however said the governor must apologize to Nigerians for creating an impression that the Eko Atlantic Project was initiated by his government, while also tasking President Buhari and his team to do due diligence to avoid such embarrassments in the future. The party said that the APC led government should stop making Nigeria a laughing stock before the international community due to their lack of coordination and spurious propaganda. The ADP reveals that on one part, Lagos State government claimed that Eko Atlantic was commissioned while the Presidency on the other hand refuted the claim that the president just took a tour round the facility. The two contradicting messages were posted via the official Twitter handles of the Presidency and Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. ADP has however advised Governor Ambode to get to work and stop the showmanship. The party tasks him to focus on all the abandoned projects littered all over Lagos including the Ilubirin Housing Estate project and the speed rail left hanging. The party says that these are the kind of projects the President should be invited to commission and not bus parks. ADP says Lagosians should be hopeful that in 2019, they will be delivered from the hands of oppressors holding the state down. The party claims that ADP is a special purpose vehicle that God will to use to deliver Lagos and bring good governance that will affect the lives of all Lagosians. The party has urged all Lagosians to be armed with their PVCs because that is the only way to bring about the desired improvement in the state. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | BREAKING: Lai Mohammed Releases Second Batch Of Alleged PDP Looters & The Amount Embezzled The Federal Government has reacted to the barrage of attacks by some of the named alleged treasury looters and has gone further to name 23 others, most of them members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In a press statement, Minister of Information and Culture, ALhaji Lai Mohammed said the list of alleged looters which Government released earlier was based on verifiable facts, including the amount involved, the date the amount in question was collected and from where it was taken. Mohammed, also said those complaining that the list was too short apparently did not understand that it was strategically released as a teaser. At the press conference where the list was released, I did say it was a tip of the iceberg. Apparently, this does not mean anything to people whose style is to comment on issues they barely understand, or just to shoot down anything coming from the government, he said, adding that the Federal Government has a large number of alleged looters on its list. Alhaji Mohammed slammed the PDP for daring to challenge the Federal Government over an issue that the party knows is its weakness: Looting of public treasury. What was the PDP expecting when it challenged the FG to name the looters of the public treasury under the partys watch? Did the PDP actually believe that the massive looting under its watch was a joke? Did they think it is April Fool? he queried. The Minister said the PDPs reaction to the looters list has shown that its recent apology is an election-induced act, contrived to deceive unsuspecting Nigerians to vote for the party in the 2019 general election, even when it has not come clean on its looting spree during its time in office. The hysterical and panicky reaction from the PDP has shown that the party is not at all sincere about its choreographed apology. Were it not the case, the party would have followed in the footsteps of one of its leaders, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, who simply owned up to his role in the partys rigging in the past elections and said he had turned a new leaf. It is said that a true confession is done in humility with an attitude of repentance. It is clear that the PDP does not know this, hence its resort to hubris instead of humility and genuine penitence, he said. Alhaji Mohammed said the Federal Government will neither be intimidated nor blackmailed into silence, adding that it will also not rest until all those who looted the public treasury have been brought to justice. SECOND BATCH OF ALLEGED LOOTERS AND THE AMOUNT ALLEGEDLY EMBEZZLED 1. Former NSA Sambo Dasuki: Based on EFCC investigations and findings alone (this is beside the ongoing $2.1billion military equipment scandal), a total of N126 billion, over $1.5 billion and 5.5 million British Pounds was embezzled through his office. A good number of these monies were simply shared to persons and companies without any formal contract awards. 2. Former Petroleum Resources Minister Dieziani Alison-Madukwe: In just one of the cases the EFCC is investigating involving her, about N23 billion is alleged to have been embezzled. She is also involved in the Strategic Alliance Contracts of the NNPC, where the firms of Jide Omokore and Kola Aluko got oil blocks but never paid government taxes and royalty. About $3 billion was involved. The Federal Government is charging Omokore and Aluko and will use all legal instruments local and international to ensure justice. 3. Rtd. Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah: N13.9 billion. N4.8 billion recovered by EFCC in cash and property 4. Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika: N4.5 billion. N29m recovered by the EFCC so far. 5. Alex Barde, former Chief of Defence Staff: N8 billion, and EFCC recovered almost N4 billion in cash and property already. 6. Inde Dikko: former CG Customs: N40 billion, and N1.1 billion in cash recovered in cash and choice properties. 7. Air Marshal Adesola Amosun: N21.4 billion. N2.8 billion recovered in cash. 28 properties and 3 vehicles also recovered. 8. Senator Bala Mohammed, former FCT Minister: N5 billion. Interim forfeiture order on some property secured. 9. Senator Stella Oduah: N9.8 billion. Interim forfeiture order on some property secured. 10. Former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu: N1.6 billion from NSA. 11. Senator Jonah Jang, former Plateau State Governor: N12.5 billion. 12. Bashir Yuguda, former Minister of State for Finance: N1.5 billion. $829,800 recovered. 13. Senator Peter Nwaboshi: N1.5 billion 14. Aliyu Usman: Former NSA Dasukis aide: N512 million 15. Ahmad Idris: Former NSA Dasukis PA: N1.5 billion 16. Rasheed Ladoja: Former Oyo Governor: N500 million 17. Tom Ikimi: N300 million 18. Femi Fani-Kayode: N866 million 19. Hassan Tukur, former PPS to President Goodluck: $1.7 million 20. Nenadi Usman: N1.5 billion 21. Benedicta Iroha: N1.7 billion 22. Aliyu Usman Jawaz: Close ally of former NSA Dasuki: N882 million 23. Godknows Igali: Over N7 billion CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Still on Innoson as bedrock for Nigerias industrialisation By Chukwudi Enekwechi INNOSON Vehicles Manufacturing Company has been acknowledged as Nigerias first indigenous automobile manufacturer and the recognition did not come by happenstance. It was based on the company having attained an enviable height in the way it carries out its businesses. At the last count, almost all Nigerian media organisations have honoured Chief Innocent Chukwuma, the founder of Innoson Group for his patriotism, entrepreneurial skills and adherence to the rule of law. Similarly, the Federal Government has in recognition of his achievements, feted Chief Chukwuma with some of the countrys most revered national honours. Several foreign countries and organisations have also honoured him for the innovation that has made the Innoson brand a reality. The company as a responsible corporate organisation had also undertaken to relieve the Federal Government of the burden of training thousands of repentant Niger-Delta militants abroad, by offering them training in their factories at Nnewi and Enugu. This approach ensured that the repentant militants acquired relevant skills with which to fend for themselves in the larger society. The policy of training the repentant militants at Innoson companys facilities rather than abroad has also ensured that the scarce foreign exchange which would have been lost to foreigners is saved, as Innoson provided the same service to the country at minimal cost. Suffice it to say that the enormous resources saved by training the numerous repentant militants locally can be deployed in other areas of need. The trainees on graduation, will also utilise the acquired skills to earn decent living and contribute to the countrys growth and development. It is also on record that Innoson has always resorted to the courts in resolving matters related to business transactions. A typical example of their unwavering faith in the judiciary is the consistent way they have pursued their matters with the GT Bank over the years. Having felt short-changed in their business dealings with the bank, they have pursued the matter from the High Court to Court of Appeal and presently, the matter is awaiting adjudication at the apex court of the country. This is a proof of the absolute faith they repose in the Nigerian Judicial system. Going by the companys track record, it is obvious that they are focussed on projecting Nigeria positively in the area of automobile manufacturing and technological development. It has remained consistent in carrying out its activities as an automobile manufacturer, and in doing this, they have made the progress of Nigeria paramount. In short, it can be said that they have been able to strike a balance between profit-making and national interest. It therefore behoves all Nigerians to appreciate Innoson as Nigerias automobile brand. We can take examples from Germany which is known with Mercedes and BMW; Ford which is an American brand name, Volvo well known as Swedish brand and Rolls Royce which is associated with Great Britain. It is also a thing of national pride that Innoson is adopted as the nations brand. Such a move will also create jobs and stimulate the economy of the country as the company will earn foreign exchange from their sales abroad and repatriate same to Nigeria. Therefore, it is imperative to give Innoson all the necessary incentives to thrive as their contributions to the countrys economic and social development are innumerable. The company has also demonstrated its commitment towards supporting governments efforts at job creation, as well as making Nigeria a productive rather than a consumptive economy. Time has come for the Federal Government to grant the company tax reliefs and duty waivers to enable it operate without hitches. This also brings to the fore the need for the Federal Government to prioritise the manufacturers in Nigeria that should be given support to enable them survive through the uncertainties of the national economy, and one of them is Innoson. Simply put, an enabling environment must be created to enable such national priority companies wade through the thick and thin of the business world because in the end, their survival and growth will be to the ultimate benefit of Nigeria and its people. A situation where some vested interests under any guise attempt to frustrate the growth of the company is condemnable and must be discouraged in the larger interest of the country. Based on the shenanigans of such vested interests, it is obvious they are agents of some foreign powers that are hell-bent on denying Nigeria the opportunity of being an automobile producing country which Innoson is already spearheading. Mr. Enekwechi, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Abuja. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Nigerias maritime environment at riskCNS By Joseph Erunke ABUJAChief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, has said Nigerias maritime environment was at risk, following upcoming socio-political activities taking off in the country. Ibas spoke just as National Security Adviser, Major-General Babagana Monguno (retd), vowed that he would sustain the nations national security, in spite of threats from some quarters. Ibas insisted that the countrys maritime domain was not getting safer, given the upcoming activities but vowed that Nigerian Navy was ready for any challenge. The Naval chief spoke at Naval Headquarters, Abuja, while decorating newly elevated staff of the agency, Commodore Yem Musa, who is the Coordinator, Counter Terrorism Centre in the Office of National Security Adviser, ONSA, to the rank of Rear Admiral. He said: Our maritime environment is not getting any safer, especially with the upcoming socio-political activities that are taking off. I think we will benefit now that you have been elevated and I want to thank the National Security Adviser for being here with us. Speaking on the occasion, National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, who was present, assured that he would continue to sustain the security of the country. He explained that one of the reasons he championed Nigerias bid to host the Gulf of Guinea Summit in the country was for Nigeria to take over the chairmanship of the Gulf of Guinea, being the only country with blue water Navy in the whole of the Gulf of Guinea, coupled with the antecedents of the Nigerian Navy in so many situations. He said: One of the reasons I insisted on having the Gulf of Guinea summit in Abuja was the fact that we really pressed for Nigeria to take over the chairmanship of the Gulf of Guinea, being the only blue water Navy in the whole of the Gulf of Guinea, and knowing fully well the antecedents of the Nigerian Navy. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... IRFAN AMIN MALIK / KHALID GULShopian/ Anantnag:The government forces shot dead thirteen militants in three different gun fights in the Shopian and Anantnag districts of the south in the early morning of Sunday, setting off a wave of anger in many parts of the Kashmir valley. The forces shot dead three protestors seeking to free the militants from one of the shootout sites. One civilian was killed at another place of gun battle when the army, according to the family, forced him to go near the house where the militants were hiding. When the shooting began he was unable to run away in time and fell to the bullets. The three gun fights also led to the deaths of three army troopers.According to eye witnesses and hospital officials more than two hundred people were wounded since early morning when the news about the militants being surrounded by the government forces at three different places, two in Shopian and one in Anantnag, spread in the southern districts. When the bodies of the slain militants were handed over to the families, protests erupted at the funeral sites. The mourners chanted pro-freedom slogan at the funerals. When the burials were over the clashes with the government forces began in which nearly 200 protestors were wounded. Many of them had pellet injuries to their eyes. While the clashes were raging, people on the mosque loudspeakers in the area were urging others to come out and join the protests. Most of the wounded were taken to the District Hospital Shopian and District Hospital Kulgam for the treatment of injuries. [the_ad id=24885] We received 150 injured including 30 bullet injuries, 25 eye pellet injuries while 60 injured were referred to Srinagar for advanced treatment, said doctors at sub district hospital Shopian. Many injured persons did not visit hospital fearing police action and were treated locally. Five protestors, two with bullet and three with pellet injuries were admitted in PHC, Zainapora while twelve protestors with injuries were admitted to PHC Harmain. In Kulgam district hospital 23 people were brought in with pellet and bullet injuries. Out of them one died later. We received two bullet injuries and two pellet , medical superintendent district hospital AnnatnagDr Majid Mehrab told Greater Kashmir. SOURCE: GK Home | News | General | We want to improve efficiency in collection of consumption taxes LIRS boss Recently the chairman, Lagos Internal Revenue Service, Mr Ayodele Subair, spoke about the technology application in the collection of the states consumption tax, saying it is targeted at improving efficiency while plugging leakages. Excerpts REFLECTING on your consumption tax you recently unveiled an e-payment platform. Can you shed more light on it? Its an electronic way of recording all sorts of transactions. Consumption tax is applied when goods and services are consumed in hospitality sector, hotels, restaurants, events centres, night clubs and bars, so basically when a member of the public goes to these various centres either to buy goods or services or to get a renting space in any of these establishments, we charge five percent on their invoice. So that is what the consumption tax is all about, and the e-platform is about digitalizing the whole process electronically by making sure we improve transparency and collection of remittance of this to the tax authority then to the state government. What is the level of compliance, and why did it take you so long so launch this technology? Generally, most forward looking organisations are adopting a lot of technology in the approach to doing business. Leveraging ontechnology This technology based system has been established in some developed and developing countries, and Lagos being the trailblazer, we want to improve on the efficiency in collection of consumption taxes. So we have decided to leverage on the technology also and try to adopt the HRC law which was passed in 2009. We have not been totally efficient in the collection of consumption taxes due to sharp practices that the hotel owners and the other business people have been applying over the years, we decided that in other to increase efficiency and reduce the amount of leakages in the system, we need to apply technology and that is why we are launching this initiative. On the level of compliance, we had the stakeholders meeting some weeks ago and from last week Monday (three weeks ago) we had started going out. We have to first educate the collecting agents, the owners of hotels and others because they will interface with the public, collect the consumption tax and then remit to us. We first have to engage them and teach them how to use all the systems that are about to be installed in their various places, we have to give them a little bit of time, many of them had to upgrade their computer environment and we generally had to train them also. Subair So right now we have decided to install the electronic devices into their system and it has been going on well. We didnt have any resistance, gradually we have teams that are going out to all these centres, we look at where we have limited resources then we first concentrate on that area for establishment. We will eventually reach out to everybody, we have started installing the EFD and we dont have issues. How much did you generate from consumption tax last year and how much do you hope to collect under the new system? Last year average we got was between N200 and N250 million and it is going towards about 300 million a month. But we anticipate that before the end of the year we will be looking at between N800 million to N1 billion with this technology. Is the Lagos Internal Revenue Service in partnership with any Fintech on this? And what is the impact on jobs and employments. You have to sacrifice one for the other, is either you want to increase efficiency or you dont. There is a lot of inefficiency going on, so Fintech is not only increasing efficiency but transparency, aside from the technology itself and the people, we still need to have a lot of staff that are still going to man the system, monitor the environment and involve in any dispute reconciliation, for instance, if the electronic device goes off we need to know them, then deploy human beings to go and look at the set-up. So there is still a lot of people in the employment. Is there any incentive for compliance? You have to comply with the system because it is the law. Once you are in a hospitality business, you have to comply with it and it has a lot of benefits, both on the side of the administration, the consumers, and also on the side of property owners and the collecting agents. In terms of collecting agents, their own benefit is to increase accountability and transparency that the system brings into the businesses. For instance in a hotel, with the presence of the electronic devices, no matter where you are you can tune in your laptop and view your transactions. Definitely the transparency will go up for you. Automatic entry On the side of the consumers, there is a reward on royalty scheme that is attached to the system; there will be a raffle draw that will take place weekly, monthly and annually and in this raffle draws your entry ticket is the invoice that you will get from patronising our various centres. Its an electronic system that has a unique ID number in every receipt. So with that invoice you get an automatic entry into the raffle draw, the raffle draw is done by the best practices, they provide report for all lotteries and raffle businesses. All the systems of the raffle draw will be certified by them because they are the ones authorised by the law to do so. There are lots of raffle prizes, like electronics, possibly motor vehicles, ticket to travel outside the country on vacation, ticket to travel within the county and other prizes which will be unveiled over time. So the benefit to the tax authority is that it will help plug all the leakages and indirectly increase our revenue for development. In terms of increase in revenue, it will help keep better financial records, we establish our position over time, true trend and we have other criterias that we use, we have those electronic and physical devices that interface between their own system and our own system. So as they are recording the transactions we are also viewing on our own monitors, so everybody is connected. We can view if there is a drop in sales suddenly; we investigate and dispatch an emergency team to those premises. What category of restaurants and hotels are you looking at We are looking at all. We classified them as structured and unstructured hotels; the structured hotels are usually the big brands, which also covers the local brands and African brands. Have you started deploying monitors in terms of revenue and compliance? You know everything is evaluated maybe weekly, monthly, or annually, so its a bit early for us to jump to conclusion on all these things. But before we did the implementations we went through different processes. One of the processes was a pilot study. Some operators allowed us to plug in our devices into their cash registers, and we saw the impacts, but a lot of businesses do not report the correct amount and this is what we are trying to correct. Its going to take us a while to reach the whole of the states and a while to redeploy for operators to get use to it. We need to be understanding and come up with a system which will take some time. Is this system being practised in other countries or is it just a Nigerian innovation It is not a Nigeria innovation; its already a system that has been in practice in other developed and developing countries. In Africa we have countries like Ethiopia, Rwanda who have established this ERC system and is working effectively and efficiently. We also have countries like Sweden, Italy, Belgium and so many other countries. There is still levels of primitive measures, if your electronic physical device (EFD) is not working, you are expected to report to LIRS but a failure to report will attract primitive measures, we compute what we have lost and we charge you penalty of 10 per cent and also interest of five per cent above the minimum discount rate of the Central Bank of Nigeria, then when you fail to carry out a provision like not declaring properly will attract a fine of N2million, six months imprisonment, either or both. So we enjoin all operators to make sure they adopt sincerity in the sector. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | SEast SDP splits into 2 factions By Dennis Agbo ENUGUTHE emerging Social Democratic Party, SDP, has split into two factions in the south east geopolitical zone, with both groups trading words against each other. In separate meetings the two factions held in Enugu, weekend, they accused each other of promoting political mischiefs. One of the factions led by the national organising secretary of the party, Chief Emeka Atuma held their separate meeting at Utopia Hotel with a larger number of members while the second faction led by the national vice chairman, Senator Ebenezer Ikeyina held their own meeting in Tomlyin Hotel, all in Independent layout, Enugu. The Atuma-led faction also had in attendance the national youth leader of the party, Mr. Stanley Nwankwo; prominent columnist and lecturer, Dr. Okey Ikechukwu; former speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Augustine Nwankwoagu, among other prominent politicians. In their communique signed by the steering committee chairmen of the five states in the zone, the Atuma group said: the zone resolved to eliminate political infighting and focus on purposeful leadership at the zonal, state, LGA and ward levels. Appropriate steps should be taken by the national leaders to harmonise all discontent and dissenting voices to ensure that SDP becomes one united family. Leader of the second faction, Chief Ikeyina said that one of the outcomes of their meeting was the partys insistence on restructuring of Nigeria along six geopolitical zones. He said that in SDP, the party is supreme, stressing that the party was out to enthrone a socialist regime if it wins Nigerian presidency. Ikeyina said, this time around, SDP will be seen as a social party. Those handicapped will be taken care of by the society. Socialism is the word. It is our selling point, in-built in our name. Its something new we are bringing. On the issue of actualising a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction, Ikeyina said that Ndigbo are over-ripe for presidency of Nigeria and SDP will facilitate this. We are working with all organisations that believe in justice. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Soldiers arrests criminals in Taraba state as Exercise Cat Race ends - Troops deployed in Exercise Ayem Akpatuma in Taraba state have arrested some criminal elements - The criminals were operating in Mayo Nadaga area of the state - They were arrested by the troops in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Troops deployed in Exercise Ayem Akpatuma in Taraba state in conjunction with personnel of the Nigeria Police on Saturday, March 31 arrested some criminal elements operating in Mayo Ndaga area of the state. Items recovered from one of the suspects Amos Titus- 35, include sheets of zinc, bed and locally made pistol. Some of the alleged criminals arrested in Taraba state. Photo credit: Nigerian Army READ ALSO: Troops avert break down of law and order in Benue state Other suspects Palat Jafainal- 20 and Kingsley Benson- 25 were also arrested and items recovered from them include generating set, sewing machine as well as sheets of zinc. One Rapheal Abel- 26 and Yusuf Abdulkareem- 20 were also arrested and sheets of zinc were recovered from them, a statement by Nigerian Army spokesman, Brigadier-General Texas Chukwu said. Meanwhile, the Taraba government has said that it no longer had confidence in the Federal Government security apparatus deployed to the state. The government's position was made known by the senior special adviser to the Taraba state governor on media and publicity, Dan Bala Abu who spoke to journalists on Friday, March 30. Abu said that although there was relative peace now in Taraba, the state government did not have confidence in the security apparatus of the Federal Government to maintain peace and security in the state. READ ALSO: Exercise Cat Race: Troops arrest herdsmen while setting ablaze Gwamba village Benue IDPs: Education amidst crisis | NAIJ.com TV [embedded content] Source: Naija.ng CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Herdsmen/farmers clashes, threat to Nigerias survivalGambari, Uduaghan, others By Demola Akinyemi & Festus Ahon ILORINNigerias former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari; former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, and Yusuf Ali, SAN, said, weekend, that incessant clashes between farmers and herdsmen were inimical to the survival of Nigeria. While Gambari and Yusuf Ali contended that the problem had destroyed the basis of the nations resources, Uduaghan said it was actually tearing the nation apart. Speaking at a symposium on Pastoralists and crop farmers crisis: A discourse on proactive measures to prevent conflict in Nigeria, organised by College of Agriculture, Kwara State University, Malete, Gambari noted that thousands of people had been killed and communities destroyed, while many farmers and pastoralists had lost their lives in the orgy of killings. herdsmen He said: The conflict between them (herders/farmers) is multi-dimensional and it is widening and deepening at a time in our country where there are several other internal crisis. We have so many crises in this country and this could be the most serious. It touches our lives, our existence as a people and as country. Gambari stated that legislation may not be the solution to the constant herders/farmers clashes. Mallam Yusuf Ali, SAN, in his address on the occasion, lamented that the pastoralists and farmers conflicts had remained the most predominantly resource-use conflict in recent times in Nigeria. He said it was important to ensure the reflation of Lake Chad Basin, adding that it had become imperative to develop both legal and policy framework for a transitional period during which new systems would be put in place. Also, KWASU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulRasheed NaAllah, said the conflicts between herders and farmers were threatening national development, integration, growth, national food production and security. On his part, Provost, College of Agriculture, KWASU, Prof. Olawale Aliyu, said it was imperative to address the herders/farmers conflict as a matter of urgency because of its threat to national survival and food security. Speaking on the issue, at the grand reception organised by the people of Ubulu-Uku in honour of their daughter, Mrs Onyemeachi Mrakpor, a lawmaker in Delta State House of Assembly, in Asaba, former governor of the state, Emmanuel Uduaghan, lamented that the terror being unleashed on innocent Nigerians by the ravaging herdsmen was capable of tearing Nigeria apart. According to him, the sensitive nature of the insurgency has successfully created a web of intrigue. Uduaghan, who chaired the ceremony, said: The issue of herdsmen insurgency is very sensitive. The challenge has the potential of breaking the country. It has done a lot of damage. Farmers are no longer going to farms. This means increase in hunger level. It is that bad. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Bride, 10 escorts kidnapped on way to grooms house Birnin Gwari town in Kaduna State was, Saturday night, thrown into confusion as a new bride and 10 others were abducted at gunpoint by bandits in the area. The bride, after the wedding, was being conveyed to her husbands house by her friends and relatives when the gunmen stopped the vehicle and took them away. Confirming the kidnap, a former chairman of the local government, who asked not to be named for security reasons, disclosed on phone that the gunmen operated with impunity as nobody challenged them. Kidnap-syndicate His words: They simply stopped a bus that was conveying the bride to her husbands house with her relatives and friends numbering about 10. The incident took place about 55 kilometres from Birnin Gwari main town. It was learned that three of the people abducted, including a member of the brides entourage, escaped and returned to the town yesterday morning. The Funtua Road is now a danger zone because at any point they (bandits) can strike. They operate with impunity along that highway because it is bordering Birnin Gwari and Katsina. Our vigilantes need little support to engage these bandits. The government needs to mobilise the vigilantes and support them to enable them discharge their duties effectively. In a similar development, on Friday, two young men riding a motorcycle were also abducted along Uduwa community in Birnin Gwari with their abductors demanding N3 million ransom. One of the victims is the son of the Deputy Imam of Uduwa village, it was gathered. Hussaini Iduwa, a community leader and resident of Oduwa town in Birnin Gwari, confirmed the abduction in a telephone interview. Contacted, the Kaduna State Police Command spokesperson, Aliyu Muktar, said the command was not informed of the incidents. Birnin Gwari has witnessed several attacks by armed bandits. 11 soldiers were recently killed in the town by the bandits who attacked a military checkpoint. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Cambridge Analytica: FG sets up probe panel APC Is chasing shadowsPDP Wants probe extended to Buharis 2015 campaign funds By Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Dirisu Yakubu ABUJATHE Federal Government is reportedly scrutinizing the reports of the data mining firm, Cambridge Analytica, which allegedly swiped the data of more than 50 million Facebook users to sway elections in many countries, including Nigeria, where it was said to have waged a campaign to perpetuate discord and hack into personal records of the then leading opposition candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. Consequently, the government has set up an in-house committee to investigate whether Cambridge Analyticas work for the then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 2007 and 2015 general elections campaigns, broke the laws of the country or infringed on the rights of other parties and their candidates, a Presidency source said. President Muhammadu Buhari and cross Section of Ministers But the PDP in a swift reaction, said All Progressives Congress, APC, and its Federal Government were chasing shadows in their desperate plot to implicate it in the alleged hacking into the personal record of its then presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. The source informed State House correspondents, weekend, that depending on the outcome, this may lead to the appointment of a special investigator and possibly, criminal prosecutions by Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN. Recall that a whistleblower, Christopher Wylie, who worked with a Cambridge University academic to obtain the data, told the Observer, a UK newspaper: We exploited Facebook to harvest millions of peoples profiles. And built models to exploit what we knew about them and target their inner demons. That was the basis the entire company was built on. Among those whose personal data was hacked into in 2015 was the then opposition candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. Contacted on the issue, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said although he had not been briefed on the issue, Nigerians deserved answers immediately from the PDP administration, Facebook and Cambridge Analytica on how and why they improperly obtained and used data to interfere in Nigerias elections. According to him,an investigation should help to determine if there is a linkage between the various killings and maimings that have characterized our elections since 2007 and the misinformation activities of the Cambridge Analytica (CA) data flows. It will also help President Buhari achieve his wish to leave a legacy of improved elections. APC chasing shadowsPDP Reacting to to the issue last night, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said APC and its Federal Government are chasing shadows in their desperate plot to implicate it in the alleged hacking into the personal record of its then Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. The party said while it welcomed an open investigation into the Cambridge Analytica saga, it demanded that such inquest be extended to cover the sources of the looted funds used to prosecute President Buharis campaign in 2015. It is public knowledge that the document being relied upon by the APC clinically stated that there is no suggestion that Jonathan knew of the covert operation. We are, therefore, aware that this new agenda is to divert public attention from the various scandalous allegations hanging on the neck of the Buhari Presidency, including the use of looted funds to finance his 2015 Presidential election, the Martin Luther Kings award saga, the damaging Bill Gates verdict on the Buharis economic policies as well as the numerous financial scandals in the NNPC under his watch. This inquest should, therefore, be completely open and independent of government control, so that Nigerians will know the truth, not only on the Cambridge Analytica saga, but also on the source of funds for the Presidents 2015 campaign and other sleazes under his watch, the party said. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Bill and Melinda Gates: thank you for your love for Nigeria By Henry Boyo BILL Gates, came visiting, once again in March this year: Gates is well known as the founder of Microsoft; the very successful High-tech Company which made him the second richest man in the world at one time. The story is worth telling that Bill Gates, was a total stranger to Warren Buffet, when he (Gates) first approached the worlds richest man to discuss his vision of bringing improved health care delivery to billions of people worldwide. Remarkably, however, the two super-billionaires quickly bonded and the product of that meeting was that Warren Buffet, soon after, donated $30bn (thirty billion dollars), almost all his wealth to Bill Gates, to pursue laudable health projects and other social interventions, which will touch lives of hundreds of millions of people worldwide. In a widely reported speech by Bill Gates to distinguished Nigerians in Aso-Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, last week, Gates noted that his initial dream was to make peoples life better, by giving everybody computer access, at affordable cost; however, according to the billionaire, As I got older, travelled more and learned more about the world, I realized that billions of people had a problem that computers couldnt solve. They lacked the basics of a good life; food, shelter, health, education and opportunity. Consequently, with the billions of dollars earned from Microsoft we started working toward a different goal; a healthy and productive life for everyone. Bill Gates This vision, according to Gates, is the reason why I come to Nigeria; and thats why Melinda and I will continue coming for as long as we are able. Instructively, the Gates Foundations biggest office in Africa is located here in Nigeria and over $1.6bn has been expended, so far, particularly in health related interventions; nonetheless, according to Gates we plan to increase our commitment! The chances are that strong arguments were, by competitive interests to locate the Foundations Africa Head office, anywhere but Nigeria, and issues of corruption, difficulty in engaging government and its agencies, poor power infrastructure, insecurity etc, would have been cited as impediments to attract the Foundations largest office in Africa elsewhere. But No! the soft spoken, self-effacing gentle man closed instead to work in the eye of the storm, and ensure that the national epicenter of the polio virus, which the Gates Foundation sought to eradicate world-wide was the congruent location. According to Gates, Ive always felt welcome in Nigeria. Nigerians usually greet me warmly. The first time I met the Sultan of Sokoto, I was honoured that he greeted me with the gift of a white horse. The Gates Foundation has strong relationships with Federal and State governments, businesses, NGOs and Civil society organizations. We are eager according to Gates to support you as you work to make Nigeria a global economic powerhouse, that provides opportunity for all its citizens, as you strive to fulfill this countrys immense purpose. The above are words well-spoken, arguably, from a heart that, truly loves Nigeria. Gates quiet, unobtrusive and fairly regular trips to Nigeria, are devoted to helping our government and our people and not to make money from government contracts. Conversely the Gates Foundation has actually brought in hundreds of millions of dollars worth of verifiable social interventions. However, true friends are expected to speak truth to one another, and it would be unexpected, therefore, if Gates sets out to massage the ego of our leaders to please them, without telling it like it is, in his address to Nigerias leadership. Consequently, the gentle philanthropist politely urged Nigerians not relent in the pursuit of growth, but warned, nonetheless that Growth is not inevitable. According to Gates, Nigeria has unmatched economic potential, but what becomes of that potential depends on the choices Nigerian leaders make. The most important choice you make, is to maximize your greatest resource, the Nigerian people. Nigeria will thrive when every Nigerian is able to thrive. If according to Gates, you invest in their health, education, and opportunities i.e. the human capital; we are talking about today, then they will lay the foundation for sustained prosperity. If you dont, however, then it is very important to recognize that there will be a sharp limit on how much the country can grow. In reality, Gates argued, that if the percentage of fiscal allocations for health and education remain in single digit ratios of annual budgets, rather than the 16% and 26% recommended, respectively, by the WHO and UNESCO, then, of course, the fear is that things could get worse, as per capita GDP will also decline, if current education and health trends continue, with flat per capita growth, ultimately, economic growth may, not match a concurrent higher population growth rate. Gates therefore noted that, if you commit to getting better results in health and education, if you spend more and more effectively, per capita GDP, will stay on its (positive) remarkable pre-recession trajectory. In addition to prioritizing health and education, Bill Gates also recommend the opening up of opportunities in the Agriculture and Micro enterprises sectors, as proposed in the Nigerian governments Economic Recovery and Growth Plan; such opportunities, should expectedly create enabling conditions where Nigerians can reach their goals, while adding value to the economy; i.e. a Win-Win Scenario. Regrettably, however, Gates, noted, that today, more than half of rural children in Nigeria cant read and write. The conclusion is therefore, inescapable; as, Nigerias economy tomorrow depends on improving its Schools today. Similarly, for health, where the Microsoft founder observed that Nigerias primary health care system has broken to become a shadow of Prof Olikoye Ransome Kutis celebrated legacy; this reality is evidenced by the epidemic of chronic malnutrition or stunting; a condition with very devastating consequences; unfortunately, statistically, in Nigeria, one in three children is, reportedly chronically malnourished and could therefore be at risk. Incidentally, according to the World Bank, addressing the stunting crisis would add almost $30bn to Nigerias GDP. Gates therefore, recommended that the challenge of stunting can be solved with increasing focus on agricultural development, nutrition and primary health care nationwide. There is probably no better known International public person who has visited Nigeria more frequently than Bill Gates in recent times. Undeniably, his regular visits will encourage other serious international investors and charitable agencies to see Nigeria as a safer destination, rather than a country with widespread insecurity, violence and rabid corruptions, as popularly portrayed in International media. Consequently, we may be well served, therefore, with their clear commitment to our peoples welfare, to formalize Bill and Melinda Gates appointment as Goodwill Ambassadors for Nigeria. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Why we released list of alleged looters Lai Mohammed The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed was in the entourage of President Muhammadu Buhari during his recent state visit to Lagos. Following the visit, the minister, a lawyer, public relations expert and a former spokesman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, spoke in an interview on topical national issues, notably, on his decision to release a list of alleged looters of the public treasury, discontent in the polity and the achievements of the Buhari administration. Excerpts: Lai Mohammed By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor Was it panic that caused you to release the list of alleged looters? We were challenged to do so. Dont forget that on their own, the PDP said that they apologised to Nigerians for the way they ran Nigeria aground and we said, yes apology is accepted, but please return the funds. I think one of them challenged us to name those who had stolen money. I think gradually, it is becoming fashionable when you remind PDP that they brought us to this sorry path, they will say stop talking about what we did, please continue with your own. But we cannot move. It is important that Nigerians remember how we got here and the same people who have made no atonement say that they want to come back in 2019 to power. So, it is important for us to remind them. Let me tell you, this government is not in any panic. We are so proud of our achievements that in less than three years, I can stand up and say this is what we have achieved in the area of insecurity, this is what we have achieved in the economy, in the area of ease of doing business.There is no area we have not made our mark. We lifted Nigeria from number 165 in the ease of doing business to 145. It is not a mean feat! And we exited recession at a time when the price of crude was low, we were in recession when we implemented the diversification of the economy. It is on record that despite all these challenges that we have not retrenched one person. So, why should we be afraid? Why should we panic? I dont see any reason why we should panic, I think it is the imagination of people that the government is panicky. No! Do you intend releasing the list of alleged looters in the APC? There is a difference between allegations and established cases. All the cases I have mentioned (alleged PDP looters) are already in court. You see, how many times have people written that Lai Mohammed has billions of dollars? But these are allegations that are just ridiculous. I can assure you that if there is any allegation against any member of this government, this government will investigate it. You see, Nigerians are saying that there is no difference between PDP and APC; that those people who left PDP for APC are being protected? That is what you are saying! It would be unfair to say that everybody that joined APC from PDP is a looter, it would be unfair. I am saying that whether you are of ACN stock or PDP stock or CPC stock and you are found to be corrupt, you will be investigated. Are you not overreaching yourself by pronouncing them guilty while they are still in court? They have said, name the looters, and we said these people took money. But the courts can find otherwise? That is the business of the court. I am saying that on the 24th of February, Sec.. took N100 million in cash. The then National Financial Secretary took N700 million. These are facts! They said name, and I said these are the people that were reported to have stolen money. So, what is prejudicial about it? Let them go and solve their matters in court, but if you challenge us to name names, we will name names! You cite your achievement of taking this country out of recession, but by the time the PDP handed over, this country was not in recession? Recession is when a countrys GDP slows in two consecutive quarters. It is a technical term. But this happened under your government? Yes, no doubt. But for a recession to happen, you look at what preceded those two quarters. Number one, we came in May 2015 by which time the major revenue for the country, petroleum had dropped in price by almost 50 per cent. We came in and met virtually no savings at all. What we inherited was $23 billion, we came at a time when at least 20 states could not pay salaries. We came in at a time when infrastructure was almost zero. The vice-president gave an example that in 2015, the ministries of Transport, Power, Works and Housing combined had less than N100 billion released for that year. Whereas the year we came in, we had N565 billion invested in that same infrastructural sector. It is a measure of the rightness of our approach that if you want to boost the economy, you must diversify the economy. So, we went into agriculture, went into mining, went into services and what actually brought us out of recession was agriculture, mining and the rest. That we were able to come out of recession and continue to consolidate means that our Economic and Growth Plan is working. But the projects the president is commissioning were projects done by the states? You see, when the president visits a state, he visits to reconnect with the people of the state, but of course the governors of the states would want to have the opportunity to have the president commission their projects. They are not doing it just because they want to humour or honour Mr. President. They do it also because they want the attention of Mr. President in certain areas. This morning, (last Friday) I was with Mr. President at the Eko Atlantic City. It was an extremely successful visit because Mr. President saw the enormity of the work going on at the Eko Atlantic City and the state government knows that you need this rapport with the Federal Government in order to achieve a lot. Yesterday, (Thursday) I was with the president to commission the Ikeja Bus Terminal and the governor revealed there that Mr. President approved a waiver of Customs duties payable for about 400 buses that are coming. This is because the president saw how that terminal is going to impact on the city. You can imagine what that waiver means to the Lagos State Government. So, when Mr. President comes to commission projects in the states, it is not because the Federal Government has no project of its own to commission. The APC Committee has submitted its report on true federalism. When is the president going to respond to the proposal? It is a party matter. It is not a government matter. The party will still have to adopt it before they will make recommendations to government. On a score of 1 to 100, how will you rate the administration in its achievements and especially on its campaign promises made ahead of the 2015 elections? It is not for me to score him, it is for me to reel out what we have achieved. It is for the pubic to now say this is 1%, this is 2%, this is 3%. Honestly, I can say without fear of equivocation that the government has done pretty well in the broad areas of economy, security and fighting corruption and the various social intervention. I can start with the economy for instance, and I will tell you that with less than half of the revenue available to the previous government, we have been able to start a revolution in infrastructure by devoting N1.3 trillion to capital projects ranging from roads to railways to waterways to agriculture. In the area of roads, we took a N100 billion sukkuk loan and with that loan, we are undertaking 25 roads spread over the six geopolitical zones. Today, there is no area of government where you do not feel the impact of government on roads. Railways, the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge will become operational I think at the end of 2018 or next year, meanwhile, the CalabarLagos has been awarded also. In the area of agriculture which is one area I think we have done very well, we have been able to create more rice farmers all over the country. From five million farmers, we have today about 11 million rice farmers. For you to see the rightness of our approach, so far, less than N100 billion has been invested in the anchor borrowers programme and we have this result. Meanwhile, the Federal Government has paid more than N1.2 trillion as bailout. I can imagine if just 10% of that were to have been invested in agriculture, probably today we would be talking of self-sufficiency not only in rice but probably in cassava and probably in wheat. Our anchor borrowers programme has proven to be a success. In the area of the economy, you have heard me say that we inherited $23 billion in reserves, today we have $46 billion in foreign reserves. Ease of doing business; we have moved from 165 to 145, in the activities in local mining, today we have created thousands of jobs for people mining limestone and the rest. In the area of the economy whether in terms of figures about employment or in terms of social infrastructure, we have done what no government has done. I dont know of any government in Nigeria that has either fed 7.5 million pupils in one day. To many people, it is not important, but can you imagine if you are feeding 7 million pupils and if it costs you just N70 to feed each pupil, it means in a day you are creating an economy of N490 million across the value chain of cooks, vendors and farmers. And this has led to an increase of school enrolment. All these have been done under three years and I think we are going to embark on a road show to inspect roads that are being done in virtually every state of the federation. We have been able to bring back many jobs by renewing these contracts and many of these contracts that this government is doing are contracts that were signed in 2007, 2009, 2012. We have hardly awarded any new contract. In the area of power, we inherited 2,900 MWs of power, today we are generating more than 7,000 MW of power. Of course we are unable to transmit all the power because of the state of the transmission line, and dont forget that even that power had been largely privatised even before we came in and we had been able to give support. We guaranteed N702 billion revolving loan that if you produce, we pay and that is why you have seen this exponential increase in power supply. So, I do not see any area where we can say we have not made progress. But what of security, when you came in, there was not as much violence as we have today? People were not dying like this? I think you were not noticing. A week ago, I was in Zamfara, and I did not know that cattle rustling started since 2009 until then. Do you know that more lives have been lost in Zamfara than in Benue State? Of course it is no consolation. I think thousands of lives have been lost there. I didnt know that cattle rustling has been that dangerous. It didnt start in 2015 neither did the farmers, herders clash start in 2015. The Agatu killings didnt take place under this government. It did not. It is unfortunate that what is largely an environmental, economic, social issue, we have made it assume an ethnic and religious one. Is it not because your government didnt manage it well? How do you manage it? The government has been saying that the former administration ran down the economy and that the former president doled out money ahead of the elections, so, why is the government not prosecuting him and others? If you know how many cases are in court! Are you going to release more names of alleged looters? I have them. Are you going to release them? If they challenge us again. It is alleged that the government is using security agencies to intimidate bank officials and other institutions that are privy to the account of Senator Ike Ekweremadu. Why is the government doing this? No comment! CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Srinagar: Many with pellet wounds in the eyes may lose sight, says surgeon who operated on 28 in Srinagar.Over 50 youths, mostly with eye injuries, sustained in pellet shots fired by security forces on protesters were admitted to Srinagars Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital on Sunday. The youths in blindfolds were brought in ambulances from as far away as Shopian (60 km) and Kulgam (70 km). We admitted 42 injured till Sunday afternoon. Forty cases were of pellet injuries, mainly in eyes. In one case, the civilian was hit by bullets and another was hit by a tearsmoke shell, SMHS medical superintendent Dr. Saleem Tak told The Hindu. With eyes under thick cloth, an injured protester yelled, Its dark. I cant see. I was hit by pellets as I joined the protests in Shopian. I performed 28 eye surgeries on Sunday. All cases were bad with perforations due to pellets. Many are at the risk of losing their sight, Dr. Ejaz Akbar, Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, SMHS, told The Hindu. Security forces used tearsmoke shells, bullets and shotguns to control protesters in parts of Shopian and Kulgam district, which saw three major encounters on Sunday, leaving 11 militants and two civilians dead. The governments medical facilities and district hospitals in Shopian and Kulgam treated over 50 injured protesters, said an official. Over 50 were admitted to SMHS and Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), in Srinagar. SKIMS Medical Superintendent Dr. Farooq Ahmad Jan said his hospital received eight persons injured by pellet shots. Three were operated on, said Dr. Jan. Home | News | General | Ms Campbell and Buharis epic smile: Lasgidi gave the president the time of his life! By Buchi Obichie (Opinion) Editors note: In this satirical piece, the writer, Buchi Obichie, points out that the president had a jolly good time in Lagos during his first visit as president. Infusing wit and humour, she notes that the presence of Naomi Campbell seems to have drawn out a softer side of the president; as evidenced in his wide smiles. She congratulates Lagosians for showing Mr President how the party goes down in this side of town! So President Buharis historic first visit to Lagos has come and gone thank God. Yo, those two days were crazy. Traffic was over and beyond, conductors and drivers were out there trying to become the next Bill Gates by basically extorting huge fares from passengers, policemen were on these streets being super extra I mean, people couldnt even use pedestrian bridges and our politicians were living it up, having the time of their lives! Frankly, I think the president had a good timetoo much of a good time in fact. From picture to picture, home boy was grinning from ear-to-ear. Ambode must have felt like a very proud son. And based on some more in-depth analysis of his expressions, it seems the president had one of his best moments when taking pictures with the supermodel, Naomi Campbell. Waitlets pause a bitjust for effect. Doesnt it sound quite strange that Buhari and Naomi Campbell would be mentioned in the same sentence? I mean, we all know our president is a man of virtue; he doesnt play that way, so we know it was just strictly business. But yo, Naomi though? Ahhhh, Baba is living the life! READ ALSO: Jailbreak in Kogi: This Dino is a wonderful somebody! by Buchi Obichie (Opinion) Now, we dont know who really invited Ms Campbell to the event in the first place. Some say she came to attend the Arise Fashion week, others say she was a guest of the state government, and some folks say she was just out strolling in these Lagos streets when she accidentally bumped into the president, and asked to take a picture! The last scenario sounds more plausible to me yeah, right! LOL. Anyway, she came, she laughed, she took pictures - and maybe some brown envelopes - and then, she famzed. Babe was on the gram like: Was a pleasure to be invited by His Excellency The President of The Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari to the private launch of Eko Atlantic! Ahhh, invited keh? Well, someone from the presidency must have reached out to aunty real quick because she later edited the statement. Instead of invited, she switched the phrase to: Was a pleasure to MEET His Excellency. Mehn, Buharis advisers dont joke with that kinda stuff! Cant be claiming invitations to private events with our honourable president; when hes not an Aristo! Stop that rough play please! But anyway, we dont blame Naomithese things happen on the gram. Thats why table shakers are staging this 2018 revolution to expose scams! However, when Naomis pictures hit the social media highway, Nigerians went crazy! The comments were hilarious! Someone said: Our president couldnt even patronize local content. Man had to go far away to UK to bring Naomi Campbell for the private launch of Eko Atlantic. How can we grow the naira with this kind of mentality? Another one wrote: Buhari came to Lagos and Ambode organized babe for him. LOL. Ahhh, nah brov, you can call the president other names, but philanderer is not one of them. Mans too holy! But then, the one that got me laughing real hard was when someone said: He couldnt even smile on Aishas birthday but he can smile with Naomi Campbell. Hahahahahaha! But for real, the presidents smile with Naomi was epic. And it wasnt just him; all the men around the supermodel had wide grins on their faces. Even Adesina had to photo bomb with a huge smile too! These men though! Smh! And that last commenter went further, by providing pictorial proof to back up his assertion. Side by side were a picture of Buhari and the supermodel; and then another one showing the president and his wife on the said birthday celebration. The difference was clear. Baba was smiling like a teenage school boy in one, and seemed to be merely going through the motions in the other. But then, lets cut the president a few slacks. He may have been stony-faced with Madam for a couple of reasons. It may have been the heat of Abuja. Anyone who has been to that town knows that it gets pretty hot during the dayand the Villa seems to be constantly undergoing renovations to keep rodents away, so the ACs may have been taken out for a bit! Secondly, we all know that Madam is not frugal with words. She calls it as she sees it, and thats why we love her; but I reckon that her public utterances may not be scoring her many points with Oga. And Oga is a former military man for that matterthese generals dont joke like that yo! But then, another likely explanation is that the setting was wrong for a smile. I mean, it wasnt the kitchen or the other room. We are not very sure if it was the living room either, so the president may just have been saving the right facial expression for elsewhere! *wink wink* PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app In any case, all that matters is that Baba had a great time in Lasgidi; and all Lagosians should be proud. We gave ole boy a great treat. As Mr Wellington so aptly put it, Aint no party like a Lagos party! Maybe this would be enough incentive for Yusufs dad to help us put in a few kind words with those folks at the National Assembly, so that they can finally grant Lagos the special status it deserves. This opinion piece was written by Buchi Obichie. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of NAIJ.com. Lagosians groan as President Buhari's visit grounds activities - on NAIJ.com TV: [embedded content] Source: Naija.ng CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Northern group warns elders against dropping President Buhari as candidate in 2019 elections - NAF says it is a wild goose chase to go searching for a consensus candidate to replace President Buhari - The group also endorsed President Buhari for a second term in office - NAF says it is also working with about 15 other pro-democracy groups to ensure President Buhari is re-elected in 2019 The Northern Alternative Forum (NAF), a pro-democracy group, has told northern elders to stop searching for a consensus candidate for the region because there is no better candidate than President Muhammadu Buhari at the moment. Vanguard reports that the warning was issued at a press conference on Sunday, April in Abuja by the groups National Chairman Gidado Ibrahim, who said the search was a waste of time. Ibrahim said the group is endorsing Buhari for a second term and it has also formed an alliance with about 15 pro-democracy groups in the country for the presidents re-election. READ ALSO: Exercise Ayem Akpatuma: Troops arrest criminals in Taraba state He said: After reviewing the outcome of the meeting held recently by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and other interest groups in the North, we in the Northern Alternative Forum have come to the conclusion that shopping for a credible presidential candidate other than President Muhammad Buhari will only come to a dead end. Apart from acceptability and credibility, neither the ruling APC nor the opposition PDP can boast of a political figure with the will-power to govern Nigeria with its current complexities. The search in PDP is quite herculean for them and in the APC the case is not different. We urge our very respected elders to thread with caution so as not to return the country to wrongs hands like what we saw in the 16 years of PDP misrule. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android and read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Ibrahim noted that Buhari administration has clearly done well to bring an end to the era of looting funds meant for arms purchase and squandering of Nigerias oil fortune on frivolities. Those who think they can sabotage the Buhari administration through malicious allegations shall soon take their own tea with salt. It is very disappointing and disturbing to see people with bad records in leadership taking Nigerians for a ride. Sadly for them, their campaign of calumny against the President has failed woefully because Nigerians can read between the lines. Meanwhile, NAIJ.com reported that the Presidency has brushed aside calls by former army generals to President Muhammadu Buhari to step aside in the next presidential elections. Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari, said that he would defeat all the former presidents and heads of state. Shehu said that Buhari deserves a second term in office and will win again even if all the former leaders came out and contested against him next year. Should President Buhari seek reelection in 2019? (Nigerian Street Interview) - on NAIJ.com TV [embedded content] Source: Naija.ng CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | 59-year-old woman delivers quadruplets, 3 of the babies die in hospital (photo) -The mother had been trying to conceive for years in vain - Her husband chased her way because she could not bear children - She later found love again but had lost hope on ever giving birth - She suffered from fibroids and underwent numerous operations - Then one day a doctor told her she was pregnant of four babies A 59-year-old woman who had been struggling to conceive for years and was even abandoned by her husband because she was unable to bear a child finally gave birth to quadruplets. It was gathered Magadaline Namakula from Mubende District in Uganda had suffered greatly in her quest for a baby and was overwhelmed with emotions when her dream finally came true on Friday, March, 30, 2018, at Kawempe General Hospital. At her age, many would not her to be in a position to bear a child. Namakula herself had given up trying after several operations to remove fibroids. In a recent interview, the new mother said : "It reach a point where only prayer could help me. I left everything to God. I said let God heal me because I did not have money for further treatment." READ ALSO: 20 ladies allegedly assaulted at Flavours free concert Magadaline Namakula, 59, resting at Kawempe General Hospital in Uganda where she gave birth to her four babies on Friday, March 30, 2018.Photo:Daily Monitor. Though she split up with her husband after 20 years in marriage because of the child issue, Namakula revealed she later fell in love with a man believed to be the father of her quadruplets. Strangely, she never knew she was expectant until doctors at the hospital conducted a scan on her. She had been sickling and decided to go to the hospital to find out what was wrong with her. "I thought I was suffering from some strange disease. But after tests and scans, doctors told me I was pregnant," she said, adding she was overwhelmed by emotions upon receiving the good news. READ ALSO: Bambams eviction looks like April fool to her shocked fans Unfortunately, when her babies were born, three of them died. One was reportedly a still birth whereas the two others died after birth. Namakula was, nevertheless, grateful to God for giving her a child. She insisted it was nothing else but the work of God. Cases of women giving birth to four or more babies at once are not new, but those who conceived at the age of 59 or post-menopause are hard to come by. Modern treatments, such as Invitro fertilisation, are capable of making a woman conceive, but even that would require a lot of money, which appears Namakula did not have . PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigeria's #1 news app Top-4 Things That Could Only Happen In Nigeria on NAIJ.com TV: [embedded content] Source: Naija.ng CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Tears flow as 15 reportedly killed, 55 people injured in Boko Haram attack in Maiduguri - To some residents of Bale community in the outskirts of Maiduguri Easter celebration holiday is said to be their mourning period as they lost their beloved ones in an attack launched by Boko Haram - 15 people were reportedly feared dead and 55 others sustained injuries in the attack that took place on Sunday, April 1 - Competent security sources that confirmed said due to darkness dead bodies were not evacuated immediately because there were bombers among the attackers No fewer than 15 people are feared dead and 55 others sustained injuries in a Sunday night attack by Boko Haram insurgents at Bale community in the outskirts of Maiduguri. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that echoes from sporadic gunshots and multiple explosions which lasted for hours on Sunday evening, April 1, were heard from the outskirts of the city. Competent security sources said a number of insurgents attacked Bale-Shuwa and Bale-Kura communities near Maiduguri in an attempt to infiltrate the town at about 8 pm. READ ALSO: Soldiers arrest criminals in Taraba state as Exercise Cat Race ends The source disclosed that the insurgents parked their vehicles few meters away from a security check point and sneaked into the community. The source added that the security operatives engaged in fierce gun battle with the insurgents who detonated Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and shot sporadically. According to him, ''Dozens of people including women and children were wounded from the explosion and gun shots. ''Due to darkness dead bodies were not evacuated immediately because there were bombers among the attackers.'' PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app However, the commander of the Theatre Command of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, denied any death on the side of his soldiers or civilians in the attack. He said, however, that some of the Boko Haram insurgents were killed. According to him, ''Thats not correct. There was an attack which was repelled and some Boko Haram insurgents were killed by gallant soldiers. ''However, Boko Haram came with bombers who denoted their vests while running from the troops fire in a nearby community and that led to 14 civilians being injured from the blasts.'' Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had reported that no fewer than four members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, four bombers and three civilians were reportedly left dead in separate attacks by the insurgents in Borno state. According to a press statement signed by Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, the deputy director, public relations, Theatre Command, Operation Lafiya Dole, ''The four insurgents who had been routed out of the Sambisa Forest by troops in Operation Deep Punch II, were rummaging for food and logistics when they met their waterloo. ''The gallant troops recovered a Toyota Land Cruiser, one AK 47 Rifle, 15 Rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition and one magazine. Troops also recovered 47 Jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, from the insurgents.'' Should Nigerians pick up arms to defend themselves against herdsmen?(Street Interview) | Naij.com TV: [embedded content] Source: Naija.ng CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Trouble looms as NASS moves to reject Buharis N4.2trn bond request - National Assembly faults President Buhari over alleged failure to render account of over N9.2 trillion loans - The Senate resolves to reject the bonds request from the presidency - National Assembly shifts 2018 budget approval to May There are indications that members of the National Assembly are set to reject the request of President Muhammadu Buhari for the approval of a N4.2 trillion bond. Vanguard reports that both members of the House of Representatives and the Senate are displeased that the presidency allegedly failed to render account of the over N9.2 trillion loans or bond approved by the National Assembly since 2016. The newspaper reports that the upper chamber had resolved to reject the bond request before embarking on Easter break. READ ALSO: Breaking: FG releases more names of alleged looters NAIJ.com learnt that the lawmakers faulted Buhari for refusing to learn from the past experiences, especially the loan request of $200 billion which was abandoned as lawmakers showed no enthusiasm in handling it. The legislature stated that the latest bond request was another evidence of the executive failing to play as a team member and one who treats the legislature with levity. A senator who spoke on condition of anonymity, said wrongs being counted against the latest loan request are multifaceted, adding that the National Assembly had reached a near consensus feeling that the request should be rejected. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app The lawmakers also faulted the president for forwarding a fresh request of N4.2 trillion bond without prior discussions with them. Meanwhile, the National Assembly has postponed the approval of this years budget till May 2018. This is contrary to expectations that the 2018 budget estimates of N8.612 trillion would be passed by April. Chairman, House committee on appropriations, Mustapha Dawaki, made this known at the 2018 National Budget Hearing in Abuja on Tuesday, March 27. The hearing was jointly organised by the Senate and House Committees on Appropriation. Dawaki, explained that if the budget was not passed by April 24 as assured by the speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, then the N2.06 trillion 2017 capital budget would run till May 31. Lets talk about salaries of Nigerian senators | NAIJ.com TV [embedded content] Source: Naija.ng CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | No alternative to Buhari in 2019, Forum tells Northern Elders By Chris Ochayi ABUJA A pro-democacy group, the Northern Alternative Forum, NAF, has advised Northern elder searching for a credible presidential candidate from the region ahead of the 2019 general polls, to crash the idea because there is no better candidate than President Muhammadu Buhari for now. Buhari The group, which gave the advice against the backdrop of recent moves by the elders and stakeholders in the North to get a consensus presidential candidate from the zone other than Buhari, said the quest may turn to wild a goose chase. The elders who converged in Abuja penultimate Saturday had said President Buhari and late President Umaru YarAdua, both from the North, were not chosen by Northerners but were rather foisted on the North and the country in general by some political forces. But speaking at a press conference Sunday in Abuja. the National Chairman of NAF, Mallam Gidado Ibrahim, said the search for a credible candidate other than President Buhari may turnout to be a wild goose chase, as no politician from the region has shown strong political will to change the economic and social fortunes of the country. According to him, After reviewing the outcome of the meeting held recently by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and other interest groups in the North, we in the Northern Alternative Forum have come to the conclusion that shopping for a credible presidential candidate other than President Muhammad Buhari will only come to a dead end. Apart from acceptability and credibility, neither the ruling APC nor the opposition PDP can boast of a political figure with the will-power to govern Nigeria with its current complexities. The search in PDP is quite herculean for them and in the APC the case is not different. We urge our very respected elders to thread with caution so as not to return the country to wrongs hands like what we saw in the 16 years of PDP misrule. Ibrahim also urged Nigerians to be wary of political propagandists in the opposition camp who are bent on wielding the country back to the era of massive looting by attempting to destroy the goodwill President Buhari enjoys among the Nigerian populace in order to install another corrupt regime. He further noted that the era of siphoning funds meant for arms purchase was over, even as he noted that the oil sector under the current administration has been purged of corrupt elements who squandered the countrys fortunes on frivolities. Those who think they can sabotage the Buhari administration through malicious allegations shall soon take their own tea with salt. It is very disappointing and disturbing to see people with bad records in leadership taking Nigerians for a ride. Sadly for them, their campaign of calumny against the President has failed woefully because Nigerians can read between the lines. Endorsing Buhari for a second term, the Northern group said about 15 prodemocracy groups in the country have formed an alliance with it and that it has engaged the services of two ICT professionals from Germany and Switzerland to execute the 2019 campaign for the Buhari/Osinbajo reelection bid. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | 750 kidnappers, cattle rustlers, others renounce violence in Kaduna By Ben Agande KadunaA total of 750 cattle rustlers, bandits and kidnappers, weekend, swore to an oath with Quran and Bible that they will no longer engage in criminal activities. The renunciation was the culmination of efforts by the new Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State, Austin Iwar, who had been engaging community leaders to persuade deviants in their areas to abandon crime and embrace governments amnesty. The latest ceremony is coming two weeks after another set of 400 bandits and kidnappers similarly swore to an oath with Quran renouncing crime. Addressing journalists after the ceremony, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Iwar, said the repentant criminals took advantage of the window of opportunity opened by the government and Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris. He explained that apart from renouncing violence, the repentant criminals will also hand in their weapons to government. He said: I assure you that very soon, we will begin to recover most of these arms, as some of them have volunteered to handover their arms but not in public. One of the strategies we decided to adopt is to see how we can get across to some community leaders in the context of community policing programme we are doing. If you want to solve a problem, you have to work with people that created the problem; we also held series of meetings with hunters as a prelude to the series of activities we call Renouncing Violence Strategies. Iwar said the exercise, when sustained, would significantly reduce crime in the state, noting: Having young people that are roaming in the bush committing all forms of crime to come out and renounce violence, swear by Holy Quran that they will not go back to violence again, is very important. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Youve Failed On Your Campaign Promises Bishop Kukah Writes Buhari The bishop of Sokoto diocese of the Catholic church has addressed President Muhammadu Buharis failings in his Easter message to Nigerians. President Muhammadu Buhari has been accused of failing Nigerians by not fulfilling his campaign promises and bringing back ethnicity which Nigerians felt they had overcome. Mathew Kukah, bishop of Sokoto diocese of the Catholic church made the accusation in a letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari. According to The Cable, in a letter to the president, the cleric said Nigerians have never been so alienated from one another. Kukah said during his campaign, Buhari promised to fight corruption and make the nation secure but he has fallen short of expectations. He said Buhari needs to connect with Nigerians and fulfil his promises. You know sir, that you rode into town like a knight in shining armour, carrying the joys, pains, anxieties and fears of a people whose broken dreams had littered and turned the landscape into a kaleidoscopic scenery of desolation and despair, he said. In your campaigns, you promised to restore a sense of national pride in us by slaying the dragon of corruption, banishing the retrogressive scourge of Boko Haram, bringing back our daughters from Chibok and making our country and citizens truly safe. We waited in hope right to the end of the first year, but somehow, amidst some hazy weather, all we heard was the sound of screeching tyres with the plane carrying our hopes seemingly unable to take off. It finally did but we had barely gained altitude when sickness struck and you spent the better part of a year seeking healing. The nation prayed for you and miraculously, you recovered. Evidently, you had been saved for a purpose. Our prayer is that this realisation will help you understand that you have a date with history and divine judgment. For now, before your eyes and in your hands, our country, our communities, our people are all in a state of stupor. We have never felt so alienated from one another. The bogeyman of religion, region and ethnicity, which we thought we had overcome by the sheer nature of your support base, has come back with a vengeance to haunt and threaten the very foundation of our existence. Mr President, you are too distant from your people. There is a sad feeling that you do not share in the pain and suffering of your people. You must very quickly find a way of connecting with your people before the devil takes over the space. For taking on this challenge and connecting with Nigerians. The bishop also asked politicians to desist from the practice of enriching themselves from the governments purse. The average age of governors and legislators across the country is 50. These are the years of dreams, maturity, sacrifice, patriotism and self-giving, he wrote. But, sadly, you do not seem ready to depart from the culture of cronyism, prebendalism and primitive accumulation. The result has been ruination and decay. I appeal to you to please abandon the spirit of selfish accumulation and embrace the principles of integrity and genuine service of our country. Do not let this country collapse in your hands. For accepting to make some sacrifice, respect and listen to our people. He appealed to Nigerians not to succumb to pressure and allow the rich or the political class divide them. Kukah reminded them that God has plans for all of them. But you yourself, no matter how rich or poor, how educated or otherwise you are, have a duty to understand that God has plans for you and for every individual and you have a duty to both yourself and your neighbour, he said. You have to defend your personal dignity and seek the enforcement of your rights to have property and to raise a family as opposed to waiting for the crumbs from our greedy leaders. Defend your dignity as human beings and children of God. Do not allow the rich and powerful, who are rich because you are poor, to divide you. They have light and water in their high fenced houses, not because they are Muslims or Christians or that they are from this or that or the other tribe but simply because they are rich. You are poor, homeless, have no road, no water, and your children are sick and illiterate, not because you are Christian or Muslim or from this tribe or the other, but simply because you are poor. You and your children vote, but their children do not vote because they are abroad. Your children beg and die on the streets while their children are abroad, fraternizing with those they call infidels. They give you a fake religion that enslaves you while they give their own children the religion of education that will liberate them and make them rule over you. Rise and defend your right to food and shelter because poverty is not a divine inheritance. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Femi Fani-Kayode curses Iwo monarch for dropping Oba for Emir title, slams Martin Luther King Jnrs nephew Nigerias former Minister of Aviation and PDP chieftain, Femi Fani-Kayode , has reacted to report of Oba Adbulrasheed Akanbi , the Oluwo of Iwos decision to drop the Oba title and adopt the Emir title popularly known with Northern traditional rulers. According to Femi Fani-Kayode who cursed the monarch, Oba Adbulrasheed Akanbi , is a gutless treacherous bastard, an Islamofascist who has sold his people to the Fulani raiders. His tweet reads; This is Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwo who now insists that he must be called the Emir of Yorubaland. He is a gutless and treacherous bastard who is an Islamofascist and who has sold his people to the Fulani raiders. May God curse the day that he was born. The former Minister also reacted to late U.S activist, Martin Luther King Jnrs nephew, Mr. Isaac Newton-Farris, who said Nigerians should be ashamed for slandering his family over the award they gave President Buhari. Femi Fani-Kayode stated in his tweets, that Mr. Isaac Newton-Farriss family didnt honor Nigerians but President Buhari who he tagged a murderous tyrant. His tweet reads; Nigerians should be ashamed for slandering our name-Isaac Luther King. You came to our country and gave a deeply racist ethnic and religious bigot, a genocidal maniac and an ethnic cleanser an award.U did not honor Nigerians u honored a murderous tyrant.The shame is yours! On the other hand, we reported earlier today that Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Akanbi denied reports which claimed he has dumped the Oluwo of Iwoland title, to become an emir. Speaking through his media aide, Mr. Ali Ibrahim, in a statement issued on Sunday, the Monarch explained that he had never dropped the title of an Oba for an emir. The response came after he was criticized by many Nigerians especially the Yorubas, who wondered why a sitting traditional ruler will adopt the title of a foreign king. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Srinagar: It all began with a knock by soldiers two hours past midnight at the door of Mushtaq Ahmad Thakurs home in remote Dragad-Sugan village.When Thakur, 36, father of a twins aged 10 came out, the family was shocked as soldiers asked him to accompany then disregarding pleas of his aged parents.According to the family, the soldiers then asked Thakur to lead them toward a nearby house where they suspected militants were hiding. As he called out the owner of the house Rafiq Ahmad Nengroo, the militants, eleven in number saw the soldiers approaching and came out. Soon an intense gunfight started raging between government forces and the militants. The army fired a volley of bullets towards the militants outside Negroos three storey house. Thakur was caught unawares and was the first to get killed, according to locals. He was used as human shield by the Army, Thakurs family alleged. They said Thakur had received multiple bullets near his throat from a very close range. It looked as if his throat was slit, said Thakurs elder brother MuhamadMaqbool who lives in a separate house nearby. He said the family learnt about Thakurs death in the morning after his body was taken away by the police along with seven deceased militants to Zainapora police station. Our aged parents are still unaware of the death of their son even as he has been laid to rest, said Farooq Ahmad, the eldest brother of Thakur, also living in a separate house nearby. Our father is ailing and mother has lost eyesight some three years back. Thakur leaves behind his twin children, a son and a daughter and 33-year-old wife Raqib who is in a state of shock. Earlier, at around midnight soldiers, men of the special operation group (SOG) of the state police and paramilitary CRPF after cordoning off the area had zeroed in to half a dozen houses nestled amid apple orchards. An intense exchange of fire started continuing till 3:00, and then there was lull. Villagers said they could not gather what exactly had happened.[the_ad id=24885] Only in the morning at around 8:00 am, the army and SOG men asked a few villagers to come out and lead them inside the half a dozen houses including that of (Rafiq Ahmad) Nengroos for searches, said a villager Bilal Ahmad. He said that there was no militant inside. We were then asked to pick up the dead bodies of seven militants lying at three different places and hand them over, Bilal added. The locals said as the bodies were being taken away by police agitated people poured out onto the streets shouting pro-freedom slogans and clashed with government forces who retaliated by lobbing tear shells, firing pellets and bullets. Two of the civilians sustained bullet injuries and they are being treated at hospital, locals said. They seven slain militants were identified as local Hizb militants Adil Ahmed Thoker of Humhuna, Nazim Dar of Nagbal, UbaidShafiMalla of Trenz, YawarItoo of Safanagri-Zainapora, Rayees Ahmed Thoker of Padarpora, and Ashfaq Malik of Pinjura and ZubairTuray of main town Shopian- all from Shopian district. Four other local Hizb militants from Shopian including top commander Zeenat-ul-Islam alias Alqama of Sugan village managed to give forces a slip during the initial exchange of fire, official sources said. Rafiq Ahmad Nengroos wife in whose house 11 militants had taken shelter is the maternal aunt of ZubairTurray. Turray, 25, had joined Hizb ranks in May 2017 prior to which he was a Tehreek-i-Hurriyat activist and had been booked on charges of stone throwing and organizing street protests in as many as 23 FIRs. He was also incarcerated under PSA on several occasions before escaping from custody from police post Keegam. A few days later he announced through a video that he had joined militant ranks. The overnight encounter was one of three gunfights that broke out in South Kashmir on Sunday. ANOTHER DEADLY SIEGE In another encounter that broke out in the wee hours in Kachdoora village of Shopian four more militants were killed whose identities and affiliations were being ascertained. Another body was also lying in police station and it is believed to be of the owner of the house where the shootout took place. Hundreds of youth marched towards the encounter site and clashed with government forces in a bid to help the trapped militants escape from the cordon.Three youth were killed and hundreds including women sustained injuries, some with bullets during the clashes as government forces fired tear smoke, shotgun pellets and live ammunition.People were seen ferrying the injured on the motorbikes towards different hospitals in Kulgam and Shopian.The fierce exchange of fire lasted till evening when soldiers forces used explosives device to blow up the house were militants earlier fought from.Two adjacent houses later went up in flames, the villagers alleged. THE FIRST KILL Earlier, in an encounter that broke out between government forces and militants in Diagam village near Anantnag town a Hizb militant was killed and another was captured alive. The slain militant was identified as 19-year-old Rouf Ahmad Khanday of DehrunaHillad village of Kokernag. Khanday, a first year BA student went missing in February this year and recently his picture brandishing a gun had gone viral. During the gunfight, police bought the parents of Khanday to the encounter site and offered him to surrender. The patents pleaded to their son to surrender but he refused, police sources said. Later, heavy explosives were used to blow up the house and Khandays body retrieved from the debris. Before killing Khanday, his associate, Imran Rashid of Bijbehara who had joined militancy only a few days back was captured. Home | News | General | Donald Trump says Happy Easter with a temper tantrum about DACA On a beautiful spring morning at Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump appears to have woken up in a very foul mood. So the president did as hes wont to do on days like this: He announced a dramatic shift in policy affecting the nations most vulnerable people. NO DACA deal, Trump tweeted on Sunday morning. The Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) sought to protect undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children until Trump ended it in Sept. 2017. Religious leaders and more secular observers couldnt help but notice that Trump was spouting his anti-immigration views on Easter Sunday and during Passover. Both holidays celebrate liberation, hope, and freedom from oppression and tyranny. Regardless of the timing, Trumps declaration marks a radical turning point. For months, the president complained that Democrats were responsible for the failure to work out a long-term alternative. Democrats responded by pointing out, correctly, that Trump both (1) ended DACA himself and (2) attached such wildly xenophobic demands to his immigration bills (a wall, a 50 percent decrease in legal immigration) that they couldnt possibly sign onto anything. Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release. Getting more dangerous. Caravans coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL, Trump tweeted Sunday morning. Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release. Getting more dangerous. Caravans coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2018 Its unclear what caravans Trump is referring to, or who even uses them anymore, outside of Oregon Trail players and groups of friends on Phish tour. Mexico is doing very little, if not NOTHING, at stopping people from flowing into Mexico through their Southern Border, and then into the U.S, Trump later added on Twitter. They laugh at our dumb immigration laws. They must stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL! Mexico is doing very little, if not NOTHING, at stopping people from flowing into Mexico through their Southern Border, and then into the U.S. They laugh at our dumb immigration laws. They must stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2018 These big flows of people are all trying to take advantage of DACA. They want in on the act! These big flows of people are all trying to take advantage of DACA. They want in on the act! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2018 Based on Trumps tweet, its difficult to know whether if the president actually understands how DACA works. The program only applies to undocumented people who came to the United States as minors. Those who are approved get a renewable two-year authorization to remain in the country and seek work. Its a crushing announcement for the undocumented community. Journalist Matthew Gertz couldnt help but notice that Trumps announcement came shortly after a Fox and Friends segment. How are you spending your Easter Sunday? The the president is livetweeting Fox & Friends. Left, Fox & Friends, 9:12 am Right, Trump, 9:55 am pic.twitter.com/FHhBpoFflG Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) April 1, 2018 Other observers on the internet, meanwhile, were quick to point out the supposedly religious presidents hypocrisy. Trump just announced that there will be no deal to legalize the DACA kids. Jesus was an immigrant. Happy Easter, everybody. Emilia (@PoliticalEmilia) April 1, 2018 Easter is about redemption. DACA is all about redemption and forgiveness. Here on this Easter Sunday, Trump shows hes all in against redemption and forgiveness. https://t.co/UPGZQlag2D Steven Greenhouse (@greenhousenyt) April 1, 2018 Easter Sunday message from Trump in a tweet with all caps: NO MORE DACA DEAL! Easter Sunday message from Jesus in the Bible in red letters: For I was hungry & you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty & you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger & you took Me in. TO OE TAViS ???????? (@TopRopeTravis) April 1, 2018 President Trump tweets HAPPY EASTER! yet not an hour later attacks some of the worlds most vulnerable people. Happy Easter means immigrants and refugees find sanctuary. Happy Easter means that cruel tyrants who seek to oppress them will be cast down from their thrones. https://t.co/1ANS8ONGcL Serene Jones (@SereneJones) April 1, 2018 In the spirit of Passover and Easter, our president tweets: NO MORE DACA DEAL! Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) April 1, 2018 Then maybe you should read Trumps Easter tweets and deliver this sermon to him personally. https://t.co/mxPNxP2Bya Hend Amry (@LibyaLiberty) April 1, 2018 Trumps Easter message: We must welcome Jesus into our hearts while keeping anyone named Jesus out of our country. pic.twitter.com/kVtT0tKmAO The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) April 1, 2018 While Trump may have called off any plans to work on a DACA replacement (even though such a deal would ultimately come from lawmakers in Congress) the program will stand for the next two years because of a lower court decision giving the president plenty of time to randomly change his mind. Donald Trump says Happy Easter with a temper tantrum about DACA CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... A pro-democracy group, the Northern Alternative Forum, NAF, has advised Northern elder searching for a credible presidential candidate from the region ahead of the 2019 general polls, to crash the idea because there is no better candidate than President Muhammadu Buhari for now. The group, which gave the advice against the backdrop of recent moves by the elders and stakeholders in the North to get a consensus presidential candidate from the zone other than Buhari, said the quest may turn to wild a goose chase. The elders who converged in Abuja penultimate Saturday had said President Buhari and late President Umaru YarAdua, both from the North, were not chosen by Northerners but were rather foisted on the North and the country in general by some political forces. But speaking at a press conference Sunday in Abuja. the National Chairman of NAF, Mallam Gidado Ibrahim, said the search for a credible candidate other than President Buhari may turn out to be a wild goose chase, as no politician from the region has shown strong political will to change the economic and social fortunes of the country. According to him, After reviewing the outcome of the meeting held recently by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and other interest groups in the North, we in the Northern Alternative Forum have come to the conclusion that shopping for a credible presidential candidate other than President Muhammad Buhari will only come to a dead end. Apart from acceptability and credibility, neither the ruling APC nor the opposition PDP can boast of a political figure with the will-power to govern Nigeria with its current complexities. The search in PDP is quite herculean for them and in the APC the case is not different. We urge our very respected elders to thread with caution so as not to return the country to wrongs hands like what we saw in the 16 years of PDP misrule. Ibrahim also urged Nigerians to be wary of political propagandists in the opposition camp who are bent on wielding the country back to the era of massive looting by attempting to destroy the goodwill President Buhari enjoys among the Nigerian populace in order to install another corrupt regime. He further noted that the era of syphoning funds meant for arms purchase was over, even as he noted that the oil sector under the current administration has been purged of corrupt elements who squandered the countrys fortunes on frivolities. Those who think they can sabotage the Buhari administration through malicious allegations shall soon take their own tea with salt. It is very disappointing and disturbing to see people with bad records in leadership taking Nigerians for a ride. Sadly for them, their campaign of calumny against the President has failed woefully because Nigerians can read between the lines. Endorsing Buhari for a second term, the Northern group said about 15 pro-democracy groups in the country have formed an alliance with it and that it has engaged the services of two ICT professionals from Germany and Switzerland to execute the 2019 campaign for the Buhari/Osinbajo reelection bid. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately withdraw its clumsy, arbitrary and selective looters list. The organization said the action can only diminish the governments ability to fight corruption, frustrate its mouthed goal of transparent governance, allow suspected perpetrators whether from the All Progressives Congress (APC) or the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to escape justice, and ultimately, deny victims of corruption justice and effective remedies. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed had on Friday released a list of some of those who allegedly looted the nations treasury. Reacting, SERAP, in a statement on Sunday by its executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said the authorities should withdraw the looters list and come up with a comprehensive list as ordered by Justice Hadiza Shagari last year. Allowing the published looters list to stand will undermine the credibility of the governments claim to fight corruption, and signal to Nigerians that it is not serious to satisfactorily address the allegations of grand corruption under the former government of President Goodluck Jonathan and involving those close to this government, it said. If Buhari is truly interested in vindicating the rule of law and the proper administration of justice, his government will do well to genuinely obey Justice Shagaris judgment ordering the authorities to tell Nigerians the full names of all suspected looters of the public treasury past and present. Few things would go farther in fostering and nurturing our system of constitutionalism, democracy, and the rule of law. This politicized list comes at a time when the government is promoting itself as a beacon of transparency and accountability, and a model for other African countries to follow. The authorities ought to have resisted the temptation to put out this shambolic list and instead obeyed the spirit and the letter of Justice Shagari judgment. What is at stake is not just the rule of law, but also the larger question of whether the government is really serious to fight grand corruption and combat the impunity of perpetrators, regardless of who is involved. The government cannot pick and choose which judgments it wants to obey even though the judgments at times may be highly unsettling. The judgment ought to have been fully obeyed and implemented even if the government would step on toes and make some politicians uncomfortable. For the government to impose this list on Nigerians, which would seem to serve as an expedient means to an end that disregard the orders by Justice Shagari is more than a violation of law; it is a breach of trust with the Nigerian people. If disobedience of court orders becomes the norm, the ship of government would become anchorless and adrift in a sea of treacherous uncertainty that could lead to a beachhead on the land of tyranny. If Buhari is to renew his commitment to fight corruption regardless of whether it involves politicians from his own party and the opposition, something more than a propaganda list and hypocritical conduct is needed to restore citizens confidence in the ability of his government to deliver on good governance. That something more is a restoration of the rule of law. Our courts, interpreting our Constitution and legislation, stand as the living symbol of the rule of law. But persistent disobedience of court orders by this government has magnified its lack of respect for the rule of law. Persistent disobedience of court orders is profoundly, dangerously wrong, and a distortion of democratic principles, and ultimately, an assault on the very concept of the rule of law and judicial integrity. Home | News | General | Former permanent secretary raises alarm, says FG smuggled his name into looters list - A former permanent secretary in the ministry of power, Godknows Igali, says his name was dragged in the list of alleged looters because he is seen as one of Jonathans men - He dismisses reports that the sum of N7billion was traced to his person A former permanent secretary in the ministry of power, Godknows Igali, has claimed that his name was smuggled into the list of alleged looters recently released by the federal government. The Cable reports that Igali said his name was dragged in the list at the last minute because he is seen as one of Jonathans men. READ ALSO: President Buhari will defeat Obasanjo, other ex-generals - Aide He dismissed reports that the sum of N7billion was traced to his person, adding that no amount whatsoever has been recovered from him. The former permanent secretary said: My attention has been drawn to a publication and electronic broadcasts attributed to Lai Mohammed, minister of information, listing persons connected with PDP considered to have looted various sums from government treasury, and that such sums have been recovered from them. On account of my background, I am normally taciturn, but I cannot keep silent against such weighty unfounded allegation. Not surprisingly, my name was smuggled to the list, against a whopping loot of N7Billion. I understand Godknows Igali was dragged in last minute to create the needed effect. After all, hes one of Jonathans main men. For the avoidance of doubt, this is totally false, as no amount whatsoever has been recovered from me or traced to me. Indeed, N7billion recovered from which accounts, which banks and when? PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android and read best news on Nigerias #1 news app My life has been an open book of distinguished public service in diplomatic service, scholarship and administration. In all places where I had served, the records are there for all to see. I continue to stand tall and remain undaunted. I am of modest background and very simple lifestyle. I am extremely contented and awesomely grateful to God. Igali stated that it was the third time the present government has hit the headlines with such negative news about him since 2016. NAIJ.com had earlier reported that the federal government on Sunday, April 1, released more names of people who have allegedly looted the nations treasury. Alhaji Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture who released the list claimed that those complaining that the list was too short did not understand that it was strategically released as a teaser, Channels TV reports. Releasing the fresh list of alleged looters, in a statement issued in Lagos, the minister also said those complaining that the list was too short apparently did not understand that it was strategically released as a teaser. Top 5 the Richest People of Nigeria: The Luxury of Corruption on NAIJ.com TV [embedded content] Source: Naija.ng CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Islamabad, April 02: In Pakistan, the killings of seventeen youth in Islamabad and Shopian districts of Kashmir, yesterday, were condemned by all state and non-state organizations. According to Pakistani Media, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on Monday that India was incapable of silencing Kashmir. He expressed deep sorrow over the recent loss of life in Kashmir and condemned Indian tyranny. He said India could not silence Kashmiris. The prime minister went on to add that the Kashmiri struggle for independence could not be called terrorism. Chief of Army Chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday condemned Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir. Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir can never suppress a just indigenous political struggle for self-determination, the army chief was quoted in a tweet by Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor. The army chief added that brutalities of Indian Security Forces against innocent civilians in occupied Kashmir are highly condemnable. Foreign Minister, Khawaja Asif in a statement issued here, condemned the brutality of Indian forces in occupied Kashmir. He said that the worse form of state terrorism is underway in occupied Kashmir. Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal in a statement strongly condemning the Kashmiris massacre, said the voice of Kashmiris cant be silenced with guns and demanded of the international community to condemn Indian atrocities. Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb while condemning the Indian armed forces brutalities in occupied Kashmir, said India can no longer crush the right to self-determination of Kashmiri people by killing them mercilessly. Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in a statement, strongly condemned Indian atrocities unleashed on innocent Kashmiris and said that killings could not weaken the freedom setiment of Kashmiris. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman, Imran Khan in a tweet, denounced the brutality of Indian forces against innocent Kashmiris and the killing of unarmed civilians in occupied Kashmir. The people of Pak stand with the Kashmiris democratic struggle for their right to self-determination, he added. President Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), Asif Ali Zardari in statement condemned the killing of innocent Kashmiris by the Indian forces and demanded of the United Nations to take notice of this bloodshed Srinagar: A youth suffered a head injury after being chased by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in Kangan area of central Kashmirs Ganderbal district on Monday. The incident triggered massive protests in the area.Reports said a youth, identified as Gowhar Ahmad Rather, was part of a group that had assembled on a roadside in Kangan.He fell down and suffered an injury after police chased the group, said a local, wishing not to be named.Soon, intense protests erupted in the area as the news spread.Medical Superintendent Trauma hospital Kangan Dr Yasmeen Kangoo told Greater Kashmir that the injured youth was brought to the hospital with a head injury.She said the injured youth was referred to SKIMS Soura for specialized treatment. When asked whether the youth had suffered a bullet injury, she replied in negative. It didnt look like a bullet injury, she said.SDPO Kangan Umer Shah said that police chased away the group of youth but no shots were fired.However, clashes erupted after protesters pelted the forces with stones. Home | News | General | Lai Mohammed reveals Buharis single project that can grant him 2019 victory - Lai Mohammed commended the Buhari administration for its rice production - He said the administration has lifted a lot of people from poverty - He expressed optimism that he would be re-elected in 2019 The minister of information, Lai Mohammed has said President Muhammadu Buharis rice revolution is enough for him to be re-elected in 2019. Mohammed noted that the project has taken a lot of Nigeria out of poverty and that he deserves to be re-elected. READ ALSO: UN condemns Boko Haram attack in northeast Daily Independent reports that the minister spoke in Lagos on Monday, April 2 saying 60 per cent of the rice eaten in the country was produced locally. He said: The agricultural revolution in general and the rice revolution, in particular, have taken millions of Nigerians out of poverty. As a matter of fact, today, 60% of rice eaten in Nigeria is produced in Nigeria. In the words of the rice processors, the rice revolution alone is enough to guarantee re-election for President Buhari, if he decides to run again! We want to use this opportunity to appeal to Nigerians to complement the efforts of the government by consuming only locally-grown and processed rice. It is fresher. It is tastier. It is healthier. It has not spent months on the high seas and warehouses . We dont know where or how imported rice is made or how old it is? It is reported that most of the rice dumped on us are old and probably rejects. The citizens of those countries do not eat this rice. The citizens of Benin also do not eat it. But they send it to us. Unhealthy foods are dangerous to health. So lets eat what we can vouch for. But Nigerians should remember that every time they eat imported rice, they are eating the jobs that would have been created for Nigerians and instead funding the creation of jobs in the source countries. Just imagine that less than three years into the rice revolution, millions of jobs have been created in the whole value chain. It is important for Nigerians to know that when they consume imported rice, they are creating jobs in India and Thailand and destroying jobs across our country. Today we have rice farmers in all states and all geopolitical zones. In fact, most of us have friends and relatives who are farming rice. So if we dont patronize their product, we are destroying their livelihoods. In this regard, we are embarking on a massive nationwide campaign to sensitize our compatriots to the need to support the rice revolution by consuming local rice. Nigerians are patriots. They want more jobs. They will support the rice revolution and Nigeria will become Self-sufficient in rice sooner than we have started Meanwhile, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi state said that in two and half years, rice production has risen from 5.7 to 17 million metric tonnes per annum, Leadership reports. NAIJ.com gathered that he made the disclosure to State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa. According to the Kebbi state governor, eight new rice mills were commissioned last year which has increased rice production in the country. Ebonyi state, Nigeria and West Africa's food capital - on NAIJ.com TV. [embedded content] Source: Naija.ng CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Buharis government full of failure , needless blame game Obasanjo Daud Olatunji ABEOKUTA-Former President Olusegun Obasanjo Monrday, again, came hard on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, describing it as full of failure and needless blame game. Obasanjo-Buhari Obasanjo, who warned Nigerians not to reinforce failure as the country prepares for 2019 elections, insisted that the two major political parties, All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), cannot take the nation to the promised land. He asked the citizens not to be deceived by the reforms promised by the ruling APC or accept the recent apology tendered by the opposition PDP. The former President spoke at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta while receiving a joint delegation of Nigeria Young Professionals Forum (NYPF) and New Nigeria 2019. Obasanjo said, What those I call power addicts would want to do is to divide you based on gender, age, tribe, religion and region. You have one commonality interest of Nigeria. And it doesnt matter where you come from. We had that interest. The truth is this: when you have an ineffective and incompetent government, we are all victims. And dont let anybody deceive you. Those of you who are in business, your business could have been better today if we have a competent and effective and performing government. As I said, stop giving excuses; we met challenges. If there are no challenges, then we wouldnt need you to come. You came in because you know there are challenges and then giving us excuse that you have many challenges, that is why you havent achieved results. And then you still want to go. The first lesson I learnt in my military training is never reinforce failure. What we have now is failure. Never you reinforce failure. Let failure be failure. And if you do not see what you should see, you will then be a victim of what you dont like because its only when you see what you should see and you do what you should do that you put away what you do not like. And if you dont see what you should see and you dont do what you should do, you will be a victim of what you dont like. What those I call power addicts would want to do is to divide you based on gender, age, tribe, religion and region. You have one commonality interest of Nigeria. This time, for us to make it, we need all hands on deck. You see, I have publicly said and I mean it, that as a party, neither PDP nor APC can get us there as they have been. Never mind about reforms and apology and all that. And yet we have to get there. I asked one of the foundation members of PDP, that when we started, was it a grassroots party? He said it was an elitist party. Really, we have never had the so-called grassroots party. Even NEPU which we could say is the nearest was not grassroot enough. And I believe strongly that we must have a strong popular grassroots movement to bring about the change, sustainability and stability that we need in our democracy and development. But let us bring together all these movements because we are pursuing the same thing. If we allow ourselves to be taken piecemeal, it is finished. Yes, I said you cannot take PDP as it is and APC as it is; but they are not all made of evil people. There are good people among them. I said PDP is leprous hand, APC is leprous hand, but there are some clean fingers in them. So, lets take those clean fingers in them and graft the clean fingers in our own. That is the way to go and if we go that way, we will get there, we will move together, and we will will move fast and we will move far. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Kazakhstans National Bank is considering banning cryptocurrency use, exchanges, and mining, saying virtual currencies are an ideal vehicle for fraud, money-laundering, and tax evasion. In Kazakhstan, the National Bank is taking a very conservative approach toward the matter, and it welcomes nothing but extremely tough restrictions, Daniyar Akishev, the chairman of Kazakhstans National Bank, told Sputnik News. Akishev continued: We want to ban the exchange of digital currencies for the national currency. We want to prohibit the stock exchanges activities in this area, as well as every type of mining. Daniyar Akishev, chairman of Kazakhstan National Bank, is a bitcoin skeptic. (CCN screenshot) Akishev said the National Bank is considering the ban to protect its citizens from scams and fraud. Digital currencies are an ideal instrument for money-laundering and tax evasion, he said. Akishev conceded that regulators cant control if Kazakhstanis trade cryptocurrencies in cross-border transactions, but it can ban crypto mining within the Central Asian countrys borders. We minimize the risks related to the national market. However, no central bank has all the instruments to control this market in the cross-border market. Therefore, at least, we must prevent this risk via the national currency. Kazakhstans tough anti-crypto stance follows a similar move by the Russian government. In early March, the Russian Ministry of Finance drafted a law that will criminalize the use of digital currencies as money substitutes, citing the need to protect the Russian ruble. Russia: Crypto Is No Substitute for the Ruble Alexei Moiseev, Russias deputy finance minister, made the revelation during Vnesheconombanks conference. Elvira Nabiullina, head of the Bank of Russia, said the Russian Finance Ministry opposes the use of cryptocurrencies as private money and money surrogates. This is necessary to protect the ruble as the single legal [means of] payment in Russia. There is the ruble, and everything else is a surrogate. Story continues Russian president Vladimir Putin said cryptocurrency regulation will be rolled out by July. While he has expressed concerns about cryptocurrencies because theyre not backed by a central bank, the Russian government plans to launch its own digital currency called the CryptoRuble in a bid to circumvent U.S. economic sanctions. Vladimir Putin wants to roll out a Russian cryptocurrency called the CryptoRuble. (CCN screenshot) In October 2017, Putin expressed skepticism about crypto, saying they can be exploited for money-laundering and other illegal activities. But he conceded that cryptocurrencies are becoming or have already become a full-fledged means of payment, as well as a means of investment in other countries. Many bitcoin evangelists actually welcome regulatory crackdowns on scams and fraud, saying they will root out bad actors and help legitimize the currently-unregulated virtual currency ecosystem. Featured image from Shutterstock. The post Kazakhstan May Ban Cryptocurrencies Citing Money-Laundering Concerns appeared first on CCN. Asian casino giant faces legal battle in Nepal Boutique Asian casino operator and developer, Silver Heritage Group (SVH), is embroiled in a legal battle in Nepal after it removed its local partner, who was overseeing implementation of a casino project in Bhairahawa. it's what she deserves Reply Thread Link but where are sue and mel Reply Thread Link they were hosting teh generation game remake...but it didn't seem to go over very well. people didn't want a reboot Reply Parent Thread Link Just discovered GBBO is on UK Netflix so that's been my Easter weekend. Now I want to bake all the things. Reply Thread Link Wait, you guys have cooks? Reply Thread Link idgi, what's wrong with cooks? cooks aren't educated in making food like chefs.... or am I wrong here? Reply Parent Thread Link I love her and thought GBBO could never be as good on Channel 4 and was going to refuse to watch it out of spite etc but I'm actually liking it even more on C4 whoops Reply Thread Link I wanted to hate the C4 GBBO but I liked it till my favorites Julia, Yan and Liam were eliminated. I'm still fucking mad that Stacy and FUCKING KATE LASTED SO LONG. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i'm a sellout, what can i say i enjoy sandi + noel more than i did mel + sue (i know, sad) + prue is such a savage at times + i harbour an unhealthy attraction to hollywood (don't shame me); the rest of the formula is exactly the same, can't go wrong tbh :( Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I wouldn't say I like it more after they moved to Channel 4. But I was sort of surprised how fast I got over my initial shock, once the season started. I really like Noel and Sandy, and also Prue. And I personally think Paul Hollywood seems more relaxed now. He jokes more. But maybe that's just me. ;) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link BUT WHERE THE FUCK ARE MEL AND SUE?! Reply Thread Link they were hosting teh generation game remake...but it didn't seem to go over very well. people didn't want a reboot Reply Parent Thread Link My fave GBBO winner still remains Nadiya. Candice "the one who copied Nadiya's winning speech from the previous season" Brown going on Dancing on Ice gave me the vibes that she was still trying to make her 15 minutes of fame last longer. Reply Thread Link Nadiya made the best faces. I'm glad she's still on t.v so much. She deserves all her sucess. Reply Parent Thread Link omg when Candice 'copied' Nadiya's peacock showstopper Reply Parent Thread Link But, honestly, I binged all seasons (because I started watching the show with season 6 and was late to the party), and they had fucking peacocks in every damn season before Nadiya was on. Reply Parent Thread Link Nadiya is sweet. Her large eyes always looks a bit watery and on the verge of tears, which was rather distressing. Thankfully she gained confidence and an even stronger backbone when she became a celebrity and now looks strong and confident when I see her on television. no more teary eyes. Reply Parent Thread Link Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ Reply Thread Link give charming baking prince and trainee anaesthetist tamal a show! Reply Thread Link i'd watch this rn Reply Parent Thread Link lmaaoo what is the context of that gif Reply Thread Link i think it's when one of the contestants recreated the pub her family used to own out of gingerbread. the judges were tasting it and then she said that. Reply Parent Thread Link candice's fucking pub cake. Reply Parent Thread Link lol ty Reply Parent Thread Link Is there gonna be a season 2 of The Big Family Cooking Showdown? We binged it on Thanksgiving - judges could fuck off/be replaced but the concept was fun. Reply Thread Link IA Reply Parent Thread Link I enjoyed it mostly Reply Parent Thread Link My mom is obsessed with Mary Berry. Reply Thread Link Isnt it handy that shitty people manage to find a deity that ~forgives them for the terrible shit theyve done? Almost like they want to absolve themselves of responsibility without having to do anything. Reply Thread Link lmao Reply Parent Thread Link lol the patron saint of forgiving yourself for the unforgivable. Reply Parent Thread Link he doesn't need to make amends with the ppl he hurt cus he forgives himself and that's all that matters!!!! Reply Parent Thread Link lmao he has such a punchable face Reply Parent Thread Link MTE Edited at 2018-04-02 04:10 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link that's why evangelicals and tramp are a match made in heaven Reply Parent Thread Link A pastor told me that Christianity is the only religion where you don't have to take responsibility for your sins if you give urself to Jesus which seems like a lazy way of religioning tbh Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I spoke to God. He is cool with me. Reply Parent Thread Link There's also this weirdly egotistical tone that permeates everything born-again Christians say. "MY JESUS did all this awesome stuff FOR ME and GOD THE MOST HIGH KING OF EVERYTHING loves me and everything that I do (so there)." Supposedly Easter is about being humbled by Jesus's sacrifice but all I hear from these people is this "I'm the best because I'm on Jesus's team, USA USA" kind of stuff where by praising Jesus, they're basically also asserting how awesome and righteous THEY are. Reply Parent Thread Link Nothing can separate us from the love that God has for us. The fact that Justin is now following Jesus doesn't mean he is free from sin, but it means that if he lives his life in accordance to God's word, he shouldn't feel the need to sin. But... even if he does, he's forgiven and redeemed. That's how it works in the eyes of the Lord. Saved by faith, not by works. If Justin is living his life like this, who is anyone to judge? His relationship with Jesus has absolutely nothing to do with the thoughts and opinions of anyone else. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Born again Christians are the worst. Reply Thread Link So he's still a dumbass. What else is new? Reply Thread Link mte. on behalf of my bunny, fuck you Biebs. Reply Parent Thread Link This was one of weirdest moments in housewives history. The uncomfortable shifty glances, Kyle nervously biting her nails, no one knowing what to say or how to react...oof. Reply Parent Thread Link LMFAO omg Reply Parent Thread Link lmao Reply Parent Thread Link One of my friends works at a Hillsong type church and invited me to come yesterday. It was something else, everyone was EXTREMELY nice and chatty and they got super hyped up about singing "hip" church songs, the pastor wore skinny jeans and a floral shirt ... I also learned that bc Jesus died for our sins at the cross, nobody has to go to hell if they say that Jesus will pay for their sins once they get to the pearly gates which is neat I guess. Reply Thread Link nobody has to go to hell so these Christian hipsters can sin all they want? how convenient! what are their views on gay rights, abortion, etc? Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah, I don't quite understand it either but that pastor def committed a fashion sin with his outfit alone. Oh and idk about the other stuff, I know my friend is ok with gay people but this is a church after all Edited at 2018-04-02 04:35 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Nobody has to go to hell if they ask for forgiveness Hillsong is a hate the sin love the sinner type of church so while theyd frown upon homosexuality and abortion etc they still reach out to those people because they believe theyre lost Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Waaait what? So I can go on a murder spree, not get caught and all I have to do is let the bouncer know that Jesus is picking up the tab when I die and be able to get access into club heaven? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link nobody has to go to hell if they say that Jesus will pay for their sins lmaoo literally the most convenient religion ever ! Reply Parent Thread Link Satan is cackling rn cuz Hell is full of Christians tho so these Hellsong folks are very misinformed Reply Parent Thread Expand Link lmao tbh that sounds fun for like...one day a year. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link So what exactly happened to Jesus after he became a zombie? Did he become immortal? Did he just like disappear after a few days? I don't care about religion so maybe this is common knowledge but I feel like that whole part is glossed over. Reply Thread Link He was allowed to retire into heaven 40 days after becoming a Zombie Reply Parent Thread Link if you wanna know what the bible says the basic summary is this: jesus was sent to earth by his dad to tell people about the kingdom of god + die to atone for man kinds sins (if they repented their terrible ways and, you know, stopped doing terrible things) and so he did just that. he died the night of the jewish passover, stayed dead for three days, then his dad brought him back and then jesus went back up to heaven. Reply Parent Thread Link " he died the night of the jewish passover, stayed dead for three days, then his dad brought him back and then jesus went back up to heaven." That's the part I don't get... he didn't go to heaven the first time he died? Cuz that just sounds like he died, chilled in heaven for 3 days, then came back to his body on Earth, and then... remembered how much humankind sucks and decided to die again..?? Like, was he a walking zombie when he came back after those three days?? Is it cuz he forgot to say bye to his human parents... were his parents even alive at the time...?? fyi: total Atheist here and I have no idea if any of these questions are offensively ignorant. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link "Jesus dropped back down to formally say goodbye to his mom Mary because thats the very least he could do after ditching her - she loved and took care of him for 30+ years after all while God was honking his horn like COME ON, HE'S MY SON TOO" - my brothers description of events Reply Parent Thread Link Jesus was sent to the earth to die for our sins. Once he died, he was dead for three days and descended into hell to claim the souls there. Then he came back to life and spent a little more time on earth with his disciples before returning to heaven. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Christians are fucking frightening Reply Thread Link He needs help , and I aint talking about from Jesus. I need a Iyanla to take the wheel. Reply Thread Link Evangelicals scare the crap out of me. My Uber driver on Saturday was listening to praise music, his car was spotless and he was perfectly groomed (freshly shaved, new haircut, perfect nails) yet didnt say more than two words to us and the whole combination was so unsettling to me. Reply Thread Link you guys... talk to your uber/ taxi drivers??? Reply Parent Thread Link I drive Lyft/Uber occasionally and my passengers start convos with me more often than not Reply Parent Thread Link mte this is like my dream taxi ride, except for the music. Reply Parent Thread Link 90% of the time i end up having awesome chats with my drivers, a lot of them are interesting af Reply Parent Thread Link I mean, not if I just got off a flight or something. But this felt different. I also had a fun conversation with the driver I had on my way home Saturday, so Im not totally opposed to it. Reply Parent Thread Link i always do!! but im also only really taking uber if ive been drinking so ill be chatty Reply Parent Thread Link yiiiiiiiikes he is looking so rough Reply Thread Link the camo pants really complete the look Reply Parent Thread Link They belong to the same church/cult. Reply Parent Thread Link He weirds me out. Reply Thread Link i hate all these holidays people try to pin on jesus, have your fun and be done with it Reply Thread Link But people still go to hell so does he really love you how you are? Reply Thread Link my parents go to a "cool" church and my sister went with them, came home and texted me to bitch about how creepy and weird it was because everyone was raising their hands, swaying, saying shit like "YES LORD" and "AAAAAMEN" every 30 seconds and how every time the pastor said something funny, my mom would look over at my sister like, "do you like my cool church do you like my cool pastor?" nhf any religion that lets you act like an asshole and all you have to do is be rill rill sorry about it and ask God for forgiveness and you're good Reply Thread Link its scary how quickly churches like these are popping up. Reply Parent Thread Link You got: Chocolate Bunny You're super cute and liked by everyone you meet. https://www.buzzfeed.com/milogoodman/plan-an-easter-egg-hunt-and-well-tell-you-which-e-2wiqr?utm_term=.bvRlyApdd#.cgdjWAvMM Chocolate BunnyYou're super cute and liked by everyone you meet. Reply Thread Link You got: Peeps You're sweet as sugar. Reply Parent Thread Link You got: Creme Eggs You're unique and one-of-a-kind. Reply Parent Thread Link Ugh, love your icon. <3 Reply Parent Thread Link You got: Peeps You're sweet as sugar. Reply Parent Thread Link You got: Jelly Beans You're kind, smart, and a great friend. I hate jelly beans :( Reply Parent Thread Link You got: Jelly Beans You're kind, smart, and a great friend. Reply Parent Thread Link Mods deserve recognition for all their hard work, especially with updating the rules. Thank you, Mods! Reply Thread Link Dawg.. Easter bunny came in dancing on they ass pic.twitter.com/WrSJQUv9mB WORLDSTARHIPHOP (@WORLDSTARRCLIPS) March 31, 2018 went to church, ate with the fam and got dick. went to church, ate with the fam and got dick. Reply Thread Link I'm crying from laughter Reply Parent Thread Link oh my gooodnessss he is so terrified! Reply Parent Thread Link Make sure the recruiter works for the actual company like in-house and not a recruiting firm i.e. they make money per position they fill. Companies are a little iffy about hiring from recruiting firms because they have to pay the recruiter if they hire you, so I wouldn't waste your time with those people. Reply Parent Thread Link so there's a gator in the pond next to our office building and maintenance has set up a pole w/ meat dangling over the water to try and catch it. if that ain't the most florida ass thing i've ever seen idk what is. waiting for maintenance to rip off his shirt and jump in to wrestle Arnold tbh Reply Thread Link .....that's just asking for trouble. why didn't they call wildlife control?? Reply Parent Thread Link why would they do that? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link They need to call for wildlife control or something to get him moved, before someone gets bit and then the alligator has to get put down. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link lmao Reply Parent Thread Link Did you see the 11 foot gator chilling in someones pool? My friend moved back to DC and I sent her what shes missing here. Also the gender reveal with the gator. I immediately knew it was FL or LA and I was right, it was LA. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Man. How do people live in Florida? It seems bananas Reply Parent Thread Expand Link is this confirmation that we're the only sad people (plus russian bots) left on this site? did anyone else notice that the ~top 10 journals listed on the main lj page are now pretty much always ontders? i swear it used to never be like that.is this confirmation that we're the only sad people (plus russian bots) left on this site? Reply Thread Link I talk to so many people that have no idea what livejournal even is! :( Reply Parent Thread Link i have never peaked top 10 on ratings? maybe hit the edge of top 20. i'm at like 57 without even making posts and it makes no sense. Reply Parent Thread Link i'm rly high on ratings too and idgi? i haven't posted in my journal in YEARS. i mean i've posted a couple times to test out formatting before copying + pasting it onto ontd....but actually updating updating? like 2008 or something. at the very latest Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i'm like 2000 Reply Parent Thread Link the thing is, i think if they migrated ONTD to any other website that would be the death of both sites no one's going to go on dreamwidth ( ? ) to comment. it's a mutually dependant relationship with ontd and lj. Reply Parent Thread Link I made it to #8 for today's tope ones once. I'm #108 for all time. Reply Parent Thread Link I just want to sleep but Im at work :( I hope that the owners wife is gone now. I hate when shes around because shes passive aggressive and down right nasty to us at times. Its like walking on eggshells when shes around. They changed up the managers, but for the worse lmao. Also our chocolate case is broken. Its. A. Mess. Guys. I feel like every day I walk in to more bs and fuckery. Edited at 2018-04-02 05:02 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link I'm watching it right now but I just started. Reply Parent Thread Link i have it recorded will watch during lunch. Reply Parent Thread Link I DVR'd it, gonna watch sometime today! Reply Parent Thread Link The ending was beautiful. I got chills just thinking about it (also the ride on that cross looked like fun ngl). Reply Parent Thread Link it was probably the best live musical imo. it helped that they all got broadway singers/performers w/the exception of john (who was such a strong singer that i could ignore his weaker acting moments). i do wish they had told the crowd to chill a bit, some of their screaming was out of place. Reply Parent Thread Link i have to watch! i might tomorrow night. Reply Parent Thread Link I love musicals but I could never get into that particular one. I might check it out out of curiosity. Reply Parent Thread Link Good morning, ONTD! I've made a list of therapists to contact this week. Trying to get back on that healing path. Reply Thread Link best of luck to you, bb!<3 Reply Parent Thread Link good luck! Reply Parent Thread Link congrats at the first step. good luck <3 Reply Parent Thread Link that's awesome! I hope you find one you like! Reply Parent Thread Link Excellent idea! Sending you good vibes. <3 Reply Parent Thread Link good luck...I hope you find someone you click with! Reply Parent Thread Link Good luck! That's such an important step. Hope I get there soon. Reply Parent Thread Link My sore throat has lasted almost a week. Its worst in the morning. Im taking ibuprofen to deal with it. Hopefully my test later today for strep comes back negative >__> Reply Thread Link lots of hot fluids! rest up! <3 Reply Parent Thread Link That sounds hellish. I hope it goes away soon. Reply Parent Thread Link about to order five guys from postmates. Edited at 2018-04-02 05:04 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link Jimmy Johns sounds good Reply Parent Thread Link An Amy's bowl as usual! Country Cheddar<3 Reply Parent Thread Link i'm making dinner...hot dogs and baked beans Reply Parent Thread Link Debating on ramen Reply Parent Thread Link gonna have cauliflower rice with some shrimp, mushrooms and other veggies. Reply Parent Thread Link lean cuisine ayyyyy Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I'm so tempted to order from Postmates, but I think I just may go to Target :/ Reply Parent Thread Link If I want Five Guys, I have to walk bc it's a block and a half away and even I'm not that lazy. Reply Parent Thread Link Steamed cod & shrimp with sauteed vegetables. I def overcooked my cod Reply Parent Thread Link leftover beef stew and egg noodles Reply Parent Thread Link A ham and cheese sandwich on brioche bread. Reply Parent Thread Link I just got back from vacation (where it was warm and mostly sunny) and it is fucking snowing. Reply Thread Link happy birdday Reply Parent Thread Link HAPPY BIRTHDAY BB!!!!!!!1 Reply Parent Thread Link awh!<3 Happy Birthday, bb!!! Reply Parent Thread Link happy birthday ! Reply Parent Thread Link Happy 24! Reply Parent Thread Link happy happy birthday! Reply Parent Thread Link HAPPY BIRTHDAY BB! <3 Reply Parent Thread Link HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Reply Parent Thread Link Happy birthday! Reply Parent Thread Link Happy birthday!! Reply Parent Thread Link happy birthday!! i hope you have a good day! Reply Parent Thread Link Happy birthday, I hope you have a lovely evening! Reply Parent Thread Link happy birthday! Reply Parent Thread Link Happy Birthday! Reply Parent Thread Link happy birthday! Reply Parent Thread Link Happy Birthday! Reply Parent Thread Link Happy birthday! Reply Parent Thread Link Happy Birthday, bb! Enjoy your tasty meals!! Reply Parent Thread Link Happy Birthday Reply Parent Thread Link Happy birthday! Reply Parent Thread Link Happy birthday!! Reply Parent Thread Link Happy birthday! Reply Parent Thread Link Praise the Lord, etc. Reply Thread Link i hope he gets his own superhero film!!!!! and not just a one time appearance in the black panther sequel or somethin Edited at 2018-04-02 09:09 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Mte. I need him to sign a multi-picture contract. plus i don't want them putting all their black actors in Black Panther. populate your other films with black actors/other actors of color and give them starring roles. Reply Parent Thread Link blade? blade Reply Thread Link Boyega also shot down rumours that he was in the running to take on the character Blade, originally played by Wesley Snipes, telling the audience it would spit in the face of Wesley if I took Blade. Reply Parent Thread Link marvel doesn't want my money and that's okay Reply Parent Thread Link who cares if Wesley takes offense to anything? He beat up Halle, he can diaf Reply Parent Thread Expand Link As we'll never get daughter of Blade, I'll support this. Reply Parent Thread Link In a perfect world Reply Parent Thread Link Same. I enjoyed it, but I was waiting the whole movie for Finn/Rey, and that's simply wrong to have me waiting all the way to the damn end. Reply Parent Thread Link Same. They wasted that chemistry. Rose was cute, but not Finn/Rey level. Wasn't that the concern Daisy voiced to Rian Johnson as well? Separating her and Finn's characters? And they didn't even give us Finn/Poe as a replacement ... Reply Parent Thread Link it was originally supposed to be finn and poe who went to the casino planet together but Rian couldn't write them as seperate characters. If that's not enough to trash this movie forever. Reply Parent Thread Link ia! john and daisy have really good chemistry together and play off each other well on-screen. i was sad they just had the brief reunion and that was all we got in terms of finn and rey interaction :( Reply Parent Thread Link ia I disliked the film overall, but that was a large part of it. If there had been more Finn and Rey interaction i couldve rolled w/ the rest Reply Parent Thread Link Even though its beating a dead horse at this point, aside from Finn's terrible story in TLJ, it was frustrating that they still separated that group the entire film. It would have been great to use that film to form a stronger bond with Rey, Finn and Poe but too little too late I guess. Reply Thread Link yeah, separating their narratives like that was such a bad move. Episode 8 feels like wasted time for me. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Thats exactly how I feel. Like a comment here said, this movie did the most but accomplished the least Reply Parent Thread Link Same. I left the movie thinking what was the point? It didn't tight the bond from.the character that we started to see and Finn storyline was all over the place Reply Parent Thread Link poe doesn't have a real, substantial relationship with either of his main co-leads. the only fleshed out relationships he has is with leia and bb8. it's honestly wild. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link They were obviously trying to mirror Empire by having Rey go off on her own journey but one of the problems is the relationships arent nearly as fleshed out for them to do that. Poe was barely in TFA so we dont have a solid bond between the trio. I think it would have helped if Poe went on the mission alongside Finn/Rose (and if the mission wasnt completely pointless). Reply Parent Thread Link they're barely a duo much less a trio i hate rian Reply Parent Thread Link finally a reason to be excited for IX Reply Thread Link right? I've never thought I'd ever look forward to a JJ Abrams movie, but here I am Reply Parent Thread Link Me and my friend had this exact same comment when it was announced. Never did I think those words would come out my mouth. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I originally was bummed out he wasn't in Black Panther but if he's gonna be in a Marvel movie, I want him to be the star. Reply Thread Link Omg please let John Boyega get a Marvel role, he'd be so effin' happy. Besides someone in Black Panther 2, he could be my sweet bb forever fave RICHARD RIDER, aka NOVA, aka the savior of the universe that no one on Earth knows about. He could also be Wendell Vaughn, aka Quasar, who's just an easygoing, relaxed kind of cosmic superhero. That would be adorbs. Reply Thread Link It was annoying they were separated for the promo tour as well, though John's interviews with Gwen were great! But Daisy and whatshisface who plays Hux? Just why. Reply Thread Link mte. whose idea was it to separate them on the promo tour? they're adorable together Reply Parent Thread Link I thought Daisy and Donmhall had great chemistry during the press tour. Reply Parent Thread Link I thought they did too. Reply Parent Thread Link me too but also i have a crush on both of them lol Reply Parent Thread Link the pairings were so random that i can only assume they did them based on whose scheduling aligned or something idek Reply Parent Thread Link THANK GOD i'll watch tlj eventually, but knowing they were separate for 97% of it has really killed my motivation to watch it. among other things. Reply Thread Link Its more like 99%. Spoiler alert, they have a brief hug at the end and that's it. Reply Parent Thread Link It's terrible and doesn't contribute anything to the story, don't waste your time. Reply Parent Thread Link Awesome! I love Finn and Rey! And it would be nice to see Finn, Rey and Poe on a mission together. Hmm, I wonder who John would play in the Marvel universe? Reply Thread Link The temperature is rising between the United States and China but the simmering confrontation has not yet boiled over into a trade war, since the tit-for-tat countermeasures so far have been confined to a few specific products. Beijing on Monday imposed tariffs on 128 American goods, retaliating for President Donald Trump's decision last month to slap import duties of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum. Washington was primarily targeting China which has long been accused of flooding the global market with the metals, but the tariffs hit US allies as well, prompting Trump to exempt several countries, including major producers Mexico and Canada. Trump has repeatedly accused China of unfair trade practices he says harm US businesses and swell the bilateral trade deficit. But the country accounts for less than three percent of US steel imports. Beijing retaliated by targeting US pork, recycled aluminum, nuts, fruits and wine, but for the moment has left the most sensitive areas like soybeans or Boeing aircraft untouched. Monica de Bolle, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, notes that China's response Monday was "symbolic." "They've done nothing on sorghum. They've done nothing on soybeans," she told AFP, adding that China's response mirrored Trump's moves. And Beijing has not yet responded to White House plans announced March 23 to impose tariffs on $60 billion worth of other Chinese exports in retaliation for the alleged theft of US intellectual property. Even so, "They sent a very clear signal that China is going to respond quickly and in time to any US trade action," Edward Alden, a trade expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, told AFP. Alden noted that the response marked the first retaliation by any country since Trump announced the metal tariffs last month. The European Union has held its fire -- despite announcing a list of goods that will be targeted with punitive duties -- while South Korea made deep concessions in renegotiating the Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement, yielding under the pressure of Trump's threatened metals tariffs. - 'China is not Korea' - "The US is the biggest market in the world and Trump believes that other countries will make concessions in order to keep that access. Korea is willing to do that," Alden said. But, while Seoul has so far been willing to negotiate, the final response from Beijing remains an unknown de Bolle said. "China is not Korea." And Beijing has options. It could choose to import pork from Brazil or Argentina, and. It could likewise find other suppliers for soy, even if China currently relies most heavily on American producers. Ironically, the world's largest pork producer, US-based Smithfield Foods, has been Chinese owned since 2013. De Bolle said Beijing likely believes it has greater a capacity to inflict pain on the United States than vice versa. But pressure is mounting on Trump as metal prices begin to rise -- something Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross predicted would be painless for most businesses and consumers. Timothy Fiore, who oversees a monthly survey of the US manufacturing companies for the Institute of Supply Management, said Trump's new tariffs were driving up supply costs for manufacturers which use steel and aluminum. Suppliers began raising their prices within 24 hours after Trump announced his intention to impose the tariffs -- with the price now up a sharp 19 percent at $860 a ton, Fiore said. Growth in the manufacturing sector could slow if trade tensions between the world's two largest economies continue to mount, he told reporters in presenting ISM's March survey results. But de Bolle noted that talks are continuing between Washington and Beijing. "We are certainly close to the brink of a trade war, but it does not mean there will be trade war." Phuket, Thailand 2 April, 2018: The Mai Khao Marine Turtles Foundation in collaboration with JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa and its partners, will be hosting the 9th annual Mai Khao Marine Turtles Release Ceremony, which is scheduled during the Songkran Festival on April 13, from 2.30 pm 4.30 pm. Mr. Norraphat Plodthong, Phuket Governor together with Ms. Kanokkritika Kritwuttikorn, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand, TAT Phuket Office and representatives from its business partners will be a guest of honour and be part of the Thai New Year celebration. Furthermore, the Mai Khao Turtle Foundation also has organized the exclusive Turtle release programs on April 15 from 9 am 10 am together with IUCN. The event is supported by the Phuket Marine Biological Center and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Taking place on the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spas beachfront, the 9th Mai Khao Marine Turtles release ceremony will see 55 new batches of rehabilitated green turtles introduced their natural life in the Andaman Sea, where they belong. Sea turtles represent longevity in Thai culture and releasing animals to nature is believed to bring good luck to the participant. Phuket residents and hotel guests are invited to join what promises to be a fun, family-oriented and inspirational experience. In doing so they will be helping to protect the areas endangered turtle population. Every THB 5,000 raised through donations and additional money raised during the event will go towards supporting the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation and its partners: the Phuket Marine Biological Centres injured Turtle Rehabilitation Program and the Third Naval Area Commands Turtle Hatchery Program. For more information about the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation, please contact The Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation, via email info@maikhaomarineturtlefoundation.org or call +66 076 338 000 ext. 3309. https://www.facebook.com/maikhaomarineturtlefoundation FM Gyawali to attend Baku meet Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali will lead the Nepali delegation to the Mid-term Ministerial Confe-rence of the Non-Aligned Move-ment (NAM) to be held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on April 5-6. The British First Fleet knew little of conditions in Port Jackson, later Sydney Cove, before their arrival. Credit: George Edwards Peacock, State Library of New South Wales. The women screamed as the huge waves crashed loudly on the wooden deck. Horrified, they watched the foaming torrent wash away their blankets. Many dropped to their knees, praying for the violent rocking to stop. The sea raged around them as the wind whipped up into a frenzy, damaging all but one of the heavily loaded ships. The severe storm was yet another taste of the ferocious weather that slammed the First Fleet as it made its way across the Southern Ocean in December 1787. Now, after an eight-month journey from England in a ship riddled with death and disease, the passengers' introduction to Australia was also far from idyllic. The unforgiving weather that greeted the First Fleet was a sign of things to come. More than once, intense storms would threaten the arrival of the ships and bring the new colony close to collapse. So how did the early arrivals to Australia deal with such extreme weather? Have we always had a volatile climate? To answer these questions, we need to follow Australia's colonial settlers back beyond their graves and trace through centuries-old documents to uncover what the climate was like from the very beginning of European settlement. By poking around in the settlers' old diaries, letters and newspaper clippings, we can begin to piece together an idea of what the country's climate was like long before official weather measurements began. When the British sailed into Australian waters, they had no idea of what awaited them. Eighteen years before the arrival of the First Fleet, Captain James Cook had barely spent a week in Botany Bay. He didn't even stop in for a quick stickybeak at Port Jackson, the settlement site that eventually came to be known as Sydney Cove. HMS Endeavour had only briefly skirted past modern-day Sydney Harbour in May 1770, so the British knew next to nothing of the land, its climate or its people. Perhaps they expected that life would resemble their other colonial outposts like India, or an undeveloped version of England. With enough hard work, surely the land could be tamed to support their needs. But when the First Fleet sailed into Sydney Cove, they unknowingly entered an ancient landscape with an unforgiving climate. Violent storms Even before Governor Arthur Phillip set foot in Botany Bay, violent storms had battered the overcrowded ships of the First Fleet. During the final eight-week leg of the journey from Cape Town to Botany Bay, the ships had sailed into the westerly winds and tremendous swells of the Southern Ocean. Ferocious weather hit the First Fleet as it made its way through the roaring forties in NovemberDecember 1787. Although the strong westerlies were ideal for sailing, conditions on the ships were miserable. Lieutenant Philip Gidley King described the difficult circumstances on board HMS Supply: "strong gales with a very heavy sea running which keeps this vessel almost constantly under water and renders the situation of everyone on board her, truly uncomfortable". Unable to surface on deck in the rough seas, the convicts remained cold and wet in the cramped holds. As Christmas approached, King noted the surprisingly chilly conditions off the southwestern coast of Western Australia: "The cold is in the extreme here as in England at this time of year, although it is the height of summer here." Aboard HMS Sirius, Judge David Collins wrote about how the crew tried to celebrate in "mountains high" seas, to no avail. On New Year's Day 1788, Arthur Bowes Smyth, a surgeon aboard the Lady Penrhyn, described how the sea poured into his cabin: "Just as we had dined, a most tremendous sea broke in at the weather scuttle of the great cabin and ran with a great stream all across the cabin, and as the door of my cabin happened not to be quite closed shut the water half filled it, the sheets and the blankets being all on a flow. The water ran from the quarterdeck nearly into the great cabin, and struck against the main and missen chains with such a force as at first alarmed us all greatly, but particularly me, as I believed [the] ship was drove in pieces. No sleep this night." In a letter to his father, Sirius crew member Newton Fowell described the terrible weather that greeted the new year: "This year began with very bad tempestuous weather, it blew much harder than any wind we have had since our leaving England." As the atrocious conditions continued, the First Fleet was forced to slow down to prevent the ships' sails from tearing. Earlier in December 1787, the Prince of Wales had lost its topsail and a man washed overboard in what a sailor on the Scarborough described as "the heaviest sea as ever I saw". View of Dawes point at the entrance of Sydney Cove, described by one voyager as the 'finest and most extensive harbour in the universe.' Credit: Joseph Lycett, State Library of New South Wales Captain John Hunter described how the rough seas made life on the Sirius very difficult for the animals on board: "The rolling and labouring of our ship exceedingly distressed the cattle, which were now in a very weak state, and the great quantities of water which we shipped during the gale, very much aggravated their distress. The poor animals were frequently thrown with much violence off their legs and exceedingly bruised by their falls." It wasn't until the first week of January 1788 that the majority of the First Fleet sailed past the southeastern corner of Van Diemen's Land, modern-day Tasmania. As his boat navigated the coast, surgeon John White noted: "We were surprised to see, at this season of the year, some small patches of snow." The fleet then began the 1,000-kilometre struggle up the coast of what would soon be called New South Wales, against a strong headwind and the East Australian Current. Newton Fowell wrote: "The wind variable and weather dark and gloomy, with a very troublesome high sea. About two o'clock p.m. we had one of the most sudden gusts of wind I ever remember to have known. In an instant it split our main-sail; and but for the activity shewn by the sailors, in letting fly the sheets and lowering the top-sails, the masts must have gone over the side Fortunately for us the squall was of short duration, otherwise the ships must have suffered considerably from the uncommon cross sea that was running; which we had found to be the case ever since we reached this coast. " According to Bowes Smyth, faced with a "greater swell than at any other period during the voyage", many of the ships were damaged, as were seedlings needed to supply the new colony with food. Bowes Smyth continued: "The sky blackened, the wind arose and in half an hour more it blew a perfect hurricane, accompanied with thunder, lightening and rain I never before saw a sea in such a rage, it was all over as white as snow every other ship in the fleet except the Sirius sustained some damage during the storm the convict women in our ship were so terrified that most of them were down on their knees at prayers." Finally, on January 19, the last ships of the First Fleet arrived in Botany Bay. But after just three days there, Phillip realised that the site was unfit for settlement. It had poor soil, insufficient freshwater supplies, and was exposed to strong southerly and easterly winds. With all the cargo and 1,400 starving convicts still anchored in Botany Bay, Phillip and a small party, including Hunter, quickly set off in three boats to find an alternative place to settle. Twelve kilometres to the north they found Port Jackson. When the Endeavour had sailed past the location 18 years earlier, Cook had simply noted: "About two or three miles from the land and abreast of a bay or harbour wherein there appeared to be safe anchorage, which I called Port Jackson." Early in the afternoon of the second day of their exploration, Phillip and his party discovered a large sheltered bay with a freshwater stream flowing into it. As Phillip later relayed to England, they "had the satisfaction of finding the finest harbour in the world". It was decided that their new home would be here, not Botany Bay. It was named Sydney Cove after Lord Sydney, the home secretary of England at that time. John White was even more blown away by Port Jackson, gushing that it was "without exception, the finest and most extensive harbour in the universe". On 23 January 1788, Phillip and his party returned to Botany Bay and gave orders for the entire fleet to immediately set sail for Port Jackson. But the next morning, strong headwinds blew, preventing the ships from leaving the harbour. On 25 January, King wrote: "The wind blowing strong from the NNE prevented our [the Supply] going out," adding that they were obliged "to wait for the ebb tide and at noon we weighed and turned out of the harbour". In the meantime, the rest of the fleet was still trying to sail out of Botany Bay. A surgeon, George Worgan, wrote about "the wind coming to blow hard, right in to the bay, the Sirius and the transports could not possibly get out". A huge sea rolling into the bay caused ripped sails and a lost boom as the ships drifted dangerously close to the rocky coastline. According to Lieutenant Ralph Clark: "If it had not been by the greatest good luck, we should have been both on the shore [and] on the rocks, and the ships must have been all lost, and the greater part, if not the whole on board drowned, for we should have gone to pieces in less than half of an hour." Finally, as Bowes Smyth described, the ships left the bay: "With the utmost difficulty and danger [and] with many hairbreadth escapes [we] got out of the harbour's mouth it was next to a miracle that some of the ships were not lost, the danger was so very great." By 3 p.m. on January 26, 1788, all 11 ships of the First Fleet had safely arrived in Port Jackson. Meanwhile, while waiting for the others to arrive, Phillip and a small party from the Supply had rowed ashore and planted a Union Jack, marking the beginning of European settlement in Australia. After such an epic journey, the whole ordeal was washed away with swigs of rum. Unknowingly, it marked the start of our rocky relationship with one of the most volatile climates on Earth. Explore further Japan whalers return from Antarctic hunt after killing 333 whales This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Rising sea levels have worsened the destruction that routine tidal flooding causes in the nation's coastal communities. On the U.S. mainland, communities in Louisiana, Florida and Maryland are most at risk. Stemming the loss of life and property is a complex problem. Elected officials can enact policies to try to lessen the damage of future flooding. Engineers can retrofit vulnerable buildings. But, in the face of a rising tide, changing hearts and minds might be the most formidable obstacle to decreasing the damage done by flooding. David Casagrande, associate professor of anthropology, is exploring attitudes and perception around flood risk. "When people's homes are damaged by flooding year after year and they are offered a buyout, why don't they leave?" asks Casagrande. Casagrande is part of a National Science Foundation-funded, cross-disciplinary team of researchers in anthropology, hydrogeology, and planning from Lehigh, Western Illinois University and the University of California, Davis who are studying impediments to flood mitigation in the Midwest. They are identifying flood-prone locations, key individuals, and intervention strategies that lead to community-based mitigation. Their work indicates that mitigation is most likely to occur soon after a flood, and is most successful when decisions are community-based. He is also part of a team of researchers from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland and the State of Maryland who are looking at similar issues in Maryland's Eastern Shore region, an area that is highly vulnerable to current and future coastal hazards. According to the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, the sea level is expected to rise by at least 1.4 feet by 2050 and possibly over 5 feet by 2100. Casagrande and his colleagues have surveyed residents, as well as conducted in-person interviews and focus groups. He will be presenting some of his findings at the annual meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology (SFAA). This year's meeting, Philadelphia Sustainable Futures SFAA 2018, will take place in Philadelphia, April 3-7, 2018. Casagrande will present in a session called "Sustainable Futures of Chesapeake Communities Facing Relative Sea-level Rise" on Wednesday, April 4. From the SFAA program: "In this session, we apply ethnographic, cognitive, and linguistic perspectives on how local residents and policy-makers are communicating and making decisions (or not) about adaptation to increased flooding. Culturally informed dialogue could promote decisions that support more sustainable futures for Chesapeake communities." "In some cases, houses on Smith Island in the Chesapeake Bay have been in families for thirteen generations," said Casagrande. "They're not going anywhere." Casagrande employs cognitive dissonance theory to identify the rationales that residents employ to "avoid having to make really difficult decisions"such as leaving. Cognitive dissonance theory says that individuals have a tendency to seek consistency in their beliefs. When encountering information that does not fit in with their beliefs, individuals seek to eradicate the discomfort caused by the inconsistencyor dissonanceby changing their beliefs, changing their behavior, or rationalizing to explain the inconsistency. One common way that residents of flood-prone communities rationalize their choice to stay is by scapegoatingor placing blame elsewhere. "On Smith Island, for example, many people blame the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for not doing a better job of preventing erosion," says Casagrande. "There is an erosion problem, but that is not the only challenge." Another tactic to resolve inconsistencies is social comparison, which states that individuals tend to evaluate their own situation by comparing it to others. In other words, according to Casagrande, residents justify their decision to stay by believing that other places are so much worse. When Casagrande, working on a separate project, interviewed a resident of an area along the Mississippi River that had recently experienced severe flooding and a simultaneous tornadohe asked: Do you think is a dangerous place to live? Paraphrasing the resident's response, Casagrande says: "'No! Look at California - the earthquakes, the forest fires, mud slides...' It's always worse somewhere else." "Research participants use strategies to downplay risk and favor large-scale technological options over difficult household decisions," says Casagrande. "Many prefer to accept known risk to avoid options like relocation that engender uncertainty." There is a positive side to engaging in this work, says Casagrande: "We are actively helping communities mitigate as we learn how social relationships affect attitudes and actions." Only if individuals believe they are truly at risk will they begin to take steps to prevent disaster. Individual beliefs are often formed at the community-level, and, according to this research, that is where interventions are most effective. Explore further New tool for galactic archaeology The Digital Life team at UMass Amherst released two new, online full-color animated models of a loggerhead and a green sea turtle through a collaboration with sea turtle rescue and research institutions and volunteer animators for use in schools and other educational settings. Credit: UMass Amherst The Digital Life team at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, creators of an online catalog of high-resolution, full-color 3D models of living organisms, announce today that they have released two new, online full-color animated models of a loggerhead and a green sea turtle through a collaboration with sea turtle rescue and research institutions. In collaboration with the Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC) of Juno Beach, Florida, Inwater Research Group of Jensen Beach, Florida, and Jeanette Wyneken of Florida Atlantic University, Digital Life's photographer Christine Shepard captured photographs of live sea turtles using the Beastcam technology, a custom multi-camera system created by biologist Duncan Irschick's laboratory at UMass Amherst for live animal 3D image capture. The Digital Life team, with volunteer 3D artists Jer Bot and Johnson Martin created the animated sea turtles using software such as Capturing Reality and Blender and a process called photogrammetry, in which multiple still photos are integrated to create lifelike 3D meshes with photographic colors. Other research partners on the sea turtle project include biologist Annabelle Brooks of the Cape Eleuthera Institute, Bahamas, and the Center for Evolutionary Materials at UMass Amherst, home of the Digital Life Project. Today's launch also includes a Digital Life Project sea turtle blog and web page describing the project in detail. Irschick, co-founder and director of the Digital Life project, says, "The value of these models is substantial, and includes both scientific and educational uses. To our knowledge it's the first time that 3D models of live sea turtles have been created from live animals." Photographer Shepard adds, "The models can be downloaded and 3D printed, such as for classroom use. These models can be used by scientists in a computer modeling environment for testing models of migration in sea turtles, or to test different net designs to avoid trapping sea turtles. They can also be used in VR or game-like educational environments, and are available at no cost to educators, scientists, conservationists and others for creative or nonprofit use on the Digital Life website." The animators spent hundreds of hours animating the 3D turtle models in a format that may be used for VR, film or game applications, among others, Irschick says. Bot, who animated a subadult green sea turtle from LMC nicknamed Scallywag, says he was immediately drawn into animal's intricacies. Scallywag was found missing one front flipper and floating in the water at Blowing Rocks Preserve after suffering from an apparent shark attack. Bot says, "Creating the animal with all its scars was an artistic and technical challenge, but we feel that we were able to reproduce this animal faithfully." The other sea turtle modeled so far for Digital Life is Shelly, an adult loggerhead recovered from a power plant by the Inwater research group. Irschick says the artists consulted closely with veterinarian Dr. Charles Manire from LMC and sea turtle biologist Jeanette Wyneken to accurately reconstruct the body shape and limb movements during swimming. Eventually, he adds, he and his team hope to make animated 3D models of all seven sea turtle species in the coming year, adding the leatherback, hawksbill, Kemp's ridley, olive ridley and flatback. LMC is a nonprofit sea turtle hospital that promotes conservation of ocean ecosystems with a focus on threatened and endangered sea turtles. In addition to its hospital, it has a research laboratory, educational exhibits and aquariums. All marine turtle images acquired in Florida for this work were obtained with the approval of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) under conditions not harmful to marine turtles, while conducting authorized conservation activities pursuant to FWC MTP-17-086 or MTP-17-125, the researchers state. Explore further 10,000 turtle hatchlings released back into the wild Icarus, whose official name is MACS J1149+2223 Lensed Star 1, is the farthest individual star ever seen. It is only visible because it is being magnified by the gravity of a massive galaxy cluster, located about 5 billion light-years from Earth. Called MACS J1149+2223, this cluster, shown at left, sits between the Earth and the galaxy that contains the distant star. The team had been using Hubble to monitor a supernova in the far-off spiral galaxy when, in 2016, they spotted a point of light near the supernova that began to brighten. Even though the object subsequently became three times brighter in one month, the colors of the light coming from the object did not change. Analysis of these colors showed it was a blue supergiant star in the background galaxy whose magnification grew for several weeks due to an intervening object, probably a star, in the galaxy cluster. The panels at the right show the view in 2011, without Icarus visible, compared with the star's brightening in 2016. Credit: NASA, ESA, and P. Kelly, University of Minnesota Thanks to a rare cosmic alignment, astronomers have captured the most distant normal star ever observed, some 9 billion light years from Earth. While astronomers routinely study galaxies much farther away, they're visible only because they glow with the brightness of billions of stars. And a supernova, often brighter than the galaxy in which it sits, also can be visible across the entire universe. Beyond a distance of about 100 million light years, however, the stars in these galaxies are impossible to make out individually. But a phenomenon called gravitational lensing - the bending of light by massive galaxy clusters in the line of sightcan magnify the distant universe and make dim, far away objects visible. Typically, lensing magnifies galaxies by up to 50 times, but in this case, the star was magnified more than 2,000 times. It was discovered in NASA Hubble Space Telescope images taken in late April of 2016 and as recently as April 2017. "You can see individual galaxies out there, but this star is at least 100 times farther away than the next individual star we can study, except for supernova explosions," said former UC Berkeley postdoctoral scholar Patrick Kelly, now on the faculty at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Kelly is first author of a paper about the discovery appearing online this week in advance of publication in the journal Nature Astronomy. The discovery of the star, which astronomers often refer to as Icarus rather than by its formal name, MACS J1149 Lensed Star 1 (LS1), kicks off a new technique for astronomers to study individual stars in galaxies formed during the earliest days of the universe. These observations can provide a rare look at how stars evolve, especially the most luminous ones. "For the first time ever we're seeing an individual normal star - not a supernova, not a gamma ray burst, but a single stable star - at a distance of nine billion light years," said Alex Filippenko, a professor of astronomy at UC Berkeley and one of many co-authors of the report. "These lenses are amazing cosmic telescopes." The astronomy team also used Icarus to test and reject one theory of dark matter - that it consists of numerous primordial black holes lurking inside galaxy clustersand to probe the make-up of normal matter and dark matter in the galaxy cluster. Einstein ring Kelly noticed the star while monitoring a supernova he had discovered in 2014 while using Hubble to peer through a gravitational lens in the constellation Leo. That supernova, dubbed SN Refsdal in honor of the late Norwegian astrophysicist Sjur Refsdal, a pioneer of gravitational lensing studies, was split into four images by the lens, a massive galaxy cluster called MACS J1149+2223, located about 5 billion light years from Earth. Suspecting that Icarus might be more highly magnified than SN Refsdal, Kelly and his team analyzed the colors of the light coming from it and discovered it was a single star, a blue supergiant. This B-type star is much larger, more massive, hotter and possibly hundreds of thousands of times intrinsically brighter than our Sun, though still much too far away to see without the amplification of gravitational lensing. By modeling the lens, they concluded that the tremendous apparent brightening of Icarus was probably caused by a unique effect of gravitational lensing. While an extended lens, like a galaxy cluster, can only magnify a background object up to 50 times, smaller objects can magnify much more. A single star in a foreground lens, if precisely aligned with a background star, can magnify the background star thousands of times. In this case, a star about the size of our sun briefly passed directly through the line of sight between the distant star Icarus and Hubble, boosting its brightness more than 2,000 times. In fact, if the alignment was perfect, that single star within the cluster turned the light from the distant star into an "Einstein ring": a halo of light created when light from the distant star bends around all sides of the lensing star. The ring is too small to discern from this distance, but the effect made the star easily visible by magnifying its apparent brightness. Kelly saw a second star in the Hubble image, which could either be a mirror image of Icarus, or a different star being gravitationally lensed. "There are alignments like this all over the place as background stars or stars in lensing galaxies move around, offering the possibility of studying very distant stars dating from the early universe, just as we have been using gravitational lensing to study distant galaxies," Filippenko said. "For this type of research, nature has provided us with a larger telescope than we can possibly build!" As for Icarus, the astronomers predict that it will be magnified many times over the next decade as cluster stars move around, perhaps increasing its brightness as much as 10,000 times. Explore further Image: Hubble catches galaxies swarmed by star clusters More information: Patrick L. Kelly et al, Extreme magnification of an individual star at redshift 1.5 by a galaxy-cluster lens, Nature Astronomy (2018). Patrick L. Kelly et al, Extreme magnification of an individual star at redshift 1.5 by a galaxy-cluster lens,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-018-0430-3 Two peculiar fast transients in a strongly lensed host galaxy, Nature Astronomy (2018). http://nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038_s41550-018-0405-4 Journal information: Nature Astronomy The scientists used radiometers, shown here, to isolate the signal of methane's greenhouse effect. Radiometers are among the many instruments at ARM's Southern Great Plains observatory that the team utilized as part of this study. Credit: ARM Climate Research Facility Scientists have directly measured the increasing greenhouse effect of methane at the Earth's surface for the first time. A research team from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) tracked a rise in the warming effect of methane - one of the most important greenhouse gases for the Earth's atmosphere - over a 10-year period at a DOE field observation site in northern Oklahoma. These findings were published online April 2 in the journal Nature Geoscience in an article entitled "Observationally derived rise in methane surface forcing mediated by water vapour trends." The paper indicates that the greenhouse effect from methane tracked the global pause in methane concentrations in the early 2000s and began to rise at the same time that the concentrations began to rise in 2007. "We have long suspected from laboratory measurements, theory, and models that methane is an important greenhouse gas," said Berkeley Lab Research Scientist Dan Feldman, the study's lead author. "Our work directly measures how increasing concentrations of methane are leading to an increasing greenhouse effect in the Earth's atmosphere." Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are called greenhouse gases, in large part because they absorb certain wavelengths of energy emitted by the Earth. As their atmospheric concentrations change, the scientific community expects the amount of energy absorbed by these gases to change accordingly, but prior to this study, that expectation for methane had not been confirmed outside of the laboratory. This graph shows a time series of the greenhouse effect of methane in Watts per square meter, measured at the Earth's surface over a ten-year period at a research site in northern Oklahoma. The red line is the trend in the time series, and the grey shading represents uncertainty. Credit: Berkeley Lab The scientists analyzed highly calibrated long-term measurements to isolate the changing greenhouse effect of methane. They did this by looking at measurements over the wavelengths at which methane is known to exert its greenhouse effect and coupled those with a suite of other atmospheric measurements to control for other confounding factors, including water vapor. This study was enabled by the comprehensive measurements of the Earth's atmosphere that the DOE has routinely collected for decades at its Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) facilities, and conversely, would not be possible without such detailed observations. The DOE ARM program manages and supports three long-term atmospheric observatories - the Southern Great Plains observatory in Oklahoma, the North Slope of Alaska observatory in far-northern Alaska, and the Eastern North Atlantic observatory on the Azores Islands. The program also deploys three ARM mobile facilities and several ARM aerial facilities. Together, these assets enable scientists to perform highly-detailed, targeted investigations to advance the fundamental scientific understanding of the Earth system. The researchers believe this type of direct field observation can provide a more accurate and complete picture of the relationship between atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and their warming effect on Earth's surface. Explore further New research shows fertilization drives global lake emissions of greenhouse gases More information: Observationally derived rise in methane surface forcing mediated by water vapour trends, Nature Geoscience (2018). Journal information: Nature Geoscience Observationally derived rise in methane surface forcing mediated by water vapour trends,(2018). nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/s41561-018-0085-9 Credit: University of Virginia Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Law have collaborated on a new website that uses a data-driven, interactive map to illustrate the rapid decline of the issuance of the death sentence in the United States since 1991. The website is a supplement to law professor Brandon Garrett's 2017 book, "End of Its Rope: How Killing the Death Penalty Can Revive Criminal Justice," published by Harvard University Press. Previously, there had not been comprehensive, county-level data about persons sentenced to death since 1991. So Garrett worked with a UVA law librarian Alexander Jakubow and a group of law students with assistance from undergraduate students in UVA's Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy to code and check the data of more than 5,000 death sentences. They gathered the information from government records, court rulings and other sources. "This is the first resource to map out modern death sentencing in the United States," Garrett said. "The mapping vividly shows how geographically isolated death sentencing has become." The website allows researchers to view the information in a number of ways. "You can use a slider and see how, over time, death sentencing has retreated from rural to a few larger, more urban counties," he said. "Lawyers can also more carefully examine patterns in their states and counties, which may prove useful in litigation." Credit: University of Virginia The entire archive of data generated in researching the book is available on the website, free and easily accessed by anyone doing research. "Several researchers, in addition to those of us at UVA, have already made use of the data, and we hope that more do so in the future," Garrett said. Garrett is also the author of "Convicting the Innocent: Where Criminal Prosecutions Go Wrong." He is the White Burkett Miller Professor of Law and Public Affairs and the Justice Thurgood Marshall Distinguished Professor of Law at UVA. In addition to the new book, he has written several articles as part of the death sentencing data analysis, including one with 2017 School of Law graduate Ankur Desai, forthcoming in the Notre Dame Law Review, and another with UVA law librarian Alexander Jakubow. Explore further Are death row cases plagued with racial bias? India understands PM Oli has a strong mandate and hell negotiate from a position of strength On April 6, Prime Minister KP Oli will make India his first foreign destination as Prime Minister of Nepal in his current tenure. New Delhi has been making overtures to restore Nepal-India ties that had hit a low when Oli was last prime minister. Ormat Technologies, Inc. operates as a holding company. The firm engages in the provision of geothermal and recovered energy power business. It operates through the following segments: Electricity, Product and Energy Storage. The Electricity segment focuses in the sale of electricity from the company's power plants pursuant to PPAs. The Product segment involves in the manufacture, including design and development, of turbines and power units for the supply of electrical energy and in the associated construction of power plants utilizing the power units manufactured by the company to supply energy from geothermal fields and other alternative energy sources. The Energy Storage segment consists of battery energy storage systems as a service and management of curtailable customer loads under contracts with U.S. retail energy providers and directly with large commercial and industrial customers. The company was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Reno, NV. Read More Meadowbrook Insurance Group, Inc. (Meadowbrook) is a holding company. The Company is a commercial insurance underwriter and insurance administration services company. The Company markets and underwrites specialty property and casualty insurance programs and products through a network of independent retail agents, wholesalers, program administrators and general agents. The Company's products include Admitted Programs and Standard Market Products, Main Street Excess and Surplus Lines, Non-Admitted Programs, and Specialty Market Products. The Company is also involved in a range of activities, including program and product design, underwriting risk selection and policy issuance, claims administration and handling, loss prevention and control and reinsurance. The Company also provides the following services to its fee-for-service and agency clients: administration of risk-bearing entities and agency services. Read More Intl industrial trade fair from April 27 The Federation of Nepal Cottage and Small Industries (FNCSI) is hosting international industrial trade fair in Kathmandu from April 27 to promote sales and exports of Nepali goods. Smart & Final Stores, Inc. operates as a food retailer in the United States. It operates in two segments, Smart & Final and Smart Foodservice. The company's stores offer fresh perishables and everyday grocery items, such as produce, meat and deli, dairy and cheese, grocery, and beverage products, as well as paper and packaging, and restaurant equipment and janitorial supplies. It also provides various private label products under the First Street, Sun Harvest, Simply Value, La Romanella, Montecito, Iris, and Ambiance brands. The company sells its products to household and business customers; restaurants; caterers; and various other foodservice businesses, such as food trucks and coffee houses through vendors and suppliers. As of December 30, 2018, it operated 326 grocery and foodservice stores, including 59 Smart & Final stores, 201 Smart & Final Extra! stores, and 66 Smart Foodservice Warehouse stores located in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, and Utah, as well as 15 stores in Northwestern Mexico operated through a joint venture. Smart & Final Stores, Inc. was founded in 1871 and is headquartered in Commerce, California. Read More Singapore-listed property developer Oxley Holdings previewed its newest residential development, the freehold The Verandah Residences in Pasir Panjang, over the Good Friday weekend (March 30 to April 1). The 170- unit development is Oxleys first in a series of seven new residential projects to be launched in 2018. The Verandah Residences will set the benchmark in terms of design and product features for Oxleys upcoming developments. The 170-unit The Verandah Residences is inspired by the stately black-and-white colonial-era bungalows (Pictures: Albert Chua/The Edge Singapore) Designed by DP Architects, The Verandah Residences has a theme inspired by the black-and- white colonial bungalows that used to dot the area. Given its location at the junction of Pasir Panjang and South Buona Vista Road, it is expected to be the new icon in the neighbourhood. Both investors and homebuyers have expressed interest in the development, says Eugene Lim, Oxley Holdings director of marketing and sales. Its the timelessness of the black-and-white concept that appeals to a vast majority of the population. Oxley intends to release 100 units in the first phase at an average price of $1,800 psf. The project is priced realistically, says Eric Low, deputy CEO of Oxley Holdings. Its even below the replacement cost of some of the aggressive bids at en bloc tenders that closed recently. The 89,620 sq ft, freehold site is occupied by four 5-storey blocks with a range of one- to four-bedroom apartments as well as three strata houses. To cater for a wide range of investors and future homeowners, the project has a variety of unit types: 57 one-bedroom units starting from 463 sq ft and 10 one-bedroom-plus-study units of 603 sq ft each. There are also 11 two-bedroom units of 646 sq ft each and 21 two-bedroom premium units starting from 689 sq ft. There are only 10 one-bedroom-plus-study units available, which are sized from 603 sq ft. The living room of a 1,249 sq ft, four-bedroom unit Story continues Three- and three-bedroom premium types make up 48 units, with sizes starting from 904 sq ft. Families that want more space can choose from 20 four-bedroom units starting from 1,249 sq ft as well as three strata houses of 2,174 sq ft each. The Verandah Residences is a redevelopment of the former 231 Pasir Panjang Road, which Oxley purchased for $121 million, or $964 psf per plot ratio, last July. Oxley is not new to the area. It developed the mixed-use development Viva Vista located just across the road. Launched and fully sold in 2010, Viva Vista was completed in 2014. Oxley intends to release 100 units in the first phase at an average price of $1,800 psf Meanwhile, last December, Oxley purchased the 209-unit Vista Park en bloc for $418 million ($1,096 psf ppr). In fact, the sales gallery of The Verandah Residences is adjacent to Vista Park. Pent-up demand has been building up since 3Q2017, says Ching Chiat Kwong, executive chairman of Oxley Holdings. There havent been many new launches, as developers have been holding back some of their new projects. With the recent bullish tender prices for both government land sale sites and collective sale sites, this creates an urgency for buyers to purchase now instead of later. Thus, Ching foresees new-home sales in 2018 surpassing the previous years 10,682 units. This is certainly a very exciting year for the market, he adds. This story appeared the The EdgeProp pullout (Issue #823, April 2 2018) Related Articles From EdgeProp.sg This week in property: HDB resale index down, private home prices up, Cairnhill Heights sold en bloc, Oxley previews The Verandah Residences Unit at Wallich Residence sold for $3,832 psf Oxley buys Ampas Apartment en bloc for $95 mil, 10% below asking price New luxury condos in prime districts could hit $3,500 psf South Korea Cryptocurrency Tax South Koreas ministry of strategy and finance is reportedly planning to announce a cryptocurrency taxation framework by Junes end this year. The government is expected to begin taxation in 2019. In the aftermath of the recently concluded Finance Ministers meeting at this years G20 summit, South Korea is planning to unveil its cryptocurrency tax plan alongside the G20s own plan to field recommendations for regulating the crypto sector by July 2018. According to Korean publication Financial News, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance is considering crypto adopters capital gains tax and other income taxes as possible inclusions for its tax plan. An official from the ministry stated: We do not have a specific time frame, but we are thinking about announcing a virtual money tax in the first half of the year. Among other proposals, the ministry is looking at levying a tax on profits generated by the sale of cryptocurrencies. If any income stemming from crypto transactions is seen as temporary and irregular, other forms of income taxes are reportedly being considered. In order to tax the income accruing from a virtual currency transaction, it is necessary to amend the income tax law to add it [to the category of] taxable objects, the report notably added, suggesting a tweak of existing taxation law to include cryptocurrency transactions under its purview. The Tax Division of the Ministry of Information and Communication is expected to submit a proposal to revise the taxation bill at the National Assembly in August this year to pave the way for cryptocurrency taxation to kick in from 2019. South Koreas taxation ministry has been studying crypto-taxation approaches taken by other countries by sending staff to nations including Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. As Korean authorities seek to normalize cryptocurrency transactions, allaying previous fears of a ban on domestic exchanges and crypto transactions, the Financial News report also hints at the government planning full-scale crypto regulation following the countrys elections in June. Featured image from Shutterstock. The post South Korea Plans to Announce Cryptocurrency Tax Plan by June 2018 appeared first on CCN. Thailands Ministry of Finance has outlined its proposed tax rates for cryptocurrency trading and investments amid the ongoing legislative process to regulate and tax the sector. Speaking after a weekly cabinet meeting on March 27, Thai finance minister Apisak Tantivorawong announced the governments tax framework for cryptocurrencies that will reportedly encompass all retail trading and returns on cryptocurrency investments. Investors will be required to pay 7 percent in value-added tax (VAT) on all crypto trades alongside a 15% capital gains tax on returns, the Nikkei Asian Review reported. As reported previously in mid-March, the Cabinet of Thailand the governments executive branch has already approved two royal decree drafts concerning the regulation of cryptocurrency transactions and enforcing taxes on crypto-related investments. The move to fast-track the new laws with the introduction of two royal decrees comes at the behest of Thailands deputy prime minister Wissanu Krea-ngam calling for the cabinet to comprehensively regulate the nascent but growing domestic ICO and cryptocurrency sector. The Nikkei report states that Thailands ruling military government is looking to regulate the cryptocurrency market to slap investors dabbling in digital coins with taxes to prevent the expanding sector from being used for money laundering, tax evasion and other criminal activities. While the claim is true to a certain extent, deputy PM Wissanu has previously stressed that the new laws arent meant to curb or prohibit cryptocurrency activity or ICOs in Thailand but safeguard adopters instead. The governments move to regulate the sector with a conservative, soft-touch approach has found support from former Thai finance minister Korn Chatikavanij who now serves as chairman of the Thai Fintech Association. [T]hey have to be cautious not to allow their conservative instincts to result in draconian regulations, the former finance minister told Nikkei. Story continues Korn also warned of the growing trend of Thai entrepreneurs registering their startups in technology-forward destinations like Singapore that have demonstrated a friendlier regulatory climate for fundraising through initial coin offerings (ICOs). Featured image from Shutterstock. The post Thailand Reveals Tax Rates for Cryptocurrency Trading, Investments appeared first on CCN. Boko Haram killed at least 20 people and wounded scores of others in coordinated attacks on a military camp and villages around the flashpoint northern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, which they also tried to infiltrate across a defensive trench, officials said Monday. The brazen operation -- which unfolded around the very city where Boko Haram was born -- turned the spotlight on the authorities' struggle to quell the jihadists' nearly nine-year-old offensive. Boko Haram fighters attacked a military base in the Cashew Plantation area at the entrance to the city with suicide bombers, mortars and guns, leading to a prolonged battle, a senior military officer in Maiduguri said. "Eighteen Boko Haram terrorists on foot attacked the military base while seven suicide bombers targeted residents of nearby Bale Shuwar and Alikaranti villages at 8:50 pm (1950 GMT)," said the officer, who asked not to be identified as he was not authorised to speak about the incident. "The terrorists fired mortars at troops," the officer said. Bello Dambatto, chief security officer at the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), told AFP that an initial death toll of 18 had risen to 20 after two people died in hospital from their wounds. "We are not sure if the remaining 82 wounded victims will make it. Some of them are in critical condition and will require major surgery from their wounds, which are mostly from gunshots." - 'Huge blasts, gunfire' - One soldier was among the dead, the army said in a statement, which added that it had killed six insurgents and "neutralised" seven suicide bombers. The attackers were trying to infiltrate into the city, said Ba'Kura Abba Ali, a militia leader in the area helping soldiers in fighting Boko Haram. The assailants climbed up a trench that had been dug in the sand round the city to stave off Boko Haram suicide and gun attacks, and attacked troops, Ali said. Maiduguri residents reported hearing at least five explosions and sounds of gunfire coming from the Cashew Plantation area. "Huge blasts and sounds of gunshots were heard all over the city last night and they continued for more than an hour," said one resident, Ibrahim Gremah. The UN said it "strongly condemns the deadly combined attack" and, citing local sources, gave a toll of at least 34 civilians killed and 90 wounded. Boko Haram's nearly nine-year fight to establish a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria has claimed at least 20,000 lives and displaced more than two million people. Hundreds of thousands are holed up in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, where they are living in camps or with host families. On Friday, four girl suicide bombers aged between 13 and 18 killed two people in multiple attacks in Zawuya settlement on the outskirts of Maiduguri in the first assault since the government announced it was in ceasefire talks with Boko Haram. The attacks highlight the challenge the government faces in striking a ceasefire agreement with the jihadist group. In February, when more than 100 schoolgirls were returned to Dapchi after being kidnapped by Boko Haram, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said his government was offering amnesty to "repentant" jihadists. - 'Major headache' - But the process is troubled by factionalism within Boko Haram, say senior security officials. The group is divided into two factions that have competing goals and operational methods. One, led by Abu Mus'ab al-Barnawi and affiliated with the so-called Islamic State, is reportedly in talks with the government. The other, led by Abubakar Shekau, is notorious for suicide bombings. "Talks have been ongoing between the government and the insurgents from the Al-Barnawi faction," said a source, speaking on condition of anonymity. The source said peace talks began in earnest after the July 2017 attack on an oil exploration team in Lake Chad that killed at least 69 people. "The major headache now is extending the talks to the Shekau faction which is averse to negotiations. Dealing with them is quite problematic." For Dina, a hairless Sphynx living in a newly-opened cat cafe in Kazakhstan's capital Astana, this winter was a difficult one to bear. Temperatures in the steppe city of more than one million people reached minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit) as Central Asia experienced its coldest winter in a decade, testing heating systems across the region. During this time Dina took to sitting near the radiators of the Miki Piki cafe, which opened in 2017 and houses cats of more than a dozen different breeds. "You have to be ever so careful with them," said cafe owner Aigul Kurmanaliyeva of the hairless Canadian Sphynx breed. "They often need to wear clothes outside. They are very prone to illness," she told AFP. Human residents of Astana, the world's second-coldest capital city behind Mongolia's Ulan Bator, can empathise. Astana, the government's showpiece project on the Ishim river in northern Kazakhstan, took over as the country's capital 20 years ago. But many of its residents compare Astana unfavourably with the former capital Almaty, a city of 1.5 million people that lies 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) further south and where temperatures are notably warmer. "The beginning of the long-awaited spring is felt!" joked a popular local blogger, Rinat Balgabayev. "In Almaty, the apricot trees blossomed. In Astana, citizens put on their festive coloured leg warmers!" he said on Facebook recently. - Living 'in isolation' - Despite a pantheon of lavish, futuristic architecture, many people who were forced to move to Astana for work or family reasons find the city an uncomfortable fit. Adil Nurmakov, a former resident of Almaty who moved to Astana for his wife's job last year, said life in the city can be a "shock", especially for foreigners and ex-residents of the cosmopolitan former capital. "The way the city is planned means that citizens principally live in isolation, travelling by car from home to work and back again," he told AFP. "There are few public spaces for people to congregate." Such criticism has been levelled against other planned capitals, notably Brazil's Brasilia, but Astana's harsh climate during the winter months presents an additional challenge. "For a large part of the year, public life in the city practically freezes over," complained Nurmakov. Authorities generally cite Almaty's location in a seismologically active region as the reason for moving the capital north, as well as the opportunity to break with Soviet history. Many observers however argued the decision was made to strengthen control over a part of the country with strong cultural and political affiliations to Kazakhstan's former master Russia. Kazakhstan's government is sensitive to any criticism of the capital and will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the switch from Almaty on July 6, which is a national holiday called Astana Day. The city now called Astana officially became the capital in December 1997 but the summer holiday was designed to coincide with the birthday of Kazakhstan's long-ruling 77-year-old President Nursultan Nazarbayev. At the beginning of the year the country's ambassador to Britain, Erlan Idrissov, wrote a prickly letter to the Financial Times newspaper, denouncing an article that had referred to Astana as a "bizarre" and "hastily built" vanity project. Kazakh nationals were "immensely proud of this extraordinary achievement, led by President Nursultan Nazarbayev", he wrote in a letter published by the newspaper. - Shoots of cultural life - One long-standing criticism of Astana that has faded over time is that there is nothing interesting to do in the city. Recent times have seen a subtle shift in the cultural balance of power between the current and former capitals, mainly at the instigation of the state, which has invested heavily in the arts and moved the national ballet troupe up north. Astana has even acquired craft beer bars -- in another sign that the nightlife is growing more diverse. Symbat Karintayev, the co-owner of a bar in the city's unpretentious old town called "The Hop", admitted he "took a risk" opening up. The fashion for experimental ales arrived in Kazakhstan only very recently by way of Russia, he said, with Almaty taking to the trend more quickly than the capital. "Craft beer is a new experience for the residents of Astana, but little by little these kinds of scenes are developing," Karintayev told AFP. Back at the Miki Piki cat cafe -- whose opening added diversity to the leisure scene in a city that is already home to malls and gastro-pubs -- the owner said the idea came from a trip to South Korea known for its animal cafes. "We knew there wasn't anything like that here," said Kurmanaliyeva. 7 policemen injured in Manipal Hospital clash At least seven police personnel and several protesters were injured in a clash between non-teaching staffers and police at Pokhara-based Manipal Hospital on Monday. Ethiopia's new prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, apologised to people harmed in recent political unrest and reached out both to the political opposition and longtime rival Eritrea at his swearing-in on Monday. Abiy is the first ethnic Oromo to be selected by the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) as prime minister in its 27 years of rule. In a parliamentary session, Abiy formally replaced Hailemariam Desalegn, whose surprise resignation in February came after more than two years of anti-government protests led by the Oromo. "Ethiopians living abroad and Ethiopians living here, we need to forgive each other from the bottom of our hearts," Abiy said in a speech after he was sworn in. Abiy, 42, a former minister of science and technology, takes the reins of one of Africa's fastest-growing and most-populous economies amid hopes that he will change the EPRDF's authoritarian style of governing. More than 1,100 people are being held without trial under a state of emergency declared after Hailemariam's resignation. They include dissidents who had been freed just months earlier in a mass prisoner amnesty ordered by Hailemariam. While he made no mention of the emergency decree in his speech, Abiy reached out to the country's opposition politicians, many of whom were incarcerated during Hailemariam's time. "We will not be seeing you as enemies, but be seeing you as brothers," Abiy said. Unrest among the Oromos started in late 2015 over a government development plan they decried as unfair, and soon spread to the country's second-largest ethnicity, the Amhara. The protests resulted in hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of arrests and only stopped after Ethiopia was placed under emergency rule for 10 months from October 2016. Referring to people who were hurt or jailed in the protests, Abiy said "I apologise from the bottom of my heart." He also extended an olive branch to Eritrea, Ethiopia's one-time province turned arch-enemy, after a two-year war that started in 1998. "For the common good of the two countries, not only for our benefit but for the two nations which are tied by blood, we are ready to solve our differences with discussion," Abiy said. "We invite the Eritrean government to show the same sentiment." Ethiopia's new prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, apologised to people harmed in recent political unrest and reached out both to the political opposition and longtime rival Eritrea at his swearing-in on Monday. Abiy is the first ethnic Oromo to be selected by the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) as prime minister in its 27 years of rule. In a parliamentary session, Abiy formally replaced Hailemariam Desalegn, whose surprise resignation in February came after more than two years of anti-government protests led by the Oromo. "Ethiopians living abroad and Ethiopians living here, we need to forgive each other from the bottom of our hearts," Abiy said in a speech after he was sworn in. He had earlier exchanged a copy of the constitution and a hug with Hailemariam, who has stepped down from all party leadership positions. It is the first time power has been transferred from one sitting prime minister to another in modern Ethiopia. "In this peaceful transfer today, we are beginning a new chapter. This is a historic day," Abiy said in his remarks. The 42-year-old former minister of science and technology takes the reins of one of Africa's fastest-growing and most-populous economies amid hopes that he will change the EPRDF's authoritarian style of governing. More than 1,100 people are being held without trial under a state of emergency declared after Hailemariam's resignation. They include dissidents who had been freed just months earlier in a mass prisoner amnesty ordered by Hailemariam. - 'Brothers, not enemies' - While he made no mention of the emergency decree in his speech, Abiy reached out to the country's opposition politicians, many of whom were incarcerated during Hailemariam's time. "We will not be seeing you as enemies, but be seeing you as brothers," Abiy said. Unrest among the Oromos started in late 2015 over a government development plan they decried as unfair, and soon spread to the country's second-largest ethnicity, the Amhara. The protests resulted in hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of arrests and only stopped after Ethiopia was placed under emergency rule for 10 months from October 2016. Referring to people who were hurt or jailed in the protests, Abiy said "I apologise from the bottom of my heart." - Northern rival - He also extended an olive branch to Ethiopia's arch-rival Eritrea, a one-time province that declared independence in 1993. A two-year war broke out between the countries in 1998 over the demarcation of their shared border that killed tens of thousands. The dispute remains unresolved, and Ethiopia and Eritrea accuse each other of supporting anti-government groups. "For the common good of the two countries, not only for our benefit but for the two nations which are tied by blood, we are ready to solve our differences with discussion," Abiy said. "We invite the Eritrean government to show the same sentiment." At least four migrants were found dead off Spain on Sunday, with others who had been on board a make-shift boat missing, rescuers said. The bodies were recovered in the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar between Morocco and southern Spain. Rescuers found one survivor who said there had been 12 people on board when the boat left Tangiers early Sunday, a spokesman for the maritime rescuers told AFP. "The survivor said that when the boat overturned, of the 12 who had tried to make the crossing, only three remained" on board -- the survivor and two of the dead, the spokesman said, adding that the cause of their deaths was not immediately known. The nationalities of the migrants were also not yet known. The association Helena Maleno, in contact with migrants wanting to reach Spain, had raised the alarm on social media at midday about looking for a migrant boat in the Strait of Gibraltar. The emergency services of Andalusia had warned of bad weather and strong winds in the strait on Sunday. Between the start of the year and March 25, some 120 migrants have lost their lives trying to reach Spain by sea, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). During that same period, nearly 500 migrants have died in dangerous crossings of the Mediterranean. Heavily-armed Al-Shabaab militants attacked an African Union military camp outside Mogadishu on Sunday, killing four Ugandan peacekeepers, their army said. Local sources said a massive blast was heard in the Bulomarer district, around 150 kilometres (93 miles) south of Mogadishu, and fighting broke out after dozens of heavily armed Shabaab militants stormed the base. "The heavy blast struck the base before fighting broke out. We are hearing the militants used a minibus loaded with explosives to make their way in before the heavily armed confrontation started at the camp," said local security official Ibrahim Abdilahi. "There was heavy fighting and we could see smoke rising above the military base," said witness Mohamed Sharif. Ugandan army spokesman Brigadier Richard Karemire said his army had "lost four gallant soldiers and six sustained minor injuries". He said that 30 Shabaab militants had been killed, while the Islamists claimed in a statement to have killed 59 Ugandan soldiers. The Al-Qaeda linked Shabaab was pushed out of the Somali capital in 2011 -- and subsequently other towns and cities -- by soldiers from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). But the Islamists still hold sway in large parts of the countryside and launch regular gun and bomb attacks on government, military and civilian targets in Mogadishu and ambushes on military convoys and outposts. East African leaders contributing to the 22,000-strong AMISOM force last month called for the United Nations to reconsider plans to withdraw troops by December 2020, saying the timeline was unrealistic and could lead to a reversal of gains. Hong Kong teenager among 19 arrested in crackdown on part-time girlfriends and boyfriends A teenage school dropout was among 19 people arrested as part of a crackdown on compensated dating in Hong Kong. A month-long investigation ended on Saturday with an undercover sting operation as police arrested 13 men and six women at various locations, with all suspected of providing, or using, part-time girlfriend or boyfriend online dating services for sex. Investigators from Mong Kok district were alerted to the activities by explicit advertisements that appeared online, as well as recruitment ads on social media and mobile applications. Those arrested, all between the ages of 16 and 40, included three male students from a secondary school, a tertiary institute, and a Vocational Training Council institute. The youngest person detained was an unemployed 16-year-old girl who had dropped out of school, while a 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of being a middleman. Six were suspected of being service users, including one who claimed to be an engineer. Also detained were two Indonesian women, one of whom worked as a domestic helper, and another whose visa had expired. Of the 19, six men and six women were arrested for providing sex in the form of compensated dating an arrangement where one person pays another for companionship and often sexual relations. While prostitution itself is not illegal in the city, soliciting for immoral purposes in a public place is. Senior Inspector Timothy Cheung Chun-long said on Sunday those suspected part-time girlfriends or boyfriends had provided their services for money, and that no coercion had been involved to get them to take part in the scheme. They charged between HK$1,000 to HK$4,000 (US$510) for each encounter. Investigators believe the middleman controlled two of the part-time boyfriends and helped them find clients, charging as much as 50 per cent in commission. He was arrested for controlling people for the purpose of unlawful sexual intercourse or prostitution. Story continues The others involved were arrested for soliciting for an immoral purpose, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a HK$10,000 fine. Cheung said the investigation, code-named Operation Riverland, would continue as police attempted to find out whether more people were involved. During the operation, officers seized mobile phones, nurse and sailor uniforms, handcuffs, condoms and lubricants. Sixteen of those arrested were released on bail and must report back next month. This article Hong Kong teenager among 19 arrested in crackdown on part-time girlfriends and boyfriends first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. A Baghdad court on Monday sentenced six Turkish women to death and a seventh to life in prison for membership of the Islamic State jihadist group, a judicial source said. The source told AFP that the women, all accompanied by small children in the court, had surrendered to Kurdish peshmerga fighters after having fled Tal Afar, one of the last IS bastions to fall to Iraqi security forces last year. The women told the court they had entered the country to join their husbands fighting for IS in the "caliphate" which the group declared in 2014 in territory straddling Iraq and Syria. Iraq in February condemned another 15 Turkish women to death on the same charge. Since January, a German woman and a woman from Turkey have also been handed the death penalty, in rulings which Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned as "unfair". Experts estimate that a total of 20,000 people are being held in jail in Iraq for alleged membership of IS. There is no official figure. Iraq has detained at least 560 women, as well as 600 children, identified as jihadist or relatives of suspected IS fighters. Separately, authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan said in early February they had detained some 4,000 suspected IS members, including foreigners. Iraq's anti-terrorism law empowers courts to convict people who are believed to have helped IS even if they are not accused of carrying out attacks. It also allows for the death penalty to be issued against anyone -- including non-combatants -- found guilty of belonging to IS. The New York-based HRW has urged Iraqi authorities to "develop a national strategy to prioritise the prosecution of those who committed the most serious crimes". Women suspected only of IS membership rather than any combat role are "getting the harshest possible sentences for what appears to be marriage to an ISIS (IS) member or a coerced border crossing," it said. Many foreign widows of IS fighters have said they had been fooled or threatened by their husbands to travel to Iraq. K Shanmugam (Yahoo News Singapore file photo) The written submission by academic Thum Ping Tjin to a committee contained serious allegations about the late prime minister Lee Kuan Yew regarding Operation Coldstore, said Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam on Monday (2 April). In a post on his Facebook page, Shanmugam explained why he had spent some time in asking Thum questions on his submission to the Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods. Shanmugam said Thum had asserted that Lee was the biggest creator of fake news in Singapore and a liar and that Operation Coldstore, which took place on 2 February 1963, was based on falsehoods. Either they have to be accepted, or shown to be untrue. Keeping quiet about them was not an option, said Shanmugam on his exchange with Thum in Parliament last Thursday (29 March). The exchange, which lasted almost six hours, centred on Thums research on Coldstore. The government has consistently maintained over the decades that Coldstore, which saw the arrests of more than 100 people including senior leaders of opposition party Barisan Sosialis, was a critical security operation that was needed to save Singapore from the threat of communism. But a number of researchers, including Thum, have stated the operation was politically motivated to stop Barisan Sosialis from taking power in the general election scheduled later that year. The potential threat posed by Barisan Sosialis formed by a breakaway faction of the ruling Peoples Action Party (PAP) and others to overthrow the PAP government through an armed struggle was fabricated by Lee and his fellow ministers, they said. Thum said in his submission, Beginning with Operation Coldstore in 1963, politicians have told Singaporeans that people were being detained without trial on national security grounds due to involvement with radical communist conspiracies to subvert the state. Declassified documents have proven this to be a lie. Shanmugam, historian Thum Ping Tjin spar over communist activities in 1950s-1960s in Parliament House on 29 March 2018. (Photo: Nicholas Yong/Yahoo News Singapore) Shanmugam said Thum admitted that the academic had not read some of the materials published by ex-communists on what happened in Singapore and that he disregarded the statements made by Chin Peng, the leader of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), among other things. Story continues People know me I am direct, I deal with the facts, and say it as I think it is, Shanmugam added. Thum said, however, that Chin Peng was an unreliable source who did not exert a huge influence on Singapore as CPM did not have a significant enough presence in Singapore at that time. He also defended his research into Coldstore, saying that it had been subjected to a peer review and that no historian has come out and contradicted the central thrust of his work. Turning to a Facebook post published by award-winning comic artist Sonny Liew on his exchange with Thum, Shanmugam said he can understand Liew was not happy with what had happened in Parliament. He noted that Liews award-winning The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye book was based on Thums version of history. I have not met Sonny, but I have to say he is a good cartoonist. He is a talent, said Shanmugam. Photo: Sonny Liew Liew also responded to the ministers post to clarify on the research materials that he had used for his book, for which he won in three categories of the Eisner Award, the comic industrys equivalent of the Oscars. The book of course references his (Thums) writings, but is also based on a wider range of reading and consultation with texts and interviews across what spectrum I was able to research in my limited capacity, said Liew on Shanmugams Facebook page. Related stories: Shanmugam, historian Thum Ping Tjin spar over communist activities in 1950s-1960s K Shanmugam presses Facebook on lack of transparency over Cambridge Analytica saga Facebook concerned about rush by Singapore to introduce law to combat fake news Sonny Liew becomes first Singaporean to win Eisner Award More than 3,000 still living in vulnerable zone As many as 3,794 earthquake survivors are still living in areas that are geographically vulnerable, the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has said. The authority, When was the last time you visited Johor Bahru? Was it for some fish head curry? Some waffles at a cafe? Or were you simply there for some of that legendary banana cake from Hiap Joo? Past the debate about who invented chilli crab and some insensitive jokes about exchange rates, are we that different after all? From the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI) comes SAMA-SAMA, a public photo exhibition celebrating the lives of people who have a special relationship with the Singapore-Malaysia Causeway. Happening this Sunday (Apr 8) from 12PM to 5PM, the free event will showcase photo stories of those living and working near the Causeway. The photo exhibition will be held at Kult Studio & Gallery, located at Emily Hill. SINGAPORE - Zulklfli Binsusin, 58, taking a break outside the Woodlands Point mall. Though the mall was shut down one and a half years ago, Mr Binsusin still takes his breaks there regularly. (Photo: "SAMA-SAMA" Team) SINGAPORE Zulklfli Binsusin, 58, taking a break outside the Woodlands Point mall. Though the mall was shut down one and a half years ago, Mr Binsusin still takes his breaks there regularly. (Photo: SAMA-SAMA Team) In addition to the main exhibit, highlights include food tastings of popular snacks from Singapore and Malaysia. Visitors can also expect live buskers during the exhibition. The Causeway Connection The photo exhibition is entirely created and curated by undergraduate students from the WKWSCI Photojournalism module this semester. We chose the Causeway as our exhibition subject to show that people from both sides are not that different. There are similarities in the way we live and how we go about our daily lives, said Jeremy Teo, co-chairperson of SAMA-SAMA. The second-year broadcast and cinema studies student added: Our exhibition seeks to look beyond the physical Causeway, viewing it not as a barrier but something that connects us. JOHOR BAHRU - 50-year-old Subramanian lost his left hand 30 years ago in a fireworks accident. Despite his circumstances, he still remains to maintain a bubbly personality, and is full of youthful vigour. (Photo: "SAMA-SAMA" Team) JOHOR BAHRU 50-year-old Subramanian lost his left hand 30 years ago in a fireworks accident. Despite his circumstances, he still remains to maintain a bubbly personality, and is full of youthful vigour. (Photo: SAMA-SAMA Team) Story continues Vanessa Cheng, co-chairperson of SAMA-SAMA said: The exhibition tells a story of parallels with our neighbours across the border. Visitors can expect in-depth stories of people who cross the border every day and how were more alike than we think. Established in 1992, the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI) offers communication studies at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). JOHOR BAHRU Brothers Butalim (left) and Amy (right) Sugardo hail from Sabah. They moved to Johor Bahru two years ago with their mother, in search for better jobs. (Photo: "SAMA-SAMA" Team) JOHOR BAHRU Brothers Butalim (left) and Amy (right) Sugardo hail from Sabah. They moved to Johor Bahru two years ago with their mother, in search for better jobs. (Photo: SAMA-SAMA Team) SINGAPORE Nandakumar Sahi works at the site of the old Woodlands Town Centre, and is in charge of driving trucks around to transport construction materials. Though he enjoys his work, Mr Sahi still misses home dearly.(Photo: "SAMA-SAMA" Team) SINGAPORE Nandakumar Sahi works at the site of the old Woodlands Town Centre, and is in charge of driving trucks around to transport construction materials. Though he enjoys his work, Mr Sahi still misses home dearly.(Photo: SAMA-SAMA Team) Previous Exhibitions Under course instructor Mr Samuel He, the WKWSCI Photojournalism module has held three successful exhibitions in previous years. Starting with the Last Weeks With Rochor exhibition in 2016, Mr He introduced the exhibition as an assignment, typically held near the end of each semester. The inaugural exhibition featured the lives of residents from Rochor Centre before its closure. The following year, students from the Photojournalism module organised the Bidadari and Beyond and This Is Yishun exhibitions at the Central Public Library and Yishun Park Hawker Centre. For their focus on heritage and culture, the series of exhibitions have received coverage from print publications The Straits Times, Lianhe Zaobao, Shin Min Daily News, online publications Mothership, Our Grandfather Story, and YP.SG, as well as broadcaster MediaCorp Channel 5. == SAMA-SAMA: A Photo Exhibition 12PM 5PM, Sunday, 8 April 2018 kult Block C2-5, Emily Hill 11 Upper Wilkie Road, Singapore 228120 Event is free! == Stay updated and social with Popspoken: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram This article SAMA-SAMA: Student-Run Photo Exhibition Explores Similarities Between Singapore and Malaysia appeared first on Popspoken. US President Donald Trump congratulated Egyptian former general Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on securing another four years as president, hailing the "strategic partnership" between the two countries Monday. The White House said Trump and Sisi spoke by phone after the Egyptian president won 97 percent of the vote against Moussa Mostafa Moussa, a man who, until recently, led a campaign for his re-election. "President Trump congratulated President Al Sisi on his reelection," the White House said in a statement. "The two leaders affirmed the strategic partnership between the United States and Egypt, and noted that they look forward to advancing this partnership and addressing common challenges." Trump has repeatedly bucked Washington norms since coming to office, congratulating foreign leaders on elections that his own officials say were dubious, unfair or rigged. The United States and Egypt have long-standing security ties, but those ties have been tested in recent years as Sisi has moved to shut down political debate. Sisi, who as army chief ousted Egypt's first freely elected president Islamist Mohamed Morsi after mass street protests in 2013, won his first term in 2014 with 96.9 percent of valid votes. Sisi's serious rivals this time round had withdrawn from the race, been sidelined or detained. The State Department earlier noted "reports of constraints on freedoms of expression and association in the run-up to the elections." Spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the United States would "encourage respect for and protection of basic rights and freedoms." "We will continue to encourage a broadening of opportunities for political participation for Egyptians, and emphasize the importance of the protection of human rights and the vital role of civil society in Egypt." Light from the setting sun shines on the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, U.S., January 20, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/Files By Andrew Chung WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday sided with an Arizona police officer in a case testing the constitutional limits for the use of force, throwing out a lawsuit brought against him by a woman he shot four times in her driveway while she held a large kitchen knife. Over the dissent of two liberal justices, the court overturned a 2016 lower court ruling that had allowed the civil rights lawsuit seeking at least $150,000 in damages from University of Arizona Police Department Corporal Andrew Kisela to proceed. The wounded woman, Amy Hughes, had accused Kisela of using excessive force in the 2010 incident in violation of the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures. The court issued its decision at a time of intense focus on the issue of police use of force arising from a series of incidents around the country including shootings by officers of unarmed suspects. Protests erupted in California's capital Sacramento after last month's police shooting of an unarmed black man named Stephon Clark. In the case decided on Monday, the court ruled in an unsigned opinion that Kisela was entitled to qualified immunity protecting him from the litigation because he did not violate any clearly established law. In a dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that Kisela's conduct was unreasonable and the court should not shield him from liability. Sotomayor criticized the court's decision as another example of its "unflinching willingness" to reverse lower courts when they deny officers immunity. Fellow liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined Sotomayor in the dissent. The decision sends the wrong signal to police, Sotomayor wrote. "It tells officers that they can shoot first and think later, and it tells the public that palpably unreasonable conduct will go unpunished," Sotomayor added. A trial judge initially threw out the lawsuit, concluding the officer's use of force was reasonable. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that ruling, saying the record did not support Kisela's perception that Hughes posed an immediate threat. Story continues The 9th Circuit ruling stated that a jury might find that Hughes "had a constitutional right to walk down her driveway holding a knife without being shot." Three university police officers went to the off-campus Tucson home that Hughes shared with her friend Sharon Chadwick after receiving a call about a woman acting erratically and hacking a tree with a knife. Chadwick said in an affidavit that prior to the shooting, Hughes had threatened to kill Chadwick's dog Bunny with a knife over a $20 magazine subscription. Chadwick went outside to her car to retrieve money from her purse when Hughes followed her outside, still holding the knife, according to court records. Chadwick said Hughes had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was taking medication, and that she sometimes acted inappropriately but was never actually violent. The three officers arrived at the edge of the metal yard fence and drew their guns. Hughes did not respond to orders to drop the knife as she walked toward Chadwick, and Kisela opened fire, according to court records. Kisela told investigators he saw Hughes raise her knife, but the other officers said they did not. (Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham) Last month, local television journalists across the country were told to read the same thing: a script from the owner of their stations, Sinclair Broadcast Group, declaring that biased and false news is extremely dangerous for democracy. Its a talking point straight out of President Donald Trumps Twitter feed, and when Deadspin made a video syncing more than a dozen clips of anchors at Sinclair-owned television stations all reading the same thing in unison, it quickly went viral. Of course it did: Here was the Trump-supporting owner of the largest television empire in the country flexing its muscles, brazenly (if cartoonishly) trying to scare Americans into mistrusting all other sources of information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a dystopian thought. And it might foreshadow the type of practice that is likely to become more commonplace if Sinclairs bid to acquire Tribune Media, which would give the company access to more than 72 percent of the national television audience in the country, is approved by federal regulators later this year. (Which is likely.) It should be heartening, then, that Sinclairs antics are beginning to appall Americans who dont regularly tune into its stations, right? Advertisement Most viewers probably dont associate their local station with companies like Sinclair but rather think of it as an outgrowth of a national network. Perhaps, but its unlikely to cut into Sinclairs bottom line. Lots of Americans may recoil at the optics of a conservative media company forcing local journalists to read Trumpian buzz phrases, particularly if theyre already concerned about how much power ideologue media owners have over what we know and dont know and how the news is presented. But people who already watch a Sinclair-owned station probably wont switch to another station because of these segments. And advertisers are unlikely to migrate either, especially in markets where Sinclair already owns two or three television stations and where taking your business elsewhere isnt exactly easy. To start, its important to understand what it means to have a local news station owned by Sinclair broadcasting. Although a channel may be branded as a Fox, ABC, NBC, or CBS station, that doesnt mean that those companies own it. Rather, a television station operator, like Sinclair, often owns and operates the station, which has contracts with media companies to run their affiliate programming and brand their local news with the network. For example, Sinclair owns the ABC affiliate station in D.C., the Fox affiliate in Nashville, and the NBC affiliate in Las Vegas. And most people who watch the station probably dont associate the owner with the brand of the station but rather think of it as an outgrowth of a national network. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So if people do catch word about how Sinclair required its anchors to recite scripted presidential bullet points across the country and want to stop watching Sinclair-owned channels, they might have a difficult time figuring out exactly which station to boycott. And, of course, theres a strong chance that people who primarily tune into local news dont also check national coveragethey might not be reading the news as it unfolds on Twitter and might not even hear about it. Besides, if someone thinks that the banter between the anchors of the ABC affiliate station in Gainesville, Florida, for example, is obnoxious and much prefers the anchors on the local NBC station, which happens to be owned by Sinclair, it will probably take a lot more than a weird script read on behalf of the station owner to get loyalists to change the channel. Plus, more people, no matter their political affiliation, watch local news than national or cable news, according to recent data from Pew. Even if CNN and Fox were both talking about this around the clock, a lot of local news fans might still not catch it. Advertisement And for local advertisers that pay Sinclair stations to run commercials, its unlikely theyll migrate to another station if the audience isnt moving. If an advertiser did do that, it could risk appearing partisan, which could stir a negative reaction from local conservatives. Its not like advertisers necessarily buy commercial time on local news stations just because of the integrity of the station owner; they buy the time to reach an audience to promote their businesses. Its true that Sinclair has faced consequences for its scale-tipping before, as it did in 2004 when it announced plans to force its stations to air an antiJohn Kerry documentary days before the election. Left-wing media watchdog groups started a campaign to encourage local advertisers to boycott Sinclair stations, which did persuade a few businesses to pull their ads. But there are important differences between then and now: That incident carried the high emotional stakes of an encroaching election; this one may have partisan motivations, but its more subtle, insinuating shortcomings of other media rather than outright attacking a political candidate. And importantly, Sinclair has become a larger company in the intervening 14 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While this incident will likely breeze by, Sinclairs top-down approach could eventually come back to haunt it. What Sinclair does as a business model here is take local control from local stations, said Christopher Terry, a journalism professor from the University of Minnesota who specializes in technology and media policy. Its the same kind of business model championed by Clear Channel (now iHeartMedia) after the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which lifted local limits on how many radio stations a single owner could hold in any one market. Clear Channel bought up radio stations across the country in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and as the company did so, it consolidated local news and music operations, replacing DJs with national playlists and local news with national segments. Radio became homogenized and boring just as the internet was becoming more accessible, and people across the country stopped tuning in as much. In March, iHeartMedia filed for bankruptcy. Advertisement Until recently, there was a federal rule that a single television station owner could not own more than one of the top four stations in a single market. One of the main ideas behind such media consolidation rules is that when one company owns too much media in a single area, it has too much control over what people who live in that area know, and that can help determine how people decide to vote or what issues they care about. You might think youre changing the channel to get a different viewpoint, but if multiple stations are owned by the same company in one market, that might not be the case. In November, Ajit Pai, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, worked to loosen that ownership limit when the agency voted to make it easier for one company to own up to two of the top four television stations in a single market. Pai is now being investigated by the FCCs inspector general for potentially pushing to lift the media ownership rules to benefit Sinclair. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sinclair is now trying to get federal approval to acquire Tribune Media, which would bump the number of television stations it owns nationally to 215 stations (Sinclair already owns 173 stations and Tribune owns 42). This is the same Sinclair that ordered its affiliate stations in March of 2017 to double the amount of airtime they give to segments by its chief political analyst Boris Epshteyn, a former Trump aide who faithfully parrots the administrations line. The company has run into a slight roadblock, as federal officials are asking Sinclair to divest from some of the stations it owns in order to allay concerns over being too dominant in any single market. But Trump is a fan of Sinclair, and tweeted his support of the television conglomerate Monday morning, criticizing other outlets for running stories about the scripted monologue it ordered its local stations read. Sinclair is far superior to CNN and even more Fake NBC, which is a total joke, tweeted Trump. And once Sinclair divests here and there to ease the concerns of Justice Department officials who are concerned about the scale of the merger, it is likely to get approval before the midterm elections in November. And its before elections when Sinclair broadcasting really stands to make a lot of money, since political ads are so lucrative. The X-factor in Sinclairs ability to be profitable is their ability to control the political advertising market on local television going forward, said Terry. And when Sinclair finalizes the deal and expands its audience, it could have more power to set the price for local political television ads across the country. And because of its size, issue groups and campaigns that want to run commercials on local television may not have much of a choice but to do business with Sinclair. Well see if we tune out then. This recipe originally appeared on Food52. Flourless chocolate cakes take all kinds of many-splendored formsbut until now, landing on a fudgy-yet-light, classic birthday cake-like crumb wasnt one of their strong suits. Moussey? Why yes. Souffle-ish? Sure! Molten? You bet your Jean-Georges Vongerichten they can do molten. But this thoroughly modern flourless chocolate cake, from Paula Shoyers newest cookbook The Healthy Jewish Kitchen, nails that fudge cake textureand it doesnt take some sort of DIY, gluten-free flour blend or delicate balancing act of starches to do so. Advertisement It simply takes quinoa. Not quinoa flour, but straight-up cooked quinoathe Peruvian staple pseudo-grain that you can now find in any grocery store in America, and as a regular fixture in weeknight meal-dom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In this cake, cooked quinoa gives the cake substance and holds the thing together mightily, without any assistance from other starches or floursand without tasting strongly of quinoa. Depending on how powerful your food processor or blender is and how long you let it rip, the only trace of quinoa you may detect is a bit of a nubbly texture, which I happen to love. And, unlike flour, it does all of this while leaving a lot of available moisture to keep the cake deliciously chocolatey and squidgy, as Nigella would say. Advertisement Advertisement Quinoa-based cakes like this one swept through the blogosphere over the past few years, most of them directly or indirectly descended from one published in the cookbook Quinoa365 by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming. When Shoyer heard rumors of such cakes, she set off to research a bunch of different versions (there are, oh, about 12.5 million online now), then went her own way. She needed to make her cake not just gluten-free but dairy-free to keep kosher with meat-based meals, plus she already had a star chocolate cake in mind as a model from her first cookbook, called Everyones Favorite Chocolate Cake. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So she stitched all of these threads together, adding the fresh orange juice and dark cocoa powder from the earlier cake, swapping in coconut oil, then upping the vanilla to calm the coconut flavor. From another popular recipe of hers, Triple-Chocolate Biscotti, she added some melted chocolate at the end, too, to make this cake even more rich and chocolatey. You know, I had that kind of brownie thinking in my head, she told me. When she drove a piece across town to a friend with celiac disease, she heard back, My girls want a glaze! And so, a gooey chocolate glaze was born. Advertisement Advertisement Since the book (and the cake) made its debut, Shoyer has tasted the recipe all over the country, baked by different hands. The texture comes out a little differently here and there, depending on the machines people use to blend itbut its always a hit. Advertisement From all the times weve tested and set this recipe out at Food52 HQfrom airier cakes made in our most rickety food processor to perfectly smooth blender versions, I can confirm the same. Shoyer subscribes to the French philosophy of dessert, that, as she says, It should be so delicious and gooey and satisfying, you should eat one piece and not need any more. What I cannot confirm is that nobody will take seconds. Serves 12 Advertisement Advertisement Chocolate Cake 3/4 cup (130g) quinoa (enough to make 2 1/4 cups cooked quinoa) 1 1/2 cups (360ml) water Cooking spray or melted coconut oil, for greasing the pan 2 tablespoons potato starch or dark unsweetened cocoa, for dusting the pan 1/3 cup (80ml) orange juice (from 1 orange) 4 large eggs 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or other vanilla if for Passover) 3/4 cup (180ml) melted coconut oil 1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar 1 cup (80g) dark unsweetened cocoa 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 2 ounces (55g) bittersweet chocolate Glaze (optional) 5 ounces (140g) bittersweet chocolate 1 tablespoon sunflower or safflower oil 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or other vanilla if for Passover) See the full recipe on Food52 More from Food52 Ooey and Gooey Double-Baked Chocolate Cake Rose Levy Beranbaums Chocolate Oblivion Truffle Torte Absurdly Addictive Asparagus 3 Leches, 3 Ways Breaking (Some) Kosher Rules for Love & Brisket One Pot Kale and Quinoa Pilaf Mallory Ortberg is online weekly to chat live with readers. Heres an edited transcript of this weeks chat. Mallory Ortberg: Good morning, chatters. Lets do this. Q. Is it fair of me to have a relationship?: Ive had mental health issues my entire life. I always knew, logically, that I was likely to be like this for life, but it only really sank in when I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This can be managed, but Ill never be like other people. Advertisement I feel incredibly guilty about having a fiance. He says that I have nothing to worry about, that he loves me and wants me in his life no matter whatbut I feel awful. Every article Ive found online about navigating relationships as a bipolar person has a comment section full of people saying how being with someone like me ruined their life, how were all selfish and cruel. On top of dealing with my episodes, my fiance also is supporting us both financially, as I cant hold down a job for more than a few months and need a big recovery period before I can try again. I am terrified that Im going to ruin my fiances life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Should I go? I dont want to lose him, but I feel so selfish. I worry he wont leave me when he cant take it anymore because he wont want to hurt me. Isnt it right that I stop him from reaching that point? A: I think it would be good for your peace of mind and your relationship if you were to stop reading articles and comment sections about dating as a bipolar person. I dont mean to be flippant or to suggest that will address all of the issues youre currently facing, but you are not learning anything meaningful about yourself or your fiance in so doing. Youre not gaining useful information, youre not caring for yourself, youre not actually receiving help in those momentsyoure seeking out the bleakest, most anonymous opinions on the very idea of your relationship in order to convince yourself that the worst thing you believe about yourself is also the most true. (Which is a very relatable impulse.) Someone venting uncharitably about an ex of theirs in a comment section is not going to provide you with sound well-meaning advice for the rest of your life. You wouldnt consider such information authoritative if it didnt play into pre-existing fears about your own worthiness, I dont think, and you shouldnt seek it out in order to punish yourself. Advertisement Advertisement You say that youve received a diagnosis and I assume that means youre also getting professional treatment. If youre not already in therapy, I think it might help you deal with these extreme feelings of self-loathing and anxiety about the future. It might also be helpful in the long term for you to look into filing for disability if youre not able to work consistently. Advertisement But as for your questionIf I accept as a foregone conclusion that I am only a burden to my partner, and that I cant trust him to look out for his own well-being and assume hell never break up with me even if he wanted to, isnt it better that I end this now?my answer is No. I think you can and should talk to your fiance about your fears, that you deserve all the support you need (both professional and otherwise), and that you should take him at his word when he says he wants to be with you. You are not a problem. Youre his partner. Advertisement Q. Dating clients daughter: I work for a small, 10-person company that performs contract work for other companies. Over the past year, I have been working closely with the vice president of our most important client and have gotten to know her well. She introduced me to her daughter, who is not involved in her mothers company, and the two of us hit it off and discovered that we have similar interests and mutual friends. After getting to know her, I asked her on a date and she accepted. I mentioned it to a co-worker, and he freaked out and accused me of putting the entire company in jeopardy. He told me to immediately cancel the date and to inform my boss as soon as he returns from vacation. Advertisement Advertisement He seems convinced that our contract will be terminated if the relationship goes bad, and that Im committing inappropriate and unethical behavior. It doesnt seem inappropriate or unethical to me, as she is not involved in her moms company. Is it really an issue? A: I agree that this doesnt strike me as unethical, but I do understand, to a certain extent, why your co-worker was surprised and anxious. It would have been one thing if you had decided to go on a date with this woman and see where things went quietly, but mentioning it to your co-worker slightly changed the tone of things. That doesnt mean your co-worker was right to immediately panic, or that youre risking the entire company, but there is the potential for a fair amount of awkwardness should things not work out between the two of you. Advertisement Advertisement That does not mean that you are obligated to inform your boss who youre dating, or that you have to cancel. I think the best way forward is not to engageif your co-worker brings the subject up again, just say, I shouldnt have brought this up at work, and from now on I want to make sure I dont discuss my personal life at the office. Thanks. (Id welcome further advice from anyone else with similar experience!) To Get Advice From Prudie: send questions for publication to prudence@slate.com. (Questions may be edited.) join the live chat Mondays at noon. Submit your questions and comments here before or during the discussion. call the voicemail of the Dear Prudence podcast at 401-371-DEAR (3327) to hear your question answered on a future episode of the show. Advertisement Q. Hiring dilemma: Im the executive director of a nonprofit that works with at-risk youth. Janice just applied to serve in a client-facing role at our nonprofit. She comes with excellent references, but theres a caveat: She frequently espouses her religious beliefs to anyone who will listen and has made homophobic and Islamophobic remarks to staff members at her previous place of employment. On one hand, shes done excellent work with our target group and expresses a genuine desire to work with a vulnerable population. On the other hand, her evangelizing and homophobia could do actual harm to students she encounters. Does one side outweigh the other? Should I give her a try? Is there another option I havent considered? Im struggling to find other solid candidates. Please help! Advertisement A: If you know your strongest candidate has a recent history of religious proselytizing in the workplace, as well as making bigoted statements to her co-workers, then dont hire her. Even if it means the job search continues longer than youd hoped for, the degree of harm Janice could potentially cause to the vulnerable population of your client baseregardless of how excellent her work is when shes not evangelizing or making dehumanizing commentsoutweighs other considerations here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Q. Family vs. employment: I have an 18-year-old daughter who lives with me and a 17-year-old son who lives with his dad. Both have part-time jobs while they attend high school. For spring break, my son wanted to come visit me, but his dad was adamant that he shouldnt because he has a job and a responsibility not to ask for days off unless its an emergency. I told my son it was fine, and that Id fly him down to me when he gets two or three consecutive days off. Then, my daughter told her father that she could not go to him for spring break, because she had just gotten her job and thought it was a bad idea to ask for a week off right away. He ranted and sent angry text messages to her, saying that she should not put anything in front of family, and shes picking the devil over visiting her dad by choosing to not miss a couple of days. (This is not a gender issue, as he would have done it if it was the other way around. Its just that hell say whatever benefits him in the moment.) Advertisement Advertisement How do I help my daughter not feel like shes letting her father down? Do I explain how he gave her brother the exact opposite advice, or do I just sit by? Shes now (barely) an adult, so Im not sure how much I should interfere. A: Telling your adult child that theyre choosing the devil over their family by working over spring break is an incredibly extreme response. You say that hell say whatever benefits him in the moment, which suggests that these vicious outbursts arent uncommon for him, but Im not sure that you realize just how bizarre and cruel your childrens fathers actions were. Certainly, if you think that theres any chance your daughter might blame herself for her fathers outburst, you should reassure her that her choice was extremely understandable and not in any way disloyal, and ask if theres any way you can help support her as she figures out how (and whether) she might like to respond to her fathers tantrum. Advertisement Advertisement Q. In-laws: My husband died two weeks after our wedding because of a slip and fall at work. We didnt even get to go on our honeymoon. My in-laws were never warm toward me, but they became especially hostile when they found out I had inherited everything and that my husband wanted to be cremated instead of buried in the family church. They left angry voicemails on my phone, and my sister-in-law confronted me at work to accuse me of profiting from my husbands death. It got so ugly I had to use a lawyer to get them to back off, and I actually had a nervous breakdown and had to be hospitalized. Advertisement I finally am at peace three years later, but I am torn as to what to do with my husbands ashes and personal effects (pictures, yearbooks, my husbands beloved motorcycle, etc.). I would like to divide the ashes and offer them, along with the belongings, to my in-laws before I give anything away. I would consider this a peace offering, but I dont know how they would take it. I am nervous about contacting them, though using another lawyer feels cold to me. What should I do? Advertisement A: I think your instinct to go through a lawyer is a good one, in part because you have excellent reason to believe your in-laws may respond to any offer with hostility and unreasonable demands. A lawyer would act as an emotional buffer so you dont have to deal with further voicemails or accusations. Its clear that youre not cold toward them in the least, but if you were hospitalized at least in part as a result of their harassment, then I think going through a lawyer is simply good self-preservation. Advertisement Q. Re: Is it fair of me to have a relationship?: Listen to your fiance. Sometimes my husband apologizes for his injury/mental health/other health concerns. I knew where he was in his recovery, what his prognoses were, and what our life might look like (the good and the difficult). I made the decision to marry him considering all of that. When he starts feeling guilty and spirals down the rabbit hole of feeling sorry for me, he ends up feeling sorry for himself (for not living up to his own expectations), and it ultimately makes it harder for him to participate in activities of daily living. Id rather he just take me at my word that I love him and that I think all the health stuff is just part of the package. Advertisement Advertisement A: I realize that on some level what I am saying to this letter writer is Dont trust the experience of other anonymous strangers on the Internet, but here are some perspectives from our anonymous strangers on the Internet that may help you. And yet I do think, at least in the context of this chat, that we have a shared investment in your future well-being, and that it may prove helpful to hear this perspective. My guess is that if you already have a tendency towards beating yourself up, you might want to use this as a new way to do so (When I feel this anxiety, now I have to feel even guiltier that Im not taking my partner at his word), but I think its a useful reframing. Trust that your partner knows you well, is aware of what you struggle with, and has chosen to be with you in full knowledge of that. And I imagine there are ways too in which you are aware of his own struggles, and dont love him any less for them! Advertisement Advertisement Q. Maternity leave conundrum: Ive been at my current job for about a year now, but recently got an offer to return to my previous company at a better position and for better pay than I make now. I liked my previous company and co-workers better, and the position offered would be a step up. My issue is that my current boss is pregnant and has told me that she will be leaning on me heavily while she is on maternity leave, which should begin in two to three months. Advertisement Advertisement We are a relatively small organization, so I feel awful about the prospect of leaving and putting her in a difficult situation in regard to her maternity leave. Friends tell me that I shouldnt take her pregnancy into account in my decision-making, but I cant help but feel guilty! Should I consider her maternity leave when making this decision? Or just do whats best for my career? Advertisement A: Give your boss as much advance notice as possible, and take the offer. If she has two or three months to find a replacement for you, thats a reasonable amount of time to set up a contingency plan. People leave jobs all the time, and they cant always time their resignations on the companys schedulethis happens more often than you might think, and companies survive awkward transitions every day. Q. Foul-weather friend: A friend of mind recently went through a hard time. She lost her husband after a yearlong, difficult illness. Though we live some distance apart, I was there for her every step of the waycalling to find out the latest news, texting support and encouragement, sending cards and gifts to her and their young children. Now that he has passed away, she has quickly become engaged to a new man. Though I knew of her boyfriend, I found out about their engagement over Facebook. She has not reached out to me in over six months to check on me or to see how I am doing. Can I let her know that I feel used, or has she taken my support and moved on? A: I think a better place to start would be, I miss you. I havent heard from you in so long, and I want to know how youre doing, and to catch you up on whats new with me. Can we find a time to talk soon? Discuss this column with Dear Prudence on her Facebook page! Nation gradually moving towards socialist democracy: PM Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that the country has been gradually moving towards socialist democracy. Andrew McCabe, the former FBI deputy director who would likely be a key witness if Donald Trump is ever prosecuted for obstructing the Russia investigation, was fired in March, just two days before he was set to retire with full benefits. Attorney general Jeff Sessions said he fired McCabe for his failure to speak with candor on multiple occasions but provided no supporting evidence or further context for the conclusion that McCabe deserved termination. According to a GoFundMe page for the Andrew McCabe Legal Defense Fund, McCabe has since hired a top law firm to gain clarity around the lasting impact his firing will have on the pension and healthcare benefits he earned over his two decades of service to the FBI and to help prepare for potential congressional testimony. The fund was launched last Thursday by Friends of Andrew McCabe with an initial goal of $150,000. It will be shutting down at 7 p.m. Monday having raised $551,141 as of the time of this post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement GoFundMe allows you to see each individual donation a campaign has received; there have been more than 13,000 donations to McCabes fund. Most of them are for small amounts, suggesting that support for McCabe has become a grass-roots cause for anti-Trump activists on social media. Indeed, the GoFundMe page was shared on Twitter by Rachel Maddow, though she did not encourage donations to it, as well as by various #resistance-oriented accounts. It doesnt seem like McCabe is in imminent financial peril. He hasnt lost his full pension, been sued, or been accused of a crime. He made more than $150,000 a year at the FBI and, as Splinter News points out, is seemingly in a position to earn substantial income as an author and public speaker. He has a law degree, and there are traditionally a lot of law firms willing to hire former top federal officials at nice salaries. His wife is a practicing doctor. Advertisement McCabes GoFundMe campaign itself seems to have been bolstered by his resources and connections. A spokeswoman named Melissa Schwartz has been promoting the campaign on McCabes behalf and issued the Monday statement that it would be shutting down. Schwartz is a strategic and crisis communications consultant who works at a K Street firm called The Bromwich Group. The founder and managing principal of The Bromwich Group is Michael Bromwich, who, in his capacity as a lawyer employed by the firm of Robbins, Russell, Englert, Orseck, Untereiner & Sauber LLP, is McCabes lead attorney. In other words, the PR and lobbying firm* Andrew McCabes lawyer founded is helping promote the small-donor fundraising effort to pay Andrew McCabes lawyer. (The GoFundMe page says that any funds that remain in the Legal Defense Fund at the conclusion of any proceedings related to his firing will be donated to charitable organizations of the McCabes choosing.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I asked Schwartz over email and by phone if the The Bromwich Group had set up McCabes GoFundMe page. She said she didnt want to comment on specific tasks her company may have carried out for McCabe, but did send a statement explaining that both The Bromwich Group and Michael Bromwichs law firm are part of the team McCabe has employed to provide a number of services ranging from legal assistance to handling the hundreds of media requests and opportunities that have come his way. She also said she could not identify who the Friends of Andrew McCabe are at this time. Raising money for ones legal defense is a perfectly fine thing to do. Its not even an unprecedented move for a figure who Democrats believe is being unfairly persecuted in a situation involving a president and a special counsel. But while there are certainly reasons to believe that McCabe is being treated unfairly by the Trump administration, its hard to understand why the hypothetical legal bills of someone who has already managed to arrange top-shelf public relations and legal representation and likely has a promising and lucrative career ahead of him should be a high priority for small-donor progressive activism. Advertisement Advertisement *Update, April 6: Schwartz disputes my characterization of The Bromwich Group as a firm that engages in lobbying, and separately told Law and Crime that the firm doesnt employ registered lobbyists and does not engage in unofficial lobbying either. (My use of the term was based on The Bromwich Groups assertions, on its website, that it provides strategic advice and public affairs consulting to organizations with business before the government, phrases that are often used by registered lobbyists and other entities that help clients exert influence in Washington, D.C . The site further explains that The Bromwich Group can conduct stakeholder outreach for clients and that it provides advice and strategies for dealing with regulatory and enforcement agencies.) The biggest, riskiest diplomatic trip of his presidencythe summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-unis set to take place next month, and Donald Trump shows no signs of comprehending the issues or interests at stake. Two statements from last week should have set off alarm bells that the president is not remotely ready for prime time. The first came on Thursday, during a rambling, campaign rallylike speech in Ohio. At one point, Trump mentioned his recently reached trade deal with South Korea, saying, I may hold it up until after a deal is made with North Korea. You know why? Because its a very strong card. And I want to make sure everyone is treated fairly. Advertisement Within a few hours, aides to South Korean President Moon Jae-in were seeking clarification on the statement, working through various channels to understand Trumps true intentions. Good luck on that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive sought some clarification myself, to no avail. The remark was either utterly incoherent or a terrible blunder. The formeryet another instance of Trumps incoherenceis the likelier explanation. Its not at all clear why Trump should hold up a trade deal with South Korea, pending the results of nuclear talks with North Korea. The two have little or nothing to do with each other. But impolitic incompetence should never be dismissed as a source of confusion. Moon will be meeting with Kimanother historic firston April 27 at Peace House, near the North-South border. It is expected that their meeting will tee up the issues, and to some degree set the agenda, for Kims meeting with Trump a few weeks later. Trumps relations with Moon are rife with tensions. Trump has harshly criticized Seoul for fair-trade violations (and is said to see the new trade deal as an imperfect solution); he often grumbles that the South Koreans should pay more for their own defense and has threatened to withdraw U.S. forces from the region if they dontthus arousing fears, in South Korea and Japan, that Trump might do just that in exchange for a promise by North Korea to freeze or cut back its nuclear arsenal. Advertisement Aides to Moon Jae-in were working through various channels to understand Trumps true intentions. Good luck on that. Trumps remark in Ohio could be read as a threat to Moon: Push Kim hard on his nuclear weapons, maybe even get him to agree to dismantle them in advance of the U.S. summitdo the heavy lifting for usor forget about the new trade deal. Viewed in this light, there are three things wrong with Trumps statement. First, as a general rule of bargaining (and the putative author of The Art of the Deal should know this), if you have a very strong card going into a negotiation, you shouldnt announce the fact publiclyotherwise your adversary will minimize its importance or maneuver around it ahead of time. Advertisement Second, the new trade deal will correct some imbalances that hurt the United States; Moon agreed to it as a diplomatic concession in advance of the talks with Kim; the deal itself was the result of Trumps leverage. Trump would gain no additional leverage from calling off the deal. If anything, calling it off would help South Koreaunless a cancellation prompted Trump to launch a trade war on Seoul. But if he did that, he would demolish the veneer of allied unityand thus diminish his bargaining powerat his summit with Kim. Advertisement Advertisement Which leads to the third thing wrong with Trumps remark. Kims father and grandfather, Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung, the previous leaders of North Korea, were masters at playing their stronger foes off one another. Trump is giving the new young leader a wide opening to play the same game. Which leads to the second statement from last week that casts a gloomy light on the impending summit. It was issued on Tuesday, in the wake of the secret meeting in Beijing between Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and was attributed to Kim by Chinas official press service: If South Korea and the United States respond with good will to our efforts and create an atmosphere of peace and stability, and take phased, synchronized measures to achieve peace, the issue of the denuclearization of the peninsula can reach resolution. Advertisement To longtime Korea-watchers, these are familiar North Korean slogans that dont quite mean what they seem. For instance, to say that the issue of the denuclearization of the peninsula might reach resolution doesnt necessarily mean that North Korea will denuclearize. It could mean simply that the issue will reach resolution, perhaps in some way that allows North Korea to keep some nukes. Advertisement Advertisement But the key phrase here is phased, synchronized measures to achieve peace. Achieving peace, in Pyongyang argot, means ending the Korean Warwhich settled into an armistice in 1953, but technically is still going on. And the end of the Korean War means the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from South Koreasomething that no American president could accept, unless maybe he doesnt understand what peace means in the Korean context. Advertisement True, North Koreans have struck deals in the past that fall short of fulfilling this ultimate fantasy. For instance, in the 1994 Agreed Framework with the Clinton administration, they agreed to freeze their plutonium program in exchange for energy assistance and the supply of two light-water reactors, which could be used only for electrical power. An annex to that deal called for further steps toward formal diplomatic relations between Washington and Pyongyang. The deal fell apart after Congress refused to fund the light-water reactors, which prompted North Korea to begin a covert uranium-enrichment programnot a violation of the deal but certainly an end run, which prompted President George W. Bush, who wasnt keen on the deal anyway, to cancel it soon after he took office in 2001. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Does Trump have any idea what sorts of phased, synchronized measures he would like North Korea to takeand what sorts of measures he would permit the United States to take at the same time? For example, as a first step, North Korea could extend its freeze on nuclear testing and open up its production and test sites to international inspectionwith the United States simultaneously removing some sanctions. What would be the second, third, and fourth synchronized measures, and what would be the ultimate goalthe finishing line of these steps? These are issues to be discussed by experts, debated in National Security Council meetings, and decided very carefully by the president and his top advisers. If officials at the State Department, the Pentagon, and the NSC arent already well into this project, theyre starting way too late. Advertisement Advertisement Its also worth noting that Trumps incoming national security adviser, John Bolton, has spoken out against the whole concept of phased, synchronized measures, demanding that Kim dismantle his nuclear arsenal, all at once, and urging the United States to launch a first strike if he refuses. Will he offer Trump the same advice, now that hes off Fox News and inside the White House? Will Trump listen? And whos still around to offer countervailing advice? Advertisement Kim Jong-un will come to both negotiationsthe one with Moon near the DMZ and the one with Trump at a location not yet determinedwith a goal, an agenda, and a bag of bargaining tactics. He may also have sought and won consent for his approach (though theres no way of knowing this) during his meeting in Beijing with Xi. Unless something dramatic happens in the next few weeks, Trump will arrive at the summit with no firm grip on a strategy or tacticsand wavering support from, and for, his allies. He may come instead with the cloak of an unearned self-confidence that he can prevail with a deal through his charisma and instincts. For this kind of deal, that wont be enough. In Washington, politicians are often eager to say they resigned rather than admit they were fired. But that is completely the opposite of what is happening with David Shulkin, who insists he was fired as secretary of Veterans Affairs while the White House insists he resigned. I came to fight for our veterans and I had no intention of giving up, Shulkin said Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press. There would be no reason for me to resign. I made a commitment, I took an oath, and I was here to fight for our veterans. Advertisement Shulkin, who was the lone holdover from the Obama administration, pushed the same message on CNNs State of the Union: Well, Jake, I came to run the Department of Veterans Affairs because Im committed to veterans, and Im committed to fighting for them. And I would not resign, because Im committed to making sure this job was seen through to the very end, Shulkin told CNNs Jake Tapper, who proceeded to press the former secretary on whether or not he was fired. I did not resign, he said emphatically. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shulkins comments on the Sunday talk shows contradict what the White House told Politico on Saturday. Secretary Shulkin resigned from his position as Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, spokeswoman Lindsey Walters said in a statement. Why does any of this matter? Because Trump personally picked Robert Wilkie to be the acting leader of the department and not Shulkins deputy. That has once again led to debate about how much power the president has to pick replacements for Cabinet secretaries that are fired. Politico explains: Advertisement The debate centers on vague language in the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, which gives the president broad authority to temporarily fill a vacancy at a federal agency with an acting official if the current office holder dies, resigns, or is otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of the office. But some legal experts note that the law does not explicitly grant that authority to the president in the case of firings. That could make Trumps decision to appoint Wilkie, the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, as acting VA secretary a potential test of the presidents authorities under the act. And it means that any formal actions Wilkie takes as acting secretary could face a legal challenge that might stall sorely needed reforms and modernizations at the troubled agency. Advertisement Advertisement In an interview with USA Today, Shulkin said that Trump is not being well served by all the people around him. Although he agreed the president has the right to have people around him he trusts, I think many of the things that were seeing and that were struggling with have to do with building that team and the staff around him. In an op-ed in the New York Times, Shulkin said that the department he led has become entangled in a brutal power struggle as some political appointees seek to privatize veteran health care as an alternative to government-run V.A. care. International attention briefly returned to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after 18 Palestinians were killed and at least 750 wounded by Israeli fire during mass protests on the Gaza-Israel border Friday, according to Gaza authorities. It was the worst day of violence in the enclave since the 2014 Gaza war. The idea for the marches originally came from a local social media activist several months ago but was then promoted by Hamas, which rules Gaza, as part of what the AP calls a risky strategy to draw attention to the difficult conditions in Gaza, without plunging into another war with Israel. A retired Israeli general told the New York Times that Israels heavy-handed response to the protests was a political failure, given that the Palestinian aim was to raise international consciousness, and to put the Palestinian issue back on the international and Israeli agenda. It succeeded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perhapsbut on the agenda for how long, and with what outcome? True, nearby countries have condemned its use of force, including Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, who predictably referred to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a terrorist. The EUs diplomatic chief and the U.N. secretary general have called for an independent investigation into Israels use of live ammunition, an idea that Israel has already rejected. But the diplomatic fallout is likely to be limited. Over the weekend, the U.S. blocked a U.N. Security Council statement calling for an investigation into Israels use of force. This was to be expected. President Trump and his U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley, have frequently attacked the U.N. for criticizing Israel. In January, the administration cut aid to the U.N. agency providing aid to Palestinian refugees following the General Assembly vote criticizing Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Though Trump is still theoretically committed to reaching the ultimate deal for Mideast peace, the administrations actions have made it impossible to take it seriously as a mediator in the conflict. Advertisement There are also signs that Arab governments are losing interest in the Palestinian cause, preferring to focus on containing the regional influence of Iranan interest they share with the Israelis and the Americans. This is particularly true of Saudi Arabia. While the Palestinian issue was long a sticking point in the otherwise close U.S.-Saudi relationship, these days they seem to be in lockstep. Just as the U.S. blocked the motion in the security council, Haaretz reports that the Saudis refused a request from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to convene an emergency Arab summit to discuss the events in Gaza. While Saudi Arabia and Israel still do not have formal diplomatic relations, there have been signs of growing cooperation between the two when it comes to confronting Iran. Saudi Arabia recently began allowing flights to Israel to cross its airspace for the first time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for Gazas neighbor Egypt, while its government spoke out against Israels use of force, as it normally does after events like this, theres no indication that President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (just re-elected with 97 percent of the vote) plans to permanently open its border with the besieged territory. As for the response within Israel, about 250 people came out to protest in Tel Aviv on Sunday, not only small compared with the protests against the (admittedly much bloodier) war in Gaza four years ago, but also in comparison with recent gatherings over the expulsion of African migrants and the Netanyahu familys corruption scandals. Its beginning to feel like the Israeli left is giving up on the Palestinians. Advertisement The main impact of Fridays events may be to politically bolster Hamas at the expense of its West Bankbased rival, the Palestinian Authority, which has been trying with limited success to push for Palestinian statehood by ramping up international diplomatic pressure on Israel. In a vicious cycle, a bolstered Hamas, widely regarded as a terrorist organization, will only further dampen international enthusiasm for the Palestinian cause. This isnt to say that the international mood is becoming increasingly favorable to Israeli policies. In much of Europe, and on at least part of the American political spectrum, the country has never been less popular. Its that a sense of futility is setting in, which can only help perpetuate a status quo that will make more events like last Fridays inevitable. In the deepest, darkest years of grad school, when it felt like my inevitable fate was to be an adjunct professor of political science at some wind-swept campus 500 miles from my nearest friend, I did something that is still seen as anathema among many followers of the academic cult: I looked around for other options and secretly signed up for an internship with a management consultancy. All in all, it was a very positive experience. The companies we advised were doing interesting work. My colleagues were smart and personable. Most surprisingly, they seemed to think that I actually had something valuable to offer. Though I ultimately decided not to join, I learned a lot from the months I spent at the firm, as its employees ominously called it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But for all that was positive about the experience, I did also find it to be genuinely surprisingnot to say concerningin one key respect. High-end shops like Bain, the Boston Consulting Group, or McKinsey pride themselves in being strategy consultancies, the idea being that they mostly abstain from helping corporations to solve short-term tactical or operative challenges. What makes them special, and justifies their steep fees, is that they make big corporations thrive over the long run. So I was surprised to learn what senior partners at the firm actually meant by long-term strategy. When I first asked them about the time frame they had in mind, I expected them to say 10, 20, perhaps even 30 years; instead, everyone I asked gave an answer that ranged somewhere from one to five years. A lot has been written about the fact that most people actually running big corporations day to day have trouble thinking beyond the end of the next quarter. What I find even more striking, in some ways, is that the people who are hired to remedy this shortcoming have a time horizon of, at best, half a decade. Advertisement Ive been thinking about this curious fact a lot since Donald Trump took office. The short time frame on which most business leaders concentrate explains why Trumps tax reform has proven so popular on Wall Street. Though virtually all economists doubt that these measures will help Americas economy grow over the next 10 or 20 years, most of them do think that they will increase the short-term profitability of the countrys biggest corporations. And for a lot of the people making decisions in C-suites around the country, or deciding whether to buy more stock, thats what matters most. Advertisement Advertisement Ive been thinking about it even more over the past few days, as Trump has mounted a series of attacks on Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon and owner of the Washington Post.* I have stated my concerns with Amazon long before the Election, he tweeted last Thursday. Unlike others, they pay little or no taxes to state & local governments, use our Postal System as their Delivery Boy (causing tremendous loss to the U.S.), and are putting many thousands of retailers out of business! Advertisement A lot of commentators have been tempted to get drawn into a debate about whether or not Amazon really does need to be regulated more strictly and taxed more heavily. Damon Linker, a columnist for the Week who is usually one of the most perceptive chroniclers of Trumps America, for example, panned the left for being outraged by Trumps tweets. Pointing out the many ways in which Amazon really does profit from tax evasion, and really is too big to allow real competition, he asked whether it makes sense for liberals to rally around Bezos in response? Not at allat least not if the left in this country wants to stand for more than reflexive opposition to whatever Trump says or does. Advertisement Advertisement This completely misses the point. There are thousands of companies in America whose profits depend in good part on their ability to win favorable rules and regulations by wielding their political influence. Liberals do need to make the fight against this kind of crony capitalism a central rallying cry. And, yes, when they do that, they need to be no less sparing in their criticism of Amazon as in that of ExxonMobil or Goldman Sachs. But when the president is busy handing out large presents to businesses around the country and stuffing his tax reform full of loopholes demanded by lobbyists, it is naive to pretend that his hostility to Amazon is motivated by anything other than an attempt to curb the critical coverage of Bezoss Washington Post. Advertisement Advertisement Linker concedes that its entirely possible that this is whats motivating Trump, but the presidents intentions have been transparent all along. As Trump wrote in a subsequent tweet, he is keen to punish the Fake Washington Post, which is used as a lobbyist and should so REGISTER. In other words, Trumps criticisms of Amazon are not meant to fight crony capitalism; they are meant to deepen crony capitalismand stifle freedom of speechby punishing a major media institution for the crime of criticizing the administration. Make no mistake: Trumps attacks on Amazon and the Washington Post are a political scandal of the first order. It is perfectly plausible that Trump may allow his dislike of the Washington Post to drive decisions that will negatively affect Amazon. (In fact, it is quite plausible that he has already allowed his dislike of CNN to drive a decision that has negatively affected its parent company, Time Warner.) But even if the words of the president never actually influence the actions of the regulatory agencies he controls, it could have a chilling effect on the freedom of speech these crucial outlets enjoy. After all, their owners have no better way of knowing whether they might soon be punished for criticizing the president than we do. If they care about their bottom line, they may therefore tell their journalists to refrain from being too critical of Trumpor decide that its safer to sell outlets that, after all, only make up a small part of their portfolio to owners who are more willing to do Trumps bidding. What Germans call vorauseilender Gehorsam, or anticipatory obedience, is a powerful force. Advertisement In many countries around the world, authoritarian populists have managed to concentrate power in their own hands while retaining regular elections and pretending to preserve a modicum of free speech. In every case, informal influence over the owners of the countrys biggest private media outlets has been a key tool: Rather than openly shutting down critical newspapers or television stations, leaders like Hungarys Viktor Orban have used government regulations to create incentives for favorable coverage or to give critical owners a reason to sell to more friendly ones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats why its a huge mistake to say that the presidents attempt to use his political power to retaliate against a key critic should be written off as just another mindless tweet. Make no mistake: Trumps attacks on Amazon and the Washington Post are a political scandal of the first order. Anybody who downplays it because Amazon should be regulated more strongly is making the same mistake as somebody who refuses to defend the FBI or the Department of Justice against the Trump administration because of theundoubtedly seriousproblem of police violence. Advertisement Another aspect of Trumps attack on Amazon has received even less serious attention: the potential economic impact of an administration that is willing to wield the tools of the regulatory state to punish its enemies. The markets dont seem to be overly spooked by Trumps decision to go on the attack against Bezos. Amazons stock price has barely been affected. Other CEOs seem to think that they have nothing much to fear from the beef between Trump and Bezos. But that is far too short-term a way of viewing the matter. As historians, economists, and political scientists have shown over and over again, rule of law is arguably the most important predictor of economic growth. For an economy to grow at its maximum potential, investors need to know that their property is secure, economic rather than political facts need to determine which company thrives, and corruption needs to be minimal. As anybody who has done business in politically challenging environments knows, its impossible to have these conditions when a strongman leader can punish corporations at will: In such countries, you need to flatter the leader at every turn, your ability to turn a profit depends on the quality of your political patronage, and anybody who is close to power feels entitled to a sizable payoff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To be sure, it would take a lot for the United States to suffer the kind of rampant corruption that is endemic in countries like Russia or Venezuela. On the whole, our legal system continues to be independent. Far from being cowed by politicians, American business leaders feel entitled to ignore requests to testify in front of Congress. Trumps tweets arent an imminent threat to the American economy. And yet it strikes me that Americas business community is vastly underestimating the disastrous consequences that populismon the right, not just the lefthas had on economic performance in countries around the world. If you are only looking at the next quarter, or even the next five years, the political threat to the economy is probably minimal. But if you want to predict how Americas economy (or your business!) will perform over the next couple of decades, you need to take the danger that political loyalty to a strongman leader will start to be necessary for economic successand that corruption will become evermore rampant as the regulatory state does the presidents biddingvery seriously indeed. Last week, the Trump administration announced plans to add a new question to the U.S. census. In 2020, the nationwide survey will ask people to mark down whether they are citizensa seemingly minor change that will have far-reaching implications on legislative redistricting and, thus, U.S. politics and policy for years to come. For one glimpse of the ripple effect of redistricting on everyday life, look to Ohio, where legislators have passed a host of restrictive policies on abortion in defiance of voters actual views on the subject. Advertisement The state is generally regarded as politically purple, a proverbial toss-up in presidential elections. Donald Trumps 8-point margin of victory in 2016 was the widest in nearly three decades. Before Trump, Barack Obama won the state twice, and George W. Bush won it twice before that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But at the state level, Ohio has emerged as a conservative force on the issue of reproductive rights, putting itself at the vanguard of extreme anti-abortion legislation. In late 2016, the state Legislature passed whats known as a heartbeat billa ban on all abortions performed after six weeks gestation, before many women even know theyre pregnant. If Gov. John Kasich hadnt vetoed it in favor of a 20-week ban, it would have been the most extreme abortion restriction in the country. Earlier this month, a federal judge blocked an Ohio law that would have subjected doctors to felony charges if they perform an abortion sought because the fetus has a high probability of being born with Down syndrome. Ohio restrictions on medication abortions passed in 2011 have resulted in more doctors visits, more side effects, and greater need for medical intervention for women who choose this otherwise very safe route. And according to a 2013 law, a woman who wants an abortion in the state must submit to an ultrasound. If the ultrasound detects fetal pole cardiac activity, her doctor must ask if shed like to listen to it or see the image. Advertisement Advertisement Now, the Ohio state Legislature is considering a law that would require abortion clinics to give fetal tissue a formal burial or cremation. The bill mirrors those previously passed in Indiana and Texas, both of which were later blocked in court. Twenty legislators have also signed on to a total abortion ban, without even an exception to save the life of the pregnant woman. If passed and signed by the governor, women who get abortions and doctors who perform them could be charged with aggravated homicide, a capital offense. Few people in the modern anti-abortion movement are willing to argue that women should be put to death for getting abortion care. Twenty of them are serving today in the Ohio state Legislature. Advertisement Advertisement Theres little evidence that Ohio voters as a whole hold such deeply held views against abortion. Obama captured the state twice, running as a proudly pro-choice candidate, while Bush also won twice running against a womans right to choose. The state elected a pro-choice U.S. senator, Sherrod Brown, in 2006, and an anti-choice U.S. senator, Rob Portman, in 2010, then re-elected Brown in 2012 and Portman in 2016. According to a 2014 Pew survey, Ohio voters are evenly split in their views of abortion rights, and 63 percent of Ohioans polled in 2015 said theyd be less likely to support a presidential candidate who wanted to ban all abortions. The same poll found that voters in the state opposed by a 14-point margin the recently passed law banning abortions related to Down syndrome. Advertisement Advertisement So, how did Ohio become home to some of the countrys most extreme anti-choice legislation? The answer seems to be a combination of partisan engineering and a one-woman wrecking ball who has forced vulnerable Republican legislators to heel on the issue. When I put the question to Kellie Copeland, the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, she gave a rueful laugh and responded with one word: gerrymandering. Republicans currently hold supermajorities in both chambers, with about three-fifths of state lawmakers identifying as anti-choice. The people in the Legislature, for the most part, they dont look like the population, they dont think like the population, Copeland said. The gerrymandering has been so bad in Ohio that I think its actually disenfranchised voters, because the politicians have picked their constituents instead of the other way around. Even people in Ohio who oppose abortion rights dont usually support full-on bans, she continued, especially without exceptions for rape, incest, and the health of the pregnant person. Their elected representatives, on the other hand, do. Advertisement Advertisement This legislative session, both chambers comprise the largest one-party majorities in the states history. Republicans hold 24 seats in the 33-seat Senate and 66 in the 99-member House. The party first claimed a supermajority in 2012, but the bigger shift came in 2010, when the Democrats lost a whopping 13 seats in the House, handing control of the chamber to Republicans in the crucial election before the state maps would be redrawn. Anti-gerrymandering advocates place much of the blame for this power shift on REDMAP, a wildly effective Republican strategy that flipped a number of statehouses from blue to red ahead of the 2011 redistricting process by launching dark-money campaigns against no-name state legislators or those whod assumed their seats were safe. When it came time to set the new Ohio state legislative districts in 2011, the Republicans were in control, and they drew the map to their liking. Advertisement Advertisement According to a Dayton Daily News analysis, there were only 20 competitive state House districts out of 99 in the new 2011 map, and only seven competitive state Senate districts out of 33. The one Democrat on the board responsible for drawing the map said at the time that it quarantined Democrats into just one-third of the state legislative districts despite the fact that those voters made up around half the states population. (The states congressional map includes a gerrymandered district so famous it now has a name: the Snake on the Lake, which runs from Cleveland to Toledo on the shore of Lake Erie. In one spot, two portions of the district are connected only by a bridge over the water.) Advertisement A natural consequence of really safe elections is our state reps and our state senators only really have to worry about the primaries, said Catherine Turcer, the executive director of Common Cause Ohio, an advocacy group that works on redistricting reform. And if they only have to worry about the primary, theyre much more likely to go to the extremes, because they can easily be primaried on the left or primaried on the right. It leads to extreme dysfunction. Turcer said Republican legislators in Ohio, safe in red districts and trying to fend off further-right primary challengers, have become preoccupied with pro-gun and anti-abortion legislation while neglecting important issues that better lend themselves to bipartisan solutions, such as improving schools and addressing Ohios infant mortality rate, one of the 10 worst in the nation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conservative activists have been eager to exploit that dynamic. The most conspicuous has been Janet Porter, a prominent right-wing activist who runs Faith2Action, an organization that has been so aggressive in its crusade that the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled it a hate group. Porter was dubbed the architect of the gay conversion campaign by the New York Times in 1998 (she was Janet Folger at the time), and she was in the national spotlight again last year, when she defended Senate candidate and accused child molester Roy Moore on CNN by congratulating pregnant anchor Poppy Harlow on her unborn child. Moore would stand for the rights of babies like yours in the womb, Porter said, where his opponent will support killing them until the moment of birth. Advertisement Advertisement In Ohio, Porter pushed for the state to become the first to ban the procedure anti-abortion activists call partial-birth abortion. She also wrote and aggressively lobbied for the heartbeat bill that kept popping up in the Ohio Legislature for years before making it to the governors desk in 2016. (Last year, she convinced Rep. Steve King of Iowa to introduce the same legislation in Congress.) Kasichs veto of the heartbeat bill seemed to allay fears about a total abortion ban in the state, but Copeland, the Ohio NARAL director, cautions against dismissing the proposal as an impossibility. She believes lobbying from NARAL and other reproductive rights advocacy groups helped convince Kasich that signing the six-week abortion ban would have been bad for his future career. Advertisement Advertisement But Kasichs term is up in January, and a pitched primary for the Republican nomination to replace him has seen both front-runners moving further to the right. Ohio Attorney General Mike Dewine has been a vocal fan of Jeff Sessions, and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor backed the successful bid of a far-right Trump supporter, Jane Timken, to replace the more moderate chairman of the state Republican Party. Both candidates appear to be battling over who can be the least accommodating of abortion rights. Taylor has already said she would have signed the six-week abortion ban; Dewine recently signed an amicus brief supporting the Trump administrations efforts to force undocumented teenagers to carry unwanted pregnancies to term. Some people arent taking this [total abortion ban] bill that seriously, Copeland told me. But when you look at it through that lens, I dont know how you cant. Advertisement Advertisement And even if the next Ohio governor thinks it politically imprudent to sign a complete abortion ban, the Republican Party could still pass it with its veto-proof majorities in the Legislature. Those majorities appear to be safe, for now. The League of Women Voters of Ohio found that only two of the 99 state House races turned out differently than the political index predicted in the 2012 race, and only three did so in 2014. In 2014, House Republicans got 57 percent of the total votes in the state but won 66 percent of the seats in the House. That 9-point vote-to-seat gap increased to 10 points in the 2016 election. An Associated Press report estimated that the map, as drawn, gave Republicans five more state House seats than they would have gotten with a neutrally drawn map. A 2014 report from University of Chicago law scholars named Ohios state legislative map as one of the worst in the country, an example of uncommonly severe gerrymandering. The mapmakers, in many ways, have had more say in who gets elected than the voters in Ohio, said Catherine Turcer of Common Cause Ohio. That may change after the 2020 census, when new districts will be drawn. Turcer is currently traveling the state to gin up support for the Fair Districts = Fair Elections amendment, a redistricting reform measure that would require support from three-fifths of the entire Legislature, including 50 percent of the minority party, to certify a district map for the full 10 years. (Otherwise, it would expire after four.) In a rare feat of bipartisanship, the Ohio state Legislature approved the measure with near-unanimity, and voters will determine its fate on their primary ballots in May. In 2015, voters approved the reform initiative for state legislative redistricting; the new ballot measure will apply the same standards to congressional redistricting. The 2015 ballot initiative was a monster success for Turcer and her peersOhioans approved the measure in all 88 counties, with 71.5 percent voting in favor overall. Turcer says shes cautiously optimistic about the May vote, which, with its impact on congressional seats, will have national implications. Im hopeful, because no matter what, we are a purple state. And if we all vote as a whole on something, we look for bipartisan, reasonable solutions, she said. Were tired of one party marginalizing the other. Wed like to participate in real elections. What are the chances: Of course Steve King was among the politicians willing to belittle and mock the Parkland activistshes been saying awful things for decades now. (I still dont quite believe that cantaloupes quote is real.) Josh Voorhees wonders if the left has any chance of bringing King down this time around. Ground zero: How did Ohios state-level politics swing so far to the right when it comes to abortion? Christina Cauterucci looks into it and finds that the swing state thats full of pro-choice voters is feeling the effects of gerrymandering. Advertisement At last: Isaac Chotiner interviews Dexter Filkins about Filkins recent reporting on Saudi Arabias Trump fandom: [T]he Saudi and the Emirati leaders believe that Trump is the guy theyve been waiting for and was sort of a godsend after Obama, who restrained them from doing many of the things that were now seeing play out. Feels different: After Israeli forces fired on Palestinian protestors on Friday, killing 18, Josh Keating found that the reaction from the U.N., the countrys left, and other Arab governments was weary, resigned, and ineffective. For fun: Some April Fools from 1912. Stay for the kicker, Rebecca Following the success of their colleagues in West Virginia, teachers in Oklahoma and Kentucky gathered at their respective capitals on Monday to protest legislative action they say worsens or fails to address the funding problems of their schools. Thousands of teachers are expected to gather at their state capital, closing schools across the state. Around a month ago, teachers from every county in West Virginia went on strike, closing schools across the state. After nine days, the teachers successfully lobbied for a pay raise of 5 percent. Their success spurred threats of similar action by teachers in Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Arizona. Advertisement Oklahoma teachers have already begun a strike, demanding pay raises and more funds for their schools, which have been hit over the past years by a series of budget cuts. According to the National Education Association, in 2016, Oklahoma ranked 49th in the nation for teacher salaries, behind West Virginia and ahead of Mississippi. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And according to the Washington Post, budget cuts to the schools have been so severe that many districts have adopted a four-day school week, while others have not been able to afford maintenance to repair broken heating systems. The teachers on strike are now calling for $200 million in education funding, as well as pay raises of $10,000 over three years and $5,000 for other school staff. Advertisement According to the New York Times, in hopes of forestalling the strike, Oklahomas Republican-controlled Legislature passed a major tax increase providing for a $5,000 pay raise for early career teachers and a nearly $8,000 raise for teachers with 25 years of experience, as well as around $50 million in additional funding for the schools. According to the Post, that pay raise was the first the state passed in a decade. And, according to the Oklahoman, the legislators voted to repeal a particular tax increase that would have been essential for the larger education funding. The teachers were not pleased. Oklahoma children deserve better than a legislature that places them at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to education funding, the Oklahoma Education Association, the states largest teachers union, wrote in a statement on its strike website. For more than a decade, weve been asking our lawmakers to restore funding to our classrooms. We cant wait any longer. The time has come for our lawmakers to make good on years of broken promises and pass a real plan that invests in students. Advertisement Advertisement On Monday, in an unrelated demonstration, Kentucky teachers also gathered at the state capital to demand the governor veto a bill overhauling their pension plan, according to ABC News. That plan, which the lawmakers said was meant to cover a multibillion-dollar shortfall in pension costs over the next three decades, will no longer allow teachers to include accrued sick leave pay in their calculations for retirement benefits, according to ABC News. The teachers unions argue that the reform will only save $300 million for the next three decades. The teachers are planning to march from their union headquarters to the capitol building. On Friday, schools in 29 districts also closed as many teachers took sick days to protest the bill. These demonstrations followed yet another unrelated protest, this time in Arizona, where teachers were demanding a 20 percent raise. Here is one of most renowned illustrations of anatomy ever produced, with its genitalia removed. It comes from Andreas Vesalius monumental De humani corporis fabrica, the first printed atlas of anatomy, from 1543. With more than 200 magnificent woodcuts and more than 600 pages of densely argued text, the Fabrica is one of the most impressive books ever produced. A complete copy sells for $400,000 nowadays. Vesalius was the first to picture the human body in all its anatomical detail, including the genitalia. His series of skeleton and muscle men, including the one shown here, presents full-length nudes, while smaller woodcuts provide visual information on each organ. The naturalistic woodcuts of the genitalia soon proved controversial. In Catholic Europe, they were frequently censored because they offended public morals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just one of many, this copy once belonged to the Pauline monastery of Lepoglava, now in Croatia, and its priestly owners carefully painted over the genitalia in black ink. Unfortunately, the iron content of writing ink was corrosive, and it burned through the paper through long centuries, leaving a hole in the page. In contemporary Europe, such images were considered especially dangerous for the morals of women. In the years around 1600, the Lindau town library banned female readers from consulting the Fabrica, claiming that women were using these woodcuts impertinently. The interest in censoring the Fabrica for sex strongly implies that many readers actually read the book to learn and think about sex. The evidence bears this out. If you look at all the surviving copies of the original editions of the Fabrica, as we did, you can see numerous traces of bygone readers underlining certain passages and leaving handwritten comments in the margins. If you then make a statistical analysis of which parts of the Fabrica readers underlined or commented upon, hymen emerges as probably the most frequently underlined word. The topic of menstruation, which Vesalius considered the female equivalent of hemorrhoids in men, was another major source of interest for early modern readers, who would have been primarily male. Advertisement Advertisement Anatomy continued to carry sexual undertones well into the 20th century. The 18th-century witnessed the creation of eroticized wax models of female anatomy, such as the renowned Anatomical Venus (decorated with a pearl necklace and fake pubic hair over the genitalia), whose naturalism put Madame Tussaud to shame. In prudish 19th-century Germany, in turn, popular exhibitions of anatomy frequently featured plaster models of healthy and diseased sexual organs, purportedly to educate the public, but also to excite them. Grays Anatomy performed the same function for pupils and teachers in America, as Mark Twains Tom Sawyer reveals. It was this book that Mr. Dobbins, Tom Sawyers teacher, was fascinated by and kept under lock and key. When Becky Thatcher, Toms classmate, managed to get hold of it, she immediately found a picture of a naked body. Advertisement Advertisement And, unsurprisingly, censorious authorities continued to inveigh against the dangers of sexualizing anatomy. In 17th-century England, an erstwhile archbishop spoke out publicly against the naturalistic depiction of the female genitalia in Helkiah Crookes Mikrokosmographia , and the books next edition would replace vulva and the pubic hair with an asexual, diagrammatic triangle. The 18th-century anatomist Frederik Ruysch , in turn, printed male and female editions of the catalog of his anatomical museum. The male version described his preserved penises, bottled in a jar, in great detail, while the female version contained only three asterisks for these entries. Or think of the troubling case of Sarah Baartman, named the Hottentot Venus by her contemporaries. Born in late-18th century South Africa, Baartman came to England at a young age, where she was exhibited widely by the physician Alexander Dunlop. Her enlarged buttocks and labia excited contemporary male publics and were (wrongly) thought to reveal the racial differences between the anatomy of white and black people. When she died in Paris, at the young age of 25, the foremost anatomist of the time, Georges Cuvier dissected her and exhibited her brains and genitals, which remained on view until 1974. She would finally find rest in 2002, when she was buried back in South Africa after Nelson Mandela personally asked France to return her remains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The early 1970s, when the remains of Baartman were removed from exhibition, also saw the publication of the notorious Anatomical Basis of Medical Practice, the atlas that hoped to make anatomy exciting with the help of Playboy-style photography. This was an actual textbook, aimed at students at medical school, who the authors presumed would be universally male. The authors of this atlas hired Playboy photographer and onetime Ronald Reagan stunt double Peter Gowland, whose illustrations of female surface anatomy were photographed and drawn in classic pinup style. The textual commentary was aimed at men. As the authors wrote, when discussing variation in the anatomy of the back muscles, If you think that once you have seen the back side of one female, youve seen them all, then you havent sat in a sidewalk cafe in Italy where girl watching is a cultivated art. Your authors, whose zeal in this regard never flags, refer you to Figures IIIIV and VIII as proof that female backs can keep an interest in anatomy alive. Like the Fabrica, the Anatomical Basis of Medical Practices eroticized images and commentary created a public uproar, and the book would never go into a second edition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This modern atlas is remarkable because it signals that two different revolutions took place in the practice of anatomy in the latter half of the 20th century. One could say (with some exaggeration) that, from the printing of the Fabrica until the 1970s, anatomy needed to be censored because all pictures of the genitalia were considered necessarily sinful. The Anatomical Basis of Medical Practice appeared at the moment when such fears started to disappear from public discourse. Yet at the same time, anatomy became suspect for another reason. The Anatomical Basis of Medical Practice, and many earlier atlases of anatomy, were now condemned because they turned women and their anatomy into sex objects for male eyes. This article builds on the authors forthcoming book The Fabrica of Andreas Vesalius: A Worldwide Descriptive Census, Ownership, and Annotations of the 1543 and 1555 Editions (Leiden, Brill, 2018). Find their website at vesaliuscensus.wordpress.com. One of the principle reasons partisan gerrymandering has not only survived but thrived in recent years is because judges have run away from any possible solutions by claiming it wasnt their problem. This doctrine of avoiding the political thicket seemed, frustratingly, to re-enter the fray during Wednesdays Supreme Court oral arguments on a Maryland gerrymandering case. But also on Wednesday, we may have actually taken a major leap forward on the political-question doctrine in another area where courts have been similarly reluctant to step in: emoluments. The Supreme Court would be wise to pay attention to a trial court that allowed an emoluments case against President Donald Trump to proceed, that is, to have the courage to enforce the Constitution in areas where it is clearly appropriate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The political-question doctrine is the concept that a controversy is so essentially political that it is not justiciable, or essentially that it is not appropriate for courts to resolve. In some cases, it is true that a controversy is appropriately resolved by a president or by Congress, and not by the courts. But more often than not, judges simply misuse the political-question doctrine in order to dodge a tough legal question. During the arguments in Benisek v. Lamone, five justicesfrom both wings of the courtnodded in this direction, noting that congressional districting is inherently political and thus irredeemably infused with partisan considerations. In a troubling sign that the court remains far from consensus after two recent rounds of arguments on the topic, Justice Stephen Breyer even suggested that the court might ask for a third round of briefs on remedies for political gerrymandering. This was a bad sign that the political-question dodge is very much alive on the court. Advertisement The trial court in Maryland didnt punt here. Meanwhile, just a few miles away in Maryland, a federal trial court offered some sign of hope that judges are not cowering before the daunting political-question doctrine. Judge Peter Jo Messitte denied President Trumps motion to dismiss the emoluments suit brought by the Maryland and D.C. attorneys general, finding that they had standing to bring their challenge. This court confronted the political question head-on, ruling in favor of justiciability. Advertisement This decision countered the outcome in a separate emoluments case brought in New York, where a federal trial court rejected the plaintiffs standing claim, in part by mistakenly relying on the political question. That court made major legal errors in these parts of its decision, which were so basic as to suggest the court may have been unconsciously looking for a way to duck this case on procedural grounds. Both emoluments cases raise challenging legal and historical questions about its substance. But instead of addressing those substantive questions head-on, it used a procedural dodge. It held that the Foreign Emoluments Clause is a political question becausedespite its explicit prohibition on officials receiving benefits from foreign statesit allows Congress the power to permit some foreign emoluments, if it so chooses. Advertisement Advertisement The trial court in Maryland didnt punt here. It framed the issue clearly: The political-question doctrine ought to provide only a narrow exception to the rule that the [j]udiciary has a responsibility to decide cases properly before it. Drawing on many other cases where courts adjudicated similar constitutional clauses, the court held: A plain reading of the Foreign Emoluments Clause compels the conclusion that receiving emoluments, as have been provisionally defined here, is impermissible unless and until Congress consents Advertisement It concluded: The Court is satisfied that this case requires careful examination of the textual, structural, and historical evidence put forward by the parties, which, after all is what courts do. The political question doctrine does not bar judicial review in this case. Advertisement While the Maryland court got the basic question correct, it did narrow this lawsuit in only allowing a challenge of payments to the Trump International Hotel in D.C. rather than to the entire Trump Organization. The Framers were concerned with foreign and domestic government entities using financial incentives of various kinds to corrupt federal officials, especially a chief executive, and undermine our federal system. As I and other legal historians documented in our amicus brief before this court, the Framers knew that, in the late 17th century, Frances Louis XIV had bribed two English kings, which led to their secret conversion to Catholicism, an ill-advised war with the Dutch, and ultimately the Glorious Revolution. This infamous episode, known as the secret Treaty of Dover, was suspected widely by the English at that time, but English historians fully exposed it only in 1771, on the eve of the American Revolution. One key drafter discussed this scandal at the Philadelphia Convention, and two major legal commentators cited it to explain the Emoluments Clause, suggesting that there was a particular concern about chief executives financial entanglements with foreign states.* Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Could anything similar be happening now with exceedingly favorable foreign loan deals or debt forgiveness? Maryland and D.C. have a fundamental interest representing themselves and their constituents to find out in order to try to protect our federal system against foreign and domestic corruption. The Supreme Court has further recognized that states have special solicitude for having standing in our federal system. The district court did, however, explicitly acknowledge that other states and other plaintiffs might demonstrate other injuries in other localities and implicitly invited those plaintiffs to bring such suits. Moreover, the district court dismissed these plaintiffs broader claims without prejudice, which means that it intentionally left the door open for the plaintiffs to come back to court to point to new claims about the Trump Organization and perhaps revisit this portion of the standing ruling. With respect to the D.C. hotel, there are relevant questions about its financing, debts, and loans. The hotel and restaurant bills in New York are probably not relevant to D.C. and Maryland, but the Trump Organizations overall finances are relevant to those jurisdictionsand to all states and all American citizens. As district judges hear arguments next about the history and scope of the Emoluments Clause and then approve discovery, they can and should allow discovery on those matters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Notwithstanding limiting the scope of the suit at this stage, the federal district court sent a message to the president: Courts have the duty to examine the question of whether the president is accepting money from domestic and foreign states in violation of the Constitution. That duty similarly applies to partisan gerrymandering, and its one the Supreme Court ought not to shirk. Nepali woman held captive in Saudi Arabia rescued Binod Kumal, a resident of Phedi village in Bidur Municipality-4, became overjoyed when he heard that his mother was still alive. Kumals mother, Ganga Maya, who had gone to Saudi Arabia, was not in contact with her family for 10 years. In a big new feature story in the New Yorker, Dexter Filkins looks at the swift, disorienting, and brutal rise of Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince and de facto ruler of the kingdom. Filkins story charts MBSs domestic moves (a purge of potential rivals, a modernization drive that will supposedly wean the country off of oil and give women enhanced rights) and foreign affairs (a horrific war in Yemen, a blockade of Qatar, pressure on Lebanons governmentall of them indirectly about countering Iran). All the while, Filkins details how MBS has developed a tight relationship with Jared Kushner and the White House. And he simultaneously examines the machinationsfrom Washington to the Middle Eastof MBSs most important regional ally, Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ), the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and the most important player in the United Arab Emirates. (These two things are not unrelated: Special counsel Robert Mueller is reportedly looking into how Emirati money may have been funneled to people close to the Trump campaign.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I recently spoke by phone with Filkins, a Pulitzer Prizewinning New Yorker staff writer, and the author of The Forever War. (Full disclosure: I know Filkins socially.) During the course of our conversation, which has been edited and condensed for clarity, we discussed the similarities and differences between MBS and Jared Kushner, the role that Kushners family business might have had in the blockade of Qatar, and why the Mueller investigation might turn its sights on the Middle East. Isaac Chotiner: The paradox of your piece was that MBS is ostensibly this modernizer who wants to change everything about Saudi Arabia, and yet he is obsessed with this ancient-seeming Iran grievance, which seems to drive everything he does. How do you understand that tension? Advertisement Dexter Filkins: They are obsessed with Iran. I mean, Iran is the main enemy. When they look out at the map of the Middle East, they see Iran everywhere where theres trouble. I think the domestic reforms are real. I think hes sincere. I think he wants cultural reform. He certainly wants economic reform. But I think political reform is absolutely not on the table. Its all designed to keep the House of Saud in power, and in terms of the conflict with Iran, its no more Mr. Nice Guy. Advertisement If you look at what hes done around the Middle East, he tried to overthrow the government of Qatar. He tried to overthrow the government of Lebanon. Hes conducting a brutal and inexact bombing campaign in Yemen, and hes jumped into the middle of the oldest conflict of our time: the PalestinianIsraeli one. I think by any measure, hes been pretty rash in how hes conducted himself. Advertisement Now, who but a 32-year-old could think that you could just remove the prime minister of Lebanon because you felt like it, and who would think you could do that in Qatar? Thats just something that a person of more experience would think a little harder about before doing. Right out of the box, hes shown himself to be an impulsive leader. Advertisement When you talk to Saudi officials about it, they say that Iran has been able to run the table, and Saudi Arabia for the last 20 years has done absolutely nothing about it. Over the last 10 years or eight years, theyve been restrained from doing anything about it in part by President Obama, but now theyre ready to push hard, which is what theyve been doing. Advertisement Advertisement One of the comparisons you draw in the piece is between Jared Kushner and MBS, who are both young, who both think they can make major change, who have both found themselves in over their heads. One of the things that occurred to me is when you see Jared up close, in a way that we dont see MBS up close because we live in America and we consume American news, is that Jared may appear to people from far away as like this young smart guy, but then you get close and you realize, oh, maybe hes not that smart. Do you think MBS is smarter or more competent, or does he just seem that way from far away? Advertisement I think they kind of found each other, and whether thats because theyre roughly the same age and they come from wealthy families, its hard to say. I think I find they have a lot in common, and I think they have a common vision for the region or one thats pretty close. Jared said somewhere publicly when asked about the Middle East and all of its historical problems, he said, I dont care about the past. In the Middle East the history is everywhere, all the time. So I would think that that would be a very fundamental difference between them, the kind of natural respect and reverence for the past that somebody like MBS would have to have, and contrast it with Jareds kind of, you know, The world began yesterday view. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And yet he wants to remake the Middle East. I think they both do. I think they have different motivations, clearly, but Jared I think has certainly two goals. One is to solve the IsraeliPalestine conflict, and the other one is to contain Iran. I think he wants to do the first one in order to get everybody on board for the second one, so lets solve the Palestinian problem very quickly, and then well have the entire Arab world and Israel forming a kind of united front against Iran, and I think thats kind of how he sees the region. I think that MBSs views and his motivations are different. His priorities are slightly different, but when MBS looks out, he sees Iran and he sees a huge threat, an existential threat, to Saudi Arabia. I mean, he compared them to the Nazis, and so I think hes probably less concerned about the Palestinians and the Israelis, but was really sort of carrying water for Jared. Advertisement You say that Jareds two concerns are the IsraeliPalestinian conflict and Iran, but reading your story, it seems like his main concern may have been him and his familys financial interests. You detail that Charles Kushner, his father, met with the Qataris about funding their property, and that was turned down, which came right before the blockade of Qatar, which the White House may have approved even if many of our diplomats did not. When you were talking to people for the story, were they convinced that Jared may be making Middle East policy simply based on whos funding his family business? Advertisement Advertisement When I spoke to people in Qatar for this story, they certainly believe that. In the Middle East, business and politics are mixed up together in a way that at least historically theyve been kept somewhat separate in the United States. One former official that I spoke to told me, You know, if the Qataris would have lent a billion dollars to Charles Kushner, which is what he asked for, would there has been a blockade? I dont think so. I think theyre convinced of that, and so I think that the view in the Middle East of the Trump administration is that its a much more aggressive policy, but at the same time theyre open for business. Advertisement Advertisement Right, you could say our whole alliance with Saudi Arabia is based on business. You could say American presidents have wanted to make deals with people in the Middle East for the American economy or for other rich Americans for a long time, but to kind of have it be based just on your own family business seems like a whole new leap. Yes. I think that Charles Kushner had said that the Qataris came to him and were seeking to lend him money. That doesnt sound very plausible, but thats kind of his explanation, and then he said he turned them down. But yeah. I mean, I think thats where we are. I think that the Trump companies have pretty deep financial interests in the Middle East, and those are mixed up together in all of this. Advertisement Advertisement You mention in the story that Robert Muellers investigators are looking into Emirati money potentially going to people close to the Trump campaign. When you were reporting, did you get the sense that this was going to be a large part of the continuing Mueller investigation, and that this may be in some way connected to Trumps seeming fondness for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates? Its hard to know exactly what Muellers looking at because its hard to know what happened, but it is clear that the Emiratis definitely, and to a certain extent the Saudis, were looking past Obama. You know, they were sick of Obama, and they were very happy about Trumps election. They very much wanted to kind of ingratiate themselves to him. Advertisement That I think explains the kind of flurry of activity that happened between the election and the inauguration, where you have MBZ essentially trying to come and meet Trump secretly in the United States, which is a bizarre story in itself, and then the kind of still-mysterious meeting that took place in the Seychelles between Erik Prince and some Russians that was arranged by MBZ. Its really mysterious, and I just dont know. Its hard to know how big it is and how deep it goes. Advertisement Advertisement Why the rush, right? I mean, Trump was going to be in office. I think they wanted to get in good with him, and I think they did. I mean, the White House officials that I spoke to, they love the Emiratis. They love MBS. I have to say, I didnt know this when I started my piece, but the Emiratis in particular, MBZ in particular, he is one of the most popular people in Washington. Part of that is because hes this unabashedly pro-American leader in the Middle East, which doesnt have many of those, but the other reason is money. Theyve all got a lot of money and they buy a lot of stuff from the United States, including a lot of weapons, and they hire a lot of people, so they loom very large. Advertisement Were you surprised at the level of connections that both governments have developed in Washington? Somebody said to me, actually, that American policy in the Middle East is made in Riyadh. I wouldnt go that far, but in reporting this piece I was really stunned. I had no idea how influential Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are in Washington. They are everywhere. They are really influential. They pay a lot of people. They have a lot of people on their payroll, and so they get what they want. Advertisement I talked to a number of people, senior people in the Obama administration, and they had a very strange relationship with particularly the Emiratis. They said, You know, wed meet with them and everything was fine, and then theyd leave and then wed hear that theyd been trashing us all over town. Ben Rhodes, Obamas former deputy national security adviser, said that the Saudis and the Emiratis are more responsible for the image of Obama as a softie in the Middle East than anyone else, and I think thats true. I had no idea how deep and wide their connections go, but they are among the most influential players in Washington. Advertisement Advertisement Reporting on this story, you talked to a ton of people in the Middle East. And you talked to a lot of people in the Middle East who like Trump. Did those people have anything to say about the fact that Trump ran his campaign on a Muslim ban, and has spoken out really negatively about Saudi Arabia and about Muslims in the Middle East for years? I mean, we tend to forget this because now hes sort of so close to these ruling elites, but it was sort of astonishing, the campaign he ran, and I was just wondering if theres any kind of residue of that. If theres not, that in itself is fascinating. Yeah, it is. I think it all went away with the Riyadh summit, which was shortly after the inauguration, the summit in Saudi Arabia. It was kind of hard to believe what a lovefest it became with Trump. Theres a video you can watch of these sword dancers kind of dancing around President Trump. Its kind of hard to believe that they were willing to set all of that aside, but they were. It was all forgotten, and I think to the contrary, the Saudi and the Emirati leaders believe that Trump is the guy theyve been waiting for and was sort of a godsend after Obama, who restrained them from doing many of the things that were now seeing play out. Its all forgotten, all forgiven. Chinas Tiangong-1 space station, once the size of a school bus, burned up and broke apart as it entered Earths atmosphere on Sunday night, Chinese and U.S. aerospace agencies confirmed. Residual pieces of the station landed northwest of Tahiti in the South Pacific and are now likely at the bottom of the ocean. China launched the Tiangong-1, its first space lab, in 2011 as part of an effort to eventually establish a permanent space station sometime after 2020. Because of a U.S. law barring NASA from communicating with Chinas space agency, China was not able to join the International Space Station. Yet the International Space Station could lose funding by 2024, so China may soon be the only country operating one. Advertisement The Tiangong-1, which was meant to be a prototype, was host to two missions. Six Chinese astronauts traveled to the station over the course of its five years in orbit, where they conducted experiments, gave lectures to students on Earth, and tested orbital docking maneuvers. Astronauts last visited Tiangong-1 in 2013. The station lost contact with control centers for unknown reasons in 2016, and China later told the U.N. that it had fulfilled its historic mission. That same year, the country launched the Tiangong-2 station, another prototype. Whats notable about the Tiangong-1s re-entry into Earths atmosphere is that it was uncontrolled, according to outside researchers, as China is apparently unable or unwilling to contact it. (China disputed this assessment but offered no evidence to disprove it.) Space agencies typically guide a stations descent back to earth, like Russia did with its Mir space station in 2001, in order to avoid affecting population centers. However, there was a less than 1 in 1 trillion chance of Tiangong-1 debris hitting anyone, according to the Aerospace Corporation. Facebook takes a relatively hands-off approach to advertising, which helps to maximize profits but occasionally leads to publicity nightmares. In September 2017, ProPublica reported that the company let advertisers target users on the basis of their interest in topics like Jew hater. In the immediate aftermath, Slate found other disturbing targeting categories, including Kill Muslim Radicals, Killing Bitches, and Nazi Elementary School. Facebook promised to try to fix the problem, and those categories have since disappeared. But as of Monday morning, the company still allows advertisers to target users on the basis of their interest in illegal firearms, including assault weapons banned under federal and state law. Advertisement As the Cambridge Analytica scandal has graphically illustrated, Facebook gathers a vast amount of data on its usersand not just the data they knowingly turn over. The network tracks other websites its users visit and has even kept records of their calls and texts. It can also track your location and financial status, as well as the apps you install on your phone. Facebook uses this data to create richly detailed user profiles. It then invites advertisers to target users who are interested in specific goods or services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of those goods? Illegal guns. AK-47 and M16 rifle are their own categories in Facebooks ad targeting tool. Genuine AK-47s and M16s are true automatic weapons, meaning they can fire rounds continuously, and theyre generally banned for civilian use under federal law. But when you type either into the targeting tool, Facebook helpfully suggests AR-15. Thats a semi-automatic weapon, meaning it automatically reloads, but fires only one round each time the trigger is pulled. AR-15s are banned in seven states and the District of Columbia, as well as parts of Colorado and Illinois. The rifle has been dubbed mass shooters weapon of choice. Advertisement AR-15 is also a targeting category. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisers are not permitted to promote the sale or use of weapons, ammunition, or explosives on Facebook. So why might they wish to target users based on their interest in specific firearms? A Facebook spokesman told me that the company viewed these as categories of legitimate interest and noted that gun-related ads must target users older than 18. He added that advertisers can sell gun accessories, such as holsters. (Some online retailers also permit sales of gun accoutrements but not the actual firearms, as April Glaser has reported in Slate.) Advertisement But Facebook advertisers cannot sell or promote accessories meant to be affixed to a firearm itself, like triggers or muzzles. And Facebook already lets advertisers target users based on their interest in the NRA, the Second Amendment, concealed carry, guns & ammo, and other firearm-related topics. There are plenty of Facebook pages and groups that celebrate AR-15s, but theyre careful not to allow marketing the weapon or its many accessories. One of the biggest groups, AR15 Nation USA, bars advertising and clarifies that its JUST A DISCUSSION GROUP. Advertisement Facebook isnt running afoul of any laws by permitting advertisers to target users whose internet habits indicate an interest in these weapons. So long as advertisers dont explicitly sell a firearm, they havent violated the companys policy. And so long as they dont sell a prohibited firearm, they havent broken any laws. The question is, why does Facebook allow these targeting categories when its ban on the sale of firearms has already proved so extraordinarily difficult to enforce? Thanks to the companys ceaseless data collection, it can point advertisers toward users most likely to purchase particular firearms, even in states where they are outlawed. And it doesnt seem interested in closing this loophole any time soon. Nepali worker robbed of IRs 200k in India A Nepali migrant worker was robbed of his hard-earned money allegedly by two of his friends in India. Lloyds Banking Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of banking and financial services in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates through three segments: Retail; Commercial Banking; and Insurance and Wealth. The Retail segment offers a range of financial service products, including current accounts, savings accounts, mortgages, motor finance, unsecured loans, leasing solutions, credit cards, and other financial services to personal and small business customers. The Commercial Banking segment provides lending, transactional banking, working capital management, risk management, and debt capital market services to small and medium-sized entities, corporates, and financial institutions. The Insurance and Wealth segment offers life, home, and car insurance products; and pension, investment, and wealth management products and services. It also provides digital and mobile banking, and telephone services, as well as advisory services for savings, investments, and planning for retirement. The company offers its products and services under the Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Scottish Widows, MBNA, Schroders Personal Wealth, Black Horse, Lex Autolease, Birmingham Midshires, LDC, IWeb, and Agricultural Mortgage Corporation brands. Lloyds Banking Group plc was founded in 1695 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More NMC Health Plc provides healthcare services in the United Arab Emirates, Spain, and internationally. The company operates through two businesses, NMC Healthcare and NMC Trading. It owns and manages approximately 135 healthcare facilities that include hospitals, medical centers, long term care facilities, day surgery centers, fertility centers, and home health services providers. The company has developed specialized verticals covering multi-specialty care, maternity and fertility, long-term and home care, operations and management, and distribution services. It is also involved in the distribution of pharmaceutical products, medical equipment, medical consumables and devices, education and office supplies, veterinary products, cosmetics, IT products, and rehab supplies, as well as consumer products, including personal care, food and beverages, household care, and home improvement products. The company was founded in 1975 and is based in London, the United Kingdom. Read More South32 Limited operates as a diversified metals and mining company primarily in Australia, Southern Africa, North America, and South America. The company has a portfolio of assets producing alumina, aluminum, bauxite, energy and metallurgical coal, manganese ore and alloy, ferronickel, silver, lead, and zinc. It also exports its products. South32 Limited has a strategic alliance agreement with AusQuest Limited for exploration opportunity under at its Morrisey nickel-copper project. The company was formerly known as BHP Coal Holdings Pty Limited and changed its name to South32 Limited in March 2015. South32 Limited was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Perth, Australia. Read More Brookdale Senior Living, Inc. engages in the operation of senior living communities. The firm manages independent living, assisted living and dementia-care communities and continuing care retirement centers. It operates through the following segments: Independent Living Assisted Living & Memory Care, CCRCs, Health Care Services and Management Services. The Independent Living segment is primarily designed for middle to upper income seniors who desire an upscale residential environment providing the highest quality of service. The Assisted Living & Memory Care segment offer housing and 24-hour assistance with ADLs to mid-acuity frail and elderly residents. The CCRCs segment offers a variety of living arrangements and services to accommodate all levels of physical ability and health. The Healthcare Services segment provides home health, hospice and outpatient therapy services, as well as education and wellness programs, to residents of many communities and to seniors living outside communities. The Management Services segment composes of communities operated by the company pursuant to management agreements. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Brentwood, TN. Read More No mere formality It is now confirmed that Prime Minister KP Oli will travel to New Delhi for a three-day visit starting this week, April 6. This is his first foreign visit after becoming head of government following the elections last year. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a patented method to use cheap and abundant paper biomass to make lithium-sulfur batteries. Credit: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute A major byproduct in the papermaking industry is lignosulfonate, a sulfonated carbon waste material, which is typically combusted on site, releasing CO 2 into the atmosphere after sulfur has been captured for reuse. Now researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a method to use this cheap and abundant paper biomass to build a rechargeable lithium-sulfur battery. Such a battery could be used to power big data centers as well as provide a cheaper energy-storage option for microgrids and the traditional electric grid. "Our research demonstrates the potential of using industrial paper-mill byproducts to design sustainable, low-cost electrode materials for lithium-sulfur batteries," said Trevor Simmons, a Rensselaer research scientist who developed the technology with his colleagues at the Center for Future Energy Systems (CFES). He has patented the process with former graduate student Rahul Mukherjee. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries currently are the dominant battery technology. In recent years, however, much interest has grown around developing lithium-sulfur batteries, which can have more than double the energy of their lithium-ion counterparts of the same mass. A rechargeable battery has two electrodesa positive cathode and a negative anode. Placed in between the electrodes is a liquid electrolyte that serves as a medium for the chemical reactions that produce electric current. In a lithium-sulfur battery, the cathode is composed of a sulfur-carbon matrix, and a lithium metal oxide is used for the anode. In its elemental form, sulfur is nonconductive, but when combined with carbon at elevated temperatures, it becomes highly conductive, allowing it to be used in novel battery technologies. The challenge, however, is that sulfur can easily dissolve into a battery's electrolyte, causing the electrodes on either side to deteriorate after only a few cycles. Researchers have used different forms of carbon, such as nanotubes and complex carbon foams, to confine the sulfur in place, but with limited success. "Our method provides a simple way to create an optimal sulfur-based cathode from a single raw material," Simmons said. To develop their method, the Rensselaer researchers partnered with Finch Paper in Glens Falls, which provided the lignosulfonate. This "brown liquor" (a dark syrupy substance) is dried and then heated to about 700 degrees Celsius in a quartz tube furnace. The high heat drives off most of the sulfur gas but retains some of the sulfur as polysulfides (chains of sulfur atoms) that are embedded deep within an activated carbon matrix. The heating process is repeated until the right amount of sulfur is trapped in the carbon matrix. The material is then ground up and mixed with an inert polymer binder to create a cathode coating on aluminum foil. The research team has so far created a lithium-sulfur battery prototype that is the size of a watch battery, which can cycle about 200 times. The next step is to scale up the prototype to markedly increase the discharge rate and the battery's cycle life. "In repurposing this biomass, the researchers working with CFES are making a significant contribution to environmental preservation while building a more efficient battery that could provide a much-needed boost for the energy storage industry," said Martin Byrne, CFES director of business development. Explore further Researchers charge ahead to develop better batteries More information: Initial funding for the research came from the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I). The research team then secured a Bench to Prototype grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, administered through NY-BEST (New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology), to more fully develop the technology. Plan to set up pashmina wool processing centres in limbo Manufacturers of pashmina products are not enthusiastic about establishing pashmina wool processing centres in various parts of the country as proposed by the government, as they have said the budget of Rs6 million allocated for the purpose is insufficient. PM Olis visit aims to redefine Nepal-India ties Prime Minister KP Sharma Olis upcoming visit to India is aimed at redefining and resetting the Nepal-India relations that took a dip after New Delhi imposed a border blockade on Nepal after promulgation of the new constitution in 2015, Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali said on Sunday. Quake-ravaged school buildings yet to be reconstructed More than 200 community school buildings that were destroyed in the 2015 earthquake are yet to be reconstructed in Gorkha. Computer Science Amazon Pumping $50 Million into CS Education Amazon is committing $50 million to computer science education in the United States with new programs supporting high school and early undergraduate students, including financial aid to help schools bring AP CS courses to their students. As part of the new Amazon Future Engineer (AFE) Pathway, Amazon will support schools and individual students needing access to Advanced Placement courses in CS. For the AP courses, Amazon's AWS Educate is partnering with Edhesive to provide access to the AP CS Java and AP CS Principles courses. (AP CS Principles has proved to be the most successful AP course launch to date.) Teachers, administrators and students themselves can apply to bring the courses to their schools. Amazon will then, according to the company, "select the eligible schools and students who will receive financial aid to access the Edhesive AP courses. Edhesive will engage with the selected schools and students in the spring of 2018 to onboard and launch for the fall 2018 school year." AWS Educate is a global service from Amazon that provides students and faculty with access to cloud-related learning resources. For students, it provides training, hands-on experiences and career resources. For faculty, it offers open source content, training resources and community support. Edhesive provides complete courses to schools, including teacher training, curriculum, resources and support. Applications for the CS courses are being accepted through June. Amazon is also providing support to students pursuing or looking to pursue computer science degrees. Those who pass the AP CS courses offered by Edhesive and who maintain a 3.0 GPA will be able to apply for $10,000 college scholarships. (The scholarships are aimed at "communities currently underrepresented in tech.") Applications will open Nov. 1, 2018 and close Jan. 15, 2019. College and university freshmen and sophomores can also apply to intern at Amazon. This year's application process will open Sept. 1 and close Dec. 1. Further information can be found in Amazon's blog post from this morning. Face-to-face fan consultation begins over new stadium Monday, 2 April, 2018 With Everton having solicited feedback from fans with a survey based on 11 Key Principles that will guide the move away from Goodison Park, Meis, selected to design the club's new stadium on Liverpool's north docks, is meeting with fans at the site of the Blues' current home to gather further ideas and present initial concepts. The first images of those concept ideas have been surfacing on social media and they feature components that have been prominent in the minds of many Evertonians when thinking about the new development, including proximity of the stands to the pitch, a large, imposing home end and the possibility of a safe-standing section. The new main stand featuring executive boxes, press corps section and prominent disabled supporters area A "north stand" concept with what Meis hopes would be the UK's biggest stadium screen Meis's concepts include possible safe-standing options at the new ground East stand concept with the away supporters' corner and further disabled seating positions The proposed new stadium overlaid on top of Goodison Park for comparison Images Meis Studio from Twitter via @ToffeeTV The conversation around capacity has been a prominent one over the past couple of weeks, ever since CEO Robert Elstone's remarks at a Liverpool business meeting in which he intimated that the capacity at Bramley-Moore Dock would not represent a massive jump from Goodison's ~40,000. Meis himself has also hinted that the maximum attendance at the new ground would be guided by the need for intimacy and to create an intimidating venue and he has backed that up again today. Meis was quoted as saying that while 99% of Evertonians want a 50,000-plus capacity, he is cautious of going as high as 60,000, the number favoured by the majority of Blues. According to the Liverpool Echo's Chris Beesley, he says that he believes in scarcity of seats and the importance of selling out a venue. He said that the last 10,000 seats in a stadium are the most expensive and bring in the least revenue." About these ads Uber exiting Vietnam and other parts of Southeast Asian has opened up opportunities for Vietnamese companies to cash in the ride-hailing sector. With only one major rival left to fight withMalaysia-based GrabVietnamese businesses are pushing effort to improve their own apps to grab a bit more market share. "Vietnamese firms are motivated to increase investment for their ride-hailing apps after Uber withdrew from Southeast Asia, Tran Thanh Nam, the founder of Vivu, a smartphone app allowing people to hail private cars or motorbikes, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. Vivu itself has received a whopping US$100 million investment from local passenger bus operator Phuong Trang, and was rebranded VATO, Nam added. In order to compete with Grab, Vietnamese apps should have features that do what their strong rival cannot do. In the case of VATO, the killer feature is bargaining, allowing riders negotiate the fare with their drivers, according to Nam. The bargain will be based on the minimum price set by VATO, and this is what either Grab or Uber could do, he said proudly. A screenshot of the VATO app. Photo: Tuoi Tre News Another strength is that VATO charges riders VND8,500 a km, similar to that of GrabCar, but the revenue split for drivers is only 20 percent, compared to 25 percent of the foreign app. Nam said Vivu has received 2,000 applications from car drivers, and 500 of them are active. The rebranded VATO app will be officially launched in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City within this month, he added. We are committed to offering incentives for both drivers and customers to familiarize them with our service, he said. Nam has reasons to feel upbeat about the future, with the daily downloads of his app doubling to 200 only one day after Uber announced its exit from the Southeast Asian market. Phuong Trang CEO Nguyen Tri Dung also confirmed to Tuoi Tre that his company channeled $100 million into VATO, adding one product into its e-commerce ecosystem. A UberMoto driver and his customer are seen in front of Saigon Train Station in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre From April 8, all Uber rides will have to be made via the Grab app, meaning Uber drivers should either join the latter company or stop working in the ride-hailing service. The transition is part of the transaction in which Grab will take over Uber operations in Southeast Asia. Uber will be entitled to 27.5 percent of Grabs shares in return. Uber drivers found the transition to be no good news. Some Uber drivers are ex-Grab employees and are now unable to return to their former app. Others are concerned that they will lose all incentives, including a lower revenue split, when joining the Grab network. Mai Linh, one of the leading Vietnamese taxicab operators who also has its own ride-hailing app, said a number of Uber car and motorbike drivers have applied to join the company. Mai Linh chairman Ho Huy said the company will grab this opportunity to rival Grab, with some distinctive features. With Mai Linh Bike, we only ask for a revenue split of 15 percent and will cover 100 percent of the costumes fees for any driver who makes at least VND2.5 million ($110) a month, Huy said. A group of Mai Linh Bike drivers are seen in this photo provided by the company. Mai Linh Bike charges riders VND11,000 for the first two kilometers, and VND3,700 each from the third kilometer onward. Huy underlined that the service will not collect premium for bookings made during rush hours. The company will also buy insurance for drivers who are in service for six months in a row. Economist Bui Quang Tinh said Vietnamese ride-hailing apps should fill in the void left by Ubers exit to expand their market share and bring in more choices for local commuters. Those who provide the best service will be the winners, he said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has called on China to refrain from complicating the situation in the East Vietnam Sea during his talks with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister of Wang Yi in Hanoi on Sunday. The event was held as part of the Chinese ministers visit official visit to Vietnam and attendance at the 6th Greater Mekong Sub-region Summit (GMS-6) from March 30 to April 3. During their conversation, Minh asserted that the Vietnamese state and government always focus on the development of comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China. The two officials agreed on promoting visits among two countries leaders, cementing cooperation between ministries and departments, and implementing common perceptions and cooperation between both nations. They also support the settlement of existing problems to maintaining the stable and positive development of bilateral relations. Deputy PM Minh suggested measures to promote the significant role of the steering committee for Vietnam-China bilateral cooperation, He asked Beijing to provide favorable conditions for Vietnamese products to enter the local market, and to develop bilateral trade in a balanced and healthy manner. The Vietnamese deputy premier also urged enhancement of win-win cooperation in the agriculture, environmental protection, climate change response, science and technology, finance, transport, and economic matters. Minh expressed his concern over potential factors that can intensify tension in the East Vietnam Sea, stressing that the legitimate rights and interests of Vietnam should be respected in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Both parties should implement the common perceptions reached by their leaders and the Vietnam-China agreement on fundamental principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues, while persistently resolving disputes in the maritime area via peaceful measures. They should manage maritime disputes without taking any actions to complicate the situation, thus maintaining peace and stability in the East Vietnam Sea, Minh asserted. Replying to his host, Minister Wang stated that China is willing to work with Vietnam to increase strategic exchanges and political trust, deepen cooperation, and properly address disputes, for the benefits of both nations and peace in the region. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Since construction of the 13-kilometer Cat Linh Ha Dong line began in 2011, its completion has been put off five times, totaling six years of delay. Dr. Pham Sy Liem, vice president of Vietnam Construction Association, put the repeated delays down to a lack of capital, which in turn could be attributed to erroneous initial estimates or mismanagement during the projects development. Either way, Liem said, the Ministry of Transport must take charge of launching a thorough inspection into the project to determine how its development capital went off the roof and who are to blame for such inefficient use of funds. The Cat Linh Ha Dong urban railway line commenced construction in October 2011 with an initially approved capital investment of US$552.86 million, partially funded by Chinas official development assistance (ODA). In early 2014, the projects capital investment was raised to $868.04 million, forcing Vietnam to take an additional ODA loan of $250.62 million from China. The Vietnam Railway Authority, under the transport ministry, is the project developer, whereas the China Railway Sixth Group, a subsidiary of construction conglomerate China Railway Group, is the EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) contractor. Under an EPC contract, the contractor designs the installation, procures the necessary materials, and builds the project. A worker works on the construction site of the Cat Linh - Ha Dong urban railway line in Hanoi. Photo: Tuoi Tre According to Liem, the project developer must take the highest responsibility in making sure things go on schedule, as the Chinese contractor cant keep putting off finishing the railway line without permission from Vietnamese management authorities. Dr. Tran Dinh Thien, president of the Vietnam Institute of Economics, said it was important that the cause for repeated delays of the urban rail line be determined, instead of allowing such absurdity to happen time and time again. Postponements of such key projects only lead to cost overruns and many other immeasurable damages to the economy, and slow down our countrys economic growth as a whole, Thien said. Fifth times not a charm The Cat Linh Ha Dong line had been scheduled for official launch in June 2015, meaning construction was initially expected to less than four years. However, in 2014 it was announced that the projects launch would be delayed until 2016 with an additional cost of over $315 million. In early 2016, the transport ministry and its Chinese contractor agreed on a new launch date in December the same year, before correcting themselves that the line would not be launched until early 2017. In February 2017, the urban railway lines completion was postponed for another year, with a new launch set for February 2018. Last week, the project manager submitted a proposal for the line to begin a test run in September, setting the date for an official launch to be in 2021. The test runs would include both no-load and loaded tests, according to a transport ministry report submitted to the government for approval. Authorities would rely on test results to make necessary technical adjustments and determine a specific launch date for the entire line. There is no knowing whether this postponement would be the last. Workers work on the construction site of the Cat Linh - Ha Dong urban railway line in Hanoi. Photo: Tuoi Tre According to calculations made in May last year by the project manager, the rail line project was already paying at least VND1.2 billion ($53,000) in loan interests for each day of delay from the initial schedule. But there could be less visible economic damages as well, experts say. If the line had been put to use in 2015, residents in Hanoi could have gotten used to the public transport by now and traffic pressure on the Vietnamese capital could have already been relieved. The saying that third times a charm seems to have lost its charm on the people of Vietnam, who deserve an answer from responsible authorities for the continuous delays. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in the north-central province of Nghe An are hunting for a suspect that broke into a local gold shop before dawn on Thursday, leaving with more than US$30,000 worth of stolen jewelry. The thievery, fully recorded by a security camera, occurred at the Ngoc Khanh jewelry store in Tan Ky District around midnight but stayed unbeknownst until 6:00 am the same day, according to Hoang Van Khanh, the establishment owner. The facility was unattended at night and an employee named Duong Thi Thanh was the first to discover the theft when she opened the shop in the morning. According to CCTV footage, the suspect apparently broke in the store stealthily under the shroud of darkness from the fourth floor. Due to the residences uninhabited state at the time, he was let loose to basically raid the whole premise for valuables. The pure-gold ware was kept in the safe, hence remained untouched. The lost accessories were estimated to be around VND700 million ($30,730) in worth. As seen in the footage, the fully masked male suspect was also derived to be around 1.7 meters tall, equipped with a pocket knife, left-handed and accompanied by slouchy movement, police said. Lieutenant-colonel Dinh Ngoc Dung, head of the districts police force, said on Sunday that the case is still under investigation. Road upgradation project grounds to a halt in Birgunj The Birgunj-Pathlaiya road upgradation project has ground to a halt and is unlikely to meet the completion deadline. The contractor tasked with a 5.8km section that stretches from Simara to Jitpur has not carried out construction work for the last three months. The construction of an expressway connecting Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta has been repeatedly delayed for nearly a decade, with experts concerned that it would not be finished in the near future. The massive highway, connecting Ho Chi Minh City with the Mekong Delta hub of Can Tho, stretches 120 kilometers and consists of three major sections. The first section, Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong, which links the southern metropolis with Tien Giang Province, was completed in 2010. The second part, Trung Luong - My Thuan is currently under construction, while the third section, My Thuan - Can Tho, is only in its preparation phase. My Thuan is the neighboring area between Tien Giang and Vinh Long Province. Following repeated delays, the entire project is expected to be completed in 2021, a timeline doubted by experts and industry insiders. Only a few workers are seen at the construction site of the Trung Luong - My Thuan expressway in Than Cuu Nghia Commune, Chau Thanh District, Tien Giang Province. Photo: Tuoi Tre Trung Luong - My Thuan The 54-kilometer Trung Luong - My Thuan expressway had its first sod turned in 2009 and had since on a sluggish progress until 2012, when the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), the original developer, ditched the project due to difficulties with its capital investment. A new developer then took over the project and recommenced it in 2015, but construction was later delayed out of complicated bank loan procedures. Construction was actually halted to have its design adjusted to improve safety between 2016 and June 2017, following a request by the Ministry of Transport. Only three percent of the construction has been finished so far. According to Tran Van Thi, general director of CIPM Cuu Long, which manages the project on behalf of the state, the developer has channeled 15 percent of the investment capital, which is equivalent to VND1.542 trillion (US$67.8 million). However, they have not been able to sign a loan agreement, Thi said. If this funding issue is resolved by the end of May, the developer will be able to push construction in June and reach completion within the second quarter of 2020, he added. An excavator is abandoned along a section of the Trung Luong - My Thuan construction. Photo: Tuoi Tre My Thuan - Can Tho The My Thuan - Can Tho expressway project was approved by the Ministry of Transport in August 2017, according to Phung Tuan Son, an official of the Thang Long Project Management Board, which is authorized to manage the plan. The section stretches 23.5 kilometers, with capital investment estimated at VND5.37 trillion ($236.2 million), Son continued. But no work has been started for the project, with the management board only submitted the plan to select developers to the transport ministry, the official admitted. The invitation is expected to be issued in April and May, and the tender will be opened four months later to choose the most suitable developer. Construction wont start until 2019 and finish in 2021, Son elaborated. Several investors have shown interest in the project due to its crucial role in local transportation development, Son said. The expressway will also help boost sustainable development in the entire Mekong Delta. While it is uncertain when the Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho Expressway will come on stream, people looking for faster transportation between the two cities can put hope on a high-speed railway traveling the same route. Canadas MorFund Financial Inc. announced early March it would invest some $5 billion in the Saigon - Can Tho rail project, which is expected to commence this year. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Three tractor trailer drivers have been slapped with civil fines for overloading, after they were caught conveying three colossal trees from southern to northern Vietnam last week, with the consignee falsely believed to be a high-ranking traffic police officer. The drivers employer has asserted that the three giant banyan trees were transported at a pagodas behest, dispelling rumors on social media that the plants were moved as per a one-star generals requirement. Three tractor trailers, belonging to Hai Son Co., were pulled over by police traffic police in the north-central province of Thua Thien-Hue on Friday, when each of them was carrying a large banyan on the arterial National Route 1. The drivers were fined nearly VND82 million (US$3,600) for transporting oversized objects which exceeded the allowed load weight, and failing to present a permit for the transportation, police said on Sunday. They also had their driving licenses confiscated for one to three months, according to officers. One of the three banyans lies in Thua Thien-Hue Province, north-central Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre Each of the banyans, which were subsequently unloaded from the trucks and positioned on a local roadside in Thua Thien-Hue, measures about 15 meters in length and over six meters in circumference at its widest. Multiple long branches extend from the top part of the trees, which have the roots covered in bags with a circumference of approximately 15 meters apiece. Nguyen Hai Son, director of Hai Son Co., said a pagoda had asked his company to move the banyans, from Dak Lak Province, in Vietnams Central Highlands, to Hanoi. Deemed sacred, banyans usually form part of the scene at Vietnamese temples and pagodas. The banyans lies in Thua Thien-Hue Province, north-central Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre He rejected the so-called canard previously spreading on social medial that the business transported the trees for major general Nguyen Huu Danh, former deputy head of the General Department of Traffic Police. Rumor had it that the drivers managed to pass a number of police checkpoints with impunity after name-dropping Danh. The major general has addressed local media to dismiss the hearsay, saying somebody must have attempted to misuse his name and title. The banyans are captured on film in Thua Thien-Hue Province, north-central Vietnam. Video: Tuoi Tre Two of the three banyans lie in Thua Thien-Hue Province, north-central Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre A forest ranger looks at a leaf from one of the three banyans in Thua Thien-Hue Province, north-central Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A power bank having been plugged in for charge for several days overheated and sparked a fire at an apartment in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday, less than ten days after a blaze that killed 13 condo tenants in the same metropolis. The apartment on the eighth floor of Block A at the PARC Spring Apartment Complex in District 2 caught fire at around 5:50 pm, sending people to escape the building in panic. Firefighters were quick to arrive at the site and the fire was put out about 30 minutes later. A witness named Nguyen Dinh Uy said residents had been warned by the fire alarm before noticing the smoke coming out from the eighth floor, and had to rush downstairs for their own safety. A representative of the District 2 fire unit told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday morning that the blaze was started by an overheated power bank. The owner of the apartment had left the portable charger plugged in for several days. It caught fire and spread to a pile of books, a laptop, and eventually the mattress. The flame caused damage to some property inside the apartment. There was no casualty as all member of the family were not at home at the time of incident. The PARC Spring Apartment Complex, developed by CapitaLand, was put into operation in 2011. Managers of the venue and local firefighting police unit examined the fire safety system on Friday last week. A meeting was also held on Saturday to raise awareness on fire safety for tenants. The PARC Spring fire occurred just nine days after an inferno killed 13 people at the Carina Plaza Apartment Complex in District 8. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! What fun is the rebooted Lost in Space on Netflix. No more the campy Irwin Allen adventure, nor the dark, bleak feature from 1998, this 10 part series strikes an inspired balance of Saturday matinee family adventure but with adult sensibilities. Yes there are wholesale changes, notably with Doctor Smith as female and a new backstory for the Robinson clan, but they work if you are detached enough to come at this from a new perspective. Episode 1 establishes the core relationships of the Robinsons, leaving Doctor Smith and Don West as footnotes with a sign of more to come. In this age of empowerment, it is Maureen Robinson (Molly Parker) who steps up as leader. As a gifted aerospace engineer with a nous for solving just about every problem -and the maternal instincts of a doting mum- she and husband John Robinson (Toby Stephens) are bringing their children to a new colony as part of the mother ship Resolute. But when disaster strikes they crash land on an icy, unknown planet which throws Judy Robinson (Taylor Russell), Penny Robinson (Mina Sundwall) and Will Robinson (Maxwell Jenkins) into all kinds of jeopardy. While Judy is awfully young to be the ships medical doctor, she is also the perfect daughter, much to the consternation of middle child Penny (aka Jan Brady?). The young cast are all given sufficient screen time to allow individual ties, with a bright-eyed Will stumbling across his new best friend in circumstances fitting of Androcles -and yes Danger Will Robinson has not been forgotten. The highly-underrated Parker Posey breathes new life into Doctor Smith, duplicitous without needing to twirl any villainous moustache -just dont expect to hear bubble-headed booby anytime soon. Ignacio Serricchio isnt given much to work with as a Latino Don West. With the exception of young Maxwell Jenkins proving what a find he is, Lost in Space belongs to the female performers. Molly Parker (House of Cards, Deadwood) isnt about to take the back seat June Lockhart occupied in 1965. She upstages Toby Stephens who spends too much time brooding and whispering for my liking. The script by Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless (Dracula Untold, Gods of Egypt, Prison Break), enthrallingly directed by Neil Marshall (Game of Thrones), also draws upon Lost-like flashbacks which enhance or reconfigure the context for the audience. Visually this makes the most of its Canadian forest locations, with a touch of Halo-design and the music is positively grand -it screams John Williams. Having now seen 4 episodes, one question remains unexplained: the casting of Taylor Russell as daughter Judy. I cant work out if her ethnicity is blind casting never to be mentioned again, or if there is a backstory to come Like the Doctor Who contemporary reboot, Lost in Space brings a TV favourite to a new generation, finding new beats in the story with a nod to the past (watch for one cameo). This will please fans old and young alike. Lost in Space begins Friday April 13 on Netflix. SSF-N to join govt after premier returns Prime Minister KP Sharma Olis busy schedule ahead of his India visit has delayed appointment of Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal members as ministers, leaders have said. When you talk about former US President Barack Obamas legacy in terms of Immigration, it all boils down to the DACA, which he signed in order to protect the rights of the children of undocumented citizens, who had no say in the decision to illegally move to America. Now, sitting US President Donald Trump has been shutting that down, removing let another piece of poor Obamas legacy, and the ex-POTUS is not happy about it. Both Obama and his Vice President Joe Biden, who served together in office for eight years between 2009 and 2017, have described the move as cruel, while the former has also said that going after the young people who didnt make any of the decisions involved in their immigration is wrong. He added that Trumps own ideas on immigration and the ensuing policies are self-defeating. These are those dreamer immigrants everyones talking about Obama said that these kids, often called dreamers, have the goals to start new businesses, staff our labs, serve in our military, and otherwise contribute to the country we love, so he asks why would you want to get rid of them? Theyre good people! They were raised American and identify as American and want to be American! Why does Mr. America First want to get shut of them? US President Donald Trump is yet again demanding that the Democratic Party give up their hopes of guaranteeing the human rights of dreamer immigrants i.e. the ones who were little kids when their undocumented parents brought them to the United States, so they didnt have any say in the matter and grew up American and angrily criticised some of the more liberal laws that the US government have allowed to pass through over the years. The Democrats have been hoping to make a deal with Trump and his Republican Party lawmakers on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, better known as DACA. But now, the President has tweeted against that deal in all caps NO MORE Daca DEAL dashing any hopes of a liberal policy getting through. Those talks have been on hold while each party reassesses its argument in the matter, and in that time, the guys in charge of border patrol havent had any idea what to do. Trump tweeted that the patrol agents down at the US/Mexico border have not been able to properly do their job during this filibuster. In a lengthy tweet that included some aggressive all-caps sentiments (these types of sentiments are not uncommon for the Presidents tweets), Trump slammed liberal (Democrat) laws, calling them ridiculous. Now, while the term liberal (Democrat) laws is very subtle, it can be interpreted as an underhanded jab at his opposing party, the left-wing Democratic Party. Its a stretch, but that could be what hes talking about. Trump criticises the Democrats catch and release policy Trump cited the Democratic Partys catch and release policy as an example of these so-called ridiculous policies. This was a policy that the Democrats pushed through that ensured fair rights for immigrants, and it was quickly shut down by the George W. Bush administration in the early 2000s. The President then went on to say that America is becoming more dangerous in the wake of lax Democratic Immigration laws. Later on in his tweet, Trump said that his Republican Party now has no choice but to resort to their nuclear option in order to get their tough immigration legislation passed in Congress NOW. There he goes again with the all caps. You have to hand it to him, it does get the point across and you hear the volume of yelling in your head, even if its written. This angry, anti-immigration tweet came after the President sent out an Easter greeting to the nation, and this marked somewhat of a contrast in tone, since this tweet was not very much in keeping with the Easter spirit. Trump is threatening to shut down the NAFTA After Trumps big, scary NO MORE DACA DEAL tweet, he sent out a further two posts in which he threatening to shut down the NAFTA (short for the North American Free Trade Agreement). He called this the cash cow of Mexico, and said that he would be stripped it for parts, so to speak, if the immigration rates coming from Mexico dont start to drastically drop. The President theorised that big flows of people from Mexico are coming into America across the southern border to take advantage of DACA. Trump accused the Mexican government of doing very little, if not NOTHING in the fight to stop the flow of Mexican immigrants into the southern region of the United States. The President, ever the conspiracy theorist, said that he fears that down there in Mexico, the politicians and the potential immigrants laugh at our dumb immigration laws. He concluded, with incorrect grammar, NEED WALL! When will he let the border wall policy go? It may have helped to win him the election with southern votes, but hes been told that its not feasible. Sitting US President Donald Trump has been criticising some of the United States historic laws, specifically in the realm of Immigration legislation, and specifically the policies that were passed through Congress by his old rivals, the Democratic Party. He recently called some of their past laws and policies ridiculous and dumb, and included just one example the Catch And Release policy. So, what is that policy? The catch and release policy is the simplistic name used to describe the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the US Customs and Border Protections protocols for dealing with any undocumented citizens they used to find. The immigrants were allowed to be released from custody while they waited for a fair trial in front of an immigration judge. Sounds fair enough, right? Well, the Republican Partys lawmakers dont see it that way, and thats why it doesnt exist anymore. The Bush administration took care of this policy George W. Bush and his administration made short work of the Democrats catch and release policy once he got into the White House for his second term. The protocol was officially eradicated in 2006, when it no longer had to be followed by US immigration enforcement agencies when they found undocumented citizens to be residing in America. A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson By Ayenat Mersie NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil fell by more than 2 percent on Monday, pressured by a rise in Russian production, expectations that Saudi Arabia will cut prices of the crude it sends to Asia and a deepening trade spat between China and the United States. Brent crude was down $1.44, or 2.1 percent, at $67.90 a barrel by 1:32 p.m. EDT (1832 GMT). That was the lowest level since March 21. U.S. crude lost $1.72, or 2.7 percent, to $63.22, its lowest since March 20. Trading volumes were lower than normal as some countries were on Easter holiday. Trade sources told Reuters on Monday that Saudi Arabia is expected to cut prices for all crude grades it sells to Asia in May to reflect weaker prices for its Middle East benchmark Dubai crude. "There is speculation that the Saudis are going to lower prices for their Asian customers," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho in New York. "That is not really the kind of thing you do when you want to keep production cuts in place." Oil has risen from a multi-year low near $27 in January 2016, helped by production cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia, which started in 2017 and are due to run until the end of 2018. But Russian oil output rose in March despite the output deal, to 10.97 million bpd from 10.95 million bpd in February, Russian energy ministry data showed. Also, in an escalation of the spat between the world's biggest economies, China increased tariffs by up to 25 percent on 128 U.S. products from Monday. "Increasing trade friction between China and the U.S. is likely to rock global markets and tarnish bullish sentiment in crude oil markets," said Wang Xiao of Guotai Junan Futures. Brent crude reached a 2018 high of $71.28 in January but has since struggled to pass that level. Two rallies last week ran out of steam just beyond $71, a chart pattern known as a double top which is usually bearish. Story continues Another bearish factor is Bahrain's discovery of its largest oilfield in decades, analyst John Macaluso of Tyche Capital Advisors said. The field is thought to contain several times the amount of oil produced by the country's existing fields. Growing U.S. production has also limited price gains. U.S. crude production rose by 6,000 bpd in January to 9.964 million bpd, the Energy Information Administration said in a monthly report on Friday. U.S.-Iranian tensions lent some support to crude prices. "The Iranian factor is going to be a very significant input for the next four weeks," said Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to pull out of a 2015 international nuclear deal with Tehran under which Iranian oil exports have risen. He has given European signatories a May 12 deadline to fix the deal. (Additional reporting by Alex Lawler in London, Meng Meng in Beijing and Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by Susan Thomas and Chizu Nomiyama) SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The Philippines competition watchdog said on Monday it is looking at whether the deal by Uber Technologies [UBER.UL] to sell its Southeast Asia business to rival Grab will substantially reduce competition. "The Grab-Uber acquisition is likely to have a far reaching impact on the riding public and the transportation services. As such, the PCC is looking at the deal closely," the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) said in a statement. (Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman) HANOI (Reuters) - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday China and Vietnam should settle their disputes in the South China Sea through talks and move to jointly exploit its waters. "We have agreed that settling the maritime issues is extremely important for the healthy and sustainable development of bilateral relations," he told reporters after a meeting with Vietnamese Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh in Hanoi. China claims 90 percent of the potentially energy-rich maritime territory and has been building on and militarising rocky outcrops and reefs in its waters. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also lay claim to parts of it, through which about $5 trillion (3.6 trillion) of trade passes each year. Vietnam is the country most openly at odds with China over the issue. "The two sides should better manage disputes through talks and refrain from taking unilateral actions that may further complicate and expand the disputes," Wang said. "At the same time, (the two sides) should promote cooperation at the sea, including holding talks on joint exploitation." Wang and Minh said bilateral relations had seen positive development, with rising trade and investment as the two neighbours further opened up markets to each other. Bilateral trade exceeded $100 billion last year. Minh said Vietnam and China shared responsibility to maintain peace and stability in the region, reiterating Vietnam's stance that the maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully manner and according to international law. (Reporting by Khanh Vu and Minh Nguyen; Editing by Andrew Roche) In the quest to answer whether were alone, scientists have found that the clouds of venus may help solve the mystery of whether life outside of Earth exists. Published March 30 in the journal Astrobiology, a new paper says the clouds of Venus may host extraterrestrial microbial life. As the authors state in the paper, whether Venus clouds could support life has been discussed for decades, spurred by research indicating that its chemical and physical properties, moderate temperatures and pressure could make it possible for life to exist. The team was intrigued by dark patches found on the planet's clouds that are made of sulfuric acid and light-absorbing particles similar to those found on Earth. In fact, they theorized the patches could be similar to algae blooms found in our lakes, noting that particles in the patches have similar dimensions to bacteria here on Earth. Trending: Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Quotes: 6 Sayings to Remember Anti-Apartheid Activist, Nelson Mandela's Ex-Wife The team believes this could make Venus vital in the search for other life forms, however, the planets clouds would need to be sampled and tested first. "To really know, we need to go there and sample the clouds," Biological Chemist Rakesh Mogul, study co-author and professor at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, said in a statement. "Venus could be an exciting new chapter in astrobiology exploration." This month, NASA is expected to launch a new telescope, Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, that will search for exoplanets and could also help solve the mystery about whether there are other planets like Earth, reported the New York Times last month. Don't miss: Nearly Half of At-Home DNA Test Results Could Be Wrong The @NASA_TESS instrument team took this picture using an engineering unit (not flight) #TESS camera of the night sky. There are #exoplanets out there that TESS, @NASA's next exoplanet hunter, will find when launched next month! #WhenILookThroughMyTelescope pic.twitter.com/nKUHQYVsSr NASA_TESS (@NASA_TESS) April 1, 2018 Although it may not happen in our life time, one scientist doesnt doubt that well find alien life one day. Story continues I think that in this century we are going to be finding life beyond Earth," Astronomer Jill Tarter told attendees of the Florida Institute of Technology's Cross Cultural Management Summit, Florida Today reported. GettyImages-145796235 SDO/NASA via Getty Images This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece said on Monday that Turkey appeared to be seeking some political leverage by continuing to hold two of its soldiers without trial for a month since they crossed a land border between the two countries. The border guards were detained after crossing the frontier in a heavily forested area in north-eastern Greece in bad weather on March 1. "It appears that Turkey - and this was one of our concerns from the outset - wants to use this for political purposes," said Greek government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos. The rhetoric between the two countries has soured in recent years, and since eight soldiers fled to Greece in the wake of an aborted coup in Turkey in July 2016, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly accused Greece of harbouring 'coupists'. He has also accused Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of reneging on a promise to swiftly send the eight back. Greece has said its two soldiers crossed into Turkey by mistake while on foot patrol in bad weather. Turkish courts have ordered their detention on suspicion of illegal entry and attempted military espionage. "A month later and we don't even have charges by the Turkish judiciary against the two Greek soldiers, something which I think is crossing the line," Tzanakopoulos told Real FM, an Athens radio station. Greece and Turkey have a host of historical grievances, from ethnically divided Cyprus to mineral and airspace rights in the Aegean Sea. While there has been no clear suggestion that the cases involving the two sides' soldiers are connected, there has been plenty of speculation. Tzanakopoulos said, however, that the two matters were "totally unsimilar". Greek courts have now rejected three times Turkey's demands that the eight Turkish soldiers be extradited. "The rule of law prevails in Greece, which has a Prime Minister who respects and is familiar with Greek judicial practise, and not a Sultan who can make promises on their (judicial) rulings," a statement from Tsipras's office said on Sunday. (Reporting By Michele Kambas; Editing by Hugh Lawson) At least four people were injured after a huge fire broke out at waterfront condominium complex in Perryville, Maryland, on Sunday, April 1. The blaze ripped through the 18 unit building in Owens Landing Court on the Susquehanna River just before 3 am local time, according to ABC News. The fire caused an estimated $2 million of damage after it took almost four hours for firefighters to get the flames under control, the report said. Credit: Susquehanna Hose Co via Storyful BAMAKO, Mali (AP) The International Criminal Court says authorities in Mali have handed over a jihadist leader for prosecution on war crimes charges. Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud is accused of crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Timbuktu while the town was under the control of extremists between April 2012 and January 2013. In a statement released late Saturday, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said Al Hassan was accused of persecution on "both religious and gender grounds." Those allegations include rape and sexual slavery through forced marriages. During the jihadist rule in Timbuktu, the extremists imposed their harsh interpretation of Islamic Shariah law. A French-led military operation in 2013 forced Al Hassan and others from power, though elements have continued to stage numerous attacks on Malian and international forces. See Also: President Donald Trump kept his Easter greetings short and direct, simply Tweeting, HAPPY EASTER, this morning. HAPPY EASTER! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2018 However, in a longer statement, the White House released a video message from the president on March 30, in honor of Passover and Easter. In the YouTube video, Trump delved deeper into the meaning of holidays. Trending: Obama Is 'Relieved' to No Longer Be President, His Former Press Secretary Says Trump_Easter_4_1_2018 Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images During the sacred holiday of Passover, Jewish families around the world give thanks to God for liberating the Jewish people from bondage in Egypt and delivering them to the promised land of Israel, Trump said. He goes on to say, "For Christians, we remember the suffering and death of God's only son and his glorious resurrection on the third day. On Easter Sunday, we proclaim with joy, 'Christ is risen. Don't miss: Child Found Alive in L.A. Sewer System 12 Hours After He Fell Down Drainage Pipe Trump ends on an uplifting note proclaiming, In America, we look to the light of God to guide our steps, we trust in the power of the Almighty for wisdom and strength, and we praise our heavenly Father for the blessings of freedom and the gift of eternal life. Although former President Barack Obama did not update his Twitter with an Easter message, the account has not been updated since March 25, In 2016, the last Easter under his presidency, Obama Tweeted, "We wish all who celebrate a blessed and joyful Easter." Trumps Tweet received nearly 113,000 likes while Obamas only received 33,000. Story continues That year, the White House released a statement from the former president as well as the former first lady Michelle Obama recognizing Good Friday and Easter. This is a time to remember the sacrifices made for us and hold all who suffer close to our hearts, they wrote. Yet it is also a time to rejoice, give thanks for the Resurrection, and unite with Christians around the world in proclaiming, Christ has risen; He has risen indeed. We wish all who celebrate a blessed and joyful Easter. This year, the Trumps will continue the long-held White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek U.S. President Donald Trump waves to the media as he arrives with first lady Melania Trump at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., after the Easter weekend in Palm Beach, Florida, April 1, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas By Richard Cowan and Makini Brice WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump declared as "dead" on Monday a programme that protects immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children and pressed Congress to "immediately" pass legislation to secure the U.S. border with Mexico. Trump, who has taken a hard line toward immigration, said in September he would terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme introduced by his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, but gave the Republican-controlled Congress until March 6 to replace it. Congress failed to meet that deadline, but courts have ruled the programme can remain in place for now. "DACA is dead because the Democrats didn't care or act, and now everyone wants to get onto the DACA bandwagon," the Republican president said in a Twitter post. Senior administration officials told reporters that legislation was being prepared aimed at helping expedite some deportations of immigrants in the country illegally. They did not provide a timetable for submitting it to Congress and did not say whether provisions to help DACA recipients would be included. Democrats blamed Trump for the tenuous status of a programme that shielded hundreds of thousands of immigrants, often called "Dreamers," from deportation and gave them work permits. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, said in a telephone interview: "After the experience of giving this president six different bipartisan options and having him reject them all ... I don't believe we have a reliable partner" in negotiations that are now dormant. Democrats had offered at one point to fully fund the wall Trump wants along the U.S.-Mexican border, but rescinded the offer in January, accusing the president of reneging on elements of a tentative agreement. "He walked away - not Democrats," Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein wrote on Twitter. "Congress must immediately pass Border Legislation, use Nuclear Option if necessary, to stop the massive inflow of Drugs and People ... Act now Congress, our country is being stolen!" Trump said in another Twitter post. Story continues Congress cannot pass any legislation immediately as lawmakers are on their second week of a spring recess, but taking a tough stance on immigration appeals to Trump's conservative base. Senate Republican leaders have ignored previous calls from Trump advocating the so-called nuclear option, which would involve changing Senate rules so Republicans could more easily overcome Democratic opposition to legislation in a chamber they control with a thin majority of 51 out of 100 seats. Cindy Agustin, 28, a DACA recipient and immigration activist in Chicago, said the impasse over the programme was breeding fear and uncertainty. "It's frustrating because we're in limbo right now," Agustin added. Trump also reiterated his call for Mexico to stop people from entering the United States, after saying on Sunday he would terminate a major trade accord with Mexico if it did not do more to secure its border with the United States. The United States is renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada. BACK AGAINST THE WALL Trump made building a border wall - and making Mexico pay for it - one of his top campaign pledges when he ran for president in 2016. Mexico has refused to pay. In the past, Trump had said he was open to a deal with congressional Democrats in which they would support funding for the border wall in exchange for protection for the Dreamers. But on Sunday, he indicated that the time had passed, writing on Twitter: "'Caravans' coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL!" The mention of a caravan apparently referred to a group of 1,500 men, women and children from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador who are travelling in a "refugee caravan" organised by the U.S.-based immigration advocacy group Pueblo sin Fronteras, whose Spanish name means People Without Borders. By travelling together, the immigrants hope to protect themselves from the crime and extortion that makes the route through Mexico toward the U.S. border dangerous. They say some but not all of them will seek asylum if they reach the United States. "The only person gaming DACA is not in the caravan. He's in the Oval Office" of the White House, Durbin said referring to Trump. No immigration deal has materialized in the Republican-controlled Congress despite months of efforts. The Senate considered several immigration proposals in February but rejected all of them, including bipartisan bills and legislation tailored to Trump's requirements. In light of Trump's call for the "nuclear option," a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell noted on Monday that Republican senators opposed changing existing rules governing the debate and passage of legislation. Major legislation usually needs a supermajority to pass the Senate. Without 60 votes in support, the Democratic minority can sink a bill. (Reporting by Richard Cowan and Makini Brice; Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu and Sarah Lynch in Washington and Suzannah Gonzales in Chicago; Editing by Will Dunham and and Peter Cooney) Rohingya people who fled from their towns after the violence in the state of Rakhine, are seen behind a fence on the border line outside Maungdaw, Myanmar March 31, 2018. Picture taken March 31, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer NO RESALES NO ARCHIVES DHAKA (Reuters) - The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Monday it was concerned about the safety of 56 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar on a boat bound for Malaysia in stormy seas. Some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled from their homes in Myanmar's Rakhine State into Bangladesh after militant attacks in August sparked a military crackdown that the United Nations and Western countries have said constitutes ethnic cleansing. Myanmar rejects that saying its forces have been waging a legitimate campaign against "terrorists" who attacked government forces. The boat, which a UNHCR spokesman said was believed to have set sail from Rakhine State last week, stopped at an island in southern Thailand on Saturday evening after a storm. It was the first Rohingya vessel, plying a route refugees have used for years to get to Southeast Asia, to be spotted off Thailand in more than a year. There are signs that overcrowding in Bangladeshi camps could prompt many others to make similarly perilous voyages. "Given the poor weather conditions currently prevailing in the waters off the west coast of the Thailand-Malaysia border, we are concerned for the safety of the refugees, said Caroline Gluck, a UNHCR spokeswoman based in southeast Bangladesh. "If they are found to be in distress, we hope they will be rescued and allowed to disembark in accordance with international maritime law, she said in an email. The boat was restocked with essential supplies in Thailand on Sunday before setting back out to sea, on its way to Malaysia, Thai police said. The UNHCR said it was in touch with Malaysian maritime authorities and was ready to provide any necessary assistance to the refugees when they arrived. Tens of thousands of Rohingya fled by sea following an outbreak of sectarian violence in Rakhine State in 2012, some falling prey to human traffickers. That exodus peaked in 2015, when an estimated 25,000 people fled across the Andaman Sea for Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Rights groups expect another surge in Rohingya boats sailing for Southeast Asia, even if not at the levels of the past. (Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Robert Birsel) A CBS report has found that the Trump election campaign spent $158,498.41 on deliveries from Amazon during the last elections. The news followed US president Donald Trump's widley-reported criticism recently of the online giant, claiming the company damages the country's national postal service even as it threatens to put thousands of retailers out of business. CBS looked into records from the Federal Election Commission and found that the president's election campaign used Amazon's services for two years, helping the online retailer in its alleged "fraud" by not paying "real taxes", according to Trumps statements on social media over the previous week. According to the broadcaster, the Trump campaign conducted a total of 379 transactions which were catalogued as purchases of office material. Trump has said on numerous occasions that the US postal service loses 1.5 dollars for every package that Amazon delivers. Trump's vitriol against Amazon was nothing new, with the president having harshly criticised the company on numerous occasions in the past, even before he entered the Oval Office, complaining that the giant run by Jeff Bezos was not being properly taxed. There has also been talk in the past that the Trump administration might make a push to change the firms tax treatment, with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin having said in July that officials might take a position soon on the internet giant's tax collection policy. In the past, Trump has also targeted Amazons chief executive, who is also the owner of the Washington Post, claiming he uses the daily to attack him and other politicians and as a way of exercising power over them in Amazon's benefit. A report from Axios last week claiming Trump "wants to go after Amazon" saw the companys shares shed 4.5% of their value. China has retaliated against US tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminium imports, setting levies of as high as 25% on 128 US-amde products. The new trade measures, which came into force on Monday, included increased tariffs on pork and wine. China imposed 15% tariffs on 120 products including wine, nuts, pistachios, oranges, grapes, watermelons, mangos and steel rods. In 2017, China imported $1bn-worth of such products. The Asian country also implemented a 25% levy on pork meat and aluminium, of which it purchased $2bn-worth last year. In total, the latest decision from Beijing will hit $3bn-worth of US imports. The Asian giant said the new measures were a legitimate response aimed at protecting Chinas best trading interests and enjoyed the supported of "a large number of people. China also urged the US to resolve these issues through negotiation and dialogue. For its part, the Trump administration was expected to release the list of Chinese imports targeted by Washington's new tariffs this week. The list was expected to target "largely high-technology" products and to take effect in two months' time. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said the UK could be behind the former spys poisoning, accusing the West of playing "childrens games". Lavrov told a press conference on 2 April that there were "other explanations" over the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy and his daughter in Salisbury last month. "Experts tell us that it may well be beneficial to the British special services, who are known for their ability to act with license to kill," he said. "The attack could be beneficial to the British government, which has found itself in a difficult situation, unable to fulfill promises they made about Brexit," he added. Lavrov accused Western countries of disregarding all accepted conduct. He told the BBC that "in the classic Cold War there were rules and accepted behaviour." "I think our Western partners, I think firstly Great Britain and the USA and a few other countries that blindly follow them, have disregarded all the accepted behaviour," he said. He also accused the West of playing childrens games and being irresponsible: "When we were kids we used to say whoever started it should be the one to finish it." His claims were in reaction to the recent expulsion of Russian diplomats over the attack, albeit with the Kremlin apparently unable to explain the misuse of a Soviet-developed nerve agent. The Kremlin continues to deny any involvement in the attack, but for May Moscow's inability to provide an explanation left it abundantly clear that the Russian government had played a role in the poisoning. Russia also accused the West, and more specifically the UK, of having an anti-Russia agenda. The spirit of the constitution In the early evening of the 30th of October, 1968 a Royal Nepal Army jeep drove down the steep dirt driveway to late Tarini Koiralas house in Chabahil, Kathmandu. After Laura Ingraham poked fun at Parkland school shooting survivor David Hogg for not getting into the colleges of his choosing, the Fox News host was forced to apologize after backlash from advertisers. In response, Hogg wasn't impressed. I 100% agree an apology in an effort just to save your advertisers is not enough. I will only accept your apology only if you denounce the way your network has treated my friends and I in this fight. Its time to love thy neighbor, not mudsling at children. https://t.co/H0yWs4zMGk David Hogg (@davidhogg111) March 29, 2018 Hogg on Ingraham Following the tragic mass shooting in Parkland, Florida last month, 17 innocent people were killed with many others left injured. Since then, the debate over gun control and gun rights in the United States has taken center stage, with both sides of the issue making their case. As expected, the right-wing media have come out strong in opposition to gun control advocates, including speaking out against many of the students from Parkland who recently put together the "March for Our Lives" rally that resulted in over 800,000 people attending in Washington, D.C. One conservative voice that has opposed the Parkland student activists has been Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who earlier this week mocked student David Hogg for not getting into many of the colleges he had applied to. After a boycott put pressure on Ingraham's advertisers, she decided to issue an apology, but Hogg wasn't impressed. "I 100 percent agree an apology in an effort just to save your advertisers is not enough," Hogg said in response to Ingraham's remarks. "I will only accept your apology only if you denounce the way your network has treated my friends and I in this fight," David Hogg added in his tweet. "Its time to love thy neighbor, not mudsling at children," he noted. In a follow-up tweet, Hogg concluded, "Focus less on fear and more on facts. Then we can save lives in this country together." Twitter celebrates In response to David Hogg's tweet, critics of Laura Ingraham and Fox News were pleased with his reaction. "Only way to shut them up is to hit them where it hurts, In their wallet, yes we have freedom of speech, but there are always consequences to that speech," one tweet read. We're behind you David..keep doing what you're doing and ignore the haters, they are not worth your time Dee M (@DeniseM52134343) March 29, 2018 STAY STRONG David, these people are monsters. Seriously. My generation allowed them to fester and gain so much control by being complacent and not paying attention. Im sorry. Please keep fighting, the future depends on it. Tina Feinberg (@ltsparkler) March 29, 2018 When kids act like leaders, and leaders act like kids, you know change is coming. Kathryn Rubenstein (@kjrubenstein) March 29, 2018 "When kids act like leaders, and leaders act like kids, you know change is coming," a Twitter user wrote. "STAY STRONG David, these people are monsters. Seriously. My generation allowed them to fester and gain so much control by being complacent and not paying attention. I'm sorry. Please keep fighting, the future depends on it," another tweet added. Laura Ingraham is insincere at best, David. Wonder what her so-called "apology" would have sounded like were it not Holy Week or if all of her sponsors had not just dropped her like the toxic waste she is. pic.twitter.com/xiXEfrcP80 Mac McKinsey (@psgent92264) March 29, 2018 These adults need to be afraid... pic.twitter.com/Uo7kYAc6Eg A Aryeh Perez (@Jethro_Aryeh) March 29, 2018 Only way to shut them up is to hit them where it hurts.............In their wallet, yes we have freedom of speech, but there are always consequences to that speech. Sailor Life (@NavySailor_75) March 29, 2018 "We're behind you David..keep doing what you're doing and ignore the haters, they are not worth your time," a social media user wrote. "Laura Ingraham is insincere at best, David. Wonder what her so-called 'apology' would have sounded like were it not Holy Week or if all of her sponsors had not just dropped her like the toxic waste she is," an additional tweet read. It's become commonplace for conservatives to be upset anytime Hillary Clinton decides to chime in on current events, with Kellyanne Conway being one of her biggest critics. After speaking out about Clinton during her latest rant, Conway came under fire from critics. Kellyanne on Hillary When Kellyanne Conway was brought on board to serve as Donald Trump's campaign manager back in the summer of 2016, it didn't take long before she quickly singled out Hillary Clinton. In the months leading up to Election Day, Conway would do her best to support Trump while bashing Clinton on an almost daily basis, often finding herself in shouting matches on cable news. Since Trump's upset election win, Conway has found ways to rip into Clinton who has been in and out of the news over the last year discussing her loss in 2016, while taking shots at the current administration. .@KellyannePolls: "@HillaryClinton is still talking about her and an election that happened a year and a half ago." pic.twitter.com/R0sTSaFeIl Fox News (@FoxNews) March 30, 2018 After Hillary Clinton spoke out again earlier this week, Kellyanne Conway appeared on the March 30 edition of "Fox and Friends" on Fox News and attempted to smear the former Secretary of State. "The only conversation she is having these days is about her and the 2016 election," Conway said. Continuing, Kellyanne Conway then mocked Hillary Clinton for complaining about the results of the election. "This whole 'woe is me. I'm a victim of sexism and misogyny because of the election,'" Conway said. "The fact is Hillary Clinton is still talking about her and an election that happened a year and a half ago," she added. "I also took note that it was publicly reported she got about $25,000 for that speech, Conway pointed out, before adding, "Woo! She used to get ten times that folks, ten times that." Kellyanne's backlash Not long after Kellyanne Conway's latest anti-Hillary Clinton rant, she quickly faced criticism. "Fox News talks about Hillary every day. Its if she is president and not President Dennison," one tweet read. Funnily enough, @FoxNews and @KellyannePolls and @realDonaldTrump each talk about Hillary 10x more than she talks about all of them combined. It's as if they all know they're covering up an illegitimate "presidency." SophieCT (@SophieInCT) March 30, 2018 Isnt @realDonaldTrump the main contributor for constantly raising the election with @HillaryClinton? Although @realDonaldTrump won the election he is still the one obsessed with @HillaryClinton. You guys live in one very bizarre country. David Welsby (@DW887) March 30, 2018 @KellyannePolls dont you remember telling @ChrisCuomo that you dont talk about her. Sad Arno Gilmour (@arnogilmour) March 30, 2018 "Hahahaha this has GOT to be satire. I mean come on, yall talk about Hillary on the daily," a Twitter user added. "Can KellyAnne go 5 minutes without bringing up Hilary?" a tweet wondered. "Maybe you should have a talk with your boss that the election is over, since he tweets or talks about it on an almost daily basis. Oh wait, thats his guilty conscience, since he knows he only won because he colluded with the Russians," another tweet stated. Maybe you should have a talk with your boss @realDonaldTrump that the election is over, since he tweets or talks about it on an almost daily basis. Oh wait, thats his guilty conscience, since he knows he only won because he colluded with the Russians... charo bolanos (@charobolanos) March 30, 2018 Hahahaha this has GOT to be satire. I mean come on, yall talk about Hillary on the daily ffs. sarrrrraaaaahhhhhhh (@sarahmariesmg) March 30, 2018 Fox News talks about Hillary every day. Its if she is president and not President Dennison. Chuck Supple (@ChuckieTwoGlove) March 30, 2018 "Kellyanne Conway dont you remember telling Chris Cuomo that you dont talk about her. Sad," a social media user wrote. "Funnily enough, Fox News and Kellyanne Conway and Donald Trump each talk about Hillary 10x more than she talks about all of them combined. It's as if they all know they're covering up an illegitimate 'presidency,'" a tweet read. After spending the afternoon at church with Donald Trump and the rest of her family, Melania Trump took a minute to send out an Easter post on Twitter. Following her tweet, the first lady was met with an onslaught of criticism. Melania on Easter When Donald Trump first announced that he would be running for president back in the summer of 2015, many wondered what role his wife Melania Trump would play in the campaign. Melania's first chance in the spotlight quickly backfired after her speech at the Repubican National Convention turned out to be plagiarized from former First Lady Michelle Obama. Since then, Melania has kept a mostly low-profile, focusing on her initiative to end cyberbullying, though the scandal linking Trump to adult film star Stormy Daniels has kept her in the spotlight in recent months. Lately, Melania Trump has put increased effort into her aforementioned campaign to end cyberbullying which has received criticism due to her husband's reckless behavior of social media. Fast forward to present day and the first lady spent her Easter in Palm Beach, Florida, waking up at Mar-a-Lago with Donald Trump before heading to a local church service as her husband made sure to speak to reporters where he made controversial remarks about the future of the DACA program and immigration reform. As seen during a tweet on April 1, Melania sent out a "Happy Easter" message which attaching a photo of a White House dining hall decorated for the holiday. Once the post was made, predictable opposition followed by critics. Melania's tweet reaction Following Melania Trump's tweet about Easter, those who oppose Donald Trump and the current administration made sure to fire back. "Who paid for it? U.S. citizens?" one tweet read. Balloons. Sweet. They totally distract us from your silence (again) about your hubby, the serial cheater & liar. Michael Cohen must pay you a lot too. Jessica Goldman (@jlgoldmankeen) April 1, 2018 Leave Spanky. Kristina Wong (@mskristinawong) April 1, 2018 And for sure more than he loves floutus-( ask Stormy & Karen) Frenchie Mom (@dogloverr9) April 1, 2018 "Are you and your mom/dad on the list for deportation?" a Twitter user asked with sarcasm. "Happy Easter to you and Donnie and Stormi and Karen McDougal!!" another tweet read with humor. "Nothing says I believe in the resurrection of Christ like a room full of balloons," a tweet added. Seriously! You poor thing, bless your heart... cyber-bullying should end at home. Start there Teresa Snyder (@TeresaSnyderPho) April 1, 2018 How much did that cost the American people? Alan Helms (@ahelmsmusic) April 1, 2018 Those balloons are as full of substance as her belief in her husband... Joey Garza (@txjggolfnut) April 1, 2018 "How much did that cost the American people?" a social media user wondered. "Balloons. Sweet. They totally distract us from your silence (again) about your hubby, the serial cheater & liar. Michael Cohen must pay you a lot too," a follow-up tweet went on to point out. The negative reaction poured in as the backlash to the entire Trump family and administration continued. As Easter Sunday comes to a close, Fox News host Sean Hannity decided to vent his frustrations over former President Barack Obama. After Hannity's Twitter rant, which included an embarrassing blunder, social media critics made sure to chime in. Im sure an oversight. No pictures of the 13 additional people on food stamps, the 8 million more in poverty the lowest labor participation rate since 70s, or the doubling of our debt that children will have to pay back for generations. Innocent omission? https://t.co/8Jk3FeaQYQ Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) April 1, 2018 Hannity on Obama Back in November 2008 when Barack Obama defeated John McCain to become the first African-American president in American history, it quickly became clear that the media would would be taking sides. Over on Fox News, the conservative bias was evident, as the overwhelming majority of hosts on the network would routinely bash Obama, while increasing their bias throughout his entire eight years in office. Since the election of Donald Trump, Fox News has shifted their focus from attacking the president to embracing and defending him, with host Sean Hannity being the biggest cheerleader. As millions of Americans celebrated Easter by spending time with family, heading to church, and leaving politics to the side, Sean Hannity found an article on Twitter that listed the reasons for why many people still miss Barack Obama. In a tweet on April 1, Hannity was quickly triggered into an anti-Obama rant. "I'm sure an oversight," Hannity tweeted with sarcasm. "No pictures of the 13 additional people on food stamps, the 8 million more in poverty the lowest labor participation rate since 70s, or the doubling of our debt that children will have to pay back for generations," Hannity wrote, while accidentally writing "13" instead of "13 million," while rhetorically asking "Innocent omission?" Twitter reaction After Sean Hannity's Easter Twitter rant about Barack Obama, critics of the Fox News host hit back. "Maybe your tweets would make more sense if you didnt have both hands busy cupping Trumps balls!" one tweet read. I think we mostly miss @BarackObama because he wasn't the head of an organized crime family. Robert Rosen (@Rrosen2727) April 1, 2018 How can you possibly still push the debt talking point after Trump added a trillion to the deficit in a boom time, while Obama only added to the national debt during the worst recession since 1929? Sean Leonard (@SeanKLeonard) April 1, 2018 Why does it bother you if some people miss Obama? I am sure you have some thing else you could be doing on Easter Sunday like being a nice good person. Terry Kershaw (@TerryKershaw1) April 1, 2018 "Sorry dude you're outnumbered. MOST OF US ARE AWAKE!" a Twitter user wrote. "Why does it bother you if some people miss Obama? I am sure you have some thing else you could be doing on Easter Sunday like being a nice good person," another tweet added. "How can you possibly still push the debt talking point after Trump added a trillion to the deficit in a boom time, while Obama only added to the national debt during the worst recession since 1929?" yet another tweet asked. APRIL FOOLS...@seanhannity really meant the financial meltdown at the end of the #Bush43 term that had him hiding in the @WhiteHouse closets. Or maybe he meant @realDonaldTrump & the @GOP's #TaxScamBill that added $1,500,000,000,000 to the deficit. Funny guy.#CORRUPTION#Liars T.R. Dakota (@nmpforever) April 2, 2018 Sorry dude youre out numbered. MOST OF US ARE AWAKE! Mary Jo Miller (@mjmiller39) April 1, 2018 maybe your tweets would make more sense if you didnt have both hands busy cupping Trumps b@lls! Sixtos Machin (@SixtosMachin) April 1, 2018 Oh no! 13 people on food stamps! How dare they! Is this an #AprilFools joke? WH Customer Service (@POTUS_CustServ) April 1, 2018 "I think we mostly miss Barack Obama because he wasn't the head of an organized crime family," a social media user wrote. "APRIL FOOLS...Hannity really meant the financial meltdown at the end of the Bush43 term that had him hiding in the White House closets. Or maybe he meant Donald Trump & the GOP's Tax Scam Bill that added $1,500,000,000,000 to the deficit. Funny guy," a follow-up tweet added. Just hours after Donald Trump fired off tweets in opposition to Daca, the president made his way to Easter Church Service along with his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, and other members of his family. Just moments before walking into church, he took time to hit back at Democrats and Mexico over the issue at hand. Mexico has got to help us at the border A lot of people are coming in because they want to take advantage of DACA, President Trump says before going into church on Easter morning. pic.twitter.com/WimSVUylrZ NBC News (@NBCNews) April 1, 2018 Trump on Easter It's no secret that the issue of illegal immigration has been a top priority for Donald Trump. Since the early days of his campaign for president, the former host of "The Apprentice" has targeted immigration, starting during his campaign announcement by referring to illegal immigrants from Mexico as "rapists" and "murderers." Since his election just over a year ago, Trump has failed to make any progress on the issue, getting massive backlash from Democrats and even some Republicans. With DACA still hanging over his presidency, Trump used Easter to push his political agenda. Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release. Getting more dangerous. Caravans coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2018 During several tweets on Easter morning, Donald Trump threatened to leave DACA dormant for the foreseeable future, making sure to put the blame on the entire Democratic Party and the country of Mexico in the process. As reported by NBC News on April 1, Trump and his wife were walking into church for an Easter service but he couldn't help himself by talking to reporters. "Were going to have to really see, and they had a great chance...the Democrats blew it," Trump said. "Mexico has got to help us at the border. They flow right through Mexico, they send them into the United States," he added, before concluding, "It cant happen that way anymore." After leaving the reporters and heading into church, critics of the president decided to fire back. These big flows of people are all trying to take advantage of DACA. They want in on the act! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2018 Trump backlash Within minutes of Donald Trump's remarks, those who oppose the administration took time it hit back. "Umm, DACA has nothing to do with people entering the US illegally right now," one tweet read. The whole building will probably go up in CathyTX (@CathyTX) April 1, 2018 How he can say that walking into The House of God...is beyond comprehension... AV8 (@AV8intheblue) April 1, 2018 Facts....lol....he doesn't use those. Shauna (@chasingwarm) April 1, 2018 "Unless those people are entering via a time machine back to 2007, DACA doesnt apply. This man is an idiot," a Twitter user wrote. "How he can say that walking into The House of God...is beyond comprehension," another tweet noted. "Will he be napping in church again like last time?" an additional tweet stated. He is gripping her hand like I do with my 3 year old grandchild when he is trying to escape and run off. Kathy (@kafferf) April 1, 2018 He doesnt recognize her. Secret Derp State Society Barb (@TurtlesgaloreMR) April 1, 2018 You do. You also have to demonstrate certain things. You entered the country before you were 18. You went to school. You are law abiding and have not had a transgression with law (@clfunez) April 1, 2018 "So gentlemanly that he turns his back on his own daughter as he walks away," a social media user posted. "He is gripping her hand like I do with my 3 year old grandchild when he is trying to escape and run off," a follow-up tweet read. The negative reaction continued as the rift between Trump and the majority of the American people showed no signs of coming to an end anytime soon. Given that tensions between the United States and Russia have increased since the election of 2016, the allegations levied against Moscow by U.S. Army General John Nicholson are sure to ratchet up the conflict even more. Back in March, General Nicholson told an interviewer with the BBC that the U.S. military suspects Russia of supplying the Taliban in Afghanistan with weapons. Specifically, General Nicholson said that Russia is using Tajikistan, a former part of the Soviet Union, to smuggle items across the border into Afghanistan. Ethnic Tajiks make up a sizable portion of Afghanistan's population, although very few serve as part of the Taliban. Traditionally, Taliban fighters come from the country's Pashtun ethnicity, which has been in control of Afghani politics for hundreds of years. General Nicholson also accused Russia of inflating the number of ISIS fighters in Afghanistan in order to legitimize support for the Taliban. Since 2016, Taliban and ISIS fighters have engaged in battles against one another, especially in eastern Afghanistan where the country borders the terrorist haven of Waziristan in Pakistan. Many of General Nicholson's claims have been backed up by officials with the Afghan National Police, who claim that they have found Taliban fighters armed with Russian-made rifles, pistols, heavy and light machine guns, and Night Vision Goggles. Although the Taliban have long used Russian weapons left over from the failed Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the implication here is that the Taliban are using more recently made equipment. Contentious claims General Nicholson first accused Russia of supplying the Taliban back in 2016. At that time, he also implicated Iran for leading a push to legitimize the terrorist organization. Many of these concerns came at a time when the American-backed government in Kabul had made motions to engage the Taliban in peace talks. It should also be noted that not all U.S. military officials agree with General Nicholson's statements. Lt. General Vincent R. Stewart, the director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, said in May 2017 that he has yet to see any physical evidence of Russian support for the Taliban. U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, himself a former general in the United States Marine Corps, has gone on record as saying that it "doesn't make sense" for Russia to arm the Taliban. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg of Norway has also claimed that he is skeptical of General Nicholson's claims. Long war At this point in time, the U.S. military has been involved in Afghanistan for seventeen years. Despite the wealth and power of American armed forces, the Taliban currently threaten 70 percent of Afghan territory. It is also undeniable that the Taliban have become a much more "high-tech" force over the last seventeen years, with reports of Taliban special forces units employing night vision goggles, state-of-the-art weaponry, and the type of tactics one might expect from groups like the U.S. Special Forces or the Afghan Special Forces. President Donald Trump has recently shifted towards a policy of aggression against the Taliban by ending U.S. peace talks with the group. President Trump also decided to send thousands of additional U.S. troops to the country last summer. With the recent naming of John R. Bolton as the U.S. National Security Advisor, some speculate that President Trump could reinvigorate America's war in Afghanistan. The "Affluenza teen," has been released from prison. Ethan Couch served two years after driving drunk and killing four people, then fleeing to Mexico with his mother to avoid prison. Reports by Reuters presented all of the information used in this opinion piece. Couch is best known for giving an excuse that being too rich and having no responsibilities was the reason why he was recklessly driving drunk and caused a crash that took the lives of four people. Though he was only 16 at the time, he had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit when he crashed his pickup truck. His family even trotted out a psychologist during his trial who coined the term "Affluenza," to describe Couch's condition. He lived a life where there were no consequences for his actions. This made him not liable, in his family's eyes, for his actions. Thankfully, the court did not buy that defense and he was found guilty. However, his punishment barely fit the crime and left many, especially the loved ones of the deceased, outraged. A bungled case Despite his clear guilt and a laughable defense for it, Couch only received 10 years of probation as punishment. The public outcry was heavy but the verdict stood. That was until it was noted two years later that Couch was violating that probation. He and his mother fled to Mexico to avoid being arrested and having his probation revoked. They were ultimately captured and returned to the United States. The depressing fact of the case is that the only reason Couch went to jail at all was because of his continued probation violations. The killing of four innocent people by an out of control drunk driver though remains unpunished. Keeping a low profile Unsurprisingly, the time spent in jail has given Couch some clarity on the whole situation. Where he was an unapologetic brat after his arrest and during his trial, he now is hoping to keep as low of a profile as possible, understanding that he is not a well-liked individual among the free people of the United States. Ethan does not wish to draw attention to himself and requests privacy so he may focus on successfully completing his community supervision and going forward as a law-abiding citizen, his lawyers, Scott Brown and Reagan Wynn were quoted as Couch was released from prison. It would only make sense that Couch wants nothing to do with the public spotlight. I wouldn't expect him to make any upcoming interviews or public statements. His mother remains jailed for her role in helping him flee to Mexico to avoid prosecution. Somehow, Couch is still getting others to pay for his crimes. "Veronica" is a horrifying take on a history that makes us question what evil lurks around us. The film is centered around a young girl, named Veronica, who enjoys most things, like spending time with her close friends, and gets caught up in the occult, tapping into a Ouija Board with her friends. It becomes the common trope that many horror movies are littered with: Playing with fire. With this board and her friends, they attempt to bring back the spirit of a friends boyfriend but accidentally manage to do something much, much worse. What sets this film apart Instead of conversing with Diana's ex, the teens manage to disturb the spirit of her father and bring to the world of the living something that desperately wants to torment them. This movie delivers its sharp scares as shadows and objects that move, but if that doesnt top it off for audiences, it includes a blind nun who attempts to explain what is happening to the young girls, but only tops the horror factor. Veronica's mother is working consistently to ensure a life for her daughter, leaving her without a parent at home for most days. She is fairly responsible and takes care of herself, as well as her siblings, painting a picture we wouldnt primarily expect of the main character of a horror film. Her interest piques at a magazine about the occult and she brings her friends to her home to use the Ouija board. Things go absolutely haywire, but after they attempt to bring back Dianas ex, it is difficult to understand what is reality or pure nightmare. The grounding factor for us is when outside sources become involved. A policeman explores the home at the end of the film; bringing the audience to a stage where we believe the entire ordeal very likely mightve been a reality. That being said, the film questions how much of it truly occurred and if it was was real or occurring within Veronicas mind. This becomes the spin that sets apart this movie from just about all others. Netflix provides an unexpected depth, historical background, and questions to a horror film. Based on a true story Most horror movies get about twenty times scarier when they are based on true stories and Netflixs "Veronica" is nothing short of that. So apparently this Veronica movie on Netflix is so scary people are turning it off without finishing. Its supposed to be scarier than Insidious and The Conjuring. I know what Im watching tonight dest. (@destuhhne) March 2, 2018 It finds its historical truth in police files from Madrid in the early 1990s; making this a little too close to our current time period for comfort. The files were centered around a girl, from south Madrid, calling the police in a panic. After she is rescued and hospitalized, she dies suddenly and quickly. This is said to take place not long after she used a Ouija board. Netflix has shared a concept that many of us are familiar with, but we only hope is enough warning to people who love dabbling in the occult. This movie will not be difficult to love if you enjoy being scared. The story introduces new angles and questions as it progresses, giving it a hook that leaves the audience wanting to enjoy more. If you're looking into other horror films, here are two great lists for an interesting weekend or Halloween. Next week on CBS' "Madam Secretary: Season 4, Episode 17," the United States' arms deal with Iran is on the verge of breaking down after the senator Carlos Morejon (Jose Zuniga) insists the Middle Eastern country financed a recent terror attack that killed an American citizen. In order to push through with the deal, Elizabeth Mccord (Tea Leoni) must provide a credible and convincing argument. Phase Two of the deal is proving to be more difficult than it's already been. Senator Morejon's accusations came after the show's last episode entitled "My Funny Valentine" featured the bombing of the embassy in Mali. Now, it's up to Elizabeth whether to lift sanctions against Iran or continue the deal with few steps back. What to expect on the next episode of 'Madam Secretary' According to CarterMatt, the arms deal is an important milestone between the US and Iran and maybe that's why the Secretary is eager to make the deal happen. On the next episode of "Madam Secretary," fans will be able to witness the Secretary's wit and intelligence in making things happen. We all know that she is also good at working the sideline; using her and the States' influence to get what she wants. Meanwhile, "Madam Secretary: Season 4, Episode 17" will also feature the Secretary's husband, Henry McCord (Tim Daly) wanting the chairmanship at the National War College's Military Ethics Department. Now, Henry has been part of several CIA missions while his wife Elizabeth is the Secretary of State and his interest in the challenging job is nothing new. The all-new episode of "Madam Secretary" will surround the issues of Iran's involvement in such terror attacks, leaving the United States to provide a legitimate reason on why they are dealing with a dangerous ally. With all the apprehension and dealing with terrorists amid what could possibly be the start of a new relationship, the Secretary of State is faced with yet another challenge that most fans will know "she'll be able to handle." About CBS' 'Madam Secretary' "Madam Secretary," tells the story of a former CIA analyst who left the service citing ethical reasons. Elizabeth McCord accepted the job as Secretary of State upon the request of her friend and the United States President Conrad Dalton, played by Keith Carradine. Her experience in the CIA, as well as her time serving in the Middle East, made her fit the position. As soon as duties began, her divided time between raising a family and doing her job as a public servant became the center of series' story. Another day, another celebrity tax lien. In Kim Richards' case, it's actually two Tax Liens that the former "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star is reportedly dealing with. According to The Blast, Kim owes more than $118,000 in unpaid taxes to the State Of California. Two times the tax liens Somebody call up Kim Richards and make sure she's filed her taxes. We wouldn't want her to keep getting in trouble for failure to pay. That's what it's looking like happened in 2013 and 2014, which is going to end up costing her a lot of money. The Blast reported that Kim is currently dealing with two different tax liens, both filed by the State of California. The first lien is for the 2013 tax year and was filed last April. For that year, Kim Richards reportedly owes $52,068.70 in unpaid taxes. Another lien, filed in December, claims that Kim owes another $66,689.31. That means Kim Richards' total tax bill owed to the State of California is $118,758.01. The shocking report confirmed that both liens are still currently active and have not been paid. How will Kim pay her bill? It doesn't seem likely that Kim Richards will return to "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" in order to pay her tax debt. According to sister Kyle, Kim has no desire to return. She even went so far as to admit that she has asked Kim in the past to film scenes with her but she always turns Kyle down. For the most part, Kim has remained out of the public eye since her arrest back in April 2015. She was arrested for public intoxication after stopping at the Beverly Hills Hotel to sober up after a night of drinking. Richards, who had a history of addiction and attended meetings to help her steer clear of alcohol, admitted that she wasn't in the best frame of mind at the time. With too much stress and not enough time to take care of herself, Kim relapsed and now she regrets it. Just months prior to that embarrassing arrest, Kim was busted for shoplifting from Target. Kim was accused of stealing $600 worth of merchandise. In addition to being banned from the Van Nuys Target where she was arrested, Kim was sentenced to three years of probation, 300 hours of community service and 52 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Kim Richards' tax liens are just another layer of drama that the former "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star has to deal with. So far, she hasn't commented on the latest reports about her large tax debt. Maybe it's time for her to return to the Bravo reality series and get those bills paid. Her fans would certainly love an update on how she's doing and after this latest season, it wouldn't hurt to add her back into the mix to make the drama feel a bit more authentic. 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 James Madison still has plenty to teach us Im back from a week of Spring Break so Im busy digging through emails and trying to remember what I promised to who before I left. But my mind also keeps drifting back to the week my wife and two sons (nine and seven) spent together. We stayed relatively close to home and rented a cabin for a few days at Westmoreland State Park in Virginias Northern Neck -- a swath of land bordered by the Potomac River on the north and the Rappahannock River on the south. The park is on the banks of the Potomac. We picked it mostly because they have what they call Fossil Beach, where my wife wanted to search for shark teeth. That was a bit of a disappointment but the park overall is beautiful and also is near George Washingtons birthplace as well as Stratford Hall, the home of several generations of the Lee family. The most famous Lee was Confederate general Robert E. of course. But he left Strafford when he was about four. But it was the home of his father Lighthorse Harry Lee and uncles (including two signers of the Declaration of Independence) and his grandparents and great-grandparents. When we left the Northern Neck, we went to my mothers home in Luray, Va. But along the way we stopped at Montpelier, the home of James Madison. Montpelier and Stratford Hall dont shy away from the legacy of slavery upon which both estates were built. It is sobering and depressing but an important lesson. The contradiction of Founding Fathers espousing the ideals of equality and freedom while still owning slaves is poignant and is a part of our national legacy that we should confront. Some may argue that slavery is the past and not the present, and that is a debate for another day and another forum. But there is no argument that history is relevant today at Montpelier when the discussion turns to the U.S. Constitution. You hear echoes today of Madisons ideas and philosophical struggles around the role of government and what role government should play. Where does the governments power end and individual rights begin? He talked about gun ownership and immigration, supporting both. He advocated for education and warned against the negative influences of too much religion in public life. The concept of compromise also was important to him and he owes a great debt to his wife Dolley Madison. She was a big believer in bringing people with opposing views together in social settings so they could get to know each other as people. Apparently they wouldnt dare argue in front of Dolley, so they had to find other things to talk about and through that process they began to see each other as people and not adversaries. And that is when compromises can be reached. As cliche as it is, history comes alive at Montpelier because as a democracy and an imperfect one, we wrestle with many of the same concepts and challenges today as the Founding Fathers did in the late 18th century. The history lesson provides confidence that no matter what the political struggle, weve been through tough times before and survived and we well again. But the lesson also is a warning that freedom requires vigilance and is not a destination but an ideal to always strive for. Madison himself wrote that in the U.S. Constitution: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Conklin Clinics building new $3.1 home on Eighth Avenue Northeast A new Conklin Clinics building, which will cost about $3.1 million is expected to be completed by the spring of 2022. BULLETIN BOARD The Member Luncheon of the American Subcontractors Association New Mexico (ASA-NM), will be held from 11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m. on Thursday at the Courtyard Marriott Journal Center, 5151 Journal Center NE. The featured presentation is General Legal Stuff by Sean Calvert, Esq. The registration fee is $35 for members and $47 for others. Advance registration is recommended. For additional information, visit www.asa-nm.org. To register, email memberservices@asa-nm.org or call 505-220-7024. The Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce presents the 15th annual Business Expo and Job Fair from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Thursday at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center, 201 W. Marcy St. Featured business categories include hospitality, financial services, technology, real estate, health care, personal services, fashion, retail, media and nonprofit agencies. Admission is free. For additional information, visit www.santafechamber.com. Chapter 80 of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) meets at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Palo Duro Senior Center, 5221 Palo Duro NE. All current or retired federal employees are invited. The meeting includes a program, and lunch will be provided. For additional information, call 505-373-3456. The Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) New Mexico April luncheon meeting will be held from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on April 11 at the Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North, 5151 San Francisco NE. The featured speaker for the event is Kurt Browning, chief development officer for Titan Development, discussing Albuquerques Newest Mixed-Use Project The Highlands. The cost of the event is $30 for members and $35 for others: advance registration is required by Thursday. For additional information, visit www.crewnewmexico.org. For advance reservations, email jeannie@gotspaceusa.com. PROMOTIONS Maribel Munoz has been promoted by National Roofing to head of estimating and contracts. Munoz will be responsible in her new position for overseeing the estimating department and ensuring efficient development and completion of commercial projects. She previously was the companys contract administrator. Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union (SLFCU) has promoted four staff members. They are: Jennifer Esquibel, Esq., vice president of risk management and legal. Esquibel, who joined the credit union in 2013 as a legal and compliance officer, will oversee the credit unions compliance, risk management, mortgage quality control, and loss prevention departments. She has a bachelors degree from Reed College; and a law degree from the University of Chicago. Barbara J. Jones, senior vice president of organizational effectiveness overseeing the human resources, training, and service quality departments. Jones joined SLFCU in 2014 as vice president of human resources following her retirement from Sandia National Laboratories. She has a bachelors degree in medical microbiology and a masters degree in business administration, both from Stanford University. Kristin Paulson, CPA, vice president of internal audit. Paulson, who joined SLFCU in 2016 as an internal audit manager and has extensive experience as an auditor since 2004, both in public accounting and internal auditing. She has a bachelors degree in psychology and economics from Cornell College; and a masters degree in accounting from the University of Colorado. Matthew Helge, senior vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) overseeing accounting, finance and risk management. Helge, who has worked for SLFCU for 29 years, previously was the vice president of accounting and comptroller. He has a bachelors degree in accounting from Concordia University and also is a volunteer member of the finance committee for United Way of Central New Mexico. WELCOME Rick Haruthunian has joined Miller Stratvert P.A. as an associate in the firms Las Cruces office. Haruthunian has 10 years experience practicing law in both the public and private sectors. He has a bachelors degree in finance from California State University; and a law degree from the University of Michigan. RaMona G. Bootes has joined Guebert Bruckner Gentile, P.C., as the Of Counsel attorney focusing on complex civil litigation and insurance bad faith. Bootes has 30 years experience in the field. Lovelace Medical Group has hired two new providers. They are: Uche Obisike, M.D., board-certified internal medicine provider and Diplomate in geriatric medicine with the hospitalist team covering inpatient facilities. Obisike has a medical degree from the University of Calabar in Nigeria. He is a member of the American College of Physicians; the Christian Medical & Dental Association; and the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Vincent Ortolano, M.D., F.A.C.S., board-certified urologist. Ortolano has 30 years experience in the field including a private practice and working at Albuquerque Urology Associates. He has a bachelors degree from St. Peters College; a medical degree from Autonomous University in Guadalajara, Mexico; and completed a fellowship in oncology at Ohio State University. Ortolano is a member of the Society of Urologic Oncology; the American Urological Association; the New Mexico Medical Association. He is also an associate clinical professor at the UNM School of Medicine. Teresa K. Deras has joined the New Mexico Wildlife Federation as fundraising coordinator. Deras has a bachelors degree in communications from UNM. Yvonne Garcia has joined New Mexico Health Connections as director of operations and programs. Garcia has 18 years experience as a strategic project manager and 14 years experience in the health care field and previously worked at Molina Healthcare of New Mexico. She has a masters degree in business administration from UNM. Kelsey Hoefel has joined the Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union (SLFCU) has vice president of accounting and comptroller. Hoefel previously worked for SLFCU in the accounting department for five years prior to joining the U.S. Forest Service where she worked in the finance and budget section. She has a bachelors degree in finance from New Mexico State University; and a masters degree in business administration from Webster University. First National 1870 has hired two new members to its commercial banking team at the Journal Center branch, 7620 Jefferson NE. They are Ken Jones, portfolio manager; and Matt Houston, commercial relationship manager. Jones has 30 years experience as a commercial and business banker at national and regional banks in New Mexico. Houston has seven years experience in the banking field. APPLAUSE Jasper Riddle, president of the Noisy Water Winery in Ruidoso, has been named by Linda McMahon, the administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the New Mexico Small Business Person of the Year. Riddle will join all the other winners announced by U.S. Small Business Administration from the other 49 states, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, at ceremonies in Washington, D.C., to be held April 29 and 30, at which time the 2018 National Small Business Person of the Year will be named. The evolution of money looks something like this: barter, coins, paper, plastic and now, phones. Ask local business owners what their payment preferences are these days, and youre likely to hear a range of responses. While most customers are using multiple systems, such as paying electronically and using debit and credit cards and mobile apps, there still are consumers who prefer paying in cash or who can be persuaded by a business owner to write a check. Weve all encountered them: The home remodeler, the landscaper, the tailor at the dry cleaner, restaurateurs and food truck operators who are happy to accept payments other than plastic to avoid merchant fees on Visa and Mastercard transactions, the companies that handle about 70 percent of all credit card activity in the U.S. The way consumers interact with money clearly is changing, and most small businesses are able to handle many payment methods. In the past 20 years, banks have pushed credit and debit cards at consumers, and shoppers have embraced the convenience and perks that come with plastic, such as receiving reward points and cash back and building a credit history. Plastic clearly is trumping cash in retail transactions, according to the website NerdWallet.com, which in a 2017 survey showed just 21 percent of point-of-sale purchases were made with cash, while credit card purchases were 34 percent. More than 2 in 5 Americans (44 percent) say they primarily use debit cards for everyday purchases, like groceries and gas. Gone are the days when most consumers paid for something substantial with cash, money order or even a check, though the decline of check use appears to have slowed, according to reports from the Federal Reserve. Checks advantages The great majority of paper checks still written are used to pay businesses, with small businesses taking the lead, according to the Federal Reserve. Why are they still popular? Because accepting them requires no setup (like an online bill pay does) and does not incur a fee (like card payments do), say several business owners who prefer checks. Indeed, some would like to put the kibosh on credit cards entirely to avoid processing fees that run about 2 to 4 percent of the transaction amount. One is Derek Crnkovich, the owner of Builders Unique, who steers his customers to writing him a check. Right off the bat, Im not a fan of credit cards, said Crnkovich, a custom wood flooring contractor. The good thing about cash is that theres no merchant fee, he said. Crnkovich, already operating on tight margins, said the hit on a $10,000 home remodeling job means less for him and his crew. Still, he wont take the drastic step of refusing credit card transactions. Brandon Heckroth, the owner of Desert Ridge Construction, also asks for a check for his labor when he installs flooring. He belongs to a builders showroom where customers can purchase the materials on their credit cards. Its usually about their miles, he said of the die-hard credit-card users. He said customers understand why businesses want to avoid paying card fees. Heckroth said one customer made it a point to hit the bank to withdraw cash at the teller cage to get a job started. With a personal check, Heckroth can pay himself and his crew in a more timely manner. When he worked as a sub for different contractors and as an installer for Home Depot, payments would often be two weeks after his part of the job was finished. Neither contractor offers a discount for check transactions, saying their bids are competitive, they do good work, have solid references from previous customers, provide estimates and invoices, and pay their gross receipts taxes. Cashs cachet dwindles Cold, hard cash generally is losing its appeal. In a survey of more than 2,000 Americans, U.S. Bank found that people arent carrying a lot of cash with them, and, when they do, they arent spending much. Overall, 50 percent of respondents said they carry cash with them less than half of the time. But snubbing the lowly greenback can shut out many dollar-friendly customers, say some Albuquerque merchants. James Pecherski, owner of three Casa Taco stores, two of them in Albuquerque and one in Elephant Butte, says the vast majority of his customers use credit cards to pay. But his newest store, near Coors and Central NW, has a 60 percent cash transaction rate. Many of those customers, he suspects, cannot get credit. Some fork over big bills at the eatery, such as 100s and 50s, especially on paydays. We really fly through the 5s, 10s and 20s quickly, Pecherski said. For another category of business owner, food truck operators, cash is king and highly welcome. I take cash and Square, said Nestor Lopez, owner/chef of the Gobble This food truck, which makes a regular appearance at Marble Brewery as well as running a stand-alone cafe in Old Town. Most food truck operators in town take cash only, said Lopez, who says hes able to better track sales in cash, and feels its easier to get a hold on costs. Square is a credit card-processing company that provides a way for small businesses like Lopezs to accept credit cards without carrying the burden of all those fees that typically get added in by other credit card processors, he said. The merchant pays only per transaction, with no setup or monthly fees. The fee is 2.75 percent per swipe for all major credit cards. There may be a good reason why some Burquenos pay for small transactions with a weathered $10 or $20 bill. According to a NerdWallet study, the Duke City has the eighth-highest percentage of unbanked households in the nation, with 11.1 percent of households in the metro area having no members with a bank account, which likely means no debit or credit cards. Upfront investment For most small businesses in Albuquerque, operating on a cash-only basis is not practical. But processing credit card transactions generally requires an upfront investment. Many small-business owners coming out of the WESST program in Albuquerque are using iPads for business operations like taking payments. The statewide small-business development organization, which has a strong focus on preparing women for the business world, includes payment processing consulting in its business incubator program. A full-on, point-of-sale system, with equipment costs and merchant contracts and fees, may not be feasible for those just launching, said Clint Reecer, WESST regional manager. Larger systems may include a touch-screen device for entering sales, a desktop computer running software and payment hardware like credit card readers and bar-code scanners. Traditional systems can run $1,500 to $5,000 per terminal. They can be expensive, Reecer said. For most WESST clients, payment processing in the early going needs to be more accessible, which is why Square and GoPayment are popular approaches, Reecer said. For small businesses, the simplicity of Squares setup works well, said Reecer. All you really need for a bare-bones setup is Internet access, a card reader and a compatible smartphone or tablet with the free Square Register app installed. Welcome to the future To get a glimpse of one aspect of commerce in America, look no further than your neighborhood Starbucks. The average Joe lining up for his morning cup of joe increasingly is paying with a mobile phone app heavily promoted by the coffee retailer. With more than 7 million active customers using the mobile payment system, Starbucks, based in tech-savvy Seattle, is looking to transform the way on-the-go coffee is selling today. In a recent filing, the coffee giant reported that shoppers using mobile devices to pay for their orders accounted for 30 percent of transactions in its U.S. company-operated stores, according to website Internet Retailer. There are a multitude of mobile wallets and payment apps on the market today, Apple Pay has the largest percentage of supporting U.S. merchants, with 36 percent accepting the mobile payment service today, up from 16 percent last year, research released by Boston Retail Partners reveals. PayPal falls in second place, with a 34 percent acceptance rate, followed by Mastercard PayPass (25 percent), Android Pay (24 percent), Visa Checkout (20 percent), Samsung Pay (18 percent), Chase Pay (11 percent) and private label mobile wallets with 4 percent, the 18th annual edition of the POS/Customer Engagement Survey shows. Payment method options The U.S. Small Business Administration website details some ins and outs of the following payment methods for small business owners. Credit cards: To accept credit and debit cards, youll need either a merchant services account with a bank or an account with an independent payment processing company. Youll pay small processing fees for each credit card transaction ranging from 2 to 4 percent, plus costs for setting up any necessary equipment. Accepting credit and debit cards exposes a business to the risk of fraud, but most vendors provide a certain level of protection. In addition to traditional credit-card processing services, a number of companies have popped up offering mobile solutions, such as Square and PayPal. Theres no fee to use PayPal to purchase goods or services. However, if you receive money for goods or services (such as from selling an item on eBay), the fee for each transaction is 2.9 percent plus 30 cents of the amount you receive. Checks: You only need a business bank account to accept checks. Youll want to create a policy for accepting checks to help avoid bad or fraudulent ones. Standard practices include only taking checks from well-known or in-state banks, or requiring checks be only for the exact amount owed. A business could also use a third-party service to help verify the quality of the check. Cash: Some small businesses operate as cash only merchants because its fast, easy and inexpensive. If you accept cash, remember that large sums of cash can add to accounting time and come with an additional security risk. Youll want a secure way to hold cash, like a register and a safe. Online payments: If you sell your product or service online, you could accept payment through a website with an online payment service, such as PayPal, Amazon Payment and Google Wallet. A business will pay fees in order to accept payments online, just like accepting credit cards in a physical location. Online commerce also requires a virtual shopping cart to calculate the total, tax, and shipping costs of an order, in addition to collecting customer account and shipping information. Having an office in an industrial base five miles north of the Santa Teresa Port of Entry in Santa Teresa, N.M., I am constantly asked, How is Trumps wall going to affect you? I always answer that here in Santa Teresa, we already have a wall, really more like a fence, that stretches from east of El Paso to a point just west of the Santa Teresa Port of Entry. The fence itself has not impeded the areas attractiveness for manufacturing operations and distribution warehouses. Nor has it had any discernable impact on cross-border trade flows between the U.S. and Mexico, because the lanes that allow private vehicle and commercial traffic to cross the border were pre-programmed into the fence when it was erected. Last month, the federal government announced that it had awarded Barnard Construction of Montana a $73 million contract to build a 20-mile extension of the border fence, running from the Santa Teresa Port of Entry west into the desert. The company also will replace existing vehicle barriers in this section with taller, stronger barriers. The 20-mile extension was budgeted and approved during the Obama administration, although the Trump administration will probably take credit for seeing it through. I believe that building a borderlong fence is a waste of $25 billion that can be better utilized for other, more pressing infrastructural needs throughout the country. A wall can be a deterrent, especially in urban areas and around international ports of entry. The high fence around the Santa Teresa Port of Entry was originally expanded and constructed to stop undocumented immigrants from mingling with the regular traffic flow, especially with the used-vehicle export traffic, and sneaking into the U.S. Much of the wall construction occurred after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A fence in the immediate port vicinity also forces contraband runners in vehicles farther out into the desert where the sand can sometimes be 4 feet deep. Even four-wheel-drive vehicles can get stuck in sand this deep. Years ago, an associate of mine in a four-wheel-drive Ford Expedition was showing potential residential sites near the port to prospects and left the graded road for a better look in the desert. He got high-centered and called me to go pull him out. I took a four-wheel-drive Chevrolet truck, and we promptly got that stuck next to the Expedition. We then called a friend with a four-wheel-drive Dodge Durango for help, and we got that truck stuck. Desperate, we called the nearby sod farm, which sent a backhoe to extract all of us. On my honor as a gentleman, it also got stuck for several hours. The debacle started at 10 a.m., and it took us until 7 p.m. to leave the desert. It makes a lot of sense to me that a fence can push illegal crossers into areas with natural barriers where they can be apprehended. However, extensions of the wall can definitely affect the flow of commerce. Future expansions of a port of entry and increased development need to be taken into consideration to avoid bottlenecks and costly modifications. The Santa Teresa Port of Entry, originally opened in 1993, has now become the seventh-most-important commercial port of entry on the border. As New Mexicos border region continues to industrialize and add population, the port will be in dire need of redesign and expansion. Also, the states of New Mexico and Chihuahua have conducted preliminary studies to relocate the international rail lines out of downtown El Paso/Juarez to a point just west of the Santa Teresa Port of Entry sometime in the future. And simply cutting through the fence to expand an existing opening or to create a new one is not as easy or as cheap as it seems. Several years ago, there was a plan to enlarge a truck lane to accommodate the increasing overweight/oversize loads that were crossing at the Santa Teresa Port of Entry, which is the El Paso Districts designated port of entry for loads of this type. A project such as this takes a lot of paperwork and approval by various agencies, which can consume a lot of time. The estimate to enlarge the lane came back at a whopping $2 million. Apparently, there is specific wiring and/or sensors embedded on the wall or beneath it that can immensely increase the cost of modifying it, not to mention the higher costs of government construction contracts. So, will the wall affect our commerce at the border? If it increases security in and around the port of entry and affords existing companies and future investors more peace of mind that their cross-border shipments are safe, it will be positive. However, any new fence construction must be considered strategically. A $25 billion, border-long fence, or wall as Trump likes to refer to it, would be a colossal waste of taxpayer money that could be used elsewhere. Additional sections of fence must be built where they are really needed, not as a reaction to a poorly thought-out campaign promise. Finally, the federal government needs to work closely with border states, local governments, and developers to understand the scope of development and population growth that will occur in the future to minimize future bottlenecks and limit the costs to take down sections of the fence in the future. Jerry Pacheco is the executive director of the International Business Accelerator, a nonprofit trade counseling program of the New Mexico Small Business Development Centers Network. He can be reached at 575-589-2200 or at jerry@nmiba.com. The Santa Fe Business Incubator has plenty to show for its 20 years of existence: More than 145 companies have taken flight from the ever-expanding facility at 3900 Paseo del Sol in Santa Fe, and 1,000 new jobs have been created, 49 of them in the last fiscal year. Paying attention to the business climate and adapting to opportunities explain SFBIs longevity, according to president and CEO Marie Longserre. SFBI is an environment that celebrates entrepreneurship, relationships and connections, she said. We reduce barriers and create networks. Community support, reliable funding sources and collaborative partnerships with economic development organizations sustain the success of SFBI and New Mexicos other business incubators: The Enterprise Center at San Juan College in Farmington, Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, Taos Economic Development Center, Navajo Tech Innovation Center at Church Rock, WESST Enterprise Center, and South Valley Economic Development Center in Albuquerque. Like SFBI, all are certified by the states Economic Development Department. Tracking the trends Business incubators provide fledgling ventures inexpensive office and manufacturing space, resources and opportunities to work with other tenant entrepreneurs and outside experts. The cross-fertilization of ideas and perspectives enhances the symbiotic nature of these creative environments. When it broke ground in 1997, SFBI was the first certified New Mexico incubator under the states certification system. Thanks to a $2.3 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, SFBI upsized from 10,000 to 30,000 square feet shortly after opening its doors so it could serve more clients. In response to increased activity in the life-science sector, SFBI in April 2014 opened a $1.2 million on-site biosciences lab to help clients involved in product development and innovation. In keeping with other trends, SFBI added co-working space and in 2017 opened the Archimedes Fab Lab, a part of the International Fab Lab maker-space network. The Archimedes lab features digital fabrication tools 3-D printers, laser cutters, milling and other machines that are linked by computer-assisted design software that allows companies to create prototypes of their ideas. Lab equipment is available to resident companies and others that become lab members. Profitable partnerships Collaboration is another ingredient in SFBIs winning recipe. Lenders WESST and The Loan Fund have offices at SFBI, as does SCORE, an organization of volunteer executives who provide free advice and mentoring to small-business clients. SFBI also collaborates with the Regional Development Corporation and New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership; through its partnership with the Los Alamos National Laboratory Feynman Center, resident businesses can obtain technical help from national lab scientists through the New Mexico Small Business Assistance Program. SFBI celebrates its 20th anniversary with a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at La Fonda on the Plaza, 100 E. San Francisco St., Santa Fe. SFBI founders, current and graduated clients, and members of New Mexicos congressional delegation will offer tributes and testimonials. Register at sfbi.net/incubator-events. Finance New Mexico connects individuals and businesses with skills and funding resources for their business or idea. To learn more, go to www.FinanceNewMexico.org. A prominent restaurant space in Nob Hill that has been empty since the closure of Brasserie La Provence several years back will soon have a new tenant. A banner outside the 3,300-square-foot location at 3001 Central NE proclaims the imminent opening of the Safari Grill Nob Hill Exotic and Local Cuisine. A similarly named eatery once did business at 3600 N.M. 528 near Ellison NW, where the offerings were African-Indian fusion with a hint of the Land of Enchantment, said co-owner/chef Bill Young. Before that, Young operated a food truck called NYs Grill. Its a much more visible space with more seating at the new site, said Young, who is shooting for a mid-April opening in a neighborhood with a decidedly urban buzz and lots of foot traffic. The menu is based on food from Youngs native Tanzania, although the latest iteration of The Safari Grill gives many of the East African-inspired dishes a little New Mexico kick. The distinctive meat-based dishes will see new life as tacos, burritos or wraps, Young said. The Grills samosa a triangular, stuffed pastry, will include beef, potatoes and green chile. Marinated and grilled chicken or beef skewers can be dipped in sauces that include red and green chile versions as well as tamarind chutney. Joining Young in the new business venture is Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda, who operates several audiology clinics in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Mama mia! New Italian eatery Il Bosco Italian Kitchen, which is described as from-scratch restaurant serving world-class cuisine and vino, has opened at the La Bella Vita Lifestyle Center, 10126 Coors NW. The business, owned by Dawn Davide, has a fine-dining executive chef at the helm named Steven Peyer. His resume includes jobs at the River Cafe in London and that temple for foodies Chez Panisse in Berkeley. He also worked at Cafe Lago in Seattle and opened Peter Lowells and Forchetta Bastoni in Sebastopol, Calif. As a chef, farmer and a proponent of the farm-to-table and slow food movements, Peyer plans to to tap into the bounty from local growers. All produce used for the dishes is organic and non-GMO. Il Bosco it means the forest, or loosely translated for Albuquerque, the bosque is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and from 5 to 9 p.m. for dinner Thursday through Monday. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ILBOSCONM/. Chock-full of beans The newest coffee roasting company in Albuquerque has the advantage of having one of the regions top coffee entrepreneurs at its helm. Former New Mexico Pinon Coffee Co. President Allen Bassett is hard at work launching an enterprise called Sol Rio Coffee. Partnering with Allen in the new business is co-owner Jonathan Priest, the COO of Vitality Works, a manufacturer of herbal and nutriceutical supplements. Bassett spent nearly a decade helping Pinon, a business operated by his family, expand its manufacturing base, grow its customer reach and make a move into standalone coffee shops. Drawing from Bassetts experience as a coffee roaster and marketer, Sol Rio aims to provide customers some delicious beverages as it ramps up. Its going to be wholesale packaged organically grown coffee with natural flavors, Bassett said of the product lineup. The biggest investment so far is the roaster purchased from Verena Street Coffee in Iowa. The machine roasts 500 pounds of coffee per hour. Plans for the roastery at 815 Bellamah NW include a tasting and brewing area for customers, brokers and vendors. On a side note, Bassett said it was important that the name of the business have a Southwestern flavor. One day I was driving over the river, and the sun came out and inspiration struck. So Sol Rio it was meant to be. Steve Sinovic covers the retail, restaurant and hospitality beats for the Journal. He can be reached at ssinovic@abqjournal.com or by calling 505-823-3919. CIUDAD JUAREZ Mexicos presidential frontrunner, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, launched his campaign Easter Sunday in this border city where he pledged to double the minimum wage, create a tax-free border commercial zone, and demanded mutual respect from the U.S. Mexico and its people will no longer be a pinata for foreign governments, said Lopez Obrador referring to President Donald Trump. Social problems and security issues are not solved by walls and force. Those problems are solved by economic development, Lopez Obrador told hundreds of supporters at his campaign rally. His speech was interrupted multiple times by cheering, applause and chants of presidente. In his third run for the presidency, Lopez Obrador, 64, is the candidate of the left leaning Morena party. Hes ahead in the polls in a race that includes three other candidates. His nearest competitor is Ricardo Anaya, 39, of the conservative PAN, or National Action Party, which formed a coalition with smaller leftist political parties. The incumbent PRI partys candidate, Jose Antonio Meade, is third in polls. And fourth is former First Lady Margarita Zavala, who left the PAN party to run as an independent. On July 1, as many as 88 million Mexicans will elect their next president, 500 members of the Chamber of Deputies and 128 members of the Senate. Mexicans living abroad have the right to cast absentee ballots and the presidential election is generating interest among voters on both sides of the border. We care because we have family in Mexico and we obviously want a better country, longtime Las Cruces resident Lorena Mendoza said on Saturday as she and her husband Isaias, both originally from Chihuahua City, were at Mexican Consulate in El Paso with a crowd waiting to register to vote abroad. Mexican Consulates across the U.S. opened their doors on Saturday, the last day to register to vote abroad, and New Mexico residents were among those rushing to meet the deadline. About 615,000 people had registered to vote abroad as of mid-March, a record number. Mexicos Electoral Institute will have to validate their applications before they get mail-in ballots. At least 4,500 Mexican voters in New Mexico had registered but authorities expected that number to grow because of a last minute rush in the U.S. at Mexican Consulates. Gilberto Contreras, a resident of Anthony, New Mexico, said job creation is the top issue in Mexicos presidential election. Because of a lack of opportunities, so many people had to migrate to find a new life, Contreras said while at the Consulate. The business executive was still undecided about whom he would support. But Marta Hernandez had made up her mind she would vote for Lopez Obrador. Its his time, said Hernandez, a native of the northern state of Durango who works as caregiver for the elderly in Las Cruces and made the trip to the Consulate. Maria Garcia, a retired teacher in Ciudad Juarez, was at Lopez Obradors rally Sunday morning. His campaign represents hope, she said. Lopez Obradors stop in Juarez is part of a four-day swing through Mexicos northern border region where hes promising to create a tax-free commercial zone. He talked about that idea during a private gathering in El Paso last year. Jerry Pacheco, president of the Border Industrial Association based in Santa Teresa, was among the select business leaders who attended that meeting. You cannot forget the northern states like Chihuahua are production zones and thats where he was proposing the tax free zone which I thought was incredible, said Pacheco in an interview last week. Pacheco was also struck by Lopez Obradors calm demeanor at the meeting, a sharp contrast to the candidates past image as a fiery populist leader. We have so much on the line, said Pacheco of the Mexicos presidential election. Mexico is New Mexicos largest trading partner and Pacheco said he will be following Lopez Obradors campaign to see if he continues to support NAFTA. Were not against the free trade agreement with the U.S. and Canada, Lopez Obrador told the crowd at his rally in Ciudad Juarez. But he said the signing of the renegotiated agreement should happen after Mexicos presidential election and he wants wages and the issue of migration included in the new agreement. Lopez Obrador told supporters gathered at the foot of the Benito Juarez monument he chose this city because of its historic significance as the place that fostered resistance against a French invasion in the 1860s and during Mexicos 1910 revolution. He said todays fight was against government corruption and a mafia of powerful elites. Were sick of government corruption, said Alfredo Trevizo, a small business owner in Ciudad Juarez who attended Lopez Obradors campaign rally with his wife and three daughters. We think this man is differentand we hope he wins, said Trevizo. DEMING Signs declaring Deming schools gun-free zones came down recently while the school district moves toward bringing armed personnel to school sites. Deming Public Schools Superintendent Arsenio Romero asked safety director Benny Jasso to remove the signs, which went up during the administration of Superintendent Harvielee Moore. He made the request during a school board special meeting and work session in early March. That morning, a report of possible gunfire near Columbus Elementary School resulted in an hourlong lockdown of the campus while Luna County Sheriffs deputies, Border Patrol officers, and New Mexico State Police swept the area on the ground and by helicopter. No evidence of gunfire or an active shooter was found, but Jasso said the event was a good drill, praising school staff and students for following security protocols and law enforcement agencies for arriving in four to five minutes. The entire campus, with more than 630 students, was inspected and cleared within half an hour. Still the school board and district officials were interested in bringing armed School Resource Officers to local schools. Luna County Sheriff Kelly Gannaway told the Headlight he would like to assign a resource officer to the schools and has already implemented weekly walk-throughs at school sites. Deming Police Chief Bobby Orosco noted that at one time, his department had provided School Resource Officers and he would like to resume the program. Jasso provided data on fire drills, evacuation, and lockdown drills conducted so far in the current school year across the district, which were on pace to exceed required code drills for the school year. Jasso said the numbers are high because of actual threats and incidents, with seven shelter-in-place calls at Bataan Elementary alone and five lockdowns at Red Mountain Middle School in the current academic year. Deming was the location of a fatal school shooting on November 19, 1999, at what was then Deming Middle School. Student Araceli Tena was killed. Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Olivers recent op-ed announcing that she would unilaterally enact straight-party voting was interesting, but completely ignored the actual history of the issue. In 2001, House Bill 931 was passed and signed into law by Gov. Gary Johnson. The bill specifically repealed Section 1-9-4 of the Election Code, which read: it permits each voterto vote a straight party ticket in one operation That was the only provision in New Mexico law that made any reference at all to straight party voting. Despite the repeal of the only authorization for straight party voting, the straight party option continued to appear on the ballot for the next eight years. This was probably due to inertia more than anything else for many years, ballot creation, design and printing was handled by a third-party contractor. While some voters and legislators informally raised questions, no interested party challenged the ongoing practice in court or any other venue. In 2011, the incoming director of the Bureau of Elections announced that the Secretary of States Office would follow New Mexico law in all matters pertaining to the administration of elections, including ballot design: whatever was authorized in statute would be followed and whatever was prohibited would not be permitted. In doing so, she acknowledged that the legislature had repealed straight party balloting. In view of this, and acknowledging that the straight party statute had been repealed, Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, introduced SB 582, containing this language: the ballot shall be designed to allow the voter to vote for all of a qualified partys slate of candidates on the ballot by marking a single straight party option Late in the session, the Senate Rules Committee approved it and sent it to the Senate Judiciary Committee. It died there without a hearing. In 2012, at the start of the legislative session, Senator Sanchez again addressed the issue, introducing Senate Bill 218, with the same language as his previous bill. The Secretary of States Office noted the legislation and again announced that whatever the legislature chose to do would of course be incorporated in the 2012 general election ballot. Senate Bill 218 passed the Senate, 26-12, and was sent to the House, where it was assigned to the House Judiciary Committee. But the bill died on adjournment. Accordingly, in September 2012, the Bureau of Elections designed the general election ballot to comply with existing New Mexico statutes, and conducted the election according to New Mexico law. In January, 2013, Sen. Sanchez yet again introduced a bill to authorize straight party voting, SB 276. Again, the Bureau of Elections reiterated in legislative hearings that the 2014 general election ballot would conform with any changes the legislature might enact. SB 276 passed the senate 24-17, and was sent to the House where it was assigned to the Voters and Elections Committee. There it got a DO PASS recommendation, went to the floor, but died there. Where are we today? In both the 2014 and 2016 general election campaigns, the Democratic Partys nominee for secretary of state, Maggie Toulouse Oliver, announced that she would simply create the straight party ballot, strongly implying that New Mexico statutes and legislative action were irrelevant to her own personal preferences. She still says that. It is fair for New Mexicans to ask: Based on what authority? As noted above, there is substantial legislative history regarding straight party voting. The legislature adopted it decades ago, repealed it, and has attempted to re-adopt it three times since its repeal. But now we have the chief administrator of elections asserting she can restore straight ticket voting with merely a wave of her hand. We are a government of laws, not of personal whim. There is no New Mexico law that authorizes state administrative officers to enact legislation. Only the legislature can enact. Toulouse-Olivers statement calls to mind the scene from Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Badges? We dont need no stinking badges Law? We dont need no stinking law. Such an authoritarian attitude can raise questions about the fairness with which elections might be conducted. New Mexicans have every right to favor or oppose straight party voting. But those who favor it should urge their legislators to adopt it, not have an authoritarian administrator do so on a personal whim. Rod Adair is a former Republican state senator from Roswell who has previously worked in the Secretary of States Office. CHICAGO Some very wise men once said, There will be no second chance to get the 2020 census right [and] we will all live with the results for a decade. Vincent P. Barabba and Kenneth Prewitt, both past census directors, made these statements in a Washington Post op-ed last summer, when they warned the nation that the Trump administration was on the verge of really mucking up the decennial count. Now that Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has ignored the best advice of career officials at the U.S. Census Bureau and insisted on reintroducing a question about U.S. citizenship that hasnt been asked since the 1950 census, a lot of people are worried. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, for instance, released a statement calling the last-minute addition untimely, unnecessary, and untested, adding that it would undermine years of painstaking preparation and increase costs significantly, putting a successful, accurate count at risk. The question is unnecessarily intrusive and will raise concerns in all households native- and foreign-born, citizen and non-citizen about the confidentiality of information provided to the government and how government authorities may use that information. Less diplomatic reactions from Hispanic leaders and immigrant advocates called the move another intimidation tactic, discriminatory and just plain racist. Others are wondering: Whats the big deal? Well, that all goes back to getting the forthcoming census right which means obtaining the most accurate count. Those in favor of sussing out the number of unlawfully present immigrants via census data may come out losing the most if immigrants and others are afraid to be honest with census takers. The census is a really important tool that impacts how local communities, states and the federal government look at budgeting decisions for everything from schools, hospitals all kinds of services. Its also how we redraw legislative and congressional districts, Karen Hobert Flynn, president of Common Cause, a nonpartisan watchdog group, told me. Whether you get fair representation or the services you need depends on not undercounting communities. Meanwhile, there are those who believe that if some immigrants are scared off by the citizenship question, thats fine, because those residents should be neither counted nor rewarded for their unlawful status. There are two counter-arguments to this. No. 1: We are a nation of laws. And many laws come straight from the Constitution, which calls for the most accurate possible enumeration of all persons including non-citizens, and other types of residents every 10 years. Really, on this point alone, it hardly matters who gets what from census data; its a matter of national security and decent stewardship to attain the most accurate count we can. No. 2: We are a nation of interconnected communities, and try as we might we cannot harm the others among us without harming ourselves. An inaccurate census impacts all Americans, not just Republicans or Democrats, said Arturo Vargas, the executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund. Anyone who lives in a state that has people of color will be detrimentally affected if they are not fully enumerated. He told me that, for instance, Alabama has seen a significant increase in immigrants that population is now at 164,000 according to the Migration Policy Institute. If this population is not fully counted, the southern, solid-Republican state may lose a congressional seat in reapportionment, he said. Other red states are in the same boat. Arizona has 935,000 immigrants from all countries, Missouri has 249,000, South Carolina has 238,000, Utah has 252,000, Oklahoma has 228,000, Kansas has 206,000 you get the point. Every community is harmed, every community stands to miss out, Vargas told me. Over $600 billion in federal funds are based on formulas that are based on census data, including highway construction, school-lunch programs, Medicare and health care programs. Those communities that do not have a complete count will get less funding for these services, which they are fully entitled to. A miscount, an undercount, a failed or inaccurate census harms everybody. So far, at least 12 states have indicated they will file suit against the Trump administration to stop inclusion of the citizenship question on the 2020 census. Even if those states prevail, there will surely be lingering worry that census takers are aiding Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in deportations. Meanwhile, the cost of the fear the administration is sowing about the upcoming census will net out to about 10 painful years of living with faulty population data. WASHINGTON A new Washington museum focused on womens history has many passionate fans but Smithsonian Secretary David J. Skorton isnt one of them. The head of the worlds largest museum complex announced in March that the Smithsonian Institution will launch a Womens History Initiative to highlight womens achievements. But Skorton doesnt support a stand-alone museum. Were not in a position to initiate any new museums in the near future, he said. Skorton announced the new initiative at the National Museum of American History, where House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., formally donated several artifacts to the collection, including the suit she wore at her historic swearing-in as the first female speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Noting that the achievements of women have been underrated, undervalued and sometimes completely unrecognized, Skorton pledged that the Smithsonian would hire curators and create programs to elevate the profile of women and their contributions. Congress included $2 million in its spending plan to support the program, which Skorton says will accomplish the goals of a museum. Advocates, however, view it as a crucial first step in establishing a new facility. The Smithsonians American Womens History Initiative is integral in laying the groundwork for a future Smithsonian museum dedicated to American womens history, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-N.Y., said after Congress passed the spending package. Maloney is the author of the House bill that would establish the museum. The effort to more completely and more fairly honor both women and men throughout the Smithsonian institutions is an important one for Congress to fully support, she said. After all, how can we expect to inspire women and girls if we do not recognize them? Maloney expressed frustration at the Smithsonians lack of support for the project. We are half of America. Dont we deserve a museum? Maloney asked, adding that her bill to establish the museum has more than 250 bipartisan co-sponsors. She said Smithsonian officials should put in writing their support for a womens museum so that we can proceed. Supporters of the museum are hoping to capitalize on the wave of activism sweeping the country as women are taking stands about critical social issues, including gun violence, workplace harassment and equal pay. They want to build on advocacy that led to the creation in 1996 of a nonprofit organization, National Womens History Museum, that supports educational and public programs and hosts an annual awards ceremony. That group has more than 55,000 individual donors, according to its website. In 2016, a bipartisan congressional commission found widespread interest and private donors for a stand-alone museum to continue this work. Museum advocates point to the wildly successful National Museum of African American History and Culture to press their case. Previous Smithsonian leaders were opposed to that effort, saying African-American stories could be told in exhibitions and programs across its various museums. It took 15 years to get a bill passed and an additional 13 years to get it built. The museum opened in September 2016 and has welcomed 3 million visitors and attracted many new supporters to the Smithsonian. Jane Abramson, who chaired a congressional commission that recommended a new Smithsonian museum, remains optimistic. A lot of other sectors are doing so many admirable programs. Its time for the political arena to make a statement, she said. This is the best time ever for Congress to get together on this. Abramsons panel created a 10-year plan that would lead to a new Smithsonian museum. The museum needs to be part of the national family of museums. Thats a key finding of our commission, Abramson said. The commission advocated for the Smithsonian to begin its work with an initiative similar to the one Skorton announced. Abramson said that she would have preferred a two-track approach with Congress working to establish the building as the Smithsonian develops the programs but that she understands Skortons position. The Smithsonian has difficulty maintaining the 10.5 million square feet it operates, Skorton has said. I am not put off at all by the secretary. He does not have bandwidth to take on a new museum right now, she said. Smithsonian officials need to absorb this new museum they just opened. All of that is reasonable. In its report to Congress, the commission proposed a privately funded museum, rather than a 50-50 federal-private partnership, such as the one that created the African-American museum. The proposal was meant to sweeten the deal for lawmakers, who would not have to pledge money. But that formula doesnt suit Smithsonian leaders. Building a museum completely on private philanthropy goes against what we have done in the past, Skorton said. The Smithsonian plans to announce details about the womens initiative including specific exhibitions and a plan to hire curators across institutions that will focus on womens history by the end of the year. Skorton said the Smithsonian is raising private funds to supplement the federal grant. I know what I can do, Skorton said, and what I want to do is work hard and in a focused way, immediately, to tell the story of womens history. As hundreds of thousands of American schoolchildren prepared to rally for gun law reform in Washington, Albuquerque and other U.S. cities late last month, Sen. Martin Heinrich marveled at the students power to change the national conversation. Its had more impact than anything Ive seen in my years in elected office, the New Mexico Democrat said during a Journal interview in his Capitol Hill office two days before the historic March for Our Lives. In the six weeks since a former student shot and killed 17 students and faculty with an AR-15 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida on Valentines Day, students across America have mobilized and spoken out at a rate unseen since the Vietnam War. Fueled by fear of being shot at school and armed with social media savvy, the students seized control of a national gun debate that had become as predictable as the next mass shooting. As a hunter, gun owner and father of two school-age boys, Heinrich told me he welcomes young people to the national conversation, and he hopes to turn their enthusiasm into action on Capitol Hill. He said hes working on legislation that would ban very specific types of guns capable of killing the most people, although he wasnt ready to reveal many details. Heinrich, who is seeking a second term in the U.S. Senate this year, explained his mechanical approach to gun control legislation, why he renounced his National Rifle Association membership and what its like to raise kids in an era of mass school shootings. After the Florida school massacre in February, as the national youth protest grew louder, Heinrich began catching flak from the political left on social media. Some including former Democratic New Mexico Lt. Gov. Diane Denish criticized Heinrichs 2013 vote against renewing a Clinton-era assault weapons ban. Gun control advocates also pointed out that Heinrich hadnt called for a ban on AR-15 rifles like the one that killed so many in Parkland, Fla. In the Journal interview, Heinrich still stopped short of supporting a ban specifically on the semiautomatic AR-15, but said he now supports a ban on assault weapons generally. I dont think its productive to go firearm by firearm, the senator said. The question is, what is it about the AR-15 that makes it so dangerous? Its the size of the magazine (that holds the guns bullets) and how quickly the action cycle reloads the next bullet. Heinrich said previous attempts to ban the deadly assault weapons have focused at least in part on cosmetics, such as folding stocks or pistol grips, and not on what actually makes a weapon deadlier than others. It doesnt matter if you have a folding stock, it doesnt matter if you have a pistol grip but it does matter how the action cycles and how fast they (the weapons) can throw lead downrange, and how many times you can pull the trigger before youre out of ammunition, Heinrich said. Those are the functional things that are at the heart of what makes these (guns) so dangerous compared to other firearms. Im trying to get the details right and get away from the battle over cosmetics and really get at the fundamental things that cause these mass shooting events to be so big and destructive. Assault rifles How one defines assault weapon remains at the crux of the debate over banning them. I think it is important to define the characteristics that make certain weapons really dangerous, Heinrich said. I think you would see a shift if you could make the definition work. The senator suggested that his pending gun legislation would take aim at specific types of gas-operated autoloaders common in some rifles, including the AR-15. What AR-15s have and this is pretty much what people consider assault rifles across the board is they use expanding gas to reload the second bullet so its almost instantaneous, he said. When you pull the trigger, it doesnt fire multiple times, but when you pull the trigger it does immediately start reloading to fire again. That also reduces the kickback, which means that you can fire multiple times very accurately. He said he plans to introduce his bill this year, but didnt specify whether the legislation would come before or after the November elections. Were pretty far down the road, he said. A mechanical engineer by training, Heinrich said he hopes to help Democrats elevate their rhetoric on guns by grounding it in mechanics. Details matter, and if we are going to be taken seriously on gun safety legislation, we have to write legislation informed by experience with firearms, Heinrich said. GOP response Ryan Cangiolosi, chairman of the Republican Party of New Mexico, said Heinrichs current position on guns is out of step with many of the New Mexicans he represents. Martin Heinrich has shamelessly joined other liberal politicians who abandoned New Mexico values to appease East Coast special interests, Cangiolosi said, noting Heinrichs newfound support for an assault weapons ban. This anti-Second Amendment agenda might score points with East Coast progressives, but is completely out of touch with everyday New Mexicans. Obviously, Heinrich doesnt see it that way. And he said his two sons young hunters ages 11 and 14 forced to participate in live shooter drills at their schools dont see it that way either. Having conversations with them is really helpful for me, Heinrich said. They are fairly unique kids in that they have grown up in this era of mass shootings. They hate it, and they dont like having to do mass shooter drills at their schools, but they are not in any way, shape or form anti-firearm. These are kids that have grown up with many of their best memories associated with firearms. They understand that with rights come responsibilities. Quitting the NRA When Heinrich first got to Congress as a U.S. representative in 2009, he was a proud member of the National Rifle Association. In his first re-election campaign in Congress, he touted the A rating he received from the powerful national gun lobby. NRA membership was a rite of passage for young gun owners like himself who looked forward to receiving their membership cards and the organizations magazine in the mail, Heinrich said. But he grew disenchanted with the NRA when it mostly remained silent after a deranged man shot then-Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona in the head in 2011, then resisted calls for change after the horrific shooting in Newtown, Conn., that left 20 elementary school students and six adults dead a year later. There was no engagement from the NRA, Heinrich recalled. Ive seen time and time again a complete unwillingness to even have a conversation. It created a level of frustration that I didnt want to be associated with. Heinrich said he suspects his evolution on gun policy to cost him votes in the general election this year. This is going to be a hard cultural conversation, Heinrich said. And while hes preparing to propose some new weapons restrictions, Heinrich stressed that he also wants to respect responsible hunters, hobbyists and other gun owners who just want to safeguard their legal right to shoot turkeys or targets. Hopefully, we get the details right and dont have unintended consequences, Heinrich said. It would be easy to define things inaccurately and then feed the paranoia on the right that people want to take peoples turkey gun away when they dont. We could do this wrong and feed that paranoia. Getting the details right in a way that is informed by firsthand experience with the hardware is important. UpFront is a front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Journal reporter Michael Coleman in Washington, D.C., at mcoleman@abqjournal.com. Go to www.abqjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor. WASHINGTON The White House released a photo Friday of its spring 2018 interns and the internet quickly noted a lack of people of color. One reaction on Twitter: I missed the fall intern photo, but last summer and this spring, the White House had a combined 206 interns. Among them: 3 black men. 0 black women. Out of 206. Another person tweeted: The White House intern photo is like a Wheres Waldo for a non-white person-in a country that is about 40% non-white. On the other hand, it is possible that people of color werent eager to sign up to work in President Donald Trumps White House. Some of the presidents lowest approval marks come from people of color and millennials, according to Gallup. The absence of diversity in the White House and administration as a whole has attracted attention since the earliest days of the Trump presidency. When Omarosa Manigault Newman left in December from her post as the director of communications for the White House Office of Public Liaison, it was again a reminder of the absence of African-Americans in senior positions in Trumps White House. She was the only black senior adviser. As the only African-American woman in this White House, as a senior staff and assistant to the president, I have seen things that have made me uncomfortable, that have upset me, that have affected me deeply and emotionally, that has affected my community and my people, she told Good Morning America after her departure. While there are notable people of color in the Trump administration Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley Trumps Cabinet is predominantly white. But the intern photo and the photos of previous intern groups of the Trump White House provided a window into understanding why there could be such low representation of people of color at top levels of the Trump administration: Diversity has to start at the bottom. VATICAN CITY On Christianitys most joyful day, Pope Francis called for peace in a world marked by war and conflict, beginning with the beloved and long-suffering land of Syria and extending to Israel, where 15 Palestinians were killed on the Israeli-Gaza border two days before Easter Sunday. Francis reflected on the power of Christianitys core belief that Jesus rose from the dead following crucifixion in his formal Urbi et Orbi Easter message delivered from the balcony of St. Peters Basilica to a packed square of some 80,000 faithful below. The pontiff said the message of the resurrection offers hope in a world marked by so many acts of injustice and violence, including parts of Africa affected by hunger, endemic conflicts and terrorism. It bears fruits of hope and dignity where there are deprivation and exclusion, hunger and unemployment; where there are migrants and refugees, so often rejected by todays culture of waste, and victims of the drug trade, human trafficking and contemporary forms of slavery, the pope said. Francis called for a swift end to the seven years of carnage in Syria, demanding that aid be delivered to the war-torn countrys needy and calling for fitting conditions for the returned and the displaced. The pope also urged reconciliation in Israel, a place experiencing in these days the wounds of ongoing conflict that do not spare the defenseless. His remarks followed the Friday deaths of Palestinian protesters who charged toward Gazas border with Israel, the areas deadliest violence in four years. Turning to Asia, Francis expressed hope that talks underway could bring peace to the Korean peninsula, urging those who are directly responsible act with wisdom and discernment to promote the good of the Korean people. The pope also urged more steps to bring harmony to divided Ukraine, called for peace in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo and appealed for the world not to forget victims of conflict, especially children. May there be no lack of solidarity with all those forced to leave their native lands and lacking the bare essentials for living, said Francis, who has often championed the cause of migrants and refugees. The churchs first pontiff from Latin America cited in particular the problems in Venezuela. He said he hoped the country would find a just, peaceful and humane way to surmount quickly the political and humanitarian crises that grip it. Earlier, tens of thousands of faithful underwent heavy security checks to enter St. Peters Square to participate in Easter Sunday Mass celebrated by the pope, followed by his Urbi et Orbi message (to the city and the world.) Security precautions included bag checks and metal detector wands for everyone entering the square, while the main avenue leading to the Vatican, as well as smaller adjoining streets, were closed to traffic. Francis opened Easter festivities with a tweet to his global flock: Our faith is born on Easter morning: Jesus is alive! The experience is at the heart of the Christian message. Elsewhere, hundreds of Christians marked Easter by flocking to Jerusalems Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site where they believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. BEIJING China raised import duties on a $3 billion list of U.S. pork, apples and other products Monday in an escalating dispute with Washington over trade and industrial policy. The government of President Xi Jinping said it was responding to a U.S. tariff hike on steel and aluminum. But that is just one facet of sprawling tensions with Washington, Europe and Japan over a state-led economic model they complain hampers market access, protects Chinese companies and subsidizes exports in violation of Beijings free-trade commitments. Already, companies are looking ahead to a bigger fight over U.S. President Donald Trumps approval of higher duties on up to $50 billion of Chinese goods in response to complaints that Beijing steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. Forecasters say the impact of Mondays move should be limited, but investors worry the global recovery might be set back if other governments respond by raising import barriers. On Monday, the main stock market indexes in Tokyo and Shanghai ended the day down. The tariffs signal a most unwelcome development, which is that countries are becoming protectionist, said economist Taimur Baig of DBS Group. But in commercial terms, they are not very substantial compared with Chinas $150 billion in annual imports of U.S. goods, he said. Mondays tariff increase will hit American farm states, many of which voted for Trump in 2016. Beijing is imposing a 25 percent tariff on U.S. pork and aluminum scrap and 15 percent on sparkling wine, steel pipe used by oil and gas companies, and an array of fruits and nuts including apples, walnuts and grapes. American farm exports to China in 2017 totaled nearly $20 billion, including $1.1 billion of pork products. There was no indication whether Beijing might exempt Chinese-owned American suppliers such as Smithfield Foods, the biggest U.S. pork producer, which is ramping up exports to China. The U.S. tariff hike has has seriously damaged our interests, the Finance Ministry said in a statement. Our country advocates and supports the multilateral trading system, it said. Chinas tariff increase is a proper measure adopted by our country using World Trade Organization rules to protect our interests, the statement said. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday on the television show Fox and Friends that Trump was going to fight back and hes going to push back. Deputy Press Secretary Lindsay Walters said Chinas subsidization and continued overcapacity were the root cause of low steel prices that have hurt U.S. producers. Instead of targeting fairly traded U.S. exports, China needs to stop its unfair trading practices which are harming U.S. national security and distorting global markets, Walters said. The United States buys little Chinese steel and aluminum, but analysts said Beijing was certain to retaliate, partly to show its toughness ahead of possible bigger disputes. Chinese officials have said Beijing is willing to negotiate, but in a confrontation will fight to the end. China has already prepared for the worst, said Liu Yuanchun, executive dean of the National Academy of Development Strategy at Renmin University in Beijing. The two sides, therefore, should sit down and negotiate. The dispute reflects the clash between Trumps promise to narrow the U.S. trade surplus with China a record $375.2 billion last year and Beijings ambitious plans to develop Chinese industry and technology. Last July, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin complained the Chinese governments dominant role in Chinas economy was to blame for its yawning trade surplus. State-owned companies dominate Chinese industries including oil and gas, telecoms, banking, coal mining, utilities and airlines. They benefit from monopolies and low-cost access to energy, land and bank loans. The ruling Communist Party promised in 2013 to give market forces the decisive role in allocating resources. But at the same time, Xi has affirmed plans to build up state industries the party says are the central pillar of the economy. The thing that is going to be more challenging for Beijing is if the U.S., European Union and Japan get together and start taking measures on state-owned enterprises, said Baig. That for me would be an escalation, whereas product-by-product back and forth, amounting to a few billion dollars here or there, is not a major substantive concern. Foreign governments also accuse Beijing of violating free trade by requiring automakers and other foreign companies to work through state-owned Chinese partners. That requires them to give technology to potential competitors. Last month, a U.S. official cited as hugely problematic Beijings sweeping plan to create Chinese competitors in electric cars, robots, advanced manufacturing and other fields over the next decade. Business groups complain that strategy, dubbed Made in China 2025, will limit or outright block access to those industries. The countrys top economic official, Premier Li Keqiang, promised at a news conference on March 20 there will be no mandatory requirement for technology transfers. However, Chinese officials already deny foreign companies are required to hand over technology, leaving it unclear how policy might change. Trump ordered U.S. trade officials on March 22 to bring a WTO case challenging Chinese technology licensing. It proposed 25 percent tariffs on Chinese products including aerospace, communications technology and machinery and said Washington will step up restrictions on Chinese investment in key U.S. technology sectors. Beijing has yet to say how it might respond. Trump administration officials have identified as potential targets 1,300 product lines worth about $48 billion. That list will be open to a 30-day comment period for businesses. The volleys of threats are a process of game-playing to test each others bottom lines, said Tu Xinquan, a trade expert at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. We are curious about what the U.S. side really wants, said Tu, and wonder whether the United States can tolerate the consequences. ___ Associated Press writers Catherine Lucey and Darlene Superville in Washington and researcher Yu Bing in Beijing contributed to this report. ___ Chinese Ministry of Commerce announcement (in Chinese with link to list of affected products): http://gss.mof.gov.cn/zhengwuxinxi/zhengcefabu/201804/t20180401_2857769.html ROCKPORT, Ark. Authorities say an Arkansas State Police trooper was shot and wounded during a traffic stop in southwest Arkansas. State police say Trooper Kyle Sheldon remains hospitalized in stable condition after the shooting Sunday night in Rockport, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Little Rock. State police say Sheldons injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. According to state police, a driver opened fire on Sheldon during the traffic stop. Officers with the Malvern Police Department, who were nearby and responding to an unrelated call, returned fire on the suspect. Police say the driver, a 49-year-old Texas woman, was struck by gunfire but was treated and released from a hospital. The woman remains in custody and authorities say they expect preliminary charges will be filed Monday. A teenage boy was killed and police say five other teenagers are being questioned after a shooting at a southeast Albuquerque mobile home park Monday morning. Simon Drobik, a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department, said around 10 a.m. officers were called to the Wyoming Plaza, on Trumbull near Wyoming, for reports of a shooting. He said firefighters and paramedics arrived at the scene first and found a male, under the age of 18, with at least one gunshot wound lying on the ground near the parks entrance. Drobik said the boy was taken to a hospital, where he died. He said the boys next of kin hadnt been notified of his death early Monday afternoon so he couldnt identify him or say how old he was. This is an actual homicide call out since that individual did pass, he said. Well be out here for some time, conducting those interviews and collecting evidence. Drobik said homicide detectives detained five other teenagers for questioning and were trying to determine what their role in the shooting was, why it occurred and who was responsible. He said, at this point, they are not looking for any other suspects. They were serving a search warrant on a mobile home within the park. A couple of teenagers, including a girl who was crying, gathered on the sidewalk outside the crime scene throughout the late morning. They watched as the detectives escorted other youths to and from police cruisers. Grizz Davis, who lives with his wife in the park, said he frequently sees large groups of teenagers hanging out in the area where the boy was shot. He said hes collected a handful of bullets that hes found in the area over the years. He said he heard the fight Monday morning but hadnt heard any gunshots. I saw a bunch of kids over there, the ones that normally hang around here, and seen them doing something that looked like CPR to me on his chest, Davis said. By the time the police and ambulance started showing up that was about it. LOS ANGELES A 13-year-old boy was miraculously rescued Monday after falling into a river of sewage in Los Angeles, getting swept away and spending more than 12 hours in the citys toxic and mazelike underground sewer system. Jesse Hernandez had been playing with other children on wooden planks over an access portal to the sewer system during a family outing Sunday at a Los Angeles park. When a plank broke, Jesse fell about 25 feet (8 meters) and landed in fast-moving sewage, said Brian Humphrey, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. The other children immediately notified adults, who called 911, initiating a frantic and exhaustive 12-hour search of labyrinthine underground pipes using cameras propped on flotation devices. Rescuers finally found Jesse after seeing images of handprints on a sewage pipe. A sanitation crew rushed to the area and opened a manhole. The first thing they heard was Help!' said Adel Hagekhalil, assistant general manager of the sanitation department. The crew lowered down a hose to Jesse, who was about 11 feet (3 meters) deep in the pipe. He caught onto the hose and was reeled back up, Hagekhalil said. Rescuers gave him immediate medical attention, including hosing him down to get rid of the sewage and cleaning out his eyes and nose with sterile saline, Humphrey said. Jesse immediately asked for a cellphone to call his family. A worker handed him a phone, and he called his mom. The boy later told KNBC-TV that he was tired and a bit scraped up, but otherwise OK. I was praying to God to help me and to not die, Jesse said. It was all quiet. You could just hear the water running through and you couldnt see anything. It was dark. Video released by the city later in the day showed long dark marks on the sides of the dank sewage pipe, which was about 4 feet (1 meter) in diameter, where Jesses fingers would have slid. After an accident like Jesses, rescuers say the likelihood of someone being found safe diminishes by the hour. Hagekhalil said rescuers were thrilled at the outcome. They never gave up hope, Hagekhalil said. They wanted to bring Jesse back to his family. About 2,400 feet (731 meters) of pipe had been inspected when rescuers found Jesse less than a mile from where he disappeared. He was taken to a hospital for a full evaluation and to be reunited with his family. In addition to the massive rescue effort involving more than 100 people, Humphrey credited Jesse for his survival. Not only did he survive getting swept through sewage moving at 15 mph (24 kph), he managed to find a pocket of breathable air and hang on until he was found, authorities said. Any subterranean location, particularly one that involves waste, can produce toxic gases methane, hydrogen sulfide so breathable air is a key element, Humphrey said. The odds of someone falling into such a pipe and surviving are slim. The odds were not in his favor, and many would call it miraculous. He called Jesse a resolute young man. He has tremendous inner strength, Humphrey said. Its obvious hes not a quitter. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was among the many Angelenos closely watching the rescue efforts for Jesse. In a string of tweets , Garcetti praised rescuers and thanked the teens family for their patience and optimism during this harrowing experience. Were keeping Jesses health and recovery in our thoughts today, he said. Also Sunday, an 11-year-old boy fell into a canal in Meadow Vista, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Sacramento. He was found dead a couple hours later. Famously in October 1987, rescuers freed an 18-month-old girl who had been trapped in a narrow, abandoned well in Midland, Texas, for more than 58 hours. Jessica McClures rescue captured the nations attention in some of the first round-the-clock television coverage in the U.S. ___ Follow Amanda Lee Myers on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AmandaLeeAP ORLANDO, Fla. A University of Central Florida student who wrote online comments considering committing a mass shooting and idolizing shooters may purchase weapons, ruled a judge Monday in lifting a temporary ban. Orlando police in early March used Floridas new gun legislation, passed in the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in South Florida, to temporarily ban Christian Nicholas Velasquez from owning any weapons or ammunition. City attorneys sought to persuade Circuit Judge Bob LeBlanc to extend the temporary ban a year. I dont disagree with the issuing of the initial temporary injunction. I think thats exactly what the statute provides for, LeBlanc said. But the judge declined to extend the ban. Velasquez, 21, is the first person against whom the Orlando Police Department has sought to obtain a risk protection order, a newly created type of civil injunction that allows law enforcement to seize firearms from people deemed by a court to be mentally ill or who present a violent threat to themselves or others. The extension could have also affected Velasquezs ability to get certain jobs and could expose him to other criminal liabilities, his lawyer Kendra Parris said. Parris said Velasquez was being punished for legally protected speech. She argued Velasquez hadnt done anything to suggest he would act on the comments. He hadnt purchased a weapon and he doesnt have a criminal record, she said, adding that he would have voluntarily relinquished his gun rights had he been given the option. But the citys attorney, Alexander Karden, said the intent of the legislation is to allow courts to order mental health treatment before a person commits a crime. Karden pointed to psychological evaluations that he said place Velasquez on step three of five steps of progression toward committing violence. Hes following the trajectory. This statute is not designed for someone whos already gone over the top. Its designed to stop them before they get there, Karden said. City attorneys, who can appeal the decision, declined to comment after the hearing. UCF Police Officer Jeffrey Panter said he started investigating Velasquez after getting reports from the school community about a user on the online social media platform Reddit called TheRealUCFChris who called Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz and Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock heroes, and said he craved the adrenaline rush of carrying out a mass shooting. Panter interviewed Velasquez, who answered a series of hypothetical questions about committing a mass shooting. Panter asked if his target would be UCF. Velasquez answered he would probably do it at his middle or high school where he was bullied. He also said it would take a tragic life event such as a break-up or firing from a good job to provoke him. His lawyer argued against portions of the statement and quoted Velasquez in the nearly two-hour recorded interview, saying, I cant imagine myself ever doing that. It would take a lot to push me over the edge. Velasquez was taken to a mental health facility after the interview under Floridas Baker Act, which allows people to be involuntarily detained and given emergency mental heath evaluations if they are believed to be a threat to themselves or others. The doctor who evaluated him deemed he was not a threat. Panter, joined by an FBI special agent and a Orlando police detective, went to Velasquezs home where his father voluntarily gave them his own revolver and let them search his sons room. Velasquez, who is still enrolled in classes, was issued a trespass order from campus and his conduct is being reviewed by the university, UCF Police Department spokeswoman Courtney Gilmartin said. Parris said Velasquez got online and acted like a jerk on a forum that is notoriously vulgar. She again pointed to his interview with police, in which Velasquez said he regretted his comments, didnt think before he typed and wanted to look like a badass on Reddit. The elder Velasquez stood behind his son with his arms crossed and shook his head in response to parts of the city attorneys arguments. He testified on behalf of his son and said he wasnt concerned his son would be violent. Velasquezs family embraced him after the judges ruling. The family will pursue civil action against Orlando police, Parris told the Orlando Sentinel. For a person with a history of bullying, I cannot tell you how horrifying this has been. He is afraid to leave his house, Parris said. WASHINGTON The Trump administration opened the door to a potential White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, raising the possibility of an Oval Office welcome for Putin for the first time in more than a decade even as relations between the two powers have deteriorated. The Kremlin said Monday that Trump had invited the Russian leader to the White House when they spoke by telephone last month. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded that the White House was among a number of potential venues discussed. Both sides said they hadnt started preparations for such a visit. If it happens, Putin would be getting the honor of an Oval Office tete-a-tete for the first time since he met President George W. Bush at the White House in 2005. Alarms rang in diplomatic and foreign policy circles over the prospect that Trump might offer Putin that venue without confronting him about Russias interference in the 2016 presidential election or allegations that Russia masterminded the March 4 nerve agent attack on a former Russian double agent. It would confer a certain normalization of relations and were certainly not in a normal space, said Alina Polyakova, a foreign policy fellow at the Brookings Institution. Nothing about this is normal. Much has happened since Trump and Putin spoke in the March 20 phone call. Trump said afterward he hoped to meet with Putin in the not too distant future to discuss the nuclear arms race and other matters. But their call was followed by reports that Trump had been warned in briefing materials not to congratulate the Russian president on his re-election but did so anyway. Since the call, two dozen countries, including the U.S. and many European Union nations, and NATO expelled more than 150 Russian diplomats in solidarity with Britain over the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, the former spy, and his daughter Yulia. Moscow has denied any involvement in the nerve attack and retaliated by expelling the same number of diplomats from each nation. Putins foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters Monday that when the two leaders spoke by phone, Trump suggested to have the first meeting in Washington, in the White House, calling it a quite interesting and positive idea. Ushakov voiced hope that tensions resulting from the diplomatic expulsions wouldnt derail discussions about a summit. Trump has said maintaining a strong personal relationship with Putin is in the U.S. interest and has signaled to allies that he trusts his own instincts in dealing with the Russian president. A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe private discussions, said Trump raised the possibility of a White House meeting in a casual, open-ended fashion during the call. The official reiterated that no extensive preparations had taken place. Talk of a White House summit comes as Trump is preparing to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at an undetermined location. White House welcomes are typically reserved for friends and allies. Trump has avoided criticizing Putin personally even as his administration has crossed Moscow by providing Ukraine with lethal weapons and upholding Obama-era sanctions against Russia and its shuttering of diplomatic outposts. Michael McFaul, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Russia under President Barack Obama, said the symbolism of Putin standing in the East Room with the president at a news conference would be a major goal for the Russian leader. The only reason you should do it is if youre going to obtain a concrete objective that serves Americas national security interest before the meeting, he said. McFaul said he feared that Trump thinks that a good meeting with Putin is the objective of his foreign policy with Russia. That should never be the objective. That should be the means to achieve things that are actually of importance to the United States. Trump had already fallen under sharp criticism from some Republican lawmakers for congratulating Putin on his re-election during the call and for not raising the ex-spys poisoning. The fact that Trump also extended a White House invitation during that call was likely to increase concerns that Trump, when in direct contact with Putin, is inclined to offer olive branches and reluctant to raise difficult issues. I worry that Trump wittingly or unwittingly may be sending a more positive signal to Putin than he deserves, said Nicholas Burns, a top State Department official during the Bush administration who also served as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Russias disclosure of the invitation came the day before the leaders of three Baltic countries Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were to visit the White House. The three NATO nations are seen as a bulwark against Russias aspirations of extended influence west of its border. Trump has met Putin twice as president, at the Group of 20 summit in Germany last summer and briefly at the Asia-Pacific economic summit in Vietnam in November. Putin, who was president of Russia once before, visited the White House in 2005, when Bush welcomed him in the East Room as my friend. Putin has been to other parts of the U.S. frequently in recent years, including a visit to the Bush family compound in Maine. Putins meetings with Obama occurred at international summits and along the sidelines of the United Nations gathering in New York. Obama met Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at the White House in 2010, when the pair also chowed down on burgers at a popular hamburger joint outside the capital. __ Associated Press writers Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Josh Lederman in Washington contributed to this report. The BJP is "well-placed" ahead of state elections in Karnataka thanks to the resurgence of a right-wing movement, the head of the saffron party's information technology cell said Saturday. Amit Malviya, a prominent spokesperson for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party, said the factors driving this revival were Karnataka's tech-savvy denizens and the "ideological bulwark" provided by people espousing "right-wing dharmic ideology." "The BJP has a very deep, entrenched cadre base in the state, and Karnataka is a very technologically connected state. It's literate, and the internet penetration is extremely high," Malviya told the audience at India Today's Karnataka Panchayat 2018. But his co-panelist Divya Spandana, a Bengaluru native who manages social media and digital communications for the All India Congress Committee, said her party was "already winning" the conversation on social networks - "thanks toAmit Shah." "We're definitely winning the election," she added. Spandana was presumably referring to two recent incidents that have left the BJP red-faced. First, the BJP president said by mistake that his party colleague BS Yeddyurappa (and chief ministerial candidate) was corrupt, when he really meant to target Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Then, at a rally, Shah's translator quoted him as saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi would destroy India. When Amit Malviya was asked about the Congress party's unusual confidence and assertiveness ahead of the Karnataka election, here's what he said: "They're always confident before the elections, but when the polling happens, they end up with moral victory. It's going to be no different in Karnataka here." To Read More Visit here. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. Documents obtained by the Aiken Standard reveal a hefty discrimination claim was levied against former Aiken City Manager John Klimm; however, insufficient evidence was found regarding the claim. On June 14, 2017, former City of Aiken Human Resources Director Nola Grant filed a charge of discrimination against the City of Aiken, specifically naming Klimm. The charge was presented to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency that enforces laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or employee. The charge was specifically filed with the Charlotte district, according to a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission representative. The S.C. Human Affairs Commission, an agency tasked with enforcing fair-work standards, eventually investigated Grant's claims of race- and gender-based discrimination. Grant had also alleged she was the target of retaliation and unfair pay practices. On Feb. 13, the S.C. Human Affairs Commission issued a dismissal and right to sue document regarding Grant's case. The document states the commission was "unable to conclude," based upon its own investigation, that the state's Human Affairs Law had been breached. The S.C. Human Affairs Commission investigator named at the top of the dismissal document, H. Shelton Lorick, would not comment on the matter Thursday. A S.C. Human Affairs Commission spokesperson said the "no cause" ruling means insufficient evidence was found regarding the claim. On March 8, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sustained the S.C. Human Affairs Commission decision. Documents show the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission "adopted the findings of the state or local fair employment practices agency that investigated" the charge. On Sunday, Grant said she was happy she filed the charge despite the organizations' rulings. She said she is satisfied in her current job as a human resources director at Swiss Krono Group and is pleased to see her discrimination charge come to light. "At the end of the day, I'm extremely happy," Grant said. In her 2017 complaint filing, Grant accused Klimm of "subjecting" her "to a hostile work environment," which included being "harassed, yelled at and bullied." Grant said her initial reports of discrimination and "illegal practices" were met with "further hostility" from Klimm. In her complaint, Grant said she made Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon aware of the situation. On Thursday, Osbon confirmed Grant had contacted him about her grievances. "Yes, I did meet with her," Osbon said, adding that Aiken City Council member Lessie Price heard Grant's complaints, as well. The mayor said he could not comment further because it was a personnel matter. Grant's filings allege harassment beginning in June 2016 the same month she joined the City. The harassment is described as a "continuing action" in the paperwork. Grant submitted her resignation in September 2017, ultimately leaving in early October. She was making more than $65,000 a year at that time. Her resignation letter cited "unresolved issues and deepening concerns" as reasons for departure. In an October 2017 interview with the Aiken Standard, Grant described the latter months of her employment as "debilitating." Grant also alleged she was "subjected to discrimination" in violation of the Equal Pay Act. She wrote that a "Caucasian male" who preceded her in the position was paid more than her and had a car allowance. The Caucasian male in question is most likely Kenneth Cook, according to City information. Cook retired as the City's HR director in 2010. Cook worked for the City for almost 37 years. Cook's car allowance was as much as $6,900 a year, according to City information. Grant also charged that she was treated "less favorably" than her Caucasian male colleagues and was "not given an explanation for the discriminatory actions." The City's latest handbook details a new process for handling complaints such as Grant's. Complaints lodged against a city manager are now directed to the city attorney. Klimm abruptly resigned from the city manager position Feb. 9, four days before the S.C. Human Affairs Commission ruling and about a month before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission concurrence. Stuart Bedenbaugh is now the interim city manager. Gary Smith is the current city attorney. The last time Arwa el-Shershary saw her three children Dahab, Abd and Mohammad was on Sept. 2, 2015. They were on their way to school when armed men stopped their vehicle in Surman, a city in Libyas northwest. After shooting the driver five times in the leg, the men abducted her daughter and two sons from the backseat of the car. Dahab was 11 years old, Abd was 8 and Mohammad was 6. Two days later, a man called the Shershary family to demand a ransom of 20 million Libyan dinars more than $2 million in the current black market but they couldnt afford to pay. My father wanted to speak to [his children] over the phone, but the kidnappers wouldnt let him, Asawer el-Shershary, the eldest daughter, told Al-Monitor. The [kidnappers] hung up and never contacted us again. For the next two years, the family appealed to the local authorities and tribal elders to search for the children. The gang that kidnapped the children was ostensibly found in Surman on March 15. That day, a militia acted on orders from the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) to go after the kidnappers. A shootout ensued, killing four of the five gang members and sending the lone survivor into a coma. If he doesnt wake up, the family may never find their children, as they are relying on the man to disclose where the children are. Gangs and militias have abducted hundreds of people following the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafis regime in 2011. And while the total figure of missing persons is unknown, rights groups believe that the number has soared since 2014. That year the economy collapsed as the country spiraled into civil war, fueling a business of kidnapping for ransom. Others are frequently snatched for political or ideological reasons. Despite the rampant abductions, activists say that Libyas competing authorities have little power and incentive to stop the kidnappings. Ahmed al-Sherkse, the founder of Allebya for Democracy and Human Rights (ADHR), a civil society group that was established in February to advocate on behalf of families of those abducted, said that his group is lobbying the GNA to investigate the whereabouts of the missing persons. We need the government to halt this phenomenon because it is destroying all aspects of civilian life in Libya, he told Al-Monitor. The ADHR is creating a database to keep track of the missing. While only 60 people have been counted so far, new names are added almost daily. The most recent abducted person on the list is Abdul Matloub Sarhani, who disappeared in August 2017. His family told ADHR that they suspect that Sarhani was snatched because he is a Sufi, a follower of the sect of Islam that jihadis and hard-line Salafists deem heretical. Malik al-Faissi, who was last seen in the town of Msallata on Jan. 27, 2012, may have suffered the same fate. A devout Sufi and student of religion, Faissi was only 22 years old when he disappeared. He was known to be at odds with the intolerant views and practices of some Salafists in the town, and most notably, he spoke out against Salafist hard-liners who were desecrating Sufi sites and graves. Msallata residents suspect that Faissi was abducted by religious fundamentalists. Idris al-Faissi, who is Maliks father, told Al-Monitor that no one contacted him to demand a ransom since his son disappeared, and he emphasized that he was forced to search for his son by himself until he got in touch with the ADHR in March. For the last six years, I have gone to the Libyan authorities to ask for help to get information about my son, but nobody did anything, Faissi said. More people have disappeared amid continued inaction. In Tripoli, 189 people were abducted in March 2017, while 68 people were kidnapped in April, according to records obtained by the Interior Ministry of the GNA. Worse still, the GNA has not established a committee to investigate the fate of the disappeared, which it was supposed to do by February 2016, according to Article 26 of the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA). Sami Shams, an activist with the ADHR, told Al-Monitor that their association is pressuring the GNA to adhere to the LPA. Libya needs an independent committee to investigate the kidnappings, he said over the phone. The GNA is the legal government in the country according to the LPA, so they have the responsibility to protect its citizens. Following recent pressure by the ADHR, the GNA has started to instruct militias to find the kidnappers. Yet Jalel Harchaoui, a doctoral candidate in geopolitics at Paris 8 University and a frequent commentator on Libyan affairs, said that armed groups charged with arresting kidnappers are also abducting people. Kidnapping is an extracurricular activity for militias in Libya, he told Al-Monitor. If [militias] catch somebody who is useful, they will extort him. And if they catch somebody who isnt useful [for political gain], then they might ask for a ransom. If abducted, civil activists face the darkest fate. They are particularly vulnerable in the east, which is controlled by strongman Khalifa Hifters self-described Libyan National Army (LNA). In the city of Ajdabiya, 121 abductions took place in March 2017 alone. Kidnappings are believed to be even more rampant in Benghazi, though exact figures are not available. The notion of grabbing someone because you dont like them is deeply ingrained [in Libya], said Harchaoui. In Benghazi, people just disappear and sometimes the bodies turn up later. Incidences like that happen more often in Benghazi and within the pro-Hifter camp. The ADHR has people in Benghazi who are searching for the missing, which could be a dangerous task. But Tripoli is not very safe either. That became clear when Sherkse was detained by the Special Deterrent Forces (SDF) a Salafist-leaning group that operates under the Interior Ministry during an ADHR protest March 16. He was charged with atheism and detained for three days. But, unlike so many others, he was released unharmed. Fayez al-Sarraj [the prime minister of the GNA] told me that he called the SDF to secure my release, Sherkse said. Now I hope that he helps us find the disappeared. Correction: April 3, 2018. An earlier version of this article said Malik al-Faissi was last seen on Jan. 27, 2011 in fact it was Jan. 27, 2012. The Kaet Dance Ensemble brings up questions about the human body of the Israeli-Jewish man, which goes through rapid changes and dilemmas regarding his masculine identity. Does the body still carry the Torah and the spirit within, or [is it simply made up of] muscles and flesh of a soldier-athlete? [The ensemble] offers a third possibility, the fusion that is created in the complexity of the Israeli lab. This is how the Kaet Dance Ensemble, a dance troupe consisting of religious men in yarmulkes (traditional Jewish skullcaps), describes itself through one of its works, titled Heroes. The ensemble has a unique message for contemporary Israeli culture: Religious men are also allowed to dance, and Jewish heritage certainly plays its part. Their performances consist of a combination of modern dance moves with Jewish elements such as the motions used in prayer and various religious texts. The dancers sometimes appear in ultra-Orthodox garb. In Israels macho climate, its not easy to admit that you love to dance, said Ronen Izhaki, the general manager of the Between Heaven and Earth center and the troupes choreographer. The mood in the religious community is actually different. In the synagogue, people feel a special affinity for the melody of the prayers, the motions, to closing their eyes and connecting with the inner emotional and physical world. It fulfills a spiritual need. In regard to the change brought about by the transition from the Diaspora Jew to the proud Israeli, Izhaki told Al-Monitor, Israeli-Jewish masculinity incorporates the transition from a Diaspora existence in which men sat crammed in yeshivas to a life of working the soil and protecting the land of Israel in the early 20th century. Jewish men became powerful pioneers. They went from sitting soft and stooped to standing tall and strong. This is the creative setting for contemporary male Israeli dance. If that's the mood among Israelis in general, it is even more the feeling among religious Israelis. Eyal Ogen, one of the founders of the troupe, can already see the changes that he and his friends have made in the way religious Jews perceive the body. He told Al-Monitor, We had gotten used to the idea that in Judaism, the body is not much more than support for the head, which gets all the important tasks such as studying the Torah and living a spiritual life and so on. With dance, we are exposing the religious public to the possibility of expressing themselves through the body as well. Ogen, who comes from a Yemenite family, used to dance at home every Saturday night and at every family event. The Yemenite step, a traditional dance move, is part of his cultural heritage. However, after he saw the Bathsheva Dance Company perform for only a few seconds, he realized this was what he really wanted to do. One of the rabbis at the yeshiva showed the students a few seconds of the troupe dancing, to illustrate a type of dance that is forbidden according to Jewish law. This attempt to place boundaries on dance opened the gates for Ogen and his friends. Ogen met Izhaki after completing his military service and was finally able to fulfill his dream. Their dance club for religious men expanded and flourished until a decade ago, when it became a dance center with its own dance school. The troupe first performed at a festival at Beit Avi Chai in the summer of 2010. They came up with the name Kaet ("Now") on a whim. Their big break came when Janice Ross, professor of theater and performance studies at Stanford University, saw the troupe perform at the Jerusalem Theater. She wrote an article about it in The New York Times in 2011, describing the performance as spare yet emotionally rich work that takes gestures from daily prayer movements along with chants and synagogue attire, and gently shifts and reframes these elements as postmodern dance. Over time, the Israeli media also began to show interest in the troupe. Reports about it appeared in several places, including Channel 1. The news report described how complicated it is to bring professional and amateur dance to the one group in society that had consciously avoided it until then: religious men. Once they had gotten around the religious prohibition of women dancing by having only men perform, they had a religiously valid means of filling what turned out to be a very deep-rooted need. Since religious women are not forbidden to watch men dance, the ensembles religious audience grew. News of the troupe started spreading like wildfire. Ogen noted that so far, the ensemble has not met any real opposition from rabbis who toe a stricter line, nor have there been calls to boycott their performances. That may still happen when more people hear about us, he said. He added that the religious Zionist yeshivas that are considered to be more moderate regard them as trailblazers. Some have even invited the dance troupe to perform for their students. Street performances are especially exciting for the members of the ensemble. The crowd joins in and the experience of integrating into the multicultural panorama of a complicated city like Jerusalem, with the light rail and the urban bustle in the background, can be electrifying. That's how they felt during a performance in August 2014 on Havatzelet Street in downtown Jerusalem. The international dance world is also opening up to them via performances at Jewish centers abroad. In preparation for a show in London, the ensemble shot a video in the streets of Jerusalem and London. They returned from New York a month ago after appearing before Israeli and American Jewish audiences. The ensemble has performed in Singapore and Barcelona, and the invitations continue to pour in. Their success has led to greater diversity within the dance school. There are now separate study tracks and workshops for men and women, and also for mixed groups. Ultra-Orthodox composer and professor Gidon Levinson, whose compositions are performed by symphony orchestras all over the world, is in charge of the music. Izhaki said that the Between Heaven and Earth center hosts interactions between all sectors and artists from different communities, representing each of the Israeli tribes: the ultra-Orthodox, modern Orthodox, secular and even Arabs, though he admitted that projects involving Arab partners are still few. Nevertheless, Arabic cultural elements are integrated into the centers amateur dance troupe, named Mahia. One dance, for instance, combines Hassidic Jewish elements with an Arab dabke in which the dancers wear ultra-Orthodox costumes topped with Arab headscarves, or kaffiyehs. In spring 2017, when they performed this dance in Jerusalems Mahane Yehuda market, the vendors joined in, and during their performance at Jaffa Gate in the Old City, Arab passersby danced also. Izhaki and Ogen told Al-Monitor in a joint statement, We are dancing on the shoulders of giants and benefiting from a rich cultural legacy of dancers, thinkers, dreamers and doers, musicians, artists and poets, producers, rabbis, designers and others. They all come together to create a new narrative within the world of Israeli discourse, in all its distinct shades. After weeks of heavy fighting between the Russian-backed Syrian army and rebel groups in eastern Ghouta, the Syrian government has managed to bring over 90% of the strategic Damascus suburb under its control. The development comes as the result of a deal between Russia and the rebel groups, based on which the rebel groups agreed to evacuate the area and transfer their remaining forces to the rebel-held city of Idlib in the countrys northwest. Now, with the radical group Jaish al-Islam also reportedly beginning to leave its enclave in Douma, President Bashar al-Assads government is just one step away from its most significant victory after retaking Aleppo in December 2016. Since the start of Operation Damascus Steel in eastern Ghouta in February, Russia began to actively support the regime both by providing air support for the Syrian army and starting to negotiate with the rebel groups over evacuation deals. At the diplomatic level, Moscow prevented the United Nations Security Council from passing a resolution that would have tied the Syrian governments hands in fighting the militant groups. However, Assads other main ally, Iran, refrained from any active involvement, preferring instead to leave the task to Moscow and Damascus. Although Iran has always declared that its military involvement in Syria is of an advisory nature, this time there were no reports of the presence of Iranian military commanders in the Syrian war room nor even pro-Iran fighters in eastern Ghouta. Irans only direct political position on the issue came from Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who on Feb. 22 expressed the Islamic Republics concern over the situation in the area, calling for a political solution to the conflict. Why is Iran now breaking its seven-year tradition of supporting Damascus against the rebel and terrorist groups? Are we witnessing a change in Irans Syrian strategy or merely a tactical move aimed at preserving certain goals? To answer these questions, several separate but related factors should be taken into account. First, beginning Feb. 18, the Syrian militarys operation in eastern Ghouta came a short time after its downing of an Israeli F-16 in what some Israelis have portrayed as part of an Iranian agenda to escalate the situation in Syria. It led to a new Israeli campaign against Irans presence in Syria, depicting it as a direct threat against Tel Aviv. As such, any new serious military involvement by Iran, whether in Ghouta or elsewhere, would have been used as a pretext by Tel Aviv to increase its pressure on Tehran, including via military action against pro-Iran and pro-Assad groups in Syria. Iran is well-aware that after the collapse of the Islamic States self-proclaimed caliphate in Iraq and Syria, containing Irans influence is at the top of the US agenda, which Tehran views as building upon any opportunity to pressure it out of the Syrian scene. Even though Iran was absent from military operations in eastern Ghouta, the United States accused Tehran along with Moscow and Damascus of killing innocent civilians in the area. Coupled with the US allegations about Assads use of chemical weapons during the Ghouta operation, it is clear that Iran understood that any real involvement would have made it easier for Washington to make moves, including military strikes, to impede the Syrian armys advances. Meanwhile, if one agrees that Irans main military objective in Syria is to purge terrorists and militants from as much territory as possible, the goal can be well-achieved by the Syrian army with the help of Russia without any need for Irans direct presence. When it came to eastern Ghouta, the widespread international attention to the situation, especially from a humanitarian point of view, meant that sole reliance on military force was not a viable option and that there would be a need to reach some kind of agreement with the rebels down the road. However, unlike Russia, Iran has not been able or willing to forge any effective communication channels with the rebels, and is thus unable to politically engage them in a meaningful way. Therefore, the task of reaching a compromise with the rebels was handed to Moscow, and the Russians delivered. While Russia was attempting to block the UN Security Council cease-fire resolution on eastern Ghouta, replacing it with its own draft resolution that would justify the continuation of military operations against terrorist groups, Iran was under UN pressure over its alleged involvement in the conflict in Yemen. Therefore, any further direct military involvement in Syria could have been used as proof that Iran plays a destructive role across the region. Irans absence in Ghouta helped Russia to not only pass its draft resolution, but also to block the Security Council resolution that sought to single out Iran over its alleged role in Yemen. Finally, it seems more than a coincidence that Turkeys military operation in Afrin was going on at the same time as the Russian-Syrian operation in eastern Ghouta. In other words, given that Iran adopted a more or less neutral stance toward both operations though it did make some statements to condemn the Turkish move there is a possibility that recent developments have largely been the result of a deal between Tehran, Moscow and Ankara as the three pillars of the Astana track. As part of it, Iran might have agreed to adopt a lower profile on both Afrin and Ghouta in order to gain Ankaras consent to the Syrian governments operation in the eastern suburbs of Damascus. All in all, mindful of the bigger picture of developments in and around Syria, it could be argued that Irans position on eastern Ghouta has been based on a pragmatic take of the situation to better preserve its longer-term interests and not a result of the Islamic Republic revising its strategy in Syria. Influential Iranian parliamentarian Alaeddin Boroujerdi created a stir in Iranian media when he said that by April 20, the popular messaging service Telegram, with tens of millions of users in Iran, would be blocked. This was a decision made at the highest levels, and Telegram will be replaced by a domestic app, said Boroujerdi, the head of the parliaments powerful National Security and Foreign Policy Commission. Addressing the use of Telegram during popular protests in January, Boroujerdi said that the decision had been made because of Telegram's destructive role and Irans ability to offer Soroush as a replacement service. Telegram currently has 40 million users in Iran, while Soroush has 3 million. Telegram is widely used for businesses transactions. After Boroujerdi's statement, which he made March 31 during a local radio program in the city of Borujerd, members of parliament opposed to the move began to push back. Bahram Parsaei, the spokesman for the Reformist Hope faction, called Boroujerdis comments part of an effort to create the groundwork for limiting use of foreign messaging services in favor of domestic ones. Parsaei said that on March 18, the last working day of the Iranian calendar year, members of parliament had convened for a closed-door session, chaired by Speaker Ali Larijani, to address such topics as cyberspace and domestic messaging services. Regarding those pushing for the use of domestic services, Parsaei said, [They] tried to satisfy the members of parliament for such an action, but their arguments were not satisfying. He added, I did not see approval of this issue among the majority of members. Jalili Rahimi Jahanabadi, the head of a parliamentary judicial commission, denied that closing Telegram had been discussed at the parliamentary session and that a date had been set for its closing. In a statement to the Iranian Students News Agency, he defended the right of communication for the people. Jahanabadi conceded that there is certain damage from the internet and nondomestic communication services, but also said, You cannot ignore the inalienable right of people for communication because of these concerns. After the media firestorm over the threat of closing a messaging service that would affect tens of millions of Iranians and have a considerable economic impact, Boroujerdi gave a follow-up interview on April 1 describing the threats posed by Telegram. He argued, When England, as an example of a Western country, whose prime minister [Theresa May] says that Telegram is the [home] of terrorists, and countries like China and Pakistan block Telegram, it shows that this is an important reality, that Telegram was designed in a way with behind-the-scenes complexities, that it is essentially a security threat to the Islamic Republic. Boroujerdi claimed that Telegram founder Pavel Durov and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are personally close and that Netanyahu has thanked Durov for working with Israeli security and military organizations. Boroujerdi's assertions appear to be dubious. Regardless, Boroujerdi insists that Telegram is a security and national interest issue and the only way to combat it is through the introduction and widespread use of a domestic messaging service and the blocking of Telegram. The Donald Trump administration greenlighted the delivery of 162 Abrams tanks to Morocco last year to help the kingdom respond to regional challenges. US government documents reviewed by Al-Monitor indicate that the delivery of the vehicles was approved in September as part of an effort to move forward with deals to outfit the North African nation with more than $115 million in US equipment the Pentagon no longer needs. Under the Excess Defense Articles program, or EDA, surplus military equipment that hasnt been offered to domestic police forces can be made available at reduced or no cost to foreign allies. Deliveries of excess US military equipment to Morocco have sped up in recent years, suggesting that the Pentagon may see the program as an avenue to fast-track sales instead of relying on other programs that require extensive approval from the administration and Congress to go ahead. The Moroccans get $15 million a year in [regular] military aid from the US, so $100 million for one project is pretty massive, Seth Binder, an analyst with Strategic Research and Analysis, a US-based consultancy, told Al-Monitor. People complain that the arms sales process is too slow. Ive been wondering if they use EDA if that process would speed up. Pentagon deals with Morocco that moved ahead under the program during Trumps first year in office account for more than a quarter of the $430 million that the EDA program implemented, authorized or delivered to the entire Middle East, according to an Al-Monitor review of Department of Defense records. In addition to the tanks, Rabat received tracked command post vehicles, grenade launchers and howitzers as well as 419 armored personnel carriers. The deliveries are part of US and European efforts to strengthen Moroccos military to deal with drug-trafficking and terrorist networks that are proliferating throughout North Africa as the Islamic State collapses in Iraq and Syria. Morocco is the largest US weapons buyer in the Pentagons 53-country Africa Command and has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to operate and maintain advanced US equipment, according to a statement made by the Africa Command commander, Marine Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, to Congress last month. The uptick in deliveries of used weapons comes amid increasing congressional scrutiny of domestic use of US surplus military equipment by police units following the 2014 protests in Ferguson, Missouri, that denounced law enforcement violence against African-Americans. The Barack Obama administration banned domestic deliveries of armored vehicles, .50 caliber ammunition and riot equipment to local law enforcement the following year. The EDA program could prove helpful to the Pentagon as it leans more heavily on foreign militaries to fight Islamist extremists as US Defense Secretary James Mattis hones his focus on countering the military threat from rising powers such as China and Russia. In the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, for instance, the United States relies on advisers to assist partners such as the Iraqi Security Forces and Syrian Democratic Forces. But as the Islamic State dwindles, US troops rarely accompany their Iraqi counterparts on missions, American commanders say. More excess defense equipment also flowed to traditional American counterterrorism partners in 2017, including deliveries of M2 machine guns and artillery ammunition support vehicles to the Lebanese Armed Forces. The Pentagon also accepted or began implementing letters of acceptance to send out seven SH-60F Seahawk helicopters for Israel and equipment to help Egypts fighter aircraft operate in bad weather. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to travel to Turkey Tuesday for a two-day visit that will showcase warming ties between the two historical foes. The Russian leader joined his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for an Ankara ceremony to officially inaugurate Turkeys first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu, in the southern Mediterranean province of Mersin. It is being built by Russias state Atomic Energy Agency, ROSATOM. A first reactor is slated for completion in 2023, marking the centennial of the modern republic founded by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The pair will then hold bilateral talks. And on Wednesday they will be joined by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in the Turkish capital, Ankara, for a further round of negotiations to end the seven-year conflict in Syria based on the so-called Astana model devised in May 2017. It calls for a de-escalation of hostilities, the deployment of peace monitors in designated zones and though it's not formally articulated, the reconsolidation of regime control over them. So far, the regime has repeatedly violated cease-fire arrangements envisaged by Astana and called for by the United Nations, raining bombs on civilians in eastern Ghouta, one of four de-escalation zones alongside Idlib, Homs and the rebel-controlled southern region bordering Jordan. Turkey was until 2015 the main sponsor of the opposition's push to unseat Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, pitting it against the regimes top allies Russia and Iran. Relations with Moscow took a nosedive when Turkey shot down a Russian air force jet over the Syrian-Turkish border in November 2015. Putins reaction was ferocious and Turkey has since gone out of its way to placate him. Ankara has remained uncharacteristically silent as hundreds of civilians perished in regime airstrikes on eastern Ghouta. Turkish acquiescence was secured, many say, as part of a deal that saw Russia allowing Turkish troops to launch a massive offensive against Syrian Kurdish militants in the northwestern enclave of Afrin, where it inflicted its own share of civilian casualties. Russia controls the skies over northwestern Syria and had it not allowed Turkey to use air power against the Syrian Kurdish group known as the Peoples Protection Units, it's highly questionable whether Turkish-led rebel forces could have captured the city of Afrin on March 18 with such ease. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based watchdog, estimated that at least 245 civilians had died as a result of the Turkish operation. The United Nations reckons that nearly 100,000 civilians were displaced from the city before it it fell. Turkeys Operation Olive Branch, launched on Jan. 20, has further complicated the Astana process because Iran is unhappy about Ankaras expanding military presence in Syria. Wednesdays talks are likely to focus on the rebels last remaining stronghold Idlib, where thousands of rebels and their families displaced by regime advances elsewhere have sought refuge. The province is now home to around 2.5 million people and is scene to clashes between the al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Turkish-backed Syrian Liberation Front, which includes radical Islamist groups like Ahrar al-Sham. Russia apparently expects Turkey to use its muscle to persuade these groups to give up their fight against the regime. Ankara has every incentive to do so, because the alternative, a Ghouta-style bombing campaign, would send hundreds of thousands more civilians to the Turkish border. With popular resentment brewing against some 3.5 million Syrian refugees already in Turkey and critical municipal elections due to be held in a year, the last thing Erdogan wants is more of them. But whether Turkey can deliver is an entirely different matter. Meanwhile, Washington has cranked up pressure on Ankara to ditch a multibillion-dollar deal to buy a Russian S-400 defense system on the grounds it would compromise NATO security. The US principal deputy assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, Tina Kaidanow, met with Turkish officials in Ankara on Friday, warning them of likely sanctions should the deal proceed, sources familiar with the substance of the talks told Al-Monitor on strict condition of anonymity. The Turkish media, quoting Turkish lawmakers, reported that Washington was threatening to halt delivery of F-35 combat aircraft to Turkey because of its Russian plans, a claim that was later rebutted by Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli. He insisted the purchase of the S-400 system could not affect delivery of the F-35s, saying, Deliveries will start next year. This is a commercial matter. While it's true that the US Congress can no longer prevent the transfer of the actual planes at this point, it can block licensing for Turkish production of ancillary components for the F-35s, the sources said. There is growing speculation that Ankara may decide to walk away from the deal, as it did from a previous one to buy a Chinese missile system in 2013. Meanwhile, Russian presidential spokesman Yury Ushakov declared today that Russia would do its best to complete delivery of the S-400 missile batteries to Turkey by 2020. The issue will come up alongside Syria, energy cooperation and the importation of Turkish tomatoes during talks between Putin and Erdogan on April 3, Ushakov told reporters in Moscow. In September, Turkey and Russia confirmed that Ankara had already made a down payment for the S-400 batteries, though neither side has revealed any figures. Correction: April 3, 2018. An earlier version of this story noted that Putin and Erdogan would travel to Mersin. Their program was changed. Despite an official ban and widespread condemnation, the trade of underage girls from Myanmar to Singapore continues to thrive. When we first heard about a 15-year-old domestic worker from Myanmar seeking help at a shelter in Singapore in 2016, we thought it was an isolated case. But at the shelter, we met three other teenage maids from Myanmar whod also run away from their employers. One said shed been physically abused; another fled after her male employer asked her to take a shower with him; a third told us shed been raped. Why were children working in Singapore? How did they even get here? We decided to investigate. {articleGUID} In our 2016 documentary, we uncovered a thriving trade in the trafficking of underage girls from Myanmar to Singapore. We discovered that this was happening despite laws in both countries designed to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable young women. In 2014, Myanmar banned all female citizens from leaving to become domestic workers overseas. But we learned that, in villages across the country, recruiters were still telling impoverished families their lives would improve if they let their daughters go to Singapore. What they didnt say, of course, was that doing so was illegal and that there would be risks involved. What the agents got in return was a cut of the hefty recruitment fees the girls were obliged to pay. According to Singapore legislation, domestic workers in the wealthy island state must be at least 23 years old. However, agents regularly bribe officials in Myanmars Immigration Department to alter birth dates on passports, allowing them to send underage girls into the country. Some of the girls we met were barely out of their teens, but with fake documents, they were able to avoid detection in Singapore. They told us that before leaving Myanmar, their agents would instruct them to never tell anyone their real age. The documentary went viral both in Singapore and Myanmar. But 18 months later, we discovered that very little changed. The trafficking continues. Zin Zin was just 15 when she got a passport with a fake birth date and left for Singapore. She returned home severely injured after shed fallen from her employers apartment [Al Jazeera] Young, vulnerable and alone In 2017, we heard of a series of incidents involving domestic workers from Myanmar falling from high-rise buildings in Singapore. When we investigated, we found out that at least two cases involved teenagers and realised that, despite widespread publicity, underage girls from Myanmar were still coming to Singapore. Over six months, we visited Myanmar multiple times and tracked down the families of two girls whod fallen from their employers apartments. The first girl, Wain Wain, died less than a month after arriving in Singapore. We met her family, who were clearly grieving and in shock. Ironically, their neighbours insisted that the agent whod recruited Wain Wain was not to blame. The same recruiter had sent at least 60 village girls to Singapore and was seen as a benefactor who was helping lift the community out of poverty. Because of them, parents can earn money. Parents let them go as we are poor, says one of the villagers who sent two of her daughters to work in Singapore. Lets say youre an employer from Singapore; you cant come directly to us. Because of the agents, we can work there. So we are grateful to them. I often think about Wain Wain and her mysterious death. She allegedly committed suicide after being in Singapore for just a few weeks... It's likely we'll never know for sure what led to the tragedy. She was young, vulnerable and alone. And now she's gone. Lynn Lee, filmmaker The second girl, Zin Zin, was just 15 when she left for Singapore with high hopes to support her family. She returned home severely injured and will likely need long-term care. She identified the man she said helped get her a passport with a fake date of birth as Louis Zung, a member of Myanmars parliament and founder of a company called Myanmar Global Manpower Link, the same agency we exposed in 2016. Zung denied he was involved in any wrongdoing. However, he confirmed he remained a director of the company until 2016, two years after the ban on recruiting women to work overseas. I often think about Wain Wain and her mysterious death. She allegedly committed suicide after being in Singapore for just a few weeks. Her sister cant believe it. Shes not the type of person. She wouldnt dare. Her intention after our father died was to give our mother her own house, Wain Wains sister told us. Its likely well never know for sure what led to the tragedy. She was young, vulnerable and alone. And now shes gone. As Chinese women face stigma for remaining unmarried past their late 20s, the boyfriends for rent business is booming. Beijing, China Celia stood in the corner of the room, removing her shoes and putting on her slippers. We were about to meet her parents. She was anxious. So was I. I had been starting to regret coming to the city of Harbin, in northeastern China. Fooling Celias parents into thinking I was her boyfriend suddenly didnt seem like such a good idea. You see, for about a week in February, I was her fake boyfriend. Looks like the real thing: Celia and Sean [Image courtesy Sean Lee Baker] Celia is in her late 20s, has a career and is unmarried. That sounds completely normal, doesnt it? But many Chinese do not see it that way. In their eyes, women should be wed by their late 20s. Those who arent, like Celia, are branded sheng nu or leftover women. And it isnt only the older generation that thinks that way. But what does this have to do with me? Well, let me start by explaining that being a fake boyfriend isnt my day job. Im actually an events producer. I knew Celia through a mutual friend. It was the two of them who came up with the idea of her renting a boyfriend in order to alleviate some of the pressure her parents were placing on her to marry. For many Chinese, the New Year is the only opportunity they get to see their families. Bringing home a boyfriend or girlfriend at this time is pretty much like announcing your engagement. READ MORE: Chinas leftover women In recent years, Ive heard more about people renting boyfriends or girlfriends to please their parents and ease the pressure on them to marry. There used to be a section on Taobao, Chinas largest e-commerce site, dedicated to renting boyfriends and girlfriends for the day, but it has since been closed. These days, everything goes through QQ, Chinas equivalent of MSN Messenger or AOL, where the going rate is about 1,000 RMB (roughly $150) per day. It is still a rather niche market. I suspect most people think bringing home a fake partner to meet their parents sounds like the plot of a bad rom-com movie. When Celia got cold feet about renting a stranger, I was asked to step in she wanted someone she knew and who she felt could act the part. I had nothing in particular planned for Chinese New Year, so I agreed. And before long, we were on a train, heading towards Harbin, which is famed for its Russian aesthetics and ice sculptures. En route, Celia and I fleshed out the backstory of how we met, what her favourite colour is black, I think and my distaste for lobster essential stuff. The plan was to deceive Celias parents into believing that she was doing well in her career and her love life. I was pretty calm until about 15 minutes before we were due to meet them. Celia, on the other hand, was anxious from the beginning. The initial excitement had worn off and she was starting to feel guilty about trying to deceive her family and her friends. Still, she was determined to go through with it. We first met her friends, but they saw through our ruse within a minute or two. Then there was her parents lovely people who took less than five minutes to work out that something was amiss. He is too tall and too handsome for you, her mother said. You need a shorter and more plain man. It seemed a bit harsh. READ MORE: Chinas red princess turned investigative journalist I think, perhaps, deep down, Celia wanted her parents to find out. And even though our plan failed, nobody seemed very bothered by it. So, why would somebody go through the trouble of finding a fake boyfriend to deceive their parents? I think Celia wanted her parents to stop worrying about her; she wanted to make them happy and to give them some peace of mind. The notion that women should marry young seems to be engrained in Chinese culture. Im not sure how to tackle the stigma of sheng nu, but I think bringing attention to the issues these women face is a good start. And it isnt only women who are affected. Chinese men also want to bring home a girlfriend. They might not face as much pressure to marry as women do, but every Chinese parent wants their child to settle down and have children. READ MORE: Chinas Great Famine A mission to expose the truth A male friend in his mid-20s told me his mother insists that he begin saving to start a family, even though he has no interest in settling down now. I jokingly called him a leftover man. He wasnt too fond of the term, which is used almost exclusively for women. The expectation is that marriage comes first for women and careers second, while for men, a successful career is a priority so that they can provide for their families. But Celia just wants freedom: freedom from the expectations imposed on her by society, freedom from family pressure to marry and freedom to follow whichever path she chooses. New Netflix series has exposed some of the deeper political division in Brazil in advance of ex-president Lulas trial. A previous version of this story stated that an appeals court handed former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva a 12 year and one month sentence in March. That was incorrect. The sentence was increased on January 24 and on Monday, March 26, an appeals court in Brazil unanimously rejected the final procedural objections by the former president. A campaign to delete Netflix subscriptions has begun in Brazil, following the launch of the series called The Mechanism, a political drama which explores corruption in Latin Americas biggest economy. The line between artistic licence and misrepresentation is becoming the topic of online political discussion. According to the hashtag tracking tool Tweet Binder, there were close to 2,000 uses of #CancelaNetflix from Netflix subscribers in the last seven days. The Mechanism began airing on the online demand service on March 23. The eight episodes currently airing explore corruption in Brazil looking at the private and public oil and construction industries. Inspired by the biggest corruption scandal, reads the series disclaimer at the beginning of each episode. The series release follows the car wash scandal after a federal police probe in Brasilia at a car wash revealed extensive networks of corruption across Brazil and today remains an ongoing case. More than 100 people have been convicted and dozens remain under investigation. Jose Padilha The series is directed by Brazilian filmmaker, Jose Padilha. He gained worldwide notoriety for the Netflix series Narcos, recounting the infamous life of Colombian cartel-boss Pablo Escobar during the 1980s and early 1990s, which left many deep scars across Colombia. He is also well known as the director of the US film RoboCop. In Brazil, Padilha is recognised for the films such as Bus 174 and both Elite Squad films. What was once an opportunity for escapism appears to be increasingly politicised in Brazil. The release comes at a significant time in the country. On January 24 the appeals court upheld the conviction of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on charges of corruption and money laundering, and increased his sentence from nine years and six months to 12 years and one month. On Monday, March 26, an appeals court in Brazil unanimously rejected the final procedural objections by the former president. On April 4, for the Supreme Court will decide whether Lula da Silva will start serving his sentence. Opinion polls suggest that Lula da Silva is the favourite candidate, ahead of the second favourite far-right candidate Jair Messias Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro has been described by journalists Glenn Greenwald and Andrew Fishman as the most misogynistic, hateful elected official in the democratic world. Following the release of the series, former President Dilma Rousseff released a statement, decrying it as character assassination and underhanded and full of lies. Here in Brazil, you cant use real names like in the US, so Dilma has become Janete, said Celso Dossi, a 39 year old Brazilian writer and screenwriter. Many other names were changed. When asked for comment, Netflix told Al Jazeera: We wont be able to facilitate a statement at this time. Alessandra Colasanti, one of the actresses in the series, also declined to comment. Brazillian journalist, Danilo Motta, 32, told Al Jazeera that he felt it was important for a global audience to become aware of corruption in Brazil, but he had some concerns. Of course, its important to bring these scandals to people from other countries. But since this audience is probably not aware of the local news around here, it would be better if it was more accurate, he said. Ideological battle Padilha could not be reached for interview, but recently told Reuters: Brazil, and even the foreign press, has fallen prey to an ideological battle that doesnt have much to do with the real world. There really is a mechanism that creates the logical structure of politics here. The series is trying to take a position that is non ideological, he said. Brazilian film critic Pablo Villaca began his career in 1994. He was the first Brazilian to publish his work online on his website Cinema Em Cena in 1997. Villaca told Al Jazeera the political nature of the series caused him to cancel his subscription after having used Netflix for six years. [Padilha] fumbles with the chronology. Theres a very important scandal that started in the 90s under the government Fernando Henrique Cardozo, who is one of the founders of PTSB and he changed the chronology so the scandal started in 2003, the first year of Lulas government. Do you realise how brave that is? Basically what hes saying is corruption began in Brazil when Lula took power, before that, well it was a very honest country. Thats a very serious thing to do. But despite the charges for corruption against Lula da Silva, the left-wing Workers Party (PT) remains popular, Motta said. We became one of the biggest economies in the world, the UN excluded us from the list of starving countries, he said. In Brazil, 36 million people were raised from poverty during the tenure of Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff. The number of Brazilians living below the poverty line decreased from 25 percent in 2004 to eight percent in 2014, when the country was removed from the Map of Hunger by the United Nations. Lula is almost done Brazil seems to be split in two for a very long time, said Dossi. We, Brazilian people, think about corruption all the time even if we dont want to. Lula is almost done, he said. PT is always popular, but they always say us and them. [Lulas] us-against-them speech worked for a long time but doesnt seem to be working any more, said Dossi. Im tired because people are talking about politics since 2014, and theres hate, lies. Lula da Silva has maintained his innocence and continues to fight against his charges, saying they are a political witch-hunt. Motta said: In one episode, the character corresponding to our ex-president Lula says something like we must make it stop bleeding referring to the Lava-Jato op [car wash scandal]. It means we must prevent them to arrest us [from arresting us]. In real life, that phrase was used by one right-wing senator and he worked hard for the coup against Dilma in 2016. [Padilha Pablo wants the authenticity and the credibility based on real facts, but if hes questioned, thats just fiction. He wants to benefit from the real life claim and the fiction claim, which is very cynical.] In Brazil, the country is split between whether Dilma was impeached or subjected to a coup. Motta said there was manipulation when you put those words in Lulas mouth. According to a local publication, in the same week Lulas bus was shot, he told followers in Curitiba, we are going to sue Netflix, we do not have to accept that, I will not accept it. Villaca took issue with what Netflix describes as inspired by the biggest corruption scandal. [Padilha] wants the authenticity and the credibility based on real facts, but if hes questioned, thats just fiction, he said. He wants to benefit from the real life claim and the fiction claim, which is very cynical. Although Motta said: Keep in mind that it is a TV series. Its director has his side. Dossi saw things differently. I cant wait to watch the second series, he said. He watched the whole series over one day, admitting it had some great acting and nice locations. Ethical vs illegal On the line between artistic licence and character misrepresentation, Villaca said: For me, its not an illegal thing, its an ethical thing, its a political thing. They decided to release a series about an investigation, which is still ongoing. The release was irresponsible, according to him, particularly in an election year, five months before an election, in an extremely polarised country. Netflix are not worried about quality, theyre worried about quantity, Villaca said in terms of content. But he said Padilha was a fantastic director. [The documentary film Bus 174 showed lifes hardships for a black teenager from the slum in Rio] is one of the films that made me cry the most, Villaca said. That documentary is so beautiful, its so humane, because it deals with the real case of the guy who tries to rob the bus in Rio and police surrounded the bus and the police ended up killing him and he ended up killing a hostage Padilha didnt justify his crime, but he contextualised what he did. For Motta though, the current political instability and the inability for presidents to complete mandates alongside corruption in Brazil all reinforces the idea that we are not a solid democracy. 2018 will be a very difficult time in Brazil, said Dossi. Arts and influences of the time are infused in every detail of a mosques Islamic architecture. When it comes to the architectural design of mosques, nothing is arbitrary. Mosques function not just as a tangible place of worship, but also as a space in which architectural language itself glorifies God with its resplendent colonnades, sloping domes, kaleidoscopic frescos, and dizzying geometric designs. The mosque is not merely beautiful, although beauty in all its nuances is a quality highly revered in Islam. It is a physical manifestation of love and reverence for an omnipotent God who is unseen. It is what assistant professor of Religious Studies at the College of William and Mary, Oludamini Ogunnaike, calls the silent theology of Islamic art. From Cuba to Japan, as Muslim communities around the world grow, and diasporic Muslim communities flourish, mosques are still being built today. The arts and influences of the time are infused in their every detail, leaving an indelible footprint in the cultural landscape of wherever they are built. {articleGUID} Last month in the UK it was announced that several mosques had been given protected heritage status for their historical, architectural and cultural significance to Britain. The Shah Jahan Mosque in Woking was the first purpose-built mosque in Britain to be given Grade I listed status. Shahed Saleem, an academic, architect and author of The British Mosque, a book that maps the evolution of mosque buildings in the UK, spoke to Al Jazeera about how the aesthetic of the mosque is metamorphosing. The design of a mosque is actually of very little importance to its purpose as a place of prayer and worship. This only requires that the prayer is in congregation towards Mecca, so a mosque is a very minimal thing. It can be a simple room, a wall, or even just a line, he said. The architecture and design of the mosques that we see, therefore, have evolved over time, and while not essential for the performance of prayer, they are important in terms of social and cultural meaning of the mosque, how it is understood and what it communicates in the society in which it is placed. Here are some mosques from around the world that are resplendent examples of Islamic architecture. Artists impression of the Cambridge Mosque [Cambridge Mosque Project] Cambridge Mosque, Cambridge, United Kingdom Set to be Europes first eco-mosque, the simple design of the yet to be completed Cambridge mosque gives it the appearance of an oasis. The design will incorporate a golden dome, but the traditional minarets are noticeably absent. Central to the mosques design is its reliance on green energy and solar panels, similar to the Ambar all-womens mosque in Lucknow, India. With its Tolkienesque wooden columns reaching out inside like treetops and wells of light pouring into the prayer area through skylights, it is a fitting answer to what a British mosque should look like. Lahore, Pakistan Wazir Khan Mosque [Khaula Jamil] Wazir Khan Mosque, Lahore, Pakistan Surrounded by a shoal of bustling markets and narrow winding streets, the Wazir Khan mosque is nestled deep in the old quarter of Lahores ancient walled city. Adorned with calligraphy, floral frescos, and kasha kari (tiled mosaics), its architecture harks back to the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Istanbul, Turkey the newly-built Sakirin Mosque [Archiv Mehrl/ullstein bild via Getty Images] Sakirin Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey Set in a city that boasts the largest number of mosques in the world, the Sakirin mosque is the first in Turkey to have its interior designed by a female architect, Zeynep Fadillioglu; while the architectural design of the building was by Husrev Tayla. With its aluminium dome, Seljuk-inspired art and an acrylic minbar adorned with leaves and carnations; its design melds contemporary design and traditional Ottoman features. The womens area, a balcony hovering above the lower prayer hall, affords an intimate view of the vast chandelier that showers worshippers in dappled light reflected by its crystals, each inscribed with the 99 names of God. Djenne, Mali The Great Mosque [DeAgostini/Getty Images] The Great Mosque, Djenne, Mali Located in a city continuously inhabited since 250 BC, the Great Mosque of Djenne is the largest mud-brick building in the world. It is exemplary of Sudano-Sahelian architecture. During the Middle Ages, the mosque was the centre of Quranic studies, evidence of the extraordinary history of Islam within the African continent. Constructed from sun-dried mud bricks, the mosque needs frequent replastering as a result of its exposure to the dry heat and torrential rains of Mali. In an annual festival named Crepissage de la Grande Mosquee, the locals of Djenne gather to replaster the mosque with fresh mud, restoring it to its imposing beauty. Male, Maldives the Friday Mosque. [Valery SharifulinTASS via Getty Images] Friday Mosque, Male, Maldives The coral-stone mosques of the Maldives date back to the 16th century when Islam was introduced to what was then a predominantly Buddhist country. The corals, sourced locally from surrounding coral reefs, were dried, cut and carved into intricate interlocking designs. One of the defining features of Islamic architecture is its tendency to integrate local cultures with Islamic architecture. Thus the stone carving techniques of the East African Swahili region were combined with the techniques of the Buddhist period, resulting in the varied coral architecture seen across the Maldives. The Old Friday Mosque in the capital Male is the most well-known coral stone mosque. Shiraz, Iran Nasir al-Mulk mosque [Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Corbis via Getty Images] Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, Shiraz, Iran Also known as the Pink Mosque because of the rose pink tiles covering its interior, the Nasir al-Mulk mosque was built during the Qajar era in Shiraz, Iran. Its most striking feature is the stained glass windows that catch the morning sun to bathe the interior in multi-coloured light. Also notable in the interior are the mesmerising panj kaseh-i (five concaves) domes that draw the eye upwards. Penzberg, Germany Penzberg Mosque [Franzec, CC BY-SA 4.0] Penzberg Mosque, Penzberg, Germany Located in a small town in southern Germany, the Penzberg mosque was completed in 2005. It glows in the night with its blue glass facade, allowing passers-by a view of congregants as they pray. The mosque is purposely modern in its aesthetic with subtle Islamic architectural features. Unlike other mosques, the minaret is not used to broadcast the azaan, rather, the glowing rectangular structure is decorative, encircled with intertwining Arabic calligraphy. Dhaka, Bangladesh Bait ur Rouf Mosque [Sandro di Carlo Darsa/Aga Khan Trust for Culture] Bait ur Rouf Mosque, Dhaka, Bangladesh Situated in the midst of the bustling chaos of Dhaka is the Bait ur Rouf mosque, an oasis of light and tranquillity designed by Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabussam. The perforated brickwork allows light to spill through, marking the qiblah (direction of prayer) with a slit of light, punctuating the smooth floors with glowing light courts. The terracotta brickwork is inspired by the mosque architecture of Bengal during the Sultanate period. Xian, China The Great Mosque complex [Ryan Pyle/Corbis via Getty Images] The Great Mosque of Xian, Xian, China Arab and Persian traders on the Silk Road brought Islam to the ancient Chinese capital of Xian in the 7th century during the Tang dynasty, less than 20 years after the death of Prophet Muhammad. The Great Mosque of Xian, the oldest mosque in China, was built soon after. Except for the Arabic calligraphy that crowns the archways and some of its walls, the mosque is visibly Chinese in its aesthetic with pagodas, spirit walls, blue-glazed tiles, and dragon heads. Only by resorting to the realms of film, fiction, and myth we can try to fathom John Boltons fiendish cruelty. John Bolton is a sick man He is a spiteful man. He is an unattractive man. I believe John Boltons liver is diseased. However, he knows nothing at all about his disease and does not know for certain what ails him. Yes, you guessed correctly, I am reworking Fyodor Dostoyevskys opening lines in his masterpiece, Notes from the Underground (1864). Ever since I heard that John Bolton, yet another warmonger, had been appointed to a position of power in the White House the most dangerous house on planet Earth I have been aghast at the thought, and bewildered at how to digest this latest apocalyptic news. The only apt, soothing words I could find are these sentiments from Notes from the Underground. I have no clue if this Russian Probe thing extends to Russian literature or not and if we are allowed to rely on such literary gems to try to fathom our predicament. So, yes, I do believe John Boltons liver is bad, and he wishes to let it get even worse! It is impossible to understand the venomous bile boiling in the twisted mind and tormented soul of a person like John Bolton, or Steve Bannon, or Sebastian Gorka, without resorting to film, fiction, poetry, metaphysics, myth or particularly cartoon characters. The toxic terror of John Bolton You just have to experience the toxic terror in the face, voice, and deranged ideas of this man to believe it. In any other sane and civilised society, John Bolton would be arrested, tried for crimes against humanity for his role in the Iraq war, placed in a straightjacket and put away in an asylum. But not in the US. In the US, he is appointed to the highest offices of trust, advising the lunatic charlatan that Americans have elected as their president. This degree of arrogance, combined with incurable ignorance, underlined by a harebrained conviction in ones take on the world, simply defies reason. One must resort to cartoons or fictional characters to even come close. For nowhere else in the world, nowhere in history, do we come across creatures like John Bolton so astonishingly ignorant, so oblivious to this ignorance, and yet so bewilderingly assured of their fanatical convictions. He knows nothing about nothing, cares to know nothing about anything, and yet speaks his ignorance with alarming conviction. As such, he is possessed of uniquely American brand of stupidity that requires analogies to works of fiction to fully comprehend. In the same way that Osama Bin Laden and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi are the cartoonish sketches of Muslim world conquerors, John Bolton, Steve Bannon, and Michael Flynn are the ridiculous gestations of medieval crusaders and subsequent conquistadors. I know nothing of John Boltons childhood or teenage years. But I am absolutely certain Joffrey Baratheon from the popular TV series, Games of Thrones, is a close approximation of the sick disposition of this creature. Do you remember that treacherous charlatan, Walder Frey, at the infamous Red Wedding? That was John Bolton in his dotage. And of course, Bolton has a namesake on the fictional continent of Westeros: that sick bastard, Ramsay Bolton. John Bolton is Ramsey Bolton who has been brought back to life by Melisandre to wreak havoc on the world. I find myself racing from film to literature to cartoons to try to understand this John Bolton character. The real pathology of John Bolton, I now believe, is actually captured by two cartoon characters. He sees himself as Yosemite Sam, the aggressive gunslinging cowboy with a hair-trigger temper and intense hatred of Iranians and other Muslims. But in reality, he is the clueless Elmer J Fudd, always out to hunt Muslim Bugs but ending up hurting himself and those dumber than he. We have, ladies and gentlemen, exited the realm of reality and entered an animated simulation of our humanity, led by Donald Trump, who is today the crowning achievement of American (indeed Western) liberal democracy. In search of new metaphors John (Ramsay) Bolton is usually described as a hawk. What a calamitous comparison! That beautiful, gentle, graceful bird minding his own solitary business in the skies, wasted as a metaphor for an ugly ogre! Bolton and his ilk are neither hawks nor doves. Let those precious birds be and look for alternative metaphors for these noxious gases American democracy keeps emitting into our endangered environment and the very air we breathe. Let me shift gears and try to think historically. People like John Bolton are neo-Crusaders, militant warriors in the cause of Christian imperialism that they think is their manifest destiny to advance. Their love for Israel is straight out of their Christian Zionist hatred of the Jews and Muslims alike a deeply rooted Christian anti-Semitism that remains entirely medieval in its dark and diabolic zealotry. In their Christian zealotry, they are identical or worse than those Islamist cannibals of ISIL (also known as ISIS). The sick fanaticism that animates John Bolton, Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, Nikki Haley, etc etc, is not to be confused by Christianity at large. The liberation theology that has emerged from Latin America with such towering theologians and philosophers as Gustavo Gutierrez and Enrique Dussel is the perfect example that exposes the pathological evangelical Zionism rooted in the United States. In this frame, John Bolton and Steve Bannon are modelled on Guy of Lusignan, as cast by Sir Ridley Scott in his film, Kingdom of Heaven (2005). Cartoonish criminals, East and West The cartoonish character and criminal lunacy of people like John Bolton are to be understood as a particularly American ailment, which, along with their boss Donald Trump are symptoms of a deadly virus now endangering the planet Earth. This deadly virus is not accidental to liberal democracy. It is definitive and foundational to it. American democracy began with the slaughter of the Native Americans, continued with the prolonged history of African slavery, was enriched on the broken backs of successive migrant labour and is now exposing all its related pathologies for the whole world to see by electing a racist warmonger who hates just about anything he fails to understand. What John Bolton represents is a fanatical fusion of militarism and thinly secularised Christianity animating each other. The history of Christianity is, of course, not alien to this dangerous liaison and, both during the crusades and subsequently, in the course of the conquest of the New World, the world has seen many John Boltons and Steve Bannons. Islam has of course not been immune to such dangerous delusions. In the same way that Osama Bin Laden and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi are the cartoonish sketches of Muslim world conquerors, John Bolton, Steve Bannon, and Michael Flynn are the ridiculous gestations of medieval crusaders and subsequent conquistadors. Menacing tinderboxes like John Bolton, Steve Bannon, Osama Bin Laden, and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi are triumphalist Christian and Muslim lunatics at each others throats with the fate of the entire planet at the mercy of their dangerous delusions. The fact that we must resort to the realms of film, literature and fanatically dark episodes in human history to try to grasp the scope their fiendish cruelty marks the precise twilight zone where Western democracy is bidding farewell to an entire history of philosophical fantasies. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Ahed Tamimi, a 16-year-old Palestinian girl, was recently arrested in a night-time raid on her home. The Israeli authorities accuse her of assaulting an Israeli soldier and an officer. A day earlier she had confronted Israeli soldiers who had entered her familys backyard. The incident happened shortly after a soldier shot her 14-year-old cousin in the head with a rubber bullet, and fired tear-gas canisters directly at their home, breaking windows. Her mother and cousin were arrested later as well. All three remain in detention. There has been a curious lack of support for Ahed from Western feminist groups, human rights advocates and state officials who otherwise present themselves as the purveyors of human rights and champions of girls empowerment. Ahed, like Malala, has a substantial history of standing up against injustices. Their campaigns on empowering girls in the global South are innumerable: Girl Up, Girl Rising, G(irls)20 Summit, Because I am a Girl, Let Girls Learn, Girl Declaration. When 15-year-old Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a member of Tehrik-e-Taliban, the reaction was starkly different. Gordon Brown, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, issued a petition entitled I am Malala. The UNESCO launched Stand Up For Malala. Malala was invited to meet then President Barack Obama, as well as the then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and addressed the UN General Assembly. She received numerous accolades from being named one of the 100 Most Influential People by Time magazine and Woman of the Year by Glamour magazine to being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, and again in 2014 when she won. State representatives such as Hillary Clinton and Julia Gillard as well as prominent journalists such as Nicholas Kristof spoke up in support of her. There is even a Malala Day! But we see no #IamAhed or #StandUpForAhed campaigns making headlines. None of the usual feminist and rights groups or political figures has issued statements supporting her or reprimanding the Israeli state. No one has declared an Ahed Day. In fact, the US in the past has even denied her a visa for a speaking tour. Ahed, like Malala, has a substantial history of standing up against injustices. She has been protesting the theft of land and water by Israeli settlers. She has endured personal sacrifice, having lost an uncle and a cousin to the occupation. Her parents and brother have been arrested time and again. Her mother has been shot in the leg. Two years ago, another video featuring her went viral this time she was trying to protect her little brother from being taken by a soldier. Why isnt Ahed a beneficiary of the same international outcry as Malala? Why has the reaction to Ahed been so different? {articleGUID} There are multiple reasons for this deafening silence. First among them is the widespread acceptance of state-sanctioned violence as legitimate. Whereas hostile actions of non-state actors such as the Taliban or Boko Haram fighters are viewed as unlawful, similar aggression by the state is often deemed appropriate. This not only includes overt forms of violence such as drone attacks, unlawful arrests, and police brutality, but also less obvious assaults such as the allocation of resources, including land and water. The state justifies these actions by presenting the victims of its injustices as a threat to the functioning of the state. Once declared a threat, the individual is easily reduced to bare life a life without political value. Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben has described this as a time/place sanctioned by sovereign power where laws can be suspended; this individual can therefore now be made a target of sovereign violence. Terrorists often fall within this category. Thus, the execution of suspected terrorists through drone attacks without due judicial process ensues without much public uproar. 11-year-old Ahed cries during the funeral of her relative Rushdi Tamimi, who was shot by Israeli forces during a protest in November 2012 [Reuters/Mohamad Torokman] The Israeli police have deployed a similar strategy here. They have argued for extendingAheds detention because she poses a danger to soldiers (state representatives) and could obstruct the functioning of the state (the investigation). Casting unarmed Palestinians like Ahed who was simply exercising her right to protect her familys wellbeing with all the might of her 16-year-old hand in the same light as a terrorist is unfathomable. Such framings open the way for authorising excessive torture Israels education minister Naftali Bennett, for instance, wants Ahed and her family to finish their lives in prison. Aheds suffering also exposes the Wests selective humanitarianism, whereby only particular bodies and causes are deemed worthy of intervention. Anthropologist Miriam Ticktin argues that while the language of morality to alleviate bodily suffering has become dominant in humanitarian agencies today, only particular kinds of suffering bodies are read as worthy of this care.This includes the exceptionally violated female body and the pathologically diseased body. Aheds father Bassem Tamimi stands inside a waiting cell ahead of the verdict in his trial at Israels Ofer military court near the West Bank city of Ramallah on May 20, 2012 [AP/Diaa Hadid] Such a notion of suffering normalises labouring and exploited bodies: these are not the exception, but the rule, and hence are disqualified. Issues of unemployment, hunger, threat of violence, police brutality, and denigration of cultures are thus often not considered deserving of humanitarian intervention. Such forms of suffering are seen as necessary and even inevitable. Ahed, therefore, does not fit the ideal victim-subject for transnational advocacy. Relatedly, girls like Ahed who critique settler colonialism and articulate visions of communal care are not the empowered femininity that the West wants to valourise. She seeks justice against oppression, rather than empowerment that benefits only herself. Her feminism is political, rather than one centred on commodities and sex. Her girl power threatens to reveal the ugly face of settler-colonialism, and hence is marked as dangerous. Her courage and fearlessness vividly render all that is wrong with this occupation. Aheds plight should prompt us to interrogate our selective humanitarianism. Individuals who are victims of state violence, whose activism unveils the viciousness of power, or whose rights advocacy centres communal care, deserve to be included in our vision of justice. Even if we dont launch campaigns for Ahed, it is impossible for us to escape her call to witness the mass debilitation, displacement and dispossession of her people. As Nelson Mandela said, We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. Experts warn that the FPOs apparent loss of support is not a direct result of a recent spate of anti-Semitic scandals. An attache in Israel wearing a pro-Nazi t-shirt. Councillors arrested for WhatsApp messages glorifying Nazi Germany. A candidate forced to quit after news emerged he was heading a student fraternity that distributed a songbook with genocidal anti-Semitic lyrics. These are just a few of the scandals that the Austrian governments junior coalition partner, the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), has been embroiled in so far this year. In October 2017, the FPO clenched 26 percent of the vote in parliamentary elections. It struck a deal in December to become the junior coalition partner to the right-wing Austrian Peoples Party (OVP). In February, Oskar Deutsch, the leader of the Jewish Communities of Austria, cast doubt on the FPOs disavowals of anti-Semitic incidents involving party members. You cant go click and say Until now weve been like this but now were not anti-Semitic anymore, now we have other interests, he told a press conference at the time. That is not credible. Yet, while the FPO has failed to reproduce its October success in three subsequent provincial elections and nationwide opinion polls, analysts have warned that it is likely too early to interpret the developments as a lasting trend. Cas Mudde, an expert on far-right populism and associate professor in the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia, said parties like the FPO often experience a decline in support following elections. The FPOs surge was also not that sudden, and its drop is not unexpected, as it often happens after a protest party enters government, he told Al Jazeera. Embroiled in scandals Although it has repeatedly claimed that it has abandoned its Nazi roots, the FPO has found itself struggling time and again against accusations of racism and anti-Semitism. Despite overtures to Israel, the FPO has been met with much scepticism and condemnation from the Austrian Jewish community. Last month, the Austrian Foreign Ministry recalled an attache who had been based in Israel after he posted a Facebook photo donning a t-shirt emblazoned with the words stand your ground and Frundsberg. Jurgen-Michael Kleppichs shirt was ostensibly referencing Georg von Frundsberg, a 15th century mercenary whose surname was used by Nazi Germanys 10th SS Panzer division during the second world war, according to the German-language weekly Falter. As a councillor in Viennas district, Kleppich had previously posted images of his grandfather dressed in a swastika-bearing Nazi uniform, Falter reported at the time. In Suben, an area of northwestern Austria, two FPO councillors were among six people targeted in a police raid conducted last month over allegations that they had shared Hitler photos and slogans via the WhatsApp messaging app. The party expelled the pair in response to the scandal. In January, Udo Landbauer, a regional candidate for the FPO in Lower Austria, was engulfed in controversy after news emerged that a fraternity for which he was deputy co-chair distributed a songbook with lyrics calling for the genocide of Jews. {articleGUID} As the Falter magazine reported at the time, the songbook contained the lyrics: In their midst comes the Jew Ben Gurion: Step on the gas, you ancient Germanic peoples, well manage the seventh million. The lyrics refer to David Ben Gurion, the primary founder of Israel, and the number of Jews killed during the Holocaust, which most historians agree is around six million. With criticism mounting, Landbauer resigned from all political offices. In October 2017, the FPO suspended a low-ranking official who had been accused of performing Nazi salutes. Mudde explained that anti-Semitism and racism are not explicit components of the FPOs ideology, but argued that the partys leaders pander to it because they believe it is important to mobilise part of its support base. Loss of support Founded in 1956 by former Nazis, the FPO has gained notoriety for its stridently anti-migrant and anti-Muslim positions. The FPO first joined a government coalition in 2000 after gaining 27 percent of the vote during parliamentary elections during the previous year. Throughout the campaign leading up to those elections, the party was repeatedly lambasted for anti-Muslim and xenophobic rhetoric. Farid Hafez, a senior fellow at Georgetown Universitys Bridge Initiative, explained that the FPOs latest spate of scandals highlights its failure to convincingly shed its past, but does not necessarily explain its recent loss of support. Anti-Semitism, as we can see with the last scandals, is still as much part of many of the rank and file as well as the leadership of the FPO, he told Al Jazeera, explaining that the party has focused its public ire on Muslims and refugees. Since it joined the coalition in December, it has ostensibly suffered from a loss in support. In early March, voters headed to the ballot box in Carinthia, the area bordering Italy and Slovenia and the only province where the FPO came in first place during the October 2017 elections. The SPO, however, came in first place, overwhelming the FPOs 22.9 percent of the vote by securing nearly 48 percent of the ballots. In a recent press release, the partys secretary-general, Harald Vilimsky, dismissed speculation that it had lost support as negative spin pushed by the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPO) and its allies. The FPO did not reply to Al Jazeeras request for a comment. For his part, Hafez doubts the apparent decline in support has much to do with the FPOs ideology and its inability to avoid scandals. {articleGUID} Although anti-Semitism and Islamophobia may not be the main drivers of the electorate to vote the FPO, the electorate gives their support at the ballot box despite knowing their racist attitudes, he said. If we can speak at all of a decline in the support for the FPO, then this is due to the working people realising that the FPO is not serving them but rather the middle and upper classes. Widespread protests The slumping support for the FPO comes amid a surge in anti-fascist and anti-racist protests that have decried the far-right partys nativism and ultra-nationalism. On January 26, between 8,000 and 10,000 people assembled to rally against the FPO outside the partys annual ball, according to local media reports. Chanting slogans against the FPO, demonstrators held up placards that read resistance and dont let Nazis govern. Rallies against the FPOs annual ball have been held every year since 2008. Just two weeks before the ball, around 20,000 demonstrators had gathered in Vienna and called on Europe to boycott the OVP-FPO coalition. That same month, Austrias interior minister, Herbert Kickl of the FPO, sparked widespread criticism after declaring at a press conference that the country should concentrate asylum seekers in a single space. Critics pointed to Austrias complicity in the Holocaust, during which tens of thousands were killed in a death camp in Mauthausen-Gusen between 1938 and 1945. When the FPO joined the governing coalition in December 2017, protesters flooded the streets to voice their disapproval. But Hafez warned that anger at the FPO, comparably poor electoral performances and unfavourable opinion polls are most likely not indicators of a broad shift in society. Explaining that the ruling OVP included the FPO in its coalition despite knowing the far-right partys ideology, Hafez noted that anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and racism are problems that plague many Austrian political parties, including the OVP and the SPO. {articleGUID} There is no reason to believe that this [decline in support] is due to anybody waking up to the reality of the FPOs racism and anti-Semitism, he concluded. The electorate knows the FPO and its ideology, and it has always been fundamentally racist, depicting especially Jews and Muslims as the scapegoats of all social ills. Hamas chief asked the leagues secretary-general to sue Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Hamas has called on the Arab League to sue Israel for killing unarmed Palestinians near the Gaza strip border. The call was made on Monday in a phone conversation between Hamas political leader Ismail Haniya and Arab Leagues Secretary-General Ahmed Abul-Gheit. The Arab League will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday on Israeli deadly attacks against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, league official said Monday. Arab League Palestinian ambassador, Diab al-Louh said his country submitted a memorandum to the Arab League to hold the meeting at the level of permanent representatives because of Israels deadly force against peaceful demonstrators during Land Day protests on Friday. Saeed Abu Ali, assistant secretary-general for Palestine and the occupied Arab territories, said Saudi Arabia will chair the meeting. The Arab League also demanded the international community fulfil its responsibility to stop Israeli violations and establish an inquiry commission on the attacks, which also injured nearly 1,500 people. Abul-Gheit decried the Israeli crime against participants in the peaceful rally. Special investigation Haniya underlined the need to go to the UN General Assembly to discuss the [Israeli] crime and form a special investigation commission, his office said in a statement. The UN Security Council held a session on Saturday at the request of Kuwait to discuss the situation on Gaza border, but the Council failed to condemn Israels killing of Palestinian protesters. Tens of thousands of demonstrators protested on Friday at the Gaza Strips 45km-long eastern border with Israel to demand their right to return to their ancestral homes in historical Palestine. Observers say Myanmar authorities are carrying out methodical social engineering schemes in northern Rakhine State. Myanmar authorities have lured dozens of mainly Buddhist but with some Christians, Bangladeshi tribal families to cross the border and resettle on land abandoned by fleeing Muslim-majority Rohingya, officials said Monday. About 50 families from remote hill and forest areas on the Bangladesh side, attracted by offers of free land and food, have moved to Rakhine State in mainly Buddhist Myanmar the scene of a brutal army crackdown which prompted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee. A series of projects, either government and army-sponsored or privately funded, are transforming the area, which the military sees as the frontline of its fight against Islam in Myanmar. Observers say Myanmar authorities are carrying out methodical social engineering schemes in northern Rakhine State in the absence of many of the Rohingya. Marma and Mro The families from the ethnic Marma and Mro tribes have left their homes in the Bandarban hill district, local councillor Muing Swi Thwee told AFP news agency. He said 22 families departed from their villages in the Sangu forest reserve last month. The families, mainly Buddhist but with some Christians, were being lured by Myanmar to Rakhine where they were given free land, citizenship and free food for five years, Muing Swi Thwee said. They are going there to fill up the land vacated by the Rohingya who have left Burma (Myanmar). They are extremely poor. Two Bangladeshi officials in the region confirmed the migration, saying up to 55 tribal families had left for Myanmar. They are being lured by some people in Myanmar in return for free homes, free food for five-seven years. Some families have shifted there after being attracted by these offers, Jahangir Alam, a government district administrator, told AFP news agency. He said some of the tribal groups have family in Rakhine and these relatives are being used to woo the Bangladeshi tribals. These people have religious and linguistic similarities with Myanmar. Some of their ancestors have settled there in the past, he said. Ethnic cleansing Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine State for camps in mainly Muslim Bangladesh since Myanmar last August launched a crackdown which US and UN officials have described as ethnic cleansing. An agreement to repatriate Rohingya has yet to see a single refugee returned. Rohingya leaders have said the refugees will not return unless they are allowed back to their villages, many of which have been burned down by security forces, rather than to supposedly temporary resettlement camps. A Bangladeshi security officer told AFP that Myanmar had resettled thousands of Buddhists in Rakhine State by using a settlement scheme which offers free food, homes, cows and cash. Muing Swi Thwee said more than 100 tribal families had left his area for Myanmar in the past three years. Al Kaiser, another government official, said a tribal man was killed and several family members were injured in a mine blast when they were crossing into Myanmar from the town of Ali Kadam. Officials said they suspect political motives behind the migration. We think perhaps they (Myanmar) want to make some news using these people, that Buddhists are being tortured and repressed in Bangladesh and thats why they have left the country, said one official on condition of anonymity. Aymen Derbali was hailed as a hero after being shot several times trying to save others in the 2017 Quebec City attack. Montreal, Canada A survivor of last years deadly shooting at a Canadian mosque who was hailed as a hero has been given $310,000 ($400,000 Canadian) in donations to rebuild his life. Aymen Derbali received the sum collected via online donations from people in Quebec, Canada and around the world during a ceremony on Saturday at the Islamic Cultural Centre in Quebec City. Every second, I imagine myself playing with my children in the house, Derbali said, as he accepted the money. This gives me strength. On January 29 last year, a gunman opened fire shortly after evening prayer at the centre, the largest mosque in Quebec City. Six men were killed, five others were critically injured, and 19 people in all were hurt. Derbali was shot several times at close range as he attempted to draw the attackers attention to himself to save his fellow worshipers. He was rushed to a hospital, where he spent two months in a coma. When he woke up, Derbali was told he would never walk again. {articleGUID} He is now in a wheelchair and undergoing physical therapy. Set up by the Canadian Muslim community group DawaNet, the online fundraiser sought to help secure a home for Derbali that would meet his mobility needs. Derbali spent two months in a coma after the shooting [Courtesy DawaNet] On Saturday, Derbali thanked Quebecers and Canadians for their donations, which he said would allow him to live in a home that is accessible. I am looking forward to living there with my beautiful family, and I am looking forward to a bright future, despite of the darkness we have been through, he said in a statement. Shooter pleads guilty The ceremony came less than a week after Alexandre Bissonnette, 28, pleaded guilty to six counts of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder in relation to the attack. {articleGUID} In a Quebec courtroom on Monday, Bissonnette said he chose to plead guilty to spare the victims and their families the trauma of reliving what happened. He had previously entered a not-guilty plea. Two days later, on Wednesday, Bissonnette read out a written statement in which he said he was neither a terrorist nor an Islamophobe. However, members of the local Muslim community have challenged the idea that Islamophobia did not play a role in the attack. If its not a terrorist act, its an Islamophobic one, Derbali, who attended the court hearing on Wednesday, told The Canadian Press. Ultimately, Derbali said he looked forward to rebuilding his life after the attack. {articleGUID} I will always have faith in God that good things will always come to those who are patient, kind, generous, and sincere, he said in a statement. I am proof that when we show love, the world will show love in return. Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor, two high-end US department stores, acknowledge the breach of sensitive information. A well-known ring of cybercriminals has obtained more than five million credit and debit card numbers from customers of Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor, two high-end US department stores, which are both owned by the Canadian Hudsons Bay Company. Gemini Advisory, a cybersecurity research firm that specialises in tracking stolen financial data, disclosed the data breach on Sunday, adding that the information was likely collected at store locations and that online shoppers were probably not affected. In a blog post, Gemini said that a group of hackers known as Fin7 announced the release for sale of over five million stolen credit and debit cards on JokerStash, an online hub where stolen credit card information is regularly posted. {articleGUID} JokerStash has previously been used for other high-profile breaches, including Whole Foods, Chipotle, Omni Hotels & Resorts and Trump Hotels. According to Gemini, preliminary analysis suggests that the criminals siphoned the information from the stores from May 2017 to the present. The company also said the entire Lord & Taylor network and 83 Saks Fifth Avenue locations had been compromised. The majority of stolen credit cards were obtained from New York and New Jersey. Only a limited part of the five million records has been offered for sale so far, approximately 35,000 records from Saks Fifth Avenue and 90,000 records from Lord & Taylor. The data appears to have been stolen using software implanted into the cash register systems at the affected stores. It is not clear how exactly the malware was installed in the stores checkout systems, Gemini said it was most likely through phishing emails sent to Hudsons Bay employees. By opening infected documents, the malicious software was able to spread through the computer system and gather the sensitive information. Foreign banks at risk In a statement on its website, Saks Fifth Avenue said the issue had been identified, and steps were being taken to contain it. We will offer those impacted free identity protection services, including credit and web monitoring, Saks Fifth Avenue also said in the statement. Affected customers will not be liable for fraudulent charges. We are working rapidly with leading data security investigators and also are coordinating with law enforcement authorities and the payment card companies. Gemini said in the blog post that, because the targeted stores offer relatively expensive goods, the potential damage to cardholders could be significantly higher in this attack. It will be difficult for banks to sort fraudulent transactions from those of a legitimate nature, since cardholders who frequently shop at luxury retail chains like Saks Fifth Avenue are more likely to buy high-ticket items regularly. International travellers are also at risk. We anticipate a significant surge in fraudulent in-person purchases in the coming months, which will explicitly affect foreign banks, Gemini said. The Hudsons Bay Company was founded in 1670 and is one of North Americas oldest department store groups. It has recently appointed a new chief executive in February, Helena Foulkes, and the current data security issue will likely pose a new challenge for her. Dozens killed in Boko Haram attacks in northeast Nigeria Although the government says Boko Haram has been defeated, the group continues to target isolated, vulnerable villages. Gaza hospitals struggle to treat those injured by Israeli troops Doctors in Gaza say they are running out of medicine and supplies to treat patients, many of whom were hit by live ammunition from Israeli troops. Security forces in battle with large number of fighters suspected to be members of the Boko Haram armed group. Gunshots and explosions have been heard near the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri. Security forces are reportedly battling a large number of fighters suspected to be members of the Boko Haram armed group. According to our sources in Maiduguri, gunmen sneaked under the cover of darkness this evening and tried to infiltrate Maiduguri, Al Jazeeras Ahmed Idris, reporting from Sierra Leones capital, Freetown, said on Sunday. They attacked two villages on the outskirts of Maiduguri. There are reported casualties and several people have been wounded, he added. The army so far was able to repel the attackers. Our sources are telling us that at least 10 bombs went off and there was some gunfire. Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, has been frequently targeted by Boko Haram since the group launched its armed campaign nearly a decade ago. On Friday, four female suicide bombers in their teens detonated their explosives near the city, killing one more person, according to police. The Boko Haram armed campaign has claimed more than 20,000 lives and forced some 2.7 million people to flee their homes. Israel-Gaza violence: Christians and Muslims attend vigil An interfaith march held in Ramallah for victims killed by Israeli forces in Gaza was a peaceful display of prayer and protest. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to visit Trump in April to align strategy aimed at Pyongyang giving up its nuclear programme. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has announced that he will travel to the United States in mid-April to discuss with President Donald Trump how to put maximum pressure on North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons programme. In a statement on Monday, Abe told reporters he will visit the US from April 17 to 20 to meet Trump at his vacation home in Florida. I hope to have [an] in-depth discussion with President Trump on North Korea and other issues concerning both of our countries over our two-day meeting, the prime minister said. Abe said maximum pressure is needed, until Pyongyang abandons its nuclear and missile programme in a verifiable and irreversible way, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported. The April meeting comes ahead of a planned summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in May. The announcement of the potential breakthrough meeting set off a slew of diplomatic back-and-forth in the Asia-Pacific region, including a surprise meeting between Japans regional rival, China and Kim in Beijing in late March. The deal to hold a summit followed a series of events during last Februarys Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, brightening prospects for a dialogue between the US and North Korea. Abe also said he wants to take up with Trump the long-standing issue of North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens decades ago. There were an estimated 17 Japanese nationals who were reportedly snatched by North Korea in the 1970s and 80s. At least five abductees returned to Japan in 2002. Meanwhile, Japans Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Abe will also ask Trump to exempt Japan from the new tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. Suga said the two leaders will discuss free trade, as this is an issue of mutual interest. In recent weeks, Trump imposed new tariffs on steel and aluminium products from China, while Beijing hit back with retaliatory tariffs on US products. Shops and schools shut for second day in Indian-administered region amid anger over killings in separatist stronghold. Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir A shutdown has continued for the second day across Indian-administered Kashmir, following deadly clashes in villages in the separatist stronghold that resulted in 19 deaths. All shops, schools, and colleges remained closed and the roads were deserted on Monday as Kashmirs separatist leaders called for a complete shutdown in protest against the killings. Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since independence from Britain in 1947. In many volatile parts, including the old parts of Kashmirs main city, Srinagar, hundreds of security personnel guarded the streets in light of the restrictions put by the government. Kashmiri separatist leaders extended the shutdown call to April 3. Kashmiri government officials extended the closure of schools in the region in light of the fresh tension. Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since 1947 [Danish Ismail/Reuters] On Sunday, 19 people, including 12 separatist fighters, four civilians and three Indian army soldiers, were killed in three villages of south Kashmirs Shopian district and one fighter was killed in a brief gun battle in Dialgam, a village in Anantnag district. The killings of the fighters led to massive demonstrations in many parts of the region, in which more than three dozen people were wounded. SA Dinkar, the local police superintendent, told Al Jazeera on Monday the situation was under control. All the militants have been buried and their funerals are over. We didnt get reports of any clashes except for few minor injuries of some people, he said. Surge in violence Villages in Shopian have witnessed violence regularly since the beginning of this year in the form of firefights between armed separatist groups and Indian troops. Most of the fighters killed in Sundays clashes were locals and belonged to south Kashmir. The forces are targeting everyone whether a protester or not, said Kulsuma Begum, who was attending to her teenage son at a hospital in Kashmirs main city, Srinagar. My son was hit with pellets on the left eye and the doctors are not sure if he can get back his full vision. It pains me to see all these young boys here like this in the ward struggling to see. Nineteen people, including 12 separatist fighters, were killed in gun battles on Sunday [AFP] Dr Saleem Tak, medical superintendent at the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS), said Sunday was a hectic day for the staff. Yesterday, we received 45 patients, he told Al Jazeera. He said 41 of them had suffered pellet injuries in their eyes; three had bullet injuries, and one of them was hit in his abdomen with a bullet. All the other patients are stable. Burhan Wanis killing The villages of southern Kashmir have turned into separatist strongholds following the killing of a young commander, Burhan Wani, by Indian security forces in 2016. Since then, people have been openly supporting the cause of the armed groups battling Indian security forces in Kashmir. Both Pakistan and India claim the Himalayan territory in full and have fought three wars over the mountainous region, which remains one of the most militarised regions on earth. Kashmiris demand that a referendum take place to let them decide their future. Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have died since 1990. Members of same family targeted outside relatives home while visiting southwestern city to celebrate Easter holiday. ISLAMABAD, Pakistan At least four people have been killed in an attack targeting Christians in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, officials say, the latest violence to target members of the minority in the South Asian country. The four men, all members of the same Christian family, were shot to death outside a relatives home in the Shah Zaman neighbourhood of the city on Monday evening. One young girl has been wounded, and four people have been killed, they were all Christians, Ali Mardan, a senior police official, told Al Jazeera by telephone. They were shot dead. The family had travelled to Quetta to celebrate Easter with relatives, a family member told Al Jazeera. They were guests of ours, they came from Punjab [province] to celebrate Easter. As they left the house to go to the bazaar after dinner [] they were fired upon, said Tariq Masih, a relative to the victims. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. At least four people were killed in a separate, unrelated shooting incident in Quetta on Monday, officials said. That incident was related to a personal enmity, police said. Attacks on minorities Pakistan has been battling armed groups including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its allies, who seek to impose a strict interpretation of Islamic law on the country, since 2007. Violence has dropped in recent years, as a series of military operations have succeeded in displacing the TTP and allied groups from their strongholds in northwestern Pakistan, but sporadic large casualty attacks continue. Attacks often target Pakistans minorities, including Shia Muslims as well as Christians, Hindus and members of the Ahmadiyya sect. In December, a suicide bomb and gun attack targeting Sunday services at a church in Quetta killed at least eight people and left dozens of others wounded. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group claimed responsibility for that attack in a statement, but provided no proof of its involvement. ISIL, also known as ISIS, has claimed responsibility for several attacks targeting civilians in Balochistan province, of which Quetta is the capital, in recent years, including an attack on a Sufi shrine and multiple attacks on Hazara Shias. On Sunday, a Hazara Shia man was killed and another wounded in a targeted attack in a Quetta bazaar, local media reported. In all, at least 242 people were killed in attacks in Balochistan province in 2017, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal research organisation. Asad Hashim is Al Jazeeras Web Correspondent in Pakistan. Additional reporting by Saadullah Akhtar in Quetta. Morocco threatens to take control of UN-monitored buffer zones after Polisario Front sent troops to the area. Moroccos ambassador to the UN has complained to the Security Council after the Polisario Front separatist movement sent some of its fighters to UN-monitored buffer zones in Moroccos contested Western Sahara region. Omar Hilale said on Sunday that the Algerian-backed Polisario Front, which fought a guerrilla war against Morocco until 1991, deployed some of its fighters to Western Saharas Al Mahbes area where they set up tents, dug a ditch and built constructions using sandbags. The ambassador said that the fighters left Algerias Tindouf camps on military vehicles, and warned that their actions constituted a casus belli [justification for war]. Morocco, which has so far shown restraint and a high sense of responsibility at the request of the UN secretary-general, will not stand idly by the deterioration of the situation on the ground, he said. {articleGUID} The other parties will, then, have to take full responsibility for the consequences that will result from their actions. Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita echoed Hilale, calling the Polisarios decision to send some of its members to UN-controlled areas of Bir Lehlou and Tifarit a provocation. Bourita has warned that if the UN does not interject, Morocco will have to act out its responsibility and intervene. Decades of failed talks Mhamed Khaddad, the Polisarios coordinator with the UN, denounced the Moroccan statements as an attempt to disavow the peace process. We condemn this flight forward and will respond to any breach of the ceasefire. The UN is preparing a report this week on whether to extend its 27-year-old peacekeeping mission for Western Sahara, a territory that is about the size of New Zealand, claimed by both Morocco and the Polisario. UN efforts have repeatedly failed to broker a settlement over the disputed territory which the Polisario says belongs to the Sahrawi people. Morocco, which controls 90 percent of the territory including its three main towns, insists it is an integral part of the kingdom and that only autonomy is on the table. However, the Polisario demands a referendum on self-determination. Nauru has abolished a decades-old link to Australias legal system, removing the island nations highest court of appeal, in a move critics have described as shocking and concerning for human rights. The government of Nauru a Pacific island on which hundreds of asylum seekers are detained in an Australian immigration facility said on Monday that no new judicial appeals to Australias High Court would be permitted under the now defunct 1976 High Court Appeals Act. Julie Bishop, Australias foreign minister, confirmed on Monday that Nauru had informed government officials in December of its intention to scrap the 1976 appeals act. Australia supports Naurus sovereignty and its December 2017 decision to terminate the treaty in advance of the nations 50th anniversary of independence, she said in a statement to reporters. The agreement was formally terminated on March 12, according to Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, though news of the severence has only emerged in recent days after Naurus solicitor-general reportedly made comments on Friday concerning the acts abolishment. More than 1,000 asylum seekers are detained by Australia in the Pacific on Nauru and Manus Island, part of Papua New Guinea, according to the Australian Border Force [File: Rick Rycroft/AP] Critics have said the move could have adverse consequences for asylum seekers being detained on Nauru, who could be left without the right to appeal, and accuse Australia of exploiting the islands decision for reasons of political expediency. Australia needs Nauru to solve its refugee problem, and as a consequence it is completely compromised by its desire not to offend the Nauruan government, George Newhouse, a human rights lawyer for Australias National Justice Project, told Al Jazeera on Monday. [But] there are serious problems in the processing of asylum seeker reviews on Nauru [and] these are life and death decisions because an asylum seeker that has their claim rejected could find themselves returned back to harm or even death, he said. Australias top court presided over at least 13 appeals from Nauru last year, according to Jeremy Gans, a professor of law at the University of Melbourne, Australia, having only decided on five cases from the Pacific island in the preceding 40 years of the acts existence. Australias asylum policy Under its strict border control policies, Australia sends asylum seekers who arrive by boat to processing centres the government manages in the Pacific and permanently bans those individuals from settling in the country. According to the Australian Border Force, 1,111 of those asylum seekers are detained on Nauru and Manus Island, part of Papua New Guinea. Attempted suicide among asylum seekers is rife in Nauru because of the prison-like conditions they face in indefinite detention, an Amnesty International report released in 2016 said. Malcolm Turnbull, Australias prime minister, rejected the report, saying the governments commitment to dealing with those detained was compassionate and strong. Australia, Naurus largest aid donor, will provide it with $19m of official development assistance this year alone, according to Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Attempted suicide is widespread on Nauru because of the prison-like conditions asylum seekers face, according to an Amnesty International report released in 2016 [File: David Gray/Reuters] On Monday, Naurus government defended its decision to scrap the appeals act in a series of Twitter posts saying it will not accept interference in our domestic affairs. As a sovereign nation with a democratically (re) elected government, we will make decisions based on what is best for our people, not what ill-informed, racist, elitist, colonial-minded Australian lawyers, journalists and activists try and demand, the government said via its Twitter account. Naurus justice system is independent and transparent, and our judges all from outside Nauru are highly respected. As a sovereign nation with a democratically (re)elected government, we will make decisions based on what is best for our people, not what ill-informed, racist, elitist, colonial-minded Australian lawyers, journalists & activists try & demand2/3 Republic of Nauru (@Republic_Nauru) April 2, 2018 The government of Nauru is yet to respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment, but officials have previously said all cases filed before Nauru gave notice to Australia of its intention to abolish the appeals act will proceed unhindered to the Australian High Court. News of the severence has only emerged in recent days after Jay Udit, Naurus solicitor-general, reportedly revealed on Friday that his government had already formally notified Australia of its decision to scrap the legal agreement. According to local news media reports, Udit told two legal representatives of Matthew Batsuia a former justice minister of Nauru, who is one of 19 people charged over protests outside Nauru parliament in 2015 during a chance meeting with them that Nauru had issued the notice in January or December. A logical step towards full nationhood Baron Waqa, Naurus president, suggested in February he would seek to sever the islands legal ties with Australias High Court during a speech to parliament. Each party was required by the appeals act to provide the other signatory with 90 days of notice before abolishing it. Severance of ties to Australias highest court is a logical step towards full nationhood and an expression of confidence in Naurus ability to determine its own destiny, Waqa said on February 12. The government also issued a statement to the same effect almost four weeks later, on March 2, in which it committed to establishing a new local court of appeal to replace the High Courts legal function. The government, however, is yet to specify a date for the creation of such a court. Separation of powers row Peter Law, a former resident magistrate in Nauru, described on Monday the timing of the governments decision as very unfortunate. Whilst I support the idea of an appeals court being set up in Nauru, that hasnt happened yet [and] a number of appeals are currently in progress, he told Al Jazeera by phone. Law also expressed concern over the governments approach to the rule of law, suggesting Naurus officials have trampled over the judiciary on several occasions. This government, over the last four years, has not really fully understood the importance of separation of power between judiciary and government through their actions they have breached the rule of law, ignored injunctions issued by courts and sought to influence judicial decision making, Law said. Law was deported from Nauru in 2014 after being sacked alongside Chief Justice Geoffrey Eames, both of whom are Australians, in a move he has since called politically motivated. International rights groups, including Amnesty International and the International Service for Human Rights, have raised concerns in recent years over Naurus commitment to judicial independence, suggesting the removal of Eames and Law undermined the rule of law. The Nauru government, however, has vigorously denied accusations it has interfered with the independence of the islands judiciary. Protesters in Berlin demand release of Catalonias ex-leader Hundreds of Catalan independence supporters marched through the capital demanding release of the ex-regional president who was arrested in Germany last week and who faces extradition to Spain on rebellion charges. A look back at the life of anti-apartheid campaigner and ex-wife of former South African president Nelson Mandela. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the ex-wife of South Africas former President Nelson Mandela, has died at the age of 81. The anti-apartheid campaigner and second wife of the late Mandela, passed away after a long illness, her personal assistant confirmed on Monday. She was married to Nelson Mandela, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and icon of South Africas anti-apartheid struggle, for 38 years, with Mandela spending 27 of those behind bars. Born in a village in Bizana, a town in Transkei [now known as Eastern Cape], on September 26, 1936, to a history teacher, Nomzamo Winifred Madikizela moved to Johannesburg in 1953 to pursue studies in social work. Soon afterwards, she met Mandela in Johannesburg. {articleGUID} Their first date was lunch at an Indian restaurant near [Nelson] Mandelas law office. Sixteen years her senior, he was amused at her inability to eat the spicy curry, Stephanie Hanes, who covered South Africa from 2005 to 2009, writes in an obituary in The Washington Post. She sat silently, wearing an uncomfortable borrowed suit she hoped would make her look more sophisticated than her 23 years, as a slew of advice-seekers stopped to chat with her well-known date. Later, as they walked through the countryside, Nelson asked for her help raising funds. Her sandal broke on the rocky path. She married him the same year, in 1958. The two were still married during Mandelas imprisonment from 1962 to 1990. A veteran of South Africas anti-apartheid struggle, Winnie Mandela developed a reputation as an uncompromising opponent of the then-predominant racial segregation system. She continued campaigning against apartheid well into Nelson Mandelas incarceration and was herself put behind bars in 1969 under Section 6 of the infamous 1967 Terrorism Act. Soweto uprising Winnie Mandela played a pivotal role in the 1976 Soweto student uprising, when thousands of black students took to the streets after a government decree forced all black schools to use Afrikaans and English as languages of instruction. However, her reputation as the Mother of the Nation was marred after she was convicted in the 1991 kidnapping and killing of a suspected 14-year-old spy, Stompie Seipei. A six-year imprisonment sentence was later reduced to a fine. In 1993, Winnie Mandela was elected as the president of the African National Congress (ANC) Womens League. Winnie Mandela, centre, was for long a powerful figure in the governing ANC [AP] A year later, she joined parliament as a deputy minister of arts and culture under Nelson Mandelas presidency who subsequently dismissed her for insubordination. In 1992, Nelson Mandela announced his separation from Winnie Mandela, but said: She endured the persecutions heaped upon her by the government with exemplary fortitude and never wavered from her commitment to the struggle for freedom. Her tenacity reinforced my personal respect, love and growing affection. The two ultimately ended their marriage in 1996, following a legal tussle. When he emerged after 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela said, the woman he once called his darling had changed, accusing her of being brazen in her infidelity and cold. I was the loneliest man during the time I stayed with her, he said. The judge granted the divorce. Despite their divorce, she kept Mandelas surname and maintained ties with him. Winnie Mandela returned to parliament in 1999, before running into more legal trouble with a 2003 conviction for fraud and theft which was later overturned. Her 80th birthday party in September 2016 was celebrated in Cape Town and attended by then vice-president Cyril Ramaphosa, opposition politician Julius Malema, and Patricia de Lille, the mayor of Cape Town. Families who have left Damascus neighbourhood for Idlib tell of taking their most precious possessions with them. Abu Jawad was among thousands of Syrians who left their homes and underground shelters in the shrinking rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta to one of the last remaining rebel-held areas in northwest Syria. With dozens of daily convoys of buses making the 320km journey to the Idlib province since late March, families have been forced to take only the most essential items. We left with nothing; we just took our feelings of despair and heartbreak with us, the 27-year-old from Hammoudia told Al Jazeera as he explained the pain of leaving the town he had grown up in his whole life. Abu Jawad fled Eastern Ghouta with his wife and 18-month-old daughter on March 28, less than a week after Faylaq ar-Rahman, the second-largest rebel force in the rebel enclave, reached a deal with the Syrian government to evacuate fighters and civilians to Idlib. Everything that means something to us, our homes, our lands we left that all behind, he said. The government began its major offensive to take Eastern Ghouta on February 18, and split the rebel-held territory up on March 11. The fighting has left more than 1,600 dead, and caused immense damage to areas infrastructure, which has been pounded by the Syrian air force. Evacuation deal Last week, two rebel groups reached an evacuation deal with the Russian army, which resulted in at least 19,000 people leaving for the northern province of Idlib. Syrian families leaving to government-held areas have been banned from taking any belongings at all, sources on the ground told Al Jazeera. On the other hand, those moving to rebel-held areas in northern Syria have reportedly been allowed a single small suitcase. Several families told Al Jazeera they believe taking the keys of their homes along with them will keep the memory of their lives in Eastern Ghouta alive. Nothing will compensate for the loss that we felt as we said farewell to Ghouta Abdo Abu Badr I took the keys to the house we used to live in. Thats the most important thing to me, Moayyad, 29, who left Zamalka last week with his wife, three brothers and their families, told Al Jazeera. Moayyads neighbour, Abu Yahya, who also left Zamalka to Idlib, took the keys to his home, car, motorbike and even the kindergarten he used to run. I took all these keys hoping that one day Ill return. Even if my home is demolished, this key will remain a testament to how we held on to Ghouta until the last minute. Like most civilians in Eastern Ghouta, Moayyad and Abu Yahya had been unable to live in their homes while they hid in underground shelters with their families for weeks, as the Syrian government and Russian forces bombarded the enclave from the air. Picture archives For photojournalist Moneim Eissa, 24, picture archives are the most important of his belongings. My hard disks carry an archive of all the important memories; photos of Ghouta and of family and friends who were either killed or went missing, Eissa, who left Hammouria, told Al Jazeera. Everything Id built in Ghouta, my home and life, is gone. I have to start all over again, but at least this archive will keep the memory of things that mattered the most. In addition to his hard discs, Eissa took his camera and laptop, which he says are essential tools for any journalist. Without them, I wouldnt be able to record events or report them to the world. Similarly, Abu Yahya told Al Jazeera that the only thing his elderly mother choose to take along with her was a large family photo album. Several families told Al Jazeera they kept their mobile phones for two reasons: to keep a record of their photos and to maintain communication with their loved ones. I took my phone because it has hundreds of precious photos of Ghouta, and of my family and friends, Moayyad said. It also keeps me connected to the people I know, who are now scattered around the world because of the war. Although Eissa has no plans of leaving Syria, he took his passport and personal papers with him. In some ways, theres no point in carrying an identity card because it seems like we are trapped here regardless of where we flee, he said. But Ive kept my papers just in case they are needed to identify my body at some point. But for Abu Yahya, who took his high school certificates, his passport and other identity cards, these papers may come in handy if he were to leave Syria one day. Abu Yahya took his personal documents in case he needs a new life in a different country [Al Jazeera] I might need my certificates and passport if I were to move to another country, he said. My father even took the deed to his home which hes owned and lived in for most of his life. Abu Yahya also took a watch, which he says his mother gifted him when he was young. I couldnt leave that watch behind. It holds too much sentimental value, he said. Childrens clothes and toys Families with young children have prioritised taking supplies including nappies, food items, clothes and a few toys during their journey out of Ghouta. For Alaa, a mother of three disabled children, three toys were essential for keeping her childrens moods stable during the journey to Idlib. I took my 16-year-old daughter Noras doll, a bag of plastic cubes for 10-year-old Mohamed, and a little music recorder that has always helped put my seven-year-old daughter Haneen to sleep, she told Al Jazeera. I also took some clothes, nappies, some water and a few food items for the road, she added. Some families could only take the bare minimum of their belongings as they fled [AFP] Abu Jawad, on the other hand, told Al Jazeera he was unable to take any of his daughters toys. It was impossible to fit anything but the bare essentials, he said. For some Eastern Ghouta residents, however, nothing they could take would compensate for leaving their homes behind. Weve left our lands forever and there is no meaning in taking anything along, said 40-year-old Abdo Abu Badr, whose home, car and farm were all burned to ashes after an air raid targeted them. Nothing will compensate for the loss that we felt as we said farewell to Ghouta. Rallies come as part of a wave of protests by teachers across the US over funding, low pay and benefits. Teachers in the US states of Oklahoma and Kentucky are protesting on Monday over a range of issues from funding to benefits. In Oklahoma, teachers are walking out of the classroom to call for better funding and salaries. Weve all heard stories from students, parents, and teachers affected by eleven years of cuts to our classrooms, Alicia Priest, president of the Oklahoma Education Association, said in a Facebook video message on the eve of the walkout. They see broken chairs in class, outdated textbooks that are duct-taped together, and class sizes that have ballooned, she added. Teachers are so drastically underpaid they are forced to donate plasma, work multiple jobs, and go to food pantries to provide for their families. Oklahoma is better than this. The protests are the latest by teachers from across the US who say they cant wait any longer and have forced schools to shut down in an effort to bring about change to the education systems in their states. The Oklahoma protest will shut down public schools across the state, and teachers have vowed to remain on the picket line until their demands are met. Priest recently told CNN that a $6,100 teacher pay rise passed by state legislators last week was a good starting point, but they would only go back to the classroom when our members tell us to. Oklahoma teachers are demanding a $10,000 pay rise for teachers over the next three years, a $5,000 raise for school workers and the restoration of millions of dollars cut from state budgets in recent years. Public education FUNDing is important: how our students that you care about their future, Tiffany Hile, a first grade teacher from Oklahoma, tweeted last week. Retired teacher Claudia Swisher tweeted that Oklahoma teachers are the poorest-paid. They show up and teach our kids every day anyway. They buy books and supplies anyway. They stay up late grading anyway. They are fighting for our kids. #oklaed teachers are poorest-paid. They show up and teach our kids every day anyway. They buy books and supplies anyway. They stay up late grading anyway. They are fighting for our kids. Please. Join. Us. https://t.co/eUD41kkryz Claudia Swisher, NBCT, Re-Renewed (@ClaudiaSwisher) March 20, 2018 According to local media, the average salary for a teacher in Oklahoma was $45,276 in 2016 one of the lowest in the country. State funding for education has also declined more than 28 percent per student over the past 10 years. Oklahoma children deserve better than a legislature that places them at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to education funding, the Oklahoma Education Association said on its website. Thousands are also expected to rally in Kentucky against a pension reform bill, which was passed as part of a measure that was initially about sewage, last week. On Friday, teachers shut down a number of schools by calling in sick in what was described as a sickout on social media. https://twitter.com/Mrs_MaynardKY/status/980781173403213824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw The protests in Oklahoma and Kentucky come about a month after West Virginia teachers went on strike for nine days to call for higher wages, better benefits and increased incentives to help fill the roughly 700 teacher vacancies in the state. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice signed an agreement giving teachers and about 10,000 support staff members a five percent pay increase. Teachers in Arizona have also threatened to strike over their salaries, local media reported. Dozens have been rallying in the state capitol to demand a 20 percent pay increase. Rallies in Oklahoma and Kentucky are part of a wave of protests across the US over funding, low pay and benefits. Teachers in the US states of Oklahoma and Kentucky are protesting over a range of issues from funding to benefits. In Oklahoma, teachers walked out of the classroom on Monday to call for better funding and salaries. Weve all heard stories from students, parents, and teachers affected by eleven years of cuts to our classrooms, Alicia Priest, president of the Oklahoma Education Association, said in a Facebook video message on the eve of the walkout. They see broken chairs in class, outdated textbooks that are duct-taped together, and class sizes that have ballooned. Teachers are so drastically underpaid they are forced to donate plasma, work multiple jobs, and go to food pantries to provide for their families. Oklahoma is better than this. The protests were the latest by teachers from across the US who say they cant wait any longer and have forced schools to shut down in an effort to bring about change to the education systems in their states. Starting point The Oklahoma protest shut down public schools across the state, and teachers vowed to remain on the picket line until their demands are met. Priest recently told CNN that a $6,100 teacher pay rise passed by state legislators last week was a good starting point, but they would only go back to the classroom when our members tell us to. Oklahoma teachers are demanding a $10,000 pay rise for teachers over the next three years, a $5,000 raise for school workers and the restoration of millions of dollars cut from state budgets in recent years. Public education FUNDing is important: how our students that you care about their future, Tiffany Hile, a first-grade teacher from Oklahoma, tweeted last week. Retired teacher Claudia Swisher tweeted that Oklahoma teachers are the poorest-paid. They show up and teach our kids every day anyway. They buy books and supplies anyway. They stay up late grading anyway. They are fighting for our kids. #oklaed teachers are poorest-paid. They show up and teach our kids every day anyway. They buy books and supplies anyway. They stay up late grading anyway. They are fighting for our kids. Please. Join. Us. https://t.co/eUD41kkryz Claudia Swisher, NBCT, Re-Renewed (@ClaudiaSwisher) March 20, 2018 According to local media, the average salary for a teacher in Oklahoma was $45,276 in 2016 one of the lowest in the country. State funding for education has also declined more than 28 percent per student over the past 10 years. Oklahoma children deserve better than a legislature that places them at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to education funding, the Oklahoma Education Association said on its website. Thousands are also expected to rally in Kentucky against a pension reform bill, which was passed as part of a measure that was initially about sewage, last week. On Friday, teachers shut down a number of schools by calling in sick in what was described as a sickout on social media. https://twitter.com/Mrs_MaynardKY/status/980781173403213824?ref_src=twsrc^tfw The protests in Oklahoma and Kentucky come about a month after West Virginia teachers went on strike for nine days to call for higher wages, better benefits and increased incentives to help fill the roughly 700 teacher vacancies in the state. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice signed an agreement giving teachers and about 10,000 support staff members a five percent pay increase. Teachers in Arizona have also threatened to strike over their salaries, local media reported. Dozens have been rallying in the state capitol to demand a 20 percent pay increase. Shunned by the US space programme, China is investing heavily in its own technologies, revealing huge ambition. With a bright flash and streaks of fire [that no one saw], a defunct Chinese spacecraft the size of a school bus shattered and burned to dust after hitting the Earths atmosphere at 8 kilometers per second. Pieces of it, including unknown fuel and metal components, landed northwest of Tahiti in the South Pacific at around 8:15am Beijing time (00:15 GMT) on Monday. The chance the debris ever had of affecting a human was there, but nearly zero. In 2011, Tiangong-1 was launched into orbit, the flagship of Chinas emerging manned space exploration programme. Over two missions, six taikonauts (Chinese astronauts) performed experiments, broadcast public lectures, imaged the ground and tested docking maneuvers and life-support systems. The first two Chinese women in space lived on board the Tiangong-1. In 2013, its final crew departed. In 2016, to some international surprise, Chinese authorities announced its operators lost data communications with the ship. Observers have been scrambling to predict its seemingly uncontrolled trajectory since then. Tiangong-1 Most satellites are not meant to end with the uncertainty of Tiangong-1. I believe that the end of life plan for Tiangong-1 was a directed reentry, said Roger Thompson of Aerospace, a company tracking the Tiangong-1s descent. Some satellites are moved to graveyard orbits, some are re-entered, but theres a 15 percent failure rate to reach the designed end-of-life plan, Thompson said. Tiangong-1, or Heavenly Palace, was the first semi-permanent Chinese home in space. The public started to know a lot more about space programmes after we started our own manned spacecraft programmes, said Jiao Weixin, Earth and Space Science professor at Peking University. If we are not developing it, Chinese people probably wont know too much, Weixin said. The station predated Jade Rabbit a rover on the Moon and was followed by the still operational Tiangong-2. Space ambitions China has poured money into space development following the announcement of Project 921 in 1992. In 2014 the nation expanded its space budget over the previous year by 35 percent. China would like to go from a big country to a powerful country in space, Weixin said, adding: We want to make sure our technologies are world class. In addition to building the worlds largest radio telescope and experimenting with satellite-based quantum cryptography, future goals include lunar missions, returning Martian samples and building more permanent space installations. One reason there are few public details about Tiangong-1 could be chilly relations between Chinas space authorities and the US. In 2011, US legislators passed the Wolf amendment, banning NASA and the Office of Science and Technology Policy from collaborating with China, a communist country. The US, for very political reasons has shunned [China], pushing them into creating their own independent human space flight and robotic programme, Joan Johnson Freese, author of Space as a Strategic Asset said. That chill could escalate, Freese warns, not only between the United States and China, but with Russia and space newcomer India. I think theres a dangerous trend going on right now regarding military space programmes. The creation of space forces, the integration of space into mainline military capabilities, I think the potential for the rubicon to be crossed is increasing. Tiangong-1, Freese clarified, was more akin to the Apollo programme, which sent US astronauts to the moon. Tracking objects that are shrouded in state secrecy created headaches for global skywatchers. Governments and companies, wanting to protect their own satellites and calm their populations, were forced to extrapolate. Viewed from China, cold relations may have boosted national science activities. Some scientists joke that we owe our current achievements partially to the United States unfriendliness, Weixin said. Because we didnt really have external support, we ended up developing the entire system ourselves. The US president says NO MORE DACA DEAL and threatens NAFTA in a series of tweets on Sunday. Immigrants and their supporters have slammed US President Donald Trump for a series of tweets that ostensibly ends any hopes of a deal on the programme that protects hundreds of thousands of young people from deportation. Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release. Getting more dangerous. Caravans coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL! Trump tweeted on Sunday morning, referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme (DACA), which protects about 800,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children. These big flows of people are all trying to take advantage of DACA. They want in on the act! he said in another tweet. His attacks on the programme, as well as another tweet threatening to once again end the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada, came shortly after he attended an Easter service in Washington, DC. Online, many criticised the president for his remarks but said they were not surprised, given his history of tweets on DACA. United We Dream, an organisation that campaigns for undocumented youth, tweeted: This just reaffirms what we have known all along: Trump never wanted to protect immigrant youth he only wanted to further his hateful anti-immigrant agenda. This just reaffirms what we have known all along: Trump never wanted to protect immigrant youth he only wanted to further his hateful anti-immigrant agenda. Continue fighting locally! We are #HereToFight! https://t.co/vsHMsZZvbW United We Dream (@UNITEDWEDREAM) April 1, 2018 ah, yes, I see the traditional Easter message about deporting people has been issued Laura Lorson (@prairielaura) April 1, 2018 Yet another reminder @realDonaldTrump ran on an anti-immigrant agenda and has worked to create a machine of human misery for immigrant communities since taking office. pic.twitter.com/jh45vTKU6t ACLU (@ACLU) April 1, 2018 Josh Breisblatt, a senior policy analyst at the American Immigration Council, pointed out that DACA is not an act and that Trump was the one who initially ended the programme, as well as nearly all attempts to come to a solution since. So much wrong in so few words. 1. Anyone coming now would never have been eligible for DACA. 2.DACA is not an "act." 3. Trump ended DACA, attempting to end the initiative but courts have forced government to accept renewals only. https://t.co/RCemO4RVQu Josh Breisblatt (@jbreisblatt) April 1, 2018 https://twitter.com/krassenstein/status/980611019297951745?ref_src=twsrc^tfw Trump ended DACA last September, giving Congress until last month to pass legislation for continued protections. Since then, Trump tied any DACA legislation to funding for his wall on the US-Mexico border. He has blamed Democrats for standing in the way of a deal, but the White House has repeatedly rejected proposals on the programme. Kara Lynum, and others, also pointed out the inaccuracies of Trumps tweet about flows of people, saying that DACA is only available to people who were under 16 when they entered the US and were living in the US before June 15, 2007 and were physically present here [in the US] in June 15, 2012. https://twitter.com/karalynum/status/980454466259443715?ref_src=twsrc^tfw It is unclear whether Trumps tweets he is known for his Twitter tirades represent a complete policy shift on the issue of DACA. While the president ended the programme in September, a federal judge has said that the administration must continue renewing applications. No new applications, however, have been accepted. Undocumented immigrants and their advocates have vowed to hold both the Republicans and Democrats who allowed protections to expire accountable in Novembers midterm elections. Activists and DACA recipients march up Broadway during the start of their Walk to Stay Home rally in February [Shannon Stapleton/Reuters] Some 1.8 million undocumented immigrants entered the US before their 16th birthday, making them eligible for DACA protections. Of those 1.8 million, about 800,000 have received DACA protections in the five years the programme has existed, according to numbers from the Department of Homeland Security, the University of California-San Diego and several immigration advocacy groups compiled by the USA Today network. More than 90 percent of DACA recipients are employed or in school. Less than one percent had their protection rescinded due to illegal activity. Trump tweets: No more DACA deal US president has said there will be no deal with Democrats on the Obama-era programme called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also known as DACA. Evidence and witness statements implicate US-based leader in 2016 killing of Andrei Karlov, according to state media. A Turkish court has ordered the arrest of the US-based Muslim religious leader Fethullah Gulen and seven others over the 2016 killing of the Russian ambassador to Turkey, according to state media reports. Mondays announcement came a day before Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Turkey on an official visit. Andrei Karlov, the Russian diplomat, was shot by an off-duty policeman while speaking during an exhibition inauguration in Ankara in December 2016. The assailant shouted Allahu Akbar and Dont forget Aleppo! as he opened fire, apparently referring to Russias involvement in neighbouring Syria. {articleGUID} He was shot dead by police at the scene. Putin arrives on a two-day visit on Tuesday and will meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Their three countries are the guarantors of the Astana peace talks that have set up de-escalation zones across war-torn Syria. Erdogan said Gulens group was behind the assassination, a charge the religious leader, who is also a businessman, has denied. Turkey also accuses Gulen and his supporters of orchestrating the failed coup attempt last summer which killed an estimated 300 people and led to arrests across the country. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the US since 1999, has denied the charge and condemned the coup attempt. Witness statements According to judicial sources talking to the state-run Anadolu Agency, the court issued the arrest warrants linking Karlovs assassin, Mert Altintas, to Gulen. Reasons cited for the arrest warrants include pre-meditated murder and attempt to overthrow constitutional order. Evidence and witness statements allowed the investigative bureau to suspect FETO members in security headquarters, Anadolu said. Altintas came from Soke in southwest Turkey, considered one of the countrys most secular regions. His father said his sons behaviour started changing after he joined the police academy, where he became more pious, according to media reports at the time. About the show A weekly programme that examines and dissects the worlds media, how they operate and the stories they cover. Watch The Listening Post every Saturday at 0830GMT No organization has done more to keep juvenile offenders across the nation on the streets instead of behind bars than the Baltimore-based Annie E. Casey Foundation , which was created in 1948 by UPS founder James E. Casey and his siblings in honor of their mother. Did you know that the same reckless juvenile delinquency policies that effectively green-lighted high school spree-killer Nikolas Cruzs descent into infamy are now in effect all across America? The Casey Foundation now brags that its Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) has grown to become the most widely replicated juvenile justice reform initiative in the United States, reaching youth in more than 300 local jurisdictions across 39 states and the District of Columbia. Approximately 10 million young people aged 10 to 17 live in these communities. The Casey Foundation also boasts in a recent report that there were in excess of 3,800 fewer youth in detention on an average day in 2016 than before those sites undertook JDAI a reduction of 43 percent. This is reason to celebrate if you want America to slide into chaos. Since Cruz massacred 14 students and three school employees on Valentines Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County, Florida, fingers have been rightly pointed at the Obama administration, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel (D) and his cowardly deputies, Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert W. Runcie, left-wing activists, and pie-in-the-sky philanthropists for promoting the profoundly antisocial theory that arresting and detaining young lawbreakers somehow transforms them into criminals. But Broward County isnt just one of many outposts of soft-headed thinking about juvenile justice reform: It is Ground Zero for the anti-incarceration movement that tries to keep all but those young offenders accused of the most serious crimes in society where they can perfect their skills as they become recidivists. For a quarter century, Broward has been showing the way in reversing what left-wingers fancifully call the school-to-prison pipeline" by wrongfully keeping young sociopaths out of jail. JDAI has its origins in Broward County. The program began in 1993, growing out of a lawsuit that claimed the countys juvenile facility was overcrowded. Capital Research Center reported eight years ago on the dangers presented by the program. A paper stated: Broward County officials responded to the suit with a series of measures that would later form the core JDAI guidelines. They devised a test to screen arrested youths, determining which young people needed to stay in detention awaiting trial for violent offenses or because they posed a flight risk, and which could be channeled into alternatives such as home monitoring. The JDAI approach is unduly focused on the well-being of the offenders, as opposed to their victims and society as a whole. To progressives, young people committing crimes is no social crisis. The real crisis is that the young people who are committing crimes are being caught and prosecuted. To these leftists, modern-day America is a horrifying Dickensian dystopia of institutional cruelty that persecutes the young, minorities, and the poor. Around the time JDAI was getting started, law professors David Wexler and Bruce Winick coined the term therapeutic jurisprudence, which certainly seems to cover JDAI. The expression can be defined as an interdisciplinary method of legal scholarship that aims to reform the law in order to positively impact the psychological well-being of the accused person. In other words, the legal system should exist primarily for social work benefitting perpetrators, not for dispensing justice. This is fine by unrepentant Marxist terrorists and academics Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn who praised JDAI by name in their book, Race Course Against White Supremacy. Casey Foundation officials, who hand out large sums to state and local governments and activist groups, as well as JDAI staff and their co-religionists in municipal and county juvenile justice systems, assert that there is a statistical correlation between detention and incarceration. One JDAI publication claims: [D]etention itself has a significant negative impact on delinquency cases. Research has shown that detained youth are more likely to be formally charged, found delinquent, and committed to youth corrections facilities than similarly situated youngsters [y]outh detained pending court were three times as likely to be committed to a corrections facility as youth with identical offending histories who were not detained. Detention, therefore, might be thought of as the slippery slope into juvenile justices deep end. The problem with this kind of thinking is that correlation does not imply causation. It stands to reason that the young people detained by authorities are those most likely to be convicted of crime and to re-offend later. Detention itself does not generate crime; bad behavior leads to incarceration and more lawbreaking. Ironically, at one point, the Annie E. Casey Foundation website itself embraced political violence. It used to feature articles lauding protesters who try to prevent the construction or expansion of juvenile detention centers. We have to wonder what kind of a person runs a program as perverse as JDAI. Bart Lubow, its director from 1994 to 2014, has a track record of pro-criminal activism. In 1975 he was held for questioning after three members of the Black Liberation Army on trial for the murder of two New York City policemen somehow managed while in custody to obtain explosives and weapons hidden in legal envelopes. Lubow was detained because he was thought to know how the perpetrators obtained the weaponry. The New York Times reported that in 1972, while he was providing legal counsel to minority American sailors in the Philippines, Lubow was deported for attempting to distribute communist and anti-government literature. Not surprisingly, he loudly opposed the tough-on-crime measures pursued by Rudolph Giuliani (R), then the mayor of New York City, that many credit with cleaning up and resurrecting a troubled metropolis. Largely under Lubows leadership, JDAI fostered a culture of legal permissiveness in South Florida communities and elsewhere for 25 years by promoting what the Casey Foundations website accurately calls radical detention reform. Lubow has also been involved in pushing something called the deliberate indifference legal strategy promoted by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Michigan. The argument is that when policymakers implement rules known to be injurious to a certain group when non-injurious alternatives are available, they are acting with deliberate indifference to that groups constitutional rights. If these people can find courts that agree with this absurd line of thinking, most or perhaps all juvenile detention could suddenly become unconstitutional. The Kellogg and Casey Foundations are well-positioned to spend oodles of money to make their frightening social-engineering schemes come true. The Kellogg Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation Trust had assets of $428.2 million and $8.84 billion, respectively, according to their most recent publicly available IRS filings. The Casey Foundation reported assets of $2.65 billion to the IRS. That massive philanthropic pool of close to $12 billion isnt likely to be spent on good things that benefit society. A fair-sized chunk of it will go to keep young adults like Nikolas Cruz out of the justice system. Given the size and scope of JDAI, it stands to reason that there are many more troubled teenagers like Cruz out there right now, shielded and coddled by law enforcement officials like Sheriff Israel. How many more Americans will die because of the Casey Foundations disastrous juvenile justice program? If Cruz had experienced any kind of meaningful contact with the criminal justice system in Broward County it is possible his killing spree could have been avoided. Sheriff Israels office was besieged with tips and complaints about Cruz. "This kid exhibited every single known red flag, from killing animals to having a cache of weapons to disruptive behavior to saying he wanted to be a school shooter," Broward County Public Defender Howard Finkelstein told the New York Times. "If this isn't a person who should have gotten someone's attention, I don't know who is. This was a multisystem failure." If Israels office had taken the Cruz case seriously, perhaps he wouldnt have been able to purchase the weaponry he used against his former classmates. He had a clean record, so alarm bells didnt go off when they looked him up in the system, said veteran FBI agent Michael Biasello. He probably wouldnt have been able to buy the murder weapon if the school had referred him to law enforcement." Of course, it is also true, as Paul Sperry reports, that Obama administration policies encouraging relaxed school discipline have allowed thousands of troubled, often violent, students to commit crimes without legal consequence. The flawed approach to juvenile justice goes back to the 1990s and seems to have been inspired by radical academics in the tumultuous 1960s, a decade historian Paul Johnson aptly dubbed Americas suicide attempt. Radical sociologists Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin argued in their 1960 book, Delinquency and Opportunity: A Theory of Delinquent Gangs, that capitalism creates criminals. Poor inner-city youth were only rationally pursuing their own self-interest when they committed crimes. Delinquency was caused by poverty, which denied would-be criminals opportunities for economic advancement, or so their thinking went. Cloward and his wife, academic Frances Fox Piven, wrote a book titled Poor Peoples Movements: Why They Succeed, How They Fail, in which they argued criminals are either misunderstood, freedom fighters, or perhaps both. When a poor person commits a crime it is a justifiable act of rebellion worthy of sympathy, if not support. In their upside-down Marxist world, it is simultaneously a cry for help and for revolution. The couple decried the social tendency to apply the pejorative labels of illegality and violence to describe defiance by the lower classes. Using these labels glosses over the fact that the poor are trapped in a structure of political coercion inherent in the everyday life of the lower classes. And so, hidden behind farfetched social theories, distortions, euphemisms, and lies, the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative has given a generation of young criminals like Nikolas Cruz permission to wreak havoc. Matthew Vadum is senior vice president at Capital Research Center, an investigative think tank in Washington, D.C. An investigative reporter, he is also author of Team Jihad and Subversion Inc. Follow him on Twitter. E-mail him at matthewvadum [at] gmail.com. Only about 3-4% of murders using firearms (out of about 11,000 annually) in the US involve rifles (including bolt & lever action rifles, .22LR and semi-automatic rifles of all types). [1] A person's chances of being murdered with an "assault" rifle in any given year are literally about one in a million. The average number of people killed per year in all types of public mass shootings (3+ killed, not including shooter) over the last 38 years was 25. Fewer than 1/3 of these were killed using semi-automatic rifles. The average number of people wounded per year was 35. The average number of people killed at schools in mass (3+ killed) school shootings, adult and child, over the same 38-year period was 4 per year, or roughly 1 in ten million. Meanwhile 815 students die annually and 152,250 are injured during regular travel between school and home.[2] In the four major school shootings (Columbine, Virginia Tech, Newtown, Parkland) over the past 38 years in which 10 or more people were killed, 45 people were killed and 47 wounded using pistols, while 44 were killed and 16 wounded with "assault" rifles. At Virginia Tech, the most deadly, 32 were killed with pistols. The Parkland shooter used only 10-round magazines. In an average year 4 to 5 times more people are knifed to death[1], 30 times more people are killed by drunken drivers[3] and 200 times more die from drug overdoses[4] than are killed with "assault" rifles. So if safety is really the issue, where are the marches and rallies and posters to fight drug trafficking? Why aren't we working to bring back Prohibition? How about requiring safer school buses with automatic braking and seat belts? Far more children would be saved. Why instead the near hysterical drive to blame the NRA and ban semi-automatic rifles? Just a few months before Parkland, an attacker with an AR-15 type rifle shot up a church - 26 people killed, including 6 children ranging from 17 months to 16 years old -- yet calls for banning guns were muted at best. Perhaps because the hero, a civilian NRA instructor, used his own AR-15 rifle to end the massacre before police could arrive, then followed and cornered the attacker? And because the attacker was only free to buy guns because the Air Force failed to report his domestic abuse violations? A tale of government negligence, and an armed civilian to the rescue. Not exactly the "narrative" about the terrorist NRA, inadequate gun laws, and evil black rifles the left was looking for. Now the Parkland massacre exposes an almost unbelievable level of incompetence and even cowardice at every level of law enforcement from the FBI down to the local sheriff's department. All warning signs were ignored, and an armed officer already on the scene, who might have cut the massacre short, did not act. Existing laws were entirely adequate to prevent both of these shootings, but failed due to negligence. So leftist politicians and the media try to spin the cause as a lack of enough gun control, with the bloodthirsty but all-powerful NRA as the scapegoat. And as always, the pre-ordained response is yet another attempt to ban the favorite rifles of tens of millions of law-abiding gun owners. A depraved young man happened to use the most popular type of rifle in America when he went on his rampage -- so let's take away everyone's right to own the most effective tools available for defending home, family, and community. This calculated push to ban semi-automatic firearms in a fit of emotion is not really about safety. The true purpose is to advance the left's longstanding desire to disarm the American people. Parkland is just the latest excuse, and the fervent young people you see on the news, carefully selected to exclude contrary viewpoints, are just the latest useful idiots. As for the Parkland students, a lucky escape from a dangerous situation does not confer moral authority on anyone, or make someone wise or well-informed or suddenly an expert on how to make schools safer. Treating these scared, angry teenagers as if they were some sort of moral and intellectual paragons entitled to dictate policy to adults is ridiculous. There is a reason why tens of millions of Americans choose to own a good semi-automatic rifle, and why the moment it seems likely they might be forbidden to buy one, hundreds of thousands rush out to the gun stores. People want to know that they can protect their families in the event of a major disaster, come what may. Our technological civilization is increasingly vulnerable the more we rely on electrically-powered machinery, large centralized power plants, long-distance energy pipelines, and electronic controls and communication. Any number of low-probability but utterly disastrous events -- EMP, nuclear war, extreme solar flares or volcanism, pandemics, asteroid strikes, targeted infrastructure terrorism, cyber war -- could bring about massive loss of life and a state of chaos that would take years to recover from. The 1 in 500 police officers who keep the peace in normal times would be overwhelmed, and ad-hoc local militias would have to come together and pick up the slack. At least in America, that's possible. England and most of Europe, not so much. In the end, Americans trust their neighbors and fellow citizens far more than they trust the government or any political party. Independence and self-reliance, anathema to the left, are quintessential American traits. Most of us still believe in being prepared to take care of ourselves if things go badly wrong, not to mention being ready to fight for our freedom if the day ever comes when our political system devolves toward dictatorship. And disarming the citizenry is one of the key steps down that path. Watching Venezuelan socialists outlaw the sale of private firearms and ammunition in 2012, then declare they would hand out hundreds of thousands of AK-47 rifles to their own followers in 2017, should be a sufficiently cautionary tale for anyone who values freedom. Banning guns does not lead to safety, it leads to helplessness. Rights not backed up with the ability to defend them are really just permissions, dependent entirely on the willingness and ability of the authorities to enforce them. Such willingness and ability is not guaranteed. If you doubt it, study the legalized persecution of unarmed blacks in the Jim Crow era. Genuinely free people must have the right to be armed with weapons sufficient to defend their freedom. AR-15 variants are ideal general-purpose rifles -- affordable, practical, customizable, lightweight, accurate, low-recoil, easy to shoot -- and ammo is universally available and cheap thanks to its high-volume military production. Exaggerated "safety" fears aside, they are the perfect emergency backup for free citizens, the Constitution's ultimate safety valve, and a lot of fun to shoot besides. Steven Lord is a retired engineer, father of three, and NRA Life Member. Image: Vitaly V. Kuzmin via Wikimedia Commons. Young David Hogg , one of the surviving students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, has become the media face of those pushing increased gun control after the tragedy. But tragedy does not impart wisdom, evident by Hogg's failure to blame Broward's Sheriff Scott Israel, the deputies who stood outside as 17 were slaughtered, or the Inspector Clouseaux at the FBI who did nothing as others saw something and said something. No, the blame lies, in Hogg's agenda-driven view, with President Trump, who opposes the gun-free zones Hogg evidently loves: David Hogg may have been a student at the high school in Parkland, Florida shot up by a killer whom the Broward County Sheriff's Department and the FBI knew about and failed to stop, but he has hardly behaved as an innocent victim since then. He is a professional liberal activist with a far-left agenda that includes repealing the Second Amendment, neutering the First Amendment, and creating an environment making Parkland shootings more likely, not less. The Republican Party currently controls the White House and both chambers of Congress, while the Supreme Court has a 5-4 conservative majority something David Hogg, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, pointed out during an interview with his classmates on Sunday's "Meet the Press." Responding to Trump's tweet, Hogg said: "How dare you. You are in that exact position right now, and you want to look back on our history and blame the Democrats? That's disgusting. "You're the president," he continued. "You're supposed to bring this nation together, not divide us. How dare you. Children are dying, and their blood is on your hands because of that. Parenthetically, young Mr. Hogg's mother, Rebecca Boldrick, is an ardent anti-Trumper with frequent Facebook posts sliming our 45th president, one of which has a picture of son David sitting at a CNN anchor desk during a studio tour. It might be assumed that her son started with a similar anti-Trump bias even before the shooting. You did not hear from Hogg at the recent March for Our Lives, or any other speaker, that neither the march nor the burial of 17 Parkland victims would have been necessary but for the failure of law enforcement agencies to do the jobs assigned to them. There is plenty to criticize about David Hogg's actions and statements, yet that is not permitted. Hogg is permitted to slander and slime anybody from the president on down. If you disagree with him, blood is on your hands. But don't dare mock one of his tweets, as Fox News host Laura Ingraham did. The tragedy at Parkland has somehow transformed Hogg into an oracle we must honor and worship even as he ironically seeks to transform America into a gun-free zone. In a rhetorical sense, he has become bullet-proof: Hogg, wounded ego and all, is busily organizing an advertiser boycott of Laura's Fox show, The Ingraham Angle, showing that he despises the First Amendment almost as much as the Second Amendment: So how did we get here? A review of the past 48 hours shows Hogg tweeting out a note around him being rejected from four schools, including UCLA. Ingraham unwisely jumped on board from there to jab Hogg and included an original "Daily Wire" story on the topic. "David Hogg Rejected By Four Colleges To Which He Applied and whines about it. (Dinged by UCLA with a 4.1 GPA...totally predictable given acceptance rates.)," she wrote to her 2.17 million followers. Hogg responded by listing 12 prominent advertisers of "The Ingraham Angle" in calling on a boycott. He proceeded to expand the list to 100 by sharing a list by Media Matters, which has ample experience in this arena from targeting Fox News hosts before. Notably, Hogg chose to accelerate his boycott effort after Ingraham's apology. Hogg expanded the reason for the Ingraham boycott beyond her tweet around his college rejections late Thursday by retweeting a Daily Kos story recounting the host's more provocative and controversial comments over her career. Hogg may have been thrust into the public arena, but he has chosen to wallow in it and exploit it for his own far-left ideological agenda. Laura Ingraham may have been arguably rude, for which she has apologized. Yet she is right. David Hogg is a foul-mouthed whiner and hypocrite who touts his free speech rights while seeking to deny that right to others: On Friday, Hogg used more forceful language, expressing his fatigue from advocacy, worries over relinquishing rights in favor of safety, and calling out what he referred to as 'old-[a--] parents' who 'don't know how to use a [f------] democracy.' ... One thing that has Hogg stressed is the possible implementation of a new rule requiring backpacks carried at his school to be see-through. 'It's unnecessary, it's embarrassing for a lot of the students and it makes them feel isolated and separated from the rest of American school culture where they're having essentially their First Amendment rights infringed upon because they can't freely wear whatever backpack they want regardless of what it is,' Hogg said at a gun control rally on Friday, as reported by Grabie News. Imagine that. Despite the fact that the Parkland shooter was barred from carrying a backpack at the school for safety reasons, Hogg feels that such a "sensible restriction" is an infringement on his First Amendment rights, which shows that, perhaps, those four schools may have been right to reject him for his lack of knowledge on civics and proper grammar. Carrying a backpack is not a First Amendment right. So now Hogg is running...er, Hogg-wild, seeking to deny Laura Ingraham her real freedoms of speech and press through intimidation and demonization straight out of Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals. Daniel John Sobieski is a free lance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investor's Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications. Hamas Seeks the Elimination of the State of Israel On March 30, 2018 Hamas called on Gazans to demonstrate in a "March to Return." Palestinian protestors, variously estimated but probably 30,000, massed along the Israeli border, burning tires, throwing stones and fire bombs at Israeli soldiers. Those soldiers respond with live fire and riot dispersal measures, including tanks, and earth movers to make temporary barriers. Hamas had sent women and children to the security fence. In the fight 16 Palestinians died and more than 1,000 were injured. Almost all media accounts of the confrontation missed the point of the incident. The real issues were the land of Palestine and the existence of the State of Israel. The organizing group Hamas, regarded as a terrorist organization not only by Israel but also by the UK, the EU, the U.S., and other countries, has proclaimed the reality on many occasions. On the day of the march, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said "our people will not give up Jerusalem or Palestine." This March of Return is the beginning of the return to all of Palestine: "our people will not agree to keep the right of return only as a slogan." Hamas founded in 1987 is the Arab synonym for Islamic Resistance Movement. Its 1988 Charter is stark and foreboding. Jews have usurped Palestine. They also control the media of the world, they were behind the French Revolution and secret societies, and they control imperialist countries. Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for Moslem generations until Judgement Day. Hamas strives to raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine. The call is to return to "historic Palestine" -- in effect the destruction of the State of Israel -- and will be accomplished by all means including violence. Even if it is true that Israel pulled all its troops and settlers out of Gaza in 2005, Hamas argues it still controls air space, perimeters, and the waters around Gaza. Hamas fought three major wars against Israel, in December 2008, November 2012, and the 50-day Operation Protective Edge in July 2014. Hamas for some years was under pressure by more moderate Arabs to update and modify the 1988 Charter. Seeking to end criticism over the language in some of the articles in the Charter that are explicitly anti-Semitic, Hamas did alter one position; now its conflict is with the Zionist occupation, the "Zionist project," not with Jews. A document issued in May 2017 did appear to accept the idea of a Palestinian state within the lines (there were and still are no borders) before 1967: that would include the West Bank, Gaza, and all of Jerusalem. According to Klaled Meshaal, then head of Hamas, this would be a stage toward liberation of all of Palestine. This means the land from the River Jordan in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. It remains clear that Hamas does not recognize Israel's right to exist anywhere in Palestine. It is equally clear for Hamas, in a grandiose statement, that resistance to occupation by all means and methods is a legitimate right guaranteed by divine laws, customs, and international laws. The 2018 March was symbolically organized on March 30, the annual day commemorating Land Day in 1976 when a march and demonstrations were organized in response to the Israeli plan to expropriate some land in Galilee to build new settlements. In the fighting six Arabs were killed and a hundred injured. The 2018 march took place in the context of two other factors. One is the poor economic situation in the Gaza Strip. The other is the continuing struggle between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, run by Fatah, which has been going on for a decade. The PA in 2017 cut salaries of employees in the public sector and in the professions. Yet the basic problem remains, the relentless and continuing violence against Israel. More of that can be expected on May 15, Nakba (catastrophe) day. That day is concerned with the refugees and the right to return. But again, the reality must be stated on this whole issue. The Palestinian refugee problem began as a result of the invasion of the State of Israel on May 15, 1948, one day after the creation of the State, by five Arab armies. Israel survived, but acute differences persist on who was responsible for Arabs leaving their homes. Was it Israeli strategy or Arab incompetence or ineptness? Some well-known authorities suggest the latter. General Sir John Bagot Glubb, British commander of the Jordan Arab Legion, said the Arab villages were frequently abandoned even before they were affected by the progress of the war. Others suggest that the Arab Higher Committee gave orders for people to leave. There is no consensus on the matter, but the reality existed that an estimated 700,000 Palestinians left their homes, and their number increased as a result of the 1967 Six-Day War. According to a UN organization, Palestinian refugees are defined as persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period June 1, 1946 to May 15, 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict. By that very definition, few Palestinian refugees remain alive: some estimates suggest between 20-30,000. All the other supposed refugees are descendants to the third or even fourth generation of original refugees, and even adopted children, and only by tortuous logic can be construed as refugees. It is the UNRWA that persists in regarding those descendants, which it calculates as 5 million, as refugees eligible for its services. About a third live in 58 recognized refugee camps in Middle Eastern countries as well as in the West Bank and Gaza. UNRWA does not own or administer the camps but it does provide services, maintaining schools and health centers. Three things are appropriate. It is time for Arab countries to absorb the alleged refugees and give them citizenship. Otherwise, the March of Return means the elimination of the State of Israel. Secondly, Israel is already aware that many of its Arab citizens raise Palestinian flags at moments of protests. Thirdly, the U.S, which gives $20 million to Palestinian schools, is aware that these schools teach the desirability of jihad and martyrdom and encourage violence against Israel. Perversely, at least 24 schools are named after Palestinian terrorists, and pictures of martyrs are posted on school walls. President Donald Trump should make this known when he meets PA President Mahmoud Abbas in the near future. Body cam video of the death of Alton Sterling, a black man from Baton Rouge who was killed by police in July 2016, has set off another wave of criticism of police and police tactics in the US. WILEY: Policing in the United States is in trouble. It's in trouble if we have the kinds of scenarios we're seeing playing out on video across the country going unaddressed from a standpoint of transparency and accountability from the behavior of individual police officers. Phil is right in saying individual police officers. As we know, there are many police officers building trust and relationships with the community and recognize that their safety is actually tied to those relationships, that they themselves will be safer. What's really happening here is a mentality that happens far too often in police departments which is a feeling of we have to protect our own to protect ourselves when, in fact, it makes police more vulnerable. The details of Sterling's shooting are a lot more favorable to the police officers than activists make the incident out to be. Much of what occurred on the body cam video seen above is typical of these incidents; the suspect claims not to be resisting when, in fact, he is resisting, at least from the point of view of the arresting officers. That's the vital bit of information left out of all the accounts from activists about the Sterling shooting. From the time officers confronted Sterling to the time he was shot was 90 seconds. During that time, officers discovered he had a gun in his waistband. His hands were not secured. The perception of two officers was that he was going for his gun, and they shot him. The point is that regardless of the questionable record of both officers, the shootings could be seen as justified. This is not an open and shut case of police murder despite what Black Lives Matter and other activists would have you believe. Wiley may be right about the two police officers involved in the shooting. But what if the officers had been black? Or if the officers had excellent records? Is "policing in the United States in trouble," as Wiley claims? There are issues in every big-city police department that lead to officers like Howie Lake II and Blane Salamoni being given a pass for using "excessive force." Sometimes it's the "us against them" mentality in most police departments in big cities, where violent criminals roam the streets. But by all accounts, the number of officers who may not be suited for street patrols is extremely small. And police departments are getting better at weeding out officers who lack the psychological make up to handle these critical situations. No one is claiming that some departments don't have problems. But the solutions being offered by Wiley and other activists would not, as she claims, make officers safer. They know what they need to be safer, which is why most policemen vehemently disagree with much of what the activists are proposing. It is a kind of death sentence for a large portion of a major city. When riots exploded in Baltimore almost two years ago after the death of Freddy Gray in police custody, and then-mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake called for "room to destroy," I resigned myself to the Detroitization of another American city. Detroit's riots in 1967 doomed that city to a cycle of decline, with affluent people of all races fleeing the escalating taxes, rising crime, and plummeting quality of municipal services, including schools. The results have included large swaths of a depopulated city returning to nature once the derelict homes and other structures are bulldozed. Baltimore may be facing the same grim future. Writing in the Baltimore Sun, David Placher lays out the grim data: With the U.S. Census Bureau reporting yet another year of population loss for the city, it doesn't take an investigator to determine the causes. The city's scary record of 343 homicides in 2017 affirms the city's well-known reputation as a dangerous place to live. Even if 2018 has fewer homicides, it doesn't take a fortune teller to predict that this year's homicide rate will be high. Until the city substantially reduces its homicide and other crimes rates, people will continue to view the city as dangerous and be reluctant to stay or move here. The city's outrageous property tax of $2.248 per $100 of a property's assessed value is more than double of its surrounding jurisdictions Leave behind crime, horrible schools, and high taxes by moving out that's a pretty irresistible offer for anyone able to move a few miles. North Charles Street, Baltimore (photo credit: Max Pixel). But maybe, just maybe, there is time for second thoughts and corrective action in the part of Baltimore's politicians in office (all of whom are Democrats). Paul Mirengoff repots in Powerline: Now that this kind of sentiment has helped produce a spike in homicides, earning Baltimore the title of America's most dangerous city, the pols are singing a different tune. In fact, many are calling on the state legislature to enact tough anti-crime legislation. Here's Del. Cheryl Glenn (D-Baltimore City), chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland: We know we have to do something. Our constituents want us to do something. We can't bury our heads in the sand and we can't keep slapping people on the wrists. The spike in crime isn't just affecting legislators' constituents. One delegate says the brother of a relative was killed last year. The grandson of another delegate suffered the same fate. ... Baltimore mayor Catherine Pugh and a sizable number of delegates [are] backing legislation that would raise the maximum sentence from 20 years to 40 years for a second-time offender who uses a firearm in connection with drug trafficking or to commit a violent crime. The legislation would also double the penalty for witness intimidation to 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000. In addition, it would would [sic] repeal a law that allows a defendant charged with or serving a sentence for a violent crime to be transferred from jail for drug treatment. Civil rights advocates and defense lawyers are not amused[.] I hope Baltimore does learn a lesson from its tolerant approach to criminals. Maybe the experience of ignoring "civil rights advocates" would lead to eye-opening on other liberal shibboleths on "taxing the rich." But I am not in the least optimistic. National Democrats have too much to lose. Mark the date April 1, 2018, April Fool's Day, as the day Civil War 2.0 began. On that day, the State of California began to automatically register illegal aliens who have driver licenses to vote. This new law immunizes illegals against any state criminal penalty for registering and voting. Leftist scholars say our states control their voting criteria and can legally register non-citizens to vote in state, county, and local elections. States, including California, however, may not register illegals to vote in federal elections for members of Congress, U.S. senators, or president. Allowing citizens of other countries vote in California would illegally "dilute" the votes not only of Californians, but of all American citizens by giving foreigners political power in selecting American lawmakers and presidents. Democrats who collude in such theft of citizen voting rights letting your vote be canceled out by a foreigner should face criminal prosecution under the Conspiracy Against Rights Act (18 USC 241). California has one quarter or more of America's illegal aliens as well as one third of the entire nation's welfare recipients. With a population more than 40 percent Latino, it has become Mexifornia. The new California motor-voter registration law that took effect April 1 transparently is intended to enfranchise illegals, who vote 2-1 for the ruling Democratic Party, in order to dissolve the American nation into a borderless, bankrupt, bilingual backwater ruled as a colony by a global progressive government. Progressive President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's slogan was "Tax and tax, spend and spend, elect and elect." In California's lavish vote-buying welfare state, the top 1 percent of taxpayers earn 24% of the income but reportedly pay at least 48% of all income taxes. The highest-earning 5,700 Californians reportedly pay upwards of 37% of all state income taxes. This dangerously narrow tax base in the economic near crash of 2008 caused state tax revenue to plummet by 23%. California cannot yet print its own money. President Trump is trying to fight his way through a thicket of Democrat-appointed left-wing judges to defund or abolish sanctuary cities and illegal invaders, like the thousands of mostly Hondurans calling themselves Migrantes en la Lucha, "migrants in the fight," mobilized to be the next wave to overwhelm the border patrol on Easter weekend, much as the radicals wearing Guy Fawkes masks swept over the British police in the movie V for Vendetta. These are classic radical tactics: either the invaders win or the police who stop them are accused of anti-human brutality. Imagine a better alternative. Suppose that President Trump announces today that the new California law has made all future elections unconstitutional and illegal, because foreigners are now allowed to tilt the outcome. Neither he nor the Republican House and Senate will accept the credentials of anyone elected by California (one of eight states, incidentally, that have more registered voters than voting-age citizens). Imagine after November's vote that California's two Democratic senators and 53 members of Congress (39 of whom are Democrats) are not seated until a new California election purges all illegal aliens and other foreigners from the voter rolls in federal elections. No California presidential votes will be counted in 2020. Imagine the federal government requiring voter IDs and declaring it a felony punishable by permanent forfeiture of future U.S. citizenship if a non-citizen votes illegally in any federal election. California Democrats defied federal law and colluded to let foreigners take control of the U.S. government in Washington, D.C. They started Civil War 2.0 by seceding from the United States and its laws. Now they should lose all political power outside California, which would end any hope that Progressives will ever again rule the United States. Bye-bye, California. Lowell Ponte, a Californian, is a veteran think-tank futurist and author or co-author of eight books. His latest, co-authored with Craig R. Smith, is Money, Morality & The Machine, available free and postpaid by calling 800-630-1492. Lowell can be reached for interviews by email at radioright@aol.com. It's Cohen who has lost his grip on reality. Here's a report I covered a few days ago in BuzzFeed about Mexico turning the other way as thousands of illegals head to the U.S. through their countries. When the [Mexican] agent, who'd covered her uniform with an orange and white shawl, learned that the Central American migrants heading her way numbered more than 1,000, she took off for the restaurant across the street. "I'm going to have a relaxing Coke," she told BuzzFeed News. For five days now hundreds of Central Americans children, women, and men, most of them from Honduras have boldly crossed immigration checkpoints, military bases, and police in a desperate, sometimes chaotic march toward the United States. Despite their being in Mexico without authorization, no one has made any effort to stop them. Organized by a group of volunteers called Pueblos Sin Fronteras, or People Without Borders, the caravan is intended to help migrants safely reach the United States, bypassing not only authorities who would seek to deport them, but gangs and cartels who are known to assault vulnerable migrants. Organizers like Rodrigo Abeja hope that the sheer size of the crowd will give immigration authorities and criminals pause before trying to stop them. Fox News correspondent Geraldo Rivera, aka Gerry Rivers before being Hispanic was fashionable, is out peddling his memoir, titled The Geraldo Show. On the Fox News program The Five, he was asked if he regrets any news story he reported, and his answer was shocking, particularly in the light of the border storming currently underway in Gaza. I regret in 2002 backing down from backing the Palestinians in their conflict with Israel. The Second Intifada. Because I saw with my own eyes how. And I know how this is going to resonate very poorly with the people watching right now. But still, I have to tell you how I feel. I saw at firsthand how those people were. And now you said 14, 15 people killed in Gaza. Palestinians killed by the IDF forces. I saw what an awful life they live under constant occupation and oppression. And people keep saying, "Oh, they are terrorists. Or they are this or they are that." They are an occupied people and I regret chickening out after 2002 and not staying on that story and adding my voice as a Jew, adding my voice to those counseling a two-state solution. It is so easy to put them out of sight, out of mind. And let them rot. And be killed. And keep this thing festering. And I think a lot of our current problems stem from that's almost our original sin. Palestine and Israel. I want a two-state solution. I want President Trump to re-energize the peace process. Here is video of the segment: Readers may remember that the Second Intifada was a terror campaign launched by Yasser Arafat after he rejected a state in the West Bank and Gaza, a capital in East Jerusalem, and control of the mosques on the Temple Mount basically 99% of what Palestinians wanted. More than a thousand Israelis were murdered, often brutally, in the Second Intifada. Rivera's gushing over the poor Palestinians ignores the fact that their standard of living is higher than that of Arabs in neighboring Egypt and Jordan, and that no Arab country wants to host them. And the reason why they are fenced off from Israel is the unrelenting campaign of terror launched from the West Bank and Gaza. As Michael Curtis points out today elsewhere on these pages, the goal of Hamas, which controls Gaza, is the elimination of the state of Israel and its Jews. Unfortunately, it will have the same communist party and economic regime that devastated the island. This is from the latest party meeting : In a few weeks, Cuba will have a new leader, or a different guy using Raul's corner office. The Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) will maintain the "leading role in Cuban society" and socialism will remain "irrevocable" after the Constitution reform, now underway on the island, is concluded this week by the 5th Plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, the only political organization allowed on the Island. The promised reform of the Electoral Law, announced by Castro in early 2015 to be completed in time this legislature, was not addressed during the 5th Plenary, or at least any discussion of it has not been mentioned by the official press. Chaired by Raul Castro Ruz, first secretary of the PCC,the plenary session held in recent days is the last before the next president of the Council of State is appointed on April 19, a position that is expected to fall into the hands of the current first vice president Miguel Diaz-Canel. The meeting was dedicated to assessing the obstacles to the implementation of economic policy, an analysis that comes at a time of uncertainty for the private sector, which as of last August has seen a halt on the issuing of new licenses for the most important activities. So post-Castro Cuba will still be communist, or so they say! The problem with maintaining a communist path is that Cuba's economic needs massive change. It needs to create a more flexible economy to do business with most countries even in Latin America. It will have to show more respect for private property if it wants to end the U.S. embargo. It will have to create more jobs if it wants to employ all of those unhappy young people. On the surface, Cuba will say it will stay communist. In reality, it can't if it wants to survive economically. Maybe the Cubans in power will wait for Raul to die before they admit what everybody knows: the system stinks! PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. Persecution of Christians is worse today "than at any time in history", a recent report by the organization Aid to the Church in Need revealed. Iraq happens to be "ground zero" for the "elimination" of Christians from the pages of history. Iraqi Christian clergymen recently wore a black sign as a symbol of national mourning for the last victims of the anti-Christian violence: a young worker and a whole family of three. "This means that there is no place for Christians," said Father Biyos Qasha of the Church of Maryos in Baghdad. "We are seen as a lamb to be killed at any time". A few days earlier, Shiite militiamen discovered a mass grave with the bodies of 40 Christians near Mosul, the former stronghold of the Islamic State and the capital of Iraqi Christianity. The bodies, including those of women and children, seemed to belong to Christians kidnapped and killed by ISIS. Many had crosses with them in the mass grave. Not a single article in the Western mainstream media wrote about this ethnic cleansing. French Chief Rabbi Haim Korsia made an urgent plea to Europe and the West to defend non-Muslims in the Middle East, whom he likened to Holocaust victims. "As our parents wore the yellow star, Christians are made to wear the scarlet letter of nun" Korsia said. The Hebrew letter "nun" is the same sound as the beginning of Nazareen, an Arabic term signifying people from Nazareth, or Christians, and used by the Islamic State to mark the Christian houses in Mosul. Now a new report by the Iraqi Human Rights Society also just revealed that Iraqi minorities, such as Christians, Yazidis and Shabaks, are now victims of a "slow genocide", which is shattering those ancient communities to the point of their disappearance. The numbers are significant. According to the report, 81% of Iraq's Christians have disappeared from Iraq. The remaining number of Sabeans, an ancient community devoted to St. John the Baptist, is even smaller: 94% have disappeared from Iraq. Even 18% of Yazidis have left the country or been killed. Another human rights organization, Hammurabi, said that Baghdad had 600,000 Christians in the recent past; today there are only 150,000. It is a fairly open secret that the immigrant refugees whom Sweden has admitted in large numbers in recent years have unleashed a crime wave, particularly violent rape. Some Swedish media have been willing to broach the topic quite recently. Researchers at Swedish tabloid Expressen found that 32 of the 43 men sentenced for gang rape are immigrants, with eight born in Sweden to parents who were both born abroad. A further two of the offenders were born in Sweden to one immigrant and one Sweden-born parent with just one born in Sweden to parents who were both born in Sweden. Finding that perpetrators were on average 21 years old when they committed the gang rape, with 13 of the offenders aged under 18, the investigation also revealed that 14 of the 43 men or roughly a third had been convicted of previous crimes in Sweden. But the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, known as Bra, is refusing to collect information on the origins of criminals. The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Bra) has said that it will not gather ethnic or migrant background data on criminal suspects, claiming the data would not help its mission. The statement came after an inquiry from Moderate Party politician Tomas Tobe who, like many others, has argued that the statistics agency should gather as much data as possible in order to paint a clearer picture of crime in the country, Helsingborgs Dagblad reports. "It a betrayal to the victims to actively rule out also looking at the foreign background of the perpetrators. It is obvious that Bra does not dare to do this because they lack government support," Tobe said. The Moderate Party has demanded in the past that the council should gather ethnic and migrant background data, but Justice Minister Morgan Johansson of the Social Democrats has claimed the decision is up to Bra itself. Sweden has its own Deep State of unelected bureaucrats who make decisions for Swedes. This is national assisted suicide. Black Shark has teased the arrival of a Xiaomi-backed gaming smartphone quite recently, and the phones specs have just surfaced yet again. Black Shark had confirmed via its official Weibo (Chinese social network) page, that the device will be fueled by the Snapdragon 845 64-bit octa-core processor, while the device is expected to compete with the Razer Phone, and Nubias upcoming gaming smartphone. Before we being, it is also worth saying that the device got benchmarked by both AnTuTu and Geekbench already. Having said that, were still not sure if the phone will have the word Xiaomi in its official name, or will it carry only Black Shark branding, but if the leaked info is to be believed, the phone will arrive in three different RAM / storage variants. The most affordable version of the device will sport 6GB of RAM and 128GB of native storage, the middle-of-the-road variant will arrive with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the most expensive model will feature 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The device is also said to support Qualcomms Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging solution, and Black Sharks branding will be included on its back, though were not sure if Xiaomis branding will be there. Android 8.0 Oreo will come pre-installed on the device, and the phone will almost certainly arrive before the Xiaomi Mi 7, which is not surprising because the Xiaomi Mi 7 is not expected to launch before the end of summer. Now, it was confirmed earlier that the Black Shark gaming device will ship with Shark Space, which is an app similar to the Game Center, which will pack in a number of different gaming-related features and settings youll be able to take advantage of. It is also worth noting that Black Shark partnered up with JingDong Mall (JD.com) not long ago, which probably means that the Black Shark gaming smartphone will be available for purchase from JD.com in China, though it is still unclear whether the device will become available outside of Black Sharks homeland, we will have to wait for an official announcement in order to get more detail, it seems. Chances are that this handset will be announced in either April or May, based on the amount of info that surfaced up to this point. Late last week, AndroidHeadlines provided comprehensive details on Motorolas upcoming Moto G6 smartphone. Now, the same level of information is available for one of the sibling devices expected to launch with the standard Moto G6. This is the Moto G6 Play. Some of the specs on this device leaked over the weekend and AndroidHeadlines is able to confirm most of the information as being correct, as well as padding out those specs and features in more detail, including the phones processor of choice. As was the case with the previous Moto G6 post, the information detailed here has come from the same reliable source and is based on in-house Motorola documentation seen by AndroidHeadlines. To protect the identity of the source, the documents themselves will not be published. Display and design With the Moto G6 Play being a G6 variant, there is significant overlap between the two devices and this is most evident at the display and design level. To briefly recap on the common features between the two models, AndroidHeadlines can confirm the Moto G6 Play will feature an edge-to-edge 5.7-inch Max Vision display. Although compared to the standard model, the Play version will come with a downgraded resolution, HD+. The + and the seen documentation confirm the use of an 18:9 aspect ratio. The design of the Moto G6 Play is generally in line with the standard model including the same Gorilla Glass 3 protection, as well as the use of P2i nano-coating for a splash-resistant level of protection neither Moto G6 model will be waterproof. For more detailed information on any of these aspects, as well as the standard Moto G6 model, see here. Advertisement Cameras Cameras are one of the main areas of difference between the Moto G6 and G6 Play as unlike the standard model, the G6 Play does not feature a dual rear camera setup. Instead, AndroidHeadlines can confirm the Moto G6 Play employs a single 13-megapixel rear camera. In spite of this, Motorola is positioning the G6 Play as a camera-focused smartphone due to the software tweaks and enhancements on offer. Most of these features are again common to both G6 models and include Quick Capture to allow the user to very quickly launch the camera, Best Shot where the software is primed to take multiple images each time an image is taken with the goal of recommending the best shot to the user. As well as greater granular control of focus, exposure compensation, ISO, shutter speed, and white balance, through the softwares Manual Mode. In contrast, the front-facing camera is now confirmed as a 5-megapixel unit which features a Beautification Mode to improve the quality of selfies. Performance, security, and software Advertisement Generally speaking, much of the performance software is exactly the same as the standard Moto G6 model, although there does seem to be one interesting difference. While the Moto G6 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, AndroidHeadlines can confirm the Moto G6 Play will be powered by the Snapdragon 427 quad-core SoC (clocked at 1.4 GHz) along with an Adreno 308 GPU. Otherwise, users of either model can expect a very similar software experience, including access to the same suite of exclusive Moto-branded features, free FM radio access, Dolby Audio support, and the same fingerprint experience including Moto Key support. Again, for more details on any of these points, see here. Battery life Overall, battery life is going to be the clear defining difference between the standard model and the Play version, and the aspect Motorola will likely mostly focus on when marketing the Play model. In terms of straight numbers, AndroidHeadlines can confirm the Moto G6 Play will arrive with a 4,000 mAh battery compared to the standard Moto G6s 3,000 mAh battery. Motorola will state the battery capacity of the G6 Play will allow the phone to stay powered for up to 36 hours. The Moto G6 Play will also support the companys TurboPower charging solution. When coupled with the included 10-watt charger, the Moto G6 Play will be able to receive hours of power in a matter of minutes. Advertisement Summary To briefly recap in a more condensed manner, the Moto G6 Play will feature a 5.7-inch Max Vision display along with an 18:9 aspect ratio resulting in an HD+ resolution. The Moto G6 Play will come powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 427 quad-core SoC, a 13-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front-facing camera, a splash-resistant level of protection (not waterproof), and a 4,000 mAh TurboPower-supported battery. Google is working on adding support for its augmented reality platform ARCore to select Chromebook models, according to a new Chromium Gerrit commit discovered by XDA Developers. Chrome OS ARCore support is tied to the WebXR application programming interface designed for AR and virtual reality software, as per the same source. The implementation itself should be somewhat similar to the mobile version of the service, though its use cases on traditional Chromebooks may vary given how such devices arent as portable as smartphones, provided ARCore even makes its way to Chrome OS-powered devices shaped as conventional laptops. Google recently started expanding the Chromebook ecosystem to tablets and ARCore may end up being a major selling point of that product category, especially in the context of education, a segment that Chrome OS slates will be initially targeting. The education-focused offerings already come with support for Google Expeditions, a VR discovery platform, with a possible inclusion of ARCore being in line with that philosophy of combining emerging technologies and media formats with educational experiences. The recently rumored Atlas Chromebook will support ARCore, according to another recently uncovered commit. The addition of ARCore to select Chrome OS devices should be possible due to the hardware-agnostic nature of Googles solution which doesnt require any specialized cameras or sensors in order to deliver AR experiences. The functionality itself still appears to be in a relatively early phase of development, indicating the platform wont be rolling out to any Chromebooks before the second half of the year at the earliest. ARCore is presently available on approximately a dozen Android smartphones and its upcoming 1.1 build is expected to make the solution compatible with a range of additional devices, including Samsungs Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus. The platform started expanding beyond Googles Pixel 2 lineup in late February, having officially exited its preview phase of development at the latest iteration of Barcelona, Spain-based Mobile World Congress. Google is promoting ARCore as a direct rival of Apples ARKit and has recently started accepting ARCore Android apps to the Google Play Store en masse. An image depicting whats said to be the front panel of the G7 Android flagship appeared online earlier today, having been shared by one industry insider from Vietnam where LGs next mobile offering is expected to be manufactured. The photograph that can be seen above adds even more credence to recent leaks and reports indicating the successor to the LG G6 will feature a screen with a small display notch and an aspect ratio in the ballpark of 19:9. The cutout seen on the leaked panel appears to have been designed to house a regular front-facing camera, ambient light sensor, and an earpiece, with the Seoul-based original equipment manufacturer seemingly opting against implementing a 3D camera system into the notch. The overall look of the panel corresponds with over a dozen new LG G7 renders that emerged earlier today, suggesting the upcoming phablet will feature a largely bezel-less aesthetic and a small chin underneath which its screen will be connected to the motherboard. More recent reports indicate the handset will also see LGs signature rear-mounted power button moved to its right edge and also feature another physical key beneath its volume controls on the left edge of its case. That button is said to be dedicated to artificial intelligence applications and will be capable of performing tasks such as launching the Google Assistant, Q Lens, and Q Voice, insiders claim. While the G6 was unveiled over a year ago at Mobile World Congress 2017, LG pushed back the launch of its successor as part of its revised mobile strategy that did away with new flagship products releases after an arbitrary 12-month mark. The Android phablet is now expected to be unveiled in late April before going on sale in select countries in mid-May, as per latest reports on the matter. The G7 is said to feature Qualcomms Snapdragon 845 and a memory base of 4GB of RAM and 64GB of flash storage, as well as a quad-DAC setup and a dual-camera setup consisting of at least one f/1.5 lens. OPPO has organized a launch party for its new smartphones, the OPPO R15 and R15 Pro, in China. This event took place on March 31, and the company even televised this event. The OPPO R15 and R15 Pro (also known as Dream Mirror Edition in China) were announced quite recently, and the first flash sale for these two handsets was hosted yesterday, in China. The OPPO R15 is priced at 2,999 Yuan in China, while its Pro sibling comes with a price tag of 3,299 Yuan. A number of Chinese celebrities were a part of the celebrations, and the company also invites partners, users, and media to be there, which is exactly what happened. The OPPO R15 and R15 Pro were originally announced on March 19 in China, and it is worth noting that the OPPO R15 Pro will be called Dream Mirror Edition in China, while the Pro naming is reserved for markets outside of OPPOs homeland. The OPPO R15 and R15 Pro will probably make their way to India in the near future, while the OnePlus 6 will probably sport a very similar front side as the OPPO R15, notch included. The back side of the device will be considerably different, though as Evan Blass recent tweet suggested. The OPPO R15 and R15 Pro are made out of metal and glass, both devices ship with two cameras on the back, and are actually quite similar all around, though the OPPO R15 Pro is a bit more powerful, and different glass has been applied on the device. Both phones sport 6.28-inch fullHD+ AMOLED displays, while both phones also come with hybrid dual SIM setups. The OPPO R15 is fueled by the Helio P60 64-bit octa-core processor, while the OPPO R15 Pro comes with the Snapdragon 660 64-bit octa-core SoC. Both phones sport 6GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage, while both also ship with a 20-megapixel front-facing camera. The OPPO R15 features 16 and 5-megapixel rear-facing shooters, while the OPPO R15 Pro comes with 16 and 20-megapixel cameras. If youd like to take a closer look at the OPPO R15 Pro, click here, as weve managed to get some hands-on time with the device, and a review will follow soon. Samsung is now the largest patent holder in the United States, boasting a portfolio of 75,596 valid patents in the country as of January 1. According to global patent journal IAM, the milestone can largely be attributed to Samsungs high level of involvement in many technical areas where it actively seeks to acquire patent rights. IBM held the title of the largest U.S. patent holder for 25 consecutive years until 2018, as per the same source. The electronics giants patented inventions registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office range from smartphone technologies to unmanned aerial systems. For instance, some of the recent patents awarded to the tech giant by the USPTO include a concept smartphone or tablet device with an expandable form factor meant to allow users to expand the displays real estate by physically pulling the devices side edges outward. The design includes an unconcealed panel and two additional displays on both of its sides which fold inside its body to create a standard chocolate bar form factor. However, the two side panels concealed within the device would expand outward to offer thrice the displays area size if the side edges are pulled out compared to when they are retracted. More recently, Samsung was also awarded a patent for a unique drone equipped with a screen and featuring voice recognition systems, though the purpose of that invention is still unclear. The display panel itself isnt attached to the body of the drone directly. Instead, the screen is held in place by two hinges and is capable of tilting itself up. The drone concept also features motion detection sensors capable of tracking an individuals movements and adjusting the angle of the screen so that it is always visible to the user, Samsung explained in its application. Samsung is expected to post its consolidated financials for the first quarter of 2018 later this month, with some recent estimates suggesting the firm will post a massive year-on-year improvement in terms of profits, partially thanks to the rising DRAM prices and its newly released Galaxy S9 series. T-Mobile can expect its growth to slow down over the first quarter of 2018 and is likely to generate approximately 614,000 new net postpaid handset additions, as per the latest prediction from Wells Fargo picked up by FierceWireless. The companys Q1 2018 performance still isnt expected to be characterized as unusual given how the initial three months of every calendar year almost always see a decline in wireless performance following a period of aggressive holiday sales. T-Mobile generated 1.1 million branded postpaid net additions in Q4 2017, as per its latest financial report. While Wells Fargo initially forecasted 678,000 net postpaid handset additions for T-Mobile, the Wall Street firm now reduced its quarterly service revenue prediction for the company, having slashed it to $7.82 billion, down from the initial $7.86 billion sum. The wireless carriers total net additions in the first quarter of the year should still yield some promising positives, including a growing interest in connected vehicle systems and smartwatches, as per the same experts. Wells Fargo is now expecting T-Mobile to post first-quarter adds of approximately 216,000 in the segment, having altered its initial forecast which predicted 120,000 such additions. The stateside mobile service industry as a whole is expected to grow across the board going forward, with its prospects appearing to be particularly lucrative with the advent of 5G. The next generation of wireless networks is widely expected to create a broad range of new monetization opportunities for telecom companies which should see wireless carriers revamp their business-to-business offerings and position themselves as more of product partners to their enterprise clients than just service providers. T-Mobile is still the fastest-growing telecom giant in the United States by some margin, having managed to reach 3.6 million branded postpaid net additions in 2017. That performance provided a major contribution to the firms total 2017 revenues which hit $40.6 billion last year, with T-Mobiles net income amounting to $4.5 billion over the same period. Postpaid customers are generally considered to be more valuable than prepaid ones due to their lower tendency to switch network operators and the fact that they spend more on average, according to numerous previously disclosed financial reports from the wireless industry. Recently, President Trump has been declaring a trade war with China the country that holds the majority of the US debt. And has even squashed a potential deal between Broadcom and Qualcomm, keeping the Chinese out of the US 5G network plans. For the US wireless carriers, however, this makes everything a bit tougher, to rollout a 5G network. Being first to roll out a 5G network is going to important, as the carrier that does so, will be able to pick up more market share. Since customers are very loyal in the wireless space, its tough to get customers to jump ship to a new carrier. As an example, when Verizon was first to roll out 4G LTE nearly seven years ago, it picked up five percentage points on its market share and is still the largest carrier. President Trump has also been toying with the idea of creating a nationalized 5G network, in an attempt to protect US security. However, that would mean that the government would be regulating wireless networks in the US, and that could lead to censorship, like what China currently has. President Trump has been working hard to protect intellectual property of US companies as of late, which includes slapping tariffs on China, and blocking acquisitions. However, right now, there are no US companies that can actually build out a 5G network entirely. Considering most carriers are using Nokia, Ericsson or Huawei to build out the actual network, and Huawei has already been blocked by the government, for the most part, that leaves the four carriers with Nokia or Ericsson. Qualcomm is in the 5G space, but it doesnt build out the hardware needed for the network. Instead, Qualcomm builds the modems that are needed for a phone (or another product) to connect to that 5G network. The US is looking to become the first country to roll out a 5G network, and the President is doing all he can to make sure the US is first, but to also protect the US from other countries. Fully available 5G networks are still about two years away from rolling out across the country, but the four carriers are looking to have some sort of 5G network available before the end of the year, or in early 2019. NVIDIAs founder and chief executive officer Jensen Huang recently clarified what type of technology the company provides to Ubers autonomous driving program and asserted that the firms self-driving platform was not used in the recent fatal incident that saw a driverless Uber kill a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona. The NVIDIA chief told CNBC that Ubers self-driving technology is different than that of NVIDIA, saying the former developed its own sensing and driving software. Huangs statement comes two weeks after a self-driving Uber car hit and killed a woman as part of the worlds first autonomous vehicle accident that resulted in a pedestrian death. The woman was reportedly crossing a road outside of a crosswalk and the self-driving vehicle was unable to detect it for unknown reasons. The accident occurred despite the fact that a human backup driver was in the autonomous vehicle, as required by local regulations, though they failed to take over the car prior to the fatal accident. The San Francisco-based startup immediately suspended all of its autonomous driving tests in the country following the incident. NVIDIA is one of the companies that recently teamed up with Uber for the ride-hailing companys self-driving push. At CES 2018, the American technology company confirmed that it had been selected to power Ubers fleet of self-driving vehicles. As part of the partnership, Uber will use NVIDIAs chips to run AI algorithms and ensure it has access to the computing power needed to guarantee the safety of its passengers. While clarifying that Uber was not using NVIDIAs self-driving technology per se, Huang also reiterated that the company upholds its decision to suspend all of its autonomous driving tests until Uber sorts out a way to solve its autonomous driving dilemma. Huang also said NVIDIA will try to gain insights on the investigation and learn how it can avoid the same problem with its own self-driving technology in the future. Two years back, NVIDIA unveiled its proprietary supercomputer system for self-driving cars called the NVIDIA Drive PX 2. It can achieve eight teraflops of computational power driven by twelve cores built on a 16nm FinFET process and one of NVIDIAs super-powered Pascal GPUs based on the Maxwell architecture. DLA Piper DLA Piper was tapped by ARENA, which invested $25m each into the GESS and the BESS projects. Matching investments were made by the state government. The firm advised on the funding agreements, ancillary funding documents, and legal due diligence on the project documents. Finance and projects partner Kate Papailiou heads the DLA Piper team, with support from special counsel Sarah Lynden-Bell and solicitors Emily John and Rebecca Dunlop. As always, it is exciting to work alongside ARENA on these early market projects that consider, challenge and advance commercial and regulatory thinking as new battery configurations and structures are worked through and brought to market, Papailiou said. We look forward to hearing of the successful commissioning of these Projects and seeing the contribution they make to Victorias and ARENAs objectives. Ashurst Ashurst is acting for Edify Energy, developer and financier of the Gannawarra project. Underpinned by a long-term agreement with EnergyAustralia, the first long-term commercial services agreement with EnergyAustralia, the project provides a bankable commercial model for future retrofit and combined renewable and storage facilities, the firm said. Ashurst lead partner Paul Newman said that the project will pioneer a new era of integrated renewable and energy storage facilities. The firm advised on all aspects of the GESS, including the project and regulatory structuring arrangements; the battery sale and purchase agreement and associated warranty and servicing regimes; the construction, operation and maintenance of balance of plant systems; and the long-term offtake and operational arrangements with EnergyAustralia. Newman was assisted by partner Tanya Denning, counsel Teresa Scott, senior associate Dale Gill and lawyers Tristan Shepherd, Tim Rankin and Eliza Brierley of the firms corporate projects utilities group; partner Mark Disney, senior associate Laura van den Berg, senior associate Melissa Molloy with lawyer Craig Sherritt of the infrastructure practice; senior associate Carol Kahler and lawyer Michelle Tesch from the real estate team; and counsel Emma Butler and senior associate Caroline Hogan of the firms IP group. Norton Rose Fulbright NRF is the counsel of WIRCON, owners of Wirsol Energy. Wirsol is financing the GESS in a consortium with Edify Energy. It is great to see Wirsol, along with ARENA and the Victorian Government, support this important addition to the states future energy security mix. Our team was also pleased to deliver yet another important Australian renewable energy project, and to continue to develop its energy storage capability, lead partner Simon Currie said. Citing a spokesman of the Japanese automaker, Automotive News reports that Honda plans to idle production for 11 days over the next four months in response to sluggish U.S. sales and swollen inventories. In greater detail, that would be two days of idling per month, along with a five-day extension of the plants annual shutdown This is just really business as usual and we're adjusting production down to match the market condition at this moment," commented the spokesman, but the truth of the matter is that mid-size sedans arent selling as they used to five, ten years ago.Take the Accord as a prime example of how the increasing demand for crossovers and SUVs affect other automotive segments. In 2013 and 2008, Honda was selling 366,678 and 372,789 examples per year in the United States , respectively. In 2017, Honda made do with 322,655 sales in this part of the world.Inventory levels are also high, with Automotive News reporting a 104-day supply in March. By comparison, U.S. dealers had approximately 80 days worth of cars and truck on hand on average, which is more than a year earlier. What happened, though?In addition to crossovers and SUVs, Honda dealers told the publication that slow sales have been prompted in part by a lack of attractive lease offers. Thats a bad move on Hondas part, more so if you bear in mind the Toyota Camry is flying out of the showrooms, Adding insult to injury, the Nissan Altima is new from the ground up for the 2019 model year.As we wait for Nissan to disclose the pricing of the sixth-generation Altima, heres how the Camry and Accord stack up against each other in terms of pricing: $23,495 and $23,570. SUV EV Earlier in March, BMW CEO Harald Kruger hinted to the introduction of the i4 , a car based on the i Vision Dynamics Concept introduced at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show. The model is expected to hit the market sometime in 2020, together with other BMW-badged EVs.Among them, the German automaker will make room in its lineup for the iNext, an electricaimed at Teslas Model X and jaguars I-Pace.Those two models mentioned above, as well as the technology they would use, might mean the end of the i3 and i8 names after just one generation.In an interview with Autonews , Stefan Juraschek, BMWs head of electric powertrain, said that the two models were test beds for the technology from which the carmaker would build the realsegment cars coming from Munich.Theres uncertainty surrounding the continuation of the two models only in terms of names. The two cars still have life left in them (the i3 got a facelift last year), so at least by 2020, they would still be around.Its not entirely clear whether the next generation of EVs, being so different from the current, would be wearing the same names."These cars are very unique," the Bavarian official was quoted as saying by the source."These two cars were not developed as a family that we can expand in different ways or maybe five or 10 derivatives."The i3 was initially introduced in 2013, as BMWs first ever mass production electric vehicle. The i8, which arrived one year later, created a market segment of its own. Both models were refreshed in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Having slipped from the public eye with no apparent reason for the past two decades, the Cagiva name will come back to life towards the end of the year, with a brand new motorcycle to be presented at the EICMA 2018 show.According to Inside EVs , Giovanni Castiglioni, representative of the Cagiva brands rights holder, the new bike is likely to be electric and will be made for off-road racing. Other details were not released by the official.Should the Cagiva name be revived, it would be a reversal of the corporate takeover from years ago. Back in the 1980s, Cagiva was engaged in an all-out acquisition campaign which saw it buy into Ducati, Moto Morini, Husqvarna and the trademarks for the MV Agusta brand.Ducati and Moto Morini were sold some ten years later, and in 1999 the Cagiva name pretty much exited the public scene, MV Agusta becoming the main brand comprising both Cagiva and Husqvarna.In the motorcycle racing world, Cagiva started its existence in motocross. Cagiva supported and then entered Grand Prix motorcycle racing, winning the first GP in Hungary, in 1992. Cagiva was also present as a competitor in the Dakar Rally.For the road, Cagivas first motorcycle was the Alazzurra 350, powered by a Ducati engine. The last was called Xtra Raptor 1000 and took its power from a Suzuki engine. Production of Cagiva-branded bikes ended in 2012.According to motorcycle.com, the revived Cagiva brand is likely to bring back with it names to which it still holds trademarks to, like the Mito, Elephant, and SST.EICMA takes place in Milan in November, but its likely additional information about the new brand and its bikes will be made public by then.On the other hand, similar plans for the Cagiva name were announced by MV Agusta back in 2015 as well, so we'll have to wait and see if the brand returns to the market. KTRK-TV(HOUSTON) -- The notable Houston reverend and former spiritual adviser to both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, who stands accused by federal prosecutors of bilking millions from investors in a Chinese bond scheme, plans to turn himself in, ABC News has learned. "The surrender date will be arranged on Monday," said attorney Dan Cogdell, who represents Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell. Caldwell is expected to go before a magistrate judge at the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Western District of Louisana to be arraigned, Cogdell said. "Rev. Caldwell and I will travel to Shreveport and seek a bond from the judge, which I believe the government will agree to," he said. The U.S. Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment to confirm that Caldwell would surrender. Caldwell, 64, and Gregory Smith, a 55-year-old business partner, were hit with a 13-count indictment accusing them of committing wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering when they raised around $3.5 million in Historical Chinese bonds from 29 investors between 2013 to 2014. Prosecutors allege the men duped investors into thinking they were buying bonds through a Shreveport-based company called Smith Financial Group LLC. "These bonds were issued by the former Republic of China prior to losing power to the Communist government in 1949," prosecutors said in a news release. "They are not recognized by China's current government and have no investment value." And instead of investing it, they allegedly "used them to pay personal loans, credit card balances, mortgages, vehicle purchases and other personal expenses," the release states. If convicted, Caldwell and Smith face up to 30 years in prison. According to the complaint, the investors' faith in Smith and Caldwell was a major factor in procuring the funds for the bogus bonds. "Although many investors did not understand the investment, they ultimately trusted Smith and took comfort in the fact that a high-profile pastor was offering the investment," the complaint states. Caldwell spoke at the 2000 Republican National convention, gave the benediction at President George W. Bush's 2001 inauguration and also officiated over his daughter's wedding. And back in 2008, President Obama called on Caldwell as a member of his prayer team, according to a Newsweek article. He was also a part of a group of religious leaders invited to the White House after President Obama's faith was scrutinized, according to a Houston Chronicle report. On Friday, Caldwell told ABC station KTRK-TV in an interview that he has proof the accusations are frivolous. "Everyone who's asked for their money back to date has received their money back," he told the ABC station. "I've got evidence that the bonds are legitimate." And his attorney, who last week declared that Caldwell would "beat these charges like a rented mule," said his client is preparing for trial. "As you know, a case of this magnitude will take some time before it is resolved by a trial," he told ABC News. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. SUV In the wake of tlaunching the F-Pace SVR at the 2018 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), Wayne Burgess, Jaguar SVO design director, told Auto Express that at times, the R and SVR performance badges end up competing against each other, and at the same time confusing people.The solution? Drop the use of the somewhat intermediate R designation and focus on the SVR, who has all the chances of becoming a name associated with high-performance. Using only one of the two would also solve some pricing issues Jaguar has been having.We would rather have a genuine SVR halo in the line-up and then jump an R model that is better way of doing things, Burgess was quoted as saying by the source. In a model line that doesnt have an R, it can allow SVR to really shine.An SVR only designation would most likely prove a good move made by the Brits after they presented in the Big Apple an F-Pace packing 550 hp and 680 Nm (501.5 lb-ft) of torque.Having a 4.3 seconds acceleration time and a top speed of 283 km/h (176 mph), theis proof enough that SVR can handle the market on its own, without stepping on another Jags toes.The truth of the matter is that F-Type R is a great car and, in some respects, SVR has a challenging time because the R is such a good car in the first place, added the British official.Burgess did not say whether a definitive decision on the matter has been made on this issue. Presenting its 2018 Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase I initiative, NASA released first details on technologies to be funded through the program. These include space telescope swarms, biobots, and the said shapeshifting robots.The contraptions are the work of a team led by Aliakbar Aghamohammadi, a robotics research technologist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Their primary goal of the robots is to be able to function on bodies with atmospheres and on various terrains.FAR comprises so-called cobots, a series of smal robotic units linked together. Depending on the environment in need of studying, the robots could rearrange themselves to into different mobility modes.Each cobot consists only of a few propellers acting as actuators. This would allow them to change into a ball for rolling on flat surfaces, into a flying machine for exploration of the atmosphere and even into a torpedo-shaped gizmo capable of under-liquid research.But thats only scratching the surface, as the shapeshifters could be even made to transport large and heavy objects, make themselves into communication networks and so on.NASA will fund research into shapeshifting robots, together with the other projects selected for this years NIAC, for the following nine months. The ideas are still in concept stages, and only projects that will prove worthy would advance into stage two of the program."The concepts can then be evaluated for potential inclusion into our early stage technology portfolio," said Jim Reuter, acting associate administrator of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate."The NIAC program gives NASA the opportunity to explore visionary ideas that could transform future NASA missions by creating radically better or entirely new concepts while engaging America's innovators and entrepreneurs as partners in the journey." Airshow pilot Rob Holland was able to walk away after a forced landing that destroyed his custom MXS-RH aerobatic show plane last week. Holland said in a Facebook post last Wednesday he had taken off from the Naval Air Station in Kingsville, Texas, about 4:30 p.m. on March 25, heading for Shreveport, Louisiana. He was about 15 minutes into the flight, at 11,500 feet, when the airplane had a catastrophic engine failure and lost all power, he wrote.The canopy was immediately covered with oil and he had zero forward visibility. Given the terrain, he determined an off-airport landing was not a good option, and high winds at the surface ruled out a parachute. Depending on his EFIS system, he was able to find a nearby runway, and aimed for it. There was a low scattered-to-broken cloud layer around the vicinity of my landing site, which obstructed my view of the runway, Holland wrote. I glided through an opening in the clouds. The runway, at an abandoned airfield, was only about 30 feet wide and 1,650 feet long, Holland wrote. He touched down at a normal landing speed of about 90 knots, but with a 20-knot tailwind. About 200 feet down the runway, the landing gear hit a large piece of stray debris part of a roof blown there by Hurricane Harvey, Holland wrote. The left main landing gear was torn completely off the plane. The plane skidded on its belly down the runway, coming to rest about 30 feet off the right side of the runway. The plane remained upright and straight the entire time, Holland wrote. Holland was unhurt, but the airplane is damaged beyond repair, he said. He is already working with MX Aircraft to build a new airplane, he said. NASA says its hiring a new round of flight directors to oversee U.S. human spaceflight for the upcoming Orion missions and the International Space Station, responsible for the success of missions and the highly trained teams of engineers and scientists that make them possible. Flight directors play a critical role in the success of our nations human spaceflight missions, says Brian Kelly, director of Flight Operations at Johnson. The job is tough, the responsibilities are immense, and the challenges can seem insurmountable. But the experiences and personal rewards are incredible. Those chosen will lead human spaceflight missions involving the International Space Station, including integrating American-made commercial crew spacecraft into the fleet of vehicles servicing the orbiting laboratory, and Orion missions to the moon and beyond. They will head teams of flight controllers, research and engineering experts, and support personnel around the world, and make the real-time decisions critical to keeping NASA astronauts safe in space. To apply, flight director candidates must be U.S. citizens with a bachelors degree from an accredited institution in engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science or mathematics. They also will need substantial related, progressively responsible professional experience, including time-critical decision-making experience in high-stress, high-risk environments. Although many flight directors have previously been NASA flight controllers, it is not a prerequisite to apply. Qualifying U.S. citizens have until April 17 to submit their applications here. NASA says it expects to announce final selections in mid-2018. If any doubt remains that the aviation industry is facing a shortage of pilots, look no further than a new program for aspiring pilots at Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus with partner Piedmont Airlines. Teaming together, the two are offering help with tuition and a job guarantee at the regional airline. The program is associated with the universitys Salina, Kansas, campus, and administrators are scheduled to meet with prospective students for the program in mid-April. They will select students in the schools professional pilot program who have their CFI certificate. Students accepted into the cadet program after an interview process can receive tuition reimbursement once they have completed 500 hours of flight time. They receive a financial incentive with every 100 hours of completed flight time after that, up to 1,000 hours, says an article in the Wichita Eagle last week. At that 1,000-hours mark, students are eligible for graduation as well as their Airline Transport Pilot rating, and guaranteed a spot in Piedmonts next new hire training class, Ben Jaffee, senior assistant chief flight instructor at K-State, said in the article. Piedmont, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group Inc., also provides through its cadet program a guaranteed job path to American Airlines once student pilots are ready to transition in their career. Students who have earned their certified flight instructor rating and have been accepted into Piedmont Airlines cadet program, following an interview process, are eligible to receive tuition reimbursement after the completion of 500 hours of flight time, a press release on the Kansas State website explains. The program provides a financial incentive for every 100 hours achieved thereafter until completing the Airline Transport Pilot minimums required. Once a certified flight instructor attains these minimums, he or she will join Piedmont Airlines as a first officer with a guaranteed job at American Airlines in about five years. Kansas State Polytechnic is excited to be teaming up with an organization that is invested in the long-term success of our students, said Jaffee. This partnership gives professional pilot students a direct connection with industry, additional financial support and a defined career route even before graduating. We want to provide our students with the best educational experience possible and this new opportunity enriches the value of what our degree program has to offer. More info about the program can be found on their website: https://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/2018-03/piedmont32918.html The fabled World War II bomber Memphis Belle has been moved into its new home at an Ohio museum after years of restoration work. However, it wont go on public display until next month. The Dayton Daily News reports the aircraft famously decorated with nose art of a pinup girl was towed Wednesday into the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton. Its one of the most celebrated American planes to survive the war. Captain Robert K. Morgans crew flew 29 combat missions with the 324th Bomb Squadron, all but four in the Memphis Belle. It flew over occupied France and Germany and was one of the first United States Army Air Forces B-17 heavy bombers to complete 25 combat missions with her crew intact. It then weathered decades on display outdoors in Memphis, Tennessee, before being moved to Ohio in 2005. It will be unveiled at the museum May 17, the 75th anniversary of its crews 25th and final mission. Curator Jeff Duford says visitors will be able to get up close to the aircraft. The aircraft and its crew inspired both a documentary film and a feature film in 1990. The aircraft was named after pilot Robert K Morgans sweetheart, Margaret Polk, a resident of Memphis, Tennessee, and was known for its pinup girl nose art designed by Esquire Magazine artist George Petty. It was 563 days ago that the WHO declared Covid-19 a pandemic. This Axios AM Deep Dive, led by healthcare reporter Caitlin Owens, looks at our Covid future. A new twist is unfolding in the fight between activist investors and the oil industry: an unprecedented move by federal regulators allowing a major producer to preemptively kill a shareholder resolution on climate change without a vote. Why it matters: The Securities and Exchange Commissions support of oil producer EOG Resources is emerging as a flashpoint in what has become Americas central battleground over climate change: what investors do about it. Its an arcane fight, but a consequential one too, because President Trump is reversing course on climate policy. What the SEC has done here really feels like interfering with the marketplace, substituting their judgment for what shareholders and investors already think and do. Jonas Kron, director of shareholder advocacy at Trillium Asset Management, the investment firm that filed the now-blocked resolution For the record, spokespeople at the SEC and EOG both declined to comment. The details: Trillium proposed a resolution calling on EOG to set a target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. EOG complained to the SEC in late December that the proposal would micromanage the company, calling it a "rigid, time-bound" target, and asked to omit it from consideration. Responding in late February, the SEC agreed and took a veiled shot at shareholders, implying they dont know enough to set company policy. The SEC sent another letter last month to Krons firm rejecting an appeal request. EOG is the largest oil producer in Texas, according to state data. It also has operations throughout the U.S. and a few places overseas. Kron, whose firm manages more than $2 billion in investments with a focus on sustainability, said other oil producers, like Hess Corporation, have committed to greenhouse gas reduction targets. The big picture: The development comes ahead of this years annual shareholder meetings that run through spring. Numerous energy companies are expected to face investor votes on non-binding, but symbolically important, climate resolutions in a process known as shareholder democracy. Investors, including large asset managers BlackRock and Vanguard, are putting increasing pressure on fossil-fuel companies to acknowledge the risks climate change pose to their bottom lines. The SEC serves as a regulatory conduit for the shareholder engagement process, and it does often grant companies requests to block proposals based on various agency rules. The situation with EOG is different for two reasons: The SECs decision came after the agency issued new legal guidance in November that appeared to some investors to broaden the definition of micromanagement, which can be grounds to block proposals. The greenhouse gas target request isnt unique or new. Nearly 130 resolutions have been filed since 2010 asking companies to adopt such goals, according to The Sustainable Investments Institute, a nonprofit research group serving investors. Excluding instances of technical error, such as filing late, the SEC has never granted company requests to block this proposal until the EOG case, said the groups executive director, Heidi Welsh. The shift is raising questions to casual observers and experts alike: Is Trump seeking to back the oil industry and stifle climate action in a new federal arena beyond regulations? So far, the answer seems to be no, but investors are still worried about the shift. In this particular environment a proposal on climate change certainly has political connotations. What I suspect is going on is some skepticism about the shareholder proposal process itself. Theres been a lot of pressure from the business community to reduce the number of proposals. Adam Kanzer, managing director at Domini Impact Investments, which manages $2.4 billion in assets Congress could act against shareholders, too. A House-passed bill that would roll back the Dodd-Frank financial rules includes a provision that would have significantly cut down on the number of resolutions shareholders could file. The overall bill hasnt gained much traction in the Senate. Whats next: Investors are looking for signs indicating whether the SECs shift is broader and lasting. The agency has rejected other companies requests to block other climate-related proposals this year, though under different rationales than claims of micromanagement. Bottom line: If the SEC is shifting its view on what micromanagement means, it has implications for almost any proposal you file, from human rights to the environment, said Kanzer, whose investments are not in fossil-fuel companies. Kanzer signed a March 14 letter to the SEC along with other lawyers expressing concern about the precedent the EOG decision could set. He hasnt heard back. New Gallup polling finds that 25% of American adults are greatly concerned about energy prices and access, which is the lowest level albeit by a hair in 18 years of their polling on the question. The same survey, conducted early last month, shows that 59% of respondents prioritize environmental protection over fossil fuel development. Why it matters: The Gallup data underscores how energy prices which are low these days thanks partially to the U.S. oil-and-gas surge influence public perception. "Energy has been a key issue at times in the U.S., particularly when it has been scarce or particularly costly. But now, with relatively low gas prices and little evidence of energy shortages in the U.S., Americans' concern has declined and is currently at or near record lows." Gallup's summary of the results Expand chart Data: Gallup; Chart: Axios Visuals One level deeper: 73% said they preferred an emphasis on alternative energy, such as wind and solar, over fossil fuels. Republicans are more narrowly divided there, with 51% favoring a focus on alternative energy compared to 41% favoring fossil fuel production. Among Democrats, that divide is a much wider 88% to 9%. Similarly, "Democrats prioritize environmental protection over development of energy supplies by 79% to 15%, while Republicans take the opposite view, favoring development of energy by 62% to 31%," Gallup reports. To be totally clear: Phrasing can matter a lot in polling, so here's precisely how they worded that question about the environment and energy production: "With which one of these statements about the environment and energy production do you most agree protection of the environment should be given priority, even at the risk of limiting the amount of energy supplies such as oil, gas and coal which the United States produces (or) development of U.S. energy supplies such as oil, gas and coal should be given priority, even if the environment suffers to some extent?" Flashback: The poll arrives a week after Gallup released survey results on climate change that show deep and persistent partisan divides. The White House confirmed this morning that President Trump will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Mar-a-Lago from April 17-18 ahead of a meeting between Korean leaders Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in on April 27 and Trump's planned meeting with Kim in May. While North Korea will be a primary topic of discussion, the White House announcement said the two leaders will "explore ways to expand fair and reciprocal trade and investment ties" relevant because Japan, a key ally, was not exempted from Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs that were announced last month. Flashback: The last time that Abe visited Mar-a-Lago was in February 2017 when a North Korean missile launch turned the club's "terrace into an open-air situation room," according to The Washington Post. Winnie Mandela, the anti-apartheid activist who was married to Nelson Mandela for 38 years and was a symbol of resistance throughout his imprisonment, has died at 81. Go deeper: South Africa's Daily Maverick on her complex legacy. Opposition leader Nikol Pashinian and his associates began touring Armenias northern and central regions on foot at the weekend in preparation for street demonstrations in Yerevan aimed at preventing President Serzh Sarkisian from extending his rule. A backpack-wearing Pashinian began the two-week walking tour from the central square of Gyumri. He was joined by a group of activists and supporters of his Civil Contract party outside the countrys second largest city. They planned to walk around 200 kilometers through several other Armenian towns and arrive in Yerevan on April 13 in time for their first major anti-government protest. Pashinian said they will hold rallies in the citys Liberty Square for at least four consecutive days. The Armenian parliament dominated by Sarkisians supporter is scheduled to elect on April 17 a new prime minister, who will be the countrys most powerful official because of its ongoing transition to a parliamentary system of government. The outgoing president, whose second term expires on April 9, is widely expected to take up the post. Sarkisian promised in 2014 that he will not seek to become prime minister if Armenia becomes a parliamentary republic as a result of his controversial constitutional changes. His political opponents now accuse him of reneging on that pledge. Sarkisians allies claim, however, that he never explicitly pledged to quit power and is better equipped to govern Armenia than anyone else. Pashinian says that Sarkisians continued rule would also lead to the Azerbaijanization of Armenian politics, a reference to the authoritarian rule of Azerbaijans current and former longtime presidents. Our action plan includes blocking roads, blockading buildings and generating the kind of civic activity that would enable us to go to the National Assembly and halt the work of the deceitful state and deceitful regime created by Serzh Sarkisian, he told reporters in Gyumri. We want to enable Armenias citizens to speak up against Serzh Sarkisians and the [ruling] Republican Partys perfidy, he said. The outspoken oppositionist is heavily using his Facebook page to provide live video and photo updates of their long march. In particular, he and his mostly young loyalists have been shown pitching tents to spend a night by a roadside in the northern Shirak province. Pashinian , who is highly critical of the Armenias presidents decade-long tenure, again stressed on Saturday that his team favors solely peaceful methods of political struggle and will not resort to violence even if the authorities use force against it. The 42-year-old former journalist also acknowledged that the success of his anti-Sarkisian campaign named My Step depends on the scale of attendance at its upcoming rallies in Yerevan. Two other opposition parties allied to Pashinians Civil Contract, Bright Armenia and Republic, are very skeptical about his ability to attract large crowds. They have cited this as the main reason for their refusal to join his campaign. The three parties make up the Yelk alliance which finished third in last years parliamentary elections. The bloc holds 9 seats in the 105-member parliament. By Kamila Aliyeva Iran has concluded an agreement with Azerbaijan for the purchase of 150 megawatt of power, according to a senior Iranian official. Irans Energy Minister Reza Ardakania noted that the agreement on his countrys power purchase from Azerbaijan was made during the recent visit of President Hassan Rouhani to Baku. Speaking to Iran's Radio Economy on Friday, the minister added that the two countries currently enjoy a total capacity of 700 MW for power exchange. In the meantime, the sides have decided to take measure aimed at synchronizing the power grids of Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia. Irans nominal capacity for power generation currently stands at 78,421 MW following the connection of a number of power plants to the countrys national grid. Iran plans to add 3,000 MW to its capacity over the current fiscal year. Irans capabilities in the area of power generation have significantly developed over the past four decades, thus making the country the top producer of electricity in the region. Azerbaijan enjoys a capacity of 7,172 MW. The transmission lines of both countries were synchronized in August 2016. Azerbaijan has already turned from a country importing electricity to the country exporting it. The export potential is growing, while the country enjoys the relevant infrastructure for transmission of electricity. Power plants of Azerenergy JSC, Azerbaijans electricity producer, generated almost 6 billion kilowatt hour of electricity in January-March 2018 as compared to around 6.04 billion kilowatt hour in the same period 2017, Azerenergy said in a message on April 2. Azerenergys power plants generated over 1.95 billion kilowatt hour of electricity in March 2018 as compared to 1.96 billion kilowatt hour in March 2017. In 2017, Azerenergy generated 21.9 billion kilowatt hour of electricity as compared to about 22.6 billion kilowatt hour in 2016. Iranian President concluded his two-day visit to Baku on March 29 where the sides inked eight agreements on cooperation in various sectors, including energy. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Rashid Shirinov Opening of a direct flight between Azerbaijan and Egypt will positively affect the development of tourism, Azerbaijans Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev said at a meeting with the newly appointed Egyptian Ambassador to Baku Adel Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim on March 31. The minister stressed that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the development of relations with Egypt. He added that the first embassy of Azerbaijan on the African continent was opened in Egypt. Azerbaijan and Egypt successfully cooperate in energy, trade, education, pharmaceuticals and other areas, Mustafayev noted. He further said that Egypts Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr was invited to Baku, and the organization of a business forum is expected within her visit. Mustafayev also expressed gratitude to Adel Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim for his countrys fair position in the issue of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Ambassador, in turn, noted that both countries have great opportunities for expanding economic cooperation. In this regard, he mentioned the importance of holding business forums, business meetings and other events with the participation of business circles. Cairo and Baku enjoy relations which date back to centuries ago. Egyptians and Azerbaijanis have much in common: traditions, culture, customs, attitudes and religion. Since Azerbaijan gained its independence in 1991, the two countries have started building relations in the political, economic, cultural and educational spheres. Egypt opened its embassy in Baku in 1993, while Azerbaijans first ever embassy in the African continent was established in Cairo in 1994. Tourism has traditionally played one of the most important places in Egypts economy, and the opening of a direct flight between Azerbaijan and Egypt will surely benefit the country, as well as Azerbaijan, which is turning in the main tourist destination of the region. As for the trade turnover between the countries, it amounted to $8.05 million last year, $1.48 million of which accounted for the export of Azerbaijani products to Egypt. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova Students of the Kazakh National Academy of Choreography have performed with a gala concert in Baku. The concert program marked the 20th anniversary of the capital city of Kazakhstan Astana. The concert took place in Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater on March 30. Some 60 students from the Academy aged 13 to 18 performed at Baku stage. The event was attended by public figures, representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in the country, famous representatives of Azerbaijani culture and art, teachers and students of the Baku Choreographic Academy, numerous admirers of ballet art. In her speech, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Sevda Mammadaliyeva stressed that Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan share common Turkic roots, culture, traditions and spiritual heritage. Relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, based on deep historical roots, successfully develop in various fields, including culture and art. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan Beybit Isabaev said that the Kazakh National Academy of Choreography is the first higher educational institution in Central Asia with a full cycle of multilevel professional choreographic education. The Academy cooperates with the leading choreographic educational institutions of Azerbaijan, Russia, China, Japan and other countries. The diplomat expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater for their assistance in conducting the concert program. Then the audience was presented with a marvelous program featuring the best concert numbers from the Academy's repertoire. The program included the trio of the Ocean and the Pearls from the ballet "The Humpbacked Horse", a variation from the ballet "Coppelia", pas de trois, Chinese dance, pink waltz and adagio from the ballet "The Nutcracker", a variation of Kitri from the ballet "Don Quixote" , a variation from the ballet "La Bayadere", Folklore and Ethnographic Ensemble "Turan" and others. Despite the young age of artists and complex productions, all students of the Academy coped with their parties perfectly. The dancers demonstrated virtuosic technique, high performing skills and excellent plasticity. Their graceful movements won the hearts of ballet lovers. The audience greeted each issue of the program with stormy applause and shouting "Bravo!". Most viewers agreed that it is quite possible that in the near future the names of the program participants will decorate the posters of the best theaters in the world. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijani musicians will take part in the second annual Oud Festival, which will be held on April 5-8 in Qatar. The festival is considered a first in the region which celebrates the oud - a stringed instrument central to Arabic music. The oud is a short-neck lute-type, pear-shaped stringed instrument with 11 or 13 strings grouped in 5 or 6 courses. Four strings of musical instrument likened to the four elements of nature: fire, water, earth, air. It was often represented in the works of miniature painting. More than 80 musicians from a number of countries, including six groups and 18 solo performers will attend the festival. The festival will witness performances by some of the greatest names in oud music from Kuwait, Spain, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iraq, Japan, Greece, Oman, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia. The cultural event will be dedicated to the famous Islamic philosopher Abu Nasr al-Farabi ("Second Teacher"), who made a significant contribution to the development of culture, philosophy and music. At the festival's opening ceremony, a film about al-Farabi will also be demonstrated. Notably, Qatar's First Oud Festival held in March last year was dedicated to Ziryab, the legendary musician of the Arab and Islamic world. During the four-day festival, talented oud makers from across the globe will display their skills and craftsmanship. The exhibition will showcase antique oud instruments made by legendary luthiers (makers of stringed instruments). Moreover, the festival will feature lectures, forums on Oud making. The event will conclude with an amazing musical show dedicated to Al Farabi. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Two years have passed since Azerbaijani armys victory in April 2016 clashes. On the night of April 2, 2016 and during the day, all the frontier positions and settlements of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire by the Armenian Armed Forces. Six civilians were killed, including two children aged under 16, and 26 people were injured as a result of shelling of Azerbaijans settlements located along the line of contact by Armenia. Numerous public and private facilities, including civil infrastructure, were severely damaged as a result of the offensive, 232 houses, 99 power transmission line poles, three electric power substations, kilometers of water and gas pipes were destroyed. The Armenian Armed Forces launched the guided-missiles at social institutions, including schools, hospitals and places of worship. Large-caliber artillery shells fell during the prayer service in one of the mosques. In order to suppress the Armenian provocation, ensure safety of the civilian population, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces command made a decision to take urgent response measures in the Aghdere-Tartar-Aghdam and Khojavand-Fuzuli directions. As a result, during the four days of fighting, Azerbaijani Armed Forces liberated the heights near the Talish village, as well as the Seysulan point, which could pose a threat to the safety of Goranboy district and the city of Naftalan. The Lele Tepe strategic height located in the direction of the Fuzuli district and allowing controlling a vast territory was taken under control. Also, as a result of the April fighting, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces ensured control over the roads in the Aghdere-Madaghiz direction. As many as 30 tanks, up to 15 armored guns and fortifications belonging to the Armenians were destroyed, 320 Armenian soldiers were killed and more than 500 servicemen of the enemy were wounded during the clashes. The military operations were stopped on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian armies on Apr. 5 at 12:00 (UTC/GMT + 4 hours) with the consent of the sides. As a result of the successful counteroffensive, more than 2,000 hectares of territory were liberated from the Armenian occupation, even a larger territory came under the control of the Azerbaijani army. Azerbaijani Armed Forces have fortified the liberated lands. In general, the April fights have demonstrated the attention paid by Azerbaijani President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev to the army, as well as high fighting efficiency of the Azerbaijani army and the ability of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces to liberate the occupied territories at any time. Azerbaijani armys victories in the April battles have laid the foundation of the liberation of Azerbaijani lands from the Armenian occupation. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Rashid Shirinov April 2 marks the 25th anniversary of the occupation of Azerbaijans Kalbajar region by the Armenian armed forces. The Armenian attack started on March 27, 1993, and in a week, the Azerbaijani region with the area of 1,936 square kilometers fell under occupation. As a result of the brutal assault, 511 residents were killed, and 321 went missing or were captured. Moreover, 55 soldiers were killed during the fighting. As many as 53,340 residents of Kalbajar became refugees and IDPs and had to move to other regions of Azerbaijan because of the Armenian attack and occupation of the region. Armenian invaders virtually destroyed the once flourishing Azerbaijani region: its central city Kalbajar was demolished, as well as about 150 villages, dozens of cultural and historical monuments, a museum, the Istisu sanatorium and many other facilities in the territory of the region. More than 500 industrial, construction, catering and retail facilities, as well as 97 schools and 76 health facilities were destroyed by the occupiers. Essential monuments of Azerbaijans history, such as an Albanian temple, two Albanian churches, Lok, Ulukhan, Galabonu, Jomerd, Keshikchi fortresses, several mosques and many other historical and architectural monuments were demolished. Moreover, the Armenians plundered natural resources and historical and religious monuments in the region. Estimations showed that the Armenian occupation of Kalbajar inflicted a damage of as many as $761 million to Azerbaijan. Presently, Kalbajar is completely destroyed area reminding an uninhabited desert with the population of just 500 people. As a result of Armenian attack, Tahir Rahimov, who lived in Kalbajar before its occupation, and his family left Kalbajar and went on foot to the Khanlar region. "We walked 60-70 kilometers in two days. The traffic on the road was impossible; the road was covered with snow, Rahimov said remembering those tragic days. Nobody would think that Kalbajar would become occupied and people would be driven out of their homes. Unfortunately, that happened... Rahimov also remembered with regret the Armenians-committed genocide in the Aghdaban village of Kalbajar in April 8, 1992: So many people were killed during this genocide! The Armenians savagely treated the peaceful people. Presently, Rahimov is waiting for his soonest repatriation to Kalbajar: I see my native land, the village where I grew up and the house where I lived in my dreams. We are waiting for the day of returning to Kalbajar! For a long time, Azerbaijan has been suffering from the aggressive policy pursued by Armenia, which occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijans internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. However, the Armenian occupiers should know that this will not remain unpunished over a million of Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs will eventually return to their native lands. Today, the Armenian side has some time to peacefully withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani territories, but if it does not, the Azerbaijani Army will liberate the occupied lands, including the Kalbajar region, by the use of force. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Rashid Shirinov Azerbaijan will send an appeal to the relevant international courts on economic disputes in connection with the illegal mining of minerals in the country's occupied lands, reads a joint statement of the Azerbaijani Prosecutor Generals Office and AzerGold CJSC on March 31. Investigations revealed that managers of the Vallex Group, Base Metals, ACP, Lerna Metalurgiayi Institute, Teghout and other companies registered in Armenia and other countries, as well as individuals from Armenia, repeatedly illegally crossed Azerbaijans state border from Armenia, and together with other persons in the occupied territories, as part of an organized group, created facilities without the corresponding registration under the legislation of Azerbaijan. As a result of this activity, they received illegal income from the extraction of large amounts of gold and other non-ferrous metals at the fields located in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan's Kalbajar (Soyudlu, Gizilbulag), Zangilan (Vezhnali) and Tartar (Demirli and other deposits) regions. During the investigation, based on the high-definition imagery of the Azersky satellite of Azerkosmos OJSC and the geological survey data, the facts of conducting illegal mining operations at ore deposits located in Azerbaijans occupied territories were proved. The Azerbaijani Prosecutor Generals Office launched a criminal case under articles 192.2.3 (illegal entrepreneurship) and 318.2 (illegal crossing of Azerbaijans state border) regarding these facts. The preliminary investigation was entrusted to the Investigation Department for Grave Crimes of the Prosecutor Generals Office. Moreover, by attracting experts of audit companies, it is planned to determine the extent of the damage caused by the theft of gold and other non-ferrous metals in Azerbaijan. Also, the country together with AzerGold CJSC will apply to the relevant international court on economic disputes and law enforcement agencies of the countries where the companies involved in illegal mining were registered. All foreign nationals must keep in mind that any business, economic, research or other kind of activity in Nagorno-Karabakh and other Azerbaijani regions occupied by Armenia without the consent of Azerbaijan are illegal and the country takes necessary measures against those who are engaged in such activities. Moreover, unauthorized visits to the occupied Azerbaijani territories are also considered illegal and individuals who pay such visits are included in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministrys list of undesirable persons. Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on the country. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. To this day, Armenia has not implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold talks on Monday with his Bangladeshi counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, who is paying a working visit to Moscow. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the two sides will discuss the current state and prospects for bilateral relations and exchange views on pressing international and regional issues, TASS reported. The top diplomat of Bangladesh last visited Russia in April 2017, while the last meeting between the two countries foreign ministers took place in September on the sidelines on the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York. One of the most pressing international issues that can be discussed by the parties at the upcoming negotiations is the situation with Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. According to the UN, the number of Rohingya refugees who crossed the border into Bangladesh from Myanmar after an outbreak of violence in Rakhine State has swelled to 688,000 people. Tensions in Myanmars Rakhine State flared up on August 25, 2017, when hundreds of Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army militants attacked 30 police posts. Three days later, Aung San Suu Kyi, the countrys Foreign Minister and State Counsellor, branded the Rohingya militants as Bengali terrorists. After that, the countrys security forces launched a region-wide crackdown. In November, the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an agreement on repatriating Rohingya refugees accommodated in refugee camps to their home country. Moscow hailed these agreements expressing the hope that constructive cooperation between the two countries would continue. At a meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Rakhine State in February, the Russian delegation expressed concern over attempts to delay the solution of the problem with refugees repatriation under the pretext of the absence of conditions for their return in Myanmar. Dmitry Polyansky, Russias First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, stressed that the situation with refugees is a matter of bilateral relations between Myanmar and Bangladesh, and the issue should be resolved during the relevant consultations. He also noted that the authorities of Bangladesh shoulder an excessive burden receiving and accommodating refugees from Myanmar and called on the international community to provide them with all necessary assistance. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, in 2017, the volume of trade between Russia and Bangladesh reached a record level of $1,654 bln. "Bangladesh is a major importer of Russian wheat. Partners are interested in increasing its purchased to 1 mln tonnes annually," the ministry said. Bangladesh also seeks to increase its exports to Russia. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told TASS her country planned to intensify exports to Russia. Meanwhile, the construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, the first in Bangladesh, continues to be the flagship of bilateral cooperation. In March, Russias Rosatom State Nuclear Power Corporation, the Ministry of Science and Technology of Bangladesh and the Indian Department of Atomic Energy signed a memorandum on cooperation in implementing the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project, according to which the parties will cooperate in personnel training, exchanging experience and technical assistance. --- By Trend Specialists of the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD) visited Kyrgyzstan to see how the issued loans were handled, the press service of the Eurasian Development Bank said April 2. The delegation of the fund visited Bishkek to discuss optimizing the monitoring of the "Financing the Supply of Agricultural Equipment to Kyrgyzstan" investment project and preparing a project to provide the country with a Health Caravan grant. Experts talked not only with officials and bankers, but also with the recipients of agricultural machinery in leasing. Farmers were asked whether they were satisfied with the cooperation. The officials and representatives of the National Hospital of Kyrgyzstan also met with the representatives of EFSD within the Health Caravan project. They discussed conditions and mechanisms of the grant. Finalizing the consultations, EFSD and Kyrgyzstan plan to sign a cooperation agreement, the message said. The "Financing the Supply of Agricultural Equipment to Kyrgyzstan" investment project, worth $20 million, has been implemented by EFSD since March 2014 and provides for the allocation of loans for the purchase of agricultural machinery and development of service maintenance. Within the Health Caravan project, Kyrgyzstan will receive a grant of $2 million. The project aims to improve primary healthcare and its accessibility in rural and hard-to-reach areas of Kyrgyzstan, providing for the purchase of two "Health Caravan" road trains, organizational and methodological support for their work, and preventive examinations of locals. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Kamila Aliyeva An international scientific conference Chemical Industry of Turkmenistan on the Way of Progress discussed prospects of development of this area in the country, Turkmenportal reported. The conference, timed to the celebration of the Day of Workers of the Chemical Industry, was attended by representatives of ministries and departments, the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan, profile specialists and scientists, as well as top managers of 30 large foreign companies. Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, in his address to the audience, said that without the production of chemical industry, the country's economic growth is impossible, and the state makes enormous efforts for its development, creates large modern enterprises and modernizes existing manufactures, introduces advanced technologies. The participants of the conference, in turn, noted that the policy pursued by Berdimuhamedov is aimed at the effective use of the natural resources of the Turkmen land - not only the extraction of raw materials, but also its deep processing. Particular attention is paid to the production of mineral fertilizers both for domestic needs of the country and for export. Ammonia-carbamide complexes in the cities of Tejen and Mary were used as an example of the successful implementation of the enormous potential of the chemical industry in Turkmenistan. At present, the construction of the third large ammonium-carbamide complex with a capacity of 1.1 million tons of carbamide per year in the city of Garabogaz is carried out. It is planned to be put into operation in mid-2018. Prospects in the production of potash and phosphate fertilizers were also discussed. Thus, at the Turkmenabat chemical plant in July 2016, a sulfuric acid plant with a capacity of 500,000 tons per year was put into operation, after which the production of phosphate fertilizers increased. Also, Turkmenistan produces various types of mineral salts, iodine and its derivatives. In the near future, it is planned to start construction of a plant for the production of iodine and bromine in the Balkan region. In addition, the transformation in the country and cooperation with other countries opens prospects for the implementation of projects with foreign partners. During the discussion, the conference participants identified the priority areas for diversifying cooperation in the chemical industry, noted that the exchange of views will successfully realize Turkmenistan's export potential. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Jasper ISD's Few Primary School suspended 4-year-old students 80 times in 2015-16, keeping its youngest students out of class in their first year of school, according to a report released last week by an advocacy group. Almost 20 percent of Jasper ISD's preschool students showed "signs of violence," according to school officials, or had other disciplinary problems severe enough for them to be suspended at the highest rate in the state that year. The next year, the state legislature banned the discipline for students up to second grade, citing a need to intervene rather than remove students. > > PHOTOS: Click through the slideshow above to see disciplinary actions reported by SETX schools during the 2016-17 school year. Texas still allows in-school suspensions for all students. Early suspensions can put students on a path some call the "preschool to prison pipeline," where they're more likely to have negative associations with school, underlying issues causing their behavior may not be addressed and they may fall behind in learning, leading to future discipline, suspension and, ultimately, involvement with law enforcement. The 71 in-school and nine out-of-school suspensions handed out to Few Primary's 122 preschool students in 2015-16 were among more than 4,600 preschool suspensions that year and more than 101,000 of all students below third grade, Texans Care for Children found in the report. Behavioral issues Few principal Ron Vickers said behavioral issues in preschool often occur because students aren't used to taking instructions from a teacher or getting along with classmates. "That's one of those difficult ages," Vickers said. "When students have been able to do whatever they want to do at home, with very little adult supervision other than their parents, when another adult tells them to do something, their reaction is, 'You're not my boss.'" "Sometimes kids are doing what's worked for them at home," he said. "It's a teaching process" to get them used to a classroom setting, and in-school suspensions are a way to enforce that, he said. Out-of-school suspensions, while used rarely, were sometimes intended to convey the severity of the offense and get the child's parents involved in addressing the problem, Vickers said. In an in-school suspension, preschoolers receive the class work they're missing but miss the playtime and activities that are a staple of pre-K. > > REPORT: These were selected as the top elementary schools in SE Texas Jasper Superintendent Gerald Hudson, who was hired by the district from the Dallas area in 2017, said he didn't know what led to the high number of suspensions before his arrival but said the district overall is working on improving discipline issues. "We expect students to behave, but we can't expect that until they've been taught," he said. "We have to find out the best thing we can do for our kids to keep them engaged and learning," which has to be balanced with not letting one or two students disrupt the entire class. Hudson said the district's numbers of violations and suspensions for the 2017-18 school year, which won't be released by the TEA until next fall, are substantially lower than the previous year. According to TEA data, Jasper had the largest percentage of students disciplined in Southeast Texas in 2016-17 - almost 30 percent. The district handed out 2,206 in- and out-of-school suspensions last year, about 8 percent fewer than the year before. High suspension rates Four districts in Southeast Texas had out-of-school suspension rates for its youngest students that ranked in the 15 highest in the state, according to the Texans Care for Children report. Bridge City, which suspended seven of its 84 preschoolers a total of 22 times that year, had the highest rate of out-of-school suspensions in the state, based on enrollment. Woodville, Newton and East Chambers ISDs' preschool suspension rates also ranked in the top 15 statewide. All have fewer than 100 students and suspended up to five of them, though some were sent home multiple times. TEA does not release exact numbers when districts report between 1 and 4 students or incidents. Bridge City Superintendent Todd Lintzen, who was hired in the middle of the 2015-16 school year, said the number of suspensions in early grades was a "hot spot" he identified when he started with the district. Like Hudson, he said the challenge is addressing behavior issues while still "protecting the learning environment" for other students. Lintzen pointed to leadership at Bridge City Elementary, including an assistant principal over curriculum and a principal with a background in special education, and the training of a behavioral interventionist as the "biggest difference." He said they're trying "to teach coping skills with young children, rather than being more punitive." > > DATA: What is the average base pay for teachers in your child's district? Keeping students out of school can set them up for future failure because they may fall behind their peers in school, making them more likely to be frustrated and act out, he said. Hudson also pointed to campus-wide plans focused on "positive behavior" instead of punishing negative behavior, so students are taught what to do, rather than told what not to do. Restriction on suspensions The statewide ban on out-of-school suspensions for early grades came one year after Houston ISD, Texas's largest district, ended the discipline for students up to third grade and limited its use for third through fifth graders in 2016. Texas students now receive suspensions before third grade only for offenses involving weapons, alcohol, drugs or assault. Critics of suspension practices, including the Texans Care for Children group, say the punishments aren't effective for young students because they punish behaviors without addressing their causes or helping students improve. Suspensions before second grade "give students a first impression of school as a negative place where they don't belong," the report said, and deny students valuable classroom time. "School expulsion and suspension practices are associated with negative educational and life outcomes," the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services said in a 2014 policy statement. "A child's early years set the trajectory for the relationships and successes they will experience for the rest of their lives," the statement said. "Expulsion and suspension practices in early childhood settings, two stressful and negative experiences young children and their families may encounter in early childhood programs, should be prevented, severely limited, and eventually eliminated." The Texas report found that schools "disproportionately suspend pre-k through second grade students who are Black, male, in special education, or in foster care." That's in line with data reported by all public schools to the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, which showed that in 2013-14, black children were more than three times as likely to receive out-of-school suspensions than white children, and boys are disproportionately suspended. Several studies of federal and state data in the past five years have shown black students are more likely to receive harsher punishments than white classmates for the same offense, to be considered less innocent than their peers and to be identified as likely to misbehave even when they aren't acting differently from their peers. According to publicly available TEA data, African American students made up about 26 percent of all students in Region 5 but received about 54 percent of all in-school suspensions and 72 percent of all out-of-school suspensions in 2016-17. The agency does not publish that data with grade or age information. In Jasper, where about 46 percent of students are black but received more than 70 percent of suspensions in 2016-17, Hudson said the "first thing" is awareness of the numbers. He said that is part of the conversation campuses are having about discipline, but he declined to go into detail. Positive programs In Southeast Texas and across the state, districts have pointed to a focus on positive behavior management programs as the key to reducing both student violations of rules and harsh punishments for them. "It's always a mixed bag, change is always difficult," Jasper's Hudson said. "It's not only a change for the students but also change for the teachers," who need to feel like they have the resources they need to keep their classrooms safe and under control. "We're dealing with a very young student that is coming from a different setting than 10, 15 years ago," Lintzen said, requiring different approaches and changes for long-time teachers. "We have to refresh and reteach" students and teachers about expectations," Jasper's Hudson said. "We're revising the expectations and everything we expect, so it doesn't come back to bite us in the future." LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/LizTeitz Lafayette Pain Care renovated a Walgreens in downtown Kokomo, Ind., according to the Kokomo Tribune. Here are four things to know: 1. The pain center opened in February after spending $3.25 million to turn the former pharmacy into a pain clinic and freestanding ASC. The ASC will be operational in two months' time, after receiving licensing and certification. 2. Lafayette Pain Center is a five-year-old business operating its flagship in Lafayette, Ind., as well as clinics in Logansport, Winamac and Williamsport, Ind. 3. Two double-board certified physicians in anesthesiology and pain management will see patients at the clinic, and only patients who are referred by other physicians or healthcare providers. The group aims to treat patients without over prescribing pain medication. 4. The new 13,000-square-foot location added more than 24 jobs to Kokomo. The clinic has 14 exam rooms as well as patient education tools to discuss treatment options with patients. Here are seven updates for ASC leaders to know for April 2, 2018. Laser Spine Institute, anesthesiologist held liable for 2014 patient death A jury awarded $20 million to the family of a patient who died hours after being discharged from Laser Spine Institute in Philadelphia. Anesthesiologist Glenn Rubenstein, MD, treated Sharon Kimble at the Philadelphia center in January 2014. The surgery center allegedly discharged Ms. Kimble while she still had a significant amount of Dilaudid in her system and instructed her to take additional pain medication. Ms. Kimble received a dosage of Dilaudid that was six times higher than the amount originally ordered. Dr. Rubenstein said the dosage was necessary due to the patient's high tolerance to pain medication. Ms. Kimble later died while recovering from the procedure in a nearby hotel. Wills Eye receives hospital designation again after 12-year tussle CMS reversed its decision on Philadelphia-based Wills Eye Institute, agreeing to reclassify the facility as a hospital. Wills Eye has been embroiled in several legal battles since 2006, when CMS reclassified the center as an ASC after it sold its inpatient business. The practice sought to regain hospital designation on several occasions. Gastroenterology Associates of North Mississippi expanding service through new clinic Oxford-based Gastroenterology Associates of North Mississippi opened a new clinic in New Albany, Miss. The practice joined the Multi-Specialty Clinic at Baptist Memorial Hospital Union County (Miss.) in early March. AG Jeff Sessions: Physician, clinic owner 'flooded our streets' with 18k illegal prescriptions, including opioids A federal jury convicted a Houston physician and pain management clinic owner of running a "pill mill" scheme involving millions of doses of opioids and other controlled substances. Shane Faithful, owner of the Houston-based Gulfton Community Health Center, and physician Gazelle Craig, DO, were found guilty of operating an illegal pill mill out of the pain management clinic from March 2015 through July 2017. OrthoIndy 1st in Indiana to install Mazor X Robotic Guidance System Indianapolis-based OrthoIndy became the first hospital in Indiana to install the Mazor X Robotic Guidance System. The Mazor X system integrates preoperative planning tools and analytics with intraoperative guidance to assist surgeons during minimally invasive surgery. Stryker launches power device for small bone surgical procedures Stryker aims to replace cord-and-console setups for extremities procedures with its F1 Small Bone Power System, a tool with five motors and two gripping styles. The Stryker F1 System features SmartGrip technology, which combines cord, console and handpiece electronics into a single device to improve maneuverability and reduce the chance of sterility breaks. Physicians Endoscopy wins best place to work honor Bucks Happening named Jamison, Pa.-based Physicians Endoscopy the winner of its 2018 Everything Bucks: Places to Work contest. PE was recognized over 16 other entrants. A potential deal between Walmart and Humana would strengthen Walmart's position as a competitive threat to hospitals, industry consultants and executives told The Wall Street Journal. Reports surfaced March 29 that retail giant Walmart is in preliminary talks with health insurer Humana about developing a closer partnership, and one possibility is Walmart acquiring Humana, people familiar with the matter told WSJ. Here are five reasons why hospitals fear a possible Walmart-Humana behemoth. 1. Randy Oostra, president and CEO of Toledo, Ohio-based nonprofit health system ProMedica, told the publication the prospect of a Walmart-Humana deal "should be a concern to everybody in healthcare." Competition from inexpensive healthcare options and stagnant growth are among hospitals' chief concerns, with a possible Walmart-Humana deal heightening anxiety. 2. While a deal isn't guaranteed, it comes on the heels of two healthcare mega-deals: CVS Health's $69 billion bid for Aetna and Cigna's $54 billion offer for Express Scripts. These insurer pairings could mean a shift toward cheaper care provided at clinics and pharmacies, cutting into spending on hospital services. 3. Zack Cooper, health economist at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., told WSJ, "These vertical deals are super exciting, mostly for the potential to keep people out of the hospital." When asked about a possible Walmart-Humana deal, he said, "There is scope for this new entity to, in a sense, offer a product that has less bells and whistles and is more efficient and lower cost." 4. Those efficiencies could partially come through Walmart's 4,700 pharmacies nationwide. However, Walmart's clinic footprint it operates 19 in Georgia, South Carolina and Texas, and providers operate 50 others is limited. Given Walmart's colossal retail presence, expanding these outpatient capabilities could make Walmart a direct competitor for low-cost outpatient offerings, the consultants and executives told WSJ. 5. Aside from offering cheaper, more efficient healthcare, industry consultants and executives look to Walmart's negotiating power for employee health benefits as a reason for hospitals to be nervous. Combining Walmart's employee benefit negotiating clout with Humana's data and infrastructure could position a combined entity to offer competitive health plans. Hospitals excluded from those networks would see increased operating pressure, WSJ reports. Employers are exploring direct contracting options with hospitals, health systems and other medical facilities in their quest to reduce costs and improve health outcomes for employees. These arrangements can help employers achieve savings, and they are also appealing to provider organizations that have developed strategies to effectively manage the health for specific conditions of a given population. This content is sponsored by Global Healthcare Alliance. Direct contracting arrangements let employers negotiate bundled case rates with provider organizations, which is a huge benefit for companies looking for ways to achieve healthcare savings. Under these agreements, employers with self-funded insurance plans make a single payment to providers and healthcare facilities for all services to treat a specific condition or provide a specific treatment. Since direct-to-employer contracts aim to maximize cost-savings opportunities, these agreements typically cover highly specialized care and treatments that can be particularly costly, such as cardiovascular care, bariatric surgery or joint replacements. Employers can gain more control over employee health benefit design and realize potential savings by entering into a direct deal with a health system that provides high-quality care with little variability in outcome. These agreements are also a way for progressive health systems and other medical facilities to increase patient volume and market share. However, there is risk involved with these types of agreements. Provider organizations responsible for improving health outcomes and reducing the cost of care for a specific population are exposed to financial risk if treatment costs or patient outcomes don't meet set benchmarks. When this happens, the health system absorbs excess costs of care or is financially penalized for lower quality metrics. To ensure direct contracting terms are fair and sustainable for both employers and providers, stakeholders see value in engaging bundled payment experts for design, development, technology and administrative support. Direct-to-employer models are on the rise Direct contracting arrangements have been on the rise in recent years and are expected to continue growing in popularity as more employers and healthcare providers gain confidence in risk management, according to John W. Adams, director, president and CEO of Global Healthcare Alliance, a Houston-based company that designs, builds and manages prospective bundled payment arrangements. He said payers' lack of progress in improving the value of healthcare has caused employers to seek out direct contracting agreements. "While employers like the convenience of accessing large provider networks at negotiated reimbursement rates through large payers, they are getting frustrated with the payers' lack of innovation and lack of incentive to change," he said. Instead of waiting for payers to more fully embrace value-based care models, some employers are seeking out predictable, multiyear agreements with hospitals and health systems that include prospective bundles for episodes of care. Direct contracting agreements let employers and provider organizations develop innovative partnerships, and they allow provider organizations to operate more efficiently outside of health insurance companies' narrow rules. Mr. Adams believes these types of arrangements will help drive the industry's shift away from traditional fee-for-service medicine. Key factors to consider in direct-to-employer arrangements To achieve success with direct contracting agreements, the employer must first select the right provider to partner with. "Based on the service lines the employer is interested in they need to select a center of excellence program with high-quality care, significant volumes and a strong reputation," Mr. Adams said. A COE program involving bundled payments can not only promote high-quality care, but also help improve the patient experience and increase cost savings, according to Mr. Adams. He said employers should seek out healthcare organizations that meet the following criteria: 1. The hospital or health system is nationally ranked 2. The healthcare organization achieves better patient outcomes than its competitors 3. The hospital or health system generates enough volume in the specialty covered by the agreement to establish best practices in clinical integration 4. There is a multi-disciplinary team approach among physicians, and other providers, and the healthcare organization 5. The hospital or health system has the capability to administer the program, including patient engagement and navigation 6. The healthcare organization can coordinate the claims administration and adjudication process to ensure proper payment to all of the providers, and manage the shared risk pool The right technology and administrative processes are vital Before entering into a direct contracting agreement, hospitals and health systems need to ensure they have technology with the data capabilities required to manage complex payment models, including prospective bundle contracts. "Most healthcare organizations know their cost of services, but they don't have the capabilities to model risk in prospective bundle contracts," Mr. Adams said. "This requires access to facility and physician claims data and developing algorithms to model risk for episodes of care." Accurately assessing risk is critical for health systems and other medical facilities entering direct contracting arrangements. "If you get the pricing wrong in these agreements, it can be a big miss, and the program will not be sustainable," Mr. Adams said. To help ensure success under direct-to-employer contracts, hospitals and other provider organizations across the nation are using Global Healthcare Alliance's bundling adjudication software platform, Axia, which converts fee-for-service transaction data into contracted bundled package pricing and reimbursement models. Global Healthcare Alliance uses large databases and proprietary algorithms to help healthcare organizations determine the feasibility of direct contracting arrangements in particular markets. The company works with systems to develop a portfolio of bundled episodes and then markets it to employers. Global Healthcare Alliance can also provide healthcare organizations and employers with insights to help them take on certain services typically provided by an insurer. For example, when entering a direct contracting agreement, the health system and employer need transparency into cost data and other information to negotiate a fair and sustainable reimbursement rate for the bundles, according to Mr. Adams. "By that, I mean it covers the amount of risk the provider assumes in the episodes of care, and it provides value to the employer based on: high-quality outcomes, reasonable utilization rates, right care at the right time, predictable costs, and employee and patient satisfaction," he said. To participate in direct contracting arrangements, hospitals and health systems also need the capability to process complex claims such as bundled payments, which typically require additional data management and review to ensure proper reimbursement compared to traditional claims. Global Healthcare Alliance's platform can process these claims without disrupting the revenue cycle. In addition to the right technology, health systems that contract directly with employers must also focus on improving the patient experience. "From a day-to-day operations standpoint, engaging with the patient and helping them with registration and navigation through the process is critical," Mr. Adams said. "They expect concierge services in these COE programs." CardioVascular Care Providers achieves success with direct-to-employer agreement Since 2000, Global Healthcare Alliance has managed a direct contracting agreement between a multinational energy company based in Houston and CardioVascular Care Providers, a networkof cardiovascular physicians in Houston and the program has achieved impressive results. The center of excellence program includes a portfolio of outpatient and inpatient bundles covering everything from an office visit and diagnostic testing to heart transplants, according to Mr. Adams. The energy company incentivizes its employees to use CardioVascular Care Providers by paying 100 percent of the coinsurance and patient portion. For example, the energy company pays the patient portion and coinsurance if an employee uses a CardioVascular Care Providers physician and receives care at CHI St. Luke's Hospital in Houston. Many direct contracting arrangements involve a national payer with a limited role, as is the case with the CardioVascular Care Providers program. "The cardiovascular component has been carved out and is administered by Global Healthcare Alliance," Mr. Adams said. "The insurance company basically provides patient rosters for eligibility purposes." The energy company has achieved cost savings for the 16,000- plus employees enrolled in the program and has improved the quality of cardiovascular care its employees' receive. Moreover, the energy company has achieved cost savings of more than 30 percent for all employees enrolled who were admitted for coronary bypass grafts. The company has achieved cost savings of 10 percent to 20 percent for all PCIs. The program has a zero percent mortality rate, and none of the employees who received a coronary artery bypass graft required a re-do within a year of the initial surgery, according to Mr. Adams. Conclusion Employers nationwide are taking strides to reduce healthcare spending, and many are contracting directly with hospitals, health systems and other medical facilities to achieve this goal. As the industry transitions away from fee-for-service medicine and toward value-based care models, these direct deals can be beneficial for the employer, employees and the healthcare organizations involved. Direct contracting arrangements can help employers achieve healthcare savings, improve health outcomes for employees and offer hospitals and health systems an opportunity to increase revenue by providing high-quality care to a set patient population. "Unless insurance companies are willing to invest in their systems to accommodate these new bundled models, we are going to see more and more direct contracting," Mr. Adams said. Here are the top five most-read health IT stories from March, beginning with the most popular. 1. Medical Center Health System CFO attributes hospital district's bond downgrade to Cerner issues Leadership at Odessa, Texas-based Ector Hospital District, which does business as the Medical Center Health System, attributed a recent bond downgrade to costs associated with its EHR implementation. 2. Epic's Judy Faulkner makes Forbes' billionaires list Forbes recently released its annual list of "The World's Billionaires" for 2018 and named Judy Faulkner, founder and CEO of EHR giant Epic, among its ranks. 3. Almost half of physicians 'aren't aware' of what blockchain is Despite recent buzz about blockchain's potential to improve healthcare, a recent survey by SERMO found almost half of physicians aren't aware of the technology. 4. Former Google CEO Dr. Eric Schmidt shares his vision for the medical visit of the future Eric Schmidt, PhD, former Google CEO and former executive chairman of Google's parent company Alphabet, laid out a roadmap for bringing artificial intelligence into patient care during an opening keynote presentation March 5 at the HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition in Las Vegas. 5. Alphabet, Microsoft and Apple have filed 300+ healthcare patents: 5 things to know Alphabet, Microsoft and Apple have filed more than 300 healthcare patents between 2013 and 2017 suggesting the tech giants' increasing desire to disrupt the healthcare space, according to a report by Ernst & Young. Health system leaders are familiar with a rich irony when it comes to their own workforce. Although hospitals are anchor institutions of health in every community, the wellbeing of those who work inside the hospital is too often put on the back burner. This content is sponsored by Cerner. Healthcare workers are accustomed to putting others before themselves. For many, it's their primary motivator for going to work, and the mentality usually spills over to affect other parts of their lives sometimes to the detriment of their own health. When a hospital's employees neglect their own care, and don't take time for their own well-being, the deficits can collectively affect patient care, dampen employee morale and engagement, and fuel greater employee health coverage costs, among other repercussions. Enter the corporate health and well-being program. The majority of large companies offering health benefits in 2017 offered workers the opportunity to complete health risk assessments and biometric screenings or participate in well-being programs, such as those to help quit smoking, lose weight or adopt healthier lifestyles and behaviors, according to Kaiser Family Foundation. Health and well-being programs offer a range of benefits for any company in corporate America, including reduced absenteeism, greater employee morale, reduced healthcare spending, improved productivity and higher attraction and retention rates. But hospitals and health systems stand to gain something uniquely important from these initiatives: credibility in their community. "Health systems have this unique responsibility to a community: They act as icons of health and well-being," says Mike Heckman, vice president of population health for Cerner. "There are a lot of health systems that want to diversify revenue or advance the types of relationships they have with their communities. One of the best ways to do that is through corporate health and well-being programs." Hospitals and health systems need workforce well-being programs that not only inspire worker involvement but grow more robust and personalized over time to build upon employees' efforts year over year. To thrive as anchors of health in their communities, hospitals can take advantage of the tools to treat their employees' well-being with sophistication, personalization and privacy. As anyone in healthcare knows, working at a hospital is challenging in its own right and the emotional investments are only exacerbated with a patient population of children. To envision a thriving employee health and well-being program, look to one children's hospital in Missouri. In 2013, as an extension of its workforce health program, this employer of approximately 8,000 lives established a full, on-site medical home for its employees. The organization built a new primary care facility, which exclusively cares for hospital employees and their spouses. "A lot of the patients are clinicians," says Mr. Heckman. "It is not like they are unfamiliar with the healthcare world. They are very familiar with it, but they take care of themselves last." The medical home launched with a robust offering of medical services. In a short amount of time, hospital leadership could not ignore how meaningful the center was to employees. This is when the medical home transformed from a clinic to a hub for community, health and well-being. Employees can visit the center to participate in yoga and fitness classes, address their mental health needs and receive care for illnesses or conditions all with a strong focus on privacy. So how did this pediatric hospital in Missouri do it? It all started with data, says Mr. Heckman. The winning well-being program is data-backed Richness and diversity of data is what distinguishes rudimentary employee well-being programs from those that ultimately improve health and morale, boost productivity and reduce healthcare costs. "The thing that is most important to start with is an understanding, objectively and empirically, of what the population looks like. You have to know your data," says Mr. Heckman. "The more you know and understand your population, the more you will know how to engage them." For a workplace health program to move the needle on physical and mental wellness, ideally employers need three types of data claims, wellness and clinical. What's more, they need to access it in an integrated way that lets them parse data sets to discern patterns in employees' health outcomes, behaviors and costs. Claims data. "This data may not have the best depth, but it has good breadth," says Mr. Heckman. Systems need claims data to understand opportunities to improve the health of their workforce, but access to this data depends upon the system's relationship with its payer. If a health system is not self-insured, does not have an amicable relationship with its health plan or disagrees with the insurer over data and how it is used, gaining access to valuable claims data can be a slow and time-consuming process. "That's when it is employers' responsibility to advocate for themselves and their employees and say, 'This is my data. I want to use it to understand my population and their health-related needs,'" says Mr. Heckman. Wellness data. Wellness data is the more traditional information employers obtain through health risk assessments, wearable devices, biometric exams and other health activities requiring employee participation. This type of data is relatively limited, as it only reflects the health of participants rather than the workforce at large. "Some employers do a great job at driving engagement and participation and others, quite frankly, don't," says Mr. Heckman. Clinical data. Clinical data is deeper in scope and derived from a health system's EHR or population health technology. "If you can connect the dots between the broad claims data and deep clinical data, you can really understand your population," says Mr. Heckman. The challenge is this: claims data, wellness data and clinical data can all have different owners and come from disparate places. Employers' wellness partners need to access each of these three distinct categories and house the data in a platform that allows it to be viewed holistically versus in silos. For its own employees, Cerner combines claims, wellness and clinical data using their big data platform called HealtheIntentSM. The programmable, cloud-based system is designed to take in disparate pieces of data, which arrive in a variety of formats. HealtheIntent synthesizes the data, normalizes it and makes it actionable so users know how to best engage and manage their population's health needs. Cerner "walks across the data elements" and gains a longitudinal view of their employee population. When using HealtheIntent, health systems can aggregate, transform and reconcile data to paint a portrait of their employee population's health while facilitating meaningful well-being interactions at a person level. The platform is also vendor agnostic; health systems need not have a Cerner EHR to use HealtheIntent. Cerner has interacted with data sets for hundreds of health systems and is familiar with the ways an organization can slice and dice claims,use wellness and clinical data to identify patterns, and more effectively allocate resources and intervene in a meaningful way. "We can look at patterns around particular clinical areas, high-spend areas and other trends that might be identified based on what is happening with the health of the population, including what is spent or consumed from a healthcare standpoint," says Mr. Heckman. "Or we can look from a demographic perspective. Are we seeing different patterns based on different attributes of the population, such as gender, age or location? I might have people sitting in one building that, for whatever reason, are not exercising at all or have a higher proportion of chronic disease than I'd expect. Maybe there is something about that location, building or culture that can explain it, and we address it." Personalized engagement strategies When health systems have longitudinal views of their workforce's health and well-being, they are better positioned to segment and customize their engagement strategies for individual employees. After all, not every employee approaches health or wellness with the same motivations and goals. For example, say three employees share the same two chronic conditions. One worker is unable or uninterested in actively managing his conditions right now. Another is deeply motivated to address these conditions she wants to take the bull by the horns and tackle them herself. The third employee does not want to manage these conditions by himself, but he is willing to work with a clinical care team to change. To really drive improvements, employers must understand the big picture of their employees' health while also tailoring incentives and engagement strategies to account for individuals' preferences. Organizations deploy a wide range of engagement strategies, but an incentive strategy is in the DNA of every successful health and wellness program. Incent people to participate Incentives for participation help employers build a baseline for their health and wellness programs. For example, among large companies that offer health risk assessments, 52 percent offer workers an incentive to complete the assessment, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. These incentives include lowered premium contributions or reduced cost sharing; cash, health savings account or health reimbursement arrangement contributions; gift cards, merchandise or raffle entries; or eligibility for other wellness rewards. Incent people to take action Beyond incentives for participation, employers also impose rewards for employees who change their lifestyles or adjust their daily behaviors. For example, companies may offer rewards for employees who exercise four times a week, quit smoking or take a certain number of steps every month. Incent people to achieve outcomes Finally, employers may offer incentives to motivate and reward employees who improve their vitals and health metrics over a specified amount of time. For instance, some companies offer incentives when employees lower their blood pressure or body mass index. "All three of these types of incentives can be effective," says Mr. Heckman. "I think their success is highly dependent on the culture of the workforce at that moment in time. In my mind, there is a logical progression from participation to activity to outcomes. If you go through that progression at a speed that is acceptable to the workforce culture, you can be successful. If you go straight to the end and start by incentivizing outcomes, you are less likely to be successful." The best workforce well-being programs also present a wide range of options for incentives and change the incentives so they aren't perceived as an entitlement. As one company told Mr. Heckman, some employees are motivated by monetary incentives whereas others go the extra mile for a free t-shirt. Giving employees a say in their reward is especially critical given the diversity of a health system's workforce. People from distinct generations, cultural backgrounds or of different genders may not find the same things inspiring. Mr. Heckman recommends a visual display of incentives and reward options. "You might give someone a prize catalogue and they can spend their incentive points on what is attractive to them," he says. "You can definitely differentiate based on optionality." Conclusion As the American healthcare landscape continues to shift its focus from reactive care to preventive care, whole-person health and well-being, it is critical for health systems to lead the way and serve as examples of what companies can (and should) do for their employees. A data-driven workforce health program is better suited to improve outcomes and lower costs than programs based on guesswork and convention. But that is only step one of what is possible. Looking beyond these immediate benefits, health systems have the chance to walk the talk and prove to their communities and local employers that they are masters in managing the health of populations. In doing so, employers in the area are more likely to see these organizations as providers of choice and healthcare professionals are more likely to see them as employers of choice. "You will see a lot of companies where a positive, healthy culture attracts people with positive, healthy attitudes. You can influence that culture and the type of people who stay and who want to work for your organization," says Mr. Heckman. A living, breathing and thriving employee health and well-being program brings a lot of positives for any organization in America. But again, hospitals and health systems stand to gain something unique when they deeply understand and support the health of their workforce. "Healthcare is a stressful industry," says Mr. Heckman. "Anything you can do to improve the joy of being at work is a value in and of itself." The Collaborative for Healing and Renewal in Medicine published an eight-step framework in JAMA March 29 to help healthcare organizations develop policies and regulations that address physician burnout. The Collaborative for Healing and Renewal in Medicine comprises medical educators, academic leaders and wellness researchers from across the U.S. It's co-chaired by healthcare leaders from New York City-based Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic and San Francisco-based UCSF School of Medicine. The American Medical Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges both voiced their support for the group's framework, called "The Charter on Physician Well-Being," according to a March 29 statement from Mount Sinai. Here are the eight steps outlined in the charter, divided into three major areas of focus. Societal commitments 1. Foster a trustworthy and supportive culture in medicine 2. Advocate for policies that enhance physician well-being Organizational commitments 3. Build supportive systems 4. Develop engaged leadership 5. Establish highly-functioning interprofessional teams Interpersonal and individual commitments 6. Anticipate and respond to inherent emotional challenges of physician work 7. Prioritize mental healthcare 8. Practice and promote self-care "Physicians who are well can best serve their patients," the charter reads. "Although evidence to support some of the recommendations in this charter is still emerging, medical organizations, regulatory groups and individual physicians share a responsibility to support these needs." To access The Charter on Physician Well-Being, click here. While the majority of OB-GYN physician residents are women, the ratio was significantly different 50 years ago, when 90 percent OB-GYNs were men, according to WFAE News. Roughly 82 percent of resident physicians who were matched into OB-GYN residency programs in 2016 were women, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. However, several residency programs are attempting to recruit men for the sake of diversity. Ashlyn Savage, MD, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the college of medicine at Charleston-based Medical University of South Carolina, said because the specialty is composed primarily of female physicians, men are being considered as a "diversity pick." "We might consider [a male] applicant with a slightly lower board score just to enhance how many men we are interviewing and considering," said Dr. Savage. "The primary motivation to do so is that patients might have the option to seek out providers who feel like themselves. [But] in this particular case, by nature, all patients for OB-GYNs are women." Blake Butterworth, MD, a chief OB-GYN resident at MUSC, said obstetrics wasn't on his radar before his rotation during medical school because of the stereotype that it's primarily a female specialty. "As males, we don't really understand the full variety and breadth of the specialty," Dr. Butterworth said. "But I think once you really get into it and get involved in it, I don't think that bias holds true." He added more male OB-GYNs should take it upon themselves to mentor male residents and teach them about the specialty to rid them of any preconceived biases. To access the full report, click here. The following healthcare mergers, acquisitions, partnerships and general transactions took place or were announced during the month of March. 1. UNC Health Care, Wake Forest Baptist ink deal to transition ownership of High Point Regional Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and Chapel Hill, N.C.-based UNC Health Care signed a binding agreement March 8 to transfer ownership of High Point (N.C.) Regional Health. 2. Cleveland Clinic + 4 others among finalists to partner with Boca Raton Regional Hospital Boca Raton (Fla.) Regional Hospital entered into negotiations with five health systems March 8 to potentially form a strategic partnership. 3. Trinity Health in talks to sell New Jersey assets to Virtua Health 3 months after failed merger Carbondale, Pa.-based Maxis Health reportedly entered into a nonbinding agreement March 8 to sell Lourdes Health System, a two-hospital system in Camden, N.J., to Virtua Health. 4. Cleveland Clinic, Avita Health System partner on cancer care The Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center and Avita Health System, a three-hospital system in Galion, Ohio, launched their affiliation March 6 to expand patients' access to oncology and specialized treatment services. 5. State endorses Beth Israel Deaconess, Lahey Health proposed merger: 4 things to know The Massachusetts Department of Public Health approved the proposed merger between Boston-based Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Burlington, Mass.-based Lahey Health and three other healthcare organizations March 5. 6. State OKs Southern New Hampshire Health, Elliot Hospital combination The New Hampshire Office of the Attorney General signed off on the proposed combination of Manchester, N.H.-based Elliot Health System and Nashua-based Southern New Hampshire Health March 5. 7. UAB Health System signs second affiliation agreement in 4 weeks Birmingham-based UAB Health System signed a strategic and operational affiliation March 5 with Infirmary Health, a five-hospital system in Mobile, Ala. 8. UPMC finalizes affiliation with Cole Memorial Hospital Coudersport, Pa.-based Cole Memorial Hospital officially completed its integration with Pittsburgh-based UPMC March 1. 9. Ascension expands footprint with acquisition of Presence Health: 4 things to know St. Louis-based Ascension Health, the largest nonprofit health system in the nation and the largest Catholic health system in the world, has finalized its acquisition of Presence Health, a Catholic health system in Chicago. 10. UCSF Health, Sonoma Valley Hospital ink affiliation agreement: 5 things to know San Francisco-based UCSF Health and Sonoma (Calif.) Valley Hospital signed an affiliation agreement March 1 to create an integrated healthcare network. 11. Columbus Regional finalizes merger with Piedmont Healthcare Atlanta-based Piedmont Healthcare officially integrated Columbus (Ga.) Regional Health March 1, making Piedmont a 10-hospital system. 12. Ardent finalizes joint venture with U of Texas to acquire Texas health system Nashville, Tenn.-based Ardent Health Services and Tyler, Texas-based UT Health Northeast finalized their joint purchase of East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System, also in Tyler, March 1. 13. Quorum Health sells 70-bed Illinois hospital Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health completed the sale of 70-bed Vista Medical Center West in Waukegan, Ill., to New York City-based US HealthVest on March 1. 14. Mercy Health hospital, Prima Healthcare to merge Mercy Health-St. Elizabeth Youngstown (Ohio) Hospital signed a letter of intent March 15 to integrate Prima Healthcare, an independent physician practice with offices in Salem, Columbiana and Boardman, Ohio, and its providers into the system. 15. Atrium Health ends 40-year partnership with anesthesiologist group: 5 takeaways Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health reportedly ended a nearly 40-year contract agreement with Southeast Anesthesiology Consultants, a roughly 100-member physician group in Charlotte. 16. Cleveland Clinic to explore partnership with Martin Health System Cleveland Clinic entered into an agreement to potentially integrate Stuart, Fla.-based Martin Health System as a full member, the three-hospital system announced March 22. 17. 3 major Mississippi health systems reveal proposals for OCH Regional affiliation Board members from Starkville, Miss.-based OCH Regional Medical Center met with representatives from three major health systems March 22 to discuss their proposals for a potential affiliation. 18. HCA looks to expand into North Carolina with acquisition of Mission Health The board of Mission Health, a six-hospital, nonprofit system based in Asheville, N.C., has signed a letter of intent to join Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare. 19. Advocate, Aurora Health Care merger clears final regulatory hurdle Downers Grove, Ill.-based Advocate Health Care and Milwaukee-based Aurora Health Care announced March 22 they received the last approval necessary to finalize their proposed merger and become the 10th largest nonprofit health system in the nation. 20. California AG approves Adventist, Rideout Health affiliation The California Office of the Attorney General reportedly approved the proposed affiliation between Adventist Health, a 19-hospital system in Roseville, Calif., and Rideout Health, the Marysville, Calif.-based health system announced March 20. 21. LifePoint sells 3 Louisiana hospitals Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Health is selling three Louisiana hospitals to Allegiance Health Management in Shreveport, La. 22. U of Mississippi Medical Center, Memorial Hospital to collaborate Memorial Hospital at Gulfport (Miss.) and Jackson-based Children's of Mississippi, part of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, also in Jackson, formed a pediatric collaboration to enhance care services for area residents. 23. Unanimous vote may help prevent sale of Greenville Health System: 4 things to know The 14-member board of trustees of the Greenville Health Authority, which oversees the lease agreement between trustees and the Greenville (S.C.) Health System board of directors, unanimously voted March 19 to approve several measures designed to end discussions regarding the potential sale of the health system. 24. KentuckyOne extends reach by affiliating with 90-bed hospital Lexington-based KentuckyOne Health has entered into an affiliation agreement with Taylor Regional Hospital, a 90-bed facility in Campbellsville, Ky. 25. Hackensack Meridian Health, Carrier Clinic explore partnership Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health and Carrier Clinic, a behavioral health provider based in Belle Mead, N.J., signed a letter of intent March 15 to explore a partnership that seeks to expand behavioral healthcare in the region. 26. Mercy Health hospital, Prima Healthcare to merge Mercy Health-St. Elizabeth Youngstown (Ohio) Hospital signed a letter of intent March 15 to integrate Prima Healthcare, an independent physician practice with offices in Salem, Columbiana and Boardman, Ohio, and its providers into the system. 27. Health Quest, Western Connecticut Health Network to combine LaGrangeville, N.Y.-based Health Quest and Danbury-based Western Connecticut Health Network revealed plans to merge into a seven-hospital system, the organizations announced March 28. 28. Marin General to receive $100M+ over 10 years under potential alliance with UCSF UC San Francisco and Marin General Hospital are reportedly in the midst of finalizing a 10-year strategic alliance that would bring the Greenbrae, Calif., hospital more than $100 million during the next decade. 29. Rite Aid completes 1,932-store divestiture to Walgreens Camp Hill, Pa.-based Rite Aid completed its planned store divestiture to Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreens Boots Alliance, Rite Aid announced March 28. 30. WSJ: Ascension, Providence St. Joseph halt merger negotiations St. Louis-based Ascension and Renton, Wash.-based Providence St. Joseph Health reportedly shelved negotiations regarding a proposed merger, sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal. 31. CHS to sell 3 Tennessee hospitals Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems signed a definitive agreement to sell three of its assets in Tennessee to Jackson-based West Tennessee Healthcare, the 127-hospital system announced March 27. 32. Jefferson, Einstein Healthcare Network to explore merger Jefferson Health and Einstein Healthcare Network, both in Philadelphia, signed a nonbinding letter of intent to merge, Jefferson Health confirmed to Becker's Hospital Review March 27. 33. Vatican approves Cabell Huntington's acquisition of St. Mary's The Vatican approved the proposed acquisition of Huntington, W.Va.-based St. Mary's Medical Center by Cabell Huntington (W. Va.) Hospital, Cabell Huntington announced March 26. 34. Ascension to sell Connecticut hospital to Hartford HealthCare St. Louis-based Ascension signed a nonbinding letter of intent to transfer ownership of one of its Connecticut-based assets to Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare, Ascension announced March 27. Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems is taking many steps, including divesting hospitals, to improve its finances and reduce its heavy debt load. Here are three things to know. 1. On April 1, CHS completed the sale of 120-bed Bayfront Health Dade City (Fla.) to Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based Adventist Health System. The hospital, which is now part of Adventist's West Florida Division, was renamed Florida Hospital Dade City. 2. Bayfront Health Dade City is one of several hospital divestitures CHS has in the works. As part of a turnaround plan put into place in 2016, CHS announced plans in 2017 to sell off 30 hospitals. CHS completed the divestiture plan Nov. 1. To further reduce its debt, CHS said it intends to sell another group of hospitals with combined revenue of $2 billion. 3. CHS signed a definitive agreement in late January to sell Tennova Healthcare-Jamestown (Tenn.) to West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Rennova Health. In February, CHS agreed to divest Leesville, La.-based Byrd Regional Hospital to Allegiance Health Management in Shreveport, La. In late March, CHS signed a definitive agreement to sell three of its Tennessee hospitals to Jackson-based West Tennessee Healthcare. More articles on healthcare industry transactions: Healthcare deals reach $156B so far this year, marking busiest start in more than a decade HCA looks to expand into North Carolina with acquisition of Mission Health LifePoint sells 3 Louisiana hospitals Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health completed the sale of 77-bed Clearview Regional Medical Center in Monroe, Ga., to Atlanta-based Piedmont Healthcare. Piedmont, which now includes 11 hospitals, has bought a few other hospitals in the past two years. The system acquired Athens (Ga.) Regional Medical Center in 2016 and Conyers, Ga.-based Rockdale Medical Center in October, according to The Covington News. Quorum, the 28-hospital spinoff of Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems, said it used the proceeds from the transaction to pay down debt. More articles on healthcare industry transactions: CHS continues hospital sell-off spree: 3 things to know Healthcare deals reach $156B so far this year, marking busiest start in more than a decade HCA looks to expand into North Carolina with acquisition of Mission Health From California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filing an antitrust lawsuit against Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health to CVS Health being sued for revealing the HIV status of nearly 6,000 people, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 1. California files antitrust suit against Sutter Health: 5 things to know California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed an antitrust lawsuit against Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health, alleging the health system used its market power to control prices. 2. Mecklenburg Medical Group sues Atrium Health to split from hospital system Mecklenburg Medical Group sued Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health in an effort to sever ties and operate independently of the region's dominant health system. 3. Judge: UnitedHealth subsidiary must face lawsuit over denied eating disorder treatment A judge ruled a proposed class-action lawsuit against a UnitedHealth Group unit alleging the insurer denied coverage for eating disorder treatment can progress. 4. CVS faces lawsuit over inadvertent HIV disclosure of 6k patients CVS Health is being sued for revealing the HIV status of nearly 6,000 Ohio patients when it mailed letters showing their participation in the state's HIV drug assistance program through the envelopes' glassine window. 5. Former UMass Memorial nurse says she was subjected to 'twisted hazing ritual' by surgeon: 7 things to know A former nurse with Worcester, Mass.-based UMass Memorial Medical Center filed a discrimination grievance with the state in January, alleging the hospital did not seriously investigate her complaints of being harassed by male physicians and other staff. 6. Long-term care provider pays $10.3M to resolve false billing allegations CenterLight Healthcare and CenterLight Health System agreed to pay $10.3 million to resolve allegations of false Medicaid billing. 7. Iowa hospital pays $1.88M to settle Medicare overpayments case Genesis Medical Center in Davenport, Iowa, agreed to pay $1.88 million to the federal government to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act. 8. UnitedHealth seeks damages from $1B+ Medicare lawsuit UnitedHealth Group is seeking damages from the federal government after the Justice Department tossed much of a lawsuit accusing the payer of using incorrect risk scores to inflate Medicare Advantage payments. 9. Medical groups sue FDA over delayed e-cigarette regulations: 4 things to know Public health and medical groups allege the FDA improperly delayed a rule that would impose stricter regulatory standards for e-cigarettes. 10. City of Crossgate sues VA over Louisville hospital relocation plans The city of Crossgate, Ky., filed a federal lawsuit to block the relocation of the Louisville, Ky.-based VA hospital Robley Rex Medical Center to the vacant land east of Louisville in Crossgate. 11. Anthem to pay $1.6M to settle lawsuit claiming the insurer capped autism benefits Anthem agreed to pay a roughly $1.63 million settlement to end a class-action lawsuit claiming the insurer violated federal requirements for autism treatment coverage.\ 12. Anesthesiology group sues Atrium Health over canceled contract: 5 things to know Charlotte, N.C.-based Southeast Anesthesiology Consultants filed a lawsuit March 26 against Charlotte-based Atrium Health, alleging the health system and its new anesthesiology provider stole trade secrets and used that information to poach the contract from SAC. 13. Sparrow Health settles lawsuit with infection control whistleblower: 5 things to know Lansing, Mich.-based Sparrow Health System reached an agreement with a former nurse anesthetist who filed a lawsuit in February against the system, alleging he was fired after raising concerns regarding a colleague's infection control practices. 14. The saga continues: Martin Shkreli to appeal fraud conviction, prison sentence Martin Shkreli, the former CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals who gained notoriety for inflating the price of a life-saving anti-infection drug, plans to appeal his securities fraud conviction and seven-year prison sentence. More articles on legal and regulatory issues: Centene unit fined $100k over concerns its networks are too narrow: 4 things to know Letter from Anthem prompts California hospital to shut down toxicology program American Antitrust Institute to DOJ: Move to block CVS-Aetna deal California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health, alleging the health system used its market power to control prices, according to The Sacramento Bee. Here are five things to know about the lawsuit. 1. The attorney general filed the lawsuit against Sutter following a six-year investigation. At a news conference March 30, Mr. Becerra said the investigation revealed Sutter restricted health insurers from providing consumers with more low-cost health plan options, and the health system set excessively high out-of-network prices. Sutter also allegedly restricted publication of provider cost information, which impeded transparency. 2. The suit, which is pending in San Francisco County Superior Court, alleges Sutter uses improper tactics, such as "punitively high" out-of-network charges and gag clauses on prices, according to Kaiser Health News. 3. Sutter's actions "improperly block any and all practical efforts to foster or encourage price competition between Sutter and any rival healthcare providers or hospital systems," states the attorney general's complaint, according to KHN. "Sutter's conduct injured the general economy of Northern California and thus of the state." 4. In a statement to The Sacramento Bee, Sutter said, "healthy competition and choice exists across Northern California" for consumers seeking medical care. "Sutter Health is proud to save patients, government payers and health plans hundreds of millions of dollars each year by providing more efficient and integrated care," the statement said. 5. Sutter is also facing a class-action lawsuit filed in 2014 by employers and labor unions. The lawsuit accuses Sutter of abusing its market power to charge inflated prices. More articles on legal and regulatory issues: Letter from Anthem prompts California hospital to shut down toxicology program Judge: UnitedHealth subsidiary must face lawsuit over denied eating disorder treatment Iowa hospital pays $1.88M to settle Medicare overpayments case Mecklenburg Medical Group sued Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health in an effort to sever ties and operate independently of the region's dominant health system, according to The Charlotte Observer. In the lawsuit filed April 2, Mecklenburg Medical the largest physicians practice operated by Atrium accuses the health system of monopolistic and anti-competitive behavior. In addition, the suit further accuses Atrium of refusing to release physicians from its restrictions. "Though purporting to be a nonprofit institution, Atrium with its bloated management bureaucracy has repeatedly complained and contended that it 'loses' millions of dollars on the MMG physicians each year," the suit reads, according to The Charlotte Observer. "In sum, Atrium is acting as the exact opposite of the nonprofit healthcare provider that it claims to be." The medical group, which operates across North and South Carolina, hopes the lawsuit will allow physicians to break free from Atrium's employment restrictions and instead practice independently. Dale Owen, MD, a cardiologist spearheading the effort to sever ties from Atrium, told The Charlotte Observer, the medical group is seeking to operate independently so they can spend more quality time with patients and remove Atrium's overhead costs. Mecklenburg Medical joined Atrium, formerly known as Carolinas HealthCare, in 1993. It employs 104 physicians in several specialties, including internal medicine, dermatology and sleep medicine. Atrium declined The Charlotte Observer's initial request for comment. An ambulance crashed into a building in Bellwood, Ill., March 31, killing the patient, the driver and an ambulance attendant, reports the Chicago Tribune. The patient, who had just left a dialysis center, was being driven home in an ambulance when the driver suddenly lost control and smashed into a building. Shortly after the crash, the ambulance caught fire. Firefighters arrived on the scene, extinguishing the blaze and extracting the men from the ambulance. James Wesley, the driver who was the only man identified by name, and his coworker were sent to Maywood, Ill.-based Loyola Hospital, and the patient was sent to Elmhurst (Ill.) Hospital. The patient was pronounced dead upon arrival at Elmhurst Hospital. The driver was pronounced dead upon arrival at Loyola Hospital. The ambulance attendant was in critical condition for hours after the crash and died April 1. Bellwood Mayor Andre Harvey told the Chicago Tribune local detectives are "aggressively" investigating the incident. An autopsy will be conducted to determine if the driver was suffering from a medical emergency at the time of the crash. Many hospitals haven't changed the design and aesthetic of patient rooms in decades. Patients can at times feel cramped, stuffy and uncomfortable due to outdated rooms. Renovating hospital rooms is out of the question for most organizations due to expense, inconvenience and disruption to patient care. However, there is an alternative to renovation that can actually help hospitals reduce spending while enhancing patient satisfaction. The solution: allow patients the opportunity to receive certain types of acute care in the comfort of their homes. Providing patients at-home care not only relaxes the patient but can help hospitals significantly reduce spending. In a March 28 webinar sponsored by Everbridge and presented by Becker's Hospital Review, David Levine, MD, a general internist and investigator at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, both in Boston, explained how hospitals can reduce costs 52 percent by implementing an acute at-home care plan for patients. "Home hospital models are all about getting the right care to the right patient at the right time," Dr. Levine said. Home hospitals are designed to provide care to patients in the middle of the acuity spectrum. Dr. Levine emphasized home hospitals can cherry-pick those patients who need medical floor care but who do not require intensive care unit services. At Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dr. Levine and his research team conducted a study to determine the success of at-home care. The first step was determining which patients would be included in the study. Of patients who were admitted to the hospital from the emergency room, Dr. Levine determined which patients met the criteria for home hospital care. Those patients were then split between a control group, who were admitted to the hospital, and the group that received at-home care. Overall, nine patients were included in the home hospital study and 11 were in the control group. Results showed 30-day readmission rates dropped significantly when a patient received home hospital care. Of the nine at-home patients, one (11 percent) was readmitted to the hospital in 30 days compared to 36 percent of hospital patients. Additionally, the hospital saved money on lab orders per admission, as six lab orders were from the home hospital group, compared to 19 labs ordered in the control group. In all, the hospital experienced a 52 percent cut in spending with home health. How do I introduce home hospital care at my hospital? Just as it is important to choose the appropriate patients for home hospital care, it is equally important to design a care team to meet patients' needs. "Our team was very sleek, and that's how we designed it," Dr. Levine said. "As opposed to [saying], 'This is the staff a hospital has how should we share it with our patients?' we started with the nurse and a physician. We were then able to reach up or down an entire home health team to complement the nurse and physician." Being in a patient's home does not mean physicians and nurses must leave their equipment behind. Home health teams can transport point-of-care blood tests, ultrasounds for echocardiograms and X-ray machines. Additionally, physicians can bring acute inpatient medications, chronic outpatient medications and urgent care medications to a patient's home depending on his or her needs. Other equipment easily transferable for home health includes ambulatory infusion pumps, peripheral IVs and oxygen concentrators. Physicians also need a way to communicate with the patient while the patient is at home. Hospitals can deploy encrypted messaging, video conferencing and remote monitoring devices, among others, to ensure physicians can communicate effectively with the hospital and their patient. How can I stay ahead of the home health curve? Home health is not a new concept in healthcare. Throughout the U.S., hospitals and health systems are looking at ways to improve their home hospital models. Technology will become a bigger player in home hospital models in the coming years. Brigham and Women's Hospital is working on developing drone delivery methods. Additionally, patients can expect to incorporate sensing devices into their homes. As digital health technologies continue to penetrate the home environment, and as advancing medical technologies empower clinicians to deliver higher acuity care outside of the hospital, health systems can get ahead of the curve by focusing on their home health models. To watch the webinar, click here. To view the webinar slides, click here. To learn more about Everbridge, click here. The family of a former patient recently filed a lawsuit against Washington, D.C.-based MedStar Washington Hospital Center, stating the hospital's infection control problems contributed to the death of a 70-year-old female patient last year, according to USA Today. Carol Leonard, 70, underwent thyroid surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in February 2017 a procedure hospital officials said was so routine, she would be discharged within the next day or so, the report states. However, Ms. Leonard reportedly died within a week of the surgery from a sepsis infection. The lawsuit, filed by Ms. Leonard's family, cites infection control issues and ongoing sewage leaks in the hospital's operating rooms among the "continual onslaught of substandard care" Ms. Leonard received while she was being treated at the hospital, according to the report. The lawsuit also raises questions about officials' decision not to provide Ms. Leonard with antibiotics despite having been aware of the hospital's infection risks. USA Today reports Ms. Leonard's surgery took place roughly six months after D.C. health officials released a report in August 2016 detailing "black water" sewage leaks in multiple ORs. Health officials returned to the hospital Aug. 18, 2017, and found the hospital still suffered from sewage issues, according to the report. The 2016 report shows CMS placed the hospital in "immediate jeopardy" of losing its Medicare and Medicaid funding because of its failure to protect patients from the ongoing infection control issues. If a hospital receives the "immediate jeopardy" status, CMS may terminate the hospital's accreditation if it does not meet the deadline for compliance. MedStar Washington Hospital Center received the "immediate jeopardy" status and submitted a plan for correction Aug. 18, 2017. CMS removed the designation Aug. 21, according to the report. In an April 2 statement to Becker's Hospital Review, a spokesperson for MedStar Washignton Hospital Center said, "A recent media story created a false impression of MedStar Washington Hospital Center's facilities. Last summer, we found minor leaks in an operating room. We closed the room immediately, conducted necessary repairs, cleaned and sterilized it and brought in an outside hygienist to ensure that the room was safe for patient care. We have had no new leaks since August 2017. We are in full compliance with the facility action plan accepted by the D.C. Department of Health. In addition, we are fully licensed by the health department and accredited by The Joint Commission, both of which thoroughly and regularly review our OR standards and protocols for providing a safe environment for every patient." "Regarding the recently filed lawsuit, we are very sorry for the loss the Leonard family has experienced," the spokesperson added. Editor's note: This article was updated at 4:40 p.m. to include a statement from MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente told The Sacramento Bee a labor and delivery nurse who said Stephon Clark "deserved it" in a Facebook post is no longer employed at the system's Roseville (Calif.) Medical Center. Screenshots taken by activist Christina Arechiga revealed Faith Linthicum, RN, the former Kaiser nurse, posted a comment to her Facebook in reference to Mr. Clark, a black man who was fatally shot by Sacramento police on March 18 while unarmed. Ms. Linthicum's Facebook post read, "Yeah but he was running from the police jumping over fences and breaking in peoples houses why run??!!! He deserved it for being stupid." After seeing the comment, Ms. Arechiga discovered Ms. Linthicum worked as a nurse in the Sacramento area. She screenshotted several of the nurse's comments and shared them on Facebook. Ms. Arechiga told the Bee people of color were unknowingly entrusting their infants to the nurse and paying her salary with their insurance money. On Facebook, Ms. Arechiga said, "How can we trust our lives, the lives of our black and brown babies to these people? Nurses are supposed to help people not be happy when people die." Early last week, Kaiser told the Bee Ms. Linthicum was on administrative leave pending investigation. Then, on March 29, Kaiser told the Bee the nurse was no longer with the system and provided the publication with a statement, saying it "does not tolerate hate or discrimination and has a long history of embracing diversity and inclusion it remains a place where we welcome everyone. We want to emphasize that the comments expressed by this employee, who is no longer with the organization, do not in any way reflect Kaiser Permanente's views or actions." When asked if Ms. Linthicum was fired for her comments, a Kaiser spokesperson told the Bee it would not disclose details on personnel matters. To read the full The Sacramento Bee's full report, click here. More articles on workforce: 20 hospitals hiring nurses Nurses among those least likely to contemplate a career change Medical and health tops FlexJobs' list of fields with most remote jobs Medtronic CEO Omar Ishrak is pushing for the device manufacturer to take on more risk-based compensation contracts, The Wall Street Journal reports. Here are five things to know. 1. Currently, Medtronic is signing contracts with customers to adjust prices based on how well the specific product works rather than having a customer paying a fixed price for a product despite its performance. The move toward outcome-based contracts follows the healthcare industry's push toward value-based care. 2. Medtronic began signing outcome-based contracts in 2017. To date, the company has signed close to 1,000 contracts that require the company to reimburse hospitals for certain infection costs. The company also signed an agreement with Aetna to combine a portion of the reimbursements the insurer pays for insulin pumps if a patient doesn't see an improvement with Medtronic's pump. 3. When asked about the decision to move toward outcome-based contracts, Mr. Ishrak told WSJ, "Medtronic is focused on technologies to improve outcomes. We use biomedical engineering to alleviate pain, restore health and extend life." "Historically weve done that by creating credible evidence that our technologies do change outcomes. But at the end of the day, we and the industry get paid on the technology itself and a promise that those outcomes will actually be changed," said Mr. Ishrak. 4. Mr. Ishrak emphasized the move toward these contracts is to provide additional assurance to customers that they are receiving their money's worth, instead of as a way for Medtronic to reduce costs. 5. When talking about why more device companies are not moving to this model, Mr. Ishrak said, "It's difficult to do. Incentives for the whole healthcare industry don't encourage this. You get paid for a service; that's easier than being paid for an outcome. You get paid for a technology; that's easier than getting paid for the technology actually doing something. So, the incentive structures across multiple stakeholders, almost every stakeholder, are fashioned to make this risky proposition." "The fee-for-service model is just not a sustainable model, and we have to do our piece in a managed way, a responsible way, to move the ball forward." The mortal remains of 38 Indians who lost their lives in Iraqs Mosul in 2014 in a terror outfit Islamic State, will be reaching India on Monday. Reportedly, out of the total 39 Indians, one mans mortal remains will not be brought as his case was still pending. Ministry of State for External Affairs VK Singh left for Mosul on Sunday to receive the remains. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on March 20 informed in the Parliament that the 39 Indians who went missing in Iraq were killed. The war memorial that used to be in the old York Street Railway station is now in a Translink staff car park on the York Road behind a high wall and is not open to the public The war memorial that used to be in the old York Street Railway station It's only been visible from the top of a double-decker for almost 60 years, but now a campaign is under way to access a war memorial that once stood at the old York Street train station. The cenotaph was erected at the station to commemorate railway staff who lost their lives during the First World War. The terminus, which dated back to 1848, officially closed in 1992 to be replaced by Yorkgate station. The only trace remaining today is a maintenance depot still in use. Translink said a service is held at the memorial every Remembrance Day and that access can be granted by prior arrangement. However, there are calls for it to be accessible all-year round. North Belfast man William McQuade said it would be fitting 100 years on from the end of the Great War. He believes it could be made accessible simply by removing a small section of wall, and has even offered to fundraise to cover the costs. "It's right at the wall at the York Street city-bound stop, so if you are on a double-decker bus you'd be able to see the top of it," he told the Belfast Telegraph. "With this being the centenary year it would be a lovely gesture to give it back to the people of the area." Mr McQuade has written to the chief executive of Translink requesting a meeting. Former Coronation Street actor Charlie Lawson also lent his voice to the campaign. A previous request for the war memorial to be moved to a site on the Shore Road was unsuccessful. Translink said: "This war memorial was originally erected by the Midland Railway Company at York Street station to commemorate railway staff who lost their lives in the Great War. When the station underwent redevelopment, it was moved to Carrickfergus. "During work at Carrickfergus in the early 2000s, the war memorial was moved to York Road engineering facility, where it remains. Every year on November 11 (or the Friday before if it is a weekend) a remembrance service is held at the cenotaph. This event has always been open to the public to attend. "We have also made the cenotaph available for wreath-laying ceremonies during recent parades relating to the First World War. People can view the war memorial by prior arrangement as it is located within a working engineering facility." Businesses should come clean about the difficulties they are facing as a result of Brexit and the impact it will have on consumers, the Square Miles governing body has said. Catherine McGuinness, head of policy at the City of London Corporation, told the Press Association that business leaders speaking up about challenges is a sign of realism rather than politics. I dont think thats being political, she said. I think that saying Brexit is very difficult and there are real problems here and we need to sort out a sensible way isnt necessarily being political, I think thats the reality. And I think it is useful when business tells us thats the reality and its going to have these implications for customers. Ms McGuinness explained that the Corporation supported Remain before the referendum but has since adopted a pragmatic approach and is working with the financial sector to identify issues and possible solutions. Few financial services firms and a minority of business leaders have come out to say that the EU divorce will leave their companies in a better position, the most prominent of which have included Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin and entrepreneur James Dyson. Expand Close City of London stock PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp City of London stock Mr Martin has accused Remain figures of being too negative and claims the Brexit process is unlikely to have an adverse effect on the UK economy as companies will be able to replace EU suppliers with international alternatives, while Leave campaigner Mr Dyson has said he believes 90% of future growth would come from outside the EU. The Corporation has been calling for a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU which would cover financial services through mutual recognition, meaning financial firms will not have to rely on equivalence which requires approval by the bloc and could be revoked. While the recently struck transition agreement is undoubtedly positive for the City, Ms McGuinness said too little has been achieved since Brexit talks began. Two steps forward, one step back is a good way of putting it, and indeed Ive said that myself from time to time. At the moment I do think weve made progress, it has been slow and it has been too slow, but I would say that, over the last few weeks, weve seen some real advances. She also said it was positive to see a little chink in the EU response, in that they do now seem to accept that financial services need specific dealing with. Of course Europe, the EU, is trying to attract as many jobs as possible. We would be doing that in the same positionCatherine McGuinness, City of London Corp head of policy The policy chief was alluding to a draft of EU Council guidelines for negotiations which reportedly include a reference to the need for allowing appropriate access to financial services markets through reviewed and improved equivalence mechanisms. Its a tiny little gleam of light, Ms McGuinness said. But weve got a lot of work to do to persuade them, I think, that what were proposing will, as we believe, work for the EU as well as the UK. Without a deal, businesses are expected to shift EU-focused operations and key staff to rival financial hubs including Dublin, Paris, Frankfurt and Luxembourg. JP Morgan is ramping up a number of EU sites with plans to move up to 1,000 London front and back-office roles, while EU lender Deutsche Bank is preparing to settle more of its transactions out of Frankfurt and is likely to move hundreds of staff from London. Separately, HSBC has said it is on course to move up to 1,000 jobs to France. However, Ms McGuinness said she is not seeing any signs of a great Brexodus, with most institutions planning to keep their big operations in the UK. The question is what they would need to have elsewhere in order to serve customers properly, and of course Europe, the EU, is trying to attract as many jobs as possible. We would be doing that in the same position. Ford's taken its flagship SUV, the Edge, and applied liberal amounts of chrome and equipment to create the new Edge Vignale. Tom Wiltshire puts it to the test. Ford's Vignale nameplate is a luxury sub-brand, which Ford says is a response to customer feedback. Loyal buyers of the American brand were buying more and more top-spec Titanium models, leaving them nothing higher to upgrade to when trade-in time came around. In response, Ford's added Vignale trim across its model line-up, which acts as a range-topping trim - giving customers extra kit, improved materials, chrome detailing, and dedicated Vignale benefits. We're testing Ford's flagship SUV - the Edge - in this glitzy Vignale spec. The Edge is an American import, and sells in huge numbers across the pond, but does this kit-and-chrome-laden 4x4 appeal to UK tastes? What's new? On the outside, the Edge Vignale gets a selection of exclusive paint colours. Once it's been painted, Ford lets its design team loose with chrome detailing - there's a massive and imposing Vignale-specific grille, glitzy chrome wheels and shiny roof rails. Inside, the Vignale gets quilted leather seats, while Ford's covered the plastic dashboard with swathes of leather. The carpet's thicker, and even the boot is coated in deep-pile shag. Under the skin not much has changed, but there's extra soundproofing to make the Vignale a relaxed and refined cruiser. What's under the bonnet? The Edge Vignale is available with just one 2.0-litre diesel, available in two states of tune. The lesser model gets 178bhp and a six-speed manual gearbox, while the top brass can choose the 207bhp version mated to a six-speed auto. Our car was the latter. The engine is fairly refined, but it's definitely no speed demon. What's it like to drive? Ford has a strong track record for making cars that handle well, and the Edge is no exception. For such a big car it's unusually good in the corners. But in standard form, the Edge is a very heavy car; the Vignale even more so - and you can definitely feel that weight working against you. The steering is accurate if a tad over-assisted - a necessary evil when trying to give such a big car light steering. How does it look? Some will love the Edge's combination of imposing American style and shiny chrome - others will find it a bit chintzy. We initially fell into the latter camp, but had to admit the car grew on us as the week drew on. It's certainly eye-catching, and if you want road presence, few cars at this price are better. What's it like inside? Roomy, spacious and comfortable: four or even five adults can sit comfortably, and the vast boot has over 600 litres of space for your kit. Lots of places inside have benefitted from the upgrading of materials and you'll definitely appreciate all that sumptuous leather and other extras, especially on long journeys. What's the spec like? Ford throws the book at Vignale models as standard, and you won't be left wanting for much. Dynamic LED headlights, quilted and heated leather seats, a hands-free electric tailgate and digital gauge cluster all come as standard. You also get Ford's Sync3 infotainment system, with sat-nav, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Verdict If you want a big, luxurious SUV, the Edge Vignale has a lot going for it in what is a very competitive premium market. There's a definite sense that if you're already sold on the Edge, opting for the Vignale wouldn't be too big a stretch. Those who do go for it will find a spacious, relaxed SUV with a comfortably familiar badge on the bonnet. Omagh bomb campaigner Michael Gallagher has voiced his disappointment that proposals for an agreed victims' candidate in the West Tyrone by-election look set to fail. Mr Gallagher, whose son Aiden was murdered in the 1998 atrocity, told the Belfast Telegraph that so far there had not been a positive response to the idea. He said: "Everybody seems to want to take their own chances and do as they have done in the past. "Everybody thinks that they can have a chance, but when you have a majority like Sinn Fein at the last election, I think that's a very difficult, uphill battle for any candidate." Mr Gallagher said people in the constituency should have their voice heard at Westminster. "I think that would send a strong message, but it looks like that will not be the case," he added. Mr Gallagher's comments came as Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann called again for a "non-partisan" candidate to contest the election on May 3. The by-election was caused by the resignation of Sinn Fein's Barry McElduff, who was heavily criticised after posing with a Kingsmill loaf of bread on his head on the anniversary of the 1976 massacre of 10 Protestant workmen. Mr Swann said: "When Barry McElduff resigned I stated that given the hurt caused to victims by the contempt and disrespect demonstrated by members of Sinn Fein, that the resulting by-election should provide them with a voice. "It should ideally see a non-partisan candidate who could gain cross-community support, stand in the election to send a strong message that the disrespect shown to victims of terrorism will not be tolerated. "I'm still of that firm belief. "It is clear that Sinn Fein has learnt nothing from the appalling disrespect shown by Barry McElduff. "Only last week they failed to condemn the banner put on display in Newry describing one of the IRA's most ruthless terrorists caught in possession of one of the murder weapons used at Kingsmill as 'our hero'. "It seems that nothing has changed in terms of Sinn Fein's attitude towards victims of terrorism and for that reason I will continue to do what I can to facilitate a voice for victims in the forthcoming by-election." But he added: "However, time is short, with nominations closing on April 10. "If it cannot be achieved, we will have to consider other options." Solicitor Orfhlaith Begley has been announced by Sinn Fein as its candidate, but won't take her seat if elected due to the party's policy of abstentionism. The DUP said: "The DUP is aware of the forthcoming West Tyrone by-election and will have further comment to make in due course." The Alliance Party candidate will be Stephen Donnelly, a student from Clanabogan. No SDLP candidate has been announced, but West Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan said that the selection process was under way. The flag in Newcastle, Co Down. A local UUP representative has said that visitors to a Northern Ireland seaside resort have expressed their displeasure at a paramilitary flag flying in the area. The flag, which depicts a rifle, is currently flying in Newcastle, Co Down. Ulster Unionist Alan Lewis has condemned the flying of the flag. He said the flag bears the phrase 'Cumann na mBan' which translates as 'The Women's Council' - an Irish republican women's paramilitary group founded in 1914. The group was traditionally linked with Sinn Fein and the IRA but split off after Sinn Fein entered mainstream politics in the 1980s. Cumann na mBan is a banned organisation in the United Kingdom under the Terrorism Act 2000 Mr Lewis said he had been contacted about the flag by people visiting the town. "Im shocked but not surprised. Newcastle is a busy tourist destination especially over the Easter weekend," he said. "Visitors have contacted me to voice disgust at republican paramilitary flags which are flying along central promenade, not to mention the blatant display of militant glorification on display as a parade took place down Main Street on a busy Sunday afternoon. "Its unfortunate that republican coat trailing continues in South Down, damaging community relations while creating unnecessary animosity. "I call on those with influence to recognise the repercussions of their actions." Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Saoradh hold an "unfinished revolution" march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery on March 31st 2018(Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) DUP representatives are set to meet the PSNI after a paramilitary-style parade involving up to 40 men and women wearing military clothing took place in west Belfast. The march, organised by republican group Saoradh, was one of a number of dissident demonstrations that took place on Saturday. Nine republicans were arrested after disturbances at the annual Easter Rising commemoration in Lurgan. Two of those arrested have been released on bail while six men will appear at Lisburn Court today. A 76-year-old woman was injured during the disturbances and was taken to hospital. Police were present at the Unfinished Revolution march from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery in the city. However, they made no arrests despite dozens of participants wearing military fatigues, berets and sunglasses. William Humphrey of the DUP said the PSNI and Parades Commission should be doing "all they can to prevent such scenes" from happening again. The North Belfast MLA said: "There's no place for any such scenes in a civilised society in 2018 and whether it's Lurgan or west Belfast, it shouldn't be happening. The police and the Parades Commission should be doing all they can to prevent it from happening." He said the DUP are now seeking to meet both the PSNI and Parades Commission over the parade in west Belfast. He added: "We need an explanation as to why police didn't intervene. These scenes are not acceptable. We need to ascertain to why they had an operation in Lurgan but none in west Belfast and whether those parades that took place in west Belfast were illegal." Police defended their operational response in Belfast saying it was "monitoring and gathering evidence". Superintendent Robert Murdie said: "A specific policing plan was put in place for a parade by the National Republican Commemoration Committee from Divis Street to Milltown Cemetery. "Our priorities were to keep communities safe, preserve public order, uphold the human rights of all and gather evidence of any wrongdoing. We took the decision to run an operational response that would focus on monitoring and gathering evidence of any offences. "We will review that evidence and where we identify any individuals committing offences, we will seek to bring them to justice. "I want to be clear that for anyone who engaged in actions that were unlawful, there will be consequences through the criminal justice system." Following Saturday's parade in Lurgan, police charged five men aged 48, 39, 36 and two aged 30 with taking part in the illegal march. Another man aged 28 has been charged with three counts of assault on police, taking part in an unnotified public procession and wearing clothing as a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation. The six are due to appear at Lisburn Magistrates Court today. A seventh man, aged 44, has been charged with two counts of obstructing police and assault on police. He is due to appear at Craigavon Magistrates Court on Friday, April 27. Two others were released on bail pending further police enquiries. Ulster Unionist Doug Beattie was among those to praise the police operation in Lurgan. Mr Beattie said: "Every year Republic Sinn Fein flout the law and organise an illegal terrorist show of strength in the Kilwilkie estate in Lurgan. Every year the PSNI have held back and adopted a low profile in an attempt to dissuade them from doing similar in the future. "That was until March 31, 2018. On Saturday the PSNI said enough is enough and through a well co-ordinated plan delivered with professionalism and skill they broke up this illegal RSF gathering and arrested the colour party." DUP Upper Bann MLA Carla Lockhart added: "I hear plenty of comments from republicans on legal Orange parades but they are strangely silent when republicans decide to march whenever they want glorifying terror in an illegal march. "It is good to see a robust operation to prevent this illegality rather than a follow-up arrest operation some weeks later." Meanwhile, police have issued a warning as tensions begin to rise ahead of a dissident republican parade in Derry today. The march, organised by the Derry 1916 Commemoration Committee, will take place in Creggan. Ann McKernan, the sister of the Guildford Four's Gerry Conlon, has died. Ms McKernan had called for the inquests into the 1974 Guildford pub bombings to be resumed, saying she had promised her brother she would continue the fight for justice. Mr Conlon was one of the quartet wrongly imprisoned for the IRA attacks in the Surrey town which killed five people- four soldiers and a civilian- and injured 65. The Guildford Four were handed life sentences but had their convictions overturned in 1989. Their case became one of the best known miscarriages of justice in British legal history. Announcing the death of Ms McKernan, a family member wrote on social media: "It is with great sadness that we tell you our beautiful brave mother queen of our hearts has finally gained her angel wings. We know she was dearly loved and respected by all who knew her and we appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers." SDLP councillor Tim Atwood said: "I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Ann. "Ann was a champion against social injustice and she stood firmly by Gerry through both his time in prison and when he sought a public apology. Ann was a rock for her family when both her brother and father were in prison. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Ann's family at this difficult time." Expand Close Ann McKernan, sister of Gerry Conlon, has died. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ann McKernan, sister of Gerry Conlon, has died. In November last year Belfast-based firm KRW Law applied to the senior coroner for Surrey to resume the inquests on behalf of Ms McKernan and a soldier who survived and who wishes to remain anonymous. The firm said the application was on the basis that the inquests were never completed following the conviction of the Guildford Four. Ms McKernan, speaking to the Press Association last year, said: "I promised him [Gerry Conlon] I would continue to get the proper justice for him. Not only for him, but for everyone involved in this." DUP MP Ian Paisley has apologised after retweeting an anti-Islam tweet from controversial columnist and television pundit Katie Hopkins. The tweet made reference to the murder rate in London being higher than New York in March 2018. Ms Hopkins then said: "And Ramadan's not yet begun." Posting on twitter, Mr Paisley said: "Mea culpa earlier today I glanced at a tweet & rt about # of murders in London. Didn't take cognisance of Ramadan ref. Once brought to my attention immediately deleted. Apologise profusely for offence caused." A DUP spokesperson told the Belfast Telegraph: Ian Paisley retweeted a comment originally posted on twitter by Katie Hopkins from his personal twitter account. "He has subsequently removed it. The original tweet was totally inappropriate and the DUP deplores its sentiments. The Party Officers will consider this matter at their next meeting. Responding to the Belfast Telegraph's story, Ms Hopkins said on Twitter: "Bless your heart Ian Paisley- thanks for being a loyal secret follower. Big love to the DUP." She later tweeted the MP might be about to face suspension. Ms Hopkins is a controversial figure who has attracted criticism in the past for her comments relating to immigration and race. A Sinn Fein spokesperson had earlier said: "Ian Paisley should immediately withdraw his retweet of this deeply offensive comment and apologise unreservedly to the Muslim community. "The DUP should also distance itself from the views expressed in the retweet and tell the public how it intends to deal with this matter, if at all, as in the past many in the DUP have gone out of their way to offend the LGBT community, the Irish language community and Irish nationalists, and they have insulted the Muslim community too in the not so distant past. "This nasty and arrogant disregard the DUP have for whole communities has to end and leadership is required from the top to send a message that comments like these are unacceptable." There have been calls for DUP MP Ian Paisley to apologise after he retweeted a tweet by controversial columnist and television pundit Kate Hopkins. Mr Paisley retweeted the tweet (pictured) which made reference to the murder rate in London being higher than New York in March 2018. Ms Hopkins then said: "And Ramadan's not yet begun." The media personality has attracted criticism in the past for her comments relating to immigrants and race. Former Sinn Fein MLA Daithi McKay called for the DUP to apologise for Mr Paisley's retweet. "DUP must immediately apologise for their endorsement of this message," he said. "In most parties this would lead to immediate suspension if not worse." We have contacted the DUP for a response. Retired veterans have called for a centre to provide medical care and support for their colleagues in confidence to be set up in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Crown Forces Veterans for Justice (NICFVFJ) was set up by retired soldiers, police officers and prison officers last year to advocate for what they have described as an "abused sector". They are to meet DUP leader Arlene Foster to emphasise the critical need for facilities and funding for veterans, warning that a peak of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder cases that may have affected many who went through traumatic experiences in the Troubles is yet to be reached. The NICFVFJ has also urged families of murdered members of the military to come forward and seek answers for what happened to their loved ones, claiming that the quest for justice appears to it to be very one-sided. It held a rally at Belfast City Hall last year to protest at how it feels veterans have been treated by the judicial system. That feeling was heightened last week when a judge ruled that two ex-soldiers are to stand trial charged with the murder of Official IRA man Joe McCann in Belfast 46 years ago. Founder Mel Brown (51), who served with the UDR, said the members want to work towards taking judicial review of decisions to prosecute former soldiers. She added that she feels ex-military members have not just suffered neglect, but abuse, and have been "wilfully ignored". Wilfie Brown (53), who was in the Royal Irish for 22 years, said there have been numerous concessions to terrorists, including the early release of prisoners and comfort letters. He pointed to the millions of pounds of Peace money from Europe, some of which has gone to groups which included some members of staff who were formerly involved with terrorist groups. By contrast, he told the Belfast Telegraph, former members of the security forces who protected the public from terrorists have been "thrown to the wolves". He added: "There have been four agreements and the military has never been top of the priority list. "There are around 141,000 veterans in Northern Ireland, including RUC, UDR, RIR and the Prison Service, as well as their families. "We gave years of our lives to protecting the public, and now we are thrown to the wolves. "There is such a lack of understanding of the torment. "It's (flashbacks of the Troubles) on our TVs coming into our living rooms, going over the many atrocities we attended. "Half of my life I was prepared to give my life for Queen and country. "Then suddenly they (the military) upped and went, and left no facilities." Mr Brown said many former members of the military do not seek medical help for fear of speaking out to people they do not know. "Former UUP leader Mike Nesbitt talked about a Maze centre for the military, but we want to emphasise that it must be for the military alone," he said. "As a former soldier, you feel you can't just walk into any health centre and start talking about your service, the things you have seen and gone through." Former RUC officer Davy Crooks said the group has heard from many retired servants of the Crown who find it difficult to rebuild their lives after their service. He made the point it is impossible to "rebrand", and admitted he had not had a job since he retired 16 years ago due to this reason. Two men have been remanded in custody following one of the largest drug seizures in Northern Ireland with an estimated street value of 1.3million. Kevin McPolin (32) and Niall Mallon (37) were denied bail after appearing before Newry Magistrates Court on Easter Monday they spoke briefly only to confirm they understood the charges against them. Both men stood side-by-side in the dock as they were charged with importing class B drugs, possession, and possession with intent to supply after a large quantity of cannabis was found in a fuel container in Dromore during a police raid on Friday. The drugs were recovered from a property on Ballynaris Lane, where Mallon lives with his parents It emerged that a third man has absconded police capture by fleeing the jurisdiction. Detective Constable Kinkaid told the court that a package containing a large quantity of class B drugs estimated to have a street value of 1.3million was discovered through an intelligence led operation carried out in co-operation with Gardai and described the haul as one of the largest drug seizures in Northern Ireland. Expand Close Drugs seized by PSNI (PSNI/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Drugs seized by PSNI (PSNI/PA) The prosecution told the court they believe Mallon and McPolin are part of a sophisticated crime gang moving drugs across Europe and said the chance of both men re-offending to make up for the financial loss was high. The court was told that during police interview Mr Mallon confirmed he lived at the address where the drugs were seized but refused to account for his movements that day. He has also refused to provide police with the PIN number required to access his phone. Shipping documentation - linked to unnamed persons who were not present in court - and 1,500 in cash were also seized in the operation. DC Kinkaid told the court that McPolin claimed the money was from the sale of a car but that he was unable to provide evidence of the transaction. The court heard how McPolin, who lives with his parents at Edenderry Park in Banbridge, was captured on CCTV collecting a trailer in a white Citreon van from a rental business in Dublin on Friday before allegedly transporting the drugs into the country. Mr Kinkaid said the company was able to provide Gardai with a phone number used by the customer to arrange collection which relates to an "unnamed person who is still at large". The court also heard how during a police interview McPolin insisted he didnt know what was in the package and had only found out about the cannabis following his arrest - he admitted being with Mr Mallon in Dublin but claimed he couldnt remember "anything else about that day". Expand Close PSNI Det. Supt. Bobby Singleton pictured beside an industrial sized fuel tank that had inside what could be one of Northern Ireland's largest ever hauls of herbal cannabis with an estimate in the region of 1.3 million. Matt Mackey / INPHO / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp PSNI Det. Supt. Bobby Singleton pictured beside an industrial sized fuel tank that had inside what could be one of Northern Ireland's largest ever hauls of herbal cannabis with an estimate in the region of 1.3 million. DC Kincaide advised that bail be denied to both men whose release could interfere with active lines of enquiry into other individuals. But the defence solicitor argued that bail should be granted given that McPolin is currently unemployed and his partner, Ms McIlroy, is expecting the arrival of their first child this week. The suggestion that there is a risk of re-offending certainly isnt borne out by the facts, he added. The solicitor also asked the judge to take McPolins limited criminal record into account which consists of several driving offences, however he also revealed that his client received a caution in 2004 for cannabis which has since been deleted. If released on strict conditions he would want to be with his family for the birth of his first child, McPolins solicitor told the judge. There is no evidence that he will intimidate witnesses. The defence also argued that an an army of conditions could be imposed on Mallon which would severely limit his movements. The court was told that he too has only a limited record. But Judge Eamonn King said that while each of the accused has a minimal entry in relation to the misuse of drugs that he had to take police objections seriously. This is a Europe wide enterprise spanning a number of jurisdictions, he said. It has the appearance of a sophisticated operation and the investigation is only in its early stages. Mr King said that police need time to examine evidence and track the origin and pathway of the drugs including relationships these men have with other people involved. The judge said there was a serious risk they would abscond and interfere with the investigation which is in its early stages. Both men will reappear before the court by way of video link on April 26. The NI Air Ambulance at the Castlerock Road in Coleraine on Saturday evening A Coleraine man is fighting for his life in hospital after being dragged along a road in the town on Saturday by a horse that had bolted. The victim, named locally as Simon Fleming and aged in his 40s, suffered serious head injuries after being pulled for more than 500 metres. "He was strapped to the horse, he had only just wrapped the harness around his hand when it just bolted," a neighbour said. "He was dragged a considerable distance and the horse was kicking out as well." It is understood he was working with the horse in a field near St John's Church on Somerset Drive when the animal was spooked by a barking dog. Emergency crews attended the scene at Pates Lane at around 5.20pm before the Northern Ireland Air Ambulance was scrambled. It had to land in the car park of Coleraine Health Centre on Castlerock Road. Paramedics worked on the badly injured man for over an hour before he could be taken to the aircraft. SDLP councillor Stephanie Quigley offered her sympathy to the victim and his family. "I grew up in the same area as Simon and went to the same primary school, what happened to him this weekend is nothing short of horrendous," Ms Quigley said. "My parents and I prayed for him after Sunday lunch and I would like to extend my thoughts and sincere sympathy to Simon and the rest of the family." DUP councillor George Duddy said the Fleming family were well-known in the Killowen area for their love of horses. He expressed his shock and sorrow following the accident. "They are a big family and they have kept horses and ponies for generations, but it was a big hobby for Simon," he said. "It's very sad that this has happened and that he's ended up in this position. "Nobody deserves this and I just hope he can pull through. "It seems like it was just a terrible accident and my thoughts are with Simon and the wider family circle." This is the latest tragedy to hit the family. Simon Fleming's older brother Paddy was stabbed to death in Coleraine in 2006. The 40-year-old was at the centre of a major financial investigation at the time centred on a horse trading business, which was seized during a probe by the Assets Recovery Agency. The agency took control of stables, 15 horses and an equestrian arena in December 2004. Following this his other brother Damien was almost beaten to death by a loyalist gang in May 2009. Catholic cross-community worker Kevin McDaid (49) was murdered in the same sectarian attack, which took place after a group of 40 men turned up at his family home near Somerset Drive to remove tricolours in the area. Damien spent four weeks in a coma after intervening in the vicious attack to try and save the father-of-four. Mr McDaid's wife was also assaulted, along with a pregnant woman. Nine men were jailed in 2014 for a series of offences relating to the savage attack. The Orange Order has refused to meet Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald. Grand secretary Mervyn Gibson said it was not in a position to meet the republican party's new leader out of respect for brethren murdered by the IRA. Rev Gibson made the comments to the Belfast Telegraph after Ms McDonald said she wanted to make a "big gesture" to unionists. The Sinn Fein president said she felt "liberated" as leader, and said meeting representatives from the organisation would be a "positive" move. "I think for Sinn Fein to meet officially with the Orange Order - what harm can it do? "I think these discussions and these dialogues, at a minimum, achieve the very positive thing of people showing the respect to each other, of sitting down with each other." However, Rev Gibson rejected the suggestion. "We would not be in a position, nor would we wish to, meet the president of Sinn Fein at this point," he said. "There are 335 reasons why not - 335 of our murdered brethren that would stop us. "The hurt caused to those families, one in 10 of the people murdered by republicans through the Troubles were our brethren, and that hurt is still real. The families' wishes would be paramount, so we certainly wouldn't be in any position to meet her at present." In an interview with the Sunday Business Post, Ms McDonald also said she would consider having two parliaments on the island of Ireland if it helped achieve reunification. The prospect, which would see an Assembly in Northern Ireland work along with the Dail in Dublin, is unlikely to satisfy many republicans, most of whom would like to see the back of Stormont. The Sinn Fein leader said: "It's at a point now where people can intervene and say: 'Hang on a minute, this is what we think, or let's consider this'. I think all of those ideas - I'm not going to discount or rule out anything because that is not the way you have an open or respectful conversation with people." The TD, who took over the top job after Gerry Adams stood down seven weeks ago, said she is working towards a referendum on unity. She said: "I want us to win that referendum. But crucially, I want us to win that referendum in an atmosphere of respect and maximising consensus. We have to have a very, very broad mind. "That's going to be a bit of a challenge for some within nationalism and some within republicanism: to say that many of the things that people hold dear, we may have to go and have a conversation about again." Ms McDonald said the fact things had grown increasingly polarised in the absence of power-sharing in Northern Ireland was not good for anybody. She said: "That bothers me, that worries me. That's not good for anybody. I think, at times like this, you have to lead from the front. You have to say that polarisation isn't good and you have to set about doing something about it." She talked down any "shadow Assembly", branding such a set-up as litle more than a "talking shop" without power. Police wish to speak to this man in connection with a burglary Police investigating a burglary in south Belfast last year have released the image of a man they believe could assist them with their enquiries. The burglary took place at a parochial house in Marquis Street, south Belfast in September 2017. It occurred at around 4.30pm on Friday 15th September, when entry was gained to the property and a sum of cash and an I-pad was reported stolen. Detective Sergeant Sam McCallum appealed to anyone who can assist in identifying the man pictured to contact detectives in Musgrave on 101 quoting reference number 1040 15/09/17. Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime. Two key moves to reduce the Catholic Church's control of education in the Irish Republic will be made within weeks - just as bishops prepare for their biggest celebration in almost 40 years Two key moves to reduce the Catholic Church's control of education in the Irish Republic will be made within weeks - just as bishops prepare for their biggest celebration in almost 40 years. Plans by Irish education minister Richard Bruton to remove a cornerstone of Catholic school admission polices - the so-called baptism barrier - are at an advanced stage. So too are moves to ask parents to decide who should run Catholic primary schools. The head-on challenge to the foundations of Catholic education comes amid preparations for the visit by Pope Francis in August. Lifting the 'baptism barrier' requires a change in the law, and Mr Bruton expects to be able to make an announcement shortly on how he proposes to do that, a Dublin Department of Education spokesman said. The move will raise Church-State tensions in advance of the papal visit and also coincides with a divisive referendum on abortion. The 'baptism barrier' allows Church-run schools to give priority admission to pupils baptised in their faith - for which they have legal protection under the Equal Status Act. It has become a source of growing controversy as 90% of primary schools are under Catholic control, although the proportion of the population declaring as Catholic is in sharp decline. A second initiative represents a further attempt to broaden choice for parents and identify Catholic primary schools that may be handed over to a multi-denominational patron. Mr Bruton said "supporting the transfer of schools to multi-denominational patrons, in response to the wishes of local families, will be based on cooperation and transparency". An Assembly Member is calling on the PSNI to probe bombings carried out by a member of the Victims' Forum for Troubles survivors. TUV leader Jim Allister was speaking to the Belfast Telegraph in the wake of revelations that one member of the Forum had resigned after discovering that another member - Robert McClenaghan - was a convicted IRA man. On Saturday the News Letter reported that Carrickfergus pensioner Jackie Nichol had resigned after discovering McClenaghan's Provo history. Mr Nichol's 17-month-old son Colin was murdered in an IRA bombing in 1971. In a 2011 video documentary, McClenaghan had said he was "immensely proud" to have been in the IRA, and said it was his daily job to plant bombs in Belfast. Mr Nichol said he was furious to discover that the man he had befriended on the Forum had - unbeknown to him - been a terrorist bomber. Mr Allister said the presence of a convicted Provo in the Forum raised serious questions for the Victims' Commissioner. "I will be drawing the video formally to the attention of both the PSNI and the Victims' Commissioner," he said. "McClenaghan is on record as publicly stating: 'We went in to place the bombs into Belfast city centre. That just became like your job or a common part of your day'. "He needs to be questioned about what bombings he was involved in. "People deserve to know the answer to the question he declined to answer in a weekend Press report: did this member of the Victims' Forum create victims? This issue cannot be allowed to die." The North Antrim MLA added: "It has brought the issue of the flawed definition of victim to the fore and it needs to be rectified now. For no longer can innocent victims be equated with the victim makers." DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson also revealed yesterday that current members of the Victims' Forum had told him they faced harassment and intimidation in Forum discussions. "They tell me discussions are often dominated by a small number of people pushing an agenda - making allegations of collusion, and constantly criticising the police and the Army," he said. "It's evident that they are doing so while at the same time not allowing a proper debate and discussion about what paramilitary elements did during the Troubles." The MP said that one Forum member told him participation in its discussions was "reopening old wounds" rather than helping to heal them. "In one case, one man told me that he felt he was being retraumatised, in terms of having constantly to listen to this rhetoric. "He felt that his membership of the Forum - rather than helping him with the process of recovering from his experiences- has retraumatised him in many respects, opening up old wounds rather than helping them heal. "So there is a feeling that the Victims' Forum should not be providing a platform for people who want to pursue their own agendas. It should be a Forum which examines how we can move the legacy process forward in the future." The MP said he was seeking an urgent meeting with the Victims' Commissioner. "When we're hearing reports of victims feeling harassed and intimidated by some of the rhetoric that's being used by other members, well then, clearly there's a big problem that needs to be addressed," he said. McClenaghan's grandfather died in the UVF bomb attack on McGurk's Bar in the same year as Mr Nichol's baby son was murdered by the IRA. An officer cuts open the industrial-sized fuel tank in which the drugs were stashed Two men are due in court today over a 1.3m cannabis haul by police in Co Down on Friday night. The drugs were hidden inside an industrial-sized fuel tank that was stored on a shipping pallet at a property in Dromore. A specialist PSNI unit used angle grinders to break open the tank and reveal the cannabis stash, which is one of the largest discovered in Northern Ireland in recent times. The Two men, aged 32 and 37, will appear in court in Newry today charged with fraudulently importing class B drugs, possession of drugs and possession of drugs with intent to supply. A 78-year-old man and three women, one aged 42 and two aged 68, were also arrested and later released on bail. Putting the dozens of packages of drugs on display yesterday, police chiefs said it struck a major blow against a local organised crime gang. Confirming the haul was supplied by southern-based dealers, the head of the PSNI's Organised Crime Unit Detective Superintendent Bobby Singleton said: "For these organised crime groups borders are just lines that appear on a map somewhere. "They view the Irish drugs market as an all-island market and they are capable of moving seamlessly across both jurisdictions. "Here in the north we're a subsidiary market to both the UK and Irish Republic's drugs market. "In that respect it puts a challenge on us and gardai to work as closely as possible in order to tackle that." In a surveillance operation involving both the PSNI and Garda, operating under the Cross Border Joint Agency Taskforce, the 1.3m cannabis haul was watched being moved across the frontier. Once it arrived in Dromore undercover officers raided the property and used equipment to cut open the fuel tank in which the drugs were hidden. DS Singleton confirmed there was a family link between some of those arrested. He explained that the crime gang that owned the drugs had been under investigation for "quite a significant length of time". He said: "They would certainly have a footprint in (Co Down and Co Armagh), but when it comes to moving their product, their span stretches well beyond that. "At this stage we're not necessarily seeing links to paramilitaries, but when you take into account that it's a relatively small country, paramilitaries will be involved both directly and indirectly in the drugs trade. "You could argue at some point this (1.3m cannabis haul) may have crossed the path of paramilitaries." A British soldier, who was expecting his first child with his wife, has died in a tragic diving incident, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. Lance Corporal George Partridge, who died on March 26 at the National Dive Activity Centre in Chepstow has been described by his commanding officer as an exemplary soldier. The 27-year-old who joined the Army in 2010 had previously served in Afghanistan in 2012 and was based with the 26 Engineer Regiment in Perham Down, Wiltshire. His commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Simon Doyle, said: Quietly determined, hard-working and immensely popular, Lance Corporal George Partridge was an exemplary soldier. Humble but hugely capable, he was always ready to lend a helping hand where it was needed the most and at some point everyone in the regiment has had cause to be grateful for his ability to find you a car when the vehicle park seemed empty. Our clearest memories of him will always be on the rugby pitch and in the gymnasium, where he was the epitome of a Royal Engineer junior non-commissioned officer, always pushing himself and his soldiers to the next level, and always with a smile on his face. He will be sorely missed, and our thoughts are with his wife and family at this sad time. Having been selected for promotion to the rank of corporal, the MoD said he had recently achieved a long-held ambition to commence training as an Army diver. 26 Engineer Regiment posted on Facebook stating L/Cpl Partridge died during the final week of his Army diver course. An Army spokesman said they are investigating the incident, adding: Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this extremely difficult time. The MoD said L/Cpl Partridge loved his sport and fitness, and leaves behind his wife Zoe who is expecting their first child, parents Alyson and Stephen and siblings Lucy and Ben. Armed Forces Minister Mark Lancaster said it is clear from the testaments of his colleagues that he had a bright future in the Army and was held in the highest regard. Sergeant Chris Brignull described L/Cpl Partridge as an outstanding character and a great role model for younger sappers within the troop. Corporal Anthony Matthews said: He was a family-orientated man who was looking forward to starting his family with his wife Zoe. He was both a physically and mentally fit person who relished any challenge thrown in his direction. His squadron commander Major Matt Walker said the loss of this epic junior non-commissioned officer leaves a void in the squadron that cant be filled. While Lance Corporal Ash Skerten added: If I could be half the man he was I would be proud, he was the best soldier. Troop commander Lieutenant David Thornett said he was a genuinely good bloke who knew how to make people laugh and that he will be sorely missed. L/Cpl Partridges first years in the Army were spent at 21 Engineer Regiment in Ripon, North Yorkshire, before moving to 26 Engineer Regiment after promotion, the MoD said. He served as a motor transport Lance Corporal and was responsible for allocating drivers to tasks on daily driving details, as well as scheduling maintenance and repairs for the regiments large fleet of wheeled vehicles. Richard Ratcliffe holds a photograph of himself with wife Nazanin and daughter Gabriella, in front of a decorated tree in Fortune Green in West Hampstead, London, on the second anniversary of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffes detention in Iran (John Stillwell/PA) The husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British mother imprisoned in Iran, has called on Theresa May to intervene after the failure of efforts by Boris Johnson two years on from her arrest. Speaking at an event in Hampstead to mark the second anniversary of her detention, Richard Ratcliffe said: Nazanin is still in prison, so in simple terms, the Foreign Secretary has not done enough. The Prime Minister is more important, and just as we were pushing to meet the Foreign Secretary, at some point, if that is not enough, we have to push up another level and thats the Prime Minister. He added that he still wanted Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to be clear about the technicalities of what he thinks Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes rights are. He said: Before Christmas he vowed to leave no stone unturned, which was a political commitment, but legally, they say it is being treated as a consular case. Expand Close John and Barbara Ratcliffe, the parents of Richard Ratcliffe, help decorate a tree in Fortune Green in West Hampstead on the anniversary Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffes detention PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp John and Barbara Ratcliffe, the parents of Richard Ratcliffe, help decorate a tree in Fortune Green in West Hampstead on the anniversary Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffes detention Clearly this isnt a consular case where the Government has no obligations. Mr Ratcliffe was joined by over a dozen members of the local community including MP Tulip Siddiq in adorning a tree with yellow ribbons, from which they tied jokes and flowers. The event was designed to lift the spirits of Nazanins friends and family, after what Mr Ratcliffe called dark two years. Mr Ratcliffe has not seen his wife or his daughter Gabriella, who is now three, since they were stopped at the airport in Tehran in on April 3 2016. Expand Close Ribbons, jokes, hand-made flowers and painted stones are added to a tree in Fortune Green (John Stillwell/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ribbons, jokes, hand-made flowers and painted stones are added to a tree in Fortune Green (John Stillwell/PA) Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was subsequently jailed for five years, accused of seeking to overthrow the Iranian regime. Gabriella is being looked after by her grandparents in Tehran and has not seen her father for two years. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe denies the charges, insisting that the trip to Iran was a holiday, designed to introduce her daughter to her Iranian family. Her employer Thompson Reuters, where she is a project manager for its charitable foundation, says she was in the country to visit relatives and not there for work. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is a dual citizen of Iran and the United Kingdom, but Iran does not recognise dual citizenship, making it complicated for the British Embassy to make contact. Perhaps he (Boris Johnson) has no information to give because he hasnt put it at the top of his priority listTulip Siddiq, Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn The last news I heard out of Iran is that the head of the prison had approved her release and it was in the hands of the Iranian foreign ministry to talk with the British Government, said Mr Ratcliffe. Also speaking at the event was Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn Tulip Siddiq. She said: Every time I table a question to ministers they always say that they cant comment on the negotiations, so what I want to know is what are they negotiating and are they going to bring my constituent home? She added: We had a meeting with Boris Johnson and he said he would leave no stone unturned, but we havent seen the results so I need to escalate this and have asked for a meeting with the Prime Minister. When asked if Boris Johnson had been obstructive by denying her and Mr Ratcliffe Information, Ms Siddiq said: I dont know if its obstructive or that he has no information to give because hes done nothing on it. Perhaps he has no information to give because he hasnt put it at the top of his priority list. Labour has moved to distance itself from a series of pro-Corbyn social media groups (Jane Barlow/PA) A Jewish member of Labours ruling National Executive Committee has said she is frustrated with the pace of action in dealing with allegations of anti-Semitism in the party. But Rhea Wolfson said she expects the process to speed up with the arrival of new general secretary Jennie Formby, who has been told by party leader Jeremy Corbyn to make the issue her number one priority. Ex-Commons Speaker Lord Martin called for a special one-day conference of members to address the problem and demonstrate the partys abhorrence of anti-Semitism. The former Labour MP told The Guardian: If you ran a restaurant, and it was dirty and there were cockroaches, you wouldnt get away with saying the restaurant down the road is dirty and has cockroaches too. You would be expected to sort out the problem. Expand Close Lord Martin introduced to the House of Lords PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lord Martin introduced to the House of Lords And new NEC member Eddie Izzard told The Mirror: We must make amends and repair the damage with the Jewish community as Jeremy Corbyn has promised to do. Labour has moved to distance itself from a series of pro-Corbyn social media groups after an investigation by The Sunday Times found they contained hundreds of violent and abusive messages. Mr Corbyn himself deleted his personal Facebook page although his official page remains active. A party spokesman challenged reports in The Times that more than 17,000 members had left Labour since the start of the year. Labours membership is well over half a million and in fine health, said the spokesman. The latest data have been misrepresented in this story. Mr Corbyn is facing demands to speed up the investigations into a backlog of around 70 complaints of anti-Semitism including one against Ken Livingstone. Ms Wolfson, who represents constituency Labour parties on the NEC, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Action has been taken. I am frustrated by the pace of action, as I know a lot of people are there is a heck of a lot more that needs to be done but things have happened. There is very clearly a real issue, a huge piece of work that needs to be done in the Labour Party, around modern anti-SemitismRhea Wolfson, Labour NEC member Restructuring processes have happened, cases have been speeded up, we have brought in more staff, we have set up sub-committees and working groups, particularly on the issue of anti-Semitism, and passed a very important rule change which dealt with a lot of the recommendations of the Chakrabarti report. Ms Wolfson said she expected the process to enter a new stage as Ms Formby takes the reins of the NEC. Jeremy has specifically asked her to make this her number one priority, she said. She starts on Tuesday, so I think we will see a speeding up of these changes. Ms Wolfson said it was clear that some people within the party were not clear about the dividing line between criticising the state of Israel and straying into anti-Semitic tropes. There is very clearly a real issue, a huge piece of work that needs to be done in the Labour Party, around modern anti-Semitism and giving people the tools to recognise when legitimate criticism of Israel crosses the line into anti-Semitism, she said. Veteran Labour frontbencher Stephen Pound suggested allegations were being used by Mr Corbyns opponents to attack his leadership. The shadow Northern Ireland minister told Radio 4s Westminster Hour: I think the Labour Party without a doubt has a problem, but on the other hand there are some people who are riding that horse to attack Jeremy Corbyn anyway. Mr Pound said Labour should deal with this our way, rather than comply immediately with people screaming from the outside saying, Sling this person out, chuck that person out. We will take care of this, he said. We will clean up this mess because we are the Labour Party, we are not an anti-Semitic party, were not a racist party. Were a party for everyone. A performance of Biblical drama the Passion of Christ erupted in a brawl in Brazil after a member of the audience jumped on stage to attack an actor in a bizarre bid to "save Jesus" from being crucified. Samir Rodrigues, playing the role of a Roman soldier, was hit around the head with a motorcycle helmet and kicked by the assailant seconds after pretending to thrust the spear into the side of the messiah. The unnamed man leapt on stage in Nova Hartz town centre, south Brazil, on Friday evening to launch his surprise defence of Jesus Christ by attacking and chasing the stunned actor. William da Silva, the city's planning director, said more than 1,000 people were in the town square watching the show and at first no one could believe what was happening. Mr Da Silva said: "The man leapt up from the middle of the audience and no one guessed what he was about to do. Witnesses reported the attacker was shouting 'he was not going to let Jesus die' before he barged onto stage." The outraged man, who is alleged to suffer from mental health problems and drug abuse, is known to police. Many watching looked on in disbelief while questioning whether this was part of the drama. Actors ploughed into the aggressor as they tried to restrain him, but he continued to lash out as fists flew. Shocked director Adriano Ferreira who manages a company of 80 actors, said: "There are some things that are just inexplicable. "We halted the play for a few moments, but as no one had been injured, we decided to continue with the staging." He added that although Rodrigues was left shaken by the attack, he was unharmed. Throughout the confusion the actor who played Jessus stayed calm, even when the cross nearly pitched over as colleagues rushed in to contain the situation. Former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt has died aged 91. Lawyer Jaime Hernandez says the cause of death was a heart attack on Sunday. Rios Montt seized power in a 1982 coup and presided over one of the bloodiest periods of Guatemalas civil war as soldiers waged a scorched-earth campaign to root out Marxist guerrillas. Rios Montt was convicted in 2013 of genocide and crimes against humanity for the massacre of 1,771 indigenous Ixil Mayans by security forces under his command. But the ruling was swiftly set aside and a new trial ordered, dismaying human rights activists and victims who long sought to see him punished for atrocities during his 17-month regime. He is survived by his daughter Zury Rios. Syrian government forces overseeing the evacuation by bus of Army of Islam fighters from the besieged town of Douma (SANA via AP) The most powerful Syrian rebel faction on the fringes of Damascus has begun abandoning its stronghold in the once rebel-held enclave of eastern Ghouta. The move sets the stage for the final chapter of the governments relentless offensive to fully retake the area after seven years of revolt. The first fighters from the Army of Islam left the town of Douma in the morning hours of Monday as part of an evacuation deal that will hand the town to the Syrian government, the state SANA news agency reported. The rebels were heading to Jarablus, a town in northern Syria where control of the territory is shared between Syrian rebels and Turkish forces. The Syrian government dispatched more than 50 buses to Douma to take the rebels out, SANA reported. By midday, only a handful had left for the north in three buses. There was no immediate comment from the Army of Islam. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the civil war through a network of activists on the ground, also reported the evacuation. Rami Abdurrahman, the observatorys director, said some factions within the Army of Islam oppose evacuating and effectively surrendering Douma to the government of President Bashar Assad. The deal over Douma would mark the end of a weeks-long push by Assads forces to consolidate their control over eastern Ghouta, just outside the capital. Expand Close Civilians carrying their belongings as they left the rebel-held suburb of Douma (SANA via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Civilians carrying their belongings as they left the rebel-held suburb of Douma (SANA via AP) Douma was one of the earliest centres of the anti-government demonstrations that swept through the country in March 2011. Syrian government forces responded by putting the town and other suburbs around Damascus under siege, bombing hospitals and residential areas, and blocking the entry of food and medical relief. Local activists have said that more than 100,000 civilians were trapped inside Douma, which suffered devastating damage. The most recent Syrian air and ground offensive on eastern Ghouta, supported by Russias military, has killed at least 1,600 people, according to the observatory. More than 120,000 others have fled their homes and sought safety with the government, according to Russias military operation in Syria. Russia is a key backer of Assad. Over the past weeks, as Syrian forces reclaimed towns and villages in eastern Ghouta, they gave rebels and all men of fighting age the choice of accepting amnesty and serving in the Syrian military conscription, or leaving to go to the north of Syria. Thousands chose the north, taking with them their families. More than 40,000 Syrian rebels and their family members have relocated to rebel-held north Syria, according to the Russian military. Turkey, with support from rebels, is running its own military operations against a US-backed Kurdish militia in northern Syria, which controls territory along the frontier. On Sunday, the Syrian government-linked Central Military Media outlet said that once the evacuations are completed, a local council for Douma will be formed with the approval of the central government. At the weekend the police made a number of arrests when a group of people in paramilitary garb attempted to take part in a procession that had not been notified to the authorities For many people in both main communities in Northern Ireland Easter is a period of Christian reflection and reassurance. For others, however, in Lurgan and Belfast, it is an annual opportunity to celebrate armed republicanism, which is associated with the Easter Rising in Dublin in 1916. At the weekend the police made a number of arrests when a group of people in paramilitary garb attempted to take part in a procession that had not been notified to the authorities. It appears to have been organised by Republican Sinn Fein. This event has taken place in previous years, and resulted in arrests at a later stage, which seems to have been the best way to deal with the provocation. However, people chose not to learn from the past, including the Lurgan marchers, once again. The participants on Saturday were masked, and they must have known the implications of what they were doing. Previous similar events caused considerable community anger, and were seen as a deliberately inflammatory act and a glorification of terror in a town that has witnessed a great deal of republican violence. It is particularly significant that a number of people had travelled some distance to take part in the procession on Saturday. When the police finally moved in to stop the parade there were some injuries, and that is to be regretted. However, the overall police operation was proportional and professional, and it sent out a clear message that such flouting of the law would not be tolerated. In Belfast a number of republicans in similar paramilitary garb were also on the march, but senior police officers decided to maintain a lower profile, and pledged to gather evidence and to proceed with action at a later date. This promise must be kept, and it must be made clear to people that they cannot flout the law at will. These are acts of deliberate coat-trailing which is aimed at heightening community tensions at a time when this is the last thing Northern Ireland needs. Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie put the point well by saying: "Remembrance of what is important to your community does not mean that you can break the law. It means that you should commemorate within the confines of the law." It happened just a month before the Good Friday Agreement, but reconciliation seemed as far away then as ever. Part of the problem was that the men who led the two big parties on whom agreement depended were not getting on. News had come through of the double killing. It seemed pertinent that one was a Catholic and one a Protestant. Phillip Allen and Damien Trainor were friends who died side by side, shot by a loyalist killer with no conceivable political result of value that any sane person could see. The loyalist project, if there was one, was simply to advertise their existence though bloodshed. Most loyalist groups were nominally on ceasefire at the time, though there had been a horrific spate of killings in January of that year too. Perhaps, seeing agreement approach, knowing that they had minimal political representation, they wanted to remind everyone of their existence. And that a deal which would involve prisoner releases would have to include them too. If so, there is a grotesque irony in people killing to insist on getting out of jail. Usually it works the other way round. The murder of a Catholic and a Protestant together had a symbolic importance that relied on the presumption that this was a rarity. It wasn't, really. Considering a cross-community friendship as an uncommon and beautiful thing leads us to suppose that a political agreement which may have made such friendships easier was in itself a miracle. But the friendship of Philip and Damien was not a great wonder. This is not to demean it. It is a good thing when young men bond, support and look out for each other, but I am sure that before they were killed people in Poyntzpass did not scratch their heads at the marvel of a Protestant and a Catholic being close. It was a normal enough thing; a bit more difficult for those who lived in closed communities separated by peace lines, but not elsewhere. But good came of the symbol. The fact that one was a Catholic and one a Protestant posed the opportunity for the leaders of the estranged political cultures to walk together in a shared sympathetic response. At a time when the men were uneasy together, practically anything that got them away from the talks to spend time in each other's company was going to be a help. The political leaders of the SDLP and the Ulster Unionist party were able to draw together in sympathy for the families at a time when they were bristling like old dogs at the sight of each other. Seamus Mallon and David Trimble had great minds and the breadth of political imagination that the times called for, but they did not like each other. Still, they both headed for Poyntzpass on the day after the killings and they offered a hopeful gesture in walking together from the home of one of the dead to the home of the other. This is what peace was supposed to be about, after all, two communities making space for each other, acquiring the ability to empathise with each other; understanding each other's needs well enough to be able to make political deals and settle old divisions. Trimble and Mallon had the advantage that neither was tainted with a paramilitary past; neither had rationalised other murders, neither could be accused of being hypocritical or merely pragmatic in expressing their shock over these killings. Although the outworking of the deal they would make a month later was the ascent of the more extreme parties in Northern Ireland, the DUP and Sinn Fein, it would have been harder for the ultimate benefactors of the deal to present themselves as the peacemakers on such an occasion. Sinn Fein had not only rationalised past murders but fully endorsed them. The DUP had been in a more equivocal space, having sat with loyalist paramilitaries during the Ulster Workers Council Strike and even donned red berets to identify themselves with Ulster Resistance. One of the slogans around the peace making was that you didn't make peace with friends but with enemies. Actually, it was easier for the larger parties when the depth of enmity between them was less vehement and deadly than between the outliers. And that's important. The deal could not have been made with Sinn Fein and the DUP in the positions they are in now, representing majorities in their respective electorates. The real test of whether the Agreement has worked, whether the formula of Good Friday is an adequate foundation for reconciliation, and has taken us forward, is whether what would have been impossible then is possible now. And with the DUP and Sinn Fein currently at odds, unable to restore the Assembly, the augurs aren't good. Mallon says the outworking of the agreement has yet to happen. Maybe he is right, but maybe the truth is that agreement was possible back then because we had a middle ground of sorts, commanded by two large parties which did not represent the worst sectarian and violent attitudes of the time, but the 'moderates'. Today the middle ground is the Alliance Party and the Greens, along with the remnants of the SDLP and the Ulster Unionists, and they do not have the clout together to secure the centre. Mallon's theory will be vindicated if Sinn Fein and the DUP can pull together. The theory behind the Agreement was that political necessity would force them into co-operation. For a time it seemed to, but they have rediscovered another old truth in the last year, that contention with each other is rewarded with votes from an electorate which likes to see them at odds with each other. The question now is whether the electorate will continue to encourage their animosity for each other or discover that it needs them to patch up their differences and work together. New realities may impose themselves. For how long will people continue to assert that the most important political challenge of our time is to persuade the DUP to agree to an Irish Language Act? Other issues will overtake this, and parties which then appear oblivious to new urgencies may quickly find themselves irrelevant. For how long will people continue to demand that the DUP holds out against an Irish Language Act, though the hospitals are congested and new concerns about the quality of justice here bring people on to the streets? We should remember Damien Trainor and Philip Allen now, to remind us that they were not rare and heroic exemplars of cross-community amity, but that they were normal people who shared concerns that were not superseded or overshadowed by tribal politics. And we should get on with life, and the things that matter most day by day, as they deserved to and should have been allowed to. A Myanmar government minister is scheduled to visit Rohingya refugee camps in southern Bangladesh next week, becoming the first high-ranking official from Naypyidaw to undertake such a trip, a senior Bangladeshi diplomat said Monday. Win Myat Aye, Myanmars minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement, will visit stateless Rohingya who fled cycles of bloodshed in that countrys Rakhine state, during a three-day trip to Bangladesh starting on April 11, said Tareque Muhammad, the director-general for Southeast Asia at Bangladeshs foreign affairs ministry. The honorable minister Aye is expected to visit Coxs Bazar on April 12, Muhammad told BenarNews on Monday. We have made necessary arrangements for his trip to see the camps in Coxs Bazar. The announcement about the Myanmar officials visit came as Malaysian authorities said they had stepped up patrols in the Malacca Strait and Andaman Sea to intercept a boat believed to be carrying dozens of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Two ships and four boats were mobilized off Langkawi island, in northwestern Malaysia, after officials received reports that a fishing boat with 56 people had stopped off the west coast of Thailand early Sunday due to bad weather, First Admiral Haji Rozali Mohammad, the maritime director for the northern Malaysian region, said in a statement. "However, until today there is no detection or signs of the boat's entry," Haji Rozali said. Based on results of a police investigation, that vessel did not set sail from Bangladesh, according to Afrozul Haque Tutul, an additional superintendent of police in Coxs Bazar, the southeastern district in Bangladesh where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees have been sheltering. The people can no longer use any river and sea route to go to Malaysia as we have stopped the movement of boats in the Bangladesh portion of the border river Naf, Tutul told BenarNews on Monday. The sea and river points that the human traffickers used four to five years ago have been closed and these have been under strict vigilance, he said. Close to 700,000 Rohingya crossed into Bangladesh since late August 2017 as they fled a brutal crackdown by Myanmars military following attacks by the insurgent group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). Most of the refugees walked for days, but others undertook a perilous journey by boat in crossing the frontier. In Bangkok on Monday, human rights advocacy group Fortify Rights urged Thailand and Malaysia to provide protection for Rohingya refugees in accordance with international law and standards. Thai police said the boat stopped at Lanta island in Krabi province because it had been damaged in a storm. But the boat was sent on its way to Malaysia after it was repaired and supplied with food and fuel, officials told BenarNews. This is not a problem that will go away on its own, Matthew Smith, CEO of Fortify Rights, said in a statement. Governments in this region need to show leadership and follow their legal obligations to protect refugees rather than send them to potential death sentences at sea. Fortify Rights said it had documented other boat arrivals of Rohingya refugees in Malaysia and Thailand this year. In May 2015, human traffickers abandoned boats at sea carrying thousands of Rohingya and Bangladeshi survivors of trafficking after Thailand and Malaysia reinforced their borders and refused to allow the disembarkation of survivors, resulting in an untold number of deaths, according to Fortify Rights. The Thai and Malaysian authorities went so far as to tow boats of refugees out of their territorial waters, leaving them adrift at sea, the rights group said. Other visits from Myanmar officials Minister Aye will become the first Myanmar minister to see the cramped settlements and squalid conditions of the refugee camps in Coxs Bazar, although two other ministers had visited Bangladesh since the massive exodus of the stateless Rohingya, Bangladeshi officials said. Aye is expected to meet Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, foreign ministry officials told BenarNews. Kyaw Tint Swe, Myanmars union minister in charge of the State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyis Office, was the first official to visit Dhaka since the Rohingya refugee crisis began last year. During a joint meeting with the Bangladeshi foreign affairs and home ministers in Dhaka on Oct. 1, Swe expressed his countrys willingness to take back the Rohingya refugees. Relocating vulnerable Rohingya from flood threat Meanwhile, with monsoon rains expected to hit southeastern Bangladesh soon, the government is scrambling to relocate tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees who face the threat of flooding and landslides in Coxs Bazar to higher ground, Habibul Kabir Chowdhury, chief of the Rohingya section at the ministry of disaster management, told BenarNews on Monday. In February, the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) warned that at least 100,000 Rohingya huddling in squalid and low-lying refugee camps interspersed with rolling hills could be in grave danger from landslides and floods caused by monsoonal rains. In line with the UNHCR study on vulnerability of the Rohingya living at the hills in Ukhia, we have identified some 25,000 most vulnerable people facing the threat of landslide, flooding and cyclones, Chowdhury told BenarNews. He said about 11,000 refugees had relocated to a newly acquired 123 acres of land adjacent to the camps. At least 6,000 more will be relocated this week, he said, adding that the resettlement for 25,000 was scheduled to be completed by mid-April. Hata Wahari in Kuala Lumpur and Maryam Ahmad in Pattani, Thailand contributed to this report. Security personnel carry the coffin of one of 39 Indian construction workers who were killed following their abduction by Islamic State fighters in Iraq in June 2014, after the bodies of 38 of the victims arrived at the Amritsar international airport on a special military flight, April 2, 2018. A military cargo plane on Monday brought home the skeletal remains of 38 Indian construction workers who were abducted and killed by Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq four years ago. The special flight from Iraq touched down at the international airport in Amritsar city, in northern India's Punjab state, at about 2:30 p.m. (local time) amid heavy security, and then the 38 coffins were loaded into waiting ambulances and hearses to be delivered to the relatives, officials said. IS operatives had kidnapped 40 Indian workers employed with a construction firm soon after seizing the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in June 2014. Of the 40, one escaped and eventually returned to India, but the 39 others were executed by their captors, officials said. Iraqi authorities had confirmed through DNA testing that 38 of the 39 bodies, which were exhumed from a mass grave near Mosul last year, belonged to the kidnapped Indian workers who were allegedly shot dead by IS operatives, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told parliament last month. The body of one worker Raju Yadav, a native of Bihar state could not be brought back as DNA testing on him had not yet been completed, said Indias Minister of State for External Affairs, V.K. Singh, who accompanied the caskets of the 38 from Iraq. But we have sent more DNA samples taken from Yadavs relatives to Iraqi authorities and there is a possibility that the remains would be released soon as 70 percent of the DNA matching has already been done, Singh told reporters. Twenty seven of the 39 slain workers came from Punjab, six were from Bihar, four from Himachal Pradesh, and two from West Bengal, Singh said. Their bodies would be handed over to their families in their respective states without delay, he added. Earlier in the day, Singh posted a video on Twitter of him loading one of the coffins into the C-17 aircraft in Baghdad, saying The burden of certain responsibilities is great. Indian airport workers remove the coffins of Indian citizens who were killed by their Islamic State (IS) kidnappers in Iraq from a special aircraft after it landed in Amritsar, April 2, 2018. AFP We had faith in the government One of the abducted workers Harjit Masih managed to escape the massacre by pretending to be a Bangladeshi. He made his way back to India, where he told authorities that his 39 colleagues had been killed. But the government initially refused to accept his claim until earlier this year, when Iraqi authorities confirmed the identities of the exhumed bodies. The Martyrs Foundation of Iraq worked very hard to identify the remains, Minister Singh said, adding, We are thankful to the authorities in Iraq for the help to locate the victims and exhume the mortal remains. The government of India did its best to know about the missing Indians. He said the workers had found work in Iraq through illegal agents, and this compounded the problem for the Indian government to carry out a search for them. This was my fourth trip to Iraq [since the workers disappeared]. Announcements were made on TV and radio for all Indians. None of the 40 workers had a record with the Embassy of India because they went via illegal agents, Singh said. About 10,000 Indians were living and working in Iraq when IS seized control of a third of the country, particularly the northern and central parts, in 2014. The terror group was subsequently beaten back by U.S.-supported Iraqi forces following a volatile three-year campaign. In Punjab, state Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu said his government would offer jobs to one relative of each of the 27 Punjabi workers killed in Iraq. He also announced individual payments of 500,000 rupees ($7,675) as compensation for the next of their kin. Manjeet Kaur, wife of Davinder Singh, one of the 39 killed, said she hoped the state government would keep its promise. We hope the government gives us employment so that we can survive and educate our children. We had faith in the government. They said they will get him [Davinder] back [alive]. But what has come today is his mortal remains, Kaur told ANI television in Punjabs Jalandhar city after receiving her husbands casket. Pakistani national Saifullah Khalid speaks at a press conference in Islamabad announcing the formation of the Milli Muslim League, Aug. 7, 2017. The United States on Monday named seven Pakistani nationals as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, saying they were acting on behalf of the militant Islamist group that carried out the 2008 Mumbai attacks and have been blamed for instigating ongoing violence in Indian Kashmir. The U.S. government also identified Milli Muslim League (MML) and Tehreek-e-Azadi-e-Kashmir as aliases for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which it listed as a foreign terrorist organization in 2001. All seven global terrorists are officials of the Milli Muslim League, which introduced itself as a political party at a press conference in Islamabad in August 2017, according to statements issued by the U.S. Department of State and Department of the Treasury. The LeT has been using aliases and front groups to circumvent sanctions and deceive the public about its true character, U.S. officials said. Make no mistake: whatever LeT chooses to call itself, it remains a violent terrorist group, Nathan Sales, a top counterterrorism official, said in a statement released by the U.S. State Department. The United States supports all efforts to ensure that LeT does not have a political voice until it gives up violence as a tool of influence. LeT is best known for carrying out the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people. Indian authorities also say LeT is one of several Pakistan-based groups operating in insurgency-torn Indian Kashmir, where weekend violence left at least 20 dead and 200 injured. The seven Muslim Milli League officials accused of acting on behalf of LeT were Saifullah Khalid, Muzammil Iqbal Hashimi, Muhammad Harris Dar, Tabish Qayyum, Fayyaz Ahmad, Faisal Nadeem and Muhammad Ehsan. Terrorism designations expose and isolate organizations and individuals, and deny them access to the U.S. financial system. Moreover, designations can assist the law enforcement activities of U.S. agencies and other governments, the U.S. government statement said. In August 2016, the United States added Hizbul Mujahideen, the oldest and largest rebel outfit fighting Indian rule in Kashmir, to its list of global terror organizations a move slammed by separatists in the region who termed the group a decades-old indigenous freedom movement. A protester wears a mask with the face of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during a rally to commemorate the 49th anniversary of the communist New Peoples Army near the presidential palace in Manila, March 21, 2018. Philippine communist guerrillas launched a series of attacks in the south during the past five days, including near a city where President Rodrigo Duterte was spending the Easter holidays, officials said Monday. On Sunday, New Peoples Army (NPA) guerrillas stormed a hinterland village in the southern city of Davao where Duterte was holidaying during the weekend, terrorizing the community and burning heavy equipment, police said. This latest attack came days after more than 60 lawmakers had urged the central government to resume stalled peace talks with the guerrillas. The fact that three consecutive attacks happened during the observance of Holy Week all the more angers us, Presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza said. This unnecessarily squanders whatever gains we have been quietly getting lately in our common efforts with the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-National Democratic Front leadership to achieve just peace through the negotiations table, Dureza said. Senior Inspector Maria Teresita Gaspan, a spokeswoman for Davao city police, said heavily armed NPA fighters set four dump trucks and a back hoe on fire during a pre-dawn raid in the villages near the citys Buhangin district. Gaspan said two groups of guerillas burned the trucks several hours before a third band of communist rebels raided another village, Dalagdag, and set fire to a piece of heavy equipment. Police have been sent to the scene of the latest incident to investigate. There were no civilians hurt in the separate incidents, Gaspan said. On March 30, troops thwarted an attempt by communist rebels to burn heavy equipment being used for various road projects in Digos City, said Lt. Col. Rhojun Rosales, commander of the 39th Infantry Battalion in the area. A soldier was wounded as security forces engaged the guerrillas in a 30-minute firefight, he said. The attacks marred Holy Week celebrations in the mostly Catholic Philippines. Apart from the incidents in Davao, clashes also erupted in the nearby province of Misamis Oriental, where troops killed two NPA guerrillas on Thursday and Friday, officials said. The military said it was bracing for more attacks after the NPA marked its 49th anniversary last March 29, making it the longest-running communist insurgency in Asia. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque welcomed the call by lawmakers to reopen talks with the communists, but said the rebels had become spoilers of the peace process and were engaged in past double-talk and treachery. Talks would only resume if the rebels laid down their arms and ceased their attacks and extortion activities, he said. President Duterte, a self-described leftist and one-time student of Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison, launched peace talks with the CPP and its armed wing, the NPA, shortly after winning the presidency in 2016. But late last year, Duterte terminated the talks and declared both groups terrorist organizations. He accused the communists of insincerity in negotiations because they had attacked government positions despite a ceasefire agreement. Hit squads known as sparrows The NPA has been waging a guerrilla campaign in the countryside for four decades. Military estimates placed the NPA strength at more than 5,000 men scattered in more than 60 guerrilla fronts throughout the country. Capt. Tere Ingente, a local army information officer, said all ground units in the northern part of Mindanao island had been warned and alerted to NPA liquidation squads, a small group of communist assassins known to target policemen or troops mostly in urban areas. Duterte last month said he had hired a group of retired police officers to teach young officers about the tactics of the rebel hit squads, also known as sparrows. A retired police intelligence officer who once hunted NPA sparrow units in the 1980s said the present crop of policemen and soldiers were easy targets for liquidation. The sparrow unit operated by a team of six to know their targets movements, routine, said the former officer, who had survived similar attacks in the past but declined to be named. Once they know your movements, they will strike. By the looks of these young soldiers, they are not aware that the rebels are already tailing them, he said. The NPA sparrow units were notorious in the 1980s, hitting policemen and troops even on urban streets of most cities in the country, including Manila. There was a brief lull after the communist leadership put a halt to their operations, although recent attacks bore the hallmarks of the NPA hitmen. In 1989, Col. James Nick Rowe was shot dead during an ambush by sparrow hitmen in Manila, while he was being driven to work at the Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group in Quezon City, officials said. Love Beyond Words: All About Deepika And Ranveer's Love Story Love And Romance oi-Soham Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh's onscreen and offscreen chemistry has been the talk of the town for the longest time now. The couple has neither accepted nor denied their relationship status, but their equation has a different story to tell altogether and all their pictures and body language towards each other has a different story to tell as well. DeepVeer may never have confirmed the many rumors of the two being in a relationship with each other, but the two never hesitate when it comes to supporting or praising each other. While Deepika and Ranveer are yet to make their relationship official, the rumors of their marriage have been doing the rounds for a long time now. The two do admit to sharing an extremely close bond with each other, but that's all that they have got to say. It's been almost five years since they reportedly started dating on the sets of Ram Leela and naturally, everyone is speculating about their marriage now. The power couple's every outing together fuels the rumors of their marriage, but when some weeks ago, Ranveer confessed that marriage was on his mind, it felt as if he was indeed very close to getting married. Let's see the timeline of Deepika and Ranveer's love story. 2012:- This was the first year of their love, as they reportedly started dating in the sets of the movie, Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram Leela. The public interest in their relationship started growing in direct proportion to the fierceness with which the couple tried keeping things private when they first started out. Ranveer and Deepika started knowing each other in the movie sets before the sparks flew. The most awaited half-a-decade old love story started from then. The budding romance was kept under wraps then. When the movie turned 4 years old, Ranveer captioned, "Don't we look great together?" on an Instagram throwback picture to the making of the film, Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram Leela. 2013:- Being the two most sought actors in Bollywood, both had to be away from home for months and the bridge between them was connected by frequent visits of Ranveer at Deepika's movie sets. There was also a cameo in the movie, "Finding Fanny", where Ranveer played the husband of Deepika. 2014:- Their love story from on screen to live screen went up with the Zee Cine Awards 2014, where the duo performed their greatest hits together on the stage. The happiness on their face was not hidden from people's eyes and they became the talk of the town, of being new lovebirds. Ranveer often speaks about his fondness for Deepika in public and Deepika reverts to the same magnitude. Even though they haven't made their relationship public, we are certain of the emotions they two shares for each other. 2015:- This year marked for the couple's love brimming on stage as Ranveer went down on one knee and serenaded the song 'Ram Chahe Leela'. They have a powerhouse of love and admiration for each other. They never fail to express their respect, admiration, and adoration they have for each other. In another occasion of Karan Johar's party, while Deepika was leaving with Karan Johar, Ranveer was seen following with a rose behind. 2016:- With attending parties together to Ranveer constantly gazing at Deepika during a press conference in the IIFA Awards, the couple never fell short of love for each other. It was like a learning curve for the duo and they officially made it public when Ranveer escorted Deepika out of the Ambani's bash late, hand-in-hand. 2017:- It was a year for Deepika, as she marked her Hollywood debut opposite Vin Diesel in xXx: Return of Xander Cage. Ranveer not only became a dutiful boyfriend and supported the actress all throughout but also gave moral support during the movie's Mumbai release. The couple has come far enough with their relationship getting stronger each passing day. 2018:- The couples have been rumored to be marrying for a long time. And even now the speculation continues. DeepVeer's recent holiday at the Maldives says a lot here too. With rumors spreading of DeepVeer tying the knot this December, we haven't received an official confirmation of the same. But as fans, we have craved a long time, for now, to see them as a married couple. Do you think DeepVeer marriage is happening this year? Write your views in the comment section. GET THE BEST BOLDSKY STORIES! Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, April 2, 2018, 17:30 [IST] A product preventing fires from overheating mobile devices is set to go nationwide, writes Trish Dromey. Cork start-up Firemole is planning to go nationwide this year with an innovative safety gadget which helps prevent fires by sounding an inbuilt alarm when it detects that an electrical device is overheating. Firemole is the only fire prevention device on the market which alerts people to overheating devices, according to founder Sean O Tuama, explaining that the Firemole is a small battery operated temperature sensor which can be attached to the plug of a charger and other devices. Faulty chargers, and other devices which overheat, are a leading cause of fires. Earlier this month, Amazon had to recall a quarter of a million power banks which were at risk of overheating, he said. Since setting up the company in September 2016, Mr O Tuama has sold more than 2,000 Firemoles on his company website. Now he is preparing to sell into retail, raise funding, target exports and launch a smart version of Firemole. While working as an electrician he noted the worlds increasing reliance on technology, the fire risks associated with faulty devices such as overheating chargers and the lack of any means of prevention. Setting up Firemole in September 2016, he signed up for Enterprise Irelands New Frontiers programme at the Rubicon Centre in Cork Institute of Technology. All I had, at that point, was a drawing on a piece of paper, said Mr O Tuama, who spent six months developing the device. When he won a New Frontiers innovation award in May, he sent out a press release hoping to generate interest in his product and got a much better response than expected. I got a couple of million hits on Twitter and was contacted by news outlets, radio stations and distributers, he said. He didnt have a website before the first article about Firemole appeared, but built one himself before a second was printed. Within a couple of hours, I had a couple of thousand euros worth of orders, and I also launched a crowdfunding campaign. Purchasing the components for 3,000 units from manufacturers in Cork and Prague, he assembled the Firemoles himself and filled the pre-orders in August. The initial sales were in Ireland, but I have since shipped orders to the US, the UK and Australia. Securing 50,000 in Competitive Start Funding from Enterprise Ireland last year, Mr O Tuama has since taken on his first employee, Peter Sweeney. He is now the companys chief technology officer. Meanwhile, Mr O Tuama has also organised a second production run for units which will be assembled, tested and shipped out in May from a facility in Prague. He has applied for a global patent on the Firemole, which is now retailing at 12.99. The smart version, set for release in September, will be able to alert the owner via an app when a device overheats and also have the ability to switch it off automatically. Using the CSF funding to invest in packaging and marketing, Mr O Tuama said the goal now is to make the most of first mover advantage in this space and to establish Firemole as the go-to brand for fire prevention in the home. The aim is to develop sales in Ireland this year and to move into exports in 2019. We have a large order from a well known Irish retailer this will go out in May, he said, adding that, through a distributor, he aims to develop sales to other Irish retail outlets. We are targeting 60 outlets this year and once we have developed the Irish market, we will work on exporting to Europe and the US. In April, I am going on a trade mission to San Francisco where I hope to make contact with US retailers. In order to scale the company, Mr O Tuama plans to raise 200,000 in private investment this year with a view to securing matching investment from Enterprise Ireland. He said this will be required for ongoing R&D, marketing and also to build a team. Expecting to recruit one or two people for sales and marketing this year, he plans to grow the staff size to seven by the end of 2019. The trade union Unite has announced the date for industrial action to be taken its members in Irish Life. Following a vote in favour of industrial action last Monday, Unite members will take part in a 24-hour stoppage on Thursday, April 12. The action centres around a dispute regarding the closure of the companys Defined Benefit pension scheme in June, which counts more than 3,300 Irish Life staff as members, including pensioners and deferred members, according to the union. Unite Regional Coordinating Officer Richie Browne said that the industrial action reflected Unite members determination to resist Irish Lifes "unilateral decision to close a healthy pension scheme" He also warned that the dispute could escalate beyond the 24-hour stoppage if a resolution is not found. Mr Browne said: Our members are determined to fight this decision with all means at our disposal. They are well aware that, if one attack on their terms and conditions is allowed to stand, others are likely to follow. It is particularly ironic that those working for the countrys largest pension provider are being forced to take industrial action to defend their own pensions. That irony will not be lost on members of the public, and in particular Irish Life customers who look to the company to provide security in retirement. Irish Life can avert this strike, and the financial and reputational damage involved, by reversing their unilateral decision to close the Defined Benefit scheme on June 30th. The resolution of this dispute is now in the hands of management. Unite remains available for meaningful talks. By John Daly With the arrival of Easter traditionally taken as the start of the Irish tourist season proper, the portents for 2018 seem grounded in a healthy optimism for another bumper year. Within the varied panoply of tourist offerings around the country, the Wild Atlantic Way seems assured of playing another major role in the coming years success. Though little more than a few years old, this meandering trail through some of the countrys most scenic areas has proven one of the great success stories for marketing Irish tourism. Promoted through a campaign that lured tourists to enjoy the 2,500km road trip with the strapline, Where land and sea collide, it has helped breath a fresh lease of tourism life along previously overlooked towns and villages from Derry and Donegals scenic Malin Head all the way down to Kinsales gourmet delights. For the coming 2018 season, however, the joys of this route where untamed beauty abounds will be tested to the full in a marketing campaign geared to re-awakening what has recently become a reluctant market, our nearest neighbour, Britain. While just over 9.9 million overseas visitors came to Ireland in 2017, the highest number on record reflecting an increase of 3.6% on 2016, visitor numbers from Britain declined 5% to 3.7 million visitors a decrease of 200,000 on the previous year. With the British holidaymaker traditionally cherished as a good spender and loyal return visitor by hotelier and B&B landlady alike, a new campaign designed to counter the sterling slump from the Brexit effect may yet see the Wild Atlantic Way playing its part in Irish tourisms finest hour. The Wonders of the Wild Atlantic Way aims to target 10 million Britons through a 1.35m marketing campaign in Britain, complemented by a Failte Ireland 500,000 programme to support businesses along the route. As our nearest neighbour and one of our top markets for overseas tourism, Britain remains a priority, says Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland. We are very much aware that Brexit has impacted on consumer confidence and, in turn, on outbound travel from Britain, including to Ireland. The slump in the value of sterling against the euro ensures that value for money must be a key message in Britain. An important element of this campaign is the co-operative advertising with airlines flying to airports along the Wild Atlantic Way--highlighting good value offers and ease of access, helping to convert interest into business, says Mr Gibbons. The Tourism Ireland campaign in the UK will likely pale in comparison to what may turn out to be the most effective free advertising: The multitudes attracted to these shores as a result of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Filmed on Skellig Michael as well as other locations in Kerry, Cork, Clare, and Donegal, Failte Ireland has worked with local businesses to develop itineraries along the Wild Atlantic Way. The blockbuster has already generated a significant increase in bookings. The experience of the movies Ryans Daughter and The Quiet Man, made in 1971 and 1952 respectively, shows they still attract tourists. Locals have seen a positive economic benefit in business since the filming of the last Star Wars movie, particularly with regard to boat providers, restaurants, pubs, and accommodation, says Fiona Monaghan, who heads up the Wild Atlantic Way at Failte Ireland. We are working to make the most from the increased exposure provided by the films, she says. Padraig Hoare talks to Ciara Lucy of IT firm Spearline, which is aiming to make Skibbereen the most GDPR-ready town in the country ahead of the new EU data protection laws being introduced in May. Skibbereen native Ciara Lucy is leading an all-female software team to ensure the West Cork town will be the most GDPR-ready town in Ireland when the EUs new data protection law comes into force in May. With companies all over the EU scrambling to become compliant with the general data protection regulation (GDPR) in less than two months, Ms Lucy and the team at the newly-formed Spearline Risk and Compliance want to ease the worries of SMEs in their locality. Spearline Risk and Compliance is the latest venture from Skibbereen IT firm Spearline, Cork Chambers SME of the Year, which allows clients such as Google, Amazon and Microsoft to monitor their global telecoms footprint. Ms Lucy was enticed back to Skibbereen by Spearline co-founder Kevin Buckley, having worked with the likes of Voxpro and Starwood Hotels in the past two decades, spending years in Austin, Texas with the latter. Kevin Buckley and I have always known each other. Id been watching him for a long time, marvelling at what Spearline was doing. I always felt I wanted to do something here. When Kevin approached me last July, it was a big jump. I loved Voxpro but this was Skibbereen calling and I made the right decision. GDPR is a fascinating area. Kevin is quite the visionary, he sees things before they happen. He had been looking at this for a year. He began to get Spearline compliant with GDPR and realised there was no software in the market that can do it all, said Ms Lucy. GDPR is designed to harmonise data privacy laws across Europe and to protect citizens data privacy. It not only applies to organisations within the EU but also to firms that do business inside member states. If companies fail to comply with the regulation, they can be fined up to 4% of annual global turnover, or 20m. Ms Lucy is managing director of Spearline Risk and Compliance, Grainne OKeeffe is head of innovation and Fiona Ryan is customer engagement manager. Grainne OKeeffe is one of my oldest friends, is an incredible talent and also from Skibbereen. She has spent the last 20 years between New York, Tokyo and London in senior roles with Goldman Sachs. Shes superb on risk and operational issues and she leads innovation. It was her ambition for Skibbereen to be the most GDPR-ready town in Ireland. While businesses of all sizes must be GDPR compliant by May, Ms Lucy said there was still a long way to go for many. While Spearline Risk and Compliance is a commercial firm, it is offering its expertise pro-bono to local businesses in Skibbereen through an information workshop this month. If it takes more than one workshop, Ms Lucy said, then so be it. There are some companies that have been all over GDPR and really have a lot done. But I think they are more in the minority. What I am finding is that people are scared of it. I have friends and families in Skibbereen in local businesses, people that do not have huge margins to deal with it. This is something that would be so far away from their day-to-day life. This is not their comfort zone. Our product is not something they would probably buy. We actually started worrying because some small businesses dont even know about it the letters GDPR mean nothing to them. Its a way of giving back to our community because we care. We want to see businesses opening, not closing. The 4% of revenue fine could put someone out of business, she said. Breaking down the complexities of GDPR into something simple is vital, according to Ms Lucy. The legislation is not digestible for the man on the street. Its written for lawyers. Weve spent time breaking the legislation down into an easy digestible format so that people can walk step-by-step through the process, and where it does get complicated, put in professional tips. Weve worked with a solicitors firm where they have given us a lot of information. For instance, is someone a data processor or a data controller that is a key fundamental thing you need to be clear on when you are starting off. Ms Lucy said GDPR is actually a positive thing for businesses and customers once the work is put into it. Data is our new raw material. There are all sorts of things people are doing with data that are scary," she said. There is a lot of scaremongering too, which isnt helping because people feel they are being pushed into this. If people were to just step back, and look at the benefits, this will actually bring a lot of good practices to businesses. It is just a massive operational change for some people. The most satisfactory element for Ms Lucy was watching Skibbereen transform itself into one of the best-known IT towns in the Republic through firms like Spearline and the Ludgate Hub for IT businesses. Who would have ever thought certainly not me as a young girl going to school in Skibbereen that there would be an all-female software team here? Like all people who were born in small-town Ireland, there werent many options in Skibbereen when I was growing up. Now there are and I am thrilled to be a part of it, she said. Update April 3: Gardai at Togher have thanked the public for their help finding 28-year-old Kieran Keogh. Kieran has been located in the Dublin area, safe and well. The Government is likely to spend 1.2m on a communications system for the Pope's visit to Ireland. The Office of Government Procurement is looking for tenders to provide a public address system, CCTV cameras and radio communications. The Irish Medical Organisation is calling on the Government to tackle the shortage of GPs. Over 600 are due to retire in the coming years, while there is concern that newly qualified doctors will practice abroad. Update 10pm: Teachers meeting in Kerry say they are 'raging at the Government' over pay and bureaucracy. During his opening address at the INTO Annual Congress, President John Boyle said teachers are resentful of the two tier pay salary system in staff rooms - where a 2017 entrant is set to earn 56,000 less than a teacher there since 2010. He says overworked staff are distracted from teaching by initiative overload and paperwork. He said: "Teachers are angry at the growing expectation that all of societies ills can be fixed in schools still dealing with education cuts imposed a decade ago. "Principals teachers are raging with the Government that takes them for granted and leaves them to deal with the lack of qualified substitute teachers brought about by emigration due to pay inequality." Earlier: 'We will be shutting down schools,' teachers warn over pay equality President of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation John Boyle has said that teachers "will shut down schools" if there is no resolution to their pay dispute. Teachers will make the call for pay equality at the INTO's Annual Congress which gets underway in Killarney today. More than 800 representatives will attend the conference, which will also discuss industrial relations and education issues of concern to them. They represent 35,000 primary teachers in the Republic of Ireland and 7,000 teachers in the North. Speaking on RTE's Morning Ireland today, he warned schools would be closed if progress was not made on the issue of pay. Mr Boyle said: "Our patience is definitely running very, very thin in relation to seven or eight years of dastardly cuts to the young teachers and we have negotiated very hard over that time. "Certainly at the beginning of the next school year, if we don't have pay equality negotiated by then, I believe that the members of the three unions will work closely together. Then we will be shutting down schools and withdrawing labour. "We've never feared to negotiate; we never negotiate out of fear and it may take stringent action before the Government realises that we are truly serious about pay equality." The INTO President says new primary teachers are not getting the pay they deserve. Mr Boyle said: "Today's 150th INTO Congress is going to be focused on pay and particularly on equality issues within primary teaching. "The first one being that primary teachers, who have qualified since 2010, have been treated very shabbily by successive governments and are three or four points behind on the salary scale, are not being paid equal pay for equal work. "So that is going to be the dominant focus." Today is the opening day of the three-day event and attendees will be addressed by the INTO President John Boyle this afternoon. Topics likely to dominate the event include pay equality and restoration, industrial relations issues, funding of schools, workload and curriculum and special needs teaching. The Education Minister will attend the conference tomorrow and the event will conclude on Wednesday afternoon. A man is due in court this morning in connection with a firearms seizure in Dublin last Friday. He is expected to appear before a special sitting of Dublin's Criminal Courts of Justice at 10.30am. A man has appeared in court charged in connection with the seizure of two loaded revolvers in Dublin over the weekend. The court heard 27-year-old William McCarthy of Spencer Dock in Dublin made no reply after he was charged by gardai. Sinn Fein has been criticised over its call for an Irish unity referendum within five years. The call came from the party's deputy leader Michelle O'Neill as she addressed an Easter commemoration in Belfast at the weekend. At least 48 schoolgirls have been taken ill at a high school in southern Helmand province in what Afghan authorities suspect is a case of group poisoning. Dr Nisar Ahmad Barak said the girls were admitted to his hospital in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital, with headaches and vomiting but that they are all now in a stable condition and receiving treatment. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, prominent anti-apartheid activist and the ex-wife of Nelson Mandela, died in a hospital on Monday after a long illness at the age of 81. "She succumbed peacefully in the early hours of Monday afternoon surrounded by her family and loved ones," Ms Madikizela-Mandela's family said in a statement. Ms Madikizela-Mandela was married to Mr Mandela from 1958 to 1996. Mr Mandela, who died in 2013, was imprisoned throughout most of their marriage and Ms Madikizela-Mandela's own activism against white minority rule led to her being imprisoned for months and placed under house arrest for years. Winnie Mandela, wife of the African National Congress (ANC) leader Nelson Mandela, wears traditional dress as she and two other women attend her husband's trial in Pretoria, South Africa. "She kept the memory of her imprisoned husband Nelson Mandela alive during his years on Robben Island and helped give the struggle for justice in South Africa one of its most recognisable faces," the family said. However, Ms Madikizela-Mandela's political activism was marred by her conviction in 1991 for kidnapping and assault, for which she was fined. She faced these allegations again during the 1997 hearings before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a panel that investigated apartheid-era crimes. As a parliamentarian after South Africa's first all-race elections, she was convicted of fraud. Winnie Mandela, centre left, wife of African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela, centre right, leaves the Rand Supreme Court after an adjournment of her kidnap and assault court case. Still, Ms Madikizela-Mandela remained a venerated figure in the ruling African National Congress, which has led South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994. She was a veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle who continued to tell the party "exactly what is wrong and what is right at any time", said senior ANC leader Gwede Mantashe. The ANC, which was the main movement against apartheid, had lost popularity in recent years in part because of scandals linked to former president Jacob Zuma, who resigned in February. Nobel laureate and former archbishop Desmond Tutu, a periodic critic of the ruling party over the years, described Ms Madikizela-Mandela as "a defining symbol" of the fight against apartheid. "She refused to be bowed by the imprisonment of her husband, the perpetual harassment of her family by security forces, detentions, bannings and banishment," Mr Tutu said. "Her courageous defiance was deeply inspirational to me, and to generations of activists." Ms Madikizela-Mandela had been in and out of hospital since the start of the year, according to her family. She had back surgery a year ago. The family said it will release details of her memorial and funeral services when they are finalised. Ms Madikizela-Mandela always was aware of the danger of being submerged in the shadow of her husband's all-encompassing personality. Even before they were separated by Nelson Mandela's long stay in prison, she had become politicised, being jailed for two weeks while pregnant for participating in a women's protest against apartheid restrictions on blacks. The apartheid police later harassed her, sometimes dragging her from bed at night without giving her a chance to make arrangements for her daughters. Ms Madikizela-Mandela complained bitterly on a North American tour after she was forced to give evidence to South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1997 that the commission never asked her about the treatment she suffered over 18 months in solitary confinement. The Mandela marriage that survived decades of prison bars dissolved with a formal separation in 1992, two years after Nelson Mandela was released. The couple divorced in 1996, two years after Mr Mandela became president in South Africa's first all-race elections, with Mr Mandela accusing his wife of infidelity. As the mother of two of Mr Mandela's children, Ms Madikizela-Mandela and her ex-husband appeared to rebuild a friendship in his final years, before his 2013 death. - PA Two men in England have died in a collision after a car was driven on the wrong side of the motorway, West Yorkshire Police said. Officers were called at around 2.34am to reports there was a vehicle driving eastbound on the westbound carriageway of the M62 near to junction 26 at Huddersfield, the force said. When I say diversity, I want to be clear that it is never just about black and white for me. Its about diversity across the board - whether thats race, size, socio-economic background, religion, sexuality. Thats what I want to celebrate with this cover. Halima Aden is the first hijab-wearing model to feature on a British Vogue cover. Credit:AP Diversity on the catwalks and magazine pages (or the lack of it) is under more scrutiny than ever. While broader representations of beauty have appeared on the runways in New York, London, Paris and Milan in recent years, accusations of racism and colorism remain. But now, following in the footsteps of Alek Wek, one of the first African models to be embraced by fashion, more than two decades ago, many young women with dark skin and natural, largely chemically untreated hair have become sought-after runway models. Aside from Yai and Akech, for example, there was Grace Bol (originally of South Sudan), who walked in Thom Browne, Givenchy and Balmain, among others; Akiima (also of South Sudanese origin), who was cast by Marc Jacobs, Jacquemus, Loewe and others; and Shanelle Nyasiase (of Kenya), who appeared at Versace, Alexander McQueen and Valentino. "When I was younger, I always felt insecure about my looks when I looked at fashion and movie stars," Yai said. "Although there were black women, I never saw any that had skin like me, so I always felt unattractive, like a real outsider. But I am feeling so much more optimistic now, especially when I look backstage or on runways at fashion week. There are so many more girls who look just like me." Enninful, a long-standing campaigner for greater diversity in fashion, agrees. "There's such an incredible variety of black skin tones and it's nice to see that full spectrum being represented," he says, noting that the women had emerged months after the debut of Rihannas Fenty Beauty line, a smash hit that has been anchored around a range of cosmetics options for darker skinned women. Laura Brown, the editor-in-chief of InStyle, adds, "The shows finally feel rooted in the present, and frankly it is about time." Indeed, for the first time it was the shows that did not feature a diverse range of skin tones (Emporio Armani, for example, which had only three non-white models) that stood out as problematic anomalies. Tiya Miles, a professor of American culture and history at the University of Michigan, believes that Hollywood, fashion and beauty businesses are responding to the popular public movements demanding change in the wider global political and economic landscape. "In reaction to a sharpening sense of white nationalist identity across America and Europe, there is a growing consciousness of the importance of visibility and vocality for people of color, particularly black people," Miles said. "It is no coincidence that this runway model trend and movies like Black Panther have arrived at the same time." Patrizia Pilotti, a casting director for brands including Lacoste and Valentino, both of which featured more models of color this season, suggested other factors were at play. In the digital era, she said, the frenetic cycles of fashion do not apply only to clothes, but also to the models who wear them. The pressure is on for brands to feature new faces, and so modeling scouts have cast their nets farther afield, visiting new cities and territories in the quest to bring a more diverse offering to casting agents. "I have never seen so many different girls on agents' books as I did this season. But there is one reason I cast so many dark-skinned girls, and one reason only: their beauty," Pilotti said. The response to Yai's Prada appearance was quick: Within three weeks of appearing on the runway she had become a viral Instagram sensation. "I thought there might be some reaction, but I never thought it would be this big," said Yai, who was first discovered by a photographer at a Howard University homecoming celebration in October. "But as a black woman of dark skin, I feel so proud of myself." Akech now has 70,000 followers. Both women, bursting with excitement, are in the process of securing campaigns with major fashion brands, though they declined to specify which ones. Sixteen young children injured after running through a minefield was Dr Markus Huettl's first day on the job in Iraq. Dr Huettl and his team from Canberra-based Aspen Medical managed to save a number of the children, who were aged under 10, but it set the scene for the challenges posed in the mission to help rebuild Iraq's shattered health system. Aspen Medical project director for Iraq Leo Cusack, and Aspen Medical chief medical officer for Iraq Dr Markus Huettl. Credit:Jamila Toderas "It was a day of eye-opening. It was very clear from that day on that this was not a normal environment," Aspen Medical's chief medical officer in Iraq said. "You jump out of bed [in the morning] and you're not sure you'll go back to bed." A woman has been charged with murder over the death of a man who was critically injured in north-west NSW on Good Friday. The 55-year-old man, identified as Christopher "Milo" Holder, was allegedly struck by a vehicle at a residential camp at one of the opal mining leases in Lightning Ridge about 11.45am. A bystander found the injured man at Three Mile Road and called emergency services. The man was found critically injured on Three Mile Road in Lightning Ridge. Credit:Google Maps The man was rushed to Lightning Ridge Hospital in a critical condition with serious head and pelvic injuries. A Queensland man stabbed to death in a home invasion gone wrong was a hot head who should not have been brought along to collect a drug debt, a court has heard. The court was told Isaac Batten said he should not have taken his brother to the house. Credit:Facebook Isaac Batten, 23, sat quietly in the prisoner dock of the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday morning, charged with burglary and assault, less than 24 hours after his brother died in the city's south. Defence solicitor Nick Hanly accepted his client had gone to a home on Metropole Street in Robertson with his brother and another man to claim $3400 owed in a drug debt. Police were called to the address, near Sunnybank, about 2pm on Sunday, where they found Mr Battens 21-year-old brother dead, with stab wounds. Victoria Police, through its near 19,000 employees, delivers policing services to 5.8 million Victorians, averaging 14,000 interactions with members of the public every day. This produces on average seven complaints daily. While the number of complaints relative to the many millions of public contacts between citizens and police in the last year remains small, Victoria Police recognises that every complaint provides a potential opportunity for Victoria Police to learn how it can improve the delivery of policing services and ensure that policing services are delivered in keeping with community expectations. Victoria Police has no tolerance for poor behaviour within its ranks. We want people to have absolute confidence that when they make a complaint against police, it will be investigated thoroughly and with integrity. We will examine carefully any new evidence contained in [The Age's] reports. If matters need to be revisited then that is what will occur. Our officers make mistakes like anyone else, and when that happens we learn from them. Key to that learning process is the important role IBAC plays. We welcome the oversight they provide. We want to be challenged, and we want to be held to account. When police cross the line, we want them to face the consequences of their actions.And that is happening. In the year to July 2017, more than 80 Victoria Police employees were charged with discipline or criminal matters. We are strongly supportive of the current parliamentary inquiry examining these issues. As was made clear in February when Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius, head of professional standards, appeared before the committee, we believe it is important for Victoria Police to retain ownership of its integrity systems including the complaints handling process. The moment we outsource this to an external body is the moment we stop putting integrity at the forefront of everything we do. We cannot improve our professionalism and integrity by outsourcing it to someone else. We need all employees within our organisation to be accountable for their actions and face the consequences when poor behaviour or misconduct is identified. That is not to say we do not have significant work ahead of us. We have started the process, but still need to better manage conflict of interest, so that complainants can have confidence in the integrity of an investigation. Former ACT union boss Dean Hall has been dealt a setback in his bid to find the source of a leaked phone tap that ended Labor MLA Joy Burch's tenure as police minister and led to the resignation of her chief of staff. The ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected Mr Hall's application seeking information to help him decide whether to take legal action as he pursues the origin of a leaked phone conversation in which government staffer Maria Hawthorne briefed him on a meeting between Ms Burch and the territory's chief police officer. Former ACT Police Minister Joy Burch. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos Mr Hall told the court he believed the Australian Federal Police had leaked the details of the conversation to the media, or someone who later gave them to journalists, but Justice Michael Elkaim said the former Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union chief's bid failed to explain why the leak could not come from another source. "There are other potential sources of the leak," Justice Elkaim said. Labor has sparked a political fight over the private health insurance rebate claimed by millions of Australians, refusing to rule out changing the policy after declaring it will look at the scheme if it takes power at the next election. The new signal puts families on notice to watch for changes to the $6.4 billion annual assistance under a Labor government, amid calls to scale back the rebate to boost the budget bottom line. The new remarks triggered great concern among the private health insurance industry, which is calling on Labor to outline a Plan B for households and insurers if the rebate is scaled back. The private insurance sector has expressed concern at the refusal of King and Shorten to back the rebate in its current form. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Opposition Leader Bill Shorten yesterday accused the private health insurers of running amok with their price increases, days after new figures showed premiums were rising 3.95 per cent on average across the sector. Here's a fresh twist in the ongoing Essar Steel drama, even as the countdown to the April 2 deadline for the rebids kicks-off: The resolution professional has reportedly thrown in a "new legal addendum" in the request for proposal (RFP) before the re-bids come in that will leave Numetal with little choice but to drop Rewant Ruia from the consortium. According to The Economic Times, the RFP prohibits any entity from transferring shares or management involvement directly or indirectly now or at any time in the future to the Ruias, or any connected persons. Any violation of this undertaking would lead to a cancellation of the bid. The bidder will reportedly have to sign an undertaking that "(I/we) have not and no person controlled by (me/us) has as of the date of this declaration, entered into any arrangement (whether written or verbal, contractual or otherwise) with any member of existing promoter group..." Tightening the noose further, the document states that trusts and the beneficiaries of such trusts will be considered as related parties. Since Rewant is the son of Essar Steel co-promoter Ravi Ruia, this new postscript effectively means that Numetal has to exclude Rewant Ruia's Aurora Enterprise Mauritius in order to be considered eligible to bid for the 10 MT Essar Steel. Numetal had previously claimed that if "public perception is a challenge because of Rewant Ruia's minority stake in Numetal, we're ready to change that". Antoine Chemali, a senior advisor at Numetal Mauritius, had gone so far as to say that if required the other shareholders were "ready to buy out" Rewant's 25 per cent stake. The other shareholders of this special purpose vehicle are VTB Capital, the private equity arm of the VTB Bank, Russian steel and engineering major TPE and Dubai-based Indo International, a steel trading firm. Sources close to Numetal have reportedly reiterated that the SPV will comply with all norms but also pointed out that the case is still pending with the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). Last Tuesday, the Ahmedabad bench of the bankruptcy court had adjourned the hearing on petitions filed by ArcelorMittal and Numetal challenging the disqualifications of their bids for debt-laden Essar Steel to April 4. To remind you, Lakshmi Mittal-promoted ArcelorMittal India and Numetal Mauritius were the only two bidders for Essar Steel, which owes the banks more than Rs 45,000 crore. But the beleaguered firm's committee of creditors (CoC) had rejected both bids. The SBI-led consortium had said that both were ineligible under the provisions of Section 29A of the amended Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). While Rewant was deemed a related party and, therefore, was not allowed to bid, ArcelorMittal's ineligibility stemmed from the fact that it had sold its 29 per cent in Uttam Galva, which is also facing insolvency proceedings, just weeks before submitting its bid for Essar. Both companies had, nonetheless, moved NCLT against their disqualification and had also asked the Bench to defer the second round of bidding. However, Essar's CoC, represented by Darius Khambatta, had argued that as per the 270-day insolvency resolution timeline, the process should end on April 29, hence the re-bidding should be over at the earliest. Post the deadline, liquidation is the only option left. That is why the bench had given its nod to the April 2 deadline. Since re-bids were only invited from the companies that had shown interest in the first round, speculation is rife that Vedanta may join the race this time round. Media reports also suggest that Sajjan Jindal-led JSW may join forces with Numetal, perhaps as a replacement for the Ruia trust. We will only know for sure when the resolution professional opens the fresh bids. One thing is for sure: The latter is trying hard to avoid a repeat of the protracted legal battle that followed the first round. The revised RFP reportedly makes it clear that submitted resolution plans will be rendered ineligible if any of the above terms are breached, even if it gets the nod from Essar's committee of creditors or the adjudicating authority. Moreover, prior to such approval, the resolution professional "shall have the right to reject the resolution plan without any liability". Given the latest trend of bidding companies challenging the decisions of the RP - as happened with Binani Cement, Bhushan Steel, Essar Steel and now perhaps Electrosteel, too - perhaps all RFPs should contain a similar clause to preserve the sanctity of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. (With PTI inputs) Videocon's Venugopal Dhoot is not the only industrialist to support first generation entrepreneur Deepak Kochhar in his solar energy venture - NuPower Renewables - by way of a loan. There are over half a dozen other mid-sized companies that have invested in the equity capital of Echanda Urja Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of NuPower Renewables. The co-founder and CEO of NuPower Renewables, husband of MD and CEO of ICICI Bank Chanda Kochhar, is already under the scanner of investigating agencies for a loan given by Videocon promoter VN Dhoot. There are issues of possible conflict of interest and quid pro quo against Chanda Kochhar as her bank is one of the lenders to Videocon Industries. The ICICI Bank board, however, is fully backing Kochhar on this issue. Deepak Kochhar of NuPower is also the MD and CEO of Echanda Urja Private Ltd. The companies that have invested in the NuPower Renewables subsidiary are Hatsun Agro, Steel Strips Wheels, Motherson Sumi, Zuari Cement, CavinKare, Togros Chemicals, Dhandapani Cement, TRIL Infopark and Shri Govindaraja Textiles. The Chennai-based largest private sector dairy Hatsun Agro has the highest stake of 6.11 per cent followed by Shri Govindaraja Textiles at 4.65 per cent. Some of these companies also have banking relationship with ICICI Bank in terms of loans and advances. But a banking relationship could be easily possible because of the large size of the bank with a huge client base. The equity capital of the company at face value is not much. It stands at Rs 2 crore. But it is not known at what price (premium or at par), these companies have subscribed to the equity of Echanda Urja. A mail sent to Echanda Urja remained unanswered till going to press. NuPower Renewables had 99 per cent in the equity of Echanda Urja in 2014-15. It means the dilution in equity capital, or the entry of these corporates, took place somewhere in 2015-16. While Deepak Kochhar doesn't hold any shares in the subsidiary in his individual capacity, the parent NuPower Renewables, has a 70.95 per cent stake. Kochhar draws a salary of Rs 2 crore plus annually from this subsidiary. Kochhar was appointed as a Director and further designated as CEO and MD in March 2016 and April 2016, respectively. In November 2014, the name of this subsidiary was also changed from NuPower Urja Private Ltd To Echanda Urja Pvt Ltd. The main business of the company is power generation through wind energy. The parent had actually transferred a part of the business to this subsidiary. In 2016-17, the company reported revenues of Rs 123 crore and net profits of Rs 19.86 lakh. This was a victory that tycoon Anil Agarwal was unable to fully savour: Vedanta on Saturday announced that it had won the bidding war for Electrosteel Steels, pipping suitors like Tata Steel and Edelweiss Alternative Asset Advisors. But, on the flip side, Abhishek Dalmia-led Renaissance Steel India today reportedly said that it will move the bankruptcy court, again, challenging the beleaguered firm's Committee of Creditors' (CoC) decision. In a statement released by Vedanta Limited, it said that "it has been declared as the successful resolution applicant by the Committee of Creditors for Electrosteel Steels Limited under the corporate insolvency resolution process" of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, adding that it "has received a Letter of Intent (LoI) informing the Company about the same". The company said that it accepted the terms of the LoI, but "the closure of the transaction will be subject to compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and as per the final terms approved by the National Company Law Tribunal". According to The Hindu Business Line, Vedanta has offered to pay a little over Rs 5,000 crore for the distressed asset out on the block. This means a steep haircut of over 50% for the lenders. To remind you, Electrosteel Steels, with a debt of over Rs 11,000 crore, was among the first 12 large corporate accounts identified for insolvency resolution by the RBI last year. Of this, it owes around Rs 5,000 crore to State Bank of India alone and over Rs 191 crore to operational creditors. The daily added that the Resolution Professional (RP) submitted Vedanta's CoC-approved resolution plan before the Kolkata bench of NCLT today. During the next hearing, scheduled on April 4, the Bench comprising Justices Jinan KR and Madan Balachandra Gosavi will also hear Renaissance Steel's application challenging the CoC's decision. "We are opposing the CoC's decision on eligibility of Vedanta and Tata. We also opposed the resolution plan (of Vedanta)," said a counsel, appearing for Renaissance. Renaissance Steel, one of the resolution applicants for Electrosteel Steels, had earlier moved NCLT challenging the eligibility of two of its rival bidders under Section 29A of the IBC, which bars applicants that have "been convicted for any offence punishable with imprisonment for two years or more". It had claimed that Vedanta Resources Plc, holding company of Vedanta, had pleaded guilty to charges against its Konkola Copper Mines for violating violated pollution norms in Zambia back in 2010 while Tata Steel's UK subsidiary had violated the UK Health and Safety at Work Act. On March 20, the NCLT told the resolution professional to place all the objections of Renaissance Steel before the CoC for an "independent consideration'' with supporting documents. This meeting reportedly took place last Thursday and the CoC voted for Vedanta. The latter is sure to put up a stiff fight against Renaissance since it has landed a sweetheart deal with this acquisition. Not only has it come cheap, but it is crucial to Vedanta's long-term plan. In a conference call in January to discuss the production results for Q3 FY 2018, Vedanta Resources CEO Kuldip Kaura had said "We do not look at steel as a separate business really. We are currently the largest producer of iron ore in India and iron ore is our main business. In the growth of iron ore and allocation of mining leases, [government] stipulation usually is put for value addition and our looking at some of the steel assets is actually in view of that". Given that one of Electrosteel Steels' assets in Jharkhand is located close to Vedanta's iron ore mines there, fits neatly with this scheme of things. And more profitable to boot. With IANS inputs Protesting against a Supreme Court ruling that allegedly dilutes a law for people from scheduled caste and scheduled tribe, Dalit organisations across the country have today called for a Bharat Bandh. From Uttar Pradesh to Punjab to Gujarat, the effect of the nationwide strike is widespread as thousands of protesters have blocked various national highways. In Uttar Pradesh, the dalit protestors blocked Delhi-Dehradun highway and torched several vehicles, leaving thousands stranded on roads. UP CM Yogi Adityanath has appealed to the people to maintain law and order. He said: "The central and state governments are dedicated towards the welfare of backward castes, SCs and STs. I appeal to all to not disturb the law and order. If at all there are any issues you can bring them to government's notice." Something similar is happening in other north-Indian states: Rajasthan and Punjab. In Rajasthan, the protestors set several vehicles on fire in Barmer and blocked roads in Bharatpur. Protesters stopped trains in Jaipur. One person killed in police firing in Rajasthan's Khairthal. In Punjab, angry protesters blocked Pathankot-Amritsar national highway and stopped trains in Firozpur and Patiala. Taking precautionary measures, the Punjab government on Sunday decided to suspend the services of public transport across the state. It also ordered suspension of services on mobile internet, besides all SMS services and dongle services provided on mobile networks except voice calls from 5 pm (Sunday) until 11 pm (Monday). In Madhya Pradesh, the protestors resorted to stone pelting in Bhind. In MP, four people died during protests. The state government has imposed curfew in parts of Gwalior and Sagar. The whole issue started after a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the stringent Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act and said that there shall be no immediate arrest on any complaint filed under the law. It said that before arresting a public servant under the Act, a preliminary probe by an officer not below the rank of deputy superintendent should be conducted. The apex court's order came after it found rampant misuse of the SC/ST Act against government servants. However, the verdict did not go well with several Dalit organisations who called the move 'anti-Dalit' and asked the centre to take a stand and file a review petition. They fear that diluting the law will result in rising crime against SCs and STs. Earlier in the day, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad informed that the Central government filed a comprehensive review petition on the Supreme Court's order. Last week, a delegation of NDA's SC and ST MPs and Union Social Justice Minister Thawarchand Gehlot had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the apex court's judgement. Gehlot recently wrote to Prasad, informing him that there were concerns that the order would make the law ineffective and adversely impact dispensation of justice to Dalits and tribals. With inputs from PTI The H-1B visa process for the fiscal year 2018-19, widely being called the toughest visa application process begins today, April 2. The Trump administration that rolled out the 'Buy American and Hire American' Executive Order will be scrutinising every application minutely before issuing the most sought-after work visa. According to multiple reports this year there will be zero tolerance for minor errors, taking the already difficult process to a new level. Immigration attorneys are expecting a higher rate of rejection this year, as mentioned in a report by NDTV. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that is issued to foreign workers. Thousands of Indian employees are currently working in the US through the H-1B. A few days earlier, USCIS had temporarily suspended the premium processing of visas. The Premium Processing Service is an expedited processing of particular employment-based applications. This service is being suspended till September 10. "This temporary suspension will help us reduce overall H-1B processing times. By temporarily suspending premium processing, we will be able to process long-pending petitions, which we have currently been unable to process due to the high volume of incoming petitions and the significant surge in premium processing requests over the past few years," the USCIS had said. The H-1B visa has an annual numerical limit cap of 65,000 visas each year. The first 20,000 petitions filed on behalf of beneficiaries with a US master's degree or higher are exempted from the cap. USCIS said that it will reject H-1B petitions requesting an earlier employment start date or a start date of 'As Soon As Possible' or 'ASAP'. "Complete all sections of the form accurately, the petitioner should include a copy of the beneficiary's valid passport," USCIS added. If the applicant is seeking an extension of stay or change of status, he or she should include evidence to establish that the beneficiary will maintain a valid non-immigrant status through the employment start date being requested, USCIS said in its filing tips. When the successful applicant appears before the American diplomatic missions, embassies and consulates for a formal visa interview and stamping on their passport, they would have to be ready with details of the social media profile, emails and phone numbers of the last five years. Ahead of the H-1B visa filing process, USCIS said this work visa should help US companies recruit highly-skilled foreign nationals when there is a shortage of qualified workers in the country. "Yet, too many American workers who are as qualified, willing, and deserving to work in these fields have been ignored or unfairly disadvantaged. Employers who abuse the H-1B visa program may negatively affect US workers, decreasing wages and opportunities as they import more foreign workers," it said. (With PTI inputs) The Can Fin Homes stock fell up to 8% in early trade after its parent Canara Bank decided to call off the divestment process of its entire stake in the subsidiary. At 10:48 am, the stock was trading 6.22% or 30.15 points lower at 454.90 on BSE. The stock hit an intra-day low of 445.95 or 8 percent lower within minutes of opening on BSE. It opened at 465.80 level. The firm's market cap stood at Rs 6,070.50 crore on BSE. "Since the quote received is not in tune with the valuation, Canara Bank has decided to call off divestment process of its entire stake in Canfin Homes Ltd (CFHL), which was under process," Canara Bank said in a regulatory filing. In December 2017, Canara Bank informed stock exchanges that it will offload 4 per cent stake in Canfin Homes Ltd (CFHL). After the transaction, the bank's holding in CFHL would have reduced to 26 per cent. However, later it informed that it has not accepted bids from empanelled merchant bankers and it will divest its entire stake in the company. Can Fin Homes has a pan India network of 132 branches, 20 affordable Housing Loan Centres (AHLCs) and 20 satellite offices with customer base of over 1.2 lakh. The firm was incorporated in the year 1987 and is engaged in the business of providing finance for housing in the country. It offers a range of loan products, housing loans as well as non-housing loans to the customers. Ashok Leyland, a flagship of the Hinduja Group, recently did the ceremonial ground breaking of its third bus assembling plant in the country, at Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. Speaking to journalists at the site, 40 kms from Vijayawada city, Vinod K Dasari, CEO and Managing Director of Ashok Leyland, who also hails from the region, said that a unit in the region was best placed to meet the growing market in South. The company, which claims to be the fourth largest bus manufacturer in the world, has two other plants in India at Trichy in Tamil Nadu and Alwar in Rajasthan. Dasari said a key trigger for the plant location was the support and rapid pace at which it got the approvals in Andhra Pradesh. Ashok Leyland plans to invest Rs 1700 crore in the plant, which would have a capacity to assemble 4,800 buses in a year or 16 a day (300 days in a year). "This facility will help us be ahead of the curve by ensuring our readiness towards implementation of the bus body code and to meet the rising demand for ready-to-use, fully-built trucks as well. We will also produce electric vehicles at this plant. The new plant is also strategically located to meet the demands of Centre, East and Southern India markets." Currently, it has bagged the order to supply 40 electric buses to Ahmedabad Bus Rapid Transit System," Dasari said. The groundbreaking ceremony also saw attendance of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, who laid the foundation stone of the plant, which will be the first Ashok Leyland plant in Andhra Pradesh. Spread across 75 acres, with a scope to add another 75 acres and double capacity at a later date, depending on the demand, it is situated in Model Industrial Park, Mallavalli village in Krishna district. The plant will include latest technologies and also have a state-of-the-art learning centre and an advanced service training centre. It would employ over 5000 employees. While it will have the capability to make the entire range of buses of Ashok Leyland brand, the facility will also include an electric vehicle development centre comprising of a futuristic conveyor line, pilot assembly line and prototype development. It will be a completely green facility, with rooftop solar panels, LED lighting, battery operated vehicles for in-plant movement, positive water balance and zero discharge. Two days after India's latest communication satellite with military applications GSAT-6A was launched, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday said it had lost contact with it and was making efforts to establish link. The space agency lost communication with the satellite when it attempted to ignite the engine in a third and final move to its desired location after its March 29 textbook launch from the space port of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The second orbit raising operation of GSAT-6A was successfully carried out on Saturday, but when it was on course to normal operating configuration for the third and final firing scheduled for April 1, communication with the satellite was lost, the space agency said after maintaining unusual silence on the health of the satellite. Efforts are underway to establish link with the satellite, Bengaluru-headquartered ISRO said on its website. The 2,140-kg GSAT-6A rode piggyback on ISRO's powerful geosynchronous rocket (GSLV-F08) fitted with indigenous cryogenic engine at the third stage and was put into orbit successfully after the launch in what was described by a senior ISRO official as a magnificent mission. The space agency's unusual silence regarding the satellite had set off speculation about its health. ISRO, which normally communicates on its website about the orbit raising operations like it did on March 30, following the success of the first orbit raising operation, had not released any update since then. The last update was on March 30, wherein it said, The first orbit raising operation of GSAT-6A Satellite has been successfully carried out by Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) Engine firing for 2188 sec from 09:22hr IST on March 30, 2018. ISRO did not spell out what went wrong. Reports, however, suggest that the glitch was related to the satellite's power system after the second orbit-raising exercise yesterday, following which ISRO's top brass have reportedly gone into a huddle towards setting things right. The orbit raising operation is carried out to hurl the satellite to its space home. GSAT-6A, with a mission life of about 10 years, is designed to provide thrust to mobile communication through multi-beam coverage facility. The satellite is also aimed at providing a platform for developing technologies such as demonstration of 6 m S-Band Unfurlable Antenna, hand-held ground terminals and network management techniques that could be useful in satellite-based mobile communication applications. GSAT-6A is a complement to GSAT6, already in orbit. These two satellites combined will provide a platform for development of advanced technologies, ISRO Chairman K Sivan had said post the launch. This was the first mission for Sivan, who assumed charge of the space agency in January. In August last year, India's mission to launch its backup navigation satellite IRNSS-1H on board PSLV-C39 ended in a failure after a technical fault on the final leg following a perfect launch. ISRO had then said the heat shield had not separated on the final leg of the launch sequence and, as a result, IRNSS-1H had got stuck in the fourth stage of the rocket. With inputs from PTI Published On Apr 02, 2018 10:10 AM By Jagdev Kalsi All these cars will run perfectly on BSIV-grade petrol with the use of some additives prescribed by BMW BMW has become the second carmaker in India after Mercedes-Benz to offer BSVI vehicles in its lineup. The German car manufacturer recently revealed that all its petrol cars will be powered by BSVI engines from April 2018 onwards. With this, BMW now offers the most number of BSVI car models in India. As per BMW Indias latest price list available with us dated Feb 15, 2018, it offers a petrol engine option with the 3, 5 and 7 Series, 3GT, 6GT, X6, Z4, i8 and the entire range of M products. Barring the X6, Z4, i8 and the range of M cars, BMW assembles the other vehicles at its Chennai facility in India. Coming soon: New BMW X3. Read in detail here. The luxury carmaker has cleared that its petrol cars will be able to run on BSIV-grade fuel smoothly. While BSVI fuel is now available in Delhi-NCR, the rest of the country will get it over a period of time until April 1, 2020, when it becomes mandatory throughout the nation. Since petrol engines dont require any major change to switch to BSVI technology, we dont expect any significant increase in the prices of the BMW models that now come with a BSVI petrol engine under their hood. As far as shifting to BSVI technology on its diesel-powered cars is concerned, BMW will wait for the availability of BSVI-grade diesel fuel throughout the nation. At present, only Mercedes-Benz has the knowhow to build a diesel engine that conforms to BSVI-grade emission norms while running perfectly on BSIV-grade fuel. M-B attributes usage of some high-quality materials for this feat. It is the only carmaker in India to offer a BSVI diesel car - the S-Class facelift. BMWs Chennai plant completes 11 years BMW recently celebrated the 11th anniversary of its Chennai facility. The carmaker launched a new initiative on the occasion called Skill Next. Under this, BMW has pledged to provide 365 engines and transmissions to various engineering and technical institutes across the nation for learning purposes by the end of 2018. The carmaker plans to offer its 2.0-litre diesel engine and 8-speed steptronic automatic transmission free of cost. Coming later in 2018: BMW 6GT Diesel. Read in detail here. The engines and transmissions that BMW will be offering to various institutes were affected by the extreme rain and weather conditions in Chennai in 2017 and were deemed unsuitable to be used in new BMW cars. These have now been restored to the best possible condition under insurance. Also Read: Audi Hints At A Sub-Q2 SUV Called The Q1 Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. Effective study techniques will help students improve their ability to score more marks in the exam. But it is hard for some students to manage all the things in their lives. They fail to concentrate on studies and lose their grades. If you make some simple changes while studying, then you will definitely gain more marks in an easy way. Students don't have to study longer to fetch better grades, studying in a smarter way is the key to success. Try to choose the right environment and reduce distractions while studying. Include memory games in your daily routine to increase your memory power. Here we have given some simple and most effective study techniques in our page; follow them while preparing for the exams. Self-approach Matters Most of the students look at studying as a punishment or a necessary chore. Very few people look at studying as a form of enjoyment or an opportunity to learn new things in their life. Self-interest towards studying really matters a lot. One cannot force oneself to study; in such times it is better to avoid studying. Improve your mindset and think positively. Never compare yourself with others, always think you are unique and you have good skills. Study Environment Is Important Most of the students commit a mistake while choosing their study place. Yes, study environment plays a key role in improving your score; make sure you are free from distractions like the TV, computer, etc. Choose a library or a study hall or a quiet area for studying rather than a central gathering places. Rewrite Important Points Try to rewrite important points and keep that outline format with you while studying for the exam. If you don't have the habit of writing notes, then take your friend's notes and translate those notes into your own words. This will help you to remember important concepts at the time of your exam. Carry Only Required Material Don't carry unnecessary things or materials with you after you have found an ideal place for studying. For example, some of the students store notes in their laptops and carry them while studying. Computers, laptops and mobile phones are major distractions for students. So before you start studying, make a list of necessary things that you really need to carry. Study With Your Friends Some students like to do combined studies with their friends during the exam time. Discussing the chapters, quizzes and questions with your friends will help you to cover the vast syllabus faster. Group studies might not be helpful for many students, but it will definitely help some students. Take Short Breaks Yes, what you heard is true, if you study continuously you may get bored or will not able to concentrate. So take 10 to 15 minutes break for every 30 minutes of your study. Short study sessions and breaks will help the students regain their concentration and enthusiasm to study. Prepare A Study Plan A proper timetable or study plan will help students improve their score. You must stick to the study schedule and cover the entire exam syllabus before the day of your exam. Prepare the study plan after you figure out the exam syllabus. Follow the plan daily without fail. Quiz Yourself Make use of quizzes, previous exam papers and flashcards to test your knowledge. You can remember or learn more things by questioning yourself rather than reading long paragraphs. Prepare flash cards for important topics; they might help you during your revision. Practise mock tests and quiz yourself to improve your marks. We hope these simple study techniques will help you during your exam preparation. Students in India have a dream nestled within them. The struggle they go through everyday with studies has a purpose, a destination to reach. Students look forward to pursuing a type of course of their interest and for each course, there are top colleges which are dream institutes for the students. If they have a strong desire to get admitted in any one of them, they dedicate their days and nights to pass the admission process. There are colleges for almost every stream in India and some of them demand tough tests to be cleared for an admission, depending on the level of education and placements. One of such institutes is IIM (Indian Institute of Management), which has 20 branches in different cities across India. And, the battle to be won to get into IIM is CAT (Common Admission Test), which is held every year. Apart from IIMs, other renowned B-schools of India consider CAT scores for their admission. Metaphorically, students dedicate all their blood and sweat to crack CAT and think once it is cleared, they are set to enter any B-school of the country. However, there are other hurdles they need to go through after clearing the exams and here they are. Clearing CAT Is Not The End After the results of CAT entrance roll out, all the institutes, which accept CAT scores, shortlist candidates depending on their performance. The shortlisted candidates have to go through either one, two or three other tests. The number of tests differs for every institute. The three tests include: 1. Written Ability Test (WAT) 2. Group Discussion (GD) 3. Personal Interview (PI) Let's have a look what actually these tests are. Written Ability Test (WAT) WAT examination is conducted to test your knowledge and writing skills. This test plays an important role and some institutes replace the group discussion round with this test. The syllabus of this test is mostly current affairs and some general knowledge. For increasing your prospects of clearing this test, make a habit of reading as much as you can which should include current affairs and happenings around the world. Newspaper reading works the best for this. Don't just read, but also practise to write fluently. Everything you do in this exam is time bounded, which is why you have to learn time management as well. Group Discussion (GD) Seldom do students prepare for group discussions by doing appropriate exercises which help in clearing this round. The topics of discussion may vary from world affairs, political issues, lifestyle or any general topic. Also, the number of people participating in the GD may vary. The more the number of people in the rink, the higher is the competition. Through this test, your verbal communication and body language are tested. You don't just need to be smart enough to come up with intelligent points, you also have to be clear and crisp in expressing them. Additionally, the tone of speech and body language should be amiable. Personal Interview (PI) Personal Interview is one of the important steps to get an admission as it involves your personal interaction with the interviewers and they judge your confidence and point of view. Being confident doesn't mean you should be overconfident. There are some common questions which are asked and it is good to be prepared for them. The questions may include - How do you describe yourself? Why did you choose the particular institute? Where do you see yourself in the coming years? What does success/failure mean to you? Photo: Contributed You might want to clear your browser caches. You also might want to kill off those annoying notifications and the prompts they rode in on. And, finally, you might want to do good deeds. Cover your browser tracks If you use a public computer or if you share a computer with someone else in your household, you should know how to clear your browser history. Why? Well, when it comes to that public computer, its pretty obvious that you dont want the next person (or the person after that, or) to be able to get to your email. In a household sharing a computer, maybe you dont want your partner to see that youve been shopping for their birthday present or planning that surprise Hawaiian vacation. Heres how to clear out your browser cache in Firefox: Click on the hamburger menu (the three lines on the top right corner) Click on Options | Privacy and Security In the History section, click on clear recent history Select a timeframe and the items you want to clear Click on Clear now If you want Firefox to forget everything every time you close it, click on the box next to Firefox will and choose Never remember or Custom to pick and choose what Firefox remembers. In Chrome: Click on the hamburger menu (the three lines or dots on the top right corner) Click on More tools | Clear browsing data Select a timeframe and the items you want to clear (Click on Advanced for more choices) Click on Clear data If you want Chrome to do that automagically when you close it, Click on the hamburger menu (the three lines or dots on the top right corner) Click on More tools | Clear browsing data Select a timeframe and the items you want to clear (Click on Advanced for more choices) Click on Content settings | Cookies Move the slider next to Keep local data only until you quit your browser to ON If you must use Edge, heres how to clear the caches: Click on the hub (Star with three horizontal lines on the top right corner) Click on the clock icon Click on Clear history Choose what to clear Click on the CLEAR button Move the Always clear this when I close the browser switch to ON if you want this to be automatic. Stop those annoying website notifications There are days when it seems every website I visit wants to notify me about new content. I dont want that most of the time, nor do I want to keep swatting that request down every time I visit the page. Its easy to turn that off if you know how. In Chrome: Click on the hamburger menu (the three lines or dots on the top right corner) Click on Settings Scroll down and click on Advanced Scroll again to Privacy and Security Scroll AGAIN to Notifications Slide the Ask before sending switch to OFF (Now you should see BLOCKED) If youve already authorized some pages to send you notifications, youll see them in the Allow section. Those are still allowed, so if youre fine with that just leave them alone. If you dont want notifications from something youve already allowed, click on the menu button to the right of the website and then on Remove. In Firefox: Type about:config in the address bar Accept the risk Type notifications in the Search bar at the top of the page Scroll to dom.webnotifications.enabled Double-click on the entry to change the value to false Help raise awareness and money for mental health Many of you have sponsored me on charity bike rides in past years. This year Im going to do the 50K Ride Dont Hide to raise money for the Canadian Mental Health Association. The Kelowna ride, on June 24, 2018, is one of many rides that day all over Canada. The goal is to raise $1,700,000 for essential programs and services in communities, workplaces and schools, and to end the stigma of mental illness. Im excited to be part of Ride Dont Hide 2018, and I hope that youll join me as a rider, fundraise as a virtual rider, volunteer at the event, or sponsor my ride. If youd like to sponsor me, please use this link to make your secure online donation: https://goo.gl/WnnSd3. To learn more about the event, visit: http://ridedonthide.com/. Thank you so much for your support. Every dollar helps. Photo: Getty Images Toronto's public health authority says up to 30 people may have been exposed to a used needle during blood sugar tests at a community event last month. Toronto Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Herveen Sachdeva says the blood sugar tests were "not performed appropriately" at a March 25 health fair organized by Vision Infinite Foundation, a non-profit that supports the Bangladeshi-Canadian community. Sachdeva says there is a very low chance of blood-borne viruses, such as hepatitis B and C and HIV, being transmitted by re-using a lancet a double-edged needle typically used to prick the finger and take small amounts of blood. Toronto Public Health says it has called and written letters to everyone who received a blood sugar test at the fair, recommending they get a blood test as a precaution. Vision Infinite Director Shahid Khandker says a woman at the fair told staff that she had seen testers re-use a lancet. Khandker says the testing station, which was run by a local pharmacy, was immediately shut down and paramedics were called to the scene. According to the report The Hollywood Reporter, Pre-sale of tickets from 007: No time to die Reached one in the... California Department of Education News Release State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces 2018 California Distinguished Schools SACRAMENTOState Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that 287 elementary schools are being honored under the Distinguished Schools Program. This program returns after a three-year break, and replaces the California Gold Ribbon Schools Program. The list of recognized schools is attached at the end of this press release. These schools implement outstanding educational programs and practices that help California students realize their potential, and put them on the path to achieve their dreams, Torlakson said. Every day at these schools, teachers, administrators and classified employees, working with parents, apply their dedication, creativity, and talents toward providing a great education for all their students. Sponsored by California Casualty, the 2018 California Distinguished Schools Program recognizes California elementary schools that have made exceptional gains in implementing academic content and performance standards adopted by the State Board of Education. Schools that applied were eligible based on their performance and progress on the state indicators as described on the California School Dashboard. Indicators include test scores, suspension rates, and English learner progress. Schools were also eligible to apply for a California Exemplary Program Award in Arts Education, and/or Physical Activity and Nutrition Education, which will be announced at a later time. These award winners represent examples of not just excellent teaching, learning, and collaborating, but also highly successful school climate efforts, ranging from real time conflict resolution to positive behavior intervention. Some examples of this years honorees are: Los Cerritos Elementary School, Long Beach Unified School District: Los Cerritos teachers look at school data annually and recently decided that a top priority was closing the achievement gap for African American students in math and English. After finding studies showing greater success for minority students when offered more opportunities for student collaboration, teachers began building a collaborative classroom culture. Now, visiting a classroom, you might hear students discussing strategies used to solve a math task using precise math vocabulary, adding on to each others thinking, then reflecting on their participation and how they might approach tasks in the future. The schools efforts to promote learning through collaboration has resulted in a 10 percent increase in math scores and a 6 percent growth in English for the African American student subgroup. Los Cerritos teachers look at school data annually and recently decided that a top priority was closing the achievement gap for African American students in math and English. After finding studies showing greater success for minority students when offered more opportunities for student collaboration, teachers began building a collaborative classroom culture. Now, visiting a classroom, you might hear students discussing strategies used to solve a math task using precise math vocabulary, adding on to each others thinking, then reflecting on their participation and how they might approach tasks in the future. The schools efforts to promote learning through collaboration has resulted in a 10 percent increase in math scores and a 6 percent growth in English for the African American student subgroup. Cleveland Elementary School, Oakland Unified School District: Four years ago, Cleveland Elementary School focused on California Healthy Kids data showing that students did not feel like they belong and suspension numbers disproportionately affecting African American students. The school decided to address these issues by adopting a model of positive behavioral intervention and using school funds to hire a culture coach, to encourage inclusiveness and responsibility. One result: the school has only had one student suspended for one day over the past four years. Four years ago, Cleveland Elementary School focused on California Healthy Kids data showing that students did not feel like they belong and suspension numbers disproportionately affecting African American students. The school decided to address these issues by adopting a model of positive behavioral intervention and using school funds to hire a culture coach, to encourage inclusiveness and responsibility. One result: the school has only had one student suspended for one day over the past four years. Evergreen Elementary School, Evergreen Union School District: Located in rural northern Tehama County, Evergreen Elementary Schools students are 61 percent low-income. School leaders decided its greatest need was to improve school-wide math scores, especially for foster youth, pupils with disabilities, and low-income students. Via a rigorous school-wide mission featuring data-focused teaching (targeting each individual student with the skills and practice that he/she needs based on data) and mathematical literacy assessments four times a year, Evergreen Elementary increased its CAASPP math scores across by 15 percent from 2015 to 2017. Located in rural northern Tehama County, Evergreen Elementary Schools students are 61 percent low-income. School leaders decided its greatest need was to improve school-wide math scores, especially for foster youth, pupils with disabilities, and low-income students. Via a rigorous school-wide mission featuring data-focused teaching (targeting each individual student with the skills and practice that he/she needs based on data) and mathematical literacy assessments four times a year, Evergreen Elementary increased its CAASPP math scores across by 15 percent from 2015 to 2017. Loma Verde Elementary School, Chula Vista Elementary School District: Located only six miles from the border to Mexico, English learners make up the majority of this schools population, and 77 percent of students are categorized as low-income students. Through implementing a Guided Language Acquisition Design Model emphasizing language-learning chants, collaborative discussions, and inquiry-based learning, the school raised its CAASPP scores over a two-year period. English learners improved CAASPP scores by 24 percent for math and 23 percent for English over two years. And low-income students increased scores by 24 percent in English and 19 percent in math over two years. Located only six miles from the border to Mexico, English learners make up the majority of this schools population, and 77 percent of students are categorized as low-income students. Through implementing a Guided Language Acquisition Design Model emphasizing language-learning chants, collaborative discussions, and inquiry-based learning, the school raised its CAASPP scores over a two-year period. English learners improved CAASPP scores by 24 percent for math and 23 percent for English over two years. And low-income students increased scores by 24 percent in English and 19 percent in math over two years. Avalon Elementary School, Val Verde Unified School District: This diverse suburban school created a program to improve school climate. Its program used a school-wide token system to reward exemplary behavior, held events for those who met behavior expectancies, and defined behavioral expectations which were reinforced with weekly social skills lessons. The school has decreased suspensions over a five-year period (2011 to 2016) from 50 to 6, and decreased its total count of reported student incidents from 110 to 55. This has also correlated to an increase in test scores for the past three years. 2018 California Distinguished Schools County District School Alameda Alameda Unified Amelia Earhart Elementary Alameda Alameda Unified Bay Farm Alameda Berkeley Unified Emerson Elementary Alameda Castro Valley Unified Independent Elementary Alameda Castro Valley Unified Proctor Elementary Alameda Dublin Unified John Green Elementary Alameda Fremont Unified Ardenwood Elementary Alameda Fremont Unified Forest Park Elementary Alameda Fremont Unified John Gomes Elementary Alameda Fremont Unified Joseph Azevada Elementary Alameda Fremont Unified Mission San Jose Elementary Alameda Fremont Unified Mission Valley Elementary Alameda Fremont Unified O. N. Hirsch Elementary Alameda Fremont Unified Warm Springs Elementary Alameda Fremont Unified Warwick Elementary Alameda Hayward Unified Southgate Elementary Alameda Oakland Unified Cleveland Elementary Alameda Pleasanton Unified Fairlands Elementary Alameda Pleasanton Unified Lydiksen Elementary Alameda Pleasanton Unified Phoebe Apperson Hearst Elementary Alameda San Leandro Unified Madison Elementary Contra Costa Orinda Union Elementary Del Rey Elementary Contra Costa Orinda Union Elementary Glorietta Elementary Contra Costa Orinda Union Elementary Wagner Ranch Elementary Contra Costa San Ramon Valley Unified Bollinger Canyon Elementary Contra Costa San Ramon Valley Unified Coyote Creek Elementary Contra Costa San Ramon Valley Unified Rancho Romero Elementary Contra Costa West Contra Costa Unified Kensington Elementary El Dorado Buckeye Union Elementary Oak Meadow Elementary El Dorado Rescue Union Elementary Lakeview Elementary Fresno Clovis Unified Fancher Creek Elementary Fresno Clovis Unified Gettysburg Elementary Fresno Clovis Unified James S. Fugman Elementary Fresno Clovis Unified Jefferson Elementary Fresno Clovis Unified Liberty Elementary Fresno Clovis Unified Lincoln Elementary Fresno Clovis Unified Mickey Cox Elementary Fresno Clovis Unified Woods (Harold L.) Elementary Fresno Fresno Unified Forkner Elementary Fresno Fresno Unified Manchester Gate Fresno Fresno Unified Morris E. Dailey Charter Elementary Fresno Kings Canyon Joint Unified Riverview Elementary Fresno Sanger Unified Lone Star Elementary Humboldt Arcata Elementary Union Street Charter Imperial Holtville Unified Emmett S. Finley Elementary Imperial Imperial Unified Ben Hulse Elementary Kern Bakersfield City Cesar E. Chavez Elementary Kern Greenfield Union Granite Pointe Elementary Kern Panama-Buena Vista Union Berkshire Elementary Kings Hanford Elementary Jefferson Charter Academy Kings Hanford Elementary Joseph M. Simas Los Angeles ABC Unified Cerritos Elementary Los Angeles ABC Unified Elliott (William F) Elementary Los Angeles ABC Unified Gonsalves (Joe A.) Elementary Los Angeles ABC Unified Leal (Frank C.) Elementary Los Angeles Alhambra Unified Marguerita Elementary Los Angeles Alhambra Unified Park Elementary Los Angeles Arcadia Unified Holly Avenue Elementary Los Angeles Arcadia Unified Longley Way Elementary Los Angeles Baldwin Park Unified Kenmore Elementary Los Angeles Beverly Hills Unified El Rodeo School Los Angeles Bonita Unified Arma J. Shull Elementary Los Angeles Burbank Unified Walt Disney Elementary Los Angeles Claremont Unified Vista del Valle Elementary Los Angeles Covina-Valley Unified Ben Lomond Elementary Los Angeles Culver City Unified Farragut Elementary Los Angeles East Whittier City Elementary Ceres Elementary Los Angeles El Monte City Cleminson Elementary Los Angeles Garvey Elementary Monterey Vista Elementary Los Angeles Glendale Unified Horace Mann Elementary Los Angeles Glendale Unified Monte Vista Elementary Los Angeles Glendale Unified R. D. White Elementary Los Angeles Hacienda la Puente Unified Mesa Robles Los Angeles Hawthorne Jefferson Los Angeles Hermosa Beach City Elementary Hermosa Valley Elementary Los Angeles Little Lake City Elementary Jersey Avenue Elementary Los Angeles Long Beach Unified Alvarado Elementary Los Angeles Long Beach Unified Los Cerritos Elementary Los Angeles Long Beach Unified Lowell Elementary Los Angeles Long Beach Unified Madison Elementary Los Angeles Long Beach Unified Naples Elementary Los Angeles Long Beach Unified Riley Elementary Los Angeles Long Beach Unified Signal Hill Elementary Los Angeles Long Beach Unified Tincher Preparatory Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified Ararat Charter Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified Brainard Elementary Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified Broadway Elementary Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified Carpenter Community Charter Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified Castlebay Lane Charter Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified Chandler Learning Academy Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified Clifford Street Elementary Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified Colfax Charter Elementary Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified Delevan Drive Elementary Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified Dr. Sammy Lee Medical and Health Science Magnet Elementary Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified Gabriella Charter Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified Hamlin Charter Academy Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified Harding Street Elementary Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified KIPP Comienza Community Prep Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified Mayall Street Elementary Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified Porter Ranch Community Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified Stagg Street Elementary Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified Superior Street Elementary Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified Warner Avenue Elementary Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified One Hundred Fifty-Sixth Street Elementary Los Angeles Los Nietos Ada S. Nelson Elementary Los Angeles Manhattan Beach Unified Aurelia Pennekamp Elementary Los Angeles Montebello Unified Potrero Heights Elementary Los Angeles Newhall Meadows Elementary Los Angeles Newhall Pico Canyon Elementary Los Angeles Newhall Stevenson Ranch Elementary Los Angeles Norwalk-La Mirada Unified Escalona Elementary Los Angeles Norwalk-La Mirada Unified Julia B. 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Hernandez Ventura Conejo Valley Unified Sycamore Canyon Ventura Moorpark Unified Walnut Canyon Elementary Ventura Oak Park Unified Oak Hills Elementary Yolo Davis Joint Unified Pioneer Elementary Yuba Marysville Joint Unified Covillaud Elementary 2018 Exemplary School Districts County District Awardee Alameda Castro Valley Unified School District Fresno Sanger Unified School District Imperial Holtville Unified School District Kern Bakersfield City School District Kings Hanford Elementary School District Los Angeles ABC Unified School District Marin Ross Elementary School District Merced Atwater Elementary School District Nevada Clear Creek Elementary School District Orange Garden Grove Unified School District Riverside Murrieta Valley Unified School District Sacramento Galt Joint Union Elementary School District San Bernardino Etiwanda School District San Diego Chula Vista Elementary School District San Francisco San Francisco Unified School District San Luis Obispo San Luis Coastal Unified School District Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Unified School District Santa Clara Evergreen School District Santa Cruz Live Oak Elementary School District Tehama Evergreen Union School District Trinity Junction City Elementary School District Ventura Oak Park Unified School District Yolo Davis Joint Unified School District In addition, this year California will also recognize exemplary districts that have made a positive impact on student outcomes. These California Exemplary Districts, the Distinguished Schools, National Title I Distinguished Schools, Green Ribbon Schools, Civic Learning Award Schools, and National Blue Ribbon Schools from 2017, will be honored in May during a ceremony at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. The following day, educators from these schools will share their expertise and resources during a professional development day. For more information, please visit the California Distinguished Schools Program on the California Department of Educations website. # # # # Tom Torlakson State Superintendent of Public Instruction Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100 Last Reviewed: Tuesday, August 3, 2021 From Yellowstone to Yosemite and every national park in between, the U.S. is chock-full of strikingly beautiful lands so special, theyre worth protecting. And thankfully, plenty of U.S. presidents have been committed to doing just that. So, if youre curious to learn who created what, read on to learn about the 15 presidents who gave us our best national monuments, and whether Donald Trump will do the same (page 15). 1. Abraham Lincoln Years in office: 1861-1865 Although Yosemite National Park wasnt officially created until 1890, Abraham Lincoln got the ball rolling years before that. Turns out, he created a land grant about 25 years prior in a first-of-its-kind move. According to CNN Travel, The first time a federal government moved to protect nature was with the Yosemite Land Grant of 1864, when President Abraham Lincoln and Congress set aside parts of Yosemite during the throes of the Civil War. Later, John Muir lobbied to have a greater area designated as protected land, and thus, Yosemite National Park was born. Next: The father of the national parks 2. Ulysses S. Grant Years in office: 1869 1877 Yellowstones deep canyons, alpine rivers, and famous gushing geysers are widely accessible today. And we have Ulysses S. Grant to thank for that. In 1872, Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act, effectively establishing the worlds first national park, a move that dubbed him the father of the national parks. Furthermore, Grant was the first to set aside federally-owned land for wildlife conservation. In 1868, he named the Pribilof Islands in Alaska a reserve for the northern fur seal. Next: This president further protected wildlife at Yellowstone. 3. Grover Cleveland Years in office: 1885-1889, 1893-1897 Grover Cleveland set aside millions of acres of forest, including the Stanislaus National Forest in California, his most notable contribution. But his hard work didnt stop there. On May 7, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a bill into law authorizing regulations that would finally protect the park, its geysers, and its wildlife, PBS said. It was known as the Act to Protect the Birds and Animals in Yellowstone National Park.' Next: This president set things in motion for one of the countrys most iconic national parks. 4. Benjamin Harrison Years in office: 1889-1893 Even before he was president, Benjamin Harrison was a champion for wilderness conservation. He fought against development in Yellowstone National Park, first introduced a bill to create Grand Canyon National Park, and signed the Forest Reserve Act of 1891, allowing the president to set aside forest reserves. Furthermore, Harrison designated the Afognak Island Forest and Fish Culture Reserve in Alaska (the area is now part of Katmai National Park and Preserve). And in 1892, he created the Casa Grande Ruin Reservation in Arizona, which was, according to NPS.gov, the first prehistoric and cultural site to be established in the United States. Next: Well always remember this president for his dedication to public lands. 5. Theodore Roosevelt Years in office: 1901-1909 Theodore Roosevelt is often revered for his conservation efforts and achievements for good reason. In addition to setting aside more than 230 million acres of land, Roosevelt designated a wildlife refuge the nations first in 1903 in Florida to protect pelicans. And he would go on to create over 50 additional bird sanctuaries. Furthermore, Roosevelts legacy includes the creation of the National Forest Service, 18 monuments, and five national parks: Crater Lake in Oregon, Wind Cave in South Dakota, Sullys Hill in North Dakota (eventually re-designated a game preserve), Mesa Verde in Colorado, and Platt, Oklahoma (which eventually became part of Chickasaw National Recreation Area). Perhaps Roosevelts most important contribution, though, was The Antiquities Act, a law that granted presidents the power to designate public lands and national monuments. Next: This president had a hand in creating some of the countrys most iconic parks. 6. Woodrow Wilson Years in office: 1913-1921 Despite Woodrow Wilsons legacy in foreign policy, the 28th president is well-deserving of a spot on this list. Not only did he have a hand in creating the National Park Service, but he designated a handful of iconic lands, including Dinosaur National Monument on the border of Colorado and Utah, Grand Canyon National Park (which was formerly a reserve and monument), Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, and Mount McKinley National Park in Alaska. Next: This president was an animal lover and a nature enthusiast. 7. Calvin Coolidge Years in office: 1923-1929 The Coolidge family loved their animals, so its no surprise that Calvin Coolidge was committed to protecting public lands and the wildlife that roamed them. Over the course of his term, Coolidge established 13 new monuments and modified six. In May, 1926, a bill was signed by President Calvin Coolidge that provided for the establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Shenandoah National Park, NPS.gov reads. This allowed the Department of the Interior to assume responsibility for administration and protection of a park in the Smokies as soon as 150,000 acres of land had been purchased. Next: This president was a conservation hero. 8. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Years in office: 1933-1945 If youve ever been to Washingtons Olympic Peninsula, you know Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a popular guy. Why? Well, he played a monumental role in guaranteeing the breathtaking region remained protected for years to come. For starters, FDR created Olympic National Park, established Joshua Tree as a protected land (the land would eventually become a national park, of course), and designated 10 additional monuments. He also created the Civilian Conservation Corps, a program that provided unemployed men the opportunity to help with forest management, conservation projects, and the development of state and national parks, forests, and historic sites. Next: This president left a lasting impression on public lands before his life was cut short. 9. John F. Kennedy Years in office: 1961-1963 The Kennedy family is synonymous with the state of Massachusetts, which is home to iconic New England shores. So its no surprise that John F. Kennedy signed a law that would protect the land at Cape Cod National Seashore for generations to come. Additionally, Kennedy established Delawares Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge and also advocated for the Youth Conservation Corps, a summer youth employment program for teens in national parks, forests, and refuges. Next: This president signed important acts into law. 10. Lyndon B. Johnson Years in office: 1963-1969 Lyndon B. Johnson left his conservation mark on the country when he created the Wilderness Act. Signed into law in 1964, the act aimed to protect public lands at the highest level possible, and effectively put 9 million acres of wild land into the National Wilderness Preservation System. Furthermore, Johnson established the National Trails System, signed the Endangered Species Preservation Act, and signed the Land and Water Conservation Act. Next: This president had a deep love for Alaskas scenic terrain. 11. Jimmy Carter Years in office: 1977-1981 The wild and rugged state of Alaska is one special place. And Jimmy Carter knew that. In 1978, he designated a whopping 15 national monuments including Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve which is bigger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Switzerland combined in Alaska. In addition to establishing Carter as a conservation-minded president, the move sparked the need for further debate. According to NPR, his executive order succeeded in breaking congressional deadlock, bringing opponents to recognize the need for compromise on an acceptable bill rather than no bill at all. After years of debate, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act was passed in 1980, expanding protected land in Alaska. Next: People loved this presidents commitment to public lands. 12. Bill Clinton Years in office: 1992-2000 Although it wasnt all positive, Bill Clinton gave people plenty to talk about. By far, one of his best topics of conversation was the subject of national parks and monuments. During his time in office, Clinton created or expanded more than 20 national monuments, including Utahs Grand Staircase-Escalante, Californias Pinnacles (now known as Pinnacles National Park), and Giant Sequoia National Monument. Unfortunately, though, Trump would eventually attack Grand Staircase (more on that in a minute). Next: This president wanted to protect the ocean. 13. George W. Bush Years in office: 2001-2009 During George W. Bushs time in office, he designated several national monuments. And two, in particular African Burial Ground National Monument and World War II battle sites were aimed at preserving history. Additionally, Bush took great measures to protect the oceans. He designated the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument off the coast of Hawaii, along with three other marine national monuments. Next: This presidents environmental legacy will be tough to top. 14. Barack Obama Years in office: 2009-2017 Barack Obama never shied away from environmental issues, and he was a big fan of exercising his power under The Antiquities Act. For instance, he expanded the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument to almost half a million square miles, making it the largest single protected area in the world. In addition to that feat, Obama had countless successes in the conservation realm. According to The Wilderness Society, Obama protected more lands, waters and cultural sites than any other president, culminating with the Gold Butte (Nevada) and Bears Ears (Utah) national monuments and the expansion of the California Coastal and Cascade-Siskiyou (Oregon) national monuments. Next: What does Trump have in store? 15. Will Trump designate any new monuments? Years in office: 2017-present Trump supporter or not, chances are youre somewhat familiar with the presidents stance on environmental issues. That said, we dont have high hopes that hell leave a conservation legacy of any kind. However, its not totally out of the question. When Trump ordered a federal review of 27 national monuments in 2017, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke came back with an unexpected recommendation establish three new monuments. According to the Los Angeles Times, Zinkes recommendation included monuments to preserve Civil War training depot Camp Nelson in Kentucky, the home of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers in Jackson, Miss., and the Badger-Two Medicine area within the Lewis and Clark National Forest in Montana. Unfortunately, though, the prospect of three small monuments isnt enough to make people forget about the damage hes already done by shrinking Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Monuments. But as far as his environmental legacy is concerned, well have to wait and see. Read more: Trumps Latest Power Play May Reverse Obamas Environmental Legacy, But Is It Even Legal? Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Would you feel safer if you knew the person flying your plane came from a military background? You cant exactly go into the cockpit and ask your airline pilots for their resumes. But how much does it really matter? In fact, the similarities between the Air Force and civilian aviation might surprise you. Well look into the challenges and successes both careers face, and answer that burning question for you, too. True or false: Military pilots make more than civilian ones. False. Commercial pilots earn more in salary Theres no beating around the bush: Commercial pilots do make more money than Air Force, especially with bonuses. That said, the military has tried to bridge the gap, in recent years. Both fields acknowledge the challenges their pilots face, and want them to receive fair compensation for them. In 2017, Congress increased peak aviation incentive pay for those who have 14 years of service or more. That rate rose from $840 a month to $1,000. It also raised the ceiling on pilot retention bonuses, from $25,000 a year to $35,000. That increase intends to keep enough pilots at each level, especially as service increases. True or false: The military offers pilots more exciting opportunities. True. Civilian pilots do not drop many weapons One military pilot weighed in on an airline questions forum. There are many reasons that people join the AF and be a pilot, he said. Ive had the chance to fly at 500 feet and 0.9 Mach, supersonic, drop weapons, air refuel, and do many other things you just dont get to do outside the military. That said, he does plan to work in commercial airlines after he retires from the Air Force. The Air Force itself uses that excitement as a selling point. Were emphasizing the value proposition in the Air Force, said Brig. Gen. Michael Koscheski, director of the Air Force Aircrew Crisis Task Force. Money is a factor but its not the factor, because people join to do amazing things, work with amazing people and with the worlds greatest technology, and live a life that matters. He added that the military has cornered the market on those benefits, and it wants to compensate pilots accordingly. True or false: Women sit in the cockpit in equal numbers to men. False. A huge gender gap still exists today In the Air Force, women first entered pilot training in 1976, navigator training in 1977, and fighter pilot training in 1993. While many women do go through training and become Air Force pilots, men still outnumber them. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, just 4.4% of all pilots licensed to fly a commercial U.S. jetliner in 2016 were women. That number has barely moved since 2007, when women held 3.8% of those licenses. Nina Anderson, a former pilot at Command Airways in New York, said she thinks it has to do with preconceptions. I think the stigma is still there, especially with young girls, that if you are going to go work in the airlines, you are going to be a flight attendant. True or false: The cockpit itself feels like a boys club. False. Even with low numbers, women enjoy equal footing Fortunately for women who do choose to become pilots, the aviation industry does compensate them equally. Airlines set pay scales according to union contracts, and advancement comes via seniority. I would say 98% of the men I flew with were respectful, said Erika Armstrong, who flew 727s for Northwest Airlines during the 2000s. I never had a problem with them, and the other 2% were going to be jerks no matter what. True or false: Both commercial and Air Force pilots work-life balance suffers. True. Pilots have a hard time finding balance Several female commercial pilots and other industry professionals said work-life balance suffers, for a variety of reasons. Continued gender assumptions ranks high, as does the huge time commitment in training and flying professionally. Both men and women who have left the Air Force said similar issues affect their work. In exit surveys, some pilots have pointed to cultural issues that affect their quality of life. Some of those include dissatisfaction with excessive duties unrelated to flying and inability to maintain work-life balance, said a report. In addition, airlines have far from standardized benefits and rules related to maternity leave and breast pumping aboard the planes. While those have improved over the last decade or so, some pilots would like more relaxed rules. I think the industry and the airlines could look at their family leave options, said Chad Kendall, chief instructor at the Jacksonville University School of Aviation in Florida. If they look at the need for women to provide support for their children its hard to do when you are flying an airplane all the time. Those types of work rules or support, I think, would make it easier. True or false: Commercial airlines suffer from similar pilot shortages. True. Tightening regulations have led to fewer pilots, period A recent Congressional Research Service report said the a steep rise in commercial airline hiring comes partially from industry expansion. Fleets of commercial aircraft will double in size over the next 20 years. Over the past three years alone, many major airlines have raised pilot salaries by 20% to fill cockpits. In addition, up to 40% of commercial pilots will hit the mandatory retirement age of 65 in the next 10 years. A 2010 law also rose hiring standards for airlines, requiring 1,500 logged flight hours just to qualify for an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate. That put a premium on the experience of military pilots. By the time they complete their initial 10-year service obligation, military pilots often do reach that standard. That draws pilots away from the military with higher salaries and sometimes, better work-life balance. True or false: More pilots fly in the Air Force than civilian planes. False. The Air Force suffers a serious shortage of flyers An Air Force pilot shortage hit 2,000 in 2017. Because of the commercial airlines hiring boom, both industries have struggled to fill seats but the Air Force remains hardest hit. This is a unique period because [multiple] things have happened, all about the same time, said Koscheski. This also is a long-term problem, really a national pilot crisis. Airlines, especially regionals, are running short of pilots as well. That military branch, for its part, has continued brainstorming ways to address the issue. For the long term, the Air Force intends to widen its pilot training pipeline by 25% to address stiffening competition. How that will play out depends on a lot of factors, but both the military and commercial airlines will need to scramble to keep planes in the air, over the next few years. Follow The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! President Donald Trump is not known for his utmost honesty and transparency. Instead, the American people have become far too familiar with his vague, one-sided, and misleading stances on very important topics. Trumps misinformation leans more on the side of lying than ignorance. But as far as anyone can tell, this is just his modus operandi. An odd thing to lie about, though, is not how much a person paid for something, but how little they paid. Strangely enough, thats what Trump did. After blatantly lying about how little he paid for then-fiancee Melania Trumps engagement ring, the jewelry store chairman came forward to debunk the claim. Without further ado, heres the real reason why Donald Trump lied about the price tag of Melanias ring. 1. Men lie about how much they pay for engagement rings all the time Stretching the truth when it comes to how much men pay for engagement rings is common, and the lie is largely based on the feeling that the bigger the rock, the bigger the love. The thing is, men are typically lying about spending more than they actually did, not less. For Trump, his very public lie was in regards to spending less on Melanias ring, not more. Next: Here is what Trump claimed about the price of Melanias ring. 2. He claimed to have received a $1 million discount on the ring An entertaining characteristic about Trump is that he chooses to lie about topics that are easily disproved or debunked. So, back in 2005, he visited global jeweler Graff Diamonds and selected a D-flawless, emerald-cut, 15-carat diamond engagement ring for Melania. After purchasing the ring, Trump openly claimed that Graff slashed the price of the diamond for him by $1 million. The New York Times put the claim in print, and it grabbed attention. Next: But this is what POTUS actually paid. 3. He actually paid the full $1.5 million price tag Unfortunately, Trumps claim of the killer deal grabbed the wrong persons attention Graff Diamonds chairman Laurence Graff. Cue the debunking. Graff informed both the Times and Forbes that Trump received absolutely no such deal from them. Instead, he claimed that (surprisingly) Trump was great to work with, but he paid full price for Melanias engagement ring $1.5 million. Next: Different strokes for different folks. Heres why Trump lied. 4. Trump wants people to think hes constantly winning deals Everyone gets their kicks in different ways. In Trumps co-authored 1987 book The Art of the Deal, he says, Deals are my art form. Other people paint beautifully or write poetry. I like making deals, preferably big deals. Thats how I get my kicks. For Trump, making the public believe he swindled a deal with one of the most revered jewelers would win him major brownie points. Unfortunately, learning it was a lie just discredits him even more. Next: Find out what he paid for Melanias anniversary ring. 5. Trump paid $3 million for Melanias anniversary ring If anyone deserves a reward for putting up with President Trumps antics, its Melania. Some may call her crazy while others call her a saint, but either way, its fair to assume she puts up with a lot. To celebrate the couples 10-year anniversary, Trump sprung for a huge, over-the-top, 25-carat diamond rock. Of course, that puppy did not come cheaply. Reports claim the ring ran Trump a cool $3 million no deals included. Next: The anniversary ring was still controversial. 6. Controversial FLOTUS White House drama When the White House released first ladys portrait to the public, a lot of Americans were quite disturbed. The uproar was over Melanias 25-carat, $3 million rock taking center stage in the photograph. Presenting both a modest and relatable image to the public is important as a first lady, but more importantly, Americans felt like the mere cost of the ring could have covered the costs associated with many programs facing the Trump Administrations chopping block. Next: Melanias approach to gift-giving is quite the opposite of Trumps. 7. The first lady prefers more modest or charitable gifts Growing up in communist Slovenia, Melania has a different perspective and approach to gift-giving. While she probably enjoys receiving 25-carat diamonds, she also gets her kicks from supporting charities like Toys for Tots. However, when it comes to the holidays, the first lady said, It is my hope that during this holiday season, people will remember it is not about gifts it is about family, service and gratitude. We must continue to look out for, and help each other. Next: Melania is not the only first lady whos flaunted a big rock. 8. First ladies have worn some impressive engagement rings Women, being the powerful individuals they are, each share their own sentiment on the importance of both the cost and size of an engagement ring. Some care that it is expensive, others do not. The first ladies of American history are no different. Many of the most popular ones also had some sizeable rocks on their hands. For example, Eleanor Roosevelt rocked a 3.4-carat diamond ring in a Tiffany setting back in the 1930s. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! For Subscribers Beulah United Methodist Church celebrates 150 years of history The Beulah United Methodist Church is celebrating its 150-year-history with a service on Sept. 26. Hawaii could become another state that allows physician-assisted suicide. The state Senate voted last week in a 23-2 vote to approve a measure that would allow doctors to write prescriptions for patients that would allow the terminally ill to die. A report from Reuters said patients take the prescription on their own. Democratic Gov. David Ige is expected to sign the bill into a law, according to ABC News. If Ige signs the bill, Hawaii will be the sixth state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. Other states that allow it include: Washington, Colorado, California, Vermont, Oregon and Washington, D.C. Critics, however, say that the law doesnt help the sick, disable, poor and elderly. Sen. Breene Harimoto, a Democrat, said he voted against the bill because he didnt want to create an environment of hopelessness. Harimoto himself battled pancreatic cancer. "My faith in God, prayers and sense of hope got me through this," Harimoto said. "Because of this personal experience, I feel so strongly that we must always have hope and never give up." The president of the conservative group Heritage Foundation said the bill was a terrible mistake. As @Heritage's Ryan Anderson (@ryantand) explains, assisted suicide endangers the weak, corrupts medicine, compromises the family, and violates human dignity and equality, Kay Cole James tweeted, including a link to the Always Care, Never Kill story. According to reports, patients who use the drugs take about 20 hours to die. The HFF said that was anything but peaceful, humane or dignified. Supporters of the bill, however, say the proposal includes provisions that would prevent abuse. To qualify for the prescription, patients would need two healthcare providers to confirm the patients condition and ability to make the decision. Patients who then obtain the prescription must make two requests, with a 20-day waiting period between the requests. Patients will also need to sign a written request for the drug and have two witnesses present for the signing. As the proposal heads to the governor, Kim Callinan, chief executive officer of Compassion & Choices, said Hawaiians are one step closer to having peace of mind at the end of their lives. Photo courtesy: AVNphotolab Publication date: April 2, 2018 His uncles fought alongside Australia in the Vietnam War, for the freedom of their country from communist rule and therefore they were persecuted. There was threat of being captured and entered into "re-education camps" as many militants, police officers, civil servants and non-communist politicians experienced. The extended family sold all they had to buy a boat and flee the communist rule. Two pirate attacks and dehydration threatened their very existence (one family member did not make the trip). They spent time in a Malaysian Refugee Camp until Australia offered the family sanctuary. The story doesn't end there. The settling process into Australian life was not easy. "When my parents got us into the school (a catholic college in NSW) they were doing well because Dad was still around," Anh explains. "About a year in is when Dad left, and suddenly Mum was in a situation where she just couldn't afford the school fees, the books, the uniform. And the school did right by us; they really looked after us." "Mum was behind in the school fees by about three years. And the school let her pay it off slowly, they never threatened to kick us out or anything like that. They really showed wonderful Christian values, looking after the needy." (www.catholicweekly.com.au) Anh uses all his life's experiences in his comedy shows and also as a keynote speaker for large companies, businesses and events. He gives the audience tools to turn hard times into bottom line results. He addresses themes of; teamwork, leadership, goal setting and change management, with a mix of appropriate comedic humour, intermingled with serious inspiration. He is described, on his website, as being 'the perfect speaker for the current economic climate'. Anh says, "These uncertain times we face are actually an invitation to grow". (www.anhdo.com) The Happiest Refugee Anh is currently on tour in Australia to promote his best-selling book 'The Happiest Refugee'. It has made readers laugh and cry. The stage show combines stand-up comedy with real life stories, photos and filmed pieces to retell his amazing story. Bookseller and Publisher magazine B.Owen Baxter gave the book the following 5 star review: "The way Do approaches his story is witty, charming, and heart-warming. This book has everything: war, escape, pirates, love, courage, racism, alcoholism, comedy, tragedy and hope. Above all, this book radiates hope." Anh and his wife Suzanne have also written a children's version of his award winning book titled, 'The Little Refugee'. It is also available as a teaching tool for schools with the invaluable first-hand account of a child refugee. "Many people told me not to call the book ' Refugee' because Aussies won't buy it,'' Do says. ''I told them I have faith in Aussies, and it makes me a proud Aussie to see that the title hasn't hurt the book.'' (www.smh.com.au) Anh has pledged profits from 'The Little Refugee' to an Australian charity based in Vietnam. Profits go to Victorian nun Trish Franklin's Loreto Vietnam-Australia Program, based in Ho Chi Minh City, which provides shelter, food and education for disabled and destitute children. 1.67 million viewers Recently, Channel Seven aired his show "Anh Does Vietnam". It was a ratings smash with a massive 1.678 million viewers nationwide. It follows Anh journeying Vietnam to see how life could have been if his family had stayed there in the 1970's. In part one of the two-part series Anh visits the program that he has chosen to support. Handing a cheque over to Sister Trish who runs the program, they shed tears and shared a special moment of connection, evidently very moving for the audience also (I joined in with some tears). It showed Anh's heart for his birth country and his desire to change the lives of the disadvantaged children in Vietnam. Sister Trish explained that not only do the children receive an education and shelter, but they are fed two nutritious meals each day and receive care and love. For Anh, the continuing media focus on Australia's refugee policy is a reminder of what his family has endured. "We really should have died out at sea," he says. "And because we didn't, Mum and Dad taught us, 'Kids, we're lucky to be here. Let's do something with our life to justify the fact that we are alive. Let's not waste this chance that God's given us'." "I realised that if you follow your heart, and you do what you know deep down in your heart is right, God will take care of the rest." (www.catholicweekly.com.au) I have a new found respect for Anh. I have always observed him as a funny man. Through the telling of his personal story, partnered with raw honesty, both heart-warming and heart-wrenching accounts of his life and his passion for making a difference, I value and respect the impact he is making on our world. When people stand up and make a difference with their story and their passion, God takes care of the rest. If I was to ask five people to dinner...along with Jesus, Mother Theresa, David (from the Bible), and my husband - Mr Anh Do would be the fifth. Belinda Croft is married to Russell and she has a son BJ, 12 years. Currently Belinda is studying a Bachelor Degree in Journalism. She has a passion for God, writing, creativity, mission and social justice. Belinda Croft's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/belinda-croft.html Eddie Redmayne reveals he read Bible verses from Ecclesiastes at Stephen Hawking's funeral "The Theory of Everything" star Eddie Redmayne said a few words during the funeral of renowned physicist Stephen Hawking. The actor, who played the scientist on the big screen, read a Bible passage from Ecclesiastes in his send off for Hawking, who died on March 14. At least five hundred invited guests heard Redmayne read Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 at the private service for Hawking at the St. Mary the Great, the Cambridge University church. A reception followed at the nearby Trinity College. A colleague and astronomer Martin Rees, his student Professor Fay Dowker and son Robert Hawking also said a few words during the service. Actress Felicity Jones, who played Jane Hawking, the scientist's first wife in his biopic, was also in attendance to pay her last respects, alongside SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Queen band member Brian May, actress Anita Dobson and playwright Alan Bennet. Rev. Cally Hammond from Cambridge University, where Hawking was a fellow in his 52 years as a physicist, officiated the funeral. Flags around the campus were at half-mast, while a large crowd gathered outside the church to honor the departed professor. White lillies and roses decked Hawking's casket and the church bell rang 76 times during the funeral rites to represent the physicist's age. Hawking's remains will be cremated on June 15 and his ashes will be interred near Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin's remains at the Westminster Abbey, according to the BBC. Redmayne, who won an Oscar for Best Actor for playing Hawking in 2015, was one of the first celebrities to honor the physicist when news of his death broke. In his statement to People, the actor said: "We have lost a truly beautiful mind, an astonishing scientist and the funniest man I have ever had the pleasure to meet. My love and thoughts are with his extraordinary family." Days after his death, reports online stated that Hawking, a well-known atheist, apparently declared his Christian faith and asked for a private audience with Pope Francis. Snopes, however, debunked the fake news that went viral on social media, citing that Hawking's photo with Pope Francis was taken from November 2016, during a meeting with the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, where the professor was a member since 1968. Indonesia's Supreme Court rejects blasphemy appeal of Christian ex-governor Indonesia's Supreme Court has rejected an appeal to reduce the two-year prison sentence of the former governor of Jakarta, Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, who was convicted of blasphemy last year for allegedly insulting the Quran. Purnama, a Christian who is also ethnically Chinese, was convicted by a lower court in May last year after a subtitled video purporting to show the politician insulting the Quran circulated on social media. Fify Lety Indra, who represented Purnama in court, said she believed that the North Jakarta District Court made a mistake in convicting Purnama of blasphemy and suggested the ruling be reconsidered in light of the verdict against communications lecturer Buni Yani, who was found guilty of tampering with the video footage used as evidence against Purnama. "The legal argument for our petition is that the judges [at the district level] made a mistake in their verdict [on Ahok], particularly in relation to Buni Yani's verdict." Indra, who is also Purnama's sister, said after the preliminary hearing. Court spokesman Suhadi had confirmed that the panel of three justices, chaired by Artidjo Alkotsar, had rejected the request for judicial review of Purnama's sentence. "All the reasons for the appeal put forward by Ahok's team were rejected by the judge," Suhadi said, as reported by Channel News Asia. Purnama's case review petition to the court came nine months after he was convicted of blasphemy. As the appeal has been rejected, the former governor will have to serve the remaining year and two months of his jail term. Human rights groups have expressed concern that the Supreme Court decision could prompt a rise in the use of blasphemy laws by conservative Muslims to target non-Muslims and liberal Muslims. "This ruling means that the blasphemy laws can be used by conservative Muslim groups for political purposes to target their nemeses, including non-Muslims and liberal Muslims," said Human Right Watch Indonesia's Andreas Harsono. "About 76 per cent of all countries in the world do not have or enforce blasphemy laws, but in Indonesia it is being enforced more and more." He warned that Indonesia's blasphemy laws, which were introduced in 1965, had only been used eight times up to 2004 but after the election of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as president that same year, 89 cases were brought to court during his rule with 89 people jailed, and another 17 were jailed for the same offense under Yudhoyono's successor, Joko Widodo. Male actors who are proud to be a Christian There's no better stage in the world to talk about God than in Hollywood where everyone is watching and listening to you. However, many actors shy away from talking about their religion, being careful not to raise any eyebrows. This is why it makes us feel so happy to hear popular and respected actors talk so openly about their faith in God. Here are a few who do just that: Mark Wahlberg Known for his tough exterior and action-packed movies, Mark Wahlberg has a soft spot for the Lord Jesus Christ. In a Facebook video post back in 2016, he shared that he had a troubled childhood and the priests in his church helped him get through it. He also said that his faith is the "anchor that supports everything I do'' and that "my faith in God is what makes me a better man." For Wahlberg, his faith is the most important thing in his life. Denzel Washington Denzel Washington is undoubtedly one of the most respected actors around today. His father was a minister, which was why he met God at an early age. However, growing up, he lost his faith as he began asking questions about God. Later on, after reflecting, Washington's heart came back to the Lord and since then, he was proud to tell the world of his Christian faith. In an interview with CBN News, he said "I'm a God-fearing man who was raised right. I did a lot of wrong. But I got it together." Chris Pratt Chris Pratt may be the leaders of the Guardians of the Galaxy, but the leader of his heart is Jesus Christ. His Christian faith started way back when he was still living in Hawaii. He spoke about it on several occasions, including when he has talked about his premature son and received his Teen Choice Award. In 2017, Pratt told People Babies, "It restored my faith in God, not that it needed to be restored, but it really redefined it. The baby was so beautiful to us, and I look back at the photos of him and it must have been jarring for other people to come in and see him, but to us he was so beautiful and perfect." In 2017, when Pratt accepted the Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi Award in the Teen Choice Awards, he didn't forget to thank God as well. It was awesome to see him sharing that with all the young people watching too. Watch his speech here: Stephen Baldwin It wasn't hard for Stephen Baldwin to be a famous actor in Hollywood. He was born into stardom along with the other popular Baldwin brothers. More than a decade ago, Baldwin ditched his old antics and came to the Lord. But since then, he wasn't being offered any major role. In his talk with Fox News, he said that his outspokenness about his religion might be the reason for his prolonged absence. "I just think that probably when somebody calls themselves born again and kind of goes out there in a pretty radically zealous way, professes their glee about that, it can creep people out. I have no regret about that, but I have chilled out a lot more because I'm a little more seasoned as a Christian believer." Also in the same interview, he also mentioned how it was a struggle to choose the right roles he would play because he didn't want to play anything that goes against his faith. Tom Hanks Who doesn't love Tom Hanks? He is one of those actors who's always smiling and cheerful during interviews. But what many may not know is that Hanks and his family have gone through rough times in the past. In 2015, his wife Rita Wilson was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo a double mastectomy. At the same time, their son Chet was battling substance abuse. A source for Closer Weekly said that faith saved their family. The source also said that "She [Rita] gives total credit for her survival to her ever-increasing belief in God and then second comes her doctors and then Tom!" It's good to know that even people with fame and fortune go through the same troubles we do. But what's more comforting is knowing that God is what gives strength to us all, no matter our status, no matter what the problem. Pope Francis says hell doesn't exist but I know he's wrong Hell does not exist, Pope Francis has been quoted as saying. If he did say this or something like it, perhaps as part of his wider mission to refashion the Catholic Church as more merciful than perhaps it has seemed in the past, there might another way to interpret it, one more relatable to the direct experience of ordinary people out there. The experience of people such as myself , people who have battled and (mostly) conquered some pretty serious and rooted personality flaws over many decades, is that hell does indeed exist. I'll leave questions around the afterlife to the theologians. For quotidian toilers such as me, it definitely exists in the here and now. And one message of Easter, the redemption of the Resurrection, is that it can be conquered, defeated, overcome in the here and now. What the pope said was radical because hell and heaven have been, and are, seen as future consequences for our present actions. You will go to hell for this but only when you die. It doesn't take me to point out how this can be abused by the unscrupulous to justify sin without apparent consequence, how it can be abused by authority, by parents, organisations both religious and secular. It is also a common criticism of Christians that we are merely being 'good' today so we can go to heaven tomorrow. But the power of Christianity and the Resurrection, at least for this insignificant believer, is not what it promises in the afterlife. I'm happy to let God be the judge of that. It is what it empowers in the present. And for me, this empowerment, the liberation from enslavement to aspects of my personality that have proved so difficult to manage, ultimately came through immersion in the Passion and the Resurrection of Christ. Hell for me was not just what I have experienced in this life as a consequence of my own actions, those of others and of sheer bad luck. It is also what I have done to others, created for others, mainly unintentionally and mainly in the past now but still done nonetheless. I want and try to be a good person and believe that is the case for most people. Also I am deeply repentant for harm I've done to others. Why I love Easter beyond Christmas, and continue to believe and pray it year on year, is because it offers repeated second chances. It offers mercy. Yes, hell does exist. But the Resurrection shows me I no longer have to live in it. Ruth Gledhill is multi-media editor of The Tablet and an editorial adviser to Christian Today. Find her on Twitter @ruthiegledhill What happened on Easter Monday? What happened on Easter Monday? According to a couple of newspapers and a Christian website I read, nothing! But that cannot be true- after the drama of Good Friday, the depression of Black Saturday and the joy of Resurrection Sunday, what followed? Although in the UK we celebrate Easter Monday as a bank holiday that means little more than another day of work for most people and crowded roads. But that's not the case in other countries. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition Easter Monday is also known as Bright Monday, or Renewal Monday and Wet Monday (because people pour water over one another). My absolute favourite is Easter Monday being known as Dyngus Day. I'm currently in Australia and when I mentioned this they thought I was talking about 'Dingos day'. But Dyngus Day is a Polish (and especially a Polish-American) tradition. In 966AD Prince Mieszko was baptised and Dyngus Day came to celebrate that. It marked the continuation of Easter week which starts with Easter Sunday and ends by the following Sunday, known as Thomas Sunday. Over time the tradition developed into the custom of farm boys seeking to woo the girls of their choice by throwing water and hitting the girls on their legs with twigs or pussy willow. The more romantic used cologne instead of water! On the Tuesday it was traditional for the girls to respond by throwing dishes and crockery! Today the parties begin midmorning and include a large buffet of traditional Easter foods (kielbasa, ham, fresh breads, and eggs). Dancing to polka music is also part of the festivities which often continue into the Tuesday. One of the polkas is entitled 'everyone is Polish' on Dyngus day. The Roman Catholic Church describes Easter Monday as Bright Monday, the beginning of Pascha week. The 66th canon of the Council of Trullo instructs the faithful as to how it should be celebrated. 'From the holy day of the Resurrection of Christ our God until New Sunday (i.e. Thomas Sunday) for a whole week the faithful in the holy churches should continually be repeating psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, rejoicing and celebrating Christ, and attending to the reading of the Divine Scriptures and delighting in the Holy Mysteries. For in this way shall we be exalted with Christ; raised up together with Him. For this reason on the aforesaid days that by no means there be any horse races or any other public spectacle' What happened on Easter Monday? Just imagine you are Mary or Peter or any of the other disciples? How would you feel? You wouldn't just go back to work thinking 'wow, that was some weekend!' You would be stunned, overjoyed, confused and asking 'did that really happen? Is this a dream?' But it is real. The unbelievable Good News. Because of the Cross-, because of the Empty Tomb, Monday is different. Everything is changed. Some people celebrate Easter merely as a religious or secular holiday. Come Monday its all over. For Christians Monday is the first day of the rest of our renewed, restored and resurrected lives. We get to serve Christ this Bright week. And next Sunday we get to celebrate the cross and resurrection of Jesus all over again because now the first day of every week has become the Lord's Day! Happy Dyngus Day... David Robertson is associate director of Solas CPC in Dundee and minister at St Peter's Free Church. Follow him on Twitter @TheWeeFlea The epitome of African classicism A Fang statue that once belonged to Paul Guillaume Offered on 10 April in Paris, this exceptional 19th-century reliquary figure was acquired by the legendary French art dealer and exhibited at the Durand-Ruel Galleries in New York in 1933 For the Fang people of Equatorial Guinea, South Cameroon and Gabon, the worship of ancestors a practice known as byeri has historically been of primordial importance, as is the belief in the power of ancestral relics. As the Fang peoples moved into southern Cameroon and northern Gabon over centuries, families brought with them bark boxes filled with the skulls or bones of their forebears. These boxes were topped with carved heads or sculpted figures that at once evoked the ancestors and served to protect the contents of the reliquary boxes. The figures would have been consulted at important moments such as initiation rites, or in instances of conflict or death, or for advice on more quotidian matters, like hunting or fishing. On 10 April, a 19th-century Fang reliquary figure will be offered in the African, Oceanic and American Art sale at Christies in Paris. Conceived by a master Fang sculptor, it is among the body of work considered the epitome of African classicism. The figures execution reflects the principle of balance that is key among the Fang. Its legs are muscular and tensed, but the head is large and childlike; its arms are raised alongside the body but the overall pose is static; two circular eyes brass discs fixed with metal pins animate an otherwise passive expression. The art of the Fang has recently been celebrated by a major exhibition at the Parisian Musee du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, including more than 40 Fang statues, once more confirming its central place in African art. The statues smooth, heavily oiled surface is another Fang hallmark. The process of ritual purification of these figures involved their frequent anointment with palm oil. The glow resulting from their having been fully saturated with this substance over many generations gives them an alluring, vital quality that enhances the figures power and is part of what continues to fascinate us, says Susan Kloman, Head of African and Oceanic Art at Christies. By the First World War, Fang statuary had pride of place in the homes of sophisticated European collectors and was touted by avant-garde art critics. In Paris, art dealer Paul Guillaume (1891-1934) became their most vocal proponent. In 1914 even before he started exhibiting African art in Paris Guillaume lent 18 sculptures from Gabon and Cote dIvoire from his collection to experimental exhibitions at Alfred Stieglitzs 291 gallery in New York, explains Kloman. Guillaume is also famous for being one of the first dealers of Modigliani, and the strong bond between the two men is evident in the three portraits of Guillaume in the recent Modigliani exhibition at Tate Modern in London. His 1916 portrait of Max Jacob in the same exhibition somehow recalls the present Fang statue, says Bruno Claessens, Christies European Director of African and Oceanic Art. Both enlarged foreheads are very similar, so we could hypothesise that Modigliani saw the statue at Guillaumes place. Paul Guillaume in his apartment in Paris, circa 1916-17 In 1926, Guillaume wrote of African sculpture: Artists like Picasso and Matisse have found it a confirmation of their beliefs and a stimulus to go farther along that road. Several other prominent contemporaries, especially Modigliani and Soutine in painting, Lipchitz and Modigliani in sculpture, owe an obvious debt to African art. But Guillaume was quick to note that if African art was a source of creative forces that may prove to be inexhaustible, it was also essentially inimitable: Western artists may have made distinctly creative use of African art, he wrote, but some of its power is apt to be lost in modem versions. Installation view of the exhibition dedicated to Andre Derain, featuring the Fang sculpture, organised by Paul Guillaume at the Durand-Ruel Galleries in New York, 1933. The presence of this Fang figure in the exhibition was recently rediscovered in an astonishing 2017 recreation of the 1933 show by Bernard de Grunne at Almine Rech Gallery. The present statue stands on the end of the table This auction also marks the first time BAYC and Meebits will be offered outside of any NFT-trading platform. This sale is poised to set another milestone in the history of Crypto Art. This year is shaping up as a great year to die. I dont say that because North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has readied his nuclear arsenal and aimed it at the U.S., (badum-cha!), but rather because of recent changes to estate tax rules. Before now, the previous best year to die was 2010 when the estate tax took a gap year. Thats like the kid who takes a year off after high school to hitchhike across Chile before heading to college. I remember that year mostly because, as a result of this legislative gap year quirk, the Steinbrenner sons Hal and Hank owners of the New York Yankees saved an estimated $600 million in estate taxes when family patriarch George happened to die in 2010 rather than 2009 or 2011, according to the Wall Street Journal. Were back to some good times for dying following the big federal tax reform passed December 2017. Some people who hate the estate tax a tax known by haters as the death tax point out the cruelty of the government taxing something like death. Those unavoidable certainties of life, death and taxes, together in one nasty package! But thats the wrong way to look at it. Economic theory and common sense posit that we should heavily tax the things we dont want to see more of. As in the examples of cigarettes, alcohol, and affordable Chinese steel, we apply taxes to reduce their occurrence in our lives. If we want to reduce death, we should tax it heavily. Lower the tax on death and we should reasonably expect an uptick in untimely deaths among the super rich. If youve forgotten the reform passed in December 2017, and if you have a net worth less than $25 million, I dont blame you for forgetting. Congress doubled the estate tax threshold to $11.2 million per individual and $22.4 million per couple. That means that a lucky child of a wealthy family can inherit her first $22.4 million from mom and dad tax free! After that, the remaining estate would be subject to a 40 percent tax rate, although of course armies of tax and estate lawyers stand ready and able to reduce the full impact of that 40 percent tax rate. The number of estates that exceed the $22.4 million threshold and will likely be subject to the estate tax was cut by more than two-thirds from an estimated 5,300 estates in 2017 to 1,700 estates in 2018. The next great thing last years tax overhaul did to encourage death in 2018 is maintain a step-up basis for inherited appreciated assets. In plain English, that means most heirs will save big on capital gains taxes on inherited shares of stocks. For example, if Grandads shares appreciated by $500,000 over his lifetime and he wanted to sell them while still alive, Grandad would likely owe the IRS $100,000 since capital gains are taxed at 20 percent. Under the new tax plan, his granddaughter can keep the shares without paying those taxes. Her cost basis when she sells would be the price at his death another great tax benefit of, well, death. I imagine two kinds of readers of the above paragraphs. The first kind is like why is he talking about such huge amounts of inherited money? Why doesnt he focus on ordinary peoples investment portfolios? I cant relate! The second kind of reader (a smaller group) is like Shhhhh-ut up. Somebody tell him to shut up about that stuff. Hopefully most people cant relate to the gift we just got handed in 2017, and their eyes will glaze over. Put it this way: YOU may not have paid attention to the raising of the estate tax limit and the maintenance of the step-up in basis law, but everyone with a net worth over $25 million definitely noticed. Im being a bit flip about death taxes, partly because I know that it inspires a bunch of hate mail every time I write about it, and Im steeling myself with humor for the nasty comments to come. At the same time, wealth inequality is one of the top three issues in America, and the estate tax is one of the symbolic ways we address it. As a practical matter, the estate tax hasnt historically raised significant government revenue and it inspires inefficient tax-avoidance strategies. As a symbol of societal priorities, however, the estate tax matters a lot, at least to me. My man Winston Churchill grandson and nephew to the Duke Marlborough and deeply enmeshed his entire life in the British aristocracy said estate taxes provide a certain corrective against the development of a race of idle rich. The American history that I read as a kid taught that opposition to an entrenched aristocracy is one of the defining points of agreement in American political thought. We no longer seem to agree on this point. My eldest daughter was born on the same day as the French celebration of Bastille Day, so every year we make a let them eat cake! joke after she blows out her candles. That iconic historic moment in which the clueless aristocracy bought their tickets to the guillotine by ignoring the pent up rage of the poor is why the estate tax matters. Extraordinary wealth inequality normally only changes extremely slowly. But then sometimes change comes extremely quickly. The 2017 increases in the estate tax exemption are set to expire by 2025. That provides a certain uncomfortable incentive to the very rich in the next few years to, you know, get on with it. Michael Taylor is a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News and author of the upcoming book The Financial Rules For New College Graduates. michael@michaelthesmartmoney.com twitter.com/michael_taylor Ben & Jerry's Ben & Jerry's will host its 40th Free Cone Day at scoop shops around the country on April 10. The Vermont-based company, which started the tradition in 1979 to celebrate its first year, gives out more than 1 million scoops of ice cream each April. The Houston Rockets and BBVA Compass have launched the BBVA Compass Small Business Opportunity contest for local entrepreneurs. The grand prize is $10,000, lunch with Rockets executives and consultation sessions with BBVA Compass and Rockets representatives. Other prizes include social media promotions for the business and tickets to a future Rockets game. RELATED: Small business dilemma: Raise prices or absorb inflation? Business owners have until April 11 to enter. They must describe their operation, how they give back to the community and how would use prizes to grow their business. Four finalists will then have until May 11 to create a video that shows their operations and why they should win the contest. Rockets fans will then vote for their favorite video on the Rockets' website. "The Rockets are honored to host this contest along with BBVA Compass," said Rockets Chief Revenue Officer Gretchen Sheirr in a statement. "It's a unique chance for our fans to learn more about local small businesses and the positive impact they have in our community." United Airlines and Mesa Airlines, which operates regional United Express flights, have received tentative approval to expand its Saturday-only flights to daily flights between Houston and Havana, Cuba. United began flying between Bush Intercontinental Airport and Havana's Jose Marti International Airport in December 2016. WASHINGTON The lobbying firm at the center of the controversy surrounding EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's $50 a night Washington apartment has assisted oil and gas companies in Texas and beyond in navigating the agency's environmental regulations. Williams & Jensen last year lobbied on behalf of Midland-based Concho Resources on EPA regulations related to oil and gas production, according to federal lobbying records. The firm also lobbied on EPA regulations designed to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas methane for Oklahoma City-based Enable Midstream, a joint venture in which the Houston utility CenterPoint Energy is a partner. Neither company returned a phone call for comment Monday. The more than four-decade old lobbying firm came into the spotlight last week when it was reported the wife of J. Steven Hart, the chairman of Williams & Jensen, had allowed Pruitt to use her apartment in a pricey neighborhood a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol, as he needed it, for $50 a night last year. EPA Senior Counsel for Ethics Justina Fugh said Friday in a statement she did not "conclude that this is a prohibited gift at all. It was a routine business transaction and permissible even if from a personal friend." But environmentalists, government watchdog groups and others are questioning whether $50 a night was appropriate for a room in an apartment that one neighborhood resident told ABC News could draw $5,000 a month in monthly rent. "Clearly energy companies are going to lobby the EPA but there's clear protocols in place of what's appropriate communication," said Luke Metzger, executive director of the advocacy group Environment Texas. "For him to be paying such low rent, he's clearly getting a benefit from them.That's worrying. He's supposed to regulates these companies and makes decisions on their future." Williams & Jensen, which declined to comment Monday, has long served as the entry point to the Capitol for a number of large corporations, including Round Rock-based computer manufacturer Dell and United Airlines, which operates a major hub out of Houston. The firm took in more than $16.6 million in lobbying fees last year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Among the firm's clients are a long list of energy firms, including Houston-based Cheniere Energy, oil giant Exxon Mobil, the Canadian pipeline firm Enbridge, the utility El Paso Electric and the technology and engineering firm General Electric. Williams & Jensen lobbied on issues ranging from obtaining federal approval for liquefied natural gas facilities for Cheniere to the impact of tax cuts on the energy sector for Exxon, according to federal records. It also lobbied the EPA on behalf of the Oklahoma-power utility OGE Energy Group in regards the Clean Power Plan, the Obama administration's effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions that Pruitt repealed last year. A spokesman for Cheniere said the company had terminated its contract with Williams & Jensen last year. He added the company was "not aware of the arrangement nor the relationship" with the lobbying firm. The controversy around the apartment has now swamped the lobbying firm and the EPA, with activists calling for an investigation by the agency's Office of Inspector General to see whether Pruitt violated federal rules prohibiting officials from taking gifts from lobbyists. "Why didn't [Pruitt] get ethics advice at the outset? Clearly he knew both [Hunt and his wife] appeared to be registered lobbyists. Clearly he was dealing with an entity with business before the agency," said Virginia Canter, executive branch ethics counsel at the non-profit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "You're expected to make decision on an impartial basis and something like this undermines the validity of the whole process." Williams & Jensen gave companies access to seasoned veterans of Washington politics who not only knew the Capitol's halls of power, but had in some cases had worked there themselves. Hart, a veteran lobbyist who worked directly for clients including United and Cheniere, served on President Donald Trump's transition team. Andrew Jones, a principal at the firm who advised Concho and Dell, had earlier in his career worked for former Texas Democratic congressmen Ruben Hinojosa and Ken Bentsen Jr., as well as Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M. A lobbyist representing Concho and Enbridge, George Baker, was an attorney at the Department of Energy in the late 1970s. During a visit last year to his alma mater, Hamilton College, Baker talked to students about the importance of developing connections and establishing credibility. "Credibility is all you have," said Baker, "and once you do something to undermine the relationship you developed you will never be able to get it back," according to an account on Hamilton's website. Private equity investors say they're holding onto footholds in the U.S. oil patch for longer periods than in previous years, attempting to more fully develop their assets amid a lack of available capital at potential public company buyers and an anemic IPO market. Historically, the role of private equity capital in the oil industry hasn't been to fund substantial production gains, but to prove oil and gas can be captured economically. But over the next few years, these investments firms will have to focus more on squeezing cost efficiencies and productivity gains from the oil fields they invest in, said Carl Tricoli, managing partner at private equity firm Denham Capital in Houston. The University of Texas at Austin is an outlier among state flagships around the country -- nearly 90 percent of its students are from within the state. A new Washington Post analysis found that just 11 flagships nationally had more than 75 percent of its freshmen come from the university's home states in 2016. The University of Alabama, for example, had in-state students comprise 32 percent of its freshmen class. At the University of Michigan, that figure was 51 percent. Texas' figure, which The Post cited at 88 percent, was the second highest in the publication's ranking. (A UT-Austin spokesman said the university has that figure at 89.8 percent.) The University of Alaska at Fairbanks edged out the Longhorns in The Post's ranking at 89 percent. At the vast majority of universities, the percentage of in-state students has declined since 2006. By state law, UT-Austin fills three-quarters of its incoming class automatically with students who graduate at the top sliver of their high-school classes. That threshold for fall 2019 will be 6 percent. UT officials have questioned that law in recent years. University of Texas System Chancellor William McRaven said in an interview with the Texas Tribune last summer that top high school candidates outside of the automatic admission threshold who aren't admitted through the program can decide to go to college in other states, he said. "We see a little bit of a brain drain from some of our high school candidates who decide to go elsewhere," he said, saying UT-Austin could increase its share by about 5 percent. As The Post's Nick Anderson writes, out-of-state students can bring diverse life experiences and needed out-of-state tuition dollars in states with declining or stagnant populations. "But there are drawbacks. Politically, it can be risky for prestigious schools to be perceived as giving too many seats to outsiders. And out-of-state students are often wealthier than those from in state, which can hinder efforts to foster socioeconomic diversity on campuses." UT-Austin President Greg Fenves said in a legislative hearing last year that the number of students applying to UT-Austin who do not qualify as automatic admissions has grown to about 21,000 from 14,000 for about 3,300 spots since 2009. Several lawmakers support the law because of its perceived ability to diversify UT-Austin's incoming classes. In 2016, the percentage of UT-Austin enrolled students who are Hispanic, for example, was much higher among automatic admits than for the students accepted outside that state law. Lindsay Ellis writes about higher education for the Chronicle. You can follow her on Twitter and send her tips at lindsay.ellis@chron.com. Michael Ciaglo, Staff / Houston Chronicle WASHINGTON - Chinese tariffs on $3 billion in U.S. goods went into effect Monday, the latest move in an escalating trade fight between Beijing and Washington. The tariffs, which were initially announced two weeks ago, targeted 128 products and include a 15 percent tariff on the steel pipe used in building oil pipelines and commonly manufactured along the Texas Gulf Coast. A steeper 25 percent tariff was placed on U.S. goods including pork and aluminum scrap. The criminal arrests in the death of a 10-year-old boy at a Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts park in Kansas City are just the latest in a string of troubles that have plagued the New Braunfels-based amusement park company and its owners in recent years. Co-owner Jeff Henry has a history of drug arrests and domestic violence accusations. A rift between Henry and his brother and co-owner Gary emerged as the water park groups founding patriarch lay on his deathbed. Efforts to expand Schlitterbahn into the Austin area and Florida have been stymied by lack of financing or politics. A Schlitterbahn development on North Padre Island has been mired in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings since last year and is on the auction block to be sold. RELATED: Schlitterbahn Waterparks charged in decapitation death of 10-year-old boy Now, Jeff Henry along with two other Schlitterbahn employees, the amusement park group and its private construction firm stand charged in the death of Caleb Schwab, who was decapitated on the Verruckt water slide in Kansas City in 2016. Jeff Henry was the rides mastermind and designer, though he has no formal education in engineering or physics. At 17 stories high, Verruckt was the tallest water slide in the world, certified as such by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2014. According to prosecutors, it was designed to catch the attention of producers at the Travel Channels Xtreme Waterparks series and violated nearly all aspects of longstanding industry safety standards. Henry fast-tracked the rides development and cut corners from the get-go, according to the indictment. He failed to make key repairs, ignored warnings from his staff and recklessly killed Schwab while his executives sought to bury injury records, misled investigators and destroyed key evidence, prosecutors say. This childs death and the rapidly growing list of injuries were foreseeable and expected outcomes, prosecutors said in the indictment. Verruckts designers and operators knew that Verruckt posed a substantial and unjustifiable risk of death or severe bodily harm. Schlitterbahn has aggressively denied the allegations, insisting that the company didnt alter or hide evidence from law enforcement agents and that it considers safety a core value of its business. ORIGINAL STORY: Accidental death reported at the Kansas City Schlitterbahn The indictment names Jeff Henry as Verruckts visionary and designer and John Schooley as the slides lead designer, but says neither man possessed technical or engineering credentials needed to build a ride as complex as Verruckt, a German word for insane or crazy. Jeff Henry has designed water park rides the world over, company spokeswoman Winter Prosapio said in an email. Nearly every water park that exists today has an attraction or feature based on his designs or ideas. Jeff Henry has had an atypical education for a water park executive and ride designer. A 2015 Texas Monthly article described him as a self-taught savant of water park design. He has no formal training, having dropped out of high school to work for his father as a teenager, prosecutors say. Hes also been accused of running projects into the ground with cost overruns and missed deadlines. He has a mercurial personality, at times lashing out at family and business partners. His estranged wife has described him in divorce proceedings as an abusive alcoholic with a bad drug habit. Turn to Sundays front page or click here on ExpressNews.com to read the rest of the article. Since the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., the television airwaves have been flooded with students joined by the usual gun control politicians, calling for guns to be banned. I suppose they do not understand that without the Second Amendment to protect the rights given to them in the First Amendment, they would not have the right to protest. What should they be trying to change? How about the background check laws that let them down? How about the FBI that failed to do proper follow-up to the tip they received about the shooter? Why not the local police, who had been at the shooter's home multiple times because of neighbors complaining about this young man? The school administration knew for years, as did fellow students, that this young man was problem. Why not blame them for not doing more than just kicking him out of school? These students should be calling for the schools to put stricter bullying policies in place. They should be calling for a change in the way those with mental problems are handled. The more facts that are released, the more it seems the local police and school boards were at fault. How? Because the schools board and the police department adapted a very liberal arrest policy for students. It seems that the school district was losing government funds because of a high crime rate with student arrests. They talked to the local police and it was decided to forgive minor crimes such as speeding, drinking and doing drugs. Soon the offenses were expanded to include other crimes such as shoplifting and DUI. This may be the reason the shooter was never arrested. So where do you stand on gun control? Do you really believe it will work? There are thousands of gun laws already on the books that are not enforced. I do not believe one or two more will do anything to stop school shootings. Assault weapons, for private individuals are, for all practical purposes, banned for private ownership. Special licenses are required to own one of these weapons. As assault weapon, as defined by the military, is a firearm that must have a firing selection switch. This is a switch that allows the shooter to fire one shot per trigger pull, like your everyday semi-auto shotgun or hunting rifle, or a burst of shots with one pull of the trigger. The antigun groups claim they do not want to take away our guns. They just want to remove the assault type weapons. They want more. If you think they do not want our guns, research HR 5087. No sooner did Underbelly close than an opening date is posted for the restaurant's much-anticipated follow-up. James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd will open his new restaurant, UB Preserv, 1609 Westheimer, the week of April 16. Shepherd shared other big news: he has hired former Momofuku wiz Nick Wong at UB Preserv's chef de cuisine. Wong, a native Californian, who joined David Chang's Momofuku team after attending the French Culinary Institute in New York, working at Momofuku Ko and Momofuku Ssam Bar in New York. After two years with Momofuku Ssam Bar he spent a year at Danny Meyer's Gramercy Tavern then at Chris Cosentino's Incanto in San Francisco. He returned to Momofuku Ssam Bar in 2013 as sous chef and was promoted to chef de cuisine a year later. Shepherd said that Wong was looking for a change and took a road trip across country which brought him to Houston about three weeks after Hurricane Harvey. "He said he wanted to see if there was anything he could do to help out," Shepherd said. "I told him to come and see what you want to do. He spent a couple of days here and we talked." Those talks led to others and two weeks ago Shepherd had a new chef de cuisine. In the next few days Shepherd said he and Wong will begin collaborating on the menu for UB Preserv, which Shepherd said will continue Underbelly's mission of telling the story of how Houston eats. But, the Shepherd said, that has changed from when Underbelly first opened in 2012. That story has become more expansive and it will be reflected in the new UB Preserv menu, he added. "You're starting to see the second generations doing their things," he said. "I think we want to try to venture out not into just Southeast Asian, but also more into Middle Eastern, African and Mexican. We want to expand our vision of what's going on. We want to see it all." Together, Shepherd and Wong have dumplings on the mind, too. They are conspiring to create the best dumplings in Houston, as well as planning to offer Sunday dim sum brunch, a rarity inside the Loop. Shepherd and his Underbelly staff have been busy lately. On March 31, the restaurant hosted its final service. On April 1 Underbelly threw a party before work began on transforming the space to Georgia James steakhouse, set to open mid-July. Next door, partner Kevin Floyd will close the Hay Merchant after service April 2 for repairs to the beer cooler, reopening April 22. After Shepherd opens UB Preserv he will have a few months to perfect the menu there before turning his attention to the last day of service at his One Fifth Romance Languages on July 31. One Fifth Mediterranean will open Sept. 1. "Getting through the weekend was key for me to be able to have closure and now focus on something new," Shepherd said. "That's the only way I'm going to be able to do this." Education officials across the country are scrambling to find ways to prevent the next school shooting more than a month after a 19-year-old gunman allegedly opened fire at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17. Some have proposed stationing more police officers at schools, while others have suggested outreach efforts to target troubled students. At a little-known program housed at Texas Tech University tasked with preventing school violence, virtual counseling has yielded surprising results. READ ALSO: Police estimate 15K descend on downtown Houston for gun violence march The Telemedicine Wellness, Intervention, Triage, and Referral, or TWITR Project, was created after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and uses video-chatting and other telecommunications technology to diagnose and treat students in 11 school districts in the greater Lubbock area. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center President Tedd Mitchell told a group in Washington, D.C., that about 34,000 middle- and high-school students have been assessed as part of the project, according to POLITICO. About 10 percent of those students received counseling through telemedicine, and about 300 of those students were referred for tele-psychiatric care. About 25 students were removed from school after being flagged as at risk for suicide or homicide, Mitchell said. RELATED: Houston-area police, school districts see increase in threats after Florida shooting "The good news with a program like this is, you can find those kids who are just about to blow," he said. There have been no school shootings in the Lubbock area since the project began, although school shootings are relatively rare nationwide. Still, Mitchell said, the project has resulted in fewer unexcused absences from school and improve academic performances in some students. READ ALSO: Despite recent incidents, guns at local schools are rare, TEA says Referrals for bad behavior dropped by 37 percent among students who received the telemedicine services, according to the TWITR Project's website. "Whatever your approach is to cutting school violence, this can be part of it," Mitchell said. "We couldn't have screened thousands of kids without telemedicine. And you could do the same thing in urban areas, where there are health care deserts." The Chevron Phillips Chemical complex in Baytown is operating normally after completing two procedures that created smoky conditions late Sunday. The two separate procedures occurred almost at the same time at the facility, which is in the 9500 block of Interstate 10. Click through the slideshow above to see some of the reasons we've heard that people want to leave Houston... Are you sick of Houston and want to book a ticket out now? There are some who think Houston has jumped the shark, considering its becoming increasingly flooded with yuppie transplants and has been given such honoraries as the "New Southern Capital of Cool" by GQ magazine. SHARPSTOWN FROM ABOVE: Old photos show the Southwest Freeway taking shape It's a very punk-rock-style of looking at things to turn your back on a city once it gets deemed "cool" by the normies but actually very understandable. Once the secret gets out it makes the whole thing not very special anymore. Some see Houston as the band that you loved that all of sudden has a song on a new Transformers movie trailer. Rest assured that everyone enticed to move here by such honors will likely find May, June, July, August, September, and part of October to be warmer than they bargained for. Even us natives can find many things that get under our skin and make us stare out the window and daydream of leaving. Maybe not the state altogether, but at least somewhere new. (We're not crazy enough to leave Texas). Maybe its the endless traffic, the mindless driving, the manic weather, or the lack of "walk-ability" that irks you about Houston. Trust us, its not always better elsewhere. Every big city comes with big city problems. Craig Hlavaty covers Houston history and pop-culture. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | craig.hlavaty@chron.com Texas is seeking to speed up executions with a renewed request to "opt in" to a federal law that would shorten the legal process and limit appeals options for death-sentenced prisoners. Defense attorneys worry it would lead to the execution of innocent people and if it's applied retroactively, as Texas is requesting it could end ongoing appeals for a number of death row prisoners and make them eligible for execution dates. "Opt-in would speed up the death penalty treadmill exponentially," said Kathryn Kase, a longtime defense attorney and former executive director of Texas Defender Services. A spokeswoman for the state's attorney general framed the request to the Justice Department as a necessary way to avoid "stressful delays" and cut down on the "excessive costs" of lengthy federal court proceedings. "Opting-in would serve several purposes for Texans, including sparing crime victims years of unnecessary and stressful delays, ensuring that our state court judgments are respected by federal judges as cases progress, and reducing the excessive costs of lengthy federal court proceedings," said the spokeswoman, Kayleigh Lovvorn. The Department of Justice declined to comment, and a representative of Gov. Greg Abbott's office referred questions to the state attorney general. The request which comes after years of declining executions has sparked a federal lawsuit and hundreds of pages of comments from a broad coalition of concerned parties including the ACLU, the American Bar Association, Mexico's government, a former federal judge and dozens of defense attorneys. There's doubt among the defense bar whether Texas actually meets the qualification criteria. Approval is up to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the nation's top law enforcement officer who recently advocated for capital punishment for drug dealers in some cases. If Sessions gives the green light to the Lone Star State's application, it will be the first opt-in approval in the more than two decades since the law's inception. For attorneys like Casey Kaplan who helped free a wrongfully convicted Harris County man, Alfred Dewayne Brown, from death row that's a chilling possibility. "In an environment like Texas where you know the state gets it wrong and not just accidentally, but intentionally why in the world would you ever take steps to speed up the process to execute a potentially innocent person?" he said. "Until somebody can answer that question, they should be taking steps to slow it down." Whitewashing failure The state's hopes for fast-tracking a path to execution date back to at least 1996, when Congress passed the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act. Written in the tough-on-crime 1990s and in the aftermath of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people, the law set time limits to expedite federal appeals in death penalty cases and gave greater deference to state courts. "We are about to curb these endless, frivolous appeals of death sentences by those convicted of murder," then-U.S. Sen. Bob Dole said at the time. Nationally, the average time between sentencing and execution has continued to rise, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. But in addition to what is already in place, the law opens the door to creating even tighter deadlines with a special opt-in provision under a section called Chapter 154. In order to qualify for Chapter 154 certification, states have to prove they offered good enough lawyers earlier in the process, during the so-called "state habeas" appeal. If the condemned were all able to get competent, sufficiently paid attorneys with the funds to afford things like investigators and specialists during the state habeas appeal, then the law would permit speeding up the later federal habeas appeal. "Opt-in presumes that we've reached this promised land of excellent and well-resourced legal representation at all levels for everyone on death row and in fact we have not," Kase said. The letters submitted to the government early this year were highly critical of Texas' current defense system, calling it "inadequate" and "infected" by "well-publicized failures," pointing out that the state doesn't even guarantee counsel for all types of post-conviction proceedings. So far no state has qualified. But in November, Sessions fired off letters to Texas and Arizona two states that previously put in certification requests and asked if they still wanted to apply. They did. The states' affirmative responses prompted a required comment period, during which Texas Defender Services and other capital defense organizations produced a 247-page comment bolstered by more than 100 appendixes criticizing Texas' application, calling it "little more than a whitewash of the state's persistent historic failures" that includes "no evidence at all." The application itself doesn't explain why the state wants to opt in. Kent Scheidegger, death penalty supporter and legal director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation touted opt-in as a way to speed up the process. "We talk about due process of law I call this overdue process of law," he said. "The victims' families just get frustrated beyond belief with all this reexamination when in most cases the guy is guilty beyond any doubt. The fact that a federal court overturns the judgment doesn't mean that that's a just result." Houston-based capital defense attorney Patrick McCann stressed that federal courts are where many condemned men including those wrongfully convicted like Anthony Graves, and those deemed too intellectually disabled to execute, like Bobby Moore have gotten relief. "This is a political quest," he said. "It's an appeal to Gov. Abbott's base to make it very proudly explained that we have an express lane to death." 'Worst-case scenario' If Sessions approves it, opting in would include limitations on how long federal courts have to resolve cases, restrictions on judges' abilities to grant stays of execution, and limits on the claims that prisoners can raise in federal habeas proceedings. But what's sparking the most concern among defense lawyers is a change that would halve the time attorneys have to file the first part of their federal appeal. If Texas opts in, attorneys would have six months instead of a year to interview witnesses, hire investigators and familiarize themselves with sometimes a decade or more of case files to sift out any possible past lawyering mistakes, suspicion of withheld evidence or proof of actual innocence stuffed away in boxes and boxes of materials. "Doing all that in one year is already extraordinarily difficult, and any further limitations would only exacerbate the existing problem," said Emily Olson-Gault, director of the Death Penalty Representation Project at the American Bar Association. "We know that errors are made in capital cases," she added. "The more that the allotted time to prepare is limited, the greater the risk that serious constitutional errors will stand uncorrected." And if claims aren't raised in the first filing, they can't always be raised later. "They're valid concerns but you gotta consider the other side of the coin," said Scheidegger "The state and the victims have an interest in seeing these sentences carried out and at present it is taking far too long." Death penalty lawyer Kenneth McGuire who is among those suing in federal court in Washington, D.C., to challenge the certification process called the shorter time frame "completely impractical" and said it would "only guarantee a miscarriage of justice." Attorney James Rytting concurred, adding that sometimes it takes "several months" for the courts to appoint federal habeas lawyers. And, because Texas has requested certification dating back to 1995, there's some question as to whether it would retroactively be applied to cases now entering federal appeals. "That's a worst-case scenario," McCann said. 'Bigger problems' Opting in wouldn't just affect defense attorneys and their clients. Defense attorney Margaret Schmucker, who previously worked for the state attorney general under both Abbott and John Cornyn before him, highlighted the problems it could cause for the state attorneys, who would likely have to handle appeals at a quicker clip. "On any given day, any one of the capital division attorneys would have a couple dozen cases on their docket," she said. "And it's not going to be any easier on them. So unless the money and the staff comes to deal with the expedited processes they're going to have bigger problems." It also could have an impact on which cases are taken up by the nation's highest court, which issued two groundbreaking decisions stemming from Houston-area cases last year. "The Supreme Court can only hear what's brought to it and if those cases never get there because they get shut out or shut down, the Supreme Court is gonna be a lot less busy," McCann said. "Bobby Moore would be dead under this standard of time limits. Anthony Graves would be dead. Pretty much everybody who's been released or commuted on death row would have already been executed so not only would we have done wrong we wouldn't even know we had." As of now, it's not clear when a decision from Washington might come. Houston ISD officials have abandoned plans to overhaul the way the district funds its schools, opting to keep HISD's long-standing financing system as they work to fill a $115 million budget deficit. Schools will continue to receive an allotment of money based on their enrollments next school year, but the amount campuses receive will shrink by nearly $200 per student. The announcement walked back proposals made by former Superintendent Richard Carranza in January to centralize some staffing and budgeting decisions now made by principals. Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said the district needs to do more outreach and study its funding mechanisms before changing the way schools are allotted money. The district will create a committee in the coming months to study resource allocation. "We wanted to pause and take a step back and give some proposals to the board about how do we engage the community about the funding allocation," Lathan said. "What does it look like for HISD and our community?" The current "per-student allotment," or PUA model, gives principals a sum of money at the beginning of the school year, based on enrollment and student characteristics. Principals have wide discretion to use that money to hire teachers, buy supplies and operate their schools. Former Superintendent Richard Carranza had proposed swapping the PUA model for a "full-time employee," or FTE model. Under that proposal, central administration would create uniform staffing ratios across all schools. Middle schools, for example, would employ one teacher for every 30 students and one assistant principal for every 500 students. Principals still would get money to spend on discretionary items, but that amount would have fallen to about $70 per student. Carranza argued that implementing an FTE system would make school funding in the district more equitable, help the district better see how funds are being spent at the campus level and ultimately save money. Trustees were divided on the proposed change, and the will to pursue a new funding system waned after Carranza announced he would leave the district to lead New York City's public schools in March. Trustee Sue Deigaard, who had expressed concerns with how the FTE model was developing, said she is glad the district will take more time to study its finances. "I think this is long overdue," Deigaard said. "As someone watching this process every year, and every single year we get to this point where we ask what can we cut instead of being proactive and answering how should we be allocating our resources to benefit our students." Under the most recent draft of the 2018-2019 budget, the amount schools get per student through the PUA will fall by $90 in an effort to trim $45 million from the district's looming deficit. High schools will see their per-student funds fall from $3,522 this year to an estimated $3,432 next year. Funding for some programs, including special education and career-and-technical education, will be centralized. Another $70 million will be cut from central administration, which will result in most departments cutting their budgets by at least 22 percent. HISD chief of police's budget is facing a 23 percent reduction in funding, and the chief academic officer's office could lose about a quarter of its money. Budget Manager Glenn Reed also proposed increasing a subsidy given to smaller schools by $11 million across the district, using unused funds at the end of this school year to pay for the increase. High schools that serve fewer than 1,000 students, middle schools that educate fewer than 750 students and elementary schools with fewer than 500 students qualify for the subsidy; 83 HISD schools meet those requirements. Most smaller schools got about $850 per student this school year through the subsidy, and that will increase to $2,100 per student under the proposed budget. Trustees Diana Davila and Jolanda Jones worried that giving smaller schools more money will not necessarily mean principals will use the extra funds to hire support positions some smaller campuses lack, including nurses and librarians. "We said this in 2016, that every school needs a nurse, a librarian, a social worker, and since then I've heard every excuse in the book. We need to put it in policy," Jones said. "We didn't say principals get to decide whether they want them or not, we were adamant that we believe those to be essential positions. I have a real problem with the fact we're allowing principals to make these (staffing) decisions when we have the power." shelby.webb@chron.com twitter.com/shelbywebb In the days before his first scheduled death date, Houston serial killer Anthony Shore admitted to raping one woman at gunpoint in front of her husband and another at knifepoint after a break-in, according to newly released Department of Public Safety documents. Also known as the Tourniquet Killer, Shore was executed in January for four killings in the Houston area in the 1980s and 1990s. Afterward, sources told the Chronicle that he'd offered up a number of last-minute confessions, including two slayings, and a number of rapes in California and Texas. Now, a report from October - just released after the state attorney general ordered DPS to turn it over following a records request - offers more detail on Shore's confessions surrounding the earlier crimes in California. The first time the Texas Rangers interviewed Shore in the hopes of closing other cases, he wasn't willing to talk. At that point, he still had pending appeals and wanted court wranglings resolved before he would consider coming clean to any other sordid misdeeds. READ MORE: Houston's 'Tourniquet Killer' put to death in first execution of 2018 So the Rangers left and started doing some digging. "We conducted research into Shore's background and found he lived in numerous states throughout his childhood and adult years, and several police agencies had considered Shore as a suspect in numerous unsolved homicides and sexual assaults," they wrote in their report. Then in mid-October - just two days before his first scheduled execution - they came back. "We told Shore we were interested in 'clearing' any old crimes in which he was involved, and Shore agreed to speak with us freely," the Rangers wrote. First, he clarified that he was not the I-45 Killer - though he had lived in the area at the time. Instead, he admitted to participating in another serial crime, as a copycat of the East Area Rapist, a Sacramento-area criminal active in the late 70s and early 80s. Then a teen, Shore's family was living in Citrus Heights, a suburb not far from the California capital. He followed the serial rapes on the news, and said he was already groping women on local bike trails. "Shore alleged he would grab the female's breasts or buttocks and then would flee on his bicycle," according to the report. "He was never caught or questioned about these assaults; however, on one occasion, he was chased down by an adult male, who he believed to be one of his victim's fathers." Riding a bicycle, the man chased him into a river bed and the two started struggling. "According to Shore, he picked up a rock and hit the man in the head rendering him unconscious," the report notes. "He suspects the man may have died." But, there were no reports of a murder like that in the news - so Shore never found out for certain. In 1977 and 1978 - now confident after "getting away" with the groping - Shore raped two women in the Sacramento area. First, he broke into a woman's house and held her at knife point before tying her up and raping her, according to the report. Later, Shore said, he broke into a young couple's house. "Shore allegedly tied up the man and the woman, and made the man 'watch' as he sexually assaulted the woman," the report said. "According to Shore, he used a gun, possibly a .38 caliber, to commit this crime." The confessions surrounding the California crimes all came out just before Shore's first execution date, which was cancelled at the last minute in light of an alleged confession plot with a fellow death row prisoner. READ MORE: Exclusive: Houston killer facing execution this week admitted to 2 more slayings in morbid hoax It was reset for January, and in the days before his death he unloaded on the investigators again, boasting of seducing strangers at bars, dosing them with Rohypnol the so-called date-rape drug and sexually assaulting them in the back of his van, the Chronicle learned. The October report only details the two rapes, but sources said that around the same time he falsely confessed to two slayings as well. In 1986, he slaughtered 14-year-old Laurie Tremblay, snatching the girl up on her way to the bus stop then dumping her corpse behind a Ninfa's Restaurant. Six years later, he raped and murdered 21-year-old Maria del Carmen Estrada before leaving her naked body in the drive-through of a Spring Branch Dairy Queen. In 1994, he killed 9-year-old Diana Rebollar. When her battered body was found, she was wearing only a black Halloween T-shirt and a ligature twisted around her neck. Less than a year later, he murdered 16-year-old Dana Sanchez, then reportedly called a local TV station to report a serial killer on the loose. All of the victims were raped and tortured before he strangled them with handmade tourniquets. Even after the conviction for molesting his daughters forced him onto the sex offender registry in 1998, it took another five years before authorities finally tested cold-case evidence and matched a murder to Shore. He was executed on Jan. 18. Three aggravated robbery suspects are in custody after sparking a police chase during Monday rush hour. Just after 5:15 p.m., Houston police officers tried stopping a driver after spotting a car matching the description of a vehicle involved in a robbery minutes earlier. Initially, the driver refused to pull over and police trailed the car along Loop 610. Within a few minutes, the suspect got off the highway and stopped in an intersection near McCarty. At that point, the pursuit turned into a standoff and by 5:30 p.m. was still ongoing, according to Houston police. As a swarm of police cars blocked off the roadway, the occupants of the vehicle got out and surrendered, one by one. Police crept up to the empty car and checked the trunk before clearing it. Authorities did not immediately release the suspects' names or say what charges they might face. When Micheal Brown was in elementary school, he watched his mom earn a college degree that expanded her options and launched her career. Now, the Lamar High School senior is ready for college himself and thanks to her example and a 4.68 GPA, he has more options than he ever imagined. Brown, a 17-year-old from Houstons Third Ward, applied to 20 colleges and universities, including four Ivy League schools. Hes been accepted by every one, with a full ride to each and more than $260,000 in scholarships. Its surprising I was accepted to all of them, Brown said Sunday, a few days after the last of the acceptance emails rolled in. But his principal and counselors are not surprised at all. READ ALSO: Rice's sticker price tops $60,000 Beyond the sky-high GPA, Brown is involved in a long list of extracurricular activities, including debate. He volunteers. And the future political science major is politically involved most recently, he worked on Mayor Sylvester Turners election campaign. Brown hasnt made a final decision yet, but he has narrowed his list to seven schools. In no particular order, they are: Northwestern, Georgetown, Princeton, Yale, the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard and Stanford. Every time a message from a college popped up, Brown said, I got nervous, because I dont think anyone ever wants to be rejected. READ ALSO: 25 well-paying jobs that don't require a degree But every time, the schools said yes from Stanford to Princeton, Amherst to Vanderbilt, Johns Hopkins to the University of Texas at Austin. Its not privilege or money that put Brown on the radar of so many selective schools. If you look strictly at statistics and demographics, then the cards were stacked against him, said Lamar principal James McSwain. The teens success is an example, he said, of what can happen when the forces line up the right way when kids are given opportunity, support and good direction. The Houston ISD student has benefited from several college prep programs, including EMERGE, which started in HISD and has now spread to Spring and Spring Branch ISDs. EMERGE offers workshops, guidance, college visits and test prep to help kids from underserved communities find their way to some of the best schools in the country. Low-income kids have trouble finding their own way to top colleges, said EMERGE founder Rick Cruz. The kids have a drive they have the desire but they dont necessarily know how to access these types of opportunities. Brown says he got serious about college toward the end of his ninth-grade year. I got very serious about finding ways to get extra-involved in my community and be prepared for college admissions when I got older, he said. He fell in love with debate his sophomore year, got involved in political activism it was simply a matter of finding what I enjoy doing and doing those things well. Norman Clark II, an EMERGE academic program director, started working with Brown in his junior year. From the beginning, he saw a focused, smart student with a strong sense of who he was and where he wanted to go. He was already on that top-tier track, Clark said. But this program sort of helped to expedite the process. Brown gives his mom, Berthinia Rutledge-Brown, much of the credit for his success. After she got divorced, she decided she needed to get a better job, he said. Rutledge-Brown enrolled at Houston Community College and worked hard to become a licensed counselor when Brown was 8 or 9 years old. Thats the first time I understood what going to college might look like, he said. And seeing how important it was to my mom was important to me. I dont even think she really knew that I saw, that it had an impact on me but it did. Shes still showing him how to strive, Brown said; she now works two jobs as a chemical dependency counselor. The best lesson she taught me was through her actions and her working hard and dedicating herself just doing what she tells me I should do. Brown is not the first area teen to excel at college admissions. Just last year, Alief ISD student Amina Mabizari was accepted by seven of the Ivy Leagues eight schools. McSwain said these stories are extreme examples of how students across the area are making something of themselves and finding opportunity. Education is the great equalizer in this country, he said. It enables you to move up and down socially. Education enables you to become something that maybe you never dreamed you could become. Brown predicts that his final college decision will be between Harvard and Stanford. Hell visit both campuses and make a decision by the May 1 deadline. But Clark, the EMERGE program director, doesnt want him to rush. He could throw a dart at any of the schools and hes going to be just fine, so theres no pressure coming from me, Clark said. He has a track record of making great decisions. Now its up to Micheal. The Texas teenager who used an "affluenza" defense before pleading guilty to killing four people in a drunken driving crash in 2013 has been released from jail. Ethan Couch, 20, was released from Tarrant County Jail on Monday after serving time for a probation violation, ABC 13 reported. In December 2015, Couch violated the terms of his 2013 probation after a video showed him at a party with alcohol. Couch was 16 when he killed four people while driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.24 on June 15, 2013, the Dallas Morning News reported. That amount of alcohol is three times the legal driving limit. READ MORE: See inside the 'affluenza' teen's Texas prison home Couch was driving a 2012 Ford F-350, carrying seven other teenagers, when it swerved off the road and hit a disabled motorist and three good Samaritans helping the motorist. The crash killed four people, the Dallas newspaper reported. Couch was charged with intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault. During the 2013 hearing, one of Couch's lawyers argued that the teenager wasn't completely aware that he was responsible for his actions. "Psychologist G. Dick Miller testified Couch suffered from 'affluenza,' which meant he didn't know right from wrong because he he came from a wealthy, dysfunctional family," New York's Daily News reported. Couch was ultimately sentenced to 720 days, roughly two years, in prison for his actions in 2013, CNN reported. His mother, Tonya Couch, was deported from Mexico to the U.S. in December 2015. She was charged with hindering the apprehension of a felon after Couch, who was with her in Mexico, was seen violating the terms of his 2013 probation by attending a party where beer pong was being played, CNN reported. Tonya Couch was released from Tarrant County Jail on $75,000 bail in January 2016. Upon his release Monday, Couch must wear a court-ordered ankle monitor. Fernando Alfonso III is a digital reporter at Chron.com. Follow him on Twitter at @fernalfonso. The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch until midnight Tuesday ahead of storms pushing through the area. Storms could arrive in Houston as soon as 7 p.m. Tuesday, meteorologists say. The storms will quickly move through Houston ahead of a cold front. The threat of severe weather could last through 1 a.m. Wednesday, although the threat of flash floods is low, according to the National Weather Service. Parts of Harris, Montgomery and Liberty counties do have a marginal risk for flash floods. The counties in the northeast part of the region already have high rivers and tributaries because of last week's rain, so more flooding is possible. As much as 1 inch of rain could fall with the storms. Some of the storms could be strong to severe. The main hazard is damaging winds, although large hail and an isolated tornado is possible, meteorologists said. Winds will likely remain below 10 mph up until midnight but could increase to 20 mph after midnight, according to NWS. Wind gusts could be as high as 25 mph. Photographer Terry Fincher's work would influence how countless other war photographers capture life and death on battlefields across the world. His work in Vietnam in the late '60s is still seen as powerfully stunning, decades later. He was able to snap photos of military and civilian life in a war zone the way few others could. REMEMBER THE FALLEN: 35 years ago, the U.S. dedicated one of its most touching war memorials He would take captivating photos in the theater of war until the fighting ended in 1975, capturing the war at both ends, at its most vicious and its most futile. He would do five tours in all. March 29 marked 45 years since the last U.S. troops left Vietnam in 1973. A MIRACLE: The historic week in 1972 when no Americans died in Vietnam Working for The Daily Express in London, Fincher is not as well-known as other war photographers but Getty Images recently singled out his work as some of the most arresting documents of the war. He didn't just take graphic photos of war zones. He also captured beauty and celebrity as seen in his Getty archives. One of his favorite subjects was Muhammad Ali. Fincher died in 2008 at the age of 77. He took photos of the landscapes around him until his death. Craig Hlavaty is a reporter for Chron.com and HoustonChronicle.com. If youre like me, youre still waiting for a check from Google and all the other companies that benefit from using my data. While I understand the premise is that I give up my data for the ease of use Google provides, its still my dataisnt it? Well it turns out that in the US, I in fact do not own my data. Instead, it belongs to the data collector, like Google. Conversely in Europe, its quite the opposite as the ownership of data goes to the entity who the data is about, and specifically NOT the collector. Its unlikely that Google will send checks to people in Europe anytime soon, but this issue has resulted in some tricky privacy legislation called General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. It is a regulation by which the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and the European Commission intend to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the European Union (EU). If you have heard about GDPR, there is no doubt that its been discussed with a tone of fear. There are two primary reasons for the angst in the business community: Uncertainty: the penalties for violating GDPR are among the stiffest business penalties ever imagined. The rules are still somewhat under construction, so there remain considerable unknowns in how to proceed. However, one law that is somewhat defined is the Right to be Forgotten, which goes back to the idea that individuals own their data and not the collector. So, if a person wants to be forgotten, companies must comply. The principle is simple enough, but once you start thinking about how to guarantee that forgotten record, there is no doubt angst will again be the result. Lets embark on this thought exercise and see if we cant get make some headway on how to approach such a problem. Assuming we work for Company A and the person whose data is in question is Mr. John Doe. There are some questions that we must ask ourselves upfront: Where is all of Mr. Does data? Do we know how its being used? If we do know where all his data is, is it physically possible to track it down and delete it all? If I do delete it, is it truly gone, or have I simply marked the indicative data? What happens to the transactional history? How do I prove the company has forgotten Mr. Doe? Where is Mr. Does data and how is it being used? This first question hopefully points you to the data technology that normally manages this tracking: your Master Data Management system. Indeed, MDM systems, or the more modern MDM lite or Data Curation systems, are exactly whats called for here. More modern MDM systems have very easy-to-use historical data management. Utilizing No-SQL databases, these newer systems can operate like a Time Machine (the Apple sort, not the Jules Verne sort) and take you back to an exact point in time where it will lay out in specific detail every source, change, changer, or use of that data. They can do this since no-SQL databases are unconcerned by schema changes and they can handle enormous amounts of data, track changes, and perform at ridiculous speed. The newer MDM systems are indeed a core advantage for companies to adhere to the Right to be Forgotten. Can I delete all of Mr. Does data? This is where the details get a bit hairy. The legislation is not completely clear whether its a delete or a masking of the data. But in either case, what does that do to the transactional data associated with Mr. Doe? That part of Mr. Does data most definitely can NOT be deleted or masked. As a public company, Company A must maintain accurate revenue records for reporting and accounting. In addition, summarized amounts cant just be lugged in from the deleted record as this would be an 8-lane highway to corporate fraud. Lets assume then that the transactional records all stay in place but with marked indicia. Again, some of the modern MDM systems can handle this quite nicely as the MDM system can easily issue a delete file to the operational systems since they know where the data is. However, this is much harder than it sounds. If Company A does not have the right internal services infrastructure, it is difficult to delete that data from the operational systems. The best approach is to have the operational systems perform the delete and not try to force it from the outside. If Mr. Doe asks, how do I prove to him that he has indeed been forgotten? This task may sound like it will require some time travel, but fortunately, there is a much simpler solution than building a time machine. As the requests to delete data come in, and the data is either deleted or masked, a one-way hash is used to encrypt those forgotten records. This allows Company A to simply input Mr. Does name into the one-way hash, and if there is a match, he has indeed been forgotten. We have given the Right to be Forgotten some lighthearted consideration here, but the powers that be are not at all lighthearted about enforcing the rules. For all US-based companies that might have EU data, its time to segregate that data and initiate proper protocols to ensure fines dont come your way after May. The clock is ticking, so consider investigating some of the new MDM technology on the market, as the modern approaches to this rather old problem have found some very relevant applications in managing GDPR regulations. Over the past five years, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) has exploded, giving rise to several new conferences on the topic. However, the premier event has become Nvidias GPU Technology Conference (GTC), the latest of which was held in San Jose, California, last week. Attendance was a whopping 8,500, about 2,000 more than GTC17. (Note: Nvidia is a client of ZK Research.) While the show is hosted by Nvidia, it has become more of an industry show where some of the biggest challenges in scaling AI are being discussed and solved. As has become customary at GTC, Nvidia made a number of announcements. Here are the ones that I felt were most notable and why CIOs should care. NVSwitch One of the challenges with GPU computing is pushing enough data into the GPUs to keep them busy, particularly for multi-GPU systems. Typically, at high data loads, the PCI bus is too slow, so Nvidia developed a proprietary interconnect to bridge two GPUS together, called NVLink, that bypasses the PCI bus. At GTC18, Nvidia debuted a new innovation called NVSwitch that enables 16 GPUs to be tied together via a high-speed fabric. During his keynote, CEO Jensen Huang showed off one of the 16 GPU systems and joked that it was the worlds largest GPU because it effectively creates one massive GPU. Network professionals will be familiar with the architecture, for this kind of crossbar fabric is used as the interconnect for most high-speed switches today hence the name NVSwtich. Why CIOs should care: The volume of data that businesses have to analyze will only go up. In fact, the use of general adversarial networks (GANs) enables machines to generate their own synthetic data. NVSwitch helps organizations interconnect more GPUs together so data scientists can work on larger, more complex datasets. Double the memory for Tesla V100 About a year ago, Nvidia launched the Tesla V100 GPU, which it came with 16GB of HBM2 memory. AT GTC18, the company announced it was doubling the total memory to 32 GB immediately. The upgrade means Nvidia is now at memory parity with its main competitor, AMD. The performance of the V100 has always blown the doors off the comparable AMD product; however, the total memory was one place it lagged and now it has closed that gap. The memory upgrade means that the 16GB versions will be discontinued, so the DGX-1 server and DGX station will ship with the new processors. Also, all the server manufacturers, including Cray, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM, Lenovo, Supermicro, and Tyan will begin shipping their products with the 32GB version of Tesla V100 in the second half of 2018. Why CIOs should care: The amount of memory is the only thing changing, so data wont be processed faster. However, workloads that use datasets that could not fit into 16GB of memory will see a significant boost, as will other data center applications that require more local memory. DGX-2 Server The DGX-1 Server and DGX Station are used broadly by data scientists in a number of different verticals. For example, the MGH and BWH Center for Clinical Data Science group uses DGX Station as part of its research. Both of these products are high performance, with the DGX-1 reaching 1 petaflop of performance. But for some use cases, that might not be enough horsepower. For those, Nvidia showed off the DGX-2, the first server to use the NVSwitch innovation to bring 16 GPUs of power to a single, unified memory space. This new server is about 2x the physical size of the DGX-1, but Nvidia claims it has about 10x the processing power. During his keynote, Huang showed the time taken to train the FAIRSeq neural machine translation model with DGX-2 and DGX-1, and it revealed the model completed in two days with DGX-2 versus about three weeks with DGX-1. The price point of the DGX-2 will be $399,000, which seems very reasonable given this single box would replace racks of servers that use traditional CPUs. Why CIOs should care: For those at the high end of the deep learning market, DGX-2 will do things exponentially faster than DGX-1. Given how competitive the world is, completing things in days versus weeks means those expensive data scientists will spend more time analyzing and less time waiting for tasks to finish. Kubernetes containers orchestration on Nvidia GPUs This announcement might have the broadest industry impact on AI and deep learning, as Kubernetes support significantly simplifies the deployment of AI models in hybrid cloud environments. The idea is that cloud-based containers can be used for burst capacity or for resiliency. The best way to understand it is by explaining the demonstration the company did. It started by showing images of flowers being analyzed by a CPU and then a GPU with the GPU obviously being faster. Then it applied the images to eight GPUs, and the rate of analysis picked up. The demo then disconnected from a cluster because of load, which caused the Kubernetes controller to dynamically spin up four new nodes in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud and automatically load balance across them all in real time and the images were being processed at an accelerated rate. Kubernetes is now GPU-aware, and Docker containers are CPU-accelerated. One final note, this feature works on Kubernetes on premises or in a managed container service such as AWS EKS. Why CIOs should care: The value of being able to leverage hybrid clouds for things like AI cant be understated. Containers are the ideal environment for a distributed machine and deep learning-based workloads and model training, as they can be spun up on demand. IT leaders can work with data science teams and create highly agile environments without breaking the bank. From an enterprise IT perspective, these were the announcements I thought were worth calling out. But for people with a deeper interest in AI, there were other cool announcements, such as the Isaac robot simulator being made available publicly, RTX ray tracing technology, and Project Clara, a dedicated supercomputer for the healthcare industry but these are certainly more specialized. Final note: Huang is one of the most passionate and inspirational people I have ever met with respect to how AI will change the way we work and the way we live. Given the recent accidents with Uber and Tesla, some skeptics wonder whether AI is good for us. The fact is, machines can connect the dots hidden in data better than people can. And the more data we have, the more we need machines to do that. The key is to think about how machines can be used to improve our lives. For example, Huang was very clear that theres a tremendous amount of value with self-driving cars, but initially cars should assist the driver and make driving safer. For example, the car can study the driver and know when he or she is falling asleep or if the person has had their eyes off the road too long and make a noise to alert the driver or stop operations altogether. The world is changing fast, and CIOs need to be prepared for this and embrace and accept change by considering whats possible. On Sunday night, March 31, 1968, Travis and I sat drinking beer and watching a black-and-white television set in an apartment in Greenwich Village. Lyndon Johnson was delivering yet another of his mournful, hound-dog addresses to the nation about Vietnam. But this time, he ended with a surprise: he would abdicate. He would remove himself from the melodrama. He would not seek reelection in 1968. He would make himself disappear. He would go away. It took a moment for this to sink in. Then Travis and I whooped, and went out to finish getting drunk. Travis Williams was a classmate of mine from college, a black man, the son of a Durham, North Carolina barber. Travis had gone to Exeter on a scholarship and to Harvard as a National Merit Scholar. His father hated all white men and bitterly warned his son against them. Travisa tall, rollicking, complicated guy who was very smart and drank too muchhad a contrary view; or anyway, a different strategy. Many of his friends were white. He was succeeding quite handsomely in the white world; by spring of 1968, he was a reporter for Life magazine. I was a national affairs writer for Time. LBJs abdicationcoming after the Tet offensive and after the New Hampshire primary in which Eugene McCarthy did well and after Bobby Kennedy entered the presidential racewas one of the early earthquakes of 1968. At Time, we settled down to write about Johnsons withdrawal and its aftershocks. We had our stories written or half-written by Thursday night, April 4, and a group of us national editor Mike Demarest and a few writerswent off for dinner at a Greek restaurant in the West Fifties. In half an hour, the owner bustled over with the news that Martin Luther King, Jr. had been shot in Memphis. We leaped up, paid the check, and by the time we were back at the office, the flash was on the AP ticker that King had died. Travis called me up from a bar somewhere and shouted: Im getting pretty sick of this shit! He slammed down the phone. I mention personal detailsprivate memories mixed with the publicbecause, 50 years later, the two are mingled inseparably in the mind. You locate the meaning of these things only by seeing them in both dimensionsin many dimensions. Anyway, the great public issue of race in America is always intensely personal. The dread word the N-wordcompresses, in six letters, centuries of public and private meanings (hatred, tragedy). I first met Martin Luther King, Jr., for a moment, at a labor union convention in Buffalo in the summer of 1960. I had just finished my freshman year and was working a summer job as a reporter for the Buffalo Evening News. King gave a speech. I forget the subject. I made my way through the crowd of labor leaders, up to the stage, and I shook Kings hand and, with what were no doubt excesses of sincerity, told him how much I admired him. It was true. One of the things that distinguished King was his air of gravity and dignity and formality (which he might pronounce gravitay and dignitay and formalitay). His body English was like his prose: stately, with restrained Biblical embellishmentsthe Moses note, by way of Ebenezer Baptist Church. There in Buffalo, he appraised me for a second (earnest white boy in horn-rims) and replied slowly, Thank you verra much! It happened that my father, who worked for Nelson Rockefeller, knew King pretty well. My father handled Rockefellers dealings with Kings Southern Christian Leadership Conference and knew not only King but his lieutenantsWyatt T. Walker, Ralph Abernathy. The Rockefeller family for many years had given money to black Baptist institutions in the South, to Spelman College, for example. King came to New York frequently, and sometimes my father lent him our Ford station wagon. I would ferry the car to King over at the house in Riverdale where he was staying. I would hand over the keys. (Thank you verra much). One time, King sheepishly returned the car with a dent in the side. He was abashed and charming. He wanted to have the dent fixed, but we would not hear of it. The dent remainedthe Martin Luther King Dent, a cherished family relic. I admired Martin Luther King as much as I admired any American in the twentieth century. I feltstill doa reverence for him. Charisma is Greek for a gift of grace. King was a gift of grace to the United Statesa country that may have been unworthy of the gift, or else unable to understand it. Toward the end of his life, blacks had given upa biton King and his ways. With amiable humor, they called him De Lawd. Travis referred to him that way. Some even used the lethal term, Uncle Tom. The Nobel Prizea suspect apotheosis, bestowed by Whiteysubtly discredited him in contrast with black firebrands (H. Rap Brown, Stokely Carmichael) to whom satyagraha was the wrong idea: they meant to take the passive out of passive resistance. King was getting to be passe your fathers station wagon. Few Americans have shown more courage than the civil rights workers in the South in the early 1960s: the Freedom Riders and others, those working for voter registration and access to public accommodations. One night in the summer of 1964, I was on a late shift at the old Washington Star. A long-distance call came in to the city desk from Sunflower County, Mississippi. I heard a frightened young voice coming from a house way out in the dark Mississippi countrysidea civil rights worker who told me that she just wanted someone to know that she was out there in the middle of the night and scared to death, and that now and then she heard a pickup truck. We talked for a long time. Schwerner, Chaney, and Goodman had disappeared a few weeks earlier from Philadelphia, Mississippi. Their bodies would be found in the earthen dam where Klansmen buried them. The most conspicuous and vulnerable of them all was Martin Luther King. He saw it coming (I may not get there with you), but he never stopped. His gift to the country, apart from the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965, was his miraculous example of grace and courage. People associated the phrase grace under pressure with John Kennedy, but it more aptly applied to King. Along with the grace and the courage, there came with him a motif of forbearance, of forgivenessgood manners on an exalted level. Kennedy in the 1960 election made an acid remark about Richard Nixon: No class. No one in that time had more class than Martin Luther King. Years later, in 1982, I was in Alabama to have a look at George Wallaces last gubernatorial race. Wallace, in his time, had unspeakably bad manners, especially toward black people, and the power to inflict humiliation and pain. Yet I found, to my astonishment, that, in 1982, more than a few black Alabamians supported him. They found it in themselves to forgive him. (He had apologized that time in Birmingham, they said, and anyway, he was doing a lot for the people by starting up community colleges.) That seemed to me a very definition of gracea blessing entirely unmerited but bestowed by the promptings of a good heart. There was a Southern churchy sweetness in these transactionsnot sentimentality, but goodness. Wallace had been in a wheelchair for ten years, after being shot down and crippled in a Laurel, Maryland parking lot by an assassin during the 1972 presidential campaign. Now, on Labor Day a decade later, he sat in his wheelchair on a small flatbed metal stage in a park at Noccalula Falls, near Gadsden, and he communed with the people, white and black, who filed quietly past. He reached out his hands to them, consoling and almost, one thought, healing. I wrote in an article at the time: He has the nimbus of saint and martyror at any rate, of a celebrity who has passed through the fire and the greater world: he has come back to them from history, come back with powder burns. Wallacethough in great pain survived his assassins bullet. Martin Luther King did not. Such outcomes are mysterious. Grace was at work: even a sinner like George Wallace might find shelter and beat least a little bitredeemed by the atmosphere of Kings example. The words Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do reverberated, as if in some obscure moral negotiation, between Memphis, Tennessee and Laurel, Maryland. I find the entire year 1968 to be a sermon whose lesson is indecipherable, even 50 years later. There were four deaths that were decisiveto me, anyway. Two were public and two private; two were blacks, and two were whites. Nineteen sixty-eight was Moloch. These were blood sacrifices. The public deaths: Martin Luther King, in early April; Bobby Kennedy, in early June. The private deaths: at the end of January, just at the time of the Tet offensive, my younger brother Mike, 17, died in Memorial Hospital on 68th Street of an obscure cancer that attached itself to his lung; in May, my friend Travis Williams, 28, burst a blood vessel in his brain. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage in St. Vincents Hospital in the Village. We did not see that one coming. Photo by J. Wilds/Keystone/Getty Images The homelessness industry has pulled off some impressive feats of rebranding over the yearsmost notably, turning street vagrancy into a consequence of unaffordable housing, rather than of addiction and mental illness. But for sheer audacity, nothing tops the alchemy that homelessness advocates and their government sponsors are currently attempting in San Francisco. The sidewalks of the Haight-Ashbury district have been colonized by aggressive, migratory youths who travel up and down the West Coast panhandling for drug and booze money. Homelessness, Inc. is trying to portray these voluntary vagabonds as the latest victims of inadequate government housing programs, hoping to defeat an ordinance against sitting and lying on public sidewalks that the Haight community has generated. The outcome of the industrys rebranding campaignand of the Haights competing effort to restore orderwill be known this November, when San Franciscans vote on the proposed sit-lie law. That vote will reveal whether San Francisco is ready to join the many other cities that view civilized public space as essential to urban life. Four filthy targets of Homelessness, Inc.s current relabeling effort sprawl across the sidewalk on Haight Street, accosting pedestrians. Can you spare some change and shit? Will you take me home with you? Cory, a slender, dark-haired young man from Ventura, California, cockily asks passersby. Dude, do you have any food? His two female companions, Zombie and Eeyore, swig from a bottle of pricey Tejava tea and pass a smoke while lying on a blanket surrounded by a fortress of backpacks, bedrolls, and scrawled signs asking for money. Vincent, a fourth traveler, as the Haight Street punks call themselves, stares dully into space. All four sport bandannas around their necksto ward off freight-train exhaust as they pass through tunnels, they explainas well as bikers gloves and a large assortment of tattoos and metal hardware. The girls wear necklaces and bracelets of plastic disks and other hip found objects; their baggy tank tops and stockings are stylishly torn. A petite Asian woman passes the group and smilingly hands Cory the remains of a submarine sandwich. Suddenly, all four are on their feet, tearing at the sub. As Zombie stuffs the bread into her mouth, partly chewed chunks fall back out onto the ground. Such juvenile hobos see themselves as on a mission, though theyre hard-pressed to define it. Sometimes they follow rock bands, and other times more mysterious imperatives, between Seattle, Portland, Santa Cruz, Berkeley, Venice Beach, and San Diego. Some are runaways; some are college dropouts; others are years older. Eeyore says she got kicked out of her Riverside, California, home at 14 because she was a punk and an asshole. Of all the destinations on the traveler circuit, the Haight carries a particular attraction to the young panhandlers, thanks to the Summer of Love. Starting in late 1965, waves of teens from across the country began pouring into what was then a ramshackle, blue-collar neighborhood of pastel Victorian houses and low-rent businesses, drawn to the emergent drug culture and its promised liberation from the bourgeois values of self-discipline and hard work. The time has come to be free, a local flyer proclaimed. Be FREE. Do your thing. Be what you are. Do it. Now. This insipid philosophy was eventually co-opted by consumer capitalism, while the hippie ethos gave way to punk, daisy chains to piercing, acid to meth, and mindless utopianism to mindless nihilism. In the Haight itself, national chain stores like American Apparel, McDonalds, and Ben & Jerrys found a place next to the head shops, tie-dye boutiques, and check-cashing outlets. But the kids kept coming. The defining characteristic of all these travelers seems to be an acute sense of entitlement. If you can afford this shit on Haight Street, then goddamn, you can probably afford to kick down $20 [to a panhandler] and it wont fucking hurt your wallet, a smooth-faced blond boy from Spartanburg, South Carolina, defiantly tells the camera in The Haight Street Kids, a documentary by Stanford Universitys art department. I ask the group on the blanket: Why should people give you money? They got a dollar and I dont, Cory replies. Why dont you work? We do work, retorts Eeyore. I carry around this heavy backpack. We wake up at 7 AM and work all day. Its hard work. Shes referring to begging and drinking. She adds judiciously: Okay, my liver hates me, but I like the idea of street performance. Were trying to get a dollar for beer. More specifically, theyre aiming for two Millers and a Colt 45 at the moment, explains Zombie. Arent you embarrassed to be begging? Im not begging, Im just asking for money, Cory says, seemingly convinced of the difference. How much do you make? In San Francisco, you dont get muchmaybe $30 to $40 a day, says Eeyore. When youre traveling, you can make about $100 on freeway off-ramps. What more conventional people consider employment is, in the eyes of the street punk, something conferred gratuitously. People see you, theyre like, Get a job. Youre like, Okay, pay me, hire me. You know, do something! a boy complains on a promotional video made by Larkin Street Youth Services, a local organization that serves homeless youth. Meantime, welfare will do just fine. A strapping young redhead trudging down Haight Street with a bedroll and a large backpack explains the convenience of his electronic food-stamp card, which he can use to pick up his benefits wherever he happens to bewhether in Eugene, Oregon, where he started his freight-train route last Halloween, or in California. Over the last several years, the Haights vagrant population has grown more territorial and violent, residents and merchants say. Pit bulls are a frequent fashion accessory, threatening and sometimes injuring passersby. In July, two pit bulls bred by the residents of an encampment in nearby Golden Gate Park tore into three pedestrians, biting a 71-year-old woman to the bone and wounding her two companions. In October 2009, one of three punks sitting on a blanket with dogs spat on a 14-month-old baby when its mother rejected their demand for change. The vagrants carry knives and Mace; people who ask them to move risk getting jumped. Merchants trying to clean up feces and urine left by the alcohol-besotted youth are sometimes harassed and attacked. Kent Uyehara, the proprietor of a skateboard shop in the Haight, has gotten into fistfights with vagrants when he tells them that they cant sell marijuana in front of his store. They start it, but if they say F you, were going to say F you back, he says matter-of-factly. Business owners, already struggling to stay afloat in the weak economy, worry that shoppers will avoid their stores or the entire neighborhood, rather than navigate around packs of drunken youths on the sidewalk. By late 2009, community frustration with the gutter punks rising aggressiveness had led the Haights police captain, Teri Barrett, to propose a new law that would ban sitting or lying on city sidewalks from 7 AM to 11 PM. Under current policies, an officer can ask someone sprawled across a sidewalk to move only if he observes a pedestrian being substantially obstructed and if that pedestrian will sign a complaint and testify in court against the sidewalk sprawler. Few pedestrians are willing to do so; as for the merchants themselves, they fear retaliation. After the manager of a boutique selling Goth clothing installed outdoor cameras and called the police about the vagrants outside her store, the vagrants threw live birds, their wings flapping wildly, in a cashiers face. Barretts proposed ordinance against sidewalk colonization would remove the current requirement of a civilian victim and allow a police officer to take action on his own. The officer would first have to warn someone sitting or lying on a sidewalk that he was violating the law; only if that person refused to move could the officer issue a citation against him. Both Mayor Gavin Newsom and San Franciscos new police chief have endorsed the proposed law, later named Civil Sidewalks. It is similar to ordinances adopted in Seattle, Berkeley, Portland, Santa Cruz, and Palo Alto, all cities with impeccable progressive credentials. The police have issued few citations under those laws; as in San Francisco, their main purpose is to give officers the authority to ask squatters to move along and to prevent the hostile occupation of public space. The homelessness industry instantly mobilized against the Civil Sidewalks law. Its first tactic was to assimilate the gutter punks into the homelessness paradigm, so that they could be slotted into the industrys road-tested narrative about the casualties of a heartless free-market economy. Homelessness, at its core, is an economic issue, intoned the Coalition on Homelessness, San Franciscos most powerful homelessness advocacy group, in a report criticizing the proposed law. People are homeless because they cannot afford rent. Even applied to the wizened shopping-cart pushers of the traditional homeless population, this simplistic statement is deeply misleading. But applied to the able-bodied Haight vagrants, it is simply ludicrous, entailing a cascading series of misrepresentations regarding the role of choice in youth street culture. The Haight punks may not be able to afford rent, but that is because they choose to do no work and mooch off those who do. Further, they are not looking for housing. They have no intention of settling down in San Francisco or anywhere else. The affordability or unaffordability of rent is thus irrelevant to their condition. Shoehorning the street kids into the homeless category requires ignoring their own voices, ordinarily a big no-no among progressives when it comes to official victims of capitalism and other oppressions. They are not homeless, the travelers insist, and they look down on those who are. When you stop traveling and stay on the street, you become a home bum, Eeyore says. A stringy, middle-aged alcoholic buzzes around Eeyore and her companions blanket, offering incoherent sallies. Asked if the older guy is an acquaintance, Cory scoffs, Hes just some crazy that wandered up, in between more pitches for food and change. If the travelers feel no affinity for the white winos of the Haight and Golden Gate Park, they keep themselves even farther from the largely black street population of the Tenderloin, a drug-infested downtown neighborhood of single-room-occupancy buildings that is San Franciscos other major locus of public disorder (see sidebar). I dont hang out in the Tenderloin because I dont feel like smoking crack, Cory says primly. Such scruples suggest a keen sense of self-preservation, notes Kent Uyehara. These kids couldnt handle the Tenderloin, he says. The local drug dealers wont tolerate hippie punks interrupting their operations; theyd get beaten up or shot. An unintentionally hilarious letter to the San Francisco Chronicle in January 2010 revealed just why the homelessness-industrial complex is so desperate to claim the Haight infestation for itself: government contracts. The majority of the youth on the streets and in the park are in the Haight seeking support to address the issues that have led them there, wrote the executive director of Larkin Street Youth Services in criticizing the sit-lie proposal. Funding to help these youths through outreach, case management, education and employment has been severely cut over the past two years. . . . Rather than rallying in anger, a better use of our time is to focus on helping youths exit the streets so they can find work and housing and become contributing members of the community. Translation: Homelessness, Inc. wants more money. Larkin Streets analysis of why people hang out in the Haight is as wildly inaccurate as the Coalitions fingering of unaffordable rent. Few, if any, of these vagrants are in the Haight seeking support to address the issues that have led them there, unless support means money for booze and drugs. To the contrary, the youth are there to party, en route to their next way station. As a platinum blonde boozily announces in The Haight Street Kids: I love this city, love your fucking life. A tall youth draped around her adds: Its awesome for traveling kids to stop in when they need a break. Predictably, the offer of services and housingwhich San Franciscos round-the-clock outreach workers constantly put before the Haight Street vagrantsis usually turned down. As for becoming contributing members of the community, thats definitely not on the agenda, either. Asked what he saw for himself in the future, a traveler in the Stanford documentary rolls his eyes, smiles nervously, and shakes his head for nearly a minute before replying: A hot dog, theres definitely a hot dog in my future. But a social-services empire has grown up around the street vagrants; its members livelihood depends on a large putative client population, even if the clients arent interested in their services. Enforcing laws designed to ensure safe and accessible public spaces is the most effective means of changing behavior, which is why the sit-lie law is such a threat to Homelessness, Inc. San Francisco has poured billions of dollars into nonprofit groups and subsidized housing over nearly three decades; the street population perceptibly wanes and becomes less aggressive only during those intermittent periods when the city summons the will to enforce common norms of public behavior. In March, Santa Cruzs mayor testified to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (San Franciscos version of a city council) about Santa Cruzs own sit-lie law. The ordinance had a major impact on making sidewalks passable, Mayor Mike Rotkin said, by sending a message that it was not acceptable to claim turf and live on the sidewalk all day. After years of ineffectual social-services spending, Santa Cruzs vagrant youth population started acting more civilly a mere couple of weeks after the ordinance passed. Such results are why San Franciscos advocates must prevent these instructive experiments in law enforcement from happening in the first place. The homelessness industrys second tactic was to demonize Civil Sidewalks supporters as motivated by hatred toward the poor. This issue makes me sick to my stomach, the head of the Coalition on Homelessness, Jennifer Friedenbach, told a supervisors meeting in May. It makes me sick because were putting into place another law that promotes hatred and that will codify economic profiling. Giving tickets for being destitute is not what a civilized society engages in. Mary Howe, executive director of the Homeless Youth Alliance, a needle-exchange program in the Haight, testified at the same hearing that it was disgusting that there was not more compassion where there is not enough affordable housing. Needless to say, the sit-lie law says nothing about economic status; what it profiles is not wealth but behavior. The Haight Street vagrants colonize the sidewalk all day not because they are poor but because doing so is the essence of their traveling lifestyle. And a resident or store owner afflicted by punks threatening passersby in front of his home or business is indifferent to how much money is in their pockets; hes even indifferent to the constant panhandling. He only wants a passageway open and welcoming to all. I dont care if they ask for change, says Arthur Evans, a self-described former hippie from Greenwich Village who has lived in the neighborhood for 35 years. Its okay if they loiter and make a bit of noise. But I dont feel safe walking down the Haight at night any more. The statement from the Homeless Youth Alliances director about affordable housing is the usual non sequitur: the gutter punks are not looking for housing, whether temporary or permanent. Every night, about 100 beds in the citys shelter system remain vacant, though outreach workers are always trying to get people to use them. As for permanent housing, youre not going to be able to afford rent at any level if you opt out of working or studying. And while some of the street colonists may come from truly impoverished backgroundsthough such a fact is irrelevant to the validity of the proposed lawothers do not. Two blondes in The Haight Street Interviews, a YouTube video, explain that they got to escape the whole private school mentality by starting to follow punk bands in seventh grade. Finally, the homelessness advocates pulled out their trump card: associating supporters of the Civil Sidewalks law with business interests. San Francisco progressives regard businessmen as aliens within the body politic whose main function is to provide an inexhaustible well of funds to transfer to the citys social-services empire. If it werent for vigilant politicians, however, the interlopers would constantly seek to duck this ever-growing civic obligation. If these corporations pay their fair share, supervisor John Avalos explained in 2009 when introducing a new business tax, we can generate millions that will go towards keeping health clinics, youth and senior services, and jobs safe for San Franciscans. (The contradiction between raising business taxes and keeping jobs safe was lost on Avalos.) So the sit-lie opponents portrayed the law as the brainchild of the rapacious profit seekers, even though the Haights residents were as instrumental in its genesis as local merchants were. Ive heard we should pander to business, a member of the Coalition on Homelessness told the supervisors in May. To that I say: San Francisco is not a theme park for tourists. If they want a squeaky-clean world, they should go to Six Flags and pay for the privilege. Tourists who cant get by someone on the sidewalk, she continued, need to develop some spine and say excuse me. (Those on the sidewalk cant be expected to say excuse me for blocking everyone else.) Such cluelessness about the challenges of creating a business and staying afloat is typical of advocates everywhere, as is the aristocratic assumption that San Franciscans will always enjoy an endless supply of tourist dollars, no matter the street conditions. What makes San Francisco unique is that so many of its elected officials have just as limited an understanding of civil society. And no one embodies this contempt for the private sector more than supervisor Chris Daly, a youthful-looking former activist now representing the Tenderloin. Dalys signature blend of pomposity and childishness was on full display in the May hearing on the sit-lie law, during which he condescended to an assistant chief of police, the mayors public-safety advisor, a small-business owner, and the Chamber of Commerce. He fulfilled the spirit, if not the letter, of his January pledge to use the f-word at every board meeting, a tradition for which he had already laid ample groundwork during past foulmouthed public tantrums. You can sugarcoat shit, but that doesnt make it ice cream, he said, in reference to the proposed law. But his most distinguishing touch was to see the law as all about himself and his fellow progressives. In Dalys fantasy narrative, the bills real purpose was to unseat the boards progressive bloc by creating a wedge issue that would mobilize moderate and conservative voters in the November election. The desire of residents and proprietors across the city for passable, open public spaces, in Dalys view, was a front orchestrated by the nefarious Chamber of Commerce. Maintaining this story line, for which no shred of evidence exists, required Daly to dismiss the testimony of mothers worried about walking their children to school and of struggling managers who told of losing customers unwilling to navigate the human mess in front of their stores. The unexpected twists and turns of Dalys monologues, not to mention their length, may put a listener in mind of a certain obsolete Caribbean dictator. In the middle of his opening harangue against the sit-lie law, he interjected, for no apparent reason: My name is Chris Daly. Im a homeless advocate. Having caught everyones attention with this oddly timed piece of information, he went on: I was elected ten years ago talking about affordable housing and Im still talking about it. Were lying if we say that measures like this will get us there. We need radical changes in budget priorities. . . . We need to move money from the sacred cows of fire and police to housing and special needs. Leaving aside the eternal irrelevance of affordable housing to the Haight gutter punks, the notion that San Francisco has been stiffing welfare spending in favor of fire and police is ludicrous. In the 2009 fiscal year, the city spent $175 million on homelessness, compared with a $442 million police budget. Thats $26,865 in services for each of the citys 6,514 homeless persons, the majority of whom are housed in city-subsidized lodgings, compared with $52 per San Franciscan on police protection. (Including such indirect services for the homeless as paramedic calls and psychiatric services for inmates would bring the per-capita rate much higher.) The rest of San Franciscos massive social-services spending, including health care and welfare, was nearly $3 billion in 2009, compared with a combined police and fire budget of $720 million. (The fire department could, in any case, be considered part of the citys service empire, since most of its runs are for non-fire-related emergency services, often for passed-out vagrants.) The weirdest argument against the sit-lie law marshaled by Daly and his allies at the May supervisors meeting was that the new measure was not even necessary, since the police already had the legal authority to move people along who were sitting on the sidewalk. Why the police would go to the trouble of seeking a new ordinance when they could just use an existing one was never explainednor was the incongruity of the progressives arguing for the existence and use of a power that they fiercely oppose. At issue in the supervisors odd claim is the requirement of a civilian complainant under the existing law. Police officials and city attorneys testified that under the current ordinance, judges would not entertain a prosecution unless a civilian victim of sidewalk obstruction had done the unlikely and come forward. (And as Santa Cruzs mayor had testified in the supervisors earlier meeting, quality-of-life laws requiring third-party complainants are completely ineffective.) Daly and fellow supervisors David Campos and Ross Mirkarimi, however, hammered city witnesses on the fact that the current sidewalk obstruction law does not explicitly state that a civilian victim and complainant is needed. True, but the courts have inferred that requirement in interpreting the statuteand judicial practice is just as controlling an authority. The progressives obsessive statutory nit-picking deflects attention from certain key but unstated facts. First, the boards leftists seem not to understandor else simply rejectthe concept of public order. Campos badgered an assistant police chief about his statement that the sit-lie laws purpose was to protect neighborhood safety and vitality. Such an idea apparently flummoxed Campos: What exactly do you mean by neighborhood vitality? What conduct hurts it? he asked. One trip to the Haight should be enough to answer that question. Campos then took up the hairsplitting strategy: Activities when you are standing up can also hurt neighborhood vitality. So what is the conduct you are trying to stop? The fact that a law does not target all negative behavior does not mean that stopping some negative behavior is illegitimate. San Francisco does not hesitate to ban discrimination against gays just because other groups might independently face discrimination. Second, the progressives reject Broken Windows theorythe idea that an environment where low-level offenses are pervasive is likely to breed higher-level offensesnotwithstanding the universal experience of law enforcement officials that allowing people to flout public norms and to take over public space all day, often drinking, leads to more serious crimes. The supervisors voted in June against the sit-lie law eight to three, though the public had backed it by a 71 to 24 percent margin in an earlier 2010 poll. (In the Haight itself, support for the law, though strong, is not unanimous: one merchant has called for a boycott of businesses that endorse the measure, which he sees as the advance wedge of gentrification.) The supervisors vote reflects both a recent change and longer-term trends in San Franciscos politics and culture. Since 2000, San Francisco has held district elections for supervisors, replacing the traditional citywide franchise. It now takes fewer votes and a far smaller campaign chest to get elected; local nonprofit social-services groups and unions man get-out-the-vote drives that easily push their preferred candidates into city hall. The resulting boards have made even their liberal 1990s predecessors look moderate (though those earlier boards were as much a product of Mayor Willie Browns vacancy appointments as they were of at-large elections). Developers bleed money to non-profits of the supervisors choosing, according to the San Francisco Weekly. During budget negotiations in 2009, the board used a barely legal maneuver to restore cut funds to specific social-services groups in their districts, including one that provided a festive Ladies Night for prostitutes. This action violated the intent of a law that the supervisors fund only government departments, not specific nonprofit grantees, reported the San Francisco Public Press. The tight alliance between politicians and service providers within Homelessness, Inc. has not gone unnoticed by city residents. At the May hearing on the sit-lie law, a petite young black woman mocked the progressives claim that they were fighting for the [homeless] population. You people in the social-service mafia make money off this population, she retorted, and then go home to neighborhoods where people are not loitering, puking, and pissing outside your door 24 hours a day. We dont need you here; we need accountability for low-income residents who go to work and dont do drugs 24/7. But the supervisors contempt for the economic engine that makes government social-services spending possible also stems from changes in the citys political culture that long predate district elections. Hard as it is to believe today, San Francisco once understood that entrepreneurial energy was essential to urban vitality. After World War II, San Francisco aspired to rival Manhattan as a world-class center of finance and commerce, positioning itself as the gateway city to the Pacific Rim. A pro-growth coalition of mayors, downtown business leaders, and unions launched transportation and other development projects to create the conditions for economic opportunity, writes San Francisco State University professor Richard DeLeon in Left Coast City. Voters consistently defeated antidevelopment measures. In the late 1970s, refugees from New Yorks blackouts, crime, and budgetary disasters found in Frisco a city that still knew how, in William Howard Tafts phrase. By the mid-1980s, however, the pro-growth coalition had collapsed. The fatal pressures upon it included the loss of such longtime city fathers as industrialist J. D. Zellerbach and banker Charles Blyth, a backlash against the perceived overbuilding of downtown, and the emergence of a new white-collar population with the affluence to value lifestyle over economic growth, DeLeon observes. The passage in 1986 of the most restrictive antigrowth measure of any big city in the country marked the citys transformation. Henceforth, San Francisco would be characterized by a progressivism concerned with consumption more than production [and] residence more than workplace, writes DeLeonone that has inured itself to threats of private-sector disinvestment. The citys political elites also developed a taste for identity politics and useless symbolic gestures, especially regarding foreign policy. Public order and economic viability took a backseat to the rapid expansion of municipal unions and the government-subsidized social-services sector. The fate of various sit-lie ordinances over the years limns San Franciscos political evolution. In 1968, at hippie high tide, a unanimous board of supervisors passed a law banning sitting and lying on city streets and sidewalks. The board had no trouble understanding the Haight-Ashbury Merchants and Improvement Associations plea that its time that our sidewalks were free to walk again. By 1994, however, Mayor Frank Jordan could not get a narrower sit-lie law past the board of supervisors or the voters (the ACLU had long since eviscerated the 1968 ordinance in the courts). Though the city was already spending $50 million on homeless services and $55 million on welfare for able-bodied single adults (many of whom chose to live on the street and spend their generous checks on drugs and booze rather than rent), the supervisors embraced the line that the proposed sit-lie law criminalized poverty. Homelessness, Inc. was already a key player in San Francisco politics. After the supervisors rejected the sit-lie law, Jordan placed it on the ballot. In an election year of resurgent leftism that saw the loss of San Franciscos last Republican supervisor, voters were nevertheless much more narrowly divided on the measure than the board was, rejecting it by barely a 2 percent margin. Between 1994 and today, little permanent progress has been made in the public discourse regarding civil order. San Francisco seems doomed to repeat a one-step-forward-two-steps-back approach to the maintenance of safe and civil streets. Jordan, a former San Francisco police chief, had been elected in 1991 to clean up the city from the chaos tolerated by Mayor Art Agnos, a social worker and well-connected state assemblyman. Jordan crafted thoughtful initiatives that balanced assistance to vagrants with misdemeanor enforcement, an approach he dubbed Matrix (see San Francisco Gets Tough with the Homeless, Autumn 1994). The homelessness industry found a ready champion against Jordan in former California assembly speaker Willie Brown, one of the most charismatic and powerful politicians in recent California history. Brown promised that he would end Matrix if elected mayor, and upon taking office in 1996, he proved true to his word. Embracing the advocates mantra that homelessness was a housing and welfare problem, Brown vowed to end it within 100 days. Instead, within less than a year, he had declared the problem unsolvable. When I came into office I assumed that making services available would and could cause a reversal of the situation for most people on the streets, Brown said. I was wrong. . . . There are some people who just dont want to live inside, and theres nothing you can do with them. They are the hobos of the world. They dont want help. As for Homelessness, Inc., Brown said that he would henceforth ignore the advocates. They have their own political agenda, he observed. They dont know whats going on in the streets. Throughout his eight years as mayor, Brown sporadically revived Jordans quality-of-life law enforcement strategies, usually sub rosa, when the public clamor against needle-infested parkland or refuse-infested plazas grew too loud. The advocates denounced each short-lived initiative as the product of downtown business interests and lambasted Brown as a traitor. A 1996 effort in the Haight to reduce its vagrant youth population collapsed when the youth turned down the offered housing and jobs and the district attorney decided that he couldnt be bothered to prosecute the public-order arrests that the police were bringing in. From the early 1990s to 2002, spending on vagrancy rose 50 percent, with nothing to show for it. Voters in 2002 rated homelessness as the citys most pressing problem, as they had for years and would continue to do throughout the decade. In another deja-vu moment, then-supervisor Gavin Newsom, a restaurateur and Brown protege, resuscitated one of Jordans most innovative ideas: requiring single, able-bodied welfare recipients to use part of their welfare check for housing. Newsom took his proposed Care Not Cash program directly to the public, which voted it in by 60 percent in 2002. The usual machinations followed: a judge overturned the law, and the board then passed a rival, less demanding, measure sponsored by Chris Daly. Newsoms revenge was to ride Care Not Cash into the mayors office, winning the election in 2003 on his support for tough love. In 2004, the California Supreme Court reinstated Care Not Cash; since then, the number of homeless adults collecting cash welfare has dropped 86 percent. Newsoms reprise of the Jordan playbook continued with a ballot initiative to counter aggressive panhandling (since emasculated by the pro bono defense bar) and, after goading, support for the sit-lie law. Late last year, a Haight activist fighting for the Civil Sidewalks ordinance observed sarcastically to a local TV reporter that there had been more sightings of the late Jerry Garcia in the Haight than of Newsom, who lives on the tony hilltop a few blocks above the besieged street. Soon thereafter, Newsom publicly acknowledged the Haight disorder and embraced the Civil Sidewalks ordinance. Perhaps the lock of Homelessness, Inc. on San Franciscos politics will be broken in November, when citizens will vote on the sit-lie law in a referendum. It is auspicious that the current push for civil sidewalks is coming from the Haight, long viewed as the epicenter of San Franciscos progressive movement. In 1987, antidevelopment radicals there burned down a Thrifty drugstore during construction. Mayor Agnos then refused to meet with Thriftys president, a moment that epitomized the citys indifference to private enterprise and even the rule of law when it conflicted with the higher prerogatives of progressive political correctness. Now a majority of Haight residents are clamoring for surcease from the intimidation and lawlessness that Homelessness, Inc. declares is the price that a city must pay until every last tax dollar is turned over to itself. Of course, a victory for the Civil Sidewalks law at the ballot box will not end the matter. San Franciscans have been voting for sensible order-maintenance policies for decades, only to see the supervisors and the courts thwart their will. But there are other hopeful signs of a possible sea change in the citys most counterproductive tendencies. The public defender, unabashedly left-wing on many matters, has put a wide-ranging public-pension-reform measure on the November ballot; a moderate supervisor has sponsored another ballot initiative to eliminate the most egregious transit-union protections. Both measures gleaned a record-breaking number of qualifying signatures, despite the citys traditional inclination to rubber-stamp the demands of municipal-service unions. However, if Newsoms current bid for California lieutenant governor is successful, which would allow the supervisors to appoint his replacement, all bets regarding the implementation of the sit-lie law are off. Not relying on their possible king-making power, the progressives are fighting back against the sit-lie law at the ballot box. Supervisor Mirkarimi, who represents the Haight, has authored an initiative requiring the police department to engage in community policingspecifically, foot patrolsin an effort to draw votes from the sit-lie measure. Mirkarimi, who has pushed foot patrols for years as a foil to what he disparagingly calls L.A.-style policing, claims that mandating more cops on the beat will resolve whatever disorder problems the Haight may face, thus obviating the need for an allegedly rights-trampling measure like the sit-lie law. If the intention behind Mirkarimis measure was not clear enough, board of supervisors president David Chiu has added an amendment to it, holding that if the foot-patrol initiative wins with a larger majority than the sit-lie law, out goes the sit-lie law. The idea that the supervisors have the expertise to dictate police deployment and strategy is laughable, as police chief George Gascon has said. It is also dangerous, since Mirkarimis foot-patrol requirement could interfere with the departments ability to deploy officers to the citys highest-crime areas, even as Gascons data-driven policingL.A.-style policing, in factis just kicking in. But the foot-patrol measure also fails as an alternative to the sit-lie law, since officers walking the beat lack the authority to do anything about the disorder they confront, absent a cooperating victim. San Franciscos magical topography has allowed it to indulge in antiurban policies for decades. Even as sector after sector of its economic base has peeled off under the pressure of high taxes, ignorant regulations, and government-inflated housing costs, tourists have kept pumping billions into the citys coffers. Homelessness, Inc. could disparage these visitors, as well as the workers and entrepreneurs who tried to meet their needs, confident that the bay, the islands, the light, and the citys unique architecture would keep the tourist tax dollars$21.5 million a day in 2009pouring down. Such self-indulgence is particularly foolish in a recession. But the sit-lie law is about more than business viability, however important such viability is to a citys lifeblood and energy. It is also about the most basic rules of civilized society, which hold that public spaces should be shared by the public, not monopolized by the disorderly few. Top Photo: Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images For weeks, sex workers have been at the heart of two distinct, consequential stories. In August 2017, the Stop Enabling Sex Trafficking Act (SESTA), which would ostensibly help women and girls who have been victims of sex trafficking, was introduced in the Senate. In February, the House passed their own version, Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 (FOSTA), which the Senate then passed on March 21, voting 97-2. The legislation had broad support, but sex workers and their advocates have energetically opposed them because, while the bills aim to curb sex trafficking, along the way they may also put sex workers at greater risk. SESTA sets out to amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which, notes the Electronic Frontier Foundation, is the law protecting online platforms from some types of liability for their users speech.Without Section 230, most of the online platforms we use would never have been formedthe risk of liability for their users actions would have simply been too high. (There also are First Amendment-related concerns.) In practice, this means sex workers will lose platforms, such as Craigslist Personals, that allow them to work in relative safety. All that remains, at this point, is for President Trump to sign the bill. ICYMI: Reporters outstanding coverage of secretive hedge fund behind nations 2nd-largest newspaper chain The second story, which also involves Trump, is Stormy Daniels, a porn star, stripper, and movie director who is, to put it mildly, embroiled in a legal dispute with the president. Sign up for CJR 's daily email With the confluence of these stories, both of which remain in the headlines, I turned to Melissa Gira Grant, a senior reporter at In Justice Today. Shes covered criminal justice, sex workers rights, and human trafficking since 2005, for The Nation, BuzzFeed, and The Guardian, and is the author of Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work. We talked about Stormy Daniels coverage, the prospect of covering sex work as a beat, and whether visible sex worker representation in media would be helpful. This story has been edited for length and clarity. *** I reread much of the SESTA/FOSTA coverage going back to February. The large majority of stories were disproportionately slanted in favor of everyone but sex workers. For example, a story in The Washington Post in February accurately describes the bill, but omits objections to the law by sex workers. Imagine a story about any number of states that have passed laws, or tried to pass laws, to make it harder for people to have an abortion by regulating clinics. Most coverage of those policy campaigns recognize that they arent just about making sure hallways are wide enough for hospital bedsthat the aim of those laws is to make it harder for people to seek an abortion, by making it harder for clinics to operate. You will almost always see major national pro-choice organizations, if not abortion rights activists themselves, interviewed in those stories. Those groups may not necessarily get a hearing in legislatures, but then well hear stories about that, too, about how theyre excluded from the process. This is a pretty familiar narrative, right? Legislation designed to help people who werent involved in crafting it. Yet its not the approach taken on stories about sex work, where almost all legislation aimed at sex work ignores sex workers. In the last two weeks, Ive seen this story flip when it comes to SESTA and FOSTA, and it feels pretty dramatic: Now coverage acknowledges how sex workers would be affected by this legislation, advocacy organizations are getting quoted, and so are individual sex worker rights activists. Post-passage coverage, even local news stories, includes sex workers opposition. What do you attribute this to? In part, coverage migrated from news organizations that were already covering these bills, like In Justice Today, to those that may not otherwise have covered this legislation. My own coverage on this traveled to some surprising outletsit had, up till that point, been considered a kind of wonky anti-trafficking vs. tech story. Seeing my reporting cited in Allure, for example, who treated it as a womens issue. In general, womens websites covering sex work havent typically started from a place of, what about sex workers themselves? Sex work ends up covered like its a problem. In this case, they gave platforms to sex workers. Then more outlets jumped in. I dont exactly know how it happened. But what was getting assigned, I think, was significantly driven along by sex workers hammering social media, organizing under various hashtags, like #SurvivorsAgainstSESTA and #letussurvive. They were easy to find and to quote, and they had a compelling story. And they were able to turn the conversation around, from bill designed to help trafficking survivors to controversial bill with unintended consequences. Almost all legislation aimed at sex work ignores sex workers. Its remarkable that the shift in coverage occured absent institutionalization in media. Right. You wouldnt do a story about a transgender woman murdered in an act of anti-trans violence without reaching out to one of the national organizations that does work to end that violence. Or, I hope that you wouldnt. Some reporters might even include perspectives from trans people in their community. We understand its our responsibility as journalists. But when it comes to sex workers, there isnt that institutional knowledge or mandate, or even awareness. And theres no GLAAD for sex workers, or an organization with similar resources that would function as an easily available source for reporters. There are organizations worldwide working for the rights of sex workers, but this is a very deinstitutionalized movement in the United States. Part of that is because sex work is criminalized and part of that is because its so deeply stigmatized. As few resources as there are for womens rights organizations or LGBT rights organizations, theres even less for sex workers. As a result, most of these organizations, those run by sex workers, dont have someone consistently at a phone waiting for reporters calls, let alone sending out press releases. The same constraints under which the movement and individual sex workers operate, those also necessitate building personal relationships with trusted reporters. What news organizations or reporters have been particularly interested in sex work-related stories before, say, two weeks ago? Ive admired the coverage by Michelle Chen, who generally writes about labor and includes sex workers and sex worker organizing as part of those stories. And Anne Elizabeth Moore, who did several series at Truthout comparing trafficking in the garment industry and the ways we talk about trafficking in the sex industry, and the various NGO interests in both of those arenas. Emma Whitford, who covered sex work back at Gothamist as part of her city beat, and has recently been a reporting partner with me at In Justice Today. Susan Elizabeth Shepard and Charlotte Shane, two of the original editors at Tits and Sass, went on to cover sex work in an incredibly nuanced way. Theyve been doing this since feminist blogs produced a new cohort of feminist commentators in legacy media, yet even that new cohort still failed to cover sex work. To have Susan at the Missoula Independent right now, not just writing anti-trafficking stories but also just doing local news, thats new. I havent seen journalists who cover sex work generally get to cover other things. ICYMI: The incorrect way to use the word author Do sex workers or former sex workers who write about it get pigeonholed into covering only those stories? Particularly if youve ever had a public identity as a sex worker. When my book came outwhich was not a memoir, nor was it about my personal experience; it was a work of reportage and criticismI was asked to essentially perform my memoir on-demand. I told reporters, persistently and probably annoyingly, why that was not relevant to the book they were ostensibly there to interview me about. You know, if somebody reports on the military, and before that they were in the military themselves, we wouldnt expect what they write to be confined to their personal experience, right? That wouldnt be good reporting. Reporters have other lives, other jobs, and those jobs give them an additional lens with which to approach their reporting. But its not the sum of it. Also: What is writing about sex work? What I write about now is the police, about prosecutors, about our court systems, about immigration. But thats not generally what people think of when they think about someone writing about sex work. Should sex work be covered as a beat by major news organizations? Years ago there was an estimate that, in eight cities alone, the underground commercial sex economy was worth as much as $300 million. Thats not nothing. Maybe this is arguing against my own work, but I dont necessarily think it should be a beat. Like I said, Ive covered sex work as part of a larger criminal justice beat, and before that, as part of covering technology. Michelle Chen covers sex work as part of a larger labor beat. Theres room to cover sex work as part of a womens rights beat. And we dont need more of the sort of coverage where a reporter decides, Im going to tell the real-life stories of sex workers, as if sex workers are voiceless. Thats been done, if not overdone. And thats not whats most critically needed if you want to think about public interest journalism, and particularly in a moment when sex workers have such access to media and social media themselves. Its not necessary for non-sex workers to write those stories. Its also a waste of resources. Is there any major news organization that considers covering sex work as more than a problem to be solvedanything other than running mugshots, or covering sex workers when theyve been murdered, or covering a politician who has a scandal involving sex work? Those are historically the three kinds of assignments. But thats shifting, and editors could shift it more purposefully. Is visible representationjournalists readers can identify as former sex workersnecessary? Not necessarily. It mostly comes down to who you think is credible. I think sex workers themselves are still not broadly seen as credible in speaking about their own lives, and even more so, about the impact of policies that affect their lives. That, I think, is the biggest shift that needs to happen. A profound shift on the level of representation has actually happened. Think of Janet Mock and the way she has written about her experiences in sex work, and how that connects to other facets of her life and work, including supporting her in college on her path into journalism. The fact that shes able to bring that story into so many different communities and audiences is a powerful testament to her skill, and to what representation can do. But I dont think its about waiting for people to out themselves as a sex worker. To be honest, its hard enough for many women and trans people and people of color to get into the industry, so now youre going to ask those journalists to put that out front as well? No. Particularly when thats asking those journalists to out themselves to disclose work experience that, in the United States, remains criminalized. Whats required is for news organizations to understand that all of the biggest issues right now that were reckoning witheconomic inequality, the expansion of the criminal justice system, attacks on immigrantsalso touch on sex workers lives. Those are all entry points into covering sex work that arent about identity per se, but about power, influence, and money. Thats covering the basics. Sex workers themselves are still not broadly seen as credible in speaking about their own lives, and even more so, about the impact of policies that affect their lives Arent newsrooms improved by diversity and the presence of underrepresented groups? Arent stories covered that might otherwise be missed? Thats true, to a point. But which people from that underrepresented group and what diversity? Imagine an alternate 90s culture war where the person hired to edit The New Republic was Sarah Schulman instead of Andrew Sullivan. In other words, which gay people? And which sex workers? This is a critical question. Identity isnt everything. And sex work isnt really about identity. The tools and knowledge I actually need to cover sex work had very little to do with my sex work. What I learned on the job as a journalist is what allows me to cover this industry. Yes, its very different to cover law enforcement if youve ever been criminalized. But what Ive learned about how to uncover what goes on inside the criminal justice system comes from my reporting. Look: Id requested an interview with the head of an organization that was supposedly helping sex workers, an organization that I knew worked with police, but I didnt know the details of that relationship. I had some very basic questions: How many people have you served? Whats your budget? What if your budget was bigger, what else might you be able to do? The kinds of questions any executive director of a nonprofit can answer, and generally wants to answer. Anyway, they werent able to answer those questions, which raised a red flag. They considered it a hostile interview and shared their account of the interview with the city police, who then suggested ways they could undermine my story. When I uncovered their email to the police in a public records request, it was a bit of a shock. Its not the first time Ive had people send my reporting to members of law enforcementsometimes they even cc me, to let me know. But to learn that the people we report on might enlist law enforcement to respond? My shock, honestly, was that they considered what I was doing important enough to apparently try to undermine. But that, in and of itself, is worth having uncovered. All of this to say: There are a lot of reasons I consider it critical to cover sex work. But I didnt learn to file FOIA requests as a sex worker. What does success, not just with reporting on sex work, but also representation, look like? I aim for being non-exceptional. I think the marker of things having shifted, both in the news economy and the larger world, is that sex work is covered alongside other stories about work, alongside other criminal justice issues. And that being a journalist who once was a sex worker is absolutely unexceptional, as unexceptional as any other job one may have had. No one finds it compelling that I once worked in a rape crisis center or with a union. No one has asked, even if those work experiences have shaped my journalism as much as any other job. We dont treat it as exceptional that journalists have worked in the service industry. As shes said herself, no one finds it that exceptional that my friend and colleague Sarah Jaffe, a labor journalist, also used to work as a waitress. And certainly no one ever tried to save her from that job, and no one ever suggested that journalism was some wonderful path out of that job. Which it may no longer be. We are all becoming part of a very unstable gig economy. In the news industry, most of us are certainly in that boat. We have more in common with people who are working gig-to-gig than we do with our counterparts who had these jobs 20 years ago, when this was a magazine and newspaper-driven industry. Younger writers, who never had exposure to that kind of work environment as journalists, are keenly aware that the way that you get work these days, particularly as a freelancer, is to show off on the internet, to build your brand. Those working conditions are not all that different than the conditions that sex workers who work online are working in. The two industries are on a similar track, and their fortunes intertwined. Theyre connected, and they have been for a long time. The dawn of muckraking journalism was uncovering and exposing the conditions of the sex industry, over a century ago. The American obsession at the time with white slavery? That was a moral panic driven by and benefiting an emerging news economy, and it resulted in dangerous laws and policies. We are still living in that environment. That is the news economy of sex work, and that certainly describes the relationship of most media about sex work and its relationship to policy, and the impact it can make in the lives of sex workers. On balance, what do you think about the Stormy Daniels coverage? Well, I was late to it because the story was happening at the same time as SESTA and FOSTA. My ears perked up with the story that she had been threatened. Thats really shaped my idea of what this story was; not the presence or absence of receipts in the form of dick pics or whatever. I think the efforts to profile her got a little bit beyond, Isnt it funny that Im talking to a porn star? Rolling Stones coverageStormy Daniels as the hero we needthat gets to the heart of something sex workers on Twitter have been saying, too. But then media Twitter is peppered too much with, lol reporters get to go to stripclubs now. And of course I had a knee-jerk response: What, you dont understand how many reporters probably spend time in stripclubs anyway? What did you think of Anderson Cooper? I was grateful that it was Anderson Cooper who got that interview. This is a massive overgeneralization, but Ill say it is sometimes true: Theres a great history of community and understanding between sex workers and LGBT folks, mainly because so many sex workers are LGBT, but also in terms of stigma around sexuality, right? There were parts of that interview where I was just delighted by the ways Anderson helped Stormy break down, for the American people, the alleged peculiarities of Trumps weird rich-dude sexuality. Its hard enough for many women and trans people and people of color to get into the industry, so now youre going to ask those journalists to put that out front as well? No. With SESTA and FOSTA being in the news at the same time as Stormy Daniels, sex work is having a moment, I guess. I would say sex workers themselves are having a moment. Ive lived through and reported through so many of these moments: Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the DC madam; Eliot Spitzer; the Secret Service and Cartagena sex workers. What makes this moment unique is that driving the narrative are sex workers own demands. Do you remember the rush to get Ashley Alexandra Dupre on the record? The one escort whose name we had in the Spitzer moment. Even then, a decade ago, it was a very different kind of story because Ashley had a social media imprint, and so photos from her MySpace are what ended up on CNN. Much of the viewing public havent seen something like that before: The idea that she had a private life outside of her work, all of a sudden thats something people had to contend with. I remember talking to sex workers at the time who were like, If I ever became a scandal, what are they going to pull off my social media and put next to me on TV? That was the first time I was exposed to the idea that this extreme attention could protect someone. One sex worker and activist told me, If that ever happened to me, I hope they pull all my activist stuff off so they cant just marginalize me and say thats not part of who I am. Now here we are with the simultaneous Stormy and SESTA moments, and what binds them together is theyre both about silencing and delegitimizing. The impact of SESTA, whether or not this is explicitly how it was framed by its supporters, has been to shut down spaces online that sex workers use, not just for work, but for community and for organizing. I dont know nor do I expect Stormy Daniels to ever acknowledge the SESTA bill. I think she has enough other things going on in her life. But we might also see what sex workers seethe connection between Stormy and SESTA, and how we have to recognize that sex workers are part of our civic life. When this current moment passes, how does one maintain the momentum? I dont think any of this is a moment. What is needed, if its going to shift how sex work is covered, is for more people to have the experience of covering the trajectory of those political interests, philanthropic interests, the interests of those in law enforcement, all those who wield control over the lives of sex workers with little to no public accountability. Thats the thread that I see in the reporting that I do. My hope is that people invest in this as a long-game, to look at whats going on now and to keep on it and to trust that, actually, this isnt just a moment. TRENDING: A newspapers baffling column on the term racist Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Elon Green is a writer in Port Washington, New York. He's an editor at Longform. Find him on Twitter @ElonGreen. When a Bulgarian anti-fraud commission announced the results of its investigation into Ivo Prokopievs business dealings late last year, journalists that Prokopiev employs were still hard at work. Early in 2017, they had broken stories of widespread corruption in public infrastructure projects and on the ruling partys potential misuse of European funds. They also had, for years, reported on corruption and other financial crimes in Bulgarias banking sector. But now, Prokopiev himself is in the crosshairs. Prokopiev, 47, is a Bulgarian businessman and the owner of Capital, a business-oriented weekly newspaper, and Dnevnik, a large news website. Both are considered to be among the few independent voices left in Bulgarian media. The operation of both outlets was jeopardized when, in December 2017, anti-fraud investigators froze Prokopievs private assets as well as the assets of companies he owns, worth a total of $125 million. ICYMI: Tensions rise at the Wall Street Journal Prokopiev insists the investigation is an effort to bankrupt and discredit his publications. Their reporting, he says, has long been a thorn in the side of the Bulgarian government. The investigators, on the other hand, allege this is a standard fraud inquiry, and that Prokopiev was involved in a sketchy business deal nearly 20 years ago that earned him millions. Outside observers say its all part of a media war between well-heeled and politically connected Bulgarian publishers. While its not easy to untangle whos rightand in fact, all three versions of the story might be truethe case has come to embody the countrys struggle to maintain an independent press. The concentration of media ownership in the country has made Bulgaria, the EUs poorest country, one of Europes least open-media environments. Still, until about a decade ago, Prokopiev says the media business was profitable. Post-communist Bulgaria transitioned to a market economy throughout the 90s, and from 2000 to 2007, the countrys economy was booming, and Bulgaria had many healthy print publications. Then came the financial crisis. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Foreign companies like News Corp that, years earlier, had invested in Bulgarian media started leaving the country, and so began, Prokopiev says, a concentration in media ownership among Bulgarias oligarchs. Now, he argues, a large part of Bulgarian media is owned by just a few people, and many just parrot the government line. As this process has continued, Alex Lazarov, managing editor of Capital, says he watched the Bulgarian government become less tolerant of critical voices among the countrys press. Capital has dug deep into Bulgarias courts, criticizing what Lazarov describes as close relationships between prosecutors and government, and a lack of reform by the prosecutor general and his lack of action against corrupt officials. Now, Lazarov notes, government offices often do not answer Capitals reporters, and when they do, routine requests are often put through lengthy administrative procedures. The government began to expect the media to not be critical at all, he says. When youre being objective, like I believe Capital is, sometimes there are critical things you have to say. It just makes some people in the government really pissed off. Pauline Ades-Mevel, a Bulgaria observer for Reporters without Borders, agreed with the assessment that Bulgarian media is being stifled by consolidation. One of the main problems we are seeing in Bulgaria is the corruption and collusion of politicians and the media, which led to situations like that weve seen today, says Ades-Mevel. The pressure against Prokopiev is part of a pressure against all independent media in Bulgaria. Its clear that Prokopiev is very powerful, because he owns some very important media, but he is definitely targeted, she adds. Prokopievs publications arent the only ones to face government ire for their reporting. Teodora Peeva is editor in chief of Sega, a daily newspaper whose name means now in Bulgarian. Peevas newspaper has also taken flak for its coverage of corruption and fraud in government contracts. Its our policy to be critical of the government, Peeva says. Media freedom in Bulgaria has declined in the past years, after we entered the EU [in 2007], Peeva says. We expected it to be the other way around. Unfortunately, it hasnt happened like that. Before joining the European Union, candidate countries are under heavy scrutiny from Brussels. Peeva and other Bulgarian journalists note that, once the country joined the EU, outside scrutiny on Bulgarias media issues relaxed. Funds coming from the EU are often used in Bulgaria to support private media and, she argues, the government gives out this money to media that doesnt criticize it. Three other Bulgarian journalists and media observers echoed this criticism. Another way to control media, as in our case, is to freeze the money and to destroy the business of the publisher, Peeva says, likening the situation of Prokopiev to that of Segas own publisher, Sasho Dontchev, a Bulgarian natural gas magnate. Peeva rattles off a list of what she sees as pressure instruments used against Sega and its publisher: treason charges, pressure from tax authorities, business audits, and verbal attacks from the government and prosecution. There is a constant pressure on our newspaper every day, Peeva says. Our politicians, our prime minister, dont hide their displeasure with the media. Im afraid that if this attack on Ivo Prokopiev is successful it will be repeated, Peeva adds. This is just a test to see how far they can go without any consequences. Plamen Georgiev heads Bulgarias Commission for Illegal Asset Forfeiture, the group that has, since early 2017, investigated Prokopiev. Giorgev bristles when asked whether his work is political. [In Bulgaria] we have many rich people who cannot explain where their money came from, explains Giorgiev, a former prosecutor. His office consists of five people, all appointed by Bulgarias prime minister, president, and parliament. While Giorgiev concedes that his office only investigates cases that come from Bulgarias prosecutors, he says his group works independently of the police, the prosecution, and the courts. As Bulgaria transitioned to a market economy, Giorgiev explains, Bulgarias oligarchs began buying up public companies at a fraction of their market value. The investigator accuses Prokopiev of illegally buying a mining company for one-tenth the market value, then flipping it for a hefty profit years later. Giorgiev and his asset forfeiture office see the case against Prokopiev as the first of many cases investigating these deals. Related: 21st-century censorship: Governments around the world are using stealthy strategies to manipulate the media (Prokopiev maintains that his purchase of the mining company was completely legal, and argues that the transaction has already been investigated and cleared by Bulgarian courts. When asked about the court cases, Giorgiev concedes that the transaction was indeed authorized by the Bulgarian government. The state authority closed their eyes, Giorgiev says, that is the problem.) Giorgiev maintains that the investigation of Prokopiev has nothing to do with his ownership of Capital and Dnevnik. Tihomir Bezlov, an analyst for a Bulgarian think tank called the Center for the Study of Democracy, sees a connection between Prokopiev and a rival publisher, Deylan Peevski, who also is a minister of parliament for one of Bulgarias smaller political parties and has been responsible for much of the consolidation in Bulgarian media. Why does Peevski invest in media? Because through media, he can influence politicians and the state. And the state rewards him for good writing, says Bezlov. This is the typical modelPeevski is nothing new in Eastern Europe. (Peevski did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The editor in chief of Monitor, one of the newspapers he owns, also declined multiple requests for comment.) Nelly Ognyanova, professor of media law at Sofia University, doesnt buy the media war narrative. People in power try to suggest that there are two media groups fighting for influencethose of Peevski and Prokopievwhile ignoring the differences between them, she says. If were talking about journalism, not about publishers, Capital and Dnevnik are quality media. Deylan Peevski is a member of parliament, but managed to build a huge media empire and, moreover, to monopolize the distribution of the press, Ognyanova adds. His political influence is obvious. The conflict, Ognyanova argues, is over media independence, quality of journalism, and the ability to criticize government. She also worries that investigations like the one into Prokopievs business dealings could come to represent a new way for Bulgarias super-rich and politically connected publishers to attack their competition. The worry is that such a questioning could become [a] style of dealing with opponents, says Ognyanova, especially when it comes to media and freedom of information. Bulgarian media is a small world. Every journalist interviewed for this story has plenty to say about the free press and their ability to criticize the government, about the ins and outs of working for media owned by publishers with extensive business interests, and about the investigation into Prokopiev. But none are willing to do so on the record. Of course they follow their own interests, says one Bulgarian journalist, based in Sofia, the countrys capital. I mean, Sega is a very decent newspaper, as well as Capital, though clearly Prokopiev is using it for his own interests. The journalist contrasts Sega, Capital, and Dnevnik with other media in Bulgaria, where the details over who owns what media company are foggy. The thing with Prokopiev is that its quite open. Hes open about what business he has. Hes open about what his interests are, the journalist explains. This is something that can be expected. The problem with the other media is that its not clear who their owners are, what their interests are, and what agenda they are pushing for. The whole thing between Prokopiev and Peevski has become like, I defend my boss, you defend your boss, and after all of that, the journalists are the victims, the source adds. The media wars in Bulgaria are wars of publishers. Trending: Defying doomsday predictions, Fox News continues to dominate Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Zach Campbell is a reporter based in Barcelona. Follow him on Twitter @notzachcampbell Kansas schools that refuse to allow teachers to carry guns could be held legally responsible in the event of a tragedy under a proposal drafted after last months mass shooting at a Florida high school. Opponents of the measure, which got its first hearing Tuesday in front of the House Insurance Committee, expressed concern it could effectively mandate arming teachers rather than allowing it, as several states have done. It would certainly open the door for that conversation, said Democratic Rep. Brett Parker, an Overland Park school teacher. The further we go down this rabbit hole, the more chance there is for even more obnoxious legislation moving forward. Even if that provision is stripped, as some advocates suggested during the hearing, the bill would prohibit insurers from denying coverage to a school because it lets its teachers or staff members carry weapons. At least nine other states have provisions in place giving teachers the option of carrying guns in schools, but the Kansas plan seems to go further than most other laws in place or under consideration. The proposal is separate from one embraced by Republican leaders in the House that focuses on improving school infrastructure instead of arming staff. That measure, which appears to have broader support, won first-round approval on Tuesday. Rep. Blake Carpenter, a conservative Derby Republican who helped write the legislation that holds schools liable, said he is confident armed and trained teachers will save lives. Police could be minutes away, and in smaller districts where modest funding means school-resource officers arent hired, the bill would allow for next best thing, he told the committee. It is not, if our kids will be killed. It is, when will they be killed and what are we doing to prevent it? Carpenter said. Kansas legislators started working on school safety legislation a week after a Valentines Day shooting in Parkland, Florida, left 17 students and staff dead. Gun control advocates say the portion that presumes negligence against school districts is highly unusual and seems to match closely with concealed carry laws typically applied to businesses in some states, and not schools. Kansas law has allowed teachers to carry concealed guns since 2013 but school districts across the state have disallowed the practice after EMC Insurance Companies, the states primary school insurer, refused to provide coverage to schools with armed staff. Kansas Association of School Boards lobbyist Mark Tallman opposed the bill. He said insurance providers could still choose to deny coverage, yet schools would have no choice but to allow staff to arm themselves regardless. Even if an insurer is willing to provide under such circumstances, Tallman said, the rates would become very expensive. Carpenter said for an insurance company to increase rates or to outright refuse to provide coverage to a school, it would have to prove that having an armed staff creates a higher risk environment. According to the State Department of Education, the 286 local school districts expect to spend $23.7 million on insurance in the current school year, not including health insurance. No testimony provided during the hearing predicted what that expense would become if the legislation passes. Parker said he has received 284 pieces of written testimony opposing the bill, much of it from teachers unhappy with the prospect of being armed and working alongside others who may or may not be. Were inventing new ways, it seems, to drive people out of the teaching profession in Kansas, Parker said. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. A missing or damaged safety shield on the end of a California freeway barrier worsened the impact of a crash involving a Tesla SUV that killed a man last week, the electric car maker said on its website. The company also said in the statement that it doesnt know what caused the Model X to crash Friday on U.S. 101 near Mountain View, and its also unsure if the SUV was operating on its semi-autonomous Autopilot system. Tesla said its working with authorities to recover logs from the damaged SUVs computer. The SUV was traveling at freeway speed when it hit the barrier near Mountain View. The California Highway Patrol says the SUV caught fire for unknown reasons. The 38-year-old driver was pulled from the vehicle by rescuers and later died at a hospital. On Wednesday, the U.S. Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which regulates road safety, said it would send investigators to California. The National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates crashes and makes safety recommendations, already has dispatched a two-person team. Teslas semi-autonomous system is designed to keep a vehicle centered in its lane at a set distance from cars in front of it and also can change lanes and brake automatically. Photographs taken of the SUV show the front of the vehicle was obliterated. Its hood was ripped off and its front wheels were strewn on the freeway. Two other cars were involved in the crash, but their drivers were not reported injured, the CHP said. Tesla said it in the statement late Tuesday that it was deeply saddened by the crash, which it said was made more severe because a crash attenuator, which protects vehicles from hitting the end of concrete lane divider, had either been removed or damaged in a prior accident and was not replaced. We have never seen this level of damage to a Model X in any other crash, the company wrote. Tesla also said its owners have driven the same stretch of road with Autopilot on about 85,000 times since 2015, and to its knowledge, there has never been a crash. Tesla says its data shows that a gasoline-powered car in the U.S. is five times more likely to experience a fire than a Tesla. News of the crash investigation helped to send Tesla stock tumbling last week. Moodys downgraded the companys credit rating and gave it a negative outlook. Shares have declined about 14 percent since the start of the year on fears of production delays with the mass-market Model 3 electric car. The NTSB investigation is the second opened by the agency this year involving a Tesla vehicle. In January, the NTSB and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration dispatched teams to Culver City, near Los Angeles, to investigate the crash of a Model S electric car that may have been operating under the Autopilot system. That crash remains under investigation. The investigations come as Congress and federal agencies grapple with how to regulate autonomous vehicles and those with systems that are partially self-driving. Tesla has taken steps to prevent drivers from using Autopilot improperly, including measuring the amount of torque applied to the steering wheel and sending visual and audio warnings. If the warnings are ignored, drivers would be prevented from using Autopilot, the company said. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Aspiring entrepreneurs may want to emulate ultra-successful dropouts like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, but in most cases, would-be founders should plan to hit the books. U.S. News & World Report analyzed hundreds of business schools in order to calculate the best graduate business programs for entrepreneurs. According to U.S. News, "Going to business school to be an entrepreneur can help students channel their creativity, participate in business plan competitions, earn an MBA and launch a business." Here are the 10 best graduate entrepreneurship programs: Airbnb may seem like an overnight success story. In 2008, three college graduates put their heads together from an apartment in San Francisco and completely reimagined the way we see vacation accommodation. Today, just ten years on, their platform features more than 4.5 million rental properties, from Scandinavian tree-houses to Fijian private islands. But it wasn't always an easy path, and the company's founders certainly wouldn't recommend one of the steps that got them there, as co-founder Joe Gebbia told CNBC's "Managing Asia." In the early days of their business, having faced a string of rejections from investors, including the backers of YouTube, Paypal and Google, Gebbia and his partners Brian Chesky and Nathan Blecharczyk decided to opt for an alternative form of funding: credit cards. Raising a 'Visa round' The trio had entered a "trough of sorrow," according to Gebbia, and were desperate to increase their income from the "bleak" $200 per month they were receiving from their then-tiny customer base. "We only had one resort at this point, we raised a round through Visa. We called it the 'Visa round,' except Visa didn't really know about it," said Gebbia. "We actually took out credit card after credit card. We definitely maxed it out. I wouldn't necessarily recommend that," he adding, referring to other entrepreneurs who might draw inspiration from the Airbnb founders. "It was high anxiety and high stress. The credit card bills kept going up and we really had no idea when they were going to get paid off." The boys' persistence did, however, eventually earn them a place on a Silicon Valley accelerator called Y Combinator, which gave them access to seed money and networks in exchange for a seven percent stake in the business. Best advice for success The world's reliance on energy sources like oil and coal, some of the main culprits behind pollution, is dwindling, according to the World Bank. "The model has been coal plus renewables, the model can be gas plus renewables. I think 10, 12 years from now, we will see renewables and storage and nothing more than that," Riccardo Puliti, the World Bank's global head of energy and extractives, told CNBC. In fact, coal usage may fall dramatically in coming decades, he said: "I think that coal in the next 30 years we will see that it will go very much out of the energy mix more and more." Despite Puliti's prediction, a report released by China's National Bureau of Statistics earlier this year said coal consumption rose by 0.7 percent in 2017 for the first time since 2013, mainly due to economic stimulus from the government. Furthermore, coal continued to constitute the largest energy source for China tipping over 60% of its energy mix. Perhaps even more worrying is the increase in global coal consumption last year after two straight years of decline, according to data released last month by the International Energy Agency. In the search for HQ2, Amazon representatives are visiting finalist cities and looking at the talent the e-commerce giant could attract with its second site. Company executives have visited more than 10 of the final 20 cities bidding for the company's second North American headquarters, according to multiple reports from local and national media. These visits include Amazon requesting city officials provide analysis of the city's education and talent, as well as in-person visits to potential locations for the company's "HQ2," The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. Cities are providing data such as the standardized test scores of high-school students, the report said, among other questions about local talent Amazon could attract. Amazon's visits are revealing to city officials, who are finding the company is expecting to compromise on the perks and talent a location offers. "They believe there is no American city that can provide for all their needs," one person involved in a location visit told the Journal. Amazon is "a frugal-ass company," a city official involved told the WSJ, adding that their city did not want to spend extravagantly to host the e-commerce giant's representatives. The report said another person involved in a location visit said their city did not put up Amazon deputies in fancy hotels or provide gifts such as private plane rides, traditional luxuries for courting prospective companies. That official told the Journal their city was "concerned that if we went over the top, it would push them away." While many of the finalist cities were euphoric to make the top 20 list, some have been less enthusiastic about welcoming the massive company into a dense, urban environment. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said he's "not going to cry" if Amazon chooses another of the 20 finalist metro areas over Denver, according to The Denver Post. "There will be a sense of relief if they choose somewhere else, because there are a lot of challenges and lot of hard work we will be avoiding," Hickenlooper told the City Club of Denver at the time, according to the Post. Amazon has said it will spend $5 billion wherever it finally builds and will employ 50,000 people. Read the full report in The Wall Street Journal here. CNBC's Sara Salinas contributed to this report. Shares of biotech company Alkermes dropped Monday after announcing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration refused to review the firm's drug for treating depression. The stock tumbled 21.96 percent to $45.23 a share, its worst day since Jan. 21, 2016. With Monday's decline, Alkermes erased its gains for the year and was down more than 17 percent for 2018. The stock had a market capitalization of about $7.06 billion, a roughly $2 billion decline from Thursday. U.S. markets were closed Friday for Good Friday. Alkermes said Monday it received a "Refusal to File" letter from the FDA regarding the company's application for a new drug called ALKS 5461. After a preliminary review, the FDA determined it had insufficient evidence for the drug's effectiveness and is "unable to complete a substantive review," according to a release from the drugmaker. The FDA added that "additional well-controlled clinical trials are needed prior to the resubmission of the [new drug application] for ALKS 5461," the release said. "We strongly believe that the clinical development program, including data from more than 1,500 patients with MDD, provides substantial evidence of ALKS 5461's consistent antidepressant activity and a favorable benefit-risk profile," Richard Pops, Alkermes CEO, said in a statement. A man walks past a Bitcoin symbol on a window of the offices of the bank 'La Maison du Bitcoin' in Paris. The growth of new active bitcoin users is slowing, which by "Metcalfe's law" indicates that the cryptocurrency's market capitalization will not grow as quickly as it has, some Swiss researchers said. Metcalfe's law says the value of a network is proportional to the square of its users. By a generalization of that principle, bitcoin's market value by the end of the year should be no more than $77 billion, Spencer Wheatley and Didier Sornette, both professors of entrepreneurial risks at ETH Zurich, said in a paper dated March 16. That's $41 billion, or nearly 35 percent, less than bitcoin's market capitalization Monday of $118 billion. Bitcoin 12-month performance Source: CoinDesk Bitcoin multiplied more than 13 times in price last year, but fell 50 percent in the first three months of 2018. The cryptocurrency, the largest by market capitalization, traded little changed near $7,000 Monday afternoon. "Looking forward, our analysis identifies a substantial but not unprecedented overvaluation in the price of bitcoin, suggesting many months of volatile sideways bitcoin prices ahead (from the time of writing, March 2018)," the Swiss researchers said. Three others also contributed to the paper, which was highlighted by MIT Technology Review on March 29. Their analysis also incorporates "Log-Periodic Power Law Singularity" a mathematical model for evaluating speculative bubbles. The researchers found four distinct bitcoin bubbles that correspond to that model. Triggers for the bubbles ranged from a 2011 hack at the now-defunct Mt. Gox bitcoin exchange to South Korean regulators' threat to shut down cryptocurrency exchanges in December 2017, the paper said. Those events "were followed by crashes or strong corrections." A surge of retail and institutional interest in the cryptocurrency helped bitcoin skyrocket to a record high above $19,000 in mid-December. The world's largest futures exchange, CME, and its competitor, Cboe, also launched bitcoin futures around that time, fueling expectations of increased institutional investment. However, increased scrutiny in the last few months from regulators in the U.S. and major markets such as South Korea and Japan have significantly dampened enthusiasm for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Digital currency proponents maintain that bitcoin can recover and move higher once there is clarity from regulators, and predict the cryptocurrency's underlying technology of blockchain will change the world as much as the internet did. But the academic researchers say mathematical analysis of bitcoin's price action shows a predictable path. "We emphasize that one should not focus on the instantaneous and rather unpredictable trigger itself," the paper said, "but monitor the increasingly unstable state of the bubbly market, and prepare for a correction." China's tariff hit of up to 25 percent for U.S. agriculture could be a big gain potentially for Australia, particularly for wine and certain nut and fruit producers. "We've invested quite a lot of time and money in building the market in China for 15 years, and then this may force us to reduce the amount of wine we're going to sell there just because our wines will become less economically viable," said David Amadia, president of Ridge Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. For the last five years, Ridge Vineyards has enjoyed "consistent growth" in the Chinese market even as it competes with premium French and Italian wines as well as Australian wines. But he said the new 15 percent Chinese tariff likely means "it will sort of be a lost investment." China's finance ministry announced in a statement published Sunday it would impose retaliatory tariffs on up to 128 kinds of U.S. goods, following through on a threat initially made March 23 by Beijing that it would target $3 billion worth of American imports. Chris Kasson | Bloomberg | Getty Images China is increasing the tariff on U.S. pork by 25 percent, and a new 15 percent duty will apply to other food commodities in addition to wine, including fresh fruits such as apples, cherries and citrus as well as dried fruit and nuts such as almonds and pistachios. China's government said Sunday the move follows the Trump administration last month announcing hefty tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. In announcing the action last month, the White House cited national security concerns but also initially exempted certain countries, such as Canada and Mexico. "It's a first step that has a lot of us concerned," said Will Rodger, director of policy communications for the American Farm Bureau Federation, the large ag trade group based in Washington. "It will probably have some effect on pork prices. What exactly they'll be is hard to say." Soybeans may be target There's concern that soybeans could be the next agricultural commodity targeted by Beijing after Trump announces duties on Chinese tech products. The U.S. ships more than $12 billion in soybeans to the world's second-largest economy, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "This is in many ways the calm before the storm," said Matt McAlvanah, a former official for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and now a spokesman for Farmers for Free Trade, a bipartisan nonprofit agriculture-related trade group. "We expect there to be much larger and broader retaliation on ag products from the 301 trade action." Indeed, the Trump administration is widely expected to impose more than $50 billion in tariffs separate from those already announced on aluminum and steel imports, according to reports. Those additional tariffs are expected to be on everything from Chinese consumer electronics to potentially aerospace products and are following a trade investigation under Section 301 of the 1974 U.S. Trade Act. "Once China gets wind of that list, you're going to see a much larger retaliation from China that would potentially hit some of their biggest imports from the U.S., including soy," said McAlvanah. Agriculture industry executives say China curtailing U.S. soybean imports could be devastating to the American farm economy, because more than 60 percent of all soybeans exported now go to China. The Chinese also get soybeans from South America and use most of the soybeans as protein to feed roughly 700 million pigs in the country or to make cooking oil. $20 billion at risk "The choice of what they put tariffs on is purely strategic," said Sherman Robinson, nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a Washington-based think tank. "The point about the 15 percent is, in many cases it's probably enough to drive out the [American] imports. What you will see is trade diversion to China's other trading partners to fill in for what the U.S. loses." U.S. agricultural product exports to China totaled $19.6 billion in 2017 and represented just over 14 percent share of American farm exports, according to the USDA. The only larger destination is Canada, with about $20.5 billion in U.S. agricultural exports last year and nearly 15 percent share. "As is the case with China, agricultural products are often among the first to be targeted in retaliation," USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a statement. "The administration stands ready to defend agricultural producers who may be harmed. As we take a stronger approach to the way we handle trade as a nation, we will use all of our authorities to ensure that we protect and preserve our agricultural interests." Pork in crosshairs The duties, effective Monday, also apply to U.S. pork and ethanol two major corn markets and are likely to be felt particularly in the Midwestern states where President Donald Trump enjoyed strong support in the 2016 presidential election. One in four hogs in the U.S. is exported overseas, and the Chinese are the world's top consumers of pork. At about $1.1 billion, China and Hong Kong together are the third-largest market for U.S. pork based on value. For the U.S. pork industry, China also is significant because many consumers enjoy so-called variety meats from the hog that are not always popular in the American market, including some internal organs and feet of the animal. "China is a very complementary relationship that allows U.S. pork producers to extract more value from the hog," said Jim Monroe, a spokesman for the National Pork Producers Council, a trade group. "We're hopeful that the U.S. and China can resolve their trade disputes and that we can return to more favorable access to what is a very important market for us." Competitors that stand to benefit from any U.S. market loss in pork include the European Union (particularly Denmark, Spain and Germany), Brazil and Canada. Around 10 percent of Australia's pork is exported, but they do not currently ship into mainland China due to existing restrictions. US fruit vulnerable However, the U.S. could lose market share on fruit, nuts and wine to Australia. Almost 40 percent of Australia's fruit exports last year went to China and Hong Kong, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Also, Chile, New Zealand and South Africa also have been getting in on the action. "The decision by the Chinese government to levy exorbitant tariff increases on U.S. produce will surely have a direct impact on California citrus producers," said Joel Nelsen, president of the California Citrus Mutual, a trade group representing about three-fourths of the state's $3.3 billion citrus industry. Added Nelsen, "The retaliatory tariffs imposed by China hinders our ability to be competitive by increasing costs for Chinese consumers, an important market for California citrus. Family farmers in our industry will suffer from the economic fallout unless we can find alternative markets for California's navel and Valencia oranges and lemons." Nelsen said the Australians are major competitors to the U.S. in citrus imports to China along with South Africa, Spain and Egypt, to a lesser extent. Chile also is a major importer of other fresh fruit to China, especially cherries, grapes, plums, apples and avocados. Australia's almond industry now exports more than $300 million of the product overseas, but California's $5 billion almond industry still depends on exports since about two-thirds of the product grown in the state goes overseas and China is one of the top buyers. The Chinese tariffs on nuts also will impact macadamia nuts grown in Hawaii. Australia's wine Meantime, Australia's wine industry has been making inroads into China and seeing faster growth than some European competitors, due in part to more marketing efforts. It also comes as a result of reduced tariffs through the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, which went into effect at the end of 2015. "If U.S. wines are subjected to higher tariffs when imported into China, that would have a direct benefit to other suppliers into that rapidly growing market, especially France and Australia the two largest suppliers of premium wines to China," said Kym Anderson, a professor of economics at the University of Adelaide in Australia and also executive director of the university's Wine Economics Research Center. Figures from Wine Australia show the value of wine exports to mainland China grew by 63 percent to a record AUS$848 million (US$652 million) in 2017 and represented about one-third of the total export market for Australia. By comparison, U.S. wine exports in dollars to mainland China fell 3 percent to nearly $79 million in 2017, according to the Wine Institute, a San Francisco-based trade group for the industry. The new Chinese tariffs follow Congress last year giving the wine industry a break by passing the first wine excise tax reduction in over 80 years. "The tax reform we had recently helped the wine business because we got a break on our federal taxes," said Corey Beck, CEO of Francis Coppola Winery in California's Sonoma County. "So we were going to use that savings this year for additional stainless steel tanks. But now with the tariff on stainless coming in, our prices have jumped up dramatically. So we have to review if we're going to go ahead with this stainless steel project for tanks." Even so, China has been a difficult market at times for U.S. wine companies. "China is a challenge for exporting wine, but many of our California and other West Coast wines have been successful in building a market there," said Michael Havens, an export broker with California American Terroirs, a Sonoma-based distributor of U.S. wines to importers in Asia, Europe and other markets. "The compliance burden in China is huge, and documents are extensive and different at different ports." Regardless, the Wine Institute said the move by the Chinese to add a new 15 percent tariff will increase the total tariff and tax paid on a bottle of U.S. wine imported into China from just over 48 percent to almost 68 percent. It notes that Chile and New Zealand wines enter China tariff-free and only pay a 30 percent combined tax rate while Australian wines will be tariff-free starting in 2019. "This new increased tariff will have a chilling effect on U.S. wine exports to one of the world's most important markets," said Robert Koch, president and CEO of the Wine Institute. "U.S. producers were already at a disadvantage to many foreign competitors, and this will only exacerbate that problem. We urge a swift resolution to this crisis before long-term damage is done to the U.S. wine industry." WATCH: WH says tariffs were 'legal and justified' The recent tariffs imposed by the Chinese government on over 128 U.S. produced goods, valued at around $3 billion will likely have negligible effects on a global scale but do provide a powerful signal to the U.S. and other countries looking to limit trade. In a statement released by China's finance minister it was clear that these new tariffs were directly aimed at rebalancing trade relations with the U.S., after the Trump administration imposed large tariffs on Chinese manufactured steel and aluminum in late March. The Trump administration indicated that China's efforts to subsidize steel and aluminum production was what hurt U.S. steel manufacturing. President Trump and his team have indicated that another round of tariffs on $48 billion of Chinese exports could be in the works. The Trump administration has also announced efforts to engage the World Trade Organization (WTO) in an effort to argue against unfair trade practices concerning Chinese state sponsored industries and technology licensing. Trade representatives for the U.S. are asking for a 25 percent tariff on many Chinese tech products including aerospace and communications technology. Economists had warned that retaliatory tariffs were likely to occur because of the U.S.'s increasing protectionist policies. Although the Chinese Finance Minister indicated they do not wish to escalate tensions, China is sending a message that it will not sit idly by. Depending on the response by the Trump administration, this could be the tip of the iceberg in a long, entrenched trade war. It is clear that the Trump administration is targeting perceived trade imbalances not only with China but with other Asian countries as evidence of the import tariffs on washing machines and solar products earlier in the year. Trade agreements, currently being renegotiated with Canada and Mexico are also uncertain. Recent Twitter comments from the president on the North American Free Trade Agreement indicate the possibility of deeper political motivations for potentially pulling out of the NAFTA. Continued unilateral trade negotiations create uncertainty about the current free trade framework. If the trade retaliations with China are to continue, the goods that are likely on the radar of the Chinese Foreign Minister for future import tariffs likely include soybeans and aircraft, the two highest valued U.S. exports to China. Economists are almost all in agreement that persistent trade retaliation with China is economically damaging, but there are some, that are not convinced of the effects. Some economists have argued that continued unilateral trade negotiations will not likely increase in escalationit will be business as usual for both sidesbut the effects could spill over and could escalate political tensions between China and the U.S. Especially, if the U.S. and other allies begin to work on multilateral trade negotiations aimed at limiting Chinese state-sponsored industries, global tensions could begin to rise. Here in the U.S., the farming communities that are caught up in this tit-for-tat trade war will likely feel the squeeze. In a general sense, tariffs tend to hurt producers of exported goods as well as, domestic consumers. Without competitive pricing, losing access to such a large market could put many small farms, with thin profit margins, into financial jeopardy. It is likely that Chinese consumers will also bear the weight of the tariff as they see prices rising for fruits, vegetables, and pork. Right now, the ball is in the Trump administration's court. With U.S. production, manufacturing and most importantly consumers' wallets on the line, the response from Trump and his team will likely give us a glimpse at the hidden parts of iceberg lurking below. Commentary by economics expert Jason Reed, assistant teaching professor of finance in the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business. For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter. European Commissioner for security Julian King Dario Pignatelli | AFP | Getty Images Brussels is preparing to crack down on social media companies who have been accused of spreading "fake news", issuing a stark warning that scandals such as the Facebook data leak threaten to "subvert our democratic systems". The European Commission fears that next year's elections to the European Parliament are vulnerable to mass eurosceptic online "disinformation". Its concern sharpened after a whistleblower alleged that Cambridge Analytica gathered personal information from up to 50m Facebook users and used it to target voters in the US presidential election. Cambridge Analytica has denied using Facebook data in its modelling. Julian King, European commissioner for security, is demanding a "clear game plan" for how social media companies can operate during sensitive election periods starting with European Parliament polls in May 2019. Receive 4 weeks of unlimited digital access to the Financial Times for just $1. A letter from Sir Julian to Mariya Gabriel, commissioner for the digital economy, calls for more transparency on the internal algorithms that internet platforms use to promote stories, limits on the "harvesting" of personal information for political purposes, and disclosure by tech companies of who funds "sponsored content" on their websites. Sir Julian proposes a "more binding approach" than self-regulation, including "clearly and carefully defined performance indicators". His proposals have backing from the other commissioners who are drawing up the EU's first policy on how to fight "online disinformation" to be published later this month. The Cambridge Analytica revelations have turbo-charged the debate, with EU officials pushing for stronger guidance on how platforms should behave to safeguard democracy. The "psychometric targeting activities" such as those of Cambridge Analytica, a data analysis company, are just a "preview of the profoundly disturbing effects such disinformation could have on the functioning of liberal democracies", Sir Julian wrote in the letter dated March 19. "It is clear that the cyber-security threat we are facing is changing from one primarily targeting systems to one that is also increasingly about deploying cyber means to manipulate behaviour, deepen societal divides, subvert our democratic systems and raise questions about our democratic institutions," the letter adds. Brussels' warning comes as a number of EU member states are drawing up "anti-fake news laws" amid a host of allegations over Russian interference in European elections in the past year. France is preparing legislation to allow its judges to remove and block false viral content during national election campaigns. Emmanuel Macron, French president, has railed against the "defamatory untruths" and "deceitful propaganda" of Kremlin-backed media organisations such as RT and Sputnik, which both have French-language websites. Earlier this year, Germany introduced it first "hate speech law" that forces platforms to quickly remove terrorist content, xenophobia and fake news or face fines of up to 50m. EU officials are worried that next year's European elections will be hijacked by populist and eurosceptic forces using platforms to spread conspiracy theories, false news and doctored videos. An EU-wide survey last month found that more than a third of European citizens came across fake news every day, with 83 per cent saying it was a threat to democracy, according to Eurobarometer. But critics of the commission's approach say it could backfire if the EU ends up shutting down legitimate debate or is successfully portrayed by its opponents as doing so. Marietje Schaake, a liberal European Parliament member who focuses on digital governance, said there was a strong argument for tougher disclosure rules for "black box" algorithms and website owners whose anonymity meant they had "zero accountability". But she also warned of the potential for the wider online crackdown to backfire if it was seen an attempt by the EU to curb criticism. "It does put a spotlight on speech," she said. "You have to wonder if that's something desirable." More from the Financial Times: Swiss bankers' hopes for EU access dashed by Brexit Trump threatens Nafta in immigration spat with Mexico France set for rail strikes as unions test Macron's resolve WATCH: Fake news catches fire in India as the country sees YouTube for first time Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg thinks an independent body resembling a sort of "Supreme Court" could fix some of the social media site's content problems. "Over the long term, what I'd really like to get to is an independent appeal. So maybe folks at Facebook make the first decision based on the community standards that are outlined, and then people can get a second opinion," he said. "You can imagine some sort of structure, almost like a Supreme Court, that is made up of independent folks who don't work for Facebook, who ultimately make the final judgment call on what should be acceptable speech in a community that reflects the social norms and values of people all around the world," Zuckerberg said. The company has faced controversy in recent months over data privacy, reports of the platform being used for Russian propaganda and misinformation related to ethnic cleansing in Myanmar. Executives at the company have been repeatedly called on to outline what constitutes hate speech and destructive discourse on the site. But Zuckerberg suggested in an "Ezra Klein Show" podcast published Monday by Vox that those decisions might be better left to an independent body. "I think in any kind of good-functioning democratic system, there needs to be a way to appeal. And I think we can build that internally as a first step," he said. The company has said it's building out its own security team, doubling the number of eyes reviewing content by the end of the year. "I think it's just a case where because we didn't invest enough, I think we will dig through this hole, but it will take a few years," Zuckerberg said. "I wish I could solve all these issues in three months or six months, but I just think the reality is that solving some of these questions is just going to take a longer period of time." Right-wing commentator Laura Ingraham has taken a week off as host of her Fox News television show after more than a dozen companies said they will pull advertisements from her program. Among the latest corporations to cut ties with Ingraham were Liberty Mutual, which confirmed to CNBC that it doesn't plans to run anymore ads on her show, and Bayer, which made its announcement on social media. Bayer Yes, @JonCoopertweets, that's right. @BayerUS has stopped advertising on Laura Ingraham and we have no plans to resume any time in the future. The advertising exodus began Thursday, shortly after Ingraham sent a tweet mocking a survivor of February's mass shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school that left 17 students and adults dead. The student she mocked, 17-year-old David Hogg, has become a prominent figure in the debate over gun policy that has recaptured the national spotlight after the massacre. "David Hogg Rejected By Four Colleges To Which He Applied and whines about it," Ingraham said in the tweet. Ingraham tweet Hogg responded to the slight by calling on his burgeoning Twitter following to contact her top advertisers. Hogg Tweet Pet food company Nutrish was the first to announce it would remove ads from Ingraham's evening news and opinion show, "The Ingraham Angle." Well over a dozen companies, including TripAdvisor, Hulu and Nestle, have followed suit since the social media controversy erupted. Liberty Mutual told CNBC that CEO David Long addressed Ingraham's comments with employees on Friday, saying, "These comments are inconsistent with our values as a company, especially when it comes to treating others with dignity and respect." Ingraham sent an apology to Hogg on Thursday in two tweets, after a handful of companies had already announced that they would remove their ads from her show. Ingraham Any student should be proud of a 4.2 GPA incl. @DavidHogg111. On reflection, in the spirit of Holy Week, I apologize for any upset or hurt my tweet caused him or any of the brave victims of Parkland. For the record, I believe my show was the first to feature David...(1/2) Ingraham ... immediately after that horrific shooting and even noted how "poised" he was given the tragedy. As always, he's welcome to return to the show anytime for a productive discussion. WATCH: https://youtu.be/K0v7yxczipo (2/2) Hogg did not accept the apology, saying that he would only accept it "if you denounce the way your network has treated my friends and I in this fight." Hogg tweet denounce On Friday, Ingraham announced on her show that she will take a weeklong vacation for Easter. "I'll be off next week for Easter break with my kids," Ingraham said. A Fox News spokesperson told multiple outlets that the break was already planned. CNBC's Ryan Ruggiero contributed to this report. WATCH: Parkland survivor David Hogg tells followers to boycott Laura Ingraham's sponsors The 'Grindr' app logo is seen amongst other dating apps on a mobile phone screen. Grindr defended sharing users' HIV status with two other companies, saying the gay dating app is a public forum and the companies in question are "highly-regarded software vendors" that are subject to strict terms when it comes to privacy, confidentiality and data security. The dating app's CTO Scott Chen said in a statement that Grindr has "never, nor will we ever sell personally identifiable user information especially information regarding HIV status or last test date to third parties or advertisers." Chen said that it used the services of the companies in question, Apptimize and Localytics, to "test and optimize how we roll out our platform." However, he reminded Grindr's 3.6 million daily active users that the dating app is a public forum. "We give users the option to post information about themselves including HIV status and last test date, and we make it clear in our privacy policy that if you choose to include this information in your profile, the information will also become public," Chen said. @Grindr: Grindr has never, nor will we ever sell personally identifiable user information especially information regarding HIV status or last test date to third parties or advertisers. Axios reported late Monday that Grindr had stopped sharing users' HIV status with its third-party vendors in response to the controversy. Grindr's statement came after Buzzfeed reported earlier on Monday that the dating app was sharing users' HIV status and "last tested date" with Apptimize and Localytics, as well as GPS data, phone ID and email. Analysts expressed concern that this information, taken together, could be used to identify individual users and their HIV status. HIV activists responded with outrage on Twitter, with some calling on Grindr to pull HIV statuses from the app. @imstilljosh: @Grindr, PULL the HIV status SECTION off ALL profiles NOW!!! RT please. #GrindrRemoveStatus (Wrong to monetize this data in a huge breach of trust.) @jimmyavenger: This is awful! @Grindr please consider what that means to a HIV+ individual that may then encounter severe backlash in some circumstances life changing/threatening depending where in the world they're. I appreciate ure change in trying to support HIV+ folk but pls get this right The executive leading Google's search and artificial intelligence units, John Giannandrea, is stepping down after two years on the job, the company confirmed on Monday. Giannandrea's role will now be split between two executives: Jeff Dean, the cofounder of Google Brain, one of the company's AI research arms, will lead all of its AI efforts. Ben Gomes, who joined Google in 2000 and was running search engineering, will take over the search organization. When Giannandrea inherited the role from Amit Singhal in early 2016, it signaled Google's emphasis on weaving machine learning and artificial intelligence into its most important product, search. But Google CEO Sundar Pichai has increasingly emphasized AI's importance to the entire company. The move suggests that AI is now important enough to form its own business unit. Giannandrea, a machine learning expert, joined Google in 2010 after it acquired his startup Metaweb Technologies. That technology formed the basis of Google's "Knowledge Graph," which quickly surfaces information at the top of search. On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that Giannandrea has been hired by Apple to run its AI group. The move was first reported by The Information. The company is taking aim at the financial technology space, with Tan saying he wants products to address the "many who are unbanked." "It was something I dreamt about for sure," said Grab co-founder and CEO Anthony Tan as he reminisced about his early desires to defeat San Francisco ride-hailing giant Uber in his own backyard. Speaking to CNBC just days after the announced deal to acquire Uber's Southeast Asia business, Tan admitted that winning doesn't always come easy: "Of course" there was debate, he said, about whether giving up 27.5 percent of the company to Uber was the right amount. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has said that stake is worth "several billion dollars." Yet Tan isn't wasting time debating percentages, he said he's setting his sights on tackling the region's next big problem: the "many who are unbanked," working to make "the invisible, visible." Ever since wrapping a $2 billion fundraising round led by Softbank and Didi Chuxing last July, Grab has been moving quickly to connect the millions of "invisibles" across the region to its financial services. The GrabPay e-wallet launched across Southeast Asia in November of last year on the heels of the company introducing its peer-to-peer payments service. The financial technology push picked up momentum last month when Grab inked a joint venture with Japan's Credit Saison to form Grab Financial Services. On the same day, Grab announced a partnership with insurance giant Chubb for in-app insurance solutions. Anthony Tan, co-founder and chief executive officer of Grab. Ore Huiying | Bloomberg | Getty Images Grab could, however, face even more formidable challengers than Uber in the race to bank the unbanked. China's big tech firms are competing in the space with Tencent's WeChat pay and Alibaba affiliate Ant Financial and have announced recent expansion plans in Southeast Asia. But Tan left the door open to teaming with, rather than defeating the internet giants. "I think Ant Financial, again another great company, for us, as we are all about working with many, many partners. We don't fixate ourselves on who's the best partner ... we think about what are the biggest problems and how do we solve that problem," he said. "And if Ant Financial, or whoever, is another great partner, we are focused on that problem and on that segment of underbanked or invisible people that we can help and solve that problem." Finding friends may come in handy when it comes to staking a leadership claim in Grab's biggest battleground: Indonesia. Home grown ride-hailing service GoJek, has also been investing in financial tech in a bid to capture the enormous amount of people in the country who don't have a bank account. But Tan isn't taking the Indonesia challenge lightly, insisting Grab is already leading in transportation in the country, where most of his time is spent: "And now as we continue to invest in Indonesia we are very confident now with the Uber Eats assets we will also become the number one food player in this region. And then, as we continue to expand GrabPay, Grab Financial, that will expand throughout the region." President George W. Bush, left, shares a laugh with Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell as they are introduced during a fundraiser for the Power Center, a huge multi-use complex in southwest Houston, which is celebrating its' 10th anniversary Friday, Sept. 12, 2003. The U.S. Department of Justice announced March 29 that a well-known pastor of a Houston megachurch has been indicted on fraud charges. Kirbyjon H. Caldwell, 64, is the senior pastor at Windsor Village United Methodist Church, which he has led since 1982, according to the church's website. Caldwell also became a spiritual advisor to former President George W. Bush while Bush was governor of Texas, the Houston Chronicle reports. He's also is a limited partner of the Houston Texans, has been an independent director of NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE: NRG) since 2009 and serves on the board of trustees of Baylor College of Medicine, per the Chronicle. Caldwell and Gregory Alan Smith, 55, of Shreveport, Louisiana, were charged with 13 counts related to wire fraud and money laundering, according to a press release from the DOJ. More from Houston Business Journal: Deal of the Week: Houston's Fiesta Mart sold to owner of El Super grocery chain Colorado uranium company mulls restarting Texas mine Woodlands pharma co. total revenue 'won't grow a lot' year over year "According to the indictment, Smith used his influence and status as the operator and manager of Smith Financial Group LLC in Shreveport, and Caldwell used his influence and status as pastor at a prominent Houston church to lure investors to pay more than $1 million to invest in Historical Chinese bonds," the press release states. "These bonds were issued by the former Republic of China prior to losing power to the communist government in 1949." As such, China's current government does not recognize the bonds, which therefore have no investment value, per the release. However, the indictment alleges Smith and Caldwell promised high rates of return. "Instead of investing the funds, the defendants used them to pay personal loans, credit card balances, mortgages, vehicle purchases and other personal expenses," the release states. The defendants each face up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud-related counts and up to 10 years for the money laundering-related counts, as well as a $1 million fine, restitution, forfeiture and five years of supervised release. According to KTRK ABC13, Dan Cogdell, Caldwell's attorney, released a statement saying: "Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell is a religious leader who has been falsely accused. He trusts the legal process completely but most importantly his faith. He will be absolved. We look forward to trying this case in the court of law." Cogdell is expected to hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m. March 30, according to Click2Houston.com. "Regardless of the Wayfair case's outcome, more online retailers will likely collect sales taxes and this actually puts Amazon in a position to win." Due to its expanded distribution network and fulfillment centers to ensure quick delivery, Amazon has a physical presence in many states and an obligation to pay sales taxes. Amazon currently collects and remits sales taxes for sales made directly by Amazon, as opposed to its third-party sellers, to all forty-five states with a statewide sales tax. Amazon supports the Marketplace Fairness Act that requires remote sellers to collect sales taxes. The U.S. Supreme Court is deliberating the South Dakota v. Wayfair Inc. case. The case examines the constitutionality of a South Dakota statute that imposes an economic nexus standard to affix the right to impose sales tax collection requirements on remote sellers. Under the rule, sales tax nexus exists if a seller has sales within the state that exceed $100,000 or more than 199 transactions to state residents. A decision by the Supreme Court supporting economic nexus would allow states to impose sales tax collection on sellers without physical presence, including Amazon's third-party sellers. If Supreme Court does not allow the economic nexus standard, thus reverting to the physical presence standard, states will likely continue to implement notice and report laws, such as those recently enacted in Rhode Island. Such rules will likely result in more sellers to voluntarily collect and remit sales taxes. Regardless of the Wayfair case's outcome, more online retailers will likely collect sales taxes and this actually puts Amazon in a position to win. Given the large number of jurisdictions, various tax rates, and differing definitions of items subject to tax, sales tax compliance costs can be substantial. Amazon offers its third-party sellers an optional sales tax collection service for a 2.9 percent fee (based on the collected sales taxes). To the extent existing third-part sellers purchase the sales tax service, Amazon benefits. Retailers who are not currently selling through Amazon might find that the sales tax collection option a salient enough upgrade to become a third-party seller. Amazon's revenues from third-party fees will continue to grow and become more important to Amazon's bottom line. Third-party seller fees were $32 billion in 2017 and accounted for 17 percent of Amazon's net sales. The year-over-year growth in third-party fees was 38 percent, which more than doubled that from Amazon's online stores. The expansion of sales tax collection requirements will likely fuel more growth. Amazon also benefits to the extent the expanded sales tax requirements makes the final purchase price for items sold by third-party sellers, or from other online sellers, closer to the price directly from Amazon since both are subject to sales tax. Amazon benefits because some sales currently made through Amazon's third-party sellers, or from other websites, may shift to direct from Amazon. The imposition of sales tax on remote sellers, including Amazon's third-party sellers, might help in-state retailers by leveling the playing field with online competitors. However, the expansion of sales taxes to remote sellers will benefit Amazon. Amazon has already capitalized on the sales tax advantage it had during its start-up phase. Amazon's low-cost sales tax collection system, coupled with Amazon's extensive and efficient fulfillment and distribution networks, give Amazon such a large cost advantage that it becomes, or reinforces its position as the pre-eminent online retail platform. If President Trump desires to slow down the perceived damage Amazon is causing, trying to impose sales taxes will not cut it. He will have to look for another way to curb Bezos and his internet Goliath. Commentary by Jim Seida, associate professor, Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. Seida investigates how tax and non-tax considerations affect decisions by individuals and firms. He has published in The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting and Economics, The Journal of the American Taxation Association, National Tax Journal, Tax Notes, and Issues in Accounting Education. For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter. Coupang founder and CEO Bom Kim Source: Coupang Did those ballet slippers you ordered online turn out to be too small? No problem. Just make a few clicks on your app, place the shoes outside your door no box, no invoice, no label to print. The slippers will be picked up within hours and you will immediately get a refund. This scenario is not a glimpse at the future of online retailing but reality now in South Korea, where Coupang has become the largest online retailer in the country. Analysts estimated Coupang's sales reached $3 billion in 2017. The 8-year-old start-up company is one of a handful of Korean unicorns (companies valued at $1 billion or more) and is viewed in Korea as a strong candidate for an IPO in 2019 or 2020, although the company won't discuss plans to go public. With a valuation of more than $5 billion and $1.4 billion in venture capital investment, Coupang is the fastest-growing and best financed e-commerce site of all time in South Korea. It dominates a highly competitive e-commerce market, where no one is making a profit. The company says half of South Korea's 51 million people have downloaded its mobile app. That may be why Amazon, already struggling to crack markets in Asia, has yet to set foot in the South Korean market. "Amazon's strength as an e-commerce company comes from fast delivery, but most Korean e-commerce players do one-day or same-day shipping service for a cheap price," said Sehwan Choi, founder of TechforKorea, a site that tracks Korean technology. Amazon did not respond to CNBC's request for comment. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos The Washington Post | Getty Images More from Global Investing Hot Spots: Emerging markets maven Mark Mobius to launch new firm Tech investors in crosshairs of a trade war Trump focuses on North Korea as another country slips toward China In any conversation with Bom Kim, founder and CEO of Coupang, the phrase "end-to-end" comes up a lot. "It's about reducing customer stress," said Kim, who insisted his goal is making it as easy as possible for his customers to buy and return products. This includes reducing the packaging and filler material and knowing exactly where on the truck your order will be placed. South Korea, with a population of 51 million concentrated mostly in its cities, is the fourth-largest economy in Asia and enjoys an advanced high-speed tech infrastructure. It is already the seventh-largest e-commerce market in the world (about $56 billion) and is expected to surpass Japan and the U.K. within five years to become the world's third largest after China and the United States. Because of Korea's heavy urban concentration, Kim said 99.6 percent of orders are delivered within 24 hours. "Imagine double the population of Texas in half the size of Massachusetts," said Kim. "Pretty much everybody lives in downtown somewhere." He's aiming to reduce delivery times across the entire country to just a few hours for the millions of products Coupang carries in its inventory. Outcompeting Bezos Behind this high efficiency is a formidable technological investment. "The way we've approached it is integrating from end to end," said Kim. "We've built our own last mile." Coupang has its own trucks and more than 10,000 employees, including 4,000 delivery drivers. Despite the heavy emphasis on tech, Kim has insisted on a very personalized service. The company keeps track of every interaction with the customer and that customer's preferences. "If you have babies and you don't want the doorbell to wake them up, our deliveryman will knock," he said. "If you're not home and you want the package to be left in a specific location, we'll leave it where you prefer behind a potted plant or behind the stairwell." If you're not home when a delivery is made, a driver will text you a picture of the package in its designated location. Amazon's strength as an e-commerce company comes from fast delivery, but most Korean e-commerce players do one-day or same-day shipping service for a cheap price. Sehwan Choi founder of TechforKorea Coupang delivers more than ballet slippers. It claims to be Korea's leading distributor of pet food, organic products, health supplements and men's grooming products. The massive infrastructure investment has kept Coupang in the red: Sales figures issued for 2016 showed a loss of more than $500 million on sales of $1.7 billion. (Numbers for 2017 are not yet available.) Kim is not concerned about the red ink. "We're investing in a customer experience," said Kim. "We have a very long-term view." Bom Kim didn't start out wanting to create the "Amazon of Korea," as his company is inevitably called, but he couldn't resist the entrepreneurial opportunities in his native Korea. The Harvard Business School dropout first focused on a daily-deal business, like Groupon, then moved on to a sales platform like eBay. But he said he noticed that half of customer complaints were about delivery. That suggested an area where he could make a difference. Best in class President Donald Trump said on Sunday that there will be no deal to legalize the status of young adult immigrants called Dreamers and he said the U.S.-Mexico border is becoming more dangerous. After tweeting a "Happy Easter" message on Twitter, he said: "Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release. Getting more dangerous. "'Caravans' coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL!" he wrote, adding a threat to kill the North American Free Trade Agreement which is being renegotiated with Mexico and Canada. Donald Trump tweet 1 DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is a program created in 2012 under Democratic former President Barack Obama that Trump sought to rescind last autumn. Designed for people brought to the United States as children by parents who were undocumented immigrants, the program shielded them from deportation and gave them work permits. Trump had said he was open to a deal with congressional Democrats who want to protect DACA in exchange for funding to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall, a campaign trail promise. He insisted during his 2016 White House run that Mexico would pay for the wall, something the Mexican government has repeatedly rejected. Mexico's presidential front-runner, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, launched his campaign close to the border on Sunday demanding respect for Mexicans and signaling he may take a harder line toward Trump if he wins the July 1 election. "Mexico and its people will not be the pinata of any foreign government," Lopez Obrador said in a speech in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, which borders El Paso, Texas. "It's not with walls or use of force that you resolve social problems." Whether Trump will stick to his guns on DACA is unclear. Trump last month threatened to veto a spending bill because it did not address the fate of Dreamers and did not fully fund his border wall but he ultimately signed the bill. In the months after Trump took office, apprehensions of illegal crossers along the U.S.- Mexico border dropped from more than 42,400 arrests in January 2017 to a low of around 15,700 in April, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. Since then, the number of arrests has risen and in the first months of 2018 was above Obama administration levels. "Mexico has got to help us at the border," the president, who is spending Easter at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, told reporters on his way into an Easter church service. "A lot of people are coming in because they want to take advantage of DACA. They had a great chance. The Democrats blew it." "This is extremely dangerous to our democracy," the script read. Sinclair's local broadcast networks drew national attention in March, after dozens of television anchors across the country recited an identical speech warning that some outlets are promulgating "biased and false news" in order to "push their own personal bias." The defense of Sinclair came amid a seven- tweet flurry Monday morning, in which the president weighed in on topics ranging from immigration to mega-retailer Amazon's tax status. President Donald Trump on Monday touted Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns more than a dozen NBC news affiliates, as being "far superior to CNN and even more Fake NBC." In a public statement released Monday afternoon, Scott Livingston, Sinclair's vice president of news, said that the script "served no political agenda, and represented nothing more than an effort to differentiate our award-winning news programming from other, less reliable sources of information." Livingston has defended his company against accusations of bias before. In 2016, Jared Kushner informed a group of business executives that his father-in-law's presidential campaign struck a deal to achieve more favorable news coverage, Politico reported shortly after the election. Livingston, told Politico at the time that the offer for extended interviews with local broadcasters was also made to Hillary Clinton's campaign. Clinton herself did not participate, though her running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., gave multiple interviews. Sinclair, which owns or operates 193 television stations, is the largest broadcaster in the U.S. The New York Times reported in August that Sinclair's chairman had discussed relaxing regulations on television advertising with Ajit Pai, who became the Federal Communications Commission chairman soon after. During Pai's first 10 days on the job, he rolled back the Obama-era restriction on sharing ad revenue and other resources among television stations, according to records of the exchange. The company is currently seeking approval from the Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission for a $3.9 billion deal to buy Tribune Media. While Sinclair owns more than a dozen NBC affiliates, Trump in his tweet said the broadcasting group is "far superior" to NBC, "which is a total joke." Sinclair Broadcast Group did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment about the president's tweet. President Donald Trump is pushing to announce a tentative new North American Free Trade Agreement within two weeks, Bloomberg reported Monday, citing three people familiar with the talks. The White House wants leaders from Canada and Mexico, the other two members of the trade deal, to announce the framework of an agreement at the Summit of the Americas in Peru, which starts April 13, Bloomberg reported. Negotiators would have to finish final details of the new plan later. The Trump administration would like to see changes, particularly in the automotive industry, but two weeks "is probably too optimistic," a White House official who declined to be named told CNBC. The official called that deadline "a marker that we'd like to see something done by." Representatives from the three countries have negotiated the workings of a revised agreement for months. Trump has repeatedly criticized the deal, arguing it hurts American workers by pushing jobs out of the country. He has threatened to pull the U.S. from the agreement if the three nations cannot improve it. SpaceX is set to launch Monday afternoon from Florida, in the latest mission for NASA to send supplies and experiments to the International Space Station. Elon Musk's rocket company will live stream the 4:30 p.m. ET launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with coverage expected to begin at about 4:10 p.m. ET. Delayed from early February, the company's 14th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA (or CRS-14, for short) is now ready. The mission will launch using two major parts that have been to the space station before: the first stage booster and the capsule. The largest part of the Falcon 9 rocket, the booster launched the company's CRS-12 mission last August, before returning to Earth and landing. The SpaceX Dragon capsule has been refurbished after it was launched on the company's CRS-8 mission in April 2016. @SpaceX: Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft for today's resupply mission to the @Space_Station are both flight-proven. While SpaceX says it will not attempt to land the Falcon 9 booster again, there remains the possibility that Musk's company will use the expendable flight to further test landing technologies. As SpaceX brings about a new variation of the Falcon 9 booster, known as "Block 5," older models are being discarded through expendable missions. In January, SpaceX tested its what Musk called a "very high retrothrust landing" in the Atlantic Ocean. SpaceX told media that it attempted to retrieve the floating rocket but was unable, due to the booster breaking apart before the recovery effort was complete. @ElonMusk: This rocket was meant to test very high retrothrust landing in water so it didn't hurt the droneship, but amazingly it has survived. We will try to tow it back to shore. SpaceX is fresh off Friday's Iridium-5 mission, launched from the central coast of California. Once complete, CRS-14 will be SpaceX's seventh successful mission this year. The Dragon spacecraft for CRS-14 is stocked with nearly 3 tons of supplies and experiments for the space station's crew. The capsule will arrive at the ISS on Wednesday, connecting to the station using a robotic arm. About a month later, Dragon will bring back almost 2 tons of equipment and completed experiments, landing in the Pacific Ocean. SpaceX is one of two U.S. companies delivering supplies to the ISS under a NASA contract. Orbital ATK, with its Cygnus capsule, is the only other company actively resupplying the station. But the company suffered setbacks in 2014, when the company's third resupply mission to the ISS failed after the rocket exploded above the launch pad. Orbital ATK continued fulfilling missions by putting Cygnus on United Launch Alliance rockets and won a second round of resupply missions from NASA in 2016, alongside SpaceX and Sierra Nevada Corporation. Orbital ATK shareholders approved a $7.8 billion buyout from Northrop Grumman in November, with the deal expected to close in the first half of this year. The acquisition offers a boost to the defense giant's rocket business, with Orbital ATK's orbital vehicles and missile defense systems helping to make Northrop's offerings more robust. The stream has ended. SpaceX completed its seventh successful mission of 2018 with the launch of CRS-14. SpaceX is set to launch Monday afternoon from Florida in its latest mission for NASA to send supplies and experiments to the International Space Station. Elon Musk's rocket company will livestream the 4:30 p.m. ET launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Delayed from early February, the company's 14th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA (or CRS-14, for short) is now ready. The mission will launch using two major parts that have been to the space station before: the first-stage booster and the capsule. The largest part of the Falcon 9 rocket, the booster launched the company's CRS-12 mission last August, before returning to Earth and landing. The SpaceX Dragon capsule has been refurbished after it was launched on the company's CRS-8 mission in April 2016. @SpaceX: Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft for today's resupply mission to the @Space_Station are both flight-proven. While SpaceX says it will not attempt to land the Falcon 9 booster again, there remains the possibility that Musk's company will use the expendable flight to further test landing technologies. As SpaceX brings about a new variation of the Falcon 9 booster, known as "Block 5," older models are being discarded through expendable missions. In January, SpaceX tested what Musk called a "very high retrothrust landing" in the Atlantic Ocean. SpaceX told media that it attempted to retrieve the floating rocket but was unable, due to the booster breaking apart before the recovery effort was complete. @ElonMusk: This rocket was meant to test very high retrothrust landing in water so it didn't hurt the droneship, but amazingly it has survived. We will try to tow it back to shore. SpaceX is fresh off Friday's Iridium-5 mission, launched from the central coast of California. Once complete, CRS-14 will be SpaceX's seventh successful mission this year. The Dragon spacecraft for CRS-14 is stocked with nearly 3 tons of supplies and experiments for the space station's crew. The capsule will arrive at the ISS on Wednesday, connecting to the station using a robotic arm. About a month later, Dragon will bring back almost 2 tons of equipment and completed experiments, landing in the Pacific Ocean. SpaceX is one of two U.S. companies delivering supplies to the ISS under a NASA contract. Orbital ATK, with its Cygnus capsule, is the only other company actively resupplying the station. But the company suffered setbacks in 2014, when its third resupply mission to the ISS failed after the rocket exploded above the launch pad. Orbital ATK continued fulfilling missions by putting Cygnus on United Launch Alliance rockets and won a second round of resupply missions from NASA in 2016, alongside SpaceX and Sierra Nevada Corporation. Orbital ATK shareholders approved a $7.8 billion buyout from Northrop Grumman in November, with the deal expected to close in the first half of this year. The acquisition offers a boost to the defense giant's rocket business, with Orbital ATK's orbital vehicles and missile defense systems helping to make Northrop's offerings more robust. The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form Microsoft's Edge last month posted its first ever double-digit browser share, while Google's Chrome slid for the third month straight. Mozilla's Firefox once again held steady, keeping its head above water. According to data published Sunday by California-based metrics company Net Applications, Edge's October share climbed by 1.4 percentage points, ending the month at 10.2%, the first time Microsoft's browser broke through that psychologically important barrier. The gain was the largest ever for Edge in a single month, almost double that of the previous record set in December 2019. The increase was so large that it immediately raised suspicions that it was a miscount by Net Applications rather than a reflection of reality. Bolstering that was an even greater boost to the share of Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE), the obsolete browser the Redmond, Wash. company has started to strip of some of its support. IE's share for October 5.6% was 1.7 points higher than the month prior, a jump so out of character as to be unbelievable. Edge's gain was understandable, at least. Microsoft relaunched that 2015 browser earlier this year when it recast Edge with the Google-dominated Chromium technology, the same that powers Chrome. Not only did Microsoft make Edge a Chrome copy, but it also expanded support to versions of Windows other than 10, as well as macOS and, more recently, Linux. Since January, Edge has slowly been adding share; 3.2 points since the Chromium-based Edge went final in the Stable channel. In the past 12 months, Edge has gained 4.1 percentage points, for an average of a third of a point per month. At that pace, Edge should sit at almost 11% by year's end and at 15% by December 2021. Of course, that assumes Edge can maintain growth, which in turn requires one or more rivals continues to give up share. The most likely loser? Chrome, mostly because of its titanic share but also because Edge is, well, Chrome wearing a different outfit. Microsoft's launch of Windows 10 20H2 the H2 signifying the year's second feature upgrade last month may assist Edge as it continues to climb: 20H2 includes Chromium Edge. That should accelerate the replacement of original Edge, the version introduced in mid-2015 that ran only on Windows 10, with the sounder Chromium browser. Chrome down for third consecutive month Chrome dumped seven-tenths of a percentage point in October, falling back to 69.3%. The decline was the third in as many months, an unusual run that's occurred only four times in the browser's 15 years. (The last time it happened before this was in September-December 2019.) Whenever Chrome suffers losses in two or more straight months, it's tempting to wonder whether the browser has peaked. Computerworld has tentatively pegged more than a couple such milestones before but been proven wrong each time. The browser could easily bounce back as it has before. Computerworld's latest forecast as always, based on Chrome's 12-month average stayed with growth, albeit pared significantly from 30 days ago. Chrome should return to 70% by March 2021 and reach 71% by September 2022. (The latter was three months later than last month's forecast, showing how present declines quickly impact future gains.) Edge remains Chrome's most dangerous competitor, primarily and this is Google's own doing to some degree because the former is the latter, what with both relying on Chromium. But Microsoft has cards to play here that Google cannot match; Microsoft will leverage its enterprise management reputation and expertise in an attempt to wean commercial customers from Google's browser. Microsoft's strategy, then, would be the opposite of Google's. The latter pushed Chrome to consumers until its share reached tipping point, and employees demanded the right to run the same browser they'd become familiar with at home. Microsoft would instead hope to win over business users in the expectation that they might want to run the same browser on home PCs, tablets or even phones. Firefox: Not dead yet! Firefox didn't move its share needle last month; it stayed at the same 7.2% mark it earned in September. That meant Firefox didn't gain any ground. It also meant it didn't lose any, probably its most important goal for now and the foreseeable future. Mozilla's browser also stuck to the bad news forecast of last month, although Computerworld's current prediction puts it under 6% in August 2021, two months later than last month's estimate. At its 12-month rate of decline, Firefox will dip below 5% in May 2022. Elsewhere in Net Applications' numbers, Apple's Safari slumped by two-tenths of a percentage point in October, sliding to 3.4%. Opera Software's Opera fell by a slightly-larger three-tenths of a point to end the month at an all-time low of seven-tenths of a point. Net Applications calculates share by detecting the agent strings of the browsers used to reach the websites of Net Applications' clients. The company counts visitor sessions to measure browser activity. Or it used to. At the same time it published October's share numbers, Net Applications announced that it's pulling the plug on the data source. "October 2020 is the last month of data," the firm said. "Why? An upcoming change in browsers will break our device detection technology and will cause inaccuracies for a long period of time." The change Net Applications cited would remove much of the agent string information used not only to compile analytics such as browser and operating system share, but also by advertisers and/or scammers to "fingerprint" individuals so that they can be more thoroughly tracked as they conduct their online lives. Computerworld has not yet decided whether to continue the "Top web browsers" series, and if so, which alternate data source might be used. Stay tuned. News last week of Windows demotion from shining cash cow to a set of appendages tucked under other parts of the organization caught many of us by surprise. As youve no doubt read, Windows honcho Terry Myerson is headed out the door, while Windows itself gets split into multiple pieces, absorbed into different parts of the organization: Windows Core , the guts of the platform gets assimilated into Scott Guthries Azure activities as part of the loftily titled Cloud and AI Platform team. The Windows Core organizational concept is nearly as old as Windows itself there were Core Teams in the late 1990s and in December 2003, Microsoft created a Windows Core Operating Systems Division just for the legendary Brian Valentine. Its going to Jason Zander, who becomes the EVP of Azure and Windows, reporting to ScottGu. The rest of Windows as we knew it the user interface, feature packaging, OneDrive and other online services, Surface, and the like gets jumbled in with Office 365 and moved to the new Experiences & Devices group under Rajesh Jha, the former EVP of the Office Product Group. One guess which way this is heading. Lets hear it for Microsoft 365 and the rental model. Panos Panay continues to run the Windows Devices effort. Joe Belfiore leads Windows client experience which seems to be a decent step toward making the Windows PC a usable peripheral for your phone. Both report to Jha. That's a lot to absorb. Something about comeuppance in the subtext. Tim Sneath, who was with the Windows team for 17 years, and now works for Google, has a very bitter take: It is incredible to see Windows demoted to a product without a seat at the highest table. The most senior person with Windows in their job title is merely a Corporate Vice President, last I checked, and is not part of the Senior Leadership Team. While the Microsoft I first loved is no more, its clear the company still has a bright future ahead of it just in a different arena. Which certainly matches my observations and expectations. People I know love to demonize Meyerson, but it isnt at all clear to me how much of Windows deterioration is due to him, how much stems organically from old age, and how much the ecosystem devolved around him both inside and outside Microsoft. This much is clear: The frenetic push to get two new versions of Windows out every year is killing the product. Were seeing the direct result of that push in deteriorating Im tempted to say destructive patching regimens, not just for Windows 10 but for the long-neglected Windows 7 and 8.1. People who were once neutral about Windows have turned into anything but Microsoft advocates. I dont know if theres any way to turn around the decline, but I do know that whats being tried right now isnt working. Windows is no longer a reliable platform. More than anything else, if Microsoft wants to hitch Windows to its other offerings and charge for them, Windows has to be stable. It isnt. Customers are smart enough to realize that paltry improvement in a small number of rarely used features isnt worth the headache of surprise updates, broken systems, and inscrutable bugs. Scott Guthrie is in an enviable position right now. He has the ability, the authority, and the know-how to stop the madness. If Microsoft wants to do more in the cloud for Windows customers, it first has to stabilize Windows down here on the ground. Two major updates a year just doesnt cut it. So Im calling on you, ScottGu, to make Windows whole again. Slow down the hell-bent pace. Give us a platform thats more of a platform, and less of a showboat for little-used technologies, even if theyre cool, even if the folks on the cutting edge oooh and aaaah. What we need is a stable Windows, even if we have to pay for it. Youve pulled a lot of tough problems out of the fire. This ones important to a billion people. Nobody in their right mind is going to love Windows. But at least we can detest it less. Were holding a wake on the AskWoody Lounge. Cabinet committee explores customs partnership as a solution for the Irish border Theresa May is stepping up plans to tackle the Irish border question in Brexit talks through an audacious customs scheme once described as magical thinking in Brussels. The scheme, which will be discussed with EU officials this month, would see the UK act as the external frontier for the EU, collecting tariffs and carrying out other checks on imports, but it could take many years to introduce. A new ministerial group on Northern Ireland, including chancellor Philip Hammond, Cabinet Office minister David Lidington and Northern Ireland secretary Karen Bradley has been set up to oversee planning for the Irish border. The customs partnership plan is one of two customs options being proposed by Mrs May but the only one that would remove the need for customs checks at the Irish border. However, border checks would be required if Britain departed from EU regulatory standards. FT >Today: Rebecca Lowes column: As Brexit looms in less than a year, heres how to approach devolving power >Yesterday: Nicholas Mazzei on Comment: Why its unfair to tell us Diehard Remainers to get over it New Childrens Funeral Fund established The cost of childrens funerals is to be met in future by the taxpayer, the Prime Minister said yesterday. Theresa May said it was wrong for grieving parents to have to struggle with the difficulties of finding money to bury their son or daughter. The move follows a campaign by Labour MP Carolyn Harris, who had to take out a loan to bury her eight-year-old son after he was killed in a car accident. Miss Harris, MP for Swansea East and Labour equality spokesman, had pressed the Government to cover the costs of burials and cremations to help parents who find it hard to pay. The Prime Minister said there will be a Childrens Funeral Fund which will cover for the costs of funerals, burials and cremations. The new fund follows a pattern already set up in Wales. Daily Mail Calls for Scottish councils to follow suit The Scotsman Foges: The NHS should be more judgmental towards patients who wont improve their habits BMA predicts a summer crisis Daily Mail Health chief has to repay bill for a helicopter lesson The Times Frazer launches review of restrictions on aggressive bailiffs Some would argue that when it comes to prioritising NHS treatment, all that matters is medical need. Seen through this lens, the chain smoker with lung cancer and the heavy drinker with liver disease are highly deserving of treatment; the transgendered person or the couple with infertility issues are not. Yet there is another lens we should be looking through when deciding who deserves treatment: behaviour. The main malady afflicting the NHS is a population that refuses to take responsibility for its choices. We have had education campaigns for years, enough leaflets, information and five-a-day guidance to make health freaks of us all, yet recklessness and greed has created an army of fat, guzzling, boozing, snacking, smoking, sedentary patients with multiple health conditionsThis could mean a number of things, such as further rationing the non-urgent operations of those who will not lose weight or stop smoking. In Hertfordshire, they are already breathalysing smokers to ensure they have quit before being referred for surgeryA more judgmental NHS might charge those who turn up to A&E drunk or on drugs, and those who make the choice not to turn up to their GP appointment. There could also be increased taxes on sugar, fats and alcohol so it is those who are over-indulging who pay more. Clare Foges, The Times Bullying bailiffs face being stripped of their powers in a fresh government crackdown. Ministers will today begin an inquiry into claims that debt collectors are still being overly aggressive, four years after an initial overhaul of the sectorVulnerable people subjected to ill-treatment are being urged to give evidence, the Ministry of Justice said. New laws were introduced in 2014, designed to bring an end to aggressive behaviourBut the MoJ said the review revealed lingering concerns about the behaviour of a minority of bailiffs. Justice minister Lucy Frazer said: The majority of bailiffs act professionally and within the rules, but we have been told by those working on the front line that this may not always be the case. Aggressive tactics will not be tolerated. The Sun Javid gives permission for 1,800 houses on former Top Gear track Daily Mail Councillor pushed through sale of public property to a relative below market value Daily Mail Councils spend 1 million on celebrities while raising taxes Daily Telegraph Saunders stands down as Government declines to extend her contract as DPP The Met abandons its policy of automatically believing victims The Times Good The Times Leader Prosecutors told a Telford victims father they wouldnt prosecute because 13-year-old had consented Daily Mail Barristers go on strike FT 20 million of British taxpayers money goes towards hate education in Palestine The head of the Crown Prosecution Service will this week announce that she is standing down after the Government declined to extend her contract following a string of controversies. Alison Saunders will end her term as Director of Public Prosecutions in the Autumn after five years amid intense criticism from Tory MPs and ministers following the collapse of a series of rape trials. It comes as every rape case in the country is under review after the collapse of four rape trials in the space of two months when critical evidence was disclosed just days before cases were due to be heard in court. A Whitehall source told The Telegraph: It was felt a clean break was needed. Alisons tenure has been highly contentious, to say the least, and we want someone who can come into this job with a clear agenda. It was made clear that her contract would not be extended. One senior lawyer said: It has been a disastrous tenure, it has reduced the credibility of the role. Daily Telegraph A government minister has admitted that more than 20 million of British aid money is being spent on schools in Palestine that teach children about jihad and martyrdom. A report by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education reveals that the Palestinian Authority school curriculum utilizes a variety of tools to convince childrenmostly boysto risk their lives and die as martyrs. Alistair Burt, the aid minister, admitted in parliamentary answers that British taxpayers are funding the salaries of 33,000 teachers who follow the curriculum that also promotes violence against Israel. Daily Mail RAF Tornadoes to be axed Daily Mail Disgraced lawyers firm got 2.3 million from the MoD Daily Mail SAS sergeant dies fighting ISIS The Times Libor funds earmarked for military charities were used on core functions like doing up Army bases The Sun UK torture guidance is being rewritten The Guardian Teaching union attacks Ofsted head for suggesting inspectors ask girls why they wear the hijab The head of Ofsted has been accused of Islamophobia by teachers over remarks she made about young girls wearing the hijab in the classroom. Amanda Spielman was criticised by the teaching union for suggesting school inspectors will ask girls why they are wearing the head covering. Members of the National Union of Teachers section of the National Education Union accused the schools watchdog of taking an unwarranted and typically draconian stance on the issue. Delegates at the unions conference in Brighton said it was wholly inappropriate for inspectors to question primary-age pupils on their choice of dress. Daily Mail >Today: Leaked emails expose Russian disinformation campaigns Russian attempts to fuel dissent and spread disinformation have been exposed by a cache of leaked documents that show what the Kremlin is prepared to pay for hacking, propaganda and rent-a-mob rallies. Hacked emails sent by Moscow-linked figures outline a dirty-tricks campaign in Ukraine, which was invaded on the orders of President Putin in 2014. Experts said that they exposed the dangers faced by Britain and its allies because Russia used the same weapons of disinformation, bribery and distortion to attack the West. Bob Seely, a Tory MP and expert on Russian warfare, said his analysis of the leaks, which comprise thousands of emails and a password-protected document related to the conflict in Ukraine, revealed a shopping list of subversion. There is overwhelming evidence that the tools and techniques of Russian covert conflict are being used in and against the UK, the US and the EU, he added. In the wake of the Skripal poisoning its more important than ever that we understand these methods. The Times The approach is backfiring The Times Leader British firms urged to skip Russia summit The Times The Kremlins trolls fear transparency most of all Paul Chadwick, The Guardian Brussels plans fake news crackdown FT Labour loses 17,000 members, seeing a fall in all regions since January More than 17,000 Labour members have quit the party in the past three months as disputes over antisemitism and Russia erode Jeremy Corbyns support base. The Times understands that internal membership figures show the party has lost about 3 per cent of its paying supporters since the start of the year. Last week hundreds of members resigned from the party and more than 3,000 did not renew their direct debits, insiders said. After the general election last year membership grew to record levels of about 570,000, up from 530,000 before the campaign. But the latest figures suggest many of these gains have been wiped out, with the decline coinciding with Mr Corbyns failure to blame Russia for the chemical weapons attack in Salisbury and his handling of the antisemitism allegations. The drop is understood to have caused alarm at the highest levels in the party, who fear it has damaged the Labour leaders appeal, particularly among younger voters. The most recent figures show that not a single English region has reported a rise in membership since the start of the year. London has now lost more than 3,500 members and a further 2,000 have gone from the northwest. The Times Opinion Editorials Corbyn deleted his Facebook account but he cant delete his past The Sun Says How Labour could address the crisis FT Leader The true nasty party Daily Telegraph Leader >Today: ToryDiary: Low expectations could make the local election results seem like a Conservative triumph London is now more dangerous than New York A teenager is fighting for his life after being stabbed on the streets of London as the British capitals murder rate soared above that of New York. The 16-year-old boy is the latest victim of violent crime after an incident in Bow, east London, at about 6.05pm last night. It is thought the teen was stabbed near a parade of shops just off the A12 and witnesses described seeing two people being stretchered away from the scene. The teenage victim was in a critical condition last night and two men were arrestedIt comes as the past two months of bloodshed in London has seen the city overtake New Yorks murder rate, official police figures show, as Scotland Yard battles a 38 per cent surge in killings since 2014. Fifteen people were killed in London in February, compared to 14 in New York. And the trend looks set to continue, with 22 killings in London in March one more than the city on the other side of the Atlantic, where urban violence has long been prevalent. Daily Mail We must take knives off the street Ross Clark, Daily Mail The epidemic of violence has got to be stopped The Sun Says Eight-year-old threatened to cut a boys throat Daily Mail News in Brief John Bald is a former Ofsted inspector and has written two books on the history of writing and spelling. He is a Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Education Society. When I argued in my last piece that setting up the Education Endowment Foundation had been an error, and that it should receive no more public money, I did not expect it to respond with a letter of congratulation, as indeed it did not. However, we have, since 1946, had a National Foundation for Educational Research, with an income of just under 18 million a year, and capable of carrying out or commissioning whatever research the government requires. Sir Kevan tells us in his letter that the research into ability grouping is to be evaluated, not by the researchers whose work the EEF has already published, but by the NFER. One has to ask, why the middleman? Both the NFER and the EEF are registered charities, but is an organisation that receives almost all of its money from the government in fact a charity, or a quango? Since Labour developed the idea of the third sector, many charities have become government vehicles and are, in effect, quangos, a kind of pseudo-business, receiving money and providing services, but with no actual customers. The term quango has no legal status, but any organisation connected with education can be a charity, so the label is convenient. Last year, the 157 biggest charities had a combined income of 11.4bn, and it would be interesting to know how much of this came from government. The EEFs board includes Sir Michael Wilshaw, and Professor Becky Francis, Director of the London Institute of Education, whose intemperate language in reference to setting I criticised last week. The EEF may be justified in making grants to institutions led by its directors, though it seems odd if the director in question is leading the project. Sir Michaels experience is in headship and inspection rather than research, but I cant see how anyone could square a conclusion that ability grouping is symbolically violent with the opportunities Sir Michael has provided for children from Hackney to get top grades at A level and enter Cambridge University. Can Professor Francis, having used this term at an early stage in the project, continue to investigate it impartially? I suggest that she cant. The EEFs approach to research has several major weaknesses. The first is its role as a one-stop shop, providing summaries of research for schools to use, an approach which gives far too much power to the evaluator, anonymous or not. In the case of setting, none of the raw data come from the present century, and so do not evaluate setting in the context of the academies programme, which dates from the establishment of Mossbourne in 2005. Mossbournes examination results in its first year outstripped all previous performance from comprehensive schools, and research has not kept pace with this development. In languages, where I have attributed the collapse of A level to the compromises made to accommodate mixed ability classes, often imposed on teachers against their professional judgement, there has been no research on grouping whatsoever. In this context, the reliability of research is not weak there simply isnt any. The next weakness is that the body decides on what is to be investigated, and how. So, on behaviour, the effectiveness of the governments policy of immediate detention, which has transformed behaviour in many academies, is not investigated, while the previous regimes softer agenda of engagement and inclusion is the subject of multiple studies, including some imported from the US, with the vague gloss that they are somewhat transferable. Again, the US source organisation provides sticker-type evaluations of its own work, in terms of strong and moderate evidence. As a reviewer of educational research for 15 years with the Times Educational Supplement, I would always go back to the raw data of a study, see how it was collected, what it actually showed, and what had been done to it. Many studies could not stand this level of scrutiny, with flaws including very small samples, poor control groups, lack of follow-up to show that any improvement was not a flash in the pan, and even poorly thought-out teaching methods. The current practice of combining the results of large numbers of studies- meta-analysis- as the EEF and Professor John Hattie do, can be seriously misleading if the studies on which the analysis is based are flawed, as errors are as likely to compound each other as to cancel each other out. Professor Hattie does not even trouble to read the studies on which he bases his analysis, and it is a pity that he has been listened to by so many politicians. Ive discussed these and other errors, including elevating randomisation as a factor trumping all others, in a series of technical papers on my site. Finally, Sir Kevan cites a useful study carried out by the EEF on teaching assistants, which showed that they could do valuable work with children in groups. This was an important element in Ruth Miskins success at Kobi Nazrul school in the nineties, and I have seen it used well in several other schools. Unfortunately, the study went beyond its evidence to challenge other uses of teaching assistants which might have been equally valuable if considered on their merits. Sir Kevan will meet no argument from me on the importance of research in education. It won the battle for phonics, on a cross-party basis, and can provide genuine insights that go beyond the correlations that explain everything to some sociologists. Research, though, can be, and is, used as a political lever, by directing attention to the issues researchers think important, and avoiding areas where evidence would almost certainly go against their views. This is what is happening with the EEF and why, if it is to continue as a charity, it should do so without public money. There are plenty of competent avenues available to the government to carry out the research it needs, and to present it without fear, favour or spin. Local election results used to fit into a well-established rhythm. The party in government nationally would suffer. It would be patiently explained by the pundits that this did not necessarily mean that that party would be defeated at a subsequent general election. Council elections offer a harmless opportunity for a mid term protest vote. Often opposition supporters are motivated to go out and vote while the Governments erstwhile supporters stay at home. Since 2010, the Conservatives have defied political gravity and remained the largest political party in local government. According to the Commons Library there are 9,233 Conservative councillors in Great Britain. That compares with 6,439 for Labour and 1,803 for the Lib Dems. The Conservatives control 200 councils, Labour 99 and the Lib Dems eight. Even if the Conservatives get disastrous results for those seats being contested this year CCHQ will still be able to declare: we are still the largest party in local government. So strong is our current position that it would be mathematically impossible for that to change on this years results. The councils that are up for election on May 3rd tend to be ones where Labour are strong. We have the 32 London boroughs. Here the media attention will be on whether the Conservatives hold Westminster and Wandsworth. Given the extent of speculation that they are at risk, to retain control in these boroughs, even with fewer seats, will be portrayed as a triumph. We have the metropolitan authorities mostly these have a third of seats up for elections. Leeds and Birmingham have all their seats up for election and if the Conservatives retreat or advance in those cities that will be of interest. But in Manchester and Newcastle upon Tyne which also have all their seats being contested, the Conservatives have no representation. So for the Conservatives, holding on in Trafford will be the key challenge. Labour currently run Kirklees and Calderdale as minority administrations. Failure for them to gain overall majorities in these areas would make it hard for Jeremy Corbyn to claim the Party is making clear progress under his leadership. However, there are also a third of seats being contested in 16 unitary authorities including such key battlegrounds as Swindon, Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Portsmouth and Plymouth. There are also contests in some district councils. 55 of them have a third of seats up for election. These include Maidstone, Three Rivers and South Cambridgeshire which are principally Conservative/Lib Dem contests. Seven districts have all their seats up for elections. These include two with big Lib Dem majorities Eastleigh and South Lakeland. So bad results there might put some pressure on Vince Cable. Other district council contests provide a test for Labour. Those include Hastings which is a Labour council but where the results will be of considerable interest to the Home Secretary. Then there Newcastle-under-Lyme which is currently a minority Labour administration but this is an area where Labour has been in decline. Labour losses could take the shine off advances elsewhere. When these seats were last contested, UKIP was a force in the land. That party was boosted as the contest, which took place in 2014, was held on the same day as the Euro Elections. UKIP won 166 councillors although many have since defected to the Conservatives. UKIP won 18 per cent of the vote. Assuming that share collapses, it is highly likely that the Conservatives, Labour, and the Lib Dems will all be able to claim a higher share of the vote; of course their performance relative to each other is more to the point. So we could have prizes for everyone with all three main parties saying how pleased they are. All able to reply with success stories when the TV and radio interviewers refer to failures. But I suspect that it will be Theresa Mays smile that will be the most genuine. The Lib Dems care deeply about winning in local government elections and have been on a very long losing streak. If they are just coasting along at the bottom will the knives be out for Sir Vince? Their strategy of banging on about protesting against Brexit does strike me as flawed. For Jeremy Corbyn, results that are poor, or even mixed, will mean the story has moved from the last general election and Labours startlingly strong showing. Qualys has extended the power of its cloud-based security and compliance platform to millions of mobile and IoT devices with the purchase of 1Mobility. The Foster City, Calif.-based cloud security vendor said its acquisition of Singapore-based 1Mobility will make it possible for enterprises to assess the security and compliance of all Android, iOS and Windows Mobile devices in their environment. Mobile devices that are compromised or out of compliance can be quarantined with 1Mobility's technology, according to Qualys. "With the acquisition of 1Mobility, Qualys is uniquely positioned to provide visibility across on-premises, endpoints, cloud(s) and now mobile and IoT environments," Philippe Courtot, chairman and CEO of Qualys, said in a statement. "1Mobility has built a comprehensive and well-architected technology that allows organizations to manage and secure mobile and IoT devices at scale." [Related: Qualys To Buy Threat Detection Startup NetWatcher To Strengthen Ties With MSSPs] Qualys's stock is down $1.00 (1.37%) to $71.75 in trading Monday morning. Terms of the deal, which was announced before the market opened, weren't disclosed, and Qualys didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. 1Mobility was incorporated in 2014 and employs between 51 and 200 people, according to LinkedIn. 1Mobility has generated revenue from more than 150 clients globally, according to the company's website. The acquisition will enable Qualys to extend its PCI certification to mobile devices and facilitate the distribution of apps and security policies over the air to corporate or employee-owned devices, according to Qualys. 1Mobility's offering will be fully integrated with the Qualys Cloud Platform and its Cloud Apps, Qualys said, with commercial availability expected in early 2019. 1Mobility is an Enterprise Mobility Management SaaS platform with capabilities around bring your own device (BYOD) management, data loss prevention, mobile threat management and compliance enforcement. BYOD creates challenges around managing and securing corporate data on personal devices, according to Qualys. 1Mobility's technology can protect the privacy of employees without compromising the security of corporate data or assets, it said. 1Mobility uses containerization, device feature restrictions, encryption, and at-rest and in-transit data security to minimize data loss and vulnerabilities, Qualys said. Proactive threat detection from 1Mobility, meanwhile, can eliminate vulnerabilities due to mobile malware on both corporate and employee-owned devices, according to the company. Compliance enforcement is delivered by 1Mobility through various policies as well as automated monitoring and actions for noncompliant devices, according to Qualys. 1Mobility extends capabilities like geo-fencing, kiosk management, containerization, blacklisting of apps and security browsing, Qualys said. Overall, 1Mobility said its technology allows organizations to take control of their security policies, better manage the risk around enterprise data and IP, increase productivity and modernize infrastructure, and save money. 1Mobility's channel ecosystem includes telecom service providers, device manufacturers, referral partners and IT solution providers, and said its offering can help with recurring revenue and client retention, according to the company's website. The company is willing to white-label or customize its offering so that it can better integrate into existing solutions. This is Qualys's second acquisition in recent months. The company in November bought Reston, Va.-based startup NetWatcher, which provides businesses with a real-time view of potential security vulnerabilities such as weak passwords, unsafe behavior and outdated software. Want to visit the United States? If the State Department has its way, then visa applicants should be ready to hand over a five-year history of their social media accounts, email addresses, and phone numbers. What Id like to say after that is "April Fools!" Sadly, however, its not a joke. The latest proposed extreme vetting details were published on the Federal Register on Friday. The proposal seeks to add questions to immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applications. For example: One question lists multiple social media platforms and requires the applicant to provide any identifiers used by applicants for those platforms during the five years preceding the date of application. The platforms listed may be updated by the Department by adding or removing platforms. Additional platforms will be added only if collection is consistent with the uses described in the Supporting Statement and after Office of Management and Budget approval. In addition, the applicant will be given the option to provide information about any social media identifiers associated with any platforms other than those that are listed that the applicant has used in the last five years. The Department will collect this information from visa applicants for identity resolution and vetting purposes based on statutory visa eligibility standards. That's not all; other questions will ask applicants to provide a five-year history of previously used telephone numbers, email addresses, and international travel; whether the applicant has been deported or removed from any country; and whether specified family members have been involved in terrorist activities. Proposed visa application change is 'unnecessarily intrusive' According to Drexel University associate law professor Anil Kalhan, This is unnecessarily intrusive and beyond ridiculous. The ACLU is none too happy about the proposal either. Hina Shamsi, director ACLUs National Security Project, said: This attempt to collect a massive amount of information on the social media activity of millions of visa applicants is yet another ineffective and deeply problematic Trump administration plan. It will infringe on the rights of immigrants and U.S. citizens by chilling freedom of speech and association, particularly because people will now have to wonder if what they say online will be misconstrued or misunderstood by a government official. Were also concerned about how the Trump administration defines the vague and overbroad term terrorist activities because it is inherently political and can be used to discriminate against immigrants who have done nothing wrong, Shamsi added. As Arwa Mahdawi pointed out in The Guardian, If youre planning a terrorist attack, I highly doubt that youre tweeting cant wait until I martyr myself LOL or sharing hilarious ISIS gifs. And if you were, then Im fairly sure the NSA might have a few ways of figuring that out already. The U.S. grants visa-free travel to 38 countries such as Australia, Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, and Japan. If the proposal is approved, then people from countries not on that list would be required to hand over their data before coming to the U.S. for work, education, or vacation. The department estimated that about 710,000 immigrant visa applicants and 14 million non-immigrant visa applicants would be affected. The public has 60 days to comment on the proposals. Need a great place to grab a fast bite? Chilibomb is for you. There is food here and it is fast, but it is not fast food. This is a small shop in Fairfield competing with giants like McDonalds and Burger King. There is no huge iconic signs outside and so I drove by it a few times before I found it. I am glad I got there. It was just the kind of place that satisfies your hungry heart despite a menu that would send a cardiologist screaming. Having just come from a doctors appointment on Black Rock Turnpike (not heart), I needed some nice, greasy comfort food to regain my equilibrium. I think the name Chilibomb is genius. Chili often has the same effect as Colon Blow, the make-believe cereal featured on Saturday Night Live years back. I had girded my loins for an intestinal battle royale, but nothing I ate here left me anything but satisfied and happy. The menu is variations on chili, macaroni and cheese, hot dogs and burgers. It is a mix-and-match kind of thing. You can get plain chili, chili on your hamburger, chili on your hot dog, chili on pretty much everything. You can get chili any number of ways mild, hot or the blazing hell hound. Do you want beans or not? Do you want turkey or vegan chili? Anything you can imagine putting on top of a bowl of red is available. It is the customization that makes Chilibomb so much fun. You can magically transform mundane mac and cheese into Truffle Shroom Mac by adding glazed mushrooms. A Bomb Burger Mac is a bed of mac and cheese laden with chunks of Black Angus burger, bacon and the peppy house special sauce. For fans of serious heat, I recommend the Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese topped with bacon, red hot peppers and the incendiary Bomb Bomb sauce. Chilibomb makes a big deal out of their french fries. On the menu they are heralded as Voted No. 1. One of my pet peeves as a food writer are superlative claims that have no provenance. Maybe Chilibomb did win No. 1 in a contest, but which contest? As we journalists say, what, when and where? Whatever the hype the fries are still good ... crisp, yet soft in the middle, fresh and not at all greasy, but No. 1? ... well, no. Not in the Jane Stern french fry world. Then again, the potato chips are indeed superlative. They are toted as legendary, also a mighty big word to casually throw around. These are made fresh in the kitchen and are about the thinnest and most delicate chips I have ever seen. I ate them at Chilibomb and liked them so much I asked for an order to go. By the time I pulled into my driveway, I had a plastic bag of crumbs. I have a fancy French kitchen slicer at home and even on the highest, skinniest setting I could not replicate these. Chilibomb is a small, clean shop. The walls are decorated with takeoffs on military signs. They warn of staying out of the way of the incendiary Chilibombs. When I dined here the mix of customers was endearing, from families with little kids (the plain mac-and-cheese crowd), to workmen on their lunch hour (from what I can see, these were the fans of hot, hotter and hottest). There was one man working behind the counter where food is ordered. I was impressed by his cheerful spirit. Anyone who has spent five minutes working the line in a restaurant usually descends quickly into a misanthropic view of the world. This man seemed to really enjoy his customers. My favorite menu item was one of the simplest. A plain bowl of red chili topped with a sprinkle of onions, shredded yellow cheese and some Fritos. It is a deconstructed Frito Pie. Having traveled around Texas extensively, I hold this combination in the highest esteem. In Texas, Frito Pie is often served in a unique way: a small grocery-store bag of Fritos is slit open, and the chili and cheese poured carefully into the bag. You are handed the bag and a plastic fork and that is the meal. Jane Stern, a Ridgefield resident, coauthored the popular Roadfood guidebook series with Michael Stern. Join her each week as she travels Fairfield County finding a great meal in unexpected places for $20 or less. More Information Chilibomb 2445 Black Rock Turnpike, Fairfield 203-372-2662 See More Collapse Connecticut veterans leader and decorated soldier Stephen Kennedy has won his eight-year battle to have his Army discharge status upgraded to honorable. Kennedy, 31, of Fairfield, president of the Connecticut branch of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, will continue his federal class action lawsuit on behalf of Army veterans nationwide who received less than honorable discharges for behavior later attributed to post-traumatic stress disorder. Kennedy said his Army service was really central to my identity. I was really proud of that. To have them say it was less than honorable, to have that kind of stamp on ithas been a cloud over the memory of my service. Its hard not to really take that to heart, he said, adding that the upgrade really feels great. The Army Discharge Review Board reversed Kennedys previous status called general under honorable which deprived him of veterans education benefits and the pride and respect connected to an honorable discharge. Kennedy served in Iraq for 13 months. In the Army, he was given leadership positions, fast-tracked to become a sergeant and honored with several awards including the Combat Infantry Badge, Army Commendation Medal and Army Achievement Medal. His discharge status was based on his going Absent Without Leave for his wedding and honeymoon, a behavior he later said was uncharacteristic for him and based on PTSD, which had resulted from his military service. He had become suicidal and self-destructive, cutting himself and drinking and smoking heavily. Since he left the Army in 2009, he has received medical help for his PTSD, fathered three children, graduated from the University of Massachusetts, taken a leadership role in veterans affairs in Connecticut, and is pursuing a doctoral degree in biophysical chemistry at New York University. He estimated that he lost out on about $90,000 in education grants under the federal GI bill because of his less than honorable discharge status. He said he will now try to be compensated under the GI bill. Kennedy is a lead plaintiff in a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Bridgeport, which is asking the court to order the Army to properly apply a Pentagon policy that was designed to facilitate discharge upgrades for veterans with PTSD. The policy directs military review boards to give liberal consideration to veterans whose service-connected PTSD is diagnosed after discharge. A second plaintiff, Alicia J. Carson, a former Southington resident who now lives in Alaska, was given a status upgrade to honorable by the National Guard in March. The suit was filed last April. The Yale Law School Veterans Legal Services Clinic is representing the plaintiffs. The clinic estimates that more than 100,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans received less than honorable discharges, also known as bad paper discharges. The suit is representing those who have discharges labeled as general under honorable and other than honorable. Kennedy expressed hope that the court will require the discharge review board to handle discharge upgrade cases equitably. He had applied for an upgrade twice, in 2010 and 2015. His second application was denied in a 3-2 vote. He said that the successful application was exactly the same as the previous one, indicating to him an improper process. We didnt add anything to what I filed originally and got a completely different result because a judge was watching, Kennedy said. To take the exact same case and come to a completely different outcome shows the need for everyone to get a review like this. When no one is watching, they are not doing this properly. Helen White, a Yale law student working on the case, said, were encouraged to see justice done for Steve, but there are thousands of veterans across the country whose honorable service the Army still refuses to recognize. The new federal budget signed into law by President Donald Trump last week includes a provision championed by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn) for veterans with other than honorable discharges to receive long-term mental health care from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The Connecticut branch of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is advocating changes on the state level, which would expand eligibility for state services for service members with other than honorable discharges and have PTSD, traumatic brain injury, or were victims of military sexual trauma. Such benefits would include state substance abuse treatment, transitional housing, long term care, tuition waivers at state colleges, burial assistance and property tax exemptions. The legislatures Veterans Affairs Committee has approved the proposal, which needs a vote of the Senate and House to become law. SEYMOUR Firefighters were back on Haddad Road Sunday evening battling another large brushfire. Seymour Fire Department spokesperson Tim Willis said the fire broke out Sunday afternoon and multiple units responded. It is unknown, he said, whether Sundays fire was related to Saturdays fire which burned four acres on Haddad Road. As of 6 p.m. Sunday, Willis said it appeared the blaze was under control and firefighters were wrapping up. It was the British folks at the Cunard cruise line who said: Getting there is half the fun. Crossing the Atlantic in style on an ocean liner certainly was great, but whatever your mode of transportation, getting the right seat can make for an enjoyable or miserable trip. On Metro-North, I usually go for a window seat. However, on crowded trains, any seat is better than none. But I can still get an upgrade if I pay attention. Heading into New York, I watch for people getting off the train in Stamford. Their seat check usually has a torn corner, so I look for them when boarding. Youll usually also see those folks gathering their stuff just before arriving at the station. Thats when I pounce. Leaving Grand Central, I try to arrive early so I get my first pick of seats. I usually opt for the window on a three-seat side. That way, if someone else arrives just before departure, they can take the aisle seat and the train will have to be standing-room-only before anyone opts for the dreaded middle seat. But its on airplanes that seat selection is crucial. Never go for an emergency exit row. There may be more legroom, but the seat dividers are rigid and the arm rests cant be raised. Try to sit in front of the wing for minimal engine noise. Its not by chance that the cheapest seats are in the back, next to the bathroom, where the jet noise is the loudest. Some people prefer aisle seats so they can get up and walk around. But a recent study showed occupants of those seats have the greatest chance of being sprayed with germs from other passengers and crew. Consider wearing a face mask for your own protection. I prefer a window seat so I can see where we are going. But even booking in advance, these seats are hard to get, depending on the airline and your frequent-flier status. Something like 20 percent of all airline revenue now comes from add-ons to ticket prices for things like checked bags, food, and yes, seat assignments. The travelers advocacy group Travelers United cites an example of a passenger flying from New York to Chicago on American Airlines who really wanted a window seat but was told it would cost an additional $42. She refused, waiting until she got to the airport to try again. When she arrived, the airline said her window seat would cost an extra $76 more than her entire one-way airfare. The fact that she could fly 700 miles for 10 cents a mile is ridiculous and speaks to how much airlines are unbundling their products. Their profit comes from amenities, not the transportation. You can take Greyhound on that route for $54 (if you dont mind a 22-hour trip). But riding the dog comes with two free checked bags, seat-side power plugs and free WiFi. Families flying together are challenged to find enough adjacent seats. But Congress tossed air travelers a bone last year, requiring airlines to seat families together at no additional cost. Whatever your mode of transportation, whether its cruise ship or jetliner, planning ahead is key to scoring the best seat in the house. More Information Join the conversation Use #GettingThereCT to chime in on Facebook and Twitter. See More Collapse Under Armour Inc., joining a growing list of corporate victims of hacker attacks, said about 150 million user accounts tied to its MyFitnessPal nutrition-tracking app were breached earlier this year. An unauthorized party stole data from the accounts in late February, Under Armour said on Thursday. It became aware of the breach earlier this week and took steps to alert users about the incident, the company said. Shares of Under Armour fell as much as 4.6% to $15.59 in late trading following the announcement. The stock had been up 13% this year through Thursdays close. The data didnt include payment-card information or government-issued identifiers, including Social Security numbers and drivers license numbers. Still, user names, email addresses and password data were taken. And the sheer scope of the attack affecting a user base thats bigger than the population of Japan would make it one of the larger breaches on record. Julian Assange Has Internet Connection Cut Ecuador has cut Julian Assange's Internet connection at its embassy in London, preventing him from communicating with the outside world. The move is to prevent the WikiLeaks founder from interfering in other countries' affairs, Ecuador said. It comes after Mr Assange questioned accusations that Moscow was responsible for the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy and his daughter in the UK on 4 March. Mr Assange was granted political asylum at the Ecuadorean embassy in 2012. He was initially staying in London to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questioning over allegations of sex crimes, which the 46-year-old has always denied. The Swedish authorities have since dropped their investigation, but Mr Assange believes he will be extradited to the US for questioning over the activities of WikiLeaks if he leaves the building. Recently, Mr Assange used Twitter to question the decision by the UK and more than 20 other countries to retaliate against a nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the UK city of Salisbury by expelling Russian diplomats. UK Foreign Office minister Alan Duncan responded to his comments by branding the Australian a "miserable little worm" who needs to turn himself over to authorities. In 2016, Ecuador briefly suspended Mr Assange's Internet connection after he published hacked emails from the campaign team of Hillary Clinton, a move seen as having an impact on the US presidential election campaign. In May 2017, Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno asked Mr Assange to refrain from expressing his public support for the independence campaign in Spain's Catalonia region after he tweeted that Madrid was guilty of "repression". Mr Assange was granted asylum by President Moreno's predecessor, Rafael Correa. Mr Moreno's government has said it will maintain Mr Assange's asylum. But it has also sought ways for him to leave the embassy without risking arrest for breaching his bail conditions, and possible extradition to the US over the 2010 publication of classified information by WikiLeaks. BBC: You Might Also Read: Wikileaks Release Details Of Mass Surveillance In Russia: Does Russia Benefit When Assange Reveals Secrets?: Connor Yoder accounts for 4 TD's, North Star mauls Meyersdale North Star got back in the win column with a drubbing of Meyersdale. Connor Yoder, Ethan Yoder and Carter Weible shined in the victory. The government of Tamil Nadu is afraid. Very afraid. Nothing else can explain its decision to make the Marina Beach and the Elliot's Beach in Chennai as no-go zones. You don't need more proof to realise this administration is completely at sea. Literally. With a length of 13km, the Marina is considered the world's second-largest urban beach. It is the city's landmark and at any time of the day, thousands of visitors throng to experience the seaside. But the political leadership is unwilling to take a chance with protesters who, if allowed on the sands, may refuse to disperse. The decision to make Marina out of bounds was taken after 50-odd youth held a flash protest, holding hands and raising slogans against the Centre, at the beach on Saturday. It brought back memories of the unprecedented Marina uprising that lasted a week in January 2017. The rebellion of sorts played a part in the Union government allowing Jallikattu, the bull-taming sport, despite objections from animal rights activists. But then January 2017 was different. At that time, the state government wanted to use the optics of people power to show Tamil Nadu was upset. But now the shoe is on the other foot. The Edappadi K Palaniswami government is under siege and if Marina is allowed to be a stage, it will provide a platform for its critics to lay bare its inability to adequately represent Tamil Nadu's interests. The government knows that in the days of social media, crowd mobilisation can happen within a matter of a few hours. And with the AIADMK's response to a variety of contentious issues, be it Cauvery, NEET exam, Sterlite agitation and more, been found wanting, EPS knows his government will be at the receiving end. But it is the Cauvery issue where Tamil Nadu has been unable to get the Centre to set up the Cauvery Management Board, as ordered by the Supreme Court on February 16, that is the emotional trigger. Since March 29, when the deadline for the Centre to do so expired, political parties and civil society groups have been in protest mode, giving vent to their frustration. Much of the anger is directed at the AIADMK for its inability to use its clout of 37 Lok Sabha MPs. All the lawmakers have done is to protest in the well of the House, thereby playing into the BJP's hands, that does not seem enthusiastic to face a no-trust vote moved by four different parties. On Sunday, senior leader Thambidurai, who is the deputy speaker of the Lok Sabha, offered to move a no-trust motion over Cauvery, but with a rider that the Congress should support it. There could not have been a more blatant attempt to be the BJP's B Team. It was obvious that Thambidurai's real motive was to challenge the Congress, that is fighting to retain power in Karnataka, to bite the bullet. What the AIADMK does not realise is that the more it behaves like an extension counter of the BJP in Tamil Nadu, the more it loses its credibility. On paper, the AIADMK government can claim it has filed a contempt plea in the Supreme court against two senior bureaucrats - the Cabinet secretary and water resources secretary for having failed to frame a scheme on the Cauvery issue within six weeks, as ordered by the apex court. But the Centre too has filed a petition, asking for clarification on the word "scheme" and requested for a time of three months, in view of the Karnataka elections. The problem is that the Tamil Nadu farmers need to sow the kuruvai crop, mostly paddy, in the Cauvery delta in June-July. For this they need an abundant flow of Cauvery water. If the court grants time of three months, it would take the Tamil Nadu farmers into the middle of the sowing season. What this essentially means is that the court verdict has not translated into any tangible gains for Tamil Nadu and it still will depend on the benevolence of Karnataka to release water. The best the AIADMK has come up with is to sit on a day-long fast on Tuesday, April 3. All its leaders will observe this breakfast to evening tiffin fast, an event for the cameras. A far cry from July 1993 when the leader they swear by, J Jayalalithaa sat on a fast for 80 hours at the Marina on the same Cauvery issue, despite her fragile health. That was enough for the then PV Narasimha Rao government to rush water resources minister VC Shukla to Chennai (then called Madras) and promise that a monitoring and implementation committees on the interim award of the Cauvery tribunal will be set up. Jayalalithaa emerged a hero at the Marina. Twenty five years later, over one thousand policemen, both senior IPS officers and inspectors are monitoring the Marina 24x7. With four watch towers set up, all terrain vehicles doing the rounds and constables keeping an eye using binoculars, very few tourists are let in but only after thorough frisking and verification. Also read: Rajinikanth or Jayalalithaa - Dravidian ideology, not cinema defines Tamil Nadu politics There is a move to impeach Dipak Misra, chief justice of India (CJI). The initiating event under the Judges (Enquiry) Act, 1968, is either 50 members in Rajya Sabha or 100 in the Lok Sabha. Sitaram Yechury is discussing feasibility of numbers with the Congress who are divided on this. Even if they gather 50 in Rajya Sabha, it is for the chairman (vice president) to admit the motion after consulting such materials, if any, that are available to him. The Constitution protects the independence of the judiciary and canvasses removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. The two are mutually exclusive. Incapacity (loss of mind) includes incapacity to misbehaviour. CJI Misra is far from incapacitated as acute as ever. So, the charge has to be one of misbehaviour, which means corruption, bribery, gross miscarriage of justice or conduct unbecoming. Onerous process We need to know now, rather than later, what is the basis of the case against him. The standard is beyond all reasonable doubt to ensure judicial independence. Yechury, the Congress or others must bonafide believe they have such a case. Such motions are not try-your-luck motions. Then, a committee of three members, including a Supreme Court judge, high court chief justice and one jurist, will be appointed to frame charges and report findings. Parliament will then have to pass with an absolute majority and two-thirds voting, sending it to the President in the same session. The present motion, if any, must now come for due process to be followed and decided in the monsoon session before CJI Misra retires on October 2, 2018. Photo: Mail Today The time-table is tight, and due process onerous as behoves removing a judge by impeachment. The committee cannot be dictated to. Under the Judges Act, 1968, the chosen members will be by the chairman. Or will it? In the past, the CJI has had a say as impeachments were of HC judges, and in one case (V Ramaswami) of the SC. In this case, Misra is the CJI. His four accusers in the famous January 2018 press conference were the next top senior judges Chelameswar, Gogoi, Lokur and Joseph. Who will be consulted? Will it be Sikri? Or would that be misplaced. Proved misbehaviour can neither be a peccadillo, nor a wrong judgment. Unless tainted by bias. CJI Misra is usually cordial, unlike Arun Mishra. That is not the stuff of which impeachments are made. The charge made by the four senior judges was that he defied the roster and sent controversial cases to the benches he desired. It may be recalled that CJI Khehar also sent a case to a bench where his son was mentioned. Arguing counsel felt it should have dealt with administratively through proper investigation rather than dismiss on the judicial side. Judge Loya If the charge is drawn from the unprecedented January episode, the weaker charge was that he did not follow the roster. CJI Misra remedied this by declaring a new roster which, despite angularities, is unexceptional. The stronger charge is bench fixing for a desired result by particular judges. Generally, there is huge concern about the Judge Loya case and the Sohrabuddin encounter in which the government is interested. We cannot assume that the judges to whom the cases were sent are corrupt unless proved without doubt. Chief Justices have varying experiences with the government. The upright CJI Thakur was driven to tears by the government for not making appointments. In the Khehar period, it was questionable why the triple talaq and WhatsApp cases were prioritised for vacation hearing. CJI Misra, too, has followed an agenda coinciding with the government, such as the Delhi government case, Aadhaar or the Babri Masjid case; and issuing notices on Muslim polygamy, among others. Weak case I dont think CJI Misra was right to follow an in-house procedure to indict Justice Narayan Shukla in January 2018, for having disgraced judicial values and conduct unbecoming. The only inquiry to do this is through impeachment procedure. CJI Misras management of his board to stagger hearings in important cases is unfortunate. But this is not impeachable. His judgments, like the Criminal Defamation case articulate a language unheard of in the English speaking world. But such gobble-de-gook is vanity, not misbehaviour. He has failed his duty to carry his colleagues with him, however, idiosyncratic they may be. Though uncomfortable, this does not necessarily amount to proven misbehaviour or conduct unbecoming. In the past, the impeachment of V Ramaswami reached the House, but the South MPs abstained to deny success. Some high court Judges were persuaded to resign (Bhattacharya, Madan). In CJI Punchchis case, there were not enough MPs. Some resigned during the impeachment process (Soumitra Sen, Dinakaran, Prem Kumar). Some were acquitted by the committee (Gangele). Should proceedings be started against CJI Misra? The recurrent questions are: Did he fix benches to achieve a desirable result? Were the other judges fixed? Can we say that he was, the BJP governments man in material particulars? Before we start any impeachment, the charge must be carefully and fully spelt out by the MPs. It is not a question of numbers. The judiciary is a pivotal institution without which the Constitution would collapse. It must be criticised when criticism is due. But impeachment is another matter where the vigilant must proceed with caution. (Courtesy of Mail Today) Also read: Who is responsible for 'news ki maut' West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's "1:1" proposal for the Opposition to fight against the BJP, though politically astute, seems unlikely to come to fruition. According to the "1:1" formula, the Opposition, including the Congress, would put up one common candidate which the rest would support against each candidate of the BJP across the country. Each regional party would fight the BJP from its own stronghold. For instance, the TDP in Andhra Pradesh, TRS in Telangana, DMK in Tamil Nadu, Trinamool in West Bengal, BJD in Odisha, RJD in Bihar and SP-BSP in Uttar Pradesh. In the rest of the states, Banerjee wants the grand old party to battle against the BJP. (The mentioned states together account for 264 Lok Sabha seats.) It cannot be ruled out that the "1:1" formula is a ladder for the Trinamool supremo's own ambition to the prime minister's chair. West Bengal sends the third largest number of MPs to the Lok Sabha-42, only after Maharashtra's 48 and Uttar Pradesh's 80. According to the formula, Trinamool would fight all the 42 seats, or may leave a seat from North Bengal for the Congress. On the other hand, the Congress has to cede at least 20 seats to the NCP in Maharashtra, if the former really wants to defeat the BJP. In Uttar Pradesh, the SP-BSP will have to come together to corner the BJP as they did in the recent by-polls of Gorakhpur and Phulpur. In such a scenario, both the parties would be contesting on 37-38 seats each leaving the two traditional seats of Amethi and Rae Bareli to the Congress and the rest two-three seats to smaller parties like the RLD and the NISHAD party. The RJD in Bihar will contest on 34-35 seats out of the 40 leaving the rest to the Congress, CPI, HAM and Sharad Yadavs JD(U) faction. Tamil Nadu's DMK will also contest around 30 of the 39 seats, ceding the rest to the Congress, CPM, CPI and MDMK. The TDP will contest on 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh against the other Opposition party YSR Congress and may also contest all the 17 seats in Telangana, the stronghold of TRS, though TDP is a relatively weaker party there. Also, the BJD would contest all the 21 seats in Odisha. Sensing the current political pulse of the country, Banerjee has burst onto the national scene with her own ambitions in mind. Through national politics, Banerjee is trying to divert the attention of Bengalis from the anti-incumbency that her government is currently facing, presenting herself as the only unofficial potential Bengali PM candidate. She wants to secure the targeted 39-40 seats from the state igniting the Bengali emotions. If that happens, Trinamool Congress would emerge as the largest regional party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. If there arises a situation where the BJP-led NDA is far away from the majority mark and the regional forces touching the magical figure of 272 with the help of the Congress, then definitely Banerjee would be the leading candidate for the post of the prime minister. However, for that dream to come true, the Congress has to get lesser number of seats than the combine of the regional parties. It is to keep in mind that in many states where the Congress would lead the battle, it has to give away a chunk of seats to smaller regional parties such as the JMM and JVM in Jharkhand, AIUDF in Assam, IUML, RSP and KC(M) in Kerala (besides battling another anti-BJP front led by the CPM in the state), NC in Jammu & Kashmir and JD(S) in Karnataka, if Modi magic is to be checked. Keeping this arithmetic in mind, Banerjee has proposed the "1:1" formula for the Opposition reducing the contesting seats of the Congress to a mere 230-240,only to limit the latters political ambitions. She has definitely played a shrewd political gamble ensuring that the regional parties contest more seats than the Congress even though the success of it seems less possible. It is a known fact that Banerjee doesn't share a particularly warm equation with Congress president Rahul Gandhi compared to the rapport she shares with Sonia Gandhi. Will Rahul allow Banerjee to sit in the PM's throne, which the former himself is desiring for a long time? Sonia Gandhis recent dinner party was actually a reminder to the regional parties that though the Congress is weak, it still is the largest Opposition party in the country. According to Congress leaders, any non-BJP coalition has to be led by the Congress only to make it successful. It seems that Banerjee herself is over confident that her party, the Trinamool Congress, would be winning almost all the seats, ignoring the fact that the rising communal incidents in West Bengal would only strengthen the BJP. Besides, the Left Front could also act as a spoiler by cutting the anti-BJP votes. There is a probability that local Left leaders and supporters in the state, frustrated with Trinamool policies, may transfer their own votes to the saffron camp only to counter Banerjee's rise in national politics. Also, to assume that other regional stalwarts such as Mayawati, N Chandrababu Naidu, K Chandrasekhar Rao or Sharad Pawar will sit quietly and watch the tamasha is simply unimaginable. The ongoing quest for the PM's chair is a reminder to the age-old adage that sitting in a throne is a thousand times harder than winning one. Also read: Amitabh Bachchan to Shah Rukh Khan to Akshay Kumar, Bollywood is all political now My psychiatrist recently told me what I'd been dreading to hear. I have bipolar disorder. When I heard the same diagnosis four years back from my then psychiatrist, I responded by discontinuing treatment almost as if going away will somehow make the diagnosis go away too. I looked for another doctor in the hope that I will be told I have no problem. I have been struggling with "something" for many years and it took quite a while - close to six years - to figure out what it really is. But I'm not here to talk about my struggles. I'm not here to explain what bipolar disorder is - that's a Google search away. I'm here to talk about what bipolar depression looks like and what you can do about it. Surprisingly, I deal with depression much more than mania (high phases) and my brief manic episodes are typically followed by long spells of depression. These spells are long standing and mild but now and then they get much worse. Don't refuse medication, don't be a martyr. Photo: Reuters I have been fighting for long (more than ten years) and I know I will have to continue to do so, so I've come up with my own list of what needs to be done and I want to put it out there because I believe that someone somewhere might draw hope from this. So read on if you are struggling with any kind of mental illness. 1. Accept your condition To start with I got wrong diagnoses that just didn't fit. My medication, consequently, wasn't working. But when I did get a diagnosis, the term seemed so scary that I rejected it and found it easier to blame myself. This internal battle, to my mind, is the biggest one you will fight. If you can't accept what you are going through, it's rather silly to expect that your friends and family will. Also, because I was rejecting my diagnosis, I began to refuse medication. I assumed that fighting it on my own somehow has greater honour (more on this later). This was only worsening my situation and I continued to suffer in silence losing time and money on expensive treatment. I've reached the conclusion that accepting your condition is a big load off your head. You can finally move on to better things - like how to live with your illness, what to do to make life better (believe me you can) and how to cope with the ups and downs (literally, in my case). It makes you feel infinitely lighter to close a chapter and stop hunting for reasons to understand why you feel the way you feel. 2. Choose therapy wisely and carefully For reasons of my own, I've decided to take a break from therapy*. I've been in therapy for a long time to know that people often overlook a few things. There are many types of therapy and not every kind suits every personality. Choose yours with care. The questions you want to answer for yourself are - are you more introspective and analytical? are you more action and result oriented, needing to address issues in a time bound manner? are you someone who needs to share and discuss things with others who are in a similar boat? For each kind, there is a different therapy. Do not be stuck in what is wrong for you. And you'll only know by asking questions, trying out different things and finding a therapist you can trust. But whatever you do, be careful of one thing. A psychologist and a psychiatrist speak very different languages. But they should not be completely out of sync with each other. For instance - my psychologist felt that I cannot possibly have bipolar disorder while two psychiatrists told me that I do. I was being medicated for bipolar disorder, which seemed to work well. But I had begun to face a massive internal conflict. This became a big reason for me rejecting my diagnosis and refusing medication along with huge self blame. I went off medication until I got a full blown episode that left me unable to come to work. I was shaken into reality and saw that a therapist and a psychiatrist must ultimately agree with what they are working on and not speak divergent languages. So find one who understands your condition and works with you. 3. Don't refuse medication; don't be a martyr For a long time I believed medication is a crutch. Like I said before, I assumed I was stronger as long as I fought it on my own. What nonsense! If I had diabetes or high blood pressure, of course, I would have to make lifestyle changes but would I say there is greater honour in not taking medicines if my blood sugar was over the roof? Another reason for being wary of medication is side effects. Anyone with mental illness will tell you that their life is a mish-mash of trying different medicines and figuring out which one has side effects that are at least manageable. Unfortunately, there is no shying away from this. On the whole, I think I know when I've reached a point where it is hard to function on my own. If you can do that, then you know it's time to seek help and there is no shame in getting it. We're all trying to live a better life with the resources we have and this is no different. 4. Enlist support but only from the right people It's important that your friends and family know what you're dealing with. I have a couple of people I can trust and who will stand by me during emergencies and I consider myself lucky. Let your trusted ones know what you're feeling and try not to isolate yourself as much as possible. Tell them what you need. I need simple one on one activities where I can just be. Figure out what works for you and ask. And stay away from the bunch who will dish out nonsense like - "have you tried going off medicines?"; "Try yoga and breathing..."; "Just tell yourself you are fine and be positive." They'll never get it. They're wasting your time and you are wasting theirs. Stay away from such people because they'll make you feel worse. 5. Know that you can and should still depend on yourself In the end, despite the support that you may get, you will still be left with a lot to deal with on your own. Long spells of loneliness, suicidal thoughts, inability to eat or exercise and sometimes even an inability to be effective at work. It's hard; very hard. I have only one thing to say to you - sit with it but keep moving forward. Talk to yourself a lot and keep reminding yourself that this is not you. It's an ailment and there is a solution. Most of all, I have found that it helps to stop looking for joy or happiness and settle for calm and peace. 6. Find something that engages you; even if briefly This is the hardest. However, I have realised that even the best of people cannot fully comprehend what I am going through and can't be there always. This is my fight and I have to make it. I can't stop fighting because that will only make things worse for me. You shouldn't either. I've found that I've lost interest in practically everything that I used to once enjoy - reading, writing, exercising, dressing up or going out with friends, eating, etc. Living for a larger cause; a purpose and a dream sounds like mumbo jumbo now (to put it mildly). So I've decided not to push myself anymore. I do as much as I can, especially when I find that I am slipping into a dreaded place. For instance, I watch a movie at a theatre to push myself to get out or I meet a friend. So do something that engages you, at least briefly. There's one thing that helps most and I'll close with that. Get objective and mechanical about what you're going through. This comes with acceptance of your condition and kindness towards yourself. Know that this is an illness, just like any other and that most people are dealing with something or the other that is challenging. It makes things that much easier. (The writer of the above piece wishes to remain anonymous.) Also read: My mothers breast Armed conflicts involving our central paramilitary, the police forces and the casualties that follow these operations are duly highlighted by media. However, our interest in such incident ends once peace is restored. Every conflict has its set of casualties. DCP Arindam Dutta Chowdhury lost his right hand in a deadly blast. The fighting fit soldiers bear the brunt of disgruntled elements, terrorists and Maoists, put themselves on the firing line to make the country safe and maintain social order. Unfortunately, they end up becoming casualties of uncanny incidents. It is observed since some years that due to civil unrest, rioting, terrorism and Maoism, the paramilitary forces and the police are literally at war at one place or another. In Asansol, DCP Arindam Dutta Chowdhury lost his right hand in a deadly blast. Such conflict zone casualties occur on a regular basis for the forces. Captain Manoj Singh Tomar is the lone survivor of the July 2014 Maoist attack, in which 17 security personnel were killed. Tomar survived even after getting riddled with 7 bullets. He was airlifted to Raipur where doctors pulled off a miracle by saving his life. However, his serious battlefield wounds required prolonged specialised treatment. Four years have passed, he has not recovered from his injuries, has partially lost vision and a portion of his intestines remains outside his stomach, in an external pouch. The injury has taken unusually long to heal. If the government hospital in Gwalior was not good enough to treat such serious wounds, captain Tomar should have been shifted to a suitable empanelled hospital with the expertise to deal with his case. Injured personnel of the paramilitary forces in need of specialised treatment are referred to Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) empanelled hospitals where they become victims of the usual apathy of the government and private doctors. A wounded soldier needs constant care and affection. Instead he is caught in red-tapism of CGHS scheme. The government hospitals involved are always short of beds, therefore, they want to discharge patients quickly. In case of CGHS empanelled private hospitals, issues like overbilling results in irregular payment from the CGHS. The impacts range from rejection of referral to incomplete treatment and impromptu discharge of the patient- soldier. An individual serving in the lower rungs of the forces and incapacitated due to battlefield wounds is not physically and mentally capable to fight injustice and indifference arising out of medical negligence. Manoj Singh Tomar's story grabbed the headlines for good. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan took cognisance of the matter and arranged for the wounded soldier to be treated at AIIMS, New Delhi. When this veteran spoke to Tomar on March 26, he said, "I am being airlifted to the AIIMS, New Delhi for operation." As a disabled veteran myself, I am looking to suggest a permanent solution to issues pertaining to treatment of battle wounded paramilitary soldiers. What are the solutions? All hospitals in India should be ordered to provide the best available treatment to the casualties of the forces. Any highhandedness or negligence while extending medical care to the wounded soldiers must be treated with harsh punishment, which should include action against both the doctor and the hospital. In Tomar's case, the onus should also be put on the high-command of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the commanding officer, the divisional officer, the duty officer and the mates for whom he fought valiantly and got fatally wounded while losing 17 colleagues. The forces have wilfully forgotten one of their own when he needed them the most. If the forces failed to follow up on his medical care, then to blame the government for the apathy he faced seems totally unjust. Let us not look into the rehabilitation of CRPF commandant Chetan Cheeta and compare it with the treatment of Tomar. Chocked voices and official apathy towards paramilitary jawans is not unheard of. CRPF commandant Chetan Kumar Cheeta How the tri-services treat its wounded soldiers? When a soldier gets injured in the line of duty, a service ambulance, available 24x7, shifts him immediately to the nearest field hospital where he is provided emergency care. If the injury is serious and necessitates further evaluation and treatment, the soldier is referred and shifted to the command hospital. While in the hospital for rehabilitation and treatment post operation, he is visited by the commanding officer of his unit, who takes special care to meet the attending doctor to understand what care the soldier needs. Respective duty officers and junior commissioned officers of the unit followed by unit mates keep visiting him every week. The tri-services do not abandon their wounded but caring for them until they totally recover. The ones in need of constant medical care are kept admitted in the military hospitals and occasionally sent on sick leave with attendants so that they can spend time with their families. Apart from the medical team of the hospital, the injured jawan's treatment and rehabilitation are also personally monitored by the regiment's officers and junior commissioned officers who keep the commanding officer abreast about the latest improvements. The jawans and officers of the three armed forces enjoy very strong bonding between them which is strengthened by the famous regimental system of the Indian Army and divisional system of the Indian Navy. The three forces have traditionally taken utmost care and provided deep affection to their injured troops, never leaving them to fend for themselves in the hour of crisis. The regimental system is the primary system of bonding for combat and creates an extended family system. It gives all soldiers an identity and a deep sense of belonging. It forges the bonds of camaraderie and trust that see the soldier through the stress and trauma of combat. It is an amazing system for combat motivation and bonding. The system has stood the test of repeated wars and conflicts. The initiation of a person into the way of life of the Army takes place at the regimental centre. Here the tough initial training and traditions of the regiment are handed down to the next generation of soldiers creating a strong and unshakeable life-long bond. Twenty or more years later, the same battle-hardened soldier returns to his alma mater; the regimental centre, to hang up his uniform and go home. But the relationship endures much beyond, not only lasting a lifetime but often spanning many generations. The officers placed in high echelons of the central and state paramilitary forces and police forces must raise their own regimental system to add the humane touch to the already tense service environment. During the last six years, about 700 personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces have committed suicide. It is high time for the senior officials to take the welfare of their wounded and families of the fallen ones' in their own hands. The paramilitary and police forces can implement, strengthen and make the regimental system relevant to their own needs. The regimental system has remained as the bedrock of the Army's organisational structure which has stood the test of numerous bloody battles and years of peacetime over many decades. It symbolises the heart, soul and perhaps the very spirit of the Indian Army. Soldiers may don the uniforms for pay, but it is not for the pay alone that they win the gallantry awards. Also read: Portrayal of Kashmir human shield incident in Tiger Shroff's 'Baaghi 2' is a new low for Bollywood Valley National Bancorp is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of retail and commercial banking services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Lending; Commercial Lending; Investment Management; and Corporate and Other Adjustments. The Consumer Lending segment consists of residential mortgage loans, automobile loans and home equity loans, as well as wealth management and insurance services. The Commercial Lending segment includes the floating rate and adjustable rate commercial and industrial loans as well as fixed rate owner occupied and commercial real estate loans. The Investment Management segment refers to investments in various types of securities and interest-bearing deposits with other banks. The Corporate and Other Adjustments segment represents the income and expense items not directly attributable to a specific segment. The company was founded on November 12, 1982 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Molina Healthcare: Aetna & Humana - Medicare Advantage, Affinity Health Plan, AmericanWork Inc., Better Health Network, Camelot Care Centers Inc, Children's Behavioral Health Inc., Choices Group Inc., College Community Services, Dockside Services Inc, Family Preservation Services Inc., Family Preservation Services of Florida Inc., Family Preservation Services of North Carolina Inc., Family Preservation Services of Washington D.C. Inc., Family Preservation Services of West Virginia Inc., Florida NetPASS LLC, Hclb Inc., Magellan Complete Care, Maple Star Nevada Inc., Maple Star Oregon Inc., Mercy CarePlus, Molina Clinical Services LLC, Molina Healthcare Data Center Inc., Molina Healthcare of Arizona Inc., Molina Healthcare of California, Molina Healthcare of Florida Inc., Molina Healthcare of Georgia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Molina Healthcare of Iowa Inc., Molina Healthcare of Louisiana Inc., Molina Healthcare of Maryland Inc., Molina Healthcare of Michigan Inc., Molina Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Molina Healthcare of Nevada Inc., Molina Healthcare of New Mexico Inc., Molina Healthcare of New York Inc., Molina Healthcare of North Carolina Inc., Molina Healthcare of Ohio Inc., Molina Healthcare of Oklahoma Inc., Molina Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Molina Healthcare of Puerto Rico Inc., Molina Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, Molina Healthcare of Texas Inc., Molina Healthcare of Texas Insurance Company, Molina Healthcare of Utah Inc., Molina Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Washington Inc., Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin Inc., Molina Holdings Corporation, Molina Hospital Management LLC, Molina Information Systems LLC dba Molina Medicaid Solutions, Molina Medical Management Inc., Molina Pathways LLC, Molina Pathways of Texas Inc., Molina Youth Academy, NextLevel Health Illinois, Pathways Community Corrections Inc., Pathways Community Services LLC, Pathways Community Support of Texas Inc., Pathways Health and Community Support LLC, Pathways Human Services LLC., Pathways of Arizona Inc., Pathways of Delaware Inc., Pathways of Idaho LLC, Pathways of Maine Inc., Pathways of Massachusetts LLC, Pathways of Oklahoma Inc., Pathways of Washington Inc., Providence Community Services, Providence Human Services, Raystown Developmental Services Inc., The Game of Work LLC, The RedCo Group Inc., Total Care Medicaid plan, Transitional Family Services Inc., Unisys -Health Information Management, and YourCare Health Plan. Big Yellow is the UK's brand leader in self storage. Big Yellow now operates from a platform of 103 stores, including 25 stores branded as Armadillo Self Storage, in which the Group has a 20% interest. We own a further 11 Big Yellow self storage development sites, of which eight have planning consent. The current maximum lettable area of the existing platform (including Armadillo) is 6.0 million sq ft. When fully built out the portfolio will provide approximately 6.8 million sq ft of flexible storage space. Of the Big Yellow stores and sites, 98% by value are held freehold and long leasehold, with the remaining 2% short leasehold. The Group has pioneered the development of the latest generation of self storage facilities, which utilise state of the art technology and are in high profile, accessible, main road locations. Our focus on the location and visibility of our Big Yellow stores, coupled with our excellent customer service and our market leading online platform, has created the most recognised brand name in the UK self storage industry. Read More Wall Street analysts have given Bombardier a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Bombardier wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. Cartier Resources Inc. engages in the acquisition and exploration of mining properties in Canada. The company explores for gold deposits. Its flagship project is the Chimo mine property located to the east of Val-d'Or, Quebec. The company also holds interest in Benoist, Fenton, Wilson, Cadillac Extension, Dollier, and MacCormack metal deposit projects, which are located in Quebec. Cartier Resources Inc. was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Val-d'Or, Canada. Read More Canadian Utilities Limited and its subsidiaries engage in the electricity, natural gas, and retail energy businesses worldwide. It operates through Utilities, Energy Infrastructure, and Corporate & Other segments. The Utilities segment provides regulated electricity transmission and distribution services in northern and central east Alberta, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories; and integrated natural gas transmission and distribution services in Alberta, the Lloydminster area of Saskatchewan, and Western Australia. It owns and operates approximately 9,000 kilometers of natural gas pipelines, 16 compressor sites, approximately 3,700 receipt and delivery points, and a salt cavern storage peaking facility located near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta in Canada. The Energy Infrastructure segment provides electricity generation, natural gas storage, industrial water, and related infrastructure development solutions in Alberta, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Australia, Mexico, and Chile. The Corporate & Other segment retails electricity and natural gas business in Alberta. The company was incorporated in 1927 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Canadian Utilities Limited is a subsidiary of ATCO Ltd. Read More Columbus Energy Resources plc engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas in Trinidad and Tobago, Spain, Cyprus, St Lucia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. It primarily holds a 100% interest in the Goudron Oilfield located in south-eastern Trinidad. The company was formerly known as LGO Energy plc and changed its name to Columbus Energy Resources plc in June 2017. Columbus Energy Resources plc was incorporated in 2006 and is based in London, the United Kingdom. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Basf: AO Achimgaz, Aachener Chemische Werke Gesellschaft fur glastechtechnische Produkte und Verfahren mbH, Albemarle - Surface-Treatment Chemetall Unit, B.C. Foam - PET foam, BASF (China) Company Ltd., BASF (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., BASF (Thai) Ltd., BASF A/S, BASF AB, BASF AS, BASF Advanced Chemicals Co. Ltd., BASF Agri-Production S.A.S., BASF Agricultural Specialities Limited, BASF Agricultural Specialities S.A.S., BASF Agricultural Specialties Ltd., BASF Agro B.V., BASF Agro Trademarks GmbH, BASF Agrochemical Products B.V., BASF Akquisitions GmbH, BASF Americas Corporation, BASF Antwerpen N.V., BASF Argentina S.A., BASF Asia-Pacific Service Centre Sdn. Bhd., BASF Australia Ltd., BASF Battery Integration B.V., BASF Battery Technology Investment GmbH & Co. KG, BASF Beauty Care Solutions France S.A.S., BASF Belgium Coordination Center Comm. V., BASF Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, BASF Business Services GmbH, BASF California Inc., BASF Canada Inc., BASF Care Chemicals (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BASF Catalysts (Guilin) Co. Ltd., BASF Catalysts (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BASF Catalysts Asia B.V., BASF Catalysts Canada B.V., BASF Catalysts Germany GmbH, BASF Catalysts Holding China LLC, BASF Catalysts Holding LLC, BASF Catalysts India Private Ltd., BASF Catalysts LLC, BASF Catalysts UK Holdings Limited, BASF Central Asia LLP, BASF Chemcat (Thailand) Ltd., BASF Chemicals Company Ltd., BASF Chemicals India Pvt. Ltd., BASF Chile S.A., BASF Coatings (Guangdong) Co. Limited, BASF Coatings GmbH, BASF Coatings Services (Pty.) Ltd., BASF Color Solutions Germany GmbH, BASF Colors & Effects GmbH, BASF Colors & Effects Japan Ltd., BASF Colors & Effects Korea Ltd., BASF Colors & Effects Netherlands B.V., BASF Colors & Effects Shanghai Ltd., BASF Colors & Effects Singapore Pte. Ltd., BASF Colors & Effects Switzerland AG, BASF Colors & Effects USA LLC, BASF Company Ltd., BASF Construction Chemicals (China) Co. Ltd., BASF Construction Chemicals (UK) Ltd., BASF Construction Chemicals Algeria SARL, BASF Construction Chemicals Egypt (SAE), BASF Construction Chemicals Espana S.L., BASF Construction Chemicals Europe AG, BASF Construction Chemicals Italia Spa, BASF Construction Chemicals Limitada, BASF Construction Chemicals Peru Sociedad Anonima, BASF Construction Chemicals South Africa (Pty.) Ltd, BASF Construction Chemicals UAE LLC, BASF Construction Solutions GmbH, BASF Corporate Services Chile S.A., BASF Corporation, BASF Crop Protection (JiangSu) Co. Ltd., BASF DOW HPPO Holding B.V., BASF DOW HPPO Production BVBA, BASF East Asia Regional Headquarters Ltd., BASF Educational Trust, BASF Electronic Materials (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BASF Enzymes LLC, BASF Espanola S.L., BASF FZE, BASF Finance Europe N.V., BASF Finance Malta GmbH, BASF France S.A.S., BASF Gao-Qiao Performance Chemicals (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BASF Grenzach GmbH, BASF HOCK Mining Chemical (China) Co. Ltd., BASF Handelsund Exportgesellschaft mbH, BASF Health and Care Products France S.A.S., BASF Hellas S.A., BASF Holdings South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., BASF Hong Kong Ltd., BASF Hungaria Kft., BASF IP Licensing GmbH, BASF IP Management C.V., BASF Idemitsu Co. Ltd., BASF India Limited, BASF Interservicios S.A. de C.V., BASF Intertrade (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BASF Intertrade AG, BASF Intertrade Corporation, BASF Investments Canada Inc., BASF Ireland Ltd., BASF Isocyanate China Investment GmbH, BASF Italia S.p.A., BASF Japan Ltd., BASF Lampertheim GmbH, BASF Leuna, BASF Leuna GmbH, BASF Ludwigshafen Grundbesitz SE & Co. KG, BASF Markor Chemical Manufacturing (Xinjiang) Company Limited, BASF Metal Forwards Ltd., BASF Metals (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BASF Metals GmbH, BASF Metals Japan Ltd., BASF Metals Ltd., BASF Metals Recycling Ltd., BASF Mexicana S.A. de C.V., BASF Nederland B.V., BASF New Business GmbH, BASF New Zealand Ltd., BASF Niedersachsische Grundbesitz GmbH, BASF Operations B.V., BASF Orgamol Pharma Solutions France, BASF Osterreich GmbH, BASF Oy, BASF PETRONAS Chemicals Sdn. Bhd., BASF Pakistan (Pvt.) Limited, BASF Panama S.A., BASF Paper Chemicals (Huizhou) Co. Ltd., BASF Paper Chemicals (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd., BASF Performance Polymers GmbH, BASF Performance Products France S.A.S., BASF Performance Products GmbH, BASF Performance Products Ltd., BASF Personal Care and Nutrition GmbH, BASF Peruana S.A., BASF Pharma (Callanish) Ltd., BASF Pharma Belgium N.V., BASF Pigment GmbH, BASF Pipeline Holdings LLC, BASF Plant Science Company GmbH, BASF Plant Science GmbH, BASF Plant Science LP, BASF Plastic Additives Middle East S.P.C., BASF Poliuretanos Ltda., BASF Polska Sp. z o.o., BASF Polyurethane Specialties (China) Co. Ltd., BASF Polyurethanes (China) Co. Ltd., BASF Polyurethanes (Chongqing) Co. Ltd., BASF Polyurethanes (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., BASF Polyurethanes GmbH, BASF Portuguesa S.A., BASF Properties Inc., BASF Qingdao Pigments Co. Ltd., BASF Qtech (Canada) Inc., BASF Qtech Inc., BASF Quimica Colombiana S.A., BASF S.A., BASF Schwarzheide GmbH, BASF Schweiz AG, BASF Services (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., BASF Services Americas S.R.L., BASF Services Europe GmbH, BASF Shanghai Coatings Co. Ltd., BASF Slovensko spol s.r.o., BASF South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., BASF South East Asia Pte. Ltd., BASF Specialty Chemicals (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., BASF Stavebni hmoty Ceska republika s.r.o, BASF T.O.V. LLC, BASF TODA Battery Materials LLC, BASF TOTAL Petrochemicals LLC, BASF Taiwan B.V., BASF Taiwan Ltd., BASF Trostberger Grundbesitz GmbH, BASF Tuerk Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Sti., BASF UK Finance LLC, BASF UK Holdings Ltd., BASF US Verwaltung GmbH, BASF USA Holding LLC, BASF Uruguaya S.A., BASF Vietnam Co. Ltd., BASF Vitamins Company Ltd., BASF Wohnen + Bauen GmbH, BASF Wolman GmbH, BASF de Costa Rica S.A., BASF de Mexico S.A. de C.V., BASF plc, BASF spol s.r.o., BASF watertechnologies GmbH & Co. KG, BASFIN Corporation, BTC Europe GmbH, BU International Holding Company Ltd., Becker Underwood, Becker Underwood (UK) Limited, Becker Underwood UK Inc., CerTho Produktions GmbH, Chemetall, Chemetall (Australasia) Pty. Ltd., Chemetall (Proprietary) Ltd., Chemetall (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Chemetall AB, Chemetall Asia Pte. Ltd., Chemetall B.V., Chemetall Canada Limited, Chemetall GmbH, Chemetall Hong Kong Ltd., Chemetall Hungaria Vegyianyagokat Forgalmazo Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Chemetall India Company Ltd., Chemetall India Private Ltd., Chemetall Italia S.r.l., Chemetall Ltd., Chemetall Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Chemetall New Zealand Ltd., Chemetall Philippines Co. Ltd. Inc., Chemetall Polska Sp. z o.o., Chemetall S.A. Unipersonal, Chemetall S.A.S., Chemetall S.R.L., Chemetall Sanayi Kimyasallari Ticaret ve Sanayi A.S., Chemetall Surface Treatment Holding Co. Ltd., Chemetall U.S. Inc., Chemetall do Brasil Ltda., Chemical Insurance Company Ltd., Ciba (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Ciba Holding, Ciba Specialty Chemicals Eurofinance Ltd., Ciba Specialty Chemicals Finance Luxembourg S.A., Ciba Specialty Chemicals Water Treatments Ltd., Ciba UK Investment Ltd., Cognis, Cognis B.V., Cognis Holding GmbH, Cognis IP Management GmbH, Cognis International GmbH, Cognis S.A., Cognis USA LLC, Construction Research & Technology GmbH, CropDesign, E & A Internationale Explorationsund Produktions GmbH, EnerG2, Engelhard Asia-Pacific LLC, Engelhard China Ltd., Engelhard Corporation, Equateq, Esuco Beheer B.V., Grunau Illertissen GmbH, Guano-Werke GmbH & Co. KG, Guilin Reecat Environment Industry Co, HPPO Holding and Finance C.V., Hi Con China, Huntsman - TDI, Hydro Coatings Group, ITWC Inc., Imperarva S.A. de C.V., Inge Watertechnologies, Innofil3D, Isobionics, Johnson Polymer, KENDELL S.r.l., KOLON BASF innoPOM Inc., Knight Chimiques de Specialite S.A.S., Lanxess - SAN, Lumerica Insurance Company, MicroBio Canada Limited, NOF (Thailand) Ltd., Nanjing Chemetall Surface Technologies Co. Ltd., Novolyte Technologies, OOO BASF, OOO BASF Stroitelnye Sistemy, OOO BASF Wostok, OOO Chemetall, OPAL Gastransport GmbH & Co. KG, Ovonic Battery Company, Ovonic Battery Company Inc., P.T. BASF Care Chemicals Indonesia, P.T. BASF Indonesia, PCI Augsburg GmbH, PCI Bauprodukte AG, PEMEAS GmbH, PT BASF Distribution Indonesia, Pinturas Thermicas del Norte S.A. de C.V., Polymer Chemical Company B.V., ProCat Testing Holdings Inc., ProCat Testing LLC, Pronova BioPharma Norge AS, Rhenania Coatings - coil coating, Rockwood Specialties Group GmbH, Rolic Technologies, Rolic Technologies Ltd., SOREX, Saudi BASF for Building Materials Co. Ltd., Sculpteo, Shanghai BASF Polyurethane Company Ltd., Shanghai Chemetall Chemicals Co. Ltd., Societe Fonciere et Industrielle S.A.S., Solvay - Polyamides Business, Sorex Holdings, Sorex Holdings Ltd., Sorex Limited, THERMOTEK, TRADEWINDS Chemicals Corporation, Taiwan Sheen Soon Co, Toray BASF PBT Resin Sdn. Bhd., Untertage-Speicher-Gesellschaft MbH, W & G Transport Holding GmbH, WIGA Transport Beteiligungs- GmbH & Co. KG, Watson Bowman Acme Corp., Wintershall Energia S.A., Wintershall Group, Wintershall Holding GmbH, Wintershall Middle East GmbH, Wintershall Nederland B.V., Wintershall Nederland Transport and Trading B.V., Wintershall Norge AS, Wintershall Oil AG, Wintershall Petroleum (E&P) B.V., Wintershall Vermogensverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Yasar BASF Automotive Coatings Company, ZAO Gazprom YRGM Trading, Zandvliet Power N.V., ZedX Inc., bcd Rohstoffe fuer Bauchemie HandelsGmbH, hte, hte GmbH, and inge GmbH. The following companies are subsidiares of General Motors: 2140879 Ontario Inc., ACAR Leasing, ACAR Leasing Ltd., ACF Investment, ACF Investment Corp., AFS SenSub, APGO Trust, Adam Opel, Adam Opel GmbH, Aftermarket (UK), AmeriCredit, AmeriCredit Consumer Loan, AmeriCredit Consumer Loan Company Inc., AmeriCredit Financial Services, AmeriCredit Financial Services Inc., AmeriCredit Funding, AmeriCredit Syndicated Warehouse Trust, Annunciata Corporation, Argonaut Holdings, Argonaut Holdings LLC, BOCO (Proprietary), BOCO (Proprietary) Limited, Banco GMAC, Banco GMAC S.A., Baylis (Gloucester), Boco Trust, Boden Brussels, CHEVYPLAN, CHEVYPLAN S.A. Sociedad Administradora de Planes de Autofinanciamiento Comercial, Cadillac, Cadillac Europe, Cadillac Europe GmbH, Carve-Out Ownership, Carve-Out Ownership Cooperative LLC, Chevrolet Deutschland GmbH, Chevrolet Sales (Thailand), Chevrolet Sales (Thailand) Limited, Chevrolet Sales India, Chevrolet Sales India Private Ltd., Chevrolet Sociedad Anonima de Ahorro para Fines Determinados, Controladora General Motors, Controladora General Motors S.A. de C.V., Cruise, DCJ1, DCJ1 LLC, DMAX, DMAX Ltd., Dealership Liquidations, Dealership Liquidations Inc., Delphi Energy and Engine Management Systems UK, Delphi Energy and Engine Management Systems UK Overseas Corporation, EDS (Electronic Data Systems), FAW-GM, Fundacion Chevrolet, G.M.A.C., GCAR Titling Ltd., GM (UK) Pension, GM (UK) Pension Trustees Limited, GM APO Holdings, GM Administradora de Bens, GM Administradora de Bens Ltda., GM Asia Pacific Regional Headquarters Ltd., GM Auslandsprojekte, GM Automotive, GM Automotive Services Belgium, GM CME, GM Canada Holdings, GM Canada Limited, GM Components Holdings, GM Components Holdings LLC, GM Cruise, GM Cruise Holdings LLC, GM Cruise LLC, GM Defense LLC, GM Eurometals, GM Eurometals Inc., GM Europe Treasury, GM Finance, GM Finance Co. Holdings LLC, GM Financial, GM Financial AB, GM Financial Canada, GM Financial Canada Leasing, GM Financial Canada Leasing Ltd., GM Financial Colombia Holdings LLC, GM Financial Colombia S.A. Compania de Financiamiento, GM Financial Consumer, GM Financial Consumer Discount, GM Financial Consumer Discount Company, GM Financial Del Peru, GM Financial GmbH, GM Financial Holdings LLC, GM Financial Insurance Services, GM Financial Mexico Holdings, GM Financial Mexico Holdings LLC, GM Financial Real Estate, GM Financial de Mexico, GM Financial de Mexico S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.R., GM Financial del Peru S.A.C, GM Global Business Services, GM Global Propulsion Systems -Torino S.r.l., GM Global Purchasing and Supply Chain, GM Global Technology Operations, GM Global Technology Operations LLC, GM Global Tooling, GM Global Tooling Company LLC, GM Global Treasury Centre Limited, GM Holden, GM Holden Pty Ltd., GM Holdings U.K. No.1 Limited, GM Inversiones Santiago Limitada, GM Investment Trustees Limited, GM Korea, GM Korea Company, GM LAAM Holdings, GM LAAM Holdings LLC, GM Mexico Holdings, GM Mobility Europe GmbH, GM PSA Purchasing Services, GM Personnel Services, GM Personnel Services Inc., GM Philippines Inc., GM Plats (Proprietary), GM Regional Holdings, GM Regional Holdings LLC, GM Retirees Pension Trustees, GM Retirees Pension Trustees Limited, GM Subsystems Manufacturing, GM Subsystems Manufacturing LLC, GM Technical Center Korea Ltd., GM Viet Nam Motor Company, GM-DI Leasing, GM-DI Leasing LLC, GMAC - Instituicao Financeira de Credito, GMAC Administradora de Consorcios, GMAC Administradora de Consorcios Ltda., GMAC Banque, GMAC Continental, GMAC Espana de Financiacion, GMAC Holdings (U.K.), GMAC Lease B.V. (aka Masterlease Europe), GMAC Nederland N.V., GMAC Prestadora de Servicios de Mao de Obra Ltda., GMAC Servicios, GMAC UK, GMAC de Venezuela, GMAC-Prestadora de Servios de Mo-de-Obra, GMACI Corretora de Seguros, GMACI Corretora de Seguros Ltda, GMAM Real Estate I, GMCH&SP Private Equity II, GMCH&SP Private Equity II L.P., GMF Australia Pty Ltd, GMF Europe, GMF Europe Holdco, GMF Europe LLP, GMF Floorplan Owner Revolving Trust, GMF Funding, GMF Germany Holdings, GMF Global Assignment, GMF Global Assignment LLC, GMF International, GMF International LLC, GMF Leasing LLC, GMF Leasing Warehousing Trust, GMF Wholesale Receivables, GMGP Holdings, General Motors (China) Investment Company, General Motors (China) Investment Company Limited, General Motors (Thailand), General Motors (Thailand) Limited, General Motors - Colmotores, General Motors - Colmotores S.A., General Motors Advisory Services LLC, General Motors Africa and Middle East, General Motors Africa and Middle East FZE, General Motors Asia, General Motors Asia LLC, General Motors Asia Pacific Holdings, General Motors Asia Pacific Holdings LLC, General Motors Asset Management, General Motors Asset Management Corporation, General Motors Australia, General Motors Australia Pty Ltd., General Motors Austria, General Motors Austria, General Motors Auto, General Motors Auto LLC, General Motors Automobiles Philippines, General Motors Automobiles Philippines Inc., General Motors Automotive Holdings, General Motors Automotive Holdings S.L., General Motors Belgique Automobile NV, General Motors Belgium, General Motors Chile, General Motors Chile Industria Automotriz Limitada, General Motors China LLC, General Motors Daewoo Auto and Technology, General Motors Daewoo Auto and Technology CIS LLC, General Motors East Africa, General Motors Egypt, General Motors Egypt S.A.E., General Motors Espana, General Motors Europe Holdings, General Motors Europe Limited, General Motors Financial Chile, General Motors Financial Chile Limitada, General Motors Financial Chile S.A., General Motors Financial Company, General Motors Financial Company Inc., General Motors Financial International, General Motors Financial Italia, General Motors Financial Suisse, General Motors Financial UK, General Motors Financial of Canada, General Motors Financial of Canada Ltd., General Motors Finland, General Motors France, General Motors GBS Hungary, General Motors Global Service Operations, General Motors Global Service Operations Inc., General Motors Hellas, General Motors Holden Australia, General Motors Holden Australia NSC, General Motors Holden Australia NSC Pty Ltd., General Motors Holden Australia Pty Ltd., General Motors Holdings LLC, General Motors IT Services (Ireland) Limited, General Motors India Private, General Motors India Private Limited, General Motors International Holdings, General Motors International Holdings LLC, General Motors International Operations, General Motors International Operations Pte. Ltd., General Motors International Services Company, General Motors International Services Company SAS, General Motors International Services LLC, General Motors Investment Limited, General Motors Investment Management, General Motors Investment Management Corporation, General Motors Investment Participacoes, General Motors Investment Participacoes Ltda., General Motors Investments, General Motors Investments Pty. Ltd., General Motors Ireland, General Motors Israel, General Motors Israel Ltd., General Motors Italia, General Motors Japan, General Motors Japan Limited, General Motors LLC, General Motors Limited, General Motors Manufacturing Poland, General Motors Nederland, General Motors New Zealand Pensions, General Motors New Zealand Pensions Limited, General Motors Overseas, General Motors Overseas Commercial Vehicle, General Motors Overseas Commercial Vehicle Corporation, General Motors Overseas Corporation, General Motors Overseas Distribution, General Motors Overseas Distribution LLC, General Motors Peru, General Motors Peru S.A., General Motors Poland Spolka, General Motors Portugal, General Motors Powertrain (Thailand), General Motors Powertrain (Thailand) Limited, General Motors Research Corporation, General Motors South Africa, General Motors South Africa (Pty) Limited, General Motors Suisse, General Motors Taiwan, General Motors Taiwan Ltd., General Motors Technical Centre India, General Motors Technical Centre India Private Limited, General Motors Treasury Center, General Motors Treasury Center LLC, General Motors Turkiye, General Motors UK, General Motors Uruguay, General Motors Uruguay S.A., General Motors Venezolana, General Motors Ventures, General Motors Ventures LLC, General Motors Warehousing and Trading (Shanghai), General Motors Warehousing and Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., General Motors de Argentina, General Motors de Argentina S.r.l., General Motors de Mexico, General Motors de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., General Motors del Ecuador, General Motors del Ecuador S.A., General Motors do Brasil, General Motors do Brasil Ltda., General Motors of Canada, General Motors of Canada Company, General Motors-Holden's Sales, General Motors-Holden's Sales Pty. Limited, GigaPower LLC, Global Services Detroit, Global Services Detroit LLC, Global Tooling Service Company Europe, Global Tooling Service Company Europe Limited, Go Motor Retailing, Go Trade Parts, Grand Pointe Holdings, Grand Pointe Holdings Inc., Grand Pointe Park Condominium, Grand Pointe Park Condominium Association, H.S.H., Haines & Strange, Holden New Zealand, Holden New Zealand Limited, IBC Pension Trustees, IBC Pension Trustees Limited, IBC Vehicles, Lease Ownership Cooperative, Lease Ownership Cooperative LLC, Lidlington Engineering Company, Lidlington Engineering Company Ltd., Limited Liability Company "General Motors CIS", Master Lease Germany, Maven Drive, Maven Drive LLC, Millbrook Pension Management, Millbrook Pension Management Limited, Monetization of Carve-Out, Monetization of Carve-Out LLC, Motor Repris Automocio, Motors Holding, Motors Holding LLC, Motors Properties, Motors Properties (Trading), Multi-Use Lease Entity Trust, North American New Cars, North American New Cars LLC, Omnibus BB Transportes, Omnibus BB Transportes S. A., OnStar Connected Services Srl, OnStar Egypt Limited LLC, OnStar Europe, OnStar Europe Ltd., OnStar Global Services, OnStar Global Services Corporation, OnStar LLC, OnStar de Mexico, OnStar de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Opel Bank, Opel Danmark, Opel Group, Opel Group Warehousing, Opel Leasing, Opel Norge, Opel Sonderdienste, Opel Southeast Europe, Opel Sverige, Opel Szentgotthard Automotive Manufacturing, Opel Wien, P.T. G M AutoWorld Indonesia, P.T. General Motors Indonesia, PIMS, PIMS Co., PT. General Motors Indonesia Manufacturing, Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center, Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center Company Ltd., Prestadora de Servicios GMF Colombia S.A.S., Rapid Motor Vehicle Company, Reliance Motor Car Company, Riverfront Holdings III Inc., Riverfront Holdings Inc., Riverfront Holdings Phase II Inc., SAIC GM (Shenyang) Norsom Motors Co. Ltd., SAIC GM Dong Yue Motors Company Limited, SAIC GM Dong Yue Powertrain Company Limited, SAIC GM Wuling Automobile Company Limited, SAIC General Motors Corporation Limited, SAIC General Motors Investment Limited, SAIC General Motors Sales Company Limited, SAIC-GMAC Automotive Finance Company Limited, SAIC-GMF Leasing Co. Ltd., Servicios GMAC S.A. de C.V., Shanghai Chengxin Used Car Operation and Management Company Limited, Shanghai OnStar Telematics Co. Ltd., Sherwoods (Darlington) Limited, Sidecar Technologies, Skurrays Limited, Stam-Terberg Autobedrijven B. V., Strobe Inc., VHC Sub-Holdings (UK), Vauxhall Defined Contribution Pension Plan Trustees Limited, Vehicle Asset Universal Leasing Trust, Vickers (Lakeside) Limited, Vision Motors Limited, WRE, WRE Inc., and Zona Franca Industrial Colmotores SAS. HSBC Holdings plc provides banking and financial products and services worldwide. The company operates through Wealth and Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Global Banking and Markets segments. The Wealth and Personal Banking segment offers retail banking products and services, such as current and savings accounts, mortgages and personal loans, credit and debit cards, and local and international payment services for ultra high net worth individuals; and wealth management services, including insurance and investment products, global asset management services, investment management, and private wealth solutions. The Commercial Banking segment provides credit and lending, treasury management, payment, cash management, commercial insurance, and investment services, as well as commercial cards, and international trade and receivables finance services; and foreign exchange products, and capital raising and advisory services to small and medium sized enterprises, mid-market enterprises, and corporates. The Global Banking and Markets segment is involved in the provision of financing, advisory, and transaction services, including credit, rates, foreign exchange, equities, money markets, and securities services, as well as principal investment activities to government, corporate and institutional clients, and private investors. The Global Private Banking segment provides a range of services to high net worth individuals and families with complex and international needs. HSBC Holdings plc was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More Legg Mason, Inc. is a publicly owned asset management holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the firm provides investment management and related services to company-sponsored mutual funds and other investment vehicles including pension funds, foundations, endowments, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, private banks, family offices, individuals, as well as to global, institutional, and retail clients. It launches and manages equity, fixed income, and multi-asset customized portfolios through its subsidiaries. The firm also launches and manages mutual funds and exchange traded funds for its clients through its subsidiaries. It invests in private and public equity, fixed income, and multi asset markets across the globe through its subsidiaries. Through its subsidiaries, the firm also invests in alternative markets. It also employs a combination of fundamental and quantitative research to make its investments through its subsidiaries. Legg Mason, Inc. was founded in 1899 and is based in Baltimore, Maryland. Read More Prometic Life Sciences Inc. operates as a biopharmaceutical company with two drug discovery platforms that focuses on unmet medical needs in the field of fibrosis and orphan diseases. Its product pipeline includes PBI-4050, an orally active lead drug candidate for fibrosis; plasminogen, a biopharmaceutical for the treatment of congenital plasminogen deficiency; and intravenous immunoglobulin, a preparation of antibodies purified from plasma donations from healthy individuals. The company was founded in 1992 and is based in Laval, Canada. Read More CF Industries Holdings, Inc. engages in the manufacture and distribution of nitrogen fertilizer. The firm owns and operates nitrogen plants and serves agricultural and industrial customers through its distribution system. It operates through following segments: Ammonia, Granular Urea, UAN, AN, and Other. The Ammonia segment produces anhydrous ammonia, which is company's most concentrated nitrogen fertilizer product as it contains 82% nitrogen. The Granular Urea segment produces granular urea, which contains 46% nitrogen. The UAN segment produces urea ammonium nitrate solution, which is a liquid fertilizer product with a nitrogen content from 28% to 32%, is produced by combining urea and ammonium nitrate. The AN segment produces ammonium nitrate, which is a nitrogen-based product with a nitrogen content between 29% and 35%. The Other segment includes diesel exhaust fluid, nitric acid, urea liquor and aqua ammonia. The company was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Deerfield, IL. Read More Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI Japan ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares MSCI Japan ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. The following companies are subsidiares of Tenneco: A.E. Group Machines Limited, AE International Limited, Anand I-Power Limited, Anqing TP Goetze Liner Co. Ltd., Anqing TP Goetze Piston Ring Co. Ltd., Anqing TP Powder Metallurgy Co. Ltd., Armstrong Properties (Pty.) Ltd., Ateliers Juliette Adam SAS, Autopartes Walker S. de R.L. de C.V., Beck Arnley Holdings LLC, CATAI s.r.l., CEDS Inc., Carter Automotive Company LLC, Clevite Industries Inc., Componentes Venezolanos de Direccion S.A., Cooperatief Federal-Mogul Dutch Investments B.A., Coventry Assurance Ltd., DRiV Automotive Inc., DRiV IP LLC, DRiV Incorporated, Dongsuh Federal-Mogul Co. Ltd., F-M Holding Daros AB, F-M Holding Goteborg AB, F-M Holding Mexico S.A. de C.V., F-M Motorparts Limited, F-M Motorparts TSC LLC, F-M TSC Real Estate Holdings LLC, F-M Trademarks Limited, FDML Holdings Limited, FM International LLC, FM PBW Bearings Private Limited, FM Participacoes e Investimentos LTDA, Farloc Argentina S.A.I.C. y F., Federal Mogul (Thailand) Ltd., Federal Mogul Aftermarket Egypt Ltd., Federal Mogul Argentina S.A., Federal Mogul Dis Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Federal Mogul Hungary Kft., Federal Mogul Powertrain Otomotiv Anonim Sirketi, Federal Mogul SAS, Federal Mogul Services Sarl, Federal Mogul Systems Protection SAS, Federal-Mogul, Federal-Mogul (Anqing) Powder Metallurgy Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (Changshu) Automotive Parts Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (China) Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (Chongqing) Friction Materials Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (Langfang) Automotive Components Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (Proprietary) Limited, Federal-Mogul (Shanghai) Automotive Parts Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (T&N) Hong Kong Limited, Federal-Mogul (Tianjin) Surface Treatment Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (Vietnam) Ltd., Federal-Mogul Aftermarket Espana S.A., Federal-Mogul Aftermarket France SAS, Federal-Mogul Aftermarket GmbH, Federal-Mogul Aftermarket Southern Africa (Pty) Limited, Federal-Mogul Aftermarket UK Limited, Federal-Mogul Anand Bearings India Limited, Federal-Mogul Anand Sealings India Limited, Federal-Mogul Asia Investments Holding Korea Ltd., Federal-Mogul Asia Investments Limited, Federal-Mogul Automotive GmbH & Co. KG, Federal-Mogul Automotive Pty Ltd, Federal-Mogul Automotive Verwaltungs GmbH, Federal-Mogul Betriebsgrundstucke Burscheid GmbH, Federal-Mogul Bimet Spolka Akcyjna, Federal-Mogul Bradford Limited, Federal-Mogul Bremsbelag GmbH, Federal-Mogul Burscheid Beteiligungs GmbH, Federal-Mogul Burscheid GmbH, Federal-Mogul Canada Limited, Federal-Mogul Chassis LLC, Federal-Mogul Componentes de Motores Ltda., Federal-Mogul Controlled Power Limited, Federal-Mogul Coventry Limited, Federal-Mogul Deva (Qingdao) Automotive Parts Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Deva GmbH, Federal-Mogul Dimitrovgrad LLC, Federal-Mogul Distribucion de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Dong Feng (Shiyan) Engine Components Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul EMEA Distribution Services, Federal-Mogul Employee Trust Administration Limited, Federal-Mogul Engineering Limited, Federal-Mogul FIL-P43 S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul FIL-S43 S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Filtration LLC, Federal-Mogul Finance 1 LLC, Federal-Mogul Finance 2 LLC, Federal-Mogul Financial Services Poland Sp.z.o.o., Federal-Mogul Financial Services S.A.S., Federal-Mogul Financing Corporation, Federal-Mogul Friction Products Barcelona S.L., Federal-Mogul Friction Products Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Friction Products GmbH, Federal-Mogul Friction Products International GmbH, Federal-Mogul Friction Products Limited, Federal-Mogul Friction Products Ploiesti SRL, Federal-Mogul Friction Products S.A., Federal-Mogul Friction Products a.s., Federal-Mogul Friction Spain S.L., Federal-Mogul Friedberg GmbH, Federal-Mogul Garennes SAS, Federal-Mogul Germany Investments Holding GmbH, Federal-Mogul Global Aftermarket EMEA, Federal-Mogul Global Growth Limited, Federal-Mogul GmbH, Federal-Mogul Goetze (India) Limited, Federal-Mogul Gorzyce Sp. z o.o., Federal-Mogul Holding Deutschland GmbH, Federal-Mogul Holding Sweden AB, Federal-Mogul Holdings Ltd., Federal-Mogul Iberica S.L., Federal-Mogul Ignition GmbH, Federal-Mogul Ignition LLC, Federal-Mogul Ignition Products India Limited, Federal-Mogul Ignition Products SAS, Federal-Mogul Industria de Autopecas Ltda., Federal-Mogul Investment Ltd., Federal-Mogul Investments B.V., Federal-Mogul Italy S.r.l., Federal-Mogul Izmit Piston ve Pim Uretim Tesisleri A.S., Federal-Mogul Japan K.K., Federal-Mogul Juarez S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Lighting S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Limited, Federal-Mogul Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Federal-Mogul MP US LLC, Federal-Mogul Motorparts (India) Limited, Federal-Mogul Motorparts (Netherlands) B.V., Federal-Mogul Motorparts (Pinghu) Trading Limited, Federal-Mogul Motorparts (Qingdao) Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Motorparts (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Motorparts (Thailand) Limited, Federal-Mogul Motorparts (Zhejiang) Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Colombia S.A.S., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Holding B.V., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Holding GmbH, Federal-Mogul Motorparts LLC, Federal-Mogul Motorparts Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Minority Holding B.V., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Philippines Inc., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Ploiesti SRL, Federal-Mogul Motorparts Poland Sp.z.o.o., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Pty Ltd, Federal-Mogul Motorparts Services SRL, Federal-Mogul Naberezhnye Chelny, Federal-Mogul Nurnberg GmbH, Federal-Mogul Operations France S.A.S., Federal-Mogul Piston Rings LLC, Federal-Mogul Plasticos Puntanos S.A., Federal-Mogul Powertrain (Netherlands) B.V., Federal-Mogul Powertrain Eastern Europe B.V., Federal-Mogul Powertrain IP LLC, Federal-Mogul Powertrain Italy S.R.L, Federal-Mogul Powertrain LLC, Federal-Mogul Powertrain Mexico Distribucion S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Powertrain Russia GmbH, Federal-Mogul Powertrain Solutions India Private Limited, Federal-Mogul Powertrain Systems S A (Proprietary) Limited, Federal-Mogul Powertrain Vostok OOO, Federal-Mogul Products US LLC, Federal-Mogul Pty Ltd, Federal-Mogul R&L Friedberg Casting GmbH & Co. KG, Federal-Mogul Risk Advisory Services LLC, Federal-Mogul S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul S.A., Federal-Mogul SP Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Sealing System (Nanchang) Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Sealing Systems GmbH, Federal-Mogul Sejong Co. Ltd, Federal-Mogul Sejong Tech Ltd, Federal-Mogul Serina Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Sevierville LLC, Federal-Mogul Shanghai Bearing Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Shanghai Compound Material Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Singapore Investments Pte. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Sistemas Automotivos Ltda., Federal-Mogul Sistemas de Limpadores de Para-Brisas Ltda, Federal-Mogul Sorocaba-Holding Ltda, Federal-Mogul Systems Protection Hungary Kft., Federal-Mogul Systems Protection Morocco SARL AU, Federal-Mogul TP Europe GmbH & Co KG, Federal-Mogul TP Liner Europe Otomotiv Ltd. Sti, Federal-Mogul TP Liners Inc., Federal-Mogul TP Piston Rings GmbH, Federal-Mogul TPR (India) Limited, Federal-Mogul Technology Limited, Federal-Mogul Transaction LLC, Federal-Mogul UK Investments Limited, Federal-Mogul UK Powertrain Limited, Federal-Mogul VCS Holding B.V., Federal-Mogul VCS LLC, Federal-Mogul Valve Train International LLC, Federal-Mogul Valve Train S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Valvetrain GmbH, Federal-Mogul Valvetrain La Source SAS, Federal-Mogul Valvetrain Limited, Federal-Mogul Valvetrain Schirmeck SAS, Federal-Mogul Valvetrain s.r.o., Federal-Mogul Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, Federal-Mogul Verwaltungs-und Beteiligungs-GmbH, Federal-Mogul Wiesbaden GmbH, Federal-Mogul World Trade (Asia) Limited, Federal-Mogul World Wide LLC, Federal-Mogul Yura (Qingdao) Ignition Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Zhengsheng (Changsha) Piston Ring Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul de Costa Rica S.A., Federal-Mogul de Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Federal-Mogul de Matamoros S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul de Venezuela C.A., Federal-Mogul of South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Felt Products MFG. CO. LLC, Ferodo America LLC, Ferodo Limited, Fonciere de Liberation, Forjas y Maquinas S. de R.L. de C.V., Frenos Hidraulicos Automotrices S.A. de C.V., Fric-Rot S.A.I.C., Gabilan Manufacturing, Gasket Holdings LLC, Gillet Exhaust Manufacturing Limited, Gillet Pressings Cardiff Limited, Goetze Wohnungsbau GmbH, ISA Installations Steuerungs und Automatislerungs GmbH, J.W. Hartley (Motor Trade) Limited, Jurid do Brasil Sistemas Automotivos Ltda., KB Autosys (Zhangjiagang) Co. Ltd., KB Autosys Co. Ltd., KB Autosys India Private Ltd., Kinetic Pty. Ltd., Kontich, Leeds Piston Ring & Engineering Co. Limited, Maco Inversiones S.A., McCord Payen de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., McPherson Strut Company LLC, Monroe Amortisor Imalat Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Monroe Australia Pty. Limited, Monroe Czechia s.r.o., Monroe Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., Monroe Manufacturing (Proprietary) Ltd., Monroe Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Monroe Packaging BVBA, Monroe Ride Performance Sweden AB, Monroe Springs (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Montagewerk Abgastechnik Emden GmbH, Motocare India Private Limited, Muzzy-Lyon Auto Parts LLC, Parts Zone (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Payen International Limited, Piston Rings (UK) Limited, Precision Modular Assembly Corp., Productos de Frenos Automotrices de Calidad S.A. de C.V., Proveedora Walker S. de R.L. de C.V., Pullman, Pullman Standard Inc., Qingdao Tenneco FAWSN Automobile Parts Co. Ltd., Raimsa S. de R.L. de C.V., Ride Performance Canada Inc., Ride Performance Japan Ltd., Ride Performance Korea Limited, Ride Performance Mexico Holding LLC, SAXID Limited, Sapav Marketing Ltd, Saxid, Saxid s.r.l., Servicio de Componentes Automotrices S. de R.L. de C.V., Servicios Administrativos Industriales S. de R.L. de C.V., Shanghai Tenneco Exhaust System Co. Ltd., Sibirica Energy Limited, Sintration Limited, Speyside Real Estate LLC, Subensambles Internacionales S. de R.L. de C.V., T&N Industries LLC, T&N de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., TA (Australia) Group Pty. Ltd., TM S.r.l, TMC Texas Inc., TPR Federal-Mogul Tennessee Inc., Taiwan Federal-Mogul Motorparts Co. Limited, TecCom GmbH, Tenneco (Beijing) Exhaust System Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Beijing) Ride Control System Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Changzhou) Ride Performance Co. Ltd., Tenneco (China) Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Dalian) Exhaust System Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Jingzhou) Ride Performance Co. Ltd., Tenneco (MSCan) Operations Inc., Tenneco (MUSA), Tenneco (Mauritius) Limited, Tenneco (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Suzhou) Emission System Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Suzhou) Ride Control Co. Ltd., Tenneco (TM Asia) Ltd., Tenneco (TM Belgium) BVBA, Tenneco (Tianjin) Ride Performance Co. Ltd., Tenneco Asheville Inc., Tenneco Asia Inc., Tenneco Automotie Nederland B.V., Tenneco Automotive (Thailand) Limited, Tenneco Automotive Brasil Ltda., Tenneco Automotive Deutschland GmbH, Tenneco Automotive Eastern Europe Sp. z.o.o., Tenneco Automotive Europe BVBA, Tenneco Automotive Europe Coordination Center BVBA, Tenneco Automotive Foreign Sales Corporation Limited, Tenneco Automotive France S.A.S., Tenneco Automotive Holdings South Africa Pty. Limited, Tenneco Automotive Iberica S.A., Tenneco Automotive Inc. Nevada, Tenneco Automotive India Private Limited, Tenneco Automotive Italia S.r.l., Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc., Tenneco Automotive Polska Sp. z.o.o., Tenneco Automotive Port Elizabeth (Proprietary) Limited, Tenneco Automotive Portugal Componentes Para Automovel Unipessoal LDA., Tenneco Automotive RSA Company, Tenneco Automotive Second RSA Company, Tenneco Automotive Services Societe Par Actions Simplifiee, Tenneco Automotive Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Tenneco Automotive Trading Company, Tenneco Automotive UK Limited, Tenneco Automotive Volga LLC, Tenneco Automotive Walker Inc., Tenneco Brake Inc., Tenneco CA Czech Republic s.r.o., Tenneco CA Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Tenneco CA Netherlands BV, Tenneco Canada Inc., Tenneco Clean Air Argentina S.A.I.C., Tenneco Clean Air India Private Limited, Tenneco Clean Air Spain S.L.U., Tenneco Clean Air US Inc., Tenneco Deutschland Holdinggesellschaft mbH, Tenneco Eastern European Holdings S.a.r.l., Tenneco Eberspaecher (Beijing) Exhaust System Co. Ltd., Tenneco Emission Control (Pty) Ltd, Tenneco Etain Societe Par Actions Simplifiee, Tenneco Europe Limited, Tenneco FAWSN (Changchun) Automobile Parts Co. Ltd., Tenneco FAWSN (Foshan) Automobile Parts Co. Ltd., Tenneco FAWSN (Tianjin) Automobile Parts Co. Ltd., Tenneco Fusheng (Chengdu) Automobile Parts Co. Ltd., Tenneco Global Holdings Inc., Tenneco GmbH, Tenneco Holdings Danmark ApS, Tenneco Hong Kong Holdings Limited, Tenneco Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Tenneco Industria de Autopecas Ltda., Tenneco Innovacion S.L., Tenneco International Holding Corp., Tenneco International Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Tenneco International Manufacturing S.a.r.l., Tenneco Japan Ltd., Tenneco Korea Limited, Tenneco Lingchuan (Chongqing) Exhaust System Co. Ltd., Tenneco Management (Europe) Limited, Tenneco Mauritius China Holdings Ltd., Tenneco Mauritius Holdings Limited, Tenneco Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Tenneco RP Germany GmbH, Tenneco Ride Control South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Tenneco Ride Performance US 4 LLC, Tenneco Ride Performance US 5 LLC, Tenneco Silesia spolka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Tenneco SpinCo Incorporated, Tenneco Sverige AB, Tenneco Walker (Tianjin) Exhaust System Co. Ltd., Tenneco Zwickau GmbH, Tenneco-Eberspaecher (Dalian) Exhaust System Co. Ltd., Tenneco-Walker (U.K.) Limited, The Pullman Company, The Tenneco Automotive (UK) Pension Scheme Trustee Limited, Thompson and Stammers (Dunmow) Number 6 Limited, Thompson and Stammers (Dunmow) Number 7 Limited, United Piston Ring Inc., VTD Vakuumtechnik Dresden GmbH, Walker Australia Pty. Limited, Walker Danmark ApS, Walker Electronic Silencing Inc., Walker Europe Inc., Walker Exhaust (Thailand) Company Limited, Walker Gillet (Europe) GmbH, Walker Limited, Walker Manufacturing Company, Walker UK Ltd, Wellworthy Limited, Wimetal Societe Par Actions Simplifiee, and Wuhan Tenneco Exhaust System Co. Ltd.. The following companies are subsidiares of Thermo Fisher Scientific: 236 Perinton Parkway LLC, 27 Forge Parkway LLC, ABR--Affinity BioReagents, ACI Holdings Inc., ARG Services LLC, ASPEX Corporation, Abgene Inc., Abgene Limited, Acoustic Cytometry Systems Inc., AcroMetrix LLC, Acros Organics B.V.B.A., Advanced Biotechnologies Limited, Advanced Scientifics (ASI), Advanced Scientifics Inc., Advanced Scientifics International Inc., Affymetrix Biotech Participacoes Ltda., Affymetrix Biotech Shanghai Ltd, Affymetrix Inc, Affymetrix Japan K.K., Affymetrix Pte Ltd, Affymetrix UK Ltd, Afora S.A.U., Ahura Scientific, Alchematrix Inc., Alchematrix LLC, Alfa Aesar, Alfa Aesar (China) Chemical Co. Ltd., Alfa Aesar (Hong Kong) Limited, Allergon AB, Alphine Mountain Limited, Ambion Inc., Apogent Denmark ApS, Apogent Finance Company, Apogent Holding Company, Apogent Technologies Inc., Apogent Transition Corp., Apogent U.K. Limited, App-Tek International Pty Ltd, Applied Biosystems B.V., Applied Biosystems Finance B.V., Applied Biosystems International Inc., Applied Biosystems LLC, Applied Biosystems Taiwan LLC, Applied Biosystems Trading (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Applied Biosystems de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Applied Scientific Corporation, Avances Cientificos de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Avocado Research Chemicals Limited, B.R.A.H.M.S. Biotech GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. UK Ltd, BAC BV, BAC IP BV, Barnstead Thermolyne LLC, Beijing Phadia Diagnostics Co Ltd, Bender MedSystems GmbH, BioTrove Corporation, BioTrove International Inc., Bioanalysis Labsystems S.A., Biochemical Sciences LLC, Biolab, BmT GmbH Laborprodukte, Bonsai Tecnologies - Sistemas para Biotecnologia e Industria Unipessoal Lda, Brammer Bio, Bumi-Sans Sendirian Berhad, CAC Limited, CB Diagnostics AB, CB Diagnostics Holding AB, CEPH International Corporation, CHK Holdings Inc., CRS Robotics, CTPS LLC, Capitol Scientific Products Inc., Capitol Vial Inc., Cellomics Inc., CellzDirect Inc., Cenduit GmbH, Cenduit LLC, Cezanne S.A.S., Chase Scientific Glass Inc., Chromacol Limited, Clintrak, Clintrak Clinical Labeling Services LLC, Clintrak Pharmaceutical Services LLC, Cohesive Technologies (UK) Limited, Cohesive Technologies Inc., Columbia Diagnostics Inc., Compendia Bioscience Inc., Comtest Limited, Consolidated Technologies Inc., Consultores Fisher Scientific Chile Ltd, Core Informatics, Core Informatics LLC, Core Informatics UK Ltd., D-finitive Technologies Inc., DCG Systems B.V., DCG Systems C.V., DCG Systems G.K., DCG Systems GmbH, DCG Systems Korea Ltd., DCG Systems LLC, DPI Newco LLC, DSM Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Dharmacon, Diagnostix Ltd., Dionex (China) Analytical Ltd, Dionex (Switzerland) AG, Dionex (UK) Limited, Dionex Austria GmbH, Dionex Benelux B.V., Dionex Brasil Instrumentos Cientificos Ltda, Dionex Canada Ltd., Dionex China Limited, Dionex Corporation, Dionex Denmark A/S, Dionex Holding GmbH, Dionex I LLC, Dionex Pty Ltd., Dionex S.A., Dionex S.p.A., Dionex Singapore Pte Ltd., Dionex Softron GmbH, Dionex Sweden AB, Distribution Solutions International Inc., Doe & Ingalls Investors Inc., Doe & Ingalls Limited, Doe & Ingalls Management LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties II LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties LLC, Doe & Ingalls of California Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Florida Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Maryland Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Massachusetts Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of North Carolina Operating LLC, Doublecape Holding Limited, Doublecape Limited, Drakeside Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Duke Scientific Corporation, Dynal Biotech Beijing Limited, EGS Gauging Ltd., EGS Gauging Technical Services Company, EP Scientific Products LLC, Ecochem N.V., EnviroEquip Pty Ltd, Epsom Glass Industries Limited, Equibio Limited, Erie Electroverre S.A., Erie Finance Limited, Erie LP Holding LLC, Erie Scientific Company of Puerto Rico, Erie Scientific Hungary Kft, Erie Scientific LLC, Erie U.K. Limited, Erie UK 1 Limited, Erie UK 2 Limited, Erie UK Holding Company, Erie UK Senior Holding Limited, European Laboratory Holdings Limited, Eutech Instruments Europe B.V., Eutech Instruments Pte Ltd., Eutech Instruments Sdn Bhd, Ever Ready Thermometer Co. Inc., FEI Asia Pacific Co. Ltd., FEI Australia Pty Ltd, FEI CPD B.V., FEI Company, FEI Company Japan Ltd., FEI Company of USA (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd., FEI Czech Republic s.r.o., FEI Deutschland GmbH, FEI EFA Inc., FEI EFA International Pte. Ltd., FEI Electron Optics B.V., FEI Electron Optics International B.V., FEI Europe B.V., FEI France SAS, FEI Global Holdings C.V., FEI Hong Kong Company Limited, FEI Houston Inc., FEI Italia Srl, FEI Korea Ltd., FEI Melbourne Pty Ltd., FEI Microscopy Solutions Ltd, FEI Munich GmbH, FEI Norway Holding AS, FEI SAS, FEI Saudi Arabia LLC, FEI Servicos de Nanotecnologia Ltda., FEI Technologies Inc., FEI Technology de Mexico S.A. de C.V., FEI Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., FEI Trondheim AS, FEI UK Ltd., FHP LLC, FRC Holding Inc. V, FS (Barbados) Capital Holdings Ltd., FS Casa Rocas Holdings LLC, FS Mexicana Holdings LLC, FSI Receivables Company LLC, FSII Sweden Holdings AB, FSII Sweden Holdings I AB, FSIR Holdings (UK) Limited, FSIR Holdings (US) Inc., FSUK Holdings Limited, FSWH Company LLC, FSWH II C.V., FSWH International Holdings LLC, Fermentas China Co. Ltd, Fermentas Inc., Fermentas International, Fermentas Sweden AB, Fermentas UK Limited, Fiberlite Centrifuge LLC, Finesse Scientific Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Finesse Solutions AG, Finesse Solutions Inc., Finnzymes Oy, Fisher Alder S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Asia Manufacturing Ventures Inc., Fisher Bermuda Holdings Limited, Fisher BioImage ApS, Fisher BioPharma Services (India) Private Limited, Fisher BioSciences Japan G.K., Fisher BioServices Inc., Fisher Bioblock Holding II SNC, Fisher CLP Holding Limited Partnership, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 1, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 2, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 3, Fisher Canada Limited Partnership, Fisher Chimica BVBA, Fisher Clinical Logistics LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services (Bristol) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Colombia) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Korea) Co. Ltd, Fisher Clinical Services (Mexico) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Peru) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services Colombia S.A.S., Fisher Clinical Services GmbH, Fisher Clinical Services Inc., Fisher Clinical Services Japan K.K., Fisher Clinical Services Latin America S.R.L., Fisher Clinical Services Limited Liability Company, Fisher Clinical Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Clinical Services Peru S.R.L, Fisher Clinical Services Pte Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services U.K. Limited, Fisher Emergo B.V., Fisher Germany Holdings GmbH, Fisher Hamilton China Inc., Fisher Hamilton Mexico LLC, Fisher Holdings ApS, Fisher Internet Minority Holdings L.L.C., Fisher Laboratory Products Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Fisher Luxembourg Danish Holdings SARL, Fisher Manufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Maybridge Holdings Limited, Fisher Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific (Austria) GmbH, Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Fisher Scientific (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific (SEA) Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific A/S, Fisher Scientific AG, Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Limited, Fisher Scientific Biotech Line ApS, Fisher Scientific Brazil Inc., Fisher Scientific Central America Inc., Fisher Scientific Chile Inc., Fisher Scientific Colombia Inc., Fisher Scientific Company, Fisher Scientific Company L.L.C., Fisher Scientific Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Fisher Scientific Europe Holdings B.V., Fisher Scientific GTF AB, Fisher Scientific Germany Beteiligungs GmbH, Fisher Scientific GmbH, Fisher Scientific Holding Company LLC, Fisher Scientific Holding HK Limited, Fisher Scientific Holding U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific Holdings (S) Pte Ltd, Fisher Scientific International LLC, Fisher Scientific Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Fisher Scientific Ireland Investments Unlimited, Fisher Scientific Ireland Limited, Fisher Scientific Japan Ltd., Fisher Scientific Jersey Island Limited, Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd, Fisher Scientific Latin America Inc., Fisher Scientific Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Fisher Scientific Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific Mexico Inc., Fisher Scientific Middle East and Africa Inc., Fisher Scientific Norway AS, Fisher Scientific Operating Company, Fisher Scientific Oxoid Holdings Ltd., Fisher Scientific Oy, Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific S.A.S., Fisher Scientific S.L., Fisher Scientific SPRL, Fisher Scientific The Hague I B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague II B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague III B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague IV B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague V B.V., Fisher Scientific U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company 2, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company Limited, Fisher Scientific Unipessoal Lda., Fisher Scientific Venezuela Inc., Fisher Scientific Worldwide (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Holdings I C.V., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Inc., Fisher Scientific de Mexico S.A., Fisher Scientific of the Netherlands B.V., Fisher Scientific spol. S.r.o, Fisher Servicios Clinicos (Chile) LLC, Fisher Servicios Clinicos Chile Ltda, Fisher WWD Holding L.L.C., Fisher Worldwide Distribution SPV, Fisher Worldwide Gene Distribution SPV, Flux Instruments, Fuji Partnership, G & M Procter Limited, G V Instruments Limited, GV Instruments Canada Ltd., GV Instruments Inc, Gatan Inc, General Scientific Company Sdn Bhd (M), Genomed molekularbiologische und diagnostische Produkte GmbH, Gerhard Menzel B.V. & Co. KG, Gold Cattle Standard Testing Labs Inc., Golden West Indemnity Company Limited, Goring Kerr Detection Limited, Greenville Service Company Inc., HENO GmbH i.L., Hangar 215 Inc., Helmet Securities Limited, Henogen, HighChem, HyClone International Trade (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Hybaid Limited, I.Q. (BIO) Limited, IDnostics AG, ILS Laboratories Scandinavia AB, Inel Inc., Inel SAS, InnaPhase Inc., InnaPhase Limited, IntegenX, Intrinsic BioProbes Inc., Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc., Invitrogen (Shanghai) Investment Co. Ltd., Invitrogen Argentina SA, Invitrogen BioServices India Private Limited, Invitrogen Europe Limited, Invitrogen Finance Corp., Invitrogen Holdings LLC, Invitrogen Holdings Ltd., Invitrogen Hong Kong Limited, Invitrogen IP Holdings Inc., Invitrogen Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ion Torrent Systems Inc., Ionalytics Corporation, JSC Thermo Fisher Scientific, Jouan LLC, Jouan Limited, Jouan SA, Kendro Containment & Services Limited, Kendro Laboratory Products Ltd, Kettlebrook Insurance Co. ltd., Keystone Scientific, KonTEM GmbH, Kyle Jordan Investments LLC, LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, LTC Tech South Africa PTY Ltd., La-Pha-Pack GmbH, Lab Vision (UK) Limited, Lab Vision Corporation, Lab-Chrom-Pack LLC, Lab-Line Instruments Inc., Labomex MBP S. de R. L. De C.V., Laboratoire Service International - L.S.I, Laboratory Management Systems Inc., Laboratory Specialties Proprietary Ltd., LambTrack Limited, Laser Analytical Systems Inc., Liberty Lane Investment LLC, Liberty Lane Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Life Sciences International (Poland) SP z O.O, Life Sciences International Holdings BV, Life Sciences International LLC, Life Sciences International Limited, Life Technologies AS, Life Technologies Australia PTY Ltd., Life Technologies BPD AB, Life Technologies BPD UK Limited, Life Technologies Brasil Comercio e Industria de Produtos para Biotecnologia Ltda, Life Technologies Chile SpA, Life Technologies Clinical Services Lab Inc., Life Technologies Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Czech Republic s.r.o., Life Technologies DaAn Diagnostic (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Europe B.V., Life Technologies Finance Ltd., Life Technologies Finland Oy, Life Technologies GmbH, Life Technologies Holdings PTE Ltd., Life Technologies Inc., Life Technologies International B.V., Life Technologies Japan Ltd., Life Technologies Korea LLC, Life Technologies Limited, Life Technologies Magyarorszag Kft, Life Technologies New Zealand Ltd., Life Technologies Norway Investments US LLC, Life Technologies Polska Sp z.o.o., Life Technologies SA, Life Technologies SAS, Life Technologies s.r.o, Linkage Biosciences Inc., Linkage Biosciences S.a.r.l., Loftus Furnace Company, Lomb Scientific, Lomb Scientific (Aust) Pty Limited, MTI-GlobalStem, Marketbase International Limited, Matrix MicroScience Inc., Matrix MicroScience Ltd., Matrix Technologies Corporation Limited, Matrix Technologies LLC, Maybridge Chemical Company Limited, Maybridge Chemical Holdings Limited, Maybridge Limited, Medical Analysis Systems Inc., Medical Analysis Systems International Inc., Medical Diagnostics Systems Inc., Metavac LLC, Microgenics Corporation, Microgenics Diagnostics Pty Limited, Microgenics GmbH, Microm International GmbH, Microm Laborgerate S.L.U, Molecular BioProducts Inc., Molecular Probes Inc., Molecular Transfer Inc., NAPCO Inc., NERL Diagnostics LLC, NOVODIRECT GmbH Labor- und Industrie- Megerate, Nalge (Europe) Limited, Nalge Nunc International (Monterrey) LLC, Nalge Nunc International Corporation, Nanjing WeiKangLe Trading Industrial Co Ltd, NanoDrop Technologies LLC, National Scientific Company, Navaho Acquisition Corp., Neomarkers Inc., New FS Holdings Inc., NewcoGen PE LLC, Nihon Dynal K.K., Niton Asia Limited, NovaWave Technologies Inc., Nunc A/S, ONIX Systems Inc., OXOID CZ s.r.o., Odyssey Holdings Corporation, Odyssey Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 1 S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 2 S.a r.l., Odyssey Venture Corporation, Omega Data Systems, One Lambda Inc, Onix Holdings Limited, Orme Scientific Limited, Owl Separation Systems LLC, Oxoid (ELY) Limited, Oxoid 2000 Limited, Oxoid AS, Oxoid Australia Pty. Limited, Oxoid Company, Oxoid Deutschland GmbH, Oxoid Holding SAS, Oxoid Holdings Limited, Oxoid Inc., Oxoid International Limited, Oxoid Investments GmbH, Oxoid Limited, Oxoid N.V., Oxoid New Zealand Limited, Oxoid Pension Trustees Limited, Oxoid Senior Holdings Limited, Oxoid UKH LLC, PAX - DSI Acquisition LLC, PE AG, Pacific Rim Far East Industries LLC, Pacific Rim Investment LLC, Panomics L.L.C., Panomics S.R.L., Patheon, Patheon API Inc., Patheon API Manufacturing Inc., Patheon API Services Inc., Patheon Austria GmbH & Co KG, Patheon B.V., Patheon Banner U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon Biologics (NJ) LLC, Patheon Biologics Australia Pty Ltd, Patheon Biologics B.V., Patheon Biologics LLC, Patheon Calculus Merger LLC, Patheon Cooperatief U.A., Patheon Development Services Inc., Patheon Finance LLC, Patheon France SAS, Patheon Holdings B.V., Patheon Holdings I B.V., Patheon Holdings II B.V., Patheon Holdings SAS, Patheon I B.V., Patheon I Holding GmbH, Patheon Inc., Patheon International AG, Patheon Italia S.p.A., Patheon KK, Patheon Life Science Products International GmbH, Patheon Manufacturing Services LLC, Patheon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Patheon Pharmaceuticals Services Inc., Patheon Puerto Rico Acquisitions Corporation, Patheon Puerto Rico Inc., Patheon Regensburg GmbH, Patheon Softgels B.V., Patheon Softgels Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings LLC, Patheon UK Limited, Patheon UK Pension Trustees Limited, Pelican Acquisition Corporation, Perbio Science (Canada) Company, Perbio Science AB, Perbio Science BVBA, Perbio Science France SAS, Perbio Science Inc., Perbio Science International Netherlands B.V., Perbio Science Invest AB, Perbio Science Nederland B.V., Perbio Science Projekt AB, Perbio Science Sweden Holdings AB, Perbio Science Switzerland SA, Perbio Science UK Limited, Phadia AB, Phadia Diagnosticos Ltda, Phadia GmbH, Phadia Holding AB, Phadia International Holdings C.V., Phadia Korea Co. Ltd, Phadia Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Phadia Malta Holdings Limited, Phadia Oy, Phadia Real Property AB, Phadia Sweden AB, Phadia Taiwan Inc., Phadia US Inc., Phadia s.r.o., Pharmacaps Mexicana SA de CV, Phenom-World B.V., Phenom-World Holding B.V, Phenom-World Innovations B.V., Phinotex, Pierce Biotechnology Inc., Pierce Milwaukee Holding Corp., Pierce Milwaukee Inc., Polychromix, Power Sweden Holdings I AB, Power Sweden Holdings II AB, Power Sweden Holdings III Aktiebolag, Princeton Gamma-Tech Instruments LLC, Princeton Security Technologies, Prionics AG, Prionics Asia Ltd., Prionics Deutschland GmbH, Prionics France SAS, Prionics Italia S.r.l., Prionics Lelystad B.V., Prionics USA Inc., Priority Air Express LLC, Priority Air Express Pte. 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KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific HR Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) I, Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) II , Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings Europe Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific IT Services GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Pvt Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Malta) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments Malta (Sweden Financing) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Invitrogen Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific K.K., Thermo Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific LSI Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments III S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments IV S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life NL Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Netherlands Holding C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Switzerland Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Tech Korea Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Enterprise Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investments Holding LP, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Luxembourg Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Enterprise Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg German Holdings S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Life Technologies UK Holding S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings I S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings II S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malta Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Messtechnik GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Mexico City S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Middle East Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Milano Srl, Thermo Fisher Scientific NHK Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Holdings, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway Holdings AS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway US Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Operating Company LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Oy, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 C.V, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Panama I Cayman Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Peru S.R.L., Thermo Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific SL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Financing LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Holdings Australia LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific South Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific SpA, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg I S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Investments Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Switzerland Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific TR Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Taiwan Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific West Palm Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Wissenschaftliche Gerate GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Worldwide Investments (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific eCommerce Solutions LLC , Thermo Fisher Senior Canada Holdings LLC, Thermo Foundation Inc., Thermo Gamma-Metrics Holdings Pty Ltd., Thermo Gamma-Metrics LLC, Thermo Gamma-Metrics Pty Ltd, Thermo Holding European Operations LLC, Thermo Hypersil Ltd, Thermo Hypersil-Keystone LLC, Thermo Informatics Asia Pacific Pty Ltd., Thermo Instrument Controls de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Thermo Kevex X-Ray LLC, Thermo Keytek LLC, Thermo LabSystems Inc., Thermo LabSystems S.A., Thermo Life Science International Trading (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Thermo Life Sciences AB, Thermo Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo MF Physics LLC, Thermo Measurement Ltd, Thermo Measuretech Canada Inc., Thermo Neslab LLC, Thermo Nicolet Limited, Thermo Onix Limited, Thermo Optek (Australia) Pty Ltd., Thermo Optek Limited, Thermo Optek S.A., Thermo Orion Inc., Thermo Portable Holdings LLC, Thermo Power Corporation, Thermo Process Instruments GP LLC, Thermo Process Instruments L.P., Thermo Projects Limited, Thermo Quest S.A., Thermo Radiometrie Limited, Thermo Ramsey Italia S.r.l., Thermo Ramsey LLC, Thermo Ramsey S.A., Thermo Re Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Pte Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Sdn Bhd, Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc., Thermo Scientific Services Inc., Thermo Securities Corporation, Thermo Sentron Canada Inc., Thermo Sentron Limited, Thermo Shandon Inc., Thermo Shandon Limited, Thermo Suomi Holding B.V., Thermo TLH (UK) Limited, Thermo TLH L.P., Thermo Trace Pty Ltd., Thermo-Fisher Biochemical Product (Beijing) Co. Ltd., ThermoLase LLC, ThermoSpectra Limited, Trek Diagnostic Systems LLC, Trek Diagnostic Systems Ltd., Trek Holding Company II Ltd., Trek Holding Company Ltd., Trex Medical Corporation, USB Corporation, Union Lab Supplies Limited, United Diagnostics Inc., VG Systems Limited, Westover Scientific Inc., ZAO PE Biosystems, eBioscience GmbH, eBioscience Ltd, eBioscience SAS, and picoSpin LLC. Greif, Inc. engages in the production of industrial packaging products and services. It operates through the following segments: Rigid Industrial Packaging and Services, Paper Packaging and Services, Flexible Products and Services, and Land Management. The Rigid Industrial Packaging and Services segment involves the production and sale of rigid industrial packaging products, such as steel, fibre and plastic drums, rigid intermediate bulk containers, closure systems for industrial packaging products, transit protection products, water bottles and reconditioned containers, and services, such as container life cycle services, blending, filling and other packaging services, logistics and warehousing. The Paper Packaging and Services segment involves the production and sale of containerboard, corrugated sheets, corrugated containers and other corrugated products to customers in North America. The Flexible Products and Services segment involves the production and sale of flexible intermediate bulk containers and related services on a global basis and the sale of industrial and consumer shipping sacks and multiwall bag products in North America. The Land Management segment involves the ma Read More Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates integrated natural gas and natural gas liquids and other hydrocarbons (NGLs) pipeline and storage systems in the United States. It operates interstate natural gas and NGLs pipeline systems, and integrated storage facilities, which are located in the Gulf Coast region, Oklahoma, Arkansas and the Midwestern states of Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. The company's pipeline systems contain approximately 13,880 miles of interconnected natural gas pipelines, directly serving customers in 13 states and indirectly serving customers throughout the northeastern and southeastern United States through various interconnections with unaffiliated pipelines. It also owns and operates approximately 455 miles of NGLs pipelines serving customers in Louisiana and Texas. In addition, the company has underground storage caverns having aggregate capacity of approximately 205.0 billion cubic feet of working natural gas and 24.5 million barrels of NGLs. It serves producers of natural gas, local distribution companies, marketers, electric power generators, industrial users, and interstate and intrastate pipelines. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP is a subsidiary of Boardwalk Pipelines Holding Corp. Read More Leidos Holdings, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of scientific, engineering and information technology services and solutions in the areas of defense, intelligence, civil and health markets. It operates through the following three segments: Defense Solutions, Civil, and Health. The Defense Solutions segment focuses on deploying agile, cost-effective solutions to meet the ever-changing missions of the company's customers in areas of intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, enterprise IT and integrated systems and cybersecurity and global services. The Civil segment focuses on seamlessly integrating and protecting physical, digital and data domains. The Health segment offers solutions to federal and commercial customers that are responsible for the health and wellbeing of people worldwide including service members and veterans. The company was founded by John Robert Beyster on February 3, 1969 and is headquartered in Reston, VA. Read More Wall Street analysts have given Greencore Group a "Buy" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Greencore Group wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. The Boeing Co. is an aerospace company, which engages in the manufacture of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space and Security; Global Services; and Boeing Capital. The Commercial Airplanes segment includes the development, production, and market of commercial jet aircraft and provides fleet support services, principally to the commercial airline industry worldwide. The Defense, Space and Security segment refers to the research, development, production and modification of manned and unmanned military aircraft and weapons systems for global strike, including fighter and combat rotorcraft aircraft and missile systems; global mobility, including tanker, rotorcraft and tilt-rotor aircraft; and airborne surveillance and reconnaissance, including command and control, battle management and airborne anti-submarine aircraft. The Global Services segment provides services to commercial and defense customers. The Boeing Capital segment seeks to ensure that Boeing customers have the financing they need to buy and take delivery of their Boeing product and manages overall financing exposure. T Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Bristol-Myers Squibb: 1096271 B.C. ULC, 345 Park LLC, A.G. Medical Services P.A., AHI Investment LLC, AbVitro LLC, Abraxis BioScience Australia Pty Ltd., Abraxis BioScience Inc., Abraxis BioScience International Holding Company Inc., Abraxis BioScience LLC, Abraxis BioScience Puerto Rico LLC, Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Adnexus, Adnexus a Bristol-Myers Squibb R&D Company, Allard Labs Acquisition G.P., Amira Pharmaceuticals, Amira Pharmaceuticals Inc., Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Apothecon LLC, B-MS Generx Unlimited Company, BMS Benelux Holdings B.V., BMS Bermuda Nominees L.L.C., BMS Data Acquisition Company LLC, BMS Forex Company, BMS Holdings Sarl, BMS Holdings Spain S.L., BMS International Insurance Designated Activity Company, BMS Investco SAS, BMS Korea Holdings L.L.C., BMS Latin American Nominees L.L.C., BMS Luxembourg Partners L.L.C., BMS Omega Bermuda Holdings Finance Ltd., BMS Pharmaceutical Korea Limited, BMS Pharmaceuticals Germany Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals International Holdings Netherlands B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Korea Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Mexico Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Netherlands Holdings B.V., BMS Real Estate LLC, BMS Spain Investments LLC, BMS Strategic Portfolio Investments Holdings Inc., Blisa Acquisition G.P., Bristol (Iran) S.A., Bristol Iran Private Company Limited, Bristol Laboratories Inc., Bristol Laboratories International S.A., Bristol Laboratories Medical Information Systems Inc., Bristol-Myers (Andes) L.L.C., Bristol-Myers (Private) Limited, Bristol-Myers Middle East S.A.L., Bristol-Myers Overseas Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Israel) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (NZ) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Proprietary) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Taiwan) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (West Indies) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb A.E., Bristol-Myers Squibb Aktiebolag, Bristol-Myers Squibb Argentina S. R. L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia Pty. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Axia Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb B.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Belgium S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Business Services Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada International Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Delta Company Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Denmark Filial of Bristol-Myers Squibb AB, Bristol-Myers Squibb EMEA Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Egypt LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Epsilon Holdings Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Ltda., Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Portuguesa S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb GesmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH & Co. KGaA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holding Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings 2002 Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Germany Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Ireland Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Pharma Ltd. Liability Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Ilaclari Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb India Pvt. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Company Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Investco L.L.C., Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K., Bristol-Myers Squibb Kft., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg International S.C.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb MEA GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Manufacturing Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Marketing Services S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Middle East & Africa FZ-LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Norway Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Nutricionales de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Peru S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (HK) Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (Thailand) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Holding Company LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Ventures Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Polska Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Products SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico/Sanofi Pharmaceutical Partnership Puerto Rico, Bristol-Myers Squibb Romania S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.A.U., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Holding Partnership, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Service Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Services Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Spol. s r.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Theta Finance Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Trustees Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Colombia S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Costa Rica Sociedad Anonima, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Guatemala S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb/Astrazeneca EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, Bristol-Myers de Venezuela S.C.A., CHT I LLC, CHT II LLC, CHT III LLC, CHT IV LLC, CR Finance Company LLC, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals Inc., Celem LLC, Celem Ltd., Celgene, Celgene A.B., Celgene AS, Celgene Ab (Finland), Celgene Alpine Investment Co. II LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. III LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. LLC, Celgene ApS, Celgene B.V., Celgene BVBA, Celgene Brasil Produtos Farmaceuticos Ltda., Celgene CAR LLC, Celgene CAR Ltd., Celgene Chemicals Sarl, Celgene China Holdings LLC, Celgene Co., Celgene Corporation, Celgene Distribution B.V., Celgene EngMab GmbH, Celgene Europe B.V., Celgene Europe Limited, Celgene European Investment Company LLC, Celgene Financing Company LLC, Celgene Global Holdings Sarl, Celgene GmbH [Austria], Celgene GmbH [Germany], Celgene GmbH [Switzerland], Celgene Holdings East Corporation, Celgene Holdings II Sarl, Celgene Holdings III Sarl, Celgene Ilac Pazarlama ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Celgene Inc., Celgene International Holdings Corporation, Celgene International II Sarl, Celgene International III Sarl, Celgene International Inc., Celgene International Sarl, Celgene K.K., Celgene Kft., Celgene Limited [Hong Kong], Celgene Limited [Ireland], Celgene Limited [New Zealand], Celgene Limited [Taiwan], Celgene Limited [UK], Celgene Logistics Sarl, Celgene Ltd, Celgene Luxembourg Sarl, Celgene Management Sarl, Celgene NJ Investment Co, Celgene Netherlands B.V., Celgene Netherlands Investment B.V., Celgene Pharmaceutical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Celgene Pte. Ltd., Celgene Pty Ltd, Celgene Puerto Rico Distribution LLC, Celgene Quanticel Research Inc, Celgene R&D Sarl, Celgene RIVOT LLC, Celgene RIVOT Ltd., Celgene RIVOT SRL, Celgene Receptos Limited, Celgene Receptos Sarl, Celgene Research Incubator At Summit West LLC, Celgene Research S.L.U., Celgene Research and Development Company LLC, Celgene Research and Development I ULC, Celgene Research and Development II LLC, Celgene Research and Investment Company II LLC, Celgene S. de R.L. de C.V., Celgene S.L.U., Celgene S.R.L., Celgene SAS, Celgene Sarl AU, Celgene Sdn Bhd, Celgene Services Sarl, Celgene Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Celgene Sp. Z.o.o., Celgene Sro [Czech Republic], Celgene Summit Investment Co, Celgene Switzerland Holding Sarl, Celgene Switzerland II LLC, Celgene Switzerland Investment Sarl, Celgene Switzerland LLC, Celgene Switzerland Sarl, Celgene Tri A Holdings Ltd., Celgene Tri Sarl, Celgene UK Distribution Limited, Celgene UK Holdings Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing II Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing III Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing Limited, Celgene d.o.o., Celgene sro [Slovakia], Celmed LLC, Celmed Ltd., ConvaTec Divestiture, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals AB, Crosp Ltd., Delinia Inc., Deuteria Pharmaceuticals Inc., DuPont Pharmaceuticals, E. R. Squibb & Sons Inter-American Corporation, E. R. Squibb & Sons L.L.C., E. R. Squibb & Sons Limited, EWI Corporation, EngMab Sarl, F-star Alpha, FermaVir Pharmaceuticals L.L.C., FermaVir Research L.L.C., Flexus Biosciences, Flexus Biosciences Inc., Forbius, Galecto Biotech, GenPharm International L.L.C., Gloucester Pharmaceuticals LLC, Grove Insurance Company Ltd., Heyden Farmaceutica Portuguesa Limitada, IFM Therapeutics, Impact Biomedicines Inc., Inhibitex, Inhibitex L.L.C., Innate Tumor Immunity Inc., JuMP Holdings LLC, Juno Therapeutics GmbH, Juno Therapeutics Inc., Kosan Biosciences, Kosan Biosciences Incorporated, Linson Investments Limited, Mead Johnson (Manufacturing) Jamaica Limited, Mead Johnson Jamaica Ltd., Medarex, Morris Avenue Investment II LLC, Morris Avenue Investment LLC, MyoKardia, O.o.o. Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oy Bristol-Myers Squibb (Finland) AB, Padlock Therapeutics, Padlock Therapeutics Inc., Pharmion LLC, Princeton Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Receptos LLC, Receptos Services LLC, RedoxTherapies Inc., Route 22 Real Estate Holding Corporation, SPV A Holdings ULC, Seamair Insurance DAC, Signal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Sino-American Shanghai Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Societe Francaise de Complements Alimentaires(S.O.F.C.A.), Squibb Middle East S.A., Summit West Celgene LLC, Swords Laboratories, VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Westwood-Intrafin SA, Westwood-Squibb Pharmaceuticals Inc., X-Body Inc., ZymoGenetics, ZymoGenetics Inc., ZymoGenetics LLC, ZymoGenetics Paymaster LLC, iPierian, and iPierian Inc.. Gardner Denver Holdings, Inc. provides mission-critical flow control and compression equipment; and associated aftermarket parts, consumables, and services in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates through three segments: Industrials, Energy, and Medical. The Industrials segment designs, manufactures, markets, and services a range of air compression, vacuum, and blower products, as well as offers associated aftermarket parts, consumables, and services. Its products are used in process-critical applications, such as the operation of industrial air tools, vacuum packaging of food products, aeration of waste water, and others. This segment sells its products through an integrated network of direct sales representatives and independent distributors under the Gardner Denver, CompAir, Elmo Rietschle, Robuschi, and other brand names. The Energy segment engages in the design, manufacture, marketing, and service of a range of displacement and liquid ring vacuum pumps, compressors and integrated systems, and engineered fluid loading and transfer equipment, as well as offers associated aftermarket parts, consumables, and services under the Gardner Denver, Nash, Emco Wheaton, and other brands. It serves customers in upstream, midstream, and downstream energy markets, as well as petrochemical processing, transportation, and general industrial sectors. The Medical segment designs, manufactures, and markets a range of specialized gas, liquid, and precision syringe pumps and compressors for use in oxygen therapy, blood dialysis, patient monitoring, laboratory sterilization and wound treatment, and other applications. This segment sells its products under the Thomas and other brands. Gardner Denver Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1859 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Read More United Technologies Corporation provides technology products and services to building systems and aerospace industries worldwide. Its Otis segment designs, manufactures, sells, and installs passenger and freight elevators, escalators, and moving walkways; and offers modernization products to upgrade elevators and escalators, as well as maintenance and repair services. The company's Carrier segment provides heating, ventilating, air conditioning, refrigeration, fire, security, and building automation products, solutions, and services for commercial, government, infrastructure, residential, and refrigeration and transportation applications. This segment also offers building services, including audit, design, installation, system integration, repair, maintenance, and monitoring. Its Pratt & Whitney segment supplies aircraft engines for commercial, military, business jet, and general aviation markets; and provides aftermarket maintenance, repair, and overhaul, as well as fleet management services. The company's Collins Aerospace Systems segment provides electric power generation, power management, and distribution systems; air data and aircraft sensing systems; engine control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems; engine components; environmental control systems; fire and ice detection, and protection systems; propeller systems; engine nacelle systems; aircraft lighting, seating, and cargo systems; actuation and landing systems; space products and subsystems; avionics systems; flight controls, communications, navigation, oxygen, and training systems; food and beverage preparation, and storage and galley systems; and lavatory and wastewater management systems. The company offers its services through manufacturers' representatives, distributors, wholesalers, dealers, retail outlets, and sales representatives, as well as directly to customers. United Technologies Corporation was founded in 1934 and is headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of InterContinental Hotels Group: 2250 Blake Street Hotel LLC, 24th Street Operator Sub LLC, 36th Street IHG Sub LLC, 426 Main Ave LLC, 46 Nevins Street Associates LLC, Allegro Management LLC, Alpha Kimball Hotel LLC, American Commonwealth Assurance Co. Ltd., Asia Pacific Holdings Limited, BHMC Canada Inc., BHR Holdings B.V., BHR Luxembourg SARL, BHR Pacific Holdings Inc., BHTC Canada Inc., BOC Barclay Sub LLC, Barclay Operating Corp., Bristol Oakbrook Tenant Company, Cafe Biarritz, Cambridge Lodging LLC, Capital Lodging LLC, Compania Inter-Continental De Hoteles El Salvador SA, Crowne Plaza Amsterdam (Management) B.V., Crowne Plaza LLC, Cumberland Akers Hotel LLC, Dunwoody Operations Inc., EVEN Real Estate Holding LLC, Edinburgh IC Limited, General Innkeeping Acceptance Corporation, Guangzhou SC Hotels Services Ltd., H.I. (Ireland) Limited, H.I. Soaltee Management Company Ltd, HC International Holdings Inc., HH France Holdings SAS, HH Hotels (EMEA) B.V., HH Hotels (Romania) SRL, HI Sugarloaf LLC, HIM (Aruba) NV, Hale International Ltd., Hoft Properties LLC, Holiday Hospitality Franchising LLC, Holiday Inn Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Holiday Inns (China) Ltd, Holiday Inns (Chongqing) Inc., Holiday Inns (Courtalin) Holdings SAS, Holiday Inns (Courtalin) SAS, Holiday Inns (England) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Germany) LLC, Holiday Inns (Guangzhou) Inc., Holiday Inns (Jamaica) Inc., Holiday Inns (Malaysia) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Middle East) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Philippines) Inc., Holiday Inns (Saudi Arabia) Inc., Holiday Inns (South East Asia) Inc., Holiday Inns (Thailand) Ltd., Holiday Inns (UK) Inc., Holiday Inns Crowne Plaza (Hong Kong) Inc., Holiday Inns Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, Holiday Inns Inc., Holiday Inns Investment (Nepal) Ltd., Holiday Inns of America (UK) Ltd., Holiday Inns of Belgium N.V., Holiday Pacific Equity Corporation, Holiday Pacific LLC, Holiday Pacific Partners LP, Hotel Inter-Continental London Limited, Hotel InterContinental London (Holdings) Limited, Hoteles Y Turismo HIH SRL, IC Hotelbetriebsfuhrungs GmbH, IC Hotels Management (Portugal) Unipessoal Lda, IC International Hotels Limited Liability Company, IHC (Thailand) Limited, IHC Buckhead LLC, IHC Edinburgh (Holdings), IHC Hopkins (Holdings) Corp., IHC Hotel Limited, IHC Inter-Continental (Holdings) Corp., IHC London (Holdings), IHC M-H (Holdings) Corp., IHC May Fair (Holdings) Limited, IHC May Fair Hotel Limited, IHC Overseas (U.K.) Limited, IHC UK (Holdings) Limited, IHC United States (Holdings) Corp., IHC Willard (Holdings) Corp., IHG (Australasia) Limited, IHG (Marseille) SAS, IHG (Thailand) Limited, IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan LLC, IHG ANA Hotels Holdings Co. Ltd., IHG Bangkok Ltd, IHG Brasil Administracao de Hoteis e Servicos Ltda, IHG Commission Services SRL, IHG Community Development LLC, IHG Cyprus Limited, IHG ECS (Barbados) SRL, IHG Franchising Brasil Ltda, IHG Franchising DR Corporation, IHG Franchising LLC, IHG Hotels (New Zealand) Limited, IHG Hotels Limited, IHG Hotels Management (Australia) Pty Limited, IHG Hotels Nigeria Limited, IHG Hotels South Africa (Pty) Ltd, IHG International Partnership, IHG Istanbul Otel Yonetim Limited Sirketi, IHG Japan (Management) LLC, IHG Japan (Osaka) LLC, IHG Management (Maryland) LLC, IHG Management (Netherlands) B.V., IHG Management MD Barclay Sub LLC, IHG Management SL d.o.o, IHG Management d.o.o. Beograd, IHG Orchard Street Member LLC, IHG PS Nominees Limited, IHG Systems Pty Ltd, IHG Szalloda Budapest Szolgaltato Kft., IHG de Argentina SA, IND East Village SD Holdings LLC, Inter-Continental D.C. Operating Corp., Inter-Continental Florida Investment Corp., Inter-Continental Florida Partner Corp., Inter-Continental Hospitality Corporation, Inter-Continental Hoteleira Limitada, Inter-Continental Hotels (Montreal) Operating Corp., Inter-Continental Hotels (Montreal) Owning Corp., Inter-Continental Hotels (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation, Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation de Venezuela C.A., Inter-Continental Hotels of San Francisco Inc., Inter-Continental IOHC (Mauritius) Limited, Inter-Continental Management (Australia) Pty Limited, InterContinental (Branston) 1 Limited, InterContinental (PB) 1, InterContinental (PB) 2, InterContinental (PB) 3 Limited, InterContinental Berlin Service Company GmbH, InterContinental Brasil Administracao de Hoteis Ltda, InterContinental Gestion Hotelera S.L., InterContinental Hotel Berlin GmbH, InterContinental Hotel Dusseldorf GmbH (Germany), InterContinental Hotels (Puerto Rico) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, InterContinental Hotels Group (Australia) Pty Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (Canada) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (Espana) SA, InterContinental Hotels Group (Greater China) Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (India) Pvt. Ltd, InterContinental Hotels Group (Japan) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (New Zealand) Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (Shanghai) Ltd., InterContinental Hotels Group Customer Services Ltd., InterContinental Hotels Group Healthcare Trustee Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group Operating Corp., InterContinental Hotels Group Resources Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group Services Company, InterContinental Hotels Group do Brasil Limitada, InterContinental Hotels Italia S.r.L., InterContinental Hotels Limited, InterContinental Hotels Management GmbH, InterContinental Hotels Nevada Corporation, InterContinental Management AM LLC, InterContinental Management Bulgaria EOOD, InterContinental Management France SAS, InterContinental Management Poland sp. z.o.o, InterContinental Overseas Holding Corporation, Intercontinental Hotels Corporation Limited, KG Benefits LLC, KG Gift Card Inc., KG Liability LLC, KG Technology LLC, KHP Washington Operator LLC, KHRG 11th Avenue Hotel LLC, KHRG 851 LLC, KHRG Aertson LLC, KHRG Alexandria LLC, KHRG Alexis LLC, KHRG Allegro LLC, KHRG Argyle LLC, KHRG Austin Beverage Company LLC, KHRG Baltimore LLC, KHRG Born LLC, KHRG Boston Hotel LLC, KHRG Canary LLC, KHRG Cayman Employer Ltd., KHRG Cayman LLC, KHRG DC 1731 LLC, KHRG DC 2505 LLC, KHRG Donovan LLC, KHRG Employer LLC, KHRG Goleta LLC, KHRG Gray LLC, KHRG Gray U2 LLC, KHRG Hillcrest LLC, KHRG Huntington Beach LLC, KHRG King Street LLC, KHRG La Peer LLC, KHRG Miami Beach LLC, KHRG Muse LLC, KHRG NPC LLC, KHRG Onyx LLC, KHRG Palladian LLC, KHRG Palomar Phoenix LLC, KHRG Philly Monaco LLC, KHRG Pittsburgh LLC, KHRG Reynolds LLC, KHRG Riverplace LLC, KHRG SFD LLC, KHRG Sacramento LLC, KHRG Savannah LLC, KHRG Schofield LLC, KHRG Sedona LLC, KHRG State Street LLC, KHRG Sutter LLC, KHRG Sutter Union LLC, KHRG Taconic LLC, KHRG Tariff LLC, KHRG Texas Hospitality LLC, KHRG Texas Operations LLC, KHRG Tryon LLC, KHRG VZ Austin LLC, KHRG Vero Beach LLC, KHRG Vintage Park LLC, KHRG WPB LLC, KHRG Wabash LLC, KHRG Westwood LLC, KHRG Wilshire LLC, KHRG Zamora LLC, Kimpton Hollywood Licenses LLC, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group LLC, Kimpton Phoenix Licenses Holdings LLC, Kimpton Sedona Licenses LLC, Louisiana Acquisitions Corp., MH Lodging LLC, Mercer Fairview Holdings LLC, PML Services LLC, PT SC Hotels & Resorts Indonesia, Pollstrong Limited, Powell Pine Inc., Priscilla Holiday of Texas Inc., RM Lodging LLC, Regent Hotels and Resorts, Resort Services International (Cayo Largo) L.P., SBS Maryland Beverage Company LLC, SC Cellars Limited, SC Hotels International Services Inc., SC Leisure Group Limited, SC NAS 2 Limited, SC Quest Limited, SC Reservations (Philippines) Inc., SCH Insurance Company, SCIH Branston 3, SF MH Acquisition LLC, SPHC Group Pty Ltd., SPHC Management Ltd., Semiramis for training of Hotel Personnel and Hotel Management SAE, Six Continents Corporate Services, Six Continents Holdings Limited, Six Continents Hotels Inc., Six Continents Hotels International Limited, Six Continents Hotels de Colombia SA, Six Continents International Holdings B.V., Six Continents Investments Limited, Six Continents Limited, Six Continents Overseas Holdings Limited, Six Continents Restaurants Limited, SixCo North America Inc., Solamar Lodging LLC, Southern Pacific Hotel Corporation (BVI) Ltd., Southern Pacific Hotels Properties Limited, Universal de Hoteles SA, White Shield Insurance Company Limited, and World Trade Centre Montreal Hotel Corporation. The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc., ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics. The following companies are subsidiares of Textron: AAI Corporation, AAI Services Corporation, ALSTOM Gears, Able Aerospace Services Inc., Able Engineering & Component Services, Aeronautical Accessories LLC, Airborne Tactical Advantage Company, Airborne Tactical Advantage Company LLC, Arctic Cat, Arctic Cat ACE Holding GmbH, Arctic Cat Deutschland GmbH, Arctic Cat Espana SL, Arctic Cat France SARL, Arctic Cat GmbH, Arctic Cat Inc., Arctic Cat Italia srl, Arctic Cat Production LLC, Arctic Cat Production Support LLC, Arctic Cat Sales Inc., Arctic Cat Shared Services LLC, Arctic Cat UK Ltd., Arkansas Aerospace, Arkansas Aerospace Inc., Avco Corporation, Avco Rhode Island (2002) Inc., Aviation Service servis letal, Aviation Service servis letal doo Ljubljana, Aylesbury Automation, B/K Navigational Equipment sro, Beech Aircraft Corporation, Beech Enterprises, Beech Enterprises Holding, Beech Holdings, Beechcraft, Beechcraft Australia Pty Limited, Beechcraft Corporation, Beechcraft Defense Company, Beechcraft Defense Support Holding, Beechcraft Defense Support Holding LLC, Beechcraft Domestic Service Company, Beechcraft Germany GmbH, Beechcraft Holdings, Beechcraft India Private Limited, Beechcraft International Holding LLC, Beechcraft International Service Company, Beechcraft New Zealand, Beechcraft Service Company UK Limited, Beechcraft Singapore Pte. Ltd., Bell Helicopter Asia (Pte) Ltd., Bell Helicopter Canada International Inc., Bell Helicopter GK, Bell Helicopter India Inc., Bell Helicopter KK, Bell Helicopter Korea Inc., Bell Helicopter Miami Inc., Bell Helicopter Prague, Bell Helicopter Prague a.s., Bell Helicopter Rhode Island Inc., Bell Helicopter Services Inc., Bell Helicopter Supply Center B.V., Bell Helicopter Supply Center BV, Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited/Limitee, Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., Bell Technical Services Inc., Benzlers, Brazaco Mapri Industrias, Burkland, CCP Holdings (ATAC), Cadillac Gage Textron Inc., Cam Tool LLC, Cessna Aircraft Company, Cessna Aircraft Rhode Island Inc., Cessna Citation European Service Center S.A.S., Cessna Citation European Service Center SAS, Cessna Consulting (Shenyang) Co, Cessna Consulting (Shenyang) Co. Ltd., Cessna Dusseldorf Citation Service Center GmbH, Cessna Finance Corporation, Cessna Finance Export Corporation, Cessna Mexico S de RL de CV, Cessna ServiceDirect, Cessna Spanish Citation Service Center SL, Cessna Zurich Citation Service Center GmbH, Citation Parts Distribution International, Citation Parts Distribution International Inc., Cushman, Cushman Inc., Datacom Technologies, David Brown Group, Doncaster Citation Service Centre Limited, E-Z-GO (Jiangsu) Electronic and Technology Co., E-Z-GO Canada Limited, EM Systems, ETOPS (AS) UK Limited, ETOPS Aviation Services Malaysia SDN BHD, ETOPS SAS, Endura-Greenlee Tools (Shanghai) Co., Energy Manufacturing, Flexalloy, Greenlee Communications Limited, Greenlee Textron Inc., Gustav Klauke GmbH, HBC LLC, HD Electric Company, Hawker Beech International Services de Mexico S de RL de CV, Hawker Beech de Mexico, Hawker Beech de Mexico S de RL de CV, Hawker Beechcraft Argentina SA, Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support, Hawker Beechcraft do Brasil Assessoria e Intermediacao de Negocios Ltda., Howe & Howe Technologies Inc., Howe and Howe Technologies, Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), Industrial Technology Inc., InteSys Technologies, International Product Support Inc., Jacobsen Professional Lawn Care Inc., KSB Annecy SAS, Kautex, Kautex (Changchun) Plastics Technology Co, Kautex (Changchun) Plastics Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Chongqing) Plastic Technology Co., Kautex (Chongqing) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Guangzhou) Plastic Technology Co., Kautex (Guangzhou) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Pinghu) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Shanghai) Plastic Technology Co., Kautex (Shanghai) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Wuhan) Plastic Technology Co., Kautex (Wuhan) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex Corporation, Kautex Craiova srl, Kautex Inc., Kautex Japan KK, Kautex Plastic Technology Gujarat Private Limited, Kautex Poland Sp. z.o.o, Kautex Shanghai GmbH, Kautex Textron (UK) Limited, Kautex Textron Benelux B.V.B.A., Kautex Textron Benelux BVBA, Kautex Textron Bohemia spol sro, Kautex Textron Bohemia spol. s.r.o., Kautex Textron CVS Limited, Kautex Textron GmbH & Co. KG, Kautex Textron Iberica, Kautex Textron Iberica SL, Kautex Textron Management Services Company de Puebla, Kautex Textron Management Services Company de Puebla S. de RL de CV, Kautex Textron Portugal Produtos Plasticos, Kautex Textron Portugal Produtos Plasticos Ldas., Kautex Textron de Mexico S de RL de CV, Kautex Textron de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Kautex Textron do Brasil Ltda., Kautex of Georgia Inc., Kaywood Products Corp., King Atmosphere General & Industrial Services and Project Management, King Atmosphere General & Industrial Services and Project Management LLC, Klauke, Klauke France SARL, Klauke Handelsgesellschaft m.b.H., Klauke Polska Sp. z o.o., Klauke Slovakia sro, Klauke Textron (Jiangsu) Electrical Connection Technology Co., Klauke UK Limited, LLC Hawker Beechcraft International RSA, LLC Textron RUS, Maag, McCord Corporation, McTurbine Inc., Mechtronix Systems, Medical Numerics, Medical Numerics Inc., Midland Industrial Plastics, MillenWorks, MillenWorks Themed Technologies, MotorFist LLC, OPINICUS Simulation and Training Services, OPINICUS Simulation and Training Services LLC, OmniQuip International, Opinicus Corp., Optical Boring Co., Opto-Electronics, Opto-Electronics Inc., Overwatch Systems, Overwatch Systems Ltd., PEINER Umformtechnik, Pirelli Tyres - General Rubber Goods (GRG) division, Progressive Electronics, Ransomes, Ransomes America Corporation, Ransomes Inc., Ransomes Investment LLC, Ransomes Jacobsen France S.A.S., Ransomes Jacobsen France SAS, Ransomes Jacobsen Limited, Ransomes Limited, Ransomes Pensions Trustee Company Limited, Ransomes Property Developments Limited, Replacement Part Solutions, Replacement Part Solutions LLC, Ring Screw Works, Rotor Blades Limited, STE Holding Inc., Sherman + Reilly, SkyBOOKS Inc., Suekosim Verbindungselemente, TRAK International, TRAK International Inc., TRU Simulation & Training Spain, TRU Simulation & Training Spain SL, TRU Simulation + Training Canada Inc., TRU Simulation + Training Inc., TRU Simulation + Training LLC, TUG Technologies Corporation, TekGPS Engineering Srl, Textron Acquisition Limited, Textron Airborne Solutions Inc., Textron Airland, Textron Airland LLC, Textron Atlantic Inc., Textron Atlantic LLC, Textron Aviation Australia Pty. Ltd., Textron Aviation Canada Ltd., Textron Aviation Defense LLC, Textron Aviation Finance Corporation, Textron Aviation Inc, Textron Aviation Inc., Textron Aviation Rhode Island Inc., Textron Capital BV, Textron China Holdings S.R.L., Textron China Inc., Textron Communications Inc., Textron Far East Pte, Textron Far East Pte. Ltd., Textron Fastening Systems Inc., Textron Finance Holding Company, Textron Financial Corporation, Textron Financial Corporation Receivables Trust 2002-CP-2, Textron Fluid and Power Inc., Textron France E.U.R.L., Textron France EURL, Textron France Holding S.A.R.L., Textron France Holding SARL, Textron Germany Holding GmbH, Textron Global Services Inc., Textron Ground Support Equipment Inc., Textron Ground Support Equipment UK Limited, Textron IPMP Inc., Textron Iberia, Textron India Private Limited, Textron Innovations Inc., Textron International Holding, Textron International Holding BV, Textron International Inc., Textron International Mexico, Textron International Mexico S de RL de CV, Textron Limited, Textron Management Services Inc., Textron Motors GmbH, Textron Motors North America Inc., Textron Outdoor Power Equipment Inc., Textron Realty Corporation, Textron Rhode Island Inc., Textron Shared Service Centre (Canada) Inc., Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc., Textron Sweden AB, Textron Systems Australia Holding Pty Ltd, Textron Systems Australia Pty Ltd, Textron Systems Canada Inc., Textron Systems Corporation, Textron Systems Electronic Systems UK (Holdings) Limited, Textron Systems Electronic Systems UK Limited, Textron Systems Rhode Island (2001) Inc., Textron Trading (Shanghai) Co., Textron Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Textron UK Pension Trustee Limited, Textron Ulasm Alet ve Parcalar Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Textron Verwaltungs-GmbH, Travel Air Insurance Company, Turbine Engine Components Textron (Newington Operations) Inc., United Industrial Corporation, United Industrial Corporation Limited, Westminster Insurance Company, Williams Machine & Tool, and Wuxi Textron Specialized Vehicles Co. Ltd.. The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, produces, distributes, and markets gas in Hong Kong and Mainland China. It is involved in the provision of liquefied natural gas, methanol, and coal and other chemicals; conversion and utilization of biomass, and industrial and agricultural waste; and operation of natural gas refilling stations, piped city-gas projects, upstream and midstream developments, water and wastewater treatment projects, energy exploration and utilization ventures, and aviation fuel facilities. The company supplies town gas to approximately 1.9 million customers. It also provides network connectivity, and data center and cloud computing services; and engages in the software development, solution implementation, and systems integration activities. In addition, the company offers consultancy and engineering contractor services, including utilities installation, infrastructure construction, and civil and building services engineering for public and private projects; and designs and manufactures gas meters and metering systems. Further, it is involved in water supply and wastewater treatment serving 2.4 million customers. Additionally, the company manufactures polyethylene piping and fittings; and engages in the customers center, cafA, restaurant, retail sale, automatic meter reading system development, laboratory testing, payment gateway and related, project management, landfill gas project, financing, logistics, oil, research and development, property development, and securities investment activities. The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited was founded in 1862 and is headquartered in North Point, Hong Kong. Read More A bitter noreaster was blowing in when Medical Sciences student Cameron Penny went out to meet comedian Rick Mercer on the quad last month. It was very cold, he recalls. But we met up as a group, with other students, and did some running around and filming for the show. It was fun. Spreading the Net Rick Mercer was on campus as part of the Spread the Net Challenge. Each year since 2007, the Rick Mercer Report films an episode of the show at the elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools who raise the most for bed nets to fight the spread of malaria. Read more: Highlights from Rick Mercer's Dal visit and watch the full episode online This year, Dalhousie raised the most among post-secondary schools thanks to a campaign run by Dals chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society. Cameron directed the project team. I was inspired to help out with the Spread the Net Challenge from a trip to Honduras when I didn't bring a mosquito net, Cameron explains. I was terrified every night when I went to sleep and would coat myself with DEET and wrap myself up in my sheets and just hope I didnt get bit. It made me realize how privileged I was to even have that mindset. Campus efforts this year raised enough to send malaria-prevention nets to about 50 families in Liberia and Rwanda through Plan Canada. The Dalhousie episode of the Rick Mercer Report is scheduled to air Tuesday, April 3 on CBC Mercers second-to-last episode before he signs off from the Report for good. Caring society Camerons membership with Dals chapter of Golden Key enables him to get involved with a variety of community events. Focused on academics, leadership and service, the society invites students who are in the top 15 per cent of their program to become members. This year, in addition to Spread the Net, Cameron also directed the chapters Movember project. As a trained speaker through Jack.org, a Canadian charity that promotes mental health awareness, Cameron and another speaker spoke about the particular stigmas that men face when it comes to their mental wellbeing. They also collected warm clothing donations for Metro Turning Point. Our mental health and physical health are so intertwined that we didn't want to only promote one aspect. he explains. Going beyond In addition to his Golden Key initiatives, Cameron is involved with the Dalhousie Global Brigades. During a medical brigade, we travel to remote communities to shadow doctors, provide triage and help distribute medication, he explains. The second half of the brigade is focused on public health initiatives to help improve living conditions. Cameron is especially impressed by the way Global Brigades tracks their results and adjusts their approach based on what they find. They cater the public health projects based on the preventable diseases that are being treated in clinic, he explains. And then, once it's implemented, they continue to track the incidence of disease in the community. If they don't see the decline they're looking for, they can try something else and see if it's more effective. It was on one of the brigade trips to Honduras when Cameron forgot his bed net. I was here worrying about bug bites, which was a very eye-opening experience, he recalls. The Hondurans we were seeing in clinic had very different priorities but because I came from a first-world nation, it was at the top of my list. It was incredible to see that disparity between individuals and how we prioritize in our everyday lives. Researching options With his obvious interest in health care, its not surprising that Cameron choose Dal because of the Medical Sciences program, the only program of its kind in Atlantic Canada. He says the best part of the program so far is getting to work on a directed research project. I'm working in the lab of Dr. Rafuse in the Department of Medical Neuroscience looking at a drug compound that increases motor neuron survival and then tweaking the application of the drug to maximize the survival of motor neurons for potential transplant. The lab hopes to use the findings to develop treatment strategies for patients with neurological disorders. Though hes thought about the possibility of working as a physician for Global Brigades or Doctors Without Borders, Cameron is quick to point out that there are plenty of rewarding careers available to Medical Sciences graduates in addition to Medicine. Its important to recognize that the title a person bears is not an indication or a limitation of the impact they can make on their community Hes also quite interested in keeping up with his research skills. As he sees it, being a physician allows you to help people in your immediate vicinity but research allows you to change the lives of so many more. Read more: Highlights from Rick Mercer's Dal visit and watch the full episode online logo_ddn_tag_Site JN with Tagline logo-sns_tag_Site Our apologies, unfortunately our website is currently unavailable in most European countries due to GDPR rules. Company is also likely to sign MoUs with the governments of Maha and Gujarat this month to supply 1,000 and 8,000 electric vehicles. Mumbai: State-run Energy Efficiency Services (EESL) plans to invest around Rs 2,400 crore to procure 20,000 electric vehicles for government use by March next year, a senior company official said. The company is also likely to sign memorandum of understandings (MoUs) with the governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat this month to supply 1,000 and 8,000 electric vehicles, respectively. "We have got a good response for this project. Already 100 electric vehicles are operational in Delhi. In total, we will be procuring 20,000 electric vehicles by March 2019 and we are investing around Rs 2,400 crore for buying them," EESL managing director Saurabh Kumar told PTI here. EESL is a joint venture of four other public sector units including NTPC, Power Finance Corporation, Rural Electrification Corporation and PowerGrid Corporation. The company had floated a global tender for 10,000 electric vehicles last year to replace the government's fleet in line with the vision to switch to 100 percent electric mobility by 2030. The tender, which comprised 500 vehicles to be procured in phase one and the rest in the second phase, was won by Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra. Kumar said the firm has signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government to supply 10,000 cars last month and has already floated another tender of an equal number for this. "The tender process is progressing well and we would be soon entering into agreements with Maharashtra and Gujarat governments," he added. With these 20,000 electric cars, EESL expects to save over 5 crore litres of fuel every year, leading to a reduction of over 5.6 lakh tonnes of annual carbon dioxide emission. EESL has also rolled out the plan for setting up charging stations across the country. "We have already laid down 250 charging stations in Delhi and a tender has been floated to set up an additional 2,500 stations across the country," said Kumar. RBI fined ICICI 589 million rupees ($9.1 million) for not sticking to rules around the sale of govt securities. Shares of ICICI Bank, Indias third-largest lender, plunged 7 per cent to a five-month low on Monday after media reported its lending practices were the subject of a police investigation. ICICI Banks shares were down 6.3 per cent at 260.75 rupees as of 0541 GMT after declining to 258.80 rupees, their lowest since late October. Police launched a preliminary inquiry about two months ago into Deepak Kochhar, the husband of ICICI CEO Chanda Kochhar, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing sources. The probe also involves ICICI officials and Videocon Group, a consumer electronics and oil and gas exploration company. Last week, ICICI described as malicious and unfounded rumors circulating online alluding to conflicts of interest in ICICIs lending to Videocon and alleging that Kochhar favored the conglomerate. In a statement, the banks board said there is no question of any quid pro quo/nepotism/conflict of interest in its lending decisions, and expressed confidence in the CEO. Indias banking sector is on edge after state-run Punjab National Bank said in February that it had unearthed a roughly $2 billion fraud. The case has stunned financial markets and led to heightened levels of shareholder concern around any wrongdoing at Indian banks. Sentiment was also negative after the central bank fined ICICI 589 million rupees ($9.1 million) for not sticking to rules around the sale of government securities. While this fine will not have a material impact on earnings, it is negative on sentiment because other banks seem to have interpreted the rules correctly, said IDFC Securities in a research note to clients. New Delhi: Tata group Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata on Monday asked employees of Tata Motors to plan on becoming leaders again, saying it hurt him when the auto maker lost market share in the last 4-5 years and the country looked at it as a 'failing company'. Tata, who addressed the annual townhall of employees -- a tradition which he started on the start of every new fiscal year -- after a gap of almost five years, said that under the leadership of Chairman N Chandrasekaran and MD Guenter Butschek, Tata Motors will continue to build in the future. "I was proud to belong to Tata Motors because there was nothing that we undertook to do that we didn't make a damn good try at achieving, be it the products, be it the entry into the passenger car area, new systems," Tata said recollecting the past ethos of the company in Pune. Commenting on the decline that the company has witnessed in the recent past, he added, "It hurt me that we lost market share in the last four to five years and we became the company that the country looked at as a failing company." In 2016-17 Tata Motors' standalone gross revenues was at Rs 49,100 crore, up 3.6 per cent from the previous year but the loss after tax, on a standalone basis, was Rs 2,480 crore compared to Rs 62 crore in the previous year. Moreover, its commercial vehicles had lost share in the domestic market, down to 44.4 per cent in March 2017 from a high of nearly 60 per cent five years before that. In the passenger vehicles business, it struggled to keep pace with competitors. However, in 2017-18, the company has been able to improve its sales significantly. Its cumulative domestic sales of commercial and passenger vehicles segments for FY18 were 5,86,639 units compared to 4,78,362 units in FY17, a growth of 23 per cent. "In all the years that I was here, I really believed that this company had tremendous spirit and tremendous capabilities. I stand here today, and I'm happy to see the same spirit, that same doability is back together. That's terrific," Tata said, who retired as Chairman of the company in 2012. Reiterating that Tata Motors was the leading company in the Tata group, he said: "We should plan on doing that again. We should plan on being leaders and not followers. And we should get back the spirit that we had which I see today that anything we want to do we will succeed in doing." Tata further said: "All of you (employees) have been terrific contributors in your field and we should feel proud of the place we have built in the past and under Chandra's and Gunter's leadership we will continue to build in the future." Policybazaar.com, India's largest insurance website and comparison portal, is planning to foray into the healthcare technology and services space. New Delhi: Policybazaar.com, India's largest insurance website and comparison portal, is planning to foray into the healthcare technology and services space. The new platform will provide consumers with easy, online and free access to PolicyBazaar's empanelled top-notch doctors and medical consultants. To begin with, the company intends to partner with 100 hospitals and 20,000 doctors, diagnostic centres, and clinics by the end of March 2019. The healthcare vertical also plans to offer a huge array of healthcare services, which includes in-hospital concierge services for its health insurance customers. By doing this, Policybazaar.com wants to be with its customers at the moment of truth, which is at the time of claims. "Our foray into the healthcare services space is in sync with the vision of expanding the social security net of India. With this venture, we seek to fulfill the need of providing quality and affordable healthcare of the burgeoning population at large by connecting the consumers with our in-house medical practitioners. The new portal will facilitate the creation of an inclusive healthcare system, which will eventually offer customised options for in-patient department insurance based on detailed analysis undertaken after studying consumer healthcare habits and patient's interactions with the doctors," said Yashish Dahiya, co-founder and CEO, Policybazaar.com. In the long run, PolicyBazaar.com wants to offer its customers a better and personalised claim and in-hospital experience. Policybazaar is also going to work with insurers to create a new category of health insurance for Out-patient expenses (OPD) and provide free online medical consultation to consumers over phone and chat. Policybazaar.com is in discussions with insurance companies to offer a first of its kind OPD insurance product. The company aims to offer 5 million OPD consultations by next FY. A new step forward in commencing Bancassurance services for MSMEs was taken. (Photo: ANI) New Delhi: Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) on Monday celebrated its foundation day with the launch of a series of initiatives from its Lucknow bank headquarters. A new step forward in commencing Bancassurance services for MSMEs was taken. Also, a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed with The New India Assurance Co. Ltd. and two MSMEs were issued insurance policies. The day was celebrated as one of Sampark (connect), Sanwad (interaction), Suraksha (security), and Sampreshan (disseminate). While flagging off its 'MSME contact programme'; Chairman and Managing Director, SIDBI, Mohammad Mustafa called upon the bank's officers to understand the opportunities, challenges and the ecosystem of MSMEs. In his interaction, Mustafa mentioned that SIDBI has taken a series of steps both from direct lending and also policy advocacy. Mustafa also launched Samridhhi - the virtual assistant on banks revamped universal loan portal www.udyamimitra.in. A Bankability Kit, brought in partnership with Bank of Baroda and IDBI Bank, was also launched. Mustafa mentioned that the coming year will see a slew of measures to create a large positive impact on the MSME sector. The new SIDBI will endeavour to contribute to entrepreneurial India. Mustafa added. New Delhi: A grouping led by worlds biggest steelmaker ArcelorMittal, mining mogul Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta and a consortium of Russias VTB Capital-backed NuMetal and JSW on Monday put in bids to takeover the bankrupt Essar Steel in the second round of bidding. In the first round, NuMetal and ArcelorMittal were the only two parties that bid to buyout Essar Steel but the insolvency resolution professional overseeing the auction was advised to reject both the bids owing to their promoters being linked to defaulter companies. Revised bids were due on Monday. Sources privy to the development said three groups bid for Essar Steel. NuMetal, majority-owned by Russias second largest bank VTB Group, shed Aurora Trust, which has links to Rewant Ruia son of Essar Steel promoter Ravi Ruia, in the second round of bidding. NuMetal aligned with JSW to make the revised bid on Monday. ArcelorMittal, which had been disqualified in the first round for being listed as a promoter of loan defaulter Uttam Galva Steel, bid along with Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corporation. This after it got declassified as a promoter of Uttam Galva Steel. Sources said Vedanta was the surprise entrant today. Vedanta has already won a bid to acquire bankrupt Electrosteel Steels Ltd in an insolvency auction. Punjab National Bank today said money of customers is safe and asserted that there would be zero tolerance towards unethical practices. New Delhi: Facing heat over nearly Rs 13,000 crore scam, Punjab National Bank on Monday said money of customers is safe and asserted that there would be zero tolerance towards unethical practices. Urging customers not to believe in any rumours, the bank assured that they can withdraw or deposit their money anytime. The lender has come out with a detailed set of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) seeking to address concerns of customers in the wake of the recent fraud. "In PNB there is zero tolerance towards unethical practices within the system. That is why the minute the bank became aware about discrepancies related to the incident, the fraudulent transactions were immediately reported to the regulator and the law enforcement agencies," it said. PNB said it has reached out to other affected banks and apprised them of the developments. On February 14, PNB informed exchanges about a fraud to the tune of Rs 11,400 crore involving billionaire jewellery designer Nirav Modi, his family and uncle Mehul Choksi of Gitanjali Gems. The fraud amount after further probe by the bank now stands at nearly Rs 13,000 crore. The Modi-Choksi duo managed to generate fake LoUs in connivance with a few bank officials and presented the same to other Indian bank branches overseas to avail credit facilities outside India. As many as 30 odd banks are affected due to this fraud including SBI, Union Bank, Allahabad Bank, ICICI Bank, among others. As a fallout of the fraud, touted as the biggest in the Indian banking history, Reserve Bank asked lenders last month to discontinue issuance of Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) and Letters of Comfort (LoCs) for trade credits. Further, PNB said it has undertaken measures to strengthen internal audit control mechanisms and looking at technology interventions to enhance customer service and customer responsiveness including automating customer response mechanism. In response to query on what action has been taken by the bank against its employees involved in the fraud, PNB said the bank is committed to ensuring that no one, irrespective of their level, is spared. Regarding a query on safety of customer's money, PNB said with a strong balance sheet of Rs 11 lakh core and sufficient non-core assets, it is capable to meet any contingent liability on the bank and "your money is safe with us". The bank registered the case with CBI in February itself. Besides, the Enforcement Directorate is probing the matter at its level. India has requested the US to exempt it from the hefty tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. New Delhi: India has requested the US to exempt it from the hefty tariffs on steel and aluminium imports and is vetting all options to deal with the issue, the government said today. In a written reply to Lok Sabha, Union Minister C R Chaudhary said the government has conducted a study on the impact of the duty hike by the US. "India has also requested the US to exempt India from the steel and aluminium tariffs. India is examining all options to deal with the issue, in case not resolved bilaterally," he said. Last month, US President Donald Trump signed two proclamations that levied 25 per cent tariff on steel and 10 per cent tariff on aluminium imported from all countries except neighbouring Canada and Mexico. India exports around USD 1.5 billion worth of these products to America. In a separate reply, the minister of state for commerce said as per WTO, India's gross national income per capita has crossed USD 1,000 for three consecutive years from 2013-2015. Based on this, the country would have to phase out some of its export-related incentives which are not in compliance with the global trade rules. "However, it is anticipated that there will be no immediate adverse impact on our foreign trade," he added. According to the statement, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has 8,38,04,469 subscriber accounts where there is no date of birth record. Similarly, there are 11,07,31,613 accounts where details of father's name is not in record. New Delhi: The government on Monday said there are over 8.38 crore EPFO accounts which do not have date of birth of subscriber and in 11.07 crore accounts, father's name of the members is missing. "There are certain accounts where details of the (EPFO) subscribers including date of birth is not available in records," Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha today. According to the statement, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has 8,38,04,469 subscriber accounts where there is no date of birth record. Similarly, there are 11,07,31,613 accounts where details of father's name is not in record. There are 7,83,06,246 subscribers whose date of joining record is not available with the EPFO. According to information available, the EPFO has over 19 crore subscriber accounts that also include members who have retired and settled their claims. The contributing members of the EPFO are over five crore at present. The minister told the House that completion of all details relating to all members of Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) is a regular and an ongoing exercise. In a separate reply, the minister said that investment in ETFs by the EPFO started from August 2015 and the total amount of investment in ETFs till December 2017 is Rs 37,667.58 crore. Presently, 15 per cent of EPFO's investible fund is invested in ETFs. Mumbai: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has voiced his concern over the medium of film losing its importance in the digital world. The 75-year-old actor, who met renowned filmmaker Christopher Nolan yesterday here to discuss about film preservation and restoration, said the cause deserves serious consideration and it is important that people from the film industry across the globe come together to save the medium. Nolan is in Indian on a three day trip along with visual artiste Tacita Dean to promote the cause of film preservation and restoration, "Prominent dignitaries from the world of cinema gathered here in round table to debate and ascertain the importance of film heritage and its preservation. The word film has suddenly lost its charm ; for there does not seem to be any need to shoot films on film. It's all digital now. "It was known as the 'film industry', they were known as 'film stars'. So in the complete absence of that medium and that product, it would be quite in order to call ourselves 'robotic genes' or words of similar sound -- 'digi act' or 'digi digi'-- It would be an issue that would need consideration," Bachchan wrote on his blog. The actor said celluloid film is the "original format" and it is necessary to bring it back into business. "It (film) had greater aesthetic value , and its preservation, an essentially for posterity of having an original , than one that has been manufactured digitally. Digital is a derivative of the original film print so how would you feel if a xerox copy of a Picasso were to be up at a museum for attention and appreciation. Film is the original, digital format is not and in time to come this format may retire too," he added. Bachchan also shared few pictures from the round table event, which was attended by Shah Rukh Khan and Kamal Haasan among others. Mumbai: It was a packed house screening for renowned filmmaker Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" and "Dunkirk" here. A 70 mm IMAX film screening of "Dunkirk" was held at 6 pm at Carnival Cinemas, IMAX, Wadala and a 35 mm film screening of "Interstellar" at 8.30pm at Carnival Liberty Cinema, Marine Lines, where Nolan took the centre stage, last evening. Nolan is in India to support filmmaker-archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, founder of Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) in drawing attention to the importance of celluloid in the digital age through "Reframing the Future of Film" along with noted visual artiste Tacita Dean. The 47-year-old director first arrived for the screening of "Dunkirk" with his producer wife Emma Thomas and Tacita, where they were greeted in traditional style with tilak and garland. "We can't wait for this day when we are going to watch after 26 years a film on 70mm. Isn't it emotional? We are going to watch an original creation created by a creator, who is going to show us one of his most wonderful films. We are very delighted to be part of 'Reframing the...'," Shivendra said. Emma said Nolan always wanted to come to Indian with his film. "Thank you very much for having us here. We always wanted to come to India with a film and we are sorry we are late. We are excited to present the film here, the way Chris had intended," Emma said. Nolan said he was grateful for the welcome that he has received in India. "I have been to India before for a brief period for 'The Dark Knight'. It is very exciting to be back here spending bit more time and for this great event that we have been doing with Tacita and Shivendra about 'Reframing the Future of Films'," he said. The director said he was happy to screen "Dunkirk" in India. "...It is exciting for us to see Indian audience see the film this way. We are excited about helping Shivendra bring attention to the cause of celluloid and future of cinema. I hope you enjoy the film," he said. Looking at the packed house, Shivendra, said, we want more 70mm films in India and requested Nolan to have a retrospective of his films. "Maybe sometime in the future...we could do that," Nolan said. Later, they all arrived to equally enthusiastic audience for the screening of "Interstellar". The director waved at the audience and thanked them for coming for the screening. "For us it is about the place of films in the future. And screenings like this are very very important in showing people movies the way they were shot, made and wanted it to be shown. 'Interstellar' was never shown like this and we are excited to show like this to all of you," Nolan said. The trio - Nolan, Tacita Dean and Shivendra talked about "Reframing the Future of Film" at NCPA. With a bunch of intriguing films in her kitty, actor Hitha Chandrashekar is an excited hudugi and has much to look forward to. The svelte actress, whos been garnering praise for her performance in the recently-released Yogi Duniya, is also kicked about her role in Onthara Bannagalu. Talking about the reactions to her latest release Yogi Duniya, Hitha expresses, The flick was supposed to release last year. The makers faced a lot of trouble as they had to change the title from Duniya 2. The release of the movie itself was a big deal. I think its been received well, although there are people who found the subject to be crude as theyre not used to the harsh reality portrayed in the film. However, people are liking my performance and Ive had industry people calling me to appreciate me. Her next project is a multi-starrer called Onthara Bannagalu, in which she plays the role of a Government employee. She mostly works with male colleagues. Shes brought herself up, isnt scared of anything, is opinionated and snappy. When she goes on a road trip, with four others, things change for her. This is a travel flick thats slice-of-life, contemporary and showcases real characters and normal conversations. Last year, the original producers backed out, so our director Sunils friends stepped in and our film now has around 25 investors, reveals the actor. Another movie this lassie has signed is Thurthu Nirgama, which will have actor Sunil Raoh play the protagonist. Interestingly, she was signed for the film after director Hemanth Kumar spotted her at a cafe in JP Nagar. Theres this restaurant where Im a regular and so is Hemanth. Wed seen each other many times there and he got in touch with me through a friend of mine. One of the main reasons I agreed to do the movie is the stellar cast which comprises Sudha Rani, Achyuth Kumar, Raj B Shetty and Samyutha Hegde, says Hitha, who believes that if executed well, this could turn out to be one of the path-breaking films of the year. While Hemanths is a fantasy flick, Hithas other movie, directed by chat show host Vinay Bharadwaj, will be a romantic comedy. As for her dream projects, the artistes keen on writing a story for herself. I have this constant hunger to do something that will satisfy the actor in me. Growing up, I was always interested in writing. I already have something in mind I need to put it on paper in the next one year and probably take it to a producer or director. Being the daughter of actors Sihi Kahi Chandru and Geetha, how much career advice does she take from them? I do discuss work with my parents who open up new perspectives for me while giving their opinions, but ultimately, the choice to do a project or not is mine, she says. When shes not shooting, the fitness buff likes to work out and socialise with her friends while haunting the latest restaurants. As someone whos a Netflix addict, the actresses latest favourite is a German show called Dark. Content like this makes me feel like Im not doing anything! Theres so much more we can explore and thats why I want to create something on my own instead of waiting for someone to do it. British model Naomi Campbell displays an outfit by designer Tiffani Amber during the ARISE Fashion Week event in Lagos, Nigeria, Sunday, April 1, 2018. (Photo: AP) LAGOS: Supermodel Naomi Campbell said on Sunday that Vogue magazine should launch an African edition to recognize the continents contribution to a global fashion industry that has been criticized for its lack of diversity. Campbell, who was visiting Nigerias commercial capital, Lagos, to appear on the runway at Arise Fashion Week, said there was a need for better representation of the continent. There should be a Vogue Africa, she told Reuters in an interview. We just had Vogue Arabia - it is the next progression. It has to be, she said, referring to the edition of the magazine aimed at a readership in the Middle East that launched last year. Africa has never had the opportunity to be out there and their fabrics and their materials and their designs be accepted on the global platform ... it shouldnt be that way, said the British-born Campbell. Conde Nast International, which publishes Vogue, could not immediately be reached for comment. The global fashion industry has attracted criticism in the past few years because most models for major designers and fashion houses are white. People have come to realize it is not about the color of your skin to define if you can do the job or not, said the model, adding she had seen signs that the fashion industry was becoming more diverse such as the appointment of Edward Enninful as British Vogues editor-in-chief in April last year. The Ghanaian-born Enninful is the first black editor in the publications 100-year history and the first man to take up the role. Last week, LVMHs Louis Vuitton brand, the biggest revenue driver at the French luxury goods group, said it had hired Ghanaian-American Virgil Abloh to design its menswear collections. NEOT KEDUMIM, Israel: As the sun beats down on the barren slopes around Jerusalem, a tree of the kind believed to have provided the crown of thorns in Biblical accounts of Jesus Christs crucifixion stands unaffected, its fruits ample and foliage green. While pilgrims prepare to converge on the city at Easter to commemorate the events of Christian tradition, Israeli scientists researching climate change are at work in the surrounding hills studying the Ziziphus Spina-Christi, commonly known as Christs Thorn Jujube. They believe it is a pioneer species in the fight against desertification because its hardiness makes it resilient to rising temperatures and aridity. It can draw water from deep underground, and it retains the ability to photosynthesise even when exposed to high temResearchers believe it is a "pioneer species" in the fight against desertification because its hardiness makes it resilient to rising temperatures and aridity. Its one of the few species that we can plant on these slopes that have nothing on them, said Shabtai Cohen of Israels Volcani Agricultural Research Centre, who has been working with Frances National Institute for Agricultural Research and researchers at Israels Hebrew University. We only know maybe one or two other species that can do that. Various plants have been proposed as the source of the crown of thorns the New Testament says was placed on Christs head in the lead-up to the crucifixion, and no-one knows for certain. But the consensus among Christian scholars tends toward Ziziphus Spina-Christi. Just as that crown is associated with suffering and death followed by resurrection, the researchers hope the tree, which provides sustenance to bees and insects, can help support life in areas threatened by deadly heat. Studying its attributes and its traits is going to help us to breed species that we want in the future, said Cohen. While Pippa Middleton had stolen the show when she was the maid of honour for Kate Middletons wedding to Prince William in 2011, it remains to be seen who Meghan Markle chooses for her wedding to Prince Harry. The bookies hot favourite has been announced as the stars best friend, Canadian stylist Jessica Mulroney, and shes not the only one in the running. While Meghan is said to have already chosen her maid of honour ahead of her May 19 wedding, she had, so far, remained tight-lipped about who has been officially asked. From her actress pals to her long-time best friends, Meghan has a long list of people she could have chosen from. Here are the possible choices: Jessica Mulroney: The 37-year old, sources say is one of Meghans closest friends, who has stood by her for many years before meeting Harry. When Meghan was active on Instagram, her page was full of snaps of the pair of them looking like two peas in a pod. The pals grew close in Toronto when Meghan was filming Suits, and the pair even went on holiday to Italy together in 2016. Jessica is believed to have been employed by Meghan three years ago, and has also styled the likes of Canadian PM Justin Trudeaus wife Sophie. Jessicas daughter Ivy, four, is also thought to have been picked for a flower girl role. Priyanka Chopra: Another of Meghans close allies is Indian actress Priyanka Chopra. In an interview, Chopra had revealed that they had bonded as actors and became friends. The two first met at a dinner celebrating women in television, and often share snaps of their evenings out together on Instagram. In fact, Priyanka has also hit out at Meghan becoming known solely as Harrys girlfriend. Sarah Rafferty: Fans of Suits will be delighted that Meghans co-star Sarah Rafferty, 45, who plays Donna Paulsen in the US legal drama, could be up for prestigious honour. In the past, Sarah has been described by Meghan as "not just my Suits sister wife, but my sister". Sounds very close! Janina Gavankar: Another actress Meghan has a strong bond with is Janina Gavankar, 37. She is popular as the brunette beauty from teen hits True Blood and Vampire Diaries. Kate Middleton: Future sister-in-law Kate Middleton is also in the running, although some people have cast double over whether she will take chief bridesmaid role. However, Kate's status as a married woman also rules her out of being both a bridesmaid and a maid of honour. This is because both roles that are traditionally reserved for single ladies. All the pressure cookers and saree packets had the image of RR Nagar Congress MLA Munirathna. According to a complaint by the sector magistrate, the goodies were meant to be distributed to woo voters of RR Nagar constituency. Bengaluru: The Nandini Layout police along with Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency sector magistrate on Sunday seized pressure cookers and sarees meant to be distributed among voters of RR Nagar constituency ahead of the assembly election to be held on May 12. As many as 90 pressure cookers and four bundles of sarees, each consisting of 90 sarees, were seized from a house at Lakshmidevi Nagar in Laggere, which was taken on rent by one Dorai. All the pressure cookers and saree packets had the image of RR Nagar Congress MLA Munirathna. According to a complaint by the sector magistrate, the goodies were stored at the house and were meant to be distributed to woo voters of RR Nagar constituency. Based on the complaint, the Nandini Layout police along with EC officials raided the house and seized the goods. A case has been taken up under 171 (E) (bribery) of IPC. An inquiry is on to find out the owner of the house and other details. The model code of conduct, which has come into force, prohibits the government from making use of official vehicles for poll campaigning and other election-related activities, and bars the use of loudspeakers for campaigning between 10 pm and 6 am. A total of 1,156 flying squads and 1,255 surveillance teams have been put in place in the state to ensure the code of conduct is adhered to.In the Mahadevpura assembly constituency, over 500 sewing machines which were rumoured to be stocked up in a godown at Cheemsandra were seized. They were to be distributed to garner votes for the BJP, sources said. Repeated calls to BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad, who is the district election officer, went unanswered. Chennai: Unidentified persons hurled petrol bombs at the residence of a trader in Guduvancheri near here on Monday. Cots and other household articles were destroyed in the incident. The trader escaped with minor injury. According to sources, Sekar was running a vegetable outlet in Vinayagapuram, Karanai Puducherry, for several years. A few years ago, he obtained loan of Rs 6.50 lakh from two persons for development of his business. Over the years, he repaid Rs 12 lakh. However, the duo continued to collect the interest along with principal amount. They also threatened him and demanded him to settle the remaining amount. Unable to withstand the harassment, he filed case against the usurers before Guduvanchery police on February 28. Again the duo demanded Sekar to settle the amount. On Monday when Sekar was taking rest in his residence two persons reached the place in two-wheeler and hurled petrol bombs at him. A cot and other material were damaged in the incident. Sekar suffered minor injuries. The Guduvanchery police registered a case. Cops are conducting investigation whether two persons were involved in the attack or not. The incident of hurling petrol bombs has been on the rise in the region. For the past six months, petrol bombs have been hurled in Kanchipuram district seven times. Chennai: Mamallapuram police has arrested a man who posed for a picture with one leg on Shiva Linga, wearing slippers and posted it on social media recently. The arrested, Saddam Hussain (35), took the picture at the Shiva Linga placed near Thiru Moorthy Mandapam. After his pictures went viral on social media and activists fumed for hurting their religious sentiments, a member of Hindu Munnani group lodged a formal complaint in the Mamallapuram station. After the police launched search, Hussain surrendered on Sunday and he is remanded in Chengelpet sub jail. Investigations are on for his accomplice in the picture who stood beside Shiva Linga. Hyderabad: The South Zone Task Force team raided a godown in Jahangirabad under Chandrayangutta police station limits and apprehended one person involved in illegal supply of PDS rice. The task force team seized 50 quintals of PDS rice from the accused. The accused and the seized material were handed over to the SHO of Chandrayangutta police station for further investigation. They also misbehaved with the women by abusing them and forcing them to apply sindoor on their foreheads as a symbol of their denunciation of the Christian faith. Hyderabad: Members of the Christian community staged a protest at Kukatpally on Monday demanding strict action against ant-socials who had obstructed an Easter procession. Cops altered the case filed against the miscreants and added charges of outraging the modesty of women. A case has also been registered against the members of the Christian community on charges of proselytization. A group of youngsters obstructed an Easter procession taken out in Dayaram Basti, which is located behind the Metro Mart in Kukatpally, on Sunday. The group tore up copies of the police permission granted for the procession. They also misbehaved with the women by abusing them and forcing them to apply sindoor on their foreheads as a symbol of their denunciation of the Christian faith. On Monday, over 200 members of various Christian organisations led by the Rashtriya Kranti Parishad (RKP) staged a protest in Kukatpally demanding strict action against the miscreants. They also appealed to the government to condemn such incidents and take the necessary steps to prevent their occurrence in the future. The Kukatpally Police arrested four people involved in obstruction of the Easter procession. The accused were produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody on Monday. Three men from Bihar who offered to polish gold ornaments of people living in a colony were caught by Commissioner's Task Force, North Zone Team, in a joint operation with Market Police, on Monday for stealing the gold. Hyderabad: It may seem like a harmless service being offered but it's best to decline. Three men from Bihar who offered to polish gold ornaments of people living in a colony were caught by Commissioner's Task Force, North Zone Team, in a joint operation with Market Police, on Monday for stealing the gold. Police have detected six cases in which they were involved and seized gold ornaments weighing 162 gm, five Ujala shine packets and two cell phones from them. The arrested were identified as Mohammed Sattar Ali, Chhote Miyan, and Mohd Amir, all natives of Bihar. The gang would offer to polish gold and silver ornaments and target aged persons. As a sample they polished copper and silver objects they carried with the powder to show how they shown and charge a modest amount for the service. The ornaments would be placed in a bowl of water and the owner advised to wait for five or ten minutes as the water boiled. They would then manage to distract the owner and make off with the ornaments, said DCP North Zone, B Sumathi. 58-year-old woman working as a typist at the High Court alleged that her neighbours had been harassing her and have been robbing valuables from her home for over a decade. Hyderabad: A 58-year-old woman working as a typist at the High Court alleged that her neighbours had been harassing her and have been robbing valuables from her home for over a decade. Katragadda Anasuya claimed that she had lodged complaints with the police, but to no avail. She claims that the police had connived with the opposite party and hence, did not act on her complaints. Fed up of the injustice, she approached the Cyberabad Police Commissioner on Monday and submitted a petition seeking justice. Anasuyas family, along with her advocate brother Vasireddy Shivarama Krishnaprasad, were residing at Nallakunta before they moved to Suraram in 2003, after her brother constructed a new house. Their problems started immediately in the form of an auto driver Ali, alias, Don Ali, alias, Tiger Ali, his wife Jebunnisa Begum and his brothers who live adjacent to their house. While Anasuya went to work and her brother went to the High Court to attend cases, her cousin would take care of Anasuya's school-going daughter. Taking advantage of this situation, Alis family started harassing them by entering the house forcefully and abusing them in vulgar language. "Whenever we left the house locked, Ali broke the lock and decamped with valuables and food items. We initially thought it was some unknown individuals, but later, after seeing the articles from our house in Alis house, I questioned him and even approached Jeedimetla Police in 2004, but he had managed to convince the police to not take any action. After a while, when he started looting my house regularly, the police visited the spot and collected details, but never recorded the complaint and this continued as a regular affair," said Anasuya in her petition to the Commissioner. Each time after the police left her house, Ali and his men would assault her and her brother. Though neighbours had witnessed this on many occasions, they never intervened because of how much they feared Ali. She had approached police on multiple occasions, but was mocked by them as a mental lady and her complaint was not admitted. The girl, still shaken by the assault, narrated the incident to her mother who approached the police and lodged a complaint against the former RTC employee. Hyderabad: A 60-year-old retired RTC employee was arrested by Gopalapuram police on Monday for allegedly sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl. The man, identified as Ashok, is a resident in Gopalapuram locality, the police said. The retired RTC employee resides there with his family, who were not home when he called the six-year-old to his place. The girl was playing in front of his house when he gestured her to come in and touched her inappropriately, police inspector of Gopalapuram Sridhar said. The girl, still shaken by the assault, narrated the incident to her mother who approached the police and lodged a complaint against the former RTC employee. Based on a complaint given by the childs mother, we booked him under Section 354 (sexual assault) of the IPC and also under relevant Sections of the PoCSO Act and arrested him, the police official said. CBSE said exams will carry on as per schedule in Union Territory of Chandigarh and rest of the country. (Representational Image) New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has confirmed postponing class 12 and class 10 examinations scheduled to be held today in Punjab after it received a letter from the state government informing that there might be a Bharat Bandh organised by some Dalit groups. "Taking congnisance of the letter of the director general (school education), the CBSE decided to postpone all class 12 and 10 examinations scheduled for April 2, 2018 in the state of Punjab," the CBSE said in a statement issued late in a night, according to news agency PTI. Referring to the letter by the state government received on Sunday, the CBSE further said all schools in the state will remain shut for the day. "Exams will carry on as per schedule in UT (Union Territory) of Chandigarh and rest of the country," it said. The next date of the examinations in Punjab will be announced soon by the board, it added. The state government on Sunday ordered a security clampdown as a precautionary measure following the shutdown call. The Dalit organisations have called for a bandh to protest the alleged dilution of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989. The Supreme Court had on March 20 banned arrests and registration of criminal cases under the SC/ST Act. The apex court said government servants should not be arrested without prior sanction and private citizens too should be arrested only after an inquiry under the law. But Dalit organisations, including the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch, and some political parties fear the dilution of the provisions might lead to increase in violence against Dalits. Several Dalit lawmakers and organisations, however, have demanded review of the court order on the SC/ST Act, which prevents the minorities from discrimination and atrocities. Amid repeated appeals by the lawmakers and organisations, the Centre has decided to file a review petition in the top court today. Meanwhile, the Punjab government, in a bid to maintain law and order, has said that banks will also remain shut in the state today and public and private transport will stay off the road. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also requested the protesters to allow the bodies of Indians killed in Iraq, which will reach Amritsar today, to be transported to their respective villages without any hurdles. Army and paramilitary forces have been asked to be on standby. Mobile internet in the state will also remain suspended till 11 pm on Monday, a spokesperson of Punjab government was quoted as saying by PTI. The leak of Class 10 mathematics and Class 12 economics papers has created a furore across the country, with students, parents and other stakeholders up in arms over the incident. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: A desire to help their friend for a few thousand rupees led Rishabh and Rohit -- the duo arrested in the CBSE paper leak case to commit the crime, a police official said on Sunday. According to police, Rishabh, Rohit and Tauqeer knew each other since the last five years. Tauqeer, the third accused in the case, had urged the other two to help him get the CBSE Class 12 economics paper for his student. The official privy to the investigation said the crime was committed for a few thousand rupees. The police said that the invigilators are provided question papers at 9.45 am on the examination day and are allowed to open those immediately. The exam starts at 10.30 am. However, the school (Mother Khajani Convent School) authorities allegedly provided the question papers to teachers around 9.10 am which gave the two accused -- Rohit and Rishabh -- ample time to click the pictures and send to Tauqeer, who circulated them to students, they said. "We are also probing whether the trio was involved in leaking more papers this year or of the previous years," he said. Rishabh teaches physics at the Mother Khajani Convent School. He completed his B Tech from Punjab Technical University in 2013 and then did his BEd. Rohit is a mathematics teacher in the same school. He had done his BSc from Bahadurgarh in Haryana, while Tauqeer teaches economics at a private tuition centre in Delhi. The police added that the trio apparently was hatching the conspiracy for two weeks. The leak of Class 10 mathematics and Class 12 economics papers has created a furore across the country, with students, parents and other stakeholders up in arms over the incident. Though the CBSE has announced the date for a re-examination of the Class 12 paper, it is yet to take a final call on the retest of the Class 10 paper. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At a time when it is alleged that KSEB Limited is pampering its employees, the public utility says that it is too short of funds to pay the salaries and benefits of nearly 8,000 of its 35,000 employees. This is because the Electricity Regulatory Commission has approved the employee cost of only 27,175 of its employees. The power utility has petitioned the ERC to grant it more, saying that the deficit was imposing a huge financial strain. Nonetheless, power minister M M Mani said the public utility would initiate certain rationalisation measures as outlined in a study by IIM-Kozhikode. The minister but ruled out a freeze on future recruitment. Fact is, the power utility has been constantly asked to curtail its burgeoning employee costs. Way back in 2010, the ERC had directed KSEBL to redeploy employees who had been rendered excess as a consequence of computerisation and the introduction of new technology. It was on the basis of this directive that IIM-Kozhikode was asked to do a study on the service quality and organisational efficiency of KSEB, a top KSEBL official said. The report, which was submitted in 2015, underlined the need to redeploy excess staff. In 2014, the ERC had once again asked KSEBL to control and rationalize its employee cost, especially its increasing dependence on contract labour. While KSEBL is complaining about the ERCs stinginess, industrial consumers have criticized the Commission for granting the utility higher operational and maintenance costs, especially employee costs, under the Draft State Electricity Regula-tory Commission (Terms and Conditions for Determination of Tariff) Regulations, 2017. The argument of the HT and EHT Consumers' Association is that the draft regulations have increased employee expenses for 2016-17 and 2017-18 by Rs 752 crore and Rs 773 crore, a swell of 61.6 per cent and 57.8 per cent. The government, too, had officially objected to KSEBL employee costs. Dr K.M. Abraham, when he was additional chief secretary (finance), had noted in a file that while it is important to reward employee with a good compensation package, there are components in the package that should have been curtailed to reasonable levels. Whats more, the additional report submitted by IIM Kozhikode in 2017 has called for the review of the Compassionate Employment Scheme, which allows employment in the position such as workman, lineman, office attendant, confidential assistants, and fair copy assistant for dependents of former employees. Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day-long standoff in Doklam from June 16, 2017 after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army. (Representational Image) Walong (Arunachal Pradesh): Indian troops deployed along the disputed Sino-India border in the Himalayan range of the Arunachal sector have increased their patrolling at a tri-junction of India, China and Myanmar to prevent a repeat of a Doklam-like standoff. Top Army officials told news agency PTI that the tri-junction, located around 50 km from Walong, the easternmost town of India near the Tibet region, is extremely important for India to help it maintain its dominance in the nearby mountain passes and other areas. "After the Doklam standoff, we have increased our presence on India's side of the tri-junction as it is very important for us from the strategic dimension," a senior Army official said. He said Chinese troops did not enter the tri-junction too frequently but had developed a road infrastructure near the area which could be advantageous for the mobilisation of army personnel. Walong, situated on the bank of Lohit river, had witnessed the bravery of Indian troops against Chinese aggression during the 1962 war between the two countries. The deepening of military engagement between China and Myanmar was another reason for India ramping up its presence at the tri-junction with thick rainforests on the Himalayan ranges. The official said Myanmarese border guarding forces did not patrol the tri-junction. "After the tri-junction in Doklam in the Sikkim sector, this is the most important tri-junction along the Sino-India border," he said. Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day-long standoff in Doklam from June 16, 2017 after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army. The face-off ended on August 28. The area in Doklam where China tried to construct a road is a disputed territory claimed by both China and Bhutan. India sent its troops to stop the Chinese construction activity, saying it could be a threat to its strategic interests in the region. Since the Doklam standoff, India has deployed more troops and increased patrolling along the borders with China in the Tibetan region. Another official said Indian troops have also enhanced their presence in all the areas in the Lohit Valley near the tri-junction. "There are 18 mountain passes in the region and we have been carrying out long-range patrols to all these passes regularly," he said. He further said," We have been carrying out war rehearsals regularly. You have to be in an offensive mode to remain in an advantageous position." China has been laying new roads and improving its overall infrastructure along the nearly 4,000 km-long border with India. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said last month that China had undertaken the construction of helipads, sentry posts and trenches for its army personnel near Doklam. Sources said China has been keeping its troops in north Doklam and significantly ramping up its infrastructure in the disputed area. In January, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had said the time had come for India to shift its focus from its borders with Pakistan to the frontier with China, indicating the seriousness of the situation. Chennai: Reeling under the nightmares of jallikattu protest of 2017, the city police after experiencing a pinch of flash agitation demanding Cauvery Management Board (CMB) on Saturday, had prepared themselves for Sunday. More than 1000 police have been deployed in the Marina Beach area from Napier Bridge to Light House. The security arrangements have been made under the leadership of 5 deputy commissioners. The deployment will not be pulled out until the positive intelligence, said T.S. Anbu, Joint Commissioner of Police (Chennai East). The beach, that welcomes thousands of visitors every Sunday, remained deserted as the beach-goers preferred other spots. Everywhere it was only Khaki. Apart from Marina Beach, the police have also beefed-up security at various spots including bus stands, Elliots Beach, Valluvar Kottam, Panagal Maligai and others. On Saturday evening, the police leadership had been taken by surprise as the apolitical, leaderless group conducted a flash protest in Marina. With photos and videos of the agitation circulated on social media platforms, city police seemed not to be taking any risk. Every vehicle entering the Beach Road had come under police scanner. Early morning walkers also had a tough time owing to piles of questions thrown at them. We regularly walk and stretch in the beach, but the police are asking too many questions. We regret coming here, a regular walker said. After struggling to locate the agitation spot on Saturday, police would have worked overnight, apparently. Apart from installing CCTV cameras at 5 spots on the beach, the police had also erected makeshift watchtowers at various spots. Meanwhile, T.S. Anbu, who reviewed the arrangements at the beach on Sunday morning, reiterated that the protesters should avail proper permission from the police before staging agitations. Marina Beach is a public place. So protesters will not be allowed here. We will give permission if protests held at notified spots, he added. Toll plaza vandalised The Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) leader T. Velmurugan and 29 party cadres were arrested at a Sengurichi toll plaza near Ullundurpet on Sunday after they ransacked the toll plaza condemning the Centre and State governments for not obeying the Supreme Court verdict on Cauvery water issue. They have also protested against the Centres move to increase the toll in the toll plazas. The group vandalized the tollgate and broke glass shields. They have also attempted to block traffic on the highway. The toll collection was affected for nearly 30 minutes. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) increased the tariff by 5 to 7 percent in 20 toll plazas across the state from April 1. The increased tariff came into force from midnight of March 31. The one way fare for jeep, car and van has been increased to `90 from `85, and to `3,025 for monthly multiple entries for each vehicle. The tariff increased to Rs 140 for single entry and to `4,655 for monthly multiple entries for light commercial vehicle. The toll for truck and heavy vehicles increased to `285 for single entry and Rs 9,455 for 50 multiple entries for a month Protesting against the steep hike, the TVK has staged protest at several toll plazas on highways and they also observe non-payment of toll at these booths. Holding placards and banners condemning the Centre and NHAI for raising the toll and for its failure to form Cauvery Water Management Board, over 200 TVK cadres led by its founder leader T Velmurugan have assembled at Sengurichi toll plaza at 11.30 am on Sunday. They have raised slogans condemning the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for adopting anti-Tamil policies in various issues including Cauvery water issue, Gail pipeline issue and Neutrino Observatory (INO) project at Bodi hills, Theni District. They also raised slogans against the State government for toeing the line of Centre. The Villupuram Superintendent of Police S. Jeyakumar has posted a large contingent of police force at the plaza. Soon after the cadres assembled at the plaza the cops demanded the cadres to disperse from the place and not to cause trouble in the place. However, the cadres removed the barricades and damaged the toll booths. The glass panels were damaged in the incident and staffs have decamped from the place. The party cadres Dhanasenthil and Guna have attempted to immolate themselves in the place. However, the police have scuttled their move by spraying water on them. After launching mild lathi-charge the cadres, including Velmurugan were taken to a marriage hall. The police registered case against them under various sections including Tamil Nadu Property (Prevention Of Damage And Loss) Act, 1992 and arrested. They were remanded to prison in the evening. Meanwhile, the party cadres have also staged demonstration at toll plaza at Vilkkiravandi, near Tindivanam in Villupuram district and Sriperumbudur in Kanchipuram district. The TVK cadres also staged protest at Neelamboor toll plaza in outskirts of Coimbatore condemning the hike in toll fare. When the attempted to block road, the police arrested 12 TVK cadres. The Punjab minister assured employment for a person from the family of victims and said that the pension of Rs 20, 000 which is currently being provided to the kin will continue. (Photo: File) Amritsar: Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday announced exgratia of Rs five lakh for the next kin of the 27 Indians belonging from Punjab, who was killed in Iraq's Mosul. Apart from this, he assured employment for a person from the family of victims and said that the pension of Rs 20, 000 which is currently being provided to the kin will continue. Meanwhile, the mortal remains of 38 out of 39 Indians have reached Amritsar. Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh, who brought the remains from Iraq, will hand it over to the family later in the day. The remains of one man were not brought as his case was still pending. Singh will later travel to Amritsar and Patna to hand over the remains to the respective families of the victims. It was on March 20, when External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj in the Rajya Sabha informed the Parliament that 39 Indian nationals, who went missing in Mosul in 2014, were killed by the terror outfit Islamic State (IS). The 39 persons, most of whom hailed from Punjab, were working on projects near Mosul when they got kidnapped. Kolkata: A day after a BJP central team's visit to the riot-hit areas of Asansol and Raniganj in Burdwan West, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) served a notice to Mamata Banerjee government on Monday taking 'suo motu cognisance' into the violence which broke out during the Ramnavami festival celebrations in the two industrial towns last week. Expressing its "serious concern" over the clashes the NHRC issued the notices to state chief secretary Malay De, state home secretary Atri Bhattacharya and state director general of police Surajit Kar Purkayastha. It has directed them to submit a detailed report within four weeks. The NHRC also ordered its director general (investigation) to depute a team headed by an officer not below the rank of senior superintendent of police (SSP) for "spot investigation" and sought for a report within next three weeks. In a statement the NHRC said, "The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC has taken suo-motu cognizance of media reports alleging failure of the law enforcing agencies in protecting the right to life, liberty and dignity of the innocent people, who have become victims of violence in the Asansol- Raniganj area of West Bengal since 25th March, 2018. Many people have been forced to leave their houses. Several people have died; a police officer has also sustained grievous injuries in the violence and the situation is reported to be still out of control." It added, "Expressing serious concern over the situation, the Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and Director General of Police, West Bengal calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks. The Commission has also asked its Director General (Investigation) to depute a team headed by an officer not below the rank of SSP to visit the disturbed areas of Asansol-Raniganj for spot investigation/ inquiry to assess the actual situation and submit a report within three weeks." The NHRC statement elaborated, "According to the media reports, the people, who dialed 100 to seek police assistance, have stated that no police personnel came to help them. The unruly mob has destroyed the public and private properties. There are many families from different communities, as mentioned in the news report, who have lost everything in the ongoing violence. It is also stated in the news reports that according to many victims, the police just stood there for a while and then vanished when the crowd attacked the victims. Apart from this, people suffering from illness and pregnant ladies are the worst victims in the affected area." It mentioned, "However, reportedly, the Commissioner of Police of Asansol has stated that the situation is under control and loud speakers are being used to spread awareness against the rumours and in the sensitive areas, large number of police personnel have been deployed." Agitations took place in several parts of Tamil Nadu over Cauvery issue.(Photo: File/PTI) Coimbatore: Two DMK workers on Monday allegedly attempted self immolation while protesting in Coimbatore against the Centre for its 'failure' to constitute the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) in compliance with the February 16 order of the Supreme Court, police said. Notably, agitations took place in several parts of the state over the vexed issue. The two DMK functionaries, identified as PT Murugesan and Singai Sadashivam, doused themselves with kerosene and tried to self immolate at Peelamedu in Coimbatore, police said. However, they were over powered by a few police personnel present at the spot and whisked away to a nearby police station, they added. A group of farmers and members of some fringe outfits on Monday gathered in front of the district collectorate in the city and raised slogans seeking the constitution of the CMB immediately. According to the police, incidents of road blockades by members of various political parties were also reported in the state. The DMK-led opposition parties had on Sunday called for a state-wide shutdown on April 5 seeking constitution of the CMB by the Centre. The Stalin-led party had said it would hold continuous protests -- similar to the one on Sunday in Chennai -- till the CMB was constituted. Both the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government had on March 31 moved the Supreme Court on the issue of constitution and composition of the CMB in compliance with the February 16 verdict of the apex court on the contentious issue. Also read: Cauvery dispute: SC cuts TNs share, K'taka gets additional 14.75 tmc water In its February verdict, the top court had raised the 270 tmcft share of Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery river water. It had granted six weeks to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its 465-page judgement, which modified the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal Award. The six-week period ended on March 29. Dalit organisations across the country have called a 'Bharat Bandh' today to protest a recent Supreme Court ruling over SC/ST Act. (Photo: ANI/Twitter) New Delhi: Dalit organisations across the country have called a 'Bharat Bandh' today to protest a recent Supreme Court ruling diluting the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. Following the 'bandh' call, Punjab government has ordered suspension of public transport services across the state. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has also postponed the Class 10 and 12 board examinations in the state today. Punjab, which has the highest number of Dalit population, is on high alert. Internet services in the state have been clamped down since 5 pm on Sunday and will remain suspended till 11 pm today. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has appealed for calm and has requested the Army and paramilitary forces to be on stand-by. Read: CBSE calls off board exams in Punjab as state braces for 'Bharat Bandh' The Bharat Bandh has already affected states of Bihar and Odisha, where protesters have blocked railway tracks. Meanwhile, the Centre has filed a review petition on the matter in the Supreme Court, challenging its order banning automatic arrest and registration of cases for alleged harassment of SCs and STs. Also Read: SC order banning automatic arrest will dilute SC-ST Act: Govt to tell court Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "I wish to convey that today (Monday) we've filed a petition on the judgement by Supreme Court on the SC/ST act. We have filed a comprehensive review petition which will be presented before the court by the senior lawyers of the government." Meanwhile, the Supreme Court today declined an urgent hearing on a plea which sought a stay and review of verdict putting safeguards in the SC/ST Act. All India Federation of SC/ST organisations, a conglomerate of nearly 150 employees groups, said large-scale nationwide violence has taken place in which several people have lost their lives and therefore the petition should be heard urgently. However, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud said that the petition will be heard in due course of time. Advocate Manoj Gaurkella, appearing for the employees federation said that the recent verdict passed by the apex court on March 20 was "unfair and unjust and it should be stayed". On March 20, the apex court had introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the Act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law. The court held that there is a need to provide for safeguards against registration of FIRs and arrests under the SC/ST Act in view of instances of misuse, as observed in the last three decades. Also Read: Arrest of an accused not mandatory under SC/ST Act, says Supreme Court Meanwhile, Union Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot had on Friday appealed to organisations and individuals opposing the Supreme Court's verdict on the SC/ST Act to withdraw their protests in the wake of the government's decision to file a review petition challenging the order. Here are the live updates from 'Bharat Bandh' protest till 4:30 pm: 04:15 pm: Manzil Saini, SSP Meerut, said, More than 200 people have been detained and we are getting cases registered against them. All conspirators and hooligans involved in anti-social activities will be booked under NSA. There have been no casualties so far. 04:02 pm: Condemning the ongoing violence during the Bharat Bandh, BSP Chief Mayawati said, I support the protest against the SC/ST Act. I have got to know that some people spread violence during the protests, I strongly condemn it. Our party is not behind the violence during the protests. She added, Strict action should be taken against those who spread violence during the protests. 02:49 pm: Bus vandalized and set ablaze during protest in UP's Azamgarh (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 02:20 pm: In Uttar Pradesh, vehicles were set ablaze during protest in Muzaffarnagar (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 02:25 pm: IG Law and Order Makrand Deuskar says that four people have died in protests in Gwalior and Morena, ANI reported 02:10 pm: News agency ANI reported that 19 people have been injured in Gwalior of which 2 are in critical condition. Internet service have been blocked in Gwalior district till 6 am on Tuesday 01:14 pm: In Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior, shots were fired during protests 01:05 pm: In Gujarat, protestors stage demonstrations in Kutch's Gandhidham (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 12:50 pm: Criticising the opposition for playing politics over the issue, Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan said, One can understand if people protest, but why is opposition playing politics? Parties like Congress who did not give Bharat Ratna to BR Ambedkar are now acting like his followers. 12:48 pm: Protests turn violent in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur, where vehicles were set on fire (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 12:39 pm: Urging political parties and groups to maintain peace, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, "We have filed the review petition in Supreme Court. I appeal to all political parties and groups to maintain peace and not incite violence" 12:32 pm: Large number of people protest in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 12:28 pm: In Uttarakhand, protestors forcibly shut down shops in Dehradun (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 12:25 am: One dead in Morena, curfew imposed in the area 12:20 pm: In Madhya Pradesh, curfew has been imposed in parts of Gwalior and Section 144 (prohibits assembly of more than 4 people in the area) imposed in Sagar 12:10 pm: Protesters resort to stone pelting in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district WATCH: Protesters resort to stone pelting in Bhind during #BharatBandh over the SC/ST Protection Act. #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/40KmhV3Ckm ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 12:05 pm: Protestors vandalised an apparel showroom in Rajasthan's Jaipur (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 11:58 am: Protesters block a railway track in Madhya Pradesh's Morena (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 11:55 am: Protesters stop a train in Jaipur (Photo: ANI | Twitter) 11:50 am: Protesters were thrashed by police personnel in UP's Meerut #WATCH #BharatBandh over SC/ST protection act: Protesters thrashed by Police personnel in Meerut pic.twitter.com/yQfaJBDbBD ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 2, 2018 11:45 am: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, "The central & state governments are dedicated towards the welfare of backward castes, SC and ST. I appeal to all to not disturb the law and order. If at all there are any issues you can bring them to government's notice" 11:32 am: Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "I wish to convey that today we've filed a petition on the judgement by Supreme Court on the SC/ST act. We have filed a comprehensive review petition which will be presented before the court by the senior lawyers of the government" 11:20 am: Several people have been injured in Ranchi in Jharkhand after a clash between protesters and police (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 11:08 am: Protest turns violent in Rajasthan's Barmer, cars and property damaged (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 11:04 am: Visuals of protest from Mandi House in Delhi (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 10:50 am: Protest takes violent turn in Uttar Pradesh. Protestors damaged cars in Meerut (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 10:25 am: Protesters stop train in Punjab's Patiala (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 10:15 am: Visuals of protest from Rajasthan's Bharatpur (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 10:00 am: The protests are spreading to other cities. Visuals of protest from Agra (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 09:25 am: Protesters stop train at Forbesganj Junction in Bihar (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 09:03 am: Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "Of course, a review petition of (SC/ST protection act) should be filed and its the right of the Government, its a legal procedure. The basic question is to why they were unable to present the case properly before SC and lost, inquiry is needed" 08:52 am: Different groups, including CPI-ML activists, protest in Bihar's Arrah, block a train (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 07:48 am: Heavy security deployed in Amritsar, Punjab. According to estimates, the state has 32 per cent SC/ST people and is becoming the epicentre of protest (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 06:52 am: Movement of train in Odisha's Sambalpur blocked by protesters (Photo: ANI/Twitter) Devout Christians attend a special mass at the San Thome Basilica built in the 16th century by Portuguese explorers, over the tomb of Saint Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, in Chennai. (Photo: DC) Chennai: Christians across Tamil Nadu on Sunday celebrated Easter, which marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ after the crucifixion. Special prayers and services were held in all churches across the State. In the city, hundreds of devotees thronged the San Thome Basilica, Saint Theresa Church, Perambur, St. Mary's Co-Cathedral, St. Lazarus' Church, and St. Peter's Church, Royapuram, for special mass and prayers. The churches were illuminated to mark the occasion. Processions marking the resurrection were also held in churches. The largest congregation was held at the San Thome Basilica here and at the Shrine Velankanni church at Nagapattinam in the state. Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, and a host of leaders of various political parties greeted the Christians on the occasion. Happy Easter! I hope this special day strengthens the bonds of unity, peace and brotherhood. May the noble thoughts and ideals of the Lord Christ motivate people to serve and bring a positive difference to society, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. In his message, the Governor said, The sacred day of Easter is a constant reminder of Lord Jesus Christ's endless love for humanity. I extend my best wishes to all our Christian brothers and sisters, who are celebrating the festival of Easter. Let us all, on this holy day of resurrection resolve to foster peace, harmony and tolerance, so as to create a better future for all mankind, he added. Mr Palaniswami said Jesus Christ, who resurrected on this day preached people to show compassion towards even enemies. This day is being celebrated by Christians across the world. Let us have his preaching in mind and spread love and peace, he said. Brotherhood and humanity should cherish all over the world and my warm Easter greetings to all Christians, the CM added. The first day of examination sees Class 10 students sitting for their language exams including Sanskrit, Urdu and French while Class 12 students have Hindi. (Representational Image) New Delhi: Class 10 and Class 12 students appearing for the CBSE board examination had to wait for nearly an hour as the board said that it is starting a new system from today to ensure maximum security and secrecy for questions papers, NDTV reported. The exam on Monday is the first after the Class 10 Mathematics and Class 12 Economics question papers were leaked as reported last week. Tightening its noose against any negligence, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had said the examination centres would receive an encrypted copy of the question paper on Monday morning, and they would need to download and print the papers on their own. The first day of examination sees Class 10 students sitting for their language exams including Sanskrit, Urdu and French while Class 12 students have Hindi. The schools were to receive an email link to the question papers, by logging in using passwords sent to the superintendents, and print over 2,000 sheets of paper until 10:15am - 15 minutes before the exam - under surveillance. But the board decided to go with the old system, in which the CBSE gets the papers printed at a designated printing press and sends them in a sealed package to their centres. The centres hand over the sealed packages to banks and the schools where the exams are held are to collect the papers from the banks. Officials say the new system was tested on Thursday before the board sent instructions to exam centres. To execute its new plan, the board had asked schools to arrange high-speed internet, with dongles as backup and generators. But officials say many schools said they did not have adequate resources or ample staff. Around two million students are struggling after two exam papers were leaked last week. The board has announced that Class 12 students will take Economics re-exam on April 25. The Class 10 Mathematics paper, if held at all, will be in July and only in Delhi and Haryana, said the board on Friday. Read: CBSE class 12 Economics re-exam on Apr 25, Class 10 decision in 15 days New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said that it will hear Tamil Nadu's contempt petition against the Centre for not forming the Cauvery Water Management Board on April 9. "We understand Tamil Nadu's problem. We will see that Tamil Nadu gets water, and will solve the issue," a bench headed by Chief Justice Deepak Mishra said after Advocate G Umapathy, appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, mentioned the matter for an early hearing. "We will hear it on Monday (April 9) and resolve the issue," the Chief Justice said. The Tamil Nadu government had asked the Chief Justice to take its petition on Tuesday (April 3) as the Centre has not implemented the apex court's order on the Cauvery water dispute, though the deadline to set up the Cauvery Board has lapsed. Citing assembly elections in Karnataka, which are scheduled for May 12, the Centre had moved the Supreme Court on March 31 on the Cauvery river water dispute, seeking three months' time to implement the court's order and has also sought clarification on the constitution of Cauvery Management Board. In its petition, the Centre has said immediate implementation of the Supreme Court's order will have law and order implications in Karnataka as Cauvery is an emotive issue. Tamil Nadu had sought contempt action against the Centre for "failure" to frame the scheme for constitution of the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee within six weeks, as directed by the apex court on February 16. Tamil Nadu, in its contempt plea, said the Centre was bound to give effect to the judgement by framing a scheme so that the authorities of -- Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee -- were put in place within six weeks. It said the authorities needed to be in place so that the decisions of the tribunal as modified by the apex court were implemented in accordance with the time schedule prescribed therein. The Centre, meanwhile, in its petition had said that since there were divergent views between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka on the constitution of the CMB, the apex court should clarify whether "it is open to the central government to frame the scheme under 6A at variance with the recommendations contained in the report of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT) regarding the Cauvery Management Board". Karnataka has opposed the constitution of the CMB and sought some alternative mechanism to implement the verdict. The Union government also said that considering the overall sensitivity of the issues involved, the apex court may also clarify whether it had any flexibility in modifying the composition of the CMB to "a mixture of administrative and technical body" and "not purely a technical body" as recommended by the CWDT for effective conduct of the business of the board. The apex court had on February 16 raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's share, while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin, saying "the issue of drinking water has to be placed on a higher pedestal". With the apex court's verdict, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry would be annually entitled to 404.25 tmcft, 284.75 tmcft, 30 tmcft and 7 tmcft of Cauvery water, respectively out of the total of 740 tmcft of water. It had granted six weeks time to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its 465-page judgement on the decades-old Cauvery dispute, and made it clear that it will no longer be extending time on the matter. The Supreme Court had also ruled that its verdict on the Cauvery water allocation will continue for the next 15 years. New Delhi: Telangana police on Monday informed the Supreme Court that there is ample evidence of rape against the Bollywood Producer Karim Morani, who has been granted bail by the Hyderabad High Court in November last. Counsel Uday Sagar for Telangana made this submission before a three-judge Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud hearing a plea to cancel the bail granted to Karim Morani. Counsel said chargesheet had been filed and there is enough evidence of rape against the producer. Counsel Ms Karuna Nandini appearing for the rape victim drew the court attention to the fact that though notice was issued in February, the producer had not filed his response. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The fifth Kerala Blog Express, which began its journey on March 18, chugged to a close in Kochi on Monday. The 30 bloggers from mostly European countries like the UK, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, and also from the US and the South American countries of Venezuela and Peru reached Kochi in train. After meeting the press on March 31, they continued with their sightseeing itinerary in Fort Kochi and Mattancherry on April 1, the last day of the tour. They took off to their countries on Monday. Throughout the two-week-long trip, multiple Live Videos and pictures were shared to a wide audience on a day-to-day basis via Kerala Tourisms Facebook page, which has by now garnered 15 lakh followers. Bloggers also shared snippets of their every day experiences in Kerala though their social media handles such as Instagram and Twitter, thus reaching millions of their followers from every corner of the world over the course of their journey. The fourth edition of Blog Express, last year, was able to generate around 400 blogs and similar social media content, the results of which can been seen in the sizeable increase in tourist arrivals to the state in 2017, an official statement here said. The fifth edition of Kerala Blog Express, the release said, took destination marketing to a new level. The blogs and documentaries uploaded by the bloggers are expected to take Keralas fame beyond all that has been achieved hitherto in terms of tourism marketing, the release said. The journey dubbed Trip of a Lifetime began in the capital, with a visit to Kuthiramalika palace and the Padmanabha-swamy temple. After spending time at Kovalam, the bloggers travelled to Alappuzha where they took the backwater cruise on houseboats. They were also introduced to the model Responsible Tourism villages in and around Kumarakom. In Kochi, they made a visit to Muziris Heritage site visit. From Kochi they had stops in Munnar and Thrissur. Further north, they were treaterd to the martial arts of CVN Kalari in Kozhikode. They also visited Beypore Shipyard. The Kasargod leg of the trip was complete with a Muthappan temple theyyam recital, and sightseeing at Bekal Fort and its surrounding areas. New Delhi: The Union government on Monday moved the apex court seeking review of the recent verdict that arrest is not mandatory under the SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act and the accused is entitled for anticipatory bail. The court also held that arrest could be effected only after a preliminary enquiry that prima facie case is made out for arrest. Further, it was held that prior sanction from competent authority is mandatory for prosecuting the government servants accused of harassing Dalits and Tribals. Seeking to review the verdict, the Centre said the procedural checks by way of preliminary enquiry would tend to reduce the rates of registration of cases, conviction, increase the pendency and per se would act as deterrent in even filing FIRs. Normally review petitions are heard in the chamber by the judges who delivered the judgment and invariably such petitions will be dismissed without any hearing. Therefore the Centre has prayed for an open court hearing of the case. The Centre pointed out that though the right to life and liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution is available to the accused, the same right is also available to the SC/ST as in several brutal incidents, they have been deprived of their life and property. Serious crimes are committed against them for various historical, social and economic reasons. Quoting the 2016 data of the National Crime Records Bureau, the Centre said 47,338 cases were registered under the SC/ST Act and only 24.9 per cent of the said cases ended in conviction. Hyderabad: The tussle was growing between Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation commissioner B. Janardhan Reddy and Mayor Bonthu Rammohan over refreshment funds. Mr Reddy denying release of the refreshment funds irked the Mayor who ordered tea and biscuits be brought individually. According to highly placed sources, norms had it that the corporation on monthly basis would allocate Rs 75,000 towards charges for refreshments which include tea, biscuits and even lunch at times to visitors. But for the past three months the bill amounts exceeded the limits by Rs 17,000 in January, Rs 23,000 in February and Rs 19,000 in March. Citing this, the Commissioner allegedly asked the Mayor to minimise the expenses and he would have to pay the excess amount. Unhappy over this, Mr Rammohan asked his team to carry their own refreshments, including water bottles. A senior GHMC official on condition of anonymity said there were no official instructions from the Commissioner but the Mayor had decided not to ask for any refreshments. Visitors were not offered any refreshments too. Thiruvananthapuram: Several farmers across the state were denied their three-month pension when the fiscal year ended on Saturday. The intimation to submit electronic allotment of the farmers pension reached the offices of many agricultural officers only by 4 p.m. on March 31 though the ministry had issued the order on March 27. The agricultural officers submit their bills through Bill Information and Management System (BiMS), an e-Bill portal for claim settlements by drawing and disbursing officers (DDOs) who prepare online contingent bills and e-submit to the treasury. But they were told to submit them via online and send the hard copies to the respective treasuries. An agricultural officer told DC that they were given time till 8 p.m. on March 31 to do the electronic transfer which was an unhealthy trend. The pension of over 3. 6 lakh farmers across the state has been pending since October 2017. We have only a data entry operator and a clerk at the district level agricultural offices. If they are not familiar with the BiMS and Budget Allocation and Monitoring System (BAMS), an online computerised system to distribute the budget allocation and authorise expenditure, the farmers will be left high and dry, said the officer. But agriculture director A. M. Sunil Kumar told DC that there was a delay to file the electronic allotment after the government sanctioned Rs 71 crore to meet the farmers pension which has been due for the last few months. He maintained that the agricultural officers were granted time until midnight to sort out the issues. Agriculture Minister V. S. Sunil Kumar told DC that the agriculture director will give him the statistics on the number of farmers who have been denied pension on Tuesday. Once I get the final tally, it will be re-allotted. Currently farmers in Kollam, Thrissur and Kozhikode have been denied their pension which will be granted on Tuesday itself, he said. Meanwhile, the Congress party will stage a secretariat picketing on Wednesday highlighting the plight of the farmers. Vijayawada: While Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was said to be contemplating an indefinite hunger strike demanding special category status in Delhi, YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy announced that his party MPs would quit their posts and will sit on indefinite hunger strike at Andhra Bhawan in Delhi. If one looks at the chronology of political events in Andhra Pradesh, one doesnt need to be an expert to gauge the competition between the Telugu Desam and the YSRC to outdo the other in championing the states cause by demanding the special category status. The casualty of this rat race is the states inability to wage a united bipartisan fight against the Central government. In Parliament, both TD and YSRC MPs have been giving no-confidence motion notices to Lok Sabha Speaker separately. They are also staging protests on the parliament premises separately for the same cause. In a flip-flop of sorts, Mr Naidu, who had once said that SCS is not a solution to all problems, decided to move a separate no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha. Earlier, he had announced that his party would support the no-confidence motion moved by opposition YSRC. Increasing the heat over special status demand, Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy said YSRC MPs would resign in protest against the Centres denial of SCS to AP and asked the Telugu Desam to get its MPs to follow them. But the Telugu Desam rejected the idea. Another key player in state politics is actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan. Though he had promised to visit Delhi to garner support from other parties to the no-confidence motion if the YSRC acts on it, Pawan is nowhere to be seen in the national capital. Both Jana Sena and YSRC skipped the all-party and all associations meeting convened by the Chief Minister to discuss the central governments attitude towards the state and to discuss the plan of action to bring pressure on New Delhi for the implementation of provisions of AP Reorganisation Act and assurances given by the then prime minister Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha. Extreme rainfall expected to occur at the mid and end of 21st century when the greenhouses gases concentration will be high. Hyderabad: Southern and central parts of the country would experience more intense rainfall compared to North owing to increasing global warming, according to researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Gandhinagar). After observing the rainfall patterns between 1979 and 2015, it was declared that the yearly maximum rainfall increased across the country except for the North-Eastern parts and Jammu and Kashmir. The increase in precipitation (any form of water that falls from the sky be it liquid or solid) had been noted in South. However, there was also a surprising increase in dew point temperature when air gets saturated with moisture. Head of water at IIT Climate Lab Vimal Mishra told Deccan Chronicle, There could be several reasons why the North wont be as affected as the South and one of them is the presence of aerosols in the air in the form of dust. What is happening in the South and Central India is that there is an increase in the temperature due to human activities that are harming the environment which means that there is an increase in the moisture holding capacity of the air which in turn will lead to extreme rainfall. What determined this increase was anthropogenic warming caused by man-made emissions leading the environment to take a turn for the worse. The study said the anthropogenic warming had gone up because of high deforestation and burning of fossil fuels, causing an abundance of carbon dioxide in the air. The amount of carbon dioxide produced by humans far exceeded the normal limit let out by respiration or decay. Climate change researcher Shyam Sunil S said, We are definitely harming our environment more than we think. Deforestation is one of the key problems that will lead to changing rain patterns and extensive rainfall will not be healthy for the environment or human habitats. The temperature will continue to rise. The researchers at Gandhinagar said there should be better infrastructure to escape the after effects of this extensive rainfall. Once cities fall prey to rainfall, they will begin flooding and we need to have infrastructure in place that can absorb the same and also have a better drainage facility or else we stand to lose many livelihoods, said Dr Mishra. This summer may be a scorcher The Indian Meteorological Department on April 1 issued a warning that average temperatures in most parts of the country were expected to be above normal during the summer between April and June, though the solace was that monsoon would be on time The state of Telangana and coastal Andhra Pradesh fell in the core heat zone where heat wave condition could be expected. However, IMD said the temperature in the East, the East-Central and the South, which included coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, was likely to be lower than the usual, indicating that the onset of monsoon would be on time. The warning said, Upcoming hot weather season (April to June) is expected to have the above normal sub-divisional average seasonal temperatures (maximum, minimum and mean) over most of the country. Normal heat wave conditions are likely over core heat wave zone of the country. The year 2017 was recorded as the hottest so far by the IMD and other meteorological institutes across the country. This was when 2016 was recorded as the hottest year since 1901. In Hyderabad, it was moderate to heavy (at times) rain on Monday evening. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/ Malappuram: Normal life was badly hit by the 24-hour strike by various trade unions since Sunday midnight. All road transport services remained off roads and shops and commercial establishments, including eateries, remained shut. Government offices also recorded only thin attendance. Isolated incidents of attack on some auto rickshas and taxis that operated during the day were also reported. However, there were no casualties. Since the general strike came immediately after Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter, many people who went on vacations and to native places were stranded at railway stations and airports. The only relief was the transport services offered by the police at some railway stations and other important places like hospitals. As the eateries remained shut, score of commuters as well as those regularly depended on hotel foods also faced hardships to get food. Some office and hospital canteens as well a food counter of the prisons that functioned witnessed huge rush. All major trade unions, except the BMS, participated in the strike in protest against the new employment policy of the Centre that favoured contract employment. The strike supporters attacked some autorickshaws that operated at Thampanoor in Thiruvananthapuram. Medical students from Malappuram who have an examination on Tuesday wait for police bus in front of Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway station. Passengers, including foreign tourists, were forced to get out of autorickshaws. A police team allegedly remained as mute spectators. A group of SDPI activists and some trade union activists of CITU and INTUC clashed at Thampanoor. Police dispersed them by resorting to lathi charge. In Kochi PSUs like the Cochin Port Trust, Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal, Cochin Shipyard, Kochi Refinery and HOC functioned partially, while normal life was badly hit. Kochi Metro operated service as per schedule. A protest march to Infopark created tense moments after the agitators were arrested. Later trade union leaders intervened following which they have been released. In a strike related incident, a PSC exam centre at Ponnurunny in Kochi witnessed noisy scenes as the organisers turned down the request of those accompanied the candidates to allow a room within the school to rest as there were no other facilities. In Malabar districts too vehicles kept off the road. Schools and businesses remained shut. Atten-dance in government and private offices was thin. Only private vehicles and two-wheelers were plied. KANNUR: Nearly 120 medical students of Kannur Medical College commenced an indefinite protest on Monday against the college management's apathy in the admission imbroglio. Though the state government had issued an ordinance approving all the admissions, the Medical Council of India (MCI) has challenged it in the Supreme Court. The students are concerned that the apex court may nullify the ordinance. "The management has not discussed the matter with us. We are worried about our future if the court rejects the ordinance," a student said. Some of the parents of the medicos have also joined the protest. A parent said that they would not withdraw the stir unless the management gives proper assurance. "They have been saying that these issues would be solved soon, but the management has taken no initiative in the last one-and-a- half years to allay the fears of the students," said the father of a student. People buy antibiotics over the counter and pharmacists do not check the dosage or the course of the drug needed as per the medical condition of the patient.(Photo: Pixabay) CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu ranks second among states across the country in witnessing highest number of deaths due to drug overdose as per a recent report by ministry of home affairs. As per the data accidental drug overdose kills at least two people everyday. Medicos blame it on self-medication, internet medication and indiscriminate use of drugs out of habit, with sleeping pills and antibiotics being the most common drug abuses. The intake of heavy dose medicines that are freely dispensed at the pharmacies without prescriptions from doctors is a common event. However, the life-saving drugs can turn life threatening if consumed uncontrollably. Antibiotics are miracle drugs for sure, but there are also side effects associated with the indiscriminate use of these drugs that can potentially be life-threatening. People buy antibiotics over the counter and pharmacists do not check the dosage or the course of the drug needed as per the medical condition of the patient. Organ failure is a common problem due to overuse of antibiotics, said Dr Kapali Neelamekam, senior consultant, gastro and minimal invasive surgery, Fortis Malar Hospital. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics by an individual disrupts the inbuilt capability of the WBCs to fight against the infections, thereby reducing the immunity of the body. Regular use of antibiotics and sedatives makes body drug-resistant and in case of these ailments later in life, doctors have to prescribe stronger medication to cure the patient as medicines fail to act upon the body. Regular use of sleeping pills hampers the growth of brain cells, as they cause chemical reactions within the body organs that affect the cells. Dr Raja Amarnath, a senior consultant at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, says, In different studies approximately 25 per cent of adults mentioned that their sleep was not satisfactory. At least 10-15 per cent have symptoms of sleep deprivation, negatively affecting their daytime work, while 6-10 per cent meet the diagnostic criteria for insomnia. While the situation has become common, especially in youngsters, dependency on sleeping pills has also increased. It is not the old prescriptions that are being used for self-medication these days, but the internet. Self-medication using internet has become a common practice, especially among the youngsters. There are no case specific medication over Internet, but youngsters decide on taking pills and medicines over the counter without meeting a doctor and get it home delivered through medical portals. Regulation of drugs based on its medical value and potential for abuse by enforcing classification of scheduled drugs is not practiced in case of medicines prescribed over internet, said Dr G.R. Ravindranath, secretary, Doctors Association for Social Equality. Chennai: If anything has marked Tamil Nadu from the rest of the country since Jayalalithaa's death, it's the string of protests the state has been subjected to by major political parties and fringe groups under one pretext or the other. What started with the Marina 'revolution' for Jallikattu in Jan 2017 has continued unabated, under different banners and for varying causes, ranging from tapping natural gas, attacks on fishermen, in support of farmers' demands and against NEET. The latest to join that list are the expansion of the Sterlite factory and the proposal to establish the Neutrino project in Theni district. In between there have been other protests against bus fare hike, laying pipes by GAIL, breaking of Periyar statue and the passage of Ram Rajya Rath in the Southern districts. On Monday the state witnessed protests against the Centre's failure to constitute the Cauvery Management Board before the Supreme Court deadline. Under the guise of agitating against the Centre's inaction, there seems to be a hidden agenda of unleashing violence and disrupting normal life. Whether ransacking a toll booth on a highway or pelting stones on Central government offices frequented by the public, the fringe parties appear to have taken the lead and remained unchallenged. Arrests are made and the arrested are released by evening. Even the DMK's sudden protests on Easter Sunday at Valluvar Kottam bordered on the irresponsible, as it only inconvenienced hundreds of church-goers rather than make any impact on the public. What is the use of having a protest on a government holiday and on an important day for the Christians? Whoever advised the DMK really goofed up, said a furious Congress leader. When the DMK had already called for a statewide bandh on Cauvery, there was no need for an impromptu protest on Easter Sunday he pointed out. That many of the agitations are played out for the convenience of the news channels can be seen by the way the protestors wait for the arrival of TV cameras (after having alerted their offices) and then resorting to slogan shouting or stone pelting. The TRP hungry Tamil news channels also readily gobble up such footage and flash them continuously to score over rival channels. If anything, the protesters and the news channels feed on each other, admitted the head of a Tamil news channel. In all these protests, one common thread has been the complete inaction of the police in controlling the protestors or preventing their violence. For example Velmurugan of the Thamizhar Vazhvurimai Katchi which had failed to win a single assembly seat in 2016 gets released even after he and his supporters ransacked and destroyed highway toll booths at Ulundurpet on Sunday. The police claimed that they have arrested 11 members of the party who actually destroyed the booths while releasing the remaining 267 protestors including Velmurugan who said that his party would spearhead the agitation of not paying toll in protest against Centre's insensitivity on Cau- very. His supporters meanwhile celebrated on social media the violence at the toll gate saying that when it came to protesting the violent way, Velmurugan showed the way. Even in other parts of the state the police remained innocent bystanders as protestors blocked highways, sat on railway tracks and laid siege to Central government offices. Apparently the government has chosen to look the other way as if extending moral support to the spate of protests. But then, the ruling party itself is holding protest-fast for Cauvery through Tuesday, across Tamil Nadu. Thiruvananthapuram: In a big relief to thousands of the UAE job seekers from Kerala as well as the rest of India, the Gulf nation has put on hold its decision mandating Good Conduct Certificate / Police Clearance Certificate for job visas. The Consulate General of India in Dubai confirmed this on Twitter on Sunday. "It is confirmed that we have received communication from Government of UAE, that good conduct certificate for employment visas is temporarily suspended," said the tweet by its handle 'India in Dubai'. The official Twitter account of UAE's Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and Official page of Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation had also confirmed this to those who made queries. Kindly note that the good conduct certificate is postponed from the first of April till further notice," tweeted MOHRE_UAE. DC had highlighted the plight of the candidates in getting the PCC, especially the fee of around Rs 6,000 charged for various attestations of the PCC as well as the involvement of some private agencies. Some candidates had even alleged that some officials of the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram had been diverting them to a nearby private agency for PCC related attestation services. The UAE consulate had not responded to e-mail queries of DC on the matter. Apart from the hefty fees for attestations of the PCC, Kerala Police also fished in troubled waters by introducing another Rs 1,000 for issuing PCC, which they cut by half following widespread protests. The police earned about Rs 2 crore on this account over the last two months. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had informed the Assembly in written reply recently that in February alone, 23,410 candidates had applied for PCC at various police stations in the state. The fee from these candidates alone came to around Rs 1.2 crore. The UAE had made Good Conduct Certificate mandatory for job visas from February 4. While many foreign countries, including Kuwait, a GCC member country, has been accepting the PCC issued by the ministry of external affairs through regional passport offices, the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram had taken up the matter with the state police and the police offered to issue PCC through police stations. It had to be further attested by the state home department and the MoEA before being certified by the consulate. But the PCCs issued by the police stations lacked a uniform pattern, and hence many were even rejected by the consulate. An UAE-based lawyer, Femin Panikkassery, had recently approached the High Court citing that the UAE authorities had rejected PCCs issued by regional passport offices and the HC also sought a clarification from the Centre last week. Chennai: After five cases of cholera, reported at the Nandanam branch of Apollo Hospitals, were believed to be due to the consumption of outside food, a new case of the disease at Greams Road branch of the same hospital has left the authorities confused about the cause of the outbreak. Civic authorities and the food safety department had earlier denied the presence of contaminants outside the premises of the Nandanam hospital after five cases of cholera tested positive at the hospital. The Apollo hospitals in Nandanam had reported five cases of cholera last week and informed Greater Chennai Corporation . The civic authorities had reported that as there were no cases outside the hospital premises and the food and water samples from the hospital canteen did not contain contaminants, the infection may have been due to outside food consumed by the patients. However, a fresh case of cholera was reported from a different branch of the hospital on Saturday. The food safety department and the civic authorities have yet to come to any conclusion on the cause of the outbreak. Designated food safety officer R. Kathiravan, who had taken food samples from hospitals and hotels, denied any outbreak in other parts of the city. The samples from outside the premises and surrounding areas did not contain any contaminants and cases have been reported only in the hospital premises. The reason for the new case in another branch of the hospital is not known, he said. The hospital authorities at Nandanam have taken emergency measures to prevent the spread of the disease, but remained unresponsive when asked about the cause of the outbreak. Civic authorities, along with food safety department, have intensified the monitoring and evaluation of collected samples Health education department has also intensified its measures on educating people about the causes for the disease and preventive measures.Health awareness programmes at educational institutions and public places by the department would focus on prevention of the disease, demonstration of proper hand-washing and risk factors of waterborne diseases so that the disease can be reported earlier, said the health education officer, Dr T.G. Srinivasan. Chennai: The all-party meeting convened by the opposition DMK here on Sunday called for a State-wide bandh on April 5, demanding that the Centre form the Cauvery Management Board. Also, it has been decided to show black flags to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers when they visit Chennai later this month. It has been planned to take out a Cauvery Rights Retrieval Yatra, following the bandh. After a meeting with friendly opposition parties at Anna Arivalayam, DMK working president M.K. Stalin, sought the support of all sections of society, including farmers and traders, for the bandh. TNCC chief Su Thirunavukkarasar, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, State secretaries of the CPI (M) and the CPI K. Balakrishnan and R. Mutharasan, respectively, were among the leaders who participated in the meeting. The rally, Mr Stalin said, will begin from the Cauvery Delta region. The details of the long journey to secure the States rights on the Cauvery issue would be announced after consulting the leaders of friendly parties. Black flags will be shown at Mr Narendra Modi and his Cabinet colleagues during their Tamil Nadu visits to express their protest for not implementing the Feb. 16 Supreme Court judgment on Cauvery. Tamil Nadu has been pushed to hold protest demonstrations and agitations seeking to implement the order of the top court on the Cauvery issue due to the collective negligence of the Central and State governments, a resolution adopted at the meeting said. The resolution, which condemned the State and the Centre, said the AIADMK regime, a partner of the Central government has bowed before it. Both the governments had moved the Supreme Court on Saturday on the issue of constitution and composition of the Cauvery Water Management Board in compliance with the February 16 verdict of the apex court on the vexed issue. In its February verdict, the top court had raised the 270 tmcft share of Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadus share of Cauvery river water. It had granted six weeks to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance with its 465-page judgement, which modified the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal Award. The six-week period ended on March 29. Speaking to reporters after chairing the all-party meet, Mr Stalin accused the Centre of deceiving Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery issue and charged that the AIADMK government has not taken appropriate action to secure the States rights. Hyderabad: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday hit out at BJP and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government for continuous rise in communal violence in the country as well as the recent leak of the CBSE question paper. He also questioned the West Bengal governments secular credentials and Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi's constitutional conduct in connection with the Asansol communal violence. At a public meeting at Golconda, he criticised the West Bengal Governor for visiting only Hindu-dominated areas of the violence-hit city and ignoring the house of the Imam who lost his son in the riots. At least you (Governor) should have visited the Imams house to offer condolence and assure support. It is your constitutional authority and responsibility to visit each of these places, Mr Owaisi said. He criticised the West Bengal government and asked how it was secular governance when Muslims were attacked. The Imams younger son Sibtulla Rashidi was all-egedly killed in the violence and his body was found on Wednesday. Mr Owaisi said as a Prime Minister, Mr Modi was responsible for the increase in such communal incidents and said his government had failed and yet he was silent, unwilling to condemn it. He also questioned the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for keeping quite when the State was rocked by communal riots. He said the Central government had failed in all issues of governance and Mr Modi should better help people set up pakoda stalls rather than carrying swords. Hyderabad: Telangana Joint Action Committee chairman Prof. Kodandaram on Monday launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and the TRS government after announcing his new political party Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) here. He said all the Constitutional and administrative systems have lost respect and have became defunct in the state with the Chief Minister wielding all the powers. He said even ministers are not called for departmental review meetings and all major decisions are taken in their absence. He said Mr Rao holds the dubious distinction of being the only CM in the country who rules the state without coming to the Secretariat. The CM failed on all fronts and could not fulfil the aspirations of people, who fought statehood. The state has become bandhi (captive) in the hands of KCRs family members. Only four members in the CMs family are enjoying the fruits of Telangana statehood, he alleged. TJAC has toured 500 villages in Telangana so far. It was found that farmers are denied MSP, no jobs provided for unemployed youth and no place for democratic rights in state. There is no representation for women in cabinet. Section 144 is being enforced in several villages to suppress the rights of farmers and who question the highhandedness of government, he stated. Hyderabad: The TRS government is trying to project Rs 4,000 per acre farmers sop as sarva roga nivarini (panacea) without addressing the real issues and problems being faced by the farmers, said BJP leader G. Kishan Reddy. Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Mr Reddy said the groundwater levels in all districts have fallen to alarming levels and people in northern Telangana districts were migrating to other places due to lack of drinking water. He said the Centre had granted Rs 1,000 crore to Telangana for drought relief but the TRS government failed to utilise the funds so far. The ground water levels in all districts have fallen by 4 to 5 metres higher over last year. About 100 mandals are facing severe drought conditions. Instead of addressing these grave problems, the CM and his ministers are speaking about only Rs 4,000 per acres farmers sop. This sop is not a sarva roga nivarini to mitigate all the problems faced by farmers and people, Mr Reddy stated. He alleged that the TRS government was falsely claming to be a rich state while CAG report showed that it is false. Supreme Court judge J. Chelameswar's letter last week to Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, which the writer copied to all Supreme Court judges, suffices to inform the citizen that the health of the judicial system in the country is in poor shape - and that the "independence" and "pre-eminence" of the judiciary among the organs of the State today stand compromised. The letter, which has been widely reported, makes it clear that the incumbent government thinks nothing of crassly intervening in the judiciary, wholly bypassing the Supreme Court. Regrettably, it also suggests that the present CJI, far from confronting the government and the law ministry on this critical issue, which is vital to democracy itself, perhaps thinks that discretion is the better part of valour. The letter of the country's most senior judge after the CJI asks for a sitting of the whole court all the judges of the Supreme Court to discuss the matter of the Chief Justice of the Karnataka high court, Dinesh Maheshwari, who has alas made himself available to be used and trampled upon by the Union law ministry. In the process, the law ministry has, with the connivance of Justice Maheshwari, disregarded and denigrated the Supreme Court collegium which had twice sent the name of a district judge, P. Krishna Bhat, for elevation to the high court. It can be argued that the head of the Karnataka high court, on his part, is guilty of dereliction of duty for not informing the Supreme Court that the law ministry was sending down unwarranted instructions to him without reference to the Supreme Court, which for a high court is the superior authority. A junior woman judicial officer in the state had alleged sexual misconduct against Mr Bhat. On the Supreme Court's instructions the then Chief Justice of the Karnataka high court had conducted a probe and honourably absolved Mr Bhat, suggesting also that the allegation was motivated. On the strength of this, the Supreme Court collegium had recommended Mr Bhat's elevation. The law ministry sat on the file. The collegium made the same recommendation a second time. That made it mandatory for the law ministry to accept Mr Bhat's elevation. But it continues to sit on the file. Meanwhile, exploiting the servility of the Karanataka Chief Justice, it has reopened the probe in the Bhat case. By now the CJI should have accepted Justice Chelameswars suggestion for a meeting of the whole court to discuss the government's disgraceful interference and the conduct of Justice Maheshwari. If the issue is delayed, or if the CJI fails to act in a convincing manner to uphold the independence of the judiciary, he will appear in poor light. That will be a sad day for the Indian judiciary. Seema cries over the coffin of her husband Sonu, who was killed in Iraq, at the International Airport in Amritsar on Monday. The bodies of 38 Indian construction workers kidnapped and murdered in Iraq by the Islamic State group returned home on Monday, four years after their disappearance. Grieving families who were told for years by government officials that their loved ones were still alive waited at an airport in the northwest state of Punjab to receive the coffins from Baghdad. (Photo: AFP) As Shri and Shrimati India sit in front of the television set in their living room and surf the evening television channels for their daily fix, they could perhaps be forgiven for being left speechless at the utter boorishness of their elected representatives, which is more or less on daily display in one House or the other of Indias Parliament. One such recent instance on the so-called breaking news was the loutish heckling in the Lok Sabha when the external affairs minister appealed for a brief period of silence during the proceedings to enable her to make a special mention of a particularly tragic issue: the confirmed deaths in Iraq of 39 Indian workers captured by the Islamic State in 2014, when they overran the northern Iraqi town of Mosul. The process of identifying the tortured remains had been initiated (including DNA testing), and these would be conveyed back to their final resting places in India after the grim formalities had been completed. Later, on April 1, the minister of state for external affairs (himself a former Chief of Staff of the Indian Army), flew to Iraq in order to escort the bodies back to India the following day on their final journey home. (The special aircraft with the bodies reached Amritsar from Baghdad on Monday afternoon. Of the 38, 31 belonged to Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.) It should be noted here that the Iraqi government, itself under severe stress due to the ongoing internecine conflict between the Kurdish Peshmarga and the Iraqi Army, was extremely co operative with the Indian government in the retrieval and identification of the remains at Mosul. India must publicly acknowledge this debt with gratitude. But back home in India, the picture seems to be entirely different. even in what should have been a period of national grief, shameless political rowdyism in Parliament continued unabated, with a series of no-confidence motions sought to be moved against the government. The latter appeared to take priority over even the tragic murders of their own fellow citizens, and Parliament remained raucously recalcitrant, encouraged and even coordinated by a coterie of political princelings from the Opposition and their sycophantic cheerleaders. The entire episode should cause grave disquiet to all citizens at a time when the need for national security is paramount. It is also disquieting that the outrage over this massacre of Indian citizens again reemphasised the serious politico-cultural divide between the cow belt North and the Dravidian, anti-Hindi South, because it did not resonate with uniform intensity throughout the country. This was possibly because the bulk of those returning in the coffins were from various states in northern India. South of the Vindhyas, emotions and politics in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka remain completely focused on an entirely different target, the decision of the Supreme Court of India regarding the distribution of water from the Cauvery river between the two respondent states. The murder of 39 of their fellow citizens by the Islamic State appear to have gone almost unnoticed in Tamil Nadu, possibly as the returning coffins did not belong to the region, which at least one Tamil politician has publicly referred to as Dravid Nadu, a phrase that has set off uneasy alarm bells amongst many in Indias defence forces, with memories of the frustrating misadventures of the Indian Peace-Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka in the 1980s and early 1990s. These veterans would have shifted uneasily in their seats, as they were hearing exactly the same conversations in the run-up to the dispatch of the Indian Peace-Keeping Force to Sri Lanka, to fight a politically confused and strategically irrelevant jungle campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), under Velupillai Prabhakaran, their psychopathic supreme leader. The irony of the situation was not lost on the Indian commanders and their troops, because their present opponents had been their erstwhile allies, trained by Indias covert agencies, and the same Indian Army had now been instructed to reverse course and bring the erstwhile proteges to heel. Easier said than done, because at the end of the day, after a three-year war and the assassination of a former Prime Minister, a sullen and frustrated Indian Army returned home with 1,138 of its soldiers dead and 2,762 soldiers wounded, distrustful of its political leaders as well as its own higher command. The damage would take long to repair. However, to go back to the present issue of the massacre of Indian workers at Mosul by the Islamic State, the people of India need to understand clearly and unequivocally that the Islamic State, or ISIS, is a clear and present danger to this country, its culture and its political system. The enemy is an entity which practises and enforces a particularly barbaric and medieval form of religious radicalism preached by the Wahabi doctrine of Salafiya Islam. The Islamic State has been accorded a secure sanctuary in Pakistan, and forms part of the covert, plausibly deniable, strategic assets of that country, for attacking Indian assets and interests in Afghanistan as well as providing aid and support to separatists in Jammu and Kashmir. India simply cannot and will not accept the mass murder of its citizens abroad by assorted foreign devils. Nor will it tolerate the separatists at home, whether it is the Hurriyat and Dukhtaran in Srinagar, or the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen or their ilk. The country has to hit back hard at the enemy, seeking him out at the times and places of our own choosing, and employing the now considerable resources at the disposal of the country, which encompass diplomatic, economic, military as well as covert forces. This task has not been made easier by gau rakshaks and other assorted fundamentalists and criminals who have caused so much grief to our own citizens inside the country. These elements too must be put down with an iron hand everywhere. Not to do so would be a clear dereliction of national resolve and national duty. The elections are coming in 2019. Remember that we, the people, are watching! The election is expected within weeks and Najib is battling to win a third term in office at the head of the coalition that has led Malaysia for over six decades. Malaysia's government on April 2 pushed a law through parliament that makes "fake news" punishable with a maximum six-year jail term despite an outcry from critics worried it will be used to stifle dissent before elections. The law targets foreign as well as local media and is seen in part as an effort to silence criticism of the scandal surrounding sovereign wealth fund 1MDB that has rocked the administration of Prime Minister Najib Razak. The election is expected within weeks and Najib is battling to win a third term in office at the head of the coalition that has led Malaysia for over six decades. After a debate spanning much of Monday and last week Thursday afternoon, parliament which is dominated by the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition voted in favour of the new law. The law originally proposed a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and fine of 500,000 ringgit ($130,000) for publishing what authorities deem to be fake news, but the government lowered the jail term to six years following a storm of criticism. "This law is not intended to restrict the freedom of speech, but to restrict the dissemination of fake news," said Minister Azalina Othman Said. But opposition Members of Parliament were not convinced, criticising the law's heavy penalties and its potential to limit free speech. "This bill ... is a weapon to close the truth so that what is false can be upheld as true, and what is true can be reversed as false," said Lim Guan Eng of the Democratic Action Party. "This is something very dangerous for our country." The law will still have to be debated in the Senate, though it is expected to be passed with more than half of the Senate filled with Barisan Nasional members. After this, it will have to be sent to the King for his royal assent before it can take effect. The new law has sparked widespread anger among activists, press freedom groups and the opposition, who believe it is more aimed at cracking down on dissenting voices than safeguarding the public from false information. Before the law was passed, Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, condemned it as a "blatant attempt by the government to prevent any and all news that it doesn't like, whether about corruption or elections." He said it "uses draconian penalties and broad language in an audacious and unprecedented effort to control discussion of Malaysia worldwide." The law covers any information that is deemed to be "wholly or partly fake." It includes several examples, such as a blogger publishing a report known to be false; someone sharing information on social media they know to be false; and someone giving a speech containing information they know to be untrue. Malaysia is one of several countries in Asia turning to such legislation, emboldened by US President Donald Trump's fulminations against "fake news," but activists warn authoritarian regimes will use the laws to target opponents. Malaysia ranks 144th out of 180 countries in the 2017 World Press Freedom Index. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Under HMD Globals leadership, Nokia has been doing generously good with its mixed portfolio of well-built smartphones and revival of classic legacy models. While they started off with the Nokia 3310 last year, the company had unveiled a revamped version of the Nokia 8110 banana phone at this years MWC 2018. However, it seems that Nokia will keep on the tradition of unveiling new classic phones every year as reports have been suggesting that the next phone to get the rebirth will be classic Nokia 2010 from 1994. An Android Authority report suggests that the Nokia 2010 is currently in works and could be unveiled early next year, which coincidentally happens to the 25th anniversary of the 2010 model. As with all the classic models, the revamped 2010 could sport colourful body shells with a slightly modifies design to sit flush with feature phones of the modern age. While the buttons could be redesigned, Nokia could eliminate the extended antenna like it did with 3310 of 2017. As for the operating system, Nokia could use the same one as it did in the 3310 or use the modern Internet-apps ready Kai OS-based OS. The report mentions that it will run a watered-down version of Facebook and WhatsApp, which could make it logical to buy in 2019. Nokia is also expected to infuse it with 4G LTE connectivity and a moderately big colour screen. It is still too early to believe blindly on this report. However, going by Nokias trend of releasing modern classics every year, the possibility of the 2010 becoming a reality is believable. And if this is to continue in the future, what are the other Nokia classics you want to see? Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Islamabad: Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner, on Monday returned to London after her first visit to Pakistan since she was shot in the head by Taliban militants for advocating girls' education more than five years ago. Malala, 20, arrived in Islamabad on March 29, six years after she was shot by a gunman for campaigning for female education in 2012 in Pakistan's Swat Valley. Local media footage showed a smiling Malala along with her parents at the airport in Islamabad to take a flight back to London after the four-day visit. Also Read: She is Malala and she is home: Activist shot by Taliban returns to Swat Valley The visit was kept highly secret and hardly anyone knew until she landed in Islamabad and was driven in security to a hotel. On her visit, she met Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi at the PM House where a ceremony was also organised in her honour. "I have been dreaming of returning to Pakistan for the past five years," teary-eyed Malala had said. She also made an emotional visit to her hometown in Mingora area of Swat district where she lived, went to school and was attacked in 2012. "So much joy seeing my family home, visiting friends and putting my feet on this soil again," she had tweeted about the visit, terming Swat as "The most beautiful place on earth to me." Malala, who is currently studying at Oxford University, also said that she plans to return to Pakistan after completing her studies in Britain. The famed human rights activist was shot at by the Taliban gunman in December 2012 for her female education campaigning in the Swat Valley in northeastern Pakistan. Severely wounded, she was airlifted from one military hospital in Pakistan to another and later flown to the Great Britain for treatment. Post the attack, the Taliban released a statement saying that they would target Malala again if she survived. At age 17, Malala became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for her education advocacy in 2014 when she shared the coveted honour with India's social activist Kailash Satyarthi. Unable to return to Pakistan after her recovery, Malala moved to Britain, setting up the Malala Fund and supporting local education advocacy groups with a focus on Pakistan, Nigeria, Jordan, Syria and Kenya. Malala began her campaign aged just 11, when she started writing a blog for the BBC's Urdu service in 2009 about life under the Taliban in Swat, where they were banning girls' education. In 2007, the Islamist terrorists had taken over the area and imposed a brutal rule. Opponents were murdered, people were publicly flogged for supposed breaches of the sharia law, women were banned from going to market, and girls were stopped from going to school. The Taliban, who are opposed to the education of girls, have destroyed hundreds of schools in Pakistan. In a statement, the military's media wing said the terrorists, tried by special military courts, were involved in killing of 62 people and heinous crimes against the state including attack on security forces and a five-star hotel in Peshawar. (Photo: Representational Image) Islamabad: Pakistan Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday approved death penalty for 10 terrorists including those who shot dead Amjad Sabri, one of the country's finest Sufi Qawwals. In a statement, the military's media wing said the terrorists, tried by special military courts, were involved in killing of 62 people and heinous crimes against the state including attack on security forces and a five-star hotel in Peshawar. The terrorists were identified as Muhammad Ishaq, Muhammad Rafique, Muhammad Arish, Habibur Rehman, Muhammad Fayaz, Ismail Shah, Muhammad Fazal, Hazrat Ali, Muhammad Asim and Habibullah. Ishaq and Asim were involved in the killing of Sabri and attacking the law enforcement agencies/armed forces of Pakistan, which resulted in death of 17 officials, the statement said, adding that they were awarded death sentence. Sabri, 45, was travelling in a car in Karachi's congested Liquatabad 10 area when two motorcycle-borne gunmen shot him in the head in a targeted terror attack on June 22, 2016. He was rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Hakimullah Masood group had claimed responsibility for the attack on Sabri. Sabri was the son of renowned Qawwal Ghulam Farid Sabri whose family is famous in the subcontinent for their contribution to this sufi art and mystic poetry. Some of the most memorable and famous qawwalis of the Sabris were 'Bhar Do Jholi Meri', 'Tajdar-i-Haram' and 'Mera Koi Nahin Hai Teray Siwa'. Our society today is increasingly divided in unhealthy ways. Different groups of Americans are pitted against each other for political gain. In Washington, meaningful discussions have been replaced by those who would rather talk past one another than talk to one another. Consequently, we have an increasingly siloed society in which shallow stereotypes and mischaracterizations keep us from truly understanding one anothers experiences and perspectives. Most dangerously, these trends leave us increasingly incapable of solving the big challenges that our country and world face today. Fortunately, the state of Utah serves as an example of what we can do when we work together. Our state is a unique place, one that for generations has welcomed people from all states and countries who are in search of a stronger community and a better life. Utah is a state in which we recognize that our diversity gives us strength, and that together we are stronger than we are individually. We need leaders in Congress who embody this spirit. As the only LDS woman in Congress, I know that I dont fit into many peoples views of what a representative should look like. And as the child of immigrant parents from Haiti, I know how uncomfortable it can be to defy expectations. I frequently receive derogatory comments from people who have trouble accepting the fact that I dont fit in their small box. But I refuse to disappear in Congress just because I'm unique. The same aspects of my personal background that have caused me to be dismissed by some in Washington have also helped me to build strong relationships with many members of both political parties. As the only female Republican member of the Congressional Black Caucus, I have the opportunity every day to work across the aisle on issues that are divisive but important. My faith and my belief in the humanity of every one of Gods children helps me to work with my Congressional Black Caucus colleagues on important issues like criminal justice reform. And my familys immigrant background has helped us to find common ground helping immigrants from countries plagued by war, poverty, disease and natural disasters. I have been proud to work with many of these same colleagues pushing for a permanent bipartisan solution to protect refuges and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients. Many of our political disagreements are important. I believe in prioritizing local governments over the federal government, lowering taxes and protecting life from conception until natural death. I am willing to fight for these ideas, even when it makes me unpopular. But our political views should not lead us to wall ourselves off from others, and they should never be used as an excuse to characterize others as irredeemable villains. The values that Utah holds dear uniquely position us to lead the effort to better unite all Americans. I see my fellow Utahns doing exactly that on a daily basis. I join them in offering my experiences, my faith and my whole self in the service of Utahs 4th District as we work together to cultivate a better nation and a more abundant future for our children. President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, began his priesthood session talk with expressions of gratitude. First, gratitude for a living prophet. "We have sustained President Russell M. Nelson as the 17th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," he said. "As I have had the blessing of working with him each day, I have felt a confirmation of the Spirit that President Nelson is called of God to lead the Lord's true Church." Second, gratitude for Elder Gong and Elder Ulisses Soares, newly called members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. "I love and sustain them. They will, by their ministry, bless lives across the world and across generations." And finally, gratitude for inspired modifications to ward Melchizedek Priesthood quorums. "President Nelson has announced an inspired step forward in the Lord's organized plan for His Church," he said. "That plan includes a new structure for priesthood quorums in wards and stakes so that we may better fulfill our priesthood responsibilities. Those responsibilities all have to do with our priesthood care of our Father's children." The Lord's plan for His Saints to provide loving care has taken many forms over the years, he added. In the early days of Nauvoo, the Prophet Joseph Smith organized geographical "wards" to care for the members by geography. Later, Saints moving across the plains were organized in "companies" to care for one another at a time of great difficulty. "Now he has blessed us with strengthened and unified quorums at the ward and stake levels quorums that work in coordination with all ward organizations," he said. Municipal wards, companies and strengthened quorums, he added, have all required at least two things to be successful. "They succeed when the Saints feel the love of Christ for each other above their self-interest. . And they succeed when the Holy Ghost guides the caregiver to know what the Lord knows is best for the person that he is trying to help." President Eyring shared two instances of priesthood holders one, a young man, the other, a Melchizedek Priesthood holder who seemed to anticipate the Lord's desire for them as they were serving others. At a recent sacrament meeting, the young man spoke of being a member of a teachers quorum. He reviewed over the duties of a teacher, found in the 20th section of the Doctrine and Covenants that includes "to watch over the church always," to "see that there is no iniquity in the church" and "to meet together often." The young man, said President Eyring, continued: "The Lord is telling us it's our responsibility to not only care for the Church but to also care for the people within the Church the way that Christ would because this is His Church. If we are trying to keep the commandments, be kind to each other, be honest, be good friends, and enjoy being together, then we will be able to have the Spirit with us and know what Heavenly Father wants us to do. "If we don't then we can't fulfill our calling." The young man later spoke of home teaching a family in the ward with his father. Home teaching has helped allow him to fulfill his duty of a teacher to greet members at church and to help them feel included. Some service, such as passing the sacrament, is seen by people, while only the Lord sees other forms of service. "I know we will become better if we choose to follow [Jesus Christ]," the young man concluded. President Eyring then shared another story of priesthood service that he again heard at a recent sacrament meeting. A seasoned priesthood holder offered the account of home teaching a less-active single sister who had two young children. After many attempts to contact the woman, he received a text from the woman informing him that she was too busy to meet with home teachers. "Then one day he received an urgent text from her," he said. "She desperately needed help. She did not know who the bishop was, but did know her home teachers." The woman had to leave the state for a month-long military training exercise and desperately needed someone to care for her 12-year old son. She asked the home teacher if he could find a good LDS family to take the boy into their home for 30 days. Working with the Relief Society, the home teacher made arrangements for the boy, who soon began attending Church and was ordained a deacon. The boy may well become a leader in the Church, he said, "all because of Saints who worked together in unity under the direction of a bishop out of the charity in their hearts." President Eyring concluded by testifying "that we receive the Holy Spirit best when we are focused on serving others. This is why we have the priesthood responsibility to serve for the Savior." SALT LAKE CITY The Utah Insurance Department wants several insurers to help cover millions in unpaid medical claims resulting from Arches Health Plan going out of business, but those carriers are pushing back in court. Arches announced in October 2015 that it would no longer offer insurance on the federal health exchange beginning the following year, citing an extreme shortfall in expected financial help from the Affordable Care Act's risk corridor, a mechanism in the law intended to shore up some insurer's losses. The health co-op was insuring about 45,000 Utahns on the exchange at the time. On Feb. 2, state insurance regulators filed a motion with the 3rd District Court requesting that seven insurers help pay $26.6 million in unpaid Arches claims. The Utah Insurance Department cited a portion of Utah law stating an organization that manages the assets of a defunct insurer "may require all solvent health maintenance organizations to pay for covered claims incurred by the enrollees of the insolvent (carrier)." Utah law indicates those insurers should be required to pay for unmet claims proportionate to their earnings from premiums in the year prior, the department argues in its motion. Based on that argument, the department is seeking to require that SelectHealth pay 57.75 percent of the outstanding $26.6 million in Arches' unpaid claims. It also wants Aetna to pay 15.72 percent, United Healthcare 11.95 percent, and Molina Healthcare of Utah 11.18 percent. Humana would pay 2.65 percent, Health Choice of Utah would pay 0.48 percent and Bridgespan Health would pay 0.27 percent, if the department's motion is approved. However, three of the affected insurers filed opposing motions March 15, saying they bear no such financial responsibility. Molina's motion argues that the "central purpose" of the section of Utah code cited by the insurance department is simply to ensure the customers of the defunct insurer are "not ... left without coverage" by temporarily transferring responsibility for those customers to other insurers. "In this case, the liquidator did not protect Arches enrollees by assigning them to other (insurers. Instead, they were left) to fend for themselves in finding replacement coverage," Molina's court filing states. "It is therefore ironic that the liquidator now seeks to use the 'continuation of coverage' statute to obtain $26.6 million to pay providers and that the money would not benefit enrollees." Molina's motion also says the "very large amount being sought" by the agency likely indicates it is requesting payments for unpaid Arches claims outside of the time frame allowed under state law. A motion filed by United Healthcare makes a similar argument, saying "the liquidator is attempting to transform an assessment provision designed to support a limited form of continued coverage for (affected) enrollees ... into a sweeping guaranty in favor of health care providers." SelectHealth's motion opposing the department's request says it was made based on a portion of state law that is unconstitutionally vague in the power it grants to the agency. "The absence of such standards and procedural protections (for insurers) is particularly striking in the context of a nonparty being asked to pay millions to fund an insolvent organization's debts, and contrasts with other laws affording such protections," SelectHealth's motion states. The Utah Insurance Department told lawmakers in August 2017 that it would be able pay out about $10 million from the Arches estate by the end of the calendar year in an effort to reimburse health care providers, but that such payments would make up only a fraction of the more than $36 million owed. Another $10 million in liquidated Arches assets would need to be held in reserve in order to pay for future court costs related to the insolvency of the co-op, the agency said at the time. Tanji Northrup, assistant commissioner of the department, also said last year that Arches was $90 million in debt to the federal government and owed another $2 million in payments for advertising and the services of insurance agents. However, the department was hopeful that the Arches estate could receive about $57 million from an ongoing class action lawsuit against the federal government seeking belated payments from the Affordable Care Act's risk corridor program, Northrup said in August. By law, any paying off of Arches' debts must make health care providers whole before reimbursing the federal government. SALT LAKE CITY Thanks to a little-known section in the $1.5 trillion federal tax cut signed into law last year, states across the nation have a new tool to incentivize growth in underdeveloped poverty-stricken areas and Utah is gearing up to take advantage of it. Of the 181 rural and urban areas in Utah that are eligible for the program of which the governor can only nominate up to 46 Salt Lake City's northwest quadrant has a good chance to make the cut as an area that has long awaited development and is slated for an inland port, state officials say. The new tax law creates the Opportunity Zones program, which instructs governors in each state to designate areas as "opportunity zones" from a pool of low-income census tracts, which would then be eligible to use new tax incentives to attract long-term development in poor areas that lack infrastructure and jobs. "This is an exciting program; it holds a lot of potential," said Andrew Gruber, executive director of the Wasatch Front Regional Council, a member of the state's Association of Governments that will be issuing recommendations to the governor's office. "Opportunity Zones are a chance to incentivize the private sector to make investments in local communities that may be struggling," Gruber said. "We've seen housing affordability is a really significant challenge in Utah this could help with that. We've seen infrastructure that needs reinvestment this could help with that." How does the program work? The Opportunity Zones would be attractive to businesses because the program provides tax incentives for investors to re-invest their unrealized capital gains into "opportunity funds," according to the U.S. Department of Treasury. The program offers investors three incentives, according to the Economic Innovation Group: A temporary deferral of capital gains taxes until 2026, by allowing investors to put and keep unrealized gains in an opportunity fund. A 10 percent reduction of how much an investor has to pay on deferred taxes on capital gains if the fund is held for five years and another 5 percent reduction if held for seven years. A tax exemption on any capital gains on investments made through the opportunity fund as long as the investor holds them for at least 10 years. Governors of each state can nominate 25 percent of their states' low-income census tracts, meaning Gov. Gary Herbert can nominate up to 46 areas, ranging from rural counties to pockets of undeveloped areas within thriving counties along the Wasatch Front. Herbert has until April 20 to submit nominations to the federal government. Leading up to that deadline, the state has asked Utah's seven associations of governments to collect information from counties and cities to help inform his decision, said Ginger Chinn, managing director of urban and rural business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Development. "This (program) could equate to trillions of dollars of investment for the nation," Chinn said. "Now what that means to Utah, we don't know. But what we are really excited about is we have taken a bottom-up approach on this, going to cities and counties for (recommendations)." Chinn said it's not yet clear how much money the program could mean for Utah since its such a new program and the U.S. treasurer hasn't yet released more information on how to set up the opportunity funds. But the Economic Innovation Group, a bipartisan public policy organization focused on economic issues, estimates the potential capital eligible for reinvestment in Opportunity Zones is more than $6 trillion. "It really could be the tipping point for investing in (low-income) areas," said Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams. On Friday, Salt Lake County received its first list of recommendations from cities, minus Murray and Sandy, which opted not to submit any areas. McAdams said he intends to review the list and forward recommendations to the Wasatch Front Regional Council by Monday. On Tuesday, Salt Lake County is also holding a public meeting from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Salt Lake County Government Center, 2001 S. State, to take public input on recommendations. The list of city recommendations, which Salt Lake County compiled and provided to the Deseret News, includes areas in Kearns, Magna, Midvale, Millcreek, South Salt Lake, Taylorsville, West Jordan, West Valley and Salt Lake City. While other cities and townships submitted between one to four areas each, Salt Lake City submitted 10 areas with seven alternatives most of which lie on the city's west side, including the northwest quadrant. "We think the west side has great opportunity," said Lara Fritts, Salt Lake City's economic development director, adding the area could benefit from an infusion of cash that could revitalize neighborhoods and attract even more investment. Fritts said Salt Lake City also included the northwest quadrant because of already high interest for investment, since Salt Lake City has heard from a number of companies including Amazon and Stadler Rail that have committed to investment. It also comes at a time with high state interest to develop a global trade area or inland port. "Being able to build upon that success we felt was important," Fritts said. McAdams previously told the Deseret News that Salt Lake City's northwest quadrant has the potential to be "on the top of the list" of areas considered to be Opportunity Zones. In an interview on Thursday, McAdams, not wanting to step ahead of the process, was reluctant to specifically state that the county will be recommending the area in its list to the Wasatch Front Regional Council, but he did say the northwest quadrant "is a place where all stakeholders are looking at the possible job creation and investment." "So we think that it looks like it could be a prime candidate," McAdams said. Chinn said it's too soon to say whether the governor and his team will select the northwest quadrant as one of the opportunity zones, but "we're definitely not ruling it out." Noting it's size and already high-profile desire for development, Chinn added: "My guess it will be a priority." COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS Just a year in existence, Utah's homegrown entry into the shared economy arena, Neighbor, is making waves and building fans with a system that connects people who have stuff to store with the people who have space to spare. But the new company, launched by a trio of BYU grads, is thinking deeper than just being a high-tech go-between. Neighbor co-founders say they're not only beating their traditional mini-storage competitors on price by half they're also using unique tools like machine learning and augmented reality to become the most convenient, safe and flexible storage solution there is. And along the way, they're passing 85 percent of their earnings along to hosts. When tech companies began leveraging the idea of the new shared economy a decade or so ago, many predicted it would take the world by storm and fundamentally change how customers acquire everything from a hand tool to a hotel room. But, it turns out the predictions missed the mark. The tidal wave of the new shared economy never really materialized, business failures far outnumbered successes, and just a handful of insightful stalwarts rose to prominence. The handful that identified staid, old business models and redefined them, leveraging innovation that elevated ease-of-use, service quality and cost savings, have become near household names. Uber. Lyft. Airbnb. Neighbor co-founder and CEO Joseph Woodbury thinks his company, even though it's barely past its one-year anniversary, may have found an edge over the better known titans of the sharing business world. "We definitely have advantages over some of the other established sharing economy businesses," Woodbury said. "If you think about it, there's nothing easier than making money from a space you have available in your garage, basement or side yard. Uber and Lyft makes you come to work and drive and even Airbnb hosts have to leave their homes or have clean up between guests." Neighbor has found success in highlighting these advantages to a growing customer base in Utah and, thanks to a $2.5 million round of seed funding announced Wednesday and led by local venture capital firms Peak Ventures and Pelion Ventures, the company is poised to break into new territories. In a statement, Pelion partner Chad Packard said the company has all the tell-tales of a business venture headed for success. "When we saw what Neighbor was doing, we were blown away by the potential," Packard said. "The concept is simple and straightforward, the market potential is incredibly high, and the team is whip-smart. We knew really quickly that we wanted to work with them." Being part of a growing, and collegial, Utah tech scene has been a boon to the startup from day one. Woodbury said he's constantly surprised, and thankful, for how accessible and ready to help leaders of other, more established Beehive State tech firms have been. "We've literally been able to sit down with people from Adobe, Jeremy Andrus from Traeger Grills and Aaron Skonnard from Pluralsight, to name a few, who have offered invaluable mentorship and counsel," Woodbury said. "And one thing I've heard strongly from everyone, and I think it's part of the fabric of Utah business, is making doing right by your customer the goal that drives you forward." American Fork resident Josh Robbins said he tried to rent space in an unused garage on his own before getting connected with Neighbor and, for him, the experience has been entirely positive. "I put word out through Facebook and spreading the word with friends and family, but it just didn't come together," Robbins said. "My sister-in-law forwarded me a link to Neighbor, and things were happening in a matter of days." Robbins ended up finding student storers who needed temporary space for their belongings while away for the summer. Not only has he been able to earn an additional $270 a month from his storage rentals, he said, he has made some new friends along the way. "The way the Neighbor platform works, it connects you with people close by," Robbins said. "Once they linked me up to with people looking for storage, I've gotten to know them pretty well. It's been great." Neighbor co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer Preston Alder said the company is testing out a new tool called "Store with a Friend" that helps connect storers and storees through social media channels. The idea, Alder said, is building on links the two parties already have, an approach that comes with a built-in trust and familiarity factor and ends up being, well, pretty neighborly. "We want you to feel like you just moved into the neighborhood," Alder said. The company is also experimenting with a machine learning function that helps storage renters optimize their pricing to help keep spaces "one hundred percent occupied one hundred percent of the time," and is developing a mobile app that will include augmented reality tools to enable space renters and storers to both see and virtually "pack" spaces to help make the best matches. Woodbury said the company has been able to adopt best practices in use by other share economy companies and has combined some of most effective policies, like identity verification and optional background checks, to help ensure that both sides of every transaction are comfortable with their arrangements. And, he believes the company is on track to become as ubiquitous in the realm of personal storage as some others that have scored big on transport and accommodations. Woodbury said the company's mission statement is one they apply internally with as much enthusiasm and committment as they extol it externally. "I love our brand culture," Woodbury said. "We're working on being good neighbors to each other within our company, too. No one is in charge, we're a neighborhood. We feel like everyone has a role but no one's role is more important than anyone else's." SALT LAKE CITY The weekend's global LDS Church general conference began Saturday morning with an unprecedented infusion of diversity in senior church leadership that was celebrated worldwide. It ended Sunday afternoon with widespread gasps of wonder echoing through a full, 21,000-seat Conference Center when new church President Russell M. Nelson announced the faith's first temples in Russia and India. In between, the energizing 93-year-old retired heart surgeon restructured priesthood quorums in every congregation and replaced the iconic home-teaching and visiting-teaching programs with a new concept of ministering. The surge of "revelatory" changes directly impacted every one of the 16.1 million members and 30,500 congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "President Nelson, I don't know how many more rushes we can handle this weekend," Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve joked on Sunday afternoon during the final of five conference sessions. "Some of us have weak hearts. But as I think about it, you can take care of that, too. What a prophet." He said that about 90 minutes before President Nelson announced seven new temples, in Salta, Argentina; Bengaluru, India; Managua, Nicaragua; Cagayan de Oro, Philippines; Layton, Utah; Richmond, Virginia; and a major city yet to be determined in Russia In the substantial wake of the announcements, it was clear the entire conference laid an orderly foundation for the presentation of the new ministering concept. Through two days and 35 messages by 29 speakers, leaders called again and again on Latter-day Saints to work together in unanimity, unity and accord with each other and in alignment with the Godhead. A growing, increasingly international church brought restructuring. And leaders sought to focus members on Christlike caring and inclusion on an Easter Sunday filled with testimonies of the divinity of Jesus Christ. A new era "This general conference marks the beginning of a new era of ministering," President Nelson said in his fifth and final talk. "The Lord has made important adjustments in the way we care for each other. Sisters and brothers old and young will serve one another in a new, holier way." Sunday's announcement about ministering followed Saturday's announced restructuring of two priesthood quorums into one elders quorum. "Elders quorums will be strengthened to bless the lives of men, women and children throughout the world," President Nelson said. "Relief Society sisters will continue to minister in their unique and loving way, extending opportunities to younger sisters to join them as appropriately assigned." Elder Holland, who together with Sister Jean B. Bingham detailed how church members will minister, said leaders wanted the church to move resolutely toward watching over each other. He called the change a heaven-sent opportunity to demonstrate the pure religion. "Clearly, as the work of the church matures institutionally, it follows that we should mature personally...," he said. "Our prayer today is that every man and woman and our older young men and young women will leave this general conference more deeply committed to heartfelt care for one another, motivated by the pure love of Christ to do so." Pure religion Elder Holland said leaders want to see members "minister...to all of us, every one of us, because we all need to feel the warm hand of friendship and hear a firm declaration of faith." President M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve, declared in the conference's opening talk Saturday that the gospel of Jesus Christ in its truest sense pure religion is to succor, lift and strengthen those in spiritual and temporal need. "Doing so requires us to visit them and to assist them that their testimonies of faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and his Atonement will be anchored in their hearts," he said. Themes of confidence, unity and revelation dominated President Nelson's address on Sunday, his first conference talk as a prophet to the full body of the church. He said he is not naive about the state of the world, but he expressed optimism for a future he said is full of opportunities. "Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of his mightiest works between now and when he comes again," President Nelson said. "We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and his Beloved Son preside over this earth in majesty and glory." He used the faith's senior leadership as a model of unity. Grow into revelation "When we convene as a Council of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, our meeting rooms become rooms of revelation," President Nelson said. "The Spirit is palpably present. As we wrestle with complex matters, a thrilling process unfolds as each apostle freely expresses his thoughts and point of view. Though we may differ in our initial perspectives, the love we feel for each other is constant. Our unity helps us discern the Lords will for his church. "In our meetings, the majority never rules! We listen prayerfully to one another and talk with each other until we are united. Then when we have reached complete accord, the unifying influence of the Holy Ghost is spine-tingling! We experience what the Prophet Joseph Smith knew when he taught, 'By union of feeling we obtain power with God.'" He called revelation a privilege and one of the greatest gifts of God. He also said God wants to speak to every person. He said those who want to hear him should pray, listen, record their impressions and act on them. "As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will grow into the principle of revelation," he said. Sister Bingham, the Relief Society General President, said Sunday that Mormon young women ages 14-18 will participate as ministering companions to Relief Society sisters, just as young men do with Melchizedek Priesthood holders. She called the priesthood and ministering announcements "revelatory changes." "The extension of these duties to Young Women is an important shift in how members fulfill their duties within the church," Stapley said. Elder Holland said the Relief Society has successfully modeled many components of the new ministering concept already. Josephine Shelton, a native New Yorker and Mormon convert who now lives in Price, Utah, said she has seen that in the monthly council meetings implemented in January. It's working out really well," Shelton said. "We come together and brainstorm and pull topics together. What are the needs? What can we do to minister in a better way to help sisters that are inactive. Instead of going and giving a message, now it's more of 'Hi, how are you doing? What's going on? We need to talk. What can I help you do this week?" She has noticed small and simple acts the theme of a conference talk by President Oaks on Sunday become significant. "If they like to crochet," she said, "I go buy some yarn and crochet needles: 'Let me sit with you for an hour and you teach me how to crochet,' and you build that relationship. Then they say, 'Oh, maybe I'll go to church next Sunday. I haven't been going. Maybe I'll go now on a regular basis.' It makes a big difference." A kaleidoscope Shelton's example fit into one leader's Sunday call on Mormons to act in one accord, like a kaleidoscope of butterflies, each unique and different but working together to make the world a more beautiful and fruitful place. "We are on this journey together. In order to reach our sublime destiny, we need each other, and we need to be unified," said Sister Reyna Isabel Aburto, a native of Nicaragua and second counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency. Jesus Christ set a perfect example of unity with his Father, she said, citing the Bible in the way his disciples followed that model after his death, the men continuing "with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women." Latter-day Saints can follow their example, she said, by trying to draw closer to Christ. That will give them determination to "be one in the kaleidoscope of our families, wards and communities; and we will minister to each other in newer, better ways." She said LDS congregations already act in unity like Christ's ancient disciples each week during meetings, testifying of Christ, studying the word together and ministering to each other in love. "Revelation is scattered among us," she said, "and when we put that revelation together, we see more." Rowing together Every other speaker Sunday also mentioned unity. Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve said the scriptural imperative for unity is largely ignored today in favor of tribalism. "In the Lords church the only culture we adhere to and teach is the culture of the Gospel of Jesus Christ," he said. "The unity we seek is to be unified with the Savior and his teachings." President Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, spoke about the spiritual uplift of constant and continuous focus on small things and added, "It helps if we are part of a team who are paddling together, like a rowing crew in action." President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, spoke about aligning with the Godhead and receiving the companionship of the Holy Ghost. "Great ministers have qualified for the Holy Ghost as a nearly constant companion," President Eyring added. "And they have qualified for the gift of charity, which is the pure love of Christ. Those gifts have grown in them as they have used them in serving out of love for the Lord." Presiding Bishop Gerald Causse said the church "is all about people and covenants." Those messages and the new use of the term and concept of ministering brought new meaning to the next major item on President Nelson's agenda, an eight-country trip that begins April 10. He has coined it "a global ministry tour." John Cena Wants To Join The Rock In 'The Fast And Furious' Franchise Hollywood actor and professional wrestler John Cena is known to have starred in movies such as The Marine, 12 Rounds and The Reunion. He has also been starring in the Hollywood television series American Grit. According to a story published on timesofindia.indiatimes.com, John Cena has recently exhibited his wish to star on-screen alongside Dwayne Johnson, who is also a semi-retired professional wrestler. Moreover, the star wants to join Johnson in The Fast and Furious Franchise. He stated, That stuff is beyond my control, but I would absolutely love that opportunity. That, for me, would be a dream. The 40-year-old further said, I'm never really like, 'Oh, I'd like to work with this person,' but I just think between our chemistry in the live performance setting, there's something certainly there with The Rock. So that would be my one name on the wish list. Cena will also star in the upcoming movie Bumblebee: The Movie. The upcoming movie will be a spinoff from the Transformers series. The movie will star Hailee Steinfeld in the lead role. It will hit the theatres on December 21, 2018. For latest movie reviews, ratings and trailers, download the Desimartini App. Source: i0.wp.com Reports of a Nokia 9 smartphone in the works have been popping up since the second half of 2017 and now the entire spec sheet of the smartphone has leaked online. Slashleaks has posted the alleged specification of the Nokia 9, along with an image of its rear panel. As per the image and the specs, it could feature a triple rear camera setup, similar to the recently launched Huawei P20 Pro and have high-end hardware, as expected from the companys flagship smartphone. As per the report, the Nokia 9 could be equipped with a 41MP primary wide-angle camera, a 20MP secondary telephoto lens and a 9.7MP monochrome camera with ZEISS optics. The main camera comes with 4x optical zoom support and an LED flash, and the device might feature a 21MP sensor on the front. Nokia 9 will reportedly sport a 6.1-inch QHD AMOLED screen with a taller 18:9 display aspect ratio and is said to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, with 8GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The smartphones spec sheet suggests a ceramic rear panel with an 18-karat gold finish, similar to the Nokia 8 Sirocco and the Nokia 7 Plus. The device could be backed by a 3900mAh battery, support Qi wireless charging and be IP68 certified water and dust resistant. One interesting reveal is the use of an in-display fingerprint scanner on the handset, which a previous report also tipped at. The Nokia 9 will most likely run on Android 8.1.0 out-of-the-box and is speculated to be backed by a 3900mAh battery with support for Qi wireless charging. Connectivity options include USB type-C, Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and 3.5mm headphone jack. According to the specs sheet, the Nokia 9 comes with 5 mics which can record 24-bit audio and it is sporting the Android One branding on the rear as well. It's not known when the Nokia 9 will be announced, however, the company's 2018 lineup of smartphones might soon be available in India. HMD Globals VP, Ajay Mehta, has teased an image of the Nokia 7 Plus on Twitter with the caption Stay tuned, hinting that the company might launch its 2018 smartphone lineup in India. Nokia has an event planned on April 4, where its expected to officially launch the Nokia 6 (2018), Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus, and the Nokia 8110 phones. The devices were initially unveiled at the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona. The image posted on Twitter also reference the company's partnership with the Kolkata Knight Riders. Samsung has officially dropped prices of its flagship smartphone from 2017, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. The company has listed revised prices of the two smartphones on its online store, where the Samsung Galaxy S8 is now priced at Rs. 49,990, while the Galaxy S8+ is priced at Rs. 53,990. Both the smartphones are available as 64GB internal storage variants at the moment, and prices for their respective 128GB storage variants have not yet been revealed. The same prices should reflect soon across offline retail stores and Samsung outlets across India. The price drop of the Samsung Galaxy S8 lineup can be attributed to the launch of the new Samsung Galaxy S9 lineup. The Samsung Galaxy S9 (64GB) is priced at Rs. 57,900, while the 128GB variant is priced at Rs. 61,900. The Samsung Galaxy S9+ (64GB) is priced at Rs. 64,900, while the 128GB variant is priced at Rs. 68,900. With the new prices for the Galaxy S8, Samsung will hope to keep up sales of its previous generation flagship. The Samsung Galaxy S9 lineup maintains similar looks from its predecessor, and has upgraded in terms of processor, camera and a few other elements. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ are powered by the Exynos 8895 SoC in India, which still remains to be a fairly able proposition. The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ were the first to introduce the wide-aspect ratio Infinity Display on phone, with dual-edge curved Quad HD+ AMOLED displays certified by Mobile HDR Premium. The Galaxy S8 has a 5.8-inch display panel, while the Galaxy S8+ houses a 6.2-inch display. Both the phones being sold from Samsung's official online store are 4GB RAM/64GB native storage variants, and both feature 12-megapixel Dual Pixel cameras, which have already been hailed as one of the best smartphone cameras of 2017. The Samsung Galaxy S8 has a 3000mAh battery, while the Galaxy S8+ has a 3500mAh pack. Both the smartphones run on Android 8.0 Oreo. The price cuts would help those looking for the experience of Samsung's Infinity Display to get the same at a lesser price. The company is also offering Paytm cashback of Rs. 10,000 against purchase of any Galaxy S8 smartphone from offline stores, although this may well be a limited duration offering. Sensex up over 280 points, Nifty ends above 10,200; banks recover in last hour 3:30 pm Market at Close: The market has ended first session of the new fiscal on a strong note, with the Sensex gaining over 280 points, while the Nifty has managed to end above 10,200. A gain in pharma, auto, IT and infra names pushed the indices in a strong zone, but a last hour recovery in the Bank Nifty aided sentiment and helped both close around high points of the day. The market breadth favoured the advances. The Sensex is up 286.68 points or 0.87% at 33255.36, while the Nifty is up 98.10 points or 0.97% at 10211.80. Adani Ports, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Cipla have gained the most on both indices, while ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, and IOC were the top losers. 3:05 pm Market Check: The benchmark indices trading strong as Nifty touched 10,200 level in the afternoon trade. The Sensex up 275.30 points at 33243.98, and the Nifty up 92.10 points at 10205.80. About 2048 shares have advanced, 527 shares declined, and 151 shares are unchanged. 2:45 pm Arvind plans to produce 40% of garments in-house: Arvind is planning to produce 40 percent of garments in-house, from 10 percent at present, as it looks to notch up the turnover of its textile business to Rs 10,000 crore in the next five years. 2:30 pm Strides Shasun get USFDA nod: Strides Shasun's wholly owned subsidiary Strides Pharma Global Pte has received approval for Ibuprofen Capsules, 200 mg OTC from the United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA). The approval further strengthens Strides global ibuprofen portfolio that now includes multiple products in oral dosage format. Ibuprofen Capsules is generic version of Advil Liqui-Gels, 200 mg, of Pfizer Inc. 2:20 pm TVS March sales number: TVS Motor Company added 3.6 percent on Monday as company has posted robust growth in March sales number. The company recorded sales growth of 27 percent increasing at 3,26,659 units in March 2018 from 2,56,341 units in March 2017. Its two-wheelers segment registered growth of 25.8% at 315,765 units and domestic two-wheelers posted growth of 22.2% to 265,166 units in March 2018. 1:55 pm Buzzing Stock: FIEM Industries rose 2.4 percent Monday as the company entered into JV with Japanese firm Aisan Industry Co. The company signed a joint venture agreement with Aisan Industry Co., Ltd., Japan for manufacture of fuel injection system and IC connector for two-wheelers and three-wheelers for Indian market. The initial share capital of joint venture company is proposed Rs 1 billion, wherein shareholding of Fiem will be 26% and of Aisan will be at least 69%. 1:40 pm Market Check: A pullback in financials has pushed the market higher from the morning levels. The Sensex is up almost 200 points, while the Nifty is also hovering well above 10,100, thanks to Nifty Bank turning positive. The market breadth favours the advances. Among sectors, pharma, auto, IT and infra have led the gains on D-Street, while Nifty PSU bank is the only index in the red zone. The midcap index too is higher by 1 percent. Kotak Mahindra Bank, Adani Ports, Cipla and Lupin have gained the most, while ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, and IOC were the top losers. 1:30 pm Buzzing Stock: Kridhan Infra share price rallied 3.3 percent intraday Monday after it increased shareholding in Vijay Nirman Company, an EPC company. The engineering firm has acquired an additional 4.61 percent stake in Vijay Nirman Company (VNC). As a part of this transaction, VNC has allotted 14,99,475 fresh equity shares to KIL. "Post this transaction KIL holding in Vijay Nirman has increased to 41.47 percent," Kridhan Infra said in its filing. 1:10 pm Check on lending practices: Arvind Gupta, the whistleblower in the ICICI Bank-Videocon Group controversy, wants the government and regulators to check on the lending practices of the banking system. Gupta, who was the first to highlight the issue, with a October 2016 blog titled Banking Sector NPAs from mighty Corporate Cons, told Moneycontrol that he has raised more than 12 cases in the past 'which have gone unnoticed by the government'. Gupta is founder and trustee of Indian Investors Protection Council, and as his blog profile suggests, he has a Ph.D in Public Sector Economics. 12:52 pm Interview: We expect FY19 and FY20 to deliver some of the strongest earnings growth in the past five years, on the back of a signs of an economic turnaround which can can last for multiple years, Chandresh Kumar Nigam, MD and CEO, Axis MF, said in an exclusive interview with Moneycontrols Kshitij Anand. Read the whole interview here. 12:35 pm RInfra gains: Share price of Reliance Infrastructure added 3 percent intraday Monday on winning EPC contract from Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Project. The company won an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for Rs 441 crore from Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for the rehabilitation and upgrading of National Highway-66 in the Kashedi Ghat section which includes execution of three by three lane twin tunnels of total length 3.44 km, company said in release. The company had bid for the project in joint venture with CAI, Ukraine. In addition to the twin tunnels, the contract also includes construction of highway with paved shoulders and viaducts for a length of 7.2 Km. 12:15 pm Market Check: Shares have extended their morning gains, with the Sensex trading around 150 points higher, while the Nifty is also up around half a percent. A gain in auto, pharma and IT names is helping the indices trade strong, even as financials take a beating on the back of weak sentiment. ICICI Bank continues to trade lower by around 6 percent, while Ashoka Buildcon is up around 4 percent on the back of an order win. IRB Infra is also up 2 percent on the back of an order win for a project in Uttar Pradesh. 12:10 pm ICICI Bank in focus: The Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department have turned their focus on ICICI Bank-Videocon loan case and are in the process of collection relevant files and papers from the Reserve Bank of India and Securities and Exchange Board of India. Once the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) files FIR in the case pertaining to the sanction of loan worth Rs 3,200 crore to Venugopal Dhoot-led Videocon Group, the ED is expected to follow up the matter, a source told Moneycontrol. As of now, ED is preparing its stand in this case, the source said. This is not the first time the Venugopal Dhoot firm is facing the heat from the ED. In 2014, Videocon Group received a show cause notice for violation of forex norms. The case was closed after penalizing the companies. In 2007-08, the Videocon Group had formed a company in Cayman Islands called Tuskar Overseas. The company raised loans from ICICI Bank Ltd in the UK and Canada based on guarantees given six domestic Videocon entities. In its preliminary investigation, the ED had found that Tuskar Overseas didnt have a legitimate business. 12:00 pm PM insurance scheme: The government will begin talks with general insurance companies and other relevant stakeholders over the course of the next few weeks on revising the price for Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY). The scheme, which offers Rs 2 lakh personal accident insurance at an annual premium of Rs 12 per annum, has been a loss-making proposition for insurers because of the unsustainable premiums. Sources told Moneycontrol that insurers are likely to seek a hike in the premiums, to at least Rs 100-200 per annum. The cover period for the policy is June 1 of each year to May 31 of the subsequent year. A regular personal accident policy of a similar sum assured costs between Rs 200 and Rs 250 depending on the insurance company. The personal accident scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Suraksha Yojana, launched in May 2015, has 134.7 million subscribers as of March 26, 2018. According to data from the Jan Suraksha Yojana website, State Bank of India led the enrolments with 23.3 million subscribers. The insurers had received 20,984 claims during the same period which translates to Rs 419.68 crore worth of claims. 11:45 am Auto sales: Automaker Mahindra & Mahindra reported a 10 percent increase in total sales at 62,077 units in March as against 56,202 units for the same month last year. In the domestic market, M&M's sales also went up by 10 percent to 58,653 units last month as against 53,493 units a year earlier, the company said in a BSE filing. Exports were up 26 percent at 3,424 units as compared to 2,709 units in the same period a year ago. 11:30 am Order win: RPP Infra Projects has bagged orders worth Rs 233.9 crore from TNSCB (Tamilnadu Slum Clearance Board) and Maharashtra PWD (Public Works Department of Maharashtra). The stock is up 4 percent. 11:10 am Ashoka Buildcon gains: Shares of Ashoka Buildcon gained 5 percent intraday Monday as as company received letters of award from MoRT&H. The company received letters of award (LOAs) from Ministry of Road Transport & Highway (MoRT&H) through Public Works Department, National Highway (P.W.D), Maharashtra on EPC mode. The projects include up-gradation of Jalgaon - Bhadgaon ( section I) of NH 753J to two lane with paved shoulders and up-gradation of Bhadgaon - Chalisgaon (section II) of NH 753J in the state of Maharashtra on EPC mode. 10:47 am Buzzing Stock: Share price of Maruti Suzuki India added 2.4 percent in the early trade on Monday on the back of robust sales number for the month of March 2018. The company reported 15 percent jump in its total sales volumes for the month of March 2018. The company has sold total 1,60,598 units in March 2018. The company had sold a total of 1,39,763 units in March 2017. 10:35 am Market View: The Nifty which is still struggling to reclaim its 200-days moving average could see a pullback rally first and then retest 9800 kind of levels led by fall in global markets, Gautam Shah, Associate Director & Technical Analyst at JM Financial said in an interview with CNBC-TV18. The last one and a half month were challenging and it was required after the recent run-up we saw in the year 2017. The problem is that even at levels of 10100 we dont have evidence on the chart which suggests that the market is bottoming out for good, said Shah. He further added that considering the fact that the setup for global markets especially the US is still negative, India will still have to feel the heat. Also, the news flow in the past 4-6 weeks supported bearish sentiment. 10:05 am Market Check: The market has begun this new financial year on a positive note, with the Nifty trading above 10,100 in the opening tick, while the Sensex gained around 100 points and is hovering around those levels. Among stocks, ICICI Bank is down around 4 percent, while Axis Bank is also trading lower by around 1 percent. Canara Bank fell around 2 percent after it cancelled its stake sale in Can Fin Homes. The market also saw two debutants this morningSandhar Technologies and Karda Constructions. 10:20 am New Listing: Shares of Sandhar Technologies were listed at a premium of 5 percent on the exchanges here. The stock listed at Rs 349, a gain of Rs 27 to the issue price of Rs 332 per share. The initial public offer of auto component maker Sandhar was subscribed 6.19 times during March 19-21, 2018. 9:45 am Navkar Corp gains: Navkar Corporation share price rallied as much as 7.5 percent in morning on Monday after getting approval from NCLT for amalgamation of Navkar Terminals with the company. The container freight stations & rail terminals operator informed exchanges that the National Company Law Tribunal, Mumbai Bench (NCLT), on March 28, has sanctioned the Scheme of Amalgamation of Navkar Terminals into Navkar Corporation and their respective shareholders. Navkar Terminals is a wholly owned subsidiary of the company. 9:30 am Buzzing Stock: Shares of Can Fin Homes declined 8 percent in the early trade on Monday as Canara Bank called off the divestment process in the company. The bank decided to called off the divestment process since the quote received was not in tune with the valuation, as per BSE release. Canara Bank holds 30 percent stake in Can Fin Homes. 9:15 am Market Opens: Shares have begun the financial year on a positive note, with the Nifty trading above 10,100, while the Sensex is up around 100 points. The Sensex is up 96.72 points or 0.29% at 33065.40, while the Nifty is up 41.90 points or 0.41% at 10155.60. ICICI Bank is lower by over 3 percent on the back of negative developments around its CEO Chanda Kochchar, while Axis Bank is also trading lower by over 1 percent. A media reported said that the RBI has asked the lender to review Shikha Sharmas tenure. Among other stocks, Canara Bank is also trading lower by around 6 percent after it called off its stake sale in Can Fin Homes. GAIL, Vedanta, Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors were trading in the green, while Titan was lower by half a percent. 9:00 am Pre-opening rates: Pre-opening rates for the market in the new financial year have kicked in. The Nifty is trading flat, while the Sensex is seen lower by over 100 points. ICICI Bank is down around 10 percent, while Axis Bank is down around 4 percent. Is there life adrift in the clouds of Venus? UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON This is a a Venus Atmospheric Maneuverable Platform, or VAMP. The aircraft, which would fly like a plane and float like a blimp, could help explore the atmosphere of Venus, which has temperature and pressure conditions that do not preclude the possibility of microbial life. /Northrop Grumman Corp In the search for extraterrestrial life, scientists have turned over all sorts of rocks. Mars, for example, has geological features that suggest it once had and still has subsurface liquid water, an almost sure prerequisite for life. Scientists have also eyed Saturn's moons Titan and Enceladus as well as Jupiter's moons Europa, Ganymede and Callisto as possible havens for life in the oceans under their icy crusts. Now, however, scientists are dusting off an old idea that promises a new vista in the hunt for life beyond Earth: the clouds of Venus. In a paper published online on 30 March 2018 in the journal Astrobiology, an international team of researchers led by planetary scientist Sanjay Limaye of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Space Science and Engineering Center lays out a case for the atmosphere of Venus as a possible niche for extraterrestrial microbial life. "Venus has had plenty of time to evolve life on its own," explains Limaye, noting that some models suggest Venus once had a habitable climate with liquid water on its surface for as long as 2 billion years. "That's much longer than is believed to have occurred on Mars." On Earth, terrestrial microorganisms mostly bacteria are capable of being swept into the atmosphere, where they have been found alive at altitudes as high as 41 kilometers (25 miles) by scientists using specially equipped balloons, according to study co-author David J. Smith of NASA's Ames Research Center. There is also a growing catalog of microbes known to inhabit incredibly harsh environments on our planet, including the hot springs of Yellowstone, deep ocean hydrothermal vents, the toxic sludge of polluted areas, and in acidic lakes worldwide. "On Earth, we know that life can thrive in very acidic conditions, can feed on carbon dioxide, and produce sulfuric acid," says Rakesh Mogul, a professor of biological chemistry at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and a co-author on the new paper. He notes that the cloudy, highly reflective and acidic atmosphere of Venus is composed mostly of carbon dioxide and water droplets containing sulfuric acid. The habitability of Venus' clouds was first raised in 1967 by noted biophysicist Harold Morowitz and famed astronomer Carl Sagan. Decades later, the planetary scientists David Grinspoon, Mark Bullock and their colleagues expanded on the idea. Supporting the notion that Venus' atmosphere could be a plausible niche for life, a series of space probes to the planet launched between 1962 and 1978 showed that the temperature and pressure conditions in the lower and middle portions of the Venusian atmosphere altitudes between 40 and 60 kilometers (25-27 miles) would not preclude microbial life. The surface conditions on the planet, however, are known to be inhospitable, with temperatures soaring above 450 degrees Celsius (860 degrees Fahrenheit). Limaye, who conducts his research as a NASA participating scientist in the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Akatsuki mission to Venus, was eager to revisit the idea of exploring the planet's atmosphere after a chance meeting at a teachers' workshop with paper co-author Grzegorz Slowik of Poland's University of Zielona Gora. Slowik made him aware of bacteria on Earth with light-absorbing properties similar to those of unidentified particles that make up unexplained dark patches observed in the clouds of Venus. Spectroscopic observations, particularly in the ultraviolet, show that the dark patches are composed of concentrated sulfuric acid and other unknown light-absorbing particles. Those dark patches have been a mystery since they were first observed by ground-based telescopes nearly a century ago, says Limaye. They were studied in more detail by subsequent probes to the planet. "Venus shows some episodic dark, sulphuric rich patches, with contrasts up to 30-40 per cent in the ultraviolet, and muted in longer wavelengths. These patches persist for days, changing their shape and contrasts continuously and appear to be scale dependent," says Limaye. The particles that make up the dark patches have almost the same dimensions as some bacteria on Earth, although the instruments that have sampled Venus' atmosphere to date are incapable of distinguishing between materials of an organic or inorganic nature. The patches could be something akin to the algae blooms that occur routinely in the lakes and oceans of Earth, according to Limaye and Mogul only these would need to be sustained in the Venusian atmosphere. Limaye, who has spent his career studying planetary atmospheres, was further inspired to revisit the idea of microbial life in the clouds of Venus by a visit to Tso Kar, a high-altitude salt lake in northern India where he observed the powdery residue of sulphur-fixing bacteria concentrated on decaying grass at the edge of the lake being wafted into the atmosphere. Limaye notes, however, that a part of the equation that isn't known is when Venus' liquid water evaporated extensive lava flows in the last billion years likely have either destroyed or covered up the planet's earlier terrestrial history. In the hunt for extraterrestrial life, planetary atmospheres other than Earth's remain largely unexplored. One possibility for sampling the clouds of Venus, says Limaye, is on the drawing board: VAMP, or Venus Atmospheric Maneuverable Platform, a craft that flies like a plane but floats like a blimp and could stay aloft in the planet's cloud layer for up to a year gathering data and samples. Such a platform could include instruments like Raman Lidar, meteorological and chemical sensors, and spectrometers, says Limaye. It could also carry a type of microscope capable of identifying living microorganisms. "To really know, we need to go there and sample the clouds," says Mogul. "Venus could be an exciting new chapter in astrobiology exploration." The Wisconsin scientist and his colleagues remain hopeful that such a chapter can be opened as there are ongoing discussions about possible NASA participation in Russia's Roscosmos Venera-D mission, now slated for the late 2020s. Current plans for Venera-D might include an orbiter, a lander and a NASA-contributed surface station and maneuverable aerial platform. More than 1,000 farmers a year across Donegal have benefited in a multi-million euro scheme for low-income farms since 2010. Figures released by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection revealed that every year an average of 1,306 farmers in the county are getting access to the special Farm Assist means-tested financial support. Donegal TD Joe McHugh, Minister for Irish, the Gaeltacht and the Islands, said the payments were a lifeline to some parts of rural Donegal. The Farm Assist scheme is a vitally important support which is benefitting more than 1,000 farmers in Donegal every year and helping them to keep a farm going and protect rural communities, Mr McHugh said. It shows the Governments ongoing commitment to supporting and sustaining rural Ireland. Nationwide about 74million is budgeted for the Farm Assist scheme this year. The flexible means test also allows for significant income fluctuations from one year to the next. Budget 2017 fully reversed the previous cuts to the Farm Assist means test. The changes included that 70% of farm income is now assessed as means, down from 100% being assessed as means. On top of that there is an additional annual means disregard of 254 for each of the first two children and 381 for the third and subsequent children. Under the Farm Assist programme applicants are assessed differently than other self-employed persons as payments received under the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS), Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) or Special Area of Conservation (SAC) schemes are assessed separately from other farm income. With regard to this income, the first 2,540 is disregarded, and then 50% of the balance and related expenses are disregarded - with the balance being assessed as means. Donegal artist Kevin Sharkey, who has declared his interest in running for the presidency, has called for an honest open dialogue about immigration. The Killybegs man has also questioned Irelands level of foreign aid and asked whether the country could look after its older people as well as immigrants. He was speaking on the Ray DArcy show on RTE on Saturday night where he confirmed that he was hoping to receive a nomination to run for president later this year. The son of an immigrant, Sharkey spoke about the impact of immigration on Ireland. My father was an immigrant, there are a lot of positive aspects to immigration but it is going to end up coming down to one thing and that is numbers, he said. We are not a big country and in 20 years time, at the rate we are going, we have places in Ireland now where there are people who are feeling they no longer have a choice, no longer have a say. I'm not against immigration. Look at Australia, they have a beautiful system there. If you are contributing, if you have a trade that we need and you can support yourself you are welcome. We should have an honest open dialogue about it without being shut down and called racist, he said. Last Thursday marked a year until the UK will leave the European Union following the referendum vote on June 23rd, 2016. Brexit, as it has become known, is one of the biggest events to affect this island since the Second World War. The Irish border, which most of us cross on a regular basis, has become one of the key issues in deciding the outcome of the negotiations that will see the UK part company with its European neighbours. Between 23,000 and 28,000 people cross the border every day for work, and fears of a hard border are held by many. The unravelling of much of the progress that has been made in so many aspects of cross-border cooperation since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 is one of the biggest fears. Brexit has already been felt in Donegal with the impact of the exchange rate hitting cross-border trade. In this feature for the Democrat, a range of figures in the county give their view on how Brexit is playing out for Donegal. Gerry McMonagle, Cathaoirleach, Donegal County Council While there are still many uncertainties surrounding the impact of Brexit, I do believe that we are a very resilient and ambitious region and through our work with Derry City and Strabane District Council we, in the North West are in a strong position to respond to the challenges that Brexit will present. Having Letterkenny designated as a regional centre for growth in the National Planning Framework and recognising the Letterkenny, Derry and Strabane City Region is extremely important for our future development. This has come about as a result of the concerted efforts of both Donegal County Council and Derry City and Strabane District Council working together through the North West Strategic Growth Partnership. This partnership is the first of its kind on the island of Ireland and is all about government departments on both sides of the border working collectively to resource the regions key priorities for growth and development with a commitment to building a more resilient economy in the North West City Region. We have very ambitious and resilient businesses in this region and we are renowned for our rich culture, heritage and tourism offerings and I believe that we have established a reputation as a compelling location not only for business but as a great place to live, work and visit. I firmly believe that we have the potential, the resilience and the ambition to not only address the challenges that Brexit will present but to fully maximise the opportunities that are opening up for us. Sean O'Donoghue, Chief Executive,Killybegs Fishermens Organisation We reacted very swiftly in forming alliances with our European counterparts to establish the European Fisheries Alliance in September 2016. Each member impressed upon its Head of Government how the level of uncertainty and the scale of the challenge facing their fishermen merited special attention, hence our insistence that trade and fisheries be inextricably linked at all times in the negotiations. Happily, we are now at a stage whereby we can see that our very legitimate concerns are being listened to but we cannot afford to concede any ground whatsoever as these extremely important negotiations now move onto phase two. The KFO has always maintained that the 1.15billion Irish fishing industry which sustains more than 14,500 jobs, must be a top priority for our Government. The formal adoption of the guidelines today is seen as another key step as the Brexit process gathers momentum. The guidelines give Michel Barnier, the mandate to talk directly to the UK about the future relationship with a view to reaching a broad political agreement by October to allow the EU and UK parliaments time to consider it. Joe McHugh, Donegal TD, Government Chief Whip and Minster for Irish, the Gaeltacht and the Islands In Donegal we will not be defined by Brexit. Theres a positivity emerging in a big way in our county as a result of the peace process and the gains of the last 20 years. That resilience and confidence has to manifest itself in such a way that there cannot be a return to a hard border. Its the psychology of it. As I write this the only landmark that shows Im crossing the border is the river. Weve just driven through Lifford and theres nothing else to tell me Ive travelled from the Republic to the north and thats the reality that we are to preserve. Twenty years ago I knew exactly where the border was.If theres a re-emergence of a defining line between north and south that could awaken a psychology that dominated the years when we had a hard border. And we cannot have that. I am confident Donegal will thrive. The links between Letterkenny, Derry and Strabane are being driven forward with the Governments plans for new City Region status and the ambitious goal for LYIT to become a Technological University. I will be working with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to make sure that the county grows and prospers as we manage the initiatives that will define Donegal. Toni Forrester, Chief Executive, Letterkenny Chamber We had certainly hoped for a longer transition period than that committed to recently. Many of our members still have serious concerns over how the border will operate and how it will impact them in their business operations. There have of course been guarantees regarding the border however it is still unclear how trade across the border will actually operate and under what rules and tariffs. Even with a technological solution, a trusted trader scheme and electronic documentation we still believe there will have to be some kind of checks and whether that is at the border or at other points beyond the border any delays could have serious implications for business. Small businesses in particular have limited resources and margins are tight. Any increase in their administrative burden and costs will have a direct impact on them. In addition there are concerns on how health and education and many other services will be affected after Brexit. On a more positive note the North West Strategic Growth Partnership established between Donegal and Derry City & Strabane District Councils is forging ahead with joint initiatives and involving all the key stakeholders in the region. The NW City Region has been recognised in the National Development Plan, Ireland 2040 giving us a clear vision for the North West Region going forward. Terry McNamara, Ibec North West Regional Director The UK ruling out membership of the Single Market and Customs Union will inevitably lead to significant trade disruption. Attempting to replicate the benefits through other mechanisms is deeply complex and unlikely to gain EU support. Unless the UK changes course, all current indicators point to a future EU-UK relationship akin to that of a third country. Numerous new barriers to trade would be created. The UK would suffer enormously as a result and Ireland would take a major hit. Businesses in the North West are particularly exposed due to cross border economic links. For jobs, trade and investment, business wants a much closer EU-UK relationship than what is currently likely. The outcome of talks must safeguard our close economic ties, not unravel them. Michael Chance, Chairman Donegal branch of the Irish Farmers Association It is not looking good at the minute but we have to assume it will come right at some stage. Its a problem at the minute especially for the livestock end. Forty percent of our food exports go to the UK. Having said that we are their biggest market for food so it should be in their interest to keep that door open. But then again the EU is their biggest market and they seem prepared to put that at risk, which is a contradiction. Whatever about the political sense it does not make any commercial sense. For farmers, it doesn't matter if you are in Donegal or west Cork. We are more aware of it but the problem is the same. The issues are the same. I live a couple of miles from the border and up here we are more aware of it but we have the same issues with food exports. An open border will not solve anything because the main trade is done across the irish Sea. A border down the irish Sea stopes east-west trade. So it might solve a political problem regarding the Good Friday Agreement but it does not solve the import-export problem. Ireland has an abysmal record in the care of the 12,000 people diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease and compares very badly with the rest of the West of Europe. This was stated by Independent MEP Marian Harkin when she addressed a protest meeting organised by the Parkinsons Association of Ireland at Leinster House on Friday last. While western European countries had a target of four Parkinsons Nurse Specialists for every 500 patients, Ireland had a total of just five Nurse Specialists, with four positions filled at present, to service 12,000 patients, she said. For every patient diagnosed with Parkinsons, early diagnosis coupled with appropriate medication was crucial to limiting the severity of symptoms and helping to maintain a reasonable quality of life for them, she emphasised. Today I spoke to Parkinsons patients from all over Ireland, and their carers, and I was shocked to hear of their neglect by the Department of Heath, she said. In the absence of any government funding it was left to voluntary fundraising to provide the vital safety net for so many Parkinsons sufferers, she stressed. As a member of the Parkinsons Support Group in the European Parliament I am fully aware of how Ireland falls down on service provision and I will continue to try to ensure that programmes like Horizon 2020 will respond in a positive way to the research and treatment initiatives required to deliver the specialist needs of Parkinsons patients, Marian Harkin MEP concluded. Honda service centres across the country will inspect and replace the bolt if required. The bolt will be replaced free of cost and the Honda dealerships will notify the customers soon. The recall has affected 56,194 units of Activa 125, Grazia and Aviator. Point to be noted is that the Activa 4G and Activa 5G are not affected by this recall as both the scooters use different suspension setup. The Activa 125, Grazia and Aviator manufactured between February 7, 2018, and March 16, 2018, will be checked for the faulty bolt. Recommended Video - Watch Now! Honda X-Blade - Details, Full Specifications, Colours & Expected Price - DriveSpark Customers can also check if their scooters are affected by this recall by entering their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the campaign section of the Honda's official website. Customers might also receive a text message, e-mail or a phone call regarding the recall. The Honda Activa 125 and Aviator were launched in India a few years ago, but the Grazia is the company's new flagship scooter which was launched recently. The Grazia and the Activa 125 draws power from the same 125cc engine producing 8.5bhp and 10.5Nm of torque. On the other hand, the Honda Aviator shares its engine with the newly launched Activa 5G and draws power from a 110cc engine producing 8bhp and 8.77Nm of torque. The Honda Grazia has been a hit in the Indian market with all the premium features and new styling. Thoughts On The Honda Activa 125, Grazia And Aviator Recall Honda has officially announced that the Activa 125, Grazia and Aviator has been affected by a faulty bolt on the front fork. While the problem seems to a minor one, it is good to know that Honda has issued a recall for the safety of its customers. All the three scooters have been selling in good numbers in the country and the recall should not hamper the sales for Honda. Instantly delete email threats with 365 Threat Monitor With 365 Threat Monitor, scan all emails as they reach your users' mailboxes to detect ransomware, phishing and spam. Get real-time phone alerts, real-time security breach updates and delete threats instantly with just one click - for free! Learn More. Facebook has come under fire after posing a survey question on how it should deal with predatory sexual behavior against children over the weekend. And asked this and I'm like, er wait it making it secret the best Facebook can offer here? Not, y'know, calling the police? pic.twitter.com/t2UZuKalfk Jonathan Haynes (@JonathanHaynes) March 4, 2018 Survey participants were asked whether sexual predators should be allowed to request photographic images from 14-year-old girls online. Further, users were queried about how Facebook should handle such a request if it learned about it. The survey also asked whether the site should better manage content involving extremist behavior and whether cultural norms should be taken into account. Mea Culpa After Jonathan Haynes, digital editor at The Guardian, tweeted how "out of touch" he thought Facebook was in connection with the survey, Guy Rosen, vice president of product at Facebook, issued a response. We run surveys to understand how the community thinks about how we set policies. But this kind of activity is and will always be completely unacceptable on FB. We regularly work with authorities if identified. It shouldn't have been part of this survey. That was a mistake. Guy Rosen (@guyro) March 4, 2018 At its annual Global Safety Summit last week, Facebook addressed several key issues related to making sure the site offers a safe and protective environment for users to navigate. The summit included panel discussions on a variety of online safety topics that Facebook has had to grapple with over the years -- including how to use of cutting-edge technology to combat exploitative and predatory behavior, how to keep children from overusing social media, and how to make Facebook more family-friendly. However, the survey question was unrelated to the event, according to Facebook. Regaining Control Safety issues repeatedly have come up for Facebook in recent years, as it has come under fire for how it deals with abusive and obscene material. How it works with government agencies to combat hate speech and calls for violence from extremists and terrorist organizations also has been a matter of controversy. Other problems include the use of Facebook Live to live-stream suicides and criminal behavior, and the ongoing use of the platform to spread fake news. A coalition of former Google and Facebook executives last month formed a group designed to combat the growing use of social media sites by young children, who increasingly have been engaging with them for so many hours a day that many parents have struggled to prevent them from becoming exposed to strangers. That has been exacerbated by social media sites specifically targeting children with apps for instant messaging and social media interactions. The latest Facebook episode is part of a wider problem that it has been dealing with as it has tried to gain control over all of the fake news that has been filtering through the site, observed Rick Edmonds, media business analyst at Poynter. Facebook has been playing a game of whack-a-mole, in essence, and as soon as one controversy begins to subside, another rears its head, he told TechNewsworld. "Here's an analogy," Edmonds said. "If I call up and threaten to kill you, I have committed a crime, but the phone company hasn't. Facebook would like to be regarded the same way -- or did until the events of the last few years." Activities like threats of violence, sexual grooming of children and spreading fake news shine a spotlight on Facebook's role as a publisher rather than a passive utility. David Jones is a freelance writer based in Essex County, New Jersey. He has written for Reuters, Bloomberg, Crain's New York Business and The New York Times. A study published Monday indicates that it makes a big difference to global food security whether signatories to the Paris agreement are able to keep global temperature to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, or allow it to rise a full two degrees. The study, published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, focused on how different warming scenarios would impact food security in 122 developing countries. The research team, led by the University of Exeter with participation from the Rossby Center in Sweden, Cranfield University, the Technical University of Crete, the Met Office, and the European Commission, found that limiting warming to 1.5C would lead to relatively less food insecurity in 76 percent of the countries studied. Two degrees of warming would cause unprecedented levels of food insecurity in four countries: Oman, Bangladesh, Mauritania and Yemen. To assess food insecurity, the researchers examined how climate change is projected to increase either drought or rainfall in various regions. "Such weather extremes can increase vulnerability to food insecurity," study author and University of Exeter professor Richard Betts said in a university press release. To obtain their results, the researchers used a new atmospheric circulation model based on sea ice and sea-surface temperatures. In addition to its projections on global food security, the study also has important implications for regional river systems. The study found that the flow of the Ganges could more than double if warming increases by two degrees. Floods that last more than four days are expected to increase in India and Bangladesh especially. On the other extreme, the flow of the Amazon could decrease by 25 percent in a two-degree-warmer world. Wet weather will increase globally, though Asia will be more impacted by extreme rainfall, and South America and Africa will be more impacted by drought. The study also found that a 0.5C temperature difference overall could lead to much higher temperature differences in some regions. For example, a 2C increase in global temperature would lead to maximum daily temperatures five degrees higher in parts of Europe, while 1.5C of global temperature rise would only increase maximum temperatures by three to four degrees in the same area. This isn't the first study to indicate the impact that an extra five degrees of warming could have on the earth. A study published in Nature Climate Change in 2017 focused on the difference half a degree can make by looking at extensive climate changes in the past half-century when average temperatures rose by one degree. However, if we want to limit warming to 1.5C, we have to act quickly. A draft of an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change paper said that meeting the target was "extremely unlikely" unless we make a radical shift away from fossil fuels by 2040, DW reported in January. Electric services giant FirstEnergy Corp. announced over the weekend that its embattled coal and nuclear units have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. This move comes just days after the Akron, Ohio-headquartered company called on Rick Perry's Department of Energy for an "emergency order" to save its dying coal and nuclear plants in the northeastern U.S. FirstEnergy Solutions (FES), the competitive subsidiary of FirstEnergy, along with all FES subsidiaries and FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company announced its widely anticipated bankruptcies on Saturday. The coal and nuclear energy sectors have been struggling over the past decade due to an influx of cheap natural gas and the rapid rise of renewable energy. The Sierra Club also said the bankruptcy is a culmination of "short-sighted business decisions and executive mismanagement that resisted investing in clean, renewable energy, and its workers." "FirstEnergy Solutions' bankruptcy is a cautionary tale for utilities, investors, and public officials who think the coal and nuclear industries will somehow rebound in the coming years. They will not," Mary Anne Hitt, Director of Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign, said. "America's 21st century energy market demands cheap, flexible energy resources that can rapidly shift with electricity demands and don't pollute local air and water. Coal and nuclear plants are too expensive and too dirty to compete in the modern market," she continued. "FirstEnergy Solutions is in bankruptcy because it continually ignored America's shift to clean energy by investing in uneconomic coal and nuclear plants which have been losing money for years." The filing also puts the pro-coal Trump administration in an awkward position. Perry has previously issued plans to subsidize the nation's struggling coal and nuclear plants, but federal regulators rejected the proposal earlier this year. FirstEnergy Solutions' request for the energy secretary to invoke Section 202c of the Federal Power Acta law intended for use during national emergencieswould force electricity customers to prop up all coal and nuclear plants in the PJM electricity market. MarketWatch reported: That forces President Donald Trump's Energy Department into a decision on whether to intervene under a lightly used, 83-year-old law and compel the nation's largest electric-grid operator to dispatch power from FirstEnergy's coal and nuclear plants effectively before any other. Trump has been one of the coal industry's biggest boosters, campaigning on reviving a downtrodden industry, and his administration has voiced support for nuclear, too. Both of those fuels are facing tough competition as alternativesincluding natural gas, and wind and solar powerhave become cheap and more plentiful. Should the Ohio company's plea succeed, it could protect thousands of jobs at nuclear and coal plants, as well as their suppliers. But it would hurt rival energy businesses and could raise electricity prices for companies and consumers across the Midwest and mid-Atlantic states. That poses significant risk to Trump by antagonizing supporters among electricity users and companies in the oil-and-gas industry that have become primary suppliers to power plants. But senior Energy Department staff said recently they have no plans to use the emergency order for uneconomic plants. The Sierra Club is calling on FirstEnergy Corp. to protect its workers and their benefits from the bankruptcy process and to commit to its environmental responsibilities, particularly if its coal and nuclear power plants are retired or sold. "FirstEnergy Solutions workers and local communities are impacted the most by Saturday's filing, being left with polluted grounds and a significant loss to tax revenue and school funding," said Neil Waggoner, Ohio campaign representative of Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign. "FirstEnergy's bad business decisions put the company into bankruptcy but the company cannot be allowed to walk away from its obligations. FirstEnergy has a responsibility to collaborate with local leaders to build a plan that supports workers and the communities where it's operated for generations." The bankruptcy filing does not involve FirstEnergy Corp. or its distribution, transmission, regulated generation and Allegheny Energy Supply subsidiaries. "The six million customers of our regulated utilities will continue to receive the same reliable service, while our regulated generation facilities will continue normal operations, with the same longstanding commitment to safety and the environment," Charles E. Jones, president and CEO of FirstEnergy, said in a statement. Japan's whaling vessels returned to port with 333 minke whales on Friday after its months-long Antarctic hunt. The Fisheries Ministry said the whales were killed in the name of science. "The purpose of this research is to carry out a detailed calculation of the catch limit of minke whales and study the structure and dynamics of the ecological system in the Antarctic Ocean," it said. Japan plans to hunt nearly 4,000 whales over the next 12 years despite the International Whaling Commission's 1986 moratorium on commercial hunting. The country launched its "scientific whaling" program in 1987 as a loophole to the moratorium. Reuters noted that Japan's ultimate goal is the resumption of commercial whaling. Japan insists that most whale species are not endangered and that eating whale is part of its culture, even though most Japanese people no longer eat it. Conservation groups have rebuked the most recent hunt. "Today Sea Shepherd mourns the loss of these whales," the marine wildlife conservation organization said. "We have called an emergency meeting of the Global Board of Directors in Amsterdam this weekend to review our whale defense strategy in the Southern Ocean, and will release a more detailed statement on Monday morning." Sea Shepherd's long-running Operation Nemesis campaign has a mission of ending Japan's whaling program. The group is urging governments to "stop making hollow statements of disapproval and start taking action to hold Japan accountable" or the "needless slaughter of marine life will continue." Kitty Block, the executive vice president of Humane Society International, had similar sentiments. "There is no robust scientific case for slaughtering whales," Block said. "Commercial whaling in this, or any other disguise, does not meet any pressing human needs and should be relegated to the annals of history." By Alex Kirby Methane emissions are the source of the greenhouse gas which, after carbon dioxide, probably causes climatologists more sleepless nights than any of the other gases. And now it appears they have quite a lot more to bother them than they had realized. Methane is reckoned to be at least 30 times more powerful than CO2 at warming the earth, with some estimates putting its potency much higher still. The good news, research has suggested, is that there is far less methane than CO2 in the atmosphere to worry about. The bad news, announced by an international research team, is that previous calculations may have been seriously wrong, and that thawing permafrost is likely to be producing appreciably more methane than anyone had thought. The researchers were headed by Christian Knoblauch of the Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN) at the University of Hamburg, Germany. Their findings, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, make it possible to predict better how much of this significant gas may be released by the thawing of the Arctic permafrost. Methane and carbon dioxide are both produced in thawing permafrost as dead animal and plant remains decompose. But methane is formed only in the absence of oxygen. Until now, scientists had also thought that more greenhouse gases were formed when the ground was dry and well aeratedin other words, when oxygen was available. So they did not expect much methane to be produced by the thawing permafrost. What Dr. Knoblauch and his colleagues have now shown is that water-saturated permafrost soils without oxygen can be twice as harmful to the climate as dry soilswhich means the role of methane has been greatly underestimated. They have, for what they say is the first time, measured in the laboratory the long-term production of methane in thawing permafrost. The team had to wait for three years before their roughly forty-thousand-year-old samples from the Siberian Arctic finally produced methane. They observed the permafrost for a total of seven years and found that, without oxygen, equal amounts of methane and CO2 were produced. Gigaton Estimate A co-author of their report, Susanne Liebner, from the Helmholtz Center Potsdam GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences, said: "By combining process-based and molecular-microbiological methods, our study shows for the first time that the methane-forming micro-organisms in the thawing permafrost have significant influence on the greenhouse gas budget." The team used the new data to improve a computer model that estimates how much greenhouse gas is produced in permafrost in the long termand they compiled a first forecast: the permafrost soils of northern Europe, northern Asia and North America, they say, could produce up to one gigaton (one billion tons) of methane, and 37 gigatons of carbon dioxide, by 2100. Earlier studies have expressed concern about the interplay between permafrost and global warming, and this latest research will be exhaustively scrutinized as other teams try to corroborate, modify or contradict it. That is how science works. And there are certainly uncertainties that need resolving. For example, how deep will the soil actually have thawed by the end of the century? Will it be wet or dry? What is certain, the team concludes, is that the new data will enable more accurate predictions to be made about the impacts of thawing permafrost on the climate. Reposted with permission from our media associate Climate News Network. In defiance of international protests, Japanese whaling vessels returned to port with another 333 minke whales on Saturday after its months-long hunt in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in Antarctic waters. According to the Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research, among the whales collected, 152 were male and 181 were female. About 60 percent of the males and 70 percent of the females were matured. Japan plans to hunt about 4,000 whales over the next decade despite the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) 1986 moratorium on commercial hunting. The country launched its "scientific whaling" program in 1987 as a loophole to the moratorium. Its government insists that the marine mammals are killed in the name of research. "The purpose of this research is to carry out a detailed calculation of the catch limit of minke whales and study the structure and dynamics of the ecological system in the Antarctic Ocean," the Fisheries Ministry said after last year's hunt. However, Reuters noted that Japan's ultimate goal is the resumption of commercial whaling. Japan insists that most whale species are not endangered and that eating whale is part of its culture, even though most Japanese people no longer eat it. Conservation organization Sea Shepherd has long opposed Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and has sent ships since 2005 to intercept the hunts. The group, however, did not send ships this year. Founder Captain Paul Watson told Australian Broadcasting Corp in August that Japan is "using military technology. They have real-time satellite coverage of where we are. We cannot close in on them." "It's a waste of time and money to go down there and not be able to achieve anything," he added. Survey Area in the New Antarctic Cetacean Science Survey Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research Watson is calling on international governments to do more to stop the slaughter of the whales. "The illegal slaughter continues because the signatory nations of the IWC refuse to act. The United States, Australia, New Zealand and the European nations simply turn a blind eye to Japan's continuing criminal activities in the waters off Antarctica. They have the power to stop it. Instead they choose to ignore it," Watson said in a Facebook post. "Sea Shepherd will continue to monitor these Japanese crimes to watch for increases in the kill numbers and to research ways to counter superior Japanese surveillance technology," he added. Watson noted, "This season they murdered 333 Minke whales. If not for the previous decade of confrontations with Sea Shepherd that figure would now be 1,035 and would include 50 Humpbacks and 50 Fin whales." In another fiery statement, Sea Shepherd Australia Managing Director Jeff Hansen stated: "The Japanese whale poachers are in contempt of the Australian Federal Court with a million dollar price tag on their heads and found to be illegal by the International Court of Justice. Their new bogus scientific whaling program does not even have the backing from the International Whaling Commission." "Another 333 whales have been killed in Antarctic waters, while the Australian Government refuses to do anything to halt this illegal slaughter," he continued. "Our Prime Minister has done nothing but 'express disappointment' over Japan's continued whaling programme. The vast majority of Australians want action to end this abhorrent whale hunt, the Australian Government must not allow this to continue any longer. "Legal options and the potential to send a vessel to intervene must be looked at in order to stop whaling occurring next summer," Hansen said. From premium airfare to round-the-clock security, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head Scott Pruitt's receipts have raised alarm bells before, but could his latest controversy be the last straw? During television appearances Sunday, several lawmakers and former Trump officials condemned the industry-friendly EPA administrator's alleged $50-a-night deal at a D.C. townhouse co-owned by an energy lobbyist and his wife. "I don't know how you survive this one, and if he has to go, it's because he never should have been there in the first place," former Republican New Jersey governor and Trump transition head Chris Christie said on ABC News' This Week. He "may be on his way out," Democratic Senator Doug Jones of Alabama also said on the same show. "I think he's in real trouble," Jones added. "People are just frustrated with Cabinet members who seem to want to use taxpayer dollars to fund their own personal lifestyle." On CBS's Face the Nation, Vermont independent Senator Bernie Sanders said, "You got a guy who's head of the EPA now who is nothing more than a front man for the fossil fuel industry, and that is a very serious problem and the Congress has got to stand up and oppose that line of policy." Here's a breakdown of Pruitt's condo scandal, as extensively detailed by the Sierra Club: Scott Pruitt worked directly with a lobbyist for the fossil fuel industry and automakers to arrange a sweetheart deal on a townhouse co-owned by the lobbyist's wife in a high-priced D.C. neighborhood. The lobbyistSteven Hartis the head of the D.C. lobbying firm Williams and Jensen, which specifically lobbies the EPA on Clean Air Act policies, according to ABC. Hart represents Cheniere Energy, the company that owned the only operating Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) export plant in the U.S. at the time of Scott Pruitt's taxpayer-funded trip to Morocco where he advocated for LNG exports. Hart's firm also represents the American Automotive Policy Council, which includes automakers such as Ford, who lobbied Pruitt's forthcoming decision to roll back clean car standards. Pruitt reportedly paid for just one room in the otherwise unoccupied townhouse, and declined to tell ethics officials his adult daughter stayed in another room he was not paying for. Pruitt reportedly paid far below market value for the room he rented and ethics officials from both past Republican and Democratic administrations say he violated federal ethics rules for accepting gifts from lobbyists as a result, while ethics expert Norm Eisen noted the violations may "have crossed into criminal territory." While living in the home, Hart continued to have dinner parties and functions, raising questions about whether political fundraisers were held in the house while Pruitt was there. Hart and his firm have donated more than $600,000 to political candidates this year. To top it off, Pruitt's security detail broke down the door of the townhouse concerned that Pruitt was unconscious. It turned out Pruitt was merely napping ... on a workday afternoon. The EPA reimbursed the lobbyist for the door, meaning he was likely paid with taxpayer dollars. (Speaking of taxpayer dollarsPruitt has a habit of wasting money when he's not the one picking up the tab). "This is not a simple conflict of interestthis is corruption, plan and simple," Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune said. "Pruitt got a sweetheart deal from a fossil fuel lobbyist and then pushed the agenda of that lobbyist at the EPA and on taxpayer-funded international tripsand that's just the latest scandal." Brune continued, "The fossil fuel lobbyists Pruitt is taking favors and marching orders from are telling him to throw out the safeguards that keep our air and water safe from their pollution, and our kids are at risk as a result. The only way for this non-stop deluge of scandals and negative headlines to stop is for Pruitt to be fired immediately." Congressmen Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) had a similar opinion, tweeting directly at President Trump: "Republicans who don't believe in climate change and want to dismantle environmental protections are a dime a dozen. You don't need Scott Pruitt, who spent taxpayer dollars on first-class travel, violated ethics laws and is deeply paranoid. You should fire him." Pruitt has not commented on the reports. EPA spokesman Jahan Wilcox defended the arrangement. "As EPA career ethics officials stated in a memo, Administrator Pruitt's housing arrangement for both himself and family was not a gift and the lease was consistent with federal ethics regulations," he told Reuters. The memo, from EPA ethics official Kevin Minoli, said such arrangements were not considered "gifts" if a federal official pays market value for them. "Under the terms of the lease, if the space was utilized for one 30-day month, then the rental cost would be $1,500, which is a reasonable market price," the memo said. However, Reuters reported that local real estate websites show that the average market price for a similar property in the area is at least three times as much. Walter Shaub, the former Office of Government ethics director who resigned in July after clashes with the Trump administration, called the memo "total baloney." He tweeted, "You cannot get a whole place to yourself in that prime location for $1,500 a month, nor will you find anyone willing to hold the place open for you all month and charge you only for the nights you use it." When climate hobbyist Andre Beyzaei flies his drone over the North Atlantic coast, he doesn't normally capture much ice on camera. "Usually you see a bit of sea-ice along the coasts and if you happen to fly the drone far enough, you may capture some icebergs much further away," Beyzaei told Global News. So Beyzaei was in for an early April Fool's shock on March 27, when he flew his drone off the Newfoundland coast and recorded astonishing footage of sea ice stretching over Brighton, Newfoundland, Global News reported Sunday. The footage might come as a surprise to anyone who has been closely following the state of the Arctic this year. As EcoWatch reported in March, the Arctic has just experienced its warmest winter on record. Arctic sea ice also reached its second-lowest extent on record this year, just barely inching out 2017's ice coverage to avoid being the lowest year for Arctic sea ice ever. But according to research published in Geophysical Research Letters on March 15 and cited by Global News, footage like Beyzaei's is exactly what you can expect from the impacts of climate change on the Arctic. As the study's abstract and introduction explain, the spring of 2017 also saw increased ice off the Newfoundland Coast, sinking two fishing boats and causing trouble for other ships that had not expected to encounter obstacles at that time of year. The research vessel and icebreaker, the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Amundsen, was redirected by the coast guard to rescue these ships, and used the opportunity to study the unusual build-up of ice. The scientists found multiyear sea ice from the high Arctic among the ice cover. This is unusual, as ice off the Newfoundland coast is usually mostly first-year ice and only lasts from January to May, whereas last year's build-up persisted into June. The researchers concluded that Arctic sea ice has become more mobile as it has decreased in thickness and extent. It has therefore pushed through channels in the Arctic Ocean such as the Bering and Nares Straits and ended up accumulating more in southern waters than before. Beyzaei's footage further confirms their conclusions and suggests another difficult spring for ship traffic in the area. "This is something we need to better prepare for in the future, because we expect this phenomenon to go on for at least a couple more decades as we transition to an ice-free Arctic in the summer," David Barber, the study's lead author and University of Manitoba climate change scientist, told Global News. 1. A Zika vaccine could virtually eliminate prenatal infections Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M17-0641 URLs go live when the embargo lifts A Zika vaccine could have a substantial effect on mitigating and preventing future Zika virus outbreaks. Through a combination of direct protection and indirect reduction of transmissions, virtual elimination is achievable, even with imperfect vaccine efficacy and coverage. The researcher is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Mosquito-borne and sexually transmitted Zika virus has become widespread across Central and South America, and the Caribbean. A viable vaccine is expected to be available in the next several years, but a vaccine's effectiveness in preventing infections depends not only on its efficacy, but also on demographic and fertility patterns, local Zika attack rates, and the proportion of the population still susceptible when it becomes available. Researchers from Yale School of Public Health developed a computer model to quantify the effect of a Zika vaccination strategy that prioritized females aged 9 to 49 years, followed by males aged 9 to 49 years. The model considered both vector-borne and sexual transmission, as well as country-specific mosquito density. The researchers found that a vaccine that was about 75 percent effective and covered about 90 percent of females aged 9 to 49 years would reduce the incidence of prenatal infections by at least 94 percent, depending on the country-specific Zika attack rate. They also found that in regions where an outbreak is not expected for at least 10 years, vaccination of women aged 15 to 29 years is more efficient than that of women aged 30 years or older. Media contact: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. To interview with the lead author, Alison P. Galvani, PhD, please contact Michael Greenwood at michael.greenwood@yale.edu or Ziba Kashef at ziba.kashef@yale.edu. 2. Money-back guarantees don't meaningfully reduce drug costs or improve cost-effectiveness for PCSK9-inhibitors Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M17-3367 Editorial: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-0539 URLs go live when the embargo lifts Outcomes-based pricing, or money-back guarantees for patients who do not respond to treatment, do not meaningfully reduce drug costs or improve cost-effectiveness for PCSK9-inhibitors. Findings from a brief research report are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Outcomes-based pricing was recently offered for PCSK9-inhibitors (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors), lipid-lowering agents that reduce myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke risk in persons with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Due to the high cost of these drugs, large discounts in price would be needed to achieve cost-effectiveness, prompting interest in this novel pricing model. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, used a computer model to examine the impact of outcomes-based pricing on the cost-effectiveness of PCSK9-inhibitors for patients with ASCVD. They compared baseline statin therapy with the addition of ezetimibe, a generic lipid-lowering agent, or PCSK9-inhibitors from a health system perspective and a lifetime analytic horizon to determine healthcare costs per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained, with a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000/QALY. The researchers modeled three scenarios for a money-back guarantee where the manufacturer would refund: 1) one year of drug costs; 2) all drug costs incurred before the event; or 3) drug costs, plus inpatient costs for MI or stroke. The analysis showed that outcomes-based pricing did not meaningfully reduce costs or improve cost-effectiveness of PCSK9-inhibitors in any of the scenarios tested. The authors conclude that three factors make outcomes-based pricing less relevant for preventative medications. First, event rates in prevention are generally low, and duration of treatment is long. Second, attributing an event to a failure of a preventive medication is complicated, which means that events eligible for reimbursement would depend on clinical context. And finally, frequent changes in insurance plans would make tracking events and reimbursing appropriate payers a challenge. Media contact: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. To interview with the lead author, Dhruv S. Kazi, MD, MSc, MS, please contact Scott Maier at Scott.Maier@ucsf.edu. 3. Survey suggests a lack of interaction between physicians and Medicare skilled home health care workers Improvements needed in CMS-485 to enhance meaningful communication between those providing care to homebound older adults Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M17-2219 URLs go live when the embargo lifts A nationally representative survey of physicians suggests that the CMS-485, which is used to facilitate communication and care coordination between physicians and Medicare skilled home health care workers, does not meaningfully engage physicians in the plan of care. The majority of physician respondents reported spending very little time reviewing or acting on it. Results are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Physicians are required to certify a plan of care for patients who receive Medicare skilled home health care (SHHC) services. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services form 485 (CMS-485) is typically used for certification of SHHC plans of care and for interactions between SHHC agencies and physicians. As such, it is imperative for communication between physicians and SHHC agencies to be meaningful. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University Center for Transformative Geriatric Research conducted a nationally representative random sample survey to determine how physicians communicate with SHCC agencies and use the CMS-485 in care coordination for patients receiving SHHC services. They found that a large majority of physicians spend very little time reviewing care plans or interacting with SHHC services. Many of the respondents reported wanting to see changes to the existing mechanism of certification of skilled home health, and provided specific suggestions for enhancing the clinical usefulness of the CMS-485, including increasing the font, presenting orders in terse and clinically useful language for all types of health care providers, and highlighting the key clinical information. The authors conclude that CMS, physicians, and skilled home health care agencies should collaborate to develop better methods to assure better care coordination for homebound adults. Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. To interview lead author, Cynthia Boyd MD, MPH, please contact please contact Vanessa McMains at vmcmain1@jhmi.edu. 4. Physicians debate the use of prophylactic antipsychotics for a patient at risk for postsurgery delirium Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-0388 URLs go live when the embargo lifts Should a 79-year-old man with a history of delirium after surgery be given prophylactic antipsychotics before undergoing knee replacement surgery? A psychiatrist and a geriatrician, both from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), weigh this question in a multicomponent educational article being published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Delirium is a common perioperative complication in elderly patients. Defined as an acute change in level of attention and orientation, delirium often waxes and wanes in severity. Because up to 40 percent of episodes may be preventable, guidelines to diagnose, treat, and prevent post-operative delirium have been developed. The American Geriatrics Society suggests an interdisciplinary focus on nonpharmacologic measures for prevention of delirium. Evidence is insufficient to recommend antipsychotics for prevention of delirium but these drugs may be considered for short-term treatment in the setting of imminent harm to the patient or caregivers or severe distress due to agitation. Two prominent medical experts discuss whether or not to use drugs for a specific patient who had experienced delirium after a previous surgery. In a recent BIDMC Grand Rounds, the case of a 79-year-old man with a history of diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, obesity, prostate cancer, renal cell carcinoma, obstructive sleep apnea, atrial fibrillation, and several other chronic conditions, was discussed. The patient was hesitant to undergo a needed knee replacement surgery because of a frightening episode of delirium that included confusion following a previous surgery. Psychiatrist Joshua Leo, MD, argued that because of the patient's many risk factors, he was likely to become delirious after another surgery, even with relatively minor stressors. Dr. Leo suggested that the best way to prevent delirium would be to not do the surgery at all. But if that was not an option, Dr. Leo suggested a low-dose antipsychotic prior to surgery. Geriatrician Melissa Mattison, MD, agreed that nonpharmacologic measures are the most important tools for prevention and treatment. Rather than prescribing medication, Dr. Mattison would recommend that a family member or friend stay at the patient's bedside to offer a reassuring presence. She also suggested a focus on addressing modifiable risk factors that could contribute to delirium prior to surgery. All 'Beyond the Guidelines' papers are based on the Department of Medicine Grand Rounds at BIDMC in Boston and include print, video, and educational components. A list of topics is available at http://www.annals.org/grandrounds. Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. For an interview with someone from BIDMC, please contact Jennifer Kritz at jkritz@bidmc.harvard.edu. Also new in this issue: Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Management: Review of the American Diabetes Association's Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes 2018 James J. Chamberlain, MD; Eric L. Johnson, MD; Sandra Leal, PharmD, MPH, CDE; Andrew S. Rhinehart, MD, CDE; Jay H. Shubrook, DO; and Lacie Peterson, MS, RD, CDE Clinical Guideline Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-0222 ### DALLAS, April 2, 2018 - Elevated blood pressure before becoming pregnant and early in pregnancy may increase the risk of pregnancy loss, even if the woman doesn't have a hypertension diagnosis, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension. "Elevated blood pressure among young adults is associated with a higher risk of heart disease later in life, and this study suggests it may also have an effect on reproductive health," said Carrie J. Nobles, Ph.D., lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow in the Epidemiology Branch of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in Bethesda, Maryland. The study - which cannot reach a cause-and-effect conclusion - is the first to look at preconception blood pressure and reproductive outcomes in healthy women not diagnosed with high blood pressure or heart disease. Researchers studied 1,228 women (average age 28.7 years, 95 percent white) who had already experienced 1-2 pregnancy losses and were currently trying to become pregnant. The women were part of a clinical trial to determine whether taking low-dose aspirin might reduce the risk of miscarriage. During the study, women had their blood pressure measured when they were trying to become pregnant and again during early pregnancy. Average blood pressure prior to pregnancy was 111.6 mm Hg /72.5 mm Hg. Of the 797 women who conceived within six months, 24 percent suffered a pregnancy loss. Researchers also found: Every 10-point increase in diastolic blood pressure (lower number) was associated with an 18 percent increased risk of pregnancy loss. Every 10-point increase in mean arterial pressure (an average of the lower and higher numbers) was associated with a 17 percent increased risk of pregnancy loss. The findings were similar for preconception and early-pregnancy blood pressure. "The impact of cardiovascular risk factors starts really early in life. Physicians treating women of reproductive age should pay attention to slightly elevated blood pressure because it may have other not-well-recognized effects, such as adverse pregnancy outcome," said Enrique F. Schisterman, Ph.D., senior author of the study and Senior Investigator and Chief of the Epidemiology Branch of NICHD. "Preconception is a previously unrecognized critical window for intervention such as lifestyle changes that can help prevent later heart disease and may also improve reproductive health." Whether women had been randomly assigned to take low-dose aspirin as part of this clinical trial (Effects of Aspirin in Gestation and Reproduction) made no difference in the impact of blood pressure on pregnancy loss, the researchers found. Because the study was conducted in women who already had experienced a miscarriage, it is unclear whether the results can be generalized to all young women. Additionally, the study was mostly composed of white participants, and further research is needed to ensure the results apply to women of different races. ### Other co-authors are Pauline Mendola, Ph.D.; Sunni L. Mumford, Ph.D.; Ashley I. Naimi, Ph.D.; Edwina H. Yeung, Ph.D.; Keewan Kim, Ph.D.; Hyojun Park, Ph.D.; Brian Wilcox, M.D., Ph.D.; Robert M. Silver, M.D.; Neil J. Perkins, Ph.D.; and Lindsey Sjaarda, Ph.D. The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (National Institutes of Health) in Bethesda, Maryland funded the study. Additional Resources: Available multimedia is on the right column of the release link - https://newsroom.heart.org/news/higher-blood-pressure-before-pregnancy-may-increase-miscarriage-risk?preview=a1fc35c8ab32f90486ece1dfa15cf22a After April 2, view the manuscript online. Learn more about High Blood Pressure High Blood Pressure and Women Follow AHA/ASA news on Twitter @HeartNews For the updates and new science from the Hypertension journal follow @HyperAHA Statements and conclusions of study authors published in American Heart Association scientific journals are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the association's policy or position. The association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations and health insurance providers are available at http://www.heart.org/corporatefunding. About the American Heart Association The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke - the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. 'Spindoctors' note that topological order, associated with quantum mechanics, also applies to classical material called artificial spin ice LOS ALAMOS, N.M., April 2, 2018--Physicists have identified a new state of matter whose structural order operates by rules more aligned with quantum mechanics than standard thermodynamic theory. In a classical material called artificial spin ice, which in certain phases appears disordered, the material is actually ordered, but in a "topological" form. "Our research shows for the first time that classical systems such as artificial spin ice can be designed to demonstrate topological ordered phases, which previously have been found only in quantum conditions," said Los Alamos National Laboratory physicist Cristiano Nisoli, leader of the theoretical group that collaborated with an experimental group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, led by Peter Schiffer (now at Yale University). Physicists generally classify the phases of matter as ordered, such as crystal, and disordered, such as gases, and they do so on the basis of the symmetry of such order, Nisoli said. "The demonstration that these topological effects can be designed into an artificial spin ice system opens the door to a wide range of possible new studies," Schiffer said. Specialized material maintained puzzling energy levels in experiments In the new research, the team explored a particular artificial spin ice geometry, called Shakti spin ice. While these materials are theoretically designed, this time, the discovery of its exotic, out-of-equilibrium properties proceeded from experiments to theory. Performing photoemission electron microscopy characterization at the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Schiffer's team revealed something puzzling: Unlike other artificial spin ices, which could reach their low-energy state as temperature was reduced in successive quenches, Shakti spin ice stubbornly remained at about the same energy level. "The system gets stuck in a way that it cannot rearrange itself, even though a large-scale rearrangement would allow it to fall to a lower energy state," Schiffer said. Clearly, something was being conserved, but nothing appeared as an obvious candidate in a material artificially devised to provide a disordered spin picture. Backing off to see the big picture Moving away from a spin picture and concentrating on an emergent description of the excitations of the system, Nisoli described a low-energy state that could be mapped exactly into a celebrated theoretical model, the "dimer cover model," whose topological properties had been recognized before. Then, data from the experiment confirmed topological charge conservation and thus a long lifetime for the excitations. "I find it most intriguing because usually theoretical frameworks move from classical physics to quantum physics. Not so with topological order," Nisoli said. Collaborative success Physical experiments were performed by Schiffer's team at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and were funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. The kinetics of the material were investigated in real time and real space at the Advanced Light Source. ### The theoretical work of Nisoli was funded by a Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) grant from Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the work of Caravelli by LDRD though the Oppenheimer Distinguished Fellowship at Los Alamos. Publication: Classical Topological Order in the Kinetics of Artificial Spin Ice, Nature Physics, DOI: 10.1038/s41567-018-0077-0 About Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, BWX Technologies, Inc. and URS Corporation for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health and global security concerns. Scientists have directly measured the increasing greenhouse effect of methane at the Earth's surface for the first time. A research team from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) tracked a rise in the warming effect of methane - one of the most important greenhouse gases for the Earth's atmosphere - over a 10-year period at a DOE field observation site in northern Oklahoma. These findings were published online April 2 in the journal Nature Geoscience in an article entitled "Observationally derived rise in methane surface forcing mediated by water vapour trends." The paper indicates that the greenhouse effect from methane tracked the global pause in methane concentrations in the early 2000s and began to rise at the same time that the concentrations began to rise in 2007. "We have long suspected from laboratory measurements, theory, and models that methane is an important greenhouse gas," said Berkeley Lab Research Scientist Dan Feldman, the study's lead author. "Our work directly measures how increasing concentrations of methane are leading to an increasing greenhouse effect in the Earth's atmosphere." Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are called greenhouse gases, in large part because they absorb certain wavelengths of energy emitted by the Earth. As their atmospheric concentrations change, the scientific community expects the amount of energy absorbed by these gases to change accordingly, but prior to this study, that expectation for methane had not been confirmed outside of the laboratory. The scientists analyzed highly calibrated long-term measurements to isolate the changing greenhouse effect of methane. They did this by looking at measurements over the wavelengths at which methane is known to exert its greenhouse effect and coupled those with a suite of other atmospheric measurements to control for other confounding factors, including water vapor. This study was enabled by the comprehensive measurements of the Earth's atmosphere that the DOE has routinely collected for decades at its Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) facilities, and conversely, would not be possible without such detailed observations. The DOE ARM program manages and supports three long-term atmospheric observatories - the Southern Great Plains observatory in Oklahoma, the North Slope of Alaska observatory in far-northern Alaska, and the Eastern North Atlantic observatory on the Azores Islands. The program also deploys three ARM mobile facilities and several ARM aerial facilities. Together, these assets enable scientists to perform highly-detailed, targeted investigations to advance the fundamental scientific understanding of the Earth system. The researchers believe this type of direct field observation can provide a more accurate and complete picture of the relationship between atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and their warming effect on Earth's surface. ### The research was funded by the Department of Energy's Office of Science. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel Prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit http://www.lbl.gov. DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov. Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have found the most distant star ever discovered. The hot blue star existed only 4.4 billion years after the Big Bang. This discovery provides new insight into the formation and evolution of stars in the early Universe, the constituents of galaxy clusters and also on the nature of dark matter. The international team, led by Patrick Kelly (University of Minnesota, USA), Jose Diego (Instituto de Fisica de Cantabria, Spain) and Steven Rodney (University of South Carolina, USA), discovered the distant star in the galaxy cluster MACS J1149-2223 in April 2016. The observations with Hubble were actually performed in order to detect and follow the latest appearance of the gravitationally lensed supernova explosion nicknamed "Refsdal" (heic1525)[1], when an unexpected point source brightened in the same galaxy that hosted the supernova. "Like the Refsdal supernova explosion the light of this distant star got magnified, making it visible for Hubble," says Patrick Kelly. "This star is at least 100 times farther away than the next individual star we can study, except for supernova explosions." The observed light from the newly discovered star, called Lensed Star 1 (LS1) was emitted when the Universe was only about 30 percent of its current age -- about 4.4 billion years after the Big Bang. The detection of the star through Hubble was only possible because the light from the star was magnified 2000 times. "The star became bright enough to be visible for Hubble thanks to a process called gravitational lensing," explains Jose Diego. The light from LS1 was magnified not only by the huge total mass of the galaxy cluster, but also by another compact object of about three times the mass of the Sun within the galaxy cluster itself; an effect known as gravitational microlensing [2]. "The discovery of LS1 allows us to gather new insights into the constituents of the galaxy cluster. We know that the microlensing was caused by either a star, a neutron star, or a stellar-mass black hole," explains Steven Rodney. LS1 therefore allows astronomers to study neutron stars and black holes, which are otherwise invisible and they can estimate how many of these dark objects exist within this galaxy cluster. As galaxy clusters are among the largest and most massive structures in the Universe, learning about their constituents also increases our knowledge about the composition of the Universe overall. This includes additional information about the mysterious dark matter. "If dark matter is at least partially made up of comparatively low-mass black holes, as it was recently proposed, we should be able to see this in the light curve of LS1. Our observations do not favour the possibility that a high fraction of dark matter is made of these primordial black holes with about 30 times the mass of the Sun", highlights Kelly. After the discovery the researchers used Hubble again to measure a spectrum of LS1. Based on their analysis, the astronomers think that LS1 is a B-type supergiant star. These stars are extremely luminous and blue in colour, with a surface temperature between 11 000 and 14 000 degrees Celsius; making them more than twice as hot as the Sun. But this was not the end of the story. Observations made in October 2016 suddenly showed a second image of the star. "We were actually surprised to not have seen this second image in earlier observations, as also the galaxy the star is located in can be seen twice," comments Diego. "We assume that the light from the second image has been deflected by another moving massive object for a long time -- basically hiding the image from us. And only when the massive object moved out of the line of sight the second image of the star became visible." This second image and the blocking object add another piece of the puzzle to reveal the makeup of galaxy clusters. With more research and the imminent arrival of new, more powerful telescopes like the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, the astronomers suggest that with microlensing, it will be possible to study the evolution of the earliest stars in the Universe in greater detail than ever expected. ### Notes [1] Observations of this supernova, nicknamed Refsdal in honour of the Norwegian astronomer Sjur Refsdal, were made as part of Hubble's Frontier Fields project. [2] Gravitational lensing magnifies the light from fainter, background objects, allowing Hubble to see objects it would otherwise not be able to detect. The process was first predicted by Albert Einstein and is now used to find some of the most distant objects in the Universe. Usually the lensing object is a galaxy or a galaxy cluster, but in some cases it can also be a star or even a planet. When it involves these smaller objects the process is called microlensing. More information The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA. The results were released in the paper Extreme magnification of an individual star at redshift 1.5 by a galaxy-cluster lens to be published in Nature Astronomy. The international team of astronomers in this study consists of P. Kelly (University of Minnesota, USA); J. Diego (IFAC, Instituto de F isica de Cantabria, Spain); S. Rodney (University of South Carolina, USA); N. Kaiser (Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, USA); T. Broadhurst (University of Basque Country, Spain and IKERBASQUE of the Basque Foundation for Science, Spain); A. Zitrin (Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel); T. Treu (University of California, Los Angeles, USA); P. Perez-Gonzalez (Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain); T. Morishita (University of California, Los Angeles, USA; Tohoku University, Japan) M. Jauzac (Durham University, U.K.; University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa); J. Selsing (University of Copenhagen, Denmark); M. Oguri (University of Tokyo, Japan); L. Pueyo (Space Telescope Science Institute, USA); T. W. Ross (University of California, Berkeley, USA); A. V. Filippenko (University of California, Berkeley, USA); N. Smith (University of Arizona, USA); J. Hjorth (University of Copenhagen, Denmark); S. B. Cenko (Goddard Space Flight Center, USA; University of Maryland, USA); Xin Wang (University of California, Los Angeles, USA); D. A. Howell (Las Cumbres Observatory, USA; University of California, Santa Barbara, USA); J. Richard (Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France); B. L. Frye (University of Arizona, USA); S. W. Jha (The State University of New Jersey, USA); R.J. Foley (University of California, Santa Cruz); C. Norman (the Johns Hopkins University, USA); M. Bradac (University of California, Davis, USA); WeiKang Zheng (University of California, Berkeley, USA); G. Brammer (Space Telescope Science Institute, USA); A. M. Benito (Universidade de Sao Paulo); A. Cava (University of Geneva, Switzerland); L. Christensen (University of Copenhagen, Denmark); S. D de Mink (University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands); Or Gaur (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, USA; American Museum of Natural History, USA; NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellow); C. Grillo (Universita degli Studi di Milano, Italy); R. Kawamata (University of Tokyo, Japan); J. Kneib (Observatoire de Sauverny, Switzerland); T. Matheson (National Optical Astronomical Observatory, USA); C. McCully (Las Cubres Observatory, USA; University of California, Santa Barbara); M. Nonino (Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, Italy); I. Perez-Fournon (Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, Spain; Universidad de La Laguna, Spain); A. G. Reiss (The Johns Hopkins University, USA; Space Telescope Science Institute, USA); P. Rosati (Universita degli Studi di Ferrara, Italy); K. Borello Schmidt (Leibniz-Institut fur Astrophysik Potsdam, Germany); K. Sharon (University of Michigan, USA); and B. J. Weiner (University of Arizona, USA) Links * Images of Hubble - http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/archive/category/spacecraft/ * Hubblesite release - http://hubblesite.org/news_release/news/2017-34 * Science paper - http://www.spacetelescope.org/static/archives/releases/science_papers/heic1807/heic1807a.pdf Contacts Patrick Kelly University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Minneapolis, USA Email: plkelly@umn.edu Jose M. Diego Instituto de Fisica de Cantabria Santander, Spain Tel: +34 942201452 Email: jdiego@ifca.unican.es Steven Rodney University of South Carolina Columbia, USA Email: srodney@sc.edu Mathias Jager ESA/Hubble, Public Information Officer Garching bei Munchen, Germany Tel: +49 176 62397500 Email: mjaeger@partner.eso.org An experiment in Maryland designed to save health care dollars by shifting services away from expensive hospital-based care and toward less costly primary, preventive and outpatient services has yielded disappointing results. These are the findings of two separate studies led by investigators from Harvard Medical School and the University of Pittsburgh. One study will be published in the April issue of Health Affairs, the other one appears in the February issue of JAMA Internal Medicine. Maryland's program was rooted in the idea that paying hospitals a fixed global budget--rather than for each patient admission--would deter unnecessary admissions and provide better care outside of the hospital. Under this program, hospitals that saved money by reducing admissions would keep the savings. If hospitals exceeded their budgets, they would absorb the resulting costs. "There is widespread interest in moving to alternative payment models that contain health care spending while still ensuring robust health outcomes," said study lead author, Eric Roberts, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. "Unfortunately, with the Maryland experiment we didn't find meaningful changes in care that policymakers had hoped this program would achieve." Maryland's program was implemented in two waves: the first among rural hospitals, and the second among the remaining hospitals in the state. The two studies examine each phase in turn. In the Health Affairs study, the researchers compared patterns of use and spending among Medicare beneficiaries served by rural Maryland hospitals with global budgets to patterns among patients served by a group of nonparticipating hospitals. After three years, the researchers found no reductions in hospital use or spending that could be linked to the global budget program. In their JAMA Internal Medicine study, the researchers focused on the first two years of Maryland's state-wide rollout of the program, which included larger hospitals serving urban and suburban areas of the state. This study found no evidence that the global budget program was associated with reductions in hospital use or increases in primary care visits. "When we drilled down into our data, we did not find any evidence that patterns of hospital and primary care use changed in Maryland relative to similar areas unaffected by the program," said Ateev Mehrotra, associate professor of health care policy and medicine at Harvard Medical School and a hospitalist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. So what went wrong? One possibility is that the disappointing results may stem from complicated administrative logistics, the authors said. Also, they said, the policy changed only the way hospitals are paid, while payments to individual physicians were kept out of the budget and remained on a fee-for-service basis. "The latter could be a big deal," Mehrotra said. "If the physician is not on board, the hospital doesn't have much control about the day-to-day decisions about how care is delivered." Identifying alternatives to the current payment model is important to help alleviate the nation's health care spending problem, the team added. "We believe that payment reform is critical, but we need to carefully evaluate which payment models are most effective," Mehrotra added. The researchers emphasize that Maryland's new payment strategy still might have saved money for the state and Medicare. However, any savings did not come from changing the care that Maryland residents received, but rather from changes to hospital prices. Maryland is now tweaking its program to include physicians. In the interim, Pennsylvania is building off Maryland's program by implementing a global budget model for rural hospitals. "Evaluating these different programs in different contexts will help policymakers better understand which payment systems work best," said Mehrotra. ### Co-authors from the Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, include Laura Hatfield, associate professor, J. Michael McWilliams, the Warren Alpert Foundation Professor of Health Care Policy, and Michael Chernew, the Leonard D. Schaeffer Professor of Health Care Policy; other co-authors were Nicolae Done, postdoctoral fellow at Boston University School of Medicine and Sule Gerovich, a senior researcher at Mathematica Policy Research in Baltimore, Maryland. Lauren Gilstrap, a research fellow in the Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School also contributed to this research. Funding was provided by the Commonwealth Fund, the Marshall J. Seidman Center for Studies in Health Economics and Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School and the National Institutes of Health (Grant No. P01 AG032952). The most distant individual star has been observed 9 billion light years from Earth, reports a new study in Nature Astronomy. Most searches of objects deep in space require long time observations using telescopes. Galaxies are favorable targets because they are a collection of about 10 billion stars. However, individual stars are difficult to spot because of their faint light. An international team of researchers, lead by Patrick Kelly, and including University of Tokyo School of Science Assistant Professor and Kavli IPMU Associate Scientist Masamune Oguri, were able to discover this star, which they have named Icarus, because its brightness had been magnified by 2000 times by the gravity of a larger object in front of it. While originally observing galaxy cluster MACS J1149+2223, 5 billion light years away, using the Hubble Space Telescope, the researchers noticed a flickering light in the background. Closer analysis revealed the light was not from a star exploding at the end of its life, but a blue star. In fact, the galaxy cluster's gravity had bent space-time to magnify the star's image, a phenomenon called gravitational lensing, where an object magnifies the light of objects directly behind it. The discovery of Icarus is also important to researchers studying dark matter because its interaction with matter has a pronounced effect on the pattern of magnified stars. From the pattern of magnified stars in this study, the researchers were able to exclude the possibility that dark matter is made up mostly of a huge number of black holes with masses tens of times larger than the Sun. It is expected many more magnified stars will be discovered when the upcoming James Webb Telescope becomes operational, and in doing so, they will be able to provide more insight into the properties of dark matter. ### More than halfway across the universe, an enormous blue star nicknamed Icarus is the farthest individual star ever seen. Normally, it would be much too faint to view, even with the world's largest telescopes. But through a quirk of nature that tremendously amplifies the star's feeble glow, astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope were able to pinpoint this faraway star and set a new distance record. They also used Icarus to test one theory of dark matter, and to probe the make-up of a foreground galaxy cluster. The star, harbored in a very distant spiral galaxy, is so far away that its light has taken 9 billion years to reach Earth. It appears to us as it did when the universe was about 30 percent of its current age. The discovery of Icarus through gravitational lensing has initiated a new way for astronomers to study individual stars in distant galaxies. These observations provide a rare, detailed look at how stars evolve, especially the most luminous stars. "This is the first time we're seeing a magnified, individual star," explained former University of California at Berkeley postdoc and study leader Patrick Kelly now of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. "You can see individual galaxies out there, but this star is at least 100 times farther away than the next individual star we can study, except for supernova explosions." Gravity as a Natural Cosmic Lens The cosmic quirk that makes this star visible is a phenomenon called "gravitational lensing." Gravity from a foreground, massive cluster of galaxies acts as a natural lens in space, bending and amplifying light. Sometimes light from a single background object appears as multiple images. The light can be highly magnified, making extremely faint and distant objects bright enough to see. In the case of Icarus, a natural "magnifying glass" is created by a galaxy cluster called MACS J1149+2223. Located about 5 billion light-years from Earth, this massive cluster of galaxies sits between the Earth and the galaxy that contains the distant star. By combining the strength of this gravitational lens with Hubble's exquisite resolution and sensitivity, astronomers can see and study Icarus. The team - including Jose Diego of the Instituto de Fisica de Cantabria, Spain, and Steven Rodney of the University of South Carolina, Columbia - dubbed the star "Icarus," after the Greek mythological character who flew too near the Sun on wings of feathers and wax that melted. (Its official name is MACS J1149+2223 Lensed Star 1.) Much like Icarus, the background star had only fleeting glory as seen from Earth: It momentarily skyrocketed to 2,000 times its true brightness when temporarily magnified. Models suggest that the tremendous brightening was probably from the gravitational amplification of a star, similar in mass to the Sun, in the foreground galaxy cluster when the star moved in front of Icarus. The star's light is usually magnified by about 600 times due to the foreground cluster's mass. Characterizing Icarus The team had been using Hubble to monitor a supernova in the far-distant spiral galaxy when, in 2016, they spotted a new point of light not far from the magnified supernova. From the position of the new source, they inferred that it should be much more highly magnified than the supernova. When they analyzed the colors of the light coming from this object, they discovered it was a blue supergiant star. This type of star is much larger, more massive, hotter, and possibly hundreds of thousands of times intrinsically brighter than our Sun. But at this distance, it would still be too far away to see without the amplification of gravitational lensing, even for Hubble. How did Kelly and his team know Icarus was not another supernova? "The source isn't getting hotter; it's not exploding. The light is just being magnified," said Kelly. "And that's what you expect from gravitational lensing." Looking for Dark Matter Detecting the amplification of a single, pinpoint background star provided a unique opportunity to test the nature of dark matter in the cluster. Dark matter is an invisible material that makes up most of the universe's mass. By probing what's floating around in the foreground cluster, scientists were able to test one theory that dark matter might be made up mostly of a huge number of primordial black holes formed in the birth of the universe with masses tens of times larger than the Sun. The results of this unique test disfavor that hypothesis, because light fluctuations from the background star, monitored with Hubble for 13 years, would have looked different if there were a swarm of intervening black holes. When NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is launched, astronomers expect to find many more stars like Icarus. Webb's extraordinary sensitivity will allow measurement of even more details, including whether these distant stars are rotating. Such magnified stars may even be found to be fairly common. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, in Washington, D.C. ### NASA's Hubble Portal: http://www.nasa.gov/hubble The science paper by P. Kelly et al. (Nature Astronomy): http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41550-018-0430-3 The science paper by S. Rodney et al. (Nature Astronomy): http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41550-018-0405-4 Ann Jenkins / Ray Villard Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Maryland 410-338-4488 / 410-338-4514 jenkins@stsci.edu / villard@stsci.edu Patrick Kelly University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 510-859-8370 plkelly@umn.edu In 2018, the 30th anniversary is celebrated from the moment when St. Petersburg and Shanghai became sister cities. In this regard, within the framework of the 'One Belt - One Road' initiative', the Government of St. Petersburg in cooperation with Peter t Strengthening the Russian-Chinese partnership in the frameworks of the globalization processes is strategically important for the economic stability and sustainable development of both countries in the international arena. The Russian city St. Petersburg is an active participant and organizer of the events aimed at the development of the relations with the People's Republic of China. In 2018, the 30th anniversary is celebrated from the moment when St. Petersburg and Shanghai became sister cities. In this regard, within the framework of the 'One Belt - One Road' initiative', the Government of St. Petersburg in cooperation with Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) will display a joint panel at the VI China (Shanghai) International Technology Fair (CSITF), which will be held on April 1 9 to 21. The CSITF exhibition is a professional event where nearly 1,000 technological and trade companies from 24 countries present their innovative developments. Due to the support of the Representative Office of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University in Shanghai and the business incubator Pu E, the Russian panel will demonstrate the scientific and educational projects, the up-to-date developments in the automotive industry, electronics, IT technologies and medicine aimed at formation of new markets for innovative products. Among them, brackets and details of the rear suspension of the car, designed on the basis of topology optimization-driven design, developments in the field of cyber-security and object detection system, terahertz radiation devices, mobile ultrasound device 'Uzimobile' and much more. Also, the representatives of St. Petersburg plan to participate in the business program at the exhibition in Shanghai. Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University participating in Project 5-100 aimed at improving the competitiveness of the leading universities of the Russian Federation among the world's leading research and education centers. As part of this Academic Excellence Initiative, multidisciplinary scientific research, world class technology and knowledge are created. The University actively develops conceptual framework for the mapping of management and organization of business processes for the entire lifecycle of a product in all industries, dramatically increasing the efficiency of design, preproduction and production stages, including the solutions for highly customized products. ### The first large-scale age-map of the Milky Way shows that a period of star formation lasting around 4 billion years created the complex structure at the heart of our galaxy. The results will be presented by Marina Rejkuba at the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science (EWASS) in Liverpool on Tuesday, 3rd April. The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy with a bulge at the centre, thousands of light years in diameter, that contains about a quarter of the total mass of stars. Previous studies have shown that the bulge hosts two components: a population of metal-poor stars that have a spherical distribution, and a population of metal-rich stars that form an elongated bar with a "waist", like an x or a bi-lobed peanut. However, analyses of the ages of the stars to date have produced conflicting results. Now, an international team led by astronomers from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) have analysed the colour, brightness and spectral information on chemistry of individual stars to produce the age-map of the Milky Way. The team have used simulated and observed data for millions of stars from the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) infrared survey of the inner Milky Way and compared them with measurements of the metal content of around 6000 stars across the inner bulge from a spectroscopic survey carried out with the GIRAFFE/FLAMES spectrograph on the ESO Very Large Telescope (GIBS). Rejkuba says: "We analysed the colour and brightness of stars to find those that have just reached the point of exhausting their hydrogen fuel-burning in the core, which is a sensitive age indicator. Our findings were not consistent with a purely old Milky Way bulge, but require star formation lasting around 4 billion years and starting around 11 billion years ago. The youngest stars that we see are at least 7 billion years old, which is older than some previous studies had suggested." The results presented are based on the analysis of three areas of the VVV infrared map, which, combined, make up the largest area studied so far in the Milky Way bulge. In all three areas, the findings on the age range of the stars are consistent. Francisco Surot Madrid, the co-lead author of the study, says: "Previous studies have told us that the metal-rich stars in the bar are likely to be the youngest stars. Whilst we can't disentangle which star belongs to the bar/peanut or the spheroid component in the data we are using, our results tell us that the bar was already formed about 7 billion years ago and there were no large amounts of gas inflowing and forming stars along the bar after that." The ultimate goal of this project is the construction of a map of the star formation history of the entire Milky Way bulge. Co-lead author, Elena Valenti, says: "The final map will show us the star formation rate as a function of both age and metallicity for the stars across the bulge. This will be an important ingredient in telling the complete story of the formation of the Milky Way bulge." ### Media contacts Dr Robert Massey Royal Astronomical Society Mob: +44 (0)7802 877 699 ewass-press@ras.ac.uk Ms Anita Heward Royal Astronomical Society Mob: +44 (0)7756 034 243 ewass-press@ras.ac.uk Dr Morgan Hollis Royal Astronomical Society Mob: +44 (0)7802 877 700 ewass-press@ras.ac.uk Dr Helen Klus Royal Astronomical Society ewass-press@ras.ac.uk Ms Marieke Baan European Astronomical Society Mob: +31 6 14 32 26 27 ewass-press@ras.ac.uk Images and captions 1. The infrared map constructed from the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) survey of the inner Milky Way showing the three areas studied. Credit: ESO/M. Rejkuba/F. Surot Madrid/E. Valenti https://www.ras.org.uk/images/stories/EWASS2018/Rejkuba/Rejkuba1.jpg 2. One of the three boxes studied, showing a superposition of almost 3 million stars belonging to different Milky Way structures along the line of sight: the Milky Way disk, as well as the stars belonging to the bulge region. Credit: ESO/M. Rejkuba/F. Surot Madrid/E. Valenti https://www.ras.org.uk/images/stories/EWASS2018/Rejkuba/Rejkuba2.jpg 3. Artist's impression showing the peanut shaped structure in the central bulge. Credit: ESO/NASA/JPL-Caltech/M. Kornmesser/R. Hurt https://www.ras.org.uk/images/stories/EWASS2018/Rejkuba/Rejkuba3.jpg Notes for editors The European Week of Astronomy and Space Science (EWASS 2018) will take place at the Arena and Conference Centre (ACC) in Liverpool from 3 - 6 April 2018. Bringing together around 1500 astronomers and space scientists, the conference is the largest professional astronomy and space science event in the UK for a decade and will see leading researchers from around the world presenting their latest work. EWASS 2018 is a joint meeting of the European Astronomical Society and the Royal Astronomical Society. It incorporates the RAS National Astronomy Meeting (NAM), and includes the annual meeting of the UK Solar Physics (UKSP) group. The conference is principally sponsored by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) is one of the largest, most dynamic and forward-thinking universities in the UK, with a vibrant community of 25,000 students from over 100 countries world-wide, 2,500 staff and 250 degree courses. LJMU celebrated its 25th anniversary of becoming a university in 2017 and has launched a new five-year vision built around four key 'pillars' to deliver excellence in education; impactful research and scholarship; enhanced civic and global engagement; and an outstanding student experience. The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 4000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others. The RAS accepts papers for its journals based on the principle of peer review, in which fellow experts on the editorial boards accept the paper as worth considering. The Society issues press releases based on a similar principle, but the organisations and scientists concerned have overall responsibility for their content. Follow the RAS on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram The European Astronomical Society (EAS) promotes and advances astronomy in Europe. As an independent body, the EAS is able to act on matters that need to be handled at a European level on behalf of the European astronomical community. In its endeavours the EAS collaborates with affiliated national astronomical societies and also with pan-European research organisations and networks. Founded in 1990, the EAS is a society of individual members. All astronomers may join the society, irrespective of their field of research, or their country of work or origin. In addition, corporations, publishers and non-profit organisations can become organizational members of the EAS. The EAS, together with one of its affiliated societies, organises the annual European Week of Astronomy & Space Science (formerly known as JENAM) to enhance its links with national communities, to broaden connections between individual members and to promote European networks. The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is keeping the UK at the forefront of international science and has a broad science portfolio and works with the academic and industrial communities to share its expertise in materials science, space and ground-based astronomy technologies, laser science, microelectronics, wafer scale manufacturing, particle and nuclear physics, alternative energy production, radio communications and radar. STFC's Astronomy and Space Science programme provides support for a wide range of facilities, research groups and individuals in order to investigate some of the highest priority questions in astrophysics, cosmology and solar system science. STFC's astronomy and space science programme is delivered through grant funding for research activities, and also through support of technical activities at STFC's UK Astronomy Technology Centre and RAL Space at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. STFC also supports UK astronomy through the international European Southern Observatory. Follow STFC on Twitter STFC is part of UK Research and Innovation The European Southern Observatory (ESO) is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It has 15 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile and with Australia as a strategic partner. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope and its world-leading Very Large Telescope Interferometer as well as two survey telescopes, VISTA working in the infrared and the visible-light VLT Survey Telescope. ESO is also a major partner in two facilities on Chajnantor, APEX and ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-metre Extremely Large Telescope, the ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky". Cats deaf from an early age have increased outgoing connections from the auditory cortex to a midbrain region responsible for directing the animal to a particular location in its environment. The study, published in JNeurosci, is the first to examine the reorganization of outputs from the sensory cortex following hearing loss. Although mammals are able to see and hear early in life, the neural machinery that supports these senses develops slowly in response to input from the outside world. Such experience-dependent plasticity helps to fine-tune the animal's perceptual abilities to its environment. Without this input, the brain regions that would normally process the deprived sense are instead recruited for other purposes. Compared to hearing cats, Blake Butler and colleagues found that cats made deaf in the first weeks of life had reduced connections from the anterior ectosylvian sulcus of the sensory cortex to the superior colliculus (SC) of the midbrain. However, the deaf cats had greater connections from other auditory areas to the SC, resulting in an overall larger input. Connections from limbic brain regions to the SC were also increased in deaf cats, which may support enhanced information processing to complement the intact senses. ### Article: Modified origins of cortical projections to the superior colliculus in the deaf: Dispersion of auditory efferents DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2858-17.2018 Corresponding author: Blake Butler (University of Western Ontario, London, Canada), bbutler9@uwo.ca About JNeurosci JNeurosci, the Society for Neuroscience's first journal, was launched in 1981 as a means to communicate the findings of the highest quality neuroscience research to the growing field. Today, the journal remains committed to publishing cutting-edge neuroscience that will have an immediate and lasting scientific impact, while responding to authors' changing publishing needs, representing breadth of the field and diversity in authorship. About The Society for Neuroscience The Society for Neuroscience is the world's largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to understanding the brain and nervous system. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1969, now has nearly 37,000 members in more than 90 countries and over 130 chapters worldwide. One frequently proclaimed advantage of single-payer health care is its potential to reduce administrative costs, but new Vancouver School of Economics research calls that assumption into question. The study, published this week in Health Affairs, analyzed a novel dataset to develop measures of how complex the billing process is for physicians interacting with insurers in the United States health care system. "These results are dramatic and striking," said Joshua Gottlieb, one of the study's authors and associate professor at the VSE. "Conventional wisdom held that it should be more challenging for doctors to bill private insurers. Yet, when it comes to Medicaid, our results show the opposite." Gottlieb and his coauthors were able to measure the complexity of billing Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers while controlling for differences in physicians' billing ability and the complexity of the patient. They found Medicaid was two to three times as difficult as Medicare or private insurance for doctors to bill. Medicaid managed care programs-those were states pay fixed annual fees to private insurers who insure Medicaid patients-had slightly lower billing complexity than state-run fee-for-service Medicaid. The study evaluated 44 million claims from 68,000 physicians, worth a total of $8.4 billion. In total, the authors estimate that the disputed bills amount to $54 billion annually across all insurers, and $11 billion could be saved if all billing efficiency were improved to the best level observed in the data. The study also found billing complexity is decreasing over time, especially for Medicaid. The researchers aid this is good news, as it could encourage more physicians to treat Medicaid patients. "For a health care system that spends so much money on administrative costs, from 15 to 30 per cent according to previous studies, this decline is an important cause for optimism," said Gottlieb. "Further work needs to be done to explore the reasons for this change." Background The study, "The Complexity of Billing And Paying for Physician Care", was published yesterday in Health Affairs. Gottlieb's coauthors are Adam Hale Shapiro, research advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and Abe Dunn, assistant chief economist in the Office of the Chief Economist, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. The study measured complexity using multiple metrics: the rates of claim denial and non-payment, and the number of interactions required for the physician and insurer to resolve the claim. The study also measured the amount of money disputed between the physician and insurer. ### Thanks to a rare cosmic alignment, astronomers have captured the most distant normal star ever observed, some 9 billion light years from Earth. While astronomers routinely study galaxies much farther away, they're visible only because they glow with the brightness of billions of stars. And a supernova, often brighter than the galaxy in which it sits, also can be visible across the entire universe. Beyond a distance of about 100 million light years, however, the stars in these galaxies are impossible to make out individually. But a phenomenon called gravitational lensing - the bending of light by massive galaxy clusters in the line of sight -- can magnify the distant universe and make dim, far away objects visible. Typically, lensing magnifies galaxies by up to 50 times, but in this case, the star was magnified more than 2,000 times. It was discovered in NASA Hubble Space Telescope images taken in late April of 2016 and as recently as April 2017. "You can see individual galaxies out there, but this star is at least 100 times farther away than the next individual star we can study, except for supernova explosions," said former UC Berkeley postdoctoral scholar Patrick Kelly, now on the faculty at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Kelly is first author of a paper about the discovery appearing online this week in advance of publication in the journal Nature Astronomy. The discovery of the star, which astronomers often refer to as Icarus rather than by its formal name, MACS J1149 Lensed Star 1 (LS1), kicks off a new technique for astronomers to study individual stars in galaxies formed during the earliest days of the universe. These observations can provide a rare look at how stars evolve, especially the most luminous ones. "For the first time ever we're seeing an individual normal star - not a supernova, not a gamma ray burst, but a single stable star - at a distance of nine billion light years," said Alex Filippenko, a professor of astronomy at UC Berkeley and one of many co-authors of the report. "These lenses are amazing cosmic telescopes." The astronomy team also used Icarus to test and reject one theory of dark matter - that it consists of numerous primordial black holes lurking inside galaxy clusters -- and to probe the make-up of normal matter and dark matter in the galaxy cluster. Einstein ring Kelly noticed the star while monitoring a supernova he had discovered in 2014 while using Hubble to peer through a gravitational lens in the constellation Leo. That supernova, dubbed SN Refsdal in honor of the late Norwegian astrophysicist Sjur Refsdal, a pioneer of gravitational lensing studies, was split into four images by the lens, a massive galaxy cluster called MACS J1149+2223, located about 5 billion light years from Earth. Suspecting that Icarus might be more highly magnified than SN Refsdal, Kelly and his team analyzed the colors of the light coming from it and discovered it was a single star, a blue supergiant. This B-type star is much larger, more massive, hotter and possibly hundreds of thousands of times intrinsically brighter than our Sun, though still much too far away to see without the amplification of gravitational lensing. By modeling the lens, they concluded that the tremendous apparent brightening of Icarus was probably caused by a unique effect of gravitational lensing. While an extended lens, like a galaxy cluster, can only magnify a background object up to 50 times, smaller objects can magnify much more. A single star in a foreground lens, if precisely aligned with a background star, can magnify the background star thousands of times. In this case, a star about the size of our sun briefly passed directly through the line of sight between the distant star Icarus and Hubble, boosting its brightness more than 2,000 times. In fact, if the alignment was perfect, that single star within the cluster turned the light from the distant star into an "Einstein ring": a halo of light created when light from the distant star bends around all sides of the lensing star. The ring is too small to discern from this distance, but the effect made the star easily visible by magnifying its apparent brightness. Kelly saw a second star in the Hubble image, which could either be a mirror image of Icarus, or a different star being gravitationally lensed. "There are alignments like this all over the place as background stars or stars in lensing galaxies move around, offering the possibility of studying very distant stars dating from the early universe, just as we have been using gravitational lensing to study distant galaxies," Filippenko said. "For this type of research, nature has provided us with a larger telescope than we can possibly build!" As for Icarus, the astronomers predict that it will be magnified many times over the next decade as cluster stars move around, perhaps increasing its brightness as much as 10,000 times. ### The research by Kelly and Filippenko was supported by funds from NASA, the Christopher R. Redlich Fund, TABASGO Foundation and Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science at UC Berkeley. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., and LOS ANGELES (April 2, 2018) -- A team led by scientists at Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) and Cedars-Sinai have developed a straightforward, computational way to measure cellular age, a feat that may lead to better, simpler screening and monitoring methods for cancer and other diseases. The findings, published today in Nature Genetics, reveal a progressive, measurable loss of specific chemical tags that regulate gene activity and are detectable at the earliest stages of development. These changes continue throughout a person's life, correlating with cellular rather than chronological age and foreshadowing alterations found in cancer cells. The work is the result of a long-time collaboration between corresponding authors Benjamin Berman, Ph.D., of Cedars-Sinai, and Peter W. Laird, Ph.D., and Hui Shen, Ph.D., of VARI. It builds on a 2011 discovery by Berman and Laird that first determined loss of these DNA marks -- called methyl groups -- occurs in specific areas of the genome in cancer. However, the techniques used at that time could not detect this process occurring in normal cells. "Our cellular clock starts ticking the moment our cells begin dividing," Laird said. "This method allows us to track the history of these past divisions and measure age-related changes to the genetic code that may contribute to both normal aging and dysfunction." Each of the nearly 40 trillion cells in the human body can trace its lineage back to a single, fertilized egg cell containing the original copy of an individual's DNA. Throughout a person's lifetime, these cells divide, replacing old or damaged cells at different rates based on factors such as their function in the body, environmental insults and wound healing. Despite undergoing elaborate biological quality control checks, each cell division chips away at the genome's integrity, leaving behind an accumulating number of changes. Chief among these is a dramatic shift in the number and location of methyl groups on the genome, part of a process that begins during fetal development and continues throughout a lifetime. "What is striking about the results from our new method is that they push back the start of this process to the earliest stages of in utero development," Berman said. "That was completely surprising, given the current assumption that the process begins relatively late on the path to cancer. This finding also suggests that it may play a functional role relatively early in the formation of tumors." While loss of DNA methyl groups, known as hypomethylation, is a common feature of many cancers, the mechanisms behind this phenomenon have until now been largely unknown. It is more profound in cancers that arise in tissues with a high turnover rate, such as the skin and the epithelium, the thin layer of cells that line many organs. It also features prominently in pediatric cancers such as medulloblastoma, a rare brain tumor. "Tissues with higher turnover rates are typically more susceptible to cancer development simply because there are more opportunities for errors to accumulate and force the change from a normal cell to a malignant one," Shen said. "What we're seeing is a normal process -- cellular aging -- augmented and accelerated once a cell becomes cancerous. The cumulative effect is akin to a runaway freight train." Analysis and data interpretation for the project were led by Wanding Zhou, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the labs of Laird, Shen and VARI Chief Scientific Officer Peter Jones, Ph.D., D.Sc., along with co-first author Huy Q. Dinh, Ph.D., at the time a project scientist in Berman's lab at the Cedars-Sinai Center for Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics. The study encompassed 39 diverse tumors and more than 340 human and 200 mouse datasets -- the most in-depth study of its kind -- and would not have been possible without massive swaths of publically accessible data from large-scale sequencing projects, including The Cancer Genome Atlas. "This research project is a great example of combining our own data with externally available datasets to discover something new," Zhou said. "If the project had been completed three years ago, the storyline would have been slightly different. Now, thanks to access to broader data, we can see that our method reveals a more general principle that extends all the way back to early development." ### In addition to Zhou, Dinh, Shen, Laird and Berman, authors include Zachary Ramjan of VARI; and Daniel J. Weisenberger, Ph.D., and Charles M. Nicolet, Ph.D., of University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers U24 CA143882 (Laird, Berman, Dihn and Shen), R01 CA170550 (Laird), U01 CA184826 (Berman), U24 CA210969 (Laird, Berman and Shen), and by the National Human Genome Research Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01 HG006705 (Berman). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. DOI: 10.1038/s41588-018-0073-4 ABOUT VAN ANDEL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Van Andel Institute (VAI) is an independent nonprofit biomedical research and science education organization committed to improving the health and enhancing the lives of current and future generations. Established by Jay and Betty Van Andel in 1996 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, VAI has grown into a premier research and educational institution that supports the work of more than 360 scientists, educators and staff. Van Andel Research Institute (VARI), VAI's research division, is dedicated to determining the epigenetic, genetic, molecular and cellular origins of cancer, Parkinson's and other diseases and translating those findings into effective therapies. The Institute's scientists work in onsite laboratories and participate in collaborative partnerships that span the globe. Learn more about Van Andel Research Institute by visiting vari.vai.org. 100% To Research, Discovery & Hope ABOUT CEDARS-SINAI Cedars-Sinai is a national leader in providing high-quality, patient-centered healthcare encompassing primary care as well as specialized medicine and conducting research that leads to lifesaving discoveries and innovations. Since its beginning in 1902, Cedars-Sinai has evolved to meet the healthcare needs of one of the most diverse regions in the nation, continually setting new standards in quality and innovation in patient care, research, teaching and community service. Today, Cedars-Sinai is widely known for its national leadership in transforming healthcare for the benefit of patients. Cedars-Sinai impacts the future of healthcare globally by developing new approaches to treatment and educating tomorrow's physicians and other health professionals. At the same time, Cedars-Sinai demonstrates a longstanding commitment to strengthening the Los Angeles community through wide-ranging programs that improve the health of its most vulnerable residents. Swiss Foreign Affairs Minister Ignazio Cassis has arrived in Beijing, his first official visit outside Europe. Political, economic and bilateral relations between Switzerland and China will be the focus of his talks, before he travels to Mongolia. In the Chinese capital on Monday, Cassis met Swiss business leaders and students living in China. He also held talks with Jin Liqun, president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, of which Switzerland is a founding member. He also visited the Great Wall of China, the foreign affairs ministry said in a statement. On Tuesday, Cassis and Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi are set to discuss strategic policy issues of interest to both countries. These include working together within the United Nations on the implementation by 2030 of the global Sustainable Development Goals and the economic prospects that can be expected from the Belt and Road initiative a new Silk Road aimed at boosting trade between Asia and Europe. SDA-ATS/ts Two Swiss tourists heading to a pilgrimage site in Italy have been killed by a rockfall. The man and woman from Italian-speaking canton Ticino in southern Switzerland were in their car when the mass of rocks covered the road near the Italian municipality of Re, around seven kilometres from the Swiss border. The victims, both over 50,according to the ANSA news agency, were reportedly heading to a shrine when the accident occurred on Sunday. The local mayor complained that the road used by many Italians commuting to Switzerland was often the scene of fatal accidents and that it had to be made safe once and for all. SDA-ATS/ts Thousands of African migrants in Israel will be resettled in countries including Canada, Germany and Italy under an agreement reached with the UN refugee agency, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday. This agreement will allow for the departure from Israel of 16,250 migrants to developed countries, such as Canada, Germany and Italy, Netanyahu said. He made the announcement in televised remarks after Israel said it had scrapped a controversial plan to deport migrants to an unnamed African country and replace it with a new one that would see thousands sent to Western countries. Thousands of others are to remain in Israel at least temporarily. The agreement stipulates that for each migrant who leaves the country, we commit to give temporary residence status to another, Netanyahu said. Netanyahu in January announced the implementation of a programme to remove migrants who entered illegally, giving them a choice between leaving voluntarily or facing indefinite imprisonment with eventual forced expulsion. According to interior ministry figures, there are currently some 42,000 African migrants in Israel, half of them children, women or men with families, who were not facing immediate deportation. They are mainly Sudanese and Eritrean. As the migrants could face danger or imprisonment if returned to their homelands, Israel offered to relocate them to an unnamed African country, which deportees and aid workers said was Rwanda or Uganda. Netanyahu said in his remarks on Monday that he had to abandon the earlier plan because the option of sending them to a third country no longer exists. Rwanda and Uganda have said they would not accept those deported against their will. Israel announced Monday it had reached a deal with the UN refugee agency to cancel a controversial plan to deport African migrants and replace it with a new one that will see thousands sent to Western countries. The deal means thousands more of the primarily Sudanese and Eritrean migrants will remain in Israel at least temporarily. It also ends the possibility that many would be forcibly deported to an unnamed African country, widely believed to be Uganda or Rwanda. A minimum of 16,250 migrants will be resettled in Western nations including Canada, Germany and Italy under the agreement, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The agreement stipulates that for each migrant who leaves the country, we commit to give temporary residence status to another, Netanyahu said in a televised address after Israel announced the deal. Germany and Italy, however, said they were unaware of any such resettlement deal for African migrants from Israel, although the German interior ministry said Berlin always respected its humanitarian commitments. Netanyahu in January announced the implementation of a programme to remove migrants who entered illegally, giving them a choice between leaving voluntarily or facing indefinite imprisonment with eventual forced expulsion. According to interior ministry figures, there are currently some 42,000 African migrants in Israel, half of them children, women or men with families, who were not facing immediate deportation. As the migrants could face danger or imprisonment if returned to their homelands, Israel offered to relocate them to an unnamed African country, which deportees and aid workers said was Rwanda or Uganda. They had initially been given a deadline of April 1, but Israels supreme court suspended the plan on March 15 while it continued to examine it. Israels statement announcing the new plan on Monday said there was no longer a need to send migrants to unnamed third countries. Netanyahu said in his remarks on Monday that he had to abandon the earlier plan because the option of sending them to a third country no longer exists. Rwanda and Uganda have said they would not accept those deported against their will. The earlier plans had drawn sharp criticism from the United Nations refugee agency as well as from some Israelis and rights activists. Shame The migrants presence in Israel has become a political issue, with Netanyahu referring to them as not refugees but illegal infiltrators. Religious and conservative politicians have portrayed the presence of Muslim and Christian Africans as a threat to Israels Jewish character. A group of residents of southern Tel Aviv, where many of the migrants have settled, immediately denounced the new plan in a statement, calling it a shame for the state of Israel. Under the new five-year plan, Israel will regulate the status of those not being resettled signalling they will be allowed to stay at least temporarily. Migrants began entering Israel through what was then a porous Egyptian border in 2007. The border has since been strengthened, all but ending illegal crossings. Holot, an open facility where inmates were free to leave during the day but had to return at night, was opened in 2013 with the aim of siphoning migrants away from the cities. The facility was closed last month as part of the previous plan. Some Holot inmates were transferred to the nearby Saharonim prison. Others who had submitted asylum requests before January 1 were released pending a decision. Another 300 had been freed after agreeing to leave Israel, according to Israels immigration authority. Those released were barred from living or working in seven cities with high migrant populations, including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the Red Sea resort of Eilat. Israeli officials had said that no one they classify as a refugee or asylum-seeker would be deported, though the process of granting asylum has been criticised as extremely slow and biased against claims. Only a handful of asylum claims have been approved in recent years. Those opposed to the original plan included Holocaust survivors who say the country has a special duty to protect migrants. Privacy Settings This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit. NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using. An investigation was launched in Russia on Monday into the death of a five-month-old HIV-positive baby whose mother refused her treatment because she believed the virus was a "myth". The woman, who has been HIV-positive for more than five years and always refused medical treatment, faces manslaughter charges and up to two years in prison in the Siberian city of Irkutsk. Investigators said the baby died in February following pneumocystis pneumonia, a form of pneumonia which causes a lung infection in people with a compromised immune system. The babys mother was HIV-positive and refused treatment for herself and her daughter, investigators said in a statement. The regional AIDS centre said the baby had been diagnosed with the onset of AIDS when she was hospitalised. The lungs of the five-month baby girl literally exploded from inside, the centre said in a statement. The woman stubbornly kept saying that HIV is a myth, it added. After the babys death, the woman who has two other children blamed the medics, claiming the little girl died of regular pneumonia. More than 900,000 Russians are living with HIV today, with 10 new cases every hour, according to the government. Most people need treatment every day to prevent HIV destroying their immune system and causing AIDS. Fewer than half of Russians with HIV are taking antiretroviral drugs, in part because of a conspiracy theory that the AIDS-causing virus is a myth invented by the West, officials and activists say. Several cases of AIDS patients dying after a refusing treatment have been reported in Russia in recent months, including a 10-year-old girl who died when her parents denied her care in Saint Petersburg in August. The Anti-AIDS Centre in the Omsk region in Siberia has won three trials against HIV-positive mothers who refused to have their babies treated. A Turkish court issued arrest warrants Monday for eight people, including the alleged mastermind of the 2016 failed coup, Fethullah Gulen, over the murder in Ankara that year of the Russian ambassador. The warrants were issued a day ahead of a visit to Ankara by President Vladimir Putin for talks with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan aimed at bolstering the growing Moscow-Ankara relationship. Ambassador Andrei Karlov was shot dead in December 2016 by off-duty Turkish policeman Mevlut Mert Altintas, 22, while inaugurating a photo exhibition. Turkey has said the murder was a plot carried out by the group of Gulen, a US-based Islamic preacher who stands accused of staging the 2016 coup bid. But Moscow has yet to echo this. According to the warrants, the eight suspects are charged with seeking to overthrow the constitution and pre-meditated murder, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported. The other prominent figure among the eight is Serif Ali Tekalan who headed a university linked to Gulen in Istanbul and now heads the Texas-based North American University (NAU). It was not immediately clear if any of the suspects are currently in Turkey. Gulen, who denies any link to the coup, has been hit with multiple Turkish arrest warrants. But so far the United States has yet to budge in response to Turkish demands for his extradition. Anadolu said that the investigation had found links between the gunman Altintas and Gulen. According to the news agency, nine people are already in custody awaiting trial over the killing including television producer Hayreddin Aydinbas, the organiser of the photo exhibition Mustafa Timur Ozkan and former police officers. There were fears the killing would again derail relations that had only been put back on track that summer with a reconciliation deal after the November 2015 shooting down by Turkey of a Russian war plane over the Syrian border. But relations have since gone from strength to strength, with Putins upcoming visit expected to signal the strategic importance of the relationship to both sides. Monday, April 2, 2018 Its the day after Easter. As the days get longer, we celebrate spring and the revival of life after a cold, dark winter. Here are several recent news stories about new trends in death, including how decomposition works, green burial, how to avoid scammers who harvest information from obituaries, and how one funeral home is buying local artists urns to offer their customers. Eugenia Bone, a former president of the New York Mycological Society and author of Microbia: A Journey Into the Unseen World Around You, loves and writes about detritivores things that eat the dead. She provides an understandable review of the process of decomposition, helpful for those whod like to get a green burial. She writes: I say I love detritivores, but I am especially fond of decomposers. The two terms are often used interchangeably, but technically, detritivores have a stomach: They ingest and digest dead matter, and decomposers dont. Decomposers, like fungi and bacteria, break down the chemical bonds that hold the molecules of dead things together and release the main elements of life carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur from their corporal bonds, freeing them to be used again. Thats why I always start thinking about decomposers around Easter. Christs body was said to have been untouched by decay when it was resurrected; but for the rest of us, the resurrection part of the life cycle is performed by decomposers. She also mentions Jae Rhim Lees Infinity Burial Suit. You can see my video interview with her when she introduced the product to the funeral industry at the 2016 ICCFA convention and expo. Read the full article. [embedded content] Sonya Vatomsky writes: A typical American funeral usually involves a few hallmarks weve come to expect: an expensive coffin, lots of flowers, an embalming for the deceased and a number of other add-ons. But how necessary are those embellishments? Enter the green burial. The specifics of a green burial vary widely, but typically they require far fewer resources for the care of the body and skip a number of the traditional steps, making them better for the environment. Plus, they can save families on funeral costs. Read the full story here. Sid Kirchheimer provides great tips to avoid scams that use obituary information. We all want to acknowledge a loved ones life completed. But be aware that the devil is in the details. The more personal facts you provide in an obit, the greater risk of scamsfor the departed and survivors alike. Find out all the details here. Over the last year, Berardinelli Funeral Home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has been making a shift in their product showroom (now a gallery) to something unique in the funeral industry. They have made the transition to 100% local-handmade and eco-friendly cremation merchandise as well as introduced the similar options for burial. The Initiative, lead by funeral director Jody Herrington, was inspired by a desire to be more environmentally conscious and support the local Northern New Mexico economy. She saw the value that the diverse southwest community places on creativity and their connection with place and designed her funeral merchandise showroom to reflect the focus of the community. Her intuition for a local/eco-friendly showroom has paid off as Herrington reports an increase in merchandise revenue for Berardinelli Funeral Home since eliminating the usual Batesville and Mathews merch, although she wouldnt reveal actual sales figures. Read the full story here. Tearleading the process of publicly sharing condolences after someone famous has died has become an internet phenomenon. Its made grief trendy and has digitized the only one true certainty in life: death. Read the full article by Oliver Bennett. Share this: Here is another post written by one of my clients with some suggestions for dealing with and ending the opioid crisis. Some Suggestions for Dealing with the Opioid Crisis by Paul Brakke In the previous articles in this series, I discussed the President's suggestion that the death penalty should be imposed on drug traffickers, why it is justified, and yet how its implementation would create severe practical difficulties. If not this approach, what other strategies should be pursued? Alas, there is no one simple fix, so several different strategies need to be pursued simultaneously. The President recommended mandatory minimum sentencing as a penalty for distributing certain opioids, and this recommendation has been seconded by Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, with sentencing duration dictated by the amount of substance seized. This crackdown may help reduce supply, but it will need to be supplemented with greater interdiction efforts at all ports of entry and along our borders. Another reason for greater border security! The President also recommended expanding access to proven treatment and recovery efforts. This recommendation is primarily aimed at reducing demand rather than supply. There are many treatment centers and plans, some more effective than others. Once the best strategies are determined, such treatments should be carried out on a mandatory basis on addicts in prisons and jails, even if that requires segregated facilities for them. Otherwise, they will easily relapse once released and revert back to a life of crime to feed their habit. Different treatment plans could be tried out on prison populations in order to determine which are the most effective. Sentences could be reduced for those who "come clean," by both stopping use and identifying their own suppliers. Finally, the President recommended broadening awareness and education of the crisis. By now it is likely that most adult Americans are familiar with the crisis, which suggests that adolescent youth and their parents should be targeted. An educational campaign in all schools, including a series of videos about the dangers of addiction, deaths due to drugs, and the crackdown on drug dealers, might help reduce the influence of adolescent peer pressure. Videos should also be produced for parents advising them what to be on the lookout for and giving them advice on dealing with their adolescent children on this issue. Although all three of these sets of recommendations in the President's plan have been proposed previously and represent more conventional approaches than the death penalty, they are all worthwhile, and the President must be complimented on putting them forth and implementing them with actual spending. Kudos to the President. Following are some additional suggestions of my own: 1. Create a separate drug sales court to deal with death penalty for drugs trafficking cases. This approach will help to streamline the justice process by putting these cases in a separate track in the court system. Also, this separate track will enable these cases to be heard by a drug sales court judge, rather than being heard by a jury. This judge will be more knowledgeable and less likely to be moved by emotion or the political controversy that can be associated with these cases. This streamlining will also cut down the cost and length of time of dealing with these cases. No bail should be permitted for alleged opioid traffickers. 2. Set up a separate division in the prisons or separate prison wings to house drug traffickers. This separation will contribute to making the prisons more efficient and cost-effective through isolating drug traffickers. This isolation of the traffickers will also provide better monitoring of the visitors to those prisoners, since they might still be involved in drug trafficking. Additionally, this separate treatment for dealers will put their visitors on notice of the risks of remaining involved, and therefore contribute to their leaving the drug trade, too. 3. Publicize the names of the individuals sentenced under the new laws. This notification will help to remind the members of the community of the penalties for dealing drugs and discourage their own involvement. 4. Set up a tip line for information that leads to the arrest of drug traffickers . This tip line can be set up so that callers can protect their anonymity, as well as claim substantial rewards by providing information that leads to the arrest of high-level drug dealers who are subject to the death penalty. These rewards can be tiered, so that those who target higher-level drug dealers can earn more, and an encrypted system can be set up so that tipsters can both remain anonymous yet claim a reward. 5. Provide more funds for research into better addiction treatments . As mentioned previously, the President wishes to increase access to proven treatment programs. Present treatments are only moderately effective and relapse occurs frequently. More effective treatments are sorely needed. The opioid epidemic is every bit as critical as the HIV/AIDS epidemic was, and yet addiction research receives only a fraction of the funds that AIDS research did. Opioid users are not able to mount the kind of concerted lobbying effort that homosexuals managed, because they are debilitated by their addiction and scorned by society. The families of opioid users have not been able to lobby for them either, since often addicts are estranged from their families and families are too often ashamed. Thus, providing funding for developing and researching treatment options is one arena where the federal government has to intervene. In making these recommendations, I acknowledge that I am a researcher at a biomedical institution, but I suggest these strategies solely as a concerned citizen. My own research has nothing to do with addiction. * * * * * * * Paul Brakke is a research scientist, who has written 6 books on issues in criminal justice and American society. He is the publisher of American Leadership Books, which is designed to present a conservative perspective on these topics. The company's website is at www.americanleadershipbooks.com. Martin Montes blood pressure was so often out of control, he felt too sick to do his job on the production line at a local bakery. Hed gone to a hospital emergency room to get his meds adjusted, but a physician there told him he needed to find his own doctor. So he Googled free clinics and found El Bari Community Health Clinic just off Interstate 10 near De Zavala Road. It took him two hours by bus to get there, but on a recent Sunday he was patiently waiting for his appointment in the clinics waiting room. Open four years, El Bari is, according to FreeClinics.com, the only totally free clinic in the city, providing no-cost medical care to anyone without insurance. There are plenty of other community clinics in town, but they bill based on the patients income. The clinic is unique in another way, too. It is staffed almost entirely by Muslims (board members Dr. Rudolfo Urby and Dr. James Andry are non-Muslims), all of whom are volunteers. It operates out of a nondescript building owned by the Muslim Children Education and Civic Center next door. El Bari (the name means the healer in Arabic) pays the center $1 a year in rent. More Information El Bari Free Health & Family Fun Fair What: Free medical testing and exams, as well as a moon bounce, food and other family-friendly activities. When, where: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, 5281 Casa Bella, wlbarichc.org See More Collapse Because the medical staff are all practicing physicians, the clinic is open only on Fridays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. although demand is so great, its often 1:30 or later before the final patient is seen. The weekend hours also make it easier for their diverse patient population, many of whom are working poor, to seek medical care. The modest, bustling clinic consists of one large room with a partition separating the waiting area from another space where patient medical histories are taken and, when things back up, a second physician consults with patients. Theres also a single exam room with a door for patient privacy. While more than half of the clinics patients are Muslim, El Bari treats everyone regardless of religion. Theres the Hispanic man who confesses he came to the clinic because he cant afford the $40 deductible to see his regular doctor. The young Anglo mother of two who simultaneously talks with the doctor while wrangling her toddler son who wont stay strapped in his stroller One. Moment. Longer. And the young Indian man who came by because of a lingering elbow pain and is chided because he has good insurance from a major San Antonio employer. We will treat everyone who comes in, even those with insurance, said Dr. Suhaib Haq, who, along with his wife, Dr. Sarah Samreen, founded the clinic. But only once. The clinic is a nonprofit and receives no government money. It does accept donations and holds fundraisers, including a health and family fun fair Saturday. And Samreen, a family physician and womens health specialist at University Health System, runs a order-only bakery cuppybakes.com, with all proceeds going to support El Bari. Another patient in the waiting room, who asked to be identified only as Kathy, came to have her foot and ear looked at. She tripped recently, has been in pain since and was worried she needed an antibiotic. Like many El Bari patients, the clinic was her only option. I was homeless for a while and dont have insurance, she said. My daughters in the Navy and Im living with her now. But she cant put me on her insurance. Both Samreen and Haq say their religious beliefs serve as the foundation for their efforts. Apart from my relationship with God, this is the most important thing in my life, Samreen said. The way I eat to feed my body, working here feeds my soul. As students in Karachi, Pakistan, the couple helped start an organization that provided support for patients discharged from hospital who could not afford the medicine or other medical devices, such as crutches and braces, they needed. Called Help of Patients in Exigency by Students, or HOPES, it has since grown to sponsoring health fairs, community education seminars and other outreach programs. So when they came to the U.S. to do their residencies, it was only natural that theyd look for ways to provide for those in need. I hoped that the ACA would fix everything when it passed, explained Haq, a family and sleep medicine specialist with University Health System, referring to the Affordable Care Act. When it didnt, I knew we had to do something for people who have nowhere else to go. He said the clinics patients generally fall into several categories the working poor who dont get benefits like medical insurance; noncitizens; students; and visitors to San Antonio. While some, like Montes, travel long distances to visit the clinic, most of its patients live around De Zavala and I-10 where, Haq points out, the mean household income is $70,000 a year. After expenses, theres usually very little left over for medical care, he said. Were here to try to prevent ER visits, hospitalizations, strokes, things like that. Weve even caught several early cancers. Even the clinics staff are all volunteers. Aboozar Ali, 19, is a pre-med student at the University of the Incarnate Word. Hes been volunteering at El Bari for two years, working the check-in desk, answering phones and, when necessary, serving as a liaison between patients and their doctors. When I become a doctor I would like to continue volunteering here, to continue giving back to the community, he said. The people the doctors treat here generally arent valued by society. They grant them significance, and thats important. And to patients like Montes, its the care thats important, not what religion a doctor practices. I didnt know theyd be all Muslims, he said, after being prescribed a second drug the doctor said would help control his blood pressure. But thats OK. Theyve been real nice to me. As for Kathy, the doctor determined she had an ear infection and prescribed her an antibiotic. Concerned she may have fractured her foot, he also sent her to a nearby emergency room for an X-ray. WASHINGTON It was vintage Ted Cruz. With bipartisan majorities in Congress poised to avert a government shutdown and pass a massive $1.3 trillion spending bill, the Texas Republican issued a dissent worthy of his insurgent 2016 presidential campaign when he ran against the Washington cabal. Now, the same bill President Donald Trump reluctantly would sign was, to Cruz, a disastrous hodgepodge of wasteful spending drafted by the Swamp in the dark of night. While some Republicans may fret about Trumps shaky approval ratings or their partys brand among disappointed conservatives, Cruz seems to occupy his own space in the political firmament. Launching his 2018 re-election campaign in Houston on Monday, he can fall back on his own tried-and-true persona: an unreconstructed conservative born of the partys grass-roots base. It is an identity that also could serve in some degree as a bulwark against the anti-Trump wave that has propelled his Democratic challenger, El Paso Congressman Beto ORourke, who launched his long-shot campaign a year ago Saturday. Whatever the presidents fortunes in a tumultuous and often chaotic White House, Cruz, once Trumps fiercest GOP critic, appears ready to stand on his own. Hes certainly not a Trump Republican, said University of Texas government scholar Sean Theriault. Hes a Cruz Republican, and I mean Cruz in all caps. He definitely marches to the beat of his own drummer. Even split for Cruz As the Senate campaign heats up, Texas voters seem almost evenly split on Cruz, according to a University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll conducted in February. While his favorability rating stood at 40 percent, 42 percent viewed him unfavorably in the poll. ORourke, on the other hand, got a 29 percent favorability rating, more than double his unfavorable score of 14 percent. His problem, however, is that nearly 60 percent of the poll respondents had never heard of him or knew too little to have an opinion, making him essentially a blank slate for the two sides to fill. Cruz, for better or worse, is a known quantity. I cant imagine that very many people are going to change their opinion of Ted Cruz, Theriault said. While Cruzs presidential campaign successfully branded him as a proven conservative in the 2016 Republican primaries, that did not necessarily translate into personal likability, a metric Democratic strategists hope to exploit in the coming race. Ted Cruz does have a high enough profile to separate himself, but whether thats a good thing or bad thing for him is not entirely clear, said Tom Jensen, a director at Public Policy Polling, a Democratic polling firm that had Cruz leading ORourke 45 percent to 37 percent in January. That was a smaller margin than the 18-point lead Cruzs internal polling showed earlier. Although Trumps approval ratings were climbing in March, he won deep-red Texas by only nine points in 2016, and the turbulence that has surrounded his presidency has energized Democrats across the nation. Looking at recent GOP defeats in Virginia, Alabama and Pennsylvania, Republican strategists across the country have been taking stock of the Trump effect. Trumps role in Texas In the February poll, Trump approval and disapproval numbers were evenly split with 46 percent of voters on either side. It remains an open question whether he would be an asset or a liability for GOP lawmakers running in competitive districts, such as U.S. Reps. John Culberson in Houston and Pete Sessions in Dallas. The Pete Sessionses and John Culbersons of this world probably are, more than Ted Cruz, going to have their fate determined by whether people like Trump or not, because they dont have as high a profile, Jensen said. Cruz is his own man to a greater extent than most Republicans who are going to be running this year. Although Cruz has smoothed over his differences with Trump since their bitter 2016 GOP primary rivalry, it always has been clear that Cruz represents a much more orthodox strain of conservatism. From Cruzs perspective, Trumps decisive advantage was his crossover celebrity appeal, an unforeseen X-factor that may still drive voters to the polls. The percentage that Trump has that like him, theyre not political people, said GOP strategist Rick Tyler, who worked on Cruzs presidential campaign. Theyre not going to show up for other Republicans and never have. So, the idea that Trump is going to drive people to the polls in Texas is not there. But I dont think Cruz relies on those people. Indeed, all the early signs point to a familiar Cruz strategy of focusing on his conservative base and its die-hard tea party and evangelical activists. The first shot of his campaign was a jingle to define ORourke as a liberal man; the second was a quip on Twitter last week speculating that his opponent would be a lock to win a Senate seat in Massachusetts a jab at U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedys presence in Houston over the weekend to campaign with ORourke. Some analysts do see Trump as a catalyst for driving Texas Democratic turnout in November. Thats where it could have a pretty big consequence, Theriault said. Especially for those last couple of percentage points Beto would need to get over the threshold. Campaigners for Cruz Analysts will be watching closely to see whether Trump campaigns for Cruz in Texas as he has for candidates in other states. Given Cruzs overwhelming advantage in the state, it would appear to be an unnecessary risk. Regardless, Cruz is never going to have his arms draped around Donald Trump, Theriault said, and hes never going to push him away as much as he did at the Republican National Convention. Ultimately, Cruzs ace in the hole is Texas, a state with active constituencies pushing so far to the right that Tyler jokingly refers to the tea party champion as a moderate. To some analysts, it means that whatever Trumps pull or push might be in November, Cruzs brand as a conservative is all that matters. The overall Republican lean of the state suggests that even if there is a decrease (in Republican turnout), its not likely to fundamentally change the race, said Craig Goodman, a political scientist at the University of Houston-Victoria. For Cruz, the March 23 vote against the 2018 spending bill provided a certain measure of insurance, confirming his bona fides as a fiscal hawk. It also provided the side benefit of establishing a modicum of independence from Trump, who complained publicly but ultimately signed the bill. It was an opportunity to go back to his grass-roots foundations and denounce the Washington cabal, the swamp, and everything else without actually shutting down the government, Goodman said. In fact, with a filibuster-proof 65 senators prepared to approve the spending plan, there was no danger of turning out the lights in Washington like there had been in 2013, when Cruz went to the government shutdown mat in an attempt to defund Obamacare. Not that a federal government shutdown would have played poorly with Cruzs base in Texas. The truth is, Goodman said, if Sen. Cruz had shut down the government over this, Im not sure that he would have necessarily been any worse off. WASHINGTON U.S. Rep. Will Hurd lectured chief information officers arrayed in front of him at a recent hearing about their failure to install software that sniffs out intruders on their agencies networks. He brought tech innovators to another hearing to examine the threats of devices and appliances connected to the internet that are capable of snooping on people in their kitchens. Now Hurd, of San Antonio, one of the GOP incumbents hoping to keep their seats in a potentially difficult year for their party, is moving aggressively into his most futuristic and, some say, frightening tech journey: artificial intelligence. He is holding hearings about what he calls the fourth industrial revolution helping usher the government into a new realm of so-called machine learning. He is encouraging federal agencies to think big. What is the equivalent of going to the moon with artificial intelligence? he asked a panel of agency chief information officers he convened as chair of a House Oversight subcommittee on information technology. Next, Hurd intends to offer legislation for Cyber Reserves, which would give government scholarships for students pursuing cybersecurity-related degrees in return for them working in federal jobs. Hurds work in Washington offers a test this fall on whether a House member who works with the opposition and who has achieved some successes can survive what some analysts predict will be a wave election for Democrats in November. With enthusiasm running high in their party, Democrats have given every indication of scoring electoral successes, perhaps gaining the 24 seats they need to reclaim control of the House. They see many opportunities with 37 open Republican-held seats, the latest coming last week when Pennsylvania Rep. Ryan Costello joined other Republicans who are retiring. Hurd, who is in his second term, will be up against either Gina Ortiz Jones or Rick Trevino, both of San Antonio, who are competing in a runoff May 22. San Antonio is a main computer security hub outside of the Washington, D.C., region. Its home to the 24th Air Force, part of the U.S. Cyber Command, a National Security Agency center and a burgeoning cybersecurity industry. Defense Department contractors have offices locally, and the University of Texas at San Antonio is among several colleges and universities offering top-ranked cybersecurity education programs. Hurds congressional district, which is Hispanic-majority and stretches from the western reaches of San Antonio nearly to El Paso, is split nearly evenly along partisan lines and has been a recent venue for some of the nations most hotly contested House races. This year likely will be the same. Nonpartisan handicappers are split on how things look. The Cook Political Report calls it lean Republican. Inside Elections ranks the district as one of just 10 toss-up House elections this year, the only Texas contest in the category. All politics is local, Hurd said, meaning he believes that voters will look at his record rather than be subject to national trends. Foremost among Hurds achievements is legislation he engineered to reform the governments $80 billion-a-year tech-buying operation. New spending legislation signed into law recently contained $100 million for the Technology Modernization Fund, enabling agencies to begin updating old and sometimes vulnerable IT systems. Hurds IT pursuits have won allies in the technology community. Tech companies, which see the federal government as a giant market for their wares, back Hurds campaigns liberally over $90,000 in contributions this cycle, second only to oil and gas among Hurds industry backers. Hes a member uniquely positioned to understand our industrys concerns, said Shannon Taylor, vice president of government affairs at the Information Technology Industry Council, which represents Amazon, Dell, Oracle and a host of major companies. She noted Hurds background in cybersecurity and his former job as a CIA operative. He does a lot of homework himself. He does a lot of reading. He does a lot of thinking about it. And I do think that he tries to reach bipartisan consensus, Taylor said. Like Taylors organization, the Consumer Technology Association gave Hurd one of its legislator of the year awards. Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, recalled speaking on a robotics panel at South by Southwest in Austin recently when he noticed Hurd in the audience. A member of Congress actually going to a session on technology and sitting and listening? Shapiro said with mock surprise. You tell me another example of that. Shapiro was unstinting in praise, calling Hurd a rock star. He knows tech and he knows what he doesnt know. Hes not a big-mouth, I-know-everything guy, hes quiet and competent and articulate. I cant think of anything negative to say about him, and thats not like me at all, Shapiro said. Hurd said his entry into artificial intelligence has two goals: keeping the U.S. the leader in a rapidly developing technology and fostering understanding of what he calls a game-changer. He has conducted two public hearings on AI since Valentines Day. He plans a third shortly that will delve into barriers for AIs widespread arrival and the governments need to prepare. Most people are afraid of AI because most people think of plastic-faced robots getting ready to take over, Hurd said in an interview. AI refers to computer systems capable of carrying out tasks that up to now have required human intelligence, among them visual perception, speech recognition and what scares people a form of decision-making. The technology is further along than most people know, used widely in computer search engines, medical diagnosis, and voice and handwriting recognition. Algorithms trained on massive data sets are producing surprising results, evidenced earlier this year when AIs built by Microsoft and Alibaba, the Chinese conglomerate, digested Wikipedia entries then beat humans in reading comprehension. Hurd sees a future in which AI does everything from speeding Congress help for veterans to cybersecurity. Good AI defending against bad AI, as he puts it. He notes a remark last fall by Russian President Vladimir Putin about the race for AI domination: Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world, Putin told RT, a news network funded by the Russian government. If were not prepared for this, Hurd said, theres going to be a problem. Voters may not all be up on AIs evolution, but they have concerns, and not just about menacing robots. A Gallup Poll in February found that 3 in 4 Americans believe that AI will destroy more jobs than it creates, and nearly a quarter responding worried that one of the disappearing jobs will be their own. Trevino, one of the Democrats vying to take on Hurd, noted discussions in Silicon Valley about losing millions of jobs, from drivers to radiologists. One solution: paying Americans a universal basic income. The ability of machines to think, to organize, is threatening the American worker, said Trevino, who left his job as a high school history and geography teacher to run for Congress. I think we have to pause in this culture of innovation, innovation, innovation and debate the consequences of this new technology. Automation already has taken over many low-skilled jobs, and AI will replace midskill-level jobs, he said. Said Hurd: Were going to need to make sure we understand the impacts. Hurd often raises questions of privacy when it comes to new technologies. But as one of their apostles, his role has been shepherding technologys arrival rather than criticizing, particularly with potential cybersecurity advances. Were becoming increasingly connected, he said, speaking broadly of his Capitol Hill work on IT. The threat actors are getting more sophisticated, and the ability to take advantage of systems is going to people lower down the food chain and to state actors. Hurd may not be in Congress next year. Or he could win re-election but find himself in the minority, no longer able to convene hearings on the technology of his choice. He says hes confident that hell be back for another term, believing that his work on technology, often in bipartisan fashion, gives him an advantage You have someone being thoughtful and getting things done despite all the rhetoric, he said of himself. People who went to HemisFair 68 remember some details better than others. Take the Los Voladores de Papantla, or the Flying Indians of Mexico. The day HemisFair opened, more than 1,000 people watched 114 feet below as the performers tied ropes around their waists and leaped into space, according to the Sunday, April 7, 1968, San Antonio Express-News. (Photos show some with ropes around their ankles.) The show started with the lighting of torches, performers clad in spectacular costumes and the sacrifice of a maiden takes place. The four Flying Indians then climb to the top of the pole as it sways under their weight. They use no ladder or safety devices in their climb, using only a rope wound around the pole for a foot-hold, said the story. This Dance of the Flyers was a 400-year-old ritual, reaching its climax when 104 feet of rope unwinds for each of the four performers, and they fan out in a 32-foot radius before reaching the ground. Los Voladores de Papantla show is breath-taking and extremely colorful and has free admission, said the end of the short story. It left out the bloody chicken sacrifice and the topless maiden, though. The rest of the story was found in two remembrances years later. In one, David Hendricks, a business writer in April 1993 who recently retired, looked back on his trip from Wichita Falls to San Antonio as a 14-year-old high school freshman in April of 68. He came to play with the Big Red Band of Coyoteland at HemisFair. But that wasnt his most vivid memory. This was: It wasn't long before a group of us found the Flying Indians show alongside the arena, a spectacle that included a ceremony in which an Indian maiden was disrobed to the waist for a sacrifice. I didn't expect that. It was my first-ever sight of a topless lady. I don't remember much about the rest of the exhibits he added. But he and some friends went back for the night show of the Flying Indians. The late Bill Sinkin was 89 when he told reporter John MacCormack in April 2003 about memories of HemisFair. He fondly recalled the Los Valodores de Papantla, the feather-bedecked Indians tied by trusses to long ropes that unwound slowly on the pole. That was the biggest exhibit we had, and the best, said Sinkin, HemisFairs first president. But he acknowledged the show came with a few wrinkles, according to MacCormack, beginning with a bloody chicken sacrifice that upset local sensibilities. And then there was the topless Indian maid, the story added. Said John Daniels, then 79, the fairs attorney: They had a real live bare-breasted woman up there, and they pretended to sacrifice her as part of the show, but we had a lot of complaints, so they had to cover her up. No records were found in newspaper archives on how long that change took. The show opened with HemisFair on April 6. The Big Red Band of Coyoteland made the bus trip to San Antonio with a teenage David Hendricks aboard in late April. And they got the full, memorable show. Place Your Advert Thousands of Active jobseekers are looking for new agricultural positions in 2020. Call us now to discuss the options for advertising your vacancy in our job section. The agricultural industrys concerns over the Governments post-Brexit immigration policy are shared across the national economy, according to a report. The fears were outlined in an interim report by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), which has been commissioned by Home Secretary Amber Rudd to provide evidence to inform the Governments post-Brexit immigration strategy. It has taken evidence more than 400 organisations and businesses which is quoted in various places in the report. This includes a reference in the National Pig Associations (NPA) evidence to a recent AHDB Brexit scenario analysis, which demonstrated that, unless specific policy measures are implemented to address the shortfall in migrant labour, its short supply will add a major cost to farms. This could, in turn, compromise the competitiveness of British pork on the global market. Connected to agriculture The report also quotes the NPAs explanation of why migrant workers are often very attractive to pig sector employers. It said: Many people living in these countries have grown up with or are connected to agriculture, dont have an issue with the type of work, and are keen to come and work here where opportunities at home have been lacking. They have provided a welcome solution to the historic issue, predominantly in stockman roles, or on the line in abattoirs. The MAC report showed that agriculture (9%) and food and drink sectors (24%) accounted for one-third of migrant labour from the European Economic Area (EEA). It noted that most employers in agriculture see little alternative to migrant labour. Some respondents cited inability to automate as the key issue, others cited issues with hiring domestic workers due to unwillingness to work unsociable hours, and different work ethics, it said. Lower output The report said employers across the economy are fearful about the prospect of restrictions on recruiting EEA migrants. However, it said this was unsurprising, seeing such restrictions as likely to make a hard job even harder. It added: The views of business are important but they should not be the only analysis to be considered. The report noted that many businesses do not seem well-prepared for a tighter labour supply and warned that lower migration would very likely lead to lower growth in total employment, and lower output growth. The committee did not make policy recommendations ahead of its final report in September. Concerns and fears NPA senior policy advisor Ed Barker welcomed the interim update, which gives an indication of current thinking ahead of the MACs final report. He said: It is clear that many sectors of the UK economy share the same concerns and fears as the pig sector with regards to the labour market. We are pleased that the Committee has taken our concerns seriously that a shortfall in available labour would have a serious impact on competitiveness, leading to increased costs for producers and consumers in pork. This will be investigated in their final report, though AHDB analysis has already stated this to be the case. Mr Barker continued: We hope the Government will take note of this interim report and takes account of the need for the UK to be open to European migrant workers, who have fulfilled a shortfall in labour since 2004. Their contribution to the pig sector has been invaluable, and with so much uncertainty over competitiveness post-Brexit, access to labour from abroad must remain, alongside workers from the UK. 'Unskilled' The NPA also urged the MAC to recommend a change to the term low-skilled labour in relation to the pig sector. The report confirms that fears about the future migration system were particularly pronounced in lower-skilled sectors, where many workers would not be eligible under the existing Tier 2 system under the Governments post-Brexit plans. The committee wrongly suggested the NPA accepts the term low-skilled, despite quoting evidence stating our belief that unskilled does not mean not skilled; animal husbandry clearly requires a high degree of technical skill, but many roles do not require graduate level training. Mr Barker said: For clarity, we need to replace the term unskilled with not holding formal qualifications. The industry is highly skilled, with lots of training and CPD opportunities, but to use the term unskilled for people who dont have qualifications is not fair on the great people who work in the industry and off-putting to potential recruits." Worry across industry Across the farming industry, farmers are worrying about the lack of labour and if it will get worse after the UK leaves the EU. Farms were nearly a third short of workers in September, a new survey by the NFU has revealed. The farming union has warned that the supply chain could face "significant disruption" next year unless the government takes action to prevent a shortfall of workers for agriculture. Another report has stated that there is just less than a year left to put a new seasonal workers scheme in place. Without such a scheme, the fresh fruit and vegetable sector will face a "catastrophe". Prime Minister Theresa May has already suggested a seasonal agricultural workers scheme could be reintroduced after Brexit. Hollywood star Ben Affleck has responded to a recent magazine article which suggested that he was depressed and said he is 'doing just fine'. The article, titled 'The Great Sadness of Ben Affleck', had also talked about the 45-year-old actor's large back tattoo of a phoenix, which it called 'garish.' "I'm doing just fine. Thick skin bolstered by garish tattoos", Affleck wrote on Twitter, making light of his bearded look. Affleck was recently seen flaunting the tattoo while training alongside his 'Triple Frontier' co-stars, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund and Oscar Isaac, in Hawaii. The massive tattoo, featuring a colourful phoenix spreading its wings, was first seen in December 2015, when Affleck was working on the set of 'Live by Night'. The star reportedly got the tattoo, which symbolises rebirth, after then-wife Jennifer Garner filed for divorce after 10 years of marriage. The pair share children Violet, 12, Seraphina, nine, and Samuel, six. Affleck, 45, had denied that it was a permanent ink, explaining the tattoo of the mythological creature was actually for a movie. @NewYorker Im doing just fine. Thick skin bolstered by garish tattoos. Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) March 29, 2018 Why Neetu Disapproved Of Deepika? "The first time he felt involved, I knew the girl was not right for him. I told him don't get serious so soon, the more you see the more you know and learn, so meet many girls, and go out with them, but don't commit yet," was her refrain, quotes Deccan Chronicle. Did She Regret Rejecting Deepika? However, later Neetu Kapoor was not only seen bonding with Deepika Padukone at a recent award night but also sent a bouquet after watching her spectacular film, Padmaavat and left the latter beaming with happiness. Can You Imagine The Same Happening With Katrina? We doubt that! When it comes to Katrina, most of the times, Neetu Kapoor has refrained from pouring love on the actress. Remember how during the famous X-Mas lunch at the late Shashi Kapoor's house, Neetu Kapoor had conveniently cropped Katrina from a group picture, leaving everyone surprised! But Neetu Is All Love For Alia.. Much to everyone's surprise, despite the rumours of Ranbir-Alia's affair, Neetu is all love for Alia Bhatt and the duo hasbonded really well, especially during the shoot of Brahmastra in Bulgaria. Alia's Post With Ranbir Not just that, when Alia Bhatt posted a picture of her with Ranbir Kapoor & Ayan Mukerji captioning it, "And its just the beginning," on the Instagram, Neetu Kapoor replied with heart emoticons on the post. What About Mahira Khan? Speaking about Ranbir's soft corner for Mahira Khan, Deccan Chronicle quoted a source as saying, "See, Neetu is a caring mother. Ranbir is a soft guy. He never wants to hurt anyone but ends up getting hurt most of the time. That's the precise reason why Neetu wants him to be careful of the relationships he gets into." Neetu's Scared Of A 'High Maintenance Bahu' "For instance, if she like Alia Bhatt and feels that the actress is also the kind of person that Ranbir can be with, she will be fine. Ranbir is a simple guy. Neetu is only scared of a high maintenance bahu in the family." On A Related Note, Did Ranbir Meet Mahira Secretly In London? Speaking about his sudden visit to London, a source informs "There are many action sequences that require Ranbir to do a lot of two martial art forms Kalaripayattu and Varma Kalai (which Kamal Haasan was shown displaying in the film Hindustani' in 1996). He is training in both the martial arts forms before he begins the next schedule of the film." Cleared All Work Schedules Ahead Of Time Sources claim that Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh have cleared all work schedules ahead of time and will also not take up any new work during the end of 2018 as they want to be free during their wedding time. Family Meeting In Mumbai Reports claim that Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh's parents met at Ranveer's Bandra apartment in Mumbai a week before the release of Padmaavat and gave their nod for the wedding. Exchange Of Gifts! Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh's parents exchanged gifts and jewellery and Ranveer's parents also included a Sabyasachi sari for the actress. Indian & Foreign Reception It is reported that the couple have planned for a reception in India and also at a foreign destination. As per sources, the duo will host receptions at two cities in the country. Wedding Dates As per Mumbai Mirror, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh will tie the knot sometime between September and December 2018. Wait & Watch However, none of these reports have been confirmed by Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh and we'll have to wait and watch for an official statement from the couple. Hrithik Roshan has an unimaginably mighty fandom across the nation. Fans who have turned into a family over the years have time and again showered their love on the Superstar. On the occasion of his son's birthday, a fan surprised Hrithik Roshan with a special gesture that touched his heart. A fan showered his love on the father-son duo by gifting a special sketch for his son's birthday. Hrithik Roshan is not just a brilliant actor and dancer but also a super cool dad. Deepika Padukone & Ranveer Singh To Marry By The End Of 2018! The actor has time and again proven to be a doting dad to his two sons Hrehaan and Hridhaan Roshan a testimony of which is the social media account of the actor. The actor makes sure to spare time and be there for his sons despite his busy schedule. As his son turned a year older recently, the doting father took to social media to share an inspiring post giving a message to his son to fight fears in life. The video became viral on social media in no time, earning the actor praises and accolades from not just the audience but also his industry friends. While wishes poured in from across quarters for Hrithik Roshan's son Hrehaan, a fan presented a token of love to the actor. At a recent event, the fan presented Hrithik Roshan with a sketch of Hrithik Roshan and Hrehaan, capturing a candid moment shared by the father-son duo. Over the years, fans around the world have showcased their love for the actor through various means. Hrithik Roshan who turned into an overnight sensation with his debut film 'Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai' has been ruling the hearts of the audience with his talent. Hrithik Roshan's birthday is treated as an important event by his fans, wherein they wait outside his house from as early as 6 am in the morning. Recently, while shooting for his upcoming film Super 30, the heartthrob was thronged by young students to get a glimpse of Hrithik Roshan as a teacher. On the work front, Hrithik Roshan is currently shooting for his first ever biopic Super 30. Sunny Leone: I Went In A Direction My Parents Did Not Want Me To Go! Tovino Thomas is on a roll with the young sensation of Malayalam film industry all set to expand his fan base to Kollywood as well. The actor will be seen essaying the role of the main antagonist in the Dhanush's upcoming film Maari 2 and according to the latest reports, the young actor will be seen in two different get-ups. It was in a recent interview given to Times Of India that Tovino Thomas revealed about the same. He added that he has just shot for a single day for Maari 2 and is all set to resume the shoot. About the movie, Tovino Thomas stated that the film will be a big one in terms of story and film-making. Maari 2, is being directed by Balaji Mohan, who had directed the prequel as well. Most recently, he was seen in the music video Ulaviravu, directed by Gautham Menon. Apart from Maari 2, Tovino Thomas will be seen essaying the lead role in the upcoming Tamil movie Abhiyum Anuvum, which is all set to hit the theatres. Meanwhile, the actor's next release in Malayalam will be Theevandi, which is expected to grace the big screens during the upcoming Vishu season.The actor will be seen playing a character named Bineesh Damodaran in this film directed by Fellini TP. Erica Fernandes Roped In For Yeh Hai Mohabbatein Spin-off! According to Tellychakkar report, Erica has been roped in as the female lead in Yeh Hai Mohobbatein spin-off! It is also being said that the lead actor was also finalised, but he was dropped later. Now, the hunt for the new male lead is on. Erica Denies Report! But, when Erica was questioned regarding the same, she denied the report by saying, "There is nothing of this sorts. I'm completely unaware of it." (sic) YHM Spin-off To Be Launched After IPL! Apparently, the spin-off has been tentatively titled as Yeh Hai Chahate! The show might be launched post the upcoming season of IPL, when the channel (Star Plus) will be revamped. YHM Spin-off It was said that YHM spin-off is inspired by the classic Hollywood film Sound of Music. It will be based in Delhi, like the parent show Yeh Hai Mohabbatien. The show will feature Raman (Karan Patel) and Ishita's (Divyanka Tripathi) extended family. Kasautii Zindagi Kay 2 Meanwhile, Ekta is also in search of lead actors for Kasautii Zindagi Kay Season 2. There were reports that Ishqbaaz actress, Reyhna Malhotra has been approached to play Komolika (Urvashi Dholakia played Komolika in the first season). Komolika Aka Urvashi Dholakia But recently, the fans had expressed their wish to watch original Komolika on KZK Season 2. One of the fans club tweeted, "There is a great news guys kasauti zindagi is coming and we what urvashi in it Yaar we want kamolikha @Urvashi9 " (sic). To this, Urvashi replied, "How sweet of u to say so " India has deployed more troops and significantly increased patrolling in the mountainous terrains of Dibang, Dau-Delai and Lohit valleys along the borders with China in the Tibetan region in Arunachal sector following the Doka La face-off Kibithu (Arunachal Pradesh): India has deployed more troops and significantly increased patrolling in the mountainous terrains of Dibang, Dau-Delai and Lohit valleys along the borders with China in the Tibetan region in Arunachal sector following the Doka La face-off, the tensest military confrontations between the two countries in decades. Military officials said India is also strengthening its surveillance mechanism to keep an eye on Chinese activities along the borders in the strategically sensitive Tibetan region and has even been regularly deploying choppers to carry out recce. They said India has been focusing on dominating the treacherous terrains which include snow-clad mountains at an altitude of over 17,000 feet, and river passes, as part of a strategy to counter China's rising assertiveness along the border in Dibang, Dau-Delai and Lohit valleys. Post Doka La, we have increased our activities manifold. We are fully prepared to deal with any challenge, said an army officer posted in Kibithu, the easternmost village on India's border with China's Tibetan region. The official said the army has been enhancing its Long Range Patrols (LRPs) where troops in small groups go for patrols for 15-30 days as part of an overall approach to maintain the sanctity of the Line of Actual Control, the de-facto border between India and China. Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day standoff in Doka La from 16 June last year after the Indian side stopped building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army. The face-off ended on 28 August. We have increased our deployment of troops while focusing on all the strategically important areas including a tri-junction among India, China and Myanmar, said the official who wished not to be quoted as he is not authorised to speak to the media. The official said China has been ramping up its infrastructure development along India's border, particularly in the Tibetan region and there was a need for India to enhance its road network for quick movements of troops. The army uses a foot suspension bridge to carry its military supplies to its Kibithu post, considered very important from an operational point of view, as the only road connecting the East bank of Lohit river with West bank remains closed due to landslides for the most part of the year. However, a senior official of the Border Roads Organisation said a number of roads including one to connect the Dibang Valley with Lohit Valley have been finalised which will improve the inter-valley connectivity in Arunachal. China has been laying new roads and improving its overall infrastructure along the nearly 4,000 km long border with India. Earlier this month, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said China has undertaken construction of helipads, sentry posts and trenches for its army personnel near Doka La. Sources said China has been keeping its troops in north Doka La and significantly ramping up its infrastructure in the disputed area. In January, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had said the time had come for India to shift its focus from borders with Pakistan to the frontier with China, indicating the seriousness of the situation. The Hizbul Mujahideen, which draws its cadre mostly from the Kashmir Valley, has been dealt a serious blow by security forces on Sunday. The Hizbul Mujahideen, which draws its cadre mostly from the Kashmir Valley, has been dealt a serious blow by security forces on Sunday. At least six of its cadres were killed in a counter-insurgency operation in Dragad village of Shopian district in south Kashmir. At least 13 militants were killed in all on Sunday in three separate encounters. One of the operations took place at Brunty Dialgam in Anantnag district in the intervening night between Saturday and Sunday. Altaf Ahmad Khan, Superintendent of Police, Anantnag, said that a joint team of police, army and CRPF personnel had launched a cordon there. During the operation, a militant, Rouf Bashir Khanday, was killed. Khanday, a resident of Dehruna village of Dooru, was said to have joined Hizbul Mujahideen last week. Another militant, Imran Rashid, was captured alive. Among the militants killed at Druggad, two were involved in the killing of Lt Ummer Fayaz, according to the army. Lt Fayaz was killed by militants in 2017 at a wedding, according to AK Bhat, the corps commander of the Chinar corps. We have avenged his death, Bhat said. Two army soldiers also lost their lives in two encounters at Dialgam and Kachidoora villages, Bhat said in a press conference held at the military base of Victor forces in Awantipora. "I appeal to the youths to not get lured by weapons. Anybody who uses weapons will be dealt with in the same manner that we dealt with the terrorists today," he added. Three security personnel are said to have lost their lives in all. After news of a third encounter broke out in Kachidoora village, hundreds of protesters came out on the streets and threw stones at the forces, hoping to free the trapped militants in a residential area. Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police SP Vaid tweeted on Sunday evening that three bodies of militants were recovered in Kachidoora. Three bodies of terrorists recovered in Kachidoora Shopian. https://t.co/N4tm9iBv69 Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) April 1, 2018 In the course of the day, over 100 civilians were injured in clashes near two gunfight sites in Shopian, as people tried to move towards gunfight sites to help the militants escape the cordon. The government forces used live ammunition to disperse protesters, triggering massive clashes, which also left four civilians dead. At least 50 people were brought to the district hospital in Shopian for treatment. Twenty of them were referred to Srinagar for specialised treatment. More than thirty people were brought to the district hospital in Kulgam. Out of them, 22 were referred to Srinagar, as they were hit by bullets. One of the civilians killed during the encounter at Kachidoora was Zubair Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Gopalpora village of Kulgam. After being injured during the clashes, he was admitted at the district hospital at Kulgam. He later succumbed to his injuries there. SP Vaid said in a press conference that one encounter is still ongoing. He further stated that 25 civilians received pellet injuries. This was arguably one of the biggest anti-militancy operations in a single day in the last seven years. The fresh killings are part of a massive crackdown launched by forces in south Kashmir. The Hizbul Mujahideen has suffered heavy casualties after security forces launched an all-out operation last year in south Kashmir to wipe out militancy from the area. The operations are likely to put a brake on the continuous trend of local youths joining militancy in the area. However, the new face of insurgency in the Kashmir Valley is becoming deadlier by the day, as new young boys regularly join the ranks of militancy. In 2017, the government forces launched 'Operation All Out' to wipe out militancy from the region and killed at least 213 militants in 2017. Despite that, around 124 locals joined the militant ranks in 2017. In the first three months of 2018, 27 people turned to militancy. The Jammu and Kashmir government ordered the closure of all schools and colleges on Monday, in view of the situation in south Kashmir. The government also shut mobile internet services across the valley on Sunday as a 'precautionary measure,' officials said. Thousands of people attended the funeral prayers of militants in different areas of south Kashmir. Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said on Sunday: More havoc for #Kashmiris who are at the receiving end of execution and repression as the toll of civilians brutally killed has risen to 2 while 8 militants have been martyred,100s of people injured and many hit in the eye by pellets used by Indian forces in #Shopian. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) April 1, 2018 Reuters A cellphone application blocked by the Colombian commerce regulator said on Thursday it has not shared Colombian users data with Cambridge Analytica, the political consultancy that has been accused of violating Facebook users privacy to influence elections in Britain and the United States. Colombia, which will hold presidential elections in May, on Wednesday blocked access to the Pig.gi app, which gives users free top-ups in exchange for receiving ads and completing surveys. The app has more than a million downloads in Colombia and Mexico combined. The regulator said the app might be connected to Cambridge Analytica, accused by a whistleblower of improperly accessing data to target U.S. and British voters in recent elections. A representative for the app told Reuters in an email on Thursday that Pig.gi did not have a relationship with the consultancy in the Andean country and that it has not shared any data gained from surveys of Colombian users with Cambridge Analytica. Pig.gi also said it had not yet been informed of the ban by the Colombian regulator. Pig.gi users have the choice to share their opinions consensually in exchange for internet connectivity coins. Their opinions are always anonymized before they are sent in accordance with Colombian and Mexican law, the app said in a statement posted on its Facebook page. The app cut ties with Cambridge Analytica in Mexico after the data scandal broke, saying it had shared results of two election polls of Mexican users with the consultancy and other partners. The commerce regulator said it would comment when its investigation had concluded. Facebook said on Wednesday it would end its partnerships with several large data brokers who help advertisers target people on the social network. The company says the information of about 50 million Facebook users wrongly ended up in the hands of Cambridge Analytica. Cambridge Analytica has denied Facebook data was used to help to build profiles on American voters and build support for Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Three civilians were wounded in Burkina Faso on Monday after a grenade was thrown at French troops shortly before President Emmanuel Macron touched down. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: Three civilians were wounded in Burkina Faso on Monday after a grenade was thrown at French troops shortly before President Emmanuel Macron touched down for the start of his first Africa tour. The French president is embarking on a three-day trip of western Africa aimed at boosting France's regional influence, stemming the continent's migrant exodus and bolstering the fight against violent Islamist militancy in the Sahel. The visit was marred by an attempted attack on French troops in the capital Ouagadougou just hours before Macron's arrival. "Two hooded individuals on a motorcycle threw a grenade towards a French army vehicle" as it made its way to a barracks housing French special forces, a security source told AFP on condition of anonymity. Three residents were wounded, one seriously, in the attack which took place at 8.00 pm (2000 GMT), the source added. "The attackers' target was the French army vehicle, which was not hit," the source said. An AFP reporter at the scene of the attack witnessed a small hole in the tarmac where the grenade detonated and a damaged civilian vehicle. Macron flew into Ouagadougou three hours later for a trip that will take in Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast two former French colonies that deposed strongmen leaders in recent years as well as to Ghana. His advisers say his primary message will be to stress a partnership of equals with Africa, based on education and entrepreneurship. Security concerns But regional security concerns will also dominate. European leaders are desperate to find ways to stem the flow of African migrants across the Mediterranean without leaving them to the mercy of traffickers in transit countries like Libya, where they face torture, rape, and as a CNN report showed recently being sold into slavery. And Macron will also be seeking international backing for a new, five-nation African counter-terrorism force, which France hopes to see eventually take over the fight against jihadist groups in the Sahel region. Ouagadougou has suffered two recent terror attacks carried out by Islamist militants a shooting spree in January 2016 that left 20 dead and a similar assault by gunmen in August that killed 19. French special forces have been present in the country since 2010 to help regional governments tackle jihadist violence in the Sahel, particularly in neighbouring Mali. Shortly after meeting his Burkinese counterpart Roch Marc Christian Kabore, Macron told reporters his trip hailed "a new stage for our relationship with your country and the whole continent". He praised his host country for shaking off the 27-year authoritarian rule of former President Blaise Compaore in a 2014 popular uprising in which large numbers of youths participated. Burkina "is an emblem of the democratic aspirations of Africa's youth", he said. "I wanted to pay tribute to all this by making Ouagadougou the first step of my African tour," he added. After talks with Kabore, Macron will deliver a speech to 800 students at the University of Ougadougou followed by an "unfiltered" question and answer session with his young audience. On Wednesday he will visit a giant solar power plant in Burkina Faso, the largest in West Africa, before departing for the Ivorian capital Abidjan where the fifth Europe-Africa summit will bring together more than 80 leaders from the two continents. He will also inaugurate the city's colossal metro project, funded by a 1.4-billion-euro ($1.6-billion) French loan before heading to Ghana, a former British colony. Two men had a 'scary' tryst with the cheetahs on the Grand Ruaha Safari in Tanzania. Two American men on safari in Tanzania had a hair-raising moment after two cheetahs got closer than they expected. As the men were photographing one cheetah on the Grand Ruaha Safari, another decided to jump onto the backseat of the vehicle and a third decided to climb the hood of their jeep. According to a report in Daily Mail, Britton Hayes from Seattle, Washington, was with a tourist group when he had this unique experience in the Gol Kopjes of Serengeti National Park. Hayes' mother tweeted the video of him remaining still as a cheetah explored the back of the jeep. My son waited until returning from the Serengeti to tell me a cheetah jumped in his Jeep during their photo #safari. And there's video!!! pic.twitter.com/Fbn8vS0AHb Elisa Jaffe (@ElisaJaffe) March 28, 2018 Hayes' stepfather Peter Heinstein, who was accompanying him on their first trip to Africa, filmed the video, according to the Daily Mail report. Hayes told the newspaper The Sun this was 'the scariest moment of his life' and he tried to slow his breathing so the animal wouldnt sense his fear. Heistein, posting the picture on social media, wrote, "Britt credits our experienced guide Alex Mnyangabe with helping him stay calm and asked me to film him. While Britt was frightened we never felt any threat coming from the cheetah. After a short exploration, the three of them moved away to continue their hunt. An amazing experience we will never forget." Eight people died and dozens were injured in the West African state of Guinea on Tuesday when a rubbish dump on the outskirts of the capital collapsed after heavy rain. Conakry (Guinea): Eight people died and dozens were injured in the West African state of Guinea on Tuesday when a rubbish dump on the outskirts of the capital collapsed after heavy rain. Five bodies, including those of two children, were taken to a morgue in Conakry, senior police official Boubacar Kasse said. An AFP reporter on the scene later saw three other bodies that were recovered from the landside. Dozens of injured were taken to hospital, police said. The incident happened in Hamdallai, located in the district of Ratoma, after week-long heavy rains. "The rubbish fell onto three homes," said Kasse, the police commissioner for Conakry. "There are still many people buried, and we have to do everything possible to save them. We have to get diggers in. Access to the area is very difficult." Police deployed in the area in large numbers as rescue teams strove to look for survivors, the AFP reporter said. Two people were brought out alive. The incident happened eight days after a mudslide and flooding struck Freetown, the capital of neighbouring Sierra Leone, killing nearly 500 people. According to the Red Cross, at least 600 there are also missing. The two countries among the poorest nations in the world are highly vulnerable to seasonal rains, given the lack of urban drainage and the building of homes, many of them ramshackle, on slopes. AHDB chairman and former NFU president Peter Kendall has expressed concerns about the governments proposed agricultural policy, warning it would be dangerous to make Britain more reliant on cheap food imports. The comments were made as Sir Peter delivered the annual Shuttleworth Lecture on Wednesday (28 March). He told his audience that aspects of Defras recent Command Paper Health and harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a green Brexit made him nervous because of a number of worrying references pointing towards a cheap food policy. See also: What Defras post-Brexit plan means for farmers Sir Peter said the lessons of 2007-08 seemed to have been forgotten, when wheat prices reached historically high levels prompting Russia to ban all wheat exports and the EU to reduce the set-aside rate to zero. High food inflation and shortages during that period was also a contributory factor to the Arab Spring. It was a serious concern the country was planning its next national policy on the back of six years of plentiful supply, he said. This was at a time when Russia was now the biggest exporter of wheat in the world and China held half of all global wheat stocks. Dangerous and complacent Some leading economists believed that population growth was slowing and food production would continue to grow exponentially, he said. This is a massively dangerous and complacent view, food production should never be taken for granted and the assumption that, as a rich country, we can always buy someone elses food is dangerous, and also morally questionable. Sir Peter acknowledged there were some great ambitions within the Command Paper in terms of increasing exports and enhancing the environment. But he disputed the assumption there needed to be a choice between productive agriculture or the environment, as there were solutions to producing food in a more sustainable way which would avoid the problem of exporting environmental damage elsewhere. Sustainability The dangers of policy drivers which pushed landowners into establishing wildflower meadows and extensive farming systems had to be considered, he said. For example, could environmental payments lock some land into obsolescence, and if that was the case, would the sector lose vital infrastructure and skills. We need a national agricultural policy which is sustainable, but which makes sure that sustainability goes hand-in-hand with productivity growth. The debate There has been a lot of debate whether or not the notch should stay or not. There are possibilities that the TrueDepth camera technology will phase out over time, and soon the technology won't require such big area to work. There are people who believe that the notch design will stick around for a while, especially for Apple. The reason being that the company ditched the Home Button, and since the notch now has a particular responsibility, it won't be easy to get rid of it anytime soon. Not everyone agrees that the notch will stay long enough. They believe that the company placed the notch because this is the first generation of the phone and soon the company will find a way to fit the sensor in a smaller space, resulting in a device without the notch. iPads with notch? There were rumors surrounding the notch coming to the iPad lineup offering similar functionality as the iPhone X. Lot of concepts showed how the iPad Pro could shape up, while others suggested that the company wouldn't adopt the design for the iPad because the device already has a more real estate. Although this doesn't decide the fate of the notch, if the company decides to bring the design to the bigger device, it's a safe bet to say that the design will stay longer than you think. What's imperative to know is that it took Apple ten years to shift from thick top and bottom bezels to just the notch. But never did the company shrink the bezels despite cramming in the same sensors such as the FaceTime camera, earpiece. Apple has an ability to design for the coming several years. That's the reason why the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 8 are so close in terms of design. The company reused most of the tooling without having to alter the design majorly. And trimming down the notch just after a year after iPhone X will require not just some extraordinary engineering, but also new machinery to produce such a device. This also makes it hard to believe the reports doing rounds of the removal of the notch. Speculations According to ETNews "Apple decided to get rid of notch design starting from 2019 models and is having discussions with relevant companies." said an industry representative. "It seems that Apple is planning to implement full-screen that is more complete in its new iPhones." The report also suggests that the company will retain the FaceID and also speculates possible ways to incorporate the technology in the screen. "Suppliers are interested in how Apple will be able to place receiver, front-camera, and Face ID feature and implement full-screen at the same time." We have already seen a plenty of Android smartphones that feature the iPhone X-like notch. They may look like the iPhone X, but they don't carry the advanced TureDepth camera tech. These smartphones will eventually flood the supply chain making it really hard to determine what is and isn't a new Apple's component. This is a good thing for Apple, who dislikes leaks, but not something an Apple fanatic wants to see happening. Alternative As far the notch-less iPhones are concerned, it seems far from reality. The report also says the "Some display industries think that Apple will either drill holes into OLED panels or use BM (Black Matrix) area within displays." Well, drilling holes in the screen don't sound like anything better than the notch. Apple could opt the sliding mechanism seen on the Vivo Apex concept phone, but it doesn't seem like something Apple would do. Honestly, the notch doesn't have anything attractive, but it does carry everything to power the iPhone X. Also, it only takes you few days to get used to the notch. But if you are expecting that Apple would remove the notch anytime soon, it's time you put your thinking cap on. Exclusive: BRITZO to launch 12 devices on 17th April priced between Rs 700 and Rs 4000 News oi-Priyanka The company is also planning to invest Rs. 100 crore towards the Make in India initiative and aims to secure three percent market share by the end of the financial year 2018-19. BRITZO Communication, which has recently ventured into the Indian mobile phone market is now all set to launch 12 devices in the country on 17th of this month. "In phase I, we will be launching ten smart feature phone, one 4G feature phone and one smartphone on 17th April," Pradipto Ganguly - CEO & Co-Founder - BRITZO told GizBot in an exclusive interaction. Adding more to that he further said: "We have also tied up with operators like Idea and Vodafone so that user can download songs and watch videos free for one year." He said that the company's smart feature phone is enabled with customized operating software will give access to relevant apps & downloads of more than 15 thousand songs, videos, 180-day replacement warranty and 15-month product warranty. The smart feature phone will be priced between Rs 700 to Rs 1200, 4G feature phone will cost between Rs 2000 to Rs 3000, and smartphone will be under Rs 4000 and will be packed with 1GB RAM, 8GB ROM which is expandable to 128 GB, fingerprint scanner and will have touchscreen and physical keypad like Blackberry. Meanwhile, the company is also planning to invest Rs. 100 crore towards the Make in India initiative and aims to secure three percent market share by the end of the financial year 2018-19. "We intend to invest Rs 100 crore in research & development, manpower and we will be setting up our own assembling unit in Greater Noida," Ganguly further told us. The company aims to become the most preferred brand of real India and our clear focus is to tap the tier-III, and tier IV market and to achieve this goal they will be launching products across 17 states including UP, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, NESA, and Gujarat during the first Phase of its expansion. The company has also launched the programme called 'iVVO Smart Parivar' under which BRITZO will facilitate a single-point solution for all of its partner distributors, including onboarding, training, and tracking. On tying up with an e-commerce website, BRITZO is contemplating on partnering with a major online player who has got high-level penetrations in a rural audience. Best Mobiles in India Moto Z3 Play renders show its design from all angles News oi-Abhinaya Prabhu Check out the latest renders of the Moto Z3 Play. From the last year's launch pattern, we cannot expect to see the announcement of the new Moto Z smartphone until the third quarter of this year. However, the leaks and speculations regarding the smartphone are many in number. We have been coming across several leaks regarding the upcoming Moto Z3 Play smartphone of late including its case renders and FCC listing. Twitter user @OnLeaks and KillerFeatures have teamed up for the 3D renders of the Moto Z3 Play. The new set of renders are somewhat identical to the case renders of the smartphone we saw a few days back. It looks like the Moto Z3 will not have a major redesign in comparison to the previous generation model but there could be some key changes. Talking about the design changes, the alleged Moto Z3 Play appears to sport thinner bezels in order to accommodate the 6-inch display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. The slim bezels indicate that the bottom will have no room to house the fingerprint scanner. However, the fingerprint scanner is not seen at the rear as it is housed at the right. The bottom bezel features the Motorola branding in the place of the fingerprint sensor. There appears to be a slight redesign at the rear of the upcoming smartphone. The connector pins for the Moto Mods appear to have been changed. Instead of circular pins as seen on the Moto Z2 series, there are rectangular pins. What's interesting is that there are identical number of pins hinting that the old models will be compatible with the new Moto Z3 Play. At the rear, the smartphone appears to house a Motorola batwing logo. Above this logo is the camera with a similar circular design. The circular enclosure for the camera houses two sensors and the LED flash appears to be a tad smaller. Given that the right edge of the phone has become the new home to the fingerprint sensor, the power button seems to be pushed to the left of the smartphone. The SIM tray is at the top and the USB Type-C port is at the bottom without a 3.5mm audio jack. From the existing reports, Moto Z3 Play is expected to arrive with a Snapdragon 636 SoC paired with 4GB/6GB RAM and 32GB/64GB storage space. The dual-camera module could arrive with 12MP and 8MP sensors and a 5MP selfie camera as well. The Moto Z3 Play alleged to measure 156.4 x 76.47 x 8.92 mm could get the power from a 3000mAh battery. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Xiaomi Mi Fan Festival sale: Here are discounts, offers, and more News oi-Abhinaya Prabhu Xiaomi Mi Fan Festival sale is here until April 6 and here are all the offers and discounts for you. Xiaomi Mi Fan Festival is now live in India and a range of products including smartphones, smart bands, televisions, etc. are available for purchase. The sale will happen from April 2 to April 6 and there are many other attractions apart from the discounts. What's interesting is that the latest offerings such as Redmi Note 5, Redmi 5 and Mi Smart LED TV are also available at discount. Even the Mi TV 4A 32-inch, Redmi Y1 Lite, Mi HRX Band and more are available for discount. Under the Mi Fan Festival 2018 sale's discount by 'likes' campaign, Mi fans will have to first like the product, invite their friends to avail discounts and reach a specific number of likes to unlock the discount. This campaign will last until April 4 11 PM. Also, there is a chance for the fans to participate in the Musical.ly contest, which is a part of the Mi Fan Festival sale until April 6. On doing so, there is a chance to win the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2. There are over 4 million coupons waiting to be grabbed. To take part in the Mi Fan Festival's 'likes' campaign, users will have to first initiate a team asking two friends to join them and then share the coupon worth Rs. 300. The team of Mi Fans should ready by April 4 12 PM. When it comes to the combo offers, interested consumers can sign in between April 5 12:55 PM and April 6 12:55 PM in order to take part in the "buy small get big free" offers. There are additional freebies such as Mi Earphone along with every Redmi Note 5 Pro unit on April 6 at 12 AM. Also, there is another campaign called 'Color Our Planet' between April 2 and April 6. By taking part in the Color Our Planet contest, fans can get to win a Redmi 5A smartphone. You can head on to the Mi India official website to know more details about the offers and discounts this Mi Fan Festival sale. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Vodafone VoLTE support finally available on Apple iPhones News oi-Priyanka Vodafone has recently announced the roll-out of its Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services in Karnataka with cities like Bangalore, Mysore & Belagum. After providing VoLte support to OnePlus, Huawei, Xiaomi, Nokia, Samsung and Gionee, India's second largest telecom operator Vodafone has finally announced its support to Apple iPhones. The telco has also rolled out the list of compatible handsets on its website i.e iPhone 6, iPhone 6+, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S+, iPhone 7, iPhone 7+, iPhone 8, iPhone 8+, iPhone SE, iPhone X. Vodafone has recently announced the roll-out of its Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services in Karnataka with cities like Bangalore, Mysore & Belagum. With this launch, Vodafone now enables its customers to make calls using VoLTE and enjoy HD quality crystal clear voice with super call connect. Vodafone SuperNetTM 4G customers can access Vodafone VoLTE for no additional charges and all calls will be billed as per existing plan or pack benefits, thus experiencing the best from Vodafone's Data Strong Network. The services were launched in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Maharastra & Goa, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, UP East, UP West and will be extended across the country in a phased manner over the next few months. How to enjoy Vodafone VoLTE 1. Customers can access Vodafone VoLTE services on all VoLTE enabled devices. Several popular handsets are already compatible with the Vodafone VoLTE network, and the numbers of such handsets are growing rapidly. To check if you can enjoy Vodafone VoLTE on your handset, please click on the link - www.vodafone.in/volte 2. Upgrade the mobile device's OS to the latest version 3. Ensure the device has a Vodafone 4G SIM: Customers with Dual-SIM handsets have to ensure that the Vodafone 4G SIM has been inserted in the data SIM slot/slot 1 and network mode has been set as "4G/3G/2G (Auto)". Source Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Kodanda Forms Political Party, To Contest Alone! After much dilly dallying, Telangana Joint Action Committee chairman and retired Osmania University professor M Kodandaram on Monday announced the launch of a new political party in the state. Named as Telangana Jana Samithi, the new political outfit of Kodandaram is going to be a full-fledged political party that would contest the elections in 2019 on its own. I was compelled to launch the political party only because the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi has miserably failed to fulfil the aspirations of the people after achieving the new state following a long-drawn battle, he said. Kodandaram said the party flag and constitution would be announced on April 4. After forming the party state and district committees, he said he would hold a big public meeting on April 29 in Hyderabad. The new party will fight against the TRS government's anti-people policies and also expose Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's misdeeds ahead of 2019 elections. We shall go alone in the elections and not have any tie up with any other political party, he said. The JAC leaders already requested police to grant permission to hold the public meeting either at Parade grounds, LB Stadium or NTR Stadium in Hyderabad. Kodandaram would announce his party's objectives and ideology in the meeting. It is learnt that the party flag will have White, Blue and Yellow colours. The symbols reflecting farmers and workers community and Telangana martyrs will be added in the flag. Click Here for Latest Direct-to-OTT Releases (List Updates Daily) Connecticuts job growth rate slowed to a post-recession low in 2017, according to new state data, the latest warning sign in what has long been a lackluster economic recovery. Eight years after the end of its last downturn, Connecticut has not regained all its lost jobs, and its increases trail those in many neighboring states and the nation as a whole. In 2017, Connecticut gained 1,800 positions, equal to a 0.1 percent increase, according to the state Department of Labor. In comparison, nationwide employment grew by 1.6 percent. The states performance in 2016 was not much better. It added 4,800 jobs that year, for a 0.3 percent uptick, compared with a 1.8 percent increase nationwide. Last years Connecticut employment recovery was the slowest in the last seven years, analyst Jungmin Charles Joo said in this months edition of the Labor Departments Economic Digest. In fact ... 2010-2018s monthly job recovery rate has been trending downward from the beginning, averaging below 0.1 percent throughout the most of its 95-month employment recovery so far. In comparison, the state saw accelerating job growth rates during its 2003-2008 recovery and the 1993-2000 span, periods that overlapped with national economic booms. In 2017, the state still added jobs for the seventh-straight year. But, as of January, Connecticut had recovered only 80 percent of the nonfarm jobs lost during its March 2008-February 2010 recession. Its private sector has recouped all its lost positions, while the public sector has lagged behind. Clearly, the economy is growing, although its slow growth, Joe McGee, vice president of public policy for The Business Council of Fairfield County, said earlier this month. Weve gotten back all the private-sector jobs we lost in the recession, which is a good sign. And, in some ways, shrinking the size of government isnt necessarily a bad thing. In comparison, the U.S. had regained by January some 108 percent of the jobs lost during Connecticuts downturn, according to the Labor Department. Mixed results Four of the states 10 major industries gained jobs last year, down from five that saw increases in 2016, according to the report. Manufacturing led, adding 2,900 jobs and stopping a five-year slide. Education and health services, leisure and hospitality, and other services also picked up positions last year. The government sector shed the most, with a decline of 3,500. The public sector has shrunk every year since 2009. Information, financial activities, construction and mining, trade, transportation and utilities, and professional and business services sectors also experienced declines in 2017. Only four of the states nine labor market areas added jobs. The Bridgeport-Norwalk-Stamford region lost 3,600 positions, its first annual decline since 2010. Danburys job total ticked down by 300. The states annual average unemployment rate totaled 4.7 percent in 2017, compared with 5.1 percent in 2016. Last years rate hit the lowest level since 2007 when it ran at 4.5 percent. National unemployment averaged 4.4 percent in 2017. Ongoing recovery Connecticuts economy continues to churn out mixed results when measured in other categories. Its construction contracts index increased, and exports rose for the first time in four years, according to the report. Tax collections increased, and revenues from gaming payments and slots also moved up. But residents total personal income dropped for the second-straight year. The number of new housing permits declined for two years in a row, and new auto registrations fell. The number of visitors to major attractions also decreased. In a sign of a possible revival, the state has added some 6,400 jobs in the first two months of 2018. But Joo was skeptical about the states ability to keep up with national growth levels. Connecticuts economy ... has been struggling to keep up the pace, let alone regaining all the jobs lost in the last recession, Joo said. The continuously falling monthly employment recovery rate and the declining ADI (measure of overall economic activity), along with the ongoing state budgetary situation, all seem to point to challenges to job growth in the near future. Other economists are also doubtful about the recovery soon accelerating. They see underlying issues such as the cost of doing business in Connecticut and persistent uncertainty about the states finances as impediments to robust growth. Were only growing about a third as fast as the country in terms of year-over-year growth, Fairfield University economics professor Todd Martin said in an interview last week. Hopefully, we continue to see some more slow growth but thats probably the best-case scenario for the rest of this year. In a report last week, Farmington Bank economic adviser Don Klepper-Smith warned of trends that could derail the recovery. Extrapolating this growth out in time, we see that the states economy is not likely to see full job recovery until sometime in late 2019, Klepper-Smith said in the report. Odds are were likely to see a full-blown U.S. recession before that time, if history is any indication. GREENWICH State Rep. Michael Bocchino confirmed Monday that he will see another term in the state House. With his decision, Greenwichs entire legislative delegation to Hartford will be seeking new terms. Bocchino is to formerly kick his campaign off on Thursday evening. He is looking to rejoin an all-Republican team that includes state Sen. L. Scott Frantz, 36th District, who announced his re-election bid for a sixth term in February; state Rep. Fred Camillo, 151st District, who also is seeking a sixth term; and state Rep. Livvy Floren, 149th District, who will run for a 10th two-year term. Bocchino is looking for his third term in the 150th District, which covers Greenwichs shoreline, including his home in Byram all the way up to portions of Old Greenwich. Weve done some great things over the past two years, Bocchino said Monday. As an entire delegation, we talked about this and we really feel were moving in the right direction to get Connecticut back on a fiscal path to stability. Currently Bocchino is a member of the general assemblys Energy and Technology, Housing and Labor and Public Employees committees. If re-elected, Bocchino said he would be happy to keep working on those committees. His main goal, he said, is to help continue the trend of Republican electoral success in the Legislature that has made significant cuts into what was once a Democratic super-majority. Id really like for our caucus to be in the majority so we can make the changes that need to be done, like eliminating the estate tax and the gift tax, overturning the SEBAC agreement (with state employee unions) to get a better deal for our retirees and our residents and dealing with the deficits we have, Bocchino said. Looking back over the last term, Bocchino said the delegations push to secure state reimbursement for the New Lebanon School construction project was the biggest feather in the cap. He said he also used his position on the Labor and Public Employees Committee to help kill legislation he felt would have done damage to the state. I feel Ive been a fiscal conservative watchdog on the committee and I will continue to be that way, Bocchino said. New Republican Town Committee Chair Richard DiPretta said he was happy to have the incumbents running again. Greenwich is very fortunate to have them representing the towns interests, especially with Connecticut in a state of fiscal crisis, DiPretta said. They have represented this town very well and Greenwich residents can feel confident that in re-electing them that they will go to Hartford and keep fighting for the interests of Greenwich. Bocchino said he wants to concentrate on issues including tax reform, pension liabilities and getting businesses to come to Connecticut. The Greenwich RTC will hold a campaign kick-off and fundraiser for Bocchino on Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Greenwich Water Club in Cos Cob. The party conventions for the candidates will be held next month; no challengers to the incumbents are expected to emerge from within the town Republican ranks. With the Republican ticket now set, leaders of the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee said several individuals have shown interest in challenging for the legislative seats and the party is in serious discussions with them. Republicans have had a lock on the seats since before World War I but Greenwich Democrats are coming off a year of significant gains in town. Republicans still have an advantage over Democrats in the number of registered voters in Greenwich, but unaffiliated voters are now the biggest block in town. In the 2017 municipal elections, Greenwich Democrats won control of the Board of Estimate and Taxation and the tax collector position and did better than expected in the races for first selectman and the Board of Education. The 151st District is a potential swing district in town. In 2014, when he ran for the first time, Bocchino narrowly edged out his Democratic opponent by less than 300 votes. In his first re-election bid in 2016 he ran unopposed. The goal is to have Democratic candidates for all (the seats), new Democratic Town Committee Chair Tony Turner said on Monday. I don't see any seat as being safe with disgruntled Republicans, the large percentage of unaffiliated voters and the energy that so many people have around getting involved and making changes. There's a lot at stake in the upcoming elections. The Indian smartphone market keeps growing and evolving with every new day and Google has taken notice. According to at least four senior industry executives, the Alphabet company is planning to make an aggressive move in India that will include a new mid-range smartphone, a new Pixel phone by Diwali and the launch of Pixelbook soon. Google is also expected to spend a lot on marketing for its consumer products, with plans to take on rivals as Apple, Samsung and Amazon. Trade meets took place in Malaysia, the US and the UK, where even some Indian retailers took part. According to one of the sources, Google will expand along the Reliance Jio 4G network to realize the maximum potential of the products. Another one of the senior industry executives said by August a new mid-range smartphone by Google should hit the market, while the new Pixel will be ready to go at the beginning of November when the smartphone series traditionally launches. On a more conceptual level, Google is also looking to join the intelligent home automation market with its Nest products like a doorbell, alarm system, and smoke detector, hopefully over the next year. The main reason Mountain View is not doing a rapid expansion is the issue of brand recognition - many Indians are still oblivious that the search engine also sells hardware. Redington, official distributor partner of Google, will expand the reach with building offline stores and improving store branding in already existing neighborhood shops. Via Published on 2018/04/01 Make eggy bread K-style with My Korean Kitchen, check out these 5 world class restaurants in and around Seoul, 10 Magazine lists their favourite American BBQ spots in the capital, and could digital currency kiosks revolutionise Korea's food scene? Advertisement "KOREAN TOAST" Eggy bread Korean style! Sue says that egg toast has been around for about two decades and it's become a popular, quick, on-the-go snack. "When I was in uni back in the days, I used to see people lining up to grab this egg toast on their way to lectures", writes Sue. "Seriously, the buttery smell that came out of the store was so tempting and heart warming that you will want to line up there too". This recipe is super simple and should take around 15 minutes including prep time. "Ready to give it a go? Hope you enjoy!" ...READ ON MY KOREAN KITCHEN "5 of the Best Places to Eat and Drink in South Korea" "Korea is one of the most frequently overlooked destinations in Asia", writes Jeff Zurschmeide. "South Korea has a tremendous depth of history, culture, and cuisine to share with the world, and a visit here should be on everyone's bucket list". In this post on The Culinary Travel Guides, Jeff shares five excellent places to eat and drink, including the Michelin-ranked Jungsik in Gangnam, which "blends ancient tradition with modern interpretations of Bibimbap, roasted meats, and Korea's signature kimchi side dishes to produce a unique dining experience". It's not all fine dining, however; Jeff also chose the popular Bongpyeong Market for his list. Got another great suggestion? Share it with us and others in the comment section below... ...READ ON THE CULINARY TRAVEL GUIDE "THE 5 BEST AMERICAN BBQ SPOTS IN SEOUL YOU SHOULD TRY IN 2018" Looking for American-style BBQ in Seoul? Korea has a thriving expat community, so it's no real surprise that the capital contains a number of "authentic" American BBQ joints, as well as ones with Korean twists. In this post on 10 Magazine, Albert Kim, a Korean-American in Seoul, lists five of the best BBQ spots around town. Manimal in Yongsan-gu, for example, is a smoked meat restaurant and, according to Kim, it's one of the rare restaurants that also serve BBQ chicken. And if you're looking for a Texas-style joint, head on over to The Smokehouse in Mapo-gu. Do you know of any other excellent BBQ restaurants? ...READ ON 10 MAGAZINE "'Bithumb' Is All Set To Launch Crypto Kiosk To Restaurants In South Korea" Small franchises, restaurants and cafes in Korea could get a real boost when the Korean-based Bithumb starts rolling out their digital currency kiosks. Digital currencies (and particularly the Blockchain technology that drives them) are an exciting new prospect that a large number of 'technopreneurs' like Bithumb are seeking to capitalise on. The company hopes their new kiosks will "bring a huge revolution in the organized food and gourmet retail business across the nation". ...READ ON KOREA PORTAL Published on 2018/04/01 | Source On the latest episode of the MBC drama "My Husband Oh Jak-doo", Kwon Se-mi (Park Min-ji) clarified Seung-joo's (UEE) divorce to people and covered for her. Advertisement Se-mi told Kyung-sook (Jung Soo-young) that over 330,000 couples get married and 110,000 of them get divorced and acted like divorce was nothing. When her husband Yong-min (Han Sang-jin) talked about divorce money, Se-mi asked if he would fight for his money if they were to split up. Yong-min said she was ridiculous. Se-mi said he was being too calculative and he said that was reality. Meanwhile, Se-mi decided to bring Seung-joo over for a while when it was the perfect time for her to get pregnant. Leaving her pouty husband behind, she prepared Seung-joo's sleeping place. By Emily Mayer Even though the real fighting in The Great War was taking place thousands of miles away, the effects of war was certainly showing across this country in many different ways as outlined in The Havre Plaindealers March 30, 1918 edition. A large ad appearing top and center on the front page asked Are You Hoarding Flour or Sugar? and went on to explain what hoarding was, what the punishment would be, that there were no exceptions and you were to report your stores to Alfred Atkinson, U.S. Food Administrator for Montana AT ONCE. You had to provide your name, the post office they used, your county, the number of pounds of flour and sugar on hand and when each was purchased, the number of family members you had and the amount your family would need for the next 30 days. At the bottom of the ad warned We are ready to enforce the law. Gov. Sam Stewart ordered county councils to aid public officials in the enforcement of law and preservation of good order and in promoting war work in their communities. Loafers were warned that county councils would have you prosecuted for being lazy during a time of war and you would be making little rocks out of big rocks to serve out your jail sentence. A meeting in Great Falls was to focus on the effects of the war on the livestock industry. Thinking of not paying your taxes? Think again. You would be prosecuted as vigorously and relentlessly as part of the war revenue act as draft slackers were prosecuted under the selective service act. In our nations capital and throughout the country, various laws were being passed regarding the war and how Americans should be conducting themselves. This was never more prevalent than the notorious Sedition Act, created right here in the state of Montana and used as the template for a national Sedition Act, which meant you could not speak ill of the war, any efforts regarding the war, and the government including the President. Other laws concerning loyalty were also being passed, and the effects of this was felt in Hill County. Those seeking to finalize their American citizenship papers were under more scrutiny than before, and while 42 were granted citizenship, three were rejected for avoiding the draft or they made other moves that indicated disloyalty. In other local news concerning The Great War, more young men from Hill County were doing their part to win the war. HAVRE BIDS FAREWELL TO ITS SOLDIER BOYS First Contingent of Second Call Departed Yesterday Fitting farewell was paid yesterday by the citizens of Havre to about twenty young men of the city who departed for Camp Lewis to become soldiers of the United States. The boys left on No. 1 yesterday afternoon. As with previous contingents that have gone from here, the boys were given every attention and showered with good wishes. A luncheon and reception for the solider boys and their friends was given in Elks hall at the noon hour, and at 1:30 a parade formed at the court house and escorted the boys to the train, where they listened to a fitting farewell address delivered by Rev. L. J. Christler. The parade was led by the local chapter of Spanish War veterans, and included a large number of citizens. Each solider wore on the lapel of his coat a Hill county badge. One of the previous young men who was on his way to war found himself in some medical trouble. HAVRE BOY OPERATED UPON FOR APPENDICITIS Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Loranger received word this week that their son, Ray Loranger, who is a member of United States Marine corps now stationed at Santiago, Cuba, was operated upon last week for appendicitis. The letter was written by young Lorangers bunkie and stated that Ray was improving rapidly and would soon be entirely recovered. In honor and recognition of those serving, Mayor McKenzie had this proposal: CITY SERVICE FLAG NOW IN PROSPECT A municipal service flag, bearing a lag for every young man who has gone from Havre to enter the service of his country, is a proposal put forward this week and fathered by Mayor T. W. McKenzie. The flag would bear more than five hundred stars, and would be hung daily in front of the city hall. An article on the front page also stated that the Local Red Cross Must Have Money. The article went on to say that the goal was to raise $1,200 per month in Hill County for use of the Red Cross for the war effort. The editor of the Plaindealer had this to say: DONT BE A TIGHTWAD The Hill county Red Cross needs money, and it is up to the people of Havre to supply it. When the committee calls upon you next week, dont be a tightwad. You have given? So has everyone else, but in this case the committee will doubtless remind you of Secretary McAdoos words, Give til it hurts. And dont let this be your last act of giving; continue to dish out all you can spare until the Hun menace is obliterated, and then devote your time to recovering your money-for if that menace is not obliterated, you will have not need for money anyhow, because it cannot buy freedom. There is no better way in which to Knock The Kaiser than in helping the Red Cross in its noble work, so dig up the coin in order that this work not be slackened. Of course, Havre and Hill Countys women had been getting to work for the war effort all along, as outlined in the Society column. Red Cross Plans for Supper. Never since the Hill county Red Cross chapter was organized have the members been so interested in their efforts as strenuous as the are at this time. On April fourth, when the new Ryan building will be formally opened the Red Cross will have entire charge and the different committees are making a supreme effort that this affair may net them large proceeds. The first floor will be devoted to booths, a variety show, etc., and at 6:00 p.m. dinner will be served. The second floor will be used exclusively for dancing, and ice cream and punch will be served from prettily decorated booths. Nurse Goes East. Miss Louise La Fornaise, a well known nurse of Havre, received a call from the Red Cross to report for duty at Lakewood, N. J. and left for that point Wednesday evening. Miss LaFornaise expects to join a contingent of nurses going to France in the near future, and if successful in dodging the Kaisers women killers, she will very soon be ministering to the wounded in the same gentle manner that characterized her work here. Red Cross Teas. Among the hostesses this week were Mesdames Frank Jestrab; J. L. Howe; Hazelwood; Klingbring; Severud; Rist; Cruzen; Casman; Stranahan. A couple of little paragraphs stated: Mrs. J. T. Watland was hostess at a Red Cross tea Thursday afternoon, at her home on Tenth avenue. Miss Alice Boyle departed last Saturday for Camp Lewis, and word received by Havre friends this week stated she had already entered upon her duties as an army nurse. And this was found buried under the Of Local Interest social pages: SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC THREATENS HAVRE Havre is apparently threatened with a fair sized smallpox epidemic. The red cards are prominently displayed in all sections of the city, and every day from one to three new cases are unofficially reported. The majority of cases thus far are among students of the public schools, though some other than these have developed. A fortunate thing in connection with the epidemic is that thus far all the cases have been light ones. Havre Police Department Shane Alan Nault of Kremlin, 42, was arrested on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, driving under the influence and carrying a concealed weapon after an officer initiated investigation of suspicious activity Friday at 1:27 p.m. on 11th Street West. Joei Rae Ross of Havre, 43, was arrested on a Justice or City court warrant served Friday at 2:10 p.m. on First Street. Pete Gabriel Longknife of Havre, 18, was arrested on charges of burglary, partner or family member assault and criminal mischief after a 4:53 p.m. Friday report or a disturbance on 10th Street West. Officers investigated a Friday 7:05 p.m. report of vehicle vandalism on Fifth Avenue. Crystal Marie Stewart of Zortman, 25, was arrested on a state District Court warrant and charges of DUI and headlamp violation during a vehicle stop on Third Street. Charnez Layne Denny of Box Elder, 20, was arrested on charges of DUI, failing to carry proof of vehicle insurance, driving without a valid drivers license and two counts of obstructing a peace officer or other public servant, and Aryn K.C. Gardipee of Box Elder, 18, was arrested on charges of DUI, failing to carry proof of vehicle insurance, careless driving and driving without a valid drivers license, during a multiple car vehicle stop on Sixth Avenue Saturday at 7:53 a.m. Alexander Dennis Eakins of Havre, 28, was issued a summons on a charge of criminal contempt related to a 24/7 Sobriety Program drug patch violation reported at the police station Saturday at 1:08 p.m. Bradley Lynn Perkins of Havre, 19, was arrested on 12 Justice or City Court traffic warrants, Lisa Marie Dubois was arrested on a charge of obstructing justice, and a 17-year-old was issued a summons on a charge of obstructing justice when an officer served the warrants Saturday at 2:20 p.m. on 11th Street. Barbara Ann Dubois 73, Ivan John Rainingbird. 61, and Tysha Michelle Williams, 43, all of Box Elder, were each arrested on a Justice of City court warrant Saturday at 9:37 p.m. during a motor vehicle stop. Officers investigated a Sunday 1:32 a.m. report of people fighting behind a First Street establishment. Clinton James Evans of Havre, 25, was arrested on probation violation reported from a First Street establishment Sunday at 1:59 a.m. Officers made an arrest Sunday 9:47 p.m. in response to a report of a hit and run on First Street, but no details of the arrest were provided. Officers investigated a 10:19 p.m. Sunday report of a vehicle being shot with a paintball outside a First Street establishment. Andrea Lynne Brisbo of Box Elder, 52, was arrested on charges of criminal mischief and probation violation after an officer investigated what appeared to be a woman breaking windows at a First Street apartment Sunday at 11:54 p.m. Hill County Sheriffs Office Deputies made three arrests on warrants served at the detention center between 10:45 a.m. and 1:10 p.m. Friday, but no further information was provided. Tess Saddler of Havre, 21, was arrested on a Justice or City court warrant during an 11th Street West vehicle stop Saturday at 3:48 a.m. Adrian Louis Corcoran of Havre, 26, was arrested on two counts of partner or family member assault after a Ninth Street East caller reported Saturday at 3:45 p.m. her daughter was being beaten by her husband. Havre Fire Department Emergency medical personnel responded to four calls Friday and three calls Saturday. Sundays dispatch log was not provided by printing deadline. Fire crews responded to a fire alarm on the 800 Block of Fourth Street at 4:53 p.m. Sunday. Burning food had set off the alarm and no assistance was needed. Havre Animal Shelter This morning the shelter held three medium-hair cats whose sex is listed as unknown, three medium-hair male cats, one medium-hair female cat, and one female short-hair cat. The shelter held this morning a 1-year-3-month-old female Australian shepherd, a 1-year-1-month-old male Labrador retriever-pug cross, an 8-month-old female German shepherd, a 26-week-old Labrador retriever, a 6-year-1-month-old female Labrador retriever and a 5-year-old female Australian shepherd. Births A boy was born Wednesday, March 28, 2018, to Tai Russell and Lane Caplette of Rocky Boy. Snow or snow-rain mix predicted through Sunday Vehicles and pedestrians travel through a wintry scene on First Street in Havre this morning, the 14th day of spring. Snow that started over the weekend continued this morning to add to the near-record amount of snow in the area, 83.6 inches in Havre through midnight Sunday since July 1. A winter storm warning covered most of Montana east of the divide this morning with a winter weather advisory in effect west of the divide. The Weather Channel long-range forecast predicts that up a foot of new snow could fall in Havre through Sunday night. Though spring - technically - has sprung, as forecasters predicted last month, the winter that wouldn't quit hasn't quit. Snow fell over the weekend, with nearly an inch accumulating Sunday by midnight in Havre - already listed by Weather Channel last week as the U.S. city with the worst winter of the year, and closing in on breaking its record for the most snowfall in a year - and close to another half-inch recorded by this morning. The snow and cold didn't stop people with traditional Easter egg hunts, however. Scores of children - and parents and members of the Havre Optimist Club - braved the 20-degree weather Easter Sunday for the annual Optimist Easter egg hunt, held this year in the south parking lot at Montana State University-Northern. The Havre High School Key Club held its March of Dimes hunt Saturday, but moved it inside. The Jaycees and Havre Eagles Club still held their indoor Easter party, but the egg hunt at Eagles Park was canceled. Timber Creek Village and Northern Montana Care Center, like the Key Club, avoided the winter weather by holding indoor egg hunts. And that weather isn't expected to stop any time soon. National Weather Service has a winter storm warning in effect through midnight tonight from eastern Glacier County through Blaine County and south throughout central Montana, stretching into southeast Montana as well. The warning calls for periods of heavy snow with accumulations of 2 to 4 inches on the plains and 5 to 10 inches in the mountains. The warning advises that travel could be difficult with blowing and drifting snow and the weather also will be difficult for young livestock. A winter weather advisory is in place for Montana west of the Continental Divide and also in central and southeast Phillips County, including Malta, with only the northeastern corner of the state not listed as in a warning or advisory. This continues a winter that started to blast the region with a record-setting storm Oct. 2-3 that damaged trees, blocked streets and roads and knocked out power from Chester to Malta, leaving some without electricity for more than a week. Then December turned bitterly wintrish, with snow and subzero temperatures locking in from Christmas through early January, with more popping in throughout the month. Then winter really hit in February. By Feb. 19, 31.8 inches of snow had fallen, nearly doubling the previous record for the entire month, set in 1978 at 18.6 inches. Weather Service only recorded 4.4 inches falling on Havre in March, but the storm warning today - and snow predicted to fall through Sunday - could break the record for the most snow falling on Havre in a year. The total from July 1 through April 1 - the records actually were broken in mid-March - already pushed back the previous second- and third-place years, 1978 with 78.6 inches and 1977 with 75.3 inches. So far, Havre has recorded 82.7 inches since July 1. With the snow predicted this week, Havre could end up setting a new record. With 10.8 inches of new snow, Havre would beat the previous record of 93.4 inches set in 1981. Dancers and an honor guard fill the floor of Montana State University-Northern's Armory Gymnasium during a grand entry of the Sweetgrass Society Powwow. This weekend's 42nd annual Sweetgrass Society Powwow at Montana State University-Northern had added meaning this year for Aiyanna Armajo Goggles and her family. Goggles, 9, of the Blackfeet and Northern Arpacho, was about to be in her last grand entry as 2017 Junior Miss Sweetgrass Society Princess. Sweetgrass Society's Amy Murdock said the title is one of three that the Sweetgrass Society gives each year, the other two being Senior Miss Sweetgrass Society and Lil Miss Sweetgrass Society. The new princesses, she said, are named at the end of the powwow. Aiyanna's mother, Malisha Goggles, said before the powwow's last grand entry that earlier in the day her daughter sponsored a $325 Junior Fancy Dance. Aiyanna said it had been a fun year, representing the Sweetgrass Society, Northern and her tribes at powwows in Montana, California and Wyoming. "It's been good," she said. "I traveled all over a lot." She said the weekend had been fun but she is kind of sad to be giving up her title. Malisha Goggles, who didn't dance over the weekend because she is pregnant, said that she taught Aiyanna how to dance before she could even walk. When she was 2 years old, Aiyanna Googles won the title of Ms. Heart Butte Tiny Tot Princess. To win the title of Junior Miss Sweetgrass Society Princess, Aiyanna had to go around, tell people what title she was seeking and ask for donations. The effort was a family affair. Malisha Goggles said that she and other relatives helped Aiyanna raise the money and Aiyanna's uncles, who are powwow dancers themselves, came from California to Havre to show their support for her and made her the Blackfeet-style traditional dress she was wearing. Goggles said that she takes great pride in her daughter's accomplishments as a powwow dancer and that it takes a lot of courage for any young woman to go out and represent her people at powwows. Havre Daily News/Alex Ross Montana State University-Northern Sweetgrass Society Powwow 2017 Junior Miss Sweetgrass Society Princess Aiyanna Armajo Goggles prepares Saturday for this year's powwow while her mother, Malisha Goggles, assists her. "It makes me feel really good in my heart that she is out there doing that," Goggles said, "She makes me a very proud mother." The Goggles were among the scores of people who came to the Sweetgrass Society Powwow. Sweetgrass Society Powwow President Amy Murdock said Saturday that this year's powwow was "going awesome." She said that the Sweetgrass Society received ample support from the community and the crowds were maybe a little larger than last year's "Everybody supported us, everybody donated, everybody came and it just is a really good feeling to have this turnout," Murdock said. This year's powwow also featured an honor dance Friday night for missing and murdered indigenous women that garnered a huge turnout. Everybody in Indian Country, Murdock said, has some kind of connection to the missing and murdered indigenous women. "So we had a huge support system in that area," she said. By DAVID ERICKSON Missoulian MISSOULA (AP) Theres a stark difference in the job growth around the Montana cities of Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Kalispell and Helena compared to the rural areas in the state. Huge portions of rural Montana are being left behind as the states economic growth which is hotter than the U.S. overall is restricted almost exclusively to counties with larger urban areas. There are 56 counties in Montana, but from 2000-2016, just five counties have captured 75 percent of new jobs, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Gallatin (25 percent), Yellowstone (18 percent), Missoula (13 percent), Flathead (13 percent) and Lewis and Clark (8 percent) counties accounted for the lions share of job growth, adding a combined total of 84,505 new workers. Those counties, obviously, have five of the larger cities in the state. In Missoula County, 15,704 new jobs were created in the 16 years after 2000, an increase of roughly 22 percent. Most of those were in government, health care, retail trade, hotel and food services, professional and tech services, and real estate, rental and leasing, in that order. By comparison, in that same time period, more than two dozen rural counties saw no new job growth and eight counties saw negative job growth. According to Mark Haggerty of Headwaters Economics in Bozeman, there is a widening gap between the states cities and rural areas. He compiled a report for the Montana Legislatures Joint Subcommittee on the changing statewide economy and impacts to the long-term viability of Montanas tax structure. Most of the high-wage services jobs are locating in cities that have access to national and global markets, clusters of like-minded businesses, and a larger educated workforce, he wrote. Rural areas are not competing for these new jobs as well, and are more acutely impacted by job losses in manufacturing and traditional resource sectors. Roni Phillips is the mayor of Superior, a small town about an hour northwest of Missoula. Its the county seat of Mineral County with a population of 826. Phillips said shes noticed jobs decreasing over the past decade as young people move away in search of work. Its probably (the downturn in the) logging industry, but just in general Superior is more of an older generation and people in retirement, she said. Theres not a ton of jobs here. Phillips also works as an emergency call dispatcher, and she had to hang up before elaborating further. Innovation jobs including software, research and development, finance and technology require access to finance, educated labor and global markets competitive advantages largely found in cities, Haggerty said. Tech firms also tend to locate near each other there is a snowballing, or clustering effect. By comparison, rural areas are not competing as successfully for these innovation jobs and are disproportionately affected by job losses in manufacturing and traditional resource sectors. Montanas economy is doing better than the U.S. overall. From 2000 to 2015, personal income here grew by 49 percent compared to 30 percent nationally, and Montanas per capita income grew 30 percent compared to 14 percent for the United States. The growth in Montana is being driven by an increase in higher-quality jobs and the rapid increase of investment and retirement income. That has big implications as state legislators ponder how to more fairly restructure the states tax system. Since 1990, 80 percent of growth in personal income in Montana has come from either people who work in the service industries or from nonlabor income sources, such as dividends, interest, rent, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. That means theres a higher proportion of people in Montana who arent working but are still getting money in their bank accounts. They are not tethered to the slow growth of wages here when they factor in how much housing or land they can buy. Investment-related income such as dividends, interest and rent account for the majority, 22.7 percent, of all non-labor income sources. Social Security payments, unemployment compensation insurance, veterans benefits and Medicare and Medicaid make up a smaller proportion. Nonlabor income now accounts for 42 percent of total personal income in Montana and accounts for nearly half of net new personal income growth in the last decade. Nonlabor income is one of the largest and fastest growing sources of income in Montana and the West, Haggerty said. Comprised of three main types investments, age-related payments and hardship payments non-labor income is affected by the stock market, retiring Baby Boomers, and changes to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Nonlabor income is important because it stimulates growth in other sectors, such as construction, health care and retail trade. Stephanie Morrison and Sam Schaefer of the Montana Legislative Fiscal Division prepared a report for the finance committee that compared jobs, personal income, gross state product and general fund revenue share. They found the outlook for nonlabor income suggests that it will peak around the second half of the next decade and then decline, probably due in part to an aging population. The service industries, including doctors, engineers, lawyers, real estate professionals, accountants, waiters and barbers, etc., account for 60 percent of the total labor income in Montana. Montanas economy is growing and generating wealth and jobs, but the structural changes in services and nonservices industries are changing the states economic geography, workforce and competitive advantage, Haggerty said. The changing economy has implications for the states tax structure. Government workers account for 19.7 percent, extractive industries account for 5 percent and trades like construction, manufacturing and agriculture account for 15.3 percent. Nonservices sectors, such as mining, agriculture and manufacturing, remain important, particularly in terms of their contribution to GDP, but productivity gains and automation have shed jobs and led to stagnant wages, Haggerty said. Information from: Missoulian, http://www.missoulian.com/. Man sent to prison for sexual abuse of 13-year-old A 57-year-old local man was sentenced to 65 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to six felony sexual assault crimes against a 13-year-old, District Attorney Greg Newman announced. Richard Kevin Chambers, formerly of Jackson Loop Road, appeared in Superior Court with his lawyer, Beth Stang, and entered guilty pleas to two counts of Statutory Sex Offense with a Child Under the Age of 15, 2 counts of Crime Against Nature, and two counts of Taking Indecent Liberties with a Child. Assistant District Attorney Doug Mundy presented the facts supporting the charges to Superior Court Judge Julia Lynn Gullett of Iredell County. Last August a local single mother of three noticed that the defendant showed an unhealthy interest in her 13-year-old daughter. The defendant had been allowed to stay with the family and had helped watch the children when the mother worked or ran errands. The mother took her daughter to the Childrens Advocacy Center where she disclosed numerous incidents of sexual contact by the defendant. The Henderson County Sheriffs Office was contacted and began a criminal investigation into the matter. Allegations made by the juvenile included two incidents where the defendant made sexual penetration with her at the home when the mother was away. The child did not make an immediate disclosure to her mother, or to anyone else because Chambers threatened to hurt her family and her if anyone found out about what he was doing to her. The child only reluctantly talked when the mother noticed a change in her behavior and the heightened interest in the girl by the defendant. Chambers initially denied any wrongdoing in response to questions from deputy sheriffs in the Criminal Investigations Division. Upon further questioning, however, the defendant confessed to the crimes and was arrested and charged at the conclusion of the interview. He remained in the custody of the Henderson County Jail until his appearance in Superior Court. He has been transferred to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. Judge Gullett consolidated the six charges into the two most serious charges, statutory sex offense, and sentenced the defendant to two prison terms totaling 392 months, or 65 years. He will be eligible for parole after serving a minimum of 46 years. The result achieved in this case shows the value in the partnership between law enforcement and our local advocacy center for abused children, Newman said. We are so fortunate that this mother felt comfortable enough to take her daughter to the advocacy center for an interview. This led to law enforcement intervention, which resulted in a confession from the suspect. "Services to support the child and her family moving forward from this appalling experience are in place and will be important in helping this child feel further supported by our community. This young lady showed tremendous courage to speak about these abominable crimes to strangers. She also agreed to testify in court if required to do so. We are naturally pleased with the outcome of the case and wish only the best for this young lady in the future. I commend her mother and appreciate her full cooperation with our prosecution of the case." Prospective presidential candidate Kevin Sharkey has called for an honest, open dialogue on immigration as he outlined some of his views on the subject in a TV interview. In an appearance on The Ray D'Arcy Show on RTE, the Donegal man (inset) said that he felt people were censoring themselves when it came to the subject of immigration. Mr Sharkey, an artist and former television presenter, who confirmed that he was hoping to receive a nomination to run for the presidency later this year, spoke at length about the impact of immigration. When D'Arcy put it to him that his stance was ironic considering his own background, he replied: "My father was an immigrant, there are a lot of positive aspects to immigration but it is going to end up coming down to one thing and that is numbers. We are not a big country and in 20 years' time, at the rate we are going, we have places in Ireland now where there are people who are feeling they no longer have a choice, no longer have a say. Honest "I'm not against immigration. If you are contributing, if you have a trade that we need and you can support yourself, you are welcome. "We should have an honest, open dialogue about it without being shut down and called racist. We have a history of being generous and kind, we have a history of helping people and sometimes word gets out. "I've seen the effect of the good and the bad sides of immigration, you know, how it helps a country to grow and develop. And also how sometimes it puts a strain on the resources. "We are a very small country and I have spent a long time wondering at what point do we say 'we need to start looking after Irish people as a priority'." Mr Sharkey went on to say that he believed that the priorities in Ireland had to change. "People talk about the housing crisis in Ireland. I don't think it is so much of a housing crisis, I think it is a priority crisis," he said. He said he decided to run as he "thought it was time to do something for Ireland". A nine-year-old boy celebrated Easter in a London hospital where he is recovering from a life-changing liver transplant. Days after the operation, Charlie Lynch was sitting up and smiling in his bed in King's College Hospital. He had been in England waiting for a liver to become available, and only a week ago his mum, Helen, said "he could not afford to wait any longer". Charlie was born with a rare disease, and his new liver will give him the chance of a normal life. "The doctors were so happy with him that he was out of intensive care and on to a normal ward three days after the operation. He's my champ," said Helen. "It's been a long, hard journey, but we finally got here. My baby has a chance at a new life, and for that I'm forever thankful." Wakes On the day after the transplant she said: "Today I have seen my son for the very first time in his nine years of life without his extended belly and his yellow skin. I cried - long have we waited for this day. "I can't wait until he wakes up and sees himself. It's all he's ever wanted - to be a normal kid, and now he can be. "I thought my son was going to die for so long and today I was able to finally turn off my phone after four years of it never being turned off once. "I also was able to go to sleep knowing my son will be there when I wake up. To not have to worry about that is worth everything to me." Helen is calling on everyone to consider being an organ donor. "I have yet to shake the hands of the donor family, but I know when I do I'll cry because they have given my child his life back. It is a gift I will be forever grateful for." Charlie can now look forward to returning to Co Offaly and resuming his life as a normal child. Helen said the support the family has received over the years has been "amazing". "Tullamore is my home town and never would I have thought that so many from there would support us the way they did. We are very grateful. I know a lot of people in that town and throughout Ireland, Wales and England and the support we have received from you all has been overwhelming ." Charlie was first diagnosed with problems when he was a month old. Helen lived close to Crumlin Hospital while Charlie was a baby, but moved back to Tullamore when he was three and no longer needed to attend hospital quite as regularly. This week (March 31 to April 7) is Organ Donor Awareness Week, and according to the HSE, a record 311 organ transplants from 99 dead donors were carried out in Ireland last year, an increase of 11pc on 2016. Game of Thrones star Aidan Gillen has said he is just like other fans of the fantasy series - he can't wait to see how the show ends. The actor (49), whose character Petyr 'Littlefinger' Bael-ish was killed off last season, said he hoped the final series, now being filmed, would be "sensational". "I'll be excited to see the end of Game of Thrones, not sad," he said. "I'll be watching and hoping there's still room for lots of surprises. "It'll probably be devastating. I hope so anyway. "Although I'm not working on it any more, that's beside the point - the experience will always be there. It's spliced into my life." The star is currently in Canada filming a 10-part science-fiction series called Blue Book. "I'm playing J Allen Hynek, a pivotal figure in astronomy and ufology in the latter part of the 20th century," he said. Biopic The actor can be seen in a completely different role on TV tonight,- playing legendary comedian Dave Allen in a biopic being broadcast on both RTE and BBC2. The Wire and Love/Hate star said he loved playing the Dubliner in the hour-long Dave Allen at Peace, which was shot mostly in Belfast. "Working in Northern Ireland is a real pleasure. I've been working in and out of Belfast a lot now for the last seven years. The work is good and the people are great," he said. "I get to share the screen on this one with Conleth Hill, Ian McElhinney, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Pauline McLynne, Tommy Tiernan and all the others, so what could be better than that?" Gillen said he was a big fan of comedian Allen, who died in 2005. "He had a loose, unpredictable, affable quality. He was a really good actor, so his sketch work had an honesty to it," he said. Dave Allen at Peace is on RTE One tonight at 9.30pm Pope John Paul II greets the crowds in the Phoenix Park in 1979 The Government will spend 1.2m on CCTV cameras, temporary public-address systems and radio communications for the visit of Pope Francis to Dublin in August. The Office of Government Procurement is seeking tenders for "a managed solution" for the papal visit, which will include CCTV systems, a secure communications network and event-control services. The estimated value of the contract for these services is 1.2m, excluding VAT, according to tender documents. Tenders must be submitted by May 3, with the Pope's visit scheduled for August 25 and 26. Festival The Pope is travelling to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families. He will attend the event at Croke Park on August 25 and will celebrate Mass in the Phoenix Park the following day. Little else is known about the agenda for his visit. However, the Government's advertisement for tender may contain a clue about an additional engagement: it lists Dublin Castle as a location where the event services will be required. "The Commissioners for Public Works in Ireland is seeking to procure the provision of a managed solution for papal visit 2018 at locations including Dublin Castle and Phoenix Park," it states. The "managed solution" will include "temporary CCTV cameras, temporary secure network, radio communications, temporary public-address systems, temporary event-control elements and temporary power distribution". The Festival of Families at Croke Park on August 25 is a "concert-type event" celebrating "family life around the world that will feature musical and dance performances as well as five selected families from around the world giving witness to their family's faith". On August 26, Francis will celebrate Mass in the Phoenix Park, the location where Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass in front of an estimated crowd of more than one million people during his historic visit in September 1979. Hundreds gathered to observe the 102nd anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising at the GPO in Dublin yesterday, as President Michael D Higgins laid a wreath in memory of our nation's fallen heroes. The President arrived in a cavalcade including 15 Defence Forces motorcycles riding ahead of his black presidential car, as a crowd of young and old tried to catch a glimpse of the head of State through their camera phones, each one delighted to steal a moment in history. Liberation Mr Higgins strode toward the GPO, the scene of our nation's proud rebellion, to inspect the guard of honour before laying a laurel wreath in memory of those who fought and died for Irish liberation. The Defence Forces' head chaplain Fr Seamus Madigan led a prayer in memory of those who had paid with their lives for our freedom. "We give thanks to their bravery," Fr Madigan said, as he asked Irish citizens to "remember ourselves to listen to the voices of the poor and disadvantaged". "Thank you Lord for our country, our people and our flag," he added. The priest urged Ireland to embrace diversity and "to see beauty in every person". A grey cloud descended upon O'Connell Street, as members of the public huddled together behind a boundary fence, most wrapped up in hats and scarves. The cherished relatives of those lost in the Rising stood close to proceedings as they paid their respects to their loved ones, the heroes of Irish history, and a minute's silence was held. Only an infant's muffled cries could be heard in the background and the slight humming of a Luas as it passed by across Abbey Street in the city. Visitors from across the world looked on from a distance, trailing suitcases and stopping briefly to contemplate the historic relevance of this moment, played out each Easter Sunday. The Tricolour sitting atop the GPO was lowered to half mast, a tiny shard of light peeped through the clouds of grey and Captain Sean McCarthy, from Borris, Co Carlow, read the Proclamation, as again silence descended upon the crowd. Yesterday's role was said to be an "immensely proud moment" for Capt McCarthy and his family, including wife Edwina and son Harry, father Sean, mother Bernie and brother, Brian. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Health Minister Simon Harris, Education Minister Richard Bruton and former president Mary McAleese were in attendance, as well as Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, who chatted and smiled among the crowd. Two female members of the Defence Forces stood among 15 male colleagues in front of the GPO, as the names of the 1916 leaders were read out and greeted by unanimous and lasting applause from the crowd. A brass band, a pipe band and representatives of the Naval Service also took part in the ceremony, before the moving and symbolic event concluded with a flyover from the Air Corps. Defining Meanwhile, the last direct family link to the 16 leaders executed after the Easter 1916 rebellion has ended. Family members confirmed that Fr Joseph Mallin, a Jesuit priest who had lived in Hong Kong for many years, died early yesterday morning at the age of 104. He was the son of Michael Mallin, second-in-command in James Connolly's Irish Citizen Army, and in charge of the rebels' contingent in St Stephen's Green during Easter week. Fianna Fail Leader Micheal Martin said: "Fr Mallin, as the last surviving child of an executed leader of the Easter 1916 Rising, was a tangible connection to one of the defining moments of our country's history." For Subscribers 'The area just can't handle that kind of trucks' Neighbors of a 1.7 million-square-foot warehouse proposal off Howell Road are worried about the impact on traffic, flooding and water pressure. Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code defines the crime of rape in six different ways. In some detail, it sets out the different situations in which consent is non-existent, or is vitiated. At the end of the provision comes an exception. It states, simply enough: Sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under fifteen years of age, is not rape. Late last year, the Delhi High Court began hearing a constitutional challenge to the marital rape exception. It was argued that the exceptions distinction between married and unmarried women was arbitrary and artificial, and violated Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees the equal protection of laws. It was also argued that in specifically disadvantaging married women (by denying them the protection of Section 375), the marital rape exception violated their right to autonomy and privacy under Article 21, and their right to non-discrimination under Article 15(1). Arguments are expected to finish soon, and a judgment is expected in the foreseeable future. Four arguments are normally raised in support of the marital rape exception. First, that allowing wives to complain about rape will destroy the family; second, that by definition, sex within marriage can never amount to rape; third, that the criminalisation of marital rape would violate the privacy of marriage by (to put it euphemistically) allowing the State into the bedroom; and last, that it would become a weapon of abuse in the hands of unscrupulous wives. Each of these arguments is a non-starter. The belief that the institution of marriage would wither away if marital rape were made criminal appears to rest upon the bizarre assumption that coerced sex is essential to marriage. If that assumption is false, then nothing more needs be said. If it is true, then we must ask whether an institution that depends on coercion for its very existence is worth saving in the first place. The second and third arguments were good when the IPC was framed in 1860. They rest upon two assumptions: first, that marriage amounts to a one-time, lifetime consent to sexual intercourse; and second, that the institution of marriage must be placed beyond the realm of constitutional scrutiny. Both these assumptions, however, are entirely incompatible with a constitutional democracy founded upon ideas of freedom and autonomy. Indeed, the Supreme Courts famous right to privacy judgment clarified these issues beyond dispute. The court held that privacy began with the human body, and that at the heart of the right to privacy was the idea of decisional autonomy that is the right of each individual to decide how, and to what end, her body would be used. Just as individuals cannot sell themselves into slavery, nor can they be deemed to have waived their right to decisional autonomy upon marriage. More crucially, however, the right to privacy judgment clarified that privacy was a right possessed by individuals. Older formulations of privacy, expressed through phrases such as a mans home is his castle or the State cannot enter the bedroom, located privacy in spaces (such as the home), or relationships (such as marriage). They were, therefore, impervious to force, coercion, and unequal power relationships within those spaces or institutions. For this reason, in his plurality judgment, Justice DY Chandrachud explicitly acknowledged the feminist critique of privacy, and wrote that any contemporary formulation of privacy must emancipate individuals rather than subordinating them within the home, the marriage, family, or society. Criminalising marital rape, therefore, is not about the State invading the bedroom, but about ensuring that the principles of consent, dignity, and autonomy, apply as much within the bedroom as outside. The last argument clinches it. It is a statistically proven fact that an overwhelming percentage of sexual assaults are committed not by strangers, but by persons familiar to the survivor and especially by spouses and partners. It is in the very nature of such cases that witnesses are difficult to come by, evidence is scant, and it is often one persons word against another. The answer lies in strengthening evidentiary procedures, and not in unconstitutionally immunising one form of intimate relationship the marriage from the operation of normal rape laws. In striking down the marital rape exception, the court will not be creating a new crime, or trespassing into the domain of Parliament. It will be holding that an artificial immunity from criminal law, created by an 1860 law, can no longer survive constitutional scrutiny. And more important, it will be realising the promise of the privacy judgment a further step towards individual dignity and autonomy. Gautam Bhatia is an advocate in the Supreme Court The views expressed are personal (Disclaimer: The author is one of the lawyers involved in the constitutional challenge to the marital rape exception, before the high court) Thomas Yamamoto had only seen it in a photograph, but the retired corporate finance executive was so enthralled by Mary Corses monochrome white canvas that he bought it first and then hopped on a plane to New York from Shanghai to inspect his newest treasure. He glimpsed the $3,50,000 work up close for the first time Wednesday in the booth of Kayne Griffin Corcoran gallery at the Armory Show, the largest modern and contemporary art fair in New York. Normally, wed put it on reserve, come here, see it and then buy it, said Yamamoto, 69, who began collecting art with his wife seven years ago. We were a little afraid that if we didnt commit to it, it would go away. Such is the competitive nature of the global art market, with demand from new collectors, especially in Asia, driving up prices. As certain areas of the market become overheated, dealers and collectors are looking for value and finding it among overlooked artists, many of whom are women. Dirt Road Thats the case with 72-year-old Corse, a pioneer of the West Coast Light and Space movement in the 1960s. Corse treats light as a subject and material of her paintings, activating them by using refractive glass microspheres that are common in highway paint. Working in the same studio off a dirt road for 50 years, she has been overshadowed by male peers such as James Turrell and Robert Irwin. Thats quickly changing. The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York will stage Corses first solo museum survey in June. The artists paintings from the 1960s to the present will be on display starting in May at Dia Art Foundation in Beacon, New York. That same month, blue-chip Lisson Gallery will show her work in London. Corse is a prime example of the rediscovery of a senior artist who worked below the headlines and hasnt gotten her due because she was a female artist, said Benjamin Godsill, a private art adviser. Corses auction record, set in November, is $137,500 (auction prices for Irwin exceed $1 million). Only 40 of her works have appeared at auction, according to the Artnet database of global public sales. In 2010, one of her large paintings sold for just $10,625. Shimmering Paintings But her gallery prices are rising quickly, with colour works at the Armory ranging from $325,000 to $450,000. A set of five small drawings is priced at $110,000. By the end of the first day of the fair, which runs through Sunday, three of Corses shimmering paintings were reserved by museums and all other pieces in Kayne Griffin Corcorans booth were sold, according to a spokesman for the gallery. Yamamoto, an American based in Shanghai, learned of Corse three weeks ago during a trip to Los Angeles with his wife, venture capitalist Marietta Wu, to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The couple visited Kayne Griffin Corcoran and fell for one of Corses works, but it wasnt available. The gallery later contacted them with information about a larger piece, Untitled (White Inner Band, Beveled) from 2011 that was heading to the Armory. They pounced. This work is so characteristic of her oeuvre and it has this scale and beauty, Yamamoto said. Later, it might be out of our range. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more Actor Adah Sharma is definitely on a career high and busy shooting with actor Prabhudheva for her Tamil film, Charlie Chaplin 2. In the film, Adah will once again try her hand at comedy, a genre which she has experimented with earlier as well, in her film Commando 2 (2017). Was it due to the appreciation she got for her role in Commando 2 that she decided to do comedy again? Well, doing that role was a big risk, with the accented Hindi and all. But I really am very grateful to the audience for accepting me. They appreciated my performance in my first film, 1920 (2008), also. I feel that getting a film with all the criteria I want is tough. But once the film releases, only the audience can make or break an actor, says Adah, adding that she is looking to only grow from here. After Commando 2, I feel very brave and I think I can try more experimental roles. There is more coming up soon, she adds. Read: Prabhudheva on AL Vijays new film Lakshmi: It will make the audience laugh and cry Asked if she would repeatedly take comic roles if they come her way, Adah replies in the affirmative. If my role is that of the leading lady, who has a certain quirk or comical element to her character, I would love to do it. In Charlie Chaplin 2 as well, this girl I play is completely mad. And I had to let go a lot of my inhibitions to play this part. Reports are abuzz that Adah will soon do Commando 3 also. So, will fans get to see her doing comedy again or is there something new in store? I will be playing the same character, Bhavana Reddy. Since people enjoyed her in part 2, theyll see more of her in part 3 and, yes, she will continue being very funny, reveals the actor. Read: Juhi Chawla: I hope we are not making a housewife feel that she is not empowered or complete Recently, Adah tweeted that she cant wait to announce a lot of stuff to her fans. Prod her on that and she remains tight-lipped, not divulging much. Well, yes, I have been up to a lot of things. Ive been brave and trying new stuff, which I will announce very soon, I promise, she signs off. Interact with Monika Rawal Kukreja at Twitter/@monikarawal Some shareholders of Fortis Healthcare Ltd have come together to oppose the sale of Fortis hospitals to the Manipal Health Enterprises-TPG Capital combine, two people directly aware of the development said on condition of anonymity. The investors, led by India-focused hedge fund Eastbridge Capital, have approached several other shareholders of Fortis, including activist hedge fund Elliott Management Corp. and a mutual fund with a large shareholding, to oppose the deal. The stance of Yes Bank Ltd, which owns close to 15% stake in Fortis, was not immediately known. Emails sent to Fortis, Eastbridge Capital, Elliott Management and Yes Bank remained unanswered at the time of filing this story. This section of investors, which so far collectively account for close to 30% of Fortis shareholding, plan to write to Fortiss board seeking an extraordinary general body meeting to replace the current board and induct new members and also call for a transparent auction process of Fortis to the highest available bidder, said one of the two people cited above, requesting anonymity. The shareholders are opposed to the way the deal with TPG was structured and want a better valuation, said the second person, also requesting anonymity. The shareholders also want the board to find an alternative to raising funds to buy back the stake in Fortis from Singapore-based Religare Health Trust for Rs4,650 crore; which is expected to help the company save up to Rs270 crore on service fees and Rs75 crore on interest costs. On Wednesday, the last trading day, Fortis Healthcare share price plunged 13.37%, or Rs19.05, to Rs123.40 on news of the Fortis-Manipal deal. In an interview on 28 March, Puneet Bhatia, co-managing partner and country head, TPG Capital, said that he expects the Fortis-Manipal deal to cross multiple hurdles. Bhatia did not elaborate on the nature of challenges the deal is likely to face. Emails sent to TPG Capital and Manipal group remained unanswered till the time of filing this story. On 28 March, the board of Fortis announced the sale of its hospital assets to the Manipal-TPG combine. Apart from hospital assets, Fortiss board also approved the sale of 20% stake in SRL Diagnostics. As part of the proposed transaction, Manipal promoter Ranjan Pai and TPG Capital will invest Rs3,900 crore in Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. The funds will be utilised by Manipal Health to finance the acquisition of hospital assets of Fortis Healthcare and 50.9% stake in SRL20% from Fortis Healthcare and 30.9% from investors Avigo Capital, Jacob Ballas and International Finance Corp. The investment will support the proposed acquisition of hospital assets owned by RHT Health Trust and the growth of the hospitals and the diagnostics businesses, Fortis said in its statement. The proposal will be put to vote before shareholders in a special meeting scheduled to be held within 30 days of the deal announcement. The proposed sale of majority control in Fortis has faced several legal headwinds ever since its erstwhile promoters brothers Malvinder and Shivinder Singh decided to exit the hospital chain and began discussions with potential buyers. On 31 August, the apex court refused to permit the Singh brothers, former Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd promoters, from selling their stake in Fortis Healthcare. It also refused permission to banks with whom the Singh brothers had pledged Fortis shares to do the same. They were further restrained from disposing of any of their assets (encumbered and unencumbered) till the final disposal of the case. Mint had reported on 15 March that the control of Fortis, which has been without defined promoters, is likely to escalate into a bidding war between its suitors including hospital chain IHH Healthcare Bhd. Mint had reported that TPG Capital-Manipal Health combine and IHH Healthcare could acquire shares from the public and banks to wrest control of Fortis. Currently, 80% of Fortiss shares are with the institutions and public while 20% of pledged promoters shares are held by lenders Yes Bank Ltd and Axis Bank Ltd. Shares of ICICI Bank plunged nearly 6% on Monday, wiping out Rs 10,452.84 crore from its market valuation amid controversy over alleged conflict of interest involving the lender and Videocon Group. The stock tumbled 5.93% to end at Rs 261.90 on BSE. Intra-day, it dived 7% to Rs 258.90. On the NSE, the stock plunged 5.92% to close at Rs 261.85. Following the sharp fall, the companys market valuation eroded by Rs 10,452.84 crore to Rs 1,68,344.16 crore at close. The stock was the worst performer among blue-chips on both BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty indices on Monday. The CBI launched a preliminary inquiry about two months ago into Deepak Kochhar, the husband of ICICI Banks chief executive Chanda Kochhar, Reuters and other media reported on Saturday. The probe also involves unnamed ICICI officials and Videocon Industries, a consumer electronics and oil and gas exploration company, sources told Reuters. Responding to a separate media report on the Enforcement Directorate, an agency fighting financial crimes, ICICI Bank said in a filing to exchanges on Monday that it had not received any communication from the agency. Last week, the bank described rumours circulating online alluding to conflicts of interest in ICICIs lending to Videocon, alleging that CEO Kochhar favoured the conglomerate, as malicious and unfounded. In a statement, the banks board had said there is no question of any quid pro quo/nepotism/conflict of interest in its lending decisions, and expressed confidence in the CEO. Videocon Industries closed down 5% at 12.40 rupees, its lowest in over four months. Separately, ICICIs board of directors are to meet on Monday, but the lender said that the meeting was scheduled to review cases filed before the National Company Law Tribunal for insolvency proceedings. Indias banking sector is on edge after state-run Punjab National Bank said in February that it had unearthed a roughly $2 billion fraud. The case has stunned financial markets and led to heightened levels of shareholder concern around any wrongdoing at Indian banks. Sentiment was also negative after the central bank fined ICICI 589 million rupees ($9.1 million) for not sticking to rules around the sale of government securities. While this fine will not have a material impact on earnings, it is negative on sentiment because other banks seem to have interpreted the rules correctly, said IDFC Securities in a research note to clients India has requested the US to exempt it from its hefty tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, and is vetting all options to deal with the issue, the government said on Monday In a written reply to Lok Sabha, Union Minister C R Chaudhary said the government has conducted a study on the impact of the duty hike by the US. India has also requested the US to exempt India from the steel and aluminium tariffs. India is examining all options to deal with the issue, in case (the issue is) not resolved bilaterally, he said. Last month, US President Donald Trump signed two proclamations that levied 25% tariff on steel and 10% tariff on aluminium imported from all countries except neighbouring Canada and Mexico. | Read: Donald Trump sets steel and aluminium tariffs but exempts Canada, Mexico India exports around $1.5 billion worth of these products to America. In a separate reply, the minister of state for commerce said as per WTO, Indias gross national income per capita has crossed $1,000 for three consecutive years from 2013-2015. Based on this, the country would have to phase out some of its export-related incentives which are not in compliance with the global trade rules. However, it is anticipated that there will be no immediate adverse impact on our foreign trade, he added. A big advantage of not working nine-to-five is that you get to beat the rush hour traffic. But the last few months, I have been driving into jams even during lean traffic hours. It starts with receding traffic speed. In no time, I hit a bumper-to-bumper jam. One looks out for the usual suspects: a broken-down vehicle, a collision, a road repair or police barricading. But as I crawl my way out of the backup, I find no such obstruction. The choked road clears up suddenly and the traffic flows smoothly again. The mathematicians at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have explained this curious road behaviour as phantom jams. In a study published in 2009, they said that small disturbances a driver hitting the brake too hard or getting too close to another car could quickly cause full-blown, self-sustaining traffic jams on a road carrying a heavy volume of cars. Blaming such snarls on tailgating or riding the tailpipe of the car in front by driving too close, another team of researchers, also from MIT, suggested a solution in a study released in December 2017. Maintaining an equal distance between cars on either side an approach described as bilateral control could allow drivers reach destinations twice as quickly. This is what birds do while flying in a flock. The MIT professors, according to Live Science, are now working with a car manufacturer to make changes in the existing adaptive cruise control systems, which will use forward-facing sensors to judge the distance to the vehicle ahead. As Americans modify their cars to rid their cities of ghost jams, India could start by acknowledging that tailgating is a serious driving offence. Road experts prescribe the two-second rule: a driver should ideally stay at two seconds or one car length behind the vehicle directly in front of their car. This gives just about enough time to stop or manoeuvre the vehicle if the one in the front suddenly applies the brake. On Delhi roads, a car halting suddenly or turning without signalling is a common menace. Even if you tamely maintain a minimum following distance, you can never trust the car behind you. Such tight-spacing of vehicles is, in fact, considered a road-maximising technique. Try maintaining some gap, youll soon find a vehicle squeezing in. Analysing 100 cases of road rage registered by Delhi police, a research published by Central Road Research Institute in 2013 found that after speeding and overtaking, driving too close was the most common reason as many as 25% of the cases why drivers broke into physical fights. Tailgating is also responsible for rear-end crashes. In many countries, including the United States, Germany and Australia, it is a Class 1 misdemeanour leading to heavy fines, suspension of licences and even a jail term. In India, there are currently no specific laws against such violations. But, if they want, the police can still act against this driving menace under Section 177 of the Motor Vehicle Act that allows them to prosecute any traffic offence that goes against the spirit of the law. The new Road Safety bill, which awaits final approval in the Rajya Sabha, doesnt list tailgating as an offence either. But it broadens the definition of dangerous driving beyond the standard signal jumping to now include driving against the flow of traffic and passing or overtaking any vehicle and increases the penalty from R 1,000 to R 5,000 and even throws in provisions for a jail term. Once notified, the states will be allowed to tweak the rules to add more offences. A law is only as good as its enforcement. At their current strength, our cops already have their hands full dealing with cases of speeding and drunk driving. In comparison, few are penalised for jaywalking, lane jumping, overtaking without indication or even tailgating. In Delhi where on an average four persons are killed in road accidents every day, this leniency is unwittingly turning our drivers into potential killers. Never mind the phantom jams, the lost work hours, the wasted fuel, the rising tempers and the tailpipe emissions fouling up the citys air. Our parliamentarians have once again disgraced themselves by unscrupulously passing critical legislation the appropriations bill and the finance bill with no debate whatsoever. This disdain for debate is not new. According to PRS Legislative Research data, demand for grants are routinely passed with minimal discussion and, in 2004 and 2013, much like this March, the demand for grants was put to vote with no debate. But this year our MPs hit a new low, passing the finance bill despite controversial amendments related to political party funding after an 18-minute-long debate! This blatant subversion of the parliamentary process has expectedly generated a flurry of outraged commentary, lamenting the crisis facing Parliament and the mockery that is being made of taxpayers money. But even as this outrage seeks to hold our parliamentarians accountable, it fails to extend the same accountability to state legislators. The truth is that while our national newspapers and TV screens were filled with outraged commentary against MPs, assemblies were busy passing their budgets with no debate whatsoever a fact that hasnt even received passing mention in the media. The problem is partly structural. Meaningful debate requires that legislators study budget proposals comprehensively. But budget sessions are not designed to allow this. PRS data highlights that budget discussions typically begin within 24 hours of tabling the budget. To illustrate, in 2018, 11 of 16 assemblies began budget discussions the next day. An average state budget is about 1,000 pages and a typical budget discussion lasts between one and six days. Can we expect a serious debate in these circumstances? The problem is exacerbated by the absence of any systematic process to examine budgetary demands. Like our MPs, state legislators receive no formal research support. But unlike our MPs, who can rely on research by academics, NGOs and think tanks in Delhi, such non-government policy input at the state level is hard to come by. Moreover, Parliament has a tradition of scrutinising ministry-specific demand for grants in specially-constituted department-specific standing committees. This is one role that MPs take seriously. So even if the full House fails to debate crucial aspects of government spending there is at least some scrutiny of the budget by standing committees. Importantly, these reports are in the public domain. Assemblies do not have a tradition of standing committees linked to specific departments and ministries. Thus there is no mechanism for detailed budget discussions. According to PRS, a handful of states such as Assam and Goa have set up budget committees but these committees are in charge of scrutinising the entire budget before it is passed, leaving little room for careful assessment. The greatest hurdle to robust legislative debate, however, is the lack of public engagement. The Union budget has created a mini-industry of commentators (this columnist included) and TV talking heads who routinely scrutinise every detail of the budget days after it is presented. But this mini-industry refuses to recognise its own insignificance. It is states that are in charge of spending and implementing schemes, which affect our everyday lives. And any meaningful commentary and discussion on budgets must necessarily focus on state budgets. Worryingly, even the regional media rarely engage in a robust debate on state budgets. This is partly because state budgets are hard to access. Assemblies are under no pressure to place their budgets in the public domain. Most states are slow to put budget documents online and rarely print enough hard copies to go around. Researchers at PRS say that some states have started uploading budget documents on tablets given to MLAs, making it impossible for the public to access. In fact, most of their researchers have to ask MLAs for copies of budgets. Its no surprise then that robust public discussion in the aftermath of the budget is rare. But it is a vicious cycle. The lack of media engagement means that legislators face no pressure, creating a perfect cocktail for opacity and lack of seriousness in budget processes. This failure to have a robust debate about state budgets is likely to cost the country heavily. State budgets are entering a period of deep instability as fiscal deficits are on the rise. At the same time, a new debate is unfolding on the mechanics of Centre-state fiscal devolution with the southern states raising their voice against the Fifteenth Finance Commission proposal to change the devolution formula. Solutions to these concerns will only be found through robust debate and engagement. Its time we started putting pressure on our states to take their budget processes seriously. Yamini Aiyar is president and chief executive, Centre for Policy Research The views expressed are personal Dalit protests against the Supreme Courts March 20 order, which allegedly dilutes the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, turned violent in some Dalit majority pockets of the state on Monday. Stones were pelted on vehicles and traffic was disrupted in the pockets, especially along the Uttar Pradesh border. A clash like situation was avoided in Haridwar after protesters forced shopkeepers to shut down businesses. Besides Haridwar and Dehradun, protests were reported from Haldwani, Kashipur, Bajpur, Kiccha and Roorkee. But its impact was visible mostly in Haridwar district. On March 20, the apex court ruled that the arrest of an accused under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act is not mandatory and a recourse to coercive action would be taken only after preliminary inquiry and sanction by competent authority. Coupled with this, the court said, there was no absolute bar against grant of anticipatory bail in cases under the Act if no prima facie case was made out or where on judicial scrutiny the complaint was found to be prima facie mala fide. At BahadrabadBHEL tri-intersection, police carried out lathi charge as protestors from 100-odd Dalit dominated villages pelted stones at security personnel deployed there. Dalits are protesting under the banners of Bhim Army and Sainik Samta Dal. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Haridwar Krishan Kumar VK intervened and nearby market was closed as a precautionary measure. Assistant Superintendent of Police Rachita Juyal said situation was under control and heavy deployment of police personnel has been done along with vehicular police patrolling being done in sensitive pockets. Major clash got averted at Haridwars posh Aawas Vikas colony market, when a dentist aggrieved by foul language and threats of closing his establishment being made by Dalit protestors, took out his licensed revolver. Protestors also staged a sit in at the citys railway and bus stations, affecting operation of trains and buses for several hours. At Narsain, protestors sat on the highway near police post, leading to massive traffic jam and police had to divert the traffic. At Bhagwanpur BD Intermediate College, hundreds of demonstrators staged a protest. Superintendent of rural police Manikant Mishra said situation remained under control and heavy deployment of police personnel was done in wake of the protest rally. At several other places skirmishes between protestors and traders were reported. The protest turned violent at Ganeshpur in Roorkee. Police carried out baton charge at Ganeshpur as protestors pelted stones and burnt tyres. The central government, in a bid to pacify the agitated Dalits, said it had filed a petition in the apex court seeking a review of its March 20 order. Nepal has given permission to construct two temporary wooden bridges on Kali river near Mangti, the last motorable point of India, official said on Monday. This comes after discussion between the officials of India and Nepal in recent days. The bridge connectivity was necessitated after a huge landslide blocked Vyans Valley, creating problems for the migratory people, who come down from high-altitude areas of the Himalayas during winters. With the recent development, tribal villagers of Vyans Valley in Dharchula subdivision have started preparation for returning to their respective high-altitude villages. The construction of two wooden bridges by Border Roads Organisation will start from Tuesday. We plan to complete the work by April 10 to facilitate entry of the Indian traders into Nepalese territory, said RK Pandey, the subdivisional magistrate of Dharchula. A letter was received in this regard on Sunday noon, he added. According to officials, this year, besides local villagers, Indian traders and Kailas Mansarovar pilgrims will have to travel a total of 4 km inside Nepalese territory to cross over again into Indian territory at Bundi. According to Pandey, the bridges, with a span of 70 and 40 metre respectively, will be constructed at Lakhanpur (India)-Nazyang (Nepal) and Ghgatiabagar. Meanwhile, the locals expressed gratitude to Nepal. The people of Vyans Valley are happy and thankful to Gyalbu Bora, a Nepalese public representative from Darchula (Nepal) by whose efforts the permission from Kathmandu was granted, said Tej singh Gunjiyal, a trader in Dharchula and resident of Gunji village in Vyans Valley. More than 2,400 villagers from eight villages of Vyans Valley are preparing to return with their mules and other animals to their high altitude villages, where they will stay for next six months to produce potato and palthi, a local crop. Their return had become uncertain after a heavy landslide hit the track between Lakhanpur and Nazang in February this year. The pace at which the machines are working on the 75-km-long under-construction motor road from Mangti to Lipulekh, it had become impossible to remove the debris before the time of returning of villagers or even the time at which the Kailas Mansarowar Yatra begins, said the Dharchula SDM. The villagers of Vyans Valley had only yesterday (Sunday) threatened to launch an agitation if the bridges were not constructed before the time they tend to return from winter migration. Owners of private schools affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) have opposed the Uttarakhand BJP governments decision to introduce NCERT books from this academic session, though the parents have welcomed the move. Education minister Arvind Pandey has repeatedly said he will make NCERT (National Council of Educational Research Training) books mandatory in private schools in the state. A government order was notified in August last year, which said schools would have to adopt NCERT books from the present educational session. School owners said departmental officials were trying to arm-twist them on NCERT books. Opposing the decision, they have deferred the new session by a week. We have received two letters last month; the one from the chief education officer said that no-objection certificates provided to the schools will be withdrawn if they do not follow the order. Another said a junior official will ensure on daily basis that order is followed. This is ridiculous, said Prem Kashyap, president of the Progressive School Association (PSA), an umbrella organisation of the private schools in Uttarakhand. Secretary (education) Bhupendra Kaur, however, said she was clueless about the education officers sending letters. I have heard that education officials are sending letters, but no such instructions have been given by me, she said. Kaur, however, did not say if she was planning action against the officials. The tussle over NCERT books came after a fiasco over raising of tuition fees of MBBS students studying in private medical colleges in the state. Bowing to pressure from students and parents, chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had prevailed upon private medical colleges to withdraw the hike in their fee structure. Uttarakhand has a number of public schools that draw students from different parts of the country. A big number of such schools are affiliated to CISCE (Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations). The governments order on mandatory NCERT books is not applicable to them. Uttarakhand is moving towards a dark age. If this (government intervention) continues the parents will switch over to other places like Bengaluru and Pune, Kashyal said. The education minister had earlier said NCERT books would be introduced in CISCE-affiliated schools after CBSE ones. NCERT books are okay for reference but students have to go through extra books, or else they will not be able to crack competitive examinations, a private school owner said on condition of anonymity. An umbrella organisation for over 30 school education boards in the country has approved class 10 and 12 certificates given by the Uttarakhand madarsa board but said the governments nod in this regard is a must. Chances of green signal from the state government, however, are bleak, said official sources. The Council of Boards of School Education in India (COBSE) is a voluntary organisation of all the boards of school education. The madarsa board last year submitted a proposal before the council seeking its approval of validating the certificates at par with national and state boards. They recently received the approval that is to be further approved by the state government. We have received approval from the COBSE and it will be sent to the Uttarakhand government for consideration, said Haji Akhlaq Ahmad Ansari, the deputy registrar of the madrasa board. A similar proposal seeking equivalent status to munshi and maulvi in Inter and High School was sent to the government earlier this year which was withheld. The government has asked the board to strengthen infrastructure and quality of education in the madrasas run by it before considering the proposal. There are 297 madrasas in Uttarakhand, of which only one situated in Roorkee is recognised by the state government. Remaining 296 madrasas are running on donations. The problem with board degrees is that they are still un-recognised and do not help students in getting admission in colleges or even getting employment. Last year, the director general of school education had constituted 34 committees to analyse the status of madarsas in the state. During the analysis, irregularities related to infrastructure, delivery of education and distribution of mid-day meal were discovered in three madrasas of Udham Singh Nagar, following which their registration were revoked. Sources familiar with the matter said the government isnt in a hurry to bring the madrasa degrees at par with the state boards degrees, as it might lead to a business of degrees. The COBSE might have given approval to the madarsa board certificates. But, I dont think the government would approve it owing to poor infrastructure and quality, said Alok Shekhar Tiwari, director general of school education. The board, however, rejected his claim. COBSE is a government of India body and they minutely study all proposal only then approvals are permitted. The government should now approve our proposal especially when the council has approved it, Ahmad said. The state government has directed the madrasa board to upgrade its schools with basic infrastructure, which includes separate washrooms for boys and girls, drinking water facility, power supply and furniture. There are nearly 35,000 students enrolled with the madrasas in the state. There are 1,400 teachers to impart education to them. The Delhi government today informed the Supreme Court that it was negotiating with Haryana for the release of 450 cusecs of water of the Yamuna river per day for the national capital. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud was informed by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) that Haryana had released some amount of water today. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Delhi Jal Board, said the court might not need to pass any order as both Delhi and Haryana governments were in negotiation to resolve the crisis. To this submission of Rohatgi, the bench said it was adjourning the matter for April 16. The apex court was hearing a plea filed by the DJB alleging that Haryana had reduced by one-third the supply of Yamuna water to the national capital, leading to a grave water crisis here. The DJB contended in its plea that Haryana was supplying Delhi only 330 cusecs of water per day as against 450 cusecs per day which was agreed upon between the state and the Union Territory. It has claimed that due to the present curtailment in water supply to the Wazirabad reservoir, the plant is running at reduced capacity leading to grave water crisis in the city. The DJB had said the situation would escalate as the temperature rises with the onset of summer and the demand for drinking water shoots up. It has sought directions from the apex court to the Haryana government to supply the full 450 cusec of water per day continuously and daily to the Wazirabad reservoir. The Delhi High Court had also recently told the Haryana government that it has to stick to its 2014 direction specifying the amount of water to be released to Delhi every day. The southern states are unhappy with the terms of reference of the 15th Finance Commission, which is to decide the distribution between the Union and the States of the net proceeds of taxes. The body is mandated to take into account the 2011 census instead of the 1971 census. This, states in the south feel, will result in penalising them for keeping population growth stable while rewarding the northern states. Their collective discontent on the issue comes at a time when the politics of at least three of the southern states is in a churn. In Karnataka, ahead of the elections, the Congress government has decided to use sub-nationalism by emphasising the primacy of Kannada and declaring its own flag. In Andhra Pradesh, both regional parties, the TDP and the YSRCP, have taken strong positions against what they claim is the Centres betrayal of not granting Special Category Status to the state. In Tamil Nadu, political space has opened up with Jayalalithaas death and the entry of newer actors. This is happening in a context when there has been an increasing opposition articulated both by parties and in social media to what is seen as an effort by northern parties to interfere in state politics and impose linguistic and cultural homogeneity. Take it all together and what you have is a disturbing picture of an emerging fault line between the North and the South. A unified India is a non-negotiable principle. And that is why it is essential that the central government, state governments, and all parties address the divide instead of exacerbating it. Here is what Delhi needs to do. The Centre must send a message to all five southern states Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana that it will ensure that they do not lose on funds because of progressive policies and better governance. But this is beyond a specific policy technicality. PM Narendra Modi should personally want to reach out to the citizens in the south to reassure them of his firm commitment to diversity. The BJP in particular needs to do more to convey that it has evolved from being just a North Indian party. At the same time, here is what the southern governments and parties running them must do. The politics of resentment is easy to stoke but a lot harder to manage. Tough negotiations or differences with the Centre must not be projected as a battle with the centre or north. Resisting and challenging the BJP politically is legitimate for any party, but this must not be accompanied with generating insecurities. India cannot afford a North-South divide. The CBSE has postponed class 12 and class 10 examinations scheduled to be held on Monday in Punjab at the request of the state government in view of Bharat Bandh called by several Dalit organisations against the alleged dilution of the SCs/STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The board said it has received a letter of request, dated April 1, 2018, from the director general (school education) of the Punjab government to postpone all its examinations scheduled to be held on Monday on account of apprehensions of law and order problems and other disturbances in the day during the Bharat Bandh. Taking congnisance of the letter of the director general (school education), the CBSE decided to postpone all class 12 and 10 examinations scheduled for April 2 , 2018 in the state of Punjab, it said in a statement issued late in the night. Exams will carry on as per schedule in UT of Chandigarh and rest of the country, it said. The next date of the examinations in Punjab will be announced soon by the board, it added. The Punjab government on Sunday ordered a security clampdown across the state as a precautionary measure in view of Mondays bandh by a number of Dalit organisations to protest the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act. While ordering closure of all educational institutions and suspension of state-owned road transport services, the Punjab government has asked the army and paramilitary forces to be on alert. Mobile internet services in the state were suspended from 5 pm on Sunday till Monday evening in a bid to check rumour-mongering on the social media. The orders were issued after chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh reviewed the security arrangements with top police and administrative officials here. The review was followed by a video conference by the chief secretary with the deputy commissioners and other senior officials of all the districts. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, in a bid to protect honest public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The apex court said government servants should not be arrested without prior sanction and private citizens too should be arrested only after an inquiry under the law . Punjab has the highest concentration of scheduled castes among states. They constitute nearly 32% of the states 2.8 crore population. But Dalit organisations, including the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch, and some political parties fear the dilution of the provisions might lead to increase in violence against Dalits. Amarinder Singh also appealed to the protestors to ensure that the mortal remains of the Iraq victims, that are expected to arrive in Amritsar on Monday, are allowed to be transported to their native villages without any impediment. He also directed the Punjab Police to provide strict security for the same along the routes, from the airport to the respective native villages of the victims. Noting that the Central government had already announced its decision to file a review petition against the Supreme Court verdict, Captain appealed to the SC/ST community should defer its protest till the final decision on the petition comes. (With PTI inputs) The whole family "turun padang" on Saturday morning and joined more than 1,500 other runners to run in Shamrock Run 2018 which was held at University Malaya this year. Shamrock Run 2018 is its 4th edition, after its first held at Bukit Jalil in 2014, followed by the 2nd edition held at Taman Botani Putrajaya in 2016 and last year's edition in Cyberjaya. The fun run had grown from 500 participants in its first edition to more than 1,000 participants in subsequent editions. But the organizer still kept small and cozy with just a "smallish" number of entries opened. Ireland ambassador to Malaysia, Ambassador Eamon Hickey not only flagged-off the run for both categories, he also joined the run and ran in the 5K category. Photo credit: RK Sport Club Malaysia Photo credit: Actionpix Malaysia Just like the previous editions, the 4th edition of Shamrock Run 2018 is a non-competitive fun run where runners can either run in the 10K or 5K category within the beautiful surroundings of Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur with friends and family. (read: run up the infamous Bukit Chinta. Hahaha)No prizes for podium runners in Shamrock Run 2018 but there were prizes for best-dressed runners, which portray the cultural uniqueness of Malaysia and Ireland. There are also lucky draw prizes up for grabs. Alas, we were not so lucky this year to win anything. HuhuA number of fast runners did show up, I guess as warm up for their Sunday's race. And oh, and they sportingly wear costume and some managed to bagged the best dressed prizes.It was a wet morning on Saturday but it certainly didn't dampen anyone's spirit to have fun with their friends and family.10K runners were flagged-off first and followed by the 5K categories. We ran for 200m in the UM Arena stadium first before we head out to the road. The last 200m of the run was back at the stadium.The family decided to take it easy and joined the 5K category this year. 10K runners had more fun traipsing around UM of course, but no one was not spared the hills when they head back to the stadium! HeheheIt started to drizzle halfway through the run and because I had my camera with me, I had to rush back and stop taking photos as the rain started to get heavier. That's me in the background trying to "save" my camera by rushing back to the stadium. HahahaRunners were greeted by these hardworking and cheerful medals queens right at the finish line. Rain certainly didn't stop them from doing their duties!Then we queued for our refreshments. FREE O'Brien's sandwiches for all runners! Plus mineral water and apples. There was 100-plus booth too.Despite the rain, kids and adults alike lined up for ice-cream! I also didn't miss a chance to enjoy ice-cream.Then, it was time to enjoy our sandwiches before we go-look-see the lucky draw winners' list. Alas, B030 number didn't came up. B031 did! Darn. HeheSon and his first medal for the year.He doesn't join as many races as he used to last year. But with no big exam this year, maybe we can coax him to run more again. He is after all, able to run 10K pretty easily since years ago. ^^All in all, it was a fun event. The emcee had even said, we got to enjoy Irish weather on Saturday morning. It rained but everyone seemed to be in a jovial mood and were such a good sport.Thank you again to Malaysian-Irish Alumni Association, the event's team, volunteers & crews and photographers (official and non-official) for a great Saturday morning outing.You bet we'll be at Shamrock Run 2019!Photos taken at Shamrock Run 2018 are uploaded at Cik Arnab & En Kura-Kura Facebook page . Do LIKE and FOLLOW us for more race updates. The results for Maharashtra Masters in Computer Application Common Entrance Test (MAH MCA CET) 2018 was declared on Tuesday by the states directorate of technical education. The exam was held on March 24 in online mode. Steps to download the MAH MCA CET exam 2018 results after it is declared: Visit the official website of Maharashtras directorate of technical education at dtemaharashtra.gov.in. Browse your mouse on CET 2018 and click on the link for MAH-MCA-CET 2018. Click on the link for MCA CET results. The result will be displayed on the screen. Take a print-out and save it on your computer. You can click here to see the MCA CET results summary. The exam is held for admissions to first year/direct second year of three-year full-time postgraduate degree course in MCA programme. The admissions to the following institutes will be based on the score of CET, provided they are approved and recognised by the government of Maharashtra and are affiliated to any of the non-agricultural university in the state. 1. All government institutes offering MCA course 2. All government aided institutes offering MCA Course 3. All university departments offering MCA course 4. University managed institutes offering MCA course 5. All un-aided MCA institutes covered as per the act Note: Visit official website of DTE, Maharashtra regularly for latest updates. British Vogue has made history by featuring a hijab-wearing model on its cover for the first time in its 102-year history. 20-year-old Halima Aden has become the first hijab-wearing model to appear on the cover of British Vogue ever since the magazine was first founded in 1916. The nine chosen models on the cover of the magazines May issue have been described as fashions New Frontiers, reported The Independent. For Editor-in-Chief Edward Enninful, giving these nine models the opportunity to introduce themselves to the world of fashion, was extremely significant. It is a moment for Vogue to do what it has always done best: to offer a bold vision of what the future can and should look like, he wrote. Aden is joined on the cover by fellow models Adut Akech, Radhika Nair, Yoon Young Bae, Faretta, Fran Summers, Vittoria Ceretti, Paloma Elsesser and Selena Forrest. Many people on social media are praising the pioneering cover, with an Instagram photo of the issue garnering more than 22,000 likes in less than a day. One user tweeted, Wow! A true & beautiful reflection of our global society. This is what women really look like! All shades, shapes, & sizes. Gorgeous!!! Another wrote, Im looking forward to this in the future!!!?????? but this truly is a huge step in the right direction ! Follow @htlifeandstyle for more Owing to the unavailability of a police force, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has postponed its major drive to seal and demolish illegal meat shops across the city from Monday to Wednesday. The police was engaged in quelling Bharat Bandh protesters, who had blocked traffic at multiple points across the city. MCG officials have reissued notices to 35 illegal meat shops located at Narsinghpur, Mohammadpur Jharsa, Khandsa, Sector 46 and Sector 39 asking them to close their services before Wednesday, or face the sealing or demolition of their property. According to MCG officials, the drive against 50 shops was expected to commence on Monday evening. Since a large force of Gurgaon police was engaged with the Bharat Bandh protests in Gurgaon, they were unavailable for the drive. Hence, the MCG was forced to modify its plan, Ashish Singla, the MCGs medical officer, said. Singla said that because Tuesday was considered an auspicious day, many meat shops would be closed across the city. Hence, they decided to postpone the drive to Wednesday. We have given meat shop owners 48 hours to close their services, failure of which will lead to sealing or demolition of their property. The MCG has received directions from the Haryana chief minister (Manohar Lal Khattar) to act against meat shops operating without licenses. Necessary steps are being initiated, he added. On Saturday, during the district grievance redressal committee meeting, Khattar took note of the MCGs action against illegal meat shop owners after a complaint was raised about several illegal meat shops operating in the city. This prompted the chief minister to direct the MCG to put a stop to the issue of meat licenses to traders until further notice from the state government and remove all meat shops functioning without licences. Instead, they were to be asked to submit fresh licence applications to the state government, who would take a call on whether the establishment needed resettling or was deemed fit for a new licence. Since October 2017, 129 meat licences have been issued to traders by the MCG, and they have sealed 370 meat shops and 175 roadside meat vendors since January 1. Panic gripped parents whose wards were on their way home from school on Monday when protesters blocked roads and unleashed violence across Gurgaon during Bharat Bandh called by Dalit organisations against a Supreme Court order allegedly diluting The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989a law meant to protect the marginalised communities from abuse and discrimination. As school buses got delayed because protesters had blocked the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway and most arterial roads across the city from 11am till 3pm, worried parents hoped their wards wouldnt get caught in violence as the children of a private school did in Bhondsi this January. Lalit Singh, a resident of Sector 51, whose child studies in Class 4 of a private school, said, I became impatient when the school bus got late. I kept calling the bus attendant and checking the GPS location of the bus until my son reached home. Another parent Isha Dayal said her daughter came home over an hour late on Monday. I did not get any message from the school informing us about the delay or the reason for it. The WhatsApp group of parents sent all messages and kept everyone informed about the goings on outside, she said. Some schools even deciding to not allow buses to venture out till the protest died down, making parents rush out to bring their children home. One of the parents had a harrowing experience near the HCC Metro station. I had to leave my car right in the middle of the Huda Metro station crossing. Police were standing right next to the protesters and did nothing to help me or anyone else. When I urged the protesters to allow us to go, they said it was my fault that I had sent my child to school on a day when they had declared a bandh, said Swati VM, another parent. Despite a number of parents reporting delays and getting messages from schools stating that parents must come and collect their wards, ACP (traffic) Sandeep Malik maintained the bandh did not affect schools. The agitation started around 9.30am and students were already in schools by then, and it got over before 1pm. We controlled the situation and school buses were not impacted. Teams were deployed at all major spots. No untoward incident was reported, he said. Deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh also maintained that the city remained peaceful, and the protests did not affect functioning of the schools in any way. The schools will continue to function as per their normal schedule (on Tuesday), he said. Meanwhile, the traffic movement on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, most arterial roads and service lanes remained severely hampered till 3pm. This, in turn, affected vehicular movement on the sector roads as well. With the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway remained blocked for an hour at the Rajiv Chowk from noon to 1pm, confused commuters were left at the mercy of the Gurgaon police to shepherd them to safety. Around noon, I was heading towards Rajiv Chowk and was stuck in a sea of vehicles as protesters squatted on the main carriageway. I was at the same spot for 30 minutes, then the traffic police officials came to redirect vehicles towards Signature Tower, Manish Sinha, a resident of Essel Towers, said. Even though the Gurgaon police acted timely in dispersing protesters at the Huda City Centre Metro station, the serpentine line of vehicles took hours to clear. People faced problems finding cabs and availing public transportation owing to the congestion, making the last-mile commute a major hassle. Commuters coming out of the HCC Metro station were a harrowed lot as auto and e-rickshaws were nowhere to be found. Commuters had to walk for kilometers in search of public transport. I usually get an auto-rickshaw towards Sector 47 without any difficulty. Today, all the drivers refused to ferry me there owing to the congestion. It was only after I reached near Sector 45 did a driver agree to ferry me, and that too for an inflated fare, Anand Rungta, a resident of Sector 47, said. Timeline: 10am: Protestors gather at Kamla Nehru Park. 10.30am: Close few shops at Sadar Bazaar. 11am: Kanhai villagers block traffic on the Bhagwan Mahaveer Marg. 12pm: Traffic on the e-way blocked by protestors at Rajiv Chowk. 1pm: Protestors shift their protest to the service lanes, movement on the e-way restarts. 1.45pm: Protestors gather at HCC, police quickly disperses them. 2pm: Kanhai villagers and protestors on Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway end their protest Hundreds of medical students and resident doctors from various hospitals across the city observed a token strike on Monday over some of their demands for changes in the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill not being accepted by the government. The protest was called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and was held for two hours from 12pm to 2pm at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in New Delhi. Medical students from all the nine medical colleges of Haryana joined the protest as resident doctors took part in demonstrations across Haryana. After the Chhatra Sansad (student council meeting) on March 24, four prominent demands were put forwardno to exit test (NEXT) or licentiate exam (NLE), scrap bridge courses, an end to violence against doctors, and an end to the unregulated and unjustified hik in fee. Of these demands, only two on NEXT and Bridge courseshave been touched upon by the Central government. But, even these two issues have also not been addressed completely, Dr Anil Hans, secretary, IMA-Haryana, said. The medical body submitted a memorandum pressing for the need to accept these demands to the deputy commissioners across districts. Doctors said the whole medical fraternity is disturbed because of the undemocratic decisions taken by the government, whether it is with regard to the NMC Bill, the Clinical Establishment Act, or the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act. The NMC Bill is going to help private medical colleges all over the country and the Bill does not address the issues of DNB (Diplomat of National Board) and practical difficulties with the common medical entrance test NEET and foreign graduates, said Dr Munish Prabhakar, president, IMA-Haryana. The doctors also said that if the Bill is passed by Parliament, the commission would have a government-nominated chairperson and members. The doctors have demanded that the government make all such policy decisions in consultation with IMA, as it is done in the USA, the UK and other European countries. Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned on Monday. There was no final outcome on the meeting till now but the doctors said they will find a solution soon and will put more pressure on the government to rethink its decision. Instances of people of being robbed and murdered in some cases after being offered rides in cabs during the night hours are on the rise in Gurgaon. On Saturday, a cab driver and his two associates allegedly abducted and robbed a man on Saturday night after offering him a ride from Iffco Chowk. While the man was lucky to escape with his life, an engineer with an auto company was not so fortunate. Last December, he had taken a ride from unknown persons and his body was recovered from the forested area near Mahipalpur the next day. The Gurgaon police said that several people were robbed of their vehicles and valuables after they opted for lifts from unknown persons. The three accused in the Saturday incident had dumped the cab driver, a Dharuhera resident, near Paras hospital after beating him up badly. A case was registered against the accused on the complaint of the victim, Ashish Kumar, at the Sector 29 police station. Kumar was taken to the Civil Hospital in Gurgaon for treatment, police said. The complainant told the police that he works with a telecom company in Nehru Place, Delhi, and on Saturday he was on way home to Dharuhera, Rewari district, when the incident took place. Kumar said that he took a ride from three men in a Santro car near Iffco Chowk around 11pm and they agreed to drop him in Dharuhera. However, when they reached Sector 29, the accused took a left turn towards Signature Tower and when he protested to this, one of them hit him in the face with brass knuckles and that left him dazed. Thereafter, the accused threatened him and snatched his bag containing Rs 25,000 cash, four mobile phones, Aadhaar card, PAN card, voter ID card and 8 ATM cards. The assailants later dumped him near the Paras hospital in Sector 43 from where he was taken to the hospital by the police. ASI Sandeep Kumar said a case under Section 379B/34 of the Indian Penal Code was registered against the three accused and they are probing the matter. On December 14 last year, a 27-year-old auto executive, Sunil Kumar Bhatt, was found dead in the Mahipalpur forest area of Delhi after he took ride in a cab from Gurgaon. Bhatt, an engineer with Manesar-based automobile company Denso India, had hitched a ride from unknown persons from near Gurgaon bus stand. He was supposed to go to Haridwar in Uttarakhand to attend a family function. The police later arrested three persons in the case. The accused had taken away Bhatts debit and credit cards, withdrawn cash using them and then shopped in Delhi. On March 13, three men in a Maruti car allegedly robbed Nitin Kumar, a resident of Uttam Nagar in Delhi, in a similar fashion. The accused gave him a lift and later snatched Rs 2,000, his Motorola phone and 2 ATM cards from Kumar. A case under section 392,342, 506, 34 of the IPC was registered at the Sector 29 police station against the cab driver and his two accomplices. It may be recalled that on February 28, Ajit Singh Bisht, a man working in a restaurant in CyberHub was abducted and forced to part with his ATM card, which the assailants used to withdraw Rs 75,000 from Bishts account. The accused later Bisht at a secluded spot in Sector 49. As was the case with Kumar, the accused had given Bisht a ride in their cab and beat him up when he refused to share his ATM PIN with them. The accused then pointed a gun to his head and Bisht was forced to share the details with them. Bishts hands were tied and he was blindfolded by the accused who told him that they had taken only Rs 2,000 from his account. Later, Bisht complained to police that the accused had withdrawn Rs 75,000 from his account, which he had saved for his sisters marriage. These incidents have become a cause of concern and they are being probed by multiple teams, Ravinder Kumar, public relations officer, Gurgaon police, said. Women who give birth to infants with congenital heart defects may have an increased risk of heart problems, including heart attack and heart failure, later in life, warns a new study. Compared to mothers of infants without congenital heart defects, the researchers found 43% higher risk of any cardiovascular hospitalisation in women whose offspring had critical heart defects. The study of more than one million women also showed 24% higher risk of any cardiovascular hospitalisation in women whose infants had non-critical defects. For the research, published in the journal Circulation, the researchers analysed data on women who delivered infants between 1989 and 2013 in Quebec, Canada, who had critical, non-critical or no heart defects. While a genetic component cannot be excluded, the psychosocial impact of congenital heart disease on caregivers may have a cumulative effect over the long term, suggests the study. They tracked the women up to 25 years after pregnancy for hospitalisations related to cardiovascular disease including heart attack, heart failure, atherosclerotic disorders and heart transplants. Caring for infants with critical heart defects is associated with psychosocial and financial stress, which may increase the mothers long-term risk for cardiovascular disease, said the studys lead author Nathalie Auger from the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre in Quebec. While a genetic component cannot be excluded, the psychosocial impact of congenital heart disease on caregivers may have a cumulative effect over the long term because 85% of infants with heart defects now survive past adolescence, suggests the study. The researchers believe that the study provides an opportunity for these mothers to benefit from early prevention strategies and counselling to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease the leading cause of death in women. Healthcare providers, like obstetricians, who treat and follow mothers in the early stages of dealing with children who have heart defects can help women understand and minimise their risk, Auger said. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more Apart from the other disadvantages of having excess weight around the waist, love handles may even harm your lungs. A study by French researchers suggests that belly fat can limit your ability to take a deep breath. The study analysed health information on more that 120,000 people from the Paris Investigations Preventives et Cliniques Center, and assessed demographic background, smoking history, alcohol consumption, as well as lung function, including FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in one second) and FVC (forced vital capacity, or the total expiratory volume) with respect to BMI, waist circumference and other measures of metabolic health. After adjustment for age, sex, BMI, smoking status, alcohol consumption, leisure time physical activity and cardiovascular history, metabolic syndrome remained independently associated with lung function impairment, wrote lead author Natalie Leone. We found a positive independent relationship between lung function impairment and metabolic syndrome mainly due to abdominal obesity. Abdominal obesity was defined as having a waist circumference of greater than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men. [This] study demonstrated that only mild abdominal adiposity, even with a normal body mass index (BMI), in associated with lower FVC, said Paul Enright, M.D., of the University of Arizona, in an accompanying editorial. This association may result from the mechanical effects of truncal obesity and/or the metabolic effects of adipose tissue, wrote Dr. Leone. Abdominal obesity may mechanically affect the diaphragm and chest wall compliance with decreased lung volumes. Moreover, adipose tissue itself is known to be involved in a complex metabolic feedback cycle- the mass of adipose tissue in ones body directly and positively correlates with pro-inflammatory markers and negatively correlates with anti-inflammatory markers. [A]dipose tissue may act as an additional source of systemic inflammation. wrote Dr. Leone. The researchers also found a significant interaction between metabolic syndrome and smoking status, with estimated lung function impairment risk in current and former smokers being higher than in those who never smoked. The study has been published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more Filmmaker Christopher Nolans visit to India attracted much media attention, but more importantly for him, he managed to shine a spotlight on the reason why he was here. Over three days, the director behind such hits as The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception and Dunkirk, spoke about the importance of photochemical film process over digital movie-making, an event that attracted several prominent figures of the Indian film industry. Sharing a group photo on Twitter, journalist Anupama Chopra wrote, A roundtable in which I got to listen to some of the greats! So much power and glory in one room. I really hope the conversation #ChristopherNolan ignited carries on! And the @FHF_Official gets more support and most importantly, funds! A roundtable in which I got to listen to some of the greats! So much power and glory in one room. I really hope the conversation #ChristopherNolan ignited carries on! And the @FHF_Official gets more support and most importantly, funds! pic.twitter.com/DwgjEfp3S3 Anupama Chopra (@anupamachopra) April 2, 2018 The photo includes Bollywood stars such as Shah Rukh Khan (who tweeted about meeting Nolan), Jaya Bachchan, producer Siddharth Roy Kapoor and actor Kamal Haasan. Talking about filmmaking at a session in Mumbai, Nolan said: There are odds that one faces in the process of filmmaking... financing the film, shooting the film... odds are there in it. So, the question arises that why somebody would be interested to shoot a film in film camera which is more difficult to shoot? But filmmaking is not just about logic and pragmatism, it is about dreams, magic and experience. Nolan, who had come to India to shoot The Dark Knight Rises in Jodhpur back in 2011, also hosted screenings of two of his recent films - Oscar-nominated Dunkirk and Interstellar. READ | Christopher Nolan is in India and heres a crash course on why hes here (through 5 films) READ | From enjoying local food to meeting Shah Rukh Khan: What Christopher Nolan has been up to in India Follow @htshowbiz for more The Joker Origins film, to be directed by Todd Phillips, will serve as a prequel to Christopher Nolans 2008 movie The Dark Knight. Or it was until yesterday. A fake synopsis for the DC film was shared by Screen Rant revealing how The Joker, once a well-meaning man, came to become one of the most notorious criminals of all time. Twenty years before Batman saved the city in THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY, Gotham was a dangerous place. In the crime-ridden Narrows, one man tries to escape his unfortunate lot through a passion for theatrics and stand-up comedy. However, one bad day is all it takes in this city, and soon the well-meaning man has become the most dangerous criminal of all: the Joker. Actor Joaquin Phoenix poses for photographers upon arrival at the special screening of Mary Magdalene in London. (Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP) Directed by Academy Award Nominee Todd Phillips (WAR DOGS) and produced by Academy Award Winner Martin Scorsese (GOODFELLAS), this prequel to Academy Award Nominee Christopher Nolans THE DARK KNIGHT will explore how the Clown Prince of Crime came to be, the synopsis had read. Of course, a film is indeed being made by Todd Phillips which is perhaps why so many fell for it. So this big "Joker origin" Scorsese/Todd Phillips movie is actually a Prequel to The Dark Knight trilogy? ...Interesting.... I know Joaquin Phoenix is rumored for the role, but 2008 me would be very intrigued. Just gonna leave this here for the higher ups at DC pic.twitter.com/iTFI3jyOV1 Tom McKee (@TomMckeeSB) April 1, 2018 Todd Phillips, please don't make your Joker movie connected to the Nolan-verse. We don't need the backstory to Heath' s Joker. Leave the legacy alone. Leave the mystery alone. I'm sure it will be awesome without piggy-backing on a prior series/interpretation. Emperor Killjoy (@Emperor_Killjoy) April 1, 2018 Todd Phillips Joker Origin Movie is a Dark Knight Prequel. https://t.co/405sBGNO29 pic.twitter.com/PTwNLLvFPS Miles Mason (@selimnosam) April 1, 2018 YEEEAAAHHHHHH!!!!Todd Phillips Joker Origin Movie is a Dark Knight Prequelhttps://t.co/RZvSjMWUmY Shared from my Google feed WINTA HILL VILLEN (@enokian1) April 1, 2018 No actor has been confirmed to play The Joker in 1980s Gotham, but reports suggest Joaquin Phoenix may land the iconic role. Jared Leto as The Joker in Suicide Squad. The Joker has memorably been part of two Batman movies with Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger portraying Batmans arch nemesis, most recently played by Jared Leto in the first Suicide Squad film. He will reprise his role in the Suicide Squad sequel and the Harley Quinn spin-off. Follow @htshowbiz for more Nine people were killed in clashes on Monday as Dalit groups angered over an alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act carried out protests across several northern states, even as the Centre moved the Supreme Court seeking a review of its recent judgment in the matter. (Bharat bandh live updates) Clashes with the police, attacks on buses and government property, and blockades of trains and roads were reported across states including Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Bihar. The maximum deaths were reported in Madhya Pradesh, with the police saying three people were killed in Gwalior, two in Bhind and one in Morena. Curfew was imposed in many parts of the state and internet services were withdrawn to prevent rumours. The home ministry said central forces were sent to Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab to control the protesters. The protests also claimed two lives in Uttar Pradesh -- one in Muzaffarnagar and another in Meerut. One person was killed in Rajasthans Alwar as the police Read | Bharat Bandh: What happened where during Dalit protests opened fire to disperse a mob, according to officials. At most of the places, the protesters were seen carrying blue flags bearing the name of Bhim Sena. The protests continued in several places even after home minister Rajnath Singh said the Centre had filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act. The government is appealing against the court order but it is a responsibility of everyone including all political parties to ensure peace, Singh said in Delhi, where the Dalit protests caused traffic chaos. Protesters squatted on tracks in several places outside Delhi, stopping trains including the Dehradun Express and the Ranchi Rajdhani. They also gathered at Mandi House blocked the road outside the metro station, bringing traffic to a halt in adjoining central areas. Protests and traffic snarls were also reported in Noida, Faridabad and Gurgaon . Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government was not a party to the SC decision on the SC/ST Act and, with due respect, does not agree with the reasoning given by the apex court. On behalf of the Ministry of Social Justice, a very comprehensive review has been filed (against the dilution of the SC/ST Act), he said. Prasad said the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Centre were committed to the welfare of SCs and STs and alleged that political parties, including the Congress, were using the issue for political gains a charge denied by the Opposition. Hundreds of protesters block the railway track during 'Bharat Bandh' call by Dalit organisations against the alleged 'dilution' of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes act, in Aligarh on Monday. (PTI) The Supreme Court had on March 20 allegedly diluted the provisions of the SC/ST Act, ruling that government servants should not be arrested without prior sanction and private citizens, too, be arrested only after an inquiry under the law. On Monday, law ministry officials said the government should have been a party in the case, questioning the SCs move to read down the law. Dalits make up 200 million of the countrys 1.3 billion population and are at the bottom of the caste hierarchy. They are angry at the Supreme Courts ruling that bans the automatic arrest of the accused in cases under the SC/SC Act, a 1989 legislation meant to guard marginalised groups against discrimination and harassment. Shortly after the protests broke out on Monday, the Congress alleged that incidents of Dalits atrocities had increased in the country since the National Democratic Alliance came to power in 2014. Congress president Rahul Gandhi attacked the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party for the plight of Dalits, saying he saluted the brothers and sisters from the community who were agitating to demand the protection of their rights. Responding to Gandhis remarks, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan said he had no moral right to attack the BJP over Dalit issues, as his party did nothing for the community or its icon BR Ambedkar. Communication and transport services were severely hit across states, with over 100 trains getting affected due to the protests. Trains including the Saptakranti Express, Utkal Express, Gatiman Express, the Bhubaneswar and Ranchi Rajdhanis and the Kanpur Shatabdi were stopped ahead of Ghaziabad, a Northern Railway official said. In the Agra Division, around 28 trains were delayed, including the Shatabdi Express. The protests spread across Uttar Pradesh, where a police post near Meerut was set on fire by protesters. Public buses were also torched in the states Azamgarh district. Punjab and Haryana also saw widespread protests. Hundreds of protesters carrying swords and sticks forced shopkeepers in Jalandhar, Amritsar and Bathinda to shut down. In Bihar, activists disrupted rail and road traffic. Mobs shut down markets and shops as well as educational institutions, police said. The widespread agitation came after Dalit organisations, including the the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch, and some political parties said they feared the move would lead to an increase in violence against Dalits. (With inputs from agencies) Behind the killing of 12 militants in a day in South Kashmirs Shopian were eight months of reconfiguration and restructuring of armed forces in the area. Another militant was killed in nearby Anantnag, taking the toll to 13 the highest number of militants killed in a day in recent years . A senior police officer said, on condition of anonymity, that the deployment of additional forces and creation of new army and police posts in Shopian have restricted the movement of militants, forcing them to huddle in one place. They had easy access but now we have made it difficult for them to move from one place to another, the officer added. Police say getting shelter in the villages is also becoming difficult for militants due to an increased network of informers. It was a tip-off about the presence of militants in Dragad-Sugan village in Shopian, that prompted the joint operation by the police, army and CRPF. As the cordon approached the house, the militants fired and the encounter started at 3am on Sunday. Seven militants were killed. Although local papers in Kashmir reported that four more militants managed to give the police a slip, Director General of Police SP Vaid denied the reports. The seven were killed while trying to escape. Nobody managed to get out. The cordon was too strong, Vaid said. All the militants were locals. In another encounter that broke out in the wee hours on Sunday in Kachdoora village of Shopian five more militants were killed. The five were also locals from a different area in Shopian most of them had joined militancy a few months back, were locally trained and couldnt last for long. The encounters are significant because Shopian was once considered to be a safe heaven for militants. Four civilians were also killed near the encounter sites and tens of other were injured, making the first day of the month one of the bloodiest ever since the summer of 2016. Of the 12 confirmed dead I understand 11 are local Kashmiris and the identity of the 12th is being ascertained; not one so far is a foreign terrorist. Is no one in a position of power in Delhi alarmed by this because I certainly am!, former CM Omar Abdullah tweeted on Sunday. Nine deaths and widespread violence during Mondays Bharat Bandh called by Dalit groups to protest the alleged dilution of a law protecting the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes saw the government and the BJP swing into damage-control mode. The government filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against a March 20 order that banned automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Several minsters , including home minister Rajnath Singh, reiterated the governments commitment to the well being of SCs and STs . The turnout and violence took the party by surprise, two BJP leaders, who didnt wish to be identified, said. We didnt anticipate this, one of them said. The other was concerned that deaths could dents partys image and have political costs. The deaths were reported from BJP-ruled states six in Madhya Pradesh, two in Uttar Pradesh and one in Rajasthan. Generally there is six months time to do it, but it would have been better if a review petition was filed earlier, said Bhagirath Prasad, the party MP from Bhind in Madhya Pradesh. Opposition parties had succeeded in creating a perception against the BJP, he said. Bhind, where two people were killed, saw one of the worst violence of the day. When the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party are discussing alliance, such incidents dont help us, said a BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh, requesting anonymity. Arson and clashes were reported from Azamgarh, Agra, Hapur and Meerut in western UP. Uttar Pradesh, where Dalits make up 22% of the population, sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha. The BJP had won 72 of these seats in 2014. But its immediate concern will be poll-bound Karnataka, where Dalits accounts for 16% of the population. The southern state votes for a new assembly on May 12. Madhya Pradeshs 16% of the population is Dalit and the state votes later this year. So do Rajasthan, where SCs are 17% , and Chhattisgarh, where 12% of the people are SCs. The Congress is the BJPs main rival in these states. Home minister Singh led the government in reaching out to the angry communities. The government is committed to ensuring welfare of SCs, STs, and guaranteeing them full protection of law, he said,adding it was the responsibility of all parties to ensure that no violence took place. Social justice minister Thawar Chand Gehlot sent out tweets in response to Congress president Rahul Gandhis Twitter post that said keeping Dalits at the lowest pedestal was in the DNA of the RSS and the BJP. The Modi government had strengthened laws to curb atrocities against the SCs and STs and had celebrated the 125th birth anniversary of Dalit icon Bhim Rao Ambedkar, he said. The Congress had exploited the Dalits for political gains while empowerment of the downtrodden was at the core of the BJPs philosophy, party general secretary Bhupendra Yadav said . At least six people were killed and more than 50 injured on Monday in Madhya Pradesh in clashes between the police and members of Dalit organisations protesting the Supreme Courts ruling that, they say, dilutes a law protecting their rights. At least five people have also been admitted to hospitals with bullet injuries at different places, according to police. Inspector general of police (law and order) Makrand Deoskar said the death toll may increase. Twenty-five-year-old Rahul Pathak received bullet injuries while he was watching the protests on the street in Morena from the balcony of his house near the bus stand. He was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead. Two men identified as Rakesh, a resident of Bhim Nagar, and Deepak from Gwal Mohalla were killed during clashes in Gwalior as police resorted to firing to control the situation. It was not clear as yet if the men were killed in the firing by the police or mob. Another person succumbed to injuries late evening in Gwalior, said inspector general (intelligence) Makrand Deouskar. In Bhind, a man identified as Mahavir Singh Kushwaha was killed in a firing during a clash between the protesters and those opposing them at National Highway 92. Three people reportedly sustained injuries after the police resorted to firing. Another death was reported from Mehgaon in Bhind but the identity of the person, who police said was shot dead, is yet to be established. However, it was not immediately known who killed him. Most of those killed are Dalits. The situation went out of control due to the indifferent attitude of the central government during the hearing on SC/ST act in the Supreme Court, National Dalit Mahapanchayat president Indresh Gajbhiye said. Police said a curfew has been clamped in Morena district and in four police station circles of Gwalior and prohibitory orders were issued in Bhind, Sagar, Shajapur, Datia, Balaghat and some other districts after the violence. Internet services were suspended in Gwalior, Morena, Bhind, the worst affected districts in Gwalior-Chambal region, and Sagar in Bundelkhand region. Social media played a key role in the spread of violence in the state. For the past 10 days, messages were being circulated for and against the protest. All the SPs had been alerted. The situation worsened in Gwalior due to a clash between two rival groups. Police have arrested some people. However, we cannot disclose the number right now, Deoskar said. As many as 552 sub-inspectors and 25 deputy superintendents of police, who had their passing out parade on Monday morning, were rushed to Gwalior-Chambal region to control the situation given the magnitude of violence, police said. Slogans, demands The Dalit organisations protest, led by Bhim Sena, was a part of their Bharat bandh called to protest the Supreme Court ruling on March 20 that banned automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases under the act, a legislation meant to protect the marginalised communities from abuse and discrimination. It ruled that no arrests can be made under the act without prior permission. It also held that a court can grant a pre-bail arrest (anticipatory bail) if it, prima facie, finds the complaint is an abuse of the law, false, motivated and intended to blackmail or harass a person. Government employees also took to the streets along with Bahujan Samaj Party workers. The protesters raised slogans against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded changes in the act to redress their grievances. The protesters were anti-social elements, who indulged in violence to disturb peace and order in the state, Lal Singh Arya, minister of state for general administration department and the Dalit face of the ruling party, said. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan called an emergency meeting in Bhopal of the top brass of the police and administration to review the situation. The government of India has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court. I make an appeal to people to maintain peace. My government is committed to protecting the rights of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Chouhan said as he made an appeal to people to maintain peace and order. Union minister for rural development Narendra Singh Tomar, who represents Gwalior in the Lok Sabha, reportedly met Union home minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi to demand adequate paramilitary force to assist the police in Madhya Pradesh. Half a dozen districts affected Public life was thrown out of gear and schools, cinema halls and markets were closed in more than half a dozen districts, including Gwalior, Morena, Bhind, Datia, Sagar, Sheopur, Guna, after the violence. Several vehicles were damaged and set on fire in the violence in several places across the state. The violence was first reported in Morena and Gwalior, where members of Dalit organisations took to streets in the morning and asked traders to close their businesses for the day in deference to their call for the all-India shutdown. Clashes soon ensued between the protestors and those opposing it. The protesters uprooted railway tracks in Morena, blocked railway traffic and also the traffic on roads. They went on the rampage at the railway station forcing passengers on the platforms to seek protection. A journalist and a son of an education officer were attacked in Morena. There were a large number of protesters who surrounded me in the morning. Some of them then asked me my name and when I told them my name they attacked me with stones, fists and kicks. It was a police team which saved my life, Satyendra Tomar, the journalist who was injured in Morena, said. Violence was reported at Thatipur and Morar areas of Gwalior city during the protest. An additional superintendent of police (ASP) was attacked and his vehicle damaged in Dabara town of Gwalior. Sagar, Indore, Bhopal, Alirajpur, Sheopur, Ratlam, Guna, Balaghat and some other places were also affected by the violence. According to police, licenced guns too were used in the Gwalior-Chambal region. Sources in the Indian Railways said at least two trains 01703 Secunderabad-Jabalpur and 01704 Jabalpur-Secunderabad were cancelled due to the violence. (With inputs from Mahesh Shivhare in Gwalior and Anupam Pateriya in Sagar) Protesters squatted on tracks in several places outside Delhi, stopping trains, including the Dehradun Express and the Ranchi Rajdhani, to enforce an all India shutdown against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act, officials said on Monday. Services were disrupted when a mob arrived at the Ghaziabad yard around 10 am , Northern Railway officials said. Many trains, such as Saptakranti Express, Utkal Express and the Bhubaneswar and Ranchi Rajdhani as well as the Kanpur Shatabdi, were stopped ahead of Ghaziabad in Meerut and Modinagar, officials said. Bharat bandh live: One killed in protests in MP, Rajnath Singh urges groups to maintain peace A mob of about 2,000 people disrupted trains at the Hapur station as well, disrupting the movement of many goods trains, they added. Delhi Police and Railway Protection Force personnel have been working to get people off the tracks. In some areas, operations have been restored, the officials said. Several Dalit organisations are observing a Bharat bandh on Monday to express their concerns over the alleged dilution of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The Supreme Court on March 20 diluted the provisions of the Act and said government servants should not be arrested without prior sanction and private citizens, too, should be arrested only after an inquiry under the law. Dalit organisations, including the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch, and some political parties fear the dilution of the provisions might lead to increase in violence against Dalits. Protests against the Supreme Court order barring immediate arrest in case of complaints filed under the SCs/STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act took a violent turn across North India on Monday. Various Dalit groups took to the streets, damaging properties, burning vehicles, and blocking roads and railway tracks. While six people were killed due to the protests in Madhya Pradesh, two in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan reported one death. Protestors clashed with police in many places, leading to lathicharge and tear-gassing. Schools remained closed in many places. South India remained mostly unaffected due to the bandh. Madhya Pradesh Three deaths have been reported from Gwalior, two from Bhind and one from Morena, taking the total number of deaths to six in Madhya Pradesh. Buses were set ablaze in Bhopal, while an additional superintendent of police was beaten up and his vehicle damaged in Gwalior district. Curfew was imposed in Gwalior and Morena, while prohibitory order was issued in Bhind. Internet services have been suspended in the affected districts. Uttar Pradesh While one protester succumbed to injuries in Muzaffarnagar, another in Meerut, said deputy inspector general (Law and order) Praveen Kumar.Forty policemen and 50 people were injured in the clashes across the state. The police have taken 448 people into custody, he said. Protestors attacked shops, looted some of them and pelted stones at police in Hapur, Agra, Meerut and Saharanpur, according to media reports. Some people reportedly fired at a police team in Meerut and attacked journalists in separate incidents. Buses were damaged in Meerut and Saharanpur. A police vehicle was also set on fire in Saharanpur district. Protestors indulged in vandalism at Muzaffarnagar railway station, stoning the Kochi Express. Policemen try to douse a police vehicle set on fire by protestors in Meerut on Monday. (PTI) Bihar Supporters of Bhim Army and other Dalit groups with active support of RJD and CPI(M) halted over three dozen long-distance and local passenger trains, stranding passengers at Patna, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Jehanabad, Begusarai, Madhepura, Bhagalpur, Ara, Darbhanga, Araria, Nalanda, Samastipur, Nawada and Hajipur stations. There were reports of sporadic violence in Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Nawada, Patna and Bhagalpur as protestors clashed with police. Protestors also vandalised Gaya and Bettiah railway stations. Protestors block roads in Gaya. (PTI) Rajasthan One person was killed in police firing in Alwar after protestors went on the rampage, burning vehicles, damaging shops and pelting stones on police. Nearly 30 people 20 from Ajmer and 10 from Jaipur were detained after protestors damaged public property, police said. Reports of lathicharge emerged from Jaipur and Bharatpur, while in Barmer, police resorted to use of tear gas shells. Protestors damaged glass windows of Shatabdi Express at Khairthal railway station. Internet services have been suspended in Bharatpur, Karauli, Sawai Madhopur, Alwar and Sikar till 8 pm and indefinitely in Jalore, Jaisalmer, Sirohi, Pali and Barmer districts. Gujarat A mob went on the rampage in Ahmedabad, damaging shops, and leading to a clash with police. Protestors pelted stones and vandalised a market, forcing police to lob tear gas shells at them. Roads were blocked in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. Protestors damaged shops in Jamnagar. In Rajkot, agitators tried to enforce a shutdown of commercial establishments. Several Dalit activists and Congress workers symbolically burnt copies of the Supreme Court order in Rajkot. In Jamnagar and Surendranagar, a large number of Dalit agitators squatted on railway tracks, forcing trains to stop. Maharashtra Though Mumbai remained largely peaceful, sporadic violence was reported from Nagpur. Protesters blocked Mumbai-Kolkata and Jabalpur-Hyderabad national highways for over an hour. Stone pelting on vehicles and shops was also reported, One bus was torched and reports of intimidation by protestors poured in. Protestors also halted a Chennai-Delhi train at Gaddigudam. Delhi-NCR Thousands of protestors gathered at Mandi House in the heart of the national capital and blocked Barakhamba Road, disrupting traffic. Train services were also disrupted in Ghaziabad, when a mob arrived at the railway yard and started pelting stones. Protesters throw stones at the railway yard in Ghaziabad on Monday. (PTI) Two DMK workers on Monday allegedly attempted self immolation while protesting in Coimbatore against the Centre for its failure to constitute the CMB in compliance with the February 16 order of the Supreme Court, police said. Notably, agitations took place in several parts of the state over the vexed issue. The two DMK functionaries, identified as PT Murugesan and Singai Sadashivam, doused themselves with kerosene and tried to self immolate at Peelamedu, police said. However, they were over powered by a few police personnel present at the spot and whisked away to a nearby police station, they added. A group of farmers and members of some fringe outfits on Monday gathered in front of the district collectorate in the city and raised slogans seeking the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) immediately. According to the police, incidents of road blockades by members of various political parties were also reported in the state. The DMK-led opposition parties had on Sunday called for a state-wide shutdown on April 5 seeking constitution of the CMB by the Centre. The Stalin-led party had said it would hold continuous protests -- similar to the one yesterday in Chennai -- till the CMB was constituted. Both the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government had on March 31 moved the Supreme Court on the issue of constitution and composition of the CMB in compliance with the February 16 verdict of the apex court on the contentious issue. In its February verdict, the top court had raised the 270 tmcft share of Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadus share of Cauvery river water. It had granted six weeks to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its 465-page judgement, which modified the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal Award. The six-week period ended on March 29. Read| SC to hear Tamil Nadus plea against Centre on Cauvery Management Board Foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale held extensive talks with the leadership of Bhutanese government on important bilateral and regional issues during his two-day visit to Bhutan, Indias ministry of external affairs (MEA) said on Monday. The visit comes in the wake of India and China recalibrating the ties and the Himalayan kingdom and Beijing planning to hold another round of boundary talks later this year. Besides meeting his Bhutanese counterpart Dasho Sonam Tshong, Gokhale also called upon Prime Minister Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay and King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck during his visit, which ended Monday, the MEA said. The talks were held in a cordial atmosphere in keeping with the unique and exemplary bonds of friendship and cooperation that exist between the two countries, the release said. Without elaborating, the ministry said matters concerning bilateral partnership figured in the talks. In the first week of February, Gokhale, army chief general Bipin Rawat and national security adviser Ajit Doval had travelled to Bhutan and held extensive talks with the leaders there on strategic issues, including the situation in Doklam. The armies of India and China were locked in a 73-day standoff in Doklam from June 16 last year and ended on August 28 after the Indian side objected to the construction of a road in the disputed India, China, Bhutan tri-junction in Doklam by the Chinese army. Bhutan and China have a dispute over Doklam. The visit was in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries, and provided an opportunity to the two sides to discuss matters concerning our bilateral partnership, including the commemorative activities planned in 2018 to mark the Golden Jubilee of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries, the foreign ministry said on Gokhales latest visit. The ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Monday rushed over 1,500 anti-riot personnel across states to control the clashes that erupted during a nationwide bandh called by Dalit organisations, officials familiar with the matter. A senior MHA official said eight companies of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) were sent to Uttar Pradesh, four were dispatched to Madhya Pradesh and three to Rajasthan. Two companies of the Border Security Force (BSF) were deployed in Punjab to assist the local administration in maintaining law and order. According to a senior paramilitary officer, the personnel were dispatched following requests by state governments, which anticipated that the agitation might continue. Another paramilitary officer said the situation seemed particularly tense in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. The governments in these states have reasons to believe that the situation might escalate. We are ensuring to that the law and order situation is brought under control, the officer said. Earlier in the day, Union home minister Rajnath Singh assured the protesters that the Centre was committed to ensuring the welfare of Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes and appealed to them to not take the law in their hands. I am deeply pained by the acts of violence and loss of precious lives in some parts of the country today during protests in context of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act. The Govt of India is committed to ensuring welfare of SC/STs and other weaker sections and also guaranteeing them full protection of law. The Govt has already filed a review petition in the Supreme Court to maintain the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act in its presents form (sic), he said in a series of tweets. An MHA spokesperson said the ministry was keeping a close watch on the protests. The ministry has asked the states to take all preventive measures and maintain public order and is in constant touch with the state governments, the spokesperson said. A turf war between two central ministries is threatening to impede progress in the governments flagship BharatNet programme, aimed at providing broadband connectivity to all 250,000 gram panchayats (village councils) by 2019 through optical fibre cable to deliver government services. Key to the governments Digital India plan, the project has got entangled in Right of Way (RoW) issues between the department of telecommunications (DoT) under the ministry of communications and the ministry of road transport and highways. RoW is the legal right to pass through a route or property in this case to install optical fibre cable that belongs to someone else. The roads ministry has denied permission to DoT to lay cable within highways RoW until the department pays the licence fee prescribed under the Control of National Highway (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002. The Act deals with regulation of highway land for all public utilities, including telegraph infrastructure, three senior government officials familiar with the development said on condition of anonymity. DoT has refused to heed the demand, citing its own 2016 rule under the Telegraph Act that prescribes a one-time administrative fee for using RoW. The Telegraph Right of Way Rules prescribe a fee of Rs 1,000 per km for utility service lines. With both agencies refusing to budge from their positions, the dispute went to the Prime Ministers Office. Nripendra Misra, principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a letter to the secretaries of the roads ministry and DoT on December 17 urged them to give top priority to the matter and called any delay in grant of permission unacceptable. HT has reviewed the contents of the letter. BharatNet is a transformational initiative for digital India being implemented by DoT. In order to achieve smooth and expeditious RoW, GoI notified Indian Telegraph RoW Rules, 2016. It must be ensured that both time taken for processing as well as the RoW charges are in line with the notified rules... Mishras letter read. BharatNet, launched in 2012, is aimed at promoting e-governance by delivering government services related to health and education , skills training and so on, to the rural poor. Until December 2017, only 100,000 gram panchayats had been connected through optic fibre cable under Phase I of the project . The total project cost is Rs 45,000 crore. A six-member committee of secretaries including those from the roads and petroleum ministries, DoT, petroleum, and the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCC) was set up in January to resolve the matter. The committee has not been able to make much headway. There are two different set of rules notified by different ministries, prescribing different fee structure. Both the ministries are citing their respective rules, said one of the officials cited above. The highways ministrys contention is that the DoT is using the physical domain of highways and hence should be regulated by highway administration rules. Till the time a highway is dug to lay utility, it compromises a road asset. Also it results in traffic snarls and increase in road maintenance cost. The highway rules prescribe the fee depending on the cost of the land and as such appears to be logical and appropriate, said a second official. Misras intervention, too, failed to break the deadlock, forcing DoT secretary Aruna Sundararajan to write to her counterpart YS Malik in the roads ministry on March 6. HT has reviewed the letter. Referring to Misras letter, Sundararajan wrote: .it was requested to ensure that the time for processing as well as the RoW charges to be in line with the notified Indian Telegraph RoW Rules, 2016 .It was also mentioned that delay in granting permission is unacceptable as BharatNet is a flagship program of the GoI. In this connection, I would like to mention that the compliance report has not been received from your ministry/organization so far. Malik told HT: We are looking at provisions as per our National Highways Act and what is there under the Indian Telegraph Act. We will try to find the best way out and respond to DoT. DoTs Sundararajan could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts to contact her . The third official cited above said the roads ministry is likely to suggest a common fee, supervision and maintenance structure. Because there is overlapping between ministries, having a common protocol is a practical solution. But till it is not formalized, we cant say anything, the official added. India may have no plans to recognise East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine but the government is stepping up ties with that country in line with its policy to de-hyphenate the relationship from that with Israel. Implementation of all the 11 pacts signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former president Pranab Mukherjees visits to the West Asian country are a top priority with the government, officials privy to the developments said. Indian has also more than trebled to $5 million the aid to Palestine refugees. Diplomacy is not a zero-sum game. Both Palestine and Israel are important relations for India. Each stands on its own, a government official said. Indias support to the Palestine cause had been consistent and it was articulated in no uncertain terms by no less than the Prime Minister, the official said. Modis February visit to Palestine was the first by an Indian prime minister which came a few weeks after Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu spent six days in India. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, the government said it had no plans to recognise East Jerusalem. Last December, the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation declared East Jerusalem the capital of Palestine and urged the international community to do the same. The move came a week after US President Donald Trump declared Jerusalem as Israels capital and decided to move his countrys diplomatic mission there. India had voted against Israel at the United Nations on the status of Jerusalem. The status of Jerusalem should be discussed between Israel and Palestine, the government said in its reply. Recently responding to a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Flash Appeal, India increased its annual contribution to UNRWA from $1.25 million to $5 million from 2018-19 for three years. The increase in contribution was based on external affairs minister Sushma Swarajs commitment to enhance Indias support to UNRWA, an official said. The Modi government has also stepped up the ties with Israel, a key defence and security partner of the country. But there has been a conscious effort to project each relationship as stand alone, independent of the other country. Eight months before his historic visit to Palestine, Modi visited Israel in July 2017, a first for an Indian prime minister. Traditionally, Indian leaders visited both the countries, who are bitter foes, during the same trip. After a gap of 34 years, the Ratna Bhandar, or treasury, of the 12th century Jagannath temple in Puri will be inspected by 10 people wearing just a loincloth on April 4. Chief administrator of Sri Jagannath Temple Administration, Pradeep Jena said devotees would not be allowed inside the temple during inspection and the inspectors would review only the structural stability of the Ratna Bhandar and not the valuables stored there . "The people entering the Ratna Bhandar will have to take off their clothes and then wear a gamchha. They would be subjected to frisking both at the time of entry and exit. They will not be allowed to carry any of their personal belongings inside," said Jena. The 10 inspectors, who include the Gajapati Maharaja of Puri and two officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), would not be allowed to touch the jewellery. "They would only see the condition of the wall of the Ratna bhandar and touch only that. Arrangements have been done for the ventilation of the Ratna bhandar so that none of the 10 persons face any difficulty in respiration," said an official. The Odisha High Court on March 22 had ordered the ASI to inspect the structural condition of the treasury on March 26 and 27 and submit a status report on March 29. The high court is monitoring the repairs undertaken by ASI at the 12th century monument since 2016, after a PIL sought effective repair and renovation of the temple. The Ratna bhandar was last inspected in 1984 when only three of its seven chambers were opened. The Ratna Bhandar in Sri Mandir has two chambers -- the Bhitar bhandar (inner treasury) and Bahar bhandar (Outer treasury). Currently, the outer treasury is being used for various rituals. The jewellery and valuables that adorn Lord Jagannath during the Suna Besha ceremony are stored in the outer treasury. Though the administration initially wanted to videograph the process, it dropped the plan after the Chhatisa Nijog, the apex body of the temple servitors, opposed the move. The temple administration is also planning to take the help of an NGO that rescues snakes in case the reptiles are detected in the treasury. R N Mishra, the administrator of the temple in 1984, said that those who had entered the Ratna bhandar that year for inspection had heard hissing sounds. The Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC), which spearheaded the agitations for Telangana state between 2009 and 2014, transformed into a political party on Monday with the sole objective of dethroning the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and establishing a Samajika Telangana (Telangana with social justice). Retired Osmania University professor M Kodandaram, who has been the chairman of TJAC since its inception, announced the launch of his new political party named Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS). He declared that his party would contest the 2019 elections on its own and wont ally with any other political party. In February, he had made it clear that the TJAC was soon going to play a political role to speak on behalf of commoners. For TRS president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao or KCR who is jockeying for a larger national role by actively pursuing a Third Front as an alternative to the BJP and the Congress, the TJS will be a new challenge in his backyard. Once a protege of Rao, the 62-year-old Kodandaram said he had been compelled to launch the political party only because the TRS government had miserably failed to fulfil the aspirations of the people after achieving the new state following a long-drawn battle. This is not the Telangana state for which hundreds of people sacrificed their lives and lakhs of people took to streets to fight for years. The power has been confined to a few people of a family and the same old contractors and big business houses which had controlled the government in the combined Andhra Pradesh regime were ruling the roost in the present government as well, he said. The retired professor alleged that there was no democratic space for the people to express their views. They cant take out rallies and demonstrations, hold meetings and enter villagers. The chief minister doesnt give audiences to his own party MLAs and ministers, let alone common people. Farmers are committing suicide due to lack of remunerative prices, Dalits and other weaker sections are being crushed with iron hand when they question the ruling class and youth are frustrated as the government has failed to take up filling up vacant jobs, Kodandaram alleged. He said the party flag and constitution would be announced on April 4. After forming the party state and district committees, he said he would hold a big public meeting on April 29 in Hyderabad. We shall fight against the TRS governments anti-people policies and also expose Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Raos misdeeds ahead of 2019 elections. We shall go alone in the elections and not have any tie up with any other political party, he said. The TRS government has been acting tough against Kodandaram ever since he refused to wind up the TJAC after the formation of Telangana but decided to continue it as a watch dog on the government. The government has foiled all his attempts to take out rallies and hold dharnas in the state and tour villages. At one stage, state home minister Nayini Narasimha Reddy branded him a Maoist sympathiser for his Leftist background and suspected that the Maoists were trying to use him to regain their hold on Telangana. However, Kodandaram refused to yield. Though I was not very keen on entering politics, I have no option but to take a plunge because it is the only way I can reflect the peoples anguish and anger against the ruling party and provide them a solution, Kodandaram said. KCR had dismissed Kodandaram in recent press conference saying that he did not have the ability to win even as a sarpanch, let alone run a party to fight the assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday evening will receive the mortal remains of five of the 38 Indians, who were abducted and killed by Islamic State terrorists at Mosul in Iraq in June 2014. The special aircraft of the Indian Air Force, C-130, carrying the coffins, is expected to reach Patna around 8pm, Patna airport director Rajender Singh Lahauria said. Kumar is expected to lay a wreath on the coffins at the airport. The state government, in coordination with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), has made all arrangements for receiving the coffins. We have arranged five vehicles to ferry the coffins to the native places of the victims in Siwan. We have also arranged for police escort, said Patna district magistrate Kumar Ravi, who is supervising the operations here. The government held a meeting on Saturday with the AAI, the Central Industrial Security Force, police, immigration and customs to make arrangements for the remains of the victims. The IAF special aircraft will park on the main tarmac and the coffins will be brought to the adjoining Bihar hangar, where the state CM will receive them. After completion of formalities at the airport, they will be sent to Siwan. Ravi said. Airport officials said the timing of the aircrafts arrival could vary slightly as the coffins are being flown from Iraq to Amritsar after which they will be brought to Patna and Kolkata. Paper work could take a couple of hours before the coffins are moved to Siwan, said a government official. The coffins are expected to reach Siwan, 135 km north-west of Patna, past midnight. The Patna DM said relatives of the victims had not contacted them yet. We will hand over the coffins of the victims to their kin, with evidence (DNA test report), in Siwan so that they have no doubts, he said. Minister of state for external affairs Gen VK Singh, who will accompany the mortal remains, will leave here for Kolkata. Gen Singh, before leaving for Mosul on Sunday, had said that mortal remains of only 38 Indians would be brought back to India, as one mans case was pending there. The 39 persons, most of whom hailed from Punjab, were working on projects near Mosul when they were kidnapped. Of those killed by the terrorist outfit, 27 belonged to Punjab, four from Himachal Pradesh, five from Bihar and two from West Bengal. On March 20, external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj had told Parliament that 40 Indians were abducted by terror outfit Islamic State from Mosul in Iraq in June 2014, but one of them escaped posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh. The remaining 39 were taken to Badoosh and killed, she had said. Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu will visit Delhi on Tuesday to interact with leaders from opposition parties, less than a week after his West Bengal counterpart camped in the national capital for talks on a possible federal front. Ahead of his visit, Naidu told his party MPs during a teleconference that he had no interest in national politics and his focus was on securing maximum benefits for the state. The regional leaders, whom Naidu has invited for a meal in Delhis Andhra Bhawan, expect to talk politics with him. We are certainly not going to discuss Indian cricket with him. We hope to see Naidus response on the proposal of a federal front, said a leader on the condition of anonymity. Naidu is scheduled to spend a few hours in the Central Hall of Parliament and interact with MPs to explain the injustice meted out to the state in the budget. He will discuss the broken promises of the NDA with regard to granting special category status to the state, besides non-implementation of assurances given in the AP Reorganisation Act. The YSR Congress party, however, suspected that Naidu was coming to Delhi to look for a new alliance partner since the TDP has parted ways with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). That he is coming to Delhi to fight for the interests of the state is humbug. Now that he has become isolated in state politics, he is trying for support from other parties, YSRC Rajya Sabha member V Vijaya Sai Reddy said in Delhi. Meanwhile, ahead of the meeting with the Andhra Pradesh CM, the Trinamool Congress accused the Centre of going against the federal structure of the Constitution in financial devolution. The party said it would try to unite the Opposition against the 15th Finance Commission as many states not ruled by the BJP were losing out. This commission is anti-federal. States such as Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu are being penalised, while Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are being awarded. [TMC chief] Mamata Banerjee is reaching out to other parties... Next Tuesday she will raise the issue with the DMK leadership in Chennai, Trinamools Rajya Sabha leader Derek O Brien said. Trinamool MPs staged protests inside the Parliament building complex against the proposed 76% stake sale in Air India. The party claimed the government was trying to avoid Parliament to sell the stakes in the airline. The Budget session of Parliament, which resumed on Monday after a four day break, ended without transacting any business after both houses were adjourned till tomorrow following protests. Ever since the session resumed after the recess, daily disruptions have marred proceedings and the House has failed to transact any business amid clamour by parties to take up the no-confidence motion against the government. The no trust motion against the Modi government was pitched by the Telugu Desam Party, which had pulled out of the NDA recently. READ I Looking back: When Parliament faced its worst disruption in 2010 Several other parties, including the TRS and Congress have also given notices for a no-trust vote. This is the first time in the last four years that the largest opposition party, Congress, has moved a no-confidence motion. Wednesday (March 28) was the 13th straight day when the House could not transact any business, barring the addresses by various leaders for those members retiring from Rajys Sabha. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has disallowed all no-confidence motions, citing a disorderly House. Read here for live updates: 12.14 pm: Lok Sabha adjourned till tomorrow as AIADMK MPs protest demanding formation of Cauvery Management Board 11.09: Rajya Sabha adjourned till tomorrow after AIADMK MPs protest demanding formation of Cauvery Management Board 11.04: Lok Sabha adjourned till 12 noon after AIADMK MPs protest demanding formation of Cauvery Management Board 10. 48: TDP MPs continue to protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh. 10. 38 am: Trinamool Congress MPs protest in Parliament premises against disinvestment in Air India. 10.30 am: AIADMK MPs continue protest in Parliament premises over formation of the Cauvery Management Board 10.20 am: RJD MP JP Yadav and Congress MP Sushmita Dev have given adjournment motion notices in Lok Sabha over CBSE paper leak . 10.15 am: The Congress has given an adjournment motion notice under Rule 267 in Rajya Sabha over Bank Scam 10 am: The Congress issues three line whip in Rajya Sabha, directs members to be present in the House today A photograph of a traffic police officer feeding a homeless woman has been widely circulated on social media, with netizens applauding the heartening gesture. The photograph was shared on Twitter by Harsha Bhargavi, chief public relations officer to Telangana DGP, on Sunday. The image has since been shared over 280 times and liked by over 600 people. This gesture of Kukatpally traffic PS Home Guard B.Gopal (1275) towards a homeless woman by feeding her at JNTU shakes the heart @cpcybd @cyberabadpolice @TelanganaDGP @TelanganaCMO pic.twitter.com/tL7VO7Vt5J Harsha Bhargavi (@pandiribhargavi) April 1, 2018 Kukatpally Traffic Police Station home guard B Gopal (35) works at the Kukatpally Traffic Police Station and noticed the destitute woman by the roadside near Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) on Friday, reports The Hindu. The woman has now been shifted to Anand Ashram - a shelter run by TS prisons - in Cherlapally with the help of jail authorities and Cyberabad Police, tweeted the Bhargavi on Monday. Not just left behind... the old woman is shifted by @cyberabadpolice to *Anandashramam, home, Cherlapally with the help of jail authorities @cpcybd @TelanganaDGP https://t.co/VuOo0MVYZd Harsha Bhargavi (@pandiribhargavi) April 2, 2018 Gopal was carrying out duties for home minister Naini Narasimha Reddys visit on Sunday when he noticed the woman sitting under a tree. I offered her a cup of tea and then bought lunch for her. But she was unable to even eat with her own hands, so I fed her, he said. Gopal has been working as a home guard in the traffic police department for the last 10 years, according to the New Indian Express. The elderly woman who was seated near JNTUH crossroads reminded me of my mother. I could not stop myself from helping her, he said. Twitter users were full of praise for Gopal, saluting his action. Humanity still exists cape diem (@GIRIaron) April 2, 2018 This is real humanity..........great job Mr. B. Gopal, 1275, proud of you and your department, every "rich person thinks about poor" then our gdp and so called parameters may as high as ever and it never come down...........police should be a role model for society..... Abdul Gafoor (@abdulgafoorhse) April 1, 2018 After crushing defeats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and the 2017 assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is clawing his way back into the reckoning. Last month, the Samajwadi Party (SP) won two crucial bypolls, defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the former constituencies of chief minister Yogi Adityanath (Gorakhpur) and deputy chief minister Keshav Maurya (Phulpur) by forging an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The coming together of the two parties was once considered impossible, but now both Akhilesh and BSP chief Mayawati have decided to take the partnership forward to the 2019 general elections. In an interview with Sunita Aron, Akhilesh talks about the alliance with the BSP, a possible seat-sharing formula, social engineering, and the family feud in the SP. Edited excerpts: Why did you form an alliance with the BSP? We have a BJP government at the Centre, which has entered into an alliance with 45 small parties across the country to remain in power or to grab power. They have allied with political parties with which they have no ideological compatibility in Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim, Tripura. Ours is the second, or at least, third biggest alliance. We will expand our alliance, if required, to stop the BJP from returning to power in the country and for this they have to be stopped in Uttar Pradesh first. But Mayawati is considered temperamental, some say undependable? It is not a question of personalities today when the BJP is igniting passions by spreading venom in the name of caste and religion. They are pitting caste against caste, Hindus against Muslims. Statues of Babasaheb Ambedkar are being desecrated in UP and elsewhere while they are trying to change his name by adding Ramji. What more can happen in a country where a Dalit youth is killed in the Prime Ministers state, Gujarat, only because he rode a horse? If they are really committed to the welfare of Dalits, they should provide the basics education, security and health so that Dalits can live with dignity. The BJP gave a slogan of Sabka saath, sabka vikas, but the chief minister, appointed by the BJP leadership and not elected by the public, openly says, I am a Hindu, I dont celebrate Eid. He takes oath in the name of Ishwar but does not respect the Constitution scripted by Ambedkar. Mayawati is a hard-bargainer. Will there be a formula to share 80 seats? If both leaders have the willpower, then there can never be any issue in seat sharing, especially when there is a larger goal. If we, the Samajwadis, have to take a step backward to stop the BJP from coming to power, we are prepared. We will not hesitate. A seat or two doesnt matter, the country is bigger. Seat sharing is a trivial issue and to stop the BJPs return to power at the Centre, we will have to stop it here in UP. The SP-BSP coalition government had a violent fall in 1995? Will that not cast a shadow now? The past has never figured in our discussions. The BSP took the initiative and announced support in the bypolls. The BSP leader herself has said that I was not even in politics back then. People want to incite differences by raising issues that we are not even discussing. The voters and the cadres are excited because we will give them a strong alternative to the BJP. Were you confident of winning the bypolls? The cadres worked in tandem, their bonding was amazing. After I visited Gorakhpur, somehow I had this inner feeling that we are winning this election. The social alliance that we built, the unity with which the cadres of the two parties worked, and the public anger I knew we are winning. In Gorakhpur, I was told that a long time back the CM, TN Singh, was defeated by Ram Krishna Dwivedi, who had a cycle symbol. So you think the Dalit-Yadav animosity is over? What animosity? There is no animosity. We are willing to do everything possible to defeat the BJP. And we all belong to the same samaj. So have the seat-sharing talks started? No, not yet. The formula will be straight and simple. We will not share our strategy today. Will it be a grand alliance, with the Congress and the Rashtriya Lok Dal also a part of it? I have good relations with the Congress. We contested the 2017 polls in an alliance with them. I had informally met RLD leaders before the bypolls. West Bengal chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee is also on the move, meeting people to rebuild a federal front. I have very good relations with Mamata ji. As and when she will visit UP, it will be good if she could hold a joint meeting with us BSP and SP. Will yours be a national alliance, or be restricted to UP? Our alliance will be limited to UP, but if we have do it at the national level, then perhaps only in states and seats where we have active organisation. Some say the third front lacks credibility why will people vote for it against Narendra Modi? We have a vibrant democracy, it has matured. We have also learnt from past mistakes. If the BJP can rule the country with 45 alliances, why cant the third front? Now, after four years, we do hear some alliance partners creating noises. Before the presidential polls, I had told TDP (Telugu Desam Party) leaders to raise their state issues then if they really wanted them to be accepted. But theyre raising them now. Its too late. But Mayawati harbours national ambitions. Her cadre wants her to be the PM? I dont have to be PM. I am not even a claimant. That issue will come up after the elections and BSP or Mayawati-ji would need support of other parties also. We will also support. The SP-BSP alliance is being dubbed as sheer opportunism by some. Why? The BJP used both caste and communalism to win elections. In the garb of building social alliances, they projected various caste leaders. We have picked up their formula and will use the same formula to defeat them. We did quality work from distributing laptops to building the smartest expressway in the state but we did not have the glue to keep the support base together. Now we have successfully experimented in Gorakhpur and Phulpur. The BJP is the biggest casteist party. They approached the Wadiyar family in Karnataka, oblivious of the fact that they are Yadavs. What if the BJP brings a quota within a quota to take away Most Backward Classes and ati-Dalit votes? Dont you know in the Manuvadi vyavastha (system), even Yadavs are shudras. I was living in a fools paradise thinking we are forwards; my wife from Uttrakhand is also a forward; and also because we distributed laptops, brought the metro. But they call us saap-chachundar. Yes, my father was the CM. I have been CM, but for them we are still saap-chanchudar, and so will be my son. The BJP still considers us backward. While we are progressive and visionary backwards its the BJP which is backward as they dont believe in development. Why are they talking about quota within quota? I say do a census and give rights to all castes as per population and without any discrimination. Is your father Mulayam Singh Yadav happy? Yes, at our by-election win. He joined hands with Kanshi Ram to checkmate the BJP after the demolition of Babri Masjid. I am also doing it to stop BJP. Like father like son. What about your family dispute? Chacha (Shivpal Singh Yadav) voted with us. He will remain in the SP -- all speculations about any member of our family joining the BJP will prove wrong. We respect each other. Businesses, schools and colleges remained shut in Kashmir on Monday in response to a strike called by the separatists, as the toll from gunfights of a day earlier climbed to 20 after a militants body was recovered from an encounter site. Curfew-like restrictions were in place in parts of Srinagar and south Kashmir and mobile internet services remained suspended for the second day in the Valley, which witnessed one of its bloodiest days in years on Sunday. Disruptions are expected to continue, with the separatist leadership calling for a shutdown on Tuesday also and a Shopian Chalo march the next day. The Shopian district saw two of the three gun battles between security forces and militants on Sunday. The gunfights left 12 militants, three soldiers and four civilians dead. More than 70 people were injured in clashes with security forces at two encounter sites. Locals pulled out the body of a fifth gunman from the rubble of a house in Kachdoora in Shopian on Monday. The body of Sameer was taken out by the locals from the debris and handed it over to his family, a police spokesman said, adding all the five men belonged to the homegrown Hizbul Mujahideen. Three army soldiers were also killed in Kachdoora. In another gunfight in the Shopian district, seven militants were killed in Dragad. In Anantnags Dialgam, a militant was killed after he ignored repeated requests by his family and forces to surrender and opened fire. His accomplice, however, gave himself up. The protests would continue on April 3 and on April 4, the entire resistance and Hurriyat leadership would move towards Shopian to express solidarity with the people and offer condolences to the bereaved families, Hurriyat Conference leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik said in a statement. Earlier, Geelani, Farooq and Ashraf Sehrai were put under house arrest while Malik was detained. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tried to calm frayed nerves after six people died in violence-marred Dalit protests in Madhya Pradesh on Monday over an alleged dilution of a law that safeguards Indias lower-caste communities. He appealed for peace and said his government was committed to protect the interests of schedule caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST) communities and the Union government has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court. According to political experts, who dont want to be named, the protests are not good for Chouhan in an election year as he is already struggling to pacify the states farmers, a major chunk of the electorate, who led a protest last June. At least five farmer-protesters were killed in police firing in Mandsaur that time. In Madhya Pradesh, 82 of 230 seats in the assembly are reserved for the SC and ST communities. These apart, the Dalits and tribals, who are about 37% of the states population, can swing the tide in another 35-40 seats, the political experts said. They said the three-time chief minister is trying to keep these voters happy with doles such as patta, or land lease right, to the SC/ST for government plots they are occupying; highly subsidized food grains; and financial assistance for child births at their homes. According to his minister for general administration Lal Singh Arya, who is also the governments Dalit face, anti-social elements and not Dalits were behind Mondays violence. The clashes were mainly concentrated in the Gwalior-Chambal region, which was considered a Congress bastion, though the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has chipped away the rival partys votes. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made inroads in recent assembly polls. Congress MP for Guna, Jyotiraditya Scindia, tweeted that the region had always been a symbol of peace and non-violence. I make a humble appeal to people to maintain peace. The government should take immediate and concrete steps to restore peace, he said. The BSP legislator for Dimni in Morena, Balbir Dandotiya, accused the BJP of stoking caste politics ahead of assembly elections slated for November-December. This was why the violence mainly happened in Gwalior-Chambal, known for its caste politics, he said. Curfew was clamped in Morena district and areas under four police stations in Gwalior. (With inputs from Mahesh Shivhare in Gwalior and Anupam Pateriya in Sagar) A newsreader of a popular Telugu television channel committed suicide by jumping off the fifth-floor terrace of her apartment in Hyderabad a couple of hours after she returned from work on Sunday night, police said. Venkannagari Radhika Reddy (36), who anchored 9 pm news bulletin on the channel, returned to her flat on the second floor of Srivila Apartments at Moosapet at around 10.40 pm. She left her bag in the flat and went straightaway to the terrace of the five-storeyed apartment and jumped from there. She died on the spot due to multiple injuries to her head and limbs, Kukatpalli assistant police commissioner Bhujanga Rao said. The police recovered a suicide note in Radhikas bag, in which she said she was committing suicide out of depression and nobody was responsible for her death. My brain is my enemy, she said in the suicide note. According to her colleagues, Radhika got divorced from her husband six months ago and had been staying with her parents and sister. She has a 14-year old son who has been suffering from autism. But she never talked about her family problems in the office and was always jovial. She was an efficient worker and anchored several programmes, particularly devotional programmes, one of the news correspondents of the channel said on condition of anonymity. He said Radhika had read her last news bulletin normally, without showing any kind of emotion. We never expected that she would take such an extreme step, he said. The Kukatpalli police a registered a case of suspicious death and took up the investigation. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Sunday demanded a ban on cow slaughter in Tripura and threatened to launch an agitation otherwise. A group of VHP activists, accompanied by Bajrang Dal workers, staged a protest at South Joynagar in Tripura West district, which shares a border with Bangladesh. Cow slaughtering is done by a section of Bangladeshis who have intruded here in the Marxist regime. We want this practice to be stopped immediately, or else we will go for agitation, said VHP, organisational secretary, Amal Chakraborty. The protest was withdrawn after the police intervened, but no complaint was lodged. Soon after, a group of minority community people gathered in front of local BJP MLA, Surajit Dattas residence in Ramnagar and raised the matter of protest by the VHP men. Datta promised to look into the issue and sent them away. After BJP formed the government in Tripura last month, the partys state in-charge, Sunil Deodhar had said that his government would not implement ban on beef consumption as a large percentage of north-eastern people consume beef regularly. Even the previous Left government had opposed implementation of the Centres cattle trade and slaughter rules, as it was against the interest of people. Union minister of state for heavy industries Babul Supriyo, who represents Asansol in the Lok Sabha, said on Monday he wanted to resign from his post and quit politics after the communal violence in the industrial town in West Bengal last week, but was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stay on and fight. Supriyo said, in a series of tweets, he was restrained from walking away by a man who leads by example and works relentlessly for his countrymen ignoring all this noise of deceit and false propaganda. If today I am fighting all this Muck of Falsehood&Politics of Hate in WB, it is thanks 2 our Honble PM who told me how we MUST triumph against all this Dirty Noise by continuing 2 fight with a goal in sight that of Development for ALL, something he DID in Gujarat&HOW, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader tweeted. Supriyo put a career in playback singing on the backburner and plunged into politics before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. In the run-up to the polls, Modi fervently campaigned for the young candidate and urged the Asansol electorate to vote for him. He also lashed out at West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, saying her one and only goal was to stay in power by any hook and crook and that her workers of her Trinamool Party were trying so that there be no opposition. And, I confess that at times I really find it hard 2 convince myself 2 continueHow can a Constitutional Entity like the CM be so uncouth & desperate 2 win elections with unfair means? the 47-year-old tweeted. He said he was being unfairly/brutally treated on social media for being truthful in reporting from ground zero about the continued biased, TMCPartyCadre like behaviour of Police that is igniting fire within a State where Hindu/Muslims resided in complete harmony til MamtaDi came 2 power with the unholy ambition 2 divide&rule. There were no immediate reactions from the ruling party in the state. An FIR was registered against Supriyo for violating prohibitory orders and allegedly manhandling policemen after he was prevented from entering Asansol on March 29. The minister had alleged on Twitter last week that the administration and police did not do anything to stop members of the minority community from attacking the Hindus in Raniganj. Read| Asansol violence: Caught off-guard, Bengal to revamp intelligence mechanism He said on Monday that music has won him hundreds of Muslim friends who agree that MamtaDis appeasement Politics has created a deep-rooted divide in the society. At the end of the day, its all abt my conscience&as the sun rises higher over the sea in Mumbai, I cn sense my rising resolute 2 fight evil TMCI rest my case with 2 TRUE PICTUREs& tell u??We the footsoldiers under the leadership of Honble PM, shall win??Love, Supriyo said. A man was killed and several injured after a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)-backed Ram Navami procession allegedly tried to enter a Muslim-dominated locality in Raniganj on March 26. Two others also lost their lives in related incidents across North 24 Parganas and Purulia districts around that time. While chief minister Banerjee maintains that saffron activists triggered violence in the state, BJP leaders have accused the police of allowing people from the minority community to attack them. Read| Ram Navami communal clashes: Want peace, if you strike back Ill leave, says Asansol imam who lost son Fearing that innocent people might be booked, the imam, who lost his 16-year-old son in the Asansol riots three days ago and stopped local Muslims from retaliating, has decided not to name any suspect before the police. The imam of Nurani Mosque, Moulana Imdadul Rashidi, has made headlines by emerging as a messenger of peace in Asansol. The body of his son, Sibtullah, was recovered on Wednesday. I did not witness my sons murder. He disappeared after the riots broke out in Asansol and I filed a missing complaint with the police. Police started a case of homicide after his body was identified four days ago, the Imam told HT on Sunday. I have decided not to name anyone as suspect in my sons murder since I was not a witness. I cannot let any innocent person land in trouble. Let the police investigate and find out who is guilty, Rashidi said. Speaking to HT in the mosque premises after the zohar (afternoon) namaz on Sunday, Rashidi said some of his people are misinterpreting his views as his reluctance to cooperate in the investigation. Let them speculate. My stand is justified, he said. After Sibtullahs body was recovered, Rashidi displayed great courage and resilience by calming down an agitated Muslim mob that was baying for blood. He even announced that he would leave Asansol for good if his followers resorted to violence. He even offered sermons after last Fridays prayer and told people to maintain peace in Asansol. I have lost my son. But that cannot be the reason for peace being disturbed and people of two communities killing each other. Anyone who fears Allah and loves Allah cannot call for revenge. Forgiving is a lesson of Islam, said the imam. He had no regrets that the team of BJP MPs that visited Asansol on Sunday did not come to his neighbourhood. If they do not want to come here it is their wish. If anyone comes to meet me I will meet him. But I will not allow anyone to gain political mileage through such meetings, he said. Rashidi said none from Trinamool Congress, except Asansols deputy mayor, called him after the tragic incident. Meanwhile, inspired by Rashidis sermon, local Muslim youths have started guarding shops and property belonging to the handful of Hindu families that reside at Shitla Dangal area where Nurani mosque is located. After Sibtullahs body was found some youths got furious. But we calmed them down. Not a single house, shop or the lone Shiva temple was attacked, said Mehtab Alam, a local resident and an avid follower of Rashidi. Another local resident, Md Kalam, said Muslims are keeping a close watch on properties owned by Hindus so that no outsider can create fresh trouble. We will stop a riot- like situation from recurring, he said. R K Verma, a local jeweller, thanked his Muslim neighbours for protecting his shop. I was not in town when the riots took place. I got very scared because there was valuable jewellery inside. When I called up my neighbours assured me that everything would be safe, said Verma. A 27-year old protester was killed in police firing in Alwar on Monday as Dalit protests and a call for Bharat Bandh led to clashes and violence in several districts of the state. Mahendra Choudhary, a police sub-inspector in Jodhpur suffered a heart attack after he was beaten by the protesters. Jodhpur collector Ravi Kumar Surpur said Choudharys condition was critical. The agitation by Dalit groups has been triggered by the Supreme Courts March 20 interpretation of The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. The apex court had banned automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases under the SC/ST Act, a legislation meant to protect the historically discriminated communities from abuse and discrimination. Bhim Sena protestors in Udaipur. (HT Photo) The most severe clashes transpired in Alwar, Bikaner and Barmer. At Hindaun City, the protested uprooted railway tracks and damaged the signals. Until late Monday evening, they had disrupted the rail traffic on the route. NRK Reddy, additional director general (ADG) of police, law and order, said that the violence occurred in most of the districts of the state. The same pattern unfolded everywhere. Those calling for the bandh clashed with the people opposing the bandh. The protesters attacked shops and vehicles, and even indulged in arson, said Reddy. He added that the police had to resort to baton charge and tear gas to disperse the protesters. In addition, over 200 people have been arrested and over 50 policemen have been injured in dealing with the protesters. A vehicle set on fire by protesters in Barmer on Monday. (HT Photo) The protesters indulged in stone pelting at a number of places which led to policemen sustaining injuries. In addition, two police stations were vandalised in Alwar and vehicles were torched by the protesters. Alwar superintendent of police Rahul Prakash said police fired 60 rounds in the air to rein in the protesters. Internet services have been suspended in Bikaner, Hanumangarh, Ganganagar and Churu districts until Tuesday 5 pm. In Bharatpur, Sawai Madhopur, Karauli and Dholpur districts, the services remained suspended from 2 pm till 8 pm on Monday. In Jalore, Jaisalmer, Sirohi, Pali and Barmer districts, the internet services have been suspended indefinitely. The services were suspended in Sikar, Alwar and Udaipur city till Tuesday midnight. An empty market in Ajmer. (HT Photo) Reacting to the protests, chief minister Vasundhara Raje wrote on Twitter, The central government has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court. Everyone is urged to maintain peace in the interests of all communities. Our government is committed to the protection of the rights of SC-ST. State police chief OP Galhotra said that situation had returned to normal in the evening in most places except for one or two. Well arrest the culprits and legal action shall be taken against them, said Galhotra, the director general of police. The protests affected rail traffic on the Jaipur-Delhi and Delhi-Mumbai routes on Monday, forcing the railways administration to cancel several trains on Tuesday. Some trains will run from different stations than their origins, a release from the railways said. Thirteen children were injured, one critically, after they came crashing to the ground from a height of about 10feet during a joy ride at an amusement park near West Bengals Kolkata on Sunday night, officials said on Monday. The accident happened at Eco Park in New Town, Rajarhat when a norwester struck and the gust of winds snapped the nylon ropes that tied the balloon to the ground. We were jumping on the balloon when we were suddenly thrown to the ground, Ipsita Biswas, a child who escaped with bruises on her lips, said. Four children were admitted to a hospital and others sent home after treatment. One of the parks staffs also broke his hand in the accident. Four-year-old Riyan Nayak, who was critically injured, and his seven-year-old sister Manisha Nayak were rushed to the Apollo Hospital near EM Bypass a few minutes before 9pm. Riyan was diagnosed with a head injury and was put on a ventilator, said the hospital authorities. The condition of the Nayaks was described as critical by the hospital authorities and Yatika, 6, and Purbi Sharma, 9 were supposed to be stable. The callous attitude of the authorities was apparent. No one from the authorities came forward to help. It was evident they were unprepared to handle such mishaps, Ipsitas father Gobinda Biswas said. Spread over 480 acres, Eco Park is one of the largest amusement parks in the country and is frequently highlighted by chief minister Mamata Banerjee to attract visitors to the state. Officials at the meteorological office said the wind speed was recorded up to 85km per hour on Sunday evening. We have set up a two-member enquiry committee, Debasish Sen, the chairperson of West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation that is in charge of New Town, said. No complaint was lodged till Monday morning and the police registered a general diary, which is used to record all the major incidents within the jurisdiction of a police station every day. Seventeen people, mostly school children, were injured in August 2012 when the connecting rope of a swirl ride snapped in an amusement park at Nicco Park in Kolkatas Salt Lake township. A 22-year-old woman was killed in November 2016 when a bucket seat of a carousel in a ride in an amusement park in Howrah collapsed throwing her on the concrete floor. When Mahesh Mondal went to Karbala Maidan, a vast field with intermittent patches of green separating slums of Hindus and Muslims in the heart of Raniganj, to answer the call of nature on March 26, he hardly knew his end was near. A Ram Navami procession organised by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) passing through Shaldanga-Vikashnagar area where Mondal lived, moved though the field and some people in the procession allegedly raised slogans threatening Muslims which immediately triggered a violent backlash. The residents from the other side of the field started pelting stones, bricks and bombs. Some of them chased my husband and started hitting him with blunt weapons almost smashing his face, said Mondals widow Nutan Devi (38). Mondal (41) an original resident of Lakhisarai in Bihar, used to earn his living as a porter. The death of Mondal sparked off a series of communal clashes in the two industrial towns of Raniganj and Asansol that has so far claimed at least three other lives according to official records. The scale and intensity of the violence surprised even old residents who could not recall when the last communal clashes took place in these two towns. On March 25, the day of Ram Navami, another procession by the VHP had passed off peacefully. Every year Ram Navami processions are organised in our locality. This year it was bigger in size with many from outside the locality joining the procession. Jai Shree Ram slogans were more vigorously shouted occasionally punctuated by direct threats, said Chanda Mahato, the wife of a cycle van puller and resident of Shaldanga-Vikashnagar. Mahatos neighbour Sarita Paswan said that when the people from Shaldanga-Vikashnagar rushed to rescue of Mondal, people from the other side started attacking them. Some of them were even shouting that anyone trying to rescue Mondal would also be killed. But somehow Mondal was rescued and was first sent to a local government health centre. There he was administered an injection and sent to Marwari Relief hospital, from where he was again referred to another hospital where he was declared dead, said Paswan. Paswan also said that while the attacks took place, some women rushed to the Raniganj police station and asked them to immediately rush police personnel. Initially, they were hesitant. But when we started a demonstration, policemen were deployed around 2 pm and situation slowly calmed down, she said. Although none form the VHP was available for comment, RSS assistant general secretary of Asansol region, B K Jha denied allegations of provocation from the processions. The rallies on both days were absolutely peaceful. The attacks on the rallies were unprovoked, he said. On Monday, almost a week after the clashes, the situation was quite tense on the Karbala side, the neighbourhoods with the Muslim settlements. The situation is tense. Even yesterday, a transformer burst and it triggered a lot of tension, said a police sub-inspector posted at Shaldanga-Vikashnagar. The police stopped the media from visiting the Karbala Maidan area to talk to Muslim slum dwellers. PROHIBITORY ORDERS WITHDRAWN On Monday, the administration lifted prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC in the riot-hit areas of both towns as the situation limped back to normal. Section 144 of CrPC was withdrawn from 6 am on Monday since normalcy has returned to Asansol and Raniganj, said L N Meena, commissioner of Asansol Durgapur Police. The ban on internet services would, however, continue till April 4. We are preparing a list of the dead and those affected by the clashes. We would pay Rs 2 lakh compensation to the next of kin of the dead and Rs 10,000 to those adversely affected, said Asansol mayor Jitendra Tiwari. Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) sent a notice to the chief secretary, home secretary and director general of police of West Bengal and over the alleged failure of law enforcement agencies in protecting the liberty and dignity of people. The NHRC sought a report within four weeks after an on-the-spot inquiry by a team of officers led by someone not below the rank of a senior superintendent of police. (With inputs from Koushik Dutta) With the BJP government in the state rectifying the names of places and institutions, history seems to be repeating itself in Uttar Pradesh. In December last year, the government had amended the UP State Universities Act allowing change in the name of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Agra, by adding another A in Ambedkar. On Wednesday, the government issued a notification inserting Ramji in the name of Dalit icon Dr BR Ambedkar, thereby restoring his original name. A retired government official, who did not wish to be named, said the then BJP government under Kalyan Singh had made an unsuccessful bid in 1992 to change the names of Aligarh to Harigarh, Faizabad to Saket and Allahabad to Prayag. During Yogi Adityanaths tenure as MP, names of various localities in his constituency Gorakhpur were changed at his behest. For example, Humayun Nagar became Hanuman Nagar, Islampur became Ishwarpur and Alinagar became Aryanagar, he said. Last year, the Hindu Yuva Vahini had demanded that Azamgarh be renamed Aryamgarh, which it said was the correct name. The BJP leaders also keep raising the demand for renaming Lucknow as Lakshmanpuri. According to officials familiar with the matter, the current dispensation is believed to be favourably inclined to the demand of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) to rechristen Allahabad as Prayagraj which was the original name before being changed by Mughal emperor Akbar in 1580. Even Adityanath has publicly defended change in names by arguing that these places were renamed after Mughal invasion and it was high time their original identity was restored. SHEDDING COLONIAL BAGGAGE Similar to the BJPs move to rectify names, the post-Independent Congress government in UP had launched a similar campaign by changing spellings and pronunciations of places, rivers etc., purging them of colonial flavour. The SP and the BSP also had their share of name changing. In his book Region, Nation, Heartland Uttar Pradesh in Indias Body Politic historian Gyanesh Kudaisya says: Two aspects of naming came into focus after Independence. The first concerned authentic spellings and pronunciations for place names in the province, and the need for purging colonial misspelling and mispronunciation. The most important names amended for this purpose were the Ganga for the Ganges and Mathura for Muttra. According to Kudaisya, a government notification produced a list of authentic spellings to correct the names of rivers and cities. So, Jumna became Yamuna and Gumti became Gomti. Similarly, Ayodhya, Kanpur, Faizabad and Unnao were the new spellings of prominent cities, which many called Indianisation or nationalisation of names, Kudaisya says. The United Province became Uttar Pradesh after a tortuous hunt for a suitable name, he adds. The rectification was described as shuddhikaran (purification) of names by giving them authentic transliterations. The Congress government was of the view that a national government must take a broad national view of the matter, he says. Senior BJP leader and former minister Lalji Tandon says there is nothing wrong in restoring the correct names of places and personalities if they were changed in the past for certain reasons. Bombay was renamed as Mumbai as it was an English name. There are many other examples, he says. Terming controversy over inserting Ramji in the name of Dr BR Ambedkar as baseless, Tandon says: There are documentary evidences to prove that he used to write his name like that only. All political parties supported the proposal seeking correction in the name of the Dalit icon, he says. Tandon, in his upcoming book Ankaha Lucknow, is understood to have linked the name of Lucknow to Lakshman, the younger brother of Lord Ram. For revelations, wait till the book is launched. Hopefully it will be out next month, he says. The time cap for visitors to the monument of love came in force on Sunday with tourists being issued tickets mentioning a three-hour duration for their stay. Besides, children below 15 years of age were also issued zero value tickets (without charge). Earlier too, children were admitted free. But now they would be issued tickets, although they would not be charged. The initiative by the Archaelogical Survey of India is aimed at having a proper head count of tourists coming to the Taj Mahal. However, not much strictness was enforced on the first day. Tourists were issued tickets with specific time duration mentioned, including entry and exit time, but in many cases, it escaped the attention of the visitors. The ASI and CISF staff too were not very strict about the clause. I do not have any objection to this restriction because three hours are sufficient for a tourist to devote to a monument. However, the ASI should ensure that time of tourists is not wasted beyond a reasonable limit in frisking or other security check, said Sanjay Singh, who came from Jhansi to visit Taj Mahal on Sunday. The time cap for visitors to the monument of love came in force on Sunday. (HT Photo) Munawwar Ali, convenor of Uttar Pradesh Aman Committee, had reservations about fixed time duration. There is nothing bad in such measures which are introduced to regulate the crowd, but this restriction should come with alternate measures for smooth movement of tourists at entry gates. Often it is seen that much time of tourists is wasted in security checks and queues are common at week ends, he said. Rajeev Saxena, secretary, Tourism Guild of Agra, said the restriction would discourage online booking as tourists would be allocated three hour time slot in advance and would be required to reach the Taj in time. Accepting the demand of Oriya Samaj at the Odisha Day event on Sunday, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said the state government would provide land to the Samaj for building a grand Jagganath temple in Lucknow, which will be a replica of the original one in Odisha. Governor Ram Naik, who presided over the event, suggested that the Samaj should build the temple through public donation money. Speaking at the event, Yogi said the Oriya Samaj office-bearers should locate a suitable land for the temple and tell the government how much land they needed for the grand temple. Yogi also said all Indians revered Lord Jagganath and the famous Jagganath Yatra united people. He said the word Utkal in the national anthem was meant for Odisha and thus indicated the glory of the state rich in cultural heritage. Ram Naik welcomed the chief ministers offer of the land for the temple and said: I suggest that Jan-Dhan (money collected from people) should be used to make the temple. Next year the Oriya Samaj will be celebrating its silver jubilee. I still have a year of my tenure as UP governor left. Before that, the land will be available for the temple, and I hope the Oriya Samaj will invite me over when they hold an event on getting the land. The evening also saw cultural events. Oriya Samajs souvenir Nirmalaya and also the Ayodhya Shodh Sansthans Panchang were released. Speaking at the event, principal secretary information and tourism Avnish Awasthi talked about how important Odisha was on Indias tourism map. The president of the Samaj and former UP cadre IAS officer G Patnaik talked about the programmes of the Samaj. Kris Moran had five months to source props for Wes Andersons 2001 film The Royal Tenenbaums, including three to prep. When youre on set, filming, it runs around $2,00,000 per day. You have to be prepared or everything stops, says the set designer. And for the interiors of the Bombay Bread Bar restaurant? One week. The Bombay Bread Bar is the new incarnation of Indian restaurant Paowalla in New Yorks SoHo and is the most recent example of a thoroughly modern restaurant tailor-made for the Instagram generation. When merely turning up the lights wont do, restaurateurs are enlisting experts from stage and screen to make dining spaces that double as photogenic lifestyle moments. Fashion haunts such as Ralph Laurens Polo Bar, which has locations in New York, Chicago, and Paris and was co-designed by Lauren, have known this for years, but the trend has gone Hollywood. At the Bombay Bread Bar, what was once a buttoned-up, monochromatic space is now a vibrant, colourful room, with a giant tiger mural animating the bread oven and a curtain of yellow flowers at the door. The Wes Anderson Restaurant I wanted Paowalla to be fun and energetic, and I wasnt succeeding, says chef Floyd Cardoz. More important, he was doing only half the business he wanted to. Cardoz considered closing, but his friend Will Guidara, co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, encouraged him to hire Moran, whose work included The Darjeerling Limited, which featured a highly stylised view of India. Paowallas transformation to the Bombay Bread Bar would be notable under most circumstances, but that it happened in a week the amount of time it takes most restaurateurs to settle on a paint colour is astonishing. Its also extremely cost-effective. Moran hung the homemade, lotus-printed paper on the walls herself, added blue walls (straight from the Wes Anderson colour palate), and put bright oil cloths on tables. A two-day painting project was done overnight. Costs clocked in around $70,000; a typical New York restaurant build-out can easily hit, and surpass, $1 million. Most traditional designers look at things from an architects point of view, big-picture design points that get expensive, says Cardoz. I said to Kris: We need to make this fun. One week later, shed done it. On film sets, you cant say No. You make a good plan, says Moran. She compares co-owner Cardoz to a director. In film, we approach things from a story point of view. Its different from a restaurant designer who focuses on trends or a new fabric. The results (and Instagram likes) speak volumes: The Bombay Bread Bar has been packed since it opened in early March, with an energetic crowd putting back tamarind margaritas, chickpea battered onion rings, and saag paneer pizza on corn roti. LA Prop Paradise Out west, star chef Curtis Stone liked the props that stylist Kate Martindale chose for his Whats for Dinner? cookbook (Ballantine Books, 2013) so much that he tapped her to work on his house and then on the re-conceptualisation of his elegant, 24-seat restaurant Maude in January. Its now an intimate salon, replete with vintage fabrics and art deco furniture, where guests currently dine on the food and wine of Spains Rioja region, with such dishes as a large, wood-grilled chuleton (rib-eye) and Spanish tortilla. One of my biggest clients is Lauren Conrad, says Martindale, who styled the celebritys best-selling Celebrate (Dey Street Books, 2016), as well as Kate Hudsons Pretty Fun (Dey Street Books, 2017). Believe me, I understand the importance of spaces that telegraph a lifestyle. For Maude, the two-week renovation meant installing velvet, dark-navy leather decor, and antiques that range from old ironstone plates to flea-market artwork in vintage frames. We did not have the budget for fine art, says Martindale, revealing only that it was the high five figures. So instead, every time Curtis changes the menu, shell swap the photographs. Restaurant designers go over budget all the time. They say: I need that chair. Stylists are used to working with tiny budgets, she says. We MacGyver a lot. Atelier-Turned Dining Room Roman and Williams principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch designed the sets for such films as Practical Magic and Zoolander. Yet theyve become renowned for their restaurants, including Le CouCou, which re-introduced New York to fine dining, with grand chandeliers, enough candles to light up a medieval palace, and a kitchen awash in copper. Its the lighting, maitre d Michael Cecchi-Azzolina said in a 2017 interview about what makes the restaurant so special. Roman and Williams made the place feel like a stage by lighting every table, so diners feel like theyre the centre of the room. Now the designers have flipped the script: At their new La Mercerie, inside the Roman and Williams Guild, all the products are for sale, from plates and glasses to flowers, so fans can turn their homes into high-style dining rooms. The Hamilton Effect When the Times Square institution Bond 45 reopened in fall 2017, it did so with the help of David Korins, the Tony-nominated scene designer for Hamilton and War Paint, as well as Dear Evan Hanson. For the upstairs room, Korins recreated the feel of the former restaurant, with tiled floors and mirrored walls, as well as a marble island adorned with antipasti platters. In the subterranean downstairs space, he managed to create the vibe of an Italian patio, with video installations of the Mediterranean and an abstract star field of light bulbs overhead. The design process is similar to Broadway, says Korins. (Donald Holder, the Tony Award-winning lighting designer for The Lion King and South Pacific, also had a hand in the project.) You work with your collaborator, whether its the director or the restaurant owner. You do sketches, you figure out how people will move through the space, then you install. Basically, a restaurant is a theatre preview thats 360 degrees and includes food. Each night, you see hundreds of scripts acted out in a dining room. David Rockwell, a trailblazer in the hybrid world of restaurants and theatre design, concurs, but with a caveat. His Rockwell Group has designed dozens of restaurants, including the new Union Square Cafe and Nobu downtown; he has also won a Tony Award for the set design of She Loves Me, and his newest project is Broadways upcoming Lobby Hero. Both [restaurants and Broadway] are centered on scenography and storytelling, says Rockwell. But while they do share a lot of things, they use very different tool kits, from material selection to technology. I think the power of theatre is the fact that it is temporary, experienced in the moment, and a particular performance cannot be repeated. A restaurant interior thats much more permanent. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more Are you gullible enough to take the bait? Did Coca-Colas all new Avocado flavour excite you? Were you left salivating over Burger Kings Chocolate Whopper? The world, on April Fools Day, was taken for a ride as news portals and tech companies tried their best to circulate carefully crafted fake news. Here is a roundup of some of the funniest April Fools Day jokes: Ola launches Ola News Network Good news - We had quite a fun ride. Bad news - #HappyAprilFoolsDay pic.twitter.com/DFbhQSZs5D Ola (@Olacabs) April 1, 2018 Ola began teasing videos and images of its partner drivers bringing you hyperlocal news from every nook and corner of the country. The cab aggregator asked netizens what issues they want covered on Ola News Network (ONN).This was followed by a 42-second long clip of a parody broadcast report. Reliance introduces Jio Juice Time to say goodbye to chargers and heavy power banks. Introducing #JioJuice. #WithLoveFromJio pic.twitter.com/1YaT5OC5DF Reliance Jio (@reliancejio) March 31, 2018 Another name to join the list of Indian companies playing April Fools Day pranks was Reliance Jio. The company followed its announcement of Jio Prime benefits by tweeting a video of Jio Juice - a 4G sim card that allows users to charge their phones. Twitterati, taken in by the seemingly genuine video, commented that the innovation was revolutionary. The 1-minute clip shows a woman frustrated when her phone runs out of charge. The situation is quickly salvaged when she inserts her Jio sim in order to charge the mobile. Burger King adds the Chocolate Whopper to its menu the NEW chocolate Whopper. coming soon to your local Burger King. maybe. pic.twitter.com/9N1snyYhRX Burger King (@BurgerKing) March 30, 2018 Chocolate lovers, unite! Burger King tweeted a mouth-watering clip of a flame-grilled chocolate patty, raspberry syrup, white chocolate rings milk chocolate leaves, candied blood oranges, vanilla frosting, nestled between two chocolate cake buns. Dream come true, right? Except...it doesnt exist. Get rid of terrible jokes with Googles Bad Joke detector Good morning memes and people who send you terrible jokes are something you dont need in your life. Google realised the huge market, sick of bad jokes, and introduced the Bad Joke Detector. Files Go, using a custom-built deep neural network, scans your smartphone for jokes with your permission, identify the bad ones and delete all of them with a single tap. Too bad its just a cruel joke. Tesla goes bankwupt Elon Musk, the flamboyant boss of Tesla and SpaceX, took to Twitter to joke the electric car-maker, which has been rocked by bad news, was going bankrupt. Elon was found passed out against a Tesla Model 3, surrounded by "Teslaquilla" bottles, the tracks of dried tears still visible on his cheeks. This is not a forward-looking statement, because, obviously, what's the point? Happy New Month! pic.twitter.com/YcouvFz6Y1 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 1, 2018 Despite intense efforts to raise money, including a last-ditch mass sale of Easter Eggs, we are sad to report that Tesla has gone completely and totally bankrupt. So bankrupt, you cant believe it, he wrote. This was followed by a picture of Musk pretending to be passed out with his head on a Tesla Model 3 while holding a sign that read Bankwupt! The prank came amid reports of significant risks ahead for the manufacturer, which is heavily indebted and has not turned a profit since it began operating in 2003. Chetan Bhagat joins Congress Couldnt take it anymore. The country needs to be fixed. Joining Congress. Will be supporting their Karnataka campaign. With RG, lets make a better India. Need your blessings in what is a big move for me. Details here: https://t.co/DcVhWYV3Kx Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) April 1, 2018 Chetan Bhagat, known for his unabashed views on Twitter, joined the April Fool joke bandwagon by tweeting that the country needed fixing and that he was joining the Indian National Congress, sending his 12 million followers into a tizzy. Tweeples were divided, analysing and critiquing Bhagats move to support Rahul Gandhis Karnataka campaign. Say bye to wrinkles with Uber Eats Anti-Aging Ice Cream Feel young with every bite. Who doesnt want smooth and creamy dark chocolate ice cream to fight ageing? Uber Eats fooled several of their followers by introducing the worlds first anti-aging ice cream ensuring zero dark spots, hydrated skin, an even skin tone and reduced fine lines. Turns out eating ice creams is not going to fight that dullness, after all. Free french fries? Yes, please! We're giving you a chance to win a FREE supply of fries for an entire year. Find the hidden code in the image. Hint- you may want to look on the upper left corner. pic.twitter.com/KlIpZfJN2q McDonald's India (@mcdonaldsindia) April 1, 2018 An unlimited supply of french fries through the year? Where can we sign up? McDonalds tweeted a picture of crisp, golden fries asking its customers to avail the offer by looking for a code in the picture. The code? Happy April Fools Day. Sigh. Love avocados? Coca-Cola has your back! Your favourite fruit and drink combined into one? Coca-Cola teased millions with its new range Zero Sugar that flaunts three different flavours - Avocado, Sourdough and Charcoal. Coca-Cola said in a statement: Not only do they promise to be the perfect tasty, sugar-free refreshment, but theyll also double-up as the ideal accessory for any brunch time social media photo guaranteed to see the likes rolling in. This sure sounds like #BrunchGoals; it would have been nice had it been real. Comedian Seth Rogen signs his life over to Netflix ***EXCLUSIVE: NETFLIX ACQUIRES SETH ROGEN IN UNPRECEDENTED BUSINESS MOVE*** pic.twitter.com/0fgWHJhprh Netflix US (@netflix) April 1, 2018 In an unprecedented business move Netflix, on April 1, said it acquired the mind and body of writer, actor, comedian and director Seth Rogen. The new Netflix deal describes the actor as a world-renowned Canadian person and a prolific marijuana-doer. The joke is actually promotion for Rogens Hilarity for Charity - coverage of a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles to raise awareness about Alzheimers disease that you can stream on Netflix on April 6. I should have read this before I signed it, the comedian jokes in the video. While wax museums generally leave visitors in awe, the one in Punjab seems to have broken the trend. The statues in Prabhakars Wax Museum in Ludhiana turned into a laughing stock for their non-resemblance with the personalities concerned. Wax statues of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and Mother Teresa. (ANI/Twitter) On Sunday, ANI reported that 52 statues were unveiled at the Ludhiana museum and shared some pictures on social media. In no time, it left the internet in splits. Several people took to Twitter to share their hilarious takes on the statues, which lacked basic essence of resemblance with the 52 international personalities, which include Narendra Modi, Mother Teresa, Barack Obama, and Sachin Tendulkar and others. Take a look at some of the hilarious reactions: Vikram Betaal ka Betaal pic.twitter.com/HtfreAUbWG Amlan Dutta (@orphean_warbler) April 1, 2018 Itne paise me itnaa hi milega pic.twitter.com/kFy93mxOC2 Bonkers (@rahulkpopat) April 1, 2018 never knew @michaeljackson played in Shiv Mohan Band....They didn't bring him along for my marriage... pic.twitter.com/CeRWq1FFLa Rocky (@rockybatra) April 1, 2018 Horror wax museum VictorAlpha (@dredbaron) April 1, 2018 Follow @htlifeandstyle for more Your favourite chocolates may be significantly harming the environment, say scientists who found that the UK chocolate industry produces about 2.1 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in a year. A study, published in the journal Food Research International, looked at the carbon footprint of chocolate and its other environmental impacts. Researchers from the University of Manchester in the UK assessed the impact of ingredients, manufacturing processes, packaging and waste. The study estimates that the UK chocolate industry produces about 2.1 million tonnes of greenhouse gases a year. This is equivalent to the annual emissions of the whole population of a city as large as Belfast. It also found that it takes around 1,000 litres of water to produce just one chocolate bar. On average, each person individually consumes about eight kilogramme of chocolate per year, researchers said. They found the raw materials used to produce chocolate as well as the packaging are the major environmental hazard. The impact from the ingredients are mainly due to milk powder, cocoa derivatives, sugar and palm oil. Most of us love chocolate, but dont often think of what it takes to get from cocoa beans to the chocolate products we buy in the shop, said Adisa Azapagic, professor at the University of Manchester. Cocoa is cultivated around the equator in humid climate conditions, mainly in West Africa and Central and South America, so it has to travel some distance before it makes it into the chocolate products we produce and consume in the UK, said Azapagic. According to the International Cocoa Organisation, the annual production of cocoa beans in 2016 was 4.25 million tonnes. The worldwide sales of chocolate are estimated to be worth more than USD 101 billion. Production of the milk powder used to make milk chocolates is very energy-intensive. Dairy cows also produce significant green house gas emissions per litre of milk produced. All of this adds to the environmental impact of chocolate. We hope this work will help the chocolates industry to target the environmental hotspots in the supply chains and make chocolate products as sustainable as possible, said Azapagic. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more Its said that we all have one unique talent gifted to us at the time of birth. Those of us who are lucky, discover it soon, while others spend a lifetime trying to find it.These young adults with autism already know their true calling and they are making the best of it to live an enriching life.They remind us of these beautiful words by psychologist Colin Zimbleman, Autism offers a chance for us to glimpse an awe-filled vision of the world that might otherwise pass us by. Using their unique talents such as painting, singing and designing, these incredible young people are doing their bit to make this world a happier place. We took them to meet luminaries from various walks of life to help carve out a career they love. Read their inspiring stories: Noted tech guru Rajiv Makhni discusses technology, phones and more with Devesh Kumar, an autistic design professional. (Photo: Jasjeet Plaha/HT) A number wizard who loves design Devesh Kumars autism was detected when he was eight months old. At two, he joined a school for children with special needs. There were times when we had to tie him to a chair because he was super active. I got heartless remarks from people and stopped taking him out, says his mother, Anjali Kumar. Now, 27, Devesh is a design and technology enthusiast and Anjali is proud of her son. Devesh works from home to create e-commerce ads. He met noted tech guru and columnist Rajiv Makhni and surprised him with his calendar calculation skills. He is a genius. I cant believe that he is so good with numbers, said Makhni. Rahul Menon impresses popular RJ Stutee Gosh of Fever 104 with his soulful rendition of dohas from Ramcharitmanas. (Photo: Jasjeet Plaha/HT) A song on my lips, a prayer in my heart Rahul Menon, 23, is totally fascinated by cops. When he enters his school, he salutes his teachers. He is also religious and goes to the temple every evening. When we requested Rahul to sing for us, he impressed us with his soulful rendition of dohas from Ramcharitmanas. A fan of all things Bollywood, Rahul came to Fever 104 studios to sing along with popular RJ Stutee Ghosh. He switched from his favourite bhajans to Bollywood hits. Rahul will be soon learning Indian classical music at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. His singing reminded me of old bhajans that we learnt in school. It was such a pleasure to have him. God has blessed him with utter innocence and his voice reaches straight to your heart, says Ghosh. Baker Ankit Bharadwaj learns creative plating from talented chef Siddharth Chogle at Kiara Soul Kitchen. (Photo: Jasjeet Plaha/HT) Baking beautiful dreams When he was a kid, academics didnt interest Ankit Bharadwaj at all. His parents were worried about his future. At 16, Ankit and his parents realised that nothing excited him like baking. He would spend hours in the kitchen watching his mom bake, and soon he started baking cakes himself. In 2007, he trained to be a baker at Tamana Special School. Now, the 32-year-old is an assistant at the bakery in the school. We took him to meet talented chef Siddharth Chogle at Kiara Soul Kitchen, a restaurant that focuses on vegetarianism. The chef taught Ankit how to plate dishes creatively. Ankit impressed everyone with his enthusiasm to learn. Gaurav Bahuria, a front desk officer at Tamana Special School, meets corporate honcho Vinamra Shastri at his office . (Photo: Jasjeet Plaha/HT) Duty, dedication define this young man Gaurav Bahuria, 27, loves working on the computer. He always wanted to be a white-collar worker. After training, he was appointed as a front desk officer at one of Tamana Special Schools centers. We took him to meet corporate honcho Vinamra Shastri, of the professional services firm, Grant Thornton. Gauravs eyes lit up with joy as we entered the posh and newly built office in Aerocity. When Shastri gave him a tour of the highly technologically developed space, he said, I would love to work in such an office. Shastri was very impressed by Gaurav. Gaurav is an inspiration. Young people like him shatter all myths about autism. What his school and family have done is phenomenal, said Shastri. Gaurav also got a few invaluable tips from Shastri on how to succeed in corporate life. Dr Shayama Chona, founder and president, Tamana Special School mentors Jitin Kewalramani, 30, who loves to paint. (Photo: Jasjeet Plaha/HT) Painting the world pretty Jitin Kewalramani, 30, paints beautiful flowers on walls and landscapes on canvas. He joined Tamana Special School when he was eight. When Jitin came to us, his parents had no hope that he would grow out of autism and learn anything. We realised that he had a desire to paint. When he paints, he gets completely absorbed. He is doing great, says Dr Shayama Chona, founder-president of the school, a noted academic and Padma Bhushan awardee. The school has set up an art gallery to feature Jitins art work. We wish that someday his artwork gets recognised. We want him to hone his art and be able to earn for himself, says Dr Chona. The government has asked more than 1,600 of its staffers to vacate their dilapidated houses in staff quarters in Government Colony in Bandra East. Years after the governments public works department (PWD) promised to redevelop the 60-year-old colony, families of staffers are still living under dangerous roofs of their poorly-maintained apartments. Since November 2017, PWD has been issuing notices, stating that it cannot afford structural repairs of the quarters and that residents should move out immediately. Further, it has stated that if residents do not move out, the government would not be responsible for loss of life or damage to property. HT visited the Colony and saw parts of walls, ceilings and pillars missing in many houses. Supporting beams of the buildings have lowered with weight and moss has eaten into walls. The PWD said it plans to use advanced technology from Nagpur to repair and strengthen the foundation and support beams of the structures. Apart from the 1,600 houses, we have identified 700 more that are dangerous to reside in. On priority basis, this technology will be used to temporarily increase the lifespan of the structures, PWD minister Chandrakant Patil said. The state government has planned to develop the colony, spread on a 93-acre land, with the help of Korean Land and Housing Corporation, an undertaking of the South Korean government. Three blocks, consisting of 12 buildings each, have already been vacated in the last three years. The 270 houses were demolished and families were shifted to other empty houses in the Colony. Last year, the ceiling in the house of the Gaikwad family fell, but they have not moved out. Ankita Gaikwad, wife of government employee Areratna and mother of two, said, I sent a letter to the PWD to fix the ceiling immediately. But they sent an evacuation notice in reply to my letter. After sending in more complaints, PWD workers finally fixed the ceiling a couple of days ago. But, the work is so shoddily done that I am scared it would happen again. As rent for the house, the government deducts 30 percent from its employees salary. Another Rs250-Rs500 is collected from each employee as house maintenance charges. Residents said that despite paying these charges, little repair work was taken up and that too, done haphazardly. The Satpute family, that has lived in the quarters for two generations, said the buildings used to be maintained well earlier. Panchpula Satpute, 62, said, Some 20 years ago, even if we complained about a broken window, the responsible authority would fix it immediately. Now, they just make excuses even if the whole ceiling comes down. President of Government Colony Residents Association (GCRA), Rajeev Ambadekar said, We pay so much rent and maintenance charges. Still, no major repair work has been done in the last two years. The condition of the houses worsen during monsoons, said residents. According to a civil contractor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the floodwater does not flow out of the Colony because of low-lying drains and roads on higher ground. Resident Vilas More, a class III government employee who has been living in the Colony since 1971, said, Every year, we face severe leakages during rains. A slab almost fell on my son once who was sitting in the balcony last year. But no one came to make repairs. There is fear among the residents--fear of living in dilapidated structures that collapse any day. However, they added, there is no other viable housing option. Santosh Sawant and his family, who moved to the Colony just four years ago, received a notice to vacate their apartment on February 14. We shifted to the colony from Thane. Now, suddenly we have been asked to evacuate this place? Where will we go from here? questions Sawant. In response to this question, Patil said, We have provided 1,100 new houses in Ghatkopar to the affected families on rental basis but they have refused to move there. Families are unwilling to move so far away from their offices and schools. Ambadekar suggested that the government build new towers in place of the demolished buildings and shift families there till more towers are built. There is no need for us to move outside the Colony. The redevelopment work can be done in phases, added Ambadekar. A 10-year-old boy from Jui village in Kamothe drowned in a pond on Monday. His body was fished out of water by the fire brigade officials in the evening. According to the police, Tushar Rankhambe stayed with his parents in the village. Around 1 pm after returning from school, he had gone for a swim in the village pond. The boys parents were not home and hence, they were not aware that the boy had been to the pond. On reaching home in the afternoon, the boys parents did not find him, and started a futile search for him in the village. Later, they found the boys clothes on the bank of pond, said a police officer from Kamothe police station. The worried parents informed us about their missing son. We called the fire brigade officials who fished the body out around 5.30 pm, he said. Prima facie, it appears that the boy drowned because he was not a good swimmer. Unfortunately, there was no one around to save him. We have registered case of accidental death, another police officer said. The boy was a Class five student in a local government school. The initial medical reports suggested that he died due to suffocation from drowning. We will take statements of his family members, friends and other people from the neighbourhood to get more details, the officer said. Read more: Three-year-old boy drowns in water tank in Mumbai The deceaseds body was sent to Panvel rural hospital for postmortem, after which it was given to his family. The postmortem reports are yet to come. Ashok Naik, senior police inspector of Kamothe police station said, No one has claimed to have seen the boy getting into the pond. So for now, we believe that he was alone by the pond. But we are investigating to find out if some of his friends or any other people from the village were with him when the incident took place. The body of an 11-year-old boy was found in a deserted place in Mandala, Mankhurd on Monday morning. Jeet Sharma lived in a slum area in Mankhurd, with parents and brothers. His father, who works as a mason, is currently out of town. Sharma had been missing from his home since Sunday night. His body was discovered by a garbage cleaner near a temple, in the vicinity of a kiln that had been shut for several years. Before his body was discovered, his family members in the early hours of Monday approached the police and reported him as missing. The police registered a case of kidnapping, as per the Supreme Court directive stating that all complaints of missing children under the age of 14 be filed as cases of kidnapping. The boy left his residence on Sunday night. When he did not return, his family members began searching for him, said Shahji Umap, deputy commissioner of police, zone 6. There are no visible injuries on his body. We are waiting for the post-mortem reports so we can ascertain the cause of death, said Umap. The boy was last seen participating in a local Hanuman Jayanti procession on Sunday, said Sanjay Vernekar, senior police inspector, Mankhurd police station. The police have prima facie ruled out sexual assault but are yet to investigate further. They are also trying to trace down any eye witnesses in the case. The nation-wide bandh called by Dalit outfits on Monday, to protest the alleged dilution of the Scheduled Castes and ScheduledTribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by the Supreme Court, has evoked lukewarm response in Mumbai, as well as across the rest of Maharashtra. The legislation, enacted in 1989 and strengthened in 2005, is aimed at protecting marginalised communities from abuse and discrimination. Though Prakash Ambedkars Bahujan Bharipa Mahasangh (BBM) has supported the bandh, its workers were not spotted participating in it actively in the morning, and Dalit-dominated areas such as Worli and Naigon were functioning as normally as the rest of the city. Most Mumbaiites were unaware of the bandh as they stepped out of their homes in the morning. I didnt know there was a bandh; I am working today, said Vaibhav Khamkar, who works as a driver. Dharamshi Jain, owner of a clothes shop in Dadar, was equally clueless. Everything is normal here, he said. Many shops in several areas are closed, but thats because Monday is their weekly off. Traffic also remained undisrupted across the city during the morning peak hours. Last month, the Supreme Court banned automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases under the Atrocities Act, and also made it mandatory for the police to hold a preliminary enquiry that does not exceed a weeks time. The central government is set to file a review petition against the order. Currently, the SC/ST Act bars a court from granting anticipatory bail to a person accused of an offence under it. On receiving a complaint, the police have to register a First Information Report (FIR) immediately and arrest the accused. A person convicted under the Act faces between six months in prison and capital punishment, depending on the nature of the crime. The Bombay high court on Monday cancelled bail granted to the founder trustee of an international school in Andheri, who has been booked for aggravated sexual assault of a three-year-old kindergarten student. The trustee, a French national, will have to surrender immediately before a special Pocso (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) court , as Justice Revati Mohite-Dere rejected his lawyers plea for some time to surrender. Once I come to the conclusion that the order granting bail is perverse, there is no question of granting time to surrender to Respondent No. 1 [the trustee], Mohite-Dere said, dismissing the request. Acting on a plea filed by the mother of the kindergarten student, the court struck down the special Pocso court order of November 24, 2017, that had granted bail to the accused, on the grounds that the observations made by the special court were contrary to case records. The special court had given bail to the school trustee saying that there was no incriminating evidence against him, and that he was neither named by the complainant in the First Information Report, nor in her statement recorded by a magistrate.The high court, however, found this observation contrary to record and said that prima facie, there is sufficient evidence pointing towards complicity of Respondent No. 1. Mohite-Dere noted that the child had identified the trustee as the perpetrator of the crime through a photograph, and that all statements recorded by police were consistent with the complicity of Respondent No. 1. Though the incident allegedly took place in late 2016, it came to light in May 2017, after the childs parents noticed changes in her behaviour, and found she had difficulty in sitting and walking. When they asked her if anyone had hurt her or touched her inappropriately, she answered positively and identified the photograph of the founder trustee as the boy teacher who hurt her, the childs mother said in her complaint. On the basis of complaint filed by the mother, the MIDC police station registered an offence under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Pocso Act. The trustee was arrested on November 7, 2017, after the childs parents filed a writ petition in high court alleging police inaction; he was released on bail a fortnight later. In what is causing huge losses to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), renewal of the lease of over 80 leasehold plots out of 160 that come under the Schedule W category, is now stuck in limbo, as the policy that will enable their lease renewal was postponed by the Shiv Sena in the general body last month. As the clearance of the policy is expected to jeopardise Shiv Senas plan of constructing a theme park at Mahalaxmi Racecourse, a Schedule W property, the proposal has reportedly been postponed, putting the decision on hold. While lease on 104 Schedule W plots (co-owned by BMC and the state) expired between 2009 and 2017, BMC completed inspecting them in March, to check for breaches in their contract before renewing their lease, and found breaches in over 80 of the leasehold plots. Only 24 out of 104 with expired leases have no breaches at all. Their leases can be renewed with no trouble. Out of the 80 others, BMC has sent show cause notices to 34 of them, and breaches notices to those remaining. The civic body wants to renew their lease, but it can be done only after the breaches are regularised or removed. A senior civic official of the civic bodys estate department said, We are facing a loophole, we cannot renew lease agreements without regularisation of the breaches, but the breaches cannot be regularised without lease renewal. Thats where the breaches policy would help, but it has been postponed again, by the general body. As the renewal of their lease agreement is pending, BMC stands to lose crores of rupees in the form of rent, with every passing month of the delay. These plots are prime properties in South Mumbai, which were leased out for 30 to 99 years at nominal rates, (as per the prevalent rates of the time), anywhere between Rs1,500 to Rs50,000 per annum. According to this policy, the leases of the plots whose agreements have expired but cannot be renewed due to breaches or violation of lease conditions will get renewed for a tentative period of three years. Within this time, the tenants can regularise all breaches by paying a fine amounting to 7.5% of the ready reckoner rate. After three years, if all breaches are regularised, the BMC will take a call on renewing the lease for a longer duration. However, the breaches policy will also enable the state government to take a call on renewing the lease of several leasehold plots including the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC)-run Mahalaxmi Racecourse. In 2016, the state government approved the renewal of lease of Schedule W properties, which would be carried out by the civic body, while excluding some plots from its purview, like the Mahalaxmi Racecourse. A senior civic official said, The state government will take a decision about the racecourses lease, only after the breaches policy is passed. Presently the ball in is Senas court regarding the fate of Mahalaxmi Racecourse as the breaches policy is pending in BMC. The ruling Sena has stalled the policy for over a year, since it was first proposed in the civic improvements committee in December 2016. Its passage in the general body will enable the state government to decide whether to continue the lease of Mahalaxmi Racecourse. This is likely to jeopardise Sena chief Uddhav Thackerays plans to construct a theme park on a portion of the 225-acre racecourse land located in the heart of the city. Yashwant Jadhav, leader of the house in BMC said, We only want to discuss and understand the policy further. That is why we postponed it. Of the 650 cities and towns located along polluted river stretches in the country, Maharashtra has 161 or 25% the highest in India according to the Union environment ministry. In a written statement to a question in Rajya Sabha last week, Mahesh Sharma, minister of state, Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) said after Maharashtra, Assam had the second-highest number of cities and towns along polluted river stretches at 49, then West Bengal with 47, Gujarat with 38, UP and MP both with 37. The details come five months after HT reported the state has 49 of 302 polluted river stretches in India, the highest across 29 states, according to a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report. Some of the most polluted rivers include Mithi, Godavari, Bhima, Ulhas, Tapi, Kundalika, Panchganga, Mula-Mutha, Pelhar, Penganga, Vaitarna etc. The MoEFCC report identified inputs submitted individually by state pollution control boards. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) said the top 10 most polluted cities and towns were Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nanded, Akola, Nagpur, Sangli, Amravati, Kalyan, and Panvel. READ: Mumbai is breathing a large amount of harmful pollutants, shows ministry report Since these reports have been collated by the ministry, we have improved the water quality of 15 of the 49 most polluted stretches so far. While Mithi remains a challenge, all 27 municipal corporations are working hard to improve water quality of all these cities and towns, and based on our action plan, which has already been executed at Nagpur, Nashik and Nanded, we expect water quality to improve significantly across all 49 stretches in the next 18 months, said P Anbalagan, member secretary, MPCB. We should not forget Maharashtra has the maximum number of water quality monitoring stations (250), and this also allows better reporting of data. He said Mula-Mutha, Godavari, Tapi, Nira and Bhatsa were some of the rivers that had recorded a considerable improvement in water quality. As a part of our action plan, we had divided the list of rivers into four priority levels for faster treatment. Apart from Mithi, enforcement on ground regarding all rivers under priority 1 and 2 have been completed, and the results will be visible soon. Enforcement measures for priority 3 and 4 are underway, said Anbalagan. Senior officials said the reason for poor water quality was negligible flow and less dilution in 24 of the 49 polluted stretches. Prior to the construction of dams and population expansion with river water being used for irrigation purposes, the natural flow of majority of rivers was good throughout the year. Rivers had self-purification capacity. From 1980 onwards, the advent of development and technology allowed more dams, irrigation projects, and bunds along these rivers, which curtailed the natural flow. Over the next two decades, domestic waste and faecal matter began stagnating along various stretches, making them polluted, said YB Sontakke, joint director, water quality, MPCB adding that only during monsoon, the flow increased and dilution was better. He said the only remedy was stop the waste entering the river and stop it at source. This has begun in various areas in the state with the development of sewage treatment plants and stopping all industries from releasing effluents directly into the sea, said Sontakke. However, while there might be an action plan and proper focus with respect to our efforts, the support from the central government has been limited. When they (central government) are aware that there is a pollution problem in Maharashtra, why arent they providing funds to state, district and municipal level to treat sewage similar to what is provided for clean drinking water. STATE GOVERNMENT SPEAKS We are imposing stricter effluent discharge norms as per Central Pollution Control Board guidelines across the state, and the directives have already been issued. The municipal authorities have to keep effluents from these cities and towns in check, and ensure they adhere to these norms scrupulously. Some cities like Nagpur, Pune and Nanded are on track. We will give others considerable time frame to comply but if they fail to do so, these municipal bodies will be have to bear heavy penalty, said Satish Gavai, additional chief secretary, state environment department. A major fire broke out in an oil storage godown in Bhiwandi and spread rapidly, burning down nine other godowns, early on Monday. At least 10 godowns where oil and tyres are stored in Shree Ganesh Compound at Gundawali village in Bhiwandi have been charred, officials confirmed. The spot is around 31km from Mumbai. Six fire tenders from Kalyan, Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi and Thane are currently fighting to douse the fire. The fire has spread to several godowns, so it is difficult to douse it completely soon. Our officials are working at the site, said a fire officer from Bhiwandi, who did not wish to be named. Officials said property to the tune of Rs 1 crore has got damaged, as per initial estimates. No people were caught or hurt in the blaze as it started early morning, the official said. Locals called the fire brigade as soon as they noticed the fire, said Amar Shaikh, who works in one of the godowns. There are several godowns in the area. Most of them store highly inflammable items such as oil and tyres. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. The Byculla police have arrested a 45-year-old man for allegedly raping his 16-year-old stepdaughter. The girl had reportedly sought help from her mother, but after receiving no help from her, she approached the police herself and filed a complaint. The accused was produced in court on Friday and remanded in police custody for five days. According to the police, the girl had dropped out of school due to financial problems after completing her education till Class 9. She resides in Byculla with her mother, who works as a domestic helper, and her two younger brothers. Her mother married the accused in 2009, after her passed away that same year. The accused works as a labourer on a contract basis. He allegedly raped her multiple times over the course of a year, when her mother used to go to work. When the girl approached her mother, the latter confronted the accused but was threatened with dire consequences. She complained to her mother thrice, but her mother was unable to help her. Following this, she ran away from home on Wednesday and approached the police on Thursday, said a police official. A case was registered under sections 323, 376, 377, 504 and 506 (2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of the protection of children from sexual offence (POCSO) Act, 2012. Avinash Shingte, senior police inspector, Byculla police station, said, We have arrested the accused who is the complainants stepfather. On Friday, he was produced in court and was remanded in police custody for five days. Further investigation is on. It took 28 days for the doctors at Bhatia hospital to revive 80-year-old Dinoo Irani, who slipped into a semi-comatose state and suffered kidney and partial heart failure after consuming medicines for reducing cholesterol. Irani had undergone an angiography at a south Mumbai hospital in February after which she was put on Rosuvastatin 40mg a cholesterol-reducing statin used for treating cardiovascular ailments. But within a month of taking the medication, Irani stopped passing urine. Her family then contacted Dr Samrat Shah, consultant internist and metabolic specialist, at Bhatia Hospital. Family speaks We live in Canada and rushed back after being informed that she wasnt passing urine and was unable to stand on her own. We sought Dr Shahs opinion. He was my fathers physician for seven years and knows about my mothers health issues as well, said Feruza Irani, Dinoos daughter. Initial tests revealed Dinoos creatinine, a marker of kidney functions, had jumped to 9mg/dL from a healthy 1.1mg/dL. The normal range for women is 0.7-1.3mg/dL. Dinoo was immediately put on dialysis after being diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure. Upon discovering that she was taking a heavy dose of statin, we performed a creatine phosphokinase (CPK) test to examine muscle injuries. High CPK levels revealed her muscles were being excreted into the urine and her kidneys were not able to flush out the toxins, said Shah. During her 17-day stay in the ICU, Dinoo also contracted blood infections that aggravated her existing medical complications. The treating nephrologists had lost all hope, but her blood pressure was holding up. I thought with change in medication, multidisciplinary treatment and positive approach of the family, she may pull through, Shah added. Finally, Dinoo was discharged on Sunday. She is out of the drowsy state and is communicating as well. Her creatinine levels have dropped and kidney functions have improved, said Feruza. Health hazard Dr Shah warned about the hazards of prescribing statins without studying medical history or performing relevant tests on patients. He added, Majority of medical emergencies in senior citizens result from wrong medication. Prescribing statins on the basis of creatinine test is not enough because they give a vague idea of kidney functions. If we conduct an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to study kidneys condition and its role in renal physiology, along with CPK, it gives us a better idea of whether a patient will be able to sustain high dose or not. The CBI on Monday approached the special court to question Vipul Ambani who held the post of President (finance) of the Nirav Modi-controlled Firestar group of companies in connection with the Punjab National Bank fraud. The CBI arrested Ambani, listed among the 12 accused, on February 20. After completing the maximum time permissible in police custody, he was remanded in judicial custody. On Monday, the agency claimed they need to interrogate him over the voluminous records for two days. During the investigation of this case, certain new material and facts have surfaced regarding the role of Vipul Ambani in the matter of cheating PNB by the 3 firms of Nirav Modi group namely Diamonds R US, Stellar Diamonds and Solar Exports. Further, there are voluminous documents pertaining to the issuance of fraudulent LoUs which are further to be confronted with Vipul Ambani and therefore, his examination in judicial custody is necessary, reads the application filed by CBI on Monday. The plea was objected by his lawyer Pranav Badheka. The court is scheduled to pass an order on the plea by Tuesday. Meanwhile, the special CBI court on Monday extended the judicial custody of four accused, including Ambani and Kavita Mankikar, Arjun Patil and Ramesh Jindal to April 16. While seeking extension of Ambanis custody, CBI claimed he, being the president (finance), was fully aware of the fraudulent and illegal LoUs issued by co-accused Gokulnath Shetty on behalf of the three firms. The agency also claimed that Ambani had met the accused bank officials and had dishonestly tried to mislead the bank to cover up the crime. The Enforcement Directorate probing money laundering of funds obtained through LoUs issued from PNB bank has obtained a letter of request (LR - letter of Rogatory) for two more countries namely Singapore and Kingdom of Bahrain against diamond merchant Nirav Modi. The agency has sought information of Modis business activities, account details and also properties so placed in the two countries from the respective authorities. The LRs so issued would be sent to two government authorities through ministry of external affairs for its execution. A teacher who helped a Sangli family that had witnessed the kidnapping of Sohrabuddin Shaikh and his wife Kausarbi translate and understand their statement recorded in Gujarati to Marathi was declared hostile on Monday. The teacher, Naginbhai Rathod, is the 43rd witness to have been declared hostile in this case so far. He was a crucial witness in the case because he had translated the statement of four members of the Apte family which was recorded in Gujarati by the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Gujarat into Marathi. The family had accepted the content of their statement as true, when the statement was explained to them by Rathod. However, since the family members had turned hostile during the trial, the prosecution had heavily relied on Rathods evidence to prove the abduction of the couple. As per the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) case, members of Apte family, namely Sharad Apte, his wife Anjali and daughter-in-law Manjhusha had travelled in the same bus boarded by Sohrabuddin and Kausarbi from where they were allegedly abducted by officials of Gujarat Police, before being killed. The three, along with Sharads son Amit, were crucial witnesses for CBI to prove abduction of the couple from the bus. However, when they came before the court they went back on their statement and claimed they did not notice any such incident. Hence, they were declared hostile by the prosecution. When CBI took over the probe, the family alleged that the statement recorded by the Gujarat police was in Gujarati and they were not aware about the contents of the same. Hence, CBI with the help of the local school principal approached Rathod to translate and explain the statement. Rathod, in his statement to CBI on March 3, 2010, claimed he had visited police headquarters on the instruction of his principal. He also claimed he was introduced to Sharad and Amit by the officers. The statement states that Rathod read their statement, dated September 22, 2006, to Sharad and Amit and also explained its contents in Marathi. They both confirmed the contents of all the statements to be true, read Rathods statement. However, on Monday when the teacher came before the court, he claimed that he has neither met the Apte family, nor has he visited the police headquarters. He further claimed he had only translated some pages from Gujarati to Marathi. Thus, he was declared hostile. The MRA Marg police have booked two people for flying a drone within city limits. They were caught flying the drone on Thursday at Ram Gulab Marg in Ballard Pier at around 10pm. The two accused have been identified as Huzefa Idris Muktiyar, 26, and Yusuf Firoz Lokhandwala, 26. Muktiyar is a resident of Nepean Sea Road, Lokhandwala owns a hardware shop and is a resident of Khetwadi. Flying drones in the Mumbai region has been banned due to security reasons, said the police. They added that the two men did not take permission from authorities prior to the act. Mangesh K, a police constable at MRA Marg police station, was on night patrol duty in the area when he had noticed the two accused. He asked them whether they had any permission for flying the drones. They said they didnt and were doing it just for fun. They claimed to have purchased it for Rs1,200. A case has been registered against the two accused under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian penal code (IPC), said Sukhlal Varpe, senior police inspector of MRA Marg police station. We took the statements of both accused and informed them about the security reason behind the ban. We regularly issue notices to inform people about the ban. We have booked the two men for disobeying the order, he added. Flying drones, para-gliders and micro light aircrafts are banned in Mumbai for safety reasons as police have received intelligence inputs multiple times that terrorists may use such equipments for a strike. In order to fly drones in Mumbai, it is mandatory to secure a permission from the police, said a senior police officer. In a bid to have experienced leaders at the helm of crucial committees of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Shiv Sena leadership directed its key leaders to file nominations for it. The four statutory committees standing, education, improvements and Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport undertaking (BEST) committees are set to new heads. Yashwant Jadhav, Mangesh Satamkar, Ashish Chemburkar and Dilip Lande filed their nomination papers for the posts on Monday. Jadhav, who is the leader of the house in the civic body, filed nomination for the post of chairperson of the standing committee. The standing committee is a 26-member statutory body which handles the allotment of tenders and controls the treasury. The standing committee is headed by Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Korgaonkar, who is viewed as a soft, low-profile leader. Sena corporators Satamkar and Chemburkar filed nomination for the posts of chairperson of Education committee and BEST committee respectively. Dilip Lande, the former MNS corporator, who defected to the Sena, will be accommodated as the head of the improvements committee, for which he filed the nomination papers on Monday. Uddhavji wanted strong leaders to be at the helm of the key committees to take up crucial issues. Satamkar and Chemburkar, who are heavyweights, had to be accommodated on posts after they resigned from the civic standing committee in February. Lande, who was the leader of the MNS group, had to be rewarded with a post. He is a strong leader, said a senior Sena leader. The Sena has put up its most experienced battery of leaders at the forefront to aggressively implement the Sena agenda, especially in areas where ally BJP is on the opposite spectrum. This includes the lease renewal and breaches policy which can decide the fate of Mahalaxmi Race Course, where Thackeray is keen on setting up a theme park. It also includes policy on open space. The Sena corporators are expected to be elected unopposed as the opposition has not filed any nomination for the posts. Every year, political parties can nominate its corporators to replace members and chairpersons of the statutory committees. Politically, the Sena, which now has a comfortable lead in the civic body with 93 corporators over the Bharatiya Janata Partys 84, would use the opportunity to get in leaders with a voice to take up issues related to Mumbai residents. Senior Sena corporators said former mayor Shraddha Jadhav could be appointed as the leader of the house. Ahead of the 2019 general elections, state governments seem to be competing with each other to woo Dalit voters in the name of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. While the Uttar Pradesh government announced it would use Dr Ambedkars full name in all its records, which means including his middle name Ramji, the Maharashtra government has rolled out a slew of projects at 39 sites and structures that are historically linked to him. Amid incidents of violence against members of the Dalit community in parts of the country, the state has already announced the makeover, preservation of historically significant sites or construction of memorials the most important is at Indu Mills in Mumbai, which will cost the government Rs709 crore and the restoration of Ambedkars London residence, which will cost Rs35 crore. The government also allocated Rs5 crore to maintain the bungalow this year. Spending on repairs and renovation at other memorials, culturally important to the Scheduled Caste community, is expected to cost the state exchequer around Rs50 crore. With elections approaching, caste equations have become politically significant in the state as the Buddhist population constitutes 5.81% of its population (more than 6.5 million people). The population of the SC community in the state is 1.2 crore, according to the population census conducted in 2011. The social justice department of the state government is renovating 28 places in the first phase, including Dr Ambedkars bungalow at Talegaon Dabhade, 27km from Pune. In the second phase, 11 other places would be taken up for repair and renovation, said Dinesh Waghmare, secretary of the department. Some of the other places include Deeksha Bhoomi at Nagpur where Ambedkar converted to Buddhism, Sant Rohidas Bhavan in Mumbai, Bharatiya Baudhh Bhavan, Pune;Budhh Bhavan, Kalmeshwar (Nagpur); Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar auditorium and meditation centre in Thane; development works at Naigaon village in Satara district of western Maharashtra, which is the birth place of social reformer Savitribai Phule, among others. The expenditure on each is between Rs50 lakh to Rs2 crore. The decision to renovate these sites was taken in 2016. However, funds were allocated last year. The government is expected to complete work in the next five years, Waghmare said. Former minister and newly appointed chairman of the Scheduled Caste department of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), Nitin Raut, while lashing out at the government, termed the decision a political move. The state government believes that by making monuments it can woo the community. But the fact is Dr Ambedkar wanted to make Dalits self-reliant. Today, students of the backward classes are not getting scholarships. For the past four years, government recruitments have been frozen depriving the youths from the community from their right of jobs. The government is spending only monuments, Raut said. Madhav Bhandari, state BJP spokesperson, said, Our government had to take up the renovation of these monuments and sites because the Congress-led government did nothing during its regime. If they believe this is a political move then that is a reflection of their faulty mindset, Bhandari said. Social justice minister Rajkumar Badole was not available for comment. Residents of six housing complexes in sectors 74, 76, 77 and 78 are staring at a drinking water crisis as the developers of their buildings have failed to pay water bills to the Noida authority. A delegation of residents from six housing complexes Aditya Urban Casa in Sector 78, JM Orchid in Sector 76, Aditya Celebrity Homes in Sector 76, Sunshine Helios in Sector 78, Sethi Max Royal in Sector 76 and Ajnara Homes in Sector 74 on Monday met the Noida authoritys chief executive officer (CEO) Alok Tandon and other officials, seeking their intervention in the issue. The authority officials said they will recover dues from the builders. The authority had warned defaulters that if water bills are not paid at the earliest, it would disconnect water supply of the defaulters. The authority on March 15 cut water connections of 28 consumers who failed to clear dues of 3 crore. The authority has started taking strict action against defaulters, because it is yet to recover dues of 28 crore, with respect to water bills, from thousands of consumers. Residents questioned why they should suffer despite having paid their bills to the developers, who are at fault. We pay maintenance to the developer every month. The maintenance fee includes water bills, security services and other facilities that the builder provides. We are troubled since we came to know that the authority will cut water supply. Authority officials have refused help in this issue. Now, we do not know what to do because the developer is also not paying attention to us, RG Badhadhe, a resident of Sethi Max Royal apartment complex in Sector 76, said. Residents of the six societies shifted into these complexes around three years ago. The builder is responsible for taking care of all civic services, such as water supply, security and cleanliness, among others, until it hands over maintenance to the apartment owners association. In last three years, the authority has sent a bill of 42 lakh first time, since residents moved into the complex. The authority has imposed interest and is charging 42 lakh, which is too high. We will recover the dues from residents and then pay it. It will take time to recover dues from residents. We have written to the authority to discuss this issue. We hope it will be resolved soon, Mayank Sethi, director of Sethi Max Royal Group, said. Builders of other buildings were not available for comment. Developers need to collect water bills from residents and pay the same to the authority until the apartment owners association takes over the maintenance of a housing complex. When we have been paying our bills regularly, why would the authority cut water supply to our flats? P Chandra, a resident of Aditya Urban Casa in Sector 76, said. The authority said that residents should discuss the water bill issue with their respective builder. We are providing municipal services to our consumers and so, we also have a duty to recover our dues. When we spend money on providing water supply, we will have to be tough to recover our dues as well. We have cut connections of 28 consumers so far and will continue to do so if the dues remain unpaid, SC Arora, senior project engineer of the Noida authority, said. Amit Modi, vice-president of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI), said that this issue should be discussed with the authority and resolved. We need to discuss this issue in detail with the authority and residents to sort it out. But it is very simple if a resident is using water supply, then he/she has to pay a fee for the same. We will discuss the issue in our meeting this month, Modi said. The Anna Hazare entourage has moved out of Delhis Ramlila Maidan once again. With him hundreds of farmers have also returned to their respective villages where poverty, hardships and the hot weather await them. Has Anna been unsuccessful in achieving his objective once again? Before you ponder over this, listen to this poignant story. My name is Bir Singh and I stay in a village in Haryanas Palwal district. I own four hectares of land. My three sons make a living as labourers and dont stay with me. I toiled in the fields throughout my life but couldnt afford to give my sons an education. With the passage of time my debt increased to Rs 4 lakh. I took half of this from a bank and the rest from a moneylender. Demanding the repayment of his loan, his men often insult me in public places. I am hesitant to even wear an inexpensive shirt or buy a new pair of shoes. I am anxious all the time. I dont know whether I am alive or slowly being killed. My wife has developed an eye condition. In the absence of cooking gas at home she has to cook on a chulha. When I visited the SDM to ask for cooking gas, he chased me away. I dont know whom to approach. Nobody is ready to listen to me. It is better to die than live like this. I feel like dying every day. When I heard about Anna, I came here. Its better to die here than anywhere else. I have tried to reproduce what Bir Singh said in his quavering voice and incoherent manner of speaking. It is true that Annas fast didnt attract big crowds this time. But those who came, people such as Bir Singh, were those caught in the dark cycle of misfortune. They were seeing a saviour in Anna Hazare. This was the big difference in Annas fast at the Ramlila Maidan the last time and now. What took place last time was an organised affair. Anna was merely one of its characters. Every organised event hides some inherent personal goals. The organisers were successful in realising them. Arvind Kejriwal is Delhis chief minister today and his closest ally in that provocative period, Manish Sisodia, is the deputy chief minister. Kiran Bedi, who broke into an impromptu dance on the podium, is today the lieutenant governor of Puducherry. General VK Singh, who had just retired from the army at that time, is today minister of state for external affairs. Even if everybody in this quartet was busy in public service and could not attend Annas fast in person, they could have at least put out a single tweet. But they didnt even do that. Thats politics for you. Had Anna realised this truth in time, he wouldnt have been showered with all kinds of awkward questions. But he is really headstrong. He sat on a fast at the same venue once again. This is the big difference between an Anshan and an Aandolan. If you have your doubts, a careful examination of both events at Ramlila Maidan will help you get a clearer perspective. You may love him or hate him, but a lifetime of public life is testimony to Annas impartial and objective politics. He sat on a fast at least six times before this with an unwavering focus on issues related to agriculture and farmers. Of course, everybody realises that the nations attention needs to be drawn to farmers issues. Bir Singh and millions of peasants like him dont lose hope in the face of adversity. If it means walking hundreds of kilometres to Mumbai, they do it. They walk barefoot, are short on rations and their feet full of blisters but they continue to walk in a disciplined manner. They knew that students in Mumbai had exams the next day. To ensure that they didnt inconvenience them, the farmers slept in the open. They didnt lose their patience even when they entered the metropolis. The government gave them an assurance and they returned after setting a deadline. Before this, you may have seen farmers from Tamil Nadu return after launching a similar agitation in New Delhi. Until when will we keep testing their patience and sensibilities? Through the medium of Anna Hazare, the voice of the farmers has reached the nations highest quarters. Most of the assurances given by the government can be fulfilled. Many chief ministers and the prime minister have made similar promises on many occasions. Not just this, Anna also took this opportunity to discuss the Jan Lokpal issue buried under a pile of promises. Will he manage to realise this stubborn dream? Or, will he come back to Ramlila Maidan once again? Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan letters@hindustantimes.com BJP leader Anil Singh, the key accused in inciting communal violence in Bihars Aurangabad district, surrendered on Monday, two days after he escaped from police custody, authorities said. Soon after he surrendered, Singh was sent to 14 days judicial custody, Aurangabad Superintendent of Police Satya Prakash Singh said. Singh, who is also associated with the Hindu Seva Samiti, is said to have played a key role in inciting violence in Aurangabad during a Ram Navami procession late last month. On Saturday night, Union minister Ashwini Choubeys son Arijit Shashwat, accused of inciting violence in Bhagalpur district, surrendered. Shashwat was sent to 14 days judicial custody on Sunday but he will approach the Patna High Court on Monday for bail. Bihars Aurangabad, Nawada, Samastipur, Munger, Bhagalpur and Nalanda disticts have witnessed communal tension in the last 10 days. Additional security forces have been deployed in the affected towns. Opposition parties have slammed chief minister Nitish Kumar for what they called his failure to handle the situation. Every weekend, more than 100 volunteers walk up to the seven Tekdi hills in the city, armed with watering cans, bottles, and even gunny bags filled with coco peat, all to help trees survive the sweltering heat during the hottest months of the year. Himanshu Kulkarni, a volunteer at Vetal Tekdi, meets his friend, Anay Pethe, on the third or fourth Sunday of every month to water and care for the plants. When my friend and I began, it was an attempt to be responsible about our immediate environment. We used social media to appeal to people to plant trees and also take care of them as they grow. We both need about 20 minutes to climb the hill along with our watering cans, and we receive help when we carry organic fertilizer for the trees. We also clean up the garbage littered around Tekdi, he said Being Volunteer Foundation, conceptualised in 2014 by Kailas Narawade, has also been conducting similar programmes over the weekend in an attempt to save Punes deteriorating forest cover. We came across a lot of people who wanted to volunteer and work towards protecting the environment. The biggest draw is the green dot initiative, which works towards this goal. Our atmosphere has been steadily degrading because of the various pollutants that are being released and the forest covers are also depleting quickly. We are in dire need to replenish our oxygen source. On average, a person breathes in oxygen produced by seven to eight fully grown trees in a year. We need 28 trees (aged 40 years) per lifetime is needed for a sustainable life but we only have 1.28 trees per person in Pune, according to the Climate Reality Project India, explained Kailas. Kailas works tirelessly to increase the forest cover and to increase the citizen to tree ratio in the city. In order to do this, one needs to do more than just plant tress. Newly planted trees need to be nurtured for at least for 2 years before they are capable of sustaining themselves. Many organisations are engaged in planting trees, but that is only five per cent of the task. The trees will not survive unless they are nurtured and brought to a state where they can grow without help. The green dot initiative began in January 2016, in Chaturshringi Hill and has now been expanded to four more locations. 956 volunteers have worked on planting 12,000 plus and nurturing more than 20,000 plants, increasing the forest cover tremendously. We also conduct awareness sessions at corporations, colleges and schools, and partner with local NGOs working in the area to organise tree plantation and nurturing drives. Our volunteers, who come from various backgrounds, are invited to a pre-decided venue and trained to plant and care for trees. We have identified six hills in Pune, with forest land where we will look to continue our work, he added. When and where: Every Saturday and Sunday 7 am to 9 am at Chaturshringi hill, Hanuman hill, ARAI hill, Mhalunge hill, Amarjai hill and Ayyapa Hill. Veteran socialist leader Bhai Vaidya, also a former home minister of Maharashtra and president of the recently relaunched Socialist Party of India, passed away on Monday evening following a prolonged illness, said doctors treating him. He was 89 years old. Vaidya was undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer at the Poona Hospital. Abhijit Vaidya, Bhai Vaidyas son had earlier said, He complained of pain in the abdomen a month back and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was attending programmes and protests even five days ago when his health got worse and consequently we moved him to the hospital. Born on June 22, 1928, at Dapode village in Pune district, Vaidya began his journey in activism and politics as a 14-year-old taking part in the freedom struggle. He later became the mayor of Pune. Kumar Saptarshi, chief of Yuva Kranti Dal (Yukrand), said, Passing away of Bhai Vaidya is a major loss to the society. I have been fortunate to have known him and worked with him for very long. He was inspired by Mahatma Gandhis thoughts. He worked extensively towards improving the condition of backward people. He introduced the backward class to true secularism. Social activist Subhash Ware said, Although we were expecting this news since the last four days, it still is very difficult for us to accept the fact that he is no more. Bhai Vaidyas death has created a major vacuum in the state. His contribution to the field of education is unparalleled, added Ware. Over a political career spanning 60 years, Bhai Vaidya was elected multiple times as a corporator for the Pune Municipal Corporation. He became the mayor of Pune and was the first president of the All India Mayors Association. He was also minister of state for home and is remembered for many reforms in the police department, especially for changing the police uniform to full pants. He was Punes mayor in 1974-75 and state home minister in 1978. He also made a significant contribution to the freedom struggle. He led the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement for a unified Maharashtra in 1957 and was arrested during Emergency in 1977. He has authored books on socialism, the Mandal commission and educational reforms among others. Vaidya also formed unions of unorganised workers in the state. He is the recipient of several awards such as Goa Krantidin, Moulana Sadbhavna, Samata Bhushan and Mahatma Phule. He always remained a staunch socialist and progressive ideologue. Even during the infamous Emergency, he remained defiant as the mayor and organised a 20,000-strong rally at Shaniwarwada and was arrested. He has been in jail 28 times. The last rites will be conducted on Tuesday. A retired bank employee fell from his flats bathroom window on the fourth floor of Gilco Valley in Kharar and died on Monday, police said. The victim, Norbu Cheiang Bodhu, 60, who is originally from Nepal but worked at a local bank, had gone to the bathroom to shave when the shaving machine slipped from his hand and fell outside the window, police said, quoting his family. The family members said that Bodhu lunged after the machine when he lost balance and had a fatal fall, said the investigating officer, head constable Mohan Lal. He was declared brought dead at the local civil hospital. He is survived by his wife and two daughters, the elder of whom, Bechan Palam Bodh, 27, works with a consulate and gave the details, police said. Inquest proceedings were held. The Chohla Sahib police of the district claimed to have busted a gang of drug smugglers with the arrest of a man and his mother-in-law here on Sunday. The man was arrested during patrolling at Mohanpura village on Sunday while his mother-in-law was held from Palasaur village after his interrogation. However, his accomplice managed to flee. The police seized 1.1kg adulterated heroin from his possession. The accused have been identified as Gurjant Singh aka Gaggu of Gate Hakima in Amritsar and his mother-in-law Amar Kaur of Palasaur village while his brother-in-law Sawinder Singh, a resident of Palasaur, is absconding. Police said, The accused had been making adulterated heroin by using chemicals and intoxicants. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Darshan Singh Mann, during a press conference, said station house officer (SHO) Sukhraj Singh of the Chohla Sahib police station, along with other police personnel, was patrolling at Mohanpura village. During patrolling, the team stopped two bike-borne persons, Gurjant and Sawinder, and recovered 275gm heroin from Gurjant while Sawinder managed to flee after throwing a plastic carry bag on the spot. On checking the bag, police recovered 355gm heroin in the bag, the SSP said. He said after interrogating Gurjant, police conducted a raid at his mother-in-laws house at Palasaur and seized one machine used for packing bags for heroin, two electronic scales, 150 plastic bags, 35 intoxicant injections, two boxes of Bournvita , one scissor and two plastic boxes. Gurjant told the police that they were making adulterated heroin by using chemicals and intoxicants, the SSP said. He said a case under sections 21-61-85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against the trio at Chohla Sahib police station. Raids are being conducted to nab the absconder. It was a serious matter - of sexual harassment charges levelled at Panjab University (PU) assistant professor Komal Singh by a number of students, but PU senators did not seem to think so. Despite heated arguments, in which one of the senators, Prof Chaman Lal, even said the accused had committed a certain misconduct not amounting to attempted rape or rape, the senate was undecided on the quantum of punishment for the offender. The senate met on Sunday and the case against Komal Singh of the public administration department was taken up at around 12:30pm, but even after five hours of arguments no decision was taken on the punishment to be handed out to him. Panjab University Committee Against Sexual Harassment (PUCASH) has held Singh guilty of sexually harassing a number of students. Despite 32 out of 50 senate members voting in favour of his removal from service, senators supporting the accused raised objections, leading to postponement of the matter for the next meeting scheduled for April 15. Moral misconduct, not rape, says senator Senate member Prof Chaman Lal drew flack from a woman senator for suggesting that the punishment handed out to Komal Singh should be proportionate to his crime, which was not as grave as rape. This man is not accused of raping a student, or even attempt to rape, Prof Lal said. Whatever he is accused of is a certain misconduct with students and then there are issues of drinking etc. These all are moral issues, which a teacher should not do, he said. Objecting to Prof Lals statement, rape toh nahin kiya (he did not commit rape), Prof Pam Rajput retorted: So should we wait for rape to happen and then do a candle march? The modesty of a female has been outraged and it is a crime, she stated. The three options were demotion to a lower rank, removal from service and finally dismissal. Demanding that responsibilities be fixed and the culprit punished, Prof Rajput said the case had been continuing for three years and the Act (Sexual Harassment) says that within 90 days the sexual harassment committee should take up the case and decide on it. What was happening for three years and who is responsible for that, she asked. Prof Rajput later also challenged a few senators to accept openly that they wanted to save the guilty. You are making a mockery of the senate and of womens dignity. You say it openly that you want to save the culprit. Have a heart and say it, she told them. Prof Rajput also that that this was a test case for the university and the wrong example should not be set. Another senate member, responding to Prof Lals statement that the accused was a Dalit, said the conduct of a teacher, not a scheduled caste teacher, was being discussed. Many members were of the opinion that if the punishment did not match the offence then such offenders would be emboldened. These children come to us with trust, we cannot breach that, a member said. Arguments and counter arguments go on for five hours As the issue was taken up, senator Ajay Ranga made an attempt to garner sympathy for Komal Singh, drawing attention to his medical condition, minor children, wife and elderly parents. My appeal to the house is that he should be punished but think of the family as well. As punishment, you can cut one or two increments, he said. To this, Panjab University vice chancellor (VC) Arun Grover said, For this person it has become a habit. We have a responsibility towards the students and society. Other senators, too, said that as the accused seemed to have made it a habit to harass students, We have to look after our students. Otherwise, anyone will commit a mistake and will seek mercy on the plea that they have families. Prof RP Bambah suggested that psychological treatment be recommended for the accused without pay or compulsory leave, to which Grover said he had tried the option but it had not worked. Other senators also expressed the concern that any leniency shown to the offender would send out the wrong message to studebts. This man is guilty, is in the habit of doing these heinous things and there is no room for sympathy, senatorVK Sibal said. Prof IS Chadha felt the quantum of punishment was the main issue. What we have before us is a reply to a show cause notice, which was issued under a particular regulation, which prescribes major penalty. The three options were demotion to a lower rank, removal from service and finally dismissal. He suggested that Komal Singh be removed for service and be allowed to search for employed in other places as He is not fit to continue as a teacher in this university. Discussing previous options considered, VC Grover said, all options like sending him to rehabilitation, transfer to USOL (University School of Open Learning) have been exhausted. At the moment, I cannot risk getting him back to teaching. All that we do is to choose option two - so that he can explore job opportunities somewhere else. Stressing on the need to take an immediate decision he said, postponing it will bring a bad reputation to the body,so I think we should have the courage to take a call. 32 vote in favour of Komal Singhs removal Prof RP Bambah told the VC that until there was a majority of two-thirds senator votes a PU teacher could not be removed from service. The senators were given two options for voting: Demotion or removal from service. Finally, voting was done at 4:45 pm and results announced at 5:15 pm. Of the 51 members present, one vote was invalid. Eighteen senators voted in favour of option one , which was demotion and 32 opted for removal from service. Despite the majority being in favour of Komal Singhs removal, a few senators objected that two-thirds of the majority (34 of those present) did not vote in the favour of the second option, hence he could not be removed. Summing up events, Grover said, No punishment is not an answer when misconduct is of this nature. So, I would like to adjourn the meeting now and will consider legal opinion. This matter will be discussed in the next senate meeting on April 15. While the senators stood again to protest the VC played the national anthem to silence them. Uncertainty still looms over the release of superstar Rajinikanths Kaala, which is slated to hit the screens worldwide on April 27. As the strike between Tamil Nadu Film Producers Council and Digital Service Providers over exorbitant VPF rates seems to continue with no resolution in the offing, the makers of Kaala (Lyca Productions) arent quite sure if their film will come out as planned. Following their recent tweet which read: We are in sync with the Producers Council and in complete support of the demands. We will comply with the same till the system is rectified, it can be assumed that the makers of Kaala are prepared to postpone the release of the film. @LycaProductions has not conveyed anything to anyone regarding #Kaala release date. We are not responsible for any statements arising on release date speculations Lyca Productions (@LycaProductions) March 21, 2018 We are in sync with the Producers Council and in complete support of the demands. We will comply with the same till the system is rectified.#TFPC Lyca Productions (@LycaProductions) March 30, 2018 In Kaala, Rajinikanth plays a slum lord-turned-gangster. The film also stars Nana Patekar, Pankaj Tripathi, Anjali Patil, Huma Qureshi and Samuthirakani in pivotal roles. According to director Ranjith, Kaala is about the diverse families that live in Mumbais Dharavi slum, which is filled with people from different cultures. In a recent interview, Ranjith mentioned that the titular character in the film, played by Rajinikanth, is inspired by his grandfather. Rajinikanth plays a character called Karikaalan, and people call him Kaala. Kaala is also a popular deity in Tirunelveli, said Ranjith, adding that the story focuses on many families that shifted from Tirunelveli and settled in Mumbai many years ago. The film will be about Rajinikanths character, his family, four sons, grandchildren and his friends. Rajinikanth, who is expected to commence work on his next project with Karthik Subbaraj in the summer, also awaits the release of magnum opus 2.0, a sequel to Enthiran. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Telugu filmdom couldnt have asked for a better start to this summer season. With big-ticket films such as Mahesh Babus Bharat Ane Nenu and Allu Arjuns Naa Peru Surya gearing up for release in the next few weeks, Ram Charan-starrer Rangasthalam has given a much needed boost to the industry with a terrific opening of Rs 46 crore (gross) worldwide. Its first weekend collection is expected to be about Rs 70 crore but the final numbers are not yet in. The Sukumar-directed rural revenge drama, set in the 1980s, has appealed to audiences and critics alike, despite its lengthy running time of nearly 3 hours, which was initially seen as a concern. According to trade analyst Trinath, Rangasthalam is the biggest opener in Ram Charans career. This is the perfect start to the summer. This boost will only benefit the upcoming big-ticket releases in April, including Rajinikanths Kaala and Bharat Ane Nenu. Going by the start, the film is expected to gross over Rs 75 crore in its opening weekend worldwide. If we were to break it down region-wise, outside the Telugu states, the film has done exceptional well in the US, Australia, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. In the US, the film minted $1.2 million from premieres and first day. As of Sunday morning, the film has grossed around $1.8 million and its expected to breach the $ 3 million mark in its full run in cinemas. In Chennai, with opening day numbers of Rs 25 lakh, it has become the biggest Telugu opener in the city. Tollywood had a shaky start in 2018 with Pawan Kalyans highly anticipated Agnyaathavaasi biting the dust. Despite a terrific opening, the film went fell flat on its face following very bad word-of-mouth. With the failure Agnyaathavaasi, the industry badly needed its first blockbuster of the year. Thankfully, it came in the form of Rangasthalam, which has the numbers and overall positive talk to back the box-office collections. While films such as Bhaagamathie and Tholiprema did exceptional business, they couldnt shake up the trade with the numbers. With pre-release business worth around Rs 115 crore, Rangasthalam is the second major Telugu release of the year after Agnyaathavaasi, and its numbers have given the trade much needed confidence to look forward to all the major summer releases, said Trinath. READ | Rangasthalam movie review: Ram Charan, Samantha Akkineni film beats the formula Rangasthalam marks the maiden collaboration of Ram Charan and Sukumar. A leading distributor said that audiences loved the authenticity Sukumar brought to the rural flavour of the film. One of the reasons why the film appealed to all is because of its authentic rural flavour. Telugu audiences havent seen anything this raw in a long time. There was nothing artificial about the film or the performances of the actors. This is HUGE... This is an EYE-OPENER... Telugu film #Rangasthalam is the SECOND BIGGEST *opening weekend grosser* [2018] in AUSTRALIA... Collects A$ 289,768 [ 1.45 cr] in its opening weekend... Top 5 list follows... @Rentrak taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) April 2, 2018 Its #Rangasthalam wave in USA... The Telugu film made a royal entry into the $ 2 million Club on Sun and is in no mood to slow down... While the final numbers will be updated later, whats noteworthy is that it reached the magical figure in its opening weekend itself! @Rentrak taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) April 2, 2018 In the film, Ram Charan plays a small-time village mechanic. On being part of the project, he thanked director Sukumar for the opportunity at the films pre-release event. Except for a couple of times as a kid when I visited the sets of my dads films in some villages, I have never spent quality time in a village. Rangasthalam gave me the opportunity to appreciate and celebrate what it means to live in a village. Life is so peaceful in a village and we cant find pure and clean people anywhere else. I kept thinking how much we miss staying in the cities. I need to thank team Rangasthalam and director Sukumar for this life-changing experience and I should admit I discovered a new Ram Charan in this process. Also starring Aadi Pinisetty, Samantha Akkineni, Jagapathi Babu and Prakash Raj, the film has music by Devi Sri Prasad and is produced by Mythri Movie Makers. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop An Afghan official says an airstrike on a Taliban training camp in northern Afghanistan killed at least 20 insurgents and wounded many more on Monday, while the Taliban said the airstrike hit a religious school during a graduation ceremony, killing dozens of civilians. It was not immediately possible to reconcile the conflicting accounts. Defence ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanish said initial reports indicate the airstrike in the Dashti Archi district of Kunduz province killed around 20 Taliban fighters, including a local commander, and wounded many more. I can confirm that a Taliban training center was bombed and no civilians were present, he said. The Taliban said in a statement that the airstrike hit a madrasa, or religious school, killing and wounding more than 100 clerics, religious students and other civilians. In a separate incident in the southern Helmand province, at least 48 schoolgirls fell ill at a high school in what provincial authorities suspect is a case of mass poisoning. Dr Nisar Ahmad Barak said the girls were admitted on Monday at his hospital in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital, with headaches and vomiting, but that they are all now in stable condition and receiving treatment. He did not have any further details. Ahmad Bilal Haqbeen, deputy director at Helmands education department, said the girls attend the 11th grade at the citys Central Girls School. He said an investigation is underway. Both officials said the girls were deliberately poisoned. Most of Helmand province is under the control of the Taliban, who oppose girls education. US President Donald Trump on Monday declared that a programme that protects undocumented immigrants brought to the country from deportation was dead, putting the onus for the schemes demise on the Democrats and stressing on the need for a wall on the southern border with Mexico. DACA is dead because the Democrats didnt care or act, and now everyone wants to get onto the DACA bandwagon... No longer works. Must build Wall and secure our borders with proper Border legislation. Democrats want No Borders, hence drugs and crime! Trump tweeted, referring to the Barack Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme. Trump had rescinded DACA in September 2017, leaving an estimated 800,000 beneficiaries including 2,550 Indians vulnerable to deportation. However, the programme is continuing under the protection of court orders. Asked later if he wasnt the one who killed the programme, Trump stuck to blaming Democrats: The Democrats have really let them down. They really let them down. Trump also urged Congress to use the nuclear option if necessary to push through a new border protection legislation, referring to a change of senate rules that allows the majority party to carry out legislative action, pass a bill or confirm an appointee with a simple majority of 51 rather than the required 60 to end a filibuster. Congress must immediately pass Border Legislation, use Nuclear Option if necessary, to stop the massive inflow of Drugs and People. Border Patrol Agents (and ICE) are GREAT, but the weak Dem laws dont allow them to do their job. Act now Congress, our country is being stolen! he tweeted. Republicans control the chamber with a thin majority of 52, but the party leadership has so far ignored his repeated calls for using this parliamentary tool. It wasnt clear what triggered the tweetstorm. But in one of his posts, he used the word caravan to refer to people crossing into the US via Mexico, seemingly borrowing it from a Fox News segment on migrants from Central America headed for the US through Mexico that particular news ran on Monday with the word caravan in a headline. Mexico has the absolute power not to let these large Caravans of people enter their country. They must stop them at their Northern Border, which they can do because their border laws work, not allow them to pass through into our country, which has no effective border laws, Trump wrote. He followed up with a reference to the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump says is skewed in favour of Canada and Mexico at the expense of the US. He has suggested that Mexico could pay for the wall with the profits or the US could work the cost into tariff on imports from Mexico. Mexico is making a fortune on NAFTA...They have very strong border laws - ours are pathetic. With all of the money they make from the U.S., hopefully they will stop people from coming through their country and into ours, at least until Congress changes our immigration laws! he tweeted. Nafta is currently being renegotiated. At least four migrants were found dead off Spain on Monday, and others on board a makeshift boat missing, rescuers said. The bodies were recovered in the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar between Morocco and southern Spain. Rescuers found one survivor who said there had been 12 people on board when the boat left Tangiers in Morocco early on Monday, a spokesman for the maritime rescuers told AFP. The survivor said when the boat overturned, of the 12 who tried to make the crossing, only three remained on board the survivor and two of the dead, the spokesman said, adding that the cause of their deaths was not immediately known. The nationalities of the migrants were also not known when reports last came in. The association Helena Maleno, in contact with migrants wanting to reach Spain, had raised alarm on social media about looking for a migrant boat in the Strait of Gibraltar. Emergency services of Andalusia had warned of bad weather and strong winds in the strait on Monday. Between the start of the year and March 25, some 120 migrants have lost their lives trying to reach Spain by sea, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). During that same period, nearly 500 migrants have died in dangerous crossings of the Mediterranean. An Indian yoga teacher in Singapore was given a nine-month prison sentence on Monday for molesting his student during a private lesson in April 2015. The incident occurred at Real Yogas Tampines Grande studio in Singapore. Rakesh Kumar Prasad was also fined S$1,000 for using criminal force on the woman, an assistant manager who was then 25 years old, Channel News Asia reported. Prasad, an Indian national, was convicted of the two charges after a 12-day trial. He was found guilty of slipping his hand inside the victims bra to touch her breast while helping her into a pose on April 26, 2015. After the private session ended at 1.15pm, Prasad forcefully grabbed the back of the womans neck, according to court documents. Deputy public prosecutor James Chew had sought a 12-month jail term and three strokes of the cane. Prasad intends to appeal, his lawyer Steven Lam said. The instructor is on bail of S$16,000 pending the hearing of his appeal. Lam had urged the court to show leniency and produced 50 testimonials that were received from the instructors students, colleagues and bosses within a week. He had asked the court to sentence Prasad to nine months in jail and a fine of S$1,000. The lawyer said the testimonials speak volumes about Rakeshs character and the positive impact hes made on the lives of many peoplewho (have been) willing to step forward to attest to his character despite the nature of the charges against him. Real Yogas CEO Saumik Bera praised Prasad for putting his heart into his teaching and touching the lives of many students. The company had never received any complaints against Prasad, Bera said. Lam said the instructor knew of the allegations against him before he was arrested and did not try to leave Singapore though he had an opportunity to. The penalty for molestation in Singapore is up to two years in jail, a fine and caning. For using criminal force, a person can be jailed for up to three months and fined a maximum of S$1,500. Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai on Monday ended her first visit to Pakistan since being shot in 2012 by Taliban militants. During the unannounced, emotional trip, Malala was also able to go to her hometown in Swat Valley and meet government officials including Pakistans Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who welcomed her back and called her the daughter of the nation. Malalas visit was kept secret and her movements were closely guarded as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has threatened to kill her. Malala was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman for advocating girls education. Her visit to Pakistan this year is part of the government and armys drive to show that the country has succeeded in defeating terrorism. Local media reported that Malala was seen with her parents at Benazir Bhutto International Airport before they boarded a plane to London after the four-day visit. Malala Yousafzai along with her family left Islamabad, a government official told local media. During a reception at the Prime Ministers Office last week, she tearfully said during a televised speech that it was a dream to finally return home. Always it has been my dream that I should go to Pakistan ... in peace and without any fear. Malala briefly visited her native Swat valley over the weekend. She tweeted: I left Swat with my eyes closed and now I am back with my eyes open. I am extremely delighted. My dream has come true. Peace has returned to Swat because of the invaluable sacrifices rendered by my brothers and sisters, she said at a school outside Mingora, the districts main town, where she was escorted by the Pakistani military. Malala also said in her hometown that she had waited for the moment for more than five years, adding that she often looked at Pakistan on the map, hoping to return. She said she plans to permanently return to Pakistan after completing her studies in Britain. Earlier in the day, amid tight security, Malala earlier in the day left her hotel in Islamabad, where she had stayed for four days, and in a convoy of vehicles headed to the airport. Touching scenes were witnessed when the now-20-year-old university student left the hotel, thanking Pakistani officials for giving her an army helicopter over the weekend to fly to the Swat Valley, once virtually under the control of militants, and see her home in the northwest town of Mingora. Read | Ive never been so happy: Nobel prize winner Malala on return to Pakistan After visiting Mingora on Saturday, she tweeted that it was the most beautiful place on earth for her. So much joy seeing my family home, visiting friends and putting my feet on this soil again, she wrote, as she posted a picture showing her standing at her homes lawn with her father, mother and brothers. The trip was a highly symbolic moment for Pakistan, which regularly touts Swat as a success story in its long battle with extremism as it defends itself against accusations by the US and others that its northwest remains a safe haven for militancy. Read | Joy and hostility greet Malala at Pakistan hometown where Taliban shot her On Monday, Malalas uncle Mahmoodul Hassan told The Associated Press that she is leaving Pakistan with good and memorable memories, but is going back to England because she wants to complete her education there. Most Pakistanis warmly welcomed her visit but some launched a campaign on social media against her and she also faced tough questions from journalists. She said she failed to understand why she was being subjected to this kind of criticism. We want to work for the education of children and make it possible that every girl in Pakistan receives a high-level education and she can fulfil her dreams and become a part of society, she told Pakistans ARY news channel. (With agency inputs) The Pakistan government said on Monday it will send special envoys to selected world capitals to highlight the deteriorating situation in Jammu and Kashmir following a sudden spike in violence that resulted in 20 deaths, a majority of them militants. Following a special meeting of the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to review the situation in Kashmir, an official statement said the government had condemned what it described as the brutal and indiscriminate use of force by the Indian forces. The cabinet decided to send special envoys of the Prime Minister, including the president of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, to selected world capitals to highlight the deteriorating situation in Kashmir. Hours before the meeting of the cabinet, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed had called on the Pakistan government to adopt a decisive position on the situation in Kashmir. In videos posted on social media, he said it was troubling that the government was not doing anything at a time when Kashmiri youngsters are getting killed while waving the flag of Pakistan. The Pakistan governments silence is troubling, the government should immediately take notice of things and it should knock on all doors and raise the issue at international forums, he said. The Kashmiris are calling out to Pakistan and the government should take immediate steps, he added. The official statement said the cabinet had condemned the suspension of communication services in the Kashmir valley and said such attempts to silence the voices of the Kashmiris would never succeed. The cabinet paid tributes to people of Kashmir and also condemned what it described as the use of draconian laws. It said the deteriorating situation in Kashmir and escalation on the Line of Control is a flashpoint and a threat to regional peace. The cabinet reiterated the prime ministers request to the UN Secretary-General to appoint a special envoy for Kashmir and said April 6 will be observed as Kashmir solidarity day. Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Extremely LIBERAL city Espanola New Mexico elects Republican mayor LoP Guest lop guest User ID: kaput 04-02-2018 03:22 AM Post: #1 Extremely LIBERAL city Espanola New Mexico elects Republican mayor Advertisement THE CHANGE HAS BEGUN! Last night, the town of Espanola, in northern New Mexico elected a new Republican mayor, the first Republican the city has had in decades. Congratulations, Javier Sanchez!! Ironically this race was won with little Republican party structure in the county of Rio Arriba and no help from outside statewide conservative groups or the state party. Espanola residents, and a few allies from Santa Fe, chose to reject corruption and vote for a candidate based on the candidates ethics and integrity over party affiliation. In February we reported on the Espanola race and the rampant corruption coming from the citys Democratic candidate for mayor Robert Seeds whose wife Laura Seeds, has been charged with 13 counts of election fraud. Word got out and it helped stop Seeds seedy corruption Yes, politics in northern New Mexico are that bad. I know because I started out in New Mexico politics working in the north and the corruption, bullying and fear-mongering are very real; until youve lived and worked in it, you really cant understand the way it works. Sadly, the rest of the state, by and large, likes to ignore Taos, Espanola and Santa Fe as unwinnable. It is past time we take on these winnable cities and counties in lower profile elections because when we work hard and get boots on the ground, we can defeat corruption and win. https://politicalfireball.com/2018/03/07...n-decades/ This part of Northern New Mexico has been a long time stronghold for this state for decades. In fact Both Obama and Clinton visited this area during their Presidential campaigns. Trump stayed away as he didn't have a chance, that just changed.THE CHANGE HAS BEGUN!Last night, the town of Espanola, in northern New Mexico elected a new Republican mayor, the first Republican the city has had in decades. Congratulations, Javier Sanchez!!Ironically this race was won with little Republican party structure in the county of Rio Arriba and no help from outside statewide conservative groups or the state party. Espanola residents, and a few allies from Santa Fe, chose to reject corruption and vote for a candidate based on the candidates ethics and integrity over party affiliation.In February we reported on the Espanola race and the rampant corruption coming from the citys Democratic candidate for mayor Robert Seeds whose wife Laura Seeds, has been charged with 13 counts of election fraud. Word got out and it helped stop Seeds seedy corruptionYes, politics in northern New Mexico are that bad. I know because I started out in New Mexico politics working in the north and the corruption, bullying and fear-mongering are very real; until youve lived and worked in it, you really cant understand the way it works.Sadly, the rest of the state, by and large, likes to ignore Taos, Espanola and Santa Fe as unwinnable. It is past time we take on these winnable cities and counties in lower profile elections because when we work hard and get boots on the ground, we can defeat corruption and win. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 03:24 AM Post: #2 RE: Extremely LIBERAL city Espanola New Mexico elects Republican mayor MOAR election interference. the Reich wing will do what ever it takes to get their politicians in. MOAR election interference.the Reich wing will do what ever it takes to get their politicians in. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 03:25 AM Post: #3 RE: Extremely LIBERAL city Espanola New Mexico elects Republican mayor The new mayor of Espanola a Democratic stronghold notorious for its patron-style system of politics is a gay Republican from Texas. Labels apparently didnt matter to voters, who elected Sanchez, a restaurateur making his first run for public office, with nearly 54 percent of the vote in a three-way race against two city councilors. I think what it says about the electorate is that theyre really tired of the status quo, said Joseph Maestas, a former Santa Fe city councilor who served as mayor of Espanola from 2006-10. You also have four newcomers on the council, so I think that even amplifies the electorates desire for real change, Maestas added. No more recycled politicians. No more business as usual. [Sanchez] has a license to be bold. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/lo...806a3.html New mayor breaks barriers in EspanolaThe new mayor of Espanola a Democratic stronghold notorious for its patron-style system of politics Labels apparently didnt matter to voters, who elected Sanchez, a restaurateur making his first run for public office, with nearly 54 percent of the vote in a three-way race against two city councilors.I think what it says about the electorate is that theyre really tired of the status quo, said Joseph Maestas, a former Santa Fe city councilor who served as mayor of Espanola from 2006-10.You also have four newcomers on the council, so I think that even amplifies the electorates desire for real change, Maestas added. No more recycled politicians. No more business as usual. [Sanchez] has a license to be bold. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 03:26 AM Post: #4 RE: Extremely LIBERAL city Espanola New Mexico elects Republican mayor LoP Guest Wrote: (04-02-2018 03:24 AM) MOAR election interference. the Reich wing will do what ever it takes to get their politicians in. keep crying Liberal your views are being shattered keep crying Liberal your views are being shattered LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 03:27 AM Post: #5 RE: Extremely LIBERAL city Espanola New Mexico elects Republican mayor LoP Guest Wrote: (04-02-2018 03:26 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (04-02-2018 03:24 AM) MOAR election interference. the Reich wing will do what ever it takes to get their politicians in. keep crying Liberal your views are being shattered I laugh at you silly Dump lovers I laugh at you silly Dump lovers LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 03:28 AM Post: #6 RE: Extremely LIBERAL city Espanola New Mexico elects Republican mayor Just like you are attacking your gun base in your Democrat party! Keep attacking. sooner or latter that's what you will be known for! Listen up Liberals, we are going to start placing a lot of openly gay Republicans in spots all over the nation and watch you attack your former base.Just like you are attacking your gun base in your Democrat party!Keep attacking. sooner or latter that's what you will be known for! LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 05:17 AM Post: #7 RE: Extremely LIBERAL city Espanola New Mexico elects Republican mayor Damn that's a huge blow to Democrats LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 05:38 AM Post: #8 RE: Extremely LIBERAL city Espanola New Mexico elects Republican mayor LoP Guest Wrote: (04-02-2018 03:28 AM) Listen up Liberals, we are going to start placing a lot of openly gay Republicans in spots all over the nation and watch you attack your former base. Just like you are attacking your gun base in your Democrat party! Keep attacking. sooner or latter that's what you will be known for! Listen up republicans, then your base will be ours! Listen up republicans, then your base will be ours! LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 05:38 AM Post: #9 RE: Extremely LIBERAL city Espanola New Mexico elects Republican mayor LoP Guest Wrote: (04-02-2018 03:28 AM) Listen up Liberals, we are going to start placing a lot of openly gay Republicans in spots all over the nation and watch you attack your former base. Just like you are attacking your gun base in your Democrat party! Keep attacking. sooner or latter that's what you will be known for! Republican church goes will then vote Democrat. Republican church goes will then vote Democrat. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 05:42 AM Post: #10 RE: Extremely LIBERAL city Espanola New Mexico elects Republican mayor LoP Guest Wrote: (04-02-2018 05:38 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (04-02-2018 03:28 AM) Listen up Liberals, we are going to start placing a lot of openly gay Republicans in spots all over the nation and watch you attack your former base. Just like you are attacking your gun base in your Democrat party! Keep attacking. sooner or latter that's what you will be known for! Listen up republicans, then your base will be ours! Nope you liberals will be alone. The moderate s are leaving you, they never liked you anyways we only tolerated the liberals. Nope you liberals will be alone. The moderate s are leaving you, they never liked you anyways we only tolerated the liberals. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 05:46 AM Post: #11 RE: Extremely LIBERAL city Espanola New Mexico elects Republican mayor LoP Guest Wrote: (04-02-2018 05:42 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (04-02-2018 05:38 AM) Listen up republicans, then your base will be ours! Nope you liberals will be alone. The moderate s are leaving you, they never liked you anyways we only tolerated the liberals. Evangelicals will never vote for the gay. They will just stay home. Evangelicals will never vote for the gay. They will just stay home. Monk-1 Registered User User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 05:49 AM Posts: 5,687 Post: #12 RE: Extremely LIBERAL city Espanola New Mexico elects Republican mayor LoP Guest Wrote: (04-02-2018 05:46 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (04-02-2018 05:42 AM) Nope you liberals will be alone. The moderate s are leaving you, they never liked you anyways we only tolerated the liberals. Evangelicals will never vote for the gay. They will just stay home. Have not heard from those people in awhile.. Maybe refusing blood transfusions was not such a good plan. Have not heard from those people in awhile.. Maybe refusing blood transfusions was not such a good plan. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 05:55 AM Post: #13 RE: Extremely LIBERAL city Espanola New Mexico elects Republican mayor LoP Guest Wrote: (04-02-2018 05:46 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (04-02-2018 05:42 AM) Nope you liberals will be alone. The moderate s are leaving you, they never liked you anyways we only tolerated the liberals. Evangelicals will never vote for the gay. They will just stay home. They just did moron in this thread.. They just did moron in this thread.. Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 3 Vote(s) - 1 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Page: 1 2 3 4 A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy Evolution is a lie lop guest User ID: kaput 04-02-2018 12:39 PM Post: #1 A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy Advertisement https://youtu.be/4W-QVnjv43s #DeleteMyAccount #DeleteMyAccount LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 12:40 PM Post: #2 RE: A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy How about A juggalo speaks against spamism in LOP forums Evolution is a lie lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 12:42 PM Post: #3 RE: A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy LoP Guest Wrote: (04-02-2018 12:40 PM) How about A juggalo speaks against spamism in LOP forums #DeleteMyAccount #DeleteMyAccount LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 12:43 PM Post: #4 RE: A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy Evolution is a lie Wrote: (04-02-2018 12:42 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (04-02-2018 12:40 PM) How about A juggalo speaks against spamism in LOP forums #DeleteMyAccount hastag did you give up ? already ?? wow this will be a blast hastag did you give up ? already ?? wow this will be a blast Evolution is a lie lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 12:48 PM Post: #5 RE: A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy LoP Guest Wrote: (04-02-2018 12:43 PM) Evolution is a lie Wrote: (04-02-2018 12:42 PM) #DeleteMyAccount hastag did you give up ? already ?? wow this will be a blast Here's the issue. Am not interested in any topic except anti evolution and pro Christianity. Wrong forum. And i don't like segregation. #DeleteMyAccount Here's the issue.Am not interested in any topic except anti evolution and pro Christianity.Wrong forum. And i don't like segregation. #DeleteMyAccount NoContract CENSORED User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 12:51 PM Posts: 2,319 Post: #6 RE: A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy "From committing adultery, tax evasion, renouncement of US citizenship, rabble rousing, unethical ministry management to how he used Jo Hovind (ex-wife) and Eric Hovind (son) as cannon fodder to paint himself as a martyr to the public" what a deceptive rat of a man On kent hovind. ...."From committing adultery, tax evasion, renouncement of US citizenship, rabble rousing, unethical ministry management to how he used Jo Hovind (ex-wife) and Eric Hovind (son) as cannon fodder to paint himself as a martyr to the public"what a deceptive rat of a man "Well, I'll put it this way: you can certainly say belief in God makes people behave worse. That can be proved beyond a doubt. " Christopher Hitchens Perception is a personal experience , not a universal application Evolution is a lie lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 12:52 PM Post: #7 RE: A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy NoContract Wrote: (04-02-2018 12:51 PM) "From committing adultery, tax evasion, renouncement of US citizenship, rabble rousing, unethical ministry management to how he used Jo Hovind (ex-wife) and Eric Hovind (son) as cannon fodder to paint himself as a martyr to the public" what a deceptive rat of a man On kent hovind. ...."From committing adultery, tax evasion, renouncement of US citizenship, rabble rousing, unethical ministry management to how he used Jo Hovind (ex-wife) and Eric Hovind (son) as cannon fodder to paint himself as a martyr to the public"what a deceptive rat of a man Do you want to know my sins? They are many. Do you want to know my sins? They are many. NoContract CENSORED User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 12:57 PM Posts: 2,319 Post: #8 RE: A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy Evolution is a lie Wrote: (04-02-2018 12:52 PM) NoContract Wrote: (04-02-2018 12:51 PM) "From committing adultery, tax evasion, renouncement of US citizenship, rabble rousing, unethical ministry management to how he used Jo Hovind (ex-wife) and Eric Hovind (son) as cannon fodder to paint himself as a martyr to the public" what a deceptive rat of a man On kent hovind. ...."From committing adultery, tax evasion, renouncement of US citizenship, rabble rousing, unethical ministry management to how he used Jo Hovind (ex-wife) and Eric Hovind (son) as cannon fodder to paint himself as a martyr to the public"what a deceptive rat of a man Do you want to know my sins? They are many. No thanks . Like everything else you utter , it would be best if you kept it to yourself . Kent hovind ? No thanks . Like everything else you utter , it would be best if you kept it to yourself .Kent hovind ? "Well, I'll put it this way: you can certainly say belief in God makes people behave worse. That can be proved beyond a doubt. " Christopher Hitchens Perception is a personal experience , not a universal application PioneerSpirit Registered User User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 12:57 PM Posts: 15,196 Post: #9 RE: A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy Quote: A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy Catholics ARE Christians. 1 Billion Catholic Christians. 1 Billion Protestant Christians. Fundis really need to accept this and accept that the Catholic church put the bible together in the 300s. It's a Catholic book. Fundi hate of all things not fundi ... Catholics ARE Christians.1 Billion Catholic Christians.1 Billion Protestant Christians.Fundis really need to accept this and accept that the Catholic church put the bible together in the 300s. It's a Catholic book. Fundi hate of all things not fundi ... "They notice that you notice" - Mothman Prophecies A tradition cannot make an historical claim and then refuse to have it evaluated by history Evolution is a lie lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 01:00 PM Post: #10 RE: A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy NoContract Wrote: (04-02-2018 12:57 PM) Evolution is a lie Wrote: (04-02-2018 12:52 PM) Do you want to know my sins? They are many. No thanks . Like everything else you utter , it would be best if you kept it to yourself . Kent hovind ? A Christian is not to be without sin. But the desire and effort to be without sin. The greatest crimes are committed by those who give us the laws. Insert conspiracy theories. A Christian is not to be without sin. But the desire and effort to be without sin.The greatest crimes are committed by those who give us the laws. Insert conspiracy theories. Evolution is a lie lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 01:00 PM Post: #11 RE: A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy PioneerSpirit Wrote: (04-02-2018 12:57 PM) Quote: A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy Catholics ARE Christians. 1 Billion Catholic Christians. 1 Billion Protestant Christians. Fundis really need to accept this and accept that the Catholic church put the bible together in the 300s. It's a Catholic book. Fundi hate of all things not fundi ... No. No. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 01:01 PM Post: #12 RE: A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy PioneerSpirit Wrote: (04-02-2018 12:57 PM) Quote: A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy Catholics ARE Christians. 1 Billion Catholic Christians. 1 Billion Protestant Christians. Fundis really need to accept this and accept that the Catholic church put the bible together in the 300s. It's a Catholic book. Fundi hate of all things not fundi ... Jesus said you can spot a christian or nonchristian by their fruit or not having fruit. Do all christians do what he said? no, most are in wide gate. Don't play. Without Christ-I-Am-Nothing. Jesus said you can spot a christian or nonchristian by their fruit or not having fruit. Do all christians do what he said? no, most are in wide gate. Don't play. Without Christ-I-Am-Nothing. PopEye I Yam What I Yam User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 01:01 PM Posts: 12,075 Post: #13 RE: A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who haven't got it. George Bernard Shaw ____________________ NoContract CENSORED User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 01:04 PM Posts: 2,319 Post: #14 RE: A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy Evolution is a lie Wrote: (04-02-2018 01:00 PM) NoContract Wrote: (04-02-2018 12:57 PM) No thanks . Like everything else you utter , it would be best if you kept it to yourself . Kent hovind ? A Christian is not to be without sin. But the desire and effort to be without sin. The greatest crimes are committed by those who give us the laws. Insert conspiracy theories. Yawn. Your predictability is laughable . Your delusion is strong . Your diction is poor . You really are Hovind , arent you? Yawn.Your predictability is laughable .Your delusion is strong .Your diction is poor .You really are Hovind , arent you? "Well, I'll put it this way: you can certainly say belief in God makes people behave worse. That can be proved beyond a doubt. " Christopher Hitchens Perception is a personal experience , not a universal application NoContract CENSORED User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 01:05 PM Posts: 2,319 Post: #15 RE: A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy PioneerSpirit Wrote: (04-02-2018 12:57 PM) Quote: A Christian speaks against Catholicism in Italy Catholics ARE Christians. 1 Billion Catholic Christians. 1 Billion Protestant Christians. Fundis really need to accept this and accept that the Catholic church put the bible together in the 300s. It's a Catholic book. Fundi hate of all things not fundi ... Stop throwing facts at the christian !! You'll hurt it . Stop throwing facts at the christian !!You'll hurt it . "Well, I'll put it this way: you can certainly say belief in God makes people behave worse. That can be proved beyond a doubt. " Christopher Hitchens Perception is a personal experience , not a universal application Advertisement Bali Baby has shared her new EP Bali Blanco, which finds her collaborating with 12HUNNA across five new tracks (with the exception of "Codeine Flower," produced by Bali herself). The project is a notable shift to more mid-tempo and melodic tracks, marking new territory for the rapper who's primarily known for her colorful, energetic singles. It features the pre-release single "Winter Wonderland," as well as a collaboration with Bompton rapper YG on opening track "No Drama." It Follows Bali's 2017 mixtape Bali Play 2, which featured popular tracks like "No Hook," "Pretty," and "Iggady." Bali has announced plans to tour her new project, revealing that dates would be shared on Monday. She's also looking to do her best to promote the many talented female rappers across the country. "1. On tour i wanna bring out THE BEST female rapper for each city ( that im able to due 2 performance time)," she wrote on Twitter Sunday. "2. I wanna drop a all female tape at the end of the tour TO SHOW YALL N***AS WHAT YALL UP AGAINST." In other words, you're going to be hearing a lot more from Bali in 2018. Fans of Dragon Ball Super are still feeling the loss. The series concluded last month, with a truly epic ending, and now fans are yearning for any new Dragon Ball occurrences. Whether that be the fun and addicting Dragon Ball FighterZ video game, or the recently announced Dragon Ball Super movie that is slated to drop in December, fans of the series continuously seek a way to feed their anime craving. Last month, Toei Animation announced that they were creating a Dragon Ball department dedicated solely to creating new content for fans, and it looks like their first project will be coming this summer. Toei Animation hopped on Twitter to announce that they will be bringing a Dragon Ball tour to North America. The announcement came along with a trailer, and Toei revealed that the first stop on the seven-city tour will be in San Diego. Why only even cities you ask? Each city is meant to represent one of the seven Dragon Balls, and each event will have different exclusive content. While San Diego is the only city that's been revealed, it's safe to assume New York City and Toronto will also be included in the tour. Check out the trailer for the tour below, and stay tuned for updates on the other locations as they are announced. Things might be working out well for Drake on a music front, but there's still some legal issues he has to deal with. Back in 2016, Drake and his bodyguard, Chubbs, were accused of punching producer Detail in the face and allegedly breaking his jaw. The trial is set to start next month, however, a report claims that Drake is seeking to get the judge to ban any social media posts as evidence in the case. According to TheBlast, Drake's asking the judge to ban Detail from using any sort of social media posts as evidence in the upcoming assault trial. He's specifically seeking a ban from "any statements that originated from websites, social media and on the Internet." He reportedly claimed in his motion that due to his fame, blogs and websites use his name as a way to gain traction and the stories presented from these sources, there could be a high risk of prejudice. His motion reads, "Due to the plethora of news stories available, and after observing Details inclination towards muddying the waters by introducing said news stories during the deposition of Chubbs, Drake is concerned Detail may try to introduce the same stories at trial." Additionally, the report claims that Drake also believes that the jury would be more swayed by the media's word than the testimonies from the witnesses themselves. His attorneys say the stories "would result only in confusing the jury and skewing their interpretations of the testimony and document presented at trial." We'll keep you posted on more information pertaining to the trial. While R-Mean may have put his "R-Mean Mondays" freestyle series on hiatus, he still making his presence known with his feature on Toronto producer RAH Sound's new single, "Real Sticky". The song also features Joell Ortiz and Termanology, with hook duties being fulfilled by another Toronto native, Rochester. Since this is RAH Sound's song, the beat better be at the forefront of the song, and thankfully that is the case. The production uses old-school boom-bap rhythms with the triumphant accompaniment of a booming horn section, encouraging each rapper to go their hardest, and that's exactly what they do. Each verse has their respective MC's tell a tale of the sticky situations they had to overcome before they could make it in the rap game, including dodging bullets and dealing with inner demons. Check out the song and let us know what you think. Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 1 Vote(s) - 1 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Page: 1 2 3 the inhabitants of the British Isles came originally from Egypt Gottfried Registered User User ID: kaput 04-02-2018 09:30 PM Posts: 920 Post: #1 the inhabitants of the British Isles came originally from Egypt Advertisement Druidism of the British Isles is simply a derivative from the Egyptian Satanic witchcraft/magic of Ancient Egypt. Gottfried Registered User User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 09:32 PM Posts: 920 Post: #2 RE: the inhabitants of the British Isles came originally from Egypt The Illuminati is the continuation of the `Mystery Religions of Babylon and Egypt `. Gottfried Registered User User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 09:33 PM Posts: 920 Post: #3 RE: the inhabitants of the British Isles came originally from Egypt they contacted me in 2012 Gottfried Registered User User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 09:38 PM Posts: 920 Post: #4 RE: the inhabitants of the British Isles came originally from Egypt This bloodline believes that it has both the blood of Jesus and the blood (or seed) of Satan in its bloodline. Gottfried Registered User User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 09:41 PM Posts: 920 Post: #5 RE: the inhabitants of the British Isles came originally from Egypt Great Britain is the mother country of Satanism. Scotland has long been an occult center. The national symbol of Scotland is the dragon (the snake), and for years the chief of Scotland was called the dragon. The Gaelic language is an important language for Satanism, although English and French are also use extensively by the Illuminati. Awen Registered User User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 09:42 PM Posts: 48 Post: #6 RE: the inhabitants of the British Isles came originally from Egypt its the other way around Monk-1 Registered User User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 09:43 PM Posts: 5,687 Post: #7 RE: the inhabitants of the British Isles came originally from Egypt Awen Wrote: (04-02-2018 09:42 PM) its the other way around yurp yurp Gottfried Registered User User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 09:51 PM Posts: 920 Post: #8 RE: the inhabitants of the British Isles came originally from Egypt (This post was last modified: 04-02-2018 09:52 PM by Gottfried .) Pinguu Registered User User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 09:54 PM Posts: 6,186 Post: #9 RE: the inhabitants of the British Isles came originally from Egypt So what if we like a bit of witchcraft and mild satanism....It isnt illegal. IF AT FIRST YOU DONT SUCCEED...CLAIM YOU ARE OPPRESSED.. Gottfried Registered User User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 09:58 PM Posts: 920 Post: #10 RE: the inhabitants of the British Isles came originally from Egypt the Finn-woman's favorite holiday LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 09:59 PM Post: #11 RE: the inhabitants of the British Isles came originally from Egypt Awen Wrote: (04-02-2018 09:42 PM) its the other way around http://www.messagetoeagle.com/the-red-ha...onnection/ Gottfried Registered User User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 09:59 PM Posts: 920 Post: #12 RE: the inhabitants of the British Isles came originally from Egypt Pinguu Wrote: (04-02-2018 09:54 PM) So what if we like a bit of witchcraft and mild satanism....It isnt illegal. i was told they were waiting for - me - !!!!!!!!!!!! i was told they were waiting for - me - !!!!!!!!!!!! Lakeofmarch ~Shemhazai, Key and Guardian of the Gate User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 10:02 PM Posts: 17,653 Post: #13 RE: the inhabitants of the British Isles came originally from Egypt Cover of the Invisibles 12, Volume 3, April 1999, by Grant Morrison, MBE. I know where I have put my chips, and it is not with the crossdressers or with those who represent Mesoamerica innaccurately (re: Fanny). The clan of Yaldabaoth have made their bet indeed, from the misconstruction of the real teachings of Egypt up to this morning's propaganda fray.. but is it quite enough to overcome the All, or will they simply be granted a victory that locks them into their private mad world?Cover of the Invisibles 12, Volume 3, April 1999, by Grant Morrison, MBE.I know where I have put my chips, and it is not with the crossdressers or with those who represent Mesoamerica innaccurately (re: Fanny). https://terebess.hu/english/tao/wu.html https://het-report.nl/ NS "Snow Crash", CC "Eagle's Gift" Son Calenda/Fudo Myoo https://secretsun.blogspot.com Axte Incal, Axtuce Mun -NO8DO- The Great Tao is universal like a flood. How can it be turned to the right or to the left?NS "Snow Crash", CC "Eagle's Gift"Son Calenda/Fudo MyooAxte Incal, Axtuce Mun-NO8DO- (This post was last modified: 04-02-2018 10:04 PM by Lakeofmarch .) Gottfried Registered User User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 10:03 PM Posts: 920 Post: #14 RE: the inhabitants of the British Isles came originally from Egypt The - 13th Illuminati Bloodline - is where the Anti-Christ will come from. but...The - 13th Illuminati Bloodline - is where the Anti-Christ will come from. Gottfried Registered User User ID: 1337 04-02-2018 10:08 PM Posts: 920 Post: #15 RE: the inhabitants of the British Isles came originally from Egypt found this ~2 weeks ago found this ~2 weeks ago Advertisement Lil Wop continues to feed the streets with new music. The rapper signed a deal to Gucci Mane's 2017 Eskimo Boyz last year and has been in full force ever since. The rapper dropped his project, Wopaveli 3 and shortly after followed it with his joint project with Trippie Redd on Angels & Demons. His prolific run in 2017 was only build up to what he has in store this year. Last week, he released his latest solo single, "DEATH NOTE." Today, he returns with his latest effort, "Gang Way" featuring Big Adolf. Lil Wop and Big Adolf join forces on their new collaboration, "Gang Way." It's a dark, loud and abrasive single from the two artists that highlights the evident horror influence in their music. Nonetheless, they both come through with a some fire on this track. Quotable Lyrics Sippin' on this mud like I'm sick as fuck I get a rush when I put Xanax in my blunt Gang way, trappin' out the gate way Gang bang clips, ain't no let your chain swang Things were starting to look up for Meek Mill in his ongoing case as the mission to free him continues. While the rapper's legal team has done all they can to attempt to get their client out of prison, Meek remains locked up despite evidence of corruption in his case. A request was made for the Philly artist to be released on bail but the judge in his trial has shut him down, denying his bail. Meek has been in prison since November for violating the terms of his probation and, while the rapper's legal team has argued that Judge Brinkley has a personal vendetta against Meek, this most recent development gives them reasonable cause to continue their doubt. Brinkley reportedly did not give any reasons regarding her decision to block Meek's bail, with TMZ citing that the choice "came amidst pressure to open the prison doors for the rapper." Meek's arresting officer Reginald Graham has previously been documented on a list of "corrupt" cops due to his criminal behavior and Governor Tom Wolf of Philadelphia has spoken out in support of the "Dreams and Nightmares" rapper. Meek's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, has told TMZ, "The judge continues to stand alone in supporting Officer Reginald Graham's perjured testimony as well as his criminal behavior that has been documented." Due to their believed flaws in the judicial system, Tacopina and the rest of Meek's legal team will be appealing to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in a renewed effort to secure the rapper's release from prison. Adam22 or Adam Grandmaison, host of the No Jumper podcast, has been accused of sexual assault by two women who have shared their accounts with Pitchfork. The article follows various allegations on social media that began to circulate after it was announced that Grandmaison's No Jumper had signed a deal with Atlantic Records. These allegations were denied by Grandmaison in a statement where he said, Ive done plenty of stupid shit in my life. But Ive never raped or hit a woman. One of the women, who chose to go by Jane, claims that she was assaulted by Grandmaison in 2005. Jane said that the two met on a message board and later met up in New York, where they went to Grandmaison's Queens apartment. Jane alleges that this is where Grandmaison made advances and the assault took place. "At first I was OK with it, but quickly became uncomfortable as it went further than I wanted to go," she said. "I told him I wasnt into it, but he didnt stop and became pretty angry. Meanwhile, Im not a big girl, Im 5'4" and Adam is well over 6'0" and a pretty big guy. I was terrified and froze while he had sex with my basically lifeless body. I was too afraid to fight back in fear that he would hurt me, so I just laid there in terror." Jane says she told one person of the alleged assault who she thought could be trusted with the information. That person then reportedly told Grandmaison. Adam immediately took to the public forum we were both members of and plastered my supposed lie all over it, she said. In 2009, Grandmaison reportedly refuted Jane's claims in a post on his blog titled "The Time a Girl Accused Me of Rape." Pitchfork reviewed the post through Archive.org. "She was letting me touch her all over and was making out with me the whole time, but she didnt seem like she was really enjoying it all that much," he wrote. "How much a woman enjoys sexual activity is usually not highly correlated to how much fun Im having though, so I didnt give it much thought. A second woman, who asked to be referred to as "D" in the article, said that she was assaulted by Grandmaison when the two met up in her hometown of Vancouver in June 2009 when she was 19 and he was in his early twenties. She says that she told Grandmaison she only wanted to kiss, but he forced sex acts. I was like, No, just stop, she said. I was pushing him off me and my hands were pushing him, really just, barricading my vagina with my hands. Like, No, dont go there, dont put your fingers in there, dont go anywhere there, I dont want that. And then hes 6'4" and Im like 5'3". I was like 120 pounds if that. He easily had 100 pounds on me. When someone is that big and they have the ability to grab both your wrists with their one hand and pull your arms over your head, you cant do anything, D said. And if you try, itll just get worse and more painful. What are you supposed to do? Grandmaison also posted about D on his blog, where he wrote upwards of 9,000 words about her and posted some semi-nude photos. He claimed that the two just "cuddled" when he visited her in Vancouver because she was still pretending to not want to bang me. Grandmaison discussed D's claims in his interview with DJ Akademiks, which can be viewed below. He told Pitchfork that everything he wanted to say about the allegations is contained in the interview, according to Fader. D has said that she decided to go public with the allegations after she was shown tweets regarding the blog posts about her. I have nothing to gain from this, she said. I just want justice. Jane is speaking out after she was contacted by D: [she] reached out to me telling me that something similar had happened to her and she never stopped thinking of me and what I went through. "Stranger Things" star Noah Schnapp (aka Will Byers) recently linked up with Complex's Joe La Puma for a new episode of "Sneaker Shopping" at Flight Club's New York location, in which the young actor discussed "first day of school" sneakers, borrowing his friend's Yeezys, and who has the best sneaker game on the show. Despite being part of a hit Netflix series, Noah reveals that he still has to show up for class and, like many kids his age, it's important to stunt on the first day of school. But that doesn't necessarily mean showing up in the newest pair of Yeezys. Schnapp explains that shoes like the Jordan Dub Zero are more appealing to him simply because not as many people are seen wearing them nowadays. Also in this episode, Schnapp talks about the Stranger Things x Bait x Reebok collab, his dream of having a KITH collab and why he's "renting" a pair of Yeezys from his friend. Check out the full episode below. Mutula Shakur, stepfather to the west coast rap legend Tupac Shakur, has filed a lawsuit against the United States Government, alleging that he is being kept under incarceration illegally. According to The Source, Mutula believes that his Constitutional First Amendment rights are being violated by his continuous incarceration, and he has been nothing but a force of positivity for his community. The lawsuit reads, "As established by letters in the record and Plaintiffs statement at several parole hearings, throughout his incarceration Plaintiff has been outspoken against gang violence and crime. He has consistently expressed support for peaceful and constructive changes in all matters involving racial disparities and social justice. He has never in 30 years of incarceration supported or in any way implied support for criminal conduct or violence to achieve social justice." Mutula was sentenced to 60 years in prison back in 1987, for robbing a Brinks truck of approximately $2 million and killing three security guards. He was also convicted of helping Tupac's aunt, Assata Shakur, escape prison in order to flee to Cuba, where she currently stays under political asylum. According to Mutula's lawsuit, his influence on Tupac's music should demonstrate his positive ideals. The suit reads, "Plaintiff has led a highly productive and exemplary life in prison, influencing his stepson Tupac Shakurs career as a worldwide renowned hip hop artist with messages of non-violence that reached millions of young people," Mutulu was once a member of the Black Panthers and was a target for surveillance under the FBI's controversial COINTELPRO program. AUSTIN Houstons NRG will focus less on generating power and more on selling electricity, according to its CEO, part of a nationwide trend that could mean a wave of clean energy or widespread blackouts, depending on who you ask. Low natural gas prices and little growth in demand for electricity have the power industry in turmoil. And past proponents of deregulation and free markets are calling for a return to government dictates that guarantee generators a profit. Texas lawmakers were among the first to break up the electricity business in 1998, dividing it into three distinct parts: generation, transmission and retail sales. Most city-based utilities sold off their assets and private firms have dominated generation and retail sales ever since. Only the Texas transmission system remains regulated. The wholesale electricity market and grid are operated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, better known as ERCOT. RELATED: Nuclear power as we know it is finished Independent generators bid their electricity to ERCOT, which buys power starting with the lowest-cost producer until demand is met. A traditional generators margins are based on fuel price, so when a fuel like natural gas is cheap, profits are also low. The advent of hydraulic fracturing has flooded the country with cheap natural gas, and generators have installed inexpensive natural gas plants across the country that are more profitable than coal or nuclear plants. Renewable energy sources, backed by federal tax credits, have also driven down prices. NRG, which owns large coal and nuclear power plants, lost $2.3 billion last year and laid off 3,000 employees. The losses would have been much higher if NRG did not also own Reliant, which sells electricity to consumers and generates steady earnings. CEO Mauricio Gutierrez told investors recently that NRG is flipping the business plan, selling off power plants and expanding the retail business. We no longer have a model that is generation-driven, he said. This model will take us away from the historical feast or famine earnings of our sector and allow us to take advantage of earnings stability. Generators across the country are selling off power plants or shutting them down. Vistra Energy, which bought up TXUs old power plants, shut down three Texas coal facilities this year. The worry now is where will our electricity come from and will there be enough? Uncertainty over future demand and the plummeting cost of renewable sources make it difficult for a generator to make 40, 60 or 80-year investments in new power plants, said Nicholas Akins, CEO of American Electric Power, one of the largest generators in the nation. If you look at the way the industry is changing, large central station generation facilities are the most risky investments you can make, Akins said during the Energy Thought Summit, an annual utility conference in Austin. It is really difficult to bet against technology. Ohio-based First Energy is calling on Energy Secretary Rick Perry to issue an emergency order that would blow up competitive electricity markets by guaranteeing profits for its coal and nuclear power plants. If he doesnt act, the company said it will shut down three nuclear plants and endanger the PJM grid, which covers parts of 13 states. RELATED: Rick Perry wants you to pay more to support coal, nuclear industries Officials who manage PJM deny the closures will hurt reliability and have asked Perry to stay out of it. He should remember Texas, where ERCOT has proven that competitive electricity markets work by encouraging the lowest-cost producers and generating some of the lowest prices in the country. Vistras decision to shut down its oldest, dirtiest coal plants have sent electricity futures in ERCOT for August to $185 a megawatt hour, compared to the most recent peak of $71 in 2015. ERCOTs CEO Bill Magness said a hot summer with higher prices will test the markets efficiency. If we see scarcity conditions that do generate higher wholesale prices, well see what impact that has on peoples incentives to invest (in new generation), he told me on the sidelines of the summit. ERCOT will also learn how many large customers have employed new technologies to generate their own energy or shave consumption when prices spike. If demand drops in response to high prices, there is no need for new investment. Thats how a competitive market is supposed to work. It can be more nerve-wracking because when you enable a market to make a lot of the decisions, you dont have the same control, Magness said. But our markets have enabled a whole lot of investment to come into this state. The electricity business is undergoing a transformation which will bring some volatility, but that comes with a free market. Our policymakers should resist any attempt to choose winners or losers and trust the market to work. When David Bush and Jim Parsons began their quest to document Art Deco architecture in Houston, they had no idea it would become a four-book series documenting the states entry into the world of modern design. More than a decade ago the two men, Preservation Houstons executive director and programs director, respectively, were among many in the city worried about the demolition of the River Oaks Theatre and the Alabama Theatre. They planned to launch a photo-driven website to document historic buildings in the city and create a legacy for those that were lost. It was advocacy, pure and simple. At some point, though, the two men realized they had enough photos and stories for a book, and Bright Sky Publishing published their tome in 2008. During a book signing in Austin, the two men looked around and realized that every city in Texas had buildings from the 1920s and 30s worth documenting. In 2010, they published Hill Country Deco (Texas Christian University Press), followed by Fair Park Deco in 2012 and in 2017, DFW Deco. DFW Deco: Modernistic Architecture of North Texas reaches beyond that metropolis into Tyler, Denton, Marshall and elsewhere. The book, available on amazon.com, recently earned the Texas State Historical Associations prestigious Ron Tyler Award for Best Illustrated Book on Texas History and Culture. More Information "DFW Deco: Modernistic Architecture of North Texas" By Jim Parsons and David Bush Texas Christian University Publishing; $40; 256 pp. See More Collapse Art Deco style in American flourished in the 1920s and 1930s, in part because it represented modern life and everyone wanted to be modern. When the Great Depression hit, federal works projects all over the country sprang up and were designed in the style of the day: Art Deco, which affected everything from buildings and furniture to fashion, cars and simple household items like radios and vacuum cleaners. Within buildings, artists created heroics-style murals and sculptures that helped capture life in that era; there were also reliefs and metalwork on buildings exteriors. DFW Deco filled with photos and stories behind the life of each building addresses deco as not just a singular form. It began as art-driven, rich with detail and ornamentation, progressing to Art Moderne, then the simpler Streamline before the plain, steel-and-glass-box International era arrived. Bush and Parsons talked to the Chronicle recently about modern architecture, minor obsessions and slices of state history. Q: Art Deco is so different from architecture we see today. What makes it really stand out? Bush: Art Deco is the last architecture that incorporated artists and artisans in the design and planning. It was an important part of that. After the (1929 stock market) crash and after FDR came into office you had federal projects under the Work Progress Administration and Public Works Administration that incorporated artwork, but on a much smaller scale. Q: And there were a lot of murals, right? Bush: One percent of construction costs were set aside for art in the federal projects. There was a conscious effort to put artists back to work. Parsons: In big cities, the artists would compete for the chance to do the work, but for the small towns they would send artists out from large cities to do the work. It wasnt just a mural factory; they were trying to do things that were appropriate, that were topical and that were historical. Q: In terms of timing, Art Deco is innately tied to the Great Depression. How did all of the architecture and design factor into that history? Bush: There were the buildings that went up late 20s when the economy was booming and when the 1929 crash hit, there were a lot of construction projects on backlog. People thought those projects would carry us through whatever the downturn was. Of course that didnt happen. Construction dried up in San Antonio, which was really booming before the crash. Dallas and Houston were still building into the depression and, really, Fort Worth started building after the crash. Parsons: Fort Worth is an unusual case because in 1927, they developed a five-year work plan to basically rebuild the city, and the projects were Art Deco because they wanted the city to look modern. They already had funding and planning in motion, and they were building in 1932, 33, 34 when nobody else was. Q: Art deco was embraced as being so modern, but yet it was so short-lived. What made it go out of style? Bush: When they were built, they were modern or modernistic buildings, but after World War II people didnt like it or value it at all. Civilian construction stopped during the war; it was a definite break. It wasnt until the late 1960s or early 70s until people started looking at it again. Parsons: These styles would have reminded them of the depression, too. Dallas had these wonderful murals at city hall that were painted as a WPA project, scenes from Dallas history. In the mid 50s they redid city hall and there was a question do we save the murals or shouldnt we? And the answer was these are depressing and they remind us of bad times and they got rid of them. They were bad times. They produced some good architecture, but they were bad times. Q: For this book you spent a lot of time in North Texas. What are some of your favorite buildings in the book? Bush: I like the Texas and Pacific Railway Station in Fort Worth, which is pretty incredible, and its amazing that it remained intact through the decline of the railroads. With their five-year plan the railroad station was supposed to be for a city of 1 million. Parsons: And Fort Worth had about 150,000 people at that time. That wasnt ridiculous to them; they thought, oh yeah, in a few years its going to be a million people because thats the way it looked. My favorite building is one in Tyler, the Peoples National Bank Building, which was designed by Alfred Finn of Houston. Its a 1932 skyscraper in Tyler, which nobody believes exists. Its, like, 16 floors. The story was that Tyler wasnt in the oilfields, but it was where a lot of professionals lived because it was an established city and it had nice neighborhoods and it had schools and paved streets and all of that. The geologists and lawyers and landmen would live in Tyler, and they built this building for their professional offices. Its surprising its in Tyler, and its a surprisingly sophisticated building for anywhere in Texas in 1932. Q: Your Fair Park book published in 2012, but you of course devoted a chunk of space in this book to the site of the 1936 Centennial Exposition. That park is a real showcase for Art Deco style, isnt it? Bush: Oh, yes, and it all went up in nine months. Parsons: They called it a worlds fair technically, it wasnt but its the only Art Deco fairgrounds that still exists anywhere. A big percent of the 1936 stuff is still there. The New York worlds fair from 1939 is gone. Chicagos from 1933 is gone. San Franciscos is gone. If you want to get a sense of what it was really like, Dallas is the only place you can go. Its come back around as a thing that theyre now proud of. And Fort Worth is proud of its architecture. Its nice to see that theyre caring about it. For a long time they really didnt. Nobody cared about it. Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office A road rage investigation led to the arrest of a suspect who was found with cocaine, marijuana and "a large amount of U.S. currency," according to authorities. Harris County Precinct 4 deputy constables got a call about a road rage incident in the 21900 block of Aldine Westfield Road in Humble on Sunday. The crash that killed a married couple and at least three of their adopted children after their vehicle plunged off a California cliff last week may not have been an accident, according to media reports. Greg Baarts, acting assistant chief of the California Highway Patrol's northern division, told NBC affiliate KGW8 that investigators have "reason to believe . . . that the crash was intentional." Baarts, who was not immediately available for comment Sunday evening, told KGW8 that the finding was based on preliminary information. Earlier reports indicated that the speedometer of the SUV that authorities said was carrying the family of eight - the two parents and their six adopted children - was "pinned" at 90 mph when it went over the cliff on the Pacific Coast Highway. Fox affiliate KPTV in Oregon reported that this indicates the vehicle remained in motion after it fell and just before it hit the rocks 100 feet below. Investigators also did not find any marks showing that the vehicle either accelerated or slowed down before it reached the cliff, or any evidence that it crashed into the embankment as it "traversed towards the tidal zone below," according the documents cited by KPTV. Now Playing: A family that gained attention for an emotional photograph of an African-American boy hugging a white police officer at a 2014 protest were killed when their SUV plunged off a scenic California highway, authorities said Wednesday as they asked for he Video: KTVU Killed are the two mothers, Jennifer Jean Hart - who was driving - and Sarah Margaret Hart, both 38, and at least three of their adopted children. The other three are missing and are feared to be dead. The death of a family that had once captured the world's attention has left troubling questions about what may have preceded the Monday afternoon crash at the ocean overlook near Westport, California, a small community about 180 miles north of San Francisco. Child services officials in Washington state, where the family lived, have confirmed that they began investigating the Harts over "alleged abuse or neglect" shortly before the accident. The Washington Department of Social and Health Services said it tried unsuccessfully to contact the family on three occasions, first on March 23, three days before the crash, according to a statement. The agency tried again Monday, the day of the crash, and Tuesday. "We have not made any findings in this investigation and we had no prior history with this family," the agency said. "We are working with all involved law enforcement agencies on their respective investigations." Investigators are looking into the possibility of suicide, although police had said earlier that they have no reason to suspect that the crash was intentional. KPTV reported that investigators have secured a warrant to search the family's home, including documents such as bank and cellphone records, credit-card statements, journals and suicide notes. A spokesman for the California Highway Patrol did not respond to a request for comment Sunday. The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office said the family may not have intended to stay away from home for long that day because many of their belongings, including a pet and some chickens, were still at their home. First responders immediately found the bodies of Jennifer and Sarah Hart and their children Markis, 19, Jeremiah, 14, and Abigail, 14. The others - Devonte, 15, Hannah, 16, and Sierra, 12 - remain unaccounted for. The family had previously lived in a suburb of Portland, Oregon, before they moved north across the Columbia River to Woodland, Wash. Authorities said the family left Oregon to escape intense scrutiny that began in 2014, when Devonte Hart was photographed sobbing in the arms of a white police officer in Portland, where people had gathered to support protests in Ferguson, Missouri. The demonstration was prompted by a grand jury's decision not to charge police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson. Devonte and his siblings were black. Jennifer and Sarah Hart were white. The family's mixed races have fueled suspicion and anger about the crash, reflected in hundreds of comments left on Facebook postings mourning the family. Many of the comments questioned the motives of white women who adopted black children. Meanwhile, those who knew the Harts described them as inspiring and devoted parents who had been unfairly subjected to criticisms and assumptions about their motives for adopting the children. Friends also said that the couple tried to keep their children insulated from death threats and hateful emails prompted by Devonte's viral picture. But their neighbors in Washington said previous incidents involving the Harts' children have concerned them. Bruce DeKalb said Devonte regularly came to his home to ask for food and said his parents weren't feeding him. The teen also asked him and his wife to call Child Protective Services, DeKalb said. Last month, another sibling, Hannah, knocked on his front door at 1:30 a.m., DeKalb said. She was covered in weeds after jumping out of her family's second-story window. DeKalb said the teenager, who was missing some front teeth and who he thought was only 7 years old, was "rattled to the bone." --- The Washington Post's Maureen O'Hagan and Julie Tate contributed to this report. Ever since the horrors of the Holocaust, the United States has welcomed millions of people fleeing war, violence and persecution. Now President Donald Trumps administration is reframing how the nation admits refugees, reducing who can come here and making it tougher to apply for protection. It is playing out not through congressional action or public announcement, but in policy tweaks and guidelines that together make up an overhaul. For Trump and his supporters, it is part of a welcome return to focusing on Americans, a crackdown on those whom they say take advantage of the countrys generosity and put its citizens at risk. But some say the changes tear at the fabric of Americas core beliefs. Were very concerned that these several small policy moves are undermining due process, said Bradley Jenkins, a lawyer with the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, a national nonprofit. It is part of our American tradition and values that we offer protection and refuge to our neighbors who are fleeing persecution. If the U.S. stops leading by example, we fear other countries will follow. Trump has said a more compassionate approach is helping people in their home countries, and slashed the number of refugees allowed into the U.S. this year to 45,000, the lowest in three decades. Halfway through, only about 10,600 have arrived. CITY OF REFUGEES: How Greater Houston became a resettlement magnet More quietly, his administration is curbing how asylum seekers receive protection at the border. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who is at the helm of much of the effort, has argued that it is necessary to stop what he called rampant fraud in the system and resolve a record backlog in immigration courts. Much of the focus is on deterring Central American families and children, who make up the fastest-growing segment of migrants at the southern border. Many end up in Houston, where government data shows the most unaccompanied children in the nation, about 12,500, have resettled since they started coming here en-masse in 2013. Federal laws and legal settlements protecting children prohibit the prolonged detention or quick deportation of many families. Trump has said repeatedly that he wants to close such terrible loopholes exploited by criminals and terrorists. Top officials in recent weeks have hammered the sentiment, suggesting increasing urgency as the number of Central American families coming here is once again on the rise. More than 8,600 were apprehended in February, according to the latest statistics. At a recent briefing on the border wall, acting Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost said the controversial structure wasnt enough. Current loopholes in our immigration laws pertaining to family units and unaccompanied minors have created a path to entering America illegally, Provost said. Without legislative changes to these loopholes, we will continue to see a rush. With Congress stuck on immigration, Sessions has led the charge to limit asylum. On the one hand, its messaging, trying to frame asylum seekers as criminals, said Anne Chandler, who heads the Tahirih Justice Center in Houston, a nonprofit representing immigrant women and children. SHARP DROP: Refugee resettlement slowed to a trickle early in Trump presidency Its also accomplished through a series of administrative changes that together have significant impact. What they have decided to do is see how much of this they can address by regulation and policy memo-wise and Attorney General decision-wise, said Leon Fresco, a former Justice Department immigration attorney under President Barack Obama. As attorney general, Sessions oversees the civil immigration courts, which unlike federal and state courts are not independent but under the Justice Department. That gives him authority to intervene in cases decided by the Board of Immigration Appeals, the courts highest body, and set interpretations of law that become precedent. Previous attorneys general rarely used that administrative tool, said Jeremy McKinney, secretary of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Sessions has employed it four times in two months, recently to reconsider a landmark ruling that could drastically limit how victims of domestic and gang violence qualify for asylum. In the March 7 order, he requested review of a case involving a Salvadoran domestic violence victim whom the board found deserved asylum because the government was unable to protect her. Sessions asked for legal opinions on whether victims of private criminal activity should make up a particular social group. To obtain asylum, people must show they fear persecution because of belonging to such a class, or due to their race, religion, nationality or political opinion. Only 8,726 immigrants received the protection through the courts in 2016, the latest figures available. The board established in 2014 that women who cant leave abusive relationships because of certain country conditions constitute a social group. Now Sessions could narrow that finding, and apply it to those fleeing gang persecution. That has the potential to shrink significantly the pool of people on the asylum front, said Fresco, the former Justice Department official. Sessions, in a speech last fall to the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the agency over the courts, criticized case law that has expanded the concept of asylum well beyond Congressional intent created even more incentives for illegal aliens to come here and claim a fear of return. Deborah Anker, a Harvard Law School professor who specializes in asylum, said Sessions office declined to identify the decision he was reviewing, initially leaving lawyers without a way to respond to his request for arguments. It was unprecedented, she said. The attorney general by executive action appears to want to be overturning the statute as it relates to asylum. A Justice Department official said the decision was available through the Freedom of Information Act, which can take months. Art Arthur, a former immigration judge and fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, a group advocating for reduced immigration, said the authority for attorneys general to review cases was previously under-used. He said Sessions is correctly employing that tool to clarify a contested area of the law that could have wide-reaching consequences in limiting fraud. Justice Department spokesman Devin O Malley said in a statement that Sessions is trying to clear the outrageous backlog of more than 632,000 cases in immigration courts that means an average case can drag on for two years. He is doing so in part by exercising his congressionally-provided authority to review Board of Immigration Appeals cases without compromising due process, O Malley said. These reviews are not improper, do not impugn the independence of judges and restore the rule of law. Sessions has taken charge of three other cases, tossing out a 2014 board decision that allowed immigrants full hearings before a judge even if their initial claims didnt set out a basis for asylum. Supporters say that will streamline the docket. But Denise Gilman, director of the immigration law clinic at the University of Texas at Austin, said most asylum seekers dont speak English and dont initially have attorneys. Removing their rights to a hearing means they lose protection because they could not at first articulate how their need fits into the laws complicated definition. Sessions also directed to himself a case that could end the ability of immigration judges to halt deportation proceedings through a process known as administrative closure. Critics said use of the practice skyrocketed under Obamas administration after it focused on deporting immigrants with criminal records, temporarily shelving some other cases of lower priority. Advocates argue the procedure is also used to close cases in which the most vulnerable immigrants have other ways to legally remain, such as qualifying for crime victim visas that are pending approval in the backlogged system. Sessions is reviewing when judges should be able to postpone cases and putting the onus on judges to hurry cases through the system, issuing a memo in December saying he is prioritizing the completion of cases and developing performance measures. The National Association of Immigration Judges said quotas would be the death knell for judicial independence in courts where complex cases involving political refugees regularly unfold. Actual numbers are being bandied about and it is being suggested that judges should be rated about whether they complete x amount of cases in x amount of time, said Dana Leigh Marks, a San Francisco immigration judge and spokeswoman of the judges association. The whole concept we believe is an anathema to due process. Judges are being blamed for the backlog, she said, when in reality the courts have been underfunded and understaffed for years while immigration enforcement agencies disproportionately ballooned. Congress has authorized funding for 384 judges, which would double the number on the bench. Other agencies have made similar changes to tighten asylum. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in February issued new lesson plans for interviewers that narrows who qualifies for credible fear, a screening interview that is the first step to asylum. Sessions has said the system is gamed because more than 80 percent of claims are approved. Such claims at the border went from about 3,000 in 2009 to more than 69,000 in 2016, though advocates say that reflects the intensifying violence in El Salvador and Honduras. As with some of the White Houses most controversial immigration policies, including the so-called travel ban, changes to the asylum system are being fought in federal courts. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit last month arguing that hundreds of families are unlawfully separated after prospective asylum seekers are prosecuted for illegally crossing the border, forcing the placement of their children in foster care. The group has also challenged a practice of detaining asylum-seekers who seek protection at ports-of-entry until they resolve their cases in the courts. Previously, they usually were released if they had potentially valid claims and posed no danger. lomi.kriel@chron.com @lomikriel Kevin Roberts already overcame a $6 million onslaught from self-funding multimillionaire Kathaleen Wall to keep his hopes of winning a seat in Congress alive. Now the Republicans challenge is beating retired Navy SEAL Dan Crenshaw, a dark horse candidate who emerged from the primary election with surprising momentum. Roberts, 51, said hes not intimidated as the May 22 runoff approaches in the GOP primary battle to replace U.S. Rep. Ted Poe in Congress and will stick to his strategy. We will continue to run our race, said Roberts, a businessman who was elected to the state Legislature in 2016. All I can do is focus on our campaign and work to get our core message out Experience matters. But Crenshaw isnt about to give an inch on that front either. Crenshaw, 33, has never held office but said hes more than ready to put his nearly 10 years in the Navy up against Roberts political experience. Crenshaw said his time in the military taught him leadership skills, which he said are at the core of being a good public servant. Crenshaw said that experience gives him an edge over Roberts on foreign policy and national security issues. Crenshaw served in South Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2012, while on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan, a roadside bomb nearly killed him. He lost his right eye and medically retired from the Navy in 2016. Crenshaw said as global issues arise, hell have an understanding that cant be matched by Roberts. I think it gives me a nuanced understanding, Crenshaw said. Flood control Roberts thinks his longer track record in the Houston area and his understanding of politics put him in a better position than Crenshaw to deliver on flood mitigation issues, a critical issue after Hurricane Harvey. Roberts said hes been working on flood control issues like dredging the San Jacinto River and Cypress Creek and has lived through the flooding that the region has endured. Roberts was raised in Amarillo but has lived in Houston for about 17 years. Crenshaw returned to the Houston area after 10 years in the military and attending college in Massachusetts. I am dealing with these issues every day since Harvey, Roberts said. Crenshaw emphasizes flood control as a key issue, too. He recently added a section on his website addressing the topic and has made it a key part of his talking points at forums and events. Roberts, who manages the business side of the Lanier Law Firm, said he has a better track record working on those issues and will be better positioned in Congress to work on getting fixes for the regions flooding woes. I will fight every day to make sure we receive the help we need to recover and build the infrastructure we need to prevent this kind of tragedy from ever happening again, Roberts said. Key endorsements In early voting and absentee ballots for the March 6 primary, Roberts dominated. He had 38 percent of that vote going into Election Day best among the nine candidates running in the race. With just under 21 percent of the early vote, Crenshaw was sitting deep in third place behind Wall. On Election Day, however, an army of Crenshaw supporters drove a get-out-the-vote effort that pushed Crenshaw into second place and into the runoff. Youve got to connect with people and get them out to vote, Crenshaw said. Crenshaws success has landed him some key national endorsements. U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, a rising star in conservative politics, endorsed Crenshaw last week, joining U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions of Dallas, national radio host Hugh Hewitt and astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Dans a true-grit warrior, and thats exactly what we need in Congress right now, Cotton said. Roberts has focused on more local endorsements, which he says show his deep ties to the community. Hes won support from Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and Harris County Commissioner Jack Cagle. He is thoughtful and makes decisions based on facts, Emmett said in his endorsement. I look forward to Kevin being in Congress to help us with flood control projects that are so desperately needed. Dissecting the district Its clear where Roberts and Crenshaw have advantages in the winding 2nd Congressional District. In the March 6 election first round, Roberts dominated in the area between Houston and Tomball off just off the Tomball Parkway and did well in Kingwood. Crenshaw was strongest around Lake Houston, winning more than a dozen precincts in the northeast sections of Harris County. The challenge for both candidates will be winning over former supporters of Wall. During the primary, Wall, who was endorsed by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Greg Abbott, did best in western sections of Harris County between the city of Houston and the Addicks area. Wall spent more than $6 million of her own money in the race outspending all eight of the other Republicans in the race combined. Roberts raised more than $650,000 for his campaign so far, according to the latest campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission. Crenshaw raised just under $200,000, according to the FEC. My campaign is not about big money, Crenshaw said. Our campaign is 100 percent about give Texans leadership they can be proud of. Whoever wins on May 22 will face Democrat Todd Litton in November. Litton easily won the Democratic primary on March 6. The District has a history of leaning Republicans. President Donald Trump won 52 percent of the vote among voters who live in the 2nd Congressional District. The candidates are battling for a two-year term in Congress; the job pays $174,000 a year. Poe, 69, has represented the 2nd Congressional District for 14 years. The Republican from Humble announced in the fall he would not seek re-election. The 2nd Congressional District stretches from west Houston, loops up to the northern edges of Harris County and heads east to includes Atascocita and Humble. John Miller has now spent almost five years of his life waiting for a new heart. He always figured he was healthy. As a chiropractor running a successful practice in Pasadena, he didnt smoke, didnt drink and he even ran mini-triathalons. Then one day, after a routine two-mile jog, he suffered a heart attack. Within a half-hour of his first symptoms, doctors scrambling to save his life installed a stent in his heart. They also discovered he had seven different cardiac conditions. Surgeons later put a steel titanium pump in his chest. He needs a heart transplant, and hes been on the waiting list since November 2013. Theyve given me some time, maybe, to get that phone call, he said during a meeting with the Houston Chronicle editorial board. GOSS: Organ-transplant process is complex for a reason About 115,000 Americans like John Miller are waiting for that phone call, hanging on for a lifesaving organ transplant. More than 3,000 of them live here in the Houston area. The harsh reality is that more than 20 people die every day in the United States waiting for donated organs. April is National Donate Life Month, an opportunity for agencies like Houstons LifeGift to call attention to the literally vital need for more organ donors. Texas has special reason to pay attention, and not only because our city is home to a medical center renowned for pioneering work in organ transplants. A decade ago our state, where about 11,000 people are now waiting for life-saving organs, had the slowest-growing donor registry in the nation. Today its the second largest in the United States. Most of the credit goes to the Texas Department of Public Safety. For the last dozen years, when Texans have visited DPS offices to pick up their driver licenses, theyve been given the option to sign up as organ donors. Last year the Donate Life Texas Registry logged its 10 millionth name. Eight little words uttered by DPS clerks Would you like to become an organ donor? have saved countless lives. EDITORIAL: Denton Cooley was a surgeon larger than life And yet, the need for donated organs still outpaces the supply. LifeGift officials say about half the people who could register havent. As a result, you could fill Minute Maid Park and the Toyota Center twice over with all of Americans waiting for life-saving organs. So John Miller spends a lot of his time at health fairs, asking people to sign up as donors. He also visits DPS offices, thanking drivers whove registered. And he waits for his phone to ring. Do him a favor. If you havent already signed up, go to www.donatelifetexas.org. Become an organ donor. So there you are, cowering under your desk. From the hallway, you hear the pop! pop! pop! of gunfire, along with the shrieks of the terrified and moans of the dying. The good guy with a gun? Maybe hes crouched outside the building. Maybe hes dead in the break room. Whichever, hes not there. And now, horribly, the doorknob to your classroom begins to turn. What do you do? You throw rocks. At least, thats what you do if youre a student of the rural Blue Mountain School District in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. It came out last week that Superintendent Dr. David Helsel has ordered that each classroom be equipped with a bucket of river stones. Theyre the right size for hands, Helsel explained to WNEP, a local TV news station. You can throw them very hard, and they will create or cause pain, which can distract. EDITORIAL: When Trump flip-flops on guns, cities need their own regulations And who knows? Maybe it would actually work. Maybe the kids would get lucky and drive the attacker back. Or maybe a room full of second-graders lob rocks that loop high and clatter harmlessly to the floor and the man in the doorway laughs and kills them all. One outcome seems about as likely as the other. But to argue the probable effectiveness of Helsels rocks is to miss a larger point. Namely, that the very idea is a surrender, a retreat from what ought to be an uncontroversial principle, i.e., that there shouldnt be a shooter in the hall in the first place. In that, Helsels bucket of rocks is like the proposal to arm teachers and former Sen. Rick Santorums dumb suggestion that the best way to respond to mass shootings is to teach kids CPR. None of these strategies, please note, seeks to prevent massacres. Rather, each implicitly asks us to accept that they are inevitable and unstoppable, like natural disasters. After all, you wouldnt pass a law against tornadoes or earthquakes, and some gun rights advocates would have us believe it makes just as little sense to try to keep mass shootings from occurring. They ask us to accept the unacceptable as a given. EDITORIAL: Gun control now! The problem is, a mass shooting is not a natural disaster, but a human one. Thus, it can be legislated against. Nor is the fact that a law will not be 100 percent effective a sensible reason not to pass it. No law is 100 percent effective. Shall we repeal prohibitions against murder or child molestation because those crimes still occur? That said, the right has no monopoly on unworkable ideas. Tuesday, the New York Times published an op-ed from former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens arguing that the solution to gun violence lies in repeal of the Second Amendment. This, he says, would be simple. It wouldnt. In the first place, theres no reason to believe proponents could muster the necessary support from 38 states. In the second place, the attempt would instantly validate every paranoiac fantasy the NRA has inculcated in its followers, making violent civil unrest inevitable. In the third place, there is no need. As Canada proves daily, its entirely possible to balance gun rights with common-sense restrictions that save lives. Comprehensive background checks and a ban on private ownership of high-capacity magazines and semiautomatic weapons would be good places to start. What we lack is not a way to stop tragedies, but a will. EDITORIAL: We, the (gun) people Reinhold Niebuhr famously prayed for serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference. But so long as America lacks the second and third, we can never have the first. At least weve got plenty of rocks. Ask Rick Doblin why he's on a 32-year mission to get MDMA--the party drug commonly known as "Molly" or "Ecstasy"--approved as a medicine, and he'll tick off three things: The Holocaust. The Cuban-Missile Crisis. The Vietnam War. All three events made the 64-year-old entrepreneur conclude that "the world is crazy and people are irrational." And that as a society, in order to survive, we need better, more effective ways to deal with the psychological trauma that arises from horrific situations. In the early 1980s, Doblin spent time studying (and experimenting with) various psychedelics. At the famous Esalen Institute in California, which sits perched above the Big Sur coastline, Doblin attended workshops with LSD researcher Stanislav Grof, who felt psychedelics had therapeutic potential. Doblin was eventually introduced to MDMA, then a legal drug. He bought doses to share with friends and in one particular case, witnessed how a female sexual assault survivor overcame suicidal thoughts by combining the drug with psychotherapy sessions. "I saw the power of MDMA. Over the years, this woman was better--it lasted and lasted," Doblin says. "It was a turning point and I knew what I wanted to do with my life." And then, in 1985, the U.S. government banned MDMA. The drug had left the world of therapy, becoming a recreational hit on college campuses. It was categorized as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act, along with heroin and marijuana. That spurred Doblin to action. He formed the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, or MAPS, a nonprofit that funds research into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, and began the long journey to reclaim MDMA as a medicine. Today, some three decades later, he is one step closer to convincing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that MDMA, combined with psychotherapy, is a safe and effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. With Phase 3 clinical trials set to run this summer, Doblin hopes MDMA-assisted therapy will be an FDA-approved treatment by 2021. If all goes according to plan, Doblin envisions his nonprofit morphing into a $100 million pharmaceutical company with psychedelic therapy centers across the country. But money, he emphasizes, is not his driving force. Why it matters To understand why Doblin is motivated to reclaim MDMA as a medicine, consider the story of military veteran Jonathan Lubecky. On Christmas Eve in 2006, the retired sergeant was driving around Raleigh, North Carolina, looking for help. While being stationed in Iraq for the previous 12 months, he suffered serious injuries after a mortar shell exploded near him. He came home with post-traumatic stress disorder and found that his wife had left him for another man. Lubecky was alone and broken, he says, so he swung by a church but was told the service was full. Then he drove to a nearby army hospital, where he told a nurse he was suicidal. They gave him five pills of Xanax and told him to come back after the holiday, he says. When Lubecky got home, he swallowed the pills with some whiskey and loaded his Beretta 9 mm pistol with one bullet and pressed the barrel against his temple. He pulled the trigger. Nothing happened--the bullet was a dud. "The only peace I knew was the microsecond after the hammer fell because I knew it was all over," says Lubecky, while talking on the phone and smoking a cigarette from his home in Charleston, South Carolina. Over the next eight years of "complete hell," Lubecky would try to kill himself four more times. He was in and out of the Veteran Affairs Hospital, and put on all types of medications and attended therapy but nothing helped abate his symptoms. After his last suicide attempt in November 2013, he applied to be a volunteer in a clinical study funded by Doblin's organization to test how veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD responded to MDMA combined with psychotherapy. Lubecky was accepted and did 40 hours of talk therapy over 12 meetings and three MDMA sessions with psychiatrist Michael Mithoefer and Mithoefer's wife Ann, who is a nurse. "I had daily suicidal ideations. I spent so much time sitting on a bridge, contemplating whether or not I should jump," says Lubecky. "I was worried that my stepson would receive a flag inside a box before he went to college. But now, I'm going to be around. MDMA saved my life." Lubecky's success story is not the only one. Dozens of people with serious cases of treatment resistant-PTSD--sexual abuse victims, combat veterans, cops, and firefighters--have reported reduced symptoms after participating in clinical trials funded by Doblin's organization. An FDA spokesperson declined to comment on the existence of any drug trials, but did say the agency allows clinical studies on psychedelics as long as the studies are safe and have a "reasonable" chance of answering questions about the drug's efficacy. In November 2016, the New York Times reported that the FDA had allowed a Phase 3 clinical trial of MDMA-assisted therapy, after years of promising results. If the trial can prove that MDMA-assisted therapy is safe and effective for treating PTSD, the drug-therapy combo could become a legal FDA-approved prescription. About 230 patients will participate with about 82 psychotherapists when the study starts in June or July, says Doblin. A long time coming In 1912, Merck, the German pharmaceutical giant, invented and patented MDMA, which has a similar molecular structural and pharmacological properties to amphetamine, a stimulant, and the psychedelic mescaline. But Merck did not realize the molecule's power. It wasn't until the 1970s that the legendary U.S. biochemist Alexander Shulgin discovered the powerful entactogenic effects of MDMA, known as "Adam" back then. Doblin himself was drawn to MDMA because of its ability to produce feelings of empathy or what some might call oneness. "The sense of unity, the sense of connection, and the mystical experience has profound political implications," he says. "If you feel connected to the universe, to the web of life, you won't be as likely to dehumanize people." Some 25 years ago, with MDMA back in the public domain, Doblin felt so strongly about the drug's potential that he hired a patent attorney to develop what he calls "an anti-patent strategy" so no company, not even his own, could patent therapeutic uses of it. Instead, Doblin hopes to receive an FDA designation called new drug product exclusivity, which would give his company a five-year monopoly. (After five years, other companies can make and sell a generic version.) To sell MDMA, Doblin created a benefit corporation that is wholly-owned by his nonprofit. That means neither Doblin, nor any one else, has equity in the company. "We are not here to maximize profits--we are here to maximize public health and spirituality," he says. If Doblin is successful, MDMA will not be a take-home medication akin to say, medical marijuana. It will be more like anesthesia--administered by trained and properly licensed medical professionals in a controlled setting. PTSD sufferers would need to get a prescription, then attend a three-month program of 40 hours of talk therapy over 12 non-drug sessions with three day-long MDMA sessions. Doblin, through MAPS, has raised $26.2 million for Phase 3. His organization has received $8 million from the cryptocurrency community. Conservative philanthropist Rebekah Mercer, through her family's foundation, has donated $1 million. If approved, Doblin says he plans to launch psychedelic treatment centers around the U.S. to treat PTSD patients. The drug itself would be manufactured by Onyx, a British company; it would be put into capsules by Sharp, a pharmaceutical contracting company in Pennsylvania. The benefit corporation would sell each dose for $150 to $200 a piece and the whole program would cost a patient about $12,000 (unless insurance covers it). MAPS also charges $8,000 to train a provider to be a licensed psychedelic therapist. Doblin says the company was recently valued at over $100 million, and he estimates about $36 million in profits for the first five years. About 20,000 PTSD patients have signed up online so far, he says. He envisions as many as 16,000 psychedelic treatment centers around the country. To be sure, Doblin could still run into issues with regulators. If the trials are successful, and the FDA recommends that MDMA should be rescheduled, the recommendation would be handed to the Drug Enforcement Agency to make the final determination. It could be difficult to persuade President Trump's Justice Department, with old-school drug warrior Jeff Sessions as attorney general, that the well-known party drug should be rescheduled, says John Hudak, deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution. It will likely help that Doblin has been playing by the all the rules, Hudak says. "Doblin is not advocating for recreational MDMA," he says. "He's been going through the FDA process to create a new medicine based on scientific evidence that will be controlled and dispensed as a pharmaceutical medication." Perhaps because he's been in it for so long, even Doblin is having a hard time believing that the long-awaited approval could happen. He describes himself as only about "80 percent sure" that the drug will be FDA-approved by 2021. About five years ago, fashion publicists Kate Zubarieva and Asya Varetsa were broke and cold yet in a comfortable apartment in Kiev, Ukraine. At 25 and 23 years old, respectively, the two watched from their living room as the Ukrainian revolution of 2014 got underway. "It was a really, really hard time there," Varetsa says, referring to the violence that ultimately led to the ouster of Ukraine's then-president, Viktor Yanukovych. "We just sat in our apartment, trying to figure out what we were going to do next." While cooped up one afternoon, the two found themselves engrossed in the 1991 Christmas movie Curly Sue. Varetsa envied an outfit worn by the actress Grey Ellison's character--effectively, souped up pajamas that doubled as day wear. Despite the fray outside--and virtually no experience actually designing clothes--Varetsa and Zubarieva decided then that they would start their own company, called Sleeper, focused on manufacturing "walking sleepwear." They launched the label in 2014 with just $2,000 in savings and a single seamstress, together creating a basic and unassuming collection of 24 black-and-white linen garments. inlineimage Over the past four years, Sleeper has experienced rapid growth, garnering the attention of high-profile fashion publications including Vogue and Who What Wear and landing distribution in major Western retailers including Barneys New York and Harrods in London. Customers, as it turns out, clamor for pajamas that they can also pass off as evening wear or a professional outfit. Sleeper doubled sales between 2016 and 2017, generating more than $300,000 last year alone. It helps, the founders suggest, that they've never billed themselves as niche or luxury; indeed, their items range from around $190 to $390--by no means cheap, but certainly less expensive than sleepwear from brands such as Olivia von Halle or La Perla. "We got a lot of support because we weren't a designer brand," Varetsa explains. "We were just a lounge-wear company with the idea of wearing your pajamas outside." These days, the 20-person startup says that the vast majority (80 percent) of sales come from the U.S., enough for Varetsa to justify moving to Brooklyn and focus on setting up a New York City branch for the firm. Despite Varetsa's optimism, Sleeper has faced major challenges that at times tested the founders' resolve. In the early days, back in 2015, she recalls that the label struggled to meet the demand of its first-ever large order from a major U.S. client, Moda Operandi. "At the time we only had three people on the team and one seamstress, and needed to ship those items in one week," Varetsa recalls. She made the mistake of outsourcing the manufacturing to a local factory, only to discover afterward hat the garments had been botched. "It was messy and the seams weren't right, so the whole office spent that night just cutting off the pockets so our seamstress could [resew] them," she adds. The experience taught her a valuable lesson and shaped the direction of the company: No matter how short the timeline, or how meager the funds, Sleeper would commit to handcrafting each of its now dozens of garments in-house. Moving forward, Varetsa says that she's hoping to raise some venture capital to continue growing. For one thing, it can be a challenge to ship garments from Ukraine quickly and inexpensively, particularly as it must compete with behemoths like Amazon, which offers Prime customers free two-day shipping on their purchases. (The majority of Sleeper's revenue to date has come from sales on its own e-commerce platform.) She hopes an infusion of capital will help to expedite the process. Time will tell if so-called "walking sleepwear" is indeed a long-term business strategy, or an of-the-moment trend that the company will struggle to profit off of over time. But in the interim, at least, the founders say they're pleased with the company's international success--particularly since they launched in a city with virtually no entrepreneurial culture. "It is really hard to build a business in Ukraine, because there are not a lot of loans that can support businesses like us," Varetsa adds. "But America is such a great country. There are so many diverse people who come here to try and build something and make the world better." Even so, they're proud of their roots, which they say has helped them succeed. "Coming from Eastern Europe, we're used to not having easy living," she says. "It only makes us stronger." Adds Zubarieva: "We [have] lived through two revolutions, and now the country is at war. Those are real problems. Everything that [others] might consider to be a problem we treat as an exciting challenge of tomorrow." When Charlotte Gainsbourg announced tour dates in January, many wondered how shed reproduce her mostly electronic 2017 album, Rest, live. SebastiAn, producer and co-writer on the critically-lauded record, was unable to tour. Whats more, while the delicate balance of mournful subject matter and upbeat electronic grooves worked on record, how would such sensitive material fare in the live arena? Arriving to a repetitive Steve Reich-like phrase at the intro of Lying With You, Gainsbourg appears on a futuristic set that looks not unlike a theatrical adaptation of Solaris. There are neon lights that flicker as if malfunctioning throughout; a visual distraction that allows the famously stage-weary performer to hide, whether in the darkness, astride an electric piano or behind her band or her bangs. When she does speak up in her unmistakable Anglo-French burr, shes as diffident as weve come to expect. Gainsbourg allows the music to do most of the talking, which is often more stunning than even the sci-fi mise en scene. The band takes the record to new places. Deadly Valentine brings a kind of disco euphoria with an electronic instrumental horizon that rises above the sonic landscape, echoing Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroders I Feel Love. The musical rapture is swiftly juxtaposed against the most heartrending song on the record, Kate, about her sister Kate Barry who died in a suspected suicide in 2013. The familial evocation continues with Charlotte For Ever, a chanson written by her father Serge, and the title track from her debut album from 1986. Kate and Charlotte, she whispers when both songs have been played. It means a lot to me to see our names together. The equilibrium between rousing and respectful is struck wonderfully. She dedicates the show to her sister, but its more than that: its a celebration of who she is and where she came from. A rendition of Lemon Incest during the encore a duet she recorded with her father in 1984 about amorous love between father and daughter (which caused great controversy on its way to No 2 in the French charts in 1984) proves that tonight is a family affair. Its a beautiful, honest performance, and maybe a little cathartic too; an irresistible flicker emerging from much darkness. Warm ocean water is melting Antarctica from below, destabilising its ice sheets and contributing to sea level rise. A new study has used data from satellites to determine how much underwater ice is melting. This has allowed researchers to map the retreat of the grounding lines, where large floating ice shelves connect to the layer of bedrock underneath Antarctica. These shelves can be particularly vulnerable to collapse as sea water melts them from beneath. Based on their analysis, the scientists found an area of underwater ice the size of Greater London had melted within the space of five years. Recommended Global sea levels could rise up to five metres if Antarctic ice melts The most alarming change was seen in West Antarctica, where over a fifth of the entire ice sheet had retreated rapidly across the sea floor outpacing the rate of overall melting above. "Our study provides clear evidence that retreat is happening across the ice sheet due to ocean melting at its base, and not just at the few spots that have been mapped before now, said Dr Hannes Konrad, a researcher at the University of Leeds who led the study. The research was published in the journal Nature Geoscience. As the climate gets warmer, the rising sea level is one of the most significant threats facing humanity. The number of people directly affected by such rises could run into the hundreds of millions by the end of the century, according to some estimates. At the moment, most sea level rise is the result of thermal expansion that is, sea water expanding as its temperature increases and small glaciers melting. 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke filled with the carbon that is driving climate change drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan However, as global warming continues its current trend, the contribution to sea levels made by the larger ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica is expected to increase. Past studies have shown that the catastrophic collapse of major regions such as the West Antarctic ice sheet by themselves have the capacity to raise global sea levels by over 3 metres. Understanding the different ice dynamics contributing to sea level rise is vital to build an accurate projection of life on a warmer Earth and the shifting of the Antarctics grounding lines inland suggests a significant contribution coming from land-based ice melting. The scientists found variation in rates of melting across different parts of the region, and emphasised the importance of monitoring this variation. "These differences emphasise the complex nature of ice sheet instability across the continent, and being able to detect them helps us to pinpoint areas that deserve further investigation, said Dr Konrad. In particular, the scientists noted extreme underwater melting at eight of Antarcticas biggest glaciers. The retreat of the grounding line at these glaciers was over five times the average rate of glacier melting. Grounding lines are difficult to measure due to their location around a kilometre below sea level. Dr Konrad and his colleagues were able to assess the position of these lines by using measures of ice sheet elevation obtained from the satellite CryoSat-2, combined with knowledge of ice sheet geometry. "We were delighted at how well CryoSat-2 is able to detect the motion of Antarctica's grounding lines, said Professor Andy Shepherd, one of the studys co-authors. They are impossible places to access from below, and usually invisible on the ground, so it's a fantastic illustration of the value of satellite measurements for identifying and understanding environmental change." An out-of-control Chinese space station has finally plummeted to Earth, burning up safely as it entered the atmosphere for the most part. China suggested that some of the satellite could find its way into the South Pacific, after it fell down from space. But most of the defunct space lab came to a fiery end as it fell into the South Pacific on Monday morning. The 8.5-tonne Tiangong 1 space station mostly burned up over the vast ocean after re-entering Earth's atmosphere at around 1.15am. Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427 more commonly known as WR 124 and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region Along with scientists at China's space agency, teams from around the world closely monitored the lab's final minutes as it screamed down from the heavens at 16,000 miles per hour. Experts said the likelihood of debris striking anyone on the ground was "extremely small", however precisely where the torched remains would land was unknown. Recommended China space station finally falls back to Earth Estimates of when and where the re-entry would begin were also varied. The European Space Agency said the Tiangong space lab entered the atmosphere "not too far from the uninhabited area that is typically used for controlled re-entries". Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics, said that variations in the atmosphere made it tricky to predict where and when it would re-enter and burn up. "As this thing is flying at 26,000 kilometres an hour around the Earth, it's skimming the atmosphere," he told the BBC. "There is a headwind that's blowing it around and you don't know one day to the next how much wind there is going to be." With accommodation for two astronauts, China's first space station blasted into orbit aboard a Long March rocket in 2011. Used for practising docking manoeuvres and techniques, the last crew left Tiangong 1 - which translates as Celestial Palace 1 - in 2013. China's space agency lost contact with the space station in 2016, leaving it gradually falling to Earth on an uncontrolled "decaying orbit". The China Manned Space Engineering Office said that most of the 34ft-long, 11ft-wide space station's components were "ablated" during re-entry. The agency said: "Through monitoring and analysis by Beijing Aerospace Control Centre and related agencies, Tiangong 1 re-entered the atmosphere at about 8.15am on April 2 Beijing time (1.15am GMT). "The re-entry falling area is located in the central region of the South Pacific. Most of the devices were ablated during the re-entry process." The US Joint Force Space Component Command (JFSCC) also confirmed Tiangong 1 had re-entered the atmosphere over the South Pacific after co-ordinating with counterparts in the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia. From the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, Major General Stephen Whiting said in a statement: "The JFSCC works alongside government, industry and international partners to track and report re-entries ... because the space domain is vital to our shared international security interest. "One of our missions, which we remain focused on, is to monitor space and the tens of thousands of pieces of debris that congest it, while at the same time working with allies and partners to enhance spaceflight safety and increase transparency in the space domain." Additional reporting by agencies It is difficult to open up a magazine or newspaper today without seeing a headline trumpeting the presence of a mental health crisis particularly on our college and university campuses. Indeed, if the media coverage is to be believed, we are drowning in a sea of mental illness that threatens to overwhelm post-secondary institutions. The call then is for more pills, more therapy, more of everything, including more panic. Perhaps its time for some sober critical analysis. The prevalence of mental illnesses (defined using clear diagnostic criteria) is not rising in this cohort. Youth self-reports of negative emotions are increasing. But the self-report scales used in studies documenting this have not been calibrated for generational changes in language use. Nor have the results been validated using clear, clinically valid, diagnostic criteria applied by expert clinicians. Some of the surveys that have contributed to this panic also collapse different questions into meaningless categories (for example collapsing all the time and often into one category). The above noted self-reports do identify the ups and downs of everyday emotions, but these are not criteria for diagnosis of mental illness. So we can say that youth on campus may report feeling more negative emotions than previously, but this is not the same thing as saying that young people have more mental disorders than previously. Throwing gasoline on the fire Instead of applying critical thinking to these self-reports, many health and media professionals have rushed to throw gasoline on the fire. Heres an example. In late 2017, the study Mental ill-health among children of the new century: Trends across childhood with the focus on age 14 was published by the National Childrens Bureau in the United Kingdom. This showed that self-reported negative emotions were present in about a quarter of this surveyed group, but this was interpreted as 25 per cent of 14-year-old girls in the UK suffer from depression. The fact that parental reports identified about 5 per cent of this cohort as having significant mood problems was ignored by almost all commentators. This latter number is much more in keeping with known rates of depression in the population. The presence of a mental disorder was not independently established and the discrepancy between parental and child reports was ignored. Mental health is not a static concept wearing a big smile. There are good days and bad days, good weeks and bad weeks. We still have mental health even if we are having negative emotions The cautionary words popularised by astronomer Carl Sagan that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence were not applied. As expected, this study was followed by yet more calls for more therapy, more pills and more panic. Negative emotions are healthy These concerns are not the result of substantial epidemic increases in the rates of mental illness. They arise, in some part, from poor mental health literacy and unrealistic expectations of the normal emotional states that life challenges elicit. In many cases the self-identification of being ill arises, to quote from Shakespeares Hamlet, from not being able to differentiate the normal slings and arrows of outrageous fortune from pathological states. This is a cultural issue that has become a diagnostic expectation. A number of converging factors may have created this confusion. First, the increased public perception that being well means only having positive feelings is taking over the social discourse on mental health. When the measure of health is simply feeling good, negative emotions become a marker of being unwell. However, normal negative emotions actually promote growth and are essential for human development and adaptation. Without negative emotions we exist in Pleasantville. Without addressing the life challenges and opportunities that negative emotions signal to us, we cant develop resilience. Mental health is not a static concept wearing a big smile. There are good days and bad days, good weeks and bad weeks. We still have mental health even if we are having negative emotions. Pathologising normal life Second, the use of words originally developed to identify mental illnesses to describe normal negative emotional states has burgeoned. This includes the the term mental health itself which can mean both mental health and mental illness. No such confusion exists in other areas of medicine. As young people spend more and more time on their phones, their social disconnection increases (Shutterstock) Further, the use of terms denoting illness, such as depression, to mean all negative emotions is even more confusing. Now, words like sadness, disappointment, disgruntlement, demoralisation and unhappiness are all lumped together as depression. As a result, the call is for more therapy, more pills and more panic. We dont need more pills or therapy. We need to stop pathologising normal life. A technological misadventure Third is the rise of technology and electronic communication. Personal communication devices like smartphones limit the important face-to-face contact with others that makes us human. And the capacity of a text message does not allow for the expression of complex ideas. We are struggling with the rational use of this technology and have yet to come to terms with how to control it, instead of it controlling us. Living with, and on, our devices may even make us lonelier. The same phenomenon prevents us from making the face-to-face social connections that are necessary for social connection, the antidote to loneliness. This is not mental illness, it is technological misadventure. So we have some challenges. We have to think critically about our language and our expectations. We need to develop mental health literacy understanding how to maintain good mental health, understanding mental disorders and their treatments, decreasing stigma and increasing our capacity to appropriately seek help for mental illness, not for everyday unhappiness to clarify this confusion. Then, we have to learn how to take control of this new technology. Dr Stanley Kutcher is the Sun Life Financial chair in adolescent mental health at Dalhousie University, Canada. This article was originally published on The Conversation (theconversation.com) As the cruise around Brooklyns Sheepshead Bay wound to a close, and passengers downed the last of their free champagne, the captain appeared on deck with news: The tide was too low, and the boat could not dock for at least another hour. Ill let you know when we can dock, he told the crowd. Until then, keep loving each other, and keep f***ing each other! The passengers cheered. That was, in fact, exactly what they had come to do. They were members of Chemistry New Yorks private, bi-monthly sex party, which was being held on this particular evening aboard a private yacht. As the captain finished his announcement, several passengers scampered upstairs to pick up where they had left off. Others simply lingered by the bar, snagging one final drink. The captain settled himself in a seat on the stern deck, staring out across the water, his arms draped around two scantily-clad brunettes. A Chemistry party is to borrow a cliche not your parents swingers party. The crowd at Chemistry skews younger, towards the mid-20s demographic. While the party caters primarily to couples, few of them are married. This is by design: Co-founder KennyBlunt said he and his partner SheilaMonster founded the party in 2006 as a way to get away from the gauche sex parties overrunning New York nightlife at the time. To keep Chemistry parties out of typical swingers territory, attendees are warned before entry that this is not just an excuse to hook up. Instead, Chemistry is billed as a sensual gala that encourages the organic development and respectful connections between spirits. The yacht set sail from Sheepshead Bay, near Coney Island (Getty Images) The atmosphere at the party certainly suggested something a little more spiritual: The cabin of the boat was dimly lit, and strung with tea lights and strips of breezy white fabric. Attendees came dressed to the nines in sequins, sparkles, and clingy dresses. That night, a few donned sailor costumes to fit the theme. While the parties cater to the Brooklyn crowd, the couples I spoke to came from as far away as Mexico and Denmark. Their personalities ran the gamut from buttoned-up lawyers to man-bun sporting artists. They also varied by ability: One woman attended in a wheelchair, pushed around by her partner. I located one couple I'd met at a meet-and-greet a few days before the party an event the organisers cheekily refer to as "Foreplay". When I first saw the couple at the meet-and-greet, they were both wearing thick-rimmed glasses; she, a cardigan buttoned all the way to the top. By the end of the boat party, she was wearing nothing but underwear. Another couple I spoke with two young divorcees from New Jersey told me this was the best sex party theyd ever seen. To be fair, they hadnt actually seen many sex parties before But they had gone to the "orgy dome" at Burning Man, and assured me this was much, much better. The couples chatted nervously as the party warmed up, listening to the live band play smooth jazz on the bow, or watching costumed burlesque performers wind their way through the crowd. The truly tantalising part of Chemistry didn't come until much later in the night, after hours of idle chatter and some loosening up beside the bar. As the night wore on, couples began to make eyes at each other from across the deck, and disappear slowly into the play spaces. Titanic-style, the windows of the boat began to steam up. Take a look inside a super yacht Show all 9 1 /9 Take a look inside a super yacht Take a look inside a super yacht Living room The living room of a super yacht AFP/Getty Take a look inside a super yacht The master bedroom aboard a super yacht Reuters Take a look inside a super yacht Bathroom The bathroom of a super yacht AFP/Getty Take a look inside a super yacht The deck The deck of a super yacht AFP/Getty Take a look inside a super yacht The lounge aboard a super yacht Reuters Take a look inside a super yacht A jacuzzi on the deck of a super yacht Reuters Take a look inside a super yacht Living room The living room of a super yacht AFP/Getty Take a look inside a super yacht The dining room aboard a super yacht Reuters Take a look inside a super yacht The bedroom in a super yacht AFP/Getty The pacing, according to co-founder Kenny, is intentional. We need to make a party that we would enjoy going to; that was sexy, but had the build that a good, romantic sexual evening had, he told me. It wasnt something that would make people feel uncomfortable. We really wanted to make something that flowed naturally. The slower pace also makes people feel a little safer when taking off their clothes in front of strangers. Donna Ferrato a veteran nightlife photographer was shooting that evening's soiree for New York Magazine told me she had never seen a sex party where women were more comfortable, or more in control. Consent is a key part of the Chemistry experience. Attendees are instructed before arrival that they must obtain a clear, verbal yes to engage in sexual activity with anyone. They are also instructed to clearly say, no, if they dont feel comfortable. ("If you're a maybe... still say no, the invite advises.) In the womens bathroom, next to an oversize bottle of mouthwash, was a sign reading: Articulate your boundaries clearly. Recommended The rise of the orgy in the age of sex positivism The sexual play spaces, as they are called actually just open rooms strewn with mattresses and lights are set up to accommodate varying levels of comfort. All the play spaces I saw were located on the upper deck, away from the main party though with a fairly clear view from the upper deck, where curious couples could go to sip their drinks and cast glances inside. For more reserved couples, a windowless room in the back was completely walled off, to provide whatever semblance of privacy there can be among strangers getting naked together. But even in the best-designed spaces, sleeping with other people is complicated. Pretty much every couple at Chemistry recommended talking to your partner extensively before attending; laying out ground rules, comfort levels, and even hopes for the night. When done carefully, the experience can be liberating. The Burning Man couple was nearly bouncing off the walls that night, both of them grinning ear to ear. Neither of their previous partners, they said, would ever have wanted to do something like this. Another couple, a professional pair in their late twenties, said going to Chemistry parties had opened up their relationship like nothing else. They had been dating for three years before coming to their first party, and never discussed things like moving in together, getting married, or having children. But after talking out their sexual preferences, they suddenly felt more comfortable discussing other things as well. Now, they were apartment hunting. Another couple was just at the start of their relationship in fact, they were hesitant to call it a relationship at all. But they were excited to start their journey together in such an intense, emotionally demanding way. The man described locking eyes with his partner at the same time she was having sex with someone else, and still feeling an intense connection to her. That, he said, signified a truly strong bond. The Independent spoke to a number of couples who said the experience brought them closer together (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Plus, the whole thing was a new and exciting thing for them to do together. Its like going skydiving he said. But, just like skydiving, the thrill of having sex with other people is also exhausting. By the time the captain made his announcement, most people had already made their way downstairs, carrying bundles of now-shed clothing in their hands. As the boat made its way to the dock, party-goers lingered on the bow, flopping onto the scattered couches and lighting up cigarettes. One woman started talking loudly about her brunch plans for the next day. It seemed, for a moment, just like a regular party in Brooklyn. London is experiencing a crime wave, in which people are being stabbed to death at a rate of one every three days, but a pioneering programme is turning the tide in one borough. While knife crime rockets across the capital, claiming 31 lives so far this year, violence has been falling in Islington since the Integrated Gangs Team (IGT) started work in 2016. It has police, youth workers, probation officers, social services, the local council, NHS and charities working together to guide young people at risk of gang violence change their lifestyle, and build a better future through education or employment. It is currently helping around 70 youths between the ages of 10 and 24, having worked with more than 100 in its first year of operation. Detective Inspector Will Lexton-Jones, who heads the unit, acknowledged its work was difficult, expensive and challenging. We aim to intervene and get disenfranchised young people diverted away from gangs and criminality, he told The Independent. The shared vision is to keep young people from hurting each other. We are here to prevent the next young person being stabbed to death on the street. Police are moving away from pure enforcement to focus more on prevention (PA) (Photos PA) The most recent murder was in the early hours of Easter Sunday, when a 20-year-old man died on a residential street in Wandsworth. Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell said the man left a nearby bar less than 15 minutes before being found stabbed. "Sadly, another family has been left devastated with the tragic death of a young man from an act of violence, he added. It followed a series of 30 other fatal stabbings in 2018, the vast majority targeting young men, that have sparked fears of a resurgence of postcode wars between rival gangs who control specific areas. Islington saw a dramatic escalation in 2015, when an 18-year-old was stabbed to death in front of children playing in a park. He was among three young people killed. Horror at the bloodshed sparked the creation of the IGT, which is being given 500,000 funding by Islington council until 2020. Its first targets were 50 of the most prolific and dangerous gang members identified by police, but its focus has since widened. DI Lexton-Jones says boys and girls are referred if they are a member or close associate of a gang and involved in harmful behaviour. That can be dong harm or being harmed, but theyre normally one and the same group, he added. Its very easy to demonstrate that carrying a knife does not keep you safe. Met Police Chief: Police will use stop-and-search powers "properly" over knife crime Members of the IGT work together in an office at Islington Police Station, which serves as a base for case workers going to meet young people for appointments where it suits them. Probation services have previously been criticised for forcing young convicts to travel to areas where they are at risk from rival gangs, causing them to miss appointments and be recalled to prison, but DI Lexton-Jones said there is a welfare-led approach in Islington. The young person has to feel safe or youre not going to see them so theres some flexibility, he added. Its good for the young people not to see police purely as the enforcement arm of this partnership. If you have a conversation with a young person thats not about enforcement or stop and search, its a step down the road to improving trust. Recommended We need to work together to tackle the problem of knife crime Members are going into primary schools, where the officer said the seeds get sown for future violence as children are affected by their peer group, deprivation and sometime abuse at home. Looking back 10 years of one of these young peoples lives, it can be so obvious the result would be a young person in a gang, DI Lexton-Jones said. Were having to re-evaluate our sense of identity in policing, because theres a point in someones life where they decide to commit a crime, but there was a point a long time before that where they became likely to go down that path, and where do we sit? Before we were mainly reactive but were looking down a much longer timeline because otherwise youre just firefighting, you cant arrest your way out of crime. He hopes the IGTs model will spread through London and beyond, but warned it is not a quick fix. No one was under any illusions that wed have to wait at least a year or longer to see the results, and we did, he added, saying many had moved into employment, education or training, relocated from the area and cut ties with gangs. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2021 The final athletes from Great Britain arrive home including Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (front left-right) at Heathrow Airport, London following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games PA UK news in pictures 8 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium in Japan PA UK news in pictures 7 August 2021 People from the Glasgow Southside community take part in the Govanhill Carnival, an anti-racist celebration of pride, unity and the contributions immigrants have made to the community in Govanhill, at Queen's Park, Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2021 Chijindu Ujah of Britain, Zharnel Hughes of Britain, Richard Kilty of Britain and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Britain celebrate winning silver as they pose with Asha Philip of Britain, Imani Lansiquot of Britain, Dina Asher-Smith of Britain and Daryll Neita of Britain after they won bronze in the women's 4 x 100m relay during Olympic Games Day 14 Getty UK news in pictures 5 August 2021 A protester places flowers on a photograph of an executed man during a demonstration organised by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to protest against the inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 4 August 2021 England's Joe Root looks on as India's KL Rahul doesn't make it to a catch during day one of Cinch First Test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham PA UK news in pictures 3 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny and Jason Kenny with their silver medals for the Women's Team Pursuit and Mens Team Sprint during the Track Cycling at the Izu Velodrome on the eleventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 2 August 2021 Great Britains Charlotte Worthington competes during the Womens BMX Freestyle Final at the Tokyo Olympics PA The initiative was inspired by the success of Scotlands Violence Reduction Unit, which was started in Glasgow after the city was named the murder capital of Europe in 2003. Its fundamental tenet is that violence is preventable not inevitable and the model has received support from the UNs World Health Organisation to adopt a public health approach to violence. Bringing together police, health, education and social services for the first time, it set the bar for treating violence like a disease, diagnosing the problem, analysing the causes and then developing a solution. DI Lexton-Jones said that while teams in Scotland have been working for teenagers entire lives, the young people in Islington are at the start of a long journey. Its not a quick win, he added. But there has already been a reduction in arrests, reduction in reoffending, reduction in harm score. Patrick Green, CEO of anti-knife crime charity the Ben Kinsella Trust, said Scotland provided hope for London. The challenges are different, but it shows with the right strategy and with sustained investment we can tackle this, he added. It comes after the Metropolitan Police was forced to close many police stations and merge its 32 policing boroughs into 12 command units to save 325m, with police numbers currently at a record low. Stop and search is being increased and laws have been introduced aiming to crackdown on knife possession but police have been appealing for help to tackle the underlying issues driving the deadly trend. Last week the Home Office launched an advertising campaign calling on young people to go knife free with videos launched across Snapchat, Twitter, Spotify and other online platforms. The Ministry of Justice has devolved some powers to the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to draw up bespoke policies for the capital including a secure school for young offenders, overhauling failing probation services and tackling the root causes of crime. Dozens of Russian diplomats expelled from the US have landed in Moscow, amid warnings from Britain's defence secretary that the world is "entering a new era of warfare". Gavin Williamson said the poisoning of Russian former spy Sergei Skirpal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury demonstrated the danger posed by Russia as the world becomes a "darker place". The poisoning early last month has sparked a number of tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions, with the US and much of Europe standing behind the UK government's accusations that Russia was behind the attack. The Kremlin has denied being involved and has promised to respond to all diplomatic measures in kind. "If we were in any doubt of the danger posed by Moscow, we only have to look at events in Salisbury, where our Armed Forces... have been responding to a cold-blooded chemical attack," according to Mr Williamson. The minister also urged Britain to keep pace with the threat from the Kremlin in an article for the Sunday Telegraph to mark the centenary of the of the RAF. "This was an illegal and contemptuous use of force against our country by the Russian State, endangering innocent lives," he wrote. "President Putin is using more hybrid capabilities to subvert, undermine, and influence countries around the world," he added. Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Show all 24 1 /24 Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning United States Donald Trump has expelled 60 Russian diplomats from the US and closed the consulate in response to the Sergei Skripal spy poisoning. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Great Britain Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed Britain would be expelling 23 Russian diplomats. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Ukraine Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko has expelled 13 Russian diplomats. Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Germany Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel has expelled 4 Russian diplomats. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning France France's President Emmanuel Macron has also expelled 4 Russian diplomats. Reuters Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Poland Poland's President Andrzej Duda has expelled 4 Russian diplomats. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Lithuania President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite has expelled 3 Russian diplomats. Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Czech Republic Czech Republic President Milos Zeman has also expelled 3 Russian diplomats. AFP Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Netherlands Netherlands Prime minister Mark Rutte has expelled 2 Russian diplomats. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Latvia Prime Minister of Latvia Maris Kucinskis has expelled 1 Russian diplomat. Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Estonia Estonia's Prime Minister Juri Ratas has expelled 1 Russian diplomat. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Croatia Croatia President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has expelled 1 Russian diplomat. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Italy Italian President Sergio Mattarella has expelled 2 Russian diplomats. Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Canada Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has expelled 4 Russian diplomats. Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Finland Finland's President Sauli Niinisto has expelled 1 Russian diplomat. Reuters Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Denmark Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has expelled 2 Russian diplomats. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Romania Romania's President Klaus Werner Iohannis has expelled 1 Russian diplomat. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Norway Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg has expelled 1 Russian diplomat. REUTERS Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Spain Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has expelled 2 Russian diplomats. Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Sweden Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has expelled 1 Russian diplomat. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Albania Albanian President Ilir Meta has expelled 2 Russian diplomats. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Australia Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has expelled 2 Russian diplomats. Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Macedonia Macedonia President Gjorge Ivanov has expelled 1 Russian diplomat. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Hungary President of Hungary Janos Ader has expelled 1 Russian diplomat. AFP/Getty Mr Williamson, who has previously told Russia to "go away and shut up", said the response of the Kremlin had been to "unleash a tidal wave of smears, lies and mockery". The UK expelled 23 Russian diplomats earlier this month. Russia retaliated by sending the same number of UK diplomats home from Moscow and on Saturday ordered Britain to cut just over 50 more of its staff. On Sunday morning two planes carrying officials from the Russian embassy in Washington, the New York consulate and the United Nations landed at Vnukovo Airport outside Moscow. The US expelled 60 Russian diplomats. Russia has demanded answers to a total of 41 questions about the Salisbury attack, including a request for information about the use of antidotes. It has also accused Britain of "blatant provocation" after border force officers searched an Aeroflot plane at Heathrow. The British government is considering a request to allow Russian officials to visit Yulia Skripal after it was reported her condition was rapidly improving. Mr Skripal remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital while his daughter is said to be conscious and talking. Oxford University has come under fire after a department invited alumni to a dinner, with the invitation stating partners and wives were welcome. Sent from the Department of Materials Alumni Association, the message asked if graduates would like to attend a dinner event at Oxfords St Edmund Hall. Dr Anna Ploszajski tweeted a screenshot of the email using #everydaysexism, which is popularly used to share accusations of sexism on a day-to-day basis. The award-winning materials scientist and engineer wrote: In which universe is it acceptable to say partners and wives are very welcome on an invitation? Current Oxford PhD student Sally Le Page pointed out that addressing the invite to alumnus was also incorrect as it is the male singular form of the word. Dr Ploszajski said the invitation was an example of #everydaysexism (Anna Ploszajski/Twitter) The department tweeted an apology, saying: An outdated unacceptable invitation template was used in error. We are committed to gender equality and will do better. A University of Oxford spokesperson said it was looking into the matter but it is absolutely committed to gender equality, including the advancement of women in science. SWNS Thousands of members who quit the Labour Party did not do so because of Jeremy Corbyns response to the Salisbury nerve agent attack and his handling of allegations of antisemitism, party officials have insisted. A leaked report suggests 17,000 people have left the party since the start of the year amounting to 3 per cent of the total membership. Hundreds have quit over the crisis engulfing the party and many more have not renewed their direct debits, according to internal figures seen by The Times. However, Labour sources insisted the drop was not related to Mr Corbyns recent controversies. The party gives members six months to pay membership arrears, meaning the majority of those whose subscriptions lapsed in the past few months actually stopped paying fees last year. They said that the leaked data does not include last week, when the latest row about antisemitism in Labour erupted, and is in keeping with other equivalent periods. A spokesperson said: Labours membership is well over half a million and in fine health. The latest data has been misrepresented in this story. Labours membership reached a peak of 570,000 after the general election but now appears to be falling. According to the leaked report, no region in England reported a rise in party members since the start of 2018. London lost 3,500 members in the past three months, and the North-west reported a fall of 2,000. Meanwhile the Corbyn-supporting campaign group Momentum has claimed that it is gaining members. The latest row erupted after it emerged Mr Corbyn had previously objected to the removal of an east London mural that depicted wealthy Jews playing Monopoly on the backs of workers. Facing mounting criticism over his response, the Labour leader admitted there were pockets of antisemitism in the party and apologised for the pain and hurt caused to Jewish people. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London EPA UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2021 The final athletes from Great Britain arrive home including Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (front left-right) at Heathrow Airport, London following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games PA UK news in pictures 8 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium in Japan PA UK news in pictures 7 August 2021 People from the Glasgow Southside community take part in the Govanhill Carnival, an anti-racist celebration of pride, unity and the contributions immigrants have made to the community in Govanhill, at Queen's Park, Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2021 Chijindu Ujah of Britain, Zharnel Hughes of Britain, Richard Kilty of Britain and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Britain celebrate winning silver as they pose with Asha Philip of Britain, Imani Lansiquot of Britain, Dina Asher-Smith of Britain and Daryll Neita of Britain after they won bronze in the women's 4 x 100m relay during Olympic Games Day 14 Getty UK news in pictures 5 August 2021 A protester places flowers on a photograph of an executed man during a demonstration organised by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to protest against the inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 4 August 2021 England's Joe Root looks on as India's KL Rahul doesn't make it to a catch during day one of Cinch First Test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham PA Mr Corbyns close ally, Christine Shawcroft, was forced to resign from the partys National Executive Committee after it emerged she had defended a council candidate accused of Holocaust denial. In an attempt to defuse the crisis, the Labour leaders Facebook account was deleted this weekend following claims senior staff working for Mr Corbyn were members of groups that contained antisemitic comments. Theresa May is accused today of breaking her promise to champion the life chances of people from poorer backgrounds, after the failure to appoint a chief adviser on the subject for a staggering four months. The appointment of a new head of the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission has been delayed, The Independent has learned, prompting a claim the government wants someone who will not make embarrassing criticisms. It means the entire commission is still in paralysis exactly four months after Alan Milburn and his team quit in despair at the lack of policies to create a fairer Britain. Recommended May faces major setback as social mobility tsar quits with his team Ministers fear appointing an ally who will be seen as part of a chumocracy, particularly after the fiasco when Toby Young was picked to head up a new universities watchdog. However, they are also believed to be reluctant to pick someone who will repeat Mr Milburns regular, hard-hitting censures of the governments social mobility record. They are looking for someone more aligned to the governments agenda and are wary of the more academic types whose behaviour is harder to predict, said one ex-Tory minister familiar with the process. And another insider said: Its a fair point that its been slow. No one wants it to look like a chumocracy, so it cant be a Tory. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2021 The final athletes from Great Britain arrive home including Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (front left-right) at Heathrow Airport, London following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games PA UK news in pictures 8 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium in Japan PA UK news in pictures 7 August 2021 People from the Glasgow Southside community take part in the Govanhill Carnival, an anti-racist celebration of pride, unity and the contributions immigrants have made to the community in Govanhill, at Queen's Park, Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2021 Chijindu Ujah of Britain, Zharnel Hughes of Britain, Richard Kilty of Britain and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Britain celebrate winning silver as they pose with Asha Philip of Britain, Imani Lansiquot of Britain, Dina Asher-Smith of Britain and Daryll Neita of Britain after they won bronze in the women's 4 x 100m relay during Olympic Games Day 14 Getty UK news in pictures 5 August 2021 A protester places flowers on a photograph of an executed man during a demonstration organised by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to protest against the inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 4 August 2021 England's Joe Root looks on as India's KL Rahul doesn't make it to a catch during day one of Cinch First Test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham PA UK news in pictures 3 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny and Jason Kenny with their silver medals for the Women's Team Pursuit and Mens Team Sprint during the Track Cycling at the Izu Velodrome on the eleventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA It is understood that the selection process was due to conclude last month, but the hunt for a new chairperson is continuing. David Lammy, a Labour MP who has campaigned on social mobility, seized on the delay, saying: This frankly says everything about how seriously this government takes social mobility lots of rhetoric, no action. And Layla Moran MP, the Liberal Democrat education spokesperson, said: Alan Milburn was a former Labour minister appointed by a Liberal Democrat deputy prime minister. This represented a true cross-party effort to make our society more fair. This all seems long ago as the Conservatives unpick much of the good work done throughout the coalition government. May must refill this post so that we can start to deal with problems in our society including social mobility and intergenerational fairness. However, the aforementioned source said the government recognised it had no option but to keep the commission going, adding: It was set up by legislation there is a legal duty to maintain progress on social mobility. The prime minister was plunged into a crisis when Mr Milburn and three of his fellow commissioners including a leading Conservative, Gillian Shephard walked out in December. The former Labour cabinet minister said dealing with Brexit had left the government without the necessary bandwidth to ensure the rhetoric of healing social division is matched with the reality. I have little hope of the current government making the progress I believe is necessary to bring about a fairer Britain, he wrote in a stinging letter to the prime minister. He added in an interview: The worst position in politics is to set out a proposition that youre going to heal social divisions and then do nothing about it. Its almost better never to say that youll do anything about it. Mr Milburn protested that the number of commissioners had shrunk from 10 to four, as key posts went unfilled for years, and hinted at rows over its remit and resources. The resignations came hard on the heels of a report warning of a striking geographical divide, leaving many parts of the country behind as London and the South-east pulled away. They were hugely embarrassing for the prime minister, who entered Downing Street promising to make life easier for people in an ordinary working-class family and those just about managing. In a major speech at the start of 2017, she pledged to tackle everyday injustices afflicting those who feel the system is stacked against them. People who are just managing, just getting by, dont need a government that will get out of the way, they need a government that will make the system work for them, Ms May said. An active government that will allow them to share in the growing prosperity of post-Brexit Britain. The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission was set up in 2010, in the dying days of the Labour government, charged with carrying out research and producing an annual report. Its responsibilities also include providing advice to ministers (at their request) on how to improve social mobility in England, which must then be published. The Department for Education said it was currently looking for a new head of the commission and that ministers looked forward to working with the successful candidate to drive forward on improving social mobility. The death of the worlds last male northern white rhinoceros has led a Kenyan government official to declare anyone caught possessing ivory should be sentenced to life in prison. Ivory belongs to elephants and rhinos, said Najib Balala, the countrys tourism minister, during a memorial service held at Ol Pejeta Conservancy on Saturday for Sudan, the 45-year-old rhino, who died 11 days ago. Wildlife officials at Ol Pejeta, about 155 miles north of Nairobi, put down the rhino on March 19 because of rapid deterioration in his health. Sudan is survived by the last two females of his species, his 27-year-old daughter Najin and 17-year-old granddaughter Fatu. The only hope for preserving their species is through in vitro fertilization using their eggs and stored semen, according to Ol Pejeta. Thousand of southern white rhinos still roam sub-Saharan Africa, but decades of rampant poaching have drastically cut the number of northern whites. Poachers could sell northern white rhino horns for $50,000 per kilo, making them more valuable than gold. Kenya had 20,000 rhinos in the 1970s, falling to 400 in the 1990s. It now has 650, almost all of them black rhinos. We are going to change our laws so that anyone caught with ivory will be jailed for life, Balala said. Kenya introduced tough wildlife-protection laws in 2013 in an attempt to stop highly lucrative ivory smuggling, mainly to Asia, which has led to the slaughter of thousands of rare and endangered animals. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Those found guilty of ivory trafficking already face a life sentence. But the minimum sentence for possessing it is just five years. After a court sentenced a Kenyan man to 20 years in jail for possessing ivory, the top prosecutor sought for the punishment to be changed to a life sentenced. The convicted mans appeal is still in the courts. The slaughter of endangered animals in Africa for profit continues, but there is ever greater awareness of the bloody cost of ivory, and more international action to stop the trade. In a move with major implications for the illegal wildlife trade from Africa, China banned ivory sales in December. The country is the worlds largest importer and end user of elephant tusks. Reuters The Texas man who avoided a lengthy prison sentence after psychologists claimed he suffered from affluenza has been released from jail. Ethan Couch left prison on Monday after serving slightly less than two years for a revoked probation. The release reignited a national debate that began at Couchs sentencing, when he avoided a possible 20-year prison term based in part on a psychologist's argument that his familys wealth had altered his judgement. In 2013, at the age of 16, Couch hit and killed four pedestrians in a drunk driving crash. Two of the passengers in his pickup truck were injured; one was paralysed. Prosecutors at the time argued he should serve the maximum of 20 years in prison for four counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault. Defence attorneys pushed for rehabilitation instead. A psychologist called by the defence suggested Couch suffered from affluenza, or a lack of personal responsibility spurred by his affluent upbringing. He never learned that sometimes you dont get your way, psychologist Gary Miller said at the trial. He had the cars and he had the money. He had freedoms that no young man would be able to handle. A juvenile court judge sentenced Couch to 10 years probation a punishment activist groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) dismissed as overly lenient. But he was sent to prison less than three years later, after violating his probation by attending a party where alcohol was served. Couchs mother, Tonya Couch, allegedly helped him flee to Mexico after the parole violation, in an attempt to avoid prison. The two were later found and sent back to the US. Ms Couch has been charged with with money laundering and hindering apprehension of a felon. Couch will remain on probation after his release, wearing an ankle monitor, using an alcohol detecting patch, and abiding by a 9 pm curfew, according to Mike Simonds of the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office. He will also have a video interlock ignition device installed in his car. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty MADD released a statement on Couchs release, calling his two-year prison sentence a grave injustice to the victims and their families. The 720 days Ethan Couch served for his crimes shows that drunk driving homicides still arent treated as the violent crimes that they are, the group said. Breanna Mitchell, Hollie Boyles, Shelby Boyles, and Briann Jennings were all killed when Couch struck them with his pickup truck after a house party in 2013. Ms Mitchells car had broken down on the side of the road; Mr Jennings and the Boyles had stopped to assist her. Couch has a blood alcohol level of of 0.24 three times the legal limit hours after the crash, according to prosecutors. When Efrain Rios Montt, the former Guatemalan dictator, held power in the early 1980s, thousands of civilians were shot, tortured and disappeared in the most violent episode of the Central American nations history, The Independent reported in 2003. Montt at the time was making another bid for power at the age off 77. [He] should not be standing as a candidate for the presidency, he should be on trial in The Hague alongside former Serbian ruler Slobodan Milosevic, human rights campaigner Miguel Angel Sandoval said. Rios Montt, who has died aged 91, is widely held responsible for the deaths of up to 70,000 mostly indigenous Mayans people in a scorched earth policy which followed the 1982 coup that brought him to power. His name will forever be associated with the genocide of the 1980s in 2013 he received an 80-year sentence for that very crime. He and his former chief of intelligence were found responsible for massacres in 15 Ixil Maya villages in which 1,771 unarmed men, women, and children were killed 10 days later, however, the conviction, however, was overturned, as many had feared it would be. Dozens of witnesses had testified about rapes, murders and forced displacement that he either ordered or knew about. Legal confusion arose when that annulment was in turn overruled. Last October a new trial was launched. Rios Montts lawyers argued that the senile dementia he was diagnosed with in 2015 should exempt him prosecution. Thousands of indigenous Mayans were brutally murdered during his 16-month rule from March 1982 to August 1983 as the Guatemalan army, with some US support, sought to wipe out the rural support for left-wing guerrillas. It was the most violent counterinsurgency period in what was already an extraordinarily brutal civil war. But Rios Montts reputation for honesty and a no-nonsense approach to law and order also gave him significant popular backing in a country wracked by political turmoil since a CIA-orchestrated coup in 1954 overthrew a reformist government. Even though he never fulfilled his dream of becoming elected president, he was for several years Guatemalas most powerful politician behind the throne. Rios Montt (centre) announcing the coup that brought him to power in 1982 (Getty) He was born into a large family in the poor, highland department of Huehuetenango. His parents, a shopkeeper and seamstress, stressed hard work and education as a way out of poverty. Montt opted for the military, while one of his younger brothers, Mario, chose the Catholic church and later in a strange twist of fate, became head of the churchs human rights office investigating abuses during the rule of his brother and other generals. In 1943 his father paid for Montts passage to Guatemala City. A sympathetic colonel impressed by his demeanour helped Montt into the military academy, where he soon rose through the ranks. He was identified as a less conservative member of the army hierarchy but did not join the ranks of the incipient guerrilla movement in the early 1960s, which was led by disaffected army officers. He was chief of the army general staff under President Carlos Arana Osorio (1970-1974), but left the army to stand for a Christian Democrat-dominated alliance in the 1974 elections against Aranas candidate. He won the vote, but lost the count, and was forced into exile in Madrid as military attache. On his return, his interest was sparked in the California-based evangelical Protestant sect Church of the Word, and he became a minister in 1978. In March 1982 history relates that he was either teaching or just sweeping the floor in his church when junior officers came and asked him to head a coup. They feared another incompetent and corrupt military ruler could have led to a repeat of the Sandinista victory in nearby Nicaragua. He was first head of a three-man military junta and minister of defence, and then from June 1982 self-proclaimed president and commander in chief. The junior officers chose him for his honesty, but even they did not bargain for daily prayer sessions and televised Sunday addresses to the nation, in which he promised: I will not steal, I will not lie, I will not abuse. In the cities death-squad killings stopped but in the rural areas Rios Montt stepped up a large-scale but selective scorched earth policy a phrase he himself denied, saying he was pursuing only scorched communists. Human rights organisations estimate 17,000 indigenous Mayans died during his rule, often as a result of scarcely credible savagery by brutalised soldiers. At least 600 villages were wiped out. Rios Montt was not the originator of the policy (which had started before him), but his time at Fort Gulick (Panama Canal Zone) and Fort Bragg (North Carolina) gave him the basic understanding of counterinsurgency operations. However, he is credited with introducing fusiles y frijoles (literally, rifles and beans), by which every adult male was forced to join civilian patrols and many corralled into model villages in exchange for political loyalty or neutrality. He was overthrown by General Mejia Victores in August 1983, but by that time the guerrillas were very much on the defensive. The coup restored the authority of the military hierarchy, most of whom were also fed up with his stern Protestantism. Guatemala does not need any more prayers, the former president Mejia Victores was quoted as saying, just more executions. The two exhaustive investigations into the Guatemalan civil war by the Catholic church and by the United Nations firmly pointed the finger at the army and its allies for carrying out the killings of more than 90 per cent of the 200,000 victims of the civil war (1960-1996), of which 132,000 died between 1978 and 1983. Two Guatemalan human rights groups acted on the UNs recommendation that those responsible for genocide should be brought to book and started legal proceedings against Rios Montt, one in Guatemala and the other in Spain. He was never brought to trial but evidence compiled in Spain helped to bolster the case of witnesses to achieve the 2013 conviction. Rios Montt always denied genocide, and dismissed the church report as the version of history written by losers. He also claimed he did not know what was happening on the ground, or that if there were atrocities, they were perpetrated by guerrillas or rogue troops. His opponents argued that this could not have been the case: the army had sophisticated communications technology, and the way the massacres were carried out showed many common elements, that could only have come from a coordinated and centrally planned strategy. Rios Montt remained bitterly hated by the war victims and their sympathisers. But he commanded support from many Guatemalans attracted to strong, authoritarian leaders. The boom in Protestantism to an estimated 30 to 40 per cent of the population helped his appeal, and he retained considerable electoral support from many in the rural areas who were anti-guerrilla and members of the old civilian patrols. He and other right-wing politicians formed an electoral alliance, later known as the populist Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG), to fight the 1990 amd 1991 elections, but he was prevented from standing by a constitutional ban on former coup leaders. Another evangelical Protestant candidate, Jorge Serrano Elias, became president, but most observers say Rios Montt would have won. Similarly, the FRG candidate, Alfonso Portillo won in 1999 as Rios Montt remained banned. He had to settle for being head of the new Congress, but was acknowledged by Portillo as being Guatemalas real leader. In 2000, Rios Montt and other FRG deputies were involved in a corruption scandal known as Guategate, in which they were accused of illegally reducing a tax on alcoholic beverages after lobbying from interested parties. Rios Montt escaped prosecution but his reputation for honesty took a severe blow. In 2003 his supporters staged a riot in Guatemala city when it looked like he was again to be banned from standing in elections that year. The ban was controversially lifted, but he finished a poor third and his political fortunes never recovered. Rios Montt was a maverick politician, who did not fit the usual models for Latin American dictators. Western observers found his electoral appeal as difficult to fathom as his style of giving interviews, in which he would often lecture journalists on morality in the language of church sermons. He remained unrepentant to the last. I may not be spotless, he once said, but my conscience is clear. He is survived by his wife Maria Teresa Sosa, his daughter, Zury and son Enrique. Efrain Rios Montt, former president of Guatemela, born 16 June 1926, died 1 April 2018 A familys fatal plunge off of a cliff in California may have been intentional, authorities said. Evidence shows that the SUV carrying married couple Jennifer and Sarah Hart and their six adopted children accelerated to 90 miles (145 km) per hour before it plummeted into the base of a cliff along the Pacific Ocean. This incident may have been an intentional act and not the result of a traffic collision, Greg Baarts of the California Highway Patrol said in a conference call with reporters. After the vehicle paused before approaching the cliffs edge, Mr Baarts said, it underwent pure accelerationuntil it hit the bottom of the cliff. Three of the children onboard have been confirmed dead, and three others remain unaccounted for. While the search for the remaining three children continues, authorities have acknowledged that they likely did not survive. We have every indication to believe that all six children were in there, Mendocino County Sheriff Thomas Allman told reporters last week. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty One of the missing children, Devonte Hart, had a moment in the national spotlight when he was photographed weeping and hugging a police officer during a protest in Portland over the fatal shooting of Michael Brown. An emerging portrait of the Hart family has uncovered red flags about the treatment of the children. Mountain Lion Roams California Backyards The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services confirmed that it received a referral from Child Protective Services identifying the Hart children as potential victims of alleged abuse or neglect. Investigators attempted to make contact with the family in person three times in the days preceding the crash. We have not made any findings in this investigation and we had no prior history with this family, a spokeswoman said. Court records also show that Sarah Hart told Minnesota authorities in 2011 that she had spanked her then-six-year-old daughter and let her anger get out of control after the girl was found with bruises at school. Israel announced a deal with the UN to resettle African migrants in Western nations, lifting the threat of forced expulsions - but put the agreement on hold just hours later. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had announced the deal on national television, saying Israel agreed to cancel the planned expulsion of tens of thousands of African migrants - many of whom say they are claiming asylum from persecution. Mr Nentanyahu said the deal with the United Nations called for sending half of them to Western nations and allowing the rest to remain in Israel. But late on Monday, Mr Netanyahu said he was suspending the deal in order to discuss the arrangement with Israeli residents of south Tel Aviv areas with large migrant populations. After meeting with the representatives I will re-examine the agreement again, he said. Recommended Israel tries to deport Eritrean grandfather it says is 32 Under the deal, roughly half of the 35,000 migrants living in Israel would be resettled in the West. But the rest would stay in Israel. The migrant community is concentrated in south Tel Aviv, angering longtime Israeli residents of the working-class area. Israeli hardliners had criticised the deal for allowing so many migrants to remain. The late-night turnaround threw into limbo the surprise agreement, which had finally offered a solution to an issue that has divided Israel for a decade. The deportation plan had been widely criticised at home and abroad, even by some of Israel's closest supporters. It's a good agreement, Mr Netanyahu told reporters earlier in the day. It enables us to solve this problem in a way that serves, protects the interests of the state of Israel and gives a solution to the residents of southern Tel Aviv and other neighbourhoods, and also for the people who came into Israel. Most of the African migrants are from war-torn Sudan and Eritrea, the latter having one of the world's worst human rights records. The migrants say they are asylum-seekers fleeing danger and persecution, while Israeli leaders have claimed they are merely job seekers. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty People started arriving in 2005, after neighbouring Egypt violently quashed a refugee demonstration and word spread of safety and job opportunities in Israel. Tens of thousands crossed the porous desert border with Egypt before Israel completed a barrier in 2012 that stopped the influx. Israel has struggled with what to do with those already in the country, alternating between plans to deport them and offering them menial jobs in hotels and local municipalities. Working-class Jewish residents have pressed the government to take action. But the migrants also found wide pockets of support, with many Israelis arguing that the country, founded in the wake of the Holocaust, had a special responsibility to help those in need. Thousands of Africans and their Israeli supporters held a demonstration in February claiming the deportation plan amounted to racism. Groups of Israeli doctors, academics, poets, Holocaust survivors, rabbis and pilots also objected to the planned expulsion. Critics at home and in the Jewish American community had called the government's deportation plans unethical and a stain on Israel's image as a refuge for Jewish migrants. Before Monday's announcement, the government had remained steadfast, bristling at what it considered cynical comparisons to the plight of Jewish refugees during the Second World War. Over the years, Israel threatened the migrants with prison, placed them in a now-shuttered desert detention camp and tried to persuade them to leave by offering them money and a one-way ticket to Africa. After those options failed, it announced plans to begin deporting them to an unidentified African country believed to be Rwanda or Uganda on 1 April. Mr Netanyahu said the plan was scrapped after it became clear that the third country, which he again did not identify, could not handle the influx. From the moment in the past few weeks that it became clear that the third country as an option doesn't exist, we basically entered a trap where all of them would remain, he said, having described Monday's compromise as the best available option. In his Facebook post announcing the deal's suspension, Mr Netanyahu accused the New Israel Fund, a liberal advocacy group, and elements in the European Union of derailing a deal with Rwanda. Migrants who earlier agreed to return to Africa had reported abuses and broken promises after arriving in Rwanda. In some cases, their travel papers were confiscated or they were quickly sent to Uganda. Both Rwanda and Uganda denied having any agreement with Israel. Meir Ben-Shabbat, Mr Netanyahu's national security adviser, said the UN plan would be carried out in three phases over five years. In all, the United Nations would resettle about 16,250 people, while Israel would absorb the same number. A committee will be formed in order to identify them and find agreed solutions, Ben-Shabbat said. Shlomo Mor-Yosef, a senior official at Israel's Interior Ministry, said migrants would be taken in throughout the European Union as well as in Canada and the United States. As part of the framework, Israel said it would rehabilitate and develop affected neighborhoods in south Tel Aviv, while also resettling African migrants elsewhere in the country. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said it signed a framework of common understanding to promote solutions for thousands of Eritreans and Sudanese living in Israel. The UNHCR said it would work to relocate about 16,000 Sudanese and Eritrean nationals and that others would receive suitable legal status in Israel. Cabinet Minister Naftali Bennett, leader of the nationalist Jewish Home party, said the deal turned Israel into a paradise for infiltrators. He called for the plan to be brought to the Cabinet for a vote. Associated Press Donald Trump has rushed to the defence of a broadcasting company criticised for ordering dozens of its news anchors to recite the same pre-scripted lines echoing his attacks on "fake news" In a set of promos Sinclair Broadcasting, which owns more than 170 US TV stations, reportedly ordered its presenters' to claim that the media was behaving in a way that was extremely dangerous to democracy. The adverts, which began airing last week, are part of a campaign by Sinclair to warn of the dangers of "one-sided news stories plaguing our country" and have been met with widespread criticism. Mr Trump has now taken to Twitter to defend Sinclair claiming it is "far superior" to other the likes of CNN and NBC. "So funny to watch Fake News Networks, among the most dishonest groups of people I have ever dealt with, criticize Sinclair Broadcasting for being biased. Sinclair is far superior to CNN and even more Fake NBC, which is a total joke [sic]." Some insiders claimed that news anchors were forced into reading the scripts but viewers reacted angrily on social media with many accusing of them as having no back bone. Let them corrupt local TV news with mindless conservative conspiracies...the good news is they are only reaching the 65 and over crowd, most of which are hopeless anyways, Scott Hates tweeted. Late night chat show host Jimmy Kimmel shared the video on Twitter and flipped the comment claiming that promo was extremely dangerous to our democracy. Although the script read out by the anchors does not name any media outlets it does echo Donald Trumps rhetoric on any news outlet which criticises him. "The sharing of biased and false news has become all too common on social media," the script reads. "More alarming, some media outlets are publishing these same fake stories without checking facts first. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty One of the anchors, who has wished to remain anonymous, said it was a hostage situation and they had no choice but to read the message. I felt like a prisoner of war recording a message, the anchor told CNN. Another unnamed employee from Seattle confirmed the anchors had been forced into reading the script. Theyre certainly not happy about it. Its certainly a forced thing, the employee told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Donald Trump has attacked Mexico for failing to close its Northern Border and allowing large caravans of people to pass through the country and into the US. In a series of characteristically aggressive early morning tweets, the US president said his own country has no effective border laws. His statement caused confusion on social media, with many people responding that Mexicos northern border was with the US. Others joked that he was suggesting that people should flee America and head south. Mr Trump claimed Mexico had the absolute power not let these large Caravans of people enter their country. He added: They must stop them at their Northern Border, which they can do because their border laws work, not allow them to pass through into our country which has no effective border laws... Calling on the US Congress to immediately pass border legislation, he said they should use Nuclear Option if necessary without explaining what that meant. This he suggested would stop the massive inflow of Drugs and People into the US. Although he went on to praise US border patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, he said weak Democratic Party laws did not allow them to do their job. The US President went on to announce that a deal to secure status for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (Daca) recipients was dead and no longer works. He added: Must build Wall and secure our borders with proper Border legislation. Mr Trump has previously suggested that he was open to negotiating with congressional Democrats on the Daca deal, which affects an estimated 700,000 young people who entered the US without documents as children. Most of them are from Mexico and other Latin American countries. Created by former President Barack Obama, his 2012 executive order shields the so-called Dreamers from deportation and provides work and study permits. In order to qualify, applicants under the age of 30 are required to submit personal information to the Department of Homeland Security, including addresses and phone numbers, and they must go through an FBI background check. They must also have a clean criminal record, be in school, recently graduated or honourably discharged from the military. In exchange, the US government agrees to defer any action on their immigration status for a period of two years. Mr Trump abruptly ended the programme last year and in exchange for negotiations, he has called for funding to build a wall on the southern border between the US and Mexico and a series of other immigration measures. The US leader has reportedly become increasingly frustrated with a lack of funding for the wall, which he promised would be funded by Mexico during his presidential campaign. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Last week he appeared to suggest that the US Department of Defence could fund it, a move that was quickly ruled out by experts. His moves to end Daca by executive order were also thwarted by a federal judge, who ordered the administration to continue renewing applications. In calling on Republican leaders in the Senate to go to Nuclear Option, Mr Trump was referring to Senate rules that require 60 votes for legislation to pass. The US President has long called for the majority to fall to 51 a move that has so far been resisted by Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader for his own Republican Party. US President Donald Trump proposed a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the White House in a recent phone call, but preparations have reportedly stalled over the expulsion of dozens of Russian diplomats from the US. When our presidents spoke on the phone, Trump suggested having the meeting in Washington at the White House, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said, referencing a 20 March call in which Mr Trump congratulated the Russian leader on being re-elected. Mr Ushakov called the proposal an interesting, positive idea, but said the two leaders have not made preparations for such a meeting thus far. The policy aide blamed the delay on Mr Trump's decision to expel 60 Russian diplomats last week, which formed part of a larger international response to Moscows alleged use of a nerve agent in the attempted murder of an Russian ex-spy, Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, in the UK town of Salisbury. Around 150 Russian diplomats have been expelled from more than two dozen nations in solidarity with Britain, who blame Russia for the poisoning. The Kremlin has denied Russian involvement. "Against the backdrop of these events, it's difficult to discuss the possibility of holding a summit," Mr Ushakov said, according to Russian news agencies. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed that a White House meeting had been discussed, saying in a statement: As the President himself confirmed on March 20, hours after his last call with President Putin, the two had discussed a bilateral meeting in the not-too-distant future at a number of potential venues, including the White House." Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Show all 24 1 /24 Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning United States Donald Trump has expelled 60 Russian diplomats from the US and closed the consulate in response to the Sergei Skripal spy poisoning. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Great Britain Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed Britain would be expelling 23 Russian diplomats. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Ukraine Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko has expelled 13 Russian diplomats. Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Germany Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel has expelled 4 Russian diplomats. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning France France's President Emmanuel Macron has also expelled 4 Russian diplomats. Reuters Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Poland Poland's President Andrzej Duda has expelled 4 Russian diplomats. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Lithuania President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite has expelled 3 Russian diplomats. Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Czech Republic Czech Republic President Milos Zeman has also expelled 3 Russian diplomats. AFP Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Netherlands Netherlands Prime minister Mark Rutte has expelled 2 Russian diplomats. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Latvia Prime Minister of Latvia Maris Kucinskis has expelled 1 Russian diplomat. Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Estonia Estonia's Prime Minister Juri Ratas has expelled 1 Russian diplomat. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Croatia Croatia President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has expelled 1 Russian diplomat. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Italy Italian President Sergio Mattarella has expelled 2 Russian diplomats. Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Canada Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has expelled 4 Russian diplomats. Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Finland Finland's President Sauli Niinisto has expelled 1 Russian diplomat. Reuters Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Denmark Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has expelled 2 Russian diplomats. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Romania Romania's President Klaus Werner Iohannis has expelled 1 Russian diplomat. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Norway Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg has expelled 1 Russian diplomat. REUTERS Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Spain Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has expelled 2 Russian diplomats. Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Sweden Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has expelled 1 Russian diplomat. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Albania Albanian President Ilir Meta has expelled 2 Russian diplomats. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Australia Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has expelled 2 Russian diplomats. Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Macedonia Macedonia President Gjorge Ivanov has expelled 1 Russian diplomat. AFP/Getty Countries join UK expelling Russian diplomats over spy poisoning Hungary President of Hungary Janos Ader has expelled 1 Russian diplomat. AFP/Getty Mr Trump expelled dozens of diplomats and closed the Russian consulate in Seattle, Washington last Monday, in his strongest retaliatory measure against the country since taking office. It was the biggest ever US expulsion of alleged intelligence officials in one go, and included 48 diplomats attached to the diplomatic mission in Washington and New York, and a further 12 from the Russian mission to the United Nations. Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov called the expulsions unfortunate, but said the two countries were destined to become friends again, in a video address last week. Mr Ushakov, the policy aide, echoed this sentiment on Monday, saying he hoped the US had stopped taking action against Russia so that serious and constructive dialogue could start. Trump on Putin: 'We will probably get together in the not-too-distant future' Mr Trump said last week that he hoped to meet with Mr Putin in the "not too distant future, to discuss topics such as the global arms race, and situation in North Korea, and Syria. Mr Trumps relationship with Russia is under intense scrutiny in the US, where both the Justice Department and Congress have launched investigations into possible collusion between the Kremlin and the US presidents campaign. Mr Trump has repeatedly denied colluding with Russia, calling the investigations into his campaign a witch hunt. A bill set to be introduced this week in South Carolina would bar local governments from enacting stricter gun control, dramatically reducing the ability of local politicians to determine how to address gun violence in their communities. The bill, written by state Representative Joshua Putnam and reviewed by The Independent, would mean changes to gun laws at the local level would have to be approved by two thirds of both chambers of the South Carolina legislature. If passed, South Carolina would join a handful of states where similar laws exist, including Florida, where the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland left 17 dead. Mr Putnam, who is also running for South Carolinas secretary of state post, said that he was choosing this moment to introduce the bill in light of the intense national focus on Americas gun laws that has been sparked in large part by the Parkland shooting on Valentines Day. Our biggest issue is with all the debate going on across the country that we enter into it cool, calm, and collected, Mr Putnam said. This bill would safeguard the Second Amendment by requiring a two-thirds majority [to change gun laws locally], as opposed to a simple majority. Recommended Vermont legislature passes gun control bill The South Carolina legislature is dominated by Republicans, with nearly two-thirds representation in both chambers. The Republican Party is broadly seen as being opposed to stricter gun control laws, and the state is already considered to have some of the loosest gun regulation in the country. The bill does not mention how the statute would be enforced if it were made into law, but a series of laws in other states have relied on strategies including fines for local legislators $5,000 in Florida, and $50,000 in Arizona as well as for making local officials personally liable for damages or attorneys fees for violating the statute. March for Our Lives in pictures Show all 13 1 /13 March for Our Lives in pictures March for Our Lives in pictures Demonstrators chant during the protest for gun legislation and school safety AP March for Our Lives in pictures Trevon Tre Bosley, 19, of Chicago, the brother of Terrell Bosley who was killed in 2006 in a case of mistaken identity, speaks during the rally AP March for Our Lives in pictures Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Delaney Tarr speaks at the rally AFP/Getty March for Our Lives in pictures Protestors line the streets in Washington Getty Images March for Our Lives in pictures People arrive for the March For Our Lives rally against gun violence in Washington, DC AFP/Getty March for Our Lives in pictures Protestors carrying placards in Washington AFP/Getty March for Our Lives in pictures Protestors hold up placards in Washington AFP/Getty March for Our Lives in pictures Schoolchildren wear targets ahead of the rally Getty March for Our Lives in pictures Attendees congregate in preparation for the march Getty March for Our Lives in pictures Students brought a host of innovative placards AFP/Getty March for Our Lives in pictures The movements main demand is the banning of assault rifles Getty March for Our Lives in pictures Since the Florida shooting, students have called for urgent gun reform AFP/Getty March for Our Lives in pictures In the wake of the Florida attack, President Donald Trump called for teachers to be armed AFP/Getty Detractors have criticised laws like the one that Mr Putnam wants passed for making it impossible for local communities and cities to respond swiftly, or at all, to gun violence tragedies. The Giffords Law Centre, a policy group that looks to prevent gun violence, says such laws creates a dangerous gap between the people passing laws and those living with them every day Similar criticism was seen in Florida in the wake of the Parkland shooting, where mostly Democratic politicians in the state said that the legislature in Tallahassee was keeping them from keeping their residents safe. I think its outrageous, South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard, a Democrat, said in the days following the shooting. Why should the cities be prohibited from protecting their citizens? Florida, Arizona, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Mississippi all have laws that impose fines, make local officials liable for costs, or authorise the removal of local officials who violate their state pre-emption statutes over gun regulation. Kentucky stands alone in making local officials criminally liable for violating their state pre-emption statutes, according to the Giffords Law Centre. As the Trump administration continues to churn through staff, the White House is contemplating the post-Hope Hicks era, and how difficult the former communications director will be to replace. Until recently, 29-year-old Ms Hicks was one of the longest-serving members of Mr Trumps inner circle and one of his closest confidantes. She signed on during the presidential campaign, at a time when much of the Republican establishment remained wary of Mr Trumps insurgent candidacy, and remained in a pivotal role through the first tumultuous year of Mr Trumps tenure. In a White House marked by internal feuds and overseen by a mercurial president, Ms Hicks was seen as a stabilising influence someone who had earned Mr Trumps trust and could help navigate his shifting moods. Her ability to anticipate what he wants and also execute cant be replicated, spokesman Hogan Gidley told The New York Times. At least not immediately. But now Ms Hicks has joined a long list of administration departures. She announced her resignation in late February, shortly after she was interviewed by the House Intelligence Committee about Russian interference in the 2016 election. Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Show all 29 1 /29 Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inauguration - 20 January 2017 US President Donald Trump acknowledges the audience after taking the oath of office as his wife Melania (L) and daughter Tiffany watch during inauguration ceremonies swearing in Trump as the 45th president of the United States on the West Front of the US capital in Washington on 20 January, 2017. Photographer Jim Bourg: "This photo was shot with one of two remote cameras. The cameras were monitored and triggered remotely and the pictures were transmitted to clients worldwide within minutes of being taken." Reuters/Jim Bourg Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Obama farewell address - 10 January 2017 US President Barack Obama wipes away tears as he delivers his farewell address in Chicago on 10 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "In his final days in office, Obama made a visit home to Chicago. As he spoke from the stage to his wife and daughter in the audience, he became emotional when he talked about what they had sacrificed during his time in office. I turned from photographing the Obama women embracing to find him onstage wiping away tears." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inauguration - 20 January 2017 A combination of photos shows the crowds attending the inauguration ceremonies to swear in U.S. President Donald Trump at 12:01pm (left) on January 20, 2017 and President Barack Obama sometime between 12:07pm and 12:26pm on January 20, 2009. Reuters/ Lucas Jackson/Stelios Varias Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Liberty Ball - 20 January 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend the Liberty Ball in honour of his inauguration in Washington on 20 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "What I see when I look at this picture is the end of a very long day, not to mention weeks and months of preparation by many photographers, editors and network experts and the beginning of everything since." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception - 22 January 2017 US President Donald Trump greets Director of the FBI James Comey as Director of the Secret Service Joseph Clancy (L), watches during the Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception in the Blue Room of the White House on 22 January, 2017. Photographer Joshua Roberts: "I have covered the White House for 16 years and normally either the President or the pool is in position when an event starts. In this case the President was not where anyone expected him to be. In fact, he was almost blocking the door when the pool came in. We had to scramble to find a position without bumping him or the furniture as he greeted and thanked members of law enforcement for their security efforts during the inauguration. Luckily, he greeted FBI Director James Comey a few seconds after the pool had made its way into the room." Reuters/Joshua Roberts Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Private phone calls to world leaders - 28 January 2017 US President Donald Trump, is joined by his staff, as he speaks by phone with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office on 28 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Very early in the Trump administration, weekends were as busy as weekdays. On Trump's second Saturday the official schedule said he would be making private phone calls to a number of world leaders including Russia's Vladimir Putin. I arrived early and, before sitting down at my desk walked up to Press Secretary Sean Spicer's office. He, too, was just taking his coat off. I gingerly made the suggestion that previous administrations had sometimes allowed photos of such phone calls through the Oval Office windows on the colonnade. To my mild shock, he didn't even think about it twice. "We'll do it!" he said. In truth, I really only expected the Putin call, but we were outside the windows multiple times throughout the day as the calls went on." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway - 27 February 2017 Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway (L) attends as US President Donald Trump welcomes the leaders of dozens of historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) in the Oval Office on 27 February, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "We're often asked how much access we have to the Trump administration, and the answer is we have an awful lot. President Trump himself is very comfortable in the spotlight, and his aides are similarly unfazed by cameras. In this instance, senior advisor Kellyanne Conway was so comfortable in our presence she seemed not to consider the optics of kneeling on a Oval Office sofa to take pictures with her phone." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Angela Merkel heads to Washington - 17 March 2017 Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House on 17 March, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Chancellor Merkel made one of the earliest important visits of any US allies to meet Trump in his first months in office. When world leaders give joint news conferences they don't always tend to give each other their full attention - but Merkel watched Trump intently at several key moments, and here seemed particularly rapt." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump welcomes truckers to the White House - 23 March 2017 President Trump reacts as he sits on a truck while he welcomes truckers and CEOs to attend a meeting regarding healthcare at the White House on 23 March, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "The White House organised a listening session with truckers and CEO's of major American companies, regarding healthcare reform. An 18-wheeler tow truck was parked on the South Lawn of the White House and as Trump welcomed the truckers someone invited the him to come and sit in the driver's seat. Trump jumped into the cab and started yelling and pretending to drive - creating one of the most memorable pictures of the year. A lesson learned, always be prepared for the unexpected." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Air Force One - 6 April 2017 US President Donald Trump talks to journalists members of the travel pool on board the Air Force One during his trip to Palm Beach, Florida on 6 April, 2017. Carlos Barria: "During the many trips to President Trump's residence in Florida it is usual to see the president coming to the back of the plane to chat with journalists. During one of the trips to the so called 'Winter White House', Trump had a long talk with reporters while the Air Force One entertainment system was playing one of the latest Star Wars movies. As I was listening to Trump talk I was also looking at the movie waiting for a part of the movie to frame the mood of the day. Of the many scenes, I choose the one with Darth Vader." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures 100 Days - 27 April 2017 US President Donald Trump speaks during an interview with Reuters in the Oval Office of the White House on 27 April, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "A day before President Trump's hundred days in office I was part of the team that interviewed the commander-in-chief in the Oval Office. I was only allowed to photograph Trump during the last five minutes of the interview. The time was very tight so I had to move fast as I had pictures in mind that I wanted to shoot. I walked into the Oval Office and saw that the President had printed maps of the country showing areas in red where he won. I raised my hands holding my camera as high as possible to get the best view of the scene using a 16mm wide angle lens." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures 100 Days - 27 April 2017 US President Donald Trump reacts as he arrives at Harrisburg international airport, before attending a rally marking his first 100 days in office in Pennsylvania on 29 April, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "President Trump travelled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to celebrate his hundred days in office with a victory rally. He was in friendly territory as he won with a big difference over his opponent Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, during the November elections. As usual when the commander-in-chief arrives local residents gather to greet him. This time a small group of military personnel attended the arrival. Surrounded by secret service agents Trump walked from the Air Force One and raised his hand in a sign of victory as the crowd cheered him on." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House staffers - 2 May 2017 White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer (L) and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus watch as US President Donald Trump presents the U.S. Air Force Academy football team with the Commander-in-Chief trophy in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on 2 May, 2017. Photographer Joshua Roberts: "Covering the White House does not just mean covering the President. White House staffers are an important part of the story and their relationship with the President and each other is an indicator of how things are going in the West Wing. The tendency is to focus exclusively on the President once an event starts but I always try to look around to see how people are reacting as things unfold." Reuters/Joshua Roberts Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Secret Service - 4 May 2017 Secret Service agents use a presidential limousine as cover from spraying water as US President Donald Trump lands via Marine One helicopter in New York on 4 May, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "The best part of any trip to New York City with the sitting US President is the helicopter ride into Manhattan. The ride out at night can be stunning. Here, Secret Service agents protect themselves from the spray from the East River as Trump lands on the helipad." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures NATO Summit - 25 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wait the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron (unseen) before a lunch ahead of a NATO Summit in Brussels on 25 May, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "One of the best parts of travelling overseas for White House coverage is the chance to see the U.S. president in different environments and (literally) a different light. Here, Trump and his wife came out of the shadows to greet France's President Macron." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump meets Putin at G20 summit - 7 July 2017 US President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany on 7 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "On July 7, I witnessed one of the most important meetings of President Trump's first year in office. Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin during a bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Germany. The world's eyes were on these two leaders after speculation about Russian interference during the 2016 US elections. We entered the room for less than two minutes, where I took dozens of pictures. But there was this very interesting moment when Trump extended his hand to Putin for a handshake. Putin paused for a second and looked at Trump's hand. That was the picture that I was looking for, a little moment that seemed to say a lot." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures First lady - 8 July 2017 First lady Melania Trump chats with US President Donald Trump during their return from Germany at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on 8 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "After President Trump's trip to Germany he arrived back at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. First Lady Melania Trump said goodbye to Trump as she was heading off in a different direction that day. While chatting a breeze blew Melania's hair up in the air." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Made in America product showcase - 17 July 2017 Vice President Mike Pence laughs as President Donald Trump holds a baseball bat as they attend a Made in America product showcase event at the White House on 17 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "This summer the White House organized an event to showcase 'Made in America' products. All kinds of exhibitors brought their products as the President and Vice President toured the event. One of the companies was Marucci Sport, a manufacturer of baseball bats based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As Trump approached a table full of baseball bats, photographers at the event, including me, rushed to get a good angle hoping that he would pick up a bat. As we predicted, he did. He took one and joked around as though he was hitting something hard. The only thing closer to him right there, was the media." Reuters Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House staffers - 25 July 2017 Former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski says hello to reporters as he and White House advisors including Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci accompany President Trump for an event celebrating veterans at AMVETS Post 44 in Ohio, July 25, 2017. Jonathan Ernst: "The most visible person in any White House is naturally the President, followed by the press secretary. But there are also the staff who support them. For those of us covering the Trump administration, there seem to be more compelling figures in the West Wing than ever before. It's crucial to know who's who and why they're important. When I raised my camera and back-pedalled ahead of the group to take this image Lewandowski gave me a hello. I liked the photo, but had no idea it would go a little bit viral, especially since Scaramucci, who was the biggest mover and shaker that week, was hidden back in the pack. But I guess the image catches a glimpse of what it's like to be a West Wing staffer on the road." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Campaign rally - 3 August 2017 US President Donald Trump arrives at a rally in West Virginia on 3 August, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "President Trump travelled to Huntington for one of his usual campaign rallies. While members of his family spoke to the crowd he was waiting under a black curtain to be introduced. Suddenly he walked onto the stage, one of the first frames that I took was of his hand. I set my exposure for the light on the stage hoping to create this dark background and it worked." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Staring into the solar eclipse - 21 August 2017 Without his protective glasses on, US President Donald Trump looks up towards the solar eclipse while viewing with his wife Melania and son Barron at the White House on 21 August, 2017. Photographer Kevin Lamarque: "On a day when everyone, and I mean everyone, was told not to look at the eclipse without protective glasses, Trump, President of the United States, couldn't help himself." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Hurricane Harvey - 2 September 2017 US President Donald Trump poses for a photo as he and first lady Melania Trump help volunteers hand out meals during a visit with flood survivors of Hurricane Harvey at a relief centre in Houston, Texas on 2 September, 2017. Photohrapher Kevin Lamarque: "Trump, eager to deliver the image of a hands-on response to Hurricane Harvey, made this visit to a relief centre and obliged this woman with a selfie as Melania continued to work." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House - 15 September 2017 Donald Trump welcomes 11-year-old Frank Giaccio as he cuts the Rose Garden grass at the White House on 15 September. Frank, who wrote a letter to Trump offering to mow the lawn, was invited to work for a day at the White House along the National Park Service staff. Frank was so focused on his task that he did not notice the President arrive to surprise him. He took his father jumping in to grab his attention and point Trump out. Photographer Carlos Barria said: The image of Trump shouting at a kid who is mowing his lawn might have many interpretations in today's politically polarized United States. But for me it was just a kid who loved what he was doing, to the point he almost appeared to ignore the President." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Take a knee - 27 September 2017 A man kneels with a folded U.S. flag as the motorcade of U.S. President Donald Trump passes him after an event at the state fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., September 27, 2017. In September, soon after Trump had made comments condemning NFL players who kneel during the national anthem, he made a day trip to a rally in Indianapolis. Jonathan Ernst managed to capture a man on one knee with a tri-folded flag and was able to use a portion of the sign on the building he was kneeling in front of to track the man down and tell his story in full. US Army veteran Marvin Boatright wanted to send a message against social injustice. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Hurricane Maria - 3 October 2017 President Donald Trump throws rolls of paper towels into a crowd of local residents affected by Hurricane Maria as he visits Calgary Chapel in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 3 October, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "During an afternoon visit to Puerto Rico for President Trump to survey damage from Hurricane Maria and greet some of its victims, Trump made a stop at a church where food and supplies were being distributed. Among the items were paper towels and Trump, apparently caught up in the moment, decided to distribute some of the rolls." Reuters Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Jared Kushner - 1 November 2017 White House Senior adviser Jared Kushner sits behind President Trump during a cabinet meeting in Washington on 1 November, 2017. Photographer Kevin Lamarque: "The role of Jared Kushner has gone through a series of changes. He began front and centre as a high profile adviser, but as time has passed and issues surrounding him have surfaced, he has become more of a background figure." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump in China - 9 November 2017 Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands after making joint statements at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on 9 November, 2017. Photographer Damir Sagolj: "It's one of those "how to make a better or at least different shot when two presidents shake hands several times a day, several days in row". If I'm not mistaken in calculation, presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump shook their hands at least six times in events I covered during Trump's recent visit to China. I would imagine there were some more handshakes I haven't seen but other photographers did. And they all look similar - two big men, smiling and heartily greeting each other until everyone gets their shot. But then there is always something that can make it special - in this case the background made of US and Chinese flags. The first time it didn't work for me. The second time I positioned myself lower and centrally, and used the longest lens I have to capture only hands reaching for a handshake." Reuters/Damir Sagolj Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Air Force One - 10 November 2017 US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One to depart for Vietnam from Beijing Airport in Beijing, China, November 10, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "There is a Reuters photographer in the tight pool covering the US president for every appearance he makes 365 days a year. This was just one of 32 images of mine that were transmitted on the Reuters wire of President Trump visiting China and Vietnam that day. You never know when a sudden interaction, a gust of wind or a unique facial expression will lead to a striking image that grabs peoples' attention." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures ASEAN handshake - 13 November 2017 Donald Trump registers his surprise as he realises other leaders, including Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte and Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, are crossing their arms for the traditional "ASEAN handshake" as he participates in the opening ceremony of the summit in Manila on 13 November, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Having covered a few ASEAN summits, I knew to expect the ASEAN handshake. Not everyone in the room knew to expect the ASEAN handshake. A lot was written about this unscripted moment, and what deeper meaning it might have. The simple truth is that sometimes in life there are unscripted moments." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst In hours of testimony, Ms Hicks reportedly admitted to having told white lies on behalf of Mr Trump, an admission of the presidents sometimes flexible relationship with facts that also amounted to a profession of her loyalty. The president prizes loyalty in his aides, and Ms Hickss longstanding role supporting Mr Trump helped earn his trust. The president and various surrogates referenced that history in marking her departure. Shes someone who has been with the president since the early days. She was part of a team that was very small during the campaign, White House spokesman Lindsay Walters said of Ms Hicks. Bill Maher: Hope Hicks has been voted off the island... she was Trump's work-wife, his emotional companion animal Now, with Ms Hicks joining an exodus that in recent months has also included staff secretary Rob Porter, top economic adviser Gary Cohn and National Security Adviser HR McMaster, people within the White House are wondering who might fill the Hope Hicks-sized void. The White House has so far been publicly quiet on a potential replacement. In her last remarks to reporters on the topic, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Mr Trump had not decided whether to promote someone from within the administration, or hire outside help. But the president has openly mused about who could take on Ms Hickss duties, according to CNN. One person who has earned a comparable level of trust from Mr Trump is Daniel Scavino, an aide who has a role in crafting the tweets that represent the presidents most frequent and visible public proclamations. Like Ms Hicks, Mr Scavino has been with Mr Trump since before he entered the White House. He relationship with the president extends beyond loyalty, an administration source told CNN, as evidenced by Mr Scavino reportedly being the sole remaining aide with access to Mr Trumps Twitter account. He has also used his own Twitter account to rally support for Mr Trump, sharing the presidents tweets and projecting enthusiasm for sometimes controversial decisions, such as Mr Trumps recent appointment of the hawkish former ambassador John Bolton to serve as national security adviser. Great news, Mr Scavino tweeted recently in response to a story about Mr Bolton planning to pursue leakers, a frequent target of Mr Trumps ire. Look out leakers!! Here comes Bolton Internal options to formally take on Ms Hickss role reportedly include White House Director of Strategic Communications Mercedes Schlapp and Treasury Department spokesman Tony Sayegh. A woman protesting over the police killing of an unarmed black man has been struck by the car of a sheriff's deputy. Video filmed by a bystander showed the vehicle edging along the road before hitting the protester at a vigil for Stephon Clark, who was shot dead last month in his grandparents backyard in Sacramento, California. The woman was taken to hospital with minor injuries. Recommended Protests after autopsy shows cops shot unarmed back man in back Sacramento County Sheriffs Office said it had launched an internal review of the collision, which is also under investigation by the California Highway Patrol. The sheriffs office said protesters had been yelling while pounding and kicking the vehicles exterior. The collision occurred while the patrol vehicle was traveling at slow speeds, said spokesman Sgt Shaun Hampton. He said the deputy's vehicle had scratches, dents and a shattered rear window following the collision - which he blamed on "vandals" in the crowd. The injured woman was identified by the Sacramento Bee as 61-year-old Wanda Cleveland. "He never even stopped," she told the newspaper. It was a hit-and-run. If I did that Id be charged. About 150 people were at the vigil on Saturday night. Crowds held signs saying Stop Police Rage and Power to the People during the latest rally in a fortnight of growing anger over Clarks death. The 22-year-old father-of-two was shot six times in the back by two Sacramento police officers on on 18 March. The officers said that they believed the man was armed, although all that was found at the scene was a mobile phone. Californias attorney general is overseeing an investigation into Mr Clarks killing. Protesters led by India's lower-caste Dalit community on Monday set fire to police posts and blocked railway tracks as they opposed a Supreme Court ruling that bars immediate arrest of individuals accused of discriminating against them, media said. Dalits are at the bottom of India's ancient caste hierarchy and form about a quarter of the population. Some protesters carried banners demanding a nationwide shutdown, while others held placards saying the judgment was diluting the law. "Get out in strong numbers, block the roads if needed, but do not touch public property," Jignesh Mevani, an independent Dalit lawmaker from the western state of Gujarat, told the India Today news channel. Although he backed the protests, Mevani said, he was opposed to any damage to public property. Television showed images of police beating protesters and an unidentified person firing shots, with demonstrators in the northern state of Haryana also setting police posts ablaze and attacking shops. Four people were killed in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, where police imposed a curfew and blocked internet services in some places, television showed. Shops were shut as protesters blocked key roads in many areas, including the capital, New Delhi, and the industrial city of Ahmedabad in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat, the paper added. Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that arrests under a law meant to speed action on complaints of violence against Dalits required prior sanction from officials, and barred the immediate arrest of those accused in such complaints. In its judgment the court said prior approval was required following the acknowledged abuse of provisions for arrest in such cases. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty By the end of 2016, about 90 percent of roughly 145,000 cases involving Dalits were still awaiting trial, government data from last year showed. Investigation showed that fewer than a tenth of the cases brought by Dalits in 2016 were proved false, according to government data. Modi's government on Monday submitted a review petition to the court, asking it to amend the judgment, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said in a televised interview. Hindus, who account for more than 85 percent of India's population of 1.3 billion, were traditionally grouped into thousands of castes, whose membership was determined by birth. Reuters Pubs staying open on Good Friday in Ireland is believed to have generated more than 40m (35m) in sales, according to one estimate. It was the first time that people were allowed to drink alcohol legally in pubs in 90 years and the Vintners Federation of Ireland believe it had a significant impact on the sector, saying it stood by a previous projection of 40m sales. The federation said they believed keeping pubs open on Good Friday also generated more than 7m in VAT and excise duty contributions to the Exchequer as it st. Vintners Federation of Ireland chief executive, Padraig Cribben, said that many people visited due to the novelty factor of visiting a pub on Good Friday. Our members are reporting a brisk trade from lunchtime throughout the afternoon. At this early stage, it would appear city publicans in places like Cork and Kilkenny were particularly busy, Mr Cribben told the Irish Times. The overall reaction from publicans is very positive. Consumers are also happy so we feel the debate about Good Friday trading is over and by this time next year it will be a normal part of Irish life. We dont have figures for how many pubs remained closed but those who did were primarily in rural areas of the country. The clear majority of our 4,000 members were happy to have the extra days trading. There were a number of critics when discussions started to change the law, with some arguing the alteration would undermine the governments goal of reducing harm caused by alcohol. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Irish MP Maureen OSullivan said she believed that more days without alcohol were needed throughout the year, not less. She told the BBC: Are we saying that the only tourists we want are those who cant last 24 hours without buying a drink in a public house? Israel is to resettle thousands of African migrants in Western countries instead of forcibly deporting them, the Israeli government has said. The countrys prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had reached an unprecedented understanding with the UN Refugee Agency in which Israel will send more than 16,000 migrants to various Western countries willing to absorb them, while the same number of people will be granted official status in Israel. Speaking on live television, he said: This is a unique agreement between the UN commissioner and the state of Israel, that takes 16,250 people out, takes them out to developed countries like Canada, or Germany and Italy. That is the commitment the UN High Commissioner [for Refugees] has made to organise it and even to fund it. The joint commitment is that, You take out 16,250 and we will leave 16,250 as temporary residents. That enables the departure of a very large number of people, 6,000 in the first 18 months. The new deal, which lifts the threat of forced expulsion to an unnamed African destination, is set to be implemented over five years. In early January, the government said it would purchase tickets, obtain travel documents, and give each migrant $3,500 (2,500) to leave threatening them with arrest if they are caught still in the country after the end of March. This followed years of violence, harassment and arrests that Africans have faced in Israel, with state officials calling them infiltrators, a cancer to society, and economic migrants in search of opportunities. The expulsion had drawn protests and criticism from the UN, human rights agencies and academics, who warned Mr Netanyahu of incalculable damage to Israels reputation. There have been demonstrations in Tel Aviv attracting thousands of Israelis in support of the asylum seekers. Human rights groups advocating on behalf of the migrants challenged the deportation plan in Israels High Court, arguing that for many of them their expulsion, even to a different country in Africa, would endanger them. On 15 March, the court issued a temporary order that froze the expulsion. At the end of the Easter break, weary travellers expecting to sleep on an overnight train from Paris to Milan turned up at Gare de Lyon to discover they would instead be taking an all-night bus across the Alps to Italy. They were the first victims of a series of 18 two-day strikes called by French rail unions to defend their working conditions and benefits. Rail workers in France, known as cheminots, have generous guarantees on employment protection and pay rises, and are typically able to retire in their early 50s. SNCF, the national rail enterprise, is seeking to cut costs and improve efficiency ahead of 2020, when main lines are opened up to competition in line with European Union policy. Mark Smith, the founder of the Seat Sixty-One website for international rail travellers, said: The two in five days strikes are pretty dire for passengers. At least those booking from now on can work around the known strike dates although some trains on the three in five clear days are starting to get fully booked. A union leader has described the dispute as an intense and long-lasting conflict. It has echoes of a bitter strike in 1995 over modernisation plans. The then-prime minister, Alain Juppe, backed down after much of the French rail network was brought to a halt. Only one in eight high-speed TGV and classic inter-city services is expected to run on Tuesday and Wednesday, along with one in five regional services. On some lines, replacement buses will run, but a huge amount of capacity will be lost. Eurostar passengers are also feeling the effects. The cross-Channel train operators French drivers are employed by SNCF. As a result 29 services from London to Paris and Brussels for Tuesday and Wednesday have been cancelled representing around 25,000 seats. Air France passengers booked to fly from Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh to Paris Charles de Gaulle are among at least 50,000 travellers whose flight plans for Tuesday have been wrecked by another strike. Pilots, cabin crew and ground staff working for the French airline are involved in a bitter pay dispute with the management. The unions are demanding a 6 per cent increase in pay to compensate for what they say are several years of wage stagnation. Air France awarded a 0.6 per cent rise on 1 April. It plans another 0.4 per cent increase from 1 October, and is offering some additional benefits. The airline saw profits rise by 42 per cent last year to 1.5bn (1.3bn). World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty The unions have described Air France management as obstinate. Another one-day strike has been called for Saturday 7 April, with two more days of industrial action on 10 and 11 April. It brings the total strike days to seven in eight weeks since the first strike on 22 February. The Tuesday after the Easter break was set to be one of the busiest days of the year so far for the airline. One in three medium-haul services and 15 per cent of short-haul operations have been cancelled, including six flights between Heathrow and Paris, four Manchester services and a round trip between Edinburgh and the French capital. The airline also warns: In order to ensure the maximum number of flights with our reduced crew, we may have to limit the number of passengers on board some of our flights. Air France regrets this situation and is making every effort to minimise the inconvenience this strike action may cause to its customers. Travellers to Paris who reach Charles de Gaulle airport despite the Air France strike face problems reaching the capital, with the RER train link severely disrupted by the rail strike. A London couple have lost a third of their holiday in Turkey because easyJet wrongly refused to let them board a plane from Stansted. CB and CA, as they have asked to be known, had booked a 10-day holiday in Bodrum, including flights on easyJet to the Turkish resort. They had obtained the required e-Visas for Turkey, and downloaded them to their smartphones in line with advice from the Turkish authorities and the Foreign Office. The couple arrived at the airport in good time. But at the departure gate, easyJet ground staff insisted that e-Visas needed to be printed out and they would not be allowed to travel without a paper version. Turkeys Ministry of Foreign Affairs makes clear that a downloaded e-Visa is acceptable, saying: Keep your e-Visa with you either as a soft copy (tablet PC, smartphone, etc.) or as a hard copy. The Foreign Office echoes this advice: Print off and carry a paper copy of your e-Visa, or make sure you have an electronic copy on a smartphone or other device to show to the immigration officer. CB said: In shock and total disbelief we challenged the representative. She said quite bluntly that if we wanted to get on the flight we would have to find a printer. With the few minutes available in the airside area, they failed to find a way to print the documents. The whole situation was humiliating and upsetting, said CB. We were unceremoniously sent back to Departures, although we had to do that ourselves which was a mission in itself; easyJet gave us no assistance. We eventually got there with the help of a security person. I called easyJet customer service and was told that there was nothing they could do. The Independent then contacted easyJet on the couples behalf. The airline admitted they had been wrongly denied boarding, but blamed the incident on incorrect information provided by a third party: a travel document verification system known as Traveldoc. An easyJet spokesperson said: Our ground staff at Stansted acted in line with the guidance provided by Traveldoc, which stipulates that passengers must have printed copies of their Turkish e-visas. We are sorry that the guidance provided by Traveldoc appears to be more stringent than the requirements of the Turkish authorities and will be contacting Traveldoc to alert them to this issue. CB said the mistake had been extremely stressful: It has left us traumatised, our Easter holiday has been ruined and we are considerably out of pocket. The most delayed UK airports in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 The most delayed UK airports in pictures The most delayed UK airports in pictures 1. Gatwick Getty Images The most delayed UK airports in pictures 2. Luton PA The most delayed UK airports in pictures 3. Manchester Getty Images The most delayed UK airports in pictures 4. Glasgow PA The most delayed UK airports in pictures 5. Heathrow PA The most delayed UK airports in pictures 6. Edinburgh The most delayed UK airports in pictures 7. Bristol Getty Images The most delayed UK airports in pictures 8. Stansted Getty Images The most delayed UK airports in pictures 9. Birmingham AFP/Getty Images The most delayed UK airports in pictures 10. Newcastle PA WIRE The airline has apologised to the couple. Under European passengers rights rules easyJet is obliged to pay 400 per person in compensation, as well as meeting expenses caused by its decision to offload the couple. The couple have booked another easyJet flight for Tuesday 3 April, but as a result of the airlines action they will have only a weeks holiday. Last Easter, easyJet ordered a couple to leave a plane at Luton Airport before departure to Catania because it had sold more tickets than there were seats available on the plane. The airline then broke the rules on overbooking by failing to tell the couple about their rights to compensation and alternative flights. Also over the weekend, a couple had their honeymoon plans thwarted when British Airways overbooked a flight from Heathrow to Las Vegas. Chris and Clare Larvins first class tickets had been booked for 11 months, but when they arrived at the airport they were told there was room for only one of them at the front of the plane. A spokesperson for BA said: We understand this is a very special trip for the couple, so we have given them the option of travelling tomorrow in First Class, or alternatively flying today sitting together in our comfortable Club cabin, and receiving 75 per cent of their ticket price in compensation. We wish them all the best for a lovely honeymoon. Travellers heading to, from and through France face chaos from Monday evening as strikes disrupt rail and air links. Railway workers are staging a series of two-day stoppages in protest against planned labour reforms by the national rail enterprise, SNCF. The strikes, from 3 April to 28 June, are each separated by three days of working normally. But the effects will be felt from the evening of Easter Monday. International overnight trains between Paris and Milan are being replaced by buses. The trans-Alpine journey of around 500 miles is likely to take at least 12 hours. The operator, Thello, offered our sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused by this strike over which Thello has no control. Eurostar passengers are also feeling the effects. The cross-Channel train operators French drivers are employed by SNCF. As a result 29 services from London to Paris and Brussels for Tuesday and Wednesday have been cancelled representing around 25,000 seats. The firm is telling prospective passengers on Easter Monday: Our services from the continent to UK and vice versa are fully booked today. Please come to our stations only if you have a confirmed seat. Eurostar is also urging travellers whose trains are running on Tuesday and Wednesday to arrive at the departure station an hour before departure, rather than the usual 30 minutes, for a smoother departure experience. The maiden commercial rail journey from London to Amsterdam on Wednesday is expected to operate normally. Green light: the first commercial Eurostar train from London St Pancras to Amsterdam is not among the 29 cancellations by the cross-Channel rail operator (Simon Calder) The normal Disneyland Paris service is being diverted to the Gare du Nord in the French capital on Tuesday and Wednesday. Eurostar is deploying staff at the terminus as well as the Disney station, Marne la Vallee, to help passengers and distribute tickets for RER suburban trains. SNCF expects to run somewhere between one in five and one in eight of normal long distance services. On some lines, replacement buses will run, but a huge amount of capacity will be lost. Rail workers in France, known as cheminots, have generous guarantees on employment protection and pay rises, and are typically able to retire in their early fifties. A union leader has described the dispute as an intense and long-lasting conflict. It has echoes of a bitter strike in 1995 over modernisation plans. The then-prime minister, Alain Juppe, backed down after much of the French rail network was brought to a halt. Red alert: French Railways' strike calendar for April, May and June 2018 (SNCF) Travellers hoping to fly to or within France could be thwarted by a strike by Air France pilots and cabin crew. It is the fourth stoppage in six weeks. The dispute centres on a pay demand of 6 per cent which the unions say is necessary to make up for lost ground. Air France has offered 1 per cent and some other benefits. A strike on Good Friday by the French airlines staff led to one in four flights being cancelled, including multiple services from Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh to Paris Charles de Gaulle. Air France is inviting passengers booked to travel on Tuesday to switch to another travel date. The impact of the strike is likely to continue into Wednesday. Hotel group iNua Hospitality, owner of the Muckross Park Hotel in Killarney, is targeting further acquisitions after snapping up the Radisson Blu in Sligo for 15m to 16m. The deal bolsters the company's portfolio of hotels to seven and the rapidly growing enterprise plans to buy another venue in the Midlands in the autumn on the back of rising tourist numbers from the US and Europe. The group, part of the iNua Partnership that also owns the Ditchley healthcare investment vehicle, generated record earnings of 7.1m last year. According to chief operations officer of iNua Hospitality Sean O'Driscoll, the business is "not impacted" by Brexit, with the US and Europe accounting for the rise in visitor numbers. Last week the Central Statistics Office published figures showing trips to Ireland by UK residents increased by 13.1pc to 263,500 in February compared to the same period last year. Visits by residents of European countries, apart from the UK, leapt by 18.3pc to 202,100, while trips by residents of the US and Canada rose 5.4pc to 79,600. Mr O'Driscoll described the purchase of the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa in Sligo as a "successful and well-performing business and an excellent addition to our existing regional hospitality portfolio". Prime Minister Theresa May is shown around Fairview Farm in Bangor, Northern Ireland, during a tour of the four nations of the UK (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The Government has launched an inquiry into the impact of Brexit on Northern Ireland's agriculture sector. It's part of a series by the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (NIAC), examining the impact of Brexit on the economy and society of the region. The inquiry was announced as Prime Minister Theresa May visited a farm in Bangor as part of her UK-wide tour to mark 12 months until Brexit. Stormont's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has also stated its intention to develop a UK-wide agriculture policy. NIAC's inquiry will identify specific challenges facing the sector here, including the implications of the land border, the role of the North/South Council in co-ordinating policy with Ireland, and the specific industries that will be affected. Committee chairman Andrew Murrison MP said the future of local agriculture needs to be considered in any Brexit negotiations. "The land-based economy is vital to Northern Ireland, accounting for almost 50,000 jobs. Businesses are often small, family-run undertakings that are particularly vulnerable to market and regulatory changes," he said. "We are launching this inquiry to ensure that the specific challenges facing Northern Ireland's agriculture and horticulture are understood. "Brexit offers a chance to develop policies that work for UK farmers and growers. The committee will ensure land-based businesses in NI have their say." AIB is understood to have walked away from a potential deal to lease space for hundreds of its workers at the Heuston South Quarter (HSQ) office campus, close to Dublin city centre. (stock image) AIB is understood to have walked away from a potential deal to lease space for hundreds of its workers at the Heuston South Quarter (HSQ) office campus, close to Dublin city centre. The Irish Independent has learned the State-owned bank had been close to signing an agreement for offices at the Kilmainham scheme, before withdrawing from negotiations two weeks ago. The decision not to proceed is understood to have been prompted by an effort by HSQ's owners to increase the rent. Asked for a comment on the matter, a spokesman for AIB said: "As part of normal operations, we continually review our property options. "In 2017 we announced two new locations for AIB in Dublin; Central Park in Leopardstown, which will be ready in 2018, and 10 Molesworth Street, in Dublin 2, which will be ready in 2019. No other property agreements have been signed concerning our Dublin estate." The spokesman declined to comment on HSQ. The bank's adviser on the potential deal, JLL, did not return calls seeking comment. AIB's need for additional space is a result of its decision to move out of its headquarters in Ballsbridge. That move will free up the AIB Bankcentre site for redevelopment as a new EMEA headquarters for Facebook. The social media giant is reportedly working on plans for a 700,000 square foot campus on the Dublin 4 site, capable of accommodating 5,000 employees. To achieve this, the company is said to be looking to secure the 450,000 square feet AIB occupies, as well as an additional 325,000 square feet of office space being developed by Johnny Ronan's Ronan Group Real Estate. The value of Irish-linked mergers and acquisitions surged more than five-fold in the first three months of the year, to a massive 20bn. That's the third-highest tally ever for the first quarter and reverses a sharp decline last year, when deal-makers wary of newly installed US President Donald Trump ended a run of so-called inversion deals - acquisitions of essentially US corporations with an Irish tax base - that had significantly distorted the Irish data. Data from Thomson Reuters, commissioned by the Irish Independent, show that the value of deals was up, but the number of transactions announced in the first quarter fell from 98 in Q1 2017 to 85 this year. This year, the big bidder in the market is again a US player, International Paper, but its so-far-unsuccessful takeover approaches for Smurfit Kappa Group are a straightforwardly Irish deal. The massive 12bn deal, including equity and debt, would make it one of the biggest in Irish corporate history and by some way the biggest since the crash, if it goes ahead. The Irish Independent reported last week that International Paper could turn hostile by going around the Smurfit Kappa board to appeal directly to shareholders. That would make for one of the most complex-ever Irish takeovers. Advisory mandates on the deal for Citi and Davy Corporate Finance, on the defence side, and for Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan, for International Paper, look set to prove extraordinarily rewarding. The cross-border chase after Smurfit Kappa fits with a recent trend, including December's 3.4bn takeover offer for Eir, by funds controlled by French billionaire Xavier Niel, and 2016's takeover of Fyffes by Japan's Sumitomo Corporation. First-quarter data shows it is not all one way, however. Irish PLCs, including CRH and Total Produce, launched major cross-border bolt-on deals in the quarter. Even deals that might be regarded as only tangentially Irish, like the takeover of US private equity giant Lone Star's mainly UK Jury Inns business by a Swedish-led consortium, throw off significant business here - a sell-side mandate for William Fry and buy-side roles for McCann Fitzgerald and Arthur Cox. Globally, M&A values totalled 970bn in the first quarter of 2018, the strongest start to a year ever, as US tax reform and faster economic growth in Europe unleashed many companies' deal-making instincts. Strong equity and debt markets early in the quarter and swelling corporate cash coffers helped boost the confidence of CEOs. "The better macro-economic environment in Europe has created greater confidence to get things done. Deals that have been in the works for a long time are now coming to fruition and some industries, like utilities, are being completely reshaped," said Borja Azpilicueta, head of EMEA Advisory at HSBC. While the value of M&A deals globally increased 67pc year on year in the first quarter of 2018, the number of deals dropped by 10pc, Thomson Reuters data show, reflecting how deals on average are getting bigger. M&A volumes doubled in Europe in the first quarter, while the US was up 67pc and Asia was up 11pc. In the US, the stock market rally was thwarted in the first quarter by Mr Trump's announcements on trade tariffs on Chinese imports. Corporate valuations are still elevated, but market volatility has increased. "Companies have become more aggressive in pursuing deals that make strong strategic sense. But valuations remain high and boards have recently become more cautious on large acquisitions," said Gilberto Pozzi, co-head of global M&A at Goldman Sachs Group. (Additional reporting, Reuters) Four journalists were among 19 people identified as "persons of interest" on a list of names uncovered by the State's corporate watchdog as part of a probe into the suspected removal of data from Independent News & Media (INM). According to the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE), the remaining people on the list included former INM directors and executives, two senior barristers and other individuals. One of those named in the affidavit as a "journalist" has not worked in that role for many years. Another of those named was not a journalist with INM in 2014. INM has a strict policy of stridently protecting journalists' work and sources, which is also encompassed in the Editorial Code of Conduct. The possibility raised by the ODCE in its affidavit, that journalists' emails may have been included in the outside scrutiny, has drawn criticism. The Press Ombudsman expressed concern over the possible implications of the "data interrogation" revealed in the 'Sunday Independent' yesterday. Ombudsman Peter Feeney said: "The protection of sources is terribly important for journalism. It is ring-fenced in principle six of the Press Council of Ireland Code of Practice because without that it is very hard for investigative journalism to take place. Journalism cannot operate without being able to protect sources." In a circular to staff, INM editor-in-chief Stephen Rae said the welfare of staff was the company's primary concern and any team member named in the affidavit had been informed. "Clearly we have to get to the bottom of what is alleged to have occurred and as always identify the actual facts of the case in the first instance and thereafter what lessons can be learned," he said. Mr Rae said the group's newspapers and online sites stood for trusted, verified and independent journalism. The National Union of Journalists, meanwhile, said it was "gravely concerned" by the 'Sunday Independent' revelation. It has called for an investigation to be launched by the Data Protection Commissioner, in addition to the ODCE's ongoing probe into various corporate governance issues at INM. Read More In an affidavit submitted to the High Court as part of an application for the appointment of inspectors to investigate the affairs of INM, ODCE director Ian Drennan said data from former and current staff, including journalists, as well as former directors, may have been removed from the company's premises, taken out of the jurisdiction and "interrogated" in late 2014. Mr Drennan claims the data interrogation was directed by the then-INM chairman Leslie Buckley, who stepped down last month. He also says INM told the ODCE that its board only became aware of the data interrogation exercise on August 11, 2017, when it was informed of it by the ODCE. Mr Drennan's affidavit alleges invoices totalling approximately 60,000 associated with the data interrogation were not discharged by INM but by Blaydon Limited, an Isle of Man company beneficially owned by businessman Denis O'Brien. Mr O'Brien is INM's largest shareholder and a long-time business associate of Mr Buckley. It is unclear if Mr O'Brien was aware of the data interrogation or the payment by Blaydon of the invoices. INM told the ODCE it does not know why Blaydon discharged the costs. Spokesmen for Mr O'Brien and Mr Buckley said they did not wish to comment. According to Mr Drennan, Mr Buckley explained that the data interrogation was part of a "cost-reduction exercise". Mr Buckley told the ODCE he authorised the work so he could find out more detail about the awarding by INM of a professional services contract. He wanted to consider whether the cost and duration of the contract could be renegotiated. The list of 19 names was in an Excel spreadsheet attached to emails exchanged by employees of companies external to INM who were involved in the data interrogation. It was obtained by the ODCE during a year-long investigation into various matters at INM. The document refers to "email hits" being obtained against eight of the names, including against journalists' names, Mr Drennan claimed. NUJ Irish secretary Seamus Dooley said the union was gravely concerned about the serious claims made by the ODCE. Mr Dooley called on INM to publicly clarify the extent to which the personal data of staff, including the confidential records of journalists, were compromised by the removal of the company's IT system's back-up tapes. "The decision to remove records from the premises to another jurisdiction in itself compromised the privacy rights of employees," he said. "Every employer has a legal obligation to protect personnel records." Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Microsoft executive vice president Peggy Johnson at the opening of Microsofts 134m campus, One Microsoft Place, in Dublin last month. Photo: Gerry Mooney In the war for talent, SME managers often feel overwhelmed by the need to compete with multinational titans like Google, Microsoft and LinkedIn. They have the catered meals, free gyms and international travel to Silicon Valley. You have a generous tub of instant coffee and a kettle in the canteen. That's before you even start to compare salaries. It's true some jobseekers will always be lured by the perks of a multibillion-dollar company - but it's equally important to remember that this environment doesn't suit everyone. Some people actively avoid it. The Hays What Workers Want 2017 report shows career progression and development opportunities are more important to staff than benefits and brand names. An SME employer is often in a better position to offer these opportunities and leverage them for staff retention. Rather than hope to compete head on, SME employers need to play to their own strengths. Small firms are often able to avoid the closed off "us versus them" culture found in larger corporations. Small scale means senior and junior staff are on a first-name basis and there is usually a team-based, collaborative focus. People tend to leave managers, not organisations. SMEs need to make sure they have the best people as managers - those who communicate frequently with their employees as opposed to solely in an annual review, who motivate their team and who care about their progression. An ideal manager should praise staff but also offer up constructive guidance when needed. Strong, personable and communicative managers retain their teams, and this is an attribute money can't buy. SMEs that help employees develop and learn new skills will improve their job performance while also improving their job satisfaction. Developing staff is a key retention tool that also helps to overcome skills gaps, an issue which 75pc of Irish employers currently face, according to the Hays Salary and Recruiting Trends 2018 report. Employers can do this by looking at the areas in which skill shortages exist within their business, and cross-referencing these with the goals of their employees and the demands of the wider market. Teaching these new skills to employees doesn't need to be costly. SMEs can get employees involved across projects to expand their skillset - and work gets done in the process. In a small firm there should be scope for mentoring by senior staff, providing the opportunity to shadow a high performer, or attending client meetings could help more junior employees grow. While SMEs may not have the training budget of a large corporation, they can utilise the people resources they have within their business to teach and mentor others. Being close to the employee means SMEs can also more acutely promote and encourage a good work-life balance. That's increasingly a priority for many workers. It doesn't mean spending a fortune on "free" yoga sessions, it means being responsive to the need to work remotely, or for flexible hours. Maureen Lynch is a director at Hays Ireland 'Showcasing Irish innovation and building strong networks with keys buyers are important steps to growing business in the US.' (Stock picture) From the rise of data analysis and personalisation to voice recognition applications, new technologies are continually changing the retail landscape. With brands and retailers feeling an increasing pressure to stay ahead of the competition, the retail technology sector in the US represents a significant and growing opportunity for Irish exporters. The scale of that opportunity is huge, with the US retail industry already estimated to be worth $2.6trn (2.1trn), according to the National Retail Federation. While the US has long been a hub for digital technology, innovation is now poised to transform the ways in which consumers shop. This month, US retailer Nordstrom acquired two retail tech companies, integrating new tools to further improve customer experience. These acquisitions enable Nordstrom sales associates to communicate with customers outside of the store, offering style advice and personalised product recommendations, while strengthening Nordstrom's ability to send consumers customised mobile messages. With US giants such as Nordstrom and Amazon viewing tech integration as the future of retail, we have begun to see Irish companies target growing opportunities in the US. Hannah Webb, head of retail technology for Enterprise Ireland in the US, comments: "Retail technology companies in Ireland understand the challenges that US retailers face. They provide highly advanced platforms and innovative solutions that address issues, such as how to track online to in-store purchases, how to manage data analysis, and deliver enhanced customer experiences." Three such companies supported by Enterprise Ireland are VisitorM, Pointy and Voysis. Limerick startup VisitorM bridges the gap between physical and digital customer experiences. Touchscreen stations allow customers to provide feedback on their in-store shopping experience at the point-of-sale. VisitorM's technology is soon to be used by shoppers in the US under a new deal with established clothing retailer Old Navy. A second innovative Irish startup, Pointy, makes it easy for local shops to display their full product range online, enabling them to be found by local consumers on search engines . The solution helps retailers to reach a much wider audience and drive in-store visits. In the US, more than 2,000 retailers across 50 states currently use Pointy, with the company on track for adoption by 1pc of all US retailers by the end of 2018. Irish startup Voysis helps retailers to respond to Alexa and Amazon's position in the market. The brand-specific platform that Voysis provides adds voice capabilities to websites and apps, delivering a more conversational experience to consumers. Voysis aimed to replicate the experience of speaking to an in-store associate, allowing their solution to be just as helpful and knowledgeable about what the consumer seeks while shopping. With the prediction that, by 2020, 50pc of all searches will be voice searches, solutions like Voysis are shaping the consumer experience now and informing the future of retail, according to comScore. Showcasing Irish innovation and building strong networks with keys buyers are important steps to growing business in the US. With support from Enterprise Ireland, these companies and others from Ireland's retail tech cluster have the opportunity to present their solutions at major US trade shows, such as NRF Big Show, which attracts 40,000 attendees, and Shoptalk, attracting 8,500 attendees. David Andreasson, director of finance and operations at Voysis, comments: "At Shoptalk, one of the largest retail conferences in the world, brands immediately saw the value of what we provide and the experiences that are brought to life through the Voysis platform." With retail evolving rapidly, brands and sellers, from the established to the emerging, will continue to source innovation and technology that will help them compete into the future. As Irish technology companies continue to target the US retail market, they will succeed by promoting strong and highly differentiated value propositions. Eva Murphy Ryan is market executive for education and technology at Enterprise Ireland's New York office It is extraordinary how the very best and most prolific business concepts can suddenly hit the buffers. The top names, the High Street "aristos" - the hot shots who could do no wrong - can now on an internet whim find themselves scrambling for their future existence. It is a deeply familiar position in Britain but they are not the only ones to suffer this uncertainty. There is a raft of European companies for whom the online challenge is a life or death struggle, even if their managements think things can be put right. One of these is H&M, the Swedish star of the high street which is currently the second largest retailer in the world after the Spanish retailer Zara. H&M, formed by Erling Persson, is now more than 60 years old and the thing that made it really famous was the way it kept adding more and more new stores every year. (It is still doing so and this year alone it has plans for another 300 fashion outlets around the world). All in all, some 123,000 people can call themselves H&M employees and they feature in 4,700 stores around the globe. Interestingly, the group valued at 20bn is run by the founder's grandson Karl-Johan Persson. Achieving a global reach has been important for the Swedish giant and of particular importance has been lessening its dependence on the European market. But European sales still account for two-thirds of the group's business and eight of its top-10 markets are in places like Germany, France and the United Kingdom. It made a great start in China where it hoped that in a decade it would be selling one-third of its global sales. Now 10 years after the first shop opened in China, that ambition looks to have fallen short. But as mentioned earlier the business model of continually opening new stores has coincided with the full blast of the internet. The company is being squeezed on all sides. It faces online competition from companies like Germany's Zalando, the UK's ASOS, and Amazon, and at the lower end of the market it competes with outfits like the Arthur Ryan-inspired Primark. H&M in 2011 was forced to cede its title of the world's largest retailer to Zara. Last year was a terrible year for H&M when it saw its first drop in sales in two decades. While its online and new brands performed well, the high street stores were the problem due to a drop in foot-fall. Operating profits and margins fell and its earnings per share were only half that of 2007. Investors are also concerned as to the increase in stock levels in the last five years, rising from 13 to 19pc. The shares trade at 15-times forward earnings (Zara is 21 times) and are down on the year. Up to recently H&M policy was to pay more than half of its after-tax profits in dividends. However the group has burnt its cash pile and will now have to borrow for any future shareholder payout or reduce them. The Swedish investment community has been highly critical of Karl-Johan Persson, pointing out that in the last five years while sales increased 60pc the group's margin, operating profit and return on equity have fallen. They also question group plans which continually refer to the long term yet ignore the short term. The same critics would not be unhappy to see significant management changes, although the founding family owning 68pc of the voting rights perhaps lessens the chances of this happening. In response, H&M bosses are happy they are doing the right thing as the business expands into India, the Middle East and South American markets. In addition it is launching a new low-cost brand, Afound. Following the recent poor results, H&M investors' worry lines are deepened. I would not be rushing to buy the share at the present time. Nothing in this section should be taken as a recommendation, either explicit or implicit to buy any of the shares mentioned. Musk met his first wife, Canadian author Justine Wilson, while both were students but the marriage ended in 2008. The couple have five children - one pair of twins and one trio of triplets Even amid the ridiculously wealthy, blue-sky thinking billionaires of Silicon Valley, Elon Musk has always stood out like a beacon. When the South African entrepreneur recently launched the world's most powerful rocket and released footage of his self-invented electric car, the Tesla, floating in the cosmos, to strains of David Bowie's Space Oddity, these were just the latest stunts in a career built on outrageous statements and jaw-dropping engineering. Last year Musk announced his intention to put a million people on the planet Mars by the year 2025, in a society that will be complete with "iron foundries and pizza joints". He has already created three billion dollar companies - PayPal, car manufacturer Tesla and space travel company SpaceX. He has proven himself a formidable opponent of his fellow tech billionaires - he recently irked Mark Zuckerberg by leaping on the delete Facebook bandwagon. And he's earned a reputation as one of the playboys of the tech world - he was linked to the actress Amber Heard. He has been credited with getting the American public excited about science fiction possibilities and has been called a modern Bond villain, albeit one who dances in Copper Face Jacks on his visits to Dublin. The writer Neil Strauss called him "a totally original mind in a totally original body". Expand Close Musk met his first wife, Canadian author Justine Wilson, while both were students but the marriage ended in 2008. The couple have five children - one pair of twins and one trio of triplets / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Musk met his first wife, Canadian author Justine Wilson, while both were students but the marriage ended in 2008. The couple have five children - one pair of twins and one trio of triplets Still, for all their originality, technology gurus tend to be made as much as they are born, and the parents of Zuckerberg and Bill Gates played key roles in their developments. With Musk, the received wisdom was always that he had grown up in privilege - his family were so well off they had trouble closing their safe and he was ferried to school in a Rolls Royce - and it was thought that Elon had absorbed his aptitudes from his engineer father, Errol. By the age of 15 Elon was spending hours in his bedroom tinkering with a computer. "I came in one day and saw a grey box with a red light going on and off," Errol once recalled. "And Elon told me, "Dad, that's a modem. I can connect my computer to a computer in Oxford, England. One day everybody will have one of these and they will all connect, all over the world." Three years ago Forbes ran a profile on Errol, entitled 'How To Raise A Billionaire'. Errol was said to have provided support even after Elon became an adult. It was said he gave Elon $25,000 to found his first company. Errol also told a radio station in South Africa that the boy's abilities had been obvious early on: "The kind of things he would come up with as a youngster was always surprising. When he was very small, he would ask me 'where is the whole world?' when he was three or four. It was these sorts of questions that made me realise that he was a little different." In fact just a few years later, when Elon was eight, Errol split from Elon's mother, Maye, a model and former Miss South Africa who has since appeared in a Beyonce video and on a Times Square billboard. During this period Elon and his younger siblings - Kimbal and Tosca - stayed with their mother. But, Musk recalled in a recent Rolling Stone interview: "As a child I felt sorry for my father, because my mother had all three of us kids. At first he seemed very sad and lonely by himself. So I thought, 'I can be company'." Elon shared his technological skills with his father - both could rewire a house, for instance, and understood how explosives are made - but, without getting specific, Elon recently hinted that his relationship with Errol was more difficult than many had imagined. Expand Close Errol Musk / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Errol Musk Video of the Day "He was such a terrible human being," he told The New York Times. "You have no idea. My dad will have a carefully thought out plan of evil. He will plan evil." He denied that this was by way of intimating that his father had been physically violent but added: "You have no idea about how bad. Almost every crime you can possibly think of, he has done. Almost every evil thing you could possibly think of, he has done." As Elon grew into an adult he went on to have a fractious relationship with his father. The Rolling Stone interviewer, Neill Strauss, concluded that there was something terrible that the younger Musk wanted to share about that relationship, but that he could not bring himself to do so, at least not on the record. The writer recorded that tears streamed down Musk's cheeks as he struggled with the revelation. "In my experience, there is nothing you can do," he said, weeping. "Nothing, nothing. I wish. I've tried everything. I tried threats, rewards, intellectual arguments, emotional arguments, everything to try to change my father for the better, and he no way, it just got worse." Elon elsewhere described his childhood as 'painful and isolated', and characterised his father as resentful of his eldest son's budding scientific brilliance. Errol recently returned fire at his son in the press, telling the Daily Mail: "Elon has repeatedly told a story of me telling him computers were a waste of time. That's untrue." Recounting early signs of his son's intellect, he insisted: "Elon has been generous enough to admit that he inherited his scientific genius from me. He also added that Elon was 'spoiled' and needed to 'grow up' and 'get over himself'. He disputed his son's portrayal of him but has admitted shooting dead three intruders in his home in South Africa, for which he pleaded self-defence to a manslaughter charge and was acquitted. It was speculated that a deeper cause of the discord between father and son had perhaps been Errol's decision to move the family from South Africa to Malibu when Elon was a child, something that had always rankled with the younger man. Errol had fanned the flames of this rumour by telling the Daily Mail that "Elon is upset with me, he says. He is furious that he can't force me to love America the way he does. I refuse to live there. I tried it, and came back home". However, in the last week the more probable source of Elon's ire has become more clear. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Errol admitted that he had formed a sexual relationship with his - Errol's - stepdaughter, Jana, and fathered a son by her. Errol said the baby, 10-month-old Elliot, is "an exquisite child". He said he did not consider Jana (30) his stepdaughter as he claimed she was raised away from the family for long periods of time. He and Jana's mother, Heide, had divorced after 18 years together, and Jana had sought him out as an adult, he explained. She was dealing with the aftermath of a difficult relationship, he said, and he did "everything in my power" to help her. "We were lonely, lost people," Errol added. "One thing led to another - you can call it God's plan or nature's plan." However, when Jana got in touch a few months later to say she was pregnant. Errol assumed the ex-boyfriend was the father so insisted on a DNA test, which proved his paternity. An unnamed relative told the Daily Mail: "The whole family was outraged when we found out. This is the reason why Elon is so angry with Errol. He is the only father [Jana] has ever known. And now he is the father of her child as well." Errol also spoke to the paper, saying: "I told my daughter Ali about [Elliot] because I thought she would be supportive and understanding. She said I was insane, mentally ill. She told the others and they went berserk. They think I'm getting senile and should go into an old age home, not have a life full of fun and a tiny baby." The situation with Errol and Jana has been compared by some to Woody Allen and Soon Yi Previn and it remains to be seen whether the Musk family feud remains as bitter and long lasting as Allen's. If Elon was horrified by his father's peccadilloes, the tech billionaire's own romantic life was not entirely conventional or without drama either. Elon has said that he has to be in a relationship to feel complete. "If I'm not in love, if I'm not with a long-term companion, I cannot be happy," he told Rolling Stone. "I will never be happy without having someone. Going to sleep alone kills me. It's not like I don't know what that feels like: being in a big empty house, and the footsteps echoing through the hallway, no one there - and no one on the pillow next to you. F***. How do you make yourself happy in a situation like that?" He married his first wife, Justine, in 2000, by which time he had already made hundreds of millions of dollars from his first two companies, Zip2 (a web software company) and X.Com an online payments company which later became subsumed into PayPal. The couple had five sons together, but as Elon's star rose throughout the noughties, so the marriage began to hit the rocks. "The vast economic imbalance between us, meant that in the months following our wedding, a certain dynamic began to take hold," Justine later explained. "Elon's judgment overruled mine, and he was constantly remarking on the ways he found me lacking. "I am your wife," I told him repeatedly, "not your employee." She would later write: "Elon's wealth seemed abstract and unreal, a string of zeros that existed in some strange space of its own. I made uneasy jokes that he was about to dump me for a supermodel." Not a model, it would turn out, but an actress. In 2008 he told Justine he was divorcing her and six weeks later she got a text from him saying he was engaged to a gorgeous British actress in her early 20s who had moved to Los Angeles to be with him. Her name was Talulah Riley, and she played one of the sisters in 2005's film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. They married in 2010, then divorced two years later, then remarried the following year, then filed for divorce again, then withdrew the filing, then re-filed for divorce and finally followed through with it. They remained on good terms and ironically Justine and Talulah ended up getting along quite well, with the first wife telling the second that she "would rather live out the French movie version of things, in which the two women become friends and various philosophies are pondered". Musk began dating Johnny Depp's ex, Amber Heard, in 2016 but their relationship was never stable and when she broke it off with him he confessed to suffering "severe emotional pain". "She broke up with me more than I broke up with her, I think," Musk said recently. "I was really in love, and it hurt bad." Errol, for his part has said that this split was the real reason behind his famous son's recent broadsides at him: "His girlfriend (Amber Heard) had dropped him and I believe he was crying for himself over the heartbreak." Whatever the real reason, the family drama has at times looked like it might eclipse even Elon's newsworthy business coups. And while the fabulously wealthy entrepreneur continues to set tongues wagging with his business stunts - one of the latest offered flamethrowers for sale online - the bitter saga of his family feud may be unravelling for some time to come. Aidan Gillen arrives at the LA Premiere of 'Game of Thrones'. Photo: AP Game of Thrones star Aidan Gillen has said he is just like other fans of the fantasy series - he can't wait to see how the show ends. **WARNING: SPOILER for last season for those who haven't yet watched it in full** The actor (49), whose character Petyr 'Littlefinger' Bael-ish was killed off last season, said he hoped the final series, now being filmed, would be "sensational". "I'll be excited to see the end of Game of Thrones, not sad," he said. "I'll be watching and hoping there's still room for lots of surprises. "It'll probably be devastating. I hope so anyway. "Although I'm not working on it any more, that's beside the point - the experience will always be there. It's spliced into my life." Expand Close Aidan Gillen as Littlefinger in Game of Thrones / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Aidan Gillen as Littlefinger in Game of Thrones The star is currently in Canada filming a 10-part science-fiction series called Blue Book. "I'm playing J Allen Hynek, a pivotal figure in astronomy and ufology in the latter part of the 20th century," he said. The actor can be seen in a completely different role on TV tonight,- playing legendary comedian Dave Allen in a biopic being broadcast on both RTE and BBC2. The Wire and Love/Hate star said he loved playing the Dubliner in the hour-long Dave Allen at Peace, which was shot mostly in Belfast. Video of the Day "Working in Northern Ireland is a real pleasure. I've been working in and out of Belfast a lot now for the last seven years. The work is good and the people are great," he said. "I get to share the screen on this one with Conleth Hill, Ian McElhinney, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Pauline McLynne, Tommy Tiernan and all the others, so what could be better than that?" Gillen said he was a big fan of comedian Allen, who died in 2005. "He had a loose, unpredictable, affable quality. He was a really good actor, so his sketch work had an honesty to it," he said. Dave Allen at Peace is on RTE One tonight at 9.30pm STARRING ROLE: Aidan Gillen in the TV biopic of legendary Irish comedian Dave Allen, an icon of the 1970s Adam Harris on autism: 'I would go around supermarkets with my hands over my ears' We see the Star of Bethlehem. The camera pans down, past the silhouettes of the Three Wise Men following it on their camels, and comes to rest on a stable. Inside, the little group familiar from a million Nativity scenes are huddled around a crib. He is here! says the shepherd. Rejoice! Hallelujah! Peace, love, harmony! This serene scene is shattered when a posse of jackbooted nuns come barging in. Were in charge now, snarls their leader, leering madly at the baby, and well make sure you get a rigorous Catholic education! Cut to a close-up of the infant Dave Allen, played by Aidan Gillen wearing a blue bonnet and holding a cigarette. He stares into the camera with a look of horror and says: Ooooh SHIT! Its clear from this surreal opening that Dave Allen at Peace (the title is a nod to his most famous TV series, Dave Allen at Large) is not going to play by the rules of the BBCs earlier biopics of comedians. In one way, this is refreshing. Theres a limit to the number of times you can watch dramas that reveal your comedy heroes were, away from the limelight, deeply flawed or unpleasant individuals with turbulent privates lives. HUMDRUM By all accounts, Allen was neither, while his personal life (two marriages, one divorce, three children) seems to have been fairly humdrum. Video of the Day In another way, though, the decision to adopt a more irreverent approach frequently works against the drama. The clash of styles in writer Stephen Russells peripatetic script makes for a choppy, disjointed, vaguely unsatisfying experience. Gillen, who does an excellent job of capturing the essence of the comedian at his suave peak, appears most often as 70s-period Allen in his most famous and iconic TV incarnation: sitting on a high stool, smoking Gauloises and sipping from a glass of whiskey (depending on which version you believe, it was always either ginger ale or champagne). These sequences act as both a framing and linking device as Allen takes us through the key points of his life. Inevitably, the brutality of the nuns at Allens primary school a chapter of his life that inspired both brilliantly subversive comedy and a scorching anger that never abated in later life looms large. Pauline McLynn is effectively cast against type as the particularly nasty Sister Mary, who offers the boys a choice of being caned on the palms or the knuckles. These scenes are in sharp contrast to the idyllic, but sometimes financially strained, home life enjoyed by the young Allen, who was born David Tynan OMahoney in Dublins Firhouse. Daves hero is his warm and loving father, Cullen (an excellent Tommy Tiernan), who instils in him a love of telling stories and the taller they are, the better. When Dave loses part of a finger in an unspecified accident, Cullen tells him the missing half-digit will be a good friend to him. Youll never be stuck for a story, he tells him. Not the real ones, the ones you make up. Have a different story every times someone asks you, and never tell the truth. It was a philosophy Allen stuck to. These scenes, as well as the ones of Allen discovering his natural gift for comedy while working with his older brother, John, as a Butlins redcoat in the 1950s, are nicely done. The same cant be said of the rest of the drama, which is frustratingly bitty and races through Allens career at breakneck speed. One moment were in the mid-70s when hes at the height of his fame; the next the story has jumped forward to 1985, when his TV has cooled a little, as he escorts John, now a hopeless, homeless alcoholic, to hospital to dry out. Just as briskly, were on 1990 and the F-word joke about a clock that ended his association with the BBC but not, as its suggested here, his television career. He went on to make one more final series for ITV, and then more or less retired. You get the impression, rightly or wrongly, that an awful lot was left on the cutting room floor. The use of intermittent sketches, some of them new, some recreations of the originals (including the infamous papal striptease), makes it feel even more disjointed. Enda OCoineen on board his boat at the finishing line of the Vendee Globe course. Photos: Kilcullen Team Ireland A Galway businessman was given a hero's welcome at a French port after finally completing his solo global yacht 'race' - more than 17 months after it had begun. Enda O'Coineen (61) sailed into the port of Les Sables d'Olonne dressed in a pirate-style costume, adorned with Tricolour-themed garland, after completing the one-man round-the-world journey aboard his yacht, Kilcullen Voyager. He was given a large bottle of Mumm Champagne by delighted locals and supporters after unofficially crossing the finishing line of the Vendee Globe yacht race shortly before 4pm local time yesterday. Mr O'Coineen started the race on November 6, 2016, when he set sail from France. But his luck turned sour on New Year's Day last year when he broke his mast 290km south of New Zealand and was forced to take shelter, thereby abandoning the race. Nevertheless, he decided to complete the voyage as part of a new team called Le Souffle du Nord Kilcullen Team Ireland. After the repairs, Mr O'Coineen set sail alone on January 26 from New Zealand and travelled 13,000 nautical miles through the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, before reaching the French coast. He said: "After 66 days alone at sea, I am elated. "It's incredible. I am overwhelmed and surrounded by thousands of people, who gave me an amazing welcome. "It's an honour to be here representing Le Souffle du Nord Kilcullen Team Ireland. The support, interest and encouragement have been great." A stunning view of the crystal clear waters at Derrynane Harbour near Caherdaniel on the Ring of Kerry. There were bizarre scenes in south Kerry when a major security alert was sparked by a star-gazing photographer was mistaken for a sniper. As dusk settled over the picturesque south Kerry bay on the Sunday of last weekend, a Cork-based photographer began to set up his camera equipment on the beach. Little did he know that his trip to capture images of the night sky in Derrynane at Caherdaniel was about to prompt a most unusual series of events. As the photographer crossed the beach, carrying a camera tripod, he was spotted by a walker on the dunes who mistakenly assumed that the innocent lens-man was carrying a rifle and out to do harm. The panicked passer-by immediately contacted gardai and informed them that a dangerous gunman was on the prowl in Derrynane. This call prompted a dramatic response with a large number of armed Gardai some of whom, it is understood, had been dispatched from Tralee and Killarney descending on Derrynane. Gardai, following standard emergency protocols, cordoned off the immediate area and the public were warned to stay away. Meanwhile some residents of properties and mobile homes near the beach said they were held behind roadblocks as Gardai combed the area for the sniper. As the search progressed significant numbers of gardai continued to come and go though nearby Caherdaniel. In the village locals and holiday-makers watched the drama unfold with a mixture of confusion and growing bemusement. One local told The Kerryman that the situation steadily "got more and more bizarre" and that at one point Gardai had entered a pub in the village seeking to borrow a set of binoculars. The bars staff and patrons were unable to assist but a villager quickly came to the guards aid, providing them with a set of field glasses to help in their search. Eventually gardai were able to locate the photographer who was completely unaware of the commotion his presence had caused and, having established that there was no danger to anyone, the security alert was cancelled. A Garda spokesperson, who confirmed the basic facts of the incident, said that for operational reasons the precise details of the search, and the units that responded to the alert, can not be disclosed. Local authorities are owed more than 400m in unpaid rents, housing loans and rates, with some tenants refusing to pay rent for more than a year. Reports from the local government auditor also highlight low collection rates in some local authorities. In some cases, councils are losing out on commercial rates because buildings have not been valued. The figures are contained in audits of the country's local authorities. These are completed every year by the spending watchdog based in the Department of Housing, Community and Local Government. Of the 31 local authorities, 27 audits have been finalised. None are available for Cork city, Louth, Mayo and Waterford city and county councils. The audits show that councils are owed hundreds of millions of euro, with 72m owed in unpaid rents, some 37m in loans drawn down to buy homes, and 291m in commercial rates. The country's biggest local authority, Dublin City Council, is owed 75.9m, consisting of 22.5m in rent, 12.4m in loans and 41m in rates. The second-highest arrears are in South Dublin for rent (7.75m) and rates (23.15m), while Cork County Council comes second for housing loan arrears (4.1m). The auditor has told some councils that they must improve their performance. "While the housing loan collection performance again slightly improved in 2016, it continues to remain relatively poor," the auditor told Cork County Council. "The performance yield of 55pc remains significantly below the 2015 national average for local authorities of 68pc." The council said that loan arrears had reduced by 840,000 in the previous year "due to continued focus on arrears" and that it was considering updating its housing loan system to "improve functionality and thus aid debt management". The auditor noted that in Sligo rate collection was improving but said the council had to ensure that all relevant properties were rateable "in a timely manner". "It was noted that the council only had four applicable new properties rated in 2016, which is significantly less than surrounding local authorities," the auditor said. "It was also noted that there were two wind farms which were in operation for a significant period of time and had not been rated by the council. This has resulted in a significant loss of income." Collection The council said it had put in place "updated procedures", which were now "operating satisfactorily". In Carlow, the council has above-average collection rates but noted that it was difficult to retain "specialist revenue-collection staff". It said: "Revenue collection is challenging even in times of relative prosperity, but it has become particularly complex since the economic downturn and the current level of arrears is a reflection on the changed economic circumstances of our customers post-2008." The reports also highlight issues with procuring services and tendering, with some local authorities failing to properly advertise contracts. The auditors also reference "unfunded balances" totalling 318m, where projects including housing, roads, land purchases and leisure facilities had been completed but funding for the projects had not been identified. In many cases, councils said they were in discussions with State agencies or departments about the projects or would fund the schemes from their own resources. There are also issues in some local authorities with an interest in companies, particularly leisure and arts facilities, where the firm is reliant on council funding or where corporate governance is of concern. Some councils have also been told that property and land registers are "inadequate" and "incomplete", with "slow progress" recorded in updating information due to a lack of available resources. The problem is highlighted by major issues with transferring water infrastructure to Irish Water. Across 12 local authorities, some 944 assets, including reservoirs, pumping stations and treatment plants, are now in the ownership of the utility, but another 2,030 have yet to be transferred. Among the issues relating to registration of title are boundary matters, assets being located on land not owned by the council, questions of rights of way and pumping stations being located on private estates. Cavan County Council said that progress was "steady but slow, which is normal for this type of work". It added that it would take a "number of years to complete". A 27-year-old man from Dublins north inner city has been charged with possession of two guns and ammunition after he stopped by gardai on Friday. William McCarthy (27), Of Spencer Dock in Dublin 1, appeared before Judge Alan Mitchell at Dublin District Court this morning. He was arrested in a Garda operation on Friday afternoon when two cars were stopped at Monastery Gate Avenue in Clondalkin, Dublin. Two Smith and Wesson revolvers and 10 rounds of ammunition were found in one of the cars. Detective garda Anthony Kennedy of the National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau gave evidence of arrests, charge and caution and said McCarthy made no reply when faced with three charges, two for possession of the firearms and one for possession of the ammunition. McCarthy made no application for bail but was granted legal aid and remanded in Cloverhill prison to appear again on April 6. Two other men aged 28 and 29 were also arrested in the garda operation along with a 28-year-old woman. They were later released without charge with files being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. McCarty, wearing blue tracksuit bottoms and a blue zip-up hoodie, sat quietly in the court throughout the hearing. A haulage driver has been charged in relation to an estimated 1.8m drug seizure at Dublin Port on Saturday. Alvydus Simkus (55) appeared before Judge Alan Mitchell at a special sitting of Dublin District Court this morning. He faced six charges, three for possession and three for possession for sale or supply, of cocaine, MDMA powder and ketamine discovered as part of a joint intelligence-led operation conducted by the Revenues Customs Service and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau targeting drug importations through the port. Detective garda Ronan Doolan gave evidence of arrest charge and caution and said that when charged Mr Simkus made no reply. Simkus, of Smiths Lane in Limerick, applied for bail but it was objected to on grounds of the seriousness of the charge and the possibility of flight risk. Judge Mitchell denied bail but granted legal aid, and remanded Simkus to Cloverhill prison to appear again on April 6 Simkus sat quietly in the court listening through an interpreter throughout the hearing. Two key moves to reduce the Catholic Church's control of Irish education will be made within weeks, just as bishops prepare for their biggest celebration in almost 40 years. Two key moves to reduce the Catholic Church's control of Irish education will be made within weeks, just as bishops prepare for their biggest celebration in almost 40 years. Plans by Education Minister Richard Bruton to remove a cornerstone of Catholic school admission polices - the so-called 'baptism barrier' - are at an advanced stage. So too are moves to ask parents to decide who should run their local Catholic primaries. The head-on challenge to the foundations of Catholic education comes amid preparations for the visit by Pope Francis in August, with an associated stirring of religious sentiment. Lifting the 'baptism barrier' requires a change in the law and Mr Bruton expects to be able to make an announcement shortly on how he proposes to do that, a Department of Education spokesperson said. The matter has been with the Attorney General (AG) for months, but the spokesperson said engagement between the AG's office and the education department "has been positive and is nearing completion". The minister is expected to face major opposition from Catholic education interests and a legal challenge to his ambitions is almost certain. The move will raise Church-State tensions in advance of the papal visit and coincides with the referendum on abortion. The 'baptism barrier' allows Church-run schools to give priority admission to pupils baptised in their faith - for which they have legal protection under the Equal Status Act. It has become a source of growing controversy as 90pc of primary schools are under Catholic control, although the proportion of the population declaring as Catholic is in sharp decline. Mr Bruton believes it is unfair preference is given by publicly funded schools to children of their own religion who might live some distance away, ahead of children of a different religion, or of no religion, who live closer. He has also stated it is unfair parents feel pressure to baptise their children in order to gain admission to the local school. A second initiative represents a further attempt to broaden choice for parents and identify Catholic primary schools that may be handed over to a multi-denominational patron. 'Patronage reconfiguration' is a reworking of the divestment process under former education minister Ruairi Quinn, which resulted in only 10 schools changing hands. There are about 2,800 Catholic primary schools countrywide. The 16 education and training boards (ETBs) have been charged with conducting surveys of parents of pre-school children in one area in their region to gauge the level of support for change. The surveys will take place this month, but it is not known yet where they will be held or exactly what form they will take. When they are complete, each ETB will prepare a report outlining the demand for diversity, including a response from the existing patrons as to how this might be accommodated. Mr Bruton said "supporting the transfer of schools to multi-denominational patrons, in response to the wishes of local families, will be based on cooperation and transparency". It is less contentious than the baptism barrier move, but it remains to be seen whether it makes more progress than the divestment process. Yvonne Hynes is in the first year of her teaching career. Photo: Colin ORiordan In Shane Curran's first year teaching, he spent more time driving to and from school than he did in the classroom. A contract for four hours a week "was all I got for the year" and it meant a three-hour daily round trip from his Co Tipperary home, sometimes for only a 40-minute class. For the 26-year-old, and others starting as second-level teachers, short hours are the norm - which means that the official starting salary of 36,000 a year, much vaunted by Education Minister Richard Bruton, is not. The 36,000 compares well with other graduate salaries, but teachers argue that they have the longest pay scale in the public service and, since 2011, one of lesser value than what senior colleagues are on. There is an added issue at second level, where teachers are subject specialists and may spend years building up to the full 22 hours a week - and the full salary that goes with it. Mr Curran, who did a science-teaching degree, says "of the people I went to college with I am one of the few who stayed in Ireland". He says he was lucky to follow his first job with a maternity leave cover in Waterford and now he is covering for a career break at CBS New Ross, Co Wexford. On a 2012 pay scale, Mr Curran is now wondering whether he, too, will have to consider a career break and a stint abroad on tax-free earnings "if I want to have any chance of paying off loans and getting a mortgage". Another new entrant, home economics teacher Yvonne Hynes (23), is in the first year of her career, with a contract for 15 hours a week, at a secondary school in Balbriggan, Co Dublin. Filling in as a sub and resource teacher brings her up to about 20 hours, but she doesn't get paid for those extra hours over the summer. The former president of St Angela's College, Sligo, students' union said she "loves" her job but is angry at what she sees as the "injustice" of lower pay scales. "I am very hard-working and I like to get paid the money that I deserve. "I hate this word vocation because if it is a vocation then there is a view that you don't really need to get paid for it." Fourth-class pupils (from left) Tommy Gallagher, Madeleine Walsh, Elaina Molloy, and Kate Melody (all 10) and Cian Feeney (12), in sixth class, are given an opportunity to be creative with Lego robots at Attymass National School, Co Mayo. Photo: Keith Heneghan Pupils will use drone cameras to record footage of local landscapes to share with geography classes in other schools, in an experimental project supported by the Department of Education. Six schools coming together for the cutting-edge creation of their own classroom content represent one of 87 education clusters receiving funding to explore innovative approaches to teaching and learning. The newly established School Excellence Fund encourages collaboration in the use of digital technology, STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths), tackling disadvantage and creativity. It is the first time resources have been put in place to encourage schools to work together locally to trial ideas. Third-level colleges and industry may also join in. Clusters will be expected to report on the impact of their projects and consider how the learning can be spread to all schools. The 87 clusters involve more than 265 primary and post-primary schools. They were announced by Education Minister Richard Bruton who said the level of interest had exceeded expectations with "some very novel approaches". The drone camera project involves Temple Carrig School in Greystones, Co Wicklow, and five other schools in Dublin and Co Westmeath. It is one of 32 digital clusters, involving more than 200 schools, which will receive up to 20,000 funding each over the next three years. Other digital projects include one involving six gaelscoileanna in Dublin and Kildare hoping to improve computational-thinking skills through the use of robotic materials, with particular emphasis on expanding the range of resources available in Irish. Another, bringing together 12 primary schools in Mayo and Sligo, led by Attymass NS, Ballina, will focus on what digital training works best for teachers. At least 32 schools, in 10 clusters, are being supported in STEM projects - drones feature again in work by four Co Kerry primary schools and local manufacturing giant Liebherr. Meanwhile, six schools in Co Offaly will build on the legacy of Birr as a former weather station site with a project that aims to have learner-built weather stations for all Midlands schools. The 10 clusters to benefit from the first round of funding for schools in disadvantaged communities were announced recently and applications are being sought for a second round. Applications are also now open for the creative strand of the fund. Teachers are arming themselves for a battle with the Government over two-tier pay scales. More than 900,000 primary and post-primary pupils could return to threats of strike action next September, if there is no progress on pay equalisation. Pay equality for new entrant teachers will dominate this week's annual conferences of the three teacher unions. Education Minister Richard Bruton will be left in no doubt about the depth of feeling on the issue as he does his round of the conventions. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has promised early talks with the unions, which are expected to get under way by the end of April. However, unions want more than talks - and are seeking a firm commitment to the principle of equality and a tight timeline for restoration of pay scales to pre-2011 levels. They will back up their demands with a united threat of industrial action, including strikes. With the school year drawing to a close, there will be no disruption before the summer, but there is a prospect of teacher unrest in the autumn if a deal is not done. All Opposition parties support pay equalisation and the possibility, if not likelihood, of a general election this year has put the issue onto the political agenda, giving the teachers an added lever. The Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) already has a mandate for action, up to and including strike. The other two unions - Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) and Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI) - expect to hold ballots after this week's conferences. A motion for discussion at the INTO conference tomorrow proposes a ballot of members in May on action up to and including strike, "if full upward pay equalisation is not achieved by April 30, 2018". This is taken to mean a commitment by the Government to full pay restoration. INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan said "unequal pay for teachers doing equal work is wrong. "It is eroding morale, sapping goodwill and breeding discontent and resentment in schools. It must be ended." A motion tabled for the ASTI conference also seeks support for a ballot on industrial action, up to and including strike. The ASTI leadership has been discussing whether to put a more strongly worded proposal to delegates, and a decision on that will be taken later today. Its general secretary Kieran Christie blamed unequal pay scales for teacher shortages. "During the early years of their career, recently qualified second-level teachers are as much as 6,000 and 7,000 a year worse off. By 2020, these graduates will have lost in the region of 50,000 due to the fact that they are on a different pay scale." Lower pay scales for public servants were introduced as a cost-cutting measure at the height of the austerity era. A recent report, which put the cost of full restoration across the public service at 200m, including 59m for teachers, has laid the foundations for negotiations. Post-austerity pay deals have restored about 75pc of the losses to post-2010 teachers, but they will still be up to 100,000 worse off over a career. A criminal suspected of planning attacks on the Hutch gang was foiled for the second time this year, gardai believe. The suspect was arrested with three others last Friday during what gardai say was an attempt to exchange weapons, in the continuing gangland feud being waged by the Kinahan drugs cartel. The four were arrested at 4.15pm in Clondalkin when Garda operation stopped two cars and searched a nearby house. Detectives found two loaded revolvers in one of the cars. Three men and a woman were questioned in Clondalkin Garda Station. Two men and the woman were released without charge yesterday and a 26-year-old man remained in custody. All four suspects were questioned under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act. The latest arrests follow an apparent escalation of the Kinahan cartel's attempts to strike at the Hutch gang in recent months, despite the Garda's continuing success in thwarting them. One of the men arrested last Friday was apprehended last month in Wexford, where gardai believed a hit was being planned on a member of the Hutch family staying in the area. Gardai are believed to have followed the gang from Dublin to a rural field in Wexford, where it is thought guns were being exchanged. A Glock semi-automatic pistol and a Webley revolver were found in the footwell of one of the cars. Another member of the Hutch family was reported to have narrowly escaped a gun attack in Turkey last week. Two armed men in balaclavas called to an apartment in Antalya, where the man was on holiday. The intended target leapt from the balcony and was treated in hospital for injuries he suffered in the fall. Turkish authorities are investigating the alleged attack. The head of the Special Crimes Operations unit, Assistant Commissioner John O'Driscoll, has said that up to 50 lives have been saved by gardai intercepting gangland attacks. Gardai have credited the allocation of increased resources deployed to the force's Special Crime Operations unit. The feud began with the murder in Spain of Gary Hutch, a nephew of Gerry 'the Monk' Hutch, by the Kinahan gang, which sparked the gun attack at the Regency Hotel. Since then, 14 people have been killed. The last victim of the feud was Derek Coakley-Hutch, a nephew of Gerry Hutch, who was shot in January as he sat in a car in a halting site beside Cloverhill Prison in west Dublin. The Kinahan cartel is believed to be behind most of the 14 feud-related murders. Most of its main players, Christy Kinahan and his son, Daniel, are effectively exiled, but are conducting their violent campaign from the Continent and the Middle East. According to Garda sources, several of the gang's top lieutenants have left their south Dublin stronghold. They say the gang is using criminal factions in Dublin and small-time dealers and criminals to carry out the hits, as a condition of drug deals, to settle debts or for cash. Meanwhile, suspected cocaine, heroin and ketamine estimated at a value of more than 2.5m was seized during a joint operation involving gardai and customs officials at Dublin Port. A 55-year-old man was arrested and is being detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drugs Trafficking) Act 1996 at Store Street Garda Station. Separately, police in Northern Ireland seized more than 1.3m of herbal cannabis yesterday, in one of their biggest drugs hauls in recent years. The drugs were found on a shipping pallet in an industrial fuel tank in Dromore, Co Down. Three pensioners were among the six people arrested. They included two 68-year-old women and a 72-year-old man who were released on bail pending further inquiries. The operation was conducted with the assistance of An Garda Siochana. Family doctors are being forced to turn away patients due to huge demand, with a new healthcare time bomb looming as hundreds of GPs prepare to retire. The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) warned it was increasingly hearing from GPs across the country who are unable to take on any additional public or private patients. Meanwhile, more than 660 GPs who are currently serving communities are set to retire in the coming years, which will lead to major shortages, the IMO warned. It predicted serious problems in counties such as Mayo, Kilkenny and Leitrim, where more than 40pc of the current GPs are due to retire soon. Dr Padraig McGarry, chairman of the IMO GP Committee, told the Irish Independent that there is a health crisis "that has been building slowly and steadily for years". He said: "It is now reaching a tipping point and it threatens the survival of our current model of general practice beyond the next couple of years." He noted the huge increase in demand for GP services as our population ages and more people succumb to chronic illnesses. "But even as ambitious plans are being hatched about the wonderful new services that GPs might provide in the future, the current service is collapsing under enormous strain and fewer and fewer young medical graduates are opting to make it their careers," he said. "At the same time, over 660 current GPs will retire in the coming years which will lead to a chronic shortage of GPs just when the country needs them most." Dr McGarry said there was a variety of factors which fed into the looming shortage of GPs, "but we firmly believe that a key factor has been the introduction of devastating cuts in payments to GP services since the financial crisis. "The payments were introduced under the notorious Fempi legislation which - at a time of crisis - gave the Government exceptional powers to change existing payment arrangements and salaries across the public sector. But even while similar cuts were unwound across the economy as the financial situation improved, the cuts have remained in force in general practice. Support "These payments were not used to pay salaries for GPs. They were used to support the extensive range of services that GPs provide to their patient populations. "Without them, GPs have had to cut the services altogether or put their hands into their own reserves to try to subsidise them." Health Minister Simon Harris recently said that negotiations on the new GP contract and Fempi are to get under way within weeks. Dr McGarry said this was a welcome development but it must not be a token gesture, and that Fempi was a separate issue to the GP contract. The IMO wants the reversal of what it claims has been a 38pc cut to family doctors' income under Fempi before any agreement can be struck. Dara Florence outside the courts in Belfast during the trial Main photo: Pacemaker A key witness in the Ulster rape trial turned down a big-money offer from media outlets in Ireland and the UK, it has emerged. Dara Florence has also hit out at the reaction to her evidence on social media. Ms Florence found herself at the centre of the trial which last week acquitted four men of all charges, including the rape charges faced by Ulster and Ireland rugby stars Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding. However, the university student said she did not want to talk about her experience after the jury had delivered their dramatic not-guilty verdicts last week. "I didn't really like what was written online. I feel I said what I needed to say," she told the 'Sunday Life' newspaper. The 21-year-old said that the trial, which was one of the longest heard in Northern Ireland in recent times, "had not been nice" for anyone involved. It is also understood that last week she turned down big-money offers from other media outlets across Ireland and the UK for her own story, preferring to let what she said in Belfast Crown Court stand as the sole legacy of her role in the case. What started for her as a usual night out at Ollie's nightclub with friends, followed by a house party in Belfast, was dissected in minute detail during the nine-week trial. It may have been her evidence about what she saw when she walked into the bedroom at Mr Jackson's house that helped ensure the rugby players would walk free. Concern In the witness box, she said she "saw a threesome" and told how Mr Jackson asked her if she wanted "to join in". She said she had no cause for concern during the night and eventually decided to go home with her friend. Following her appearance at the trial, there was a torrent of vile comments online, with many attacking her reliability and even her appearance. However, others viewed her account as strong evidence that the complainant had engaged in consensual sex with both Mr Olding and Mr Jackson. Pope Francis delivers his Easter message in the Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) address from the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican April 1, 2018. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini The Government will spend 1.2m on CCTV cameras, temporary public-address systems and radio communications for the visit of Pope Francis to Dublin in August. The Office of Government Procurement is seeking tenders for a managed solution for the papal visit, which will include CCTV systems, a secure communications network and event-control services. The estimated value of the contract for these services is 1.2m, excluding VAT, according to tender documents. Tenders must be submitted by May 3, with the Popes visit scheduled for August 25 and 26. The Pope is travelling to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families. Expand Close Pope Francis celebrates a Palm Sunday Mass in St Peters Square (Andrew Medichini/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pope Francis celebrates a Palm Sunday Mass in St Peters Square (Andrew Medichini/AP) He will attend the event at Croke Park on August 25 and will celebrate Mass in the Phoenix Park the following day. Little else is known about the agenda for his visit. However, the Governments advertisement for tender may contain a clue about an additional engagement: it lists Dublin Castle as a location where the event services will be required. The Commissioners for Public Works in Ireland is seeking to procure the provision of a managed solution for papal visit 2018 at locations including Dublin Castle and Phoenix Park, it states. The managed solution will include temporary CCTV cameras, temporary secure network, radio communications, temporary public-address systems, temporary event-control elements and temporary power distribution. The Festival of Families at Croke Park on August 25 is a concert-type event celebrating family life around the world that will feature musical and dance performances as well as five selected families from around the world giving witness to their familys faith. On August 26, Francis will celebrate Mass in the Phoenix Park, the location where Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass in front of an estimated crowd of more than one million people during his historic visit in September 1979. A Ryanair boss warned Spanish cabin crew there would be "serious consequences" if they refused to operate flights during a strike by their Portuguese counterparts. In a series of telephone conversations with anxious staff, head of human resources Darrell Hughes urged a group of flight attendants to ignore pressure "from other people" on social media and to "undertake" their duty. The leaked recordings, obtained by the Irish Independent, offer a unique behind-the-scenes view of how Ryanair is tackling the disruption, which comes after the carrier's decision in December to recognise unions for the first time in its 30-year history. Speaking to a Spanish group called up to replace Portuguese crew, Mr Hughes said the airline would not "tolerate any messing". He said: "You guys do not have the legal protection to participate in this strike because you are not based in Portugal." Mr Hughes stressed: "There is no legal basis upon which you can refuse to operate this duty". He said he had given the crew the reassurance that "we will deal with any legal issues" arising out of Spanish staff operating flights during the Portuguese strike, although he emphasised Ryanair did not believe there would be any legal consequences. But Mr Hughes warned staff there would be serious consequences if they did not carry out their duties: "This is the equivalent of just deciding you are not going to show up for work for some day with no valid reason." Portugal's SNPVAC union is in the midst of a three-day strike, targeted at the Easter break. The action was carried out yesterday and on Thursday. A final day is planned for Wednesday, with the union blaming the move on below-par labour conditions. Ryanair says that its conditions are comparable to competitors. In a statement to this newspaper, a spokesperson for the airline said "the vast majority" of its Portuguese crews were working normally yesterday. They added: "A small number of first wave flights from Portugal were cancelled or suffered minor disruptions and these customers are being re-accommodated onto other flights." Ryanair apologised to customers affected by delays "caused by this unnecessary and unjustified industrial action. We are grateful to our Portuguese crews for putting our customers first and largely ignoring this strike." The spokesperson said Ryanair does "not comment on discussions with our people or rumour or speculation". The calls, however, reveal some staff were concerned at operating flights during the industrial action. Mr Hughes assured crews that Ryanair would provide accommodation and meals "to make things as comfortable as we can". But when asked to provide an email or letter to cover for any possible legal actions, Mr Hughes said: "Look, guys, we don't have time for sending emails or writing letters. I am giving you an absolute guarantee now that if there is any legal action taken against you individually, Ryanair will take over that case and Ryanair will fund the defence of that case." Buttevant Street design, Cork County Council: Budgeted at 3.65m, it encountered "major delays" and "significantly increased costs" due to unforeseen archaeology excavation works. The costs to date are 6.14m, and the project was substantially completed in August 2016, 10 months late. Funding of 2.75m was approved by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), with the remaining 900,000 to come from the council's own resources. The auditor said both TII funding and the council's contribution were yet to be "formally secured". The council said it was engaged with TII to recoup the additional costs. Tallaght to Templeogue cycle route, South Dublin County Council The contract tender was for 1.99m excluding VAT, but additional claims were lodged by the contractor but disputed by the local authority. The final account was agreed at 3.43m after conciliation, 1.44m above the tender price. The contractor was paid an additional 145,000 above this amount for additional works. The council said the decision to broaden the scope of works mid-contract was beyond its control. District Heating system, Dublin City Council Designed to heat homes and offices using waste heat from the Poolbeg Incinerator, funding of 10.9m will need to be identified by the council. It said it was "keen" for the project to go ahead, given the significant investment made to date and environmental benefits which would accrue. It said the project was being progressed, following completion of a detailed financial appraisal and a market research report was under way. An examination of different business models to progress the project was also in progress. Cyber crime, Meath County Council In October 2016, the council was the target of attempted cyber crime when 4.3m was transferred to a bank account in Hong Kong. The attempted theft was "quickly detected" by staff, and the funds were intercepted. They were returned in June 2017 to the council's bank account. The council said it had carried out a review of its internal ICT systems to "reduce exposure", and was implementing changes to protect itself. Unused housing, Westmeath County Council In May 2016, an approved housing body repaid a loan to the council of 248,000. This loan was issued by the council in June 2007 to purchase a house in Castlepollard to house people with physical disabilities. In October 2015, the council was advised that the house was never occupied, and it sought repayment of the loan. The council was advised to "periodically" check that properties were used. Gorey Courthouse, Wexford County Council The local authority had a lease on the old courthouses at an annual rent of 25,000, but allowed it to fall into disrepair. In 2016, it decided to buy out the lease, which cost 790,000, which included compensation for the "state of disrepair" of the building. The auditor said the council needed to ensure that management and maintenance of its buildings were "of a standard to prevent a recurrence of this serious matter". The council said that the situation was "complicated" due to the historic nature of the lease, coupled with changes in ownership, and that it had recouped 100,000 from the Court Services, with "lessons learned", informing a new property unit that it had established. THE trial of a man accused of the rape and murder of an Irish woman in Goa, India is due to get underway on April 6. Danielle McLaughlin was found dead in Goa on March 14 2017 and a local man, Vikat Bhagat, with whom she had been friends since 2016, is to stand trial accused of her rape and murder. Her mother, Andrea Brannigan, confirmed to RTE's Sean O'Rourke show that the trial is expected to get underway on Friday. Ms Brannigan has been granted a special status to assist the prosecution during the trial. She has appointed a lawyer to act on her behalf during proceedings. Previously Ms Brannigan spoke to Independent.ie about the heartbreaking questions she has been left with following the untimely death of her daughter. I would like to know why. My question is why. Why destroy her trust? Why take away my lovely daughter? Why let the world miss out, her sisters miss her terribly, her friends miss her. The world has lost a lot in losing her. She could have done so much good in the world, she said. The family are also fundraising to cover the cost of having a legal representative in India and for costs associated with investigators and other services used by the family in their bid to get justice for Danielle. Anyone wishing to donate can do so by visiting the website www.truthfordanielle.com or visit any Ulster Bank and say they would like to donate to 'The Truth For Danielle Fund' the fund has an account in Ulster Bank in Buncrana. President Michael D Higgins paid tribute to the former distinguished government official Frank Murray, saying he was respected by ministers from every political party during his long career. Mr Murray, a former secretary general to the government, had served in a wide variety of senior capacities in a public service career which dated from 1960. Senior politicians from across the political spectrum have joined in paying tribute following his sudden death on Saturday. Though he formally retired back in 2000, Mr Murray, a native of Co Leitrim, continued to serve in a variety of government advisory roles. More recently he was one of the leaders of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains. This was set up to locate the bodies of 16 people abducted, murdered and secretly buried by republicans during the Troubles. Several politicians paid special tribute to Mr Murray for this work, as did his co-leader, the former Northern Ireland civil servant Kenneth Bloomfield. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he had been an exceptional civil servant. "In particular, I also want to acknowledge the professionalism and sensitivity he brought to his work over the past number of years at the independent commission," he said. Mr Murray also served with distinction as a director of Independent News and Media, which publishes this newspaper among other leading titles. Mr Higgins, who was a government minister from 1992 to 1997 and worked closely with Mr Murray, recalled the high regard all sides had for him. "I have the warmest memories of his service in the 1990s," the President said. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan, who mainly knew him through his recent work, described Mr Murray as "a gentleman and a consummate professional". Former President Mary McAleese said Mr Murray could long ago have enjoyed full retirement but chose continued public service instead. Fine Gael senator Frank Feighan, a long-time proponent of UK-Irish parliamentary links, also paid tribute. A rare "one in a million" set of identical triplets have returned home with their parents after being born six weeks premature. Ron, Elkanah and Abishai Choge weighed between 3.4 pounds and 4.5 pounds on arrival at the Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, last month. The boys spent two weeks in the neo-natal intensive care unit preparing for the outside world. As they left hospital father Caleb, a pilot, joked that he and partner Nicole can still barely tell their sons apart. Our little guy here, Ron, is a little smaller than his brothers - about a pound smaller - so we know him by size, he told KCTV. These two, we know them by their arm bands, their hospital arm bands. The couple, who already have a two year-old son, were living in Kenya when Nicole fell pregnant and moved to the Kansas City area to be near her parents. They were told at first they were going to have twins, only for a later scan to reveal it was in fact triplets. Caleb, who is applying for immigration papers so he can work in the US, said: "My mind as the dad was very excited. My first thought is, Our car doesn't fit. I need a bigger car.'" We were hoping for a second child, he added. I prayed, my wife prayed and our son Corban prayed. God answered all three of our prayers." Because each child was growing in separate amniotic sacs, Nicole was able to choose not to have a C-section. Thanking the local community for their support, Nicole said: The people have come around us and have really helped. People we dont know have really come out to support us. The boys surprised doctors with their development. They dont act like theyre premature, Charlie Shields, president and CEO of Truman Medical Centers, told ABC. Dr Josh Petrikin estimated the chances of having identical triplets was one in a million, although one study put the odds as high as one in 30 million. When you come a month and a half early, youre at risk for all sorts of complications," he told InsideEdition.com. These boys dont seem to realize that and are doing better than expected for their gestational age. A Gofundme page set up by a friend of the family to support the triplets has so far raised just over $2,000 (1,400) out of the $15,000 (10,800) target. "These parents are the most modest, biggest hearted people I know," wrote Rachel Myers on the site. "There are three more minds to teach, three more hearts to encourage, three times as many laughs to be had, and three additional mouths to feed. "If God puts it on your heart to donate to this deserving family, do so, and if not, prayers are equally appreciated and welcomed." I've been waiting for this. I've been waiting for a fertility clinic to accidentally defrost its embryos ever since I was invited to see one London egg bank's storage tanks, and said, out loud, to the nurse: "Surely not?" On March 4, two tanks at two fertility clinics in America malfunctioned. At a clinic in Cleveland an alarm sounded to indicate low liquid nitrogen levels, but nobody heard. At a clinic in San Francisco (where patients pay $600 a year for storage alone, with many encouraged to do so by packages offered by their employers in tech, Facebook and Apple), an embryologist noticed low levels during a check, so quickly moved the eggs and embryos, stacked invisibly in fine, long straws, a little like the ones you can buy at the fair with sherbet in, to another tank. Both clinics are yet to discover whether any have been damaged. Across the US, hundreds of people are waiting to find out if their plans for a family have melted, too, if their investments, both soul and cash, have been squandered. "It's really quite sad the samples weren't split up," one expert said, discussing the clinics' common method of filing patients' embryos together, rather than across different tanks. "They were literally putting all the eggs in one basket." On the TV news, the malfunctions were described in the language of earthquakes, or flood - a "fertility disaster". What tank is capable of containing not just one hope, not just one person's 20-year plan, but hundreds of them? "Surely not?" I said, looking around at the tanks that were kicking about at our feet, these small metal barrels, hairy with wires. In London, it was a supply cupboard, of the sort traditionally used to store buckets for accidents, or reams of toilet paper, or perhaps pens. And there were some of these things here, too, alongside the eggs, shelves of binders, a system, but it was the casualness of the place, like a backstage afterthought, that shocked me into a fantasy of catastrophe. By that point I'd spoken to many of the women who had saved small fortunes, taken the drugs, dealt with the hormones, sat down and plotted their lives on paper like a "choose your own adventure" story, succumbed to the egg harvesting "procedure" and its series of mild perils, in order to purchase a home to freeze their distant hopes in these metal tanks, on this cupboard floor. And the risks, as they stood, were defined starkly. The biggest risk reported was that it might not work. That this whole thing was so new that only a tiny proportion of women had unfrozen and implanted their eggs, and gone on to have a healthy child. Still, with this knowledge, more and more people (those with the cash, as well as the hunger) were choosing to take that risk. But the other risks, the ones that clinicians are not trained to debate, these conversations being above most doctors' pay grade, are complex and answerless. There is the risk that, even after planning for a family so meticulously that you willingly inject yourself daily with hormones, and splay your legs monthly for a 'dildocam' broadcasting to a room of strangers, you will end up alone. Some people will surely relish that independence, and feel comfortable buying donor sperm and bringing a kid up alone; most prefer someone to parent with, and this is one of the unsayable risks that also kicks about in these fertility clinics. The risk that hetero dating culture will continue to insist on a degree of dishonesty, so chucking all responsibility for fertility into the hands (and wallet) of the woman, meaning the only plan she is really able to make becomes a painful plan to pay to delay. And then there is this - the risk that even after all those concerns have been considered and annotated, the facilities themselves are flawed. Of course they are. What tank, really, is capable of containing not just one hope, not just one person's 20-year plan, of birthday cakes and grazed knees and the profundity of being needed, but hundreds of them, in long sherbet straws? Standing in that room I was inside a metaphor. Every tank contained a thousand conversations, about desire and lack, and frozen expectations of what a life should look like. Every tank contained not just the promise of a return on these women's wobbly investments, the price of a small car in which they could have escaped, but the promise of change - of being rescued from uncertainty, the promise of a life like their parents', the promise of sleeplessness, debt, fear, love, the promise of adulthood, grief, someone to hold in the night. The promise that the life these women had pictured for themselves would one day open for them like a pop-up book, and into it they'd gratefully fall, because this is what people do, right, and because these women, too, are people. Then, in their clinic, the beep of an alarm echoing impotently, the tanks' contents started to melt, that unheard alarm a reminder of how new this is, how new we are, how many questions they have left to answer. Including, "What now?" What the hell now? A new initiative is being rolled out across Supervalus around the country to make its outlets more autism-friendly. Two years ago, one of its stores, Scally's Supervalu in Clonakilty, Co Cork became the first to introduce one evening every week where it reduced the amount of sensory stimulation in the shop and made it a more amenable environment for autistic people. Adam Harris, founder of AsIAm, a group which advocates for the autism community, says that the language used to describe autism is very important. His organisation prefers to refer to the community he advocates for as autistic people, as opposed to people with autism. Harris worked with Supervalu and the UKs Middletown Centre for Autism in a consultation process to devise core ways to improve the shopping experience for autistic people. Now, as part of the initiative, more shops will have more autism-friendly shopping times where the music and in-store announcements will be turned off, the lights will be lowered and therell be a fast track till service. Staff have received training in autism awareness, and autism-friendly trolleys will be available. Harris added: This is a really mainstream business taking this on board, making it autism friendly and it mainstreams autism and accessibility for autistic people in the community, by accepting and embracing it in store. Theyve worked with ourselves and the Middletown Centre for Autism on this. Weve looked at every aspect of the customers journey. It started in Scallys Supervalu in Clonakilty with a quiet evening where they would turn the music off and lower the lights and make it a calmer environment. You can go to a section on their website, supervalu.ie/real-people/autism-friendly, where you can prepare for your visit. Itll tell you things that autistic people might find stressful. The environment can be very overwhelming, and you can prepare for that by listening to different noises in the environment, like the beep on the till, the butchers counter, the noises of the machines, the tannoy system, you can stop and start the noises and become used to it on the website. He added: There is a map of every Supervalu in the country, and thats accompanied by actual images of the stores as well as the map. The map is marked with low intensity and high intensity areas. The quieter areas might be where the toilet products are and the tinned products. The changes wont just be of benefit to autistic people but also to elderly people or people with dementia, as well as other vulnerable groups, Harris added. Educating staff and the general public about autism will lead to acceptance, he says. The most exciting thing perhaps is that theres a real commitment to educate staff and customers. The first step to being autism friendly is awareness and understanding. People can have awareness but the gap can be the understanding what does it actually mean to have autism? Harris says: I might have to do certain things in a different way and I might be judged for that. Some people might experience a meltdown, which looks like a tantrum, but it isnt, its when an autistic person reaches a point where theyre so distressed that theyre not able to communicate what theyre feeling. It happens when theyve been trying so hard to integrate into the environment and cope and theyre not actually able to manage anymore. Often when we see a person upset, we want to talk to them, but actually you need to give them space. What are the little things as a member of the public you can do? Being accepting, realising that people with autism might do something which is called stimming, he explained. Stimming is the repetition of physical movements, sounds, or repetitive movement of objects common in individuals with developmental disabilities, and most prevalent in people with autism spectrum disorders. I personally, when I was younger, found supermarkets a very stressful place, the high pitched noises I would go around with my hands over my ears. Giving the feedback on what that environment is like for an autistic person, its very interesting to see the things I would be aware of that other people wouldnt. Last month, Dublin City University was recognised as the worlds first autism-friendly university by AsIAm. Imagine if every community in Ireland was autism friendly. I would love to see every supermarket, every business in the country becoming autism friendly. He added: We wanted to make sure autistic people could not only go to uni but also go into the workforce as well. The Limerick native and top blogger chats to Chloe Brennan about her favourite people, places and things The person My boyfriend Gerard. No matter how serious life gets, no matter what's going on, he always has a silly joke to brighten up my day. The memory Working in New York for a year after college. It's where I started my blog, got my first taste of working life and got to live independently for the first time - I loved every second. The moment of the day Evening time - the moment after a long day that it's time to switch off, cuddle up with my dog Cooper and turn on Netflix. The song It's a Beautiful Day by Michael Buble. The movie I am much more of a TV-series girl than a movie lover but I look forward to Oscar season every year. This year I loved I, Tonya; Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; The Post and Lady Bird. OK, maybe I am a movie person. The book I love a good thriller - Gone Girl, Girl on the Train, The Couple Next Door. I need a book I just can't put down The hero My sister Grace. She has faced a lot of obstacles following on from a car crash we were in in 2007, but she stays really positive and lives a great life despite this. She hasn't let her injuries hold her back at all. The outfit I don't think I could ever pick just one outfit (or #OOTD) but my favourite outfits usually consist of bright whites and pastels. I'm so happy it's finally spring - it's acceptable to get those summery tones back in my wardrobe. The accessory I love a statement bag - something that really adds something to an outfit. The gadget My iPhone 8 Plus. Where would I be without it? The hotel I recently visited the Galgorm Resort and Spa in Northern Ireland. I really loved it. I found the whole experience so relaxing. It was like we were in a different world. The pet hate Avocados - they're not ripe and then the next second they're gone off. They are a tricky one to get right. The friend I'd be lost without my friends from school and my friend Dearbhla - we met in New York and brought our friendship back to Ireland with us! I also have a great group of friends in the blogging community and from college. I'm very lucky. The beauty product I'm loving the new Nars Natural Radiant Longwear foundation. I love a flawless but natural finish from a foundation, and this is amazing. The holiday I absolutely adore going to Italy - Rome, Venice, Milan, Positano, Capri. Italy just never lets me down. Amazing food, weather and places to explore! Next on my list is Florence. The piece of advice "Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will." Never be afraid to try something. There are no mistakes, only lessons. The drink I could live on orange juice alone - but the occasional gin and tonic doesn't go astray either. The bar I love visiting House, in both Dublin and Limerick. The hobby Taking photos and videos - I'm lucky that this is a huge part of my job. I studied photography as a part of my degree in college. I've always loved it. The part of my body My legs - they are my longest part by a long shot! I've earned myself the nickname Leggy Lou with my friends. The celebrity Olivia Palermo and/or Blake Lively. Style-wise they just never get it wrong! The virtue Kindness. It's all I look for in people and try to show myself. The vice Zara. I just cannot go in and come out empty-handed. The smell I always have a soft spot for anything lavender, it reminds me of my granny. At the moment I'm loving the perfume Magic Lavender Illusion by Viktor + Rolf - it's gorgeous. The virtue Kindness - it's all I look for in people and try to show in myself. louisecooney.com @louisecooney_ Mike O'Shea has crossed Lake Baikal, climbed Kilimanjaro and oversaw health and safety on Star Wars' Skellig Michael shoot. Here are his travel tales. Where have you just been? South Georgia. I did a four-week expedition there sailing and trekking. We sailed over 800 miles and spend two weeks trekking on the island. What three things do you never leave home without? 1) My video camera - I love sharing my adventures with others. 2) A satellite phone - this is my connection to home when I am away. 3) My iPod! Whats your favourite city? Santiago in Chile - amazing sights, sounds and cuisine. Dressing for the plane: style or comfort? Comfort - I don't really do style! Whats the weirdest thing youve eaten overseas? Expand Close Mike O'Shea, Polar Explorer / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mike O'Shea, Polar Explorer I have had whale and polar bear in Greenland. I wouldn't recommend whale! What destination exceeded your expectations? South Georgia. The scenery and amount of wildlife there is unbelievable. What destination didnt? The Trans-Siberian railway! I had this romantic idea about the trip before I went, but it was just a long trip on a poor train. Ever had a holiday romance? No: I never have time! What three songs would you include on a travel playlist? Catch me if you can by Walking on Cars; If Today was Your Last Day by Nickleback and Someone Else's Hand by The Coronas. Whats your next trip? I've been working with Laya Healthcare as an ambassador for their Big Price Freeze offer, which sees them freeze prices across a range of their most popular schemes for up to two years. Irish people can sign up until February 29th, 2016. To celebrate, Laya ran a competition to join me on a trip of a lifetime for one week in Norway. The lucky winners are joining me ice fishing, on a husky safari and wild camping, and will get to experience a kaleidoscope of colour as the sky is lit up by the celestial ballet of the Northern Lights. I can't wait! More on the Price Freeze campaign at layahealthcare.ie/pricefreeze. Read more: From designer goodies to kite-surfing, Moroccos windy city is worth the trip. Set the mood My biggest regret going to Essaouira is that I didnt bring an empty suitcase. The walled medina in this brilliant Moroccan city has a smorgasbord of shops with hand-crafted and stylish interior goodies. I would have filled that empty case with woollen carpets, light fixtures and hand-painted ceramics for a fraction of the price youd pay at home. Of course, theres more to these spice-scented lanes than shopping. The medina is the buzzy heart of Essaouira, retaining a traditional Arabic character. But beyond it, a long, sandy beach is a playground for kite- and wind-surfers. Known as the Windy City of Africa, the lashing Atlantic wind can make sunbathing uncomfortable, but the beach, and its colourful sunsets, can be enjoyed on horse or camel back. Top tip Expand Close A Moroccan Gnawa musician / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A Moroccan Gnawa musician Gnawa music was brought to Essaouira by freed West African slaves. Go to a spiritual jam session (called a lila) at the Gnawa Music Centre to fully experience the hypnotic trance-like quality of the music. See the locals dance in ecstasy as they enter their trance. Sundays from 8pm. Ask for the Zaouia Sidi Bilal venue. Insider intel Expand Close Deirdre Mullins in Essaouira / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Deirdre Mullins in Essaouira Villa Maroc (villa-maroc.com) was Moroccos first riad hotel, opening in 1990 as a guesthouse for surfers. Today, its a blend of four medina townhouses connected by whitewashed passageways and courtyards. Its interiors are simple Moroccan style and a double costs 126. The owners also have a countryside retreat 21km outside Essaouira. Day trips include transfers, use of a pool and a barbecue lunch (25). Guilty pleasure Housed in a former almond warehouse, La Table by Madadas dining room is grand with massive light fixtures and a Moroccan folk band setting the mood (facebook.com/latablemadada). Its hailed as Essaouiras best and most expensive restaurant, but those prices are relative. For mains, I had a fillet of sea bass in a lemon butter sauce (17). The mash potatoes with argan oil is to die for, as is the chocolate creme brulee which cost all of 5.80. A local organic Syrah set me back 38. Paying top dollar in Essaouira doesnt have to break the bank. Cheap kick Expand Close Sardines in Essaouira / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sardines in Essaouira Essaouira is a seafood lovers paradise, and if you eat like a local youll be shocked at how little you spend. Theres a bit of a knack to the BOF (bring your own food) system. Firstly, go to the sardine man who sells freshly caught sardines on the street. For 50 cent, youll get a bag of about eight which you then bring to one of the stalls on the smoke-clouded lanes. Theyll grill them and serve with bread and salad for about 3. For a bigger variety, go to the fish market in the medina it runs a similar system. Glitches Haggling is a way of life in Morocco. Done in good humour, it can be a fun process that involves drinking mint tea with the seller. But having to second guess every price just because youre a tourist can become tiresome, too. Get me there Expand Close Essaouira, Morocco. Photo: Deirdre Mullins / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Essaouira, Morocco. Photo: Deirdre Mullins Deirdre flew as a guest of Air Arabia, which has direct flights from Dublin to Agadir on Wednesdays and Saturdays (prices from around 69 on airarabia.com). From Agadir airport, get a private taxi direct to Essaouira for approximately 54; it takes three hours. A shared taxi from Agadir bus station will cost 5.40 and a bus 3.60. See also visitmorocco.com. Read more: Premium Brendan O'Connor Opinion Brendan OConnor: Whatever happened to Were All In It Together? Just so were clear. The whole Were all in this together thing, thats over now, is it? Just so were all agreed, and we all know where we stand. We can barely remember those times now, 2020, the first half of 2021. They seem like some kind of a dream. All that baking and jogging and home-schooling and gathering around the TV for doomsday announcements. We all agreed it was bringing out the best of us. Things were going to change forever. It made us realise the old ways had been all wrong. Yes, it would all be different now. We would be grateful for everything, we would look out for each other, and for mother Earth. It was a wake-up call, a great reset. We were going to reassess everything. Premium Dan O'Brien Opinion While we catastrophise about Covid, we ignore risk of running out of cash We Irish view the world in an increasingly strange and unhealthy way. We catastrophise about Covid in a way other European countries do not. We focus on how bad the effects of the virus could get, on how many more restrictions might be imposed by Government and how helpless we are in the face of the virus. The anger in the voice of Joe McVeigh, solicitor for Paddy Jackson, after the acquittal of his client and three others in the deeply disturbing, Belfast rape trial, was obvious, when he referred to the way in which social media had been used during the trial. In the UK, the Contempt Act 1981 provides clear statutory rules for the reporting of trials so as to avoid interfering with the administration of justice. In Ireland, we have no such Act. We rely on the less clearly defined common law principles of contempt law, which have developed over the years through various court judgments. The Lord Chief Justice for England and Wales introduced guidelines in 2011 for the use of social media during trials conducted in England and Wales. Effectively, these guidelines allow members of the media - who are expected to know what their legal obligations are under contempt law - to use social media in court. Anyone else must request permission from the judge to do so. That permission can be withdrawn at any time. The fiancee of Britain's Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, reacts after a visit to a science park called Catalyst Inc., in Belfast, Northern Ireland March 23, 2018. Chris Jackson/Pool via Reuters It was only a matter of time before the positivity surrounding coverage of Meghan Markle would dissipate. The appetite for information on the 36-year-old former actress and her life before Harry is voracious and royal biographer Andrew Morton is cashing in with Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, which is published in the UK and Ireland on April 12. The former Suits actress has only been engaged to Prince Harry (33) for five months and excitement for the royal wedding on May 19 is at fever pitch, but the new biography throws a little shade on proceedings. Morton, who famously penned the 1992 Princess Diana biography, makes some unsavoury claims about Meghan, in excerpts published in The Sun on Sunday, the most striking of which revolves around her relationship with her first husband. One of the claims which is likely to be unsettling for Markle is the suggestion that she was ruthless when it came to the demise of her first marriage to producer Trevor Engelson, who Morton credits with helping her to get a role in romantic drama Remember Me, which starred Robert Pattinson, before she landed the lead in Suits. Meghan moved to Toronto from LA for the role in the hit TV series and she and Engelson split two years later, with Meghan allegedly returning her engagement ring and wedding ring by post. Morton claims that Engelson can "barely contain his anger" towards his ex despite the fact they split five years ago. Expand Close Bucking tradition: Harry and Meghan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Bucking tradition: Harry and Meghan The Daily Mail also picks out the bizarre allegation that Meghan took the couple's expensive food mixer with her to Toronto as a "statement of intent - and of her newfound independence". The biographer writes that Meghan ditched old friends once she started experiencing success in LA, and describes her as a "networker to her finger-tips" and says she was "forging new friendships with those who could develop her career." Morton also writes that Meghan was obsessed with Princess Diana and was heartbroken when she died in a car crash in Paris in 1997. She saw the late princess as a role model, he writes, adding that her friend Ninaki Priddy said, She was always fascinated by the royal family. She wants to be Princess Diana 2.0. Having Diana as a role model prompted Meghan to campaign to ban a sexist soap advert at the age of ten, claims Morton, and inspired her to help out a homeless shelter. Expand Close Meghan Markle in 'Suits'. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Meghan Markle in 'Suits'. Of her university days in Northwestern, Illinois, Morton writes about her physical appearance, "Now that she wasnt under the watchful gaze of her mother, she started wearing heavier make-up and experimented with highlighting her hair." He continues, "She also packed on a freshman 15 [pounds] weight gained from drinking, munching starchy dorm food and making late-night trips to the 24-hour Burger King." The details about Meghan's life have been garnered from interviews with numerous sources including a former friend who describes her as a 'social climber'. Speaking to the Telegraph recently, Morton said he believes the Queen will be doing "cartwheels" and "backflips" at the prospect of Harry marrying Meghan. Expand Close Prince Harry with Meghan Markle / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Prince Harry with Meghan Markle He said: I think the Queen will be doing cartwheels. Backflips. At the fact that she has assured the dynasty which is what the job of the monarch is to do. Shes ensured it will go on for a long, long time. Ive spoken to people at the Palace about this who say exactly the same thing. That by letting Meghan in and Kate in and all the rest of it, shes established a pedigree of people who are prepared to devote their lives to the Crown. He added: If you were sitting in a script office in Hollywood, and you said give me a character that will make them [the Royal family] relevant for the next 100 years, they [the ideas people] would have said: OK, shes bi-racial, divorced and an actor. A 13-year-old boy who fell into a drainage pipe during an Easter outing at a Los Angeles park was rescued alive after an overnight search of the underground system, US authorities have said. The boy spent at least 12 hours in the sewerage system before he was found. We located Jesse Hernandez alive and talking, fire captain Erik Scott, said, adding: We were able to give him a cellphone to even contact his family members (who) as you can imagine are overwhelmed with joy. Jesse Hernandez Found Alive We're so happy to state the Jesse Hernandez was found alive and talking this morning. This was the epitome of a team effort, uniting agencies across the City of Los Angeles. Please listen for the full story... Posted by Los Angeles Fire Department on Monday, April 2, 2018 The search began at around 4.30pm on Sunday when the Fire Department received reports that the boy had fallen about 25 feet (8 metres) down a pipe at the citys sprawling Griffith Park. The Los Angeles Times reported that Jesse and his cousins were jumping on wooden planks in an abandoned maintenance building when one of the planks broke and he fell. Jesse Hernandez has been found alive! He has reunited with his family & is being taken to a hospital for medical evaluation. Grateful to the 100+ personnel & the teams from multiple departments who worked tirelessly to find him & bring him home, safely. https://t.co/DerjhmmVRy MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) April 2, 2018 The drainage system is part of a network of pipes four feet (1.2 metres) in diameter that run parallel to the Los Angeles River and crosses under motorways. Numerous agencies joined the Fire Department, including the sanitation and engineering bureaus. Cameras that are normally used for pipe inspections and can both float and crawl were sent into the pipes. Amazing news...after more than 12 hours of searching, 13-year-old Jesse Hernandez has been found alive! We witnessed an incredible team effort by many public safety agencies. Join us in saying to all of them, THANK YOU! https://t.co/TbVQaIMd9G LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) April 2, 2018 About 2,400 feet (731 metres) of pipe had been inspected when Bureau of Sanitation workers opened a hatch to lower a camera near the intersection of two roads and found Jesse. He was treated by paramedics and taken to a hospital for a medical evaluation. A British lawyer has rebuked Moldovas central bank over its handling of a huge fraud that plunged the country into crisis, claiming a flawed analysis of the scandal has been allowed to prevail. James Ramsden QC said an account by the nations courts is being overshadowed by two reports commissioned by the National Bank of Moldova (NBM), which absurdly exaggerate the losses and wrongly accuse Moldovan businessman Ilan Shor. Moldova discovered that tens of millions of pounds had been stolen from its banking system between 2008 and 2014, causing three of the countrys lenders to collapse and leading to a 400 million dollar (282.4 million) bailout from the International Monetary Fund. An investigation by risk management firm Kroll commissioned by the NBM said the fraud had left a one billion dollar (706 million) black hole in its wake, equivalent to 15% of Moldovas GDP. It also claimed Mr Shor and his company the Shor Group played an integral role in the crime and was one of, if not the only, beneficiary. However, Mr Ramsden said the reports have been wrongly touted as expert analysis. He said Krolls findings were at odds with a ruling by Judge Andrei Niculcea, who found the losses to be closer to 93 million dollars (66 million). The Moldovan courts have convicted former prime minister Vlad Filat and businessman Veaceslav Platon. Mr Shors fraud charge has been dropped and replaced with money laundering and abuse of office, which he is appealing against. According to the silks analysis, the Kroll reports were only scoping documents based on a small amount of data with one source the NBM which should have never been made public. He said the reports had little hard evidence or independent investigation and were deliberately leaked as part of a wider agenda aimed at Mr Shors personal wealth and political ambitions. Mr Ramsden, who was hired by Mr Shor to review the Kroll reports, said: In my view, having commissioned a scoping report based on restricted, untested and unaudited information provided exclusively by the NBM, it was incumbent on the NBM to take responsible ownership of the consequences of the leaking of Kroll 1 and ensure that it was not relied upon as an authoritative source of evidential value. I have seen no evidence that the NBM did this. I have seen no evidence to suggest a reasonable explanation for this failure. The permissible inference which results is that this was therefore part of a deliberate strategy on the part of the NBM to allow use of Kroll 1 for purposes and to an extent that were never intended or permitted by Kroll. According to Kroll, a complex web of transactions comprising of asset swaps and bogus loans saw millions swept out of Moldova through UK companies using Latvian bank accounts. It led to the failure of Moldovan lenders Banca de Economii SA, Banca Sociala SA and Unibank SA, sparking protests on the streets of the former Soviet nation in 2015. The public unrest was reportedly the catalyst behind the Moldovan governments decision to release the Kroll report through parliament speaker Andrian Candu three years ago. Mr Ramsden said Mr Shor was not blameless for some of the errors that allowed the fraud to occur, but there was no evidence to suggest he was the architect of the scam, or benefited from it. He added: Those key stakeholders and political actors that were complicit in the collapse of the banks cannot properly be allowed to continue to promote their own narrative as evidence or fact. Each of those key players is of course entitled to fight their corner and to argue that they were not culpable. What they cannot do is publish or allow publication of material that may appear to many as objectively assessed, evidence-based conclusion, but which is in truth no more than their own assertion. Kroll declined to comment. The National Bank of Moldova did not respond to a request for comment. Pope Francis walks with the pastoral staff as he arrives to celebrates the Easter mass in St Peters Square at the Vatican (Gregorio Borgia/AP) On his visit home to Latin America in January, Pope Francis treated the vast crowds of Chileans and Peruvians who turned out to greet him with what have become, these past five years since his surprise election as head of the worldwide Catholic Church, the hallmarks of an eye-catching papacy. For good and for bad. From his debut on the world stage on the evening of March 13, 2013, when he appeared as the new Pope on a balcony high above St Peters Square in Rome, Francis has been firing the imagination of believers and non-believers alike, with his humanity, wit and warmth, and his willingness to be more outspoken than any other Pope in recent memory. He has chosen to use the moral authority of his ancient office not to lecture the world on the dangers of sex, but rather to champion the causes of migrants, refugees, the economically marginalised and the environment. During his trip to Peru, Francis was in his usual bold, uncompromising mood, the master of the dramatic gesture. He stood alongside Amazonian tribespeople to condemn the extractivism of multinationals who are destroying the rainforest, and was the fearless speaker of truth to power when he launched a full-frontal attack on the virus of corruption among politicians, from a stage he was sharing with the countrys embattled president, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, himself currently embroiled in a financial scandal. Franciss words carry extra force, inside and outside the Church, because what everyone knows about him is that he practises what he preaches. Theres his refusal, for instance, to move into the gilded papal residence, living instead in a small apartment in a Vatican guest house; theres his preference for simple suppers around a refectory table talking to any fellow guest who happens to be passing through; and his rejection of large, luxury Popemobiles in favour of Fiat 500s to deliver him to and from airports on his many overseas tours. Snapped back But there is another side to Francis, one less often seen, but on display later during that same Latin American trip. When challenged in Chile by journalists about his controversial decision to appoint local priest Juan Barros as a bishop, despite allegations that Barros had been involved in covering up sexual abuse of minors by a fellow cleric, Francis suddenly came over all authoritarian and snapped back at them: The day they bring me proof against the bishop, then I will speak. There is not a single proof against him. This is calumny! Is that clear? It was an extraordinary outburst, and prompted the head of Franciss own Vatican sex-abuse commission to publicly rebuke his boss, ever so gently, for talking of proof rather than evidence (only the latter, of course, is required to justify an investigation). It also added fuel to the fire of abuse survivors who argue that, for all the dazzling rhetoric about wanting to make the Church a more open and equal community, underneath it all, the Pope is just as autocratic and unfeeling as his predecessors, and wants to brush survivors suffering under the carpet. Expand Close Pope Francis salutes a child after leading the Easter Mass (Gregorio Borgia/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pope Francis salutes a child after leading the Easter Mass (Gregorio Borgia/AP) When it comes to his brother priests, said Mary Dispenza, a former nun who has accused her parish priest of raping her when she was seven years old, Francis protects them at the cost of heaping pain and shame upon victims. Which of these two faces of Francis is the real one the charismatic reformer, determined to drag Catholicism into the 21st Century by the force of his personality and the sincerity of his message; or the traditional Prince of the Church, whose first instinct is to protect the institution, even if that means riding roughshod over the feelings of victims of clergy abuse? Read More Good at PR I am always being told by people I meet that, You Catholics have a liberal Pope, reflects Ann Widdecombe, the UK Tory former minister, unlikely reality-TV star and convert to Rome. And he is certainly very, very good at PR, which is no bad thing given how the Church is usually presented, but I always reply, What exactly has he changed? And it is true: Francis has sounded liberal, especially on same-sex relationships (Who am I to judge? he remarked early in his papacy), but has also seemed content over the past five years for the catechism of the Catholic Church to continue to label homosexuality, contraception, abortion, and sex before marriage as sinful. Perhaps in 20 years time it will all be different, but people no longer seem to believe that change can happen in a great leap and bound. And thats what is making them edgy, says Widdecombe. They dont quite know whats going on right now. They dont know what to make of him. One answer is to judge him by the goals he set himself at the time of his election. Top of the list was reform of the Roman Curia, or civil service, which stood accused of corruption on an industrial scale. It had been the Vatileaks scandal an episode of Curial skulduggery involving stolen private papers and the Popes personal butler that was said to have convinced Franciss ailing predecessor, Benedict XVI, to break with 600 years of tradition that Popes must die in post and announce (in Latin) his resignation at the age of 85. Cue Francis, the Argentinian self-styled outsider the man from the ends of the earth as he described himself on the night of his election who was going to be the one to drain the Vaticans very own swamp. And he set to his task with apparent gusto. In his Christmas message to the Curia in 2014, he accused his own civil servants, many of them priests and nuns, of 15 ailments including spiritual Alzheimers and of living hypocritical double lives. Last year, he called out among them traitors of trust... corrupted by ambition and vainglory. Reforming Rome, he complained bitterly, is like cleaning the Egyptian sphinxes with a toothbrush. Fine words, but have they been matched by actions? The reform of the Curia continues, says Vaticanologist Marco Politi, who has spent 40 years observing Popes, and some impressive results have been achieved. The Churchs central government has become somewhat slimmer. Read More Hardly an overwhelming endorsement, you might think, given the extent of the charges laid against the Curia. While Vatican departments have been merged, more women brought in, and those who have stood in Franciss way unceremoniously removed including, last year, Cardinal Gerhard Muller, the German head of the all-powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith the taint of scandal has not been expunged. Two books by Italian investigative journalists Greed by Emiliano Fittipaldi and Vatican Inc by Gianluigi Nuzzi, both published in 2015 revealed a level of corruption at Gods business address on Earth to rival anything imagined by Dan Brown in his Vatican-based novels. Fittipaldi, for instance, accused figures at the Vaticans Bambino Gesu Hospital for sick children of redirecting 400,000 from its charitable foundation to pay for the lavish refurbishment of the flat of the former secretary of state under Pope Benedict, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. And Nuzzi lifted the lid on a culture where those who live on Vatican sovereign territory (most of them clergy) make a healthy profit out of selling on tax-free petrol and luxury goods to outlets in the rest of Italy. Those who defend Franciss get-tough approach point out that charges have been made against many of those involved in such cases, including Monsignor 500 Nunzio Scarano, another senior Vatican official who allegedly only kept 500 notes in his wallet, and who, in 2014, was in court for trying to illegally import 20m in cash into Italy. Francis has also, his admirers continue, gone much further than ever before in trying to rein in what has long been the most scandalous element of the Vatican administration its bank, the Institute for Religious Works (IOR). It is often mentioned as a favoured conduit for Mafia money. In the 1980s, the Vatican was forced to pay out millions to shareholders of the failed Italian Banco Ambrosiano after the IOR was accused of complicity in the financial impropriety of Ambrosianos chief executive, Roberto Calvi, known as Gods banker, who was found hanged under Londons Blackfriars Bridge. Entrenched forces On Franciss instructions, a new team of financial experts was appointed to take control of the IOR, and given the Popes blessing to do whatever was necessary to bring the bank into line with international money-market regulations. Yet, last November, the deputy director, Giulio Mattietti, just two years in post and supposedly one of the new brooms, was swept out of his job and escorted from the building with no explanation. His departure came just five months after another official brought in to reform Vatican finances, auditor-general Libero Milone, resigned suddenly. Their fate, Vatican insiders have suggested, is evidence that entrenched forces in the Curia are resisting Franciss reform agenda. Milone himself has claimed he was forced out after uncovering possible illegal activity. I couldnt allow any longer a small group of powers to [defame] my reputation for their shady games, he told reporters. I wanted to do good for the Church, to reform it like I was asked, but they wouldnt let me. Its a disturbing picture he paints, but perhaps the biggest blow for Franciss anti-corruption drive has been the loss of his key ally, Cardinal George Pell. His brief had been to re-organise and open up the Vaticans whole financial system as part of a council of nine cardinals, known as C9, appointed specifically to support Francis in tackling entrenched, reactionary and corrupt elements in the Curia. All nine, like Francis, had little experience of working in the Vatican bureaucracy, but plenty of time spent in the real world. Read More Pell had been making progress revealing, for example, millions of euros in Vatican accounts that were unaccounted for but last summer he was forced to take a leave of absence to defend himself against charges of child-sex abuse involving multiple complainants in his native Australia. (Pell denies the allegations.) A hearing is currently ongoing in Melbourne, and many people predict he may never return to Rome even if he is cleared of wrongdoing. This issue of child abuse has never really gone away, however much the Church would like it to, says Luke Coppen, long-standing editor of the Catholic Herald, and now with the case of Bishop Barros and the charges against Cardinal Pell, it risks overshadowing whatever is left of Franciss papacy. If reform of the Curia was the top priority for Francis, then for Catholics in the pews, the issue that has proved the greatest challenge to their faith in their Church has been its handling of child abuse by the clergy. They want more than anything to believe that Pope Francis is taking the matter as seriously as they do. Once again, he has been saying the right things, talking up a zero tolerance approach to abusers and those who have covered up abuse. In 2014, Francis established the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. Hed taken his time, some said, but he was applauded for appointing lay experts alongside clergy, and two members were themselves survivors of abuse by priests. But the initiative has been slowly unravelling ever since. Of the two survivors, Peter Saunders stood aside in frustration in 2017, and Marie Collins also resigned. She cited opposition in the Curia to implementing any of the reforms the commission suggested, and the Popes failure to attend a single meeting during her time. It was evidence, she complained, of the low priority given to this issue, despite the assurances so often given by the Pope that it has the highest priority. And discontent at how Francis has handled child abuse is not the only front on which he is being criticised. In 2014 and 2015, he held two synods meetings of the worlds bishops on the subject of family. In advance, in line with his stated vision of the Church as a community, not a monarchy dictated to by the Pope, Francis put out a questionnaire to Mass-going Catholics around the world on some of the crucial issues to be covered at the synods, including the treatment of Catholics who have divorced and then remarried. Most bishops kept the findings secret but, in those European countries that did publish the result, around 90pc of respondents backed dropping the current ban on such Catholics from taking communion. Passive resistance Francis may have had ordinary Catholics on his side, but not the majority of his fellow bishops, who greeted his enthusiasm for reform coolly. When he pressed ahead nevertheless, and handed over to local bishops the decision about changing the rules over the treatment of divorced Catholics who remarry, four cardinals accused him of undermining the Churchs moral teaching, and few bishops have taken up their new powers. No Pope in 100 years has faced such opposition amid the bishops and clergy, says historian Andrea Riccardi. But if there is passive resistance from bishops, its hard to measure the depth of that opposition. It may be that bishops simply dislike change, or that they are so used to having Rome tell them what to do, they are waiting to see what will happen with Franciss proposals. The Popes reaction to the criticism of the four cardinals once again revealed his authoritarian streak, though this time the flash of steel delighted liberals in the pews. He may like to be seen as listening but not to these particular rebels, or the small but well-placed constituency of traditionalist Catholics they represent. He declined to answer the cardinals appeal for clarification. Will ignoring them be sufficient to see off the opposition? Well, two of the original four rebel cardinals have since died, so there may be wisdom in his strategy. But next to the honeymoon feel of those early months of Franciss papacy and the high expectations they generated doubts are now widespread about how far his reforming style may translate into lasting change. In his early days as Pope, in one of the off-the-cuff remarks that he so likes to make ,and which endear him to audiences everywhere, Francis told a Mexican TV interviewer that he didnt mind being Pope, but had the sensation that my pontificate will be short. Four or five years... Did he mean it? Might he also resign from office? As ever, the world waits to see how great the difference is between his words and his actions. The Pope in numbers: $327,000 The amount a bidder paid for Pope Franciss old 2013 Dyna Super Glide Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The Pope donated the funds to a soup kitchen and hostel for the homeless in Rome 17.1 million The number of people who follow @pontifex, the Popes Twitter account 100 The number of soldiers in the Swiss Guard (the force charged with protecting the Pope) 40 cents The cost of a litre of petrol in Vatican City (Its 1.40 in the rest of Rome) 1936 Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on 17 December in Buenos Aires, to Italian immigrant parents 1955 Graduates from school with a chemical technicians diploma 1969 Ordained as a priest by Archbishop Ramon Jose Castellano 1970 Obtains a degree in theology from the Colegio of San Jose 1998 Becomes Metropolitan Archbishop of Buenos Aires 13 March 2013 Elected as the 266th Pope Peter Stanfords What We Talk About When We Talk About Faith is out now, Hodder & Stoughton, 14.99 Syrian government forces overseeing the evacuation by bus of Army of Islam fighters from the besieged town of Douma (SANA via AP) The most powerful Syrian rebel faction on the fringes of Damascus has begun abandoning its stronghold in the once rebel-held enclave of eastern Ghouta. The move sets the stage for the final chapter of the governments relentless offensive to fully retake the area after seven years of revolt. The first fighters from the Army of Islam left the town of Douma in the morning hours of Monday as part of an evacuation deal that will hand the town to the Syrian government, the state SANA news agency reported. The rebels were heading to Jarablus, a town in northern Syria where control of the territory is shared between Syrian rebels and Turkish forces. The Syrian government dispatched more than 50 buses to Douma to take the rebels out, SANA reported. By midday, only a handful had left for the north in three buses. There was no immediate comment from the Army of Islam. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the civil war through a network of activists on the ground, also reported the evacuation. Rami Abdurrahman, the observatorys director, said some factions within the Army of Islam oppose evacuating and effectively surrendering Douma to the government of President Bashar Assad. The deal over Douma would mark the end of a weeks-long push by Assads forces to consolidate their control over eastern Ghouta, just outside the capital. Expand Close Civilians carrying their belongings as they left the rebel-held suburb of Douma (SANA via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Civilians carrying their belongings as they left the rebel-held suburb of Douma (SANA via AP) Douma was one of the earliest centres of the anti-government demonstrations that swept through the country in March 2011. Syrian government forces responded by putting the town and other suburbs around Damascus under siege, bombing hospitals and residential areas, and blocking the entry of food and medical relief. Local activists have said that more than 100,000 civilians were trapped inside Douma, which suffered devastating damage. The most recent Syrian air and ground offensive on eastern Ghouta, supported by Russias military, has killed at least 1,600 people, according to the observatory. More than 120,000 others have fled their homes and sought safety with the government, according to Russias military operation in Syria. Russia is a key backer of Assad. Over the past weeks, as Syrian forces reclaimed towns and villages in eastern Ghouta, they gave rebels and all men of fighting age the choice of accepting amnesty and serving in the Syrian military conscription, or leaving to go to the north of Syria. Thousands chose the north, taking with them their families. More than 40,000 Syrian rebels and their family members have relocated to rebel-held north Syria, according to the Russian military. Turkey, with support from rebels, is running its own military operations against a US-backed Kurdish militia in northern Syria, which controls territory along the frontier. On Sunday, the Syrian government-linked Central Military Media outlet said that once the evacuations are completed, a local council for Douma will be formed with the approval of the central government. Malala Yousafzai with her family at her native home in Mingora (Abdullah Sherin/AP) Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has ended a surprise visit to Pakistan, her first since being shot in 2012 by Taliban militants who tried to kill her for promoting girls education. A smiling Ms Yousafzai was seen with her parents at Benazir Bhutto International Airport before they boarded a plane to return to London after the four-day visit. Amid tight security, Ms Yousafzai left her hotel in Islamabad, where she had stayed for four days, and headed to the airport in a convoy of vehicles. Touching scenes were witnessed when the 20-year-old university student left the hotel, thanking Pakistani officials for giving her an army helicopter over the weekend to fly to the Swat Valley, once virtually under the control of militants, to see her home in the north-west town of Mingora. After visiting Mingora on Saturday, Ms Yousafzai said in a tweet it was the most beautiful place on earth for her. So much joy seeing my family home, visiting friends and putting my feet on this soil again, Ms Yousafzai said as she posted a picture showing her standing with her father, mother and brothers. Ms Yousafzai said she had waited for the moment for more than five years and said she often looked at Pakistan on the map, hoping to return. She said she plans to permanently return to Pakistan after completing her studies in Britain. On Monday, Ms Yousafzais uncle Mahmoodul Hassan told the Associated Press that she is leaving Pakistan with good and memorable memories, but is going back to England because she wants to complete her education there. During her visit, Ms Yousafzai also met with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. She attended a reception at Mr Abbasis office and made an emotional speech in which she said it was one of the happiest days of her life to be back in her country. Most Pakistanis warmly welcomed Ms Yousafzais visit but some launched a campaign on social media against her and she also faced tough questions from journalists, asking about the campaign. Ms Yousafzai said she failed to understand why she was being subjected to this kind of criticism by educated people. So much joy seeing my family home, visiting friends and putting my feet on this soil again. #Home #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/B8VN5Odd27 Malala (@Malala) March 31, 2018 We want to work for the education of children and make it possible that every girl in Pakistan receives a high-level education and she can fulfil her dreams and become a part of society, she told Pakistans ARY news channel. Her home town of Mingora is not far away from the village of Mullah Fazlullah, the head of the Pakistani Taliban who dispatched attackers in 2012 to kill Ms Yousafzai, at the time already a known teenage activist for girls education, but she miraculously survived a bullet wound to the head. Fazlullah had taken over Swat in 2007, marking the height of the militants strength there. The Pakistani military later mostly evicted the militants from the valley and now Fazlullah is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan. Since her attack and recovery, Ms Yousafzai has led the Malala Fund, which helps students in Swat and elsewhere. Syrian girl Noor, famous for social media clips in English about the bombardments in Eastern Ghouta, after being evacuated from the city. Photo: AFP/Getty A rebel faction trapped by Syrian government forces outside the capital agreed to evacuate to northern Syria yesterday as talks continued over lifting the siege against the town of Douma, where tens of thousands of civilians await relief. Fighters from the Faylaq al-Rahman group left Douma on buses sent by the Syrian government to the rebel-held province of Idlib, Sana state news agency reported. It was the first organised evacuation of fighters from Douma, which has held out against government forces through seven years of war. The town was one of the hubs of the Arab Spring uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's government in 2011, which drew a brutal response from security forces, sparking the ongoing civil war. Some 1,300 fighters, activists, and civilians signed up to leave the town, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Douma remains in the control of the powerful Army of Islam rebel group. Local activists say more than 100,000 civilians are trapped inside the town, which suffered catastrophic damage during the latest government assault. Faylaq al-Rahman did not have a significant presence in Douma, in the eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus. It was instead pushed into the town by a recent government offensive that broke rebel lines and cleaved eastern Ghouta into three parts, said local media activist Ahmad Khansour. The fighters in Douma were following their Faylaq al-Rahman comrades trapped in the other two Ghouta pockets, who relocated to northern Syria last week. Government forces extended their control over those areas in the course of a five-week offensive that killed at least 1,600 civilians and displaced tens of thousands more, according to the Observatory. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] Palestinina protesters clash with the Israeli army during a demonstration in the southern Gaza Strip. Photo: Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Israel has rejected international calls for an investigation into deadly violence along Gaza's border with Israel, saying troops acted appropriately and fired only at Palestinian protesters who posed a threat. Fifteen Palestinians were killed and more than 700 wounded in Friday's violence near the Israeli border, according to Palestinian health officials. It was the area's deadliest violence in four years. Human rights groups have accused the army of using excessive force, and UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres and European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini have urged an investigation. But Israeli defence minister Avigdor Lieberman said Israel would not co-operate with a UN inquiry if there were one. "From the standpoint of the Israeli soldiers, they did what had to be done," Mr Lieberman told Israeli Army Radio. "I think that all of our troops deserve a commendation, and there won't be any inquiry." Friday's mass marches were largely led by Gaza's ruling Hamas group and touted as the launch of a six-week-long protest campaign against a stifling decade-old blockade of the territory. Israel and Egypt have maintained the blockade since Hamas - an Islamic militant group sworn to Israel's destruction - seized control of Gaza in 2007. Expand Close A Palestinian demonstrator throws back a teargas canister towards Israeli forces during clashes in Hebron. Photo: AFP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A Palestinian demonstrator throws back a teargas canister towards Israeli forces during clashes in Hebron. Photo: AFP In Friday's confrontations, large crowds gathered near the fence, with smaller groups of protesters rushing forward, throwing stones and burning tires. Israeli troops responded with live fire and rubber-coated steel pellets, while drones dropped tear gas from above. Soldiers with rifles were perched on high earth embankments overlooking the scene. The military has said it responded only to violent attacks aimed at troops and the border fence. But video showed at least a handful of incidents in which people appear to have been shot either far from the border or while they were not actively rioting. The Israeli military accused Hamas of releasing videos that were incomplete, edited or "completely fabricated". Troops had followed strict rules of engagement and protesters were putting themselves in "harm's way" in a dangerous area. Mr Lieberman said those who protested peacefully were not harmed, saying claims peaceful protesters were harmed were lie: "Whoever didn't get close to the fence was not shot." On Sunday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, accused Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, of being "a terrorist" after the Mr Netanyahu rejected Ankara's "moral lessons" over deadly clashes in Gaza. "Hey, Netanyahu! You are occupier. And it is as an occupier that you are on those lands. At the same time, you are a terrorist," Erdogan said in a televised speech in Adana, southern Turkey. However, Mr Netanyahu rejected Turkish criticism, likening it to an April Fool's joke. "The most moral army in the world will not be lectured to on morality from someone who for years has been bombing civilians indiscriminately," he wrote on Twitter. "Apparently this is how they mark April 1 in Ankara." Tamar Zandberg, leader of the dovish opposition party Meretz, posted a video over the weekend calling for an independent inquiry. "I'm worried about the fate of all of us, and the fate of the residents of the Gaza periphery communities, who could be sitting in bomb shelters today, tomorrow or next week," she told Army Radio. "I'm calling to stop this now." The Israeli military claimed the men killed were involved in violence and belonged to Hamas and other militant factions. The army later released the names and ages of 10 of the dead, including what it said were eight members of Hamas and two from other groups. Israel has also accused Gaza health officials of exaggerating the number of wounded. Four of the 15 dead were members of the Hamas military wing, Hamas said. The group said a fifth member who was not on the Health Ministry list was killed near the border, and Israel has the body. It said another man is missing. Meanwhile, during his Easter message yesterday Pope Francis also urged reconciliation in Israel, a place "experiencing in these days the wounds of ongoing conflict that do not spare the defenseless." The protests are to culminate in a large border march on May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel's founding. The date is commemorated by Palestinians as their "nakba," or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were uprooted in the 1948 war over Israel's creation. Israel has warned it will not allow the border to be breached. It also accuses Hamas of trying to use protests as a cover for planting explosives and staging attacks. On Saturday, Israel's military said it will target militant groups inside Gaza if the border violence drags on. It appears unlikely that large-scale protests will continue daily, with larger turnouts only expected after Friday noon prayers, the highlight of the Muslim religious week. Yemeni inspect the damage after an air strike by the Saudi-led coalition in Saada, Yemen February 22, 2018 Photo: Reuters An air strike by the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen killed 12 civilians on Monday in the coastal city of Hodeidah, medics and a witness said, and the Houthi rebels later targeted Saudi Arabia's southern border area with a missile. Medics and a civilian who saw the wreckage said the air strike had destroyed a house in the al-Hali district, where displaced civilians from other provinces were settled. The 12 victims were all from the same family including seven children, they said. A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition said: "We take this report very seriously and it will be fully investigated as all reports of this nature are - using an internationally approved, independent process. Whilst this is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further." Hodeidah is home to the impoverished country's biggest port from where most of the humanitarian aid reaches millions of civilians on the brink of famine. The operation of the port, controlled by the Iran-aligned Houthis, was not affected by the air strike. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened in a civil war in Yemen in 2015 against the Houthis to restore the internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The alliance, which includes other Sunni Muslim states, has conducted thousands of air strikes targeting Houthi fighters and has often hit civilian areas, although it denies ever doing so intentionally. The war has killed more than 10,000 people, displaced more than 2 million and driven the country - already the poorest on the Arabian Peninsula - to the verge of famine. The Houthis, in turn, have launched rockets into Saudi territory with mixed results. On Monday, a missile targeted the border area of Dhahran al-Janub. The coalition said it fell 1.75 km inside Yemen, but the Houthi-run Saba news agency said it hit a Saudi military base causing unspecified casualties. Reuters was unable to independently verify those claims. Last week the Houthis launched a flurry of missiles which Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted over Riyadh. Debris from the missiles fell on a home, killing one person. Rights watchdog Human Rights Watch on Monday said the Houthi attack had violated the laws of war by indiscriminately targeting populated areas. "The Houthis should immediately stop their indiscriminate missile attacks on populated areas of Saudi Arabia," said HRW's Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson. "But just as unlawful coalition air strikes don't justify the Houthis' indiscriminate attacks, the Saudis can't use Houthi rockets to justify impeding life-saving goods for Yemens civilian population." When the Houthis fired missiles at Riyadh last November, the coalition responded by shutting Yemens airports and ports. The United Nations said that blockade raised the danger of mass starvation, and it was partially lifted. Nelson Mandela, with wife Winnie, gives the famous clench-fist salute of the African National Congress at Wembley Stadium (PA) Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, prominent anti-apartheid activist and the ex-wife of Nelson Mandela, died in a hospital on Monday after a long illness at the age of 81. She succumbed peacefully in the early hours of Monday afternoon surrounded by her family and loved ones, Ms Madikizela-Mandelas family said in a statement. Ms Madikizela-Mandela was married to Mr Mandela from 1958 to 1996. Mr Mandela, who died in 2013, was imprisoned throughout most of their marriage and Ms Madikizela-Mandelas own activism against white minority rule led to her being imprisoned for months and placed under house arrest for years. She kept the memory of her imprisoned husband Nelson Mandela alive during his years on Robben Island and helped give the struggle for justice in South Africa one of its most recognisable faces, the family said. However, Ms Madikizela-Mandelas political activism was marred by her conviction in 1991 for kidnapping and assault, for which she was fined. It is with great sadness to announce the passing of Cde Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela-Mandela today, 02 April 2018. A struggle icon has fallen. #RIPMamaWinnie pic.twitter.com/xIJKDDVOkQ ANC Parliament (@ANCParliament) April 2, 2018 She faced these allegations again during the 1997 hearings before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a panel that investigated apartheid-era crimes. As a parliamentarian after South Africas first all-race elections, she was convicted of fraud. Still, Ms Madikizela-Mandela remained a venerated figure in the ruling African National Congress, which has led South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994. She refused to be bowed by the imprisonment of her husband, the perpetual harassment of her family by security forces, detentions, bannings and banishmentDesmond Tutu She was a veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle who continued to tell the party exactly what is wrong and what is right at any time, said senior ANC leader Gwede Mantashe. The ANC, which was the main movement against apartheid, had lost popularity in recent years in part because of scandals linked to former president Jacob Zuma, who resigned in February. Nobel laureate and former archbishop Desmond Tutu, a periodic critic of the ruling party over the years, described Ms Madikizela-Mandela as a defining symbol of the fight against apartheid. She refused to be bowed by the imprisonment of her husband, the perpetual harassment of her family by security forces, detentions, bannings and banishment, Mr Tutu said. Her courageous defiance was deeply inspirational to me, and to generations of activists. Ms Madikizela-Mandela had been in and out of hospital since the start of the year, according to her family. She had back surgery a year ago. In the darkest hours of the struggle to free South Africa, with Nelson Mandela in prison, the face of hope and courage was #Winnie Mandela. May she forever rest in #Power. pic.twitter.com/VrJ6PjMr1F Rev Jesse Jackson Sr (@RevJJackson) April 2, 2018 The family said it will release details of her memorial and funeral services when they are finalised. Ms Madikizela-Mandela always was aware of the danger of being submerged in the shadow of her husbands all-encompassing personality. Even before they were separated by Nelson Mandelas long stay in prison, she had become politicised, being jailed for two weeks while pregnant for participating in a womens protest against apartheid restrictions on blacks. The apartheid police later harassed her, sometimes dragging her from bed at night without giving her a chance to make arrangements for her daughters. Expand Close Nelson and Winnie Mandela at a London hotel (Rebecca Naden/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Nelson and Winnie Mandela at a London hotel (Rebecca Naden/PA) Ms Madikizela-Mandela complained bitterly on a North American tour after she was forced to give evidence to South Africas Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1997 that the commission never asked her about the treatment she suffered over 18 months in solitary confinement. The Mandela marriage that survived decades of prison bars dissolved with a formal separation in 1992, two years after Nelson Mandela was released. President Cyril Ramaphosa: Today we have lost a mother, a grandmother, a friend, a comrade, a leader, and an icon. As SAns, we collectively pass our condolences to the Madikizela & the Mandela families. Your loss is our loss as well. May her Soul Rest In Peace #RIPMamaWinnie pic.twitter.com/6Nj3TFlUKh South African Government (@GovernmentZA) April 2, 2018 The couple divorced in 1996, two years after Mr Mandela became president in South Africas first all-race elections, with Mr Mandela accusing his wife of infidelity. As the mother of two of Mr Mandelas children, Ms Madikizela-Mandela and her ex-husband appeared to rebuild a friendship in his final years, before his 2013 death. Ms Madikizela-Mandela will be honoured by a state funeral on April 14, preceded by an official memorial service on April 11, said President Cyril Ramaphosa after visiting her home in Johannesburgs Soweto township on Monday evening. Mr Ramaphosa described Ms Madikizela-Mandela in a televised tribute as a champion of justice and equality and a voice for the voiceless. US President Donald Trump has continued to rage over immigration, calling on Congress to pass border legislation using the nuclear option if necessary. Mr Trump tweeted that the US must build a border wall, but argued that Democrats want No Borders, hence drugs and crime! He also said that a deal to help Dreamer immigrants is dead because the Democrats didnt care or act. Mr Trump has previously called for the nuclear option changing Senate rules to end the filibuster. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has dismissed that option in the past, saying Republicans will welcome the filibuster when they return to being the Senate minority. The 1.3 trillion dollar funding package Congress passed last month included 1.6 billion dollars in border wall spending. But much of that money can only be used to repair existing segments, not build new sections. Congress also put restrictions on the types of barriers that can be built. Mr Trump began tweeting over the weekend on immigration from Florida, threatening to pull out of a free trade agreement with Mexico unless it does more to stop people from crossing into the US. He claimed they are coming to take advantage of protections granted to certain immigrants. Mr Trump said Mexico must stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL! The US, Canada and Mexico are participating in tense negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement at Mr Trumps insistence. The president says NAFTA is bad for the US. Mexico has got to help us at the border, Mr Trump, holding his wifes hand, told reporters before the couple attended Easter services at an Episcopal church near his home in Palm Beach, Florida. Former president Barack Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme to provide temporary protection and work permits to hundreds of thousands of immigrants who are living in the US illegally after being brought here as children. Mr Trump ended the programme last year but gave Congress six months to pass legislation enshrining it. A deal has so far proved elusive and Mr Trump has blamed Democrats. It was not immediately clear what Mr Trump was referring to when he said people are coming to take advantage of the programme. The Department of Homeland Security is not issuing new permits, though existing ones can be renewed. The Obama administration allowed sign-ups during a set period of time, and the programme is closed to new entrants. Proposed DACA deals crafted by politicians and rejected by Mr Trump were also not open to new participants. The president did not explain what he meant when questioned by reporters as he entered the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea with the first lady and his daughter Tiffany. Mr Trump, when addressing reporters briefly before entering the church, again blamed Democrats for failing to protect the Dreamers. They had a great chance. The Democrats blew it. They had a great, great chance, but well have to take a look because Mexico has got to help us at the border. They flow right through Mexico. They send them into the United States. It cant happen that way anymore. Mr Trump promised during the 2016 presidential campaign to build a southern border wall to stop illegal immigration and drugs from Mexico, but Congress has frustrated him by not moving as quickly as he wants to provide money for construction. The president also complained on Twitter that border patrol agents cannot do their jobs properly because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws that allow people caught for being in the country illegally to be released while they await a hearing before a federal immigration judge. Mr Trump tweeted that the situation is Getting more dangerous and Caravans are coming. The presidents tweets came after Fox Newss Fox & Friends reported early on Sunday on what it said is a group of 1,200 immigrants, mostly from Honduras, headed to the US. The segment was a follow-up to a report by BuzzFeed News on hundreds of Central Americans making their way through Mexico in the hope that American authorities will grant them asylum or be absent when they attempt to cross the border. The Fox headline was: Caravan of illegal immigrants headed to US. The president is known to watch the cable TV programme in the morning. Brandon Judd, leader of the union representing border patrol agents, predicted on Fox & Friends that those in the caravan would create havoc and chaos in the US as they wait for what he described as immigration reform. Mr Judd also said Congress needs to pass tougher laws, an idea Mr Trump appeared to echo, and create more bed space for immigration authorities to house people. Ohio governor John Kasich chided Mr Trump over the tone of the tweets. A true leader preserves & offers hope, doesnt take hope from innocent children who call America home. Remember, today is Easter Sunday, tweeted Mr Kasich, a Trump critic who challenged him for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. A true leader preserves & offers hope, doesn't take hope from innocent children who call America home. Remember, today is Easter Sunday. #DACA #Hope https://t.co/T7HUbhL9qd John Kasich (@JohnKasich) April 1, 2018 Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake, another Trump foe, urged Congress to take up the fight for Dreamers. There are plenty of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who stand ready to work with the administration on legislation to protect DACA kids who call America home, he tweeted. Lets do it. Businesses should come clean about the difficulties they are facing as a result of Brexit and the impact it will have on consumers, the Square Miles governing body has said. Catherine McGuinness, head of policy at the City of London Corporation, told the Press Association that business leaders speaking up about challenges is a sign of realism rather than politics. I dont think thats being political, she said. I think that saying Brexit is very difficult and there are real problems here and we need to sort out a sensible way isnt necessarily being political, I think thats the reality. And I think it is useful when business tells us thats the reality and its going to have these implications for customers. Ms McGuinness explained that the Corporation supported Remain before the referendum but has since adopted a pragmatic approach and is working with the financial sector to identify issues and possible solutions. Few financial services firms and a minority of business leaders have come out to say that the EU divorce will leave their companies in a better position, the most prominent of which have included Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin and entrepreneur James Dyson. Expand Close City of London stock / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp City of London stock Mr Martin has accused Remain figures of being too negative and claims the Brexit process is unlikely to have an adverse effect on the UK economy as companies will be able to replace EU suppliers with international alternatives, while Leave campaigner Mr Dyson has said he believes 90% of future growth would come from outside the EU. The Corporation has been calling for a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU which would cover financial services through mutual recognition, meaning financial firms will not have to rely on equivalence which requires approval by the bloc and could be revoked. While the recently struck transition agreement is undoubtedly positive for the City, Ms McGuinness said too little has been achieved since Brexit talks began. Two steps forward, one step back is a good way of putting it, and indeed Ive said that myself from time to time. At the moment I do think weve made progress, it has been slow and it has been too slow, but I would say that, over the last few weeks, weve seen some real advances. She also said it was positive to see a little chink in the EU response, in that they do now seem to accept that financial services need specific dealing with. Of course Europe, the EU, is trying to attract as many jobs as possible. We would be doing that in the same positionCatherine McGuinness, City of London Corp head of policy The policy chief was alluding to a draft of EU Council guidelines for negotiations which reportedly include a reference to the need for allowing appropriate access to financial services markets through reviewed and improved equivalence mechanisms. Its a tiny little gleam of light, Ms McGuinness said. But weve got a lot of work to do to persuade them, I think, that what were proposing will, as we believe, work for the EU as well as the UK. Without a deal, businesses are expected to shift EU-focused operations and key staff to rival financial hubs including Dublin, Paris, Frankfurt and Luxembourg. JP Morgan is ramping up a number of EU sites with plans to move up to 1,000 London front and back-office roles, while EU lender Deutsche Bank is preparing to settle more of its transactions out of Frankfurt and is likely to move hundreds of staff from London. Separately, HSBC has said it is on course to move up to 1,000 jobs to France. However, Ms McGuinness said she is not seeing any signs of a great Brexodus, with most institutions planning to keep their big operations in the UK. The question is what they would need to have elsewhere in order to serve customers properly, and of course Europe, the EU, is trying to attract as many jobs as possible. We would be doing that in the same position. Lucknow, Apr 2 (IBNS): SIDBI celebrated its foundation day on Monday as day of Sampark (connect), Sanwad (interaction), Suraksha (security) and Sampreshan (disseminate). Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) was set up on April 2, 1990 under an Act of Indian Parliament, and acts as the Principal Financial Institution for Promotion, Financing and Development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector as well as co-ordinates functions of institutions engaged in similar activities. Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of SIDBI, Mohammad Mustafa, on Monday, launched a series of initiatives from its Lucknow bank headquarters. He mentioned that the occasion is an opportunity to look within and reinvent the bank's strategy for course correction and development. While flagging off its MSME contact programme, Mohammad Mustafa called upon banks officers to use the day long stay at MSMEs to come closer in understanding their opportunities, challenges and the eco system so as to grasp as to what can be done to ease the way they do business. He told this is what SIDBI has been created for and learning with footprints at field level is the true spirit of the organisation. During an interaction, the CMD mentioned that SIDBI has taken a series of steps both from direct lending (launch of growth support to MSME -SMILE loans around 8.12 per cent and enhancing its footprint through string of Resident Representative Office) as also policy advocacy (launch of CRISIDEX, to gauge MSME aspirations, and MSME pulse, the health tracker for MSMEs). The bank also commenced Bancassurance services for MSMEs. An MoU was signed with The New India Assurance Co. Ltd. and two MSMEs were issued insurance policies. While launching the revamped SIDBI website (www.sidbi.in) on this occasion, the CMD mentioned that it is an attempt to re-imagine the site to reflect the new vibrant face of SIDBI aiming to transform the MSE ecosystem. Besides providing crisp and precise information about the various strategic interventions made by SIDBI, it exhibits a great potential for the MSME aspirants through its other offerings in the form of a "Contactless Loan Platform" likely to be introduced on the website shortly. Chairman SIDBI also launched Samridhhi- the virtual assistant on banks revamped universal loan portal www.udyamimitra.in. It will answer standard queries of aspirants 24*7. During the day, a Bankability Kit (brought in partnership with Bank of Baroda and IDBI Bank) was also launched. It is a step to look beyond financial literacy and be a trusted guide for aspirants and existing entrepreneurs to know entrepreneurial self, know banker & know banking, the bank said. It covers what bankers look at, how to communicate with banks, the care to be taken, dos and donts etc. Mustafa said that next year will be Year of Direct Finance; institutional financing shall be the growth engine and promotion & development shall be the core strategy. SIDBI is also planning to start an MSE award to recognize change-maker MSEs at bottom of the pyramid. Image: SIDBI/Twitter New Delhi, Apr 2 (IBNS): Debjani Ghosh, former MD, Intel South Asia, takes office as NASSCOM President, succeeding R Chandrashekhar, President, NASSCOM upon the completion of his term. Ghosh takes office at a time when the Indian IT-BPM industry, currently a USD 167 billion sector, serves as a catalyst for the growth of the nation. With the intersection of digital technologies across every business, she aims to continue NASSCOMs mission of fostering the digital transformation of the industry and country, embracing new technologies, expanding to newer geographies, and working with governments globally to build stronger trade relationships. .@debjani_ghosh_, President- NASSCOM, looks forward to working alongside the industry & the #govt to reinvent the #technology industry of India through greater opportunities & challenges. Take a look as she shares her expectations on joining team NASSCOM- pic.twitter.com/CcuPDXVgmv NASSCOM (@nasscom) April 2, 2018 She has worked with the government and as a part of the industry to establish policies and accelerate technology adoption in India, especially as an enabler of inclusive growth and development. She has also been a member of NASSCOMs Executive Council and a trustee of NASSCOM Foundation. Taking office, Debjani Ghosh, President, NASSCOM, said, The technology industry in India has played a phenomenal role in building the India of tomorrow. We are amidst exponential shifts that require exponential change across businesses, skilling, building innovative solutions with disruptive technologies, connecting the ecosystem of start-ups with that of enterprises, and leveraging technology for social impact. I am honoured to have been given this opportunity at this inflection point for the industry and the country. I look forward to partnering with all stakeholders for more milestones for the industry, which reigns as a frontrunner in todays era of digital globalization." Ghosh has also been a big propagator of gender diversity and equal representation in corporate India, as the first woman to lead Intel India, MAIT (Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology), and now NASSCOM. She was instrumental in developing Intel Indias Digital Nation strategy to support India's digital transformation, focusing her efforts on digital literacy, technology innovation, and building strong partnerships across India's technology ecosystem. Sharing his thoughts, Raman Roy, Chairman, NASSCOM, said, Over the past few years, the technology industry has witnessed huge disruption across and is currently at the threshold of the next growth curve. Debjani brings invaluable knowledge and experience to the table, and under her leadership I am confident that the industry will scale to greater heights of success. In March 2017, the NASSCOM President Succession Committee (NPSC) was constituted by the NASSCOM Chairman. The committee was chaired by N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons. The additional members of the committee were Neelam Dhawan, Managing Director, HP Enterprise, Rajendra Pawar, Chairman, NIIT, Rajan Anandan, Managing Director, Google India, Rishad Premji, Chief Strategy Officer, Wipro and Harish Mehta, Cofounder, NASSCOM and CMD, Onward Technologies (Convener). Image: NASSCOM Twitter page video grab London, Apr 2 (IBNS): Researchers at Oxford University have set a new speed record for the logic gates that form the building blocks of quantum computing a technology that could transform the way we process information. Quantum computers, which function according to the laws of quantum physics, have the potential to dwarf the processing power of todays classical computers. The Oxford team is using a trapped-ion technique to develop its computer, in which logic gates place two charged atoms containing information in the form of quantum bits, or qubits in a state of quantum entanglement. Described by Einstein as spooky, entanglement is at the heart of quantum technology and means that the properties of the two atoms stay linked, even when they are separated by great distances. The study, carried out by scientists from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)-funded Networked Quantum Information Technologies Hub (NQIT), which is led by Oxford University, is reported in the journal Nature. The research builds on previous work in which the team, led by Professor David Lucas and Professor Andrew Steane of Oxfords Department of Physics, achieved a world record for the precision of the logic gate, reaching the demanding accuracy set by theoretical models of quantum computing. The lead authors of the paper are Oxford doctoral student Vera Schafer, and Dr Chris Ballance, a research fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford. Vera Schafer said: Quantum computing will be ideally suited for tasks such as factorising large numbers or simulating complex reactions between molecules to help with drug development. Previous work in our group produced quantum logic gates with record-breaking precision. We then began work on increasing the speed of those gates without compromising their accuracy, which is tricky. Trapped ions move like a pendulum during the gate operation, but when this process is sped up they become sensitive to a number of factors that cause errors. By making use of a technique that precisely shapes the force on the ions such that the gate performance becomes robust to these factors, we were able to increase the speed by a factor of 20 to 60 compared with the previous best gates 1.6 microseconds long, with 99.8% precision. We have now produced the highest fidelity and the fastest gate, reaching a point where our gates are in principle good enough for quantum computing. The next step is to think about it in practical terms and work towards scaling up our system to create a viable quantum computer. Professor Lucas said: Trapped-ion qubits have long been the touchstone for precision in the world of quantum computing, and also have the nice feature that they interface naturally to photons for networking applications. But one drawback was that the basic entangling operations were always rather slow. In our latest experiment, we were able to generate entanglement in times as short as 480 nanoseconds, demonstrating that the logic speed doesnt have to be limited by the natural timescale of the pendulum motion of the ions. Scientists have discovered a thriving colony of more than three quarters of a million penguins on the Danger Islands in the Weddell Sea, East Antarctic Peninsula, where the impacts of climate change have not yet been felt and there is little human activity. While the islands were thought to be home to some penguin super colonies, the population size was previously unknown and widely underestimated. The finding includes an abundance of Adelie penguins - a species in decline on the other side of the Antarctic Peninsula, where there is human activity and sea ice has declined. The discovery was made as part of a large scale satellite seabird survey, conducted by a team of international researchers, and sits in contrast to recent evidence that penguin populations in the West Antarctic Peninsula - 100 miles away, are in decline. This stark comparison suggests that penguins fare better when their environments are undisturbed, reinforcing calls for a marine protected area in the Weddell Sea. Although not remote by Antarctic standards, lying close to the end of the Antarctic Peninsula, the presence of heavy sea ice around the islands and the difficulty of landing boats there has meant that the islands were seldom visited and the penguin colonies remained uncounted. Satellite imagery from NASA in 2014 indicated that large colonies might be present on the islands, leading a team of penguinologists from Oxford University, Louisiana State, Northeastern University, Stony Brook University and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, to mount an expedition. Together they conducted a population census of Adelie penguins in the region using multiple simultaneous methods including counts on the ground, quadcopter-based aerial photography drones and high resolution satellite imagery. The results, published in Scientific Reports, reveal that not only do the Danger Islands hold 751,527 pairs of Adelie penguins - the largest population on the Antarctic Peninsula - but they also appear not to have suffered the population declines experienced by neighbouring colonies that have been associated with climate change and human presence. The study also showed that this figure includes the third and fourth largest Adelie penguin colonies in the world (which sit right next to each other). When the team returned from the expedition to review the satellite images they found that the population was not newly thriving, but had actually been stable since 1959. Dr Tom Hart, a researcher at Oxfords Department of Zoology, said: This was an incredible experience, finding and counting so many penguins. Scientifically, while this is a huge number of new penguins, they are only new to science. Satellite imagery going back to 1959 shows they have been here all along. It puts the East Antarctic Peninsula in stark contrast to the Adelie and chinstrap penguin declines that we are seeing on the West Antarctic Peninsula. Its not clear what the driver of those declines is yet; the candidates are climate change, fishing and direct human disturbance, but it does show the size of the problem. Michael Polito, Assistant Professor, Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, and Guest Investigator, Wood Hole Oceanographic Institution, added: In 2006, I had the chance to visit the Danger Islands and was amazed by the sheer number of Adelie penguins I saw. The water around the island boiled with penguins. But with only two hours on land it was impossible to estimate the total size of the population before sea ice conditions forced us to leave. We have been trying to get back ever since. Since the study has shown the Danger Islands to be both home to a large number of Adelie penguins and a breeding hotspot for the species, it joins mounting evidence to protect penguins from human influences with marine protected areas (MPAs) in Antarctica. A decision will be made on whether to create the reserve later this year. Tom Hart added: The size of these colonies makes them regionally important and makes the case for expanding the proposed Weddell Sea MPA to include the Danger Islands; they are a hotspot and worthy of protection. More than that, I think it highlights the need for better protection of the West, where we are seeing declines. Kolkata, Apr 2 (IBNS): On Mar 31, scores of trans-people took to the streets in the Indian state of West Bengal to celebrate International Transgender Visibility Day. The crowd marched from Kolkata's Hazra area to Academy of Fine Arts, a landmark in the heart of the city's cultural district, dancing,singing and celebrating the occasion, all the way. International Transgender Day of Visibility was first observed in 2009. The holiday was founded by US-based transgender activist Rachel Crandall. Crandall had rued the lack of LGBT holidays, celebrating people from the aforementioned community. The event has since come into observance annually on Mar 31. Images by Rajat Malakar/JEN. New Delhi, Apr 2 (IBNS): Bodies of 38 Indians killed in Iraq will be flown back to India on Monday. Minister of State for External Affairs V. K. Singh left for Mosul on Sunday to bring back the bodies to India. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed the Parliament last month that 39 Indians, who had gone missing in Iraqi town Mosul in 2014, have been killed in captivity of ISIS terrorists. She informed that 27 of the people were from Punjab, four from Himachal Pradesh, six from Bihar and two from West Bengal. New Delhi, Apr 2 (IBNS): The Lok Sabha, which was adjourned on Wednesday over the ruckus by several opposition parties, will resume its business on Monday. On Wednesday, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had adjourned the house till Monday. Eventually, the house stayed adjourned on two working days-Thursday and Friday. The logjam is continuing in both the houses of the parliament-Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha-since the resumption of the budget session on Mar 5. Several opposition parties are stalling the proceedings in the parliament over a number of issues ranging from Cauvery river water to Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam. The no-confidence motions, which were brought by the former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ally partner Telegu Desam Party (TDP) along with YSR Congress, Left and Congress, are yet to be tabled in the parliament due to the logjam. The TDP had left the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which runs the central government, over the demands of a special status for Andhra Pradesh. The scenario has been no different in the Rajya Sabha. However, on Wednesday, the upper house had functioned as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress MP and opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and other leaders had delivered their farewell notes to the retiring Rajya Sabha MPs. The second phase of the budget session has almost been a washout so far. New Delhi, Apr 2 (IBNS) : One person was killed in Madhya Pradesh as a Bharat bandh, called by Dalit organisations, began on Monday protesting the Supreme Court order on the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 while the Centre moved the to court seeking a review of its verdict, media reports said. According to reports, one person was killed in Madhya Pradeshs Morena as protests by Dalits turned violent. Curfew was imposed in at least three towns in the state, including Sagar and Gwalior. Reports of violence during the Bharat bandh poured in also at least from four other states- Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan Punjab with the state police intervening at several places. About a dozen Dalit orgaisations, spearheading the agitation, have alleged that the apex court's order has diluted the SC/ST Act. Meanwhile, Union Information Minister Ravishankar Prasad announced that the Centre has filed a review petition with the apex court. "I wish to convey that today we've filed a petition on the judgement by Supreme Court on the SC/ST act. We have filed a comprehensive review petition which will be presented before the court by the senior lawyers of the government," he said. The petition will be taken up for hearing later in the day. According to reports, protesters pelted stones in Uttar Pradeshs Agra and Madhya Pradeshs Bhind, while shops were vandalised and railway tracks blocked in Jaipur. Several people were injured in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, after protestors clashed with the police. The protest turned violent in Barmer in Rajashtan, where cars were set on fire and properties were damaged. The agitators damaged cars in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, too. Army and paramilitary forces were asked to be on standby in Punjab, where schools and colleges remained shut, with internet services suspended from 5 pm Sunday to 11 pm Monday. Protesters squatted on tracks in several places outside Delhi, stopping trains, including the Dehradun Express and the Ranchi Rajdhani. Train Services were disrupted when a mob arrived at the Ghaziabad yard. Many trains, such as Saptakranti Express, Utkal Express and the Bhubaneswar and Ranchi Rajdhani as well as the Kanpur Shatabdi, were stopped ahead of Ghaziabad in Meerut and Modinagar, officials said. A mob of about 2,000 people disrupted trains at the Hapur station as well, disrupting the movement of many goods trains. The apex court on March 20 had issued amendments to the SC/ST Act, striking down the provision of immediate arrest. The two-judge bench also issued a ruling allowing the accused to seek anticipatory bail. The SC ruling came while hearing a plea of Subhash Mahajan, former technical education director, who was charged under the Atrocities Act based upon the complaint of his subordinate. The bench of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and Uday Umesh Lalit contended with Mahajan's petition that the law was abused to prosecute him. Kohima, Apr 2 (IBNS): The troops of Assam Rifles apprehended one NSCN (R) militant along with three civilians and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition in Nagaland on Sunday evening, officials said on Monday. Based on intelligence input, the Mokokchung battalion of Assam Rifles under the aegis of HQ IGAR North) conducted an operation along with a police at Longleng area near Mokokchung and apprehended one NSCN (R) militant along with three civilians in illegal possession of arms and ammunition. Security personnel recovered nine muzzle loaded Rifles, one 12 bore Rifles, one point 22mm rifle with magazine, one point 22 pistol with magazine, 10 live rounds of AK-47 rifle, 12 live rounds of 12 bore rifle, 46 live rounds of point 22mm, 27 live rounds of 7.35mm, 50 grams gun powder, drugs to include brown sugar and opium worth of Rs 1,15,000, Rs 30742 in cash and 13 bottles of liquor. The nabbed militant and civilians were identified as Self Styled Corporal Mankub Phom, Taushong Phom, Nganom Phom and Phamugee Phom. Later, the apprehendees along with recovered items were handed over to Longleng Police Station for further investigation. (By Hemanta Kumar Nath) Guwahatia, Apr 2 (IBNS): A shocking data has been revealed by the Assam government that, more than 1700 women and minor girls were killed in cases related to rape, witch hunting, dowry in the state in past 11 years. Replying a written query by Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) MLA Kamali Basumutary, Assam Transport minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on Monday said in the Assam assembly on behalf of Home department that, more than 1700 women and minor girls were killed in cases related to rape, witch hunting, dowry in the state since 2006. Upto March 2018, a total of 1773 women and minor girls were died in these cases. Out of the total deaths, dowry related deaths accounted for 1606, 53 women were raped and murdered, 34 minor girls were raped and murdered during the period. On the other hand, 80 women were victims of witch hunting. The Assam minister further said that, Karimganj, Barpeta and Nagaon districts are among the districts counted high number of dowry related deaths. (By Hemanta Kumar Nath) New Delhi, Apr 2 (IBNS): The mortal remains of 38 Indians, killed in Iraq, arrived at the Amritsar International Airport on Monday. The mortal remains were brought to India in a special aircraft. Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh went to Mosul to bring back the bodies of 38 Indians. Meanwhile speaking to reporters, Singh said there was no record in any embassy that the Indians were killed by the Islamic State in Iraq. Singh said had the government had any information about these people being in danger, it could have tried to save them. Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday announced ex-gratia of Rs 500,000 for the next kin of the 27 Indians belonging from Punjab. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed the Parliament last month that 39 Indians, who had gone missing in Iraqi town Mosul in 2014, have been killed in captivity of ISIS terrorists. She informed that 27 of the people were from Punjab, four from Himachal Pradesh, six from Bihar and two from West Bengal. Rajaditya Banerjee, theatre director, lives in Finland but chose to make his directorial debut film Death Certificate shot on rural locations in eastern India. Shoma A. Chatterji in conversation with the director Excerpts from an interview What is Death Certificate about? Its about a young tribal woman whose world crashes around her when she learns that her husband is missing. She sets out with her father-in-law to search for him. However, her life turns upside down when she discovers that the picturesque village surrounded by mountains and forests has suddenly become a space filled with cruelty and inhumanity and now tries to come to terms with this reality. What is at the core of the film ? Its an effort to evoke the impact of years of subordination of the voiceless and marginalised in India, particularly women. I have tried to bring across a microcosm of events these people have to encounter in their day-to-day life but which is entirely beyond their control. You have chosen a dark story for your first film. Why? The stories and novels my father wrote have never stopped fascinating me because they reflect a social reality which I have tried to portray on celluloid. However, having lived in Finland for many years and knowing that Nordic countries often produce dark films and plays, I chose my fathers short story because to my mind, it is more real than dark. Why did you give the name Death Certificate to this film? It is a tribute to my late brother, noted filmmaker Bappaditya Bandopadhyay and my father Debashish Bandopadhyay who passed away before I could complete the film. Its based on a short story by him and this was the title he gave to the original story. I didnt want to change the title. The film is in an almost unheard of language Yes, its the first art house film in Kurmali dialect (sub-titled in English) which is one of the many dialect variations of Bengali and spoken in some parts of Jharkhand. Death Certificate also highlights the terrible condition of the morgues in India. Protocol demands that dead bodies should be preserved for 72 hours for the families and loved ones to be able to collect them for the last rites. But very often, these are cremated without the knowledge of family members. The film also refers to the unique case of Dana Majhi, a tribal peasant of Odisha who had to carry the lifeless body of his wife along with his daughter because he was denied a mortuary van. What differences did you find between directing plays and directing films? Well, cinema and theatre are not at war with each other. Its quite possible to direct both at the same time. But while a play can run from beginning to end without much intervention on my part, I cant say the same about cinema which demands my intervention all the rime. What took you so long to step into films as director Bappaditya Bandopadhyay was a famous director himself? I have been doing theatre for a long time. I have a degree in filmmaking from the Baltic Film and Media School, University of Tallinn, Estonia. But it was only after the sad and untimely demise of my older brother that I decided to make socially relevant films. Bappaditya lived and died for cinema and found his own voice and his unique cinematic language. I can make films my way and pay a tribute to an icon like him. What made you cast yourself as the hero instead of casting someone else in that role? I have been acting in the European Union, in Finland and in the USA for the last 15 years. With hundreds of stage performances, I felt it only natural for me to appear as the lead in my own film. But I have very little screen time in the film. However, this is not my debut as an actor. I have acted in three short films before this one. InCasual Friday (2013) in Finnish directed by Ritta Rytta, Life (2014) in English directed by A. Roy and The Lovers (2015) a silent film directed by Hiroki Kaminaga. What statement are you making through this film? I am raising a very pertinent question we have globalised technology. When will we globalise humanity? As the search continues for life in other planets and we try to find an answer to the question whether we are alone in the universe, the misery and violation of human rights continue for the other half in this planet. I feel is a strong statement against corruption, bureaucracy and human rights abuses inflicted on those who exist on the fringes of India. I have tried to vividly describe the ordeal and the pain these people experience. Death Certificate has been screened at several film festivals. This year, the film has been screened at the Bengaluru International Film Festival, 5th Asian Film Festival in Pune, San Mauro Film Festival in Italy and the 5thGarifuna International Film Festival, USA. In 2017, the film was screened at the Los Angeles Cine Film Festival, London Monthly Film Festival and Third Eye Asian Film Festival in Mumbai. London, Apr 2 (IBNS): After completing her trip to Pakistan, Nobel prize winner Malala Yousafzai has returned to the UK, media reports said. This was her first visit to her homeland since she was attacked by Taliban terrorists in 2012. Malala visited Pakistan for four days. During this trip, Malala also took out some time to visit her home in northwest town of Mingora in the Swat Valley. After visiting her home in the Swat Valley, the 20-year-old had tweeted: "So much joy seeing my family home, visiting friends and putting my feet on this soil again. #Home #Pakistan." In another tweet, she said: "The most beautiful place on earth to me. #SwatValley #Pakistan." Malala received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. She was shot by Taliban terrorists in 2012 when she was returning from school in Swat region of the country. After initial treatment in Pakistan, she was later flown to London. The incident was condemned internationally. Image: Malala Yousafzai Twitter page Toronto, Apr 1 (IBNS): The equal pay for equal work legislation took effect from today in Canada's second largest and most populous province Ontario. The province will ensure that part-time, casual and seasonal employees are paid on a par with full-time workers. The move comes three months after the Liberal government increased minimum wage to $14 per hour. The law is applicable to workers who have similar responsibilities. The move is also aimed at closing the gender pay gap, which Ontario believes still exists though it is illegal to discriminate in payment of wages based on gender. There are still gender issues, where women are making less than men, Liberal MPP for Ottawa-Orleans Marie-France Lalonde said. In certain sectors, what we've seen is that part-time employees primarily women and new Canadians were being asked to do the exact same work as a full-time employee but being paid minimum wage, Lalonde said. Small business owners are not overtly worried by the new legislation as many feel that they are doing their best to address the issue. They believe that employees are the most important asset of their businesses. Washington, Apr 2 (IBNS): In a major move, US President Donald Trump on Sunday said there will be no Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA deal. DACA or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is a program that gives legal protection to the young immigrants, who are known as 'Dreamers'. Dreamers were able to request consideration of deferred action for a period of two years, which is subject to renewal. Nearly 800,000 undocumented youth benefit from the programme. It was former President Barack Obama-led administrations's programme. Trump tweeted: "Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release. Getting more dangerous. 'Caravans' coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL!" Trump also warned that North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) might be dismantled. He said Mexico is 'doing very little' in stopping people from flowing into Mexico through their Southern Border and then into the U.S. "Mexico is doing very little, if not NOTHING, at stopping people from flowing into Mexico through their Southern Border, and then into the U.S. They laugh at our dumb immigration laws. They must stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL!," Trump tweeted on Easter morning. Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release. Getting more dangerous. Caravans coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2018 Mexico is doing very little, if not NOTHING, at stopping people from flowing into Mexico through their Southern Border, and then into the U.S. They laugh at our dumb immigration laws. They must stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2018 He added: "These big flows of people are all trying to take advantage of DACA. They want in on the act!." These big flows of people are all trying to take advantage of DACA. They want in on the act! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2018 Trump's former rival for the Republican presidential nomination, Ohio Gov John Kasich, however criticised the President over his remarks. He tweeted: "A true leader preserves & offers hope, doesn't take hope from innocent children who call America home. Remember, today is Easter Sunday. #DACA #Hope." A true leader preserves & offers hope, doesn't take hope from innocent children who call America home. Remember, today is Easter Sunday. #DACA #Hope https://t.co/T7HUbhL9qd John Kasich (@JohnKasich) April 1, 2018 Image: Donald Trump Facebook page Toronto, Apr 2 (IBNS): Bringing a kind of justice to the part time employees in Ontario, a new rule of equal pay for equal work has been enforced in the province, media reports said. The new rule came into effect on Apr 1. The new rule will blur the discrimination between the part time employees and the full time ones in terms of wages. The new rule is a part of Fair workplaces, Better Jobs Act- the legislation which increased the minimum wage of employees in the province to $14 recently. According to the new rule, an employer is bound to pay the same amount of money to a part time worker which a full time employee gets if the production of works by both happens to be the same, if they work under same working conditions and the work requires the same skill. The employees can also go for a review if they feel that they are not getting the justifiable amount as the wage. The new rule has been enacted keeping the rise of part time workers in the province in mind. The act also protects the workers from any backlash for inquiring about wages of other workers. (Reporting by Suman Das) "Prevent Unauthorized Transactions in your demat / trading account Update your Mobile Number/ email Id with your stock broker / Depository Participant. 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The site provides comprehensive and real time information on Indian corporates, sectors, financial markets and economy. On the site we feature industry and political leaders, entrepreneurs, and trend setters. The research, personal finance and market tutorial sections are widely followed by students, academia, corporates and investors among others. Many have tasted the dust, even more, returned empty handed and with broken fates after venturing onto the utterly ambitious journey of the mighty Mt Everest. This is the Earth's highest mountain above sea level and no doubt it has its own set of challenges. But hoping to triumph over this mountain, once again, a Nepali Sherpa is venturing on a journey to summit Mount Everest for a record-breaking 22nd time. AFP Kami Rita Sherpa is going to the top of the world. In past, he has worked as a guide on Everest for over two decades, climbing to 8,848 metres (29,029 feet) is a job, not a record-shattering feat. "I did not start climbing to set a world record. But in the course of my work in the guiding industry, this is going to be my 22nd ascent. It wasn't for any competition," Kami Rita told AFP. When 48-year-old Kami Rita first summited Everest in 1994, he was one of just 49 climbers to reach the peak. Nepali climber #KamiRitaSherpa will set off today aiming to break the record for the number of successful climbs to the top of #MountEverest. pic.twitter.com/vKkhAdkqOZ All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) April 1, 2018 Last year, 634 people made it to the top. Over the last two decades, the booming number of climbers on Everest has created a lucrative mountaineering industry in both China and Nepal, which share the peak. In Nepal - home to eight of the world's highest peaks - the climbers provide vital income. Last year the impoverished country netted over $4 million in permit fees on Everest alone. Kami Rita Sherpa, who has worked as a guide on Everest for over two decades, is hoping to summit the mountain for a record-breaking 22nd time next month https://t.co/veLeoCcsjc pic.twitter.com/TqcDMwldVb AFP news agency (@AFP) April 1, 2018 Each year hundreds of climbers begin gathering at the foot of the world's highest peak from early April, turning the base camp into a bustling nylon tent city. They spend nearly two months on the mountain to acclimatize to the harsh high altitude environment before attempting to reach the summit in May. Spring is the busiest time of year on the mountain as the winds and temperatures are more forgiving than at other times of the year. But nonetheless each spring Everest claims a few lives; last year seven climbers died on the mountain. Kami Rita bids for record 22nd ascent of Everest The 48-year-old mountaineer planning to scale worlds tallest peak this climbing season. He will break the record of 21 ascents set by Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi Sherpa, both of whom have announced retirement. Source: ekantipur pic.twitter.com/zc9H4rrkaJ The Classic Outdoors (@classicoutdoor1) April 1, 2018 The rapid growth in the climbing industry has also led to fears of deadly overcrowding on Everest, with the mountain opening up to more people as competition between expedition organisers has seen the costs plummet. The cheapest operators charge clients around $20,000 to take them to the top of the world, a quarter of the amount demanded by the most expensive. Where their life span is much less than ours in the west, 22 is an amazing feat. Trekking the Himalayas was life-changing for me. My guide, too, was named Kami. #Sherpa denotes their ethnicity and the region they are from. East.#Tibet | #Tamang https://t.co/abCUWcD8fj World Citizen (@WorldCitizenLA) April 1, 2018 That discrepancy has caused tension on the mountain, with the mostly foreign-run companies accusing the largely Nepali-run cheaper ones of skimping on basic safety to keep costs low while also accepting clients who lack high-altitude climbing experience. "My life is just normal," he added as he headed to the top of the world. Several Dalit organisations called for a nationwide shutdown, a Bharat Bandh to protest the ruling by Supreme Court that amended the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The ruling diluted certain crucial provisions in the law. The Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 or the SC/ST Act protects marginalised communities against discrimination and atrocities. On March 20, the apex court expressed concern over the misuse of the act and ruled against automatic arrest of the accused booked under the law and introduced the provision of anticipatory bail. This means that the arrest of an accused under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act is not mandatory and action could only be taken after a preliminary investigation has been made into the case. The Dalit groups said that this is the sheer dilution of the law and people from lower castes, who already face hardships at the hands of upper-castes, will now suffer more. The ruling triggered widespread criticism from the dalit community and they organisations called for Bharat Bandh on April 2. Facebook The Centre has appealed Supreme Court to review the order. The case is scheduled for hearing on April 9. Meanwhile, the protests have turned violent in many parts of the country. Madhya Pradesh Curfew was imposed in parts of Gwalior and in Morena after bouts of violent demonstration, in which one person was killed. Section 144 was enforced in Sagar. IG Law and Order Makrand Deuskar says that four people have died in protests in Gwalior and Morena. WATCH: Protesters resort to stone pelting in Bhind during #BharatBandh over the SC/ST Protection Act. #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/40KmhV3Ckm ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 Protesters were seen pelting stones in Bhind, reports The Times Of India. Uttar Pradesh Protesters were thrashed by Police after they burnt cars and public property. The 'Bharat Bandh' movement, however, gained steam and soon protests spread to Agra and nearby areas. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to the protesters to maintain peace. #WATCH #BharatBandh over SC/ST protection act: Protesters thrashed by Police personnel in Meerut pic.twitter.com/yQfaJBDbBD ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 2, 2018 The central and state governments are dedicated towards the welfare of backward castes, SC and ST. I appeal to all to not disturb the law and order. If at all there are any issues you can bring them to government's notice," the CM told ANI. Haryana and Punjab Dalits took out a protest marches in Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Ropar, Bathinda, Amritsar and Ferozepur in Punjab, even as the state government ordered closure of educational institutions, suspended bus services, and curtailed mobile and internet connectivity. The army and paramilitary have been asked to remain on standby to prevent any exigency. Bihar and Jharkhand Police lathicharged on protesters in Forbesgang in Bihar where trains were stopped. In Ranchi, agitators clashed with police personnel. Rajasthan Agitators blocked railway tracks and stopped a train in Jaipur. A shop was also vandalised, according to ANI. Public property was damaged and cars were torched in Barmer. Facebook Several Dalit organisations called for a nationwide shutdown, a Bharat Bandh to protest the ruling by Supreme Court that amended the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The ruling diluted certain crucial provisions in the law. Read more Here's more top news of the day: 1) Bodies Of 38 Indians Killed In Iraq Reach India In A Special Aircraft; Relatives Teary-Eyed PTI The aircraft with the remains of the 38 slain Indians, out of 39, landed at Amritsar from Baghdad around 2:30 pm, they added. The presumed remains of one of those killed were yet to be positively identified. Read more 2) Meanwhile In Telangana, The State Assembly Speaker Just Got A Milk Abhishekam! We have all seen idols, movie posters etc. getting drenched in milk, sometimes out of devotion and sometimes out of sheer fandom. Read more 3) Consensual Sex Between Couple In A Relationship Cannot Be Held As Rape, Rules Bombay High Court BCCL/Representational Image The Goa branch of Bombay high court has set aside a seven-year jail term and Rs 10,000 fine awarded by a trial court against the accused for raping a woman after giving false promise to marry her. Read more 4) Two Terrorists Behind The Killing Of Lt Ummer Fayaz Among 11 Militants Killed In Jammu And Kashmir PTI The Indian Army has avenged the killing of Lt Ummer Fayaz, an young army officer who was abducted and murdered by terrorists in May last year. Read more 5) Year After Jawan Complained Of Low-Quality Food On Social Media, Defence Lab To Test BSF Food Faced with questions over the quality of food, the Border Security Force or BSF has commissioned an assessment by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to analyse the quality and quantity of meals being served to jawans and officers of the paramilitary force. Read more Amid incidents of communal violence in the country, this small village in Dhanbad district is giving message of communal harmony and peace. As many as 40 families have been growing flowers and weaving garlands for Hindu temples in and around the district for the past four decades. pti, representational image These families have been doing this for the last 40 years. They depend on flower cultivation for their livelihood, a farmer told Outlook. "We supply flowers and garlands to a trader in Jharia township, who then sells the wreaths to agents of different temples as per requirement," he said, adding that the garlands were sold at Rs 5 per piece. pti On occasions such as Ram Navami and Durga puja, the farmers often shoulder the responsibility of decorating the temples free of cost. Dayashankar Dubey, a priest at local Kali Mata temple in Jharia, said the farmers in the village had never failed to deliver during the festivals. "The temple committee tries to compensate their contribution in different ways," he added. Communal tension has never deterred them from supplying flowers to the temples. "This is the question of our livelihood No communal strife in the last 40 years has stopped us from growing or selling flowers," said Md Safi, another cultivator. Brittany Gottke(BLUE ROCK, Ohio) -- For 364 days, the Gottke sisters waited to hug their dad. On Saturday, they finally got their chance, as the girls' family and community welcomed Sgt. First Class Terry Gottke back from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. When a fire truck with its sirens blaring passed their house, Tawny, 7, and Brea, 5, of Blue Rock, Ohio, just outside Columbus, took notice. And, they were all tears of joy when Gottke stepped off the truck, surprising them. "Daddy! Daddy's here!" Tawny exclaimed, giving him a huge kiss on the cheek. Brittany Gottke told ABC News Monday that it was both her and Terry Gottke's idea to have him arrive in a fire truck, decked out in head-to-toe firefighting gear. The two kept the secret from Tawny and Brea. "Hey Tawny? You know how I said I was going to give you your Easter presents? You see who I brought you!" Brittany Gottke said. Tawny and Brea not only love firefighters but also want to be them when they grow up. Fighting fires is in their blood. Their mother, Brittany Gottke, is a firefighter, as is Terry Gottke. Terry Gottke has served in the National Guard for almost 14 years. His last deployment -- in Iraq in 2010 to 2011 -- occurred nine weeks after Tawny was born. Florida family 'still shocked' by soldier's surprise Legoland homecoming This time, he will be home for a month with his family before continuing to serve stateside. On Saturday, Tawny would not let go of her dad as he was welcomed home by the entire town. Supporters lined the streets, and even set up a traffic sign with his firefighter number on it to show their appreciation for his service. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. The number of Palestinians killed in Gaza during the Land Day protests at the border fences has reached 16, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. [Photo: Ahmad Ibrahim Ashour Odah, 16, northern Gaza] Dr. Ashraf Al-Qedra, the spokesperson of the Health Ministry in Gaza said the slain Palestinians have been identified as: Wahid Nasrallah Abu Sammour, 27, Khan Younis, southern Gaza. (farmer killed before dawn on his land) Mohammad Kamal Najjar, 25, Jabalia, northern Gaza. Mohammad Naim Abu Amro, 27, Shejaeyya, Gaza city. Amin Mansour Abu Moammar, Rafah, southern Gaza. Ibrahim Abu Shaar, 22, Rafah. Abdul-Fattah Bahjat Abdul-Nabi, 18, Beit Lahia, northern Gaza. Mahmoud Saadi Rohmi, 33, Gaza. Sari Waleed Abu Odah, Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza. Hamdan Ismael Abu Amsha. Jihad Ahmad Freina, 34, east of Gaza city. Ahmad Ibrahim Ashour Odah, 16, northern Gaza. Abdul-Qader Merdhi al-Hawajri, 42, Nusseirat refugee camp, central Gaza. Jihad Zoheir Abu Jamous, 30, Khan Younis. Bader Faeq as-Sabagh, 21, Jabalia. Naji Abdullah Abu Hjeir, 25, al-Boreij, central Gaza. Mosab Zohair Salloul (still unconfirmed, his body has not been recovered) 1416 Palestinians have been wounded. 758 of whom were shot by live ammunition, 148 injured by rubber-coated steel bullets. The others were injured by tear gas, concussion grenades and other so-called non-lethal weapons. Updated from: The Palestinian Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip has reported that Israeli soldiers killed, Friday, thirteen Palestinians, and injured at least 1272, including many who suffered serious wounds, in several parts of the Gaza Strip. The latest casualties at the time of this report has been identified as Jihad Zoheir Abu Jamous, 30, who was shot with a live round in the head, in Khan Younis. At least twenty of the wounded Palestinians suffered life-threatening injuries, especially since the soldiers used exploding bullets. The Israeli army resorted to the excessive use of force against the nonviolent protesters who marched only carrying Palestinian flags, by firing dozens of live rounds at them, in addition to rubber-coated steel bullets, gas bombs and concussion grenades. Wahid Sammour was the first to be killed earlier on Friday, while working on his own farmland, when the soldiers fired shells into lands, east of Khan Younis. Furthermore, hospitals and medical centers across the Gaza Strip issued urgent appeals to the Palestinians to donate blood for the wounded. As the protests continue across the besieged Gaza Strip, the Israeli army also fired shells at a site east of the al-Boreij refugee camp, in central Gaza, and another site, southeast of Gaza city. In Ramallah, in central West Bank, the soldiers injured dozens of nonviolent Palestinian protesters, at the northern entrance of al-Biereh city. The soldiers also attacked dozens of nonviolent protesters on Budrus, west of Ramallah, wounding many Palestinians. Also in Ramallah, the soldiers shot three Palestinians with live fire, and caused dozens to suffer the effects of teargas inhalation, after the army resorted to the excessive use of force against nonviolent protesters in Nabi Saleh village, north of the city. Two Palestinians were also shot with live fire, after the army attacked protesters on their lands, near the illegal Halamish Israeli colony, which was built of lands owned by villagers of Deir Nitham, west of Ramallah. In Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, the soldiers attacked dozens of protesters, and fired dozens of gas bombs at them. In Bilin village, west of Ramallah, dozens of Palestinians, accompanied by Israel and international peace activists, held the weekly procession against the Annexation Wall and Colonies, and protesting the ongoing occupation, and the illegal American recognition of occupied Jerusalem as the unified capital of Israel. In addition, the soldiers attacked nonviolent protesters in Qusra village, southeast of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, while they marched carrying olive branches to plant them in their lands. The soldiers also attacked nonviolent protesters in Hebron and abducted at least two Palestinians. In addition, the soldiers shot a Palestinian child with live fire in his leg, after the army invaded the al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya village, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus. Today, marks the 42nd Anniversary of the Palestinian Land Day, when Israel illegally annexed 21000 Dunams of Palestinian lands, and issued Absentee Property Law which allowed it to confiscate the lands of displaced Palestinians. The army invaded many villages and towns and killed six Palestinians on that day (March 30, 1976) in various parts of occupied historic Palestine, and the Palestinians started marking it since then, expressing their determination and steadfastness in their struggle for liberation. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared Saturday a national day of mourning in response to the killing of the nonviolent protesters. Updated From: Israeli Soldiers Kill Eight Palestinians, Injure 1100 In Attack on Gaza Protest Published on: Mar 30, 2018 @ 16:14 The Number of Palestinians killed by Israeli army fire, Friday, has arrived to eight young men, while at least 1100 were injured. Many of the wounded Palestinians suffered serious wounds. Dr. Ashraf Al-Qedra, the spokesperson of the Health Ministry in Gaza, identified the slain Palestinians as: Jihad Ahmad Freina, (Palestinian security officer) Gaza city. Mohammad Kamal Najjar, 25, Jabalia, northern Gaza. Wahid Nasrallah Abu Sammour, 27, Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Amin Mansour Abu Moammar, 22, Rafah, southern Gaza. Ibrahim Abu Shaar, 22, Rafah, southern Gaza. Ahmad Ibrahim Odah, 19, Gaza city. Mahmoud Saadi Rami, 33, Gaza city. Mohammad Naim Abu Amro, 27, Gaza city. The army also abducted one Palestinian, reportedly after he managed to cross the border fence. Furthermore, hundreds of Palestinian protesters managed to remove section of the border fence, and cross into the Israeli controlled side. Updated From: Israeli Soldiers Kill Four Palestinians, Including A Child, Seven Since Morning 30, 2018 @ 14:52 The Palestinian Health Ministry has confirmed that Israeli soldiers shot and killed, Friday, four Palestinians, and injured at least 600 others in several parts of the Gaza Strip, after the army earlier killed three others in the coastal region. The soldiers killed Mahmoud Saadi Rahmi, with live fire, east of Gaza city, and injured many other Palestinians, including with live fire. The Ministry said the soldiers killed Mohammad Abu Omar, 19, and Ahmad Ibrahim Odah, 16, in northern Gaza. The soldiers also shot and killed Jihad Freina, 33, with live fire, east of Gaza city. It added that the soldiers shot more than 500 Palestinians, including ten who suffered very serious injuries after being shot with live fire in the upper parts of their bodies, in several parts of the besieged Gaza Strip. The soldiers also killed a young man, identified as Mohammad Kamel Najjar, 25, with a live fire, east of Jabalia, in northern Gaza. Mohammad was from Tal az-Zatar area, in northern Gaza; eyewitnesses said the soldiers fired live rounds directly targeting him. Furthermore, the soldiers killed Amin Mahmoud Moammar, 38, from Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, also after shooting him with live fire. Earlier on Friday morning, the soldiers fired tank and artillery shells at Palestinian farmers, east of the Al-Qarara area, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, killing one Palestinian, identified as Omar Wahid Nasrallah Sammour, 27, and seriously wounding another. The Israeli army said that any Palestinian who enters lands near the border fence, including the agricultural lands, dozens and hundreds of meters away from the border, will be shot. Today marks the Palestinian Land Day, and the protests are planned to continue, demanding liberation and independence, and the internationally-guaranteed Right of Return of the refugees. They are expected to continue until May 15, the Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe) Day, which m arks the establishment of Israel on the historic Palestine in 1948, after displacing hundreds of thousands in Palestinians, and destroying hundreds of villages and towns. Why Latvia is not like South Korea by Jan Pills Monday Apr 2nd, 2018 1:54 AM Markets rebound after China fears ease Sidwell Strategies - Fri Sep 24, 10:39PM CDT Cattle on feed higher than expected. USDA Grain Stocks reports on Thursday Corn Market Weakens into Weekend Barchart - Fri Sep 24, 4:39PM CDT On Friday, corn prices worked lower to close 2 to 2 1/2 cents in the red. New crop futures were firmer with Red dec only giving back 3/4 cents while Sept gained 1 1/4 cents. For the week December corn... ZCZ21 : 526-6s (-0.47%) ZCPAUS.CM : 5.0977 (-0.55%) ZCH22 : 534-4s (-0.47%) ZCZ21 : 526-6s (-0.47%) Cattle Market Mixed Heading into COF Report Barchart - Fri Sep 24, 4:39PM CDT Live cattle futures were lower on the last trade day of the week, giving back 30 to 47 cents in the front months. Feeder cattle, however, found strength in the afternoon to close 40 to 50 cents higher.... LEV21 : 122.925s (-0.24%) LEG22 : 132.625s (-0.24%) GFU21 : 154.625s (-0.18%) GFV21 : 157.350s (+0.32%) Shootin' The Bull Swift Trading Company - Fri Sep 24, 3:58PM CDT Live Cattle and Feeder Cattle Markets will have their challenges in next week's trade. The Cattle on Feed report was slightly bearish and open interest in the complex has been decreasing. Livestock Report Walsh Trading - Fri Sep 24, 3:35PM CDT Markets wait for Reports Natural Gas Rallies Sharply as Supplies Remain Tight Before Winter Barchart - Fri Sep 24, 2:14PM CDT October Nymex natural gas (NGV21 ) on Friday closed up +0.164 (+3.30%). Oct nat-gas prices on Friday settled sharply higher for a second day amid persistent concerns about low U.S. gas inventories ahead... NGX21 : 5.200s (+3.11%) Crude Oil Posts Moderate Gains as Global Supplies Tighten Barchart - Fri Sep 24, 2:12PM CDT November WTI crude oil (CLX21 ) on Friday closed up +0.68 (+0.93%), and November RBOB gasoline (RBX21 ) closed up +0.0116 (+0.55%). Nov WTI crude oil and Nov RBOB gasoline prices on Friday closed moderately... CLX21 : 73.98s (+0.93%) RBX21 : 2.1377s (+0.55%) On the heels of the 62nd session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, the largest gathering on gender equality at the UN, the Voice of America hosted Fearless Women on the Ground, a live discussion streamed on Facebook, that focused on four women working on the front lines in the battle for gender equality in Nigeria, Tanzania, the Philippines and Lebanon. Hosted by VOAs Anasthasie Tudieshe of French to Africa service, Fearless Women on the Ground featured Blessing Ihuaku Duru of Alliances for Africa, Cecilia El Chami of the Lebanon Family Planning Association, Ruth Nyakinyi Kihiu of Pastoral Womens Council and Estrella Anonuevo of Atikha Overseas Workers and Communities Initiative. Blessing Ihuaku Duru, a Program Manager with Alliances for Africa focused on the serious discrepancy of the number of men compared to women in public office. As she pointed out, traditional, cultural and religious practices have allowed this trend to continue in Nigeria. Her goal is to secure affirmative action that will ensure a minimum of 35% of women in public office. According to Duru the increase of female representation in political positions, will lead to policies more reflective and considerate of the circumstances of women. Cecilia El Chami, a Program Officer with the Lebanon Family Planning Association Development, is currently working on a program geared towards improving the lives of marginalized women in southern Lebanon. The organizations goal is to provide women with the job skills needed to increase the marketability of their food products and to create two womens cooperatives. Economic independence will lead women to be masters of their own destiny, said El Chami. Estrella Anonuevo, the Executive Director of Atikha Overseas Workers and Communities Initiative in the Philippines, is dedicated to providing economic and social services to female Filipino migrant workers and their families. The program provides families with skills in saving, investing, engaging in business and addressing family issues. As the Philippines is one of the top producers of overseas workers, women and their families learn to capitalize on the great effort they put forth on a daily basis. Ruth Nyakinyi Kihiu, a Program Manager with Pastoral Womens Council in Tanzania, is concerned with helping rural Maasai women become empowered economically. Kihiu has been instrumental in facilitating property rights for rural Maasai women so that they will be able to generate. This is important in the context of Maasai society where women do not ordinarily own cattle or other property. The panelists left me with a sense of dedication, said Anasthasie Tudieshe. Women understand the universality of the womens struggle. All yearn to be respected, to be strong and to count. Summerhayes said that aside from the opportunities that artificial intelligence and machine learning present for fine-tuning and innovation in risk assessment, underwriting, loss prevention, and customer engagement..., algorithm use also brings risks that are not yet fully understood by [the] industry or regulators, Australian Financial Review reported. It is, if you like, an emerging risk within an accelerating risk, Summerhayes said. By removing human oversight from important decision-making processes, and instead relying on machine-to-machine interactions, governance and transparency become inherently difficult. Summerhayes said any flaws in an algorithm would be difficult to detect or fix. These risks increase with the use of machine self-learning techniques, which impart greater predictive power to algorithms but make them significantly more complex, he said. This opaqueness is already being targeted by cyber criminals seeking to corrupt either the algorithm, or data used to train it, in order to manipulate its conclusions. And its not just Summerhayes who is concerned about the potential dangers of algorithm use. Stan Gallo, a partner at KMPGs forensics unit, said the deliberate compromise of an algorithm could result in a wide range of unintended consequences especially given that the rise of advanced data analytics and AI has led to an explosion of algorithm use, from loan applications and insurance underwriting, to chatbot technology. At a high level, algorithms take data, look for patterns or trends and then act on them for a specific goal or outcomes, Gallo told AFR Weekend. Biases can also come into play, leading to poor learning from the AI. Meanwhile, a new report, titled The Malicious Use of Artificial Intelligence: Forecasting, Prevention, and Mitigation, warns that AI and machine learning are altering the landscape of security risks for citizens, organisations and states, which could give birth to new forms of cybercrime and political disruption in the next decade. The reports writers 26 experts from renowned institutions that include Oxford, Stanford, Cambridge, and Yale universities urged policymakers and technical researchers to be vigilant to prevent and mitigate malicious uses, AFR said. As AI capabilities become more powerful and widespread, we expect the growing use of AI systems to lead to the expansion of existing threats, the introduction of new threats, and a change to the typical character of threats, the report said. Another prominent voice decrying AI is Elon Musk, Tesla and SpaceX boss, who said AI is a fundamental risk to civilisation and more dangerous than nukes, AFR reported. Related stories: Based on research available publicly, Singapore appears to have the highest amount of financial penalty that can be imposed on corporations, closely followed by Australia, the report states. The report notes that enforcements within the Asia-Pacific region are hugely varied with fines rising to close to $1 million in places like Singapore and Australia, but nations like Japan languish behind with fines of as little as $12,000. As more organisations across the region become digitally-driven, this will increasingly become a higher priority, the report continues. Global cyber legislation is set to undergo a major shakeup with the launch of the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on May 25 which will have extra-territorial applicability and sees all businesses that deal with the information of EU residents subject to a fine of up to 4% of annual global turnover or 20 million ($32 million), whichever is greater, should they suffer a breach. Australian legislation has just undergone its own an overhaul, with mandatory breach notification launched last month. With this in mind, Sarah Stephens, head of cyber, content and new technology risks at JLT, said that while increased legislation does have its positives, there can also be some negatives. One of the things we have seen around the world is that notifying consumers about data breaches over and over again does create a degree of breach fatigue so it can lessen the impact where there has been an incident where consumers do need to protect themselves, Stephens told Insurance Business. From that perspective, for Australian businesses this is an added level of disclosure requirement so most might not see it as a good thing but in some cases it could be the right thing to do for their customers. Related stories: Scott Guse, partner, audit assurance and risk consulting at KPMG, said that brokers shouldnt worry too much about the moves of tech firms. When you hear the word Amazon, you immediately think disruption. I may be going out on a limb here, but I dont think Amazons entrance to the insurance market will cause any major issues for brokers, Guse told Insurance Business. A brokers clients are not retail clients, which are an easier insurance sell; they are SMEs and larger corporates. Provided the broker is doing their job properly advising, assisting and adding value to their clients I would expect their clients will remain loyal. Guse said that while brokers may face a limited impact, the direct market will certainly be impacted. A recent Clyde & Co Insurance Growth Report noted that tech firms like Amazon and Google are well positioned to take advantage of the insurance market in 2018 thanks to their market presence and brand loyalty. In a crowded marketplace, the Google and Amazon brand names will almost certainly attract a consumer following, Avryl Lattin, partner at Clyde & Co told Insurance Business. The Clyde & Co report highlighted Teslas option of purchasing insurance cover in the UK, as well as Amazons foray into the UK insurance market as examples of digital firms beginning to make their move. Lattin said that the law firm sees a number of digital platforms looking for opportunities to expand their service offering, including into the insurance market, but, for now, the industry is seeing more benefits than challenges. At the moment, this is largely a positive for the insurance industry as it is creating new opportunities for distribution, Lattin continued. However, if these players seek authorisation as insurers and issue their own products, this is likely to create even more competition in an already very competitive market. Related stories: Capriottis 2007 Suzuki was impounded, and Capriotti was released on a summons, according to app.com. Two days later, Capriotti arrived at the police headquarters to retrieve his car and gave the police clerk another fake insurance card. This one turned out to be a photocopy of the first fake card, police said. Capriotti was arrested again. No word on whether he tried to present a third insurance card written in crayon. In his first arrest, Capriotti was charged with possession of a fraudulent motor vehicle card, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, suspended registration, driving while uninsured, and failure to exhibit documents. In the second, he was charged with presenting a false insurance card. Related stories: New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner Roger Sevigny is planning to retire this summer after 16 years with the New Hampshire Insurance Department. His current term ends on June 11. Prior to his 16 years working as a regulator in the state of New Hampshire, Sevigny spent 30 years in the military both in active duty and reserve time, retiring at the rank of Colonel, and more than 30 years working for Travelers Insurance and Citigroup. He is a National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) past president and member of the NAICs Executive (EX) Committee. Sevigny is also president of the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) and chair of the Producer Licensing (EX) Task Force. After a long career, he told Insurance Journal the stars aligned for him to retire. I had to decide whether I was going to ask the Governor to reappoint me or whether I was going to be looking to do something different, and the decision I made was that its time for the next chapter, Sevigny said. Insurance Journal: How have you seen state regulation change during your years in office? Roger Sevigny: At the national level, Ive continued to see it get better, and in large measure, the work thats done by regulators and by the NAIC and their staff has continued to develop very favorably. The NAIC, of course, because there is no federal regulator, is kind of what I call the glue that keeps us all together as state regulators. As a result, we as state regulators continue to do better at the job that we do. Keep in mind that when you talk about regulation and you talk about working to protect consumers, that really starts with being able to appropriately regulate the industry. You have to be really careful as a regulator that youre not overly heavy-handed, but at the same time, you cant let things go that could do a consumer harm. IJ: What was one of your biggest accomplishments while in office? RS: Probably the biggest accomplishment was the part that I played with regard to helping navigate through the financial crisis of 2008-2009. At that time, not only was I a regulator in New Hampshire, but I was the NAIC president-elect and then president. Our work with all of the insurance carriers looking carefully at their financial condition and working with carriers throughout that period of time ended up [being] very successful. What I always say when I go out to speak to consumers is if nothing else if I did nothing else if I could be a really good financial regulator, in other words, make sure that the carriers that are doing business are solvent and remain solvent, then Ive done a good job at protecting consumers. IJ: Within the NAIC, youve been active with the National Insurance Producers Registry (NIPR) and licensing issues. What progress have you seen there? RS: What Ive seen specifically with NIPR is continued excellence. It is the licensing mechanism across the country that agents and brokers use for a variety of things. As far as producer licensing itself, weve seen progress with regard to uniformity, but that progress seems to ebb and flow. Sometimes it can ebb and flow depending on a change in commissioner or a change in licensing director, so its something that the NAIC, and more specifically the chief regulators, need to continue to have as a focus. I believe uniformity is a good thing when it comes to producer licensing. It shouldnt matter whether youre from New Hampshire or Vermont or California, you should be able to be licensed in a similar fashion. IJ: How can state regulators keep pace with everything insurance companies are doing today? RS: It can be difficult, but its certainly doable. I say it can be difficult because all of us on the state regulatory side or anybody whos a bureaucrat working for the government doesnt have necessarily the same access to a budget as the carriers do. Its a matter of being able to appropriately budget for what it is youre going to do. Its a matter of being able to keep up with literally everything thats going on in the industry, and you have to have a very keen staff for that. Youve got to have a staff thats able to follow whats going on and able to participate. Its a constant effort to be able to keep up with whats going on. IJ: Do you think increasing federal regulation is going to be a concern going forward, or does some regulation at the federal level make sense in a global economy? RS: I dont think its ever going to go away, because there are some who believe that bigger is better and having a federal regulator would solve a lot of issues. I was very involved when Congress was looking seriously at developing an optional federal charter so the carriers could choose whether to be regulated at the federal level or at the state level, and I was very much against it. I spoke all over the country about that and about the benefit of state regulation the fact that state regulation provides consumers close access to those that can help them when they have an issue or a problem. I still really believe that. Its also the same with regard to carriers that have an issue. Its, in my mind, far more effective to call the state regulator, who frequently you know by name. So I dont think its ever going to completely go away, but I can tell you that its significantly reduced, and I think part of that is the way the insurance industry itself performed during the financial crisis. I think members of Congress saw that. If you look at Dodd-Frank, for example, Dodd-Frank does have some insurance elements to it, but theyre minimal compared to what banks have to go through. I think it was recognized at that time that the leadership and the guidance and the regulation at the state level really worked. And again, its up to us as state regulators to continue to be diligent in the effort and continue to do the best we can with providing good, solid regulation. IJ: Getting back to your upcoming retirement, do you see any challenges ahead for your successor? RS: We just finished doing a strategic planning initiative that we are just now implementing. Its going to be a challenge, but I think for someone that takes my place, because theyre coming into it new, its also going to be a real opportunity to have even greater success at the state regulatory level. I think anybody whos going to be a leader at the state level and its not only my department; its any department its got to start with being a good leader. Second, its got to start with being a good listener and not acting in an autocratic fashion. I really believe that you make much better decisions when you have healthy debate from all that are contributing to the debate, and thats going to be both a challenge and an opportunity. IJ: Do you have any other words of advice for your successor? RS: Be a good leader; be a good listener; do what makes sense. Follow the law, but do what makes sense and regulate in a way that you would want to be regulated if you were on the other side. Listen to the full audio interview on Insurance Journal TV. Topics Carriers Legislation Leadership Stephanie K. JonesTexas insurance regulators placed into receivership and started the process of liquidating a Texas-domiciled/Atlanta, Georgia-headquartered property/casualty insurance company that the insurance department says is insolvent. Access Insurance Co. provides non-standard auto insurance and is licensed in 22 states, including Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. In its order of impairment dated March 14, 2018, without going into detail the Texas Department of Insurance said Access is an impaired insurer and that the companys liabilities are greater than its assets. Under the March 13 liquidation order issued by a Travis County court, all policies not previously expired will terminate on April 12. Covered claims on all Texas policies will be paid by the Texas Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association. Access was founded in 1994 and distributed its policies through independent agents. According to the company, Access is the fifth largest writer of non-standard auto business in California. In early March, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones ordered Accessto stop transacting and soliciting insurance business there. The California Department of Insurance said the action followed Accesss Statutory Income Statement 2017 Preliminary (unaudited), which showed its policyholder surplus was negative $27.6 million as of Dec. 31, 2017, and its Statutory Income statement 2018 Preliminary (unaudited) report noted its policyholder surplus was a negative $29 million as of Jan. 31, 2018. Access also failed to file its required yearly statutory statement. In a separate, July 2017 order, California alleged Access and some affiliates had engaged in improper claims handling, and improper rating and underwriting practices. The liquidation order stays all other lawsuits against Access. Cantilo & Bennett L.L.P. of Austin, Texas, has been appointed special deputy receiver by Texas Insurance Commissioner Kent Sullivan. A statement agreeing to the liquidation order was signed by Patrick McMenamin, identified as president of Access Holdco LLC. Topics California Texas Compassion and helping others were the key takeaways from a message that Jim Darling delivered to a group of several hundred insurance professionals gathered to honor him in Los Angeles, Calif., at a dinner ceremony in late March. Darling, regional executive officer for Chubbs Pacific region, was recognized by the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundations Western division during its annual Horizon Award Gala at the Globe Theater, where a crowd of insurance professionals, community leaders and representatives from local nonprofits were gathered. Darling, the IICFs 2018 Golden Horizon Award recipient, was recognized for his leadership and philanthropic commitment during a night that also raised money for the foundations charitable causes. Jon Axel, the IICF Western division chair and managing partner for the Liberty Company Insurance Brokers, introduced Darling. Were honoring a friend and a leader and a mentor in our industry, he said. Axel talked about Darlings 35-plus-year career in the industry and his work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, including his efforts to help raise $1.5 million for that charity. Darling began his career with Chubb & Son as a summer intern in 1981, and eventually became an underwriter. Darling worked his way up the ranks, from senior vice president of worldwide marine and energy manager in 1995 to stints as a branch manager overseeing major cities. He is currently responsible for Chubbs eight Pacific branches, which account for a reported $2.5 billion in premium. Darling has led several IICF committees and currently serves on its Western division executive committee. In a speech near the end of the event, he thanked his family for their support of him during his career, and for supporting his charitable efforts. Im very proud of my family, he said. He said insurance professionals are naturally supportive of the community, as they pay claims to help people rebuild and recover from disasters, and they take care of clients in need. There is plenty of room for compassion in our business, he added. Darling also talked about his work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which hes been involved with since 1988. At the time he began his work with the foundation, a child diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a progressive, genetic disease that causes lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over time, could expect live to age 18 or 19. Today, thanks in part of scientific research supported by that foundation, a child diagnosed with the disease can expect to live to 47, he noted. A $10,000 check was donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in his honor following his speech. Another recipient of IICFs charitable efforts is the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. LAFD Deputy Chief Graham Everett was at the event to talk about how IICF funding for the foundation his improved conditions for firefighters. We really dont have a lot of money for necessities, he said. The foundation has helped with the purchased of light weight brush fire helmets for all LAFD firefighters, extractors to clean dangerous carcinogens off of equipment that has been exposed to flames and smoke, custom flashlights, specialized chairs for carrying victims, veterinary care for urban search and rescue canines, equipment for forensic investigations, and drones, he said. We could not do the work that we do without the foundation, he told the audience. Jerry Pickett, the Horizon Award Gala dinner chair and CEO of the Liberty Company Insurance Brokers, along with other IICF board members, presented Everett with a $15,000 check for the foundation. The IICF Western Division also announced $324,000 in grants for 42 charitable organizations at the gala, and a live auction during the evening garnered thousands of dollars for items up for bid that included Lakers, Kings and Angels tickets, an exclusive wine tasting getaway, and a stay in a beach front condo in Maui. The IICF Western division granted $529,000 in 2017 in support of local nonprofit and charity organizations dedicated to addressing causes related to children at risk, education and human services. The IICF is an insurance industry nonprofit that helps communities and enrich lives through grants, volunteer service and leadership. The charity has contributed $28.7 million in community grants, along with more than 270,000 volunteer hours to charities. Topics Leadership Chubb A fourth major auto insurance company in New York has reached a compliance agreement with the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) regarding DFS final regulation against discriminatory auto insurance rates. Progressive has informed Financial Services Superintendent Maria T. Vullo of its plans to comply with the regulation, joining GEICO, Liberty Mutual and Allstate. Together, the four companies provide coverage to the majority of the private passenger auto insurance market in New York, according to a DFS press release announcing the news. Under the regulation, which was finalized in December 2017 and made effective in March, private passenger auto insurers are prohibited from using drivers occupational status and/or education level as factors in initial tier placement unless the insurer demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the Superintendent, that its use of occupational status and/or educational level attained in initial tier placement or tier movement does not result in rates that are excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory. The final regulation comes after a multi-year investigation in which DFS found that some, but not all, insurers in New York had used an individuals education level and/or educational status in establishing initial tier placement without a clear demonstration of the required relationship between these factors and driving ability. As a result, classes of insureds had their rates skewed from inception, regardless of whether the insurer could rationally predict a different risk of loss for that insured, the release stated. Progressives plans for compliance involve eliminating any continuing impact of the companys prior use of education level attained and/or occupational status in setting auto insurance rates and underwriting new business. Allstate and Liberty Mutual reached agreements with DFS in December 2017, before the effective date of the regulation. GEICO reached agreement with DFS in March. Source: New York Department of Financial Services Topics Legislation Auto New York Training Development Chinese prosecutors said Wu Xiaohui, the former chairman of Anbang Insurance Group Co., doesnt deserve leniency as the one-day hearing of a fundraising fraud and embezzlement case against him wrapped up. Wu didnt make confessions that could justify reduced penalties, the Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate Peoples Court said on Weibo Wednesday evening [March 28], citing prosecutors who said his actions had threatened national financial security. Before falling afoul of the authorities, Wu led a multiyear deal spree that spanned the globe, including the purchase of New Yorks Waldorf Astoria hotel. While Wu, whose firm was seized by the government [in February], had disputed the charges and some of the alleged facts, he was later quoted by the court as saying he realized the crimes and regrets the crimes, asking for leniency. The case against Wu included defrauding Anbang Property & Casualty Insurance of an alleged 65.2 billion yuan ($10.4 billion), the amount claimed to be still missing from 160 billion yuan in unauthorized sales proceeds that he transferred into companies he secretly controlled. Zhang Yaojun, a senior partner at Beijing Zhongwen Law Firm, called it the biggest fundraising fraud case in China, with a potential punishment of life imprisonment. The court didnt say when its ruling will come. The speedy hearing contrasts with white-collar fraud cases that can drag on for months or years in other countries. After politician Bo Xilai was arrested in a corruption case that rocked the country in 2012, his trial lasted five days. His sentence came a month later. Related: Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics China Chinese courier company SF Holding Co. says its won a license to operate drones, opening up a new potential frontier for package delivery in the worlds second-largest economy. SF, the nations largest listed courier provider by market value, said late Tuesday [March 27] that one of its units was granted Chinas first ever drone operation license and that the firm was now legally able to operate logistics drones. Two phone calls to the Civil Aviation Administration of China werent answered Wednesday [March 28], when SFs stock jumped more than 5 percent, the biggest contributor to gains on the Shenzhen Composite Index. Package delivery is key in the worlds biggest consumer market, where the rise of e-commerce and mobile payments has shifted shopping for everything from groceries to factory parts online. More than 40 billion parcels were shipped around China in 2017 thats about 110 million packages a day and volumes are expected to reach 49 billion parcels this year, according to the State Post Bureau, Chinas delivery-industry watchdog. Delivery firms have been eyeing the use of logistics drones since about 2015, when e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. partnered with Shanghai YTO Express Logistics Co. in a one-time test delivering packages of ginger tea by drone. Fellow online retailer JD.com, which has its own delivery service, was reported to have started making delivery drones last year and tested the service in some rural areas. Related: Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics China Four state senators want to prevent driverless vehicles from being tested in Minnesota until their developers can prove theyre safe. Republican Sen. Jim Abeler says the death of a woman who was struck by a self-driving vehicle in Tempe, Arizona, confirmed his concerns about the technology. Minnesota Public Radio says Abeler and three other senators introduced a bill that would ban the automated driving tests. Abeler says he doesnt expect the legislation to pass this year, but he wants to start the debate. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has suspended Ubers self-driving vehicle tests because of the fatal crash. The ride-hailing service is also facing new scrutiny in California if it wants to continue to test the technology. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Auto Minnesota People who file civil lawsuits in Louisiana when someone dies from hazing could be in line for higher penalty payments, under a bill that won easy passage from the state Senate. Senators voted 28-3 for Senate Bill 91 by Sen. Dan Claitors, which was filed after the death of an LSU student allegedly subjected to a hazing ritual. The Baton Rouge Republicans proposal would allow those who file the civil lawsuits to claim additional legal damages if a hazing death is determined to be caused by reckless disregard for the victims safety even if the person being sued wasnt criminally prosecuted. LSU student Maxwell Gruvers death prompted several hazing-related bills this session, including one awaiting House floor debate to make hazing that kills someone a felony crime. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Louisiana Arkansas attorney general has joined the widening mass of litigation against opioid manufacturers, accusing three drugmakers of promoting addictive painkillers in ways that falsely denied or trivialized their risks. Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge filed a lawsuit in state court in Little Rock accusing Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson & Johnson and Endo International Plc of engaging in misleading marketing practices. The case made Arkansas at least the 17th U.S. state to sue manufacturers of prescription opioids amid a nationwide epidemic of addiction to the painkillers. The lawsuit contended the drugmakers spent millions of dollars on promotional activities that downplayed the risks of addiction associated with opioids while falsely touting the benefits of using the drugs to treat chronic pain. The reckless actions of these opioid manufacturers have wreaked havoc upon Arkansas and her citizens for far too long, Rutledge said in a statement. Purdue, the manufacturer of OxyContin, denied the allegations in a statement while saying it is deeply troubled by the prescription and illicit opioid abuse crisis. Johnson & Johnsons Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit which manufactures drugs including the opioid Duragesic, a form of fentanyl called its marketing activities appropriate and responsible. Endo did not respond to a request for comment. Prescription opioids are intended to treat pain, but the outbreak of addiction to the drugs has led to a tsunami of lawsuits by cities and counties. The lawsuits have sought to recoup damages from drugmakers for their role in the epidemic. Opioids were involved in more than 42,000 overdose deaths in 2016, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least 433 lawsuits are consolidated before U.S. District Judge Dan Polster in Cleveland, who has been pushing for a quick settlement and has invited state attorneys general with cases and probes not before him to participate in the talks. Plaintiffs lawyers pursuing the case have generally not quantified the potential costs involved in the cases but have compared them with litigation by states against the tobacco industry that led to 1998s $246 billion settlement. The U.S. Justice Department in a March 1 filing sought 30 days to evaluate participating in the litigation, citing the substantial costs that the federal government has borne as a result of the opioid epidemic. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Topics Lawsuits USA Manufacturing Drugs Atlantas top officials holed up in their offices on Saturday as they worked to restore critical systems knocked out by a nine-day-old cyber attack that plunged the Southeastern U.S. metropolis into technological chaos and forced some city workers to revert to paper. On an Easter and Passover holiday weekend, city officials labored in preparation for the workweek to come. Police and other public servants have spent the past week trying to piece together their digital work lives, recreating audit spreadsheets and conducting business on mobile phones in response to one of the most devastating ransomware virus attacks to hit an American city. Three city council staffers have been sharing a single clunky personal laptop brought in after cyber extortionists attacked Atlantas computer network with a virus that scrambled data and still prevents access to critical systems. Its extraordinarily frustrating, said Councilman Howard Shook, whose office lost 16 years of digital records. One compromised city computer seen by Reuters showed multiple corrupted documents with weapologize and imsorry added to file names. Ransomware attacks have surged in recent years as cyber extortionists moved from attacking individual computers to large organizations, including businesses, healthcare organizations and government agencies. Previous high-profile attacks have shut down factories, prompted hospitals to turn away patients and forced local emergency dispatch systems to move to manual operations. Ransomware typically corrupts data and does not steal it. The city of Atlanta has said it does not believe private residents information is in the hands of hackers, but they do not know for sure. City officials have declined to discuss the extent of damage beyond disclosed outages that have shut down some services at municipal offices, including courts and the water department. Nearly 6 million people live in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Georgia city itself is home to more than 450,000 people, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau. City officials told Reuters that police files and financial documents were rendered inaccessible by unknown hackers who demanded $51,000 worth of bitcoin to provide digital keys to unlock scrambled files. Everything on my hard drive is gone, City Auditor Amanda Noble said in her office housed in Atlanta City Halls ornate tower. City officials have not disclosed the extent to which servers for backing up information on PCs were corrupted or what kind of information they think is unrecoverable without paying the ransom. Noble discovered the disarray on March 22 when she turned on her computer to discover that files could not be opened after being encrypted by a powerful computer virus known as SamSam that renamed them with gibberish. I said, This is wrong,' she recalled. City officials then quickly entered her office and told her to shut down the computer before warning the rest of the building. Noble is working on a personal laptop and using her smartphone to search for details of current projects mentioned in emails stored on that device. Not all computers were compromised. Ten of 18 machines in the auditing office were not affected, Noble said. Old-School Analog Atlanta police returned to taking written case notes and have lost access to some investigative databases, department spokesman Carlos Campos told Reuters. He declined to discuss the contents of the affected files. Our data management teams are working diligently to restore normal operations and functionalities to these systems and hope to be back online in the very near future, he said. By the weekend, he added, officers were returning to digital police reports. Meanwhile, some city employees complained they have been left in the dark, unsure when it is safe to turn on their computers. We dont know anything, said one frustrated employee as she left for a lunch break on Friday. FEEBLE Like City Hall, whose 1930 neo-Gothic structure is attached to a massive modern wing, the citys computer system is a combination of old and new. One of the reasons why municipalities are vulnerable is we just have so many different systems, Noble said. The city published results from a recent cyber-security audit in January, and had started implementing its recommendations before the ransomware virus hit. The audit called for better record-keeping and hiring more technology workers. Councilman Shook said he is worried about how much the recovery will cost the city, but that he supports funding a cyber-security overhaul to counter future attacks. For now his staff are temporarily sharing one aging laptop. Things are very slow, he said. It was a very surreal experience to be shut down like that. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who took office in January, has declined to say if the city paid the ransom ahead of a March 28 deadline mentioned in an extortion note whose image was released by a local television station. Shook, who chairs the city councils finance subcommittee, said he did not know whether the city is negotiating with the hackers, but that it appears no ransom has been paid to date. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is helping Atlanta respond, typically discourages ransomware victims from paying up. FBI officials could not immediately be reached for comment. A Department of Homeland Security spokesman confirmed the agency is helping Atlanta respond to the attack, but declined to comment further. Hackers typically walk away when ransoms are not paid, said Mark Weatherford, a former senior DHS cyber official. Weatherford, who previously served as Californias chief information security officer, said the situation might have been resolved with little pain if the city had quickly made that payment. The longer it goes, the worse it gets, he said. This could turn out to be really bad if they never get their data back. (Reporting by Laila Kearney; additional reporting by Jim Finkle; editing by Daniel Bases and Jonathan Oatis) Topics Cyber Despite safety concerns, a recreational ax-throwing venue in Salt Lake City, Utah has been approved for a license to serve beer. The state liquor commission approved Social Axe Throwings request for a recreational beer license. The business asserted that its substantially similar to other recreational businesses that serve beer. Social Axe co-owner Mark Floyd said his company is a recreational amenity almost identical to a bowling alley, except customers throw axes at a wooden target. But that nature of the business does have some members of the state commission worried. The commission asked the company to return in six months and report on any safety issues or underage drinking problems. On one hand, we want to do what we can to allow people to engage in recreational activities commissioner Thomas Jacobson said. But Social Axe is the first Utah business of its kind to get a recreational beer license, making it unknown territory, he said. Floyd said employees will scan IDs at the door and minors will be required to wear a wristband. The activity is open to those 15 and older, but anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent. Customers also must wear closed-toed shoes. Floyd, who co-owns the business with his brother, Brayden, and Steve Lister, opened their first shop in Ogden in 2017. The two locations are among four ax-throwing venues along the Wasatch Front, including Axe Arena in Murray and True North Axe in Lehi. The Social Axe partners said they did not apply for a recreational beer license for their Ogden venue because it is located too close to a Mormon temple. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey has approved legislation that will protect injured workers from being over-prescribed addictive opioids and help control escalating medical costs in the workers compensation system, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI). SB 1111 will take effect in 90 days. During Januarys special legislative session, Gov. Ducey and the Legislature enacted the Arizona Opioid Epidemic Act, and SB 1111 ensures that the workers compensation statute is consistent with those recent changes. The measure provides more tools to track an injured workers use of opioids to prevent addiction and creates a process to address unreasonably expensive medication dispensed outside of a pharmacy. It also allows the Industrial Commission to review data on medication dispensing, consult with stakeholders, and adopt reimbursement guidelines if appropriate for Arizonas workers comp system as a whole. Physician-dispensed medication is adding to the escalation of medical costs in Arizonas workers compensation system. These drugs can be as much as 300 percent more expensive than those provided by a retail pharmacy. With this new law, Arizona will now join 22 other states that limit physician dispensing in the workers compensation system, PCI said. Source: PCI Topics Workers' Compensation Arizona Who hasn't heard of Warren Buffettone of the world's richest people, consistently ranking high on Forbes' list of billionaires? His net worth was listed at $80 billion as of Oct. 2020. Buffett is known as a business man and philanthropist. But he's probably best known for being one of the world's most successful investors. Which is why it's not surprising that Warren Buffett's investment strategy has reached mythical proportions. Buffett follows several important tenets and an investment philosophy that is widely followed around the globe. So just what are the secrets to his success? Read on to find out more about Buffett's strategy and how he's managed to amass such a fortune from his investments. Key Takeaways Buffett follows the Benjamin Graham school of value investing, which looks for securities whose prices are unjustifiably low based on their intrinsic worth. Rather than focus supply and demand intricacies of the stock market, Buffett looks at companies as a whole. Some of the factors Buffett considers are company performance, company debt, and profit margins. Other considerations for value investors like Buffett include whether companies are public, how reliant they are on commodities, and how cheap they are. Buffett: A Brief History Warren Buffett was born in Omaha in 1930. He developed an interest in the business world and investing at an early age including in the stock market. Buffett started his education at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania before moving back to go to the University of Nebraska, where he received an undergraduate degree in business administration. Buffett later went to the Columbia Business School where he earned his graduate degree in economics. Buffett began his career as an investment salesperson in the early 1950s but formed Buffett Associates in 1956. Less than 10 years later, in 1965, he was in control of Berkshire Hathaway. In June 2006, Buffett announced his plans to donate his entire fortune to charity. Then, in 2010, Buffett and Bill Gates announced that they formed the Giving Pledge campaign to encourage other wealthy individuals to pursue philanthropy. In 2012, Buffett announced he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He has since successfully completed his treatment. Most recently, Buffett began collaborating with Jeff Bezos and Jamie Dimon to develop a new healthcare company focused on employee healthcare. The three have tapped Brigham & Women's doctor Atul Gawande to serve as chief executive officer (CEO). 1:31 Warren Buffett: InvestoTrivia Part 3 Buffett's Philosophy Buffett follows the Benjamin Graham school of value investing. Value investors look for securities with prices that are unjustifiably low based on their intrinsic worth. There isn't a universally accepted way to determine intrinsic worth, but it's most often estimated by analyzing a company's fundamentals. Like bargain hunters, the value investor searches for stocks believed to be undervalued by the market, or stocks that are valuable but not recognized by the majority of other buyers. Buffett takes this value investing approach to another level. Many value investors do not support the efficient market hypothesis (EMH). This theory suggests that stocks always trade at their fair value, which makes it harder for investors to either buy stocks that are undervalued or sell them at inflated prices. They do trust that the market will eventually start to favor those quality stocks that were, for a time, undervalued. Investors like Buffett trust that the market will eventually favor quality stocks that were undervalued for a certain time. Buffett, however, isn't concerned with the supply and demand intricacies of the stock market. In fact, he's not really concerned with the activities of the stock market at all. This is the implication in his famous paraphrase of a Benjamin Graham quote: "In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run it is a weighing machine." He looks at each company as a whole, so he chooses stocks solely based on their overall potential as a company. Holding these stocks as a long-term play, Buffett doesn't seek capital gain, but ownership in quality companies extremely capable of generating earnings. When Buffett invests in a company, he isn't concerned with whether the market will eventually recognize its worth. He is concerned with how well that company can make money as a business. Buffett's Methodology Warren Buffett finds low-priced value by asking himself some questions when he evaluates the relationship between a stock's level of excellence and its price. Keep in mind these are not the only things he analyzes, but rather, a brief summary of what he looks for in his investment approach. 1. Company Performance Sometimes return on equity (ROE) is referred to as stockholder's return on investment. It reveals the rate at which shareholders earn income on their shares. Buffett always looks at ROE to see whether a company has consistently performed well compared to other companies in the same industry. ROE is calculated as follows: ROE = Net Income Shareholder's Equity Looking at the ROE in just the last year isn't enough. The investor should view the ROE from the past five to 10 years to analyze historical performance. 2. Company Debt The debt-to-equity ratio (D/E) is another key characteristic Buffett considers carefully. Buffett prefers to see a small amount of debt so that earnings growth is being generated from shareholders' equity as opposed to borrowed money. The D/E ratio is calculated as follows: Debt-to-Equity Ratio = Total Liabilities Shareholders' Equity This ratio shows the proportion of equity and debt the company uses to finance its assets, and the higher the ratio, the more debtrather than equityis financing the company. A high debt level compared to equity can result in volatile earnings and large interest expenses. For a more stringent test, investors sometimes use only long-term debt instead of total liabilities in the calculation above. 3. Profit Margins A company's profitability depends not only on having a good profit margin, but also on consistently increasing it. This margin is calculated by dividing net income by net sales. For a good indication of historical profit margins, investors should look back at least five years. A high-profit margin indicates the company is executing its business well, but increasing margins mean management has been extremely efficient and successful at controlling expenses. 4. Is the Company Public? Buffett typically considers only companies that have been around for at least 10 years. As a result, most of the technology companies that have had their initial public offering (IPOs) in the past decade wouldn't get on Buffett's radar. He's said he doesn't understand the mechanics behind many of today's technology companies, and only invests in a business that he fully understands. Value investing requires identifying companies that have stood the test of time, but are currently undervalued. Never underestimate the value of historical performance. This demonstrates the company's ability (or inability) to increase shareholder value. Do keep in mind, however, that a stock's past performance does not guarantee future performance. The value investor's job is to determine how well the company can perform as it did in the past. Determining this is inherently tricky. But evidently, Buffett is very good at it. One important point to remember about public companies is that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that they file regular financial statements. These documents can help you analyze important company dataincluding current and past performanceso you can make important investment decisions. 5. Commodity Reliance You might initially think of this question as a radical approach to narrowing down a company. Buffett, however, sees this question as an important one. He tends to shy away (but not always) from companies whose products are indistinguishable from those of competitors, and those that rely solely on a commodity such as oil and gas. If the company does not offer anything different from another firm within the same industry, Buffett sees little that sets the company apart. Any characteristic that is hard to replicate is what Buffett calls a company's economic moat, or competitive advantage. The wider the moat, the tougher it is for a competitor to gain market share. 6. Is it Cheap? This is the kicker. Finding companies that meet the other five criteria is one thing, but determining whether they are undervalued is the most difficult part of value investing. And it's Buffett's most important skill. To check this, an investor must determine a company's intrinsic value by analyzing a number of business fundamentals including earnings, revenues, and assets. And a company's intrinsic value is usually higher (and more complicated) than its liquidation value, which is what a company would be worth if it were broken up and sold today. The liquidation value doesn't include intangibles such as the value of a brand name, which is not directly stated on the financial statements. Once Buffett determines the intrinsic value of the company as a whole, he compares it to its current market capitalizationthe current total worth or price. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Well, Buffett's success, however, depends on his unmatched skill in accurately determining this intrinsic value. While we can outline some of his criteria, we have no way of knowing exactly how he gained such precise mastery of calculating value. The Bottom Line As you've probably noticed, Buffett's investing style is like the shopping style of a bargain hunter. It reflects a practical, down-to-earth attitude. Buffett maintains this attitude in other areas of his life: He doesn't live in a huge house, he doesn't collect cars, and he doesn't take a limousine to work. The value-investing style is not without its critics, but whether you support Buffett or not, the proof is in the pudding. Registered Retirement Savings vs. Registered Pension: An Overview Registered retirement savings plans (RRSP) and registered pension plans (RPP) are both retirement savings plans that are registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). RRSPs are individual retirement plans, while RPPs are plans established by companies to provide pensions to their employees. The two plans are comparable to defined-contribution savings plans and defined-benefit pension plans in the United States. Key Takeaways Registered retirement savings plans (RRSP) and registered pension plans (RPP) are Canadian retirement vehicles. An RRSP is a retirement savings and investment account for individuals, including employees and the self-employed. An RPP is an employee pension plan, funded by either the employer and the employee or in some cases, just the employer. The two plans are similar to defined-contribution savings plans and defined-benefit pension plans that are offered in the United States. Money is generally deposited pre-tax, and investment income grows tax-free, but tax is paid upon distribution. Registered Retirement Savings Plan A registered retirement savings plan is a retirement savings and investment account for employees and self-employed people in Canada. Contributions are made before taxes, but distributions are taxed at the marginal rate. If someone is taxed at a rate of 30% and they contribute $1,000 to an RRSP, the entire sum is applied to the account. In contrast, if the individual took those funds in wages, they would pay $300 in income taxes. Individuals are allowed to contribute up to 18% of their earned income annually to their RRSP, up to an annually adjusted cap ($29,210 for the 2021 tax year and $27,830 for 2020). You can find your maximum contribution limit on your latest notice of assessment online A of the RRSP Deduction Limit Statement. However, if your taxable income has changed from the previous tax year, your contribution limit has also changed. If you have not made maximum contributions in previous years, however, you may add the value of contributions that were allowed but not made to your current year's allowance. As a result, your maximum contribution limit may be higher than $29,210 . If you contribute more than the annual allowed maximum amount, the extra contribution is considered excess. Excess contributions may be taxed at a rate of 1% per month. Registered Pension Plan A registered pension plan (RPP) is a trust that provides an employee with pension benefits after they retire. RPPs are registered with the Canada Revenue Agency. An RPP can be funded by an employer or an employer in conjunction with an employee. Funds are contributed to the pension for a number of years until the recipient of the pension reaches retirement age, or leaves the company. Contributions to the plans are tax-deductible for the employee and employer. The contributions and any gains on the assets are tax-deferred and therefore taxed when the money is withdrawn. Taxation on RRSPs and RPPs Contributions to both RRSPs and registered pension plans are not taxed for Canadian residents (those living abroad may face local taxes). Individuals and their employers may both contribute to RPPs, and neither's contributions are taxed. Money earned within both RRSPs and RPPs is not subject to income or capital gains taxes. However, withdrawals from both plans are taxed as income. Special Considerations Maximum contributions on RPPs vary based on which type of RPP is being used. There are two types of RPPs: defined benefit RPPs and money purchase RPPs. In defined benefit plans, the pension amount is known and does not change, but the contribution amount varies. These plans do not have a yearly maximum contribution limit. Money purchase or defined contribution plans do not have a set or predictable pension amount, but employees know how much they are expected to contribute. Maximum annual contributions to money purchase RPPs are the same as they are for RRSPs. What Is a Hybrid Security? A hybrid security is a single financial security that combines two or more different financial instruments. Hybrid securities, often referred to as "hybrids," generally combine both debt and equity characteristics. The most common type of hybrid security is a convertible bond that has features of an ordinary bond but is heavily influenced by the price movements of the stock into which it is convertible. 1:25 Hybrid Security Understanding Hybrid Securities Hybrid securities are bought and sold on an exchange or through a brokerage. Hybrids may give investors a fixed or floating rate of return and may pay returns as interest or as dividends. Some hybrids return their face value to the holder when they mature and some have tax advantages. Hybrid securities can be viewed as a form of esoteric debt and may be difficult to sell due to their complexity. Types of Hybrid Securities In addition to convertible bonds, another popular type of hybrid security is convertible preference shares, which pay dividends at a fixed or floating rate before common stock dividends are paid, and can be exchanged for shares of the underlying company's stock. Pay-in-kind toggle notes are another type of hybrid security where the issuing company can toggle the payment from interest rates to the additional debt owing to the investor, meaning the company owes the investor more debt but doesn't actually pay interest on it immediately. This interest deferral allows the company to keep cash flowing, but the larger principal payment may never come if the cash flow situation isn't resolved. Each type of hybrid security has a unique risk and reward characteristics. Convertible bonds offer greater potential for appreciation than regular bonds, but pay less interest than conventional bonds, while still facing the risk that the underlying company could perform poorly. They can also fail to make coupon payments and not be able to repay the bond's face value at maturity. Convertible securities offer greater income potential than regular securities but can still lose value if the underlying company underperforms. Other risks of hybrid securities include deferred interest payments, insolvency, market price volatility, early repayment, and illiquidity. Special Considerations Other new types of hybrid securities are being introduced all the time in an attempt to meet the needs of sophisticated investors. Some of these securities are so complicated that it is difficult to define them as either debt or equity. In addition to being difficult to understand, another criticism of some hybrid securities is that they require the investor to take more risk than the potential return warrants. Hybrid securities are not marketed toward retail investors, but even institutional investors sometimes fail to fully understand the terms of the deal they are entering when buying a hybrid security. The Irish Government has played down British Government plans to create a customs partership arrangement to solve the Irish border issue post Brexit. British Prime Minister Theresa May is stepping up plans to tackle the Irish border question in Brexit talks through an audacious customs scheme once described as magical thinking in Brussels. But as quickly as it has been floated, business leaders here and in Britain have said it is unworkable. The scheme, which will be discussed with EU officials this month, would see the UK act as the external frontier for the EU, collecting tariffs and carrying out other checks on imports, but it could take many years to introduce. A new ministerial group on Northern Ireland, including chancellor Philip Hammond, Cabinet Office minister David Lidington and Northern Ireland secretary Karen Bradley has been set up to oversee planning for the Irish border. The customs partnership plan is one of two customs options being proposed by Mrs May, but the only one that would remove the need for customs checks at the Irish border. However, border checks would be required if Britain departed from EU regulatory standards. The government has pledged to prevent a hard land border in Northern Ireland or a border in the Irish Sea after Brexit. But the technological challenges involved in the customs partnerships are challenging, and trade experts say the scheme would take years to introduce, suggesting that Britain and the EU would have to remain aligned on customs for some time after 2021, the end of the transition deal. Britain is promoting the customs partnership plan as the best way to avoid disruption at the ports, and the Irish border, since the UK would simply mirror the EUs requirements for imports from the rest of the world. In response, an Irish Government spokeswoman said the Taoiseach has consistently said his preferred solution to the border would be one based on a satisfactory overall EU-UK relationship. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Any solution will have to deliver on the commitment to avoid a hard border and protect north/south cooperation, while simultaneously protecting the EUs single market and customs union. It will also need to be spelt out in legal detail, she said in a statement to the Irish Examiner. It is noted that advocates of a customs partnership acknowledge it would take a long time to negotiate and prepare for implementation. Pending agreement on the detail of any such solution, the backstop option of full regulatory alignment will have to be included in the Withdrawal Agreement, the statement concluded. Some importers are sceptical about Mrs Mays current favoured option of a customs partnership using futuristic technology to track goods. That option is really crazy, just not achievable, its sole purpose is to provide a political solution to the Irish issue, said one business figure. Jon Thompson, permanent secretary at HM Revenue & Customs, said last autumn that setting up an entirely new system that would be best in class, like Singapore, would take five to seven years. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald. Meanwhile, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has called on the Government to stand up to the British Conservative party on the convening of the British-Irish intergovernmental conference in Northern Ireland. Mr Varadkar and Mr Coveney have expressed their support for the establishment of such a forum, but London has so far resisted the requests. Ms McDonald said the delay in doing so is proving to be very damaging and not helpful. She added: It is unwise for Dublin to allow the Tories to stall things to this extent and I really hope that when we return from the Easter recess that we see a new determination within Government to make that intergovernmental conference happen and to be quite insistent that we have a plan. Under an intergovernmental conference, the Government can have an input into non-devolved matters relating to the North. Mr Coveney has raised the issue of the conference with Ms Bradley, but the British government has so far been non-committal. A spokesman for the Tanaiste said the matter would be discussed with the Northern Secretary at a meeting after the Easter recess. A man has been detained for questioning in Tenerife after a ten-year-old Irish boy died following a suspected hit and run. It happened on Thursday in the south of the island. The Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan is to review legal protection offered to complainants in sexual assault cases. Mr Flanagan has told the Irish Times he will start consultations with women's groups and the legal profession without delay. The review will also examine how cases can be dealt with more quickly and if additional training was required by Gardai. Meanwhile, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said the treatment of the woman at the heart of the Belfast rape trial was pretty appalling and unfortunate, writes Daniel McConnell of the Irish Examiner. Protesters in Dublin on Saturday at a march in support of the woman at the centre of the Belfast rape trial. Picture: Tom Honan Speaking at an Easter Sunday event in Dublin, she said the whole system of legal protections for complainants needs to be fixed. You are left with a completely unsatisfactory situation where the person raising the complaint has very limited, in this jurisdiction, access to legal advice and an ability to cross-examine and virtually none in the North. That needs to be fixed, she said. Ms McDonald said that, in terms of the justice system in the North, turning cases such as this into a salacious, almost circus-like atmosphere is unfortunate. The idea that people are named, I know the identity of the complainant is protected but even the accused being named, allowing so much access to the media and to the general public contributes to further trauma and does not afford the complainant or the accused persons the atmosphere in which good justice should work out, she said. Ms McDonald said it is correct that the bar is high to prove when a rape has taken place. That is as it should be but people bringing a complaint are immediately disadvantaged and certainly feel disadvantaged and feel the proceedings are adversarial, feel that they are on trial rather than the accused person, she said. All of that needs to be fixed. I am saying all of that with absolute respect for the verdict that the jury has arrived at. We need to be careful not to be going down a very dangerous route of second-guessing jury verdicts but at the same time, I think it was obvious to everyone that the way in which that trial proceeded was pretty appalling. Health Minister Simon Harris said Irelands sex education system must address modern realities. He was speaking after the dangers of children having access to pornography at a young age was highlighted in the context of the trial and how young men view women and the issue of consent. Update 7.45pm: Michael D Higgins has led commemorations marking the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin. The President was joined by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at a military ceremony on O'Connell Street. The annual ceremony involved prayers of remembrance and the laying of a wreath by the President. Air Corps Captain Sean McCarthy read out a copy of the Proclamation on the steps on the GPO (General Post Office) where the rebellion against British rule began 102 years ago. Wreath laying ceremonies took place at Glasnevin Cemetary today. Photo: Fennell Photography. Although on a smaller scale than the centenary events of two years ago, O'Connell Street was thronged with thousands of onlookers including relatives of the 1916 leaders. A number of government ministers and former president Mary McAleese also attended the event which culminated with an Air Corps fly past. It was also reported that Fr Joseph Mallin, the last surviving child of a rebel leader, Michael Mallin, had died in Hong Kong on Sunday morning. Separate commemorative events were also held at Glasnevin Cemetery. Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan was joined by Sarah Tiffan, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy, and Ambassador Stephane Crouzat on behalf of the French Embassy as well as members of the Irish Defence Forces for the event which included the raising of the tricolour over the Sigerson Monument. Mr Madigan said: "It is a great honour for me to represent the Government at this ceremony of remembrance to commemorate all those who died in the cause of Irish freedom during Easter Week 1916. We remember in a special way those who rest in peace in this cemetery and the creators of our two great symbols of nationhood. John Green, chairman of Glasnevin Trust, said: "It's important that we remember the young men and women who gave their lives to this country. It's remembrance days like these at Glasnevin Cemetery, where so many heroes of Easter week are buried, that give us a chance to reflect our past while moving towards our future. Update 1pm: Ceremonies held to mark 1916 Rising today A number of commemoration services have been held today to remember those who died in the 1916 Easter Rising. A military ceremony was held outside the GPO on O'Connell street which was attended by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and President Michael D Higgins, who laid a wreath. Glasnevin Cemetery also held several commemorations, such as wreath laying ceremonies at the Sigerson Monument and the graves of Edward Hollywood (the man who delivered the first tricolour flag to Ireland from France) and Peadar Kearney (the composer of Irelands first national anthem). Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan, was joined by Sarah Tiffan, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy, Ambassador Stephane Crouzat on behalf of the French Embassy in Ireland, as well as members of the Irish Defence Forces and Chairman of Glasnevin Trust, John Green to mak the 102nd anniversary of the Rising. "This year, as we remember the significant milestones reached in 1918 on the long and difficult journey towards enfranchising men and women equally and the full inclusion of women in political life, it is fitting that we also pay a special tribute to Dora Sigerson," she said. "She was a gifted sculptor and a major figure of the Irish Literary Revival who designed this beautiful memorial to honour those who gave their lives in the pursuit of self-determination and nationhood." 8am: A commemoration service will be held today to remember those who died in the 1916 Easter Rising. President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will attend the commemoration outside the GPO in Dublin this afternoon. The ceremony will begin at noon and will involve a reading of the Proclamation, prayers of remembrance, and the laying of a wreath by the President. Dublin Lord Mayor Micheal MacDonncha says it's always important to remember those who died during the Rising. "It set the course for an independent Ireland," he said. "It also set out the principles of the Proclamation for a Republic based on equality, equal rights and equal opportunities, a sovereign state. "I think it's very important we recommit ourselves to those ideals every year and also that we honour those who sacrificed so much for the freedom of our country," he said. - Digital Desk The Pro Life campaign has hit out at the former chair of the Oireachtas abortion committee, Catherine Noone, following heavy criticism of a tweet on Sunday which many have dubbed as an attack on freedom of religious expression and ageist. In her tweet which has since been deleted Ms Noone wrote: Easter Mass in Knock Basilica this afternoon with my parents an octogenarian priest took at least three opportunities to preach to us about abortion its no wonder people feel disillusioned with the Catholic Church. The tweet has led to an angry out pouring across social media. Senator Noone seems to forget that we have freedom of religion, freedom of association, freedom of speech and that the separation of Church/State protects religious expression as well as protecting the State. Senator Noone is entitled to make her point, but so is the Church. https://t.co/WR29L3Abjd Thomas Byrne (@ThomasByrneTD) April 2, 2018 Responding to the controversy Ms Noone said she had merely been attempting to paint a picture by using the term octogenarian in her tweet. She told the Irish Independent: "When I do go to Mass, I dont expect to be confronted with the issue. Maybe thats naivety on my part. "Im not ageist, anyone who knows me knows Im not ageist." She said the tweet was deleted because she did not need the negativity and that "certain people are trying to take anything I say and construe it in a certain way. Responding to the senators comments today Cora Sherlock of the Pro Life Campaign said that perhaps Senator Noone should elaborate on the picture she was trying to paint with her tweet. "She insists her remarks were not ageist. Okay then, what message was she trying to convey? I thought she called for a measured and reasoned debate on numerous occasions where everyone would be free to express their sincerely held views on the Eighth Amendment without being attacked or caricatured. Senator Noone claims she deleted her offensive tweet not because she didnt stand over it but because she did not need the negativity that came in response to it. Ms Sherlcok continued: "Its all becoming a little bizarre. Can she not see that she's the author of the negativity in this story, not someone else? I wouldnt defend anyone if they were offensive or abusive towards her in their replies but from what Ive seen most people challenged her reasonably on what was a very distasteful tweet to start with from her. - Digital Desk By Sarah Slater Childrens behaviour is becoming more sexualised at a younger age as they are trying to grow up too fast, a leading anti-cyberbullying expert is warning. Jim Harding, founder of cyber watchdog Bully4U, set-up 10 years ago this month, provides training to both primary, secondary school children and teachers on the dangers of cyber-bullying, said the the world of the internet is now even less safe than it was as this world reinvents itself so quickly under new guises. He said children have virtually stopped using Facebook because their parents are using the social media app meaning children do not want their behaviour to be monitored too closely. Mr Harding said: Reviewing the past 10 years, Bully4U has found the internet world for children has changed significantly and there are a lot more predators in the cyber world waiting to prey on unsuspecting children. They know that children are using social media platforms at much younger ages and in far greater numbers. The age of 13, largely flouted by social media apps as the common introductory age, is a lie. From dealing with thousands of children in classrooms nationwide over the past 10 years, the organisation has found that children as young as nine are regular users of social media platforms. Snapchat and Instagram are now the most popular app used by children and younger teenagers, with 80% of 10-year-olds using them. As a result, and due to them not wanting their mums and dads to know what they are doing on social media, children have virtually ceased using Facebook. The Snapchat app has given children the false belief that they can send material of a risque nature and that it will then disappear, which is not the case. This has fuelled a tsunami of sexting amongst Irish children. Teenage girls are receiving several requests daily to send nude photos. Bully 4u have been asked to speak about the dangers and consequences of sexting to children. Mr Harding continued: Childrens behaviour is becoming more sexualised at a younger age as they try to grow up too fast. The objective of our children is to have the most friends/likes and they are motivated by the concept of being popular, and as a result, there can be a hierarchy of popularity in schools. Four out of five children are playing violent video games which are not age-appropriate and leads to bullying behaviour, while children as young as nine are visiting video chat apps and sites like Omegle, Melon, youlive, Ouvu, Periscope and known predators trawl this sites in their efforts to groom children. These apps did not exist when Bully4U was set-up. Ten years ago the advice to parents would have been to monitor childrens usage of the internet by keeping the laptop in the family room, now with several ways of accessing the internet in the home children are still being left to monitor and supervise themselves, despite numerous warnings. The toxic anonymous Ask.Fm, the anonymous question-and-answer website has largely been replaced by Saharah which is equally as bad. High profile cases of teenagers taking their own lives due to cyberbullying include; 15-year-old Phoebe Prince who died in South Hadley, Massachusetts in 2010 after moving there from Clare, Ciara Pugsley (15) from Dromahir, Co Leitrim and sisters 13-year-old Erin and Shannon (15) Gallagher from Ballybofey in 2012. Randomised video-chat websites have been in existence since Chat Roulette was launched nine years ago in 2009. Chat Roulette currently has developed an X-rated reputation and the site discourages teenagers from using it. I have serious concerns that video-chat websites are being exploited by paedophiles to obtain and coerce images. The State needs to block websites which allow predators to exploit children. There is technology out there to block these sites. A sale of art by Tracey Emin and a host of Irish artists will raise funds for the Jack and Jill Foundation. Every piece is 50 but buyers wont know the identity of the artist until after theyve purchased it, writes Marjorie Brennan. Lucinda Hall, the exhibition manager of the charity art fundraiser Incognito, in aid of the Jack and Jill Foundation, is a happy camper after having her event named Most Innovative Campaign at the National Fundraising Awards. The unique selling point of this art sale is that, as the name suggests, anyone who purchases a postcard-sized piece of art for 50 doesnt know who is responsible until they turn it over to see the name on the back. The inspiration for the charity fundraiser came from an unusual source, says Hall. My hairdresser in Dublin used to disappear every year for about three days. You know how annoying that is when you want get your hair done, she laughs. It turns out that every year, he goes to London to the Secret Art Fair at the Royal College of Art and camps overnight the night before. He buys three postcard-sized paintings by original artists I think theyre around 35 each and he could get a Damien Hirst or a Tracey Emin. I thought it would make a great charity fundraiser. Hall brought the idea to her friend Jonathan Irwin, who, in 1997, had founded the Jack and Jill Foundation with his wife Mary Ann OBrien, to provide home health care to seriously ill children. The charity was established as a result of their experience of caring for their son Jack, who was born with severe brain damage in 1996. Jonathan thought it was a great idea and asked me to do it. I said I havent a clue what Im doing but Ill work it out, says Hall. And work it out she did, in spectacular fashion. There were queues around the block for last years launch event at Dublins Solomon Gallery, which raised 85,000. This year more than 2,000 miniature pieces of art have been donated and the hope is that even more money will be raised. While organising the event is no easy task, Hall is no stranger to such challenges; she was on the original production team for Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables and Cats, and had her own production company in London before marrying well-known horse-racing presenter Robert Hall and moving to Co Kildare. Theatre producers spend their lives asking for money, she laughs. That was familiar territory for me. Its a lot easier for this because the artists are so willing to do it. "Artists are usually asked to do a whole painting for auction, which could take weeks. This is just a little card, 5in by 7in; they can just do a squiggle if they want. This year, well-known artists donating their work include Tracey Emin, Nick Miller and Richard Gorman, but Hall says while nabbing a famous name is part of the fun, most people are drawn to purchase art that appeals to them aesthetically. I know this year the aficionados will want to find the Tracey Emin. There are so many brilliant artists, though, known and unknown. You are buying what you like as opposed to who it is by. Its true meritocracy, it is just as likely to be by someone not famous as someone famous, but if you like it, you will want to keep it. Hall says organisers were so taken aback by the response to the event last year that they didnt really get the chance to gauge peoples reactions when they found out the artist behind their postcard. It was absolutely manic. We imagined the first day that we would be standing around, a customer would choose a number, we would hand it to them, turn it over, see who painted it and say wow. "But as it turned out, we had a queue that started at 6.30am and it went on building until there were about 350 people there. We opened at 10am and we just had to get through the queue. Hall says it is hugely gratifying and rewarding to work on such a project. Its brilliant 16 buys you an hours nursing, so the 85,000 we raised last year covered a huge number of hours. Thanks to the generosity of the Solomon Gallery and our brilliant sponsors this year, the William Fry law firm, every penny goes directly to providing nursing. In the meantime, Hall says, shell be glad not to see another postcard for a while. I talk postcards, dream postcards and eat postcards. I said to a friend who went on holiday yesterday, please dont send me a postcard. The collection can be viewed online at www.incognito.ie and www.jackandjill.ie. The artworks will be on sale, on a first-come, first-served basis, for 50 each in the Solomon Gallery, Dublin, off Grafton St, from April 6-8. By Dan MacCarthy We love to anthropomorphise the landscape that is, to give human definition to an inanimate object. Slieve Binnian in the Mourne Mountains is said to resemble a reposing Finn McCool, or The Old Man of Hoy in the Orkneys, Scotland, is a famous sea stack that glowers down on seafarers. There are many other examples around the country of such formations. Inishtooskert is part of the Blaskets archipelago in Co Kerry and is the most northerly of the six islands as its name suggests (Inis Tuaisceart, Northern Island). Its neighbours are the Great Blasket, Beginish, Inishvickillane, Inishtearaght and Inishnabro. Seen from Slea Head heading towards Sybil Head, the island bears a strong resemblance to a sleeping or a dead man, hence its nickname An Fear Marbh. With his head pointing east and his feet to the west, he seems lost in a deep sleep floating on the ocean surface. There are countless other examples from around the world of such mimetoliths. There are numberless examples in other geographic or meteorological features of such as faces in clouds, but lets not go there. Perhaps it is something about seeking the familiar in the indifferent that motivates us to find our likeness. Of course this is all about perspective and when you are standing on Inishtooskert, there is no evidence of the old man. As Inishtooskert is such an inhospitable place, there are very few signs of human habitation on the island. Towering cliffs on the northern side slope downward to the southern, with fairly extensive fields providing ample grazing for sheep. In the centre of the island, there are the remains of an early Christian settlement including some drystone walls. And there is an extant structure on the western end which has been identified as the oratory of St Brendan. In The Blaskets: People and Literature, Muiris Mac Conghail describes meeting a sheep farmer Sean Pheats Taim O Cearna, who climbed the cliff faces as if he were a young goat. The men would climb the cliff face select the stock and then climb back down the cliff with the animal draped over their shoulders or jumping and pulling the sheep with them over the edge. Sheep grazing on Inishtooskert precipice. Pic: Dan MacCarthy The sheep were then tethered together and loaded onto naomhogs and brought to the nearby Beginish for rich grazing before final transportation to the Great Blasket. Of all the Irish islands, Inishtooskert has one of the most ghoulish tales associated with it. Irelands Eye in Co Dublin had the infamous story of a socialites murder by her lover in the mid-19th century. In 1835, a census taken by the parish priest of Ballyferriter, one Fr Casey, indicates a population on Inishtooskert of three souls. They were Tomas O Cathain, his wife Peig, and their son. After a prolonged period of severe weather in 1835, the family lost contact with the other islands and had to make do with whatever meagre supplies they had stored away. They had been living in a tiny clochan on the island and their living conditions were dire. This structure had a small hole in the roof for releasing smoke from the turf fire. Tomas died during the storm from illness or otherwise is not known and Peig, unable to heft the corpse, stiff with rigor mortis, through the door of the clochan, proceeded to dismember the body and pass it parcel-size through the gap in the roof. Neighbours from the Great Blasket finally landed on Inishtooskert once the storm subsided and brought supplies to Peig. Her story was recorded by archaeologist George Du Noyer. These werent the last of the inhabitants on the island though. Griffiths Valuation records a Patrick Kearmey, Patrick Kane, and John Hussey, as later inhabitants. By 1911, none of the Blaskets but the Great Blasket was inhabited. Nowadays, noble Inishtooskert is deserted, of course, but it still fires the imagination of many a child who happens along the road by Dunquin. It attracts birdwatchers enthralled by the swooping puffins, kittiwakes, razorbill, fulmar and storm petrels. It also is a magnet for some intrepid mountain baggers such as those from mountainviews.ie keen to tick off its 172m hill. How to get there: Difficult. Sea kayak from Dunquin or inquire at Dingle pier. For tours: www.marinetours.ie Other: The Blaskets: People and Literature, Muiris Mac Conghail; Mountainviews.ie In the first of his articles covering the conscription crisis of 1918, Ryle Dwyer explained how heavy-handed British politicians looked towards Ireland to solve their armys manpower crisis during a vital stage of the war on the Western Front. Today, in part two of the series, he looks at how opposition by the Catholic hierarchy inspired organised labour and trade unions and politicians to join the campaign against the military draft with a national strike, and helped lay the foundations for Irish independence. The Catholic hierarchy and clergy initially galvanised the Irish people against conscription in 1918. Politicians and labour representatives then built on this initiative. Some 1,500 delegates met for an All-Ireland Trades Conference in the Mansion House on Saturday, April 20, 1918. William OBrien, president of the Dublin United Trades Council, presided and proposed a one-day national strike against the introduction of conscription on Tuesday, April 23. The proposal was passed unanimously. We shall resist it in every way that seems feasible, the gathering agreed. Even the Irish Independent, controlled by William Martin Murphy, supported the national strike. Murphy had been the nemesis of organised labour since the infamous lock-out during the tram strike of 1913. Sincerely we hope that Irish Labour will stand solid in this crisis, and follow faithfully the advice and directions of its leaders, the Irish Independent editorial proclaimed. Any sign of wavering or half-heartedness would wholly destroy the effect of the demonstration of fealty to the cause of Labour and Ireland. The Labour movement in Ireland is at a turning point in its existence, OBrien confidently told trade union colleagues in Dublin on the eve of the strike. We will make history tomorrow. When we see William Martin Murphy in the leading article in the Irish Independent this morning expressing the hope that the workers of Ireland will be loyal to the decision of the leaders on Saturday, we dont know whether we are standing on our head or on our heels. The country came to a virtual standstill on Tuesday. Publication of the Dublin daily newspaper was halted for a day, and there were no trains, or buses, and virtually all traffic ceased. Even the pubs in Cork remained shut. In short, the Cork Examiner reported, the commercial and industrial life of the city was for one whole day at a standstill. Yesterday no manner of work was done in Dublin or in the rest of Ireland outside North-East Ulster, the Irish Times remarked in an editorial next day. The mandate of last Saturdays Labour Conference was observed strictly and with complete success. Labour was withdrawn from every process of trade and industry. There were determined efforts in the following days to preserve the political unity. A monster anti-conscription rally was called for Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon, on May 5, 1918. It was addressed by Eamon de Valera and James Dillon, the respective leaders of Sinn Fein and the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP). Probably never in the history of Irelands national activities has there been such a dramatically striking demonstration of earnest unity, the Freemans Journal reported. The most extreme differences of political view, assembled in the square to demonstrate their enthusiastic loyalty to the unity in leadership represented by Mr. Dillon and Mr. E. de Valera, side by side on the platform. The Military Services Act (1918) authorised the British government to introduce conscription in Ireland by a mere order in council. Henry Duke, the Chief Secretary for Ireland, strongly advised against it. It will be impossible in the teeth of the opposition of bishops and politicians to enforce conscription, he warned. Implementing the measure in the face of such opposition would require more men than would be conscripted, he added. The Attorney General, F.E. Smith, who was closely associated with Edward Carson and the northern Unionists, advocated on April 20 that the Sinn Fein leaders should be arrested and deported from Ireland. But Duke warned that this would only further inflame the minds of the people. Dukes tenure as Irish secretary was terminated during the first week of May, when the British made a clean sweep of their Irish government. The viceroy, Ivor Churchill Guest, was replaced by Field Marshall John French, while Duke was replaced by Edward Shortt. The commander-in-chief of British forces in Ireland, Lt General Bryan Mahon, a Galway native, was also moved. Mahon had also advised against introducing conscription. He warned that they might as well conscript Germans. He was replaced by Lt General Frederick Shaw, who, in September 1919, suggested the introduction of the Black and Tans. The first official act of the French and Shortt was to issue a proclamation on the night of May 16 declaring that a German plot had been uncovered involving Irish people. Crowds of onlookers throng Patrick Street on the day following the burning of Cork city centre by crown forces. This was used to justify the arrest and deportation of more than 70 leading members of Sinn Fein during the following 48 hours. The round-up began on the night of May 17, 1918. Michael Collins learned of the British plans in advance and notified de Valera and others. But they decided there was more to gain politically by allowing themselves to be arrested. Irish newspapers promptly demanded that evidence of this German plot be produced. The Irish Times took for granted that this would be done. The Government has acted on information which convinces it that a dangerous German intrigue exists in Ireland, the newspaper explained. It knows that it must justify everything that it has done. The Freemans Journal, Irish Independent, and Cork Examiner were all wary of the British motives in the midst of the conscription crisis. It looked suspiciously like the British Government was just trying to smear Sinn Fein in order to prepare the way for the Order in Council to introduce conscription. It is remarkable coincidence that the official statement relative to the existence of a German plot should have been made after Parliament had risen for the Whitsuntide Recess, and that the arrests should have rapidly followed, the Cork Examiner noted. As Parliament is not now sitting, no questions can be asked, and no information obtained either as to the alleged German plot itself or as to the persons supposed to be implicated in it. In these circumstances there will be a universal demand in this country that the fullest light shall immediately be thrown upon the allegations contained in the Viceregal Proclamation. This proved to be another blow to the IPP, as its representatives had no more influence in the matter than the elected Sinn Fein representatives who had refused to take their seats at Westminster. All four Sinn Fein representatives elected to parliament in 1917 were arrested, and promptly transported to Britain. de Valera was jailed in Lincoln, George N Plunkett in Birmingham, Joe McGuinness in Gloucester, and WT Cosgrave in Reading. More than 70 party colleagues were held in eight different jails in England and Wales for over nine months, without ever being charged, or brought before any court. This exposed British justice as a perversion of any true sense of justice. Was it just a coincidence that the Attorney General had advocated the round-up and deportation of Sinn Fein leaders almost four weeks before the arrests? The British never produced any credible evidence of the supposed German plot. It has often been suggested that the executions following Easter Rebellion drove the Irish people into the arms of Sinn Fein. During 1917, disparate republican elements won four parliamentary by-elections before they united under the Sinn Fein banner and the leadership of de Valera in October 1917. The party then lost the next three by-elections to the IPP in early 1918. Sinn Feins star seemed to be on the wane, until April 20, at the height of the conscription controversy, when Patrick McCartan was elected to Westminster in uncontested by-election in North Kings County (Offaly). At the time, McCartan was actually in the US. The round-up, deportation, and jailing of so many Sinn Fein activists provided the party with an enormous boost and utterly undermined the IPP. Arthur Griffith comfortably won the East Cavan by-election from Gloucester prison on June 20, 1918. That same day, Guest, who had been viceroy to Ireland until just before the arrests, raised many eyebrows when he complained in parliament about the Government having alleged the existence of a German plot in Ireland. He obviously did not believe there was any substance to the allegation. It is somewhat strange, he told the House of Lords, that neither I, nor, as far as I am aware, any other member of the late Irish Executive, was aware of the existence of this plot until it was discovered by the British government. It was generally assumed throughout Ireland that the British were simply retaliating against Sinn Fein over the anti-conscription campaign. As a result the party got the bulk of the credit for averting conscription, even though the Church hierarchy and clergy had probably played a more influential role. The British governments handling of the whole affair had been a catalogue of errors from start to finish. Their conduct in the aftermath of the crisis was probably as historically significant as the crisis itself, because it led to Sinn Fein eclipsing the IPP. If Sinn Fein had been involved in a plot with the Germans, the British could easily have charged those involved after the war ended in November. This would not have compromised any intelligence operations at that point. British prime minister David Lloyd George. Pic: Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images The British should, at least, have charged, or released those people being held at the end of the war, but they persisted in holding them in prison without charge, greatly offending the Irish sense of justice. The situation was further compounded when Dick Coleman of Swords, Co Dublin, died in Usk on December 9, of the deadly Spanish influenza epidemic. Five days later, the Irish people went to the polls. Campaigning on a pledge to establish an independent parliament in Dublin, Sinn Fein won 73 of the 105 Irish seats. This result amounted to an electoral endorsement of Irish independence. A majority of the victorious Sinn Fein candidates were in jail at the time. Twenty-four of those seats were won by people who were imprisoned in England or Wales without charge. Sinn Fein received a psychological boost when seven imprisoned members escaped from Usk and Lincoln prisons in late January and early February, 1919. Those included Eamon de Valera. Michael Collins had personally helped to spring him in the hope that de Valera would lead a war of independence against the British. Two days after de Valeras escape, the British cabinet considered releasing the other Sinn Feiners, but Winston Churchill, the secretary for war, argued against the move. It would be a disastrous sign of weakness to let out the Sinn Fein prisoners, he insisted, thereby exhibiting his blind contempt for the rule of law, truth, justice, and democracy in Ireland. Although the bishops had played a leading role during the conscription crisis, they faded into the background afterwards. But some bishops did lash out in their Lenten pastorals on March 2, 1919. We are not ruled by the ordinary law, but subjected to a drastic military code, said Michael Cardinal Logue. Wherever we turn our eyes, instead of freedom and justice, the Bishop of Derry, Charles McHugh, noted, we are confronted by a militarism of the most up-to-date Prussian type. The Bishop of Clogher, Patrick McKenna, complained about the deportation and imprisoning of those being held without any charge against them. The continued incarceration of these men is a monstrous injustice and a disgrace to any people calling itself civilised, he said. Pierce McCan, who had been elected to Parliament in East Tipperary in December, died in Gloucester Jail of influenza on March 6. The British then decided to release all of those being held over the supposed German Plot. De Valera was acutely aware that the Catholic hierarchy had played the vital role in staving off conscription, which was accomplished without firing a shot. Maybe this explains why he rebuffed the efforts of Collins to lead a war of independence against the British. Instead, de Valera decided to go to the US to enlist international support for Irish independence. The hierarchys influence during the conscription crisis may explain why de Valera was always so accommodating with them afterwards. Indeed, when push came to shove, few politicians dared to stand up to, or defy, the hierarchy in the following decades. Russia's foreign minister has accused the UK of "putting all decency aside" over its claims that Moscow is to blame for the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Sergey Lavrov appeared to suggested that UK secret services may have been involved in the March 4 attack in Salisbury, which he said may have been "beneficial" to the British Government to distract attention from Brexit. Mr Lavrov said it was "outrageous" that Britain had failed to provide consular access to Yulia Skripal, 33, since it emerged that her condition was improving. His comments came as the Russian Embassy in London issued a series of what it termed "questions without answer" about the Skripal case - including whether the UK had ever produced the Novichok nerve agent believed to have been used in the Salisbury poisoning. Sergei Skripal. Britain has said that Russian state involvement is the only plausible explanation for the attack, and has led a worldwide reaction involving the expulsion of more than 100 diplomats. But Mr Lavrov accused Western countries of "playing children's games", according to reports from Russian news agency Tass. "Today, our Western partners, and I first of all refer to the Great Britain, the United States and some other countries, which are blindly guided by them, put all of their decency aside and resort to bold lies and fake news," said Mr Lavrov. "Our responses to all of this are calm and weighted as we keep insisting that all accusations and allegations must be backed with the facts." Insisting that Moscow "could not have a possible motive" to attack Mr Skripal - who he said was "pardoned" at the time of a spy swap with the West - Mr Lavrov said there were other possible explanations for the poisoning. "Experts say this may be rather advantageous for Britain's special services, which are known for their ability to act with a license to kill," he said. This can be also beneficial to the British Government which found itself in an inconvenient situation after failing to fulfil its promises to voters on Brexit's conditions. According to Tass, Russia's top diplomat said: "I want to reiterate that Russia has no relation to the Skripals' poisoning, but we are very interested - probably more than anyone else - in establishing the truth about our citizens' fate." Mr Lavrov said he hoped that Mr Skripal would recover in the same way as his daughter, adding: "I consider this is outrageous that so far our multiple requests demanding access to our citizens have been rejected or have remained unanswered." In a string of questions on Twitter, the Russian embassy asked: "Has the substance identified by British representatives as 'Novichok' or analogous substances been researched, developed or produced in the UK?" Britain has previously dismissed a series of Russian comments about the possible explanation for the poisoning as efforts to distract attention from Moscow's own failure to explain its part in the events. Meanwhile, Russia's envoy to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons suggested that Moscow would launch a new initiative in the Skripal case at an extraordinary meeting of its executive council on Wednesday. Britain has granted the OPCW access to samples of the substance used to poison the Skripals, which UK experts have identified as Novichok, a nerve agent believed to have been developed by Russia. On Sunday, Moscow sent a series of questions to the international organisation, including what data and material the UK had provided, what procedures were followed, where the samples are being analysed and when the OPCW will come forward with conclusions. Russia's permanent representative to the OPCW, Alexander Shulgin, told Rossiiskaya Gazeta newspaper: "We plan to come out with one more initiative at the extraordinary session. "I'd prefer not to disclose it now but, you can take it from me that it will be a good initiative, which will give rise to no unfavourable criticism. It fits perfectly well into the framework of the Chemical Weapons Convention and is geared to resolve the problem by civilized means." A spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow was ready to take further retaliation measures against the UK if its trade mission in Britain was shut down. Following reports that the mission was slated for closure, Dmitry Peskov said: "Moscow is thoroughly analyzing every unfriendly step taken against the Russian Federation, and each such unfriendly step eventually gets a response, which has a respective formulation. "That is why let's not run ahead, Moscow will not leave such steps unanswered." Official crime figures released by the CSO show a total of 219 sexual offences were recorded in the city in 2017, up from 110 the previous year. It is almost six times the national rate of increase in sexual offences last year, which were up 17% with almost 2,950 crimes. The other two Garda divisions in the county also recorded above-average increases in reported sex crimes in 2017. In Cork North, which covers towns including Fermoy, Youghal, and Cobh, the number of rapes and sexual assaults reported rose by 51% to 95. In Cork West, which includes Macroom, Clonakilty, Bantry, and Bandon, they were up 40% to 77. Cork City also experienced a surge in burglaries last year, with levels up 33% to 621 while reported thefts were up 10% to 3,751. In contrast, there was a reduction in the number of robberies, drug offences, and damage to property reported in the city. In Cork North, there was a sharp rise in drug offences up 38% while burglaries were up 18% and assaults up 22%. In Cork West, burglary rates bucked the national trend by falling by 17.5% but drug offences increased by 29% and public order offences rose 16%. Overall crime rates nationally, excluding road traffic offences, rose by 7.5% last year, with a total of 214,205 offences recorded an annual increase of almost 15,000. The biggest increase was recorded in the Meath division where crime levels increased by 22.5% three times the national rate to 5,930 offences, driven by a sharp increase in burglaries and thefts. The second-largest rise in crime figures was in Kildare where they were up 17.2% to 7,875. Other divisions where crime rates rose by over 10% during 2017 were Kerry, Cavan/Monaghan, Cork West, Laois/Offaly, Galway, Sligo/Leitrim, and Dublin North and South Central. Only three Garda divisions experienced a drop in crime rates last year: Mayo, Clare, and Dublin South. The CSO resumed publication of official crime figures under reservation last week for the first time in 12 months. It suspended the quarterly publication of crime figures in early 2017 amid concern over quality issues in the recording of offences on the Garda Pulse system, first highlighted in a Garda Inspectorate report in 2014. More recently concern has been voiced about how Garda management has carried out an internal review of 41 homicides. The CSO said its under reservation classification reflected its concerns around the completeness and accuracy of Pulse data. The CSO has warned that further revisions of the latest official crime figures can be expected as it resolves deficiencies in the Garda recording of offences. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) confirmed that 27 deer were shot by rangers on the 21-acre island, after the discovery of four dead sika. Around 20 remain. It has said balancing the needs of deer and ecology is challenging. The ruins on Inisfallen of the monastery founded in the 6th century by St Finan the Leper are among the most important in the region. The island is where Brian Boru studied, and its annals, a chronicle of the south-west, composed in the 11th century, are in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Around a decade ago, a small number of Sika, a Japanese species introduced here in the 19th century, swam the short distance from Ross Castle to the island. Their numbers were not controlled. Bark on the islands trees was stripped and almost every inch of ground is bare. The islands ecology has been destroyed, according to local councillor John Joe Culloty, a member of the national park liaison committee. Mr Culloty uncovered the dire situation last week after finding the dead animals. He wants all deer taken off the historic island and he says management of the park badly needs to be addressed. Every tree that can be bark-stripped is bark-stripped because the animals are starving, and the ground is as bare as it could possibly be, he said. To get the island back, it needs to be kept clear of deer. The numbers of red deer and sika are felt to be out of control in south Kerry, and the lack of manpower in Irelands first national park is being blamed for degeneration of the woods and ecology. Wildlife rangers, whose duties take them beyond the park to oversee other protected habitats and species, now number just four there were previously eight. There is no regeneration in Killarneys important oak and deciduous woodlands because of deer numbers. A number of car accidents have been attributed to deer straying onto the roads. There are persistent calls for a widespread cull, and to allow farmers shoot deer found on farms, as well as in Killarney town centre. Their exact numbers are not known, but there are several hundred of both red and sika in the Killarney forests alone well beyond what is sustainable. 97 deer were culled in March, the majority of which were red hinds. Meanwhile, the Department of Heritage has said balancing deer and forestry is challenging, but it will carry out more culls. It also said that the department commissioned a survey in the winter of 2016 on the distribution, population density, and population structure of red deer and sika deer in Killarney National Park. There is a significant challenge in attempting to balance the demands of agriculture, forestry, and conservation with the need to ensure that deer populations occupying the same land resources are managed at sustainable levels, and in a responsible and ethical manner, it said. Ultimately, however, where deer species are increasing in range and numbers, depending on the annual count and instances of damage caused by deer to habitats [especially woodland], culls need to be carried out to ensure that deer populations do not reach levels that would have negative ecological consequences. This is the first of what is expected to be a number of sweeping changes to the system whereby offenders contribute to charity in lieu of conviction, or in lessening of conviction, at the discretion of individual judges. It has however yet to be decided if the identity of individuals who have received monies is to be revealed. Individual names are now redacted amid fears of breaching data protection legislation. In 2017, in District No 17 comprising the Kerry district courts, the names of seven individuals who received sums of between 1,000 and 15,000 have not been released. Poor box takings vary hugely from district to district and the individual judges decide where the money goes. In the public interest and in the interest of greater accountability and transparency the Courts Service intends to publish all poor box payments issued on the courts service website , the Courts Funds Office has stated in a letter seen by the Irish Examiner. Meanwhile, it has also emerged that legislation is being drafted to abolish the court poor box as it stands, and replace it with a fair, equitable and transparent system of reparation. The new system will be confined to minor offences. And the sanctions look set to be community-based and with greater involvement of the Probation Service, the private secretary to the Minister for Justice and Equality has told the mother of a south Kerry man whose son was asked to pay 5,000 to the poor box last December, to avoid jail. The young man had already paid more than 12,000 in compensation to victims of late-night assaults which he had admitted. The woman and her son had expected the matter to be finalised in December at Cahersiveen District Court, but instead he was told there would have to be an additional 5,000 paid, this time to the poor box, and the matter had been adjourned. Solicitor Padraig OConnell confirmed the details. Meanwhile, poor box donations in Kerry District courts for 2017 amounted to 520,960.99. The figure is an increase on the almost 400,000 collected in 2016. Some 467,000 of the 2017 fund has been distributed among 70 charities Kerry regularly accounts for the single biggest poor box collections in any court district. However, there has been growing concern as much as 90% of this money goes to overseas charities. Most of the money donated in Kerry in 2017 went to African and other overseas charities. The Christian Blind Mission, for instance, received 51,000 and SightSavers International got a similar sum. In contrast, the Kerry Rape & Sexual Abuse Centre, which has publically called for an increase, got 250. In a survey of more than 4,000 Irish motorists, more than half (54.06%) said they saw a significant increase in their insurance costs at the time of their last renewal. A further 23.35% said they had seen their insurance costs continue to rise year on year. While we have seen a few headlines recently indicating that insurance costs are dropping, its important to bear in mind that this is based off an aggregate of all available data and, as a result, there are many motorists out there that have yet to see their premiums start to dip, said Conor Faughnan, AA director of consumer affairs. The 13 sisters and six brothers returned to the family home at Ardaneanig, Co Kerry, to mark Noras special day in the house where they all grew up and where Nora still lives independently, though with youngest son Lawrence keeping an eye from next door. Then it was off to Killarney for dinner, where Nora was joined by 50 of her 58 grandchildren and many of her 16 great-grandchildren. All bar one of the siblings, UK-based Bernadette, live in Ireland but even so, getting everyone together is a feat. Theres always something on that someone cant get out of so its been four or five years since we all met up, said Seamus Kelly, or number 14. With the oldest, Eamon, in his mid-60s and youngest, Laura, in her mid-40s, there was a new arrival every year but somehow, Nora and her husband John, who died in 2003, managed to keep order. We had a small farm and grew everything ourselves so there was always a job to be done. That kept us out of mischief, said Seamus. Despite rarely having a moment to herself, Nora wasnt one to put her feet up as the children got older but got heavily involved in the Irish Kidney Association and the Kerry Parents and Friends Association. She was always involved in the community and thankfully shes still in great form and enjoying life, said Seamus. We knew no different growing up but looking at my own family, I dont know how she did it. I have three and I think thats a crowd! Speaking at an Easter Sunday event in Dublin, she said the whole system of legal protections for complainants needs to be fixed. You are left with a completely unsatisfactory situation where the person raising the complaint has very limited, in this jurisdiction, access to legal advice and an ability to cross-examine and virtually none in the North. That needs to be fixed, she said. Ms McDonald said that, in terms of the justice system in the North, turning cases such as this into a salacious, almost circus-like atmosphere is unfortunate. The idea that people are named, I know the identity of the complainant is protected but even the accused being named, allowing so much access to the media and to the general public contributes to further trauma and does not afford the complainant or the accused persons the atmosphere in which good justice should work out, she said. Ms McDonald said it is correct that the bar is high to prove when a rape has taken place. That is as it should be but people bringing a complaint are immediately disadvantaged and certainly feel disadvantaged and feel the proceedings are adversarial, feel that they are on trial rather than the accused person, she said. All of that needs to be fixed. I am saying all of that with absolute respect for the verdict that the jury has arrived at. We need to be careful not to be going down a very dangerous route of second-guessing jury verdicts but at the same time, I think it was obvious to everyone that the way in which that trial proceeded was pretty appalling. Health Minister Simon Harris said Irelands sex education system must address modern realities. He was speaking after the dangers of children having access to pornography at a young age was highlighted in the context of the trial and how young men view women and the issue of consent. The Government is under fire after committing to implement the 2014 Toland report which recommended dividing the department up and creating a separate Home Affairs division. After Frances Fitzgeralds resignation in November, the Taoiseach committed to the proposal but former justice ministers Dermot Ahern, Gerard Collins, and Nora Owen have all expressed concerns at the proposal. The comments are contained in a report on the crisis-ridden department in todays Irish Examiner. I have heard all this stuff about dividing the department into home affairs and all this stuff, said former Fianna Fail minister Mr Ahern. To be honest I wouldnt agree with that. You see there is in Ireland a huge overlap between the ordinary criminal and the paramilitaries, which still go on. Mr Ahern served as minister between 2008 and 2011 under Brian Cowen. Mr Collins, minister for justice between 1977 and 1981 and again between 1987 and 1989, added his voice in opposition to the proposal. Splitting the thing up would be a massive mistake, he said. It is a recommendation by people who are not at all familiar with how things work. Dividing it would be a mistake. Ms Owen, Fine Gaels justice minister from 1994 to 1997, said the department has become too big and needs to be downsized. Therefore for Frances Fitzgerald, the whole thing was fraught and when the Toland report looked at breaking up the department, I would say some of the agencies have got too big to be under the one roof, she said. I mean, look at the Tusla report into Maurice McCabe. At this stage, it really is necessary to take a good look at what is under the departments control. There is no doubt in my mind that some of the units and agencies, something like 40 agencies, need to be moved away. Mr Ahern said what is needed is less workload. It is a department that has far too much of a workload, he said. I think you have to hive off some of the agencies elsewhere; there is a good deal of the workload that could go away from the department. Also, they should be less inclined to take on the work that should really be done by other departments. In relation to the events which led to Ms Fitzgeralds resignation, both Mr Ahern and Ms Owen criticised the role of Ms Fitzgeralds political advisers in not spotting the dangers of the emails relating to Garda whistleblower Mr McCabe. It was unfortunate that Frances had it [the email] and four or five people got them but I am surprised that maybe she wasnt made aware, said Ms Owen. She probably should have spoken to her advisers and asked: Jesus, did we ever see that email? Mr Ahern said: I would also question the advisers to the minister. My advisers were not Fianna Failers but were exceptionally clued in. Frances Fitzgerald appeared to hire FG people and they should have smelled this thing immediately. The slow pace of reform also came in for criticism. Fianna Fails justice spokesman, Jim OCallaghan, said that even though the Government commissioned and has received numerous reports into reforming the Department of Justice, we have yet to see any reform. Last Christmas, it was announced that the department would be split into two portfolios. This has yet to occur. The Government must ensure that this reform takes place immediately. In response, the department said the recommendation to divide it came with the proviso that any definitive division would require further detailed analysis, and any decision to formally split the department is a political call. AT THE onset of the busiest week of the year, Monsignor Aidan ODriscoll has a comprehensive to-do list, and a dedicated group of people to help him forge through it. Priest for the thriving parish of Clonakilty in West Cork, he says that the area has not been immune to the fall in numbers within the priesthood, from four, to three, and then two. With his colleague recovering from an illness, he is his own man this Easter week. We have seen profound changes over the last 20 years and certainly in the recent past, especially that there is such a shortage of priests, he says. Monsignor ODriscoll can recall when the parish had its own chaplain for the local Mount Carmel Hospice, who also worked for the community college in town. The numbers have, like everywhere else, shrunk over the recent past. Of the pastoral care offered within the parish, he says: It continues today, but in a different way. He would balk at the suggestion that he is a one-man band in this week of weeks, because he has an accompanying orchestra helping him through it all, in the form of the local parish assembly. This volunteer group of 30 people has become pivotal to the day-to-day running of the parish, sharing the workload to an extent that might have seemed unthinkable just a few decades ago. The latest iteration of the parish assembly was formed last September, with a new assembly formed every three years. According to assembly member John McCarthy: Its a change of faces and a change of thoughts. The assembly is broken down into four subgroups: liturgy, faith-enrichment, community, and youth and family. We meet once a month to discuss whats ahead and prepare and plan based on the liturgical year, John says, adding that the structures only work so well because of the autonomy given by Monsignor ODriscoll. He is extraordinary on trust, John says. That is why Clonakilty is so progressive we dont have the micro-managing which other places might do. He is light years ahead, giving people autonomy and authority to work. Once the monsignor gives the green light, we work within the guidelines. A new team has been able to help with liturgies for funerals, and this funeral ministry has, in just the last month, been complemented by the addition of a bereavement group to assist anyone suffering any kind of loss. There is also a baptismal team, who walk families through the preparations, and Monsignor ODriscoll believes that the second Vatican Council, back in the 1960s, helped to establish the building blocks for the enhanced role of the laity in the running of the Church. Only for the involvement of the laity, it would be profoundly difficult to run the Church today, he says. This prompts the question as outlined forcefully by former president, Mary McAleese, earlier this year as to whether the Church should not embrace female priests. Monsignor ODriscoll says this issue can be left to the wisdom of the Pontiff and the Holy Spirit, but he adds that we have to be open to debate. Clonakilty, with its spot on the Wild Atlantic Way and its recent growth in population (and with the expected building of new social housing), might not share the characteristics of smaller parishes in more remote areas, where the population has ebbed away. In our diocese, we have clustered some parishes, where priests in a cluster will help one another, the monsignor says. The small churches and many parishes are experiencing difficulties through not having a resident priest. He says praying for vocations is still important, but delays his answer when asked if he believes the number will rise in the future. That is a really good question. Ireland has changed in many ways. I think there will always be vocations, but regarding the extent, I dont think it will be as maybe what we had in the past. Its not all doom and gloom. There is also change going on. It unsettles us; maybe we have been used to a model of the Church. Maybe it will be a different model for the 21st century. In an increasingly secular Ireland, it is easy to forget the depth of faith that still exists within communities and the spirit of volunteerism that fuels it. John McCarthy refers to the monitoring of the sacraments, with people freely giving of an hour, so there is always someone in the church. I sometimes sit there, at the back of the church, and watch people come and go its amazing, he says. As he puts it, given the changing face of the Church in Ireland, the laity will have to rise to the occasion. The visit to Ireland, later this year, by Pope Francis may, Monsignor ODriscoll believes, have a galvanising effect. We have our faith, he says. It has been handed on to us from generation to generation. It has changed, but we have it. In their thousands on Dublins grandest avenue, the people came to the site of the Easter Rising in 1916, the General Post Office. Heads were bowed in solemn reflection, in thanks to those who gave their lives to bring the Irish Republic into life 102 years ago. While not as expansive an affair as the centenary commemoration two years ago, the pomp of the occasion was captivating. With the Tricolour flying at half mast, the impressive gallery of Defence Force personnel, with medals on show, stood frozen as the last post was sounded. President Michael D Higgins led the commemoration ceremony, inspecting a guard of honour before laying a wreath, at the invitation of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Air corps Captain Sean McCarthy read out a copy of the Proclamation on the steps on the GPO where the rebellion against British rule began 102 years ago. Warm applause from the assembled crowd greeted its conclusion. During the small silences during the ceremony, one could see just how thronged OConnell St was with thousands of onlookers, including relatives of the 1916 leaders. Health Minister Simon Harris, Education Minister Richard Bruton, and junior defence minister Paul Kehoe were on hand to represent the Government. Former president Mary McAleese and her husband, Martin, also attended. Among the guests was the mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, a former chief of staff to US former president Barack Obama. The event culminated with the raising of the Tricolour to full mast followed by a stirring rendition of Amhran na bhFiann as three air corps aircraft performed a spectacular fly-past. One element of sadness to impinge on the event was the news that Fr Joseph Mallin, the last surviving child of a rebel leader, Michael Mallin, had died in Hong Kong yesterday morning. As the event concluded, President Higgins and Mr Varadkar mingled and posed for photos with members of the public for a short while. Separate commemorative events were also held at Glasnevin Cemetery. Arts and Heritage Minister Minister Josepha Madigan was joined by Sarah Tiffan, deputy head of mission at the British embassy, and ambassador Stephane Crouzat, on behalf of the French embassy, as well as members of the Irish Defence Forces for the event. Wreath-laying ceremonies took place at the Sigerson Monument and the graves of Edward Hollywood, the man who delivered the first Tricolour flag to Ireland from France, and Peadar Kearney, the composer of the national anthem. Food French Fine Dining Combined With Local Ingredients Chef Ko Orng preparing a meal at Orng Kitchen. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy The French restaurant Orng Kitchen is a hidden gem offering a unique combination of French fine dining and local ingredients at reasonable prices. Myanmore Chef of the Year winner Chef Orng opened this restaurant at the start of last year and his concept has remained the same: to offer quality fine dining at a reasonable price to Myanmar foodies. We can describe our shop as an authentic French restaurant. The cooking technique is French but we use local ingredients. So, its fine dining but with a twist of casual style. The price range is accessible to everyone, said Ko Orng, executive chef and owner of Orng Kitchen. He added that fine dining meals often cost some $75 per person, but that his restaurant offers a lunch menu for $15, and he assures its quality and taste. Chef Ko Orng started his culinary career working as a part-time dish washer at a small restaurant in Scotland while he studied for his masters degree. He became interested in the restaurant industry and continued moving up. I met with great people and worked in a good environment. Those eight years in Scotland were really competitive. They were all hard-working and that pushed me to try harder, Ko Orng said. After completing his studies, he realized that he loved cooking and wanted to continue it as a career. He worked as a junior chef at the Michelin star Restaurant Castle Terrace before returning to Myanmar in 2016. My parents wanted me to work in their home business but I wanted to open a French restaurant in Yangon, he said. The first four or five months, he struggled to spread the word. Im really thankful to all of my customers. They all are marketing for me and they spread the word. My shop is now busy because of them, Ko Orng said. When I arrived to the restaurant, it was a perfect noon lunchtime. If you are a first time visitor, you may have trouble finding the shop, located in a narrow lane at the corner of U Sein Mg Road and 7 Mile. The location offers a warm atmosphere. Its an escape from the noise and traffic of the city, where for an hour or two you can hear birds, sit beside a lotus pond and just relax. The restaurant offers two set lunch menus so I asked chef Orng for a recommendation. There was an amuse-bouche served first a canape of groundnut and goat cheese: it was good. Then came homemade bread with salsa and garlic butter. The bread was not made with yeast and had a perfect, soft texture. The pumpkin soup course was too sweet and rich for me at first taste, but it grew on me I ate it all. Then, began the start of a culinary journey, with a Mediterranean salt and pepper squid and octopus starter. I could see that the ingredients were fresh, and the combination of octopus and tomato was awesome. Chef Orng believes in sourcing what local ingredients he can, for freshness and quality. Dishes came quickly. The staff brought the main dish of braised and rolled pork shoulder with mashed potatoes and assorted vegetables. The potatoes were creamy and the vegetables were fresh matching the pork shoulder entree. I was already full but I couldnt resist their creme brulee creamy custard topped with a crispy, sugary crunch and fresh strawberries. All of the dishes were exceptional and creative. Ko Orng has a small cooking team mostly Myanmar people with whom he shares his passion and experience. The staff is friendly and helpful; the restaurant is cozy and simply furnished; and the meals are luxury. There is also a great wine list at an affordable price. The presentation of the food and attention to detail was impeccable. So, if you are a food lover, I recommend this place. It is the only French fine dining restaurant run by a local chef, and it provides luxury tastes at amazing prices. Asia China and Vietnam Call for Maritime Disputes to be Settled A Chinese Coast Guard ship (top) is seen near a ship of the Vietnam Marine Guard in the South China Sea, about 210 km off shore of Vietnam on May 14, 2014. / Reuters Asia Rohingya Refugee Boat Restocks After Storm in Southern Thailand Smoke rises from shelters as Rohingya refugees cook their dinner at Unchiparang refugee camp, near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh January 11, 2018. / Reuters BANGKOK A boat with Rohingya refugees restocked with essential supplies at an island in southern Thailand on Sunday, authorities said, amid signs that overcrowding in Bangladeshi camps could prompt many others to make similarly perilous sea crossings. Some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims crossed the border from Myanmars Rakhine State into Bangladesh after militant attacks in August sparked a military crackdown that United Nations and Western countries have said constitutes ethnic cleansing. The boat, carrying 56 refugees, stopped on Lanta Island in southern Krabi province after a heavy storm on Saturday evening. It was the first Rohingya vessel spotted off Thailand in more than a year, local police said. We treated them with humanitarian consideration and allowed them to return to sea because they told us they were heading to Malaysia, Lanta police chief, Police Colonel M.L. Pattanajak Chakrabandhu told Reuters. Locals gave the refugees food and water, he said. Tens of thousands of Rohingya fled by sea following an outbreak of sectarian violence in Rakhine State in 2012, some falling prey to human traffickers. That exodus peaked in 2015, when an estimated 25,000 people fled across the Andaman Sea for Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Rights groups expect another surge in Rohingya boats reaching Southeast Asia, even if not at the levels of the past. We have received credible information about boats full of Rohingya refugees making their way to Malaysia over the last few months, Matthew Smith co-founder of advocacy group Fortify Rights told Reuters. The humanitarian situation in Bangladesh for the refugees is very difficult. Malaysian coast guard chief Zulkifili Abu Bakar said the service had yet to receive any information on possible arrivals. He added standard policy was to turn away refugee boats attempting to make landfall, unless weather conditions are bad. We may allow them to come in and feed them our concern is that if we allow one boat in, we have to allow other boats in after that, Zulkifili told Reuters. It all depends, so far were just keeping a lookout, he said. Burma 2 Letpadaung Locals Released on Bail After Confrontation with Police Locals of Wat Hmae village in the Letpadaung copper mining area confront police on March 29. / Ko Aung Nay Myo MONYWA Two women who had been arrested in the Letpadaung copper mining region, Monywa District, Sagaing Region, were released on bail on Saturday. Ma Thwae Thawe Win and Ma San San Hla, who were under police detention while receiving medical attention at Salingyi Township Hospital, were released on bail after the charges against them were changed and they signed an agreement stating that they would appear in court when called to face trial. The two women were arrested after a confrontation with police on March 29, while trying to prevent police from entering their village. Both women were in ill health and were detained and then hospitalized. Initially, the police filed lawsuits against the women for seriously injuring a police officer and obstructing police from carrying out their duties, which carry a maximum sentence of 10 years and are non-bailable offenses. Following a press conference with government officials in Monywa on Saturday morning, the charges were changed so that the pair could be released on bail. The press conference addressed the injured police officer, and skepticism regarding how she was hurt. Video footage circulating on social media seemed to discount the police version of the incident. Following the release of Ma Thwae Thawe Win and Ma San San Hla on Sunday, the regional border affairs and security minister announced that the final results of a medical examination showed that the police officers injuries were minor compared to what was previously thought a fractured shin turned out to be only bruises and the lawsuit was amended. Since the injuries were not serious, the lawsuit was changed to a bailable offense injuring the police. And the two locals were released immediately, said Colonel Kyaw Thant Naing, the regional border affairs and security minister. The lawsuit has now been filed against three women Ma Thwae Thwae Win, Ma San San Hla and Ma Phyu Phyu Win who led locals in the confrontation with police. Initially, it had been filed against 10 locals. The court hearing will be on April 12 at the Salingyi Township court. It is very clear that the police want to create problems and do not want us to live in peace, said Ma Thwae Thwae Win. We did nothing to the police. We were only defending our village. However, we will face the lawsuit that they filed against us. We are not afraid as we have witnesses and evidence that we hurt no one. Residents of Letpadaung region have been wary of allowing police or local authorities to approach their villages since copper mining began in 2013, as authorities and mining companies have tried to forcibly relocate villages that lie within designated mining zones. Tensions first arose in the Letpadaung region in 2012, when locals protested the mining companys activities in the area, demanding compensation and the right to remain on their land. About 7,800 acres of land in Salingyi Township were confiscated for the project, which has been dogged by protests over poor compensation and environmental safeguards. The Letpadaung copper mining project, a joint venture between the Myanmar military-owned Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (UMEHL) and the Chinese firm Wanbao, was launched in 2010. Burma China Warns Northern Alliance Against Cooperating with ARSA Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, right, and Chinese Ambassador Hong Liang meet in Naypyitaw on March 29. / Ministry of Defense / Facebook China has warned Northern Alliance members with armed forces based near the Chinese border in northern Shan State not to cooperate with the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), according to border sources. The Northern Alliance is a block of seven armed ethnic groups. It is also known as the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC). ARSA has networked with Uighur Muslim terrorists from [Chinas] Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. So, China issued a warning to the Northern Alliance not to network or cooperate with ARSA, said a leader of an ethnic armed group who joined a three-day meeting in Panghsang from March 26-28. ARSA attacked government police bases and Myanmar Army (Tatmadaw) posts in Maungdaw, Rakhine State, in August last year, prompting a Tatmadaw clearance operation that caused hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee the region. The Tatmadaw and the government consider ARSA to be a terrorist organization. In issuing the warning, China may be sending a message to the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed organization and member of the Northern Alliance based on the Chinese border, according to some ethnic armed leaders, though China mentioned only the Northern Alliance in general, and did not single out the AA. The AA is an ethnic armed group with its origins in Arakan, but based in the Laiza and Kokang areas along the Chinese border. Its forces occasionally return to bases in Arakan to engage in clashes with the Tatmadaw. Some observers said Chinas concerns about cooperation between the AA and ARSA are minimal. China has historically worried about Western influence in conflicts in Arakan, particularly fearing its influence on AA leaders who have some military power in the region, according to some peace-process observers. The ethnic Arakan and Rohingya Muslim populations do not support each otherin fact they have a longstanding communal conflict. Nonetheless, China worries about the potential for AA to network with ARSA, according to sources close to some ethnic armed leaders. The FPNCC did not mention any warning to the Northern Alliance from China in its most recent statement, which focused on the peace process and the Panglong Peace conference, and condemned the Tatmadaws attacks on Kachin, Palaung, Kokang, and Arakan forces. In the statement, the FPNCC said that if the government invited it to join the next session of the Panglong Peace conference, it would accept, on the condition that China facilitated travel to and from the conference, and guaranteed its security. Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Hong Liang met with Tatmadaw commander-in-chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw on March 29, one day after the Panghsang meeting, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense. The two discussed the peace process and plans for resettling Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh from Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships in Rakhine. They also talked about how the Myanmar and Bangladesh armed forces plan to prevent further attacks by ARSA. The Tatmadaw will continue its efforts to achieve a lasting peace with the help of bilateral cooperation between the armed forces of Myanmar and China, according to the statement. Burma Construction Project Strikes Fear Into Residents Living Below Old Reservoir Site clearing under way at the Myayeik Nyo Project in February. / YKRST YANGONLiving next door to a high-rise development project that poses a potential threat to the neighborhood can set ones stress levels on high. Just ask U Than Lwin. If it happens, we will not have time to run for our lives, the retired chemical engineer said, referring to the possibility of an unintended mass release of water from a 92-year old underground storage reservoir lying a few kilometers from his residence in Kokkine Avenue in Bahan Township. What if the construction project being jointly developed by local contractor Zaykabar Company and China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd (CSCEC) which is now in its beginning phase damages the old water storage structure? Residents of this well-to-do neighborhood are worried that if the worst comes to the worst, their low-lying area and the nearby Golden Valley Quarter will be submerged if the service reservoir, situated on higher ground while holding up to 20-million gallons of water, collapses. We will not be the only ones affected, most of Yangon will suffer too. Thats why we are against the project, said another Kokkine resident, U Win Bo, referring to the possible damage that could be caused by a burst reservoir as well as by water shortages, because the underground concrete tank distributes water to several townships. Built in 1926, the Kokkine Service Reservoir on the corner of the Kaba Aye Pagoda and Pearl Road is designed to store water pumped up from the Gyo Phyu Reservoir on the outskirts of the town before it is distributed to downtown areas. It is the biggest (559 feet x 286 feet x 20 feet) and second-oldest underground concrete water tank in Yangon, after the Shwedagon Service Reservoir, which was built in 1894. Both are still functioning. According to the Yangon City Development Committee, a municipal body, the two storage reservoirs distribute water to 16 townships downtown. The YCDC water supply diagram shows that the Kokkine reservoir feeds water to the Shwedagon reservoir, meaning that any damage to the former water storage facility would cause water shortages to nearly one million people (based on the 2014 Census.) as well as Yangon General Hospital, a major public medical center in Lammadaw Township. I wonder if the authorities took this issue into consideration before they approved the project, said U Win Bo. No Objections but Not Permitted Yet The Myayeik Nyo high-rise project causing Kokkine residents to feel insecure is named after the now-defunct Myayeik Nyo Hotel, which was run by Myanmar tycoon U Khin Shwe, chairman of the project developer, Zaykabar Co., Ltd, one of Myanmars largest construction companies. His daughter is married to the son of U Shwe Mann, the third most influential person in the former military regime but now an important ally of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Twelve buildings with heights ranging from 382 feet to 412 feet and a three-story structure will be built on the hotel compound owned by the military, according to a correspondence between the company and Yangon Regional Government and viewed by The Irrawaddy. At the corner of the plot lies the Kokkine Service Reservoir. Located on the second highest point in Yangon with an elevation of around 160 feet after the hill where the Shwedagon Pagoda sits, Myayeik Nyo compound was known for its lush green vegetation. According to the Yangon Heritage Trust, the area was known as Mount Pleasant during the British colonial days. Many mansions belonging to high officials, including the Mayors Mansion and the Mayors Guest House, which are now listed as heritage buildings, and the residence of the manager of Chartered Bank were located there. In June last year, the government told the company that it had no objection to the developers request to start the project as soon as possible. In early February this year, site clearing got underway in the compound and the dense vegetation that covered the area is now mostly gone. It was unknown if the two heritage-listed buildings have been torn down. The Irrawaddy witnessed some parts of the hill being bulldozed up to the outer retaining wall of the reservoir. At one point during the clearing process, to the residents fear was realized as the wall was damaged and water oozed out on to the ground. At the time, we were really scared. We didnt know what would happen next, U Win Bo said. When residents complained to the company, they replied that it was just spilled water from a nearby water tank. But the tank they were referring to is high on the unbulldozed part of the hill, he said. Frustrated by the companys response, the residents of Kokkine Avenue formed a seven-member Yangon Kokkine Reservoir Salvation Team in early March to lobby for the protection of the reservoir for the sake of Yangons people and the structural integrity of the reservoir itself. U Win Bo raised public awareness about their campaign on Facebook. Shortly after the formation of the team, the YCDC suspended the project until the developer came up with a proper solution to ensure the reservoir would not be damaged. But the order apparently fell on deaf ears. The company did test piling on March 24 afternoon, provoking more angry complaints from residents that halted the piling process. They were trying to trick us. The governments no objection doesnt mean they are allowed to start construction, said U Win Bo. According to Daw Hlaing Maw Oo, the secretary of the YCDC the municipal body grants final construction permission to anyone who wants to build something in the town area but only after a thorough review of the building designs and other aspects of the project the developer is only allowed to do site clearing, not building. They havent got building permission yet, she said. U Sun Oo, the chairman of the Association of Myanmar Architects said the project needs a proper environmental impact assessment because its being implemented in a green belt area and due to its proximity to the reservoir. Despite repeated attempts by The Irrawaddys, U Khin Shwe was not available for comment. Immediate Concerns While their top concern is the reservoir bursting, the Kokkine Avenue and nearby residents are now also worried about the potential for a landslide in the project area once the rainy season arrives, which normally happens in May. In the past, thick green trees covered the project area, protecting the hill from erosion and landslides. But with the removal of the vegetation, the nearby low-lying residential area is now prone to mudslides and floods. Given the current situation at the site, there could be a possible landslide and mud will enter the residential area, said U Than Lwin, whose house is situated next to the bulldozed parts of the project area. He is not alone. Down the avenue at Golden Valley Quarter, Dr Myint Khaing hasnt had a good nights sleep since the project started in February. Situated at the lowest part of the neighborhood, his house is overshadowed by the project that towers nearly 20 feet above. Only a retaining wall separates the house and the project. They are working day and night. They shout in Chinese. A backhoe is always buzzing. I cant sleep, said the 68-year old former medical doctor. He added that he had complained to the local administrator about the public nuisance being caused. They just stopped for a while and then resumed their work, he said. On Sunday, The Irrawaddy witnessed some construction work going on despite the YCDCs suspension orderworkers were erecting iron beams with the help of a crane while preparing rebars. Like other people in the neighborhood, Dr Myint Khaing said he was against the project for he was worried about the possibility of the reservoir collapsing. Lying at the lowest part of the area and susceptible to occasional floods in rainy season, his house would be among the hardest hit if the reservoir collapses. His immediate concern is damage to the retaining wall by the project. If the wall collapses, it will fall directly onto my house and it will be flattened. Burma Development Co to Build New City West of Yangon River The launching ceremony of the NYDC. / Shwe Lay / The Irrawaddy YANGON The Yangon regional government has formed the New Yangon Development Co Ltd (NYDC) to build a new city west of the Yangon River that it said will be twice the size of Singapore. U Phyo Min Thein, the Yangon chief minister, introduced the company at The Lotte Hotel in Yangon on Saturday. The company is fully owned and managed by the Yangon government, said U Phyo Min Thein. The regional government will take responsibility for the project in order to reduce red tape, he said. The area west of the Yangon River is less developed, and well strive to develop it with this project. We will industrialize the area and create job opportunities, he added. The main aim of the project is to provide around two million jobs, he said. The NYDC was established with capital of 10 billion kyats (US$7.5 million) from the development funds allotted by the Union government to regional and state governments, said chairperson of the NYDC and Yangon regional minister for electricity, industry and transportation Daw Nilar Kyaw. The regional government will also invite private investment in the project. The infrastructural construction, which is the first phase of the new town project, will cost more than $1.5 billion, said Serge Pun, the chief executive officer of the NYDC. Serge Pun is a Myanmar businessman of Myanmar-Chinese descent, and is the chairman of Serge Pun & Associates Group (SPA Group), a multinational real estate firm, and Yoma Bank, a Myanmar-based bank. While I am serving as the CEO of NYDC, I and companies under my control will not bid for construction work in the new city project, said Serge Pun. The infrastructure project will include two bridges, roads, an industrial zone, a power plant, power stations, and water and sewage treatment plants, according to NYDC. Yangon, the commercial capital of Myanmar, generates 19.3 trillion kyats, which is 26 percent of national GDP, according to the Yangon regional government. As the citys population is expected to reach 10 million in the next 10 years, there is an urgent need to supply adequate housings, jobs, infrastructure, potable water and electricity, said U Phyo Min Thein. The new city will be modeled after China Shenzhen and Malaysias Iskandar, said Serge Pun. According to the previous southwest city expansion plan, the new city would cover some 30,000 acres on the west side of the Yangon River, including land in Kyimyindaing, Seikgyikanaungto and Twante townships. YNDC will later announce the timeframe of the project and tender for construction works, said Daw Nilar Kyaw. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. Burma New Border Bases Rising on Top of Razed Rohingya Villages A border police officer stands guard near Taungpyo Let Wei town along the border with Bangladesh, where thousands of displaced Rohingya are camped, in northern Rakhine State on Saturday. / Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy MAUNGDAW, Rakhine State Police are establishing four new border force regiments in northern Rakhine States Maungdaw District to improve security, mostly on top of recently razed Rohingya villages. An Irrawaddy reporter joined 13 other local journalists on a two-day guided tour of Maungdaw over the weekend organized by the government. U Ye Htut, of the Home Affairs Ministrys Government Administration Department (GAD), said three of the bases were being established in Maungdaw Township and the fourth in neighboring Buthidaung Township. Several government officials told The Irrawaddy that authorities were quickly transforming hundreds of acres for a base in Myo Thu Gyi village, about 1.6 km from downtown Maungdaw. Since December, authorities have demolished all but a few government buildings in the village, once home to some 8,600 Muslims. Nearly 700,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled northern Rakhine to Bangladesh since militant attacks on security force posts across the region triggered a massive military crackdown that has drawn accusations of ethnic cleansing from the UN and US. Security officials said they were working on the Myo Thu Gyi base with haste because they feared that militants might try to target Maungdaw or surrounding villages. Another of the four bases is being built in Maungdaw Townships Kyein Chaung town, a mixed community of Rakhine, Rohingya, Hindus and Christians before the August attacks. A local GAD official, Win Naing Than, said authorities selected about 200 acres for the base in the neighborhood of Aung Sit Pyin. Muslim sources in the area said nearly 10,000 Rohingya used to live on the site, but all fled to Bangladesh in late 2017. On the government-led tour, a large part of the site could be seen cleared of all structures. A government official denied that the site had included any areas that were burned down in the violence that followed the August attacks, though a construction worker told The Irrawaddy that crews had bulldozed some charred structures and have built a 30-meter-wide road through Aung Sit Pyin. Another base is under construction in southern Maungdaws Inn Din village, which was also heavily populated by Rohingya before the latest outbreak of violence. The Irrawaddy reported on the base under construction in Buthidaung in February, likewise over land recently occupied by Rohingya. U Ye Htut said authorities have cleared about 10 villages in Maungdaw District in all to make way either for the bases or other plans to redistribute Muslim and Buddhist populations. The Irrawaddy counted at least a dozen villages along a roughly 140-km stretch of highway running through Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships that were completely or partially cleared with heavy machinery. They included Aung Sit Pyin, Ba Ka Ohn Nar, Chain Khar Lee, Inn Din, Myo Thu Gyi, Oh Tan, three villages in the Kyee Kan Pyin village tract, and two villages in the Maung Hnama village tract. Burma One Man Dies, Another Missing in Irrawaddy Bridge Collapse Rescue workers search for truck owner Ko Aung Gyi following the collapse of a major bridge in Myaungmya Township in the early hours of Sunday. / Fire Services Department. PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Region One man was killed and another is missing after a suspension bridge in Irrawaddy Regions Myaungmya Township collapsed early Sunday. The entire bridge fell into the river as a truck carrying the two men attempted to cross it in the early hours of Sunday. The body of the truck driver, Ko Than Zaw Htike (aka Mae Gyi), was found around 4 p.m. on Sunday, while truck owner Ko Aung Gyi was still missing as rescue workers continued their search on Monday. Both of the men were Myaungmya residents. The truck was a six-wheeled vehicle and was carrying chicken feed when the accident happened at around 1:15 a.m. on Sunday. Steel suspension cables on the Myaungmya side broke and collapsed into river, lawmaker U Thant Zaw Win of Irrawaddy regional parliament from Myaungmya Township told The Irrawaddy. The bridge was a main transportation hub linking Myaungmya and Labutta townships with Pathein and Yangon. The collapse has halted the flow of commodities as well as transportation between Labutta and Myaungmya. The bridge had to be repaired some two years ago after steel cables broke. I heard that major repairs were made twice in 2016 and 2017, respectively. But why did the whole bridge collapse now? asked Myaungmya resident U Kyaw Win. Its lucky that the truck was carrying only two people. What if it were a passenger bus? Irrawaddy Region Transport Minister U Win Htay said the bridge was built in 1996 and had been under repair and maintenance. For the time being, we have arranged three big boats that can carry cars across the river, he said. The bridge was opened to the public on March 27, 1996, and after its strength was found to have weakened significantly over the past few years, the gross weight limit for trucks was reduced to 20 tons. Last year, the Parliament approved Myaungmya Township lawmaker Dr. Soe Moe Thus proposal to build a new bridge in Myaungmya at a cost of over 6 billion kyats. The lawmaker said that the bridge had suffered structural damage as a result of overweight aid convoys crossed the bridge in the aftermath of Nargis storm in 2008. Construction of a new bridge started late last year and is scheduled for completion in 2020. Before then the regional government will arrange large boats for travelers and vehicles. News Violence Erupts in Kashmir After Security Forces Kill Militants: Police Flames and smoke billow from residential houses after they caught fire during a gun battle between Indian army soldiers and suspected militants at Kachdoora village in south Kashmir's Shopian district, April 1, 2018. / Reuters SRINAGAR Indian security forces killed at least three civilians and wounded about 70 in restive Kashmir on Sunday when hundreds of people tried to prevent them from carrying out operations against suspected militants, police and residents said. At least 17 other people, including 13 suspected militants, were killed in gun battles during the day in southern Kashmir, police officials said, the worst violence in the region this year. When hundreds of people came out on the streets of Kachdoora village in Shopian district to try to halt a gun battle between militants and security forces, troops used tear gas and pellet guns to disperse the crowd. They later opened fire. Local residents said that after the protests, the security forces called off the operation. Police said five militants and three soldiers were killed in the fighting. Muslim separatists have been waging a violent campaign against Indian rule since the late 1980s in Indian-held Kashmir. Fighting also broke out in two other villages in the region on Sunday. S.P. Vaid, the state director general of police, said the army received information on Saturday night about militants hiding in an area near Dragad village, about 50 km (30 miles) south of Kashmirs capital of Srinagar and also in Shopian district. In Dragad, 7 bodies of militants were recovered including top commanders. They were killed in a gunbattle, Vaid said, adding that the owner of the house in which the militants were trapped was also killed. Another militant was killed in Dialgam village in Anantnag district, about 60 km (37 miles) south of Srinagar, while one was caught alive, he said. Authorities have directed schools and colleges in Kashmir to remain closed on Monday to prevent any recurrence of violence, and restrictions have been imposed in several areas. Train services to south Kashmir have been suspended as a precautionary measure, a railways official said, and Internet services in five districts have also been blocked. In south Kashmirs Pulwama district the local administration has imposed restrictions on the movement of people and vehicles to prevent any violence. Nvidia's Pegasus car AI computer will be certified to ISO 26262 ASIL-D, company founder and chief executive Jensen Huang told the GPU Technology Conference last week. By the time autonomous cars using the "super energy-efficient" Pegasus go into production, the module will be certified to ISO 26262 ASIL-D, the highest integrity level of functional safety for road vehicles, said Huang This involves "a rigour you have never seen before" and "a gigantic investment on our part," he said. "This is a big deal. It is a huge deal." The company has been working towards ASIL-D for five years. "It's an endeavour," he said. "You have to have scale, you have to have commitment." Nvidia's Drive PX Parker, Drive PX2, Drive Xavier and Drive Pegasus systems are all based on the same architecture. Xavier a one-chip version of the PX2 "is the largest single chip we have ever made, short of Volta", (the company's current-generation high-end GPU family), according to Huang. Autonomous vehicles will need multiple Pegasus systems, so Nvidia is already working on Orin, which will put all the functionality of Pegasus onto a single chip, just as Xavier did for the earlier Drive PX2 system. Energy efficiency is important not so much to reduce the load on a vehicle's batteries, but because it allows designers to include redundant computers within a given power budget. Diversity is important in addition to redundancy, explained Huang. For instance, Nvidia's software actively recognises free space separately from detecting objects, rather than working on the assumption that if it hasn't identified any objects then that piece of road must be empty. Similarly, it uses scene detection to recognise junctions as well as detecting relevant road markings. And information from HD maps is used in conjunction with the camera and lidar data. "We're going to work on this for another two or three years before we ship [it] in cars," said Huang. But he pointed out that we don't have to wait for full autonomy to improve safety. For example, cars could take advantage of deep learning technology to recognise via an in-cabin camera that their drivers are falling asleep or using their phones. Asked whether some companies are moving ahead too quickly with automated vehicles - presumably a reference to the recent fatality involving an Uber self-driving car - Huang did not answer directly, but pointed out that "our strategy is to create an open platform" allowing car makers and other customers to buy a fully-functioning system from Nvidia, or to replace or augment any the modules with their own code. "Uber does not use Nvidia's Drive technology," he said later. A lot of technological issues still need to be solved, Huang observed. That affects some basic components such as sensors. Nvidia has halted its own testing on public roads until Uber has determined what went wrong in Tempe, Arizona. The company responded with "extreme caution," he said. "We take safety to extreme levels" when testing: "Our friends are in the car." "As soon as the news became clear, we stopped [open road testing]," he stressed. "Everybody in the industry should pause." The company's Drive Constellation system for the testing of autonomous vehicle software in a simulated environment will become a bigger part of testing, he suggested. "You're going to see a lot more simulated miles." Autonomous vehicle technology is being developed to save lives, Huang said, and therefore he expects the incident will increase investment in the area. Disclosure: The writer attended Nvidia's GPU Technology Conference as a guest of the company. "Modern medical imaging is really driven by computing," according to Nvidia vice-president for healthcare, Kimberley Powell. Nvidia has been involved with the healthcare sector for more than 10 years, and in the last five years has been working with the research and startup communities in the areas of early detection and improved workflows. One result is the ability to virtualise existing medical imaging instruments and have the data processed remotely. This means that a 10-year-old scanner, for example, can be used with the latest 3D rendering or AI tools. In general, earlier and better detection of conditions leads to better outcomes, observed Nvidia founder and chief executive Jensen Huang. Most ultrasound, MRI, PET and other images look much the same today as they did fifteen years ago, he said, but "we can now reconstruct images better than ever before", for example as lifelike 3D renderings. Other advantages of modern processing methods is that they allow the required image quality to be achieved with lower doses of radiation and contrast dye. So Nvidia is working on Project Clara, aimed at developing a "medical imaging supercomputer" that can "virtually upgrade every single medical instrument". Huang showed a demonstration that took a series of 2D ultrasound images of a heart, reconstructed it in 3D, used deep learning to segment out one of the ventricles, and then displayed it as a moving image along with the calculated volumes and ejection fraction. Nvidia is collaborating with various hospitals and medical equipment suppliers, he said. These include Massachusetts General Hospital and GE, Powell observed. "You'll see more of Clara throughout the year," she promised. "It's really a virtualised data centre" that could be in the cloud or on premises. Nvidia will be working with equipment vendors to obtain the necessary certifications, she added. One of the problems in medicine is there are only a finite number of radiologists, and some geographical areas are under-served. Bringing technology to bear can make their skills more widely accessible. Furthermore, GPUs are cheap and can be used in the cloud. "AI has a real role to play in terms of screening," said Powell, suggesting this is an area particularly affected by a lack of radiologists. "Early detection is important, so where can we screen?" Similarly, genomics is becoming affordable, but adds to the data requiring analysis. Modern medicine is collecting increasing amounts of digital data about humans, and working out how to integrate and analyse this data will usher in the era of precision medicine, which will transform the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare more generally. But doing that will require "new computing paradigms," Powell said. And that, presumably, is where Clara will come in. Disclosure: The writer attended Nvidia's GPU Technology Conference as a guest of the company. Currently, Microsofts Azure cloud platform has two Australian regions, Sydney and Melbourne. Azure operates from multiple data centres across these regions. Over the three years since they opened, they have serviced Microsoft customers across federal government and enterprise, as well as a broad range of consumers, partners and New Zealand customers. Weve seen tremendous growth and adoption in Australia, said James Kavanagh, Azure Engineering Lead Australia/New Zealand. In August we announced continuing expansion, and also two new regions. These regions are now live for customers and partners from today. The two regions known as Australia Central 1 and Australia Central 2 are housed in Canberra, within data centres owned and operated by Canberra Data Centres, or CDC. However, while these two regions are still fully part of Azure and capable of implementing Azure features as expected, they are very different in their target and focus. They have been designed for a different, and specialised, set of requirements. The most sensitive parts of government, along with sectors of national critical infrastructure such as healthcare, utilities, banks, transport, energy and telecommunications, have been using Azure, Kavanagh says, but provided feedback what they desired was a place where they could modernise infrastructure while meeting security and regulatory requirements, enabled to focus on mission critical applications," said Kavanagh. Australia Central 1 and 2 is that place, the "mission-critical cloud", focusing on mission-critical workloads and applications, and importantly, designed for and restricted to only those segments. The two new regions focus on the most demanding requirements, says Greg Boorer, chief executive of CDC. They are devoted to national and critical infrastructure, "and this is why Microsoft selected CDCs unique characteristics". The move makes Microsoft the only global provider with four regions within Australia, across Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Our customers can choose very high levels of resilience in any one of four regions and this is fundamental for government and critical industry, Kavanagh states. All CDCs customers Microsoft included demand the security and compliance needed to handle protected Federal Government data, and high levels of resilience. In fact, Boorer says, CDC provides 100% uptime guarantees. Specifically, the two data centres Australia Central 1 and 2 respectively are geographically located close enough to provide dark fibre clustering and active/active replication, while being sufficiently far apart that any localised external event cannot disrupt both centres at the same time. CDC delivers high security and assurance boundaries than traditional data centres, with staff and the facilities alike all cleared to secret level, and the organisation owned by an Australian entity and assuring Australian ownership. Security is only part of the CDC story; many of its customers have a requirement to modernise infrastructure and applications on their own timeframe. To facilitate this, CDC offers flexible co-location facilities with space, power and cooling, allowing customers to house their most sensitive applications on their own infrastructure within CDCs environment. The customers can modernise their application over time while being directly connected to Azure within the same facilities. Such co-location, bridging customer equipment with Azure is unprecedented for regular public cloud offerings. It is not something that is easily achieved with any global cloud provider. This is claimed to be highly unique and demonstrate the remarkable characteristics of Microsofts partnership with CDC, and the commitment of both to providing a truly secure mission-critical environment for applications of national security and critical interest. CDC can provide other interesting connectivity options, Boorer states. It can provide direct connectivity for government departments over the federal government network, extending Canberra customers' reach to servers in Sydney, Melbourne and globally. What makes the CDC difference, Boorer says, is its data centres come from a different design perspective than the traditional data centre. What we see across the commercial data centre landscape is often a lot of commercial facilities are built to a budget or price point to achieve a low price per compute for the clients, he says. However, CDC has been servicing government for a decade. Government has very mature standards and expectations around physical security. All our facilities are built to top secret standards, can receive top secret infrastructure anytime, and are the only data centres in Australia certified and accredited by government to operate as secret buildings, he says. CDC does not divulge details on its security, but Boorer states a 20-tonne truck heading towards the facilities at 100km/hour would be unable to breach the gate. Similarly, unauthorised visitors to the site are unable to enter. The 100% uptime guarantee mentioned above is genuine; commercial data centres may guarantee 99.8% for a tier 3 or tier 4 operation, Boorer states, but we guarantee 100% uptime. Thats the level of resilience we offer, and thats per location. Put both sites together and you have something far more special than what has been available in Australia ever before. Specification-wise, CDC has implemented complete compliance with the Security and Construction Equipment Committee zone 4 within zone 4. This is a building standard designed for top secret classification. No other data centres offer this in Australia, Boorer says, which is why Microsoft has chosen to deploy Azure with CDC. Clarifying who may use the new Azure regions, Kavanagh states government is hugely aware of national security and the importance of data and systems in the cloud and their impact on national critical infrastructure, and by extension national security. This critical infrastructure extends beyond government itself, covering the string of industries which, if disrupted, would be as critical to national interest as if they happened to government systems. It is these organisations which will also be invited to work with the Central Australia 1 and 2 Azure regions. It allows critical industry participants to host modern systems, and co-locate old-world legacy systems next to new-world Microsoft platforms, creating what I call transformational runway from old to new, de-duplicating costs and removing risks, all without any jeopardy whatsoever on security sand resilience, Boorer states. An Azure customer eligible to use these new regions will work with them with the same tools and ease they would other regions, albeit with specialised SLAs. Consequently there is a premium price over other Azure regions, but these regions are for a very specific purpose, namely focusing mission-critical workloads. The people we have spoken to are incredibly excited as this is a unique offering in the market, and not of small value - both to stakeholders of the company, and to the health and well being of Australia itself, Kavanagh said. Examples of critical national infrastructure supported by Microsoft Azure include Despite a lot of 5G hype including 5G over Wi-Fi, some telcos ambitiously claiming 4.5-like services are 5G, and 5G trials, 2018 is not the true year of 5G, according to an analyst. In what is likely no surprise to telco executives and those who have been keeping up with 5G developments, global analyst firm GlobalData is making the statement that 2018 is not the year of 5G. Of course, sometimes analyst firms put out seemingly obvious releases because it's important to keep one's company name in the headlines, but that said, not everyone is aware of the same information at the same time, and for anyone unsure about the 5G hype, this could well be a revelation. So, what is GlobalData telling us? Well, again, it won't come as a surprise to telco execs, but despite "many telecom network technology vendors claiming that the wait for fifth generation, high-speed wireless service (5G) is finally over", GlobalData states "the full transition to 5G will not happen in 2018". Ed Gubbins, senior telecom technology & software analyst at GlobalData, said: There are differing perspectives over whether 5G is finally here. For vendors selling 5G gear, basically it is. "For consumers, depending on where in the world they live, its coming soon. But for operators in the sense that really matters to them, namely new revenue and profit the wait will continue. We're also told that "network equipment vendors have been promoting mobile base station gear as pre-5G and 5G-ready. In Q1, 2018, when vendors announced 5G base stations would be available starting later this year, the news carried more weight. This is because the industry standards groups defining 5Gs common specifications finalised the first 5G standards in December 2017, allowing vendors to bring products to market based on those standards this year". Here, Gubbins continued: Some mobile operators and vendors have been using the term 5G to label residential broadband services delivered over fixed, point-to-point wireless networks to users homes, typically handed off to Wi-Fi within the home. Verizon, which was early to trial this technology based on high-frequency millimeter-wave spectrum has been particularly vocal about promoting this as 5G, since it allows it to claim its providing 5G service earlier than its competitors. "Likewise, suppliers of the wireless networking gear for these rollouts are keen to call it 5G. However, todays 4G LTE subscribers will generally think of true 5G not as a fixed, but as a mobile service. GlobalData tells us that "while the first big, global wave of 5G services will be aimed at consumer mobile broadband that is faster than todays 4G, faster speeds are not exactly what separate 5G from 4G". "The real defining promise of 5G is to allow operators to connect both people and machines with a common network, thereby attaining greater efficiency and profitability than any previous generation. That depends on the development of new business cases and new market adoption that the mobile industry has not seen before and does not well understand. Gubbins concludes: Smartphones that support 5G are not expected until 2019. Though some operators, such as AT&T, have promised to roll out 5G service sooner, it can only be delivered to less popular devices like mobile hotspot pucks and dongles mere preludes to the mass market. Early 5G services are expected to launch in the US, South Korea, Japan and China, primarily due to a mix of consumer demand, competitive pressure and 4G network maturity in those markets. Once this happens and 5G devices spread, then 5G can be said to finally be here. So, there you have it and let's not forget that, like all good analyst and research firms, GlobalData no doubt has plenty of relevant research and analysis for relevant parties at relevant prices. My own concluding statements are that with the proper 5G mobile standard for use in smartphones and tablets still not finalised, 2018 is the year of continued 5G hype and positioning by the Ericssons, Nokias, Huaweis, Qualcomms and others of the world still in play, a seeming 5G announcement a day won't keep the hype at bay, but helps to hype up and hopefully deliver, over the next few years, a massive 5G pay day! 5G is not truly here yet, but it is coming, and unless Kim Jong-Un, Vladimir Putin or Donald Trump throw an unexpected nuclear party that would likely put us all back into the very dark and radioactive ages with no Internet or anything good at all, the 5G revolution is utterly unstoppable, which only makes us wonder how far down the track we'll be dreaming of 6G next! Reddit 31 Email 1K Shares By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | The Israeli army snipers who were ordered to shoot unarmed Palestinian protesters last Friday at the Gaza border, killing 17 outright and wounding hundreds of others, were acting according to the contemporary script of Middle Eastern dictators. The Israeli army initially admitted in a tweet that the tactic was premeditated and precise, but then deleted the tweet, as the Israeli peace group Btselem pointed out: "We know where every bullet landed". This is how the Israeli army brags about shooting 773 Palestinians with live fire. Thanks to @btselem for capturing this deleted tweet, revealing the pride the IDF feels about the casualties they inflicted on unarmed protesters yesterday. pic.twitter.com/S9ufrQkjCf IfNotNow (@IfNotNowOrg) March 31, 2018 Sociologists who study how people mobilize to challenge an oppressive situation have noted that one possible response of any regime under pressure from below is to raise the cost to dissidents of their social action. Imposing the death penalty is of course the ultimate in raising such costs. But randomly shooting into crowds is more than just threatening people with death. It is a means of terrorizing the dissidents. Simply taking hundreds of people out and executing them has dangers as a course of action for the oppressive rulers, as well, inasmuch as it threatens to create large numbers of martyrs and impel reprisals. Moreover, large massacres can impose costs on the regime in the form of boycotts from other states or civil society actors. Randomly shooting into a crowd, killing a few people but wounding many others, has the advantage for the regime of creating uncertainty and fear. This tactic was deployed during the youth protests of 2011. Secret police in Tunisia shot into peaceful rallies in provincial towns in late December 2010 and early January 2011 and then denied it and ordered the state press not to cover it. Blogger Lina Ben Mhenni took her smartphone to the hospitals down there and got pictures of and interviews with the victims and put them up at her blog (very bravely, since the regime could have direly punished her; but it fell before it could do so). (See my The New Arabs.) In Sanaa, Yemen, during the demonstrations at Change Square, dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh had his troops occasionally fire into the crowd. In one such incident one night, 350 people were injured. Over time a couple thousand people were killed in this way (that is, being sniped at by professional soldiers while peacefully protesting Im not talking about clashes among fighters). In Syria in 2011, the regime would station snipers on rooftops above town squares around the country. In each town a few people would be killed at each demonstration this way by army live ammunition. The regime was trying to discourage rallies by raising their cost, and indiscriminate such fire is a force multiplier, since the uncertainty of where the bullet will come from and whom it will strike is excruciating. Syrias brave protesters never were cowed by this cowardly tactic, and even today would protest if they were allowed to. One downside of sniping unarmed noncombatants is a negative reaction from other countries. Israels current far right wing leadership does not worry about that. They think that the US and the UK are the only countries that matter. Like Putin, they have tried to shape the US political scene to suit them, targeting uncooperative congressmen and senators for reprisals. This is not only a matter of campaign donations by the Israel lobbies but of government covert ops. They also do this in the UK. Of 535 members of Congress, exactly one, Bernie Sanders, has condemned the massacre. The Likud Party can also rely on an American television news blackout. Palestine is almost never reported on the airwaves and when it is, it is replete with propaganda. There are even problems with print news. @robertmackey observed, By my count, there are currently 163 stories on the @nytimes home page and 116 on @washingtonpost but not 1 is about the Israeli massacre in Gaza, which was featured in print by both. There is also no mention among 126 stories on @CNNs US home page, or in 100 stories on @latimes . Academics in communications departments should look into this remarkable phenomenon. How it is arranged? Be careful, though even professors can be fired. It may be objected that Israel is not a dictatorship like that of Yemen or Syria. But for Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, that is precisely what it is. The Israeli military controls the Palestinian West Bank, though it farms out some duties to the PLO. The Israeli military encircles and blockades little Gaza with its 1.8 million concentration camp inmates. Stateless Palestinians experience Israeli military rule as a foreign military dictatorship. Palestinians are probably a majority of the people ruled by the Israeli government. Moreover, dictators such as Egypts Hosni Mubarak, had no bigger boosters than the Likud government in Israel. So it is not really surprising that the Israeli military would adopt the same tactics as its peers, with which it often collaborates in maintaining the rotten status quo. - Bonus video: ?? Gaza hospitals struggle to cope with injuries caused by Israeli fire | Al Jazeera English Reddit Email 23 Shares By Christopher R. Hill | (Project Syndicate) | While Mike Pompeo and John Bolton have shown that they can communicate with Donald Trump, neither has ever shown any capacity for dealing with a crisis, much less arresting the decline of US leadership in the world. The expected meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will be their first test. DENVER US President Donald Trumps recent cabinet shakeup with former CIA Director Mike Pompeo replacing Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State and foreign-policy hardliner John Bolton replacing H.R. McMaster as National Security Adviser represents a significant shift in national security priorities and attitudes. A dangerous world could become more dangerous still. After over a year of near-daily drama, the world has begun to adjust to the reality of the Trump administration, which includes frequent ad hominem attacks on foreign leaders and capriciousness in relations even with close allies. Beginning with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Americas allies, especially in Europe, have recognized that they can no longer count on the US as a partner. As a result, these leaders are increasingly attempting to mitigate the effects of the Trump administrations unilateral decisions, many of which directly undermine global cooperation. Notably, Trump withdrew the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership two initiatives that would have helped to cement Americas global leadership, had the Trump administration not insisted on regarding them as Lilliputian conspiracies against the US. More recently, Trump doubled down on this approach, announcing stiff tariffs on aluminum and steel, from which some allies but not Japan are temporarily exempted. This doesnt look good for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who had rushed to be the first to embrace the Trump administration. While Abe will recover his political footing on the tariff issue, he will be far more cautious moving forward. As these developments unfolded, Tillerson and McMaster struggled. Diffidence and arrogance is a fatal combination for a secretary of state, yet that is precisely what Tillerson displayed and he rarely seemed to have a good day in the job. Similarly, McMaster a hasty but welcome replacement for the disgraced Michael Flynn seemed to be in over his head, unable to connect with the president or manage interagency dynamics. By contrast, Pompeo and Bolton have shown that they can communicate with Trump no small feat for a president who, well into his second year in office, has yet to develop a strong relationship with his national security team. But neither has ever shown any capacity for dealing with a crisis, much less arresting the decline of US global leadership. Becoming Secretary of State the cabinets most prestigious position is a significant step up for Pompeo, whose short tenure as CIA director was preceded by a six-year stint in the House of Representatives, representing Kansas fourth congressional district. Most Americans first heard of him in 2015, when he grilled then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on her supposed role in the tragic death of the US ambassador in Benghazi, Libya. While that performance could conceivably indicate a welcome concern about the security of US diplomats abroad, it also indicates a politicized approach to security and decision-making, which was also reflected in Pompeos tenure at the CIA. As for Bolton, he has served as a political appointee in several administrations. He made his mark as an archenemy of traditionally apolitical government agencies, which Trump administration officials have now labeled part of the deep state, regularly accusing such professionals as well as diplomats of appeasement. A relentless bureaucratic brawler, Bolton is not without accomplishments. His Proliferation Security Initiative, launched during President George W. Bushs administration, is generally regarded as a diplomatic success that has helped to foster international cooperation. But, for the most part, Bolton has shown himself to be a foreign-policy hawk with a penchant for unilateralism. With the North Korea crisis looming, the world will not have to wait long to find out how Boltons and Pompeos inclinations translate into action. Both are expected to start their new jobs in the run-up to Trumps expected summit with Kim Jong-un the product of yet another abrupt unilateral decision by Trump. Many within the Republican Party who are skeptical of diplomacy, of whom Bolton is a leader, have balked at Trumps decision to meet with Kim, arguing that talks with dictators are a waste of time that ultimately play into autocrats hands. Even those who instinctively support diplomacy have serious doubts: with no further diplomatic steps available, if Trumps gambit fails, only military solutions will be left. Bolton and Pompeo may believe that the best possible outcome is for the meeting to take place, with Trump storming out angrily. But a negative outcome is not what most people want, especially given the lack of compelling alternatives. And it is almost certainly not what Trump wants, given his eagerness to prove that he was wise to accept Kims invitation to meet. The extent to which Pompeo and Bolton support the initiative will thus have a significant impact not just on the summit itself, but also on Trumps presidency. Successful summits tend to be those that are well prepared. Will Bolton be willing to engage the South Koreas leaders, whom he has so often criticized as appeasers, in order to harmonize the US and South Korean positions? Will he or Pompeo work with the Chinese to identify an effective mode of cooperation? Will either official be willing to meet with the North Koreans before the summit to ensure a positive outcome? A president may pull a rabbit out of a hat from time to time. But that trick is possible only when diplomats usually led by the national security adviser and the secretary of state have prepared the props. Whether Pompeo and Bolton can do so remains unclear. What is clear is that we will have to rely not on experience, but on hope. Christopher R. Hill, former US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia, was US Ambassador to Iraq, South Korea, Macedonia, and Poland, a US special envoy for Kosovo, a negotiator of the Dayton Peace Accords, and the chief US negotiator with North Korea from 2005-2009. He is Chief Advisor to the Chancellor for Global Engagement and Professor of the Practice in Diplomacy at the University of Denver, and the author of Outpost. Licensed from Project Syndicate Bonus video added by Informed Comment: ODN: Trump hold up South Korea deal for the North SASKATOON, Saskatchewan, April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GFG Resources Inc. (TSX-V:GFG) (OTCQB:GFGSF) (GFG or the Company) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Rob Mackie as Vice President, Exploration Canada effective immediately. Mr. Mackie will be responsible for leading the Companys exploration program at its recently acquired Pen Gold and Dore Gold projects located west of the prolific Timmins gold district in Ontario, Canada. We are pleased to welcome Rob and his expertise in greenfield targeting and exploration to our leadership team, stated Brian Skanderbeg, President and CEO. Robs significant experience in applying modern exploration techniques to identify and prioritize drill targets will be valuable at our highly prospective Ontario gold projects. Mr. Mackie is a registered professional geologist with over 12 years of experience in mineral exploration with major, mid-tier, and junior mining companies. Prior to joining GFG, he was a principal consultant geologist with CSA Global and a senior project geologist with Anglo American. Through these roles, Mr. Mackie has built a strong foundation in the operational and technical aspects of designing and executing exploration programs in many jurisdictions in Canada. Mr. Mackie has a strong background in the interpretation of geochemical data and considerable experience in data integration and multi-disciplinary targeting. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Geology) from the University of Manitoba and a Master of Science (Geology) from the University of British Columbia. In connection with Mr. Mackies appointment and pursuant to the Companys stock option incentive plan, the Company granted Mr. Mackie incentive stock options to purchase 200,000 common shares of the Company. These stock options vest over three years and are exercisable for a period of five years at a price of C$0.33 per common share. The Company also announces that the Companys President and CEO and its Board of Directors have reduced their annual cash compensation in a continued effort to expand the Companys in-the-ground exploration expenditures. In lieu of the reduced cash compensation, the Company will grant the President and CEO and its Board of Directors stock options to purchase up to an aggregate of 257,400 common shares of the Company. These stock options vest over three quarters and are exercisable for a period of 5 years at a price of C$0.33 per common share. The stock options are subject to the terms of the Companys stock option plan and regulatory approval. About GFG Resources Inc. GFG Resources is a North American precious metals exploration company headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, whose shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange (GFG) and on the OTCQB (GFGSF). The Company controls 100% of the Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project, a district scale gold exploration project located approximately 100 kilometres southwest of Casper, Wyoming, U.S. The geologic setting, alteration and mineralization seen in the Rattlesnake Hills are similar to other gold deposits of the Rocky Mountain alkaline province which, collectively, have produced over 50 million ounces of gold. The Company also owns 100% of two large and highly prospective gold properties west of the prolific gold district of Timmins, Ontario, Canada. The Ontario properties are comprised of the 44,500-hectare Pen Gold Project (including the West Porcupine property) and the 12,000-hectare Dore Gold Project. CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this news release constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws and forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (referred to herein as forward-looking statements). Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the future price of gold, success of exploration activities and metallurgical test work, permitting time lines, currency exchange rate fluctuations, requirements for additional capital, government regulation of exploration work, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, title disputes or claims and limitations on insurance coverage. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate or believes, or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results, may, could, would, will, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved or the negative connotation thereof. All forward-looking statements are based on various assumptions, including, without limitation, the expectations and beliefs of management, the assumed long-term price of gold, that the Company will receive required permits and access to surface rights, that the Company can access financing, appropriate equipment and sufficient labour, and that the political environment within Canada and the United States will continue to support the development of mining projects in Canada and the United States. In addition, the similarity or proximity of other gold deposits to the Rattlesnake Hill Gold Project, the Pen Gold Project and the Dore Gold Project is not necessary indicative of the geological setting, alteration and mineralization of the Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project, the Pen Gold Project and the Dore Gold Project. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of GFG to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: actual results of current exploration activities; environmental risks; future prices of gold; operating risks; accidents, labour issues and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining government approvals or financing; and other risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties are not, and should not be construed as being, exhaustive. Although GFG has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. In addition, forward-looking statements are provided solely for the purpose of providing information about managements current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of our operating environment. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date hereof and GFG assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. For further information, please contact: Brian Skanderbeg, President & CEO Phone: (306) 931-0930 or Marc Lepage, Vice President, Business Development Phone: (306) 931-0930 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Website: www.gfgresources.com VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nicola Mining Inc. (TSX.V:NIM), (the Company or Nicola) is pleased to provide the results of their latest drill hole, as well as a summary of results on its 2017-2018 Winter Drilling Program (the Program). The Program focused on extending and defining boundaries on the Craigmont West Zone, previously referred to as the Embayment Zone at the Companys 100%-owned New Craigmont Project, British Columbia. The name was changed from Embayment to Craigmont West to denote the westward extension of the mineralized skarn zone mined in the historic Craigmont open pit and underground mine. The program was designed to target the full width and western extent of a segment of copper-iron-skarn mineralization believed to be the continuation of the mineralized zone extending west from the historic Craigmont Mine. The initial drilling results at Embayment were reported in news releases dated February 28, 2018, January 12, 2018 and December 21, 2017. Nicola has since received all results from the remaining drilling to date. Hole NC-2018-03 Highlights Hole NC-2018-03 intersected the following: 100.6 metres at 1.33% Cu including: 40.2m at 2.52% Cu And 15.0m grading 5.18% Cu The results have improved the geological understanding of the area and continue to establish the width and continuity of the Craigmont West Zone. Previous Craigmont West Zone Exploration Highlights include: *71.4 metres at 0.6% Cu from hole NC-2018-01 (Released Feb. 28, 2018) including: - 16m at 1.4% Cu - 16m at 1.4% Cu *32 metres at 0.3% Cu from NC-2017-01 (Released Dec. 21, 2017) including: - 10m at 0.6% Cu - 10m at 0.6% Cu *85.6 metres at 1.1% Cu from DDH-THU-002 (Released Sept. 7, 2016) including: - 13.8m at 2.71% Cu * indicates results released previously Peter Espig, CEO commented, Results from the initial stages of drilling at Craigmont West have been very encouraging and more drilling is clearly necessary for advancing the project toward establishing a resource and exploring west along strike and at depth. This drilling has intersected grades and widths comparable to mineralized zones mined at the historical Craigmont Mine. Frank Hogel, Chairman commented, It is becoming increasingly clear that this is a very special project and we look forward to providing an explanation on the ongoing exploration program in a subsequent news release. Exploration Summary From September 2017 to February 2018, a total of 8 diamond drill holes were drilled at Craigmont West, totaling 4436.13 metres (Figure 1). The drill holes were planned as a follow-up to the drilling program Nicola executed in 2016 which intercepted 85.92 metres of 1.11% Cu in hole DDH-THU-002. Although the intersection in DDH-THU-002 was significant in grade and width, the mineralized zone in this hole was cut-off by the Embayment fault and the true-width potential of the zone could not be evaluated. The objectives of the 2017-2018 exploration program were to: Successfully intersect and define the full width of the mineralized skarn zone, particularly between historic holes S-100 and DDH-THU-002; Test the continuity of the zone to the west and at depth; and Gain further understanding of the lithologic sequence and its control on mineralization. Out of the 8 holes drilled, 6 successfully intersected skarn mineralization within an approximately 200-metre long segment of the Craigmont West zone (Table 1), and the final hole NC-2018-03 intersected the entire width of the zone from 292.7 to 393.3 metres downhole. The Embayment Fault cuts mineralization where it was exposed in underground development and displaced the mineralized zone on the west side of the fault to the north by approximately 300 metres. While the underground mine was active, underground development was extended to within 150 metres of the Craigmont West Zone before low copper prices forced the mine to close in 1988 and exploration ceased. Exploration of the Craigmont West Zone, which remains open along strike and at depth has been the focus of the drilling programs executed by the Company in 2016 and 2017-2018. Integration of the recent drilling results with historical data is on-going by Nicolas geological team. Once complete, a follow-up drill program will be designed to expand the mineralization zone encountered in the current drill program and test other targets identified within the Craigmont West Zone. Table 1. Assay Results for Craigmont West Drilling (reported widths are based on a vertically dipping zone; however, data is insufficient at this time to reliably determine the orientation of the mineralized zone). ** Assumes the Craigmont West zone is vertical Figure 1. Location map of Nicolas Craigmont West drilling. The Craigmont Skarn Zone: East, Central and West Since beginning drilling in 2016, Nicola has successfully traced the Craigmont Skarn Zone for approximately 1km west and 2km east of the Craigmont Pit (Figure 2). It is now believed that this east-west corridor is one continuous mineralized system. Therefore, Nicola has decided to change the naming convention to Craigmont East, Central and West. The Company believes the revised names are more appropriate for identifying segments along the continuous skarn alteration and mineralization zone rather than referring to seemingly isolated entities. Craigmont West extends from NC-2017-04 east to the Embayment Fault. Within Craigmont West lies the former Embayment Zone. Craigmont Central is defined to the west by the Embayment fault and to the east by the eastern extent of the Craigmont waste dumps. It encompasses the historic open pit and the majority of historic underground mine workings. Craigmont East extends eastward from the limit of the Waste Dumps to the Eric showing. Figure 2. Location and geology of the New Craigmont Property identifying Craigmont East, Central and West. Scientific and Technical Information All information of a scientific or technical nature contained in this document, including sampling, analytical and test data has been reviewed and approved by Kevin Wells, P. Geo., a consulting Geologist to the Company. Mr. Wells is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Sample Preparation, Analysis and Quality Assurance/Quality Control Nicola Mining applies a thorough quality assurance/quality control program at the New Craigmont Project compliant with industry best practices. A qualified geoscientist has logged and sampled all core and samples have been delimited according to lithologic, alteration and mineralization characteristics. This includes systematic insertion of blank, duplicate, and certified reference materials into the sample batches by Nicolas geological staff. Core is then halved, where the sample is placed in a labelled sample bag with sample tag and the other half of the core is retained on site as a physical record. Samples are placed in sealed bags and transported to Actlabs (ISO 17025 Certified) in Kamloops, British Columbia for analysis, following a Chain of Custody. Samples are crushed up to 80% passing 2mm, rifle split (250 g) and pulverized to 95% passing 105 m. Samples are analyzed using Fire Assay (1A2) and Aqua Regia-ICP-OES 38-element (1E3) packages. All samples greater than 10,000 ppm Copper are tested using over-limit mass spectrometry methods (8-AR). All results included in this release have passed the QA/QC procedures as described above and have been reviewed by Kevin Wells, P.Geo. There are no known factors that could materially affect the reliability of data collected and verified. No quality assurance/quality control issues have been identified to date. About Nicola Mining Nicola Mining Inc. is a junior mining company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and is in the process of recommencing mill feed processing operations at its 100% owned state-of-the-art mill and tailings facility, located near Merritt, British Columbia. It has already signed four mill profit share agreements with high grade gold producers. The fully-permitted mill can process both gold and silver mill feed via gravity and flotation processes. The Company also owns 100% of Treasure Mountain, its high-grade silver property, and an active gravel pit that is located adjacent to its milling operations. On behalf of the Board of Directors Peter Espig Peter Espig CEO & Director For additional information Contact: Peter Espig Phone: (778) 385-1213 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 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. Efrain Rios Montt, who ruled Guatemala with an iron fist in the 1980s and was accused of genocide at the peak of its long civil war, died on Sunday at the age of 91. One of his lawyers, Luis Rosales, told reporters that Rios Montt died in his home, with the love of his family and a clear conscience. Rios Montt, who had been in very poor health for years, was buried in a matter of hours in a small, private ceremony. Relatives and supporters defended him vehemently, saying the man accused of razing indigenous villages had in fact committed no crime. Protesting relatives of people who died under his rule, however, splashed red paint on the sidewalk outside a former government palace in Guatemala City and on a national flag in a symbol of the blood they said he had shed. They complained that he was never punished. Rios Montt was accused of ordering the murders of 1,771 indigenous Ixil-Maya people during his short reign in 1982-83, which came at the height of the brutal 36-year civil war. Humble beginnings According to the UN, some 200,000 people died or were made to disappear during the Guatemalas war, which ended in 1996. Rios Montt was accused of orchestrating an extermination policy against the indigenous population, which was perceived to be collaborating with leftwing guerrillas waging war against government forces. He denied the charges in his original trial. I never authorized, never signed, never ordered an attack against a race, an ethnicity or a religion. I never did it! he said at the time. At the burial Sunday, friends shouted Long live general Rios Montt and said he had saved the country from communism. Short in stature and vigorous until recent years, the former dictator had a humble beginning, with little to suggest a rise to national power. He was born in Guatemalas remote Huehuetenango province, near the border with Mexico. He enlisted in the army as a teenager and rose through the ranks, receiving training courses at the US-run School of the Americas, where Latin American officers learned harsh tactics used in crack downs on dissidents. Politically, Rios Montt came to the forefront in 1974 when, as a brigadier general, he was put forward as a coalition presidential candidate. Historians say he won an overwhelming victory, but electoral fraud prevented him from taking office. Another general, Kjell Eugenio Laugerud, took power instead. As a consolation prize, Rios Montt was sent to Spain as the military attache. US support Upon returning home three years later, he turned away from Catholicism, his religion of birth, and became a fervent evangelical Christian. On March 23, 1982, he took power in a bloodless coup, deposing Lucas Garcia. During his 18-month rule, ruthless even by the standards of Latin American dictators, Rios Montt engaged in a scorched earth policy against dissidents, wiping out entire rural towns where leftists were suspected of living or having support. He appointed so-called faceless judges who mounted summary trials and ordered numerous alleged criminals often leftist rebel sympathizers or militants executed. Rios Montt also used his office to preach to his people: every Sunday night, dressed in a combat uniform, the dictator would take to the airwaves and talk about God, morality and politics. He claimed in one such sermon that a good Christian lived their life with a bible and a machine gun. As conflicts raged in nearby Nicaragua and El Salvador, then US president Ronald Reagan praised Rios Montt in 1982 as a man of great personal integrity and commitment. Congressional immunity But as evidence of gross human rights violations mounted, Rios Montts defense minister, General Oscar Mejia, ousted him from office in August 1983. In 1989 Rios Montt founded the right-wing Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG), which reached national power with the election of Alfonso Portillo (2000-2004). Portillo was arrested in 2010 on corruption charges and ended up being extradited to the United States, where he spent a little over a year in prison for money-laundering. Rios Montt managed to avoid prosecution by entering Congress, where he enjoyed parliamentary immunity. The ex-general served as a legislator between 1990 and 2003, including a stint as head of the chamber. He also launched three unsuccessful presidential bids. Courts blocked two of those attempts on grounds that he led a coup to take office, and by the time his lawyers won the right for him to run in 2003 his popularity had waned considerably. When Rios Montts final term in Congress ended in 2012, along with his parliamentary immunity, he was slapped with charges of genocide and put under house arrest. A May 2013 trial delivered a conviction and an 80-year sentence the first time a Latin American ex-dictator had been convicted of genocide. But that verdict was overturned just days later by Guatemalas constitutional court because of what it called a procedural error and a new trial was ordered. That trial of Rios Montt and his spy chief, Jose Rodriguez, was halted in 2016 after an appeals court ruled each man should be tried separately. Rios Montts lawyers sought to block further proceedings against their client, arguing his health was too poor and he suffered from dementia. Romanian prosecutors on Monday requested to prosecute former president Ion Iliescu and ex-prime minister Petre Roman for crimes against humanity during the deadly aftermath of the countrys 1989 revolution. Attorney general Augustin Lazar asked President Klaus Iohannis to give the green light to open criminal proceedings against the former leaders, according to a statement by the public prosecutor. Former deputy prime minister Gelu Voican Voiculescu will also be targeted. The announcement opens a new stage in long-running investigations into those responsible during the bloody days before and after the death of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena. In all, 1,104 people died during the events of December 1989 in Romania, including 162 before the fall of Ceausescu, who ordered a clampdown on protests, and 942 in the days following, according to historical accounts which, 28 years later, remain unclear. Prosecutors have said they are probing the responsibility of the new political and military leadership which took over after Ceausescu fled. The National Salvation Front headed by Iliescu, a former Ceausescu minister, led Romania in the first weeks after the revolution. The groups members Roman and Voiculescu became prime minister and deputy prime minister during this period. Iliescu, now 88, was president from 1989 to 1996, and served another term from 2000 to 2004. Prosecutors have said that in order to maintain power the new leaders implemented a plan and provoked murder and injuries by gunfire, as well as the detention of a large number of people. Roman responded strongly to the news after the announcement on Monday. Its a feeling of revulsion and total shock because I have absolutely nothing to do with this story, he told news agency Agerpres. The investigation into the events was shelved in 2015, notably due to lack of evidence, but was reopened in June 2016 by the countrys highest court. According to prosecutors, 275 people have already faced legal action over their role in putting down the uprising, of whom only a few dozen have been convicted, according to victims support groups. Ceausescus demise came at the end of a momentous year in which communist regimes fell across central and eastern Europe with the Berlin Wall coming down in November presaging the demise of the Soviet Union by the end of 1991. 565 Shares Share I want you to be my doctor. You dont judge me, Mr. L said. I left my last doctor because of the way he treated me. He did not understand me and could not care for me. I was born a woman, but I am a man, he said. When it comes to providing patient care, I think the most important part comes from a principle we are taught as children: Treat others as you want to be treated. I care for a diverse patient population. As a transgender man, Mr. L is a part of that diverse community, and like my other patients, he was looking for a doctor to provide him with the medical care he deserves. My job as a physician is to provide the best care I can, regardless of who the patient is. Unfortunately, for the transgender community, acceptance and poor understanding of their health needs still remain problems. According to an American Journal of Public Health article, there are an estimated one million people living in the U.S. who identify as transgender. Unfortunately, health care for this group has been historically overlooked. In 2015, the U.S. Transgender Survey reported 23 percent of respondents did not seek care due to fear of being mistreated based on their gender identity. Thirty-three percent of respondents had at least one negative health care experience related to being transgender, such as being verbally harassed or refused treatment because of their gender identity. Despite measures aimed at ending health care discrimination based on gender identity, why is this happening? The problem may lie in that physicians do not receive enough training in transgender medical issues. In 2009 to 2010, a study of U.S. and Canadian medical schools reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that the median reported time dedicated to teaching LGBT-related content was five hours. The content, quantity, and quality of instruction varied immensely among the schools. According to a Journal of Womens Health 2014 article and a Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 2017 article, 80 percent of gynecologists and 81 percent of endocrinologists (the physicians most frequently consulted to prescribe hormonal medications to transgender patients) have not received training in providing care to transgender patients. It is not difficult to see that we have not been adequately trained and prepared to care for this population. After nearly seven years of building relationships with my patients, I believe we form relationships based on commonalities. While I personally cannot know the experiences of my transgender patients, it is apparent to me that Mr. L is not so different from me. We both have families we deeply care for. We both want to be accepted. We both share joy. We both experience sadness and pain. We are both humans. This is what connects me to Mr. L, and this is what connects us to others. With more competency training and shifting attitudes, I hope the experience Mr. L had will be a thing of the past. For my part, Ill continue to return to that childhood lesson: Treat others as I would want to be treated. Anika Godhwani is a family physician. Image credit: Shutterstock.com By Kim Yoo-chul The country's top financial regulator said Monday that it has asked prosecutors to investigate Hana Financial Chairman Kim Jeong-tae, noting that it had found he was involved in hiring irregularities "The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) has found evidence that Kim was involved in hiring irregularities while he was the chief of the banking group back in 2013, through an internal investigation. We have has asked local prosecutors to look into the allegations," the regulator said in a statement. KEB Hana Bank President Ham Young-joo was also allegedly involved in the hiring scandal; but the FSS didn't elaborate further. Hana Financial denied the allegations claiming its chairman didn't know the name of applicants who had applied for entry-level positions or the names of their parents. Hana Financial Group Chairman Kim Jung-tae The latest move comes after a 15-day special in-house counsel team headed by deputy governor Choi Seong-il investigated former FSS governor Choi Heung-sik over rumors that he asked Kim to illegally hire the son of a colleague in 2013. "Among the 229 new entrants who were officially given job offers for entry-level positions, 32 had been assured of employment through recommendations from former FSS governor Choi and others," said the statement. The FSS said its latest findings also included the involvement of Kim. Hana officials have acknowledged that hiring practices in 2013 disadvantaged applicants based on gender and the schools they attended. "Specifically, the FSS found 16 cases were linked to the recommendations from influential figures, while other applicants made the cut from the pervasive practice of manipulating the rating process," said the FSS statement. It added KEB Hana Bank applied different criteria to male and female applicants. Two female applicants failed to be offered jobs as KEB Hana Bank boosted the results of the final interviews of two male applicants. "We've also found that applicants who graduated from prestigious local universities or had degrees from leading overseas schools received additional points, a criteria that applicants had not been notified of during the screening process," said the regulator. Deputy Governor Choi said in a media briefing that the FSS will hand over the details of its findings to the prosecution and added any further actions will depend on the results of investigations by the prosecution. Earlier, former FSS governor Choi stepped down from the position "in order to ensure the impartiality of the FSS, which is investigating employment irregularities in the financial sector." President Moon Jae-in immediately accepted Choi's resignation. From 2012 until 2014, Choi was president of the Hana Financial Group, which owns KEB Hana Bank, the country's largest private lender. Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed in a venomous speech against India urged the Pakistan government to support the cause of freedom of Kashmir. The video surfaced on social media a day after the Indian Army killed 13 terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. Hafiz Saeed launched a salvo on his countrys government for not supporting the cause of Kashmiri people. Saeed also pledged to avenge killing of 13 terrorists. In a vitriolic speech JuD chief even asked his government to declare war against India. Saeed lashed out at Pakistan government for its inaction and not taking the cause of Kashmiri people to international platforms. He asked his government not to indulge in political fights rather than focus on the concerns of Kashmiri people. Hafiz Saeed also supported the two day bandh call given by the Hurriyat leaders. JuD chief also lashed out at United Nations for turning blind eye towards the youths of Kashmir. Here is the video of Hafiz Saeed issuing threat to India: The Indian Army has started Operation Allout in Kashmir Valley to completely eliminate terrorism. Yesterday in three counter-insurgency operations in the valley the Indian Army neutralized 13 terrorists in Anantnag and Shopian districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Three Indian soldiers were also martyred in the gun battle. Hafiz Saeed, the master mind of Mumbai terror attack carries a bounty of USD 10 million. Saeed runs terror group JuD. US has blacklisted Jud. Last year Hafiz Saeed has floated his political Party Milli Muslim League (MML) and is expected to contest the upcoming general elections of Pakistan. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 02, 2018 06:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). New Delhi, Apr 2: TN Seshan's death messages went viral, on Monday, on social media have turned to be a hoax. The death of the TN Seshan turned out to be false as the death former Chief Election Commissioner is still alive. The following news of Seshan being alive was confirmed by an erstwhile top poll official, as per the reports. Seshan's death was rumoured on Sunday, a day after his wife Jayalakshmi Seshan passed away in Chennai. The fake messages said the ex-CEC succumbed to death within 24 hours of his wife's demise. Here is what the hoax messages on social media said: Ex Chief Election Commissioner Sri. TN Seshan, the once nightmare of many political parties passed away this morning. Yesterday his wife had passed away, A real divine couple. They had no children and since long they lived in an old aged home. What a lovely loving couple.. Pray god their soul rest in peace.. Reacting to the message, users on Twitter paid homage to Seshan, recalling his tenure as the CEC when he introduced landmark reforms. R I P #T.N. Seshan the man who earned his respect & bought respect to the Institution of EC.The nation has truly lost one of it's hero. J Venkatesh (@jvsk3) April 2, 2018 Ex CEC Sri. T.N.Seshan, once nightmare of many political parties passed away this morning. Tragic thing is , Yesterday his wife had passed away. A real divine couple. As they had no children , simply they lived in an old age home. What a loving couple.. ??|| Pray god pic.twitter.com/314cv69FrY Kirti Mishra (@CHINMAYTHEROCKT) April 2, 2018 Seshan headed the Election Commission between 1990-96. During his tenure, a limit was imposed on the expenditure of candidates contesting in a particular constituency. The Voter IDs were also begun to be issued during his reign. Seshan also campaigned extensively against use of official machinery during election campaigning. Similarly, another death hoax went viral on social media on March 30, claiming that the former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had died. However, fortunately, that news turned out to be false too. We wish both the gentlemen a long and healthy life! (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 02, 2018 08:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Terry Leahy - Shanahoe The death took place on Thursday, March 29 of Terry Leahy of Killeaney, Shanahoe. Unexpectedly at The Mater Hospital, Dublin after a short illness. Husband of Valery, sadly missed by his wife, brother Richard, brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, nieces Chloe and Megan, nephew Darragh, extended family, neighbours and friends. Reposing at his home on Saturday from 3pm with Rosary at 9pm, also on Sunday from 3pm, with Rosary at 9pm. Removal on Monday morning to St. Brigid's Church, Shanahoe, for Funeral Mass at 12 noon, followed by Burial in the adjoining Cemetery. Tom Flanagan - Portarlington The death took place on Thursday, March 29 of Tom Flanagan of Lea (Clonanny), Portarlington. Peacefully at his residence surrounded by his loving family. Deeply regretted by his loving wife Margaret, son Declan, daughters Siobhan, Martina and Sarah, sons-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, brother, sisters relatives, neighbours and friends. Reposing at his residence from 12 noon on Good Friday with rosary at 8.30pm. Reposing on Saturday from 10am until 4.30pm. House private there after. Removal at 5.30pm to arrive at Saint John's Church, Killenard for 6pm prayers. Requiem Mass on Easter Sunday at 10.30am followed by Interment in adjoining cemetery. Paul Byrne - Stradbally The death took place on Wednesday, March 28 of Paul Byrne of 3 Church Avenue, Stradbally. Died peacefully at home in the loving care of his wife Ann Marie and his children Selena and Karina and his extended family. Deeply regretted by his loving wife Ann Marie (nee Flynn formerly of Parnell Cresent, Portlaoise), his daughters Selena and Karina, brothers, sisters uncles, aunts, mother-in-law Kathleen, neighbours, relatives and friends. Reposing in his home from 3pm on Saturday. Recital of The Rosary at 8pm on Saturday evening. Family time on Sunday morning please. Funeral arriving for 11.30am Mass on Sunday in The Church of the Sacred Heart, Stradbally. Burial after in Oakvale Cemetery. More information is needed about some bus services operating between Naas and Sallins Specifically Cllr Sorcha O'Neill has asked Kildare County Council to write to Irish Rail asking that feeder bus times to and from the railway station be made available to the public. She said this should be on the Irish Rail website as well as on information boards on both platforms at the station. She said people new to Naas or Sallins are likely to be unaware of the service. Currently, there is nowhere to access this information. It's not published anywhere that I know of. No one knows what times it's at, where it stops, how much it costs. I think the service would be more widely used if this was done. I would be more motivated to use the train if it was more accessible from Naas. Cllr Carmel Kelly said not enough information is available at school buses operating in the Sallins area. Cllr Kelly said there is a need for more information about bus times and this should be provided in the bus bays, where it easily accessible by those using the service. SEE ALSO: Celeb architect Dermot Bannon designing Pippa O'Connor's K Club home A New Zealander who has set up a photographic gallery in Allenwood has said that moving to the West Kildare village inspired him to develop his photography hobby. As a younger man he lived the charmed life of working on fruit farms (apples and avocados) for the summers while travelling for the winters until he arrived in Ireland and started to earn more driving a lorry than he did at home near Hawks Bay, on New Zealands north island. So I sold my business in New Zealand and settled down, he explains. As well as deciding to settle down, he also decided to buy a proper camera and to get more serious about his photography. He has travelled the country extensively, taking shots wherever he went and he says that shots of the Wicklow mountains, in particular Glendalough and the Blessington Lakes always sell well. But it was when he and his partner bought a house in the Allenwood area that things really took off for him. He was immediately inspired by what surrounded him, and following great success in a pop-up shop in Clane in the run up to Christmas, 14 months ago he set up his shop in the village. His pictures are also available in Straffan Antiques and at the Design Loft at Powerscourt. Notwithstanding the relatively remote location of Allenwood, he says hes had a steady stream of customers. Theyre coming from all over south Dublin, Wicklow and Carlow. His website mjanderton.com has proven successful in driving sales for him as well. His pictures including Carbury Castle, Naas, Robertstown, Ballinafagh Lake, Donadea (which along with Glendalough have proven most popular with customers) as well as the Wicklow mountains and many parts of Mayo. The New Zealand native/adopted Allenwood man explains that providing prints of all shapes and sizes is another, important element of his business at his store. SEE ALSO: PHOTO GALLERY: St Farnan's of Prosperous stage Guys and Dolls Il Ponte Nuovo, the popular Italian restaurant based on Georges Street in Newbridge, closed its doors suddenly last weekend, but has indicated to customers via social media that management plans to reopen their restaurant in the town. A post on its Facebook page on Saturday morning said that the restaurant will be closed until further notice, but they hoped to reopen soon. No reason was given for the closure. We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused we will be back thats for sure and we will keep you posted over the next couple of days, said the post. Customers who have vouchers can use them at the eateries sister restaurant in Lucan until the Newbridge branch reopens, according to management. A further post from the restaurant said they would reopen in Newbridge, regardless of the location. The Cork developer, Michael O'Flynn is the preferred bidder to buy the 195 acres Liffey Park Technology campus in Leixlip, according to a newspaper report. The Sunday Business Post (April 1) reported to Mr O'Flynn is being backed by a global fund manager, Black-Rock Real Estate to buy the campus from the US computer giant, HP. Estate agent, CBRE, was said to be looking for 50 million for the campus which has a nine main buildings. The newspaper article by Tom Lyns said that Mr O'Flynn develops both houses and commercial property but that his plans for the site are unknown. It said however that his choice of partners indicates that he is planning to keep the site in commercial use. The site has a gross floor area of about 1.46 million square feet and includes 70 acres of undeveloped land. The report said that Mr O'Flynn faced significant competition from rivals for the site and quoted CRRE director, Willie Norse, as saying that the sale was one of the largest industrial and indeed overall property disposals in Ireland in recent years. Mr Norse was quoted as saying that the site was an economic opportunity for large scale end users to secure a commercial industrial/manufacturing facility at a fraction of the reinstatement value or alternatively for investors who would seek to lease out the entire campus, thereby generating a significant rent roll. In February 2017, HP said that inkjet print done by HP Inc would be transferred to the United States and Asia, and announced 500 job cuts on February 8. At the time long time staff at the Leixlip plant were shocked at the extent of the cuts. HP Inc said then it planned to sell the Leixlip site including its current sub-leases, and it was suggested that could take place around February 2018. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider subscribing to our ePaper and/or free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. The Union of Students in Ireland (USI), alongside trade unions ICTU, TUI, ASTI and INTO, have released a report detailing that 42% of student teachers consider dropping out of college due to financial pressures associated with work placement. The report outline the average cost of placement for student teachers per week totaled 160 a week for just travel, resources and materials, food, and the Gaeltacht fee payment. Over 3,000 students were surveyed across the country highlighting the financial pressure placed on student teachers, fuelling teacher shortage. The recommendations of the report call for teachers in initial teacher education to be financially supported by Government in similar ways to other professionals. The report finds that 96% of current students find their time on placement highly stressful indicating finance as the main driver for stress. 71% of current placement students hold part-time jobs during placement in order to afford rent, materials for teaching, travel and food, citing the 1,500 Gaeltacht fee as the biggest motivation for working part-time while on placement. 89% of current students and 79% of graduates say that the compulsory Gaeltacht fee is too high. Speaking at the launch, USI President Michael Kerrigan, said, Work placement is invaluable preparation for student teachers pursuing their vocation as educators. Students are following their dreams to teach the next generation while battling the high cost of living with no financial support being given at all. Along with working part-time jobs, students are on placements lasting 30 35 hours a week with no support for travel, food or materials. The reality is, students cant cope with the cost of living without another job on top of this and the 1,500 Gaeltacht fee is an extra cost put onto student teachers alongside the 3,000 registration charge, Mr Kerrigan went on to say. The average cost of college is 12,500 while students, in Ireland are paying the second highest fees in the EU, after the UK, on top of another 1,500 a year for a Gaeltacht fee. Its time our Government valued student teachers, otherwise were faced with a drought of talent with the shortage of teachers reaching crisis point. Patricia King, General Secretary of ICTU, said, The costs being borne by student teachers is yet another example of the obstacles they and many young people face before fully entering the labour market. Clearly, gaining gaining quality experience in the workplace is something that must be supported, but not at the risk to student learning and health, as indicated by the report. Congress supports this new collaboration in education, which will help to improve student conditions whilst recognising and striving for improvement in working conditions for all young workers. We will continue to work with the student movement and all affiliate unions to ensure that students and young workers can avail of quality opportunities and decent conditions in the workplace. TUI President Joanne Irwin said, With the extension of the Professional Master of Education (PME) required to teach at second level in Ireland - to two years, students and their families are enduring unprecedented financial strain, which is leading to high levels of stress that can severely affect their studies. That 42% of students consider dropping out before completion of their studies is an alarming statistic, particularly at a time when there is already a crisis in Irish education in terms of teacher recruitment and retention. Speaking about the report, Ger Curtin, ASTI President, stated, The cost of entering second-level teaching is prohibitive for many graduates, especially for those from less affluent backgrounds. We fully support the USI in their campaign for a payment for student teachers who are undertaking teaching as part of their studies. John Boyle, INTO President, welcomed the report stating, The escalating costs for student teachers on placement is a matter of concern to the INTO. While school placement is an integral part of initial teacher education, additional time spent in schools needs to be accompanied by support for student teachers to compensate for expenses such as transport, clothing, classroom resources and materials and loss of part time earnings while on placement. Without government action on this there is a very real fear that success in school placement could become a factor of ability to pay rather than ability to teach. The INTO welcomes the USI Report which clearly and accurately outlines the various costs faced by student teachers on placement. USI launched the survey in 2017 with trade unions ICTU, TUI, ASTI and INTO for better working conditions for student teachers while on placement.The unions are calling for student teachers to be treated as favourably as students on placement in other professions, and should receive an agreed hourly rate to cover costs associated with their teaching placement. USI also proposes the reinstatement of the state grant to cover all eight weeks of mandatory Gaeltacht placement for PME students. A CRUCIAL early intervention centre in Limerick will be without a child psychologist for 11 months until a vacancy is filled this April, the HSE has indicated. This is due to the unexpected resignation of a locum psychologist in May 2017, who was covering for the permanent staff member who was on a career break and due to return in August 2017. The service is located at Blackberry Park, Ballykeeffe. However, the HSE said in a letter to Deputy Maurice Quinlivan, the staff member then resigned in June 2017. The post was advertised in August 2017 and Enable Ireland held interviewed for the post of clinical psychologist on October 5, the letter stated. A successful candidate was identified, but she is unavailable to start until this November due to maternity leave. In the interim, a locum psychologist has been recruited and she will commence employment with the Blackberry Early Intervention Team in April 2018, the HSE said. The HSE explained that the start date has been delayed as the locum psychologist has worked in a number of countries and Enable Ireland had to secure police clearance from each of these countries as part of the recruitment process. Deputy Quinlivan, who raised the issue with Minister for Health Simon Harris, said that it was totally unacceptable for Limerick to be without a child psychologist for 11 months. And according to figures he has received from the HSE, a total of 953 children are on a waiting list for assessment and intervention at the service. Thats a crazy situation, a team of people should be hired to clear this huge black-log and to ensure children and their parents arent waiting an unacceptable time for this vital service. The HSE said the new post will help to reduce waiting times for clients. OUTSIDE of the capital, Limerick has the highest amount of active investigations ongoing into criminals and the proceeds of crime, according to the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB). With 54 full investigations and seven preliminary investigations underway, Limerick City and County has the second highest amount of CAB targets after Dublin, according to CAB chief officer Patrick Clavin. There are seven CAB profilers currently working full time across the Limerick District, officer Clavin told councillors at a recent meeting of the Joint Policing Committee (JPC). 61 targets is the highest by a long shot of anywhere else outside of Dublin and its higher then Cork, officer Clavin said. Limerick has been very important to CAB. There has been fantastic cooperation. Limerick is also busy in terms of investigations. CAB is a State Body that works locally, nationally, and internationally to recover the proceeds of crime. CAB officers come from the Gardai, Revenue and Social Welfare and are assisted by technical and financial investigations. We specialise in going after the ill-gotten gains of criminals who could otherwise escape the criminal justice system, officer Clavin said. Our message to the public is that if you suspect someones lifestyle is funded by the proceeds of crime - tell us. They flaunt it, you report it. In order to be a target of CAB, you have to be a very good criminal, he added. In order to become the focus of a CAB investigation, the person must be a criminal or have a criminal background. It cant just be a neighbour you dont like. Members of the public can contact CAB directly by calling 01 6663266 or on the Garda Confidential Number 1800 666 111 or by calling Crimestoppers on 1800 25 00 25. LIMERICK councillor Kevin Sheahan has slated the Environmental Protection Agency for their report into ongoing sewage problems in Askeaton. They had the audacity to say there was no evidence of raw sewage going into the river, he said. They made a liar, an untruthful person, out of me. Raising the issue at a meeting of Adare Rathkeale councillors, Cllr Sheahan said the council offices phone in Rathkeale was red-hot on certain days as complaints come in about sewage smells seeping into private residences, commercial properties and shops. There is a serious issue and then, to cap it all, the EPA comes along, doesnt tell any of us that they were having a look at the problem that had been raised by me and then say that they could find no evidence of raw sewage going into the River Deel. There were, he said, two sources of raw sewage in the town and councillors had seen raw sewage going into the river themselves. But, he declared, the EPA, on its phantom inspection, had failed to find what everybody else sees. This was the same EPA, Cllr Sheahan continued, which a number of years ago had threatened to prosecute the then Limerick County Council unless it built a sewerage treatment plant within two years. The EPA have fallen down completely in carrying out the threat, he said. Where is Askeaton now on the list of priorities, he wanted to know. And he asked that Limerick TDs take up the issue with the minister responsible to get an answer. THE CHIEF officer of the HSE in the Mid-West has said that it is extremely important for communities to get involved in their local health services and that the State cant do everything. Bernard Gloster made the comments at the launch of the HSEs operational plan for the Mid-West for 2018, which will see an estimated 380,930,000 spent on community health services this year. This is an increase of approximately 20m on 2017, the HSE said. Community healthcare is a very local thing. We now try to build and develop our services in small pockets of the population between 30,000 and 50,000 people. We call them community healthcare networks. This is something we are really excited about developing in a much stronger way over 2018 and into 2019. The chief officer added: The involvement of communities in their own health is extremely important for the future. Sometimes I think we only see health in the context of the State. In 2018, it is estimated that 66.98m will be spent on mental health; 89.25m on primary care services; 67.67m on older persons; 157.03m on disabilities; and central funding will resource health and wellbeing. According to the operational plan, there are almost 100 fewer HSE staff in the Mid-West than in 2017. There are 2,568 HSE staff, a small decline on the 2,655 staff in the previous year. During the briefing to councillors, senators, TDs and Minister Patrick ODonovan, Deputy Niall Collins asked about the HSEs delivery times for primary care centres in Limerick. Kate Duggan, head of primary care, said that the primary care centre for Castletroy is expected to be delivered this year, while five other sitesKilmallock, Croom, Ennis Road, Caherconlish, and Newcastle Westare to be delivered over the next two to three years. Mr Gloster said that it has been a torturous process in securing developers for the sites. He explained that the new centres will be under a 25-year lease with the developers, while the new Barrack View primary care centre, Edward Street, was delivered through public-private partnership. Sen Kieran ODonnell asked about the delivery time of the St Camillus Hospital project. Mr Gloster said it is hoped the two-storey 75-bed site will go to planning this summer. The project may not be fully complete until 2021. The measles outbreak was also discussed at length during the briefing, after Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked about its management. The HSE said that it will consider an out-of-hours free MMR clinic to tackle the problem. DECOMMISSIONING a man-made lake high above Foynes could be the best or maybe the only way to avoid a recurrence of last Novembers flood which devastated the Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum. The suggestion came from Mayor Stephen Keary when he and other councillors from the Adare Rathkeale Municipal District discussed the findings of the investigation into the flooding which took place last November 11. The flood occurred, councillors were told, when an unprecedented volume of water from the man-made lake flowed from the lakes one outlet down towards Marine Cove Rd but the culvert was unable to take the volume of water and overflowed. The water flowed down the hill, surrounding the Shannon Foynes Port Companys building on the N69 and flooding the nearby museum to a height of half a metre or so. Can the lake be decommissioned, rather than leave it as a major threat, Cllr Keary asked, arguing that a specialist hydrologist report was necessary to examine the entire drainage around the lake. And he expressed concern about properties in the vicinity and the impact of the flood on their ability to secure insurance. Cllr Richard ODonoghue agreed that decommissioning was a far better option and supported the idea of a hydrologists report. But councillors were unhappy that none of the recommendations in the report had yet been implemented. Why hasnt a warning system been put in, Cllr Adam Teskey asked. There has been plenty rain since. Outlining the details of the report, senior executive engineer Kevin Murphy described the events of November 11, what measures were taken on the night and the steps involved in the investigation carried out afterwards. The lake, he explained, had been put in place many years ago to provide water in case of fire emergency at the port and was not to be confused with the drinking water reservoir a short distance away. The lake is maintained by the port company, Mr Murphy said but there is no monitoring carried out. The council inspects the culvert every week, he added. The investigation concluded that a combination of factors had contributed to the severity of the flood. One was the deforestation of the area around the lake which had taken place over the past few years. Other factors were the lack of monitoring and the absence of a mechanism to let off water over a certain level. Pipe restrictions on the culvert also contributed. The culvert it was discovered is crossed by a water main and a number of smaller pipes and this, Mr Murphy said, would have a considerable influence on the capacity of the culvert. The report recommended the installation of a monitoring system on the lake, the closing off of the rear of the port company offices and maintaining a supply of sandbags in Foynes. Long term, the recommendations include installing a controlled discharge system at the lake and replanting the land. Removing or diverting the crossing pipes in the culvert was also recommended. Alternatively, a new, larger culvert on Marine Cove Rd could be built, Mr Murphy said. Foynes has seen a number of floods, Cllr Kevin Sheahan said, but as far as he knew, none up to now had been caused by water from the lake. And he questioned whether the lake was still necessary given the access now to the Shannon Estuary water scheme. Councillors agreed that a hydrologists report should be sought. It was also agreed that further discussions should take place with the Shannon Foynes Port Company. The long term use of even low level drugs like cannabis can leave users with scrambled brains according to a former mayor of Limerick who has called for a collaborative approach to tackling drug abuse in the city. Councillor John Gilligan made the call at a recent meeting of the Joint Policing Committee, at which he also made claim to have witnessed a drug user injecting outside his home. Drugs are not just a cops problem, cllr Gilligan said. Theyre a huge social problem. Long term abuse of cannabis can leave people with scrambled brains. I woke up this morning to see a fella injecting across the road from me. The issue of drugs shouldnt just be about policing, he added. Drug (abuse) is something that is getting progressively worse. Take a look at national campaigns; there are safety campaigns for driving and coming into the summer we will have safe swimming campaigns. When do we see a campaign against drugs? When you see the damage that even low-level drugs like cannabis does and the prevention that we need is non-existent. In the City it is believed there are 1,000 users of heavier stuff and where do we have the rehabilitation centre? The new Chief Superintendent for Limerick Gerard Roche agreed with cllr Gilligan that tackling drug abuse is a multi-agency issue. Although crimes for drugs across the Limerick district are down for the first three months of 2018 when compared to the same time last year, they still remain a serious issue, Chief Supt Roche said. There is a level of heroin abuse here thats going up and we need all agencies, he said. At the meeting, Chief Supt Roche said he is interested in running a number of potential campaigns that will include input from the community. There is much more interest if its not just focused on the garda aspect, he said. A drugs education programme could also be incorporated into a future joint-policing strategy, senior executive officer for Limerick City and County Council Christy OConnor added. A VIDEO of a man in Limerick being confronted as part of a sting operation into the alleged online grooming of minors has been viewed almost 100,000 times. A Facebook video streamed live on Easter Sunday shows a Limerick man being confronted by two female members of the Child Protection Awareness group for allegedly sending sexually explicit messages and pictures online to two decoy young girls, age 13 and 14. The man appears to be living in close proximity to schools. One of the women in the video who confronts the man at his place of residence also points out that there is also a pre-school in the vicinity. Weve come here to talk to you about who youve been talking to online, one of the members of the group can be heard saying in the almost 42-minute long video. The video has since been viewed 97,000 times and shared across Facebook more than 1,800 times. He admitted to our decoy. Theres a little playground where the kids come out and play from school and (have) playtime and hes admitted to our decoy that he walks around his apartment naked so God only knows what hes been doing, watching, one of the women is heard saying. A separate video posted by the group shows the man getting into the back of a garda car which is then driven away. A garda spokesperson has confirmed that the incident is currently under investigation. A MAN with an address in Limerick has appeared in court in Dublin charged in connection with a 1.8 million seizure of drugs from on board a truck over the Easter bank holiday weekend. A large quantity of drugs were seized as part of a joint investigation between the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and the Revenue Customs Service at Dublin Port on the morning of Saturday March 31. During the operation a truck destined for Limerick was stopped and searched, and a significant quantity of drugs, believed to include cocaine and ketamine, were discovered. Alvydus Simkus, a 55-year-old man with an address at Smiths Lane, Cathedral Place and originally from Lithuania, appeared before a special sitting of the Dublin District Court this Monday afternoon. He appeared on six charges including possession of MDMA, cocaine and ketamine and possession with intent to sell or supply, according to a number of national media outlets. An application made for bail was refused by Judge Alan Mitchell. Mr Simkus has been remanded in custody in Cloverhill before he appears again this Friday, April 6. Humankind is no match for the wrath of Mother Nature when it comes to these deadly natural disasters. Every year, nearly 100,000 people perish in natural disasters earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, wildfires and droughts while over 150 million are impacted by them, worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Violent natural disasters have been a fact of human life since the beginning of mankind, but the death counts of the most ancient of these disasters are lost to history. The ancient Mediterranean island of Thera (now Santorini, Greece), for example, experienced a catastrophic volcanic eruption that eradicated the entire Minoan civilization around 1600 B.C., according to a 2020 study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences. But exactly how many lives were lost? We'll never know. Related: Live Science podcast "Life's Little Mysteries" 5: Mysterious volcanoes However, thanks to historical records and journals, historians can at least estimate the number of fatalities linked to disasters that occured in the common era. According to such records, the following natural disasters are the deadliest of all time, ranked from lowest to highest estimated death toll. (For those disasters for which a death toll range is given, the disaster is ranked by the highest end of the estimate.) 10. (TIE) The A.D. 1138 Aleppo earthquake The view across the amphitheater of The Citadel in Aleppo, Syria. (Image credit: Nicholas Prins/Getty Images) On Oct. 11, 1138, the ground under the Syrian city of Aleppo began to shake. The city sits on the confluence of the Arabian and African plates, making it prone to temblors, but this one was particularly violent. The magnitude of the quake is lost to time, but contemporary chroniclers reported that the city's citadel collapsed and houses crumbled across Aleppo. The resulting death toll is estimated at around 230,000, but that figure comes from the 15th century, and the historian who reported it may have conflated the Aleppo quake with one that occurred in what is now the modern-day Eurasian country of Georgia, according to a 2004 paper in the journal Annals of Geophysics. Still, this supposed death toll ties this event as the 10th most deadly natural disaster of all time. 10. (TIE) The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami Aerial view of destruction caused by the 2004 tsunami that hit Indonesia. (Image credit: CHOO YOUN-KONG/Getty Images) Tied for 10th place is a catastrophic magnitude 9.1 earthquake that struck undersea off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, on Dec. 26, 2004. The quake created a massive tsunami that killed approximately 230,000, and displaced nearly 2 million people in 14 South Asian and East African countries. Traveling as fast as 500 mph (804 kph), the tsunami reached land in as little as 15 to 20 minutes after the quake hit, giving residents little time to flee to higher ground. In some places, especially hardest-hit Indonesia, the tsunami wave reached over 100 feet (30 meters) high, according to World Vision, a humanitarian aid organization. Related: Tsunami science: Advances since the 2004 Indian Ocean tragedy Damages from the earthquake and tsunami are estimated at $10 billion dollars. This event is considered the third largest earthquake in the world since 1900, and its tsunami has killed more people than any other tsunami in recorded history, according to NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. 9. The 1976 Tangshan earthquake View of the damage in Tangshan, China after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in 1976. (Image credit: Bettmann/Getty Images) At 3:42 a.m. on July 28, 1976, the Chinese city of Tangshan was razed to the ground by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, according to a report by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Tangshan, an industrial city with a population of about 1 million at the time of the disaster, suffered staggering casualties of over 240,000. While this was the official death toll, some experts suggest this number is grossly underestimated and that the loss of life was likely closer to 700,000. Reportedly, 85% of Tangshan's buildings collapsed, and trembles were felt in Beijing, China, more than 100 miles (180 km) away. It took several years before the city of Tangshan was rebuilt to its prior glory. 8. The A.D. 526 Antioch earthquake 1890 drawing of the "Approach to Antioch," a center of early Christianity. Artist unknown. (Image credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images) As with all disasters occurring millenia ago, a precise death toll for the Antioch earthquake is hard to come by. Contemporary chronicler John Malalas wrote at the time that about 250,000 people died when the temblor hit the Byzantine Empire city (now Turkey and Syria) in May, 526. Malalas attributed the disaster to the wrath of God and reported that fires destroyed everything in Antioch that the earthquake did not. According to a 2007 paper in The Medieval History Journal, the death toll was higher than it would have been at other times of the year because the city was full of tourists celebrating Ascension Day the Christian feast that commemorates Jesus' ascension into heaven. 7. The 1920 Haiyuan earthquake "The Haiyuan earthquake was the largest quake recorded in China in the 20th century with the highest magnitude and intensity," Deng Qidong, a geologist with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said during a seminar in 2010. Related: How are earthquakes measured? The earthquake, which struck north central China's Haiyuan County on Dec. 16, 1920, also rocked the neighboring Gansu and Shaanxi Provinces. It was reportedly a 7.8 on the Richter scale, however, China today claims it was of magnitude 8.5. There are also discrepancies in the number of lives lost. The USGS reported total casualties of 200,000, but according to a 2010 study by Chinese seismologists, the death toll could have been as high as 273,400. The region's high deposits of loess soils (porous, silty sediment that's very unstable) triggered massive landslides which were responsible for over 30,000 of these deaths, according to a 2020 study published in the journal Landslides. 6. (TIE) The 1839 Coringa cyclone People living on the Bay of Bengal are no stranger to natural disaster. Here, village people try to repair the broken dam after the landfall of cyclone Amphan in Satkhira, a town on the Bay of Bengal, in spring 2020. (Image credit: K M Asad /Getty Images) The Coringa cyclone made landfall at the port city of Coringa on India's Bay of Bengal on Nov. 25, 1839, whipping up a storm surge of 40 feet (12 m), according to NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory Hurricane Research Division. The hurricane's wind speeds and category are not known, as is the case for many storms that took place before the 20th century. About 20,000 ships and vessels were destroyed, along with the lives of an estimated 300,000 people. 6. (TIE) The 1881 Haiphong typhoon Tying the Coringa cyclone as the sixth deadliest natural disaster is the 1881 typhoon that hit the port city of Haiphong in northeastern Vietnam on October 8. This storm is also believed to have killed an estimated 300,000 people. 5. The 2010 Haiti earthquake Rescuers carry a corpse just dug out from the rubble in Port-au-Prince, Jan. 14, 2010, after the devastating 7.0 earthquake that hit the country two days earlier. (Image credit: ERIKA SANTELICES/Getty Images) The catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti just northwest of Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12, 2010, ranks as one of the three deadliest quakes of all time. Related: Haiti could be in new earthquake cycle, scientists say Haiti's standing as one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere and its limited history of large earthquakes left it extremely vulnerable to damages and loss of life. As many as 3 million people were affected by the quake. Death toll estimates were all over the place; initially, the government of Haiti estimated fatalities stood at 230,000 people, but in January 2011, officials revised that figure to 316,000. A 2010 study published in the journal Medicine, Conflict and Survival put the number at around 160,000 deaths, while the USGS claimed even lower numbers around 100,000. These disparities reflect the difficulty of counting deaths even in the modern era, not to mention the political wrangling that goes on over "official" numbers. 4. The 1970 Bhola cyclone Villagers walk through a field of dead cattle and search for rice and other grains to salvage, near Sonapur, East Pakistan (later Bangladesh), in the aftermath of the massive cyclone and accompanying tidal wave that slammed the area in November 1970. (Image credit: Larry Burrows/Getty Images) This tropical cyclone hit what is now Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) on Nov. 12-13, 1970. According to NOAA's Hurricane Research Division, the storm's strongest wind speeds measured 130 mph (205 kph), making it the equivalent of a Category 4 major hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale. Ahead of its landfall, a 35-foot (10.6 m) storm surge washed over the low-lying islands bordering the Bay of Bengal, causing widespread flooding. Related: Monster cyclone in India prompts the biggest evacuation in the country's history The storm surge, combined with a lack of evacuation, resulted in a massive death toll estimated at 300,000 to 500,000 people. A 1971 report from the National Hurricane Center and the Pakistan Meteorological Department acknowledged the challenge of accurately estimating the death toll, especially due to the influx of seasonal workers who were in the area for the rice harvest. As of the writing of this article, the Bhola cyclone is considered the deadliest tropical cyclone on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization. And it caused an estimated $86 billion in damages. 3. The 1556 Shaanxi earthquake The deadliest earthquake in history hit China's Shaanxi province on Jan. 23, 1556. Known as the "Jiajing Great Earthquake" after the emperor whose reign it occurred in, the temblor reduced a 621-square-mile (1,000 square kilometers) swath of the country to rubble, according to the Science Museums of China. An estimated 830,000 people died as their yaodong cave homes carved into the region's loess plateaus collapsed. The exact magnitude of the quake is lost to history, but modern-day geophysicists estimate it at around magnitude 8. 2. The 1887 Yellow River flood The flow of China's Yellow River is now closely monitored and controlled to help prevent flooding. This aerial photo taken on July 19, 2020 shows water released from the Xiaolangdi Reservoir Dam in Luoyang in China's central Henan province, in preparation of the upcoming annual flood season at the Yellow River basin. (Image credit: STR/Getty Images) The Yellow River (Huang He) in China was precariously situated far above most of the land around it in the late 1880s, thanks to a series of dikes built to contain the river as it flowed through the farmland of central China. Over time, these dikes had silted up, gradually lifting the river in elevation. When heavy rains swelled the river in September 1887, it spilled over these dikes into the surrounding low-lying land, inundating 5,000 square miles (12,949 square km), according to "Encyclopedia of Disasters: Environmental Catastrophes and Human Tragedies" (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008). As a result of this flood, an estimated 900,000 to 2 million people lost their lives. 1. The 1931 Yangtze River floods This aerial photo taken on July 28, 2020 shows a flooded sports ground along the Yangtze River in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province. In 1931, the Yangtze River flooded almost 70,000 square miles (180,000 square km) and killed at least 2 million people. (Image credit: STR/Getty Images) Excessive rainfall over central China in July and August of 1931 triggered the most deadly natural disaster in world history the Central China floods of 1931. The Yangtze River overtopped its banks as spring snowmelt mingled with the over 24 inches (600 millimeters) of rain that fell during the month of July alone. (The Yellow River and other large waterways also reached high levels.) According to "The Nature of Disaster in China: The 1931 Yangzi River Flood" (Cambridge University Press, 2018), the flood inundated almost 70,000 square miles (180,000 square km) and turned the Yangtze into what looked like a giant lake or ocean. Contemporary government numbers put the number of dead at around 2 million, but other agencies, including NOAA, say it may have been as many as 3.7 million people. This article was originally published on April 2, 2018 and was updated on Dec. 17, 2020 by Live Science Contributor Tiffany Means. On the lava fields of Kilauea, an active Hawaiian volcano, scientists with a NASA expedition prepare for sample collection by donning "bunny suits," which protect the samples from contamination. WASHINGTON, D.C. NASA scientists don't have to go to space to explore extreme conditions. For some, their research though still on planet Earth takes them to remote, isolated destinations, such as lava fields beside active volcanoes, near-impassable coastal swamps, and frozen deserts. While there, scientists explore inhospitable and sometimes dangerous surroundings, to learn more about our dynamic planet and how its systems work, and to better understand how similar environments and conditions could shape other worlds. At Future Con on Friday (March 31), a panel of scientists with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) introduced a rapt audience to some of the research that takes them not to space, but to icy Antarctica, into fresh lava deposits in Hawaii, and clambering over the enormous roots of mangrove forests in central Africa. Their research uncovers Earthly planetary secrets, and could help explain environmental changes on Mars and our moon, as well as on other moons and planets within our solar system. [Explosive Images: Hawaii's Kilauea Erupts for 30 Years] Even when NASA field science focuses on Earth, the scientists are often working in close collaboration with spacecraft orbiting high above the planet, Kelly Brunt, an assistant research scientist with Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC) at the University of Maryland, told the Future Con audience at the panel. Brunt recently returned from a two-month trip to Antarctica, where she was part of a four-person team gathering data in support of a new NASA satellite mission called ICESat-2, launching in November 2018. ICESat-2 will use lasers to track shifts in sea ice elevation, to calculate how those changes in ice sheets affect sea level rise, according to the mission website. Brunt's team gathered data that will help to corroborate the results of ICESat-2's forthcoming elevation data which the satellite will calculate with a degree of accuracy that can be measured in centimeters, she told the audience. Over 14 days, the team trundled across the ice on motorized sleds outfitted with antennas to collect GPS data. They traveled about 466 miles (750 kilometers) at a rate of about 5 mph (8 km/h), in temperatures of minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 degrees Celsius), Brunt said. The food was mediocre at best supplies included a lot of junk food, including a stash of "very old Slim Jims" that most of the crew refused to touch but the spectacular vistas more than made up for it, Brunt recalled. "There's a beauty to the starkness of Antarctica that I really can't explain," she said. Studying forests from space, the air and the ground NASA satellite technology also helps scientists to study mangrove forests vast coastal systems of trees in swampy areas where inland bodies of water flow to the sea, Lola Fatoyinbo-Agueh, a Research Physical Scientist in NASA GSFC's Biospheric Sciences Lab, said during the panel. Fatoyinbo-Agueh combines satellite observations with airborne laser imagery to monitor the health of vegetation in the forest canopies, and to track the impacts of sea level rise on coastal ecosystems. But field work plays a part as well and penetrating dense mangrove regions to deploy sensors for measuring tidal data required exhausting hours of carefully climbing the trees' enormous roots, or slogging through thick mud that was hip-deep, Fatoyinbo-Agueh. "It takes a lot of teamwork to get out there to go 20 feet [6 meters] took about 10 minutes of climbing," after which the researchers were so spent they needed to be helped back into the boat, she told the audience. Hot lava Other NASA science draws from even warmer Earth locales such as lava fields near Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano. By examining lava deposits that build up over time, experts can unravel the workings of volcanos on other planets, according to Jacob Richardson, a NASA GSFC postdoctoral fellow and volcano researcher. Near Kilauea is a broad lava plain that has taken centuries to accumulate, offering clues about how volcanoes might form on Mars, Io, and other worlds within our solar system, Richardson said during the panel. He recently visited Kilauea to look at a relatively new lava flow, one that had emerged in 1974, over only six hours. To reach the field, the scientists had to trek for two miles (3.2 km) daily, carrying up to 60 pounds (27 kilograms) of gear apiece, probing the lava placement with chemical analysis and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), a measurement tool that uses laser pulses to calculate elevation. Gas plumes from the volcano frequently blew directly over the site where they were working, and the sulfur dioxide fumes were so strong that the researchers often had to wear masks, Richardson told the audience. But in spite of the physical challenges and the often harsh conditions in the locations they visit, the scientists' enthusiasm for their research was undeniable. But it wouldn't be a Future Con panel without a few geeky touches. Fatoyinbo-Agueh pointed out that an upcoming ecological NASA satellite mission, Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation, has an acronym with a touch of "Star Wars" to it "GEDI." And she ended her mangrove presentation with a resounding, "May the forest be with you!" Original article on Live Science. An artist's illustration of China's first space station, Tiangong-1, falling to Earth as it burns up in the atmosphere. After weeks of uncertainty about when and where it would crash, the Chinese space station Tiangong-1 has tumbled to Earth in the southern Pacific Ocean at about 8:16 p.m. EDT (0016 GMT on April 2), the U.S. Strategic Command's Joint Force Space Component Command (JFSCC) reported. Despite the uncontrolled nature of the re-entry, the European Space Agency (ESA) had previously estimated that the chances of being hit by debris from Tiangong-1 were 10 million times smaller than the chance of being hit by lightning in any given year (about 1 in 1.4 million). [In Photos: A Look at China's Space Station That's Crashing to Earth] Space junk Tiangong-1 weighed about 18,739 pounds (8.5 metric tons), minus some burned fuel, when it fell out of orbit. The space station first launched in 2011, but ended its active life as an experimental space station after the second of two crews left it in 2013. It orbited about 217 miles (350 kilometers) above Earth for most of its time in space, but Chinese officials announced in March 2016 that the space station was no longer communicating with Earth. Thfat meant that controllers on Earth could not fire the space station's engines as its orbit began to decay, leaving no way to control where Tiangong-1 would enter the atmosphere or land on Earth. Larger objects than Tiangong-1 have crashed to Earth, most notably NASA's Skylab in 1979, which weighed 81 tons (73 metric tons). During a partially controlled re-entry, Skylab missed its target in the Indian Ocean, scattering some unburned pieces in western Australia. [The Weirdest Things That Fell From The Sky] The Russian space station Mir weighed a whopping 132.3 tons (120 metric tons), but its 2001 re-entry over the South Pacific was controlled. Prior to Tiangong-1, the largest object to fall back to Earth without any control was Salyut-2, a Soviet space station that fell out of orbit after an accident in 1973. It weighed in at 20.2 tons (18.3 metric tons). Re-entry predictions The fall of Tiangong-1 was monitored by the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee, an international group that included NASA, the ESA as well as the space agencies of 11 other nations. According to the ESA, the members of the committee pooled their predictions of Tiangong's re-entry time and will be using the results to better understand how to predict the behavior of space debris. Even in the days leading to the crash, these agencies couldnt predict anything more specific than that Tiangong-1 would impact somewhere between 42.8 degrees North and 42.8 degrees South latitudes sometime between March 21 to April 2. It was only in the last day that the ESA narrowed the final plunge to within 24 hours and then as it got closer, to within a couple of hours. Original article on Live Science. Editor's note (April 4): The "condom snorting challenge" is not actually a current trend among teens. The story gained traction after a local news crew attended a class for parents in San Antonio that warned of dangerous online trends, according to the Chicago Tribune. The condom snorting challenge was shown as an example of a dangerous online trend, but it not a trend that is currently captivating teens across the country. That said, it's still a bad idea to snort a condom up your nose. Live Science's original story is below. Getting teens to use condoms is usually a good thing unless they plan on snorting them up their noses. That would be a really bad idea. But some teens are reportedly doing just that: In videos posted on social media, teens are inhaling condoms up their nostrils and pulling them out of their mouths, according to USA Today. This practice is not only gross, it's also potentially dangerous. As Live Science has previously reported, there are few things that you ever want to put up your nose. "It's not generally a good idea to put anything in your nose that doesn't belong there" or isn't prescribed by a doctor, Dr. David Hiltzik, director of otolaryngology at Staten Island University Hospital in New York, told Live Science in a 2017 interview about the dangers of snorting chocolate powder. Snorting substances up your nose can cause irritation to the nose, throat and lungs, Hiltzik said. [9 Weird Ways Kids Can Get Hurt] In addition to this hazard, inhaling condoms could pose a dangerous choking risk, according to Dr. Bruce Y. Lee, an associate professor of international health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and contributor to Forbes. "The condom could easily get stuck in your nose or your throat, blocking your breathing or causing you to choke," Lee wrote in Forbes. Lee also pointed to several previous cases in which condoms caused serious complications when they were accidentally inhaled. For example, in 2004, doctors in India reported that a 27-year-old woman developed pneumonia and a collapsed lung after she accidentally inhaled a condom. The "condom snorting" trend is not exactly new some videos of teens engaging in this dangerous "challenge" appear as far back as 2007, according to Yahoo News. But the trend has recently reemerged. Educators in San Antonio are now teaching parents about dangerous online trends, including the condom snorting challenge, in an effort to increase awareness about the hazards of these trends, local news outlet KABB-TV reported. "These days our teens are doing everything for likes, views, and subscribers," educator Stephen Enriquez told KABB. "As graphic as it is, we have to show parents because teens are going online looking for challenges and recreating them." Originally published on Live Science. Point Nemo (marked in red) in the south Pacific Ocean is farther from land than any other point on Earth. It is also home to the world's largest 'Spacecraft Cemetery'. If you were asked to choose the ideal spot for an out-of-control, disintegrating space station to crash-land on Earth, you might wisely suggest "the most remote place on the planet." That place is Point Nemo also known as the "Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility." Named for Jules Verne's deep-sea-diving captain of "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" fame, Point Nemo is nestled in the middle of the southern Pacific Ocean, farther from land (and humanity) than any other point on Earth. It is located, literally, in the middle of nowhere. But it isnt empty. About 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) below the ocean's surface, Point Nemo houses the largest "Spacecraft Cemetery" on Earth, concealing the ripped-up remains of hundreds of defunct spacecraft that were guided there in controlled re-entries dating back to the 1970s. Last night (April 1), China's out-of-control Tiangong-1 space station almost landed there by sheer cosmic coincidence. [Gallery: Tiangong-1, China's First Space Laboratory] Why is Point Nemo such a popular spot for controlled spacecraft re-entry? Simply put, it's the least-likely place on Earth for a human to get in the way of crash-landing debris. In the middle of the south Pacific Ocean between Australia, South America and Antarctica, Point Nemo is more than 1,450 miles (about 2,700 km) from the nearest land (the Pitcairn Islands to the north, one of the Easter Islands to the west and Antarctica's Maher Island to the south), according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. No vessels ever travel there; there is nothing to see. Tiangong-1's re-entry into Earth's atmosphere was not controlled, but hundreds of similar spacecraft re-entries have been. Of these controlled descents, nearly 300 crash-landing spacecraft have been intentionally guided to Point Nemo since 1971, Popular Science reported. The buried debris includes everything from spent fuel tanks to spy satellites to entire defunct space stations. Nearly 200 of the cemetery's residents are Russian in origin, including the area's biggest celebrity: the 140-ton (127 metric tons) MIR space station, which was guided to Point Nemo in a controlled atmospheric re-entry in 2001. The International Space Station (ISS) is also scheduled to crash into Point Nemo once its mission is complete, sometime after 2024. See more The red-hot remains of Tiangong-1 didn't land precisely in the spacecraft cemetery following their uncontrolled deorbit last night, but they did come somewhat close by pure chance. The space station reportedly landed in the south Pacific Ocean near American Samoa, several thousand miles northwest of Point Nemo. Tiangong-1's re-entry was confirmed at about 8:16 p.m. EDT (0016 GMT on April 2). Researchers speculated for weeks about the possible location of the space station's crash landing, providing a map of possible sites that covered about one-third of the world's surface. According to Aerospace.com, there was little question that the space station would land in the ocean, which covers most of the world. The odds of a human being struck by debris from the space station's re-entry were estimated to be about 1 in 300 trillion. Originally published on Live Science A neural network named "Norman" is disturbingly different from other types of artificial intelligence (AI). Housed at MIT Media Lab, a research laboratory that investigates AI and machine learning, Norman's computer brain was allegedly warped by exposure to "the darkest corners of Reddit" during its early training, leaving the AI with "chronic hallucinatory disorder," according to a description published April 1 (yes, April Fools' Day) on the project's website. MIT Media Lab representatives described the presence of "something fundamentally evil in Norman's architecture that makes his re-training impossible," adding that not even exposure to holograms of cute kittens was enough to reverse whatever damage its computer brain suffered in the bowels of Reddit. [5 Intriguing Uses for Artificial Intelligence (That Aren't Killer Robots)] This outlandish story is clearly a prank, but Norman itself is real. The AI has learned to respond with violent, gruesome scenarios when presented with inkblots; its responses suggest its "mind" experiences a psychological disorder. In dubbing Norman a "psychopath AI," its creators are playing fast and loose with the clinical definition of the psychiatric condition, which describes a combination of traits that can include lack of empathy or guilt alongside criminal or impulsive behavior, according to Scientific American. Norman demonstrates its abnormality when presented with inkblot images a type of psychoanalytic tool known as the Rorschach test. Psychologists can get clues about people's underlying mental health based on the descriptions of what they see when looking at these inkblots. When MIT Media Lab representatives tested other neural networks with Rorschach inkblots, the descriptions were banal and benign, such as "an airplane flying through the air with smoke coming from it" and "a black-and-white photo of a small bird," according to the website. However, Norman's responses to the same inkblots took a darker turn, with the "psychopathic" AI describing the patterns as "man is shot dumped from car" and "man gets pulled into dough machine." (Image credit: MIT Media Lab) According to the prank, the AI is currently located in an isolated server room in a basement, with safeguards in place to protect humans' other computers and the internet from contamination or harm through contact with Norman. Also present in the room are weapons such as blowtorches, saws and hammers, for physically disassembling Norman, "to be used if all digital and electronic fail-safes malfunction," MIT Media Lab representatives said. Further April Fools notes suggest that Norman poses a unique danger, and that four out of 10 experimenters who interacted with the neural network suffered "permanent psychological damage." (There is to date no evidence that interacting with AI can be harmful to humans in any way). Neural networks are computer interfaces that process information similarly to the way a human brain does. Thanks to neural networks, AI can "learn" to perform independent actions, such as captioning photos, by analyzing data that demonstrates how this task is typically performed. The more data it receives, the more information it will have to inform its own choices and the more likely its actions will be to follow a predictable pattern. For example, a neural network known as the Nightmare Machine built by the same group at MIT was trained to recognize images that were scary, by analyzing visual elements that frightened people. It then took that information and put it to use through digital photo manipulation, transforming banal images into frightening, nightmarish ones. Another neural network was trained in a similar manner to generate horror stories. Named "Shelley" (after "Frankenstein" author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley), the AI consumed over 140,000 horror stories and learned to generate original terrifying tales of its own. And then there's Norman, which looks at a colorful inkblot that a standard AI described as "a close-up of a wedding cake on a table" and sees a "man killed by speeding driver." But there may be hope for Norman. Visitors to the website are offered the opportunity to help the AI by participating in a survey that collects their responses to 10 inkblots. Their interpretations could help the wayward neural network fix itself, MIT Media Lab representatives suggested on the website. Original article on Live Science. SACRAMENTO A woman who was hit by a Sacramento County Sheriffs Department vehicle while protesting the police killing of Stephon Clark was resting at home Sunday after suffering multiple cuts and bruises in the incident. A 30-second video of the incident was recorded and shared on Twitter by Guy Danilowitz, an attorney with the Sacramento County public defenders office who was acting as a legal observer during the protest. In the video, a woman, identified by the National Lawyers Guild as Wanda Cleveland, walks between two marked sheriffs vehicles at about 8:40 p.m. as the vehicles move slowly through masses of angry demonstrators. Cleveland carries signs denouncing the March 18 shooting of Clark, an unarmed black man, by two city officers, which has sparked two weeks of protest. A sheriffs deputy can be heard instructing people to back away from the vehicles. The rear sheriffs vehicle accelerates and the right front corner strikes Cleveland as Danilowitz shouts, Oh my God, Oh my God! The driver of the vehicle does not stop after hitting Cleveland. In a statement early Sunday, the Sheriffs Department said the incident happened as deputies kept an eye on marchers and drove west on Florin Road in south Sacramento County. As protesters approached both of the marked vehicles, they began yelling while pounding and kicking the vehicles exterior, said Sgt. Shaun Hampton. As one of the sheriffs deputies was driving, a collision occurred involving the sheriffs patrol vehicle and a protester who was walking in the roadway. The collision occurred while the patrol vehicle was traveling at slow speeds. The vigil had been centered at Florin Road and 65th Street before the majority of the marchers began heading east on Florin, said Tawfiq Morrar, a Sacramento attorney who witnessed the incident. Two sheriffs vehicles on the opposite, westbound side of the road had their lights flashing. Cleveland was among marchers on the west side, and had crossed in front of the sport utility vehicle to get to the sidewalk. Friends said Cleveland had decided to leave the protest because the situation was becoming tense. After the vehicle struck her, Morrar said, the mood of the protest quickly shifted. It went from justice for Stephon. Say his name, Stephon Clark to a lot of people using the incident with Wanda to symbolize their anger with local law enforcement, Morrar said. "The second officer just didnt give Wanda enough time to clear the streets, Morrar said. A lot of people say its intentional. Me, personally, I dont think it was intentional. I think it was reckless. The Sacramento Metro Fire Department responded and took Cleveland to a hospital, where she was treated and released, Hampton said. The Sheriffs Department vehicle that hit the woman sustained scratches, dents and a shattered rear window, Hampton said. The damage to the vehicle was not a result of the collision involving the pedestrian but was caused by vandals in the crowd. The incident is under investigation by the California Highway Patrol as well as the Sheriffs Department internal affairs division, which handles potential disciplinary cases. The CHP is investigating the incident as a traffic collision, and investigators will determine whether it should be forwarded to the district attorney for prosecution, said Officer Michael Bradley, a spokesman for the agency. The investigation is still in its early stages and no determination has been made about fault or prosecution, Bradley wrote in an email. The incident had the potential to further inflame tensions in Sacramento as those outraged at Clarks death demand that Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert bring charges against the two Sacramento city officers who shot him. Clarks shooting came amid reports that a person was smashing car windows in South Sacramento shortly after 9 p.m. Police say Clark shattered the sliding glass door of a home, then ran away and jumped a fence into his grandmothers backyard, where he was shot. In the moments before the shooting, police said, Clark was holding an object in his hand that officers believed was a gun. Only his cell phone was found at the scene. The shooting is under investigation. An independent autopsy report released by Clarks family last week found that the Sacramento police officers shot Clark eight times six in the back or the back of the shoulder. In the days since the killing, protesters have blocked freeways as well as entry to the Sacramento Kings Golden 1 Center, leading to game delays and preventing some fans from entering. At nightfall Saturday, more than 100 people held a candlelight vigil for Clark in South Sacramento. That was the rally that led to Cleveland being struck. Tifanei Ressl-Moyer, a legal observer at the scene who witnessed the Saturday night incident, said she heard the SUV, then saw Cleveland get thrown and finally lie motionless on the ground, her face against the curb. Suddenly you could hear the wheels spin, and you could see the car speed up, Ressl-Moyer said. You could see her hand was up. You could hear her body against the car. It was horrifying. And then she was flung to the curb. Cleveland bounced off of the SUV and rolled about 5 to 10 feet from the patrol vehicle, said Cres Vellucci, vice president of the Sacramento chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. He said he took down the license plate number as the SUV left the scene. Its not as though he just moved forward, Vellucci said. This guy sped off, as in burning rubber. He really sped quickly. Vellucci sought out a CHP officer sitting in a patrol car about 50 to 100 feet away to report the incident, but his response was get out of here or I will arrest you, Vellucci said. He said the National Lawyers Guild plans to file complaints with CHP and the Sheriffs Department. After the incident, Cleveland appeared clear-headed but in some pain, Vellucci said. She had a huge bump on her head, he said. Her arms were really scuffed up with abrasions. They looked pretty bad. Morrar said Cleveland had a streak of blood across her forehead after being hit. While she was lying on the ground, a crowd circled her, some trying to administer first aid, others trying to video and photograph the incident. Morrar dialed 911. Dispatch was a little confused when I said it was a sheriff SUV that hit her, Morrar said. At Clevelands home in a semirural part of Elk Grove (Sacramento County) on Sunday, friend Taylor Ledford said that she was not ready to talk about her experience. She is off of her feet resting right now, Ledford said. Were here to help clean the house and make sure she is comfortable. He said Cleveland has been active in a number of organizations, including Black Lives Matter, the Community Dinner Project Of Sacramento, and Caffe, which stands for Clothing and Food for Everyone. She doesnt want any of us talking about what she went through, he said. The wounds are still fresh. He said that two Sacramento police officers had come to interview her. She didnt speak to them. That is not something she is OK with, Ledford said. The Freddy Benavides Lazy River project was originally set to be finished by March 2017. A year later, after several change orders, rain delays, problems with concrete quality, and lack of faith expressed by members of the public and watchdog groups, the $1 million-plus project is still unfinished. According to emails obtained by Laredo Morning Times, issues with the project arose from the get-go. But at the last City Council meeting on March 19, the contractor offered to right this wrong in exchange for avoiding further liquidated damages fees of about $21,000 for missing the latest Feb. 5 completion deadline. READ ALSO: LED-illuminated Splash Park unveiled in Laredo The original lazy river plan included two 50-foot water slides to the tune of $110,000. Tony Ayala, the project contractor and owner of Sunset Pools, told City Council he would instead install two 250-foot slides at no cost to the city if council supported the idea, which they did. The reason Im providing this option to you is because, one, I want to make things right. And secondly, Im working on another project where we would be using these slides. But right now that project is way delayed because of the general contractor. So they told us if you want to go ahead and make use of these slides, we could go ahead and do so, Ayala said. These larger slides are comparable to the kind one would find at Schlitterbahn, and together cost about $500,000, he said. With these new slides, he said the project can be completed by the second week of May at the latest. With the original 50-foot slides the completion date would have been around mid-April. READ ALSO: Laredoans at odds over hockey's return to the Gateway City Several members of council expressed that this exchange seems like a no-brainer. City Manager Horacio De Leon noted that if the city were to accept the liquidated damages fees and the original slides, they would receive around $21,000. If the city were to skirt the fees and accept the new slides, that would be a net benefit of about $390,000. For me it would be a no-brainer, bringing a commodity like that to south Laredo, Councilman Vidal Rodriguez said. The project is in his district. Ayala said that he has gone over the plans for the new slides with an engineering firm, and confirmed that they are safe and up to standard. The five members of council present all voted in favor of the new slides, and for the city and contractor to negotiate a new change order to the contract. Delays At the March 19 meeting, Ayala said he took full responsibility for the projects tardiness. Theres been some issues. Im not here to put blame on anyone but ourselves because we were the ones awarded (the contract). Not the concrete company, not anybody else, he said. This lazy river was first approved by City Council on Jan. 26, 2016, but the contract was not approved by then-City Manager Jesus Olivares until Aug. 4. The first day of work was Aug. 25, and issues arose almost immediately, according to emails provided by the City of Laredo. On Aug. 8, the notice to proceed was handed to Ayala. That same day, he emailed city staff about light poles that needed to be removed from the park. Then-Parks and Leisure Director Osbaldo Guzman said that American Electric Power would remove them that week. On Aug. 17 and Aug. 31, Ayala emailed the city again, saying the light poles had not yet been removed. They were finally removed Sept. 12, according to emails. Then on Sept. 22, 2016 a city staffer noted that no work had been performed by Ayala as of that day. READ ALSO: 18 things on locals' wish list for a new Laredo water park About two months later in November, Ayala notified the city that he would be pursuing legal action against the engineer he had been working with, Florentino Caballero, for services not rendered. Let this matter serve as an example of one of many of Mr. Caballeros lack of professionalism and his inability to come through with his promises, Ayala wrote. But then five days later, Ayala notified the city that he and Caballero had come to an amicable agreement, and he was reinstated as the engineer for the project. Moving forward, emails mark several instances in which the concrete poured for the lazy river failed compression tests and would need to be replaced. Also, in December 2016, City Council voted to pay the contractor an extra $198,900 in order to build restrooms, showers and a perimeter fence around the property. That bumped the projects cost from about $1.3 million to $1.5 million. In March 2017, Ayala said he would pour new slabs where the concrete wasnt strong enough. An engineering associate with the city said they would accept this with amendments. And if the City will accept this option, Sun Set Pool, company will warranty the work for extra 5 years or we will replace without any cost to the City, he wrote. Then from November 2017 to February 2018, city engineers sent several emails to Ayala concerning the lack of progress at the site. We are concerned about the construction progress, since, we have conducted periodic visits to the project site and have seen very little work being done. We urge that the project be given the priority and attention it deserves as required by the construction contract, the notice reads. At the City Council meeting, Ayala said the project is now 94 percent complete. Federal funds The lazy river is being paid for with Community Block Development Grant funds, a federal program that provides services to vulnerable communities around the country. To comply with this grant, Ayala has to follow equal employment opportunity standards, federal labor standards and Section 3 requirements, which stipulate that he and his subcontractors must hire and train low- and moderate-income workers. A female employee with the Community Development Department would check the job site to ensure compliance. After one such visit, Ayala emailed her, Lastly, just wanted to let you know that you left the workers at the park very nervous and anxious to see you again!! She asked that in the future he refrain from inappropriate personal comments, and he apologized. The lazy river is adjacent to the Cigarroa Recreation Center Swimming Pool at 2201 Zacatecas St. Councilman Rodriguez said in December 2016 that few residents of south Laredo have their own swimming pools, but all will be able to swim in this one. Every district has a significant park, Rodriguez said. District II right now is waiting for the lazy river. District VIII Councilman Roberto Balli said the pool and lazy river are necessary for the health of residents of south Laredo. This is how economically disadvantaged children learn how to swim, he said. I think the underlying issue is not the merits of the project, Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz added, citing a need for these kinds of recreational spaces in more impoverished areas. On this date in ... 1918: The 18-month-old mystery of a missing South Troy woman was solved with the discovery of a badly decomposed body on the Mellen Farm, midway between Rensselaer and Troy, later identified by the woman's niece. Johanna Flynn, 54, was believed to have wandered from home in a fit of grief and then lain down in the field where she "fell into her death sleep," either from exhaustion or self-administered poison. All that remained of Flynn were the big bones of the body; the hands and feet were gone and the skull was located some distance away. Her clothes, however, were found on the body in remarkably preserved condition, leading to the positive ID. 1968: An address by Moshe Safdie, the Israeli architect who designed the award-winning Habitat housing exhibit at Montreal's Expo '67, would highlight Architecture Week starting April 8 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy. Safdie, who had designed the exhibit while a student at McGill University, would speak on "Evolution of Building Systems." RPI would play host to several philosophers, filmmakers, photographers, artists and other architects as part of the program sponsored jointly by the School of Architecture and the Department of Philosophy. 1993: If you ordered pizza or any other item for delivery in Stillwater, you needed to be very specific when stating your address, especially if you lived on River Road. There were at least four roads that were officially or unofficially referred to as River Road in Stillwater, according to Mike Simoncavage, highway foreman. Then there was River Street. And Rivercrest Road. And Riverside North. And Riverside South. The town and village had such an abundance of roads named after the mighty Hudson that the town board had forbidden any further naming of town roads after the river to prevent confusion about where exactly people lived. Want to read more about the Capital Region's past? Have any memories or thoughts about how our history relates to today's events? See http://blog.timesunion.com/history/ 1 Affluenza case: A 20-year-old Texas man who as a teenager invoked affluenza in his defense after killing four people in a drunken wreck was released from jail Monday. Tarrant County sheriffs spokesman David McClelland said Ethan Couch was released from the county jail near Dallas after serving nearly two years for a revoked probation. Couch was 16 in June 2013 when he struck and killed four pedestrians. A psychologist at his manslaughter trial blamed his irresponsibility on family wealth, dubbing it affluenza. A juvenile court sentenced him to 10 years of probation, which was revoked in 2016 after he attended a party where alcohol was served. 2 PLO lawsuit: The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from American victims of terrorist attacks in the Mideast more than a decade ago. The justices did not comment in ending a lawsuit against the PLO and Palestinian Authority over attacks in Israel in 2002 and 2004 that killed 33 people. A lower court tossed out a $654 million verdict against the Palestinians. The Trump administration had sided with the Palestinians in calling on the high court to leave the lower-court ruling in place. Cybersecurity experts are asking lawmakers to bring Maryland's ballot access laws - which they say prioritize accessibility to an extent that makes the voting system vulnerable to hacking - in line with other states ahead of November's elections. Information revealed last month by Special Counsel Robert Mueller about alleged Russian interference in the political process highlights the need for states to examine the security of voting systems, the advocates and computer scientists warn. But legislators say they must balance those concerns with ensuring ballots can be easily obtained by all eligible Marylanders who want to vote. "There is a tension there," said state Sen. Cheryl Kagan, D-Montgomery. "With all the news of election tampering in 2016, it's critically important that voters have confidence in the security and accuracy of our elections. . . . We are also a fairly progressive state that wants to make it reasonably easy for people to vote." Maryland is one of three states in which any resident can receive their ballot online, and the only state in which there is no signature verification process required by law, advocates said. To have their ballots counted, residents must print them out and return them by mail or in person. Russians "have already demonstrated that they have all of the tools they would need, and know how to use them, to impersonate real Maryland voters," Rebecca Wilson of the nonpartisan group SAVE our Votes said during a committee hearing in the state Senate last month. Nikki Charlson, deputy administrator of the Maryland State Board of Elections, said the General Assembly made "a policy decision" that every absentee voter should be able to receive a ballot electronically upon request. The board has worked to "make sure that system is secure," she said. "We would not offer a system if we didn't think it was secure for voters to use," Charlson said. But advocates say board officials overestimate the state's ability to detect hacking. The scenario they lay out is this: Bad actors - whether inside or outside the U.S. - could send out "phishing" emails to voters from addresses similar to the State Board of Elections account. Following links in these emails, voters would give up their credentials while mistakenly thinking they had completed and sent in legitimate ballots. Meanwhile, the bad actors could use the credentials to receive the actual ballot from the board, sent to an email address of their choice. They could then send it in to be counted on Election Day. Counties would have little way of distinguishing legitimate absentee ballots from fake ones, the advocates say, because Maryland does not check signatures. In a different scenario, there could also be "chaos on Election Day" if residents go to vote in person and realize their information has been hacked by someone who submitted fraudulent absentee ballots in their names, said Poorvi Vora, a professor of computer science at George Washington University. The scenarios are, at this point, strictly hypothetical - officials said they detected no signs of such attempted hacking in Maryland during the 2016 election, and nationally there have been no widespread campaigns in which hackers physically mailed in fraudulent ballots. Charlson said that advocates' information is incomplete andthat "continuous monitoring" is used to mitigate risk created by the online delivery system. She said she could not publicly share everything the elections board does to guard against hackers because of security concerns. "Every system has risks," Charlson said. "We bank and pay bills online, and we do so knowing the risks. We have, however, an obligation to make our online systems as secure as possible." Phishing, she added, is "certainly" a concern for the board, which encourages voters to call and ask for information if they have questions about the legitimacy of an email from the board. Lawmakers opened up the online absentee ballot delivery system to all residents - previously it had been available only to those with disabilities - ahead of the 2016 election cycle, despite concerns from a vocal group of computer scientists and advocates. The goal was to increase voter participation rates in the state and to make sure accessibility of ballots was not a barrier to voting. But that goal has not come to fruition, said Sen. Edward Kasemeyer, D-Baltimore County, who is sponsoring a bill, backed by advocates and cybersecurity experts, to allow only residents who have disabilities, live overseas or serve in the military to have their ballots delivered online. The percentage of absentee voters has remained steady over time despite changes to the law, and people who requested online ballots have returned them at lower rates than those who asked for paper ballots, Wilson said. In 2016, 71 percent of voters who received their ballots online returned them, compared with 82 percent who received a hard copy in the mail, she said. In other efforts to make voting more accessible, the General Assembly has approved bills this session to prohibit municipalities from requiring residents to provide a reason for requesting an absentee ballot and another bill that allows for automatic voter registration at various state agencies. The version of the bill to limit online ballots that was introduced in the House of Delegates in February did not advance beyond committee. Kagan said its limits on who can receive their ballots online seem to her too "constrictive." "We have to look carefully at implementation to make sure we're not disenfranchising a swath of voters," said Kagan. She said she hoped to introduce amendments that would allow people, including college students, first responders who are out of the state and those on emergency out-of-state trips, to get their ballots online. Alaska and Washington are the only other states that allow any resident to request an absentee ballot online. But both states have signature verification processes in place, unlike Maryland, officials said. WASHINGTON - A former Justice Department attorney who waited seven years for a ruling that her male supervisors harassed her still awaits back pay and damages. A nuclear engineer who says her supervisor told her she dressed "like a flower trying to attract bees" was moved to another floor, while the boss was recommended for a promotion. And five Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees say the agency has not responded to sexual harassment complaints they filed a year ago against a manager who they say pressured them to view nude photos and made lewd jokes about President Donald Trump. The federal government once led the way in addressing sexual harassment in its ranks. But it now lags behind the private sector as the problem gains prominence in the #MeToo era, according to federal officials and employment lawyers. A new study shows that sexual harassment is commonplace in federal offices. One in 5 women at large agencies say they have experienced some form of inappropriate behavior from a co-worker or supervisor. Nearly 9 percent of male employees report similar problems. Once employees file complaints, their cases drag on in what attorneys and federal officials describe as an overburdened, underfunded system that has not kept pace with other workplaces, even though the government is the country's largest employer. "The biggest problem is that it takes way too long to get relief," said Chai Feldblum, who serves on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which adjudicates workplace-discrimination claims in the government and at private companies. "In harassment cases, the delay can be devastating." It took seven years for Christy McCormick, a former trial attorney at the Justice Department, to win a ruling from the EEOC confirming she was harassed by two male supervisors during a year-long detail to Baghdad in 2009 to train Iraqi law enforcement officials on legal issues. The commission concluded last year that McCormick was subjected to a hostile work environment based on her sex. It also found that she was denied an extension of her assignment and given a negative performance review because she complained. Ten months later, her lawyer, Robert Seldon, is still negotiating with the agency over back pay and damages. "I almost gave up numerous times,"said McCormick, who now serves on the bipartisan U.S. Election Assistance Commission. "They push you so hard to give up." The Justice Department declined to comment. Her former managers still work in senior federal law enforcement jobs, according to government websites. The government conducted the first study of sexual harassment in 1981, breaking ground in workplace conduct and prompting training and prevention policies. The Merit Systems Protection Board, an independent office that studies long-term trends in the federal workforce, revisited its findings in a new survey that finds the highest rates of harassment at the Navy, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture. Just 8 percent of the surveyed employees believe that corrective action was taken against their harassers. The study concludes that federal agencies "must improve their education of employees about their responsibilities and rights regarding workplace conduct and hold employees who commit sexual harassment accountable for their misconduct." The study did show improvement from the last time the board examined the problem, in 1994. At that time, more than 40 percent of women and nearly 20 percent of men said they dealt with unwelcome sexual behavior. Federal workers get 45 days to file a grievance, compared with 300 days for private-sector employees in most states. If government workers prevail - either in federal court or through the EEOC process - their damages are capped at $300,000. But there's no limit on settlements with private companies, and anti-discrimination laws in many states allow private-sector employees to sue in court systems that don't cap damages. In the internal EEOC system, set up to keep cases out of the federal courts, it can take years to come to a resolution. Some employees say they received poor performance reviews or were denied promotions after filing grievances, while their alleged harassers retired or seemed to escape discipline. Before they can sue, federal workers must undergo a fuller, more time-consuming administrative process, which includes the EEOC, where staffing has dwindled and funding has stagnated in recent years. It took an average of 1,300 days - about 31/2 years - to resolve a discrimination case through the EEOC in fiscal 2017, the commission said. "They tell federal employees there's a process," said Josh Bowers, a lawyer who specializes in federal discrimination cases. "It's collapsed. Six years later, my clients are asking, 'Josh, what happened?' " The commission can only recommend that a harasser be disciplined or fired. It cannot order action, and agencies are not required to report whether they took any. EEOC decisions and settlements with agencies are confidential, naming neither victims nor harassers. The delays also can fail managers who are unfairly accused of harassment. "When you have a claim that was brought and it doesn't have merit, it is painfully unfair to the manager" to drag out these cases, said Gary Gilbert, a former EEOC chief administrative judge. Often, employees say their careers falter, while those of their alleged harassers seem to flourish. The nuclear engineer, who asked that her name be withheld out of concern that her case could hinder future employment, filed a complaint against her supervisor at the Energy Department's Office of Enterprise Assessments in 2016, according to her complaint. She alleged that he stalked her and made inappropriate comments about the way she dressed. Shortly afterward, the supervisor confronted her in the office parking lot and threatened her job, the engineer said in an interview. She was urged to take a temporary position in another office while the case was investigated, she said, and was upset when he was selected to attend a respected training program that prepares managers for promotion to senior executive, documents show. Within a month, she reached a confidential settlement with the department, her attorney, Joseph Kaplan, said. "Even if you do get resolution, there is no accountability when it comes to the harasser," the engineer said. Energy spokeswoman Shaylyn Hynes said she could not discuss a personnel matter. In 17 investigations at offices across the government since the beginning of 2015, federal inspectors general found that offenders often were not disciplined but retired, resigned or continued working during the investigations. EEOC's acting chair, Victoria Lipnic, said the "single biggest concern" of employees filing grievances is retaliation by their agencies, particularly in sexual harassment cases. "The potential for retaliation is big." Government officials said it is not always apparent when they take action against a harasser because they are forbidden from publicly disclosing disciplinary measures. Penalties can include reprimands, written warnings, suspensions and dismissals - sanctions that are not always visible to employees. Often, accusers see their alleged harassers move up the ranks, but that doesn't tell the whole story, said Steven Walker, the State Department's deputy assistant secretary for human resources. "Misconduct is often visible, but disciplinary action is not, for privacy reasons," he said. "People don't see suspensions or letters of reprimand, but they do see promotion lists. They think nothing happens. Because of privacy issues, we can't advertise disciplinary actions." In February, the agency began issuing quarterly reports on misconduct and disciplinary actions taken against employees, to avoid the perception that nothing is being done. Harassment allegations also can have serious repercussions for the accused. Retired Army officer Lionel Deschaine said in an interview that his career was ruined when a female intelligence officer filed a harassment complaint against him in 2011 alleging that he made comments about her breasts and legs and repeatedly told her he fantasized about having sex with her. Deschaine was fired, and the case was settled in 2014. He said it "ended my professional career," five years shy of retirement. The agency "made it appear that I was totally a guilty person in all of this," but the woman "played a part," he said. Looking back on the case, he said, "the process was fair. The outcome was not." The woman asked that her name and the name of her agency be withheld to protect her privacy and because it could hurt her future job prospects. Nina Ren, the lawyer representing the five employees at ICE's international operations division, said she is still waiting for a response from the agency, 13 months after four women and a male colleague filed nearly identical complaints against their unit chief and another supervisor. Their complaints say the unit chief had a history of making insulting and lewd comments, including several about the president, and made them view a nude photo of a female bodybuilder. "I was so embarrassed, but I had to take it," Norma Jordan, one of the workers who complained, said in an interview. Following their complaints, all the employees said they received poor performance reviews. Jordan said she was ordered to sort through 100 30-pound boxes in a file room to locate a file she knew was not there. ICE officials declined to comment because the case is pending but said the agency "maintains a strict zero tolerance policy for any kind of abusive or inappropriate behavior." Of 19 Cabinet and two intelligence agencies The Washington Post asked to provide data on settlements and discipline for alleged sexual harassers since the beginning of 2014, just four - Veterans Affairs, Labor, State and Housing and Urban Development - provided full or partial responses. Labor paid out $245,000 in one case and $185,000 to settle five others during the same period. Veterans Affairs said it proposed 70 disciplinary actions for sexual harassers and followed through in 62 of those cases. HUD said it has received 17 complaints - some of which are still pending - since fiscal 2013 and made two settlements totaling $8,600. An agency spokesman said eight employees were disciplined or fired, but he was not specific. VA paid $5.4 million to settle all forms of EEOC complaints in 2017. And State received "at least" 49 complaints, officials said, with 30 resulting in resignations, retirements, terminations or other discipline. --- Video Embed Code Video: A new study shows sexual harassment in the federal government is commonplace. Critics say the system tasked with addressing those complaints is overburdened and underfunded.(Joyce Koh/The Washington Post) Embed code: WASHINGTON - Yielding to pressure, Rep. Elizabeth Esty announced Monday that she will not seek reelection following reports that it took her three months to dismiss her chief of staff after he threatened to kill a former colleague. Esty, D-Conn., who was first elected to the House in 2012, came under fire on Thursday after The Washington Post and other news outlets reported allegations that the chief of staff, Tony Baker, had repeatedly harassed and on one occasion punched a subordinate, Anna Kain, while the two worked in Esty's office. In a statement, the lawmaker said it was right for her to bow out of the next election. "I have determined that it is in the best interest of my constituents and my family to end my time in Congress at the end of this year and not seek reelection," Esty said. "Too many women have been harmed by harassment in the workplace. In the terrible situation in my office, I could have and should have done better." Kain sought and received a one-year restraining order against Baker after he threatened to "f---ing kill" her in a May 2016 voice-mail message obtained by The Post. He remained in his position until mid-August of that year after he and Esty negotiated a formal separation agreement that included a nondisclosure agreement and a promise that she would recommend him for jobs outside Washington. He soon obtained a job at Sandy Hook Promise, a group created after the 2012 mass shooting in Esty's district. With her announcement, Esty became the ninth member of Congress to see her career felled by allegations related to workplace harassment. The other eight - all men - were themselves the target of misconduct complaints; in Esty's case, criticism was leveled at her handling of the allegations against Baker. Possible replacements have plenty of time to launch campaigns, with the filing deadline June 8 and primaries Aug. 14. Esty's western Connecticut district, which includes the town of Sandy Hook, went for Hillary Clinton by less than five percentage points in 2016, making it an attractive target for Republicans. "The NRCC is ready to win this competitive seat this fall," National Republican Congressional Committee Director Matt Gorman said in an emailed statement. "Democrats won't be able to distance themselves from the stain Esty left on their brand." Still, until last week, Republicans had not seriously looked at the race in the 5th Congressional District. Esty had raised more than $1.2 million, while her main GOP challenger, a former IT worker who blamed immigration policies for the loss of his job, had raised just over $13,000. Meredith Kelly, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's communications director, wrote in an email that the seat is Democratic and will "undoubtedly stay that way." Esty is the fourth member of Congress to announce her retirement but not resign immediately after a harassment scandal; the others are Reps. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, and Ruben Kihuen, D-Nev. Connecticut's largest newspaper, the Hartford Courant, had demanded Esty that resign outright, calling her handling of her chief of staff a "colossal failure of judgment." "She was elected to represent constituents, not abusive men," said Friday's editorial. As pressure built over the weekend, Esty said several times that she would not resign. She called on Monday for the House Ethics Committee to conduct an expedited review of her actions in the Baker case, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., endorsed the request while declining to call for her resignation. Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said Esty informed the Democratic leader of her decision by phone earlier in the day. Baker, through friend and spokesman Andrew Ricci, denied that he punched Kain but did not challenge her other allegations. In a statement Monday, he said he has apologized to everyone involved and does not expect forgiveness. "I can only hope that my actions moving forward and over a lifetime of recovery can prove that I am a better man than I was during the time that I worked on Capitol Hill," Baker said. Sandy Hook Promise dismissed Baker last week after The Post reached out to him. Kain, in a written statement, declined to comment on Esty's retirement plans and said she hopes the result of her story is more help for victims of harassment on Capitol Hill. "This is about a flawed system designed to protect powerful people and that isolates and ignores those who need protection most," she said. Since 2012, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has lived in Ecuador's embassy in London. The country granted him political asylum to help him avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was wanted for questioning about alleged sex crimes. The investigation was shelved in 2017, but he still faced arrest for violating the terms of his bail in the U.K. If he leaves the embassy, he could be arrested. So he doesn't leave the embassy. That means that those seeking a face-to-face conversation with Assange are fairly limited in options for doing so. Assange receives visitors on occasion, such as actress Pamela Anderson (who was incorrectly rumored to have been dating him) or Brexit proponent Nigel Farage. But, generally speaking, shaking Assange's hand is not a trivial task. This makes a new revelation from the Wall Street Journal somewhat trickier to deconstruct. On Monday, the paper reported that Roger Stone, longtime ally and adviser to Donald Trump, told a colleague in an email in August 2016 that he'd had dinner with Assange the previous night. Special counsel Robert Mueller's team has reportedly asked at least one witness about the email in front of a grand jury. It adds a new wrinkle to long-standing questions about Stone's relationship with Assange. The Washington Post reported last month that Stone had told an associate in the spring of 2016 that he'd been in contact with Assange and learned that WikiLeaks possessed emails that would be problematic for Democrats. That report also revealed that he'd told another former Trump aide, Sam Nunberg, about having had dinner with Assange. That claim, Stone told The Post, was "a throwaway line" to get Nunberg "off the phone." The Journal report says that Stone emailed the same claim to Nunberg on Aug. 4. (If Nunberg's name sounds familiar, it's thanks to his star turn last month before his appearance before Mueller's grand jury.) That Aug. 4 timing is interesting. We compiled a timeline of Stone's claims last month that puts it into context. Spring 2016. Stone tells an associate he has spoken with Assange. March 28, 2016. Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta's email account is compromised. June 12, 2016. Assange says on a British television program that his organization is in possession of emails belonging to Hillary Clinton. June 15, 2016. A person calling himself "Guccifer 2.0 releases information stolen from the Democratic National Committee. July 22, 2016. WikiLeaks begins releasing numerous files stolen from the DNC. Aug. 4, 2016. Stone emails Nunberg and tells him he'd dined with Assange on Aug. 3. Aug. 5, 2016. An essay by Stone blaming the WikiLeaks release on Guccifer 2.0 runs at Breitbart. Aug. 8, 2016. Stone tells a Republican group that he has been in contact with Assange, who he says plans to release information about the Clinton Foundation. Aug. 9, 2016. WikiLeaks denies meeting Stone directly. In private, it referred to him as a casual liar using a vulgar term. Aug. 14, 2016. Guccifer 2.0, who was revealed last month to be a Russian intelligence officer, contacts Stone over Twitter's direct-messaging system. Their conversation is generally vague, according to transcripts published by Stone. Aug. 18, 2016. On C-SPAN, Stone claims, "I have not spoken to Mr. Assange. I have not met with Mr. Assange. And I never said I had." Aug. 21, 2016. Stone hints that it will soon be "Podesta's time in the barrel." (He told the Journal on Monday that he was referring to lobbying questions involving John Podesta's brother.) Early October. Stone tweets a number of references to an upcoming release by WikiLeaks. Oct. 7. WikiLeaks begins publishing John Podesta's stolen emails. Oct. 12. After having had his predictions come true, Stone explains that he and Assange have a mutual friend who was tipping him off. Oct. 13. WikiLeaks (probably meaning Assange) chastises him over Twitter direct message for claiming a relationship. Obviously, were Stone in regular contact with Assange and WikiLeaks during the campaign, it would raise significant questions about the extent to which people closely connected to Trump (which Stone was and is) were aware of what WikiLeaks had. Or, more broadly, it might help answer the lingering question surrounding the release of the material by WikiLeaks: How, if it was stolen by Russian intelligence agents as the U.S. government believes, did it end up in the hands of Assange? But the problem is that it's hard to believe Stone actually dined with Assange. It's not impossible that someone could sneak into the Ecuadoran Embassy. When Farage visited in March 2017, he was revealed to have done so only because someone walking by recognized him as he entered. That made its way to the press. In his testimony before the House Intelligence Committee last year, Fusion GPS' Glenn Simpson alleged that Farage might have visited Assange on other occasions, perhaps even passing him data on a USB drive. Simpson didn't identify the source for that information, but his firm employed former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, author of the infamous Trump dossier of reports. (Farage denies the allegation.) Stone would be less likely to be recognized while walking in London than Farage - but it would be a lot more difficult for him to get there from New York. When he visited London earlier this year, he stopped by the embassy, leaving his business card, as he told the Daily Beast. He claimed at that time that he didn't intend to meet Assange but simply went on a lark - and that Assange might not even have been there, having been "extracted" at some point prior. Was Stone hinting that he knew that Assange had freer rein in London than the WikiLeaks founder would like British authorities to believe? Or was Stone full of it? Stone has a carefully cultivated reputation as a "political trickster," which is a polite way of saying "mudslinger and exaggerator," which is a polite way of saying "guy who will say untrue things if it advances his agenda." One of his agendas is his own reputation, and during 2016 he clearly believed that it paid to imply a close relationship with Assange. That was manifested in his public assertions about knowing what WikiLeaks was up to but also apparently in his private conversations with Nunberg and that unidentified aide in the spring of that election year. This is very Trumpian, really. Remember how earnestly Trump sought to foster the idea that he had a friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin until a relationship with Putin became a distinct liability. Trump claimed that he and Putin had a relationship because they'd both been interviewed on the same "60 Minutes" program, never mind that Putin's interview was in Russia. For Trump, it was a way of puffing up his importance. And then people started wondering why he dealt with Russia with such a soft touch, at which point he insisted that he'd never met the guy. (It is likely that he actually hadn't.) The Journal report highlights two key questions, for which we can take a stab at answers. Did Stone dine with Assange? It's hard to see how he could have traveled to London and met with Assange at the Ecuadoran Embassy without it becoming public before now - or that Assange would slip out of the embassy, risking arrest, to have dinner with him. Did Stone have a direct relationship with Assange at all? Even if we think of "having dinner" as a broad way of describing a conversation, this seems unlikely. Stone claimed a relationship with Assange in situations where it might presumably have helped improve his personal standing - talking to Nunberg, talking to a Republican group, talking on Twitter. But in private conversation that neither party had any reason to believe would become public, neither WikiLeaks nor Stone indicated knowing each other. WikiLeaks even dismissed knowing him in a private chat room to which only WikiLeaks participants were privy -- only days after the alleged "dinner." But for the conspiratorially minded, there are always loopholes. Maybe he did sneak into the embassy! Maybe Assange did sneak out! Maybe those denials were intentional! And so on. Or if you really want to dive into the rabbit hole, consider Farage, who may have given Assange some data at some unidentified point in time. Farage did meet Trump during the campaign - even sharing the stage at a rally with him in the same month as Stone's alleged dinner. Who put Farage in contact with Trump? Stone gave Mother Jones an answer to that question in June: Why, it was him, Roger Stone! Farage denies this, too. With his landslide reelection victory, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sissi has deepened his grip on the Arab's world most populous country and a key U.S. ally, making him arguably the country's most autocratic leader since it became a republic in 1953. His consolidation of power, marked by wide-scale repression and targeting of opponents, is widely expected to grow in his second term. His supporters are already pushing to alter presidential term limits to allow Sissi to remain in office past his new term. But his outsize economic and political ambitions are at the same time breeding resentment within the general population, the business community and, some analysts say, inside Egypt's highly influential military. "The past few months have indicated some tensions and divisions," said Michael Wahid Hanna, a Middle East expert at the Century Foundation. "But there's nothing to date that suggests that impacts the way in which Sissi at the end of the day can exercise power. He is in charge." On Monday, Egypt's election commission officially confirmed what was already a foregone conclusion: In an election where Sissi arrested or pushed out all of his credible challengers, he won 97 percent of all valid votes. Critics say Sissi has been emboldened by PresidentDonald Trump, feeling free to use coercion in securing a landslide victory. Since Trump signaled during a trip to Saudi Arabia in May that human rights in the Middle East would not be a priority for the White House, repression under Sissi has escalated. On Monday, Trump called Sissi to congratulate him on his election victory. A White House statement said, "The two leaders affirmed the strategic partnership between the United States and Egypt, and noted that they look forward to advancing this partnership and addressing common challenges." Voter turnout, however, was only 41 percent - six points lower than in the 2014 presidential election. Voter participation dropped despite a campaign by Sissi's loyalists, business executives and local authorities to get Egyptians to go to the polls with offers of cash, food, services - even religious trips to Saudi Arabia - for those who went to the polls. The proportion of "spoiled votes" was more than 7 percent, higher than in any previous Egyptian election. "There were more people too disillusioned to enter the polls, and probably a lot more people going to the polls who didn't want to go to the polls than last time," said Timothy Kaldas, a political analyst with the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. "This time the urgency amongst the population to vote was a lot less than last time." Sissi's supporters applaud his ambition. They point to his economic and infrastructure projects, including building new roads, expanding electricity capacity, and encouraging more investments in the country's oil and gas sectors. But Sissi has also embarked on expensive megaprojects, including a new branch of the Suez Canal and a $45 billion new administrative capital outside Cairo. Many economists say these will provide little return for years, even decades. Those funds, critics say, could be better spent helping Egypt's mostly impoverished population of about 100 million people. While the economy is showing signs of a rebound, even middle-class Egyptians are struggling to cope with IMF-imposed austerity measures, rising prices and falling subsidies. In his second term, Sissi will face growing expectations from ordinary Egyptians. Many who voted for him said in interviews they hoped he would produce more jobs for youth, better services, and lower prices so meat and other basic items could be affordable. "The things I most wish he takes care of in his coming term are education and health services," said Mona Kamel, 52, a housewife who voted for Sissi. "This is what will build the infrastructure for our country." Other supporters of the president credit him with restoring stability, especially after the violence that followed the 2011 Arab Spring revolt that toppled President Hosni Mubarak. Two years later, the military led by Sissi, overthrew the elected Islamist President Mohamed Morsi and later jailed him along with tens of thousands of members of the now banned Muslim Brotherhood. Those actions helped trigger a rise in Islamic militancy, including the emergence of an Islamic State affiliate in the northern Sinai Peninsula and new threats in the Western Desert. Sissi's supporters give him good marks on fighting extremism, but his critics say he's using the specter of terrorism to target anyone deemed a threat to his regime. Days after Trump's speech in Saudi Arabia, Sissi blocked dozens of websites. Now more than 500 sites are blocked. Human rights groups say extrajudicial killings are on the rise, and hundreds of activists have "forcibly disappeared" at the hands of Egypt's security services. The Egyptian government has also tried to tame the foreign media, especially when it is critical. Egypt's prosecutor general has referred to the foreign media as "forces of evil" and vowed to take legal action against anyone who publishes "fake news" that harms the country. The United States withheld nearly $300 million in military and economic aid to Egypt in August over human rights concerns, surprising Sissi's government, and U.S. diplomats say they are working privately to raise human rights concerns with Egyptians. The United States, however, still provides $1.3 billion in aid annually. Sissi took no chances with elections. He arrested two ex-military commanders - Lt. Gen Sami Anan and Col. Ahmed Konsowa - after they announced their intention to challenge him. Ahmed Shafik, a former prime minister and air force chief, withdrew after reportedly facing pressure from the regime. Two other candidates pulled out, citing intimidation and attacks by the government media. Ahead of the election, Sissi also targeted several high-ranking miliary figures. In October, Sissi fired his army chief, and in January, he fired his top intelligence chief. Some analysts said that these actions may have been a response to disaffection among some in the military and intelligence services and that this could augur more tension ahead. Sissi also courted controversy by ratifying an agreement under which Egypt gave two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, triggering protests at which he was accused of selling Egyptian lands for aid. Some in the military agreed with that criticism, Hanna said, adding that neither Anan nor Shafik would have considered running against Sissi without support from some military figures. "Sissi's inner circle sees this as a red line," Hanna said. "The idea of unity of the security establishment is important. And any attempt to introduce divisions is dealt with harshly." In a televised victory speech on Monday night, Sissi said he would work for all Egyptians, including the ones who did not vote for him. "Our country is painting a great national painting, a painting that does not exclude anyone," he said. "The scene of Egyptians, from all walks of life, lining up [to vote] was inspiring and hopeful." He also thanked his sole challenger Moussa Mostafa Moussa, for leading "an honorable and civilized competition which showed his patriotism and decent political decorum." But for many Egyptians, Moussa's candidacy underscored that the election was a farce. An obscure candidate who publicly backed Sissi for a second term, Moussa was widely derided by Egyptians as "a puppet" running to provide a democratic veneer to the elections. Kaldas said Sissi has been effective in his recent takedowns of detractors and those he suspects are against him. "His ability to do so suggests that whoever within the regime has objections to Sissi, they are neither powerful enough or organized enough to be consequential right now," Kaldas said. Posted Monday, April 2, 2018 6:00 am The Cherry Blossom Auxiliary was called to order on Saturday, March. 24, by president Jeanette Alcorn. There were about 10 members present. The meeting was led in prayer by secretary Carol Fuller, who then read the minutes of the February meeting. Alcorn read the treasurers report, in the absence of treasurer Jeannie Moreno. Then, Jill Phillips reported on her research into purchasing tote bags with the festival logo. Phillips worked with The Marketing Bunch in Bolivar. After a snag in availability with her first choice, she presented the pictures of four choices to the auxiliary. Votes were taken and it was approved to order and sell the totes at the festival, as well as to have the pink totes with white lettering and a cherry blossom branch logo over the lettering. A total of 250 totes will be ordered, and they will be sold at the same booth as the Cherry Blossom cookbooks at several events. I think the totes are a good idea, especially sold with the cookbooks, said Alcorn. Alcorn discussed the need for more greeters at events, including the Cherry Blossom Tea, the Dred Scott Reconciliation, the First Family of Plains Panel, and at the Quilt Show. Sign-up sheets were passed around to become greeters or drivers for VIPs. There were also sheets to sign up for bringing quilts to the Quilt Show and to bring food to the Current and Retired Teachers/School Personnel Breakfast. The breakfast is by invitation only and will occur at 9 a.m. Thursday, April 26, at the same time as The Life of a First Lady, Frances Cleveland Preston. Contact Fuller if you received an invitation and plan to attend the breakfast. She said all spots have been filled for the cooking class with former White House Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier. Then, she passed around the new 13th Annual Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival brochures, which are now available at the Webster County Library and other locations around town. To see the April 25-28 schedule online, visit the festival website at www.cherryblossomfest.com. Plans for the next meeting, in May, were discussed, and the meeting was adjourned. I know were going to have a good festival, said Alcorn. Ill see all of you there, and if I dont, Ill see you in May. Participation in school breakfast programs is increasing, and that is good news in the fight against food insecurity among Texas families. School food programs are the primary providers of nourishment for many children. However, not all children eligible for free and reduced-price meals offered through the public school system take advantage of them, and thats troubling. In Texas, 17.2 percent of households lacked access to adequate food in 2103 due to a lack of money and other resources, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Among children, the food insecurity rate was 27.4 percent for 2013. RELATED: SAISD bringing taco bowls, 'restaurant-style ambiance' to school lunch in 2017-18 school year Passage of Texas Senate Bill 376 in 2013 allowed school districts with 80 percent or more of their students qualifying for a free or reduced-price breakfast to offer a free breakfast to all their students. The intent of the legislation was two-fold. It enhanced access to nutritional food for all children and at the same time reduced administrative costs for school districts by minimizing the accounting-related cost. The latest Texas School Breakfast Report Card produced by Baylor Universitys Texas Hunger Initiative recognizes Texas as a national leader in school breakfast participation, coming in 10th in state rankings. The state has seen a 4 percent increase in school breakfast participation, serving an additional 10.5 million meals for a total of 314 million breakfasts served to Texas schoolchildren in the 2016-2017 school year. Even so, those statistics indicate only 62.8 percent of those eating free or reduced-price lunches are eating school breakfast, and the state needs to work on that. Eating a nutritional breakfast can impact a students academic outcomes and increase attendance rates. Hunger is more than a grumbling stomach. It affects concentration, alertness and memory. Researchers link school breakfast participation to a lower probability of obesity, reduction in behavioral problems, better eating habits, fewer vitamin deficiencies, and it minimizes chronic illness. Food insecurity affects families and children across the state in rural areas, inner city school districts and the suburbs. Food banks and private charities help address the problem, but the school lunch program is a first line of defense that needs to be fully utilized. As the summer school break approaches, families need to be informed about the summer nutrition programs available across the community many of them at neighborhood schools. Children should not have to go hungry. It's no secret to the rest of the nation that Brave Giant is one of the biggest bands to come out of Longford in the past few years. And, with their online views and Spotify streams both nearing the one million mark, things are continuing to move in the right direction for the talented local lads. In fact, Brave Giant have just announced their next Dublin headline show at The Button Factory on Saturday September 22. Tickets priced 14.50 (including booking fee) went on sale last Friday. The Button Factory concert follows the bands previous six headline shows, which sold out, over an 18-month period, in the capital. To coincide with the tickets for The Button Factory Show going on sale last Friday, Brave Giant also released news of their new single, 'Dakota'. The song is already a major hit in the bands live show, and this single version will be released on April 12, with pre-sale live later this month. In addition to announcing the bands new headline show, Brave Giant will also perform alongside Hudson Taylor on their upcoming Irish tour. They guest at The Opera House in Cork (March 29), The Big Top in Limerick (April 1), and Ruby Room @ TF Royal, Castlebar (April 2). The band is also confirmed to play Sea Sessions 2018 on Sunday, June 24, and The Groove Festival on Saturday July 7. The new single, Dakota, follows October 2017s number one single, 'Way To Love'. The lads have received some wonderful support from Irish radio since their first commercial single ('Lordy Lordy', in 2016). The last two years have been remarkable for the independent band. Their single, 'The Time I Met the Devil' (2017) has enjoyed almost 100,000 views alone and features Irish actor and comedian, Joe Rooney, adding to the bands impressive overall tally of one million online video views. It was this song that also resulted in a Late Late Show invite last spring, shooting the Longford lads onto a national stage and building perfectly on the bands growing list of followers. 2017 was one of the best years yet for Brave Giant, for a number of reasons. The Longford-based four-piece celebrated its first official number one on iTunes, played to an enthusiastic, and large band of followers (and some new fans too) on their debut Longitude outing, sold out a number of regional headline Irish shows, together with making a trip stateside for the Milwaukee Irish Festival, and a headline show in Rockwood Music Hall in New York. The year concluded with Brave Giant playing their biggest headline Dublin show to date at The Academy. It was the bands sixth consecutive headline-show to sell out in the capital. Previously, winning joe.ies Le Crunch competition, joining Gavin James and Roisin O as musical ambassadors for Bord na Monas inaugural #HearthSessions campaign, together with being invited to guest with Picture This still remain highlights since 2016. Formed in 2011, Mark Prunty (guitar/vox), Podge Gill (guitar/vox), Ross McNerney (banjo/mandolin), Emmett Collum (drums) are the four young Longford men of Brave Giant. Their love of Irish music is evident in their sound, a skilfully achieved blend of rock, folk and alternative influences. To keep up to date with Brave Giant, see @BraveGiantOfficial on Facebook. Also read: Longford quartet continue to make 'Brave Giant' strides Longford band Brave Giant hits #1 on iTunes On Wednesday I caught only the last part of a conversation on the Sean ORourke programme; a lady and gentleman were talking about Autism. They made the point that everyone talks about the LGBT community, and marriage changes, and different social changes that have happened in Ireland, yet nobody talks much about Autism. I listened carefully, and realised how little I know about the condition. Scant scraps here and there. This column felt that its time we all got to grips with the condition. I was so taken by the conversation on RTE that I decided to try and create some awareness, at least, because thats whats needed. Getting treated, and cared for, is essential. But awfully pedestrian. This throws up terrible problems, because assessors are slow to actually label anyone as autistic whilst teachers etc, may be pleading desperately, at the same time, for resource teachers. The ultimate decision lies with the HSE and once a child is found to be on the autism spectrum they are duty bound to provide a resource teacher. Studies were carried out by numerous bodies many of whom have estimated that Autism affects at least one in 100, in Ireland. Others have estimated it affects one in 65. Meanwhile, in a population of five million, that means at least 50,000 of our population are affected by Autism. Yet other studies, similarly backed up by science, put the figure as more like 75,000. Either case means that nothing like enough is being done. If a teacher applies for help with a student, it could go on for quite a long time. For example, one teacher I spoke with said that in their school, one is allowed apply for one pupil to be assessed in that year. That year the assessment will usually come through. If positive, that means that nothing will happen until the following school year. Remember, it could happen that two pupils are suffering. So whilst understandable that a cap is being placed on the numbers applying, it could conceivably happen that more than one would in fact be in need. This is not an easy decision for a teacher to make, and neither do parents always want their child declared as autistic because some still see the condition as being stigmatised. This is very unfortunate as an autistic child needs help, gentleness, and understanding. As Brendan OConnor, father of an autistic child, remarked on the Late Late show some time back, the earlier a child gets help the better chance they stand to develop with some semblance of normality. Being helped early in the childs development makes that child quite likely to make great strides, and often they end up having a great job in future life. One lady speaking on Sean ORourkes show made a great point, when she said that normal schools are by necessity noisy places, and some autistic children can hear the noise as a din of enormous proportions thereby making them feel panicky and helpless. A brother of the Minister for Health, Adam Harris, made some marvellous observations. One of which was that the smell of crisps, can drive him insane so he always brings a spray with him everywhere he goes. On a train if someone starts rattling a bag of crisps he immediately sprays all around his head to prevent the smell affecting his mood. These are normal everyday things that happen without thinking, but for anyone with autism, they can cause terrible consequences. We need to think more about Autism. Some example of strengths commonly associated with autism include: Specialist knowledge in topics of interest Exceptional memory for facts and figures Very high level of motivation in topics and activities that are of interest Ability to carry out tasks with a high degree of accuracy Excellent attention to detail Ability to follow instructions and rules very accurately when taught in the correct way Exceptional skills in creative arts, such as Art and Music Ability to see the world from a different perspective and so bring a different insight Ability to bring an innovative approach to problem solving Tendency to be honest and non-judgemental Tendency to have a strong sense of loyalty in all social relationships Unique sense of humour Passionate about hobbies and interests Enthusiasm for favourite interests with a drive to share this enjoyment with others See? Autism is just another type of personality. Thats all. You may also like to read: Longford's Mattie Fox: Sense of peace Longford's Mattie Fox: GAA should stop bleating about payments to managers Longford Leader columnist Mattie Fox: Treatment of women in society has been an enormous travesty Music, Movies & Entertainment, Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Arts & Culture, Seasonal & Current Events By Long Island News & PR Published: April 02 2018 Event hosted By Christine Montanti, presented by The Equity First Foundation with Performances By Professional Ballroom Dancers, Dimitriy Saykovskyy, Adriana Dwyer, Artem Belmeha, and Anna Shevchenko. Long Island, NY - April 2, 2018 - Dancing For Wellness had a goal to benefit Senior communities, as well as promote programs to assist Senior citizens. Crimes against the elderly continue to skyrocket each year, as criminals continue to find more ways to carry out both new and old scams, including medicare & phone scams. In fact, seniors lose billions of dollars a year to scams. Senior citizens should be especially aware of fraud schemes targeting their lifestyle and savings and follow a series of tips to protect themselves and their family members from fraud. Christine Montanti. Photo Credit: Don Fitzgibbon . Photo Credit: Don Fitzgibbon This years event was hosted by Christine Montanti on Wednesday, March 28th, at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Huntington Station. Dancing For Wellness featured performances by World Professional Ballroom dancers, Dimitriy Saykovskyy, Adriana Dwyer, Artem Belmeha and Anna Shevchenko. Olga & Sasha Bylim and Dimitriy Saykovskyy are the new owners of the Fred Astaire Huntington Station location where the event was held. Dancing for Wellness was featured by Rhonda Klch of Equity First Foundation. Guests who attended enjoyed an evening of Ballroom Dancing, Drinks, and HorsD Oeuvres! Food and Drinks courtesy of Elegant Affairs and PortoFino Restaurant. Other sponsors include celebrity permanent make up artist, Sharon Grasso of Permanent Touch Makeup Cosmetics. Adriana Dwyer and Dimitriy Saykovskyy. Photo Credit: Rob Rich of SocietyAllure.com ABOUT CHRISTINE MONTANTI Christine Montanti is an American Journalist who currently holds the positions as senior editor and advertising director for Social Life Magazine. Her diverse position at Social Life Magazine enables her to use her broad based skills by producing covers, writing editorials, conducting on-camera celebrity interviews and reporting and writing for New York TV news segments. Christines lifelong passion is spending her free time helping animals. She is actively involved in rescue missions that treat injured, abused and stray animals. Christine works directly with veterinarians and charitable organizations that provide the necessary medical care to treat the animals she rescues. Christine hosts numerous charity events to raise awareness and research funding for various causes. Olga Bylim and Sasha Bylim. Photo Credit: Rob Rich of SocietyAllure.com ABOUT FRED ASTAIRE DANCE STUDIO HUNTINGTON STATION Olga & Sasha Bylim and Dimitriy Saykovskyy are the new owners of The Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Huntington Station. Olga and Sasha Bylim are also the regional Fred Astaire area directors of Long Island. Fred Astaires network of worldwide dance studios has produced a wealth of amateur and professional dancers, who are the living embodiment of Fred Astaires style and grace. Since 1947, we have had the honor & privilege of improving the lives of our students, staff and everyone who is associated with our company, through the joy of dancing! Ballroom Dance Lessons Should be FUN! The teaching philosophy at every Fred Astaire Dance studio is simple and straightforward: learning how to ballroom dance is always fun! We work with students of all ages and abilities, and help them realize their dancing goals in a friendly and inspirational atmosphere. Olga Bylim leading group dance lesson. Photo Credit: Rob Rich of SocietyAllure.com ABOUT THE EQUITY FIRST FOUNDATION The Equity First Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization formed with the goal of bringing financial education and best practices to the community through workshops, seminars and resource materials. Guided by a Board of experts from the Long Island business community, the mission of Equity First Foundation is to educate the community so they can make financial decisions with knowledge and confidence. Learn today to choose wisely tomorrow that is the mantra of Equity First Foundation. Artem Belmeha and Anna Shevchenko. Photo Credit: Rob Rich of SocietyAllure.com ABOUT SHARON GRASSO OF PERMANENT TOUCH COSMETICS Sharon Grasso began her career in the plastic surgery industry in 1995 while simultaneously pursuing her passion as an artist- painting elaborate drawings. Her creative talent and lifelong dedication to art coupled with her extensive experience working in plastics has made Sharon one of the most skilled permanent makeup experts in the industry. As a dually licensed medical aesthetician and medical micropigmentation artist with over two decades of experience, Sharon holds an impressive list of credentials. She is a licensed permanent makeup instructor and she currently serves the Advisory Board of the prestigious Long Island Nail, Skin and Hair Institute which offers the only New York State approved curriculum for permanent makeup. Sharon Grasso and Jeff Grasso. Photo Credit: Rob Rich of SocietyAllure.com ABOUT ELEGANT AFFAIRS Andrea Correale founded Elegant Affairs more than 20 years ago. Her vision and goal was and still is to be the finest New York City and Hamptons catering and party rentals company. Elegant Affairs and its off- premise catering expertise is a favorite among successful New Yorkers, Long Islanders, and Hamptons socialites. Award winning catered events begin and end with Elegant Affairs Caterers. Whether its a Hamptons gathering, a Long Island gold coast mansion wedding, a vineyard wedding, a political fundraiser, or a media event for thousands, Elegant Affairs is the caterer of choice. Dimitriy Saykovskyy and Terri Haegele. Photo Credit: Rob Rich of SocietyAllure.com ABOUT PORTOFINO RESTAURANT Local News, Business & Finance, Politics By Long Island News & PR Published: April 02 2018 Cuomo: "This budget is a bold blueprint for progressive action that builds on seven years of success." Albany, NY - April 2, 2018 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the highlights of the FY 2019 Budget. The Budget builds on the state's record of delivering for New Yorkers by making the highest ever investment in K-12 education, enacting a nation-leading women's agenda, advancing 21st century transportation solutions, protecting taxpayers against federal tax changes, strengthening the middle class, and making strategic investments in New York's future to drive growth and create opportunity for all. For the eighth consecutive year, the Budget is balanced and holds spending growth to 2 percent or less. "This budget is a bold blueprint for progressive action that builds on seven years of success and helps New York continue to lead amid a concerted and sustained assault from Washington on our values and principles," Governor Cuomo said. "We put into place the strongest and most comprehensive anti-sexual harassment protections in the nation, ending once and for all the secrecy and coercive practices that have enabled this unacceptable behavior for far too long. "New York will also become the first state to implement new measures to shield families from the devastating federal tax law's elimination of full state and local deductibility an economic arrow aimed at the heart of this state's economy. "It also protects New York's future with record funding for education, coupled with new reforms that finally ensure transparency and equity in how that funding is distributed. "This budget also delivers for the most vulnerable among us, including the NYCHA tenants who have had to live with mold, lead and no heat and were placed at risk by a failed bureaucracy, and those who have had to endure the injustice that is Rikers Island. "With this budget, we chart a path forward and ever upwards toward a better future for all New Yorkers." Highlights of the FY 2019 Budget: State Operating Funds spending is $100.1 billion - for the eighth consecutive year, holding growth to 2 percent (State Operating Funds exclude Federal funds and capital). All Funds spending $168.3 billion for FY 2019. Protects New Yorkers from negative federal tax implications with new state tax code. Continues the phase-in of the $4.2 billion Middle Class Tax Cut to deliver relief to six million New Yorkers - saving households $250 on average and $700 annually when fully effective. Increases Education Aid by approximately $1 billion (3.9 percent), to a record total of $26.7 billion for the 2018-19 school year and a 36 percent increase since 2012. Requires school districts to provide information on how they allocate funding to schools in order to increase transparency. Invests $25 million to expand prekindergarten and after school programs. Implements the nation's most aggressive program to combat sexual harassment. Extends the storage timeline for forensic rape kits from 30 days to 20 years. Institutes landmark protections to ensure New York's elections remain free from outside influence and cyberattacks. Provides historic new $250 million investment to NYCHA to deliver quality living conditions to tenants and implements new oversight measures by statute and executive order. Includes design/build legislation to expedite the construction of new jails to replace the Rikers Island Jail Complex, the reconstruction of the BQE and NYCHA projects. Provides $7.6 billion in State support for higher education in New York - an increase of $1.5 billion or 25 percent since FY 2012. Invests $118 million to continue the successful Excelsior Scholarship. Includes $1.2 billion for strategic programs to make college more affordable and encourage the best and brightest students to build their future in New York. Establishes a first-in-the-nation opioid stewardship payment on manufacturers and distributors of opioids to fund the fight against the opioid epidemic. Fully funds the Subway Action Plan - provides that New York City will fund half of $836 million plan in order to make immediate repairs to improve subway performance and maintenance. Enacts $2.75 surcharge on for-hire vehicles south of 96th Street in Manhattan to help ease congestion and establish long-term funding stream for New York City public transportation. Expands the current New York City Bus Camera program, expands the time of day such camera program may operate and directs the installation of at least 50 new traffic monitoring cameras to enforce bus lane violations that impede mass transit service and create congestion. Keeping New York Economically Competitive Protect New Yorkers from Federal Tax Changes: The recently enacted federal tax law has negative fiscal implications for many New Yorkers. By gutting the deductibility of state and local taxes, the law effectively raises middle class families' property and state income taxes by 20 to 25 percent. New York is fighting back against the federal plan and the loss of both income tax deductibility and property tax deductibility. To combat the assault, the FY 2019 Budget: Expands Charitable Contributions to Benefit New Yorkers: The FY 2019 Budget creates two new state-operated Charitable Contribution Funds to accept donations for the purposes of improving health care and education in New York. Taxpayers who itemize deductions may claim these charitable contributions as deductions on their Federal and State tax returns. Any taxpayer making a donation may also claim a State tax credit equal to 85 percent of the donation amount for the tax year after the donation is made. In addition, the legislation authorizes school districts and other local governments to create charitable funds. Donations to these funds would provide a reduction in local property taxes (via a local credit) equal to a percentage of the donation. Creates Alternative Employer Compensation Expense Program: While Federal tax reform eliminated full State and local tax deductibility for individuals, businesses were spared from these limitations. Under the FY 2019 Budget employers would be able to opt-in to a new ECEP structure. Employers that opt-in would be subject to a 5 percent tax on all annual payroll expenses in excess of $40,000 per employee, phased in over three years beginning on January 1, 2019. The progressive personal income tax system would remain in place, and a new tax credit corresponding in value to the ECEP would cut the personal income tax on wages and ensure that State filers subject to the ECEP would not experience a decline in take-home pay. Decouples from Federal Tax Code: The FY 2019 Budget decouples the state tax code from the federal tax code, where necessary, to avoid more than $1.5 billion in State tax increases brought solely by increases in federal taxes. Continue the Phase-In of the Middle Class Tax Cut: The Budget supports the phase-in of the middle class tax cuts. In 2018, average savings will total $250 and, when fully effective, six million New Yorkers will save an average of $700 annually. Once fully phased in, the new rates will be the lowest in more than 70 years - dropping from 6.45 to 5.5 percent for incomes ranging from $40,000 - $150,000 and 6.65 to 6 percent for incomes ranging from $150,000 - $300,000. The new lower tax rates will save middle class New Yorkers $4.2 billion, annually, by 2025. Grow County-Wide Shared Services Initiative to Deliver Savings for Taxpayers: New York State will build on progress to reduce local property taxes for millions of New Yorkers and take the next step forward to provide local governments with new tools to put money back in the pockets of middle-class families. The FY 2019 Budget includes $225 million to fund the State's match of savings from shared services actions included in property tax savings plans. The Budget also continues the county-wide shared services panels for another three years and amends a statutory hurdle that prevented localities from sharing some specific services. Create a Voluntary Retirement Savings Program: The Budget authorizes the New York State Secure Choice Savings Program - a voluntary-enrollment payroll deduction IRA for employees of private employers that do not already offer retirement savings plans. This program will give millions of New Yorkers who currently have no access to an employer-provided retirement plan the opportunity to save for retirement, all while alleviating the burdens on participating New York employers of creating and sponsoring a retirement plan on their own. Participation is voluntary for businesses and employees. Continue the Local Property Tax Relief Credit: The Property Tax Credit, enacted in 2015, will provide an average reduction of $380 in local property taxes to 2.6 million homeowners this year alone. By 2019, the program will provide an additional $1.3 billion in property tax relief and an average credit of $530. Investing in Education Equity The FY 2019 Budget reflects the state's strong commitment to education equity through a $1 billion annual increase in Education Aid - 3.9 percent growth - to a record total of $26.7 billion for the 2018-19 school year and a 36 percent increase since 2012. Require Transparency in Education Spending: New York State spends more money per pupil than any state in the nation, and the FY 2019 Budget includes new provisions to require funding transparency. Under the budget agreement, for the 2018-19 school year, 76 large school districts that receive significant state aid shall report school level funding allocation data to the public, SED and DOB. Expand Community Schools: The FY 2019 Budget continues the state's push to transform New York's high-need schools into community schools. This year, the Budget increases funding for community schools by $50 million, to a total of $200 million. This increased funding is targeted to districts with struggling schools and/or districts experiencing significant growth in homeless pupils or English language learners. In addition, the Budget increases the minimum community schools funding amount from $10,000 to $75,000. Promote the First 1,000 Days of Life: The Budget supports the development of a new initiative to expand access to services and improve health outcomes for young children covered by Medicaid and their families. Studies show that the basic structure of the brain is developed within the first 1,000 days of life. Expand Access to Prekindergarten: The Budget includes an additional $15 million investment in prekindergarten to expand high-quality half-day and full-day prekindergarten instruction for 3,000 three- and four-year-old children. Continue the Empire State After School Program: The FY 2019 Budget provides $10 million to fund a second round of Empire State After School awards. These funds will provide an additional 6,250 students with public after school care in high-need communities across the State. Funding will be targeted to districts with high rates of childhood homelessness. Grow Early College High Schools: To build upon the success of the existing programs, the Budget commits an additional $9 million to create 15 new early college high school programs. This expansion will target communities with low graduation or college access rates, and will align new schools with in-demand industries. Expanding Access to Higher Education Invest $7.6 Billion for Higher Education: The Budget provides $7.6 billion in State support for higher education in New York - an increase of $1.5 billion or 25 percent since FY 2012. This investment includes $1.2 billion for strategic programs to make college more affordable and encourage the best and brightest students to build their future in New York. Launch the Second Phase of the Excelsior Free Tuition Program: For the 2019 academic year, the Excelsior Scholarship income eligibility threshold will increase, allowing New Yorkers with household incomes up to $110,000 to be eligible. To continue this landmark program, the Budget includes $118 million to support an estimated 27,000 students in the Excelsior program. Along with other sources of tuition assistance, including the generous New York State Tuition Assistance Program, the Excelsior Scholarship will allow approximately 53 percent of full-time SUNY and CUNY in-state students, or more than 210,000 New York residents, to attend college tuition-free when fully phased in. Boost Funding for SUNY and CUNY: The Budget provides SUNY and CUNY with more than $200 million in new resources to support the operations of the university systems while maintaining low predictable tuition ensuring access for all to a quality education. Support Students Attending New York's Private Colleges: The Budget includes $22.9 million for the second phase of the Enhanced Tuition Award program, providing up to $6,000 in financial assistance including match funds and a tuition freeze to make college more affordable for residents attending private colleges in New York. To leverage more participation, the program was modified to provide more flexibility in the matching requirement for colleges. The Budget also provides $4 million to expand the New York State Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Scholarship Program to students attending private colleges in New York. In addition, the Budget includes $30 million for competitive grants to support strategic capital investments at independent colleges to improve academic programs, enhance student life and provide economic development benefits to the college community. Expand the Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies into the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies: The Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies, which was established in collaboration with New York City labor unions in 1984 to meet the higher education needs of working adults, now serves more than 1,200 adult and traditional-aged students across the CUNY system in undergraduate and graduate degree, and certificate programs focused on labor-related issues. The Institute provides higher education programs in three general categories including labor, urban studies, and worker education/workforce development. The Budget includes a $3.0 million investment to expand the institute into the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, a recognition of the invaluable role the Institute plays in the CUNY community and as a center of labor discourse. Prohibit State Agencies from Suspending the Professional Licenses of Individuals Behind or in Default on their Student Loans: The FY 2019 Budget includes legislation expressly prohibiting the suspension of professional licenses of individuals behind or in default on their student loans. Currently, there are 19 states that allow for the suspension of a professional license for people who are behind or in default on their student loans, with one state allowing for the suspension of an individual's driver's license. This practice severely limits the ability of people to support themselves and their families, and to ultimately pay back their student loans, creating a further financial death spiral. By expressly prohibiting the practice, the Budget ensures that current and future New Yorkers are protected. Advancing the Women's Agenda Combat Sexual Harassment: The Budget includes nation-leading, multi-pronged legislation to combat sexual harassment in the workplace: Require all state contractors to submit an affirmation that they have a sexual harassment policy and that they have trained all of their employees. Prohibit employers from using a mandatory arbitration provision in an employment contract in relation to sexual harassment. Require officers and employees of the state or of any public entity to reimburse the state for any state or public payment made upon a judgement of intentional wrongdoing related to sexual harassment. Ensure that nondisclosure agreements can only be used when the condition of confidentiality is the explicit preference of the victim Establish a model sexual harassment policy, in consultation with the Department of Labor and Division of Human Rights, for employers to adopt or use to establish a similar policy that meets or exceeds the minimum standards of the model policy Amend the law to protect contractors, subcontractors, vendors, consultants or others providing services in the workplace from sexual harassment in the workplace End Sextortion: The Budget includes legislation increasing the existing penalties for compelling another person to engage in sexual conduct by threatening their health, safety, business, career, financial condition, reputation or personal relationships. Extend the Storage Timeline for Rape Kits: The FY 2019 Budget includes legislation to extend the length of time sexual offense evidence collection kits are preserved from 30 days to 20 years, delivering justice to survivors. Reauthorize MWBE Program Legislation: The FY 2019 Budget extends the State's Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise Program, which is due to expire this year, for one year. Ensure Equal Access to Diaper Changing Stations in Public Restrooms and Provide Access to Lactation Rooms: The FY 2019 Budget amends New York's Uniform Building Code to require all new or substantially renovated buildings with publicly accessible restrooms to provide safe and compliant changing tables. Changing tables will be available to both men and women, and there must be at least one changing table accessible to both genders per publicly-accessible floor. In addition, the Budget requires lactation rooms in certain state buildings and authorizes a study of adult changing facilities. Prohibit Sexual Contact Between Police Officers and Individuals Under Their Custody: Incarcerated individuals are prohibited from providing consent to corrections officers or probations officers under current law. This helps curb sexual harassment and abuse from those in a position of power that oversee individuals under their custody. Police officers, in a glaring loophole to the law, are not included in this list. The FY 2019 Budget corrects this deficiency in the law by expressly including police officers and prohibiting sexual contact with those under their custody. Improve Access to IVF and Fertility Preservation Services: Under current law, all commercial health insurance plans include coverage for most infertility medical services. In vitro fertilization is the one primary exception. The Superintendent of Financial Services will analyze in vitro fertilization coverage to help ensure that New Yorkers have access to infertility treatment and fertility preservation services regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. Increase State Funding to Provide Families with Affordable Child Care: Child care subsidies help parents and caretakers pay for some or all of the cost of child care. Families are eligible for financial assistance if they meet the State's low income guidelines and need child care to work, look for work or attend employment training. The FY 2019 Budget increases State support for child care subsidies by $7 million above FY 2018 Budget funding levels and programs new federal funds to make an additional $10 million dollars available for child care subsidies, restoring recent cuts and sustaining a record level of funding. Continue the Enhanced Child Care Tax Credit for Middle Class Families: The 2017 Enhanced Middle Class Child Care Tax Credit reduces child care costs for working families. This expansion more than doubled the benefit for 200,000 families. The FY 2019 Budget reflects the first year of the Enhanced Child Care Tax Credit for working families to continue to alleviate costs for families and support the needs of working parents. Ensure Access to Menstrual Products in Public Schools: The FY 2019 Budget includes legislation requiring all public schools, except for charter schools, to provide free feminine hygiene products, in restrooms, for students in grades 6 through 12. Feminine hygiene products are as necessary as toilet paper and soap, but hardly ever as available or free. At $7 to $10 per package, a month's supply of something as simple as a box of pads or tampons can be one expense too many for struggling families. This Budget legislation makes New York State a leader in addressing this issue of inequality and stigma. Add Experts in Women's Health and Health Disparities to the State Board of Medicine: Legislation in the FY 2019 Budget requires that one of the doctors on the State Board of Medicine be an expert on women's health and one of the doctors be an expert in health disparities. Provide Health Insurance Coverage for Donor Breast Milk: The FY 2019 Budget includes legislation to ensure health insurance coverage for donor breast milk for infants, especially premature or preterm infants, who do not have maternal breast milk to meet all or some of their nutritional needs. Close the Gender Gap by Giving the Youngest Learners Access to Computer Science Education: The FY 2019 Budget establishes a working group to review existing computer science education standards and create draft model computer science standards for kindergarten through grade 12. Investing $250 Million in NYCHA to Empower Tenants Over the course of the budget negotiations, the Governor and legislative leaders have discussed the conditions of NYCHA's housing stock and the services that are being provided to residents. The FY 2019 Budget includes an additional $250 million to improve the quality of living conditions for NYCHA residents and provides a process by which the proper deployment of capital funding can be verified. To expedite repairs to NYCHA facilities, the FY 2019 Budget includes design/build legislation. This record investment brings total state funding for NYCHA to $550 million. Expediting Critical Projects Through Design/Build The FY 2019 Budget includes design/build legislation for the construction of new jails to replace the Rikers Island Jail Complex, the reconstruction of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway and NYCHA projects. As a result of design/build authorization, the City will avoid significant delays in construction and will realize savings in excess of $1 billion. Investing in 21st Century Transportation Infrastructure Support the MTA Subway Action Plan: The comprehensive $836 million MTA Subway Action Plan will address system failures, breakdowns, delays and deteriorating customer service, and position the system for future modernization. The Budget fully funds the Subway Action Plan to move forward on these critically needed repairs, with the City required to contribute half of the funding for the plan. The MTA will begin receiving the funding in April and will receive the full funding by the end of 2018. Enact a $2.75 Surcharge on For-Hire Vehicles: To establish a long-term funding stream for the MTA and to reduce motor vehicle congestion, the FY 2019 Budget enacts a surcharge on for-hire vehicles below 96th Street. The surcharge is $2.75 for for-hire vehicles, $2.50 for yellow cabs, and $0.75 for pooled trips. This funding will go into an MTA "lock box," and will provide long-term funding to sustain for the Subway Action Plan, outer borough transit improvements, as well as a NYC general transportation account. Provide at Least 50 New Bus Lane Enforcement Cameras: The FY 2019 Budget will help immediately reduce traffic congestion in Manhattan's Central Business District by directing the MTA to equip New York City Transit SBS buses operating below 96th Street with at least 50 new traffic monitoring cameras to enforce bus lane violations. Drivers and delivery trucks blocking dedicated bus lanes are significant contributors to bus delays and traffic congestion. Transfer the Remaining Payroll Mobility Tax Revenue Directly to the MTA: The State currently collects and disburses the Payroll Mobility Tax (PMT) to the MTA. The Budget amends the law so the revenue is directly provided to the Authority. Eliminating this unnecessary appropriation by the State legislature will benefit the MTA because PMT revenue pledged to bondholders under the new credit will have no risk of non-appropriation and PMT receipts will be received by the MTA in a more timely manner. Improving Public Safety at Penn Station: Penn Station's facilities are antiquated, inadequately meet current public safety and transportation needs and present an unreasonable public safety hazard. The State will coordinate with MTA and consult with community leaders, business groups and federal and city government to design a solution. Begin Service on the Lower Hudson Transit Link: The FY 2019 Budget appropriates $8 million to allow the Lower Hudson Transit Link to begin bus service along the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge in 2018. Maintain Record Commitment to Local Highways and Bridges and Public Transportation: Funding for the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) and the Marchiselli program is maintained at $477.8 million, and the Local PAVE NY and BRIDGE NY programs are each maintained at $100 million. The Budget also includes, in addition to previously planned amounts, $65 million for extreme winter recovery roadway repairs, as well as $20 million in capital funding and $5 million in operating funding for transit systems statewide other than the MTA. Strengthening the Democracy Agenda Increase Transparency of Online Political Advertisements: The FY 2019 Budget expands New York State's definition of political communication to include paid internet and digital advertisements, requires digital platforms to maintain a file of all political advertisements purchased by a person or group for publication on the platform and requires online platforms confirm that foreign individuals and entities are not purchasing political advertisements in order to influence the American electorate. Bolster Election Infrastructure to Defend Against Cyberattacks: The FY 2019 Budget includes $5 million to implement a four-pronged strategy to further strengthen cyber protections for New York's election infrastructure: create an Election Support Center, develop an Election Cyber Security Toolkit, provide cyber risk vulnerability assessments for State and County Boards of Elections, and require County Boards of Elections to report data breaches to State authorities. Establish a State Pay Commission The FY 2019 Budget supports the establishment of a State Pay Commission, which will include the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals and the State of New York, New York State Comptroller, New York City Comptroller, a former New York City Comptroller, and a former New York State Comptroller. The Commission will examine and decide what the appropriate salary should be for state legislatures and certain executive employees. Ensuring No Student Goes Hungry The Budget includes legislation and additional funding to launch a comprehensive No Student Goes Hungry program: sweeping initiatives to provide students of all ages, backgrounds and financial situations access to healthy, locally-sourced meals to address child hunger. By launching the program, the State will provide students in need with locally-grown, quality meals, which will support an improved learning experience for children of all ages. The program will: Ban meal shaming, a practice in some schools where children may be singled out, provided a lesser meal, or otherwise treated differently for not having money for a meal Support breakfast after the bell to make breakfast accessible for students after the school day has begun Expand the Farm to School Program Incentivize the use of farm-fresh, locally grown foods in schools Defending the Rights of Immigrants The FY 2019 Budget continues the first-in-the-nation Liberty Defense Project. Last year, the State launched the Liberty Defense Project, a State-led, public-private legal defense fund to ensure that all immigrants, regardless of status, have access to high quality legal counsel. In partnership with leading nonprofit legal service providers, the project has significantly expanded the availability of immigration attorneys statewide. The FY 2019 Budget includes an investment to ensure the Liberty Defense Project continues to sustain and grow the network of legal service providers providing these critical service in defense of our immigrant communities. Cutting off the Recruitment Pipeline to Combat MS-13 MS-13 is an international criminal gang that emerged in the United States in the 1980s. They engage in a wide range of criminal activity and are uniquely violent, oftentimes engaging in brutal acts simply to increase the gang's notoriety. Despite violent crime being down dramatically in Long Island over the past several years, a recent uptick in violent crime has been traced back to the gang. The FY 2019 Budget supports a comprehensive $16 million strategy to provide at-risk youth in Long Island with greater access to social programs and alternatives to gang activity. The program will: Expand afterschool programs in areas with high gang activity. Expand job and vocational training opportunities for young people. Provide gang prevention education to students. Expand comprehensive support services for at-risk young people, especially immigrant children - including comprehensive case management, with a focus on unaccompanied children entering the United States. Deploy a Community Assistance Team to Long Island comprised of six State Troopers, three investigators, one senior investigator and one supervisor to identify and engage gang activity hot-spots or respond to departmental and community requests for increased service. Nation-Leading Efforts to Combat Worker Exploitation The New York State Department of Labor has been a national leader in wage theft case processing and fund recovery. Since 2011, the agency has recovered more than any other state - a quarter of a billion dollars - and returned that money to more than 215,000 workers victimized by wage theft. With a staff of 110 investigators, one of the nation's largest, DOL has led the way in protecting workers. The FY 2019 Budget invests an additional $1 million to allow additional investigators to be hired, ensuring that money is put back into the pockets of workers as quickly as possible. Protecting the Health & Safety of Our Communities Establish a First-in-the-Nation Opioid Stewardship Fund: New York State, like much of the country, is battling a harrowing opioid epidemic. The Budget creates an opioid stewardship program with a $100 million fund to be used for the ongoing and growing costs of prevention, treatment, and recovery services for individuals with a substance abuse disorder. Language in the budget ensures the costs are borne by industry, not by consumers. Combat Heroin and Opioid Epidemic: Over $200 million in funding is being used to address the heroin and opioid crisis. The Budget includes an increase of over $30 million (5 percent) in operating and capital support for OASAS to continue to enhance prevention, treatment and recovery programs, residential service opportunities, and public awareness and education activities. Establish Health Care Shortfall Fund: The Budget establishes a fund to ensure the continued availability and expansion of funding for quality health services to New York State residents and to mitigate risks associated with the loss of Federal funds. This fund will be initially populated with funds from any insurer conversion or similar transaction. Launching a Comprehensive Plan to Attack Homelessness Continue $20 Billion Affordable and Homeless Housing and Services Initiative: The Budget continues to support the creation or preservation of more than 100,000 units of affordable housing and 6,000 units of supportive housing. Increase Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: To strengthen shelter services for homeless individuals living with mental illness in existing homeless shelters, the State is directing the Office of Mental Health and the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to work together to ensure that Assertive Community Treatment teams are connected to existing shelters, so that individuals with mental illness can access needed treatment. In addition, the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services will make on-site peer-delivered substance abuse treatment services available in 14 existing shelters across the state. Require Outreach and a Comprehensive Homeless Services Plan from Each Local Social Services District: The FY 2019 Budget requires all local social services districts develop and implement an approved outreach and services plan to address street homelessness. Continuing Relief and Recovery Efforts along the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River Shoreline The Budget includes an additional $40 million, bringing the total commitment to $95 million, to help the families along the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River shoreline recover from the months-long flooding and build back stronger and smarter than ever before. Impacted counties include Jefferson, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, St. Lawrence, Wayne, Cayuga and Oswego. Safeguarding the Environment for Future Generations Complete the Hudson River Park: The Budget includes $50 million in capital funding for the Hudson River Park, which will help fulfill the State's commitment to complete the park. The Budget includes language to ensure that New York City makes the phased and matched investments necessary to get the job done. In addition, the State will continue to facilitate public-private partnerships, while ensuring the Estuary Management Plan is complete and the marine sanctuary is protected. Attack Harmful Algal Blooms: Using resources from the Clean Water Infrastructure Act and the Environmental Protection Fund, the State will implement a $65 million initiative to combat harmful algal blooms in Upstate New York water bodies. The resources will be used to develop action plans to reduce sources of pollution that spark algal blooms, and provide grant funding to implement the action plans, including the installation of new monitoring and treatment technologies. Continue the Clean Water Infrastructure Act: The FY 2019 Budget continues the State's historic multi-year $2.5 billion investment in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure and source water protection actions that will protect the environment and enhance communities' health and wellness. Renew Record Funding for the Environmental Protection Fund: The Budget continues EPF funding at $300 million, the highest level of funding in the program's history. Overhaul Niagara Falls Wastewater Treatment Facility: The Budget invests $20 million to launch phase one of the comprehensive infrastructure and operational improvements at the Niagara Falls Wastewater Treatment Facility. Expanding the New York Youth Jobs Program The New York Youth Jobs program encourages businesses to hire unemployed, disadvantaged youth, ages 16 to 24, who live in New York State, with a focus on the following cities and towns: Albany, Buffalo, New York, Rochester, Schenectady, Syracuse, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Utica, White Plains, Yonkers, Brookhaven and Hempstead. Due to the success of the program, which has helped connect 31,000 youths to jobs, the Budget increases the credit amounts by 50 percent, from $500 to $750 per month for up to the first six months, and from $2,000 to $3,000 for each employee who is employed for additional time periods after six months with a maximum full time hire credit of $7,500. Driving Economic Growth & Development Continue the Successful Regional Economic Development Councils: In 2011, the State established 10 Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs) to develop long-term regional strategic economic development plans. The Budget includes core capital and tax-credit funding that will be combined with a wide range of existing agency programs for an eighth round of REDC awards totaling $750 million. Launch Next Round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative: The Downtown Revitalization Initiative is transforming downtown neighborhoods into vibrant communities where the next generation of New Yorkers will want to live, work and raise families. The FY 2019 Budget provides $100 million for the Downtown Revitalization Program Round III. Create Photonics Attraction Fund in Rochester: New York State will dedicate $30 million to a Photonics Attraction Fund, administered through the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council, to attract integrated photonics companies to set up their manufacturing operations in the greater Rochester area. Thanks to the world-renowned AIM Photonics consortium, the Finger Lakes is already a leader in photonics research and development, and this additional State funding will help leverage this unique asset to bring the businesses and the jobs of tomorrow to New York State. Advance Industrial Hemp Production: The State will continue the investment in Hemp research, production, and processing made in FY 2018 through a broad, multi-pronged program. The FY 2019 Budget provides $650,000 for a brand-new $3.2 million industrial hemp processing facility in the Southern Tier. New York State will import thousands of pounds of industrial hemp seed, ensuring that farmers have access to a high-quality product and easing the administrative burden on farmers. Further, New York State will invest an additional $2 million in a seed certification and breeding program, to begin producing unique New York seed. Finally, New York will host an Industrial Hemp Research Forum in February, bringing together researchers and academics with businesses and processors to develop ways to further boost industry research in New York. Drive Investment in Life Sciences: The Budget includes $600 million to support construction of a world-class, state-of-the-art life sciences public health laboratory in the Capital District that will promote collaborative public/private research and development partnerships. Extend and Strengthen the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit: The FY 2019 Budget agreement reauthorizes the State Commercial and Homeowner rehabilitation tax credit programs through 2025 and allows the State commercial credit to be used independently of the federal credit. Invest in the Olympic Regional Development Authority: The Budget includes $62.5 million in new capital funding for ORDA, including $50 million for a strategic upgrade and modernization plan to support improvements to the Olympic facilities and ski resorts, $10 million for critical maintenance and energy efficiency upgrades, and $2.5 million appropriated from the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation budget as part of the New York Works initiative. Enhance North Country Lodging: The State will provide the North Country region with tools and resources to bolster tourism in the North Country and catalyze private investment in lodging. Empire State Development will commission a study to identify lodging development opportunities in the Adirondacks and Thousand Island regions, and provide $13 million in capital funding through the REDCs and Upstate Revitalization Initiative to spur development activity. Tech & Science, Local News, Business & Finance, Politics By Long Island News & PR Published: April 02 2018 Kaminsky: "False, misleading, and anonymous political advertisements deceive voters and sabotage our democracy." Long Island, NY - April 2, 2018 - Senator Todd Kaminsky released the following statement regarding the inclusion of Facebook ad disclosure in the New York State budget: False, misleading, and anonymous political advertisements deceive voters and sabotage our democracy, said Senator Todd Kaminsky. As the victim of these ads in prior elections, I know first-hand that voters deserve to know who is paying for them which is why I introduced the first bill on social media transparency in the Senate. Transparency is a necessary step toward restoring trust in government and I am pleased to see this included in the final budget. Senator Todd Kaminsky and Assemblyman James Skoufis introduced legislation ( A.8816 S.6896A ) to require disclosure on political Facebook ads. In September 2017, Facebook disclosed to federal investigators that it sold $100,000 worth of advertising to an international buyer in an attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election. Right now in New York, many forms of political advertisements carry no disclosure requirement. Skoufis and Kaminskys legislation would more accurately define what a political advertisement is, and require ads to disclose on their face who has paid for them with a paid for by statement. **Background** Posted Monday, April 2, 2018 6:45 am Plans to build a new Interstate 44 interchange in Marshfield and a new roundabout on Route CC at Banning Street/Buffalo Street in Marshfield will be the focus of a public meeting on April 3 in the Webster County community, the Missouri Department of Transportation said. The come-and-go style meeting is scheduled for 4:30-6 p.m. Tuesday at the Marshfield Senior Center, 417 W. Washington Street. No formal presentation is planned. Anyone unable to attend the in-person meeting can view the same exhibits and give their comments at an online public meeting at www.modot.org/southwest. A new interchange will be built on I-44 at Mile Marker 103 in Marshfield and a new roundabout will be built at the Route CC/Banning Street/Buffalo Street intersection. Both projects could begin as early as 2019. MoDOT is partnering with the city of Marshfield on both projects and the partners are sharing the cost of the road improvements. The estimated total project cost of the interchange is $15.6 million. The estimated total project cost of the roundabout is $1.9 million. by Tanya Gazdik , April 2, 2018 Those of us in the brand marketing news business brace ourselves every year for the inevitable deluge of April Fools Day-inspired news. This year, marketers seem to be grasping that tricking the media is not in their best interest and are being up front that their efforts are spoofs. There seem to be more offerings than ever before. T-Mobile might have gone the furthest in creating not just a marketing effort, but the appearance of an actual product. The company announced Friday that it is releasing the worlds first Smartshoephone: T-Mobile Sidekicks. The high-top sneaker includes a built-in phone with features including a slide-out screen built into the sole and retractable smart laces which include hi-fi buds and double as charging cords that plug into any standard outlet. advertisement advertisement A 1:45-minute video on YouTube and social media shows off the features of the shoes, including toe tap contact share which is just like it sounds users tap toes to sync their contact data into each others phones. A 4:23-minute video features T-Mobile Chief Executive Officer John Legere in what appears to be a TSN infomercial for the product. Legere, who clearly is embracing the spoof completely, is also featured as the phones no-BS personal voice assistant. Simply say 'Hey Sidekicks' and ask about anything from traffic to the best slow cooker recipes. The videos were created by Vossler. Because everyone loves good obstacle course race, Tough Mudder is launching its most adorable event series. Baby Puppy Mudder is a mini-obstacle challenge designed to entertain adventure-seeking babies and their four-legged furry companions who pawsitively enjoy getting a little dirty. The event is being launched in support of the North Shore Animal League America, the world's largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization. Free registration to Baby Puppy Mudder on toughmudder.com/babypuppy opens for a limited time on April Fools Day. Consumers will see a 55-second video on various platforms social (YouTube, Instagram and Twitter) as well as the Tough Mudder homepage and Baby Puppy Mudder landing page. On April 1, messaging will be posted on social and online, telling consumers that Baby Puppy Mudder is not real, but what is fur-real is the fact that all the puppies in the video do need a home and are available for adoption. Were totally having fun with it and hoping consumers will get a good laugh and realize its all for a great cause in the end. That messaging will include links to the North Shore Animal League America with information on how to adopt one of the pups. Lexus and 23andMe are partnering for a prank that might be welcomed by weary car buyers. The two companies are announcing the long-awaited answer to perfect vehicle customization Genetic Select. With a quick saliva sample analyzed by 23andMe, Genetic Select tailors the Lexus vehicle to exact specifications based on the customers DNA. This revolutionary new car-buying experience is being promoted via 1:41-minute video from Team One and on a microsite. A 30-second cutdown will air during Saturday Night Live and Sunday on Comedy Central. The Genetic Select appointment takes about 10 minutes and doesnt involve a single signature or question. Lexus service staff will collect a saliva sample and send it off to 23andMe for sequence testing. Within 48 hours, the perfect vehicle will arrive at the customers doorstep. The driver wont even need a key to operate itthe revolutionary new saliva-powered start-system operates via a DNA ignition sensor on the steering wheel. Just lick and drive. Customers can make their appointments at their local Lexus dealerships starting April 1. CarMax pranked its customers on its website and Twitter feed. The used car retailer claimed to have surveyed 500 cats and kittens to find out which features they most wanted in a vehicle. Fish-scented air freshener, a cardboard box and "more things on a string," were among the findings. Food, Beverage And Restaurants Get In On The Fun Chuck E. Cheeses is celebrating its brand with a playful prank that dispels popular belief and recent media reports that it is getting rid of its famed animatronics. After an announcement that the brand was removing animatronics in a few of its stores spread like wildfire, there was a public outcry to keep Chuck E. Cheese, Mr. Munch, Helen Henny, Jasper T. Jowls and Pasqually around. The truth is they arent going anywhere anytime soon (except for in a few remodeled locations where it was necessary). So, to poke fun at the fake news the brand is announcing Munchs Make Believe Bands Farewell Tour by distributing concert posters nationwide as well as seeding it to media and influencers. The theme restaurant also shared Farewell Tour content on social teasing the opportunity to see the cherished, childhood-favorite band for one last time. On April Fools Day the company will let everyone in on the joke by sharing that although the farewell tour may not actually be visiting a city near you this year, you can rest easy knowing Mr. Munch and his band and Chuck E. himself will be making music in your local Chuck E. Cheeses for years to come. And as a thank you for rocking out with them for all these years, the brand will offer a free download of their latest album. Other efforts are a little more obvious. Hpnotiq, the liqueur brand known for its signature electric blue hue and original flavor, is releasing a timely April Fools prank in response to Twitters recent ban of cryptocurrency-related ads. Capitalizing on the digital gold rush, Hpnotiq is set to launch Hpno-Currency in a bid to dominate the cluttered crypto market. On April Fools Day, the Hpnotiq Financial Institution will announce its entry into crypto currency with an exclusive headline on the leading business publication, Business.Biz. Following the headline announcement, Hpnotiq will release the currency on the @Hpnotiq social handles. The brand has created a commercial that will be shared on all of Hpnotiqs social channels (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.). The later posts will simply have the hashtag #AprilFools to let consumers know its a joke. Bulletproof the food, beverage, and content company best known for Bulletproof Coffee and starting the smart fat for fuel movement is introducing Bulletproof Grass-Fed Butter Balm. It was supposedly inspired by an Instagram comment about CEO and founder Dave Aspreys chapped lips, the lip treatment is designed to deliver unparalleled moisture, a long-lasting boost of energy, and increased mitochondrial function with just one application. The balm will be available for purchase beginning April 1 at 12:01 a.m. online and in the beauty aisle of specialty grocers nationwide, retailing for $2.88 per tube. For those interested in a DIY version, Dave Asprey has created a 1:25-minute video that breaks it down the step-by-step. Bulletproof is currently promoting on social and on Sunday, Dave Asprey will share on his social channels that its an April Fools joke. Sodastream sparking water has released a 95-second video featuring Shahs of Sunset reality star, Reza Farahan, and a cameo appearance by Thor Bjornsson, aka The Mountain. SodaStreams parody presents its innovation, SodaSoak, in an infomercial style video. The presumed add-on installation enables consumers to carbonate their bath and can be purchased at BedBathandBeyond.com or GetSodaSoak.com, at an exceptional 98% discount rate. Its not just the U.S. that has fun with April Fools Day. Burger King also got in the fun. hiring Buzzman to create a 1:11-minute video promoting its new Whopper Easy Order that can be installed in consumers homes in Belgium and is more fun than simply ordering via an app. A consumer is shown using his feet to order on the touchscreen. Even Service Companies Have A Funny Bone CoolSculpting, the non-invasive fat-reduction procedure, is getting in on the fun with a spot Moose Spa that shows a funny (and fictitious!) method to lose stubborn fat a moose tapping away at a persons belly fat in the middle of a tranquil forest. The Moose Spa ad will appear on CBS, Discovery ID, Hallmark, HGTV, TLC, Fox News, TV Land and will include a microsite for consumers to learn more On April 2, CoolSculpting will launch the real ad which shows Moose Spa as the not cool fictitious method and shows CoolSculpting as the cool method to freeze away stubborn fat. The L.A. Wine Project is getting in on the action with the launch of Blase the worlds first rose of Indifference which the company describes as a stultifying blend of rose and activated charcoal to soothe your troubled soul. Blase is a totally new kind of wine because its made in a totally new way. We start with grapes that have seen it all: drought, industrial pesticides, mechanical harvesting. Grapes that truly dont have AF left to give, then we blend them with our tranquil-farmed, silent-harvested, scorched-black activated charcoal.. Once the infusion is complete, we just let them chill together until they develop a sort of immutable amenability. But how does it taste, you ask? Blase tastes like all the roses that have ever existed experienced at once. FOMO-killing aromas of everything-beautiful-in-the- world enfold an unflappable serenity thats not trying to be anything it isn't. A truly powerful elixir, Blase leaves you feeling like theres nothing left to do but enjoy the spoils of your hard-won existence. Finally, even PR companies are getting in on the fun. According to the fifth Allison+ Partners Influence Impact Report, the main purchase drivers of our societys next group of influential verticals include reading just one more book before bedtime, immediate air tight swaddles and, in the case of our canine respondents, avoidance of neuter surgery. These results come as the results of a first-of-its-kind survey of 20,000 U.S. babies and toddlers, 10,000 dogs and 5,000 yet-to-be-born consumers, leveraging advanced proprietary technology to translate their barks and goo-goo-ga-gas into quantifiable data. Results of the study include identification of key purchase decision drivers, core product / brand categories that they are likely to purchase and spirit animals for each of the three influencer personas. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, April 2, 2018 Siding with tech companies, a federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to hold Google, Twitter and Facebook responsible for a mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The complaint, brought by victims and their families, "does not plead facts that plausibly support any viable claims against these defendants," U.S. District Court Judge David Lawson wrote in an opinion issued Friday. The lawsuit stemmed from a June 2016 attack by Omar Mateen, who killed 49 people and injured 53. Mateen claimed to be an "Islamic soldier" in phone calls he made to the police, but the CIA found no direct connection between Mateen and ISIS. The victims alleged in their complaint that Mateen carried out the attacks after he "was radicalized by ISIS use of social media." Lawson ruled that even if true, that allegation doesn't warrant further proceedings. "The allegations that Mateen viewed some literature and videos produced by ISIS is not sufficient to sustain any inference that either the defendants, or ISIS, or any individual or entity directly associated with ISIS, had any discernible direct involvement in the Orlando attack," he ruled. advertisement advertisement Lawson added that there was nothing to suggest that the tech companies encouraged or assisted Mateen. "The plaintiffs contend that by allowing ISIS to post proselytizing videos on their sites, and by deriving revenue from targeted advertising on those sites, the defendants have engaged in conduct subjecting them to liability for Mateens terrorist act," Lawson write. He added that even though banks "occasionally have been found liable" for aiding terrorists, "there is not a single case in which social media providers have been held responsible." The decision comes several months after a federal appellate court threw out a similar lawsuit against Twitter. In that case, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that family members of two people killed in a terrorist shooting in Amman, Jordan couldn't proceed with claims against Twitter. The judges ruled that the complaint didn't show a "direct relationship" between the service's acts and the shooting. Twitter, Facebook and Google still face other lawsuits alleging that they facilitate terrorism, but some legal experts expect those cases to also be dismissed. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, April 2, 2018 Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has joined the roster of officials investigating Facebook's privacy practices. On Monday, Hawley sent the company a lengthy demand for information, including for data about the type of material the company makes available to third parties. Hawley also is specifically asking for details about Facebook's communications with President Trump's campaign consultancy, Cambridge Analytica. As technology develops at a rapid pace, Silicon Valley needs to ensure that the proper protections are in place to guard consumer privacy," Hawley stated. The Republican official, who currently is running for Senate, also recently launched an investigation of Google's privacy practices. Hawley isn't the only one investigating Facebook. The Federal Trade Commission is probing whether the company failed to follow the terms of a 2012 consent decree that stemmed from prior accusations of privacy violations. Attorneys general in Massachusetts and New York also have announced probes of the compay. Facebook also has been hit with class-action lawsuits, and with a suit by Cook County. advertisement advertisement Hawley's demand for information comes two weeks after reports surfaced that Cambridge Analytica harvested 50 million Facebook users' data. Cambridge Analytica reportedly obtained the information from Aleksandr Kogan, who gleaned the data in 2014 through the personality-quiz app "thisisyourdigitallife," according to reports. Only 270,000 Facebook users downloaded Kogan's app, but he was able to gather data about many of those users' contacts. Facebook says it knew in 2015 about the data transfers to Cambridge Analytica, but believed that the consultancy destroyed the information. Hawley also is seeking information from Facebook about the data it garners from Android users. Last week, reports surfaced that Facebook stores call logs and SMS messages of Android users. The company says it only does this if users have explicitly agreed to it. by Ray Schultz , April 2, 2018 Most colleges and universities are at risk for phishing attacks, according to a study by 250ok. The company analyzed almost 6,000 higher-education domains in the U.S., EU and Canada, and found that almost 90% are putting their students at risk of attacks that spoof the schools domains. That is because they are failing to employ Domain Message Authentication Reporting And Confirmation (DMARC) and to publish a Sender Policy Framework (SPF). U.S. institutions are the most protective, but still are only marginally better than counterparts in other countries. Domains controlled by U.S. schools index 11.2% in their DMARC adoption, compared with 9.72% for Canadian institutions and 8.6% for European. The recent Iranian cyber attack on more than 8,000 professors worldwide should cause all higher ed institutions pause, states Matthew Vernhout, director of privacy at 250ok. He adds: Since the US Department of Homeland Security issued a directive for all federal agencies to achieve a DMARC Reject Policy on all domains, we anticipate downward pressure on colleges and universities in 2018. advertisement advertisement In a separate phishing-related development, CareFirst, an independent BlueCross BlueShield licensee, reported has been hit by a phishing attack, hitting a possible 6,800 CareFirst members. It started when an employee was sent an email that compromised the persons account. This was used to send spam emails to individuals not associated with CareFirst. In the process, personal data was exposed on CareFirst members, including names, member identification numbers, date of birth, and in eight instances, Social Security numbers. But no medical or financial data was revealed, the firm says. CareFirst reports that no malware was found in the spam. The firm discovered the breach on March 12. Posted Monday, April 2, 2018 7:15 am Webster County and state election officials recommend voters bring a valid form of photo identification with them as they head to the polls next week to ease the process of casting a ballot. Locally, the April 3 election will be the first held in the county since Missouris new photo voter identification law was enacted June 1, 2017. Webster County Clerk Stan Whitehurst said there is nothing really complicated about the law, which the Missouri Secretary of States office has promoted ever since it was approved by voters in November 2016. Election judge training was held locally last week a regular practice by the county, Whitehurst said, and a representative with the Secretary of States office was also brought in to provide guidance on the new law and answer any questions. Theres a level of familiarity or expertise; theyve been doing training all over the state, public events with senior citizen groups and different things, Whitehurst said of the Secretary of States office. So theyve had a lot of practice in explaining the law in a common sense way. So it was nice to have that resource available. As part of the new law, several options exist for voters wishing to cast a ballot: 1. Provide a Missouri issued driver or non-driver license, U.S. passport or military identification. 2. Provide a secondary form of identification, such as a paycheck or bank statement and sign a statement confirming their identity. 3. If the voter has no form of identification, but is a registered voter, they may cast a provisional ballot. Most voters already come to poll locations with their drivers license, Whitehurst said. Functionally, its not going to be that noticeable to voters that anythings changed. ... From the voters perspective, itll be fairly seamless, he said. We just wanted our election judges to feel comfortable with the process and know some of the rules about the exceptions. The clerk said he primarily wants the judges to focus on the same things they always do: making sure people get the right ballot and are able to move through the voting process quickly, while being provided with good customer service. If youre registered to vote and youre in the right place, youre still going to be able to vote, Whitehurst said. Youre just going to have to take one extra step if your ID does not conform to the new requirements. In the case of a registered voter showing up at their polling place with no ID whatsoever, they can still fill out a provisional ballot, he added. The person can later return to the polling location and show their photo ID to have the ballot counted. The vote can also be counted by the signature on the ballot later being verified by the clerks office with the persons signature on their voter registration application. Whitehurst said there have been no recent changes in county polling locations, which will all be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. He estimates voter turnout will likely fall around the 12-percent range, although the pair of school issues in the Marshfield R-I School District should result in slightly higher numbers there, he added. To learn more about the photo voter identification law, including obtaining a non-driver license, call the Secretary of States office toll-free at 866-868-3245 or email showit2vote@sos.mo.gov. Many of us enjoy the occasional meal in a restaurant. Some of us might even indulge in the occasional fast food meal (I wont tell). However, new research might make you think twice about nipping out for a quick lunch. Share on Pinterest A new study investigates the chemical risks of eating out. In the spring of 2016, around 19 million people in the United States visited a restaurant, and a further 49 million visited a fast food restaurant. Were a peckish bunch. When we read about the health consequences of eating out, it tends to involve obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and the like. But the latest study provides us with an entirely new reason to worry (as if we needed any more). The paper which is now published in the journal Environment International introduces a new concern to the dinner plate. It comes in the shape of a difficult-to-pronounce chemical: phthalates. What are phthalates? Phthalates are a group of chemicals commonly found in food packaging and other materials used in food processing. They are often added to plastics to increase their flexibility, durability, and transparency. Basically, if you manufacture plastics, you love phthalates; theyre incredibly useful. Color- and odorless, they ensure that a plastic product continues to do its job for up to 50 years. But, all that glitters is not gold; phthalates have the potential to cause upheaval in the human body. In particular, phthalates are thought to disrupt hormones. While the exact effects of long-term exposure are unclear, they seem to negatively impact the reproductive system of animals and possibly humans . Because phthalates have the potential to interfere with metabolic processes, some scientists have even wondered whether they might play a role in the current obesity epidemic . However, more research will be needed before phthalates take any blame for that particular public health tsunami. The latest study to investigate phthalates in humans was led by Ami Zota, an assistant professor of environmental and occupational health at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and Julia Varshavsky, Ph.D., from the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health. In a previous study, the same team of phthalate investigators found that those who ate the highest quantities of fast food had phthalate levels up to 40 percent higher than those who ate fast food less frequently. For their next foray into food chemicals, the scientists cast their net a little wider; they assessed whether eating out in general (not just fast food) would have the same impact. They took data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which were collected in 20052014. In all, the 10,253 participants were asked about their food consumption in the past 24 hours more specifically, whether it had been home-cooked or eaten out. Eating out and phthalates This study is the first to compare phthalate exposure in people who dine out and those who eat home-cooked meals. And, I am sad to report, the findings are a little concerning. Individuals who reported consuming more restaurant, cafeteria, and fast food meals had phthalate levels almost 35 percent higher than people who mostly ate food purchased from a grocery store. Zota explains, This study suggests food prepared at home is less likely to contain high levels of phthalates, chemicals linked to fertility problems, pregnancy complications, and other health issues. Overall, 61 percent of participants had eaten out the day before they completed the questionnaires. And, perhaps most worrying, although the links between eating out and phthalate exposure were significant in all age groups, the most robust links were found in teenagers. Adolescents who regularly ate out had 55 percent higher phthalate levels than people who ate at home. So, potentially, at a time when hormones are at their busiest, phthalate levels are at their highest. Importance of Autism Awareness Day Advertisement What is Autism? Facts and Statistics on Autism Worldwide, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) occurs in 1 in 160 children About 1 in 68 children in the US are affected by ASD Boys are four times more likely to develop autism than girls Nearly 40 percent of children with autism do not speak Around 30-50 percent of autism children have seizures. Famous People with Autism Causes of Autism Symptoms of Autism Communication difficulties Social impairments Cognitive impairments Repetitive behaviors. Diagnosis of Autism Treatment for Autism How to Care for an Autistic Child? "On World Autism Awareness Day let us reaffirm our commitment to promote the full participation of all people with autism, and ensure they have the necessary support to be able to exercise their rights and fundamental freedoms," said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of the United Nations (UN).Autism can limit an individual's ability to participate in the society, which means that they might struggle to find a job, a meaningful social life, and education, according to a research conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO).Families of those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can suffer emotionally and financially, as the health care costs could be expensive. However, helping the caregivers emotionally and financially can make the world a better place for people with ASD.Dr. Gitanjali Natarajan, Ph.D, is Head, Department of Clinical Psychology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi said, "The concerns associated with stigma often prevent parent from getting the assessment done. These problems call for greater awareness and accessibility for specialized services. There is also a need for increased sensitivity among primary health care providers to detect developmentally challenged children and refer them to the specialized services. Number of specialists and institutions that are equipped to manage autism are very few in India. Parents often find themselves directionless and frustrated when trying to access good treatment and after care for their child with autism".Globally, there is a severe shortage of services and support systems. Therefore, creating awareness about autism can help educate the general public that can reduce stigma and discrimination, and integrate autistic people into society.Autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder affects the normal function of the brain. It begins in early childhood, i.e., it appears before two years of age making it difficult for the individual to communicate and interact with others.Autism is a lifelong developmental disability. However, early diagnoses and treatment can help improve the condition of the autistic child.Autism has affected a large number of people. There are many celebrities and famous people who had autism and yet made their mark in this world. Some famous people who have had or living with autism include Albert Einstein, Michelangelo, Amadeus Mozart, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Thomas Jefferson, Tim Burton and Steven Spielberg.The exact cause of autism is still unknown. However, it involves a complex and variable combination of genetic risks and environmental factors. Genes play a key role in the development of autism. In families, there appears to be a pattern of autism. If one child has autism, there is about a five percent chance of another child developing autism in the family.The hallmark of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are problems with social communication and interaction. The signs of ASD include:Diagnosis plays a major role in the life of autistic children; early diagnosis can help improve the condition of the child and integrating them into the general society remains higher. However, only 50 percent of them are diagnosed on time.Children with autism are evaluated based on their behavioral characteristics, which is diagnosed during checkups in the first two years of life. A screening test is recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and also advises the family members of the child to screen for autism.There is no cure available, but a few treatment options such as psychosocial interventions, medications, education, and learning programs are available for autistic children.Early treatment can make autistic children's life much easier and help them become self-reliant. Any intervention needs to focus on important aspects of child's development mainly communication skills, social interaction skills, imaginative play skills and academic skills.Every child or adult with autism is different and each of them require a different medication or treatment because one treatment may not work for the other.Dr. Mrinmay Das, Consultant, Psychiatry Department, Jaypee Hospital, Noida observed, "Contingent upon their requirements, children who are suffering from autism can receive an expansive scope of treatments. Generally, the treatment incorporates a mix of behaviour therapy, speech-language therapy, social skills training and sometimes feeding therapy."In addition, physical therapy can help improve motor skills; occupational therapy can help them to learn or enhance basic life skills and other therapies might be essential.On this World Autism Awareness Day 2018,to take the necessary measurements and to accept the people with autism without any stigma or discrimination.Source: Medindia Advertisement The work appeared in print in the journaland adds to the growing body of knowledge about cellular processes that either promote or prevent cancer."I think we've discovered a new control mechanism for cell proteins that, when disrupted, could be a driver for cancer," says Tony Hunter, Salk's American Cancer Society Professor and an author on the new paper."It's exciting because it offers the possibility of new therapeutics or new diagnostics for a cancer that's basically untreatable liver cancer and potentially others, as well."Hunter is known for his 1979 discovery of a molecular signaling process called tyrosine phosphorylation.In this process, proteins called kinases attach the chemical phosphate--like a sticky note bto the amino acid tyrosine in target proteins. But, when dysfunctional, tyrosine phosphorylation can also turn on the uncontrolled cell growth that leads to cancer.Hunter's breakthrough opened the door to the development of a new class of anti-cancer pharmaceuticals called tyrosine kinase inhibitors, including the life-saving leukemia drug Gleevec.Since then, Hunter's lab has continued to study the process of phosphorylation, not only in terms of adding phosphates (via kinases or "on switches") but also removing them (via proteins called phosphatases or "off switches"). In 2015, his team developed an antibody to identify and study phosphates bonded to another amino acid called histidine.In the new work, the international team, led by Professor Michael Hall of the Biozentrum, University of Basel, examined these switches in a mouse model of the most common form of primary liver cancer hepatocellular carcinoma.To compare tumor cells with normal cells, the team analyzed more than 4,000 proteins in healthy and diseased liver tissue. By the end, three proteins stood out: the histidine kinases NME1 and NME2 were elevated in tumor cells, and the suspected histidine phosphatase LHPP was deficient."It is striking that LHPP is present in healthy tissue and completely absent in tumor tissue," says Sravanth Hindupur, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Basel and the paper's first author. That gave the researchers a clue to explore histidine phosphorylation as a potential cancer target.Indeed, they found that the levels of protein phosphorylated in histidine were significantly higher in the tumor tissue than in normal liver tissue.NME1 and NME2 are known histidine kinases and LHPP had been suspected to be a histidine phosphatase. With further experiments, the team verified that not only is LHPP a histidine phosphatase, but it is also a tumor suppressor essentially an "off" switch for cancer.Reintroducing LHPP into the liver of the model mice destined to develop tumors prevented the formation of tumors.When the researchers next examined samples from human liver tumors, they found a similar pattern: NME1 and 2 levels were high and LHPP was low compared to healthy liver tissue.Furthermore, the Cancer Genome Atlas database, a collection of RNA sequences obtained from different human cancers, showed that a significant fraction of human liver cancers have low levels of LHPP, and that both disease severity and life expectancy are correlated with LHPP levels."The parallels between tyrosine phosphorylation and histidine phosphorylation are what really got me interested in the project," adds Hunter. "Whether this can be used as a therapeutic avenue, I don't know. But the fact that it could be so disease-relevant motivates me."Source: Eurekalert A person becomes infected by drinking water containing tiny infected crustaceans (hard-shelled animals that usually live in water). The immature guinea worms (larvae) live inside the crustaceans. Following ingestion, the crustaceans die and release the larvae, which pass through the wall of the intestine and enter the abdominal cavity. Inside the abdominal cavity, the larvae grow and mature into adult worms in about 1 year. The male and female adult worms mate and then the pregnant female worms leave the abdomen and travel through the subcutaneous tissues, and usually reach the lower legs or feet. In the lower limb they emerge from the skin by forming a blister. The blister causes severe, burning pain and eventually the skin breaks. (In case the pregnant female worms do not reach the skin, they disintegrate or harden (calcify) under the skin producing hard nodular lesions) When people try to alleviate the burning by soaking their leg in water, the pregnant worm releases a milky white fluid containing several thousand larvae into the water Once the larvae are released into the water, they are not directly infective to humans. They remain active in water for about three days and infect a crustacean Inside the crustacean, the guinea worm larvae develop further for a period of about two weeks into the larval stage that is infective to humans and dogs. The cycle repeats again Do you know what's worse than having coulrophobia fear of clowns? Making people watch movies that further triggers that fear! And Hollywood directors are doing exactly that by making clowns creepier and scarier with every movie. Other than 'Wonder Woman', 'Thor: Ragnarok' or 'Justice League'; if there was any movie that ruled the realm of Hollywood last year, it was Stephen King's 'It'. Before we could even realize it, Pennywise (who loves to feast on innocent kids) had already stirred up quite a storm globally and successfully managed to give us sleepless nights. And hauntingly eerie nightmares as a complementary gift. Well, it looks like 2018 isn't going to be any better for people who fear clowns. Just when we thought that the trend of 'clown slaughtering people' had died down, director Damien Leone came around and gave us this new blood-smeared clown-in-town, who is more vicious, cruel and creepier than anyone out there. If I had to describe him in one line, I would call him Pennywise's cruel cousin whose sole aim is to kill anyone who comes in front of him, especially the ones who are stranded on a road in the middle of the night. And I will take this opportunity to introduce the premise of 'Terrifier', a movie which truly lives up to its name. In an interview with Looper, Leone spoke about the feature film and how different it is from the original short film, One day, this idea just popped into my head about a young woman being harassed on a city bus in the middle of the night by this psychopathic clown. Leone further said, His antics slowly go from playful threatening until he's eventually trying to stick her with a needle. What could be more nightmarish? This essentially became the opening of my short film 'The 9th Circle' which was the first introduction to Art. It's funny how the makers thought that 'Art' is a perfect name for a killer clown like him. Leone further said about this slasher film, It's longer, scarier, sicker, bloodier and has more victims. It's fine if you don't believe my words, but I am sure that after watching the trailer, you will think twice and look around multiple times just to ensure there's no one around with a big sack on his shoulder. 'Terrifier' first premiered at the Telluride Horror Show Film Festival in 2016 and will be now available on digital download and DVD from April 9. The hidden coasts of the Mani Peninsula are home to some of the biggest secrets on the planet. Apart from its picturesque setting overlooking the Ionic sea, the Peninsula was also home to the Spartans, the legendary Greek warriors. The Maniots (inhabitants of the Mani Peninsula) therefore are considered direct descendants of Spartans. Sparta Almost three thousand years ago, Greece consisted of multiple 'polis' that were mostly controlled by Sparta. Spartans, as depicted in the 2006 movie 300, were highly trained fighters. As opposed to Athens, which was a hub for artists and philosophers, Spartan boys began combat training as early as the age of seven. They were fully inducted into the army by the age of just twenty, whereas the Spartan women had the right to education and owning property. The polis of Sparta reached the peak of its powers after defeating Athens in the Peloponnesian war in 5th century BC. But its achievements were short-lived as soon after the city fell to incredible force from the soldiers of Thebes. The Taygetos Mountains provided a good hideout for the Spartans saved in the war and therefore the Spartan lineage was protected from being butchered into the abyss. legendary pictures The Maniots, despite their incredible history, now prefer a life of peace. They are incredibly skilled at olive farming, producing olive oil that's famous from the Mani Peninsula. The region was cut off from the rest of Greece till 1970 when renewed efforts by the government helped foster development, which led to new roads and improved infrastructure. What it also meant was reduced autonomy, something that helped bring the peninsula in touch with the outside world as the community opened itself for cultural exchanges. pinterest Although there's no scientific proof that Maniots are the true descendants of Sparta since any Spartan DNA samples have been long lost, for the local population history is enough to justify that claim. Strong similarities between the ancient Spartan rituals and modern Maniot ceremonies point to some link between the two. Mourning songs and historical phrases such as ' tan i epi tas' ('with the shield or on the shield' a phrase used to highlight only two ways to return from war) first used by King Leonidas' wife Gorgo are irrefutable proofs of the Maniot-Spartan lineage. And even with such a ferocious past, the Mani Peninsula still remains one of the best-kept secrets of modern Greece. Posted Monday, April 2, 2018 4:00 am Ozarks Technical Community College will ask voters to renew one property tax levy and add an additional one during the April 3 election. In concert, the measures seek to increase OTCs total levy from 15 cents per $100 of assessed value to 20 cents. The first proposal, listed as Proposition A, would extend a 5-cent tax first passed in 1998 to fund technical and healthcare operations at the school. Proposition B, meanwhile, would generate revenue for growing those operations, including the construction of a center for advanced manufacturing and technology at its Springfield campus, according to the colleges website. Voters in the Marshfield, Logan-Rogersville, Fordland and Strafford school districts are all eligible to cast ballots on the issues, which, if approved, will exist in addition to a 10-cent levy passed in 1990 to fund the creation of the school. Today, OTC operates campuses in Springfield, Table Rock and Richwood Valley, located between Nixa and Ozark. If both ballot measures are approved, the levy on a $100,000 home will increase from approximately $30 per year to about $40 per year, while the cost for a similarly-assessed commercial property will rise from roughly $48 annually to $64. Alternatively, if one measure fails and the other passes, the costs will remain static at the existing 15 cents per $100 of assessed value. If both measures fail, the tax rate will return to the base rate of 10 cents per $100 of assessed value. Each outcome also comes with its own set of consequences for the college itself. According to Jeff Jochems, Richwood Valley campus president, voter approval of both taxes would mean the school could immediately begin planning new programs for all three campuses and start the construction of its new manufacturing center. If one of the measures passes and the other fails, Jochems said the school would maintain the status quo. In the event that neither the tax extension nor the new tax meet voter approval, Jochems said the school would have to close many of its technical programs and potentially look at reducing its footprint at certain campuses, buildings and sites. Regardless of which outcome voters choose, OTC will still boast the lowest tax rate of any community college district in the state. St. Louis Community College has the second-lowest rate at 21 cents per $100 of assessed value, while Mineral Area College, located in Park Hills, has the highest rate of 48 cents per $100 of assessed value. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Terens Quick met at his office with Panagiotis Katsabanis, Australian MP and President of the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association (WHIA). Mr. Katsabanis is visiting within the framework of preparations for the annual meeting of WHIA members, which is being held in July, at the Hellenic Parliament. The Deputy Minister briefed Mr. Katsabanis on Greek foreign policy issues, and they discussed issues of specific interest to the Greek Australian community. MIDDLEFIELD Three Middletown students at the Independent Day School were recently chosen to receive faculty recognition awards for the second trimester of the 2017-18 academic year. Each is chosen for outstanding citizenship, cooperation with peers and adults, and service to school. This time, four children were chosen out of 61, said Martha Effgen, assistant head of school, but there is no set number each trimester nor are there an even number of girls and boys, or one from each grade. We didnt want to be locked into this number because then it isnt as authentic, Effgen said. Sixth grader Samuel Auclair of Middletown, son of Dan Auclair and Diane Plessis-Belair; seventh grader Tenzin Tara, daughter of Sherab Gyaltsen and Tsering Yangzom; and eighth grader Kathryn Gendrich of Middletown, daughter of Jodi Gendrich, were honored. While teachers at the coeducational private school for students in preschool, elementary and middle school remind students periodically of the award, faculty dont want the reward to be the only reason these children strive for it, she added. A lot of times it can been a student who signed up to help, but also were looking at the student whos kind of an unsung hero who will see a job that needs to be done and step up to it. Wed like everyone to strive for these goals it would be wonderful. Theyre aware that these are ideals that we hold important as members of our community. David Smith believed, like many Marine recruits do, in God, Country, and Corps. He wanted to make a difference, and became an Infantry Rifleman and Team Leader with Alpha Company "Raiders" of the 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment. Deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Smiths unit was engaged in some of the heaviest fighting of the war, including the battle of An Najaf. But then the "fog of war" engulfed Smith during an intense gunfight one night, and he shot and wounded a fellow Marine. The incident haunted him for years, and he nearly took his own life as a consequence. Since that fateful night, Smiths journey has taken some unexpected turns, including an appearance in former President George W. Bushs "Portraits of Courage" painting series (now collected in the book Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors). And now hes making a difference in new ways: as a Chief Marketing Officer for a software company, and as an example for how to move on to a healthy, productive civilian life after military service. Connecting Through Other Veterans Smith credits mentors and other veterans for helping him get the help and tools he needed to cope with his crushing guilt and PTSD. Says Smith, "One veteran knew I liked to mountain bike and got me involved with the Bush Center Military Service Initiative (MSI) which does an annual Warrior 100K (100km) bike ride with former President Bush." Smiths participation with the MSI led to Smith being chosen to be featured as one of the veterans in former President Bushs Portraits of Courage. "Seek the help you need and you'll respect yourself for it," says Smith. After graduating from UC Berkeley (and Stanford Universitys Ignite program), Dave interned on the New York Stock Exchange, delivered disaster response with Team Rubicon in the Philippines, and traveled to almost 30 countries doing missionary and humanitarian projects. He then moved to Norway, where he lives with his wife and works as the Chief Marketing Officer for Dogu, a software startup. Smith is living proof that veterans should embrace their military training. Adapt, Improvise, Overcome, is more than the informal Marine Corps motto--it's the grit that gets us over, under, or around any obstacle to our objective. Says Smith, "I'm always looking for new opportunities to grow and I am a strong believer in brilliance in the basics. The Marine Corps taught me to wake up each day hungry to conquer obstacles and continue driving forward to find new challenges, rather than sit and wait for things to happen." Mentorship and Grit Smith encountered difficulties in adjusting to civilian life -- he "missed the sense of purpose, camaraderie and excitement" that comes with being in the Corps. And without a clear sense of mission and purpose, he felt lost. His saving grace? Mentorship (and lots and lots of grit). "Mentorship was probably the most important factor in my success," says Smith. "I was very lucky to have people reach out and help me apply to schools, find jobs and seek counseling. I quickly learned to apply far above what I felt qualified for and to ask for help often because lots of people want to help others succeed." 1. ENLISTED PILOTS? DECISION LOOMS From Military.com's Oriana Pawlyk: "It has been decades since enlisted airmen had the chance to sit in the cockpit. But as the Air Force faces the greatest pilot shortages since its inception, service leaders are contemplating a return to a model that includes enlisted pilots. A Rand Corp. study, set to be completed this month, is exploring the feasibility of bringing back a warrant officer corps for that purpose. And another, separate Air Force study is examining, in part, whether enlisted pilots could benefit from new high-tech training that leverages artificial intelligence and simulation. With these moves, the Air Force is inching just a few steps closer to someday getting enlisted airmen back in the cockpit, on a formal basis, for the first time since World War II." 2. SOLDIER KILLED IN SYRIA ID'D Via the Associated Press: "The American service member killed this week by a roadside bomb in northern Syria was a 36-year-old Army soldier from Texas, the Defense Department said Saturday. Master Sgt. Jonathan J. Dunbar, of Austin, died Friday as a result of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his patrol in Manbij -- not far from the border with Turkey -- during an operation against the Islamic State group, officials said. A British armed forces member also was killed and five other people were wounded in Thursday's bombing-- a rare attack since the U.S.-led coalition sent troops into the country. Dunbar was assigned to the headquarters of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command in Fort Bragg, North Carolina." 3. A-10 GETS NEW WINGS Via Military.com's Richard Sisk: "Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said Friday that new wings for the workhorse A-10 Thunderbolt will keep the close-air support aircraft in the inventory for another dozen years or more. Last week, Wilson told the House Armed Services Committee that funding for the re-winging of the A-10s in the fiscal year 2018 budget would keep the 'Warthogs' flying at least to 2030. At an Air Force Association breakfast Friday, Wilson extended the potential retirement date for the A-10, whose first production model was delivered in 1975. She said the A-10s would remain in the fleet to 2030 'and possibly beyond.'" 4. MHS FEVER CONTINUES Via Military.com's Matthew Cox: "The U.S. Air Force confirmed Thursday that it will field 130,000 of the Army's Modular Handgun System to replace its existing inventory of 9mm M9 pistols. The Army awarded Sig Sauer an MHS contract worth up to $580 million in January 2017. The 10-year MHS agreement calls for Sig Sauer to supply the service with full-size XM17 and compact XM18 versions of its 9mm pistol. The Air Force's decision follows similar moves by the Navy and Marine Corps to select MHS. The Navy plans to field 60,000 XM18s, and the Corps budgeted money in its proposed fiscal 2019 budget to purchase 35,000 MHS pistols. Marine Corps Systems Command officials declined to comment on the budget submission." 5. MEDAL OF HONOR FOR HERO GRUNT Via Military.com: "President Donald Trump will soon award the Medal of Honor posthumously to an Army lieutenant who directed artillery fire from an exposed position for three hours while fending off 'fanatical German infantrymen' during a 1945 battle near Houssen, France. Garlin Murl Conner, then a first lieutenant, will be the third service member to be awarded the military's highest combat award since Trump took office. According to a White House statement released Thursday, Conner's widow, Pauline Lyda Wells Conner, and other families will be present at the medal ceremony. The date for the ceremony has yet to be announced. In January 1945, Conner was serving as an intelligence officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, according to information released by the White House. 'Then-First Lieutenant Conner voluntarily left his position of relative safety to place himself in a better position to direct artillery fire onto the assaulting enemy infantry and armor,' the White House announcement said. 'He remained in an exposed position, which was 30 yards ahead of the defending force, for a period of three hours.'" The B-1B Lancer is back in the Middle East for the first time in nearly two-and-a-half years to take over strike missions from B-52 Stratofortress bombers. The non-nuclear bombers from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, arrived at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, on March 31, according to social media posts from Air Forces Central Command. The Lancers will be primarily focused on Operation Inherent Resolve, the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and Operation Freedom Sentinel in Afghanistan, AfCent said. The command would not give details on how many bombers are involved or on the duration of the mission. "Following two years supporting U.S. Pacific Command requirements, the B-1 returns to the U.S. Central Command [area of responsibility] where it will take over bomber duty from the venerable B-52 Stratofortress," AfCent posted on Twitter. Related content: "The [B-52] will soon depart following two years in which it played an instrumental role in the fights against ISIS and the Taliban, clocking more than 1,800 sorties and approximately 12,000 weapons released against targets in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan," the message continued. The long-range B-52 bombers, known as "Big Ugly Fat Fellow," or BUFF, transitioned back to the Pacific earlier this year, replacing the B-1Bs for an 18-month-long mission. The B-1 took over that mission in 2016, marking the first time since 2006 that Lancers had been housed at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. In December, B-1 pilots and crew members told Military.com they were training round-the-clock for the evolving battlespace in the Middle East. Military.com sat down with leaders from Air Force Global Strike Command's 7th Bomb Wing, responsible for producing combat-ready aircrews in the Air Force's only formal B-1B training unit, during a trip to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, in December. The trip also included a ride in the B-1B over training ranges in New Mexico. The aircraft, known as the "Bone," left the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in early 2016 and was replaced by B-52 Stratofortress bombers at Al Udeid that April. Air Force officials at the time said the B-1B's return stateside was crucial to upgrade the fleet with the latest Integrated Battle Station, or IBS. The IBS upgrade has been incorporated into more than half of the 62 total aircraft. Before its 2016 departure, the aircraft deployed the most weapons of any aircraft involved in the anti-ISIS campaign, according to statistics provided to Air Force Times. The B-1B was responsible for almost 40 percent of Air Force bombs on Islamic State targets, according to service statistics. Now, even as the air campaign against ISIS steadily winds down, it still requires "surgical strikes," or precision-guided bombs on target as the battlespace continues to shrink, Maj. Charles "Astro" Kilchrist, chief of training for the 9th Bomb Squadron, said in December. Meanwhile, the U.S. has increased airstrikes in Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedoms Sentinel. The Air Force has been shifting more MQ-9 Reaper drones for overwatch and strike missions; additional combat search-and-rescue squadrons; and A-10C Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft, which recently arrived at Kandahar Airfield, for close-air support strikes. In January, the aircraft joined F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets, C-130J Hercules mobility airlift, EC-130H Compass Call electronic attack aircraft, and other planes already in the AOR supporting these operations from Bagram Airfield. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. What Is ISIS-K? Two Experts on the Group Behind the Kabul Airport Attack and its Rivalry with the Taliban By 2018, the group had become one of the top four deadliest terrorist organizations in the world. A court handed death penalty by hanging to the Lebanese and Syrian spouses, found guilty of the death of 29-year old Filipina house worker Joanna Demafelis. The house worker, reported missing for over a year, was found stuffed in a freezer in the deserted apartment of the couple in Kuwait last February. The ruling, made during the first hearing, in the absence of the defendants, Nader Essam Assaf, a 40-year old Lebanese, and his Syrian wife, can be appealed. The Filipina womans death exasperated already frosty relations between Kuwait and the Philippines over alleged ill treatment of tens of thousands of Filipino house workers in the Gulf country. Manilla had protested against the conditions and in January kicked off repatriation operations of thousands of its citizens willing to come back. Consequently, 4,000 have been flown out on government-sponsored flights and 6,000 are expected to leave pending amnesty by Kuwait City over violating residence regulations. Assaf and his wife ran away from Kuwait to Syria where they were arrested following a manhunt launched by Kuwait with the help of Interpol. The Lebanese man has been handed to Lebanese authorities. He appeared in a court last week and confessed to crime. He equally faces death sentence in his home country. His wife has remanded in prison in Syria. April is designated as the Month of the Military Child. Throughout the month, "military brats" are recognized for the sacrifices they make because they have a parent in the military. In honor of the Month of the Military Child, here are 9 military discounts for kids and their families. 1. Disney Disney World is the happiest place on earth! It's even better because of Disney's Armed Forces Salute program. Military personnel can get discounted tickets to Disney theme parks, as well as discounts off select rooms at Disney Resort hotels. These deals are good for military spouses of eligible service members even without the member being present. 2. Amusement parks Disney isn't the only amusement park that offers military discounts. Other fun parks like LEGOLAND and Universal Studios help military families out with deals as well. If you have an amusement park in your area, call ahead, check the parks website, or visit your local ITT office on base to ask what kinds of military discounts they offer and what you need to do to take advantage of them. 3. Crafts Whether art supplies are needed for fun craft projects or for school assignments and supplies, military families can stock up using military discounts at Jo-Ann Fabric, and Michaels. 4. Zoos and Aquariums Many zoos throughout the country, like the Denver Zoo in Colorado and Zoo Atlanta in Georgia, offer military discounts on admission prices. You can also find deals for military families at aquariums like the New York Aquarium and the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland. 5. National Parks Most national parks don't have an entrance fee, but for those that do, fees are waived on designated free entrance days. Service members and their families are also eligible for the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Pass for free, a pass that's normally $80. The pass allows free admission for a year at sites that charge entrance or standard amenity fees. 6. Academic Help Military families are eligible for free access to the Department of Defense online tutoring program with Tutor.com. Students needing a little extra help with homework and studying can ask a professional tutor anytime they need it. For those older military brats getting ready to take the SAT or ACT, eKnowledge offers highly discounted rates on standard, premium and super courses. 7. Clothing and Shoes Tastes and fashion change, and of course, kids grow. So new clothes and shoes are always necessities. To help keep wardrobes up-to-date, use military discounts at a variety of stores, including Old Navy, L.L.Bean, Wrangler, Under Armour, Zappos, Nike and Reebok. 8. Chuck E. Cheese's The cool hangout for kids Chuck E. Cheese's salutes the military by offering a choice of two different package deals for pizza, drinks and play points. 9. Blue Star Theatres Blue Star Theatres is a collaboration between Theatre Communications Group and Blue Star Families. Through this initiative, more than 170 theatres and playhouses around the country offer free or discounted admission to the military, their families, and veterans. Stay Up-to-Date With Military Discounts Want the scoop on military discounts? From travel to phones and everything in between, troops, military families and veterans can stay on top of military discounts. Become a Military.com subscriber and get full access through our newsletter. Military members and veterans can get up to four free months of Apple Music through the Apple Music military discount -- but... A new outreach project from the Biden Foundation is looking to feature submissions from both military and civilian kids that show what home means to them. The "Picturing Home" project will feature selected submissions on the foundation's website and social media throughout April, officials said in a release. Kids can send in art, photos or even essays on the theme. The Biden Foundation, started by former Vice President Joe Biden and his spouse Jill, is a nonprofit organization that looks to 'identify policies that advance the middle class, decrease economic inequality, and increase opportunity for all people," according to its website. One of the organization's primary focuses is supporting military families, a cause Jill Biden helped champion through Joining Forces while in the White House. That the project is open to all kids, military or otherwise, is an important facet and purposefully a part of overarching military child theme, officials said. By bringing both groups to the table, the foundation hopes to show the similarities between kids of all backgrounds, while also highlighting some of the challenges military kids face in establishing what is traditionally thought of as "home." "We also recognize the value of building bridges between military-connected and civilian children," Jill Biden said in a release. "As a teacher, I see my students from inside the military community and outside, working together and supporting one another every day. I also know that civilian teachers, students, and communities can make a huge difference by supporting military families. Through Picturing Home, we celebrate the beauty of what makes our students unique -- but we also celebrate those things that make us more similar than we think." About 2 million children have a parent in the military. Picturing Home submissions can be sent in via the Biden Foundation website. Bahraini State authorities announced Sunday the discovery of the countrys so far largest oil and gas field whose production could exceed current oil and gas yield. The tiny Gulf oil producer and non-OPEC member currently explores two oil fields, namely state controlled onshore Bahrain Oil Field and the offshore Abu Safah field whose revenues are shared with Saudi Arabia. Bahrain has been oil exporter since 1932. The offshore discovery at Khaleej Al Bahrain Basin, according to the oil ministry, will extensively support the 45,000 barrels currently produced at Bahrain Oil Field. Initial analysis demonstrates the find is at substantial levels, capable of supporting the long-term extraction of tight oil and deep gas, Oil Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa said in a statement. Authorities will on Wednesday hold a press conference to bring details on the discovery, size and extraction viability. DeGolyer and MacNaughton (Demac) have been associated to the discovery of the giant oil field. Between March 24 and March 28, Casablanca Airport authorities arrested a Sierra Leonean and a Nigerian for drug trafficking. The Sierra Leonean mule, coming from Sao Paulo, had swallowed capsules weighing 1,13 kg of Cocaine. The capsules were removed from his stomach at a Casablanca hospital. On Friday (March 30), the airport customs seized fifty-eight capsules of cocaine, weighting 940 grams, in the luggage of the Nigerian national. A scanner checking showed that he had swallowed other capsules. The national police, which announced the seizure, did not disclose the country of origin of the drug. Last February, Moroccan security services seized 541 kilos of cocaine concealed in a container shipped from Latin America to Casablanca. In recent years, Moroccan authorities reported increasing cocaine seizures, mostly coming from Latin America. These repeated seizures show that Morocco, long considered as a transit country for cocaine trafficked to Europe, is increasingly becoming a target. Over the past decade the flow of cocaine from South America to West Africa, and subsequently through North Africa to Europe and the Middle East, has expanded rapidly. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that between 20 and 40 MT of cocaine transits the region annually in route to Europe. Ethiopias new Prime Minister, Abiye Ahmed, who has been appointed to the position by the ruling coalition last week, was sworn in by parliament Monday. Abiye Ahmed was appointed Prime Minister after weeks of uncertainty and protest and the unexpected resignation of his predecessor Hailemariam Desalegn last February 15. Ahmed, 42, is Ethiopias first Prime Minister from the Oromo, Ethiopias largest ethnic group, which make up around a third of the nations 100 million population. The new Prime Minister will also chair the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), which has ruled the country since the fall of the Derg regime in 1992. The EPRDF has been praised for bringing millions of Ethiopians out of poverty and ensuring growth rates that have averaged around 10% for more than a decade. Analysts deem that the appointment of an Oromo to the most powerful political office in the country could ease tensions. Mass protests broke out in the Hundreds of people died in a wave of violence since 2015 after Oromiya region over accusations of land grabbing. The government has twice imposed emergency state, to contain the unrest. The governments crackdown on protesters was criticized by human rights groups as having suppressed basic rights and freedoms. In an address on state television after the ceremony, the new Prime Minister also appealed to the Eritrean government to solve years of misunderstanding. Eritrea seceded from Ethiopia in 1992, and clashes between the two occurred in the 1998-2000 period. Since then, their relations have been frosty. RN Bhaskar Last fortnight, addressing a 1,000 strong audience, and an international media contingent of over a 100 people, Thailands planners announced their countrys grand plans to build an MRO. The word MRO is the aviation industrys acronym for maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft. The announcement made many in India sit up. If the Thailand project were to gain traction, it could well stymie some of Indias plans. At the conference many observers felt that India could become a big player, but that it often lacked the project implementation discipline and the required foresight. It remains to be seen whether this government does precisely what past governments were notoriously famous for doing -- sleeping after announcing a grandiose project. Three drivers The MRO business can be immensely profitable, as figures revealed by Thai Airways show (see chart). But to make the MRO business vibrant, one has to bear in mind that success depends on three factors. The first which is actually a pre-requisite is an adherence to very strict quality norms because nobody wants to risk an accident with an aircraft. The vessels are expensive, and the travelers usually middle or upper middle class, even the wealthy and powerful. The second has to do with commercials the price at which a service can be offered. That is why an MRO facility at an airport which does not get enough aircraft will always turn out to be more expensive than one located at a busy airport. But the second also has inbuilt into it the third factor namely turnaround time, the time within which an aircraft can be certified as being fit to fly. Turnaround time is crucially important because each days delay could mean a loss of potential income and sometimes a lease rental cost upwards of $10,000 a day. OEMs call the shots To get into the business, one has to be anointed by the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). This is because it is these manufacturers usually Airbus and Boeing, and the engine manufacturers, who decide how one of the parts is to be looked it, how it should be tested, and how it must be repaired. Unless the OEMs agree, setting up an MRO is well nigh impossible. India managed to set up its own MRO facilities (see chart) primarily because it was a large purchaser of aircraft, and the government decided to negotiate with the OEMs at the time of purchase itself that it would like to service the purchased aircraft in India itself. Thus, little by little, India got the capability of servicing, repairing and overhauling all types of aircraft the full range of Boeings India has, the full range of Airbuses the country uses, and even turboprop (ATR aircraft). In addition to this almost all chartered aircraft approach Indias MROs to get their aircraft serviced and certified. Certification Certification is what drives this business. To fly an aircraft, someone has to certify it as being airworthy. That requires adherence to standards, and a full inspection of the aircraft. To fly an aircraft in India or using Indias airfields, the vessel must have DGCA (director general of civil aviation) certification. But this certification is usually an endorsement of the certification guarantees provided by one of the other two certification agencies FAA or Federal Aviation Administration, and EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency). These certifiers in turn depend on the certification guarantees provided by the makers of landing gears, pneumatics, engines (usually Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney and General Electric). Each licence to service any part costs money first in getting a licence, and then in getting the staff trained through a certified agency. Even setting up a test bay costs money. To do an NDT (non-destructive testing) a certification from NABL is required. Even that costs money. Ideally, the OEMs want to take up the MRO business for small purchasers themselves, then enter into a back-to-back relationship between customer, seller and the third party MRO agency. But when someone like Thailand, or India -- wants to become an MRO player in this segment, it must be prepared to have the grit to deliver the highest standards of service, and have the deep pockets that such a business requires. According to some experts, if India does not invest a further US$250 million in this business right away, it might see its business opportunity slip away from this country to either West Asia, Singapore or to newly emerging Thailand. High investment costs but good returns Even for Thailand, the going will not be easy. It has to cough up around $295 million within the next two years. Then it has to put up an additional $83 million within the next two years thereafter, bringing the total to around $400 million as capex alone. This does not include the operational expenses which could also be quite high. But if Thailand gets its act together, it could earn a gross profit margin of 25-35% each year, and achieve a payback of its investments in 10 years time. India, say experts, could achieve its payback of US$250 million in less than 5 years. But that is because, unlike Thailand, it has a larger fleet of aircraft of various types. Its largest MRO Air India Engineering Services (AIES) is already a formidable player in the country. According to some experts, India, with its growing aircraft fleet size, strategic location advantage, rich pool of engineering expertise, and lower labour costs has huge potential to be a global MRO hub. Till recently, most private airlines used to get their MRO done overseas. This was because the licence that AIES had was for its own aircraft only. Moreover, since many of the private airlines had leased their aircraft, just the DGCA certification would not do. They need to be certified by FAA or EASA. AIES did not have the licence to do third-party MRO for such planes. It began the process of getting such licences only two years ago. It services the entire fleet of Jet Airways and is in the process of getting the contract for Indigo as well. It is now eyeing bouncing back into the ring for MRO business, but only if it can make the required investments in time. Indias current MRO market size is estimated to well over US$750 million. As per Boeing itself, the market is expected to grow at 7% CAGR to reach US$ 1.2 billion by 2020. With the fleet size likely to double by 2020, the need for a strong domestic MRO industry is critical and not just desirable. But the MRO activity is bound to be capital-intensive. This is because each type of aircraft can involve thousands of components. For instance, an aircraft engine can have more than 4,000 components. Thus the MRO has a choice of either keeping an inventory of components, or the entire part itself. For example it may keep a full landing gear which can be fitted on to an aircraft, against a lease rental. The aircraft is ready to fly within 4 days, and the defective piece can then be repaired. The other alternative is to send the defective piece to a larger MRO (like Singapore) and then get a replacement from these. But that takes time, and the turnaround gets affected, adding to costs. To stock each component requires licensing agreements for them. And training and manuals and testing software. All of this costs money. Thailand knows this. And that is why, hopeful that India will not get its act together in time, it wants to proceed with its MRO plans. And India can slumber The fact is that India loses MRO business (and foreign exchange) to overseas centres primarily because it has a great penchant for slumber. Take for instance the ill-conceived Mihan project. It is an acronym for the Multimodal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur. Conceived of in 2008, it was supposed to be an international cargo hub and an MRO centre in partnership with Boeing. Then the government forgot about it. It was only when the present government came to power that the old files were dusted and the revival of MRO plans for Mihan were embarked upon. But it is unlikely that this centre will become a major centre, nothwithstanding its tieup with Boeing. Conceptually itself the project was a disaster. It was being set up without the rail-road-aircraft linkages in place. Moreover, even after Nagpur was developed as an international airport, the volume of aircraft landings there was very small. Many of the aircraft land in Mumbai and Delhi. So it is but obvious that servicing aircraft in these cities will be more economical than flying them empty to Nagpur and back. Today, Nagpur has an MRO facility, but it is limited compared to the bigger airports. It will not become the most important MRO centre, even though the ruling party may want it that way. To become a vibrant and cost-effective MRO centre, you need access to the airport, so that aircraft can be brought into the hangars and be taken out from there for their eventual flight. They need to be close to airports where the maximum number of planes come in. It is here that Mumbai and Delhi have an advantage over Thailand. But then, its government likes to slumber till someone rudely wakes it up. Huge benefits Eventually, an MRO facility can create thousands of jobs for aerospace engineers and other professionals within a 10-year period. It helps save forex outgo. In fact, it earns forex in pretty large dollops. It would also fulfil the governments dream of Make in India. A great MRO could position India as one of the hottest destinations for aircraft service, repair and certification. Todays Indias largest MRO can service only 25% of the jobs that are required. To be a good MRO, it needs to cater to at least 50% of the requirements. But as said before, it needs money, and quickly. Yes, it is profitable. But it requires nimbleness and quality engineering skills. And it needs good marketing, which the government is quite terrible at. Remember the Antrix and the Devas episode? That could explain why private players like GMR and Airworks have begun eyeing this business and have started nibbling at the fringes. If AIES does not move quickly, the opportunity could be grabbed by someone else. Kraken | Founded in 2011, this US-based cryptocurrency exchange is now available in most countries. Deposits can be made via bank wire, SEPA, ACH and SWIFT. The brokerage charged by Kraken is one of the lowest in the industry. Taker fee (order taker) is 0.25 percent and can fall as low as 0.1 percent with sufficient trading volume. Meanwhile, maker fee (order maker) can be nil with sufficient trading volumes. In the first quarter of 2018, bitcoin has shed more than half of its value. On March 31 it closed at 65 percent below its all-time high exchange rate of USD 20,089 which it had attained on December 17, last year. The worlds most valuable cryptocurrency opened the first quarter at USD 14,112 and closed it at USD 6,973, reaching a quarter high of USD 16,537 on January 8. The currency has also lost USD 119.9 billion in market cap in this period. The loss is despite, in the same period, the circulating supply of bitcoin grew by 174,038 coins, i.e., from 16.77 million to 16.95 million. The market capitalisation is highly dependent on circulating supply of the asset in cryptocurrency market. At a constant price, higher the supply, greater the market capitalisation. A similar trend was also witnessed in other crypto assets as the overall market cap of the cryptocurrency market sank to USD 270 billion from USD 612 billion at the start of the quarter. A barrage of bad news The major reasons which can be attributed to the crash of bitcoin in the first quarter of the year include regulatory whips which cracked in many countries and the reports of multiple hacking at exchanges as well as cryptocurrency firms. Financial regulatory authorities across the world, primarily in South Korea and Japan came cracking at the cryptocurrency market as they feared diversion of funds from investors to evade taxes. The authorities also alleged that anonymity which the cryptocurrency market guarantees, aids illegal activities. South Korea while at one point considered an outright ban on bitcoin, Chinese central bank reportedly pondered over cutting power supply to the bitcoin miners to curb its production. Brazil also gave a jolt to the investors as it banned funds from investing in them. Also Read: South Korea says uncovered about $600 million in cryptocurrency crimes The Indian government also declared that it will never accept bitcoin or other crypto assets as legal tender in the country. Top lenders across the country suspended accounts of major bitcoin exchanges even as the RoC stopped registration of firms dealing in them. The barrage of such discouraging reports dampened the mood of the market and a strong bearish trend gripped it which the market is yet to shake off. Hacking A number of hacking incidents at major cryptocurrency firms across the globe also made investors cautious as they avoided taking the risk of losing their money to thieves. Among the hacks in the first quarter in 2018 included the biggest crypto heist in the world on Japanese exchange Coincheck in which worth over USD 500 million were stolen. Recently, another cryptocurrency exchange based in Hong Kong reported a hacking attempt. Also Read: Hacked Japan crypto exchange refunds customers All these reports combined eroded the confidence of investors in the cryptocurrencies and they started pulling out their investments. However, all said, a glimmer of hope remains as the past data suggests that bitcoin has the tendency of recovering from steep dives. In its nine years of existence, bitcoin has seen a short-term correction of more than 70 percent at least once before. Moreover, there have been numerous instances, more than two every year, when the currency has dived more than 30 percent only to recover later. In some instances, the value of bitcoin dived about 66 percent in a span of few days. Punjab National Bank | PNB, the second largest of the 17 public sector banks, has written off Rs 44,565.59 crore as technical write-offs in a four-year period starting FY17. As against these write-offs, the bank managed to recover just Rs 12,027.97 crore, data obtained by Velankar under the Right to Information (RTI) Act revealed. (Image: PTI) live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Facing heat over nearly Rs 13,000 crore scam, Punjab National Bank today said money of customers is safe and asserted that there would be zero tolerance towards unethical practices. Urging customers not to believe in any rumours, the bank assured that they can withdraw or deposit their money anytime. The lender has come out with a detailed set of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) seeking to address concerns of customers in the wake of the recent fraud. "In PNB there is zero tolerance towards unethical practices within the system. That is why the minute the bank became aware about discrepancies related to the incident, the fraudulent transactions were immediately reported to the regulator and the law enforcement agencies," it said. PNB said it has reached out to other affected banks and apprised them of the developments. On February 14, PNB informed exchanges about a fraud to the tune of Rs 11,400 crore involving billionaire jewellery designer Nirav Modi, his family and uncle Mehul Choksi of Gitanjali Gems. The fraud amount after further probe by the bank now stands at nearly Rs 13,000 crore. The Modi-Choksi duo managed to generate fake LoUs in connivance with a few bank officials and presented the same to other Indian bank branches overseas to avail credit facilities outside India. As many as 30 odd banks are affected due to this fraud including SBI, Union Bank, Allahabad Bank, ICICI Bank, among others. As a fallout of the fraud, touted as the biggest in the Indian banking history, Reserve Bank asked lenders last month to discontinue issuance of Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) and Letters of Comfort (LoCs) for trade credits. Further, PNB said it has undertaken measures to strengthen internal audit control mechanisms and looking at technology interventions to enhance customer service and customer responsiveness including automating customer response mechanism. In response to query on what action has been taken by the bank against its employees involved in the fraud, PNB said the bank is committed to ensuring that no one, irrespective of their level, is spared. Regarding a query on safety of customer's money, PNB said with a strong balance sheet of Rs 11 lakh core and sufficient non-core assets, it is capable to meet any contingent liability on the bank and "your money is safe with us". The bank registered the case with CBI in February itself. Besides, the Enforcement Directorate is probing the matter at its level. Suresh Prabhu The commerce ministry has circulated a draft cabinet note seeking views of different departments on the proposed industrial policy that aims to promote emerging sectors, Union minister Suresh Prabhu said. "We have circulated (the draft policy) to all the ministries for their views," the commerce and industry minister told PTI. He said that the policy aims at modernising the existing industries, reducing regulatory hurdles and encourage adoption of frontier technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence. The proposed policy will completely revamp the Industrial Policy of 1991. After receiving comments from various ministries and departments, the commerce and industry ministry will finalise the note and move it to the Cabinet for the final approval. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) in August last year floated a draft industrial policy with the aim to create jobs for the next two decades, promote foreign technology transfer and attract USD 100 billion FDI annually. The department is working on an outcome-oriented actionable policy that provides direction, and charts a course of action for a globally competitive Indian industry that leverages skill, scale and technology. Talking about public procurement policy, Prabhu said the ministry would ensure that products made in India will have a preference of minimum purchase by public sector companies. "Many ministries have to agree (on this), so we are holding a series of meetings," he said. He also said that the ministry is trying to ensure that even self-help groups (SHGs) and artisans could offer their goods on the government e-market place (GeM) portal. "We are trying to propose that products made by SHGs and artisans should also be displayed (at GeM). We will have to follow a due course and quality control," he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a review meeting had expressed concern over barriers imposed against domestic manufacturers and suppliers in tenders being floated for public procurement. Traders' body CAIT today expressed apprehension over the commerce ministry not taking any action on the e-commerce issues and its detrimental impact on the country's retail trade. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) took a strong view against e-commerce platforms for indulging in "deep discounting and loss funding thereby violating FDI Policy 2016 of the Union Government". The traders' body criticised Commerce & Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu for remaining silent on the issue despite drawing his attention to it several times. "It appears that instead of promoting Indian retail trade, the Government is more interested in helping and encouraging MNCs to control and dominate the retail trade through e-commerce and FDI which is highly deplorable," CAIT said. ?In a statement, CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said that instead of taking action on complaints made against e-commerce companies, the government went one step ahead in allowing 100 per cent FDI in single brand retail and has made all arrangements to wreck the backbone of Indian retail trade.? "It is more painful that even after specific assurance given to CAIT delegation by Prabhu himself, no step has been taken to draft a National Trade Policy for Retail Trade.? Therefore, it looks sure that domestic trade is never on the priority of the government though Prime Minister is advocating policies for small businesses time & again but all goes in vain," the traders' body said. CAIT claimed that large number of e-commerce platforms are deeply engaged in predatory pricing and continuously offering deep discounts by funding the losses in contravention of the FDI policy which clearly make them responsible for maintaining the equal level playing field and debar them in influencing the prices. "These e-commerce companies claims to be a marketplace but mass scale public advertisements by them in the recent past is nothing but to solicit the consumers directly. If in reality these companies are B2B marketplace place, then where is the need of conducting big scale advertisement campaign directly addressing the consumers... ," said the traders' body. The government will begin talks with general insurance companies and other relevant stakeholders over the course of the next few weeks on revising the price for Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY). The scheme, which offers Rs 2 lakh personal accident insurance at an annual premium of Rs 12 per annum, has been a loss-making proposition for insurers because of the unsustainable premiums. Sources told Moneycontrol that insurers are likely to seek a hike in the premiums, to at least Rs 100-200 per annum. The cover period for the policy is June 1 of each year to May 31 of the subsequent year. A regular personal accident policy of a similar sum assured costs between Rs 200 and Rs 250 depending on the insurance company. The personal accident scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Suraksha Yojana, launched in May 2015, has 134.7 million subscribers as of March 26, 2018. According to data from the Jan Suraksha Yojana website, State Bank of India led the enrolments with 23.3 million subscribers. The insurers had received 20,984 claims during the same period which translates to Rs 419.68 crore worth of claims. Considering Rs 12 premium for 23.3 million policies, the premiums collected were roughly Rs 28 crore - a huge loss for the insurers. The losses under the segment have well exceeded 100 percent and hovering around 170-180 percent which means that for every Rs 100 collected as premium, Rs 180 is paid as claims. This has led to heavy losses for insurers present in this space. This portfolio has been bleeding and we are seeking a sustainable premium in such a way that makes this business viable for us on the one hand, while on the other hand customers also dont feel a pinch, said a senior general insurance executive. PMSBY policies are sold through auto-debit facility of the bank accounts of individuals where the premiums are deducted from the account. There is an auto renewal of the product for the policyholders. All individual (single or joint) bank account holders in the age 18 to 70 years in participating banks are entitled to join. In case of incidents like road, rail and similar vehicular accidents, drowning, death involving any crime, the accident should be reported to police. In case of incidents like snake bite, fall from tree, the cause should be supported by immediate hospital record. Natural calamities being in the nature of accidents, any death / disability (as defined under PMSBY) resulting from such natural calamities is also covered under PMSBY. While death due to suicide is not covered, that from murder is covered. petrol diesel price hike World's cleanest petrol and diesel are now being supplied in Delhi after state-owned oil firms advanced rollout of Euro-VI grade fuel by two years in a bid to combat alarming levels of air pollution. Since yesterday, Delhi has become the first city in the country to leapfrog from Euro-IV grade petrol and diesel to Euro-VI, which just contains 10 parts per million (ppm) of sulphur as against 50 ppm in previous grade of fuel. Speaking at an event to mark the occasion, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the oil industry has shown its commitment to providing clean fuel and now it is time for the automobile industry to also start introducing Euro-VI vehicles. "Vehicle manufacturers in India are exporting Euro-VI vehicles to Europe. So they only have to change the driving seat and introduce the vehicles here," he said. While vehicles in India have right-hand drive, Europe follows left-hand drive. Petrol & Diesel Rates Sep 24, 2021 Petrol Rate in Mumbai Sep 24, 2021 Current Petrol Price Per Litre 107 107 View more Diesel Rate in Mumbai Sep 24, 2021 Current Petrol Price Per Litre 96 96 View more Show Pradhan said oil industry has invested Rs 30,000 crore in upgrading technology and processes to produce ultra-clean BS-VI petrol and diesel (equivalent to fuel meeting Euro-VI emission norms) and would meet the April 2020 deadline for introducing such fuel all over the country. Originally, Euro-V grade fuel was to be introduced from 2020 and Euro-VI from 2024. But the oil industry decided to skip Euro-V grade and advanced Euro-VI rollout date to April 2020. BS-1 grade petrol and diesel, introduced in 2000, contained 500 ppm and 1000 ppm of sulphur, respectively. Sulphur content has progressively been reduced, he said adding the advancement of Euro-VI rollout has been done voluntarily, without any court instruction. IOC Chairman Sanjiv Singh said no country in the world has gone from Euro-IV to Euro-VI in three years. "This is the ultimate fuel. There presently exists no better fuel (than this) anywhere in the world," he said. While producing Euro-VI fuel came at a higher operating cost, the oil companies are not passing on the impact to consumers as of now, he said adding the cost may be passed on when the whole country switches to Euro-VI in April 2020. Cities in the national capital region like Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad as well as 13 major cities including Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune will switch over to Euro-VI grade fuel from January 1 next year. Rest of the country will follow suit from April 2020. Costing wise, the cleaner fuel should cost around 50 paise a litre more. To meet Delhi's annual consumption of 9.6 lakh tonne of petrol and 12.65 lakh tonne of diesel, Mathura refinery in Uttar Pradesh, Panipat refinery in Haryana, Bina in Madhya Pradesh and Bhatinda in Punjab have started producing Euro-VI grade fuel. About Rs 183 crore has been spent on Panipat refinery alone for producing cleaner fuel. Other refineries are in the process of being upgraded, he said. IOC, the nation's biggest oil firm controlling roughly half of retail fuel market, will source the BS-VI fuel to meet Delhi's requirement from its Mathura and Panipat refineries, while Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) will do so from its joint venture refinery at Bhatinda. Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) will supply the fuel from its Bina refinery. According to IOC, for petrol engines, one of the most critical specifications is Research Octane No. (RON), which has improved from 88 in BS-II to 91. It is at par with regular 91 octane gasoline (petrol) required for Euro VI emission norms. Sulphur specification for petrol and diesel will be reduced 50 times from a level of 500 ppm for BS-II fuel to 10 ppm in BS-VI. Previously, the fuels meeting Bharat Stage (BS)-IV specifications were to be supplied throughout the country by April 2017 and BS-V fuel by April 1, 2020. But now the government plans to switch over directly from BS-IV to BS-VI auto fuels. Oil refineries had previously upgraded technology and invested over Rs 55,000 crore for production and supply of BS-III/IV fuels. Oil refineries will need to invest Rs 30,000 crore in upgrading petrol and diesel quality to meet cleaner fuel specifications by 2020. As climate change makes itself more and more felt, fossil fuels are being looked at as something that needs to be changed. In an effort to move towards something more sustainable auto companies have no doubt started moving towards the electric path. And while the road will be long and hard, it is not undoable. Here are the electric cars that are already on sale in India. State-run Energy Efficiency Services (EESL) plans to invest around Rs 2,400 crore to procure 20,000 electric vehicles for government use by March next year, a senior company official said. The company is also likely to sign memorandum of understandings (MoUs) with the governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat this month to supply 1,000 and 8,000 electric vehicles, respectively. "We have got a good response for this project. Already 100 electric vehicles are operational in Delhi. In total, we will be procuring 20,000 electric vehicles by March 2019 and we are investing around Rs 2,400 crore for buying them," EESL managing director Saurabh Kumar told PTI here. EESL is a joint venture of four other public sector units including NTPC, Power Finance Corporation, Rural Electrification Corporation and PowerGrid Corporation. The company had floated a global tender for 10,000 electric vehicles last year to replace the government's fleet in line with the vision to switch to 100 percent electric mobility by 2030. The tender, which comprised 500 vehicles to be procured in phase one and the rest in the second phase, was won by Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra. Kumar said the firm has signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government to supply 10,000 cars last month and has already floated another tender of an equal number for this. "The tender process is progressing well and we would be soon entering into agreements with Maharashtra and Gujarat governments," he added. With these 20,000 electric cars, EESL expects to save over 5 crore litres of fuel every year, leading to a reduction of over 5.6 lakh tonnes of annual carbon dioxide emission. EESL has also rolled out the plan for setting up charging stations across the country. "We have already laid down 250 charging stations in Delhi and a tender has been floated to set up an additional 2,500 stations across the country," said Kumar. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus V.Makei meets the Ambassador of Tajikistan 02-04-2018 On April 2, 2018 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Vladimir Makei, met with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Tajikistan to the Republic of Belarus, Mahmadsharif Mahmoud Hakdod. During the meeting, the parties discussed topical issues of Belarusian-Tajik relations in political, trade, economic, humanitarian spheres. Special attention was paid to the preparation for the holding of significant bilateral events scheduled for 2018. print version Q13. This a small Muslim community based largely in Gujarat and Maharashtra. They run roughly 1,500 restaurants across Gujarat, Maharashtra and parts of Andhra Pradesh. A close-knit community of about 5 lakh Shias and Agakhanis, work on trust be it in transactions with people from their own community or with vendors outside and believe in strong business relationships. How do we know them? Large Indian and MNC IT companies are increasingly investing in development centres in Europe, especially in the Central and Eastern parts. To cater to their European clientele and headhunt engineering and technical talents from countries like Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Ireland, IT firms are strengthening their base in Europe, reported Economic Times. Even though the number might be less than India and the US, the quality of tech specialists in these countries is very good and they bring the necessary language skills to the companies. In 2017 alone, close to 20 IT development centres came up in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Austria and Ireland. Infosys established its facility in Karlovac in Croatia, to focus on client servicing, along with consolidation consulting, IT and engineering skills in power generation, and design and development of large gas and steam turbines. Wipro has close to 1200 employees in Romania serving 30 clients and Accenture has 170 professionals expert in Oracle technologies to serve clients in the Nordic and Baltic region. Wipro also set up a centre of excellence in Romania and hired engineers to work in sectors like vehicle infotainment, cluster display, telematics and advanced driver assistance system. There are several factors driving this investment, said Peter Bendor Samuel, CEO of IT consulting firm Everest group, There are many very successful European IT firms such as Epam and Luxoft who differentiate themselves through their Eastern Europe operations. The traditional motivations are proximity and language skills. Both are increasingly important as the industry moves away from a factory orientation into a more intimate DevOps structure. HCL technologies set up a centre in Ireland in 2017, and the company has 4500 employees in Europe now. Rahul Singh, president of its financial operations, told ET, In the past, European companies would not move some of the work out of the continent, and would not give these to outsourced service providers, but now customers trust us as transformative partners. TCS also grew in continental Europe, by 22 percent in the December quarter. CEO Rajesh Gopinathan hinted that TCSs European performance is highly encouraging. 25 percent of the revenues of the India IT sector comes from Europe, while the US accounts for 50-60 percent of the revenues. We expect FY19 and FY20 to deliver some of the strongest earnings growth in the past five years, on the back of a signs of an economic turnaround which can can last for multiple years, Chandresh Kumar Nigam, MD and CEO, Axis MF, said in an exclusive interview with Moneycontrols Kshitij Anand. FY18 pared most of the gains thanks to steep correction seen in the month of February and March. How is FY19 likely to pan out for investors will it be a year which belongs to the bulls? Its difficult to predict markets in the short term. But, it is a well-known fact that sentiment can cause markets to overshoot on either side. For now, the recent correction has affected the sentiment and is forcing investors to look at the risks in the market more closely. However, we are not worried from a longer-term perspective. Revival in economic growth is likely to flow through into strong earnings growth for FY19 and FY20 and that should drive markets in the medium-term. What is your index target for the FY19? Do you think the index will be able to reclaim 12,000 on Nifty and Sensex could rise above its previous record high of 36443? We don't maintain a target for the market. However, as mentioned, we are quite positive on the market from a medium-term perspective. Which sectors are likely to hog the limelight in FY19 and why? Structurally, India is a bottom-up market. Which means that more than getting the sector call right, as an investor you need to get your stock selection right. Having said that, we remain quite positive on retail-oriented financials (both banks and NBFCs), auto and consumers as the core of our portfolio. One big theme in the coming year will be the turnaround in the rural economy and consumption. We are seeing a revival in strong income growth and government attention into rural initiatives that will play out as we get closer to the elections. Do you see Modi 2.0 as we inch closer to national elections in the year 2019? Given we are now less than one and a half years away from the elections, we are unlikely to see any major disruptive reforms from the government. Instead, we expect the government to focus on getting growth going and allowing the economy to recover from past disruptions. Also, with elections in mind, we expect the government to focus more on the rural economy. Mid and small-caps which hogged the limelight in FY18, do you think the trend will continue in the next financial year? There was some amount of euphoria that had got built up in mid and smallcap stocks and we have been a bit wary of them for the last few months. While we definitely expect these stocks to benefit from the growth revival, we would ideally like to see some more healthy correction before we change our view on this space. What should be the portfolio composition of investors aged 35-40 years in FY19? Each investor is unique and only a financial advisor can sit with each one and decide the appropriate portfolio. Having said that investors should look at asset allocation and diversification as core principles. Never put all eggs in one basket regardless of whatever your risk appetite is. Make sure that you invest regularly and don't over-react to short-term market movements. Also, take advantage of new ideas in the market such as dynamic equity products. Do you think earnings is likely to bounce back in double digits in FY19? Yes, we expect FY19 and FY20 to deliver some of the strongest earnings growth of the last 5 years. The economic growth is turning around and the economy looks set for a step up that can last for multiple years. According to one analyst, India is now part of Expensive 4 in terms of valuations. Do you agree with the statement? Valuations are not cheap - they are what they are. However, you also have to look through the valuations to see the background. The reality is that we have had an incredibly weak earnings trend over the last few years which has depressed earnings and is causing PEs to look higher than what they are when you adjust for the cycle. As the growth revives some of this will get normalised. Do you see FII flows coming down in light of constant rate hikes by the US Fed and rising US bond yields? A lot of the allocations that come to India come from long-term real money investor who are not too bothered with shorter term trend changes. Having said that, we do get some allocation from global hedge funds and other hot money traders that follow the global risk on risk off cycle and try to play it in India as well. The importance of such traders is coming down in the market progressively as the market has got more robust and domestic investor flows have become material. How should investors play PSU banks in FY19 given that we are seeing new frauds from different banks almost on a daily basis? We are seeing much better awareness and disclosure of the bad debt problem which is why all this is coming now. You have to recognise that a lot of the structural issues have been around a long time. The solution will involve strengthening the internal processes at these banks and that is likely to take a fair bit of time. How will fears of trade wars likely to play out for Indian markets in FY19? Which sectors are likely to see the worst of it? For now, we are not too worried in terms of India's implications. However, it remains to be seen whether we have seen the worst of these actions or whether there will be escalations. Trade wars are economically lose-lose propositions and ideally, we are hopeful that the major decision makes see good sense and ease off. A man walks past the NSE (National Stock Exchange) building in Mumbai, India, December 27, 2016. Picture taken December 27, 2016. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade - RTX2WSSY 3:30 pm Market at Close: The market has ended first session of the new fiscal on a strong note, with the Sensex gaining over 280 points, while the Nifty has managed to end above 10,200. A gain in pharma, auto, IT and infra names pushed the indices in a strong zone, but a last hour recovery in the Bank Nifty aided sentiment and helped both close around high points of the day. The market breadth favoured the advances. The Sensex is up 286.68 points or 0.87% at 33255.36, while the Nifty is up 98.10 points or 0.97% at 10211.80. Adani Ports, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Cipla have gained the most on both indices, while ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, and IOC were the top losers. 3:05 pm Market Check: The benchmark indices trading strong as Nifty touched 10,200 level in the afternoon trade. The Sensex up 275.30 points at 33243.98, and the Nifty up 92.10 points at 10205.80. About 2048 shares have advanced, 527 shares declined, and 151 shares are unchanged. 2:45 pm Arvind plans to produce 40% of garments in-house: Arvind is planning to produce 40 percent of garments in-house, from 10 percent at present, as it looks to notch up the turnover of its textile business to Rs 10,000 crore in the next five years. 2:30 pm Strides Shasun get USFDA nod: Strides Shasun's wholly owned subsidiary Strides Pharma Global Pte has received approval for Ibuprofen Capsules, 200 mg OTC from the United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA). The approval further strengthens Strides global ibuprofen portfolio that now includes multiple products in oral dosage format. Ibuprofen Capsules is generic version of Advil Liqui-Gels, 200 mg, of Pfizer Inc. 2:20 pm TVS March sales number: TVS Motor Company added 3.6 percent on Monday as company has posted robust growth in March sales number. The company recorded sales growth of 27 percent increasing at 3,26,659 units in March 2018 from 2,56,341 units in March 2017. Its two-wheelers segment registered growth of 25.8% at 315,765 units and domestic two-wheelers posted growth of 22.2% to 265,166 units in March 2018. 1:55 pm Buzzing Stock: FIEM Industries rose 2.4 percent Monday as the company entered into JV with Japanese firm Aisan Industry Co. The company signed a joint venture agreement with Aisan Industry Co., Ltd., Japan for manufacture of fuel injection system and IC connector for two-wheelers and three-wheelers for Indian market. The initial share capital of joint venture company is proposed Rs 1 billion, wherein shareholding of Fiem will be 26% and of Aisan will be at least 69%. 1:40 pm Market Check: A pullback in financials has pushed the market higher from the morning levels. The Sensex is up almost 200 points, while the Nifty is also hovering well above 10,100, thanks to Nifty Bank turning positive. The market breadth favours the advances. Among sectors, pharma, auto, IT and infra have led the gains on D-Street, while Nifty PSU bank is the only index in the red zone. The midcap index too is higher by 1 percent. Kotak Mahindra Bank, Adani Ports, Cipla and Lupin have gained the most, while ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, and IOC were the top losers. 1:30 pm Buzzing Stock: Kridhan Infra share price rallied 3.3 percent intraday Monday after it increased shareholding in Vijay Nirman Company, an EPC company. The engineering firm has acquired an additional 4.61 percent stake in Vijay Nirman Company (VNC). As a part of this transaction, VNC has allotted 14,99,475 fresh equity shares to KIL. "Post this transaction KIL holding in Vijay Nirman has increased to 41.47 percent," Kridhan Infra said in its filing. 1:10 pm Check on lending practices: Arvind Gupta, the whistleblower in the ICICI Bank-Videocon Group controversy, wants the government and regulators to check on the lending practices of the banking system. Gupta, who was the first to highlight the issue, with a October 2016 blog titled Banking Sector NPAs from mighty Corporate Cons, told Moneycontrol that he has raised more than 12 cases in the past 'which have gone unnoticed by the government'. Gupta is founder and trustee of Indian Investors Protection Council, and as his blog profile suggests, he has a Ph.D in Public Sector Economics. 12:52 pm Interview: We expect FY19 and FY20 to deliver some of the strongest earnings growth in the past five years, on the back of a signs of an economic turnaround which can can last for multiple years, Chandresh Kumar Nigam, MD and CEO, Axis MF, said in an exclusive interview with Moneycontrols Kshitij Anand. Read the whole interview here. 12:35 pm RInfra gains: Share price of Reliance Infrastructure added 3 percent intraday Monday on winning EPC contract from Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Project. The company won an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for Rs 441 crore from Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for the rehabilitation and upgrading of National Highway-66 in the Kashedi Ghat section which includes execution of three by three lane twin tunnels of total length 3.44 km, company said in release. The company had bid for the project in joint venture with CAI, Ukraine. In addition to the twin tunnels, the contract also includes construction of highway with paved shoulders and viaducts for a length of 7.2 Km. 12:15 pm Market Check: Shares have extended their morning gains, with the Sensex trading around 150 points higher, while the Nifty is also up around half a percent. A gain in auto, pharma and IT names is helping the indices trade strong, even as financials take a beating on the back of weak sentiment. ICICI Bank continues to trade lower by around 6 percent, while Ashoka Buildcon is up around 4 percent on the back of an order win. IRB Infra is also up 2 percent on the back of an order win for a project in Uttar Pradesh. 12:10 pm ICICI Bank in focus: The Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department have turned their focus on ICICI Bank-Videocon loan case and are in the process of collection relevant files and papers from the Reserve Bank of India and Securities and Exchange Board of India. Once the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) files FIR in the case pertaining to the sanction of loan worth Rs 3,200 crore to Venugopal Dhoot-led Videocon Group, the ED is expected to follow up the matter, a source told Moneycontrol. As of now, ED is preparing its stand in this case, the source said. This is not the first time the Venugopal Dhoot firm is facing the heat from the ED. In 2014, Videocon Group received a show cause notice for violation of forex norms. The case was closed after penalizing the companies. In 2007-08, the Videocon Group had formed a company in Cayman Islands called Tuskar Overseas. The company raised loans from ICICI Bank Ltd in the UK and Canada based on guarantees given six domestic Videocon entities. In its preliminary investigation, the ED had found that Tuskar Overseas didnt have a legitimate business. 12:00 pm PM insurance scheme: The government will begin talks with general insurance companies and other relevant stakeholders over the course of the next few weeks on revising the price for Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY). The scheme, which offers Rs 2 lakh personal accident insurance at an annual premium of Rs 12 per annum, has been a loss-making proposition for insurers because of the unsustainable premiums. Sources told Moneycontrol that insurers are likely to seek a hike in the premiums, to at least Rs 100-200 per annum. The cover period for the policy is June 1 of each year to May 31 of the subsequent year. A regular personal accident policy of a similar sum assured costs between Rs 200 and Rs 250 depending on the insurance company. The personal accident scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Suraksha Yojana, launched in May 2015, has 134.7 million subscribers as of March 26, 2018. According to data from the Jan Suraksha Yojana website, State Bank of India led the enrolments with 23.3 million subscribers. The insurers had received 20,984 claims during the same period which translates to Rs 419.68 crore worth of claims. 11:45 am Auto sales: Automaker Mahindra & Mahindra reported a 10 percent increase in total sales at 62,077 units in March as against 56,202 units for the same month last year. In the domestic market, M&M's sales also went up by 10 percent to 58,653 units last month as against 53,493 units a year earlier, the company said in a BSE filing. Exports were up 26 percent at 3,424 units as compared to 2,709 units in the same period a year ago. 11:30 am Order win: RPP Infra Projects has bagged orders worth Rs 233.9 crore from TNSCB (Tamilnadu Slum Clearance Board) and Maharashtra PWD (Public Works Department of Maharashtra). The stock is up 4 percent. 11:10 am Ashoka Buildcon gains: Shares of Ashoka Buildcon gained 5 percent intraday Monday as as company received letters of award from MoRT&H. The company received letters of award (LOAs) from Ministry of Road Transport & Highway (MoRT&H) through Public Works Department, National Highway (P.W.D), Maharashtra on EPC mode. The projects include up-gradation of Jalgaon - Bhadgaon ( section I) of NH 753J to two lane with paved shoulders and up-gradation of Bhadgaon - Chalisgaon (section II) of NH 753J in the state of Maharashtra on EPC mode. 10:47 am Buzzing Stock: Share price of Maruti Suzuki India added 2.4 percent in the early trade on Monday on the back of robust sales number for the month of March 2018. The company reported 15 percent jump in its total sales volumes for the month of March 2018. The company has sold total 1,60,598 units in March 2018. The company had sold a total of 1,39,763 units in March 2017. 10:35 am Market View: The Nifty which is still struggling to reclaim its 200-days moving average could see a pullback rally first and then retest 9800 kind of levels led by fall in global markets, Gautam Shah, Associate Director & Technical Analyst at JM Financial said in an interview with CNBC-TV18. The last one and a half month were challenging and it was required after the recent run-up we saw in the year 2017. The problem is that even at levels of 10100 we dont have evidence on the chart which suggests that the market is bottoming out for good, said Shah. He further added that considering the fact that the setup for global markets especially the US is still negative, India will still have to feel the heat. Also, the news flow in the past 4-6 weeks supported bearish sentiment. 10:05 am Market Check: The market has begun this new financial year on a positive note, with the Nifty trading above 10,100 in the opening tick, while the Sensex gained around 100 points and is hovering around those levels. Among stocks, ICICI Bank is down around 4 percent, while Axis Bank is also trading lower by around 1 percent. Canara Bank fell around 2 percent after it cancelled its stake sale in Can Fin Homes. The market also saw two debutants this morningSandhar Technologies and Karda Constructions. 10:20 am New Listing: Shares of Sandhar Technologies were listed at a premium of 5 percent on the exchanges here. The stock listed at Rs 349, a gain of Rs 27 to the issue price of Rs 332 per share. The initial public offer of auto component maker Sandhar was subscribed 6.19 times during March 19-21, 2018. 9:45 am Navkar Corp gains: Navkar Corporation share price rallied as much as 7.5 percent in morning on Monday after getting approval from NCLT for amalgamation of Navkar Terminals with the company. The container freight stations & rail terminals operator informed exchanges that the National Company Law Tribunal, Mumbai Bench (NCLT), on March 28, has sanctioned the Scheme of Amalgamation of Navkar Terminals into Navkar Corporation and their respective shareholders. Navkar Terminals is a wholly owned subsidiary of the company. 9:30 am Buzzing Stock: Shares of Can Fin Homes declined 8 percent in the early trade on Monday as Canara Bank called off the divestment process in the company. The bank decided to called off the divestment process since the quote received was not in tune with the valuation, as per BSE release. Canara Bank holds 30 percent stake in Can Fin Homes. 9:15 am Market Opens: Shares have begun the financial year on a positive note, with the Nifty trading above 10,100, while the Sensex is up around 100 points. The Sensex is up 96.72 points or 0.29% at 33065.40, while the Nifty is up 41.90 points or 0.41% at 10155.60. ICICI Bank is lower by over 3 percent on the back of negative developments around its CEO Chanda Kochchar, while Axis Bank is also trading lower by over 1 percent. A media reported said that the RBI has asked the lender to review Shikha Sharmas tenure. Among other stocks, Canara Bank is also trading lower by around 6 percent after it called off its stake sale in Can Fin Homes. GAIL, Vedanta, Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors were trading in the green, while Titan was lower by half a percent. 9:00 am Pre-opening rates: Pre-opening rates for the market in the new financial year have kicked in. The Nifty is trading flat, while the Sensex is seen lower by over 100 points. ICICI Bank is down around 10 percent, while Axis Bank is down around 4 percent. Police personnel fire tear gas shells to disperse the protestors during 'Bharat Bandh', call given by Dalit organisations against the alleged dilution of Scheduled Castes / Scheduled Tribes Act, in Ranchi. (PTI) RJD leader of opposition Tejashwi Yadav with Tej Partap Yadav and other MLA's raise slogans during 'Bharat Bandh' call given by Dalit organisations against the alleged 'dilution' of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes act, in Patna. (PTI) Members of Dalit community and Bhim Sena stage a protest during 'Bharat Bandh' against the alleged 'dilution' of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Act by Supreme court, in Jodhpur. (PTI) A person holds up a Costa Rican flag from a truck during the tight presidential election between candidates Carlos Alvarado Quesada and Fabricio Alvarado Munoz in San Jose, Costa Rica. (REUTERS) New Zealand's Neil Wagner (R) celebrates the wicket of England's Jonny Bairstow at the Second Test at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand. (REUTERS) Newly-hired employees of Japan Airlines (JAL) group attend the company group's initiation ceremony at a hangar of Haneda airport in Tokyo, Japan. (REUTERS) Surfers sit on top of their boards as people walk along the shoreline at sunset on Palm Beach, located on the Gold Coast, Australia. (REUTERS) A police officer guards a street, after Kashmiri separatists called for a day-long strike against the recent killings in Kashmir, in downtown Srinagar. (REUTERS) People film a shower of cherry blossoms at a park in Tokyo, Japan. (REUTERS) Shikha Sharma is the MD and CEO of Axis Bank. Sharma, who is serving her fourth term, has decided to shorten her tenure by more than two years. Sharmas decision came after the countrys apex bank the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) questioned the banks performance and its deteriorating asset quality. Under Sharmas tenure, Axis Bank the countrys third largest private lender reported its gross non-performing assets (NPAs) rising from 0.96 per cent in March 2009 to 5.28 per cent in December 2017. Axis Bank has also been pulled up twice by the central bank for under-reporting bad loans for financial years 2016 and 2017. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked Axis Banks board to reconsider the fourth term accorded to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shikha Sharma, The Economic Times reported. Although Sharma had been given a fourth term last year, the latest development seems to be a sign of precaution taken by the central bank on the back of multiple frauds coming to light at public sector banks (PSBs). In a letter addressed to Axis Bank Chairman Sanjiv Misra, RBI urged a review of the decision citing the banks performance and its deteriorating asset quality, among other reasons. The regulator urged the banks board to give Sharma a one-year term and scout for a successor during the period. Moneycontrol couldnt independently verify the report. A bank spokesperson was quoted by the newspaper as saying, The banks board follows a standard process on senior appointments, and forwards its recommendations to the regulator. This process is currently in progress and we are unaware of any final decision on this issue. The source added that the all communication between the bank and RBI were confidential. Homebuyers who had invested in embattled real estate group Jaypee have written to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor and the chief executive officer of the National Housing Bank (NHB) seeking a moratorium on their existing home loans. They have said that EMIs should not be deducted until a resolution is hammered out on flat deliveries. The letter says that the RBI has the powers to issue various directions to the banks under Section 21 and 35A of the Banking Regulations Act. These are statutory directions and as such binding on all the banks. Section 35A grants unlimited and unbridled powers to RBI to issue directions in the public interest and in the interest of the banking policy. The power would include the power to issue directions to the scheduled/commercial banks to keep the EMIs of the homebuyers in abeyance till the time there is clarity on the projects being developed by JAL and JIL or such necessary directions which would protect the interests of the homebuyers, the letter says. you are therefore requested to instruct banks not to raise any further demand for the time being and provide a moratorium on the EMIs and not to charge penal interest on the unpaid EMIs till the time possession or refund is granted to the homebuyers, it says. They have requested that the RBI instruct banks to collect the EMIs from the builder who had the primary responsibility of completing the project within a period of 36 to 42 months. A copy of the Feb 20 Supreme Court order has been attached with the letter. The Supreme Court had directed real estate firm Supertech to deposit Rs 10 crore more with its registry to pay interest to the homebuyers who had opted out of its Emerald Towers project that has two 40-storey residential buildings in Noida. The court had also asked the real estate company to keep paying the EMIs on behalf of those homebuyers who have not opted out of its housing projects in question. The letter to the RBI also said that non-payments of EMIs by homebuyers should not be treated as defaults but only a necessary outcome of the peculiar circumstances and the present scenario. The letter notes that the banks had granted loans to homebuyers even before the projects were approved by competent authorities. On filing of RTIs, it was discovered that several loans were issued by various banks even before the projects were sanctioned by the Noida Authority, which is a contravention of RBI/NHB regulations. It is noteworthy that in this entire gambit, the homebuyers are the ones who have been caught between the lenders and the builder. The homebuyers who were mere bystanders to this entire process, and who bonafidely paid each and every financial demand raised by the banks and the developer at all times duly performing their obligations under the contract, are the ones who have been most severely prejudiced and punished without any fault. It is well known that the property at present is non-existent and it seems very clear that the developer is unable to either develop or deliver the proposed project, says the letter. The letter says that the banks had offered various compelling but misleading financing options to the homebuyers to purchase flats in the project being developed by JIL/JAL. Being enticed by such offers and misrepresentations, homebuyers booked flats/apartments in the said projects. However, after the failure of delivery of the flats, what seems apparent now is that the main reason for introducing such schemes by the banks in collusion with the developers was to provide easy access to funds at a low rate to the developers. One such scheme offered by the banks was the subvention scheme which has been condemned by the RBI itself in one of its circulars, the letter says. In a separate letter to NHB, homebuyers have asked the apex financial institution for housing, that it should instruct housing finance companies not to raise any further demand for the time being and provide a moratorium on the EMIs and not to charge penal interest on the unpaid EMIs till the time possession or refund is granted to the homebuyers. It also mentions that a similar request had been made to various banks in the first week of February but none of the banks had accepted the request and have continued to issue demand notices even thereafter. Banks had earlier said that they require the approval of NHB before agreeing to it, lest the loans are classified as non-performing assets. Sriram Kalyanaraman, MD & CEO, NHB had told Moneycontrol, We are looking at it from all aspects. Will an EMI waiver solve the issue at this point, we are not sure. We are looking at all the aspects because EMI waiver may have an impact on other sectors as well. Earlier last month, homebuyers had also written to the prime minister and finance minister, requesting that they should be spared from paying instalments to banks until their houses are handed over. Vandana.ramnani@nw18.com Define your goals and invest accordingly | Adopting a why (goals)-how (process)-what (product) approach would be ideal. To develop this mindset, focus on goals and understand your risk profile before selecting products. A study by Great Place to Work Institute, India has ranked Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management Company (RNAM) as one of the top 15 workplaces in the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector for 2018, RNAM said in a press release.A total of 56 organizations from the BFSI sector participated in the study.Getting certified by Great Place To Work is a testimony of our commitment to create an employer of choice where our people are the biggest asset and are at the core of the business, said Sundeep Sikka, Executive Director and CEO.In the release, the company said its primary focus was on creating an empowering and rewarding work culture that would set it apart from the rest in the industry. "The organization considers its employees as the most valued assets, who are at the core of the business. This certification reinforces their belief that employees are the force that helps them differentiate vis-a-vis their competition in the industry," the release said.We strongly believe that our culture is the soul of the organization and is our biggest competitive advantage for sustainable growth, said Rajesh Derhgawen, Chief Human Resource Officer at RNAM.Its been our constant endeavour to be an employer of choice and create a strong employer brand. This recognition is a testimony of why most of our people have played a very long and successful innings with us. It is also the mark of trust, pride and camaraderie that all of us share and enjoy, he added.Every year, over 8, 000 organizations from more than 50 countries take part in the Great Place to Work assessment for benchmarking, action planning and recognition. According to the institute, the methodology employed to recognise best workplaces is rigorous, objective and considered as the gold standard for defining great workplaces across business, academia and government organizations. JSW Holdings | Cash flow from operation in FY18: Rs 66 crore, FY19: Rs 89 crore and in FY20: Rs 103 crore. In the past 3-year, the stock price has risen 40 percent to Rs 2450 on August 25, 2020. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Shares of Can Fin Homes declined 8 percent in the early trade on Monday as Canara Bank called off the divestment process in the company. The bank decided to called off the divestment process since the quote received was not in tune with the valuation, as per BSE release. Canara Bank holds 30 percent stake in Can Fin Homes. The bank has allotted 13,59,54,616 shares on preferential basis to Government of India, the promoters of the company. At 09:28 hrs Can Fin Homes was quoting at Rs 455, down 6.20 percent and Canara Bank was quoting at Rs 261.15, down 1.17 percent on the BSE. Can Fin Homes shed 27 percent and Canara Bank fell 20 percent in the last 9 months. Posted by Rakesh Patil live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Punj Lloyd share price gained more than 4 percent intraday on Monday after bagging engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) order from NHAI in Odisha. The engineering company informed exchanges, on March 28, that it had been awarded a contract worth Rs 806.11 crore for six laning of NH 5 (new NH 16) from Tangi to Bhubaneshwar in Odisha on EPC basis by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). The construction period is 730 days from the appointed date, to be notified by NHAI after fulfillment of certain conditions precedent, it added. Moreover, Punj Lloyd in the last week of March also received another road project worth Rs 505.22 crore for six / four laning of NH 5 (new NH 16) from Puintola to Tangi in Odisha on EPC basis by National Highway Authority of India. At 13:25 hours IST, the share price was quoting at Rs 17.60, up 3.23 percent on the BSE. Posted by Sunil Matkar Thank you for joining us! 18:28 At least seven people were killed in protests by Dalit community over SC/ST Act ruling by Supreme Court. Five were killed in Madhya Pradesh while one person each from Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh lost their lives were today affected and two trains, including a Shatabdi, were short-terminated as protesters squatted on the tracks to enforce an all-India shutdown against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act, officials said, adding that the routes were largely restored. "There were some incidents of gathering of agitators at Firozpur, Hapur, Moradabad, Ghaziabad yard (Gaushala), but there was no damage to railway property. Stray incidents of stone-pelting were reported from one or two places, but no passenger or railway personnel was hurt," Nitin Chowdhury, spokesperson, Northern Railways said, adding that the other trains were being run as and when the situation was brought under control by the civil administration. Protesters blocked rail and road traffic and resorted to violence in Rajasthan, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi. Over 100 passenger and mail train services 17:34 Normal life was disrupted in parts of Jharkhand. Majority of shops downed their shutters, anticipating violence. A truck was set ablaze allegedly by protesters on the outskirts of Jamshedpur early today, the police said. As many as 652 protesters were rounded up from various parts of the Steel City, said Sudhir Kumar, deputy superintendent of police, composite control room (CCR). Train services, however, remained unaffected by the bandh in the Tatanagar section of Chakradharpur division, railway sources said. 17:31 17The Delhi Assembly also discussed the issue in a calling attention motion today and both the ruling AAP and the opposition BJP members opposed the Supreme Court's decision on the legislation. 17:29 The "fundamental intent" of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act should be preserved, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said today and extended his Aam Aadmi Party's support to Dalit groups protesting against the alleged dilution of its provisions. 17:15 Indo-Pakistan bus service, 'Sada-e-Sarhad', running between Delhi and Lahore, was also disrupted. The Lahore-bound bus was halted at Sirhind and the Delhi-bound bus at Amritsar, police said, adding these buses will proceed to their destinations later in the afternoon. 17:13 Protest marches were taken out by Dalits in Jalandhar, Patiala, Hoshiarpur, Ropar, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Bathinda, Kapurthala and Phagwara in Punjab, and at Panchkula, Ambala, Kaithal, Hisar, Rohtak, Yamunanagar, Faridabad and Gurugram in Haryana as well as in Chandigarh. Markets wore a deserted look as shops and other commercial establishments remained closed and vehicles remained off the road, reported PTI. 17:09 "We are constantly monitoring the situation. We have asked the states to take all preventive measures and maintain public order and ensure safety of lives of people and property," the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said. 16:12 "The attitude of BJP is anti-Dalits. The protest is justified. I support the protest against the SC/ST Act," said BSP chief Mayawati. 15:57 Nearly 25-30 companies of additional forces have been deployed across Rajasthan, the police said. The authorities have also suspended mobile internet services and imposed section 144 in Barmer, Jalore, Sikar and Ahore following reports of violence there. Train movement in Alwar and Khairthal has been affected, he added. 15:54 "The Centre made no attempt to ensure that the SC/ST Act is not diluted. During the NDA rule, atrocities have increased. Lynchings, discrimination became the order of the day. If there's a case against a member of the opposition, the AttorneyGeneral gets involved. But for a law as crucial as this, which affects 1/4th of the population, the Centre was least interested," says Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha. 15:37 One person was killed in police firing in Alwar district of Rajasthan. Police was trying to stop the mob from stone pelting. 15:32 Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief, Om Prakash Rajbhar, today supported the Supreme Court's ruling on the SC/SCAct, arguing that "innocent people" were harassed. "The decision of the Supreme Court is absolutely appropriate, as the SC/ST Act is widely misused similar to the Dowry Prohibition Act. Innocent people are harassed in the garb of this Act. A case should be registered only after probe by a magistrate-level officer," he said. 15:28 In Lucknow, a massive protest is underway at main Hazratganj crossing. Heavy forces have been deployed but reports suggest that the protesters have been peaceful 15:27 Protesters are openly brandishing swords in Punjab's Firozpur 15:16 Electricity supply stopped at many places in Agra 14:47 Incidents of stone pelting on buses were reported here in north Maharashtra today. "Protesters pelted stones on four state transport buses, including the Shahada-Padsalda bus, at Shahada in Nandurbar district," a police official told PTI. 14:45 Vehicles set ablaze during protests in Muzaffarnagar 14:41 "Perversion towards Dalit community, dictating atrocities against Dalits. Encroachment on Dalit jobs, budget cuts on Dalit welfare. Conspiracy to end the Dalit/ Tribal anti-oppression Law. This is the real face of PM Modi and BJP government," tweets Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala 14:28 Death toll rises to four in Madhya Pradesh, ANI reported 14:18 The Supreme Court declines urgent hearing of a PIL against the SC/ST ruling. CJI Dipak Misra refuses to list matter for tomorrow or day after. The PIL was mentioned by a lawyer for the SC/ST organisation, but the CJI said there is no urgency 14:14 19 people injured in Gwalior, of which 2 are in critical condition. Internet services have been blocked in Gwalior district till 6 am tomorrow 13:46 Protesters in Meerut vandalised the town collectorate and court premises. They also burned several vehicles. Intermittent firing could be heard from the area 13:37 'Bharat Bandh' has hit the national capital with protesters blocking roads at Connaught Place in New Delhi. Few protesters have been detained by Delhi police. Traffic snarls are being reported as well 13:28 "Delhi Police is alert. We have adequate police deployment at places and senior officials are also present on the field. All steps will be taken to maintain law & order," said Deependra Pathak, spokesperson of Delhi Police. 13:03 "The remarks of the Supreme Court have hurt us terribly. If the review petition is properly filed by BJP, then they must ensure that all these adverse remarks are deleted otherwise we won't let any BJP leader touch Ambedkar statue on April 14," says Independent Dalit MLA Jignesh Mevani 12:49 One person has died in Morena and curfew has been imposed in the area, ANI reported. Section 144 has also been imposed in parts of Gwalior and Sagar in Madhya Pradesh 12:47 "We can understand the anger of SC/ST youth but can't understand why some political parties are making an issue out of it," said Ram Vilas Paswan, president of Lok Janshakti Party 12:45 We have filed the review petition in Supreme Court. I appeal to all political parties & groups to maintain peace and not incite violence, says Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh 12:24 Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan appeals to the protesters to maintain peace and law and order 12:19 Mumbai remains largely unaffected by the Bharat Bandh. Traffic police officials said road conditions were normal, while the local police are monitoring the situation to ensure that there are no law and order issues 11:55 "The central and state governments are dedicated to the welfare of backward castes, SC and ST. I appeal to all to not disturb law and order. If there are any issues at all, you can bring them to the government's notice," says Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath 11:45 Congress President Rahul Gandhi hits out at the Centre over SC/ST Act, says oppressing Dalits is in the DNA of BJP and RSS 11:32 "We have filed a review petition over the SC/ST Act in Supreme Court. The Narendra Modi government is committed to the progress of Dalits," said Union Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad. 11:08 Bihar's Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav tweeted his support for the 'Bharat Bandh' 10:40 The Centre will file a petition in the Supreme Court today, seeking review of the judgment diluting the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The government is likely to tell the top court that the order banning automatic arrest and registration of cases for alleged harassment of SCs/STs will dilute a law aimed at protecting the marginalised. 10:26 The CBSE has postponed examinations of Classes 10 and 12, scheduled to be held today, in Punjab following a request by the state government in view of 'Bharat Bandh'. The government has also decided to keep all schools shut for the day. 10:16 Punjab government has suspended mobile internet, SMS services and dongle services, except for voice calls from 5 pm on Sunday to 11 pm today. 10:15 Early reports on Monday morning suggested that Dalit organisations and some Left organisations had blocked trains in Bihars Forbesganj and Arrah, closer to Patna along with Odisha's Sambalpur. 10:15 Good morning! This live blog will track happenings from the 'Bharat Bandh' protests. Multiple Dalit organisations have called for a 'bandh' today to protest against the alleged "dilution" of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Airfare for travel to Dubai may increase next summer as authorities in the emirate have asked Indian carriers to halve their seating capacity in view of a 45-day runway closure scheduled to begin in April next year. Currently, flights from India to Dubai fly around 65,000 people every week. In a letter dated February 27, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths issued directives to slash this to half the number, The Economic Times reported. Dubai-based airlines Emirates and flydubai have also been asked to scale down operations, the newspaper reported citing a letter from Griffiths. In the letter, Griffiths said that passenger airlines, including Indian carriers, with multiple daily frequencies would be required to bring down their capacities by up to 50 percent. Dubai Airports also required Emirates and flydubai to reduce their seat capacity by approximately 33 percent. The order has left Indian carriers with raised eyebrows, who termed the move step-brotherly treatment. In the letter, the authorities claimed that the 33 percent capacity reduction by the two Dubai-based carriers would contribute 55 percent of the airports total capacity reduction. However, Indian carriers said the order to reduce operations was not equal and was discriminatory. They further raised the issue of slot allocation to their flights at Dubai airport, an airline executive told the paper, adding that they receive the least-desired ones. Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has accused India of launching a "brutal crackdown" in Kashmir after terror groups suffered a major setback following killing of 13 terrorists in counter-insurgency operations. Abbasi's statement late last night came after Indian security forces on Sunday gunned down 13 militants in three counter-insurgency operations that also claimed the lives of three Army jawans and four civilians in Anantnag and Shopian districts of Jammu and Kashmir. "The brutal crackdown, including the despicable use of pellet guns on civilians who were protesting against the killing is deplorable," Abbasi said. He also asked the international community to urge India to allow access to fact finding missions of the UN to Kashmir. Yesterday's operations by the Indian security forces have rendered a severe blow to terror groups such as the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Lashker-e-Taiba. 13:01 That brings us to the end of the Budget Session of the Parliament. That's all from our side. Thanks for staying tuned. 11:19 The proceedings of the Lok Sabha have ended for the Budget Session. The House will meet in the Monsoon Session, dates for which will be announced later. Some MPs who were in the Well of the House continued protesting even as the Speaker took up formalities of the House while ending the session. The no-confidence motion was not taken up today. 11:16 Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has adjourned the House sine die. 11:14 The House has risen for the Vande Mataram, according to the tradition. 11:13 The Speaker has listed down the work done by the Lok Sabha so far in the session. This includes presentation of the Union Budget and passing of the Finance Bill. Speaker Mahajan has said that crucial bills such as the Finance Bill, Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment Bill) and Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2017. 11:05 Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has requested protesting MPs to return to their seats as she needs to complete certain procedures. Today is the last day of the Budget Session. 11:04 The Lok Sabha has convened. The ruckus has continued. 10:52 Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs are protesting in the Parliament premises demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh while Congress MPs from Punjab are protesting, seeking farm loan waiver. 10:48 According to news agency ANI, YSR Congress MP PV Midhun Reddy has submitted his resignation from the Lok Sabha, to Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. 10:15 The Lok Sabha will convene for the final time today in the Budget Session. The Opposition is expected to move a motion of no-confidence today. At the same time, as many as 5 MPs of the YSR Congress will step down from their positions. The YS Jaganmohan Reddy-led party had earlier said that their MPs would resign if special status is not granted in this session of the Parliament. 14:00 The Lok Sabha will convene for the final time in the Budget Session tomorrow at 11 am. That's all from our side. Thanks for staying tuned. 12:17 Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 11 am tomorrow after uproar by AIADMK MPs over the Cauvery issue. 11:58 The Lok Sabha will convene is a short while. Remember, today is the penultimate day of the Budget Session of the Parliament. 11:07 The Lok Sabha has been adjourned till noon. 10:48 The Lok Sabha is set to convene at 11 am today. Yesterday, the House was adjourned following ruckus by AIADMK MPs over the Cauvery Management Board issue. 14:13 The Lok Sabha will convene tomorrow at 11 am. That's all from our side. Thanks for staying tuned. 12:24 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu has met J&K National Conferences Farooq Abdullah, Congress Jyotiraditya Scindia and Nationalist Congress Partys Sharad Pawar. 12:17 Lok Sabha has been adjourned by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan till 11 am tomorrow. 12:16 Some MPs raised 'we want justice' slogans even as Home Minister Rajnath Singh was making a statement on incidents of violence during the 'Bharat Bandh' protests yesterday. 11:05 Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 12 noon after some MPs raised 'we want justice' slogans, immediately after the House convened. 10:36 The Lok Sabha will convene at 11 am today. Yesterday, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had adjourned the House after ruckus from protesting AIADMK MPs. The AIADMK MPs were demanding setting-up of the Cauvery Management Board. 10:14 Good morning! This live blog will track the developments from the Lok Sabha, where some Opposition parties including the TDP and YSR Congress are likely to move the motion of no-confidence today. 14:09 The Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 11 am tomorrow, amid continued ruckus. That's all from our side. Thanks for staying tuned. 12:15 Amid chaos, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has adjourned the Lok Sabha till Tuesday, April 3 at 11 am. 12:12 Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar has said that the government is ready for the no-confidence motion and has blamed the Opposition for the logjam. 12:09 Around 10-11 Members of the Parliament (MPs) across various Opposition parties have moved the motion of no-confidence. 12:07 The AIADMK MPs have continued their protest in the Well of the House. They are demanding setting-up of the Cauvery Management Board. 12:04 The Lok Sabha has convened. AIADMK MPs have continued to protest in the Well of the House. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan is encouraging the day's list of business to go on in spite of the ruckus. 11:08 The Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 12 pm, minutes after convening. AIADMK MPs were protesting demanding formation of the Cauvery Management Board. 10:22 Lalu Prasad Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)s MP JP Yadav and Congress MP Sushmita Dev have given adjournment motion notices in Lok Sabha over the CBSE paper leak issue, according to reports. 09:16 The Lok Sabha is expected to convene at 11 am. 09:14 AIADMK to consider moving trust vote against NDA, only if Congress supports In a significant shift, the AIADMK has agreed to consider moving a no-trust motion in the Lok Sabha against the NDA government if Congress supported it. AIADMK has put the political onus on its rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on the Cauvery issue. Party leader M Thambidurai said, "Stalin says AIADMK should bring a no-trust motion (on Cauvery issue). We are ready to bring it." In the same breath, Thambidurai, who is also the Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker said Congress support was needed to facilitate such an initiative. "Let Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi issue a statement (indicating support), they (DMK) are in alliance with them (Congress)... only if they (Congress) support, we will get the (requisite) numbers," he said. (With PTI inputs) 09:08 Last week, the TRS agreed to no protest and support the no-confidence motion being brought-in by TDP. AIADMK however continued to protest over the Cauvery Management Board issue. 09:08 The Speaker of the House, Sumitra Mahajan, needs a head-count of at least 50 Members of Parliament (MPs) to initiate the trust vote against NDA. However, the Speaker was unable to bring in the motion even as she said she was duty-bound to do so, as MPs from Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) were protesting in the Well of the House. 09:07 For around two weeks, Andhra Pradesh-based Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the YSR Congress have been hoping to bring the motion of no-confidence against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. Last week, other Opposition parties such as the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) also tried to bring in their own no-confidence motion against the government. 16:00 After Karnataka polls, Deve Gowda's dynastic and distrusted party could be kingmaker In the absence of a clear trend in favour of either the ruling Congress or the principal opposition BJP in the run-up to the Karnataka assembly elections, the third player, HD Deve Gowdas Janata Dal (Secular), is hoping for a fractured mandate where it could emerge the kingmaker, like it did in 2004. JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, however, insists that his party will be the king, though he fails to convincingly explain how the magical figure of 113 seats in the 224-member assembly will be achieved. A recent survey by research agency Cfore has predicted that JD(S) tally will actually fall from the present 40 seats to 27. Read the full story by M Gautham Machaiah here. 13:07 BJP to announced list of 108 candidates soon, Congress by April 14 BJP will be announcing its first list of 108 candidates for the Assembly polls soon. Congress, on the other hand is expected to release its list of all 224 candidates by April 14, according to News18. 09:35 Lingayat issue: MHA steers clear, says minority affairs ministry to take a call The Ministry of Home Affairs today virtually washed its hands of the issue of granting religious minority status for the Lingayat and Veerashaiva Lingayat community in Karnataka saying the issue is beyond its jurisdiction and the Ministry of Minorities Affairs would look into it. An MHA spokesperson also said a decision on the issue is not expected anytime soon as the model code of conduct has been in force in Karnataka, where Assembly election is due next month. The ministry has received a communication from the Karnataka government recommending grant of religious minority status for the numerically strong community. "However, the subjection is beyond the jurisdiction of the MHA and hence forwarded to the Ministry of the Minorities Affairs, which is the competent authority to take a decision on it," the spokesperson told reporters here. Asked whether the MHA has given any opinion on the recommendation of the Karnataka government before forwarding it to the Ministry of the Minorities Affairs, the spokesperson said the question does not arise as it was not an issue to be examined by the MHA. (PTI) 07:40 Kannada outfits call for Karnataka bandh on April 12 over Cauvery row Pro-Kannada outfits today called for a bandh in poll-bound Karnataka on April 12 in a counter to the ongoing stir in neighbouring Tamil Nadu for an early setting up of the Centre to form Cauvery Management Board (CMB). The Karnataka bandh call came amid the DMK-led opposition parties observing a state-wide shutdown in Tamil Nadu on Monday, demanding early setting up of CMB to ensure water for farmers as per the Supreme Court orders. Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami, his deputy O Panneerselvam and other AIADMK leaders had also observed a day-long fast in Chennai on Monday seeking formation of CMB. (PTI) 16:06 Congress deploys cabinet ministers and partys state-level working president to counter BJPs claims CM Siddaramaiah and party General Secretary KC Venugopal have deployed two cabinet ministers and the party state unit working president, in a bid to factually counter to claims on finances and politics by the BJP, according to a report by The Economic Times. Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda and state working president Dinesh Gundu Rao have been addressing press conferences and quickly responding to BJPs claims. 14:22 A state-wide survey conducted by the Association for Democratic Reforms and Daksh reveals that the much-hyped Indira Canteen Scheme - food joints opened in the cities of Karnataka to serve extremely economical (read: subsidised) food - has not been perceived by the public as intended. The scheme was started following the success of Amma Canteen in Tamil Nadu. The Indira Canteens served over one crore meals within the first two-and-a-half month in Bengaluru. Read the full data story here. 12:30 Congress to release 35 separate manifestos: M Veerappa Moily Congress party will be issuing 35 separate manifestos for the assembly election. M Veerappa Moily, who is heading the drafting committee has said that the party was preparing manifestos for the 30 districts of Karnataka, one for the states four regions and one for the entire state, according to a report by Business Standard. The manifestos will be released in mid-April, possibly by party president Rahul Gandhi and the CM Siddaramaiah. M Veerappa Moily has served as the state's CM froom 1992 to 1994. 10:25 Siddaramaiah carrying lemon during campaign is "hypocrisy": BJP BJP, on Wednesday accused Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of 'hypocrisy' for campaigning with a lemon in hand, but "antagonising" people by bringing in Anti-Superstitions Bill to "demean and criminalise" Hindu traditions. "Campaigns with a lemon in hand, but brings in Anti-Superstitions Bill to demean and criminalise Hindu traditions. Hypocrisy thy name is @siddaramaiah," Karnataka BJP said in a tweet. BJP also posted a photograph showing Siddaramaiah campaigning with a lemon in hand. The party also mocked Siddaramaiah by asking him to take classes from the "brilliant mathematician" and AICC convenor Priyanka Chaturvedi for claiming low attendance at Amit Shah's rallies in Karnataka. (PTI) 09:39 RSS men sitting in every ministry and giving orders, alleges Rahul Gandhi Congress president Rahul Gandhi today accused the Narendra Modi government of "disrespecting" and "demolishing" various institutions by having RSS men "sitting in every ministry and giving orders." On the fifth lap of his tour of election-bound Karnataka, Gandhi said if voted to power, the Congress would free these institutions from the RSS control. "I don't know if you all know that in every single minister's office, there is an RSS man sitting and giving orders. So what can you expect.... nothing but disrespecting the institutions. The banking system of the country has been demolished by having this structure," he said. (PTI) 08:31 Election Commission in Karnataka to review poll-preparedness Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat, who is on a three-day visit to the poll-bound state, to check election-preparedness, released a booklet as part of voters' awareness drive yesterday. Rawat was accompanied by two other election commissioners, Sunil Arora and Ashok Lavasa. After releasing the booklet, the CEC held a meeting with state chief electoral officer Sanjiv Kumar and other senior officials. (PTI) 20:16 Modiji talks about employing the youth. It has been 4 years of his reign, and India is seeing the worst state of employment in the last 8 years: Rahul Gandhi during his address in Magadi. 15:06 Election officials search planes of Rahul Gandhi and Amit Shah The special aircraft of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and BJP national chief Amit Shah were today searched by officials after they landed at Hubballi airport in north Karnataka to campaign for their parties in the run-up to the May 12 assembly polls. The exercise involving three district level officers was described by officials as being in line with the Election Commission's directive to ensure free and fair elections in Karnataka. "It was a random search by a team led by (election) nodal officer Karpale. We searched the planes in which Rahul Gandhi and Amit Shah had arrived. It was not intentional," Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad district S B Bommanahalli told PTI. 12:16 Rahul Gandhi interacts with traders in Davanagere Interacting with traders in Davanagere, Rahul Gandhi said, Modi Government gave us one of the most complicated GST in the world. Only Sudan & Pakistan have a GST system which is more complicated. We will fundamentally change the GST and simplify it when we come to power at the Centre in 2019. 11:22 Nitish Kumar to visit Karnataka and campaign on April 12 Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will visit the state on April 12 to campaign for his party Janata Dal (United)s candidates, who will be contesting in about 30 constituencies. "We will be contesting elections in between 24 to 30 seats in Karnataka on our own. Nitish ji will be visiting the state on April 12 to kick-start the campaign," JD (U) (Nitish Kumar faction) Karnataka Unit President Mahima Patel told reporters here. Both factions of the JD (U) have not officially announced an alliance with the BJP, yet. (PTI) 09:00 Rahul Gandhi to meet 111-year-old seer, hold rally in Magadi Congress President Rahul Gandhi is currently on his fifth round of campaigning in Karnataka. Today, the scion will be holding a corner meeting in Holalkere at noon, followed by a meeting with 111-year-old Lingayat seer of Siddaganga Mutt Shivakumara Swamy, at around 14:30. Gandhi will then address a public meeting at Magadi around 18:00. 08:27 Amit Shah calls Siddaramaiah governments resolution on Veershaiva-Lingayat a conspiracy BJP President Amit Shah said yesterday, Many have expressed concern over Siddaramaiah governments resolution on Veershaiva-Lingayat community. This is nothing but a conspiracy to mislead people before the elections and stopping BS Yeddyurappa from becoming the CM. We will not let this happen. 20:04 Amit Shah rejects Congress governments demand in Karnataka to make Lingayat a separate religion. Shah said that there is no separate religion for Lingayats, and assured Veershaiva seers that there will be no division. Shah said that this is the commitment of the government. 19:27 Rahul Gandhi said, "It has been four years of PM Narendra Modis reign. He has never asked people anything. Everything is Mere Mann ki baat. Who will listen to the countrys mann ki baat?" 15:02 Yogendra Yadavs Swaraj India party to field 6 candidates Psephologist-turned-politicians Yogendra Yadavs Swaraj India party has said that it will field six candidates in the Karnataka assembly polls. The party also Tweeted-out the names and constituencies of the six candidates: Puttannaiah (Melukote constituency), Linge Gowda SH (Maddur), Vaijanath Patil (Yadir), P Ramesh Chander (Mahadevapura), KP Bhootaya (Challakere) and Shailendra (Hanur). 13:43 CM Siddaramaiah is now addressing the rally. 13:39 Rahul Gandhi said, When PM Modi speaks about corruption in Karnataka, guess he doesn't see the stage properly. On his left side is Shri Yeddyurappa, who has been to jail and on his right side are several other ministers who were also in Jail. 13:37 "PM Modi has written a book about how students can counter stress during exams. But, after all the hard work the students put in, the Modi government announced that the paper was leaked," Rahul Gandhi has said in Karnatakas Shivamogga. 13:34 The amount of money Narendra Modi ji gives for development for Dalits and Adivasis across the country, is the amount of money Congress spends in Karnataka alone: Rahul Gandhi in Shivamogga. 13:31 They (BJP) have destroyed the banking system. This is just the beginning, says Rahul Gandhi. 13:28 Rahul Gandhi takes a jibe at PM Modi, says, On one hand paper leaks, on the other hand, Election Commissions dates leak. 13:23 Congress President Rahul Gandhi is addressing at rally at Shivamogga. CM Siddaramaiah is also present. 12:29 Rahul Gandhi to visit Siddaganga Mutt, meet 111-year-old Lingayat seer tomorrow Rahul Gandhi will go to Holalkere in Chitradurga district on Wednesday. Holalkere is a Lingayat stronghold. The Congress president will then go to Tumkur, where he is expected to meet the 111-year-old seer of Siddaganga Mutt Shivakumara Swamy, a revered Lingayat pontiff. 11:11 Act against Shah, Yeddyurappa for violating model code of conduct: Congress to EC On Monday, Congress approached the EC demanding action against BJP president Amit Shah and the party's Karnataka unit chief BS Yeddyurappa for allegedly violating the model code of conduct in the state by offering Rs 5 lakh to the family of a deceased person. The opposition party has also asked the EC to conduct a time-bound probe into the matter. Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi identified the deceased person as "Mr Raju". The deceased was a BJP activist, killed in Mysuru in March 2016. Singhvi raised questions over the timing of the aid allegedly offered when Shah, Union minister Ananth Kumar and Yeddyurappa visited Raju's family last Friday, three days after the EC announced the Karnataka Assembly polls schedule. The Congress submitted a memorandum to the EC, accusing the BJP of using money to influence votes in Karnataka, and said the ruling party at the Centre resorted to the "desperate measure, foreseeing its inevitable defeat in the May 12 Assembly polls. The BJP however has said Shah did not give any money to Raju's family. (PTI) 10:29 BJP president Amit Shah to attend two events today in Kaginele and Bagalkot Shah will be speaking at an OBC Convention in Kaginele around 3:30 pm and will be having an interaction at Shivayogi Mandira at Badami, Bagalkot at around 6:00 pm. 09:15 R Roshan Baig, Naseer Ahmed, Nasir Hussain and Suraj Hegde and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson met Chief Election Officer (CEO) of Karnataka and filed a memorandum on 18 lakh missing voters, according to the partys Shivajinagar unit Twitter handle. 08:37 Rahul Gandhi to campaign in Shivamogga and Davangere Congress President Rahul Gandhi will take up campaigning in the state. Gandhi will be visiting Shivamogga and Davangere and is expected to address public meetings there at 12:35 pm and 05:45 pm respectively, according to the Congress. 08:34 Good morning! This live blog will keep track of the latest political developments in the poll-bound state of Karnataka, through the day. The southern state is heading for assembly polls of May 12. The result will be declared on May 15. 22:28 Congress President Rahul Gandhi will visit Karnataka on the 3rd and the 4th April. He looks to tour the districts of Shivamogga, Davangere, Chitradurga, Tumkuru and Ramanagara. These are places that are covered by BJP President Amit Shah. 19:54 The EC has decided to launch a special drive on April 8 at all polling stations in the state aimed at providing opportunity for women, people with disabilities, primitive tribes and all weaker sections of the society. 19:43 The Election Commission (EC) has put 1156 Flying Squads and 1255 Static Surveillance Teams in place to ensure the Model Code of Conduct for the Karnataka polls.Also the sqauds seized Rs 8,56,850/, 550 sarees, 38 sewing machines, 96 cookers, 5 vehicles. Overall the EC squads took Rs 1,21,47,570 cash, 139 litres of liquor, 568 sarees, 2 kg 464 gms of gold worth Rs 49,17,000, 160 laptops and 8 vehicles. 15:38 People have made up their minds to throw out Siddaramaiah government: Amit Shah BJP President Amit Shah on Saturday claimed that the people of Karnataka have made up their minds to "throw out" the Siddaramaiah-led government in the Assembly polls, as they were "disappointed" with it on several fronts, especially corruption. Shah, who was on a tour of Mysuru, Mandya and Ramanagara districts, said that his party would put up a good show during the polls in the old Mysuru region. 12:35 Siddaramaiah to contest from Chamundeshwari, where his political journey began Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has decided to contest the upcoming Assembly polls from Chamundeshwari assembly constituency. Siddaramaiah is currently elected from the Varuna seat. The chief minister has however represented the Chamundeshwari constituency five times before and campaigned there recently to reconnect with the people, according to a news report. According to reports, Siddaramaiah has taken the step to allow his son Dr Yathindra to contest from Varuna seat. No Karnataka chief minister has been re-elected to office since Janata Partys Ramakrishna Hedge in 1985. 12:45 Shiv Sena to go solo in Karnataka Assembly polls Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s NDA ally Shiv Sena has said that it will contest around 60 seats against its the BJP in the upcoming Assembly polls in Karnataka. The announcement was made by party MP Sanjay Raut. In the past, the Sena had fielded its candidates against the BJP during elections in Goa, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat (last year). "Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had already announced that our party is going to contest elections independently and as a part of it, we have decided to go solo in Karnataka as well. We will contest around 50-60 seats but will support the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), which represents the Marathi people living in disputed areas between Maharashtra and Karnataka," he said, according to PTI. 11:42 BJP brings out 'charge sheet' against Congress government The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday brought out a 'charge sheet' against the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka in three booklets, listing its alleged failures on law and order, agriculture and ignoring capital Bengaluru. The BJP claimed that the crime had increased by three-fold in the state and the atrocities were being committed on Dalits, women and children. The saffron party also claimed that there were increasing attacks on honest officials and killings of Hindutva activists. BJP also listed steep rise in farmers' suicides in the last three years, drug mafia ruling the roost in the states capital and poor infrastructure in the city, in the charge sheet. 11:42 Good morning! This live blog will track the latest developments from the state of Karnataka which will be heading for the crucial Assembly polls on May 12. The counting of votes and the result announcement will happen on May 15. This blog will campaign latest political developments in the state keep an eye on the campaigns. Ramakrishna Upadhya With so much at stake in returning to power in Karnataka, will Congress chief Rahul Gandhi come to regret his election-eve decision to distance from and even humiliate former prime minister HD Deve Gowdas Janata Dal (Secular) party? In the May 12 Assembly polls, Karnataka is staring at three possibilities: Either Congress or the BJP gaining an absolute majority or the JD(S) playing the role of a king-maker in the event of a hung House. Theres no fourth party worth the name and the independents have increasingly got marginalised. Until recently, Congress and JD(S) were seen as natural allies in Karnataka and in fact, they share power in Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), where they joined hands to keep BJP out despite that party winning more seats than the combined tally of Congress and JD(S). In April last year, JD(S) had clearly facilitated Congress victory in by-elections to assembly seats in Nanjangud and Gundlupet by not putting up candidates in either place. It loaned Kalale Keshavamurthy to Congress so that he could defeat V Srinivas Prasad, a strong Dalit leader who had switched sides from Congress to BJP, being unhappy with the style of functioning of chief minister Siddaramaiah. Those two by-election results overnight boosted a somewhat wobbly Siddaramaiahs stock within the Congress. Conversely, BJPs BS Yeddyurappa, who had invested so much in these constituencies with a strong Lingayat presence, suddenly began to look vulnerable. With a series of political manoeuvres since then, including, according primacy to Kannada in education, adopting a state flag and recommending a separate religion and minority status to Lingayats, Siddaramaiah appears to have consolidated his position. But, at the same time, Siddaramaiah is facing a strong anti-incumbency factor in Karnataka, which has never given a second successive term to a sitting chief minister in the last 33 years. Thats where JD(S) may have a crucial role to play. Since Siddaramaiah switched over from JD(S) to Congress only in 2006, the bitter animosity between him and the father-and-son duo of Deve Gowda and HD Kumaraswamy has persisted. While Siddaramaiah has dismissed any possibility of seeking JD(S) support, claiming that Congress will attain a majority on its own, 85-year-old Deve Gowda, who is the unquestioned leader of the powerful Vokkaliga community, is straining every sinew in this last electoral battle for him to find a foothold for JD(S) in the formation of the next government. Until a few weeks ago, it was presumed that Congress and JD(S), the two secular parties, would join hands as they had done in 2004 to form a coalition government, should Congress fall short of the majority. But after what happened in the Northeast after recent elections, Congress possibly suspects that the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah combine may entice JD(S) to its side and leave Congress party high and dry. That, of course, cannot be ruled out as Deve Gowda had ditched Congress in 2006 to cobble an alliance with BJP to make his son the chief minister. Gowda completed a full circle by pulling out of the deal with the BJP after Kumaraswamy completed his term. What makes the coming elections most intriguing is that several independent and reliable surveys have indicated that it will be a neck-and-neck race between Congress and BJP, but neither side will be able to touch the half-way mark of 113 seats in a House of 225 MLAs. Siddaramaiah going all out against JD(S) is understandable because he knows that Gowda will never back him for a second term and the choice may fall on Mallikarjun Kharge, who has missed the bus at least three times. Political observers believe that Rahul Gandhi could have kept his options open for an understanding with JD(S) later, had he refrained from attacking Gowdas party openly and in a sarcastic manner. He recently called JD(S) the B team of BJP and the S in its name stood for Sangh parivar. As the newly elected president of Congress and having the gigantic task of rebuilding the party, it was also important for Rahul Gandhi to reach out to more like-minded parties before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Retaining Karnataka, if not its own, but in alliance with JD(S), would not only have acted as a huge psychological boost for Congress, but also would have paved the way for a formal understanding in the parliament polls, where Congress desperately needs the numbers to regain credibility at the national level. Has Rahul Gandhi been daring or committed a faux pas? We will know very soon. Mouth-watering discounts, low lending rates, new launches and pressure on dealers to meet their year-end sales targets pushed domestic sales volumes for a few brands during March, but most were left wanting for more. Only Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors logged double digit growth during March while other five automakers, Mahindra & Mahindra, Honda, Toyota, Ford and Hyundai, posted a degrowth to single digit growth during last month. Together, the seven companies, which control nearly 95 percent volumes of the domestic market, posted a growth of 9 percent during last month to 2.78 lakh units as compared to 2.55 lakh units. Countrys largest car maker Maruti Suzuki remained the outlier posting a growth of 16 percent during last month to 1.48 lakh units in domestic sales. Volumes were driven by Alto, Wagon R, Dzire, Swift, Brezza and Baleno. Maruti Suzuki, which controls 50 percent of the market, has been witnessing robust demand for new models such as Brezza, Swift and Dzire even as Baleno continued to attract buyers despite being in the market for more than 18 months. Tata Motors rise in volumes remained unchallenged during March as new launches such as Nexon and Tiago shore up wholesales (sales from manufacturer to dealer) for the Mumbai-based company. The companys sales grew by 31 percent to 20,266 units. Mayank Pareek, President, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors, said, We have ended FY18 with a robust sales performance with a growth of 31%, on the back of our new generation cars. With Nexon we are making good progress in the UV segment. We look forward to sustaining this growth rate and continue this momentum in FY 19. South Korean brand Hyundai, the second largest car maker in India, clocked a growth of just 7 percent during last month at 48,009 units. This growth was only slightly higher than its full year growth of 5 percent. Utility vehicle specialist Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) clocked a volume growth of 4 percent during the year at 26,555 units. New launches such as the upgraded version of the KUV100, compact Bolero helped push volumes to a certain extent. Rajan Wadhera, President, Automotive Sector, M&M With three of our critical new automotive launches lined up in FY19, we are confident of increasing our market share in the utility vehicle space. Two Japanese heavyweights, Honda and Toyota, posted a fall in volumes last month. With no new products in the portfolio, except the WR-V, Honda volumes slumped 28 percent during last month to 13,574 units. Toyota, meanwhile, marked a fall of 9 percent during the same month to 12,539 units. Toyota too has not had a new product launch in sometime. Meanwhile, two-wheeler companies recorded a robust volume growth for March despite the SC-directed aberration of BSIII-BSIV impact that occurred during the same month last year. Bike and scooter making companies had announced a two-day fire sale in March 2017 of BS-III vehicles as their sales after April 1 were invalid. Various technology as well as conventional automobile manufacturers are developing autonomous vehicles or driverless cars. (Image: Reuters) March was a rough month for self-driving cars. While Ubers autonomous car killed one person in Arizona while on testing, Teslas autopilot drive was engaged in a fatal crash in California. The month ended with an autonomous Chevy Bolt by GM's autonomous cars division, Cruise, being slapped with a traffic ticket for not yielding to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. A traffic police officer pulled over the car for not allowing a pedestrian to cross over in San Francisco, though the company asserted that no wrongdoing had happened. As per a report in CBS, Cruise said that the data collected by the Bolt while it was in autonomous driving mode suggests that pedestrian was 10.8 feet away from the car while it passed through the intersection. Safety is our priority in testing our self-driving vehicles," Cruise said in a statement. "California law requires the vehicle to yield the right of way to pedestrians, allowing them to proceed undisturbed and unhurried without fear of interference of their safe passage through an intersection. Our data indicates thats what happened here. A witness who was present there said that there was another car stopped alongside and he looked a little befuddled. The cop was just writing a regular ticket like they always do, he added. The ticket was, though served to a driver sitting behind the wheels, but it raises an important question. In such scenarios, who should be held responsible, the driver sitting behind the wheel who did not take control of the car or the company who built and runs the technology? Such incidents also raise questions about the reliability of the futuristic technology. US President Donald Trump proposed a White House summit when he called Russian President Vladimir Putin last month, prior to the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats from the US, a top Kremlin aide said today. "Trump proposed holding a meeting at the White House in Washington," Putin's top foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, told reporters. On March 20, Trump called Putin to congratulate him on his re-election, and the US leader told reporters afterwards that the two would "probably get together in the not-too-distant future." In calling Putin, Trump ignored explicit advice from his national security advisers not to do so, The Washington Post has reported, quoting officials familiar with the call. Ushakov said today, however, that the two sides have not had any "concrete discussions" about the summit since that rare Trump-Putin phone conversation. "It was Trump himself who proposed holding the meeting," Ushakov said. "But after that a new breakdown in our bilateral ties has taken place, the diplomats have been expelled." He expressed the hope that Russia and the United States could return to "constructive and serious dialogue." After the call, Washington expelled 60 Russian diplomats and shut down a Russian consulate in Seattle, joining Britain's allies in responding to the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. Moscow responded by sending home 60 US diplomats and closing Washington's consulate in Saint Petersburg. Washington has, however, said Russia is free to apply to accredit more diplomats to replace those expelled. Donald Trump Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release. Getting more dangerous. Caravans coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2018 The President of the United States Donald Trump reiterated on Monday his governments zero tolerance policy on the DACA program, through a flurry of tweets. No more DACA deal, said Trump.A lot of people are coming in because they want to take advantage of DACA. The programme was launched under the administration of Barack Obama and gives benefits such as temporary work and study permits to illegal immigrants who entered the United States at a young age. Applicable immigrants are those who have lived in US since 2007, and who entered the country before the age of 16. They must have also have been younger than 31 years as of June 15, 2012. According to an AP report, Trump even planned to walk out from the North American Free Trade agreement the country had with Mexico and Canada. He further claimed that Mexico did very little, if not NOTHING, to address the border issue. According to a Scroll report, Trump intended to have the programme discontinued by March. However, a judge deferred the complete scrapping of the programme till the challenges around its scrapping are heard. The existing members called Dreamers are allowed to renew their benefits until the programme exists. COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - JULY 10: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his meeting with Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen at the PM's Office on July 10, 2017 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The two heads of state discussed the situation on the Korean peninsula and how Japan and Denmark could enhance their strategic partnership further. The Japanese PM said during their joint press conference that North Korea undermines the international order seriously. (Photo by Ole Jensen - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images) Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has announced plans to visit the US from April 17-20 to discuss North Korea with President Donald Trump ahead of expected summits between the North and the US and South Korea. Abe said today he will hold two days of talks with Trump at the president's Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida to discuss North Korea and bilateral issues. Trump is expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by the end of May. Abe has said he wants to remind Trump of shorter-range missiles and other North Korean security threats for Japan, and seek U.S. help on the issue of Japanese abducted by North Korea. Abe is also expected to discuss new US tariffs. Abe last visited Trump's resort in February 2017. Its the future of real estate as a rule, Plamondon told Bloomberg. By necessity youre moving into mixed-use. Weve been very successful and we have a very good ear to what the market is looking for so weve adapted our mix. Read more: Montreal to dominate luxury market performance in spring 2018 Developers are racing to Amazon-proof their businesses by reducing mall exposure and turning to a mix of retail, condos and offices. The tech sector has helped drive tenant demand for office space to a record in Montreal in 2017, according to CBRE Group Inc. The city, with its mix of old cobblestone charm and relaxed vibe, is the countrys third-hottest commercial market with $3.5 billion in transactions in the first three quarters of last year. The housing market is also heating up as capital is shifting from over-priced markets in Toronto and Vancouver. Broccolini plans to start marketing the building this fall and complete construction at the start of 2023, Plamondon said. The Cannabis industry is about to light up in Canada and preparations are being made to secure production facilities. But according to commercial mortgage broker Harry Tyson of DLC Commercial Core Financing, it isnt without its set of problems. I have done a building that has that (cannabis production) in it, he said. There are lenders who are willing to take that, not only reputational, but security risk, because the security around the building has to be very tight because people will want to steal whats inside. Theyre worried about the security of the buildingabout it getting destroyednot whats inside. You cant do it in a multi-tenant building usually because of the other tenants. You have to have a facility thats away from things. Tyson believes that, upon marijuana officially being legalized, most major lenders will be reticent about tarnishing their reputations, but not for long simply because of how much money could be made. Until then, the private channel is a safe bet for funding. Foreign buyers of real estate in Quebec are putting marginal pressure on prices while still accounting for a tiny sliver of the market relative to Vancouver and Toronto, according to new data released by the provincial government. Non-Canadian residents generated 1,307 property transactions in Quebec last year, representing 1% of all deals, finance ministry documents show. Thats little changed from 2008, when they made up 0.8% of the total. Foreigners mostly purchased high-end properties, averaging $559,000, the finance ministry added. U.S.-based buyers made up the biggest share of foreign acquirers with 32% of all transactions, while French buyers were next with 20%. This was followed by Chinese nationals at 16% a marked contrast from 2006, when Chinese residents accounted for just 1.3% of all foreign home transactions in Quebec. Over the last few years, the feverish demand for Torontos condos have pushed the price of this property class to stratospheric heights. In some cases, year-over-year appreciation has been seen in as high as double-digit territory, according to the latest study from real estate information portal Zoocasa. The new analysis looked at over 600 condo complexes in Toronto, along with information from the Toronto Real State Board. Read more: GTAs luxury segment to enjoy more move-up activity this year report Chicago may now only pursue part of its initial claim against Wells Fargo in a predatory mortgage lending lawsuit after a federal judge dismissed several of its claims, Reuters has reported. US District Judge Gary Feinerman limited the allowable award of federal Fair Housing Act claims to the increase in costs of administering and processing foreclosures that allegedly multiplied due to Wells Fargos equity stripping practices. In limiting the scope of allowable claims, Feinerman dismissed claims which he described as ripples that flow far beyond the banks alleged wrongdoings. These claims include allegations of harm from lost property taxes, the need to combat crime and blight, racial segregation, and other factors. A prominent pastor with ties to former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama has been charged in a scheme to cheat elderly investors. The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Kirbyjon Caldwell, senior pastor at one of the nations largest Protestant churches, and self-described financial planner Gregory Alan Smith with participating in a scheme to defraud elderly investors by selling them interests in defunct, pre-revolutionary Chinese bonds. Caldwell is the senior pastor of Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston. He was Bushs spiritual advisor, and performed the benediction at both of the former presidents inaugurations. He was later a member of Obamas prayer team, according to Newsweek. Smith described himself as a financial planner, but has been barred by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority from the broker-dealer business since 2010. At 31, Stephen Gonzalez has packed a lot into his life. The trained chef added author to his resume when his first cookbook, Getcha Grub On, was released in January. The South Texas native, who makes his home in Midland, works to keep the books buzz going by sharing his love of cooking with a relaxed attitude. Getcha Grub On is a book with personality much like the chef. With eye-catching photography and even some tongue-in-cheek attitude, the collection of more than 120 recipes is a fun look at serious food. Gonzalez, who is the Cooking Connection manager for H-E-B, recently talked about the process in coming up with his first book. MRT: What was your inception for Getcha Grub On? Gonzalez: This has been a two year-long process. At that time I was doing restaurants in San Antonio and had been doing them for about 10 years. I got burnt out and took some time off. A lot of my friends were hitting me that they would want to do this for their partner or make something for an event. I would give them recipes but try to keep them as simple as possible. More Information To learn more about chef Stephen Gonzalez or to order his cookbook, "Getcha Grub On," visit chefstephengonzalez.com. Books are also available at So Fly Boutique for $30. See More Collapse MRT: Was there an aha moment to start the book? Gonzalez: Id ask them to let me know how the recipes were and if they were easy and how did it taste. Nine times out of 10, theyd say it came out good. I also had a friend who had done some cookbooks and it all seemed like a really good idea. So I decided to turn the idea into a reality. MRT: How did you jump into creating the book? Gonzalez: I met up with another friend who did graphic design and we got the foundation laid out. It was taking way too long at first but we kept going. Another friend who does photography jumped in. He came to my apartment, we had The Simpsons on, and we were eating, taking pics and went at it. Every single picture in the book was done in my apartment. MRT: Your friends came in handy. Gonzalez: I had started dating my now-wife, Ursula, in San Antonio, and her mom was in the book business. She gave me some tips and helped take it to a whole new level. MRT: How did you feel upon seeing it? Gonzalez: When I got my first proof, I was beyond elated. This book has exceeded my expectations. It was wonderful to see this come into reality. I also dont take myself too seriously. I even make fun of myself in it. MRT: How did you decide on what to include? Gonzalez: I wanted little bit of everything, so there are recipes with beef, pork, chicken, a vast amount of sauces and sides and even breads and desserts. MRT: Who do you intend your reader or cook to be who picked up Getcha Grub On? Gonzalez: My target audience is those who say I burn water. I want to help them make a really excellent meal. But it really is meant for everyone. MRT: Did you stick to your same notions in these recipes that you did when giving them to your friends? Gonzalez: I made sure to keep them to as few ingredients as possible and that the recipes were easy to follow but tasted really good. MRT: How do you describe your cooking style and how is that reflected in your recipes? Gonzalez: I have a lot of experience in fine dining but my direction is simple. Maybe elevated rustic, if you will. These recipes are ones I grew up with or use my own interpretation. They are all recipes that make me happy and have a pop of flavor. If Im happy and smiling, chances are you are, too. MRT: Simplicity sounds like its key for you. Gonzalez: I have a lot of cookbooks that are intricate and very detailed. As great as they are, I get tired of reading after the first paragraph. If someone sees a long recipe with a lot of ingredients and steps, they arent gonna do it. MRT: How did you come to cooking? Gonzalez: I grew up in Mission, by McAllen. My mom was a medical transcriptionist, my dad worked in the oil fields. I would bug my mom about whats for dinner. That just led to my curiosity. If I was hungry now, did I need to wait that 15 minutes for mom to get home and start bugging her? So I started with the easy stuff like pasta and eggs and then I was making food to eat for my friends. MRT: Did you feel exposed to a lot of types of food in South Texas? Gonzalez: Its a lot of Tex-Mex there so after graduating high school, I moved to Austin and went to Le Cordon Bleu culinary school. Then I moved to San Antonio and worked for a resort hotel. MRT: How did you make it to Midland? Gonzalez: I came through H-E-B. They approached me in San Antonio to be their Cooking Connection manager. I love teaching people how to cook so it was hard to say no to their offer. Ive loved it since day one. They told me they were opening a new store here and asked me to come out. Two years later, Im married. Im buying a house here. MRT: And now you have a book. Gonzalez: There you go. MRT: What was it like for you to come here from such a diverse food center like San Antonio? Gonzalez: Midland is a small town with big-city amenities. And its grown food wise in the two years Ive been here. I see it as a new chapter. Whats the worst that could happen? I kind of go where the wind takes me. MRT: How did you assess the food scene? Gonzalez: When I first moved here, I looked on Trip Advisor, and McDonalds was in the top 20 restaurants. That was disturbing to me. But Ive had recommendations from friends and found places myself and there is a lot more variety than I had expected. MRT: Do you foresee having your own restaurant? Gonzalez: I dont know. Maybe. If I did, it would be on my own terms. My goals food-wise now are to learn as much as I can. I like working with other chefs here and bouncing ideas off each other. Other than that, Im open to anything. But Im kind of setting some roots here and whether its H-E-B or the cookbook, Im just happy to get my name out. BEAUMONT U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, formally kickstarted his re-election campaign Monday with a focus on Texas heroic response to Hurricane Harvey and his involvement in the recovery. Cruz, who is defending his bid for a second term against U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke, D-El Paso, released a two-minute video Monday morning trumpeting the recovery, punctuated by a new campaign slogan: Tough as Texas. He kept up the theme a few hours later at a rally here, extolling the bravery of everyday Texans as they responded to the storm that battered the Gulf Coast last fall. The people of Beaumont didnt sit here and just cry what can we do, were hopeless, were helpless, theres nothing that can be done the people of Beaumont said theres a job, lets roll up our sleeves and lets go do it, said Cruz, who also singled out some audience members for their own post-Harvey initiative. Thats part of what it means being a Texan. You know, Texans dont wait. Texans arent afraid. Texans are strong. Texans are free ... Texans are tough. The rally marked the beginning of a 12-city, three-day tour of Texas to kick off Cruzs 2018 bid. The main attraction is an event Monday evening at the Redneck Country Club in Stafford, a favorite haunt of Cruz supporters in the Houston area. Cruz is revving up his campaign almost a year to the day after ORourke launched his underdog effort to unseat the incumbent. ORourke has since proven to be a relentless campaigner and strong fundraiser, though Cruz largely ignored him until last month, when he began tearing into his challenger as too liberal for Texas. Cruz did not mention ORourke in his remarks to a crowd of about 100 people gathered at an airport firehouse for the rally. But he spoke of a stark choice in November and alluded to whats quickly become his favorite area of contrast with ORourke gun rights while discussing the recent call by former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens to repeal the Second Amendment. More Information Sen. Ted Cruz will be making a campaign stop in Midland on Wednesday. Other campaign stops are McAllen, Corpus Christi, San Antonio and Austin today, followed by Amarillo, Wichita Falls and Fort Worth on Wednesday. See More Collapse Now heres a dirty little secret: There are an awful lot of Democrats in Washington who long in their heart for the repeal of the Second Amendment, Cruz said. Theyre not necessarily as honest theyre not necessarily as candid as John Paul Stevens. Speaking with reporters afterward, Cruz said a great question for enterprising reporters to ask ORourke would be if he agrees with Stevens. On the campaign trail, ORourke has spoken warmly about the states long tradition of gun ownership but has also said steps can be taken to prevent senseless violence, such as instituting universal background checks and banning the AR-15 rifle. The latter proposal has particularly drawn the ire of Cruz, who reminded reporters Monday that his opponent has bragged about getting an F rating from the National Rifle Association an extreme position, even within Washington Democrats. ORourkes campaign is not letting Cruzs statewide swing go unanswered. It posted a Snapchat filter in Beaumont Monday, which allowed users of the app in the area to layer a cartoon of a frowning Cruz atop their posts. The filter also included a jab at Cruzs 2016 presidential campaign, which ORourke has said distracted Cruz from representing Texas for much of his first term. Ted Cruz visited 99 of Iowas 99 counties, the filter said. Whens the last time he listened to Texans in Beaumont? Cruz fired back on Twitter, contrasting the number of recent visits he has made to Beaumont with ORourkes apparent tally. Maybe thats why you lost Jefferson County in the Dem primary, Cruz said to ORourke. A state senator says his measure reforming retirements for state lawmakers isnt just a message to other state government retirees that change is needed, its also a message to taxpayers who are on the hook for the worst pension shortfall in the country. Illinois pension problem is expensive for Illinois taxpayers. Some estimate if nothing is done to reform pensions, it could eat up a quarter of every tax dollar the state brings in. Then theres the unfunded liability of $130 billion. That doesnt include fully subsidized health care state retirees under Tier I get. Lawmakers did create a Tier II employee pension program in 2011 with lower pension and health benefits, but savings from that system isnt expected to bring the pensions back into balance. Then theres the Illinois Supreme Court ruling another pension reform measure was unconstitutional. State Sen. Chuck Weaver, R-Peoria, has a possible fix. He wants to put future state lawmakers into a self-managed retirement system, instead of a defined benefit plan as it is now. His measure, Senate Bill 2284, would also allow current members of the General Assembly Retirement System to opt into a 401(k)-type plan. The bill only applies to lawmakers. We have to be leaders with regards to who we are down here as senators, with who we are as representatives, Weaver said. As of June 30, 2017, the Illinois Auditor General reported the General Assembly Retirement System was the worst funded in the state at 14.4 percent. The funding levels of other state pension funds are as follows: The Judges Retirement System is 34.7 percent funded, the State Employees Retirement System is 33.4 percent funded, the Teachers Retirement System is 39.3 percent funded, and the State Universities Retirement System is 42 percent funded. Ratings agency S&P classifies a strong pension fund as 90 percent funded, above average is 80 to 90 percent funded, below average is 60 to 80 percent funded and a weak fund is 60 percent or below. All of Illinois pension systems fall under the weak category. I would like to expand this [to other pension plans] but I think this is probably the best well be able to do with the political will that exists here in Springfield, Weaver said. But it will at least be a start and say its time that we start aligning with whats happening in the private sector. Members could contribute as much as they wanted under Weavers proposal, but taxpayers would match 7 percent for the accounts. The funds would also be managed by the retiree, not by a political body, as is the case now. Weve seen that there are so many people that are outside of the public realm that are not seeing wage increases the way we want to see them and yet they are forced to fund people inside of public entities and its just not fair to those people, Weaver said. His measure is in the Senate Licensed Activities and Pensions Committee, but a hearing date has not yet been scheduled. Another measure from state Sen. Tim Bivins, R-Dixon, would require future retired lawmakers to pay for half of their healthcare in retirement. Right now its fully subsidized for Tier I members. Dixons bill was advanced to the senate floor. Lawmakers are back in Springfield the second week of April. Nearly a year after record Midwestern floods killed at least five people and caused $1.7 billion in damage, a secretive lobbying effort funded by Illinois and Missouri drainage districts is underway to roll back flood regulations, documents show. The effort targets the authority of the Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees the nations federal levees large hills that are typically built or strengthened by the Corps and are subject to its rules, but are managed by local drainage districts. Any time a district wants to permanently raise the height of a levee for more protection, it has to seek approval from the Corps, which considers whether a request would be injurious to the public interest before issuing a Section 408 permit. The process is intended to prevent levee wars, in which communities race to build ever-higher levees at the expense of their neighbors. Levees constrict rivers, narrowing them and blocking off the floodplains that allow the water to spread out. This bottleneck effect ensures that towns with lower levees are more likely to flood. But since mid-2016, lobbyists and attorneys working for a group called the 408 Coalition have spent at least $230,000 in taxpayer money to weaken the Army Corps authority to limit levee heights and influence the agencys funding, according to thousands of pages of coalition documents and correspondence. Theres nothing being done An analysis of the records shows coalition members held dozens of meetings with top Army Corps officials and congressional staffers between October 2016 and last fall. Aided by lobbyists and lawyers at the Missouri-based law firm Husch Blackwell, the coalition provided Congress members with white papers on their legislative goals and drafted text for pending bills. The records reflect that the coalitions most prominent backer is the Sny Island Levee Drainage District, which manages a 54-mile levee system along the Mississippi River in west-central Illinois. The Sny has long flouted the Corps restrictions on levee height. It pushed up its levees a decade ago without federal permission, and since then, residents across the river in Pike County, Missouri, have blamed the higher barriers for worsening floods that inundated farms and closed businesses in the riverfront towns of Clarksville and Louisiana. A new analysis of Corps data shows that, by protecting itself, the Sny district has increased flooding upstream and in Pike County, and downstream into northern Calhoun County. In my estimation, every day [the Sny is] in violation of the law, said Pike County emergency management director Al Murry. And theres nothing being done. The Corps responded to the Snys disregard for its rules in 2015, disqualifying the district from a Corps-funded levee repair program. The 408 coalition appears to have been spearheaded by Sny officials with the goal of rallying at least 11 levee and flood control districts in the Midwest and South to fight what they see as federal overreach. So far, records show, the coalition has taken credit for preventing legislative action that would have expanded the Corps authority over levees. The efforts ambitions are far larger, however and perhaps achievable with help from a sympathetic White House, which included a proposal giving local levee managers an easy path to taking levees out of Corps jurisdiction in its larger infrastructure plan. The 408 coalitions ultimate goal, the documents show, is nothing short of a permanent solution under which the Corps no longer has a role in limiting the heights of levees managed by local officials. We had a lot of traction in fact on 408, Husch Blackwell attorney David Human wrote to a coalition member in March 2017 after a trip to Washington. We heard from a senior official from Corps Headquarters that 408 is on a death spiral. We can only hope. A secretive effort Its impossible to tell from federal lobbying disclosures who is part of the 408 coalition. The group operates with little public disclosure. It has no website, nor has it publicized its campaign. When a reporter made a public records request to the coalition, he was told they didnt have to grant it, because the group exists in name only and doesnt keep records. All that was apparent by the fall of 2017 was that the group had hired a litigation and business law firm, Husch Blackwell, that specializes in levees and flood protection, and was paying it for lobbying related to Section 408 permitting. It was only when the reporter guessed that the Sny might be involved, and filed a request to the government levee district for documents including invoices and emails, that a picture began to emerge. Requests sent to additional levee districts, including those mentioned in the Snys correspondence, revealed a list of 11 local government agencies that took part in coalition activities. The documents suggest another 12 levee districts could belong to the coalition. Husch Blackwell attorneys declined to identify them. Around the time the reporter began making records requests, descriptions of work on the coalitions invoices became terse. Entries that had previously contained long narratives about coalition lobbying trips now used vague phrases such as Work on permit issues. On top of the $230,000 reported to Congress, invoices from individual districts show an additional $98,000 paid to the firm for work on lobbying-related business. Husch Blackwell declined to discuss the coalitions goals and actions. But the documents give a window into the coalitions strategy, activities and claimed successes. The groups main argument is that because Section 408 was written in 1899, when the Corps wasnt responsible for flood control, the Corps has no authority to use 408 permits when levees are already managed by local districts. Instead, the coalition wants the Corps to use a 1944 statute written for flood control one that doesnt mention the public interest. The 1899 statute specifically mentions levees, and an Army Corps spokesman said theres no evidence that Congress ever intended the law to be narrowly applied. Husch Blackwell attorney Karin Jacoby outlined an initial strategy for the coalition in July 2016: the law firm would arrange meetings with Corps leadership and seek to influence the Water Resources Development Act of 2016, a biennial bill from Congress that sets Army Corps priorities and policies. Jacoby estimated it would take about 300 hours and cost $100,000. It is doubtful that a smaller effort could be as impactful as need be, she wrote. By August, the firm was recruiting levee districts, explaining that the coalition and not its member districts would be listed as a client in lobbying disclosure forms. The coalition considered two amendments to the water resources bill particularly troublesome, because they included language that Jacoby believed could strengthen the Corps power over levees. Neither made it into the final law, and, in a February 2017 email to coalition members, Jacoby declared their work a success in preserving the status quo. One of those amendments came from a Louisiana Republican, Rep. Garret Graves, a second-term congressman who previously led post-Katrina levee building efforts in his home state. Hes been a critic of the Corps, saying its bureaucracy has created dangerous delays for communities waiting on critical flood control projects. In an interview, Graves wouldnt credit the coalition with single-handedly influencing the bill, but he praised its work. The 408 coalition is attacking a real injustice, he said. They do have a strong voice. Theyre well organized. Theres a lot of merit to their concerns, and theyve brought forth some good solutions. Graves agrees with the coalition that the Corps invented this interpretation of Section 408; he sees promise in finding creative ways to fund levee improvements that simply cut that agency out of the process. The coalition signaled its admiration for Graves work in September 2017 by inviting its members to a fundraiser for the congressman at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington. The group also distributed its talking points to two White House infrastructure experts last March, about a year before the Trump administration released the infrastructure plan that proposed simplifying the process for taking levees out of the federal system. One of the experts, D.J. Gribbin, is a top White House infrastructure advisor. Gribbin said the idea wasnt inspired by the coalition, but by a desire to give communities more flexibility to manage their infrastructure. Nothing in this document is designed to impair public safety, and its up to Congress to hash out the details, Gribbin said. . This story was co-published with ProPublica and Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting. Al Shaw of ProPublica contributed to the reporting. Alex Heeb can be reached at 618-208-6451 or on Twitter @alexheebs This is the second of a two-part series. WOOD RIVER According to federal lobbying disclosures, the 408 Coalition, a group of levee and flood control districts interested in pushing back against the Army Corps of Engineers authority to regulate levee heights, officially disbanded at the end of 2017. However, around that time, several Coalition members including the Sny Island Levee Drainage District, which manages a 54-mile levee system along the Mississippi River in west-central Illinois that includes part of Calhoun County signed on for Husch Blackwell lobbying services under their own names. Local efforts Locally, the Southwestern Illinois Flood Prevention District Council joined the 408 Coalitions effort, paying Husch Blackwell tens of thousands of dollars for 408 work, according to an analysis of billing invoices. The agency oversees levee improvements in much of the Metro East, including the levees that protect parts of Alton, Wood River, Roxana and Hartford. It seems that we have spent close to or over $50,000 on 408 issues language, application, coalition, research, etc., identified on your billings so far this year, Chuck Etwert, Chief Supervisor of Construction and the Works for the District Council, wrote in a June 2017 email to a Husch Blackwell attorney. According to Etwert, the district is not interested in raising levees, but has still found 408 permitting troublesome. The Council is stabilizing the levees between Alton and Columbia, we are not raising any portion of any levee, Etwert said in an email. Meanwhile, Congressman Rodney Davis, whose district includes Jersey County and northern Madison County as well as Calhoun County, has signaled his support for the 408 Coalitions work. Davis, who has a long history of defending the Sny in its disputes against the Corps, hosted 408 Coalition representatives on several of their trips to Washington, D.C. On behalf of both the Sny Island Levee Drainage District and the entire 408 Coalition, I wanted to thank you for making time in your busy schedule to meet with us in Congressman Davis Washington office last week, Mike Reed, the Snys Superintendent, said in a June 2017 email to Davis legislative director, Miles Chiotti. Again, Miles, many thanks for all your help and guidance on this most important issue as well as the many other challenges we are facing. Davis did not respond to a request for an interview. It shocked me The biggest contributor to the Coalition, the Sny, appears to have paid about $165,000 between November 2016 and September 2017 about 8 percent of the Snys annual budget under an existing legal services agreement with Husch. One commissioner for the Sny, Russell Koeller, was surprised to learn from reporters how much had been spent. It shocked me when I read that because I just did not think it was that high, Koeller said. In a later email, Koeller said the district hadnt spent all that money challenging the Corps 408 authority. Much of our effort with government officials concerns other items, including federal flood insurance, environmental regulations and local dams, he wrote. Koeller said he was confident the Sny was getting good value for its money. Thats the kind of a firm that you need to go to, and that doesnt come cheap, he said. Theyre expensive people. And these complex issues take a huge amount of time and research. You cant just call them up on the phone and get an opinion. It doesnt work like that. Sny levee representatives say they are victims of regulatory overreach. Our primary concern with Section 408, Koeller explained in an email, is the completely incorrect interpretation of a very old navigation regulation that for over 100 years never, ever applied to levee height and in fact was illegally applied retroactively to us and other levee districtsof course we are trying to correct this! Scott Whitney, a flood risk manager at the Corps Rock Island, Illinois office, said hes sympathetic to the challenge of navigating state and federal regulations, but thats no excuse for non-compliance. The Corps levee safety program has gotten more stringent since Hurricane Katrina, for good reason, he said. As for the work ahead for officials who participated in the Coalition, Husch Blackwell attorney Karin Jacoby told one levee official in July 2017 that the group would focus on the next version of the Water Resources Development Act. Lawmakers have begun hearings but have yet to file that bill, which could change how the Corps enforces limits on local levee districts. This story was co-published with ProPublica and Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting. Al Shaw of ProPublica contributed reporting. Road Accident: One dead, 4 others seriously ... Sonora, CA The Sonora Police Department reports that a man stole an acquaintances car from the Lowes parking lot. An unidentified woman reported that she and her boyfriend left the Pontiac Grand AM in the parking lot, shortly before midnight, over the weekend, so that the two could walk down to the boyfriends nearby camp. They were going to get a vehicle part to help fix the RV of her boyfriends friend, who was later identified as Leif Husman. However, when the two left, Husman allegedly stole the car and took off. The woman called the police and said Husman may be headed to the Chicken Ranch Casino, where the RV was parked. The Chicken Ranch Security investigated the situation and notified officials at around 1am when Husman pulled up with the vehicle. He was taken into custody and booked into Tuolumne County Jail for vehicle theft. Bankrupt womens fashion and accessories retailer AGaci has canceled an auction of its assets that had been scheduled for Tuesday morning, saying it received no qualified bids. Despite an active marketing process and due diligence from several potential buyers, no acceptable buyer emerged, Ian Peck, AGacis bankruptcy lawyer, said in a phone interview Monday. So the company decided to cancel the auction and not move forward with the sale process any further. A 300-pound serial bank robber dubbed the Big Man Bandit has avoided arrest for three weeks, leading the FBI to seek the publics help in identifying him. Authorities said the man robbed three banks over eight days, starting in San Jose on March 15 and moving to San Mateo on March 17 and 23. In each instance, he is said to have handed the teller a note that demanded money and claimed he had a gun. There is more than just a lone star in the Lone Star State; many celebrities call Texas home. Some are Texas-born stars who decided not to leave the state for good, while others, like Sandra Bullock flock to the Lone Star State. A San Antonio music festival that pays homage to patriotism, U.S. veterans and whiskey is expected to draw 3,000 fans from across the country this weekend, organizers said. Grunt Fest is an annual event organized by the apparel company Grunt Style and is held in a different city each year. This year's event, the seventh, will be the second time it is hosted in San Antonio and organizers expect it to be the biggest one yet. A fire Sunday evening at a southwest Houston apartment complex displaced eight residents but injured no one, according to the Houston Fire Department. The fire was reported just before 6 p.m. in the 6300 block of Bellfort, where the Bennington Square apartments are located. It spread to a handful of first- and second-floor units before firefighters got it contained. STAMFORD All eyes are on the Board of Education as they prepare to set the last day of school at a special meeting. The board will meet Tuesday to approve a revised calendar for the school year, factoring in seven snow days. In doing so, theyll also be setting a graduation date for the public schools. The district has come under fire over the last month for the number of snow days it has had, as well as floating the possibility of school on Memorial Day to push up the last day. According to the districts website, the tentative last day of school with the snow days is June 26. At a board meeting on March 27, Superintendent Earl Kim presented several options, including leaving the calendar as is, forgiving the 181st day of school (state law only requires schools have 180 days) and holding a half day of classes on Memorial Day. Kim said the lack of air conditioning in some schools and some families planning vacations in late June make it better to have the school year end earlier in the month. The farther we go into the school year or the calendar year, the more the educational benefit diminishes, Kim said. However, the proposal to hold school on Memorial Day drew some criticism from local veterans, including Archie Elam, state officer with the Connecticut Veterans of Foreign Wars, who spoke at the meeting against the board voting to hold classes on the holiday. More Information The Board of Education will be deciding the calendar at a special board meeting on April 3 at 6:30 p.m. at Stamford Government Center at 888 Washington Boulevard. See More Collapse Board members also heard from parents in support of the option to hold classes then, which state law would allow as long as there is programming in place to educate students about the holiday. Board member Jennienne Burke said forgiving the 181st day of school is a no brainer, but had reservations about class on Memorial Day. Im not for a half day on Memorial Day, she said. I have to be honest about that and speak openly...I understand parents made arrangements and people have plans. No one expected us to have to take these days but we all have to work around something. Meanwhile board member Jackie Heftman said shed be open to looking into the option and weighing the pros and cons of classes on the holiday. If its something we feel is justifiable, Id be in favor of doing that, she said. BRIDGEPORT It would be political suicide for Joe Ganim to hike local taxes at the same time he is running for governor. So his proposed 2018-19 city budget would leave Bridgeports tax rate at the very high 54 mills established two years ago. Ganim presented his $561 million fiscal plan his third since the 1990s-era mayor was re-elected in 2015 to the City Council on Monday. Actually, he gave them a very bare bones overview. The detailed budget books council members are supposed to spend the next month and a half reviewing before a final vote will not be in their hands until Wednesday. Ganim at a dinner meeting in his City Hall conference room downtown offered few specifics, other than to note the administration is trying to save on staff by not filling positions. We dont have any drastic cuts in any of our departments, Ganim, a Democrat, said. He talked about the general backdrop behind his administrations work crafting the budget fixed costs and a reliance on property taxes and state aid. His proposed budget assumes $37 million in state money. More Information The numbers MayorGanim's proposed budget $561M City's 54-mill tax rate No increase Relies on state aid $37M Mayor Ganim's proposed budget: $561 million No increase in city's 54 mill or tax rate Relies on $37 million in state aid See More Collapse But for Ganim, there is a backdrop to the backdrop. Having coveted the governors mansion during his first stint as mayor two decades ago, he spent seven years in prison for corruption, then waged 2015s astonishing comeback. He again is running to be Connecticuts chief executive. That means going around the state trying to convince Democrats ahead of Mays nominating convention and a summer primary that they should look beyond his criminal past and focus on his now 14 years total managing the states largest city. It helps to be able to campaign on having held the line on taxes for two years in a row even if that line is one of the highest tax rates in the state. Ganim in his first year back boosted the mill rate from 42 to 54 mills. He and his staff have blamed the hike on a real estate revaluation and on a $20 million deficit they said they inherited at the time. Ganim on Monday, both in an interview while council members filled their dinner plates and then when addressing them, also reiterated a new favorite campaign talking point the help Hartford and its mayor and potential gubernatorial contender Democrat Luke Bronin has received from outgoing Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. Bronin, like Ganim, was elected in 2015. Hartford was on the brink of bankruptcy. So the state Legislature last year set up a new program the Municipal Accountability Review Board. That initiative is providing Hartford several million dollars in additional aid in exchange for state oversight of that citys finances. But last week, another part of the deal got more attention: Malloys outgoing administration had also agreed to pay off $550 million of Hartfords debt over the next 20 years. When that was reported, Ganim pounced. Bridgeport officials routinely complain about getting shortchanged by the state, particularly when residents complain about their tax bills. Now Ganim had a perfect example and, better yet, could use it to try to undermine Bronin at the same time. Hartford just got $550 million while we got cut $17 million (in current state aid), Ganim said when Hearst Connecticut Media on Monday asked if he had sought to reduce Bridgeports tax rate when preparing his proposed budget. Bridgeport could apply to participate in the Municipal Accountability Review Board. So why not, rather than complaining about what Bronin got, do so and see what additional state aid is available? Ganim does not want the state involved in Bridgeports finances: We have, I would argue, the best management team and practices. He said state number crunchers in recent years have not demonstrated an ability to be able to forecast their own budgets. So, were he governor, would Ganim let Hartford go bankrupt? Bridgeport was in a similar position when Ganim was first elected in 1991. I was not an advocate for Bridgeport going bankrupt. Im not an advocate for Hartford going bankrupt, Ganim said. If we were offered a $550 million bailout to take over our debt, Id encourage our council to support that (applying for the state oversight). Sources who have asked not to be identified have pointed out the political realities. Malloy is a lame duck governor and close to Bronin. In contrast, Malloy during Ganims 2015 comeback said were he a Bridgeport voter, I probably wouldnt vote for him. He may, however, get the chance to vote for Ganim as his successor. Party movers and shakers were electing the 93 delegates Bridgeport will send to Mays statewide nominating convention delegates Ganim needs on his side to bolster his chances of becoming governor. The 37th Annual Home Show at the George R. Brown Convention Center will allow area chefs to show off their skills this weekend. The event will be held at 1001 Avenida de las Americas from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 7, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 8. Patrons will also have the opportunity to meet with home improvement professionals contractors and remodelers; visit with companies for indoor and outdoor solutions; and comparison shop a complete selection of pools and hot tubs. Hosted by Houston Restaurant Weeks founder Cleverley Stone, Houston chefs from Roegels Barbecue Co., H S Green, Maggiano's, Emmaline, The Tasting Room, and Jonathan's The Rub will be featured on the Foodie Spotlight Cooking Stage. The chefs will demonstrate how to prepare their signature dish and pass samples. Recipes may also be available. The Houston Home Show will also feature Chef Rey, the Houston Rockets' Executive Team Chef, whose new book, "Food meets Athlete," released this year, gives insight on how food and nutrition play an integral role in being able to give your best performance. In addition to Foodie Spotlight visit with hundreds of companies for indoor and outdoor solutions. It's a family event with a free kids-zone. General admission tickets are $9 adults; children under 14 free; senior citizens (65&) and military (with ID) are $7 (sold on-site only). For more information, go to www.TexasHomeandGarden.com. March 19 At 3:32 p.m., Officer Younger made contact with a victim who advised an unknown suspect forced entry through the back door of the residence in the 1200 block of Mulberry Lane. At 8:49 p.m., officers were dispatched to a suspicious person call at 4545 Bellaire Blvd. Upon investigation, a suspect was found underneath the property. The suspect was placed into custody for criminal trespass and transported to Bellaire Police Department for booking. March 21 At 12:12 p.m., Corporal D. Clawson met with the complainant in this case. The complainant stated on or about March 3 an unknown suspect(s) opened an auto loan with Bank of America using the complainant's personal identifying information without his consent. At 3:07 p.m., Officer Schwausch was dispatched to 6565 West Loop South in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle. Further investigation found the vehicle was broken into at 2:50 p.m. by an unknown suspect described as a light-skinned, black male, wearing jeans, approximately 5 feet 8 inches with a thin build, and in his early 20s. The suspect left the scene in a dark blue Kia hatchback north bound on the east service road. The driver door handle of the victim's vehicle was damaged, and the center console organizer was stolen. At 3:28 p.m., Officer Schwausch was informed of a possible burglary of a motor vehicle in the parking garage of 6565 West Loop South while investigating a separate BMV in the north parking lot. Further investigation found the vehicle was broken into between the hours of 0805 and 1528 on 03/32/2018 by an unknown suspect. The windshield and rear driver door window of the victim's vehicle was damaged. A Valentine One radar detector valued at $500, a set of brown Bolle sunglasses valued at $150, and the rear view mirror valued at $300 were taken from the vehicle. Damage to the vehicle is estimated at $1,200. March 22 At 6:20 p.m., Officer Schwausch was dispatched to the 5100 block of Valerie Street in regards to an identity theft. Officer Schwausch met with the reportee who stated between Jan. 30 and March 22 an unknown suspect(s) used his identity to open credit accounts and charge unknown amounts on them. At 5:02 p.m., Officer Schwausch was dispatched 5861 Bissonnet St. in reference to a theft. From the information given, the suspect was a black male, wearing a plaid, black and gray shirt. The suspect took several pieces of merchandise and exited the store without paying. The suspect was last seen getting into a white Nissan Rogue. March 23 At 7:11 p.m., Officer Schwausch was patrolling the 7800 block of the IH610 NB when he observed a white Kawasaki motorcycle pass his marked patrol vehicle at a high rate of speed while swerving through traffic without signaling lane changes. Officer Schwausch initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and found the driver was driving with a suspended driver license and with no proof of financial responsibility. The driver was arrested for driving while license invalid-enhanced. During search of the driver's property in the jail, a Vicodin pill was found in his possession without a prescription. March 24 At 3:40 p.m., the Bellaire Fire Department was dispatched to the 4600 block of Willow Street in reference to an unconscious male that possibly overdosed. Officer Marcotte arrived first on scene and began CPR on the male who was not breathing had no pulse. Officer Marcotte was able to revive the male, and Bellaire Medic 81 transported the male to the hospital. Officer Schwausch arrived shortly after, and during his investigation, two young males attempted to flee the scene. One of the males was caught placed into custody for public intoxication. At 12:08 p.m., Officer Andrade was dispatched to 4545 Bellaire Blvd. in reference to a subject trespassing on the property. Officer Andrade arrived and observed the location to be a home under construction surrounded by a locked gate. After further investigation, the subject was located inside the premises and placed in custody for class B misdemeanor criminal trespassing. Houston area diners can now enjoy crepes at Sweet Paris Creperie & Cafe while helping to provide meals for children in need. As of March 27, every time a guest orders one of three designated flavors of crepes at any of the Sweet Paris locations, the restaurant will donate 33 cents to the Houston Food Bank as part of its "Eat Here, Feed There" program. To contribute to the food bank, guests can select from the Allison's Parfait, Truffled Caprese and Lemon & Sugar crepes that are designated on the menu by a HFB logo. The options include a breakfast, a savory and a sweet crepe. Since Founders Allison and Ivan Chavez opened their first location in the Rice Village in 2012, the business has provided more than 130,000 meals to children struggling with hunger by working with World Food Program USA. Allison said helping others was something that has been important to them since the beginning. "We have always appreciated philanthropy for its own sake, but we thought the idea that a thriving business could have a social cause built into the model would be so rewarding," Allison said. "Childhood hunger is something we both feel passionately [about] helping relieve, and as a restaurant company, it felt right to link the two in our 'Eat Here, Feed There' program." Allison said the new partnership with the Houston Food Bank is a way to use contributions on a local level and simplify the restaurants' giving back to the community. "We created this program so there would be no questions at the end of the year about how much to give to what organization, etc.," Allison said. "There is a clearly focused program driven by the sales of our own menu items. For every crepe sold on the Houston Food Bank menu, a donation will be made that will ultimately serve a meal to a child in need." Adele Brady, Houston Food Bank director of communications, said she was looking forward to working with Sweet Paris to help children battling hunger in the Houston area. "On any given day, 66,000 people in southeast Texas experience the pain of hunger: 5,000 of which are children," Brady said. "We are excited about the partnership and educating more people about the issues of hunger." According to Brady, the Houston Food Bank helps approximately 800,000 people a year, due in part to partnerships it has with businesses such as Sweet Paris. "The Houston Food Bank is grateful and proud of the relationships we have with the community and organizations like Sweet Paris," Brady said. "[They] get our mission out into the community so we can provide more for people in need. And local businesses can be engaged at the Food Bank on multiple levels, donors and volunteers." Allison and Ivan got involved with the food bank through their public relations representative, who had also worked for the food bank for years. She said learning more about the organization showed them that collaborating them was the right decision. "We were so blown away by their facilities and capabilities and efforts. It was truly inspirational, and we are thrilled they are partnering with us on "Eat Here, Feed There," she said. According to Allison, Ivan first developed his love for crepes while studying in Paris for a summer during college. She joked that Ivan would spend more time eating crepes than he would in French class. He later introduced her to them on a trip there, where the two eventually got engaged. Allison said they enjoy crepes because they can be combined with a variety of tastes. "We love crepes because they are a delicate vehicle for all of the delicious fillings. From savory to sweet, a crepe can be as versatile as we can be creative," she said. Allison said she and Ivan decided to open their own creperie so that people could experience a unique and relaxing atmosphere while enjoying great food. "We believed that Houston needed a creperie that could transport you out of the hustle and bustle of the city and into a special experience. That's why the ambience, the design, the service, the style is just as important as the menu. We aim to revive the art of eating crepes," Allison said. In addition to crepes, Sweet Paris serves waffles, salads, paninis, seasonal soups and milkshakes. Coffee, espresso drinks, beer, wine and other beverages are also available as well as a kids' menu. Currently in Rice Village and CityCentre, Sweet Paris plans to open new locations in Katy in April, in College Station in mid-summer and in Highland Village and The Woodlands in the second half of 2018, Allison said. In the future they hope to expand into Dallas, San Antonio and Austin. "In the next five years, we hope to have a number of Sweet Paris [locations] across Texas," Allison said. "We want to spread the crepe love and make Sweet Paris a noteworthy destination for locals and visitors alike." To learn more about the Houston Food Bank, visit www.houstonfoodbank.org. If you are in need of assistance, call the Houston Food Bank Helpline at 832-369-9390. For more information about Sweet Paris Creperie & Cafe, visit www.sweetparis.com. March 23 An officer was dispatched to the 2600 block of Robinhood in reference to a burglary of a habitation, which had already occurred. An Officer was dispatched to the 1200 block of Old Spanish Trail to meet with a Harris County Precinct 6 Constable Deputy who had an individual (Diego Gonzalez) in custody for open warrants with the City of West University Place Police Department. The subject was transported to the West University Jail and booked on the warrants without incident. March 24 An Officer observed a vehicle traveling southbound in the 5400 block of Buffalo Speedway with its registration lamps out. The Officer initiated a traffic stop and upon further investigation, the driver confessed to having marijuana inside of the vehicle. The driver subsequently was issued a citation for No Driver's License and enrolled in a Misdemeanor Marijuana Diversion Program. Officers responded to a theft call at the 4000 block of Bellaire Blvd, The store's loss prevention officer observed a subject (Xavier Thomas) shoplift items, walk out and then board a Metro bus. Officers located the Metro bus and the suspect with the merchandize inside. The Officers detained the subject and returned him to the area where he was positively identified and taken in to custody for Theft. March 25 At 12:53 pm, a Police Officer spoke with a victim, in the 4100 block of Bissonnet, in reference to a theft, which had already occurred. Officers were dispatched to a theft call at the 4000 block of Bellaire Blvd. The store's loss prevention officer observed a subject (Justin Stephens) shoplift items. Officers located the suspect walking eastbound in the 3900 block of Grammercy. The Officers detained the subject and returned him to the area where he was positively identified. The subject was subsequently arrested for the offense of Theft with 2 or more previous convictions. At 9:25 PM, an officer was dispatched to the 4400 block of Bissonnet to meet with a Bellaire Police Department officer who had a subject in custody with outstanding warrants with the City of West University Place and Houston Police Department. The subject was taken into custody without incident and booked on the warrants. March 26 An Officer was dispatched to the 4600 block of Beechnut St. to meet with a City of Bellaire Police Department Officer who had a subject in custody for open warrants with the City of West University Place Police Department. The subject was transported to the West University Jail and booked on the warrants without incident. Officers were dispatched to a Forgery in Progress in the 5600 block of Kirby. Bank employees were reporting that a suspect was inside the bank, attempting to cash a fraudulent check. Officers arrived and confirmed information from bank employee, and suspect was detained. An officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby to see a complainant in reference to lost property. March 27 At 10:56 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby to see the complainant/victim in regard to theft that already occurred. At 4:29 pm, an officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in reference to found property. Officers were dispatched to a subject down in the 5600 block of Auden. Officers located the subject and found her to be intoxicated. A family member responded to the scene to take custody of the subject. The female was cited for Public Intoxication. March 28 An officer observed a vehicle stopped in a moving lane of traffic in the 2600 block of Albans. After further investigation the occupant was arrested for Public Intoxication. An officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in regards to an identity theft report. At 5:12 pm, an officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in regards to an identity theft report. Officers were dispatched to the 6500 block of Brompton to investigate the report of a homeless subject being inside a vacant house. When officers arrived they learned the subject had fled the scene and left several personal items behind. When the owner of these items was contacted, it was learned they had been lost the previous day. The items were returned and the remaining property was stored. They roast high-grade specialty coffee and give men who are coming out of incarceration or addiction a second chance at life. Founder Trey Rummel started roasting coffee in February of 2017 and selling a few bags here and there, but by August he decided to get serious about it and started 9th Hour Coffee. Located near Allen Parkway and Studemont Street, 9th Hour Coffee provides Houston-area offices and organizations with coffee and equipment services. Rummel said he had never worked with guys who had been formerly incarcerated or were fighting addiction until he went on staff at a church called Seven Mile Road Houston. He said the experience made him want to build a business that would help change lives. "I wanted to provide jobs, community and mentoring for guys coming out of addiction and prison. It became increasingly clear that those things were the keys to their long term success, and I liked the idea of starting something from the ground up," he said. Born and raised in the Heights, Rummel attended Lamar High School and then the University of Texas in Austin before returning to Houston. He said he had never been in the coffee business before starting 9th Hour and that he believes that fact has worked in his favor. "I think that plays to our advantage. The guys roasting great coffee aren't all that interested in offices, and the guys doing the office coffee services aren't all that interested in great coffee," he said. "In doing the roasting and servicing ourselves, we've created a competitive edge that will allow us to create a lot of high quality jobs." Operations Manager Kevin Chapa has battled substance abuse for 15 years and has been sober for more than a year. He said working at 9th Hour has definitely contributed to his success. "I look forward to many more years of sobriety. I attribute a large part of my success thus far to 9th Hour," Chapa said. "Having meaningful employment keeps me focused and daily gives me the courage to continue on. Also the encouragement from the guys I'm surrounded by has been tremendous." Rummel said he enjoys working with Chapa, who is currently his only employee, and in the business in general. "I love it. I have more respect for Kevin than just about anyone I know. He's insightful, disciplined, detail-oriented and seriously ambitious," Rummel said. "Had I just met Kevin, this whole thing would have been worth it. Outside of that, we've got a product and a mission I deeply believe in, which makes it fun to work hard." Chapa said as an employee with 9th Hour, he has gotten to travel and learn from some of the nation's best coffee roasters. Because he has a flexible schedule, he has been able to take classes at Houston Community College and said he ultimately wants to get a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Houston. He has also moved from mission he where was staying into his own apartment near work. Chapa said he has gotten the chance to meet some notable figures like Mayor Sylvester Turner and Reverend Bill Lawson, but most of all 9th Hour Coffee has given him personal growth and self-confidence. He said he is very grateful for the opportunities he has been given. "In the wee hours of the morning when I'm firing up the roaster to start my day's duties, I take the time to thank God. I realize that each roast just isn't your ordinary roast, but each roast makes a difference in our community and has the possibility to impact a human life and give a second chance to another man, like it gave me," Chapa said. Rummel said business at 9th Hour is growing and that Chapa's excellent roasting skills and the premise of helping people have attracted offices and organizations to order from them. Some newer clients include St. Martin's Episcopal Church and United Way of Greater Houston. Rummel said what excites him most about the business is the prospect of making real change in his community. "I have no idea how big this thing will get or how many lives we will be able to change, but our confidence in our ability to compete and win in this market grows every day. Almost all of us know someone whose life has been decimated by addiction or incarceration-it's a dark place. I find it incredibly motivating to think that we just might have the privilege to radically alter the trajectory of a great many lives," Rummel said. To learn more about 9th Hour Coffee and its products and services, visit https://9thhourcoffee.com/ or email Rummel at trey@9thhourcoffee.com. MacKenzie Weaver and her friends watched as millions of people, including many youths, across the nation marched in the streets in solidarity with the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where a Feb. 14 mass shooting killed 17 people and wounded 17 others. "We think it's good that it's a nonviolent way to spread awareness of what's going on and that kids are able to stand up for what they need to feel safe," the La Porte High School ninth-grader said. 'We' is a group of seven LPHS students including Weaver, 14, who are working to find their own method of activism as the concern over gun violence becomes an everyday reality for her peers. The group, mostly made up of freshman, goes by the name Students Awareness Safety, and while they didn't march, the students want a say in how to make their lives safer at school. "We want do something where we can get things done," Weaver said. "We wanted them to know that we felt that safety should be a priority at our school." It was right after Parkland and students were "emotional and concerned," La Porte High School principal Carlin Grammer said. The group met with Grammer, who told them that the school held regular drills and was in the process of planning more. He suggested they make their group official. For the students to have a real say in the conversation on school safety, Grammer said, it was key that the group go through a formal process to make it an official school club. Students submit petition "I told MacKenzie that if the group of students really wanted to have a voice and promote safety at the school, they needed to establish the club," he said. Weaver and the other SAS members, including fellow freshmen Rachel Wise and Lauren Johnson, both 15, circulated a student petition, getting 120 signatures. They took the petition to the school administration to discuss some of their goals, which include holding a series of safety assemblies, where the students could be informed about ways of preparedness. The group wanted to take a more active role in the lockdown process, which, according to school officials, includes coordinated input from the city of La Porte and its police department. "Teachers have a list of things to do on a piece of paper, and it would be easier if students could read the piece of paper and know what's going to happen and then actually be able to act it out," Weaver said. "Being able to practice the protocol would be better than the teacher just reading a list and having all these students who don't know what's going on during an emergency." The school has drills for fires, shelter in place and for intruders on campus. "We try to prepare as best we can for any situation that might arise," Grammer said. In lockdown drills regarding campus intruders, an announcement is made over the school intercom that an intruder has entered the campus property and instruction is given on how to barricade until police or other authorities have deemed the area safe. School drills are not new. In the 1950s and 1960s, "duck and cover" drills were conducted at U.S. schools at the peak of the cold war. "I'm 55 years old, and have been a principal at the high school level for 15 years; so we've been doing drills of this nature. This is not new as in the last few years," he said. "Back in the day, we did fire drills and we didn't do a lot of the other kind of drills. I think schools are being more proactive in preparing for situations that might arise and I think rightly so. "I think we are better prepared now than we were when I was in school." The students, said Wise, simply want to be part of that process and help to lessen some of the anxiety of fellow students. 'I actually cried' "I had talked to my dad one night, and I actually cried about (Parkland) and was scared about the whole situation and going back to school," Wise said. "We shouldn't have to worry about this kind of stuff going to school. That's why we wanted to help other students." Grammer said the school will work with the students, and while it will take more meetings and discussions before anything becomes official, the new alliance is moving forward. "I think it's great that they want to have a voice, and this gives them some avenues to have that voice," he said. "We always want kids to actively participate in the school community, and we need that, quite frankly. And if this is an avenue for kids to be involved and engaged." While 'duck and cover' seems like a relic of another time to Weaver and her peers, the threat of violence at schools today feels too real, she said, especially after Parkland. "All my life, school has always been a place where you can feel safe," she said. "Now it's just the opposite, where you're afraid to even leave your house and go to school. We shouldn't have to think about these things, and we shouldn't have to be afraid to go to school." NORWALK An East Norwalk woman was charged Sunday with breaking into a neighbors house and stealing cash and a cell phone, police said. Jessica Sullivan, 42, of Fort Point Street, was charged with second-degree burglary, sixth-degree larceny and criminal impersonation. Around 5:15 p.m., a Fort Point Street resident reported they had been awakened by the presence of an unknown female in the bedroom. When the resident asked the woman what she was doing, Sullivan reportedly replied she was looking for Jessica. The resident also saw an unknown male in the kitchen and told them both to leave before calling police. The resident then noticed a cell phone and $20 was missing. Another occupant of the residence reportedly saw Sullivan walk into the house next door and said a person fitting her description lived on the second floor. When police made contact with Sullivan they said she appeared nervous and initially told officers her name was Jennifer Smith, according to police. Police said she then admitted to them that she had lied about her identity because she thought she had an active arrest warrant for failure to appear. According to police, the cell phone was found at Sullivans residence. Her bond was set at $10,000 and she was given a court date of April 11. In the spring and summer of 1943 in Amsterdam, Johan van Hulst was at the center of a daring scheme to save Jewish children from being sent to a concentration camp. The children from infants to 12-year-olds had been taken from their parents at a deportation center and brought by nursery workers to a nursery next to the teachers college where van Hulst was the principal. The rescue plan was simple but risky: the children were surreptitiously handed over a hedge between the nursery and the college and hidden in a classroom until they could be smuggled to the countryside by Dutch Resistance groups. Van Hulst is credited with helping to rescue as many as 600 children, yet he was haunted by what he could not do. With up to 100 children still in the nursery as it was about to be shut down that September, van Hulst was asked how many more he could smuggle out. "That was the most difficult day of my life," he told Yad Vashem, the Holocaust remembrance center in Jerusalem, which in 1972 named him one of the Righteous Among the Nations, a designation for non-Jews who rescued Jews. "You realize that you cannot possibly take all the children with you," he said. "You know for a fact that the children you leave behind are going to die. I took 12 with me. Later on, I asked myself, 'Why not 13?'" Nearly 70 years later, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel visited the Netherlands in 2012, he met van Hulst and told him: "We say those who save one life saves a universe. You saved hundreds of universes." Van Hulst died on March 22 in Amsterdam, the Dutch Senate announced. He was 107. Johan Wilhelm van Hulst was born on Jan 28, 1911, in Amsterdam, to Gerrit van Hulst, a furniture upholsterer, and the former Geertruida C. Hofman. His education included master's degrees in psychology and pedagogy from Vrije Universiteit and a doctorate in humanities there. After the war, he continued to teach but also entered politics, serving in the Dutch Senate and the European Parliament. He was also an accomplished chess player and the chairman of a chess club in Amsterdam. He is survived by his daughters, Diane Schoonemann-van Hulst and Catherine Koot-van Hulst; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. His wife, the former Anna Janette Donker, died in 2006. NEW HAVEN A 39-year-old city man was sentenced in federal court Monday to a year and a day in prison for his role in a narcotics trafficking ring, officials said. Roberto Gonzalez must also serve three years of supervised release, according to a release from John H. Durham, U.S. attorney for Connecticut. Gonzalez was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven. According to court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administrations New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad targeted a New Haven-based heroin trafficking organization led by Roberto Gonzalezs brothers, Bienvenido and Antonio Gonzalez. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics and physical and video surveillance, revealed that Bienvenido and Antonio Gonzalez regularly purchased bulk quantities of heroin from suppliers in the Bronx, New York, and sold the heroin through a network of redistributors in New Haven and elsewhere, according to the release. The investigation also revealed that Bienvenido Gonzalez acquired and distributed bulk quantities of cocaine, officials said. On March 10, 2017, Roberto Gonzalez was intercepted on a wiretap ordering 250 grams of cocaine from Bienvenido Gonzalez, according to the release. Roberto Gonzalez was arrested March 16, 2017. On Jan. 18, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, cocaine. Bienvenido Gonzalez and Antonio Gonzalez pleaded guilty to related charges. On March 28, Bienvenido Gonzalez was sentenced to 12 years in prison . Antonio Gonzalez awaits sentencing. The DEAs New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad includes officers from the Bristol, Hamden, Milford, Monroe, New Haven, Shelton, Wallingford and Wilton police departments. The New Haven, East Haven and West Haven Police Departments, together with the U.S. Coast Guard, provided assistance to the investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Patrick F. Caruso. Patients have a new option to pay for their cosmetic services at Memorial Plastic Surgery. In February, the plastic surgery practice became among the first in Texas to accept cryptocurrencies. Founder and CEO Dr. Patrick Hsu, who is a board-certified plastic surgeon, said he decided to offer the new payment method as cryptocurrencies had grown in popularity. "Cryptocurrency provides an alternative payment method, with a number of benefits, which is an attractive option to many people," he said. "Cryptocurrency is a stored value investment, which means its value can significantly increase over time. With its potential and growth, this form of currency has become increasingly popular, especially in the millennial age." Hsu said the practice has patients from around the world and that accepting Bitcoin and Ethereum, the world's two largest cryptocurrencies, would make paying for procedures more seamless for them because it avoids the standard wait time that is involved when processing and exchanging currencies from banks and third-parties. "Accepting direct payment in cryptocurrency for patients who do not have access to [United State Dollar] funds will streamline the payment process for both the customer and our practice," he said. As reported by www.statnews.com, another advantage of paying for services with cryptocurrency is that it can be done without linking the payment back to the patient, which can offer more confidentiality for sensitive procedures like plastic surgery. Once patients are set to pay for their services in cryptocurrency, the practice will divide the total cost of the service by the exchange rate from www.gemini.com in order to get the amount due in Bitcoin or Ethereum at that exact date and time, Hsu said. Once that price is set, patients have 12 hours to submit their payment, and then it is verified on the blockchain, which is a public ledger that speeds up the process while lowering fees that providers have to pay. Hsu said after the 12-hour timeframe, a new price has to be calculated based on the current exchange rate. He said he believes cryptocurrencies and more specifically blockchains will reshape the medical business. "Blockchain technology is already being applied to a wide array of industries, including the medical industry. There are a few companies [like] Patientory, which securely stores and manages health information in real time on the blockchain," Hsu said. "I think it's still in its early adoption phase, but over time, I believe this will change our industry and the world." Along with Dr. Kendall Roehl, board-certified plastic surgeon, Hsu offers cosmetic and reconstructive services for the face, breasts and body as well as medical spa services. The cryptocurrencies are now being accepted only for cosmetic procedures and surgeries because reconstructive ones involve health insurance. Roehl said she believes accepting cryptocurrencies will be an asset to all parties involved. "Admittedly, I am still new to cryptocurrency and I am still learning about the processes around it. But I do think this can really help many patients, both here and abroad, pay for their treatments," she said. "This brings us closer to patients in immediate need of our surgical and non-surgical treatments by providing them with a risk-free alternative." While Memorial Plastic Surgeries has not received any cryptocurrency payments yet, Hsu said he expects to see more interest in the future. "We've had a lot of inquiries but no confirmed bookings yet. We believe it's because of the current cryptocurrency climate. Most cryptocurrency investors are [holding] their coins due to the recent drop [in their value]. I suspect our patients will seriously consider this option later this year as the markets rebound," Hsu said. Memorial Plastic Surgery's Houston office is at 929 Gessner Road, Ste. 2250, Houston, and can be reached at 713-633-4411. The Clear Lake office is at 26 Professional Park Drive, Webster, and can be reached at 713-609-9335. For more information visit www.memorialplasticsurgery.com. TORRINGTON Susan B. Anthony Project reminds residents that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. During the month of April, the Susan B. Anthony Project is hosting events to honor survivors and bring awareness to the community. A Sexual Assault Awareness Month Vigil is scheduled at Coe Memorial Park at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 26. The vigil shows support for survivors, celebrates collaborative community members, shares survivor stories, and looks forward to the end of sexual violence, project members said in a release. The Clothesline Project, which features t-shirts designed by survivors, will be on display at the April 28 vigil and throughout the month at the Goshen Public Library, Northwestern Community College and the Susan B. Anthony Project office, as well as online at www.sbaproject.org. Faces of Survival, a photo exhibition of victims and survivors of sexual violence who have chosen to break the silence and tell their stories of survival, will be on display April 23-27 in the library at Northwestern CT Community College in Winsted. This years national campaign, Embrace your voice!, reminds us that we all have a unique role to play in prevention and changing the culture. When we reflect on and change how we think and talk about the issue of sexual violence and consent, we can create a culture of respect, equality, and safety. All of our voices have power. Its time for everyone to find that voice and embrace it, project members said in the statement. Research indicates that over the course of their lifetime, 18 percent of women in this country are raped, and 1 in 5 Connecticut residents are sexually assaulted. According to the United States Bureau of Justice Statistics, individuals age 12 or older experienced an estimated 222,000 rapes or sexual assaults in 2008. Susan B. Anthony Project provides educational programs to schools, churches, civic groups and area agencies/businesses. For more information, call Rebecca or Matt at 860-489-3798 to schedule a program or to find out how to help become part of a community-wide effort to raise awareness about sexual violence. Founded in 1983, Susan B. Anthony Project promotes safety, healing and growth for all survivors of domestic and sexual abuse and advocates for the autonomy of women and the end of interpersonal violence. Based in Torrington, Susan B. Anthony Project provides services, free of charge, in 20 towns in northwestern Connecticut. For more information on Susan B. Anthony Project services call the 24 Hour Hotline at 860-482-7133. The Torrington Police Department reported the following arrests: FAILURE TO APPEAR: Randy Squires, 25, of 113 Village Drive, Torrington, was arrested March 30 and charged with three counts of second-degree failure to appear. He was held in lieu of a combined $6,000 court-set cash bond and scheduled to appear in court April 2. DISORDERLY CONDUCT: Joseph A. Miserendino, 30, of 189 Hawthorne Terrace, Torrington, was arrested March 30 and charged with disorderly conduct. He was released on a $500 non-surety bond and scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Torrington April 2. BREACH OF PEACE: Steven M. Mosakowski, 29, of 31 Vista Drive, Harwinton, was arrested March 31 and charged with breach of peace. He was released on a $1,500 surety bond and scheduled to appear in court April 2. POSSESSION OF NARCOTICS: Tara M. Green, 29, of 270 Westside Road, Torrington, was arrested March 31 and charged with possession of narcotics, use/possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a controlled substance or less than a half ounce of marijuana. She was released on a $1,000 non-surety bond and scheduled to appear in court April 9. INTEFERING WITH OFFICER: Sebastian Bloom, 32, of no certain address, Torrington, was arrested March 31 and charged with breach of peace and interfering with officer/resisting arrest. He was released on a $2,500 non-surety bond and scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Torrington April 9. POSSESSION OF NARCOTICS: Matthew Miller, 27, of 67 Wolcott Ave., second-floor apartment, Torrington, was arrested March 29 and charged with use of drug paraphernalia and possession of narcotics - heroin. He was released on a $2,500 non-surety bond and scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Torrington April 9. WEST HAVEN The West Haven Veterans Museum & Learning Center is getting ready to celebrate the achievements of one of its own of the tail-wagging variety when it holds a showing of the new animated film Sgt Stubby: An American Hero on April 13. Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero, which is headed for nationwide release, is being shown at 8 p.m. April 13 at the Bow Tie Criterion Cinemas, 86 Temple St., New Haven. The museum is hosting the showing of the film, based on the life of Stubby the dog, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. Sgt Stubby, aimed primarily at middle schoolers, tells the story of Stubby, a New Haven stray dog who became a national hero during World War I. In 1917, 101 years ago this spring, a stray dog with brown-and-white fur and a thick snout wandered onto New Haven fields near Yale Bowl, where the 102nd Infantry of the Armys 26th Yankee Division camped and trained. Pvt. J. Robert Conroy, a 25-year-old New Britain man, adopted the dog and named him Stubby because of his stub of a tail. Conroy and Stubby went on to serve in the trenches of France during World War I, where the dog would bark, salute, charm, and earn his way into history for a number of heroics. The museum, which houses the memorabilia for what is now the Connecticut National Guards 102nd Infantry Regiment, is going all-out to celebrate the movies release. For the exclusive showing, the museum, located opposite the West Haven Metro-North rail station at 30 Hood Terrace, is offering two packages, said volunteer event coordinator Carole Laydon McElrath. The reception package costs $25 and includes a reception at the museum, with access to a special exhibit on Stubby and the 102nd, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., plus bus transportation to the theater and admission to the movie, McElrath said. The museums collection includes Charles Ayer Whipples famous portrait of Stubby. It also has artifacts from Stubbys post-war years, when he went on tour with Conroy as a national war hero. A movie-only package that also includes the bus but no access to the reception costs $15 for adults and $10 for children. The bus leaves for the theater at 7 p.m., she said. The museum has reserved a 200-seat theater for the showing, she said. To buy a package, call the museum at 203-934-1111 or email whmilmuseum@snet.net. Tickets must be paid for in advance and will be held at the museum until that evening to be picked up, McElrath said In addition, McElrath will sell tickets from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday in the first-floor lobby of City Hall, 355 Main St., she said. Any money the museum raises from the event will be used for the restoration of some World War I oil paintings in its collection, McElrath said. I really am looking forward to seeing the movie, and were looking forward to the reception, McElrath said. Were having T-shirts made up. Students from the University of New Havens Hospitality and Tourism Management Programs Food Service Management concentration will cater the reception, she said. She pointed out that while the museum is named The West Haven Veterans Museum & Learning Center, it is also the home of the 102nd Infantry Regiment ... and Stubby was part of that regiment, because Conroy was in that regiment. Over the past year, McElrath has had a number of conversations with representatives of Fun Academy Motion Pictures, creators of the movie. The museum is an official partner with the film company, she said. According to McElrath, the filmmakers historical research has included the Connecticut State Library and the Connecticut Military Department, she said earlier this month. Actors voicing the movie include Helena Bonham Carter, who narrates it, and Gerard Depardieu, who is the voice of Gaston Baptiste, a fictional French soldier. Logan Lerman, who was seen in The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Percy Jackson & the Olympians, voices Conroy, the young New Britain soldier who adopted Stubby. According to Ann Bausums book Stubby the War Dog, when the soldiers prepared to ship out to Europe that summer, Stubby followed them to the train depot and hopped on board. After the troops and their mascot arrived in Virginia, Conroy persuaded a crew member of the European-bound ship to wrap Stubby inside a blanket and walk up the gangplank with him. Stubby was allowed to stay on board because he was so friendly. Bausum recounted the story that a commanding officer spotted the dog but before any disciplinary action could be taken Stubby showed off his trick of sitting down on his haunches and raising his right paw in a salute. When the American soldiers arrived and set up in the brutal trenches of France, Stubby was a godsend. He saved a lot of troops because his hearing was acute and he could smell the mustard gas before the soldiers could, McElrath recently told Register columnist Randall Beach. According to Conroys accounts, Stubby saved the inhabitants of the French village of Chateau-Thierry from a gas attack. The grateful women of the town made an Army coat for him. On March 16, 1926, at the estimated age of 11 or 12, Stubby died in Conroys arms. Conroy never owned another dog. Stubbys remains have been preserved at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The city of Middletown and partners, including Conroy's grandson, Curt Deane, recently announced plans to erect a bronze sculpture tribute to Stubby this spring at the CT Trees of Honor Memorial in Veterans Memorial Park. A woman accused of accidentally shooting a man in the head in front of a Museum District gas station will have her case referred to a grand jury. Cassandra Nickcole Damper, 25, is charged with tampering/fabricating evidence after she allegedly shot a man who was in the car with her at a Valero gas station, on Southmore and Almeda. A little more than three months after being sworn in as United States attorney, John Bash has announced some administrative changes in the office that handles federal prosecutions in Central, South and West Texas. On Monday, Ashley Hoff, who had been the city chief overseeing the Austin division, began her new role as first assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, one of four federal judicial districts in this state and one of the countrys largest. It straddles much of Texas border with Mexico, has about 140 prosecutors and is generally among the busiest in the country. Besides Austin, it includes San Antonio, Waco, Del Rio, Alpine, Midland/Odessa and El Paso. Hoff replaced another longtime career prosecutor, Richard Durbin of San Antonio, who has served as U.S. attorney and first assistant. Durbin has been appointed a senior litigation counsel in the district to mentor others, Bash said in a news release. Hoff will remain in Austin with Bash, and she will supervise both the criminal and civil divisions. Hoff began her federal service in 2000, when she left the Harris County district attorneys office to become a special assistant U.S. attorney for the Houston-based Southern District of Texas, where she prosecuted federal firearms offenses. She became an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Texas in June 2001 and joined that offices counterterrorism section after the 9/11 attacks. In 2003, she began in the Western Districts Austin division and prosecuted a variety of federal offenses before she was promoted chief of the division in 2012. She graduated from Baylor University School of Law in 1994 and from Texas Christian University in 1991. Also on Monday, Kristy Callahan began serving as the executive assistant U.S. attorney, a newly created position in the district, and will supervise the administrative division, the legal support division and a new asset recovery division, which will comprise the asset forfeiture unit and the financial litigation unit. She began her service in the district in August 2008 as an assistant U.S. attorney assigned to handle border-fence condemnation cases and defensive civil litigation. In June 2012, she was named chief of the financial litigation unit, leading its mission to aggressively enforce criminal judgments by recovering losses sustained by victims of crime. Callahan graduated cum laude from the University of Mississippi Law School in 2003 and summa cum laude from the University of North Texas in 1996. Ashley Hoff and Kristy Callahan are brilliant and experienced attorneys, Bash said. Critically, they each have thrived in leadership roles within the District and will bring exceptional management skills to their new positions. Ms. Hoff and Ms. Callahan will be essential to achieving my priorities in the District, including strengthening border security, slashing violent crime, and enhancing the integrity of our public institutions. Bash also commended Durbin for his unrivaled record of distinguished service in the U.S. Attorneys Office. In the San Antonio division, Margaret Leachman remains the head of the criminal division and John F. Paniszczyn will continue being the head of the civil division. Meanwhile, Bash left in place some supervisory appointments Durbin made in the second half of last year: Mark Roomberg remains head of the white-collar crimes and counterterrorism sections, Christina Playton will continue supervising the drug and immigration sections and Sarah Wannarka will continue overseeing major crimes. Amid all the barbecue grilling and the cascaron-cracking, a calm breeze brushed along the landscape at Woodlawn Lake on Sunday afternoon, where the park grounds were filled with families celebrating Easter. For Rosalie Castellanos, 28, and her family, Woodlawn Lake Park and its open, green spaces was a good alternative to bustling Brackenridge Park. Everyone was packed togetherpolice were not letting anyone stop, we had to keep moving, she said. This spot was perfect for us. Although Castellanos and her family said they had only been to the West Side park a few times in the past, she was satisfied that their spot had a clear view of the lake and was only steps away from their parking spot. Castellanos attributed this fortune to what she saw as fewer people at the park. Weve had a good time today and were barely getting started, Castellanos said. In preparation of the festivities, Carlos Estrada, 28, along with his family, said they arrived at 5 p.m. the day before to claim a spot and camp out overnight on Woodlawn Lake. This, Estrada said, has been a family tradition since 2009. Weve been doing this for nine years. We spend the night almost every Easter, Estrada said, adding that he planned to stay until 8 or 9 p.m. Estrada said he had close to 30 family members present at the park Sunday with more coming and some traveling all the way from Galveston and Mexico. On the south corner of the lake, under the shade of a nearby tree, Ray Elam, 39, along with his wife Christina Elam, 29, said they arrived around 9 a.m. to set up their pit to grill their favorites: chicken leg quarters, beef fajitas, hot dogs, corn stalks, nopalitos and fresh garbanzo beans. Were going to beat the sun, Ray Elam said, who, along with extended family, planned to stay as long as they could at the park before they had to return to their daily routines on Monday. In the spirit of the day, Claudia Santos, 44, dressed up in a white rabbit suit in 80-degree temperatures and walked around giving free photo opportunities, cascarones and candy to children at the park. I do it for the community and the children, for laughs and fun, Santos said, adding that she plans on doing the same next year. Its a blessing ... to see their smiles; I do it for fun. FLORESVILLE The state rested its case Monday in the trial of a former San Antonio attorney accused of having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. Accused of continuous trafficking of persons, Mark Henry Benavides has been on trial in Wilson County since March 27. Women he represented as a court-appointed attorney in prostitution and drug cases allege he coerced them into having sex to keep them out of jail, get their cases dismissed or lessen their legal troubles. Jurors for the past week have seen several videos believed to have been shot by Benavides of him and his accusers having sex. District Judge Dick Alcala has only allowed himself, the lawyers and the jury to view the videos in court. Converse police arrested a man accused of sexually assaulting a pregnant woman in front of her two-year-old son. The woman told police 23-year-old Frank Ramos became upset early Thursday morning when she said she was too tired to have sex with him. Ramos headbutted her so hard that she was knocked unconscious, police said. The woman woke up moments later when Ramos yelled at her to take care of her crying son, according to the affidavit. She brought the son in the room with her and Ramos. RELATED: Man fatally shot by Bexar County deputies after allegedly killing woman is identified According to an arrest affidavit, Ramos then pushed the woman onto her bed and sexually assaulted her, biting her and drawing blood in the process, according to the affidavit. The woman, one month pregnant, was taken to the hospital by a family member after Ramos fell asleep, according to the affidavit. Ramos was arrested Friday on suspicion of sexual assault. A judge set his bail at $50,000. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. | fsabawi@mysa.com | Twitter: @FaresInSA San Antonio police need the public's help solving a homicide that occurred in March. On March 20, police found Ricardo Aguirre, 29, dead inside a car that had crashed into a tree in the 3800 block of San Fernando Street. RELATED: Police: Man robbed same San Antonio convenience store twice in two weeks Upon closer investigation, police discovered Aguirre had been shot multiple times before the car wreck. Anyone with information on Aguirre's death is asking to contact crime stoppers by calling 210-224-7867. Tips that lead to an arrest could get the tipster up to $5,000. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. | fsabawi@mysa.com | Twitter: @FaresInSA Clark County, NV - A hospital counselor and a patient have been arrested in Clark County, Nevada nearly one week after the two left the Arkansas State Hospital. Officials said counselor Michelle Messer used her access to the hospital to escort Cody Chapin out of the hospital on March 20. The two left the area in her personal car. Before the escape, Messer was told to not interact with Chapin after state employees found he had a cell phone and a vaping machine in his possession. She denied any knowledge of the items and left the meeting to help Chapin leave the hospital. According to the Associated Press, Chapin was committed after he was determined to be mentally ill in a 2015 ruling. He was charged with attempted kidnapping, drug possession, theft and unauthorized use of a vehicle. Chapin previously left the state in 2016 and was eventually captured in Las Vegas in October 2017. DHS said that once Messer had been found, she would be fired immediately. She is being held at the Clark County Detention Center and is being charged with aiding an unauthorized departure of a state hospital patient and providing items to a patient. Chapin will return to the Arkansas State Hospital. We will continue to update this story with more information as it becomes available. Rocker Ted Nugents comments to a San Antonio-based radio host attacking Florida students seeking gun control in the wake of a massacre at their school were blasted on social media Sunday by survivors and their allies. Saying the Parkland students had no soul and were mushy brained children, Nugent made the comments Friday as a guest on the Joe Pags Show, a nationally syndicated conservative radio program hosted by Joe Pagliarulo. During the show, he also defended the National Rifle Association An NRA board member, Nugent said survivors of the Parkland school shooting are wrong to blame the NRA for mass shootings. He went on to say that the evidence is irrefutable, they have no soul, and that the gun-control measures they support amount to spiritual suicide. On Sunday, some of the Parkland survivors and their allies responded online, including Stoneman Douglas High School alumnus Matt Deitsch. If you see NRA board member Ted Nugent in church today try to explain to him that its not cool to say children dont have souls because they go against his business. Happy Easter everybody! Spread only love, a sense of acceptance and community, he tweeted Sunday. One student, Cameron Kasky, tweeted, What was it T*d N*gent was saying about soulless? with a screenshot of lyrics from Nugents song Jailbait, in which he sings about having sex with underage girls. The first lyrics read, Well, I dont care if youre just 13, you look too good to be true. Pagliarulo responded to the backlash with a Facebook post stating that media outlets were ignoring the context of Nugents statement. Ted was responding to the children on CNN calling the NRA and its members, child murderers, and saying you're either funding the killers or you are standing with the children, in reference to politicians to whom the NRA donates. It was disgusting that they said that, Pagliarulo wrote. Nugent made the comments the same day several advertisers dropped Fox News personality Laura Ingraham after she mocked David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland shooting online. Is it time for anti-Trump conservatives to recognize that they have lost the political and policy battle within the GOP and to accommodate themselves as best they can to an uncomfortable reality? This is the argument of the Ethics and Public Policy Centers Henry Olsen, one of the most thoughtful political analysts on the right. On issues such as trade, immigration and the Muslim travel ban, he argues, Republican critics of Donald Trump are dramatically out of step with conservatives. And the possible options are limited. A primary challenge to Trump is doomed to failure. The creation of a third party is a pipe dream, since there simply arent enough dissatisfied conservatives. This leaves anti-Trump conservatives, in Olsens view, with one viable choice. If they are willing to work with other conservative-movement types on immigration and trade to reach common ground, he contends, they might find other longtime conservatives are willing to work with them. Olsens historical model is conservative fusionism a theory associated with conservative thinker Frank Meyer that asserted common political and intellectual ground between social conservatives and libertarians in the middle of the last century. Olsens hope for a return to normalcy within the conservative movement in which even deep disagreements did not lead to complete rupture is understandable. But his real contribution is probably not what he intended. Olsen sees this as an important but normal political moment, in which the policy views of populists and conservative intellectuals need to be reconciled on issues such as trade and immigration. But this begs the question: Is this a normal political moment? If Trump were merely proposing a border wall and the more aggressive employment of tariffs, we would be engaged in a debate, not facing a schism. Both Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush played the tariff chess game. As a Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney endorsed the massive self-deportation of undocumented workers without the rise of a #NeverRomney movement. But it is blind, even obtuse, to place Trumpism in the same category. Trumps policy proposals the details of which Trump himself seems unconcerned and uninformed about are symbolic expressions of a certain approach to politics. The stated purpose of Trumps border wall is to keep out a contagion of Mexican rapists and murderers. His argument is not taken from Heritage Foundation policy papers. He makes it by quoting the racist poem The Snake, which compares migrants to dangerous vermin. Trump proposes to ban migration from some Muslim-majority countries because Muslim refugees, as he sees it, are a Trojan horse threat of terrorism. Trumps policy ideas are incidental to his message of dehumanization. So how do we split the political difference on this one? Shall we talk about Mexican migrants as rapists on every other day? Shall we provide rhetorical cover for alt-right bigots only on special occasions, such as after a racist protest and murder? While some Republicans have criticized media bias, Trump has attempted to systematically delegitimize all critical information as fake news and referred to the media as the enemy of the people. While other politicians have pushed back against investigations, Trump has attempted to discredit federal law enforcement as part of a deep state plot against him. What would fusion with this type of politics look like? Trump defines loyalty to conservatism as contempt for many of our neighbors. One might as well have proposed a fusion between popular sovereignty and Abraham Lincolns conception of inherent human rights. They were not a dialectic requiring a synthesis. They were alternatives demanding a choice. Which raises a fourth option: For elected leaders to remind Americans who they are and affirm our common bonds. For conservative policy experts to define an agenda of working-class uplift, not an agenda of white resentment which will consign Republicans to moral squalor and (eventually) to electoral irrelevance. For principled conservatives to hear the call of moral duty and stand up for their beliefs until this madness passes. As it will. 1 Russia relations: President Trump didnt just propose a summit meeting to Vladimir Putin when he called the Russian leader last month. He invited him to the White House, according to the Kremlin. When our presidents spoke on the phone, Trump suggested having the meeting in Washington at the White House, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Monday. This is quite an interesting, positive idea. The two sides have had no preparatory discussions since the March 20 call because of their tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats over the poisoning of a former spy in Britain, Ushakov said. The prospect of Putin visiting Washington is likely to sharpen divisions in the U.S. over relations with Russia amid continued tensions regarding Kremlin meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections. Russia denies meddling. 2 Nigeria attacks: Boko Haram Islamic extremists attacked two villages on the outskirts of the northeastern city of Maiduguri, killing at least 15 people, the military said Monday. The militants also tried to enter Maidugiri on Sunday, but army soldiers repelled them, gunning down six insurgents and seven suicide bombers, said army spokesman Col. Onyema Nwachukwu. At least 83 people were injured. Troops prevented the insurgents from entering the center of Maiduguri, but they detonated their bombs in the outlying villages of Bille Shuwa and Alikaranti. Boko Haram has killed more than 20,000 people in its nine-year insurgency to establish Shariah law in Nigeria. ZIMBABWES economy will grow in a manner that will shock the world, renowned televangelist Pastor Benny Hinn has said. At a recent prayer meeting in the United States which was attended by local clergyman Prophet Passion Java, Pr Hinn said God showed him that the economy would be revived. He said, Zimbabwes economy and its people will rise. I also love the anointing on Prophet Java because he is a man of God who is dedicated to serving the Lord. Zimbabwe is blessed to have prayerful people including Prophet Passion. He loves his country and talks a lot of good about it. Born Toufik Benedictus Hinn on December 3, 1952, Pastor Hinn is an Israeli televangelist who ministers faith healing and has written several Christian books. Prophet Java told the congregation that Zimbabweans endured economic challenges for several years but things were changing for the better. Every Zimbabwean should stay in faith because God did not bring us this far to leave us, he said. When you can give God praise even when life or economy does not make sense, he will release you into a new level. God can take your darkest hour and turn it into your brightest hour. As a nation we have to keep working hard, continue to get better educational and professional qualifications and believe in God. Prophet Java paid tribute to Pr Hinn, whom he described as a great inspiration. Pr Hinn inspires me ever since I was a child; I have followed his ministry for many years. In our meeting with Pastor Hinn, we prayed for our beautiful country Zimbabwe and God will revive our economy, He is faithful. God may have taken you a different route than you thought, but He knows how to get you to the correct destination. God uses the difficult times to get us prepared for the next level. Passion Java came to prominence five years ago after performing controversial miracles before he moved to the US to join his spiritual father, Bishop Noel Jones. SundayMail Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Two Zimbabwean companies, Platinum Agriculture and Princewood Enterprises have sealed three deals to the tune of US$520 million for the procurement of mining, irrigation and other agriculture equipment. The fourth deal pertaining to public mass transportation for provision of buses is still in the making with Allan Bus public transport system. Addressing Zimbabwean journalists in Beijing, Platinum Agriculture and Princewood Enterprises Director, Mr Dakarai Mapuranga said the transportation deal signing has been delayed due to the need to make alterations so that the buses become more suitable for the road system in Zimbabwe. Pertaining to the agriculture and agricultural equipment he said those wishing to access the facilities will do so through their banks under some revolving facility. Our week-long visit has yielded positive results for Zimbabwes economy. We have sealed a US$400 million deal with Chinas Lovol company that produces heavy machinery for agriculture and mining, while a US$40 million revolving facility was secured with Good Agro-Rising for the supply of chemicals for tobacco and other export-oriented crops. Those wishing to benefit will do so through their banks as this is a revolving fund. Let me make it clear that nothing is being given for free like what happened under some previous facilities that have not been paid back, he said. Mr Mapuranga added that under the deals, Dayu Corporation will supply centre pivots and drip irrigation equipment at the tune of US$80 million. Mr Mapuranga said the two companies that are working closely with government ministries chose to support agriculture and mining as the two sectors are the biggest foreign currency earners for Zimbabwe. The business delegation is accompanied by technical people who are capable of advising the government on the suitable and appropriate technology required in the sectors and avoid a situation where the equipment and machinery is bought without backup. ZBC Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Henry County, GA - A mother and employee with the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services was arrested and charged with cruelty to children against her own daughter, according to officials. Henry County Police said Merita Croll spanked her daughter to the point of causing bruising last week. The mother has since been released from jail on bond. FOX 5 News obtained the incident report regarding the situation. Investigators said Croll's child complained of hurting at school. And once a teacher looked at her leg, she noticed bruising on her inner and outer thighs, according to the incident report. The child reportedly told investigators that her mom spanked her and she then fell on a fan. Captain Joey Smith with the Henry County Police Department said detectives followed up with the child's parents. Officers said Mrs. Croll confirmed she spanked her child with a "carrot bat" (a plastic bat shaped like a carrot). But she said her daughter tripped over a cord and fell on a fan following the spanking. Mrs. Croll also said she rubbed ointment on the girl's leg after she complained of pain following the incident, according to the same report. DFCS released the following statement to FOX 5 News regarding its employee: Merita Roberts-Croll was hired by the Department of Human Services on January 1, 1991, and her current position is Children and Family Services Review Statewide Assessment/Program Improvement Plan Project Director in the Division of Family and Children Services. Ms. Roberts-Croll was placed on suspension without pay on March 12, 2018 after her arrest, pending the outcome of the investigation. Her job responsibilities were in the state office and did not involve direct service delivery to children and families. - An in-house committee is looking into reports that the data firm interfered in Nigerian elections between 2007 and 2015 - A presidency source confirmed this to State House correspondents on Sunday, April 1 in Abuja - However, presidential spokesman Garba Shehu says he is unaware of the development because he was yet to be briefed The Federal Government of Nigeria has set up an in-house committee to investigate the activities of the data mining firm, Cambridge Analytica, during the country's general elections in 2007 and 2015. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the committee is to find out whether Cambridge Analyticas work for the then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, in 2007 and 2015 elections campaigns broke the laws of Nigeria or infringed on the rights of other parties and their candidates. The Cambridge Analytica was alleged to have swiped the data of more than 50 million Facebook users to sway elections in many countries including Nigeria, where it waged a campaign to perpetuate discord and hack into personal records of the then leading opposition candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. READ ALSO: Reps member stoned by constituents in Taraba A presidency source, who confirmed this development to State House correspondents in Abuja on Sunday, April 1 added that depending on the outcome (of the committee report), this may lead to the appointment of a special investigator and possibly, criminal prosecutions by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. A whistleblower, Christopher Wylie, who worked with a Cambridge University academic to obtain the data, told the Observer, a UK newspaper that : We exploited Facebook to harvest millions of peoples profiles and built models to exploit what we knew about them and target their inner demons. That was the basis the entire company was built on. Among those whose personal data was hacked into in 2015 was the then opposition candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. Cambridge Analytica, according to the reports, worked with Israeli hackers who were instructed to get dirt on Muhammadu Buhari during the presidential campaign. According to those reports, SCL Elections, a public relations firm that later became Cambridge Analytica, manipulated Nigerias 2007 by organising campaigns to weaken the chances of opposition parties. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android and read best news on Nigerias #1 news app As part of its engagement, the company organised anti-election rallies to demoralise opposition supporters from voting in the elections, which saw the emergence of Umar YarAdua as Nigerias president. The Cambridge Analytica team came up with a video to portray candidate Buhari as a leader who would enforce Sharia Law in Nigeria." It was intended to sway the minds of millions of Nigerians and vote for the PDP candidate. Currently, the Cambridge Analytica and Facebook are the focus of an inquiry into data and politics by the British Information Commissioners Office, the United States Special Counsel Robert Mueller Separately, the U K Electoral Commission is also investigating what role Cambridge Analytica played in the EU referendum, the source further revealed. When contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu said he had not been briefed on the issue. He, however, said Nigerians deserved answers immediately from the PDP administration, Facebook and Cambridge Analytica on how and why they improperly obtained and used data to interfere in Nigerias elections. He said an investigation should help to determine if there was a linkage between the various kilings and maimings that had characterized previous elections since 2007 and the misinformation activities of the Cambridge Analytica (CA) data flows. It will also help President Buhari achieve his wish to leave a legacy of improved elections, he added. Legit.ng had reported that an oil billionaire supporter of former president Goodluck Jonathan reportedly hired SCL, a data analytics company, to paint President Muhammadu Buhari bad in the buildup to the 2015 elections. A new report by Guardian UK reveals that fixers hired by the billionaire in support of the Jonathan campaign hacked into Buharis personal data. Legit.ng gathered that SCL is the parent company of Cambridge Analytica, a data marketing firm, which harvests data from different sources and creates micro-targets, with the ultimate goal of changing audience behaviour. Should President Buhari seek reelection in 2019? (Nigerian Street Interview) on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - The Nigerian Senate has developed two draft bills for legislation to tackle the menace of drug abuse in the country - The proposed bills are: National Drug Control Bill and National Mental Health Bill - This is the outcome of the round-table convened by the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, in December last year in Kano The Nigerian Senate has developed two draft bills for legislation to tackle the menace of drug abuse in the country. Legit.ng gathered that the proposed bills are: National Drug Control Bill and National Mental Health Bill. The move is the outcome of the round-table convened by the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, in December last year in Kano state. Dr Saraki speaking at the round-taable convened by the Senate on drug abuse last year in Kano. Photo credit: SP media office PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigerias #1 news app A statement by the media office of Saraki said the Drug Control Bill seeks to clarifies the mandate and strengthen the capacity of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) and other relevant law enforcement and regulatory bodies to eradicate the illicit production, and trafficking of controlled substances. It also seeks to establish a central mechanism to facilitate collaboration among law enforcement, regulatory and public health authorities in line with the National Drug Control Policy. The Bill further focuses on proactive law enforcement and regulatory measures towards the eradication of the illicit importation, production and trafficking of controlled substances. It also criminalizes the diversion, distribution or otherwise dispensing of controlled substances without a prescription or license On mental health bill, the statement noted that, in recognition of the fact that psychosocial issues are the key drivers for the abuse of psychoactive substance, the Bill was crafted to ensure that standard facilities are available in every state to provide mental health and substance abuse services. The proposed law guarantees the protection of the rights of people with mental illness and stipulates that mental health practitioners and facilities no longer engage in practices that are harmful to people with mental health and substance use disorders. In recognizing the low number of mental health practitioners in the country with the ratio of practitioners at one psychiatrist to 1.6 million people, the draft law makes provision for quality mental health and substance abuse services available for women and adolescents, who are an underserved segment of the population. Commenting on the draft bills, Saraki said a provision for stiffer sanctions would be made in the bills as proactive mechanism in the prevention of drug trafficking and abuse. He pledged the commitment of the Senate in the speedy passage of the bills to give a legal framework to help mitigate drug abuse in the country. The Senate on Tuesday, February 20, passed a motion calling on the federal government, through the ministry of health to establish rehabilitation centers in each of the 36 states of the nation. In a motion sponsored by Senator Jeremiah Useni and nine other senators, the Senate noted that with more rehabilitation centers in the country, addicts would be able to receive professional treatment in the short and long term, thereby, bringing down the rate of addiction and crime in the country. READ ALSO: 7 things Saraki said about ending drug abuse in Nigeria Ex-prisoner turns advocate for release of former inmates on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - The plotters met in the last one week to strategize on how to resolve the 'Magu question' - They listed seven reasons why Magu should not be allowed to continue in office as anti-corruption chief - A source says the reasons given are reportedly trumped up allegations and will be used as cause to suspend the EFCC boss A grand plot to remove acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through suspension has been uncovered. The Nation reports that those behind the plot have cooked up at least 7 alleged reasons why the EFCC boss should be removed from office. READ ALSO: FG releases more names of alleged looters The reasons are: 1. Alleged ownership of houses at home and abroad 2. Opening of an account with suspicious lodgments 3. Working with an Arab as a business partner 4. Refusing to allow the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit( NFIU) stand on its own 5. Alleged irreconcilable figures on the amount recovered from looters between the Ministry of Finance and the EFCC 6. Alleged insubordination 7. Likelihood of the EFCC operational activities jeopardizing the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari. The report revealed further that some of those against Magu met on how to find a lasting solution to the matter of Magu's continuation in the position of EFCC chairman. The reason for the meeting, the report said, was for the plotters to protect themselves from Magu, who they feel can move against them after leaving government. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android and read best news on Nigerias #1 news app A top source told The Nation in confidence: Since the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, declared that the Presidency was insisting on the choice of Magu, those opposed to the acting chairman of EFCC have also returned to the drawing board. Working hand-in-hand with some members of the National Assembly, they have disagreed with the VP. The latest plot is to hide under any of the phantom allegations above to suspend him from office whenever the President is out of the country or Abuja. Once the suspension is announced, it will be difficult for the President to reverse. The alternative will be a fresh crisis in the presidency over Magu. Apart from using the Presidency-National Assembly feud as an excuse, some of these anti-Magu forces also believe that with the tough stance of Magu in office, it could affect the chances of Buharis second term bid. They also claimed that with Magu out of the way, the relationship between the Executive and the National Assembly can be smoother. Those in the Senate have specifically asked the presidency to prevail on Magu to stop the ongoing investigation of some senators. Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported recently that Magu said the fight against corruption is a do-or-die affair. Magu made the statement at the headquarters of the commission in Abuja after leading a rally to commemorate the International Anti-corruption Day. He said corruption is Nigerias number one enemy and urged Nigerians to take a bold stand against corruption. The EFCC stage a walk against corruption - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is again leading by example in terms of personnel welfare - Frontline personnel currently serving in the northeast and visiting members of their families have been treated to a special lunch - This was to part of NAF's celebration of the Easter festivities Frontline personnel of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) currently serving in the northeast and visiting members of their families have been treated to a special lunch by the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar. The event was held on Sunday, April 1 in celebration of the Easter festivities. The troops lining up to collect their food at the event. Photo credit: NAF READ ALSO: Nigerian Air Force to hold inter-command combat sports competition in Uyo The CAS, who was represented at the occasion by the Commander Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Idi Lubo, commended the contributions of personnel towards prosecuting the fight against insurgency in the country and urged them not to rest on their oars. He said that although a lot of success had been recorded in the fight against Boko Haram terrorists, the personnel needed to put more effort towards completely eradicating the menace. The CAS was represented by Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Idi Lubo at the event. Photo credit: NAF The representative of the CAS later had lunch with the other NAF front-line personnel serving in Yola. At Yola, AVM Lubo thanked Air Marshal Abubakar for the kind gesture of facilitating the lunch. Addressing the troops after the lunch, he commended the troops for their relentless efforts and sacrifices, which had greatly degraded the capability of the insurgents. He equally tasked the troops to redouble their efforts to ensure that the entire country, and the northeast Region in particular, become a safer place for Nigerians. Family members of the troops at the event. Photo credit: NAF He later presented the award of the best officer of the quarter to Group Captain Samuel Eyoma, who is the head of the data collection and analysis team in the tactical operation centre. He then encouraged the senior officer to remain focused and diligent in the discharge of his duties. Likewise, he charged other personnel to emulate those qualities that won Group Captain Eyoma the award. The representative of the CAS also seized the opportunity to commission some projects at 103 Strike Group, aimed at enhancing the protection of NAF critical assets in NAF Base Yola. Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Idi Lubo commissioning some projects during his visit. Photo credit: NAF Meanwhile, the innovativeness and achievements of the NAF in the area of Research and Development (R&D) were on display at the just concluded Technology and Innovation Expo 2018. The NAF, which was invited by the Ministry of Science and Technology to the 5-day exhibition, had on display various innovative products such as the Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV), Air Marshal SB Abubakar Aviation Power Pack and Hydraulic Diaphragm for the Mi-Series Helicopter. READ ALSO: NAF commissions new residential accommodation for personnel in Minna President Buhari commissions first Nigerian drone on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - JIBWIS faults Theophilus Danjumas statement against the military - The group urges Nigerians to be law abiding - Monarch cautions Danjuma over alleged inciting statement A group, the Jamaatu Izalatil Bidah Waiqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), has said former minister of defence, Lt Gen Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), should be called to order for urging Nigerians to defend themselves against attack. Daily Trust reports that the national chairman of JIBWIS Ulamau council, Sheikh Muhammadu Sani Yahaya Jingir, speaking at the annual Islamic convention in Abuja on Sunday, April 1, said Danjuma spoke as if Nigeria does not have a government in power. READ ALSO: Breaking: FG releases more names of alleged looters It is not advisable for an elder statesman, who was a former defence minister and chief of Army Staff to be calling on youths, who were graduating from a university to take up arms against the nations military and organised Federal Government as if we dont have a government. He should be called to order, Jingir said. He urged Nigerians to be law abiding and see themselves as each others brothers keepers. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Similarly, the chairman of the association of Fulani chiefs in the south-west, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Bambado, has told former chief of army staff, Lt Gen Theophilus Danjuma, to desist from making statements that could incite Nigerians to take up arms against each other. Vanguard reports that Bambado questioned why someone of Danjumas status chose such an avenue to talk on such a sensitive issue when he knows how to get across to the president without heating up the polity. TY Danjuma, Nigerian army and the herdsmen crisis | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Alhaji Musa Halilu Ahmed, popularly known as Musa Yola has being honoured in his home state - The chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was conferred as Dujima Adamawa on Saturday, March 31 - The ceremony was attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna and other prominent Nigerians Yola, the Adamawa state capital was agog on Saturday, March 31, as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, amongst many other dignitaries were in town to witness the turbaning of the new Dujima Adamawa, Alhaji Musa Halilu Ahmed. The ceremony which was held at the Palace of Lamido of Adamawa, Muhammadu Barindo Aliyu Musdafa also witnessed the presence of several personalities which includes the Adamawa state governor, Bindow Jibrilla, National Security Adviser (NSA), Major-General Babagana Mungono (rtd), minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, and several others who came to witness the occasion. Dozens of prominent Nigerians attended the turban ceremony of Dujima Adamawa. Photo credit: Dujima media team READ ALSO: Adamawa lawmakers pass vote of confidence on APC national chairman Lamido Adamawa, in his address, urged the newly coronated Dujima Adamawa to discharge his duties with the fear of God and see the new position as a challenge to do more in helping humanity. According to him, there is no better period to receive the title than now, stressing that it is a position that was highly reserved for philanthropists who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in civic and charitable responsibility. The Dujima Adamawa during the turbaning ceremony which witnessed the presence of prominent Nigerians. Photo credit: Dujima media team Describing his new traditional title as the will of Allah, the Dujima Adamawa urged residents and other traditional rulers in the state to join hands with him to move the state forward. He also thanked the Lamido Adamawa for recognising his giant strides in the society and conferring on him, one of the highest traditional titles in the land. According to him, the added feat is a call to do more in promoting social good and investing more in the people of Adamwa state and the nation as a whole. Apart from being a front-line politician, the Dujima Adamawa, Alhaji Musa Halilu, serves as chairman and sits on the board of numerous companies with interests in construction, real estate, energy, agriculture, technology, supply chain management and venture capital. As tradition demands, the Dujima Adamawa rode on a horse from the palace to his residence, where he was hosted by Governor Bindow at the Government House, Yola. Minutes after, the newly turbaned Dujima Adamawa was convoyed to his residence where several well-wishers and guests were waiting to felicitate with him. Born on May 13, 1976 in Gembu (Mambila Plateau) of the then Gongola state, Alhaji Musa, is the son of late Alhaji Halilu Ahmadu Chiroma, who was the Ardo Malabu, a prominent traditional title from the old Borno Empire. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news EXCLUSIVE: Be patient with President Buhari, Femi Adesina tells Nigerians on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - An EFCC source confirmed that the sum total of funds unaccounted for is around N2.5bn - The EFCC has recommended suspension of the six directors while it carries out its probe of the agency - The agency also recommended criminal trial for those found wanting after it completes its investigation - The current NEMA Board under Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is expected to meet on Tuesday, April 3 to look into the anti-corruption agencys report on the alleged corrupt practices - However, NEMA staff who spoke on the matter said the actions of the EFCC was tantamount to witch-hunt The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has indicted Sani Sidi Mohammed, a former director-general of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in a N2.5bn fraud alongside six other directors. The Nation reports that the NEMA board, which is constitutionally headed by the vice president of the federal republic of Nigeria, was under the supervision of erstwhile holder of the position Namadi Sambo, when the fraud occurred. Sambo met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, a few days ago. It was not clear at the weekend if the meeting was in connection with the March 1 report of the EFCC on NEMA, which has been sent to the government. The other directors indicted alongside ex-DG Sidi are Director of Finance and Accounts Akinbola Hakeem Gbolahan; Ag. Director, Special Duties, Mr. Umesi Emenike; Director, Risk Reduction, Mallam Alhassan Nuhu; Pilot in-charge Air Ambulance and Aviation Unit, Mr. Mamman Ali Ibrahim; the Chief Maintenance Officer Mr. Ganiyu Yunusa Deji; and Director of Welfare Mr. Kanar Mohammed. READ ALSO: Call Theophilus Danjuma to order - JIBWIS declares The Nation quotes the report as saying: From the investigation carried out so far, officials could not account for funds transferred from NEMA account to their personal accounts. Moreover, the funds were being withdrawn in cash and, in some cases, transferred to family members. Also, it was discovered that some of these funds were placed in fixed deposit; both the principal and the interest were withdrawn in cash by the depositor. Furthermore, the issue of companies incorporated by the officials of NEMA who are public servants is against the Public Service Rules. This is more so as the companies are active and still receiving funds, in some cases from NEMA. There were frivolous emoluments claims that were wrongly processed by directors and some officials of the agency. Against this background, EFCC is of the opinion that placing the officials involved under suspension will assist the successful completion of our investigation. This is the only way the commission can have unfettered access to all the necessary documents that will aid our investigation. It is therefore recommended that the officials who are already indicted in the case be placed on suspension pending the conclusion of the investigation. The aspect of fake IDP camps and relief materials are still being investigated. Investigation is still on-going and further developments will be communicated. The report added: The brief facts of the case as contained in the petition alleged that former Director-General Sani Sidi while in office misappropriated public funds and perpetrated corrupt acts in NEMA. It further alleged that he conspired with some officers within the Agency, especially in the Department of Finance and Accounts, that shortchanged the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to the tune of over N354,900, 105.24. Part of the report states: From the investigation so far conducted, the ex-DG maintains 20 different accounts in various banks; he is the promoter of Major Enterprises Ltd and Khayas Alliance Farms Ltd; his Standard Chartered Bank US dollar account recorded the following cash deposits ($ 164,000) and (58,800) which were flagged as suspicious transaction. The Director of Finance and Accounts, Gbolahan is the owner and promoter of the company, Ridges and Tillages Limited. He maintains multiple accounts with which he receives suspicious cash transfers totalling N27, 650, 00. On Acting Director, Special Duties, Umesi Emenike the EFCC said: Prior to his appointment as the Ag. Director of Special Duties, he was Zonal Coordinator of the South-South and the Deputy-Director Training. While he was Zonal Coordinator of the South-South, Zonal Office, he coordinated the affairs of Six (6) States Emergency Management Agencies namely: Cross River, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Delta and Bayelsa. The fund meant for programmes and maintenance of the Zone was paid into the suspects personal accounts instead of the Zonal offices accounts. These funds were withdrawn in cash, transfers and through ATM machines. There is no evidence to show that these funds were utilised for the benefits of NEMA. Patrick Ewama, who was the Zonal Accountant of the suspect made several cash lodgments and withdrawals from the accounts of the suspect. The suspect maintains 14 accounts in various banks and cash lodgments and transfers were made into the accounts from both NEMA and other sources, out of which about N238million which was received from NEMA into the suspects account for activities of NEMA, was placed on fixed deposit and both the principal and interest were utilised by the suspect. The EFCC also asked Director, Risk Reduction in NEMA, Alhassan Nuhu to account for the N15million he transferred into the account of the Director of Finance. The EFCC said: The suspect (Nuhu) maintains five accounts in various banks. In one of his accounts, it was discovered that N15 million was received from NEMA and later transferred into the account of another director. The suspect and the DFA could not give satisfactory account on all the funds deposited into the suspects account from NEMA. He moved NEMA funds into his company account, Dambo Farms Limited. Concerning NEMA Pilot in-charge of Air Ambulance and Aviation Unit, Mr. Mamman Ali Ibrahim, the EFCC alleged that although he was employed by the agency to set up an Air Ambulance Unit and Helicopter emergency services in 2014, he commercialised the unit. The report said: The Air Ambulance Unit was established under the Nigeria Civil Aviation to embark on evacuation of critical and noncritical missions. The suspects letter of employment clearly indicates his functions and entitlements as a flight captain. He commercialised both the air ambulance and the helicopter, claiming that the directive to commercialise the flight came from the office of the Vice-President and the Accountant-General of the Federation. A total of N285 million was realised from the commercialisation of the aircraft, N63 million was paid to the AGF while N11 million was paid to NEMA and the balance is yet to be accounted for. A total of N45 million was paid into Aerocare West Africa Limited, a company belonging to the suspect, by NEMA and the suspect in turn transferred it to family members. Though he mentioned some members of his crew as beneficiaries of the funds, the account of the former DG, Sani Sidi, witnessed so much inflow of foreign exchange believed to have been derived from the commercialization of the air ambulance since all transactions appeared to be in cash. An EFCC source said: The amount in question is over N2.5billion. We have interrogated all the affected suspects and they have made useful statements. We have more to unearth but we cannot achieve much because the affected directors are in charge of vital documents. So far, we have recommended that these government officials be suspended pending the conclusion of a comprehensive investigation. But NEMA has decried the allegations. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android and read best news on Nigerias #1 news app A source at the agency said all the allegations amounted to a plot to witch-hunt some members of the management staff and implicate the former DG. The source said: The former DG, Sani Sidi Mohammed, did a good job in disaster management which the present management has not been able to match. They are just desperate to deal with him for committing no fraud. The ex-DG served the nation selflessly and responded to major disasters with efficiency, especially attacks by Boko Haram insurgents. The records are there. He also got so many international awards for his performance. All our emergency vehicles and air ambulance services have been grounded since this administration came on board. They want to use the probe by the EFCC to cover up their lapses. The EFCC should also interact with our union leaders to know the exact situation in NEMA. Another NEMA source said: I think the new board has its own agenda for our agency. The workers are watching and we will respond appropriately. Most of these directors are innocent of the allegations against them. This report comes just as Legit.ng reported that the federal government on Sunday, April 1, released more names of people who have allegedly looted the nations treasury. Alhaji Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture who released the list claimed that those complaining that the list was too short did not understand that it was strategically released as a teaser, Channels TV reports. Releasing the fresh list of alleged looters, in a statement issued in Lagos, the minister also said those complaining that the list was too short apparently did not understand that it was strategically released as a teaser. Top 5 the Richest People of Nigeria: The Luxury of Corruption - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Senator Lidani was said to have arrived Talasse town on an unscheduled visit when the crowd gathered and refused to let him leave - The protesters demand answers to why he had abandoned them for ages, only to 'sneak into town' on Monday, April 2 - One of the protesters, who confirmed Senator Lidani was 'hiding' in a traditional ruler's palace, said the people only wanted answers to their questions Reports in Gombe say that Joshua Lidani, the senator representing Gombe South, has been held hostage by protesting members of his constituency. Premium Times reports that a live Facebook update by an activist Ibrahim Wala on Monday, April 2 confirmed that the incident occurred when Senator Lidani paid an unscheduled visit to Talasse town, the headquarters of Balanga Local Government Area to meet with political associates. The report further quoted one of the protesting constituents as saying on phone that Lidani is currently hiding inside the residence of the traditional ruler of the town. READ ALSO: Call Theophilus Danjuma to order - JIBWIS declares He said the protesters are asking the senator to come out and answer some of their questions after he refused to visit Talasse since his election despite several appeals. He also accused the senator of always refusing to answer or return calls from the people of his constituency. He said the police were invited to the scene but they had to retreat to a distance to avoid confrontation with the large crowd. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android and read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Apart from those at the emirs palace, several youth groups have also blocked all other roads the senator may seek to sneak out, not just in Talasse here, but other villages along the road as well, he said. In a similar vein, Legit.ng reported earlier that a member of the House of Representatives Garba Hamman Julde was attacked by some angry people from his constituency in Taraba on Saturday, March 31. Julde, who represents Bali/Gassol federal constituency, was stoned by his constituents for allegedly abandoning them. According to reports, the angry citizens hurled stones at the lawmaker who was saved from very serious injuries by security operatives that ferried him to safety. Street gist: Should the Nigerian senate be scrapped? - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu says Nigerians can indulge in self-defense if they don't break the law - He says the president is doing his best to listen to the people and do what is best for their safety among other things - He disagreed with former chief of army staff and ex-minister of defense Danjuma that the military was condoning attacks across the country Garba Shehu, a presidential spokesman for Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari, has backed calls by an ex-army general Theophilus Danjuma that Nigerians should defend themselves when under attack, but on one condition. According to a report by Channels TV, Shehu said self-defense should be carried out within the provisions of the law of the country. Channels reports that Shehu made this statement while appearing as a guest on the TV stations political programme, Sunday Politics, however, warned that it must be within the ambit of the law. READ ALSO: Angry constituents hold Nigerian senator hostage He said: There is absolutely nothing wrong with you defending yourself in line with the law. The security services in the country will probably not be telling Nigerians to do nothing when they come and attack. Shehu noted that President Buhari was taking the pleas made by Nigerians seriously in dealing with the issues raised by Danjuma. He said:This is a listening government and the reaction then was of silence to say to them that we have heard you. We will listen to the useful advice you have given us. We will take what we can use from what you have said. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android and read best news on Nigerias #1 news app However, Shehu denied that the military allowed attacks on communities, leading to bloodshed in the land. Legit.ng recalls that former minister of defence General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), on Saturday, March 24, advised Nigerians to defend themselves against killers in the country. Danjuma made the call while speaking at the maiden convocation of the Taraba State University, Jalingo, the Taraba state capital. Danjuma says there is an attempt at ethnic cleansing in rural states in the country. Taraba is a mini Nigeria with diverse ethnic groups living together peacefully, but the peace in this state is under assault. There is an attempt at ethnic cleansing in the state and of course, some rural states in Nigeria. We must resist it. We must stop it. Everyone of us must rise up, he said. Should Nigerians pick up arms to defend themselves against herdsmen? (Street Interview) - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - Doyin Okupe says political parties in Nigeria rig both intra and inter party elections - He describes Ibrahim Mantu as a true patriot who desires genuine change Doyin Okupe, a former-aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan has insisted that all elections in Nigeria from 1959 to date were rigged by all the political parties involved. The politician in an article on Monday, April 2, said parties in Nigeria rig both intra and inter party elections from wards through local governments all the way to National elections from time immemorial. He described Ibrahim Mantu, ex-deputy Senate president, who confessed how he contributed to rig elections for his party as a true patriot who desires true and genuine change. READ ALSO: Call Theophilus Danjuma to order - JIBWIS declares He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) participates and drives the rigging process from the ward to national, adding that the police ,DSS and all other agencies involved in our elections are accomplices. Okupe stated that it was in the overall interest of Nigerians to take what Mantu said seriously for posterity sake so that the country could plan on how to conduct proper free and fair elections. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Read the post by Okupe below: Meanwhile, some unidentified persons have carted away direct data capturing machines belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in three local government areas in Enugu state. This Day reports that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Emeka Ononamadu, disclosed that the three councils are Oji-River, Enugu south and Ezeagu. Ononamadu made the disclosure during a town hall meeting with civil society organsations and the media on Friday, March 30. He said the commission is worried that the development had affected the ongoing continuous voter registration exercise in the state as thousands of those who had taken part in the affected councils would need to be called back to be re-registered. INEC official at Abuja court on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - The UN condemned the Boko Haram attack in Borno - It said it was important for civilians to be protected in the country - It noted that 110 civilians have lost their lives so far in 2019 Yassine Gaba, the UN deputy humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, on Monday, April 2, strongly condemned Sundays deadly attack near Belle Village in Maiduguri, Borno. This is contained in a statement by Abiodun Banire, the national public information officer, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Abuja. READ ALSO: Angry constituents hold Nigerian senator hostage At least 34 civilians lost their lives in the attack which left 90 others injured. Banire said that recent weeks had seen a steady continuation of attacks on civilians in the three most conflict-affected states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe in the Northeast Zone of the country. He quoted Gaba as saying that since the beginning of the year, no fewer than 120 civilian were reportedly killed while more than 210 sustained serious injuries in more than 22 attacks allegedly carried out by non-state armed groups. The UN deputy humanitarian coordinator said that civilians were also regularly abducted in Dapchi, Yobe, where 110 school girls were kidnapped on February 19. Innocent civilians continue to suffer daily from direct and indiscriminate attacks in the North-east of Nigeria. Endless numbers of explosions, brutal killings, abductions and looting continue to uproot the lives of women, children and men daily. I call on all parties to the conflict to end this violence and to respect human life and dignity. The protection of civilians is a major focus of the ongoing humanitarian response in the north-east of Nigeria where 7.7 million people remain in direct need of humanitarian assistance, including food, shelter, water and health care, in the most conflict-affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe," he said. According to him, women, children and men face daily grave human rights violations and sexual and gender-based violence. He said that since the start of the conflict in 2009, more than 20,000 people had been killed, thousands of girls, women, boys and men abducted, while children continue to be used routinely as so-called suicide" bombers. Legit.ng had reported that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) issued a red-alert on Thursday, March 15, as it warned residents of Borno state against an impending attack by the Boko Haram terrorist group using vehicles loaded with explosives. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app According to the police, the planned attack may result in heavy casualty if it succeeds since the insurgents are suspected to be targeting strategic locations of the city that are densely populated. Premium Times reports that a statement by the police command in Borno state, signed by Ahmed Bello, an assistant commissioner of police, said the attack could take place in different parts of the city. As a result, the security organs in the state have been mobilised to strategic locations to avert its possible occurrence. See the faces of newly arrested criminals in Lagos State - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng (Natural News) AI machines or programs capable of understanding and executing human thought patterns have been a popular theme in sci-fi for decades. Countless movies and books have explored the possibilities of future AI and most of it looks pretty darn grim for humans and now Googles DeepMind firm could be bringing what was once considered fiction to life. The ushering in of new AI advancements could come at a steep price, as DeepMind trains their AI bot, named Theory of Mind-net, or ToM-net, to understand how humans think. Indeed, the advent of a more human-like generation of AI is upon us but how long will it take for these new machines to surpass their creators? Reports indicate that DeepMinds new ToM-net bot is capable of passing a psychological test that most children only develop the skills for at around age four. It is this capacity to grasp the theory of mind test that may drive us towards a future of robots that are nearly as human as we are. The new artificial intelligence out of Google-owned DeepMind is even capable of predicting what other AI bots will do. According to the DailyMail, DeepMinds project can also understand whether or not other AIs hold false beliefs about their surroundings. Has the stuff of sci-fi nightmares become reality? As sources explain, the theory of mind ability is what will truly drive the more-human AI home, and ToM-net seems to have that down pat. DeepMind engineer Neil Rabinowitz reportedly explained in a recent interview, It can learn the differences between agents, predict how they might behave differently, and figure out when agents will have false beliefs about the world. The more our machines can learn to understand others, the better they can interpret requests, help find information, explain what theyre doing, teach us new things and tailor their responses to individuals, he continued. While some, like the DeepMind hive, tout their new AI as a godsend, not everyone believes that highly intelligent bots are so benign. Some of the worlds most renowned minds have concerned about what more intelligent machines will spell out for humans. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has said that AI of this caliber is the human races biggest existential threat, and also stated the development of this technology was akin to summoning the demon. Musk reportedly believes that one day, super-intelligent bots might be keeping people as pets. Hes also estimated that there is a 95 percent chance that one day, our own technology advances will exterminate us. According to the Daily Mail, late Stephen Hawking also declared it was a near certainty humanity would be threatened by a technological disaster (or perhaps an uprising?) within the next 1,000 to 10,000 years. But with Googles new tech, it seems that day could be here a lot sooner than anticipated. Its not just Google that we have to be worried about, unfortunately. Around the world, over-zealous scientists and engineers are working overtime to bring machines to a deeper state of understanding, without even truly considering the consequences. One might posit that perhaps these pursuits are more ego-driven than anything else; what species actually goes out of its way to create its own successor? With some of the worlds greatest minds cautioning against the advent of AI and warning of their dangers, you might even say these so-called experts are downright foolish. If weve learned anything over the years, its that no one ever knows as much as they think they do. Fifty years ago, smoking cigarettes was thought to be safe and now, we know it causes cancer. What are we going to do when AI bots decide were the cancer? [Related: Read more stories like this at Robotics.news] Sources for this article include: NewScientist.com DailyMail.co.uk Blink-182 lovers, rejoice. The renowned rock back is coming to the Bay Area. The California-based group is slated to headline ALT 105.3's BFD 2018 at the Concord Pavilion on Sunday, May 13, according to the hosting radio station. Dirty Heads, The War on Drugs, AWOLNATION and Judah & The Lion are just some of the other bands scheduled to play at the alternative music concert. General admission and reserved tickets to BFD 2018 go on sale beginning Friday at 12 p.m., according to the radio station. An exclusive online pre-sale kicked off at 10 a.m. on Monday. Tickets range anywhere from $44 to $84 plus applicable service fees. The annual show previously rocked the house at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View. NBC stations around the country are documenting the open wound of medical debt. "It baffles me," said one viewer in Orinda. Another in Texas concluded, "Were screwed." The dark cloud hangs over families everywhere. In fact, a Federal Reserve found that almost half of respondents had received a medical bill in the past year that they were unable to pay. "Medical debt isnt just a one off," said Bruce McClary with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. McClary says there is something simple you can do up-front about high hospital bills: You can ask for financial help. Its called "Charity Care." And you might qualify even if your family has health insurance and your income is six figures. The American Hospital Association said U.S. hospitals say they offered $38 billion in "charity care" in 2016. That $38 billion includes millions from hospitals here in the Bay Area. For example: UCSF says it gave $9 million worth of charity care last year; El Camino Hospital says it provided $8.5 million; and Kaiser registered $6 million. So, how do you qualify? And how do you request Charity Care? Lets use "Sutter Health" as an example. Its application, which we located on the Sutter website using a simple web search says an uninsured family of four making up to $100,400 per year (4x the federal poverty level) may apply for a "full write off of all charges for hospital services." Even if the family has health insurance, the Sutter application states, the family might still qualify for a write-off of their patient responsibility amount (such as deductibles and co-pays) if their medical expenses exceeded 10 percent of their income over the past 12 months. 10 Questions for a Former Debt Collector McClary says youve got to ask for assistance early before your bill goes to a debt collector. "The longer you wait to get help, the fewer options there are," he said. Many hospitals that receive government funding are required to offer Charity Care. But they dont exactly advertise it. A University of Michigan study found that just 42 percent of hospitals will notify a patient about Charity Care before trying to collect an unpaid bill. And so, millions of families that cant afford to pay have racked up billions of dollars in medical debt. That's where an unusual charity is stepping in. "We see ourselves as predatory givers," said Jerry Ashton, a former debt collector. Ashton now serves as Co-Founder of RIP Medical Debt, a non-profit that says it buys medical debt in bulk from debt collectors and forgives the past due accounts. Ashton says every dollar he spends can buy one hundred dollars in debt and erase it. "Were getting rid of the feeling of powerlessness that people have," Ashton said. Now, NBC-owned TV stations around the country are working with RIP Medical Debt. Weve made a $150,000 contribution that will forgive as much as $20 million in medical debt nationwide, including $1.5 million worth in the San Francisco Bay Area. "We are deeply grateful for the work that you people are doing in getting out the word, because if you know about it, you can do something about it," Ashton said. NBC cant forgive the debt of specific people, because RIP is buying the accounts in bulk from debt collectors. If your account is part of the batch of $1.5 million in the Bay Area that RIP is buying and forgiving, you will get a yellow envelope in the mail. If you receive one, we would love to hear from you, please. But even if you dont want to contact us, please hold onto the letter. That paperwork is proof that your debt has been forgiven and debt collector calls should stop. San Jose police said a stolen vehicle crashed into a power pole following a pursuit early Monday, knocking out power for some PG&E customers in the area. Two men in the stolen vehicle failed to pull over around 1:06 a.m. in the area of Allenwood Drive and S. White Road, according to police. The vehicle later plowed into the power pole in the area of S. White Road and Lieb Court. The two men were taken into custody and booked into the Santa Clara County Jail, police said. As of 5:35 a.m., 39 PG&E customers in the area of the crash location were impacted by the outage, according to PG&E. Power is expected to be restored just before 11:30 a.m. Further information was not available. An MS-13 gang member pleaded guilty on Friday to the 2015 murder of a 15-year-old boy in East Boston. Carlos Melara, 21, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, or RICO conspiracy. Melara, a native of El Salvador, will be sentenced on July 30. He is one of 61 people named in a fifth superseding indictment targeting the criminal activities of alleged leaders, members and associates of MS-13. During the investigation, Melara was identified as a member of the Everett Locos Salvatrucha clique of MS-13. On Sept. 7, 2015, Melara, Henry Josue Parada Martinez and another unnamed MS-13 member participated in the murder of the teenager on Constitution Beach in East Boston. Authorities did not release the name of the victim in Monday's announcement of a guilty plea. Melara and his co-conspirators "catfished" the victim by using a fake Facebook account to trick the boy into thinking he was talking to a girl. The account was controlled by MS-13 members to lure in suspected rivals of the gang in order to kill them. On the day of the murder, Melara picked up the victim on a scooter, pretending to be a friend of the girl the victim was planning to meet for a date. Melara drove the car to Constitution Beach, where other MS-13 members were already waiting. Melara and the other gang members took turns attacking and stabbing the victim to death. For his role in the murder, Melara was promoted to a "homeboy" in MS-13, or a full member of the gang. Melara was arrested two years ago as part of a massive raid that resulted in the arrests of 5 leaders, member and associates of MS-13 in the Boston area. According to court documents, in 2012, MS-13 became the first and remains the only street gang to be designated by the U.S. government as a "transnational criminal organization." It is an international gang with over 6,000 members in the U.S. and over 30,000 members internationally, mainly in El Salvador, Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala. By pleading guilty, Melara will be sentenced to between 30 and 40 years in prison while also being subject to deportation upon the completion of his sentence. Parada Martinez pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy on Nov. 29, 2017 and is also awaiting sentencing. A Jewish family has made it a mission to celebrate Easter Sundaybut not in the way most typically do. A childrens hospital in Chicago hosted its annual tradition where an Easter bunny hops from room to room to deliver personalized baskets to patients dressed in their Sunday best. A tradition orchestrated entirely by a family who wanted to make the holiday a special one for those who need it the most. According to spokesperson Lauren Clennon, the event that took place at La Rabidas Inpatient Unit 6501 South Promontory Drive, is meant for patients up to 18 years old, who mainly deal with chronic illnesses, disabilities and/or trauma in their daily lives. Clennon said these patients typically remain in the same hospital bed for weeks, sometimes months or even years at a time. On Sunday morning however, these hospital patients woke up to a personalized basket of goodies, which contained a stuffed animal, an age-appropriate activity and a sweet, said Clennon. Though never forgetting about the families. Clennon said part of the hospitals mission includes supporting the families in their time of need; so naturally, the Easter bunny made its way to deliver baskets to the patients siblings as well. The family is said to be a part of the hospitals Board of Trustees. Organizations in the community participated by donating material, including costumes for the kids who felt like dressing up before their furry friend arrived. According to the hospitals official site, leaders from Chicago's academic, health care, business and civic communities lend their time and talent to increase awareness of the hospital and help raise money for operations, capital improvements and special projects. For more information on volunteer opportunities, click here. The United States Supreme Court has declined to hear the case of a suburban Chicago woman and numerous other Americans who had sued the Palestine Liberation Authority for the organizations support of terror acts in the Middle East. Shayna Gould was a teenager when she was one of more than 40 people shot by a gunman on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem in January of 2002. Clinically dead when she arrived in an Israeli hospital, she was saved by doctors and joined with 10 other families in a lawsuit filed against the PLO under provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act. Gould and her fellow plaintiffs were actually victorious in the first round, winning a $655.5 million dollar judgment in federal court. But that award was overturned on appeal, the judges ruling the lower court lacked jurisdiction and that the PLO had not been offered adequate due process. We did it the right way---we went through the court system, Gould said. I was shot in 2002. This has been going on over a decade---that was 16 years ago. The Trump administration had asked the court not to hear the case, a stand which had outraged the plaintiff families. It doesnt make much sense to me how they are OK with just ignoring their own citizens, Gould told NBC5. Its pretty much the unthinkable. Trump had vocally campaigned on promises to take a tougher line on terrorism around the world. But after Gould and the others appealed to the Supreme Court, the Trump administrations Solicitor General filed a brief in February, noting the lower courts rulings, and asking them not to take the case. We dont understand it, her father Ron Gould said. They should stay out of it, or they should let the Supreme Court make the decision. The high court did not elaborate on its reasons for declining to hear the case, merely including it on a list of denied cases released today. This decision is extremely sad for the families who depended on our courts to administer justice fairly, said Kent Yalowitz, an attorney for the plaintiffs. They relied on a statute passed unanimously by Congress and signed by President George H.W. Bush. For the Department of Justice to have betrayed them after all these years, after they had come so far, is a grave insult to these families, and to Congress. They take solace, however, in the knowledge that the moral arc of the universe is long, and that it bends toward justice. The Obama administration had also previously opposed pursuing the case. But while that opposition was based largely on fears of instability in an already volatile region should the Palestinian Authority be hit with a big judgment, the current administrations filing rested largely on the appellate courts technical readings of the law. Park rangers in the world's top cocoa producer, Ivory Coast, are waging a campaign to protect national forests from the illegal farming of the raw ingredient in chocolate. Last year the governments of Ivory Coast and other top cocoa producer Ghana, along with food giants Nestle, Mars and Hershey, pledged to work together to end deforestation in the West African nations. The president of the World Cocoa Foundation, Rick Scobey, called it a landmark decision and an "important environmental achievement." Last year an investigation by environmental group Mighty Earth found that many of Ivory Coast's national parks and protected areas "have been entirely or almost entirely cleared of forest and replaced with cocoa-growing operations." One of them, Mont Peko National Park, is home to endangered species such as chimpanzees and pygmy hippopotamuses. Chocolate producers should "really give customers peace of mind that chocolate eating isn't contributing to killing chimps or elephants," said Etelle Higonnet, a campaign director for Mighty Earth. "Let's have total transparency all the way from the bar in your hand or the Nesquik that you drink or the Nutella that you spread on your bread, down to the farm." On a recent patrol in Mont Peko National Park, it didn't take long for park rangers to find cocoa growing illegally. Using machetes, the team set to work removing it. There has been limited progress, said Kpolo Ouattara, head of the Mont Peko sector for the Ivorian Office of Parks and Reserves. "Roughly, more than 800 hectares (1,975 acres) of cocoa has been cut. Compared to the park's total area of 34,000 hectares, that's very little." While mindful of tensions that have lingered in the wake of the country's deadly political violence in recent years, Ivory Coast has turned to security forces to evict thousands of illegal cocoa farmers from parks. However, authorities say some have been sneaking back in to harvest trees hidden deep in the forest. One farmer, Djaka Issa Ouatara, said he accepts the government's actions. "We weren't surprised because when we entered that area, we were well aware that (the forest) was part of the national heritage," Ouatara said. Still, some observers worry that local traders are willing to turn a blind eye to any illegal provenance of cocoa headed for the global chocolate market. Scobey with the World Cocoa Foundation recommended that chocolate lovers choose brands that advertise their adherence to international standards and check brand websites for information about their commitments to environmental and human rights concerns. "We can't indulge in a feel-good luxury product at the expense of a huge swath of tropical rainforest," Higonnet with Mighty Earth said. A professor and author who once presented himself as a possible Trump administration ambassador to the European Union was detained and questioned by the FBI at Boston Logan airport and served a subpoena from Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is probing possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. Ted Malloch said in an emailed statement to NBC News that he was flying from his home in the U.K. via Boston to Cleveland, Ohio to celebrate Easter when he was stopped Wednesday, an incident first reported by the Guardian. NBC News has independently confirmed that Malloch was detained and questioned at the airport, but not the details of the encounter. However, the Special Counsel's Office would not comment on Malloch's statement or whether or not Malloch was questioned. He said two FBI agents questioned him about his career, his affection for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Trump campaign, former campaign adviser Roger Stone and Wikileaks. They also produced a document allowing them to seize and search his cellphone. Connecticut leaders are reacting after U.S. Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty announced she will not run for re-election amid criticism after she admitted to keeping her chief of staff on after he threatened another staff member. On Thursday, Esty, who represents the 5th District, issued an apology for failing to protect female employees who said Estys former chief of staff, Tony Baker, harassed them, including one woman who said she was punched in the back and received death threats. Some lawmakers, including members of Estys own party, have called from her to resign. But others, including Sen. Richard Blumethal and Congressman Jim Himes called for patience and more information, while Sen. Chris Murphy and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro said Esty should remain in office. Esty has said she will not resign. On Monday she announced she will not seek a fourth term in Congress, one that she was likely to win. She also apologized to her former staffer. In my final months in Congress, I will use my power to fight for action and meaningful changeI intend to spend the coming months doing what Ive always done: working hard each and every day for the people of Connecticut. Many say that Estys decision is the right one. The truth is, too many facts about how this incident was handled fall short of appropriate standards for responsible and responsive leadership. Fostering a safe and supportive workplace culture for staff must be a guiding principle for all managers, and especially all elected officials, from local office all the way up to the President, Gov. Dannel Malloy said in a statement. I think this is the right decision and I thank Congresswoman Esty for her many years of service to the residents of the fifth district and the State of Connecticut, Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman added. Senators Blumenthal and Murphy and Congresswoman DeLauro also backed the decision. This decision is the right one. Elizabeth Esty has done much good and fought relentlessly for highly significant causes like gun safety. She made profound mistakes, as she has acknowledged. Harassment and assault in any workplace are unacceptable, Blumenthal said in a statement. Elizabeth is a friend and a colleague, who has fought hard on behalf of the people she represents for the past six years. I have spoken to Elizabeth at length over the past few days, and I support her decision to not seek re-election. No one should ever be harassed, assaulted or intimidated at work. Elizabeth knows she handled the dismissal of her former Chief of Staff badly. The decision she made today is the right one for her, and I look forward to working with her during the remainder of her term, Murphy wrote in a statement. Anna Kains story is heartbreaking, and she showed great courage by coming forward to share it. People should be safe from harm everywhere they goespecially at their workplace. Congresswoman Esty made a difficult decision, but the right one for her and the constituents of her District," DeLauro said. Judy Villa, the chairwoman of the Cheshire Democratic Town Committee, was disappointed with the news. Personally I think this is a tragic loss to the 5th district, to the state and frankly to the United States, she told NBC Connecticut. Democrats are now tasked with figuring out who to run in what had become a safe Democratic district. This also gives Republicans a significant boost to their chances in what has historically been a swing district. Calling hours for Trooper First Class Kevin Miller, who was killed in a crash on I-84 while on duty last week, will be Thursday at Rentschler Field, with a funeral service Friday. Miller served with the Connecticut State Police for 19 years and was assigned to Troop C in Tolland. He had previously served for Troop K in Colchester and Troop E in Montville. He was killed in a collision with a tractor-trailer on I-84 in Tolland last Thursday. During the afternoon rush hour, an extraordinary procession carried Miller's body from Tolland to the chief medical examiners office in Farmington. The Hartford Fire Department put up a flag over the I-84 overpass in Hartford in honor of Miller, while other state police troopers saluted him. Calling hours will be held Thursday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and again from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, 615 Silver Lane in East Hartford. A Mass of Christian burial funeral service will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at the same location. The Connecticut State Police Union has established a Kevin Miller Memorial Fund. Anyone wishing to donate can send checks payable to The Connecticut State Police Union, Inc. Checks should be mailed to Kevin Miller Memorial Fund, Connecticut State Police Union, 500 Main Street, East Hartford, Connecticut 06118-1034. Please do not send cash and please include Kevin Miller Memorial Fund in the check memo. The loss of Trooper First Class Kevin Miller marks the first line of duty death for Connecticut State Police since Trooper First Class Kenneth Hall was killed on Interstate 91 in Enfield on Sept. 2, 2010. TFC Halls widow Sheila said that watching the news coverage of Millers death Thursday was like reliving her own worst day all over again. My heart just went it just stopped, she said. I couldnt breathe because I kept reliving, you know, Kenny. When Kenny got hit, I watched the news, I never put two and two together. For a short time on that September afternoon, Sheila only knew an unnamed trooper was hurt. An hour would pass from the time she saw the crash coverage on television to the time she heard a knock on the door. I knew right then and there when I saw them, she recalled. They said to me, Sheila, we have some bad news. And Kenny was involved in a car accident today, and he hadnt made it. And I just remember I screamed at the top of my lungs and I fell to the ground. TFC Hall was in his cruiser, writing a ticket, when a speeding pickup crashed into him. Like TFC Miller, Hall was a Marine Corps veteran, a father, two decades into the job and just months away from retirement when he was killed. Sheila described the state police procession that took her up Interstate 91 that day, past the scene of the deadly crash on the way to Baystate Medical Center to see her husband one last time. First responders lined the route, a somber salute that played out again this week as TFC Millers body was transported from the crash scene in Tolland to the medical examiners office in Farmington. A painful memory to relive, Sheila said, but a comforting show of support. The blue line and the red line and any first responder in the public sector, this is what we do to honor our fallen, she said. Were all one family. Its forever. Now the community that supported TFC Halls loved ones prepares to embrace another grieving family. If you could send a message to Trooper Millers family and loved ones through this, what would you tell them? NBC Connecticuts Heidi Voight asked. I would tell them to hold on. Hold tough. Stay together as a family. And the state police will be there for you. The entire law enforcement community will be there for you. Youll never be alone and at any time, call any one of us. We will be there for you. TFC Kenneth Hall was the 21st Connecticut State Trooper killed in the line of duty since 1922. TFC Kevin Miller is now the 22nd. Ethan Couch, the "affluenza" teen who killed four people in a drunken driving crash but dodged prison after suggesting at trial that his irresponsibility was a result of his entitled upbringing, walked free Monday morning after serving almost two years in county jail on a parole violation. Couch, now 20, was silent as he left the Tarrant County and got into his attorney's car. It was not immediately clear where Couch went after leaving jail. Ethan Couch, the "affluenza" teen who killed four people in a drunken driving crash in 2013, is free Monday after serving two years in county jail for violating his probation. Couch's attorneys, Scott Brown and Reagan Wynn, issued a statement Monday saying Couch has always been sorry for what he did. "From the beginning, Ethan has admitted his conduct, accepted responsibility for his actions, and felt true remorse for the terrible consequences of those actions," they said, adding that he will serve the remaining six years of his community supervision under the terms imposed by the court. Those terms included a GPS-enabled ankle monitor that will track his location and monitor him for alcohol use, a curfew that will keep him at home between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. and regular drug tests. If Couch violates the terms of his probation, he could face six years in prison. Tim Williams' friend Brian Jennings was one of four killed by Ethan Couch, the so-called 'affluenza teen,' he says he prays Couch has been 'transformed.' For the last two years, Williams has been the visiting chaplain at Tarrant County Correction Center and has spent time with the now 20-year-old Couch who is set to be released from jail on April 2. A juvenile court judge initially drew widespread criticism after sentencing Couch to 10 years of probation. An expert defense witness testified Couch suffered from affluenza being so spoiled by his wealthy parents that he didnt know right from wrong. On June 15, 2013, the then-16-year-old was driving drunk and under the influence of marijuana and Valium when he slammed into a group of people who had stopped to help a disabled driver along Burleson-Retta Road in south Tarrant County, Texas. The crash occurred after Couch had stolen beer from a nearby discount store, police said. In addition to the four killed, nine were injured, several critically. The case had disappeared from the national spotlight when Couch was caught on camera in 2015 apparently drinking at a party. The video had been posted on social media. He and his mother Tonya fled to Mexico. They were arrested in the resort town of Puerto Vallarta and extradited back to Fort Worth. When former 'affluenza teen' now 2-year-old Ethan Couch is scheduled to be released from Tarrant County jail April 2, he has a host of conditions while on probation. NBC 5's Kristi Nelson takes a look at the terms of his release. Tonya Couch was charged with hindering apprehension of a felon and money laundering but released on bond. Just last week, she returned to jail after failing a drug test, prosecutors said. Mothers Against Drunk Driving said in a statement its a small consolation that Couch will remain on probation. Two years in jail for four people killed is a grave injustice to the victims and their families who have been dealt life sentences because of one persons devastating decision to drink and drive, the statement said. Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn said he doesnt agree with Couchs affluenza defense. I think that's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard in my life, Waybourn said. "I think what he did was horrific, and I think it was a very short sentence for the crime. Tweets by ScottGordonNBC5 Trump administration officials said they're crafting a new legislative package aimed at closing immigration "loopholes" after the president called on Republican lawmakers to immediately pass a border bill using the "Nuclear Option if necessary" to muscle it through. "The big Caravan of People from Honduras, now coming across Mexico and heading to our "Weak Laws" Border, had better be stopped before it gets there. Cash cow NAFTA is in play, as is foreign aid to Honduras and the countries that allow this to happen. Congress MUST ACT NOW!" Trump tweeted at daybreak Tuesday. The president also tweeted about "caravans" on Sunday and Monday. The president has been tweeting about immigration and the border for the last few days, declaring protections for so-called Dreamer immigrants "dead," accusing Democrats of allowing "open borders, drugs and crime" and warning Mexico to halt the passage of "caravans" of immigrants or risk U.S. abandonment of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Trump has been seething since realizing the major spending bill he signed last month barely funds the "big, beautiful" border wall he has promised supporters. The $1.3 trillion funding package included $1.6 billion in border wall spending, but much of that money can be used only to repair existing segments, not to build new sections. Among the new measures the administration is pursuing: ending special safeguards that prevent the immediate deportation of children arrested at the border and traveling alone. Under current law, unaccompanied children from countries that don't border the U.S. are turned over to the Department of Health and Human Services and undergo often lengthy deportation proceedings before an immigration judge instead of being deported. The administration is also pushing Congress to terminate a 1997 court settlement that requires the government to release children from custody to parents, adult relatives or other caretakers as their court cases proceed. Officials complain that many children never show up at their hearings. The proposals appear the same as those included on an immigration wish list the White House released in October but failed to gain traction during negotiations over the border wall. Such proposals are likely to face opposition from moderate Republicans and Democrats going into the midterm elections. But Trump appears intent on ensuring the issues remain at the forefront of public conversation, even though the spending bill was widely seen as the last major legislation likely passed this year. Trump spent much of the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, having meals with his family, watching cable news shows and rubbing elbows with conservative commentators including Fox News host Sean Hannity, according to several club members. Also spotted at the club: champion golfer Dustin Johnson, MyPillow maker Michael J. Lindell, boxing promoter Don King and former New York Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik. Staffers with Trump over the Easter holiday included policy adviser Stephen Miller, a chief architect of the administration's anti-immigration policies Trump's past calls to for the "nuclear option" changing Senate rules so that a simple majority of 51 votes is needed to advance legislation, instead of the current 60 votes have been dismissed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. McConnell says Republicans will welcome the 60-vote margin if they return to the minority. The current 51-49 Senate split favors Republicans. "Dreamer" immigrants are due to lose coverage under a program Trump tried to eliminate. Notably, his favored solution for extending protections to them mustered only 39 votes in the Senate, meaning it couldn't have passed even if the rules had been changed. Trump's tweets calling on Mexico to halt "caravans" followed a "Fox & Friends" report Sunday that featured the leader of the union representing border patrol agents predicting that those in the caravan would create havoc and chaos in the U.S. as they wait for immigration reform. About 1,100 migrants, many from Honduras, have been marching along roadsides and train tracks in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. These "Stations of the Cross" migrant caravans have been held in southern Mexico for at least the last five years. They began as short processions of migrants, some dressed in biblical garb and carrying crosses, as an Easter-season protest against attacks against Central Americans as they cross Mexico. Individuals in the caravans often try to reach the U.S. border but usually not as part of the caravan. The caravans typically don't proceed much farther north than the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz. The current march is scheduled to end this month with a conference on migration issues in the central Mexican state of Puebla. Associated Press writers Elliot Spagat, Catherine Lucey, Darlene Superville, Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking, Zeke Miller and Mark Stevenson contributed to this report. The morning before the 50th anniversary of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Juniors assassination, an interfaith group of religious leaders and followers will board a charter bus in Dallas and set off for a road trip through the south. One of the organizers, Reverend Dr. Michael Waters, Pastor of Joy Tabernacle A.M.E. Church in Dallas, says the trip is a call to reignite MLKs legacy of tackling poverty and racism. The American Civil Rights movement was a multifaith movement. It was Muslims, Jews and Christians working for change in America and I believe we have that same opportunity today, said Waters. Waters will be joined by faith leaders in North Texas who make up Faith Forward Dallas at Thanksgiving Square. The group formed in 2015 and has lead the city in prayer, notably after the July 7th, 2016, ambush of police officers in downtown Dallas. The group has also taken on social and political issues, supporting a DREAM act for DACA recipients and pushing for Dallas to take down a Confederate Monument in Pioneer Cemetery. This weeks pilgrimage to retrace Dr. Kings historic steps through Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee begins on Tuesday with people of all religions and walks of life. Its a very diverse group, said Waters. You have millennials, you have baby boomers, active and retired pastors, a few lay persons, people from south Dallas, from north Dallas, from suburbs who will experience this together. Alia Salem, President and CEO of the non-profit group FACE, says her Muslim faith calls on her to be part of the show of solidarity. We are called by God to do this work in a way that benefits the whole community, said Salem. "If we do that in a vacuum absent of our neighbors who are from other faith traditions, we wont have the collective impact and the power to actually see positive social change. Waters says the work of Faith Forward must continue to tackle economic inequality in North Texas. Just look outside your window, look across the Trinity River, said Waters. There's much work to be done in that vein to really become one city. Work that, he says, must be informed by the people who came before and took great risks to create change. We pick up the mantle of the Poor Peoples Campaign. That is what Dr. King was working towards when an assassins bullet felled him and thats our responsibility today, said Waters. We pick it up and we advance it forward. Just as our ancestors stood up against great oppression and changed the world, we have that same opportunity, Waters added. My hope is that we will see ourselves in them, lay claim to their courage, make it our own and move forth in the name of peace and justice today. Too many of the youngest students in Texas are being suspended from school, according to a new report from a child advocacy group. According to Texans Care for Children, 101,248 suspensions were issued by Texas school districts to students from Pre-Kindergarten to second grade during the 2015-2016 academic year. Schools are suspending little kids as young as four years old, many of whom are in a classroom for the first time in their lives, said Stephanie Rubin, CEO of Texans Care for Children, in a statement. Suspending our youngest students interrupts their education, communicates to them that they dont belong, and misses a critical opportunity to actually address why they might be acting out. Nearly two-thirds of those suspensions 64,773 were in-school suspensions, according to the data gathered by Texans Care. In 2017 the year that followed the academic year studied for this report the Texas Legislature passed a ban on out-of-school suspensions, with some exceptions, for students in Pre-K through second grade. The only incidents that can warrant an out-of-school suspension for a student that young are those that involve weapons, drugs or violence. Texans Care for Children advocates in its report for school districts to do away with in-school suspensions entirely. In the Dallas Independent School District a new policy adopted for the current academic year has all but made that priority a reality. At Charles A. Gill Elementary School, along Ferguson Road, southwest of 635 in east Dallas, there were 135 disciplinary referrals, according to the Dallas Independent School District. A referral means a student has been taken out of the classroom, sent to the principals office for discipline issues which could result in a conference between the student and a guardian, an assigned consequence or a one to two day suspension. To date there have been three disciplinary referrals at Gill Elementary this academic year. The Texans Care for Children report praises the effort by Dallas ISD, which preceded the Legislatures adoption of the new out-of-school suspension ban. The focus in Dallas ISD has been on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) which requires teachers to practice self-management. Adults have to take a step back and look at their own behaviors, said Juany Valdespino-Gaytan, Dallas ISD Executive Director of Student Engagement and Counseling, a new position created to implement the new policy. Students always watch the adults. More than what we tell them to do they model our behavior. Principal Shawki Freelon, who is in his first year overseeing Gill Elementary School, was quick to embrace the new approach in the district. I had to explain to some of our teachers that [suspension] is not the option we have anymore, Freelon said. We want our kids in school. We cannot teach them if they are being sent home on a regular basis. Instead of a scenario where a child creates a discipline problem in a classroom and the teacher responds by sending that student to the principal, teachers now are required to allow for a cooling off period for both themselves and for the student. Maybe you need a little time to cool down, so you take a moment and then come back into the learning environment, Principal Freelon said about the process. Maybe you just need to take some deep breaths so that you feel a little bit calmer. Valdespino-Gaytan emphasized that the cooling down period must be purposeful and explained in real time to the students so that they understand the process. That is the new twist to this; that we are telling students exactly what we are doing and why we are doing this so they can adapt these behaviors to their own behaviors, Valdespino-Gaytan said. The White House opened its gates for its biggest social event of the year, the annual Easter Egg Roll. Welcoming his guests to the South Lawn, President Donald Trump called the White House "special" and noted it's kept in "tippy-top shape." Flanked by his wife, Melania, and a large Easter bunny, he also touted the strength of the economy and military before overseeing the traditional rolling of hard-boiled eggs across the lawn. "On behalf of the Trump family, many of whom are with us right here in the audience, I just want to thank you. This is a special year. Our country is doing great," Trump said. He went on to cite an economy that he vowed to make "bigger and better and stronger" and $700 billion set to be injected into the military after Congress struck a budget deal. Nearly 30,000 adults and children were expected to attend. That's larger than last year, Trump's first year in office, when the White House said it expected 21,000 attendees. The first lady announced last week that lawn bowling was being added to the roster of festivities. There's also a nook where Mrs. Trump and other officials were slated to take turns reading books and a station for kids to make greeting cards for U.S. troops. The White House Easter Egg Roll dates to 1878. Family members of a man who died after a struggle with Pasadena police officers -- possibly of a drug overdose -- have reached a $1.5 million settlement with that city, ending a federal lawsuit, the city announced Sunday. Reginald Thomas died Sept. 30, 2016, following a struggle with the Pasadena police outside his apartment, in the 200 block of East Orange Grove Boulevard. Thomas was seen acting erratically officers, carrying a fire extinguisher and dagger, and refused to put them down, police said. Pasadena police and the city, in approving the settlement, said they "do not admit liability or fault in the matter." The city council unanimously approved settlement at its meeting last Monday, and lawyers have since been finalizing the settlement agreement, according to an announcement from the city Sunday. In that statement, the city said its police were trying to protect Thomas' wife and four small children during that early-morning disturbing the peace call. They observed Thomas act as if he were under the influence of drugs, and he sprayed the fire extinguisher on one of the children, the city statement said. The family's attorney, Caree Harper, released a statement Sunday evening. "Please note the injuries to Mr. Thomas's body and 5 Taser wounds," Harper's statement said. "Mr. Thomas was kicked repeatedly in the head by Officer Aaron Villicana, punched, hit with a baton by multiple and asphyxiated, but Pasadena PD would like you to believe they paid $1.5 million because he overdosed? What are they smoking? And why did the number one villain plead the 5th?" The city's narrative states that police instructed Thomas to drop the dagger and fire extinguisher numerous times. And when he did not comply, Thomas was hit with a shock device, but a struggle broke out. "Thomas later became unresponsive and the officers immediately commenced CPR," the city said Sunday. "Paramedics from the Pasadena Fire Department were called and, upon arrival, took over CPR efforts." The city said Thomas was declared dead at 3:26 a.m. that day. The city said its "expert investigators" determined Thomas' death was caused by PCP and methamphetamine in his blood, not by police actions. Despite those assertions, U.S. District Court Judge S. James Otero urged the City will pay the family $1.5 million to settle all claims. The judge must still approve the settlement. The city pointed out that the police actions remain under review by the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office. Pasadena officials also said the police department is reviewing if the officers acted within policy. The city has also hired the Washington-based non-profit Police Foundation to review the police response and policies. "City officials convey condolences to Mr. Thomas' family and friends," the statement concluded. The U.S. and Mexican governments are sparring over immigration and trade, but the two countries are joining forces on the high seas like never before to go after drug smugglers. The United States, Mexico and Colombia will target drug smugglers off South America's Pacific coast in an operation that is scheduled to begin Sunday and last for the foreseeable future, Coast Guard officials told The Associated Press. U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Paul F. Zukunft teased the idea during a recent defense conference in San Diego, saying the United States "can't do it alone." "It's no secret we are besieged with the flow of drugs from Latin America to the United States," he said. U.S. and Mexican forces have routinely worked together at sea, but the latest effort "marks a significant step in terms of information sharing, collaboration and cooperation between the United States, Mexico and other partner nations," according to the Coast Guard. The Americans and Mexicans will exchange intelligence more freely than in the past, which could mean sharing information on well-traveled routes for drug smugglers or preferred paths for specific smuggling organizations, Coast Guard spokeswoman Alana Miller said. They will also board the other country's vessels to view operations and gain expertise, Miller said. In 2015, three members of the Mexican navy boarded a Coast Guard vessel during a port call in Huatulco, Mexico, but this operation calls for more frequent exchanges, and they will be at sea. The operation will last "for the foreseeable future as long as it's working for everyone," Miller said. "It's sort of open-ended." Traffickers over the years have increasingly turned to the sea to move their illegal goods, traversing an area off South America that is so big, the continental United States could be dropped inside. Smugglers routinely move cocaine out of countries like Colombia to Central America and Mexico via fishing boats, skiffs, commercial cargo ships even homemade submarines. The operation comes after five years of record seizures by the Coast Guard. But U.S. officials say because of limited resources, the U.S. military's smallest service still catches only about 25 percent of illegal shipments in the Pacific. Even so, the Coast Guard annually seizes three times the amount of cocaine confiscated at the U.S.-Mexico border. Yet ocean smuggling has not grabbed lawmakers' attention like the flow of drugs across the nearly 2,000-mile-long (3,200-kilometer-long) land border, where the Trump administration wants to spend billions to build a continuous wall. As much as 20 percent of the cocaine moving through South America ends up in the United States, and most of it lands first in Mexico from seafaring smugglers. The hope is boats will be stopped before their shipments are loaded onto Mexican trucks that fan out on various routes bound for the U.S. border, authorities said. Large boats can cart 20 tons (18 metric tons) of cocaine or more. Mexico has historically been among the Latin American countries that are most reluctant to join operations with the U.S., which can be traced back to the Mexican-American War that was fought 170 years ago. The United States cannot open military bases in Mexico, and U.S. officials, for instance, cannot venture into Mexican waters without prior permission, even if they are chasing drug vessels. The Coast Guard now stops its pursuit and alerts Mexican authorities if suspicious boats cross into their territorial waters. It's unclear whether this new cooperation will affect those restrictions. Treaties with nations such as Colombia have allowed U.S. authorities more latitude, such as permitting Coast Guard officers to board Colombian-flagged ships. U.S. officials have touted Colombia's joint anti-drug efforts as a model for the region. The U.S. and Mexican military relationship has strengthened since the two nations signed the 2008 Merida Initiative to work together in the drug war. There have been more cross-border trainings, especially with the Mexican Navy, which is considered less corrupt than the Mexican Army and has raised its profile with the captures and killings of drug bosses. The combined operation was planned in a series of meetings over the past year. The maritime services signed letters of intent to work together to fight organized crime while respecting each country's sovereignty and territorial waters. David Shirk, associate professor of political science at the University of San Diego, said the operation falls in line with Trump's vow to go after the "bad hombres," while President Enrique Pena Nieto has recognized organized crime is so severe that Mexico needs help. "With more walled-off sections of the border, we've seen drug trafficking organizations literally go underground or offshore," he said. Last year, the Coast Guard seized more than 455,000 pounds (206,000 kilograms) of cocaine worth more than $6 billion and brought more than 600 suspected traffickers back to the United States for prosecution. The Coast Guard has been criticized for holding suspects on ships where they cannot easily access lawyers. Shirk said joint operations could lead "to serious violations of suspects' rights at sea and possible human rights violations in the process." Coast Guard officials say they respect suspects' rights. Where suspects will be sent with the three countries participating in the operation will be decided on a case-by-case basis. U.S. military officials have been reluctant to openly discuss details of the cooperation with their Mexican counterparts, sensitive to the Mexican public's historical view and recent barbs between the two presidents. Jorge Chabat, a political scientist at the Center for Economic Research and Teaching in Mexico City, said he doubts the combined operation will get much negative reaction from a Mexican public tired of drug violence. "The more insecurity we have, the less nationalism we have in Mexico," he said. Ultimately, he doubts the joint operation will make much difference. "This is something they have to do to maintain drug trafficking at the same level, and not allow it to grow," he said. "That's the most you can do. You can't just surrender." Associated Press writer Elliot Spagat contributed to this report. What to Know Marjory Stoneman Douglas students will return to school on Monday to new security measures. Students will be required to carry a clear backpack, and will have to wear a school ID badge at all times. Other possible security measures include: installing metal detectors, metal detecting wands and consolidating entries for staff and students On Monday, students returned to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School from spring break and the campus will begin using stronger security protocols. As part of the stricter safety measures, students must use clear backpacks. Students were provided with free ones Monday and they will be the only type of backpack allowed on campus. Each student was also given a student ID badge, which must be worn at all times. Tomorrow we will have to go through security check points and be given clear backpacks, my school is starting to feel like a prison. Sarah Chadwick (@Sarahchadwickk) April 2, 2018 Sarah Chadwick, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and one of the people behind the #NeverAgain movement, posted on Twitter that her school is "starting to feel like a prison" due to the stronger security protocols being put in place. The Broward school district is also providing additional school security personnel beyond the Florida Highway Patrol officers that Gov. Rick Scott provided in March. The changes to the security protocol are part of the district's response to a mass shooting on the high school campus that killed 17 people on Feb. 14. The alleged gunman and former student, Nikolas Cruz, was able to get into the building and leave after the incident undetected. The district is considering permanent metal detectors and the use metal-detecting wands as further security measures at Majory Stoneman Douglas High School. It's also weighing the possibility of consolidating points of entry for students and staff. As of right now, there is a single point of entry for visitors at the high school. Districtwide, the school board says they are working with law enforcement to evaluate the protocols and frequency of code-red training and drills. The school district also plans to expedite the completion of single point entry for campus visitors at all schools by the first quarter of 2019. The school district is also working to upgrade real-time surveillance camera systems at all schools. The approval of recent legislation will also help fund additional school resource officers and mental health services. An arrest has been made in the murder of a man found bound and shot multiple times on the bank of a New Jersey creek a week ago. The Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said 29-year-old Rufus Thompson of Trenton was arrested Saturday at a friend's house by county homicide investigators and federal marshals. Thompson is charged with murder, felony murder, robbery, kidnapping and weapons offenses. It's unclear whether he has an attorney and a listed number for him couldn't be found Saturday. Authorities said 20-year-old Danny Diaz-Delgado was found March 24 face-down near Assunpink Creek in Hamilton Township with his hands tied behind his back and tape around his face. Officials said Diaz-Delgado had multiple gunshot wounds to the torso, head and leg and was pronounced dead at the scene. As wintry weather caused slicked roads Monday morning, some major area roadways dealt with crashes that slowed the commute including a 10-vehicle wreck on Interstate 295 in New Jersey. As many as 10 vehicles crashed around 9:25 a.m. on I-295 southbound near Exit 56 - U.S. 206 in Bordentown, Burlington County dispatchers said. NJDOT warned drivers to avoid the area and plan alternate routes as the scene was cleared. By 10:30 a.m., one lane got by the scene. No serious injuries were reported. County dispatchers said the crash was definitely weather related. Earlier, a crash closed lanes on Interstate 95 in Northeast Philadelphia. The multi-vehicle crash caused a big backup northbound at Cottman Avenue after 7 a.m., NBC10 First Alert Traffic reporter Jessica Boyington said. PennDOT A lane remained closed as of 7:45. The damage was done as a long backup remained. Traffic finally started moving again after 8 a.m. No word on injuries or what caused the wreck. Around 7:45 a.m., a tractor-trailer hauling an excavator overturned on the New Jersey Turnpike near milepost 47.7 in Bordentown, New Jersey State Police said. No one was seriously hurt in the crash but traffic backed up for hours as state police intermittently closed the roadway. The snow/wintry mix worsened the turnpike, police said. Troopers responded to more than 20 weather-related crashes on the turnpike Monday morning, police said. Weather-related speed restrictions were put in place. A 13-year-old boy who fell into a sewer pipe during a family Easter celebration at Los Angeles' Griffith Park has been found alive after a methodical 12-hour search of the drainage system. Jesse Hernandez was located in a pipe about a mile east of where he fell Sunday at the sprawling urban park between the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood. Searchers using closed-circuit cameras that were lowered into the pipes noticed what appeared to be hand marks on one of the pipe walls, leading rescuers to a section of pipe near where the 134 Freeway passes underneath the 5 Freeway. Sanitation workers opened a maintance hatch and found Jesse inside. "It does feel like a miracle," LAFD Fire Capt. Erik Scott said. "Mouths dropped when that hatch was opened and we got reports back that Jesse was alive." Scott said the sanitation crews played a major role in finding Jesse. They identifed the most likely areas where Jesse would be found -- an area that included about 6,400 feet of sewer line, 2,400 feet of which were searched when he was discovered. They further narrowed the search area after noticing the hand markings on the closed-circuit camera feed from inside a pipe. There were two cameras floating from each side of the 6,400-foot search area identified by the sanitation department. "It appears he was trying to get out," said LA Sanitation Department Assistant Director Adel Hagekhalil. "Right away, our team focused on that location." Sanitation workers opened the maintenance hatch and saw Jesse about 11 feet down in the pipe. The section of pipe was large enough for him to breathe and stand. "The first thing they heard is, 'Help!'" Hagekhalil said. "They were thrilled." Workers lowered a hose down to the boy and pulled him up. Fire-rescue team members provided immediate medical aid and transported the boy to a hospital in serious condition. He will be decontaminated due to possible toxic substances in the pipes, Scott said. Jesse was given a cell phone so he could speak with his parents, who Scott described as "overwhelmed" with joy. Family members wrapped in blankets stayed at the search command post overnight. The boy was taken to a hospital for a full evaluation and to be reunited with his family. In an interview with NBC4 on Monday, Jesse said he was tired and a bit scraped up, but otherwise OK. "I was praying to God to help me and to not die," Jesse said. He spent nearly 12 hours trapped in the sewer system underneath Griffith Park before rescuers got to him. "It was all quiet. You could just hear the water running through and you couldn't see anything. It was dark," Jesse added. An "extensive" multi-agency search by air and on the ground continued overnight after Jesse fell about 25 feet into a drainage system. More than 100 firefighters from the Los Angeles Fire Department were on scene at 5254 West Zoo Dr. in Hollywood around 4:30 p.m. after witnesses reported the fall. Jesse was jumping on a wooden plank atop a concrete building when the plank gave out underneath him, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The area, a decommissioned LA city sanitation facility, was fenced off, authorities said. Jesse then fell into a drainage pipe, which was full of low-flow running water and sewage. The pipe system feeds down to the Los Angeles River and due to water and gasses in the system, the environment would be difficult for one to breathe, officials said. Devin Hernandez described his friend Jesse as "really nice" and said they had earlier been playing soccer together before parting ways so each of their families could do an Easter egg hunt. "It's sad that this happens to him because he just came to the park to have fun," he said. Aerial footage from NewsChopper4 showed search activity at the drainage system in Griffith Park, a nearby water treatment facility and the LA River. The Department of Sanitation and LAFD worked closely to map out the closed system of sewage pipes "which requires a detailed search along each possible path of travel," according to the fire department. LAFD's Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces also mounted a specialized camera on a flotation device which was tethered to a rope and extended 300 feet down a pipe. Firefighters were also using gas meters during the hours-long search. Shortly after 10 p.m., LAFD announced that specialized "closed circuit" cameras were being brought in to further the search. The cameras "have more advanced capabilities including lighting and the ability to attach to a pontoon which will crawl along the pipe." The pipes are four feet in diameter with varying depths of water moving at approximately 15 mph, the department added. The fire department was assisted by the LAPD, the California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles City Recreation and Parks, Park Rangers, the Department of Water and Power and the Department of Sanitation. Howard University students say trustees have agreed to meet their demand for adequate housing on the fourth day of protests, but the sit-in at the school's administration building will continue on Monday. Vice President of Student Affairs Kenneth M. Holmes said in an email Sunday that the deadline for students to submit a $200 housing deposit has been extended to May 1. "If this extension results in a significant number of students requesting on campus housing, we will delay the Quad renovation in order to accommodate the additional occupancy, the email said. Howard's administration will also examine its policy requiring freshman and students under age 21 to live on campus or live at home with a parent or guardian and they will measure the policy against bed availability, according to the email. The agreement on housing was reached after students met with board members for about four hours on Saturday. Other demands include changes to the sexual harassment policy, disarming campus police and a tuition freeze. Students also want Howard University President Wayne Frederick to resign. HU Resist student organizer Alexis McKenney said Sunday afternoon that students would meet with trustees again at 9 p.m. Sunday. She said the students plan to occupy the administration building on Monday. "We're going to keep going until our demands are met and negotiations are finished," she said. It's not clear if student protesters will be exempted for missing classes. "We are carrying on the tradition of Howard, the tradition of activism, the tradition of resistance to oppression and the university should recognize that," McKenney said. Twenty-six faculty members sent a letter of support to the students late Sunday, The Hilltop reported. "You should be aware that we and many other faculty members share many of your concerns. Please feel free to reach out to us for support," the letter said. Minutes later, the university's alumni association sent a letter rejecting the students' demands for Frederick to step down and stating its support of the president. "Under our current Administration, our Alumni have led over 250 college fairs, recruited thousands of students to the University, and provided over $250,000 in scholarships. We will proudly continue to do so, even in the light of the recent financial aid revelation," read part of the letter signed by HUAA President Nadia Pinto. Pinto went on to say that Frederick and the trustees would "create the necessary controls to prevent fraudulent behavior" and an initial report of findings of the financial aid investigation is expected to be released to alumni and students on April 6. McKenney said the sit-in wasn't just about protesting, but demonstrating a model for what they want the university to be. Students have hosted activities inside the administration building including tutoring, counseling, art classes, lectures and healing spaces. They also met with organizers of a 1989 Howard protest to learn strategy and tactics of a successful demonstration. Sunday morning, Howard's Dean of the Chapel led a nondemoninational Easter service for students in the administration building. "The negotiations have been productive and collectively, the Board of Trustees is extremely impressed with the way that the students have handled the negotiations," Rock Newman, an alumni board member, said Saturday. The student-led protest began Thursday afternoon in response to Frederick's announcement that six employees were fired last year after an internal investigation found the financial aid office had misappropriated university-based grants to some university employees. "We are here because we love Howard University. We're here because we want to improve the conditions of everybody that goes to this school," student organizer Juan Demetrixx said Saturday. Although the students said they were making progress with the trustees, the protest continued after their meeting. "We're hoping that within the next coming days, we're able to get these demands met," Demetrixx said. Good Morning! We have entered the 3rd day of Occupation. We are thankful for the donations and everyone who is standing in solidarity with us. We are also so thankful to every student who continues to help us occupy this building and make it a safe space. #StudentPowerHU HU Resist (@HUResist) March 31, 2018 On Friday, students met with two trustees, but said the meeting was unsuccessful and the trustees had not read their demands. "We wanted to initiate negotiations, but they made it very clear that many of the board of trustee members - despite the email going out saying that our demands were inaccurate and essentially unsubstantiated - that many of them have not even read our demands," McKenney said. Frederick responded in a statement to several of the demands, reiterating current policies and promising to review deficiencies. He invited students to provide feedback on a sexual harassment policy and promised to form a public safety advisory committee. Several hundred Howard University students were still packed into the school's administration building Friday night to protest university officials. News4's Jackie Bensen reports. He also said that every student who registered their request for housing on time recieved an assignment. Protesters claim that about 500 other students haven't recieved housing despite a guarantee and requirement that first- and second-year students live on campus. "Your concerns are valid. We are listening. We are committed to jointly making changes to move Howard Forward," the statement said. McKenney said Sunday the president has not reached out to the student organizers. "He's been silent. He's not expressed any desire to meet with us at all. And I think that sends a big message as to how exactly he's responded to students." Twenty faculty members wrote a letter in support of Frederick, saying they believe his leadership offers students' best chance to implement their proposed changes. The organizers of the sit-in at the building housing the president's office and the financial aid office put up signs over the building's doors detailing their demands. Those demands were also posted to social media: In the words of Frederick Douglass, "power concedes nothing without a demand." These are our demands. #StudentPowerHU pic.twitter.com/pnFOefF2KM #HUResist (@HUResist) March 26, 2018 The signs also said the building is closed to anyone except students and cleaning staff. Howard junior Viennetta Davis said a survey showed the overwhelming majority of students don't think the administration cares about them and that Frederick's leadership was lacking. "This is a feeling that's been brewing for awhile," Davis said. "This isn't a spur of the moment thing." The president of Howard University said Wednesday that employees were found to have inappropriately taken financial aid funds. Six people were fired. News4's Meagan Fitzgerald spoke with outraged students and parents. Students had already publicly listed their demands after a string of other issues on campus. In March, Frederick drew criticism for his response to a student who begged him for help securing housing. He told her the "tone and tenor" of her email were inappropriate. In January, spring semester classes were delayed by more than a week because of campus-wide problems with the heating system. And last May, students filed a lawsuit saying the university failed to help students who were raped by fellow students and employees. Howard Employees Accused of Pocketing Financial Aid Dollars According to a statement from Frederick, an outside auditor found several university employees received grants in addition to discounts on tuition that exceeded the total cost of tuition and kept the difference. Some students said they felt betrayed. Employees took financial aid funds as students prepare to spend years paying off their loans. Frederick said he was told in December 2016 that there may have been "some misappropriation of university-provided financial aid funds," and launched an internal investigation. The auditor found that between 2007 and 2016, university grants were awarded to some university employees who also were receiving tuition remission. The grants and tuition remission equaled more than the total cost of attendance, which allowed the employees to receive "inappropriate refunds." The grants came from institutional funds that help low-income students pay tuition. Frederick said the grants came from the university and were not federal or donor funds. Tuition remission allows eligible employees or their dependents to receive discounted tuition at the university. Full-time employees eligible to receive tuition remission can take two classes per semester for free, according to the university's website. Tuition at Howard for the 2017-2018 school year was $12,061 per semester, not including room and board. Frederick's statement came after an anonymous post on Medium.com claimed financial aid employees at the university stole nearly $1 million in funds. The post has since been removed. Frederick did not comment on how much had been received by those individuals. Frederick said the issue was reported to the Department of Education in July 2017, and six employees were fired two months later for "gross misconduct and neglect of duties." Student protests stepped up after the revelations, but Chairman Stacey Mobley wrote on behalf of the university's Board of Trustees that they stand by Frederick's leadership. "All of us recognize the critical role financial aid plays in the lives of our students and it was important to us to ensure the office was operating appropriately," the letter read. "While the review unfortunately uncovered alarming behavior, [Frederick] immediately took appropriate action and launched an internal investigation to get to the bottom of this." Fifty years ago this month, another Howard class made history by taking over the administration building to protest a curriculum that lacked courses on African-American history, culture and pride. Read Frederick's full statement below: Statement from Wayne A. I. Frederick, President of Howard University In accordance with my commitment to continuous progress, in February 2015, I initiated a proactive review of the Howard University Office of Financial Aid to ensure the office was providing the best support to our campus community. As part of this process, I was alerted in December 2016 that there may have been some misappropriation of University-provided financial aid funds. From the moment I was alerted that there may have been a misappropriation of funds, I have taken this situation extremely seriously. I immediately informed the Board of Trustees, and together we moved swiftly to begin an internal investigation. The University immediately engaged an outside auditor (RSM) to determine whether there had been any misappropriation of Howard University funds by staff in the Office of Financial Aid or elsewhere, and if so, the magnitude of that misappropriation. The auditors completed their investigation and reported the results to me in May 2017. The investigation found that from 2007 to 2016, University grants were given to some University employees who also received tuition remission. The audit revealed that the combination of University grants and tuition remission exceeded the total cost of attendance. As a result, some individuals received inappropriate refunds. Note that University grants are institutional funds used to help support students with student charges. They are not federal funds or donor directed funds. In July 2017, I self-reported this issue to the Department of Education and assured them we would provide regular updates on the investigation. An investigation of individual employee actions was completed in September 2017 and as a result, six employees have been fired for gross misconduct and neglect of duties. We will refer this matter for criminal prosecution, as appropriate. Third Coast Higher Education, another outside expert, was also brought in specifically to determine if any misappropriation of federal funds occurred. At this point, Third Coast found no misappropriation of federal funds related to this issue. The financial integrity of Howard Universitys operations is paramount and strong measures have been taken following the RSM investigation to ensure this never happens again. As part of these reform efforts, significant new policies and procedures have been implemented to strengthen Howards internal controls with respect to the awarding of financial aid, including: Annual budgets for each category of financial aid are now loaded into the Universitys Banner student information system by the University Budget Office consistent with the Universitys overall Financial Aid Budget. Approval for all awards of University Grants are now reviewed and approved by the Budget Office prior to being awarded by the Financial Aid Office Approval for all donor-designated scholarship awards are now reviewed and approved by the Controllers Office prior to being awarded by the Financial Aid Office. Approval for all grant-funded financial aid are now reviewed and approved by the Universitys Grant Accounting Unit prior to being awarded by the Financial Aid Office. Access to the Banner financial aid module has now been limited to a small number of appropriate senior University individuals, with adequate third-party review and appropriate segregation of duties. An annual reconciliation of awarded financial aid to approved financial aid is now being conducted. Management has established proper reporting relationships and segregation of duties within the Financial Aid Office. Management is in the process of hiring for all remaining open positions in the Financial Aid Office and enhanced training on policies and procedures will be provided both to new hires and continuing employees. A new Associate Provost for Enrollment Management and a new Chief Compliance Officer have been hired by the University. While this has been a very difficult and disappointing situation, I know our campus community deserves better and I am committed to ensuring that each of our campus offices operate with integrity and are the best that higher education has to offer. Photos: Famous Howard University Alumni and Former Students A woman interjected into a conversation at a Washington, D.C. restaurant to say she supported President Donald Trump and two women attacked her, she told police. D.C. police are seeking two women as persons of interest in a felony assault after they allegedly attacked a woman inside the taco shack Surfside in downtown D.C. A portion of the clash was caught on video. The victim told police she was at the restaurant on N Street NW about 1:40 a.m. Friday, March 16 and overheard a conversation among two women and a man, a police report says. At some point, the woman interrupted their conversation and said "I support Donald Trump," she told police. The two women then assaulted her, she said. A silent, 43-second video clip from police shows a woman wearing a white jacket and crop top lunge toward someone off-camera who appears to be filming her. The woman's right arm winds up and the video image shakes. Surveillance footage shows the woman in the white jacket and a woman in a black jacket standing in line at the restaurant, alongside a man wearing a tie. The woman left and went to Suburban Hospital in Bethesda. Information on the extent of her injuries was not available immediately. Anyone who can identify the women in the video or who has knowledge of the incident is asked to call police at 202-727-9099. Tips also can be sent via text message to 50411. A reward of as much as $1,000 is offered. More than 50 tourists were hospitalized for possible food poisoning Sunday night after arriving in Washington, D.C. from New York. The D.C. health department said Monday they suspect members of the group have norovirus, which is highly contagious. Firefighters were called to the Hotel Harrington in downtown D.C., blocks east of the White House, for a report of multiple people exhibiting symptoms of food poisoning. A large number of medics and police officers responded, temporarily blocking traffic. Forty-eight teenagers and three adults were taken to hospitals. There were so many patients that the D.C. fire department had to use ambulance buses. It's not clear what made the tour group sick, but fire officials said some members of the group had been sick prior to their arrival in D.C. Some members of the group had no symptoms but were hospitalized as a precaution. Norovirus can be transmitted person to person and from contaminated food or liquids. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting and nausea. A Russian man arrested over a year ago in the Czech Republic made his first appearance Friday in a U.S. courtroom, denying that he hacked computers at LinkedIn, Dropbox and other U.S. companies, compromising the personal information of millions of Americans. Yevgeniy Nikulin, 30, pleaded not guilty to computer intrusion, aggravated identity theft and other charges in federal court in San Francisco. Nikulin had been extradited from Prague earlier in the day. Prosecutors say Nikulin penetrated the computers of Silicon Valley firms in 2012 and potentially gained access to the personal information of millions of Americans. "This is deeply troubling behavior once again emanating from Russia," U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a news release. He said computer hacking is "a direct threat to the security and privacy of Americans" and that the U.S. won't tolerate it. Nikulin's defense attorney has said his case is politically motivated in the U.S. Czech Justice Minister Robert Pelikan's decision to send Nikulin to the U.S. was announced just minutes after the country's Constitutional Court released a statement that it rejected a last-minute appeal from the Nikulin as "groundless." No further details were immediately available about the decision in which both the U.S. and Russia suspect him of criminal wrongdoing. The Czechs arrested Nikulin in Prague in cooperation with the FBI in October 2016. Russia also wanted him extradited on a separate charge of internet theft in 2009. Both countries submitted their extradition requests on the same date. The Russian authorities previously had said they would do all they could to prevent Nikulin's extradition to the U.S. Czech courts previously ruled both extradition requests meet the necessary legal conditions, leaving the decision to the justice minister. But after a last-ditch complaint filed by Nikulin with the country's Constitutional Court, the minister had to hold off on a decision until the court ruled. Earlier this week, U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan said in Prague that under Czech extradition law "we have every reason to believe and expect that Mr. Nikulin will be extradited to America." But the Czech Republic's pro-Russia president, Milos Zeman, repeatedly asked Pelikan to allow Nikulin's extradition to Russia, the minister said. Zeman has no official say in cases like this one. Pelikan's decision will likely further strain relations between the Czech Republic and Russia after the Czechs expelled three Russian diplomats in solidarity with Britain over a nerve agent attack on an ex-spy. In a statement published by Russia's Tass news agency, the Russian Embassy in Prague called the step "deeply disappointing." "Prague once again preferred the notorious allied solidarity without taking into account all the factors and circumstances of this case," Alexei Kolmakov, the embassy's press secretary, was quoted as saying. An ATV rider was seriously injured Sunday after crashing into a tree in Berlin, Massachusetts. Police say a 34-year-old man who lives in Berlin hit a tree off Marlborough Road. Police responded around 3:15 p.m. to the scene, where an off-duty firefighter was performing CPR on the victim. The man was breathing on his own, but was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center's University Campus in Worcester with a serious injury. His current condition is not known. Police on Cape Cod are looking for a man who allegedly tried to get into home day care centers by pretending to be a licensor from the state. According to police, multiple residents reported to the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care that a man posing as an EEC licensor or investigator had tried to get into home child care facilities in the Falmouth area. Falmouth Police put out a notice Sunday to remind the public that EEC representatives will always show photo identification from the state, and that the department would not make unannounced visits on the weekend. If anyone claiming to be a member of the department does not show valid identification, people are asked to call 617-988-6600 to report the suspicious visitor. A New Hampshire man is facing multiple charges after allegedly setting clothing on fire during a domestic violence incident over the weekend. Concord police arrested 30-year-old Joshua Gebo of Concord and Franklin on Sunday evening on charges of arson, domestic violence, reckless conduct, false imprisonment, criminal mischief, criminal threatening and endangering the welfare of a child. Officers responded to a call shortly after 5 p.m. at 173 Loudon Rd. in Concord for a report of a possible domestic dispute. The ensuing investigation revealed that Gebo refused to allow two victims one of whom is a baby to leave the residence, using furniture and his body to obstruct the doorways. Gebo allegedly set fire to clothing within the residence, which is within an apartment complex occupied by others. Gebo also destroyed the adult victim's phone during the incident. Gebo, who was already on probation, was arrested on the scene for an unrelated warrant in the Merrimack Superior Court. Concord Police are asking the public for any formation pertaining to the incident and are asked to contact Lt. Sean Ford at 603-225-8600 or the Concord Regional Crimeline at 603-226-3100. Authorities are looking for a suspect after they say someone stole a street sweeper Sunday and drove it toward a Massachusetts State Police trooper. State police say they began searching on and around Interstate 93, north of Boston, for a stolen Ford F-350 street sweeper Sunday. Later, on Elm Street in Medford, the stolen vehicle allegedly drove at a trooper, who had to swerve out of the way. Police say the truck got back onto I-93 southbound. It was found abandoned on Exchange Street in Medford just before 12:15 p.m. Despite searching the area, police could not find the suspect. The vehicle was towed to a facility where state police could search it for evidence. The defense began presenting its case in the murder trial of a Pawtucket, Rhode Island man on Monday. Jorge DePina is charged with murder in the death of his 10-year-old daughter, Aleida, in 2013. According to WJAR, Judge Netti Vogel denied a defense motion for acquittal, a common procedure made by a defendant after the state has rested its case. Prosecutors say that Aleida was abused by her father, and Vogel said that the jury could reasonably conclude based on the evidence that DePina had intent to kill his daughter when he inflicted the fatal blow five years ago. Josia Daveiga, DePina's sister, said their mother in Cape Verde would use methods such as whipping and hitting her children as punishment. Daveiga made her remarks without the jury present, but the defense wants jurors to hear Daveiga's testimony, as it shows that DePina was disciplining his daughter the same way he had been disciplined as a child. Both the state and Judge Vogel objected, citing no legal precedent for that kind of argument. Daveiga will still testify, but not about the forms of punishment she and her siblings received as children. Police continue to search for two men wanted in connection with a daylight break-in in Walpole, Massachusetts on Sunday. Authorities say a home surveillance camera in the area of Centre Lane and Stone Street captured a man in a black hoodie and black pants on a porch prior to breaking into a home. Police said he was with another man. The homeowner, who wants to remain anonymous, said nothing was stolen and the property damage was minimal. He is understandably a bit rattled. "They ran behind my house but I did not see them," he said. "I am on edge." After the men fled the scene on foot, Massachusetts State Police responded with an airwing and a K9 crew but were unable to locate the suspects. Neighbor Kathryn Millers said she heard the commotion and was surprised it happened during the day. "Its a little brazen to do it in broad daylight," she said. Neighbor Judy Shilowski added that a break-in like Sunday's is rare in the Walpole neighborhood. "We more or less look out for each other," Shilowski said. Police are hoping someone recognizes the image of one of the suspects that was released. Anyone with information is asked to contact Walpole Police. What to Know Gov. Charlie Baker announced a series of state police reforms after the agency was rocked by an overtime scandal Baker said the troop at the center of the scandal will be eliminated and other troops will now patrol the Mass Pike The governor also said GPS locators in all state police cruisers will be activated in an effort to increase accountability Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced Monday that he is eliminating an entire state police troop and activating GPS locators in all state police cruisers to increase accountability in the wake of a recent overtime scandal. "The Massachusetts State Police has a long and honorable history. The men and women who have worked there for generations earned that honor," Baker said. "That history, that reputation has been tarnished." Thirty state police troopers are currently under investigation as part of an ongoing overtime pay scandal uncovered by an internal audit. The troopers were allegedly paid for overtime shifts they never worked. The shifts were as few as one and as high as 100 per trooper. The audit looked at payroll from 2016, but state police said they are now looking at other years and other troops for possible discrepancies. Nine troopers have since retired and nine others are suspended without pay. Attorney General Maura Healey has launched a criminal investigation into the state police payroll issue. "One of the most critical requirements necessary to fulfill our mission is to have the trust and confidence of the citizens we serve. It is clear that the actions of members in this agency have threatened the public trust," state police Col. Kerry Gilpin said Monday. All of the officers involved in the overtime scandal are from Troop E, which is responsible for patrolling the Massachusetts Turnpike and tunnels. Baker said Troop E will be eliminated a a stand-alone section and absorbed into other regional troops. Patrolling the turnpike will now be a shared responsibility among all of the barracks. Baker also announced that he has directed Gilpin to activate the use of automated vehicle location systems in all marked cruisers, in order to allow supervisors to keep track of where troopers are at all times. In addition, state police will begin developing a body camera program similar to the one piloted by Boston police. An independent consulting firm has also been hired to assist in assessing the department's overtime policies, protocols and records management process. "I believe these reforms will improve the entire department from top to bottom, and better serve our dedicated troopers and the public," Gilpin said. "Their implementation will require much planning and hard work. We are committed to that effort." Baker said Monday that a 30-day review of Troop F will also be conducted to determine optimal levels of staffing and evaluate the troop's heavy reliance on overtime. The Boston Globe reported last week that payroll records for Troop F, which covers the airports and ports, have not been made public since 2010. Nearly 80 percent of the troop earned more than Baker's $151,800 salary last year. The state police payroll issues come after a series of scandals, including an alleged police report cover-up that led to the early retirement of the department's top cop and a wave of suspensions over various other issues. "Most state police officers do the right thing. And many put themselves in harm's way on a regular basis to protect public safety," Baker said. "However, restoring public trust to an agency that has so much day-to-day contact with the public once it's been bruised is not easy to do." Dana Pullman, president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts, complained the new policies were rolled out with little input from the union. He strongly suggested that body cameras and vehicle locators should be subject to collective bargaining. While calling the overtime allegations "embarrassing," he blamed the problems on a tiny portion of the force and said the changes ordered Monday should not amount to a "kneejerk reaction." "Right now 99 percent of the guys are doing their jobs day in, day out," Pullman said. Shortly after receiving final regulatory approval to launch a new lung transplant program, NYU Langone Health surgeons successfully performed the institution's first procedure, giving two new lungs-;and a new lease on life-;to a Brooklyn woman with a complicated form of pulmonary fibrosis. The surgery on Wanda Cepeda, 48, took place on Saturday, February 10, under the auspices of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute-;and just weeks after the Institute performed its first-ever heart transplant. The success of these recent cases further signals NYU Langone's expanded capabilities to address the most complex and challenging transplant cases. The new lung transplant program is led by medical director Luis Angel, MD, professor in the Departments of Medicine and Cardiothoracic Surgery, and surgical director Zachary Kon, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery. About the Patient and the Surgery Cepeda was diagnosed in 2015 with pulmonary fibrosis caused by a rare hereditary disorder, Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome, which is characterized by bleeding diathesis, and which can lead to prolonged and excessive hemorrhage after injury or surgery-;making Cepeda's bilateral lung transplant a particular challenge. Her respiratory function had deteriorated to the point that she relied on an oxygen tank to breathe and a scooter to mobilize. Because of her deteriorating condition and bleeding risk, other regional medical centers would not add Cepeda to their transplant waiting list. Her pulmonologist then referred her in December of last year to Dr. Angel, who, along with Dr. Kon, agreed to take on her case. "I had been fighting this disease for years, trying to stay healthy for my husband and our two daughters, but I was losing hope," says Cepeda. "Dr. Angel was the first to say he wouldn't turn me away. I'm so grateful for him and Dr. Kon-;my 'dream team'-;for allowing me to hope again." "When we met with Mrs. Cepeda, we saw a person with a strong will to live, and a lot to live for, and we pledged to do all we could to find her the lungs she needed to get back to a healthy life with her family," says Dr. Angel. "Her case, while difficult, is emblematic of the high-level individualized care and treatment we provide to all our patients." Cepeda was listed by NYU Langone on the national organ registry the first week of February. Shortly thereafter, a match was identified by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the independent, not-for-profit organization contracted by the federal government to oversee organ transplantation across the country. Nader Moazami, MD, professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and surgical director of heart transplantation at NYU Langone, and Kazuhiro Hisamoto, MD, clinical instructor of cardiothoracic surgery, traveled to Maryland to evaluate and procure the donor lungs. Dr. Kon, along with Deane Smith, MD, assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery, performed the bilateral transplant using a less invasive approach that avoids splitting the sternum-;and gave Cepeda two healthy lungs. The minimally invasive procedure may allow for shorter recovery times for lung transplant patients. "The Transplant Institute extends our thanks to the entire team, including our advanced practice providers, nurses, residents, and specialists from Rusk Rehabilitation who have helped Mrs. Cepeda along the road to recovery," says Dr. Kon. "We look forward to building off the success of our first lung transplant, as we remain committed to providing world-class, personalized care for every patient." Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease may have more in common than their effects on the functions of the brain and spinal cord. And finding that common thread could lead to a treatment that could work for all three. A recent study by David Smith, associate professor of biochemistry in the West Virginia University School of Medicine, suggests that at the heart of all three diseases may be misfolded proteins that are shaped in similar ways. His findings have been published in the journal Nature Communications. Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the progressive deterioration of the central nervous system-;the brain and spinal cord-;which can lead to a decline in cognitive function such as dementia. Neurons, cells that carry messages throughout our body, cannot be regenerated. Some of the most common neurodegenerative diseases are Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. Scientists have long known that a link exists between neurodegenerative diseases and protein buildup in neurons. "However, no studies have ever found a good reason to explain why the cells protein degradation systems don't work well," says Smith. "That's where our study comes in." His research focused on how the shape a protein takes, rather than its type, may be what contributes to disease. Smith, who is also a member of the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, discovered that when excess proteins adopt a particular formation and accumulate in a neuron, they sabotage the neuron's proteasome-;or, in Smith's words, its "protein degradation machinery." He compares it to a garbage disposal with a gate on top. Normal-shaped proteins are crucial to neural functioning. Without them, the body can't build and maintain neurons that efficiently transmit information to, from and within the brain. Abnormal-shaped proteins may clump together and form molecular complexes called "oligomers," which are toxic to neurons and inhibit the proteasome. "If you want to get rid of your proteins, you can open the gate to the proteasome and throw your proteins in one at a time," he said. "We found that some of these toxic oligomers can actually block the gate so it can't be opened, and if you can't open the gate, then you can't degrade proteins, and then they start building up and wreak havoc in the cell." In this way, the process can perpetuate itself and exacerbate a neurodegenerative disease. Smith and a team of researchers that included Tiffany Thibaudeau and Raymond Anderson, graduate students in the WVU School of Medicine, used purified proteasomes and examined the biochemical mechanism behind the effect. These insights may lead to the design of what Smith described as "small molecules that can act like drugs to prevent the toxic oligomers from inhibiting the proteasome." Because the proteins at the center of the study were misshapen in the same way yet associated with three different neurodegenerative diseases, the study's findings may apply to a broad range of conditions. "That means that drugs that counter this inhibitory mechanism could be useful to treat many of these neurodegenerative diseases, including those mentioned here as well as others," Smith said. "It's not often that you can imagine a single drug to have such a wide impact on so many diseases, so we are really excited about these findings." A groundbreaking study of nearly 4,000 trauma patients evacuated from the frontlines in Afghanistan over a six-year period offers insight that can inform decisions on team composition, staff training and skill mix on the battlefield and beyond. Published in the April 2018 issue of Critical Care Nurse (CCN), the study provides the first detailed description of combat casualty care provided to trauma patients evacuated from a forward surgical facility to a combat support hospital for comprehensive care in a combat setting. "En Route Critical Care Transfer From a Role 2 to a Role 3 Medical Treatment Facility in Afghanistan" marks one of the first studies using patient data from the Joint Trauma System Role 2 Registry. The interprofessional research team included representatives from the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, the Joint Trauma System, the U.S. Air Force En Route Care Research Center and the En Route Critical Care Nursing Consultant to The Army Surgeon General. The researchers conducted a retrospective review of more than 4,500 patient records from the Joint Trauma System Role 2 Registry. The database includes prehospital data, arrival and discharge status, diagnosis, interventions, blood administration and complications data. To be included in the study, patients had to meet specific criteria, including sustaining a traumatic injury in Afghanistan between February 2008 and September 2014. They also had to have received treatment at a role 2 military medical treatment facility (MTF) and been transferred to a U.S. role 3 MTF. Based on these criteria, 3,927 patients were included in the study. Among study patients, fractures, amputations and other types of orthopedic injury were the most common diagnosis. Other diagnoses included soft tissue trauma, brain injury and penetrating injury. "Our study revealed that more than 25 percent of patients transferred from a role 2 MTF were intubated, and nearly 40 percent were postoperative patients," said retired Army Col. Elizabeth Mann-Salinas, PhD, RN, one of the study's co-authors. "A postoperative patient tends to require specialized care that may be outside the scope of a combat-trained medic or EMT and require a higher and specialized provider skill level." In a combat setting, the continuum of care begins with role 1 on-scene care that may include basic and advanced first aid and non-surgical lifesaving interventions before transfer. Role 2 MTFs may be fixed or mobile facilities used for immediate resuscitation and surgical stabilization, while role 3 combat support hospitals have multiple surgical specialties and intensive care. Role 4 MTFs provide the full spectrum of trauma care at fixed facilities. Multiple studies have evaluated the en route care of patients during transport from point of injury to first MTF, as well as out of the combat zone to the nearest role 4 medical center in Landstuhl, Germany. This study is the first comprehensive review of patients transported from a role 2 forward surgical facility to a more robust role 3 combat support hospital in Afghanistan. "Understanding the characteristics and needs of these patients will inform provider training and appropriate skill mix for the transfer of postsurgical patients within a combat setting," Mann-Salinas said. "Given our study results, we must specifically train medical attendants to care for postoperative patients, train flight paramedics in critical care and individually assign critical care nurses to transport patients." The study is one of several articles in the April issue of CCN that focus on en route care for combat casualty patients. As the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses bimonthly clinical practice journal for high-acuity, progressive and critical care nurses, CCN is a trusted source of information related to the bedside care of critically and acutely ill patients. Bengaluru: New Delhi: Shares of ICICI Bank and Axis Bank declined up to 6 per cent on Monday and their total market capitalisation eroded by Rs 13,215.67 crore, amid reports raising concerns about the two lenders. ICICI Bank's scrip tumbled 5.93 per cent to end at Rs 261.90 on the BSE. In intra-day trade, it tanked 7 per cent to Rs 258.90. Led by the sharp fall in the stock, the company's market valuation eroded by Rs 10,452.84 crore to Rs 1,68,344.16 crore on the BSE. The shares of the lender took a beating amid controversy following reports about alleged involvement of Kochhar and her family members in a loan provided to Videocon Group on quid pro quo basis. Markets regulator SEBI is looking into the matter for any possible disclosure and corporate governance-related lapses. The CBI has questioned a few officials of ICICI Bank as part of a preliminary enquiry to find out if any quid pro quo was involved in the bank giving Rs 3,250 crore loan to the Videocon Group in 2012. Shares of Axis Bank fell by 2.20 per cent to settle at Rs 498.20 on the BSE. During the day, it lost 3.31 per cent to Rs 492.50. The company's market capitalisation dropped by Rs 2,762.83 crore to Rs 1,27,853.17 crore. The decline came amid reports that the RBI has asked the company's board to re-consider the decision to re-appoint Shikha Sharma as its MD and CEO for a fourth term in the wake of concerns over rising bad loans at the country's third largest private sector lender. "We wish to inform you that the bank's board follows a standard process with regard to senior appointments, and forwards its recommendations to the regulator (to the extent required). This process is currently in progress," Axis Bank said in a statement on Monday. New Delhi: Shares of ICICI Bank plunged nearly 6 percent on Monday, wiping out Rs 10,452.84 crore from its market valuation amid controversy over alleged conflict of interest involving the lender and Videocon Group. The stock tumbled 5.93 percent to end at Rs 261.90 on BSE. Intra-day, it dived 7 percent to Rs 258.90. At NSE, the stock plunged 5.92 percent to close at Rs 261.85. Following the sharp fall, the company's market valuation eroded by Rs 10,452.84 crore to Rs 1,68,344.16 crore at close. The stock was the worst performer among blue-chips on both Sensex and Nifty indices on Monday. On the volume front, 25.51 lakh shares of the company were traded on BSE and over 7 crore shares changed hands at NSE during the day. Shares of Videocon Industries also fell 4.97 percent to Rs 12.42 - the lowest trading permissible limit for the day - on BSE. With ICICI Bank embroiled in a controversy over alleged conflict of interest involving its CEO Chanda Kochhar, market regulator Sebi has begun looking into the matter for any possible disclosure and corporate governance-related lapses. Earlier last week, some media reports mentioned about alleged involvement of Kochhar and her family members in a loan provided to Videocon Group on quid pro quo basis. The CBI has questioned a few officials of ICICI Bank as part of a preliminary enquiry to find out if any quid pro quo was involved in the bank giving Rs 3,250 crore loan to the Videocon Group in 2012. ICICI Bank said its board will meet today to review insolvency cases before National Company Law Tribunal, and other routine matters. This is the first time the board will meet after the alleged controversy broke out. The bank said that the board meeting is routine in nature. Meanwhile, in a separate filing, the bank said it has not received any communication from the Enforcement Directorate relating to enquiry into the loan to Videocon group. "We confirm that ICICI Bank has not received any communication from the Enforcement Directorate relating to any enquiry into Videocon group as on date," it said. The bank further said it was not aware of any information that had not been announced to the exchanges under regulations. The bank was asked by stock exchanges to clarify on the media report. New Delhi: A task force constituted by Niti Aayog on biomass management has pitched for providing financial support to those farmers who have not burnt their crop residues. The burning of agricultural residues leads to poor air quality across Northern India. A report of the task force prepared jointly by Niti Aayog and the CII has also made a case for ploughing the residue back into the field. "Financial support can be transferred to farmers through the DBT system. It can be credited to farmer's account in the subsequent cropping season after a verification that farmer has not burnt his/her crop-residues," the report said. To ensure proper implementation of schemes, a strong monitoring and verification mechanism is crucial, it added. "It is recommended that a 'Clean Air Impact Fund' could be created to provide viability gap funding (VGF) for projects with longer gestation periods and lower return on investment (RoI)," the report said. "This is especially relevant in the case of biopower or bio-ethanol where annual financial support requirements range from 18 per cent to 30 per cent of the capital expenditure," it added. Besides, the report also recommended that seed money for the clean air impact fund is provided from the National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF). Noting that currently the number of farm implements available to farmers are limited, the report said, "Therefore, the medium to long-term actions required to achieve zero-burning include upscaling of technologies." Over past couple of years, there have been episodic incidents of air quality dipping to alarming levels across Delhi-NCR. The farm burning, specific to the paddy-wheat cultivation cycle in the rural regions of northern and north-westerns states of India, has been identified as a major cause of air pollution. Unlike other crop residues, paddy straw is utilised to a very small extent outside the field. According to the report, India is said to have an estimated 600 million tonnes of surplus agricultural biomass which can be collected and used. Farmers turn to residue burning on account of shortened cropping intervals given a very short window of about 10-15 days between subsequent cropping seasons. Singapore: The Philippines competition watchdog said on Monday it is looking at whether the deal by Uber Technologies to sell its Southeast Asia business to rival Grab will substantially reduce competition. "The Grab-Uber acquisition is likely to have a far reaching impact on the riding public and the transportation services. As such, the PCC is looking at the deal closely," the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) said in a statement. Meanwhile, Indonesia is making it mandatory for Go-Jek and Grab to register as transport companies within two months to ensure they meet safety requirements as a public transport provider, potentially increasing costs and scrutiny of the ride-hailing firms. Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi also pledged that the government would ensure competition in the ride-hailing sector after Uber Technologies Inc's deal to sell its operations in Southeast Asia to Grab. No student wants to fail the board examinations at any cost. Remember the iconic image of Spiderman-like relatives scaling walls of a school in Bihar to assist students writing exams with chits? The leak of Class 10 Mathematics and Class 12 Economics exam papers have left the CBSE and HRD ministry red-faced. Meanwhile, the students are struggling with a hectic calendar before their competitive tests. However, in Uttar Pradesh, a bunch of students came up with innovative ways to pass the crucial exams. The lack of preparedness has led the students of Uttar Pradesh board resort to desperate measures to pass the board examinations. More than 1.8 lakh students did not appear for Uttar Pradesh board examinations on the first day following the strict measures initiated by the Yogi Adityanath-led government to check copying in the exams. Others, who appeared and didn't know what to pen down, came up with answers that left the teachers quite baffled. Bribe Currency notes of Rs 500, Rs 100, and Rs 50 were found in answer sheets during the checking of 12th board examination papers in Firozabad district, reported Outlook India. The students gave "bribe" in order to get passing marks from the examiners. To their dismay, the teachers accepted none of it. Currency notes found in answer sheets during the checking of 12th board examination papers in Firozabad, UP. Teachers say, 'we are giving marks only on merit. None of us are accepting the money found in the answer sheets.' pic.twitter.com/mPF48RKnVN ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 19, 2018 "Students, whose exams did not go well, are attaching currency notes in the examination papers to bribe us. We are giving marks only on merit. None of us are accepting the money found in the answer sheets," Outlook India quoted an examiner. Yes, we are getting currency notes stapled with answer sheets and some weird messages, Muzaffarnagar district inspector of schools Munesh Kumar was quoted as saying by TOI. Guruji ko copy kholne se pehle namaskar. Guruji, pas kar dein. Chitthi tu ja sir ke pass, sir ki marzi fail karein ya pass (Sir, accept my greetings before you begin to check this answer sheet. Please pass me.)" wrote one nominee. Romance According to a report published in TOI, A student has blamed romance with Pooja for his lack of preparations for the exams. I love my Pooja, wrote a UP board student while answering Chemistry exam. (Screenshot taken from Varun Dubey /@varundubey10 |Twitter) Yeh mohabbat bhi kya cheez hai, na jeene deti hai aur na marne Sir, iss love story ne padhai se door kar diya warna (This love is a strange thing. It doesnt let you live nor does it allow you to die; Sir, this love story didnt let me study for the exam, or else), he wrote. Family issues One student made an emotional appeal citing family problems and a threat from his dad that he would murder him if he happened to fail the exam. I have got no mother and my father will kill me you fail me. However, this isn't the first time a student taking UP board exams has made an appeal to the teachers and examiners to pass them. Poverty "I couldn't draw diagrams in all questions where they were required. I am so poor that my father could not buy a pencil for me. Please pass me," was written in one of the home science answer copies of the UP Board examinations in 2015. Medical emergency The same year, there was a case where a student had pleaded for marks citing medical reasons. "I was one of the toppers in class X but I am unable to write the exam due to swelling in my hand. Show mercy and award me 30 out of 33 marks in the exam so that I can maintain my 'topper' status," read a note in a physics answer copy. While another student pleaded to pass her in the exams or else her in-laws would call off the wedding. "My marriage is fixed and the ceremony will be held in June. Since the results will be out before my wedding, I request you to pass me. If I fail, my in-laws will call off the wedding." Hours after statues of Dr BR Ambedkar were vandalised in Allahabad and Siddharthnagar, another incident of vandalism was reported from Hathras in western region of Uttar Pradesh. Some unknown miscreants broke the nose and the right hand of the statue, triggering anger among the local residents. According to Agra SP Sushil Ghule, the incident came to light on Sunday morning after residents passing by noticed the damaged statue and reported the matter to police. The miscreants allegedly broke the hand and the nose of the statue Ambedkar on Saturday night. A FIR has been lodged in this regard and police personnel are looking for the miscreants, he said. Heavy police force has been deployed on the spot to avoid any untoward incident in the wake of recent vandalism. On the other hands, efforts are on to replace the damaged statue. Taking cognisance of the vandalism in Allahabad and Siddharthnagar, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had said that stern action will be taken against the miscreants. The CM had also issued a directive to all senior district officials to ensure security of statues of eminent personalities. However, despite the Yogis order, vandalism continues in the state. BSP chief Mayawati had also demanded that those disturbing peace and harmony by vandalising statues should be booked under the sedition law. She also demanded security for statues and memorials built in the memory of icons, especially those of Dalits and other backward classes. A spate of vandalism began when a statue of Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin was brought down in Tripura days after the BJP registered a thumping victory in the state Assembly elections. A statue of social reformer Periyar was vandalised in Tamil Nadus Vellore district and a bust of Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee was blackened in Kolkatas Kalighat. New Delhi: Will the 2019 general elections mark the breakdown of the bipolar political order? The electoral landscape has never appeared more fragmented, or disposed towards a fluid multipolarity. In other words, it can no longer be said that only two coalitions have a chance of capturing power. Two reasons are cited in support of this view. First, the two-coalition system of the last two decades, in which alliances formed around the dominant players, no longer obtains. With the attenuation of the Congress from 2014 onwards, the challenge to the BJP's hegemony comes from regional forces. So, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) could be right when he says that a multipolar political system is within the realm of possibility. In addition, the Congress and BJP are in a direct contest in just 125 seats, in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana and, to a considerable extent, in Karnataka. In coalition, they are in direct competition in Maharashtra, Punjab and Jharkhand. By contrast, regional players are dominant in 300 seats: Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra, Telangana, Odisha, J&K and West Bengal. On the flip side, the Congress still qualifies as a national party and not just in the technical sense. It won 10.7 crore votes in 2014, against 17.2 crore for the BJP. Prima facie, this argues that Indian politics is still inherently bipolar. The BJP secured a disproportionate share of seats by successfully aggregating votes at the constituency level. The big question for regional players is whether to unite and become a national force to reckon with, or align themselves separately with the traditional coalitions. Being fed up with the BJP's hegemony does not translate into support for the Congress. Whether or not the Congress is 'like-minded' is a non-issue; the question is what it can bring to the table. Self-interest is a more effective glue than ideology. The NCP and JMM may need the Congress in their respective states, but its capacity for value-addition vis-a-vis other regional forces is limited, or nil. It is a marginal player in UP, Bihar, TN, Odisha, Andhra and West Bengal. In the past, the numerical strength of the Congress has always been greater than all of its allies put together. Even in Congress-supported federal front experiments, the balance of numbers was with the grand old party. But if an alliance of opposition parties was formed today, it would be hopelessly outnumbered. Just the TMC and TRS together have more MPs than the Congress. Yet, the Congress cannot conceive of a coalition without Rahul Gandhi at the helm and party general secretary Ashok Gehlot has already said as much. The rank-and-file, he said, will never concede leadership to another party. The Congress will not stoop to conquer. In the parallel efforts to rally the Opposition, the elephant in the room is the role of the Congress. It has become a sticking point as Mamata Bannerjee, Sharad Pawar and KCR have differing views, which are proving very difficult to reconcile. Pawar and Laloo Yadav insist that the Congress must be part of an opposition coalition. Mamata acknowledges that, but feels the Congress should not be at the helm. KCR has no interest in on-boarding the Congress, his main opposition, in his proposed Federal Front. He believes that both Congress and BJP have failed and it is time for regional forces to take a hand in national politics. Mamata's idea, that the Congress should 'support' the dominant regional force in one-to-one fights against the BJP, will be a hard sell. After all, the Congress is trying to revive. The question does not arise in Telangana and Kerala, where it is the main opposition. But even in UP, Congressmen are already jittery at the prospect of surrendering their seats to the SP-BSP. The Congress finds itself in a Catch-22 situation. A Congress-led pre-electoral coalition seems unlikely but even if it materialises, the fearless leader would find himself in a presidential contest with Narendra Modi, the one thing he would like to avoid. The advantage of Mamata's plan is that it leaves the leadership question for later, but reduces the Congress to a multi-state rather than a pan-India player. And even if the Congress emerges as the single largest party, there's no guarantee that he will be the leader. (The writer is a senior journalist. Views are personal) New Delhi: At least nine people were killed in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh on Monday while thousands were detained by the police and hundreds were left injured as the state and central governments struggled to control the massive protests that erupted across the north, west and east India over the Supreme Courts alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act. While six were killed in cross-firing in Madhya Pradesh alone, two in Uttar Pradesh and one Rajasthan. Curfew was imposed in several places and over 400 people were arrested in Uttar Pradesh alone. A former BSP MLA was also among those arrested in UP. Expressing her party's support to protests against the Supreme Court order "diluting" provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, BSP supremo Mayawati alleged that some anti-social elements instigated violence leading to loss of lives and damage to properties. She also said that the judgment was a result of the lackadaisical attitude of the Narendra Modi government on the issue. Even as the Centre promised to submit a review petition against the Supreme Court judgment, Dalit organizations went ahead with their call for a Bharat Bandh on Monday that ended up in large-scale violence, arson and clashes. The Centre rushed 1,700 anti-riot police personnel to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab as violence erupted during the nationwide bandh. While eight companies of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) were sent to Uttar Pradesh, four companies were dispatched to Madhya Pradesh and three to Rajasthan, a Home Ministry official said. Transport, mobile and internet services were hit in many states with over 100 trains getting affected due to protests, even as the Centre moved the Supreme Court seeking review of its recent judgment on the SC/ST Act, maintaining that the verdict will violate Constitutional rights of these communities. Some states ordered educational institutions to remain shut as a precautionary measure as incidents of arson, firing and vandalism were reported from MP, UP, Rajasthan, Bihar and Punjab. Over 100 passenger and mail train services were affected, nine were cancelled and a few more short-terminated. In MP, three people died in Gwalior, two in Bhind and one in Morena. In UP, one person was killed in Muzaffarnagar and nearly 75 persons including 40 policemen were injured in violent protests in various parts of the state. Smoke billows out of burning cars during the 'Bharat Bandh' in Muzzaffarnagar on Monday. (PTI Photo) In Rajasthan, one person was killed and 26 others, including nine policemen, were injured in Alwar. Police arrested thousands of agitators in Bihar and Jharkhand during the day-long bandh, which threw life out of gear in several states in the eastern part of the country as well. Though the impact of the bandh was minimal in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed support to the Dalit cause. Normal life was disrupted in various parts of Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana, too, as protests turned violent and police resorted to teargas-shelling and lathicharge at some places, said officials. As the protests continued to go out of hands, the Centre moved the Supreme Court seeking a review of its recent verdict on scheduled castes and tribes, saying it has led to "dilution" of some stringent provisions of law to prevent atrocities against them. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government "differs" with the reasoning given by the apex court judgment "virtually redoing the entire architecture of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act". The apex court, however, declined urgent hearing on a writ petition filed by All India Federation of SC/ST organisations against the verdict claiming that the entire nation has witnessed large-scale violence during the 'Bharat Bandh'. The court said the plea would be listed and heard in due course. (With PTI inputs) LIVE Updates: At least nine persons were killed and hundreds injured today in violence across several states as protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to private and public properties, including police posts, during a nationwide bandh called by Dalit groups. Thousands were detained following widespread incidents of arson, firing and vandalism across over ten states, several of them being BJP-ruled including Madhya Pradesh where at least six persons died during the protests against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Two persons died in Uttar Pradesh and one in Rajasthan, according to officials there. Other states hit with violence included Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi. Those arrested included a former BSP MLA in UP. Curfew was imposed in several places, while the Union Home Ministry, which rushed 800 anti-riot policemen to MP and UP, asked all states to take preventive steps and maintain public order to ensure safety of lives and property. The Army and paramilitary forces were also put on standby in Punjab. In Punjabs Firozpur, protesters openly brandished swords during the protests, while cars in UP were set ablaze. The agitation also reached the capital as angry Dalits blocked roads in Connaught Place. A few protesters were detained by Delhi police. Dalits have come out in heavy number across the country to protest against the dilution of the SC/ST Act by the Supreme Court. In the face of stiff pressure from both within the NDA and opposition, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that the government does not agree with the Supreme Courts decision and has filed a strong, comprehensive review petition against the apex courts order. Stay tuned as Sanchari Chatterjee brings you the latest updates: Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here Nalanda: It was 12:30 pm on 28 March 2018. Five Hindu and an equal number of Muslim men were ready to carry the Ram Navami rath across the town of Silaoo, 20 kilometers from Bihar Sharif. The procession was supposed to begin in Karadih and end in the block office. Accompanying the 10 men was inspector general, Rajesh Kumar, along with senior police officials, the District Magistrate and other administrators. The problem occurred when the rule of only 10 people participating in the procession was not followed. People from Karadih village tagged along and the crowd soon swelled to 3,000 men. All of them had weapons in their hands. Some had swords, some had lathis and some knives. A few carried both. Whenever the crowd shouted Jai Shree Ram, they hoisted their weapons, said a constable witness to the procession. Local sellers in the town told News18 that there was a sudden spurt in demand for swords, knives, wooden sticks and other India-made forms of weapons around the time of Ram Navami. Although there were no mass orders. A senior police official in Nalanda, who did not wish to be named, said, We started investigating the case with the motive of catching the perpetrators. However, in these five days of our investigation we doubt of pre-planning and plotting as well. However, I cannot give you confirmed news about this. After around two hours of walking, the massively armed crowd reached Haiderganj Karah, a Muslim dominated area of the town. Pre-empting communal tension, the police had already bracketed off the surrounding areas to stop the crowd from entering the Muslim locality. Apparently, it did not work. As they reached Haiderganj, some anti-social elements started pushing the police barricades in an attempt to enter the Muslim areas. We tried to stop and control them. They were mouthing obscenities to the other community. The crowd was still under control until the Bajrang Dal leaders stepped in, said a constable. Local reporters, photographers and multiple participants in the procession told News18 that in order to stop the anti-social elements, a senior government official slapped one of the Bajrang Dal workers, which then sparked off stone pelting in a big way. In the process certain individuals from the Muslim community were hurt as well. The situation became uncontrollable when both parties started retaliating. The mob forcibly halted the Shramjeevi Express train, hurled stones at it and tried to break windows. Fortunately, there were not many people in the train...We had to escort the train out," said the same constable. The police fired approximately 10 rounds in the air and fired tear gas as well. The FIR registered in the case has named 72 perpetrators. The sheet reviewed by News18 has three Muslim men with the rest being Hindu citizens. Three Hindu women have been named as well. Nalanda police have imposed altogether 14 Sections of the Indian Penal Code on the perpetrators. A week prior to the Ram Navami celebrations, district magistrate (DM) of Nalanda, Dr. Tyagrajan SM, called for a peace-keeping meeting between the Hindus and the Muslims. According to rules, only those processions were to be allowed that would follow the same route as last year. An official in the office of DM, who did not wish to be named, said, BJP and Bajrang Dal leaders used to land up here every day requesting the DM to allow the procession to take a new route. They said that more people will be able to see the procession if the new route was allowed. The DM, paying heed to the requests, said he will form a committee for the same. Bihar BJP's spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan, district leader Ram Sagar Singh and other local BJP leaders such as Sudheer Kumar and Shyam Bharti were seen holding meetings with the Bajrang Dal leaders. They also organised multiple bike rallies prior to Ram Navami. The rallies rang with shouts of "Jai Shree Ram" and saffron capes and swords were seen aplenty. Local reporters and the officials told News18 that the committee consisting of five Hindu and five Muslim men agreed to the proposition of the new route in a meeting held on 27 March, a day prior to the celebrations. The meeting was attended by the Superintendent of Police and the DM. It was also decided that only the committee members, that is ten people, will take part in the procession. Meanwhile, Bajrang Dal distributed saffron vests among the citizens on the same day. According to the FIR, the prime accused are local BJP leader Nitya Nand Singh and Bajrang Dal conveners, Dheeraj Kumar and Kundan Kumar. There were loud chants of Pakistan murdabad as we entered Haiderganj Karah. I dont think there is anything wrong in that. We are enemies and its okay to mock that country, said a participant in the procession, who did not wished to be named fearing arrest. Meanwhile, following 37 arrests and 1700 unnamed FIRs, shopkeepers in Silaoo have kept shutters down since the last five days. We are under the constant fear of arrest. Who knows when the police might come and lock us up for no mistake of ours whatsoever. The police are misusing the unnamed FIRs to arrest people at will. We will not open shops, said a fruit seller in Silaoo, who did not wish to be named. The shopkeepers in the area are alleging that there have been biased arrests. The Police for some reason are only arresting Hindus. They are letting the Muslims walk free. The market where our shops are mostly consist of Hindu shopkeepers. We as a group have decided that we will not open the shops until the police makes public announcements that they will not arrest innocent people, said a tea stall owner in Silaoo. Sub-inspector Rajesh Kumar, while patrolling the area, was seen talking to Shravan Kumar, Minister for Rural Development, Bihar, requesting him to urge the general public to come out and lead normal lives. Why will we arrest innocent people? We are requesting everybody to not be afraid, come out and open your shops, said Rajesh Kumar. However, the local political leaders have left the district. Several Bihar districts namely Aurangabad, Munger, Sheikhpura, Siwan and Samsatipur, Nawada are majorly affected with either communal clash or clash with police after deliberate attempt of Ram Navami procession participants to deviate from pre-determined route. New Delhi: With only three days to go for the second leg of the budget session to end, it appears that Parliament is headed towards a completely unproductive run. Onslaught on the Modi government refuses to end as opposition is continuing to rake up issues like the SC/ST verdict by the Supreme Court, CBSE paper leaks and communal unrest in West Bengal and Bihar. However, on Monday, the Dalit protests created a ruckus in the Lok Sabha where the opposition parties expressed displeasure over the SC-ST verdict by the Supreme Court. Parliament after having been adjourned again, is set to meet on April 3, with just two days more for the session to wrap up. So, what all is expected to happen till the house stops from functioning? The first issue that would continue to rake up would be the paper leaks that has affected lakhs of students. With exams now expected in April end and July, most of the opposition parties including Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), is expected join protests against the government. Second is the agitation planned by YSR Congress President, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, for the Special Category Status. On Saturday, Reddy had stated that his party MPs would not only quit on the last day of the Parliament Session, but also sit on an indefinite hunger strike at Andhra Bhavan in Delhi. Reddy has also now written to President Ram Nath Kovind so as to point out how the recent verdict of the SC in the SC-ST case would dilute the spirit of the act, and has requested the President to refer the matter to SC for review. Next on the cards is the possibility of the no confidence motion being taken up again. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did take up the no confidence motion on Monday. A total of four no-confidence motions were moved till now but they could not be taken up due to house not being in order. However, on Monday, even as Mahajan attempted to take it up for discussion, it could not materialize. However, as Congress, TDP, YSR Congress and CPI (M) have filed notices for a no-confidence motion against the NDA government and regional parties like the TRS, DMK, TMC and others have extended their support to the motions, it is possible that a discussion on this takes place before April 5 though anything concrete on the front looks bleak credit to the majority of BJP in the lower house. The other event that is slated to impact Parliament session would be the Delhi visit of Chandrabhabu Naidu. After West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Naidus visit is being touted as an outreach to other opposition parties. Naidus visit is slated to act as reaching out to the opposition parties on the Centres decision of denying special category status to Andhra Pradesh. This will also open options of Naidu to explore options within opposition and make allies ahead of 2019 elections. New Delhi: The CBSE issued a statement on Sunday saying the Board is postponing the April 2 Board examinations in Punjab after a request by the Punjab government voicing apprehension over a bandh call given by Dalit outfits in the state. The Board has also clarified that examinations will go as per schedule in Chandigarh. The CBSE statement added that the Board will soon announce the new date of Class 10 and 12 examinations in Punjab. The Punjab government on Sunday ordered a security clampdown as a precautionary measure in the state on Monday with schools to remain shut and buses off the road. The action came after a bandh call for Monday by Dalit organisations against the Supreme Courts amendment of the SC/ST Atrocities Act. In its statement, the board said, "The board has received a letter of request dated 01.04.2108 from the Director General School Education stating that due to apprehensions of law and order problems and other disturbances on 2nd April 2018 during the call for Bharat Bandh given by some organisations and to prevent any untoward situation involving school going children, the state government has taken a decision to keep all schools closed on that day and have also requested CBSE to postpone all its examinations scheduled to be held on 2nd April 2018." A large contingent of police force has been deployed at various parts of the state while the Army has also been roped in. ANI reported that Punjab Chief Secretary Karan A Singh has written a letter to the Secretary, Department of Defence, saying, Army in Punjab is to remain ready for any eventuality as state government may need their assistance in maintaining law and order. A spokesperson of the Punjab government said mobile internet services in the state will remain suspended from 5 pm on Saturday till 11 pm on Monday in a bid to check rumour mongering on social media. All public and private transport will stay off the road during the bandh to prevent any untoward incident, the spokesperson said. The orders were issued after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh reviewed the security arrangements with top police and administration officials in the evening. It was followed by a video conference involving the Chief Secretary, deputy commissioners and other senior officials of all districts, the spokesperson said in a statement. Security forces conducted flag marches at some places in the state on Sunday as a precautionary measure. Elaborating on the precautionary measures taken by the government, the spokesperson said four battalions each of the Rapid Action Force and the Border Security Force, and 12,000 additional police personnel will remain on duty on Monday to maintain law and order. The complete shutdown call was given last week in Phagwara by Valmiki leader Dharamvir Sethi. Sethi had alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modis government was anti-Dalit. The agitators also burnt Modis effigy during the protest. Singh has appealed to Dalit organisations in the state to maintain peace and harmony. In a statement released by the CMs Office, Singh noted that Punjab the highest population of Scheduled Castes in the country and account nearly 32 percent of states population. The government accords the highest priority to the community to ensure their all-round welfare and committed to safeguard their interests, the statement said. A government spokesperson told IANS, The Chief Minister said that the Punjab Government was already committed for the welfare of Scheduled Castes, which was evident from the fact that the Punjab Vidhan Sabha unanimously adopted a resolution to express solidarity with our SC brethren during its recently concluded Budget Session seeking the NDA Governments intervention to legally pursue the case in which a Supreme Court verdict had diluted provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. (With agency inputs) New Delhi: Thawar Chand Gehlot, the union minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, believes that the violent stir against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST act that engulfed the nation on Monday would come to an end soon as the protesters would come to the realisation that there is nothing to protest about. Drawing to a parallel to the protests against the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansalis period drama Padmaavat, the minister said that when the Rajputs finally watched the film, they found that there was nothing offensive about the portrayal of Queen Padamavti or Rajputs. Similarly, he said, Dalits would realise they were wrong in thinking that the Narendra Modi government does not stand by them as the Centre has filed a review petition against the Supreme Courts ruling that did away with immediate arrests in complaints filed under provisions of the SC/ST act. The March 20 ruling had been met with disapproval from Dalit groups, activists, opposition parties and from NDA allies too, but the Centres perceived delay in filing a review petition caused the anger to spiral out of control, leading to the deaths of eight people and arrests of thousands of people in several states during Mondays Bharat Bandh. Gehlot speaks to News18s Eram Agha on the Bharat Bandh, the politicisation of the protests, the steps government has taken to benefit SCs and STs, and more. Bharat Bandh took a violent turn. Are you worried that it will cause the perception that the government is against SC/STs? The SC/STs have joined BJP in big numbers and if we see the number of representatives from the SC ST background in the Parliament and State Assemblies, if we count the number of MLAs and MPs from the SC/ST background, we will know that BJP has their support. Some political parties thought that SC/ STs are with them. They created a false narrative and misconception about it but the fact is these sections are with us. No matter how hard they try, truth cannot be suppressed. But what about the protests? The people are upset with the Supreme Courts decision. But the government has filed a review petition, and we will convince the people agitating about it. This is very similar to the agitation at the time of Padmaavat movie. People protested against the film. After the movie was released, they realized there was nothing to worry about. In this case as well, people are saying there is something wrong but after the government filing the review petition they will find that they were wrong in resorting to violence, and there was nothing to protest about. Do you think the protests are politically motivated? Mayawati said that if government had acted on time then this would not have happened. Around eight days ago, I informed the countrymen through media that the government will file the review petition in this case of dilution of SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. We said that the government will do this, and there will be no need to come on streets. Under Narendra Modis leadership the rights of SC/STs are protected haque aur hit banaa rahega (rights and benefits will be maintained). All that the Constitution grants to SC/STs will be protected. I had also said that there will be need to protest. But even then this is what is happening I mean look at it, we are seeing other political leaders entering the protests. It is quite apparent that the protests are politically motivated. According to Rahul Gandhi it is in the DNA of BJP/RSS to oppress the SC/STs what do you have to say? I have some points to make, and would like to ask Congress why didnt they do all of this? Firstly, the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989 has nothing to do with Congress. This was brought in the time of VP Singh, who had the support of the BJP in 1989. Secondly, it was realized that there were gaps in the Act why didnt the Congress do anything to improve the provisions? Thirdly, there was a decision taken in 1997 that had an adverse effect on reservations of SCs and STs. That government had the support of BSP and SP. If they wanted, they could have filed a review petition. It was either at the time of IK Gujral or HD Deve Gowda. But no review was filed. In 2000, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the Prime Minister the provisions were improved upon. They did not respect Dr BR Ambedkar he was given Bharat Ratna in VP Singhs time. Narendra Modi government celebrated a year-long Ambedkar Jayanti, and on Republic Day there was a tableau on his life. This government identified the places important to BR Ambedkars journey and identified them as Panchteerth. This government has filed a review petition, why didnt congress do all of this? The government has also improved the budgetary allowance for sections of SCs and STs. How did you reach this stage where you were forced to file a review petition? When Supreme Court gave the verdict on the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989, it was taken seriously by the government. They thought over it. I sent a file to the law ministry and after much of vichar vimarsh (discussion), the ministry allowed the review petition to be filed. The review petition work had started but we had a long break of four days. Today is the first working day after the break, and we started with filing the review petition. What do you think about UGCs quota policy that will reduce the number of SC/STs in teaching posts? I have written to the minister of human resource development, Prakash Javadekar. He has said there will be a rollback and reservation will be given by considering the university as a unit and not a department. We will take this matter to the court as well. New Delhi: The central government on Monday moved the Supreme Court to seek recall of its judgment that ruled that there would be no automatic arrest of an accused following a complaint moved under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tried to reassure the Dalits that the government has filed a "comprehensive" petition against the order that is behind the protests sweeping the country and have led to the death of at least six people. We do not agree with the Supreme Court order. Senior lawyers will argue (the case) with all authority," the minister said even as the government came under severe criticism for the delay in filing the review petition. The Supreme Court had held on March 20 that police will hold an inquiry to ascertain the veracity of the complaint filed under the Act before acting on it. The Centre, in its review petition, urged the apex court to reverse its decision as dilution of the law would shake the very object of the Act. The petition stated that the SC judgment adversely affects a substantial portion of the population and runs in contrary to the policy of the Parliament. The dilution of law will give liberty to the accused to misuse it and terrorise the victims and also prevent investigation, it said, adding that it would deprive the members of SC/ST community rights guaranteed to them under the Constitution. The court had also said that before action against a government employee against whom a complaint has been filed for something he did in the discharge of his official duties, the prior sanction of higher authorities is a must. In the case of common people, the complaint would be examined by the Senior Superintendent of Police in a district. Watch: An explainer on why Dalits took to the streets in protest Jamshedpur: A family of five has been eliminated allegedly because a 45-year-old man refused to marry off his minor daughter to a married man belonging to an influential family in West Singhbhum district, police said on Monday. Ram Singh Sirka, his wife Panu Kui, daughter Rambha (17) and sons Kande (12) and Sonya (8) were hacked to death on March 14, Additional Superintendent of Police (Kiriburu), Tauqir Alam, said. While Ram Singh Sirka's decomposed body was found from a jungle, 3 km away from his home at Tulasai village under Gua police station area, on March 27, bodies of the other four were recovered from another jungle around 5 km away on Sunday. Of the nine named accused, four are the members of an influential family of the area. One of the accused was arrested, Alam said. One of the four had wanted to marry Rambha but her father rejected him as he is a married man, he said. Angry at the refusal, the four and five of their accomplishes killed Sirka's family members with rods and sharp weapons when Sirka was not at home on March 14. They dumped the bodies in the forest and waited for Sirka to return home. When he did, they killed him and dumped his body in the forest, Alam said. "We have information that eight of the accused fled Jharkhand and police have launched a massive hunt to apprehend them," he added. New Delhi: Facing flak after Class X and Class XII question papers were leaked, human resource development minister Prakash Javadekar had promised a hi-tech, leak-proof system of delivering the board exam papers starting Monday. But the assurances seems to have fallen flat on the very first day. Not only did the CBSE fall back on the old way of delivering question papers, the papers were also delivered an hour late at the exam centres. The board had given a long list of instructions to exam centres on Saturday for the new process, but exam coordinators said it is impossible to move to a new system in just one day. The exam on Monday was the first after the Class 10 Mathematics and Class 12 Economics question papers were reported as leaked last week. Class 10 students had language exams like Sanskrit, Urdu and French while Class 12 students sat for their Hindi exam. The mechanism that was devised by the government and CBSE to prevent a repeat of the leak involved encrypting the question papers and putting them on the website. The exam centres were to be given passwords from regional centres just before the exam. All schools received a circular in this regard on Saturday. High-speed internet, computers, teachers, printers and a secure room with CCTV cameras installed were made mandatory for the printing, the circular said. There are 744 centres for Class X and 733 for Class XII in Delhi alone. Officials said that those centres which do not have the required facility were asked to make arrangements and expenses incurred would be reimbursed. It also stated that each school had to ensure that computer teachers/staff reach the centre by 7.30 am on all exam days to handle downloading and printing of the encrypted question papers, and to arrange at least 10 A4 sheets per candidate. Each school had to send details of the number of printers, computers installed, name of the computer staff/teacher in charge with their details, to the board email-id by Sunday 4 pm. The board, however, failed at its end as most of the exam centres did not get the encrypted question papers on time on Monday morning. Finally, the CBSE had to rush the printed papers to various exam centres like it used to do earlier. Due to this, most of the exam centres in Delhi also got the question papers one hour late. School principals and teachers News18 spoke to said CBSE and HRD ministry can't expect so much on such a short notice. CBSE cant expect us to do so many things in such a short time. It is very challenging. With just a day to make preparations, we are in a confused state," said a school principal on condition of anonymity. The board said the students were not made to suffer and were given extra time. We have contacted all regional offices to take account of the situation. In any case, it is a standard procedure that if the exam starts late, students will be given that amount of time to finish it to ensure there is no loss, an official statement said. Over the last fortnight, communal riots have spread to Bihar, Rajasthan and West Bengal. All three states, in the last one year, have been at the center of communal flare-ups. A spate of incidences during the last six months across Bihar shows a trend of rising communal violence. In 2017, there were 85 such incidents in the state in which three people were killed and 321 injured. Communal violence has also sharply increased over the past three years in West Bengal. The state recorded almost 58 incidents of communal violence in 2017, in which nine people were killed and 230 injured. In Rajasthan, 91 incidents of riots were recorded in 2017, in which 12 were killed and 175 injured. As life limps back to normalcy in these states, News18 looks at how communal flare-ups spread in these states in the last two weeks. Anger was palpable on the streets of Kashmir a day after the bloody Sunday in which 20 people, including 13 militants, four civilians and three armed forces men, were killed in different encounters in the southern part of the state. Though armed forces have previously killed large groups of foreign militants in northern districts like Kupwara and Baramulla in recent years, Sundays three encounters was the first time in recent years that operations have been launched on such a huge scale against local militants in south Kashmir. Over a 100 people were also injured after forces fired bullets and pellets to disperse the protesters. On Monday, protests rocked the streets in many parts of the valley in response to the killings. An undeclared curfew was imposed in Kulgam town on Monday to prevent people from staging protests. A complete shutdown was also observed in several areas of Ramban district in Jammu region. Reports said the highway town of Banihal, Khari, Tethar and Chareel in Ramban district observed complete shutdown to mourn the death of 17 people. The students of Kashmir University also offered funeral prayers in absentia for militants and civilians killed during three gunfights in Anantnag and Shopian. The students held demonstrations inside their hostels as the main gates have been closed to prevent the boarders from coming out, a protesting student told News18 over the phone. Peaceful protests were also carried out by scores of traders who assembled near historic clock tower in Lal Chowk on Monday morning and held a demonstration against the killings. Meanwhile, doctors and paramedical staff held a sit-in outside the sub-district hospital in Shopian to protest against the alleged indiscriminate firing at the hospital by the armed forces last night. The doctors met the deputy commissioner and presented him a memorandum seeking an investigation into the incident. Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also expressed alarm over more and more local youths joining militancy and blamed Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for the new trend, which, he said, has emerged after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in 2016. "Of the 12 confirmed dead, I understand 11 are local Kashmiris & (and) the identity of the 12th is being ascertained, not one so far is a foreign terrorist. Is no one in a position of power in Delhi alarmed by this because I certainly am!" Omar said in a series of tweets. Return of Pellets Staff at the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh hospital (SMHS) in Srinagar told News18 over the phone that the hospital witnessed scenes like that from the 2016 agitation, in which over 9,000 pellet victims were brought to the hospital. More than 30 people with pellet injuries were bought to the hospital for treatment yesterday. Most of the pellet victims had injuries in the eye, a doctor on duty told News18. According to the eyewitness, the scenes in the hospital premises were chaotic as ambulance sirens rang through the area and volunteers rushed to clear the roads as more patients were brought in. Many patients had received bullet injuries. Many had bullet injuries on abdomen, chest, and limbs. They all were operated upon and are now stable, he said. Similar scenes were also witnessed at Bone and Joint Hospital Srinagar. Over 10 persons with pellet and bullet injuries from different areas of the south Kashmir were received at the hospital on Sunday. A 'Bloody Sunday' Major newspapers across the valley on Monday carried out full page news covering the killings. All the major newspapers described the killing of 20 people as a 'bloody Sunday'. Greater Kashmir, valley's largest selling newspaper, ran a banner headline 'blood Sunday' followed by a comprehensive coverage of the how the encounters started at three different places and claimed 20 lives. Rising Kashmir, another newspaper from Kashmir, also carried the same headline printed in red letters on the front page. The Kashmir Monitor ran the headline 19 Killed On Bloody Sunday. Separatists Barred From Visiting South The government forces arrested Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman, Yasin Malik, earlier in the morning. JKLF spokesman said that Yasin Malik was arrested from his residence in Maisuma. Malik has been lodged at Kothi Bagh police station. Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), comprising of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik had called for Kashmir-wide shut-down on Sunday. Authorities also placed Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Chairman Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai under house arrest in view of the killings of civilians and militants. Other senior Hurriyat leaders were also placed under detention to prevent the law and order situation from worsening further. Pune/Nagpur: Descendants of freedom fighter Rajguru, who was sent to the gallows along with Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev in 1931, have taken umbrage to the claim in a book that the revolutionary was a "swayamsevak" with the RSS. The book, written by former RSS pracharak and journalist Narender Sehgal, claims Rajguru, who was hanged on March 23, 1931 in Lahore jail, was a Sangh "swayamsevak". "There is no proof available (to suggest) that Rajguru was a RSS swayamsevak and neither did our grandfather tell us so," Satyasheel and Harshwardhan Rajguru, grandsons of the revolutionary's brother, said in Pune. "However, it is true that during Rajgurus's brief stay at Nagpur, arrangements of his stay there were made by a Sangh swayamsevak," they told a Marathi news channel. "Rajguru was the revolutionary of the entire country and his name shouldn't be associated with any particular organisation," they said. Senior RSS leader M G Vaidya said RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar may have made "secret arrangements" for Rajguru's stay in Nagpur. Asked if Rajguru had visited the Mohite Bagh shakha (unit) of the RSS in Nagpur, the city where the Sangh headquarters are located, Vaidya said, "You are asking if Rajguru visited (the branch). He may have come. Did Dr Hedgewar make some arrangements for him? He may have done so." "When Aruna Asaf Ali was 'underground' (during the freedom movement), she stayed at the house of Delhi RSS functionary Hansraj Gupta," Vaidya said in Nagpur. "If (Rajguru) came (to Nagpur), there is a possibility that Dr Hedgewar made secret arrangements for his stay. This is a possibility as Dr Hedgewar was a revolutionary and had relations with revolutionaries," he said. Vaidya, former RSS Boudhik Pramukh (in charge of intellectual training), when asked if there were occasions where the topic of Rajguru came up for discussions in the Sangh "boudhik" deliberations, said, "At least I haven't heard of this". Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has accused India of launching a "brutal crackdown" in Kashmir after terror groups suffered a major setback following killing of 13 terrorists in counter-insurgency operations. Abbasi's statement late on Sunday night came after Indian security forces gunned down 13 militants in three counter-insurgency operations that also claimed the lives of three Army jawans and four civilians in Anantnag and Shopian districts of Jammu and Kashmir. "The brutal crackdown, including the despicable use of pellet guns on civilians who were protesting against the killing is deplorable," Abbasi said. He also asked the international community to urge India to allow access to fact finding missions of the UN to Kashmir. Yesterday's operations by the Indian security forces have rendered a severe blow to terror groups such as the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Lashker-e-Taiba. Pakistan's Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa in a brief statement said on Monday that Indian security forces cannot suppress the "indigenous" struggle of Kashmiris for self-determination. Later, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said that Pakistan government will send envoys to different countries to brief them about the situation in Kashmir. Addressing a press conference after briefing the Cabinet over developments in Kashmir, Asif said that he also held talks with foreign ministers of Turkey and Iran. Earlier, the Cabinet at a special meeting with the prime minister in the chair passed a resolution to condemn what it called the killing of "innocent people" in Kashmir. New Delhi: In the face of stiff pressure from both within the NDA and opposition, Union Law Ministry filed a review petition in the Supreme Court on Monday on the Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe Prevention of Atrocities Act verdict. The decision comes after some ruling party MPs and senior ministers in the government met top BJP leadership seeking immediate intervention in the case. The apex court last week barred immediate arrest on the registration of the FIR under the Act, preliminary enquiry within seven days and introduction of provisions of anticipatory bail. Union Minister and NDA ally Ram Vilas Paswan had expressed apprehensions on the impact of the SC order. He told reporters last week that Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe communities in the country are angry and disappointed at Supreme Court's verdict on SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act. Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party has also filed a review petition before the apex court on the issue. The SC/ST Atrocities Act was first passed in 1989 by the Janata Dal government led by VP Singh. Paswan as Social Justice Minister in the government piloted the original bill. Another NDA ally and minister, Ramdas Athawale had also met Finance minister Arun Jaitely and BJP President Amit Shah to express his concerns on the SC order. Opposition parties led by the Congress had staged a protest in Parliament this session against the verdict seeking immediate intervention from the government. Lucknow: As Dalit organizations called for a nationwide bandh on Monday and incidents of violence rocked several states, a senior PPS officer of Uttar Pradesh Police, Bhim Priya Ashok sent his resignation to President Ram Nath Kovind and stated that he is worried about the condition of Dalits and backwards in the country and is deeply hurt. In the letter written to President Kovind, Ashok has stated that he is making a very difficult decision and has even put forward some demands. In case these demands are not accepted, the officer wants his resignation to be accepted. However, a PPS officer is not supposed to send his resignation to the President of India as the latter is not the appointing authority. He should instead address it to the Governor. In his letter, Ashok has asked for the strengthening of the SC/SC Act and appealed to President Kovind to save the Parliamentary democracy and urged him to honour the rule of law over rule of judge. The Supreme Court had held on March 20 that police will hold an inquiry to ascertain the veracity of the complaint filed under the Act before acting on it. The Centre, in its review petition, urged the apex court to reverse its decision as dilution of the law would shake the very object of the Act. In his appeal, Ashok has also asked to give enough representation to women in the judiciary. He has said that till now, women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Castes and minorities have not got their due representation in the judiciary. Also, proper representation should be given to them in promotions. On a day when two people died in Uttar Pradesh in the violence during Dalit protests, Ashok appealed to the youth to stay away from violence and maintain peace. At least nine people were killed in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh on Monday while thousands were detained by the police and hundreds were left injured as the state and central governments struggled to control the massive protests that erupted across the north, west and east India over the Supreme Courts alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act. Mumbai: Another witness was on Monday declared hostile in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh alleged fake encounter case, taking the number of such witnesses to 45. The witness, Nagin Rathore, a teacher by profession, was examined by the CBI before special judge S J Sharma on Monday. Rathore had earlier made a statement to the CBI that he was asked by the principal of his school to go to the police headquarters (in Sangli). He further told the agency that, at the police headquarters there, he was made to meet two witnesses, both of whom were Marathi-speaking. Rathore had also said, in his statement to the CBI, that he explained to the two people, in Marathi, their statements which was recorded in Gujarati. However, in the court on Monday, he did not stand by his earlier statement and said that he never went to the police headquarters, nor did he meet anyone. So far, 66 witnesses have been examined, of whom 45 have been declared hostile by the CBI, the prosecuting agency. The court had, in October last year, framed charges against 22 accused for murder, abduction and destruction of evidence under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and for offences under the Arms Act in connection with the alleged staged encounter of Sheikh near Gandhinagar on November 26, 2005. All the accused had pleaded innocence. BJP president Amit Shah, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria, Rajasthan-based businessman Vimal Patni, former Gujarat police chief P C Pande, Additional Director General of Police (Gujarat) Geeta Johri and Gujarat police officers Abhay Chudasama and N K Amin have been discharged from the case. Besides them, Yashpal Chudasama and Ajay Patel (both senior officials of Ahmedabad District co-operative Bank), Gujarat IPS officer Rajkumar Pandiyan and Andhra Pradesh-cadre IPS official N Balasubramanyam, Rajasthan IPS officer Dinesh M N and former senior Gujarat police officer D G Vanzara have also been discharged. Sheikh and his wife Kausar Bi were allegedly abducted by the Gujarat police's Anti-Terrorism Squad from Hyderabad on their way to Sangli in Maharashtra in November 2005. According to the prosecution, Sheikh was allegedly killed in a fake encounter. Kausar Bi was also allegedly killed later. Tulsi Prajapati, an aide of Sheikh and who was said to be a witness to the encounter, was allegedly killed by police at Chapri village in Gujarat's Banaskantha district in December 2006. The fake encounter case was transferred to Mumbai in September 2012 on the request of the CBI for ensuring a fair trial. In 2013, the Supreme Court clubbed the Sheikh and Prajapati encounter. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined an urgent hearing on a plea which sought a stay and review of its recent verdict on SC/ST Act by which certain safeguards were put in place on automatic arrest of individuals. All India Federation of SC/ST organisations, a conglomerate of nearly 150 employees groups, said large-scale nationwide violence has taken place in which several people have lost their lives and therefore the petition should be heard urgently. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud said that the petition will be heard in due course of time. Advocate Manoj Gaurkella, appearing for the employees federation said that the recent verdict passed by the apex court on March 20 was "unfair and unjust and it should be stayed". He said that this writ petition should be heard by a larger bench of five judges to decide the issue. The apex court had on March 20 said that on "several occasions", innocent citizens were being termed as accused and public servants deterred from performing their duties, which was never the intention of the legislature while enacting the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The top court had said that unless the exclusion of anticipatory bail is limited to "genuine cases and inapplicable to cases where there is no prima facie case was made out, there will be no protection available to innocent citizens". It had said that "in view of the acknowledged abuse of law of arrest in cases under the Atrocities Act, arrest of a public servant can only be after approval of the appointing authority and of a non-public servant after approval by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) which may be granted in appropriate cases if considered necessary for reasons recorded." It also said that the reasons recorded must be scrutinised by the magistrate for permitting further detention. To avoid false implication of an innocent, the top court directed that a preliminary enquiry may be conducted by the DSP rank officer to find out whether the allegations make out a case under the Atrocities Act and whether the allegations are not frivolous or motivated. The ruling came on a plea of Subhash Kashinath Mahajan, who while serving as the Director of Technical Education in Maharashtra government, was accused of refusing prosecution sanction against two senior officers of the department accused under SC/ST Act by a store keeper. Mahajan challenged the order of May 5, 2017, of the Bombay High Court which had refused to grant him anticipatory bail in the case and quash the FIR. Activists put masks on statues in Paris and other French cities on Saturday to highlight what they say is France's failure to tackle air pollution. The protest coincided with a deadline for France to present a plan rectifying its shortcomings on air quality to the European Commission. In a joint statement, environmental and anti-air pollution groups including France Nature Environment, ANV-COP 21, the Federation of Bicycle Users and Greenpeace, called for a clean air transport policy. In February 2017, the EU ordered five member countries including France, Britain and Germany to tighten controls on smog-causing car pollution or risk being sent to the top European court. The commission has said that "persistently high" levels of nitrogen dioxide caused 70,000 premature deaths in Europe in 2013, three times the number of deaths by road traffic accidents in the same year. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who met multiple Oscar-nominated filmmaker Christopher Nolan to talk about celluloid films in the digital era, rues that film has lost its charm due to the growth of digitalisation. "The word film has suddenly lost its charm, for there does not seem to be any need to shoot films on film. It's all digital now," Big B wrote on his blog. He shared his thoughts as he reflected on a roundtable event held to debate and ascertain the importance of film heritage and its preservation. Nolan and visual artist Tacita Dean are here for the fourth edition of Reframing the Future of Film, hosted by Viacom18 in association with the Film Heritage Foundation. The 75-year-old cine icon pointed out how what was known as the "film industry", where celebrities were "known as "film stars", has now gone digital. "So, in the complete absence of that medium and that product, it would be quite in order to call ourselves 'robotic genes' or words of similar sound.... 'digi act' or 'digi digi'. Whatever... it would be an issue that would need consideration," he added. Big B also shared some photographs from the event where he met Nolan, who is here along with visual artist Tacita Dean on an invitation from the Film Heritage Foundation to talk about the virtues of shooting on film. He recounted how the early years of film were "a bit restrictive" for the artistes. "The film stock was the most important and costly product on set, and its most minimum use was the challenge for us. If we made the mistake of asking for another 'take' for the betterment of the film, the director, in most cases would reject the idea of a retake. "He would simply weigh it with commerce and retort: If you want another take, pay for it'." Big B said while shooting his debut film "Saat Hindustani", he was in a "terribly frightful challenge" to give a shot right in the first take as they were working with a limited budget and film stock. Specks of dust fluttering like butterflies in the sepia glow of a projector's beam, a reel of celluloid rolling, a screen where images move, talk, dance, laugh and cry-- that is how we have always thought of movies. Cinema on celluloid not only has the magical transportive powers that we associate with the escapism that movies bring to our lives but also has a strong sense of nostalgia attached to it. However, just because something reminds us of the past, doesn't mean that is where it should belong. Filmmaker Christopher Nolan, who has been one of the most prominent advocates of shooting movies on celluloid, has dedicated his latest India visit trying to explain exactly that to Indian filmmakers and moviegoers. During a recent media meet, the Dunkirk director spoke about celluloid, the medium of his choice. Nolan said, "... the film is here to stay and it is a wonderful medium that we can all enjoy... It really isn't about film vs digital; it is about preserving this medium for future generation for filming. They should be able to use it." Nolan's India visit has sparked several discussions and debates about the preservation of celluloid a medium of filmmaking. Recently, the director along with visual artist Tacita Dean met several members of the Indian film industry and discussed why we should keep making movies on film. "We had a very productive meeting with a lot of different members of the Indian filmmaking community," said Nolan. "What Tacita and I have been trying to do with these meetings is to bring together all the different facets of film production. It is to really make the case for the place that celluloid film will have in the future, in the post-digital world. " Nolan isn't the only one making a case for celluloid. From Paul Thomas Anderson to Quentin Tarantinomany have waxed eloquent phrases in praise of this medium and rightfully so; the quality of the final product on film is often far superior to digital. However, what is worrisome is the trend toward glorifying celluloid for its high-quality products and undercutting digital. Film vs Digital With the advent of digital technology, filmmaking isn't an exclusive profession anymore. Anyone anywhere can make a film and no one has to wait for big studios to back their projects. After a ban on making films was imposed on renowned filmmaker Jafar Panahi by Iran's government, the filmmaker shot a film called This Is Not a Film with the help of a camcorder and an iPhone. The film went on to become a surprise entry at Cannes Film Festival in 2011. Not just that, closer home, eight years ago, before we ventured into the debate of digital vs film, Dibakar Banerjee shot Love Sex Aur Dhokha entirely on a digicam and the narrative of the film was such that had it been shot differently, the story would not have been as engaging or interesting as it was. Digital is also physically easier to use and has lesser constraints in terms of shooting. With much less effort, a more polished film can be made on digital. Another boon that digital has is that there are no compulsory cuts after 11 minutes making it a more continuous medium. While Alfred Hitchcock died before the advent of digital filmmaking, he may have really enjoyed not having to find innovative ways to hide cuts, as he did, during the making of his film Rope. James Cameron filmed Avatar digitally, Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity was also an amalgamation of live action, CGI, and animation, where sets, costumes etc. were made digitally. There are several filmmakers who have adopted digital. However, Nolan has his reasons for batting for celluloid. Giving the example of his film Interstellar, the filmmaker said, I wanted to immerse the audience in both the inconceivable vastness and inescapable intimacy of space travel, which I believe can only be delivered in a palpable, visceral way through the medium of film." Nolan himself may favor film over digital, but he knows that just as a film like Dunkirk can be a visually immersive experience if shot on 70 mm film, there are films which cannot work without a digital format. Quentin Tarantino though is a celluloid purist. He has declared that he would retire if he cannot make films on celluloid anymore. The argument over which is a better medium -- film or digital-- is at best redundant. For starters, both have some unique qualities that make them more suited for different kind of films. It isn't as binary as the survival of the fittest or moving forward from an old technology to a new one, as big studios have been trying to make it. Paramount was the first studio to distribute movies digitally, eliminating 35 mm altogether. Nolan wants to warn filmmakers of exactly these kind of move that endangers celluloid and pushes it towards extinction. The Dunkirk director said that powerful electronic and technology companies are trying to undermine the celluloid as a medium of filmmaking by making false claims about it. "Accusations such as it (film) is more expensive or prohibitively more expensive (has been made by electronic companies). It (film on celluloid) is too difficult to make, there aren't any projectionist left and these kinds of things. We have spent the last few years just patiently explaining that film is here to stay," said Nolan. Nolan is not necessarily championing celluloid because it is a better medium (although he personally believes that), but because it is being pushed out unfairly. His struggle is to keep the choice alive between digital and analog so that the future generation has the option of the film if they ever want to use it. Tacita Dean, who has been accompanying Nolan on his mission to save celluloid said, We (Nolan and I) want it to be normal to use film. We both don't want to be doing it (promoting celluloid) in fifteen years time. Artists and filmmakers shouldn't face the restraint anymore, it is just there and it is fine, let it just be normal." What does the audience like? While India filmmakers are often in the habit of undermining the audience's sensibilities, Nolan isn't following their lead. If his filmography could testify it would say that the filmmaker has never mistrusted the intelligence of his audience. "There is often a feeling that nobody cares, nobody knows the difference (between film and digital). It is not true, said the filmmaker. Talking about myths concerning the filmmaking process Nolan said that people speak of filmmaking as a logical, pragmatic thing, which it is not. "No film is logical and pragmatic, films are about dreams, about magic, about escapism and experience. You will have to embrace your emotional side, your feelings about the medium." While Nolan's main plea is towards filmmakers to have a say in the choice of their medium, the filmmaker also puts immense trust on the audience's capacity to appreciate the differences between the two formats and know when celluloid adds value to a film, that digital cannot give. While a tad bit optimistic perhaps, Nolan's belief in the audience's sense of aesthetics is not entirely misplaced. Over the past few years, several people have shown enthusiasm to watch movies on film. The audience came out in droves to watch Nolan's Interstellar at the pre-release shows that were organized to encourage the medium. Where is India heading? It is a little strange to be talking about reviving a medium that India was using till 2014. However, with India being the largest film industry in the world, it is not surprising that it has quickly moved on to a cheaper alternative of making films for its mass production. What does seem unsettling is that not a single filmmaker resisted or questioned the transformation from celluloid to digital. As if on an auto-pilot, they all just went on with whatever is the latest technology in the market. That is perhaps one of the reasons why Nolan's visit has been so crucial for Indian filmmakers. Nolan has compelled Indian film fraternity to reconsider their decision of switching from film to digital. Reports are that Santosh Sivan has promised to make his next movie on film. Hopefully, that's a start. Let's not relegate the projectors in dusty corners already, not because we should keep nostalgia alive, but also because celluloid isn't only about nostalgia. It is a way of filmmaking and film viewing and if we give that up already, it will be our loss because, as Ingmar Bergman puts it, no art passes our conscience in the way film does. It goes directly into our feelings, deep down into the dark room of our souls. At the Filmfare Middle East magazine relaunch in Dubai, Pakistani stalwarts Fawad Khan and Mehwish Hayat were honoured with accolades. While Mehwish was presented "Pakistani Icon" award, Fawad was felicitated with an award for being a "Cinematic icon." Mehwish, who made heads turn in the UAE-based Amato Couture pale pink gown, took to Instagram to share her joy. In an elaborate post, the actor said that her success is not measured by the awards but this one's different as it is a recognition for everything they have achieved. "I was honoured to be awarded the Pakistan Icon Plaque in recognition of my film work over the past few years. I have always said that I do not judge my success by awards, but this one was different because it was international recognition for everything that we have achieved in our industry. To share the platform with members of our fraternity from across the border and to be considered on equal standing with them was very rewarding. It was acknowledgement of how far we have come in such a short time," she wrote. She further added that they no longer need to live in anybody's shadow. "We are all very naive if we think that films and artists can overcome 70 years of history and deep politics. True collaboration is much more than casting actors from across the border in each others films. Let them show our drama serials and films first," she wrote. However, while receiving the award on stage, the actor had said that she yearns for the day when her films will be played as freely in India as Indian films are played in Pakistan. "I think too much emphasis has been put on the role for artistes and films in building bridges between our two nations. No matter what the people may want, the past years events have shown that 70 years of history and deep political issues will always get in the way. This is much more than casting actors from across the border in each others films. I long for the day when people in India can freely see my movies in their country, just as Indian films are played in my country," she has been quoted as saying. The year 1989 is four decades different from the year 1949. In the year 1949, Indian Constitution was accepted. In the year 1989, Scheduled Caste /Scheduled Tribes [Prevention of Atrocities] Act, also known as Dalit Act, came into being. Accepted in 1949, Article 17 of the Indian Constitution abolishes untouchability, forbids its practice. Brought into practice in January 1950, Indians begun ignoring the constitutional verdict-of- ending untouchability. Those who fought the British for their Independence, continued subjugating the fellow-Dalit citizens. It was a betrayal of the freedom movement promise. In the year 1955, an amendment in the Constitution was brought in, and a new Act came into being to give teeth to Article 17. It was called Untouchability [Offences] Act. The Act makes practice of untouchability punishable. Preventing Dalits accessing to public places-restaurants, hotels, religious places, denial of services such as haircut, cloth washing, for instance, were defined as crimes. The Untouchability Act didnt deal with atrocity or violence against Dalits. Not that Dalits were not attacked those daysin fact a major massacre had taken place in the Tamil country. But, by and large, the caste society didnt need violent methods to control Dalits, small wooden sticks were effective tools in controlling Dalit hamlets as Rifles today are. The Dalit Act on the other hand, primarily targets injustice meted out to members of the Dalit/Tribe communities. In fact, the spirit of the Dalit Act is to protect victims in situations of conflicts where they are targeted for rising, using goods and gadgets that are markers of higher status. For instance, the first provision in the Dalit Act refers to the followings: Forces any person who is scheduled caste and scheduled tribe to eat or to drink any inedible or awful substance. The act also deals with land disputes, and, also, legal battles. For instance if a non-Dalit/Tribe in a court battle gives false or fabricated evidence with the intention of convicting any member of scheduled caste or tribethen the person who has given that evidence shall be punished with death. The Dalits in the times of Baba Saheb Ambedkar, more specifically in the Article 17, can be seen seeking their existence as human beings, with minimum fundamentals of human dignity. The Dalits in the Dalit Act 1989 can be seen in confrontation with the Caste Hindu society. What does thus this mean, or what happened between 1949 and 1989? Midst Green Revolution-1980sa substantial population of Dalits had begun skipping hunger, first ever in past many millenniums, also, Dalits accessed currency. A great number of Dalits declared their freedom from caste landlords. Constitution propelled democracy, industrial expansion, urbanisation, and mass education of Dalits, consciousness building by activists, gave the community air of freedom. Migration to cities, and lapping up caste-neutral jobs gave them not only freedom to choose jobs, but also freedom back home from the caste hold. Also, by 1980s, a crop of Dalit officers in the bureaucracy had become visible, now seeking positions of departmental heads, for instance. By this time frame, the orthodox caste Hindu society felt threatened, spoiling Dalits ACR-Annual Confidential Report, became an unstated movement. This very special social situation created conditions for the need of the Dalit Act 1989. A further re-look at governments welfare schemes, including the Untouchability [Offences] Act that was amended as Protection of Civil Rights Act in 1976, were all to protect Dalits that appeared hapless. The Dalit Act on the other hand, protects Dalits that are rising. Half a century back, there were hardly instances of Dalit grooms being stoned, or a Dalit knifed for sporting twirled moustaches. Then, none would even in dreams, think of riding horse in weddings or growing twirled moustaches. While India is changing fast, caste control is on the steady decline, there is an orthodox section of the caste Hindu society that is turning nervous, and violent at times. Rise of Dalits as free citizens unsettles them. Why someone should after all feel so disturbed watching a Dalit ride a Royal Enfield Bike. Why should some risk police action, and shave moustaches of a Dalit? To the question of low conviction rates, one hardly needs to be a data scientist to answer this question. Dalits are just 17 percent of the Indian population, and as a social minority, the pressure of the majority forces not only witnesses into turning hostile, even complainants turn indifferent to their own cases. Arrests under the Dalit Act has worked as a great deterrent. This fear of immediate arrest gone, the caste criminals will have field days. To the question of misusing the Dalit Act, answers can be multi-layered. Is there any Act, Rule, Law on this planet that are not abused by some individuals. Should all that be amended? Should section 302 too be amended because some have misused this? Why after all, why would a Dalit would implicate someone falsely? At worse, a Dalit being constantly harassed might just use this Act just to settle scores because all other IPC sections dont bring any relief. Please remember, in dispute with Dalits, as the case is between blacks-whites, non-Dalits always keep Dalits social base in their minds. This in itself is criminal. Laws, rules, even constitutions get amended, all that, to give relief to the people. This is a rarest of the rare occasions where potential caste criminals are given relief. What an irony of justice!!! (Chandra Bhan Prasad and Pankaj Anand are well known scholars. Views are personal.) New Delhi: Three days after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee concluded her four-day visit in the national capital, during which she met several opposition leaders in a bid to form a united opposition front to take on the BJP in 2019, it is now the turn of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to visit New Delhi. The Telegu Desam Party (TDP) chief told party MPs that he will reach Delhi by Monday night and will stay in the capital for two days, on April 3 and 4. TDP sources said that the purpose of the visit was focused only on securing states interests and there was nothing political about Naidus visit. This visit is secure interests of 5 crore people of Andhra Pradesh. We are demanding the centre to fulfil assurances made in Rajya Sabha including Special Category Status and provisions of AP Reorganisation Act, the Chief Minister said. Naidu is expected to use the visit to put pressure on the Centre to fulfil Andhra Pradeshs demands. He will meet all floor leaders in Parliament and explain the injustice being done to Andhra Pradesh. This will be Naidus first visit to Delhi after snapping ties with BJP and relations between the two have turned extremely sour. Ahead of the Andhra Pradesh CMs visit to Delhi, TDP MPs protested outside the Mahatma Gandhi statue outside Parliament and are expected to demand a discussion on the No-Confidence Motion against the Narendra Modi government on Monday. TDP also hit out at the YSR Congress and said it was afraid of elections which is why their MPs are resigning on the last day of the parliament session. After ending alliance with BJP, Naidu has been vocal in criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP. He has accused the Centre of acting with arrogance, and adopting strategies harmful for the country for temporary political benefits. While the focus is to escalate Special Status fight, Naidu's visit to Delhi and exploring new allies has certainly given momentum to the talks of emerging New Front. Meanwhile, stepping up the agitation on the demand for Special Category Status, YSR Congress President Jagan Mohan Reddy has announced that his party MPs would quit on the last day of the Parliament session and sit on an indefinite hunger strike at Andhra Bhavan. Jagan even asked TDP to join in giving mass resignations. However, slamming the move of YSR Congress, Naidu said, YSR Congress party is afraid of elections which is why their MPs are resigning on the last day of the parliament session. People have understood collusion politics of YSRCP. New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency has said that top Maoist leadership of Jharkhand, including Prashanto Bose and now surrendered Maoist Kundan Pahan, were involved in the conspiracy to murder JD(U) MLA Ramesh Munda. Munda and his two guards were gunned down in a Jharkhand school a few days ahead of the 2008 assembly election. Details of NIA chargesheet exclusively accessed by CNN-News18 claims that the Tamar MLA was murdered by Maoists at the behest of his political rival, former Jharkhand minister Gopal Krishna Patar, alias Raja Peter. It says that the conspiracy to kill Munda was hatched in 2008 in the Birabanki Kurumba forest of Jharkhand. Raja Peter met top Maoist leaders Kundan Pahan, Prashanto Bose, Vivek Ji, Ramesh and Rajesh Santhal at this meeting and offered Rs 5 crore to kill Munda. He also assured that if elected, he would ensure protection from police action, the NIA said. The Maoists were also upset with Munda because of his frequent outbursts against them. Raja Peter requested the top Maoist leadership to carry out the killing of Ramesh Singh Munda and also subsequently support him during elections. In return, Raja Peter promised to provide Rs 5 crore in cash and one AK-47 rifle and 200 rounds to the Maoists," the chargesheet says. The NIA chargesheet claimed that post this meeting, Maoists formed a special action team comprising 8 people. Two have since died, but the other six - Tipu Burmura, Sushil Dangil, Ghaisaram Munda, Mahesh Munda and Ram Mohan Singh have been named by NIA along with Raja Peter and his two aides- Rajesh Machua and Prafull Kumar Mahanto. Machua and Mahanto have been named for carrying the AK-47 to Kundan Pahan before the murder. NIA also said that Jharkhand Police ASI, Sheshnath Singh, was complicit in the conspiracy. A mobile phone and a slip of paper with the mobile number of Sheshnath Singh, who was a personal security officer for Munda, was given to Kundan Pahan by Raja Peter. On the day of murder, the Maoists contacted Singh who informed that the MLA would arrive at a school at around 1 pm. Sensing the arrival of the Maoist action team, Singh went away on pretext of answering nature's call, the NIA chargesheet said. On August 9, 2018, Maoists reached SS High School, Bundu, and killed MLA Ramesh Singh Munda, his two PSOs and one school staff member, it added. An NIA spokesperson said that total 15 people have been named in the chargesheet. Kundan Pahan was arrested by state police in May 2017 but Prashanto Bose and Vivek Ji are still absconding," the spokesperson said. Pahan is facing charges in various cases, including the Francis Induvar murder and beheading case while Prashanto Bose is wanted by various agencies and state police units for conspiracy and waging war against India. Bengaluru: The JDS is organising a mammoth public meeting in Gowda's family fiefdom Hassan this evening. The notable absentee would be his main partner in this election BSP supremo Mayawati. The JDS is mobilising at least 3-4 lakh people to this big event in response to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's last week public meeting in Hassan. Mayawati's absence has already led to a lot of speculation in political circles in Karnataka. Some political observers feel that Mayawati has gone quiet over Karnataka after the SP-BSP victory in Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats in her home state UP. She had shocked the Congress in Karnataka by declaring that BSP would tie up with JDS in the Assembly elections. It was her first pre-poll tie up in any state since 1996. An elated JDS tomtommed it as a huge achievement and offered her 20 Assembly seats out of a total 224 seats in the Assembly. A week later Mayawati and JDS supremo and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda addressed a huge joint rally in Bengaluru thundering that together they will end Congress rule in Karnataka. The Congress had openly called her an agent of the BJP, who joined hands with the Gowdas to eat into Congress votes. A month later, Gorakhpur and Phulpur happened. And Mayawati stopped talking about Karnataka and Congress. Some political analysts argue that Mayawati has now realised that denting the prospects of Congress in Karnataka would be wrong on her part and it will actually help the BJP to bounce back. To keep the momentum alive in her home state of UP, she seems to have decided to go for a tactical retreat in Karnataka. The pre-poll alliance with the JDS had upset Karnataka unit of the BSP and some leaders had questioned the rationale behind it. A senior leader said "Behenji took the decision without consulting us. We had to keep quiet. Our bigger enemy both in Karnataka and UP is BJP. Not the Congress. We don't trust JDS. They may go with the BJP if the results throw up a hung Assembly". The JDS is considered an upper caste party of the land owning people and its going with a Dalit party BSP looks incompatible as the two castes view each other with suspicion. Interestingly, even a month after the seat-sharing agreement was announced, the BSP is yet to come out with its candidates list. Speaking to News18 about Mayawati's absence, Deve Gowda said that she would attend the next meeting and the alliance is intact. BSP Karnataka unit says that they have no clue about their leader's next move as all the decisions are taken in Lucknow. Unlike UP, the BSP is not in a position to transfer its votes to alliance partners as it is still an insignificant player in Karnataka politics. There has also been a steady decline of its vote share since 2004. If the alliance survives it will be a win-win situation for both JDS and BSP. If it collapses or makes no headways it will be a slight advantage for the ruling Congress. As is the case in elections, every vote counts. Bengaluru: Your past can be forgiven for the present, a senior BJP leader and Union Minister told this reporter when he was asked to answer if Bellary is a piece of history thats best forgotten by the BJP. You see, there is nothing called a history chapter in politics. We are usually willing to forget peoples past, he added. Bellary, the north Karnataka district, known for its thousands-of-crores-worth illegal mining scam between 2007 and 2012, when the BJP was in power, is still a district that has its touch of glamour in politics. After all, the district saw that epic battle in 1999 for the Lok Sabha seat between Sonia Gandhi and Sushma Swaraj. This is the district that was in the news for rampant illegal mining; the district that was the fiefdom of the infamous Reddy brothers, who continue to face serious cases; the district that forced BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa to resign as Chief Minister when his name appeared in the Lokayuktas report on Bellary mining scam. The famous padayatra by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and a host of top Congress leaders from Bengaluru to Bellary led the Congress to power. Bellary, in fact, decided the fate of Karnataka in the 2013 election as illegal mining in the district was the only major issue in that poll. This Assembly election, once again, is going to see a keen contest between the BJP and the Congress in the nine constituencies that make up the district one where history is going to be quickly forgotten by many parties. Will the Reddy brothers still hold any sway over this district? Strange things have happened since 2013. For one, Gali Janardhana Reddy, the former Minister who was once alleged to be the main conspirator in the illegal mining scam, has not been able to go to Bellary after a Supreme Court diktat prevented him from visiting his hometown. For another, his close and loyal aide Sriramulu has suddenly risen through the ranks. Sriramulu is an important participant in most of the core committee and other strategy meetings, he is prominent in all the PMs rallies, and most importantly, he is trusted by Yeddyurappa to win over the ST vote bank in the state. A whopping five of the nine Assembly segments are reserved for ST candidates because of the huge population of the ST communities in these places. Two others are reserved for SC candidates. There are 10 other constituencies in other parts of the state that are reserved for STs. It is rather surprising that Sriramulu has grown to be a mass leader, purely because of his caste. He may face all kinds of criminal cases but he has turned a crowd-puller, said a BJP MLA, when asked about the growing clout of this right-hand man of Janardhana Reddy. The BJP is shy of being seen close to the Reddy brothers. And BJP president Amit Shah in Mysore on Saturday said that Janardhana Reddy has nothing to do with the party. Sriramulu could well be a vote-swinger in all 15 ST constituencies, not just Bellary, it is felt. Reddy, while he has the power that money brings, is not someone who can be a mass leader. The second factor is the baggage that Reddy brings the face of the illegal mining, as it were. But everyone in the BJP knows that Sriramulu-minus-Reddy is not practical as Sriramulu would never give up on his guru. And then there is a third factor at play the Reddy brothers are no longer united. In fact, Janardhana and his elder brother Karunakara have fallen apart over the last four years. The quarrel runs so deep that Janardhana invited almost half of Bellary to his daughters grand royal wedding but strangely not his elder brother. Karunakara and Sriramulu have even filed police complaint against each other. Not-so-brotherly The story goes that one afternoon in early February, BJP State president BS Yeddyurappa made a hurried trip to Harapanahalli in Davangere, the district adjacent to Bellary. It was a hastily-planned rally, and one that Yeddyurappa could ill-afford the time for. It was just two days to go before Prime Minister Modi was to address his first election rally in Bengalurus Palace Grounds. Amid his dizzy schedule to oversee the preparations for this, when he had already announced that his Parivarthana Yatre of all Assembly constituencies had concluded in Mysore, it would have been strange to see the 76-year-old rush up and down to a town 300 kilometres away by a chopper. Yet, it was something he had to do. Because Yeddyurappa realised that Harapanahalli stood out like a sore thumb barring that rally, he could not possibly claim (or have the PM claim at the rally two days later) that he had covered all the 224 Assembly constituencies in Karnataka. This was the one constituency he hadnt covered, primarily because of the rebellion over who gets to contest in Harahapanahalli. The elder Reddy brother had made no secret of the fact that he wanted the party ticket to contest from here. At the Harapahanahalli rally, Janardhana tried his best to avoid talking to Karunakara Reddy Sriramulu and co had all along made it their mission to ensure the BJP keeps out Karunakara Reddy and the elder Reddy tried hard to make a case for himself as the best ticket-aspirant from this constituency. Glaringly, Yeddyurappa barely spoke to him, allowed audience for another aspirant on the same stage, and finally declared that the party is doing surveys on every candidates winnability and the final decision will be taken by its high command. Harapanahalli continues to be a thorn in the flesh. And if the party ultimately goes by Sriramulus wish to nix chances of the elder Reddy getting a ticket it will only prove that this Bellary leaders influence in decision-making spreads beyond his district. Reddys younger brother Somashekar Reddy, on the other hand, is likely to contest this time just to ensure at least one person in the family is represented. Party loyalties As of now, four of the nine segments are held by Congress MLAs, one by an independent, one by the BJP, one by the JDS and two by the now-extinct BSR party of the Reddy brothers confidant B Sriramulu. The loyalties of these MLAs have changed today. Sriramulu (now an MP from the BJP) and his nephew, who won the other BSR party seat from Kampli, are now with the BJP. The then BJP MLA Anand Singh joined the Congress in a surprise move in February. As did the independent Nagendra. Both face cases of illegal mining too, but the Congress was willing to forget that part of history winnability, the caste-make-up, even perhaps the lack of a good candidate led to the Congress selective amnesia. The CM probably relied on party intelligence reports to allow them to join. Of course, the Congress comes forth as one with no brains and no morals, but BJP also has no shame. It has poached the Congress past candidate Gaviappa, who had lost against their candidate Anand Singh, says a veteran Congressman from the district. Till 2004, Bellary was known as the one absolutely-reliable Congress bastion. What has, thus, angered some of the seniors from the district, is that there was no consultation with these leaders before inducting Singh and Nagendra into the party. Winning is our objective too, we want Congress to get maximum seats. But at least a few of the seniors from Bellary must have been consulted, but Siddaramaiah sits in Bengaluru and gets them to join. He only informs us later," said the veteran Congressman. As the clock ticks down for selection on candidates, there are less than three weeks to go for filing nominations, the ruffled feathers are coming to the fore all the more. There are certain districts where district level office-bearers are at logger-heads with each other. Bellary is just one such. Other districts, like Hassan, have seen worse. If there are 10 to 15 leaders in the district, each of them has a team of followers to talk against each other. Either CM or Congress president should have called the different factions and sorted out differences, but that hasnt happened, the Bellary veteran says. Congress calculations Interestingly, it was the Congress Lad brothers mainly Minister Santosh Lad, who was instrumental in bringing in the defection of Anand Singh and others to his party. Sources close to the Lads also like to take the forget the past line on this. One of the oldest mine-lease holders of Bellary, the Lads too face court cases on the same issue as Singh or the Reddys. Yes some senior leaders are feeling left-out, that way we may have rubbed the seniors the wrong way. But winnability is the only factor this time, and the Congress is all out to increase its tally in Bellary, says a close aide of Santosh Lad. This election, the Lad camp feels, will also be a test of what the Reddys clout is without the huge sums of money. Of course, it will be another five or ten years before we can see their money-power being entirely wiped out. But BJP came into power in 2008 because of heavy money. Money is still there, but not that much. Reddy per se has no community backing in the region, and now Reddy-minus-the-money is a different person. The candidates from other parties are also financially sound enough to counter him, the aide said. Voters pose outside a polling booth in Karnataka. People were seen standing in queues to cast their votes in the early hours itself, factoring in that the temperature may go up later in the day. Also, it has been raining in different parts of south interior Karnataka for the last couple of days during the evening hours. Senior citizens were seen in good numbers standing in queues at various polling stations to cast their votes early. State BJP chief and party's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa, and Pradesh Congress Committee G Parameshwara were among the first to cast votes in Shikaripura in Shivamogga and Yaggere in Tumakuru respectively. Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda along with wife Chennamma cast their votes at Paduvalahippe in Hassan district. Film actors Ramesh Arvind, Ravichandran, also scion of Mysuru royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar were among the prominent personalities to cast their votes early today. There are reports about delay in polling due to some technical issues with the electronic voting machines (EVMs) from different parts of the state. Election for the Jayanagara seat in Bengaluru has been countermanded following the death of BJP candidate and sitting MLA BN Vijaykumar. The Election Commission has also deferred the polls for Rajarajeswari Nagar constituency to May 28 after a massive row erupted over a large number of voter ID cards being found in an apartment. Suspecting something fishy, both Congress and BJP have pointed accusing fingers at each other in the matter. "Today people of Karnataka are standing in queues to create history & show the nation the way to liberal, progressive, peaceful & compassionate politics & governance. I thank them for their support & wish them well," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted. Over 2,600 candidates are in the fray-- more than 2400 men and and over 200 women. The total voters including service electors according to the 2018 final rolls are 5,06,90,538, of whom 2,56,75,579 male voters, 2,50,09,904 female and 5,055 transgender voters. Officials said 58,008 polling stations have been set up across the state, of which 12002 have been designated as "critical", with over 3,50,000 polling personnel on duty. Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the smooth conduct of polls that will go on till 6 pm. "82,157 people have been deployed for poll duty that includes DSPs, home guards and civil defence, and forest guards and watchers," Karnataka DGP Neelamani N Raju said. This also includes about 7,500 personnel from states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Kerala and Goa, she said, adding, central forces have been deployed. One among the interesting aspects of this election is that four candidates who have served as Chief Minister of Karnataka are in the fray-- Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (Chamundeshwari and Badami), B S Yeddyurappa (Shikaripura), H D Kumaraswamy (Chennapatna and Ramanagara) and Jagadish Shettar (Hubli-Dharwad Central.) Bengaluru: A quick look at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's Twitter timeline will give a glimpse of his strategy this election: to attack and to rebut. For more than a month now, the agenda it seems has been largely set by the Chief Minister, either by governmental actions or political strategies. While giving a go-ahead for the state flag is seen as his attempt to capture the regional sentiment, giving minority religion status to the Lingayats is one that could cut straight through a vital sector of BJP voters. And therefore, the battle so far has seldom been between the various leaders of the Congress and the BJP. It has more often been the Chief Minister versus the Prime Minister followed by his party president and state leaders of the BJP. The Congress says this is deliberate. There are only two chief ministers who have won against Modi. One is Nitish Kumar and the other is Arvind Kejriwal. Both of them set the agendas continuously. This itself is an indication who's winning. When CM is pitted against PM, it's obviously the CM who'll win because he's the embodiment of the local flavour. The PM cant speak Kannada and is otherwise far removed from the state and its local flavours, says Brijesh Kalappa, spokesperson, Congress. As is expected during any election season, every allegation has seen a counter allegation and every hashtag a counter hashtag. When BS Yeddyurappa, BJP's state president, accuses Siddaramaiah of making the Lokayuktha toothless, the Chief Minister questions the Prime Minister on Lokpal. When the BJP trended 10% commission government against Siddaramaiah, the latter trended jailbird against which Yeddyurappa had to approach the high court. It may seem like a series of mudslinging but the overall picture questions whether the BJPs strategy is working in the state. We have divided the state into five parts and our national president is spending time in all these regions. What is Rahul Gandhis agenda? What is the agenda the Chief Minister has set other than dividing society on caste, religion, language? It is distortion by the media to think someone else is setting the agenda for us, said S Prakash, spokesperson, BJP. The pictures from the events of both the party presidents during their tour in the state tell a different story altogether. While Siddaramaiah gets his limelight even in the presence of party president Rahul Gandhi, Yeddyurappa is mostly quietly sitting beside his party president, victim to his gaffes. The whole process is one of presenting the image of a party thats closer to the region as opposed to a party thats very centralised and controlled from Delhi. There is certain decentralisation in Indian politics across the country. All over the country the regional sentiment is high. In Karnataka, the regional sentiment has been absorbed by the Congress. The main difference here or in Punjab is they are allowing state leaders to lead the election. That allows them to take up or identify the local issues. Otherwise, its completely controlled by Delhi. The BJP has a hugely centralised strategy and that doesnt seem to be working at the moment, observed Narendra Pani, political analyst. Bhopal: Coming down heavily on the CBSE, SSC question paper leaks, Congress national media coordinator Priyanka Chaturvedi on Monday alleged that it had all started with the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh and such leaks have now been established in the system across the country. Chaturvedi who was in Bhopal, talking to the media at the Congress office, said that after the CBSE and SSC question paper leaks, now Food Corporation of India exam paper has also leaked and that has also happened from Madhya Pradesh. It all started with Vyapam in MP. Had there been stringent action, this model would not have been established in the country, said the visiting Congress leader. When young students demanded justice in the SSC paper leak case, they were only meted out with lathis, said Chaturvedi, showing pictures of police action on protesting students. She added that instead of helping the youth they are being advised to venture into the business of selling pakodas. The Centre is offering no job, employment or education and all the exam papers are being leaked. When the youth of this country seeks the two crore promised jobs, the government only has lathis to offer, she alleged. The Congress social media handler categorically alleged that the central government was only targeting small fishes in the CBSE paper leak to spare the bigger culprits. The Congress leader also questioned the manner in which the previous CBSE chairman was removed prematurely and an officer was handpicked for the post, who, according to Chaturvedi did not do anything to stop the exam mafia or cancel the examinations, despite having prior intimation about the leaks. Both the Modi government and the Shivraj government wishes not only to shield the exam-related scams, but also wish to keep it going, Chaturvedi alleged. New Delhi: Accusing the Centre of going against the federal structure of the Constitution in financial devolution, the Trinamool Congress on Monday said it will try to rally the opposition against the 15th Finance Commission as many states not ruled by the BJP were "losing out". TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee would raise the issue during her meeting with the DMK leadership in Chennai on April 10-11, TMC leader Derek O'Brien said. She would meet DMK supremo M Karunanidhi and M K Stalin during her two-day visit to Chennai. "This Commission is anti-federal. States are losing out. States like Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu are been penalised and states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan are being awarded. Mamata Banerjee is reaching out to other parties, this will become a very important reference point for us. Next Tuesday she will raise the issue with the DMK leadership at Chennai," O' Brien told reporters here. After the issue of no-confidence motion united the opposition in Parliament, the 15th Finance Commission cold once again bring them on one platform against the NDA government. TMC leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay and O'Brien would meet TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu in Delhi on Tuesday and are expected to take up the matter. The Finance Commission, which has been authorised to decide on the percentage of financial devolution and grants-in-aid, taking the 2011 Census as the basis for central assistance, would also decide increase in Goods and Services Tax (GST) and a decrease in subsidies for programmes meant for the poor. The opposition party has also accused the commission of "unilaterally" adopting the 2011 census without consulting the state governments. "States like Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh will loose Rs 20,000 crores over a period of five years and states which are been ruled by the BJP, like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh would, gain. The government didn't even consult a single state government. There was no inter-state council meeting during NDA government", O'Brien said. The opposition parties are likely to raise the issue to corner the government in the remaining days of the session in Parliament. Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Monday attacked the Narendra Modi government for the delay in filing a review petition against the dilution of the SC/ST act and lent her support to the Bharat Bandh but condemned the violence that has claimed the lives of at least six people in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. "Although we are not in Parliament, but we will continue our fight against Dalit atrocities outside the Parliament and bring the central government of Narenda Modi on its knees," she told reporters in Delhi. She said that the Bharat Bandh was a response to the central government's policies that are pushing Dalits towards darkness. "The Modi government is doing a conspiracy by privatization of government departments so that Dalits be deprived of promotion in jobs," she said. In the same breath, she condemned the protests taking a violent turn. At least six people have been killed so far and several are injured. Government property as well as vehicles have been torched and a bus carrying foreign tourists was also attacked. Maywati said that the Dalits were protesting peacefully and the violence has been caused due to goons hijacking the stir. "We condemn the act of violence. Some anti-social elements were sent to disrupt the Bharat Bandh and they were the ones who were involved in violence. Police and administration should identify such people and punish them," she said. She said that had the central government acted promptly against the SC ruling, there would have been no protests. "If the central government had filed review petition timely, there would have been no protests at all. Everybody knows well that BJP is an expert when it comes to caste politics," she said. Microsoft has issued a new security patch to fix the earlier security update that was released in January to tackle "Meltdown" vulnerability found in microchips from Intel and other chip-makers. The flaw "CVE-2018-1038" was found in the first patch that was issued to protect Windows 7 x64 or Windows Server 2008 R2 x64 systems from the "Meltdown" vulnerability. Security researchers disclosed two flaws - "Meltdown" and "Spectre" -- on January 3 that affected nearly every modern computing device containing chips from Intel, AMD and ARM Holdings. "This update addresses an elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Windows kernel in the 64-Bit (x64) version of Windows. This vulnerability is documented in CVE-2018-1038," Microsoft said on its support page on Friday. "Users must apply this update to be fully protected against this vulnerability if their computers were updated in or after January 2018 by applying any of the following updates," the company added. After chip-maker Intel confirmed a potential security flaw in its chips, Microsoft issued emergency updates to supported versions of Windows in January. Following the news of the bugs getting out, all major tech players such as Microsoft, Google, Apple, including Intel, released security patches to help protect users from potential data theft. Vivo V9 Review: First Android Clone of iPhone X in India Kano (Nigeria): Boko Haram fighters attacked a military base and two surrounding villages near the flashpoint Nigerian city of Maiduguri overnight, killing at least 18 people and wounding 84, officials said Monday. It was one of the most brazen attacks in recent months and was a precursor to a planned strike on Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State and the birthplace of the hardline Islamist group. Boko Haram fighters attacked the base in the Cashew Plantation area on the outskirts of the city with suicide bombers, mortars and guns, leading to a prolonged battle, a senior military officer in Maiduguri said. "Eighteen Boko Haram terrorists on foot attacked the military base while seven suicide bombers targeted residents of nearby Bale Shuwar and Alikaranti villages at 8:50 pm (1950 GMT)," said the officer who asked not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak about the incident. "The terrorists fired mortars at troops," the officer said. "So far we have recovered 18 dead bodies from the two villages," Benlo Dambatto, an official from the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) told AFP. "The victims were killed while trying to escape the fight between the insurgents and the military.". It was not immediately clear if the casualties involved only civilians or included the jihadists and soldiers as well. The attackers were trying to infiltrate into the city, said Ba'Kura Abba Ali, a militia leader in the area helping soldiers in fighting Boko Haram. The assailants climbed up a moat dug around the city to stave off Boko Haram suicide and gun attacks, and attacked troops, Ali said. 'HUGE BLASTS, GUNFIRE' Maiduguri residents reported hearing at least five explosions and sounds of gunfire coming from the Cashew Plantation area. "Huge blasts and sounds of gunshots were heard all over the city last night and they continued for more than an hour," said one resident, Ibrahim Gremah. On Friday, four teenage girl suicide bombers killed two people in multiple attacks in Zawuya settlement on the outskirts of Maiduguri in the first assault since the government announced it was in ceasefire talks with Boko Haram. The Islamic State-affiliated faction reportedly in talks with the government is led by Abu Mus'ab al-Barnawi and is known for attacks on military targets, while another faction led by Abubakar Shekau is notorious for suicide bombings killing civilians. The attacks highlight the challenge the government faces in striking a ceasefire agreement with the factionalised Boko Haram. Late last month, when more than 100 schoolgirls were returned to Dapchi after being kidnapped by the jihadist group, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said his government was offering amnesty to "repentant" jihadists. But senior security officials cautioned that reaching any agreement with the group will be difficult, as it is split into competing factions with different goals. Boko Haram's nearly nine-year fight to establish a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria has claimed at least 20,000 lives and displaced more than two million people. Beijing: China raised import duties on U.S. pork, fruit and other products Monday in an escalating tariff dispute with President Donald Trump that companies worry might depress global commerce. China said the charges were in response to a US tariff hike on steel and aluminum that took effect March 23. But a bigger dispute looms over Trump's approval of possible higher duties on nearly $50 billion of Chinese goods in a dispute over technology policy. Forecasters say the immediate economic impact should be limited, but investors worry the global recovery might be set back if other governments respond by raising their own import barriers. Those fears temporarily depressed financial markets, though stocks have recovered some of their losses. Effective Monday, Beijing raised tariffs on pork, aluminum scrap and some other products by 25 percent, the ministry said. A 15 percent tariff was imposed on apples, almonds and some other goods. The government said earlier China's imports of those goods last year totaled $3 billion. The latest Chinese move targets farm areas, many of which voted for Trump in the 2016 presidential election. The U.S. tariff hike has "has seriously damaged our interests," said a Finance Ministry statement. "Our country advocates and supports the multilateral trading system," said the statement. The tariff increase "is a proper measure adopted by our country using World Trade Organization rules to protect our interests." The White House didn't respond to a message from The Associated Press on Sunday seeking comment. Chinese authorities have accused Trump of violating global rules on trade regulation by taking action under U.S. law instead of through the WTO. U.S. farmers sent nearly $20 billion of goods to China in 2017. The American pork industry sent $1.1 billion in products, making China the No. 3 market for U.S. pork. Quetta, Pakistan: Four members of a Christian family were gunned down in southwestern Pakistan on Monday, police said, in the latest attack on the minority community. The family was travelling in a rickshaw when armed men on a motorcycle intercepted them and opened fire in Quetta city, the capital of Baluchistan province. A woman was rushed to hospital. Her father and three cousins were killed. "It appears to have been a targeted attack," provincial police official Moazzam Jah Ansari told Reuters. "It was an act of terrorism." The attack comes a day after Pakistan's Christian community celebrated Easter on Sunday. Around 2 percent of Pakistan's population are Christians. Minority religious festivals are a security concern in the majority Sunni Muslim country where there have been a number of high casualty attacks on Christians and Shi'ite Muslims. Baluchistan, a region bordering Iran as well as Afghanistan, is plagued by violence by Sunni Islamist sectarian groups linked to the Taliban, al Qaeda and Islamic State. It also has an indigenous ethnic Baloch insurgency fighting against central government. In December, a week before Christmas, two suicide bombers stormed a packed Christian church in southwestern Pakistan, killing at least 10 people and wounding up to 56, in an attack claimed by Islamic State. The family killed on Monday had come to visit relatives in Quetta's Shahzaman road area, where a large number of the city's Christian community lives. Rome's ancient Colosseum was lit in red for an evening in February in solidarity with persecuted Christians, particularly Asia Bibi, a Catholic woman who has been living on death row in Pakistan since 2010, when she was condemned for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Islam. Moscow: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday suggested that the poisoning of a former double agent could benefit the British government by distracting attention from problems around Brexit. The March 4 attack on Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury has triggered a wave of tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats between the West and Russia and sent relations plunging to new post-Cold War lows. "This could be in the interests of the British government which found itself in an uncomfortable situation having failed to fulfil promises to its electorate about the conditions for Brexit," Lavrov said at a press conference in Moscow, referring to Britain's planned departure from the European Union. Lavrov also suggested that the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter "could also be in the interests of the British special forces who are known for their abilities to act with a licence to kill". "There could be a whole number of reasons and none of them can be ruled out," Lavrov said. Britain has said it was "highly likely" that Russia was responsible for the attack using a nerve agent developed in the USSR, a view backed up by its Western allies. But Russia denies any involvement and has called for Britain to give it access to the nerve agent used. Lavrov insisted that "serious experts "and "leaders of a whole number of countries" are questioning Britain's account of the crime. "Britain, I think, will not manage to evade answering these questions. Because they are already only too obvious and it's only too obvious that our British colleagues have lost their sense of reality." Lavrov complained that the British authorities have still not give consular access to "our citizens," and that the situation had not changed despite Yulia Skripal's improved condition. He said he hoped Sergei Skripal would "also follow this example" and get better. Lavrov also denied the attack was "sophisticated," saying that if it had been, the victims would have died immediately. "If I understand correctly, sophisticated attacks usually lead to instant death," he said. 404 We're sorry! The page you were looking for couldn't be found. GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more The Sandman ended 25 years ago - and is more relevant than ever Looking back at Sandman and how much it mattered (and matters) to comics BRIDGEWATER An estimated 1,000 gallons of oil that spilled underground from an aging storage tank at the Bridgewater Convenience Store most likely did not reach any wells that supply drinking water, state environmental officials said Monday. Contamination is not expected to reach those nearby wells, but as a precaution were working with the local health department to ensure testing takes place, said Chris Collibee, spokesman for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Erin Stewart wont have homefield advantage at a Republican gubernatorial debate in New Britain Wednesday because she wont even be on the field. Stewart, 30, a New Britain native, two-term mayor and candidate for governor, hasnt met the fundraising requirement set by the state party in order to receive an invitation to the debate stage at New Britain High School her alma mater, Class of 2005. Im definitely disappointed that I wont be able to participate, but Im not surprised by it, said Stewart, who is the only officially declared female candidate in a crowded field. It was made very clear to me from the first day that I entered this race, that I was not going to be allowed to participate in any of the debates unless I raised, quite frankly, a large amount of money in a very short period of time, Stewart said. Its not surprising. I dont expect them to change the rules for me, but unfortunately that means we will have to take our message to other platforms. Only declared candidates who have raised at least $175,000 are eligible to participate in the GOPs fourth debate, and while she made her campaign official last month, Stewart still hasnt raised enough money. State GOP Chairman J.R. Romano maintained his stance on making an exception there wont be one. Stewart knew the rules, he said. She was represented at the GOP meeting a year ago when the rules for debate participation were established. The candidates set these rules, Romano said. Im just the referee. Stewart may not be participating, but that doesnt shes not trying to find a way to voice her opinions ahead of the debate. She plans to hold a pre-debate rally outside the high school from which she graduated in 2005. Well be standing outside of New Britain High School to rally to get me on the stage, Stewart said. My voice should be heard and my supporters and people that are supportive of my campaign believe that as well. I think its wrong that shes not allowed to participate, said Tony Cane, chairman of the New Britain Republican Town Committee. I can see why the chairman is excluding people, but its in her hometown. Shes popular in her hometown, and shes a very popular candidate in the state. She graduated from the high school where its being held. Stewart wouldnt say how far short of the fundraising requirement her campaign is, but said funding totals will be released later this week once theyve been finalized by her treasurer. Its going to be a very promising number and its going to show were proving our doubters wrong, she said. State Sen. Toni Boucher, who is still exploring a run, also was not invited, though she did participate in the first two debates, in which exploratory candidates who had raised $75,000 were allowed. Nine of the 10 invited Republicans have accepted invitations, which is the third of five debates the party is sponsoring. They are Mark Boughton, Mike Handler, Tim Herbst, Mark Lauretti, Peter Lumaj, Steve Obsitnik, Prasad Srinivasan, Dave Walker and David Stemerman. Only Bob Stefanowski declined, citing scheduling conflicts. Personal funds count toward the partys entry requirement for the debates, which makes self-funded candidates like Stemerman, a hedge fund mogul, and Stefanowski, a former chief financial officer of UBS Investment Bank, eligible. Both skipped the first three debates, but Stemerman is expected to make his first appearance Wednesday. More Information Republican gubernatorial debate Wednesday, April 4, 6 p.m. New Britain High School, 110 Mill St., New Britain Tickets $5 for general admission, $25 for premium seating See More Collapse The state Republican party scheduled one debate in each of the states five congressional districts. Wednesdays will take place in the 5th District, which is represented by U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, a Democrat who announced Monday she wont run for re-election after news of a toxic workplace environment in her office broke last week. Several of the men running for governor have asked for exceptions to allow Stewart and Boucher to participate, including Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti, who offered to give his seat to the women at the last Republican debate in West Haven only to be told it was against the rules. Republicans will hold their statewide nominating convention in six weeks at Foxwoods Resort Casino, with 1,300 delegates voting on party endorsements. Candidates who get at least 15 percent of the vote qualify for the partys August primary. Otherwise, they have to collect signatures from 2 percent of party members (about 9,600 registered Republicans) by early June to petition their way onto the ballot. Ontario loves nature! TORONTO, March 29, 2018 /CNW/ - The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) welcomes the Government of Ontario's commitment to nature contained in Budget 2018, released Wednesday. New funding has been earmarked to protect our forests, wetlands, lakes and rivers. An investment of $15 million over three years affirms Ontario's commitment to protecting our lands and waters and the variety of species they sustain. An additional investment in the Canada Ontario Lake Erie Action Plan, will further support the health of Lake Erie. Natural capital is one of Ontario's greatest competitive advantages. Healthy natural systems cost-effectively support sustainable, livable communities and economic development. Nature underpins our reputation as a top destination in which to live, work and invest. Protecting the environment and growing the economy go hand-in-hand. The Nature Conservancy of Canada and our many partners in Ontario including the land trust community, are already delivering results and ready to do more. By working together and advancing private and public conservation we can make a difference in Ontario and contribute to Canada Target 1 the pledge to protect 17 per cent of our nation's land and inland waters by the end of this decade. Quotes "The Nature Conservancy of Canada is pleased to see a commitment to natural heritage contained in Ontario Budget 2018. Ontarians are ready to take real action to protect our land, water and species at riskthe natural areas that sustain prosperous communities. At the Nature Conservancy of Canada we're standing by to do our part," John Lounds, President and CEO, The Nature Conservancy of Canada "We are pleased to see a government focus on protecting biodiversity and caring for our natural areas. These are the places we all cherish. There is much left to do, but together we can conserve and enhance ecologically rich, healthy and resilient landscapes for Ontario, Canada and the world," Gary Goldberg, Chair, Ontario Regional Board, The Nature Conservancy of Canada Learn More The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the nation's leading not-for-profit, private land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962, NCC and its partners have helped to protect more than 1.1 million hectares (2.8 million acres), coast to coast, with more than 74,400 hectares (184,000 acres) in Ontario. Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/NCC_CNC | twitter.com/NCC_CNCMedia Find us on Facebook SOURCE Nature Conservancy of Canada For further information: Media Contacts: Andrew Holland, National Media Relations Director, Mobile: 506-260-0469, [email protected] Related Links http://www.natureconservancy.ca Coal demand is likely to remain relatively stable in the years ahead, according to BCGs (Boston Consulting Groups) Global Energy Scenario Model. The main reason: the unquenchable thirst for energy in numerous Asian developing countries, such as India and Indonesia. Several developments could trigger a slowdown in coal demand growthor even a contraction. These include * slower than projected global GDP growth * an exceptionally fast uptake in renewable powereven faster than the rapid pace currently projectedcombined with disruptive advances in renewable energy storage. * Comprehensive, coordinated global regulatory action to limit greenhouse gas emissionsdifficult and complex, but not impossiblecould also reverse the coal trajectory. Today, coal accounts for roughly one-third of global energy production. Coal was used for 679 TWh in Europe in 2017. Coal produces about 4 TWh per year per gigawatt. Coal is cheap because it is burnable dirt It is affordable, accessible, and easily stored and transported, making it well suited to meeting the energy needs of industrializing economies. Its no surprise, then, that about 76% of global coal demand comes from China and other developing countries, which continue to add coal-fired power capacity. In 2016 alone, 70 gigawatts of new coal capacity was added globallya net increase of 57 gigawatts, after accounting for plants taken out of use. Thats nearly 40% of the total coal-fired power plant capacity in Europe today, or the equivalent of roughly 800 megawatts of new capacity every four days. Even taking cancellations into account, however, some 220 gigawatts of new coal-fired power generation is under construction, primarily in Asia. Within Asia, demand growth is shifting from China, where coal consumption will plateau in the 2020s, to other countries. In India, roughly 50 gigawatts of new coal-fired power generation capacity is under constructionwhich represents about 20% of the countrys current coal-fired capacity. Meanwhile, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines are constructing coal-fired plants. A couple of developments could dampen growth in the demand for coal. One is the faster than expected substitution of gas for coal in the power industry. However, even under a scenario in which shale gas reserves in China and Argentina are tapped, coal demand would still increase by roughly 0.3% annually between now and 2040. Another possible development is rapid gains in energy efficiency in buildings and appliances, which would limit coal demand growth to 0.2% annually through 2040. Solar and wind power are now competitive with coal when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing. However, the technology for storing that power is not cheap enough to make renewables competitive with coal 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To evaluate massive global regulation in their model, they assume that OECD countries and China stop building new coal power plants as of today (2018) and retire all plants older than 40 years by 2020 and all plants older than 35 by 2030. They also assume that the rest of the world stops building new plants by 2025 and retires all plants older than 40 by 2030. In this scenario, coal demand would decline 14% from 2018 to 2040. They estimate the full net-present-value cost of substituting coal-fired power with renewables and gas in China to be $1.3 trillionor 0.55% of Chinas cumulative GDP through 2030including about $750 billion in stranded assets. Growing Coal Demand in Developing Countries. Amid energy-intensive economic growth, coal remains a primary power source in most developing markets. Even after multiple project cancellations in countries such as India, roughly 100 gigawatts in coal-fired generation capacity is under construction. The bulk of the capacity is being constructed in India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and South Africa. And even more is on the drawing board. India, for example, has taken decisive steps to support renewable energy development, including eliminating both import duties on critical solar parts and interstate transmission charges on the export of solar power. The governments goal: to reach 175 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2022, up from 60 gigawatts currently. But that will represent just one-third of the countrys total power generation capacityand coal is still projected to account for more than 50% of that capacity. Congresswoman Esty: "I am not resigning....I must do better." WASHINGTON Amid faltering support from fellow Democrats, Rep. Elizabeth Esty sent shock waves through the world of Connecticut politics and nationwide Monday by announcing she will not seek re-election for a fourth term in Congress. Esty, who prided herself on her ability to reach bipartisan consensus, was unable to convince party members and constituents that she was taking responsibility for her actions in smoothing the exit of former chief of staff Tony Baker, accused of sexually abusing a female staffer. Too many women have been harmed by harassment in the workplace, Esty said in a statement. In the terrible situation in my office, I could have and should have done better. Esty fired Baker in 2016 after learning he abused a subordinate, Anna Kain. What had begun as a consensual office affair turned into shouting in the office and one instance of Baker allegedly striking Kain on the back. It culminated in a May 5, 2016, incident during a staff celebration on Capitol Hill. Baker was drunk and abusive at the bar where the reunion of current and former staff took place. After colleagues escorted him out, he called or texted Kain 50 times threatening to find her and kill her. Esty acknowledged blame for keeping Baker on the payroll three months after the incident. And she also took responsibility for writing a positive job recommendation, and verbally backing him for a position in Ohio with Newtown-based Sandy Hook Promise. Also, Esty gave Baker a $5,000 taxpayer-supported severance which she paid back to the U.S. Treasury last week out of her own pocket. Esty has stayed largely out of sight since news of the Baker episode broke Thursday. Untenable position The statement Monday said she would decline interviews. A text message offering an interview brought forth a reply of thanks. Sources familiar with Estys thinking said that although she initially felt she could survive the firestorm of revelations last week in Hearst Connecticut Media and the Washington Post, she realized Monday that her position increasingly was untenable -- with Democrats joining Republicans in calling for her departure. This decision is the right one, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who said Friday he was deeply disappointed in news reports of the Tony Baker exit. Elizabeth knows she handled the dismissal of her former chief of staff badly, said Sen. Chris Murphy, who along with Esty owns a home in Cheshire. The decision she made today is the right one for her. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who was a mentor of sorts for the much younger Esty, called victim Anna Kains experience heartbreaking. And DeLauro said the now-29-year-old woman showed great courage by coming forward with her story. Congresswoman Esty made a difficult decision, but the right one for her and the constituents of her district, DeLauro said. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy also said Estys decision not to seek re-election is the right one. High anxiety The mood among the 10 or so staff members inside Estys Washington office was described as pretty somber by a source familiar with Estys Washington operation, who asked not to be identified. Idealistic staffers had bought in to the image of Esty as a fighter for womens empowerment and gun violence prevention as representative of Newtown, as well as a capable can-do navigator of the daunting bipartisan divide. People were angry over how it was handled; for a lot of them, last week was the first time they learned details of the case, the source said. People were torn, sad, anxious, but in some ways relieved. Now theyre anxious about what comes next for them. Esty handily won re-election in 2016 in the purplish 5th Congressional District that encompasses Danbury and the northwestern part of the state. The 41-town district has been represented by Democrats since 2007. Esty won her 2016 re-election over Republican Clay Cope by 38,599 votes. Prior to Esty, the seat was held by now-U.S. Sen. Murphy. Democratic leaders are pondering potential successors to Esty who could emerge in the May party convention. One potential candidate could be state Rep. Michelle Cook of Torrington, party leaders said. While earlier on Monday she asked for the expedited House ethics hearing, the drumbeat of Connecticut Democratic leaders reached a crescendo when Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff of Norwalk joined other leaders asking for her resignation. Republicans turned the issue into a political attack for the fall. Matt Gorman, communications director for the Republican National Congressional Committee, said it was a sad occasion for the 700,000-person 5th District of northwestern and central Connecticut. "Elizabeth Estys coverup over her staffers domestic violence scandal was as reprehensible as it was morally bankrupt, he said. The NRCC is ready to win this competitive seat this fall. Democrats wont be able to distance themselves from the stain Esty left on their brand." Proud accomplishments Although not as committed a feminist as her neighbor and mentor, DeLauro, Esty prided herself in working with Republicans to pass bills promoting womens empowerment, greater science and technology opportunities for women and girls, and breaking up the sex-trafficking pipeline along U.S. highways. Esty had also talked about how she herself had to resist inappropriate come-ons by a male law partner at a New York firm while a student at Yale Law School. In her statement, Esty, 58, reflected on her slow rise in politics, from Cheshire town council to the Connecticut General Assembly to the halls of Congress starting in 2013 less than a month after the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting on Dec. 14, 2012. From being a room parent in a first grade classroom to serving on the library board, town council, state house and U.S. Congress, I went into public service to fight for equality, justice, and fairness, Esty said. However, I have determined that it is in the best interest of my constituents and my family to end my time in Congress at the end of this year and not seek re-election. Baker, in a statement Monday, said he had previously apologized to Kain, Esty and others he may have hurt or adversely affected. While there are still many who I owe apologies to, I do not expect forgiveness from anyone, whether they are survivors like Anna or victims like Elizabeth and others, Baker said. I can only hope that my actions moving forward and over a lifetime of recovery can prove that I am a better man than I was during the time that I worked on Capitol Hill. Its tough to grow up poor and I am finding it gets a lot tougher for kids when they grow up in some Section 8 housing complexes. I've been thinking a lot about low-income kids since a story out of Georgia about a turnaround school caught my eye. Education is so important for these children to obtain to have a better life and as my readers know from a previous column, I don't believe that always happens in a classroom. But I do believe that stability and getting that early push in school during a child's formative years is crucial to their well being and success as an adult. So do a team of lawyers and an elementary school principal in Atlanta. How they turned around one school located opposite a Section 8 housing complex where 95 percent of students lived has me thinking about the kids who once lived at Church Street South. For those readers who dont know, residents were moved out of the Section 8 subsidized Church Street South complex due to deplorable living conditions. A federal lawsuit against Northland Investment Corp., who operated the complex, charges it ignored serious problems and further asserts that the $3 billion development company either ignored or covered up serious conditions on the site with slipshod cosmetic work, taking advantage of the low-income tenants who had few options for other housing. It is a problem for low-income families and kids nationwide. The newly hired principal at the Atlanta school was overseeing the worst performing school in the state and the poorest. She was grappling with poor grades and poor attendance, barriers that educators in urban schools nationwide are familiar with. But added to this was the 40 percent of students who disappeared annually from the enrollment rolls something the prncipal found troubling. Enter the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation a group of volunteer tenants rights lawyers who established space inside the school's front office and the turnaround began. The lawyers found a direct correlation between the students poor academic performance and their unhealthy living conditions in that Section 8 complex. Conditions included ceilings that collapsed due to water leaks and stoves that didnt work and were not replaced for weeks at a time. Some children were missing school, sick from the mold that grew inside their apartment, according to one parent. With no money to fight the establishment, many families felt they had no choice but to leave, creating a revolving door in both the complex and the school as families moved in and out. But with volunteer lawyers taking on the government to clean up its act, living conditions improved and so did grades. The turnover rate dropped to 25 percent. In reading that report, it had me thinking about the kids who lived at Church Street South and the report that concluded conditions at that complex which included water leaks and pervasive mold led to high rates of asthma and other ailments experienced by its residents. The report stated 48 percent of 170 children who lived there had physician-diagnosed asthma. Its pretty hard to learn when youre having trouble breathing. But most of my thoughts are on how much these childrens ultimate layer of protection local, state and federal government has let them down. While it is true raising children is not the governments responsibility, ensuring governmental properties where these children live is a safe and clean environment and affording them an education is. But getting an education for poor children black and white is projected to get worse. A study by researchers at Rice University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Wisconsin states the rise in U.S. children living in poor neighborhoods since the Great Recession will greatly affect education. Rachel Kimbro, a professor of sociology in Rice's School of Social Sciences and founding director of the Kinder Institute's Urban Health Program, said regardless of individual family income, there is something about living in a higher poverty neighborhood that negatively affects education outcomes. This is a topic that should be of great concern for educators and policymakers alike. We live in a rich society and nowhere in the U.S. should children be suffering due to lack of responsibility from the government or entities representing the government. Being poor is not a crime but what is being done to poor people is. There are many children poor, black, white, Hispanic and otherwise who live in terrible conditions but go to school to hopefully one day have a better life and make their dreams come true. But for too many, those dreams are interrupted by a path that is detoured because of things they have no control over. And that is a shame because hope is not supposed to have barriers but fuel dreams for tomorrow. Viewed of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Peter Munk, the Canadian who built the worlds largest gold-mining company, years after suffering one of his countrys most notable business failures, died on Wednesday in Toronto. He was 90. Barrick Gold, the company he founded, announced the death but did not give a cause. Mr. Munk wore a pacemaker and had dealt with heart problems for several years. An outsider in Canada his preference for fedoras alone set him apart and a former escapee from Nazi-occupied Hungary, Mr. Munk initially tried out several different lines of business, including stereo equipment and resorts in Fiji. Not all were successful, but he never appeared deterred by his failures. Barrick itself started out as an oil company that endured three years of losses. Then Mr. Munk began acquiring gold mines in Canada and the United States. Most were small ventures. But in 1986 he bought Goldstrike, a mine in Nevada that was estimated to hold 600,000 ounces of gold. As it turned out, it held more than 21 million ounces, making it the richest deposit outside of South Africa at the time. He owed a lot of people money around here, says the man. I tell you one thing, Mr. Texas, if I saw him now, Id kidnap the little bastard. But when Chace offers him the briefcase stuffed with money in exchange for Pauls return, the mans cronies ultimately refuse it, telling Chace theyre out of stock (Paul). Chace is back to Square 1. The situation appears to be a little more complicated than a mafia kidnapping. Chace eventually arrives at the same conclusion weve seen hinted at by the abduction scene in Episode 1: He discovers that Paul has been writing a movie involving a faked kidnapping, likely inspired by a scene in the 1972 movie Travels With My Aunt, which Paul had recently watched. He combines this clue with some further fishy details (the ransom note was plopped directly on Pauls bed, not delivered to the police; the timeline between the ransom notes appearance and Pauls last sighting dont line up; Pauls girlfriend and her sister show a surprising lack of concern) and becomes convinced that Paul has fixed the whole thing. Gail begs to differ. Her idealist son would not be capable of something like this. In a moment of desperation, before Chace leaves, she asks him what to do. Well, the good lord preaches forgiveness, he begins. But what that boy done to his mama? Id whoop his ass. This is peak Chace: Very Texan, Christian, straight to the point, and hard not to like. For the time being, Gail has to continue the investigation on her own. In the end, Chace morphs back into the omniscient narrator to close things out, reminding us whats at the root of this whole mess: money. Turns out a rich life is just as messed up as a poor life, just a different kind of messed up, he tells the camera. And this particular mess, he adds, is just getting started. The last image we see is of Paul, whimpering, chained up at the bottom of a pit. Spare Change: Pauls father, J. Paul Getty II (Michael Esper), who hadnt had much of a chance to shine yet, has one of the better emotional performances of Episode 2 as he sits at a bar, drunk, watching his dad explain in a news conference that he wont pay a single cent to the kidnappers. Talking to a woman hes hitting on, Paul Jr. says his father is the meanest man hes ever met. When you have everything you could ever dream of, what do you value? he asks her rhetorically, addressing the central crux of the show. Nothing, he whispers. Its the first time you have pity for him and the plague that is money in his own life. One of the episodes strangest scenes is a conversation between Gail and a live statue, who tells Gail near the shows end that he witnessed Paul being hooded and whisked away by men. This feels like a narrative stretch, but its no more jarring than Frasers breaking of the fourth wall. SAN FRANCISCO Ryan Knight, a Democratic activist in Los Angeles, called for a boycott of Apple in February because it hadnt responded to calls to delete a channel from the National Rifle Association from its streaming-video service after the Parkland, Fla., school shooting. Dear @Apple, Mr. Knight wrote on Twitter. Your silence is deafening. #BoycottApple. More than 330 accounts retweeted the message. How did Mr. Knight post the message? He used an iPhone. As the reach and influence of Silicon Valleys tech giants have increased, so have the calls to boycott their products and services. The problem is that pulling off a boycott is not exactly easy: The tech companies products are so pervasive that they are difficult to avoid. That issue was crystallized in recent weeks with Facebook. Hundreds of people deleted their accounts after revelations that the political-data firm Cambridge Analytica had improperly harvested the information of 50 million Facebook users. Yet many of those same people promptly instructed their friends to find them on Instagram, which is owned by you guessed it Facebook. Defense Secretary James Mattis declined to sit for a portrait for Sundays New York Times Magazine cover story, Last Man Standing, by Robert F. Worth. So to provide readers with an original image of Mr. Mattis, the magazine needed to photograph the secretary during his limited public appearances, which happen about once a week when he briefly walks down the Pentagon steps to welcome visiting dignitaries. For the assignment, the magazine enlisted the photographer Mark Peterson, a contributor to The Times for over 20 years, who is known for his skill at capturing candid shots that tell a full story. Mr. Peterson took the picture that would become Sundays cover of The Times Magazine on his second trip to the Pentagon for this assignment, as Mr. Mattis met with the defense minister of Estonia in early March. Mr. Peterson recently explained how he got the shot. When did you get the call to work on this assignment? I would guess a month ago. The photo editor said that they didnt have any access, so they were hoping to make something from his public appearances, and his public appearances are basically walking down a 12- or 15-step entrance at the Pentagon and shaking hands with somebody getting out of the car, and then turning around and walking up the steps and standing there while their national anthems are being played. And then they go inside and sit down at a table for a formal meeting. You can usually photograph that for about a minute, while they say cordials to each other. How difficult was it to get into the spot where you took the picture of Mr. Mattis?Any photography is a matter of luck. I hadnt shot at the Pentagon a lot. So, I asked the public affairs person what happens during the ceremony, and they gave me two options of where to shoot either from straight on, which would basically be a shot of them with their hands on their hearts and the honor guard flanking them a very formal picture. Or you could try from the side. I felt like the side youd have more opportunity to frame them differently. It is just luck. It is not any skill on my part. Youre just praying that they move into the area youre hoping, and that theres a gesture that then works at that moment. I was down low on my knees, I think, shooting through the honor guard, and in my mind, hoping he would turn to his right a little bit so you could see his face, and he did. He just looked that way for a frame, so that is what made the shot. If he had been looking the other way it wouldnt have worked. But it was just luck. Youre just praying that what you think could happen, happened. Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, has used such language to describe the federal tax law since it passed last year. The cap on deductions of state and local taxes will hit especially hard in high-income, high-tax states like New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and California, places that, by coincidence or design, did not embrace President Trump in the 2016 election. Capping those deductions at $10,000 will certainly be felt in the metropolitan area, where property taxes of $20,000 to $30,000, on top of state income taxes, are not uncommon. New York and other states are considering litigation to fight the cap. And some others are exploring measures similar to those that passed in New Yorks budget. But by being first out of the gate, New Yorks plan will be the test case. Several states have considered allowing municipalities to form nonprofit organizations that property owners would make payments to in lieu of property taxes, and then claim the donations as charitable write-offs on their federal taxes. The I.R.S. has not issued any formal guidance on those ideas, but Jared Walczak, a senior policy analyst at the Tax Foundation, said the New York law will push the issue, and he called the plan legally fraught. I think its quite possible that now that New York has adopted such legislation through the budget, and other states are considering it, that we may see I.R.S. guidance clearly disallowing this, Mr. Walczak said. Existing case law already makes this plain, but states have muddied the water. Another part of the states plan converting the income tax paid by wage earners to a payroll tax paid by companies that could then deduct that amount on their federal taxes seems to be on firmer legal footing. But it may not make sense to companies that must implement it and the employees who must opt in. Mr. Walczak said he suspects that it will prove difficult to convince large work forces, some with negotiated contracts, to take a cut on gross pay, even with the promise that their net pay after taxes will increase. Fortunately, the European Unions law should indirectly help Americans somewhat. In only a few weeks, Facebook, Google and all the other internet companies that collect our private information will have to allow European customers the protections these companies have fought to deny Americans. In an interconnected world where digital code doesnt respect the geographical or national borders, this will surely have a positive global impact. Internet companies are preparing for a future in which regardless of where a website is based, if it is visited by even a single European Union citizen and if it seeks to collect that persons data, it must provide that person the protections of the General Data Protection Regulation. Hopefully, this experience will show these companies that protecting privacy is simply the responsible thing to do, not the end of their business. The United States government has a lot of explaining to do. Why is it that American internet companies such as Facebook and Google are required to provide privacy protections when doing business with European consumers but are free to not provide such protections for Americans? Why is it that Americans best privacy hope is the secondary effect of interconnected networks rather than privacy protections designed for Americans? Why shouldnt Americans also be given meaningful tools to protect their privacy? Congress is now considering bipartisan legislation that responds to the problem of Russian targeted political advertising on social media by adding the requirement, long applied to broadcast advertising, that those websites disclose who is paying for their advertisements. But as well intentioned as that step may be, it addresses only a symptom of the problem of the extensive surveillance of Americans, not the root of the problem. The New World must learn from the Old World. The internet economy has made our personal data a corporate commodity. The United States government must return control of that information to its owners. Theres no need to start from scratch. In 2012, President Barack Obama proposed a privacy bill of rights that included many ideas for giving people more control over their information, making data collection more transparent and putting limits on what business can do with the information they collect. The bill of rights fizzled out when Congress showed little appetite for it. But the European Union has used a similar approach in developing its General Data Protection Regulation, which goes into effect on May 25. The new European rules are not perfect they include the so-called right to be forgotten, which allows people to ask companies to delete personal information that they no longer wish to share. That could be implemented in ways that limit free speech. But the Europeans have made progress toward addressing some of the problems that have recently been highlighted in the United States. For instance, their laws require companies to seek consent before collecting sensitive personal information, to make the request understandable, and to give users an easy way to opt in to sharing such data, rather than forcing them to opt out if they dont want to be tracked. Further, companies that want to collect data about Europeans will have to be upfront about how they use personal data, and they cannot collect more information than they need to provide the services they are offering. The Obama bill of rights included a similar concept, saying that personal information should only be used in ways that are consistent with the context in which consumers provide the data. Today, it is standard procedure for many companies to vacuum up as much data as they can by getting users to agree to long, impenetrable terms of service. Companies might not even know how they will use the information being collected but collect it anyway, in case they later develop a specific use for it. Recently, some Facebook users discovered that the companys Android app had been logging metadata from every incoming and outgoing phone call and text message, in some cases for years. The company said that users had consented to sharing this information and that doing so helps you find and stay connected with the people you care about, and provides you with a better experience across Facebook. That statement is positively Orwellian. Its hard to believe that many people would have given the company access to so much personal data if they actually understood what they were agreeing to. The new European regulation will also let people access their own data, transfer their information from one business to others that provide a similar service and delete it altogether under certain circumstances. Companies will have to notify customers within 72 hours if they become aware of a breach of personal information. Many businesses will struggle to comply with the European Unions new rules, and officials in member countries will have a hard time enforcing it consistently. We will have a learning curve, said Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, who heads Frances privacy regulator, the Commission Nationale de lInformatique et des Libertes. We will have to adjust. People showed up with placards and optimism for change and justice, but dogged by the shadow of other such shootings where legal accountability has been thwarted. Image A woman wipes away tears during a candlelight vigil for Stephon Clark in South Sacramento on Saturday. Credit... Max Whittaker for The New York Times I try to come to each of these moments with a fresh perspective, but I am undermined and betrayed by having covered too many of them. I cant escape the reality that there is a ritualization of these traumas in which the shootings serve as catalysts, a lancing of the boil, in which decades of oppression, neglect, desperation and hopelessness finds a venting valve. And what starts as white-hot rage slowly cools into a dispassionate disappointment in a system that, it is revealed, is operating as designed. Each protest is undoubtedly about the case at hand, but collectively they are also about communities that feel abused and betrayed in a country that sees them as expendable. It is not a local matter, as the White House suggested last week, but a national disgrace. Efforts at policy reform better training, utilization of body cameras (which the officers in Clarks case suspiciously muted after shooting him), changes in rules of pursuit can have an effect, but they cant fully remedy this problem. The president, and his new hard-line team of national security advisers, may think that walking away from the Iran deal will persuade Mr. Kim of his toughness and his determination to secure terms that go far beyond those reached with Iran. More likely, Mr. Kim will see it as proof that the United States cannot be trusted to stick to its commitments and will be reluctant to reach any agreement. Persuading a country to give up weapons is never easy. The North Koreans have said they need nuclear weapons to deter American aggression. And Mr. Kim has set the pace for most of the recent diplomacy including his surprise invitation to Mr. Trump and his visit with President Xi Jinping in China. That said, he reportedly told China and South Korea he will discuss denuclearization with the Americans. Denuclearization has had some successes. After Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus inherited thousands of nuclear weapons when the Soviet Union collapsed, the United States persuaded them to transfer the devices to Russia. South Africa had about a half-dozen warheads but gave them up after the end of apartheid. Libya shed its rudimentary nuclear program under pressure from Britain and the United States after the Iraq war. And in 1994, most likely before North Korea had any nuclear weapons, a limited agreement with the United States froze the Norths plutonium program for about eight years until it fell apart under President George W. Bush. A serious negotiation with North Korea would include Mr. Trump pressing Mr. Kim to freeze nuclear and missile testing, halt the production of nuclear weapons fuel and the deployment of nuclear weapons and put an Iran-like verification system in place. But why would Mr. Kim agree to any of that if the Americans walk away from the Iran deal? Why would Mr. Kim, or any future adversary for that matter, assume Mr. Trump is negotiating in good faith? The Iran deal has achieved what it was intended to do limit Irans nuclear program. There is still hope that something similar can be achieved in North Korea. Indeed, Mr. Trump could contribute in an unprecedented way to international peace and security by engaging with Mr. Kim. That possibility will be squandered, though, if the American president escalates a manufactured nuclear crisis with Iran at the very time he is trying to defuse one with North Korea. Senator Joni Ernst and Iowas agriculture secretary, Mike Naig, both say the tariffs will hurt Iowans, and Mr. Naig says we need to expand markets, not shrink them. Senator Chuck Grassley said something similar, on Fox News: Tariffs do not put America first low barriers and expanded access do. China has already responded with its own tariff on pork, which will have a dire impact on Iowa. Iowa is the nations largest pork producer, producing three times as much pork as the next-highest state. A couple of banker friends who work with farmers every day told me last week that with commodity prices down and the tariffs imposed, approximately 10 percent of our farmers probably wont make it this year, and 10 percent more will likely fail next year. They also shared the news that in Iowa, larger agribusinesses are buying up smaller farms that are in financial trouble, and that people are starting to make comparisons to the farm crisis of the 1980s, when approximately 10,000 Iowa farmers lost their farms. Even Representative Steve King, the avid Trump supporter and Iowan every liberal loves to hate, is worried about a new farm crisis. Dairy farmers are particularly hard hit, suffering through four years of declining prices. Its gotten so bad, dairy farming organizations are giving out suicide hotline numbers, as farmers are committing suicide in the hope that their insurance will save the family farm. Im focusing on the area I know, rural Iowa, but if the president stays on course with the tariffs, the impacts will hit many rural areas all over America, what I call Trumplandia. It gives Democrats a generational opportunity to do the political work with farmers they havent done since the 1980s farm crisis, said Matt Russell, a rural sociologist and farmer in Iowa. Democrats do farm policy really well but are terrible at farm politics. Republicans do farm politics really well but have a history of doing terrible farm policy. A Chinese space station the size of a school bus re-entered Earths atmosphere about 5:16 p.m. Pacific time on Sunday, scattering its remaining pieces over the southern Pacific Ocean, according to the United States Joint Force Space Component Command. The demise of the station, Tiangong-1, became apparent when radar stations no longer detected it passing overhead. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries; the likelihood that pieces would land on someone was small, but not zero. The station may have landed northwest of Tahiti, Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said on Twitter. That location is north of the Spacecraft Cemetery, an isolated region in the Pacific Ocean where space debris has frequently landed. President Donald Trumps rise was fueled by voters fed up with the status quo. When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre not sending you. Its us and them, and he tapped into it. We cant continue to allow China to rape our country. He knows what needs to be done. Make America great again. And his rhetoric continues to polarize the country. President Trump using an ugly, vulgar expression that is racist. So, I dont understand what the sin is. Whats good for us? Are we allowed to ask that question or is that racist? Build the wall! But the politics of division arent new. Five decades ago, populist appeals fueled the rise of another controversial politician, George Wallace, whose story ended in a way no one expected. Well, Wallace was a good politician. He knew how to play the game and, maybe more to the point, he would use anything to play that game. I say, segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever. B. Drummond Ayres covered Wallace for The New York Times 50 years ago. Race was everything with Wallace. Whatever he did had a racial element to it. But Ayres says Wallace didnt start out that way when he first ran for governor in 1958. He started out traditionally. Roads, schools, and so forth. One of his opponents started talking about race itself, blacks and whites. And he beat Wallace and thats when he changed and said hed never be beaten again. In 1963, as governor of Alabama, he rose to prominence by defying President John F. Kennedy. The governor is adamant. He made a campaign promise to stand in the doorway himself to prevent the integration of the last all-white state university. The race element was the biggest thing in the South and segregation was the biggest element in the racial factor. Wallace just played it, he rode it. It was about the only thing he did because he wasnt particularly interested in issues. The best thing I know to do is to let Dixie introduce George Wallace. When Wallace ran for president, he carried that issue to the national stage. Dont worry about what the newspapers say about us. They call us extremists and want to say we are fascist. Well, I want to tell these newspapers something, these large newspapers who think they know more than the average citizen on the street in New York, you havent always been right. Afterward many left humming Dixie and shouting, White power! Wallace made opposing federal mandates to integrate schools and neighborhoods a centerpiece of his presidential campaigns. Why are more and more millions of Americans turning to Governor Wallace? Follow, as your children are bussed across town. Chaos exists in this country and in the public school system because of bussing. Everybody knows that, so Im not bringing on any chaos. Bussing is bringing on chaos. Them is the word. We dont want them in our schools. We dont want to be on the bus with them. We dont want them living next to us. And he lit a spark under a swath of American voters who felt ignored. Hes our kind of man, our kind of man. George Wallace is our kind of man. As he always puts it, he speaks for the truck driver, the beautician, the policeman and other members of the so-called working class. [Music] I like that man, he tells you what, you know. He tells you the truth. Thats what it is. And it is true that the liberal, educated, academic, journalistic, professional, intellectual circles seem not much interested in the white working class. He is not a racist. Thats definite. Im going to vote for George Wallace because he says what I like to hear. (Cheering) Wallace understood that there were people who were hurting, struggling, losing jobs. He tapped into that and appealed to that because folks that are struggling often feel put upon. Wallace played that to the hilt. I did represent more of the average citizen of this country than did any other candidate based on the fact that the man who works each day for a living and pays his taxes and holds the country together has been ignored except on Election Day. The next president of the United States: the Honorable George C. Wallace! [Gunshots] [Screaming] We wont ever know how far he might have gone had he not been shot. But after he got shot, over a few years, all of a sudden, he had an epiphany - it seems. Times were changing and Wallace - who at that point had been Alabama governor for much of the past decade - understood he had to change with them. The turning point when everybody realized that he was turning was the crowning of the homecoming queen. Congratulations here. Youre a mighty pretty queen here. She bends down and he puts a crown on her and holds both of her hands like that. It made the evening news. And very shortly after that, if not the same weekend, Wallace met with the southern black leaders in Alabama because he was in another campaign at that point. And he needed their votes. Some blacks are willing to talk now about supporting a Wallace candidacy. I think that what men do in the future as far as improving the quality of life for all citizens, be they black or white, is really whats going to determine whether or not that was a great man or an effective man, not so much what he did in the past. He made apologies, asked for forgiveness and, in fact, Martin Luther Kings father came in and actually prayed with him. And he went to the grave still apologizing, still saying he was wrong, still saying he was trying to do something for black folks. And in fact, he was at that point. He would do things as a governor that would help blacks because the worm had turned on this issue. It would take him 20 years to abandon the politics of race. But in 1982 when he came out to run for governor once again, he won with crucial black support. Blacks had acquired political power. Now he needed them. If you want to be cynical - and I can be cynical about George Wallace - what it says about him is that he would play anything with the race angle to get votes. I made a mistake and thats all in the past and Im sorry that I did that because it gave the wrong opinion of the kind of man that I was. Only the good Lord knows whether or not he was sincere. Only the good Lord knows whether or not he was sincere. Two security officers in charge of the investigation have now been removed from the case and are themselves under investigation for misconduct amid a rolling purge of Uzbekistans once-untouchable security service. The twists and turns in Mr. Abdullaevs case point to what, 18 months after the death of Uzbekistans longtime dictator, Islam Karimov, is the central question hanging over efforts by new leadership to open up one of the worlds most repressive countries: Can a brutal and once all-powerful security apparatus with roots deep in the former Soviet republic be transformed into a law enforcement agency? Mr. Abdullaev, along with many other government critics, is still under arrest. He told his lawyer, Sergei Mayorov, that after his arrest he was beaten repeatedly and then kept naked for six days in a freezing cell without sleep. He said he was given food only on the fifth day of his detention, and even then only after he had collapsed. Officials warned him that unless he confessed his wife and daughter would be raped, his lawyer said. The internet is still censored, albeit less than before, and fear of the security service, known by its Russian-language acronym, S.N.B., remains widespread. It is still considered dangerous even to utter the name of the security service in public. A conceptual and artistic triumph, NBCs live telecast of Jesus Christ Superstar on Easter Sunday may have finally justified the recent live musical fad on network TV. Some technical flubs and one mixed-bag lead performance aside, the production was genuinely thrilling, taking chances with the staging of a classic but controversial Broadway show, much more daring than previous live musical broadcasts like The Sound of Music or Peter Pan. With the R&B hitmaker John Legend playing Jesus Christ, Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene and Brandon Victor Dixon as Judas Iscariot, NBCs Superstar didnt lack for talent or star power, drawn as it was from the worlds of pop and theater. The real masterstroke, though, was the decision to perform live before a large audience at the Marcy Avenue Armory in Brooklyn. The energy of the crowd clearly goosed the cast, counteracting the over-prepared stodginess that hampers so many of these specials. And the crowds passionate whooping underscored one of the musicals central themes: the dangers of uncritical celebrity worship. (The show averaged 9.4 million viewers, according to The Hollywood Reporter, putting it ahead of all other original telecasts for the night including CBSs 60 Minutes and ABCs American Idol.) Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, Jesus Christ Superstar has long held something of a surprise place in the modern theatrical canon. Debuting in 1970 as a rock opera album, it made the leap to Broadway in 1971 and was nominated for five Tonys winning none. The 1973 movie adaptation by the director Norman Jewison was a box-office hit, but it is rarely touted as one of its eras great films. Legion isnt that hard to follow the attentive viewer will generally be able to tell when the action is taking place in real life and when its in the ether, except when Mr. Hawley is intentionally coy. He indulges the opportunity to dip in and out of unreliable narration, but he doesnt abuse the privilege. Hes good about dropping in shots of people lying unconscious or standing frozen to let us know when were watching their minds wander. What can be distracting in Legion, though, is Mr. Hawleys seeming determination to continually top himself to give each new setting, each new idea, its own distinct visual and conceptual identity. It makes sense: a show set inside the mind reflects the infinite variety of the mind. In practice the constant embellishment and novelty can be wearying, especially at series length. Does a comic-book scenario in which crowds of people are being rendered catatonic require a parable about the nature of delusion that includes an animated Chinese fable, gigantic eggs and a man hacking off his leg in the shower? The formal inventiveness deployed by Mr. Hawley and his crew of directors, who include the noted cinematographer Ellen Kuras (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and the indie filmmaker Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night), is consistently impressive. It also consistently outstrips the storytelling. Its easy, if maybe unfair, to think that all the filmmaking razzle-dazzle comes at the expense of the drama, which, when stripped down, consists of the usual series of battles and superhero cliches about friendship, honor and the toughness of the outsider. The sense of comic-book business-as-usual is more acute in Season 2, now that Davids origin story brilliantly extended over the course of Season 1 is established. Spoilers here: David and his crew, including his body-swapping girlfriend, Syd (Rachel Keller), are now allied with Division III, the government mutant-hunting outfit that had imprisoned him. The focus is on finding the evil mutant Farouk, a.k.a., the Shadow King, a search that takes on apocalyptic dimensions. King in the Wilderness looks at a lesser-known side of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s life. And The Good Karma Hospital returns on Acorn TV. Whats on TV KING IN THE WILDERNESS (2018) 8 p.m. on HBO; also on HBO streaming platforms. As the country honors the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 50 years after his assassination, this new documentary sheds light on the final chapters of his life. Two of Dr. Kings most notable accomplishments came with the passing of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act in 1964 and 1965. Yet the period that followed found him castigated by longtime friends and allies as he focused on economic justice and vehemently opposed the Vietnam War. In an interview with The New York Times, the director Peter Kunhardt said that while researching Dr. Kings life, he realized that most accounts summarized his legacy with the I Have a Dream speech. He added: It never went beyond that. So we were pleased to not deal with that aspect and look at the nightmare the dream turned into. Our April pick for the PBS NewsHour-New York Times book club, Now Read This is Dan Egans The Death and Life of the Great Lakes. Its an epic and wonderfully told story of history, science and reportage about the largest source of freshwater in the world, and the threat to Americas waterways. Become a member of the book club by joining our Facebook group, or by signing up to our newsletter. Learn more about the book club here. Below are questions to help guide your discussions as you read the book over the next month. You can also submit your own questions for Dan Egan on our Facebook page, which he will answer on the NewsHour broadcast at the end of the month. 1. The five great lakes Lake Erie, Superior, Michigan, Huron and Ontario make up the worlds largest freshwater system. Some 40 million people live near their shores, and many more of us depend on them for fresh drinking water, work or recreation. Whats been your own experience of the Great Lakes? Your Guide to Fall Reading Whether you want biographies, novels or essay collections, we can help you find your next book to read. Here are 57 titles to get you started. New novels from Jonathan Franzen, Tiphanie Yanique and Gary Shteyngart are on the way. Prefer nonfiction? Look for these essay collections, an exploration of the Marvel Comics universe and more. Get to know your favorite actors and artists with these titles. Six new books take up the pandemic, #MeToo and other timely topics. Five biographies dive into the lives of Pablo Picasso, Oscar Wilde and more. Or hear it straight from the authors: Check out these seven memoirs. 2. In the books opening, Egan writes that more than any ordinary lake, each of the Great Lakes can hold all the mysteries of an ocean, and then some. He mentions that there are 6,000 shipwrecks, many of which have never been found, at the bottom of the Great Lakes. What other mysteries are you learning about as you read? 7. No sweatpants in public, an ideal weight, instructions on tampon use: These are just some of the extensive controls that N.F.L. teams place on their cheerleaders, according to seven team handbooks that our reporter reviewed. Above, Carolina Panthers cheerleaders. And the philanthropic world is feeling the effects of the #MeToo movement. A number of organizations have lost donors or relinquished gifts because of their ties to powerful men accused of sexual misconduct. One celebrity chef felled by #MeToo is plotting a comeback: Mario Batali. He retreated to near invisibility after reports of abusive behavior in his empire and at restaurants owned by friends, but is said to be exploring ways to jump back into his career. _____ Image 8. The videos on social media were alarming, showing dozens of local news anchors eerily echoing the same warnings about biased and false news and journalists who push their own personal bias. Teslas stock is now down 35 percent from its high of last year. A major reason for the slide is the companys struggles to meet production targets for its lower-priced Model 3 car. Delays, of course, raise questions about Teslas ability to become an efficient mass producer of autos. The company needs to sell a significantly higher number of cars to generate the cash to finance its business and meet debt payments. Tesla is expected early this week to release its first-quarter production and delivery numbers. Electrek, a publication that covers electric vehicles, reported late Monday morning that Mr. Musk had sent out an email to employees saying that the company was producing more than 2,000 Model 3s a week. Teslas stock bounced after the report. Teslas technology is also facing intense scrutiny after one of its Model X cars crashed on March 23, killing the driver. Tesla said late Friday that its assisted driving system, called Autopilot, was engaged in the car before its collision with a concrete divider. As our colleague Neal E. Boudette wrote: The accident renews questions about Autopilot, a signature feature of Tesla vehicles, and whether the company has gone far enough to ensure that it keeps drivers and passengers safe. Teslas website says one of Autopilots safety features is Automatic Emergency Braking. But a Tesla owners manual warns riders that this feature is not designed to avoid a collision. Wired recently reported that systems like Autopilot are not necessarily designed to detect static obstacles. In the words of one expert: Raj Rajkumar, who researches autonomous driving at Carnegie Mellon University, thinks those assumptions concern one of Teslas key sensors. The radars they use are apparently meant for detecting moving objects (as typically used in adaptive cruise control systems), and seem to be not very good in detecting stationary objects, he says. Doubts about the fundamental capabilities of Teslas Autopilot could crimp demand for its cars among a customer base that is often seeking the best technology. Questions are also swirling around the timing of Teslas announcement about the crash. In its first communication about the accident, the company said: Out of respect for the privacy of our customer and his family, we do not plan to share any additional details until we conclude the investigation. The investigation is not over. Yet Tesla went ahead and provided its update on Friday. The motive for doing so is not clear. The United States National Transportation Safety Board on Sunday said it was unhappy that Tesla had released information about the crash. - Peter Eavis On local news stations across the United States last month, dozens of anchors gave the same speech to their combined millions of viewers. It included a warning about fake news, a promise to report fairly and accurately and a request that viewers go to the stations website and comment if you believe our coverage is unfair. It may not have seemed strange to individual viewers. But Timothy Burke, the video director at Deadspin, had read a report last month from CNN, which quoted local station anchors who were uncomfortable with the speech. Mr. Burke tracked down the stations and found when each had aired what he called a forced read. Then he stitched together the various broadcasts to create a supercut of anchors eerily echoing the same lines: The sharing of biased and false news has become all too common on social media. New York is close to joining a growing list of states that are creating a retirement plan option for private sector employees who do not have access to 401(k)-like programs at work. The New York program was included in Fridays budget deal, which Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is expected to sign. The plan would enable businesses to provide workers with access to Roth individual retirement accounts overseen by the state. An estimated 3.5 million private sector employees in New York work for employers that do not offer a pension, a 401(k) plan or another savings option, according to AARP, which has lobbied in support of the plans. For years, we have been working to develop and pass a retirement program that would give millions of New Yorkers the opportunity to save for their futures, Mr. Cuomo said in a statement. In this years budget, we proposed and passed a common-sense, progressive reform that will strengthen our work force. Ten states, including New York, are on the verge of enacting such plans or already have them. The plans have been moving ahead even though Congress rolled back Obama-era rules meant to encourage states to create retirement programs for people without workplace savings accounts. Entering into this arrangement causes a reasonable person to question the integrity of the E.P.A. decision, said Don Fox, who served as general counsel of the Office of Government Ethics during parts of the Obama and George W. Bush administrations. The March 2017 action by the E.P.A. on the pipeline project in the form of a letter telling the State Department that the E.P.A. had no serious environmental objections meant that the project, an expansion of the Alberta Clipper line, had cleared a significant hurdle. The expansion, a project of Enbridge Inc., a Calgary-based energy company, would allow hundreds of thousands more barrels of oil a day to flow through this pipeline to the United States from Canadian tar sands. The signoff by the E.P.A. came even though the agency, at the end of the Obama administration, had moved to fine Enbridge $61 million in connection with a 2010 pipeline episode that sent hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil into the Kalamazoo River in Michigan and other waterways. The fine was the second-largest in the history of the Clean Water Act, behind the penalty imposed after the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico. A spokesman for Williams & Jensen said that the lobbying firm did not intervene with the E.P.A. or Mr. Pruitt on the Enbridge pipeline expansion either before or after Mr. Pruitt was living in the condo owned in part by Vicki Hart, the wife of J. Steven Hart, the chairman of the firm. The lobbying firm also said it had not worked on similar regulatory issues for Enbridge in the past year, even though it was registered at the time as lobbying for the company on issues affecting pipelines and construction of new pipelines, its disclosure report from early 2017 says. For American Jews who cant go too long without their favorite carbohydrates, the end of Passover offers nearly as much cause for celebration as the holiday itself. Many begin right at sundown, wolfing down pizzas. Then come the brownies or other foods with the leavening ingredients they have been avoiding in a nod to ancestors who had no time to let bread dough rise while fleeing Egypt. Unbeknown to many Americans, however, Moroccan Jews have long marked the end of Passover with a more established ritual, a raucous tradition known as Mimouna. Soon after sunset on the last night of the holiday (observed this year on Friday or Saturday), they indulge in the first leavened food since Passover began: moufleta, a pan-cooked cake smeared with butter and honey. A variety of other Moroccan sweets follow, on a long, elaborately decorated table that includes the requisite mint tea. For Jews in Israel, where many Moroccans immigrated in the decades after its founding in 1948, Mimouna is now practically a national holiday, as Jews of all backgrounds break the bread that has been temporarily forbidden. Ratesh Chopra, whose fledgling tea company is rooted in Brooklyn, describes it as a passion project. Dissatisfied with how tea is often an afterthought where coffee is served, he decided to start his own company. By trial and error, he now has a growing inventory sold online and, increasingly, in local shops. He has eight varieties available online, including the black Brooklyn Breakfast, the well-balanced Moroccan Mint and some for making iced tea, with more to come. The teas are full leaf and come in silky sachets. Im already hooked on the eye-opening Ginger & Turmeric, at once soothing and bold. Prices start at $12 for 15 tea bags: bushwicktea.com. Follow NYT Food on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice. When Jasmine Collins, a hairstylist in the Atlanta area, turns her clients around to face themselves in the mirror, its often the first time they have seen their own hair styled in years, maybe decades. [Rep. Ayanna Pressley opens ups about living with alopecia and hair loss.] Ms. Collins has a niche clientele of women with hair loss that is caused primarily by traction alopecia: hair loss from the tension exerted by styles like braids, extensions (with the hair braided underneath) and wigs. Ms. Collins is convinced that increased wig and weave wear since the early 2000s has caused widespread hair loss among black women. Remember 20 years ago, when people were wearing their own hair with relaxers? she said. People had heads full of hair. I am not anti-weave, she said. Im just trying to spread the word about an issue. The topic is fraught for black women. Wigs and weaves give them styling versatility, and, when done well, can protect their own hair. But critics are quick to accuse extension wearers of submitting to the pressures of a Eurocentric society and its beauty standards. Another assault has a misogynistic slant namely that wearers are trying to deceive men with hair that is not their own. Last year, Whoopi Goldberg added puzzling commentary when she conflated black women wearing straight blond extensions with cultural appropriation. Ms. Lynn was opening drawers and boxes and unfolding layers of tissue paper to reveal, say, an 18th-century courtiers costume in ribbed silk, its jacket bordered with gaily embroidered flowers and lace cuffs. But she did not first slip her hands into white cotton gloves, as most people working in costume archives do to prevent the natural oils of their skin from harming the fabrics. With certain fabrics its better not to wear gloves, Ms. Lynn said. If the fabric is fine or fragile, such as lace, you need to be able to be more tactile. Thats why I keep my nails short and without varnish. But for metals or metallic yarns which can tarnish I wear gloves. In the archives, everything is white: the floor tiles, the cabinet drawers, the boxes and the tissue. That makes it easier to see if there is any frass, Ms. Lynn said, the term for the tiny bits of fiber left by voracious bugs. She added that the constant battle against bugs explains why the rooms are as cold as nature and the palaces builders allow: Bugs and pests dont like the cold. That also is why new items, which arrive about once a month, are wrapped in plastic as airtight as possible and placed in a freezer. If they cant be frozen, Ms. Lynn said, and many cant because they have details that would crack in the cold, they are brought to the Isolation Room to be checked by eye thoroughly over a period of weeks, until we are satisfied that there are no pests. Determining which items to add to the collection is a group decision: Ms. Lynn writes a proposal that is circulated to colleagues within the Palaces organization. Mayor Bill de Blasio has moved to block the recent effort by his investigations commissioner to seize control of the office that polices corruption in the citys school system, delivering an unusually public slap at a man who was once part of his inner circle. Mr. de Blasio on Sunday signed an executive order requiring that the mayor approve the appointment or removal of the head of the Office of the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City School District, which investigates allegations of corruption, criminal activity, conflicts of interest and unethical conduct in the 1.1 million-student school system. The move came just four days after the investigations commissioner, Mark G. Peters, fired a former prosecutor he had recently hired to head the office. While the office has reported to the head of the Department of Investigation since its inception in 1990, it has always operated with a great deal of independence. The former prosecutor, Anastasia Coleman, had objected to efforts by Mr. Peters to restructure the office and eliminate its independence, according to letters, emails and other documents. Ms. Coleman has said his changes violated the law, a position Mr. Peters and his staff have strongly disputed. In a statement responding to the mayors executive order, a spokeswoman for Mr. Peters suggested that Mr. de Blasios action interfered with the agencys ability to independently police corruption in the city school system. Mr. Molinaro said he had ruled out a run for governor, but had reconsidered at the urging of fellow Republicans, who had already seen one contender Assemblyman Brian Kolb drop out of the race, and two other possible candidates, Harry Wilson, a wealthy businessman, and Rob Astorino, the former Westchester County executive who unsuccessfully challenged Cuomo in 2014, decide not to run. Their trepidation, and Mr. Molinaros challenge, are not hard to understand: New York is a profoundly blue state, with enrolled Democratic voters outnumbering Republicans by more than 2 to 1. The G.O.P. has not won a statewide race here since 2002, and Astorino lost by a decisive margin. Adding to the challenge is a groundswell of enthusiasm among Democratic voters angry over President Trumps tenure, as well as Mr. Cuomos considerable financial edge: He has about $30 million in the bank and more fund-raisers in the offing. Mr. Molinaros main challenger for the nomination which will be decided at the state Republican convention in May is State Senator John A. DeFrancisco, who represents the Syracuse area and has been running a low-key campaign since announcing his candidacy in late January. On Monday, Mr. DeFrancisco an outspoken and off-the-cuff critic of Mr. Cuomo in Albany said he welcomed Mr. Molinaros entrance into the race and the opportunity for a spirited debate. Anyone who knows me, knows Im anything but quiet, Mr. DeFrancisco said in a statement, adding, Now is the time to fight for the future of our state. Im ready, willing and able to take on the fight. Democrats also seemed spoiling for a fight, issuing a response to Mr. Molinaros nascent campaign that featured a list of Mr. Cuomos accomplishments, including a raise in the minimum wage and a paid family leave program. Over the course of the next few weeks, a jury in New York will hear the story of a South African crime lord who dealt in guns and gold and the team of former military men he hired to do his dirty work. The panel may be told about a smuggling ship that sank one day in the waters off Manila or of plans to stage a rebellion in the Seychelles. There is likely to be testimony about safe houses in Africa, illegal pain pills trafficked out of Mexico and the murder of a Filipino woman who was shot in the face and then dumped from a van. Three men go on trial this week on charges connected to the murder, and the evidence is expected to tell a tale of international intrigue one that resembles a James Bond movie, as one of the defendants was caught saying on a government recording. With its exotic locations and cast of violent characters, the trial, in Federal District Court in Manhattan, will also provide the jurors with a privileged glimpse of a rarely seen milieu: the covert world of mercenary soldiers. Taking Action on Segregation A 2014 report found that New York City has one of the most segregated school systems in the country. Nearly 70 percent of students are black and Latino, and they overwhelmingly go to school in racially isolated classrooms, with few white and Asian children. Mr. de Blasio and Ms. Farina have repeatedly blamed the citys segregated neighborhoods and have suggested there is little they can do. Even after facing intense public pressure, they have taken only modest steps, such as setting aside seats in some schools for low-income students. When the mayor released what had been billed as a bigger vision for integrating schools, he resisted even using the word segregated. A high-profile example of the problem is the lack of black and Latino students at the eight specialized high schools where admission is decided by a single test. This spring, only 10 percent of offers at these schools went to black and Latino students. When Mr. de Blasio was running for mayor in 2013, he pledged to diversify these schools, but more recently he has suggested that his hands are tied and that any change must come from the state. What to Do About Renewal Mr. de Blasio came into office pledging to lift up low-performing schools, rather than close them, as his predecessor, Michael R. Bloomberg, had done. But his $582 million Renewal initiative, which flooded 94 schools with resources while subjecting them to sometimes contradictory directives, has produced disappointing results. This year, the city proposed closing eight of the schools the largest number it had ever closed in one year drawing protests from parents and elected officials. Mr. Carranza will have to decide whether to continue the initiative, whose future looks cloudy; the official who led the effort was recently moved aside, and no successor has been named. Fifty schools are expected to remain in the program next year. Another challenge: The citys Education Department has said that, to replace some of the schools it is closing, it will open eight new schools in the fall, something that this administration has little experience doing. In the shadow of the Bruckner Expressway in the South Bronx, behind a metal fence topped with barbed wire, is a tow pound with a pivotal role in the citys campaign to close the notorious jail complex on Rikers Island. The city plans to build a jail on the lot it owns at Concord Avenue and East 141st Street, in a residential and industrial area of the Mott Haven neighborhood. The preliminary proposal, announced in February, is a key prong in the citys plan to close Rikers and replace it with smaller, safer jails in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. But opposition is brewing among residents in the once-blighted neighborhood, who say the citys plan is an unwelcome step backward for the South Bronx as it works to shed its synonymity with urban decay. Residents and some elected officials, concerned about safety and quality-of-life in an area saturated with homeless shelters and methadone clinics, and near a sewage plant, said they regard the plan as an effort by the city to use their home as a dumping ground. It doesnt belong here; a jail is the last thing we need, said Arline Parks, a resident of the Diego Beekman Apartments within a stones throw of the lot. Ms. Parks is chief executive of the tenant-run complex, which encompasses more than 1,200 units spread among 38 prewar buildings. The nonprofit tenant group was formed in the 1990s as the South Bronx was reeling from fiscal and drug crises. Poverty and crime soared as violent gangs like the Wild Cowboys competed for turf, landlords abandoned buildings and blocks were burned down. HONG KONG China is a sea of labor unrest. During the first 10 weeks of this year there were more than 400 publicly reported strikes, more than double the number during the comparable period last year. President Xi Jinpings government has responded with a firm hand: Labor activists are being arrested and assaulted simply for demanding their wages. As Chinas rate of economic growth has slowed over the past few years, China Labour Bulletin, a Hong Kong-based organization, tracked a surge in reported strikes most likely a small measure of all the actual strikes from fewer than 200 in 2011 to 1,256 in 2017. Government data indicates a 38 percent increase in the number of labor dispute cases heard by Chinese courts, from 589,244 in 2011 to 813,589 in 2015. Mirroring the recent trend of manufacturing moving from the coasts to the middle of the country, the most labor strife this year appears to be happening in central provinces such as Henan, Jiangsu and Anhui. And the unrest isnt affecting only traditional industries like manufacturing. White-collar workers and new-economy industries like e-commerce and green tech are also dealing with labor struggles. In January, hundreds of teachers from all over China assembled in Beijing to bring attention to missing pensions and other perks. Last month, workers at a solar power factory in Guizhou Province staged a sit-in, and poorly paid taxi-app drivers protested in Shandong and Guangxi. Medical staff in Hebei demonstrated in February over unequal pay and the nonpayment of social insurance. Palestinians in Gaza are among the worlds most desperate people. For more than a decade, their 140-square-mile strip has been blockaded by Israel and Egypt, sharply restricting the flow of goods and people. Indeed, many Gazans have never left the enclave, a grim measure of their prolonged isolation. Unemployment is more than 40 percent for the general population and nearly 60 percent for Palestinian youths. Last month, the United Nations warned of an imminent humanitarian disaster if global donors did not contribute $539 million for fuel for critical water, sanitation and health facilities, most for Gaza and its two million people. The remainder of the money would go to Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Under such conditions, it is no wonder that pent-up frustrations would erupt in protests, as they did last Friday. Responding to the demonstrations, Israeli forces killed 17 Palestinians at the border fence that separates Israel from Gaza. More than 1,000 Palestinians were injured. It was the worst violence since the Gaza war of 2014. Israel has a right to defend itself and maintain civil order, but it also has an obligation to respect peaceful protests and not use live ammunition on unarmed demonstrators. Israels response appears to have been excessive, as human rights groups have asserted. To the Editor: In Race in the Age of Modern Genetics (Sunday Review, March 25), David Reich does a disservice to the many scientists and scholars who have demonstrated the scientific flaws of considering race a biological category. This robust body of scholarship recognizes the existence of geographically based genetic variation in our species, but shows that such variation is not consistent with biological definitions of race. Nor does that variation map precisely onto ever-changing, socially defined racial groups. This doesnt mean that genetic variation is unimportant; it is, even if it does not follow racial lines. But history has taught us that studies of human genetic variation can be misunderstood and misinterpreted if sampling practices and historical contexts are not considered; if little attention is given to how genes, environments and social conditions interact; and if we ignore the ways that sociocultural categories and practices shape the genetic patterns themselves. As applied to human beings, race is a social grouping. Genetically, there is only one human race. ALAN GOODMAN MARCY DARNOVSKY AMHERST, MASS. As Nero worsened, Seneca attempted to leave. Joining Neros administration was easy, but an exit was not. Nero could not afford to lose his most influential adviser, or allow the perception that someone as well known as Seneca was cutting ties with him. Seneca was granted a quiet sabbatical at Neros whim the modern equivalent of a jointly issued news release. Seneca had finally come to experience the truth of the words of the Roman poet Horace, whose work had greatly influenced him: To have a great man for a friend seems pleasant to those who have never tried it; those who have, fear it. In a larger sense, Senecas struggle has echoes into our time, especially in politics. Last year, Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican who has both criticized Donald Trump and supported many of his policies, tweeted a quote from Seneca about tyranny, prompting some to ask if he was subtweeting the president. Ken Kurson, the former editor in chief of The New York Observer and an informal adviser to Mr. Trump and Jared Kushner during the election, told me that the Stoics were an inspiration to him as he dealt with the ethical and personal challenges of his position. My own early career involved some questionable service to businesspeople. Employed and paid by them, I planned and carried out controversial publicity stunts, and used dishonest tactics with the public and the media. When I finally left those roles, I found a knowledge of Stoic philosophy integral to my ability to assess my past actions, and set a more honorable course going forward. In a remarkable essay titled On Leisure, published after Seneca retired, the philosopher wrote in an oblique way about his own experiences: The duty of a man is to be useful to his fellow-men; if possible, to be useful to many of them; failing this, to be useful to a few; failing this, to be useful to his neighbors, and, failing them, to himself: for when he helps others, he advances the general interests of mankind. Removed from the day-to-day of Romes geopolitics (helping the many), he seemed to have a newfound appreciation for helping the few. Seneca seemed to realize only belatedly that one can contribute to his fellow citizens in ways other than through the state for instance, by writing or simply by being a good man at home. There is some irony in the fact that as an individual, the famous letters and essays Seneca wrote would not only have a bigger impact than his work in politics but also in time would whitewash his contributions to a horrible regime. In 65 A.D., Seneca would again find that philosophy did not exist only in the ethereal world. Conspirators began to plot against Neros life, and Seneca, finally accepting that the monster he had helped create needed to be stopped, appears to have participated or covered for those who did. I will never understand this kind of thinking, but that doesnt mean I dont understand why a person in certain circumstances might need a gun. In 1982, my grandmother was sitting in a rocking chair just inside the door of a tiny grocery store in rural Alabama when a stranger walked in with a rifle and pointed it at the store owners head. My grandmother cried out a warning, and the man turned and shot her instead. While the intruder was busy firing five bullets into my 72-year-old grandmothers chest and abdomen, the store owner retrieved his own handgun from beneath the counter and killed him. My grandmother was shot by a bad guy with a gun. She lived another 24 years because of the proverbial good guy with a gun. There is no need for polarities here. Most people who dont own guns understand that some people might truly need to own a gun. Most people who do own guns understand the need to keep other people safe. But our legislators, in thrall to the National Rifle Association, do almost nothing to keep guns away from people who shouldnt have them, or to keep the most dangerous weapons those meant to inflict the greatest damage to the most people in the least amount of time out of the hands of civilians. Tennessee has some of the most permissive gun laws in the country. You dont need a permit to buy a gun here. You dont need a license to own one. You arent required to register any gun you own. You dont need a permit to carry a rifle or a shotgun. You arent required to pass a background check if youre buying a gun from a private person. Its easier to purchase an AR-15 in Tennessee than it is to become a licensed exotic dancer, as two employees of Deja Vu Showgirls, a Nashville strip club, demonstrated in a recent YouTube video. Tennessee students are caught bringing a gun to school at twice the rate of the national average. The Tennessee General Assemblys response to this unwelcome trend is to propose arming teachers. If passed, the bill, directed at campuses without a school resource officer, would allow a percentage of teachers to carry a concealed weapon. More than half the members of the Tennessee House of Representatives have co-signed the bill, though it is opposed by state education officials, the teachers union, the Tennessee Sheriffs Association and Gov. Bill Haslam, a Republican. Its never a good bet to look for sane behavior from the Tennessee General Assembly, but the opposition to this bill gives me hope. I dont want my husband to work in a school where teachers are armed. I dont want my son to work in a school where teachers are armed. All I want is for this state and this country to keep anyone else from going to school armed. Judging from the Fox News poll results, this is an opinion nearly all of us share. How remarkable it is, at a time when Americans dont agree on very much at all, for the response to a terrible problem to be so straightforward and so clear. We dont need to repeal the Second Amendment. We just need to do everything we can to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldnt have them. But everything was so small, he said. And those prewar walk-ups Im not one for exercise. His broker, intuiting that an older studio might not be for Mr. Vieira, suggested they check out The Eugene. With a listed rent of roughly $3,500 a month, the studio they saw cost more than Mr. Vieira had been looking to pay. But as soon as I walked in, I was like, All right, this is it, he said. I recognized the designers right away, and I was like, This is the one. As luck would have it, Brookfield Properties was offering two months of free rent perhaps suspecting that not all potential renters would be as enthused by the hubbub of development as Mr. Vieira was. And that brought his net-effective rent down to about $3,000 a month. In 1915, a team of American archaeologists excavating the ancient Egyptian necropolis of Deir el-Bersha blasted into a hidden tomb. Inside the cramped limestone chamber, they were greeted by a gruesome sight: a mummys severed head perched on a cedar coffin. The room, which the researchers labeled Tomb 10A, was the final resting place for a governor named Djehutynakht (pronounced juh-HOO-tuh-knocked) and his wife. At some point during the couples 4,000-year-long slumber, grave robbers ransacked their burial chamber and plundered its gold and jewels. The looters tossed a headless, limbless mummified torso into a corner before attempting to set the room on fire to cover their tracks. The archaeologists went on to recover painted coffins and wooden figurines that survived the raid and sent them to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1921. Most of the collection stayed in storage until 2009 when the museum exhibited them. Though the torso remained in Egypt, the decapitated head became the star of the showcase. With its painted-on eyebrows, somber expression and wavy brown hair peeking through its tattered bandages, the mummys noggin brought viewers face-to-face with a mystery. OOSTERNIJKERK, the Netherlands Thomas Eycks private showroom is in a restored 18th-century barn next to a potato field on the outskirts of this Friesian village. Although the setting is calm, the design producer is often on the go, popping out of his seat and grabbing objects to illuminate his points to a visitor. Here are some of the sketches Aldo made for our copper series in 2010, Mr. Eyck, 53, said, enthusiastically fanning through a batch of drawings by the Dutch designer Aldo Bakker that he had taken from a drawer. Look at these forms. So fresh. Next, he returned with the 2012 book Color Based on Nature, by Irma Boom, part of a project that also included seven wallpaper designs. See, each one is based on colors from a Unesco site, he said, as he slid a finger along a perforated page to reveal a pattern. Minutes later, Mr. Eyck (pronounced IKE) displayed a light bulb hanging from some corded flax. It had been designed by Christien Meindertsma as part of the Flax Project in 2009. Its likely that one George is related to the other. Lets first look at the census data for George Goodman Sr. The 1900 census lists Goodman Sr. as a 77-year-old banker, born July, 1823, in New York. Also living at his 60 Grant Avenue St. residence were Mr. Goodmans wife and two servants. The second George Goodman was born in June, 1868, making him 32 years old at the time of the census. He was born in California and was living at 501 Randolph St. in Napa. The census tells us that his father was born in New York. That makes the George Goodman Sr., who we also know was born in New York, very likely his father. The other clue that the two Georges are related comes from the similarity of their work. George Goodmans occupation is listed as bank teller. Im thinking it likely that George Goodman, Sr., the banker, found the teller job for his son at his bank. We can obtain more information about the Goodman family by looking at the next earliest US Census, which is 1880. There are no California 1890 census records. They, like most of the 1890 census records, were destroyed by fire. Going back 20 years we find two George Goodmans at a Grant Avenue residence in Napa. The older Goodman is 56 and a banker. The younger George Goodman is 12 and is listed as son. MUMBAI, India Growing up in Mumbai, Manan Gandhi was entranced by the smells of the geranium, patchouli and rose oil extracts that his father brought home from business trips to Egypt, Indonesia and Turkey. I was like, Why do we have all this stuff at home, he recalled, and why is it in the safe? He said his early impressions of the essential oils trade, where today some rare ingredients sell for as much as $20,000 per liter, made him eager to follow in his fathers footsteps. And eventually he did, founding an essential-oil trading company in France in 2012 after earning an undergraduate business degree in the United States and a masters in France. But after about two years of crossing the globe as a trader supplying oils to major European fragrance houses, Mr. Gandhi, now 32, felt an urge to return to his hometown which is still widely known by its former name, Bombay and start a high-end perfume company. The result was Bombay Perfumery, a label that Mr. Gandhi introduced in late 2016 and whose name plays on one of his fathers old ventures, Bombay Perfumery Products. Bombay Perfumerys eau de parfum fragrances are manufactured in the French city of Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, but sold through the businesss website and at 15 high-end concept stores and multibrand boutiques across India. KILKENNY, Ireland Thirty sculptural pendants, drawn from 50 years of work by the Irish master goldsmith Rudolf Heltzel, are on display here in the gallery of the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland. But beyond making the individual pieces, as the In Precious Metals exhibition catalog noted, Mr. Heltzel also has played a significant role in shaping the creative arts of Ireland. Rudolfs legacy has been huge, said Karen Hennessy, the councils chief executive. Hes been a shining light in goldsmithing and jewelry in Ireland. He modernized what we now know as the jewelry center of excellence in Kilkenny. Now 77, Mr. Heltzel concentrates on design, sketching ideas by hand as he always has done. Every piece is thought out and mulled over in an intellectual process, he said. Art is a communication with my clients. Yocheved Lerner-Miller is a matchmaker for Orthodox Jews who come from unorthodox backgrounds. Look, the perfect boy from the top yeshiva and the perfect girl from the best seminary probably dont need me, she said, sitting inside Choco Latte, a kosher coffee shop in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. I deal with divorced people. I deal with older singles who are already in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond. Sometimes theyre just people who somehow missed the boat, or theyre converts. Even though Ms. Lerner-Miller, 55, lives in Kensington, she jokingly referred to the section of Crown Heights south of Eastern Parkway around Kingston Avenue as her shtetl. For Lubavitch Jews, members of the Orthodox movement she belongs to, its an area where everybody somehow ends up at some point. Ms. Lerner-Miller has earned a reputation in the community for pairing up oddballs and outliers words she uses affectionately and with which she identifies. Born Jill Lerner into a nonpracticing Jewish family in Brooklyn, she was always drawn to religion. Love Is ... takes a look at love in many forms. Love what you see? Read more of the series here. The results held even after controlling for income, so it doesnt seem as if buying time is merely an indicator of being wealthier, which may also increase satisfaction. In fact, the researchers found a stronger relationship between satisfaction and buying time among lower-income groups. But just to be sure that buying time tends to cause greater life satisfaction, the researchers conducted a randomized experiment. Participants in the trial were given $40 on each of two consecutive weekends. On one of those weekends, they were randomly assigned to spend the money on something that would save them time (like going out to eat instead of cooking). On the other weekend, they could make only a material purchase that would not save time (like buying a new shirt). When people spent the $40 to save time, they reported being in a more positive mood and feeling less stressed, said Ashley Whillans, lead author of both the National Academy of Sciences study and the working paper about couples, and an assistant professor at Harvard Business School. But it is important to note that even if spending a little to buy time increases well-being, spending a lot may not. In other words, you can also overdo it. Ms. Whillans and colleagues found that spending $100 to $200 per month on timesaving services maximized satisfaction, but spending more started to reduce it. This could be because outsourcing may cause you to feel as if you cant do anything yourself. Or perhaps its because of the challenges of managing others. Or maybe when you buy so many services, youre bound to feel some arent done well and regret having not saved the money. In a finding from other work by Ms. Whillans, outsourcing unpleasant tasks may also cause some people to feel guilty, because theyre transferring the unpleasantness to someone else. Research on this topic may also be useful to companies. During the 2013-2014 academic year, Stanford University School of Medicine offered timesaving vouchers to doctors as rewards for certain types of work. Good morning. (Want to get California Today by email? Heres the sign-up.) Judge Stephen Reinhardt, a liberal stalwart on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, died last week in Southern California. He was 87. We talked to two experts who clerked for Judge Reinhardt to tell us a little bit about him and his legacy: Jeffrey Fisher, a professor at Stanford Law School and Joshua Matz, a constitutional lawyer based in Washington. The questions and their answers have been edited for length and clarity. Q: What was Judge Reinhardt like? Mr. Matz: Judge Reinhardt ranked among the most brilliant and influential judges in modern American history. His mastery of doctrine was equaled only by his conviction that law must aspire to justice, especially for the voiceless and vulnerable. His powerful opinions and tactical savvy not to mention his rock-ribbed liberalism made Reinhardt a hero to the left and a villain to the right. Ethan Couch, whose trial for killing four people while driving drunk sparked widespread conversations about the privilege of being raised wealthy, was released from a Texas jail on Monday after nearly two years. Mr. Couch, 20, became known as the affluenza teen after a psychologist suggested during his trial that growing up with money might have left him with psychological afflictions, too rich to tell right from wrong. He attracted further attention when he and his mother, Tonya Couch, fled to Mexico in an effort to evade possible jail time. He served his 720-day sentence in a jail in Tarrant County, and was freed about a week before his 21st birthday. For the first time in its nearly 200-year history, the Mormon Church on Saturday appointed a person of color into the upper echelons of its leadership, a group that has previously been occupied by white men. Gerrit W. Gong, who is Chinese-American, will join the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which is the second-highest governing body in the church. The group helps make policy decisions in tandem with the churchs president and his two counselors. Further diversifying the ranks of the senior leadership, the Church also selected its first-ever Latin American apostle, Ulisses Soares, a Brazilian. Because the presidency is filled by the longest-serving member of the quorum, the two newest apostles could eventually gain enough seniority to occupy the highest position within the church. Several of the churchs senior leaders were born before World War II. The president, Russell M. Nelson, is 93, and the next man in line for the position is 85. WASHINGTON When President Trump began railing against the current state of American immigration measures over the weekend, it was hard to tell where his thoughts ended and Brandon Judds began. Mr. Judd is the president of the National Border Patrol Council, a frequent guest on Fox News and a reliably vocal supporter of the Trump administrations hard-line immigration agenda. On Sunday, he was interviewed on Fox & Friends, one of the presidents favorite programs. What followed was a public mind meld with the president, one that has frequently occurred since Mr. Trump took office. Our legislators actually have to stand up, and the Republicans control the House and the Senate; they do not need the Democrat support to pass any laws they want, Mr. Judd said during the segment. They can go the nuclear option, just like what they did on the confirmation. They need to pass laws to end the catch-and-release program thatll allow us to hold them for a long time. Mr. Mulvaney made a series of recommendations to lawmakers that would curb the bureaus power and independence. He called for it to be funded through congressional appropriations, rather than through the Federal Reserve, which has insulated it from political jockeying. He also recommended that bureau rules be subject to legislative approval and advised that the president should have direct oversight and authority over the bureaus director. Right now, the director can be removed by the president only for specific and justifiable cause, rather than for political or other reasons. Mr. Mulvaney also recommended the creation of an inspector generals office to monitor the activities of the bureau. By structuring the bureau the way it has, Congress established an agency primed to ignore due process and abandon the rule of law in favor of bureaucratic fiat and administrative absolutism, Mr. Mulvaney said. Republican lawmakers have tried for years without success to curb the powers of the agency, which was authorized in 2010 and enjoys broad support among congressional Democrats. While Mr. Mulvaney or the person that Mr. Trump eventually selects to succeed him can weaken enforcement efforts, the fixes that he called for would require legislation. The chances of this are slim, as Democrats in the Senate have vowed to block any bills that would harm the consumer bureau. Representative Elizabeth Esty, a Connecticut Democrat, said on Monday that she would not seek re-election this year after days of controversy over what she called her failure to protect women on her staff from sexual harassment and threats of violence from her former chief of staff. Representative Esty, a vocal supporter of the #MeToo movement, has faced a storm of criticism since it was reported last week that she waited three months to fire her former chief of staff, Tony Baker, after Anna Kain, another former staff member who once dated him, said he had sexually harassed and threatened to kill her. I have determined that it is in the best interest of my constituents and my family to end my time in Congress at the end of this year and not seek re-election, Representative Esty said in a statement on Monday afternoon. Too many women have been harmed by harassment in the workplace, she said. In the terrible situation in my office, I could have and should have done better. To the survivor, I want to express my strongest apology for letting you down. But in contrast to Jaensch and Hewes, another St. Helena area farmer and vintner, James H. McCord, had found his place in the history books through his own actions. In 1850 McCord, a trained shoemaker from New Jersey, Palmer continued, opened a boot and shoe shop in Sonoma, and made the first pair of boots ever manufactured north of the bay of San Francisco, for General M.G. Vallejo. Palmer added, Finding the business to confining, in April 1852, he settled near...St. Helena... A second innovative local resident was Deming D. Hill. This Ohio native settled on his 440-acre Napa County ranch in 1869 when he was 33 years old. Where he is chiefly engaged in stock-raising. Palmer continued, Hills patent medicated nest-eggs, and also medicated paint for hen-roosts, have proved to be effectual destroyers of hen lice, and great credit is due the gentleman for his patent. Then there was one unassuming St. Helena livery business owner, A.P. Kluit, who in reality had lead quite an exciting life prior to his 1878 arrival in Napa County. Born in Amsterdam, Netherlands in 1847, Kluit came to California in 1870. Palmer wrote, He then traveled all over California and Oregon in the interest of the Scientific Museum of the Netherlands. In 1872 he went to Yale College and became the private assistant of Professor O.C. Clark. He added, All the opposition research will have been done for Joe Donnelly at that point. Mr. Rokita said he had no concerns that the attacks would help the incumbent Democrat. I think this primary is very cleansing, he said. I want voters to know about these two guys. And I want them to know about me. Referring to two previous Republican presidential candidates, John R. Kasich and Mitt Romney, Mr. Rokita added: Messer at this point is like all losing candidates, like Kasich or Romney, if you beat up on me, we are all going to lose. Absolutely wrong. I am not waiting for Joe Donnelly to stick a knife in Luke Messer or Mike Braun in November. I am getting it all out now. Because Donnelly will stick in a knife in them. That kind of language has prompted concern among some of the states most influential Republicans. Mr. Grand, who supports Mr. Messer, was particularly critical of Mr. Rokita trying to claim a populist mantle by deriding so-called elites. Mr. Rokitas elites are something else to Mr. Grand: People that know whats good for the Republican Party, yes, longstanding Republicans, yes. People who know how to elect Republican candidates. Or, he asked, does Mr. Rokita want to go back to the group that gave us Mourdock? That was a reference to Richard E. Mourdock, a candidate whose backing from Tea Party groups and national conservative organizations six years ago led to the defeat of a longtime incumbent Republican, Senator Richard G. Lugar, in the Indiana primary. Mr. Mourdock went on to lose to Mr. Donnelly. Mr. Mourdock painted Mr. Lugar as out of touch with the state, and emphasized the fact that he lived in Virginia, a theme that Mr. Rokita has reprised against Mr. Messer. He has also made an issue of the fact that Mr. Messers wife, a lawyer, is on the payroll of an Indianapolis suburb even though she, too, lives in Virginia. Mr. Messer, the father of two teenage daughters, said he was raised by a single parent and felt it important to be closer to his children, and said voters would understand. WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Monday ruled for an Arizona police officer who shot a woman outside her home in Tucson. The courts decision was unsigned and issued without full briefing and oral argument, an indication that the majority found the case to be easy. In an impassioned dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the majority had gone badly astray. Its decision is not just wrong on the law; it also sends an alarming signal to law enforcement officers and the public, she wrote. It tells officers that they can shoot first and think later, and it tells the public that palpably unreasonable conduct will go unpunished. The case started in 2010 when three police officers responded to a 911 call reporting that a woman had been seen acting erratically by hacking at a tree with a knife. They saw Sharon Chadwick standing in the driveway of a house. A second woman, Amy Hughes, emerged from the house, holding a kitchen knife. She stopped six feet from Ms. Chadwick. WASHINGTON President Trump on Monday will tap Justin Muzinich, a top aide to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, as the Treasury Departments deputy secretary, a powerful role that includes overseeing a broad portfolio of policy matters like taxes, financial regulation, trade and economic sanctions. The nomination fills a void in the top ranks of the department, which has operated without a full-time deputy secretary since Mr. Mnuchin was confirmed more than a year ago. Mr. Trumps previous picks, the longtime Goldman Sachs executive James Donovan, and Brian Brooks, a Fannie Mae executive who was not formally nominated, withdrew their names from contention last year. Mr. Mnuchin later said that he was not going to fill the position. The ascendance of Mr. Muzinich comes as Mr. Trump reshuffles his economic team, most notably replacing Gary D. Cohn with Larry Kudlow as the director of the National Economic Council. Far from a flamethrower, Mr. Muzinich, who spent most of his career on Wall Street, will add a more moderate voice with traditional conservative economic ideas to the table. Mr. Muzinich, 40, has been serving as Mr. Mnuchins tax counselor and played a central role in crafting and negotiating the terms of the $1.5 trillion tax overhaul that Congress passed late last year. He was previously under consideration to be promoted to under secretary for domestic finance at the Treasury Department, but now is in line to be Mr. Mnuchins No. 2. WASHINGTON President Trump has begun a new push for legislation to crack down on illegal immigration and make it more difficult to obtain refuge in the United States, White House officials said Monday, arguing that lax laws have drawn a flood of migrants to the countrys borders. The proposals include toughening laws to make it more difficult to apply for or be granted asylum in the United States, stripping protections for children arriving illegally without their parents so they can be turned back at the border or quickly removed, and allowing families to be detained for longer periods while they await decisions from immigration authorities about their fates. While the steps have long been advocated by Mr. Trumps hard-line aides, including Stephen Miller, his senior policy adviser, focusing on them now opens a new front in the presidents push for immigration restrictions. There is no evidence of an overall increase in people crossing the southern border with Mexico illegally in fact, the president has often boasted that the number has dropped since he took office, in part because of his administrations policies. But Mr. Trumps renewed legislative effort is a return to the hard-line anti-immigration themes that animated his campaign and much of his presidency at a time when he is facing a backlash from some disenchanted conservatives for signing a $1.3 trillion spending bill that did not include funding for his border wall. WASHINGTON When Donald J. Trump was running for president, he promised to open up our libel laws. No one quite knew what he meant. Last month, Mr. Trump started to make good on his campaign pledge. But he did so inadvertently as a libel defendant on the losing side of a decision that will help victims of sexual misconduct sue when they are called liars. The irony is glaring, said Roy Gutterman, who teaches communications law and journalism at Syracuse University. Before the #MeToo movement, libel lawsuits from people accused of lying were in decline. Indeed, a 2016 law review article chronicled what it called the slow, quiet and troubled demise of liar libel. Thousands of teachers in Oklahoma and Kentucky walked off the job Monday morning, shutting down school districts as they protested cuts in pay, benefits and school funding in a movement that has spread rapidly since igniting in West Virginia this year. In Oklahoma City, protesting teachers ringed the Capitol, chanting, No funding, no future! Katrina Ruff, a local teacher, carried a sign that read, Thanks to West Virginia. They gave us the guts to stand up for ourselves, she said. The walkouts and rallies in Republican-dominated states, mainly organized by ordinary teachers on Facebook, have caught lawmakers and sometimes the teachers own labor unions flat-footed. And they are occurring in states and districts with important midterm races in November, suggesting that thousands of teachers, with their pent-up rage over years of pay freezes and budget cuts, are set to become a powerful political force this fall. The next red state to join the protest movement could be Arizona, where there is an open Senate seat and where thousands of teachers gathered in Phoenix last week to demand a 20 percent pay raise and more funding for schools. For decades, it seems, Diane Nash has been asked about womens role in the civil rights movement: what it was, why it hasnt been more widely acknowledged, if she can describe her fellow organizers contributions. Ms. Nash, now 79, led students in sit-ins and helped coordinate the historic 54-mile march from Selma to Montgomery. She has been portrayed in the film Selma. But when asked again recently by The New York Times about womens contributions, she joked that the list was brief. Its clear that room sharing is protective against SIDS in the first four to six months, when the great majority of SIDS deaths occur, he said. After that there was no hard data to support that room sharing without bed sharing was any safer than the baby sleeping in their own room. Dr. Paul was the first author on an article last summer in the journal Pediatrics that looked at the relationship between room sharing and sleep behaviors. The families that continued room sharing longer, he said, were at higher risk of moving the child into the parents bed, which is unsafe. As for babies, those that moved to their own room sometime after age 4 months had better sleep consolidation and longer overall sleep extended out to age 2 years. Families need to consider all these factors, he said, in figuring out what will work best for themselves and their babies. We do know that poor sleep has effects on the child in the short and the long term and on the family. I begin at 4 months in my clinical well visit, establishing good bedtime routines, not feeding or rocking a baby to sleep, put a drowsy but not asleep child to bed, Dr. Paul said. To discuss transitioning out of the room at 4 months gives me a mental reminder in my anticipatory guidance to reinforce safe sleep in that new sleep environment, and I talk about the potential benefits of having a baby get better sleep consolidation in that second half of the first year. In the first four to six months, Dr. Paul said, room sharing can help support breast-feeding. But by 6 months, he says its fine for the baby to be in a separate room. The baby should no longer need to be breast-fed overnight, and in fact, mothers may be more likely to keep breast-feeding longer if they are not waking up several times a night. For women who need to breast-feed in the night, and are concerned that they may fall asleep while nursing, Dr. Goodstein suggested, stay in bed but clear the bed of pillows, loose blankets, comforters and try to stay awake so that you can put the baby back into a safe sleep environment, that is, the bassinet or crib that is not the parental bed. Babies should not be put down on surfaces like water beds, couches or cushioned armchairs, where there is a very large increase in the risk of SIDS. Parents need to be aware of norms, that there are going to be awakenings, Dr. Goodstein said. At some point when theyre getting a little older, we should give them some time to self-soothe we need to have these discussions about infant sleep safety, injury prevention, SIDS risk reduction, we need to acknowledge that parents have a hard job. ITACURUCA, Brazil Something ominous was happening in the turquoise waters of Sepetiba Bay, a booming port outside Rio de Janeiro. Beginning late last year, fishermen were coming across the scarred and emaciated carcasses of dolphins, sometimes five a day, bobbing up to the surface. Since then, scientists there have discovered more than 200 dead Guiana dolphins, or Sotalia guianensis, a quarter of what was the worlds largest concentration of the species. The deaths, caused by respiratory and nervous system failures linked to a virus, have subsided, but scientists are working to unravel the mystery behind them. How, they ask, did a virus that might ordinarily have claimed a handful of dolphins end up killing scores of them? And does part of the answer, scientists and local residents ask, lie in the bay itself, at once a testament to Brazils economic power and a portent of environmental risk. RIO DE JANEIRO A new Netflix series about a sprawling corruption investigation has muscled its way into Brazils heated politics, outraging supporters of a leftist former president who is trying to make a comeback and stirring debate about how closely a docudrama should adhere to the facts. The series, The Mechanism, has drawn heat since it was released on March 23. Critics say its inaccuracies are unfair to a former president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is the leading candidate in the polls for the election this fall. Others see in the show a more or less fair, if depressing, depiction of an intricate investigation that has so far seen more than 100 people convicted, including senior political figures like Mr. da Silva. Still others say the publicity however negative has only been a boon for Netflix, and lament the frivolity of talking about a television show instead of poverty, violence, environmental conflicts and the myriad other challenges that face Brazil, Latin Americas most populous nation. The debate has been fierce. Paulo Roberto Pires, a left-leaning columnist at the newsmagazine Epoca, called the series misleading, adding that it reduced complex political, historical and social issues to the fight against corruption. The migrant group left the southern Mexican border town of Tapachula on March 25, at that point numbering about 700. Most of the participants were from Honduras and many of them said they were fleeing violence and poverty in their home countries, organizers said. Some say they were inspired to flee Honduras following the violent suppression of political protests that erupted after last years presidential election. Over the past week, the group grew in size, to about 1,200 by the time it arrived in Matias Romero. But organizers said that contrary to the vision of a migrant onslaught on America conjured by Mr. Trump, most participants do not intend to travel as far as the border of the United States. Hes trying to paint this as if we are trying to go to the border, and were going to storm the border, Mr. Mujica said. Mr. Mensing added: Were definitely not looking for some kind of showdown. In an interview Monday, before negotiations between the Mexican immigration authorities and the caravan organizers began, Mr. Mujica predicted that at most 10 percent to 15 percent of the participants would seek asylum at the American border. He said he expected many others to drop out along the way, especially if the caravan continued along its intended route through the state of Puebla and on to Mexico City, with some participants applying for asylum or other forms of protection in Mexico. In Puebla, Pueblo Sin Fronteras plans to hold workshops, led by volunteer lawyers, to teach migrants about options for legal protections in the region, including in Mexico and the United States. Mr. Saadi also said that the event was religious in nature and that the security forces had decided to attack because armed militants were in attendance. However, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Radmanish, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry denied that the gathering had been for religious purposes. The Taliban and other insurgent groups were planning to attack Afghan forces, but their plan was discovered by our forces, he said. During the attack by our helicopters, 21 terrorists, including a Taliban commander, have been killed, he added. It isnt a residential area, and only terrorists and the Taliban were active in the place. There wasnt any civilian in the area. Nonetheless, witnesses said that children and other civilians were among the victims. The district of Dasht-e-Archi is a Taliban stronghold that has often been the scene of heavy fighting. In May, an American drone strike in the district killed Mullah Abdul Salam, the Taliban shadow governor of Kunduz. In 2016, an Afghan airstrike killed another prominent Taliban commander, Mawlavi Muawiyah, in Dasht-e-Archi, along with 21 other fighters, according to the military. American airstrikes in the area have repeatedly been blamed for civilian casualties, and Afghan forces are increasingly taking over air operations there. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia In highway billboards and radio announcements, the government of Malaysia is warning of a new enemy: fake news. On Monday, the lower house of Parliament passed a bill outlawing fake news, the first measure of its kind in the world. The proposal, which allows for up to six years in prison for publishing or circulating misleading information, is expected to pass the Senate this week and to come into effect soon after. The legislation would punish not only those who are behind fake news but also anyone who maliciously spreads such material. Online service providers would be responsible for third-party content, and anyone could lodge a complaint. As long as Malaysia or Malaysians are affected, fake news generated outside the country is also subject to prosecution. What qualifies as fake news, however, is ill defined. Ultimately, the government would be given broad latitude to decide what constitutes fact in Malaysia. It all seems to be happening in parallel universes, she said, one in which Russia poisons and interferes, and another in which none of this happened. Other analysts said the discussion of a possible meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin may be more for domestic consumption in a Russia that sees itself excoriated by the international community after the poisoning of Mr. Skripal and his daughter, Yulia. People are realizing what a major hit they took, said John R. Beyrle, a former American ambassador to Russia. Its a way to say, See, its not so bad, Putin is still welcome in polite society. I was in Moscow last month just before the elections and was struck by how fed up some members of the Russian elite are getting at their perpetual pariah status and this was before Skripal. A White House visit would be a significant gesture toward the Russian leader. Mr. Putin has not been to the White House since 2005, when Mr. Bush hosted him there. Other than United Nations sessions, Mr. Putins last visit to the United States for a presidential summit meeting came in 2007 when Mr. Bush and his father hosted him at the family compound in Kennebunkport, Me. Mr. Obama never invited Mr. Putin to the White House during his eight years in office, and the Russian declined an invitation to Camp David in 2012 for a meeting of what was then called the Group of 8. The two did meet in New York in 2015 during a United Nations session. Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin have met in Germany and in Vietnam on the sideline of international summit meetings and currently have no plans to get together before November, when both are expected to attend a Group of 20 gathering in Argentina. Mr. Ushakov said the two sides had not started any preparatory talks for a White House meeting because of the tailspin in relations. He nonetheless voiced a desire that Mr. Trump not drop the idea. I hope the Americans wont abandon their proposal to discuss the possibility of holding the summit, he said. Just as Mr. Trump has shown a striking reluctance to criticize Mr. Putin, even when the two countries are ejecting each others diplomats, the Kremlin and the Russian news outlets it controls have often avoided criticizing Mr. Trump directly. JERUSALEM In a head-spinning turnaround, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel announced on Monday that he had reached an extraordinary deal with the United Nations refugee agency to resettle thousands of African asylum seekers in Western countries. Within hours Mr. Netanyahu suspended the deal after coming under heavy criticism from his coalition partners. The flip-flop appeared to reflect Mr. Netanyahus fear of losing support from those partners or from his right-wing constituency, who call the asylum seekers infiltrators and want them gone. His opponents on the left described the prime ministers behavior as an embarrassing and cowardly surrender under pressure. Mr. Netanyahu, who is battling for his political future under the cloud of multiple corruption scandals and faces possible charges of bribery, had apparently failed to consult with most of his own conservative Likud Party colleagues or coalition allies before announcing the migrant deal. If the deal with the United Nations refugee agency bought Israel some international good will, diverting attention from Fridays flare-up along the border with Gaza when Israeli forces killed at least 15 Palestinians and wounded many more, the effect was short-lived. AL MUKALLA, Yemen The heat was stifling, the power out. So the transients, mostly women and children displaced from nearby towns, ventured outside their temporary housing on Monday for some air, witnesses said. Then the Saudi warplanes struck. In what medics and residents in Yemens western port city of Al Hudaydah described as an instant midmorning slaughter in a residential housing area, the warplanes fired missiles at the civilians, cutting them to pieces as they sought relief from the 92-degree temperature. At least 14 were killed and nine wounded. The Saudi authorities, who contended that the targets had been military, said they were looking into the circumstances behind the airstrike in Al Hudaydah, the only Yemeni port that remains under the control of Yemens Houthi rebels after more than three years of war. But the airstrike was a reminder of the lethal hazards facing unarmed Yemenis from the firepower wielded by the Saudi-led coalition, despite its repeated pledges to spare civilians in its campaign to crush the Houthi-led insurgency. Its pretty swish, ya know, Martin said. (Thats British slang for fancy.) When people see it, he said, they say its the most beautiful plane theyve ever seen. This aircraft just turns heads. Climbing the stairs into the cabin feels like youre stepping back in time. The interior is suited for 11 passengers, who can choose to sit in cushy swivel chairs or on couches. Theres a working toilet and a relief tube, which is sort of like an airborne urinal, and water. The plane is also equipped with its original ashtrays and a telephone neither of which is used, but make for a more authentic experience. On excursion flights, the plane flies relatively low between altitudes of 1,200 and 1,500 feet, allowing passengers to take in the scenery on the ground. The DC-3 operates out of multiple locations in the Bay Area, including the Napa County Airport. Martins company, Golden Age Air Tours, offers tours going over San Francisco during the day or at sunset. The Champagne Sunset and City Light flights include Champagne while all other flights include light refreshments such as soda and juice. Passengers are able to move around while in the air, peeking out windows and visiting the flight deck to see the pilots at work. A VIDEO of a man being confronted as part of a sting operation into the alleged online grooming of minors has been viewed almost 100,000 times. A Facebook video streamed live on Easter Sunday shows a Limerick man being confronted by two female members of the Child Protection Awareness group for allegedly sending sexually explicit messages and pictures online to two decoy young girls, age 13 and 14. The man appears to be living in close proximity to schools. One of the women in the video who confronts the man at his place of residence also points out that there is also a pre-school in the vicinity. Weve come here to talk to you about who youve been talking to online, one of the members of the group can be heard saying in the almost 42-minute long video. The video has since been viewed 97,000 times and shared across Facebook more than 1,800 times. He admitted to our decoy. Theres a little playground where the kids come out and play from school and (have) playtime and hes admitted to our decoy that he walks around his apartment naked so God only knows what hes been doing, watching, one of the women is heard saying. A separate video posted by the group shows the man getting into the back of a garda car which is then driven away. A garda spokesperson has confirmed that the incident is currently under investigation. 7th Pay Commission: Wait for resumption of DA gets longer, likely by September 7th Pay Commission: DA for CG employees likely to be at 31% 7th Pay Commission: Here is why basic monthly pay of CG employees will not increase 7th Pay Commission: Good news for Railway employees, see what it is India oi-Vicky Nanjappa In accordance with the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission, Railway employees have been given some benefits. Now Railway employees can avail Leave Travel Concession, the government has said. Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on March 27, the ministry said as per existing LTC instructions, government servants and their spouses working in Indian Railways, are not entitled for the facility of LTC as the facility of "Free Pass" is available to them. However, 7th pay commission recommended that they be included in the LTC fold. "The matter has been considered in this department in consultation with Ministry of Railways. It has been decided that Railway employees may be allowed to avail all-India LTC once in a block of four years... "The 'All-India LTC' will be purely optional for railway employees," the ministry has said. However, railway employees shall continue to be governed by the Railway Servants (Pass) Rules and availing of the "All India LTC" under the CCS (LTC) Rules by them will be facilitated through a special order under the relevant provision of the said Pass Rules, it said. The DoPT order also states that railway employees will not be eligible for "Home Town LTC" and will have to surrender the Privilege Passes (concessional or free tickets) admissible to them in the calendar year in which they intend to avail the LTC facility, the ministry said. However, they would continue to be eligible for other kinds of passes such as the duty pass, school pass and special passes on medical grounds, as admissible under the pass rules, the order stated. If the railway employee has already availed of a Privilege Pass, then LTC will not be allowed in that year, it said. The railway employees on deputation to any other organisation, including railway PSUs, would also continue to be eligible for optional LTC in lieu of Privilege Pass entitlement, the order said. Meanwhile talks on extending the salary hike beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission continues. There is still no clarity on the matter. OneIndia News Over the past few years, voters in hundreds of California cities and other local governments were asked to pass tax increases, and indications are that another big batch of local tax measures will be on this years ballots. All but a handful of the previous tax hikes were approved, although one failed sales tax, in Coalinga, was unique. It lost by just 33 votes because of an overwhelming vote against it by residents of Coalinga State Hospital, an institution for the mentally ill, who apparently didnt want prices to rise for their personal sundries. One could conclude that the high passage rate for most cities reflects voters faith that those they elected to city councils and other governing bodies would spend the additional tax revenues wisely. Perhaps so, but they also reflect some very clever, even propagandistic, packaging of the tax proposals by political consultants who boast of their ability to overcome resistance to such measures. Amit Shah cancels Karnataka trip, to speak on bank scam in Rajya Sabha India oi-Madhuri Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah on Monday cancelled his plan to visit Belgavi on Monday. The move was initiated after the BJP chief decided to attend the Rajya Sabha session and speak on bank scam. However, Shah will embark on the tour on March 12 and 13, and will follow the same itinerary. The tour will also include a session with young Lingayat seers in the Shivayog Mandir near Kudala Sangama. A day earlier, the BJP chief had wished Siddhaganga Mutt's pontiff on his 111th birthday after extensively touring the parts of the state to win support of the Lingayat community. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, April 2, 2018, 10:41 [IST] AP CM Chandrababu Naidu to visit Delhi; to secure states interests India oi-Madhuri Days after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee concluded her four-day visit in the national capital, Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo N Chandrababu Naidu is all set visit New Delhi for two days. Naidu is expected to use the visit to put pressure on the Centre to fulfil Andhra Pradesh's demands. He will meet all floor leaders in Parliament and "explain the injustice being done to Andhra Pradesh". The Telegu Desam Party (TDP) chief told party MPs that he will reach Delhi by Monday night and will stay in the capital for two days, on April 3 and 4. Though the Left parties and other organisations suggested that the chief minister spend at least 10 days in the national capital, Naidu said he could not stay that long because of the ongoing budget session of the assembly. According to TDP sources said that the purpose of the visit was "focused only on securing state's interests" and there was "nothing political" about Naidu's visit. This will be Naidu's first visit to New Delhi after the TDP broke its alliance with the BJP in March, and exited the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). His party is banking on the opposition to support its no-confidence motion, and hopes it will be allowed for discussion in Parliament. The TDP had been at loggerheads with the centre ever since the Union Budget 2018 was released, claiming that Andhra Pradesh was not given its due in terms of funding and that all the promises made to the state were also not fulfilled by the NDA government after AP's bifurcation from Telangana in 2014. OneIndia News (with PTI inputs) For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, April 2, 2018, 12:37 [IST] AIMIM's Bihar poll is a 'tight slap' to those who call it BJP's B-team: Aurangabad MP Aurangabad communal violence case: Main accused Anil Singh surrenders before court India oi-Madhuri A Bhartiya Janata Party worker, Anil Singh, who was earlier booked for communal clashes in Aurangabad district on Monday surrendered before the court. Earlier Police had said that he had fled from custody. Singh, who was one of the central figures among the 148 persons booked in the matter fled away on Thursday. Anil Singh, associated with an organisation called Hindu Sewa Samiti, has been organising Ram Navmi processions in Aurangabad for a long time. He joined the BJP in 2007. On March 25 and 26, he along with several others were booked in a case for communal clashes between two communities in Aurangabad during Ram Navami procession. On March 25, communal clashes between two communities had taken place when the Ram Navami procession was passing through the local Jama Masjid in Aurangabad town. More than 60 people were injured and 50 shops were gutted in the fire. Following the communal clashes, a prohibitory order was issued in the town. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, April 2, 2018, 10:02 [IST] 'Administration is blind', says MoS Ashwini Kumar Choubey on allegations of his son sparking clashes Bhagalpur riots: Ashwini Chaubey's son Arijit moves Patna HC, seeks quashing of FIR against him India oi-Madhuri Arijit Shashwat, Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey's son who was arrested on Sunday and sent to to 14-day judicial custody moved to Patna High Court, seeking quashing of FIR filed against him. Arijit Shashwat was arrested in connection with a case relating to communal violence in Bihar's Bhagalpur district.' The arrest came hours after a Bhagalpur court rejected the anticipatory bail petition of Shashwat against whom an arrest warrant was issued on March 24. Earlier on Saturday late night, Arijit had surrendered to the police in front of a temple in Patna, after evading arrest for over a week, in Bhagalpur incident. An FIR was filed against Shashwat and eight others at Nathnagar police station of Bhagalpur in connection with the clashes that broke out between members of two communities on March 17. Shashwat had led a procession organised by Bharatiya Navvarsh Jagran Samiti on the eve of Hindu New Year, comprising workers of BJP, RSS and Bajrang Dal that triggered a communal clash. The clashes occurred in Medini Chowk under Nathnagar police station, a Muslim-dominated area. It had triggered communal tension in the Champa Nagar area under the Nathnagar police station in the district, in which some persons, including two policemen, were injured. Arijit's father, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, is the Union minister of state for health and family welfare. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, April 2, 2018, 10:10 [IST] Bharat Bandh on 26th March 2021: What is Open, What is Closed Bharat Bandh: Mayawati condemns violence, slams Modi govt over delay in filing review petition India oi-Deepika By Deepika BSP chief Mayawati on Monday condemned the violence that has taken place against the SC/ST Act that killed at least 5 people. "I support the protest against the SC/ST Act. I have got to know that some people spread violence during the protests, I strongly condemn it. Our party is not behind the violence during the protests," she said. "The Modi government is doing a conspiracy by privatization of government departments so that Dalits be deprived of promotion in jobs," she said. Maywati said that the Dalits were protesting peacefully and the violence has been caused due to goons hijacking the stir. "We condemn the act of violence. Some anti-social elements were sent to disrupt the Bharat Bandh and they were the ones who were involved in violence. Police and administration should identify such people and punish them," she added. Mayawati added, "Strict action should be taken against those who spread violence during the protests," as per ANI. At least five people - four from Madhya Pradesh and one from Rajasthan - were killed after protests turned violent between Dalit groups and cops in Madhya Pradesh. A number of dalit organisations today staged a protest in the national capital today as part of the countrywide agitation called by them against the Supreme Court order on the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act banning automatic arrest and registration of cases. The protesters, who were demanding that the provisions related to immediate arrest be restored, gathered at Mandi House and blocked the road outside the metro station there, bringing traffic to a halt and inconveniencing commuters travelling towards ITO and other stretches. Heavy police force was deployed at Mandi House in view of the protests. Shouting slogans of 'Jai Bhim', the protesters also blocked one of the carriageways of Barakhamba Road affecting traffic on the stretch, police said. A number of Dalit organisations have called for a Bharat Bandh today to protest against the Supreme Court order claiming that it has created a feeling of insecurity among the members of the marginalised communities and that getting justice will be even more difficult now . They said the Centre had announced that it will be filing a review petition only after they called for a bandh demanding that the law that protects the scheduled castes and tribes against discrimination and atrocities be restored in its original form. OneIndia News CBSE Class 10th Results 2021: Board likely to declare results soon; here's how to check your roll number CBSE Paper Leak: SC to hear plea challenging re-examination on April 4 India oi-Madhuri The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear plea relating to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) re-examination on April 4. According to the reports, the plea questions class 10th re-examination also seeks SIT to probe into possible leaks and reasons. In a separate case, the Delhi High Court agreed to hear PIL for a court-motioned probe into the CBSE paper leak. The Delhi Police had registered separate cases on March 27 and March 28 to probe the leak of the Class 12 economics paper and Class 10 mathematics paper, following a complaint by the regional director of the CBSE. Earlier, three persons, including teachers of a private school at Bawana in outer Delhi, were arrested by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police for their suspected roles in the leak of Class 12 CBSE economics paper. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, April 2, 2018, 11:29 [IST] Fancy dress contest in Parliament? TDP MP flaunts various avatars to demand special status for AP India oi-Oneindia Staff By Oneindia Staff New Delhi, April 2: As our politicians continue to create mayhem and ruckus in Parliament, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have become synonymous with chaos and confusion. But things are likely to change soon, if all our parliamentarians start following in the footsteps of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) member of Parliament (MP) Naramalli Sivaprasad. Days are not far away when Parliament will turn into a venue for fancy dress competition, thanks to the TDP MP and his multiple avatars. As the ruling TDP and all other major parties in Andhra Pradesh are demanding special category status for the state, Sivaprasad is hosting a unique protest in Parliament. On a regular basis, the TDP MP is coming to Parliament wearing "unique" costumes. On Monday, as the TDP MPs once again staged a protest in Parliament demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh, Sivaprasad came dressed up like the mythological character Parashurama (avatar of Lord Vishnu). Before that he attended Parliament dressed up like a woman, a cattle herder and school boy, among others. "TDP MP Naramalli Sivaprasad has today dressed up as 'Parashurama'( avatar of Lord Vishnu) to protest over demand for special status for Andhra Pradesh. Sivaprasad had earlier also dressed up as a woman, a cattle herder & a school boy among others #Delhi #BudgetSession," tweeted ANI. TDP MP Naramalli Sivaprasad has today dressed up as 'Parashurama'( avatar of Lord Vishnu) to protest over demand for special status for Andhra Pradesh. Sivaprasad had earlier also dressed up as a woman, a cattle herder & a school boy among others #Delhi #BudgetSession pic.twitter.com/9x2J9cJdqo ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018 The second half of ongoing Budget Session is a complete washout as both the Houses hardly conducted any business. The second half of Budget Session, which started on March 5, will end on April 6. The first half of Budget Session commenced on January 29 and ended on February 9. In March, the TDP left the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre over the issue of grant of special category status to Andhra Pradesh. Along with the TDP, several other opposition parties including the Congress had earlier tried to move no-confidence motion against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA government at the Centre in Parliament. On Monday, the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) of Tamil Nadu also stated that if the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) are ready then the party would move no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government. On Monday, the AIADMK MPs protested in Parliament over the formation of the Cauvery management board. Similarly, the BJP-led NDA government is facing multiple challenges as almost all the political parties have directly or indirectly joined hands against it. OneIndia News Why the rise of Sikh separatism in the United States needs to be flagged harder For terrorists in Kashmir, March was bloody, April will be bloodier India oi-Vicky Nanjappa It was probably one of the biggest operations carried out by the Indian Army in recent times at Kashmir. 12 terrorists were gunned down while 3 Army jawans were martyred in encounters conducted across south Kashmir. The operation was an important one on several counts considering that the terrorists were planning on upping the ante in the Valley. More importantly in the killing of the terrorists which included top commanders, the brutal killing of Lt Umar Fayaz was avenged. Post the encounter, in a joint presser of the Army, police and CRPF, Jammu and Kashmir Police Chief, S P Vaid said that this is one of the biggest counter-offensives in recent times in the Valley. Out of the 12 terrorists killed, 11 have been identified. They are all locals, the police said. Intelligence Bureau officials tell OneIndia that this was an important operation. The terrorists had begun to once again raise their ugly head in the Valley. The terrorists killed in the encounters were locals and they were planning to create an another unrest in the Valley. J&K: 3 Army jawans, 12 terrorist killed in south Kashmir encounters The Hizbul Mujahideen has been under immense pressure since the past couple of months. There were even reports that its chief Sayed Salahuddin was asked to step down as the group was under-performing in the Valley. The Hizbul Mujahideen in fact was asked to step up the heat in the Valley in a bid to give the foreign terror groups such as the Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Tayiba a break. Informed sources said that this operation was aimed at breaking the back of the Hizbul Mujahideen. The very fact that top commanders of the outfit such as Rouf Khandey were killed speaks volumes about the operation. Such encounters are likely to continue to several months more. Intelligence reports estimate the presence of 215 terrorists in the Valley. While on one hand, Pakistan would attempt to push more terrorists through the Line of Control and International Border, the locals too have been asked to step up operations. Operations in the days to come would look to target the local terrorists who have refused to surrender or give up arms, the source also added. The Indian Army launched an offensive in March to target terrorists. March witnessed a high number of incidents. On March 4, in an incident reported at Shopian, two Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists and four civilians suspected to be overground workers were killed in an encounter. On 12th March, three terrorists were killed in an encounter at South Kashmir. In an encounter that took place on March 20 and 21, five security personnel were martyred. They included three Army jawans and two police personnel. Five terrorists part of the attack at Kupwara were gunned down by the forces. On March 23, two Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists were killed by security forces at Anantnag. On March 24, a Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist was killed at Budgam. Four terrorists were killed in an encounter at the Sunderbani area on March 28. On March 29, a policeman was martyred in a terror attack. His wife was critically injured in the attack. On March 31, a policeman was martyred in a terror strike that took place in Pulwama. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, April 2, 2018, 6:50 [IST] Give me one chance, I beg of you: Kumaraswamys plea to Karnataka voters India oi-Oneindia Staff By Oneindia Staff Bengaluru, April 2: Former chief minister of Karnataka HD Kumaraswamy at a political rally in Davangere recently said that both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are not concerned about people's problems. The state president of the Janata Dal (Secular) JD(S) added that he should be given a chance to govern the state one more time. "The Congress and the BJP are not bothered about issues of agriculture, irrigation and job creation. Give me one chance, I beg of you," Kumaraswamy said. The 58-year-old politician was the CM of the state for a brief period of time from February 3, 2006 to October 9, 2007. Kumaraswamy accused that both the Congress and the BJP were only busy in war of words. "Abusing each other is not going to solve people's problems," stated the former CM of Karnataka. "If abusing each other would solve people's problems, I will also spend two hours bad-mouthing other parties," he added. Kumaraswamy promised voters that if he is elected to power then his party will ensure continuous supply of electricity within six months. He added that he will give up the post if he fails to keep up his promise. While the BJP and the incumbent Congress are the two main players in the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka, political analysts say the JD(S) will be the "kingmaker" post elections as no party will get a majority in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly elections. Recently, the Election Commission (EC) announced the polling and counting dates for Karnataka. While polling will take place on May 12, the counting of votes will be held on May 15 in the southern state. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, April 2, 2018, 10:59 [IST] IAF's depleting fleet: The choices India has India oi-Vikas By Vikas Sv The Indian Air Force (IAF)'s depleting strength of combat aircraft squadrons has become a very serious problem and steps must be taken to address it without any further delay. IAF is already down to 31 squadrons of fighter aircrafts against an authorisation of 42. To fight a two-front war, the Indian Air Force needs the optimum strength of 42-plus squadrons. The problem of shortage is not only with fighter aircrafts, but also with helicopters and other equipments needed by IAF. Broadly, the main assets needed by the IAF to effectively defend India's borders can be classified under - fighter planes, transport fleets, mid-air refuellers, trainers and helicopters. IAF is fifth largest airforce in the world and is also one of the highest purchasers of defence products from the foreign vendors. It can be said that IAF buys almost everything from foreign vendors. Reason behind foreign purchases: Many reasons can be given for IAF's (or for that matter all the three forces) over reliance on foreign purchases. But, blunt and straightforward reason is that ingenuously manufactured products are not good enough yet to carry on the advanced multi-task roles that a modern air force needs. Whether it is LCA Tejas or indigenous helicopters like Dhurv, Cheetah and Chetak, these are no match for the US, French or Russian made defence products. It is not that HAL is not no capable, HAL is trying its best to come out with world class products, but the time taken by it to develop a news product is just too high. For example, LCA Tejas has been in development for over a decade now, but it is yet to get Final Operational Clearance (FOC) to be inducted into the IAF. And by time it is ready, the other foreign competitors would have come up with products with much more advanced models. Fighter aircrafts: Single engine vs twin engine: Which is better - Single engine fighters or twin engine ones? Well, there is no clear answer to it as it depends on the requirements of intended use of the aircraft and to some extent the level of available technology. Single engine fighters cost less and require less maintenance. On the other hand, a twin-engine aircraft has a greater operational ceiling, high-altitude kinematic performance and can carry higher payload. A single-engine aircraft's primary advantage is being relatively light-weight and often less-draggy airframe. While twin-engine aircraft gets the advantage of a lot more thrust, that is usually always to compensate the additional weight of the airframe/payload due to mission requirements. India's choices: It was thought that India's requirement for single engine fighters could be met with LCA Tejas. But due multiple problems encountered during Tejas's develpment and HAL's failure to meet the delivery deadlines has forced IAF to look at other foreign aircrafts. [HAL misses LCA Tejas' delivery target, mounting worries for IAF] Sometime back, reports had emerged that the Indian Air Force (IAF) was showing interest in Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II fighter jet. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole fighters. The fifth-generation combat aircraft is designed to perform a ground attack and air superiority missions. But on March 1, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa rubbished the reports and said that no such "request been made to the Americans." The other good single engine fighters that India can consider are F-16, Mirage, Gripen, other SAABs, Chengdu J-7, MiG-27, Su-7 through 17. India would not want a single engine aircraft from Russia as Russian engines are notorious for failure. Defence Ministry has made it clear that two separate "Make in India" programmes will be considered - the first for a single-engine type and the second for a twin-engine type. It has been speculated that the F-16 and Gripen will be in competition for the former category, while the F/A-18 and the Rafale will compete in the latter category. Lockheed Martin is excited about the prospect of making F-16 fighter aircraft in India and making India a global manufacturing and supply base for the aircraft. There is legitimate concern that the choice of a new single-engine fighter type could jeopardize India's own Tejas project. This should not be an issue since the single-engine type being sought is to replace the MiG-23-MF/-BN and MiG-27ML aircraft in service, while the Tejas has been earmarked to replace the MiG-21. As far as twin engine fighter are concerned, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in 2015 announced that India will buy 36 French-manufactured Rafale fighter jets off-the-shelf from Dassault, the French aircraft builder and integrator. The Rafale was chosen in 2012 over rival offers from the United States, Europe and Russia. The Modi-led BJP government, however, rowed back from the commitment of the last UPA government to buy 126 Rafales, saying the twin-engined planes would be too expensive and the deal fell through after nearly decade-long negotiations between India and France. OneIndia News Dobbs has no experience with the intelligence system. Yet he ranted about its reputed assaults on our privacy and other alleged misdeeds (if you want to know who spies on you, it's the FGA - Facebook, Google and Amazon - not the NSA). When I insisted that the men and women who work in our intelligence agencies are patriots who keep us safe, the host reddened and demanded, "Patriotism is the last refuge of the - you fill in the blank." As I sought to explain that, no, the NSA isn't listening to our pillow talk, Dobbs kept repeating, "Patriotism is the last refuge of the - fill in the blank." Because I'd had a long, positive history with Dobbs, I refrained from replying: "Patriotism is the last refuge of the talk-show host." I became a disgruntled employee, limited to topics on which I agreed with the Trump administration, such as loosened targeting restrictions on terrorists and a tough line with North Korea. Over the past few months, it reached the point where I hated walking into the Fox studio. Friends and family encouraged me to leave, convinced that I embarrassed myself by remaining with the network (to be fair, I'm perfectly capable of embarrassing myself without assistance from Fox). 'Its echo of national interest of the party', says Hariprasad reacting to Siddu's Dalit CM comment Karnataka: By-polls in Shimoga, Bellary and Mandya to be held on 3rd Nov, says CEC Karnataka elections: BJP chargesheets Congress, here is what it says India oi-Vicky Nanjappa A three fold increase in crime, atrocities on Dalits, women and children, attacks on honest officials, killing of Hindu activists, rise in farmer suicides and the rise of the drug mafia. These were the highlights of the chargesheet released by the BJP against the ruling Congress in Karnataka. The chargesheet released in three booklets listed the alleged failures of law and order, agriculture and ignoring Bengaluru. Among the charges mentioned was a three fold increase in crime in Karnataka, atrocities on Dalits, women and children, attacks on honest officials, killings of Hindutva activists, steep rise in farmers' suicides in the last three years, drug mafia ruling the roost in Bengaluru and poor infrastructure in the city. Union Minister for Law and Information and Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Karnataka government has nothing to show to the public when it seeks votes from them for the May 12 assembly elections. "Let me tell Siddaramaiah that you have not even four-five outstanding areas of achievements which you can convey (to the public)... you go everywhere (portraying) a negative BJP and negative Yeddyurappa," Prasad said. The Union Minister said Congress was losing its base across India due to 'misgovernance.' "The record of the Congress is that it could not win a single seat in Tripura or a single seat in Nagaland a traditional pro-Congress bastion for the last 70 years. Congress could not perform in Nagaland and Meghalaya. Nagaland has 88 per cent Christian population," he said. On the other hand, BJP is in power in 15 states while its allies are Chief Ministers in seven states, Prasad said. Karnataka Assembly Election dates Date of notification April 17 Last date to file nominations April 24 Last date to withdraw nominations April 27 Date of polling May 12 Date of counting May 15 OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, April 2, 2018, 8:01 [IST] Wont give tickets to Muslims as they dont believe in us, says Karnataka BJP leader Challenges from within: How would Karnataka CM deal with his senior ministers rebellion? Karnataka elections: Eshwarappa will contest confirms Yeddyurappa India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Will K S Eshwarappa of the BJP get a ticket to contest the Karnataka Assembly Election? Putting speculations regarding the issue to rest, the BJP's chief ministerial candidate, B S Yeddyurappa has said that Eshwarappa would contest the elections. Yes, he will get a B-Form and will contest from the Shivamogga constituency, Yeddyurappa said. Further Yeddyurappa also said that the party leadership has decided to make Rudre Gowda a member of the legislative council. This announcement by Yeddyurappa has put to rest speculations about Eshwarappa's candidature. During the recent visit by BJP president, Amit Shah, both Eshwarappa and Yeddyurappa held discussions on the issue. It was only after these discussions that a decision to give Eshwarappa a ticket was taken. Karnataka Assembly Election dates Date of notification April 17 Last date to file nominations April 24 Last date to withdraw nominations April 27 Date of polling May 12 Date of counting May 15 OneIndia News Karnataka elections: The importance of the Coast and its impact on the state India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Ahead of the crucial Karnataka Assembly Elections, all eyes would be on the coast and its adjoining areas. The BJP has pulled out all its tricks in its book to bag the coast and the Congress on the other hand is no mood to give up. In the 2013 elections, the BJP received a drubbing and managed to bag just one of the five seats and that was at Udupi. In Dakshina Kannada, the BJP could not even win a single seat out of the 8. 'Give me one chance, I beg of you': Kumaraswamy's plea to Karnataka voters When one speaks about the coast, it must be viewed along with Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Chickmagalur. This is largely because in all elections of the past, a similar voting pattern is witnessed in these regions. In all there are 24 constituencies in the above mentioned regions and the direct battle is between the BJP and Congress. A heated campaign: The BJP had put up an impressive performance in this region in 2008 when it came to power. To win back the region, the party has gone for an all out Hindu campaign. A stronghold of the Sangh the coast has always provided for large scale polarisation of votes. While its performance dipped badly in 2013, it bounced back during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, but this was largely due to a Modi wave.. Leading the charge in the region is BJP, MP, Ananth Kumar Hegde. He has ensured that the Hindu card has been played to the best of his ability. Along with BJP president, Amit Shah, he has also visited the homes of Hindu activists killed in communal violence. Karnataka Assembly elections: The curious case of 'missing' SM Krishna The BJP has accused groups such as the SDPI and PFI for killing 23 of their workers since 2013. At every meeting, these points are raised and the Siddaramaiah government is accused of not just backing the PFI/SDPI, but also withdrawing cases against them. On religious lines: The elections this year too would be fought clearly on religious lines here. Back in 2013, the Congress had fielded Moideen Bava from Mangalore North, U T Khader from Mangalore and J R Lobo from Mangalore City South. For the Congress the gamble paid off. For the BJP, the problem arose with the fact that it was a divided house back then. A large number of people were also upset with the BJP government and the constant infighting. This had led to a split in the votes as a result of which the BJP was defeated. Karnataka elections: BJP chargesheets Congress, here is what it says The Christian factor: In 2008, it was perceived that a large number of Christians had voted for the BJP. However by 2013, that changed and the Christians voted in large numbers against the BJP. They were upset with the Church attacks which included a strike on the Milagres Church in Mangalore. The Christians had even come up with a set of Ten Commandments to defeat the BJP in Mangalore and the adjoining areas. As part of this exercise, the Christians ensured that more voters were added to the voters' list. Back in 2009 when this campaign was launched against the BJP, nearly 40,000 new Christian voters had enrolled into the list. There were also rumours back in 2013 that all members of the Christian community were told to compulsorily vote against the BJP. Karnataka elections: The ten constituencies to watch out for This year while speaking to a cross-section of Christians in Mangalore, the mood is no different. Many still remember the attacks and the violence at the pubs. They say that they do not feel safe under the BJP. The BJP however would not fret too much on this. The Hindus are larger in numbers when compared to the Christians who make up for 13.5 per cent of the population. The Hindus on the other hand account for around 68.99 per cent and the BJP feels that it can get these numbers with ease. The Congress on the other hand will look to bag the Muslim and Christian votes which make up for 13.15 and 17.40 per cent respectively. The impact of the coast: Dr. Sandeep Shastri, leading psephologist says that the coast would play an important role. Mangalore, Udupi, Uttara Kannada and Chickmagalur more or less have similar voting patterns. The trends in Mangalore extend to these regions and hence it is important. You need to look at the entire region as one in terms of communal polarisation. If you look at the voting patterns in the past, all have had a similar pattern, says Dr. Shastri. In 2013, the BJP fared badly in these regions owing to the split. The votes were divided between the BJP and KJP, he says. While the vote base of the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections in these constituencies has always remained loyal, in the case of the assembly polls, it has been different. In the assembly elections, one has always witnessed a switch over. Voters do not tend to vote the same party in elections, he also adds. About the effect of the polarisation that takes place in Mangalore, Dr. Shastri says that it would at best spread to parts of Bangalore city and Belagavi. Karnataka Assembly Election dates Date of notification April 17 Last date to file nominations April 24 Last date to withdraw nominations April 27 Date of polling May 12 Date of counting May 15 OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, April 2, 2018, 12:09 [IST] Karnataka polls: Shiv Sena to fight solo in 60 seats India oi-Vicky Nanjappa The Shiv Sena would go solo in the Karnataka Assembly Elections to be held next month. The Maharashtra based party would contest 60 seats against its alliance partner, BJP which is looking to topple the ruling Congress in Karnataka. The announcement was made by Shiv Sena MP, Sanjay Raut. Karnataka votes on May 12 and counting would be held on May 15. Earlier, the Sena had fielded candidates against the BJP in the elections held in Goa, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat last year. "Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had already announced that our party is going to contest elections independently and as a part of it, we have decided to go solo in Karnataka as well. We will contest around 50-60 seats but will support the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), which represents the Marathi people living in disputed areas between Maharashtra and Karnataka," he told reporters. In a party resolution, Thackeray had announced that Sena would contest the 2019 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections on its own without a truck with the BJP. The Sena, the oldest member of the NDA, shares power with the BJP in the Union and Maharashtra governments. Maharashtra has been demanding handing over of Belgaum, Karvar and around 800 villages and hamlets currently in Karnataka, claiming that they are dominated by Marathi-speaking people. The issue, festering since 1960 when the Centre adopted Linguistic Policy for the formation of states, is pending before the supreme court. Raut also appealed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis not to campaign for the BJP in the disputed areas in Karnataka. "In every speech given by Maharashtra governor, the state government mentioned resolving the issue with Karnataka. If Fadnavis campaigns in this disputed area for the BJP, it would send a wrong message in Maharashtra as this act would be perceived contradictory to the official stance of the state government on the pending issue," he said. Raut had recently demanded Belgaum and other border areas be declared as a Union Territory. However, his comments did not go down well with a section of people who filed a police complaint against him. Referring to the controversy, the Rajya Sabha MP said, "I was talking in the interest of 20 lakh Marathi people who reside there". Karnataka Assembly Election dates Date of notification April 17 Last date to file nominations April 24 Last date to withdraw nominations April 27 Date of polling May 12 Date of counting May 15 OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, April 2, 2018, 6:42 [IST] Karnataka polls: Yogendra Yadav to announce Swaraj India party candidates tomorrow India oi-Oneindia Staff By Oneindia Staff Bengaluru, April 2: On Tuesday, Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav will announce the names of the candidates who will contest the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections under the party banner at an event in Bengaluru. During the event, Yadav will be joined by all the top Swaraj India party leaders from Karnataka, including Devanuru Mahadeva. This will be Swaraj India party's first election in Karnataka. Recently, the Election Commission (EC) announced the polling and counting dates for Karnataka. While polling will take place on May 12, the counting of votes will be held on May 15 in the southern state. The state has 224-member Assembly. Yadav will also take part in a discussion called, Swaraj Samvada, to talk about the party's vision document. The discussion will see participation by various experts from different fields, stated a Swaraj India party leader. However, it is not clear how many candidates the party will field for the upcoming polls. Earlier, Manohar Elavarthi, a senior member of the Swaraj India party in Karnataka, told OneIndia that the party will field at least seven to ten candidates for the upcoming polls. Elavarthi said that all the seven to ten candidates are farmer leaders. Along with fielding its own candidates, the Swaraj India party is going to support a couple of independent candidates in the upcoming elections. The Swaraj India party was founded last year by political expert Yadav and Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan. Both Yadav and Bhushan were among a group of founding members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), but later they were expelled from the party. Yadav, Bhushan and AAP convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal were the three main faces of Anna Hazare led anti-corruption movement in 2011. In March, the AAP announced a list of 18 candidates who will contest the Karnataka polls. "We have a strong base among the farmers in the state. Our leaders are mostly farmers and activists working with the farming community in the state," said Elavarthi. While announcing the name of the candidates, the party will also unveil its manifesto for the elections. The event will see a gathering of hundreds of farmers from across the state in Bengaluru. OneIndia News Lets give peace a chance: Communities join hands to end communal violence in Bihar India oi-Oneindia Staff By Oneindia Staff Patna, April 2: As incidents of communal violence have been reported from different parts of the nation in the last few days, people belonging to various communities took part in a peace conference in Gaya, Bihar on Sunday. In Gaya, the land of Lord Buddha, a peace conference, titled-- Sarvdharm Samvad (Dialogue between all religions)--was organised to send the message of peace and harmony among various communities. Most of the communal clashes have been reported from Bihar and neighbouring West Bengal in the last few days. "People from different communities took part in a peace conference 'Sarvdharm Samvad', organised at Gandhi Maidan in Gaya to send the message of peace and harmony, following incidents of communal violence across #Bihar," tweeted ANI. People from different communities took part in a peace conference 'Sarvdharm Samvad', organised at Gandhi Maidan in Gaya to send a message of peace and harmony, following incidents of communal violence across #Bihar (01.04.18) pic.twitter.com/SGBgXqdKr8 ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2018 Violence rocked Bihar and West Bengal after Ram Navami processions took place in various parts of these states almost 10 days ago. Along with dividing people on the basis of religion, the communal clashes led to the death of three persons in West Bengal. Several people have sustained injuries in communal violence in both the states. "It is sad that people are fighting over religion. We want unity and peace in the country. The idea of hosting the event is to spread the message of peace and love. We are all Indians and we should live together in peace and harmony. Religions should bring us together and not divide us," said a Jain monk who took part in the peace conference in Gaya. All the religious leaders at the Gaya event asked people to live in peace and harmony and help the country grow and prosper. Amid tension, as people belonging to all faiths came together to chant "peace and harmony", the Gaya meeting reiterated India's faith in communal harmony and secularism. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, April 2, 2018, 7:20 [IST] 7 Indians kidnapped in Libya; govt in touch with Libyan authorities to rescue them: MEA Two ships with 39 Indians on board not yet allowed to unload cargo by China: India Funds of Indians in Swiss banks rise to Rs 20,700 cr, highest in 13 years; customer deposits down for 2nd year Mortal remains of 39 Indians killed by ISIS in Iraq brought back to India India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Minister for State for External Affairs, V K Singh has returned with the mortal remains of 39 Indians killed by the Islamic State in Iraq. The aircraft carrying the mortal remains has landed in Amritsar. The minister flew in a C-17 plane-the largest cargo aircraft of the Indian Air Force. After Amritsar, Singh would travel to Patna and Kolkata to personally hand over the mortal remains to the families. Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj had told Parliament last month that all the 39 Indians, abducted by the ISIS in Iraq in 2014, had been killed and their bodies recovered. As many as 40 Indians were abducted by the ISIS terror group from Mosul in Iraq but one of them escaped posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh, Swaraj had said in Rajya Sabha. The remaining 39 Indians were taken to Badoosh and killed, she had said. Search operations led to a mound in Badoosh where locals said some bodies were buried by the ISIS. Deep penetration radars were used to establish that the mound indeed was a mass grave, she had said, adding the Indian authorities requested their Iraqi counterpart to exhume the bodies. Swaraj said the mass grave had exactly 39 bodies, with distinctive features such as long hair, non-Iraqi shoes and IDs. The bodies were then sent to Baghdad for DNA testing. DNA testing by Martyrs Foundation established the identity of 38 Indians while there has been 70 per cent matching of the DNA for the 39th person, she had said. OneIndia News Farmers' Protest: What is 'chakka jam' that farmers have announced for Saturday? Tamil Nadu bandh on April 5 India oi-Vicky Nanjappa There would be a Tamil Nadu bandh on April 5. The state wide bandh call was made in a bid to step up pressure on the Centre to set up the Cauvery Management Board. During the bandh, the opposition parties would block trains and also hold protest marches across the state. Meanwhile, governor Banwarilal Purohit held a meeting with chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan, home secretary Niranjan Mardi, DGP T K Rajendran and advocate general Vijay Narayanan on the law and order situation in the state. The decision for a statewide bandh was taken at an all-party meeting, convened by the DMK at the party headquarters Anna Arivalayam. The meeting was attended by several opposition parties in the state including the Congress, the CPI and CPM, VCK and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi among others. "The all party meeting has decided to call for a statewide bandh on Thursday to protest against the Centre delaying the setting up of the Cauvery Management Board. I request all sections of people including traders and students to extend their full support to the bandh," Stalin told reporters. He also urge4d the traders to postpone their bandh call to April 5. The traders wing had called for a bandh on April 3. Since exams have been scheduled on April 3, Stalin urged the traders to postpone their bandh to April 5. OneIndia News Why the rise of Sikh separatism in the United States needs to be flagged harder Terrorists killed on a bloody Sunday were Hizbuls locals India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Among the 12 terrorists who were killed in Kashmir in separate encounters, only one was part of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. The rest were locals, part of the Hizbul Mujahideen, sources have confirmed. Sources also said that those terrorists part of the Hizbul Mujahideen who were killed were all new recruits. Some of them had joined the ranks a few months back while others were recruited post the death of Burhan Wani. For terrorists in Kashmir, March was bloody, April will be bloodier One of those who was killed was identified as Zubair Ahmed Turray, aged 29. It may be recalled that he had escaped from police custody in May 2017. He had also recently surfaced in a video and had questioned the action by the police who repeatedly slapped charges under the Public Safety Act against him. He had said that despite the High Court quashing the same, the police went ahead and slapped the charges again. Turray was among the seven who were killed in the encounter that took place at Dragad in Shopian. The others who were killed in the encounter were identified as Yawar Itoo, Aadil Thoker, Ubaid Shafi Malla, Ishfaq Ahmad Malik, Rayees Thokar and Nazim Nazir. These terrorists were responsible for the death of Lt. Umar Fayaz. J&K: 3 Army jawans, 12 terrorist killed in south Kashmir encounters Among those killed also included two terrorists who had joined the Hizbul Mujahideen when they were in Class XII and X. They have been identified as Ishfaq Ahmad Malik and Rayees Thokar. Malik was 23 while Thokar was 21. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, April 2, 2018, 6:57 [IST] This New York cafe gives employment to people with autism and they are doing great Today is World Autism Awareness Day International oi-Shubham By Shubham Every year, April 2 is observed as the World Autism Awareness Day. The United Nations first recognised the date in 2008 on being suggested by Sheikh Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, the wife of a former Emir of Qatar who had been associated with several educational and social reforms in the country. The idea was accepted by all member states and after known as Autism Acceptance Day initially, it was called as World Autism Awareness Day. World Autism Awareness Day is one of the four health-specific awareness days that are observed by the UN. On this day, raising of funds, autism-friendly events, welfare initiatives and spreading of scientific knowledge take place across the world. One of the most prominent events of this day is the Light It Up Blue initiative whereby landmarks across the US are lit up in royal blue to honour autistic people. Autism is a social communication disorder which varies from person to person. An autistic person has difficulties with social communication, skills and awareness and find themselves in a rigid behavioural mode. Autistic people often show interest in a narrow range of activities that are unique for each person. As per the World Health Organisation, around one in 160 children has autistic disorder which begins in childhood and carries on into adulthood. This means around 45 million people suffer from this disorder on this planet. Autism is considered more as a spectrum because its intensity varies from person to person, making it difficult to classify the disorder. For convenience, those suffering from autism spectrum can be broadly divided into high-functioning and low-functioning with the former able to live independently and latter requiring a life-long support. Men are more susceptible to autism than women, in fact by four times. Though autism is no illness that can be bettered with treatment, some autistic people respond well to behavioural therapy techniques. Though there is no single reason that causes autism, environmental and genetic factors can contribute to this disorder. Raising awareness about autism is important to integrate autistic people into the society and help them lead a meaningful life despite having serious limitations in communicating with people around them. OneIndia News Proposition 13 did not take anything from the people or any subset of the people. Prop. 13 limited the ability of the State of California to tax the people. This is direct democracy by the people, unlike our normal representative democracy, which is the American system. Our founders were wary of direct democracy and wanted to avoid it because it allows a majority of voters to trample the rights of minorities. James Madison was especially worried about the Tyranny of the Majority and pushed hard to make the new government of America a representative democracy. Direct democracy can have a very dark side to it when the majority puts their own interests above those in the minority. Imagine three wolves and a sheep deciding what to have for dinner. The sheep objects to the selection, but the wolves console the sheep that it was a fair election -- it was democracy after all -- and the sheep lost. Measure C is no different in principle than all previous historical oppressions of minority groups. If Measure C passes, the majority will take property rights from a minority for their own benefit. Unlike Prop. 13 where the farmers got tax relief for putting their land in the Ag Preserve, Measure C just takes the property rights from the oak woodlands owners and gives nothing in return. Collapse of Kabul will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history: Donald Trump Trump threatens to kill Daca deal, Nafta if Mexico doesnt 'mend ways' International oi-Shubham By Shubham US President Donald Trump on Sunday, April 1, thundered yet again over his strong border plan rubbishing the chances of arriving at deals to legalise the status of Dreamers - the young adult immigrants - besides saying the USA's border with its southern neighbour Mexico was becoming all the more dangerous. Trump got into his aggressive mood after tweeting a "Happy Easter" message on Sunday and blasted the Democrats for making "laws like Catch & Release" which he said was hampering the border patrol officials from doing their job properly. In another tweet, Trump lashed out at Mexico saying it was doing nothing to stop immigration into the US and laughed at Washington's "dumb immigration laws". He said Mexico must stop the "big drug and people flows" or he would kill the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) which is being renegotiated with Mexico and northern neighbour Canada. No Daca deal, thunders Trump Trump even went to the extreme of asking the Republicans to "go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW" and threatened that there would be no Daca (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) deal, a soft US immigration policy that allows individuals who entered the country as minors and without legal permission -- to receive a two-year period of deferred action from deportation and be eligible to get a work permit. The Daca programme was put in place in 2012 during the term of Barack Obama which Trump is eyeing to kill. He also made a deal out of the Daca programme saying he was open to an agreement with the pro-Daca congressional Democrats in exchange of building his much emphasised border wall with Mexico, something he has been backing since campaigning for the presidency. He said during the campaign that Mexico would pay for the wall - a claim which the latter has repeatedly trashed. Counter effect to Trump's hardline stand is being seen in Mexico now The counter effect of Trump's hard stance on Mexico has also started getting reflected on the Mexican side of the border. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who is running for Mexican presidency, launched his campaign near the border on the same day seeking respect for Mexicans and hinting at taking a strong stand on Trump if he wins the election scheduled on July 1. Obrador, who is representing the 'Together We Will Make History' coalition, is being considered favourite to win this year's election and if that happens, the relation between the US and Mexico is expected to deteriorate further. Obrador believes that neither walls nor force could find solution for social problems. Trump had his moment of frustration last month when he had to sign a federal spending bill which neither address the Dreamers' issue nor fully fund the border wall with Mexico. He threatened to veto the bill but signed it eventually. Experts said the US president was particularly vocal over cancelling the Daca deal after learning about news of young people crossing Mexico into the US. OneIndia News Moving embassy to Jerusalem: After US, Guatemala does the same; Paraguay next Former Guatemala dictator Efrain Rios Montt dead at 91 International oi-Shubham By Shubham Efrain Rios Montt, the former dictator of Guatemala in Central America whose brief regime in the early 1980s witnessed one of the bloodiest periods in the country's long civil war, died on Sunday, April 1, at the age of 91. The former dictator's lawyer informed this, adding that he died of heart attack. He is survived by his wife, two children and several grandchildren. Rios Montt was convicted of genocide for massacring nearly 1,800 indigenous Ixil Mayans by his security forces during his 17-month rule between March 1982 and August 1983. But Rios Montt succeeded in evading the verdict and a new trial was ordered to the utter dismay of those who wanted to see him punished for the crime. The genocide trials resumed after more than a year but his lawyers defended Rios Montt saying he was too forgetful then to participate in the process. Rios Montt was an ex-military man who instilled fear. He later emerged as one of the most influential figures in Guatelaman politics for over three decades. Born in 1926 in a Roman Catholic family, Rios Montt went up the military ranks after joining it in 1946 and ran for the president's post for the first time in 1974 but lost it. Eight years later, Rios Montt seized power in a military coup and suspended the country's constitution, dissolved the congress and started a brutal counterinsurgency rule that killed thousands. A truth commission of the UN later said that the worst atrocities of the three-and-half-decade old Guatelamalan civil war took place during Rios Montt's rule. The United States and Israel were great supporters of the Rios Montt regime with former US president Ronald Reagan even describing him as "a man of great personal integrity and commitment". Rios Montt nevertheless remained popular for many of his social welfare initiatives and his 'iron fist' policy which had brought relative peace in some regions. Though he was barred from seeking presidency in 1985, he remained in politics and also founded a new conservative party in 1990. In 2003, Rios Montt made another attempt to become the president after the constitutional court allowed him to but he finished a distant loser. OneIndia News Gaza killings: Turkey President Erdogan calls Israel PM Netanyahu terrorist International oi-Shubham By Shubham Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, on Sunday, April 1, lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the latter's remarks against Ankara's military operation in Afrin in northwestern Syria. The two strong leaders of West Asia found themselves in a war of words after Netanyahu spoke about Turkey's "moral lessons" over the killing of Palestinian protesters by the Israeli troops in Gaza and calling Erdogan as one who uses bombs against the Kurdish villagers. Erdogan, in his response, described Netanyahu as "weak, very poor" for accusing Turkey of oppression against the people of Afrin. The president said this while addressing a congress of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) in Adana province in southern Turkey. Israel a terror state: Erdogan Erdogan also said that while Turkey was dealing with terrorists, Netanyahu was leading a "terror state". He called the Israeli PM "an occupier" in Palestine and a "terrorist" defended Turkey saying it never indulged in any such act of occupation. The Erdogan-Netanyahu verbal exchange came in the wake of killing of 17 Palestinians by the Israeli forces on 'Land Day' protest near the eastern border of the Gaza Strip. More than 1,500 people were injured in the ghastly act which took place on Friday, March 30. Several thousands of Palestinian protesters kicked off a six-week protest starting Land Day and it was met with a strong response from the very beginning. The protest is scheduled to conclude on May 15, the day Palestinians term as "Nakba" to remember with pain the birth of the state of Israel 70 years ago. Over 7,50,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes to make way for the Israeli state. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, April 2, 2018, 6:37 [IST] Jaishankar in Kuwait to strengthen bi-lateral further, will hand over personal letter of PM Modi to Emir Kuwait: 7 Indians among 15 oil workers killed in bus collision International oi-Vicky Nanjappa Seven Indians were among the 15 killed in a head-on collision between two buses in southern Kuwait, officials said. The Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD) put the death toll at 15. It said the two buses collided head-on thus causing the high casualty figure, KUNA news agency reported. Firefighters rushed to the scene to rescue the injured. One of them was taken by an ambulance and the other by air to hospital. The firefighters had immediately intervened to help four individuals who were trapped in the wreckage of mangled metal. The Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) said the buses were transporting employees of contracting firms that work for the company when the accident occurred near Burgan oil field. Seven of the victims were Indians, five Egyptians, three Pakistanis, in addition to two who were injured - one Indian and the other Kuwaiti. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, April 2, 2018, 6:24 [IST] Nigerian man lands in jail after he tries to buy Baba Ramdev's Patanjali ghee with cloned card Over a dozen killed in Boko Haram-army clash in Nigeria International oi-Shubham By Shubham More than a dozen people lost their lives near the city of Maiduguri in Borno state of north-eastern Nigeria on Sunday, April 1. The victims included villagers who reportedly found themselves caught in clashes between suspected members of Islamist militant group of Boko Haram and soldiers. At least 68 were also injured in the attack, reported Reuters. {image-nigeria-1522666432.jpg www.oneindia.com} According to military sources that spoke to AFP, 18 militants launched an attack on two villages and a military base with mortars, gunmen and suicide bombers. The attack saw several villagers running for their lives many of whom got caught in the cross fires between the militants and the military. Sunday's attack was the biggest since the Nigerian government revealed that it was in talk with the militants. A local militia leader Ba'Kura Abba Ali supporting the military said the militants were trying to enter Maiduguri which is at the centre of the epicentre, according to AFP. Eighteen bodies were recovered from the two villages that were attacked, Borno's State Emergency Management Agency informed, the AFP added. It was not clear however whether all the deceased were villagers or were extremists and soldiers as well. Ever since the Boko Haram started its campaign of violence to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria in 2009, it has killed some 20,000 people and displaced over two million. The Nigerian government said in March that it was in talks with the Boko Haram though it was confirmed whether it was engaging with all the factions of the group which got split a couple of years ago. OneIndia News On Nelson Mandelas centenary celebrations, know how Manushi Chhillar has brought hope to SA women This viral video of Barack Obama dancing with granny in Kenya is enough to make you happy Mandela Day 2019: A day to honour one of the greatest anti-Apartheid icons South African anti-apartheid activist Winnie Mandela dies at 81 International oi-Deepika By Deepika Winnie Madikizela Mandela, the South African anti-apartheid campaigner and wife to Nelson Mandela has died aged 81, her personal assistant confirms. "She died after a long illness, for which she had been in and out of hospital since the start of the year," Victor Dlamini, the Mandela family spokesperson said. Madikizela-Mandela married Nelson Mandela in 1956, six years before he was imprisoned for his fight against apartheid in 1962. During her ex-husband's 27-year imprisonment, Madikizela-Mandela campaigned for his release and the rights of black South Africans. In 1990 the world watched when Nelson Mandela finally walked out of prison hand in hand with Winnie. But they separated just two years later and divorced in 1996 after a legal wrangle that revealed her affair with a young bodyguard. Winnie, hailed as mother of the "new" South Africa built her own role as a tough, glamourous and outspoken black activist with a loyal grassroots following in the segregated townships. Her uncompromising methods and refusal to forgive contrasted sharply with the reconciliation espoused by her husband as he worked to forge a stable, pluralistic democracy from the racial division and oppression of apartheid. Winnie was born September 26, 1936, in the village of Mbongweni in what is now Eastern Cape. She completed university, a rarity for black women at the time, and became the first qualified social worker at Johannesburg's Baragwanath Hospital. Winnie played a high-profile role in the battle to end white-minority rule but her place in history was also stained by controversy. Her reputation came under damaging scrutiny in the twilight years of apartheid rule. In 1986, she was widely linked to "necklacing", when suspected traitors were burnt alive by a petrol-soaked car tyre being put over their head and set alight. OneIndia News (with agency inputs) Trade war: China hits back, imposes tariffs on 128 US products International oi-Shubham By Shubham Accelerating trade war with the United States, the government of China has imposed tariffs on 128 American products - including pork and certain types of fruits - as a direct response to US President Donald Trump's recent moves to impose several trade restrictions against the former. With American goods turning more expensive than China because of the tariffs, the buyers in China could opt to pick products that come from Europe, South America and other parts of the world. The US leadership though believes contrary to this. But there is no denying that Beijing's restrictions would threaten those American companies that rely on Asian markets to sell their products. A number of US firms are against Trump's plan to impose trade restrictions on China because it harms the prospects of them doing business with cheap labour from the Asian countries. People's Daily, China's state-controlled English media organisation said in a post on Twitter about China's imposing tariffs on 28 imports from the US from Monday, April 2, onwards as a countermeasure to Washington's move on slapping tariffs on imports of steel and alminum. It was a month earlier in March that Trump expressed his plan to apply high tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and has not softened his stand on China even though he exempted various countries. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, April 2, 2018, 11:33 [IST] US to release China product list for tariff this week International oi-Shubham By Shubham President Donald Trump is in no mood to spare the Chinese in the trade war and it became evident once again as news about Washington set to unveil a list of Chinese products it was aiming to impose tariff on came out on Monday, April 2. The Trump administration will release this week the list to corner Beijing on technology transfer policies and it is likely to raise tension between the two powers further. On Sunday, April 1, Beijing imposed a steep tariff of upto 25 per cent on 128 American products including frozen pork and fruits after Washington put heavy tariffs on imports of aluminum and steel in March. Being the producer of half the world's steel, China was at the receiving end of this decision and retaliated soon after. US officials said the list of annual imports worth $50-$60 billion is likely to aim the "largely high technology" products and it could take more than two months before the tariffs come into play. The office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) has to unveil the list of products by Friday, April 6, under Trump's China tariff proclamation signed in the third week of March. The latest set of tariffs are aimed to making the government of China change its policies that according to USTR, leads to "uneconomic" transfer of American intellectual property to Chinese forms, the Reuters reported. The agency's 'Section 301' investigation which authorises the tariffs accused China of misappropriating US intellectual property through joint venture requirements, buying of US technology firms with state funding and even theft and unjust technology licensing rules. China, on its part, said its law doesn't require technology transfers and threatened to hit back by putting trade sanctions against more US commodities, like aircraft and heavy equipment. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, April 2, 2018, 17:27 [IST] Pilots of Russian Pacific Fleet antisubmarine warfare (ASW) aircraft have practiced searching for a simulated enemys submarines in the Arctic for the first time, fleet spokesman Captain 2nd Rank Nikolai Voskresensky said. Pilots of Russian Pacific Fleet antisubmarine warfare (ASW) aircraft have practiced searching for a simulated enemys submarines in the Arctic for the first time, fleet spokesman Captain 2nd Rank Nikolai Voskresensky said. A Russian Navy Il-38N Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) operating in heavy snow. Russian MoD picture. "Pilots from a Pacific Fleet air base in Kamchatka [in Russias Far East] have practiced searching for the simulated enemys submarines in the Arctic. The crews of Ilyushin Il-38N [NATO reporting name: May] ASW planes performed their first maximum-endurance flights to the Arctic," Voskresensky said. During the flight, the crews practiced searching for and classifying the submarines and tracking them with the use of radars and sonars. The Il-38N pilots performed simulated bombing to check their ASW weapons. "The Pacific Fleet crews practiced cohesion and flying along the assigned route without ground-based radio navigation aids in an unfamiliar area," the spokesman said. TASS reported earlier that Pacific Fleet fighter jets had practiced repelling a simulated enemys attacks in the Arctic for the first time. The planes were guided to the targets from Eastern Military District radar and aircraft guidance posts. Copyright 2018 TASS. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 19:01 Cambridge Analytica -- the firm at the centre of Facebook users' data breach -- has sought an additional time of one week to respond to government's notice questioning the company on alleged misuse of data to profile Indians and influence their voting behaviour. The IT ministry had, last month, shot off notices to social media giant Facebook as well as Cambridge Analytica on the data breach issue and the deadline for the British data analytics firm to respond to the notice was March 31. Facebook has time till April 7 to send its detailed reply on the matter. A source said that Cambridge Analytica has sought additional time of one week to respond to the government notice. The notice had sought the company's response on the entities which engaged Cambridge Analytica, the method used by it for possession of data and whether consent was taken from users. "The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, has issued a notice... to Cambridge Analytica, wherein the serious breach of propriety and misuse of data intended to profile and influence voting behaviour has been highlighted," the IT ministry had said in a statement last month. "Was there any profiling done on the basis of such data?," the ministry had sought to know from the company. Law and IT Minster Ravi Shankar Prasad had previously warned social media giant Facebook of "stringent" action for any attempt to influence polls through data theft and had even threatened to summon its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, if needed. -- PTI Women in Ag: Bonnie Wells Growing up in the Mississippi Delta, the region in northwest Mississippi known as one of the richest agricultural areas in the U.S., Bonnie Wells is used to having the door held open for her and other acts of chivalry. But when it comes to collecting samples in the field, shell insist on doing it herself. As the commercial agriculture agent for UF/IFAS Extension St. Johns County and a doctor of plant medicine, you can often find her in fields of potato or cabbage peering under leaves to check for disease or setting traps for pests. When shes back at the office, residents will bring in bugssometimes still alivefor her to identify. In an industry traditionally dominated by men, Wells is part of a new generation of women who are getting up close and personal with insects, weeds, soils and fungi. Being a woman in agriculture has its unique challenges, she says, but those dont define her professionally. At the end of the day, its about what I can do for the farmer, and how I can help them better their operations and communities, she says. Though shes passionate about agriculture now, Wells didnt always see herself working in the industry. Until about my second year into college, I was on a journalism career path. After a fascinating and enjoyable student job in a polymer science laboratory at the University of Southern Mississippi, and my first organic chemistry class, I fell in love with science and knew that is where I wanted to focus my efforts. I changed majors and graduated with a biochemistry degree hoping to study medicinal drugs derived from plants or other natural sources. But then life threw her a curveball. Her mother was diagnosed with late stage cancer, and Wells moved back home to be with her. She got a job as a research associate in the plant pathology department at the nearby Mississippi State Universitys Agricultural Forestry and Experiment Station, and also started a graduate degree in mycology at MSU. One day, walking down the hall to class at MSU, I saw a poster with a tear-off card to get more information about the Doctor of Plant Medicine program at the University of Florida. It sounded right for me, so I tore it off, and mailed it in. And the rest is history, Wells says. Wells liked how the DPM program covered all aspects of plant health. I also loved the fact that everything I learned would be 100 percent applicable to agriculture, and the job opportunities upon graduation seemed endless, she said. Wells will soon have another tool for bringing science to farmers: She recently won a grant from St. Johns County to establish and lead a Plant Diagnostics Triage Lab at the UF/IFAS Hastings Agricultural Extension Center. Read the entire series about women in agriculture here. Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121 "The most effective ways to create a more inclusive, fair-for-all future will be from the bottom up. Rob Kall's book lays out how that would look with a hopeful, pragmatic vision that will change the way you see the world." Dave Zirin, sports editor for The Nation, a columnist for The Progressive, and the author of eight books on the politics of sports, including What's My Name, Fool? Sports and Resistance in the United States and A People's History of Spo Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121 "Rob Kall's book, Bottom-Up, offers a compelling vision of a way of being in the world, bringing insights from different cultures and fields together while offering concrete steps to make the vision a reality. This is one of the rare books that, once you read it, will change the way you see the world and your relationships." Helena Norberg-Hodge, author of Ancient Futures, Producer and co-director of the film The Economics of Happiness, Founder of Local Futures and cofounder of the International Forum on Globalization Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. See original here By Andrea Germanos, staff writer "This just reaffirms what we have known all along: Trump never wanted to protect immigrant youth," says United We Dream. Demonstrators take part in a rally in support of 'Dreamers' on March 4, 2018. (Image by (Photo: Victoria Pickering/flickr/cc)) Details DMCA Human rights groups on Sunday said that President Donald Trump affirmed his "anti-immigrant agenda" when he tweeted that there would be no legislative deal to help a group of immigrants known as Dreamers, said that a border wall is urgently needed, and implied that Mexico and Democrats are allowing "caravans" of undocumented people to arrive in the United States. Trump sent out the series of tweets roughly an hour and a half after tweeting "Happy Easter." In one, he also calls on Senate Republicans to take the "nuclear option," in other words, change Senate rules to allow legislation to move forward with a simple majority rather than 60 votes, thus avoiding Democratic opposition. Trump repeated the message to reporters before attending a church service in Palm Beach, a several-minute drive from his Mar-a-Lago resort where he's spending another weekend. "A lot of people are coming in because they want to take advantage of DACA and we are going to have to really see," he said. "They had a great chance. The Democrats blew it." Democrats rejected the accusation. "Time and time again," said Drew Hamill, spokesman for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, "the President has walked away from bipartisan proposals that are exactly what he asked for." Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) weighed in on the tweetstorm as well, responding that Trump was "never doing a DACA deal. Your actions gave you away: cancelling DACA with no plan, making racist comments about Black/Brown immigrants, ejecting several by bipartisan deals. You didn't fool anybody." According to advocacy group Mi Familia Vota, the president's tweets reveal that "Trump clearly has no idea how DACA works -- there are tight requirements (including age caps & limitations on arrival dates), making most undocumented immigrants ineligible for DACA. There is no excuse for a president spreading lies to fan anti-immigrant sentiments." Other right groups had similar responses. The ACLU, for one, said the tweets were "Yet another reminder @realDonaldTrump ran on an anti-immigrant agenda and has worked to create a machine of human misery for immigrant communities since taking office." This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. John Bolton after President Trump nominated him as his new National Security Adviser Since John Bolton was named President Trump's National Security Adviser on March 23-a day of infamy?-numerous articles have appeared decrying the appointment. And for good reason. Bolton's views on Iran in particular are not a secret. Attack Iran and bring about regime change. Next month Trump by law must waive economic sanctions on Iran that was part of the 2015 P5&1 nuclear deal with Iran which along with the US included Great Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany. In January Trump agreed to continue the Iran deal saying, "Despite my strong inclinations I have not yet withdrawn the United States from the Iran nuclear deal. Instead...fix the deals disastrous flaws, or the United States will withdraw". Iran in response said the deal was "not renegotiable". Let's remember this was not a unilateral deal just with the US/Iran. It was a multilateral deal with Iran. And significantly all the other signees want it to remain in place. It easy to see why. Germany, France even Britain see economic opportunities and investment with Iranian Republic while Russia and China remain close economic and military allies. Plus Iran has been in full compliance. It's only the intransigence of the US that's the problem. Now with Bolton soon to be in Trump's ear-the walrus mustached neo-con has decried the deal from its inception calling it "appeasement"-the "Trumpster" continuing to honor the deal is highly unlikely. Plus most of Congress remains antagonistic toward Iran and many Americans still remember Iranian's taking US embassy personnel hostage at the beginning of the Iranian revolution in 1979. But that memory is a little skewed. Most Americans remain unaware of the CIA along with Britain's MI6 instigating the 1953 coup of the legitimately elected government of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. For the next 25 years that coup was never lost on the Iranian people. It was a precipitating factor bringing to an end the brutal reign of Shah Pahlavi who was brought back to the seat of power with the help of the CIA conspirators. Though the Shah remained a close military ally with US he was hated by the Iranian people. That hostage taking and the country becoming a Muslim theocracy first under Ayatollah Khomeini has Iran demonized ever since. Getting back to Trump and the very real possibility he'll unilaterally back out of the deal and reinstate the economic sanctions on Iran that was integral part of the deal. Such a development will not be lost on other nations in the world, particularly North Korea and its leader Kim Jong-un. Last month Kim invited Trump to meet face to face and Trump accepted the invitation. That was weeks before the Bolton appointment. Some five months ago in a September2017 Fox News interview Bolton when asked whether to shoot down North Korean test missiles replied, "Yes, I think that's at a minimum. But the real question is whether there's a remaining nonmilitary option". With such openly professed views by Bolton not only is next month's summit with Kim probably in question but if Trump breaks the agreement with Iran how will Kim view ANY agreement with the US? It's hard to imagine North Korea agreeing to give up its nuclear weapons? North Korea having nuclear weapons has been the deterrent that has prevented the US from attacking the North. In fact if Trump breaks the deal with Iran it's hard to imagine the summit with Kim even taking place. Also the recent talks between Kim and South Korean President Moon, the overall thaw in their relations with neither wanting a war with the other. Will all this be in jeopardy with the coming of Bolton? He views diplomacy as interference with US hegemony? Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Quicklink Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their quicklinks after publishing them. To see if the quicklink was renamed or re-published, please click here. Progressive Content Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their progressive content after publishing. To see if the progressive content was renamed or re-published, please click here. Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. From Paul Craig Roberts Website Today is Easter, an important Christian holiday. But it is not marked on the calendar that is part of the Apple software that came with my Apple computer laptop. Today is also April Fools day, and that is marked on the Apple-supplied calendar. For Apple's programmers, April Fools Day trumps Easter. How can it be that an American company, Apple, can remember to mark on the calendar Cinco de Mayo (May 5), Mexico's commemoration of a Mexican army victory of the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862, but not Easter? Hanukkah on December 13, but not Easter? Kwanzaa on December 26, but not Easter? Groundhog Day on February 2, but not Easter? St. Patrick's Day on March 17, but not Easter? Earth Day on April 22, but not Easter? First Day of Ramadan Muslim holiday on May 15, but not Easter? Eid al-Fitr marking the end of Ramadan on June 15-17, but not Easter? Eid al-Adha, the Muslim Sacrifice Feast, on August 20, but not Easter? Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, on September 10, but not Easter? Yom Kippur, Jewish holiday on September 19, but not Easter? Ashura, Muslim holiday, on September 20, but not Easter? Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, on November 7, but not Easter? Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. See original here By Andrea Germanos, staff writer "This is part of a broader approach of the Trump administration," the senator says. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Sunday that President Donald Trump's ouster of Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin is rooted in a Koch brothers-led effort to hand federal agencies over to private corporations. "This is part of a broader approach of the Trump administration," the senator, a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, told CNN's "State of the Union." Sanders' interview with host Jake Tapper comes days after Shulkin wrote in a New York Times op-ed that "advocates within the administration for privatizing V.A. health services [...] saw me as an obstacle to privatization who had to be removed." As Common Dreams noted last week, "the VA has long been a major target of Charles and David Koch, who have used their 'front group' Concerned Veterans for America to advocate pushing veterans into the private healthcare market and sharply reducing the department's budget." Echoing comments he made to the Washington Post last week, Sanders said, "Let us be clear...you have the Koch brothers -- the third wealthiest family in this country who are going to spend some $400,000,000 with their billionaire friends on the coming elections -- having enormous power over the Trump administration." "And what the Koch brothers believe," he said, "is not just that we have to privatize the Veterans Administration. They want to privatize Medicare ... they want to privatize Medicaid... they're beginning to go after Social Security." "We have a Secretary of Education who does not believe in public education, a Secretary of the ...EPA who does not believe in environmental protection. So what you're looking at under the leadership of the Koch brothers is a massive effort to privatize agencies of the United States government and give them over to private corporations. That is what the removal of Shulkin is all about," Sanders said. "I would hope whether it's guns, whether it's Social Security, whether it is prescription drugs, that the Trump administration start listening to the American people, not just the billionaire class and the Koch brothers," he added. Sanders' perspective on the president's booting of Shulkin is shared by Iraq war veteran and director of government relations for VoteVets Will Fischer, who told MSNBC Thursday that Trump and the Concerned Veterans for America's desire "to destroy and privatize the VA" was the motivating factor. Shulkin, for his part, also spoke to Tapper on Sunday, saying that he "did not resign," adding, "I believe that way you have to improve care is to work closely with Congress, listen to the veterans' groups, and make sure that you're doing what the veterans want." (Denise H. Rohan, the head of the nation's largest veterans organization, the American Legion, it should be noted, said in a statement last week, "Our 2 million members are opposed to any legislation or effort to close or privatize the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system.") Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). US Capitol Building (Image by ttarasiuk) Details DMCA The New Article V For This Generation The current Article V of our Constitution (which became operational in 1789, with the presidency of George Washington): The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate. (End of Article V) The Twenty-Eighth Amendment Proposal That Totally Rewrites Article V: The New Article V For This Generation This new Article V shows an easier way to Amend the current Constitution and also How to Abolish the current Constitution in a Fair, Safe, and Orderly Way: The U.S. government can currently be changed when Congress passes new federal laws or statutes; the laws are then approved or vetoed by the President. However, when the U.S. Congress currently proposes a new Amendment to the Constitution, it has to be first approved by 2/3 of the Congress and then by 3/4 of the state legislatures. Two-thirds of the states can also demand an Article V Amendment Convention, independent of the federal Congress, to pass new Amendments, but in the history of the United States this method of adding new Amendments to the constitution has never yet been successful. But to change the federal government and the constitution in many different ways all at the same time, it requires that the Constitution be abolished. To abolish the Constitution, there has to be a Constitutional Convention to rewrite a new constitution. The first U.S. Constitution was the Articles of Confederation. Our current Constitution is the second. If we create a new constitution it will be the third one. Article V of the current, second Constitution explains two very difficult ways to add new Amendments to the constitution. Not only that, Article V of the current, second Constitution unfortunately does not explain how to create a new Third Constitution in a fair, safe, and democratic way. This is why "The New Article V For This Generation" is needed to improve the current, second Constitution. It is conceivable that this New Article V can set a precedent for creating the Third Constitution of the United States and possibly for creating the Fourth Constitution of the United States, to provide continuity into the future. How to Amend the Current, Second Constitution Here are the new ways to amend the second, current Constitution of the United States that was written in 1787 and implemented in 1789. To change the federal government by adding any new Amendment to the second Constitution, the United States Congress (including both the House and the Senate) must pass any proposed Amendment to the Constitution with at least a 60 percent majority (no longer a 2/3 majority) in both Houses. Then the American people must approve any new amendment with at least a 51 percent majority in a national referendum. (The previous ratification by 3/4 of the state legislatures is no longer required.) How to Abolish the Current, Second Constitution The Constitution is the supreme civil law of the land. A radically new constitution and government can be created by having a Constitutional Convention. If done properly in the way prescribed here, it will be achieved in a fair, orderly, and democratic way. The American people have a right to choose whether they want a new Constitution on a regular basis. Through their chosen representatives, an entirely new constitution can be made. Every 4 years when Americans vote for a President in November, they can vote for or against having a Constitutional Convention. If 51% or more of the voters say yes, then 16 months later (from March through May) 100 delegates, from all the national political parties that get one percent or more of the national vote, will meet together. Proportional Representation will be used to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention to create a new constitution. So, for example, if the Green Party gets 32 percent of the national vote, then there will be 32 Green delegates at the Constitutional Convention. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. From No More Fake News It's "genome-editing" of food crops. The official propaganda could go several ways. One version: "We won't be inserting foreign genes from other species into food plants anymore, as we do now in GMO crops. Instead, we'll be tweaking and editing the genes that are already in the plants. It's wonderful." Of course, this "new and improved process" can produce unintended and unpredictable effects that ripple through plant DNA. Oops. Here is a cautionary statement from Jennifer Doudna, the co-discoverer of the latest and greatest method of gene-surgery, called CRISPR: "I guess I worry about a couple of things. I think there's sort of the potential for unintended consequences of gene editing in people for clinical use. How would you ever do the kinds of experiments that you might want to do to ensure safety?" The same worries would apply to gene-editing food plants -- especially if no one intends to do long-term studies on the health effects of eating this food. We're on the cusp of a new level of GMO crime-business, and the man in charge of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Sonny Perdue, is cheerleading from the sidelines. Perdue says the newest gene-edited plants won't be any different from those developed by traditional non-GMO breeding methods. Which is like saying a missile fired from a tank is identical to an arrow shot from a bow. Here is the brand new policy from the USDA: "Under its biotechnology regulations, USDA does not regulate or have any plans to regulate plants that could otherwise have been developed through traditional breeding techniques...This includes a set of new [gene-editing] techniques that are increasingly being used by plant breeders to produce new plant varieties that are indistinguishable from those developed through traditional breeding methods." Yes, indistinguishable, if you're wearing a blindfold and wandering around in a pitch-black lab. In other words, the bureaucrats are at it again, subverting facts and viewing corporate interests as prime, while people's interests are of no importance. No regulation, no studies on genome-edited crops to determine health effects on humans, just open the door wide. Claire Robinson, the relentless and sharp publisher of gmwatch.org, goes for the throat: "If by some miracle the USDA should turn out to be correct when it claims that genome-edited plants are indistinguishable from naturally bred plants, then the whole genome-editing commercial venture is over. That's because the driving force behind all genetic engineering of plants, including genome editing, is patents. And to get a patent on a genome-edited plant you have to show that it is a man-made invention that is completely different from anything that you might find in nature." "Therefore the GMO industry is telling the public and regulators that genome-edited plants are indistinguishable from naturally bred plants, and yet at the same time it is telling patent offices that genome-edited plants are completely different from naturally bred plants." Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. News the world over is propagandized and served to us as psy-ops, designed to manipulate opinion on behalf of one wealthy, powerful group or another. But nowhere is objective reporting harder to find than in the area of Israel's relations with its neighbors. Still, people believe what they read in the New York Times. Gaza is a tiny strip of land between the Sinai and Israel, the same land area as Philadelphia. 2 million people whose parents or grandparents once lived in the multi-cultural state of Palestine live in Gaza now, walled off from Israel, from Palestine, and from Egypt by Israeli troops, tanks and barbed wire. The Israelis restrict flow of people and materials in and out of Gaza, not quite enough to starve them to death, but to isolate them in a state of desperate passivity, year upon year, decade upon decade. Last week, 30,000 residents of Gaza staged a nonviolent demonstration that turned very violent, as Israeli troops opened fire into the crowd. At least 15 were killed and thousands were injured. Did it begin with Palestinians throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails over the barbed wire? Were the people who threw the rocks " agents provocateurs ," Israeli agents dressed as Palestinians? Or were they Palestians driven to desperation by the isolation and deprivation imposed on them? Did they respond to Israeli fire, or did they act first? With sufficient research, it may be possible to answer these questions. It is probably not possible to change someone's mind who comes in having been schooled in the history of the crisis by one side or the other. Palestinian Women (Image by ActiveStills.org) Details DMCA Here's are some excerpts from the press. The Jerusalem Post represents the mainstream Israeli press. This is from an op-ed from last summer : Are Zionists really worse than Islamists? One could reach that conclusion based on reports in "mainstream media" as well as actions and rhetoric from the United Nations, the European Union, much of academia and a slew of non-governmental organizations including the innocuous-sounding Jewish Voice for Peace. [A more comprehensive list of such NGOs can be found at http://www.ngo-monitor.org/ ] Aided and abetted by Muslim and Arab propaganda, they all claim -- falsely -- that Israel is "occupying" "Palestine" Here they are preparing their readers several days in advance for an impending (conflict, massacre - choose the word you prefer): The Palestinian Way of War ( article in the Jerusalem Post Saturday, 3/24 ) At the most basic level Palestinians and others are urged by all Palestinian entities and organizations from the PLO and Palestinian Authority to Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Salafi organizations to kill or maim Israeli Jews and damage or destroy their property. Days later, the picture was more ominous: Thousands Flood Toward the Eastern Border of Gaza ( article in the Jerusalem Post Friday, 3/30 ) Gazans are amassing in camps along the border for "Land Day"and the "March of Return," an annual occurrence. While the IDF has stated their intention to use live fire on any who attempt to cross the security fence, Gaza residents continue to congregate and set up camp". The same day, this analysis appeared: Gaza Deaths Intensify Bitterness ( Jerusalem Post, Friday 3/30 ) "It's clear to us the army is targeting Palestinian protesters, and this continued bloodshed against civilians and peaceful protesters is a war crime against the Palestinian people," [Yousef] Jabareen said. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. This piece was reprinted by OpEdNews with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source. WikiLeaks' Founder Julian Assange illegally imprisoned according to the UN and international law. (Image by LondonPictureCapital) Details DMCA [Caitlin Johnstone Patron Page] The online Oxford dictionary defines the word siege as a "military operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building, cutting off essential supplies, with the aim of compelling those inside to surrender." The strategy dates back to medieval times after the proliferation of the castle, where a defending force could hole itself up inside an easily defended fortress against an invading enemy who would be at a major disadvantage in a direct attack. To get around this, an army who wanted to depose the leadership within a castle or other impregnable construct would simply surround it and refuse to allow any food or supplies to be brought in. With enough patience, those inside would be forced to either starve or surrender. This is precisely the strategy that is being employed against Julian Assange. If you try to talk about Assange being in a state of functional house arrest on any online forum you will be swiftly inundated by accounts asserting in fascinatingly uniform language that Assange is free to leave the Ecuadorian embassy whenever he wants, which just so happens to be the desire of the empire which currently has him under siege. Doctors who examined Assange earlier this year say that his health is in a "dangerous" state of deterioration. They had to conduct their examination using improvised means in an unsanitary environment because the embassy isn't set up for medical examinations, much less healthcare. They say he badly needs care, and he can't get that care from where he's at. In her epic breakdown of the way perception of WikiLeaks is being extensively manipulated by the empire titled "Being Julian Assange", journalist Suzie Dawson thoroughly documents the effects that Assange's detention are having on his mental and physical well being. Here is a small sample: "In his most recent live appearance, Assange is insightful, learned and brilliant as ever. But he is visibly suffering the ever exacerbating physical effects of his 7 year confinement. After more than half a decade without fresh air to breathe, he coughs and clears his throat constantly. He struggles to maintain cognitive flow -- breaking and reforming his thoughts, soldiering on in a concerted effort to express his ideas. It is obvious to any viewer that his vision has been affected. Our eyes need regular exposure to both short and long distances, as well as natural light changes, to maintain their health. With only four close walls to look at, Assange faces partial blindness, as well as a host of other negative effects from his unjust confinement. Although there are countless social media threads and tweets circulating about Julian and WikiLeaks every day, few if any seem to register the serious and grave possibility that, immersed in our collective complacency, we may lose them forever." Julian Assange cannot "leave whenever he wants". A judge with severely corrupt ties ruled in February that his arrest warrant still stands for an absurd bail-jumping charge from 2012 that Assange has already served his sentence for many times over according to the law as it is written. As soon as he sets foot outside the embassy he will most certainly be arrested, and then most certainly extradited to the US where the Trump administration is aggressively pursuing his arrest. Chelsea Manning was tortured. CIA black sites exist. The hoards of online trolls promulgating the narrative that Assange can "leave whenever he wants" would crack like eggs under the treatment that is inflicted upon individuals who have dared to stand up to the US-centralized empire. Assange isn't hiding from justice, he is hiding from injustice. There is no reason to believe that this draconian empire would give him a fair trial and humane treatment. He can no more "leave whenever he wants" than he could if there was a firing squad stationed outside the embassy door. And now this same western empire has pressured Ecuador into cutting off Assange's internet access, phone calls and visitors to its siege, with electronic jammers being placed inside the embassy to make doubly certain that he is completely cut off from the world. A whole new array of weapons have been added to the empire's siege, and it's getting a lot hotter in there. What all this has done, however, is prove irrefutably that Julian Assange has been right all along. The empire that he has been railing against throughout his entire time in the spotlight is every bit as depraved, oppressive and Orwellian as he has claimed, and is unquestionably deserving of his relentless assault upon it. If you speak out against the US-centralized empire, you will be silenced. If you expose the truth about it, it will lay siege to you until you either surrender or die. Dissent is being stomped out. Truth is being attacked. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Learning Management System Market Globally Grow at a CAGR of 27.17% by Revenue During the Forecast Period 2018-2022 Market Research Report https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1476001 https://www.researchmoz.us/global-learning-management-system-market-2018-2022-report.html/toc https://www.researchmoz.us/global-learning-management-system-market-2018-2022-report.html http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG https://marketreserch1.blogspot.com Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Learning Management System Market 2018-2022" to its huge collection of research reports.About Learning Management SystemThe global learning management systems market for the corporate sector is expected to witness a steady growth during the forecast period. The increased need for a centralized distribution system along with the requirement of a cost-effective solution to manage the company's operations and support various systems such as the enterprise resource planning (ERP), knowledge management system (KMS), and other support systems have fueled the market growth. Corporate LMS is used by companies to impart corporate training through a range of online training courses and to reduce the operating cost of training an employee. Using LMS, corporates can provide online courses to their employees and also monitor their progress remotely.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @Technavios analysts forecast the global learning management system market to grow at a CAGR of 27.17% during the period 2018-2022.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global learning management system market for 2018-2022. To calculate the market size, the report presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEATechnavio's report, Global Learning Management System Market 2018-2022, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendorsBlackboardCornerstone OnDemandDoceboDesire2learnOracleSAPView Complete TOC with tables & Figures @Other prominent vendorsInstructurePearsonSchoologySkillsoftMarket driverAdoption of NGDLE in the academic sectorFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendIncreasing popularity of cloud-based LMSFor a full, detailed list, view our reportBrowse Report @Key questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2022 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?Table of ContentsPART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARYPART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORTPART 03: RESEARCH METHODOLOGYAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact :ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @ Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Market 2018 Key Players: TP-Link, D-Link Systems, Cisco Systems, Huawei Technologies, Shenzhen Tenda Technology. Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Market https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3095884-global-virtual-private-network-vpn-routers-market-research-report-2018 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3095884-global-virtual-private-network-vpn-routers-market-research-report-2018 Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Market:WiseGuyReports.com adds Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Market 2018 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2025reports to its database.Executive SummaryGeographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers in these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesEUChinaJapanSouth KoreaTaiwanGlobal Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingTP-LinkD-Link SystemsCisco SystemsHuawei TechnologiesShenzhen Tenda TechnologyBelkin InternationalNetgearEdimax TechnologyAsusTek ComputerUbiquiti NetworksZyxel CommunicationsBuffalo AmericasOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoWireless VPN RoutersWired VPN RoutersOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingPersonal UseCommercial UseIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Request Sample Report @Table of ContentGlobal Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Market Research Report 20181 Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers1.2 Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Wireless VPN Routers1.2.4 Wired VPN Routers1.3 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Segment by Application1.3.1 Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Personal Use1.3.3 Commercial Use1.4 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 United States Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 EU Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.6 South Korea Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.7 Taiwan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025)2 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.1 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.3 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Average Price by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.4 Manufacturers Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)3.1 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Capacity and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.2 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Production and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.3 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.4 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.5 United States Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.6 EU Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.7 China Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.8 Japan Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.9 South Korea Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.10 Taiwan Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)4 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)4.1 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Consumption by Region (2013-2018)4.2 United States Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.3 EU Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.4 China Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.5 Japan Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.6 South Korea Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.7 Taiwan Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)5 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Production and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.2 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Revenue and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.3 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Price by Type (2013-2018)5.4 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Production Growth by Type (2013-2018)6 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Consumption and Market Share by Application (2013-2018)6.2 Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) Routers Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2013-2018)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/CountriesContinuousFor further information on this report, visit Contact Us:Norah Trentsales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US); +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone :+91 841 198 5042 Global Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions Market 2018 -Wacker, Celanese, DCC, Sinopec, Vinavil, Wanwei Global Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions Market http://cutt.us/fvNiA http://cutt.us/np4Q5 www.apexmarketreports.com Apex Market Reports, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions Market across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions Market from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global PP Pipe industry, and estimates the future trend of Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions performance both in terms of volume and revenue.The market research report explores the Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions Market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions Market. The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions Market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions Market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportWackerCelaneseDCCSinopecVinavilWanweiDowSumika ChemtexSANWEIShaanxi XutaiThe competitive landscape of the global market for Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions Markets production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions Market globally.Inquire Before Buying @The Global Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions Market 2018 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions production volume, data pertaining to demand and Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Vinyl Acetate Ethylene Emulsions across the world.About UsApex Market Reports offers elevating market research globally. We have collection of various syndicated reports of different categories. Apex Market Reports provides you to best services, weather youre searching for new trends in market or competitive scenario in emerging market.Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezCorporate Sales Specialist155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606Phone: +17739042683Email id - sales@apexmarketreports.comWebsite - Casting Polymer Sales Market Size, Trends, Challenges and Growth Drivers Analysis with top key Companies - Dupont, Breton S.P.A, .Blanco, Cosentino S.A. Market Research Report https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1603180 https://www.researchmoz.us/global-casting-polymer-sales-market-report-2018-report.html/toc https://www.researchmoz.us/global-casting-polymer-sales-market-report-2018-report.html http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG https://marketreserch1.blogspot.com Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Casting Polymer Sales Market Report 2018" to its huge collection of research reports.In this report, the global Casting Polymer market is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2017 and 2025.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @Geographically, this report split global into several key Regions, with sales (K MT), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Casting Polymer for these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Casting Polymer market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Casting Polymer sales volume, Price (USD/MT), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingCosentino S.A.Bradley CorporationCaesarstone Ltd.The R.J. Marshall CompanyDupontBreton S.P.A.Oppein Home Group Inc.Agco, Inc.Swan Surfaces, LLCEastern SurfacesKingkonree International Surface Industrial Co., Ltd.BlancoUnited States Marble, Inc.Coritec Solid Surface ManufacturersView Complete TOC with tables & Figures @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoBy TypeSolid SurfaceEngineered StoneCultured MarbleBy MaterialAlumina TrihydrateCalcium CarbonateResinsNatural Stone/QuartzOthersOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate for each application, includingResidentialCommercial UseBrowse Report @Table of ContentsGlobal Casting Polymer Sales Market Report 20181 Casting Polymer Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Casting Polymer1.2 Classification of Casting Polymer by Product Category1.2.1 Global Casting Polymer Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Casting Polymer Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Solid Surface1.2.4 Engineered Stone1.2.5 Cultured Marble2 Global Casting Polymer Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global Casting Polymer Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global Casting Polymer Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Casting Polymer Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Casting Polymer (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Casting Polymer Sales and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)3 United States Casting Polymer (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States Casting Polymer Sales and Value (2013-2018)3.1.1 United States Casting Polymer Sales and Growth Rate (2013-2018)3.1.2 United States Casting Polymer Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)3.1.3 United States Casting Polymer Sales Price Trend (2013-2018)About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact :ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @ Fluorspar Market reaching a valuation of US$1,860.8 mn by the end of 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1858 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/fluorspar-market.html http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/11/09/1178444/0/en/Global-Fluorspar-Market-to-reach-US-1-860-8-mn-by-2025-Industry-Analysis-Size-Share-Growth-Trends-and-Forecast-2017-2025-TMR.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com A fresh study by Transparency Market Research (TMR) notifies that the global fluorspar market is moderately consolidated, with a few companies holding significant chunk of overall shares. The report identifies Centralfluor Industries Group, Inc., Mexichem S.A.B. de C.V., and Zhejiang Wuyi Shenlong Floatation Co Ltd. as three most prominent participants of the fluorspar market, whereas China Kings Resources Group Co., Ltd., Kenya Fluorspar Company Ltd. (KFC), MINERSA GROUP, Seaforth Mineral & Ore Co., Inc., British Fluorspar Ltd, Mongolrostsvetmet LLC., and Masan Group are a few other notable companies connected to the value chain.Request Sample Report @The TMR report projects the global fluorspar market to exhibit a CAGR of 2.7% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2025, estimating it to reach a worldwide worth of US$1,860.8 mn by the end of 2025, considerably up from its evaluated valuation of US$1,505.3 mn in 2016. As far as growth strategies are concerned, the fluorspar market players are constantly investing in the research and development of new products. The report observes that although the degree of competition remains high owing to oversupply, the players aspire to introduce cheaper products in the cost-sensitive regions. In addition to that, fluorspar market players are also indulging in mergers and acquisitions to maintain steady supply contracts and build goodwill. The entry of new players in the near future will further intensify the competitive landscape of the global fluorspar market, particularly in the regions of Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa as there are plenty of reserves of fluorspar in China and South Africa.Product-wise, the global fluorspar market gains maximum demand for acidspar, which is mainly utilized in the production of hydrofluoric acid and aluminum. Metspar segments demand is dependent chiefly on the requirement for steel. Application-wise, the market for fluorspar has been bifurcated into aluminum production, steel production, hydrofluoric acid, lithium-ion batteries, and concrete additives. Geographically, Asia Pacific is the most lucrative region by a long margin, which is a reflection of increasing infrastructure projects in the region that requires a constant supply of steel and aluminum.Read Report Overview @Growing Demand for Aluminum and Steel Driving DemandThe demand in the global fluorspar market is essentially driven by rising demand for fluorochemical as well as increasing requirement and consequent production of aluminum and steel. In the near future, the dynamics of the hydrofluoric acid market will have a direct impact on fluorspar market. Increasing investments in infrastructure projects globally is augmenting the demand for aluminum and steel. Increasing demand for aluminum and steel will in turn poise the growth of fluorspar market during the forecast period.Unconventional applications of fluorspar such as electrolyte in lithium-ion battery and concrete additive are likely to provide potential growth of fluorspar market. Industrially, fluorspar has applications in the production of enamels and ceramic glasses as well as flux for smelting. Pure form of fluorspar has applications in microscopes and telescopes as they have low light dispersion and exhibit less chromatic aberrations in comparison to unconventional glasses. Fluorspars usage in li-ion batteries and growing consumption of cement in the construction industry are two fresh new opportunities for the vendors operating in the global fluorspar market.Get More Information @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Packaging Machinery Market 2018 Major Players : Barry-Wehmiller (U.S.), Illinois Tool Works Inc. (U.S.), Krones AG (Germany), Bosch Packaging Technology (U.S.), GEA Group AG (Germany) https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1199 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/packaging-machinery-market-1199 Market Research Future published a research report on Packaging Machinery Market Research Report- Forecast 2023 Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.Global Packaging Machinery Market Information Report by Type (Form Fill Seal, Labelling & Coding, Closing & Sealing, Wrapping & Bundling and others), by EndUser (Food, Beverages, Pharmaceutical, Personal care, and others) and by Region - Forecast to 2023Market SynopsisThe global Packaging Machinery Market is a very dynamic market and is expected to witness high growth over the forecast period. The global Packaging Machinery Market is driven with the rising demand from various industries such as food, beverages, pharmaceutical, personal care, and others. There has been a high dependency on the packaged ready to eat products. This is backed by the increasing population, automation and increase in investments by packaging companies which has led to the growth of the Packaging Machinery market. The increasing demand for packaging robots from several end-user industries is also expected to drive the growth of market over the forecast period.Get Sample of Report @The packaging machinery is used for many functions such as container cleaning, filling, and forming, canning, sealing, and lidding, bagging, packing, bottling, unpacking, wrapping, shrink film, and heat sealing, inspection and check weighing, palletizing and depalletizing, case forming, labeling, encoding and many other applications.The other factors contributing to the growth of the packaging machinery market are the increasing usage of automation in packaging industry, increasing consumption of consumer goods, advancements in the technology of energy efficient packaging machinery, the increasing use of vacuum packaging machines and the introduction of stringent government regulations for promoting environmental friendly packaging. The global Packaging Machinery Market is projected to grow at the CAGR of ~6%.Based on end users the market has been segmented as Food, Beverages, Pharmaceutical, Personal care, and others. Amongst all the end users, the food and beverage segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR. Packaging is important for the safety of the food products and it also plays an important role in the products marketing mix. Therefore, food and beverages industry together are expected to contribute the highest to the growth of the packaging machinery market.Amomng all regions, Asia Pacific region is expected to dominate the global Packaging Machinery Market. The growth of the market can be attributed to the presence of a large number of food & beverage and personal care product manufacturers in the region. The North America region is also expected to grow significantly in the global packaging machinery market owing to the presence of large number of players in the market such as Bosch Packaging Technology, Dover Corporation, and Nordson Corporation among others.Access Full Report@Key Players Wehmiller (U.S.) Illinois Tool Works Inc. (U.S.) Krones AG (Germany) Bosch Packaging Technology (U.S.) GEA Group AG (Germany) Automated Packaging Systems (U.S.) Dover Corporation (U.S.) Graphic Packaging Holding (U.S.) Mamata Enterprises (India) MULTIVAC Group (U.S.) Nordson Corporation (U.S.) Pro Mach, Inc. (U.S.) Sato Holdings Corporation (Japan) Tetra Level International (Switzerland) Reynolds Group Holdings (New Zealand)The report for Global Packaging Machinery Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Brief Toc:1. Executive Summary2. Research Methodology3. Market Dynamics4. Global Market, By Packaging Type5. Global Market, By Technology6. Global Market, By Application7. Global Market, By End-user8. Regional Market Analysis9. Competitive Analysis10. Conclusion11. List Of Tables12. List Of FiguresAsk for your specific company profile and country level customization on reports.About Us:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for , regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Schizoaffective Disorders Treatment Market: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2955 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/schizoaffective-disorders-treatment-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=CR&rep_id=2955 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Global Schizoaffective Disorders Treatment Market: OverviewSchizoaffective disorder is a combination of symptoms of mood disorder and schizophrenia, such as bipolar disorder or depression. Schizoaffective disorder is also known as a mental disorder. Schizoaffective disorders lead to deregulated emotions and abnormal thought process. Untreated schizoaffective disorder could lead several problems such as functioning at work, in social situations, trouble holding down a job, or attending school. Schizoaffective disorder treatment patients need assistance and support with daily functioning. Schizoaffective disorder symptoms depend on person to person. Symptoms of schizoaffective disorders treatment include sudden changes in energy and appetite, disorganized and illogical speech, delusions, paranoia, delusions of reference, mood swings, lack of concentration, hallucinations, social isolation, non-stop speaking, difficulty in sleeping, sudden sadness, and lack of grooming and hygiene concern. These are some factors that increase the risk of schizoaffective disorder including stressful events that trigger symptoms, taking mind-altering (psychoactive or psychotropic) drugs.Download Brochure of Report:Complications associated with schizoaffective disorder treatment are significant health problems, anxiety disorders, family and interpersonal conflicts, suicide attempts or suicidal thoughts, unemployment, and poverty and homelessness. It is quite difficult to diagnose as it has symptoms of both schizophrenia and either bipolar disorder or depression. Brain imaging and blood tests help to diagnosis schizoaffective disorders. Doctors recommend physical exam, tests and screenings, psychiatric evaluation, and diagnostic criteria for schizoaffective disorder such as DSM-5 for the confirmation of schizoaffective disorders. Schizoaffective disorders treatment can be treated with antipsychotics, antidepressants, and mood-stabilizing medications. Individual therapy and family or group therapy also help to improve symptoms of schizoaffective disorders.Global Schizoaffective Disorders Treatment Market: Drivers and RestraintsRapidly rising sedentary lifestyle, prevalence of chronic diseases, increase in health care spending, availability of advanced health care treatments, and rise in awareness about schizoaffective disorders are the factors driving the global schizoaffective disorders treatment market. However, social stigma associated with schizoaffective disorders, stringent regulatory approval procedures, and lack of diagnosis at the right time restrain the global schizoaffective disorders treatment market.Read Report Overview:Global Schizoaffective Disorders Treatment Market: Key SegmentsThe global schizoaffective disorders treatment market can be segmented based on treatment type, end-user, and region. In terms of schizoaffective disorders treatment type, the schizoaffective disorders treatment market can be categorized into medicinal therapy, psychotherapy, and others. Medicinal therapy can be divided further into antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, anticonvulsants, and antidepressants. Geographically, the global schizoaffective disorders treatment market can be segmented into five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. These regions have been further segmented into countries and medical treatment.North America is the leading schizoaffective disorders treatment market. In terms of revenue, the U.S. holds a major share of the schizoaffective disorders treatment market in North America. The market in Europe is expanding rapidly due to high prevalence of schizoaffective disorders. The schizoaffective disorders treatment market in Asia Pacific and Latin America is projected to expand significantly in the near future due to high incidence of schizoaffective disorders. Developing economies such as China and India are anticipated to contribute to the growth of the market in Asia Pacific between 2017 and 2025 due to better health care infrastructure, economic growth, increase in the number of insurance payers, rise of the private health care sector, and increase in awareness among people. Brazil and Mexico dominate the schizoaffective disorders treatment market in Latin America. South Africa, Turkey, and other developing countries in Middle East & Africa propel the schizoaffective disorders treatment market.Request For Custom Research:Global Schizoaffective Disorders Treatment Market: Key PlayersKey players operating in the global schizoaffective disorders treatment market are Merz Pharma GmbH & Co. KGaA, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca plc, Elan Pharmaceuticals, Ciba Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Company, and Abbott Pharmaceuticals.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Copper Busbar and Profiles Market to Witness a Pronounce Growth During 2017 - 2025 Copper Busbar and Profiles Market https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/copper-busbar-profiles-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=23675 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Copper busbars and profiles are widely employed in high current control equipment and low voltage distribution systems. The application of copper busbars and profiles include bus-way systems, switchboards, low and medium voltage switchgear, and panel boards among others. A busbar, which is in the form of a metallic strip, is typically utilized in electric power distribution systems. Generally un-insulated, these busbars are housed inside switch gear panels, busway enclosures, and panel boards. Busbars connect low voltage equipment in battery banks and high voltage equipment in electrical switchyards. They allow for sufficient cooling of the conductors since they are un-insulated. The maximum amount of current that can be carried by a busbar depends on its cross-sectional size and material composition.Busbars generally have a cross-sectional area of about 10 square millimeters. Busbars are produced in a variety of shapes and sizes, such as solid bars, flat strips, or in the form of hollow tubes. Some of these shapes with high surface and cross-sectional area allow more heat to dissipate. Similarly, a hollow and flat-shaped busbar are prevalent in higher current applications since a hollow or a flat busbar has higher stiffness, and this allows for an enhanced capacity of carrying electricity. In contrast to this, profiles are costly and more difficult to manufacture than busbars due to some technical constraints such as complexity in design, delicate production process, complicated packaging, and the need of a much elaborate machine set-up. Copper busbar and profiles contain better resistance against corrosion and is a better conductor of electricity compared to other metals such as aluminum.Browse Research Report With Complete TOC @Copper busbar and profiles have several advantages associated with them which make their usage beneficial in the power generation system industry. Copper busbar and profiles reduces the weight of an existing conductor and reduces the cost and improves the reliability of the system. Moreover, its improved capacitance, lower inductance, enhanced thermal characteristics, and variety of interconnection methods make it ideally suitable for usage in electrical power generation systems. Furthermore, conductivity properties of copper and expansion in the power generation and electrical equipment sector is estimated to further drive the expansion of the market. Requirement for electricity has increased due to increase in population and industrial activities. This has led to the setup of more power generation plants and transmission and distribution projects across the globe. Copper busbar and profiles are extensively utilized in power generation plants and electrical equipment industries for connecting generators to transformers and switchgears. Consequently, expansion in these industries is projected to lead to an increase in demand for copper busbar and profiles.Complexity in design of copper busbar and profiles and delicate production process are some disadvantages associated with this product, which is likely to create mild hindrances in the expansion of this market.The global copper busbar and profiles market can be segmented into application and geography. In terms of application, the market can be further segmented into power distribution solutions for the information technology sector, telecommunications sector, healthcare sector, automotive sector, transportation sector, and others.Request a PDF Brochure with Research Report Analysis @In terms of geography, the market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Asia Pacific is estimated to lead this market due to large electricity and power generation industries. The region has witnessed a surge in energy and electricity consumption due to increase in urbanization and industrialization. Furthermore, environmental concerns have led to the adoption of renewable sources of energy, which again, are anticipated to lead to the expansion of the electricity and power generation industry. Latin America and Middle East & Africa are also projected to show commendable performance due to an improvement in their economic scenario.Leading players operating in this market include Gindre (France), Sofia Med (Bulgaria), Aurubis (Germany), Luvata (Finland), Oriental Copper (Thailand), Maksal (South Africa), Copalcor (South Africa), Elektrosan (Istanbul), and Carlo Colombo (Italy).About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Metalworking Fluids Market Growth in Automotive & Construction Application by 2023 Metalworking Fluids https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/5197 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/metalworking-fluids-market-5197 Metalworking fluids are the range of oils and lubricating liquids that are used to cool and/or smoothen the metal work-piece when they undergo various mechanical processes such as machining, grounding, milling, and others. The prominent players operating in the global metalworking fluids market are Total S.A. (France), Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (India), Chevron Corporation (U.S.), Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Germany), Exxon Mobil Corporation (U.S.), HPCL (India), Houghton International Inc. (U.S.), BP (India), Shell (the Netherlands), Croda International Plc. (U.K), and China Petrochemical Corporation (China), among othersGet Sample atIntended AudienceMetalworking fluids ManufacturersTraders and distributors of metalworking fluidsResearch and development institutesPotential investorsRaw material suppliersNationalized laboratoryThese fluids help to prevent the heat generation and excessive friction between the cutting tools and the work-piece. Additionally, the use of metalworking fluid helps to improve the quality of the workpiece by continuously removing the fines, chips, and the small pieces of metal, from the tool being used and the surface of the workpiece.They serve the important metalworking operations such as removal, forming, cutting, treating fluids, and protection. For any of these things to happen smoothly, it is imperative that the fluid gets to the point of operation and that it gets there with sufficient volume and velocity to do the work required. The metalworking fluids find their applications in numerous end-user wherein metal is an integral part of the process. The major applications of the metalworking fluids can be found in transportation & automotive, industrial machinery, metal fabrication, and construction industry, among others.The protuberant factors driving the growth of the global metalworking fluids are the rapid industrialization in Asia-Pacific and African countries, growing automotive industry, and increasing construction activities around the world. The global vehicle sale marked nearly 80 million units in 2017 and it is expected to grow at significant rate in coming years due to rising demand for the passenger vehicles from the emerging economies. The global transportation sector is witnessing new normal with flourishing world trade. Being the largest consumer of metalworking fluid, this growth trend in the transportation sector is likely to favor growth of the global metalworking fluids market. Moreover, shifting consumer preference towards the customized cars and increasing demand for the light-weight, fuel-efficient vehicles on the backdrop of increasing environmental concerns is projected to fuel demand for the metalworking fluids in coming years. However, the capital-intensive nature of metalworking, gradual reduction of metal parts in automotive, and volatility of crude oil prices are the major factors restraining the growth of the market during the forecast period. Nevertheless, the major end-use industries such as aerospace, defense, and marine will continue to use the metal-based structures on account for the strength the material provides.Access Complete Report atRegional Analysis:There are five key regions in the global metalworking fluids market. It includes Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market owing to the rapid industrialization and growth of major end users such as building & construction and automotive industry. India, Japan, South Korea, and China are the dynamic economies in this region, holding a major share of this regional market. North America is the second largest region in the global metalworking fluids market, following Asia Pacific. The U.S. is the major market in this region due to the presence of well-established end users such as aerospace & defense, and marine. Europe is another significant region in the global metalworking fluids market. Major contributors to the regional market are the U.K, France, Germany, and Switzerland. Industrial machinery and automotive industries in Europe are fetching maximum demand for the metalworking fluids in this region. Latin America is witnessing a steady growth of end-user industries majorly in countries namely Brazil and Mexico. In coming years increasing opportunities for the building & construction industry may help propel the growth of the regional market.Segmentation:The global metalworking fluids market has been segmented into fluid type, application, and region.On the basis of fluid type, the market is divided into straight oils, soluble oils, synthetic oils, semi-synthetic oils, and others.Based on application the global metalworking fluids market is segmented into transportation equipment, industrial machinery, automotive, construction, metal fabrication, and others.Regionally, the market is divided into five key regions, including Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our (CRR), (HCRR), (3R), (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact Us:Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Lime Oil Market: Evolving Industry Trends and key Insights by 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=29699 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=29699